The weed forms a dense mat over the surface of lakes and rivers, choking out all life beneath Staycationers taking a holiday in the Lake District have been warned they could be spreading a killer weed from New Zealand, which is at risk of smothering the aquatic life in the famous lakes. Pigmyweed, once sold as a decorative plant for home ponds, is already responsible for several native plant species being wiped out in the Lake District, and there are fears that the area's most beautiful lakes could be infested next. The plant forms a dense mat over the waters surface that blocks out light and oxygen, killing anything living beneath it and blocking navigation. It is practically impossible to eradicate, with some suggesting the best way to control it is to fill in the ponds where it is found and dig new ones. Bookings for UK holidays have skyrocketed as people are cautious to travel abroad due to the virus, and the National Trust has warned newcomers to the lakes to be extra careful while moving between the bodies of water. There are particular fears for Lake Buttermere, which is popular for its "pristine" water quality rating. However, if people travel from an infested lake to a pristine one without taking care to wash any plant debris off their clothes, dogs, boats and bodies, they risk spreading the killer weed. Thomas Burditt from the National Trust's Northern Lakes team told Sky News: "The problem is, as soon as this weed hits, it chokes out all other life and it's very difficult to get rid of. "We're asking people to do three things: clean, check and dry. "So, when you've been in, make sure you clean you, your dog, your canoe... whatever. "Then check to make sure there are no bits of green leaf anywhere, and dry it in the sun before you go into one of the really nice lakes. "Then hopefully you won't be taking the plant with you." The National Trust is already battling the weed at other sites at the Lake District, as it has no natural predators there and therefore spreads easily in the clean, clear waters. It has taken hold at popular wild swimming spot Derwent Water, out-competing the native species like Water Plantain which are on the Biodiversity Action Plan red list of species under threat. It's also covering up the spawning gravels for the UKs rarest freshwater fish, the Vendace, which only survives in Derwent Water and one other lake in England. Regulators in Hong Kong and mainland China are working to expand a pilot that will make it easier for people to remotely open bank accounts in the Greater Bay Area development zone, two sources familiar with the matter said. Under a pilot scheme introduced by Beijing in March last year, Bank of China (Hong Kong), one of the city's three note-issuing banks, started allowing residents to open mainland accounts without having to visit China in person. "The service has been well received, with over 100,000 successful applicants so far," said Stephen Chan, general manager of the bank's personal banking and wealth management department. The pilot's success has prompted regulators to expand the scheme to other lenders, the sources said. Here is what you need to know about opening bank accounts in the Greater Bay Area. In China, banks offer three types of accounts, each with different features and restrictions. For those who only want to travel in the area and use e-wallets to pay for meals, train tickets or shopping, a type 3 bank account will suffice. After opening such an account, one can link up their banks and transfer money to popular e-wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay or others. Daily transfers are, however, limited to 2,000 yuan (US$286), while the annual limit is 50,000 yuan. ATM and other banking services are not provided with these accounts. Those who work in the area and need a higher transfer limit and an ATM card will need a type 2 account. The daily limit on these accounts is set at 10,000 yuan, while a maximum of 200,000 yuan can be transferred in a year. ATM cards can be used to withdraw up to 1,000 yuan per day. Type 1 accounts offer the most comprehensive set of services, from time deposits, loans, remittances, payments and investment to wealth management services. There is no limit on transfers within mainland China, Hongkongers can only remitted 80,000 yuan per day to their mainland accounts. Story continues The type 1 bank account will require an in-person visit to a bank in mainland China. Some local lenders such as China Construction Bank (Asia), HSBC, Bank of East Asia, Standard Chartered Bank and Hang Seng Bank allow local customers to fill in the account opening documents in their Hong Kong offices before they visit their mainland units to complete ID verification and the account opening process. These customers need to have a mainland Chinese residential address and a mainland mobile phone number. Hong Kong residents need to present their Mainland Travel Permit while foreigners need to show their passports and visas. Visit a mainland branch on Sunday, as banks see fewer customers on this day than normal working days. For those who want to open type 2 or 3 accounts, Hong Kong permanent residents can open these via the Hong Kong branches of BOC(HK). Foreigners, however, must go to China to open such accounts. Yes, provided that you have accounts in both Hong Kong and the mainland with the same bank. Bank of Communications, BOC, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia), HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Hang Seng Bank and Bank of East Asia all allow customers to transfer funds across the border through mobile and internet banking. 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. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 13 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: The Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan will sign a contract with Russias Veya Investments Limited for the purchase of 14,000 tons of winter potato seeds, Trend reports with reference to the Business Turkmenistan information portal. The corresponding decree was signed by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on Friday in order to increase the efficiency of Turkmen agricultural producers. The other aim of the mentioned decree is to implement a Resolution of the President of Turkmenistan of May 29, 2020 On sowing in the velayats and growing in 2020 high yields of winter potatoes, vegetables and other agricultural crops. Thus, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan should ensure the cultivation of high yields of winter potatoes, vegetables and other crops on the allocated 21,000 hectares throughout Turkmenistan in 2020. The ministry is also instructed to conclude agreements with tenants, land users and landowners on the purchase of manufactured products at a contractual price and timely settlements with manufacturers. Agriculture is one of the most important branches of Turkmenistan's economy. The main types of agricultural crops are wheat, cotton, rice, sugar beet, fodder, vegetable and fruit crops. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva BERWYN, Pa., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Triumph Group [NYSE:TGI] today announced that Tom Blakely will join the company as Chief Technology Officer, reporting to Vice President of Operations, Nick Drazic. Blakely has led the development, certification, and transition to production of dozens of advanced military and commercial aircraft as well as complex subsystems and components over the last four decades. In this new role, Blakely will chair Triumph's Innovation and Technology Council and oversee technical matters across the company's 36 factories including both original equipment and aftermarket contracts. Blakely will also prioritize and manage the company's research and development efforts as it develops intellectual property in alignment with its business strategy. "Development of proprietary products and processes is key to Triumph's growth on new platforms and profitability," said Drazic. "As we expand our military backlog, Tom will play a critical role in partnering with our military customers to offer solutions for current and future platforms." Blakely most recently worked for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as the Deputy Head of Engineering on their regional jet program after a brief retirement. Prior to that, he worked at Lockheed Martin for 33 years, holding a broad range of technical leadership positions including the F-35, C-5, P-3 and C-130J aircraft. This included 28 years with Lockheed in Chief Engineer or Technical Director positions, two assignments in the company's Washington Operations office and more than 7 years as the Engineering Vice President responsible for integrity of technical operations at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, including the company's famed Skunk Works. Blakely has also consulted on and provided contract engineering for commercial aircraft development projects for Airbus and Triumph, as well as the Naval Air Systems Command. "As Triumph accelerates its transition from a contract manufacturing company to a focused provider of proprietary components and services for leading military and commercial platforms, I am confident Tom will provide the technical leadership to solve our customer's hardest challenges," said Dan Crowley, Triumph Group President and CEO. Triumph Group, Inc., headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, designs, engineers, manufactures, repairs and overhauls a broad portfolio of aerospace and defense systems, components and structures. The company serves the global aviation industry, including original equipment manufacturers and the full spectrum of military and commercial aircraft operators. More information about Triumph can be found on the company's website at www.triumphgroup.com. SOURCE Triumph Group Related Links www.triumphgroup.com Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Mainly clear. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable. 'As far as I know, Sachin Pilotji is not going to the BJP.' IMAGE: The Rajasthan chief minister's residence in Jaipur, venue of the Congress legislature party meeting on July 13, 2020. Photograph: ANI Photo The crisis in the Rajasthan government, with Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot raising the banner of revolt and claiming the support of 30 Congress legislators, seems to have been averted for the time being at least, with the rebel MLAs deciding not to walk out of the party. Three of them -- Rohit Bohra, Danish Abrar and Chetan Dudi -- had a change of heart following a visit to New Delhi and announced at a press conference on Sunday that they were with the Congress party. Speaking to Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf on Monday morning ahead of the Congress legislature party meeting, Bohra says, "There is no danger to the Ashok Gehlot government, it will run its full five-year term." Asked why he went to Delhi with Pilot, Bohra asks, "Anyone can go to Delhi, what is wrong in it? People go to Delhi for their personal work. And we have a couple of Congress MLAs who have homes in Delhi so they go there." MLA Chetan Dudi, who was seen to be in the Pilot camp, also toes the party line, stating, "We have our numbers and this government will survive. And time will prove me right as Gehlotji's government will complete its full term." The latest round of trouble between Pilot and Gehlot erupted when the Rajasthan police's special operations group issued notices to Gehlot and Pilot after registering an FIR on Friday against two people, who have been detained, for their alleged involvement in horse-trading of Congress MLAs for toppling the state government. This notice was seen by Pilot as a move to publicly humiliate him. Gehlot had accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to topple his government by offering large amounts of bribes to switch sides following which the SOG was set up. When asked what was the need for Pilot to be summoned by the SOG, which had led to the crisis, Dudi asks, "Even Chief Minister Gehlotji has to present himself before the SOG, so what is wrong?" Rajasthan Revenue Minister, Harish Chaudhary, who was instrumental in averting the crisis, echoes the same line. "Even the CM got the notice from the SOG. This was not sent to the deputy chief minister alone. All the concerned people needed to be spoken to during the course of investigation and therefore the notice was sent," Chaudhary tells Rediff.com. Asked about the continuing differences between Pilot and Gehlot, Dudi says, "There can be differences, but that is between Pilotji and Gehlotji, how can I comment on it?" About the speculation that Pilot is on the verge of joining the BJP, Dudi says, "As far as I know, Sachin Pilotji is not going to the BJP." Revenue Minister Chaudhary affirms, "There is no crisis to the Gehlot government and we have a comfortable majority. We will last our full term. Asked if Rajasthan would become the next state to slip out of the Congress's clasp after Madhya Pradesh, Chaudhary declares that that history will not repeat itself in Rajasthan. "The BJP made a mistake, this is Rajasthan, not Madhya Pradesh!" asserts Chaudhary. Asked if the Congress leadership at the Centre is sidelining young leaders like Sachin Pilot, Chaudhary says, rather cryptically, "This is just a simple observation, nothing more than that." 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 LAGOS, Nigeria - An American woman who was lured to Nigeria by a man she met on Facebook has been rescued after spending more than a year in captivity, authorities said. Police spokesman Frank Mba said that the 34-year-old man had persuaded the woman to come to Nigeria under the pretext of love and deceitfully married. But he then held her captive in a hotel and extorted $48,000 from her. He also forcefully collected and took control of her credit and debit cards as well as the operation of her bank accounts including the receipt of her monthly retirement benefits and allowances over the period of 15 months, Mba said. The victim, a retired civil servant in the United States, was rescued by a Police Intelligence Response Team following information received from some Nigerians, he said. Two experimental coronavirus vaccines jointly developed by German biotech firm BioNTech and U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer have received 'fast track' designation from the U.S. drug regulator, the companies said on Monday. The candidates, BNT162b1 and BNT162b2, are the most advanced of at least four vaccines being assessed by the companies in ongoing trials in the United States and Germany. Pfizer's shares were up about 2% and U.S.-listed shares of BioNTech were up about 6% before the bell. Earlier this month, the companies said BNT162b1 showed potential against the virus and was found to be well tolerated in early-stage human trials. Early data from the German trial of BNT162b1 are expected to be released in July, the companies said. If the ongoing studies are successful, and the vaccine candidate receives regulatory approval, the companies said they expect to make up to 100 million doses by the end of this year and potentially more than 1.2 billion doses by 2021-end. The companies said they expect to begin a large trial with up to 30,000 participants as soon as later this month, if they receive regulatory approval. The fast track status by the Food and Drug Administration is granted to speed up the review of new drugs and vaccines that show the potential to address unmet medical needs. Seen is an image of Nexon's new mobile game "Dungeon and Fighter." The mobile game will be released in China on Aug. 12 via Chinese publisher Tencent. / Courtesy of Nexon By Baek Byung-yeul Nexon, Smilegate and other Korean game companies' woes are deepening as their reliance on Chinese game company Tencent is growing, putting local game firms under control of the world's largest game developer and publisher and inviting fallout on the industry, analysts said Monday. Korean game companies have been selling their products in China indirectly through Chinese game companies due to the Chinese ban on overseas companies selling titles directly in China, the largest game market in the world. In China, game companies are required to obtain licenses from the government for new games. However, Korean game companies have been blocked from exporting their products to the mainland since March 2017 when Beijing stopped issuing licenses as part of a retaliation against Korea's deployment of a U.S. THAAD missile defense system. Given there is no suitable alternative other than selling their games through the Chinese publisher, concerns are raising against Tencent's growing influence here, as the company can weaken competitiveness of the local game industry. "Tencent is increasingly growing its presence in the Korean game market. The move could damage the local game industry because there could be serious issues such as labor restructuring," said Hwang Sung-ik, president of the Korea Mobile Game Association. "Korean game companies may be pressured to import more Chinese games Tencent is developing. This may make local firms restructure their workforce, which would hurt local game producers." Currently Nexon and Smilegate are distributing their flagship online games "Dungeon and Fighter" and "Crossfire" in China via Tencent. The Chinese company is also distributing an online shooting game "Game for Peace," a Chinese version of Krafton's popular online game "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds." These games are the main sources of income for the three companies. Tencent will also take a distributor role of Nexon's mobile version of "Dungeon and Fighter," which will be launched there on Aug. 12. Acquiring shares of local game companies is another way for the Chinese game giant to expand its presence in the Korean games market. Tencent currently holds 17.55 percent stake in Netmarble, one of the major game firms here, 13.2 percent stake in Krafton and 5.6 percent in KakaoGames. It also holds 6.49 percent stake in Kakao, Korea's largest messenger app operator, through its subsidiary firm MAXIMO PTE. The company was also mentioned as a potential buyer of Nexon when the latter was up for sale in the early 2019. THEY WANT $25 TO LET ME PARK IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE? Several readers have voiced that question after the city revamped its residential parking permit process. As my colleague Jessica Dyer reported Saturday, the city backed off the charges Friday in a news release, saying the fees apply only if you request the permits online. Around 100 streets in 11 neighborhoods think high-traffic areas such as Downtown and the university and fairgrounds areas have permitted parking, but its always been free. And it still is if you schlepp Downtown for a permit. Peter Swift and Elen Feinberg shared that in the Spruce Park neighborhood, on-street parking is not a luxury for us. Given the small driveways and one-car garages typical of the neighborhood, on-street parking is essential for many residents, visitors and for tradespeople who rely on residents to provide a temporary pass while they are working. Why was the neighborhood not consulted first before this fee was imposed? Caryn Wagner writes, After putting in a complaint to 311 which was supposed to reach our councilor, Isaac Benton, and Mayor Keller, I received a prompt call from a woman at the parking division who said that the money is needed for enhanced patrolling and ticketing. The one patrol person has done an adequate job over many years, and I told her so. Then she changed her story saying that the $25/vehicle fee was to pay for street repair, parking structures and putting up street signs. Then with a superior tone she said our neighborhood could always decide that we no longer would require permits, leaving us to be overrun with student vehicles. And Allen M. Parkman, acting president of the Spruce Park Neighborhood Association, emails, Issuing the permits requires very little effort on the part of the city and yet it provides substantial benefits to the residents of these special areas, while making those neighborhoods safer. Friday, the city said online transactions will take a small fee to support the online service. Those who prefer to come down to the Parking Division and pick up their permit may still do so and will not be charged. Online, the fees are: residential permits, $25/year; visitor permits, $25/year; landlord permits, $30/year; caregiver permits, $5/6 month; contractor permits, $5/day; moving van permits, $5/day. And each resident in an on-street permit parking district is able to receive one resident and two visitor passes or two resident and one visitor pass. FYI, the city Parking Division is an enterprise fund, meaning it gets no tax dollars and has to pay its own way. MVD OPEN IN FARMINGTON, GALLUP AND LAS CRUCES: A news release from the state Taxation and Revenue Department says offices in these cities opened July 6. As with the other MVD offices, you can make an appointment by going to mvdonline.com or calling 888-683-4636. You must have an appointment to enter an MVD office, though some are offering special senior hours for customers 79 and older. If you cant get an appointment there is a backlog as offices have been closed since mid-March remember the governors order waiving MVD fees and penalties for registrations and licenses that expired during the shutdown remains in effect and State Police have been directed not to issue citations for such expired documents. EAGLE VISTA MVD REOPENS TODAY: The office on Eagle Ranch on Albuquerques West Side was closed Thursday after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. A Tax and Rev news release says, The affected employee wore personal protective equipment and practiced social distancing at all times while at MVD, and (plastic) barriers are in place between employees and customers. However, out of an abundance of caution, MVD employees are reaching out to all customers who have provided email addresses or phone numbers and who were served at the office between July 6 and July 9. The office was scheduled to be cleaned while closed and will be staffed with employees from other offices. DELAYS ON LA BAJADA TODAY: The New Mexico Department of Transportation says in a news release that a paving project on Interstate 25 means drivers heading northbound may experience significant delays depending on traffic volume Monday, July 13, (today) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. due to lane closures. Backups were apparently brutal Friday. Today, a single lane will be open to allow traffic to pass through the project from the Cochiti Exit to the Waldo Exit. NMDOT says drivers should expect delays and plan accordingly. Editorial page editor DVal Westphal tackles commuter issues for the Albuquerque area on Mondays. Reach her at 823-3858; dwestphal@abqjournal.com; or 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ The house of representatives committee on public accounts has launched an investigation into the alleged payment of N70.495 billion for ... The house of representatives committee on public accounts has launched an investigation into the alleged payment of N70.495 billion for abandoned Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) projects. The house panel said at its investigative hearing at the weekend that the money was paid as mobilisation fee to 1,773 contractors who did not execute the projects between 2008 and 2012. Wole Oke, the committee chairman, said the probe was occasioned by audit queries issued to the NDDC by the office of the auditor-general of the federation (OAuGF) on the projects. But Itu Ubi, the NDDC acting director of internal audit, said only N19 billion is yet to be recovered from the contractors awarded the projects. Oke directed the NDDC management to provide details of the projects and the defaulting contractors as well as the statements of account showing the recovered funds as claimed by Ubi. The report by the OAuGF indicated that 219 audit queries have been issued on NDDC finances, and 90% of contractors engaged by the commission between 2011 and 2012, were mobilised for contracts that ought to have been completed within six months without reporting to site. The report also showed that 60 percent of the contractors had claimed to have completed the projects, but the claims could not be verified. But Ubi, who represented Kemebrandikumo Pondei, the NDDC managing director, said the funds were released to the banks that guaranteed the contractors. He said most of the funds paid have been recovered from the defaulting contractors and the commission is only after N19 billion, and not N70.4 billion as claimed by the committee. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 07/13/2020 ADVERTISEMENT [ Spoiler Warning: This report features spoilers that reveal whether Deavan and Jihoon are still together or if the couple have split up.] ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Did Deavan and Jihoon's relationship end or is the : The Other Way couple still together now? ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Deavan Clegg is threatening to leave South Korea and dump Jihoon Lee after he lied to her again on Season 2 of : The Other Way, so did they break up or is the couple still together?Deavan was a 22-year-old from Salt Lake City, UT, when she met Jihoon, a 29-year-old mobile phone dealer from Seoul, South Korea, on a dating app.Deavan was Jihoon's "fantasy" girl and he was taken with her modeling photos, and the couple used translating apps to communicate with each other.Deavan and Jihoon talked to each other every day for three months before Jihoon made plans to travel to America and meet Deavan and her daughter Drascilla in person for the first time. Drascilla was three years old at the time and will turn five this August.Jihoon and Deavan fell hard and fast for each other, and they had sex during that trip -- which resulted in Deavan getting pregnant. The baby was going to be Jihoon's first child.Jihoon and Deavan found out they were expecting after six positive pregnancy tests confirmed their suspicions on the day he was leaving to return to South Korea in 2018.After Jihoon returned to South Korea, the couple planned to get married. Not only did they love each other, but they thought it would be best for the baby for them to be together.After Deavan won the approval of Jihoon's parents, Jihoon proposed marriage during a lunch at a Las Vegas restaurant and then planned to fly to America two months later for the birth of his child.Jihoon went on to book a flight back to America for Deavan's scheduled section; however, Deavan learned the baby had to be delivered early because her blood pressure was really high, in the 170s, which was "extremely dangerous."Deavan explained the baby needed to be taken out early or else she could die -- and the baby could die as well.Deavan asked Jihoon to change his ticket and fly back to the United States earlier, but he admitted it was too expensive and refused, which frustrated Deavan because she had previously asked him not to buy a ticket at all in case the baby came early.Deavan was heartbroken Jihoon wasn't by her side when their son Taeyang was born in April 2019, and Jihoon admitted he was "a very bad father" at first.Jihoon eventually made his way to the United States to meet his son, but he had a lot of learning to do, like changing diapers. He also revealed to Deavan he had lost his job.Jihoon's "lack of financial responsibility" really worried Deavan, especially since he had nine months while she was pregnant to save for a baby.Jihoon told Deavan not to worry and their future would be bright, but Deavan was sick of hearing "trust me" and said she needed things to actually happen.The time then finally came for Deavan to move to South Korea and start a new life in a completely different world. She left Drascilla behind, however, just to make sure Jihoon would be able to support them and the transition and adjustment wouldn't be so difficult for her young daughter.Deavan expected Jihoon to have landed a full-time job and an apartment for them, but he was still living in his parents' house and broke the news they'd continue living there for a few months.Jihoon said he was working a "delivery" job but needed more time to save money, and Deavan just found that to be "unacceptable" since she was stuck sharing a one-bedroom apartment with a newborn and Jihoon's parents.Jihoon claimed he was making about $4,000 a month at his job but couldn't get to a good place financially due to debt.Jihoon apparently owed $30,000 (which included interest on a loan he had taken out to pay the original $15,000 fine) due to illegally selling used and lost phones, but at the time of their conversation, he had his debt down to $5,000."That's not the ideal life or dad I wanted for my children," Deavan said in a confessional. "For him to not take that seriously, I think I made a big mistake."But Jihoon assured Deavan, "I now change jobs. I promise. Next time, I go to jail. I'm not doing illegal anymore, okay?"Despite the red flags, Deavan and Jihoon still filed marriage papers so she could reside in Jihoon's country permanently. And three weeks later, they had a traditional Korean wedding ceremony.Deavan hoped Jihoon would work hard, save money, and rent an apartment for them, and she said she'd "probably have to leave" the relationship if he failed to step up to the plate.Deavan documented her relationship with Jihoon in Summer through Fall 2019 and started a small T-shirt business with Jihoon that was doing well at the time.But Deavan unfortunately suffered a miscarriage with her third child. She announced on Instagram in October she had lost a baby.On Season 2 of : The Other Way, Deavan said being back in America was "extremely hard and difficult" as a single parent of two kids, and so Jihoon promised Deavan he would change and had enough money saved for his family.With that in mind, Deavan opted to move back to South Korea permanently. Deavan packed condoms because she said she didn't want to get pregnant again, and her mother Elicia joined her for the trip to help with Drascilla and Taeyang.Deavan decided to rent them an apartment during her stay for one month to allow for Jihoon to find them a permanent place. She hoped he would "grow up" and get "his sh-t together."Deavan said if Jihoon couldn't provide, he wasn't ready for a family and she'd return to America."We are getting rid of our old lives in America and starting a whole new life in Korea. I'm taking a huge gamble; I'm giving up my whole life in Korea and everything I've ever worked hard for to start this new life with Jihoon," Deavan told the cameras.Deavan knew it would be an adjustment for Drascilla to adjust to a new culture and hear a new language every day."He lied to me last time, so I'm really worried that he's lying to me again," Deavan said. "I really hope Jihoon is ready for what's coming for him."Jihoon later admitted to his friends he had "exaggerated" about how much money he was making when talking to Deavan over FaceTime."I don't really have a job," Jihoon admitted in a confessional. "I have a side job doing deliveries and it goes by the hour. It's a part-time job. I lied to Deavan because if I not have money, then Deavan's not come to Korea."Jihoon's friends even thought Jihoon was making Korean men look bad.Deavan then arrived in South Korea, which marked her second attempt to move there permanently. Jihoon hadn't seen Deavan in two months, and he said he was very excited to see her.Jihoon and his parents picked Deavan, Elicia, Drascilla and Taeyang up at the airport, and Jihoon became increasingly more nervous because Elicia was allegedly "an angry person."Deavan just traveled for 22 hours with two kids and so she was admittedly exhausted and ready for bed. Everyone piled into a yellow van, and Elicia immediately started yelling and "freaking out," according to Deavan.Once they saw the apartment they'd be living in, Elicia appeared disgusted."You should've checked before you got it," Jihoon's mother told her son.The place was broken down in a bad neighborhood, and Elicia vented she was "totally losing [her] sh-t."Deavan described the apartment building as "the ghetto of Korea" and said it wasn't even on a street -- it was in an alley and surrounded by trash and even toilets.Elicia pulled Jihoon aside and gave him a piece of her mind by saying she had expected him to behave like a man and find a safe place for her daughter and grandkids to live.Elicia appeared to be on the verge of tears and complained, "I am extremely disappointed in Jihoon."Deavan was also "extremely angry" at her husband. She told the cameras that all Jihoon needed to do was check out the apartment before she moved there to make sure it was suitable for a young family.Jihoon admitted the neighborhood sucked and he wanted to cry.Deavan discovered the apartment was tiny, there was no stovetop or living room, and she barely had room for her suitcase. Jihoon told Deavan that she had picked out and rented the place, but Deavan yelled at Jihoon "it is your fault" because he should've found them a place to live in South Korea."It just feels like I'm doing all the heavy lifting in this relationship and he has done nothing so far," Deavan noted in a confessional.Deavan wasn't willing to stay in that apartment for a month, and she vented, "It's just to the point where I can't do it anymore."Deavan was clearly tired of Jihoon's empty promises, and Jihoon acknowledged the situation was a mess and it truly was his fault. Jihoon admitted he never helped Deavan when she was pregnant and had failed to earn her trust on her first day in South Korea.Jihoon cried outside after talking to Deavan and called himself a total "idiot."The next morning, Deavan complained that she was exhausted, sad and upset about the apartment.Deavan told Jihoon that they should find a new apartment and he should help pay for it. Jihoon said he was trying hard to pay for everything, like a new house and Deavan moving to Korea, but she argued, "You didn't pay for that."Jihoon asked Deavan not to be grumpy and said he'd pay for everything after working a little while longer."I have no money," Jihoon confessed."All the things I was worried about were true," Deavan said.The pair tried to communicate through a language-translating piece of technology but it wasn't translating correctly and so the pair couldn't have a clear conversation."If I would have known you didn't have money, I wouldn't have came here," Deavan said. "Why do you keep lying to me?""To be honest, I wanted you to come here fast," Jihoon said. "If you're worried about money, you can leave here."Jihoon asked Deavan to stay for a few months, but she threatened to leave when her mother planned to leave. Deavan cried saying she had nothing to go home to but she had nothing in South Korea either.Deavan just held Taeyang and cried, and Jihoon expressed frustration outside about how the situation was "a mess."Jihoon gave away in early July he and Deavan are still together when he lashed out at trolls on Instagram, saying is in his past and he now has a job that supports his family, meaning Deavan and her two kids.After posting several hashtags, Jihoon wrote, "To people who ask me to get a job, I'm always so kind to people who are kind to me first. But to those who are rude to me, I'm an assh-le to them. Distinguish between show and reality. And the show is in the past."Jihoon continued, "I've said countless times that I have a job. My job is to deliver food. I earn enough money to take care of my family. If you read this and you tell me to get a job, from now on, I'm thinking of you as a goldfish with a memory of three seconds.""I'll just ignore it and block it," he added. "Cuz I don't want to talk to fish, yeah think about it how crazy huh?! Bye."Jihoon's post served as the caption to a screenshot of him slamming a hater."I'm working right now... You need to be logical. Don't be so old. I have a job. And my side job blocks a b-tch like you."At the beginning of : The Other Way's second season, Deavan was also shown dealing with the coronavirus pandemic while living in South Korea.The footage filmed earlier this year, around February or March, and was seemingly intended for TLC's : Self-Quarantined spinoff.Deavan shared how COVID-19 was "very serious" where she is staying in South Korea. She said South Korea was the second country with the most infected people and so she and Jihoon were in quarantine.Deavan admitted her daughter Drascilla was going stir crazy and her son Taeyang couldn't play outside."They're predicting 60 percent of the country could get the virus, and that's really scary. Everyone is in panic mode, and I don't know what to do," Deavan told her Diary Cam.( : The Other Way then flashed back to seven months earlier, when Deavan was preparing for her move to South Korea with her two kids.)Given Deavan was in South Korea just a few months ago, it's apparent she and Jihoon are still together.There is also recent evidence on Instagram that Deavan and Jihoon haven't parted ways.On June 17, Jihoon posted a funny picture of Deavan holding a large box of condoms, and Deavan commented, "Jihoon knows how to work it whoot whoot."Given the box said the condoms were "small pecker condoms," Deavan clarified, "Hahahahaha haha everyone knows it was a joke."And a few days earlier, Deavan posted a selfie of herself modeling in a really nice home or apartment."Loving this dress. Super cute. #90dayfiance #90daytheotherway #fashion #tattoos #morningvibes," Deavan captioned the June 14 photo.One follower commented, "Omg she's back in the states!!??"And then Deavan confirmed, "Just visiting," suggesting her permanent residence is still South Korea.Deavan also confirmed in the comments section of her post she is "definitely not pregnant" again.In addition, Deavan often adds the hashtags #southkorea and #deavanandjihoon to her Instagram posts.Going back to early June, Deavan conducted an interview with Access in which she said she was really excited for fans to see more of her relationship with Jihoon on Season 2 of : The Other Way."It's very exciting. I'm so excited to continue my journey and share my journey. I'm really, really excited that people get to see me and Jihoon and more of that aspect, because I think on Season 1 people didn't get to see too much of us," Deavan said."But this time, everyone will get to see that and this beautiful journey. You guys are going to see definitely some of our lowest points and some of our highest points, so it's going to be worth the watch."Deavan assured Access that Jihoon "loves [being a father].""It's definitely a life-changing thing for him and I think he's very happy with it, even though it was a surprise to both of us. But he absolutely loves both kids," Deavan shared.Despite the ups and downs in her relationship with Jihoon, Deavan called starring on the with him "a great experience" that was "life-changing."Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! Guests wear masks as required to attend the official reopening day of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (AP) Florida: Florida reported a record increase of more than 15,000 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours on Sunday, as the Trump administration renewed its push for schools to reopen and anti-mask protests were planned in Michigan and Missouri. If Florida were a country, it would rank fourth in the world for the most new cases in a day behind the United States, Brazil and India, according to a Reuters analysis. Floridas daily increases in cases have already surpassed the highest daily tally reported by any European country during the height of the pandemic there. It has also broken New York states record of 12,847 new cases on April 10 when it was the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak. The latest rise was reported a day after Walt Disney World in Orlando reopened with a limited number of guests who were welcomed with a host of safety measures, including masks and temperature checks. Anti-mask activists in several states, including Florida and Michigan, have organized protests against local mandates, arguing that the measures infringe upon individual freedom. Coronavirus infections are rising in about 40 states, according to a Reuters analysis of cases for the past two weeks compared with the prior two weeks. Nationally, the United States has broken global records by registering about 60,000 new cases a day for the last four days in a row, according to a Reuters tally. Hospitalizations and positive test rates are also rising in Arizona, California, Florida and Texas. Florida reported a record amount of testing, with nearly 143,000 results announced on Sunday compared with an average of 68,000 for the prior seven days. TRUMP DONS MASK Facing a battered economy as he seeks re-election in November, President Donald Trump has pressured states to reopen shuttered businesses and schools. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said on Sunday that her department did not have its own safe reopening plans to promote, and each school district and state must devise their own plans based on their local coronavirus infection rates. Health officials have pleaded with the public to wear masks to limit the spread of the virus, but the issue has become politically divisive in the United States unlike many other countries that have seen far lower rates of infection and death. Seven months into the pandemic, Trump wore a mask for the first time in public when he visited a Washington D.C.-area military medical center on Saturday. He had previously refused to wear a mask in public or ask Americans to wear face coverings, saying it was a personal choice. Many Americans still refuse to wear a mask, which health experts say help stop transmission of the virus that has killed more than 134,000 Americans. Anti-mask activists organized a protest on Saturday at a grilled cheese restaurant and bar in Windermere, Florida, which is in Orange County about 12 miles (19 km) from Walt Disney World. The restaurant, 33 & Melt, has become a focal point of tension after owner Carrie Hudson said she was not requiring customers to wear masks. County officials have mandated the use of masks in public since June 20. During Saturdays protest, no customers wore face coverings inside the restaurant. Agents from the states Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco arrived during the rally and served Hudson with a warning, according to a video. This is a virus that is very well contained, said one of the demonstrators, anti-mask activist Tara Hill. Everyone is responsible for their own health care decisions ... We want our choices respected as well. In addition to a record 15,000 new cases on Sunday, more than four dozen hospitals in Florida reported that their intensive care units are full due to a surge in COVID-19 patients. Hundreds were expected to attend a demonstration at the Michigan state capitol on Sunday afternoon, according to a Facebook event, to protest against Governor Gretchen Whitmers order that everyone must wear a mask in public, except when outdoors and able to maintain social distance. Protesters were also planning to gather outside city hall in Springfield, Missouri on Monday, where the city council was due to vote on a mask mandate in response to rising cases and a more than fourfold increase in Greene Countys COVID-19 hospitalizations in the last month. 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. City of Kawartha Lakes OPP officers were called to Balsam Lake Provincial Park on Saturday morning to investigate a report of an assault. Its alleged that a camper was assaulted by someone from a neighbouring site after a dispute over music being played. Thye Roganovic, 25, of Port Colborne, was arrested and charged with assault, and will appear in court in Lindsay on Sept. 10. City of Laredo and Webb County officials confirmed an additional 121 new cases of the novel coronavirus and three deaths on Monday. The development brings the city's total number of positives above 3,000 cases for the first time while giving it 46 deaths. Laredo is coming off a fourth straight record week of new cases, most recently posting 774 cases. Yet so far through three days this week, the city already has recorded 454 cases with four days to go. The city must be judged for weekly numbers on a Saturday through Friday format to accurately account for the time period Laredo stopped providing updates on weekends. Overall, Laredo's 121 cases Monday rank as the seventh-highest total in a single day as the city has announced five of its seven highest daily positives in the past five days, and six of its seven highest in the past seven days. Its average cases per day is now at a new high of 148.7 the past seven days. Of the 3,001 cases recognized since the start of the pandemic, 2,062 are classified as active infections. That's more than eight times the 250 necessary to declare the area in the highest warning level of Red for the citys color-coded advisory system. Nearly at this date a month ago on June 12, there were only 190 active cases in the city. The three deaths announced on Monday occurred over the weekend, with two occurring at Laredo hospitals. A man in his mid 50s died at Laredo Medical Center on Sunday. Another man in his mid 70s died at Doctors Hospital on Saturday. A female in her late 80s also died at a local nursing home on Sunday. All had underlying health conditions, which is also the case for all 46 coronavirus-related deaths in the area so far. As of noon Monday, city officials are reporting that Laredo hospitals are still facing staffing shortages, which are limiting capacity for COVID patients in Laredo. Fire Chief Ramiro Elizondo said that the city's main concern at this time is ICU capacity. There are 54 people in intensive care at Doctors Hospital and Laredo Medical Center, of which 182 hospitalized in total. Both numbers are new highs for the area. City officials continue to reach out to local medical facilities to ensure the city has enough beds in light of the surge of hospitalizations. A total of 12,403 people have been tested for the coronavirus locally with 8,290 returning negative. With that, Laredo's test positivity rate is now at its third-largest total ever at 26.6%, just under one point shy of the former high of 27.7% from April 11. At this time last month, the city's test positivity rate sat at just 13.2%. A total of 1,112 tests are still pending results, though 463 are presumed negative due to being over 30 days old. A group of 893 have recovered from previous infections. A number of cruise suppliers and key stakeholders in the global cruise business were awarded federal Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans, according to recently released data from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The PPP was aimed at small businesses and created as part of the CARES Act, which went into law at the end of March. The release of loan data strikes the appropriate balance of providing the American people with transparency, while protecting sensitive payroll and personal income information of small businesses, sole proprietors, and independent contractors. said United States Secretary of the Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin, in prepared remarks. Under specific circumstances, the low-interest loans may be forgiven by the U.S. Federal Government. Key Cruise-Related Loan Recipients: Studio Dado - $150,000 to $350,000 Bermello, Ajamil & Partners - $2,000,000 to $5,000,000 FCCA (Florida Caribbean Cruise Association) - $150,000 to $350,000 Villeroy & Boch- $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 Vikand - $150,000 to $350,000 Tritan Software - $350,000 to $1,000,000 Wilson Butler Architects - $350,000 to $1,000,000 Bolidt - $350,000 to $1,000,000 Viking Life-Saving Equipment - $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 Cruise Trading and Service - $350,000 to $1,000,000 Allen Marine Tours - $2,000,000 to $5,000,000 Chesapeake Shipbuilding - $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 Paradise Cruise Line Management - $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 Panoff Publishing (PPI Group/Porthole Cruise Magazine) - $350,000 to $1,000,000 Fassmer Service America - $350,000 to $1,000,000 MNY Group (Life Floor) - $350,000 to $1,000,000 Century Ship Service - $150,000 to $350,000 Cruiseport Gloucester- $350,000 to $1,000,000 International Cruise Food and Hotel Supply - $350,000 to $1,000,000 Also of note, Lindblad Expeditions was approved for a large loan but returned the PPP funds. Updates: Fassmer Service America noted that the cruise industry represents a portion of its business run out of its Lauderhill, Florida headquarters. India-Nepal border gains momentum as some groups find novel yet creative ways to protest against Nepalese claims. Last Thursday, on July 9, members of the Bharat Raksha Manch, who identify themselves as a non-political organisation protested along the Indian border armed with postage stamps. The group claimed that the postage stamps printed and released by the Himalayan nation in 1954 do not show any of the areas which they are claiming to be theirs in their map and that the areas of dispute, in fact, belong to India. The Bharat Raksha Manch, which was founded in 2010, reportedly sent a letter with the stamp as proof to the 59-member strong Nepalese National Assembly as well as Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Read | Nepal sends 'diplomatic note' after censoring Indian channels amid PM Oli's maneuvering Speaking to PTI, the organisation's National Secretary and noted Philatelist, Anil Dhir said, 'Since 1954, Nepal has issued 29 postage stamps in which the nation's map has always been depicted as claimed by India.' "They have never shown Kalapani as their territory or a disputed area. Those areas were never included in official maps of the Nepal government and the maps in school atlases," asserted Dhir, an expert on philately who has four books to his name. According to news agency PTI, an additional copy of the letter along with the map stamp of 1954 was also sent to the Nepalese High Commissioner to India, the Nepalese Philatelic Society president and other relevant figures of authority in the country. Read | Amid tensions with India, cable operators in Nepal ban all Indian news channels except DD Notably, the ties between both countries came under a strain after a strategically important 80-km road connecting Lipu Lekh pass with Uttarakhand's Dharchula was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on May 8. Nepal sharply criticised the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through its territory, and in retaliation released new maps that now include territories that never belonged to them. The updation of the political and administrative map angered India which swiftly prompted its neighbour not to resort to any 'artificial enlargement' of its territory and 'refrain from any unjust cartographic assertion.' While Nepal claims Lipu Lekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as theirs, official stamps released by the tiny Himalayan nation shows otherwise. And the only explanation to Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's behaviour is his newfound favour with China and its globally disliked and distrusted CPC (Communist Party of China). In a novel way to protest against #Nepals claim The Bharat Raksha Manch on Thursday came out with an envelope with the copy of a postage stamp, purportedly released by the Himalayan nation in 1954 printed on it, showing that the areas under dispute actually belong to India. pic.twitter.com/jIJWDWW7Fu Suresh k Sharma (@suresh_k_sharma) July 10, 2020 Read | Nepal's ruling communist party meet to decide PM Oli's future deferred again On Sunday, Nepal had sent a Note Verbale to India, urging New Delhi to take steps against the broadcast of materials what it called "fake, baseless and insensitive as well as abusive" to the country and its leadership by a section of the Indian media. The move came days after Nepal on Thursday stopped the transmission of all Indian private news channels except Doordarshan, accusing them of airing reports hurting the country's national sentiment and India has not responded to the request yet. The Note also mentioned that 'Such materials are not only misleading and misinforming but also impair the sense of minimum public decency, the ministry said in the note.' Read | Nepal's political crisis enters endgame; PM Oli-Prachanda to hold high-stakes party talks WASHINGTON Tens of thousands of would-be voters in Texas are likely to be excluded from the 2020 elections as the coronavirus and a looming budget crisis at the agency overseeing naturalization have essentially ground the process to a halt. The dual crises have left at least 74,000 immigrants in Texas and likely more in limbo. Many of them applied to be citizens as far back as last year, with a goal of voting in November. And theres no clear end in sight, even as the election and the deadline to register to vote in it creeps ever closer. In fact, their prospects for participating could get much worse, as USCIS, which only began operating again last month after a two-month coronavirus shutdown, is now planning to furlough the majority of its workforce, saying it has run out of money as revenue for fees has been cut off. The delays could have big implications in Texas, where both Republicans and Democrats are gearing up for what they expect to be the states closest election in a generation. Though no Democrat has won a statewide election since 1994, early polls have shown President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden tied in Texas. Down-ballot races for congressional seats and the state Legislature are also expected to be closer than in decades. VOTER ROLLS SWELL: Texas voter registration surges to 16.4 million, despite the pandemic Democrats are just nine seats shy of taking control of the state House and are aiming to flip seven congressional districts. Theyre also targeting Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who amassed $13 million to fend off challengers hoping to build on the momentum of former congressman Beto ORourkes narrow loss in 2018 to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who won by 215,000 votes. There were 74,000 naturalization applications pending approval in Texas at the end of March, according to USCIS data, a number that is almost certain to have grown over the last few months. Itll be painful to miss this, said one Houston-area pastor who applied for citizenship in February and says hes really motivated to vote this November. The pastor spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear his remarks would affect his citizenship application, which has been stalled since March. He said he doesnt agree with the direction of the country where he has lived for the last 16 years under the Trump administration, especially when it comes to immigration, which he said he takes personally. Even as USCIS has slowly started getting back to work, with officials saying they are prioritizing naturalization applications like his, he still hasnt heard about a new interview date. He checks the mail every day, looking for an update. Every single day, I get disappointed. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Hes stuck in a backlog that has grown under the Trump administration, as a crush of applications flowed in over the last three years. Administration officials last year, under pressure from Congress, shifted resources in an effort to cut down on the delays. And it appeared the administration was making progress. The U.S. government naturalized 833,000 new citizens in fiscal year 2019 an 11-year high. The 74,000 applications pending in Texas at the end of March, the most recent snapshot available, is down from more than 103,000 at the same point in 2018. There were just 41,000 pending applications in the spring of 2016. The March application count, however, doesnt reflect the bulk of the time that USCIS was shut down during the coronavirus outbreak, when advocates fear much of the progress was reversed. Socially distanced naturalizations resume According to estimates by Boundless Immigration, a company that helps immigrants apply for citizenship, for each day that U.S. Customs and Immigration Services was closed during the outbreak, as many as 2,100 immigrants across the country ran out of time to register to vote in time for the presidential election. There have been calls from both sides of the aisle in Congress, meanwhile, for USCIS to pick up the pace. Immigration advocates and Democrats say the coronavirus has been a convenient coincidence for the Trump administration, which has moved to limit legal immigration since the outbreak began. The administration has halted employment-based visas and restricted immigration within families through the end of the year, saying it is acting to protect jobs as unemployment skyrockets. The White House has said it will force foreign students to leave the country if their schools arent offering in-person classes. And the administration is pushing to block asylum seekers from disease-stricken countries, saying its a measure to avoid another outbreak. While none of those actions affect potential voters, advocates and Democrats say they nonetheless illustrate Trumps priorities. The Trump administration has also proposed raising fees to apply for citizenship from $725 to $1,170 for most applicants, while eliminating existing waivers offered to immigrants who cant afford to pay something roughly a third of those eligible for citizenship rely on. And for all the efforts to cut down on the backlog, advocates say the Trump White House was slower to respond to it than past administrations. Trump has focused more of the agencys resources on cracking down on illegal immigration and more closely scrutinizing applicants, including combing through files of naturalized citizens, looking for people who used fake IDs. The Trump administration is trying to do anything possible to stop anyone from becoming part of this country or coming into our country, said U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. This is an attempt to keep out as many people as possible and to keep people from fully becoming citizens. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Trumps immigration policies. The longer wait times for naturalization have been a point of bipartisan concern, even before the coronavirus hit. Republicans and Democrats in the Houston area wrote to USCIS last year, asking why immigrants in the region were waiting months longer than those in Los Angeles and New York for their citizenship applications to be processed. USCIS said in a statement that naturalization ceremonies that were delayed by the outbreak are its top priority. The agency has started much smaller, socially distanced oath ceremonies and says it naturalized 64,500 new citizens across the nation in June. It anticipates completing nearly all postponed administrative naturalization ceremonies by the end of July. But those are the new citizens who already made it through the application process and were just waiting to take their oaths. There are still thousands others waiting to be approved and naturalization wait times have skyrocketed to 12.5 months on the low end and as long as 36 months, according to the USCIS website. That wait time was about 12 to 18 months in Houston and 7 to 15 months in San Antonio late last year. Pretty much its at a standstill and could very well be a standstill for months to come and really be devastating to those people who are eligible for naturalization and have applied with the goal of naturalizing and voting in November, said Eric Cohen, executive director at the Immigration Legal Resource Center. Im talking about people who applied possibly as much as a year ago or more. Its criminal. Predicting a meltdown USCIS has notified 13,400 employees that they will be furloughed beginning Aug. 3, if Congress doesnt provide the $1.2 billion to keep operating. The agency points to a 50-percent drop in incoming fees starting in March and estimates revenue will stay low through the end of the fiscal year. Without additional funding from Congress before August 3, USCIS has no choice but to administratively furlough a substantial portion of our workforce, a USCIS spokesperson said, adding the agency continue(s) to have productive conversations with Congress. Negotiations are underway in Congress to provide the funding, but many question the budget shortfall. Advocates point out that the agency had a surplus of $800 million when Donald Trump took office. I think Congress will step up, but the Trump administration has been spending billions and billions of dollars on a wall and it should be able to redirect some of that money to cover some or all of this shortfall, Castro said. There are unanswered questions about what USCIS has done with its money. Those things need to be scrutinized as Congress prepares any kind of aid package. He said the agencys internal watchdog should investigate the issue, as well. Gordon Quan, a Houston immigration attorney, said a number of his clients have been sworn in since the agency resumed the oath ceremonies. Others have had their interviews rescheduled, he said, but the agency is still struggling to get them done, even though theyve made it a top priority. If the furloughs do go through, Quan said, its going to be a meltdown. ben.wermund@chron.com Theoretical explanation provided for the behavior of Perovskite solar cells in response to external pressure. Potential for new, high-performance Perovskite solar cell materials to be able to withstand extreme environments A team, led by Dr. Jung-hoon Lee of the Computational Science Research Center of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), recently collaborated with a team, led by Professor Jeffrey B. Neaton from the UC Berkeley Department of Physics, to develop a theoretical explanation for the structural changes and metallization that take place when hybrid (organic metal halide) Perovskite solar cells are exposed to external pressure. The explanation announced by the two teams is attracting much attention from related academic and industrial circles Today, solar cells are not only used in our everyday lives, but are also used in extreme conditions such as atmospheric, space, desert, and maritime environments. Hybrid Perovskite solar cells (comprised of organic metals, halide (I) and lead (Pb): (CH3NH3)PbI3) are highly efficient and involve low production costs. These cells are promising, next-generation solar cells that can potentially be used to replace costly conventional silicon solar cells. Recognizing this potential, many researchers have been trying to engineer highly efficient hybrid Perovskite solar cell materials that are able to operate normally even in extreme conditions. However, phase transition, from the *orthorhombic to **cubic structures, has been reported in hybrid Perovskite solar cells, when the cells are exposed to high external pressure. Metallization has also been reported, wherein electricity flows within the element and renders it unable to function properly. These changes under pressure have been major hurdles to the commercialization of the hybrid Perovskite solar cells. Hybrid Perovskite solar cells with modified structures and characteristics are unable to convert solar radiation into electric energy. This indicates that external pressure substantially deteriorates the performance of the solar cells. However, prior to this study, the cause of the deterioration, had not yet been clearly identified. * Orthorhombic structure: In a rectangular prism, the three axes all have different lengths. ** Cubic structure: In a rectangular prism, the lengths of all three axes are the same. The joint KIST-UC Berkeley research team used a supercomputer and quantum mechanical theory (***Density Functional Theory) to theoretically explain the pressure-induced structural changes (phase transition) and metallization in the hybrid Perovskite solar cells. By accurately predicting the phase transition pressure, the research team found that the cubic structure becomes more favorable for organic molecules than the original orthorhombic structure under high pressure, leading to the pressure-induced phase transition. Further, the research team theoretically demonstrated that the lead atoms in the hybrid Perovskite cells interact under high pressure, leading to metallization, which turns the solar cells into conductors and causes electricity to flow through them. ***Density Functional Theory: A quantum mechanical methodology used to calculate stable electron distributions and energies in materials. The KIST-UC Berkeley is the first research team that has been able to identify the cause of the performance deterioration in hybrid Perovskite solar cells under external pressure. Dr. Jung-hoon Lee of the KIST is currently following up on the research by developing materials optimized for hybrid Perovskite solar cells. In particular, Dr. Lee is researching organic molecules that their stabilities are insensitive to different inorganic structures, and is looking for a replacement for the lead used in the cells, which is both the cause of the metallization and a major contributor to environmental destruction. Lee's research is expected to spur the development of next-generation solar cells that will eventually replace silicon solar cells. "We expect that our study will provide new theoretical guidelines for the future development and optimization of high-performance hybrid Perovskite solar cells," stated Dr. Jung-Hoon Lee of the KIST. "We hope our results contribute to establishing hybrid Perovskite solar cells as a next-generation solar cell to replace silicon solar cells." ### The research, backed by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), was conducted as an Institutional Research Program of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and was published in the latest issue of ACS Energy Letters (IF: 16.331, JCR top 1.923%), an international academic journal on energy and materials. Japan and the United States are sharing information about coronavirus infections at US military bases after an outbreak provoked ire in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, a top Japanese official said on Monday. Okinawa confirmed a total of 62 individuals - 39 at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, 22 at Camp Hansen and one at Camp Kinser - had tested positive for the virus between Sunday and July 7. "We will cooperate appropriately on this matter," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a regular news briefing. "Japan and the United States are sharing information about the activity history of the infected military individuals." Okinawa is host to the bulk of US military forces in Japan, whose alliance with Washington is central to its security. But many Okinawans associate the bases with problems from crime to accidents and want the Marines to reduce their presence or leave the area altogether. At the weekend, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki said it was "extremely regrettable" that a large number of infections had occurred in a short time, adding that Okinawans were "shocked" by the news. "I can't help but have strong doubts about the US military's measures to prevent infections," he said, adding that there were reports of personnel leaving the base for beach parties and visits to nightlife districts around Independence Day on July 4. On its Facebook page for Pacific bases, the Marine Corps said it was prohibiting off-base activity for all installations across Okinawa, except essential needs such as medical appointments approved by a commanding officer. "We are trying to limit as much contact (with local people) as we can, as we look to contact tracing of infected personnel," a US military spokesman said. Excluding the bases, Okinawa's infections stand at 148, with seven deaths, the prefecture's website shows. Nationwide, Japan has recorded nearly 22,000 cases and 1,000 deaths. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Read more about the ongoing Navy ship fire in California, check out the latest coronavirus updates and see more stories trending online today. Federal firefighters battling blaze on Naval ship that could last for days (CNN) Coronavirus news across the globe White House seeks to discredit Fauci amid coronavirus surge (CNBC) Democrats blast DeVos for insisting schools fully reopen (Washington Post) Back to school: What doctors say about children and COVID-19 (NBC News) White House coronavirus testing czar says theres no downside to wearing a mask (The Hill) NYC prepares to fend off potential second coronavirus surge as US sees spikes (Fox News) Virus turning college towns into ghost towns as businesses struggle to survive (NBC) Well be living with masks for years, pandemics expert Eric Toner predicts (CBS News) Read complete prior coronavirus coverage. Other headlines trending this morning Actor Kelly Preston, 57, dies of cancer (AP) NFLs Washington team will retire nickname on Monday, reports say (cleveland.com) Elvis Presleys grandson dead from apparent suicide (TMZ) China bans Senators Cruz, Rubio and 2 other U.S. officials in dispute over religious persecution (CBS) Indiana woman shot, killed after argument with Black Lives Matter supporters, family says (Fox News) Graham to Call Mueller to Testify Before Senate Judiciary Committee (NY Times) How to see Comet Neowise streaking past Earth before it disappears for 6,800 years (MLive.com) Pope very saddened as Turkey converts Hagia Sophia from museum into mosque (CNN) DENVER, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Terri Thompson, who helped train a generation-plus of business and financial journalists, has been named a 2020 Business News Visionary, chosen by a panel of more than two dozen distinguished nominating judges including past award recipients and top business news organization editors and reporters. 2020 Business News Visionary recipient, Terri Thompson, former director of the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship Program at Columbia University. (Photo: Avital Rotbart, TimeInABottlePhotography.com) 2020 Business News Visionary Awards trophy. For 25 years, from 1993 until 2018, Thompson served as the director of Columbia University's prestigious Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism. During her tenure, 239 mid-career journalists completed the intensive nine-month program. Most fellows returned to new jobs, better beats, greater compensation, and often more-coveted employers. Thompson is one of 52 prominent business and financial journalists to be recognized this year for their transformative contributions to the profession. Her oral history and profile are available at www.NewsLuminaries.com and will be featured in a commemorative book to be published next year. Thompson, herself, was a Bagehot Fellow during the 1980 to 1981 academic year. That experience, she recounts, "changed my life." It's a sentiment echoed by literally hundreds of Knight-Bagehot alumni. Among Thompson's most significant accomplishments as Knight-Bagehot director was growing the fellowship's endowment almost ninefold, helping to ensure that the enrolled journalists will continue to receive free tuition and a living stipend. Thompson is a past president of The New York Financial Writers' Association and editor of the 2001 anthology: "Writing About Business: The New Columbia Knight-Bagehot Guide to Economics & Business Journalism." Before assuming the directorship of the Knight-Bagehot program, Thompson worked for Purchasing Magazine, BusinessWeek, and U.S. News & World Report. Her first journalism-related job was for the Coralville Courier, a weekly newspaper located in a suburb of Iowa City. The Business News Visionary Awards are a continuation of the Business News Luminary Awards, which, in 2000, honored the 100 top business and financial journalists of the 20th century. "The goal of this project extends beyond the celebration of the specific men and women who are profiled," noted Dean Rotbart, chair and editor-in-chief of the Business News Visionary Awards. "It is also to educate the public about the high standards to which these and so many other dedicated journalists have adhered and to offer a proven playbook for other journalists and journalism students to follow." Rotbart is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated, award-winning financial journalist, a former columnist with The Wall Street Journal, and a news entrepreneur. Other announced recipients of the Business News Visionary Awards include Matt Quayle of CNBC; Stephen J. Adler of Reuters; Nina Easton of Sellers|Easton Media; Neil Cavuto and Maria Bartiromo of Fox News; and Henry Dubroff of Pacific Coast Business Times. New honorees are introduced weekly at NewsLuminaries.com. The Business News Visionary and News Luminary Awards are made possible, in part, by the support of Monday Morning Radio, a weekly podcast produced in cooperation with the nonprofit Wizard Academy and its founders, Roy H. and Pennie Williams; and Robert L. Dilenschneider and Joan Avagliano of The Dilenschneider Group, providing an unsurpassed level of communications counsel to global clients. Additional support is provided by eReleases, delivering personal service and exceptional value to every customer; American Small Business Institute, a nonprofit providing video education for small business owners; and Time in a Bottle Photography and its founder, Avital Rotbart, specializing in world-class portrait photography. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the 2020 BNVA commemorative book and related sponsorship opportunities will benefit business journalism education and scholarship programs. Media Contact: Dean Rotbart [email protected] 303-296-1200 SOURCE NewsLuminaries.com Related Links http://www.newsluminaries.com The first 12 days of July have largely reported more cases of people recovering daily from the coronavirus than the fresh ones added to Delhis Covid-19 count, according to the Delhi government data. From July 1-12, the city recorded 25,134 cases, while 31,640 people recovered. Barring July 1 and July 6, all days this month recorded more recoveries than fresh cases. The recoveries from July 1-12 too have been sharp six days saw recoveries in the range of 2,000, three days in the range of 3,000 while one day (July 9) saw over 4,000 recoveries. Overall, 89,968 recoveries took place till July 12, while the total number of cases stands at 1,12,494. On July 1, a total of 1,644 patients recovered, while the next day, the number of recoveries was nearly double at 3,015. July 3 saw a slight decline in the recoveries recorded within 24 hours at 2,617 and the next day the number of recoveries stood at 2,632. On July 6, when the total number of cases crossed the one-lakh mark, the city recorded recoveries at 749, but the number spiked to 2,129 the next day. The recovery rate of Delhi stands at nearly 80 per cent, much higher than the national average. In June, the coronavirus recovery rate had gradually started increasing and was over 66 per cent by the end of the month. Last month, the national capital added over 64,000 fresh cases to its tally, while over 47,357 patients recovered, were discharged or migrated. Delhis recovery rate breached the 50-per cent mark on June 20, after hovering below it for almost a month. On June 19, Delhis recovery rate was 44.37 per cent while it climbed to 55.14 per cent the next day. Since then, the recovery rate has been on an upward spiral even on days when the case tally breached the 3,000-mark. One June 23, when Delhi reported the highest single-day spike of 3,947 cases, the recovery rate was 59.02 per cent. Amid a surge in the cases, the national capital has ramped up testing and is conducting nearly 20,000 tests every day and has completed a serological survey to assess the spread of infection. Qiu Dongxu co-founder of CanSino said its new factory under construction in China will allow it to produce 100-200 million vaccine doses per year by early 2021. Chinese vaccine developer CanSino Biologics is in talks with Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia to launch a Phase III trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine, its co-founder said on Saturday. Chinas success in driving down COVID-19 infections has made it harder to conduct large-scale vaccine trials, and so far only a few countries have agreed to work with it. We are contacting Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia (for the Phase III trial), and its still in discussion, Qiu Dongxu, executive director and co-founder of CanSino, told an anti-viral drug development conference in Suzhou, in eastern China. He said its Phase III trial was likely to start pretty soon, and the company plans to recruit 40,000 participants for the test. Its COVID-19 candidate, Ad5-nCov, became the first in China to move into human testing in March but is running behind other potential vaccines in terms of trial progress. Two experimental vaccines developed by Sinovac Biotech and a unit of China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) are already approved for Phase III trials. Qiu said its Phase II trial involving 508 people has yielded much better results than the Phase I about the safety and ability to trigger an immune response. He did not disclose specific evidence. He said its new factory under construction in China will allow it to produce 100-200 million doses of coronavirus vaccines per year by early 2021. Chinas military, whose research unit is co-developing the vaccine candidate, approved its military use last month, while Sinopharms two experimental shots are offered to employees at state-owned firms travelling overseas. Zeng Guang, the former chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told the conference that Chinese construction groups overseas, in particular, are keen to take experimental vaccines. He also said the discussion should start whether to launch emergency inoculation of experimental vaccines right now. There are no approved vaccines yet for COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, which has killed more than half a million people globally. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on May 5, 2020. (Andrew Harnik/Pool via Reuters) China Sanctions US Officials, Including Rubio and Cruz The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on July 13 sanctioned four American officials and a U.S. entity, days after the United States punished CCP officials linked to the persecution of Muslim minorities in China. Chinese officials said they were sanctioning Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), and Sam Brownback, the ambassador at large for international religious freedom. The U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China also was included. The state department denounced the move. Chinas retaliatory measures further demonstrates the CCPs refusal to take responsibility for its actions [in Xinjiang], a department official said on July 13. There is no moral equivalency between these PRC [Peoples Republic of China] sanctions and actions taken by countries holding accountable CCP officials for their human rights abuses, they added. Rubio wrote on Twitter: The Communist Party of #China has banned me from entering the country. I guess they dont like me? Cruz said in a statement: The Chinese Communist Party is terrified and lashing out. They forced over one million Uighurs into concentration camps and engaged in ethnic cleansing, including horrific forced abortions and sterilizations. Unfortunately, I dont have plans to travel to the authoritarian regime that covered up the coronavirus pandemic and endangered millions of lives worldwide, he added. Smith says that state-run outlet Global Times previously threatened countermeasures against him for his advocacy work targeting Chinas human rights abuses. Two weeks ago, I was briefed by the FBI that the threat was real and the CCPs action could take many forms, from bribes to social media disinformation and visa denial, he said in a statement. When COVID-19 abates, I was/am planning a trip to Hong Kong, Beijing, and Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, he added. Smith didnt clarify whether those plans have been canceled. We must continue to stand with the Chinese people against an increasingly authoritarian Chinese government that represses legitimate desires for liberty and justice, he said. Brownback didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. The members of Congress targeted by the sanctions have vocally opposed the CCPs treatment of Uyghurs, a Turkic Muslim ethnic group being persecuted by the communist regime. At least 1 million Uyghurs are detained in internment camps in Chinas far-Western region of Xinjiang. Workers walk by the perimeter fence of an internment camp in Xinjiang on Sept. 4, 2018. (Thomas Peter/Reuters) Smith this month called for action after a report alleged that Beijing was forcibly sterilizing Uyghurs. Rubio and Cruz have pushed legislation that would punish the actions of CCP officials in Xinjiang, home to roughly 11 million Uyghurs. The United States last week announced sanctions against Chen Quanguo, the Party secretary of the Xinjiang region. Also sanctioned were Zhu Hailun, a former deputy Party secretary of the region; Wang Mingshan, director of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau; Huo Liujun, former Party secretary of the bureau; and the bureau itself. Brownback praised that move, saying it served as accountability a long time coming. The sanctions show the Trump administration will protect religious freedom at all costs, he said. Chinas foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters on July 13 that affairs in Xinjiang are purely Chinas internal affairs, without elaborating on what the sanctions entail. The United States has no right or grounds to interfere. This article has been updated to include comments from the U.S. State Department and Rep. Chris Smith. Peter Strack, CEO and Founder of The Strack Group Today The Strack Group, a venture capital firm founded in 2018 by entrepreneur and Alliance Reservations Network (ARN) Co-Founder and President Peter Strack, announced the formation of its Board of Advisors, along with the many industry leaders who will now provide guidance and recommendations to the firm. The Strack Group invests in real estate, insurance, technology, and services. The firm will leverage each members sector of expertise to strategically support the firms investment initiatives. This influential group of business leaders is the perfect blend for success, said Strack. Ive had the personal pleasure of working with these business dignitaries for years; their expertise and future input will add immeasurable value." David Crabtree will act as the firms Real Estate Advisor. In both C-level positions leading major household brands and his own commercial holding company, Crabtree has overseen major commercial real estate transactions totaling over one billion dollars. David Burnett, CPA, CFP, will serve as the firms Strategic Tax Planning Advisor. Burnett specializes in advising business owners on tax and finance considerations using his broad experience in finance, accounting, and financial planning. Zahara Alarakhia joins the board as the Legal Advisor. As a managing partner at Reeve Augustine Alarakhia, PLLC, Alarakhia routinely represents and counsels businesses as they scale from small organizations to multi-million dollar corporations. Ted Mooney comes to the board as a Business Advisor. Mooney previously founded and guided technology startup 2Go Media through the exit phase. From there he has lead business development efforts at multiple technology companies and now provides consulting services to small and medium-sized companies on merchant platforms. John A. Cooper will act as an Investment Banking Advisor. Cooper is the founder of Halestreet Investments, a venture capital firm. As an investment banker, he has overseen more than 300 transactions in the technology sector alone. Before founding Halestreet, he held executive positions leading corporate development and strategy efforts at many companies, including American Express and Microsoft. Peter Bertenshaw will also act as a Business Advisor. Bertenshaw, along with Peter Strack, founded ARN. Bertenshaws technology leadership helped position the company as a leading B2B travel technology provider prior to the 2019 sale of the company to RCI, the worlds largest vacation exchange network. Ramon Leon joins the board as the Technology Advisor. Another ARN veteran, Leon developed much of the core technology behind Alliances travel platform. John Strack, father of Peter Strack, will serve as a Business Advisor. John Strack is a life-long entrepreneur who owns J. Lewis Small Co. Inc., a large manufacturing company. He will lend his years of corporate leadership experience to the firm. About The Strack Group The Strack Group is a venture capital firm that invests in later-stage companies in the industries of real estate, insurance, technology, and services. The firm specializes in investing in, evolving, and then positioning owners to exit in companies that show high potential to scale their platform to large audiences. It was founded by serial entrepreneur Peter Strack. Learn more at https://www.thestrackgroup.com. About Peter Strack Peter Strack is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for building businesses and mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs. He co-founded Alliance Reservations Network (ARN), a travel technology company, which was acquired by RCI, a company owned by Wyndham Destinations, in 2019 for $92 million. While still heavily involved in ARN, he founded The Strack Group to share his experience and pursue new projects. Learn more at https://peterstrack.com. Krispy Kreme has been slammed for handing out 420,000 free donuts while Australia faces a second coronavirus wave. The dessert giant gave away boxes of a dozen original glazed donuts to customers who celebrated a birthday in lockdown, between March 13 and July 13. A large group of people flouted social distancing measures while queuing outside the Penrith store in Sydney's west on Monday. New South Wales Police confirmed they were called to several Krispy Kreme stores around Sydney to help the flow of heavy traffic and crowd control. Hordes of eager customers were seen at the Auburn store, in Sydney's west, where the police riot squad were forced to disperse crowds The dessert giant gave away boxes of a dozen original glazed donuts to customers who celebrated a birthday in lockdown, between March 13 and July 13. Pictured: crowds at Penrith Crowds got so large the Riot Squad was also called in to enforce social distancing and public health orders. Hordes of eager customers were also seen at the Auburn store, on Parramatta Rd, where the police riot squad were forced to disperse crowds. NSW Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke said the timing of today's pop-up promotion was 'nonsensical and defies logic'. 'We have people in NSW who have lost jobs, people who have missed the opportunity to farewell their loved ones at funerals, and of course, people who have lost their lives due to COVID-19,' he said. 'Promotions like this do nothing to assist in maintaining social distancing which is vital to stopping the spread of the virus. 'Police are examining which, if any, breaches may have occurred and will take appropriate action where required.' Sydney residents were just as frustrated by the giveaway, with many taking to social media to blast the donut company. 'Shocked that you would encourage people to go out during a pandemic for a free doughnut, seriously,' one person wrote. More than 20 cases have been linked to the Crossroads Hotel outbreak while several other venues have been put on alert after being potentially exposed to the virus The state recorded 14 new COVID-19 cases as of 8pm on Sunday with four in hotel quarantine, two being NSW residents who caught the virus in Victoria, and eight being linked to the Crossroads Hotel outbreak 'I understand this is a kind gesture, but I cannot stress how insensitive it is to run this promotion in a hotspot in Victoria, and force police to close the area due to the influx of people,' another comment read. In a statement Krispy Kreme Australia said staff 'adhere to the current state government requirements for hygiene and social distancing'. The backlash comes as more than 20 cases have been linked to a Sydney pub outbreak while several other venues have been put on alert after being potentially exposed to the virus. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said on Monday that 10 coronavirus cases were now directly linked to the Crossroads Hotel in southwest Sydney while 11 cases were indirectly connected. The state recorded 14 new COVID-19 cases as of 8pm on Sunday with four in hotel quarantine, two being NSW residents who caught the virus in Victoria, and eight being linked to the Crossroads Hotel outbreak. Dr Chant later on Monday confirmed an additional eight cases had been reported up to midday - all linked to the Crossroads Hotel. 'You can see how rapidly COVID can spread if we do not act promptly,' she told reporters in Sydney. All patrons of the Casula pub, who entered from July 3 to 10, must self-isolate and are being urged to get tested as a precaution. Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection at the pub with further test results expected this week. While Dr Chant said it was premature to confirm how the outbreak started, she noted it could have been introduced through a Victorian contact. The pub had a COVID-19 safe plan and authorities were able to get contact details of some patrons but the 'issue of implementation' is being investigated, Dr Chant added. Social distancing requirements and other measures during the pandemic have created no end of headaches and delays across the judicial system. Victorias second lockdown has now thrown a slew of border-related complications into the mix. Just ask NSW magistrate Roger Clisdell, who teed off at his boss, NSW Local Court chief magistrate Graeme Henson, in a reply-all blast in response to a routine court update on Thursday. Henson emailed all NSW magistrates last week updating them on the implications of the NSW-Victoria border closure. The gist? Cases involving Victorian residents can be adjourned or continued, at the magistrates discretion. For everything else, follow the rules already outlined, because any deviation comes without the authority or approval of the Court. This did not sit well with Clisdell. I cant believe what I have just read. Am I an independent Judicial Officer, or am I a pawn required to obey all orders from Sydney? he shot back, in an email for reasons unknown he also sent to all his colleagues. According to his email, magistrates had already been navigating the border issues and other pandemic-related concerns. Victorian lawyers and residents have had cases heard in the NSW town of Cooma during the pandemic, his email pointed out. Evidently he reckons magistrates are handling the situation just fine, thanks. Beijing announced sanctions Monday on U.S. officials and a government agency in retaliation for ones leveled last week by the Trump administration against Chinese officials deemed responsible for abuses in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Chinas Foreign Ministry said the sanctions target republican senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida, republican representative Chris Smith of New Jersey, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, and the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China advisory panel. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters at a regular news briefing in Beijing that the move was in response to Washingtons wrong moves over the situation in Xinjiang, including the unprecedented step of bringing sanctions against a member of the powerful Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). We urge the U.S. to immediately revoke the wrong decision and stop any words and deeds that interfere in China's internal affairs and harm China's interests, Hua said. While she did not provide details on what restrictions the sanctions involved, Hua warned that China will make a further response depending on the development of the situation. Rubio is the co-chair of the CECC, while Smith is its vice ranking member. They, along with Cruz and Brownback, have made repeated statements critical of Chinas policies in the XUAR, where authorities are believed to have held up to 1.8 million people in a vast network of internment camps since April 2017. Beijing describes the three-year-old network of camps as voluntary vocational centers, but reporting by RFAs Uyghur Service and other media outlets shows that detainees are mostly held against their will in cramped and unsanitary conditions, where they are forced to endure inhumane treatment and political indoctrination. In a statement on Monday, Cruz said the sanctions suggest that the CCP is terrified and lashing out. They forced over one million Uighurs into concentration camps and engaged in ethnic cleansing, including horrific forced abortions and sterilizations, he said, referring to a recent report by German researcher Adrian Zenz which concluded that an uptick in family planning measures in the XUAR amounts to genocide, according to United Nations definitions. Cruz said China has been perpetrating egregious human rights atrocities that cannot be tolerated in the XUAR and must be held accountable. He dismissed Chinas move as largely symbolic, noting that I dont have plans to travel to the authoritarian regime that covered up the coronavirus pandemic and endangered millions of lives worldwide. In an interview with RFA's Tibetan Service, Smith called the sanctions against him "not unexpected," saying he expects more to come, including against other U.S. officials who have spoken out against China. "I was hoping to travel thereIm still hoping to travel to Xinjiang and to Hong Kongso a visa ban does have an impact on what I had hoped to do," he said. "That said, it is the people themselves that we are standing in solidarity withwith the oppressed and against the oppressor." The CECC in a statement Monday suggested that China should stop blaming others and end its abuses in the XUAR. This is another attempt by Beijing to try to intimidate and silence voices around the world who are critical of its human rights policies and violations of universal standards and norms, the commission said. The CECC will not be silenced and will continue to press the U.S. and the international community to stand together and shine a bright light on Beijings human rights abuses and the officials who carry them out. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State said China's announcement of retaliatory sanctions "further demonstrates the CCPs refusal to take responsibility for its actions." "These threats will not deter us from taking concrete action to hold CCP officials accountable for their ongoing campaign of human rights abuses against members of ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang, including mass detentions, coercive forced abortions and forced sterilizations, and restrictions on religious and cultural identities," the spokesperson said in a statement. "There is no moral equivalency between these PRC (People's Republic of China) sanctions and actions taken by countries holding accountable CCP officials for their human rights abuses." US sanctions to continue Chinas sanctions follow a July 9 announcement by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that he had barred Chen Quanguo, the Party Secretary of the XUAR; Zhu Hailun, Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Political and Legal Committee (XPLC); and Wang Mingshan, the current Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau (XPSB), as well as their family members, from entry into the U.S. for their involvement in gross violations of human rights in the region. On the same day, the Department of Treasury said it is blocking the assets of the XPSB, as well as Chen, Zhu, Wang, and Huo Liujuna former security official in the regionfor their roles in serious human rights abuse under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Chen, 64, is the first member of the CCPs elite 25-member Politburo to be targeted by U.S. sanctions. The United States will not stand idly by as the CCP carries out human rights abuses targeting Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and members of other minority groups in Xinjiang, to include forced labor, arbitrary mass detention, and forced population control, and attempts to erase their culture and Muslim faith, Pompeo said at the time. Chinas sanctions also came a day after the Washington Post published an editorial by National Security Adviser Robert C. OBrien in which he warned Beijing that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump will continue to punish Beijing for its actions in the XUAR. OBrien noted that, in addition to last weeks sanctions, the administration earlier this month announced a business advisory for U.S. companies with supply-chain exposure to entities engaged in the CCPs use of forced labor and other human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The White House has also imposed export restrictions against dozens of Chinese government entities and companies complicit in those abuses, he said, while moving to block the illegal import of goods produced by firms known to use Uyghur forced labor. As long as these human rights violations continue, the Trump administration will respond, OBrien wrote. If the past century has shown us anything, it is that dangerous ideologies backed by powerful states rarely confine their malign conduct within their own borders. The United States will thus continue to shine the light of truth on Xinjiangfor the Uighurs and for us all. Rising tensions The tit-for-tat sanctions come amid tense relations between the U.S. and China, with the Trump administration taking multiple jabs at Beijing in recent months for its lack of transparency in handling the coronavirus pandemic, trade policy, and expansive territorial claims. The president has also said he would take steps to remove special trade status for Hong Kong and sanction both Mainland and Hong Kong officials, citing Beijings encroachment on the territorys autonomy, including through its recent imposition of a draconian security law on the city. Over the weekend, the U.S. Department of State issued a security alert to U.S. citizens in China, saying they face a heightened risk of arbitrary detention due to the enforcement of local laws for purposes other than maintaining law and order, in an apparent reference to the National Security Law for Hong Kong. Article 22 of China's National Security Law for Hong Kong bans anyone from "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 by force or threat of force or other unlawful means." In its alert, the State Department warned that U.S. citizens could be detained in China without access to consular services or information about their alleged crime, subjected to lengthy interrogations or detention for reasons related to state security, and face arrest for sending private electronic messages critical of the Chinese government. 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 Los Angeles, July 13 : Oscar-winning actress Regina King says it is always an honour to be part of a piece of work that is entertaining and socially relevant. She cites that as the reason for being part of the television series "Watchmen". "It's definitely an honour to be able to have been a part of a piece of work that was entertaining but also socially relevant," Regina said. "Prior to 'Watchmen' I had done 'Seven Seconds' and 'American Crime', and both of those shows had commentary rooted in them, around the things that are going on in our country right now. With 'Watchmen', it was unique because (creator) Damon (Lindelof) and the entire writing team were able to give a history lesson, infuse a bit of love story in there, shine a light on how pain is inherited, a light on police violence in our country. To do all of these things and be entertaining at the same time, and also have comedic moments, it feels like I was a part of something that's never been done before," she added. With "Watchmen", Damon Lindelof brings to life a series that embraces the nostalgia of the original graphic novel of the same name. Also starring Jeremy Irons, Don Johnson, Louis Gossett Jr. and Tim Blake Nelson, "Watchmen" explores the complexities of society while examining different real issues across time periods. The series takes place in an alternate contemporary reality in the US, where in superheroes and masked vigilantes were outlawed due to their violent methods, but some of them gather around to start a revolution while others attempt to stop it. It questions the notion of heroes and tries to connect the dots between a fictional take of real events. Her character in the show, Sister Knight, has a mask on -- which has found a new meaning in the post Covid-19 era. "So Patti sent me that picture of me wearing the mask and said to me 'who knew that your costume was going to be our grocery store attire'. And I do step out for groceries. It is funny because of 'Watchmen' coming out not too long ago, people are looking for my eyes so I feel like I am being recognised even more now in the store with the mask on," she said, while opening up on the show that aired in India on Star World. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 13 expressed his grief with the resurgence of coronavirus infections in the country and said that the spiking death toll of COVID-19 makes one feel truly heartbroken. In a statement posted on Twitter, Khamenei said that the medical professionals in Iran have worked round the clock and made great sacrifices to combat the global health crisis and noted that there are no words to thank them for their service. However, there are some Iranians who are not adhering to the precautionary measures put forth by the government and are not wearing facemasks. Iranian Supreme Leader said that it makes him feel embarrassed in front of the health professionals who saved lives by risking theirs amid coronavirus contagion. As per Johns Hopkins University tally, the total coronavirus infections in Iran have reached 257,303 with at least 12,829 casualties till July 13. Moreover, according to figures announced on July 12, Iran recorded at least 194 deaths and 2,186 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. The resurgence of #Corona creates a deep sorrow in everyone. One feels truly heartbroken to see a number of ppl losing their lives due to Corona every day. The deceased have loved ones who are grieving now. I ask the officials in charge to perform their duty in the best manner. Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) July 12, 2020 Our health professionals have made such great sacrifices that one cant find the words to thank them. When I see that some people are not wearing #masks, I feel embarrassed before the nurses and doctors who have worked hard risking their own lives. Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) July 12, 2020 Read - Iran Says Misaligned Radar Led To Fatal Crash Of Ukrainian Plane That Killed 176 People Read - Iran Determined To Develop Oil Industry Despite US Sanctions, Signs $294 MN Deal Khamenei urges people to break infection chain Iranian Supreme Leader also said that the country was one of the most successful countries in the world to have controlled the coronavirus outbreak initially. However, Khamenei noted that it is not the case anymore. Even though Irans position with the COVID-19 crisis is still better according to him, the country is far away from the preliminary stage of the pandemic. This has been saddening for the Iranian Supreme Leader. Therefore, Khamenei has made a plea to all the Iranians and urged them to break the chain of coronavirus infections and take effective role in battling the crisis to save the country. Initially, we were among the most successful countries in combating #Covid19, but today that is not the case. We are still doing better than many other countries but not as well as we were initially. This saddens a person. Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) July 12, 2020 I request everyone who has an effective role in combating #Covid19 - including officials and people - to take action to rapidly break the chain of infection and save the country. Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) July 12, 2020 Read - Iran President Hassan Rouhani Warns Lockdowns Could Lead To Protests In the same statement, Khamenei also targetted the United States as the two nations have been at odds over a range of issues. While calling for solidarity against the enemys front, the Iranian Supreme Leader called the US its most vicious as well as shameful part. Crippling under the American sanctions, he noted that economic problems in Iran are like a disease but assured that the government has the resources to overcome the struggles. According to Khamenei, US President Donald Trump administration is using all its power to break Iran. It is the duty of all officials to have #unity and harmony against the massive front of the raving enemies. Today, the enemy's front, the most vicious and shameful part of which is the U.S. govt, is using all its power to bring #StrongIRAN to its knees. Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) July 12, 2020 Read - US Judge Orders Iran To Pay $879 Million In Punitive Damages For 1996 Saudi Bombing Its a thoroughly unromantic name. Lot 302. Yet the 20-acre parcel of timber symbolizes the achievement and ongoing battle by a tiny coastal community to protect as much mature forest as they can on their remote B.C. island. We just couldnt bear to see yet another clearcut, said Read Island resident Lannie Keller of the Surge Narrows community, which managed to raise $150,000 inside of four months to protect 20 acres of forest earlier this year. And the community is working to buy another parcel with an important riparian zone to complement their recent acquisition and further protect Read Islands ecologically sensitive areas. This time, its a spot where the forest intersects with streams and swampy areas critical to salmon and amphibian habitat. There is a remaining 128 acres of wetland and mature trees in the middle of the island, which would extend our protected area in a lovely and significant way, said Lannie, who along with husband Ralph, sparked the communitys most recent efforts to conserve their forests. Approximately 80 residents live full time on Read Island one of several outer islands wedged between Vancouver Island and the B.C. coast in the northern reaches of the Straight of Georgia which is only accessible by boat or float plane. And the community of Surge Narrows which boasts not much more than a public dock, a small post office, a small school, a community hall, and an abandoned, ramshackle clapboard store is tucked into Read Islands northwest flank. Despite its small size, Surge Narrows acts as a community hub for Read Island, as well as for residents of surrounding Maurelle, North and South Rendezvous, and Sonora islands. So when nearby Lot 302 went up for sale last summer, and the Kellers heard the mixed mature forest was drawing the interest of a logging company, the couple knew they had to act fast. It was a beautiful piece of treed land along the main road where people travel to get mail, to the school or the dock, Lannie said. The parcel was also adjacent to the islands John Kim Ecological Sanctuary and would create a green corridor from the Surge Narrows dock to the boundary of the islands existing Fish and Forest Reserve at the headwaters of two important salmon streams, Ralph added. We thought, Oh man, we better do something right now, so we went back and wrote them a cheque, Lannie said. Lot 302s owners, long-term residents, were willing to sell the land to the community at a reduced price. So the Kellers, through their local kayaking business, Coast Mountain Expeditions, offered a $50,000 down payment and guaranteed the entire $150,000 purchase price if the community decided not to come on board. But the community was all in. The Kellers presented the idea to the Surge Narrows Community Association (SNCA), representing about 130 permanent residents on the surrounding isles. The response was super enthusiastic, said Lannie, who wasnt surprised by the tight-knit communitys response, but rather by the speed at which the remaining funds were raised. We were astounded. It just happened so fast, Lannie said, adding the community, which doesnt have deep pockets, gave generously. Sometimes it was to the point where we said, You cant do that. You dont have that much to give, said Lannie, noting one resident was donating half her limited pension to the project. But what really shocked the community was the response from the outside world, the Kellers said. The funding came from near and far, said Lannie, adding people donated from across Canada and even internationally. Some had distant links to Read Island, but some had absolutely no connection at all but said (forest conservation) resonated with them. Protecting remaining intact forests strikes a deep chord with people around the globe, Ralph said. Most people today love living forests. The wilderness and the feeling they exude, he said. As soon as you clear-cut it, lay it all to waste and destroy the wildlife habitat, nesting sites and the wetlands, it threatens us personally. Whether its British Columbia or Brazil, a clearcut has become the international symbol of the destruction of the environment. Read Island, like most of British Columbia, has a long, history with clearcut logging, Ralph added, noting the practice is ongoing on the islands woodlots. In the mid-1980s, just a couple of years after the couple arrived on the island, 1,200 acres of mature low-elevation rainforest was razed to the ground, he said. To be able look across the island for several kilometres and not see a single tree was pretty impactful for all of us, Ralph said. It led to the community working together for the first time in 1992 to purchase a lot from Raven Forest Products to create the islands first reserve to try to protect the salmon streams. But in that instance, the effort took three years to raise $78,000 for the 20-acre lot, Lannie said, adding people had relatives kids knocking on doors in Vancouver for spare change. We were exhausted afterwards, she said. But this last time around, an international conservation organization arrived on Read in February to explore whether it would back the purchase of Lot 302, only to find the fundraising was already done, Lannie said. Now, the Germany-based Wilderness International is partnering with the Surge Narrows community to provide the bulk of the funds to try to purchase the wetland Lot 309, Ralph said. Wilderness International has promised $150,000 to help the SNCA purchase the lot, said David MacDonald, Canadian director with the organization. Were waiting on the decision of the landowner, after which well draw up a co-operative agreement, he said. Wilderness International purchases private lands with intact rainforest to protect biodiversity and capture carbon dioxide to prevent climate change, he said. German society is passionate about protecting the worlds forests because they have so little of their own wilderness left, MacDonald added. Aside from occasional visits from biologists or student groups to study the ecosystems at their sites, not much else will happen other than the foundation paying taxes in perpetuity, he said. Essentially, the concept is: We buy the forests and leave them alone. The Kellers said the Surge Narrows community is also waiting to hear from the landowner to move forward. Were all waiting with bated breath, Lannie said. With the experience gained through their kayaking company, they know the wilderness on and around Read Island is precious, the Kellers said. This environment is so incredible, and weve had thousands of people visit from all over the world over the years. And theyve said theyve never been anywhere so beautiful, Lannie said. Its special, and it deserves protection. Read more about: The Nigeria police have arrested a suspected internet fraudster, Chukwuebuka Obiaku, who allegedly lured an American woman to Nigeria with marriage and extorted her of $48,000. Police spokesperson, Frank Mba, said the woman was rescued in a Lagos hotel after being confined in a hotel for over a year. Police operatives have successfully rescued an American citizen who was confined in a Lagos hotel where she was held against her wish for over a year. The police did not name the hotel. The victim, a retired civil servant from Washington DC, USA, arrived in Nigeria on February 13, 2019, to visit Mr Obiaku, a native of Ikeduru LGA of Imo State. The duo met on Facebook. She was however rescued by Police operatives attached to the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Ogun State Annex following information received from a patriotic and civic-minded Nigerian in the Meran area of Lagos State. The rescue of the American lady is coming on the heels of a similar case of an abducted Philippino lady who was lured to Nigeria by her supposed lover whom she equally met on Facebook, the statement read. Police said investigations revealed that Mr Obiaku is a graduate of Business Administration and Management and an internet fraudster who has defrauded many unsuspecting members of the public locally and internationally. According to the police, Mr Obiaku lured the victim into Nigeria under the pretext of love and deceitfully married her on May 15, 2019. He subsequently held her captive in a hotel, extorted from her monies amounting to a total of 48,000-USD. More so, he forcefully collected and took control of her credit and debit cards as well as the operation of her bank accounts, including the receipt of her monthly retirement benefits and allowances over the period of fifteen (15) months. Chukwuebuka also used the victim as a front to defraud her associates and other foreign personalities and companies. Other fraudsters in police net In a similar development, operatives of the Nigeria Police Cybercrime Unit, INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), also arrested three suspects; Samson Inegbenesun 30, Blessed Junior 32 and Muhammed Zakari 36. All the suspects, from Uromi in Edo State, were arrested for cyber-related offences, including advance fee fraud, money laundering and romance scam. The suspects were arrested in Uromi, following investigations into suspected fraudulent online procurement and supply of COVID-19 protective masks, received through the INTERPOL NCB Wiesbaden, Germany. Police said its investigations revealed that Samson Inegbenosun is an internet fraudster and a member of a Turkey-based online scamming syndicate. He supplies foreign and local bank accounts to receive fraudulent funds and use same as conduit to other feeder accounts. Meanwhile, the police have recovered from him, a building apartment worth N20,000,000.00, a Toyota RAV-4 2015 model worth N6,500,000.00 and a Toyota Matrix 2002 model valued at N2,000,000.00 which he procured with the proceeds of the crime. The second suspect, Blessed Junior, returned to Nigeria from Italy in February, 2020 but maintains close contacts and illicit dealings with his Italian associates. Investigations reveal that he has made over One Hundred and Twenty Million Naira (N120,000,000.00) from internet fraud and other cybercrime dealings. He also received the sum of 52,000 EUROs recently from his criminal associates in Italy as commission for his active involvement in an international cybercrime deal. He also owns a filling station established with the proceeds of the crime. According to the police, Mohammed Zakari, an expert in internet fraud, identity theft and impersonation, falsely claimed to be a British citizen. He also poses to be one Kelly Galk on online dating apps which he uses to carry out romance scams and to defraud unsuspecting members of the public, locally and internationally. Investigation reveals he has made millions of naira from his illicit cybercrime transactions since he joined the syndicate. The police said Mr Obiaku and the three other suspects will be charged to court on conclusion of investigation in line with the Cybercrime Prevention/Prohibition Act, 2015. Advertisements Banks will be forced to provide cash machines within a 'reasonable distance' of every UK home under laws being prepared by ministers. Network operator Link said that 12 per cent of Britain's 60,000 ATMs were temporarily shut during the coronavirus lockdown and more than 5,000 ATMs have not been turned back on, raising fears that many may never reopen. Consumers have ditched cash at an unprecedented rate during the pandemic over fears it might spread the virus. Cash in hand: Network operator Link said that 12 per cent of Britain's 60,000 ATMs were temporarily shut during the coronavirus lockdown Some retailers have stopped accepting cash, while the limit for contactless payments was increased from 30 to 45, leading to cash use falling by 90 per cent in some parts of Britain. Some ATMs were not refilled during lockdown, while others were located in premises that were forced to close. Now the Government is concerned vulnerable communities including the elderly and those without debit bank accounts will suffer if more machines permanently close. They have launched a consultation with banks, building societies and industry regulators including the Bank of England to find ways to ensure all homes have access to cash. It follows a promise by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in the Budget on March 11 to pass laws so that everyone who needed cash could get it. Yesterday the Treasury said: 'We know that many individuals and businesses still rely on cash. We have committed to bring forward legislation.' The loss of cash machines has caused alarm among campaigners. Gareth Shaw, head of money at consumer watchdog Which?, said: 'Millions of people have had no choice but to rely on cash during lockdown. It is vital that banks do all they can to ensure customers have access to the services they need.' Natalie Ceeney, who led an investigation into cash access in 2018, told the Sunday Times: 'Quite simply, digital payments don't yet work for everyone, and maintaining the UK's cash infrastructure is essential to stop millions being left behind.' Even before the pandemic, Which? warned that free-to-use cash machines could disappear within two years. Around 9,500 free ATMs have been removed or introduced charges of up to 2 between Jan 2018 and Feb 2020. The Post Office has developed its cash withdrawal and deposit services, and now offers free cash withdrawal for customers of 28 banks. A MAN from Henley was awarded the title of volunteer of the month by a charity that supports disabled children and adults through the use of music. Barrie Cree, of Gainsborough Hill, has been helping Soundabout in Didcot by building and managing its online presence since January. Mr Crees work has been particularly important during the coronavirus lockdown because it has allowed vulnerable people to participate in the charitys initiatives and prevented social isolation. The initiatives include virtual inclusive choir recordings on Zoom and themed Facebook Live broadcasts that enable clients and their carers to interact and enjoy music. The first of these involves the charitys disabled users and their carers recording themselves singing and sending it back to the charity. These videos are then compiled to form a single recording comprising multiple submissions of the same song. Practitioners trained in sign language lead the Facebook Live broadcasts and usually sing songs designed for people with disabilities while playing the keyboard or guitar. The clients join in from home and their carers post comments on a live feed that are sometimes read by the practitioner and visible to everyone watching. Mr Cree, who lives with his wife Jane, ensures the technology for the choir sessions runs smoothly and helped create two covers of Reach by S Club 7 and Fix You by Coldplay. He also keeps the charitys website updated with interactive content and stories and works to increase the engagement on its social media channels. Mr Cree, who plays bass guitar in a band called Up 2 No Good, said: The nice thing about the recognition from the charity itself, and the things they say, is that had I not been able to help them through this period, they dont feel they would have been able to help this many people or have this interaction. Im not a person who goes looking for praise. To be honest, the biggest reaction to the work I get is seeing the feedback from all the people who have joined in. Weve had parents sending us little videos of the person who is taking part and thats the biggest thing for me. It has genuinely changed their lives during the lockdown period. Mr Cree wanted to get involved with the charity because he is self-employed and needed something to occupy his time. He decided to support Soundabout because it needed marketing support and he has 40 years experience in advertising agencies. The charity also uses music as a means to support the disabled. Mr Cree said: It involved music and disabled kids and they needed somebody in marketing. It was a real fluke that all these things came together. After 40 years working in an aggressive, competitive environment, I wanted to spend some time helping a charity to engage interactively with its participants, assist it to grow and be able to offer its services to even more people who really need them and appreciate its work. He said there was concern about how the charity would continue to function during the early days of the lockdown because many of the disabled people who use it are more likely to fall seriously ill if they contract the virus. Mr Cree said: It had to shut down every single one of the services that it offers. What we did was move every single thing into a virtual environment. Im a marketing person and because I have always done a lot of digital work, I worked with them to help move all their different services to virtual platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. I do all the management of the website and worked out ways to embed all the video content into the site. Meanwhile, Mr Cree is helping to market a TV pilot episode about a group of patients who pull together to find their missing psychiatrist. Little Room was filmed and edited during the lockdown and the story plays out on a platform that is designed to look like Zoom. None of the cast met in person and they did their own filming and make-up. The professional actors include Claes Bang, Grace Van Patten, Ian Harvie, Antonia Campbell Hughes, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Nicole Ansari-Cox, Josephine Butler, Mariella Frostrup and Brian Cox. Viewers who stream the episode are asked to make a donation to film and TV relief funds and can watch it via its website. Visit pinpoint presents.com/littleroom He has been Ghanas longest ever serving head of state and Ghanaians do not even know his real name? Former President Jerry John Rawlings, popularly known as J.J Rawlings, J.J, has revealed his surname is not Rawlings. He has revealed that his actual last name is John, but the military changed it when he enlisted all those decades ago. Born Jerry Rawlings John, the military for some reasons switched his two last names and Rawlings, who did not want any trouble, simply kept it that way. I was born Jerry Rawlings John. I was named after my father, James Ramsey John, a chemist from Castle Douglas in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, the former leader told Asaase radio. However, when I applied to join the Armed Forces they replied to me, then they switched the position of John and Rawlings. he revealed. This mistake has given us the most iconic last name in Ghanaian politics. Imagine Zanetor was called Zanetor John. Or Nana Konadu Agyemang John. Doesnt have the same ring to it. 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 Weekly vaccine clinics Every week, RiverStone Health, at 123 S. 27th St. in Billings, offers a walk-in immunization clinic on the first floor of the Lil Anderson Center, the four-story building. The clinic runs Mondays 1-4:30 p.m., Wednesday 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday 1-4:30 p.m. No appointment is needed. Dont let cost be a reason to delay vaccination. The Vaccines for Children program provides vaccine at no charge to children 0-18 years old who are uninsured or underinsured. For more information about childhood immunizations, contact your healthcare provider or RiverStone Health at 247-3382. System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. 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Parvathy said that 'WCC is one such movement that is above and beyond any individual.' In the letter to WCC, Vidhu says she had sent me the screenplay of her film and then waited for six months. She alleges that I did not get back to her at any point. Hence, I would like to reveal the chronology of events, Parvathy said. According to Parvathy, Vidhu, accompanied by her writer, had arrived on the sets of 'Uyare' when they narrated the script in detail. I heard them out and after reflecting on it, politely told them that the script will not work for me. When Vidhu persisted, I informed her that there were time constraints as well considering my prior commitments due to two projects that were lined up. Since she was pretty insistent that I give it another thought, I agreed to revert with a final decision within 10 days. As promised, on one of the following days I made a phone call and informed her that I will not be able to do the project, the actor said. Vidhu had earlier said she had approached Parvathy for the role in 'Stand Up', her second movie. Though the actor said she will respond after going through the script, Vidhu alleged that even several months on, Parvathy did not say either yes or no, making her feel that she was someone who didn't merit even a reply. In the letter, Vidhu further alleged that WCC did not adopt the same stance when Parvathy acted alongside Siddique, who had openly backed Dileep at the time of the actor abduction case. On this, Parvathy said, Even during her promotional interviews, I saw headlines in which she had mentioned my working with actor Siddique, who is also a #metoo accused. Though in the interview, Vidhu had spoken about how women like her and myself were often forced to often work with detractors. The title of the interview was misleading so as to make it sound accusatory. On December 14, 2019, I had called up Vidhu to talk this over and we had a friendly chat. When I voiced my concern she told me that she was misquoted to make the headline clickbait. The telephonic chat ended with a promise to meet soon. The warm and friendly tone of this entire conversation was somehow missing in her resignation letter, Parvathy added. The actor said she has always respected filmmakers and their time. I know Vidhu to be a very vocal, communicative person who voices her thoughts quite openly, so it hurts me that she did not speak to me about whatever issues she had with me. I owe my work to filmmakers. I am immensely grateful to every filmmaker who gives me opportunities to collaborate with them, whether they work or not. I feel dismayed on realising that any filmmaker whose offers I have declined would feel slighted. Because that has never been my intention. I need them more than they need me, she said. July 1 marked the dawn of a new economic era in North America as the trade deal known as USMCA took effect, cementing the relationships and advancing the common interests of the United States, Mexico and Canada. While the U.S. International Trade Commission estimated the USMCA would result in $28 billion in new U.S. auto purchases and create 76,000 U.S. auto jobs, the new agreement is beneficial to all parties. It was so important to Mexico where it won overwhelming approval in the Mexican Senate that President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador traveled to Washington on Wednesday to meet with President Donald Trump in celebration of the deal. It was Lopez Obradors first trip outside Mexico since his election two years ago, and in a display of statesmanship he focused on the future and the positives rather than some of Trumps past derogatory remarks about Mexico and its people. Instead of remembering the insults, things like that we have received from you President Trump an understanding and respect, Lopez Obrador said. Some people thought ideological differences would inevitably lead to confrontations. For his part, Trump called Mexico a cherished partner and said the two countries economic and security relationship was reaching new heights. The deal replaces the old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Mexico is the largest U.S. trading partner in goods, and during the COVID-19 pandemic the two nations have worked closely to keep supply chains going so plants in both countries could remain open. Trade with Mexico fuels thousands of jobs in New Mexico. And now that we fervently hope both political parties have learned the lesson that having so many key products like medicines, rare earth minerals key to technology and even PPE produced in China was a monumental strategic mistake, this North American partnership will be crucial as we move to reshore that production. The Borderplex region will play a leading role in the inevitable reshoring of jobs from China and other parts of Asia, Borderplex Alliance CEO Jon Barela said in a statement on the presidential meeting. And Jerry Pacheco, executive director of the International Business Accelerator and a Journal columnist, said reshoring Chinese production back to North America will create jobs regardless of where plants are located. For every 10 jobs created in Juarez we get three in the U.S., either in distribution or supply, he said. Pacheco said despite the economic trauma caused by the pandemic and lockdowns, N.M. exports to Mexico are up by 11%. What we are building here are meat-and-potato industries that go on despite the pandemic. And he said there is a group here, we call it the Magnificent Seven, of companies interested in reshoring to the New Mexico-Mexico border. Pacheco said the fact Lopez Obrador, a populist, made this his first international trip shows Mexico wants to be a good neighbor and is willing to let bygones be bygones and build the economy. He went on to say that from a purely logical standpoint Mexico needs the U.S. and the U.S. needs Mexico. If we cant put aside our differences, we are going to be in trouble from an economic standpoint. And for companies engaged in border trade, there is a collective sigh of relief that we have a roadmap and a set of rules we can follow and conduct our business, Pacheco said. Now, we can go back to recruiting investment and creating jobs. Thats good news for both nations. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. ROME - Residents of a southern Italian town on Monday kept up their protest against more than a dozen rescued migrants with the coronavirus being isolated in a local apartment building. A day after blocking a nearby state road, dozens of Amantea residents moved their noisy protest to the streets of their seaside resort town. Thirteen of 24 migrants who were rescued at sea tested positive for COVID-19 and are being housed in apartments next to other residential buildings in the neighbourhood. Police vehicles were stationed outside the building to ensure no one leaves isolation. Italian media reported that there were plans to send in soldiers to maintain order in the town of 14,000. The governor of the Calabria region, Jole Santelli, renewed her appeal to the Italian government to quarantine or isolate migrants on boats kept offshore, which happened off Sicily recently. I share their worry, Santelli said of the protesters in an interview with Sky TG24 TV. The governor said that Amantea and other seaside towns nearby live off tourism, noting that housing infected migrants could deter visitors when the Italian economy already is reeling from the pandemics effects on travel. Until the outbreak among some of the migrants, who were rescued in the Mediterranean from unseaworthy boats launched by migrant smugglers, Calabria as recently as last week had been reporting one or two or even no new virus cases a day. On Sunday, 28 new cases in Calabria were confirmed, all apparently among migrants rescued last week. The 13 migrants in Amantea who tested positive were believed to have set out from Bangladesh in a boat launched by people smugglers. In the Rome area last month, several seasonal workers from Bangladesh tested positive for COVID-19. That outbreak prompted the Italian health minister last week to ban foreigners from entering Italy from Bangladesh and 12 other countries currently with high infection rates and to suspend flights that originated in those countries. In recent weeks, Bulgarian farm workers were linked to an outbreak in the southern Campania region, and a northern Italian businessmans travels to Serbia last month was linked to a local outbreak in the northeastern region of Veneto. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 00:26:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Four security members were killed on Monday in separate attacks in the provinces of Diyala and Salahudin, security sources said. In Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a policeman and two explosives experts were killed and a government employee was wounded in an explosion, while trying to defuse a roadside bomb near a river outside al-Abbara area in the northeast of the provincial capital Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, Abdullah al-Hayali, the mayor of Baquba, told Xinhua. The incident took place when the policemen were escorting the employees of the provincial irrigation department who were dredging the river, al-Hayali said. In Salahudin province, unknown gunmen opened fire on a police checkpoint in a village near the town of Balad, some 80 km north of Baghdad, leaving a policeman killed and another wounded, Mohammed al-Bazi from the provincial police told Xinhua. The attacks 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 A framed portrait of Park Won-soon arrives at Seoul City Hall, the venue for his funeral, Monday morning. Yonhap Friends, family and supporters gathered in pouring rain Monday to say their final goodbyes to Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, a prominent human rights lawyer and civic activist who was regarded as a potential candidate for the next presidential race. The funeral was also streamed live online as a precaution against the new coronavirus. Following an hours-long search involving hundreds of police and rescue officers, the three-term mayor was found dead at Mount Bugak in central Seoul on Friday. The city government later released a handwritten note from Park, who said he was "sorry" to everyone. His abrupt death came as a shock to the city's 10 million population and the whole country. While supporters mourned his untimely death, the incident also caused a controversy following reports that one of Park's former secretaries had filed a criminal complaint of sexual harassment just two days before his death. More than half a million people signed an online petition asking the funeral not to be a "mayoral funeral," citing the sexual harassment allegations, and a political fight surrounding the case erupted, in some cases seen as posing a threat to the former secretary. Some even went on to file a petition with the Seoul Administrative Court to prevent the city government from holding the five-day public funeral. The court dismissed the petition on Sunday evening, allowing the funeral to go ahead as planned. Despite the political wrangling, Monday's funeral service was held in a relatively solemn and low-key manner at Seoul City Hall in the city center. Roughly 100 family members, friends, city officials and politicians attended the service, which started at 8:30 a.m. A supporter of the late mayor wails in front of Seoul City Hall, Monday. / Yonhap Citizens watch a funeral procession for Park outside the city hall, Monday. / Yonhap A hearse carrying Park's coffin leaves the city hall after the funeral, Monday. Park's body was to be cremated at Seoul Memorial Park in southern Seoul and laid to rest in his home town of Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. / Yonhap Bengaluru, July 14 : With Covid cases spiking by the day, two districts in Karnataka -- Dakshina Kannada and Dharwad -- on Monday declared 7-day and 10-day lockdown from Wednesday till July 21 and July 24, respectively, to contain the coronavirus spread. "The 7-day lockdown will be enforced from July 15 night to July 21 night across the coastal district to check the Covid spread," state endowments minister and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Kota Srinivas Poojary told reporters in Mangaluru. The coastal district is 350km from Bengaluru. "The 10-day lockdown in Dharwad district will be enforced from 9 am on July 15 till 8 pm on July 24," said state industries minister and district in-charge Jagadish Shettar in Dharwad. Dharwad is 430 km from Bengaluru. Though district Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sindhu Rupesh will issue guidelines on Tuesday, Poojary said as shops would be open till Wednesday night, people can buy groceries and other daily needs for a week to avoid going out till July 21. "The week-long lockdown will be strictly enforced in the district as in the first phase for 21 days from March 25 to April 14 across the country," said Poojary. The Dharwad district administration will on Tuesday issue the guidelines to be followed by the people during the 10-day lockdown to control the situation. "Intra-district travel will be allowed only for medical emergencies on obtaining pass from the district police online," said Shettar. Poojary appealed to the public to cooperate with the district administration in checking the spread of Covid-19. With 131 fresh cases on Monday, Dakshina Kannada's Covid tally rose to 2,353 till date, including 1,489 active cases after 821 were discharged, while 41 have succumbed to the virus since March 9. Similarly, 71 new cases were reported in Dharwad, taking its positive cases to 1,159, including 703 active cases after 418 were discharged, while 38 died of the infection so far. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text MOSCOW -- Investigators of the Federal Security Service have formally charged an aide to the chief of Russia's Roskosmos space agency, journalist Ivan Safronov, with high treason. Safronov's lawyer Ivan Pavlov said his client was indicted on July 13, adding that he reiterated his previous not guilty plea. Moscow police on July 13 detained about 20 supporters of Safronov near the Lefortovo detention center in the Russian capital, where Safronov is being held. Among the detained supporters of Safronov were a member of the journalists' labor union, Sofia Rusova, and reporters Pyotr Parkhomenko, Maria Karpenko, Olga Alenova, Alla Pugachyova, and Taisia Bekbulatova. Safronov, who has worked since May as an adviser to Roskosmos head Dmitry Rogozin, is a prominent journalist who covered the military-industrial complex for the newspapers Kommersant and Vedomosti. He was arrested on July 7 amid allegations that he had passed secret information to the Czech Republic in 2017 about Russian arms sales in the Middle East. Safronov has rejected the accusations and many of his supporters have held pickets in Moscow and other cities, demanding his release. Human rights organizations have issued statements demanding Safronovs release and expressing concerns over the intensifying crackdown on dissent in Russia. The chairman of the Union of Journalists of Russia, Vladimir Solovyov, said on July 13 that his organization will "continue to closely monitor Safronov's case" With reporting by TASS and Interfax TULSA, Okla. - Nearly a century after a brutal race massacre left as many as 300 black people dead, this city began to dig Monday for suspected mass graves from the violence. A team of scientists, archaeologists and forensic anthropologists watched as a backhoe moved dirt from an 8-by-10-foot hole at the city-owned Oaklawn Cemetery, where ground-penetrating radar last year detected anomalies consistent with mass graves. Several descendants of massacre survivors bore witness to the moment outside the graveyard's wrought-iron fence, standing in a light rain after the work was briefly delayed by booming thunder and lightning. J. Kavin Ross, whose great-grandfather owned a business that was destroyed in the massacre, said he had waited a long time for this day. "I've waited for this day for over two decades to find out the truth of Tulsa's public secrets," said Ross, a photojournalist and teacher in Tulsa who spent years of his own time interviewing survivors of the massacre. "A lot of people knew about it but wouldn't tell about it." Tulsa Republican Mayor G.T. Bynum, who ordered the investigation reopened after a Washington Post story detailed the unresolved questions surrounding the violence, told reporters that he once thought it was incredible that there could be mass graves in Tulsa. "You hear about mass graves in authoritarian regimes," he said. "You don't hear about them in the United States and definitely shouldn't be hearing about them in Tulsa." The excavation was delayed for three months by the coronavirus pandemic. It comes weeks after President Donald Trump appeared in Tulsa at a campaign rally that drew more than 6,000 people to an indoor arena, where few wore masks. Tulsa Health Department Executive Director Bruce Dart said last week that a spike in new coronavirus cases in Tulsa may be linked to Trump's rally and the protests it generated. But Bynum decided not to postpone the work at Oaklawn a second time. He called the investigation personal for him. "I don't want my kids growing up in a city where we might be walking around on mass graves, and we haven't done everything we could to find them and identify the victims," he said. Although the scientists said their radar findings are promising, the only way to determine precisely what lies beneath the ground is to dig. The excavation will take up to two weeks. In the trench, archeologists found pottery pieces, glass items, metal bowl, an oven door and buttons dating back to 1920s. Phoebe Stubblefield, a forensic anthropologist from the University of Florida, said she's hopeful that any bones found will be preserved well enough to "allow us to extract DNA from remains" that could help identify the victims and connect them to descendants. She said she would be looking for intact bones. She will also be looking for any signs of violence or trauma, or charred remains. The backhoe is moving slowly so as not to crush any bones that may be in the trench. Stubblefield said she expects the backhoe to dig 4 to 5 feet before hitting any potential remains. The rest of the excavation will be done by hand. If the city finds unmarked human remains at the site, the state medical examiner's office will begin an investigation to determine how the person died. "The cause of death determination would be an important step to the investigation as remains will be close to 100 years old and a Spanish Influenza outbreak occurred in Tulsa in 1919 prior to the Race Massacre in 1921," city officials said in a statement. The city is expected to issue daily updates on the excavation. The work comes nearly seven months after a team of forensic anthropologists and archaeologists, led by the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey at the University of Oklahoma, announced that they had found "possible common graves" at two sites in Tulsa. They identified the sites as the Canes, located on a bluff along the Arkansas River near Highway 75, and the Sexton area of Oaklawn Cemetery, which is a few blocks from Greenwood, the black community that was destroyed during one of the worst episodes of racial violence in U.S. history. The massacre began May 31, 1921, after a black teenager, who was working as a shoe shiner in downtown Tulsa, was accused of assaulting a white woman in an elevator. A white mob marched on Greenwood, one of the most affluent black communities in the country. Historians believe that as many as 300 black people were killed, and 40 square blocks of what was known as Black Wall Street were destroyed by fire. The destruction included more than 1,250 homes, churches, schools, businesses, a hospital and library. Survivors reported seeing bodies tossed into the muddy Arkansas River or loaded onto trucks or trains, making it difficult to account for the dead. For decades afterward, people in Tulsa avoided discussing what had happened. No one was ever arrested for the violence. But Bynum has said it is time to find out whether there are mass graves, especially as the city prepares to mark the 100th anniversary of the massacre. "There was a concerted coverup by city leaders and business leaders" to hide what happened, he said. "Anytime a terrible event occurs, there are two inclinations. One is to find out what happened and why. The other inclination is to cover it up. Unfortunately, the leaders in Tulsa in 1921 chose that second option. You had generations who never heard about the massacre because the conspiracy of silence was strong." The novel coronavirus pandemic has now killed more than 570,000 people worldwide. Over 13 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 or downplaying the scope of their nations' outbreaks. The United States has become the worst-affected country, with more than 3.3 million diagnosed cases and at least 135,582 deaths. Monday's headlines: Los Angeles on verge of moving into 'red zone,' mayor warns COVID-19 cases top 13 million worldwide California closing all bars, indoor restaurants statewide Arizona's ICUs 90% full Hong Kong Disneyland to temporarily close Here is how the news developed on Monday. All times Eastern. Check back for updates. 10:02 p.m. Los Angeles on verge of moving into 'red zone,' mayor warns Los Angeles is on the border of moving into its "red zone," its highest COVID-19 threat level, Mayor Eric Garcetti said. We are still very much so in an emergency, said Garcetti. "We've never had as many people infected or infectious." PHOTO: Cars enter the coronavirus COVID-19 testing site at Dodger Stadium, July 13, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports) Los Angeles has four threat levels based on COVID-19 risk: green (low risk), yellow (moderate risk), orange (very high and widespread risk) and red (highest and extreme risk). It currently is in orange, which advises that residents minimize all contact with anyone outside their household. The red level means residents should only leave home for essential activities, like work or food shopping. Los Angeles County reported 2,593 new cases and 13 new deaths on Monday. Garcetti noted that half of the new cases were in people ages 18 to 40. 5:30 p.m.: COVID-19 cases top 13 million worldwide The number of COVID-19 cases globally surpassed 13 million early Monday evening. There have been 13,006,764 confirmed cases of the virus worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. Story continues This milestone comes just five days after passing the 12 million mark. The number of confirmed cases first hit 1 million on April 2. The COVID-19 death toll currently stands at 570,776 worldwide, according to JHU. The U.S., Brazil and India have the highest number of cases. 4:30 p.m.: Houston hits 25% positivity rate Hard-hit Houston has hit a 25.2% positivity rate, according to city health director Dr. David Persse. PHOTO: A health care worker waits at a bus stop after shift changes at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, July 12, 2020. (Erin Trieb/The New York Times/Redux Pictures) PHOTO: Dr. Joseph Varon, right, leads a team as they try to save the life of a patient unsuccessfully inside the Coronavirus Unit at United Memorial Medical Center, Monday, July 6, 2020, in Houston. (David J. Phillip/AP) Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced 1,544 new cases on Monday, bringing the city's total to 30,965. Dr. Marc Boom, president and CEO of Houston Methodist Hospital, told ABC News last week, "shortly after Memorial Day, when we saw a lot people let their guard down and sort of act like nothing had happened, we really began to see this surge and it just grew and grew." MORE: Without vaccine, we'll never reach herd immunity: Scientists "The answer is actually really easy on how to stop it -- we know what works," Bloom said. "We know that social distancing works. We know that masking works." "Keep wearing that mask," he said. "It's such a small sacrifice." 3:10 p.m.: California closing all bars, indoor restaurants statewide As the pandemic intensifies in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday he is closing all bars and all indoor restaurants statewide. PHOTO: A hostess waits to sit customers at a restaurant on the pier, July 12, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif., amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) PHOTO: Owner Ben Sales takes orders at Ghost Pizza on July 10, 2020 in Los Angeles. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images) Also among the indoor businesses that must close are wineries, movie theaters, zoos, museums, family entertainment centers and card rooms. Over two dozen counties will now be required to close indoor operations for gyms, malls, places of worship, personal care services, hair services and non-critical offices. Newsom said California is seeing hospitalizations rise, a modest increase in ICU cases, and an increase in the rate of positivity. 2:55 p.m.: JetBlue extends its empty adjacent seat policy JetBlue is joining Delta and Southwest in extending its empty adjacent seat policy. "JetBlue has extended its guarantee of blocked middle seats on larger aircraft and blocked aisle seats on smaller aircraft for flights through 9/8/2020, which includes the Labor Day holiday," the airline said. "Traveling parties of three are still allowed to occupy a row together by request." MORE: Asymptomatic and presymptomatic people transmit most COVID-19 infections: Study Middle seats will be open on Delta and Southwest through Sept. 30. American and United have said they will sell all seats on their planes. 2:16 p.m.: LA won't begin school year with in-person classes In Los Angeles, where coronavirus cases are on the rise, public school students won't have in-person classes when the school year starts in August, the superintendent said Monday. PHOTO: Instructor Chablis Torres reads to children in a pre-school class, wearing masks at desks spaced apart per coronavirus guidelines, during summer school sessions at Happy Day School in Monterey Park, Calif., July 9, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) "The health and safety of all in the school community is not something we can compromise," Austin Beutner, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, said in a statement. "The news about the spread of the virus continues to be of great concern. Last week was the worst yet in the Los Angeles area. The rate of those who tested positive for the virus is approaching 10%, well above the level of 5% the World Health Organization guidelines say is appropriate for communities to reopen." MORE: Education secretary faces backlash after demanding schools reopen full-time amid pandemic "Children need to be in school to get the best possible education. The right way to reopen schools is to make sure there is a robust system of testing and contact tracing to mitigate the risk for all in the school community," the superintendent said. "More detailed information about both online and at-school programs will be shared in the coming weeks with final plans by the first week in August. While the school year will begin without students at school facilities, our goal is to welcome students back to school as soon as it is safe and appropriate for us to do so," Beutner said. 1:30 p.m.: WHO warns, if 'basics aren't followed ... it's going to get worse' World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned Monday, "if the basics aren't followed there is only one way this pandemic is going to go: it's going to get worse and worse and worse." PHOTO: A woman waits to be tested for Covid-19 outside the Catherine Hardaway Residences in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, July 08, 2020. (Craig F. Walker/Boston Globe via Getty Images) "The virus remains public enemy #1, but the actions of many governments and people do not reflect this," Tedros said. "Mixed messages from leaders are undermining the most critical ingredient of any response: trust. If governments do not clearly communicate with their citizens and roll out a comprehensive strategy focused on suppressing transmission and saving lives, if populations do not follow the basic public health principles of physical distancing, hand washing, wearing masks ... and staying at home when sick." PHOTO: A sign reads 'In Fauci We Trust,' referring to the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci, outside a home in Rockport, Massachusetts, July 13, 2020. (Brian Snyder/Reuters) He added, "I want to be straight with you: there will be no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future." PHOTO: A health care worker signs people up for testing at a COVID-19 testing site at the Miami Beach Convention Center, during the coronavirus pandemic, July 13, 2020, in Miami Beach, Fla. (Lynne Sladky/AP) PHOTO: An employee at the Clevelander bar and restaurant on Ocean Drive stacks chairs as they have shut down due to public health concerns caused by COVID-19 during the coronavirus pandemic, July 13, 2020, in Miami Beach, Fla. (Lynne Sladky/AP) On Sunday, 230,000 cases of the coronavirus were reported to the WHO, and half of those cases came from just two countries. The Americas, south Asia and several countries in Africa are in the intense transmission phase of the pandemic, Tedros said 12:43 p.m.: Cuomo issues order requiring some travelers to give their contact info New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday he's issuing an emergency health order that requires out-of-state travelers from states with rising coronavirus cases to give local authorities their contact information when they arrive. MORE: Anxiety, depression increasing among mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic The governor said this order is to help enforce the mandatory quarantine for people traveling to New York from high coronavirus states. "You are not a hermetically sealed bubble," Cuomo said, adding that those who do not comply will be fined $2,000. MORE: FDA expands list of potentially dangerous hand sanitizers Last week Delaware, Kansas and Oklahoma were added to New York's travel advisory list, joining Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina , Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. The travel advisory applies to states with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a week average, or a state with 10% of higher positivity rate over a week average. 12:15 p.m.: Arizona's ICUs 90% full Coronavirus cases are surging in Arizona, where ICUs are 90% full, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Arizona reported 1,357 new cases on Monday, bringing the state's total cases to 123,824. Arizona's positivity rate stands at 21.7%. PHOTO: A heath care worker has her blood drawn for an antibody test for COVID-19 at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, July 10, 2020. (Cheney Orr/Reuters) Gov. Doug Ducey said Saturday that the state is receiving 361 cases of Remdesivir, an antiviral COVID-19 drug candidate. "The shipment will bolster state supplies with added capacity to treat thousands of additional patients, if needed," Ducey tweeted. 11:39 a.m.: Hong Kong Disneyland to temporarily close One month after reopening, Hong Kong Disneyland will temporarily close beginning on Wednesday to comply with the Hong Kong government's social distancing rules. PHOTO: Employees wearing protective masks stand outside the Hong Kong Disneyland theme park that has been closed, following the coronavirus outbreak, in Hong Kong, China January 26, 2020. (James Pomfret/Reuters, FILE) The new rules, announced on Monday, limit gatherings to no more than four people. The previous guidelines allowed gatherings of up to 50 people. MORE: Hong Kong Disneyland to close shortly after reopening "The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hotels will remain open with adjusted levels of services. They have put in place enhanced health and safety measures that reflect the guidance of health and government authorities, such as social distancing measures and increased cleaning and sanitization," Hong Kong Disneyland said in a statement. "The Standard Day Ticket is valid for six months from the purchase date. If needed, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort will assist in the refund for guests who have purchased tickets for admission to Hong Kong Disneyland park or have booked a resort hotel." The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC News. 11 a.m.: Florida has 47 hospitals with no open ICU beds Florida's number of coronavirus cases has jumped by 12,624, reaching a total of 282,435. This marks the state's second highest daily total, according to the Florida Department of Health. PHOTO: A waiter wears a protective face mask and gloves while working at the Il Bolognese restaurant along Ocean Drive during the coronavirus pandemic, July 12, 2020, in Miami Beach, Fla. (Lynne Sladky/AP) Out of 309 facilities being tracked, Florida has 47 hospitals with no available ICU beds and 25 hospitals with just one available ICU bed, according to Floridas Agency for Healthcare Administration. These numbers will fluctuate throughout the day. MORE: The heart: Before, during and after COVID-19 Miami-Dade County, which includes Miami, and Broward County, which includes Fort Lauderdale, have been especially hard-hit. Miami-Dade's positivity rate stands at 20.2% while Broward County's is at 13.8% PHOTO: People wearing protective face masks ride a scooter down Ocean Drive during the coronavirus pandemic, July 12, 2020, in Miami Beach, Fla. (Lynne Sladky/AP) PHOTO: A health worker performs a COVID-19 test at the Orange County Convention Center, July 12, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. (John Raoux/AP) The Florida Department of Health reported 15,300 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, making it the highest one-day total for a state in the U.S. since the pandemic began. 10:25 a.m.: Mayor worried about New Yorkers in their 20s For the first time since March, no one with a positive coronavirus lab test was reported dead in New York City on Saturday, which Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday called "so striking and so moving." PHOTO: A 'Mask Required' sign is seen outside 'Les Enfants Terribles' hair salon and barber shop amid the coronavirus pandemic, June 22, 2020 in Brooklyn, New York City. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images, FILE) But he added at Monday's news conference, it's "very hard to take a victory lap because we know we have so much more ahead." PHOTO: People wear protective face masks outside Radio City Music Hall as New York City moves into Phase 3 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic on July 12, 2020. (Noam Galai/Getty Images) "Even though we have overall seen a huge reduction in the presence of the coronavirus in this city, we do see one trend that is worrisome: for young adults we see the infection rate rising," de Blasio said, especially those ages 20 to 29. De Blasio announced new guidance that New Yorkers should wear a face covering as much as possible when around other people in an indoor setting that is not their home. PHOTO: A person wears a protective face mask while reading a book in Washington Square Park as New York City moves into Phase 3 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic on July 12, 2020. (Noam Galai/Getty Images) Of those getting tested in New York City, 2% are testing positive, de Blasio said. 8:30 a.m.: Why Miami mayor warns the 'death rate will most likely go up' As Miami, Florida, has become especially hard-hit by the coronavirus, the hospitals are becoming strained, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez told ABC News' "Good Morning America" on Monday. PHOTO: People wear masks wait to enter the Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Fla., July 9, 2020. (Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA via Shuttertock) "We have a very small capacity in our ICUs. We have the ability to grow that capacity, but it's something that's extremely worrisome," Suarez said. "We just crossed the threshold for the highest number of [people on] ventilators that we've had in the history of this virus." MORE: COVID-19 deaths may lead to increase in prolonged grief disorder cases Many coronavirus patients placed on ventilators never recover. Suarez said over 200 ventilators were in use as of Sunday in Miami. "That means that there's no doubt that the death rate will most likely go up over the next week or two," he said. "That's something that our residents should be expecting and something that is unfortunately most likely going to be a reality." 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 5:18 a.m.: Russia confirms 6,537 new coronavirus infections Russia has confirmed 6,537 new coronavirus infections on Monday which brings the countrys official number of cases to 733,699. Russia also reported that over the past 24 hours 104 people have died bringing the total death toll to 11,439. Additionally, a total of 2,960 people recovered over the last 24 hours which brought the total number of recoveries to 504,021. 3:29 a.m.: Mexico now has more COVID-19 deaths than Italy Mexico has now surpassed Italy in number of deaths from the novel coronavirus with a total of 35,006 deaths confirmed in the country so far. The United States remains by far the worst affected country in the world with 135,176 deaths followed by Brazil with 72,100 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and the United Kingdom which has had 44,904 deaths so far. Mexico now sits fourth when it comes to number of deaths and sits just ahead of fifth-highest Italy which has had 34,954 die due to complications of the virus. ABC News' Gio Benitez, Matt Fuhrman, Mina Kaji, Amanda Maile, Darren Reynolds, Gina Sunseri, Sam Sweeney, Christine Theodorou, Scott Withers and Karson Yiu contributed to this report. Los Angeles on verge of 'red' threat level, mayor says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Dear Amy: My Mom is 90-years-old and has had a hoarding/messy home problem, gambling addiction, and money issues for the past 25 years. She is a compulsive shopper and was shopping almost every day when she was driving. Last year she had a minor car accident that totaled her car, so she does not drive anymore and depends on me to take her for groceries, errands, doctor appointments, etc. I had to clean out her car, which was so full of stuff that it took me five hours to clean it out. I filled five large garbage bags of trash and 12 boxes of stuff. I have had to clean up her mess many times over the years, sometimes at my insistence, and sometimes because she needs to let someone into her apartment and they cant get in because of the mess. Clothes are piled on the bed, groceries on the counters, and boxes on the floor. My daughter, who has helped me clean in the past, has very good organizational skills and works quickly. She has agreed to help me this weekend. (I have a sister who lives locally but isnt very helpful.) In the past, Mom has told me that my cleaning makes her anxious. Should I insist she let us do this? Mom's apartment makes me sick and I feel so overwhelmed when I am there because it is so bad. I have trouble sleeping because it bothers me so much. I have tried to get her counseling help in the past, but she only went to a few sessions. If I clean now, it would be on my terms, but if I don't force it now and something comes up with her apartment or health, I would be forced to clean it immediately. She procrastinates until things become urgent with her; then she makes me deal with this urgency. I want to honor my mother and also be the responsible daughter. Any advice? Loving Daughter Dear Daughter: At the age of 90, your mother is probably not going to make dramatic steps to change. She might not be physically and emotionally able to deal with her hoarding disorder in any truly substantial way. (Hoarding seems to be related to anxiety, and -- longer-term -- you should ask her primary care physician about appropriate anti-anxiety medication that might help.) Because you seem to be her primary caretaker, I suggest that you take this on on your terms. Ask your sister if she can take your mother on errands/outings for the day. Tell your mom that you and her granddaughter are going to handle this for her, and reassure her that when she returns, her home will be much easier for her to navigate. If your mother isnt in the space and is instead distracted during the day, she might feel less anxious. Dear Amy: In the past two years, I have given monetary gifts for graduations, birthdays, a bridal shower and a wedding. I have not received any acknowledgment or thanks for any of these gifts. At this point, I would settle for two words in a text message: "thank you." Do young people feel so entitled that acknowledging a gift is not necessary? One of the recipients is now pregnant and her mother-in-law is throwing a baby shower. Of course, I'll be invited. I don't want to go. Friends have told me that I am being petty. Am I? Petty in Maryland Dear Petty: You dont seem petty, as much as worn out. And I dont blame you. A natural consequence of this lack of appreciation is that you will be less inspired to keep giving. My only caution here is that baby showers are intended as celebrations centered on a new baby, who is obviously innocent. I think it is also time to contact the recipients of these gifts to tell them, I believe Ive been generous to you, and Ive always been happy to celebrate your milestones with gifts. But you have never acknowledged or thanked me for a gift. Im not sure why this is, but it is quite discouraging. Dear Amy: Tom, in Los Angeles expressed extreme distress in where this country is headed. I have to say, I was shocked (pleasantly) by your response. Your first line got me: I think you should celebrate the freedom we each have to either launch an insurrection, or go to the movies. A Fan Dear Fan: Thank you. Im a huge movie buff but I also love a good insurrection. Onward! (You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.) COPYRIGHT 2020 BY AMY DICKINSON. Read more advice: Ask Amy: Separated soulmates are eager to connect Dear Annie: Looking to hop off the hamster wheel Dear Abby: Children cut off stepmother with dads power of attorney South Korea on Monday started to require foreigners arriving from high-risk countries to submit a certificate showing they tested negative for the new coronavirus, as a steady rise in imported cases has strained its anti-virus fight. All foreign arrivals from the four countries Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan are obligated to hand in health certificates proving they have tested negative for COVID-19 on a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. South Korea has also ordered regular flights from such countries to limit the number of passengers to 60 percent of capacity. Those who depart for countries with large outbreaks will face strict entry processes when returning to South Korea, health authorities said. Strict quarantine regulations on arrivals from Pakistan and Bangladesh have been already in place. South Korea began to suspend visa issuance and non-scheduled flights from the two countries from June 23. On Sunday, South Korea said that it is closely monitoring situations in 11 additional countries, hinting it may apply the strict regulation to more countries with large virus outbreaks down the road. The certificates must be issued by hospitals and testing centers designated by South Korean embassies within 48 hours before their departure. The virus-free certificates do not exempt the arrivals from the two-week self quarantine. South Korea has been enforcing mandatory 14-day self-quarantines for all travelers, including South Korean nationals, coming from overseas since April 1. In early May, South Korea eased social distancing, but the steady rise in imported cases as well as those tied to religious facilities have forced health authorities to take a step back and reinforce anti-virus measures. Imported cases accounted for roughly 13 percent of the accumulated number of COVID-19 infections here as of Sunday. South Korea has reported 245 imported cases this month as of Sunday, compared with 323 cases detected for all of June. In May, the country reported 192 of such cases. (Yonhap) Hollywood actor John Travolta's wife Kelly Preston passed away after a two-year battle with breast cancer. She was 57. Preston and Travolta had been married for 29 years. The couple had three children, Ella (20) and Benjamin (9) and Jett, who passed away in 2009 aged 16. John took to social media to pay tribute to his wife. Their daughter Ella too paid a touching tribute to her mother on social media. John shared a picture of Kelly and wrote, "It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer. She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many. My family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center, all the medical centers that have helped, as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side. Kelly's love and life will always be remembered. I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don't hear from us for a while. But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal. All my love, JT." Ella too shared a picture of her mother and captioned it, "I have never met anyone as courageous, strong, beautiful and loving as you. Anyone who is lucky enough to have known you or to have ever been in your presence will agree that you have a glow and a light that never ceases to shine and that makes anyone around you feel instantly happy. Thank you for being there for me no matter what. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your help and thank you for making this world a better place. You have made life so beautiful and I know you will continue to do so always. I love you so much mama." Kelly was seen in both movies and television. She had also appeared in films with her husband, including Battlefield Earth in 2000. She made guest appearances in TV series like Medium, CSI: Cyber and Joey. She was last seen in a gangster drama Gotii (2018). Meanwhile, Kelly's last post on her Instagram handle was dedicated to John on the occasion of Father's Day in June. She wrote, "Happy Father's Day to the best one I know, we love you." Also Read: Elvis Presley's Grandson Benjamin Keough Passes Away At 27 The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America) call on the sides to resume substantive negotiations as soon as possible, Trend reports on July 13 referring to the Co-Chairs statement. "According to reports from the Ministries of Defence of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as other sources, on 12-13 July there was a serious breach of the ceasefire on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, resulting in casualties. Artillery of various calibers reportedly was used by both forces," the statement said. The Co-Chairs and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-office (PRCiO) Andrzej Kasprzyk regret the loss of life and offer their condolences to the families of those who were killed and injured. The Co-Chairs and PRCiO have been in direct contact with Armenian and Azerbaijani officials since the beginning of the incident, said the document. "The sides have accused each other of initiating the fighting. The Minsk Group Co?Chairs condemn the recent ceasefire violations and call upon the sides to take all necessary measures to prevent any further escalation, including by use of the existing direct communication channels between them," reads the statement. The Minsk Group Co-Chairs also call on the sides to resume substantive negotiations as soon as possible and emphasize the importance of returning OSCE monitors to the region as soon as circumstances allow. Starting from July 12 afternoon, while grossly violating the ceasefire regime in Azerbaijans Tovuz district on the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border, the Armenian armed forces fired at the Azerbaijani positions by using artillery. As a result of the appropriate measures, the Armenian forces were struck back while suffering losses. Zac Efron is making every effort to dodge the spotlight while laying low in Byron Bay, New South Wales. The High School Musical star, 32, who has reportedly been living in the coastal town for months, posted to Instagram for the first time since early June on Monday - but conspicuously chose to tag his location as 'around the world'. Uploading a promotional image for his new Netflix docu-series Down To Earth, the Hollywood hunk simply captioned the post: 'Love you guys [heart emoji] #downtoearth #netflix.' Dodging the spotlight: Zac Efron, 32, returned to Instagram for the first time in a month by uploading this photo on Monday, but conspicuously chose to tag his location as 'around the world' rather than his actual whereabouts in Byron Bay, New South Wales He proceeded to tag the show's producers Michael Simkin and Brian Volk-Weiss, his co-star Darin Olien, and Jason Barrett - Zac's manager and close friend. Down To Earth sees Zac and Michael travel the globe to learn about the unusual techniques different communities use to maintain environmental sustainability. Meanwhile, Zac was pictured in Byron Bay for the first time earlier this month, finally confirming rumours he had fled Down Under to escape the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. Nice try! The High School Musical star, who has reportedly been living in the coastal town for months, posted to Instagram for the first time since early June on Monday - but conspicuously chose to tag his location as 'around the world' Nefltix project: Down To Earth sees Zac and Michael travel the globe to learn about the unusual techniques different communities use to maintain environmental sustainability Zac is said to have fallen so deeply in love with the town that he's now considering purchasing the home he has reportedly been renting. According to The Sunday Telegraph, he has made an inquiry about buying the Byron Beach Retreats property named The Boardwalk. The beachfront property is located in the coastal suburb Broken Head, a town close to Byron Bay where Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky also happen to live. Making the move permanent? Zac is said to have fallen so deeply in love with the coastal town that he's now considering purchasing the home he has reportedly been renting Zac previously said it was 'easy' keeping a low profile during his visits to Australia because of the sparsely-populated beaches down the coast. 'What I love about Australia, which is what we don't have in California, is there are so many wide-open beaches where no one is at,' he said. Meanwhile, rumours are flying that Zac could appear in the next season of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Australia. Channel 10 executives are hoping to convince the High School Musical star, 32, to sign on the dotted line, according to New Idea magazine on Monday. The network has reportedly offered the American actor $1.5million to participate in the upcoming season, which will likely begin filming early next year. As the Congress fights a crisis in Rajasthan where deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot is at loggerheads with his boss Ashok Gehlot, there is no word yet from former Congress president Rahul Gandhi. But on Monday, Gandhis office insisted that He (Sachin Pilot) is always in his heart. And they speak often and directly. They have great respect and affection for each other. There has been no word on Twitter either from Rahul Gandhi on the Rajasthan crisis. The former Congress president tweeted twice on Monday. The first tweet questioned the governments claim the fight against Covid-19 was going well and the second was about Prime Minister Narendra Modis stand on the face off with China in Ladakh. This response came when HT asked for Rahul Gandhis response to whether he had been in touch with Pilot, who is said to have been furious after the Rajasthan Polices Special Operations Group (SOG) summoned him for questioning after Gehlot claimed that the BJP was trying to lure Congress MLAs by bribing them with sums ranging from Rs 10 crore to Rs 15 crore. The SOG operates under Gehlot and although the chief minister was also summoned Pilots supporters claimed it was an eye wash. Pilot had claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government was in minority and that he had the support of over 30 MLAs in the 200-member Assembly. In the afternoon, the Rajasthan Congress Legislature Party passed a resolution in Jaipur supporting the Ashok Gehlot-led government in the state amid the tussle for power. It also recommended strong disciplinary action against any Congress MLA and office-bearer who conspires against the government. This meeting urges that strict disciplinary action be taken against any office bearer or member of the legislature party who indulge in activities against the Congress government, party or gets involved in any conspiracy, read the resolution. Party sources claimed that 106 MLAs, both from the Congress and those supporting it, were present in the meeting. Sachin Pilot and some of his loyalists did not attend it. The resolution expressed confidence in the leadership of national party president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Ahead of the meeting of the MLAs at the chief ministers official residence, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala the party doors were still open for Pilot to sort out matters. On behalf of Congress leadership, including Sonia ji and Rahul ji, I convey that doors of Congress party are always open for Sachin ji or any member, Surjewala said. There has been no word from Sachin Pilots camp about his next step. The deputy CMs aide told HT in the morning that the leader is not joining the BJP. Reliance Industries Limited (Reliance Industries) and Jio Platforms Limited (Jio Platforms), announced today that Qualcomm Ventures, the investment arm of Qualcomm Incorporated, an industry leader in wireless technologies, has committed to invest upto 730 crore in Jio Platforms at an equity value of 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of 5.16 lakh crore. Qualcomm Ventures investment will translate into 0.15% equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis. The investment will deepen the ties between Qualcomm and Jio Platforms, to support Jio Platforms on its journey to rollout advanced 5G infrastructure and services for Indian customers. Jio Platforms, a majority-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries, is a next-generation technology platform focused on providing high-quality and affordable digital services across India, with more than 388 million subscribers. Jio Platforms has made significant investments across its digital ecosystem, powered by leading technologies spanning broadband connectivity, smart devices, cloud and edge computing, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, augmented and mixed reality and blockchain. Jios vision is to enable a Digital India for 1.3 billion people and businesses across the country, including small merchants, micro-businesses and farmers so that all of them can enjoy the fruits of inclusive growth. Qualcomm is the worlds leading wireless technology innovator and the driving force behind the development, launch and expansion of 5G. With more than $62 billion in cumulative research and development spend, 35 years of innovation and over 140,000 patents and patent applications, Qualcomm is committed to fueling innovation and fostering Indian technology advancement. Qualcomm Ventures is a global fund that invests in pioneering companies across the wireless ecosystem in areas like 5G, AI, IoT, automotive, networking and enterprise. In India, Qualcomm Ventures has invested in companies that address key domestic issues from Dairy, Transportation to Defense, and build world class products for India and the world market. Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, said, Today, I am delighted to welcome Qualcomm Ventures as an investor in Jio Platforms. Qualcomm has been a valued partner for several years and we have a shared vision of connecting everything by building a robust and secure wireless and digital network and extending the benefits of digital connectivity to everyone in India. As a world leader in wireless technologies, Qualcomm offers deep technology knowhow and insights that will help us deliver on our 5G vision and the digital transformation of India for both people and enterprises. Steve Mollenkopf, CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated, said, With our shared goal of extending the benefits of digital connectivity to everyone and everything, we anticipate Jio Platforms will deliver a new set of services and experiences to Indian consumers. With unmatched speeds and emerging use cases, 5G is expected to transform every industry in the coming years. Jio Platforms has led the digital revolution in India through its extensive digital and technological capabilities. As an enabler and investor with a longstanding presence in India, we look forward to playing a role in Jio's vision to further revolutionize Indias digital economy. The transaction is subject to customary conditions precedent. Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisor to Reliance Industries and AZB & Partners and Davis Polk & Wardwell acted as legal counsels. Trilegal acted as legal counsel for Qualcomm Ventures. Aureus has integrated its Anvesa 3.0 solution with Microsoft Azure and Azure AI to leverage key artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities to power new tools for legal professionals in their digital journey. The updated Anvesa 3.0 set to launch July 15, 2020 now provides unsupervised machine learning and keyword extraction, features that vastly increase the speed with which law firms can review large documents and document troves. Aureus's heavy focus on research and development (R&D) makes it a pioneer in technological advancements. Aureus clients get leading technology and don't have to absorb R&D costs and risks, because Aureus already has. The company focuses on knowledge mining, document classification, document labeling, and obtaining key insights from the information in the text of documents, all to decrease manual efforts. By using these capabilities, law workers no longer need to search within documents or read them one by one. Aureus takes unstructured data and processes it without the need for human intervention or additional staff using deep learning and neural networking. While this technology can be used within any industry, one area Aureus is revolutionizing is the legal space through the company's AI and cloud computing investments. "When it comes to attorneys and paralegals finding answers and winning cases, time matters. It matters a lot. That's why we've built a secure e-discovery platform that cuts through the clutter and delivers the right information to users fast," said Shannon Reed, Vice President of Product Development for Aureus. "Our excellent customer service and advanced technologies enable users to eliminate hours and hours of work." "We pride ourselves on always standing at the cutting edge of technology. We've made massive investments in data and AI, specifically around obtaining insights on huge volumes of unstructured data. Our intelligent cloud intellectual property and capability investments have allowed us to offer customers an elite e-discovery product without the elite cost," explained Aureus CEO Sujata Bhattarai. Using Azure AI services including Azure Machine Learning, Anvesa delivers an elite experience, from processing through early case assessment to review and analysis. The platform offers robust visualizations and analytics, so users can easily see their information in a digestible, meaningful way at any stage. The solution allows users to see key insights faster than ever before and navigate the system seamlessly. Users can also ask questions via a chatbot powered by Azure Cognitive Services. Anvesa is one of the only e-discovery platforms that delivers answers to users right away. By using Anvesa 3.0, law firms can now count on unsupervised machine learning, backed by Azure Cognitive Services, Azure Data Bricks, and Python algorithms, to perform initial data auto-classification on large collections of documents. Attorneys can save significant amounts of time by only focusing on topics of interest. Keyword extraction is also a big time-saver, allowing law workers to evaluate documents based on keywords, rather than reading full document texts. "As the world goes through rapid digital transformation, we will see an exponential increase in the amount of unstructured data being produced, be it via unstructured communication like chat, IoT devices collecting huge amounts of data, or digital documents. A lot of insights will be hidden in this aggregation of raw data. The scalability of the Microsoft Azure cloud provides an effective way to collect and store the dataand Aureus' R&D on knowledge mining can help attorneys and paralegals mine key insights from vast volumes of unstructured data without spending a lot of manual hours. We are building Anvesa not just for today; we're also keeping the future in mind," said Abhishek Pakhira, COO of Aureus and member of Forbes Technology Council. Because Anvesa is built from the ground up using Microsoft Azure, it can fully integrate into an entire Microsoft 365 ecosystem, including information management, collection, preservation, and review processes. This means that the integration and mapping of two different systems won't cause any of the inefficiencies or issues that are often inherent in eDiscovery platforms. Anvesa offers a secure, 360-degree holistic approach to eDiscovery with the power of an army of attorneys in one platform. "Anvesa harnesses the power of Microsoft Azure AI solutions including Azure Cognitive Services and Azure Machine Learning to help users seamlessly find information critical to winning legal cases," said Bharat Sandhu, Director, Product Marketing Azure AI, Microsoft. "As a result, Anvesa offers customers efficient solutions to many of the eDiscovery issues the litigation space experiences today." About Aureus Aureus helps companies transform their technology landscape into an intelligent cloud and edge landscape to drive both process efficiencies and business growth, all via their existing Microsoft 365 and Azure ecosystems as an integrated single-platform experience. Aureus' clients include Allergan, Jamba Juice, Morrison Foerster, and Forbes Law Group. For more information about Aureus, go to www.aureustechsystems.com . SOURCE Aureus Tech Systems LLC Related Links http://www.aureustechsystems.com Hollyoaks star Talia Grant has criticised the TV industry for treating black people as 'disposable'. The actress, 18, told the soap's podcast Don't Filter Your Feelings that the industry reflects 'life in general'. It comes a month after fellow Hollyoaks actress Rachel Adedeji said she had witnessed racism on the soap. Speaking out: Hollyoaks star Talia Grant has criticised the TV industry for treating black people as 'disposable' Grant was discussing racism with her costars Trevor A Toussaint and Richard Blackwood. She said: 'It's amazing that there is a black cast, and there's all of us, and there is that diversity. 'But I can't help but feel that sometimes in the industry, and in life in general, they treat black people like we're disposable.' 'Disposable': The actress, pictured at the British Soap Awards last year, told the soap's podcast Don't Filter Your Feelings that the industry reflects 'life in general' Grant, who plays Brooke in the soap, added that the media 'can capitalise off of us without actually doing the real work behind the scenes'. The teenager said she had 'dealt with difficult situations and micro aggressions' while on set. She added: 'It's great for us to be in a high up position, but we're still going to experience it. 'The revolution will not be changed by diversity training, or racism training. It is changed by people changing their attitude and the way that the structural system works.' Making a stand: Last month, costar Rachel Adedeji spoke out about alleged racism behind the scenes of the soap It comes after the cast of Holloyaks were reportedly summoned to attend one-on-one meetings, as show bosses deal with a series of scandals. According to The Sun, the recent racism row, sudden departures of two castmembers and the resulting fallout has left producers eager to iron out all issues. Rachel Adedeji accused the show of behind-the-scenes racism after criticising their response to the Black Lives Matter movement, leading soap bosses to apologise and announce a plan to 'stamp out discrimination.' A source said: 'Bosses have been meeting with the cast one on one and have called as many cast members as they can into meetings to speak about racism and bullying on set. They've promised everyone that works there that changes will be made.' Delay: The cast of Holloyaks have been reportedly been summoned to attend one-on-one meetings after a series of scandals. Pictured is Rachel Adedeji, who recently quit the soap Last month, the cast were said to be 'at war' following Rachel Adedeji's accusations of behind-the-scenes racism and claims that co-star Lysette Anthony is 'actual trash' for allegedly deeming co-stars who defended her 'traitors'. Malique Thompson-Dwyer also faced backlash for attending an illegal rave in Daisy Nook Park, Failsworth, while Stephanie Davis revealed she had quit the show following a decade-long run. Bosses reportedly had a 'string of meetings' as there is a 'real divide' between the cast. Governments must be held accountable for the deaths of health and essential workers who they have failed to protect from COVID-19, Amnesty International said today, as it released a new report documenting the experiences of health workers around the world. The organisations analysis of available data has revealed that more than 3000 health workers are known to have died from COVID-19 worldwide a figure which is likely to be a significant underestimate. Alarmingly, Amnesty International documented cases where health workers who raise safety concerns in the context of the COVID-19 response have faced retaliation, ranging from arrest and detention to threats and dismissal. With the COVID-19 pandemic still accelerating around the world, we are urging governments to start taking health and essential workers lives seriously. Countries yet to see the worst of the pandemic must not repeat the mistakes of governments whose failure to protect workers rights has had devastating consequences, said Sanhita Ambast, Amnesty Internationals Researcher and Advisor on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. It is especially disturbing to see that some governments are punishing workers who voice their concerns about working conditions that may threaten their lives. Health workers on the frontline are the first to know if government policy is not working, and authorities who silence them cannot seriously claim to be prioritising public health. Thousands have lost their lives There is currently no systematic global tracking of how many health and essential workers have died after contracting COVID-19. However, Amnesty International has collated and analysed a wide range of available data that shows that over 3000 health workers are known to have died after contracting COVID-19 in 79 countries around the world. According to Amnesty Internationals monitoring, the countries with the highest numbers of health worker deaths thus far include the USA (507), Russia (545), UK (540, including 262 social care workers), Brazil (351), Mexico (248), Italy (188), Egypt (111), Iran (91), Ecuador (82) and Spain (63). The overall figure is likely to be a significant underestimate due to under-reporting, while accurate comparisons across countries are difficult due to differences in counting. For example, France has collected data from just some of its hospitals and health centres, while figures of deceased health workers provided by health associations in Egypt and Russia have been contested by their governments. Shortages of life saving protective equipment Health workers reported serious shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) in nearly all of the 63 countries and territories surveyed by Amnesty International. This includes countries which may yet see the worst of the pandemic, such as India and Brazil and several countries across Africa. A doctor working in Mexico City told Amnesty International that doctors were spending about 12 per cent of their monthly salaries buying their own PPE. In addition to a global shortage of supply, trade restrictions may have aggravated this problem. In June 2020, 56 countries and two trade blocs (the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union) had put in place measures to either ban or restrict the export of some, or all, forms of PPE or its components. While states must ensure there is sufficient PPE for workers within their territories, trade restrictions risk exacerbating shortages in countries that are dependent on imports, said Sanhita Ambast. The COVID-19 pandemic is a global problem that requires global cooperation. Reprisals In at least 31 of the countries surveyed by Amnesty International, researchers recorded reports of strikes, threatened strikes, or protests, by health and essential workers as a result of unsafe working conditions. In many countries, such actions were met with reprisals from authorities. READ ALSO: In Egypt, for example, Amnesty documented the cases of nine health care workers who were arbitrarily detained between March and June on vague and overly broad charges of spreading false news and terrorism. All those detained had expressed safety concerns or criticized the governments handling of the pandemic. Another Egyptian doctor told Amnesty International that doctors who speak out are subjected to threats, interrogations by the National Security Agency (NSA), administrative questioning, and penalties. He said: Many [doctors] are preferring to pay for their own personal equipment to avoid this exhausting back and forth. [The authorities] are forcing doctors to choose between death and jail. In some cases, strike action and protests have been met with heavy-handed responses. In Malaysia for example, police dispersed a peaceful protest against a hospital cleaning services company. The protesters complaints centred around what they said was the unfair treatment of union members by the company as well as a lack of sufficient protection for hospital cleaners. Police arrested, detained and charged five health care workers who were protesting for unauthorized gathering in violation of their rights to freedom of association and assembly. Health and essential workers have a right to raise their voices against unfair treatment, said Sanhita Ambast. Health workers can help governments improve their response to the pandemic and keep everyone safe but they cant do this if they are in prison, and they cant do it if they are afraid to speak up. Infosys Ltd is quoting at Rs 797.7, up 2.03% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The stock is up 2.35% in last one year as compared to a 6.69% slide in NIFTY and a 1.03% slide in the Nifty IT index. Infosys Ltd gained for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 797.7, up 2.03% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.42% on the day, quoting at 10812.85. The Sensex is at 36643.03, up 0.13%. Infosys Ltd has gained around 16.02% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty IT index of which Infosys Ltd is a constituent, has gained around 9.9% in last one month and is currently quoting at 15565.2, up 1.65% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 73.53 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 112.08 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark July futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 797.45, up 1.96% on the day. Infosys Ltd is up 2.35% in last one year as compared to a 6.69% slide in NIFTY and a 1.03% slide in the Nifty IT index. The PE of the stock is 21.62 based on TTM earnings ending March 20. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy M ichael Gove has pledged that all systems will be in place by the end of the Brexit transition period to ensure there is a fully operational border. The Cabinet minister said the 705 million of new measures announced at the weekend would ensure Britain has the worlds most effective border. Britain will leave the EU customs union and single market at the end of the year regardless of the progress in negotiations, he added. He said: It is the case that the GVMS (Goods Vehicle Movement Service) is going to be in place, as all systems are, so that we can have a fully operational border and it is of course the case that the additional infrastructure of the 705 million weve announced will ensure that it is in place on time. That additional infrastructure is there specifically in order to ensure that when vehicles arrive in Calais that they have passed through all the necessary checks and then they can proceed smoothly to market. Michael Gove insisted a fully operational border would be in place / PA It comes as sources said an extra 400 million customs declarations could have to be issued a year under new post-Brexit border controls. Export/import declarations will cost UK companies 32 each, it has been reported. The Government has unveiled new border controls for when strict post-Brexit customs checks come into force. They include 500 new Border Force officers, 235 million for staffing and IT systems, and 470 million for port and inland infrastructure to ensure compliance with new customs procedures and controls. According to the Guardian, there could be 10 to 12 new Brexit border customs and controls sites across the country, with five to be in Kent by January 1 - when the UK officially leaves the EU customs union and single market. Michael Gove said there are no plans for a post-Brexit lorry park in Dover / PA The package comes ahead of a public information campaign in which guidance will be given to traders and hauliers explaining what they may need to do to prepare for the end of the transition period. Mr Gove said there is no danger of lost tariffs but that the process will be rolled out in stages up to 2025. But he insisted there are no plans for a lorry park in Dover to cope with a backlog in hauliers. The Department for Transport has reportedly purchased a 27-acre site in Ashford to build a new customs clearance centre and park for HGVs, with work expected to begin this week. Mr Gove told MPs on Monday: From January 1 2021 we will embark on the next chapter in our history as a fully independent United Kingdom. With control of our economy we can continue to put in place the right measures for Covid recovery. With control over the money we sent to Brussels we can spend it on our priorities, investing in the NHS, spreading opportunity more equally across the UK and strengthening our union. The actions were taking today are an important step towards readiness for the new opportunities that Brexit can bring. It is time for our new start, time for us to embrace a new global destiny, he added. Labour frontbencher Rachel Reeves said a leaked letter from International Trade Secretary Liz Truss to the Treasury warning of gridlock at UK ports, smuggling from the EU, and a legal challenge at the World Trade Organisation, presents a picture of chaos. Ms Reeves told MPs: The best way to help all businesses to prepare is of course to agree a deal with the European Union on the terms we were told to expect that means no fees, charges, tariffs or quantitative restrictions across all sectors. It does not mean, as we had in the statement today, customs, physical checks, export declarations, a commodity code, economic operator restrictions and identification and it certainly doesnt mean a living document with guidance that changes day by day. A frantic search is underway for a missing two-year-old boy who went missing from his family home during the night. Albert was reported missing to Western Australian police at 4.30am local time on Tuesday. Police asked anyone in the Margaret River area, 277km south of Perth, to look out for Albert. Albert (pictured) was reported missing to Western Australian Police at 4.30am local time on Tuesday He is believed to be wandering around Wallcliffe Road, near the Stay Margaret River motel. The two-year-old is described as having brown eyes, short dark hair and dark skin. He was last seen wearing a maroon shirt with Harry Potter insignia on it. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 131 444. He is believed to be wandering around Wallcliffe Road, near the Stay Margaret River motel (google view of the area) A COMFIT image has been released by police in a bid to identify a man whose body was discovered in Sydney. A man who had distinctive ears with no lobes was discovered in Hunt Street in Surry Hills just before midnight on April 17. Police say the man's death was not suspicious but have been unable to identify him or notify his next of kin. The man is described as of Asian or South American appearance and aged in his 20s or early 30s. Police have released a COMFIT image (pictured) to try and identity a man who died in April He is about 170cm tall, with a slim build. The man was wearing a light-blue shirt and black trousers when his body was found. He was found without any identification or a mobile phone. Anyone with information on his death is asked to contact police. Too many countries are headed in the wrong direction as global cases near 13 million, WHO director warns. The pandemic could potentially get far worse if all nations do not adhere to basic healthcare precautions, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. The pandemic has caused an education emergency with 9.7 million children at risk of never returning to school, according to a report released by human rights group Save the Children . One in three South Korean patients seriously ill with COVID-19 showed an improvement in their condition after being given the antiviral drug remdesivir, health authorities have said. More than 12.98 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and more than 570,000 have died, according to a tally by the Johns Hopkins University. More than 7.1 million patients have recovered. Here are the latest updates. Monday, July 13 22:55 GMT Houston, Texas mayor calls for new lockdown as COVID cases explode across the state The mayor of Houston, Texas, Sylvester Turner, on Monday called for a two-week shutdown of the city at the minimum to subdue the coronavirus pandemic. The mayor tweeted that he made his recommendation to Texas Governor Greg Abbott. I do believe that we need a two-week shutdown, at the minimum of two weeks, and I have proposed this to the Governor so we can help blunt #COVID19 progression. If we can not have a shut down, then at least step back to states Phase I. This will allow us to reset and reassess. Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) July 13, 2020 Turners recommendation came just a day after Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo Houston is the seat of Harris County called for a stay-at-home order. Not only do we need a stay home order now, but we need to stick with it this time until the hospitalization curve comes down, not just flattens. Many communities that persevered in that way are reopening for the long haul. Lets learn from that & not make the same mistake twice, she said. Texas has become a coronavirus hot spot in the US, with Harris County recording the most cases in the state. Harris County has confirmed 47,369 cases with 32,559 cases active. Some 466 people have died. 22:06 GMT US drugmakers on track to start COVID-19 vaccine production in next few months Drugmakers partnered with the United States government are on track to begin actively manufacturing a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus by the end of the summer, a senior administration official said on Monday. The US government has helped finance the development of several vaccines and therapies through its Operation Warp Speed program and plans to announce more investments in COVID-19 vaccines in the future, the official said. Would you participate in a #COVID19 vaccine trial? Why or why not, and under what conditions would you agree to do so? The Stream (@AJStream) July 13, 2020 The US is aiming to deliver 300 million doses of a vaccine by early 2021. The manufacturing process is already underway even though they are not sure which vaccine, if any, will work, the administration official said. He said they are already buying equipment, securing the manufacturing sites and, in some cases, acquiring the raw materials. 20:52 GMT Canada, US to extend ban on non-essential border traffic: Report Canada and the United States are set to extend a ban on non-essential travel, although a final decision has not been taken, two Ottawa sources familiar with the matter have told the Reuters news agency. The ban, introduced in March, has been extended several times and is due to expire on July 21. The measure does not include trade. Read more about it here. Drivers wait to cross through Canadian customs at the Canada-US border, which will remain closed to non-essential traffic through August 21 [File: Jesse Winter/Reuters] 20:16 GMT California again shuts indoor restaurants, bars, movie theaters California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered all indoor restaurants, bars and movie theaters to close again as coronavirus cases soar across the state. Churches as well as businesses including gyms, shopping malls, hair salons and non-essential offices must also close indoor operations in 30 of the states worst-hit counties including Los Angeles, he said. Were moving back into a modification mode of our original stay-at-home order, Newsom said. 20:03 GMT Pandemic could tip 132 million into chronic hunger this year: UN The pandemic may push another 132 million people into chronic hunger by the end of the year, the UN has warned in a new report, as it called on governments to adopt a set of policy tools to help people afford quality, nutritious food. Read more here. A woman prepares to receive a food parcel as part of a government food parcels program distribution amid the spread of the coronavirus in Santiago, Chile [File: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters] 19:50 GMT Deaths in Latin America overtake North America The number of coronavirus-related deaths in Latin America has exceeded the number for North America for the first time since the start of the pandemic, a Reuters count has shown. Latin America has seen at least 144,680 deaths so far, compared to 143,847 deaths in North America, comprising Canada and the United States, according to Reuters figures, which are based on official counts. 19:18 GMT LA and San Diego schools to resume online-only instruction in August The Los Angeles and San Diego unified school districts have announced plans to resume instruction in August with online teaching only, citing skyrocketing coronavirus infection rates in California during the past few weeks. 19:16 GMT Trump says he appreciates Dr Fauci but doesnt always agree with him US President Donald Trump has said he has a very good relationship with top US infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci but does not always agree with him. Trump has been increasingly critical of government health officials and their guidance as a steady rise in coronavirus infections threatens the easing of shutdown restrictions across the country. Last week, Trump told Fox News that Fauci had made a lot of mistakes concerning the coronavirus. 18:51 GMT Fauci blames virus surge on US not shutting down completely Top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has ascribed the surge in US coronavirus cases to the countrys failure to shut down completely, then a rush to reopen too soon, and urged a commitment to guidelines to snuff out the disease. He stressed basic protections including physical distancing, wearing masks, avoiding crowds and washing hands. Those things, as simple as they are, can turn it around. I think we can do that and thats what weve got to do, he said. 18:43 GMT Hospitalisations continues to decline in France France has reported a new fall in hospitalisations as a result of coronavirus infections as well as a decrease in patients admitted to intensive care. The Health Ministry said the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 fell to 6,983 from 7,062 as of July 10, continuing a weeks-long downtrend. The number of people in intensive care units is down to 492 from 496. 18:35 GMT Chicago Marathon cancelled The Chicago Marathon that was scheduled to take place on October 11 has been cancelled, organisers have said. In response to the ongoing public health concerns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the City of Chicago announced the decision to cancel the 2020 Bank of America Chicago Marathon and all race weekend activities, organisers said in a statement. 18:15 GMT US CDC reports 60,469 more cases, 312 deaths The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 3,296,599 cases of the coronavirus, an increase of 60,469 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths has risen by 312 to 134,884. The CDC reported its tally of cases caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4pm ET on July 12 compared with its previous report a day earlier. 18:05 GMT Canadian province of Ontario to begin stage 3 of reopening on July 17 Ontario will begin moving most of its health regions into the third stage of its reopening plan from July 17, Premier Doug Ford has said, as Canadas most populous province lifts lockdowns put in place in March. Nearly all businesses and public spaces will be allowed to gradually reopen in stage three, according to documents released on Monday. It will also allow gatherings of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors, but in all cases individuals have to maintain social distancing of at least two meters (6.56 ft). The previous limit on indoor and outdoor gatherings was 10. 17:50 GMT COVID-19 cases soar in US, grow in India, South Africa and Brazil The US has been grappling with the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world, as Florida shattered the national record for a states largest single-day increase in new confirmed cases. Deaths from the virus have been rising in the US, especially in the South and West, though they are still well below the numbers reached in April, according to a recent Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. Read more here. Floridas National Guard directing vehicles at a COVID-19 testing site in Miami Beach, Florida [AP Photo/Lynne Sladky] 16:48 GMT IMF warns of deeper MENA recession and rising social unrest risks The economic outlook for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) was already grim as the region struggles to cope with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, that horizon darkened further as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected an even deeper recession for the region, and warned of the spectre of rekindling social unrest as inequality and poverty deepens. Read more here. Iraqi demonstrators pose for a photo after burning objects to block the road during a protest in June. On Monday, the IMF warned that rising social unrest is a key risk as MENA economies struggle with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic [File: Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters] 16:35 GMT Southwest Airlines warns it may need job cuts without jump in travel Southwest Airlines Chief Executive Gary Kelly has told employees the airline needs a dramatic jump in passenger demand or it will be forced to take new steps to reduce staffing. Employees face a Wednesday deadline on whether to participate in a voluntary incentive program to leave the airline. Although furloughs and layoffs remain our very last resort, we cant rule them out as a possibility obviously in this very bad environment, Kelly said in a message to employees. We need a significant recovery by the end of this year and thats roughly triple the number of passengers from where we are today. 16:20 GMT Canada still talking to US about future of ban: PM Trudeau Canada and the US are still in talks on the future of a ban on non-essential travel between the two countries and will have more to say in the coming days, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said. The ban, introduced in March, has been extended several times and is due to expire on July 21. Trudeau also told reporters he had talked to US President Donald Trump earlier in the day and reiterated his opposition to the possible imposition of tariffs on Canadian aluminum exports. 15:55 GMT Trump willing to consider additional aid to reopen schools US President Donald Trump is willing to consider additional aid to reopen schools, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow has said in an interview with Fox Business Network. Trump has been pushing for schools to reopen for the beginning of the school year in the fall, even while many states are battling spikes in coronavirus cases. US President Donald Trump who had long resisted wearing face coverings donned a mask during his visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland [AP Photo/Patrick Semansky] 15:31 GMT Disney to shut Hong Kong Disneyland again as cases rise Walt Disney Co is temporarily closing its Hong Kong Disneyland theme park from July 15 amid rising coronavirus cases in the Chinese-ruled city, the company has said. As required by the government and health authorities in line with prevention efforts taking place across Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland park will temporarily close from July 15, a Disney spokeswoman said in a statement. The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hotels will remain open with adjusted services. They have put in place enhanced health and safety measures, the company said. 15:24 GMT Florida records 12,000 new cases, a day after shattering records Florida has recorded more than 12,600 new coronavirus cases, its second-highest daily total since the outbreak began, coinciding with the states attempt to revive tourism and attract visitors to the recently reopened Disney World. Florida along with Arizona, California and Texas, has emerged as a new US epicentre of the pandemic in recent weeks. Infections have risen rapidly in about 40 of the 50 states over the last two weeks, according to a Reuters analysis. 15:18 GMT UK deaths rise by 11 to 44,830 The UKs death toll from confirmed cases of COVID-19 has risen to 44,830, up 11 on the previous day, the government has said. The increase in the daily number of deaths is the lowest since early-March, although a lower number of deaths is generally reported during the weekend 14:48 GMT WHO warns crisis may get worse and worse and worse The pandemic could potentially get far worse if all nations do not adhere to basic healthcare precautions, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. Let me be blunt, too many countries are headed in the wrong direction, the virus remains public enemy number one, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual briefing from WHO headquarters in Geneva. If basics are not followed, the only way this pandemic is going to go, it is going to get worse and worse and worse. But it does not have to be this way. 14:45 GMT G7 finance ministers call for full implementation of G20 debt freeze Group of Seven finance ministers have called for full implementation of a G20 freeze in debt service payments by all official bilateral creditors and adherence to debt data transparency standards, a US Treasury spokesperson has said. In addressing the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative offered to the worlds 73 poorest countries through the end of the year, the ministers discussed the need for China, a G20 member and major creditor, to participate fully and transparently, a senior administration official said. 14:14 GMT Coronavirus has worsened global hunger crisis: UN Nearly one in nine people in the world are going hungry, with the coronavirus pandemic exacerbating already worsening trends this year, according to a United Nations report. Economic slowdowns and climate-related shocks are pushing more people into hunger, while nutritious foods remain too expensive for many, the report found. 14:04 GMT France reduces Chinese flights to Paris in tit-for-tat row Frances government has started restricting Chinese airlines to one passenger flight to France per week, saying it was acting in response to restrictions imposed by Beijing on French carriers flying to China. From July 13, Chinese companies will only be authorised to make one weekly trip, the French embassy in Beijing said on its website. Discussions are under way between the two governments with a view to reaching a satisfactory solution. 13:50 GMT German study shows low infection rate in schools Very few of 2,000 school children and teachers tested in the German state of Saxony have shown antibodies to COVID-19, a study has found, suggesting schools may not play as big a role in spreading the virus as some fear. The study by the University Hospital in Dresden analysed blood samples from almost 1,500 children aged between 14 and 18 and 500 teachers from 13 schools in Dresden and the districts of Bautzen and Goerlitz in May and June. Of the almost 2,000 samples, only 12 had antibodies, said Reinhard Berner from the University Hospital of Dresden, adding the first results gave no evidence that school children play a role in spreading the virus particularly quickly. 13:30 GMT Kazakhstan to extend lockdown by two weeks Kazakhstan will extend its second coronavirus lockdown by two weeks, until the end of July, and will once again offer financial aid to those who have lost their source of income, president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has said. There are first signs now that the situation is beginning to improve, he said in a tweet. The next two weeks are important for the full stabilisation of the situation. 13:23 GMT Hello, this is Mersiha Gadzo in Toronto taking over the live updates from my colleague Virginia Pietromarchi in Doha, Qatar. 12:37 GMT Sri Lanka shuts schools again Just one week after Sri Lanka started easing restrictions, the government ordered the closure of schools across the nation due to a surge in new cases. Based on the direction of health authorities, it is decided to close schools this week, the education ministry said in a statement, adding that private colleges were also encouraged to shut their doors. We will review the situation next week. An officer sprays disinfectants inside a classroom at a school before Sri Lankas government ordered the closure of schools just a week after they reopened in the country [Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters] 11:45 GMT IMF forecasts worst Middle East downturn in half century The International Monetary Fund sharply lowered for a second time its Middle East and North Africa economic forecast, to its lowest level in 50 years, over the twin shock of the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices. The regions economy will contract by 5.7 percent this year, and shrink by as much as 13 percent in countries torn by conflict, the IMF warned. 11:17 GMT At least 3,000 health workers killed by COVID-19: Amnesty More than 3,000 healthcare workers are known to have died of the new coronavirus, according to Amnesty International, as it raises concerns about unsafe working conditions, low pay, long hours and violence against medical workers in some countries. In a new report published on Monday, the United Kingdom-based rights group said Russia at 545 had the highest numbers of healthcare worker deaths from COVID-19. Read the full story here. 10:59 GMT People should wear masks in confined spaces: UK PM People should be wearing face masks in closed spaces, said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Masks have a great deal of value in confined places, he said adding that the government would say more in the next few days about what tools of enforcement would be used. Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been asked whether lockdown came too late [File: Ben Stansall/Pool/Reuters] 10:37 GMT Two coronavirus vaccines get fast track status Two experimental coronavirus vaccines by German biotech firm BioNTech and US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer have received the US Food and Drug Administrations fast track designation. The vaccines, BNT162b1 and BNT162b2, are the two most advanced of the four vaccines being developed by the companies. 10:26 GMT Tunisias economy to shrink by 6.5 percent: Minister Tunisias economy will shrink by 6.5 percent this year due to the pandemic, said Investment Minister Slim Azzabi. In an effort to cushion the impact of the lockdown on its economy, Tunisia ended all restrictions on movement and businesses last month. However, the pandemic is hammering the tourism sector, which contributes nearly 10 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and is a key source of foreign currency. A general view shows an empty street in Sidi Bou Said, an attractive tourist destination, as the country extended the lockdown by two weeks to contain the spread of the coronavirus in Tunis, Tunisia [File: Zoubeir Souissi/Reuters] 09:58 GMT Ireland may strengthen measures at airports Ireland will consider implementing 14-day quarantine restrictions on people travelling from abroad, said its tourism minister. The cabinet will be discussing measures this week that may be needed, such as strengthening measures at airports, ahead of issuing a possible green list of countries, Catherine Martin told a local radio station. Her remarks were made following criticism by opposition politicians and tourism operators that visitors were not complying with measures. Restaurant, hotel and pub owners took to Twitter over the weekend to say they turned away customers from the US after learning they had not self-isolated for 14 days. 09:27 GMT Human rights group warns of education emergency The pandemic has caused an education emergency with 9.7 million children at risk of never returning to school, according to the latest report released by human rights group Save the Children . The poorest and the most marginalised are going to be hit the hardest, says the report. In the month of April only, more than 1.6 billion students were out of school and for the first time in human history an entire generation has their education disrupted. Even before the pandemic, 258 million children were out of school. 09:02 GMT Cases jump in Indonesia, Philippines Indonesia recorded 1,282 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking its total to 76,981 cases, while the death toll increased by 50 to 3,656. The Philippines saw a rise of 836 cases to 57,006 and the overall death toll stood at 1,599 after 65 more deaths. 08:45 GMT Germany can prevent a second wave: Minister Germany can prevent a second wave of the coronavirus infections in autumn if people keep the pandemic in check by staying vigilant, said Health Minister Jens Spahn. Speaking to reporters, Spahn said it was important to remain alert when travelling abroad and said he was worried by pictures showing holidaymakers ignoring social distancing rules while partying in Mallorca. German Health Minister Jens Spahn is seen next to a social distancing sign reading Please keep a distance during a news conference [Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters] 08:17 GMT 32 more coronavirus cases at US base in Okinawa Another 32 cases were confirmed at the Futenma US military base on the Japanese southern island of Okinawa, according to local media. The new cases are an addition to the 62 previously confirmed infections at three US bases on the island. 07:56 GMT Mexico death toll surges to fourth-highest in the world Deaths in Mexico from the coronavirus pandemic have crossed 35,000, with the Latin American country overtaking Italy for the worlds fourth-highest total deaths. This past week saw a record daily numbers of new infections in the country, but President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he was optimistic and blamed what he called conservative media for causing alarm. Get to know more here. 07:49 GMT Bangladesh: Patients shun government hospitals Thousands of beds for coronavirus patients in Bangladesh are lying empty despite the country struggling with a rising caseload as people are too scared to enter hospitals, officials and sufferers say. This photograph taken on July 9 shows empty beds in a COVID-19 ward in a hospital set up by Al Manahil Welfare Foundation Chittagong [Shafiqul Aalam/AFP] Some patients have bluntly told health workers they would rather die at home than die in a hospital, an official for a medical charity told AFP news agency. Read the full story here. 07:24 GMT Spanish court suspends regional lockdown A local court suspended a home confinement order imposed on over 200,000 people in the Spanish region of Catalonia after an upsurge in virus cases. The Lerida district court has decided not to ratify the measures of the 12 July resolution, the Catalan Supreme Court said on its Twitter account. El #Juzgado de #Guardia de #Lleida acuerda no ratificar las medidas de la #Resolucion de 12 de julio de 2020, de @interiorcat y @salutcat, que afectarian a #Lleida y a otros 7 municipios, por la #Ley Organica 3/1986, de 14 abril, al ser contrarias a derecho. TSJCat (@tsj_cat) July 12, 2020 The decision, which suspends the stay-at-home order, can be appealed. 07:01 GMT India reports another surge With the number of new infections rising to 28,701 in the past 24 hours, several Indian states imposed weekend curfews and locked down high-risk areas. The total number of cases in the country is now close to 900,000, behind only the United States and Brazil. The Ministry of Health also reported another 500 deaths, taking the countrys death toll to 23,174. 06:47 GMT South Africa extends COVID-19 measures South Africa extended measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus as the number of cases in the country continued to rise. Starting from Monday, a curfew will be reimposed from 9pm (19:00 GMT) to 4am (00:20 GMT), while wearing a mask is now mandatory in all workplaces, vehicles and common closed areas. Recovering COVID-19 patients attend a fitness class at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium government isolation and quarantine facility in Port Elizabeth [Marco Longari/AFP] The national disaster situation announced as part of the COVID-19 measures is extended until August 15, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday addressing the nation. As part of new measures, selling alcoholic beverages is also forbidden in an effort to reduce the volume of trauma patients, so hospitals have more beds open to treat COVID-19 patients, said the president. Read the full story here. 06:20 GMT Hong Kong Book Fair postponed Visitors will have to wait for their visit to the annual Hong Kong Book Fair as the event has been postponed due to a spike in locally transmitted coronavirus cases in the global financial hub. The fair, which draws about one million visitors each year, was supposed to start on July 15 and has been rescheduled to a later, unspecified date, according to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Three other July fairs and expos were postponed. Hello, this is Virginia Pietromarchi in Doha, Qatar, taking over the live blog from my colleague Ted Regencia. 05:11 GMT Heatwave drives Californians to beaches amid pandemic A heatwave has brought crowds to Californias beaches, where people mostly heeded warnings to keep a safe distance from each other as the state grappled with a spike in coronavirus infections and hospitalisations. Orange County Lifeguard chief Jason Young told The Associated Press news agency that people are spread out on beaches. Californias death toll increased by 71 to hit 7,107 on Sunday. There are more than 320,800 cases statewide. Meanwhile, two more inmates from San Quentin State Prison have died. 04:43 GMT One in three South Korean COVID-19 patients improve with remdesivir One in three South Korean patients seriously ill with COVID-19 showed an improvement in their condition after being given Gilead Sciences Incs antiviral remdesivir, Reuters news agency reported on Monday quoting health authorities. More research was needed to determine if the improvement was attributable to the drug or other factors such as patients immunity and other therapies, authorities said. Remdesivir has been at the forefront of the global battle against COVID-19 after the intravenously administered medicine helped shorten hospital recovery times in a US clinical trial. Several countries including South Korea have added the drug to the list of treatment for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. There is no approved vaccine for it. 04:14 GMT Northern Spain tightens regional lockdown Regional authorities in northeast Spain have tightened a health lockdown and confined more than 140,000 people to only leaving their homes for work and other essential activities, the AP reported. Catalan authorities announced the confinement on Sunday, a week after they had already limited travel to and from the county of El Segria because of an outbreak of the virus that causes COVID-19. The outbreak in the rural area is connected to farm work and seasonal day labourers, many of whom work and live in precarious conditions. Overall, Spain has almost 254,000 cases and more than 28,000 deaths. A resident cleans his hands before entering a polling station wearing a face mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, during the Basque regional election in the village of Ordizia, northern Spain on Sunday [Alvaro Barrientos/AP] 03:58 GMT Germanys confirmed coronavirus cases rise to 198,963 The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 159 to 198,963, Reuters reported on Monday citing data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The reported death toll rose by one to 9,064, the tally showed. 03:33 GMT Japan, US discuss jump in COVID-19 cases at Okinawa bases Japan and the US are sharing information about coronavirus cases at US military bases in Okinawa prefecture, a government spokesman said on Monday, after 62 new cases were confirmed at three bases. Reuters quoted the Okinawa government as saying that 39 people at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, 22 people in Camp Hansen and one person in Camp Kinser had tested positive for COVID-19 between July 7 and July 12. Japan and the US are sharing information about activity history of infected military individuals, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a regular news briefing. 03:13 GMT Honduras extends coronavirus curfew for another week Honduras will extend its coronavirus curfew for another week to tame the coronavirus pandemic, Reuters reported quoting the countrys security ministry. Honduras first imposed a curfew in March but the government has been talking about slowly reopening businesses to help the economy. 02:48 GMT New coronavirus cases in Australia linked to pub for freight drivers Australias most populous state reported 14 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, with a growing cluster at a pub used by freight drivers travelling the country adding to fears of a second national wave of the virus, according to Reuters. The new cases in New South Wales come after neighbouring Victoria state last week forced about five million people back into lockdown after a surge of new coronavirus cases. Australia has avoided the high COVID-19 casualty numbers of other nations with swift and strict measures, recording fewer than 10,000 cases in total, or about a sixth of the daily cases seen in the US in recent days. However, authorities are worried about the rising cases of community transmission. 02:02: GMT Philippines reports 162 deaths, biggest daily increase Men who got arrested for violating quarantine health protocols await for police instruction inside a stadium in Manila [Aaron Favila/AP] The Philippines health agency on Monday confirmed 162 coronavirus deaths, the countrys biggest single-day increase in casualties, as a health ministry official said authorities validated some earlier cases included in the tally. The Department of Health said total deaths had reached 1,534, while confirmed infections rose 2,124 to 56,259, according to Reuters. 01:37 GMT South Korea cases surge to about 60 a day South Koreas new virus cases bounced back to above 60 on Monday as imported cases and cluster infections in large cities continued to rise, Yonhap news agency reported. The country added 62 cases, including 19 local infections, raising the total caseload to 13,479, according to Yonhap quoting the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The tally marked a sharp rise from 44 new cases reported on Sunday and 35 on Saturday. It marked the highest jump since the number of daily virus cases hit 63 on Wednesday. There were no additional deaths reported and the death toll remained at 289. Amid worries of the spread of the coronavirus, mourners attend on Monday the funeral of late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon at Seoul City Hall Plaza [Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters] 01:10 GMT China reports eight new cases, six asymptomatic patients Mainland China reported eight new COVID-19 cases as of the end of July 12, up from seven reported a day earlier, Reuters reported on Monday quoting the Chinese national health authority. The National Health Commission said in a statement all of the new cases were imported infection involving travellers from overseas, the same as the seven cases a day earlier. The capital city of Beijing reported no new confirmed cases for the seventh consecutive day. The Commission also reported six new asymptomatic patients, those who are infected with the coronavirus but have no symptoms, compared with five a day earlier. China does not consider such patients as confirmed cases. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases for China now stands at 83,602, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634. 00:53 GMT Mexico reports 4,482 new cases, 276 more deaths Mexicos Health Ministry has reported 4,482 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 276 more deaths, bringing the total in the country to 299,750 cases and 35,006 deaths. The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases, Reuters reported on Sunday. 00:35 GMT Argentina coronavirus cases hit 100,000 A woman receives food at a community centre in Buenos Aires amid the coronavirus pandemic [Juan Ignacio Roncoroni/EPA] Argentina has exceeded 100,000 cases of novel coronavirus infections as it struggles to contain spiralling case rates despite a strict quarantine imposed on the capital Buenos Aires and its surroundings. The health ministry said on Sunday 2,657 new cases were confirmed overnight, taking the total to 100,166. The South American country imposed a strict quarantine in mid-March to stop the pandemic. It relaxed restrictions slightly in May but then reinstated them in late June for Buenos Aires and its surroundings due to a spike in cases. The death toll in Argentina is 1,845, a far cry from the 71,469 deaths in Brazil until Sunday and 11,682 in Peru. 00:01 GMT Brazil coronavirus deaths hit more than 72,000 Brazil has registered 631 more deaths, with a new total of 1,864,681 confirmed cases, Reuters news agency reported quoting the countrys health ministry. Brazil now has an official total of 72,100 deaths as of the end of Sunday, the ministry said. The numbers of deaths and cases are usually lower on the weekend because of patchy reporting. Experts say the true totals are likely much higher due to a lack of testing. ______________________________________________________________ Hello and welcome to Al Jazeeras continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Im Ted Regencia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. You can find all the key developments from yesterday, July 12, here. People put sand bags on dykes overnight to prepare for the rising floodwater in Poyang county, East China's Jiangxi Province on Sunday. Photo: Courtesy of Wang Zhonghua In light of the alarming water levels exceeding that of 1998 in China's largest fresh water lake located alongside the Yangtze River, and with the upcoming rains expected to fall in the middle and lower reaches of the river, China raised its national flood response level on Sunday to its second highest, with the public keeping a close watch on whether the Three Gorges Project can withhold the floods and if the country will suffer the same fate it did 22 years ago. Disaster-relief experts pointed out that economic growth has made the country more vulnerable to floods and prone to bigger losses, but the Three Gorges Project has made the river basin "much safer." Experts were also optimistic about the progress made in logistics, resources coordination and technology that can help the country overcome a major disaster with minimal impact. At midnight Saturday, the water surface level at a hydrometric station at Poyang Lake in East China's Jiangxi Province, exceeded the 22.52 meter red mark of the 1998 floods. The 1998 disaster claimed some 4,150 lives and caused 160 billion yuan ($22.9 billion) in economic damages. Jiangxi has entered "wartime mode" and raised its emergency response for flood control and disaster relief to the highest level. Wang Zhonghua, a Poyang county official, told the Global Times on Sunday that village chiefs and Party members are stationed at the lake banks and enclosure dykes around the clock, and water gates have been consolidated to prevent breaching. Villagers are heightening the dykes with sand bags to prepare for a further increase in water levels, and reserve forces are ready, Wang said. People living close to the water's edge have been evacuated and vital supplies are currently being prepared, he said. Xia Shiwei, a township Party chief in Poyang county, said, "We check the weak points along the banks such as crevices and soil piping [and fix them]. Flood response resources are sufficient." Xia estimated the water height would be above the warning level for a month as heavy rainfall within the region overlapped with neighboring provinces, making the discharge of floodwater slower than usual. China's Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Sunday raised flood response levels to its second highest. It also allocated 190 rescue boats, 3,000 tents, 10,000 fold-out beds as well as 30,000 blankets to Jiangxi Province to support local flood response work. Equipment and materials have also been allocated to other provinces to aid their flood response work. Jiangxi is not alone as the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze, including Central China's Hubei and Hunan provinces, have also seen serious floods over the past few weeks. Wuhan, capital of Hubei, has seen its riverbank park below the dyke inundated by rising water. The early rain season and extraordinarily heavy rainfall this year have already caused the deaths or missing of 141 people, the evacuation of 2.2 million people, and 82.2 billion yuan in economic losses. Photo taken on June 29, 2020 shows water gushing out from sluiceways of the Three Gorge reservoir on the Yangtze River in central China's Hubei Province. Due to heavy rain in the upper streams of the Yangtze River, the Three Gorge reservoir has been seeing an increase of inflow recently. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) Test for Three Gorges Project For the Yangtze River, the highest amount of rainfall and flood peaks usually occur in late July and early August, and the already alarming situation has prompted people to ask, will the floods of 1998 repeat again? Analysts reassured the public that with the Three Gorges Project, which went into operation in 2003 and plays a critical role in mediating the water, a disaster on the scale of 1998 is unlikely to take place along the mainstream. Zhang Boting, a senior analyst at the China Society for Hydropower Engineering, told the Global Times on Sunday that with the Three Gorges Project, the mainstream water level could remain low by holding the water in the upper reaches of the Three Gorges Reservoir, with Poyang Lake and other tributaries being able to discharge water into the Yangtze's mainstream. The Yangtze's reaches are much safer than they were in 1998, Zhang said. Amid the flood pressure in the middle and lower reaches, the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Water Resources Commission on Saturday reduced outflow from the Three Gorges Reservoir to 19,000 cubic meters per second. The amount will be adjusted in line with the upcoming rainfall. The Three Gorges Reservoir reduced its water level in early June to 145 meters, 30 meters below its high water level to hold the upcoming floodwater. Gao Jianguo, a member of the National Disaster Reduction Committee under the Ministry of Emergency Management, warned that despite the key role the Three Gorges Project could play in reducing mainstream flood control pressure, the lower reaches still face major challenges from regional rainfall that could bring about a smaller scale of floods and inundation. Another concern is the typhoon season, which usually arrives in August and may potentially overlap with the Yangtze's flood season, threatening the lower reaches and the delta region. In comparison to 1998, the high scale of development along the river means floods, water logging and inundation on the same scale will cause perhaps 10 times more economic losses. But technologies and innovative progress regarding the emergency response system also enhanced capabilities in handling floods and minimizing such impacts, analysts said. Gao told the Global Times on Sunday that the country is now better prepared for floods, with more accurate monitoring and prediction of hydrologic and meteorological data. Progress in logistics and resources coordination also increased the capability of getting ready for a trans-regional emergency. China now also has more professional machines to conduct bank consolidation, evacuation and reconstruction work after floods, Gao said. The Global Times learned from the frontline of the flood battle in Jiangxi that drones are now deployed to monitor floods and other geological occurrences in affected areas and broadcast live images to better conduct targeted rescue and relief work. A resident from Nanlin village in Poyang told the Global Times on Sunday that in 1998, most people lived in bungalows which were easily inundated. But now most families have built two- to three-story houses and can wait for rescue if trapped by a sudden flood. The development in communication infrastructure also saves time and costs in information sharing, giving more time for people to evacuate and get prepared, said the resident. The extraordinary rainfall across the Yangtze basin this year is not only a test for the Three Gorges Project, but also a test for the country's disaster response mechanisms as a whole, analysts said. The No.1 Yangtze flood peak formed on July 2 and the Three Gorges Reservoir withheld it smoothly. As the river usually has seven to eight numbered flood peaks (flood of a certain scale) each year between late July and early August, nature's biggest challenge has not arrived yet, Gao said. One Saturday in mid-April, a group of Orthodox Jewish leaders held a conference call with a Minnesota doctor as they grappled with spiking coronavirus cases in their New York area communities. Dr. Michael Joyner of the Mayo Clinic is leading a nationwide study on the use of blood plasma to treat patients with severe COVID-19. On the call that afternoon, he told the religious leaders he needed something for his research: more blood from people who have survived the virus. Do what you can, Joyner said, according to Yehudah Kaszirer of Lakewood, New Jersey, one of the rabbis on the call. About 36 hours later, Kaszirer boarded a private jet with roughly 1,000 vials of blood stored in coolers. It had been drawn from members of the community through a blood drive organized with military-like speed. The blood would be taken to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and tested for antibodies. It felt like being on a godly mission, Kaszirer said. And, as it turned out, a very successful one. Roughly 60 percent of the plasma samples were found to contain antibodies. Rabbi Yehudah Kaszirer is the director of Bikur Cholim of Lakewood in New Jersey. The non-profit, which provides intermediary services between healthcare providers and members of the Orthodox Jewish community, mobilized quickly by organizing drives to provide donations of convalescent plasma to combat COVID-19. (NBC News) Since that overnight flight, Orthodox Jews in Kaszirers community and others across the country have provided an extraordinary quantity of antibody-rich plasma for the U.S. government supported COVID-19 expanded access program, accounting for roughly half of the supply used to treat 34,000 people, Joyner said. Theres no way wed be able to treat so many people without them, he told NBC News. They were the straw that serves the drink in a lot of ways. The role Orthodox Jews have played in contributing to a promising but yet unproven coronavirus treatment has garnered far less attention than the incidents of community members flouting social distancing guidelines. Police broke up several large gatherings in Lakewood during the month of April, resulting in criminal charges for violating quarantine orders. Near the end of the month, thousands of Orthodox Jewish men in Brooklyn gathered for the funeral of a beloved rabbi. And some in the Orthodox community made headlines again last month by breaking into a closed playground in Brooklyn, with few masks and no social distancing Story continues Dr. Israel Zyskind, a pediatrician in a Brooklyn neighborhood with a high concentration of Hasidic Jews, said the vast majority heeded the warnings to remain indoors. He said the virus spread rapidly during the Purim holiday in early March. An Orthodox Jewish man walks in front of a school bus in the predominantly Hasidic neighborhood of Borough Park in Brooklyn, N.Y. (NBC News) When Purim was around, we didn't know anything about social distancing, about mask wearing, Zyskind, who practices in Borough Park, said. Nobody wore masks. Nobody knew to stay indoors and not be with your families ... There were very few cases in the United States. Borough Park was especially hard hit by the virus. The community has the fourth largest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city and the highest in the borough of Brooklyn, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The latest figures show 226 confirmed deaths in Borough Park, meaning there have been 243 deaths per 100,000 residents in the neighborhood. Other factors also likely contributed to the rapid spread of the virus within Orthodox communities in the Northeast. In places like Borough Park, Zyskind said, many families have six to eight children and live in small apartments in tightly-packed buildings. A crowd of girls gather at a crosswalk in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., which was hit by the virus early on. (NBC News) The communities are insular and some tend to maintain an old-world way of life. Many families, Zyskind said, still live without televisions or computers. Once the full scale of the crisis became clear, his community and others got the chance to turn the high infection rates into something positive. Because we were ravaged by COVID so early on, we recognized that we had the opportunity to give back to the scientific community and to our fellow brothers who are suffering, Zyskind said. We don't just care about ourselves, he added. We care about everyone, and we will do what we can. The initial blood drive in mid-April came together within hours of the Saturday phone call with Joyner, Kaszirer said. Orthodox Jews typically refrain from using electrical devices, like phones, on the Sabbath, but Kaszirer said the urgency of the situation made him make an exception. On Sunday, April 19, some 16 tents were set up and staffed with volunteer medics and nurses, many from Kaszirers Bikur Cholim nonprofit aid group. Other people in the community heard about it and said, Hey, I'm a registered nurse, I'm a registered phlebotomist. Do you guys need a hand?" he recalled. It was 3 a.m. Monday when Kaszirer boarded a plane with the blood samples to Minnesota. He said he was back in New Jersey by noon, and emails with the results on the antibodies began pouring in shortly afterward. We were like, We thought this would take days. And here it was literally from idea to result was a little longer than 36 hours, he said. Blood drives were soon being held in other Orthodox communities around the country in places such as Detroit, Baltimore and Michigan, and as far west as Los Angeles. Joyner, the Mayo Clinic doctor, said hes been astonished by the Orthodox Jewish communitys ability to mobilize its members and organize a complex medical project in a span of hours. They had a high rate of infection, which was terrible, but they decided to do something about it, he said. And they used their social cohesion and organizational and logistical skills to make it happen. Id be surprised if we didnt do more projects with them, Joyner added. These individuals are problem solvers. The effectiveness of convalescent plasma therapy in treating COVID-19 patients has yet to be established in clinical trials, but Joyner said hes optimistic. An initial study has already shown the treatment to be safe for COVID-19 patients. The plasma donated by the Orthodox Jewish communities isnt just being used for transfusions. Some 8,000 vials of blood serum have been donated for use by scientists at 10 institutions across the globe in their quest to figure out why the virus is so deadly for some and not for others. I've never stepped into a scientific endeavor that's moved quite as fast as this, said Dr. Avi Rosenberg, an assistant professor of pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Kaszirer said the communitys plasma donations reflect its commitment to doing good deeds what Jews refer to as mitzvahs. We live in a closed world to ourselves. Thats the way of life, he said. But wherever we can give a hand, be a beacon of light, its our mitzvah. Britons should be wearing masks in shops, with face coverings offering a "great deal of value" in controlling the spread of coronavirus, Boris Johnson has said. The government has been criticised for offering mixed messages on face coverings, with it mandatory to wear one on public transport in England but not in shops. But the prime minister on Monday signalled the guidance could change this week after he admitted there had been "growing" evidence of their importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said: "What we've said for a while now is that we do think masks have a great deal of value - obviously they're mandatory on public transport, on the Tube - but they have a great deal of value in confined spaces, where you're coming into contact with people you don't normally meet. "What's been interesting on the face coverings issue in the last few months is the scientific evaluation of face coverings and their importance in stopping aerosol droplets, that's been growing. "So, I do think that in shops it is very important to wear a face covering, if you're going to be in a confined space and you want to protect other people and to receive protection in turn. "Yes, face coverings, I think, people should be wearing in shops. "And, in terms of how we do that, whether we make it mandatory or not, we will be looking at the guidance, we'll be saying a little bit more in the next few days." Mr Johnson added that the government would be looking at "what tools of enforcement" might be introduced to "make progress" on the wearing of face masks. He described the wearing of a face covering as an "extra insurance that we can all use to stop it [coronavirus] coming back and stop it getting out of control again". Currently, official UK government guidance states that evidence around wearing a face covering suggests it "does not protect you" from coronavirus. Story continues But the guidance adds: "If you are infected but have not yet developed symptoms, it may provide some protection for others you come into close contact with." In England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, face coverings are mandatory when travelling on public transport. Face coverings are also mandatory in Scottish shops, although that is not the case in England. :: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker People in Wales will have to wear a face covering on public transport - as well as taxis - from 27 July, First Minister Mark Drakeford announced on Monday. Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth wrote to Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Monday to call for urgent clarity on the wearing of face masks in public places. "The confusion around the use of face coverings and whether they will become mandatory needs to be addressed through a statement from ministers as a matter of priority," he wrote. Mr Ashworth added: "Conflicting advice and conflicting statements from the government only hinder our fight against the virus. "Clear communication is vital in combating the spread of COVID-19. "For the public to know that they are doing the right thing in shops, restaurants and other crowded places, I am asking that you urgently set out the position on face coverings." Meanwhile, former Conservative chancellor George Osborne used a column in his Evening Standard newspaper to highlight the low levels of face mask-wearing in the UK compared with other countries. "That's not because we're more stupid or more libertarian," Mr Osborne wrote. "On the contrary, we were all paying attention and doing what we were told - by ministers and scientific advisers, who said in March that wearing a mask made no difference. "Four months later we're being told that we should wear a mask. But there's been no attempt to explain why the instructions have changed. "No minister or scientist has had the courtesy to say 'we got that one wrong'." Olivia Chan's father helps her with a new mask she received during a graduation ceremony for her Pre-K class in front of Bradford School in Jersey City. As the Trump administration pushes to force schools to resume in-person education, public health experts say precautions and adaptations must be tailored by local officials and parents. Read more Compared with adults, children and adolescents are at lower risk of getting and spreading COVID-19. But low risk is not no risk. Thats why the issue of reopening schools has become the latest heated argument in the U.S. pandemic response. Theres nothing in the data that suggests that kids being in school is in any way dangerous, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told Fox News Sunday as she championed President Donald Trumps demand to fully reopen schools in the fall for in-person instruction. To which U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D., Mass.) tweeted at DeVos: I wouldnt trust you to care for a house plant let alone my child. Scott Gottlieb, former FDA commissioner under Trump, strove for a dispassionate tone in a Wall Street Journal commentary published Sunday: Schools should open in the fall. Its critical for meeting the educational and social needs of children. But local officials should have the discretion to take tailored actions to help keep children safe. Reopening schools will draw more controversy if people believe their school district was forced into opening. From the beginning of the pandemic in March, it has been apparent that children are largely spared. In the U.S., Germany, and Italy, fewer than 10% of confirmed COVID-19 cases have been in people under age 18, according to health authorities. Why? No one knows. One theory is that youngsters have fewer of the cell receptors that the virus uses to invade the respiratory system. As mysterious as it is, researchers have found evidence supporting this pediatric protective effect. Some studies have also found that children are not big vectors, or spreaders of infection. In a commentary this month in the journal Pediatrics, two pediatricians with infectious disease specialties at the University of Vermont summarized recent data on COVID-19 transmission and children: In France, a study found that a boy with COVID-19 exposed at least 80 classmates at three schools, yet none developed an infection. In Switzerland, a study of the households of 39 children diagnosed with COVID-19 revealed that, even though the virus sickened 85% of adults in those households, a child was the suspected initial case only in three households (8%). Two recent studies in China also traced pediatric infections to their adult household contacts. In New South Wales, Australia, a study of transmission in schools found that 9 infected students and 9 infected staff exposed 735 students and 128 staff to the virus. Only two infections resulted, and only one was transmitted by a child. These data all suggest that children are not significant drivers of the COVID-19 pandemic, wrote the Vermont researchers, Benjamin Lee and William V. Raszka. Therefore, serious consideration should be paid toward strategies that allow schools to remain open, even during periods of COVID-19 spread. The dilemma is that some children do get very sick, and deaths have occurred. An ultra-rare but potentially life-threatening pediatric inflammatory syndrome also has been linked to the coronavirus. Adding to the conundrum, there is conflicting data. As Gottlieb noted, some studies have found that children are just as susceptible to infection as adults. The evidence is still emerging, and credible studies can be marshaled to support both more and less caution in reopening schools, the former FDA commissioner wrote in his commentary. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as other medical, public health, and education groups have tried to find a middle ground. Whereas most COVID-19 cases in children are not severe, serious COVID-19 illness resulting in hospitalization still occurs in this age group. Social distancing and everyday preventive behaviors remain important for all age groups as patients with less serious illness and those without symptoms likely play an important role in disease transmission. the CDC says on its website. In an interview with CNN political commentator Angela Rye, Will Smith shared how he believes that God and love have an important influence on impacting the conversation on race in America. The interview marked the first time that Smith has spoken publically since the death of George Floyd, which sparked protests across the nation against police brutality. Smith said that during this time he studied the topic of racial injustice to understand what he, as a Black man, and his children should do and say. Rage is justified under oppression. It also can be really dangerous and what I loved about the peaceful protests, its like peaceful protests, put up a mirror to the demonic imagery of your oppressor, Smith said with conviction. So I was really encouraged by how powerfully this generation was able to hold that mirror. The actor shared some of his personal experiences with racism in his hometown of Philadelphia as well as Hollywood. Smith said that throughout his travels he sees that there is one constant flaw in all of humanity, the tread of wickedness. When we move through the world, you are confronting defiled and degraded minds and its never going to be any different than that, Smith declared. So in trying to build systems, because thats whats going to happen now were going to build new systems, youre still going to be confronting those same defiled and degraded minds in these circumstances. The problem is in the hearts and minds of people. So it demands that our attention begin on our hearts and minds as a country. I would hope that a part of what were learning right now is the destructive aspects of loveless, godless leadership, he added. The singular message he wanted the next generation to hold on to is not to succumb to lovelessness, no matter how much evil you face. The father of three said people poison themselves and their own communities when they succumb to lovelessness. As a country, I would hope that a part of what were learning right now is the destructive aspects of loveless, godless leadership, he reiterated. Do not elect people that dont have God and love, in their hearts. To conclude the interview, Smith said that he hopes that America can begin to heal during this painful, transformative time. By Ayya Lmahamad The delegation of the Azerbaijani Energy Ministry has attended an online seminar on The use of secondary sources for OPEC Crude Oil Production Assessment that was also attended by Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, Energy ministry has reported. High on the agenda of the seminar was an exchange of opinions on the methodology of calculation of crude oil production indicators with representatives of secondary information providers. Moreover, presentations of such international organizations and agencies as the International Energy Agency, Argus, Platts, PIW and IHS- Markit were given. It should be noted that in April 2020, OPEC and non-OPEC countries entered into agreement on reduction of daily oil production by 9.7 million barrels in May-June and 164,000 barrels for Azerbaijan. According to the Declaration on Cooperation, Azerbaijan produced 718,000 barrels of crude oil per day in October 2018, while in May-July this year the country must maintain the average daily production of crude oil at 554,000 barrels. In June Azerbaijan fully fulfilled its obligations under OPEC+ deal. At the meeting of OPEC and OPEC+ countries on June 6, it was decided to extend the quota until the end of July. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / July 13, 2020 / GlobeX Data Ltd. (SWISF)(SWIS.CN) ("GlobeX" or the "Company"), the leader in Swiss hosted cyber security and Internet privacy solutions for secure data management and secure communications, is pleased to announce that it has seen an increase in demand for its cybersecurity and privacy solutions DigitalSafe, and its new Sekur suite of encrypted messaging and email solutions. Demand is coming from Latin America, Sri Lanka, India and the Arab gulf countries of the G.C.C. Recently the Company has been preparing and submitting proposals for several non-government and government projects totaling 20,000 user licenses representing a gross revenue of US$2,400,000 per year. The Company activities in Latin America have increased as the Company has been training its distributors in Colombia, Panama, Mexico and Spain since it has signed a distribution agreement with Tasloko S.L. Additionally, the Company's telecom operator partner America Movil's (NYSE:AMX) Telcel mobile unit in Mexico has put DigitalSafe in its list of security applications and has started a cybersecurity awareness campaign for its enterprise clients, as displayed in this link: https://www.telcel.com/empresas/soluciones/seguridad and this description of DigitalSafe https://www.telcel.com/empresas/soluciones/seguridad/digitalsafe. The Company plans to integrate its latest Sekur and Sekur Messenger solutions with America Movil sometime this year as Telcel has expressed interest from its existing clients. Alain Ghiai, CEO of GlobeX Data said: "We are very happy to see activity in the Emerging Markets pickup. Emerging economies have been the hardest hit during COVID-19 as they lack the financial capacity to deploy large budgets to combat the economical and health effects of the pandemic. The Company has seen a recent drastic pick-up in activity from its distributors in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Middle East and Latin America. This bodes well for the Company as we are confident that we will see revenue generation moving from Q4 onward. We expect that most of the pickup will come from October onward and move to pre-pandemic level during Q1 2021. Businesses in South Asia and Latin America offer the most immediate uplift, despite the present COVID-19 situation. Countries are picking up activity and data protection is on the top list of priorities, as more and more activities are performed in WFH mode as confinement is still in place in many of the countries we serve." Story continues Sekur is the Company's Swiss hosted secure communications suite, which includes encrypted messaging with self-destruct timer powered by the Company's and an encrypted email service. The Company plans to push the Sekur brand as a secure communications suite in addition to its existing DigitalSafe brand which is the Company's document management and collaboration suite. The Company plans to offer Sekur in late July 2020 for an introductory price of USD 9.99/user/month or USD 99.90/user/year and will include 100GB of email and message storage. Sekur will also come in other versions, Sekur Messenger for encrypted messaging only, Sekur Email which will only have encrypted email, and Sekur for encrypted messaging and email rolled into one solution. Future releases of Sekur including voice and video encryption and video conferencing will be deployed in the next 12 months and will have different price points. The service will include the Company's proprietary and newly branded features called SekurSend and SekurReply anti-phishing encrypted email solution. SekurSend lets a user send an email to any other recipient, whether they have Sekur or not, in full privacy and security as the email never leaves Sekur's encrypted email servers based in Switzerland. The recipient can then click on the notification and reply in the same manner using SekurReply, without the recipient having to purchase Sekur. This is also a guarantee to eliminate BEC attacks for businesses and email phishing attacks. Additionally, Sekur will include the Company's latest technology, which include full control of email delivery, data export for SMB and large Enterprises and an automatic Data Loss Prevention technology ("DLP") with real time continuous archiving. These technologies are very much in demand from financial institutions and larger enterprises. One of the many Privacy and security features of Sekur is that the user does not register with their phone number, eliminating a huge loophole in security and privacy. Just recently, according to an article written by Lindsey O'Donnell and posted on the website threatpost.com on June 5 2020, it was disclosed that WhatsApp phone numbers and users were searchable on Google, creating a massive security and privacy breach. Earlier in the year, an article was written about a similar flaw affecting all businesses, NGOs, UN and non-profit organizations, where WhatsApp Group members were also compromised and searchable in a reverse engineering trick done on Google. Recent data breaches in messaging applications and in particular in the WhatsApp application have created a certain urgency for businesses to protect their communications form cyber-attacks and identity theft via mobile devices. Sekur eliminates many of the privacy and security risks by not only not requiring a phone number, which would divulge a user's phone device ID, but also by not social engineering a user's phone or computer contact list and infecting the contacts by default as well. Sekur issues each user a username and a SM number. The SM number is the contact ID a user would disclose in order for other SM users to be added. The service comes with a self-destruct timer and other features as well, including GlobeX's proprietary VirtualVaults and HeliX technologies with all data stored in Swiss hosted encrypted servers. GlobeX's Data privacy solutions are all hosted in Switzerland, protecting users' data from any outside data intrusion requests. In Switzerland, the right to privacy is guaranteed in article 13 of the Swiss Federal Constitution. The Federal Act on Data Protection ("FADP") of 19 June 1992 (in force since 1993) has set up a strict protection of privacy by prohibiting virtually any processing of personal data which is not expressly authorized by the data subjects. The protection is subject to the authority of the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner. Under Swiss federal law, it is a crime to publish information based on leaked "secret official discussions." In 2010 the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland found that IP addresses are personal information and that under Swiss privacy laws they may not be used to track Internet usage without the knowledge of the individuals involved. About GlobeX Data Ltd. GlobeX Data Ltd. is a Cybersecurity and Internet privacy provider of Swiss hosted solutions for secure data management and secure communications. The Company distributes a suite of secure cloud-based storage, disaster recovery, document management, encrypted e-mails, and secure communication tools. GlobeX Data Ltd. sells its products through its approved wholesalers and distributors, and telecommunications companies worldwide. GlobeX Data Ltd. serves consumers, businesses and governments worldwide. On behalf of Management GLOBEX DATA LTD. Alain Ghiai President and Chief Executive Officer +1.416.644.8690 corporate@globexdatagroup.com For more information please contact GlobeX Data at corporate@globexdatagroup.com or visit us at https://globexdatagroup.com. For more information on Sekur visit us at: https://www.sekur.com. For more information on DigitalSafe visit us at: https://digitalsafe.com. Forward Looking Information This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "project" and similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes or that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guaranteeing future performance. GlobeX cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond GlobeX's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the future of the Company's business; the success of marketing and sales efforts of the Company; the projections prepared in house and projections delivered by channel partners; the Company's ability to complete the necessary software updates; increases in sales as a result of investments software development technology; consumer interest in the Products; future sales plans and strategies; reliance on large channel partners and expectations of renewals to ongoing agreements with these partners; anticipated events and trends; the economy and other future conditions; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in GlobeX's prospectus dated May 8, 2019 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available on www.sedar.com. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, GlobeX undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. SOURCE: GlobeX Data Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/597194/GlobeX-Data-Positioned-to-Capitalize-on-Emerging-Markets-as-Demand-for-Cybersecurity-Solutions-Soars Pranab Mondal By Express News Service KOLKATA: The cracks in the ruling Trinamool Congress are out in the open as two senior ministers of the Mamata Banerjee cabinet engaged in a war of words over the issue of corruption in the party. After the irrigation minister Rajib Banerjee said the partys ongoing drive against in-house corruption should be aimed at not only small fries but also against big fishes, the agricultural marketing minister Arup Roy accused him of echoing the BJP. The statements from two senior ministers came amid protests against the local leadership over alleged corruption in the distribution of relief materials for people affected by cyclone Amphan. Many elected members of gram panchayats and panchayat samities have been suspended and hundreds have been slapped with show-cause notices after they were found diverting government grant to the bank accounts of their family members and relatives. Banerjees comment came after the party suspended three members of a Panchayat committee in Howrah. The drive against corruption doesnt mean taking action against small fries only. Action should be taken against big fishes of the party too. The image of the party is being maligned because of them. I am not being allowed to work freely against corruption, said Banerjee, a two-time MLA from Domjur and the partys Howrah district co-ordinator. Banerjee also alleged the decision of taking action against the three elected members was taken keeping him in dark. He accused Roy, the Howrah district president, of protecting big names in the party who are known for their corruption. Hitting back at Banerjee, Roy said, He is echoing the voice of the BJP. If he has anything to say, he should raise the issue with the leadership. BJP welcomed Banerjees statement. Anyone with self- respect will feel suffocated in a party like TMC, said its state unit chief Dilip Ghosh. RBSE 12th Result 2020 DECLARED LIVE Updates: This year also, girls have outperformed boys by scoring 97.36 percent, while boys have obtained 93.68%. in the Rajasthan Class 12 Commerce exams. Auto refresh feeds The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) is expected to announce the RBSE Class 12 commerce result 2020 today at 11.15 am, News18 reported. When declared, students can check results on rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in and rajresults.nic.in. Step 4: Download the result and take a printout for future reference Step 3: Click on the link and fill in your details, including Registration Number and Date of Birth Step 2: Look for the button that says Class 12 Commerce Results Click Here Step 1: Log on to rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in or rajresults.nic.in Students can follow these steps to check RBSE 12th Commerce Result 2020: If RBSE's website is not opening or students are facing internet connectivity issues, they can also check their Rajasthan Board 12th Commerce Result 2020 via SMS service. For this, they need to type RESULTRAJ12CROLL NUMBER and send it to 56263. The Rajasthan Board Class 12 Commerce exams 2020 were to be held between 5 March and 3 April, but some papers were cancelled due to the nationwide coronavirus-enforced lockdown. The pending exams were conducted later in the month of June with keeping all safety protocols in place due to coronavirus outbreak. In case a student fails in one or two subjects, then he/she will become eligible to sit for supplementary or compartment exams. The Rajasthan board usually conducts such exams between July to August. The dates of these exams are likelt to be announced after the result declaration. A total of 36,551 students had appeared for the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) Class 12 Commerce stream board exam this year. To clear the Rajasthan Board Class 12 exams this year, all students have to get a minimum of 33 percent marks in each subject. Apart from the official website rajresults.nic.in, students can also check their results on examresults.net and indiaresults.com. It is possible that the official website will get slow due to increased traffic. Owing to this, some students may have to wait for a few hours to check their results. However, there are other websites on which RBSE Class 12 results will be displayed. Step 1: Go to the examresults.net website Step 2: Click on Rajasthan in the list of the states or access the link directly here. Step 3: Look for the link that says RBSE 12th Commerce Results Step 4: Click on the link and fill in the required details to get your result Step 1: Visit the website indiaresults.com . Step 2: Click on Rajasthan in the list of states Step 3: Enter your roll number and other details and click on "Go" Step 4: Download the result for future reference. The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) has announced RBSE RBSE 12th Commerce Result 2020. As the results are announced, students can now check their 12th commerce stream results at rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in or rajresults.nic.in. This year's overall pass percentage of RBSE Class 12th Commerce Result is 94.49%. A total of 36,551 students had appeared for the RBSE Class 12 Commerce stream board exam this year. RESULTRAJ12CROLL NUMBER and send it to 56263 The Rajasthan Board on Monday declares this year's Class 12 Commerce results on its official website. If the board's website is not opening or students are facing internet connectivity issues, they can also check their RBSE 12th Commerce Result 2020 via SMS service. Girls fared better than the boys this year. 93.68% of boys passed the Class 12 Commerce exams while 97.36% of girls passed the exams this year. If the Rajasthan Board's website rajresults.nic.in, is not opening or students are facing internet connectivity issues, candidates can check their scores on alternative websites: examresults.net and indiaresults.com. In 2019, the overall pass percentage for Class 12 commerce exams was 91.46 percent with girls recording a pass percentage of 95.31 while boys managed a pass percentage of 89.50. According to News18, the Rajasthan Board or RBSE has stopped providing the merit list of Rajasthan Board Results since 2017. Step 1: Go to the examresults.net website Step 2: Click on Rajasthan in the list of the states or access the link directly here. Step 3: Look for the link that says RBSE 12th Commerce Results Step 4: Click on the link and fill in the required details to get your result Step 1: Visit the website indiaresults.com . Step 2: Click on Rajasthan in the list of states Step 3: Enter your roll number and other details and click on "Go" Step 4: Download the result for future reference. The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) has announced RBSE RBSE 12th Commerce Result 2020. As the results are announced, students can now check their 12th commerce stream results at rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in or rajresults.nic.in. This year's overall pass percentage of RBSE Class 12th Commerce Result is 94.49%. A total of 36,551 students had appeared for the RBSE Class 12 Commerce stream board exam this year. RESULTRAJ12CROLL NUMBER and send it to 56263 The Rajasthan Board on Monday declares this year's Class 12 Commerce results on its official website. If the board's website is not opening or students are facing internet connectivity issues, they can also check their RBSE 12th Commerce Result 2020 via SMS service. Girls fared better than the boys this year. 93.68% of boys passed the Class 12 Commerce exams while 97.36% of girls passed the exams this year. If the Rajasthan Board's website rajresults.nic.in, is not opening or students are facing internet connectivity issues, candidates can check their scores on alternative websites: examresults.net and indiaresults.com. In 2019, the overall pass percentage for Class 12 commerce exams was 91.46 percent with girls recording a pass percentage of 95.31 while boys managed a pass percentage of 89.50. According to News18, the Rajasthan Board or RBSE has stopped providing the merit list of Rajasthan Board Results since 2017. RBSE Rajasthan 12th Commerce Result 2020 LATEST Updates: The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) is expected to announce the RBSE Class 12 commerce result 2020 today at 11.15 am, News18 reported. When declared, students can check results on rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in and rajresults.nic.in. However, according to Indian Express, students can expect arts and commerce results by next week. A board official told the newspaper, The result of Class 12 arts and commerce will be announced first, following the secondary exam result. Both the results will be released this month. Over 9 lakh students appeared for the senior secondary exams. Students can check their result by submitting their details in the Firstpost widget below: Students can also follow these steps to check RBSE 12th Commerce Result 2020: Step 1: Log on to rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in or rajresults.nic.in Step 2: Look for the button that says Class 12 Commerce Results Click Here Step 3: Click on the link and fill in your details, including Registration Number and Date of Birth Step 4: Download the result and take a printout for future reference Students can obtain results through SMS by sending the message RESULTRAJ12CROLL NUMBER to 56263. The Rajasthan Class 12 Commerce exams were to be held from 5 March till 3 April, but some papers were cancelled due to the coronavirus lockdown. The examinations for the pending papers were held from 18 to 30 June. Results for the Rajasthan Boards Science stream exams were announced last week, in which Yash Sharma emerged as the topper with 95.6 percent marks. 91.96 percent students cleared the exam. In 2019, 91.42 percent students cleared the Class 12 exams. A total of 91.46 percent students cleared the commerce stream exams, and pass percentage in humanities touched 85.81 percent. Disclaimer: As has been observed over the course of the past few weeks, the dates and times of result announcements have been frequently changed around. The information above has not been independently verified. However, this article will continue to be updated to reflect official updates as and when they come in. TRAI in a letter to Airtel and Vodafone Idea sought clarification on how the two operators plan to protect interest of customers who do not opt for the premium plans. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked Airtel and Vodafone Idea to halt the launch of plans that promised faster speeds to premium users, reported PTI. The regulator also sought clarity whether this promise of faster speeds came at the cost of degrading the quality of services for other users. The move comes after Airtel launched a new plan for Platinum customers. The company promised priority 4G network to customers on 499 and above plans. Apart from faster 4G experience, Airtel also announced preferential experience to these customers via call centre support and retail stores. Vodafone Idea too had announced a similar scheme under which it offered prioritised services to select customers. Part of its RedX plan, Vodafone Idea promised 50% faster data speeds to its subscribers. The RedX plan is currently available for 1,099. The official website still has priority 4G network listed as one of the benefits of the premium plan. According to the PTI report, the regulator in its letter to the two telecom companies questioned them about their individual plans that promised faster speeds to certain priority users. It also sought clarification on how the telcos are protecting the interest of other general subscribers. Responding to the TRAI directive, an Airtel spokesperson said: "We are passionate about delivering the best network and service experience to all our customers. This is why we have a relentless obsession to eliminate faults, and have been consistently recognised by international agencies as the best network in terms of speed, latency and video experience. At the same time, we want to keep raising the bar for our post-paid customers in terms of service and responsiveness. This is an ongoing effort at our end. Vodafone Idea in its response said, Vodafone RedX plan offers a range of benefits including unlimited data, calls, premium content, international roaming pack etc. for our valued postpaid customers who want more. VIL is committed to serve its customers with the best in class offerings and high speed 4G data across all markets. VIL's fastest 4G speed in many markets, including metros, has been verified by global testing agencies, such as Ookla and OpenSignal amongst others. The PTI report citing a VIL source said that the company was taken aback at the TRAI letter. The company source told PTI that the regulator did not give any opportunity to the telecom operators to respond before stalling the roll-out of the plans. Medecin sans frontiere en action dans la Region de l'Extreme-Nord Archives The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has condemned the killing of a community health worker in Kumba, Meme Division of Cameroons South-West Region. The humanitarian worker, Felix, was reportedly kidnapped on Thursday, July 9, 2020, and killed the next day, Friday, for allegedly collaborating with government forces. We were notified of his killing through an official statement by separatists, Doctors Without Borders said in a statement on Saturday. As members of Doctors Without Borders, we are shocked and deeply saddened by the news of the killing of a community health worker who was supported by our organization in South-West Cameroon. We offer our deepest condolences to his family and community. Doctors Without Borders insist that they are an independent humanitarian organization that provides medical care to those most in need, regardless of their religious, political and cultural background. They thus condemn the killing of someone who was providing health care to his community, with the support and under the supervision of Doctors Without Borders. His death is an example of the ongoing violence in the North-West and South-West region, where attacks on healthcare workers and hospitals are a regular occurrence. We urge all parties to ensure the safety of healthcare workers, hospitals, ambulances and patients, Saturdays dispatch read in part. Last month, armed separatists kidnapped Paul (not his real name), a humanitarian worker, in Cameroons English-speaking North-West region on Saturday. They accused him of being a spy, tied him up to a tree, and savagely beat him before releasing him a day later, Human Rights Watch said. That same day, separatists also abducted seven staff of the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services, a faith-based non-profit in Bambui, North-West region. They were released two days later, said Ilaria Allegrozzi, Senior Central Africa Researcher, Human Rights Watch. These two recent attacks are just examples of a long line of incidents in which aid workers have been attacked by English-speaking separatists fighting Cameroons military. But like Allegrozzi observes, separatists are not the only ones responsible for the attacks against aid workers and humanitarian operations that have been commonplace since the crisis began in late 2016, becoming an armed conflict in 2017. Government forces also bear responsibility. Aid workers have been victims of unlawful killings, abductions, harassment, extortion, and other abuses as supplies and property have been looted and destroyed. Humanitarian access has been severely hindered by the violence, as well as by deliberate actions carried out by the separatists and government forces and authorities, said Allegrozzi. The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Cameroon, Allegra Baiocchi, expressed grave concern over the interruption of aid delivery to hundreds of thousands of people in need, following the escalating trend of attacks against humanitarians. Cameroons Anglophone regions face a serious humanitarian crisis, with over 650,000 internally displaced, and 1.8 million relying on humanitarian aid including 1.4 million people who lack reliable access to food, according to open sources. The UN Security Council on July 1 echoed the Secretary-Generals call for a worldwide ceasefire, to combat the coronavirus pandemic that has already claimed more than half a million lives. The UN chief welcomed the long-awaited move, calling for countries to "redouble their efforts for peace". As government and jailed separatists are said to be having backdoor talks to obtain a ceasefire deal, some eight International Nongovernmental Organisations delivering humanitarian assistance to crisis-affected populations in North-West and South-West regions are appealing for unrestricted access. In view of the humanitarian response, the INGOs say they remain committed to deliver humanitarian assistance to all civilian populations affected by the on-going crisis based on need and without discrimination, in order to save lives. Action Against Hunger, Care, Catholic Relief Services, the International Rescue Committee, Intersos, the Norwegian Refugee Council, the Danish Refugee Council and Plan International in a statement on Monday said they are strongly committed to do so in full compliance with our mandates which are based on the four humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. Those principles guide our action for the entire benefit of the civilian populations and thus in full independence and neutrality from political or military objectives. At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading in these two regions, unrestricted access to populations is of ultimate importance to carry-out life-saving interventions to more than 700,000 people in need of immediate humanitarian assistance. We reiterate that the principles of humanitarian action: humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence govern the way humanitarian response is carried out by NGOs. We do call on all parties and stakeholders to maintain and facilitate swiftly our access to all affected populations across these regions in order to save civilian lives and recall that humanitarian staff and personal must be protected in all circumstances, in accordance with international humanitarian laws. Humanitarian workers play a vital role, often operating in difficult conditions to alleviate suffering. Government forces and all separatist armed groups should immediately end all attacks against humanitarians and other civilians, hold those who commit them to account, and allow unhindered humanitarian access. The killing of a humanitarian worker in Kumba by separatists has cast dark clouds over the fate of thousands who depend on lifesaving support from aid groups. Doctors Without Borders has been present in Cameroon for more than 30 years, and in the South-West and North-West regions since 2018. Their main objective is to reach communities who have difficulty accessing health care and who are most in need. They say one of their strategies is to train and support members of the community to diagnose and treat simple diseases given that community health workers are vital for ensuring that vulnerable communities have access to medical care, and their protection needs to be guaranteed. Doctors Without Borders announced June 12 its decision to suspend activities and withdraw from Mamfe, capital of Cameroons Manyu Division, South-West Region. The withdrawal is attributed to restrictions occasioned by COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, as well as the inadequacies in equipment and personnel. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Kosovo President Hashim Thaci arrived in The Hague on Monday for a meeting with prosecutors who last month indicted him for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during Kosovo's 1998-99 uprising against repressive Serbian rule. Before entering the Specialist Chamber set up in 2015 to handle cases of war crimes during the revolt that eventually led to independence for Kosovo, Thaci told reporters he stood for "truth, reconciliation and peace". Thaci had last week accepted an invitation by the court to discuss the allegations against him. He previously has denied involvement in any war crimes during the conflict. "Nobody can rewrite history. This is the price you pay for freedom," Thaci said on his arrival at the Specialist Chamber. When he left the special tribunal in The Hague Monday night, he said the interview would continue on Tuesday. The indictment, which also covers alleged crimes against humanity, is not final and a judge will take several months to decide whether the case built by the special prosecutor's office is strong enough to put him on trial. Prosecutors hold Thaci, former top commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) guerrilla group, responsible for nearly 100 murders of civilians during the war. Around 20 ethnic Albanians demonstrated outside the Chamber in support of Thaci, waving Kosovo and Albanian flags and chanting "U-C-K" - the Albanian language acronym for the KLA. The Kosovo Specialist Chamber is governed by Kosovo law but is staffed by international judges and prosecutors. War crimes allegations against the KLA first surfaced in a 2011 report by the Council of Europe rights agency that accused guerrillas of killing civilian Serbs and ethnic Albanian political opponents during the insurrection. Local efforts to investigate alleged war crimes have so far been foiled by widespread intimidation in the tiny Balkan state, where clan loyalties run deep and former rebels are lionised. (Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Writing by Bart Meijer; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Tom Brown) Mary Grabar, Ph.D., is resident fellow at the Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization, in Clinton, and author of Debunking Howard Zinn: Exposing the Fake History That Turned a Generation against America. In reference to Deborah Kahkejians letter which presumes to correct Claudia Tenneys recent opinion article, Dont smash Columbus and our history; build a better America instead, readers should know that the book Kahkegian uses as support, Howard Zinns A Peoples History of the United States, is rife with misrepresentation of sources, deceptive quotations and plagiarism. Kahkejian claims that Tenney glosses over facts about Columbus. She uses passages from Zinns book as proof. For example, she writes, When Columbus landed in the Bahamas, the Arawak men and women greeted him and brought food, water and gifts. Columbus wrote in his log that the Arawak do not bear arms and would make fine servants ... With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want. As I discovered in writing Debunking Howard Zinn, Zinn plagiarized most of the first five-and-a-half pages of his book which deal with Columbus. Furthermore, the source that Zinn plagiarized is not a book of history, but a polemic written for high school students by a novelist and fellow anti-Vietnam War activist, Hans Koning. The ellipses in the above passage [. . . .] leave out two days worth of entries entire pages! and critical information from Columbuss log. One sentence Zinn leaves out is this one: I know that they are a people who can be made free and converted to our Holy Faith more by love than by force. This and many similar statements show the devout Catholic Columbuss concern for the natives. Furthermore, Zinn did not indicate that the subject doing the subjugating and who thinks of the Arawaks as making fine servants (they, left out of Kahkejians quotation) are members of an enemy tribe, and not Columbus. Indeed, they bear the scars of such efforts. Kahkejian repeats Zinns claim that Columbus wanted information about gold, as that is why the King and Queen of Spain financed Columbus expedition, but Zinn ignores the purpose of the gold: to reach China and convince the Grand Khan to join forces with a Crusade intended to liberate Jerusalem, which was being held by the Muslims. On his first return trip, Dr. Carol Delaney, author of Columbus and the Quest for Jerusalem, writes, Columbus did bring six natives back with him to Spain where they were baptized with the king (Ferdinand), queen (Isabella), and Columbus standing as godparents. . . . One became Columbuss godson who accompanied him on many of his later explorations. . . . It is true that some of the sailors were rapacious, but never Columbus. As Delaney writes, while Columbus had control over them he ordered them to treat (the natives) kindly. Columbus did not mistreat the Indians. He even had one Spaniard hanged for cheating the Indians. Kahkejian claims that Tenneys statement that our nation was founded on the idea that liberty and equality are mans birthright from God is not true. Again citing Zinn, she writes, The Founding Fathers did not want an equal balance between slaves and masters, propertyless and property holders, Indians and White. Zinns definition of equality and rights are Marxist, i.e., equality means the equal distribution of wealth and rights emanate from the government. History has shown that the regimes operating under these assumptions have left in their wake over a 100 million dead in the 20th century. Another book besides Zinns that Kahkejian might want to consult is The Black Book of Communism, where she will find such information. MORE ON COLUMBUS Dont smash Columbus and our history; build a better America instead (Commentary) Tenneys defense of monuments glosses over history (Your letters) Flash The state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) of the UN-backed Libyan government on Sunday declared force majeure on oil exports again due to renewed oil blockade by the east-based army. The NOC said in a statement that it "condemns unreservedly the renewed blockade on Libyan oil exports and calls for the states responsible to be held to account by the United Nations Security Council. NOC has been forced to declare force majeure on all oil exports from Libya to limit its contractual liabilities." The NOC said it was informed that the instructions to shut down production were given to the east-based army by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). "This is gravely disappointing, especially following repeated statements by very senior representatives of the UAE last week in support of international efforts to restart oil production in Libya," the statement said. The NOC also said that foreign mercenaries allied with the east-based army are occupying major oilfields and ports, shutting down oil production. "We appreciate greatly the efforts of the United Nations, and the U.S. to restart Libyan oil production and avert an escalation in the conflict. If these efforts fail, as it appears they will, there must be consequences for the actions of the handful of states that are undermining the rules-based international order and destroying Libya. They pose a grave threat to Libyan and global security," said NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla. The NOC on Friday announced lifting the state of force majeure on oil exports following a blockade of nearly six months that caused losses of more than 6.5 billion U.S. dollars. However, the east-based army on Saturday announced shutting down oil production, demanding transparency in the distribution of oil revenues. Libya has been plagued by political division and conflicts ever since the fall of its leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Bahrains top court has upheld the death sentence for two activists convicted of killing a police officer despite an outcry from human rights organizations who say false confessions were obtained through torture. Mohammed Ramadhan, a security guard at Bahrain's international airport, and Husain Moosa, a hotel worker, were arrested in 2014 in connection to a bombing that killed a police officer in a village near the kingdoms capital, Manama. The two men were each sentenced to death for terrorism. Rights groups say they were beaten, electrocuted and subjected to other kinds of torture after refusing to confess and that their trials did not comply with international fairness standards. Moosa, who said he was abused until he admitted guilt and incriminated Ramadhan, later recanted his confession. Their sentences were held up in 2018 after a special investigation unit in the public prosecutors office put forward medical reports that showed the two men had been tortured. But following a review of their cases, an appeals court reinstated thee sentences in January 2020. Bahrains top court upheld the convictions on Monday, leaving Moosa and Ramadhan with no other legal remedies. Bahrains judiciary has decided to blatantly ignore court evidence of torture, said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty Internationals Middle East research director. Instead of condemning to death the victims of this irreparably flawed trial, they must hold to account those responsible for their torture. In a statement to Reuters, the public prosecutors office said the trial was fair and that the confessions were extracted without any physical or verbal coercion. Ramadhan and Moosa, both Shiite Muslims, were involved in the quashed protests against the country's Sunni-dominated government in 2011. Since then, authorities in the tiny Gulf kingdom have relied on broad definitions of terrorism to round up pro-democracy activists, journalists and government critics. Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, director of advocacy at the UK-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, called the verdict a dark stain in the struggle for human rights in Bahrain. Mauritania Coronavirus Update - Coronavirus cases climb to 5,275, Total Deaths reaches to 147 on 12-Jul-2020 In Mauritania total confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) have increased to 5,275, while 147 people died due to the growing infection in the country. Coronavirus (Covid-19) update from around the world: New Delhi, 04-July-2020: BJP President JP Nadda said that over 8 lakh BJP workers joined hands to help the people during the lockdown. Today New Delhi reported over 2,505 raising the total count to 97,000 in the city. New Delhi reported total of 3,004 new cases in past 24 hours. BJP President JP Nadda said, "over 8 lakh BJP workers distributed nearly 22 crore food packets, 5 crores 'Modi ration kits' and more than 5 crore face covers during the lockdown period. Our workers encouraged about 58 lakh people to contribute to 'PM CARES Fund.'" New Delhi, 04-July-2020: New Delhi reported over 2,505 new cases in last 24 hours. Total deaths in Delhi rise to 3,004 in Delhi. The health department announced revised guidelines today, according to the new guidelines Covid patients suffering from immunity-targeting health conditions like cancer, HIV and others are not eligible for home isolation. Total cases in Delhi inches behind to reach 1 lac. France: France is reporting higher number of deaths but but slightly fewer people with severe conditions were admitted into ICU in past fourth day. France reported 315 deaths last day as compared to 345 deaths the day earlier. In France 133,670 confirmed cases and 14,412 deaths reported so far. Here are the latest cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in Mauritania: Sr. No. Date Total Cases New Cases Total Deaths Deaths 1. 07-Jul-2020 5,024 76 135 2 2. 08-Jul-2020 5,087 63 139 4 3. 09-Jul-2020 5,087 0 139 0 4. 10-Jul-2020 5,203 77 146 2 5. 11-Jul-2020 5,275 72 147 1 6. 12-Jul-2020 5,275 0 147 0 TOP 10 Deaths by country due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak: 1. Europe (196,565) 2. North America (185,534) 3. USA (137,577) 4. South America (104,066) 5. Brazil (71,584) 6. Asia (69,820) 7. UK (44,819) 8. Italy (34,954) 9. Mexico (34,730) 10. France (30,004) Total Deaths Worldwide (569,173) Globally till now over 569,173 people died due to the outbreak of deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). The new infection and death cases are increasing fast. Authorities in the Mauritania and other countries are taking proper measures to contain the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). As of now Europe is the worst affected country in the world with over 196,565 deaths and 2,570,816 confirmed cases. Check latest update: Coronaviurs Covid-19 cases around the world Canadian business organizations welcomed Mondays extension of the federal wage subsidy, but say changes are needed to the program so that more employers can use it. The federal government is extending its wage subsidies for companies hit hard by COVID-19 until December, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday. The subsidy covers 75 per cent of wages up to $847 weekly for employees of companies and non-profits that have seen a drop in revenue of at least 30 per cent. The government has said the eligibility rules may be tweaked so that businesses arent discouraged from growing for fear of being cut off from the aid. We need to make sure the subsidy is appropriate for the challenges facing enterprises in actually rehiring and getting people back to work, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said last week. The subsidy, which had paid out $18.01 billion to 252,370 companies as of July 6, is one of the federal governments programs aimed at supporting the economy amidst the pandemic. Daniel Lefebvre, vice-president of Restaurants Canada, said the extension is good news, but that he hopes to see changes to the program as well. Lefebvre said he hopes that more businesses will be eligible. In a survey of Restaurants Canada members done in late June and early July, 44 per cent of respondents said they didnt qualify for the subsidy. The restaurant sector has been particularly hard hit, he said, and the subsidy has allowed many restaurants to open again. Lefebvre also said many businesses are walking a tightrope: buoyed by the subsidy but operating at a limited capacity, they fear making just enough revenue that they wont qualify for the subsidy anymore. We have a lot of people that are right around the 30 per cent threshold, he said. He wants to see the subsidies scaled to allow for various levels of revenue loss and wage support, avoiding a cliff where restaurants go from having 75 per cent of their wages covered to none. Last weeks fiscal and economic snapshot saw the programs budget raised to $82.3 billion. As the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is slated to end in the fall, more Canadians will be looking to their employers to keep them afloat. As of July 5, 8.25 million people had received almost $54.8 billion through CERB. In an emailed statement, the Retail Council of Canada welcomed the extension, calling it critical to retailers of all sizes. The council said it supports a ramp allowing for some wage support as revenues begin to climb again. Dan Kelly, president and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), said hes frustrated that its taking so long for the government to release changes to the wage-subsidy program. Like the Retail Council of Canada and Restaurants Canada, the CFIB is advocating for a scaled approach to eligibility so businesses arent placed at a disadvantage by making more than 70 per cent of last years revenue. Kelly said such changes were promised back in May, when the government extended the program to August, but that those changes never came, and many businesses began July not knowing whether they would receive the subsidy. We need to know the details of who will qualify, he said. That all-or-nothing approach really doesnt work. Kelly said hes optimistic the changes will include a ramped approach to eligibility. With files from The Canadian Press Read more about: Then-President Donald Trump speaks with then-Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott (R) as they participates in a ceremony commemorating the 200th mile of border wall at the international border with Mexico in San Luis, Arizona, on June 23, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Trump: Privately Funded Border Wall Done to Make Me Look Bad A section of fencing constructed by a private company along the TexasMexico border was built to make me look bad, President Donald Trump claimed over the weekend. I disagreed with doing this very small (tiny) section of wall, in a tricky area, by a private group which raised money by ads, Trump wrote on Twitter. Trump was reacting to a story that reported the wall is showing signs of runoff erosion only months after being completed. The story cited engineers and hydrologists who looked at pictures of the wall. Fisher Industries, a North Dakota-based construction firm, erected the three-mile stretch of fencing on the U.S.Mexico border. It was only done to make me look bad, and perhsps [sic] it now doesnt even work. The section should have been built like the rest of the wall, he added. A loader grades land near a section of privately built border wall under construction near Mission, Texas, on Dec. 11, 2019. (John Moore/Getty Images) Mark Courtois, an attorney for Fisher Industries, told ProPublica that erosion is a normal part of new construction projects like this and does not in any way compromise the fence or associated roadway. The company is planning to build drainage ditches to help alleviate the situation, he added. While Fisher Industries didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment, company CEO Tommy Fisher told The Associated Press that Trump got some misinformation on this stuff, and that he respects the president. The wall will stand for 150 years, you mark my words, Fisher added. A judge ordered a temporary halt on the construction of the barrier in December 2019, but the order was lifted by the same judge a month later. The U.S. government, which sued Fisher Industries, failed to show that the walls construction could change the course of Rio Grande and violate a treaty, Southern District of Texas Judge Randy Crane ruled. Fisher Industries CEO Tommy Fisher, right, talks with Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) at the lawmakers office in Washington on Jan. 30, 2019. (Sen. Kevin Cramers office via AP) Brian Kolfage, a veteran and founder of We Build the Wall, a nonprofit that raised millions to build sections of the wall, told The Epoch Times that the group is a passive investor in the section of wall in question and had no say in any of the decision-making. The barrier that Fisher Industries built on the river effectively stops everyone from entering the USA, Kolfage said in a text message, versus the US Army corps of engineers [sic] wall, which is built over a mile inland and stops no one from entering the USA. Another section of privately-built fencing received support from Angel families, the relatives of those who have been killed by illegal immigrants. This wall means the world to me, said Michelle Root, whose daughter was killed by an illegal immigrant, at a press conference last year. It reignites the fire within me to see what can be done. And to see that private citizensAmerican citizensdonated to this, and we have wonderful people working on it. Things our government couldnt do, us American people could come together and do. Charlotte Cuthbertson and Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report. YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Stanislav Zas has initiated an extraordinary meeting of the CSTO Permanent Council to discuss the current escalated situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Armenpress reports citing the CSTO official website. In connection with the escalation of the situation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, which started as a result of a military clash in the direction of Armenias Tavush province on July 12, CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas has initiated today an extraordinary meeting of the CSTO Permanent Council, the statement says. On July 12, at about 12:30, the armed forces of Azerbaijan attempted to violate the state border of Armenia in an UAZ vehicle in the direction of Tavush province. Following the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani armed forces left the vehicle and returned to their position. At about 13:45, the Azerbaijani forces made a second attempt to capture the Armenian border post, using artillery fire, but were pushed back, suffering losses. The Azerbaijani defense ministry reported that four soldiers have died in the incident. Later that day Armenian defense ministers spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side restarted shelling the same Armenian position, using 82 mm mortars and a tank. Today Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side has again resumed shelling the Armenian positions. No casualties were reported from the Armenian side. Only two police officers, who were on a combat duty in the border, were slightly injured from the Azerbaijani operations. Armenian FM Zohrab Mnatsakanyan already held a phone with CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas on July 13. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos have told public school districts that they must open fully for the 2020-2021 school year during the coronavirus pandemic, and they threatened to withhold federal funding from school districts that don't. The threats, however, are largely just that: threats without real teeth behind them. While presidents can in some cases legally withhold funding appropriated by Congress, they can't do it without notifying Congress and in some cases getting approval. (Some have tried and been struck down by courts, and DeVos has been held in contempt of court as education secretary for refusing to stop collecting loans from former students of a chain of for-profit colleges that closed.) Trump and DeVos - who often talk about the importance of local control of education - also have no authority to force schools to open at a particular time or in a specific way. Those are state and local decisions, however much Trump and DeVos shout about it. AASA, the School Superintendents Association, said in a statement directed at Trump: "You don't support local decision making if it's conditional on only making choices you support." Trump raised the issue of reopening schools fully last week in a tweet in which he said that other countries had opened schools "with no problems." He named four European countries that had reopened schools but did not mention they had done so only after dramatically bringing down national coronavirus infection rates, which the United States has failed to do. And he ended the tweet with this: "May cut off funding if not open!" DeVos herself made several calls last week for schools to reopen and operate fully, meaning bringing nearly all students for five days a week, and, she said on a Fox News show that she is "very seriously" looking into withholding funds that don't do what she wants regarding reopening. Chris Wallace, a Fox News reporter, challenged DeVos on Sunday about her threat, saying: "Both you and the president have threatened to cut off funding for schools systems that don't open fully in the fall. Are you and the president unilaterally going to cut off funding that's been approved by Congress - and most of the money goes to disadvantaged students or students with disabilities?" She responded, "If schools aren't going to reopen and not fulfill that promise, they shouldn't get the funds," to which Wallace said, "You can't do that! ... You can't do that unilaterally, you have to do that through Congress." The president does have the ability to veto any congressional legislation that includes more aid to school districts, though Congress could override his veto. The aid, however, is not targeted to any specific one and so a veto for that reason would penalize even districts that did what he wanted. DeVos could perhaps find grants or programs over which her department controls the purse strings that could affect a school district, but it doesn't seem likely in an environment when school districts need more money, not less, to do what she wants them to do. Vice President Mike Pence sent mixed messages last week about the threat of cutting funding. Asked Thursday by a reporter about Trump's threat, Pence replied: "What you heard from the president is just determination to provide the kind of leadership from the federal level to get our kids back to school. Because that's where they belong." He also said "we expect" that school districts will get more support in dealing with the pandemic from the federal government on top of the $13.5 billion that Congress supplied this past spring in extra assistance as part of an economic stimulus package costing trillions of dollars. But he expressed no urgency about it even while school superintendents have been shouting for several months that they need more aid as soon as possible. And he said that new legislation providing relief funds could be somehow linked to the reopening of schools as a way to give states a strong incentive "to get kids back in school." The administration could attempt to get that condition written into new legislation, but it would not have any chance in the Democratic-controlled House, which has already passed a new bill with billions of dollars in new aid for schools. The Texas Republican Party is moving its convention online after the state Supreme Court rejected its appeal of Mayor Sylvester Turners move to cancel the in-person event that was initially planned this week for downtown Houston. The GOPs executive committee approved the change on a 53-4 vote Monday evening, hours after the high court rejected the partys appeal of a lower court decision. A Harris County judge also denied the partys request for an injunction that would have allowed it to proceed with the convention. Turner, who last week ordered Houston First Corp. to cancel the convention last week, applauded the courts decisions on behalf of the city of Houston and the employees who would have worked at the convention. The mayor, who is a Democrat, repeatedly has said he called off the event to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Houston, while Republican Party officials have alleged the move was politically motivated. The fate of the convention remained in limbo over the weekend, before the Supreme Court issued an unsigned per curiam opinion Monday morning denying the partys request for a writ of mandamus, which would have blocked Turner from canceling the convention. The court found that while the Texas GOP has the constitutional right to hold a convention, those rights do not allow it to simply commandeer use of the convention center, where the event was set to take place Thursday through Saturday. Houston Firsts only duty to allow the party use of the center for its convention is under the terms of the parties agreement, not a constitution, the opinion stated. Even before the legal proceedings began, the Texas GOP had approved a contingency plan to hold the convention online if needed. Still, the party sought to reverse Turners move to cancel the in-person event, suing the mayor and Houston First, the city nonprofit that operates the convention center. A Harris County judge last week denied the temporary restraining order sought by the GOP. Mondays Supreme Court ruling came in response to the partys appeal of the lower courts decision. The high court also rejected a petition for a writ of mandamus a court order requiring the city to reverse the cancellation from Steve Hotze, a Houston Republican activist who challenged the convention cancellation along with three other plaintiffs. Justice John Devine filed the lone dissenting opinion for the Supreme Court, arguing that the high court had standing to rule on the Texas GOPs case and that Houston First breached its contract with the party by canceling. Devine also dissented from the courts decision to deny Hotzes petition. Meanwhile, Justice Jeff Boyd did not participate in the decision. He is one of four justices the Texas Democratic Party had called on to recuse from the case, due to their sponsorship of the convention. The other three justices Chief Justice Nathan Hecht and Justices Jane Bland and Brett Busby opted not to recuse themselves. The courts ruling came after the Texas Attorney Generals Office filed a brief in which Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins, the states top appellate lawyer, argued that the court should side with Turner and Houston First. Dickey said the Supreme Court dismissed the GOPs case on narrow technical grounds. In spite of the obvious politically-motivated efforts of the mayor to disrupt our convention, we will duly elect our national delegates and the presidential electors for our President Donald J. Trump on time as planned, Dickey said in a statement. Harris County Democratic Party Chair Lillie Schechter noted her party moved its convention online in March after it originally was scheduled to take place at the George R. Brown. The state Republian Party either didnt believe the warnings of public health officials, were more willing to put lives in jeopardy than to heed those warnings, or knew the risks but needed someone else to make the correct call for them, Schechter said in a statement. Whichever it is, its a grave indictment of their judgment. jasper.scherer@chron.com Medical staff at a pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic, perform tests on drivers in the Sydney suburb of Casula, Australia on July 11, 2020. (David Gray/Getty Images) 13 Linked to Sydney Pub COVID-19 Cluster NSW has recorded 14 new COVID-19 cases, with the number of infections linked to a Sydney pub outbreak rising to 13. Four of the new cases confirmed on July 13 are travellers in hotel quarantine, while another two are NSW residents who caught the virus in Victoria. Eight are linked to an outbreak at the Crossroads Hotel in southwest Sydney, including a teenage pub worker, a Sydney woman in her 40s and a Victorian man in his 20s who had already been revealed to have tested positive. None of the new cases are believed to have been the source of infection at the hotel, according to NSW Health. All patrons of the Casula pub, who entered from July 3 to 10, must now self-isolate and are being urged to get tested as a precaution. The outbreak has prompted the closure of another venue for cleaning, as one of those infected attended Picton Hotel on July 4, 9 and 10. NSW Government Minister Stuart Ayres on Monday said he didnt think the states virus outbreak was getting out of control, but it was important that Crossroads visitors get tested. I think were in a pretty good place at the moment, but we are at the crossroads, Ayres told Sevens Sunrise. This particular hotel is located at the juncture of the M7 and the M5, its a big travellers hotel, which is why if anyones been in that location its so important that they go and get tested immediately. Werriwa MP Anne Stanley said she had been tested and gone into self-isolation after dining at the Crossroads Hotel last week. In an Instagram post on Sunday, the federal MP said her office would be closed as a precaution with all staff working from home. Several defence force personnel are also isolating after attending the hotel but NSW Health said none of them have tested positive. NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant previously said the pub outbreak highlighted the importance of businesses recording contact details for customers and the public taking the measures seriously. On Sunday night, Casulas Planet Fitness gym confirmed on its Facebook page that a member had returned a positive test for coronavirus. The member has not been at the club since Friday 10 July, and is in quarantine, the gyms letter to members said, adding that staff were in self-quarantine and it was following NSW Department of Health advice. The gym has been closed and is being disinfected. Sydney MBABANE One of the worlds major banks, European Investment Bank (EIB), takes pride in seeing its money utilised for intended projects in Eswatini. In its latest report for Africa, Caribbean Pacific and Overseas countries and territories, the EIB credits the Eswatini Water and Agriculture Development Enterprise (ESWADE) for using loans secured from the bank to undertake agricultural projects. For the year under review, the European Investment Bank reported that it allocated E29.8 billion as loans for the region to embark on income generating projects. One of the main beneficiaries is Eswatini, the bank reported. The bank disclosed that it invested E682.20 million (at current foreign exchange rate) in the second phase of the Lower Usuthu Smallholder Irrigation Project (LUSIP). The shareholders of the European Investment Bank are the 27 member states of the European Union. The Bank is now investing 36 million (E682 million) in LUSIPs second phase, reads the report. Motivating its loan disbursement to the Kingdom, the European Investment Bank described Eswatini as one of Africas smaller countries that is geographically diverse with mountains, rainforest and savannah. It said a large proportion of the inhabitants of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland; make their living through difficult subsistence farming. Farmers in the Lowveld region of the country, which is both the driest and the poorest, are particularly challenged, said the financial institution. Extending To counteract this, EIB stated that ESWADE) was created by the countrys Ministry of Agriculture to help commercial agriculture and socio-economic development whereby managing water and extending irrigation is a huge part of the project. The EIB invested in the building of the Lubovane dam and reservoir, as part of the first phase of the Lower Usuthu Smallholder Irrigation Project (LUSIP). This reservoir stores the excess water from overruns of the Usuthu River, irrigating an extra 6 500 hectares of dry land and letting local farmers grow food year-round. It said the idea was to extend irrigation canals and water distribution networks to bring water to an additional 5 217 hectares of land. In addition to this, new pumping systems were expected to replace old ones, improving crop yields on an additional 533 hectares of farmland. Chinese vaccine developer CanSino Biologics is reportedly in talks with Russia, Brazil, Chile, and Saudi Arabia for Phase III trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Qiu Dongxu, executive director and co-founder of CanSino, told an anti-viral drug development conference that the company is contacting those countries but nothing has been finalised yet. China has successfully flattened the coronavirus infection curve and the low number of active cases has made it difficult for companies to conduct large-scale vaccine trials. Qiu said that the firm plans to recruit 40,000 participants for the Phase III trial which is likely to start pretty soon, without giving a specific date for the kick-off. The vaccine candidate, Ad5-nCoV, has been jointly developed by CanSino and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology in the Academy of Military Medical Sciences. According to media reports, both the initial phases of clinical testing of the candidate vaccine has displayed its potential of preventing COVID-19. Ad5-nCov was the first COVID-19 vaccine candidate in China to go ahead with human testing in March but has been lagging in trial progress since two other experimental vaccines developed by Sinovac Biotech and a unit of China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) have already been approved for Phase III trials. Read: CanSino's Vaccine For COVID-19 Gets Nod For Military Use In China Other vaccine candidates Sinovac Biotech, the first company in the world to market H1N1 vaccine, received the approval to conduct phase I and phase II study on its inactivated vaccine candidate against COVID-19 in April. The pharma company had commenced the phase I trial and administered the drug on 144 healthy adults aged 18-59 years. Sinovac CEO Weidong Yin said in a statement that the vaccine candidate induced SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibodies in mice, rats, and non-human primates, specifically the rhesus macaque. The results showed that the vaccine candidate offered safe and complete protection in rhesus macaques against SARS- CoV-2 strains, he added. As we begin our phase I trials, we will also accelerate the progress of our research in order to support the worldwide fight against COVID-19. Sinovac remains committed to developing vaccines for global use, said Weidong. Read: Russian Scientists Successfully Complete Worlds First COVID-19 Vaccine Trial (Representational Image: pixabay) British socialite and Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, is reported to have been moving from cell to cell because authorities are worried that she might be assassinated before she stands trial. Life in danger The New York Post revealed that the 58-year-old British socialite was forced to sleep on a bare mattress and to wear paper clothes so that she could not hang herself with bedsheets or clothes, just like what Epstein allegedly did. Now insiders told The DailyMail on July 12 that authorities are afraid that someone will try to assassinate her so they are constantly moving her around inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. An insider said that Maxwell is being moved from one cell to another and she sometimes has a cellmate to keep an eye on her. The source said that billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein died in his cell, and now authorities are terrified that the same thing will happen to Maxwell. There are also fears over a coronavirus outbreak in the prison system, and she could get infected and it could kill her. Cameron Lindsay, a former warden, stated that the risks for a high-profile inmate like Maxwell are real and that to take someone out like Maxwell would be a badge of honor in the subculture of prisons. Also Read: Ghislaine Maxwell Prepared to Name Epstein's Famous and Powerful Clients, Who Are They? After being forced to wear paper clothes as a precaution, Maxwell is now in prison regulation pants and a khaki shirt. She also had unkempt nails and long hair and she looks different from her previous style of a perfectly groomed socialite. Maxwell was in deep shock when she got arrested but is now getting better. She is also said to not whine nor complain while in prison. According to sources, Maxwell's day starts at 6 a.m, and she eats whole-wheat toast, fruit, and grits for breakfast. Her phone calls are limited to 15 minutes, and her monthly maximum minutes per month is 300. She is also banned from having any sexually suggested or nude photos. Maxwell, who is now facing four counts of sex trafficking and two counts of perjury, was transferred to the facility after she was arrested in New Hampshire last week. She is now expected to be arraigned on July 14. Jeffrey Epstein was 66 years old when he was arrested August 2019, he was then found hanged in his cell in a Manhattan facility. He was held on child sex charges. Epstein's logbook The threat to Maxwell's life is real since she is ready to say the names of everyone who were involved in the child sex trafficking ring that was previously run by her and Jeffrey Epstein. According to the FBI, Epstein kept a logbook and listed all the names of his donors, sponsors, accomplices, and clients. There are CEOs, Powerful businessmen, Hollywood celebrities, and even royalties listed in the logbook, as reported by The Guardian. The names that are already out in public are President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew of the UK, Naomi Campbell, Chris Tucker, Kevin Spacey, and Leslie Wexner. Also Read: Fact Check: Congressman Adam Schiff and Jeffrey Epstein Sent 256 Emails to Each Other? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Several dozen officers and helicopters search for a man armed with a bow and arrow among other weapons. Police in Germanys Black Forest are hunting for a homeless man in combat gear and armed with a bow and arrow and other weapons. Several dozen officers and helicopters were deployed as the search entered its second day on Monday. Police in southwestern Germanys Oppenau warned local residents to stay at home and not to pick up any hitchhikers. They released a photo of the suspect who has a bow and arrow, a knife and at least one gun and is known to the police for previous offences, including illegal possession of firearms. Police encounter Police said they were informed on Sunday morning that a suspicious man was hanging around a hut in the forest. When officers approached him, they found that he was armed with a bow and arrow, a knife and a pistol. He then suddenly and completely unexpectedly threatened them with the firearm, leaving them no time to react to the dangerous situation, police said on Sunday. He asked the police to put down their weapons and ran away, presumably taking their arms with him. About 100 police officers, including special forces and canine teams, have been dispatched to search for the man. The Ontario government has announced parts of the province will be able to move into Stage 3 of reopening on Friday. These regions are: Algoma Public Health Brant County Health Unit Chatham-Kent Public Health Eastern Ontario Health Unit Grey Bruce Health Unit Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Huron Perth Public Health Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health Leeds Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit Middlesex-London Health Unit North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit Northwestern Health Unit Ottawa Public Health Peterborough Public Health Porcupine Health Unit Public Health Sudbury & Districts Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services Renfrew County and District Health Unit Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit Southwestern Public Health Thunder Bay District Health Unit Timiskaming Health Unit Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health This excludes: Toronto Public Health York Region Public Health Peel Public Health Hamilton Public Health Services Halton Region Public Health Durham Region Health Department Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit Lambton Public Health Niagara Region Public Health Windsor-Essex County Health Unit Government of Ontario Ontario Premier Doug Ford said provincial officials will provide updates every Monday on where these remaining regions stand in terms of being able to move from Stage 2 to Stage 3 of reopening. Some businesses and services that will be able to resume operations in some areas on Friday include: Dine-in services at restaurants, bars Gyms and fitness centres Additional personal care services (ex. facials, ear piercing, eyebrow grooming and eyelash extensions) Live shows, performing arts, movie theatres, live sporting events (with gathering limits) Casinos (with gathering limits) Playgrounds Tour and guide services Outdoor gathering limits will be increased to 100 people and indoor gathering will be allowed with up to 50 people present, but physical distancing practices will still be in place. The social circle limit of 10 people will remain. Story continues Beginning on Jul. 27, child care centres can operate with cohorts of 15 children, which the province indicates brings the child care sector to about 90 per cent of its pre-COVID-19 operating capacity. Minister of Health Christine Elliott indicated it is expected that more Stage 3 measures will remain for some time, possibly until there is a vaccine available, but if the province is able to keep case numbers down with no new outbreaks, provincial officials may allow for gradually expanding things like the size of gatherings. Businesses and services that are still not considered safe for Stage 3 of reopening includes: Amusement parks and water parks Buffet-style food services Dancing at restaurants and bars, other than by performers hired by the establishment following specific requirements Overnight stays at camps for children Private karaoke rooms Prolonged or deliberate contact while playing sports Saunas, steam rooms, bath houses and oxygen bars Table games at casinos and gaming establishments Do you feel comfortable with Ontario entering Stage 3 of reopening? Is it too soon? Vote in the poll above and tell us in the comments below. Taiwan's combined arms battalions to debut in annual war games ROC Central News Agency 07/12/2020 05:39 PM Taipei, July 12 (CNA) Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military exercises () that begin Monday will feature the debut of Taiwan's combined arms battalions. The Han Kuang exercises, aimed at honing the capabilities of Taiwan's military in repelling a potential invasion from China, will last for five days, consisting of live-fire drills and computer-assisted tabletop training. According to the Ministry of National Defense (MND), some of Taiwan's 22 combined arms battalions will see action for the first time in this year's exercise. First established in Taiwan in September 2019, combined arms battalions bring together soldiers from infantry and cavalry units, liaison officers from different military branches, snipers, and unmanned aerial vehicle and missile operators, to form a unit capable of operating independently in the battlefield. Another highlight in this year's exercises will come on Wednesday, when a Chien Lung-class attack submarine will test-fire an SUT heavyweight torpedo to sink a target ship, according to the MND. This will be the first torpedo test by the Taiwanese Navy since 2007. Reserve forces will participate in live-fire drills for the first time amid increased Chinese military activity around Taiwan, and special forces from the military, police and Coast Guard units will make their first appearance in simulating a rescue of government leaders held hostage by invading forces. According to the MND, this year's Han Kuang exercises will proceed in three stages: maintaining combat capabilities upon the enemy's first wave of attack, pursuing decisive victory in littoral seas, and overwhelming the enemy in landing areas. Meanwhile, Taiwan's military will not engage in landing drills involving inflatable crafts this year following a fatal accident in an inflatable dinghy on July 3 that left two soldiers dead and one in critical condition. They will be done this year using amphibious assault vehicles. (By Matt Yu and Emerson Lim) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address SPRINGFIELD Three nursing positions at Mercy Medical Center, part of Trinity Health Of New England, are targeted for elimination, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association. We got notice that Trinity plans to eliminate three MNA RN positions at Mercy Medical Center, said Joe Markman, spokesperson for the Boston-based union of registered nurses and health professionals. There are other positions being eliminated as well throughout the hospital, but we dont have details or numbers on those at this point. We are against any cutbacks to nurse staffing or eliminations of other positions at Mercy as all staff are contributing to patient care and safety." He said the MNA have demanded Mercy management meet with us to discuss the planned RN layoffs as our contract requires. The regional system is part of Michigan-based Trinity Health, which has been addressing operating losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic through extended furloughs and job cuts. The parent company has been ranked among the top five largest health systems in the country, and its network includes 92 acute care hospitals and 107 continuing care locations in 22 states. Posted information informed Mercy employees in June that Trinity Health planned to restructure and re-size its ministry, including through position eliminations. A statement, similar to one the parent company released for other hospitals in its network, was issued to the media July 1, saying that Hartford-based Trinity Health Of New England planned to begin job reductions this month in mostly non-clinical, administrative functions, and on July 8 the regional systems hospital executives gave more details to employees. When asked to clarify reports about how many jobs are to be reduced at Mercy and whether the majority of those jobs are the already 202 announced layoffs at Providence Behavioral Health Hospital prompted by the decision to close all the inpatient psychiatric beds at that Holyoke hospital, Mercy spokeswoman Mary Orr said Trinity did not have any additional comments beyond its July 1 statement. The statement attributed layoffs in the new fiscal year to decreased revenues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure that the health system can serve its communities in the long term. The MNAs Markman called that announcement problematic. This announcement is especially problematic because Trinity Health is a huge corporation with annual revenues of more than $19 billion and has received $600 million in federal assistance due to the pandemic, Markman said. According to news reports, Michigan-based Trinity Health is among seven hospitals that collectively received more than $1.5 billion in such bailout funds and furloughed or laid off more than 30,000 workers. It is among the top hospital systems receiving such stimulus funds, and its member hospitals receiving the funds included those within Trinity Health Of New England. Mercy Medical Centers funding has included grants totally $31.5 million that do not have to be paid back. Trinity Health has said it expects a $2 billion drop in operating losses for this fiscal year because of the pandemics impact. Related: Trinity Health Of New England cutting jobs, blames COVID-19 Providence Behavioral Health Hospital plans 202 layoffs in Holyoke as state mulls decision to close inpatient beds State says early closure of Providence Behavioral Healths pediatric unit endangers shutdown plan set for next week in Holyoke Mired in Inequality and Laid Low by the Virus, the US Offers Little to Emulate This domain is pending renewal or has expired. Please contact the domain provider with questions. 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. Mali's worried allies and neighbours have appealed for restraint and dialogue as the country's deepening political crisis spirals into bloodshed. The situation remained tense on Monday, after three days of unrest in the capital Bamako, as gunfire was heard in an opposition stronghold in the city. Representatives of the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union and West African bloc ECOWAS late Sunday voiced their concern over the recent clashes. Condemning "any form of violence as a means of crisis resolution", they attacked the use of lethal force by the security forces and urged dialogue, but warned the arrest of protest leaders was an obstacle to this. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is facing a mounting wave of protests sparked by the outcome of a long-delayed parliamentary poll, but whose underlying causes include discontent over his handling of Mali's jihadist insurgency. The 75-year-old has been in power since 2013. Eleven people have died and 124 have been injured since Friday, according to a senior official at an emergency department of a major hospital in Bamako. Witnesses said security forces fired live rounds during clashes with protesters, with the civil unrest the worst the country has seen in years. Hundreds of people converged on the district of Badalabougou on Sunday for the funerals of four people killed in the violence. The well-off neighbourhood is a stronghold of influential imam Mahmoud Dicko, who has emerged as a leader of the protest movement. He has appealed for calm on Sunday after deadly clashes between his supporters and security forces. But rounds of gunfire were again heard in Badalabougou on Monday, although it was not immediately clear whether the incident was isolated or part of further demonstrations. Elsewhere in Bamako, a measure of calm returned as traffic again began to circulate on two of the city's main bridges -- major choke points that protesters had targeted. All banks remained shut, however. The demonstrations are being driven by a disparate group of religious leaders, political and civil society members that calls itself the June 5 Movement. They have called for "civil disobedience", including non-payment of fines and blocking entry to state buildings. - 'Consensus government' - Mali's European allies and regional partners are anxious, given the country's poverty, ethnic mix and strategic location at the heart of the Sahel. Sunday's statement voiced support for proposals put forward by ECOWAS, the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States of which Mali is a member. The proposals call for a "consensus government of national union" and for fresh elections in constituencies whose provisional results, in the March-April elections, had been annulled by the Constitutional Court, a move that enabled several members of Keita's party to be elected. It also urged Keita to release opposition leaders who have been arrested since Friday. Malian Prime Minister Boubou Cisse visited Dicko on Sunday night, according to officials close to the imam, in an indication of attempts at dialogue. No details from that meeting have yet emerged. Keita has already made several attempts to ease the anger, including a promise to dissolve the court. The former French colony has struggled to contain an Islamist insurgency that first emerged in the north in 2012 before spreading to the centre of the country and to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed and hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes. The UN has deployed 13,000 soldiers to Mali in one of its biggest peacekeeping operations, while France has 5,100 troops in its Barkhane anti-jihadist mission across the Sahel. A joint EU special ops force called Takuba is to begin deployment on Wednesday, French Defence Minister Florence Parly said Sunday. A first batch of around 100 French and Estonian troops will be joined later by contingents from the Czech Republic and Sweden, Parly told the French daily La Croix, adding that Italy may also take part. Protesters erected a barricade in front of the Salam Mosque in Bamako Mali Pro-police demonstrators marched in Brooklyn, New York, on July 12 in support of the New York Police Department (NYPD), local media reported. Marko Kepi posted footage on Instagram of people marching down 4th Avenue in Brooklyns Bay Ridge neighborhood. The video shows people carrying signs with slogans such as We support NYPD and flags associated with the Thin Blue Line movement. Today thousands of peaceful American citizens of all cultural groups showed up to support the NYPD, the people who protect us, our cities, our states, and our great country, Kepi wrote on Instagram. The march began on Bay Ridge Parkway and Fourth Avenue at about 5.30 pm, the New York Post reported, with a counter-protest starting around the same time on 86th Street and Fourth Avenue (about a mile away). There were tense standoffs and clashes between the two groups, according to reports. Credit: Marko Kepi via Storyful At the sixth edition of Google for India, Google and Alphabet CEO, Sundar Pichai, today announced the Google for India Digitization Fund - a commitment of INR 75,000 crores (approximately US$10 billion) towards digitizing the Indian economy, marking the companys renewed commitment towards its ongoing initiatives in India. The Fund, to be invested in the country over the next five to seven years, will be deployed to accelerate Googles efforts through a mix of equity investments, partnerships, operations, infrastructure and ecosystem investments. The fund will focus on the following areas that are important to Indias digitization: Enabling affordable access to the internet and to information for every Indian in their own language, Building new products and services that are deeply relevant to Indias unique needs including consumer tech, education, health and agriculture; Empowering businesses especially small and medium businesses as they continue or embark on their digital transformation; Leveraging technology and AI for social good, including digital literacy, outbreak predictions, and support for rural economies. Speaking about the investment, Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet, said Its been incredible to see the rapid pace of change unfolding over my past few visits in India. From the excitement of young people using the latest apps and services, to the ways people are using smartphones to improve lives in rural villages. Googles efforts in India have deepened our understanding of how technology can be helpful to different types of people. Building products for India first, has helped us build better products for users everywhere. But Indias own digital journey is far from complete. Theres still more work to do in order to make the internet affordable and useful for a billion Indians. From improving voice input and computing for all of Indias languages, to inspiring and supporting a whole new generation of entrepreneurs. Today, I am excited to announce the Google for India Digitization Fund. Through this effort, we will invest 75,000 crore rupees, or approximately US$10 billion, into India over the next five to seven years. Well do this through a mix of equity investments, partnership investments, and operational, infrastructure and ecosystem investments. This is a reflection of our confidence in the future of India and its digital economy. Sanjay Gupta, Country Head and Vice President, Google India, added here, India has always been a strategic and important focus for Google. Over the last several years, under the Next Billion Users initiative, Google has solved for India by understanding the challenges of India better and building products and solutions that can help Indians get more out of the Internet. Today, we are recommitting ourselves to partner deeply and support India in becoming a truly digital nation by making the Internet helpful for a billion Indians and empowering India to become a leading digital economy." Also read: Google updated its Gmail app for I-Pad Giving a special address at the event, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Honble Minister of Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, said, "India today is seeking to transform the life of Indians with the power of technology, and I am very happy that Google is rising to the occasion by trying to invest a fairly substantial amount in Indias digital transformation. This digital transformation emphasizes upon digital inclusion and overcoming the digital divide. I'm very happy that Google is recognizing India's digital innovation and the need to create further opportunity. There is immense scope for Google to deploy artificial intelligence and undertake new initiatives in the field of agriculture, weather prediction, healthcare in the wake of COVID-19 challenges and most importantly in digital education. Today, India's app economy is growing very powerfully, but we must not just download apps. It is important also to upload apps from India. I am sure with this new fund, Google will also focus on promoting our startups further." Google also announced new initiatives as part of its ongoing efforts towards the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Talking about the Covid-19 impact on small businesses and creating economic opportunity, Caesar Sengupta, GM & VP of Payments and Next Billion Users, Google, said, Now more than ever, to survive and grow, every Indian business must be a digital business. And we are investing in helping Indian businesses go digital and helping Indian workers learn, grow and find better jobs. He announced a new initiative with Prasar Bharati, launching an edutainment series on Doordarshan on how small businesses can adopt digital tools and adapt to the current situation, using examples of real life Indian businesses. Talking about the Spot Platform on Google Pay, he shared that the Google Pay Nearby Stores Spot which was introduced in March this year to improve offline merchant discoverability and to help people find shops near them to see what essential food items are in stock, has been used by more than 2 million users. To support people who are looking for work, he shared that the Job Spot on Google Pay, now allows for remote interviews and remote work listings so that people who are unemployed can secure employment and income more quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on education, and helping educators to use digital tools to deliver classroom learning both in schools and through the Internet, Sapna Chadha, Senior Country Marketing Director, Southeast Asia & India, Google, announced a partnership with CBSE to train over 1 million teachers in 22,000 schools across India by the end of 2020, to deliver blended learning that combines the classroom approach with online learning, using free tools like G Suite for Education, Google Classroom, YouTube and more. To support underserved low-income communities, she also announced a new Google.org grant of $1 million to Kaivalya Education Foundation (KEF) as part of the Global Distance Learning Fund. Using these funds, the Kaivalya Education Foundation (KEF) will work with the Central Square Foundation and TeacherApp to train 700,000 teachers to deliver virtual education for students so that they can continue learning at home over mass media such as TV and radio, wherever smartphones or internet access are not available. Speaking at the event, Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', Hon'ble Minister of Human Resource Development, Government of India, said, "Googles efforts to bring technology and thereby, knowledge and learning to students in every part of the country is commendable. The internet has emerged as a lifeline during the pandemic, which needs to be strengthened and we welcome Googles initiatives like free access to learning resources, as well as their collaboration with CBSE to train 1 million teachers on tech-enabled education. I welcome Googles commitment to invest in India over the next 5 years and we look forward to Googles work in transforming India into a global knowledge superpower, with a focus on science and research. At the event, Google also shared updates on the work it has been doing since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in India. In the last two months, Google has seen over 2 billion searches on Covid, across different languages on Google platforms. And it has made available credible and authoritative information on COVID-19 across all its key products in multiple Indian languages. Working with MyGov and various state Govts, and ICMR, Google has made available the information of over 11,000 food and night shelters spread across more than 700 cities and towns across the country, and over 700 authorized COVID-19 testing centers across 300 Indian cities and towns on Google Maps in India. Also read: Google launches licensing program to support news publishers Nursing home operator Estia Health has been forced to backtrack an investor update that claimed none of its residents had contracted coronavirus after 13 tested positive at one of its facilities in Melbournes western suburbs. The ASX-listed aged care provider requested a trading halt before the sharemarket opened on Monday after initially announcing there had been zero COVID-19 infections among its residents. However, a subsequent release to the market about two hours later said the company had received advice that 13 residents at its Ardeer home had tested positive for COVID-19. Estia Health has reported 13 cases of COVID-19 at its Ardeer residential facility in Melbourne. Credit:John Veage Estia said it implemented the companys COVID-19 positive test response plan following the self-reporting of a positive test result by an employee of the home last Thursday. "On learning of the positive test result ... we immediately informed residents and their families, as well as our employees," Estia said. Parking is at a premium on Perths northern shores, it seems. And it is parking or rather, a lack of it which ultimately led a Joint Development Assessment Panel to refuse plans for a four-storey apartment block where popular Trigg cafe Yelo currently sits, on the corner of West Coast Drive and Bennion Street. Plans for the site of Trigg's popular Yelo cafe have been knocked back by a Joint Development Assessment Panel. Credit:Momentum Wealth The panel handed down its verdict on Monday after hearing more than a dozen presentations over the contentious patch of beachfront land. The plans, from developer Momentum Wealth, had already come before the panel in May and were recommended for refusal, but a decision was bumped back another six weeks for several issues to be addressed parking shortfalls chief among them. Part of the summer program efforts aim to give kids a chance to bounce back from any lingering effects of the shutdowns. Providing social opportunities to kids has been critical, club President and CEO Brian Dennis said. The club has also continued to build in educational activities as usual, and added a certified teacher this year to provide targeted reading instruction to hopefully help avoid an extended summer slide with remote learning. The Billings Family YMCA also builds education into its summer camps, and it put a heavy emphasis on guiding students toward finishing remote coursework during a program this spring dubbed "COVID care." If (kids) did not have their schoolwork or log in with them, our staff contacted their teachers, YMCA CEO Kim Kaiser said. The program kicked off immediately when schools closed, and was aided by the YMCA already having widespread cleaning in place for other facilities like its fitness room. Kids in the YMCA summer program are also kept in groups with a systematic plan to avoid mixing, like the Boys and Girls Club. Enrollment is also about half of what it's been during previous years. Part of what's holding that back is hiring challenges for staff. A U.S. federal judge issued an injunction on Monday stopping what would have been the first federal execution in 17 years from being carried out later in the day in order to allow legal challenges against the government's lethal-injection protocol to continue. Judge Tanya Chutkan of the U.S. district court in Washington ordered the U.S. Department of Justice to delay the executions of Daniel Lewis Lee, Wesley Ira Purkey, Dustin Lee Honken, and Keith Dwayne Nelson until further order of the court. The US Department of Justice had planed to execute Daniel Lewis Lee using lethal injections of pentobarbital, a powerful barbiturate, for his role in the murders of three members of an Arkansas family, including an 8-year-old child, in 1996. The execution was due to take place at the Justice Department's execution chamber at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. Some relatives of Lee's victims opposed him receiving the death sentence while his accomplice in the murders, Chevie Kehoe, was sentenced to life in prison. Efforts to resume capital punishment at the federal level were under way within a few months of President Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017, ending a de facto moratorium that began under his predecessor, Barack Obama, while long-running legal challenges to lethal injections played out in federal courts. The department has scheduled two more executions for later in the week and a fourth in August, all of men - Wesley Purkey, Dustin Honken and Keith Nelson - convicted of murdering children. An appeals court has temporarily blocked the execution of Purkey, which was set for Wednesday, while it considers arguments by his lawyers that his dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease has advanced to the point he no longer understands why he is being put to death. The coronavirus pandemic has prevented some of the lawyers of inmates on death row from visiting their clients. At least one employee involved in the executions tested positive for COVID-19, the Justice Department said on the weekend. On Sunday, an appeals court rejected an argument by some relatives of Lee's victims, who sued for a delay saying they feared that attending his execution could expose them to the coronavirus. Federal Executions Rare While Texas, Missouri and other states execute multiple condemned inmates each year, federal executions are rare: only three have occurred since 1963, all from 2001 to 2003, including the 2001 execution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. There are currently 62 people on federal death row in Terre Haute. Opposition to the death penalty has grown in the United States, although 54 percent of Americans said they supported it for people convicted of murder, according to a 2018 survey by the Pew Research Center. In announcing the planned resumption of executions, Attorney General William Barr said last year: "We owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system." A European Union ban on selling drugs for use in executions or torture has led to pharmaceutical companies refusing to sell such drugs to U.S. prison systems. The Justice Department spent much of 2018 and 2019 building a secret supply chain of private companies to make and test its drug of choice, pentobarbital, which replaces the three-drug protocol used in previous executions. Some of the companies involved said they were not aware they were testing execution drugs, a Reuters investigation found last week. As with Texas and other states, the Justice Department has commissioned a private pharmacy to make the drug. Inmates on death row have sued the Justice Department in US District Court in Washington, saying its new one-drug protocol breaks various administrative and drug-control laws and is unconstitutional. They have asked Judge Tanya Chutkan to delay the executions while the litigation continues. OCRACOKE A swimmer died Sunday at a beach on North Carolina's Outer Banks, officials say. The 65-year-old Pennsylvania man went missing near the Pony Pen beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on Ocracoke Island, according to a news release from the National Park Service. Rangers were called to the beach at 11:15 a.m., about 15 minutes after he went missing. After arriving at the beach, one of the rangers spotted the man face down in the water, about 60 yards offshore, according to the release. A lifeguard brought him to shore and Hyde County EMS, rangers and others administered CPR. However, life-saving efforts were not successful, the park service says. The park service says a large rip current was spotted near the area where the man went missing. All Outer Banks beaches were under a moderate risk of rip currents Sunday, the release says, meaning stronger or more frequent rip currents were possible. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is planning to set sail again starting at the end of July 2020, with extensive hygiene and preventive measures in place, and two ships at 60 percent capacity, the company said. Sailing from Hamburg, the Europa 2 and Hanseatic Inspiration will offer short routes, the company announced. Eight cruises are currently on sale and will comply with the line's new 10-point health plan, available to view on its website. Of note, there will be a full day between cruises without guests aboard for cleaning purposes. We have taken extraordinary measures in preparation for this relaunch and are faced with a new travel reality with significantly stricter prevention and hygiene standards. We have taken our time because the safety of our guests and crew and the trust of those in charge of the German ports is very important to us, said Karl J. Pojer, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. For the relaunch, in accordance with the German authorities, we have agreed to exclusively welcome guests who are residents of Germany, Austria and Switzerland onboard at first. In the next phase, we will evaluate whether we are able to allow guests who are resident in other countries to travel with us, depending on the development of the infection rate in those countries. Our relaunch will be carried out in a controlled fashion, and we are going above and beyond the requirements set forth by the authorities. Between each cruise, we will purposely have a reset day without guests onboard. Our reset day is for general cleaning and disinfection of the entire ship, and will help to establish the new procedure. Our aim is to make our guests time on board safe, care-free and enjoyable, by observing the necessary rules in regards to maintaining distance and providing personal and individual service. Our small ships offer ideal conditions for this," Pojer said. Recognizing outstanding staff All Hands on Deck is a series profiling staff members working tirelessly behind the scenes to help Emory continue its academic and health care missions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Know someone we should consider? Email suggestions to l.douglasbrown@emory.edu. Emorys campus, like university campuses around the country, is subdued this summer. A family takes a bike ride near Lullwater, Kaldis Coffee in the Depot is open for takeout and delivery, limited essential staff are on hand for tasks that cant be done from home and preparations for the construction of a new Rollins School of Public Health building have begun. But a lot is going on behind the scenes that isnt immediately visible especially by the Emory Office of Undergraduate Admission staff. We learned so much in the spring about how students and families would engage with our office in this new virtual format, says Lisa Coetzee, director of enrollment marketing and communications for Emorys Office of Admission. Its given us a strong foundation to build on as we move into the summer and plan for fall virtual engagement with prospective students and their families, high school counselors and community-based organizations. We are exploring many new opportunities and were excited to see what the future holds. Students accepted to the Emory Class of 2024 were able to take campus tours, listen to faculty lectures, see their housing options and talk to current students one-on-one. For the most part, they just had to do so virtually. The shift was made easier by the admission team staying more closely in touch with all admitted students, considering the changes and new protocols they will be dealing with in the fall. While we could not host visitors in the same way we have traditionally, I think that this worldwide situation leveled the playing field, says Stacey Towler, associate dean of marketing and enrollment. All families had the same access to our staff, students and campus, without the limitations of time and resources being a factor. This year we were able to redirect our efforts to build robust online offerings, which will provide a solid groundwork for what we can continue to provide in future years. The beginning point In the world of admission, March and April are very important months, says Coetzee. We admit a lot of amazing students in March who have also been accepted to other great schools, and we normally have visits going six days a week for admitted students as well as for interested high school sophomores or juniors who visit over their spring breaks. It is normal for Emory to host about 10,000 visitors during peak months in the spring, says Giselle Fernandez Martin, director of recruitment and talent for the Office of Admission. Our office had shut down in mid-March, so March 13 was our last in-person visit. On the plus side, the virtual space gave us more freedom to engage with every family and admitted student. We tried to get the Emory spirit into the virtual world. Under the leadership of Paul Marthers, vice president of enrollment management; John Latting, associate vice provost for undergraduate enrollment and dean of admission; and Kelley Lips, dean of enrollment services for Oxford, the admission team across both campuses transitioned the entire experience online with just a few weeks notice. We had to identify the best platforms to use and stay engaged with the public, all while ensuring that Emory has a great incoming first-year class during these fast-changing times, says Timothy Fields, senior associate dean in the Office of Admission, who led diversity outreach. The result was a rich, comprehensive effort, including student led virtual panels from both the Atlanta and Oxford campuses; more than 60 sessions including faculty lectures, housing information, facts and stats; a guide to the universitys 80-plus academic majors and 60-plus minors; and offerings from the Video Ambassadors, a team of students dedicated to bringing Emorys undergraduate experience to life through the power of visual media, led by communication center supervisor Ron Davis. Student connections The Emory Student Ambassadors, co-led by senior assistant dean Madeline Chappell and assistant dean Matty Simon both alums of the program is one of the universitys largest volunteer student groups, with more than 250 members. The student ambassadors really took up the challenge, holding senior-to-senior chats with admitted students and live group information sessions that were packed to the hilt, says Martin. It was lovely to see, especially since these were current students impacted by the shift in their own lives and processing their own remote learning. The team wanted the outreach and welcome to prospective and admitted students to come across as authentic, genuine and transparent, not slick and packaged. We got a lot of student feedback saying, This was so real, Martin says. It left them feeling hopeful and inspired about their future at Emory. Assistant Dean Miya Walker led the campus partnership outreach efforts, Associate Dean Rebbecca Kaplan (who has a joint appointment with the Department of Portuguese and Spanish) led faculty engagement, Jeff LaGoy and Ardana Ford led technology design and coding, and so many other team members played crucial roles, says Coetzee. Our staff are highly skilled presenters in person, but now you are in your living room, sometimes with your kids or pets, and its stressful, Coetzee says. Everyone had to learn the technology and pivot quickly, which they did amazingly well. An Oxford/Emory dual effort Given that many students were admitted to both Emory and Oxford, the admission teams at both campuses combined forces to give students a seamless experience. We often say that visiting campus is one of the best ways to determine your fit at an institution, says Sarah Darden, associate dean of admission at Oxford. Because on-campus visits were no longer an option, we had to come up with offerings that could rival that important experience. A larger-than-ever focus was on social media, email and web offerings. While students and their parents were disappointed to miss out on the campus visit experience, Darden says they were so understanding and appreciative of the engagement opportunities we could provide. We couldn't have done it without the help of Jessica Miller, communication manager, Jackie Gutknecht, communications specialist, and Anne Knauf, senior admission advisor, Darden says. They played critical roles in the brainstorming and implementation of our new initiatives. I enjoyed seeing how adaptable our staff was it made me feel like if we can get through this, we can get through anything together. Refocusing efforts to the virtual space involved making everything more robust and creating new offerings where gaps existed, Darden says. We already had standard online offerings like a virtual campus tour and admitted student website. However, we had to move events like our Scholars Weekend online as well. It took a lot of creativity, flexibility and hard work to get everything together in time. The admission team typically spends months planning for these events, so implementing so many changes in such a short time was, indeed, a monumental effort and it paid off. When registration opened, Towler says, we were thrilled to see hundreds of students signing up to attend our online events. Families were actively participating, asking questions and taking full advantage of the opportunity to interact with Oxfords faculty, staff and students. Students were opening emails at a higher rate and using social media more actively. Senior admission advisor Rashmi Anand planned special interest sessions for students and parents to attend weekly, admission advisers Cecily Spindel and Ashley Bonds, who manage the daily visit program and tour guides, designed an interactive online visit with access to current students and staff, and event coordinator Dawn Jones mailed a personalized correspondence to all who attended the virtual sessions. It was truly a team effort and a testament to the creativity and flexibility of the event staff, says Towler. Collaboration, communication and compassion Darden says she appreciated the increased collaboration between the Oxford Office of Enrollment Services and Emory Undergraduate Admission Office. We work together on most things in a normal year, from training, to recruitment, to selection, she says. However, we typically diverge at the point of acceptance and yield our students separately. This admission yield season looked vastly different and our teams came together more than ever before. We have continued this approach through the summer onboarding process so that our incoming first-year students feel prepared and confident about the year ahead. Across the board, the teams took care to ensure that our wording and approach remained sensitive to all that the students and their families were experiencing during these unprecedented and disconcerting times, says Darden. Empathy and compassion were themes woven into all of Emory's communications. Our incoming class is a wonderful assortment of diverse student perspectives and talents, adds Martin. Our incoming first-year students to both the Oxford and Atlanta campuses will be like no other this year because of the diverse experiences that led them to Emory. We feel extremely fortunate to have attracted such a talented class. Visit the Emory Admission page and this recorded event link to see and hear some of the offerings and sessions. Long before the moon became the solid, crater covered orb we know today, it is said to have been covered with a massive ocean of molten magma. Although the theory is widely accepted, how long the hot liquid remains uncertain among the scientific community until now. A new model suggests the ocean remained for 200 million years on the lunar surface before solidifying, which is 10 times longer than previously believed. Astronomers looked at the low thermal conductivity of the lunar crust, along with heat extraction from rock particles in the magma to determine the life of the ocean. During this investigation, the team also uncovered new evidence that proposes the moon may be 85 million years younger an age closer that that of the Earth's core. Scroll down for video Long before the moon became the solid, crater covered orb we know today, it is said to have been covered with a massive ocean of molten magma. Although the theory is widely accepted, how long the hot liquid remains uncertain among the scientific community until now Scientists believe the moon formed when a Mars-sized protoplanet, dubbed Theia, collided with Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. Theia hit Earth and caused the ejection of such a large amount of material from the planet's mantle, which gathered to form the moon. During this violent impact, a several-thousand-miles-deep magma ocean was created however. Researchers say the moon was 'completely molten' in its early years, and remained that way until rocks eventually floated to the surface and cooled. Researchers say the moon was 'completely molten' in its early years, and remained that way until rocks eventually floated to the surface and cooled. The experts found found that the magma ocean was active 150 million to 200 million years ago Researchers also determined that the moon is much younger than previously believed by 85 million years. The team used a new numerical model to reconstruct the time at which the event occurred - 4.425 billion years ago. The previous assumptions about the formation of the Moon were based on an age of 4.51 billion years Lead author Maxime Maurice, a planetary scientist at the German Aerospace Center in Berlin, told Space.com: 'An important outcome of this scenario is that the early moon, which accreted from the debris of this giant impact, was very hot hot enough for its rocky mantle to be largely molten and form what we call a magma ocean.' In the new study, Maurice and his team designed a model that looked at the solidification of the magma ocean on the moon. It included processes such as mantle convection, which is a low moving motion of Earth's solid mantle caused by convection currents carrying heat from the inside to the surface and can be used when investigating the moon. They found that the magma ocean was active 150 million to 200 million years ago. Researchers also determined that the moon is much younger than previously believed by 85 million years. 'The results of our latest modeling suggest that the young Earth was hit by a protoplanet some 140 million years after the birth of the solar system 4.567 billion years ago,' said Maurice. 'According to our calculations, this happened 4.425 billion years agowith an uncertainty of 25 million yearsand the moon was born.' They calculated how the composition of the magnesium- and iron-rich silicate minerals that formed during the solidification of the magma ocean changed over time. The team discovered a dramatic change in the lunar composition of the remaining magma ocean as solidification progressed. This finding is significant because it allowed the authors to link the formation of different types of rock on the moon to a certain stage in the evolution of its magma ocean. Scientists believe the moon formed when a Mars-sized protoplanet, dubbed Theia, collided with Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. Theia hit Earth and caused the ejection of such a large amount of material from the planet's mantle, which gathered to form the moon Sabrina Schwinger, also involved with the study, said: 'By comparing the measured composition of the moon's rocks with the predicted composition of the magma ocean from our model, we were able to trace the evolution of the ocean back to its starting point, the time at which the moon was formed.' The results of the study show that the moon was formed 4.425 billion years ago. According to the scientists, the moon's exact age is in remarkable agreement with an age previously determined for the formation of Earth's metallic core with the uranium-lead method, the point at which the formation of planet Earth was completed. Thorsten Kleine from the Institute of Planetology at the University of Munster, said: 'This is the first time that the age of the moon can be directly linked to an event that occurred at the very end of the Earth's formation, namely the formation of the core.' The Afghan Industry and Commerce Ministry says it will invest more than $1 million in developing a major industrial park in the northern Balkh Province. On July 13 Samir Rasa, the spokesman for the ministry, told Radio Free Afghanistan that the ministry would invest in developing infrastructure at the Amir Ali Sher Nawai Park in the near future. The industrial park, located on the outskirts of Balks capital, Mazar-e Sharif, had about 300 factories in 2014. But today it is mired in financial problems. Insecurity and the failure of government policies that support investors are the main reasons behind its ongoing financial woes and a reduction of factories, according to international media reports. The factories that once operated at Amir Ali Sher Navai Industrial Park included food production, clothing, and construction materials, which constituted 25 percent of supplies needed in the northern provinces of Afghanistan. Earlier, officials of this industrial park had announced its closure. But now the ministry says it is ready to invest in the parks revival. Balkh Province continues to play an important role in commerce and trade due to its proximity to the neighboring Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. California drastically rolled back its reopening plans Monday as coronavirus cases surged across dozens of US states and the World Health Organization warned that too many nations are mismanaging their pandemic response. Governor Gavin Newsom ordered all indoor restaurants, bars and movie theaters to close again across California -- by far America's richest and most populous state, with a larger economy than all but four countries. Churches as well as gyms, shopping malls, hair salons and non-essential offices must also shut indoor operations in half of the Golden State's worst-hit and most densely populated counties, including Los Angeles. "We're moving back into a modification mode of our original 'stay-at-home' order," said Newsom, whose state was the first to close down in March, but began easing restrictions in May. The move came as California reported 8,358 new daily coronavirus cases, bringing its total to nearly 330,000 including more than 7,000 deaths. Like the governors of Texas, Arizona, and Florida -- which were also hit hard in the virus' second spike -- California initially declined to issue a statewide mask order and allowed counties to reopen indoor dining, gyms, and bars. With new infections spreading like wildfire globally, many countries were also reimposing restrictions Monday, locking down towns and cities and reintroducing measures to halt the spread of the sickness. But WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that too many countries were "headed in the wrong direction" with governments giving out mixed messages that were undermining trust. "There will be no return to the 'old normal' for the foreseeable future," he said, warning that without governments adopting a comprehensive strategy, the situation would get "worse and worse and worse." Since the start of July, nearly 2.5 million new infections have been registered across the globe, with the number of cases doubling over the past six weeks, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Latin America on Monday recorded the world's second-highest death toll, declaring a total of 144,758 deaths to pass the 144,023 recorded in the United States and Canada. It now stands second only to Europe, where 202,505 people have died. In Spain, regional officials were in a standoff with courts after a judge suspended a lockdown just hours after it was imposed on 160,000 people in the Catalonia city of Lerida following a sharp rise in cases. Despite calls to respect the closure, many people were on the streets by mid-afternoon, with shops and bars still open, an AFP correspondent said. It was the first such order given since Spain's lockdown ended on June 21. - Reimposing lockdowns - Across the globe, the pandemic has infected nearly 13 million people, killed more than 566,000 and triggered massive economic damage in the seven months since it was detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan. South Africa reimposed a nationwide curfew to prevent a "coronavirus storm" from ravaging the continent's hardest-hit nation, where new infections have topped 12,000 a day. Morocco followed suit on Monday, locking down Tangiers, with public transport suspended, cafes and public spaces closed and movement restricted in the northern port city of a million inhabitants. With eyes keenly focused on the economic fallout, the IMF warned Monday that the Middle East and North Africa region was facing its worst downturn in 50 years, citing the "twin shock" of the virus and low oil prices. Iran, the worst-hit country in the Middle East, counted more than 200 new deaths in 24 hours, pushing its toll over 13,000. In Asia, the Philippines imposed a two-week lockdown on 250,000 people in the capital Manila as new infections soared, and Hong Kong stepped up precautions to combat a sudden spike in infections. Restaurants there can only serve takeaway food after 6 pm, gyms, nightclubs, karaoke bars and beauty salons were shuttered and public gatherings were restricted to four people. The latest high-profile personality to test positive for COVID-19 was India's Bollywood superstar and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai. And two US Marine bases on Japan's Okinawa island have been locked down after a spike in cases with dozens infected and local officials expressing "serious doubts" about the US military's containment efforts. - 'Petri dish' - At the weekend, US President Donald Trump wore a face mask in public for the first time, in the world's worst-hit country where some 135,000 people have died. California's announcement came as education officials in Los Angeles and San Diego said the cities' schools would remain closed when classes resume with online-only lessons next month. "There's a public health imperative to keep schools from becoming a Petri dish," said Austin Beutner, schools superintendent for Los Angeles -- the nation's second-largest district with some 600,000 students. The neighboring state of Oregon banned indoor gatherings of more than 10 people -- except at places of worship and businesses -- and mandated outdoor face coverings where social distancing is not possible. And virus epicenter Florida saw 12,624 new cases -- the second highest daily count recorded by any state, after its own record of 15,300 new COVID-19 cases a day earlier. Across the border, Mexico became the country with the fourth-highest number of COVID-19 deaths in the world, climbing to a total of 35,006 and surpassing Italy. More than 80 millionaires -- including Ben and Jerry's ice cream co-founder Jerry Greenfield and screenwriter Richard Curtis -- urged governments around the world to hike taxes on the super-wealthy to help fund the recovery. Meanwhile, a French expert warned that a fully effective vaccine was highly unlikely by 2021. And in what may prove a blow to those who have recovered, researchers at Kings College London said COVID-19 survivors could lose their immunity, leaving them vulnerable to reinfection within months. burs-amz/ft Shekhar Kapur's Statement Reveals Sushant Was Devastated After Paani Was Shelved; Film Had A Rs. 150 Cr. Budget MIDDLEFIELD Residents and town officials who have seen overcrowding and the disregard of rules for years at Wadsworth Falls in Rockfall have been putting pressure on the state to fix issues that have become more hazardous this summer due to the pandemic. Problems have worsened since the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection closed the swimming area on the Middletown side, which means large groups of people walk to the Rockfall side to enjoy the falls, according to neighbors. Resident Carol Schilling, who said she never sees anyone wearing face masks, also said there are often large gatherings and the small forested area that separates the falls from the road is constantly filled with garbage. People also relieve themselves in the woods, she said. You can smell the urine permeating the bottom of the forest floor. Its so sad. Its such a beautiful place, said Schilling, who is a member of the Friends of Wadsworth Falls. There is also an area where shes found human excrement, toilet paper, diapers, and feminine products in a dirt area thats worn down from foot traffic, she said. The trash is unbelievable. Theres no Port-O-Potty or trash cans. Recently, residents and selectman have been vocal and have had some success with the DEEP installing no-alcohol and tow zone signs, in addition to no-swimming signs, according to Julie Hurlbert, the administrator of the Friends of Wadsworth Falls Facebook page. Many rules carry $75 fines if broken. However, It doesnt get enforcement or tickets are not given out, Hurlbert said. She said that when authorities do come out and speak to people, the mood is mellow. Theyll tell people to get out of the water. Theyll stop and walk away and then walk back again, Hurlbert said. Were angry and sad at whats happening. She also said she does not see people wearing face masks or social distancing at the park. First Selectman Ed Bailey said hes been on a conference call with officials where he asked about people swimming illegally at the park. There was a long, pregnant pause, Bailey said, while people waited for someone to answer. He was then told people were wading and thats not against regulations. A 5-year-old is not able to wade, Bailey said. DEEP Communications Director Tony Russell said Connecticut has seen record visitation levels at state recreation areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our staff has worked tirelessly to ensure their continued and safe availability to the public under the crucial social distancing guidelines, he said. We want our recreation areas to be peaceful, family-oriented places where adults and children can feel welcome and safe, and we ask the visiting public to help us by being good stewards of the spaces they visit and respectful of their fellow guests and the neighboring communities, he said. There has been some progress lately, said Bailey, who has seen rangers there waving people off when the small parking lot is full. However, its very easy for people to walk in through any of the trails and other entry points, he said. Russell said the DEEP announced on April 1 that it will impose penalties on violators. On the Rockfall side, since March, the DEEP has conducted more than 200 patrol checks resulting in 13 infractions issued and one arrest, in addition to a number of parking violations, he said. Hurlbert, however, said there arent enough state troopers, EnCon police and DEEP officers and theyre not always monitoring it. Theres not enough enforcement. Middletowns portion of Wadsworth Falls was closed by the state and the water drained to prevent swimming. Its chaos up at the big lot. Eleven oclock and its closed. They all start coming down to the little section, Hurlbert said. The Friends come by every Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. to pick up trash. Often, the group said, members pick up enough trash to fill many large bags. Its a beautiful waterfall you stop and look at to or from a hike, Hurlbert said. She said she recently saw two tables set up in the water with about 14 people together, some playing cards. She said she counted 25 people in the water Saturday. There is a concrete picnic table down by the water that was somehow pulled into the falls area so people can put their feet in the water, both women observed. A lot of the cars carry out-of-state plates, Schilling said. Why did they pick this little town in the middle of nowhere Connecticut? she asked. Schilling and her husband spoke to two people there recently. One told her the family drove for two hours to reach the park. She questioned why out-of-staters come there instead of visiting beaches in Madison, West Haven and other locations. She was told word spreads. The Board of Selectmen has suggested the town seek a court injunction to shut it down. Im not sure that would be successful, Bailey said. Its not like we dont want the facility open. We just want it managed properly. Then everybody would be happy. Thats really the bottom line. ZIMBABWE is among countries that have been warned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that local Covid-19 transmissions could ground the health sectors if citizens remain blind to increasing figures. The country is reaching the 1 000 Covid-19 mark with increased local transmissions while Government observes that citizens are no longer following lockdown measures. In the past few months, the countrys Covid-19 cases were largely imported but beginning this month there has been a shift as local transmissions have exceeded external ones. Government raised a red flag on cross border transporters as they are derailing the countrys efforts towards preventing the spread of the global pandemic. Cross border transporters are listed among the high-risk group for Covid-19 largely due to high numbers recorded in neighbouring countries. Governments commitment towards repatriation of Zimbabweans has seen more than 12 000 returnees being received through countrys borders while an Air Zimbabwe flight has been deployed to repatriate citizens stuck in China. The repatriation process has been stalled after the plane developed a technical fault in Bangkok, Thailand, en-route to China. In a statement following the Covid-19 Ad-hoc Inter-ministerial Taskforce meeting, Information Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa yesterday said the spike in local transmissions could collapse the countrys health sector. Already Bulawayo referral hospitals, Mpilo Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) are feeling the heat as health workers have tested positive for Covid-19. More than 40 nurses at the two hospitals have tested positive while approximately 300 health workers are placed on mandatory self-isolation leaving the medical institutions with skeletal staff. My fellow Zimbabweans, our infection numbers are rising and so are our death rates. This translates into an increased risk. Our health facilities will be stretched and we just cannot afford the complacency we are currently witnessing. The World Health Organisation health experts are cautioning nations on the threat posed by local transmissions in the fight against Covid-19. Zimbabwe is not exempted, said Minister Mutsvangwa. The minister said citizens should learn from President Mnangagwas message that while the need to eke a living is important, a life lost can never be resurrected. She said citizens should take lockdown seriously, just the way they did when Government imposed it in March. We address you when our Covid-19 infection rate approaches the 1 000 mark. It is a time we note that the nation appears to be suffering from lockdown fatigue. But the fact that we already have been under lockdown for a long time does not give us an immunity from infections. Our vigilance should be the same level as it was on Day 1. Let us not run out of steam, she said. Minister Mutsvangwa said Governments Chief Coordinator on Covid-19, Dr Agnes Mahomva, recommended that there be an increase in community surveillance and strengthening cross border security checks among other measures to prevent the spread of the virus. The Minister said Government has employed 13 doctors to spearhead the Covid-19 health strategy and prevention as local transmissions increase. In year that has given us everything from a pandemic to murder hornets, a Kanye West presidential run seems fitting. Heck, it might even perk up national interest in a race that is shaping up to be anti-climactic. With West, were talking about a supposed candidate whos running as the head of the newly created Birthday Party. Joe Biden and Donald Trump, both in their 70s, cant match that. Biden is content to remain in his basement and watch is poll numbers rise. Trump wants to hold the huge rallies that propelled him to victory four years ago, but the virus is squelching those. Were not even sure theyll be able to agree on debates this fall. With Kanye on the ballot, even in a few states, the contest would be more interesting. For those who have more, uh, traditional music tastes, West is a very successful rap star and husband to Kim Kardashian. Hes erratic even by show business standards, which is saying a lot, and theres no guarantee hell follow through with this. But he did make the announcement last week, saying, We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. Its hard to disagree with that, and other quirky billionaires such as Elon Musk and Mark Cuban quickly tweeted out their support for his run. If they come through with some big money, West could combine their cash with his considerable fortune and have a hefty campaign budget. Wests announcement was a bit of a surprise, if anyone can be surprised by anything he does, because previously he was one of the few rap stars who was an enthusiastic supporter of Trump. But those days are over, with West saying, I am taking the red hat off. It looks like one big mess to me. One of the main reasons I wore the red hat as a protest to the segregation of votes in the Black community. Also, other than the fact that I like Trump hotels and the saxophones in the lobby. Well, who can argue with saxophones in the lobby? If West actually wants to follow up on this publicity stunt, he needs to get busy. Hes already missed the filing date for independent candidates in key states such as Texas, Indiana, North Carolina and New Mexico. But there are plenty of peaches left on the tree, and he could easily fund the petition drives needed to qualify for the remaining states. No one thinks hed get more than a percentage point or two of the votes even if he stuck with this effort, but thats enough to worry some Democrats. They know that in 2016, little-known Green Party candidate Jill Stein got enough votes in two key states to let Trump win them by narrow margins. In Michigan and Wisconsin, Steins vote totals were greater than Trumps margin of victory. In Pennsylvania, her vote total was only slightly behind Trumps. Virtually all of her votes would have gone to Hillary Clinton otherwise. And of course this happened to Democrats in 2000, when Ralph Nader siphoned off enough votes from Al Gore in Florida to throw that state and the presidency to George W. Bush by just 537 votes. In theory, West could do something like that to undermine Bidens effort. Biden is not that popular among young voters, even young Democrats, and you could see more than a few of them casting a protest vote for West. In a close election, things like that could matter. The good news for Biden, however, is that the 2020 race is not looking close. Biden is ahead by comfortable numbers in national polls and in battleground states. If the election were held today, hed win easily. Trump has to shift that dynamic or hes a one-termer. But things can change, and presidential races invariably tighten as November approaches. Kanye West wont be our next president, but its possible that he could affect who is. If nothing else, his buttons and bumper stickers would be instant collectibles with the slogan, Yes we Kanye. Thomas Taschinger, TTaschinger@BeaumontEnterprise.com, is the editorial page editor of The Beaumont Enterprise. Follow him on Twitter at @PoliticalTom U.S. Forces Japan has joined U.S. Forces Korea in banning the display of the Confederate flag, the latest move by the military aimed at preventing racial division in the ranks. "The Confederate Battle Flag does not represent the values of U.S. Forces assigned to serve in Japan," Air Force Lt. Gen. Kevin Schneider, commander of U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ), said Monday in announcing the ban. Read next: Camouflage Uniforms, Flight Suits Now Off-Limits for Marines and Sailors at the Pentagon His order, first reported by Stars & Stripes, is effective immediately and applies to all workplaces, common access areas and public areas on USFJ installations and areas. "While some might view it as a symbol of regional pride, many others do not," Schneider said of the flag. "Regardless of perspective, it has the power to inflame feelings of racial division. We will not tolerate a symbol that incites this sort of division among us." His order followed similar action taken June 14 by Army Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea. In announcing the ban on all installations in South Korea, Abrams said, "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." Schneider announced his order in a post on the Facebook page of Yokota Air Base, headquarters of USFJ, and in a memo to all units in Japan directing commanders to identify and remove displays of the Confederate flag. The action by USFJ came amid the nationwide debate over Confederate statues and monuments, the naming of military bases for Confederate leaders, and the mostly peaceful protests for racial justice following the May 25 death in Minneapolis of George Floyd in police custody. On June 6, the Marine Corps barred the display of Confederate flags in public spaces, and the Navy began taking similar action June 9. The Army and the Air Force have Confederate flag bans under review, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper has asked the service chiefs for guidance on methods of promoting inclusion in the ranks. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Related: Army Reviewing 'Confederate Memorial' Featuring Slaves at Arlington National Cemetery London: For the better part of a week now, Britain's top politicians have been asked a simple question: should face masks be worn in shops? The answers, however, have been much more complex. In a big hint about where the government was heading as it tried to revive the economy without triggering a second wave of COVID-19, Prime Minister Boris Johnson donned a bright blue mask while shopping in his west-London constituency last Friday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson wears a face mask during a visit to an ambulance station on Monday. Credit:Getty But on Sunday, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove - one of the most influential figures in Whitehall - lobbed a curveball by arguing masks should in fact not be mandatory in shops. "I trust people's good sense," Gove said. That same day, Home Secretary Priti Patel was photographed wearing a mask in the open air with French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin before taking it off for a later meeting indoors. The only remedy out of this madness is the adoption of stringent rulemaking processes and the accessibility of applicable rules to the public. by Ruwantissa Abeyratne Writing from Montreal I have found the safety... from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in us. Kahlil Gibran, The Madman The Covid-19 spread has inflicted devastation and death across the world. It has also introduced a pervasive equivocality due to the ambivalence of the messages percolating from leadership across the world. While a handful of countries invoked a total lockdown with a curfew, where the populace would understand what it meant that one cannot leave ones aboard others dithered. For example, in early May of this year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, addressing the people of the United Kingdom in a robust speech intended to inspire, said at the conclusion, we must stay alert, control the virus and save lives. Very few knew what this exactly meant. How could our alertness save lives? If the honorable Prime Minister was referring to a suspicious bag left in a train station that might contain an explosive device, this statement would have been comprehensible. But a hidden virus? Were the people asked to wear masks at all times? If so, that would have been a clear message. The BBC on BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday the 12th of July reported Michael Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office since 2020 as saying face masks should not be mandatory in shops in England, adding he 'trusts people's good sense'. Would peoples good sense stop the virus from spreading? How would good sense be defined anyway? The BBC also said that Prime Minister Johnson had hinted on Friday that there could be stricter measures on face masks in England. These two statements are seemingly contradictory and are confusing at best. The United Kingdom is not alone. The World Health Organization has, at least on one occasion, confused the public. In early June, Poynter reported: Epidemiologists are scrambling to tamp down comments from the World Health Organization that suggested people who are COVID-19 positive but do not show symptoms may not be much of a threat to pass the virus along to others. That flies in the face of months of warnings. But the WHO said the data it is using now is linked to contact tracing, so researchers are zooming in more precisely how infections spread. Your readers, listeners and viewers are going to be confused by this new WHO claim. Just look at what they will find on a Google search two stories back-to-back. One says people who show no symptoms may be responsible for 40 to 45% of COVID-19 cases. Another says people without symptoms very rarely spread the virus to others. These are completely opposite claims just days apart. Across the Atlantic, in the United States confusion was worse confounded. The Centre for Infectious Disease Research Policy (CIDRAP) cited in late April the stand taken by President Trump: Direct sunlight, injected disinfectants, heat. Those were some of the remedies for coronavirus infection President Donald Trump mentioned during yesterday's White House task force briefing. Today the manufacturers of Lysol and Dettol cleaners, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), issued statements and warnings contradicting Trump's remarks. Needless to say, the public are confused with the discombobulated messages coming from all quarters. There are two problems here. The first of course is confusion caused by maundering of those who are, or ought to be in charge of leading the fight against the pandemic spread. These are primarily the law makers. The second is the lack of clear directives. Are we or are we not required to wear face coverings? And where are we required to wear them? When? We are fined if we do not wear our seatbelts while driving o riding in a car. Why then, should we not face penalties if we do not take the necessary precautions to protect ourselves and others from our spreading a virus? The only remedy out of this madness is the adoption of stringent rulemaking processes and the accessibility of applicable rules to the public. The most fundamental principle in rulemaking is that the genesis of the rule should be authoritative. Rules are not legislation. They are the results of deliberations of the people in their constituent assemblies that have passed a vote. As Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes put it aptly, rules are the skin of a living policy that crystallizes an inchoate normative policy into hard words that are clear and intelligible to the ordinary person. Of course, the living policy has its genesis either in ratified treaties or enacted local laws, or even decisions of the legal hierarchy of a land. Rulemaking is intrinsically linked with the perceived inadequacy of law, the sources of which should be the genesis of rulemaking by a State. While on the one hand the entrenched principle of sovereignty of States enable a State to make its own rules and laws, on the other hand, the Sate may be circumscribed by the ambivalence of its own feckless insouciance in its social contract to ensure the safety and protection of its people. There should be clear laws and regulations against the spread of the virus and such laws should have legal legitimacy of the social contract theory. This is not an issue of personal liberty and libertarianism. Nations exist as communities before nationalisms and Nation States. To analyze nations and the national question in terms of "nationalisms" is philosophical idealism, looking at the mental reflection rather than the thing it reflects. Nations evolve historically as stable, long-lasting communities of people, sharing a common language and territory, and the common culture and history that arise from that. On this basis develop the solidarities, mutual interests and mutual identification that distinguish a people from its neighbors. Although the national sovereignty of a democratic State is analogous to the freedom and autonomy of the individual, it is subservient to the overall safety of all the people. It means that one's domestic laws and foreign relations are exclusively decided by one's own parliament and government, which are elected by and responsible to one's own people. China's economy is showing steady recovery, but a hard battle still lies ahead as the situation remains severe both at home and abroad, state radio quoted Premier Li Keqiang as saying on Monday. The government would continue to adopt a proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy, Li was quoted as saying, pledging to cut taxes and ramp up credit support for firms. The world's second-largest economy is gradually emerging from a 6.8% economic decline in the first quarter, its first contraction on record. Li said the economy was recovering gradually and had returned ... Advertisement Parts of Britain enjoyed the last of a brief warm spell today with temperatures rising above 75F in Kent, before wind and rain returns for the rest of the week - but there's a glimmer of hope for the weekend. Canterbury basked in 77F temperatures while London and other parts of the South East enjoyed dry and bright spells today. However wet and windy Manchester, Bimingham and Wales have already had a taste of what's to come for the week, with blanket drizzle expected over much of the country on Wednesday and intermittent rain widely predicted until skies dry up on Friday. But sunshine and scorching temperatures are expected to make a comeback by the weekend, when those in the South-East could find it as warm as the Bahamas. Temperatures in the London area could hit 84F (29C) by Friday and Saturday, and they may reach 73-75F (23-24C) in other areas of central and southern England. Off to surf at Polzeath in Cornwall, UK, during Monday's dry and bright spells in the southwest - but rain is set to come Sunbathers relax on Porthminster beach, St Ives in Cornwall as sunny dry skies cover most of South England this afternoon In Wales and the North, where it is likely to be cloudier, there could be highs of 68-70F (20-21C). Oli Claydon, of the Meteorological Office, said: 'As the week goes on, temperatures are going to rise but there will be quite a lot of cloud around so there are not going to be crystal-clear conditions everywhere. 'By Wednesday, we could see temperatures climbing as high as 75-77F (24-25C) in the South-East, rising to 81-84F (27-29C) by Friday and Saturday. 'The sunniest weather and highest temperatures are likely to be south-east of a line stretching from The Wash to Southampton. But even as far north as Newcastle upon Tyne it could reach 72-73F (22-23C), and there could be highs of 73-75F (23-24C) in Plymouth.' Maximum UK temperatures are likely to beat those in Ibiza, which is expected to reach 81F (27C) on Friday and 84F (28C) on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Bahamas is likely to reach 29C. Mr Claydon said there is 'some uncertainty' about whether the very warm and sunny conditions will last into Sunday. Warm weather and bright spells continued today, including at the New Forest (above), before cloudy spells and rain start to move west across Britain It is the first time this month that temperatures are forecast to reach the 80s Fahrenheit, after the last heatwave in late June. June 25 was the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures reaching 33.3C (91.9F) at Heathrow airport and hundreds of thousands flocking to beaches despite social-distancing rules. In the meantime, many areas are due to be cloudy through today and tomorrow, with some patchy light rain. The best of any brightness is due to be in the South-East. Into next week, the weather is due to be split between dry and warm conditions in the South and East, and a cooler, cloudier situation in the North and West, with wet and windy spells possible. The Met Office's forecast for tonight predicts: 'Cloud and rain in the south slowly clearing, while rain and showers will continue across northern Scotland. Mainly dry elsewhere.' Tomorrow is set to be wet and windy in parts of the country, with strong winds moving west. The outlook for the rest of the week suggests outbreaks of rain and drizzle from Wednesday, becoming confined to the North on Thursday and Friday, as weather gets hotter in the south. Yesterday saw temperatures reach as high 77F at Heathrow, with a low of 34F in Sennybridge. Revellers were seen enjoying beaches and rivers in Lyme Regis, Barry, Straford-upon-Avon and Red Bay harbour in Country Antrim. Early morning joggers took advantage of the sunshine while it lasts to head out on to Wimbledon Common on Monday Wimbledon Common and other parts of the South East are expected to remain warm throughout this week, but with some cloud and rain moving in Warm weather on Sunday had couples taking to the water in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. A weekend of sun is expected to come to an end today, with rain and cloud moving in from the west Shoeburyness enjoy just under 16 hours of sunshine, while there was 5.4mm of rainfall in Harris Quidnish, off the coast of Scotland. Flying ants descended on parts of the country yesterday, but today's wet weather is likely to bring an end to the wave of insects. There's a glimmer of hope for a heatwave heading into the weekend and next week, but it may come with heavy downpours and 'unsettled weather'. The Met Office forecast for Friday onwards reads: 'More unsettled conditions with spells of rain and strong winds are likely to affect the north and northwest at times. 'There is chance that these wetter interludes could spread more widely and affect much of the UK. Temperatures are likely to be mostly around normal, although it may become warm for a time in the south and perhaps very warm in the southeast. 'Towards the end of the period, more settled conditions are likely to develop, across many parts. Spells of wetter and windier weather are possible across northern and western areas at times.' Sunbathers and families flock to the beach at the seaside resort of Lyme Regis in Dorset during yesterday's sunshine Families in Country Antrim dived into the water at Red Bay harbour during Sunday's warm weather, despite the sunny spell, this July is set to be one of the coolest on record There was room for social distancing at Whitmore Bay in Barry Island, South Wales on Sunday afternoon as beach goers enjoyed the sun July is still on track to be the coolest for 32 years as part of what forecasters have dubbed a 'payback summer'. This month last year saw an average temperature of of 75F (24C), but the average for this July has been 68F (20C). Weathermen said this summer's disappointing weather is 'payback' after 2019's record high temperature and 2018's hottest summer on record. July is on course to be the coolest since 1988, Met Office figures for the month so far show. Rainfall is also close to double the normal so far, at 30mm in England and Wales, Met Office data showed. Cool Atlantic winds and a lack of continental heat are blamed. June was one of the wettest for 89 years - wetter than all but eight Junes since 1931, with UK rainfall up almost 50 per cent at 106mm. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has provided 15 countries in Middle East and Central Asia (MCD) with $70 billion in facilities amid the COVID-19 crisis, most of which went to the Arab region, director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the IMF Jihad Azour said. Azour made his statements during the IMF press conference held virtually on Monday to announce the update of the regional economic outlook report. According to Azour, Egypt, which maintains its positive economic growth projections, is adopting a number of mechanisms in its FY2020/2021 budget plan that aim to support the private sector and back the sectors most affected by the crisis, including tourism, industry and production, and the Suez Canal. Azour says this is why Egypt is expected to see an economic slowdown with a positive economic growth. He added that Egypt has been given a total of $8 billion under the IMFs rapid finance instrument and the stand-by agreement, and it is among the countries that have benefited the most from IMF facilities in the Arab region. He also disclosed that the MENAP region (the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan) is expected to witness a contraction in its growth to -7.3 percent, which is lower than the IMFs April outlook by 3.1 percent. Oil importing countries in the region, which include Egypt, are expected to witness a significant increase in debt levels to reach 95 percent of GDP, Azour said, adding that countries that enjoy robust fundamentals will be able to absorb such a shock, while others will be affected severely. He also added that the private sector and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have a great chance to grow amid the crisis, and the regions governments should work on supporting such pivotal sectors to achieve economic development. Tackling the COVID-19 crisis impacts, Azour said that the MCD region has to work to achieve financial stability, support the private sector and SMEs, and to push its economy forward by adopting technology solutions and digitalisation. In this regard, Azour said that 50 percent of the MCD population is under the age of 30, which is a potential that should be tapped in various areas. For global oil prices, Azour said that they are projected to record between $40 and $45 per barrel in 2020. Egypt has managed to maintain its positive macroeconomic projections in 2020 and 2021, and the IMF expects the country to record a growth rate of 2 percent during 2020, making it the only country to achieve positive economic growth during the current fiscal year in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2021, Egypt is expected to record real gross domestic product (GDP) of 2.8 percent, while the entire MENA region will achieve an economic contraction of 3.3 percent during 2020, according to the IMF. Search Keywords: Short link: While bats are the ancestral hosts to many deadly viruses affecting humans such as Ebola, rabies, and the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, the flying mammals themselves tolerate these pathogens without ill effects. IMAGE: The scientists said, unlike humans, bats have specific mechanisms which reduce the replication of viruses in their bodies, and also dampen their immune response to a virus. Photograph: PTI Photo The capacity of bats to tolerate viruses such as the novel coronavirus may stem from their ability to control inflammation, according to a review of studies which says understanding the immune system of the flying mammals can provide new drug targets for human therapies against COVID-19. Researchers, including those from the University of Rochester in the United States, said while bats are the ancestral hosts to many deadly viruses affecting humans such as Ebola, rabies, and the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, the flying mammals themselves tolerate these pathogens without ill effects. "Although humans experience adverse symptoms when afflicted with these pathogens, bats are remarkably able to tolerate viruses, and, additionally, live much longer than similar-sized land mammals," they noted in a statement. In the review research, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, the scientists assessed how the natural ability of bats to control inflammation may be contributing to their longevity and tendency to fight off diseases. "With COVID-19, the inflammation goes haywire, and it may be the inflammatory response that is killing the patient, more so than the virus itself," said study co-author Vera Gorbunova from the University of Rochester. "The human immune system works like that -- once we get infected, our body sounds an alarm and we develop a fever and inflammation," Gorbunova explained. She said the goal of this immune system response in humans is to kill the virus and fight infection, but added that it can also be a detrimental response as patients' bodies overreact to the threat. But unlike humans, the scientists said bats have specific mechanisms which reduce the replication of viruses in their bodies, and also dampen their immune response to a virus. As a result, they said there is a beneficial balance in bats with their immune systems controlling viruses, and at the same time not mounting a strong inflammatory response. According to the researchers, one of the factors for this ability may be driven by their flight. Bats, being the only mammals that can fly, require that they adapt to rapid increases in body temperature, sudden surges in metabolism, and molecular damage, the scientists explained. They said these adaptations may also assist in disease resistance. The researchers said another factor contributing to the heightened immunity in bats may be due to their environment, where many species of the flying mammals live in dense colonies, and hang close together on cave ceilings or trees. "Bats are constantly exposed to viruses. They are always flying out and bringing back something new to the cave or nest, and they transfer the virus because they live in such close proximity to each other," said Andrei Seluanov, another co-author of the study. Because bats are constantly exposed to viruses, the scientists believe their immune systems are in a "perpetual arms race with pathogens" -- a pathogen will enter the organism, the immune system will evolve a mechanism to combat the pathogen, the pathogen will evolve again, and so on. "Dealing with all of these viruses may be shaping bats' immunity and longevity," Gorbunova said. While humans may be developing social habits that parallel those of bats, we have not yet evolved bats' sophisticated mechanisms to combat viruses as they emerge and swiftly spread, the scientists noted. "COVID-19 has such a different pathogenesis in older people. Age is one of the most critical factors between living and dying, and we have to treat aging as a whole process instead of just treating individual symptoms," Gorbunova said. According to the researchers studying bats' immune systems can provide new targets for human therapies to fight diseases and aging. Citing an example, they said bats have mutated or completely eliminated several genes involved in inflammation, adding that scientists can develop drugs to inhibit these genes in humans. "Humans have two possible strategies if we want to prevent inflammation, live longer, and avoid the deadly effects of diseases like COVID-19," Gorbunova said. "One would be to not be exposed to any viruses, but that's not practical. The second would be to regulate our immune system more like a bat," she added. Amit Sadh, who co-starred with Abhishek Bachchan in their newly released web-series Breathe: Into The Shadows, got himself tested for Coronavirus after Bachchan was infected with the virus. Earlier today both my father and I tested positive for COVID 19. Both of us having mild symptoms have been admitted to hospital. We have informed all the required authorities and our family and staff are all being tested. I request all to stay calm and not panic. Thank you. Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) July 11, 2020 Following Abhisheks tweet about him being positive, people started to worry about Amit Sadh. On Sunday, Amit took to Twitter and shared, Thank you everyone for all your concern and wishes. I am feeling perfectly fine. However, will get a precautionary COVID-19 test done today. My thought and prayers are with Mr. Bachchan, Abhishek, and family. Hoping for their speedy recovery. On Monday, he tweeted that he has tested negative for Coronavirus and wrote, Thank you for your prayers and concerns. This is the only time I say happily I am negative. To all people battling this, my prayers and thoughts continue. Love you. Togetherness is the only strength. Thank you for your prayers and concerns. This is the only time I say happily I am negative. To all people battling this, my prayers and thoughts continue. Love you. Togetherness is the only strength ! Amit Sadh (@TheAmitSadh) July 13, 2020 After he shared that he has tested negative, people started to flood his tweet with positive messages for the actor. It's a very good news sir. Wish you good health. @TheAmitSadh Abhi (@TheBoyAbhi) July 13, 2020 Happy to see that the positive person has a negative report.. Will thank almighty for this! Big hug Siddhi Ajagaonkar (@Ime_n_mySalman) July 13, 2020 Real fighter Hitashi (@Hitashi19) July 13, 2020 Hashhhhh!!! Take a long Breath now but be cautious while working. drgaurangi (@gaurang08819447) July 13, 2020 Thank you for your prayers and concerns. This is the only time I say happily I am negative. To all people battling this, my prayers and thoughts continue. Love you. Togetherness is the only strength ! Amit Sadh (@TheAmitSadh) July 13, 2020 Well, Amit and Abhishek were spotted together outside a dubbing studio and that made people talk on social media. Clearing his stage, Amit told TOI, My family and I are getting tested for COVID as we speak. We all are tense. Its perhaps not the right time for me to talk but let me clarify, Abhishek and I never dubbed together. No two actors can do it together, anyway. Yes, we were dubbing for our web series, but he did it in the morning and I did it later that day. I just dubbed for two days. I used to walk in at the time that he would walk out. We must have left together on one occasion but I dont want people to go by the paparazzi pictures and assume that we dubbed together. We obliged for pictures together, thats it. Well, we are more than happy that he is tested negative. On the work front, Amit is getting applauded for his roles as Kabir in Breathe: Into The Shadows. Sorry! This content is not available in your region The driver of the Mercedes had been under the influence of alcohol and had signs of drug intoxication. Four members of one family were killed in a head-on collision of their Hyundai car with a Mercedes on Staro-Obukhivska Highway five kilometers outside Kyiv on Sunday evening. The parents and their eight-year-old daughter were found dead at the scene; their 10-year-old son was taken to hospital and died there later, according to the Kyiv Operative media outlet. Read alsoUkraine to toughen punishment for DUI Another sibling, a 12-year-old boy, remains in hospital; he is in a serious condition. The Mercedes (number plate AI0999HB) drove into the opposing lane of traffic, having hit a Mercedes Sprinter prior to that. The driver of the Mercedes had been under the influence of alcohol and had signs of drug intoxication. Later the driver has been identified as Anton Zhelepa, 39, who was born in Russia and is now a citizen of Ukraine; he currently lives in Kyiv. In 2010, he caused a similar road accident in which a woman was killed. He was imprisoned for 3.5 years. Prior to that, in 2007, he was sentenced to four years in prison after an attack on a police officer. According to an update, the man had been working in a summer house of the Mercedes car's owner. Twenty minutes after the accident, this car was reported as wanted for a car theft. Zhelepa is now in hospital. He will be detained under Article 208 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. He is facing up to 10 years in prison under Part 3 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code. The Pope to donate 100,000 to help migrants on border of Belarus and Poland What kind of illness does sleep disorder indicate? Fourth vaccine against COVID-19 is not enough for Omicron PSG and Zidane reach final agreement World is on verge of country defaults French Foreign Ministry considers unacceptable Azerbaijan statements about Pecresse US to return two valuable artifacts over 4,000 years old to Iraq Germany may consider halting Nord Stream 2 if Russia attacks Ukraine Israel successfully completes test of anti-ballistic missile system Plane landing in Sochi struck by lightning Dembele's agent: Barcelona only threaten Russia wants to host Euro-2032 Putin and Aliyev discuss Ukraine situation Greek PM Mitsotakis threatens Turkey with sanctions Handelsblatt: US and EU abandon idea of disconnecting Russia from SWIFT international payment system Federico Chiesa's surgery postponed due to health problems Artsakh President meets representatives of non-governmental organizations Avalanche kills person in Iran Erdogan says he is pleased with decline in volatility of lira NEWS.am daily digest: 18.01.22 Newcastle to offer around 50 million euros for Eden Hazard Turkey and Azerbaijan to start laying gas pipeline to supply Nakhichevan UK begins to supply Ukraine with anti-tank weapons Armenian PM holds meeting on Armenia's Transformation Strategy until 2050 Nagorno-Karabakh: Remains of another Armenian soldier found in Jrakan region Tehran to not accept any border change in South Caucasus Everton owner ready to sell club Dollar holding relatively steady in Armenia Armenia special representative: Future process depends on Turkeys constructiveness degree Rangnick looks forward to Pogba's return Erdogan: Gas from Mediterranean to Europe can only be pumped through Turkey Iranian Consul General discusses customs cooperation in Nakhijevan Inecobank brings Apple Pay to customers Parliament vice-speaker says he is familiar with Armenia proposals on border demarcation commission work US Secretary of State to visit Kyiv Russia, Iran and China to hold joint naval drills OSCE Chairmanship on Aliyev statement: We reiterate our full support to Minsk Group Co-Chairs Artsakh NSS denies rumors about penetration of Azerbaijanis into Karabakh villages Will Smith dances with his mother on her 85th birthday Tuchel: Its a team sport, not about ten players serving one player Indonesian parliament approves bill to relocate capital Armenia PM to Bulgaria colleague: Our interstate relations are marked by continuous development of cooperation One in three rapid tests for coronavirus can give false-positive result Armenian President meets Abu Dhabi Crown Prince 6 Armenian athletes to take part in Beijing Olympics Azerbaijan to ban foreigners from visiting Nagorno-Karabakh occupied part European Parliament new speaker elected Armenian National Interests Fund participates in Abu Dhabi Sustainable Development Week summit Marks 30th anniversary of Armenian Football Federation North Korea fires missiles for fourth time this year ECHR recognizes violation of Armenian PM's rights after 2008 elections The National publishes article on Egyptian Armenian painter Chant Avedissian Turkey reveals plans to produce combat aircraft Karabakh official: Azerbaijan presidents impudent behavior is due to OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs silence Azerbaijan special services force Artsakh resident to intelligence work Robbie Williams says hitman tries to kill him Copper price is stable Minister of State: OSCE MG Co-Chairs must accept exercise of Karabakh people's right to self-determination Armenia President, UAE Minister of State discuss possibilities of cooperation in science and technology Investigation into criminal case of several Armenia soldiers returned from Azerbaijan captivity is over Canada sends detachment of special forces to Ukraine NBA: LA Lakers win, LeBron James sets record Drake named the most popular artist of 2021 Armenia ex-President Kocharyan, former deputy PM now MP Gevorgyan case trial resumes 2 more persons die of coronavirus in Artsakh Armenia family has 10th child Converse Bank brings Apple Pay to customers Gold is getting weaker Lacote: French institute to operate in Armenia (PHOTOS) Australian Open: World no. 2 Daniil Medvedev advances to second round Ardshinbank Brings Apple Pay to Customers Armenia President in UAE, meets with Emirati environment minister COVID-19 may affect brain more than Alzheimer's disease Armenia legislature approves changes to several laws Differences in data on coronavirus deaths in Armenia are corrected 360 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Ronaldo announces when he will retire from professional football Norway to begin Breivik early release hearing Economy minister to head Armenia side of commission on economic cooperation with Kazakhstan Mexico crime photojournalist killed What are beneficial properties of prunes? Newspaper: Criminal case against Armenia archbishop dropped Newspaper: Opposition Armenia Bloc in parliament to toughen its tactics The Best: Portugal manager does not include Ronaldo in his top 3 choices The Best: Choices of Messi, Lewandowski, Ronaldo are announced Scientists discover large breeding colony of icefish in southern Antarctica China creates low-gravity artificial moon FIFA The Best: Robert Lewandowski as best player of the world FIFA The Best: Thomas Tuchel as the best coach of the world Tehran welcomes normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations Russian and Iranian Foreign Ministers discuss regional issues UN Secretary-General: Vaccinate whole world to end pandemic Giant asteroid to fly past our planet Armenian President meets with Executive Director of Mubadala Investment Company Juventus wants to sign Roma midfielder UAE counting on Turkey Kim Kardashian's new lover reacts to Kanye West's threats Indonesia to move capital by 2024 Passenger traffic at Armenian airports decreased by 30% Armenian Investigative Committee: Six soldiers captured in November arrested The cliche that old dogs cant learn new tricks clearly didnt originate along Harney Lane in Lodi. In fact, at Harney Lane Winery & Vineyards, which abuts the road for which its named, new tricks have been springing up with increasing frequency for more than a century. Granted, the early going was fairly conventional. Henry Schnaidt, the son of Frederick Schnaidt, who had arrived in Lodi from South Dakota near the end of the 19th century, began in 1906 to plant a 64-acre plot to Zinfandel, Mission and Flame Tokay, the latter a table variety that drew early interest to Lodi. Other grape varieties and other crops sugar beets, alfalfa, tomatoes slowly transitioned in and out over succeeding decades, but the pattern was set for learning to adapt to ever-shifting demands. That adaptability accelerated under the stewardship of George Mettler, Henry Schnaidts grandson, who grew up on the ranch and who with his mother, Frances Mettler, took over management of the property when Schnaidt died in 1964. George Mettler and his wife, Kathy, expanded operations and in 2008 added the winery. He was a beloved presence on the Lodi wine scene, admired for sticking to high principles while guiding the farm through eras of boom and bust Chenin Blanc yielding to white Zinfandel and the like and for being quick and decisive when he saw the potential of wine tourism for the region. After George Mettlers death in 2013, the couples only child, Jorja Lerner, and her husband, Kyle Lerner, began to oversee the business. Chad Joseph, a seasoned winemaker long on the Lodi scene, makes their wines, now close to 9,000 cases. The Lerners own about 120 acres of vineyards and manage an additional 400 acres. They continue Georges legacy, lately generating buzz for a vineyard-designated Chardonnay that departs from the California standard, including their own husky and weighty Home Ranch interpretation of the variety. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Their new Scottsdale Vineyard Chardonnay evolved from Jorja Lerners sense that fruit from that specific vineyard yielded a wine that could showcase the grapes natural vibrancy without the manipulation that usually attends Chardonnay. No stirring on the lees, no secondary malolactic fermentation, no aging in new French oak. The result is a buoyant, sharp, medium-bodied Chardonnay that comes off solidly structured, layered and long. The wine also shows Scottsdale Vineyard is one bright plot of grapes for all the sunny tropical and citrusy fruit captured in the wine. Though Harney Lane has been seen principally as a Zinfandel house, the winerys Home Ranch Chardonnay is their single biggest lot, with Zinfandel accounting for about a third of production. Their Albarino and Petite Sirah also are popular, but a Zinfandel off the Lizzy James Vineyard, 20 acres of dark, stumpy and twisted vines dating to 1904, could be their most admired wine. That wine is packed tight with ripe and concentrated raspberries and blackberries, a teasing hint of rose hips, supple tannins and apparent but respectful oak. Harney Lane Winery & Vineyards is an uncommonly welcoming place to visit, in part for the resident old dog, a yellow Labrador named Charlie, but mostly for its grove of cypress trees, under which visitors can gather in barrel-stave chairs around a stone fire pit. WHAT TO TRY: In addition to the Chardonnay and the Lizzy James Zinfandel, dont leave without tasting the multi-vintage Lot 19 Primitivo, a sturdy study in lavender, brambles and berries that will benefit from three to five years in the cellar. The Lizzy James Port-style dessert wine, also made with old vine Zinfandel, is expansive and complex, distinguished by its suggestion of honey-drizzled figs. As a Puerto Rican growing up in New York City during the late 70s and early 80s, my community was Black and brown. I was told that there was no difference between a Black person and a Puerto Rican. We were in the same boat, in the same struggle. Now, the conversation around race has changed. There's a real recognition of colorism and it helps to explain my experience. When my friends and I would go steal candy, I was always the one relegated to doing the actual stealing. It was because all my people were darker and they would distract the store owner while I literally stole candy from the store. The booty was always shared equally among my darker-skinned counterparts. But I, the light-skinned Puerto Rican, gained all the respect and admiration. I got the "street cred." Colorism is real. I am now a leader in the movement. And at this moment, I want to challenge my other Latinx leaders. This is not a moment to passively sit by. This is a moment to act. The protests are working. Each day, we are exposing the cancer of hate that courses through the veins of the system. Latinx people know that we row in the same boat with Black America, but too many pretend otherwise. When the focus is on someone else, you take the chance to breathe. But believe me, the heavy nightstick that falls on Black bodies falls on our people as well. The boot on our neck has been heavy as our countries and communities are ravaged. Our blood has also been shed and we continue to bleed. And we are part of the African diaspora. We cannot take pride in that only when it seems safe, only when it gives a sway to our hips. We will benefit from ending police brutality, so we must fight alongside those who are suffering because they are part of us. Our faith leaders must cry out, our Latino communities must use their considerable mass to say "No mas! Black lives matter!" According to Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Latin America had over 10 times the number of slaves imported than the United States. But for years, Black people in Latin America did not consider themselves as Black. The mix of race and the difference in language allowed many to think of themselves as other than Black. Many capitalized on all that was Black and then rejected all that identified them as Black. Perhaps it was a survival mechanism. Maybe they thought "as long as someone else is getting the proverbial boot on neck, then I can slide by and not be noticed by oppressive forces. After all, I just want to breathe." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Well, the time has come for Latinx people to understand their history. Slavery was, and continues to be, a worldwide injustice. Those in countries just south of the United States did not escape the brutality of colonization and the erasure of who we are. Now we are a rainbow people. Yet to white supremacists, we are no better than the black skin they love to hate. We must see our history. It will allow us to see how we cannot ignore the plight of Black America. The blood of our ancestors calls to us, and we know that if our Black siblings weren't carrying the brunt of this, that whip would fall on us. We must unite in solidarity, lift up the voices of the Black bodies that are falling, while we understand that we cannot be free until Black people are free. The chains that bind us are now the chains of fear. We must break out of them and shout with all our might that Black Lives Matter. It's unjust to separate ourselves from white people when it's convenient and then be silent when Black bodies are experiencing modern day lynchings. We are but a shade away from the wrath of white supremacy. More Information Rosemary Rivera of Albany is co-executive director of Citizen Action of New York. "New Voices" is a series of essays written by local residents at the request of Times Union editors, aimed at broadening readers' understanding of the issues confronting people of color in our diverse community. See More Collapse To my fellow Latinx leaders: let's bridge the divide by showing up, speaking out, and not letting our light-skinned Latinx brothers and sisters think that they can somehow escape the hate. The generational trauma of our ancestors was passed on to us, and with it the strength to fight. See you in the streets. Thailand's anti-COVID-19 measures have been stepped up in the eastern part of the country after a crewmember from an Egyptian military airplane recently tested positive for the virus, a government official said on Monday. The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin confirmed an airport, a hotel, a department store and elsewhere places in Rayong province visited by the 43-year-old Egyptian have been put under tight control of the authorities in charge of stemming the pandemic. The unidentified Egyptian was among 10 others tasked with an undisclosed military mission overseas, Taweesilp said. Among all the crewmembers of the Egyptian military airplane, which landed at U-tapao airport in Rayong last Wednesday, only that particular one tested positive for the COVID-19 while all the others tested negative, Taweesilp said. Under Thailand's emergency rule, personnel aboard all military aircraft, either Thai or foreign, are legally exempted from undergoing a 14-day state quarantine upon arrival in this country. Last Saturday, they departed from Thailand to return to their home country, according to the CCSA spokesman. Thailand has so far reported a total of 3,220 COVID-19 cases, 283 of which have come with those who returned from overseas. Of that total, 3,090 patients have fully recovered and been discharged from hospitals and 72 others are currently treated at hospitals. A total of 58 fatalities have been reported so far in Thailand. (CGTN) Monday, 13 July 2020 13:48:38 (GMT+3) | Istanbul Turkish steel producer Tosyali Holding has announced that it has speeded up its investment aimed at transforming iron ore to steel in Angola. The steel producer stated that it will meet the steel requirements of the region, processing ten million mt per year of iron ore with its Angola project. The company aims to increase its investments in Africa with this project. Tosyali Holding had previously restarted the Cassinga Integrated Iron and Steel Project in Angola - which had halted its operations in 1970 - following the investment of Tosyali Economic Territory in Senegal, West Africa. The Cassinga project is located approximately 350 km east of the city of Lubango. Trump is taking on the historical revisionists - that was the Spectator headline on an article by my friend Douglas Murray, who was talking about the President's eloquent defence of a country under attack from radical liberals who despise it and young people, who, as Murray has put it elsewhere, have been "educated into imbecility". This was slightly disconcerting for me, for in the culture wars, I am on the same side as my good friend Douglas, yet, ever since, in 1977, I published an honest biography of the 1916 leader Patrick Pearse, I have been reviled in Irish republican circles as a revisionist. So, before I talk about a new book, The Northern Ireland Question: Perspectives on Nationalism and Unionism, edited by Patrick J Roche and Brian Barton, which is a brilliant contribution to our understanding of the unbridgeable gap between nationalists and unionists, let me clarify what the word means. Calling someone a revisionist is normally an insult levelled by people who cherish myths, yet historians who write history based on evidence are bound to have to revise their opinion as new facts emerge. But the American revisionists are not honest historians grappling with the complexities of the past: they are ignorant ideologues determined to recast American history as a shameful story of land-grabbing white supremacists by tearing down statues and desecrating the memory of those they know little about, but have decided to hate. President Trump was speaking in front of Mount Rushmore National Memorial, one of the holiest sites of patriotic Americans, where George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt are carved into the mountains. Murray asks: "If Mount Rushmore is 'stolen', then what of the rest of the country? And if all the land is stolen, the Founding Fathers were only slavers and the Constitution is a product of 'white supremacy', then what exactly holds this grand, quarter-millennial project together?" "The nationalist case for Irish unity and the claimed 'injustice' of partition are fundamentally based on the claim that the inhabitants of the island of Ireland constitute a single nation," says Patrick Roche in his superb essay, Terrorism and Irish Nationalism. "Yet, it is a delusion, based on the belief that unionism expresses a 'false consciousness'; that is, a failure on the part of unionists as a minority of the claimed Irish nation to accept their real, authentic national and political identity." Roche quotes the French philosopher Ernest Renan's view that national identity requires its people to have in common "a rich legacy of remembrances" and "actual consent, the desire to live together, the will to continue to value the heritage which all hold in common". When Irish nationalists gather to honour Irish revolutionaries, they are demonstrating that Irish identity does not include unionists, who have their own rich legacy and no desire to live with those who despise it. When they indulge themselves in the national sense of grievance immortalised by Professor Liam Kennedy as MOPE (the Most Oppressed People Ever), which most unionists rightly regard as preposterous, they are copper-fastening partition. This is exacerbated when they utterly refuse to recognise that the actions of the Irish state in its early years, in encouraging violence in Northern Ireland and seeking at every turn to undermine it, was utterly counter-productive. Or the bleak reality that the campaign for Irish unity was driven by a gospel of IRA hate and a barbarous murder campaign. Roche quotes the political scientist Karl Deutsch's view that a nation is "a group of people united by a mistaken view about the past and a hatred of their neighbours". Despite Sinn Fein lies and perversions of history, real historians and unionists know what happened in the past and where the hatred led. This important book, by several talented and respected contributors, faces many truths the one-nation believers want to avoid. I'll be coming back to it in future columns, but just for now, I would like to think the new Taoiseach, who is an historian, might at least read Roche's essay before he gets dragged into the next round of recriminations. Ireland could be a peaceful island if nationalists could accept that people, not geography, determine a nation. And, like the US, the Republic of Ireland needs to stand up to the ignorant, the deluded and the wreckers. By Express News Service KOLKATA: West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and officials of the higher education department met Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday at Raj Bhavan to discuss over the issue of the UGCs recent directive to hold terminal semester exams compulsory by end-September. The state government has been opposing UGC's directive citing the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the same issue seeking his intervention. Before Mamatas letter to the PM, the state education secretary had written to the higher education secretary of the MHRD criticising UGCs directive. "The Governor at his level assured Chatterjee that in view of the stance reflected in the letter of the Chief Minister to the Prime Minister, he would also take up the matter appropriately," said an official of the Raj Bhavan. Sources in Raj Bhavan said, Chatterjee mentioned the advisory issued in April by the UGC allowing universities to be flexible and the government to issue guidelines along with the revised circular issued by the statutory body are conflicting. He also pointed out that some states and UTs such as Maharashtra, Punjab, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry had already decided not to hold the terminal semester exams. Chatterjee also allegedly told the Governor that, considering the current trend of rapidly growing number of COVID-19 cases, it could not be predicted if the situation would be conducive to hold exams by September end. "Besides, going through the statistics of the Government of India on digital access across the country, it will not be appropriate to hold online exams, which will be discriminatory against a large section of students, especially in rural areas, who do not have access to computers and internet," he pointed out during the course of the discussion. Beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) have social systems to rival our own, according to new research led by marine biologists from the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University. The beluga is a species of toothed whale that lives in Arctic and subartic waters and occupies a wide range of habitats from shallow estuaries and embayments to deep glacial fjords and open pelagic habitats. These creatures are one of two members of the family Monodontidae, along with the narwhal, and the only member of the genus Delphinapterus. Also known as the white whales or the sea canaries, they are distinctive for their white color and sophisticated vocal repertoires. At birth, belugas are dark gray to brownish gray. They whiten increasingly as they age, reaching the pure white stage between 5 and 12 years of age. They have a small bulbous head with only a very short beak, no dorsal fin, small rounded flippers, and flukes that often have a convex trailing edge. Adult belugas are less than 5.5 m (18 feet), and large animals may weigh up to 1.6 metric tons. Calves average about 1.6 m (5.2 feet) at birth. Belugas exhibit a wide range of grouping patterns from small groups of 2-10 individuals to large herds of 2,000 or more. Some beluga populations undertake long annual migrations, returning each summer to traditional summering grounds where they congregate in coastal waters to feed, raise their young, and undergo an annual molt. Like killer whales (Orcinus orca) and African elephants (Loxodonta africana), belugas were thought to form social bonds around females that primarily comprise closely related individuals from the same maternal lineage. However, this hypothesis had not been formally tested. Our research will improve our understanding of why some species are social, how individuals learn from group members and how animal cultures emerge, said lead author Dr. Greg OCorry-Crowe, a researcher in the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University. For the study, Dr. OCorry-Crowe and colleagues used field observations, mtDNA profiling, and multi-locus genotyping of beluga whales to address fundamental questions about beluga group structure, and patterns of kinship and behavior. The scientists conducted the study at 10 locations, in different habitats, across the species range. They found that belugas formed a limited number of group types, from mother-calf dyads to adult male groups, and from mixed-age groups to large herds. These same group types were consistently observed across population and habitats. Furthermore, certain behaviors were associated with group type, and group membership was found to often be dynamic. Given their long lifespan (approximately 70 years) and tendency to remain within their natal community, these results reveal that beluga whales may form long-term affiliations with unrelated as well as related individuals. It also has implications for traditional explanations based on matrilineal care for a very rare life-history trait in nature, menopause, which has only been documented in a handful of mammals, including beluga whales and humans, Dr. OCorry-Crowe said. Beluga whale groupings beyond mother-calf dyads were not usually organized around close maternal relatives. The smaller social groups, as well as the larger herds, routinely comprised multiple matrilines. Even where group members shared the same mtDNA lineage, microsatellite analysis often revealed that they were not closely related, and many genealogical links among group members involved paternal rather than maternal relatives. This new understanding of why individuals may form social groups, even with non-relatives, will hopefully promote new research on what constitutes species resilience and how species like the beluga whale can respond to emerging threats including climate change, Dr. OCorry-Crowe said. The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports. _____ G. OCorry-Crowe et al. 2020. Group structure and kinship in beluga whale societies. Sci Rep 10, 11462; doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-67314-w An Hai lake: As the second largest freshwater lake on Con Dao island, An Hai lake has become a great summer destination to visit. Visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the charming beauty of lotus flowers as they enter full bloom. Hoang Phi Yen street, which runs along the lake, is a popular tourist attraction with many guests taking photographers and sampling the atmosphere. (Photo: Shutterstock/Nguyen Quang Ngoc Tonkin) You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close When it comes to increasing financial wealth, many experts have said it's wise to diversify and create multiple streams of revenue or cash flow. The same goes for increasing happiness. Happiness is the biggest challenge I see entrepreneurs struggle with as they gradually as their business grows. There are many things that go by the wayside in the rest of their lives that impact their overall happiness and wellbeing as they focus on their business to make it more successful, secure and valued. They don't spend a lot of time doing the same thing for their happiness. Related: 5 Actions You Can Take to Increase Your Happiness Quotient The reality is most people dont. Instead, they rely on one stream of happiness. Relying on one source creates a dependent relationship and can become troublesome, especially, in the case of a pandemic, if that source becomes unavailable to you. Just like any financial expert will tell you, using that similar mentality wont be great for your financial success. A way to resolve this is by creating multiple streams of happiness. The following are three key streams of happiness that will level up your business, wellbeing, and fulfillment. Level one: People You're the average of the five people you spend time with the most. Its a catchy quote that only matters at a high level. People are the easiest source to tap into your happiness. If you're not spending a lot of time with anyone, but specifically those who make you happy, this will severely impact your happiness, business, and eventually, health. Loneliness has proven to be an actual killer and this isnt something unfamiliar for those taking the lonely entrepreneurial path. As entrepreneurs, we are very aware of the stories of depression, increased anxiety, lower motivation, and lack of physical care-taking. Related: Shark Tank Star Mark Cuban: 'Money Can't Buy Happiness' To combat that, its vital to instill social connection as a daily practice. Having close connections has been proven to lessen susceptibility to premature death, increase the ability to survive a fatal illness, and in day-to-day application, better your ability to handle stressful events. Creating more social engagement, especially during this pandemic, when we're not able to be physically close, has become more important than ever. These connections will provide you happiness and joy. Studies have shown even talking to strangers can make you happier. This is the complete opposite of what weve been taught growing up. Yet, your business and future are dependent on connecting with strangers. In addition, this stream includes the people you want coming into your life as you continue to move forward in yours. Who are those people who will be in your circle? They can be made up of possible mentors, influencers, friends, and associates who have strengths you'd like to improve in your life. Whether or not you have close relationships with them, are having conversations with them over zoom, or just shooting a text, having social engagement is vital to your health and happiness stream. Level two: Places We have the ability to create or go to environments that bring us joy. During a pandemic, you may feel limited in where those places are. Lets take a look at three types of environments. The first is inside your home. This could go without saying but as we now live in a work at home world, its even more important to have spaces inside your home that arent work-related and specifically designed to make you happy. Related: 7 Keys to Unlock Your Happiness For example, working from the couch or bed doesnt make those places fun when youre not working. Having a designated space for work and leaving everything there (laptop, accessories, etc.) will allow you to have the rest of the space to yourself. The second is public and available open-air locations such as parks, beaches, or trails. Exposure to these places (and vitamin D) will ground you and naturally increase your self-esteem and happiness. The third are virtual places. We can use video conferencing tools and other tech platforms such as social media and meetup apps to socially engage. While social media is a go-to platform to connect with others, I personally recommend using it with caution, as excessive social media use is tied a decrease in happiness. Whether its attending a virtual concert, yoga or meditation class, or pub trivia, finding and knowing you can always have access to these places will virtually (pun intended) guarantee you moments of joy, especially if you haven't had those experiences in a while. Level three: Things or experiences What do you do for fun? While its nice to have people around and places to go have fun, what you do to have fun is vital. Personally, no matter what happens in life, video games will always be that source for me. I can always play video games at any time, knowing itll make me happier. The more time you experience these moments of joy, the less you worry about the stresses that come as an entrepreneur, and the more you experience gratitude. Even though combining these three streams create the maximum impact on happiness, using them as separate streams will make life happier, more joyful, and in the long term, create more success for you as a well-balanced entrepreneur. Whether it's through (social) engagement, environments, or experiences, having diversity in the creating of joy will create sustainable, long-term happiness, even in the most stressful of times. If one becomes unavailable or temporarily boring, which will happen, you can pick up another source and create variety. While being able to rely on a single source creates security in anything, what creates even more security is expanding beyond just one source of reliability. And this applies to virtually everything in life. Take this time to create more streams of happiness. Your business and soul will thank you. Related: How to Create Multiple Happiness Streams in Your Life Being Bored Is the Best Thing That Can Happen to You Are You Open to Opposing Viewpoints? 3 Tips for Improving Critical Thinking. Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Indian Army chief General MM Naravane on Monday reiterated Indias zero tolerance policy against the ceasefire violations by Pakistan and attempts by terrorists to infiltrate from across the border. Pakistan has intensified ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Army has said it has recorded as many as 2,542 violations till June 30. On Sunday, Pakistan initiated cross-border firing in Nowshera sector of Rajouri and Kirni and Qasba sectors of Poonch. The 3,289 violations of the mutually-brokered a truce deal in November 2003 were recorded last year and were the highest in 16 years. The COAS (chief of army staff) reinstated the fact of zero tolerance against the ceasefire violations by Pakistan and infiltration attempts by terrorists, Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand said in a statement. He further highlighted that all agencies of the services and Govt are working together relentlessly and will continue to do the same to defeat the nefarious design of proxy war being fueled by our adversaries, he added. The comments came Gen Naravane visited the forward areas along Indias 198 kilometre-long international border with Pakistan to review the security scenario and preparedness of troops deployed in Jammu-Pathankot region. He interacted with the field formation commanders and troops during his visit. He also visited the forward areas of Gurj Division and was briefed by Maj Gen YP Khanduri, GOC Gurj Division. The Army Chief addressed all ranks of Western Command through video conferencing and lauded the morale of the troops. He expressed complete confidence in Indian Armys capabilities to thwart any misadventure by the enemies of our country and handle any situation, the spokesperson said. The army chief arrived in a fixed-wing aircraft at the technical airport in Jammu and then visited Tiger Division from where he flew into the chopper to the forward areas. The International Border (IB) in Jammu region is manned by the Border Security Force (BSF) on the Indian side and Pakistani Rangers on their side. A senior army officer said Gen Naravane will fly to Pathankot later in the day. Though there is no heightened activity across the IB, the army chief had to see the prevailing security scenario, said the officer. It is no exaggeration to say that there is now no guaranteed safe place in Trinidad and Tobago. We have moved from the stage of being prisoners in our homes behind metal bars to being afraid to enjoy the beautiful outdoors and even to sleep, for fear that if crime comes knocking we may have no recourse but to cower and beg for our lives. The society is being overpowered by the force of the criminal will with insufficient resources to resist and break that power. The first boat to roll off local boat builder Lightning Marines production line is a small plastic catamaran designed as a safer and more stable alternative to the aluminium dinghy. The Fat Cat 4000 was designed, made and tested locally, and has already attracted export orders from Korea and the UK. Its designer, Blair McLay, produced the first prototype in his Manly garage six years ago and sold it to Stillwater boatie Roger Tweddell, who liked it so much that he is now a partner in Lightning Marine. Blair spent eight years working for Pure Design & Engineering, which was contracted for design work on previous Americas Cup campaigns. He says a couple of years ago he did some early concept drawings for the current Americas Cup boat. Now in his own business, the 33-year-old says his aim with the Fat Cat was to produce a relatively affordable, more stable and safer alternative to the tinny. I wanted to find a solution to all that tipping, rolling and getting swamped activity that can happen in a tinny, Blair says. A bigger boat is a safer boat, but not everyone can afford a bigger boat as prices jump fast. The size is what makes the Fat Cat unique. The boat is 3.8m long and 2m wide, designed for use by two people. Feedback on the second prototype at trade shows resulted in the decision to make the boat from polyethylene Blair says this was because plastic boats are more resilient to being knocked around. It also kept the costs and weight down and resulted in a quieter boat. The Fat Cat is built by a rotational moulding process, also used for kayaks the moulds were built in Silverdale a year ago. The fit out is done in the companys Whangaparaoa workshop. The first one sold to a customer in Napier last November and Blair says word is spreading and orders are rolling in. You can fish or dive from it it allows people to get out and safely enjoy the water, Blair says. The government has asked PTI to pay the amount by 7 August, failing which the agency will have to pay 10 percent interest on the total dues. The Union Housing ministry has imposed a fine of Rs 84.48 crore on news agency Press Trust of India (PTI), accusing it of having violated the terms of the lease agreement under which it was allotted land for its Sansad Marg office in Delhi. The government has asked the news agency to pay the amount by 7 August, failing to do which the agency will have to pay 10 percent interest on the total dues. A report in The Print quoted an official from the ministry as saying that PTI had not paid the ground rent since 1984, and that the agency 'misused the land-allotment terms by converting the basement into an office.' The report also quoted a PTI spokesperson as saying that the agency has received the notice and is seeking clarification from the authorities. This is the second time when the Centre has resorted to legal action against the news agency after PTI published an interview of Chinese ambassador Sun Weidong on 25 June where he blamed India for the standoff at the Galwan Valley. On 27 June, state broadcaster Prasar Bharati threatened to cancel the subscription of PTI after accusing it of "anti-national reportage". The news agency had also mentioned India's stand in its report. However, the Chinese Embassy had later published an abridged version of the interview, which left out India's statement. Responding to criticism over the interview, a PTI spokesperson was quoted by The Print as saying, "Interviews with newsmakers are routine business for media organisations during which a range of questions are asked. Some of the comments make news. It is clear that the one-sided criticism of the PTI interview has been generated by the truncated version put out by the Chinese Embassy." At the time, Livemint had quoted a source at the state broadcaster as saying, "This kind of news coverage no longer makes it tenable to continue the relationship the two had shared for decades, as part of which the public broadcaster has been supporting PTI with huge annual fees running into several crores." Prasar Bharati, which comprises the state-owned Doordarshan Television Network and All India Radio, pays annual fees of Rs 9.5 crore to the agency. By Trend The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held phone talks with his Armenian and Azerbaijani colleagues on July 13, in which the sharp aggravation of the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border was discussed, Trend reports referring to the ministry. During the talks, the minister called on the conflict parties for restraint. "Lavrov called on the parties for immediate ceasefire, restraint within the undertaken commitments and proposals from the representatives of Russia, the US and France as co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, the ministry stated. It was stressed that Russia will continue, both at its national level and as part of the co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group, to fulfill its mediatory mission through contacts with Baku and Yerevan. The Russian side also noted the importance of taking a responsible approach by all members of the Minsk Group in assessing the current situation and avoiding statements and actions that could provoke an additional growth in the tension, said the statement. Starting from noon on July 12, units of the armed forces of Armenia, grossly violating the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijans Tovuz district along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, opened artillery fire at Azerbaijani positions. Azerbaijan's armed response forced the Armenian army to retreat suffering losses. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz NEW YORK, N.Y. -- New Yorkers will be required to wear face coverings indoors when they are not at home with other people around, even if they are socially distanced from others, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday. The latest public health guidance came a day after the city reported its first day of no coronavirus deaths for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic in New York City. When youre indoors not in your place where you live with your family or the other people you live under the same roof with ... if youre at work, if youre at a store, even if there seems to be a lot of space, just keep that face-covering on all the time, de Blasio told reporters during a press conference Monday. Its a good precaution anytime there are people around, keep it on, he continued. De Blasio called face coverings one of the biggest game-changers to stopping the spread of the virus that would need to be worn more as New Yorkers go back to work in indoor settings. CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS ON THE RISE FOR 20 TO 29-YEAR-OLDS, MAYOR WARNS But even though the city has made progress fighting the virus as other states like Florida have seen record spikes in new cases, de Blasio cautioned that the rate of infection among 20 to 29-year-olds was on the rise. The mayor said the city would begin outreach to young adults through digital media campaigns, getting influencers to reach them, and by reaching them at outdoor venues across the city with the help of mobile testing vans and giving them face coverings. De Blasio also said that despite the city expanding its coronavirus testing capacity, there had been a slowdown in getting test results back from testing labs. He called on President Donald Trump to invoke the Defense Production Act to expand the countrys lab capacity to speed up getting back results. The federal government has to step up now because its now becoming a national crisis, de Blasio warned. We use to have almost no testing, now we have more testing, but if you cant get the results in real-time it doesnt help you enough. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach - 13 July 2020 - Whether you are a beginner or an experienced investor, a turbulent year like 2020 makes it unmistakably difficult to accurately predict how the investment market will behave. Moreover, with having Hong Kong's economy having been heavily impacted by political crises as well as the ongoing pandemic, market analysis has become even harder to predict. However, according to a recent report on the British Times, Li Jinrong, the chairman of the Hong Kong Investment Fund Association expressed that, "Hong Kong's long-term strategic position will not change. Currently, InvestHK maintains close communication with current and potential investors, and investors are 'still quite optimistic' about the medium- and long-term development prospects of Hong Kong." And Right Key Investment is prepared to fully utilizes their senior team to create one-on-one investment services to make the investment more professional and successful. A real estate agency in Melbourne, Australia, Right Key Investment to aims help their clients from Asia who are interested in buying a property in Australia to understand the market and the secondary market. So that their clients make the right investment decisions. As an agency that consists of Hong Kong people living in Australia, Right Key Investment's team can fluently communicate in Cantonese, English, and Mandarin. With an in-depth understanding of the development of Australian real estate, especially the second-hand market. Coupled with professionalism and years of financial experience in Australia, we know what it takes to attain exceptional cash flow from property investments. Additionally, Right Key Investment's team of professionals can provide a tailored approach to help customers analyse the situation from multiple angles, that lead to intelligent and wise investment decisions. Moreover, Right Key Investment has a pool of properties for their clients to choose from and can even find off-market Australian real estate if it is better suited to their needs. Story continues If you want to get involved in the Australian property market, Right Key Investment offers exclusive tailored investment plans that can help our clients succeed. We hope to hear from you soon! From Saturday 15 Aguust, beauty salons in England are allowed to offer customers close-contact services such as eyebrow threading and facials. But they were previously forced to delay reopening fully, after Boris Johnson postponed lifting lockdown restrictions further due to a rise in Covid-19 infections. Salons were initially permitted to reopen, along with tattoo parlours, tanning shops, and nail bars, partially on 13 July and were meant to reopen fully on 1 August to allow treatments involving the face. However, this was delayed to the increase in coronavirus cases in the north of England. Salons were told that facial treatments were still too dangerous due to the increased risk of spreading Covid-19 between workers and customers. This is because splashes and droplets from the nose and mouth could be easily transmitted from one person to another. Although workers understood the science, they criticised the details of the plan as sexist because the list of permissible treatments deemed a beard trim safe, but eyebrow threading unsafe, when both require close proximity. The discrepancy sparked outrage in the beauty industry. The Beauty Guild, the UKs largest trade body representing over 16,000 beauty professionals, wrote an open letter to Boris Johnson, urging him to reconsider, stating: While it is understandable that some treatments must remain off-limits, there is no scientific reason why eyebrow treatments pose more of a threat than beard trimming. Beauty Guild director Rebecca Archer said the large majority of its members are female entrepreneurs who have suffered financial hardship during lockdown. Imposing further unnecessary restrictions on their livelihoods is grossly unfair, she told The Independent, adding that the rules favour the grooming needs of men over women. Salon owners were equally frustrated by the restrictions. This is such a patriarchal issue to allow barbers to provide facial treatments for men, while women cant get any facial treatments at all, said Aya Hassan, founder of Portobello Girl beauty salon in west London, who pointed out that barbers often administer facial treatments themselves on men. They all have steamer cabins for hot towels, so what is the difference? she asked. Several beauticians argued that the rules dont make sense in terms of proximity to the client, given that you have to be just as close to someone to trim their beard as you do to wax their eyebrows, for example. I find it hard to believe it makes a difference if you are cutting hair, trimming a beard, doing nails or facials, said Katie White, facialist at Re:lax in east London. We havent seen any science that confirms the virus can tell the difference between 10, 20 or 30cm distance, nor if the facial hair belongs to a man or a woman. In all of these treatments you are touching the client, hence the need for PPE, taking temperatures on arrival, having hand sanitation stations on entry and very strict cleaning protocols. It does feel like it is one rule for men and another for women. Many salons will have lost out on a significant portion of their business due to the rules. Sam Marshall, owner of The Beauty Guru in Salford, explained that facial treatments are one of their key services, making up almost a third of the business. This will be a major blow, she added. Similarly, Penny Weston, director of Moddershall Oaks Country Spa Retreat in Staffordshire, said that not being able to offer facials will have resulted in a 25 per cent loss in revenue. However, it is not just treatment revenue we will be losing, as we use our facial treatments as a springboard for the retail of our products, she added, explaining that the spa profits significantly from the facial products purchased after a treatment. This will be a major blow Sam Marshall, The Beauty Guru Earlier this month, while salons offering a wide range of services had opened up, those that offered specialist brow or lash treatments were forced to remain closed. However, close-contact services are now permitted from 15 August. Before the change in rules, brow specialist Liarna Jessica Yearwood, director of Liarna Jessica London, explained that her company had not received any support from the government because she uses a shared space and is therefore not eligible for any grants. We have not had any income since 23 March, but we still have ongoing business expenses to pay out. There is a real risk that we may not survive if we do not start working very soon, she said. I know this is the same situation for many other beauty-based businesses. I would urge the government to reconsider and our clients would support us in this. For some salon owners at the beginning of August, it was already a case of being too little, too late. Edyta Kurowska launched a new lash bar in Oxford Circus shortly before lockdown began and after one week of successful business, was forced to close down. To me, it seems like pure sexism, she said, stressing that her treatments do not require close contact. I sit behind my clients, there is no face-to-face contact, she says. I cant imagine you can trim a beard without getting closer to the person than eyelash extension applications require. I am absolutely heartbroken at how beauty businesses have been treated by the government during this pandemic. Many industry professionals complained the rules highlight how the beauty industry had long been wrongly perceived as superficial, despite the fact that its worth nearly 30bn to the UK economy. This view was highlighted in a recent Prime Ministers Questions, when Mr Johnson was criticised for his response to an enquiry from William Wragg MP about when salons might be able to open. I am sure that one day I will go with my honourable friend to Lush Beauty, but it is a sad reality for many of those excellent businesses that they cannot yet open in the way they want, he said in early July. Leisa Roberts, who runs a brow studio in Chester, said such a response shows how the industry is disregarded by those in power. Its evident from recent comments and laughter from Prime Ministers Questions, as an industry we are perceived as frivolous and unnecessary when in fact this couldnt be further from the truth, she said. We treat thousands of clients suffering after chemotherapy, from alopecia, polycystic ovaries, or low self-esteem and take our roles in their recovery and safety very seriously. Roberts added that not being able to administer any eyebrow treatments was catastrophic for her business. Beauty businesses as a whole are now under severe financial strain and at risk of closure. A government spokesperson previously told The Independent that the guidance had been developed alongside the beauty industry, warning that close contact services put workers and customers at a much greater risk of transmission of the virus. The government now says that close contact services including front of the face treatments such as eyebrow threading, eyelash treatments and facials are permitted from 15 August under new guidance. The new rules state that all staff who offer close contact services, including hairdressers, should wear a type 2 surgical face mask, in addition to wearing a clear visor that covers their face. This will help protect the customer and staff from respiratory droplets caused by sneezing, coughing, or speaking, the regulation says. Los Angeles comedian Kristina Wong was planning to take her new one-woman show on tour in the spring when it was suddenly canceled because of the swiftly spreading novel coronavirus. She stored the props and costumes she had sewn for her show, "Kristina Wong for Public Office," and contemplated what to do with the time on her hands. "I thought, 'OK, this is just going to be a two-week gap,' " said Wong, 42, an elected member of her neighborhood council in L.A.'s Koreatown. Wanting to put her time to good use, she reached out to the homeless population in her community and donated tents and air mattresses, and also paid to have two washing stations installed so people could keep their hands clean. Then a friend showed her a news story in March about Los Angeles-area hospitals pleading for face masks. Wong knew it was time to pull out her Hello Kitty sewing machine and leftover fabric scraps. She posted an offer on Facebook to make a mask for anyone who was immunocompromised or was unable to buy one on their own. She found herself swamped with hundreds of requests from front-line workers and people who were considered high-risk. Realizing she couldn't handle the job alone, "I put out a call to my Facebook friends for help," she said. Initially, 26 people signed up, but as the demand for masks grew, so did the number of volunteers. Wong decided to call her sewing group the Auntie Sewing Squad, after a friend told her, "There are squads of aunties being deployed right now." "In Asian communities, 'auntie' is a term of endearment and trust," Wong said. "An auntie is someone who helps you feel loved and cared for." Nearly four months later, Wong and more than 300 "aunties" are still making masks, with a focus on helping vulnerable communities such as migrant workers, day laborers, people being released from prison and Native Americans who live in isolated areas. More than 60,000 masks have now been donated, she said, with plans to keep stitching for as long as they're needed. Although Wong initially requested $5 to cover postage for each mask, hundreds of people who can't sew now chip in to pay for postage or buy fabric. "We were fortunate to have enough in donations that we can now ship to our recipients for free," she said. Although she hasn't had to spend her own money on the project, she has spent up to 80 hours a week sewing masks and coordinating deliveries. "The communities we help are usually miles from a Walmart, with no easy way to access masks," said Wong, who has worked with her volunteers to send thousands of masks to Native American tribes such as the Navajo Nation, where many people don't have electricity, running water or access to the internet. "Our goal is to reach all communities who aren't getting support with masks from other groups," she added. "We're the least likely kind of soldiers. But we can sew. We have a gift that can help save lives." Wong said she learned the difference between a backstitch and a basting stitch from her grandmother and mother, accomplished seamstresses who patiently taught her how to sew on a button and create everything from dolls to school clothes. She honed her craft in middle school home economics class, she said, and when she became a comedian and actress, Wong decided it made sense to sew her own props. "I would sew to de-stress," she said, "and I had this crazy idea to sew the entire set for my 2015 show, 'The Wong Street Journal.' I created the entire set of the New York Stock Exchange on my sewing machine." For Wong, who often uses her performance art to draw attention to social and racial injustice, sewing face masks to help society's most vulnerable seemed like a perfect fit, she said. "I don't like to romanticize any of this because the government should actually be doing this work," Wong said. "But I refuse to be depressed about it. People need to be taken care of." Her crew of "aunties" share that sentiment. Monica Bullard, a certified nurse midwife from Oakland, Calif., was already sewing masks for friends and neighbors when a friend told her about the Auntie Sewing Squad. She immediately decided to use her extra fabric to pitch in. "The aunties provide me with a community of people all working toward the same goal at a time when we're lacking a connection with others," said Bullard, 53, who has sewn 825 masks for former prison inmates, nursing home residents, people who are HIV-positive and Black Lives Matters protesters. Kenneth Provincial, a volunteer fire chief for South Dakota's Rosebud Sioux Tribe, is among those who are grateful for the Auntie Sewing Squad. In the spring, he and his 28-member firefighting unit couldn't find simple masks to protect them from the coronavirus when responding to calls, he said. "We're in the middle of nowhere, and when the pandemic hit, there were no masks to be found," said Provincial, 53, who also runs a coffee shop and a towing business. When he was contacted by one of Wong's "aunties," "It really meant a lot to us," he said. "They've sent us several shipments of hundreds of masks, and we distribute the extras to children and youth in the tribe. It's a tremendous gift." Tensie Hernandez, who helps farmworkers find housing and get access to food benefits and health care through the group Beatitude House, said masks from the Auntie Sewing Squad have helped protect hundreds of workers and their families along California's Central Coast. "Covid has been frightening for everyone, and our essential workers have often been neglected," said Hernandez, 52. "Being able to offer them these face masks has been a huge help," she said. "I've been touched by the way the masks have been thoughtfully made and packaged and sent to us with so much love." Wong said she's glad her message of caring comes through with each package. "The Auntie Sewing Squad isn't just about us being a workforce, cutting up old bedsheets when we run low on fabric," she said. "We're a government shadow aid agency, showing that it's possible to care for each other during this weird time in history." Amid deepening political crisis in Rajasthan, a crucial meeting of the Congress Legislature Party will be held at the chief minister's residence here on Monday. The Congress has issued a whip to all party legislators mandating their presence during the meeting which will be convened at 10.30 am by chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has made it clear that he is not going to attend the meeting. In a statement issued on Sunday night, Pilot had claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government was in minority and more than 30 Congress and some independent legislators have pledged support to him. By doing so, he has openly displayed rebellion against the leadership of Gehlot. However, All India Congress Committee general secretary Avinash Pande has said that 109 MLAs have expressed confidence in the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in the state and have signed a letter in support. Pande said a whip had been issued asking all the MLAs to attend the CLP meeting and that action will be taken against those who skip it. In the 200-member Rajasthan assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72. The Congress has the support of 10 out of 13 independents, and other party MLAs like Rashtriya Lok Dal (1), which is its ally. The Congress also considers Bhartiya Tribal Party (2) and CPI-M (2) MLAs as their supporters. BJP ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party has three MLAs in the assembly. The Charger Blog Students and alumni received National Student Production Awards in six categories as well as seven honorable mentions in five categories from the New England chapter of NATAS. They said their work enabled them to gain meaningful industry experience. By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications Students shooting the award-winning film "Divine." A few weeks before he was to begin an advanced filmmaking course at the University of New Haven, Michael Stevens 20 realized he still needed a script. He found inspiration in Far Cry 5, a video game that he had played over the summer, creating the script for the film Divine. The piece recently earned National Student Production Awards in long form fiction, directing, and writing from the Boston/New England chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS). When I found out Divine had won, I immediately felt shock, followed by immense gratitude, said Stevens, a communication major who served as the films director. To see something that began as a script recognized amongst other great films and works of media was such an amazing thing. I was also very grateful for all the people who worked on the film and made it possible for us to get recognized for all our hard work. Divine was one of several works created by University of New Haven students that were recognized by the New England chapter of NATAS. Students and alumni received awards in six categories and seven honorable mentions in five categories. 'It felt like all our hard work paid off' Jenna Sullivan 20 also worked on Divine, serving as part of the production design crew, costume and prop coordinator, and as an assistant camera operator. She also wrote and produced the student film Park Bench, which was also recognized. Students shooting "Park Bench" on the West Haven Green. I was so happy and beyond grateful that I had been a part of both of these projects, said Sullivan, a communication major. It felt like all our hard work paid off. It was amazing to know that we had done something so creative and fun and that we were acknowledged for it. We were up against some outstanding schools, and I think this reflects how incredible the Universitys program is and how talented our advisers are. NATAS is a professional service organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and related media, as well as the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational, and technical achievements within the television industry. Submissions were evaluated by members of NATAS and compared with that of students from across New England. This is an accomplishment that our department, and, indeed, our University, can be proud of, said Paul Falcone, director of studio operations and media production at the University and the students adviser. These awards are a tangible demonstration of our students talent and dedication to their craft and art. Im sure we can look forward to even greater accomplishments from this fine group of students. 'You cannot work without each other' Divine was the first film that Stefania Sassano 21, a communication major, worked on. The films casting director, she received honorable mention for her work. She enjoyed being a part of the auditions, which were held in New York City and at the University, and working with the actors. Stefania Sassano '21. Being a casting director taught me how much communication there is between cast and crew, she said. I also learned how crucial teamwork is, since putting a film together is a group project. You cannot work without each other, and that's what I love about working in film. Taylor Bennett 20 wore many hats working on Divine, and the experience helped guide her career path. Working as a casting coordinator, production manager, and first assistant director, she attended four separate auditions, helped organize the shoot schedule and budget, and kept the cast and crew updated. This gave me the opportunity to explore my interests and to gain a full understanding of what each position entails, said Bennett, a communication major. Now I know what skills I should work on to become a first assistant director in the future. Working on this film enabled me to develop important skills, such as communication, resilience, management skills, and teamwork. Several University of New Haven students and alumni were also recognized by NATAS last year, and they received their awards at the 42nd Annual Boston/New England Emmy Awards Ceremony. Typically held in Boston each June, the event brings together honorees and industry professionals, but it did not take place this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. 'I want the audience to be filled with awe' Nathan Gagne and Diana Perez working on "Divine." Several students who were recognized last year, including Nathan Gagne 20, a communication major, was recognized again this year. He served as director of photography for Divine and for the award-winning Connecticut Bankers Reward Association public service announcement. He also edited Park Bench. After hearing about the recent NATAS awards, some of my previous internships have reached out to me asking if I would join them on projects, such as commercials, he said. I am excited to see where this might lead. I am extremely proud that everyone was recognized for their talent and hard work. This is everybody's achievement, and they deserve it. Diana Perez 20, who also worked on Divine and Park Bench as production designer and director, respectively, says being a part of both projects enabled her to develop confidence and gain experience that has her well prepared for her career. I realized that hard work and teamwork bring the best results in the end, said Perez, a communication major. When watching these films, I want the audience to be filled with awe as they realize they were produced by students from the University of New Haven. I hope to come back to the University in the future to meet the next generation of filmmakers. Environmentalists are calling for the UK government to match the European Union in reducing pesticide use by 50 percent by 2030. The target has been called for in a new report by the Wildlife Trusts, which urges the government for more action in boosting insect populations. The report, entitled Reversing the Decline of Insects, explained that reducing 'insect-harming' pesticides would help them become 'abundant once more'. The report cites examples of farmers and landowners undertaking measures to help increase insects. It follows the Insect declines and why they matter report, launched last year, which stated that insects were 'close to collapse'. The report concluded: The consequences are clear; if insect declines are not halted, terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems will collapse, with profound consequences for human wellbeing." In their new report, the Wildlife Trusts have called on the government to not weaken UK pesticide standards through post-Brexit trade deals, and support farmers to adopt 'insect-friendly farming practices'. The Wildlife Trusts believes that reversing the decline of insects was possible if a network of nature-rich areas was created 'covering at least 30% of the UK'. The charity has also called for legally binding targets for insects' recovery which were 'monitored and enforced'. Craig Bennett, chief executive of the Wildlife Trusts said insects had 'suffered the most' out of any wildlife species, adding that current trade deals threatened to 'make a bad situation worse'. "Its up to the government to ensure we maintain our current environmental standards, not let them slip and jeopardise the wildlife we have left. "The agriculture bill is a golden opportunity to set high standards in law and make sure insect-friendly farming practices are rewarded," Mr Bennett said. The Jaybird-Woodpecker War monument that stands outside Richmond City Hall pays homage to OUR HEROES. Its inscription is vague but compelling. It reads, Capable county government and their fellow citizens have reared this monument to their memory and as a promise to them that their principles shall be maintained for all time to come. Go stranger and to the Jaybirds tell, that for their countrys freedom they fell. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Efforts to remove Confederate monuments gain momentum in Houston suburbs The heroes are H.H. Frost, L.E. Gibson and J.M. Shamblin three white supremacists that were part of the Jaybirds, a faction of the Democratic party devoted to overthrowing the Woodpecker Republican stronghold and denying Blacks the right to vote or run for office. Their efforts were successful. After a bloody confrontation with the Woodpeckers, the Jaybirds took control of Fort Bend County, and African-Americans were denied the right to vote in primary elections or hold public office until 1953. The monument has long been mired in controversy. Movements to remove the obelisk have existed for decades, but a renewed effort from community activists has pushed the endeavors to the forefront. Activists calling for its removal have covered the monument with a tarp and erected a sign detailing the history behind the statue. Theyve also erected a sign with a QR code for a survey calling for its removal. MORE FROM CLAIRE GOODMAN: COVID-19 nurse ties the knot in hospital wedding Taral Patel is one of the organizers of the petition to remove the statue. Patel believes that the public should be allowed to choose what happens to the statue once removed, but he wants to see it placed in a museum where it can become a learning tool. Right now, all (the monument) says is that it honors our heroes. Theres no context. But what these guys did they violently removed the Black elected officials and their allies from office and denied African-Americans their voting rights, said Patel. To call them our heroes is just not right. This is not the first time Patel has worked to remove monuments. As a student at the University of Texas in Austin, Patel successfully petitioned the removal of statues of Confederate leaders from the center of campus. Though the Jaybird monument is not related to the Confederacy, Patel became familiar with the arguments against removing statues. One of the biggest criticisms that I learned from my process of removing the Confederate statues was people are saying that the left wants to have revisionist history and kind of remove the statues and hide the history, which is not the case, Patel explained. We should always use history as a way of educating but not honoring our bad history. CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE: Two Confederate statues will be removed in Houston. See the city's past, and current, tributes. The communitys response to the petition has been varied. Rhonda Kuykendall, moderator of the Fulshear Forum page on Facebook, posted a photograph of the covered statue on the page. The members reactions to her post were passionate and conflicting. I was not surprised by the online engagement of the Jaybird-Woodpecker statue. There was mixed discussion including erasing history, canceling culture, supporting white supremacy and a lot of anger, she said. Samantha Rodgers is working alongside Patel to push for the statues removal. Because of the Jaybirds, African-Americans were not able to vote or run for office in Fort Bend County until 1953, she noted. Theres nothing heroic about that. People need to learn the truth about the history here, and thats best done in an educational environment like a museum. Kuykendall agreed. The history Americans have learned in our public school system is not the full story. When we know better, we must do better. It is my hope that the statue will be moved to the Fort Bend Museum where the historical record can be complete, she said. These men are not my heroes, and it should not be left standing with the title Our Heroes proudly displayed on it. Patel hopes that by covering the statue, efforts to remove the statue entirely will progress. The covering will also protect the statue from vandalism until it can be moved. I think in the 21st century, we need to make decisions that reflect 21st century values. I would hope that people in the 21st century would not call them our heroes, Patel said. claire.goodman@chron.com By Sandip Kumar Mishra In the last few weeks, North Korea has made many provocative remarks about South Korea and blew up the inter-Korean liaison office at Gaeseong. On July 7, North Korea said that South Korea should not become a "mediator" between the U.S. and North Korea. The North's recent behavior is considered to be a slap in the face to President Moon Jae-in's attempts so far to engage North Korea. It's being forgotten that South Korea's engagement policy from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics led to four summit meetings, two joint declarations and one comprehensive military agreement between South and North Koreas. Furthermore, Moon's conciliatory approach toward North Korea also contributed in the North joining denuclearization talks with the U.S. and having three summit meets with the U.S. Notwithstanding some tangible outcomes of the inter-Korea relations, unfortunately North Korea and the U.S. were unable to have a quid pro quo deal on the denuclearization of the North and relaxing sanctions on the recalcitrant country. It happened because of mistrust between North Korea and the U.S. which led both sides to seek benefits but neither were ready to pay any costs for it. The North's recent provocative behavior toward the South is, thus, being explained as either failure of South Korea's engagement policy, or North Korea's frustration with the lack of any deal with the U.S. Actually, both explanations emanate from the two different positions. The first position assumes that inter-Korea relations are bilateral and if Moon's policy did not lead to a change in North Korean behavior, it is a failure of South Korean policy. The second position recognizes that inter-Korean ties are essentially trilateral in which inter-Korea relations, South Korea-U.S. relations and North Korea-U.S. relations constitute three interconnected legs. If sufficient progress is not made at one of these legs, the probability of success at other legs is quite low. Actually, the latter position is being preferred to comprehend the inter-Korea relations. The role and relationship of the U.S. with North Korea and South Korea have an important bearing on inter-Korea relations. The Moon administration from the very beginning has been aware of this fact and so has tried to reach out to North Korea both for a better inter-Korea relationship and also to connect Pyongyang to the U.S. to negotiate the denuclearization issue. Apart from establishing institutional and procedural connects with Pyongyang bilaterally, Seoul actively intervened whenever there were hiccups in the U.S.-North Korea talks such as a sudden meeting between Moon and Kim Jong-un when the Singapore summit was about to get derailed and arranging the third summit meet between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un at the truce village of Panmunjeom. But it has proved to be a mirage for South Korea to have good connections with the two countries which are not ready to have a deal with each other. Actually, it has led to both North Korea and the U.S. getting dissatisfied with South Korea. Now the choice for the South is either to take the lead in reaching out to the North and convince the U.S. to go along or seek autonomy of inter-Korea relations from the U.S. Actually, there have been times during the administrations of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, when Seoul had a relatively autonomous North Korea policy. This means the South may firmly convey to both the U.S. and the North that it wants to maintain good relations with both of them and try to keep U.S.-North Korea relations separate from inter-Korean relations. Actually, a similar sentiment was expressed by South Korea's Unification Minister-nominee Lee In-young on July 6, when he said the South would push for inter-Korean cooperation regardless of the U.S. position. Actually, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun also said July 8 during his visit to Seoul that the U.S. "strongly" supports inter-Korean cooperation and also commits to its security alliance with the South. Thus, it would be important for the South to minimize trilaterality in inter-Korea relations, and have a principled and consistent policy toward both the U.S. and North Korea. It appears necessary for improvement in inter-Korean relations, but of course insufficient because the North would also have to act accordingly. A rethinking on how much inter-Korean relations are bilateral and/or trilateral would definitely bring clarity in South Korea's North Korea policy. Furthermore, past experiences also teach that engagement with North Korea do not mean unprincipled compromises but a transparent, trustworthy and long-term approach which must be less affected by North Korea's oscillations. The author (sandipmishra10@gmail.com) is associate professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. S Lalitha By Express News Service BENGALURU: The lockdown re-imposed in Bengaluru without detailed guidelines has caught many potential air and rail travellers off-guard. Airlines were bombarded by passengers demanding to know if they can travel or have to opt for cancellation. A reliable source said that there will be no problem in the case of pre-booked tickets as flights will be permitted to operate undisturbed. The State is expected to come out with exhaustive guidelines on Monday. Flights and trains planned for operation will continue to run undisturbed. However, people may need to make arrangements on their own to reach the airport or railway station. If passengers manage to get a cab, they will be allowed to run with the passengers ticket considered as an e-pass for the cab driver, the source added. Pawan Bali had tweeted to the airport: As Bangalore has announced lockdown from 14th July will the flights be functional as I have one booked on 15th from Bangalore to Delhi. Flyer Purushothamam asked IndiGo: I have confirmed tickets from Chennai to Bangalore on 15th. Due to complete lockdown in Blr will these flights fly. Please clarify. Another flyer Ponnappa P tweeted to Lufthansa, I am booked on repat flight LH755 (Blr to France) on July 22. Does the Bangalore City lockdown (July 14 to 22) impact this flight in any way? Lufthansa responded: The flight is scheduled as planned for now. We do not have further information. Please keep an eye out for updates via our website. Similar responses were given by many airlines. The call centre number of the Indian Railways too received many queries from worried passengers. The absence of any physical cancellation at any PRS centre barring KRS rly station (till 2 pm) added to their woes as they could not go in for enquiries. A N Krishna Reddy, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, said, We are waiting for the State government to release clear guidelines on Monday. As of now, the inter-State trains have good response but not the intra-state ones. There are five pairs of special trains operating to and from Bengaluru to other States: Yesvantpur-Howrah (5 days a week), KSR Bengaluru City to Danapur in Bihar (daily), Yesvantpur to Hazrat Nizammudin (bi-weekly), Rajdhani Special from KSR to New Delhi (daily) and Udyan Express from KSR to Mumbai (aily) . In addition, intra-state special trains run daily from KSR to Mysuru and Belagavi and the Jan Shatabdi train to Hubballi. Roughly one out of every four teachers in the United States, amounting to nearly 1.5 million instructors, have a condition that puts them at a higher risk of developing serious illness from the coronavirus, a new report has found. Looking at data from the 2018 National Health Interview Survey, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 1.47 million school teachers are particularly in danger of becoming significantly ill if they contract the viral respiratory infection, either due to a preexisting medical condition or their age. The news comes as officials continue to debate the safety of instructors and students, across K-12 and higher-education institutions, returning to school in the fall. Republican President Donald Trump has pushed hard for schools to operate again in person in the upcoming academic year, even lambasting Harvard University for its partial reopening plan during a meeting with parents, students, teachers and administrators at the White House last week. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos too has repeated that children need to be in school come fall. During an interview with CNN over the weekend, though, she refused to say whether schools should follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about reopening. Both Trump and DeVos have also said the federal government is considering withholding funding to schools that remain closed in the fall. Other public officials have remained more cautious. Massachusetts education officials issued guidance earlier this month outlining what the 2020-2021 academic year will look like in the commonwealth. Nearly all students will be required to wear masks, socially distance in classrooms and undergo regular wellbeing checks. The guidelines also call for local school districts to create three different instruction plans: a fully remote learning strategy, a return to in-person teaching and a hybrid of the two. The 28-page reopening outline was the product of extensive conversations with medical experts, school administrators and other education stakeholders, according to Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker. The officials worked to balance safety concerns surrounding COVID-19 with the need for students to be taught effectively in person, the governor noted. Continued isolation poses very real risks to our kids mental and physical health and to their educational development, Baker said at a press conference earlier this month. This plan will allow schools to responsibly do what is best for students, which is to bring them back to school to learn and grow. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, teachers may still be reluctant to return to the classroom due to difficulties in maintaining social distancing in crowded school environments. They may be less eager to go back to in-person teaching until infection rates fall to much lower levels. Many instructors may also not feel economically motivated to go back to school, as teaching is not a particularly high-paying profession, according to Kaiser, a nonprofit group that focuses on major health care issues facing the U.S. Assuring the safety of teachers and others at higher risk of serious illness from coronavirus is a crucial part of the calculation around reopening, the organization said. A few of the factors that put an individual more at danger of becoming seriously ill if infected with COVID-19 include having diabetes, heart disease, moderate to severe asthma or a compromised immune system, which happen during cancer treatment. Among adults, the risk of severe illness from the coronavirus increases with age, with the disease posing the greatest threat to older adults. Individuals who are 85 years or older are in the most at-risk age group. In a previous study, Kaiser reported that almost one in four adult workers, more than 90 million individuals in total, are vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19, mirroring the numbers seen among U.S. teachers more specifically. While children are at less risk for serious illness from coronavirus than adults and often have mild or no symptoms when infected, the teachers and other adult staff in schools face higher risk, Kaiser Health wrote in its report. The challenge for school systems and for teachers in particular is the sheer volume of traffic and tight quarters in many school environments, which may make social distancing a significant challenge in many settings. For higher-risk teachers, failure to achieve safe working conditions could have very serious results. Related Content: The descriptions were made as prosecutors sought to boost arguments that the 58-year-old citizen of the U.S., the United Kingdom and France should remain behind bars until trial. They said she had the money, the means and the incentive to flee since she could face many years in prison, if convicted. Online disinformation has made what was already a hard year that much harder for state and local governments, frequently interfering with effective communication and compliance efforts amidst the ongoing public health crisis of COVID-19.Then, when civil unrest over the police killings of unarmed Black people began across the country, disinformation became an even more dangerous problem.George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police spurred protests nationwide, with thousands of people flooding the streets to demand change. Concerns quickly emerged, however, about the ways in which otherwise peaceful demonstrations seemed to be hijacked and, in some cases, pushed towards destructive ends.New research seems to suggest that disinformation campaigns helped to spawn some of this chaos, inflaming anti-government sentiment in many communities, sometimes to the point of inspiring violent criminal behavior.During this time, a torrent of memes and hashtags pushed various wild, divisive, and plainly inaccurate pieces of information into online ecosystems. For example, an organized disinformation campaign encouraged thousands to believe that there had been a blackout in Washington, D.C. , perhaps encouraging more criminal activity and looting; local Facebook groups throughout the country saw unsubstantiated rumors that Antifa activists were being bussed into their communities , inspiring fear; networks of right-wing groups were found to be operating left-wing accounts in an apparent bid to encourage violence and mayhem.Researchers have linked some of this activity to right-wing extremist groups, who may have seen the protests as an opportunity to push their own anti-government agendas.In June, members of a shadowy network calling themselves the "Boogaloo Bois" began showing up at protests across the country. A bizarre militia-like gang whose adherents are known for sporting "Aloha" shirts and spouting rhetoric about an imminent civil war, the "Boogaloos" may sound like something contrived from a bad Stephen King novel but alleged members have recently been tied to real crimes all across the country."Their whole thing was, 'How do we revolt against authority?' Because they're about civil war and [messaging that says] 'Take our country back,'" said Wasim Khaled, CEO of Blackbird AI, whose company aggregates and analyzes bulk social media data to understand online trends and conversations.Groups like "Boogaloo" seem to be birthed in online chat rooms, with sites like 4Chan acting as breeding grounds for political radicalization. From there, adherents go out onto more mainstream platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, where they can spread their ideas and build wider communities and influence.Indeed, attempts to recruit people to this movement using social media channels were rampant in the weeks prior to the protests. Large-scale "inauthentic" online activity took place during this period, much of which was aimed at promoting "Boogaloo"-type behavior and beliefs, the report reads.Khaled explained that countless bot networks and automated accounts helped to spread these messages and narratives. A recent report from Blackbird.AI , which analyzed more than 11 million social media posts between May 2-20, showed that nearly half of the 2 million tweets analyzed in the report came back as manipulated.These campaigns are basically designed to have a lemming effect on Web communities: frequently, the artificially amplified conversation will catch on with real people, who perpetuate the conversation by themselves. This makes sustained manipulation unnecessary.Boogaloo elements were also deeply involved with the Reopen movement, which was also pushed to prominence by a swell of disinformation and astroturfing . Boogaloos mingled online with libertarian and militia types who advocated for openly defying government orders surrounding COVID-19 and government orders, more generally."The Boogaloo movement in particular speaks regularly of violence to law enforcement and government authority," the Blackbird report states. In some cases, this messaging appears to have compelled real people toward violence: several men allegedly tied to the movement were arrested in Nevada after they planned to firebomb a park ranger station. In another case, a California man who allegedly expressed Boogaloo ideology shot and killed multiple law enforcement officials over the course of several days.Radical right-wing groups have not had a monopoly on disinformation, however. If anything, the broad diversity of online activity over the last several weeks shows that disinformation is anyone's game, said Sean McNee, director of research with DomainTools, a vendor that aggregates data about online activity and website registration."You've got people doing it for fun, or they're doing it for profit. They're doing it because they have some strong belief. Then you have nation-state actors who are doing it because that's what they do," he said.Even organized crime syndicates appear to have found a certain incentive for this kind of social engagement, according to some accounts. Some believe criminals may have tried to inflame the protests in an effort to hide their illicit activities, and recent law enforcement leaks showed biker gangs apparently disguised themselves as Antifa activists , using the protests as a cover to "move large amounts of heroin into the Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, area." Rumors also circulated that cartel elements had infiltrated the protest movements for their own nefarious purposes, though government officials have been mum on just what those criminal groups were doing. The hypothetical ways that criminal gangs could get involved are diverse if not confirmed, said McNee.Above all, disinformation is about manipulation of individuals, groups and politics, and when executed correctly it can quickly have people behaving in absurd, incoherent or even dangerous ways, said Khaled."It's brainwashing, just like a cult would do," he said. "You take them little by little down a certain path and soon you have them doing ridiculous things." Most people would agree that the pleasure of some foods stems in part from its fat content. New research, led by the Monell Chemical Senses Center, has now found that liking of fatty food is more complex than its fat content alone - it could also be related to inborn genetic traits of the consumer related to fat perception. The team published their findings in Chemical Senses. "Person-to-person diversity in the positive perception of fattiness derives partially from an individual's genetic make-up," said senior author Danielle Reed, PhD, Monell Associate Director. "How the taste, smell, and flavor of food and drink affect liking, and therefore the amount and type of food consumed, ultimately affects human health." The team tested adult identical and fraternal twins in 2018 who attended the annual Twins Days Festival in Twinsburg, OH. "We asked the participants to rate low- and high-fat potato chips and report on how fatty they tasted and how much they liked them," said Reed. Participants also spit into a tube so their DNA could be extracted. Their genotype was determined at hundreds of thousands of locations in their genome. Many previous studies using model solutions for greater experimental control have tried to link perception to liking but often failed to translate their data to real foods, noted co-author John Hayes, PhD, a Professor of Food Science at the Pennsylvania State University. This study added a real food - potato chips - to the experiment's design to overcome this limitation. Genetically identical twins were more similar in their pattern of liking for the high- and low-fat potato chips compared with the fraternal twins. By comparing the taste-test results from other pairs of twins with similar genotype, the team identified two specific gene variants that correlated with the twins' ratings of liking. Neither of these genes has been previously tied to the perception of fattiness. Although fat is nearly universally liked in foods, some people may be born with the genetic tendency to prefer foods higher or lower in fat. The team's next steps, including understanding how universal these genetic influences might be, will be to test people worldwide and with different types of fat in many different foods, such as pizza, muffins, and ice-cream. Flavor is only one of many factors that drive everyday food choices, including cost, availability, and health. "Most people assume more liking drives more intake, but decades of research tell us the reverse is true - we avoid what we don't like," said Hayes. "I may love bacon, but if I listen to my cardiologist, I'm still not going to eat it every morning." ### Editors' note: The research was funded in part by PepsiCo R&D, Diageo, and Monell Institutional Funds. Some genotyping was performed at the Monell DNA and RNA Analysis Core, which is supported, in part, by funding from the National Institutes of Health-National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Core Grant (1P30DC011735) using an instrument purchased using NIH funds (S10 OD018125). PepsiCo, Inc., had no role in the design, execution, interpretation, or writing of the study. Lydia Fomuso discloses her conflict of interest as an employee of PepsiCo, Inc., and claims no other conflicts of interest. Diageo had no role in the design, execution, interpretation, or writing of the study. John Hayes is employed by the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State, and receives salary support from USDA NIFA Hatch Act appropriations (Project #PEN04708, Accession #1019852). Antonio Sullo and Dennis Brooks disclose their conflict of interest as employees of Diageo and claim no other conflicts of interest. The findings and conclusions in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official US Government determination or policy. The Monell Chemical Senses Center is an independent nonprofit basic research institute based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1968, Monell's mission is to improve health and wellbeing by advancing the scientific understanding of taste, smell, and related senses, where our discoveries lead to improving nutritional health, diagnosing and treating disease, addressing smell and taste loss, and digitizing chemosensory data. Speed cameras made their U.S. debut in 1986 in Galveston County, Texas. The Swiss-made devices, dubbed PhotoCops by the local company that lent them to police departments in exchange for a cut of the ticket revenue, seem to have been successful at reducing speeding. But law enforcement officials for the county and the Galveston suburb of La Marque decided after less than two years of experimentation that the cameras werent worth the bother, citing gripes from motorists and difficulties in getting violators to pay. If you got a letter in the mail a month after you drove down some highway, saying that you were going 68 and send $60, what would you do? Galveston County Constable Paul Bess told the Los Angeles Times in 1987. A lot paid, but a lot ignored it. This experience didnt dissuade the wealthy Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley from getting its own PhotoCops that year, and it has kept using traffic enforcement cameras ever since. So has New York City, which installed its first red-light cameras in 1992 and is now expanding its camera network to more than 2,000 devices. Most of the country, though, has come to share Galveston Countys distrust. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has become a big fan of speed cameras but the NHTSA doesnt make traffic laws; state and local governments do. Only 153 jurisdictions in 17 states now use speed cameras, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, with almost a third of those in one state, Maryland. That is at least up from 111 in 2012, but the larger group of jurisdictions that use red-light cameras has shrunk from 556 in 2012 to 340 this year. Thirteen states have partially or completely outlawed the use of speed cameras, and eight dont allow red-light cameras. In Texas, where it all began, the state legislature banned speed cameras in 2007 and red-light cameras last year. Traffic fatalities are down in the U.S. too, but the trajectory of improvement has been sharper in countries with more widespread adoption of speed cameras. In Europe, where traffic cameras were introduced in the 1960s by the Dutch company Gatso (now part of Sensys Gatso Group AB of Jonkoping, Sweden) and began to be used on a large scale in the early 1990s, the experience has been much different. Speed cameras and red-light cameras are now ubiquitous and widely accepted in the U.K., for example, getting Gatsoed has become part of the vocabulary, and surveys show that nearly two-thirds of adults think the cameras are a good idea. Not coincidentally, roads have also gotten much safer. Traffic fatalities are down in the U.S. too, but the trajectory of improvement has been sharper in countries with more widespread adoption of speed cameras. In the 1990s, the U.S. was in the middle of pack as far as road safety. Now its starting to look like an outlier, and not in a good way. Lots of more carefully constructed studies point to similar conclusions. A 0 of the 28 available studies of the effect of speed cameras reported that every one found a reduction in accidents near the cameras, with declines in serious accidents in wider surrounding areas ranging from 17% to 58%, and a 2016 update found similar if somewhat smaller effects. With red-light cameras theres at least one contrary indicator they may lead to more rear-end collisions but the preponderance of evidence appears to show them to be effective in reducing red-light running and the resulting serious accidents. Now theres another reason to favor them. As transportation journalist Aaron Gordon wrote in Vice last month: Any effort to eliminate racism in American policing must figure out what to do about traffic enforcement, which is the leading cause of interactions between police and the public, according to the Department of Justice. And, by law, it is almost entirely up to the officer whether to let the person go with a warning, give them a ticket, ask to search their vehicle, or escalate the situation even further. It is an interaction intentionally designed to let the officer do virtually whatever he or she wants, reflecting the inherent biases of our legal system. Theres lots of evidence that law enforcement traffic stops disproportionately target Black motorists, Theres lots of evidence that law enforcement traffic stops disproportionately target Black motorists, and not a whole lot of counter-evidence (although there is some). Even after controlling for multiple possible confounding factors, the bias seems to persist. Perhaps most tellingly, it is less apparent at night, when its harder to see what drivers look like. In 2016, South Carolina U.S. Senator Tim Scott, a conservative Black Republican not exactly known as a critic of law enforcement, described how earlier in his political career he had been pulled over seven times in a single year, usually for nothing more than driving a new car in the wrong neighborhood or some other reason just as trivial. More-widespread use of speed and red-light cameras wouldnt eliminate this practice, as there would still be lots of other reasons to pull over drivers. But it would surely reduce its incidence. It would also result in more consistent, fair and comprehensive enforcement of traffic laws. It is this last consequence that seems to generate most of the political resistance to traffic cameras. A 2011 poll by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found big majorities in 14 cities with traffic cameras supporting their use, but this support is often tepid while the opposition can be quite vociferous. The most vocal opponents are often, as Streetsblog recently documented with regard to the New York City borough of Staten Island, people whove gotten lots of tickets. Since traffic laws are set by local and state officials usually chosen in low-turnout elections, a little vocal opposition can go a long way. To a remarkable extent, the rules surrounding traffic cameras in the U.S. are thus being determined by repeat lawbreakers. To a remarkable extent, the rules surrounding traffic cameras in the U.S. are thus being determined by repeat lawbreakers. People in law enforcement also seem less than enthusiastic about automated tickets. The loss of discretion is surely one reason nobody likes seeing their decision-making powers taken away but as the quote from the Galveston County constable near the beginning of this column indicates, there is also a sense that tickets-by-mail are less effective. The overwhelming statistical evidence on reduced accidents near speed cameras would seem to refute this, but there are admittedly some complications on the enforcement side, such as the fact that speed cameras can identify the car but not necessarily the person driving it. Still, a commitment to following through on enforcement may make a big difference. In New York City, it has gotten to be a sad tradition after fatal traffic accidents for the news media to report how many speeding or red-light citations the car owner had. In response, the city council this year upped the penalties for repeat violators to include possible impoundment of the vehicle. Well see how that goes. Traffic cameras arent perfect. In Chicago, red-light cameras incorrectly ticketed thousands of motorists from 2007 to 2014, a Chicago Tribune investigation found although the problems seemed to stem from poor oversight more than the technology per se. The rise of internet-connected digital cameras also raises legitimate concerns about whether traffic cameras are becoming tools of broader state surveillance. Still, it seems clear that, when used properly, they save lives. In 1995, the U.S. and Germany had nearly identical road fatality rates. Now the U.S. rate is nearly twice as high. If we had instead kept pace with Germany, 17,000 fewer people would die on the countrys roads each year. And its not like the Germans never get to drive fast; they just tend to do it only where its permitted. Top photo: LONDON, ENGLAND APRIL 15: A general view of a CCTV camera in Camden on April 15, 2014 in London, England. Privacy campaigners have stated that Town halls in the UK have been using fixed and mobile CCTV cameras to impose parking and traffic fines on members of the public with more than 300M GBP raised from motorists over the past five years. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Auto USA New York Law Enforcement STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- After the New York State Department of Health (DOH) issued a report which concluded that the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in nursing homes was not primarily related to controversial decisions made by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) joined the chorus of local electeds and others calling for an independent investigation into the matter. The DOH report was released on July 6, 2020, and said, in part, that it is likely nursing home workers who were infected in mid-March transmitted the virus unknowinglythrough no fault of their ownwhile working, which then led to resident infection. NYSNA, which represents approximately 42,000 frontline nurses throughout the state, said the findings did not reflect the experiences of frontline nurses of NYSNA who throughout were pointing at critical shortages of personal protective equipment and calling for widespread testing in order to guide New Yorks response to the virus since the onset of this pandemic. The NYSNA statement recalled the associations early calls for the federal government to produce the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies necessary to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The nurses at my nursing home put their lives on the line to protect our residents and treat our very sick patients, said Judy Johnson, an RN at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn. Our record is clear: nurses at my facility and others where NYSNA nurses cared for patients in critical conditions helped save New York. We went to work every day without sufficient PPE, short-staffed, and with poor health and safety protocols, and we saved thousands of lives. We wish the Trump Administration had actually invoked the Defense Production Act to get us what we needed on the frontlines. We also wish that the State of New York had been more effective in getting us PPE, Johnson said. Hospitals still will not fully account for the PPE in their stocks. These were the conditions of work for us, NYSNA nurses some gave their lives in the service of New York. NYSNA, joining a growing list of local politicians and others, was critical of the state DOH report, saying, New Yorkers deserve a full accounting of what happened over the past four months, and the NYSDOH nursing home report, unfortunately, does not move us forward. The need is plain for a comprehensive, independent review of nursing home practices, the role of for-profit operators, and NYSDOH oversight, NYSNA said. Cuomos office, which oversees the state DOH the department responsible for managing nursing homes throughout New York State did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding NYSNAs statement. The state DOH said in a statement that protecting nursing home residents and staff remains a primary concern of the agency. Weve said from the start that protecting our most vulnerable populations including nursing home residents and those who care for them is our top priority, said state DOH spokesman Jeffrey Hammond, adding that independent reviewers validated the findings of the states report. And as a Department of Health in-depth analysis of nursing home data found COVID-19 fatalities in nursing homes were related to asymptomatic nursing home staff, we continue to support and protect those frontline nursing home workers with more than 14 million pieces of PPE, over a million tests kits for staff testing, and having conducted more than 1200 COVID compliance inspections since March 1, the statement continued. In this May 27, 2020, file photo, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington.AP Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-East Shore), who has repeatedly called for an independent investigation into Cuomos handling of the coronavirus in nursing homes at both the state and federal level, previously said it is outrageous that the governor is trying to shift blame to our frontline workers. Malliotakis previously has said Cuomos March 25 directive effectively unleashed a wolf into a hen house, and said Cuomo is wrong to pin the virus spread on nursing home staff after all the pain and selflessness theyve exhibited during the pandemic. The March 25 directive is no longer viewable on the state DOH website, and Cuomo effectively reversed the order on May 10, forcing individuals to test negative before being admitted to a nursing home facility. However, he has dismissed the political heat he has received for the decision. There are facts and theres politics, he said in late June. The state DOH report, while not ruling out that the governors March 25 directive ordering nursing homes to accept medically stable coronavirus patients from hospitals played a role in the high number of deaths at the facilities, did not list it as a driving force of infections, the Advance/SILive.com previously reported. The report said 80% of the 310 nursing homes that admitted coronavirus-positive patients already had a confirmed or suspected case among residents or staff. The state DOH findings lean heavily on published data that said the average length of time between COVID-19 infection and death is between 18 and 25 days. Therefore, the link between the timing of staff infection and nursing home mortality is supported by the fact that the peak number of nursing home staff reported COVID-19 symptoms on March 16, 202023 days prior to the date of the peak nursing home fatalities, which occurred on April 8, 2020, the report said. However, data tracked by the Advance/SILive.com paints a different picture on the borough. While the report said that the peak of nursing home deaths occurred on April 8, Staten Island suffered a total of 117 confirmed and presumed deaths within nursing homes by April 17 exactly 23 days after the March 25 directive was put into effect. Over the next 18 days, which falls within the Health Departments timeframe for the average period between COVID-19 infection and death, an additional 121 deaths occurred, state DOH data showed at the time over doubling Staten Islands total to 238. The March 25 directive resulted in 6,326 COVID-positive patients being accepted into nursing homes by May 8, and by late April, the Advance/SILive.com reported more than 100 patients were discharged from hospitals back into borough nursing home facilities. The timing of deaths in the borough continues to raise questions about the danger the March 25 order posed to Staten Island nursing homes, since the Islands death total continued to climb over a month after Cuomos directive was put into effect. The state DOH report further shifted blame from Cuomo, saying that preliminary data indicated residents were being admitted back to the facilities by a median of nine days after hospital admission the exact amount of time health experts believe individuals are no longer infectious after symptom onset. Thus, by the time these patients were admitted to a nursing home after their hospital stay, they were no longer contagious, the DOH said. The report also assigns potential blame for the spread into nursing homes to visitation, which occurred at the facilities before March 13, the date when visits were entirely suspended throughout the state. No evidence exists to support this claim, however, since no tracking or testing was done within state facilities at that time. Assemblyman Mike Reilly (R-South Shore), who also joined Malliotakis in calls for an independent investigation, said: Governor Cuomos smoke-and-mirror tactics will not fool New Yorkers this time. His refusal to authorize an independent and I cannot emphasize the word independent enough investigation into nursing home fatalities is all the proof you need that even he knows that the directives issued by his administration played a role in those fatalities, Reilly said, asserting, Perhaps the federal government needs to investigate. (Newser) Last week, the US sanctioned three Chinese officials over alleged human rights abuses against Muslims in the region of Xinjiang. On Monday, China retaliated with sanctions of its own against four US officialsSens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, Rep. Chris Smith, and Sam Brownback, who is the US ambassador for international religious freedom. Bloomberg sees the move as largely symbolic, though it notes that the US sanctions didn't hit anyone as high-ranking as Cruz and Rubio. "The Communist Party of #China has banned me from entering the country," tweeted Rubio. "I guess they don't like me?" The two senators and Smith sit on the US Congressional Executive Commission on China, and all have been critical of Beijing's treatment of ethnic Uighurs. story continues below Xinjiang affairs are Chinas internal affairs and the US has no right to interfere in them, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters, per the Washington Post. We urge the United States to immediately withdraw its wrong decision." She did not provide details on what the sanctions entailed but said they were similar in scope to the American sanctions from last week, which barred the Chinese officials from traveling to the US or conducting property transactions here, reports the AP. It doesn't appear any of the US officials had plans to travel to China in the near future. (Read more China stories.) Advertisement a brand of characterless, absurdly false journalism on self-destruct The very object of communication is, indisputably, to attain a desired result; definitely to it must serve the purpose for which it is designed, intended or planned positive or negative. Communication is perhaps the most important aspect of human and social existence even during the primitive age. Therefore, care must be taken to preserve its sanctity and values and that demands that the content being pushed out is not distorted or cooked, espousing the public good and sometimes truthfully exposing wrongdoings in the society. A medium which hurts and destroys people getting growling phone calls and libel suits has little chance of survival. Ethically, objectivity, fairness, sticking to the facts, weighting facts against truth, demanding the other side are hallmarks of good reportage. One of the dictums is that as reporters you should not LIE; it should not be the figment of the imagination of the organization. For Sahara Reporters they have crafted a different set of canons for their recruits; their specialty, to say the least, is taking the frontier of reporting away from facts to the inglorious realm of groundless speculation and dementedness. It is an absurdly false and characterless brand of gutter and blackmail journalism; a pack of chatterboxes and clamps whose stock in trade is falsehoods, obnoxious and villainous beer parlour gossips. By constantly waging wars against those in authority and vilipending them, the online medium is gradually tightening the noose around its neck as purveyor of fake news and propaganda. At best Sahara- Reporters variant of journalism is no-par-value as against evidence-based, factual, authenticated and verified reports of a credible medium. The nontradable products of the medium are fertile grounds for a classical study of an abuse of the new media and its irresistibility by gullible few who are wont to be rather quick of swallowing their churn-outs hook-line-and sinker and disregarding rebuttal or apologies by such errant media. Unlike a renowned restaurateur with wide ranging traditional clientele who are pernickety, the likes of Sahara Reporters are piffling, pigheaded and higgledy-piggledy. The dysfunctional aspect of their reportage is fast becoming a phenomenon contrived mainly to destroy, damage reputation and integrity built over the years all in a bid to get rich quick extortionately. In the absence of any regulation or regulatory body or union, the only option is to approach the court to checkmate this errancy and miscreants in journalists toga whose watchword is publishing dishonesty, malicious, repulsive, contemptible and loathsome reports. They continue to relish in it because the wheel of justice for libel and defamation cases is supposedly slow as most cases are not expeditiously tried taking several years to serve justice. The question is: How many people who have consumed the fake news ab initio will ever get to read the judgment obtained against such errant medium or media? Even apologies are taken with a pinch of salt ! Since most media are near shut down or distressed with zero-assets, damages to the tune of millions cant be settled by them while they resort to out-of-court settlement and getting monarchs and personages to intervene typical of the miscreants they are. Sahara Reporters as a medium is in and out of court with fusillade of lawsuits and it may just be adding to the long list inadvertently. The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, ex-Lagos State Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, Ogun State Government, the Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele even Nigerias Presidency have had to refute their stories time and again with some of them ending up in litigation. Sadly, there is character or profession in Sahara Reporters that can act as institutional gatekeeper to checkmate these inanely, insubstantial and irritatingly silly bush telegraphs, spreading gossips swiftly without restraint. It would have been better for the medium to go back to the medieval and primitive method of communication by words of mouth or gongs or drumbeats that can be denied or disowned. A litany of some of the fake news published by Sahara Reporters include: In March 2020 Sahara Reporters published a report that the Government IT clearinghouse, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) received one billion naira from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on the orders of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami. According to Sahara Reporters it was intended for a digital learning scheme. NITDA has maintained it is not promoting and has never promoted any programme with the title Digital Learning Scheme and has therefore never received any sum from the NCC for this phantom project or any other project. NITDA in strong terms publicly and unequivocally denied the false report and has challenged Sahara Reporters to publish proof. Till date the media house is yet to respond. In 2018: Sahara Reporters in a report said that a former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayodes two-year old union with wife Precious Chikwendu had allegedly hit the rocks and threatening to explode in dramatic fashion. We wish to put it on record that there is absolutely no an iota of truth in any part of that story and it is nothing but fake news the minister said in a statement. As a matter of fact, it is a total fabrication put together by a desperate and vicious media house that seeks to destroy the lives of every member of the Fani-Kayode family. The wife, Precious Chikwendu, also came out to accuse Sahara Reporters of publishing falsehood and asked the media house to apologize. The couple is still together and both had triplets last year. Again, Sahara Reporters is yet to apologize for publishing fake news. Also in a report fraught with lies and embarrassment, the online medium alleged that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, purchased a multi-million Naira Abuja mansion for his son who recently got married. Malami described the report as fabricated allegations that had become the trade of his traducers. The report also alleged that the Attorney-General was planning a second leg of wedding for his son and had allegedly chartered private jets to convey guests to the purported venue. The minister had responded, saying the son does not even reside in Abuja. It is one of such libelous publications of which the newspaper is commonly known for, the AGF said. It targets a selected few for unsubstantiated fabricated allegations while overlooking more serious reasonable allegations visibly against its favoured sectional kinsmen. The AGF challenged anyone with evidence on his alleged purchase of the said mansion and charter of private jets to make such public. Who is the vendor of the purported house bought for my son in Abuja at N300m? Where is it located? Where are the title documents? he queried. On the alleged chartered jets: It is common knowledge that I have neither a father nor mother anywhere in Nigeria to convey to Kano for the wedding. Who then am I using the chartered flight to convey? Which jets are chartered? Who paid for the charter? Through which means was the money paid? he further queried. Till date, Sahara is yet to publish any evidence to support the story. Sahara Reporters are on a mission: engaging in needless and self-destructive controversies and tarnish the image of public officers and citizens who are resolute in executing an agenda without kowtowing to powerful vested interest groups who resort to mudslinging when their demands are not met. Quakery appear to be the vision, mission and centre stage of Sahara Reporters publishing devoid of decorum. In this time and age, no sound professional journalist worth his salt should sit down after quaffing some beer to do a story unmindful that there are consequences. Typing out squiggles from the reporters notebook, if not from the head, on the computer represent lives and the reporter and the organization should be conscious of what they do those lives. Bilyaminu Gambo Kong-kol Development of Mass Communication Bayero University, Kano. bilyaminugambokonkol20@gmail.com YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan has sent letters to the speakers of houses of parliaments of the CSTO member states, presenting the July 12-13 provocative operations launched by Azerbaijan on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. I addressed letters to the speakers of houses of parliaments of the CSTO member states, introducing the provocative actions launched by the Azerbaijani armed forces in the direction of Armenias north-eastern border, calling them to condemn these actions, Mirzoyan said on Facebook. On July 12, at about 12:30, the armed forces of Azerbaijan attempted to violate the state border of Armenia in an UAZ vehicle in the direction of Tavush province. Following the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani armed forces left the vehicle and returned to their position. At about 13:45, the Azerbaijani forces made a second attempt to capture the Armenian border post, using artillery fire, but were pushed back, suffering losses. The Azerbaijani defense ministry reported that four soldiers have died in the incident. Later that day Armenian defense ministers spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side restarted shelling the same Armenian position, using 82 mm mortars and a tank. On July 13 Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side has again resumed shelling the Armenian positions. No casualties were reported from the Armenian side. Only two police officers, who were on a combat duty in the border, were slightly injured from the Azerbaijani operations. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan The husband of a disabled rights campaigner who adopted two children with disabilities will go on trial next year charged with her murder. Jackie Hoadley was found dead at the family home in Eastbourne, East Sussex, last Sunday. Her husband Ray, 62, was arrested an hour later at the residential care home where their severely disabled children are cared for. Jackie Hoadley died after she was found with serious injuries at her home in Eastbourne. Her husband Ray, above, was arrested nearby. Police were called out to the Hoadleys' home in Eastbourne on July 5 after a visitor raised concerns for Jackie's welfare Mrs Hoadley is a well-known disability rights campaigner who has raised petitions about the lack of available funding for basic needs. The couple have two adopted children, Matthew, 15, and Ellie, 8, who have complex disabilities. Hoadley appeared at Hove Crown Court court today charged with the murder of his wife. The couple have two adopted children; Matthew, 15, and Ellie, 8, who have complex disabilities Forensic teams joined officers after Mrs Hoadley, 58, was found at her home in Eastbourne earlier this month She was found lying unconscious inside the property with serious injuries but couldn't be saved Wearing a grey sweatshirt and dark trousers, Hoadley, who was bearded, spoke only to confirm his name and say he understood the proceedings. He was told that due to Covid-19 and delays in jury trials he case would not be heard until January next year. The body of his wife was discovered after police were scrambled to her home at around 2pm on Sunday after a visitor raised the alarm. She was found lying unconscious inside the property with serious injuries but couldn't be saved. Her two disabled children were not injured and it is unclear if they were home at the time. Stunned neighbours said they saw police cars and an ambulance at the house in Eastbourne Just a fortnight days ago Mrs Hoadley posted on her Facebook page: 'You are strong enough to handle whatever's coming, even if it doesn't feel like it right now.' Stunned neighbours said they saw police cars and an ambulance at the house after the broad daylight tragedy. Mrs Hoadley launched a petition calling for free incontinence pads for disabled children, which has been signed by almost 100,000 people. She spoke out last year saying her two children were being denied basic human rights. The family home had a rainbow picture next to the front door, thanking the NHS for its service Forensic teams collected evidence at the home of Jackie Hoadley in Eastbourne on July 5 Mrs Hoadley visited Parliament with former Eastbourne MP Stephen Lloyd in October last year to lobby then social care minister Caroline Dineage. Writing on the petition page, she said: 'My name is Jackie. I'm a mother of two wonderful children - Mathew is 15 and Ellie is 8. 'The situation we're now in is humiliating for myself and for my children. I'm used to constantly fighting for their rights, but can't believe I'm now having to fight for this too. 'My children didn't ask to be born with disabilities. All I'm asking for is that they are treated with dignity and respect.' The trial, which is estimated to last two weeks, is provisionally due to go ahead on January 4. Vaezi: Enemies misportray 25-year draft document with China to use as pressure leverage IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, July 12, IRNA -- Head of Iran's Presidential Office Mahmoud Vaezi says that the enemies misportray the issue of Iran-China 25-year plan for comprehensive cooperation to use as a leverage for pressure. Using the 25-year landmark draft document with China, the US officials want to divide the people and government as they have been unsuccessful in their economic and psychological warfare against Iran, Vaezi said at a TV program on Saturday evening. Elaborating on Iran-China plan for comprehensive cooperation for 25 years, Vaezi said it has not been finalized yet. He noted that Tehran-Beijing relations have been growing over the past decade as trade between the two countries stood at 50 billion dollars a year. Five years ago, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met with his Chinese counterpart and the two stressed the need to develop economic cooperation, Vaezi said, adding that the two countries are keen on longstanding cooperation to achieve growth in relations from the strategic point of view. Vaezi said that presidents of the two countries, foreign ministers of both nations as well as parliament speakers have already held talks on the 25-year plan for Iran-China comprehensive cooperation. He added that the draft of the comprehensive cooperation plan was sent to China last year to be reviewed; and now Iran is to give its opinion. Vaezi said that the framework for the plan has been set; however, the details will not be released until it is finalized. Vaezi said that relations with China are supported in Iran. The fact that Iran as a strong regional country has cooperation with other states is an indication of Tehran's power, and that is why the enemies want to put pressure on the country, Vaezi added. Iran-China 25-year plan for comprehensive cooperation is a bilateral document like what the other world countries do, but some try to show Iran's as different, he stressed. US is against cooperation between Iran and China because Iran as an important regional player and China as the world's second largest economy can change the regional balance of power, Vaezi said. If the document brings commitment to the country, it should be referred to Majlis (Parliament) for debate, Vaezi added. Iran will sign nothing as long as its interests are served, he said, adding that Iran does not let the foreigners decide for the country. Vaezi said that the text of document of Iran-China plan for comprehensive cooperation will not be released before it is signed, and such proceedings are normal in other world countries. Turning to the issue of July 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the wold powers, Vaezi said that although the Europeans are willing to save the international deal, they cannot honor their commitments, because they are under the US pressure. US is no longer a participant in the nuclear deal, aka Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as it withdrew unilaterally from the deal in May, 2018. About the US presidential election, Vaezi said it makes no difference for Iran who becomes the next US president, because Iran is not willing to have ties with the United States. Iran is solely after removal of the unjust sanctions which have put pressure on people and national economy, he stressed. Vaezi said that Iran does trust neither the US nor the EU states, adding that "our understanding" is based on how interests are served. He added that Iran will be faithful as long as its interests are served. Vaezi said that the enemies are willing to create unrest in Iran and lead Iran to isolation, but they could not reach their aims. 1483**1416 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address By PTI NEW DELHI/JAIPUR: The Income Tax Department is conducting searches in four cities, including Delhi and Jaipur, in connection with a tax evasion case against a Rajasthan-based hydropower infrastructure company and some other business groups, officials said on Monday. The raids come at a time when Rajasthan is witnessing an intense power tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot. While official sources in the tax department did not confirm if those searched are linked to the Congress leadership in the state, party leaders in Delhi and Rajasthan questioned the timing of the raids and condemned the action. Congress sources in Rajasthan said the premises linked to party leaders Rajiv Arora and Dharmendra Rathore are being searched. I-T teams were seen visiting the Amrapali jewellers showroom in Jaipur, stated to be owned by Rajiv Arora. While Arora is the Vice President of the Rajasthan Congress, Rathore is a former Chairman of the state seed corporation. Income Tax officials said the tax raids have been launched early morning in Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai and Kota and premises of the promoters and owners are being covered. At least 80 tax sleuths apart from police officials are part of the action, they said. They said the department initiated action on the basis of inputs of alleged huge cash transactions and under-reporting of profits by the hydropower group. The business house has interests in hydro mechanical equipments and was awarded a contract to build a dam in Rajasthan in 2018. The department also searched a luxury hotel whose shareholder is one R K Sharma. The ED is also probing Sharma on charges of alleged violation of forex laws related to remittance of over Rs 96 crore from Mauritius. The ED had also questioned some people in this case few days back, they said. Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala targeted Prime minister Narendra Modi, Union Home minister Amit Shah for the Income Tax raids on the premises of some people linked to the Congress in Rajasthan. He charged that the Income Tax department, Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation are the BJP's "frontal departments", but asserted that such raids will not topple the government Amidst the crisis in Rajasthan, the Congress had on Sunday dispatched two of its senior leaders as central observers to Jaipur to talk to its MLAs. CHICAGO, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Homeowners and business people can avoid a trip downtown by taking care of their property taxes at cookcountytreasurer.com, including making payments, searching for refunds and verifying tax exemptions, Treasurer Maria Pappas said today. "Stay home!" Pappas said. "Millions of people are still staying home and you should, too. Homeowners and business people can conduct all their business on my website." The Second Installment is due August 3, but property owners can pay without any interest charge through October 1, 2020, thanks to an ordinance urged by Pappas and passed by the Board of Commissioners. Partial payments are accepted. In addition to making a payment, property owners may use cookcountytreasurer.com to: Search $75 million in available refunds going back 20 years in available refunds going back 20 years Apply for a refund See if you are missing out on $34 million in senior exemptions in senior exemptions Download a copy of your tax bill Update your mailing address Submit a question, along with supporting documents Check the status of a pending refund Find out if your property is on the delinquent Tax Sale list Just enter your address. A Property Identification Number (PIN) is not required. Any balance due after October 1 will be charged 1.5 percent per month, as required by law. SOURCE Cook County Treasurer's Office Related Links http://www.cookcountytreasurer.com There is evidence that T-cells developed after exposure to other coronaviruses that cause the common cold could help fight off SARS-CoV-2. As scientists question whether the presence or absence, of antibodies to the novel coronavirus can reliably determine immunity, some are looking to a different component of the immune system, known as T cells, for their role in protecting people in the pandemic. Recent studies show that some recovered patients who tested negative for coronavirus antibodies did develop T cells in response to their COVID-19 infection. While the studies are small and have yet to be reviewed by outside experts, some scientists now say that people who experience a mild illness, or no symptoms at all, from the new coronavirus, maybe eliminating the infection through this T cell response. The findings add to the evidence that an effective COVID-19 vaccine will need to prompt T cells to work in addition to producing antibodies, and may have implications for several treatments in development. They may also shed light on how immunity to new exposure to infection could work. There is mounting evidence that people exposed to the virus have a transient (short-lived) antibody response, or have a T cell response in spite of a minor or absent antibody response, Dr Alessandro Sette, professor and member of the La Jolla Institutes Infectious Disease and Vaccine Center in California, told Reuters. When a virus gets past the bodys initial defences - which include infection-fighting white blood cells - a more specific adaptive response kicks in, triggering the production of cells that target the invader. These include antibodies that can recognize a virus and lock onto it, preventing its entry into a persons cells, as well as T cells that can kill both invaders and the cells they have infected. Six months into a global COVID-19 pandemic that has infected more than 12 million people, questions remain about whether the antibody response to this virus is robust and lasts over time. That could mean T cells have a more important role in offering protection against the illness. T cells are often important in controlling viral infections. We are seeing evidence of that, John Wherry, director of the University of Pennsylvanias Institute for Immunology, told Reuters. A recent small French study here not yet reviewed by experts found that six out of eight family members in close contact with relatives who had COVID-19 developed a T cell response, but did not test positive for antibodies. A Swedish study here of 200 people found a strong T cell response in most individuals who had mild illness or no symptoms following coronavirus infection, regardless of whether they showed an antibody response. The finding suggests that coronavirus infection rates may be higher than what has been studied using antibody tests alone, the researchers said. Memories of Coronavirus The focus on T cell responses could also shed light on the prospect for longer-term immunity. There is some evidence that T cells developed after exposure to other coronaviruses that cause the common cold could help fight off the new virus, known as SARS-CoV-2. A study led by the La Jolla Institute detected T cells that reacted to SARS-CoV-2 in about half of stored blood samples collected between 2015 and 2018, suggesting that the immune system cells developed after previous infection with circulating common cold coronaviruses, and that they might help protect against the new virus. It is a potentially encouraging piece of evidence, Wherry said. Vaccine candidates against COVID-19 currently in the works aim to generate antibody and T cell responses, and the recent findings highlight the importance of gauging the T cell response seen in human clinical trials. We believe that the optimal vaccine design would be one that induces both an antibody and T cell response, Sette said. After an infection or vaccination, the immune system retains a number of memory cells that are already primed to quickly attack the same virus in case of a future infection. Many countries are using blood tests that look for antibodies to estimate how many people have been infected with the new virus even if they never showed symptoms. But scientists still do not know how antibody levels correlate to exposure to the virus or how long they may last. There are also questions about exactly which combination of immune-system cells will result in significant protection. Measuring the level of memory T cells is much more complicated, especially if the cells are in lymph nodes or other hard-to-access areas of the body. In addition, T-cell responses are highly variable. It is a lot easier to collect antibody data, said Dr Daniela Weiskopf, an assistant professor at the La Jolla Institute. Other countries have been able to do this, and we just need to have the resolve to do that, he said. But that means measuring these key performance indicators of the testing process to figure out, state by state or county by county, where the bottlenecks are. Is it still swabs in places? Is it reagents in places? Is it the availability of testing sites in different places? So, we need to shine a light into the process. Dubai Heights Academy (DHA), a leading British curriculum school located in the heart of Al Barsha South, has announced that it will be reopening in full when the new academic year 2020/2021 starts on August 30. Alison Lamb, Principal of DHA said: We are able to comply with all of the KHDAs protocols for reopening a school and still operate a regular school day. We have a large campus with ample additional space. So where needed we can divide classes across two classrooms, with teachers, teaching assistants and support staff moving between them, to ensure students are always 1.5 metres apart and learning is uninterrupted. We do not need to ask students to attend at staggered timings or alternate days, which logistically could be problematic for some parents. In addition to having sufficient space for our returning students, we are confident of enrolling more, especially now that prospective pupils and their parents can physically visit the school for tours. As part of their reopening plan, DHA will introduce thermal imaging equipment at the three main entrances, fit contactless hand sanitiser dispensers and establish a precautionary two-metre distance in all common areas. The school will also operate one-way systems and supervise students, at all times, to avoid crowding. Additional cleaning staff are planned for, to ensure regular consistent cleaning and disinfecting is carried out throughout the campus. The newly completed slip road and on road parking will allow easy access to the schools three main entrances. Plans are in place for specified year groups to enter the different entrances. These operating procedures will be communicated in more detail, before the start of the term. The school staff will remain on site during the school day and students will receive practical reminders throughout the day about washing hands and maintaining social distancing from their teachers and other pupils. Our inclusion team and wellness character POD will focus heavily on the health and wellbeing of our students, as this is our number one priority, added Lamb. DHA is now open from Sunday to Wednesday 9-3 pm, for onsite tours, with personal tours also available outside of these hours. The tours are currently limited to one family per visit and no children under the age of six years are allowed. Virtual tours of the campus, can still be accessed via DHAs website DHA has recognised the importance of digital learning and the use of technology within education. The recent distance learning and working from home has further highlighted the use of technology so we are thrilled to announce that we will provide free access to a Chromebook for each child in Years 3 to 7 to enhance their learning experience both at home and in school. Furthermore, DHA has introduced a series of revised fees and new payment plans. New students enrolling for the 2020/2021 academic year, which starts August 30, will benefit from discounted package deals. For FS1 students a 15% discount will be applied to KHDA approved annual fees, plus a subsequent 10% discount when the students are enrolled in FS2 the following academic year 2021/2022. New students in FS2 to Year 6 will receive a 10% discount and Year 7 students will be offered a 5% discount on their annual fees. Additional discounts are available for parents working for any of DHAs corporate partners such as Emirates NBD, Emrill, Canon, Cisco and Du Telecom as well as members of the Emirates Platinum Card programme. It is worth checking with us, to see if your employer is included in our corporate partners plan, said Lamb. A new monthly payment plan has been introduced for the new academic year in addition to taking payment by credit card. Parents will now be able to spread the cost of tuition across all three terms, meaning essentially that their total annual fees can be paid in monthly instalments over ten months, easing the financial burden. -- Tradearabia News Service Google's new speaker is just around the corner. The Digital Trends reported that the pictures for Google's new smart speaker were leaked through a short clip video, and a photo--these were released by Google's PR team, showcasing a little taste. The report claimed that it has a better idea of what's to come with this possible new generation of the Google Home. Also Read: Following TikTok Controversy, Google Play Bans 25 More Apps and Urges People to Delete Them, Including AnTuTu It has the same fabric mesh design as most Google smart home speakers.. This is our first official look at the new Google Nest smart speaker.#Googlehome pic.twitter.com/KcZSDWL8TA Heres an early official look at the upcoming Google Nest speaker..!!It has the same fabric mesh design as most Google smart home speakers..This is our first official look at the new Google Nest smart speaker. #Google Ritik (@Rkjustin12) July 11, 2020 Also Read: Google Discontinues Google Pixel 3A; Here's Where To Buy, How to Check Safety Feature of Your Pixel The new model took a long time to be revealed since the original was unveiled in 2016. Since many users are itching to know what the new Google Nest Home will be like, we will provide you the leaked information that you need to know. New features The new device is more geared toward better sound quality, as indicated by the full fabric covering and shape. However, it doesn't have 360-degree speakers. Instead, Nest home on gave front speaker just like Google Home Max; it cannot blast sound from all sides. Recently certified by the FCC, here is our first look at GXCA6, the new @Google Nest Speaker, replacing the original Google Home. pic.twitter.com/Ltp1quPFqc Android TV Guide (@androidtv_rumor) July 9, 2020 The description provided by the report came from the video since the new speaker was shown backed up to a wall, suggesting it doesn't 360 capabilities. It can also work as duel-stereo speakers since the first part of the video showed a man using two speakers--one on each side of his face. Design The size of the original Google Home speaker is one of the most obvious. It can possibly be a bit over 8.6 inches long. The change is a noticeable difference since the original is 5.6 inches long. The shape is another obvious change in the new speaker. The new Google Home looks like a very comfortable pillow, instead of having a shape comparable to a bloated chip can. Fabric is covering the bottom of the speaker, instead of a plastic top. Availability and price The report clarified that there is no current update on availability and price. However, it was rumored that the new Google Nest Home speaker would have been announced at last month's I/O conference. Although the pandemic forced the conference to be canceled, the photo and short video of the speaker suggested that Google might make an official online presentation soon. The report also claimed that the new speaker's announcement should be expected this fall, along with its new Pixel phones' announcement. Also Read: [BREAKING] Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook CEOs Set to Testify at Antitrust Hearing 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The flood situation in Assam continues to worsen affecting not just human beings but animals as well. With 95% of the Kaziranga national park and tiger reserve, spread over 430 sq km, submerged due to flooding caused by heavy rainfall, many animals have been forced to leave the sanctuary and seek shelter in higher locations. According to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the flood situation has worsened further affecting over 21 lakh people in 27 of the states 33 districts. Six more deaths due to drowning were reported on Monday taking the total this season so far to 50. Over 60,000 people uprooted by floods are taking shelter in 480 relief camps. On Monday morning, a sub-adult male tiger came out of the parks Agratoli range and took shelter in a goat shed in Kandolimari village located on the periphery of the worlds largest habitat for one-horned rhinos. Due to the rise of water and to find a safe escape, a sub-adult tiger has entered inside a goat shed in Kandolimari village, Agratoli. Utmost care is being taken to ensure safety of both people and tiger, P Sivakumar, director of the national park, informed. Photos and a video of the tiger taking shelter under the shed as water level rose and covered most of its body soon went viral on social media. Forest officials reached the spot and monitored the situation, allowing the big cat to rest at the spot without disturbing it. Later in the afternoon, the tiger moved out of the shed and went back towards the Agratoli range of the park. Every year, as annual floods inundate Kaziranga, many of the parks wild animals leave the park and head towards the nearby hills in Karbi Anglong district by crossing the National Highway 37 that passes near the parks boundary. On Monday, authorities closed a section of the national highway 37 between Kohora and Bagori ranges of Kaziranga national park due to inundation. Vehicles will have to use alternate routes till further notice. This season, nine animals including wild boar, swamp deer and hog deer have died due to drowning while 11 hog deer were killed after being hit by vehicles. Twelve animals died during treatment. Thirty five deer were injured due to flood and one by vehicle hit. Carcass of a rhino which died due to natural causes was found last month. Of the 223 camps used by forest personnel to patrol the park, 166 have been inundated and seven of them have been vacated due to rising water levels. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON One in three South Korean patients seriously ill with COVID-19 showed an improvement in their condition after being given Gilead Sciences Inc`s antiviral remdesivir, health authorities said. More research was needed to determine if the improvement was attributable to the drug or other factors such as patients` immunity and other therapies, they said. Remdesivir has been at the forefront of the global battle against COVID-19 after the intravenously administered medicine helped shorten hospital recovery times in a U.S. clinical trial. Several countries including South Korea have added the drug to the list of treatment for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. There is no approved vaccine for it. In its latest update on the drug, Gilead said on Friday an analysis showed remdesivir helped reduce the risk of death in severely ill COVID-19 patients but cautioned that rigorous clinical trials were needed to confirm the benefit. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Saturday results from a first group of 27 patients given remdesivir in different hospitals. Nine of the patients showed an improvement in their condition, 15 showed no change, and three worsened, KCDC deputy director Kwon Jun-wook told a briefing. The result had yet to be compared with a control group and more analysis was needed to conclude remdesivir`s benefit, Kwon said. In June, South Korea asked Gilead to supply enough of its drug to treat more than 5,000 COVID-19 patients in preparation for a possible second wave of infections. South Korea has been battling small but persistent outbreaks of the new coronavirus, with 62 new cases reported as of Sunday, bringing the country`s total to 13,479 cases with 289 deaths. UPDATE: There are no new cases of COVID-19 to report in managed isolation in New Zealand today. Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield is delivering the latest update on the COVID-19 situation in New Zealand. He is live from Wellington this afternoon and is joined by Health Minister Chris Hipkins. "It has now been 73 days since the last case of COVID-19 was aquired locally from an unkown source. "There are no new recovered cases and no cases that require hospitilisation." Ashley says the number of active cases remains the same and sits at 25. On Sunday, laboratories processed 1043 tests. Ashley expects testing to increase this week. The total number of tests carried out to date is now sitting at 429,643. EARLIER: The Minister of Health, Chris Hipkins and Director-General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, will provide an update to the media at 1pm about the current COVID-19 situation in New Zealand. SunLive will provide updates throughout the afternoon for those who are not able to tune into the livestream. What we know so far On Sunday, there one new case of COVID-19 in a managed isolation facility, the Ministry of Health says. The latest case was a woman in her 20s who recently returned from Rome, via Doha and Sydney on July 4 and was a close contact of another case. She has been in managed isolation at the Christchurch Commodore Airport Hotel, and is now in quarantine. As a result, a test conducted on day six of her isolation returned a positive result. This case brings the total number of confirmed cases to 1194 the number which is reported to the World Health Organisation. The number of active COVID-19 cases sits at 25, with 428,600 tests completed to date. It has been 72 days since the last case of the virus was acquired locally from an unknown source. Sonoma County bars with no food service must close and indoor restaurant dining is prohibited under a new health order issued by the California Department of Public Health Sunday. The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday. It was issued as part of statewide actions to slow the increased spread of the coronavirus. The order came after county coronavirus data did not improve, according to county officials. The rate of infections per 100,000 Sonoma County residents has increased sixfold, from 20 cases in early June to more than 120 on July 12, according to Sonoma County Public Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase. Restaurants, wineries, bars, movie theaters, bowling alleys, arcades, zoos, museums and card rooms will not be allowed to operate indoor activities under the state order. While these services are prohibited starting Monday, outdoor dining and takeout meals are allowed. Wineries and tasting rooms may operate outdoors without having to serve food, and bars, clubs and distilleries may serve food outdoors, though only as part of a meal. The order will remain in place at least until August 2. The goal is to avoid bringing residents into contact with people who aren't members of their own households. Such gatherings have been identified as helping spread the virus, county officials said. "This new order by the state does not come as a surprise given the rapid escalation of our infection rate and hospitalizations," Mase said in a statement. "This will be one more tool to help us slow the spread in our community." 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. Yet they are more than capable of doing so. In Hucks Raft, his highly readable history of American childhood, Steven Mintz points out that Herman Melville worked as a clerk, a teacher, a farmer laborer and a cabin boy on a whaling ship, all by the age of 20. (A whale-ship was my Yale College and my Harvard, says Ishmael.) George Washington became an official surveyor for Culpepper County at 17 and a commissioned major in the militia at 20. Behavior that we would consider precocious, Mintz writes, was commonplace. It wasnt until the end of World War II that children emerged as a truly protected class in this country. That was when they finally became, in the words of the sociologist Viviana Zelizer, economically worthless but emotionally priceless. But only the most privileged kids got to be useless right through college. If you think about it, thats a pretty awkward time to be useless as is adolescence more generally. We may regard teenagers as unruly and rebellious. But what they may really be is restless, pining for greater agency and productivity, utility. Well. Now they have their chance. I called Nancy Darling, a psychology professor at Oberlin College, to discuss this. Shes one of the smartest people Ive ever read on the subject of adolescence and emerging adulthood. Her response was swift and enthusiastic. I keep telling my students: This is the defining event of your cohort. Its going to be hard, but it offers unique opportunities. Rather than doing a crummy internship while youre learning from home, go do something exciting! What do you want to build? LONDON, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Web3 Labs today announced it has been named a finalist of the Microsoft For Start Ups - 2020 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award. The company was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology. "Web3 Labs is honoured to be recognised in such a prestigious award," said Conor Svensson, founder and CEO of Web3 Labs. "Microsoft has been a fantastic partner to us during the past few years and we look forward to the relationship continuing to thrive. Our Epirus Platform on Azure has helped many organisations realise the transformative potential of blockchain and we look forward to bringing it to an ever wider audience." The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognize Microsoft partners that have developed and delivered exceptional Microsoft-based solutions during the past year. Awards were classified in several categories, with honorees chosen from a set of more than 3,300 submitted nominations from more than 100 countries worldwide. Web3 Labs was recognized for providing outstanding solutions and services in the 2020 Microsoft For Start Ups Award. "It is an honor to recognize the winners and finalists of the 2020 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards," said Gavriella Schuster, corporate vice president, One Commercial Partner, Microsoft. "These partners go above and beyond, delivering timely solutions that solve the complex challenges that businesses around the world face - from communicating and collaborating virtually to helping customers realize their full potential with Azure cloud services, and beyond. I am proud to honor and congratulate each winner and finalist." The market-leading Epirus Platform by Web3 Labs is the complete solution for building and operating blockchain applications. Our fully integrated platform allows you to quickly build and deploy blockchain applications to drive your business. Epirus provides a single source for all of your blockchain interactions, making your teams more productive. Its accessible view of your blockchain applications and assets, enables your users to make fast and informed decisions that affect your business. Over 50 companies worldwide have benefited in their blockchain deployments Web3 Labs Epirus' Explorer on Azure , hundreds more have benefited from the Epirus SDK. For more details on Epirus, please visit www.web3labs.com/epirus. For additional information: A sister has divided opinion by helping her brother plan a lavish surprise for his girlfriend to mark their one-year anniversary. She posted photos of the extravagant spread which included expensive lingerie, wine, pastries, candles, giant heart-shaped balloons and seven gift bags in an Australian Facebook group, telling members she had arranged everything for him. The photos have been liked 1,900 times since they were shared on Monday morning with many calling her brother 'the perfect man', but not everyone was impressed by the romantic gesture. The post initially received such a negative response that the group administrator was forced to remove comments slamming the woman for involving herself in her sibling's love life and being too 'extravagant'. 'Was it your brother's surprise for his girlfriend, or your surprise for his girlfriend?' one person asked in a reply still visible under the photos. Scroll down for video Too much or just enough? An Australian woman arranged this lavish spread as a surprise for her younger brother's girlfriend to mark their one-year anniversary A photo of the spread shows two trays filled with wine, champagne flutes and an assortment of pastries, cheese and crackers The images show giant heart-shaped balloons with helium hanging over the bed, with a dozen smaller balloons and fairy lights scattered across the floor. Seven gift bags filled with trinkets from Kmart are positioned at the head of the bed along with an eighth bag from upscale lingerie label, Honey Birdette. Two trays sit at the foot, the first holding a bottle of white wine and two champagne flutes and the second overflowing with pastries, cheese and crackers. The woman hit back at trolls, asking why they felt it was wrong for her to help her brother surprise the girl he loves. 'I helped him plan this and went to the store together, he purchased the items himself,' she said. The one-year anniversary spread (pictured) which included expensive lingerie and seven other gift bags Poll Do you think the surprise is over the top for a one-year anniversary? Yes, too extravagant No, a sweet show of love Do you think the surprise is over the top for a one-year anniversary? Yes, too extravagant 55 votes No, a sweet show of love 96 votes Now share your opinion 'He is also capable of making his own plans to mark the occasion. Over the weekend he took his beautiful girlfriend for an overnight stay in the city with dinner out and a trip to the zoo. 'Our plan with this was to have a surprise for her on the actual anniversary date.' Many defended her by pointing out that hatred is often a sign of jealousy. 'People can be so horrible. I think it's lovely you and your brother are that close and you're able to help him,' said one. Another said: 'These people are just jealous. I think it's amazing he wanted to do something like that and had the b***s to ask for help to pull it off!' Others were supportive and joked that her decorative handiwork had put her on the fast track to becoming an aunt. 'Brownie points for you sister! I hope he knows he MORE than owes you! What an awesome job you've done, looks so good,' one said. A second asked if she was 'ready to become an aunty' in nine months time. A third wondered how her brother can top anniversaries gifts in the future. 'He does know that it needs to be stepped up every year right? I wanna see pics every year,' she said. Some praised the young man for his romantic efforts, calling the gesture 'boyfriend goals'. 'Where can I find a guy who does such beautiful things?! Lucky woman,' said one. Reliance Industries (RIL) touched record high of Rs 1,911.90 in early trade on July 13 after the company said Qualcomm Inc will invest Rs 730 crore in Jio Platforms for a 0.15 percent stake. RIL is the first Indian company to cross the Rs 12 lakh crore market valuation mark. At the time of writing this copy, the market capitalisation of the company stood at Rs 12,10,889.65 crore. Qualcomm Ventures, the investment arm of Qualcomm Incorporated has committed to invest up to Rs 730 crore in Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of Rs 5.16 lakh crore, RIL said in a press release. Qualcomm, one of the worlds top wireless technology companies, is the third technology investor in Jio after Facebook Inc and American semiconductor giant Intel. The RIL unit runs the telecom enterprise Jio Infocomm, Indias biggest, as well as movie, news and music apps. Also Read - Qualcomm-Jio deal: Five key things to know The deal with Qualcommthe 13th such investment in 12 weekstakes the total stake that Reliance sold in Jio Platforms to 25.24 percent. Facebook led the investments in Jio by buying a 9.99 percent stake for Rs 43,574 crore on April 22. The oil-to-telecom conglomerate has since sold stakes in Jio to global investors such as General Atlantic, KKR, Saudi sovereign wealth fund, Abu Dhabi state fund, Saudi Arabias PIF and Intel. The transaction is subject to regulatory and other customary approvals. Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisor to Reliance Industries and AZB & Partners and Davis Polk & Wardwell acted as legal counsels. Trilegal acted as legal counsel for Qualcomm Ventures. The company received the subscription amounts from the following investors and allotted equity shares to them: Credit Suisse has maintained a neutral rating on the stock and raised the target to Rs 1,690 from Rs 1,375 per share. According to Credit Suisse, increased Jios EV to $88.5 billion by including Jios non-wireless verticals and significant progress is made in many of Jios non-wireless verticals. It assigned an EV of $17.5 billion for non-wireless verticals, reported CNBC-TV18. At 09:16 hrs, Reliance Industries was quoting at Rs 1,907.50, up Rs 29.00, or 1.54 percent on the BSE. : Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd. Deadly border clashes between arch-foes Armenia and Azerbaijan entered a second day on Monday, as the EU, US and regional power broker Moscow urged restraint. Three Azerbaijanis were killed on Sunday and one on Monday, oil-rich Baku's defence ministry said, adding that both sides were using artillery, mortars and tanks in the north part of their border. The Armenian foreign ministry said the artillery fire from Azerbaijan "receded" later on Monday, claiming Yerevan was "fully controlling" the situation. The two former Soviet republics have been locked in a simmering conflict for decades over Azerbaijan's separatist region of Nagorny Karabakh, which was seized by ethnic-Armenian separatists in a 1990s war that claimed 30,000 lives. The international community still views the region as part of Azerbaijan. The current fighting -- hundreds of miles from Nagorny Karabakh -- erupted days after Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev raised the spectre of war and denounced delays in Karabakh talks. Each side blamed the other for the current flare-up. "Armenia's political and military leadership will bear the entire responsibility for the provocation," Aliyev told officials in a meeting. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in turn accused Azerbaijan of "provocations" that would "not go unanswered" and his defence minister said Armenian forces would react "including by taking advantageous positions" in Azerbaijani territory. - Risks regional stability - Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on Monday discussed the crisis by phone with the head of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Moscow-led military bloc. Before the call, Azerbaijani officials had already said Armenia's "military adventure" was aimed at drawing the CSTO into the fighting. All-out war between the two countries could potentially drag in regional powers -- Armenia's military ally Russia and Azerbaijan's patron Turkey -- which compete for geopolitical influence in the strategic region. Majority-Muslim Turkic-speaking Azerbaijan has received strong backing from its historic ally Ankara. Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Azerbaijan was just trying to "protect its territorial integrity", labelling Armenia's actions "unacceptable" and urging the country to "come to its senses". Yerevan reacted by condemning Turkey's "provocative attitude," with its foreign ministry accusing Ankara, in a statement, of undermining the "security and stability in the region." Armenia's military ally Russia -- which wields influence on both Baku and Yerevan -- expressed "serious concerns" over the crisis, which it said "endangers the region's stability", urging the countries to "show restraint". Later on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held phone conversations with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts, urging de-escalation. The US State Department urged both sides "to stop using force immediately... and strictly adhere to the ceasefire." The European Union issued a statement calling on both sides "to undertake immediate measures to prevent further escalation." - Troubled talks - Mediated by the "Minsk Group" of diplomats from France, Russia and the United States, peace talks between the two sides have been going on since the 1994 ceasefire. Aliyev threatened last week to withdraw from talks "if they do not yield results" and rejected statements by negotiators that there could be no military solution. Despite the strong wording, his remarks were widely seen as diplomatic pressure for the stalled talks' intensification. Armenia, which controls the disputed region, is happy with the status quo in Karabakh that also suits Russia's interests as the Kremlin uses its power-broker's role in asserting its influence in the ex-Soviet republics. Desperate to restore its territorial integrity by diplomatic means, energy-rich Azerbaijan, whose military spending exceeds Armenia's entire state budget, has repeatedly threatened to take back the territory by force. Moscow-allied Armenia has vowed to crush any military offensive. In 2016, deadly clashes in Karabakh nearly spiralled into full-scale war. Map of Azerbaijan and Armenia locating the Armenian province of Tavush where border clashes occurred As the Christ (Deemed to be) University gears up to begin its semester-end examinations today, students of the institution have been protesting against the decision to conduct examinations for a while now. The exams were postponed in the month of March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Students have reported having no choice but to sit for online examinations, which are being conducted on the curriculum they studied months ago. Even though revision classes were set up, students allege they were essentially two-hour-long sessions that merely reiterated the syllabus for the upcoming exams. Others feel that while the option of giving offline exams has been offered, it was deliberately designed to become an undesirable choice. For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here In the Vice-Chancellor's address, they said we have the option of giving offline exams. But they put us in a prisoner's dilemma. They mentioned that we could give offline examinations but we cannot be assured regarding when or how they would be taken. The college said that they could not guarantee us study holidays or any form of academic assistance if we opt for offline examinations. We were indirectly pushed in the direction of online examinations. My grievance mail has not been replied to, said Rohit (name changed), a student of the institution. Another challenge in front of some students is the unavailability of study material and notes, which some of them left in their hostels and PGs before they hurriedly returned home due to the pandemic. Shortage of technological resources like a laptop and a stable internet connection is another issue for some students. Priya (name changed) a second-year student whose father has not been getting his salary due to the pandemic, recently had a WiFi connection installed in her house so that she could give the exam. We have been cooped up inside our house for months, there are positive cases everywhere, it's really scary. We have to study for our exams while the new semester classes are going on, she said. Rohit alleged that while the college told a newspaper that students can give the examination on their mobile phones as well, during the VC address, they were asked to have a good functioning desktop or a laptop with a camera and audio facility. I understand that we come from a generation where these are easily available but understand that many of us will still not have access to this, he added. Students allege that a link that would allow them to withdraw from the online examinations will only be activated 60 minutes after the exam starts, thus compromising their ability to withdraw timely. Another grievance of the students is that the act of giving an examination itself is extremely stressful right now. A student, who suffers from a psychological disorder, is worried about how triggering the stress of the pandemic and the exams will be for her. This situation has made me panic in the last three-four days. At this point in time, if I get an attack, I wont even be able to go to a hospital. I have sent multiple emails to them, I have tried speaking to them personally, I sent my prescription as well, but I got automated responses each time, the student, who did not wish to be named, added. I am a third-year student. We had internships in the month of April, then we had online classes from May, we had submissions for every subject in the online classes, apart from which we had internal graded submissions and after this, we had internship vivas, reports, and presentations. After this, we have dissertation proposals. I left Bangalore in a rush without my study material. It has been five months since we studied our fourth-semester syllabus," said Faizan (name changed) upon being questioned about how stressful the upcoming exams have been for him. Another bone of contention for the student body is the examination fee of Rs 500 that was collected from students. Initially it (exam fee) was not supposed to be charged. The seniors gave their exams and they werent charged. Then in one meeting, a college official clearly mentioned that they will be charging us because they cannot incur the cost of the exams, said Priya. The tuition fee at Christ can range from Rs 80,000 to Rs 3 lakh per annum, according to the same source. Faizan shares Priyas woes. We had to pay an amount of Rs 500 despite paying the fee for the entire year. Almost 12,000 students have paid this amount, which makes it Rs 60 lakh or so that go to the Christ trust, he said. Students took several steps to protest against the examinations, from speaking out on Twitter with anonymous handles to talking about it on television with a mask on. A Twitter handle with the username of @JChristites (Justice For Christites) has been talking about the students struggles in detail. The National Students Union of India (NSUI) has offered solidarity to the students demanding the cancellation of exams. However, Christ University Vice-Chancellor Father Abraham told The News Minute that 94.47 percent students are in favour of giving the examination. In regards to any connectivity problems that students might face, he said, "Any such issue will be taken care of and retest will be held." They're making the most of the end of the travel ban to enjoy a family trip away. And Natalya Wright flaunted her slim figure in a series of bikini snaps from the Spanish island of Majorca where she is holidaying with sister Jess Wright on Monday. The model, 19, showed off her bronzed limbs and toned abs in a red and white striped bandeau bikini by PrettyLittleThing. Toned: Natalya Wright flaunted her slim figure in a series of bikini snaps from the Spanish island of Majorca where she is holidaying with sister Jess Wright on Monday She wore her long dark tresses in a beachy top knot and accessorised with gold hoop earrings in the Instagram snap simply captioned 'Good afternoon'. On Sunday, Natalya posed on the side of a boat in Gran Folies Andratx wearing a retro-cut swimsuit. The natural beauty leaned up against the side of the yacht wearing a lemon costume with bow-tied straps and wore a matching yellow scrunchie on her wrist. Natalya looked every inch the star as she titled her head back and flaunted her toned physique in her slew of snaps. Stunning: The model, 19, showed off her bronzed limbs and toned abs in a red and white striped bandeau bikini Keeping her make-up to a minimum, she wore her dark tresses in a natural waves which she kept in place with sunglasses on her head. She completed her look with oversized hoops, a timeless watch and a cross pendant on a gold chain. Posting to her 289,000 Instagram followers, she added the caption: 'Sundaze at sea..' Natalya was scouted by Select Model Management, who have Daisy Lowe, Sam Rollison and David Gandy on their books, at the age of just 16. Beach babe: Natalya accessorised with gold hoop earrings and a chunky sunglasses chain in the Instagram snap simply captioned 'Good afternoon' Natalya has been joined on the Spanish holiday by her sister Jess, 34, who has also shared stunning snaps in the sunshine. Jess looked every inch the blushing bride-to-be on Sunday as she paired a white broderie anglaise puff-sleeved crop top with a matching floor-length sarong adorned with a frill hem. The barefoot beauty accessorised with a gold necklace paired with oversized sunglasses on a chain as she glanced into the distance on the picturesque coast. In the Instagram post captioned with a simple seashell emoji, the former TOWIE star wore her sleek brunette locks off her face with a metallic knotted headband. Working it: On Sunday, Natalya posed on the side of a boat in Gran Folies Andratx wearing a retro-cut swimsuit Stunning: The brunette beauty rested her hand on her hip and flaunted her enviable physique in the lemon swimsuit Jess will need to enjoy her downtime to its fullest before diving into wedding preparations for her nuptials to her businessman fiance William Lee-Kemp in June 2021. William popped the question on the snow capped peaks of Courchevel, France, in February after 13 months of dating. Only this month, the pair confirmed that they would be getting hitched in a beach ceremony in Majorca and plan to have 15 bridesmaids. Jess told Hello! magazine that her sister-in-law Michelle Keegan, 33, the actress wife of her brother Mark, would be one of bridal party, but she's keeping quiet about the other 14. While the happy couple have holidayed in many exotic locations, Jess explained that Majorca has been like a second home to her as her family have a house on the island. Jess said: 'I've been dreaming of a fairytale wedding since I was little, when I used to dress up in my mum's net curtains. 'Now I can't wait for the moment I've been imagining for so long, walking up the aisle in a fabulous dress to marry Will.' Of the location, she revealed: 'We've enjoyed some amazing holidays here and I practically grew up on the island because it's where my family has a second home.' DUBAI, U.A.E, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Future Market Insights' recent report on the protein a-resins market concludes that the market is anticipated to witness robust growth across the upcoming decade's forecast period. Growing investments in synthetic biology is accelerating adoption of protein engineered products in order to manufacture protein infused drugs and formulations. A significant advancement has been noticed in the field of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) which are used to treat a host of chronic and infectious diseases. Protein A-resins are exhaustively utilized for the purification of mAbs, a key driver enhancing the growth prospects for the upcoming forecast period. Significant growth acceleration in the protein a-resins market was witnessed when GE Healthcare launched its MabSelect PrismA chromatography resin in 2017. Designed to purify bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) in a single step, protein a-chromatography has provided 90% purity levels. The resin makes effective usage of Protein-A ligand and a novel agarose bead to achieve dynamic binding capacities. On a similar plane, MIT chemists have devised an automated flow synthesis machine which significantly reduces the time required for synthetic protein generation. The enhanced capacity of the machine allows for greater loading of multiple amino acids within a span of few hours. This automation is anticipated to attract investors, providing a stimulus to the market during the forecast period. Request a Sample Report with Table of Contents and Figures: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1720 "Credible research is being undertaken with regard to monoclonal antibodies to ascertain its possible application areas, prompting an increase in protein A-resins usage, anticipated to register positive year-on-year growth with manufacturers focusing on technological advancements," according to an FMI analyst. Key Takeaways from FMI's Protein A-Resins Market Report Protein A-Resins market shall expand at a CAGR of 8.2% throughout 2020 Natural protein A-resins shall account for the maximum share of revenue throughout the forecast period By application, the antibody purification segment accounted for the maximum share in 2019 and is anticipated to retain the same during the forecast period Agarose-based matrix is the most prominent medium utilized in the protein A-resins market Biopharmaceutical manufacturers make extensive usage of protein a-resins due to extensive applications in manufacturing protein-based drugs North America shall emerge as a leader in the protein a-resins market, with the United States contributing 70% of the revenue pie Protein A-Resins Market- Key Trends Demand for purification of antibodies is especially strong in the immunotherapy segment. For instance, the US FDA has approved immunotherapy to treat CD19 positive hematological cancers Also, protein A-chromatography is useful for purifying FGFR4 which is marked in CAR-T therapy by chimeric antigen receptors Mixed-mode chromatography is providing fertile ground for biomolecule purification which otherwise are extremely difficult to purify using conventional chromatography techniques. Improved yield, immense room for facilitating protein interaction and minimal feed manipulation before binding are the advantages accelerating their usage Protein-A Resins Market- Region-wise Analysis Asia Pacific is emerging as a promising growth avenue during the forecast period. Rising demand for immunotherapy drugs to treat chronic ailments is expected to elevate the regional market to a higher pedestal is emerging as a promising growth avenue during the forecast period. Rising demand for immunotherapy drugs to treat chronic ailments is expected to elevate the regional market to a higher pedestal Uptake of protein A-resins in the Latin American and European markets is increasing. Rising investments in protein-based research is attracting market players to establish their businesses across these regions Massive clinical trials in the field of synthetic biologics and monoclonal antibodies is expected to increase uptake of protein A-resins across the North American market Request special price for this report to our sales [email protected] https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/request-special-price/rep-gb-1720 Protein-A Resins Market- Competitive Landscape The protein A-resins market is characterized by constant innovations and product approvals in the bio therapeutics domain, which provides them with a competitive edge over each other. Market players are constantly launching new products to cater to cardiovascular ailments, immune therapy, cancer and microbial infections. In May 2020, Avantor doled out its new protein A-chromatography resin titled PROchievA which uses a novel, proprietary ligand to provide the best in-class purification in critical protein A-chromatography steps of monoclonal antibodies manufacturing. The product demonstrates excellent dynamic binding capacities compared to other resins on the market. Also, Novasep produces the AbSoulte High Cap Protein A-Media, an optimized silica-based medium for the capture of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. This media is well-adapted to all fermentation volumes while offering the highest dynamic and static binding capacities and subsequently high productivity at increased velocities. 20% of Businesses are Already on COVID-19 Recovery Path. When are you Starting Yours? Let FMI's consultants help [email protected] https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/353033 Protein A Resins Market Taxonomy Product Type Natural Protein A Resin Recombinant Protein A Resin Matrix Type Agarose Based Matrix Glass or Silica Based Organic Polymer Based Application Immunoprecipitation Antibody Purification End-User Hospitals Ambulatory Surgical Centers Catheterization Laboratories Region/Country North America U.S Canada Latin America Argentina Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Europe EU-5 Russia Rest of Europe South Asia India ASEAN Rest of South Asia East Asia China Japan South Korea Oceania Australia New Zealand MEA GCC Southern Africa Turkey Rest of MEA Get market alerts on topics that you are interested in https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/get-market-alerts/rep-gb-1720 More Insights on the Protein A Resins Market Future Market Insights brings the comprehensive research report on forecasted revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2015 to 2030. The global protein A-resin market is segmented in detail to cover every aspect of the market and present a complete market intelligence approach to the reader. The study provides compelling insights on market on basis of product type in detail covering every aspect of the market based on prominent segments across seven major regions. Explore Extensive Coverage of FMI's Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Landscape Plasma Protein System Market: FMI's plasma protein system market study offers a comprehensive analysis of the business models, key strategies, and respective market shares of the prominent market players involved in this landscape. The report offers a detailed analysis of the most prominent segments across seven key regions for the period 2018-2028. Urinary Protein Reagents Market: FMI's 2019-2029 forecast on the urinary protein reagents market concludes that rising proportion of kidney disorders induced as a result of unhealthy habits such as increased alcohol consumption will increase urine testing in the future, providing impetus to growth. Peptide Therapeutics Market: Investigate FMI's in-depth study on the peptide therapeutics market to glean vital information about the most important dynamics influencing the growth trajectory across the 2020-2030 assessment period. 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] Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/protein-a-resins-market Press Release Source: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/press-release/protein-a-resins-market SOURCE Future Market Insights Days after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made it mandatory for customers to show prescriptions and Covid-19 test report to buy remdesivir and tocilizumab drugs, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday wrote a letter to the state government criticising the apex drug regulating bodys decision. It said the move will make it more difficult for patients and their families to procure the drugs as a number of times test reports show false negatives or inconclusive results, and urged the body to make the drugs available with only prescription or recommendation from hospital. Click here for full Covid-19 coverage Members of IMA said every day Maharashtra requires almost 1.5 lakh vials of remdesivir and that hospitals across the state are facing an acute shortage of the two drugs. Due to the sudden rise in demand for these drugs, suppliers are selling them to highest bidders, said IMA. According to patients and doctors, the drugs are available at five to 10 times the actual cost in the black market. A vial of remdesivir costs between 5,000 and 5,500 while that of tocilizumab is around 92,000. These illegal activities are happening due to sudden rise in demand. Almost 20% patients need the drugs. At present, we have more than 1 lakh active patients. In addition to this, if we include around 5,000 patients with inconclusive reports, we have 25,000 patients who need remdesivir every day, said Dr Avinash Bhondwe, president of IMAs state wing. As we give remdesivir six times a day, the state will require 1.5 lakh vials every day. But we dont even get 75,000 vials a day, he added. Remdesivir is the only drug approved by the United States food and drug administration for treating Covid-19 patients. While tocilizumab is still imported, remdesivir has now been certified to be manufactured by two Indian companies Cipla and Hetero Drugs. To address these issues, FDA has decided that these two injections will directly be supplied to hospitals. However, outside patients, who need to buy the said drugs, will have to show a prescription or a recommendation from hospital as well the Covid-19 report to place an order. There are cases of false negative reporting where swab test reports show absence of the virus but the patients have all the symptoms. In such cases, we cant let the patient die off. Thus, this new rule will further lead to the harassment of patients, he said. DR Gahane, joint commissioner of the states food and drug administration, said they will look into the matter. We are trying to track the nexus involved in illegal sale of the drugs. The rules are being strengthened to fill up the gaps and provide the drugs to needy patients, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A woman helps lay 3,000 carnations to represent the approximately 3,000 abortions that occur in the United States every day, on the 46th anniversary of the Roe v Wade decision, in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Jan. 22, 2019. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) Democrats Want to Establish an Absolute Right to Abortion Commentary It is often said that no right is absolute. The First Amendments rights to freedom of speech, religion, and assembly can be restrained in some circumstances. The Second Amendment doesnt guarantee the right to own a machine gun. But if the Democrats take control of the government in November, abortion will soon be legally guaranteed to any woman, at any time, for any reason. Heres the problem as abortion rights believers see it. Roe v. Wadethe 1973 ruling that made abortion a constitutional rightleft space for modest state restrictions. For example, courts have permitted mandatory waiting periods, ultrasound testing, the outlawing of so-called partial birth abortions, and the like. Pro-lifers believe these laws have saved tens of thousands of babies lives. These abortion restrictions infuriate the abortion-rights movement. Thus, the party of abortionDemocratsis increasingly dedicated to eliminating every impediment. Should former Vice President Joe Biden win the presidency in November, and the Democrats retain control of the House of Representatives, and take the Senatewhere the filibuster would likely be repealedabortion law would quickly be federalized to disallow any state restriction. Proposed Law Federal legislation already introduced by Democrats leaves no doubt about the tectonic changes they plan. Take, for example, the Womens Health Protection Act of 2019 (H.R. 2975) that already has 215 sponsors. The bill claims that access to legal abortion services is essential to womens health and central to womens ability to participate equally in the economic and social life of the United States. To end all harmful restrictions, the bill states, a health provider has a statutory right to provide abortion services, and that providers patient has a corresponding right to receive such services. Accordingly, the bill would eliminate all restrictions that currently exist in some states, such as based on a particular abortion procedurewhich would relegalize partial birth abortion in which a viable or near viable fetus is partially delivered and his or her skull punctured. The bill also protects sex selection and eugenic abortion of Down syndrome babies, by prohibiting laws that require a patient to state her reasons for seeking abortion services. What about post-viability abortions? The bill bans prohibitions after fetal viability when continuation of a pregnancy would pose a risk to the pregnant womans life or health. Never mind that OB-GYNs will generally tell you that the proper medical approach to a life-threatening late term pregnancy is to immediately deliver the baby via labor induction or C-section. The term health would prevent no late-term abortions, as the term has been interpreted by courts (Doe v. Bolton) to include the mothers emotional well-being as well as physical pathologies. Thus, the bill essentially permits abortion through the ninth month so long as the abortionist agrees it is necessary to prevent anxiety, suicidal ideation, or depression. Democrats also plan to force taxpayers to pay. Currently, the Hyde Amendmentone of the few areas of comity in abortion lawprohibits federal funds from funding almost all abortions. The Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act of 2019 (H.R. 1692) has 181 sponsors and would ensure coverage for abortion care in public health insurance programs, including Medicaid, Medicare, and the Childrens Health Insurance Program. That kills Hyde. The bill also establishes the Sense of Congress that restrictions on coverage of abortion care in the private insurance market must end. Democrat-Controlled States Recently enacted laws in Democrat-controlled states also illustrate the all-encompassing right to abortion Democrats seek. New Yorks law states: Every individual who becomes pregnant has the fundamental right to choose to carry the pregnancy to term, to give birth to a child, or to have an abortion. The right is absolute twenty-four weeks from the commencement of pregnancy, or there is an absence of fetal viability, or the abortion is necessary to protect the patients life or health. That means, no limitations prior to viability and the only the hollow health restriction thereafter. Vermont went even further, creating a fundamental right to an abortion without including health modifiers for later-term terminations. Making it clear that unborn life has all the inherent value of pond scum, the statute states, A fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus shall not have independent rights under Vermont law. That clause reduces embryos and fetuses into mere things, meaning a viable baby being carried by a healthy mother could be aborted legally at 8 1/2 months, or abortion could be delayed to permit fetal organ harvesting. Legal Theory Of course, laws that are passed can later be repealed. Thats why abortion rights activists also want to overturn Roe v. Wadejust from the other way around. If Democrat presidents appoint a majority of Supreme Court justices in the mold of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Roes privacy justification for the right would almost certainly be superseded with an equal protection under the law approachalready advocated by Ginsberg and in law review articles. Such a constitutional standard would invalidate even the mildest state restrictions. The justices who decided Roe v. Wade naively intended to settle the abortion controversy once and for all. Instead, they unleashed a bitter cultural conflict that has roiled the country for decades and materially strained our mutual bonds of affection (to borrow an evocative phrase from Lincoln). Now, Democrats again want to terminate the debate. But stifling the ability of millions to influence abortion law through democratic engagement would only increase the bitterness of our already intense cultural divide. You can tell tens of millions of people that their deepest moral concerns are irrelevant. You can tell them that their efforts will all be for naught. But that doesnt mean they will go away. Award-winning author, Wesley J. Smith, is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institutes Center on Human Exceptionalism. His latest book is Culture of Death: The Age of Do Harm Medicine. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Operators of offshore wind power generation in Japan must be domestic corporations, the Japanese government has decided, as it moves to prevent information about its territorial waters from leaking out to other countries. Furthermore, if the operators use foreign vessels for offshore research, they must receive the government's consent in advance. While offshore wind power business is expected to expand in the future, the government aims to effectively exclude Chinese companies from them, considering the economic security perspective. The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry and the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry began the first public application process for Japan's offshore wind power project off Goto, Nagasaki Prefecture, on June 24. Among the eligibility criteria specified for participating in the operation is to be a "domestic corporation" with headquarters or principal offices in Japan. The same criteria will be applied to future projects. Power producers selected through the public application process will be allowed to occupy the waters for up to 30 years. There are fears that if the data on seabed topography, geology and ocean currents collected by the operators are leaked to foreign countries, they could be used for military purposes, such as submarine navigation or special forces landing operations. The government has explained that limiting the businesses to domestic corporations will make it easier to keep track of their activities and lower the security risk. Regarding marine research, 10 ministries and agencies, including the National Security Secretariat of the Cabinet Secretariat, the Foreign Ministry, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry and the Natural Resources and Energy Agency, have agreed on the policy to require prior consent for all marine research for economic purposes using foreign vessels. Until the government gives its consent, permission for other activities related to the project will be withheld, even if marine research is conducted before a public application for power generation projects. Under the Law on Navigation of Foreign Ships through the Territorial Sea and Internal Waters, which prohibits foreign ships from loitering or moving irregularly in Japanese territorial waters, the Japan Coast Guard will force such ships to leave the area. The government plans to take stern measures, such as preventing such companies from receiving project orders. In 2019, there were three cases in which Chinese research vessels tried to conduct marine research for economic purposes in Japanese territorial waters. Two of these cases were for offshore wind power and the other was for laying submarine cables. On the other hand, in the field of offshore wind power generation, cooperating with European companies with proven track records is expected. Such companies can enter the domestic market by establishing Japanese corporations or investing in special-purpose companies in Japan. However, entities such as the National Security Secretariat and the National Police Agency will closely examine the security risks of such corporations and take prudent measures. Japan is promoting offshore wind power as part of its efforts to expand renewable energy. Following the project off Goto, the government started procedures in June to designate areas off the coast of Choshi, Chiba Prefecture, and Yurihonjo, Akita Prefecture, as new promotion areas. New Delhi, July 13 : The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family in the affairs of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple of Thiruvananthapuram. A bench headed by U.U. Lalit said the administrative committee will manage the temple affairs while the district judge of Thiruvanathpuram will be the chairperson of the committee. According to a lawyer associated with the matter said the shebaitship survives on the death of the ruler as per custom, and a committee under the chairmanship of district judge, who was the executive officer appointed by the apex court, has been constituted. "Death of ruler does not result in escheat in favour of government despite 26th amendment of Constitution," said the lawyer, who represented the devotees. The apex court verdict has come on a dispute over management of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, one of the richest temples in the country. For nearly nine years, the issues in connection with the administration and management of the historic temple have been pending in the top court. These issues were raised following alleged charges of financial irregularities. In April last year, a bench of Justices Lalit and Indu Malhotra had reserved the verdict on the petitions challenging the January 31, 2011 verdict of the Kerala High Court. The high court had directed the state government to take steps to constitute a trust or a body to take control of the temple, its assets and management. The High Court also directed the state government to run the temple complying with the traditions. In May 2011, the top court had stayed the high court's direction. Investing in anti-theft and safety devices will be rewarded by insurance companies, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Installing certain modifications to their cars will allow drivers to ask for discounts and obtain better rates. Insurance companies will allow drivers to install certain devices and systems, as long as they lower the chances of being involved in accidents or having the car stolen. Drivers can install the following: SAFETY DEVICES: Adaptive cruise control. By utilizing sensors and radars, this safety device will monitor the traffic around the car and will try to maintain a safe distance from the car upfront by automatically braking if when the vehicles get too close. Rear view cameras. A camera that displays a live video feed of the view from the back of a car for the driver to use when backing out or parking. Blind spot warnings. Sensors monitor the lanes in the left and right of the car, and when they detect a vehicle is in a blind spot, they will issue a visual, or audio warning. Airbags. Frontal airbags are mandatory since 1999. Additional types of airbags like full-front seat airbags, side airbags can lower the insurance cost. Automatic emergency braking. Often paired with the adaptive cruise control system, this safety device will begin to automatically brake if they sense a potential collision. ANTI-THEFT DEVICES Satellite tracking systems. Small devices that are hidden inside the vehicle, and are capable of emitting signals in order to track their location. Past reports show that 90% of the vehicles that were stolen and had GPS tracking systems installed, were eventually recovered by the authorities. Steering wheel lock. They are simple to install and quite effective. Place this device over the steering wheel and lock it. Ignition kill switch. This device will disable the ignition switch and prevent the car from starting. This system is cheap and can be installed in hidden places. Car alarm. This alarm will emit a strong beeping sound when someone tries to open the car without the right key, or they smash the cars windows. For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/ Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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In Brazil, 1.86 million people have tested positive, including President Jair Bolsonaro, and more than 72,000 people have died. The US state of Florida reported a record increase of more than 15,000 new cases in 24 hours on Sunday, more than South Korea's total since the disease was first identified at the end of last year. Florida tallied 12,624 new cases on Monday. California Governor Gavin Newsom has extended the closure of bars and indoor dining statewide and has ordered gyms, churches and hair salons closed in most places as coronavirus cases keep rising in the nation's most populated state. On July 1, Newsom ordered many counties to close bars and indoor operations at restaurants, wineries, zoos and family entertainment centres like bowling alleys and miniature golf. On Monday, Newsom extended that order statewide and closed additional parts of the world's fifth-largest economy, including indoor malls and offices for non-critical industries. California confirmed 8358 new coronavirus cases on Sunday. Hospitalisations have increased 28 per cent over the past two weeks. Newsom said the data suggested not everyone was using common sense. Loading Coronavirus infections were rising in about 40 US states, according to a Reuters analysis of cases for the past two weeks compared with the prior two weeks. Yet Trump and White House officials have repeatedly said the disease is under control and that schools must reopen in the autumn. "The President and his administration are messing with the health of our children," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on CNN's State of the Union program. "We all want our children to go back to school, parents do and children do. But they must go back safely." Tedros said the WHO had still not received formal notification of the US pullout announced by Trump. The US President says the WHO pandered to China, where the COVID-19 disease was first detected, at the start of the crisis. A WHO advance team has gone to China to investigate the origins of the new coronavirus, first discovered in the city of Wuhan. The team's members are in quarantine, as per standard procedure, before they begin work with Chinese scientists, WHO emergencies head Mike Ryan said. Barcelona mayor criticises lack of contact tracing The mayor of Barcelona says the Catalonia region of Spain has an inadequate number of contact tracers as it battles coronavirus outbreaks. Mayor Ada Colau said the region of some 7.5 million people, whose capital is Barcelona, has just 120 contact tracers, working in three shifts of 40 people each. Between July 6 and 12 the number of new cases recorded in the city roughly tripled from the previous week. Spain's head of the emergency response, Fernando Simon, said on Monday that several provinces have complained about a lack of resources to carry out contact tracing. Hong Kong battles rise in cases Hong Kong has banned public gatherings of more than four and required face coverings on public transport as the city battles an increase in COVID-19 cases. Restaurants won't be allowed to offer dine-in services from 6pm to 5am, while fitness centres and beauty salons will be closed for 7 days. The measures take effect on July 15. The city will also increase testing to identify asymptomatic patients who are infected. Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam, who announced the measures on Monday, also urged the private sector to put in place work-from-home arrangements for employees. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Credit:AP On Monday, 41 out of 52 coronavirus infections reported in Hong Kong were locally-transmitted cases. Since July 6, Hong Kong has reported 250 new cases, with Monday's tally being the highest since March. Virus cases climb 28,000 in a day in India India reported another record surge of coronavirus infections on Monday, adding 28,701 new cases over the previous 24 hours. Authorities in several cities are reinstating strict lockdowns after attempting to loosen things up to revive an ailing economy. The new cases raised the national total to 878,254. The Health Ministry also reported another 500 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities up to 23,174. New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Pune are among the key Indian cities witnessing a surge in infections. Several states introduced weekend curfews and announced strict lockdowns in high-risk areas to slow down infections. India is third in total coronavirus caseload, behind only the US and Brazil. Infections soar at US military bases in Japan Recent confirmed cases of COVID-19 at US military bases on Japan's Okinawa have grown to more than 90. Okinawa prefectural officials said that 32 more cases were confirmed on Monday at the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, bringing the recent total to 95 across the installation and three other bases. Most of the cases are at the air station. Loading Governor Denny Tamaki held telephone talks on Saturday with Lieutenant General Stacy Clardy, commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force. Tamaki demanded the US military increase disease prevention measures, stop sending personnel from the mainland US to Okinawa and seal the bases. Okinawa is home to more than half of about 50,000 American troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact. Many Okinawans have long complained about pollution, noise and crime. Many of the incidents cited in recent local protests against police brutality and racial injustice happened in places far away from the Lehigh Valley. But a protest Monday evening in Allentown primarily referenced something much closer to home and the fiery rhetoric by some in the crowd of more than 200 attacked those in power locally far more than any political figure working out of Harrisburg or Washington, D.C. The demonstration marked at least the second in the city since video circulated depicting an Allentown police officer apparently placing a knee on the neck of a man on the ground. The incident happened just before 7 p.m.. Saturday outside St. Lukes Sacred Heart Campus at 421 W. Chew St. An investigation is underway into the actions of the still-unidentified officer, police have said. Thats an insufficient response, protesters said at Monday evenings demonstration. We want the name of that officer, Allentown resident Rodney Bushe shouted into a megaphone while perched at the base of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at Seventh and Hamilton streets. We want that officers name. We want his name. The declaration grew into a chant in the crowd. Protestors who spoke also called for local politicians to take definitive action to address brutality and injustice instead of just offering platitudes. Those who dont take such action need to be voted out, they said. In addition to publicly releasing the officers name, they want him immediately arrested and suspended. The video, they said, clearly implicates the officer and they questioned the validity of a prolonged investigation. The video hit social media on Saturday night. A group of protesters later that night organized an impromptu march down Hamilton Street to the Allentown Police Department, where they were eventually greeted by Mayor Ray OConnell and police Chief Glenn Granitz Jr. OConnell initially told the crowd that the video was disturbing, but he needed more information. By Sunday, the video had garnered national attention, with George Floyds attorney commenting on Twitter that the officers actions in Allentown are exactly the same actions that led to Floyds death. BREAKING:@AllentownPolice were filmed Saturday evening applying the same force to a resident that the cops used to murder #GeorgeFloyd. This happened here in #Allentown outside a hospital. We demand answers. We demand change. We're Done Dying.#DefundThePolice pic.twitter.com/AbuyvkMNdT Black Lives Matter to Lehigh Valley (@BLMlehighvalley) July 12, 2020 Floyds May 25 death sparked the national movement toward police reform. Floyd was killed in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes while other officers watched during an episode captured in multiple cell phone videos. Former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvins been widely condemned by police for kneeling on Floyds neck. He is charged with Floyds murder. By Monday, the Lehigh County District Attorneys Office confirmed it is investigating the incident and city police issued their first formal statement about what transpired. Police said the officers were forced to restrain the unidentified man because he spit at them and hospital staff and was noncompliant. Prior to his arrest, he was exhibiting erratic behavior and was vomiting and staggering in the street, eventually stopping in the driveway of the emergency room, police said. Bushe and others at Monday evenings demonstration took issue with polices version of events and criticized the lack of acknowledgement in the statement that the officer put his knee on the mans neck. That wasnt a statement, Bushe said. That was a cover-your-ass statement. At Monday evenings demonstration, the organizers, Black Lives Matter of the Lehigh Valley, struck an acrimonious tone with police. That hasnt always been seen in the largely peaceful demonstrations that have cropped up in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and some smaller Lehigh Valley towns since Floyds killing. In some of those cases, local police even marched with the demonstrators. A Black Lives Matter of the Lehigh Valley Facebook post announcing Monday evenings protest made clear that police were not welcome to participate. We are asking that all law enforcement DO NOT attend a police brutality and culture protest that you have contributed to, the post said. Although several patrol vehicles blocked off roads on the perimeter of the demonstration, there was very little noticeable police presence. And the demonstrators did not hold back their discontent with the police. There were multiple F*** the police chants. Signs being held up by demonstrators read Blue Klux Klan, Shut It Down and Respect Existence or Expect Resistance. The demonstration started at 5 p.m. and was scheduled to run until 8 p.m. Monday. As of about the midway point, it had remained peaceful. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Nick Falsone can be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. (Photo : REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh) Lab technicians work on investigational coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment drug "Remdesivir" at Eva Pharma Facility in Cairo, Egypt June 25, 2020. (Photo : REUTERS/Mike Blake) Gilead Sciences Inc pharmaceutical company is seen after they announced a Phase 3 Trial of the investigational antiviral drug Remdesivir in patients with severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19), during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Oceanside, California, U.S., April 29, 2020. While hospitals in South Florida are now running out of remdesivir, other states have surplus doses. This may be the case of inequity in the distribution of the only drug authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat coronavirus. As COVID-19 cases surge to record high numbers in Florida over the weekend, Dr. Eliot Godofsky no longer has a remdesivir for his patients in South Florida. In contrast, Dr. Cameron Wolfe who is an infectious disease expert from Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina has extra doses he currently does not need as the number of coronavirus cases in the hospital continues to decline. However, as CNN reported, there is no way for Wolfe to transport the drug to support Godofsky, so the two doctors call for a system overhaul. Godofsky feels frustrated with the situation as he cannot give his patients remdesivir to help them recover faster. "Patients suffer and you just feel terrible," he said. Similarly, Texas' supply of remdesivir is also not enough as COVID-19 patients surge to more than 700 this month from only 200 in May. Unfortunately, it only has doses enough for 200 patients. This is after some hospitals have limited administering of the drug for only patients who were on ventilators. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services told CNN on Friday, July 10, the department is now focusing on states with recent spikes in COVID-19 cases. These include Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas where previous allocations are far less than the number of hospitalized patients. The spokesperson also said that the department would ensure to distribute remdesivir across the United States efficiently and equitably. Currently, the agency allots drugs for a certain state depending on the percentage it takes from the total number of cases in the country. However, the spokesperson told STAT in an email that the actual case might change once the drugs are shipped out. Hospitals would need to purchase remdesivir starting July 13 On July 8, News-Press reported that state health departments are no longer getting remdesivir. The Florida Hospital Associated said the shortage of supply led to temporary delays in hospitals acquiring the drug. FHA interim president Crystal Stickle said in a statement that it is their top priority to ensure access to remdesivir, which has proven to speed up recovery of COVID-19 patients. After getting an emergency authorization from the FDA in May, drug manufacturer Gilead Sciences donated the initial supply of remdesivir for hospitalized Covid-19 patients. However, starting on July 13, hospitals would need to purchase the drug to directly receive it. Last month, the NPR reported that patients with private insurance could purchase each vial for $520. Each patient would receive 2 doses for five days, so they will be billed $3,120 for the whole treatment. It is still unsure how much patients without insurance would pay for the treatment. Meanwhile, other developed countries can get it for a lower price of $390 per vial or $2,340 for the five-day course. Read also: New Data Shows Remdesivir Helps COVID-19 Patients Recover Faster, but Combining It with Hydroxychloroquine Proves Otherwise 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Xtalks Life Science Webinars In the era of patient-centred research and healthcare, clinical researchers are being asked to think beyond hypothesis testing, and to engage in sometimes-difficult discussions about the meaningfulness of their trial results. Join Benoit Arnould, Divisional Principal, Patient Centred Outcomes, ICON plc, Alexia Marrel, Lead Outcomes Researcher, Patient Centred Outcomes, ICON plc and Olga Moshkovich, Lead Outcomes Researcher, Patient Centred Outcomes, ICON plc in a live webinar on Thursday, July 30 at 11am EDT (4pm BST/UK). In the era of patient-centred research and healthcare, clinical researchers are being asked to think beyond hypothesis testing, and to engage in sometimes-difficult discussions about the meaningfulness of their trial results. Regulators, payers, clinicians and patient advocacy groups all want to understand how innovative products and treatments can change the course of disease, and how patients will experience and value these changes. The recent draft guidance issued by FDA (Oct 2019) Patient-Focused Drug Development: Methods to Identify What Is Important to Patients encourages industry to conduct qualitative research. While most stakeholders recognise the unique value of qualitative research, and researchers have strong qualitative methods to capture and report subjective experience communicated with natural language, adapting and integrating this into sophisticated clinical trials is not always straightforward. Join this webinar for insights on how to include qualitative research into your trials more effectively. Experts from ICON plc will share knowledge from over five years of successfully designing and conducting entry and exit interviews in clinical trials, and discuss the solid and emerging set of scientific publications available to support this approach. For more information or to register for this event, visit Integrating Qualitative Patient Interviews into a Clinical Trial Protocol. ABOUT XTALKS Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers. To learn more about Xtalks visit http://xtalks.com For information about hosting a webinar visit http://xtalks.com/why-host-a-webinar/ Ghislaine Maxwell refused to open the front door to the FBI when they raided her $1million home and fled to another room in the house, prosecutors claimed today. The alleged chief recruiter for Jeffrey Epstein fled to another room and was seen 'quickly shutting a door behind her'. The FBI smashed down the door and discovered a mobile phone wrapped in tin foil which prosecutors called a 'seemingly misguided effort to evade detection' by law enforcement. New York prosecutors said this was evidence that Maxwell was 'skilled at living in hiding' and should be denied bail. Maxwell, 58, will appear in court Tuesday where a judge will decide if she can be freed. Ghislaine Maxwell refused to open the front door to the FBI and tried to flee to another room when they raided her $1million home, prosecutors claimed Monday The FBI smashed down the door and discovered a mobile phone wrapped in tin foil which prosecutors called a 'seemingly misguided effort to evade detection' Currently she is being held in the fortress-like Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn where she is wearing paper clothes to ensure she doesn't kill herself. Epstein hanged himself last August while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges and the Department of Justice wants to ensure she does not do the same. Maxwell is accused of grooming girls as young as 14 for Epstein to abuse between 1994 and 1997, a period when she was his girlfriend as well as his procurer. Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York outlined their case against Maxwell's bail in a 19- page document filed Monday. Maxwell had offered a $5million bond co-signed by two of her sisters and backed up by more than $3.75million in property in the UK. She would be confined to a home in the New York area, surrender all her travel documents and be subject to GPS monitoring. But prosecutors argued nothing would ensure that somebody with three passports, including for France which has no extradition treaty with the UK, would suffice. They said that her conduct during the 8:30am raid on July 2 at the property called 'Tuckedaway' in the rural town of Bradford, New Hampshire was 'troubling'. They wrote that when the FBI arrived they were confronted by a locked gate which they forced their way through. The filing said: 'As the agents approached the front door to the main house, they announced themselves as FBI agents and directed the defendant to open the door. 'Through a window, the agents saw the defendant ignore the direction to open the door and, instead, try to flee to another room in the house, quickly shutting a door behind her. Agents were ultimately forced to breach the door in order to enter the house to arrest the defendant, who was found in an interior room in the house. 'Moreover, as the agents conducted a security sweep of the house, they also noticed a cell phone wrapped in tin foil on top of a desk, a seemingly misguided effort to evade detection, not by the press or public, which of course would have no ability to trace her phone or intercept her communications, but by law enforcement'. New York prosecutors said in a filing Monday this was evidence that Maxwell was 'skilled at living in hiding' and should be denied bail After Maxwell, the daughter of late newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell, was arrested the FBI spoke to a security guard who worked on the property who said that her brother had hired him from a company staffed with former British military soldiers. THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST MAXWELL THE CHARGES Conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts (5 years max sentence) Enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts (20 years) Conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity (20 years) Transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity (10 years minimum, life maximum) X 2 counts of Perjury (x 10 years) THE 'FACTS' Prosecutors say Maxwell groomed three girls between 1994 and 1997 for Epstein. They are not named in the indictment, but she allegedly targeted them in London, Florida, New York and New Mexico. Maxwell, it is alleged, would befriend the girls by asking them about their life and their schooling. She would put them at ease by taking them to the movies and taking them shopping, winning their trust to later deliver them to Epstein, it's alleged. To 'normalize' the abuse that would come later, prosecutors say she undressed in front of the girls herself and asked them sexual questions. She then not only facilitated Epstein abusing them, prosecutors say, but took part in some of it herself. The alleged sex abuse includes 'sexualized group massages'. The indictment also says Maxwell made the girl feel 'indebted' to Epstein by encouraging them to take money from him and let him pay for their education and travel. Advertisement The filing states: 'The guard informed the FBI that the defendant had not left the property during his time working there, and that instead, the guard was sent to make purchases for the property using the credit card. As these facts make plain, there should be no question that the defendant is skilled at living in hiding'. In their filings to the court ,Maxwell's lawyers had argued that she is at increased risk of catching the coronavirus while in prison. They claim that the restrictions on access to her lawyers caused by the pandemic would mean it was impossible for her to get a fair trial. The prosecutors said that in fact the prison had made substantial efforts to accommodate her and keep her safe. In a 19-page document prosecutors from the Southern District of New York dismissed her offer of a $5million bail package backed up by $3.75million in UK properties as 'little more than an unsecured bond'. It was not enough that she be subjected to 24 hour monitoring and remain under house arrest because she has 'not only the motive to flee, but the means to do so swiftly and effectively'. The case against her is 'strong' and multiple victims have provided 'detailed, credible evidence of the defendant's criminal conduct' - with more women coming forward in the past week. The victims have made clear they want Maxwell remanded in custody and say they were 'directly abused as a result of Ghislaine Maxwell's actions'. The document states: 'While that conduct did take place a number of years ago, it is unsurprising that the victims have been unable to forget the defendant's predatory conduct after all this time, as traumatic childhood experiences often leave indelible marks. 'The recollections of the victims bear striking resemblances that corroborate each other and provide compelling proof of the defendant's active participation in a disturbing scheme to groom and sexually abuse minor girls'. The prosecutors said that it was 'curious' that Maxwell claimed to have access to millions of dollars had not offered 'a single dime' as collateral for her bond. They claimed that Maxwell's finances were 'completely opaque' and she had not even indicated which properties she would use for her bond. Some of the co-signers are 'themselves so wealthy that it would be no financial burden whatsoever' if they lost their $5million by Maxwell skipping bail, the document states. Maxwell was romantically involved with Jeffrey Epstein from around 1992, but then became his 'right-hand woman', managing his property empire and, it is alleged, his trafficking of minors Her bail request (pictured) was filed in the US District Court in Manhattan and claims she was not 'hiding' from authorities, is not a flight risk and is at risk of contracting COVID-19 if she continues to be held in the Brooklyn jail The document states that in recent years Maxwell has been associated with a Swiss bank account and multiple accounts with at least one bank based in England. In 2018 and 2019 filings by Maxwell with the US government said the English bank account had 'well over' $2million in it. The Swiss bank account revealed that Maxwell was a trustee of a family trust with a balance of more than $4million, as of last month. One transfer from last year in this account was of more than $750,000 and Maxwell paid $1million in cash for her property in New Hampshire last December. Despite this, Maxwell told court officers she had less than $1million in bank accounts which the prosecutors said should cause the court 'serious pause'. The prosecutors wrote: 'To the extent the defendant now refuses to account for her ownership of or access to vast wealth, it is not because it does not exist it is because she is attempting to hide it'. In the document they said that Maxwell faces the 'reality of serious charges' and the 'real prospect of spending many years in prison' - up to 35 years by their count. The prosecutors wrote: 'The defendant has spent the last two decades without facing consequences for her criminal actions. 'For years before her arrest in this case, the defendant likely believed she had gotten away with her crimes. That illusion has now been shattered, and she has a host of new reasons to use her considerable resources to flee. 'Moreover, the defendant's willingness to brazenly lie under oath about her conduct, including some of the conduct charged in the Indictment, strongly suggests her true motive has been and remains to avoid being held accountable for her crimes'. Maxwell is currently in custody in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn (pictured) According to reports she had moved 36 times in the year since Epstein killed himself in jail out of fear for her safety. The FBI have said they were quietly keeping tabs on her and smashed in her door during an 8.30am raid. In her filing last Friday, Maxwell's lawyers Mark Cohen and Jeff Pagliuca wrote that Maxwell 'vigorously denies the charges, intends to fight them, and is entitled to the presumption of innocence'. They claimed that after Epstein's death last August 'the media focus quickly shifted to our client - wrongly trying to substitute her for Epstein - even though she'd had no contact with Epstein for more than a decade, had never been charged with a crime or been found liable in any civil litigation, and has always denied any allegations of claimed misconduct.' They wrote that it was 'open season' on Maxwell and she had received death threats which led her to hire security guards. Maxwell's lawyers also revealed that her family is standing by her and that she remains close to her nephews and nieces. Epstein's victims have long demanded Maxwell's arrest and lawyers for them say that a slew of new accusers have come forward since she was apprehended. Prosecutors will likely be looking to do a plea deal with Maxwell to lighten some of the six charges against her, two of which are perjury for allegedly lying during depositions. They will be questioning her about powerful men in Epstein's orbit including Bill Clinton with whom she flew on Epstein's private jet, called the 'Lolita Express', on a tour of Africa in 2002. Maxwell was also good friends with Prince Andrew and one of Epstein's victims, Virginia Roberts, claims she was loaned out to the Duke three times for sex when she was 17. Description The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is pleased to announce they will be hosting the 2020 Summer Run Series virtually. The race series is sponsored by Newsday, Natural Heritage Trust, 106.1 WBLI, 102.3 WBAB, Super Runners Shop, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Dole, Boening Brothers and Performax. This four-week series will begin on Monday, July 13th, and runs until Sunday, August 9th, 2020. Participation in the virtual Summer Run Series will be limited to 5,000 runners. The cost of the series is $20 plus a $2.89 transaction fee. To register, please visit www.elitefeats.com/SummerRun. Every runner who completes and uploads a 5K or more will be entered in the raffle to win one of 40 entries to the 2021 Summer Run Series. The runners who complete and log at least a 5K all four weeks will be entered for a chance to win a four pack of tickets to the VIP Chalet at the 2021 Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach. Additional prizes from our sponsors Newsday, WBAB/WBLI, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Performax, Super Runners Shop and Boening Brothers will be raffled off to all registered runners. The raffles will take place after the completed week on Monday at 3:00PM on Facebook Live. Each week will have a different theme and runners are encouraged to upload photos each week. Themes include Hero/ Essential Workers, Favorite Mask/Buff, Retro Summer Run and Patriotic/ Red, White and Blue. All registered runners will receive a swag bag, which includes a limited-edition medal, at the end of the series. Runners will be able to pick up their swag bags at a date to be announced in August. For more information and participation guidelines, please call the Long Island State Park Region Recreation Department at (631) 321-3510 weekdays from 9:00AM to 5:00PM. Guards sort sack lunches without masks or gloves on. Inmates arrive at showers to find Band-Aids, razors and socks discarded on the floor. They wash their hands with soap, but are not allowed hand sanitizer after theyve rolled themselves back to their bunks in wheelchairs. These were examples of the callous disregard the Texas prison system has shown to geriatric inmates, according to testimony Monday by Laddy Valentine, a 69-year-old inmate involved in a federal class action seeking more protective measures to combat COVID-19 at a lockup of elderly, medically compromised and mobility impaired inmates outside Houston. Attorneys told the judge at a video hearing that prison officials have failed to follow their own guidelines or make special provisions to protect more than 1,100 vulnerable inmates at the Pack Unit from the virus. They have not provided inmates hand sanitizer, sufficient testing, contact tracing or social distancing to prevent the spread of the disease, lawyers said. The Pack Unit was like a tinderbox where COVID-19 virus would spread rapidly if immediate action was not taken, said attorney John Keville. The first death at the prison April 11 was like a spark and officials failure to take public health measures, like contact tracing, social distancing and rigorous cleaning, resulted in a raging fire, he said. Nineteen inmates have died at Pack of Covid and more than hundred have been hospitalized over the past few months. Shawn Cowles, of state Attorney General Ken Paxtons office, argued that the prison system could not and should not be expected to defend itself against the scourge of a lethal viral killer where no person and no place is immune. Instead the judge should keep in mind the legal standard of deliberate indifference, whether officials intentionally ignored or purposely disregarded the onslaught of the disease. The bench trial is expected to last two weeks. The civil rights lawsuit is before U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison, who oversaw a lengthy lawsuit by Pack inmates over exposure to deadly indoor heat. That case ended in a historic settlement: The facility is now air conditioned in the hot months, but inmates say officials are now showing intentional indifference to their health during the pandemic, in violation of their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection. The Pack Unit is one of 104 prisons in the state, but it accounts for 20 percent of COVID-19 deaths across the prisons. The case highlights an issue bubbling up around the country. The U.S. leads the word in its COVID-19 infection rate among incarcerated populations, according to Jennifer Lackey, director of the Northwestern Prison Education Program. The infection rate among inmates is 5.5 times higher than the among the overall population, according to an article by Sharon Dolovich at the UCLA Law COVID19 Behind Bars Data Project and coauthors from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, published July 8 by the American Medical Association. Bryan Collier, executive director of the Texas prisons, testified that he was following guidance from his own health department and the CDC and being proactive in combating the disease. But under questioning from inmates counsel, Collier declined to commit to continuing a range of measures hed implemented contact tracing, testing, allowing unlimited toilet paper and stopping unnecessary transports. Collier answered questions about what the prison did after a 62-year-old Pack inmate named Leonard Clerkly tested positive for COVID-19 after his death. The 53 people in Clerklys dorm were tested, isolated and noted on a contract tracing form. But the prison made no note on the contact form about the prison staff who interacted with him or medical officials who had administered breathing treatments. Valentine, a 69-year-old inmate who has high blood pressure and uses a walker, said he also tested positive for COVID-19. But no one ever asked him questions or filled out a contact tracing form. He testified that he slept inches from his dorm mates and that low walls between there beds probably did not prevent his germs from spreading. The inmates have said in court documents the prison didnt make new dorm space available, so they could space people out. In his opening argument, Cowles brought up the elephant in the room, saying he understood the judge was frustrated with the states sluggish response to urgent grievances by inmates. I understand the court has lost faith in TDCJ, Cowles said. More inmates are expected to testify Tuesday about conditions at the prison and their efforts to get resources to protect them from the coronavirus. gabrielle.banks@chron.com The state aid scheme is meant to test projects linked with COVID-19. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled EU recovery plan opens a window of opportunity if Slovakia can use it well Read more The European Commission approved Slovakia's state aid scheme worth 80 million to support research, development and testing infrastructure for development linked with the coronavirus pandemic. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The commission said the scheme was approved to support industrial research and experimental research projects, as well as testing and expanding the infrastructure linked with the production of products linked with COVID-19, the TASR newswire reported. The scheme was approved within a temporary legal framework on state aid, which the European Commission accepted in March and completed and updated during April. Development and production Public support would be co-financed from European structural and investment funds. The aim of the scheme is to increase and make the development and production of products directly linked with the spread of new coronavirus faster, including vaccination substances, hospital and medical devices, medicine and protective means. Slovakia urged to think green after pandemic Read more The Commission found out that the Slovak scheme is in accordance with conditions given in the temporary legal frame. The state aid will cover a significant part of the costs to research and development and other investment projects. EU executives came to the conclusion that this measure is inevitable, proportionate and suitable for a fight against the coronavirus crisis. This was the base for approval of measures of the Slovak side according to EU rules on state help. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday interacted with Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai on a wide range of subjects, especially on leveraging the power of technology to "transform the lives of India's farmers, youngsters and entrepreneurs" In the virtual meeting, the Prime Minister also discussed with Pichai the new work culture that is emerging during the Covid-19 crisis. Stressing that Indians are adjusting to and adopting technology at a rapid pace, Modi spoke about farmers benefiting from technology and the possible wide-ranging benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture. He also explored the idea of virtual labs that can be used by students as well as farmers. "This morning, (I) had an extremely fruitful interaction with Sundar Pichai. We spoke on a wide range of subjects, particularly leveraging the power of technology to transform the lives of India's farmers, youngsters and entrepreneurs," Modi said in a series of tweets. The Prime Minister said he was delighted to know more about the efforts of Google in several sectors, be it in education, learning, digital India, furthering digital payments and more. During the interaction, Modi said that he and Pichai also exchanged views about the new work culture that is emerging in the times of Covid-19 and also discussed the challenges the global pandemic has brought to areas such as sports. "We also talked about the importance of data security and cyber safety." The Prime Minister's interaction with Pichai is significant as it comes at a time when India is trying to make a big push to attract foreign investments. Pichai also apprised the Prime Minister about the efforts undertaken by Google to help spread awareness and provide reliable information about Covid-19. He said that the strong step of lockdown initiated by the Prime Minister set up a very strong foundation of India's battle against the pandemic. Modi appreciated the proactive role played by Google in battling misinformation and conveying information about necessary precautions. He also stressed on further leveraging technology in providing healthcare services. Pichai also briefed the PM about new products and initiatives by Google in the country and mentioned about the launch of AI Research Lab in Bengaluru, while also highlighting the benefits of Google's flood forecasting efforts. As he was informed about Google's plan to launch a large investment fund and develop strategic partnerships in India, Modi noted that India is amongst the most open economies in the world and cited the recent steps taken by the government towards reforming agriculture and about the campaign to create new jobs, while also highlighting the importance of re-skilling. On the issues of data security and privacy, the Prime Minister said that tech companies need to put in efforts to bridge the trust deficit and also talked about cyber crimes and threats in the form of cyber attacks. Other areas of discussion included technological solutions to expand the scope of online education, access to technology in native language, use of AR/VR (augmented reality and virtual reality) to give a stadium-like viewing experience in the field of sports, and progress in digital payments. National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien speaks to reporters outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington on May 21, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Huaweis UK Future: UK and US Security Heads to Talk in Paris U.S. President Donald Trumps national security adviser will meet with the UKs top security official in Paris this week for talks on Huawei amid fears of espionage and sabotage by the Chinese telecoms giant. U.S. national security adviser Robert OBrien will engage in three days of talks in Paris. The UKs national security adviser Sir Mark Sedwill will fly to meet him as U.S. pressure continues to mount on the UK to sever ties with Huawei, thought to be a Chinese state-linked company. The Paris talks coincide with a meeting on Tuesday of the National Security Council (NSC), which UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair prior to an expected formal announcement in Parliament on the future of Huawei in the UK. Johnson, under pressure from his own backbench MPs, is expected to declare a U-turn, due to spying and subversion fears, on a previous decision to allow Huaweis technology equipment a bigger presence in the UKs 5G infrastructure. He is expected to give two dates, one to ban any new Huawei equipment and another to strip out their existing kit from the UK network. Dates from early 2021 to 2028 have been voiced, with many Conservative MPs wanting the ban and rip-out dates to be strictly prior to the May 2024 election. Conservative MP Bob Seely told The Times that the rip-out date should be enshrined in law, while former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith called for Huaweis total removal as early as the beginning of next year. Seely cited 20252026 as a realistic timeline and one that is likely to garner widespread support, while BT and Vodaphone executives favored a five- to seven-year deadline to avoid possible signal blackouts for mobile phone users. A poll conducted for the Mail Online showed 52 percent of responders would approve of the UK stripping out Huaweis equipment28 percent of them strongly. Huawei, which has allegedly received an estimated 59 billion pounds ($75 billion) in Chinese state support, were put on the U.S. entity list in 2019 limiting their ability to buy U.S. technology. Huawei have always denied any direct links to the Chinese regime. French, German, and Italian officials will also attend the talks in Paris where security issues relating to Russia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Afghanistan as well as the CCP virus will be discussed. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal The New Mexico Restaurant Association says its disappointed that it was not included in talks with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham before she ordered that restaurants must once again be prohibited from offering dine-in service. The organization plans to request a court order Monday that would allow restaurants to continue dine-in services, saying the ban will affect thousands of food service workers. The NMRAs CEO, Carol Wight, said there is no evidence that restaurants are causing the spread of COVID-19. She says the restaurant industry is being unfairly punished. Governor, our industry is angry and devastated at the moment, the said in a letter NMRA sent to Lujan Grisham last week. Thoughts of non-compliance with your order, to statewide protests, to lawsuits, are picking up momentum. We believe we can forgo those activities by working together with you as we had before your latest decision. Nora Meyers Sackett, a spokeswoman for the Governors Office, said in an email that the order is not intended to punish restaurants, and is instead the unavoidable consequence of New Mexicans continuing to conduct themselves in a way that continues to spread COVID-19 throughout the state. Everyone is suffering the effects of this deadly virus, and we have to do everything we can to slow the spread of it, she said. Restaurant owners are prominent members of their communities and must, like all of us, do everything they can to save lives. The ban on indoor dining was lifted in June, but an increase in COVID-19 cases caused the state to close indoor seating again, starting Monday. Outdoor seating is still allowed at 50% capacity, as are delivery and curbside pickup. The NMRA has coordinated a protest at 2 p.m. Monday during which restaurants are encouraged to take photos of employees who may have to be laid off under the new restrictions. The photos will then be shared on the NMRAs Facebook page, Wight said. The NMRAs letter asked Lujan Grisham to postpone the ban on indoor dining until July 20 so that people who may lose their jobs have more notice. The letter also expressed disappointment that the restaurant industry was not invited to take part in any discussions. We believe and still do, that we could offer solutions and ways to accommodate your concerns short of shutting down dine-in services, the letter says. Antonia Roybal-Mack, a legal representative for the NMRA, said the group will file a request seeking a court order halting the new prohibition Monday, after Lujan-Grisham signs the new public health order. Wight told the Journal on Sunday that she believed restaurants were being treated unfairly under the public health orders. Most restaurants were doing things the right way, and she punished all of us for a few doing things wrong, Wight said. Wight said a lot of restaurant workers will have to be laid off again, and she believes more restaurants will close permanently. I have restaurants calling me, weeping because theyre not going to be able to come back from this, and it breaks my heart, she said. A Nigerian couple has welcomed a set of twins three weeks apart. According to the husband, David Bankole, he and his wife got marr... A Nigerian couple has welcomed a set of twins three weeks apart. He said his wife quickly conceived afterward and on June 19, 2020, she gave birth to their second baby. They even had a naming ceremony for the new baby. He said it was after the naming ceremony that his wife started to complain she was having some movement in her stomach. They went to the hospital and it was discovered she had another baby in her. According to the husband, David Bankole, he and his wife got married in 2003 and waited for sixteen years before welcoming their first child, a girl, in February 2019.He said his wife quickly conceived afterward and on June 19, 2020, she gave birth to their second baby. They even had a naming ceremony for the new baby. He said it was after the naming ceremony that his wife started to complain she was having some movement in her stomach. They went to the hospital and it was discovered she had another baby in her. To the glory of God, this union is almost 18 years now. After we got wedded in 2003, we waited for sixteen good years before God answered us and gave us our first daughter in February 2019. We were overjoyed. Before we knew it, she conceived and gave birth to another baby on the 19th of June 2020. We were so grateful to God. We had the naming ceremony. Some days after, she said she was feeling some movement in her stomach. We were like maybe it's because she just had a baby. However, as the days went by, she kept complaining of that movement in her stomach so we had to go back to the hospital because when we did scan prior to the delivery, it was one baby that reflected. When we got to the hospital after several complains, they now checked her and found another baby. That was how we took delivery of the second baby on Friday, 10th of July and both processes were natural birth.'' he said Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has announced the dissolution of the constitutional court in an attempt to calm unrest that saw four people killed in street protests on Friday. The president said he would not tolerate such violence. The court has been at the centre of controversy after it overturned provisional results for parliamentary elections in March. There are growing calls for President Keita to resign. Opponents are unhappy with his handling of Mali's long-running jihadist conflict, an economic crisis and the disputed elections. A new opposition coalition led by the conservative Imam, Mahmoud Dicko, has been insisting on further reforms after rejecting earlier concessions from the Malian president, including the formation of a unity government. What's the latest in Mali? "I have decided to repeal the licences of the remaining members of the constitutional court," the president said in an evening television address on Saturday. "This de facto dissolution of the court will enable us, from next week, to ask relevant authorities to nominate new members so that the reformed court can quickly help us find solutions to the disputes arising from the legislative elections," he added. 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 Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Sunday wished actor Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan a speedy recovery after they tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The father-son duo were admitted to the isolation ward of the Nanavati Hospital after they tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday. Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Oli wrote, Wishing legendary actor of India @SrBachchan and his son actor @juniorbachchan good health and speedy recovery! Wishing legendary actor of India @SrBachchan and his son actor @juniorbachchan good health and speedy recovery! K P Sharma Oli (@kpsharmaoli) July 12, 2020 The Bachchans have decided to share their health updates on Twitter instead of the hospital releasing a medical bulletin. Amitabh took to Twitter late Sunday to thank his well wishers for praying for him. He wrote, ... to them that have expressed their concern, their prayers and their wishes for Abhishek Aishwarya Aaradhya and me .. my unending gratitude and love ... He added in another tweet, It shall not be possible for me to acknowledge and respond to all the prayers and wishes expressed by them that have shown concern towards Abhishek, Aishwarya, Aaradhya and me .. I put my hands together and say ..Folded hands. Thank you for your eternal love and affection .. T 3591 - ... to them that have expressed their concern, their prayers and their wishes for Abhishek Aishwarya Aaradhya and me .. my unending gratitude and love .. , , , Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 12, 2020 T 3592 - It shall not be possible for me to acknowledge and respond to all the prayers and wishes expressed by them that have shown concern towards Abhishek, Aishwarya, Aaradhya and me .. I put my hands together and say .. Thank you for your eternal love and affection .. Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 12, 2020 Also read: Ekta Kapoor shares Parth Samthaans web series teaser, says Kasautii Zindagii Kay is waiting for its hero Abhishek, 44, had said on Saturday that both his father and he had mild symptoms and requested everybody to be calm and not panic. He also refuted the rumours of leaving the hospital and said that the two will remain admitted until the doctors say otherwise. Aishwarya and Aaradhya have also tested COVID-19 positive. They will be self quarantining at home. The BMC has been updated of their situation and are doing the needful.The rest of the family including my Mother have tested negative. Thank you all for your wishes and prayers Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) July 12, 2020 Abhishek on Sunday tweeted that his wife, actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and daughter Aaradhya, had also tested positive for the virus and will be self quarantining at home. He wrote on Twitter, Aishwarya and Aaradhya have also tested COVID-19 positive. They will be self quarantining at home. The BMC has been updated of their situation and are doing the needful.The rest of the family including my Mother have tested negative. Thank you all for your wishes and prayers. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON West Bengal: Indian Coast Guard swings into action, rescues 15 fishermen from sea by Sreyashi Dey July 13,2020 | Source: Times Now News The Indian Coast Guard rescued 15 fishermen on Saturday night in a swift operation in rough sea conditions. 15 Indian fishermen onboard a fishing boat named Krishna Kanaiya were stranded in Kakdwip in West Bengal. Indian Coast Guard ship Vijaya picked up a distress call from the Krishna Kanaiya while it was on operational duty. Realising the gravity of the situation and given the adverse sea condition, the Indian Coast Guard vessel immediately re-navigated its course for undertaking the rescue operation. - 15 stranded fishermen rescued by the Indian Coast Guard late on Saturday night - The propeller of the fishing boat had broken due to the rough sea condition - Indian Coast Guard ensures safe return of the fishermen to Kakdwip in West Bengal Taking into account the direction of the wind and sea condition, the operation was conducted swiftly under the command of DIG Vijay Singh on locating the distressed fishing boat. Even a slight delay in locating the boat could have been catastrophic as the boat could have drifted into foreign waters and been grounded or could have broken down given the rough sea condition. The captain of the fishing boat informed that the boat had lost its propellers in the rough sea and had drifted about 15 nautical miles in the last 24 hours due to the strong gusty wind. With no help at sight, the fishermen were exhausted and were unable to steer the fishing boat. The Indian Coast Guard swung into action to rescue the fishing in challenging sea conditions. The Coast Guard Ship- Vijaya showed grit in towing the crippled fishing boat to a safe location near the coast of West Bengal. The Coast Guard station at Frazergunj also informed the fishing boat owner who arranged for two boats to receive the fishermen at sea from the Indian Coast Guard ship. Today at around 8:15 am, the rescued crew was safely handed over to other boats arranged by the Fisheries Association for their return to Kakdwip. Police have said they are investigating a complaint from a Sinn Fein MP about what he called "vile banners" on bonfires targeting veteran republican Bobby Storey, who died last month. The news came as trouble flared for the third night in a row in north Belfast. Sinn Fein MP Paul Maskey has complained to the police about what he called "a series of blatant and unacceptable displays of sectarian hatred on bonfires yet again". "It is absolutely disgraceful that the grief of Mr Storey's family is being compounded by sectarian thugs," he said. PSNI Superintendent Lorraine Dobson confirmed: "We are aware of imagery on social media platforms and we are making enquiries." First Minister Arlene Foster said she had "regret" that some people did not abide by Covid-19 regulations at some bonfires and called on people to celebrate in a non-sectarian manner. Read More "They really need to take a look at themselves and ask themselves what sort of a Northern Ireland do they want to live in - do they want to live in a Northern Ireland where everyone is entitled to proudly celebrate their culture and identity, or do they want to live in a split Northern Ireland?" she told the BBC. "I know certainly the one in which I want to live in, it's one where we can all proudly celebrate but do so in a way that is not offensive and certainly not sectarian." Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill called the bonfire displays "anti-social" and said that more needs to be done to challenge them. "Political unionism must do more to challenge and confront the destructive and toxic issue of anti-social bonfires," she said. "These fires are not only detrimental to the environment, but also to community relations. Sectarianism has absolutely no place in our society and must be rooted out." Meanwhile, a former SDLP election candidate who comes from a unionist background said she was dismayed to see her election poster appear on a bonfire. "I feel I'm consistently very fair to the PUL community and the values they hold, so for my election poster to end up on a local bonfire feels really c***," said Heather Wilson, who grew up in the Ballysillan area. I intended to watch a local parade tomorrow, but not any more." She received support from SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and UUP MLA Doug Beattie, who said the incident was "absolutely vile". Meanwhile, firefighters responded to just 24 callouts to bonfires on the Eleventh Night - a fall of 29.5% on last year. But the evening was marred by disorder in the mainly nationalist New Lodge area of north Belfast for a second consecutive night. Superintendent Dobson said petrol bombs were thrown at police throughout the evening. "As officers attempted to engage with youths in the area last night they came under attack from youths, some of whom were masked, who threw bottles and masonry. Damage has been caused to a number of our vehicles but, thankfully, none of our officers were injured." And yesterday evening youths dragged sofas and furniture onto North Queen Street, where they torched them. Earlier, it was reported that two males had been attacked in the car park of a Tesco store by a gang of teenagers from the New Lodge. The victims were thought to have entered the supermarket from the Tigers Bay area. It is understood that one of the victims suffered a head injury and was taken to hospital by the PSNI. President Donald Trump on Monday did not rule out granting a pardon to his first national security advisor Michael Flynn, just days after commuting the 40-month prison term of his longtime ally Roger Stone. But Trump said "I don't have a decision to make" about a potential pardon for Flynn "until I find out what's going to happen" with Flynn's efforts to get a dismissal of his conviction for lying to FBI agents. "I think he's doing very well with respect to his case," Trump told reporters. "I hope that he's going to be able to win it." The Justice Department has asked that Flynn's conviction be tossed out, but Judge Emmet Sullivan so far has not ruled on that request. A federal appeals court panel ordered Sullivan to dismiss the case, which relates to Flynn's discussions with a Russian diplomat in the weeks before Trump's inauguration. But Sullivan last week asked the appeals court's full line-up of judges to reconsider that decision. Flynn's lawyer Sidney Powell said in an email, "As I have said from the inception of my representation, the government has long withheld evidence of Mr. Flynn's innocence." "The FBI and [special counsel's office] made up this prosecution and coerced his plea by multiple means. The result for which we have steadfastly and relentlessly worked is his complete exoneration by the Department of Justice and the judicial system," Powell said. "We believe it is very important for the Rule of Law and the public's trust in the system for his case to be dismissed according to the Government's motion and because of all the newly disclosed evidence of government misconduct and his innocence." Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec in an email referred CNBC to the prior court filings and statements about Flynn submitted by the department and Attorney General William Barr. On Friday, Trump commuted the full prison sentence of Stone, a Republican consultant who was convicted at trial last fall of lying to Congress and witness tampering. Stone, who had at one point worked on Trump's campaign, lied to a House committee about his efforts during the 2016 election to get emails from the document disclosure group WikiLeaks that had been stolen by Russian agents from the Democratic National Committee and from the chief of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign. Judge Amy Berman Jackson, in sentencing Stone this year, said, "He was not prosecuted, as some have complained, for standing up for the President. He was prosecuted for covering up for the President." Stone and Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, were both investigated and prosecuted by Robert Mueller, the Justice Department special counsel who was tasked with probing Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Trump has long been critical of Mueller's investigation, calling the basis of it a "hoax." Trump said of Flynn on Monday, "I think he was persecuted." "He didn't lie," Trump said. "The FBI said he didn't lie." "They treated him very unfairly, as they have many people on this side," the president said. Flynn, who has yet to be sentenced, has twice admitted to Sullivan that he lied to FBI agents by falsely stating that he and then-Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak did not discuss sanctions on Russia imposed by the outgoing Obama administration. Flynn later recanted his confession and argued that his conviction should be thrown out because prosecutors allegedly withheld evidence from his lawyers. The Justice Department for months fought Flynn's efforts to get the case tossed out. But this spring, the department abruptly changed course and asked Sullivan to dismiss the conviction. In its dismissal request, the Justice Department did not claim that Flynn had not lied in his interview. But the department's court filing does say, "The Government is not persuaded that the January 24, 2017 interview was conducted with a legitimate investigative basis and therefore does not believe Mr. Flynn's statements were material even if untrue." "Moreover, we [do] not believe that the Government can prove either the relevant false statements or their materiality beyond a reasonable doubt," the department said. Trump was harshly criticized for commuting Stone's sentence by former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee this year, as well as by top congressional Democrats and former prosecutors. Mueller, who has rarely spoken out on the subject of the probe, wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Post, "The Russia investigation was of paramount importance. Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes. He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so." "When a subject lies to investigators, it strikes at the core of the government's efforts to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable. It may ultimately impede those efforts," Mueller wrote. But Trump on Monday said of Stone, "This is an investigation that they said should have ended before it started, and if it did it should have ended immediately because they found, as you know as well as I do, they found nothing initially but it went on for two years or longer." "I'm getting rave reviews for what I did for Roger Stone, and he frankly is going to go and now appeal his case," Trump said. Texas senator Ted Cruz appeared to contravene an airlines mandate on masks this weekend when he was pictured without one. In a picture shared online on Sunday, Mr Cruz was onboard an American Airlines departure when he was seen unmasked. The airlines own mandate on masks says all passengers should wear one, unless when eating and drinking onboard. Mr Cruz, who was pictured with a coffee in hand, was said to have not worn a mask once. Captured today at 10:45am Ted Cruz on a commercial flight, refusing to wear a mask, wrote Twitter user Hosseh Enad with the picture. He added: This was on an American Airlines flight their policy clearly states that masks should be worn on the flight. Mr Enad said Mr Cruz had not been asked to wear one on Sunday, and was not seen masked. American Airlines told The Independent that passengers were permitted to remove their masks when eating or drinking, and that it would review the incident. We are committed to protecting the health and safety of all those who fly with us, and we are reviewing the details of this matter, said the airline in a statement. The airline confirmed he had been a passenger on Sunday, but did not comment on the claim that Mr Cruz had not worn a mask at other times. There was no mask apparent in the picture shared online. To help promote safety, Senator Cruz wears a mask when travelling, and practices social distancing where possible," said a spokesperson for the senator. "Consistent with airline policy, he temporarily removes the mask while eating or drinking. Yesterday during his flight he removed his mask to drink and put it back on afterward. We should all practice common sense measures to slow the spread of the virus. Recommended Trump seen wearing face mask for first time Mr Enad, who shared the picture, said the passenger and contact who took the photo wished to remain anonymous. It comes as Texas reported more than 10,000 new Covid-19 cases in the state on Sunday. Mr Cruz was said to have attended a campaign event on the same day in Granbury, Texas, with some 300 people seated indoors without masks. Anderson Sr., a father who lost his son to a fatal shooting in a police-free zone expressed his distress on media only to get an unprecedented condolence phone call from President Trump. Horace Lorenzo Anderson Sr.'s son, Horace Lorenzo Anderson Jr. was fatally shot in a police-free zone at CHOP, the Capitol Hill Organized Protest occupation zone, an area that was initially declared as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone or CHAZ for short. Anderson Jr. went to the CHOP occupation zone early in the morning of June 20. The assailant and the cause of the fatal shooting that killed Anderson Jr. are still unknown and the case is still under investigation with no suspects in custody yet. Anderson died from multiple gunshot wounds after he was taken to the hospital. Anderson Sr. told the media that he hadn't received a call from any public figure like Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee, black leaders, the Seattle Police Department, or the CHOP protesters who witnessed his son's murder to make sense of his son's death. "They need to come talk to me and somebody needs to come tell me something, because I still don't know nothing," he said at the time. "Somebody needs to come to my house and knock on my door and tell me something." Anderson Sr. expressed his affliction in a Fox News interview. The next day, Anderson Sr. received a condolence call from President Trump. "Incredibly, Donald Trump called me. The president of the United States called me today. He gave his condolences, and me, I'm not a political guy. I told him, 'Nobody like you.' I'm real. Donald Trump called me and he didn't have to call me," Anderson Sr. shared. The interviewer insisted that Trump "called at a perfect time during the funeral services" and that it "lifted Horace up." "I don't want to belittle the power of the presidency or the seat of the presidency. It was very, very special for him [to call]," Anderson Sr. added. Authorities have accused a 35-year-old woman of fatally stabbing a man in the back last week while he was in the middle of a fistfight with another person near a grocery store in Lowell. Thirty-four-year-old Efrain Ruiz was in a fistfight with a 47-year-old man around 11 p.m. on July 8 when, it is suspected, Juanita Laureano pulled out a knife and stabbed Ruiz in the back, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryans office. Officials did not say why the two men were fighting After he was stabbed, Ruiz walked to Lemon Tree Food Shops on Appleton Street to find help, according to a joint statement from Ryan and Lowell Police Superintendent Kelly Richardson. When police arrived at the scene, they located Mr. Ruiz suffering from apparent stab wounds, the statement said. He was transported to Lowell General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Laureano was arrested on July 11 near Fleming Street in Lowell as a fugitive from justice on outstanding warrants from Arizona, according to Ryans office. She was charged with murder in connection to Ruizs death. Jose Rios, the Lowell man authorities claimed was fighting Ruiz when the 34-year-old man was stabbed, was also arrested on July 11 in the same area. He was charged with assault and battery, the district attorney said. Related Content: Man in his 30s fatally stabbed in Lowell; Victim had walked into grocery store after fight to find help, police say The evacuation of stranded Nigerians from the United Kingdom has suffered a delay because the UK government denied Nigerias Air Peace landing permit, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, said Sunday night. Initially scheduled to depart Heathrow Airport, London on Monday, the airlift of about 584 Nigerians has been rescheduled for Tuesday at Gatwick Airport London. This followed the UKs sudden withdrawal of diplomatic landing clearance to Air Peace, a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Ferdinand Nwonye, said. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to make additional clarifications that led to the changes in the departure date and airport of the Air Peace evacuation flights. The flight was earlier scheduled to depart on 13th July 2020 from London Heathrow but was later rescheduled to 14th July 2020 from Gatwick Airport London. The changes became necessary following the unexpected decline by the British Government to grant Diplomatic Landing Clearance to Air Peace airlines, the statement read. While Air Peace airline had evacuated over 300 Nigerians from the UK about a fortnight ago, the reason for the UKs sudden withdrawal of the landing clearance remains unclear. All the arrangements were made including payments, only for the UK authorities to withdraw landing rights close to departure despite strong representations by the Nigerian Government, including pointing out the hardship that would be caused to hundreds of Nigerian evacuees, Mr Onyeama said in a Twitter post. Mails sent to the UKs civil aviation authority, a regulatory agency that issues landing permits, have not been responded to at the time of this report. Consequently, Air Peace was urged to find an alternative solution to the problem at hand. The airline went ahead to wet-lease aircraft from a UK company, Air Partner, to airlift the stranded Nigerians, instead of refunding their payments. According to aviation experts, wet-lease which requires the leased aircraft to be operated by the crew of the company, often puts a prohibitive cost on the airline that hires it. Air Peace could have just refunded the passengers but exceptionally, patriotically and altruistically agreed to find an alternative carrier acceptable to the UK authorities to carry out the evacuation a day later than scheduled but for much higher fares, the Foreign Affairs minister said further in the Twitter post. These higher fares could legitimately have been passed on to the evacuees but Air Peace bore this huge cost itself. This is to let the aggrieved evacuees know that the objects of their grievance should neither be Air Peace nor the Nigerian Government. They should rather be eternally grateful to Air Peace. The Nigerian government nonetheless expressed its gratitude to the management of the airline for its commitments and patriotism in ensuring that our stranded nationals in the United Kingdom return home safely. The minister said the Nigerian government would review its air agreements with various countries as a result of the unacceptable treatment of Nigerian carriers during this pandemic. Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama[PHOTO CREDIT: @GeoffreyOnyeama] But a diplomatic relations expert said there were questions to be asked about the sudden withdrawal of landing license by the British government after it had earlier granted the airline permit to evacuate over 300 Nigerian nationals just a fortnight ago. For Azeez Olaniyan, a Nigerian expert on diplomacy and governance, the new development from the British government is a breach of long-standing diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the UK, and also a breach of air travel arrangement. He said it has to do with diplomatic issues yet to be revealed, while noting that the economic interest of the UK cannot be ruled out. I think the event is still unfolding. The landing right was denied after it was initially approved. I think it has to do with some diplomatic issues that we are yet to know. We cannot also rule out economic interest on the part of UK because Air Peace was forced to contact another airline at extra charges, Mr Olaniyan said. Nigerian people deserve explanation from the Nigerian government on why Nigeria was denied landing rights. He urged the government to carry out an investigation on the embarrassment the Nigerian state was subjected to, due to the incidence. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Second of a two-part series At 7:30 on the morning of Aug. 6, 1945, Navy Capt. William Sterling Deak Parsons squeezed his way into the dark bomb bay of a B-29 Superfortress named the Enola Gay. The big American bomber was in flight at about 31,000 feet, 45 minutes from the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Parsons, 43 at the time and the weaponeer on the Enola Gay, grew up in Fort Sumner. An exceptional student, he spoke Spanish fluently, finished at Fort Sumner High in 1918 and was accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy, from which he graduated in 1922. Parsons military specialty was ordnance (weapons). He was associate director at Los Alamos during the development of nuclear weapons there, and he had observed, from the vantage point of an airborne B-29, the detonation of the first atomic bomb at New Mexicos Trinity Site on July 16, 1945. Now, three weeks after the test explosion at Trinity, Parsons was aboard another B-29. He sidled his way up to a 10-foot-long atomic bomb nicknamed Little Boy and armed it. At 8:15 a.m. on Aug. 6, 1945, Little Boy dropped from the Enola Gay, exploded at 1,800 feet above Hiroshima and immediately killed 70,000 to 80,000 people, 30% of the citys population, mostly civilians, and wiped out 4.7 square miles. Maybe another 60,000 to 70,000 people died within several months afterwards from radiation, said history professor Jon Hunner, now retired from New Mexico State University. With nuclear weapons, we now have the possibility of ending human history, the threat of mutual assured destruction. A second atomic bomb, Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, on Aug. 9, 1945. It killed more than 45,000 people on detonation. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945, ending World War II. Both Little Boy and Fat Man had been designed and built at Los Alamos, as had the Gadget, a plutonium bomb tested at Trinity Site, a portion of the Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range, 30 miles southeast of Socorro. All this was part of the Manhattan Project, the United States effort to create an atomic bomb for use in World War II. New Mexico was vital to the building of the bomb, but the bomb proved as essential to the building of New Mexico. It had a huge impact on the state, said Luis Campos, professor of the history of science at the University of New Mexico. The investment of federal monies in the labs was a huge factor in the development of New Mexico. Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque were spawned by the bomb, as was uranium mining in the state and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a radioactive waste repository near Carlsbad. Other byproducts of the nuclear industry in the state include radioactive fallout from the July 1945 test at Trinity Site, an accidental uranium mill spill that released radioactive material into the Puerco River at Church Rock in July 1979, an airborne release of radioactive material at WIPP in 2014 and, as recently as last month, the potential exposure of 15 employees to plutonium-238 at LANL. There would be people who would disagree that the development of the bomb was a good thing for the state or the nation, said Jim Walther, director of the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque. A bomb boost The Manhattan Project (affect) on New Mexico is manifold, said history professor Hunner, author of books about Los Alamos and J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who directed the science team at Los Alamos. Hunner lives in France. The Journal interviewed him by email. During World War II, Hunner said the Manhattan Project brought high-paying jobs into a part of the state that could use them. People from northern New Mexico, from the Espanola Valley and the pueblos, from the villages in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains came to Los Alamos and found employment, he said. Granted, few New Mexicans worked in the labs as scientists, but still the federal jobs were better-paying ones than those often found in the state. He said some used that money after the war to send their children to university and others were able to keep alive their traditional farming lifestyles supplemented by the salaries at Los Alamos. The Manhattan Project helped propel New Mex ico into a high-tech role with research, Hunner said. Not just in nuclear weapons but in high-speed computers, lasers, human genomes, nuclear medicine and alternative energy. On the other hand, the legacy of releasing radioactive substances and waste into the environment will last thousands of years with some of these elements. The downwind side Not long after the July 16, 1945, atomic test at Trinity Site, eerie stories started to circulate in the parts of New Mexico closest to the detonation, especially in those counties Lincoln, Otero, Socorro and Sierra downwind from the blast. According to The Day the Sun Rose Twice, by late University of New Mexico history professor Ferenc Szasz, there were reports of a substance like white flour falling from the sky for days after the test. The beard of a rancher was said to have turned half-white, as did half of a previously black ranch cat. Several weeks after the test, Szasz wrote, the hair fell out of the hides of area cattle and grew back white in color, making for some strangely mottled livestock. I heard of a Hereford (red-and-white breed) cow that turned plumb white, said Karl Laumbach, a Las Cruces archaeologist who has worked surveys and digs at and around Trinity Site. The Gadget test bomb was detonated on top of a 100-foot steel tower. When the fireball hit the ground, it vaporized an estimated 100 to 250 tons of sand and sucked it up into a mushroom cloud that climbed to an altitude of 7 miles and drifted from New Mexico across Kansas, Iowa, Indiana, upstate New York, New England and then out over the Atlantic Ocean. The New York Times reported in May 1946 that the New Mexico test bomb contaminated the air over an area the size of Australia. The government was not at all prepared for the fallout, said Tina Cordova, co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, organized in 2005 to collect data about cancers and other diseases affecting communities near Trinity Site and to seek justice and compensation for victims of the atomic test and its ongoing consequences. We had families living within 12 miles of the test, Cordova said. People in these communities (today) dont ask if they are going to get cancer but when. I see no positive legacy from Trinity. Its not about the science and the industry for us. Its about suffering and death. Sacrifice zone Cordova, a survivor of thyroid cancer, grew up in Tularosa, a village in Otero County, one of the downwind counties. I am the fourth generation in my family to get cancer, she said. Both my great-grandfathers died of stomach cancer in 1955. Both my grandmothers had cancer but did not die from it. My father had neck cancer. My sister is being treated for skin cancer. Cordova said that there are absolutely higher-than-average rates of cancer in areas near the Trinity Site and that there were state Health Department reports of a threefold to fourfold increase in New Mexico infant mortality rates in the three months after the Trinity Site test. Because areas in the vicinity of Trinity are mostly ranches or rural communities, Cordova said, people who develop cancer in these places are more at risk than those who live in urban centers. They have less access to health care, dont see doctors as often as they should, have to wait longer to get appointments and dont have the resources to travel (for medical care), she said. Worst of all, Cordova said, apparent victims of the Trinity Site test are not eligible for Radioactive Exposure Compensation Act benefits made available to those who suffer illnesses from exposure to atmospheric nuclear testing after World War II or from working in the uranium industry. She continues to campaign to remedy that situation. I wont stop, she said. This is my lifes work. Other American citizens in other places were taken care of, but not those who lived close to the first (atomic) test. The (government) left; they never looked back. We are the sacrifice zone. Z Division Even before the atomic bomb test at Trinity Site, Los Alamos science director Oppenheimer was looking for a site for the continuation of weapons development especially the non-nuclear aspects of that work. In July 1945, Z Division, the ancestor of what is now Sandia National Laboratories, was established at Albuquerques Oxnard Field, part of Kirtland Field, an Army Air Forces base. Los Alamos knew it was going to need to grow if they were going to continue to make nuclear weapons, said Rebecca Ullrich, Sandia National Laboratories historian. There was no space left up on the hill (Los Alamos). Today, Sandia is a National Nuclear Security Administration research and development laboratory with a primary mission of ensuring that the U.S. nuclear arsenal is safe, secure, reliable and able to support the nations deterrent policy. It is also a major player in the economy of Albuquerque and New Mexico. UNM professor Campos said it is difficult to imagine what Albuquerque would be like without Sandia. Sandia charted a whole new path that would not have been otherwise, he said. It imported brain power. And the legacy of the lab is not all atomic. Research at Sandia today envelops energy and environmental programs, computing science, bioscience, engineering science, materials science and microsystems. But just after World War II, when development of Z Division had just started, Ullrich said, staffers assigned to the division were headed to Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands to take part in the July 1, 1946, Able Shot, the first atomic weapon test since Trinity. Was it necessary? About 2,060 nuclear tests have been conducted since the Trinity Site test, most of them by the United States (1,032) and the Soviet Union (715). Only three countries are known to have done tests since the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty went on the table for signatures in 1996. India and Pakistan both did two sets of tests in 1998, and North Korea conducted six announced tests from 2006 to 2017. Campos said test-ban treaties are controversial. One argument is that the treaties dont work any more because countries such as Russia are not adhering to them and other countries are not party to them, he said. Another view is that the treaties are what have reduced the number of nuclear weapons and stopped (to a large degree) the tests. The total number of nuclear weapons, once estimated at 70,000 to 80,000, is now believed to be about 14,000. But the biggest question of all is whether there was a need to test the first bomb at Trinity Site or drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The atomic bombs didnt win the war, Hunner said. That was won by August of 1945. It was just a matter of time, of when the Japanese would surrender. The bombs just forced the Japanese to surrender then. Without the bombs, Hunner said, he believes an invasion of the Japanese home islands may have been necessary. Imagine the number of dead for U.S. troops, that number is highly debated, from 50,000 to 1 million but also the number of Japanese, both military and civilians, who would have died trying to defend their land. Campos said some historians believe that avoid the invasion argument is just one of several the U.S. government devised later to defend using the atomic bombs. Saving lives was never the issue at the time, he said. Using the weapons at hand to win was the issue. Still another theory was that dropping the bombs was not intended so much to defeat the Japanese as it was to send a message to the Soviet Union, the U.S. ally poised to become a powerful rival. As planned On Aug. 14, 1945, the day before the Japanese surrender, in a brief public relations film interview on Tinian Island in the Pacific Ocean, Deak Parsons described the flight to Hiroshima in the Enola Gay. He is precise, poised, military in bearing as he tells his story. Until the very end, that is. The bomb was finally released exactly at the designated hour, and the explosion occurred as planned, he said. But as he concludes that sentence, he turns his head abruptly to the left, folds in his bottom lip and swallows back a lump in his throat, as if suddenly overcome by the immensity of the memory, the overwhelming emotion of it all. It was not rare for those involved in the Manhattan Project to be haunted by some aspect of it, to have second thoughts about what they had brought into the world. When meeting at the White House with President Harry Truman in October 1945, Oppenheimer told the chief executive he felt as if he if he had blood on his hands, perhaps not the best thing to confide to the man who had accepted responsibility for using the bombs. Truman dismissed Oppenheimer rather quickly and then reportedly told an aide he didnt want to see that (SOB) in this office again. Oppenheimers association with members or former members of the Communist Party, including his wife and brother, had been disregarded during the Manhattan Project years because of his value to the mission at Los Alamos. But on June 29, 1954, during President Dwight D. Eisenhowers administration and the Red Scare days of searching out communists in government, Oppenheimers security clearance was revoked, eliminating his role in government-related atomic research. From most accounts, the loss of his security clearance devastated him, Hunner said of Oppenheimer. He did continue to lead the Institute for Advanced Study (a prominent independent research center), and some people said he did a better job at that since he didnt have to be involved in the debates and arguments about atomic matters at the Atomic Energy Commission and among the scientific community. Deak Parsons, a close friend of Oppenheimers since Los Alamos days, was visibly agitated when he learned that Oppenheimers access to classified material had been barred. He suffered chest pains that night and died the next day while being examined at Bethesda (Maryland) Naval Hospital. The atomic bomb continues to claim victims in various ways, even as nuclear science offers good jobs and the promise of advances in medicine, energy and other fields. Radioactivity is used to determine the age of the Earth, Campos said. But what is real with the atomic bomb is radiation illness, thousands and thousands of people suffering from radiation illnesses. The issues are not gone; they are not past. Trinity is a story that needs to be told again and again. Second of a two-part series On 8 January, a Ukrainian airplane carrying 176 people crashed shortly after the plane took off from Tehran's main airport, killing all on board. Dubai: Irans Civil Aviation Organisation blamed a misalignment of a radar system and lack of communication between the air defence operator and his commanders for the accidental downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane in January that killed 176 people aboard. Irans Revolutionary Guards shot down the Ukraine International Airlines flight with a ground-to-air missile on 8 January shortly after the plane took off from Tehran, in what Tehran later acknowledged as a disastrous mistake by forces who were on high alert during a confrontation with the United States. A mistake in aligning the radar system had caused the human error. An operator had forgotten to re-adjust the direction on the radar system after moving to a new position, an error that contributed to misreading the radars data, an interim report on the Civil Aviation Organisation (CAO) website said. The CAO report, which was published on late Saturday, said the missile battery that targeted the passenger plane had been relocated and was not properly reoriented. The downing occurred at a time of high tension between longtime foes Iran and the United States. Iran was on alert for attacks after it fired missiles at Iraqi bases housing US forces in retaliation for the killing on 3 January of its most powerful military commander, Qassem Soleimani, in a US missile strike at Baghdad airport. A failure occurred after the relocation of one of the air defence units of Tehran ... It occurred because of a human error, the CAO report said, adding that the plane was detected by the system as a target approaching Tehran. The operator of the air defence system lacked awareness of the relocation of the air defence unit, and fired the two missiles without authorisation from the command centre, the report said. When the first missile was fired, the passenger plane was flying at a normal altitude and trajectory, the report added. Last month, Iran said the black boxes of the Boeing 737-800 airliner will be sent to France, to be analysed starting 20 July. Harpers Magazine recently published A Letter on Justice and Open Debate, which was signed by more than 150 prominent writers, artists, academics and journalists from a variety of countries, and representing a range of political views. The Canadian signatories included Margaret Atwood, David Frum, Malcolm Gladwell, Jeet Heer, and Michael Ignatieff. The letter affirms the importance of free speech in a democratic society and repeats the familiar claim that the response to bad ideas should be argument, and persuasion rather than censorship or silencing. It expresses concern that many in the community, on both the left and the right of the political spectrum, have become intolerant toward opposing views, and instead of responding to such views, are determined to shut them down through public shaming and ostracism. The letter claims that a growing number of writers and artists are afraid that their livelihood will suffer if they depart from the consensus and so avoid discussion of certain issues. It is easy to sympathize with the concern expressed in the letter that the scope of public discourse is becoming more constricted. Yet the letters call for tolerance and good faith disagreement is so general as to be vacuous. Everyone is committed to free speech in some form. Everyone, or almost everyone, also believes there ought to be limits on free speech. They simply disagree about what those limits should be. One of the signatories, Noam Chomsky, has defended the right of Holocaust deniers to express their views. I dont know what Malcolm Gladwell or Margaret Atwood think about the speech rights of Holocaust deniers, but it is possible, even likely, that they dont agree with Chomsky and instead believe that this form of speech should not be tolerated and that those who express such a view should be shamed or ostracized. Many of the people who objected to the views of another of the letters signatories, J.K. Rowling, about sex and gender, believe that her views amount to hate speech directed at the transgender community and so should be condemned in the same way that racist speech is condemned. The letters call for respect and tolerance is empty because there is no agreement in the community about which forms of speech should be tolerated and which fall outside the scope of legitimate discussion. Many of the letters critics have focused on the list of signatories, noting that some of them have expressed odious views. One signatory, Jennifer Finney Boylan, a writer for the New York Times, expressed her regret at having signed the letter, when she realized who else had attached their names to it. But the list of names matters only because the letter cannot stand on its own. Its meaning depends on its source on who signed it. And once again, the signatories appear to have different views about what should be treated as legitimate speech. Boylan supports toleration but would not necessarily tolerate all the things that some of the other signatories would tolerate. At best then the letter can be read as calling on each of us not to be too quick to condemn the views of others, even though we may ultimately decide that their views are harmful and ought not to be tolerated. The letter recognizes that there is a problem in our public discourse, but its focus on free speech and censorship or silencing misses the depth of that problem. The unwillingness of many in the community to engage with those who hold contrary views stems from larger issues with the structure of contemporary discourse. In the internet era, audiences have become more fragmented and political views, more polarized and entrenched. There is little common ground in the community on factual matters or the reliability or trustworthiness of different sources of information, which has made it difficult to discuss issues and to agree or compromise on public policy. Disinformation and conspiracy theories spread easily among partisans and generate fear and distrust of others. Indeed, distortion and deceit rather than direct censorship may now be the most significant threat to public discourse. There is a crisis in our public discourse, and it will not be remedied by general affirmations of the importance free speech. Opposition to the introduction of visa restrictions on international students in the United States continues to grow, with 180 academic institutions in the country speaking out against the move, despite adjustments made to the policy by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On July 6, ICE announced that students currently in the US on F1 and M1 visas "must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status", if their school's classes are entirely online in the fall semester. Anyone found violating the rules, ICE said, would risk "immigration consequences, including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings". The policy was slammed by hundreds of thousands of international students in the US, and prompted higher education institutions in the country to launch lawsuits against ICE. Amid escalating pressure, ICE issued a new statement on its website. When answering the question, "Are students attending schools that are entirely online barred from attending that school?", it said: "Students will not be permitted to enter or remain in the US to attend such schools, but they are not barred from continuing to attend all classes at these schools from abroad." Under the updated rules, international students must take at least some of their classes in person. Overseas students can still keep their visas, as long as they can prove that their schools will offer some offline courses in the upcoming fall semester. ICE noted that this approach "balances students' ability to continue their studies while minimizing the risk of spread of COVID-19 in our communities by ensuring that individuals who do not need to be present in the United States are not physically here". The adjustment comes amid anger among US universities, as the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, which represents 180 higher education institutions in the US, issued a 22-page document on Saturday to show nationwide support for rescinding the restrictions. "ICE's new policy serves only to severely disrupt international students' educational attainment, and our country is worse off for it," said Miriam Feldblum, executive director of the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, in a statement. "This quasi-international student ban represents another unfortunate assault by the administration against immigrants and higher education," she added. US President Donald Trump has insisted that schools and colleges return to in-person instruction as soon as possible. Soon after the restrictions were announced, Trump repeated on Twitter that schools must reopen this fall, adding that the Democrats wanted to keep schools closed "for political reasons, not for health reasons". But the restrictions have put additional pressure on universities to reopen even amid growing concerns about the recent spread of COVID-19 among young adults. Coronavirus detected in Idleb, a senior Iranian officer killed, drone attack on the Hemeimeem airbase, Iran reject OPCW resolution and pro-Iranian fighters killed. Catch up on everything that happened over the weekend. 1. Three doctors and a nurse tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Syrias northwest Idleb governorate, the first cases to emerge in the region, raising fears it could rapidly spread through densely populated camps for internally displaced Syrians. Al-Jazeera reported that seven specialist health centers were set up in Idleb and Aleppo to respond to the health crisis. Schools in the area will close as of Saturday until further notice, suggesting a return to remote learning, which had been in place until earlier this month. 2. The Iranian authorities announced Saturday the killing of a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards officer named Ibrahim Asmi in Syria, Al-Masdar reported. Asmi was killed in the last few days in Syria, according to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, Rustam Ali Rafii. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards did not provide more details about the death of Asmi, however, there have been reports of fresh attacks by the Islamic State in eastern Syria. 3. Russias air defense systems intercepted an unknown drone attack on the Hemeimeem airbase in the coastal province of Lattakia on Saturday. At Hemeimeem, AFP reported that Russia uses Pantsir S1 and Tor-M2 air defence systems to intercept drones, along with state of the art S-400 batteries. Older S-300 models are stationed at its naval base in Tartous, further south. 4. Irans Ambassador to the Netherlands Alireza Kazemi Abadi affirmed his countrys rejection of the new resolution by the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) executive council regarding Syria, SANA reported. Kazemi Abadi described the draft resolution as unbalanced, having political motivations, and another step on the path of the politicization of the organization, in addition to causing disputes among its members. 5. At least 35 pro-Iranian militia fighters were killed in an unidentified attack in eastern Syria on Friday, reports confirmed. Two leaders were among those targeted in the assault that struck a convoy near the Syrian side of the Syrian-Iraqi border, near the city of Albukamal in the Deir ez-Zor governorate, local sources told Anadolu Agency. A number of military vehicles were destroyed in the attack. 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. Former Air Force base in Gettysburg on market for $4.5 M A former air force base near Gettysburg is up for sale. The base is listed as having 50 beds and 15 bathrooms on a 42-acre parcel of land. Mount Greylock Interim Superintendent: Health Plays 'Highest Role' in Reopening Plan Amie Hane, chair of the school district's special Parent Advisory Council, addresses the School Committee on Thursday evening. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Mount Greylock Regional School District officials Thursday sought to allay fears that the district's schools will reopen under any scenario where safety is not the first priority. Interim Superintendent Robert Putnam walked the School Committee through the administration's planning process for the start of school in September during the body's Zoom-based meeting. "First off, we want to make sure that medical and health play the highest role in our decisions," Putnam said. "We are committed to protecting anyone with comorbidities. We are committed to, basically, creating the conditions for and ensuring that there is social distancing that protects staff and students alike. We are committed to creating a norm of mask-wearing and hand-washing. "Those are the concerns that are going into the developing of any of the plans." The notion of a "cost-benefit analysis" approach to reopening the schools during the COVID-19 pandemic raised eyebrows throughout the Lanesborough-Williamstown district when it was suggested at the School Committee's June meeting At that time, committee member Steven Miller hinted at a more adventurous approach, invoking a quote attributed to John A. Shedd: "A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." The image of taking students' and staff members' health out for a spin did not sit well with some members of the community. The district's Parent Advisory Council, which advises the School Committee on matters related to special education, sent the committee a letter which PAC Chair Amie Hane read into the record on Thursday evening. "As outlined in the [PAC's] advisory, we know children do contract COVID-19," Hane said. "Massachusetts has had over 6,000 children/youth test positive for the virus and Florida is now reporting over 7,000 positive pediatric cases. "The [PAC] foremost seeks assurance that those inclined to promote a petition to forgo social distancing and masks in Mass public schools one of whom is on this committee and another on an educational subcommittee kindly reconsider and take seriously the public health guidance issued by the [Department of Elementary and Secondary Education], the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], and the [American Academy of Pediatrics]." Hane said that she had been told by members of the committee that Miller's voice is just one on a seven-person panel, but, she said, "this is one voice too many." She noted that many of the children in families represented by the PAC are "medically complex," with the kinds of comorbidities that put them at greater risk to the novel coronavirus. Hane said that since the June School Committee meeting, she has heard from members of the community that students who are more vulnerable to the virus "should stay home and learn remotely." "[W]e need you to demand more as elected officials of a public school during a public health crisis," Hane said. "Suggestions that some are "strong" to this virus while others are weak' creates stigma. Stigma is a well-established barrier to access to health care and has the potential here to serve as a barrier to accessing school. "The School Committee sets the tone that could increase or decrease said stigma. In the case of June 11, I would say it increased the felt sense of stigma from families who have medically complicated children and other vulnerabilities. Additionally, even silently allowing banter that disregards public health has the potential to create a divide among us based on health status. This has implications not only for stigma and marginalization for individuals, but also for school culture, potentially creating a culture of division among our students." But Hane's was not the only point of view presented to the School Committee on Thursday. Luana Maroja, an associate professor of biology at Williams College, told the committee through an email submitted for public comment that it should follow the guidelines circulated by DESE , which, among other things, set a minimum social distance of 3 feet for classrooms half the 6-foot distance promoted throughout the rest of the commonwealth. "... I have been following the scientific literature closely," Maroja said. " It is now clear that kids are not only at a lower risk of getting a COVID infection, are at virtually no risk of death and, most important for the issue at hand, kids are not good at transmitting the disease. Furthermore, children might face serious psychological risks if required to socially isolate for long. "The previous closure has clearly shown us how detrimental it was for children, especially weaker students and those from poorer backgrounds and especially Hispanic and Black students. In the Boston district 20% of the students never logged into the online system and, among minorities, this rate was 25%. If we continue with any kind of remote learning, we will be reducing the opportunities and chances in life for our most vulnerable and at-risk students." Williamstown residents Darel and Kelly Paul went a step further in their comments to the School Committee, writing in their email that the district should not "make the perfect the enemy of the good" and not "fixate" on safety protocols. "We appreciate that the School Committee must pursue not only the goal of educating our children this fall, but also the goal of keeping them and our school staff safe," the Pauls wrote. "Yet these two goals must be clearly ordered. Our primary goal is and must be education. Our secondary goal is and must be safety. Last month the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly advocate[d] that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.' This must be our position as well." The Paul's underlined the words "secondary" and "primary" in their email. In the June 25 AAP memo the Pauls referenced, the full sentence they quoted reads, "With the above principles in mind, the AAP strongly advocates " Among the principles referenced in the first half of that sentence: "School policies should be guided by supporting the overall health and well-being of all children, adolescents, their families, and their communities." A member of one of the committees the district created this summer to look at re-opening said her working group is looking at a "HyFlex" model that delivers all instruction in person and remotely. And the Mount Greylock Parent Advisory Group for reopening wants the district to go above and beyond the DESE guidelines, Julia Bowen said. "We were pleased that Dr. Putnam was in support of our ideas and want to share two key principles from our proposal with the School Committee and the broader public," she said. "Key principle No. 1 is that we believe health and safety need to be paramount in any decisions made. We believe that includes 6 feet of social distancing, not the 3-foot minimum recommended by DESE. And that is especially true given the recent updates from the [World Health Organization]. Six feet may not be enough. We'd like to keep it at least to 6 feet." Bowen said her committee contends that face coverings need to be mandatory and that the air filtration systems in each of the district's three schools should be checked before the start of school and maintained once the doors open. "Our second key principle is that after ensuring the health and safety of our children and staff, we believe the academic program needs to be consistently strong throughout the year, regardless of the changing dynamic of the pandemic," she said. "We advocate for a model that allows for seamless transition between in-person, hybrid learning and remote learning as needs arise. "We understand the challenges of suddenly moving to remote learning this spring, but we expect that with this much time for preparation, the program will be significantly stronger this fall." Several members of the School Committee took time to express their understanding of the concerns expressed by the PAC and commitment to serving the needs of special education students. "I would like to start by stating the following: The role and responsibilities of the School Committee are to hire the superintendent, to set policy and oversee the financial budget," Chair Christina Conry said. "We do not deliver education. That is the role of the superintendent and the administration. However, I support starting every reopening discussion with what is the safest and in the best interest of every child, recognizing that not every plan is a one-sized-fits-all, I believe we need to lead with health and safety first." Jamie Art agreed. "The School Committee absolutely expects that the school will deliver the education that it's required to deliver under law and that we should do more than the minimum to make sure that our schools are both safe and also delivering high quality education to the children and families," he said. Miller, whose June 11 comments drew a rebuke from the members of the PAC and others, encouraged anyone interested in talking about reopening plans to participate in a Tuesday afternoon meeting of the School Committee's Education Subcommittee, which he chairs. "We encourage everybody to come," Miller said. "If you're not able to come, please watch the videos later. Please reach out to us. We have been talking about what we need for all of our students. Again, if there are materials you think we need to read, please pass them on to me. Documents that you think have valuable studies we need to see, we would love to get. Just like we hope you would read the other studies that other people find and put up there." In other business on Thursday, the School Committee learned that the district, which soon may be looking for a new superintenden t, also received notice from its director of academic technology that she will be leaving the district. And Conry reminded residents of a July 21, 5 p.m. deadline to submit signed nomination papers to run for a seat on the School Committee in the November election. Prospective candidates need to obtain papers from the town hall in either Lanesborough or Williamstown and get signatures from at least 45 residents of the two towns (45 total signatures, which can include 100 percent from one town or any other mix). Town clerks recommend that would-be candidates obtain more than the minimum number of signatures in case some cannot be certified. Editor's note: The writer of this story, who has covered the Mount Greylock Regional School District for eight years, has a child in the district who is on a 504 Plan. Few people are as knee-deep in our work-related anxieties and sticky office politics as Alison Green, who has been fielding workplace questions for a decade now on her website Ask a Manager. In Direct Report, she spotlights themes from her inbox that help explain the modern workplace and how we could be navigating it better. As an unsettling number of people have started ignoring public health guidance because theyre tired of restricting their behavior, employers too are increasingly relaxing their own practices even though the coronavirus continues to surge in many parts of the country. Employers are embracing the same magical thinking so many individuals arewere ready for it to be over, so well just act as if it isoften at great expense to their workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Increasingly, employers are deciding to bring employees back to the office after several months of remote work. But they arent making those decisions based on any public health milestones; the moves appear to stem from plain old pandemic fatigue. Heres an account thats typical of a lot of the reports Im receiving: I work for a 500-person company that has had all but 10 employees working from home since mid-March. They have decided for reasons they have not shared that the office has to reopen this week. Technically, were an essential business and they are legally okay to do this, but everything can be done remotely and its contrary to the local recommendations. Many of the workers will be forced to take public transportation. Other similar companies in the area have committed to letting their people telecommute at least until September and probably until 2021. We have all made our concerns known, but somebody has a bee in their bonnet about letting people work from home. With 50 million unemployment claims, the company isnt concerned about losing their workforce. Its very upsetting to everyone for the obvious health reasons, but also because the people weve worked for for many years cant even be bothered to give us a reason for why they are willing to risk our lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To be fair, there can be legitimate reasons to want people back in the office. Some things are harder to do from home, or had to be put on hold entirely when teams went remote. And not every person or every job is well-suited for remote work, and that can show up in work quality and productivity. But what workers are rightly struggling with is: Why now? If conditions werent safe to return to the office a month ago, what has changed that makes them safer now? Advertisement Advertisement In many cases, the answer seems to be little more than that the companys management is sick of having to make so many accommodations and is ready for the crisis to be over. That, of course, is terrifying workers. Heres another person who wrote to me: Advertisement My spouse is immunocompromised and I was forced to go back to work against my will this week after 2.5 months of working from home. My supervisor and HR are aware of my circumstances but would not allow me to continue working from home, despite the fact that Ive been productive (more productive than I am now, because Im sitting at work dealing with near crippling anxiety). At this point Im trying to decide when my mental health reaches the point where I need to take a medical leave and apply for short term/long term disability leave with my insurance. It sucks. Before this, I loved my job and consistently spoke positively about my employer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats more, employees who do return to the office often find that the safety guidelines they were assured would be in place quickly stop being enforced: We were brought back to the office on June 1st. Leading up to it, we were promised that mask wearing would be required in common spaces. That dissolved in about a week. I think three of us wear masks, out of an office of 15. We have individual offices, thankfully, and tons of sanitizer, but almost all of the office work can be done at home. The big boss doesnt like the idea of work from home (believes it hurts morale and productivity) and apparently had an extremely mild case of COVID the week we started our short work-from-home stint, so he doesnt believe its that bad. The recklessness is astounding. Advertisement Advertisement Then theres child care. With many schools, camps, and day cares still closed, most parents of young children have little choice but to keep their kids at home. Thats been a problem all along for parents who have had to juggle their work obligations with their child care responsibilities, and its posing a new problem now that people are being called back to their offices. While employers have been forced to be flexible with parents whose kids are at home, there are signs that theyre becoming increasingly less inclined to remain accommodating. One example: Last month, Florida State University announced that as of Aug. 7, employees would no longer be allowed to care for children while working from homeleaving many university employees panicked about how they could continue to stay in their jobs. The school retracted the new policy after outcry on social media, but other employers are making moves in the same direction, leaving parents wondering how theyll be able to remain employed. Its understandable that employers would like to return to normal. Wed all like to return to normalto parties, to indoor restaurant dining, to travel, and to hugs. But a desire to get back to normal is not the same as it being safe to proceed as normal, and employers who try are putting huge swaths of workers at risk and forcing people to choose between keeping their jobs amid a historically dismal job market and protecting themselves and their families. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Todung Mulya Lubis (The Jakarta Post) Oslo Mon, July 13, 2020 09:22 555 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665d6ca3 3 Opinion Indonesia,Norwegia,REDD,deforestation-in-Indonesia,deforestation,climate-change,climate-change-Indonesia Free The year 2020 may be remembered as the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year marks two important milestones between Indonesia and Norway. As we commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, we also observe 10 years of bilateral partnership in combating deforestation and climate change. Ten years ago in May 2010, Indonesia and Norway were committed into a partnership by signing a bilateral agreement (LOI) to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) under the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Through this agreement Indonesia aimed to reform its forest management and reduce its carbon emissions with the support of Norway, which pledged to provide financial assistance of up to US$1 billion for Indonesias policies and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Within the last 10 years, Indonesia through its national action plan, has set an ambitious target to reduce its national emissions by 26 percent in 2020. The largest portion of this reduction was envisioned through reducing deforestation, forest degradation and conversion of peatland. Norway has given its support not only financially but also through scientific and technical support. The early years of cooperation, which is defined as the preparation phase, were utilized to identify the challenges that Indonesia faced in its forest management and means of cooperation to tackle these challenges. In the second phase of the partnership, defined as the transformation phase, various programs and activities were launched to increase Indonesias capacity to achieve its target or Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). In 2016, Indonesia ratified the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and shortly thereafter a number of legal reforms were implemented by the Indonesian government to provide the necessary legal foundation to support Indonesias forest management. The Agency for Peatland Restoration (BRG) was formed in 2016 with the task of restoring 2 million hectares of degraded peatland and in 2017 a moratorium was issued to protect peatland across the country. The following year, the Indonesian government also issued a moratorium on the conversion of forests into new oil palm plantations. Through the support of Norway, sub-regional efforts were also founded in forest-rich provinces such as East Kalimantan, Papua and West Papua with the establishment of regional councils, which headed the fight against climate change, preserved forests and protected ecosystems and indigenous peoples in these respective provinces. Within the last few years, Indonesia has made comprehensive efforts and achievements in reforming domestic forest and land-use management policies, developed a National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS), introduced a One-Map Policy to improve land governance and established the Environmental Fund Management Agency (BPDLH). This environmental fund will manage future REDD+ funds and is planned to be operational within this year. With the operationalization of the environmental fund, Indonesia and Norway will be set to move forward to phase 3, the last phase of the cooperation, which is defined as the Result-Based Payment for Verified Emission Reduction. Considering the valuable contribution of this partnership toward comprehensive efforts and achievements in emissions reduction, Indonesia and Norway are now in the process of negotiating an amendment to the REDD+ LOI between the two countries to extend the cooperation for the years ahead. An announcement has been made by the Office of Minister of Climate and Environment of Norway underlining the readiness of the Norwegian government to the first result-based payment for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions achieved by Indonesia in the past few years. It has been verified that Indonesia was able to reduce its CO2 emissions in 2017 by the equivalent of 11.2 million tons. The first result-based payment will amount to US$56 million. Preliminary results have also shown promising figures for 2018 and 2019. Provided that Indonesia submits the documents to be reviewed, the payment will immediately be disbursed accordingly. It must be understood that Indonesia and Norways partnership and journey together has not always been the easiest of routes and has faced many obstacles, but we are still heading in the right direction. Indonesia has set even higher targets for the next decade, committing between 29 percent and 41 percent in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in its NDC. We look forward to the continued cooperation and support of Norway to reach this goal. *** The writer is Indonesian ambassador to Norway and Iceland. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Alphabet GOOGL is making efforts to connect the rural areas in Kenya through Internet with the aid of the Project Loon. Notably, Alphabets Loon is utilizing Internet beaming balloons to provide high-speed Internet to the people residing in the rural areas of the country. Reportedly, the project plans to use a fleet of 35 or more balloons to provide 4G LTE service. Initially, the internet service will cover 50,000 square kilometers in the western and central parts of Kenya. The latest move is in sync with the companys strategy of increasing presence in the Internet services market. The move will also help Google in strengthening footprint in Kenya, which bodes well for global expansion. Also, the deal highlights the reliability of Loon balloons and its underlined technology. In addition, this will help the Kenyan government in addressing the needs of its rural population. Alphabet Inc. Price and Consensus Alphabet Inc. Price and Consensus Alphabet Inc. price-consensus-chart | Alphabet Inc. Quote Alphabets Continuous Connectivity Efforts Google remains focused on providing high-speed Internet services globally. The companys latest move augurs well for the expansion of the connectivity business. With the Project Loon, the company aims to connect the world with Internet by providing high-speed Wi-Fi access to remote areas of the planet. In addition to the recent move, Google signed a deal with Vodacom, an Africa-based mobile network operator, in May. Per the deal, Loons Internet beaming balloons will be leveraged by Vodacom to offer mobile network access to un-served and under-served parts of Mozambique Cabo Delgado and Niassa provinces. In addition, Alphabet signed a deal to use high-altitude balloons to connect the rural communities in Peru to the Internet. All these endeavors will continue to aid the company in increasing penetration in these developing countries. Bottom Line The company is moving full steam ahead with the objective of improving Internet connectivity across the world. It strives to address the challenges of poor connectivity prevailing in these countries with its growing presence. The selection of Project Loon by Kenya is a positive. Per a 2019 report by the Alliance for Affordable Internet, only 28% of Africa's 1.3 billion people have access to the Internet. Google is well poised to reap benefits from Africa, which still remains untapped. Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider Currently, Alphabet has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the broader technology sector include Wayfair Inc. W, eBay EBAY and Amazon AMZN. While Wayfair and eBay sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Amazon carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Story continues Long-term earnings growth for Wayfair, eBay, and Amazon is currently projected at 23%, 12.4% and 24.5%, respectively. Today's Best Stocks from Zacks Would you like to see the updated picks from our best market-beating strategies? From 2017 through 2019, while the S&P 500 gained and impressive +53.6%, five of our strategies returned +65.8%, +97.1%, +118.0%, +175.7% and even +186.7%. This outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. From 2000 2019, while the S&P averaged +6.0% per year, our top strategies averaged up to +54.7% per year. See their latest picks free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report eBay Inc. (EBAY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Wayfair Inc. (W) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research OPA-LOCKA, Fla., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 7, the Circuit Court of the 11th Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County ruled to preserve the housing needs of low- to moderate- income families in one of South Florida's most historic yet distressed cities, Opa-locka. In Case No. 2019-CA-016913, the plaintiff, Opa-Locka Community Development Corporation (OLCDC), asked the court to recognize its non-profit right of first refusal to purchase the property in its partnership with the defendant, HK Aswan, LLC et al., (Halkeen), to ensure Aswan Village Apartments in Opa-locka remains affordable and locally owned. In decisive fashion, the court ruled unequivocally in favor of OLCDC on every issue before it.. In a case with broad implications for non-profit affordable housing developers across the nation, the court's summary judgment ruling confirmed that under Section 42 of the United States Code, which establishes the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit ("LIHTC") program, a non-profit's right of first refusal to purchase an affordable housing development in which it has participated under the program is not conditioned upon the receipt of any third-party offer to purchase the development. Instead, the court confirmed that all that is necessary under Section 42 to trigger a LIHTC right of first refusal is for the owner of the development to manifest an intent or willingness to sell the development. And, because the contract giving OLCDC its Section 42 right of first refusal contained no other conditions, it was not necessary for the owner to have received and entered into an enforceable purchase agreement before OLCDC's right of first refusal was triggered and enforceable. "Our mission has always been to revive the existing community without giving into gentrification," says Dr. Willie F. Logan who founded OLCDC in 1980 when he was mayor of Opa-locka - later he was elected a Florida state representative. He continues to serve as president and chief executive officer of the non-profit organization which has built and rehabilitated more than 200 affordable single-family homes and 2,500 units of affordable multi-family housing in Opa-locka and the northern part of Miami-Dade County. "We are pleased with today's summary judgment ruling which preserves Aswan Village as affordable housing stock in the community," adds Dr. Logan. Under the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, which was established to increase the supply of affordable housing by incentivizing private investors to partner with non-profit developers like the OLCDC. Non-profits who participate have a statutory right to purchase the property at the lowest price at the end of the term of the investor's investment, which is a fifteen-year compliance period. The goal is to keep the value within the property, not to remove it upon the end of the investment term so the property remains affordable for renters. In this case, OLCDC asserted that Halkeen sought to prevent OLCDC from ever exercising its right of first refusal and initiated unilateral actions to sell Aswan Village Apartments for fair market value, all in contravention of the parties' contracts and applicable law, and to take more than $5.5 million of equity in the property rather than preserve it for the betterment of the property, its residents, and the community. The court soundly rejected Halkeen's efforts and ordered it to specifically perform under the right of refusal, meaning that it must transfer the affordable housing development to OLCDC for the below-market sale price prescribed by Congress in Section 42. As a result of the court's decision, all that remains in the case are a few pending motions and a soon to be scheduled jury trial on damages, pursuant to which OLCDC will be seeking damages in excess of $1 million. Opa-locka's case reflects a troubling national trend threatening the long-term viability of low-income housing projects. Rising values in certain markets have created an opportunity for private firms aggregating investor interests in LIHTC partnerships to profit far beyond the original investors' expectations. By systematically disputing transfers to nonprofits they can sell the property at a higher price than originally anticipated in the partnership agreement and undermine the goals of the LIHTC program. For the past 16 years, low-income families, single parents and seniors have enjoyed living in Aswan Village, a 216-unit affordable housing development for residents whose household income is between 30% and 60% of Miami-Dade Area Median Income. In Opa-locka, where the population is 57.53 percent Black, 37.28 percent white, and the poverty rate is 47.15 percent,1 affordable housing is essential. The LIHTC program has generated millions of housing units nationwide since its inception in 1986, far more than any other federal program. But, housing needs have significantly outpaced supply, and a variety of economic and social factors have contributed to a growing affordable housing crisis throughout the country. OLCDC is determined to change the tide on this troublesome trend, ensuring the longevity of affordable housing stock by helping to diminish ambiguities in the statute. With yesterday's win, this sets a precedence for related affordable housing partnership agreement litigation to be resolved in favor of nonprofit ownership and low-income housing, which was the intention of the LIHTC program. OLCDC calls for public action to counter aggregator firms' burdensome tactics. "We need to protect our low-income communities nationally by supporting organizations fighting the battle on every level," says Dr. Logan. "We must keep our affordable housing affordable and locally owned." ABOUT THE OPA-LOCKA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION The Opa-locka Community Development Corporation (OLCDC) was established in November 1980 as a nonprofit community development corporation in order to address the distressed unemployment conditions, particularly in the Opa-locka and North Dade County, Florida, communities. Its primary mission is to transform under-resourced communities into vibrant, desirable, engaged neighborhoods by improving access to health, education, employment, art, safety and affordable housing. For more information about OLCDC, please visit www.olcdc.org. 1 https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/opa-locka-fl-population/ Contact: La'Queasha Beard [email protected] SOURCE Opa-locka Community Development Corporation Related Links https://www.olcdc.org/ Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Thats one thing, where a character is written and he could be white, he could be Indian, he could be Mexican. But its another thing to say, Were going to put a black person in this role and were going to make it as specific to his experience as possible. Ive benefited greatly from colour-blind casting and wanting to see diversity championed, says Brown, who won back-to-back Emmys for his roles in The People Vs OJ Simpson and This Is Us . In the angry echo chamber of social media right now, some would insist that should condemn it to an early death. But, says African-American actor Sterling K. Brown, not so fast. And that, he says, is what happened with Waves, in which Brown plays the father of Tyler (Kelvin Harrison jnr), a smart and popular high-school student who is on track for a wrestling scholarship to college until his life goes horribly, violently, off the rails. Brown had reservations about the story arc when he first read the script, but he didnt then realise the guy behind it was white. I had this conversation with him on the phone, and he has more bass in his voice than I do, and I thought Im speaking with a brother named Trey, he laughs. Hes like, I hear what youre saying, brah, can you talk to me about ways you think we can make it better. Yeah, bro, of course. Shults assured him he wasnt interested in vilifying the black male body, but rather wanted to show the humanity of a young child who loses his way and makes a bad choice. Brown was impressed, and still is. When that kind of collaboration happens, you can have a Trey at the helm because he cares about getting it right, he says. Hes not so beholden to his original vision that theres no room to breathe and expand and grow and make something specific to [the characters] experiences. And thats what made me feel so great about being a part of it. Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more Customer service doesnt have to suffer while your company goes through a difficult transition. In fact, 78 percent of consumers said they stopped doing business with a company because of poor customer service. Now is the time to show your most valuable buyers how youll keep them informed, updated and respected throughout this crisis. While your business may be facing a switch to remote work or a drawdown in services, you can maintain top-quality customer service by adapting your practices to the moment. Here are a few key tips to get you started. Keep the Team Up-to-Date In a rapidly evolving situation like the current pandemic, you dont have the time to send out a new missive to employees nearly every day. At the same time, your staff needs to be updated and on board with any new developments within your company. Having a central document available company-wide decreases the amount of time spent on making announcements while keeping everyone updated simultaneously. This document should be accessible online and updated regularly with any new changes. Think of it as your companys internal crisis management manifesto something you can point to when questions or concerns arise. Dont think of this source of truth document as the be-all and end-all for your crisis communication. Its more like an internal resource you can point to and continuously update. Make sure its circulated via email and internal communications tools, and pin it on Slack so people know where to find it. When major updates occur, send a company wide email that both alerts employees to the new information and creates an avenue for any concerned party to discuss their thoughts with you or another manager. If employees offer suggestions, use that as an opportunity both to revise your internal communications and implement their ideas simultaneously, doubling your efforts at keeping the team connected, particularly when you shift to telecommuting. Double-Down on Customer Relations It takes just one instance of poor customer service to lose a customer: Thirty-three percent of consumers have reported dropping a business after having an unpleasant experience with customer support. You simply cant afford to lose any customers in a period of crisis. Theyre the ones who will carry you through these difficult times. External communications like email updates can assure customers that youre doing your best to operate as usual. When the customer needs to get in touch with you, however, are you sure youre up to the task? Times of crisis can bring in a larger volume of phone calls and support tickets due to consumer uncertainty and large-scale changes in the way we work, live and shop. You may not expect a surge, but you need to be prepared. Investing in customer support staff may sound counterintuitive if youre trying to scale back operations. However, its one of the surest ways to keep customers satisfied and on board for the long term. Next to email, phone calls remain the most popular channel for customer service complaints and queries. Having more staff on hand to address issues is a surefire way to retain and perhaps even grow your customer base. There may be an opportunity for your company to engage in some customer service retraining as well. Start by assessing your knowledge base as it was last year compared to now. Is any information lacking? A D V E R T I S E M E N T Aside from queries about any new features and services you may have rolled out, keep in mind the kinds of questions your customers may be asking in response to the pandemic. A new FAQ may be a solid starting point as you work to revamp your approach to allaying customer concerns. Reassess Social Media Its estimated that 90 percent of companies currently use social media strategies for marketing, recruiting and communications. Yet a cursory glance at local businesses, and even your competitors, shows theres still a great deal of work to be done. Far too many businesses run social media accounts that are updated infrequently and are entirely promotional, mismanaged or just plain ineffective. By simply having a Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook account, some managers and executives think theyre already in front of all potential customers. Without proper social media management, this simply cannot be the case. You dont need an entire department running your social media. While a well-managed account benefits from experience, there are plenty of popular business accounts run by small or one-person teams. If you or one of your employees experience a reduction in workload, now might be the time to put some of your working hours toward amping up your social media strategy. Social media has a number of noted benefits. Any leads you generate from social media are particularly lucrative because they can be run at little cost. You also have the chance to expand your reach and engage in conversations relevant to your industry, establishing yourself as a thought leader within a given vertical. Yet theres another strong advantage any company would be unwise to overlook at the moment. Tweets, Facebook posts, LinkedIn blogs, and even YouTube videos can be produced swiftly, allowing you to respond to events almost instantaneously. While announcements should be vetted by the proper internal staff, the chance to get your message out quickly on a major platform establishes your reputation as a company that defaults toward action. You dont want to leave your customers, clients and partners questioning how youre handling this crisis. By taking a new look at your social media accounts, with an eye toward how they can help amplify and create your message, you gain a powerful tool for your crisis communications strategy. Reach Out to New and Old Acquaintances Thus far, 2020 has been defined by layoffs, furloughs and slowdowns for nearly every business. More than any time in recent history, workers at all levels are experiencing a new availability of free time that is foreign to those of us accustomed to a 9-to-5 grind. Even those of us fortunate enough to continue working throughout this pandemic are reevaluating which of our tasks and duties are most important. You may find you now need insights and ideas that werent even under consideration as recently as last year. The fact that these shifts are happening in the midst of a recession does not make change any easier. A D V E R T I S E M E N T This is the moment to reconnect with business acquaintances youve lost touch with over the past months or years. Theres a great deal of potential in reaching out. You may find a great prospect willing to freelance or even work as part of a skill exchange. If your internal team doesnt have the time or skills to boost your social media presence as suggested above, then finding someone outside of the company could be worth your while. These messages dont have to be explicitly about business. Just touching base to let someone know youre available to talk (or listen) is enough to keep your business on their radar. It goes without saying that more changes are certainly on the horizon, most of which we cant predict as fully as wed like. Keeping close contact with others creates a wider network to share potentially game-changing information. Were long past the days of the rolodex, so try reaching out via LinkedIn to start creating a new network of allies. Dont overlook the phone call as well. If you have someones number, a quick call to check up can be worth more than dozens of emails. Its all about knowing your contact and making an effort to stay connected in a time of social distancing. Prepare, Dont Panic Companies across the globe are searching for answers. Some are looking to the 2008 recession as a historical example, while others are going as far back as the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic for guidance. The moment were living in is largely without precedent. You can view this moment as an opportunity to grow, particularly if you expect your competitors to recede. Alternatively, this may be a moment for reflection within your company a chance to focus on values and return to your mission statement to reassess your 2020 plan. In either case, taking action now is the proper step. You dont want to get swept away in the currents of change. Steady leadership and firm guidance will act as a balm to your employees nerves. Your customers will appreciate being kept in the loop regarding any changes, and they may take a renewed interest in your business in response to dynamic new practices. Just ensure that your communication strategy keeps every interested party in the loop. A lack of information will cause concerns. With the right plans in mind, tailored to your industry, you can weather the storm and find opportunities to create new partnerships and drive sales. You may find your marketing strategy evolves alongside this shift, but thats OK too just make sure everyone is kept apprised of every major change. By adapting to change, your customer service department will do more than stay the course. It will thrive in response to your guidance. Fuel Your Pipeline. Close More Deals. Our full-service marketing programs deliver sales-ready leads. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! Learn more Two separate teams of academic researchers on Wednesday published papers describing flaws in Intels Software Guard Extensions (SGX). SGX, a set of instructions, enhances application security by letting developers partition sensitive information into enclaves areas of execution in memory with hardware-assisted enhanced security protection. The aim is to protect application code and data from disclosure or modification. Attestation services let users verify the identity of an application enclave before launching the application. The recently uncovered flaws can prevent SGX from achieving its goal, the research teams showed. SGAxe: How SGX Fails in Practice describes compromises to long-term storage. CrossTalk: Speculative Data Leaks Across Cores Are Real describes cross-core attacks that could allow attackers to control data leakage. Broken Trust, Broken Code SGAxe effectively breaks the most appealing feature of SGX, which is the ability on an enclave to prove its trustworthiness over the network, wrote researchers Stephan van Schaik, Andrew Kwong and Daniel Genkin, all of the University of Michigan, and researcher Yuval Yarom of the University of Adelaide. The researchers attacked SGX architectural enclaves that were provided and signed by Intel, and retrieved the secret attestation key used for cryptographically proving the enclaves are genuine over a network, which let them pass off fake enclaves as genuine. The CrossTalk researchers found that some instructions read data from a staging buffer shared among all CPU cores involved. They presented the first cross-core attack using transient execution and showed it could be used to attack SGX enclaves running on a completely different core, letting an attacker control leakage using practical performance degradation attacks and discovering enclave private keys. We have demonstrated that this is a realistic attack, wrote Hany Ragab, Alyssa Milburn, Herbert Bos and Cristiano Giuffrida of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in The Netherlands and Kaveh Razavi of ETH Zurich in Switzerland. We have also seen that, yet again, it is almost trivial to apply these attacks to break code running in Intels secure SGX enclaves, they added. The researchers built a profiler, dubbed CrossTalk, using performance counters, to examine the number and nature of complex microcoded instructions that perform offcore requests. When combined with transient execution vulnerabilities such as Microarchitectural Data Sampling (MDS), these operations can reveal the internal state of a CPU. Even recent Intel CPUs including those used by public cloud providers to support SGX enclaves are vulnerable to these attacks, the researchers wrote. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Intel CPUs vulnerable to the latest attacks are listed here. Flawed Design In both cases, the research teams employedside-channel attacks to exploit the vulnerabilities. SGX doesnt protect against microarchitectural side-channel attacks because doing so is a matter for the enclave developer, according to Intel. Four CPU flaws, including Zombieload and Fallout, affected Intel core CPUs last year. Its beginning to look like SGX was a flawed design, said Kevin Krewell, principal analyst at Tirias Research. Intel really needs to rethink its security methods, he told TechNewsWorld. The company has been putting more resources into security, but the work is not over. Perhaps security should be offloaded onto a more secure coprocessor on die thats not in the critical application performance path, Krewell remarked. On the other hand, an application that uses Intel SGX for added protection is always more secure than if it doesnt, noted Ambuj Kumar, CEO of Fortanix, the first company to bring an Intel SGX-based workload to production, in 2016. Hardware-based security is new, and just as software codes can be buggy, hardware can be buggy too, Kumar told TechNewsWorld There is such a thing as a hardware zero-day exploit. Our goal should be to accelerate the cycle of finding these vulnerabilities and fixing them. Further, side-channel is a general problem that affects both hardware and software systems, he noted. Some can only be mitigated at the application level and others at the CPU level, so there is not one solution. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Keeping a Tight Lid on Vulnerabilities SGX is one of a number of Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs). ARM, AMD and Intel have proposed TEEs, but Intel SGX is currently the leader. Intel SGX has gotten its fair share of researchers attention, which leads to several vulnerabilities having been discovered, Kumar said. We should welcome these. Its only when a bug is found that it can be fixed, he noted. Intel has been pretty collaborative in rolling out updates to fix vulnerabilities, and it works tightly with partners such as Fortanix to minimize the probability of attacks, Kumar noted. We have no reason to believe any of the Intel SGX vulnerabilities ever reported have ever been exploited. Microsoft Azure, IBM and Alibaba are among the large organizations using Fortanixs Intel SGX-based solutions. IBM has at least 10 corporate customers on its Fortanix-powered IBM Cloud Data Shield depending on SGX for security. No Harm, No Foul The SGAxe team notified Intel of its findings in October and Intel indicated it would publish a fix June 9, which it did. The delay likely was due to testing, Tirias Krewell suggested. Every fix could have its own problems and could introduce new vulnerabilities or software incompabiities. Updated systems from Fortanix and others are not susceptible to these vulnerabilities, Kumar said. Microsoft deployed the security update from Intel to our affected services prior to public disclosure, a spokesperson said in a statement provided to TechNewsWorld by company rep Emily Chounlamany. Our cloud customers were not impacted by these vulnerabilities, the spokesperson added. While CPU manufacturers focus on finding and fixing vulnerabilities, companies like Fortanix exist to mitigate them, said Kumar. Standard techniques such as defense in depth can go a long way to provide a more usable and secure system, even in the presence of zero-day vulnerabilities. On the whole, hardware-based security is preferable to a software-based solution, Kumar observed. The unfortunate reality of software-only security is that even if your code is bug-free, your data may be stolen because of a vulnerability in someone elses code. More than 100,000 mail-in ballots were rejected by California election officials during the March presidential primary, according to data obtained by The Associated Press news agency that highlights a glaring gap in the states effort to ensure every vote is counted. With the coronavirus pandemic raging, California is part of a growing number of states increasing mail-in balloting to avoid crowds at polling places. President Donald Trump is among those questioning the integrity of vote-by-mail elections while supporters have said they are just as reliable as polling places and offer greater flexibility for voters. But while polling places include workers who can assist people who have questions about filling out ballots, a voter does not have support at home, and so, problems can arise. A woman casts her ballot for Marylands primary election at a drop box in Rockville, Maryland. Problems can arise with such ballots, however, as election are not on hand to assist voters who need help filling them out properly [File: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters] The California secretary of states election data obtained by the AP showed 102,428 mail-in ballots were disqualified in the states 58 counties, about 1.5 percent of the nearly seven million mail-in ballots returned. That percentage is the highest in a primary since 2014, and the overall number is the highest in a statewide election since 2010. Two years ago, the national average of rejected mail ballots in the general election was about 1.4 percent, and in the 2016 presidential election year, it was 1 percent, according to a US Election Assistance Commission study. The most common problem, by far, in California was missing the deadline for the ballot to be mailed and arrive. To count in the election, ballots must have been postmarked on or before Election Day and received within three days afterwards. Statewide, 70,330 ballots missed those marks. Another 27,525 either did not have a signature, or the signature did not match the one on record for the voter. Today's @CalMatters features a commentary by @InyoElections Registrar Kammi Foote and me about why it's important to give CA counties flexibility and funding when it comes to determining how to best serve California voters this November https://t.co/TCWciw9751 Kim Alexander (@kimalex3) June 3, 2020 Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation that seeks to improve elections, called the uncounted figure discouraging. The only thing worse than people not voting is people attempting to vote and having their vote uncounted, she said. The tally of nullified votes can make a difference in a close contest. The data did not break down the uncounted ballots by party registration. While the overall number was large in March, if it is the same in November it is unlikely to affect the presidential race Trump lost to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 by 4.3 million votes. But there are expected to be at least several tightly contested races for seats in the US House of Representatives where a relatively few votes could tip the balance. In 2018, Democrat TJ Cox upset Republican David Valadao by less than 1,000 votes in a Central Valley district. They have a rematch in November. Local races sometimes are decided by a handful of votes. California traditionally has offered mail-in voting only to those who request ballots. Over time, the number has grown to represent more than half of all cast ballots. In response to the coronavirus outbreak, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in June signed a law requiring county election officials to mail a ballot to all the states nearly 21 million registered voters for the November election. He called mail-in voting safe and secure, pointing to a series of studies that found no evidence of significant fraud. States across the political spectrum rely solely on mail ballots, including Colorado, Utah and Washington. In preparation for November, the state is launching a ballot-tracking tool that will quickly alert voters if they need to take action, such as adding a missing signature. Another change: The state is extending the window for mail ballots to arrive to 17 days after Election Day. July 12 (Reuters) - Mine financing company Triple Flag Precious Metals Corp said on Sunday it has agreed to pay $550 million upfront as part of a streaming financing deal with China Molybdenum Co Ltd (CMOC) for future production of precious metals at CMOC's Northparkes mine in Australia. Streaming transactions are a type of alternative financing in the mining industry where funds are provided upfront to a miner in exchange for the sale of a fixed amount of future production of metals at a discounted price. The deal, between units of the two companies, gives Triple Flag rights to a majority of gold and silver to be produced at the mine in New South Wales until the Toronto-based company receives 630,000 ounces of gold and 9 million ounces of silver. Thereafter, Elliott Management-backed Triple Flag would continue to receive less than half of the gold and silver produced at the mine. On top of the $550 million upfront payment, Triple Flag would also pay CMOC 10% of the spot gold and spot silver price for each ounce at the time of each delivery. (Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru; Editing by Aurora Ellis) There were times that the future of Emmanuel Episcopal Church seemed as murky as the 4 feet of water that flooded the congregation and stood there for weeks in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. As members searched for a new home, their leader, the Rev. Andrew Parker, died in December 2018, leaving the congregation with the feeling of still being underwater. But nothing stopped the little church from holding onto hope. Now, Emmanuel is ready for a new day at its new home, 3785 Barker Cypress. The church was preparing for its first service when the coronavirus pandemic hit, and services moved online. The congregation, however, was ready to handle another setback, after surviving so many in the past. It doesnt matter where we worship, where we are, longtime member and senior warden Chris Delange said. As long as were all together, thats where the church is. The church is where you gather. We take that to heart. Its a lesson that the congregation has learned in the past few years and one that reminds Delange of faith and stepping into uncertainty with grace. Everybodys spiritual journey is different, he said. Everybody has moments when they doubt their faith. There are also moments when you are really listening, when you feel the Holy Spirit. You feel faith. This is one of those times. Emmanuels story is about loss and redemption, about finding hope in the unknown and working toward a brighter future. The church began as part of a mission in 1972 to serve the expanding west Houston. At first, services were held in the former Billies Dance Studio and then the Meadow Wood Elementary School cafeteria. In 1977, crews broke ground for a chapel at Eldridge and Memorial Drive, and Emmanuel became a full-fledged parish in 1981. Before long, the church had become a fixture in the community. Thats how Emmanuel was when the Delanges joined. The family had just settled in the Briarhills neighborhood and wanted to check out the church around the corner. It had such a different atmosphere, Delange recalled. Its that embracing, welcoming spirit that Emmanuel has that makes a difference, not only in wanting to go there but in wanting to stay there. There was something unique about the members and the sense of connection at the church, Delange said. Thats what Emmanuel provides for everyone, regardless of age its an open, loving atmosphere, he said. That same spirit attracted the churchs receptionist, Andra Abbott, to join years ago. Abbott clearly recalls trying to protect the church during Hurricane Harvey by placing sandbags around the sanctuary before the storm. A lot of good that did, said Abbott, whose home flooded along with the church. I just had to put my feet in front of me the next day, she recalled. Then we started talking about what would happen. Even in those early discussions about the churchs future, Abbott felt rebuilding might not be a viable option because of a lack of parking and space. A new location could help the church better reach out to the community, she thought. Right after the hurricane, Delange felt a call to become more a part of the church. He joined the vestry and became a part of the search for the congregations new home. You have to look at all of the options, he said. Do we rebuild where a flood just happened? We saw the devastation of the flood, and that weighed on us. Trying to find a new home also weighed on us. A few pieces of property were identified as possible contenders some with church buildings already standing. By the summer of 2019, the congregation narrowed the search to a handful of properties, including the original church with an architects plans for remodeling. We were looking for a new location, and we took a really long-term look to determine what would be the best step, not just for us but for the next generation, Delange said. When the Barker Cypress location became available, it felt heaven sent. The Rev. Lance Ousley, who joined the congregation in 2019, remembers a Realtors letter, sharing a newly listed church. Its worth at least looking, Ousley thought then. So the vestry added the location to its list. The minute we stepped on the property, the photos just didnt do it justice at all, Ousley said. We went in, and it got better and better and better. After examining all of the properties, the vestry voted for a favorite: The church on Barker Cypress was in the top spot, hands down. When we went, there was just a different feeling from any other property, Delange said. It was like something was calling us to be there. The building had belonged to Covenant Lutheran and was already a hub for community organizations such as Boy Scout troops, 12-step groups and Meals on Wheels. We felt incredibly blessed by this property as our new church home to carry out the work God wants us to do, specifically with the gifts our congregation has, Ousley said. The diocese approved the property by September. Then came the bid and a 90-day waiting period. During the search for a new building, Emmanuels congregation worshiped at Temple Sinai, becoming part of the synagogues family. Then came the coronavirus, and all services moved online. We still have not worshiped in our space, Delange said. We have not been able to welcome Covenant Lutheran to worship with us or invite Temple Sinai to celebrate with us. All of those things will come in due time. We want to make sure everyone stays safe and healthy. There isnt a set date for services to begin at Emmanuels new location. But Ousley is preparing for that big day. Were all ready to get started, he said. Were in the starting blocks ready to go. Already, the building has been deep-cleaned and painted. The congregation will now have space to grow, with nearly double the parking and a welcoming foyer complete with coffee bar. A movable wall can create extra room for summer programs and other outreach. A nursery waits in the front of the building, and a community room with separate access can house meetings for neighboring associations and groups. Everything is in place to move ministry forward, Ousley explained. There are incredible possibilities, said Ousley, who first came to Emmanuel from Washington state in January 2019, roughly a month after the Rev. Parkers death. Weve found a home where we can do even greater things. Ousley was already familiar with the church when he received a call to to return to Texas early last year. Originally ordained in the Diocese of Texas, he served as rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Whartonand was on the bishops staff as the chair of the Diocesan Stewardship Commission from 2004 through 2011. He also considered Parker a close friend. When they were both in Texas, Ousley and Parker spent time talking about ministry and supporting each others journeys. I knew that if he loved this congregation, I would love it, Ousley said. Most of all, Ousley was impressed with the congregation, which had dealt with so much tragedy, losing its home in the hurricane and its leader soon thereafter. Faith isnt about being certain all the time, Ousley said. Its about facing challenges and remaining faithful in spite of that. This congregation did and does that. His first service in Houston was in mid-March 2019. When I arrived, we had a congregation that had suffered multiple traumas, Ousley said. They were in need of healing. Now, Ousley can foresee Emmanuel as a neighborhood hub, a gathering place for the community and a source of outreach. To Delange, it feels like a congregation that grown from its experiences, strengthening in the face of challenge. You take strength and comfort from one another, he said. You listen and pray that God will put you on the right path. At the end of the day, we all come together under Christ. Its love that He taught us to have love for the world. If you have that, it trumps everything else. It trumps your fear and uncertainty. And with this new, larger location comes the ability to reach more people, Abbott says. Its incredible, she said. Theres so much opportunity. Abbott also said that her faith has strengthened in the past few years. I dont think God intended all of this, she said. Because it happened, He helped us. He helped us see a better picture, helped us look differently and learn to listen. Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer. UrbanCURE Founder Star Parker to Hold Peaceful 'Emancipation Celebration' at Freedmen's Memorial Prominent Black Americans to join Star Parker against Black Lives Matter movement to remove Freedmens Statue NEWS PROVIDED BY UrbanCURE July 13, 2020 WASHINGTON, DC, July 13, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- Star Parker and UrbanCURE will hold a peaceful Emancipation Celebration at the Freedmens Memorial in Lincoln Park, 12th and Capitol St, SE Washington, DC 20003, Tuesday, July 14th, 2020, from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM EST, where all are welcome to gather to discuss the truth of the statue, and the absolute necessity for maintaining it as it stands today. On the importance of maintaining the statue, Star Parker said: Before BLM demands that white folk learn black history, perhaps black folk like DC Mayor Bowser and congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton need to learn more black history. Archer Alexander is not kneeling; as a track star prepared to run a dash, the kinetic motion in this figure shows him just emancipated to stand and run his race as a free man. This Freedmens Statue should not only remain standing in Lincoln Park, but this is the sacred location where President Trump should place the new Memorial Park he envisions to honor great American heroes who worked tirelessly to unify the races to be named Unity Park. Amidst the violent and misguided protests of the Black Lives Matter movement, Ms. Parker, founder of UrbanCure and syndicated columnist and author of Necessary Noise (Center Street), is providing a voice for those left unheard. UrbanCure has more than 1,000 clergy from across the country in its network. Recently, many of those associated with the leftist BLM movement have defaced and toppled historical statues across the country, claiming that they are rooted in racism and must be destroyed. One of the most controversial statues has been the Freedmens Memorial in Lincoln Park in Washington DC, as many BLM sympathizers have decried it for representing a kneeling slave, being subjugated by President Abraham Lincoln. For media inquiries prior to/surrounding the event, please contact Francesca Goerg at fgoer@sbpublicaffairs.com, or call 201.707.8649 SOURCE UrbanCURE CONTACT: Francesca Goerg, Shirley & McVicker Public Affairs, 703-739-5920, fgoerg@sbpublicaffairs.com Related Links urbancure.org/freedmen urbancure.org Farmers have warned that the newly-announced trade and agriculture commission must have 'substance' and not become 'another government quango'. The commission, created to help inform post-Brexit trade policy, was announced by the government's international trade secretary Liz Truss last month. The body will make recommendations for agricultural trade policy, higher animal welfare standards and export opportunities for farmers. Since then, more details about its membership has been unveiled. It will be chaired Tim Smith, a former chief executive of the Food Standards Agency and Tesco Group technical director. While the commission has been welcomed by industry groups, the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) said the body needed to have a 'bigger function than simply providing advice'. TFA chief executive, George Dunn explained how he hoped that the body's announcement was not an 'Emperors new clothes situation'. "The government must commit to act on the commissions recommendations, rather than following the classic Whitehall tradition of allowing reports from such bodies to gather dust on ministerial shelves, he said. The farming group has also highlighted its concerns that the work of the commission is set to be time limited. Its remit is to report to government in six months after which it has no ongoing function, the group explained. Mr Dunn said: Whilst there is no desire to see yet another government quango, we must understand how the recommendations of the commission will be taken forward. "There is a risk that the conclusions of the commission will be forgotten, or even ignored as trade diplomats seek to seal complex and high stakes agreements." He added that the recommendations of the commission must be 'embedded in the mandates of UK trade negotiators'. We are entering uncharted waters as we pull away from our long-running ties to the European Union," he added. The political desire to be seen to be doing things differently must not trump the need for sensible, level-headed and sustainable actions. A fifth consecutive night of anti-government protests in Serbia passed peacefully in Belgrade on Friday as hundreds gathered outside parliament. Serbia has seen a week of demonstrations against President Aleksandar Vucic and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic which have at times turned violent. But no incidents were reported on Saturday as protesters waved Serbian flags and blew whistles. On Friday night police fired tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators who tried to the parliament building. Many demonstrators and several reporters were also injured in the protests. Many in Serbia accuse Vucic and his government of letting the virus crisis spin out of control in order to hold a parliamentary election on June 21 that tightened the ruling party's grip on power. Authorities reported 12 new coronavirus deaths on Saturday and 354 new infections, although there have been increasing doubts about the accuracy of the official figures. The country officially has over 18,000 confirmed infections and 382 deaths since March. Health authorities have warned that Serbian hospitals are almost full due to the latest surge in cases. (Representative Image) Security forces on Monday killed two terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammed, one of them a foreigner, in an ongoing gun battle in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag, officials said. One of them was gunned earlier in the day in Srigufwara area of Anantnag, where the encounter erupted early in the morning. Officials had said two to three terrorists were holed up at the encounter site. #AnantnagEncounterUpdate: 01 more #unidentified #terrorist killed (total 02). Search going on. #Incriminating materials including #arms & #ammunition recovered. Further details shall follow, Kashmir Zone police tweeted. On Sunday, three terrorists were killed in a day-long encounter with security forces in Sopore in the northern district of Baramulla. Lashkar-e-Taibas (LeTs) Usman was among those killed in the encounter in Reban. He was involved in a recent terror attack at Sopore in which one CRPF jawan was martyred and a civilian was also killed. Big success for police and security forces, Vijay Kumar, Kashmirs inspector general of police, said. Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition recovered. Searches were going, Kashmir Police Zone also tweeted. Police along with security forces have arrested four associates of terrorists during two separate search operations at Chandargeer and Sadhunara areas of Bandipora. Bandipora Police along with 13 Rashtriya Rifles and 45th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), acting on a specific input, arrested a terrorist associate during a search operation in Chandargeer. He has been identified as Shafat Ahmad Dar resident of Chandargeer. Incriminating materials including a live grenade has been recovered from his possession, officials said. Similarly, during another search operation in Sadhunara, security forces arrested three more terrorist associates identified as Mudasir Ahmad Khawaja, Abdul Qayoom Margo and Ishfaq Ahmad Dar all residents of Sadhunara. Incriminating material, including two live grenades, a AK magazine, 25 live rounds of AK-47 rifle and a UBGL, has been recovered from their possession. Officials said all the four associates are actively involved in providing logistic support and shelter to active terrorists of proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). A case under relevant sections of law was registered in Hajin police station and further investigation was initiated, they added. Suspected terrorists also attempted to attack a deployment of central armed forces with grenades at Awantipora in south Kashmirs Pulwama. Terrorist attempted an attack on CAPF at 1645 hours today at Chersoo, Awantipora. Suspects moving on a bike threw two grenades on CAPF (who were) deploying without taking out pins. Grenades did not explode. Efforts are on to nab the terrorists, a spokesperson of the Indian Army said. Officials have said around 134 terrorists have been killed in Kashmir so far this year with 48 of them in June, the highest monthly toll in recent years. Majority of these militants have been killed in south Kashmir. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bachelor's Abbie Chatfield has debuted her brand new nose on Instagram, after visiting a cosmetic clinic in Sydney on Monday. The 24-year-old reality star underwent a non-surgical rhinoplasty procedure, which involves injecting dermal filler to re-shape the nose. Abbie was thrilled with the results, and eagerly shared before-and-after photos of her side profile to demonstrate her transformation. 'It's just life-changing!' The Bachelor's Abbie Chatfield has debuted her brand new nose on Instagram, after visiting a cosmetic clinic in Sydney on Monday In another post, she told fans: 'Okay I wasn't going to post anything because I didn't want the DMs saying "YOU DIDN'T NEED IT YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL" buuuuut... I just got a non-surgical rhinoplasty.' Abbie, who had travelled to Sydney from the Gold Coast for the procedure, went on to praise her Double Bay doctor for his work. She continued to express her delight in a video taken on the street outside the clinic. 'I feel like I'm wearing a beauty filter': Abbie, who had travelled to Sydney from the Gold Coast for the procedure, praised her Double Bay doctor for his work Speaking to the camera, Abbie said: 'This is my nose. I feel like I'm wearing a beauty filter... I wanted to get a full rhinoplasty; I've hated my nose for a while now - the hook, the bump... and this is just life-changing!' The social media influencer admitted she had 'cried from joy' and even hugged the doctor after seeing the results. 'I used to not get photos from this angle,' Abbie said, turning her head to one side to reveal her perfect profile. Elated: In another post, Abbie told fans, 'Okay I wasn't going to post anything because I didn't want the DMs saying "YOU DIDN'T NEED IT YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL" buuuuut... I just got a non-surgical rhinoplasty' 'I don't know if you've noticed. It was always this side, because this is my good side,' she added, turning her head to the other side. 'But now I can get photos on either side! I'm so happy!' During a subsequent Instagram Q&A with fans, Abbie clarified how much money she had spent on the procedure. 'It was $990. The consult was $290 - that was taken off the final price - so I paid $700 today and I pre-paid $290,' she said, adding that the dermal filler will last about nine months before it dissolves. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a star-studded virtual summit next week on building a better future for both the countries and the world, amidst the COVID-19 and China's aggressive actions. The two-day virtual India Ideas Summit of the powerful US India Business Council (USIBC) would be held on July 21 and 22. "The theme for this year's summit is building a better future, USIBC president Nisha Desai Biswal told PTI in an interview. "We are firmly committed to the US-India corridor that builds a better future," she said. India, the US and their industries working together can not only build a better future for both the countries and its people, but they can actually be instrumental in building a better future for the world, she said. "And that's what we're looking for this year in the India Ideas Summit," she said. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a star-studded virtual summit next week on building a better future for both the countries and the world, amidst the COVID-19 and China's aggressive actions. The two-day virtual India Ideas Summit of the powerful US India Business Council (USIBC) would be held on July 21 and 22. The virtual summit will start on July 21, with inaugural keynote conversation on "Global Supply Chains & Combatting COVID-19" between Indian-American Congressman Dr Ami Bera and Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of Railways. Union Finance Minister Sitharaman will join the USIBC members to share her vision for India's economic recovery and the path to future economic growth in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her remarks would be followed by conversation on India's Economic Recovery by Tarun Bajaj, Secretary of Economic Affairs. On July 22, after a welcome address by Thomas J Donohue, CEO, US Chamber of Commerce, the External Affairs Minister Jaishankar along with Senator Mark Warner would participate in a discussion on "How the US and India Can Lead the Global Response Post-Pandemic" in a session moderated by former National Security Advisor Stephen Headley. Soon thereafter Pompeo would deliver a keynote address, followed by a panel discussion on "The Future of US-India Relations in a Post-Pandemic World" between US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster and his Indian counterpart Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Pompeo has already lashed out at China and said that Indians have done their best to respond to Beijing's incredibly aggressive actions. The top American diplomat said last Wednesday that China has a pattern of instigating territorial disputes and the world shouldn't allow this bullying to take place in the region. The Indian and Chinese armies have been locked in a bitter standoff at multiple locations in eastern Ladakh since May 5. The tension escalated manifold after a violent clash in the Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed last month. Currently, both sides are engaged in talks to de-escalate the situation. The prestigious annual USIBC Global Leadership Awards would be presented to Jim Taiclet, CEO, Lockheed Martin & Co-Chair of the US-India CEO Forum and Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chairman Tata Group and Co-Chair of the US-India CEO Forum. "I think that the US-India partnership can become the engine for rebirth of a global economy post (coronavirus) pandemic," Biswal told PTI in response to a question. Noting the US and India already have a very deep collaboration in terms of the services trade, Biswal, who was earlier the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, said it is well known that a large cross section of the American economy has some operations in India. The COVID-19 pandemic showed India's strength and resilience in the service economy, and despite a national lockdown the US companies were able to maintain business continuity across the board on the vast majority of these services, whether it's hospital administration, financial sector, or processing of insurance claims. Across the board, the service economy in India has been able to operate, she said. India, Biswal said, is also known as the 'pharmacy to the world' and the really important role that it plays in both generic pharmaceutical production and in branded pharmaceuticals. Noting that concerns have been expressed in the US and India and other voices about too many of the inputs, the active pharmaceutical ingredients coming from a single source, she said New Delhi is looking to see what it can do to strengthen its pharmaceutical supply chain. "There is a strong interest in the United States in working with India on that," said Biswal. "But we also know that as India looks to attract more global supply chains, that is something that the US supports, and wants to see India be more competitive and more attractive markets and to see more investment go into India to locate sourcing and manufacturing in India," Biswal said. 5G is another area where both governments have had strong statements and high-level attention on how the US and India can be more collaborative in building the 5G architecture that the global digital economy is going to move. Energy partnership, she observed, has been moving in a strong direction. "Of course, the defence sector is important not only from the perspective of national security and strategic, but also in terms of the importance of India in the global defence supply chain," Biswal said. The India Ideas Summit is also hosting a virtual performance by Sitarist Rishab Rikhi Ram, the youngest disciple of Bharat Ratna and world-renowned maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar. Brahma Kumari Sister Shivani will have an interactive session on how business leaders are embracing mindfulness, empowering their teams' wellness journeys. For the last 31 years, Carla Martinelli-Irvine has been fighting to save the lives of unwanted cats and dogs. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/7/2020 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion For the last 31 years, Carla Martinelli-Irvine has been fighting to save the lives of unwanted cats and dogs. Today, shes fighting to save another life her own. Martinelli-Irvine, 59, founder and executive director of the Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter, was diagnosed with breast cancer at the beginning of the year, roughly a month before COVID-19 arrived in the province. "Whatever happens is going to happen," she says matter-of-factly. "I deal with everything head-on. Im going to be fine. I know I am. Im too stubborn. Im a tough old chick. "I feel very blessed they found it. I feel very lucky. I cant say enough about CancerCare and how lucky we are to live in Manitoba. Theyve held my hand all the way through." Martinelli-Irvine was eager to share her cancer journey because she believes it can inspire and comfort other women who are fighting the disease, and because she is determined to raise awareness for her no-kill shelter at 3062 Portage Ave., which has been hit hard by the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. 'I'm going to be fine. I know I am. I'm too stubborn. I'm a tough old chick' Carla Martinelli-Irvine She phones the shelter multiple times every day, because shes not allowed to visit in person until at least October, thanks to an immune system compromised by her cancer treatment and rheumatoid arthritis. "Its awful." she says about being ordered to recover at home. "I love the work that I do. I love the people who work with me and I love the animals very much. I love everything about it. Its difficult not to go into work, but my health is important." The Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter. (Jesse Boily / Winnipeg Free Press) The ordeal began just before Christmas when her family doctor discovered a lump on one breast during a check-up. Next, came a mammogram, ultrasound and a biopsy. On Jan. 9, at the Breast Health Centre on Tache Avenue, she got the grim news. "Thats when I was told I had breast cancer," she recalls. "It was like a roller-coaster. A lot goes through your mind. The first thing I thought of was my family. I didnt know how I was going to tell my husband or my dad. I was wondering whether Id be seeing God and go to heaven. "But it was in that moment that I decided Im going to be strong and Im going to recover from this. Whatever hand Im dealt, Ill deal with it. I have great faith and felt God would walk with me." Since that day, Martinelli-Irvine has undergone two surgeries and multiple rounds of radiation. The life-saving treatments have started to take a toll in recent days. "It started to hit me last week an overwhelming frailty," she says, insisting no question is too personal. "It was like being hit by a truck. It just smashes me and I have to rest a lot. Im not that sort of person. I like to do things. I miss the animals." She does, indeed, like to do things. Fresh out of Silver Heights Collegiate, she spent about six years as a clerical worker/auditor with the RCMP, then seven years as a guard at the downtown remand centre. In 1989, driven by a lifelong dream to rescue unwanted pets, she opened Pet Pals, which became the first satellite adoption centre for the Winnipeg Humane Society. Ten years later, she won charitable status, changed the facilitys name, and Manitobas first registered no-kill animal shelter was born. "When you work in a prison, you see one walk of life and I wanted to be on a different walk of life, and I love animals," she recalls. "Back then, if an animal wasnt adopted, it was euthanized. I thought I could offer an alternative so people could give up their pet without fear it would be put to sleep. "I saw the need and felt I could do it. When I told people, everybody said it wasnt financially possible to hang on to animals until theyre adopted and I said, Watch me! And I did it. And were still doing it 31 years later. Its only been possible because Ive been surrounded by great people." Martinelli-Irvine says Winnipeg Pete Rescue Shelter depends on donations and fundraising events. Both revenue sources have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Jesse Boily / Winnipeg Free Press) She doesnt regret a single moment, although she admits there have been more than a few pitfalls. The pandemic has not only complicated her cancer treatment; its made it difficult for the shelter to raise the money it needs to stay open. "We live solely off of donations and fundraising events, so you can imagine what this year has been like for us," she says. "Some days we might get zero or $20 in the mail and running a no-kill shelter is very expensive. Everybody loves the concept, but its very expensive. "The shelter is always full. As one animal gets adopted, another one comes in. Sometimes we find animals outside the door tied to a box or a kennel. Weve had them tied to staff vehicles. Weve even had them thrown in our big garbage container, so now we have to keep that locked." The shelter was deemed an essential service and has remained open throughout the pandemic, with limits on the number of visitors, strict social distancing and mandatory mask-wearing, but Martinelli-Irvine has been trapped at home along with her husband of 14 years, Robert, and her two chihuahuas, Chica and JoJo. Fuelled by her Christian faith and an irrepressible optimism, she is determined to win her battle with a disease that claims the lives of an estimated 175 women in Manitoba every year. The Canadian Cancer Society says 27,400 women will be diagnosed with the disease this year 25 per cent of all new cancer cases in women and 5,100 wont survive, which translates to an average of 14 fatalities every day. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "I am doing well, thank God," Martinelli-Irvine gushes with unconcealed joy. "Im so blessed. Im proud to be recovering from breast cancer." An ongoing fight with breast cancer has only made her more determined to keep the doors open at the shelter, which handles roughly 1,000 animals every year and faces an uphill battle to afford expensive medications and vet bills. "I believe all animals have a right to life," she declares. "Weve had animals come in that have been set on fire. Weve had animals come in with broken limbs. The day they hit our door, theyve won the lottery. "Not even God can change the past, but we can certainly affect the future. And animals are so forgiving. We believe they are grateful and they know when they are safe and loved Its been hard. There have been lots of struggles, but at the end of the day you feel good, you know that youve made a difference." doug.speirs@freepress.mb.ca Secoriea Turner was only 8 years old when she was fatally wounded during a violent Fourth of July weekend in Atlanta. According to published reports, she was in the car with her mother, who was attempting to turn into a parking lot near a Wendys restaurant that was the scene of a highly publicized police shooting last month. For reasons that are a mystery to the rest of us, gunmen opened fire on the vehicle. Turners death may have been the most heart-wrenching, but it wasnt the only one. Between Friday, July 3, and Sunday, July 5, Atlanta recorded 11 separate shooting incidents with 31 victims, five of whom, including Secoriea, were killed. The recent holiday weekend was marred by violence across the nation. Children were among those fatally wounded not only in Atlanta but also in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. In Southeast Washington, 11-year-old Davon McNeal was shot as he and his mother were leaving a community cookout designed to curb violence and promote peace. Davons mother, Crystal McNeal, had organized the event. These appalling homicides should serve notice to the activists who are demanding that cities abolish their police departments. Its quite unlikely that the families of the victims want to live in communities with no police protection. Nor do the majority of Americans, Black, white and brown. Just ask Horace Lorenzo Anderson Sr., whose 19-year-old son, known as Lorenzo, was fatally wounded by an unknown assailant in late June in Seattles autonomous zone for protesters, which was barricaded by armed civilians, closed to police and apparently inaccessible to first-responders. Grief-stricken and angry, Anderson Sr. was among those who demanded that law enforcement agents shut down the Capitol Hill Occupation Protest (CHOP) zone, which they did after his son was killed and another man wounded. There are perfectly logical reasons why homicides carried out by civilians estranged husbands and ex-boyfriends, robbers and drug dealers, gang-bangers and violent teenagers dont draw the massive protests that followed the murder of George Floyd. Police officers are rightly held to a higher standard than criminals. They take an oath to protect and serve. Instead, they too often behave as an occupying force steeped in centuries of racism and malignant stereotypes about Black and brown Americans. Frustratingly, police culture has proved largely impervious to reform. Paramilitary organizations and police departments attract individuals with political beliefs ranging from right-of-center to reactionary. Police unions overwhelmingly endorsed the racist Donald Trump when he sought the presidency. And they indoctrinate or intimidate any open-minded newcomers to ensure that they conform to behaviors that alienate residents of less-affluent Black and brown neighborhoods. Its not surprising that some involved in the Black Lives Matter movement have grown so impatient with the entire policing enterprise. Yet, every civilized society needs law enforcement agents because humans. Some small percentage of us will commit crimes. We need police officers who are well-trained, humane and dedicated to serving, not controlling, the communities they patrol. Thats especially true for less-affluent Black neighborhoods. Young Black men commit a disproportionate share of violent crimes, but they commit them against Black victims. (Trumps Twitter feed notwithstanding, the vast majority of crime is intraracial.) That means that Black residents of poorer neighborhoods are disproportionately victimized by violent crime. Since the 1990s, rates of violent crime have dropped remarkably in cities across the country, falling by half in some major cities. But this summer of discontent has seen a disconcerting rise in random violence, a statistic that ought to trouble anybody worried about Black lives. Experts arent sure why violence is rising, but they have cited a combination of factors, including high unemployment, the coronavirus lockdown and the intense stress those conditions have created as possible contributing factors. I think its just a perfect storm of distress in America, said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms after the violent holiday weekend. Some of that distress, undoubtedly, has been created by the plague of police violence that has swamped our television screens. But the answer to police violence is not to abolish police forces and fire even those officers committed to fairness and justice. The answer, instead, is to hire many more of them. Email Cynthia Tucker at cynthia@cynthiatucker.com Samsungs upcoming premium smartphone, the Galaxy Note 20, could be cheaper than its predecessor, according to a report by Naver. According to industry sources who spoke to the publication, the Galaxy Note 20 may be priced at $999 in South Korea. The more expensive Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will reportedly be priced at $1,040. This means that the standard version of the new smartphone could be around $50 cheaper than its predecessor. The price of Samsungs upcoming Galaxy Note device may differ in markets outside of South Korea, however, with the previous-generation smartphone being available for around $100 cheaper in the United States than South Korea. Samsungs upcoming Galaxy Note 20 smartphones have been subject to multiple leaks, giving potential buyers a good idea of what to expect from the devices when they launch later this year. Leaked specifications Information gleaned from leaked renders of the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20+ show that the devices will sport similar display sizes to the Galaxy S20+ and S20 Ultra, respectively. The Note 20 will reportedly measure 161.8 x 75.3 x 8.5 mm, making it slightly thicker than the Note 10 and Note 10+, while the Note 20+ will be longer and wider than the standard model but slightly thinner, with dimensions of 165 x 77.2 x 7.6 mm. The S-Pen holder has also been moved to the left on both smartphones, while the bottom speaker and USB-C port remain in the same place. Samsungs upcoming Galaxy Note 20 Ultra was recently leaked on the companys website, showing a high-end design in a new colour named Mystic Bronze. The leaked image also shows off a rear camera system with three large camera sensors alongside an LED flash and a small black strip which may include a depth sensor. This leak contradicts a previous statement from Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young, who said Samsung will not launch an Ultra model. According to Young, Samsung will instead unveil the Galaxy Fold 2 alongside the Note 20 and Note 20+ smartphones, the latter of which will be the first Samsung smartphone with a 120Hz panel. - Rapper 50 Cent known for trolling colleagues on social media recently went after actor Will Smith - 50 Cent sent a mischievous message to the Hollywood star on Instagram and Will, in turn, asked him to leave - The controversial rap star returned to his IG page with a screenshot of the conversation and asked if he did anything wrong PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! American celebrity couple Will and Jada Smith have been in the news over the past couple of weeks and the drama got even more interesting following their recent conversation on Jadas Red Table Talk. Their video sparked several reactions in the online community and among those who have taken the opportunity to troll the couple is rapper and business mogul, 50 Cent. The rapper known for going after fellow celebrities sent a message to Will on Instagram under the guise that he was checking upon him. An appreciative Will, in turn, thanked the rapper for showing concern in light of recent happenings and also explained that they had broken up when 50 Cent asked why they made their issues public. 50 Cent, Will and Jada Smith. Photo: Instagram/@50cent/@redtabletalk Source: Instagram However, little did the Hollywood actor know that the music star was out to make fun of him. The next line of conversation that followed saw 50 Cent making a rude comment about the situation. This made Will ask him to take his leave. Sharing a screenshot of the post on Instagram 50 Cent asked if he did anything wrong. See his post below: PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app PAY ATTENTION: Get your daily relationship tips and advice on Africa Love Aid group Several fans had mixed reactions to what had played out between both of them. Some of them expressed reservations at the rappers action. Read comments below: rap: "Why he blaming you for her actions." igorbarbosa: "Why thou bruh! Leave the legend alone bruh! Hahaha, you got other concerns anyways, why you care." blankgodd_: "You trippin man. Will obviously doesn't feel good bout this. Don't go throwing at him." davidperry22: "You're not a true brother for posting it for everyone to see." glyn_thomas: "Why do you have to post private messages like that man!? Why are you involving in his private life." giftyagu: "Seeing y T.I hates you so much, reaching out to him to do this? This is childish. Grow up." Some months ago, Legit.ng reported that the rapper took to his social media page with a half-hearted apology for those he may have offended in the past. According to the rapper, he was not a sorry person and that was all he had for those who felt he had done something wrong against them. The rap stars apology came days after denying his eldest son, Marquise Jackson in public. PAY ATTENTION: Do you have news to share? Contact Legit.ng instantly Source: Legit.ng ISLAND PARK, N.Y., July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Diversified Marketing Group Inc. (OTC: GDMK), a premium food and snack manufacturer, importer and distributor serving the United States, Canada and Europe, is pleased to announce that Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC (EMC) has been retained to provide investor relations services. EMC specializes in helping small and mid-sized public companies establish brand awareness and increase market share to its customer base while improving visibility to the institutional and retail investment community. Paul Adler, Chief Executive Officer of Global Diversified Marketing Group Inc. states, We are excited about our corporate growth and we believe we are well positioned to gain increased visibility and brand awareness to provide greater opportunities for our current and future shareholders by engaging Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC. James Painter, President of EMC, said, We are pleased to represent Global Diversified Marketing Group Inc. during the coming year. We have conducted our due diligence on the Company and have been very impressed with the management, market sector, and the overall business strategy. About Global Diversified Marketing Group Inc. Headquartered in Island Park, NY, Global Diversified Marketing Group Inc. operates as a food and snack manufacturer, Importer & distributor through its subsidiary in the United States, Canada and Europe. The company operates through snacks segment. The snacks segment offers Italian Wafers, Italian filled croissants, French Madeleines, Wafer Pralines, shelf stable Macarons and other gourmet snacks. The company sells its products direct and through various distribution channels comprising specialty, grocery retailers, food-service distributors, DSD as well as vending, pantry and micro market segment. About Emerging Markets Consulting LLC Based in Clermont, Florida, Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC (EMC) brings over 40 years combined experience in the investor relations industry. EMC is an international investor relations firm with affiliates around the world. EMC is relationship-driven and results-oriented with the goal of seeking attractive emerging companies and concentrating its resources and efforts to serve a limited number of high-quality clients. For more information, visit EMCs website at www.emergingmarketsllc.com . Story continues Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statement within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements include, but are not limited to, any statements relating to our growth strategy and product development programs and any other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could negatively affect our business, operating results, financial condition and stock price. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. Company Contact: Global Diversified Marketing Group Inc. 4042 Austin Blvd Suite B Island Park, NY 11558 paul@gdmginc.com http://www.360worldsnacks.com/ Investor Contact: Pittsfield to Test Sewage For COVID-19 PITTSFIELD, Mass. The city will test sewage for COVID-19 at the wastewater treatment plant. Mayor Linda Tyer announced in her weekly update Friday that the city will utilize a new method to monitor for the novel coronavirus: sewage testing. "Research indicates that sewage testing analyzes epidemiological trends. We will have an early warning by detecting the resurgence of the coronavirus in the citys sewage," she said. "We will be able to anticipate and respond rapidly and effectively to any possible new outbreaks even before positive test cases are identified." She said the city is utilizing a Boston-based company called Biobot Analytics and have already conducted one of the two baseline tests. In the fall and winter, it will test twice a month. Tyer noted Richmond, Dalton, Hinsdale, Lenox, and Lanesborough also use the citys plant. The mayor also went through some quick updates and said since her last update there week before, there have been seven new COVID-19 cases in Pittsfield. She reminded residents that although the public health data in the commonwealth is trending in the right direction, residents still need to adhere to state travel restrictions and guidance with cases spiking in many states. She noted that the state is now in Phase 3 and will likely stay until in that phase for some time. "We cannot afford to let our guard down," she said. "Phase 3 is expected to be with us for a while and phase 4 will not start until a vaccine to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 is available or other proven forms of medical remediation is in place." She did note residents and city businesses have adhered to state guidance. She said the Board of Health has been happy with peoples willingness to wear masks when unable to social distance. During her videoed update the mayor also announced: The Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a "Make your own summer of fun" line up in city parks. A list of the Board of Health approved activities can be found The Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a "Make your own summer of fun" line up in city parks. A list of the Board of Health approved activities can be found here Residents are also encouraged to send photos of themselves finding safe ways to enjoy the summer. These photos may be featured on Downtown Pittsfields social media platforms. "It is a small thing that has a big impact ... lets keep finding those moments of joy," the mayor said. Earlier in the week, the governor signed an election law bill that expands mail-in and early voting options. Early voting for the September primary begins Aug. 22 and ends the 28. Early voting for the November general election begins Oct .17. All voters who want to cast an absentee ballot will be able to do so after filling out application that voters will receive by mail. These should be sent out on July 15. That residents should be aware of the mosquito-borne equine encephalitis virus. The governor detailed the states effort to address this virus after EEE and other like viruses after a case was found in Franklin County. More information can be found here The Brazilian Navy received on July 10, 2020, the second UH-17 aircraft in the 1st General Employment Helicopter Squadron (HU-1). The Brazilian Navy received on July 10, 2020, the second UH-17 aircraft in the 1st General Employment Helicopter Squadron (HU-1). Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Airbus Helicopters H135. (Picture source: Brazilian Navy) Brazils navy has inducted its second of an eventual three Airbus Helicopters H135s, which will see use on operations in the Antarctic region. The H135s are replacing the current light twin-engine AS355s in service with the Brazilian Navy. They will support a range of missions such as special operations, transport of troops and freight, naval inspection, search and rescue and medical evacuation. The helicopters are equipped with a cargo hook, emergency flotation system and weather radar; two of the three will be delivered with aeromedical kits. The H135 comes with two FADEC-equipped engine options, Safran Helicopter Engines Arrius 2B2plus and Pratt & Whitney Canadas 206B3, and is fitted with a bearingless main rotor, Airbus Fenestron shrouded tail rotor, engine software modifications, and new lateral air intake. Brazilian Navy received the first unit from Airbus subsidiary Helibras in February this year. Airbus Helicopters H135. (Picture source: Brazilian Navy) Walter Peter Matulis Jr. (pictured) in mugshot was arrested by the Columbia Police Department in Saturday in South Carolina Authorities in South Carolina have arrested a 64-year-old man accused of pointing a gun at peaceful 'Black Lives Matter' demonstrators during dueling protests on the anniversary of the Confederate flag's removal from the State House. Walter Peter Matulis Jr. was charged Saturday with pointing and presenting a firearm at a person by the Columbia Police Department. Two groups of protesters were outside the Capitol Friday on the fifth anniversary of the Confederate flag's removal from the grounds. One gathered to support the Confederate flag; the other carried 'Black Lives Matter' signs in opposition to this group. Footage of the incident, identified by The State, showed the protesters standing on a median on Gervais Street street near the State House. Matulis and the protesters can be seen exchanging words, but it's unclear what was said based on the video. Seconds later, Matulis pulls into the intersection and stops his vehicle despite the green light. One protesters screams 'He's got a gun' and the camera pans to Matulis' vehicle as it sits in the intersection. Although a gun cannot be seen in the video, it mirrors the sequence of events laid out by Kamison Burgess, who was among these counter-protesters. Burgess told The State that the driver 'pulled up sticking his middle finger out.' Authorities said that Matulis made a rude hand gesture at protesters when the incident began. Footage taken during the incident appears to show Matulis sitting in his vehicle and exchanging words with Black Lives Matter protesters Witnesses alleged that Matulis pulled into the intersection during a green light, stopped and pointed his gun at protesters Authorities arrested Matulis after interviewing him at his South Carolina home on Saturday 'He stopped in the middle of the road at the green light and said 'All lives matter'', said Burgess. 'One of the girls, she was explaining 'Yes, all lives matter, but they can't matter at the moment until Black lives matter.''' Burgess said this prompted the driver to reveal a gun at protesters. 'At that point in time, he drove up a little more, the light was still green, and he started fidgeting around inside his car, and he pointed a gun out at us,' she said. Columbia police investigated using video taken by protesters, interviewed Matulis at his home and then arrested him. They added that footage taken by witnesses helped them identify him. Pointing a firearm is a felony offense and, if found guilty, could land Matulis in prison for five years. It's unclear whether Matulis had an attorney who could comment on his behalf. This is one of a handful of incidents where people have pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters. Last month, a couple in St. Louis, Missouri, brandished an AR-15 and a handgun at protesters marching past their mansion in an upscale neighborhood. On Friday, authorities searched the home of lawyers Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who made headlines on June 28 when a video went viral showing them waving firearms at protesters who had massed outside their home. The search turned up the AR-15 that had been held by Mark McCloskey, while a handgun brandished by Patricia McCloskey was already in possession of her attorney, Fox reports. 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 No charges have been filed against the couple. The protests outside the State House saw members from of a group calling themselves the South Carolina Memorial Honour Guard perform a flag ceremony. They were met on the State House steps by members of the Columbia Racial Justice Coalition on the capital's doorstep. The flag held by one of the Honour Guard members, clad in Civil War dress uniform, was not the battle emblem, with its red field topped by a blue X and 13 white stars, as expected. Instead, the group unfurled the official state flag, with its palmetto tree and white crescent. A woman with the group did not answer questions about their choice of flag Friday. She said they were not speaking with reporters. The group's decision not to unfurl the Confederate battle flag prompted one counterprotester, Tori Hyder, to call the Honour Guard members 'cowards.' Demonstrators dressed in civil war attire participate in a flag ceremony in front of a Confederate statue at the State House in Columbia, South Carolina Two sets of barricades set up by law enforcement separated the Honour Guard from Hyder and about two dozen other counterprotesters, who lined the sidewalk carrying signs that read 'Black Lives Matter' and other slogans. Counterprotesters interviewed said they were taking a stance against the Confederate flag, widely seen as a symbol of racism and hatred. Some of the demonstrators said they had gathered at the statehouse daily since late May. South Carolina pulled down the rebel banner from the Capitol grounds in 2015, a month after a white supremacist slaughtered nine black church members during a Bible study at a Charleston church. Since then, groups for and against the Confederate battle flag have regularly gathered on the anniversary of its removal from South Carolina's Statehouse. Pictured: a protester holds a 'Dismantle White Supremacy' sign outside the South Carolina State House over the weekend On Friday, the Honour Guard blasted music from its speakers, including 'The Star-Spangled Banner' and songs from the Confederacy such as 'Join the Calvary!' At one point, counterprotesters on the opposite side of Gervais St. blared heavy metal, each side attempting to drown the other out. Both the Honour Guard and the Columbia Racial Justice Coalition attempted to reserve a permit for the grounds at the same time on Friday, news outlets reported. State officials scheduled the Honour Guard's gathering in the morning and the coalition's event in the afternoon. A third group, Flags across the South, flew the Confederate flag from a temporary flagpole by a monument dedicated to confederate soldiers Saturday On 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper took a deep dive into the debate over the removal of Confederate monuments, research that, Cooper says, CBS began in 2017. During his report, Cooper sat down with Mayor Levar Stoney of Richmond, Va., who, during the recent protests over the future of the citys Monument Avenue, made it clear he wants the statues taken down. "The monuments are just a symbol of the effort to ensure African Americans stayed, maybe not in physical bondage, but in bondage in political and economically in this country and in this city," said Stoney, who added, "Those who chose to erect those monuments, and the figures who are glorified in those monuments, they made some serious attempts to ensure that people who look like me would never hold any political office, ever, in Virginia." Cooper asked Stoney if, following the incident in Charlottesville when white nationalists clashed with protesters over the removal of a Confederate statue, he was surprised by how many people were willing to come out and show their true colors, to which Stoney responded, "I think it woke a lot of people up, not just here in the Commonwealth of Virginia, but around the country." "It is, for me, the greatest example of nostalgia masquerading as history. It's the fake news of their time," stated Stoney. Cooper also sat down with former New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu who, back in 2017, made the controversial decision to remove four Confederate monuments, and shared with Cooper the dangerous risks that came with it. While Cooper described the scene as looking "like a military operation," due to the fact that construction crews wore bullet proof helmets and vests, and police snipers were stationed on rooftops nearby, Landrieu shared that it was impossible to find a local company that would take on the monumental job. "When we put the thing out to bid, the one contractor that showed up had his life threatened. He had his car bombed," revealed Landrieu. "His car was actually fire-bombed. Death threats were coming in and, so, I couldn't find a crane. I could not find a damn crane." Story continues Landrieu did eventually find a contractor out of state to take down the four monuments, and the former mayor more than stands by his decision. "In a city that I represent, that's 67 percent African American, to have a young African American girl pass by that statue and look at it every day, I ask myself, 'Am I really preparing for her a really good future? Is she feeling like she's getting lifted up by the government, or is she being put down?' I mean, I think the answer's pretty clear. Really, what these monuments were, were a lie," stated Landrieu. Asked to clarify, Landrieu explained, "On the sense that Robert E. Lee was used as an example, to send a message to the rest of the country, and to all the people that lived here, that the confederacy was a noble cause. And that's just not true." Finally, Landrieu stated, "I really did want to make a definitive statement, as a white man from the south, as the Mayor of a major American city at the dawning of the 21st century, that it's not unclear anymore about what the Civil War was about, and who won, and what the values are that we should really revere." However, not all agree with the removal of confederate monuments, hence the debate across the country. Professor William J. Cooper, a former professor of history at Louisiana State University for 46 years, told Anderson Cooper that removing the monuments is a mistake and that they are not, in fact, a "false history." "The monument was put up there by real people who had real beliefs. Maybe we don't like their beliefs. But one of the things that bothers me most as a historian is what I call 'Presentism,' judging the past by the present. Figuring that we are the only moral people, that nobody else could be moral if they didn't think like we think," said the former professor, who also said that the monuments "do celebrate white supremacy." However, removing the monuments is a "slippery slope." "Should Mount Vernon be up today? Should we go burn Monticello down tomorrow? Certainly Thomas Jefferson believed in white supremacy," said William Cooper. 60 Minutes airs Sundays at 7 p.m. on CBS. Watch Jaime Harrison saying hes going to close the chapter on relic Lindsey Graham: Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Nation/Asia News Network) Mon, July 13, 2020 07:07 555 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665ca68a 2 News Thailand,tourism,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic Free About one-third of tourism business operators in Thailand will run out of liquidity to keep their businesses afloat in the second half of 2020, Tourism Council of Thailand president Chairat Trirattanajarasporn has warned. The impact of COVID-19 will become most serious in the third quarter this year after many operators had tried to cut costs by letting some of their employees go, but after more than a million positions cut the situation still hasnt improved, as no foreign tourists are allowed into the country yet, he said. The council estimates that in the next three months up to 30 per cent of tourism-related businesses in Thailand are at risk of shutting down permanently. Chairat added that some operators are starting to sell their establishments, such as hotels, resorts, restaurants and gift shops to investors who wish to turn them into other business. Read also: Thailand to reopen bars and allow in some foreign travelers However, since the real estate business is also affected by the economic crisis, the hope of selling their properties is still bleak for these owners, he added. The council had a meeting with Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha on Friday (July 10) and proposed five measures to help tourism business operators, said Chairat. These measures are: providing soft loans to tourism entrepreneurs; considering moving the schedule up to open the country to foreign tourists under a practice similar to the travel bubble scheme; offering discount on electricity bills, one of the main costs of hotel operators; having the Social Security Office extend the compensation payment to temporarily unemployed staff from June to December, and reducing the employers contribution to Social Security Fund from 4 percent to 1 percent. Chairat also added that the Tourism Council of Thailand has predicted the income from foreign tourists in 2020 will drop significantly from Bt2.2 trillion last year to only around Bt600 billion. Topics : This article appeared on The Nation newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post MILAN In February, he said the directors of the nursing home where he worked kept him from wearing a mask, fearing it would scare patients and their families. In March, he became infected and spoke out about the coronavirus spreading through the home. In May, he was fired amid claims that he had damaged the companys image. Hamala Diop, a 25-year-old medical assistant, challenged the decision in a lawsuit that was first heard in court on Monday. The proceedings will raise the issue of whether whistle-blowers have paid a price in raising alarms about dangerous conditions at medical facilities. After successfully lowering the curve of new cases after a devastating initial outbreak, Italy is now bracing for a potential second wave. The country, with the oldest population in Europe, was affected especially deeply by the coronavirus, and nearly half the infections reported in April happened in nursing homes, according to the Italian National Institute of Health. The breadth of the outbreak put the management of nursing homes under judicial and media scrutiny. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (July 13, 2020) talked to Google CEO Sundar Pichai over video conferencing and interacted on the topics like global pandemic COVID-19, data security and cyber safety. PM Modi tweeted about the same and said, "During our interaction, Sundar Pichai and I spoke about the new work culture that is emerging in the times of COVID-19. We discussed the challenges the global pandemic has brought to areas such as sports. We also talked about the importance of data security and cyber safety." PM said that he was delighted to know more about the efforts of Google in several sectors, be it in education, learning, Digital India, furthering digital payments and more. I was delighted to know more about the efforts of @Google in several sectors, be it in education, learning, @_DigitalIndia, furthering digital payments and more. @sundarpichai Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 13, 2020 PM Modi and Pichai also spoke on the power of technology to transform the lives of Indian farmers, youngsters and entrepreneurs. Pichai briefed PM Modi about the efforts undertaken by Google to help spread awareness and provide reliable information about COVID-19. He said that the strong step of lockdown initiated by the Prime Minister set up a very strong foundation of Indias battle against the global pandemic. Prime Minister appreciated the proactive role played by Google in battling misinformation and conveying information about necessary precautions. He also talked about further leveraging technology in providing healthcare services. Prime Minister said that Indians are adjusting to and adopting technology at a rapid pace. He talked about farmers benefiting from technology and the possible wide-ranging benefits of AI in agriculture. Prime Minister explored the idea of virtual labs that can be used by students as well as farmers. CEO Pichai also briefed the PM about new products and initiatives by Google in the country. He mentioned about the launch of AI Research Lab in Bengaluru, while also highlighting the benefits of Google's flood forecasting efforts. Prime Minister was also told about Googles plan to launch a large investment fund and develop strategic partnerships in India. PM Modi remarked that India is amongst the most open economies in the world. He also spoke about recent steps taken by the government towards reforming agriculture and about the campaign to create new jobs, while also highlighting the importance of re-skilling. Earlier in the day, Google announced that the company is going to invest Rs 75,000 crore, or approximately $10 billion, into India over the next 5-7 years. (Reuters) - Veteran U.S. diplomat Bill Richardson plans to travel to Caracas to meet with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to discuss the status of several American citizens held as prisoners there, his foundation said on Monday (Reuters) - Veteran U.S. diplomat Bill Richardson plans to travel to Caracas to meet with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to discuss the status of several American citizens held as prisoners there, his foundation said on Monday. In a message on Twitter, the Richardson Center said the former New Mexico governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations would carry out what it called a private humanitarian mission to Venezuela "at the request of several American prisoners' families." It did not identify the detainees. It was not clear when the visit would take place. Venezuela's government is currently holding two former U.S. special forces soldiers, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, who authorities arrested in May for leading a failed incursion attempt aimed at capturing Maduro. Maduro's administration since 2017 has also kept imprisoned six oil executives from Citgo Petroleum Corp, the U.S. refining unit of Venezuela's state-run oil company, on allegations of embezzlement. The U.S. government and lawyers for the executives have said the charges are baseless. Five of the executives have U.S. citizenship. President Donald Trump's administration has tried to oust Maduro by imposing sweeping sanctions on Venezuela's key oil sector and throwing its support behind opposition leader Juan Guaido. Maduro, who Guaido calls a dictator, has retained control and has used the security forces to crack down on his opponents. Richardson has a history of working to get Americans released from hostile governments. He previously was involved in securing U.S. missionary Joshua Holt's freedom from Venezuelan detention in 2018. The Richardson Center said he also would discuss other humanitarian issues related to the coronavirus pandemic while in Venezuela. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a question on whether the Trump administration was coordinating with Richardson or had been briefed on his plans. (Reporting by Angus Berwick in London; Additional reporting by Luc Cohen and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Will Dunham) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sealed actor Rekha's bungalow in suburban Bandra after a security guard there tested coronavirus positive, a civic official said on Sunday. The guard at the 65-year-old 'Umrao Jaan' actor's bungalow 'Sea Springs' tested positive on Tuesday, the official said. The BMC has put a board outside the premises declaring the place as a containment area. The security guard has been hospitalised at the BMC's COVID-19 care facility in Bandra Kurla Complex, he said. As the bungalow is a standalone one, only a portion of it has been sealed, he said. 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 KHABAROVSK, Russia -- Hundreds of demonstrators have continued to peacefully protest in Russia's Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk, demanding the release of the region's governor Sergei Furgal, who was arrested last week on charges of attempted murder and ordering the killings of two businessmen in 2004-2005. The protesters marched across the city on July 13 demanding Furgal's release. They had planned to hold a big gathering on the central Lenin Square, but local officials started washing the cobblestones and therefore the protesters decided to march across the city. After police asked them not to block the streets for public transportation, the protesters began marching on sidewalks, holding posters saying "We Are For Furgal," "Freedom To Furgal," "We Are The Power Here." Some protesters chanted slogans against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Other people were joining the protesters as they marched, while drivers of vehicles signaled their support. The number of protesters was less than that at previous rallies, where tens of thousands gathered in support of Furgal over the weekend in Khabarovsk. Following the rallies, the presidential envoy to the Far East Territory, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev, arrived in Khabarovsk and met with local authorities. Reports in the Kommersant daily said Trutnev had accused local officials of organizing the mass protests over the weekend. According to some estimates, as many as 35,000 people participated in the rallies. After the meeting with local officials, Trutnev told reporters that he arrived to the region "to check on the work of regional officials in the governor's absence." Trutnev said that law enforcement structures would not arrest Furgal "without a 100 percent reason," adding though that ordinary citizens "have a right to express their opinions freely." On July 12, thousands of demonstrators in Khabarovsk, the capital of the Khabarovsk region, marched to the regional headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB), chanting "Free Furgal." The street protests and angry political sentiment against the Kremlin were unusual given how far Khabarovsk is from the Russian capital and given how the Kremlin has marginalized all political opposition in the country. The protests were also the largest in the country since a national vote that has set the stage for Putin to remain in power until 2036. Smaller rallies were also held in the military industrial city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and other towns in the region. On July 10, a Moscow court ordered Furgal to be held in pretrial detention for two months. WATCH: Thousands March In Support Of Arrested Khabarovsk Governor (July 11) The 50-year-old member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), led by nationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of businessman Aleksandr Smolsky and ordering the murders of two businessmen, Yevgeny Zorya and Oleg Bulatov in 2004-2005. Zhirinovsky wrote on Telegram on July 13 that Furgal's arrest was linked to his being a member of "an opposition party [and] one of the five most popular regional governors in Russia." In another post, Zhirinovsky wrote his party supports the protesters in Khabarovsk, but added that the LDPR would never call on people to take part in unsanctioned demonstrations. Furgal won a surprise victory over the Kremlin favorite Vyacheslav Shport in 2018 in a major upset for the ruling United Russia party. With reporting by Kommersant The University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of Food Science has been awarded a five-year, $482,549 grant to fund an experiential learning program for undergraduates, including independent research opportunities with faculty mentors and paid summer internships with industrial partners in the greater Boston area. UMass Amherst's Food Science Undergraduate Experiential Learning (FUEL) Scholars program received one of 26 grants totaling $11.6 million from the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Part of NIFA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative's education and workforce development effort, the yearlong UMass Amherst program is designed to prepare students for a career in food science. The Bureau of Labor Statistics foresees a demand for 3,100 additional food scientists in the 10-year period ending in 2026, based on a predicted 7% growth in the related job market. "The UMass FUEL program will provide students with knowledge in both fundamental and applied food science, as well as experiential learning, and will train graduates for a successful transition into the food industry," says Lynne McLandsborough, professor and undergraduate program director. McLandsborough will implement the program, along with co-principal investigators Eric Decker, professor and head of food science, and Matthew Moore, assistant professor. "These hands-on educational experiences offer both research and extension training that will lead to a well-prepared and modern workforce that can fill expected gaps in the country's food, agriculture and related industries," NIFA states in announcing the grants. At UMass Amherst, which has the oldest academic food science department in the country, undergraduate students will be recruited by the FUEL Scholars initiative. They will develop professional skills and complete lab experience before their summer internship with a small to mid-size food company in the Boston area. The student interns will be housed at the Mount Ida Campus during their internship and will receive a stipend. For the first five years, the costs will be covered by the grant. "One goal of the project is to become financially self-sufficient," McLandsborough says. "If the program is successful, the internship costs will shift to the industrial partners as the program progresses." ### A Melbourne music photographer who has worked with some of the country's leading musicians has confessed he was an "abuser" who had "displayed pure misogyny" after he was the subject of a string of sexual misconduct allegations published on social media. In a 3000-word apology posted online, Jack Stafford, 29, admitted exposing himself to his subjects, initiating explicit conversations, encouraging subjects to shoot in the nude in situations which made them uncomfortable and sharing images "that were not mine to share" with third parties. Stafford said there were "other men... just everywhere" who had done similar things and had "knowledge of others and not spoken up about it". Stafford recently photographed more than 120 artists, including Kate Miller-Heidke, Odette and Ali Barter, over Skype for a coronavirus isolation series. First Minister Arlene Foster has expressed regret at sectarian messages displayed on some loyalist bonfires. Fewer Twelfth of July events took place across Northern Ireland this year amid coronavirus restrictions. However, there were significant crowds at several fires that did go ahead. Upper Queen Street at the New Lodge in north Belfast has been sealed off by police after further disturbances this evening. Petrol bombs have been thrown and a barricade lit in the middle of the road pic.twitter.com/4lN7xnKRKo Rebecca Black (@RBlackPA) July 11, 2020 Meanwhile, in north Belfast, there was a second night of sporadic disorder near a community interface as police came under attack from petrol bombers in the nationalist New Lodge close to a bonfire in the loyalist Tigers Bay area. The PSNI confirmed that bottles, masonry and a number of petrol bombs were thrown at officers throughout Saturday evening in Queens Parade and New Lodge Road. Ahead of the Eleventh Night fires, politicians and community leaders had urged people to avoid mass gatherings and stick to Covid-19 regulations that limit outdoor gatherings to no more than 30 people. Crowds well in excess of 30 were witnessed at a number of fires that were lit late on Saturday night. Police in the New Lodge area of Belfast, after officers warned of consequences for those involved in a day of disorder in the north of the city (Rebecca Black/PA) Mrs Foster said she regretted that some people did not follow advice from the Orange Order to stay at home for the annual July 12 celebrations. She also condemned the violent scenes in north Belfast, and criticised those who placed sectarian and offensive messages on the loyalist bonfires. They really need to take a look at themselves and ask themselves what sort of a Northern Ireland do they want to live in do they want to live in a Northern Ireland where everyone is entitled to proudly celebrate their culture and identity, or do they want to live in a split Northern Ireland? she told the BBC. Story continues I know certainly the one in which I want to live in, its one where we can all proudly celebrate but do so in a way that is not offensive and certainly not sectarian. A young boy plays drums by a bonfire in Belfasts Shankill Road (Niall Carson/PA) Meanwhile Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill condemned the bonfires. Political unionism must do more to challenge and confront the destructive and toxic issue of anti-social bonfires, she posted on Twitter. These fires are not only detrimental to the environment, but also to community relations. Sectarianism has absolutely no place in our society and must be rooted out. Political unionism must do more to challenge and confront the destructive and toxic issue of anti-social bonfires These fires are not only detrimental to the environment, but also to community relations Sectarianism has absolutely no place in our society and must be rooted out Michelle ONeill (@moneillsf) July 12, 2020 In a statement on Sunday morning, PSNI Superintendent Lorraine Dobson said it was extremely disappointing that officers had come under attack again by youths throwing petrol bombs in the New Lodge area. Damage has been caused to a number of our vehicles but, thankfully, none of our officers were injured, she said. We are again today appealing to young people who are involved in this type of criminal and anti-social behaviour to stop. You need to realise the consequences of your actions, and the impact it has on the community. I would also appeal to parents and guardians of young people to please ensure you know where your young people are, who they are with and what they are doing. I would also appeal to those in the community to use their influence to ensure we do not see a repeat of this senseless activity we have witnessed over the last two nights again in the area. She added that police will seek to gather evidence to bring those responsible before the courts. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said crews responded to 24 bonfire-related incidents between 6pm on Saturday and 1am on Sunday a 29.5% decrease compared with 2019. The spokesman added that no attacks on personnel or appliances were reported. A bonfire in Belfasts Lower Newtownards Road (Niall Carson/PA) Bonfires are torched in loyalist communities across the region every July 11 to usher in the main date in the Protestant loyal order parading season, the Twelfth of July. While the majority pass off without incident, some are the source of community tension, with authorities previously having intervened to remove towering pyres on health and safety grounds. Many of the fires were cancelled during the Covid-19 lockdown, with a number of sites cleared of wood by the local authorities. However, the recent easing of restrictions in Northern Ireland led to some reversing the decision to cancel. A plastic gorilla is wrapped in Union flag by a bonfire in Belfasts Shankill Road (Niall Carson/PA) Some bonfire builders also appear to have been motivated amid loyalist anger over a controversy that saw hundreds of republicans acting in alleged variance with the regulations to gather in west Belfast last month for the funeral of IRA veteran Bobby Storey. The Orange Order has cancelled its plans for traditional mass Twelfth of July parades and demonstrations, which were scheduled to take place on Monday July 13 because the 12th fell on a Sunday. Some loyalist bands are planning to take part in localised events on Monday, urging people to stay in their homes while they parade past. Burma Rakhine Woman Files Complaint Accusing Myanmar Military Troops of Gang Rape The rape victim. / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy SITTWE, RakhineA local woman in Rakhine States Rathedaung Township has filed a complaint with the Sittwe Township Police Station against three military personnel accusing them of gang rape. The 36-year-old woman from Uga Village in Rathedaung claimed that she was raped by three Myanmar military soldiers at gunpoint. She also underwent sexual assault forensic examination at Sittwe Hospital as she filed the complaint on Friday. I want the truth to be revealed, so I filed the complaint at the police station openly, by telling the truth, said the victim as she met the press on Friday evening. Local residents of Uga said that Myanmar military troops arrived at their village around 6 p.m. on June 29 and stayed overnight. When the soldiers arrived, male villagers fled, fearing that they might be arrested on suspicion of having ties to the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed group fighting the Myanmar military in northern Rakhine. The victim hid in her house together with five other women and three children. Three soldiers were staying the night at her neighbors house and summoned her for interrogation before raping her at gunpoint, she said. They took me to their place saying that they had things to question me about. There, they said they had suspicions about me. I asked what it was about. They told me that I had two options: they said they would shoot me as a rebel if I flee, and the second option was that I had to give my body, said the victim. As I attempted to flee, two soldiers held me, threatened me with knives and guns, and raped me one after another, said the victim. The three soldiers allegedly gave her 20,000 kyats (US$14.67) and told her not to tell anyone, including her relatives. An hour later, one of the three soldiers then attempted to rape the victims 19-year-old daughter. Her daughter had just given birth to a child several days earlier, the victim said. One of the three soldiers who raped me came and said he would interrogate my daughter. I told him that my daughter gave birth to a child just six days ago. I begged him again and again to spare my daughter as I had given them what they wanted. But he forcibly took my daughter at gunpoint, said the victim. However, the victims 70-year-old mother then risked her life to save the young girl from the rape. The Myanmar militarys Tatmadaw True News Information Team issued a statement on July 2 denying the alleged rape. According to the statement, Tatmadaw troops arrived at Uga Village around 7 p.m. on June 30 and left the village around 8 p.m. to stay overnight in the mango plantations some 250 meters north of the village. The militarys statement said the troops then entered the village around 6 a.m. the following day, asked for information about the AA and left for the mountains to the north of the village around 8 a.m. The chairwoman of the Rakhine Womens Network, Daw Nyo Aye, lamented that Rakhine women have been seriously affected by armed conflicts and the resultant lack of security. It took around a week for us to file the complaint, because she was suffering from severe emotional trauma. We had to help her a lot so that she can speak out like a normal person and without fear, she said. The Sittwe Township Police Station has accepted the complaint and opened cases for rape, abduction with the intent to rape and aiding and abetting rape. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. You may also like these stories: Will a Sexual Exploitation Scandal Force Myanmar Police to Change Course? One Year on, Still No Justice in Myanmars Victoria Toddler Rape Case Indian Woman Gang Raped After Being Quarantined Alone in School Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Two researchers from Washington University in St. Louis and another from Pontificia Universidad Catolica in Chile found that daydreaming carries significant creative benefits, especially for those who identify with their profession and care for the work they do. When not compelled by the problems and challenges of one's profession, though, it can impair performance, the detriment historically linked to a mind meandering on the job. In other words, daydreaming can be both a liability and a significant asset, depending upon certain attributes of the wanderer. "Daydreaming can have significant upsides for one's tendency to crack difficult challenges in new ways. This, however, presumes that people deeply care about the work they do, what attracted them to the profession in the first place," said Markus Baer, Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Olin Business School. "Daydreaming without this focus has significant downsides, which show up most directly in one's overall performance ratings." In today's "knowledge economy," a mind is a terrible thing to waste, whatever direction it may venture. This research, published July 1 in the Academy of Management Journal, opens new windows into the power of the mind. Specifically, this project "depicts daydreaming as a critical mechanism accounting for the connection between the type of work people do and the level of creativity they exhibit on the job," wrote coauthors Baer, Erik Dane, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at Olin, and Hector P. Madrid of Pontificia Universidad. Don't mistake this activity for distraction or multitasking, staples of the modern workspace. Rather, the process at the heart of this study involves thoughts disconnecting from a task and/or "stimulus environment." The coauthors found such a wandering-thought process results in work that is highly creative and not universally counterproductive, as often assumed in the business world and suggested by science that has studied daydreaming for decades. Granted, not all daydreaming is created equally. The researchers studied two types in particular: problem-oriented daydreams, or imaginative thoughts loosely connected to one's challenges, and bizarre daydreams, or thoughts not linked to existing challenges or problems at all but rather improbable possibilities. As the coauthors explained, these bizarre thoughts usually involve scenarios that "might delight a writer of fantasy or science fiction." What they found, though, wasn't merely mental escapism. Critical for creativity-boosting daydreaming, they found in their multi-faceted study, was professional identificationworkers who are psychologically attached to their profession, who gain a sense of self from their job. When they perform cognitively demanding work, gathering both enjoyment and fulfillment from that work, their daydreams spark imaginative thoughts around the job's tasks and problems. The researchers tested their model via two distinct studies: (1) sampling experiences of 169 professionals in a spectrum of industries, and (2) conducting a field study of 117 professional employees and their 46 supervisors. Each study was conducted in South America, and the research participants averaged 33.9 and 35.9 years old, respectively. "Conducting two different studies enabled us to test our hypotheses across a wide range of workers and triangulate our findings," Dane said. "The methods and measures we adopted integrated cutting-edge techniques associated with studying creativity and daydreaming alike." In the first study, workersacross a wide range of businesses, though mainly service (26%) and banking or commerce (22%)provided daily, diary-like ratings of the job challenges and their minds' tendency to engage in the two types of daydreaming. Workers also rated the extent to which they generated new ideas and solutions during the day. The second study involved employees across three technology consulting companies, where creativity and problem-solving are rife, and where employees tend to identify strongly with their profession and its attendant values and challenges. This time, the authors also asked supervisors at those companies to rate their employees' creativity. Workers were significantly more likely to daydream when they confronted tricky problems and new challenges in their work. And these daydreams, in turn, reliably boosted people's creativity, at least for professionally identified workers. Interestingly, so long as employees' identification with their profession was present, the researchers discovered that both problem-oriented and bizarre daydreaming had virtually no impact on performance, neither positive nor negative. However, when professional identification was lacking, daydreaming significantly compromised performance. "What this means is that daydreaming can boost creativity but does little to kill it; on the flip side, daydreaming does little to improve overall performance but can significantly reduce it," Madrid said. In the end, the researchers concluded that most businesses could benefit from taking steps to remove the stigma around daydreaming at work. The mind wanders close to half of the day, previous science found, so it is unreasonable to assume that it can stay on task continuously. At the very least, perhaps we shouldn't shun workers for getting lost in their thoughts and dreams. There might just be a new idea in there. Explore further Brain study suggests mind wandering at work not be as bad as you might think More information: Markus Baer et al, Zoning out or Breaking Through? Linking Daydreaming to Creativity in the Workplace, Academy of Management Journal (2020). Journal information: Academy of Management Journal Markus Baer et al, Zoning out or Breaking Through? Linking Daydreaming to Creativity in the Workplace,(2020). DOI: 10.5465/amj.2017.1283 UPDATE: Lehigh Valley total COVID-19 cases climb past 8K as state adds 929 cases Pennsylvania saw 1,053 new cases of COVID-19 over the last two days bringing the total statewide to 95,742. The state saw 725 new cases on Sunday and 328 on Monday with 26% of the new cases in Allegheny County, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Healths daily update. The greater Pittsburgh-area is contending with an outbreak that local health officials attribute to bars, indoor dining and large gatherings with alcohol. The regions halted indoor dining and shut bars for two weeks to try to stem the jump in cases that began June 22. But thats not the only area of concern. Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine says there been a 14.4% week-over-week increase of new cases statewide, with 43 counties seeing case counts rise. The rate of positive tests coming back in 28 counties also jumped, but the states overall positivity rate is 4.4%, she said. (Cant see this map? Click here.) The state health department only issued a partial COVID-19 data update late Sunday evening due to ongoing maintenance to the states dashboard. Thats why lehighvalleylive.com is combining Sunday and Mondays daily reports, which were just released in full. There were 14 new deaths reported, bringing the states total death toll to 6,911. In her Monday news conference, Levine emphasized vigilance as cases skyrocket across the United States. As much as our efforts are about laws and mandates and requirements, theyre actually mostly about your choices, Levine said. In Pennsylvania, were all in the green phase. Weve been able to return to work. But our actions as a community will continue to impact whether we can stay at work. Here are your coronavirus updates for Monday, July 13, 2020. Pa. coronavirus outbreak The rate of new COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania has been climbing since mid-June as the states economy reopened. A month ago, the states seven-day average of new cases hovered at 482. Today, it stands at 777. Nineteen to 49-year-olds now account for 45% of Pennsylvanias cases, mirroring a trend seen at the start of the pandemic. Next the virus spread to seniors, ravaging the states nursing home residents, who today account for 68% of the states 6,911 total deaths, Levine said. Pennsylvania is again seeing high numbers in the young, some of whom do get quite ill, she said. This pattern is now repeating, she said. (Cant see this chart? Click here.) Still, patients 65 and older account for the majority of the states hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19. Nursing-home residents represent about 19% of statewide cases -- a figure thats on the decline. The state says 77% of infected Pennsylvanians to-date have recovered, as the majority of people with COVID-19 do. Pennsylvania is concerned about the rapid increase in cases in places like Florida, Texas, California and Arizona. Travel can easily spread cases to other states, Levine said. There are things we can do right now to stop this cycle, she said during the Monday news conference. She emphasized the importance of social distancing, mask wearing and avoiding situations where you could be exposed to the virus. If the restaurant you planned to dine at is too crowded, leave and protect yourself, she urged. Monday marks the first day of July that Allegheny County did not see more than 100 new cases with 71 reported. But this reflects a reporting lag as the 7,042 tests performed in the last 24 hours is low compared to the recent daily average of 14,021 tests conducted. This reflects both a typical delay in weekend results and the crushing backlog national testing companies are facing, according to Levine. We will expect a data dump at some point this week, she said. Here are counties with the largest increase in cases over the last 48 hours: Philadelphia: 147 Delaware: 56 Montgomery: 48 Bucks: 41 Lancaster: 35 Westmoreland: 35 York: 28 Lawrence: 26 Chester: 24 Washington: 24 Beaver: 22 Luzerne: 22 Berks: 20 We are very carefully monitoring data from across the state to ensure we stay on track, Levine said. Levine and Gov. Tom Wolf are not pushing for sweeping lockdown measures to control the spread of the virus. They support more targeted mitigation efforts as seen in Allegheny County. The status of testing Pennsylvanias significantly ramped up its testing for the virus in recent weeks. The states averaged 15,881 daily tests over the last month, Levine said. There were a total of 19,151 tests conducted on Sunday and Monday. A new high of 18,617 daily coronavirus tests was reported on Friday, according to state data. About 9% of Pennsylvanias population has been tested since March 3. To date, 835,732 tests have come back negative. (Cant see this chart? Click here.) State testing labs and most hospital labs are returning results in 24 to 48 hours, Levine said. But the states testing ability is constrained by the deluge of tests coming into national testing companies, like Quest and LabCorp, from COVID-19 hotspot states. They are being inundated with samples, Levine said, noting it is resulting in a seven to 10 day turnaround in some cases. Health officials are closely monitoring the positive test rate -- thats the number of daily tests that come back positive out of all tests conducted -- for spikes as cases rise statewide and long-term care facilities comply with a July 24 universal testing deadline. We are picking up asymptomatic individuals (in the community and long-term care facilities), Levine said of the increased testing. Officials want the positivity rate to stay below 5 % -- a guideline the World Health Organization sets for economic reopening -- as thats an indicator testing is accurately capturing the spread of COVID-19 in a community. The rate of positive tests should not automatically rise with increased testing, Levine emphasized. If the state is doing enough testing to catch people not displaying symptoms that rate should go down. It rises when the coronavirus is spreading in a community unchecked, she said. Pennsylvania does not have the testing capacity to do widespread population testing. That requires a rapid test that can be administered quickly and easily with good sensitivity, Levine said. That test doesnt exist yet, she said. Coronavirus in the Lehigh Valley Case rates in Lehigh and Northampton counties have remained low over the last month, but the region is still approaching 8,000 cases and just surpassed 600 deaths reminders that the coronavirus is still present. As of Monday, according to state figures, the two-county Lehigh Valley region totaled 7,994 COVID-19 cases and 606 deaths, an increase of 24 cases and three deaths from Saturday. That breaks down to: 4,439 cases and 327 deaths in Lehigh County, with 15 new cases and three deaths in the last 48 hours. 3,555 cases and 279 deaths in Northampton County, with 9 new cases and no new deaths in the last 48 hours. Northampton has averaged 11 new cases a day over the last seven days, while Lehigh stands at 17. Should you self-quarantine? Pennsylvania now suggests that residents who travel to 19 states should quarantine for 14 days upon returning home. The states include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. Those states have extremely high infection rates, Levine said. That is one of the ways COVID-19 can increase in Pennsylvania if a lot of people have come from those hot zones, such as Florida, Levine said. If they are asymptomatic, for example, or pre-symptomatic and they bring it to Pennsylvania than that increases our numbers. She acknowledged the inherent difficulty in enforcing residents to quarantine saying there are no enforcement actions planned. She did encourage employers to develop policies that allow employees to telework where feasible to adhere to the two-week quarantine. Some jobs cannot be done remotely and those employers should work on their leave policies, Levine said. (Cant see the table? Click here.) Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. BERLIN - Hundreds of German police were involved in a manhunt Monday for a 31-year-old man in camouflage clothing who disarmed four officers at gunpoint a day earlier and then fled into the forest with a pistol, knife and a bow and arrow. Authorities warned residents in the southwestern town of Oppenau to stay indoors while officers, supported by tactical teams, sniffer dogs and helicopters, combed the the surrounding rough terrain. In an unusual step, authorities publicly identified the suspect by name as Yves Etienne Rausch, saying he was known to police for previous firearms offences, was likely carrying several guns and could be violent. Germanys air traffic control agency declared a no-fly zone of three nautical miles (3.5 miles) in the Black Forest region around Oppenau. Police were alerted early Sunday by a member of the public about a suspicious person carrying a bow and arrow. Officers thereupon conducted an ID check on Rausch, who was described as being 170 centimetres (around 5 feet, 7 inches) tall, bald, with a goatee beard and needing glasses. Officials said the suspect initially co-operated but then suddenly pulled a gun on the officers, threatening them and forcing them to hand over their service weapons. Nobody was injured in the incident, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from Germanys border with France. Rausch is believed to have been living in the forest for weeks, according to the regional police office in Offenburg. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 19:21:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Murat Aytulum, a Turkish designer, works in his studio in Istanbul, Turkey, July 9, 2020. Murat Aytulum, a Turkish designer, highlighted violence against nature in his new collection that he developed at his atelier in Istanbul during the days of lockdown against the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Osman Orsal/Xinhua) ISTANBUL, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Murat Aytulum, a Turkish designer, highlighted violence against nature in his new collection that he developed at his atelier in Istanbul during the days of lockdown against the COVID-19 pandemic. "I have found enough time to think about the motives of life," Aytulum told Xinhua, referring to his days under lockdown at his apartment in the Cihangir neighborhood. "I realized that what I see around me is nothing but absolute grey and black with almost no green," he said, gently dressing his model. "We cannot even see the sky due to the skyscrapers," added Aytulum. That's why he decided to create his autumn/winter 2020-2021 collection entirely from grey, white, and black colors with sharp and masculine lines. "I tried to explain the cruelty of people against the environment by dominantly using these cold colors," he said, showing a stone necklace which symbolized a portion of a concrete block. He used the color khaki on some of the accessories, almost invisible among all the blacks and greys. Several crop tops with bright gems on, which reflected the small but powerful hope inside the designer about the future, were catching the eyes. "They symbolize blooming flowers, which are resisting the devastation of the environment," he noted. Aytulum will put his collection on display at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Istanbul, which will be held on Oct. 12-16 on digital platforms for the first time in its history. But he has several concerns about the digital system. "Our job is all about touching and sensing the fabric. People also need to touch a piece before buying it," Aytulum said. "This online system will be a challenge for all the designers I know," he added. But Aytulum remains optimistic, saying he could appeal to more people through live broadcasts. More than 40 Turkish designers are expected to attend the upcoming fashion week, hoping to present their collections to an international audience. The event was previously scheduled for April 13-17, but was cancelled in line with the nationwide measures against the novel coronavirus to protect public health and safety. Tuana Torun, a young model working for Aytulum, online shopping has gained significant momentum during the pandemic. "I know many people who have been constantly shopping from several online platforms almost automatically," she told Xinhua while trying on Aytulum's new collection. "In this sense, the fashion week will definitely change all the rituals known in the industry so far," Torun noted. A second person of interest in the shooting death of 8-year-old Secoriea Turner. (Atlanta Police Department via AP) Atlanta Police Release New Images of a Person of Interest in Fatal Shooting of 8-Year-Old Girl The Atlanta Police Department has released new images of an additional person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of an 8-year-old girl over the Independence Day weekend. Secoriea Turner was shot on the night of July 4 near the Wendys where Rayshard Brooks was killed. Secoriea was riding in a vehicle with her mother and an adult friend when the shooting took place, according to police. The driver was attempting to enter a parking lot at 1238 Pryor Road where a group of individuals illegally placed barricades. Someone in the group opened fire on the vehicle, according to police, striking Secoriea. Secoriea Turner in a file photo. (Handout via CNN) Police initially described one of the shooters as a man dressed like a bounty hunter, wearing all black, and the other shooter as a man wearing a white T-shirt. The new images released by police and Crime Stoppers appear to show another man in a red shirt, blue jeans, and black shoes. Crime Stoppers is offering a $20,000 reward for anyone with information about the shooting. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms speaks in Washington in 2019. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo) I am asking you to please honor this babys life. Please, if you know who did this, please turn them in, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said at a press conference. Enough is enough. Along with Secoriea, a 53-year-old man was fatally shot over the holiday weekend and two other people were injured in a shooting near the same Wendys. Secoriea was one of at least six children killed in shootings across the country over the holiday weekend. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. France to lend Ukraine EUR 64 mln for 30 years for water supply in Mariupol 16:20, 13.07.20 1294 The project is to be completed in 2023-2024. Perhaps if some of our leaders would don masks -- there are hundreds of interesting designs and types now on the market -- those opposed would get on board with covering mouths and noses as they flit around the county. Instead we have online videos of yahoos, creatures akin to those boors in Gullivers Travels, making sorry fools of themselves. A fresh border row erupted yesterday after Nicola Sturgeon said she would 'not shy away' from forcing visitors coming up from England to self-quarantine if any outbreak there were not 'properly managed'. In a wide-ranging interview on the BBC, the First Minister claimed support for independence was rising because Scots could see the SNP was 'getting on with the job of autonomous decision making'. And she sparked fury after insisting she would not hesitate to force English visitors to self-isolate if she thought it would be good for Scotland's health. It follows a week that saw nationalist activists at the A1 Border telling 'the English' to stay away. Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC she would 'not shy away' from forcing visitors coming up from England to self-quarantine if any outbreak there were not 'properly managed' On Saturday, protesters on a bridge on the M74 near Ecclefechan, Dumfriesshire, waved blue-and-white as well as black Saltires. Ms Sturgeon raised the quarantine issue yesterday when she appeared on the Andrew Marr Show. She has repeatedly refused to rule out forcing those crossing the Border into Scotland to self-isolate on their arrival prompting a political and business backlash. Ms Sturgeon, who claimed such a move would not be political, said yesterday she was having a 'very close look at making sure that we are not seeing the virus come in from other parts of the UK'. She said: 'I will take decisions the best I can to protect the health of Scotland and to do that absolutely from a public health perspective. 'These are not decisions I will take lightly but they're equally not decisions I will shy away from. We need to be sure that any outbreaks in England have been properly managed, just as England will want to be sure any outbreaks in Scotland are being properly managed.' Ms Sturgeon has expressed concerns over the approach to tackling Covid-19 in England, and has claimed the prevalence of the virus is five times lower in Scotland a claim that is disputed. Cabinet minister Michael Gove hit out at Miss Sturgeon's threat of 'erecting a hard Border' between Scotland and England. He told Times Radio: 'I think it would be difficult to have a situation where people who live and work on either side of the Scotland-England Border were suddenly to find their freedom of movement curtailed. I don't think the idea of erecting a hard Border between Scotland and England is in any way a good thing.' The protest on the M74, like the earlier A1 Border gathering, was roundly condemned as trying to intimidate drivers. Critics said the 'separatist protest' was 'in danger of distracting motorists' and urged witnesses to call the police. Michael Gove hit out at Miss Sturgeon's threat of 'erecting a hard Border' between Scotland and England The SNP last night said that the protest had not been organised by the party. A spokesman for Police Scotland said: 'Officers attended a short time later and the group were no longer on scene.' Miss Sturgeon also came under fire yesterday after claiming that not talking about independence had led to a rise in support for it during the pandemic. A poll last week reported that 54 per cent of Scots currently back separation from the UK. Miss Sturgeon claimed: 'At a time when I and the SNP have not been talking about independence all the time but getting on with the job of autonomous decision making and trying to take the right decisions to get the country through a crisis, support for independence appears to have increased.' The row comes as Professor Rowland Kao, a mathematical biologist at Edinburgh University, warned the Scottish Government not to 'pat itself on the back' too much. He said: 'The virus took off in London long before anywhere in Scotland and that's going to make the biggest difference. 'If lockdown occurs at the same time but you're at an earlier stage in the epidemic you're definitely going to have an advantage.' Murdo Fraser, Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman, said Miss Sturgeon 'continues to discuss the possibility of quarantining the rest of the UK. The First Minister is most definitely contributing to constitutional game playing in deed if not in word'. US President considered selling in the aftermath of the destructive in 2017, former acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke has told the New York Times. In an interview with the newspaper on Friday, Duke said that "the president's initial ideas were more of as a businessman", Xinhua news agency reported. "Can we outsource the electricity? Can we sell the island? You know, or divest of that asset?" Trump reportedly said, according to the New York Times interview. Nonetheless, the idea of selling the US territory was never seriously considered or discussed after it was raised, Duke said. struck in September 2017 and caused an estimated 2,982 fatalities and US $90 billion in damage, according to official data. Trump has criticized Puerto Rican officials for their management of the relief fund that his administration provided for the island's recovery. In November 2018, White House officials told Congress that Trump didn't want any additional relief funding to the island. --IANS rt/ Too Much and Never Enough, Mary Trumps devastating indictment of how the Trump family created, as her subtitle characterizes him, the worlds most dangerous man, hits bookstores this week. Its publication coincides withas she predictedrecord-shattering COVID-19 cases, a fragile economy, and a half-formed government plan to open schools this fall at any cost. By now you have doubtless ingested the greatest hits of her family gossip: Donald Trump ogled his own niece in a bathing suit and sought to fill one of his books with hit lists of ugly women who had rebuffed him; Donald Trump paid someone to take his SATs; Maryanne Trump Barry, a retired federal appeals court judge, once described her brother as a clown with no principles; Donald Trump was a vicious bully even as a child; Freddy Trumpthe authors fatherdied alone in a hospital while Donald went to a movie. The details are new, and graphic, yes, but very little about it is surprising: The president is a lifelong liar and cheater, propped up by a father who was as relentless in his need for success as Donald Trump was to earn his approval. Check please. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What Mary Trump describes here is not just her uncles addiction to adulation, fame, money, and success, but a nationsor some part of a nationsunfathomable addiction to him. But not quite. What is new and surprising is also that Mary Trump, who has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, has given us a granular portrait of Trumps profound impairment: She says that her uncle has all nine clinical criteria for narcissism, although she insists that this diagnosis is only the tip of the psychological iceberghe may also suffer from antisocial personality disorder, sociopathy, and/or dependent personality disorder, along with an undiagnosed learning disability that likely interferes with his ability to process information. I leave it to the mental health experts to determine whether some or all of that is accurate. But what Mary Trump surely adds to the growing canon of the Trump is unwell book club is not limited to family gossip or mental health diagnostics: At bottom, Too Much and Never Enough may be the first book that stipulates, in its first pages, that the president is irreparably damaged, and then turns a clinicians lens on the rest of us, the voters, the enablers, the flatterers, the hangers-on, and the worshippers. It is here that Mary Trumps book makes perhaps the most enduring contribution to the teetering piles of books that have offered too little too late, even while telling us that which we already knew. Because Mary Trump begins from the assumption that other analysis tends to end with: Donald Trump is lethally dangerous, stunningly incoherent, and pathologically incapable of caring about anyone but himself. So, what Mary Trump wants to know is: What the hell is wrong with everyone around him? As she writes in her prologue, theres been very little effort to understand not only why he became what he is but how hes consistently failed up despite his glaring lack of fitness. Advertisement 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. The book is thus actually styled as an indictment not of Donald Trump but of Trumps enablers. The epigraph is from Victor Hugos Les Miserables, and its emphatically not about Donald John Trump at all: If the soul is left in darkness, sins will be committed. The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but the one who causes the darkness. Mary Trump blames Fred Trump for Donald Trumps pathology, although she doesnt claim that her uncle is a tragic victim of abuse. She blames his family that propped him up (also her family, it should be noted), and then in concentric and expanding circles, the media that failed to scrutinize him, the banks that pretended he was the financial genius he was not, the Republican Party, and the claque of loyalists in the White House who continue to lie for him and to him in order to feed his insatiable ego and self-delusion. Even the phrase too much and never enough is perhaps deliberately borrowed from the language of addiction, and what Mary Trump describes here is not just her uncles addiction to adulation, fame, money, and success, but a nationsor some part of a nationsunfathomable addiction to him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bulk of the book focuses on the tale of Mary and her brother Fritzs abandonment by the rest of the Trump clan. Her father, Freddy, the scion and namesake, failed to be the storybook heir to her grandfathers real estate empire, instead collapsing into a tragic black hole of alcoholism, illness, and despair. Donald Trump, Freddys younger brother, not only helped push Freddy down but also stepped on his sinking shoulders on his way into the empty, Freddy-shaped space to become his fathers successor. And as Freddys parents and three other siblings altered their lives and priorities in order to orbit around Donald, Mary and her brother were eventually written out of the wills, the empire, and the family story, as payback for their fathers perceived weakness and failures. This is all tragic in its own right, but it also makes Mary, who has been let down by the so-called adults in the room almost since her infancy, perfectly positioned to explain and translate what happens to otherwise high-functioning adultsher aunt Maryanne, a competent federal judge; the lawyers and accountants tasked with fulfilling Donalds whims and hiding his failings; the sycophants and Republicans and evangelical Christians who support his campaign unquestioningly; and the officials who now populate the Senate, the Cabinet, and the Oval Office. All of them appear to be reasonably mentally sound. Yet they all cover for Donald, at the expense of real suffering and genuine human loss, just as the Trump clan ignored Freddys disintegration and death. Mary Trumps childhood trauma has become Americas trauma, and she really wants to know how that came to be. Again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The section of the book that has garnered the most attention is likely Marys claim that Trump cannot be evaluated for pathologies because he is in the West Wing, essentially institutionalized and that he has in fact been institutionalized for most of his adult life. So there is no way to know how he would thrive, or even survive, on his own in the real world. We are not used to seeing entities like the White House described in this waya very expensive and well-guarded padded cellas a means of protection for the broken man inside rather than as a platform from which a leader can change the world. And her ultimate point is that even a shattered psyche, buffered from the real world, can still do irreparable damage to it. But the most interesting assessments she offers are reserved for those inside the institutions, the people who might have saved us and certainly have not, from the nuclear family, to the Trump businesses, to New Yorks bankers and powerful elites, to Bill Barr, Mike Pompeo, and Jared Kushner. They all knew and know that the emperor has no clothes, even as they devote their last shreds of dignity to effusive praise of his ermine trim and jaunty crown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He fails up, in other words, because everyone around him, psychologically normal beings all, end up so enmeshed with his delusions that they must do anything necessary to protect them. Mary Trump seems to answer the question of why they do this in a section late in the book about Donald Trumps father, Fred Trump. In describing Freds growing realizing that his fair-haired boy, Donald, was a fraud, Mary explains that, yes, Fred himself was a master at fattening his wallet with taxpayer funds, committing tax fraud to benefit his children. (Mary admits she was the one who leaked the family tax information to the New York Times in 2018 for its blockbuster story.) But as it became clear that Donald had no real business acumenas his Atlantic City casinos cratered and his father unlawfully poured secret funds into saving themMary realized that Fred also depended on the glittery tabloid success at which Donald excelled. Fred continued to prop up his sons smoke-and-mirrors empire because, as Mary writes, Fred had become so invested in the fantasy of Donalds success that he and Donald were inextricably linked. Facing reality would have required acknowledging his own responsibility, which he would never do. He had gone all in, and although any rational person would have folded, Fred was determined to double down. Advertisement Mary Trumps words there could just as easily be true for John Kelly, Kellyanne Conway, John Bolton, Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, or Melania Trump. And as Mary Trump is quick to observe, the sheer stuck-ness of his enablers means that Trump never, ever learns his lesson. Being cosseted, lied to, defended, and puffed up means that Donald Trump knows that, no matter what happens, no matter how much damage he leaves in his wake, he will be OK. He fails up, in other words, because everyone around him, psychologically normal beings all, ends up so enmeshed with his delusions that they must do anything necessary to protect them. Trumps superpower isnt great vision or great leadership but rather that he is so tiny. Taking him on for transactional purposes may seem like not that big a deal at first, but the moment you put him in your pocket, you become his slave. It is impossible to escape his orbit without having to admit a spectacular failure in moral and strategic judgment, which almost no one can stomach. Donald Trumps emptiness is simply a mirror of the emptiness of everyone who propped him up. Its that reflection that becomes unendurable. This pattern, as Mary writes, guaranteed a cascade of increasingly consequential failures that would ultimately render all of us collateral damage. Nobody, not even Mary, who signed on briefly to ghostwrite one of his books, ends up just a little bit beholden to Donald Trump and that includes his rapturous supporters who still queue up, maskless, to look upon his greatness. As she concludes, his sociopathy reminds me that Donald isnt really the problem at all. That makes hers something other than the 15th book about the fathoms-deep pathologies of Donald Trump: It is the first real reckoning with all those who caused the darkness. Advertisement Advertisement Mary Trump is, among other things, a brisk and gifted writer, and she is a fact witness to, and also a victim of, a family that elevated a mediocre and vicious man, at the expense of justice, fairness, and truth. Her real beef is not with her uncle Donald, who has always been exactly as we have long known him to be; thats why a smattering of new details about his business failures and meanness were never really the point of this book. Weve read that book before. The perspective of this book is made possible exactly because Mary Trump was one of the first children to be written out of the will, cast out of the family, and denied the support and love that should have been hers, as a result of her fathers perceived failures. It is thisbecause she was ousted rather than being forced to remove herselfthat allows her to see clearly why everyone else stuck around. And what she reveals is a devastating indictment of all the alleged adults who stick around Donald Trump, who came together to fail America, to leave vulnerable populations to fend for themselves, and who continue to lie and spin to pacify his ego. They do it because they cant admit the payoff is never coming, and to save themselves from the embarrassment of having to admit they were catastrophically wrong. For more of Slates news coverage, subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts or listen below. The paddle transfer took place from the 33rd rotation Company in the West (CidW) to the 34th rotation by means of a short military ceremony. Commander of CidW 33, Captain Ruben, has transferred the paddle, thereby assigning her duties as CLAS Company (Commando Land Forces Company) in the Caribbean, to Commander CidW 34, Captain Maarten. He and his company will carry out these tasks for four months. The previous rotation has been much visible on Curacao in recent months. This was mainly due to the many deployments made in the field of maritime border surveillance, but also surveillance and security missions in this country. Due to the COVID-19 situation on the islands, this rotation did not allow training on Aruba and Bonaire. CidW 33 comes from the 11th Infantry Battalion Air Assault Guard Regiment Grenadiers and Hunters. This company, the Alfa Company, is also called the "King's Company" because Hereditary Prince William of Orange, later King William III, had command of it in his military training. CidW 34, the new rotation, is also from 11th Infantry Battalion but is called the Charlie Tiger Company. This Tiger company is no stranger to the region, in 2015 and 2018 she also had the duties of a CLAS company. Both units come from Schaarsbergen and know each other from the Army base there. Warsaw: Poland's incumbent Andrzej Duda has won the presidential election, results from over 99 per cent of polling stations show, with remaining uncounted votes unlikely to sway the final outcome, the National Electoral Commission said on Monday. Duda, an ally of Poland's ruling nationalists, is expected to help the Law and Justice (PiS) party continue its reforms of the judiciary, which have been criticised by the European Union, and generous social spending programmes. Incumbent Andrzej Duda, left, and his wife Agata Kornhauser Duda cast their votes in Poland's presidential election on Sunday. Credit:Getty According to the latest results, Duda received 51.21 per cent of the vote, while opposition candidate Rafal Trzaskowski got 48.79 per cent of the vote. The difference in votes between the candidates amounted to around 500,000. The re-election of Duda, an ally of the ruling nationalists Law and Justice, is crucial if the government is to implement in full its conservative agenda, including judicial reforms that the EU says are undemocratic. German Federal President Frank Walter Steinmeier at the Federal Constitutional Court in Berlin's Bellevue Palaceon, in Berlin, Germany, on June 22, 2020. (Christian Marquardt-Pool/Getty Images) German President and Foreign Minister Speak Out on Hong Kong Amid criticisms of Germanys lack of response to Beijings imposition of the new national security law on Hong Kong, Germanys president and foreign minister spoke out about future consequences for EUChina relations. On Sunday, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told German public TV network ZDF: The violation of international law has been documented twice. What matters is, we are now making it clear to China that this is not a temporary indignation. He said if the Chinese regime continues implementing the legislation, it will cause a sustainable, negative change to the European, and Western countries. Steinmeier said China would not benefit from that situation, and hoped there are ways to reverse Chinese thinking. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas speaks during a joint press conference in Berlin, Germany, on July 2, 2020. (Michael Sohn/Pool/AFP/Getty Images) The same day, foreign minister Heiko Maas told German newspaper RND that he believed the European Union should take a unified stance, and he will work with EU foreign minister Josep Borrell to develop a response to China. As EU Foreign Ministers, we have taken a very clear stance on the new security law for Hong Kong. Above all, we made it clear that the principle of one countrytwo systems must not be undermined. This is what we expect from China, he said. We will now discuss the consequences of the security law for our relations with China and Hong Kong. Initial proposals will be made on Monday. I am firmly convinced that we can only make headway with China if we speak with one EU voice. As EU Presidency, it is our priority to forge the common EU position together with Josep Borrell. However, he remained cautious on the issue: First of all, Europe must be careful not to get under the wheels in the great power rivalry between the USA and China. Trade Relations and Democracy Economy and Energy Minister Peter Altmaier said Germany should not decouple from China economically, following Germanys long-held stance that trade with China will lead to Democratic changes in the country, according to Deutsche Welle. German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier makes a statement in Berlin, Germany, on June 24, 2020. (John Macdougall/AFP via Getty Images) It has always been the policy of the Western international community, including the EU, that international trade relations cannot be based solely on how democratic a country is, Altmaier told German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, according to Deutsche Welle. We have never done that, he added. But he doesnt think doing business with authoritarian regimes is sustainable. Im not the worlds headteacher of morality, but I am convinced that countries like China will only be successful in the long term if fundamental principles of the rule of law are guaranteed, he said. Support and Criticism Mareike Ohlberg, a senior fellow in the Asia Program of the German Marshall Fund, praised the foreign minister for speaking up, but she urged the German government to recognise reality and take action. Its great to see Germany finally speak up, but you see, 1C2S [one country two systems] was already smashed to pieces, so now is a time for action: 1. revise treaties with HK, 2. sanction CCP & HK officials, 3. facilitate immigration int[o] the EU for HKers who dont want to live under a rule-by-law system, Ohlberg wrote in a tweet. Its great to see Germany finally speak up, but you see, 1C2S was already smashed to pieces, so now is a time for action: 1. revise treaties with HK, 2. sanction CCP & HK officials, 3. facilitate immigration int the EU for HKers who dont want to live under a rule-by-law system https://t.co/pww7xzAGBR Mareike Ohlberg (@MareikeOhlberg) July 12, 2020 Norbert Roettgen, a prominent member of the German Christian Democrats (CDU) and former German environment minister, speaks to the media in Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 18, 2020. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Before the president and the foreign ministers interviews, the federal governments lack of response to the Chinese Communist Partys national security law had garnered criticism. Germany had summoned Chinese ambassador Wu Ken on July 10, and state secretary Miguel Berger repeated the German governments position on Hong Kong, according to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. And government spokeswoman Martina Fietz said at a press conference that the concrete design of the security law will be examined and its implementation closely monitored. However, no clear words of criticism had been heard from the federal chancellery. Chancellor Angela Merkels reserved position with regard to China had even caused irritation in her own ranks. As the Financial Times (FT) reported, Norbert Rottgen, a CDU politician and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the German Bundestag, said, What the German government said about Hong Kong was the absolute minimum, and it just wasnt enough. The foreign policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Nils Schmid, also told the FT that Merkels China policy was behind the times. She still sticks to this idea of convergence, that as we deepen our economic ties with China, it will become more liberal and Western-oriented. But thats just out of date, he said. Von Reinhard Werner of the German edition of The Epoch Times contributed to this report. Evening Standard Transport for London said significant progress was made over Christmas and the trial operations phase, which began on November 20, saw upgrades to train and signalling software and tunnel fire safety schemes. A precise opening date has yet to be announced but TfL commissioner Andy Byford said he would not allow the line which will be renamed the Elizabeth line when services start running to open until he was sure it was reliable. Originally due to have been opened by the Queen in December 2018, Crossrail has gone billions over budget, with the total cost now in excess of 20 billion. It can hardly be debated that the tactical asset allocation to the best opportunities available is among the key rules of successful investing, especially at this juncture, when the market across the globe is witnessing strong volatility in almost every asset class. Many market veterans and seasoned investors believe in the idea. Warren Buffetts advice that do not put all eggs in one basket is one of the evergreens and best investment mantras. In investing, if one is exposed to only a single country, all one's eggs are in one basket. However, while talking about diversification, one needs to carefully distinguish it from just investing in different asset classes, which even an amateur can do. Read here. Big Story Jio gets Rs 730 crore from Qualcomm Qualcomm Inc will invest Rs 730 crore in Jio Platforms in exchange for a 0.15 percent stake, joining a pack of big-ticket investors that have grabbed a piece of the digital unit of Reliance Industries. Qualcomm, one of the worlds top wireless technology companies, is the third strategic investor in Jio after Facebook Inc and American semiconductor giant Intel. The RIL unit runs the telecom enterprise Jio Infocomm, Indias biggest, as well as movie, news and music apps. The deal with Qualcomm the 13th such investment in 12 weeks takes the total stake that Reliance sold in Jio Platforms to 25.24 percent. Read here. Your Money The eternal charm of the yellow metal All that glitters is gold indeed, it seems. Many investors are preferring to park their money in gold in light of the volatile markets. According to market experts, gold is functioning as a strategic asset in an investor's portfolio, given its ability to act as an effective diversifier, and alleviate losses during tough market conditions and economic downturns. It has a safe-haven appeal, which has been on full display in 2019 and so far in 2020, as the yellow metal is witnessing one of its best rallies after 2011. Gold exchange traded funds saw hefty net inflows of over Rs 3,500 crore in the first six months of this year. In comparison, investors had pulled out Rs 160 crore from this asset class in January-June 2019, according to the latest data available with the Association of Mutual Funds in India. Read here. Global Watch Varsity sues Trump govt over cruel decision Johns Hopkins University has joined a growing list of prestigious higher education institutions in the US suing the Trump administration over its "cruel" decision not to allow foreign students to take online-only courses this fall semester. On Monday, the Trump administration announced new rules for international students for the upcoming fall semester (September to December) that requires them to take an in-person class to remain in the country. Many American universities have scaled back or eliminated in-person classes due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. Read here. Tech Tattle Dont cover cameras, Macbook users told To assure safety while using its range of Macbooks, Apple recently asked its users of Macbook Air and Macbook Pro to avoid covering their cameras while closing the laptop, in a support document recently published by them. This comes after several users reported having cracked displays after they covered their cameras. It was especially so in the case of 16-inch Macbook users, which has a thinner bezel in comparison to other models. Apple warned that, by practising such methods, they could be damaging the display. This is because the clearance between its keyboard and display is designed to have tight tolerances. Read here. Start-up Tales DigiSparsh is set to make a splash COVID-19 has been punishing for the Indian startup founders, but the bug of entrepreneurship is not so forgiving either. It is this itch which has forced Saurabh Soni to take the plunge giving up his position as a business head at Happy Loans, a Mumbai-based lending startup to start his own venture in the middle of a pandemic. Soni has joined hands with Akhilesh Gandhi, a technology professional to start DigiSparsh, a lending startup concentrating on the healthcare space. Read here. Tailpiece Want COVID drug? Go get your Aadhaar card! To redress concerns of black marketing of medicines prescribed to treat COVID-19 patients, the Maharashtra government has made the rules of purchasing these drugs stricter. Now, people will have to produce their Aadhaar cards, COVID-19 test result, and doctors prescription and contact number to buy the coveted medicines that are flying off the shelves fast. Serpentine queues have been seen outside medicine shops, with people waiting to buy the drugs. Read here Digital transformation has raised the value of the network to where for most companies the network is the business. Cloud computing, mobility, remote working and other initiatives are all network-centric in nature shifting the network from a resource that most business leaders rarely paid much attention to into the most important IT asset in the company. A poor network leads to poorly performing applications, which impairs worker productivity and negatively impacts customer experience. The network has never been more valuable A recent ZK Research Study found 58% of respondents stated the COVID-19 pandemic has made the network more important. Historically, large companies with multiple locations required robust networking technologies to reduce costs and outages, simplify management, and improve the user experience. Now companies need to connect the company network to remote workers whether at home or in the field. For Rollins Inc., a pest control services provider with 700 locations and 19 subsidiaries, traditional networking technologies couldnt meet the companys growing demands. So, Rollins collaborated with software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) and security vendor Fortinet to design a secure network that performed better for both employees and customers. Dennis Overbye Astronomers have discovered that there is a vast wall across the southern border of the local cosmos. The South Pole Wall, as it is known, consists of thousands of galaxies beehives of trillions of stars and dark worlds, as well as dust and gas aligned in a curtain arcing across at least 700 million light-years of space. It winds behind the dust, gas and stars of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, from the constellation Perseus in the Northern Hemisphere to the constellation Apus in the far south. It is so massive that it perturbs the local expansion of the universe. But dont bother trying to see it. The entire conglomeration is behind the Milky Way, in what astronomers quaintly call the zone of avoidance. An international team of astronomers led by Daniel Pomarede of Paris-Saclay University and R. Brent Tully of the University of Hawaii announced this new addition to the local universe on Friday in a paper in Astrophysical Journal. The paper is festooned with maps and diagrams of blobby and stringy features of our local universe as well as a video tour of the South Pole Wall. It is the latest installment of an ongoing mission to determine where we are in the universe to fix our neighborhood among the galaxies and the endless voids and where we are going. The surprise for us is that this structure is as big as the Sloan Great Wall and twice as close, and remained unnoticed, being hidden in an obscured sector of the southern sky, Pomarede said in an email. The discovery is a wonderful poster child for the power of visualizations in research, Tully said. The new wall joins a host of other cosmographic features: arrangements of galaxies, or a lack of them, that astronomers have come to know and love over the last few decades, with names like the Great Wall, the Sloan Great Wall, the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall and the Bootes Void. The new paper was based on measurements, performed by Tully and his colleagues, of the distances of 18,000 galaxies as far away as 600 million light-years. By comparison, the most distant objects we can see quasars and galaxies that formed shortly after the Big Bang are about 13 billion light years away. The galaxies in the wall cannot be seen, but Pomarede and his colleagues were able to observe their gravitational effects by assembling data from telescopes around the world. In the expanding universe, as described in 1929 by astronomer Edwin Hubble and confirmed for almost a century, distant galaxies are flying away from us as if they were dots on an inflating balloon; the farther they are, the faster they recede from us, according to a relation called the Hubble law. That motion away from Earth causes their light to be shifted to longer, redder wavelengths and lower frequencies, like retreating ambulance sirens. Astronomers use this redshift, which is easily measured, as a proxy for relative distance in the universe. By measuring the galaxy distances independently, the Cosmicflows team, as Pomarede and his colleagues call themselves, was able to distinguish the motion caused by the cosmic expansion from motions caused by gravitational irregularities. As a result, they found that the galaxies between Earth and the South Pole Wall are sailing away from us slightly faster than they otherwise should be, by about 30 miles per second, drawn outward by the enormous blob of matter in the wall. And galaxies beyond the wall are moving outward more slowly than they otherwise should be, reined in by the gravitational drag of the wall. One astonishing aspect of the wall is how big it is compared to the volume that the team was surveying: a contiguous filament of light 1.4 billion light-years long, packed into a cloud maybe 600 million in radius. There is hardly room in the volume for anything bigger! Tully said in an email. Wed have to anticipate that our view of the filament is clipped; that it extends beyond our survey horizon. And yet the South Pole Wall is nearby in cosmological terms. One might wonder how such a large and not-so-distant structure remained unnoticed, Pomarede mused in a statement issued by his university. But in the expanding universe, there is always something more to see. On the largest scales, cosmologists attest, the universe should be expanding smoothly, and the galaxies should be evenly distributed. But on smaller, more local scales, the universe appears lumpy and gnarled. Astronomers have found that galaxies are gathered, often by the thousands, in giant clouds called clusters and that these are connected to one another in lacy, luminous chains and filaments to form superclusters extending across billions of light-years. In between are vast deserts of darkness called voids. From all of this has emerged what some astronomers call our long address: We live on Earth, which is in the solar system, which is in the Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way is part of a small cluster of galaxies called the Local Group, which is on the edge of the Virgo cluster, a conglomeration of several thousand galaxies. In 2014, Tully suggested that these features were all connected, as part of a giant conglomeration he called Laniakea Hawaiian for open skies or immense heaven. It consists of 100,000 galaxies spread across 500 million light-years. All this lumpiness has distorted the expansion of the universe. In 1986, a group of astronomers who called themselves the Seven Samurai announced that the galaxies in a huge swath of the sky in the direction of the constellation Centaurus were flying away much faster than the Hubble law predicted, as if being pulled toward something something the astronomers called the Great Attractor. It was the beginning of something big. We now see the Great Attractor as the downtown region of the supercluster that we live in an overall entity that our team has called the Laniakea Supercluster, Tully said. All the different parts of this supercluster are tugging on us, he added. As a result, the Great Attractor and its relatives are shedding light on another enduring cosmic mystery namely, where we are headed. Astronomers discovered in 1965 that space is suffused with microwave radiation, a bath of heat with a temperature of 2.7 degrees Kelvin, or minus 455 degrees Fahrenheit left over from the birth of the universe 14 billion years ago. Subsequent observations revealed that this bath is not uniform: It is slightly warmer in one direction, suggesting that we Earth, our galaxy and the Local Group are moving through the microwaves, like a goldfish in a fishbowl, at about 400 miles per second in the approximate direction of Centaurus, but aiming far beyond. Why? What is over there, on the other side of the fishbowl, compelling us? That is the kind of question that would come up in an Arthur C. Clarke novel, where humanity is always gearing up for some definitive expedition around the curve of the universe. A major goal in cosmology is to explain this motion, Tully said in a series of emails. In theory, the motion arises from the lumpy distribution of matter that grew out of tiny ripples in the density of the early universe. The Great Attractor is certainly an important part of the cause of our motion, Tully said. The South Pole Wall also contributes but, again, only in part, he added, listing more local galaxy clusters and voids. Every hill and valley in the density distribution makes itself felt. Most of that is stuff that we cannot see directly. According to the prevailing theory of a confoundingly preposterous universe, the cosmos contains about five times as much invisible dark matter as luminous atomic matter. Nobody knows exactly what dark matter is made of, but according to cosmologists it provides the gravitational scaffolding for the luminous structures in the universe galaxies, galaxy clusters, superclusters, voids and chains like the South Pole Wall, all connected by spidery filaments in whats known as the cosmic web. The visible universe of stars and galaxies, cosmologists like to say, is like snow on mountaintops or lights on dark, distant Christmas trees. But by following the lights and how they are moving, astronomers like Tully and his cosmographers have now been able to probe the shadows on which they sit: galumphing clouds of mass whose gravity shapes the destiny of the visible cosmos, arranging it into shapes and neighborhoods, walls, valleys and voids. Its just dark matter having its way, Tully said. We are like swimmers attempting to swim upstream but being carried downstream faster. c.2020 The New York Times Company Olivia Palermo was spotted out on a solo stroll through Brooklyn's Dumbo neighborhood on Sunday. The 34-year-old fashion influencer lived up to her profession with a busy earth tonesbased ensemble. She looked rugged in an olive shirt with epaulets and breast pockets, and she rolled up the cuffs for comfort. Fashion outing: Olivia Palermo, 34, looked as stylish as ever in an earth tonesdominated ensemble as she took a stroll through Brooklyn's Dumbo neighborhood on Sunday Olivia paired it with a tan skirt that buttoned up the front and revealed a bit of her toned legs. She stuck to the earth tones with her pointy brown loafers, which featured delicate floral embroidery. The 5ft6in beauty spiced up the reserved color scheme with a thick hot pink belt and a tubular blue handbag.' Although Olivia alternates between functional respirator-style masks and gorgeous scarves and bandanas to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, she opted for both this time. On the go: Olivia looked rugged in an olive shirt with epaulets and breast pockets, and she rolled up the cuffs for comfort Comfortable: Olivia paired it with a tan skirt that buttoned up the front and revealed a bit of her toned legs. She stuck to the earth tones with her pointy brown loafers, which featured delicate floral embroidery She covered up her mask with a silky canary yellow scarf tied around her head that featured green and brown designs. Olivia had her dirty blonde hair parted down the middle and tied back tightly, and she rounded out her ensemble with a set of chunky brown sunglasses to block out the sun. Olivia was out on a solo trip without her husband Johannes Huebl, 42, with whom she celebrated her sixth wedding anniversary last month. Make it fashion: She covered up her mask with a silky canary yellow scarf tied around her head that featured green and brown designs Solo outing: Olivia was out on a solo trip without her husband Johannes Huebl, 42, with whom she celebrated her sixth wedding anniversary last month Going strong: The pair first met in 2008, and they got engaged six months before tying the knot in June 2014; pictured in January The pair first met in 2008, and they got engaged six months before tying the knot in June 2014. On Saturday, Olivia offered some helpful fashion tips for her 6.4 million Instagram followers. She shared a photo of herself in a graybrown plaid blazer over a lacy white dress. She recommended blazers as 'a great transitional piece for the blasting A/C or cool evening walks.' The conservative prime minister of Poland has won a second five-year term, narrowly beating the liberal mayor of Warsaw, according to a near-complete vote count. The head of the electoral commission, Sylwester Marciniak said that the official results will be announced later but the commission confirmed that after votes from 99.7% of districts had been counted, President Andrzej Duda had won 51.21% of the share. His opponent Rafal Trzaskowski had fallen behind on 48.97% of the vote, giving President Duda an a lead of nearly half a million votes. Incumbent President Andrzej Duda flashes a victory sign in Pultusk, Poland, Sunday, July 12 after the electoral commission confirmed he had won 51.21 per cent of the vote after 99.7 per cent of districts had been counted The very close race reflected the deep cultural divisions in this European Union nation. The bitterly fought campaign battle focused on issues of culture, and Duda's government, along with state media and the Catholic church, sought to stoke fears of Jews, the LGBT community and Germans. Duda's Law and Justice party campaigned on traditional values, with policies including huge monthly cash bonuses of 500 zlotys (100) per child to all families, irrespective of income. The Polish prime minister also had strong support among older Poles after he and the party lowered the retirement age and introducing a yearly cash bonus called a '13th pension.' Duda's supporters gave him and the party credit for making good on promises to reduce the economic inequality that came with the country's transition from communism to a market economy three decades ago. Duda shakes hands with supporters in Pultusk, Poland, Sunday, July 12, while celebrating his re-election for a second five-year term But the party has also stoked conflict with the European Union with laws that have given it vast new powers over the top courts and judicial bodies. The Law and justice party has turned public television into a propaganda tool used during the campaign to praise Duda and cast Trzaskowski in a bad light. Sunday's vote was originally planned for May but was delayed amid bitter political wrangling. Representing the centrist Civic Platform party, Trzaskowski, a former European Parliament lawmaker who jumped into the race late, had vowed to protect the country's democratic values and unite the divided society, while preserving the popular welfare policies. As the race became tighter in recent weeks, Duda turned further to the right in search of votes. He seized on gay rights as a key theme, denouncing the LGBT rights movement as an 'ideology' worse than communism. Presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski flashes a victory sign at the end of the election day in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, July 12 when the official exit poll showed the result to be too close to call Trzaskowski, as Warsaw mayor, had signed a tolerance declaration for LGBT people that triggered a nationwide backlash last year. The ruling party has often denounced LGBT rights as a foreign import that threatens Polish identity. The EU has denounced the anti-gay rhetoric and some EU officials have called for funding to be denied to communities that declared themselves to be 'LGBT free' - mostly a symbolic gesture with no legal meaning but which has triggered fear for gays and lesbians. Duda's campaign also portrayed Trzaskowski as someone who would sell out Polish families in favour of Jewish interests. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of the Law and Justice party, latched onto comments made by Trzaskowski, saying that a discussion needed to be had to compensate the Jews for property seized from them before the Second World War. Kaczynski said it made one question if Trzaskowski really had a 'Polish soul' and a 'Polish heart.' Duda also lashed out at a German correspondent and a partly German-owned tabloid for their coverage, alleging there had been 'a German attack in these elections.' The Foreign Ministry last week also summoned Germany's top diplomat to complain about the coverage, while Germany's government insisted that it was not seeking to influence the elections or the work of a free press. 'It is now an offence not to wear a face mask on a bus or train in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.' Stock photo: Brian Lawless/PA Commuters risk a 2,500 fine or six months in jail for not wearing a face mask on public transport from today - but the new law is mired in confusion over how it will be enforced. It is now an offence not to wear a face mask on a bus or train in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19. But the National Transport Authority could not say last night who will be designated to enforce the rules at busy railway stations. Bus drivers have been told by their union they are not compelled to take on the role of demanding compliance. The lack of clarity over how it will be implemented is expected to lead to widespread flouting of the law. It comes amid ongoing concern as the number of new daily cases of the virus remains higher than in recent weeks, with another 17 people diagnosed yesterday. Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheal Martin has insisted there will be no change in the quarantine rule for people travelling to Ireland from Britain. Mr Martin said it was too early for holidaymakers in Britain to return to Ireland without being quarantined for 14 days. He said the Government advice was to avoid non-essential travel as the main priority remained to have schools reopen at the end of next month. The latest figures from the Ministry of Health show that 31 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of cases to 4,956, while the number of deaths remains at 111. 281,431 tests have been carried out in Luxembourg since the start of the outbreak, a rise of 3,043 since yesterday. As a reminder, the ministry of health only communicates the number of new infections, tests, and virus deaths on weekends. As such, the numbers below are as compared to Friday, not yesterday. Luxembourg has so far recorded a total of 969 (+2) hospital recoveries, and currently has 662 (+80) active infections. Four people are currently in intensive care (+1), and 34 (+10) are in standard care. The reproduction rate (Rt) is 1.23, unchanged from Friday. The effective reproduction rate (Rt_eff) also remains stable at 1.09. For the latest updates on the coronavirus both in Luxembourg and abroad, see our live ticker. Development since start of outbreak New cases per day WASHINGTON - Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas will announce this week that he will compete for the chairmanship of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, according to congressional aides familiar with his planning, in an effort aimed at recapturing a key position for the party's progressive wing after years of centrist leadership. The decision will pit Castro, a four-term congressman and chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, against more senior colleagues in contention for the gavel: Rep. Brad Sherman of California and Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York. But the move is also seen as an effort by progressives to redefine the party's priorities on foreign policy following the apparent defeat of the current chairman of the committee, Rep. Eliot L. Engel, by an antiwar former middle school principal. "I believe our approach should be diplomacy first as a nation and that there's an opportunity for the Foreign Affairs Committee to include voices that have been left out in the past and to cover topics that we've not always gotten around to," Castro said in an interview with The Washington Post. Castro, Meeks and Sherman all declined to explicitly announce their bids as votes continue to be counted for Engel's primary against Jamaal Bowman for New York's 16th Congressional District. But with Bowman leading Engel by double-digits, each lawmaker has begun the work of calling colleagues and quietly building support for the plum position. Engel, a 16-term incumbent who is progressive on domestic issues and a hawk on foreign policy, voted for the Iraq War, opposed President Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran, and opposed numerous attempts to criticize Israel for its settlement expansion in the West Bank. Though his likely defeat has been attributed to lackluster campaigning, including a hot mic gaffe and his decision to spend much of the coronavirus pandemic in his Maryland home while his district was ravaged by the virus, his opponent harshly criticized his votes on the Iraq War and Iran nuclear deal. In anticipation of Engel's defeat, 60 progressive organizations have signed a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats urging them to end the "disconnect" between the leadership of the Foreign Affairs Committee "and the rest of the House Democratic Caucus regarding the United States' most consequential foreign policy issues, such as the Iraq War, President Obama's diplomatic agreement to limit Iran's nuclear program, and the Trans Pacific Partnership," according to a draft of the letter obtained by The Post. One of the organizers of the letter, Yasmine Taeb of Demand Progress, said the public is "tired of endless wars and a destructive agenda of rampant militarization. Hawkish Eliot Engel was repudiated at the ballot box on the right-wing policies he pursued by an explicitly antiwar candidate." A spokesman for Engel declined to comment. Democrats, who place no term limits on influential chairmanships, award the positions through a mix of seniority, popularity and backroom dealmaking. Oftentimes rival Democrats will drop out before a vote is held to avoid embarrassment if they don't have the support of the caucus. The chairmanship gives a lawmaker broad discretion and resources for highlighting specific foreign policy issues and investigating the nation's vast foreign policy apparatus. The two lawmakers most favored to win the chairmanship are Sherman and Meeks. Sherman is the most senior member of the committee, but he has ruffled feathers with some Democratic colleagues in the past. Like Engel, he voted for the Iraq War and opposed the Iran nuclear deal. In an interview, Sherman acknowledged his hawkish record on Middle East policy but underscored his more progressive outlook on what may be the most consequential foreign policy challenge of the 21st century: The U.S. relationship with China. "The Pentagon needs a worthy adversary to justify a huge increase in budget and China is it," Sherman said. He said the defense industry and other foreign policy hawks inflate the threat posed by China's construction of artificial islands and overstate the danger to international shipping in the South China Sea. "Whenever the Pentagon has faced an irregular force it's been a miserable experience," he said, referring to militias and terrorist groups. "But whenever our military has faced a symmetrical, uniformed opponent, it has been glorious. So it's not surprising the Pentagon is looking for a symmetrical opponent that justifies a bigger budget." Meeks, though slightly less senior than Sherman, is popular inside the party and is said to enjoy the support of the Congressional Black Caucus. He would be the first African American to chair the committee at a time when national protests over racial injustice have underscored to Democrats the importance of diversifying the party's leadership. He also does not have the albatross of Iraq hanging around his neck (he opposed the war) and supported the Iran nuclear deal. His Democratic critics on the Hill have questioned whether the mild-mannered lawmaker would be outspoken enough in the event Trump wins reelection and have pointed out that he hasn't filed any bills of significance to the foreign affairs committee in the last decade. Meeks dismissed those criticisms in an interview, saying he has been active on a range of policy issues around the globe as a co-chairman of the European Union Caucus and the Dialogue Caucus, and as a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, as well as on matters related to Venezuela and Colombia. "I would put up my competency next to anybody's," Meeks said. If trusted with a more senior leadership role, Meeks said he would concentrate on bringing lawmakers together and push for reforms at the State Department that encourage diversity and create more opportunities "based on the backgrounds of where individuals come from." Meeks' popularity in the caucus is an important asset in the chairman's race and could be decisive, said Daniel Harsha, a former professional staff member of the committee who worked under two different chairmen. "This is like high school. You want to be good at making friends, and Mr. Meeks has been effective at that," he said. This year's competitive race for the chairmanship may bring into the open the party's decision-making process, which is typically conducted behind closed doors, an outcome some Democrats said would be welcomed. "There are a lot of Americans who want to have more say in what Congress does on foreign policy, and oftentimes the chairmanship race is a very closed race determined by existing relationships and rules," said Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington. Castro, the most junior member seeking the position, said it is overdue for the committee to re-examine its mission and not shy away from challenging politically powerful interests and rolling back America's military commitments. "Our foreign affairs committee needs to catch up with where Democrats are in terms of foreign policy," he said. "Over the years there have been top many voices excluded, I think too often Palestinian voices have been excluded. If the United States is going to be an arbiter of peace, it has to be willing to hear from the different sides, and in my estimation we've not always done that." Monday's funeral of Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon was broadcast online to limit attendance in person over fears of protests and coronavirus. Monjoo Party lawmaker Park Hong-keun, the head of an organizing committee, told reporters on Sunday, "We will hold the funeral online to ensure social distancing." The funeral started at 8:30 a.m. at City Hall in Seoul on Monday after Park's hearse was moved from Seoul National University Hospital. A portrait of Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon is moved to a park after a funeral at City Hall in the capital on Monday. /Newsis The Seoul Metropolitan Government originally planned an outdoor memorial service but decided against because the sexual harassment charges against Park are likely to spark protests and coronavirus could spread among dense crowds. Around 100 mourners including city officials and other government officials attended in person. His ashes will be laid to rest in his home town of Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. People line up to pay tribute to Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon at City Hall in Seoul on Sunday. /Newsis Earlier some 20,382 people paid their last respects at a memorial altar set up downtown, while another million people left messages online. There were clashes near the altar between supporters and opponents of the late mayor, who killed himself last week. An injunction filed by 227 people opposed to an official funeral run by the city government was rejected by a court on Sunday. The judge said the claimants had no standing. Opponents accuse the city of whitewashing Park's offenses. More than 550,000 people have also signed a petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website against an official funeral. By Online Desk JAIPUR: Hours after Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot declared open rebellion and claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government in the state is in minority, Congress leader Avinash Pande on Monday said 109 MLAs have signed a letter of support to the chief minister. Pande, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan, said some other MLAs are in touch with Gehlot and they will also sign the letter. He said a whip has been issued to all the party MLAs, asking them to attend the Congress Legislature Party meeting at 10.30 am. "Action will be taken against those who skip the meeting," Pande said. "As many as 109 MLAs have signed the letter to express full confidence in the Congress government led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Some other MLAs have spoken to the chief minister over the phone and they will also sign the letter," he told reporters at the CM's residence here in the wee hours. Pande also said the BJP was behind the "conspiracy" to topple the Ashok Gehlot government but it will complete its term. "The BJP is trying to destabilise the Congress government and wants to repeat what they did in Madhya Pradesh. But the MLAs are fully with the government and the party," he said. Pilot on Sunday claimed that the Gehlot government is in minority as over 30 Congress MLAs have "pledged support" to him. Along with Pande, senior party leader Ajay Makan, party's national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also reached Jaipur to resolve the brewing political crisis. READ| Jyotiraditya Scindia says Sachin Pilot too 'persecuted'; Congress' deja vu moment "There is no reason for the BJP to be happy as of now. All Congress party is together and will always be together to serve the people of Rajasthan," said Surjewala while talking to media at Jaipur Airport on Sunday night. The crisis in Rajasthan Congress intensified with Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot at loggerheads, while Gehlot is blaming BJP for trying to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs, Pilot is camping in Delhi to speak to the party leadership regarding the political turmoil in the state. Pilot is now especially upset over the recent summons for questioning by the Special Operations Group (SOG). The SOG wrote to Pilot on Friday seeking his availability to record his statement in connection with the alleged attempts to topple the Congress government in Rajasthan - a move which has brought the rift between the two leaders out in the open. READ | Rajasthan crisis: Will follow party line, say three Congress MLAs after return from Delhi Pilot who was reportedly in Delhi to apprise the Congress high command of his discomfiture with Gehlot's style of functioning could not meet either Rahul or Sonia Gandhi. But, he has a discussion with senior party leader Ahmed Patel who has reportedly assured the Rajasthan Deputy CM that the party will ensure that no injustice is done to him. Pilot on Sunday claimed that the Gehlot government is in minority as over 30 Congress MLAs have "pledged support" to him. "Rajasthan deputy CM and Congress leader Sachin Pilot not to attend Congress legislative party meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow. Pilot says Ashok Gehlot government is in minority after over 30 Congress and some independent MLAs have pledged support to Sachin Pilot," said a statement circulated via a WhatsApp group operated by Pilot's office. Pilot's rebellion and deepening political crisis were discussed at a late night meeting at the chief minister's residence where Pande and Randeep Surjewala were present. The party MLAs and independent legislators too reached the chief minister's residence and expressed confidence in Gehlot's leadership, the Congress said. Sources also say that Pandey has already submitted a report to Sonia in which he has assessed that there is no danger to the Congress government in the state. In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72. The Congress also has the support of 10 out of 13 independents, and other party MLAs like Rashtriya Lok Dal (1), which is its ally. The Congress also considers Bhartiya Tribal Party (2) and CPI(M) (2) MLAs as their supporters. Apart from its 72 MLAs, BJP's ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) has three MLAs (With ENS and PTI Inputs) The moment a few positive cases of Covid-19 cropped up in Bhatkal town, the administration clamped down on all movement. Karwar: About two weeks ago, Bhatkal town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka flickered into the nations attention when three persons tested positive for COVID-19 in a span of two days. In subsequent days, five more tested positive, but effective steps taken by the district administration succeeded in curtailing the numbers and restricting the cases to Bhatkal town itself. Today, in terms of the district-wise daily growth rate of positive cases, Uttara Kannada district is among the three lowest. While the Karnataka average is 5.33 percent, Uttara Kannada's average is 2.59 per cent. Officials here feel that the steps taken by the district administration could serve as a template for others as they fight this pandemic. When many districts began taking steps after positive cases were found within their jurisdiction, Uttara Kannada district was proactive and acted before the first positive. Even before PM Narendra Modi clamped his Janata Curfew on the nation on March 22, Uttara Kannada had already restricted movement not only across the state border with Kerala but across border with other districts and also between taluks within the district too. When officials noticed the correlation between Covid-19 and foregn travel, they moved fast to impose Section 144 in Bhatkal on March 24, hours before two positive cases were detected in the town. They had noticed that of the total number of foreign-returned people in Uttara Kannada district, about 40 per cent were concentrated in Bhatkal. And 10 per cent of Uttara Kannada's total population is concentrated in Bhatkal. As soon as the two positive cases were found in Bhatkal, the administration immediately declared a Health Emergency in Bhatkal town and nearby villages and enforced containment measures. Home quarantine was strictly followed. Every person who had returned from abroad was tracked, and officials called each of them twice daily to know their health condition. Those who had even small health problems were immediately taken to hospital and their swabs were sent for testing. Of the eight positive cases, four were from the same family: One person who had returned from Dubai infected three members of his family. Though home quarantine of the positives was successful in ensuring that the virus did not spread in the community, the virus did spread to family members. It was at this time that the district administration decided to take an innovative step: it opened separate quarantine facilities for such cases. By stopping fresh inflows from other countries, other states and districts and by separating family members from people under home quarantine, the administration is now confident of restricting COVID-19 cases. As Uttara Kannada does not have a sophisticated hospital, the Indian Navy was requested to lend its its INHS Patanjali hospital to treat the positive patients. When the nationwide lockdown was announced by PM Narendra Modi, it was enforced stringently in the entire district, especially in Bhatkal. Nobody is allowed to venture out. However, any shortages are quickly attended to. Arrangements have been made to ensure door-to-door supply of not only groceries and vegetables but also medicines. The district has now come out with a detailed health report on its population after doing a three-day door-to-door health survey. The survey brought to light the total number of people from outside the country, other states and other districts residing in Uttara Kannada district. Also, the survey enumerated that the district has 418 people with fever, and officials are continuing to keep an eye on all those who have come to the district from other countries, state and district, especially those who have a fever. Another survey will be done next week to see what is working and what is not. So far, COVID-19 positives have been restricted to Bhatkal town and no other place. "We just follow the old saying that prevention is better than cure. We clearly knew that the initial positive cases were only among those who had traveled abroad, so we concentrated all our energies on confining the virus to Bhatkal, Uttara Kannada deputy commissioner Dr. K Harish Kumar told Deccan Chronicle. "We took up measures as per the containment protocol. The survey shows that our containment plan has been a success. We are thankful for the cooperation given by officials and the public in this fight against COVID-19," he said. 1990 August 2: Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait August 6: First U.S. forces are ordered to in Saudi Arabia including elements of the 82nd Airborne, starting a massive build-up 1991 January 17: George H.W. Bush orders the start of Operation Desert Storm, to remove Saddam's forces from Kuwait. Baghdad is bombed, the first U.S. military engagement in Iraq February 15: First U.S. ground engagement in Iraq: 1st Cavalry Division tanks hit Iraqi forces just north of the Saudi-Iraqi border to the west of Kuwait. On the same day Bush urges Iraqis to force out Saddam themselves. Eventually U.S. forces will defeat Iraqi troops across the south-east of Iraq, almost reaching Basra February 28: Ceasefire is ordered. Combat operations are over and Kuwait is liberated March 1: Bush renews call for Iraqis to remove Saddam and quickly Kurds in the north and Marsh Arabs in the south rise against Saddam. Days later the first U.S. forces start flying out of the Gulf; the U.S. officially has no intention of staying March 3: General Norman Schwarzkopf warns any Iraqi aircraft will be shot down by the U.S.A.F. But on the ground defeated Iraqi troops go back into action against rebels who had expected U.S. assistance.By March 7 it is clear helicopters will be allowed in the air. In the south, largely Shia rebellions are dealt with brutally by Saddam; in the north the Kurds are plunged into a refugee crisis April 5: Rebellion is declared over April 17: U.S. forces take control of parts of northern Iraq in Operation Provide Comfort to build refugee camps and effectively keep them safe July 15: U.S. forces leave north of Kurdish-held territory. It is the end of operations in Iraq other than no-fly zone monitoring as part of Operation Provide Comfort August 22: Bush announces a new southern no-fly zone enforced by, among others, the U.S.A.F. meaning it is now patrolling in two parts of Iraq. Five days later Operation Southern Watch begins; the patrols will go until 2003 1993 June 27: Bill Clinton orders cruise missile strikes on Baghdad in revenge for an attempt to assassinate George H.W. Bush 1996 September 3: Operation Desert Strike is launched with cruise missile and air strikes on Saddam's forces to stop Saddam launching a massive offensive on the Kurdish city of Irbil 1997 January 1: Operation Northern Watch begins, taking over no-fly zone enforcement from Operation Provide Comfort 1998 December 16: Operation Desert Fox sees four days of bombing jointly with the UK amid a disarmament crisis and fears of WMD manufacturing being expanded 2001 February 16: U.S. and British aircraft bomb six targets, but miss a majority, setting off a period of weekly attacks from the ground and retaliatory bombing 2002 September 12: George W. Bush tells the U.N. General Assembly there needs to be action against Saddam over WMDs and a month later Congress authorizes him to act against Iraq 'by any means necessary' 2003 March 20: The start of the shock-and-awe bombardment that is Operation Iraqi Freedom: Tomahawk barrages hits Saddam's Baghdad palace, and the next day combat troops storm into the south of Iraq April 9: Baghdad falls, and Saddam's rule is over. But as the government falls, wide-spread looting spreads throughout the country April 15: Tikrit, the last point of resistance falls and the war is effectively over - or so it seems May 1: President Bush lands on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and declares major combat operations 'have ended.' Behind him a banner says 'mission accomplished.' There are 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and deaths total 104. The Coalition Provisional Authority under a civilian, Paul Bremer, takes command of Iraq. Its first major order is to dissolve the Army and the Ba'ath Party, setting off a period of intense governmental chaos July 2: Bush says 'bring 'em on' to those challenging U.S,. troops; later that month Uday and Qusay Hussein are killed by special forces August 7: Car bomb hits the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad, the first of the occupation. Total future car bomb numbers are unknown. Later that month the U.S. HQ is targeted, killing its top envoy, and a leading Shia cleric is bombed separately October 27: Simultaneous suicide car bombs are used for the first time in Baghdad; the attacks become a common tactic. In November U.S. casualties go above 80 killed for the first time. Violence spreads December 13: Saddam is captured, dragged from underground hiding place by special forces. Deaths tick down to 40, troop numbers go down to 130,000 2004 March 31: There is mounting tension in Baghdad and Basra with Shias, the poorer majority ethnic group. But then four Blackwater contractors are killed and hanged from a bridge in Fallujah, prompting the Battle of Fallujah, with Marines launching a bloody assault against Sunni insurgent fighters to 'pacify' the city. So fierce is the fighting that British units are moved from the south to a more peaceful area to let more U.S. forces take part. The battle in Fallujah sets off fighting across central Iraq, with Shias joining in too and the Mahdi Army - backed by Iran - emerging as a potent force. 148 U.S. deaths are recorded in April, 27 in Fallujah alone. Troop withdrawals are reversed and only fall below 150,000 once in the next six and a half years August: Battle of Najaf sees pitched battle with the Mahdi Army of Moqtada al-Sadr; Iranian officers are reported to be involved, 13 U.S. troops are killed. A ceasefire allows drawdowns to go ahead as planned but then are rapidly reversed. Violence spreads across the country. Troop numbers creep up for another year November: 140 Americans killed; second worst total of the conflict, with another battle in Fallujah and one in Mosul fought simultaneously 2005 November 5: After a year of unremitting violence U.S. troops start Operation Steel Curtain to try to stop the flow of militants into Iraq; in Anbar Marines kill 24 unarmed civilians starting a scandal which will end six years later in one Marine being punished by a reduction in rank and a pay cut, to the disgust of Iraqis. 88 U.S. dead that month 2006 May 20: Iraq has its own government independent of the coalition. Violence is not going down. The next month Operation Together Forward is launched to cut violence in Baghdad and troops begin to fall below 150,000 -only for the summer to become more violent and numbers to go back up 2007 January 10: Iraq troop surge is announced: troop numbers head towards 200,000 with six Army brigades deployed, General David Petraeus is put in charge in Iraq, and as the year goes on, casualties go up - but by July they start to fall. Troops are supposed to win hearts and minds and create alliances with Sunnis to isolate the insurgency 2008 November: U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement, stipulating that U.S. troops will be out of Iraq by the end of 2011, is approved and ratified by the Iraqi Parliament 2009 December: Zero combat deaths of U.S. troops, for first time ever 2010 August 18: Combat operations end; the last combat brigade makes for the Kuwaiti border. 50,000 troops remain to 'train and advise.' A day later Operation Iraqi Freedom is declared over by President Barack Obama 2011 October 21: Target date for full withdrawal. Marines guarding the Embassy should be the only combat troops. In reality, the deadline is missed December 15: End of U.S. mission in Iraq; 500 soldiers leave three days later 2013 Drone surveillance missions begin in the air over fears of a growing Islamic insurgency 2014 June 5-June 11: ISIS conquer huge portion of northern Iraq June 15: Dozens of U.S. special forces are sent to Iraq and Obama says a total of 275 will stay in Iraq 'until no longer needed' under Operation Inherent Resolve. Secret manned air patrols are ordered August 8: Obama orders airstrikes on ISIS targets near Erbil. As the ISIS conflict intensifies, troop numbers rise, mostly special forces and units protecting U.S. bases 2016 October 22: Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler is first U.S. combat casualty of ISIS in Iraq and first American killed in action in Iraq since November 2011 April 18: Total troop numbers hit 4,087 July 2016: 560 troops including engineers and logistics experts are sent to a recaptured airbase. In September 600 more go to help liberate Mosul, in November they are reported to be on the front line while the 101st Airborne has engineers looking for IEDs 2017 October 1: Soldier is killed by IED not seen for six years and thought to be made in Iran; Shia militants demand U.S. forces leave as ISIS is declared to have lost all its Iraqi territory 2018 February: Trump's administration says troop levels in Iraq will come down; they are acknowledged to be above 5,000. Tensions mount with Shias December 26: Trump and Melania Trump visit Al Asad Air Base 2019 October: Troop numbers estimated to be 6,000 December 27: U.S. defense contractor is killed in rocket attack on K-1 Air Base in Kirkuk Province December 31: Iraqi protesters storm the U.S. embassy after an airstrike hits the Kata'ib Hezbollah militia who were blamed for the K-1 rocket attack 2020 January 1: More than 100 Marines are dispatched to the embassy January 6: Shock as apparent withdrawal of all U.S. troops is communicated to Iraqi government then called a mistake within minutes. 6,000 estimated troops have been reinforced with emergency assistance from Marines Google made some pretty major announcements for Indian citizens today, including the fact that it plans on investing Rs 75,000 crores in India over the next few years. And along with this, it announced that now it will be working in tandem with the Central Board For School Education (CBSE). Reuters With this new alliance with CBSE, Google plans to train over a million teachers across over 22,000 schools in the nation by the end of the year 2020. This announcement was made by Googles Sapna Chadha, senior country marketing Director, Southeast Asia and India. This is being done with the intention of blending learning that fuses classroom approach with online learning by leveraging Google Suite and its free to access tools, along with Google Classroom as well as YouTube. This is being done after the COVID-19 pandemic has shut schools, making online learning and schooling from home the new normal. Along with this training, Google announced a new $1 million fund called Kaivalya Education Fund -- essentially a part of Googles Global Distance Learning Fund which will allow kids to learn in places where they dont have access to the internet or even a smartphone. According to Google, Using these funds, the Kaivalya Education Foundation (KEF) will work with the Central Square Foundation and TeacherApp to train 700,000 teachers to deliver virtual education for students so that they can continue learning at home over mass media such as TV and radio, wherever smartphones or internet access are not available. Reuters Ravi Shankar Prasad, Honourable Minister of Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India addressed the Google India online event and expressed his happiness for Googles initiative to push India towards a digital future. He said in a statement, There is immense scope for Google to deploy artificial intelligence and undertake new initiatives in the field of agriculture, weather prediction, healthcare in the wake of COVID-19 challenges and most importantly in digital education. The ICAI informed the Supreme Court that it has 'scrapped' plans to hold the CA July 2020 exam due to COVID-19. CA July 2020 exams | The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, or ICAI, has cancelled the Chartered Accountancy (CA) July-August 2020 examinations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Bar & Bench, ICAI informed the Supreme Court that it has "scrapped" plans to hold the exam from 29 July due to COVID-19. ICAI said that the decision has been taken in the "interest of students". The examinations will now be conducted in November. According to a report by The Hindu, in the last week of June, the apex court had said that students can opt out of their July CA 2020 exams without running the risk of being marked as having failed in the papers they missed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The report said that around 3.46 lakh students were supposed to take the exam that was scheduled to be conducted between 29 July and 16 August. Of these, 2.89 lakh had opted in and 52,000 opted out. Earlier this month, the ICAI told the top court that there may be difficulties in conducting the CA examinations due to the rampant increase in COVID-19 cases in the country. The ICAI had from 17 to 21 June allowed the students to opt out of the examinations if they did not want to appear. However, some students objected to the move and approached the court, which asked the institute to extend it till the last date of examinations. A report by Live Mint says that a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar, on 30 June had asked ICAI to consider permitting the opt out option for the CA examination till the last date of the exam. It adds that those who opted out were permitted to appear for the same examination in November. The report by The Hindu mentions that the court also asked the ICAI to allow students to change their exam centres till the end. It even asked the ICAI to follow the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the safe conduct of the examinations. NAIROBI, Kenya Sudan will allow non-Muslims to consume alcohol, scrap its apostasy law and abolish the use of public flogging as a punishment as its transitional government eases decades of strict Islamist policies. The moves, announced late Saturday by the justice minister Nasredeen Abdulbari, are part of a slew of changes introduced under the transitional government as it seeks to break with the rule of Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who was deposed last year after more than three decades in power. The government had already moved to ban the genital cutting of women, a measure that is coming into effect now. The latest announcement came a week after tens of thousands of people took to the streets despite a coronavirus lockdown demanding faster reform and greater civilian rule as the nation takes baby steps toward democracy. As a government, our work is to protect all Sudanese citizens based on the Constitution and based on laws that should be consistent with the Constitution, Mr. Abdulbari told state television. China's CanSino in talks for COVID-19 vaccine Phase III trial overseas FILE PHOTO: Chinese vaccine maker CanSino Biologics' sign is pictured on its building in Tianjin, China SUZHOU/BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese vaccine developer CanSino Biologics is in talks with Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia to launch a Phase III trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine, its co-founder said on Saturday. China's success in driving down COVID-19 infections has made it harder to conduct large-scale vaccine trials, and so far only a few countries have agreed to work with it. "We are contacting Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia (for the Phase III trial), and it's still in discussion," Qiu Dongxu, executive director and co-founder of CanSino, told an anti-viral drug development conference in Suzhou, in eastern China. He said its Phase III trial was likely to start "pretty soon," and the company plans to recruit 40,000 participants for the test. Its COVID-19 candidate, Ad5-nCov, became the first in China to move into human testing in March but is running behind other potential vaccines in terms of trial progress. Two experimental vaccines developed by Sinovac Biotech and a unit of China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) are already approved for Phase III trials. Qiu said its Phase II trial involving 508 people has yielded "much better" results than the Phase I about the safety and ability to trigger immune response. He did not disclose specific evidence. He said its new factory under construction in China will allow it to produce 100-200 million doses of coronavirus vaccines per year by early 2021. China's military, whose research unit is co-developing the vaccine candidate, approved its military use last month, while Sinopharm's two experimental shots are offered to employees at state-owned firms travelling overseas. Zeng Guang, former chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told the conference that Chinese construction groups overseas in particular are keen to take experimental vaccines. He also said discussion should start whether to launch emergency inoculation of experimental vaccines "right now." There are no approved vaccines yet for COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, which has killed more than half a million people globally. (Corrects 4th and 6th paragraphs to remove references to multiple Phase III and Phase II trials) (Reporting by Roxanne Liu in Suzhou and Tony Munroe in Beijing; Editing by Miyoung Kim and Jane Merriman) Sundays headlines in the ultra-Orthodox Yated Neeman newspaper looked like they could have been lifted from Yedioth Ahronoth or Haaretz, papers known for being critical of the government. They came as a surprise, as for years the paper has been identified with the group most loyal to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The People v. the Government and Economic Rage in the Streets, it read, completed with quotes from anti-Netanyahu demonstrators. The paper reflects the views of the Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox leadership in Israel, and it is angry. Attacks on the government began a week earlier, when Knesset member Moshe Gafni, political leader of the Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox faction, said that if the government decides to shut down the ultra-Orthodox yeshivas, he would recommend that his partys rabbinical leadership end its partnership with the government. Gafni was giving voice to the outrage in the ultra-Orthodox community over what it sees as the excessive enforcement of rules to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. They have been complaining vociferously about it, even though the non-ultra-Orthodox educational institutions were also shut down, along with day camps and summer camps. In fact, yeshivas are the only educational facilities still open. In the early days of the pandemic, rabbis' decision to ignore the health directives lead to the virus spreading widely among the ultra-Orthodox. Now, the Health Ministry is trying to prevent another outbreak. Nevertheless, students at the Beit Matityahu yeshiva in Bnei Brak told ultra-Orthodox journalist Eli Bitan that the director of their yeshiva would not allow them to be tested for the virus, even if they show symptoms of the disease. The results were inevitable, and over 200 students were infected with the virus. In response, the police raided the building, closed the street and quarantined the students. Despite the clear danger, the overwhelming feeling among the ultra-Orthodox is outrage. The community feels insulted that it is being branded as a spreader of disease and faces growing hostility from other Israelis. A poll conducted during April by the Israeli Congress of Bar Ilan University found that half of all Israelis expressed animosity toward the ultra-Orthodox community as a result of their handling of the coronavirus. Among the ultra-Orthodox who participated in the survey, some 78% reported that they have experienced increased hostility toward them. Harsh feelings among the ultra-Orthodox also target their own representatives in the Knesset. They are accused of being addicted to power and failing to do enough to enough to help their electorate. A column by the senior editor of BeHadrei Hadarim, Moshe Weisberg, wondered where all the ultra-Orthodox Knesset members have gone. The article, which was shared widely, expressed the feelings of many in the community. As a result of all this, those ultra-Orthodox Knesset members are sharply criticizing the government and in some cases, have threatened to quit the coalition. On July 10, Knesset member Yisrael Eichler called on ministers from the ultra-Orthodox parties to resign from the government, until what he called selective closures on ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods are lifted. Thats the only way Netanyahu will understand that the rights of the ultra-Orthodox are not expendable. Eichler represents the Belz Hassidic group, one of the largest and most influential Hassidic groups in the country. Recently there have been complaints that many members of the group, led by their rabbi, refuse to follow government mandates regarding the coronavirus. In Jerusalems Romema neighborhood, where many members of the group live, fights broke out on the night of July 11 when police tried to enforce a closure order on the neighborhood. Eichler was furious about the behavior of the police, allegedly treating the ultra-Orthodox especially hard. Tonight, anyone who thought that the ultra-Orthodox have rights in Israel was confronted yet again by the bitter truth, Eichler said. The ultra-Orthodox are citizens without any human rights in the Jewish state. We are talking about locking up 100,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem, Beitar, Beit Shemesh and other towns, even though they dont have the coronavirus. We got the message long ago. There is no democratic government in Israel. What we have is a violent and cruel regime, hostile to us and with no inhibitions." Demonstrations continued in Jerusalem on Sunday night, with hundreds of ultra-Orthodox clashing with police forces and toppling barriers placed to seal their neighborhoods. Netanyahu agreed to meet today with the leading ultra-Orthodox legislators, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman, to discuss the restrictions imposed on ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods. There have been public clashes with the prime minister. Associates of Deri, who is considered one of those closest to Netanyahu, spread the story that Deri scolded the prime minister during an argument over proposed legislation that would limit the power of Supreme Court justices. The minister warned Netanyahu to focus instead on the dire economic situation with one million Israelis unemployed. This will topple the government; you want to topple the government? Deri was quoted as telling the prime minister before slamming the phone down. However, one senior ultra-Orthodox politician told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that even though Deri and Gafni are growing closer to Netanyahus coalition rivals, Benny Gantz and Gabi Ashkenazi of the Blue and White Party, they are still loyal to Netanyahu. What the prime minister does with the state budget will be telling. If funding for yeshivas and the ultra-Orthodox sector in general is cut, the rift between Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox politicians will deepen. If the prime minister has the good sense to protect the sector, it will reciprocate by ensuring that his government survives. At the same time, however, the senior ultra-Orthodox politician insisted that ultra-Orthodox leadership will stick to its position that Netanyahu must hand power over to Benny Gantz at the time stipulated by the coalition agreement. While the ultra-Orthodox are still loyal to Netanyahu, they have an eye on the future and are preparing for what happens once Netanyahu is out of the picture. A TikTok logo seen displayed on a smartphone with Chinese flag on the background. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Navarro also doubled down on accusations that Chinese apps are gathering data on Americans and handing that over to Beijing. He also said to expect "strong action" from President Donald Trump on TikTok and other Chinese apps. White House trade advisor Peter Navarro dubbed TikTok's new CEO Kevin Mayer, an "American puppet" for working at the Chinese-owned social media app. We have never shared TikTok user data with the Chinese government, and would not do so if asked. Period. The Trump administration maintains that TikTok and other Chinese apps gather lots of data from American users and send it back to China, accusations repeated by Navarro. "What the American people have to understand is all the data that goes into those mobile apps that kids have so much fun with and seem so convenient, it goes right to servers in China, right to the Chinese military, the Chinese Communist Party, and the agencies that want to steal our intellectual property," Navarro told Fox. "Those apps can be used to steal personal and financial information for blackmail and extortion, they can be used to steal business intellectual property and proprietary secrets." Beijing responded with strong words to Navarro's claims. "Who was speaking this time, Peter Navarro the White House official, or Ron Vara the fictional expert?" China's foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said. Navarro has cited "Ron Vara" in some of his writing and previously confirmed that he penned a pro-tariff memo under that pseudonym. "He claimed that those data went directly to servers in China, to the Chinese military, to the Chinese Communist Party. Then prove it. If he cannot, then it is just the latest entry into his book of shameless lies," Hua added. Navarro also mentioned WeChat, China's largest messaging app which is owned by technology giant Tencent. "TikTok and WeChat are the biggest forms of censorship on the Chinese mainland, and so expect strong action on that," he said. TikTok does not operate within mainland China. Instead, ByteDance runs a similar product called Douyin. YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Kelly Preston, the actress and wife of John Travolta, has died aged 57, reports BBC. My beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer. She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many, Travolta said on Instagram. The couple had been married for nearly 29 years. Preston's career included roles in Twins, From Dusk Till Dawn, Jerry Maguire and The Cat in the Hat. She also collaborated with her husband on Battlefield Earth and Old Dogs. In his post, Travolta thanked the health workers who had looked after his wife "as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side". I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don't hear from us for a while. But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal. All my love, JT. Goodness, I have missed restaurants. Not to the extent that I am in a rush to eat out somewhere with Perspex partitions, masked maitre ds and socially distanced settings. But a cafe terrace perhaps? An ice-cream with the kids in this high-summer weather? After months of housekeeping in a way most of my generation have never had to of meal planning, eking out a weekly shop, scratch cooking and storing the luxury of a meal prepared by someone else feels like a promise of normality. For my mother, an accomplished cook, the highlight of our 1980s family holidays to southern Spain was eating out most evenings. My first taste of many cuisines came via the restaurants of that resort: melting aubergine and mozzarella, the delicious schnitzel of a German bistro, calamari and prawns a la plancha. Patricia Nicol shared a selection of fascinating books featuring restaurants including Stephanie Danlers Sweetbitter (pictured left) and Lily Kings Writers & Lovers (pictured right) Later, I worked in restaurants. My first job, at 16, was as a Sweets girl at an old-fashioned restaurant, making up sundaes, buttering bread and doling out the sauce pots. Each restaurant has its own hierarchy: a proprietor or manager, the chefs, waiters ranked by experience, then the lowlier kitchen staff. No one who has ever seen a truly gifted waiter at work would ever dismiss service as unskilled labour. Casey, the struggling heroine of Lily Kings Writers & Lovers knows this. Her vocation is the novel she is writing, but her job is working double-shifts at Harvards Iris restaurant alongside the formidably unflappable Mary Hand. Stephanie Danlers Sweetbitter captures what a crazed, high-octane world a top-flight restaurant can be. Its heroine, Tess, comes of age as a New Yorker, waitressing to the citys entitled, then partying too hard with her colleagues. Lillian Lis Number One Chinese Restaurant is a family affair. But will it remain so, if Little Boss Jimmy Han sells out his late fathers pride and joy to the rapacious Uncle Pang? And where will that leave the restaurants long-standing staff? The hospitality sector has been badly hit by lockdown. As and when you do decide to take the plunge to eat out, make sure to tip. In recent times, the Hawks have chosen to trade for talent and add to what they have, rather than go to the draft. But that seems to have left the club in stasis, neither going forward nor bottoming out. This week on the Real Footy podcast, Michael Gleeson, Caroline Wilson and Jake Niall discuss the Hawks and whether they need to rebuild or not and whether the decision has to be binary. Is Alastair Clarkson the man to take them forward? Did the Hawks give up too much to bring in certain players? And what are the on-field problems causing the most concern? The panel also looks at the awful football played by Richmond and Sydney on Sunday, and the war of words that followed. Do clubs have a responsibility to put on a good show, now more than ever? Missouri attorney general slams St. Louis prosecutor in McCloskey case for 'politically motivated decisions' Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said the prosecutor in the case of Mark and Patricia McCloskey has "a record of making politically motivated decisions not based on the law." The McCloskeys made headlines earlier this summer for brandishing their guns at Black Lives Matter protesters who marched through their gated community. The junior Senator from Missouri is busy playing b-ball whilstand protesters continued toover the weekend . . . Here's why the city across the state will always be much worse than our beloved cowtown . . . Checkit: Mona Lisa had the highway blues; you can tell by the way she smiles. Bob Dylan Theyre all wearing masks, but I cant tell if they are smiling or sticking out their tongues at me. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham depicted in a Trever cartoon July 5 Dylan and the governor remind us of the value of reading a face, and point to one reason jury trials cannot be properly conducted during a pandemic. Not knowing what lies behind a mask is no joke when expressions of the juror, witness or lawyer lead to a serious judgment. The New Mexico Supreme Court is wrestling with its approach to trials. Unfortunately, the courts twin aspirations protecting public health and constitutional rights are physically opposed to each other. At present, it is impossible to conduct a jury trial that is constitutionally proper and safe. The collision of long-established trial activities with recent health requirements shows the problem. Face covering is only one issue. Masks are necessary to public health, but they inhibit effective communication, the hallmark of jury trials where reliable assessment of information is top priority. Social distancing is not always possible in a constitutional environment where an attorney and her client necessarily, but dangerously, whisper to each other. Witnesses testify, lawyers argue, judges spout rulings, exhibits are handled, jurors congregate, and the public attends. The simplest jur y trial places hundreds of persons at risk as participants talk and talk and share the air in the room. The conundrum begins even earlier. Trial by jury is not as the Constitution envisions or as the community desires because the composition of the panel is skewed by excusing those in vulnerable groups, often ethnic minorities and older people, and those who express safety concerns. Judges understandably search for ways to approach backlogs. Forcing an unsafe trial, however, is not a solution; reducing rights is no better. The problem is made worse by those who propose quicker trials, the rationale being to distance from the virus as much as possible while quickly reaching a legal conclusion. The broad-brush restrictions such as time limits on trial segments are an even greater violation of rights at a time when individualized assessment is more important than ever. There is no playbook for law and pandemics, but there are responsible suggestions for approaches to lessen the load and to make an immediate trial unnecessary such as using some mediation in criminal cases and releasing some defendants. As we search for answers, we might examine why there are many unnecessary cases in the system to begin with. And perhaps our new-found technology can be used to improve system efficiencies, rather than to replace necessary human interaction such as confrontation of witnesses. Whatever adjustments are made, COVID-19 must not be an excuse to reduce rights via the proverbial slippery slope. We will someday get beyond the health crisis, but will the Constitution still be healthy? The New Mexico judiciary is to be commended for addressing medical safety during a pandemic, a novel challenge thats not in its wheelhouse. At the same time, the judiciary is the last entity that should allow weakening of the Constitution, including trial rights. This is the very reason for the courts existence, to bolster and protect, not reduce, our valued constitutional rights, especially in a time of crisis. With virus numbers rising and no vaccine available we still need masks, but we must not jeopardize public health or constitutional rights at the courthouse. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal New Mexico restaurant workers and owners took to their parking lots and social media pages Monday in a virtual protest against a new public health order that once again bars indoor dining at restaurants and breweries. The New Mexico Restaurant Association, which organized the protest, asked restaurants to gather staff to stand outside their establishments with signs asking Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to reverse course and allow indoor dining in restaurants. The organization has indicated it will request a court order Tuesday morning allowing restaurants to continue offering dine-in services. The ban on indoor dining took effect Monday. The governor announced the measure Thursday in response to a rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state. Patio dining is still allowed in limited numbers. Photos on the associations social media sites show participants from a wide range of restaurants participating in the event across the state, including in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Gallup and Clovis. Several restaurant owners said that they felt the new restrictions were unwarranted. I feel like this order singles out small local businesses and allows chains to continue to exist, Broken Trail Distillery and Brewery owner Matt Simonds said. This isnt some faceless company. This is me and my family, the family of my bartenders, the family of my brewers. Simonds said the uncertainty surrounding closures has added to the stress he and his employees face. Theyre upset that theres no clue from one day to the next, he said. Aside from the uncertainty of the closures, Simonds said he and other restaurant owners feel that the governor has not provided sufficient data to justify the ban on indoor dining. Carol Wight, CEO of the restaurant association, echoed this sentiment and said there is no evidence that restaurants are causing the spread of coronavirus. The Governors Office said the newly reinstated ban on indoor dining at restaurants is about safety, not punishment. Were not placing blame on all restaurants, office spokeswoman Nora Meyers Sackett wrote in an email. The blame falls on the virus itself and any New Mexicans who are not taking every precaution to limit the spread of it, because as the virus continues to spread, prolonged exposure without face-coverings like in high-contact indoor settings, i.e. restaurants becomes an even more significant risk factor. The Governors Office didnt cite any specific studies in response to questions raised by restaurateurs. On Thursday, the World Health Organization said there have been reports of outbreaks linked to indoor crowded spaces from airborne transmission in restaurants and gyms. This virus does not discriminate, Lujan Grisham said in a Monday statement. But we know prolonged exposure without face-coverings as is the case in high-contact indoor settings is a significant risk factor. Hundreds of eateries On Monday, the NMRA posted dozens of photos of restaurants participating in the protest. NMRA spokeswoman Toni Balzano said shes heard of hundreds of restaurants participating across the state. They just want to have their voices heard, she said. Theyre busy running their businesses and trying to take care of their employees. Staffers at Albuquerques 66 Diner on Central were among the protesters. Owner Tom Willis said the latest change to the public health order is disappointing at best. Willis said that it was difficult to weather the initial closure and that moving to takeout brought in only a fraction of usual business. The 66 Diner will be abiding by the latest order, and Willis said he has hopes that takeout will be more lucrative this time around. In Uptown, Fork and Fig owner Josh Kennon was supporting the protest despite being closed Monday. I believe that the whole closing down the restaurants to in-person dining is basically targeting restaurants, and I feel that thats unfair, he said. Kennon said that the restaurant lost nearly all its business during the first closure and that takeout does little to recoup the sales that come from in-person dining. It was awful we were down 97% in sales, he said. Several restaurants in the state took the protest a step further and openly flouted the public health order by welcoming customers into dining rooms Monday. Michael Dennis, licensed owner of the Santa Fe and Farmington locations of Wecks, was one of the business owners who welcomed diners Monday morning. The Facebook page associated with the Albuquerque Wecks posted what appeared to be a message from Dennis encouraging other restaurant owners to band together and stay open Monday but the Albuquerque location sought to distance itself from the move, noting that Dennis decisions are independent from all other Wecks locations. ALL Wecks ABQ, Rio Rancho, Los Lunas and Las Cruces locations are NOT affiliated with the decisions he is making for his restaurants, the post said. Dennis did not return calls for an interview Monday. The Trinity Hotel in Carlsbad said it would remain open and encouraged customers to come in as a protest. Participants in the protest will be buying food and sitting in the restaurant as act of protest against a health order, and to exercise their right to free speech, the restaurant said in a Facebook post Sunday. In Hobbs, the Pizza Inn also chose to open to dine-in customers, and said customers would be protesting the current health order. Balzano said she had heard of around a dozen restaurants in the southern half of the state that planned to stay open Monday. Muscovites desperate for a summer holiday abroad this year have found a loophole that's letting them evade Russia's coronavirus ban on foreign travel - a loophole that involves a 14-hour round trip via Belarus. Travelers are exploiting the soft border between the two former Soviet neighbors. Russians can drive 444 miles(715 km) from Moscow to Minsk with minimal checks, and once there they can make use of Belarus's more liberal covid-19 restrictions. "Since the quarantine, Minsk has become a Casablanca, the main crossroads for Russians who want to leave the country," said Maxim Valetskiy, a Russian businessman with an Israeli passport and family in London, who has used the detour four times since the Kremlin halted foreign travel at the end of March. Russians have been advised to stay put this summer even as other coronavirus restrictions are loosened, as the government deals with the fourth-highest infection rate in the world. Domestic travel within Russia's 6.6 million square-mile territory is mostly allowed, but many are put off by the country's underdeveloped and crowded tourist resorts. Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said Friday on state television that the government aims to resume some international flights July 15, without naming any potential destinations. The government is considering opening travel with some countries in Europe and Asia, such as Italy and China, the RBC online news group reported earlier last week. Russians aren't the only ones seeking out cumbersome detours to work around coronavirus restrictions that have slashed international travel this summer. Stanley Johnson, the British Prime Minister's father, has been criticized for using Bulgaria as an air bridge to visit his villa in Greece, which had restrictions on visitors from the U.K. "I want to go on holiday where I choose, and that's certainly not on the Black Sea in Russia," said Elena Venediktova, a 44 year-old real estate broker in Moscow, who has booked a two-week holiday via Belarus in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurgada from Aug. 1. "Europe may be off limits but there are lots of other seaside destinations. You just have to make a slight effort." The loophole is proving to be a boon to Belorussian tour operators in a disastrous year for most of the global holiday industry. Minsk-based Travel House has seen a surge in reservations from Russians for package holidays in Turkey and Egypt since those countries opened their borders on July 1. All of the trips are run through Belavia, Belarus's state-owned airline. In theory Russians are allowed to cross the border only to study, receive health treatment or to care for a sick relative, but many tour operators get around that by securing their clients a booking at a Belorussian sanatorium. "The demand is huge -- all the flights to Egypt and Turkey are booked solid beyond mid-July," said Yury Surkov, Travel House's commercial director, who estimates that Russians will soon make up about 40% of flights from Belarus to major tourist destinations. "We're adding flights from regional airports." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov acknowledged on state TV late that the loophole exists, but said that the Kremlin isn't planning to close it. The government said Friday it may restart some flights abroad in mid-August. "We can't forbid people from using this opportunity," Lavrov said. "Of course people should be careful and use common sense when taking such decisions." Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigators have interviewed crew members on board two vessels involved in a near head-on collision in the Welland Canal Saturday. Three investigators from the Quebec City-based office arrived in Niagara Sunday to begin the investigation, said Line Laroche, manager of regional maritime operations with the TSBs central region. The collision saw McKeil Marines Florence Spirit, headed down the canal toward Lake Ontario, and dship Carriers MV Alanis headed toward Lake Erie, collide starboard to starboard around the anchor ports on both ships at 3:55 p.m. The crash was captured on video by two men, Alex Stewart and his friend. Both posted their videos to social media. Stewart said it was his first boat-watching experience along the 43-km long waterway. In Stewarts video, an alarm can be heard sounding before the two vessels hit, then theres a loud crunch and scraping noise as the Florence Spirit slides down the Alaniss hull. The two vessels come to a stop before the ocean-going Alanis is pushed back toward the east bank of the canal and the Florence Spirit heads bow first toward the west bank. The investigators went on board the Florence Spirit and did some interviews, took some photos and looked at the black box. This morning, they interviewed the pilot on the Alanis, Laroche said. Pilots are required on ships not registered in Canada of more than 35 metres in overall length and on the Welland Canal between Port Weller and Port Colborne, Lake Erie and the waters of the connecting channels between Lake Erie and Lake Huron. Pilots can often be seen boarding and disembarking from the J.W. Cooper pilot in the canal at Port Colborne or outside the piers on Lake Erie. Laroche said investigators downloaded data from black boxes onboard both vessels, including their course in the canal and what crew members were saying on the bridges of both ships during the incident. Its too early to tell (what happened). We will look at all of the data and do a deep investigation. Our mandate is not to find fault. On its website, the TSB said its investigations are done to advance safety and if necessary report deficiences it finds so they can be addressed. Its investigations are publicly reported. If necessary, it will communicate important safety deficiencies to those able to address them right away before an investigation is complete; publicly report investigations, the factors that caused or contributed to the occurrence, and safety deficiencies that need to be addressed; and make and follow up on recommendations designed to eliminate or reduce safety deficiencies found during investigations. Laroche said investigators would look at equipment issues and human factors that may have contributed to Saturdays collision. Depending on its initial investigation, it could take up to a year or more before it publishes its findings. Its a very long process, she said. Patrick Bourke, McKeil Marines chief financial officer and commercial lead, said the company is working with St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. and TSB to support the investigation. The collision left the Florence Spirit, a 136.4-metre-long bulk carrier, damaged on the starboard, or front right side. A senior operations team from McKeil was assessing damage, he said. The goal was to get the 16-year-old vessel repaired and back in service as soon as possible. Well be looking at multiple options to repair it to the highest quality, he said of the Florence Spirit, which joined the company fleet four years ago. While repairing the ship is a priority, Bourke said McKeils foremost concern was for the safety of the 14-member crew on board at the time. We were very relieved after seeing the footage of the incident that no one was injured on the Florence Spirit or the Alanis. Possible environmental concerns also rank high for the Burlington-headquartered shipping company. The Florence Spirt was carrying a load of coal and bound for a port in Quebec at the time. The vessel also carries grain and other bulk cargo. Bourke, and the seaway on Saturday, both said there was no impact environmental impact from the collision. On Monday, the company was still in the process of determining what to do with the coal and how best to deliver it. Bourke said McKeil also had to ensure the safety of its senior operations team, seaway officials and TSB investigators when it came to boarding the ship. The vessel is docked at Wharf 10 in Welland, which is east of Bradley Avenue and not publicly accessible. We had to be cautious getting people on board the vessel, he said, referring to COVID-19 safety precautions. In an email to The Tribune, Jonathan Spencer, a crisis response manager with Navigate Response Ltd., spoke on behalf on dship Carriers about Saturdays incident. We can confirm that all crew are safe and accounted for and there is no pollution. An initial assessment shows that MV Alanis has sustained damage to her bow, he said. He said the ship was moored safely, and further inspections and investigations will be completed. The vessel was Wharf 12, the Stone Dock, at Rameys Bend in Port Colborne. MV Alanis View document on Scribd Florence Spirit View document on Scribd dship Carriers is in contact with all relevant maritime authorities and is fully assisting in the investigation that will follow, Spencer said dship Carriers has offices in Hamburg, Houston, Tokyo, Mumbai, Shanghai and Singapore. The Alanis was carrying a cargo of windmill equipment, which was unaffected in the collision, and bound for Duluth, Minn. at the time. New Delhi, July 14 : In a shocking incident caught on camera in West Delhi, a 25-year-old man was stabbed to death allegedly by a juvenile and his two friends after the victim warned them not to perform bike stunts in Raghubir Nagar. According to the police, the deceased has been identified as Manish, a resident of Raghubir Nagar. All the three persons involved in the murder on July 8 are juveniles, the police said, adding that they have been apprehended in connection with the incident. The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras. In one of the footages, the main accused along with his friends was seen stabbing the victim multiple times on the busy streets of Raghubir Nagar. None of the passerby stopped to intervene as the assailants left the victim in a pool of blood. Even while one of his friends tried to take him away, the accused rushed back to stab the man again until he lay motionless. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Deepak Purohit said, "The accused took up a fight with the victim as he objected to his bike stunts in the area. They stabbed him several times. All three have been apprehended by the Khyala Police station steam." Three people died while two have been hospitalized after they mistakenly ate a poisonous plant called heartbreak grass in Vietnam on the weekend. The five people had picked vegetables from a forest in Vi Xuyen District, northern Ha Giang Province to make some soup on Sunday, according to the Vietnam News Agency. After eating the soup, the group felt generally unwell, experienced nausea, and suffered numbness of the limbs and mouth so they called their families for help. The five, all women, were admitted to Vi Xuyen General Hospital immediately. They all came from the same village. Three of them died upon hospitalization, including Tran Thi H., 53, Sam Thi D., 58, and Hoang Thi N., 49. The other two, 44-year-old Dang Thi M. and 60-year-old Tan Thi K., are in emergency care. Hospital doctors said the five could have eaten the Gelsemium elegans, aka heartbreak grass, a poisonous plant of the family Gelsemiaceae. The bodies of the deceased have been handed over to their families for funeral rites, Bui Van Toan, director of the Vi Xuyen General Hospital, said, adding that M. and K. have been transferred to Ha Giang General Hospital, a higher-leval medical facility, for treatment. The two are conscious and being closely monitored, the Ha Giang institution said. Local authorities visited the deads families and gave them VND10 million (US$433) each in support on Sunday evening. The heartbreak grass is classified by the Vietnamese healthcare sector as one of the most poisonous plants. Anecdotes say that a person would die after eating just three leaves of the plant. Gelsemium elegans plants look similar to herbs and vegetables and grow near them so there is a risk of mistaking the lethal plants for the benign ones. The Gelsemium elegans has been used for its sedative properties to treat anxiety and pain but ingestion can be lethal, according to The UMass Division of Medical Toxicology in New England, Massachusetts. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Three exploration missions to the red planet will blast off this summer in a bid to answer one of science's most enduring questions: was there ever life on Mars? Starting this week, the United States, China and the United Arab Emirates will launch individual unmanned probes tasked with searching for astrobiological evidence of ancient microbial Martian life. It will take about seven months for the spacecraft to travel 483 million kilometres beyond Earth's orbit and join Mars's more distant orbit around the Sun. While these days it may be an icy, barren desert, recent robot missions have revealed Mars actually has dried-out river channels and lake beds leading scientists to speculate there's a good chance the fourth planet from the Sun may have once harboured life. Closest point to Earth The Mars missions are set to launch between 30 July and 15 August, the window during which Earth and Mars will be at their closest point in more than two years. While the missions will be costly, astro-biologists say the red planet still offers the best hope of finding evidence of alien life. Mars is "the only planet with concrete chances of finding traces of extraterrestrial life because we know that billions of years ago it was habitable, said Jean-Yves Le Gall, president of French space agency CNES. In what will be the Arab world's first interplanetary mission, the UAE probe Al-Amal Arabic for hope will be the first to lift off when it departs Japan on Wednesday. Like the others, it will arrive on Mars in February 2021, coinciding with the UAE's 50th anniversary celebrations. Hope will explore Mars's upper atmosphere and diurnal" daily cycle from a high elliptical orbit of between 20,000 and 43,000 kilometres something that has never been done before. Although it will be sent into space on a Japanese rocket, the probe will be controlled from Dubai. Next to lift off will be China's Tianwen-1 mission that consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover set to depart Earth sometime around 23 July. If successful, the China's first Mars mission would mark dramatic progress for its space program, placing China among the world's space leaders. US feat 'most difficult' Lastly, the mission by the US the only country to have successfully put spacecraft on Mars will see a six-wheeled rover named Perseverance dispatched from Cape Canaveral to collect rock samples that will be brought back to Earth in about a decade. The rover will also attempt to produce oxygen from Mars's atmosphere, which is 100 times thinner than Earth's and is made up of 95 percent carbon dioxide. No matter what day Perseverance lifts off during its July 30 to August 15 launch period, it will land in Mars's Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021, NASA said in a statement. Jezero is an ancient river delta and lake full of boulders, cliffs, sand dunes and depressions that have never before been explored. New guidance and parachute-triggering technology will help steer the craft away from hazards. In order to reach the surface, the spacecraft will have to navigate hazy red skies in what Nasa scientists call the seven minutes of terror when the rover relies on a sequence of pre-programmed information to autonomously touch down. If all goes according to plan, Perseverance will become the fifth NASA rover to land on Mars. With AFP, AP (Newser) President Trump used his Twitter feed Monday to spread criticism of top health officials, including Anthony Fauci, in regard to the pandemic. The move comes as the White House and Trump himself have been increasingly critical of Fauci, who has publicly disagreed with the president at times. Last week, for example, Fauci said Trump's statement that 99% of coronavirus cases were "harmless" was incorrect. Coverage: Retweet: On Monday morning, Trump retweeted this from former game show host Chuck Woolery: "Everyone is lying. The CDC, Media, Democrats, our Doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust. I think it's all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I'm sick of it." On Monday morning, Trump retweeted this from former game show host Chuck Woolery: "Everyone is lying. The CDC, Media, Democrats, our Doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust. I think it's all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I'm sick of it." Another: Trump retweeted it without comment, as he did with another from Woolery: "There is so much evidence, yes scientific evidence, that schools should open this fall. It's worldwide and it's overwhelming. BUT NO. story continues below On Fauci: The Monday dig against Fauci that was retweeted by Trump originally came from Woolery's podcast partner and fellow conservative Mark Young, per Politico. "So based on Dr. Fauci and the Democrats, I will need an ID card to go shopping but not to vote?" he wrote. The Monday dig against Fauci that was retweeted by Trump originally came from Woolery's podcast partner and fellow conservative Mark Young, per Politico. "So based on Dr. Fauci and the Democrats, I will need an ID card to go shopping but not to vote?" he wrote. A campaign: Trump and the White House also have been publicly dissing Fauci of late, with Trump saying Fauci has "made a lot of mistakes." Beyond that, the White House has declared what the Politico Playbook describes as "open season" on Fauci by calling attention to things he said in the early days of the pandemic. Over the the weekend, an anonymous official released a statement saying that "several White House officials are concerned about the number of times Dr. Fauci has been wrong," reports the Washington Post. Trump and the White House also have been publicly dissing Fauci of late, with Trump saying Fauci has "made a lot of mistakes." Beyond that, the White House has declared what the Politico Playbook describes as "open season" on Fauci by calling attention to things he said in the early days of the pandemic. Over the the weekend, an anonymous official released a statement saying that "several White House officials are concerned about the number of times Dr. Fauci has been wrong," reports the Washington Post. Examples: The White House called attention to this comment from Fauci on Feb. 29: "At this moment, there is no need to change anything that youre doing on a day-by-day basis. But as the New York Times reports, they neglected to include what he said next: "Right now the risk is still low, but this could change. When you start to see community spread, this could change and force you to become much more attentive to doing things that would protect you from spread." He added that this could become a "major outbreak." In an analysis at the Washington Post, Aaron Blake has an annotated list of all this, adding context to the items listed by the White House. The White House called attention to this comment from Fauci on Feb. 29: "At this moment, there is no need to change anything that youre doing on a day-by-day basis. But as the New York Times reports, they neglected to include what he said next: "Right now the risk is still low, but this could change. When you start to see community spread, this could change and force you to become much more attentive to doing things that would protect you from spread." He added that this could become a "major outbreak." In an analysis at the Washington Post, Aaron Blake has an annotated list of all this, adding context to the items listed by the White House. A denial: The Post reports that Fauci is effectively sidelined and does not brief Trump anymore. But White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany denies that he no longer has a voice, reports the Hill. Fauci "is one member of a team, but rest assured, his viewpoint is represented and the information gets to the president through the task force," she said on Fox & Friends. (Read more President Trump stories.) Below Deck Mediterranean viewers were introduced to a Brazilian favorite, moqueca thanks to chef Hindrigo Kiko Lorran. Hindrigo Lorran |Karolina Wojtasik/Bravo Lorran shared on the show that moqueca is a favorite from his home country of Brazil. Is Moqueca what you guys want ? This is my recipe from my cookbook, for any other delicious recipes check out on my website and get my book for only $4,99 as ebook and have fun my friends, isssaa love you all www.thesurferscookbook.com, he shared on Instagram, along with a snapshot of the recipe. When viewers were first introduced to moqueca, Lorran explained it was a Brazilian fish stew, but what is the origin of the dish? Moqueca comes from an ancient recipe The specific history of moqueca comes from tales told by chefs in Salvador, Tasting Table shared. The recipe was likely created 300 years ago using fish caught locally with available coconut milk. Palm oil was introduced to the dish coming from Africa via slave trade. Some people say it was from [even] before that, from the Indians, Brazilian chef and cookbook author Andre Lima de Luca told Tasting Table. Its so old that I cant say if its Indian, African or if this started in Bahia or in Spirito Santo. There are too many theories about it. One cafe shared what it believes is the dishs lineage. Moqueca is a heritage Brazilian dish with a lineage that goes back well over 400 years, according to Cafe Carmo. Hailing from a region now delineated the state of Espirito Santo on Brazils central coast up to the Northeastern states of Bahia, Pernambuco and Para. RELATED: Below Deck Med: Chef Kiko Reveals the Craziest Request Hes Ever Gotten on Charter Its origin most likely derives from a method of cooking used by indigenous Brazilian Indians called moquem in the Tupi language, simply referring to fish or meat, tubers, vegetables and fruits wrapped in leaves then slowly roasted over a fire. This method of preparation allows the ingredients to cook in their own juices, creating a flavorful and more nutritious result than simply roasting over an open flame. Chef Kiko calls it amazing and exotic Lorran discussed the dish when he appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. He was asked to defend his dish and share why he loves it so much. I make moqueca every day because its just amazing, Kiko gushed. It has a lot of [of] flavor. Its [an] exotic plate. I think its really good. He added then it was amazing and exotic. His mother taught him how to make moqueca and hes actually made it for a date a few times. Lorran shared his recipe on Instagram. But what are some of the general ingredients? RELATED: Below Deck Med: Charter Guest Justin Thornton Insists He Left a Good Tip Food & Wine suggests cooking the dish in a Dutch oven as it was originally created in a clay pot. Ingredients include shrimp (but chefs can add other seafood), onions, carrots, celery, garlic, tomatoes, peppers and cilantro. Dont forget the coconut milk and chile. Lorran shared that the dish cooks pretty fast and is surprisingly low in calories. WBRC FOX6 News anchor and reporter Janet Hall will step away from the news desk this summer after 40 years. Halls last newscast is currently planned for late August. Halls career highlights include the paralyzing Blizzard of 1993, to the deadly tornadoes of April 27, 2011 and the infamous Snowmageddon of 2014. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in 2001, Hall was sent to New York City to report on Alabama stories surrounding the still smoldering ground zero. Her story series include The Alabama Spotlight, Every Now and Then, and most recently Doing Good. Janet led numerous station projects such as WBRCs 60th Anniversary Celebration, training the WBRC service dog, Tallulah, and producing a Christmas album with fellow workers. Janets career began in Mobile, but she soon returned to her hometown in 1980 as WBRCs weekend anchor. In 1985 she teamed up with longtime co-anchor Scott Richards and now shares the anchor desk with Jonathan Hardison and Sarah Verser. I am filled with gratitude and love for the viewers who have welcomed me into their homes over four decades and allowed a very young reporter to grow into a veteran anchor. It has been my honor to share your stories, your heartbreak and your joy. Thank you for supporting me as I have lived out a career beyond my wildest dreams, Hall said in a statement released by the news station. I am blessed to have worked with incredibly talented journalists committed to making our community a better place. Im a lucky girl. I inherited a grand WBRC legacy when I arrived atop Red Mountain 40 years ago to work in the footsteps of legendary broadcasters I grew up watching. I now leave that legacy in the safe hands and hearts of the WBRC family. Janet has been recognized with numerous awards including the 2016 Silver Circle from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the 2011 Accolade Award for the documentary Aprils Fury, Best Anchor in Alabama in 2001 and 1994 from the Associated Press as well as awards for Best Feature, Best Documentary and Extraordinary Coverage of a Planned Event. The University of Alabama honored Janet with the 2004 Betsy Plank Distinguished Achievement Award and the 1989 Outstanding Communication Studies Alumni Award. In 1999 she was named the Local Hero in the Fight Against Breast Cancer by the Komen Foundation. No doubt about it, we owe a large debt of gratitude to Janet for all shes done on behalf of WBRC over the years that has allowed this station to succeed and lead in Alabamas largest market, said WBRC FOX6 News Vice President and General Manager, Collin R. Gaston. There will certainly be a void when shes gone, but her legacy of hard work, empathy for our audiences, high journalistic standards and kind nature will live on. We wish Janet and her wonderful family nothing but the best in retirement, said Gaston. As she steps away from daily news coverage Hall plans to continue working in the community through volunteering and as an active leader of Asbury United Methodist Church. I look forward to having quality time with my family and the freedom to do something new. Im not sure what that will be, Hall said in the same statement. I suspect it will begin with beach time, songwriting and a lot of daydreaming. Whatever evolves as my second act, I know I will forever be grateful for the first. Amidst Rajasthan crisis, Congress claims support of 109 in 200 member house India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 13: Hours after Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot declared open rebellion and claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government in the state is in minority, Congress leader Avinash Pande on Monday said 109 MLAs have signed a letter of support to the chief minister. Rajasthan Transport Minister says 'confident of winning number game in state' | Oneindia News Pande, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan, said some other MLAs are in touch with Gehlot and they will also sign the letter. He said a whip has been issued to all the party MLAs, asking them to attend the Congress Legislature Party meeting at 10.30 am. Rajasthan crisis: CLP passes resolution supporting Ashok Gehlot-led govt "Action will be taken against those who skip the meeting," Pande said. "As many as 109 MLAs have signed the letter to express full confidence in the Congress government led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Some other MLAs have spoken to the chief minister over the phone and they will also sign the letter," he told reporters at the CM's residence here in the wee hours. Pande said the BJP was behind the "conspiracy" to topple the Ashok Gehlot government but it will complete its term. The BJP is trying to destabilise the Congress government and wants to repeat what they did in Madhya Pradesh. But the MLAs are fully with the government and the party, he said. In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72. The Congress also has the support of 10 out of 13 independents, and other party MLAs like Rashtriya Lok Dal (1), which is its ally. The Congress also considers Bhartiya Tribal Party (2) and CPI(M) (2) MLAs as their supporters. Apart from its 72 MLAs, BJP's ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) has three MLAs. Pilot on Sunday claimed that the Gehlot government is in minority as over 30 Congress MLAs have "pledged support" to him. Rajasthan govt crisis: Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi in touch with Sachin Pilot, trying to placate him "Rajasthan deputy CM and Congress leader Sachin Pilot not to attend Congress legislative party meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow. Pilot says Ashok Gehlot government is in minority after over 30 Congress and some independent MLAs have pledged support to Sachin Pilot," said a statement circulated via a WhatsApp group operated by Pilot's office. Pilot's rebellion and deepening political crisis were discussed at a late night meeting at the chief minister's residence where Pande and Randeep Surjewala were present. The party MLAs and independent legislators too reached the chief minister's residence and expressed confidence in Gehlot's leadership, the Congress said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 13, 2020, 17:15 [IST] BT has warned it will take at least a decade to strip Huawei technology out of the UK's telecoms network amid a mounting row. Boris Johnson is expected to confirm a U-turn tomorrow on allowing the Chinese firm to be part of the new 5G project. But BT chief executive Philip Jansen said there would be 'outages' and possible security risks if the sector was told to bar Huawei from the upgrade. And he suggested it would be 'impossible' to remove the firm's equipment from the wider network before 2030. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland insisted national security must be put first in the policy towards China. The US has been heaping pressure on ministers to reconsider links with Huawei amid fears over spying and reliance on China, while Beijing has threatened 'consequences' if the firm is shut out. A final decision is expected tomorrow after a meeting of the National Security Council. BT has warned it will take at least a decade to strip Huawei technology out of the UK's telecoms network amid a mounting row Boris Johnson is expected to confirm a U-turn tomorrow on allowing the Chinese firm to be part of the new 5G project A recent intelligence report said the security implications were 'severe' and that American sanctions on the firm may make its equipment less reliable and safe. There are also calls from dozens of Tory MPs to strip Huawei's technology from the wider telecoms network by 2024, and cut involvement in building nuclear power plants. There have been reports that Huawei wants the government to delay the removal of its technology from telecoms infrastructure until at least 2025, in the hope that a future government might reverse the decision. As part of the compromise, Huawei would reportedly pledge to maintain its equipment, which is also used in the UK's other non-5G networks. Mr Jansen told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Huawei has been in the telecoms infrastructure for about 20 years and a big supplier to BT and many others in the UK telecoms industry. 'It is all about timing and balance. So if you want to have no Huawei in the whole of the telecoms infrastructure across the whole of the UK, I think that's impossible to do in under 10 years.' To remove it from the 5G network could take as long as five years, he added: 'To not have Huawei at all, ideally we'd want seven years and we could probably do it in five.' Mr Buckland told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think what we have to do as a Government is maintain that balance - we want to race ahead and have the best form of internet connectivity that we can because it means this country is more competitive economically and it brings greater quality of life to our citizens. 'But, at the same time, national security comes first and I know the NSC (National Security Council) and the whole of Government will be placing a huge priority on our national security.' Former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove insisted yesterday that the government should be more 'assertive' in its interaction with the Asian superpower. Sir Richard said Huawei is an 'intimate part of the Chinese state'. 'I've always believed that there is a strategic security reason for not allowing the Chinese that degree of involvement in the construction of our critical infrastructure.' He added: 'I think the relationship between the Chinese state and Huawei is absolutely clear-cut. 'Huawei is not a sort of ordinary international telecommunications company, it's an intimate part of the Chinese state. 'And if you know anything about Chinese military strategy, they talk about the fusion of civil and military capabilities. 'There is a close linkage undoubtedly between the Chinese military capability and Huawei.' A former spokesman for the Armenian Ministry of Defense, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, took to his Facebook to report new opponent losses. According to him, the opponent suffered not only human losses but also lost a UAV. IMG Model Bella Hadid flaunted her toned tummy in a series of May 20 snaps of herself relaxing at her mother Yolanda's $4M 32-acre farmhouse in New Hope, PA. The half-Palestinian, half-Dutch socialite might be 23 years old, but that doesn't mean she's too old to use markers on coloring books for children. And while Bella - who boasts 32.8M Twitter/Instagram followers - posed with mini-cupcakes, she wasn't pictured actually eating any of the icing-topped confections. Throwback! IMG Model Bella Hadid flaunted her toned tummy in a series of May 20 snaps of herself relaxing at her mother Yolanda's $4M 32-acre farmhouse in New Hope, PA Staying within the lines: The half-Palestinian, half-Dutch socialite might be 23 years old, but that doesn't mean she's too old to use markers on coloring books for children Hadid enjoyed playing with two bunnies on the 240-year-old 5K-square-foot farm - which also houses horses, mini-horses, goats, chickens, sheep, and Scottish highland cattle. And the Savage X Fenty Show catwalker isn't alone either as her mother, pregnant sister Gigi, her pop star babydaddy Zayn Malik, younger brother Anwar, and his pop star girlfriend Dua Lipa are all staying there. In fact, Pennsylvania is where the 56-year-old RHOBH alum met and fell in love with her boyfriend of a year, construction company CEO Joseph Jingoli. Meanwhile, Bella has been single ever since ending her on/off romance with three-time Grammy winner The Weeknd in August 2019. Indulging? And while Bella posed with mini-cupcakes, she wasn't pictured actually eating any of the icing-topped confections Critters: Hadid enjoyed playing with two bunnies on the 240-year-old 5K-square-foot farm - which also houses horses, mini-horses, goats, chickens, sheep, and Scottish highland cattle Farm life: And the Savage X Fenty Show catwalker isn't alone either as her mother, pregnant sister Gigi (L), her pop star babydaddy Zayn Malik, younger brother Anwar (R), and his pop star girlfriend Dua Lipa are all staying there Hadid's latest fashion campaign, Calvin Klein swimwear, was shot 'pre-COVID almost a year ago' by photographer Charlotte Wales, but it officially launched on Sunday. The DC-born, Malibu-raised beauty also appears in a Bottega Veneta-clad, Polaroid spread shot by 25-year-old Gigi for i-D magazine's summer 'The Faith In Chaos Issue.' In addition, Bella fronts Helmut Lang's pre-fall 2020 campaign photographed by Ethan James Green. Launched Sunday! Bella's latest fashion campaign, Calvin Klein swimwear, was shot 'pre-COVID almost a year ago' by photographer Charlotte Wales European Council President Charles Michel on Friday sought to bridge gaps between EU countries over their long-term budget and economic stimulus plans before national leaders meet next week to haggle over how to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. With EU economies in free fall in the wake of the pandemic, Michel will chair the first face-to-face talks of the 27 European Union heads since lockdowns took hold in March and feuds over how to respond to the coronavirus divided the bloc. "The COVID-19 crisis presents Europe with a challenge of historic proportions," Michel said. "We are slowly exiting the acute health crisis... the emphasis is now shifting to mitigating the socio-economic damage." Hoping to overcome major differences over how to revive economic growth between the wealthy, thrifty north and the high-debt south, hit harder by COVID-19, he proposed a smaller joint EU budget for 2021-27 than previously envisaged. The Netherlands, Sweden and Finland were quick to welcome a step making the proposed massive stimulus scheme more palatable to the more frugal nations. But they all said more work was needed. Michel presented a long-term EU budget of 1.074 trillion euros and a recovery fund of 750 billion euros for pandemic-hammered economies, with two-thirds of that to be in the form of free grants and a third issued as repayable loans. "Some right steps regarding the (budget) but much work needs to be done on the recovery package. We need a lower overall level and better balance of grants and loans," said Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who sits in the northern camp willing to offer loans rather than grants to the south. Her comments were echoed by Sweden and by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte - the key hawkish figure in the talks - insisted on enshrining economic reforms as conditions for accessing the funds, something the south wants to avoid. The COVID-19 pandemic is the latest big challenge for the EU after a debt crisis a decade ago, mass immigration in the mid-2010s and the trauma of Brexit. Some have even framed it as an existential dilemma, as eurosceptic feeling grows in countries such as Italy. Michel proposed maintaining the so-called rebates that wealthier states receive on their budget contributions and, in a couched reference to Poland, Hungary and others, said funding would be conditional on respect for the rule of law. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban - who stands accused of undercutting democracy at home - swiftly said Budapest could veto the plan if money came with strings attached. That sets the stage for arm-twisting at the EU summit on July 17-18, though Olaf Sholz - the finance minister of Germany, which holds the bloc's presidency - voiced optimism that the leaders would reach a deal. A flurry of top-level meetings in recent days has helped to narrow the differences somewhat though some diplomats in Brussels already envisage more negotiations at a second summit later in July. Michel proposed allocating most of the recovery funds to debt-burdened countries in the south like Italy and Greece, but also to efforts to combat climate change. EU bargaining over money is always very fraught, and agreeing on budgets to cover spending from support for agriculture to regional development, research and scholarships is an arcane process in which member states trade concessions in one area against benefits in the other. Even before the pandemic, which sent the euro zone's economy into its worst-ever recession forecast at 8.7% this year, the bloc's joint coffers were already short due to Brexit. Michel on Friday proposed a new, 5 billion euro fund to ease related disruptions in member states from 2021. Rutte, who ostentatiously took a biography of Polish-French composer Fryderyk Chopin to previous budget talks to demonstrate that the proposal on the table was so far off he saw no point in engaging in negotiations, this time said: "It's starting to go our way. I will leave my Chopin book at home this time." But there is still a long road to an agreement - which will have to be ratified by the European Parliament and some national assemblies - as one EU lawmaker warned straightaway that the chamber could reject an overall budget below earlier plans. "A smaller MFF will jeopardize EU support to our researchers & students. It will prevent us from tackling climate change or improving citizens' security," Siegfried Muresan said. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Haryana's Adampur MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi on Monday urged the Congress leadership to do everything possible to persuade Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, saying his exit from the party will deal a severe blow to it. The Congress in Rajasthan is witnessing a power tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot, upset since he was denied the the chief minister's post after the December 2018 assembly elections. The current crisis began Friday night when the Rajasthan Police sent a notice to Pilot, asking him to record his statement over an alleged attempt to bring down the government. The same notice was sent to the chief minister and some other MLAs, but Pilot's supporters claimed that it was only meant to humiliate him. Commenting on the issue, 51-year-old Bishoni, who is the younger son of former Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal, also batted for promoting young faces with a "mass base" to strengthen the party. Earlier, Bishnoi had described Jyotiraditya Scindia's exit from the party in March as a big blow and said there are many devoted leaders across the country who feel "alienated, wasted and discontented". "My appeal to the Congress high command is that the way Jyotiraditya Scindia left the party, it caused a big loss to it. Now, we are hearing such rumours about Sachin Pilot. If these are rumours, then there is no problem, but if this is true, then the Congress should do everything to persuade him," Bishnoi said in a video message posted on his Twitter handle. "Sachin is a tall leader. If he leaves, it will deal a severe blow to our party like the Scindia's exit," Bishnoi added. He said the leaders with a mass base who understand today's politics should be entrusted with responsible positions like that of a general secretary and state unit chiefs. Only then people's faith in the Congress will increase, he said. However, Bishnoi in his video message appealed to Congress leaders not to feel disappointed while recounting the party's contribution to the freedom struggle and development of the country. "People's faith in Congress is increasing day after day and the country also needs a Congress government because whenever the party-led governments were formed, the country progressed," he said. Addressing the Congress leaders as colleagues, he said, "So, you don't have to feel disappointed. All of us together have to bring back the Congress to power." "The Congress is a strong party. I and my colleagues will put all our efforts to ensure that it comes to power, be it at the national level or in the states," he said. Bishnoi, who is a four-time MLA, and has remained the Lok Sabha MP twice. He had floated his own outfit the Haryana Janhit Congress over 10 years ago when the Congress high command picked Bhupinder Singh Hooda over Bhajan Lal for the chief minister's post in 2005. In 2016, Bishnoi returned to the Congress and merged his party with the Congress. (TNS) When Felica Bell moved from Livermore Falls to a main street in New Sharon a few years ago, she figured she could just switch the address on her Time-Warner cable and, presto, shed be online again.It didnt quite work out that way.Bell said Friday she learned she now lives four miles from the closest cable so her new internet options were a whole lot more limited: satellite service or simply using her cellphone. She chose the cellphone because it was the best of the worst.Its hard for her now to use the internet the way she once did because of data usage limits that force her to plan if she wants to stream a movie or the like.Its annoying, Bell said, and she worries that as her son gets older, it could become a serious problem.Bell is not alone.The stay-at-home edicts at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic this spring made it obvious that thriving communities need broadband access.Nothing screamed left behind more than images of children trying to do classwork by connecting to a Study-From-Car website in a town where only the library or a closed school provided WiFi.Yet for tens of thousands of Mainers and scores of the small towns where they live wider internet access is simply impossible.Lacking fast and always-on internet, students cant easily study remotely, adults cant smoothly work from home, patients cant take advantage of telehealth, and businesses cut off from customers struggle and sometimes fail.Now were home and Netflix isnt all were doing anymore, said Peggy Schaffer, executive director of the ConnectMaine Authority. The internet is so wrapped up in what we do daily, Bell said, and its only growing in importance.With a $15 million broadband bond question on the ballot Tuesday, voters will get a chance to decide whether to put more money behind the effort to bring high-speed internet to more of rural Maine.It appears that Maine is the first state to ask voters to endorse a measure specifically aimed at funding greater broadband access.Gov. Janet Mills said recently that broadband is critical to spur innovation, create opportunity, provide telehealth and remote learning, and build a strong, diverse economy especially in rural Maine.The COVID crisis has highlighted the importance of a good high-speed connection for remote work, and supporting small businesses, she said, calling its expansion one of the highest priorities of my administration.If approved, the bond measure is expected to help attract at least $30 million in additional financing to help extend broadband service to more of the underserved towns throughout western, northern and coastal Maine.Given that ConnectMaine has doled out about $1 million annually since its creation 14 years ago to help spur more broadband access, the bond issue is hardly chump change. It equals the amount the agency has had in all of its previous history.Yet to finish the job of connecting Maine, leaving aside people whose homes are so remote that there is no practical way to reach them, will cost $600 million or more, experts said.The states planning process figures that bringing fiber optic lines to Oxford and Franklin counties alone requires $140 million.But taxpayers can breathe easy. Plans call for getting the job done with a lot of private investment to cover a good share of the expense.Experts differ on just how to get the job done, but every study agrees that digital access is critical for communities to flourish.It is the economic tool of this country, Schaffer said. People are desperate for connectivity.Minot Town Administrator Danielle Loring said she gets calls regularly from the many people in town who lack access asking what officials are doing about it.Especially with the recent events of the pandemic, home schooling and people working from home, distance learning and so on and so forth, it really highlighted how inadequate the services are, Loring said.The states broadband action plan says high-speed internet is now a necessary asset to attract and retain businesses and residents in Maine, but most of the states rural communities lack access.This limits their ability to grow, innovate, support seniors staying in their homes, develop a strong workforce and create an environment to attract business growth, the report said.In short, without access to the internet, much of the state has little hope of seeing much economic growth.We need stronger internet access across the state. We cannot be passive about this. We need to take action now, Larry Barker of Machias Savings Bank said during a Zoom rally sponsored by the Yes on 1 For Better Internet Campaign.Providing better access is an idea so uncontroversial that Maines congressional delegation, governor and the candidates who want to replace them all support more efforts to wire the state as swiftly as possible.There is no organized opposition to the bond measure.When Cait Fitzgerald and her husband moved to a big farm off a dirt road in Norway with their five dogs, it seemed like the perfect spot for them.They wanted to live in the middle of nowhere, she said Friday, and they succeeded.But it turned out that one drawback of living two-and-a-half miles off the main road is that nobody had any interest in running a cable line out to their property to provide high-speed internet access.She said they have satellite internet and cellphone coverage, but she hits her monthly data cap on the satellite service in one day. Cellular service isnt much better, she said.Its basically like not having internet, Fitzgerald said.What it means in practical terms is that it takes her five or 10 minutes to attach a photograph to an email. It means they can, if theyre lucky, watch something on Netflix as long as they can stand repeated buffering throughout a movie.Since Fitzgerald is a professional photographer who has to deal with online galleries and the like, she said she has to go to the library or a cafe or somewhere with internet to do her work. Its far from ideal, she said.Missing out on decent internet kind of dampens the dream of living in rural Maine, Fitzgerald said.Most people in Maine have access to high-speed internet through a patchwork of private companies that typically offer service for a monthly fee.But in more thinly populated areas, stretching along about half the roads in the state, there isnt any service.It simply hasnt been worth the cost of $35,000 per mile to stretch existing lines farther into rural areas because it doesnt make financial sense for private companies to do so.Theyll never make a profit given the small number of people who might pay for the service.Since broadband is not a public utility, though some argue it should be, there is no requirement for anybody to bring anyone anything to connect homes to the web, Schaffer said.ConnectMaine figures that at least 83,000 households have been left out as a consequence and probably many more.Since Maine has about 520,000 households, that means that about one in six of them lacks access. That doesnt take into account households that cant afford available service, which is a different, if related, issue.Taking the wider view, Maine is among the worst states in America for fast internet access.There are lots of ratings out there, but two fairly reliable ones, from US News and from BroadbandNow Research, each cite only a handful of states with worse showings.These days, most every internet connection is some sort of broadband.Not too many people still rely on the old telephone line dial-ups with screeching modems that introduced many now-older Mainers to what was once touted as the World Wide Web.Broadband consists mostly of cable, DSL and fiber optic lines capable of transporting many signals simultaneously. Satellite signals can also serve some, though they are slower.Fiber optic lines, still uncommon for home users, are by far the fastest alternative. Such lines make up the backbone of Maines internet infrastructure, the so-called Three Ring Binder that serves as a sort of hidden superhighway for digital signals.Generally, speed is measured by how quickly digital data can be uploaded or downloaded.The Federal Communications Commission defines broadband as offering at least 25 megabits per second for download speed and three megabits per second for uploading.BroadbandNow says its enough to be able to stream movies on one or two devices without buffering, load most websites without delay or play online games without a lag time.Even so, thats not especially quick.For multiple users and multiple devices, commonplace in many households, experts say speeds ought to be at least four times as fast.Most people with broadband can handle it.Federal reports show that 85% or more of Americans use connections that deliver at least 250 megabits per second, typically from cable television providers that use fiber and coaxial cable to reach customers homes.Systems that offer just a fraction of that typical speed are already outdated even if they technically qualify as high-speed, experts say.But download speed isnt even the biggest problem in Maine, Schaffer said.For work and telemedicine, she said, upload speeds are crucial as well. And they are much slower.That is the biggest hole in Maine, Schaffer said.The states broadband action plan this year said that download is how the world talks to Maine. Upload is how Maine talks to the world.For high-speed broadband to have the potential to transform workforce development, education, health care, and communities, it is critical for upload speed to be adequate to meet the demands of Maines economy, the report said.As mentioned earlier, since the creation of ConnectMaine in 2006 the state has spent roughly $1 million a year to spur more broadband.The money, which mostly comes from a little-known phone tax , has been tapped to support communities that pull together a plan to provide coverage.We didnt have a lot of money so we tried to figure out the best use for it, Schaffer said. Were interested in long-term solutions.Communities, whether a single town, a group of towns, a county or some other compilation, must be firmly in the drivers seat in determining their own broadband destiny, the state plan said.These community plans will rely on public/private partnerships to optimize the private and public-sector investment, it said.The proposal calls for the state to provide 25% of the cost of broadband expansions in rural Maine, with the private sector, the federal government and local communities covering the rest.The plan calls for completing the program by 2025 by pumping $200 million from the state over the next five years, a total that dwarfs next weeks request for voters to endorse $15 million.Where the rest of the money would come from remains uncertain.ConnectMaine understands that an average investment of $40 million over the next 5 years is a significant lift, even though the need and projects are there right now to successfully use this level of funding to bring connectivity to rural Maine, the agencys action plan said.The agency has been funding public/private partnerships that put together plans to deliver affordable high-speed service to communities that rallied around the proposal.According to the state plan, more than 50 communities have gone through the process and are waiting for enough funding to move forward.Each community has gone about it a different way, Schaffer said, and some, including Franklin County, have done a great job.Another alternative method the agency intends to try would seek providers willing to fill smaller unserved areas. A study released in March by researchers at the James H. and Mary B. Quello Center at Michigan State University found that students who dont have access to the internet at home, even if they can use a cellphone there, lag behind peers who have broadband.It found students who are cut off from the web perform lower on a range of metrics, including digital skills, homework completion and grade point average. They are also less likely to intend on attending college or university.A deficit in digital skills compounds many of the inequalities in access and contributes to students performing lower on standardized tests such as the SAT, and being less interested in careers related to science, technology, engineering, and math, the study found.Researchers studying rural Michigan determined that those without internet access at home, even if they have a smartphone, have digital skills that trail their peers by several academic years.Taking a look at the bigger picture, the researchers said that better connectivity is associated with clear advantages for school performance and broader outcomes, including the development of career interests that may have lifelong consequences.These advantages are not available to those with poor connectivity, they said, adding that individuals, communities and society wind up worse off than what would be possible under conditions of better connectivity.They said that places with poor connectivity pay a price for their lack of access.The study said, too, that the downsides will grow over time, because many of the emerging job opportunities will be in occupations that require digital skills and high-quality connectivity.Even service industries with a very high human component, such as medical service and care for the elderly, will increasingly be dependent on high-quality connectivity. Communities without proper connectivity therefore face the risk of seeing the effects of their lack of high-performance broadband amplified in a vicious cycle of compounding disadvantages, researchers said. Israeli sources yesterday told Public Broadcasting radio station Kan that the White House has been adding conditions for supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus annexation plan. The Trump administration has already indicated it would like to have Blue and White on board a request that now seems to be translated into a clear condition. Reportedly, the White House wants to see the plan introduced as part of an agreement by the two ruling parties, Likud and Blue and White, making sure Israels political stability is maintained. The report also says the White House wishes the plan to include significant benefits to the Palestinians, including permits for the construction of thousands of housing units for Palestinians across the West Bank. Netanyahu had pledged during his last election campaign to bring his annexation plan to vote this summer. Indeed, the unity deal struck in April between Likud and Blue and White enabled the prime minister to present the plan as early as July 1. In the days preceding July 1, Netanyahu offered Blue and White leadership several proposals for limited or staged annexation, but he didnt really succeed in getting Blue and White on board, as the Trump administration was hoping for. Facing a surge of coronavirus cases in Israel, growing unrest over the dire economic strait and political difficulties, Netanyahu was forced to withdraw from his intention to advance annexation on that date. July 1 came and went without a vote on annexation, but the topic is not completely off the table, as evident in Kans report. Some Likud sources insist that Netanyahu plans to advance annexation in the coming weeks, despite all these difficulties. In the meantime, the international community keeps doubling its efforts against the plan. On July 2, the Vatican summoned the ambassadors of Israel and the United States for meetings to protests the plan. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke by phone on July 7 with Netanyahu, expressing concern on the annexation plan and urging him to renew talks with the Palestinians. Shortly after, the foreign ministers of Egypt, France, Germany and Jordan published a joint announcement, also urging Israel to abandon its settlement-annexation plan. And on July 11, it was French President Emmanuel Macrons turn. Macron called Netanyahu, warning him that annexation of West Bank lands would contravene international law. Reports of recent days indicate that Russia is also raising the tone on annexation. Apparently, Moscow has been holding talks with Palestinian leaders on the topic. In parallel, Russian officials discussed the issue last week with Israels Ambassador to Russia Gary Koren. Clearly, the international community fears that if and when the coronavirus crisis in Israel begins to fade, Netanyahu will bring back his proposal as a way of regaining public support. "Do the time. Don't let the time do you," goes the prison adage When Christopher Zoukis entered federal prison in 2006, he had no idea what to expect. However, he adapted to his new environment and spent his time pursuing higher education. He even used his time to write and publish practical books about what to expect in prison, how to navigate life behind bars, and how inmates can access higher education. Zoukis was a senior in high school when he had his first encounters with law enforcement. These were largely driven by substance abuse issues; he wasnt always lucid and committed several petty crimes. He ended up being convicted of a federal offense that put him in prison for 12 years. Before Zoukis was incarcerated, the only expectations he had of prison were based on popular culture and media portrayals. In reality, he didnt know what he was about to face, and the unknown was frightening to him. When he was initially incarcerated, he quickly learned that different prisons had tremendously different cultures. The first two prisons where Zoukis spent time were particularly violent. They were described as gladiator schools. The inmates were younger than 25, and most were under 21. It was the horror show of, within reason, what the popular media seems to suggest. When you put a bunch of young people togethervery testosterone-orientedpeople who are not old enough yet to reason fully, it was very much that. It was a very toxic and violent experience, Zoukis said. Federal Prison After Zoukis turned 21, he was transferred to an adult federal prison in Virginia. His experience there contrasted greatly with the prisons where he had been previously, where it hadnt been safe enough to even read a book. Now, life was much more monotonous, and while the environment wasnt optimal, at least he didnt have to focus all of his time and attention on his safety. While Zoukis was incarcerated, he knew he wanted a better life for himself. He entered prison without any ambitions, and hadnt considered higher education or a career. Eventually, he realized that he was going to use all that time to make something of himself before being released. An old adage of prisoners is, Do the time, dont let the time do you, and I really bought into that concept, Zoukis said. Christopher Zoukis wrote several books while he was incarcerated. (Courtesy of Chris Zoukis) Since Zoukis had been arrested when he was in high school, he didnt have the opportunity to graduate, so he finished in prison. He knew he wanted to go to college, but there werent any resources available to prisoners on how to access higher education. He spent a couple of years trying to determine what was available to him and other inmates, which led him to write his first book, Education Behind Bars. It advocates for prisoner education and is a guidebook for inmates who want to pursue an education. Zoukis, who earned a bachelors and masters degrees in business from Adams State University, went on to write College for Convicts, and The Prison Education Guide, which make the argument, based on peer-reviewed studies, for accessible prisoner education. If we invest money in educating people and helping them develop marketable skills when they get out, they have something to use. They have something to look forward to. This is a positive influence in an area where theres just not a lot of positivity, he said. Survival In 2017, Zoukis published another book entitled Federal Prison Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Surviving the Federal Bureau of Prisons. From his own experience, he realized there wasnt much reliable information about what to expect going into prison and he wanted to help incoming inmates. Zoukis covers all of the aspects of prison life in the Federal Prison Handbook, including how to greet your cellmate, how to interact with inmates and guards, and the politics of the chow hall. The book also discusses prison policy, such as how to obtain health care and what health care rights inmates are entitled to. He included information on disciplinary defense issues and the special housing unit, also known the hole, where inmates are sent if they are deemed to be causing a problem in the general population; sometimes, guards send an inmate there for retaliation, he says. When you first enter the housing unit and youre going to the cell youve been assigned to, you dont just walk in the cell. Thats someone elses home. Thats the kind of thing you wouldnt really think of. You knock on the door. You try to be polite. You try to greet people. If theyre not there, you walk around and ask people who lives in there, Zoukis said. Because you dont want to be barging into someone elses home. Christopher Zoukis earned his bachelors and masters degrees in business during his incarceration. (Courtesy of Chris Zoukis) The politics of the dining hall are also critical to understand. New inmates need to understand that not every table is a safe place to sit, and if you sit in the wrong persons seat, it can create serious problems. Zoukis recommends finding someone who looks like you, and asking them about the ropes. In addition, segments of prison are racially segregated. For example, at every prison where Zoukis has been incarcerated, black inmates sit on one side of the room and the white inmates sit on the other side. Another topic covered in the book is how to avoid fights and violence. Generally, he advises being incredibly respectful but also assertive. Apologizing, being mindful of your surroundings, and being careful about how what you say may be perceived by others are good ways to avoid conflict. The System Zoukis ultimately decided to pursue a career in law. He had two mentors in prison, talented legal strategists who showed him that the law could be a force for good when applied correctly. Zoukis had witnessed events in prison that he thought were unacceptable, and saw how the law didnt apply to inmates. Prisons tend to be very lawless areas. An inmate can stab another inmate and not catch a criminal case out of it. [Whereas] If you walk up to someone in 7-Eleven, and you stab them, of course, youre going to prison, Zoukis said. Before his release from prison on Oct. 12, 2018. he was able to secure a marketing position at a criminal defense firm developing websites, writing newsletters, managing a team of writers, and performing media outreach. Zoukis also sat for the LSAT exam and applied to law school before his release. Hes now a second-year law student at the University of CaliforniaDavis, and became engaged to his longtime girlfriend on Christmas Day of 2019. Now, hes on a mission to improve the criminal justice system as someone who has lived through it. Too often, we have lawmakers, we have law enforcement, we have academics talking about criminal justice reform. The voice thats not heard are those who have been directly impacted by it, Zoukis said. UW in the News State, national and international media frequently feature the University of Wyoming and members of its community in stories. Here is a summary of some of the recent coverage: The Washington Post quoted UW law Professor Michael Duff for an article that focused on the nations essential workers who get the coronavirus on the job. Those workers have no guarantees in most states they will qualify for workers compensation to cover lost wages and medical care. The Minneapolis Star Tribune, Insurance Journal and Associated Press published similar articles. Payday Report interviewed Duff for an article, titled How Black & Brown Workers Are Redefining Strikes in the Digital COVID Age. The publication focuses on the growing impact on the national conversation about workers. A new film, titled The Powell 150, focuses on a UW-led, 1,000-mile rafting expedition down the Green and Colorado rivers last summer, according to Oars. The goal was to follow the 1869 river route of Western explorer John Wesley Powell, while raising awareness of issues affecting the Colorado River Basin during the 21st century. Oars is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service and a permitted outfitter under the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Wyoming News Now reported that UW will receive $26 million through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act for its reopening plan, according to Gov. Mark Gordon. Wind River Radio Network also published a similar article. UW reported its first case of COVID-19 among on-campus staff last week. Reporting on the announcement were The Casper Star-Tribune (CS-T), Cowboy State Daily and The Laramie Boomerang. Oil City News interviewed UW Professor Emeritus Phil Roberts about Wyomings 130th anniversary July 10 as the nations 44th state. In a CS-T article, reprinted in Coal Zoom, UW economist Rob Godby said the state could see the most substantial loss in coal production on a percentage basis since modern day coal mining began in the Powder River Basin. Sheridan Media, Wyo4News and Wyoming News Now published UWs release announcing that the UW Residence Life and Dining Services Move-In Days for new and returning students next month will follow a staggered schedule to reduce large crowds and to allow for physical distancing. UW Associate Professor Christine Porter, in a Wyoming Public Radio interview, said that the federal government has been slow to approve new laboratories to expand COVID-19 testing. KGAB Radio published UWs release noting that the universitys Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic reopened to patients in late June. The clinic has safety guidelines in place to help prevent clinic staff and patients from possible COVID-19 exposure. UW is offering an upper-level elective course this fall that focuses on the development and manufacturing of vaccines. Sheridan Media published UWs announcement on its website. KGAB Radio published UWs release noting that the universitys Jeffrey Brown and the Great Plains Institute have a new analysis that explores the planning of carbon dioxide transportation networks. UW Assistant Professor Thomas Boothby discussed with Wyoming Public Radio his research into water bears, or tardigrades, that live in water. His research will lead him into sending some samples as an experiment to the International Space Station this fall to see how they survive the stress in space. KGAB Radio also carried a similar article. WyoSports printed UWs release announcing that UW student-athlete Christie Wildcat, from Riverton, was among three students to receive the Tobin-Spitaleri Award noting the top graduating undergraduates this past year. Apathy offers an important early warning sign of dementia in individuals with cerebrovascular disease, but depression does not, new research led by the University of Cambridge suggests. Depression is often thought to be a risk factor for dementia but this may be because some depression scales used by clinicians and researchers partially assess apathy, say scientists from the universities of Cambridge, King's College London, Radboud and Oxford. The study, published on 11 July in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry is the first to examine the relationships between apathy, depression, and dementia in individuals with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). SVD may occur in one out of three elderly individuals, causes about a quarter of all strokes, and is the most common cause of vascular dementia. The team studied two independent cohorts of SVD patients, one from the UK and the other from the Netherlands.* Across both cohorts, they found that individuals with higher baseline apathy, as well as those with increasing apathy over time, had a greater risk of dementia. In contrast, neither baseline depression nor change in depression had any detectable influence on dementia risk. These findings were consistent despite variation in the severity of participants' symptoms, suggesting that they could be generalised across a broad spectrum of SVD cases. The relationship between apathy and dementia remained after controlling for other well-established risk factors for dementia including age, education, and cognition. Lead author, Jonathan Tay, from Cambridge's Department of Clinical Neurosciences said: "There has been a lot of conflicting research on the association between late-life depression and dementia. Our study suggests that may partially be due to common clinical depression scales not distinguishing between depression and apathy." Apathy, defined as a reduction in 'goal-directed behaviour', is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in SVD, and is distinct from depression, which is another symptom in SVD. Although there is some symptomatic overlap between the two, previous MRI research linked apathy, but not depression, with white matter network damage in SVD. Jonathan Tay said: "Continued monitoring of apathy may be used to assess changes in dementia risk and inform diagnosis. Individuals identified as having high apathy, or increasing apathy over time, could be sent for more detailed clinical examinations, or be recommended for treatment." Over 450 participants - all with MRI-confirmed SVD - recruited from three hospitals in South London and Radboud University's Neurology Department in the Netherlands, were assessed for apathy, depression and dementia over several years. In the UK cohort, nearly 20% of participants developed dementia, while 11% in the Netherlands cohort did, likely due to the more severe burden of SVD in the UK cohort. In both datasets, patients who later developed dementia showed higher apathy, but similar levels of depression at baseline, compared to patients who did not. The study provides the basis for further research, including the mechanisms that link apathy, vascular cognitive impairment, and dementia. Recent MRI work suggests that similar white matter networks underlie motivation and cognitive function in SVD. Cerebrovascular disease, which can be caused by hypertension and diabetes, can lead to network damage, resulting in an early form of dementia, presenting with apathy and cognitive deficits. Over time, SVD-related pathology increases, which is paralleled by increasing cognitive and motivational impairment, eventually becoming severe enough to meet criteria for a dementia state. Jonathan Tay says: "This implies that apathy is not a risk factor for dementia per se, but rather an early symptom of white matter network damage. Understanding these relationships better could have major implications for the diagnosis and treatment of patients in the future." ### Notes *The St. George's Cognition and Neuroimaging Study (SCANS) and Radboud University Nijmegen Diffusion tensor and Magnetic resonance Cohort (RUN DMC). Reference J. Tay et al., 'Apathy, but not depression, predicts all-cause dementia in cerebral small vessel disease', Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry (11 July 2020). DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-323092 Paper is open access here: https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/early/2020/07/10/jnnp-2020-323092 Competing interests: None declared. Funding This work is funded by a Priority Programme Grant from the Stroke Association (2015-02) and National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre Dementia and Neurodegeneration Theme (146281). JT is supported by a Cambridge International Scholarship from the Cambridge Trust. AMT has received a grant from the Junior Staff Member Dutch Heart Foundation (2016T044). MH is supported by a Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellowship (098282). FEdL has received the Innovational Research Incentive grant (ZonMW 016-126-351) and the Clinical established investigator Dutch Heart Foundation grant (2014T060). HSM receives infrastructural support from the NIHR Cambridge University Hospitals Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre, and is supported by an NIHR Senior Investigator Award. Contacts Tom Almeroth-Williams, Communications Manager (Research), University of Cambridge: researchcommunications@admin.cam.ac.uk / +44 (0)7540 139 444 Apathy offers an important early warning sign of dementia in individuals with cerebrovascular disease, but depression does not, new research led by the University of Cambridge suggests. Depression is often thought to be a risk factor for dementia but this may be because some depression scales used by clinicians and researchers partially assess apathy, say scientists from the universities of Cambridge, King's College London, Radboud and Oxford. The study, published on 11 July in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry is the first to examine the relationships between apathy, depression, and dementia in individuals with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). SVD may occur in one out of three elderly individuals, causes about a quarter of all strokes, and is the most common cause of vascular dementia. The team studied two independent cohorts of SVD patients, one from the UK and the other from the Netherlands. Across both cohorts, they found that individuals with higher baseline apathy, as well as those with increasing apathy over time, had a greater risk of dementia. In contrast, neither baseline depression nor change in depression had any detectable influence on dementia risk. These findings were consistent despite variation in the severity of participants' symptoms, suggesting that they could be generalised across a broad spectrum of SVD cases. The relationship between apathy and dementia remained after controlling for other well-established risk factors for dementia including age, education, and cognition. There has been a lot of conflicting research on the association between late-life depression and dementia. Our study suggests that may partially be due to common clinical depression scales not distinguishing between depression and apathy." Jonathan Tay, Lead Author, from Cambridge's Department of Clinical Neurosciences Apathy, defined as a reduction in 'goal-directed behaviour', is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in SVD, and is distinct from depression, which is another symptom in SVD. Although there is some symptomatic overlap between the two, previous MRI research linked apathy, but not depression, with white matter network damage in SVD. Jonathan Tay said: "Continued monitoring of apathy may be used to assess changes in dementia risk and inform diagnosis. Individuals identified as having high apathy, or increasing apathy over time, could be sent for more detailed clinical examinations, or be recommended for treatment." Over 450 participants - all with MRI-confirmed SVD - recruited from three hospitals in South London and Radboud University's Neurology Department in the Netherlands, were assessed for apathy, depression and dementia over several years. In the UK cohort, nearly 20% of participants developed dementia, while 11% in the Netherlands cohort did, likely due to the more severe burden of SVD in the UK cohort. In both datasets, patients who later developed dementia showed higher apathy, but similar levels of depression at baseline, compared to patients who did not. The study provides the basis for further research, including the mechanisms that link apathy, vascular cognitive impairment, and dementia. Recent MRI work suggests that similar white matter networks underlie motivation and cognitive function in SVD. Cerebrovascular disease, which can be caused by hypertension and diabetes, can lead to network damage, resulting in an early form of dementia, presenting with apathy and cognitive deficits. Over time, SVD-related pathology increases, which is paralleled by increasing cognitive and motivational impairment, eventually becoming severe enough to meet criteria for a dementia state. Jonathan Tay says: "This implies that apathy is not a risk factor for dementia per se, but rather an early symptom of white matter network damage. Understanding these relationships better could have major implications for the diagnosis and treatment of patients in the future." Foxconn Plans to Invest $1 Billion to Expand iPhone Production at Indian Factory: Reuters By Ding Yi / Jul 13, 2020 06:03 PM / World Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn plans to invest $1 billion to expand its iPhone production at a plant in southern India, Reuters reported Saturday citing two sources, as Apple quietly decouples some of its manufacturing from China amid the escalating tech war between Beijing and Washington. Theres a strong request from Apple to its clients to move part of the iPhone production out of China, one of the sources told Reuters. Production of some of Apples iPhone models, made by Foxconn in China, will shift to the Sriperumbur plant in the state of Tamil Nadu, where Apples iPhone XR is made, the source told Reuters. The planned factory expansion will create 6,000 new jobs, one of the sources said, according to Reuters. Some experts say that making more phones in India will help Apple save on import taxes and labor costs in India where iPhones are considered as a status symbol due to their high prices. Apples production shift is in line with an Indian government plan, launched last month, to offer incentives to global smartphone markers in exchange for promises of establish or expand production in the South Asian country. Apple only accounts for 1% of Indias smartphone market, Reuters reported, lagging much far behind its Chinese and South Korean rivals such as Xiaomi and Samsung. In the first quarter of 2020, Xiaomi continued to be the biggest smartphone vendor in India with a market share of 30%, followed by Chinese brand Vivo with 17% and South Koreas Samsung with 16%, according to research firm CyberMedia Research. Samsung has already said it will make smartphones for export from its plant outside New Delhi, according to the Reuters report. Contact reporter Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com) Related: Xiaomi Maintains Lead in Indias Smartphone Market, But Chinese Peers Catch Up For the first time, physicians can examine the systemic burden of inflammatory arthritis simultaneously across all joints and organ systems, using the high-sensitivity, high-resolution uEXPLORER total-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography (TB-PET/CT) scanner. Results of the first in-human TB-PET/CT scans conducted in the arthritic population were presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting. Inflammatory arthritic conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis, are considered systemic disorders, affecting the whole body. Yet current evaluation--mostly via anatomical imaging, such as x-ray or CT imaging--is conducted for only a few joints of the body, such as those of the wrist and hand. In the past, 18F-FDG PET scans have been used infrequently in this population due to spatial resolution and sensitivity limitations as well as radiation dose concerns. The total-body coverage, high resolution and high sensitivity of the TB-PET/CT scanner, however, offers new imaging options for inflammatory arthritis. "In our research, we sought to examine the feasibility of assessing glucose metabolism both in normal and diseased joint tissues across the body as a means for quantifying systemic inflammatory burden for these conditions," stated Yasser Abdelhafez, MBBCh, MSc, MD, FEBNM, a postdoctoral researcher in Abhijit Chaudhari's laboratory at the University of California, Davis, in Sacramento, California. The ongoing, prospective study enrolled 14 participants with established rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis or osteoarthritis who underwent a single-timepoint TB-PET/CT scan for 20 minutes. The participants received an injection of 75.5 MBq of 18F-FDG, which is approximately 20 percent of the conventional 18F-FDG dose. Qualitative findings and different patterns for the three conditions were analyzed. Participants with rheumatoid arthritis showed multiple, rather symmetric joint involvement, most commonly in the hands; joints of the feet appeared to be less frequently affected. Other notable features of this group included radiotracer uptake patterns consistent with inflammation of the joint synovium. All participants with psoriatic arthritis had positive findings in large joints and demonstrated multiple sites of enthesitis (inflammation where a tendon or ligament attached to a bone), which affected the tendons of the hand and fingers, including the nail beds. Osteoarthritic participants showed unilateral enhanced FDG uptake in at least one large joint (shoulder, elbow or knee), and occasionally in a few small joints of the hand and feet and the quadriceps femoris tendon. "Systemic joint evaluation of patients with inflammatory arthritis is indeed feasible with this TB-PET/CT scanner, and feasible with low radiation dose," stated Abdelhafez. "The evaluation of arthritic disease activity at all joints of the body could have direct implications for disease staging, risk stratification, treatment selection and monitoring of treatment response. Furthermore, the impact of arthritis on other tissues of the body can be studied to better understand systemic disease burden." He continued, "Total-body molecular imaging could provide currently unavailable, systemic, objective biomarkers that could help address the significant clinical challenges in managing inflammatory arthritic populations. These biomarkers may also have clear potential to accelerate arthritic drug discovery and development." This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants R01 AR076088 and R01 CA206187) and the National Psoriasis Foundation. Abstract 331. "Total-body 18F-FDG PET/CT in patients with inflammatory arthritis: initial findings using the uEXPLORER system," Yasser Abdelhafez, Nuclear Medicine Unit, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt, and Radiology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California; Heather Hunt, Mike Nguyen, Denise Caudle, Lorenzo Nardo, Ramsey Badawi and Abhijit Chaudhari, Radiology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California; Soumajyoti Sarkar, Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California; Simon Cherry, Biomedical Engineering and Radiology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California; and Siba Raychaudhuri, Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California and Sacramento Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mather, California. SNMMI's 67th Annual Meeting, July 11-14, 2020. ### All 2020 SNMMI Annual Meeting abstracts can be found online at http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/61/supplement_1.toc. About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, vital elements of precision medicine that allow diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. SNMMI's members set the standard for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine practice by creating guidelines, sharing information through journals and meetings and leading advocacy on key issues that affect molecular imaging and therapy research and practice. For more information, visit http://www.snmmi.org. Boris Johnson said there would be enough social care workers The UK's new points-based immigration is not about "slamming the gates" shut, Boris Johnson has said, promising there will be enough recruits for the social care sector. Speaking as the Government unveiled the details of the country's post-Brexit system, the Prime Minister said the UK will have a "humane and sensible" immigration system despite "taking back control" after Brexit. Asked if he thinks there will be enough people coming in to work in the social care system, the Prime Minister told reporters: "I do... We're seeing huge numbers of people registering for their right to remain and that's great so we have a big, big stock of workers who are helping out in this country who have come from abroad." Mr Johnson added: "Although of course we are going to be taking back control and we are controlling our immigration system we're not going to be simply slamming the gates and stopping anybody anywhere coming into this country." His comments come amid confusion over whether social care workers will be given a special route to working the UK as part of a new NHS visa. The points-based system announced today and outlined below gives eligible frontline workers receive fast-track entry with reduced application fees. In a written ministerial statement, Priti Patel said: "We will be introducing a new-fast track health and care visa. This will make it easier and quicker for talented global health professionals to work in our brilliant NHS and in eligible occupations in the social care sector. " Story continues However, Number 10 has since said that social care workers will not be included. Read more below. 05:13 PM That's it for today The end of Michael Gove's statement on post-Brexit border controls rounds off a rather statement-heavy day. The highlights include more details on the new points-based immigration system, accompanied with a Health and Care visa which, to the anger of some MPs, does not extend to social care workers. The document also confirmed The Daily Telegraph's exclusive story today that foreign criminal jailed for more than a year will be banned from Britain. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister urged holidaymakers to take a "staycation" this year and confirmed he would be remaining in Britain this summer. Elsewhere, ministers continued to sow confusion as to whether we should be wearing face masks in shops, although we are told the clarity is likely to be coming very shortly. Whilst Mr Johnson appears to be in favour of making them mandatory, it appears our readers disagree. According to our daily poll, 54 per cent of you believe it should be left to our discretion, compared with 38 per cent who believe it should be compulsory in enclosed spaces. Just eight per cent of readers think they should be worn in all public spaces, including outdoors. Please tune in again tomorrow from 8am. 04:43 PM No lorry park sites confirmed Former minister Damian Green raised concerns over the prospect of a permanent lorry park being developed in his constituency of Ashford. Asking for clarity from Mr Gove, he said: "He may be aware that I consider the decision to put an outbound emergency lorry park in my constituency near where several thousand new homes are being built on one side and with a large hospital nearby on the other side to be wrong-headed. "Can he confirm that when the transport minister writes to me that it is not the Government's plan to develop this area as a permanent lorry park, that that is indeed Government policy and can he let the House know what environmental impact assessment has been done for the site?" Mr Gove responded: "It is not the case that any specific site has been absolutely confirmed. We're in commercial negotiations with a number of sites and as and when they are confirmed I will let him know. It is also the case that some of the infrastructure will be temporary, some will be permanent. "But can I extend to him and all Kent Members of Parliament an opportunity to come into the Cabinet Office to discuss with me and officials the approach that we're taking." 04:38 PM Michael Gove asked for clarity on lorry parks Labour's Hilary Benn, the chairman of the Commons future EU relations committee, asked Mr Gove whether the plans to construct lorry parks to assist the post-Brexit border system would be for vehicles leaving the UK, for those entering, or both. Mr Gove does not give a straight answer, although he suggests it will be the former. "One of the most helpful things that came out of the Government's announcement was the commitment to construct new control infrastructure away from the port, away from the key pinch point and combined with the GVMS system to which he alludes this will ensure that we have the free flow of freight, none of the anticipated problems that have been mentioned," he told MPs. "As a result, this investment infrastructure will ensure we have lorries moving out of the UK to the EU with our high quality goods." 04:26 PM All systems go by 2021 Michael Gove pledged that all systems will be in place by the end of the Brexit transition period to ensure there is a fully operational border. He told MPs: "It is the case that the GVMS (Goods Vehicle Movement Service) is going to be in place, as all systems are, so that we can have a fully operational border and it is of course the case that the additional infrastructure of the 705 million we've announced will ensure that it is in place on time. "That additional infrastructure is there specifically in order to ensure that when vehicles arrive in Calais that they have passed through all the necessary checks and then they can proceed smoothly to market." 04:17 PM Michael Gove asked for assurances on Northern Ireland Rachel Reeves says that businesses need clarity on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland in order to prepare and asks Mr Gove whether a deal with the EU can be expected in the next fortnight. She adds that MPs were told to expect no fees, charges, tariffs or restrictions on goods across all sectors, adding: "It does not mean, as we had in the statement today, customs, physical checks, export declarations, a commodity code, economic operator restrictions and identification and it certainly doesn't mean a living document with guidance that changes day by day." Responding, Mr Gove said that progress had been made but there were "significant differences" between the UK negotiators and their counterparts in Brussels. 04:04 PM Border model is a 'picture of chaos', claims Labour Commenting on the new border model, Labour's Rachel Reeves said a leaked letter from International Trade Secretary Liz Truss to Michael Gove "presents a picture of chaos". Ms Reeves told MPs: "It is vital that businesses and jobs are supported and that the oven ready deal that the country was promised is delivered upon this year, and yet frankly, many of us are worried about whether the oven was even turned on. "There have been alarm bells ringing within the Cabinet this last week expressed by the Trade Secretary in her extraordinary letter to (Mr Gove) and to the Chancellor of the Exchequer written on 8 July. "The letter presents a picture of chaos, complacency and confusion right at the top of Government." 03:57 PM Three stages for new border controls Mr Gove reiterates that the new post-Brexit border controls will come in three stages up to the 31 July 2021. In the first phase from January, traders importing standard goods will have to prepare for basic customs requirements. Full customs declarations will be need for goods such as alcohol and tobacco. However, people importing these goods will have six months to make their declaration and pay tariffs on them. In the second phase starting April 2021, all products of animal origin, as well as plant products, will need pre-notification and relevant health documents. Physical checks will take place at the point of destination. In the third phase in July, traders moving all goods will have to make full customs declarations at the point of importation and pay relevant tariffs. Checks for animal and plant products will take place at border control posts in Great Britain. 03:52 PM Details on Northern Ireland will come later Mr Gove said the Government's border operating model does not cover matters relating specifically to the Northern Ireland protocol. This is because the customs arrangements for Northern Ireland are different to Great Britain. Mr Gove told MPs: "Let me reassure the House the guidance specific to Northern Ireland will be published in the coming weeks and on an ongoing basis throughout the transition period. "The actions we're taking today are an important step towards readiness for the new opportunities that Brexit can bring. It is time for our new start, time for us to embrace a new global destiny." 03:42 PM Government publishes model for new border An extra 215 million customs declarations could be required annually under new post-Brexit border controls, it is understood. Each customs form will cost about 32, HMRC has said. Despite the Brexit transition period ending this year, the full tracking of vehicle movements will also not be in place until next July. This is the first time the Government has published an operating model for the border. It runs to 206 pages, and spells out how the import and export system will work. Mr Gove said more than 700 million will be spent on building new infrastructure, hiring staff and developing technology to ensure that Britain's border systems are fully operational when the transition ends. "The publication of the border operating model is an important step which gives business the certainty and direction they need to prepare for the end of the transition period when the UK becomes an independent trading nation for the first time in nearly 50 years," he added. "We are committed to working closely with businesses and the border industry to help deliver not just a fully operational border at the end of the transition period, but also the world's most effective and secure border in the world by 2025." New border infrastructure will be built inland where there is no space at ports, while ports will get one-off financial support to ensure the right infrastructure is in place. There will be 10-12 inland sites. The funding relates only to the implementation of the GB-EU border, and the Government is expected to publish specific guidance and measures for Northern Ireland in the coming weeks. 03:37 PM Michael Gove sets out new Brexit information campaign The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is currently updating MPs on the latest Brexit developments. Today the Government is announcing two significant new initiatives: a new public information campaign to help businesses and Britons adjust to new rules and requirements after the transition period ends, and the new model for how the GB-EU border will work. Mr Gove starts by reiterating that the UK has ruled out any extension of the transition period, and that Brussels has accepted this. He says that as the UK embarks on "the next chapter of our history", it will take back control in key areas, as well as building a new trading relationship with the EU as well as countries such as the US, Japan or Australia. However, with ministers insisting the UK will be leaving the single market and customs union regardless of the deal reached, he says there is a need for the public and businesses to begin preparing for the changes due to take effect next year. 03:26 PM Ministers under pressure over resumption of arm sales to Saudi Arabia Labour's shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry has called for the Government to publish the assessment into the decision to allow arms sales to Saudi Arabia that could be used in the conflict with Yemen. However, Greg Hands, the international trade minister, told MPs that confidentiality of intelligence means the Government will not publish the assessments. He said: "She asked for a full analysis of each incident. Clearly those different incidents that took place in Yemen will be informed often by confidential information that comes to the Government not necessarily from Saudi Arabia. "It would not be appropriate for us to publish those assessments. "What we have published however is the consolidated criteria and also the quarterly lists of each licence that has been granted." 02:50 PM Government has 'every support' for care sector, says minister The Government ensures "every support" for the care sector - but immigration should not be used as an alternative to proper pay and training, a minister has said. Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds challenged Home Office minister Kevin Foster over the new points-based immigration system, after it emerged that social care workers would not be included in the new health and care visa. Mr Thomas-Symonds, the MP for Torfaen, said he was "disappointed if unfortunately not shocked" at their exclusion, adding: "After the Prime Minister accused care workers of not following the guidance on Covid-19 and now this, can the Home Secretary please answer a simple question: What does the Government have against care workers?" Mr Foster, the MP for Torbay, replied: "We have every support for our care workers and senior care workers will qualify under the new points-based system." He stressed the "vision for the social care sector is not to carry on looking abroad to recruit at or near the minimum wage when we need to prioritise jobs here in this country." Mr Foster added: "We are engaging regularly with the care sector, we're listening to what they said, but our priority is that these jobs should be valued, rewarded and trained for, not immigration be an alternative to that." 02:43 PM Government treating social care sector as 'second class citizens', associations claim The Government's decision to exclude social care workers from its new immigration rules is further proof of how the sector is treated as "second class citizens", associations have claimed. Vic Rayner, executive director of the National Care Forum, said the system being brought forward "does not recognise the skills of those workers, and indeed the huge commitment and contribution of staff from around the world who are today involved in the delivery of care to millions of UK citizens". She added: "We need to ensure that those workers continue to feel welcome, and to be able to bring their skills and expertise." Mark Adams, chief executive of Community Integrated Care, warned there was already a shortage of 122,000 workers in social care in the UK. He said: "Clearly the biggest opportunity to build the workforce capacity that the care sector desperately needs is by recruiting from within this country - this simply will not be possible so long as social care remains, largely, a minimum wage sector due to the restricted funding that care providers receive." Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said excluding social care workers was "another example of the way in which the Government treats social care staff as second class citizens". He added: "There will be a continuing need for overseas staff, until the Government delivers a proper workforce strategy for social care and also the money required to give the staff the salaries and conditions they richly deserve." 02:30 PM Home Office minister defends social care health surcharge from Labour attacks A Home Office minister has been forced to defend the Government's new immigration system after it emerged that social care workers would not be included in the NHS visa. Yvette Cooper, the Labour MP who chairs the Home Affairs Committee, said not exempting those frontline workers from the health surcharge would cost them "thousands of pounds". Fellow Labour MP Rushanara Ali said it was "an insult to their sacrifices" made during the coronavirus crisis, saying: "The fact that the Government is taking so long to implement the promise that the Prime Minister made is an added insult." Home Office minister Kevin Foster responded: "Refund payments have already started and we are imminent to implement the new health and care visa which will see those under it exempt. So work is continuing and to be clear, the health surcharge is about creating resources for the NHS and has supported the NHS. "But we've announced this policy and we're driving it forward." The new health and care visa would be brought in "significantly before" January 1 next year. He told the Commons: "The details published this morning relate to the new system beyond January 1 (2021), however to be clear, we will refund those who've paid it since March 31, not just since the time when the Prime Minister made the announcement. "And we expect to bring in the new health and care visa significantly before January 1 and we're planning actually before October 1 to have it in place and that means people will therefore applying for that will not have to pay the surcharge." 02:22 PM Young people and women could be disproportionately affected by immigration system Young people and women could be disproportionately affected by the Government's new immigration rules, according to an equality impact assessment. The salary threshold for skilled workers is due to be lowered from 30,000 to 25,600 under the new plan, but migrants will still need to be paid the higher of the occupational specific salary threshold and the general salary threshold. The Home Office assessment of the new points-based system - which is due to come into force on January 1 after freedom of movement ends - said younger workers both from within and outside the European Economic Area (EEA) could be particularly affected. It said: "The skills and salary thresholds may have a particular impact on younger EEA workers and, although they broaden out the route for non-EEA citizens, may continue to have an impact on younger non-EEA workers." But it added: "Although setting the salary threshold at the proposed levels may impact on certain age groups, the Government considers it is justified in order to protect the level of wages earned in the UK and to ensure that migrants are able to support themselves without relying on public funds." The continued existence of the gender pay gap means more women than men could struggle to meet the minimum salary required, the report added. 02:16 PM Employers should train and invest domestic workers, says minister mployers should focus on improving the skills of their workforce rather than relying on immigrant labour, the Home Officer minister has said. Kevin Foster said while the proposed points-based immigration system would still allow businesses to attract the "brightest and the best from around the world" the onus would be on businesses to upskill UK resident workers. During Home Office questions, Tory MP Lee Anderson (Ashfield) asked for assurances the Government would implement a "firm but fair" immigration system while ensuring "British jobs for British workers." Responding for the Government, Mr Foster said: "The points-based system will support our wider economic strategy by encouraging investment in the domestic UK workforce while ensuring that businesses can still attract the brightest and the best from the around the world." He added: "We want employers to focus on training and investing in our domestic workforce, driving productivity and improving opportunities for resident workers with immigration policy being a part of, not an alternative to our strategy for the UK labour market." 02:00 PM After 100 days, Keir Starmer needs to offer voters more than 'not being Jeremy Corbyn' The new Labour leader has been in place for 100 days. After several years under Jeremy Corbyn, Sir Keir Starmer is a breath of fresh air - but a sense of relief will not be enough to win back former supporters. With the moderate, centrist, sensible Sir Keir now at the helm, Tom Harris wonders: had Starmer rather than Corbyn been leader in the last five years, would he have resigned in the first place? And the honest answer is no. 01:50 PM Government missed at least half of all test targets, says fact-checking charity Full Fact, the fact-checking charity, has offered a fairly bruising assessment of the Government's targets when it has come to testing. Three of the six targets were missed, but questions have been raised over the targets that were met including when the target was set, and how the Government is defining its parameters. The government set itself six targets on Covid-19 testing. Here's how they did https://t.co/0rhQRfktDq pic.twitter.com/XTbc3P9ptT Full Fact (@FullFact) July 13, 2020 The full details can be found on Full Fact's website here. 01:41 PM Further 11 people die with coronavirus: NHS England A further 11 people who tested positive for the coronavirus have died in English hospitals, NHS has confirmed. That brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 29,077. Patients were aged between 72 and 95 years old, and all had known underlying health conditions. There were no deaths recorded in the East of England, the South East and the South West, while there was one death in London and two in the Midlands. The North East and Yorkshire was the worst-affected region, with six deaths recorded. 01:37 PM Priti Patel answering questions in the Commons Priti Patel is now answering regular Home Office questions in the Commons, which starts with questions about domestic abuse. There are some opportunities for MPs to quiz her about the new points-based immigration system, however, which seems likely given Labour's reaction so far. Shame on the Government. Their new 'Health and Care Visa' excludes social care workers. After months of publicly clapping for carers, last week the PM blamed them for COVID deaths and now tells them they're not welcome to live and work here. Outrageous. Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (@DrRosena) July 13, 2020 01:34 PM Face masks won't save Britain's economy Will they? Won't they? Boris Johnson has promised an answer on whether face masks are going to become mandatory this week, and despite Michael Gove's best efforts it seems likely that is where we are headed. Of course the real challenge is not whether or not we should all be going about our business looking like extras from a Ninja movie. Its whether people can be convinced to cross the thresholds of Primark or Pizza Express once again. As Alexandra Phillips writes, the mask debate is really a mask for a broader economic one. 01:20 PM Government poised for 'biggest flu vaccination programme in history' says minister The Government has procured enough vaccine to roll out the "biggest flu vaccination programme in history", the Health Secretary has said. Matt Hancock said planning was already under way for dealing with the expected surge in demand on the NHS due to seasonal pressures over winter, including flu. Speaking at the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) virtual conference on Monday, Mr Hancock said that following the coronavirus outbreak he was expecting high demand for flu jabs over winter. But he said enough vaccine had already been procured for the "biggest flu vaccine programme in history", but added it would be a "big task". "We all know that having had an incredibly hard six months the next big moment is as winter approaches," he said. "We are currently planning in detail for winter. We are expecting high demand. We want the flu vaccine programme to be the biggest flu vaccine programme in history. We have procured enough vaccine to be able to deliver on that, but then it's a big task." 01:02 PM Watch: Boris Johnson says face masks 'should be worn' in shops Boris Johnson attempted to clarify the Government's position on face masks today, after he appeared to be contradicted by one of his ministers over the weekend. The Prime Minister had said on Friday that he was minded to make the rules "stricter", hinting that coverings would be made compulsory for people going into shops and other enclosed spaces. However Michael Gove yesterday suggested otherwise. Watch what the Prime Minister had to say today and decide for yourself which way the wind is blowing - then have your say in our poll, if you haven't already. 12:55 PM What are the latest rules for socialising? How many households can meet up in a public spaces in Wales? Or what about an indoor spot in Scotland? If the latest lockdown guidelines are proving hard to follow, fear not. All the most up-to-date guidance, for each of the four nations, is below. 12:48 PM Government's social care decision attacked by Age UK An Age UK boss has also attacked the Government's decision not to include social care workers in the new health and care visa. Despite the document published by the Home Secretary this morning saying that "eligible" social care workers would qualify (11:28am), a subsequent Number 10 briefing suggested that was not the case (12:29pm). Caroline Abrahams, charity director for Age UK, said this was "patently the wrong decision", saying the "prudent approach" would be to allow firms to recruit EU workers for the next three-to-five year "at least". @age_uk thinks this is patently the wrong decision. Reforming and refinancing care will take time, if it happens at all, so the prudent approach would be to keep the door open to EU based social care staff at all levels for 3-5 years at least. https://t.co/mKaxlEuPEd Caroline Abrahams (@Car_Abrahams) July 13, 2020 12:37 PM Boss of biggest trade union retires after 20 years The leader of the UK's biggest trade union will stand down at the end of the year after 20 years in the role. Dave Prentis, who has been general secretary of Unison since 2001, is to retire on December 31, when his term of office ends. Mr Prentis said: "As the health crisis turns to an economic crisis, I will be here to continue to lead Unison until the end of this year. There's much still to do - holding the Government to account for its handling of the pandemic, ensuring proper funding for our public services and a decent pay rise for all their hardworking employees." A timetable for electing his successor will be agreed by the union's national executive by the end of the month. 12:36 PM Lord Timble: Boris Johnson cannot allow his Brexit deal to rip up the Good Friday Agreement The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, together with the abuse and misuse of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA), has been used as the Trojan Horse by which the EU has sought to undermine the UK's attempt to gain back sovereignty, Lord Trimble writes for the Telegraph today. It is important that in the final deliberations the Government steels itself to remove the unacceptable concessions made on the GFA and the damage done to the UK's aim to take back control from Brussels in the Withdrawal Agreement. 12:20 PM Labour blasts Government over social care immigration rule Labour's shadow home secretary has blasted the Government for not recognising care workers as skilled, after it emerged that those employed in the sector would not qualify for health visa in new post-Brexit immigration plans. Despite the new points-based immigration system saying that "eligible" frontline workers, Downing Street confirmed earlier today that social care workers would not be included (12:29pm). Nick Symonds-Thomas tweeted: "What does this Government have against care workers? The latest papers on the proposed immigration system confirm that the Tories do not consider carers as skilled workers. Have they learned nothing from this crisis? We will be seeking urgent clarification on this." What does this Government have against care workers? The latest papers on the proposed immigration system confirm that the Tories do not consider carers as skilled workers. Have they learned nothing from this crisis? We will be seeking urgent clarification on this. https://t.co/VHnPVmCt9a Nick Thomas-Symonds MP (@NickTorfaen) July 13, 2020 11:53 AM Our fearful leaders are failing to stand up to the radical woke minority How is it that a minority of extreme activists can dictate to politicians, broadcasters, universities, firms and the wider world what can and cannot be said, and who can and cannot say it? Why do they get to determine the true meaning of words written or spoken by others? The answer, according to Nick Timothy, comes from an old political thinker. An organised minority, Gaetano Mosca once said, inevitably forces its will upon the disorganised majority. 11:49 AM No new coronavirus deaths in Scotland for fifth day in a row, says Nicola Sturgeon No new coronavirus deaths have been reported in Scotland for the fifth day in a row, Nicola Sturgeon has announced. The First Minister told the Scottish Government's coronavirus briefing 2,490 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for Covid-19, no change on Wednesday's figure. She said 18,365 people have tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by six from 18,359 on Sunday. This follows 19 new cases on Sunday, of which 12 were in Glasgow. Of those, seven related to a single care home, and those who were found to have the virus were asymptomatic. Speaking at the briefing, Ms Sturgeon said: "That is being looked at in much greater detail and all necessary follow up tests, checks and precautions are being undertaken." The First Minister did not say which care home the cases were from, nor did she say if it was residents or members of staff who had tested positive. 11:47 AM Wales makes face masks mandatory on public transport Face coverings will be mandatory on public transport in Wales from July 27, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said. He told a press conference in Cardiff: "Public transport moves across our porous border with England. There, the use of face coverings is mandatory on public transport. "And for the sake of simplicity and consistency, as well as being part of our plan to help reduce the risk of transmissions while on public transport where it is not possible to maintain a two-metre physical distance, it will become mandatory in Wales." It has been mandatory to wear face masks on public transport in England since mid-June; however Boris Johnson is under pressure to extend that to include shops. 11:35 AM Labour demands clarity over Government's face mask position Labour has asked the Government for urgent clarity on over whether face masks should be mandatory after "conflicting statements" from ministers. On Friday Boris Johnson hinted that a rule change was in the pipeline, suggesting it was time for "stricter" measures - something he has reiterated today. However yesterday Michael Gove said they should not be made mandatory. Jonathan Ashworth, Labours shadow health secretary, has written to Matt Hancock, asking which is the Government's official position. He wrote: Conflicting advice and conflicting statements from the Government only hinder our fight against the virus. Clear communication is vital in combatting the spread of Covid-19. For the public to know that they are doing the right thing in shops, restaurants and other crowded places, I am asking that you urgently set out the position on face coverings. As lockdown rules are further relaxed this week, it is vital that updated guidance on this issue is published by the Government without delay. 11:29 AM Lobby latest: Social care workers will not qualify for NHS visa Downing Street has said that social care workers would not be able to take advantage of the new NHS visa. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "We want employers to invest more in training and development for care workers in this country. "On care workers specifically, our independent migration advisers have said that immigration is not the sole answer here, which is why we have provided councils with an additional 1.5 billion of funding for social care in 2021/22, as well as launching a new recruitment campaign." Existing European Union workers in the care sector could apply to stay in the UK through the settlement scheme "and a very large number have done so", the spokesman said. "Those people will remain in the UK providing really important care to the elderly and the vulnerable." 11:25 AM Prime Minister encourages people to take staycation this year Boris Johnson has said he will take a "staycation" this year, and encouraged people to holiday at home. "I think this is a great, great year for people to have a staycation. This country is uniquely blessed with fantastic places to holiday, whether coastal or otherwise," the Prime Minister told reporters during a visit to the London Ambulance Service. "And I am certainly going to be doing that, but I won't necessarily tell you where at this stage. "Obviously if people feel the need for a foreign holiday then that's completely a matter for them, I totally understand it, but there are fantastic, fantastic places, peerless, wonderful, superlative places in the UK to go on holiday and that's certainly what I will be doing." 11:23 AM White supremacist group Feuerkrieg Division banned by Government A white supremacist terrorist group which supports violent race war and targets young people has been banned by the Government. Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked Parliament for permission to proscribe Feuerkrieg Division, which the Government says was founded in late 2018 and operates across North America and Europe. Ms Patel said: "This vile white supremacist group advocates violence and seeks to sow division, targeting young and vulnerable people online. "I am determined to do everything I can to stop the spread of extreme ideologies that encourage and glorify terrorism, which is why I have taken action to proscribe this group." 11:22 AM Lobby latest: Downing Street defends migrant crossing response Downing Street defended its response to migrants crossing the English Channel, after this weekend saw a new record reached. As reported earlier (9:57am), at least 180 migrants were able to cross the English Channel to the UK on Sunday, according to the Home Office. But Number 10 has insisted authorities are working hard to stamp out the problem, with 259 arrests and 101 convictions for the offence of people-smuggling itself so far this year. "Last year there were 418 arrests made, which led to 203 convictions and a total of 437 years in prison," the Prime Minister's official spokesman said. "We have been working very closely with the French to stop the illegal channel crossings," he added. "The French government and others have been clearing migrant camps, patrolling beaches, and have stopped over 1,000 migrant crossings this year." Officials insisted that migrants were returned back across the Channel "wherever possible". 11:14 AM Lobby latest: Formal review in masks underway as UK ups domestic production capability A formal review is under way into whether masks should be made mandatory in public places in England, while work is undertaken to produce face masks domestically, the Government has said. Boris Johnson has in recent days appeared ready to back a shift towards making face masks mandatory in enclosed spaces. However this was contradicted by Michael Gove during an interview yesterday. The Number 10 official said today: "A formal review is taking place and we will be discussing it with scientific advisers this week and setting out a final position in the next few days." Asked whether there is new evidence behind Boris Johnson's thinking, the spokesman said: "I've always said we would keep this under review and so have the experts who advise the Government." It comes as the UK invests "significantly increasing our capacity to manufacture face masks in the UK", according to Downing Street. "Lord (Theodore) Agnew is leading a drive to ensure we have face masks manufacturing ability and to increase production of PPE," the spokesman added. 11:10 AM Lobby latest: Work from home guidance under review Number 10 said the current work from home guidance is under review after Boris Johnson encouraged employees last week to go back to work where they could. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "What the advice says is that employers should decide in consultation with their workers whether it is viable for them to continue working from home. "Where it is decided that workers should come in to their place of work, then this will need to be reflected in the risk assessment and actions taken to manage to risk of transmission. "The PM set out on Friday that if you're obeying the guidelines, and provided it is safe, then you should look to go back to work." Asked whether the guidelines would be updated, the spokesman said: "The guidance we have is under review but it does say employers and employees should discuss and agree working arrangements to best suit the needs of the business." 11:07 AM Lobby latest: Huawei stance to be made public 'as soon as possible' Downing Street said any change to the Government's stance on Huawei would be presented to Parliament "as soon as possible". The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "I think we've said we will be in a position to say more on the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) review into the impact of the US sanctions soon, and we've also said that if there is a change in the Government's position then we would deliver an update to Parliament as soon as possible. "What the NCSC review is looking at is the possible impact of the US sanctions and they will have studied exactly what they entail and looked at all the relevant parts of the UK's communication network to see if they are affected." The spokesman said he was not going to "pre-empt" the review's findings, when asked about BT's warning that it would take more than a decade to remove Huawei entirely from the UK's network. 10:59 AM New immigration system 'not simply slamming the gates', Prime Minister promises Boris Johnson has said the UK will have a "humane and sensible" immigration system despite "taking back control" after Brexit. Asked if he thinks there will be enough people coming in to work in the social care system, the Prime Minister told reporters: "I do. "Don't forget, one of the amazing things we've seen in the last few months is actually there are more EU nationals, I'm proud to say, living and working in this country than we even thought. "We're seeing huge numbers of people registering for their right to remain and that's great so we have a big, big stock of workers who are helping out in this country who have come from abroad. "Although of course we are going to be taking back control and we are controlling our immigration system we're not going to be simply slamming the gates and stopping anybody anywhere coming into this country. "Where people can contribute to this country, where people want to make their lives and do great things for this country, of course we're going to have a humane and sensible system." 10:55 AM Brussels rules out renegotiating 'poison pill' Brexit treaty Brussels has ruled out renegotiating the Brexit treaty after the European Research Group of MPs branded it a "poison pill for UK sovereignty". A 120-page report compiled by pro-Leave MPs and lawyers states that exiting the transition period with the current provisions of the agreement in place would have "crippling" consequences for the UK and prevent the country from becoming a "fully sovereign state". Mark Francois, the ERG chairman, said the remaining elements of the Withdrawal Agreement, particularly the continued role of the European Court of Justice after transition "cannot be allowed to stand as they are". But today a European Commission spokesman said: "The Withdrawal Agreement is already in force and we are now dedicating all our efforts to agree our new partnership with the UK. "We are not renegotiating the Withdrawal Agreement. We are negotiating our future partnership with the United Kingdom." News to surprise no-one - Brussels won't renegotiate the Withdrawal Agreement even though the European Research Group (which voted for it) wants its too. 1/ James Crisp (@JamesCrisp6) July 13, 2020 10:42 AM Government should 'just raise pay' of social care now The new points-based immigration system is unlikely to affect the NHS - but salaries in social care must rise, the former chair of the Migration Advisory Committee has said. Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, has just revealed the details of the scheme, which include a fast-track visa for eligible occupations in the health and social care. Alan Manning, professor of economics at the London School of Economics, told the Today programme that new plans to include an "NHS visa" for health care workers was "probably a good idea, but not really game-changing for those sectors", because the relatively high salary meant most jobs would come above the new salary threshold for overseas workers. "The health care sector is predicted to be the least affected because most jobs are eligible anyway," he said. "The NHS, although people worry about it a lot because it is incredibly important sector, is not predicted to see a big impact [from the new immigration system]. However there was a "really serious problem" in social care because "they just don't offer competitive pay and other conditions," he said, noting there were "plenty of [British] people able to do those jobs but they don't want to ." He added: "They need to find the money to pay those workers properly... Of course, it's quite easy to say these workers deserve to be paid more - its a bit harder to find that money." But Prof Manning noted that the Government was "spending money hand over fist in all sorts of areas", concluding they should "just raise their pay now". Priti Patel 10:32 AM PM to make face masks announcement 'in next few days' Boris Johnson has said the Government will make an announcement "in the next few days" on whether face coverings should be mandatory in shops. "They have a great deal of value in confined spaces where you're coming into contact with people you don't normally meet," the Prime Minister told reporters during a visit to the London Ambulance Service. "The scientific evaluation of face coverings and their importance on stopping aerosol droplets, that's been growing, so I do think that in shops it is very important to wear a face covering if you're going to be in a confined space and you want to protect other people and receive protection in turn. "Yes, face coverings, I think people should be wearing in shops, and in terms of how we do that - whether we will be making that mandatory or not - we will be looking at the guidance, we will be saying a little bit more in the next few days." What do you think? Have your say in the poll below 10:28 AM 'Eigible' social care workers can use NHS visa, says Home Secretary Eligible workers in the social care sector will be able to access the so-called NHS visa, enabling them to circumvent some of the requirements of the UK's new points-based immigration system, Priti Patel has confirmed. The Home Secretary said the new system would "encourage employers to invest in the domestic UK workforce, rather than simply relying on labour from abroad", while also attract "the best and brightest" where we have skills gaps. She added: "We will be introducing a new-fast track health and care visa. This will make it easier and quicker for talented global health professionals to work in our brilliant NHS and in eligible occupations in the social care sector. The visa fee will be reduced and health professionals applying can expect a decision on whether they can work in the UK within just three weeks, following biometric enrolment. "We will exempt frontline workers in the health and social care sector and wider health workers from the requirement to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge." The Government is also "refining" the visa process for students and launching a graduate route next summer, the statement said, adding: "The student route will be streamlined for sponsoring institutions and applicants, and the graduate route will help retain the brightest and the best students to contribute to the UK post-study." 10:21 AM Health and care visa to provide fast-track entry for doctors and nurses The Home Office has just published a new written ministerial statement setting out further details of the UK's post-immigration status. It includes the health and care visa announced by Priti Patel over the weekend, which will be incorporated into the new points-based immigration system under the "Skilled Worker" route. Under the new scheme, frontline staff from overseas will be given fast-track entry to the UK, with reduced application fees. They and their families will also be exempt from paying the immigration health surcharge. It also flags that anyone already in the UK who has been sentenced to a year or more in prison "must be considered for deportation". "Where the 12-month criminality deportation threshold is not met, a foreign criminal will still be considered for deportation where it is conducive to the public good, including where they have serious or persistent criminality," it says. "For EU citizens who are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement or the UK's domestic implementation of the withdrawal agreements, the tougher UK criminality thresholds will apply to conduct committed after the end of the transition period. "The EU public policy, public security or public health test will continue to apply to their conduct committed before the end of the transition period." 10:12 AM Leicester's infection rate is not falling steadily Leicester's rate of new Covid-19 cases has fallen from its recent peak, but is not declining steadily, the latest data suggests. The equivalent of 115.4 cases per 100,000 people were detected in the seven days to July 9, according to the latest figures from NHS England. This is down slightly on 119.9 cases per 100,000 people in the previous seven days to July 2. Rolling data for the seven-day rate of new cases in the city shows a peak of 159.1 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to June 25. Since then the seven-day rate has gone down, though it is not dropping steadily. For example, the rate jumped from 115.1 for the seven days to July 4 to 127.5 for the seven days to July 5. 09:32 AM Immigration document: what to expect With the latest details of the post-Brexit immigration system due to be published shortly, The Telegraph's Charles Hymas has a detailed preview of what we can expect... Foreign criminals sentenced to more than a year in jail will be banned from Britain under new immigration rules. Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, will on Monday set out details of the points-based system which will replace freedom of movement from January 1. The 130-page document will abolish the route into the UK for unskilled migrants and instead award points to applicants if they have skilled job offers, speak English and meet minimum salary thresholds. The new system will mean that EU citizens, including criminals, will be treated in the same way as migrants from the rest of the world with businesses expected to do more to recruit British workers and end their reliance on cheap foreign labour. And it will give the Government powers to exclude or deport any foreign criminal who has received a prison sentence of more than a year. You can read more here. 08:57 AM Record migrant crossings on Sunday At least 180 migrants were able to cross the English Channel to the UK on Sunday - a new single day record. They were among more than 380 migrants who attempted the crossing, the Home Office confirmed on Monday morning. More than 200 migrants were intercepted by the French and prevented from reaching the UK. 08:38 AM A pint at Wetherspoon to get even cheaper ... thanks to the Sunak Special The Pub giant is to reduce prices on meals and drinks following the decision to cut VAT on food, coffee and soft drinks. It even produced posters praising the Chancellor. Messages including Sunak's Specials and Dishi Rishi will be displayed alongside details of lower prices on some drinks and food following the decision to reduce VAT from 20% to 5%. The company said it will fully pass on the tax cut to its customers from Wednesday, including real ale, coffee, soft drinks, breakfasts and other food. Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said: Wetherspoon has campaigned for tax equality between pubs, restaurants and supermarkets for many years. Supermarkets pay no VAT on food sales and pubs pay 20%. Supermarkets pay about two pence per pint of business rates and pubs pay about 20 pence. These tax differences have helped supermarkets to subsidise their selling prices of beer, wine and spirits, enabling them to capture about half of pubs' beer sales, for example, in the past forty years. A VAT reduction will help pubs and restaurants reverse this trend - creating more jobs, helping high streets and eventually generating more tax income for the Government. 08:02 AM Local lockdowns running at a hundred per week, Matt Hancock reveals More than 100 outbreaks of coronavirus are happening each week, Matt Hancock has revealed, as it emerged door-to-door testing will be used increasingly to contain localised infections. Writing for The Telegraph, the Health Secretary said many outbreaks were being dealt with swiftly and silently, through small lockdowns and new testing regimes such as portable walk-in centres. Read the full story here. 07:59 AM Have your say on: face masks The value of face masks has been debated at length, and increasingly it seems the UK is an outlier, with coverings now mandatory in some public spaces in an estimated 120 countries, including Scotland. Boris Johnson even suggested rules should become "stricter" on Friday, as he urged people to go back to work if they could. But yesterday Michael Gove signalled that the decision would still be left to the individual. But what do you think? Have your say in the poll below. 07:54 AM Face masks should be mandatory in shops, says Sage adviser Face coverings should be mandatory in shops, according to the president of the Royal Society and Sage adviser. Dr Venki Ramakrishnan told Good Morning Britain that the evidence on face coverings has "shifted", and was "now quite strongly in favour of using face coverings in enclosed spaces where we're likely to come into contact with strangers". The Sage expert said the Government was not being consistent, with one rule for public transport and another for public spaces, saying: "The behaviour of the virus is the same in all of these spaces." He added: "Scotland made it mandatory and it's not been a problem in Scotland. People have, since last week, been going about their business, going shopping, it gives people confidence. "I should also point out that the best way to revive our economy is to prevent repeated disruptive lockdowns, these are disruptive economically but they're also disruptive psychologically. "The more tools we can throw at the problem to avoid disruptive lockdowns the better off we are in reviving our economy." 07:49 AM Face masks could become mandatory, Robert Buckland says Robert Buckland has said he believes face masks should become "mandatory perhaps", noting the position is under "careful and daily review". On Friday Boris Johnson suggested coverings could be made mandatory. However yesterday Michael Gove said this was not the Government's thinking. Asked which side of the debate he stood, the Justice Secretary told the Today programme he erred towards allowing people to use their "good sense", but kept the door open to future rule changes. "If it becomes necessary to nudge people further then of course we will consider that," he said, noting that had been the case with public transport. "We will follow the evidence and take a considered decision," he added. "It is under careful and daily review." 07:46 AM 'National security comes first' on Huawei, says Robert Buckland Robert Buckland has said it is "right to review" the decision on Huawei's involvement in the UK's technological infrastructure, saying the Government will prioritise national security above economic interests. The Justice Secretary told the Today programme he would "note with interest" what the boss of BT has said about possible outages stemming from stripping Huawei from the telecoms network too quickly (8:05am), agreeing there were "massive practical considerations here". But he added: "We had taken view that it was important for us to be ahead and develop technologically as quickly as possible... we want to race ahead and have the best form of internet connectivity we can, because it means more as a country we are more competitive economically, and brings greater quality of life to our citizens. "But at the same time national security comes first." 07:39 AM Shop workers 'should not be police' on face masks, says Waterstone's boss Shop workers "should not be the police" of people wearing face masks, the boss of Waterstone's book chain has said. James Daunt told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that asking customers to wear a mask was a "reasonable measure". But he added: "There will be a tiny, tiny minority of people who will be confrontational over it and it is not the position of shop workers to enter into that situation. "And indeed, we would ask our shop workers not to confront someone who is stealing from us, for example. We would call the police. "We shouldn't put ourselves in confrontational positions, but I think we can, as retailers, if we are requested to do so, clearly tell everybody it is a sensible thing to do." 07:37 AM 'Sexist' beauty salon rules mean reopening might not be worth it Beauty salons, nail bars, massage studios, skin piercing services, physical therapy businesses and spas will be allowed to reopen from today. But the Governments sexist rules regarding beauty salons mean it is not financially viable for some of them to reopen, therapists have claimed. Read the full story here. 07:32 AM Nicola Sturgeon tweets independence threat over state aid story First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has tweeted a link to an FT report suggesting Boris Johnson is "setting up a clash with Scotland and Wales over control of state aid". She wrote: "Make no mistake, this would be a full scale assault on devolution - a blatant move to erode the powers of the Scottish Parliament in key areas. If the Tories want to further boost support for independence, this is the way to do it." The article suggests the new legislation, which will give Westminster statutory powers to control policies for the entire UK, could appear in a bill this autumn laying the legal foundations of a new internal market. Make no mistake, this would be a full scale assault on devolution - a blatant move to erode the powers of the Scottish Parliament in key areas. If the Tories want to further boost support for independence, this is the way to do it. https://t.co/Gt2b3W7X05 Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) July 13, 2020 07:20 AM 'Too early to say' if points-based immigration system will affect care sector It is "too early to say" that the post-Brexit immigration system will disadvantage the care sector, a Cabinet minister has said ahead of further details of the new approach. Robert Buckland, the Justice Secretary, told Sky News the UK's new points-based system would be "flexible" and that ministers would listen to those working in the sector to ensure "adjustments" can be made. It comes amid fears that the sector could struggle to fill roles, which fall below the salary threshold for overseas workers, at a critical point for social care. "It is too early to say this system will somehow disadvantage the care sector," he added. "We will be listening carefully to what is being said and ensure there is the flexibility to make adjustments for need as it rises." Mr Buckland noted that the sector had responded to the "recruitment challenge" during the pandemic, adding: "We are going to be basing [the system] on evidence and information from various sectors." 07:15 AM People should use common sense on face masks, says Justice Secretary The Government wants people to "come to their own judgements" on face masks, Robert Buckland has said. The Justice Secretary echoed Michael Gove's comments yesterday, saying it was a "courtesy" to other people to wear face masks, particularly ahead of the end of shielding this month. But on Friday, Boris Johnson heavily hinted that it would be made mandatory, using his People's PMQs to talk about the need for "stricter" rules to be deployed. In total, 120 countries including Scotland are now making face coverings compulsory in certain public spaces. Mr Buckland told Sky News: "I wear a face masks in an enclosed space... I carry one with me. "It is important I do my bit to not only prevent inadvertent transmission but also to reassure people that the space is as safe as possible." But he added: "People need to be trusted to come to their own judgements. Common sense is underestimated at our peril." 07:05 AM Britain faces outages if Huawei stripped from telecoms network in less than 10 years, BT boss warns Britain could face outages if the Government removes Huawei entirely from the UK's telecommunications network in less than a decade, BT has warned. Philip Jansen, chief executive of the telecoms giant, told the Today programme it would be "impossible" to remove Huawei entirely from the UK's telecommunication network "in under 10 years". He suggested it would require a minimum of five years but "ideally" no less than seven, he added. "If we get in a situation where things need to go very fast, then we go into a situation where service for 24 million BT Group mobile customers is put into question - outages would be possible. "Secondly the security and safety in the short-term could be put at risk - this is really critical here. "If you are not able to buy or transact with Huawei that would mean you wouldn't be able to get software upgrades if you take it to its specificity." He said there was a danger that "accelerating the rip-out" of Huawei from the 5G network meant that time was not putting effort into extending the service provision across the country. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden is expected to make a statement on Tuesday over the future of Huawei in the UK. 06:58 AM Leicester lockdown has shone "intense" light on modern-day slavery, says minister The lockdown in Leicester has shone "intense" light on modern-day slavery, the Justice Secretary has said, urging the wider community to "call it out" so authorities can act. This weekend Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said he believes as many as 10,000 people could be working in slave-like conditions in textile factories in Leicester. Mr Buckland told Sky News: "A light has now been shone on an appalling litany of abuse and I'm glad to hear that the National Crime Agency (NCA) is now conducting an investigation, its got a lot of power to bring in various agencies to start the work of an investigation into this. "Modern-day slavery is all around us, its in every town and city in Britain and indeed in our rural areas as well, it takes many forms. "This type of exploitation, people being paid well below under the minimum wage, having to work in unacceptable conditions, that sort of abuse has to be stamped out, it has to be examined, we have to follow the evidence and prosecute wherever possible." He added: "What has happened with modern slavery is that we've legislated on it, we've improved the response of the agencies and the authorities to it, but now its up to all of us in our communities to identify it, call it out and to do everything we can to stamp it out. "This is not a job that's going to take weeks, it's going to take a long time but I welcome the investigation." The Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Platform on Good Governance, led by NORSAAC, has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to provide face masks to all citizens, who report to registration centres to get their names on the electoral list. The group also called on political parties to advise their agents to adhere to the COVID-19 safety protocols to ensure that the registration centres did not become breeding grounds for the disease. This formed part of the CSOs Platform on Good Governance preliminary observation report on the ongoing voter registration exercise from the northern part of the country. The report was signed by Alhaji Alhassan Mohammed Awal, Chief Convener of CSOs Platform on Good Governance, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Tamale on Monday. CSOs Platform on Good Governance dispatched a team of observers to 30 registration centres in six constituencies across three regions during the first and second phases of the ongoing voter registration exercise. The team observed the exercise at Sagnarigu, Tamale Central, Tamale North and Tamale South Constituencies in the Northern Region, Damongo and Yapei Kusawgu Constituencies in the Savannah Region and Bunkpurugu and Nalerigu/Gambaga Constituencies in the North East Region. The CSOs Platform in its preliminary report said there was no adherence to the COVID-19 protocols at the voter registration centres in the constituencies the team visited. It is sad to observe that the assurances the EC gave including having health workers on stand-by, provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) among others prior to the exercise have been largely disregarded, the CSOs Platform on Good Governance said in its preliminary observation report. It said There are worrying actions at the centres from the EC, political party agents and the general public that expose all to the rapid spread of the COVID-19. It is serious to observe that in almost all polling stations, majority of the citizens were not in any appropriate personal protective attire. The electoral officers and security personnel at some registration centres were operating without PPE at the Tamale South, Tamale North and Nalerigu/Gambaga Constituencies, It said. It said social distancing was absent at all the centres, describing the situation at the polling stations as akin to market scenes with some actually maximizing the opportunity of the crowd to do their business. Besides, it said, the registration centres had also become rallying grounds for children, who usually trace their parents when they miss them at home. The CSOs Platform on Good Governance, therefore, suggested the provision of face masks to citizens who turned up at the registration centres to ensure safety at the centres, whilst affording them the opportunity to acquire voter cards to exercise their Constitutional rights to vote. The group also urged citizens to take personal responsibility in protecting themselves against the pandemic. 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 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The national broadband network project has finally limped across the finish line, completing a 10-year construction process hindered by ideological and economic constraints baked in from the start. Its lengthy gestation shouldn't come as a surprise given the project's ability to attract controversy and criticism, some of which is likely to stick around for some time to come. Mike Quigley. Former CEO of NBN, is adamant that the current network doesn't deliver value for money. Credit:Yianni Aspradakis The idea of a taxpayer-funded makeover of the entire telecommunications infrastructure, to the tune of $51 billion, was always going to generate criticism, not just from those opposed to heavy-handed government intervention but also those worried about the sheer scale of the project. Concerns about whether the government business enterprise, NBN Co, would be up to the task of handling the construction challenges and do the job at a pace that allowed the benefits of the NBN to be seen by the public, were present from day one. And as it turns out, they were well justified. Making more than 11.7 million premises ready to move over to the NBN proved to be far more complex than expected, irrespective of the technology changes implemented by the Coalition government in 2013. Advertisement With 99 per cent of the rollout now complete and NBN Co's construction division already cut loose, members of the original team assigned to building the NBN have mixed feelings about how things have panned out. Mike Quigley, the first chief executive of NBN Co, says while the NBN has allowed Australians to have access to better internet, the network is not value for money or future-proofed. The NBN would be in a much stronger position today if they had not changed to a multi-technology mix, he says. If they had put in fibre, they would have a more valuable network with a much lower ongoing operating cost with much higher performance, which means their revenue-generating capacity would have been much greater. Loading NBN Co's former chief technology officer, Gary McLaren, says the lack of bipartisan policy was a critical problem for the project, leading to multiple problems when securing construction companies to help with the rollout of the network. "It's a huge lesson if you are looking at it from policy terms," McLaren says. "There was very little certainty the construction companies could bank on to be able to think about a project over 10 years because it could change very quickly from fibre to another program." Advertisement Despite its struggles, McLaren says the completion of the NBN rollout is a milestone worth celebrating. "I always had confidence that the network would be completed," he says. "Regardless of the technologies, you would've been in a similar boat around now. It's unlikely that the Morrison government can dwell on the achievement for too long as the NBN board has important questions that need to be answered. Crucially, it needs the federal government to outline a new statement of expectations that will set guidelines for what and how the next few years will play out. "The current [statement of expectations] is looking stale and very irrelevant. I'd imagine the NBN board is crying out for a new set of expectations," McLaren says. The NBN would be in a much stronger position today if they had not changed to a multi-technology mix. Mike Quigley, the first chief executive of NBN Co. A difficult birth The early years of the NBN were tainted by political debate and the federal election cycle. A failed 2008 request for proposal, which included responses from providers like Acacia, Optus and TransAct and Telstra, prompted then prime minister Kevin Rudd and then communications minister Stephen Conroy to announce plans in April 2009 for the rollout of high-tech fibre-optic cable to almost every residence in Australia by a government-owned entity. That idea quickly shifted under the Tony Abbott-led Coalition government, which announced that the NBN's rollout would be deployed as a Multi Technology Mix model, which uses a combination of fixed-line technologies including fibre-to-the-node (FTTN), fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) and fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP). Advertisement "We really got the NBN as it is because of the collapse of the previous model in December 2008," telecommunications analyst Ian Martin says. "NBN 2.0 came out of that in April 2009 without much thought and consideration. Its fair to say that was something of a stopgap at the time to get them through the 2010 election. The 2010 election resulted in a hung parliament ... if the 2010 election had been a clearer outcome, we might have got a more considered model." More than a decade on, the NBN remains a political sore spot. Loading Communications Minister Paul Fletcher still insists the Coalition turned around a failing project that had connected only 50,000 premises under Labor. $6 billion had been spent, every target had been missed, board and management really didnt have deep telecommunications experience, he says. We set about changing the strategy really dramatically with the multi-technology mix Theres a lot of aspects of this that we would not have done but when we came into government, much of it was locked in. To this day, these ideas are still disputed by Rudd. Advertisement The upgrade equation and 5G competition The challenges of NBN are not limited to the differing views of government. The detection of asbestos in the Telstra pipes and pits that were being leased to the NBN in 2013 also delayed rollout and there were ongoing issues due to the complexity of hybrid fibre-coaxial upgrades. The NBN has also battled with reconciling two objectives the government's ambition for NBN Co to become a profitable private entity and existing efforts to provide a social good and reduce the digital divide that exists across Australia. Telco providers such as Telstra, Optus and Vodafone have previously condemned NBN Co for operating as a competitor. By the end of 2020, NBN Co expects 11.8 million premises to be connected and will seek to roll out over the next year a small remaining number of complex connections that have been hampered by construction, legal and environmental barriers. NBN Co chief executive Stephen Rue says the company will turn its focus to investing in the network and "evolving technologies", the specifics of which will be outlined in the new Corporate Plan to be announced later this year. "As a nation, we would have been in a very different position if we hadnt rolled out the network with the speed and agility that we did," Rue says. With the initial build of the network complete, the company is transitioning to a customer-focused service delivery organisation, which will be our blueprint for how we are going to continue to lift the digital capability of Australia in the future." Advertisement The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Pakistan Science Foundation recently approved preliminary plans for 130 joint research projects in the context of climate change under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Since signing an agreement in 1976 for cooperation in science and technology, Pakistan and China have been engaged in close cooperation in both areas. Each country maintains a science and technology office in the embassies of each others country. Since 1979, hundreds of projects have been completed under the cooperation between the two nations in the area of capacity building, transfer of technology, joint research, and the commercialization of science and technology. The mutual exchange of scientists and joint seminars, conferences, and workshops are common activities. The fourth Call of Proposals between PSF and NSFC was open from April 22, 2020, to June 1, 2020, in the following 4 categories: i) Fossil energy conversion and materials; ii) Utilization of renewable energy and resources; iii) Scientific ground of new energy utilization and technologies; iv) Safety evaluation and adaptive mechanism research on water-energy-food nexus under CPEC in the context of climate change. According to the official list released by NSFC, 149 proposals were submitted to the two foundations this year, and currently, 130 joint research projects have been approved. Since the founding of this alliance, NSFC and PSF have conducted joint scientific research activities pertaining to various disciplines along with efforts to strengthen cooperation between science and technology organizations of both countries. Science and technology are engines of growth that have played a vital role in the rapid development of China over the past four decades. China has prioritized S&T, and the government has invested liberal funding to promote this sector. Chinese universities were equipped with the latest equipment for conducting research, while generous funding has made it possible for China to become a leader in several key technologies like High-speed Trains, Infrastructure Development, Telecommunication, Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, and Biotechnology, etc. As Chinese scientists work very hard, the government has provided a conducive environment, while the Industrial sector utilizes the research outputs, which helped China develop at an accelerated speed to emerge as the second-largest economy and geopolitical power. China is also helping Pakistan produce a requisite human resource to face the challenges of modern-day. With over 30,000 Pakistani students studying various specializations in China, China remains the top destination among Pakistani youths for higher education. The Chinese government continues to provide liberal scholarships to attract brilliant students from Pakistan. Along with studying their specializations, the students also study the Chinese language, culture, traditions and political systems. On their return from China after graduation, they serve in various sectors of Pakistan, often earning a significant salary for their families along with the ability to promote Chinese culture, traditions, and goodwill. Contributing to the CPEC, these students are the Goodwill Ambassadors and guarantors of the everlasting China-Pakistan friendship. The opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to People's Daily Online. Zamir Ahmed Awan is a senior fellow with the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and a sinologist at the National University of Sciences and Technology in Pakistan. E-mail: [email protected] Burma Myanmar, China to Promote Cross-Border e-Commerce Systems Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose for a photo after meeting in Naypyitaw in January. / State Counselors Office / Facebook YANGONMyanmar and China plan to promote cooperation on digital economy and cross-border e-commerce systems to allow trade and economic activity to proceed smoothly during times of pandemic. An online meeting was held on Thursday between the Mandalay Region government, the Myanmar Ministry of Commerce, the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) and the government of Chinas Yunnan province. The meeting aimed to promote collaboration between Mandalay Region and Yunnan province in implementing bilateral agreements between the two countries, especially the promotion of digital economy and e-commerce. According to a press release from the Chinese Embassy, Yunnan province will provide the training for cross-border e-commerce operators from Mandalay region to help export agricultural products such as rice, beef, bananas and pineapples to Yunnan, or to Chinas domestic market through Yunnan. In May, the Myanmar government said it would launch a central e-commerce website before the end of this year as part of its plan to promote the use of digital platforms and drive economic growth. Myanmars COVID-19 Economic Relief Plan (CERP) also includes commitments to promote e-commerce as well as the use of digital and mobile platforms for payments and retail trade. The meeting was attended by Union Minister for Commerce Dr. Than Myint, Mandalay Chief Minister Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, Director Song Tao of the IDCPC, Vice Minister Guo Yezhou, Chinese Ambassador Chen Hai and officials from Alibaba Group, the biggest Chinese multinational technology company specializing in e-commerce, retail, Internet related technologies. The press release said the two sides also agreed to enhance the exchange of ideas and practical cooperation, such as strengthening agriculture through e-commerce, and the speedy implementation of relevant cooperation on agreements between Yunnan and Mandalay, and supporting the socioeconomic recovery of the two countries. During Chinese President Xi Jinpings trip to Myanmar earlier this year, Yunnan Province and Mandalay Region signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing local cooperation under the framework of jointly implementing the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC). Mandalay plays a crucial role in the CMEC, which is itself a part of Chinas ambitious grand infrastructure project known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The 1,700-kilometer-long corridor will connect Kunming, the capital of Chinas Yunnan province, with Myanmars major economic hubs, linking first to Mandalay in central Myanmar before branching east to Yangon and west to the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Rakhine State. China also plans to build the Muse-Mandalay railway, which will be the initial phase of a strategic railway linkwith a parallel expresswayfrom Kunming to Kyaukphyu, in addition to a separate road running through northern Myanmar, Indias northeastern states and Bangladesh under the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM-EC). As a part of the CMEC, Myanmar and China agreed to build cross-border economic cooperation zones in Kachin and Shan states. In the zones, China aims to focus on establishing import, export and processing zones, and the development of the e-commerce and trade, finance and tourism sectors. In her opening message, Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said Myanmar is implementing the e-government system to enhance administrative processes and turn the challenges posed by the pandemic into opportunities to provide public services via digital platforms. The government is working hard to place the e-commerce system into the hands of investors, businesses and members of the public as soon as possible, Myanmars State Counselor said. Cooperation on e-commerce systems for trade and economic ties between the two countries will not only allow them to function at their normal pace but also reduce expenditure, make financial management easier, expand market opportunities, and reduce time and labor for carrying out tasks, she said. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she wished for the success of trade and business cooperation via the e-commerce system, expressing hope that it would overcome the challenges of the pandemic, and facilitate new tasks and progress to increase economic cooperation between the two countries. In Myanmar, some Chinese online shopping platforms have already grabbed online shopping market share in major cities. During recent years, the eMyan online platform, owned by Tradelink Corporatea Chinese company based in Jiegao of Ruilihave been extending their branches in Yangon and Mandalay. In May, Chinas Ant Financial Services Group, owned by Alibaba Group, announced it would invest US$73.5 million (100.24 billion kyats) in Myanmars leading digital mobile money company, Wave Money, to help to upgrade the technological capabilities and security of the country. You may also like these stories: Rakhine Woman Files Complaint Accusing Myanmar Military Troops of Gang Rape Myanmar Issues COVID-19 Travel-Fit Certificates for Urgent Overseas Trips EU States Suspend US$100 M of Myanmars Debt Payments During COVID-19 An Indian man is so obsessed with photography that he named his three sons after iconic camera brands Canon, Nikon and Epson and spent a small fortune on a three-story villa shaped like a giant camera. You hear the phrase passionate about photography a lot among photography enthusiasts, but Ravi Hongal, a 49-year-old professional photographer from Belgaum, India, actually came up with some truly unique ways of showing off his passion for the art. After naming his three sons after some of the most iconic camera brands in the history of photography, Ravi recently spent around $95,000 on an impressive house shaped like a giant vintage camera, complete with a lens-shaped window, flash, and even a giant SD card. Photo: Caters Clips screengrab According to local news blog All About Belgaum, Ravi Hongal has been obsessed with photography since childhood. He wasnt the best student, but he was always out an about with Pentax and Zenit cameras shooting pictures, and was always confident he could make a living as a photographer. He was right, and as business picked up, he opened his own studio and named it after his wife, Rani. Then, as his three sons were born, he apparently felt the need to show off his passion for photography by naming them all after famous camera brands. But as if Ravis obsession with photography wasnt already obvious, he decided to put it on full display by having his three story house designed as a giant grey camera featuring all kinds of photo-related elements, like a lens, a giant camera flash, SD card, several film reels, as well as the names of his sons Canon, Nikon and Epson. Ravi Hongals unique-looking home was recently showcased in a Caters clip, and while only the exterior is visible, the description claims that the interior decorations are along the same lines, with ceilings and walls designed as different parts of a camera. Jason Flemyng, 53, is best known for his roles in Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. He is currently appearing in Save Me Too on Sky. He lives in South London with his wife, Elly Fairman and their nine -year-old twins, Noah and Cassius. Thirty years ago, when I was at the Royal Shakespeare Company, we toured a play through high security Category A prisons. I was terrified, but quickly realised that, even if guilty of horrendous crimes, these men were capable of compassion and intelligence and exceeded peoples expectations. Prison and addiction could easily have been my destiny. I grew up in south London, in a poor single-parent family. When I was 15, I was into car theft, petty thieving and criminal damage. My mum picked me up from the police station a good few times. Mum was a dancer when she met my dad, but she became a social worker working with homeless and alcoholic people. Jason Flemyng, 53, (pictured) who lives in south London, explained the importance of having compassion for those who've made a few wrong decisions She also learned to flip houses. We would move into a house that was a mess, and she would work all day, then come home and plaster and paint and put up shelves. After six months, she would sell and make the deposit for the next house. To keep me and my big brother Gareth out of care, she did whatever it took. My alcoholic dad disappeared early, so Gareth was the father figure in my family. He became a social worker and has always been a strong influence in my life. Hes only a few years older than me, but would work out the finances of how to get through the week with my mum. Although I dabbled in criminality, I made some lucky choices. From a young age I was driven to become an actor and, ultimately, that saved me from a life of crime. Im lucky to have been steered in the right direction by a great parent, and a strong male mentor, but not everyone is. Just because someone has made a few wrong decisions, we can still have and should have compassion for them, especially when lives have been ruined by alcohol and drug abuse. I know how easy it is to go down that road to criminality you just take two left turns instead of two right ones and I am grateful not to have done so. Jasons More Than My Past podcast is available at morethanmypast.org.uk - Vilma Santos earned praises from many Filipinos for being one of the 11 congressmen who voted in favor of renewing ABS-CBNs franchise - Santos has opened up about her decision to vote for the franchise renewal despite President Rodrigo Dutertes alleged desire for the congressmen to vote against it - She explained that she sided with the Kapamilya network since its executives were able to answer all of the allegations against the company during the Congress hearings on the matter - The congresswoman added that she is ready to face the consequences of siding with ABS-CBN PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Vilma Santos earned praises from many Filipinos for being one of the 11 congressmen who voted in favor of renewing ABS-CBNs franchise as opposed to the 70 congressmen who voted against the network. KAMI learned that Santos has opened up about her decision to vote for the franchise renewal despite President Rodrigo Dutertes alleged desire for the congressmen to vote against it. The Deputy Speaker Batangas 6th District Representative explained that she sided with the Kapamilya network since its executives were able to answer all of the allegations against the company during the Congress hearings on the matter. The congresswoman added that she is ready to face the consequences of siding with ABS-CBN. She claimed in the same interview that she has experienced something similar in the past when she lost her chairmanship in 2017 after voting against the reinstitution of the death penalty. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedback It happened to me already when I voted no don sa death penaltysinabi nila na kailangan masuportahan yung major bill na yun, yung death penalty. I stood my ground and I voted no so I lost my chairmanship. Pero kung ano man yung naging desisyon ko ngayon dito sa renewal ng franchise ng ABS-CBN at magkakaroon ulit ng ganong consequences, I think Im prepared for that so tanggapin natin yun. Were not expecting malaking malakiWe were expecting na a more comfortable number kasi inisip namin dun sa mga pagdinig na ginawa ay nasagot naman ng ABS-CBN yung mga binato sakanilang questions. Nasagot nila ng tama at may batayan, In fact, alam naman natin na sinabi ng national government agenciesna pinatunayan na wala naman nilabag na batas ang ABS-CBN. So ako personally, umasa na kahit papano, may balanse na sanang mangyayari sa kanilang magiging desisyon sa pagboto, Vilma said, according to Christia Marie Ramos report for The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Here is Santos video interview with ABS-CBN News regarding the matter: PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! The ABS-CBN shutdown is one of the most controversial issues in the Philippines these days. Supporters of the network claim that the ABS-CBN is being unfairly targeted for political reasons. Aside from Vilma Santos, other famous stars have expressed their reaction to the closure of the Kapamilya network. Angel Locsin admitted to getting emotional over the decision against the network. Anne Curtis also posted about getting heartbroken over what happened to ABS-CBN. As for Vice Ganda, he walked out during the opening segment of Its Showtime since he could not contain his emotions. Please like and share our amazing Facebook posts to support the KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinions about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts and views on different matters! Source: KAMI.com.gh IT HAS been 480 days and counting that the Chuck E Cheese franchise in Trinidad has remained closed as children under 12 are still not allowed in safe zones. In October, the Government drafted a safe zone policy that does not allow children under 12 to enter restaurants and other places of leisure. The City of Rio Rancho has been repealing criminal ordinances to send cases to Sandoval County Magistrate Court. Supporters say the move means tougher sentences, but opponents say the latest repeals will leave police officers spending more time in court, prosecuting cases. In December 2018, the Rio Rancho Governing Body repealed the city DWI ordinance, with the change becoming effective in May 2019. On June 24, governing body members approved the first of two readings of the repeal of ordinances against assault, battery, aggravated battery, assault on a peace officer and driving on a revoked or suspended license, all petty misdemeanors. If it passes the second reading, the repeal would become effective 30 days later. According to Rio Rancho Municipal Court information, those offenses represent 724 charges during 2019, or 27.4 percent of non-traffic charges last year. Of those, 590 of the charges were driving on a revoked or suspended license and 101 were battery. Sandoval County Magistrate Court in Bernalillo will have sufficient resources to handle the expected increased caseload from the anticipated July repeal of ordinances by the City of Rio Rancho, said Karl W. Reifsteck, 13th Judicial District Court court executive officer and general counsel, as spokesman for the magistrate court. Reasons for repeals City Councilor Bob Tyler sponsored both rounds of repeals, saying that magistrate court can send people to rehabilitation programs, institute stiffer penalties and set longer probation periods. He said financial savings were part of the reasoning. But in the long run, its really about having more accountability for our criminal offenses within Sandoval County and the City of Rio Rancho, he said. Municipal Judge G. Robert Cook said he can also sentence people to rehab programs, and the stiffer penalties are maximums that magistrate judges dont always impose. At the June 24 meeting, City Attorney Greg Lauer said Tyler had requested the Legal Department look into ordinances on offenses covered in state statute with stiffer penalties. Where we have an issue of recidivism, we want them being addressed in a state court rather than being addressed in a municipal court, Lauer said. He said if an offender went through municipal court and then re-offended, judges in other courts wouldnt know because municipal court records werent added to the state database. Rio Rancho Municipal Court has an online records database, accessible through the city website. Magistrate and district court records, and records of some municipal courts, are available on the New Mexico Courts website. By removing DWI cases from municipal court, Lauer said, the city saved $175,000 to $200,000 thus far on public defenders. Also, the city must pay $100 per person per day to house offenders at Sandoval County Detention Center if theyre arrested and sent to municipal court instead of magistrate court. The state pays for inmates sent to magistrate court. Lauer also pointed to the costs of municipal court decisions being appealed to district court, including police overtime pay. Magistrate decisions can also be appealed. With the DWI charges handled at magistrate court, Lauer said the city saw an improvement in the number of DWI arrests and convictions not being appealed. Concerns expressed Thirteenth Judicial District Attorney Lemuel Martinez, who isnt running for re-election in November, said repeal of the DWI ordinance in Rio Rancho added 500-plus cases to the 300 or 400 cases per year his office already prosecuted in Sandoval County Magistrate Court. He had to hire another prosecutor to handle the added caseload, despite not getting extra funding from the legislature, he said. For the 20 years hes been DA, Lemuel Martinez said, his office has prosecuted only domestic violence and DWI cases in magistrate court. DA prosecutors will not handle the cases from the newest round of repeals, he said. That means officers who make the arrests would have to handle prosecutions, being required to follow the same procedures as attorneys. He added that officers could sit in magistrate court for hours, waiting for their cases to come before the judge, not just for the trial but also the long pre-trial process. A city-employed attorney now prosecutes all cases in municipal court. The prosecutions arent getting done the right way over there, Tyler said. An email from Lauer and Tyler said the city would consult with the district attorney elected in November to learn that persons policies. If the DA doesnt prosecute, then officers will prosecute the charges, the email said. Rio Rancho Police and Communications Association President Cpl. Richard Martinez said no one consulted or alerted the union before repealing ordinances. He doesnt believe the move is wise, although he understands the city is trying to save money. Thats going to make it difficult for us to do our jobs, he said. The union is discussing the matter with city officials, Richard Martinez said. Most of our officers wanted to cite into municipal (court) because we got our cases heard right away and had less chance of dismissal, he said. Cook, who is in the middle of his third four-year term as municipal judge, said he has organized municipal-court operations to decrease the time people have to wait in court to be heard. Thats not the case with magistrate court, he said. At the June 24 governing body meeting, Lauer said the higher rate of dismissals in magistrate court was due to miscommunication and officers not being in the right place at the right time. When the Observer emailed Rio Rancho Police Department spokesmen, requesting comment from department management, city spokeswoman Annemarie Garcia responded. She said RRPD would follow and uphold the law and file charges in the appropriate court. Cook said most cases filed in municipal court belong there. He doesnt believe the repeals, with the exception of assault on a peace officer, benefit the city. It sure feels like were fixing something that isnt broken, he said. More repeals pending The city isnt done with repeals, although the email from Lauer and Tyler said there is no exact number of ordinances they plan to remove. City staff will continue working with Judge Cook to determine the next list of appropriate repeals, it said. Any ordinance that takes a full misdemeanor or felony under state law and makes it a petty misdemeanor under city ordinance is subject to review and repeal. Local Managed Print Services provider expands their business by opening an office in Fort McMurray FORT MCMURRAY, AB, July 13, 2020 /CNW/ - PrinterWorks West (PWW), a local Alberta company is expanding their footprint in the fast-growing Western Canada small and midsize business market (SMB) with their third office opening in Fort McMurray. PrinterWorks West Inc. is no stranger to the Managed Print Services industry which is evident in the 19 years that they have been in business. This news comes after PWW's Head Office relocation in late May to a more spacious area in the North of Calgary. There is nothing stopping this company from achieving their goals and Fort McMurray is just another objective ticked off their list. This announcement is in conjunction with Canon and HP Canada, leading providers of consumer, business, and professional digital imaging innovation in opening its certified service center. Speaking with Jonathan Ceaser and Darryl Henderson, the Owners of PrinterWorks West, they expressed, "We are excited to expand into a market that has always been under served by our industry. Fort McMurray plays such a vital role in Alberta's economy. Our goal is to help Fort McMurray businesses and industry grow and thrive with our unique Managed Print Services offerings." The Fort McMurray location will be utilized to allow the PWW team to gain a better understanding of their clients needs. Also, it will improve customer satisfaction and give their loyal clients comfort knowing that PrinterWorks West is close by. About PrinterWorks West Inc. PrinterWorks West is a local Alberta company that provides Managed Print Services and workflow & security solutions to both local and national companies. We have the highest service and sales accreditations from HP, Canon and Lexmark. Our focus and vendor agnostic approach allows us to deliver the best solution and experience for our customers. As a result of our manufacturer relationships and our focus on printing and copying solutions we offer competitive pricing on printers and copiers and the associated supplies. We will assist with certified service to maintain all types of laser and ink printers from our manufacturers. SOURCE PrinterWorks West Inc. For further information: Media Inquiries: Jessica Lifely, Business Development and Marketing Manager, PrinterWorks West Inc., [email protected] Related Links https://www.printerworkswest.com/ Just the idea of Texas schools reopening their doors for fall 2020 has infuriated some Houston-area teachers and parents. They're not afraid to air their opinions and frustrations. As COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations escalate to an unprecedented rate across Texas, the thought of putting students' and teachers' health at risk in order to provide in-class instruction is unacceptable to teachers across the state. "It's pretty atrocious that in preparation for returning to school this fall, teachers are writing wills, getting medical power of attorney established and taking out extra life insurance," tweeted teacher Jessica Schwinn. 'IT'S SO SCARY': Houston, Texas teachers voice concerns about reopening schools this fall According to Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, Texas public school districts must reopen campuses for an in-person instruction in August in order to receive state funding, unless the governor issues a school closure or confirmed case of COVID-19. "On-campus instruction in Texas public schools is where its at, Morath said during a conference call with superintendents. We know that a lot of families are going to be nervous, and if they are nervous, were going to support them 100 percent. This is not sitting well with many Texas teachers. "Like everyone, I am desperate to send my kids back to school. Remote learning is hard on my wife and me, and terrible for our kids. If we thought it were safe to do so, we wouldn't hesitate. But there's no way we're going to risk their health or ours, IF IT'S NOT SAFE," tweeted Jeremy Konydyck. "@MikeMorath @GovAbbott Why is it okay for you guys to work from home but you're willing to sacrifice the lives of teachers, administrators, clerks, counselors, custodians, cafeteria workers? If in person classes MUST be offered, both of you should join us in the buildings," tweeted teacher Tania Andrews. SCHOOL REOPENING: With schools ordered to open next month, Texas teachers ask, 'Is it worth risking our lives?" "Last week, it was announced that Texas schools MUST reopen in the fall or risk states funding. This is extremely dangerous and covid cases here are increasing rapidly!! teachers in Texas cannot strike without losing their teaching certificates. they need help, call to action," tweets dirt prince. "And after that, we're going back to school like nothing happened, "tweeted Sol. Texas teachers say they are now forced to choose between their health or their jobs. Some with health issues have already resigned. According to a report by KHOU, HISD teacher Michelle Shah had a difficult time, struggling with a decision to resign, but she said the health of her children comes first. HISD teacher Meghan Hokom also recently resigned over the same concerns. Hokom had a heart transplant three years ago, and has a low immunity after the procedure. While several teachers express that they miss their students and the classroom, they just can't afford to not play it safe. "I miss my students. I LOVE my job. I want to return to work and be able to help students again, as this is my whole heart. More than that, I want YOUR kids to be safe. It's disgusting that @realDonaldTrump is playing politicas with school reopening. It is NOT safe in Texas," tweeted educator, Tammy Tashi. According to HISD officials, the district is still planning to start its academic year in late August, allowing 10 days for students who suffered a delay because of the coronavirus pandemic. The school year is expected to end on May 28. alison.medley@chron.com The woman who accused Seoul mayor Park Won-soon of sexual harassment said she wanted to have her claims tested by a court and hoped to forgive him after alleging he had repeatedly harassed her over a four-year period. Park, a former human rights lawyer who led the country's first high profile sexual harassment case in 1998, was found dead on Friday after committing suicide. People pay tribute at a memorial for the late Seoul mayor Park Won-soon at the Seoul National University Hospital. Credit:Getty Images The harassment claims and the subsequent death of the 64-year-old mayor and potential presidential candidate have rocked South Korea. The secretary, who has not been identified, said in a statement released on Monday that she should have reported the allegations earlier. Protests in downtown Portland continued Sunday night, after the previous nights confrontations between protesters and law enforcement turned violent and left one protester hospitalized after being shot in the head with an impact munition. Videos posted to social media appear to show a police officer shoot a protester in the head outside of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in downtown Portland on Saturday. The man, Donavan La Bella, 26, suffered skull fractures and required surgery Sunday, his mother said. Protesters gathered Sunday night in response to La Bellas injury, marking the 46th day of Portland protests after the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, a Black man who pleaded for air while a white officer knelt on his neck. The officer, and three others who stood nearby, all face charges in connection with Floyds death. Confrontations Saturday night initially appeared to mostly involve federal police at the U.S. courthouse, which has become a gathering point for protesters. President Donald Trump had ordered the federal officers to deploy at the Portland protests. By 10 p.m., a group of several hundred protesters had gathered near the court house chanting and listening to speakers talk over a megaphone. Some lit a fire in the base of the former elk statue. Some protesters also lit a fire at at Southwest Main Street and Third Avenue, and Portland police said they intervened about 2:30 a.m. to make way for firefighters to put out the blaze. Multnomah County sheriffs deputies assisted. Someone fired a ball bearing at firefighters from a wrist rocket, police said. Some demonstrators later set another fire, police said, but other people put it out. At one point during the demonstration, some protesters also set fire to wood propped against the federal courthouse, according to police. One protester was arrested early Monday morning for allegedly shooting a Portland Fire & Rescue medic with a ball bearing launched from a wrist rocket during the protests, police said Monday. The medic, who was hit in the left side of the chest only sustained bruises. The medic was hit around 2 p.m. while in the area of Southwest First Avenue and Main Street. The man arrested, Jesse Bates, 37, reportedly shot the ball bearing from Southwest Third Avenue and Southwest Main Street, police said. Police said they had to chase Bates who ran while being arrested. Police said they used less-lethal force to stop and arrest him and Bates was not injured. He was lodged into Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of assault, assaulting a police officer, carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct. Increasing tensions at nightly Portland protests have many local officials scrutinizing the recent appearance of federal officers at the downtown demonstrations. Gov. Kate Brown said Trumps deployment of federal officers to Portland only serves to escalate tensions and will continue to bring unnecessary violence and confrontation. The events of last night at the federal courthouse were the tragic and avoidable result of President Donald Trump, for weeks, continuing to push for force and violence in response to protests, Brown said. The cycle of violence must end. Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty in a statement Sunday said she condemns the federal troops presence and demanded they withdraw. She also urged Portland police to stop responding violently to protests before federal troops get involved. This reckless and aggressive behavior has now put someone in the hospital, she writes. This protester is still fighting for their life and I want to be clear: This should never have happened. If this continues a life will be taken and it wont matter whether a federal officer or Portland Police officer did it it wont bring that person back. Protests throughout the daytime hours Sunday remained calm, including at an event at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland. The event, Oregonians For Peace, drew a crowd of a few hundred people to the park. Speakers addressed the need for peace, challenged local and state leadership, and called for the end of rioting and destructions of property in downtown Portland that have been taking place daily for over seven weeks. The gathering drew counterprotesters, but dialogue between the groups never escalated. A Black Lives Matter March had also been planned for 6 p.m. at Gateway Discovery Park in Northeast Portland. --Alex Hardgrave | ahardgrave@oregonian.com | @a_hardgrave Ryan Nguyen and Jim Ryan of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The website for Louisianas program to help small businesses that have suffered losses as a result of the coronavirus epidemic is now operational, the states treasury office reported. State Treasurer John M. Schroder has encouraged Louisiana business owners to visit the Main Street Recovery Programs new website, www.louisianamainstreet.com, to find out if they may be eligible for up to $15,000 in grant money. The application process will begin July 28. Act 311 set aside $275 million for the Main Street Recovery Program. For the first 21 days, grants will be given to businesses who didnt receive federal assistance or insurance payments. Within 60 days, the program plans to award $40 million to businesses owned by veterans, minorities and women. Source: Louisiana Department of the Treasury Topics COVID-19 Louisiana Commercial Lines Business Insurance Training Development Houston, bracing for another shutdown? That's a very real prospect, according to Mayor Sylvester Turner. The uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations has placed a palpable strain on Houston-area hospitals, and now Turner wants to take all measures possible to slow this virus down in Houston. We have to acknowledge the fact that we opened too quickly, too soon, Turner told KPRC on Saturday. We have to acknowledge the fact that the numbers are continuing to rise. We have to recognize the fact that not everybody is going to put on this mask. Lets just be real, even with the requirement. Knowing all of that and knowing what works, youve got to recalibrate. SCHOOLS REOPENING: 'July 4th may have reloaded the gun,' school reopenings at risk, according to Houston Methodist CEO As the numbers continue to climb for COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas, Houston Methodists CEO Dr. Marc Boom said that they could not keep healthcare workers running at this breakneck pace in any sustainable way. According to the Texas Health and Human Services, there were 10,410 hospitalizations for confirmed COVID-19 cases in Texas on Sunday, an increase of more than 300 from a record-high on Saturday. "It feels like this never-ending surge. We can't run at this level with exhausted people," Boom said last week. "There will be a point where we cannot do it any longer. We must do all that we can do to protect our healthcare workers." The idea of a shutdown at this critical juncture has also been discussed by world-renowned infectious disease expert, Dr. Peter Hotez. "In Harris County, we have an untenable situation. The hospital admissions are rising. The ICUs are filling up. Hospital staff are starting to get exhausted." Dr. Hotez said in an interview with Chron.com on Monday. "We have to figure a way to halt community transmission. If we cant do it, then we should have mandatory stay-at-home order." Not everyones on board with the idea though. Houstonians are weighing in on the prospect of a 2-week shutdown from all sides. RISING CASE COUNT: Cases, deaths, and positive COVID test rate continue to rise in Texas "If I am not able to work and provide for my family, I will let my county take care of me during the lockdown. 3 hots and a cot. Oh, but they are letting people out of jail because of exposure. What to do???" tweeted Bocephus Blair. "Do we have a sense where the spikes are coming from? Bars? Night clubs? House parities? How about we shut those down? Why penalize ones following rules?" tweeted Linda Hoboken. "At this point I don't think people would comply. Everyone is wearing masks, bars are closed & cases are still "going up." The data is so flawed and the margin of error is so high, it's difficult to make accurate decisions. The death rate is all we should look at," tweeted TexasGirl. Several Houstonians applaud Mayor Turner's proposal. "Mayor Turner was rightfully elected to represent Houston. He gets to make this decision. Yes, it's a difficult decision. There are no real winners in this battle against COVID. But I will fully support his decision. He is doing his best to protect Americans like you and me, " tweeted Dat Le. "Looks like @houmayor is proposing another #Houston shutdown, can we all get on the same page this time, it's like we are all children refusing to eat our broccoli," tweeted Viv Kay Nguyen. Turner also expressed real concerns over restarting in-person public schooling next month, arguing it "makes no sense to be having this conversation while this virus is out of control." alison.medley@chron.com HOUSTON, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: GPI), an international, Fortune 500 automotive retailer, today announced that it will release financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020, on Thursday, July 30, 2020, before market open. Earl J. Hesterberg, Group 1's president and chief executive officer, and the company's senior management team will host a conference call to discuss the results later that morning at 10 a.m. ET. The conference call will be simulcast live on the Internet at www.group1auto.com. Click on 'Investor Relations' and then 'Events' or through this link: http://www.group1corp.com/events. A webcast replay will be available for 30 days. The conference call will also be available live by dialing in 15 minutes prior to the start of the call at: Domestic: 1-888-317-6003 International: 1-412-317-6061 Conference ID: 3487938 A telephonic replay will be available following the call through August 6, 2020 by dialing: Domestic: 1-877-344-7529 International: 1-412-317-0088 Replay ID: 10146303 ABOUT GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE, INC. Group 1 owns and operates 186 automotive dealerships, 242 franchises, and 49 collision centers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil that offer 31 brands of automobiles. Through its dealerships, the Company sells new and used cars and light trucks; arranges related vehicle financing; sells service contracts; provides automotive maintenance and repair services; and sells vehicle parts. Investors please visit www.group1corp.com, www.group1auto.com, www.group1collision.com, www.facebook.com/group1auto, and www.twitter.com/group1auto, where Group 1 discloses additional information about the Company, its business, and its results of operations. Investor contacts: Sheila Roth Manager, Investor Relations Group 1 Automotive, Inc. 713-647-5741 | [email protected] Media contacts: Pete DeLongchamps Senior V.P. Manufacturer Relations, Financial Services and Public Affairs Group 1 Automotive, Inc. 713-647-5770 | [email protected] or Clint Woods Pierpont Communications, Inc. 713-627-2223 | [email protected] SOURCE Group 1 Automotive, Inc. Related Links http://www.group1auto.com C elebrity chef Richard Corrigan has predicted restaurants in east London and more residential areas will bounce back quicker than those in central London that are heavily reliant on tourism and an older clientele. The Irish chef, who has appeared on The Great British Menu, said he thinks central London venues will struggle compared to restaurants in trendier areas like Shoreditch and Hackney. At the start of lockdown, he closed all three of his London restaurants, Bentleys in Regent Street, Corrigans in Mayfair and Daffodil Mulligan in Old Street, furloughing all of his 150 staff members. He is relaunching Daffodil Mulligan, which opened at the end of 2019, on September 1, but does not plan on opening his other venues until October at the earliest. Corrigan, 56, said: I was in shock for April after we had to shut down. Now, were not going to rush. We have a small crew and re-opening three restaurants at once is a lot of work. Bentleys and Corrigans have an older clientele. In the summer in particular, we rely on shoppers and tourists. Theyre not back yet. Central London will struggle in comparison to more urban, younger areas. I think Daffodil will do better - a lot of east London venues will - than the central London venues for that reason. Our clientele there are younger and they are less worried about leaving the house and getting out. He added: We need London to be fully open. Restaurants face a real crisis. We havent seen the worst of the crisis yet or the ripple. The next 18 months will be critical for hospitality. Meanwhile, David Moore, owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Pied de Terre in Fitzrovia said he would be watching his contemporaries and waiting until August or September to open his doors, despite venues being allowed to relaunch with strict social distancing conditions from last weekend. He said he was nervous of opening too soon and having to close again, suggesting he wouldnt be able to open again should a second wave force him to close. Moore, 55, added: The theatres, culture is all still closed and the footfall in Fitzrovia isnt there yet. Well open when London is open again. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Florida announced another 12,624 cases of COVID-19 Monday, the second-highest daily total for a state now known as one of the world centers for the disease. The number of people hospitalized continued to rise, going from 7,511 Sunday to 8,072 on Monday, according to the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration. The new case total fell short of the record-shattering 15,300 cases announced Sunday, a figure that generated headlines across the United States and maintained Florida's status as one of the states driving the disease's resurgence. There were 35 additional deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health, which puts out daily reports on the COVID-19 situation. This was the lowest daily death count in more than a week, although death totals fluctuate from day to day, and the two-week trend in deaths has been up. In one favorable sign, the positivity rate, a key figure to indicate the prevalence of the disease, continued a decline begun last week. The rate Monday was 12.9%, down from last Wednesday's peak of 20.7%. Experts say states should aim for a positivity rate of 10% or less. The World Health Organization has recommended a positivity rate of 5% before countries start to reopen. SOUTH FLORIDA South Florida, which accounts for 29% of Florida's population, reported 5,416 new cases in the past day, or 43% of the total. Broward County: 1,459 new coronavirus cases reported Monday, bringing the total to 31,484. A total of 487 people have died, with no more deaths reported since Sunday. Palm Beach County: 788 new cases were reported, bringing the total to 21,806. A total of 625 people have died, five more since Sunday. Miami-Dade County: 3,269 new cases, bringing the total to 67,713. A total of 1,158 people have died. That's four more than Sunday. HOSPITALIZATIONS An additional 574 people were reported hospitalized for COVID-19 Monday, an 8% increase over Sunday. The total hospitalized stands at 8,072. Miami-Dade County has the most people hospitalized, with 1,806, followed by Broward with 1,211, a 30% increase over the 931 people hospitalized Sunday. Palm Beach County with 622, one less than Sunday. TESTING TRENDS AND THE POSITIVITY RATE Since the pandemic began, 282,435 people have tested positive for the virus in Florida. So far, a total of 2.6 million people have been tested. The positivity rate for the 24-hour period is 11.5%. The daily positive test rate in Monday's report was 13.8% for Broward County, 20.2% for Miami-Dade and 11% for Palm Beach. DEATHS Statewide: The official COVID-19 death total for Florida stood at 4,381 on Monday. That figure includes 104 non-residents. Senior care: At least 2,114 of the state's deaths have occurred in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, a figure that represents 48% of the state's total for coronavirus deaths. Broward accounted for 169 deaths or 8%. Miami-Dade accounted for 553 deaths, or 26%, Pinellas County has 170, or 8% and Palm Beach County had 259 deaths, or 12%. GLOBAL VIEW U.S.: The coronavirus death toll in the United States reached 135,295 as of 1:30 p.m. Eastern time Monday, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University. The United States reported more than 3.3 million cases, the highest total in the world. Death tolls remained highest in New York State, with 32,350, and New Jersey, with 15,525. But those numbers have barely budged since Sunday, with New York, once the nation's worst-hit state, reported only two additional deaths, and New Jersey reporting none. Worldwide: The global total reached nearly 13 million cases Monday, with at least 570,259 deaths, Johns Hopkins reported. The U.S. has 4.3% of the world's population and 26% of the world's cases. 2020 Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) Visit the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at www.sun-sentinel.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. PHOTO (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194): CORONAVIRUS-FLA The IMF Monday again sharply lowered its Middle East and North Africa economic forecast, to its lowest level in 50 years, over the "twin shock" of the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices. The region's economy will contract by 5.7 percent this year, and shrink by as much as 13 percent in countries torn by conflict, the Washington-based International Monetary Fund warned. The economic malaise will see poverty and unemployment rise, stoking social unrest, and send budget deficits and public debt surging, it said. In its regional economic outlook update, the IMF projected the economies of the Middle East and North Africa to contract by 5.7 percent this year, 2.4 percentage points lower than its April forecast. The projection is the lowest in over 50 years, according to World Bank data, and comes after the region posted modest growth last year. The battered energy-based economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are forecast to shrink by a hefty 7.1 percent, 4.4 percentage points lower than April. "The region has been facing a crisis like no other -- a twin shock that affected the normal functions of their economies during the confinement measures," Jihad Azour, director of IMF Middle East and Central Asia Department, told AFP. Mideast countries applied some of the most stringent lockdowns and measures against the coronavirus, halting most economic activities. Oil prices plunged by about two-thirds in a freefall as the global economy ground down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. They have partially recovered to around $40 a barrel. The region's oil-exporting countries are expected to lose around $270 billion of energy revenues, "which is a big drop," Azour said. - Unrest, instability - The IMF said that the region's hardest-hit countries will be those that are "fragile and in conflict situations," with their economies forecast to contract by as much as 13 percent. GDP per capita in those unstable countries is expected to plummet from $2,900 in 2018-2019 to just $2,000 this year. "This is a dramatic downturn that will aggravate existing economic and humanitarian challenges and raise already high poverty levels," the report said. "Social unrest could be rekindled as lockdown measures are lifted." Azour warned that job losses, together with worsening poverty and inequality, could create stability challenges for governments in the region. "(Job losses) will come on top of an already high level of unemployment, especially at youth level," he said. The IMF said that large and growing deficits are expected to push public debt levels to 95 percent of GDP among Middle East oil importers by the end of this year. Debt levels are forecast to grow rapidly in Sudan to 258 percent of GDP, in Lebanon to 183 percent and in Egypt over 90 percent, it said. The woes of oil-importing nations are also compounded by a sharp drop in remittances from their nationals working overseas, who have been put out of work due to the pandemic, Azour said. The IMF report also warned that the potential decline in expatriate workers -- who account for more than 70 percent of the labour force in some oil-exporting countries -- would also dampen their recovery. Some 25 million expatriates work and live in the six GCC states, forming half of the population of the group which takes in regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates along with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Oxford Economics predicted in May that employment across the GCC could fall by 13 percent this year, with job losses of some 1.7 million in Saudi Arabia and 900,000 in UAE. Azour said that with so few certainties in the current environment, the situation could be even worse than forecast. "We are in an odd situation where the level of uncertainty is still high; uncertainty about the capacity to control the pandemic and its expansion, uncertainty about the recovery itself, and also uncertainty about the oil prices," Azour said. The battered energy-based economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are forecast to shrink by a hefty 7.1 percent Migrant workers in Dubai wearing protective masks in April received Iftar meals during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan A Beirut protest last month against dire economic conditions in Lebanon, which has grappled with its worst financial crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war Egyptian men wait outside a centre of non-governmental organisation the Egyptian Food Bank to receive cartons with foodstuffs amid the pandemic on April 5 We know that hedge funds generate strong, risk-adjusted returns over the long run, which is why imitating the picks that they are collectively bullish on can be a profitable strategy for retail investors. With billions of dollars in assets, professional investors have to conduct complex analyses, spend many resources and use tools that are not always available for the general crowd. This doesn't mean that they don't have occasional colossal losses; they do. However, it is still a good idea to keep an eye on hedge fund activity. With this in mind, lets examine the smart money sentiment towards Masonite International Corp (NYSE:DOOR) and determine whether hedge funds skillfully traded this stock. Masonite International Corp (NYSE:DOOR) was in 26 hedge funds' portfolios at the end of March. DOOR shareholders have witnessed an increase in activity from the world's largest hedge funds recently. There were 21 hedge funds in our database with DOOR positions at the end of the previous quarter. Our calculations also showed that DOOR isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds (click for Q1 rankings and see the video for a quick look at the top 5 stocks). Video: Watch our video about the top 5 most popular hedge fund stocks. In the financial world there are a large number of tools investors have at their disposal to grade stocks. A pair of the most under-the-radar tools are hedge fund and insider trading indicators. We have shown that, historically, those who follow the top picks of the best fund managers can outperform the broader indices by a solid amount. Insider Monkey's monthly stock picks returned 101% since March 2017 and outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 58 percentage points. Our short strategy outperformed the S&P 500 short ETFs by 20 percentage points annually (see the details here). That's why we believe hedge fund sentiment is a useful indicator that investors should pay attention to. Story continues [caption id="attachment_690802" align="aligncenter" width="394"] Kevin Oram Praesidium Investment Management Kevin Oram of Praesidium Investment Management Company[/caption] At Insider Monkey we scour multiple sources to uncover the next great investment idea. We read hedge fund investor letters and listen to stock pitches at hedge fund conferences. Hedge fund sentiment towards Tesla reached its all time high at the end of 2019 and Tesla shares more than tripled this year. We are trying to identify other EV revolution winners, so we are checking out this tiny lithium stock. With all of this in mind we're going to take a gander at the key hedge fund action encompassing Masonite International Corp (NYSE:DOOR). What have hedge funds been doing with Masonite International Corp (NYSE:DOOR)? At Q1's end, a total of 26 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were bullish on this stock, a change of 24% from one quarter earlier. Below, you can check out the change in hedge fund sentiment towards DOOR over the last 18 quarters. So, let's examine which hedge funds were among the top holders of the stock and which hedge funds were making big moves. The largest stake in Masonite International Corp (NYSE:DOOR) was held by Praesidium Investment Management Company, which reported holding $105 million worth of stock at the end of September. It was followed by Pzena Investment Management with a $29.1 million position. Other investors bullish on the company included Sunriver Management, Renaissance Technologies, and Arrowstreet Capital. In terms of the portfolio weights assigned to each position Praesidium Investment Management Company allocated the biggest weight to Masonite International Corp (NYSE:DOOR), around 8.5% of its 13F portfolio. Sunriver Management is also relatively very bullish on the stock, earmarking 5.1 percent of its 13F equity portfolio to DOOR. Consequently, some big names were breaking ground themselves. Columbus Circle Investors, managed by Principal Global Investors, initiated the largest position in Masonite International Corp (NYSE:DOOR). Columbus Circle Investors had $7.2 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Len Kipp and Xavier Majic's Maple Rock Capital also made a $3.8 million investment in the stock during the quarter. The other funds with new positions in the stock are Richard Driehaus's Driehaus Capital, Greg Eisner's Engineers Gate Manager, and Sander Gerber's Hudson Bay Capital Management. Let's also examine hedge fund activity in other stocks - not necessarily in the same industry as Masonite International Corp (NYSE:DOOR) but similarly valued. These stocks are Grupo Simec S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:SIM), Yext, Inc. (NYSE:YEXT), Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corp. (NYSE:MNR), and Canada Goose Holdings Inc. (NYSE:GOOS). This group of stocks' market values match DOOR's market value. [table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position SIM,1,1807,0 YEXT,9,18486,-4 MNR,12,61577,-2 GOOS,26,220589,6 Average,12,75615,0 [/table] View table here if you experience formatting issues. As you can see these stocks had an average of 12 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $76 million. That figure was $271 million in DOOR's case. Canada Goose Holdings Inc. (NYSE:GOOS) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Grupo Simec S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:SIM) is the least popular one with only 1 bullish hedge fund positions. Masonite International Corp (NYSE:DOOR) is not the most popular stock in this group but hedge fund interest is still above average. Our calculations showed that top 10 most popular stocks among hedge funds returned 41.4% in 2019 and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by 10.1 percentage points. These stocks gained 12.3% in 2020 through June 30th but still beat the market by 15.5 percentage points. Hedge funds were also right about betting on DOOR as the stock returned 63.9% in Q2 and outperformed the market. Hedge funds were rewarded for their relative bullishness. Get real-time email alerts: Follow Masonite International Corp (NYSE:DOOR) Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey. Related Content Hong Kong: Govt to re-energise HK film industry The Commerce & Economic Development Bureau announced today that around $260 million will be earmarked under the Film Development Fund to implement five major measures to re-energise Hong Kong's film industry. The five measures are the Directors' Succession Scheme, relaxation of the Film Production Financing Scheme (FPFS); the Scriptwriting Incubation Programme, short-term advanced training programmes and the enhanced First Feature Film Initiative (FFFI). Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau said: "As a result of social events and the epidemic, local film production and investment have shrunk, posing acute challenges to the trade and practitioners in the past year. The Government is therefore committed to providing multi-pronged support for the trade to go through this difficult period and sustaining the success story of Hong Kong films." Under the Directors' Succession Scheme, qualified directors are invited to partner with young directors to co-produce films, with earmarked funding of about $100 million to subsidise 10 to 12 local film productions. Each film will be granted a subsidy of around $9 million. Directors who have accepted invitations to join the first round of the scheme include Derek Yee, Wong Kar-wai, Peter Chan, Gordon Chan, and Mabel Cheung and Alex Law as a duo. They will partner with young directors Keane Wong, Ronald Zee, Wong Chun, Ralph Chau and Norris Wong respectively. To increase the number of local film productions in the short term and render relief to film practitioners, the Government will increase the actual financing amount, grant priority to investors to recover half of their investment and make the disbursement earlier. More than 10 film productions will benefit from the relaxation of the FPFS, involving government financing of $100 million. The Scriptwriting Incubation Programme encourages would-be scriptwriters to join the profession and current scriptwriters to produce high-quality scripts. With funding of around $8 million, about 40 quality scripts will be incubated. To add value to the movie industry, the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers and the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild have been subsidised with $20 million to organise in-depth professional training courses with tuition fees exempted. For the FFFI enhancement, the maximum number of winning teams under the initiative was increased to six in the sixth edition. The production budget for the Higher Education Institution Group has been raised from the previous cap of $3.25 million to $5 million, while that of the Professional Group has been raised from the previous cap of $5.5 million to $8 million. This story has been published on: 2020-07-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Emmanuelle Michel (Agence France-Presse) Madrid, Spain Mon, July 13, 2020 07:17 555 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665ca746 2 World Spain,Catalonia,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,face-masks,COVID-19-infection,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free Hundreds of thousands of Catalonia residents were ordered back into lockdown on Sunday as coronavirus cases spiked in the Spanish region and new figures showed infections accelerating in many other parts of the world. Since the start of July, nearly 2.5 million new infections have been reported, a record level since the first outbreak of the disease in China last year, according to an AFP tally. In just a month-and-a-half the number of cases worldwide has doubled, according to the count based on official figures. The government of Catalonia region told residents in and around the northeastern town of Lerida to go back into home confinement. "The people must stay at home," regional health official Alba Verges said. The area, with a population of more than 200,000, had already been ordered isolated from the rest of the region last weekend. It marks the first time that Spaniards have been kept in their homes since the hard-hit country exited confinement on June 21. 'Never been against masks' US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, wore a face mask in public for the first time, apparently dropping his resistance to the protective item. He opted for a dark mask bearing the presidential seal during a visit Saturday to wounded veterans in a hospital outside Washington . "I've never been against masks but I do believe they have a time and a place," he told reporters. Surveys show most Americans are unhappy with how Trump, who is trailing Democrat Joe Biden in opinion polls ahead of the November election, has handled the public health crisis. The US posted yet another daily record of confirmed cases Saturday with more than 66,500 new infections, while the death toll rose by almost 800 to nearly 135,000. Mickey masks In hard-hit Florida the Walt Disney World theme park partially reopened after four months of shutdown, with some visitors combining Mickey ears with their mandatory face masks. Across the planet, the pandemic has infected nearly 13 million people, killed over 565,000 and triggered massive economic damage in the seven months since it was detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The latest-high profile personality to test positive for COVID-19 is Bollywood superstar and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai. India, a country of 1.3 billion people, is the third-worst infected in the world after the United States and Brazil where President Jair Bolsonaro tested positive last week. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday called on countries to adopt an aggressive approach to tackling the virus, citing successful efforts in Italy, South Korea and elsewhere. 'Everything's dead' Despite Sunday's lockdown move in Spain, life in parts of Europe has been returning to some semblance of normality, although the continent remains the worst affected with more than 202,000 deaths from 2.8 million cases. Elections were held in Spain and Poland Sunday after being postponed because of the virus, with strict hygiene measures in place. But the tourism industry across Europe has been battered, with many businesses forced to shut because of the impact of punishing lockdowns. "Everything's dead," said Jesus Maldonado, owner of the Santos Bar just across from the Mesquite, the mosque-cathedral in the Spanish city of Cordoba. In neighboring France, where reopened bars and restaurants are bustling in the summer heat, officials have warned of rising cases as the death toll topped 30,000. 'Truly tragic' The French government said it plans to introduce systematic testing at airports for visitors from so-called category "red" countries where COVID-19 is still prevalent. In Paris, demonstrating nightclub workers demanded a re-opening of their venues, arguing that strictly-controlled club visits would be safer than unregulated beach parties. Across the border in Germany, Berlin offered financial help for the city's famous nightclubs, which have remained shut for four months. In Iran, the supreme leader said the situation was "truly tragic" and urged all citizens to help stem what has been the Middle East's deadliest outbreak. "Let everyone play their part in the best way to break the chain of transmission in the short term and save the country," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Murals of Eric Garner and his daughter, Erica Garner, have been designed on the walls of Staten Island buildings this month. Artists from the New York area have made their way to the borough to design intricate portraits of the deceased Staten Islanders, in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. The Eric Garner mural, painted by Brenton Evins of East New York, is located at the spot where Garner died in Tompkinsville. The Erica Garner mural is located on Wave Street, brought to the neighborhood by Projectivity, LYFE Studios and Kwue Molly, who coordinated the project. Projectivity always tries to focus on messages and themes in our murals, Christian Penn, founder of Projectivity, told SILive.com. " On Wave Street, every year, we usually let artists paint whatever they want. But, this year the owner of two of the walls, Danny LYFE, suggested we consider the current issues around police brutality and racism and the Black Lives Matter movement. Erica Garner mural by Vincent Ballentine and Projectivity. (Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola) Projectivity announced via social media that they will be sponsoring a series of murals throughout Staten Island to bring attention to the Black Lives Matter movement. Vincent Ballentine, a mural artist based in Brooklyn, completed the massive piece across the street from Hub 17. The group says there are multiple murals planned for the Tompkinsville area for the summer. It was important to reach out to different artists of color to contribute to the block, to amplify their voices, Penn said. I took a step back from painting this year and am giving my two spots to other artists so they can share their messages. Projectivity recognizes the separation and division taking place in our country and in our local communities, and we want to send a message of love, awareness, hope and change through the arts. Brenton Evins posing with the Eric Garner mural in Tompkinsville July 9, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola) The Eric Garner mural is sentimental to artist Brenton Evins, who knew Garner growing up on the borough. Evins, a former Staten Islander, coordinated the piece with the owner of the beauty supply store at 202 Bay St., where Garner died in 2014. I used to play Play Station with him, he was my boy, Evins said. It was important for me to make sure this came out absolutely perfect. I have to do it for him, and make sure people never forget what happened here. Brenton Evins poses with the Eric Garner mural in Tompkinsville on July 9, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola) The mural consists of Eric Garners face with a halo around it. The words I cant breathe are listed within the halo. Those on the Tompkinsville block who walked by admired the piece by taking photos of it and complimented the artist on his contribution to the neighborhood. A common sentiment was, Thank you, brother, and Keep doing what youre doing. The mural will be covered by plexiglass to protect it from damage. For more information on the artists, follow Vincent Ballentine and Brenton Evins on Instagram. Evins brother, Barton Evins, managers the artist and can be reached at bevins@gaiusmanagement.com. Caught between the fighting and COVID lockdowns, Al Jazeera meets a migrant who has come to Libya for a better life. Libya has long been a transit point for migrants and refugees attempting to reach Europe. Fighting between forces of the UN-recognised government and renegade commander Khalifa Haftar as well as lockdowns to limit the spread of COVID-19 have made life difficult for them. Some of the migrants are not looking for passage through Libya; rather, they are seeking a new, and better, life in the country. Al Jazeeras Malik Traina reports from the Libyan coastal city of Misrata. Russia's Sechenov University has successfully completed human trials of its vaccine candidate for the novel coronavirus, according to reports. Experts say that the global scientific community would now vet the efficacy of the vaccine before it can be used by countries across the world. Even if all goes well, it is still sometime away before it can be distributed globally. Russian news agency Sputnik said that Vadim Tarasov, the Director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, told the agency that the university has completed the trial of the vaccine developed ... The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers and the follow-on nationwide protests has thrust the issue of police reform from the periphery of the nations consciousness to a first-tier public policy issue. As is typical in American discussions of crime and punishment, the public remains divided between those who focus on the root causes of the excessive police force that brought on protests, demonstrations and, occasionally, riots and those who are concerned with how the disturbances threaten public safety and the rule of law. This polarization is not helpful to addressing either the needs of over-policed and violence-prone neighborhoods or better equipping the officers tasked with maintaining safety and order and preventing excessive use of force by the police. The truth is that our most vulnerable neighborhoods, communities and cities deserve better policing than they are getting, and the overwhelming majority of police officers deserve recognition and support for undertaking difficult and often dangerous work. Police often subjected to trauma According to a survey conducted by the Cato Institute in 2016, 60 percent of Americans consider police work to be very dangerous. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund confirms that in the past 10 years there has been an average of one officer death every 54 hours. In 2018, 58,866 police offers were assaulted and around 30 percent of them sustained injuries. When officers answer a call to protect life and property they also have to think about protecting themselves in what are sometimes life-and-death situations demanding instantaneous judgment calls about the use of lethal force. Regular exposure to this type of danger as well as the chronic, lower-level anxiety that accompanies police work can fray nerves further and result in officers living, often unaware, in a hyper-vigilant state. While the exact number of cases remains unclear, many officers suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Suicide and thinking about committing suicide among police officers are also extraordinarily high. Story continues On the community side, things are often equally difficult, complex and highly charged. High-crime jurisdictions are usually poor with all the social challenges and pathologies that accompany poverty. Multi-generational trauma, the effects of addiction and substance abuse, race and class discrimination, and economic stressors combine to put the people who live in these communities on edge. Police presence, if it is not cognizant of the social and emotional conditions of low-income neighborhoods and communities, can add stress and translate into a widespread fear of the police. Flashing Police Light According to a Reuters poll, 69 percent of African Americans and 54 percent of Latinos believe minorities are targeted unfairly by law enforcement. According to the Washington Posts Fatal Force project, more than 1,000 people have been killed by police in the past year. Unarmed African-American people are killed at a higher rate than white people by the police, although incidents of excessive force afflicts low-income whites, too. An underlying factor in many fatal incidents is the prevalence of mental illness. One study found that 23 percent of the people who died during an interaction with an officer in 2015 had symptoms of a mental illness. In such tinder-box conditions, misunderstanding and misreading, filtered through traumatized police and members of the community, can result in a rapid escalation of aggressive exchanges that result in injury and death. Approach to crime must change Crime is part of the human condition and will always be with us, making the police a necessity. But actual prevalence of criminal activities changes and our approaches to the problem should change with it. Certain aggressive and lethal practices like chokeholds, no-knock warrants and discriminatory stop-and-frisk policies need to be reformed or banned. Qualified immunity, which largely protects officers against civil suits resulting from excessive use of force claims, must also be reformed to change police incentives when it comes to use of lethal force. However, merely limiting the methods of police engagement is not, by itself, sufficient to begin improving relationships between the police and community. It is imperative that we focus on improving police conduct and their capacity for understanding, interpreting and responding to the effects of trauma in the communities they serve and in themselves. One of President Donald Trumps recently proposed reforms is to integrate social workers into police departments to take part in responding to non-violent police calls. Such professionals could serve as a resource for understanding and interrupting the police-community-trauma-violence dynamic. Such staff, trained in understanding how symptoms of trauma and mental illness manifest in individuals, would help officers know when to hold back on use of force, as well as serving as a resource for officers to better understand how the day-to-day grind of police work is shaping their own attitudes, reactions, and responses. Additional mental health and de-escalation resources also should be embedded in disadvantaged neighborhoods to help defuse conflicts before violence breaks out and help to build a generally more peaceful environment. Defunding and abolishing police is a utopian project destined to fail, and, in so doing, create conditions for another round of get-tough criminal justice policies, programs and practices that have wreaked such havoc on our families, communities and police forces. This is the last thing a nation riven by social and political conflict needs. Rather, we should to look for models and practices that build police-community collaboration and trust and reduce the prevalence of fatal force. In the process, we might learn that cultivating more peaceful police forces and communities is not a soft-headed effort in social engineering, but a vital strategy for strengthening communities and the police officers who serve them. Brent Orrell is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Follow him on Twitter: @orrell_b You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Police reform must include fixing officers' broken ties to communities London: The Trump administration has warned British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that allowing Huawei to continue building Britain's 5G networks could become a "tremendous threat to national security". The warning, delivered by US Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, came on the eve of a crunch meeting of the National Security Committee which will reconsider banning the Chinese firm. "Clearly this is a big decision for the United Kingdom," McCarthy said. "You need to have reliable carriers ... ones that cannot be easily manipulated, or create disruption, or the potential for espionage. Graduation Events Spread Virus, Despite Emphasis On Safety Measures Dont drink and drive. Add another piece of graduation advice from high school principals these days: Keep your distance. Health officials in at least a half-dozen states have traced coronavirus clusters to high school and college graduations. In several of those outbreaks, school and district leaders found their creative efforts to provide a virus-safe ceremony may have been thwarted by students and guests abandoning social-distancing rules soon afterwards. Christine Ackerman, the superintendent of the Chappaqua district in New York, said her district planned with the local health department and repeatedly provided clear guidance and protocols for families on how to stay safe and socially distant during the graduation ceremony for Horace Greeley High School. Unfortunately, at the event, and despite police presence, numerous individuals failed to follow our protocols. On the weekend of June 20, a student returned from a visit to hotspot Florida to attend the commencement, followed by days of private parties and a large, multi-community graduation celebration that included juniors and seniors from Horace Greeley and surrounding schools. That student became the first of a still-expanding cluster of at least 19 coronavirus cases in Westchester County. Elsewhere, fully half the new coronavirus cases in Lane County, Ore., have come from a 20-person cluster following a college graduation and another 11-person cluster following high school graduations. In both the New York outbreak and another following postgraduation house parties in New Orleans, witnesses told health officials that students packed inside private homes without masks. The Crescent Citys health director, Jennifer Avegno, called the private parties superspreader events in a city struggling to contain new outbreaks. The independent Lovett School in Atlanta honored seniors with a car parade in mid-May, but several students tested positive for COVID-19 in the days that followed. School officials later learned about several social gatherings after the parade but did not know whether guests at the off-campus events followed health recommendations. Department of Education Prediction Comes True: States Sue Over COVID-19 School Funding Who knew U.S. Department of Education officials were soothsayers? Jim Blew, the departments assistant secretary for planning, evaluation, and policy development, told reporters during a conference call last month that he expected the department to be sued over the rule that, essentially, requires public school districts to share federal coronavirus aid with all private school studentspoor or wealthy. His prediction came true last week when attorneys general from five statesCalifornia, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, and Wisconsinand the District of Columbia sued to over-turn the recently published rule. The rule says districts that share CARES Act funds with all their schools, including those that didnt get federal aid for low-income students in the last school year, must reserve money to provide certain services to all local private school students. The Trump administration is undermining the rule of law and defying Congress, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a press conference. Its not just sinful. Its against the law. ... Ultimately, its a shakedown of public schools across the country. In April, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released non-binding guidance telling districts to reserve a portion of CARES Act funding to provide equitable services, like tutoring, to all private school students. But critics argued that the law only directs districts to provide equitable services to low-income students. On July 1, the department published an interim final rule that gives districts two choices for equitable services. In one scenario, they can limit equitable services just for low-income private school students, but then they have to send CARES aid only to public schools that got Title I aid for disadvantaged students in the last school year. In the other, they can provide equitable services to private school students in general and then have the freedom to provide CARES relief to public schools regardless of their Title I status. The attorneys general seem to have Congress research arm on their side. In a report published earlier this month, it said the evidence suggests DeVos approach to equitable services does not match the law. Even With More Experience, Black Administrators and Women Less Likely to Be Promoted to Principal Than White Men Whos more likely to get promoted to principal: a) a white man; b) a Black man; c) a Black woman; or d) a white woman? No surprise here. The answer is: a) a white man. But dig a little deeper into new research by Lauren P. Bailes, an assistant professor of education leadership at the University of Delaware, and Sarah Guthery, an assistant professor at Texas A&M University-Commerce, and you will find some revelations. In their study, published in AERA Open, the pair found that Black men got that promotion faster than women of any race and that Black and white women were similarly situated in attaining that goal. Whats more, men in the study sample had, on average, less experienceas much as 20 months lessthan women, despite being more likely to be selected for a principalship. The researchers looked specifically at assistant principals and how they end up shaping the administrative labor force. Black assistant principals had to wait longermore than half a yearthan their white peers to become principals and were 18 percent less likely to earn the promotion than equally qualified white candidates. And at the high school level, it took women of all races more than two-thirds of a year longer to be promoted to the principalship, and they were about 5 percent to 7 percent less likely to be promoted than men. So whos responsible for helping to change these patterns? The researchers put the responsibility pretty squarely on the shoulders of superintendents, who have the most control over who ends up leading the schools in their districts. The findings resonate with the nations current conversation over structural racism and how its replicated in public institutions, including schools. But the researchers noted that theres room for optimism, too: Lots of qualified would-be-principals are waiting in the wings. If offers a lot of hope to realize there are people in the pipeline who are qualified and are interested in leading schools, and they can choose to really invest in those people, said Guthery. And it might be a lot shorter timeline than you would think to close some of these gaps. Unlike Boys, Only Top Girls Choose College and Careers in Male-Dominated STEM Fields Gender gaps in the most male-dominated science fields dont come from men outperforming women academically in those subjects but from the simple fact that overwhelmingly more boys than girls opt for those careers in spite of lackluster science skills. Boys and girls with the very highest math and science skills choose to major in physics, engineering, and computer science at roughly the same rates, finds a new study in the journal Science. But the gender gap widens for students at all other achievement levels. New York University researchers led by Joseph Cimpian, an associate professor of economics and education policy, looked at federal data on more than 6,000 students over seven years, from the start of high school until midway through college. Those that are higher in STEM achievement are more likely to go into these math-heavy fields, and you see that for both men and women, Cimpian said, but whats more pronounced is that the women arent going into these math-intensive fields unless they are above averageand really oftentimes much further above averagewhile men start going into these fields even if they are lower-achieving. For example, about 10 percent of the men whose science and math performance had been in the lowest 1 percent in high school went on to study physics, engineering, or computer science in college. The rate of women entering those fields didnt reach that level except among students in the top 20 percent of all math and science achievement. Among the highest-performing students, much of the gender gap could be explained by lower feelings of confidence and self-efficacy among girls. But the researchers found that among students with lower achievement levels, boys and girls did not show significant differences in self-confidence, interest in science, academic mindsets, or even having a math or science identity. Overall, by college nearly 24 percent of men but only 5.5 percent of women chose to go into physics, engineering, or computer science, and those women had higher-than-average math and science skills. During Perfect Civics Storm, Students Cant Demonstrate Savvy on NAEP Schools, businesses, and other institutions are shut down because of COVID-19. Millions of Americans have taken to the streets pro-testing police violence and other mistreatment of Blacks. Leaders from the White House to statehouses to mayors offices are in a tizzy over how to solve these staggering problems. And amid all this, political candidates are revving up for bruising battles to run government at all levels. What an opportune time to find out how much our children have absorbed about the societal turmoil. Well, that chance has been nixed. Eighth graders were on schedule to be tested on their U.S. history and civics prowess next year, but the overseers of the National Assessment of Educational Progress shot that down late last month. Even the congressionally mandated reading and math tests for 4th and 8th graders may get canned or at least delayed. The reason for the cancellation: one of those very circumstances afflicting usthe coronavirus. The National Center for Education Sciences, which conducts the tests, estimates they will cost an additional $45 million to safely administer during the pandemic. Its not the money issue, Mark Schneider, the director of the Institute of Education Sciences, said of conducting the civics and history assessment. It is taking all the machinery and putting it in schools for nonmandatory assessments, he said, thus increasing the risk of spreading the coronavirus virus through people and equipment being moved from school to school, sometimes multiple times. Not that anyone would be eagerly awaiting the results, if they mirror the 2018 ones released last month: 8th graders civics performance was middling, while their understanding of history and geography dropped sharply. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle want to be financially independent, but they have not achieved that goal until now. Nearly four months after Harry and Meghan officially left the Firm, the Republic called them out for squandering Britain's money to support themselves in Los Angeles. In an exclusive interview with Express, Republic's CEO Graham Smith questioned why the Duke and Duchess of Sussex continue to enjoy the taxpayers' money when the United Kingdom does not owe them a living. "I think most people would be surprised by any suggestion that people sitting on 30million in the bank might struggle in anyway finically," Smith said. "So I think if they want to live the lifestyle that people with 100million to then they have a problem." He suggested that they should find a new source of income rather than unceasingly misspending the budget, which is supposed to be for Britons. If they cannot find one, the CEO demanded that they should live off with what they have. Smith also called the Sussexes out following Meghan's claims that her wedding with Harry generated $1.2 billion for the United Kingdom's economy and the nation's tourism industry. To recall, a new court filing revealed that the royal wedding produced $787 million in business spending and $337 million in public relations value. Prince Harry and Meghan also reportedly claimed that they did not use much of taxpayers' funds, as Prince Charles paid most of the costs himself. "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," Meghan's legal team disclosed. But Smith did not buy the statement and slammed them instead. According to the head of the pressure group, there is no evidence that the royal couple brought an economic boost for the country. Far from what Meghan claimed, Smith pointed out that the Sussexes' wedding was rather a "net-loss" for the U.K. taxpayers. "Meghan Markle is falling for the same spin that the royal household put out. There is no evidence at all that the monarchy ever bring money in from tourism," he explained. "It was a net loss for the British taxpayers and to try and justify spending public money on her wedding by making these rather weird claims is just another sign of their entitlement." Aside from slamming Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Smith has been consistently expressing the organization's desire to abolish the monarchy and replace Queen Elizabeth II with a democratic head of state. The group, which he claimed has 70,000 supporters, is said to have one goal: to achieve "the abolition of the British monarchy in favor of a democratic republic." He reasoned out that the royal family is unfairly democratic when the U.K is supposed to be a democratic society. Smith emphasized that not having a democracy only allows the royal family to abuse their position and the public's money. "They are patrons of things but they're not hands-on. They're not making a huge effort to promote these charities, and these charities will function just fine without them," he told Newsweek a year ago. READ MORE: Queen's Biggest Headache: Did Princess Diana Wear The 'Revenge Dress' To Anger Queen Elizabeth II? By Aisha Jabbarova Turkish Foreign Ministry has condemned the Armenian provocation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border on July 12 that killed three Azerbaijani soldiers and injured four others. These attempts, which Armenia has made to distract the attention of the international community from its continued illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territory Nagorno-Karabakh and its surrounding regions for many years and to add new dimensions to the conflict for blocking the political settlement, are bound to fail, the ministry said in its press service. The ministry said that the fact that this attack which is yet another manifestation of Armenia's aggressive nationalism, has been repelled by Azerbaijan, is a concrete indication that aggression will not be left unanswered. The Armenian side should give up on such dangerous tactics and choose the path of reason and law. Embarking on adventurism for aspirations beyond its own capacity reveals Armenias failure of judgement and constitutes the biggest obstacle to peace and stability in our region. We hope that Armenias effort to cover up its own aggression will not be accepted by the international community in any way, the ministry said. The ministry reiterated Turkeys support for Azerbaijans struggle to protect its territorial integrity. Follow us on Twitter @AzerNews The back-to-back decisions were the latest in a flurry of court rulings surrounding the case of Mr. Lee, the first of three federal death row prisoners scheduled to be executed this week. Mr. Lee was scheduled to be executed at 4 p.m. on Monday at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind. Mr. Lee, 47, a former white supremacist who has denounced his ties to that movement, was set to be executed for his part in the 1996 killing of a family of three. The Trump administration announced its intention last summer to resume the federal death penalty after a nearly two-decade hiatus and to employ a new procedure to carry it out a single widely available drug, pentobarbital after several botched executions by lethal injection renewed scrutiny of capital punishment. But the government has been fighting off legal challenges to the single-drug technique. Last month, the Supreme Court let stand an appeals court ruling that found the government was in compliance with the Federal Death Penalty Act of 1994, which requires executions to be carried out in the manner prescribed by the law of the state in which the sentence is imposed. Judge Chutkan had found the government in violation of the law. In her ruling on Monday, Judge Chutkan wrote that lethal injection by pentobarbital could expose the inmates to the risk of flash pulmonary edema, or the rapid buildup of fluid in the lungs that resembles the feeling of drowning or asphyxiation. Before the inmates could be put to death, the judicial system must decide whether the protocol violates their protections against cruel and unusual punishment, she ruled. The government has been trying to plow forward with these executions despite many unanswered questions about the legality of its new execution protocol, said Shawn Nolan, a lawyer for one of the men scheduled to be executed this summer, in a statement. The Justice Department has repeatedly invoked the justice owed to the murder victims to underscore the need for a speedy execution for the four men scheduled to die this summer. Mr. Lees trial judge, his prosecutor, and several members of the victims family pleaded with the government to commute his sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Rating Action: Moody's assigns Baa3 rating to Bright Food International's proposed EUR notes Global Credit Research - 13 Jul 2020 Hong Kong, July 13, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned a Baa3 senior unsecured rating to the proposed EUR notes to be issued by Bright Food Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., which will be irrevocably and unconditionally guaranteed by Bright Food International Ltd. (BFI, Baa3 stable). In addition, the proposed notes will be supported by a keepwell, liquidity support and equity interest purchase undertaking covenants deed from BFI's parent, Bright Food (Group) Co., Ltd. (BFG, Baa2 stable). The rating outlook is stable. RATINGS RATIONALE The Baa3 rating on the proposed notes reflects the irrevocable and unconditional guarantee from BFI and the fact that the notes rank pari passu with BFI's other senior unsecured obligations. The proposed bond issuance will have a limited impact on BFI's debt leverage, because the company will primarily use the proceeds to refinance existing debt. BFI's Baa3 issuer rating incorporates its ba3 standalone credit strength and a three-notch uplift based on Moody's assessment of support from its parent, BFG. The three-notch parental uplift reflects BFI's importance to and close linkage with BFG. The support assessment also reflects BFG's 100% ownership of BFI, its track record of providing support to BFI, and the high reputational risks it faces along with the Shanghai Municipal Government if BFI were to default. The keepwell, liquidity support and equity interest purchase undertaking covenants deed from BFG further demonstrate the importance of BFI to BFG. BFI's standalone credit strength is underpinned by its diversified geographic and business profile, strong brand awareness and leading local market share in certain sub-segments. On the other hand, BFI's standalone credit strength is constrained by its modest financial profile. Moody's expects that BFI's leverage, as measured by adjusted retained cash flow (RCF)/net debt, will likely reach 18.2% and its adjusted debt capitalization will reach 50.5% in 2020 after consolidating Bright Holding (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. Story continues BFI has short-term debt of RMB12.3 billion maturing in 2020, of which RMB6.2 billion has been refinanced with a bridge loan as of May 2020. The company's cash balance of RMB7.9 billion at the end of 2019 is sufficient to cover the remaining RMB6.1 billion of short-term debt and its estimated interest expense of RMB0.5 million. Moody's expects BFI to incur RMB4.6 billion of investment and working capital needs in 2020. However, Moody's believes that part of BFI's capital spending is discretionary and expects it to be able to roll over most of its short-term debt because of (1) its affiliation with BFG, which has helped it establish strong relationships with foreign banks and the offshore subsidiaries of major Chinese banks, and (2) its successful track record of refinancing through bank loans and bond issuances. BFI rating also considers the following environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. With respect to social risk, BFI has moderate exposure to demographic and societal trends, because evolving consumer preferences could affect the demand for its food products. When assessing BFI's governance risk, Moody's has taken into consideration its 100% ownership by BFG, which in turn is 100% owned by the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Shanghai Municipal Government (Shanghai SASAC). This puts BFI under the local government's supervision and its management team is appointed by the government. Unlike privately owned enterprises, any change in management at BFI is not likely to affect its operations and credit profile. The stable rating outlook reflects Moody's expectation that over the next 12-18 months (1) BFI's business and financial profile will remain stable; and (2) the company will remain an important subsidiary of BFG and will continue to receive support from BFG. FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATING Moody's could upgrade BFI's rating if the company (1) further enhances its business profile, for instance by gaining stronger market positions and achieving higher profit margins; (2) demonstrates disciplined financial management in pursuing growth; and (3) materially reduces its financial leverage. Credit metrics indicative of upward pressure on the rating include adjusted retained cashflow (RCF)/net debt exceeding 20%, and adjusted debt to capitalization falling below 45% on a sustained basis. Moody's could downgrade BFI's rating if (1) its business profile deteriorates materially; and (2) the company pursues large-scale, debt-funded acquisitions that result in significantly higher leverage levels. Credit metrics indicative of downward pressure on its rating include adjusted RCF/net debt falling below 10%, and adjusted debt to capitalization exceeding 65% on a sustained basis. Moody's could also downgrade the rating, without a decline in the company's standalone credit strength, if Moody's assesses that BFI will receive a lower level of support from its parent, or there's a weakening in the parent's credit quality, as reflected by a downgrade of BFG's rating. The principal methodology used in this rating was Consumer Packaged Goods Methodology published in February 2020 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1202237. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology. Bright Food International Ltd. (BFI) was established in 2011. The company is fully owned by Bright Food (Group) Co., Ltd. (BFG), which in turn is ultimately 100% owned by the Shanghai SASAC. BFI is the major operating and financing platform of BFG's overseas investments. The local market analyst for this rating is Elaine Lai, +86 (212) 057-4018. REGULATORY DISCLOSURES For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004. For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com. For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action, and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action, the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity. Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures, if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity. 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Only five years ago, then-British Prime Minister David Cameron was celebrating a "golden era" in U.K.-China relations, bonding with President Xi Jinping over a pint of beer at the pub and signing off on trade deals worth billions. Those friendly scenes now seem like a distant memory. Hostile rhetoric has ratcheted up in recent days over Beijing's new national security law for Hong Kong. Britain's decision to offer refuge to millions in the former colony was met with a stern telling-off by China. And Chinese officials have threatened "consequences" if Britain treats it as a "hostile country" and decides to cut Chinese technology giant Huawei out of its critical telecoms infrastructure amid growing unease over security risks. All that is pointing to a much tougher stance against China, with a growing number in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party taking a long, hard look at Britain's Chinese ties. Many are saying Britain has been far too complacent and naive in thinking it could reap economic benefits from the relationship without political consequences. "It's not about wanting to cut ties with China. It's that China is itself becoming a very unreliable and rather dangerous partner," said lawmaker and former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith. He cited Beijing's "trashing" of the Sino-British Joint Declaration - the treaty supposed to guarantee Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy when it reverted from British to Chinese rule - and aggressive posturing in the South China Sea as areas of concern. "This is not a country that is in any way managing itself to be a good and decent partner in anything at the moment. That's why we need to review our relationship with them," he added. "Those who think this is a case of separating trade from government.... you can't do that, that's naive." Duncan Smith has lobbied other Tory lawmakers to cut Huawei out from Britain's superfast 5G network. Not only that: He says all existing Huawei technology in the U.K. telecoms infrastructure also needs to be eliminated as soon as possible. The company has been at the center of tensions between China and Britain, as U.K. officials review how the latest U.S. sanctions - imposed over allegations of cyber spying and aimed at cutting off Huawei's access to advanced microchips made with American technology - will affect British telecom networks. Johnson decided in January that Huawei can be deployed in future 5G networks as long as its share of the market is limited, but officials have since hinted that that decision could be reversed in light of the U.S. sanctions. A new policy is expected within weeks. Huawei says it is merely caught in the middle of a U.S.-China battle over trade and technology. It has consistently denied allegations it could carry out cyber espionage or electronic sabotage at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party. "We've definitely been pushed into the geopolitical competition," Vice President Victor Zhang said Wednesday. U.S. accusations about security risks are all politically motivated, he said. Nigel Inkster, senior adviser to the International Institute for Strategic Studies and former director of operations and intelligence at Britain's MI6 intelligence service, said the issue with Huawei was not so much about immediate security threats. Rather, he said, the deeper worry lies in the geopolitical implications of China becoming the world's dominant player in 5G technology"It's less about cyber espionage than generally conceived because, after all, that's happening in any place," he said. "This was never something of which the U.K. was lacking awareness." Still, Inkster said he's been cautioning for years that Britain needed a more coherent strategy toward China that balances the economic and security factors. "There was a high degree of complacency" back in the 2000s, he said. "There was always less to the 'golden era' than met the eye." Britain rolled out the red carpet for Xi's state visit in 2015, with golden carriages and a lavish banquet at Buckingham Palace with Queen Elizabeth II. A cyber security cooperation deal was struck, along with billions in trade and investment projects - including Chinese state investment in a British nuclear power station. Cameron spoke about his ambitions for Britain to become China's "best partner in the West." Enthusiasm has cooled significantly since. The English city of Sheffield, which was promised a billion-pound deal with a Chinese manufacturing firm in 2016, said the investment never materialized. Critics have called it a vanity project and a "candy floss deal." Economic and political grumbles about China erupted into sharp rebukes earlier this month when Beijing imposed sweeping new national security laws on Hong Kong. Johnson's government accused China of a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and announced it would open a special route to citizenship for up to 3 million eligible Hong Kong residents. That amounts to "gross interference," Chinese Ambassador Liu Xiaoming said. Liu also warned that a decision to get rid of Huawei could drive away other Chinese investment in the U.K., and derided Britain for succumbing to U.S. pressure over the company. Rana Mitter, an Oxford history professor specializing in China, said that the security law - combined with broader resentment about Chinese officials' handling of information about the coronavirus - helped set the stage for a perfect storm of wariness among Britain's politicians and the public. Also read: Coronavirus to bring $1 trillion of new global corporate debt in 2020: Study China has warned its citizens they could be arbitrarily searched and have their property seized in Australia, escalating its travel advice as tensions rise between the two countries. The warning, delivered by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs over Chinese social media site WeChat on Monday night, is the third upgrade in as many months after Beijing warned students and tourists that they could face racial discrimination in Australia during the coronavirus pandemic. Tourists at Sydney's Mrs Macquarie's Chair. Credit:Brendan Esposito "Australia's relevant law enforcement authorities arbitrarily search Chinese citizens and seize their items, and these circumstances could cause harm to Chinese citizens in Australia, as well as the safety of their assets," the ministry said on Monday. Exiled Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo accused the Australian Tax Office of acting as a "despicable tool of political persecution" last year as he fought a $140 million tax bill. Huang had his Australian permanent residency visa cancelled for reasons including character grounds amid allegations he was acting as an agent for the Chinese Communist Party. Google will be investing $10 billion or Rs 75,000 crore in India over the next five to seven years, as the search engine giant is looking to boost the digital economy of the country. The announcement came from Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai at the annual 'Google For India' virtual event. The investment will be made through equity investments and tie-ups making it the company's investment yet. Reuters We'll do this through a mix of equity investments, partnerships, and operational, infrastructure and ecosystem investments. This is a reflection of our confidence in the future of India and its digital economy, he said at the company's annual event focused on India. "As we make these investments, we look forward to working alongside Prime Minister Modi and the Indian government, as well as Indian businesses of all sizes, to realise our shared vision for a Digital India," Pichai added. The fund will focus on the following areas that are important to India's digitisation: - Enabling affordable access to the internet and to information for every Indian in their own language, - Building new products and services that are deeply relevant to India's unique needs including consumer tech, education, health and agriculture; - Empowering businesses especially small and medium businesses as they continue or embark on their digital transformation; - Leveraging technology and AI for social good, including digital literacy, the outbreak predictions, and support for rural economies. At a special address at the event, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon'ble Minister of Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, said, "India today is seeking to transform the life of Indians with the power of technology, and I am very happy that Google is rising to the occasion by trying to invest a fairly substantial amount in India's digital transformation. "This digital transformation emphasises upon digital inclusion and overcoming the digital divide. I'm very happy that Google is recognising India's digital innovation and the need to create further opportunity. There is immense scope for Google to deploy artificial intelligence and undertake new initiatives in the field of agriculture, weather prediction, healthcare in the wake of COVID-19 challenges and most importantly in digital education. "Today, India's app economy is growing very powerfully, but we must not just download apps. It is important also to upload apps from India. I am sure with this new fund, Google will also focus on promoting our startups further." Reuters Google plays a key role in the company's overall strategy and is one of the most important markets outside of the U.S. There are over 500 million internet users in the country with over 450 million smartphone users where a range of Google products such as search, YouTube and Android play a crucial role. Reuters Pichai also said at the event, From the excitement of young people using the latest apps and services, to the ways people are using smartphones to improve lives in rural villages. Google's efforts in India have deepened our understanding of how technology can be helpful to different types of people. "Building products for India first, has helped us build better products for users everywhere. But India's own digital journey is far from complete. There's still more work to do in order to make the internet affordable and useful for a billion Indians." Naya Rivera's Glee co-stars Amber Riley and Kevin McHale spoke out on Sunday, after the actress who played Santana Lopez went missing while boating with her son at Lake Piru on Wednesday. Riley took to Twitter to ask fans to 'show some respect' and to pray for Rivera's safe return, while McHale retweeted her message and asked for privacy for the missing star's family. Rivera starred on the hit Fox show alongside Riley and McHale for all six seasons from 2009 until 2015. Devastated: Amber Riley took to Twitter to ask fans to 'show some respect' and to pray for Naya Rivera's safe return, while Glee costar Kevin McHale retweeted her message and asked for privacy for the missing star's family 'Show some respect. All our energy is going toward helping find Naya and praying for her safe return and for her family,' Riley wrote. Riley went on to address calls from fans online for the original cast of Glee to speak out on Rivera's disappearance. 'No one owes anyone online a performance of grief. This is very real and devastating. Focus on Naya and her family. Not us,' she added. 'We dont matter right now.' And McHale echoed her sentiment and said he was holding onto 'hope' that Rivera was going to be found. Not us: 'No one owes anyone online a performance of grief. This is very real and devastating. Focus on Naya and her family. Not us,' she added. 'We dont matter right now' Help: She included a second tweet with the hashtags '#helpfindnaya #NayaRivera #nayariveramissing Hope: And McHale echoed her sentiment and said he was holding onto 'hope' that Rivera was going to be found 'I cannot begin to understand what Naya's family must be feeling,' he wrote. 'I know the rest of us are completely shattered, but not without hope.' He continued to say: 'Please respect her family & their privacy in this moment. Please refrain from judging those who dont show their pain on social media.' Their fellow Glee cast member Heather Morris took to Twitter to reach out the the Ventura County Sheriff, telling them how friends of Naya are feeling 'powerless' and 'want to help in any way' possible. 'My name is Heather Morris, I'm Nayas close friend and co-worker, and I'm trying to conduct an on foot search and rescue mission along with a small group of friends at Lake Piru,' Morris wrote. Unimaginable; 'I cannot begin to understand what Naya's family must be feeling,' he wrote. 'I know the rest of us are completely shattered, but not without hope' Cast: Rivera starred on the hit Fox show alongside Riley and McHale for all six seasons from 2009 until 2015 Part of the effort: Their fellow Glee cast member Heather Morris took to Twitter to reach out the the Ventura County Sheriff, telling them how friends of Naya are feeling 'powerless' and 'want to help in any way' possible She made sure not to overstep, going on: 'I understand your team is doing EVERYTHING in their power, but we are feeling helpless, powerless and want to help in any way. 'I have left a message with the department of Rescue and Air today, and I will call again tomorrow. Thank you' Heather and Naya became close while playing BFFs-turned-girlfriends Brittany and Santana on Glee. Earlier in the week, Morris asked followers to pray for Rivera's safe return, taking to her Instagram Story to say: 'We need all the prayers we can to bring our Naya back home to us. We need your love and light.' Update: On Saturday the Venture County Sheriff updated people on the search efforts Asking: Morris, 33, took to Twitter to reach out the the Ventura County Sheriff, telling them how friends of Naya are feeling 'powerless' and 'want to help in any way' possible Yesterday was an emotional day for Rivera's family, who came together at Lake Piru to resume their search. Ryan Dorsey, Naya's ex and father of son Josey, looked distraught as he processed the situation at her last known location. Also there were Rivera's parents. 'They're obviously devastated, grieving,' Sgt. Marta Bugarin, a public information officer with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said. 'Our goal is to try and bring some closure to the family today.' The recovery operation has resumed today, Sunday. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office was assisted with their search efforts by members of the Tulare and San Luis Obispo sheriff's agencies as well as a private contractor, Bugarin said. Ventura County Sheriff's Department shared footage of the 'difficult' search for the missing actress on Twitter Friday night, which has been hampered by the poor visibility of the lake's murky waters. Footage has been released in the underwater hunt (pictured) for Rivera's body as authorities warn she could be found 'five minutes from now or five days from now'. Authorities point to a tree limb which looks like nothing more than a long dark shape given the water's poor visibility, highlighting the challenges divers are facing in the search The search for the Glee star, 33, (pictured) entered its fourth day Saturday following her disappearance while out boating at Lake Piru in Ventura near Los Angeles with her 4-year-old son Josey The video shows the images picked up around 30 feet below the surface of the water. The lake itself is 1,200 acres and can reach depths of up to 130 feet. In it, authorities point to a barely visible tree limb highlighting the challenges divers are facing in trying to find the missing mother-of-one. 'Here's an example of the underwater visibility at a 30-foot depth in Lake Piru,' the Sheriff's Department tweeted. A second social media post shows footage of the a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) being lowered into Lake Piru and details that specialized equipment including sonar, divers and dogs have also been deployed in the hunt. 'Here's the ROV used by @TulareSheriff in the search for Naya Rivera at Lake Piru today,' the Sheriff's Department wrote. The video shows the imagery picked up around 30 foot deep in the water A second social media post shows footage of the ROV being lowered into Lake Piru With almost zero visibility, human divers are resorting to searching by feel, meaning it could take several days before crews can locate her body, Eric Buschow, Ventura County Sheriff's Office spokesman said at a press conference Friday evening. 'We don't know if she's going to be found five minutes from now or five days from now, so we're still going to be continuing this effort,' he said. 'The visibility in the water is one to two feet,' Buschow added. Buschow said 'promising' images had shown up on the sonar Thursday night but when the ROV was dropped into the water the objects turned out not to be Rivera's body. 'What they do is they go out and they tow these devices in the water that scan the bottom of the lake for any objects that might look like a body. 'Last night, they had a couple of images that showed up on the sonar that they thought might be promising to investigate,' he said. Crew drop the ROV into the water in the hunt for the missing mother-of-one 'This morning, they sent an ROV, or a small robotic device, down into the water to examine those objects. Unfortunately, they did not locate Naya Rivera. They are still searching.' Buschow admitted the conditions of the lake made the search 'difficult' but said he is confident Rivera's body will be recovered. It could take several days before crews can locate her body, Eric Buschow, Ventura County Sheriff's Office spokesman said at a press conference Friday evening (pictured) 'It's very effective,' he said of the sonar system. 'They get a really detailed image and they can go down and focus on specific things rather than putting divers in the water where they're literally feeling around because they can't see.' The search resumed at 6am Saturday morning, with authorities now focusing on the north and east sides of the lake, based on where the boat was found and the currents of the water. A specially-trained dog is also being used in the search to sniff above the water's surface and alert handlers to a body beneath. Authorities confirmed the mission had shifted to a recovery Thursday as hope of finding Rivera alive vanished. The actress's distraught family said they just 'wish' she could be found so they could get some 'closure' over what is believed to have been a tragic drowning accident. A man thought to be 65-year-old Arnold Dorsey, the father of Rivera's ex-husband Ryan Dorsey and the grandfather to Josey, told The Sun the whole family was 'sad' and were rallying around Rivera's son. This diagram shows where Naya Rivera and her son rented a boat on Lake Piru before the four-year-old was seen alone. The map in the top left shows the location of the lake in relation to Los Angeles where Rivera lives The actress's distraught family said they just 'wish' she could be found so they could get some 'closure' over what is believed to have been a tragic drowning accident. Rivera pictured with son Josey A man thought to be 65-year-old Arnold Dorsey (pictured above with Josey), the father of Rivera's ex-husband Ryan Dorsey and the grandfather to Josey, told The Sun the whole family was 'sad' and were rallying around Rivera's son 'We are sad, we just wish they could find her so we can have some closure,' he said outside Rivera's mother Yolanda's home in Valencia. He said Josey was having some 'good days' after the four-year-old's terrifying ordeal. 'We still have good days [with him], I can't make any other comment at this time.' Josey was found asleep and alone on the rental boat Wednesday evening. He told police his mother had 'jumped' into the water to go swimming and never came back, but police admitted it was 'challenging' to interview a four-year-old. The lake was said to be a 'sanctuary' for Rivera and somewhere she had been going to for years. However, the waters are also known for their rip currents and for being full of debris, and eight people have drowned there since 1994. Authorities have said there is no evidence of foul play or suicide and that everything points to the young star accidentally drowning. WASHINGTONCanadians learning about the U.S. system of government hear a lot about systemic checks and balances. But recent political reality is demonstrating the extent to which theoretical restraints on presidential power depend in practice on good faith and a sense of shame. Shamelessness is the most obvious aspect of President Donald Trumps grant of clemency to his friend Roger Stone. Its something hes clearly constitutionally entitled to do. But its also an act that crosses a self-serving line no other president not even Richard Nixon dared approach. Unprecedented, historic corruption, Republican senator and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney called it. Stone was convicted of witness tampering and lying to federal authorities in the Mueller probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Stone bragged publicly that he didnt roll on the president, but could have. The judge summarized that Stones felonies were committed covering up for the president. Trump commuted Stones sentence, ensuring he wouldnt serve any jail time. The Stone case is the most blatant, but its part of a pattern in which, as Harvard law professor Jack Goldsmith wrote in Lawfare, Almost all of the beneficiaries of Trumps pardons and commutations have had a personal or political connection to the president. While there are no limits on the presidents power to pardon federal convicts, using it to protect someone whose crime was committed on the presidents behalf is something the constitutions framers feared. At the ratifying convention in Virginia in 1788, George Mason warned of a future president who may frequently pardon crimes which were advised by himself. The remedy the countrys founders envisioned for this was summed up by James Madison in response: the House of Representatives can impeach him; they can remove him if found guilty. Just months ago, a Senate trial showed how toothless that idea has become. The Republican-controlled Senate didnt just acquit Trump after he was impeached by the House, they failed to conduct a real trial: they refused to hear witnesses or allow new evidence, and their leader made clear from the start that the jurors considered themselves part of the presidents team, acting in total co-ordination with Trumps lawyers. During the impeachment process, scholars opined on how impeachment had always been a less-effective remedy than the constitution had envisioned the two-thirds majority required for conviction in the Senate made any conviction improbable, and the transparency of the partisan alignments between congress and presidents made it progressively less effective even as popular censure. Trumps case put an exclamation point on that conclusion, and his defiance of congress in the process further undermined even the appearance of oversight. Meanwhile, Trump has trampled traditions of independence long considered essential norms upholding the rule of law: the well-remarked politicization of the Department of Justice and the firing of inspectors general meant to provide oversight of the administration, for instance. He has disregarded norms of disclosure of his financial matters and his administration has violated conflict of interest rules to the point of mockery. In theory, these norms and rules are upheld by arms-length officials, independent branches of government, and the good faith and shame of the president. When officials are persecuted for trying to maintain independence, and congress has no interest in defying the president, the only remaining restraint is the capacity of the president to feel shame. Thats not a quality President Trump is noted for. The notable contrast to this trend has been the Supreme Court. A series of decisions released in the past two months have gone against the presidents wishes on topics including immigration, abortion and LGBT rights. Chief Justice John Roberts, appointed by George W. Bush and part of a 5-4 conservative majority bloc on the court, has been a constant in these decisions, voting with the liberal minority, including last week in shooting down the presidents attempt to keep his finances away from prosecutors. Theres been some discussion in the U.S. press about Roberts as a fifth column liberal. Yet reading the decisions hes written and signed onto, its clear hes still pursuing a conservative interpretation of the law. In the recent abortion case, for example, he disagreed with the conclusion but cited adherence to recent precedent. In other cases, explicit escape routes were offered to the president, such as in the immigration case where the decision outlined how Trumps goals could be accomplished constitutionally. As some court-watchers have said, it appears Roberts, as both chief justice and deciding vote, is protecting the integrity and reputation of the court. Hes a conservative who aligns with Republicans ideologically, but the courts legitimacy would be undermined if the public saw it as openly partisan. In the long-term service of both his goals and the institution in which he serves them, he sometimes has to rebuke the president, as an NPR headline had it this week. Which is to say, despite the partisanship of his appointment, and sometimes despite his own policy preferences, hes still trying to be seen upholding the courts independent mission. What hes doing is avoiding bringing shame on himself and the branch of government he represents. Its only so remarkable because its become a rare quality in U.S. government under the presidency of Donald Trump. Read more about: - A physically challenged man from Tamale, Isaac Deklu's hands shook as he was given GHc2,000, which is less than $400 - Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng of the Crime Check Foundation was the good samaritan who surprised Isaac with the 'whopping amount' - Isaac is a call credit seller whose entire business capital was GHc400, which explains why he got so emotional after receiving 5 times that amount Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in A physically challenged man named Isaac Deklu who resides in Tamale could not keep calm as he was pleasantly surprised with GHc2,000 by a random 'stranger' he met. The 'stranger' was Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, the founder of the famous Crime Check Foundation, a respected charity organisation in Ghana. Isaac Deklu's heartwarming experience was sighted by YEN.com.gh on the official Facebook handle of the foundation. READ ALSO: Pregnant YouTube star, Nicole Thea, dies along with unborn son See the full post below: It is reported that Isaac is a man who decided not to beg for alms like other people in his condition but rather chose to sell call credits for a living. Business for him was, however, far from booming as he was running his entire sales on a total working capital of GHc400. This explains why GHc2,000, which is less than $400, meant so much to the hardworking Isaac Deklu and why his hands started shaking as he was being handed the cash. READ ALSO: Kennedy Agyapong drops 5 eye-popping deeds of Ghanaian bishops he'll soon expose Source: UGC Source: UGC The Crime Check TV concluded the heartwarming report by saying: "In life, what you deem small is gold to someone. Let us be grateful to God all the time." In other news, His Royal Majesty (HRM) Drolor Bosso Adamtey I, also known as Dr Kingsley Fletcher, is a Ghanaian traditional ruler who doubles as a head pastor in the US, among many other accomplishments. According to a short documentary on the life of HRM sighted by YEN.com.gh on the YouTube channel Damaris Fletcher, the renowned preacher has three doctorate degrees. He is the founding pastor of Life International, a church in Durham, North Carolina, and also the founder of Kingsley Fletcher Ministries. Enjoy reading our stories? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Vox pop: Which team Nana-Bawumia or Jane-John will win the 2020 election? Got a story we should know about? Get interactive via our Facebook page Source: YEN.com.gh Coronavirus reinfection may occur every year across the globe, suggested by a study, saying that COVID-19 immunity can disappear after three months. The new research claimed that annual coronavirus infection could happen, just like common cold or flu, creating the idea that the viral disease could be eliminated with the help of herd immunity, explained by Daily Mail. Also Read: COVID-19 Vaccine Update: Studies Back Up Claims That a TB Vaccine Could Lower Coronavirus Mortality Rate Also Read: Is the Race for Word's First COVID-19 Vaccine Over? Russia Announced Completion of Clinical Trials More than ninety COVID-19 patients and healthcare workers at Guys's and St. Thomas' NHS foundation trust, examined by scientists at King's College London, were involved in the study. The researchers found antibody levels appearing three weeks after symptoms, and then vanishing later. "People are producing a reasonable antibody response to the virus, but it's waning over a short period of time and depending on how high your peak is, that determines how long the antibodies are staying," said the study's lead author, Dr. Katie Doores via Daily Mail. It was explained that the patients who had the most severe symptoms were the ones who developed the highest antibody levels, which lasted the longest. However, the findings also revealed that an effective vaccine for the virus may need to be redeveloped every year since the protection it provides may not be very long-lasting. Although this is the case, the study explained that the novel coronavirus can fight off again using T-cells, even if the antibody levels drop. Antibodies are not the only one that can fight off COVID-19 Human immunity doesn't solely depend on antibodies, so the declining antibody levels shouldn't cause additional concern, as explained by Business Insider. White blood cells could also help our bodies to fight off the invading virus because of its impressive immunological memory. New antibodies could also be produced by B cells, while infected cells can be eliminated by T cells. "If you're reinfected after some time, it would be an attenuated disease. It will be not as severe as the first time because your B and T cells remember the virus and react quickly," said a vaccinologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Florian Krammer. The immune response of the patients to the viral virus could be connected in a different layer of the immune system since the research discovered that COVID-19 patients did not develop detectable antibodies. It was also stated that the level of antibodies needed by an individual to be considered "immune" is still unclear. "We do not know how much protection the antibodies may provide or how long this protection may last," wrote the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Krammer said that compared to measles and other viruses that have better studies, which provide information about the needed antibodies, coronavirus doesn't have enough studies. Also Read: COVID-19 TIPS: Harvard's Map Will Show You All US Coronavirus Hotspots; Here's How It Works 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. White House Trade and Manufacturing Policy Director Peter Navarro speaks during a briefing in the White House in Washington on March 27, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Navarro: Expect More Trump Administration Action on TikTok, WeChat White House trade adviser Peter Navarro says he expects President Donald Trump will take strong action against Chinese-owned TikTok and WeChat. Navarro told Fox News on July 12 to expect that the president will take action against social media apps for engaging in information warfare against the United States. These include Chinas largest messaging app WeChat, owned by tech giant Tencent, and ByteDances TikTok, which has attracted heightened scrutiny due to surveillance and censorship concerns. TikTok, WeChat, I suspect the president is just getting started with those two, Navarro told the news outlet, pointing to Indias recent ban on 59 mostly Chinese mobile apps, including TikTok and WeChat. Navarro didnt elaborate on whether the president was considering a U.S. ban on the Chinese-owned apps, although he said the president wouldnt rule it out. TikTok and WeChat are the biggest forms of censorship on the Chinese mainland, and so expect strong action on that, Navarro said. What the American people have to understand is all the data that goes into those mobile apps that kids have so much fun with and seem so convenient, it goes right to servers in China, right to the Chinese military, the Chinese Communist Party, and the agencies that want to steal our intellectual property, he told Fox. Those apps can be used to steal personal and financial information for blackmail and extortion, they can be used to steal business intellectual property and proprietary secrets. TikTok, which isnt available in China, has sought to distance itself from ByteDance to appeal to a global audience, and claims to be independent of the Chinese regime. The company runs a similar short-form video-sharing app called Douyin within mainland China. A person holds a smartphone as TikTok logo is displayed behind in this picture illustration taken on Nov. 7, 2019. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters) Meanwhile, WeChat, which has more than a billion monthly active users worldwide, is known to censor its users in China to ensure content falls within topics deemed acceptable by the Chinese Communist Party. Navarros comments come after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last week that the Trump administration is considering banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok, which is among the fastest-growing digital platforms in history. I dont want to get out in front of the president, but its something were looking at, Pompeo said. When asked if Americans should download the app, he told Fox News, Only if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. President Donald Trump arrives to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on July 10, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) U.S. lawmakers have raised national security concerns over TikToks handling of user data, citing Chinese laws that require domestic companies to support and cooperate with intelligence work controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. In March, two Republican senators introduced a proposal aimed to ban federal employees from using TikTok on their government-issued phones, amid growing national security concerns around the collection and sharing of data on U.S. users with the Chinese communist regime. Amazon requested employees remove the video-sharing app from their phones by July 10 due to security risks, while the U.S. Navy banned TikTok from government-issued mobile devices last year, saying the app represents a cybersecurity threat. Reuters contributed to this report. The worn, low-slung red brick homes are just steps away but a world apart from the rapidly gentrifying main drag. There, a turmeric latte costs nearly $5, and Black Trans Lives Matter signs rest in the windows of shops, some grasped in the arms of luxury bathrobes. Catskill has had a sizable Black population since at least the early 1800s, when the village was a prominent Hudson River port; by the latter part of the century, local historians said, the village drew Black families from the South. Nearly a century later, Catskill continued to attract Black residents, drawn in part by the construction of new public housing like Hop-O-Nose; in more recent years, a new wave of visitors from places like Brooklyn, lured by the scenery and cheap housing stock, has given the village a more trendy vibe. When you leave out of Hop-O-Nose, once you go out on Main Street, you see the Black Lives Matter signs here and there, Ms. Cross said. But theres nothing Black on Main Street. On June 4, that seemed to briefly change when hundreds of villagers marched down Main Street in a rally to denounce racism. Black residents took the microphone and shared racist incidents they had endured. It was one of a flurry of such marches that sprang up across the state. The high turnout in Catskill surprised some here in Greene County, where President Trump, who in recent days has called Black Lives Matter a symbol of hate, won 60 percent of the vote in 2016. The proposal to paint Black Lives Matter on Main Street materialized around the time of the march, attracting more than 3,500 supporters on a Change.org petition. But the villages five-member board of trustees all of whom are white rejected the painting proposal on June 30. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an extremely fruitful interaction with Sundar Pichai, Chief Executive Officer of Alphabet Inc. and subsidiary Google LLC, and discussed ways to leverage technology for the benefit of Indias farmers and entrepreneurs. In a wide-ranging virtual discussion, PM Modi and Pichai also discussed the coronavirus pandemic that has gripped the world and the new work culture that is stemming from the crisis. This morning, had an extremely fruitful interaction with @sundarpichai. We spoke on a wide range of subjects, particularly leveraging the power of technology to transform the lives of Indias farmers, youngsters and entrepreneurs, PM Modi tweeted. Also read: Google for India 2020 event begins: Catch live updates here This morning, had an extremely fruitful interaction with @sundarpichai. We spoke on a wide range of subjects, particularly leveraging the power of technology to transform the lives of Indias farmers, youngsters and entrepreneurs. pic.twitter.com/IS9W24zZxs Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 13, 2020 The prime minister and Pichai also discussed various challenges brought by the global pandemic to areas such as sports. We also talked about the importance of data security and cyber safety, the prime minister stated, adding that it was delightful for him to learn more about Googles efforts in several sectors such as education, learning, digitisation and more. Look forward to address the sixth edition of #GoogleforIndia today at 2:00 pm and share the transformational story of #DigitalIndia and the road ahead. #G4IN https://t.co/Ij5O9Ze2nH Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) July 13, 2020 Pichai and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad are slated to address the sixth annual edition of Google for India event later in the day wherein the minister will talk about the scope of digital transformation in India. At the event, Google is expected to announce some India-specific updates for its apps and services. Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai is also supposed to give a special keynote during the event. Look forward to address the sixth edition of #GoogleforIndia today at 2:00 pm and share the transformational story of #DigitalIndia and the road ahead, Prasad had tweeted earlier in the day. Robert Varrier (pictured today) sped down a busy road lined with hundreds of people and drove into Aaron Smith A father-of-three has been jailed for five years after killing a teenage friend as he 'showed off' performing wheelies on a motorbike. Robert Varrier sped down a busy road lined with hundreds of people and drove into Aaron Smith causing horrendous injuries. The 29-year-old killed the 17-year-old as funeral-goers, including children, lined the street in Sittingbourne, Kent, before the service. His bike struck and injured 27-year-old Warren Richards before Varrier was thrown into the road, momentarily knocking himself out. Varrier was captured on mobile phone footage performing a series of wheelies on his off-road Suzuki motorbike on April 16 before careering into the crowd. The motocross enthusiast has been jailed for five years and three months after admitting his dangerous driving killed Mr Smith and injured Mr Richards. As he was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday, Varrier covered his face and wept as the judge heard how he was heard shouting, 'I've killed him' moments after the tragedy. Mr Smith sustained serious head injuries and was flown to a hospital in London where he died three days later. Prosecutor Paul Jarvis said Varrier was heard shouting: 'I've killed him... I've killed him.' Judge David Griffith-Jones QC sent Varrier down for 63 months and also banned the waste removal driver from the road for 67 months. Mr Smith (pictured) sustained serious head injuries and was flown to a hospital in London where he died three days later He told him: 'The facts of this case are utterly tragic but your driving was manifestly inappropriate behaviour. What you did was deliberate and brazen, you were showing off.' The prosecutor told how family and friends of Billy Rye met in Murston, Sittingbourne, before travelling to the crematorium for the funeral. Varrier and others - with the encouragement of friends - joined the procession to pay tribute to the late Mr Rye, who also loved motocross. But Mr Jarvis said as hundreds of lined the route, Varrier began performing a number of wheelies up and down the street and on one occasion was waving to friends. As he was repeating the stunt at speed, Mr Smith stepped into the road and was hit by Varrier's bike before it collided with Mr Richards, who was sitting on his bike. The teenager also received injuries to his pelvis and ribs and Varrier broke a jaw in the incident. But Mr Smith, who was airlifted to hospital in London, died from his injuries, the court heard. Varrier was captured on mobile phone footage (pictured) performing a series of wheelies on his off-road Suzuki motorbike on April 16 before careering into the crowd Mr Jarvis said before police could arrive, Varrier was taken to the home of a friend and his bike was 'spirited' away. Varrier, of Sittingbourne, was later tracked to his home but refused to say where his bike had gone. Mr Jarvis added Varrier was 'showing off and demonstrating his prowess', but Judge Griffith-Jones added: 'This was a flagrant disregard for the rules of the road.' Danny Moore, defending, said Varrier was 'a hard-working and loving family man' who had made the 'brave but sensible decision' to plead guilty to the offences. Speaking after the case, DI Lee Neiles from Kent Police' serious collision investigation unit said: 'Varrier undertook a dangerous and appalling level of driving on a residential street among a large group of pedestrians having absolutely no regard for anyone else's safety. 'Following the collision his main concern was evading capture and prosecution and he only admitted his guilt several weeks later when he realised the evidence secured and presented was so vast it gave him no choice but to plead guilty. 'This case has highlighted the devastation of driving dangerously on our roads, in particular performing stunts on off-road motorcycles. 'Not only has the driver received a prison sentence, he has to live with the fact that he has caused someone's death for the rest of his life.' An emerging technology that is poised to grow dramatically given the explosion of Work From Home (WFH) scenarios caused by the global pandemic, Browser Isolation Technology (BIT) has been labeled by some prestigious industry analyst firms as nascent. But given the stakes, CISOs are taking a closer look at BIT, which is a cybersecurity software designed to physically isolate an Internet user's browsing activity (and the associated cyber risks) away from their local networks and infrastructure. There are a number of companies focused on BIT, with different architectures and approaches, but the goal is essentially the same: to isolate the web browser and a user's browsing activity as a method of securing those browsers from attacks and reduce the risks of ransomware and other malware. When BIT is delivered to its customers as a cloud hosted service, this is known as Remote Browser Isolation (RBI) which enterprises can leverage without having to own, maintain and manage server infrastructure. There are also client-side approaches based on client-side hypervisors, which do not depend on servers at all to isolate their users browsing activity and the associated risks. In this case, browsing activity is virtually isolated on the local machine. If you have excess resources for maintenance of isolation on operating system, you can benefit from the advantages of local isolation. One of the new generation cyber security entrepreneurs in the world is Halis Osman Erkan, who established his latest start up, Isoolate, which has developed BIT/RBI solutions to address what Erkan calls the ongoing browser wars. One of the most remarkable moments in the early history of Internet was the United States vs. Microsoft (News - Alert) trial, Erkan said. In this lawsuit, US Attorney General Janet Reno charged Microsoft with engaging in anti-competitive and exclusionary practices designed to maintain its monopoly in personal computer operating systems and attempting to extend that monopoly to Internet browser software. This was just the beginning of the browser wars. Reno wrote in 1998: The Department alleges in its complaint that Microsoft has engaged in a series of anti-competitive practices, including misusing its Windows operating system monopoly by requiring computer manufacturers, as a condition of getting Windows, to adopt a uniform boot-up or first-screen sequence that promotes Microsoft's products; secondly, by attempting to persuade NetScape, an Internet browser software competitor, not to compete with Microsoft and instead divide up the browser market; by engaging in exclusionary contracts with providers of Internet and online services and Internet content providers; and by forcing computer manufacturers to purchase and install Microsoft's Internet browser as a condition of getting its Windows operating system. She ended saying, In short, Microsoft used its monopoly power to develop a choke-hold on the browser software needed to access the Internet. Twenty-two years later, the browser wars are now taking place in cyberspace, in between Microsoft and Google (News - Alert) Erkan continued. Despite lessons learned, we are running into similar situations, not only originating from tech giants but rogue organizations all over the world, conducting advanced offensives using high technology tools, attacking enterprises and individuals, and resulting in the meltdown of freedom and commerce. Cyberattacks have exploded in 2020, in large part due to the speed at which enterprises and organizations needed to switch hundreds of thousands of employees to remote working. These have come on the heels of the famous Equifax breach in 2017, resulting in more than 147 million US taxpayers social security information to be breached. This resulted in a fine larger than half a billion dollars. Within such a ruthless and cruel cyber war environment, Erkan said, CEOs, CIOs and CISOs, and board of directors responsible for the governance of the business, including risk management, are trying to mitigate a growing attack surface. In my opinion with the minimum investment, the largest impact can be gained with remote browser isolation. As the largest part of that surface for modern enterprises are Internet browsers. Erkan claims that more than half the breaches responsible for issues is the content downloaded from Internet or a link clicked in an email that results in automatic downloading of malware, citing reports from Gartner (News - Alert). With COVID-19, adversaries and criminals are seeing their moment, and sending deep fake emails designed to look like even they came from the World Health Organization, which has resulted in countless attacks on enterprise systems, caused by a single employee who trusted that email and their browser. Right after the millennium, Microsofts Internet Explorer reached massive penetration world-wide, followed by Mozillas (News - Alert) popular Firefox browser, and Apples Safari. In 2008, Googles Chrome browser open-sourced its code base, and Chrome immediately gained huge momentum, driven by the popular Google Search Engine. Microsofts response (Bing) did not perform as expected and today has less than 5% of the market vs. Google with nearly 80% of the market. A browser is the number one tool for online advertising, Erkan said, therefore Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Baidu and others are in fierce competition to grab more market share. (Microsoft Edge failed, and Microsoft has now joined the Google Chromium project). Web Browsing ecosystem designed and optimized for advertising un-intentionally becomes the number one apparatus for attackers. In a targeted phishing campaign, which attacker does not want to send funny videos, including a phishing link to 30-40 years old white collars, working in the finance industry, in the tri-state area, and who owns cats? Thats what web browsing and its advertisement ecosystem are designed for; otherwise, we would have been paying for web browsers. No thought this is conflicting with any enterprises policies. Given so many applications that now use the browser, including real time voice, video and collaboration tools, storage and sharing platforms, location-based services, and more, the reliance on the browser is pervasive and will never change. The situation is only growing worse and growing worse by the day. Because they are the friend of cyber criminals, browsers are now inherently evil, and while the competitive browser battles will continue, the real World War III is coming from cyber space which is why it is no longer an option to not take control of browsers if you are a business, government agency, educational institution or other entity where data and assets are of high value. So how do we solve for this? Erkan explained that it is important to enable employees to be productive, while also protecting assets. In an enterprise, you are generally allowed to use a very limited Internet Browser, allowing only a few sites, and ending up with a bad end-user experience. For example, a manager of a branch in a global bank was complaining that whenever she wants to use the Internet to perform a search on an individual applying for a loan (which is a part of the investigation) she had to talk to the IT department. This is a huge efficiency loss. Financial institutions are spending huge time, effort and money on educating their employees, who generally have degrees in Business Administration not in engineering, about browsers, their safe usage, phishing attacks and similar threats that may occur. Solutions do exist, Erkan said, noting that the only solution that will work sustainably and cost-efficiently is isolating the browsers in a sandbox environment. Isoolate eliminates vulnerabilities effectively through Isoolate remote browsers. The application is protected with an invisible isolation layer; users can seamlessly interact with the services without noticing that it is a live stream of a remote browsing session. On the other hand, malicious activities are not possible since there is no access to application code; the only interaction is made through pixels. Isoolate can render the whole application or just the critical parts as payment gateway interfaces such as 3D Secure. In 2017, Gartner identified remote browser (browser isolation) as one of the top technologies for security. The same Gartner report also forecast that more than 50% of enterprises would actively begin to isolate their internet browsing to reduce the impact of cyberattacks over the coming three years. In October 2018, Gartner released a report on remote browser isolation. According to Menlo Security, It ruffled feathers a bit throughout the cybersecurity industry by suggesting that enterprises can no longer assume that their traditional detect-and-respond security strategy was enough to stop all web-based malware attacks. Analyst Neil MacDonald argued that enterprises should stop trying to detect every attack and instead focus on containing the ability of the attacker to cause damage and reduce the surface area for attack. Fast forward to 2020, and according to Market Research Media, the remote browser isolation (RBI) market is forecast to reach $10 Billion by 2024, growing at CAGR 30% in the period 2019-2024. Asked if COVID-19 has accelerated demand for RBI, Erkan said, The pandemic has accelerated the demand for every quality cybersecurity solution, including RBI. Especially applying on-premises cybersecurity measures to any location that the employee is working is the key, we call this as protection for the new normal. The real issue, however, is that we are 100% at war with cyber criminals today, regardless of these uncertain times were seeing attacks grow at a perilous rate, and by taking the challenge to the edge and by protecting individuals and organizations at the front line through securing the browser we can fight back and win. Edited by Maurice Nagle Another boater found the boy at 4 p.m. that day. The boy, who was wearing a life jacket, was asleep and alone. A second life jacket was found in the boat. The boy told investigators that he and his mother had been swimming in the lake and that he had gotten back into the boat but she had not, according to the Sheriffs Office. Sergeant Donoghue said the next day that the boat was found in the northern part of the lake, in an area where the water is about 30 feet deep. Search efforts had been hampered by limited water visibility of less than a foot during the day, and trees and debris under the surface. The search-and-rescue mission shifted into a search-and-recovery effort as the day wore on. The authorities said they believed Ms. Rivera had accidentally drowned. The authorities said that Ms. Rivera had previous experience boating on the lake, a reservoir with a campground in Los Padres National Forest, about 55 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The recreational area, which reopened on July 1 with limited activities because of the coronavirus, features boat rentals, kayaking and paddle boarding. It was closed during the search. On Monday, Sheriff Ayub said Ms. Riveras family had expressed gratitude for everyone who assisted in the efforts to find the actress. He also thanked the many agencies that had helped in the search. Monday, July 13, 2020 A year ago today, the Institute of Management Consultants USA (www.imcusa.org) announced that James J. Talerico, Jr., CEO of Greater Prairie Business Consulting located in Irving, Texas, was one of four consultants who received his Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation from the IMCUSA, joining over 8,200 CMC's worldwide who are recognized for their professionalism, standards, core competencies, and ethical practices. According to Greg Brooks, the Institute of Management Consultants USA's Executive Director: "The Certified Management Consultant (CMC) mark is awarded to consultants who have achieved a level of performance that includes professional standards in technical competency and ethics, as well as global standards in consulting competencies, professional behavior, client & project management, and personal conduct." To qualify for the Certified Management Consulting (CMC) designation, consultants apply to Institute of Management Consultants USA with proof of their experience as a management consultant, a minimum four-year college education, references from clients, and written summaries of consulting engagements. The applicants take written and oral examinations to demonstrate understanding of the management consulting process, in addition to the IMC Code of Ethics and ethical aspects of consulting. Founded in 1968, IMC USA exists to promote excellence and ethics in management consulting. It does so by providing an online and in-person professional learning and a community platform where consultants can network with each other and build their practices to deliver transformative value for their clients. IMC USA's certification for individual management consultants (Certified Management Consultant - CMC ) in the United States that conforms to the international standards of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (www.icmci.org), of which it is a founding member. For more information about IMC USA, visit the IMC USA web site at www.imcusa.org or contact IMC USA's Association Executive, Noelle Campany, by email or by calling 800-793-4992. An elder brother of Ex-President Mahama, Mr. Alfred Mahama, has cleared the air that the former president never invited the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi to discuss his mining plan, as he goes around bragging on various media platforms. According to the businessman, humble, calm, and respectable brother of the former president, Wontumi rather pleaded with him for assistance and he led the young man to the Ex-President. He has challenged Wontumi to publicly declare or prove the day and time that the Ex-President invited him to his office. Speaking to Solomon Owusu, the political host of FireOne Radio in Denver, Colorado, USA, Mr. Alfred Mahama expressed his complete surprise about how Wontumi boastingly talk about a special invitation from the former president, instead of being truthful about how he approached him with humility and in dire need for immediate help on his mining business. Alfred said, upon listening to the young man, he decided to assist him regardless of his political party affiliation, although he didnt know that Wontumi was a strong NPP member at that time. Regrettably, Ex-President Mahama declined the young mans mining business proposal because of the inclusion of his thousands of Chinese nationals in the small-scale mining operations. Expressing his disappointments towards Wontumis behaviour, he recounted that he gave audience to the young miner because he believed that Wontumi could make a significant impact in the mining industry. Although he didnt know about Wontumis political affiliation, Alfred didnt care about politics but he instead considered the miners willingness to make impact in the small-scale mining sector to create jobs and also help the economy. From where I come from, I am always ready to support anybody who has the potentials to advance the name of Ghana in any field, irrespective of which political party or background of that person, Mr. Mahama said. In 2012, Alfred travelled with Wontumi on air from Kumasi to Tamale purposely to meet the then President Mahama and the young man had the opportunity to present his mining proposal to him in person. Unfortunately, the small-scale miner couldnt technically and professionally convince the former president so he rejected his plan. Ex-President Mahama then advised that small-scale mining in Ghana is reserved for only Ghanaian citizens so he would rather be pleased with a proposal that would enable only Ghanaians to operate in environmentally friendly manner without any foreign national involvement. The NDC government in 2013 deported over seven thousand (7,000) Chinese illegal miners to China and according to Mr. Alfred Mahama, most of these foreign nationals were Wontumis agents so he developed hatred for the Ex-President and decided to publicly attack him unjustly. Wontumi began to insult my brother publicly, after his thousands of Chinese agents were part of the over 7,000 deported illegal Chinese miners from the country. Wontumi is a galamsey kingpin and his party has no control over him., Alfred narrated. During the 2016 campaign period, President Akufo-Addo promised to support small-scale mining activities in Ghana but upon assumption of office, his government is practicing the direct opposite. The current NPP government has rather stopped the legitimate miners with valid mining licenses from the minerals commission to render millions of the youth in the mining areas unemployed. Unfortunately, this NPP government has selfishly made galamsey an exclusive preservation for its party members like Wontumi to make money whereas the majority are wallowing in abject poverty. Realizing that the NPP is facing threats of rejection by the small-scale miners and the residents in the mining communities in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, President Akufo-Addo and the Natural Resources Minister, Mr. Kwaku Asomah Chremeh have thrown out another juicy promise of creating 230,400 mining jobs through their deceiving community mining scheme, just to win their votes again. As the saying goes, the miners will not sit down for Nana Addo to trample on their genitals twice. During the 2016 campaign period, Nana Akufo-Addo chastised Ex-President Mahama and the NDC party of accusing him of his intention to ban artisanal mining, popularly known as galamsey. The then candidate Akufo Addo promised to rather support and strengthen galamsey activities in the country, just to win votes from them. Surprisingly, both the galamseyers and the legitimate license miners have been experiencing the toughest times in their work that put food on their tables under the watch of President Akufo Addo. Some of the miners have been arrested and sentenced to prison while others were shot and killed by the operations vanguard military team. It is time for the miners, their family members and the entire communities to open the exit door for Nana Addo. Mr. Alfred Mahama has admonished the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman to be circumspect in his utterances towards former President John Mahama and the appointed Running Mate, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman in the public domain. He further cautioned that the vociferous young politician should endeavour to show respect to the elderly in the society, if he wants to progress in his political career and his personal life. Written by: Solomon Owusu Denver, Colorado, USA Hong Kongs Christians fear reprisals from Chinas Communist Party. A national-security law was passed on June 30 by Chinas Standing Committee, superseding Hong Kongs legislature. For Chinas Communist Party, this measure was necessary to guarantee stability after more than a year of protests in Hong Kong. The new law ends the regions autonomy and the hope that the demands of pro-democracy protesters will be met any time soon. Christians who participated in the demonstrations now believe that they will be targeted if they dont toe the party line. In mainland China, Christians who defy the Chinese governments attempts at control of their churches reportedly face persecution, arrest, and detention. Underground churches are destroyed and crosses burned. Translations of the Bible must be approved by Chinas Communist Party and often modified to meet its demands. In Hong Kong, however, Christians enjoyed religious freedom guaranteed by the regions legal independence, which provided its citizens basic rights including freedom of expression and religion. Christians, more than 10 percent of Hong Kongs population, held peaceful rallies during the protests by singing hymns to affirm their faith. Thousands took to the streets, and many Protestants and Catholics united to defend a common cause with pro-democracy protesters. The national-security law in Hong Kong now prohibits secession, sedition, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. Those terms are so broadly defined that they can be used arbitrarily to prohibit any form of dissent. What worries religious minorities, and Catholics and other Christians in particular, are the laws collusion and subversion and clauses. The sedition clause effectively prohibits Christians from criticizing the Chinese government. Before the national-security measure was passed, many Christians in Hong Kong had spoken out against injustices in mainland China. Now, many refrain from voicing any concerns toward issues that can be defined as state secrets, a Catholic lawyer who works in a financial-regulatory body told me. Like others quoted in his article, she asked for anonymity, for fear of reprisals. Story continues The collusion clause forbids Christians from seeking support from abroad, including the Holy See. With the pope in Rome, the Catholic Church is, by Beijings definition, a foreign institution. This measure can easily be used to target and penalize churches, especially the Catholic diocese which receives instructions and directions from the Vatican, another Catholic lawyer in Hong Kong told me. The churches can be ordered to disband and their assets can be confiscated if they breach the law. Violation of one of these laws carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The main issue is that Hong Kong is powerless against such rulings. There is no guarantee that those charged or suspected under the law will not be extradited to mainland China. But under the law, proceedings will be tried without a jury in Hong Kong. So instead of the extradition law proposed in 2019, the national-security law might simply bring Chinas rule to Hong Kong. Inspired by the British common-law system, Hong Kongs Basic Law guaranteed freedom of expression and religion, but the national-security law overrides those rights. The fear of reprisal has already had an effect. Religious leaders who had previously supported the Hong Kong protests have now expressed approval for the national-security law. The main religious denominations in Hong Kong were summoned to a meeting at the Liaison Office in June, before the implementation of the law, and expressed support for the measure afterward. It appears that they are closely monitored by the government, one of the Catholic lawyers I spoke with told me. Cardinal Tong, the apostolic administrator of Hong Kong, had pleaded for the Hong Kong government to listen to the voices of the people during the protests in 2019. After attending the meeting in June, however, he sounded a different note and claimed that the new national-security law doesnt threaten religious freedom. Only a few Christian leaders have continued to support the pro-democracy movement. Cardinal Joseph Zen, former bishop of Hong Kong, has spoken out against the law. A longtime critic of Chinas Communist regime for its violations of human rights, he has said that he is prepared to face arrest under Hong Kongs national-security law. Some Christian pastors also bravely spoke against the law, like the chairman of the Baptist Convention of Hong Kong. He reportedly was forced to withdraw his statements to protect his church. Other Christian leaders decided to express their concern in a safer way: Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha, who had previously supported the pro-democracy movement, abstained from criticizing the new law in public. Instead, he urged his followers to carry crosses on the street. Many Catholics in Hong Kong worry that the Vatican is being influenced by the Chinese Communist Party. In 2018, Pope Francis reached an agreement with the Chinese government to appoint bishops in mainland China. The agreement expires in September, and the stakes are high for the Vatican to continue its limited role in upholding the Catholic faith with Chinas Communist Party. As a result, the pope avoided mentioning his concerns over religious freedom in Hong Kong by reportedly going off script in a planned statement. Hong Kongs Chief Executive Carrie Lam, a Catholic, was selected with the expectation that she would secure the regions autonomy, but she has steadfastly supported Beijing in quelling the protests and forbidding dissent. Many Catholics in Hong Kong are heavily disappointed by her leadership. I do not see her as a Catholic anymore, a Catholic lawyer in Hong Kong said. She will have to answer for her actions when Judgment Day comes. With the SinoBritish Declaration of 1997, Hong Kong was granted legal independence and the promise that it could maintain fundamental freedoms while being handed over to China under a one country, two systems agreement. The Chinese Communist Party has attempted to exert control over the regions autonomy ever since. With the new national security law, Chinas regime has now won a major battle. The restrictions under which Hong Kongs Christians may practice their faith increasingly resemble those of their coreligionists living in mainland China. More from National Review Taliban insurgents launched a complex attack on an intelligence compound in northern Afghanistan on Monday that began with a suicide bombing and killed at least 11 intelligence agency personnel, officials said. The attack took place in Aybak, the capital of the Samangan province. Sediq Azizi, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said another 63 people were wounded in the attack and the ensuing clashes. A suicide bomber struck the compound, followed by two insurgents who opened fire. Both were killed in the gunbattle, Azizi said. The blast from the initial bombing could be heard miles (kilometers) away and damaged several nearby buildings. Abdul Khalil Musadiq, a provincial hospital chief, said many of those wounded were civilians, including children. The Taliban claimed the attack. The insurgents have continued to regularly target Afghan security forces despite signing a peace agreement with the U.S. in February that was intended to pave the way for an end to decades of war. On Sunday, the Taliban attacked checkpoints in the northern Kunduz province, killing at least 14 Afghan security forces, according to Esmatullah Muradi, a spokesman for the provincial governor. The Taliban said they were behind the attacks but claimed government forces fired mortar shells in response, hitting civilian homes a claimed dismissed by the Defense Ministry. The Taliban and government forces have been trading blame over a recent surge in violence across Afghanistan even as efforts continue to try and bring about the start of direct peace talks between the government and the insurgents. President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack in Samangan and accused the Taliban of trying to strengthen their hand ahead of any negotiations. The Taliban accuse government forces of targeting them in their homes, with their families bearing the brunt of those operations. The government says the insurgents continue to attack security forces and civilians. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A woman and boy were killed Sunday in a crash on Interstate 5 in southern Oregon, troopers say. The Oregon State Police said Ruth Youngblood went off the southbound interstate in Douglas County and hit a tree. Youngblood, a 71-year-old Sutherlin resident, was fatally hurt. A boy who was in Youngbloods 1998 Dodge pickup truck was also killed, troopers said. A second boy was flown to a Springfield hospital with serious injuries. Neither of the boys has been publicly identified by name or age. No other cars were involved in the crash, which happened between Rice Hill and Oakland. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. In 2018 the air industry contributed 8.9 billion to Ireland's GDP, supported 140,000 jobs and transported 8.8 million overseas tourists. Two years later it would be difficult to paint a bleaker picture for such an important element of world trade. It was one the first parts of the global economy to be impacted by the spread of the coronavirus and it is increasingly clear it will take the longest time to recover. With many world governments advising against non-essential travel, as well as non-citizens being barred from entering into foreign countries, it is difficult to see how the industry will recover. airlines have already slashed costs, laying off staff and seeking cust to wages along with receiving supports form Governments worldwide. Mary Considine, CEO of Shannon Group told the Irish Examiner that Government support is vital to kick start the recovery. File Picture. The report recommends that a stimulus package be put in place for Shannon, Cork, Kerry, Ireland West (Knock) and Donegal airports to allow them reduce airport charges for airlines. It also called for funding for essential capital projects and the extension of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme into next year, and liquidity supports for the aviation sector. Kevin Cullinane of Cork Airport expects that it will take three to five years before passenger numbers return to their 2019 average. The airport continued to operate during the lockdown. "[We were open] mainly for a couple of flights to and from London, which were needed for getting essential healthcare workers back home that were heeding Ireland's call, and to repatriate people who were trying to get home. Since July 1, there has been a gradual increase in flights. "We have seen an additional 23 Ryanair services restart, but with very few passengers. Air France also restarted its Paris service. "We had 2.6 million passengers through Cork last year, which was the fastest-growing airport in the country. We came through January and February, which traditionally are the two quietest months for travel. We were 8% ahead during those two months of this year. We were looking optimistically at a figure of 2.8m passengers through Cork for this year, but now we will be lucky if it resembles 800,000, which would be down two million. "There are no inbound tourists worth counting at the moment because our business is down by 99% since last March, albeit we are seeing a trickle of improvement from last week. "Although our figures indicate we are only at 2% of the level we would have been at, at the height of July last summer." Many aviation sector staff across Munster also fear for their jobs. Staff in Cork Airport have already taken a 20% pay cut. Most staff, such as office staff, are only working at 80% capacity, or a four day week. Mr Cullinane estimates that approximately 750 to 1,000 people will leave Dublin and Cork airport in the coming months. "The sad reality is that less people are needed to run the business in the short term, if it is going to take four to five years to get back to previous passenger levels." Shannon Airport remained open throughout the pandemic for repatriation, cargo and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) flights. Giuseppe Russo and Giovanni Tavano leaving on a Ryanair flight to Naples from Cork Airport. Picture: Eddie O'Hare "We are pleased that American Airlines, Delta and Aer Lingus have indicated that they will resume their transatlantic services from Shannon in 2021." Staff at Shannon Airport recently rejected a deal which would see workers taking a 20% pay cut until 2023. Ms Consideine said they remain in talks with employees and Union representatives on the proposed cost reduction measures. However, she said investment in the regional airports from central government is key. "The ability of our region to rebuild in the aftermath of the pandemic is reliant on having a strong airport, and it once again highlights the vital need for a strong Government support package to kick-start recovery." She said the Aviation Recovery Taskforce's final report recognises the significant contribution that airports like Shannon make to the regional and national economy. "The delivery of this support package can help deliver on the objectives of Project Ireland 2040, to enable the cities and towns in our region and beyond to grow and to enhance their significant potential and make the region a thriving, attractive place to live and to work and into which businesses will invest." Faith in humanity has surely been partly restored after former Tusker Project Fame contestant Alvan Love Gatitu returned a huge favour to a security guard who rescued him when he had hit rock bottom. A little over a week ago, Gatitu, a comic sensation on TikTok, pulled at Kenyans heartstrings as he narrated how he arrived home to find his house locked over 3-month rent arrears. His electricity and water supply had already been disconnected for about a week and attempts to get help from his closest friends bore no fruit. With nowhere to turn to, the TikToker found solace from a kind-hearted security guard, identified as Wafula Kizito, who offered Gatitu a place to spend the night. My last resort is right here where I found a place to sleep. I thought that this friend of mine could help me but as soon as I got to her gate, she told the security guards not to let me in. I then explained my situation to the guards who laid out a carton for me in their storeroom and gave me a duvet as well, Gatitu narrated on Sunday, July 5. No sooner had he posted the video to his Facebook than Kenyan well-wishers came to his rescue, raising about Ksh2.1 million in just two days. I appreciate everyone for the little and much you have doneI dont know what to say. There is a God in heaven, he said in an emotional clip thanking everyone who contributed. With his life changed for the better, Gatitu also reached out to the security guard Mr Kilonzo and transformed his life too. Ive always admired and wanted to start a boda boda business because I know how to ride a motorbike, said Kizito after Gatitu had asked what he wanted to better his life. According to activist Ndungu Nyoro, Gatitu met with Kizito along Ngong road where he bought him a brand-new bike and assisted him with acquiring a number plate and a license for it. Kiziti has since resigned from his job to focus on business. Additionally, Alvan Gatitu also opened a bank account and deposited some money for Kizitos wife to run a small business. TDT | Manama More than 1,100 precautionary sanitisation operations have been carried out across the Kingdom by over 5,500 volunteers, it was announced yesterday. The Ministry of Interior reported that the General Directorate of Civil Defence has trained a total of 5,501 individuals, who have carried out 1,118 precautionary sanitisation operations as part of measures taken in the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) in each of Bahrains governorates. Civil Defence director-general Colonel Ali Mohammed Al Houti said that they have continued the massive sanitising tasks with the assistance of the volunteers, who had responded to the National Taskforce for Combatting COVID-19 campaign. The Civil Defence has held 344 training courses for 1,030 workers from cleaning and private companies, and 858 workers for mosques and other places of worship, he added. The director-general expressed his gratitude for the efforts made by authorities, companies and volunteers, which reflect societys awareness and which contribute to mitigating the spread of the coronavirus. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 21:10:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOGADISHU, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Somalia Army chief survived a suicide attack in Mogadishu on Monday after an explosion targeting his convoy occurred near the army hospital, officials said. Ismael Mukhtar Omar, government spokesman said the massive attack in Hodan district in Mogadishu targeted the country's army chief General Odawaa Yusuf whose convoy was passing near the main military hospital. "The explosion occurred near the Army Hospital, targeting the Force Commander. There were no casualties but resulted in injuries," Ismael said in a statement. The army commander had left the ministry of defense a minute before the massive attack that targeted his convoy, sparking heavy gunfire. A plume of black smoke could be seen billowing from the scene. Independent sources said one person was killed while another was injured in the latest attack in the Horn of Africa nation. "One person was killed, another injured but the army chief was not hurt," said a police officer who asked for anonymity. Witnesses reported the blast near Tarabunka junction in Hodan district. "The blast hit military vehicles near Tarabunka. We heard huge gunfire and ambulances were rushing to the scene," Mohamed Abdi, a witness, said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attack but al-Qaida allied terrorist group, al-Shabab which is fighting to overthrow the government has usually staged such attacks in the past, targeting military bases and public places. Enditem A building that remains at the site of the Jesse Lee Home in Seward, Alaska, where the territorial flag, which later became the Alaska state flag, was first flown. (Dorene Lorenz via AP) Alaska City Mulls Razing Site Where 1st State Flag Flew ANCHORAGE, AlaskaThe fate of one of Alaskas most historic yet neglected structures may be decided on July 13 as officials in the city of Seward weigh whether to demolish a former Methodist boarding school where the Alaska territorial flag was first flown almost a century ago and where its Alaska Native designer lived. Benny Benson was among the orphans and displaced children who lived at the Jesse Lee Home, many of whom were sent there after the Spanish flu devastated Alaska Native villages. Benson, a 13-year-old Aleut boy sent to the home after his mother died of the flu, won a territory-wide contest in 1927 to design the flag, which became the state flag after statehood was granted in 1959. Benson is believed to be the only Indigenous person to design a state flag, said Dorene Lorenz, a former Seward City Council member who has been behind efforts to save the structure for years. I dont understand why you would rush to destroy a landmark when theres obviously interested parties wanting to present to you other options, she said. One such group, the Alaska Association for Historic Preservation, plans to make a last-ditch effort to save the structure by making a presentation during a public hearing before July 13s scheduled vote. If successful, they will bring together those with historic preservation expertise to formulate a plan. We got a lot of people who are anxious to get working on this, the groups president, Trish Neal, said. And so I have no qualms that we cant pull this off. Its just we have to get the city council to back off and let us do this. What to do with the site has been a source of contention since the home was heavily damaged in a magnitude 9.2 earthquake in 1964, the second most powerful ever recorded. One of the three main buildings was damaged and demolished after the quake. The boarding school was eventually moved to Anchorage, and the Seward site has sat unused since. City officials said the home has deteriorated more in the last decade between engineering studies, but Neal offered another engineers report from this spring that concluded while there has been a deterioration in the last seven years, restoration is a viable option, but must be done quickly. Attempts by individuals and a group over the years to refurbish the home have sputtered and stalled. Seward Mayor Christy Terry said when the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home lost a multimillion-dollar state grant a few years ago, ownership reverted to the city. The legislature allocated $1 million to the city. We do not have the capacity right now to have an homage to a building thats so degraded because of the inaction, frankly, of a group that was their very last chance to make that happen, that the state-funded incredibly well, Terry said. Something like that is never going to happen again. She said there is no rush to demolish the site but the council has a June 30, 2021, deadline to use state funding. For them to blame us for where we are now, they are sorely mistaken, she said. So people want to come in at the 13th hour. No one has a check. No one has any ideas about how that property can be operated or what to do with it. If the council approves the demolition measure, the city would use the state money to remove hazardous materials like asbestos, demolish the remaining two buildings and haul the material away. The proposal also calls for building a memorial at the site. That design would involve community input, Terry said, adding she has her own ideas on what a memorial would include. She would like to salvage any usable beams and incorporate them into a pavilion that would include storyboards spelling out the homes place in Alaska history. The pavilion could be rented out, she said. Terry would also like to include a new playground at the site and close another nearby playground, turning that lot into single-family housing. If the council doesnt vote for demolition, they will then later consider other options, including one that would begin refurbishing the buildings. Retired Alaska State Historian Jo Antonson said the Jesse Lee Home was an important institution in state history, noting that the Army used the buildings during World War II and even camouflaged them using paint to protect them from the enemy. Its just sort of disappointing that the city and the residents have never embraced trying to fix up the buildings that remain and find a good use for them, she said. By Mark Thiessen India's top engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) said its board of directors has decided to induct Subramanian Sarma (a non executive director in the board) as an executive director and also elevate SV Desai and T Madhava Das to the board. The slew of board level appointments reflects L&Ts resolve to chart an aggressive future in its businesses. Sarma is at present CEO and MD of L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering, a wholly-owned subsidiary of L&T. In his new role, Sarma will be designated Whole-Time Director & Senior Executive VP (Energy). Effective August 19, he will hold board level responsibility for L&Ts Power business, in addition to his current responsibility in the Hydrocarbon business. In the big revamp, Desai and Madhava Das, both members of the companys apex-level executive management committee, have been elevated to the board with immediate effect. Desai has been designated Whole-Time Director & Senior Executive VP (Civil Infrastructure) and will be responsible for the Heavy Civil Infrastructure and Transportation Infrastructure businesses, while Madhava Das will be designated Whole-Time Director & Senior Executive VP (Utilities) and will be responsible for the Power Transmission & Distribution and Water & Effluent Treatment (WET) businesses. Lauding the board appointments, CEO & Managing Director S N Subrahmanyan, said: "Internationally, the hydrocarbon and power businesses are generally viewed as a cluster, and L&T will now adopt the same integrated strategy." "Sarmas experience and business insights especially in the intensively competitive Gulf markets are going to add great value to our energy thrust. Desai and Madhava Das bring to the board their expertise and competence across diverse fields, both in the domestic and overseas markets, that will add a cutting edge as we look to take our companys business to the next level," noted Subrahmanyan. "We require a global vision with a strong local orientation. All these colleagues have proven their worth in extremely testing circumstances and are well-equipped to take on the added responsibility of steering the future course of their respective businesses," he added. On the new role, Sarma said: "L&Ts power business has carved a niche for itself as an EPC player backed by strong, indigenous manufacturing capability that covers the full spectrum boilers, turbine generators and balance of plant. The team has done well, given the circumstances." "I am looking forward to the challenge of handling an integrated Energy portfolio encompassing both hydrocarbon and power. Given the excellent track record of L&T and its subsidiary L&T Hydrocarbon, I am sure that we will be able to make a positive impact on the industry while ensuring that the company meets its growth objectives," he added. A graduate in chemical engineering, Sarma completed his Masters from IIT Bombay. A seasoned professional, he has over 37 years of experience, with 28 years being in the Middle East. During his career span, Sarma has handled the complete oil and gas value chain including executive management, business development, project management and process engineering. On his appointment, Desai said the elevation to the board is a great honour and "I am conscious of the enormous responsibility of leading these businesses at a challenging time in the companys history." "L&T has done pioneering work in building some of the countrys largest and marque Infrastructure projects. We will continue to be Nation-builders. Given the institutions capabilities and inherent strengths, I am confident that we will do well, and ensure that we realize our true potential," he added. Desai is a civil engineer with Post-Graduation from IIT Madras. He started his career in 1986. Beginning his journey with L&T in 1997, he has served as HeadContracts (Buildings & Factories), Head-Procurement & Contracts (Delhi International Airport), Segment Head Integrated Projects, Segment Head Metros, Business Unit Head of Metros & Defence BU. He has extensive experience in bid estimation, finalisation of large value projects like Riyadh & Doha Metros. Madhava Das said: "I have always believed that one of the pillars that L&T is founded on is meritocracy and this honour of being inducted on to the board is a reflection of that value." "L&T has done unique work both in power transmission distribution and in urban rural electrification works. We have taken Power & Water Infrastructure to the hinterland of the country and have brought the essentials of water and light to many citizens of the country. These two businesses have developed a significant footprint in the GCC, Asean and Africa," he noted. "I look forward to the challenge ahead. I am fortunate to have a fine team, and all of us re-dedicate ourselves to take the Companys interests forward," he added. A group of mainly corporate executives and educators advising the Trump administration on work force policy called for immediate and unprecedented investments in American workers, both for training and help in finding jobs. And even before the pandemic, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. had proposed investing $50 billion in work force training. In Congress, there is bipartisan support for giving jobless workers a $4,000 training credit. The Markle Foundation has proposed federally funded opportunity accounts of up to $15,000 for workers to spend on training. Union leaders have helped the administration in an effort to expand federal apprenticeship programs to a wide range of industries. Past downturns have brought increased government aid for workers and training programs. But labor experts say they have tended to be policies that recede once the economy recovers, as happened after the 2008 financial crisis, rather than becoming national priorities. The Great Recession was a lost opportunity, said Lawrence Katz, an economist at Harvard University. Now, are we going to take this moment to help low-wage workers move into the middle class and give them skills to thrive? Or are they just going to go back to low-wage jobs that are dead ends? In the coronavirus economy, companies are adopting more automation, as they seek to cut costs and increase efficiency. There is debate about which jobs are most at risk and how soon. But climbing up the skills ladder is the best way to stay ahead of the automation wave. While reviewing the implementation of the PMFBY through video conferencing, she also stressed on the need of carrying out awareness activities to ensure dissemination of information among all farmers in view of the scheme becoming voluntary for all farmers. She suggested that stringent follow-up should be done with states where subsidy is pending, especially those which are not ... 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 Justin Trudeau made a bold bid to break up with the ethics controversy consuming his government on Monday with a new twist on an old classic: Its not WE. Its me. There was nothing vague about the prime ministers apology for how he and WE Charity have become tangled in an ethics storm over pandemic relief. In fact, Trudeau approached near-mathematical precision on Monday with his very personal regrets for what he had failed to do in the whole mess. The mistake we made was on me and I take responsibility for it, he said. Trudeau said he was sorry he didnt excuse himself from cabinet discussions about WE Charity, and also sorry he didnt know more about the extent to which his family was involved with it. What his apology didnt cover was how this ended up in front of his cabinet in the first place, and the absence of red flags for him or his government the crucial what were you thinking question that hangs over the entire story. So while Trudeaus words on Monday may have slightly cooled the ethics uproar thats erupted in the midst of this pandemic, they wont make it go away. Significantly, his apology also offered no assurances for the future, and thats important this being his third brush with ethics investigations in his career as prime minister. What has he learned about why this failed to set off ethical alarms from the outset? Mondays me-not-WE apology didnt quite cover that. Trudeaus regrets, for now, are intensely personal maybe intentionally so. A larger, more expansive apology may not come until after the ethics commissioners inquiry. Its worth looking closely at how precise the prime minister was when he laid out on Monday where hed gone wrong with WE and the proposal to have the charity handle nearly $1 billion in pandemic relief for students. Trudeau did not say he was sorry about the idea, which he again said came from the public service, only that he didnt officially bow out of the discussions about it. I made a mistake in not recusing myself immediately from the discussions, given our familys history. I am sincerely sorry about not having done that, Trudeau said, going on to cite all the ways the government had been working with other charities on pandemic relief. But when it came to this organization and this program, the involvement Id had in the past and my family has should have had me remove myself from those discussions. Note: Trudeau is not saying that the proposal shouldnt have come to cabinet, only that he shouldnt have been there. The prime minister also didnt mention Finance Minister Bill Morneau, who has been found to have his own family conflicts with WE, including a daughter employed by the charity. It was left to Morneau to issue his own personal apology later in the day, in a separate statement, which followed the same general lines as those of his boss: not a bad idea, just unfortunately handled at cabinet. Significantly, the finance minister hasnt even ruled out the prospect of WE being the subject of cabinet discussions in future. I will recuse myself from any future discussions related to WE, Morneaus statement said. The most sincere, genuine part of Trudeaus apology came when he was talking about how all of this has affected his mother, who has been very public including at WE events about her lifelong battles with mental illness. Obviously I knew she worked with WE, Trudeau said. I didnt know the details of how much she was getting paid by various organizations but I should have and I deeply regret that. What I also deeply regret is the fact that I have brought my mother into this situation in a way that is really unfair to her. Margaret Trudeaus involvement with WE was definitely obvious. She and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau were together in London at a WE event in March, which is where the prime ministers wife was believed to have contracted the COVID-19 virus that put the PM into isolation early in the pandemic. Long before WE was picked as the favoured charity to hand out aid to students during the pandemic, in other words, it had already played a role that was a little too close to home. Trudeau may be saving the larger, more expansive explanations for his discussions with the ethics commissioner, who will most certainly want to know more than just why the prime minister failed to absent himself from cabinet discussions about WE Charity. Its not WE, its me, may work as a break in the heat of this controversy, but those wont be the last words in this fraught relationship. Australian waters are more shark infested than ever because warmer currents are attracting the predators, according to researchers. Shark deaths have this year reached a 10-year high while statistics show the number of attacks has doubled over the last two decades. One marine biology expert Robert Harcourt blamed the increase on warmer waters, claiming sharks were spending longer periods in popular surfing spots. His warning comes just days after Mani Hart-Deville, 15, was mauled to death by a shark at Wooli Beach, north of Coffs Harbour, just before 2.30pm on Saturday. After teenager Mani Hart-Deville, 15, (pictured) was mauled to death by a shark north of Coffs Harbour a marine biology expert has warned there is an increasing risk of shark attacks in NSW Harcourt said the warm eastern current, pulling nutrient rich water from the bottom of the sea, was attracting prey fish and sharks. 'Great whites off the northern NSW coast and bull sharks in Sydney used to stay around for about two months but now that's increasing to about five months,' he told The Australian. 'With the warming of the eastern Australian coast, we predict bull sharks are spending more time down south. 'We predict they will be spending a lot more time here in Sydney in the next decade.' Macquarie University professor Robert Harcourt said the danger of shark attacks increased because the East Australian Current has warmed, attracting prey fish and sharks (Mani Hart-Deville pictured) Friends, family and other members of the surfing community watched in horror on Saturday as Mani was mauled to death. The teenager was paddling out to his first wave of the day when he was viciously attacked. Other surfers, including friends, tried to fight the shark away before rushing the boy to the shore where he was given first aid for serious leg injuries. Sadly Mani could not be saved and died on the beach. NSW Ambulance inspector Scott Acton said 'no words' could describe the scene paramedics faced. A report into the teenager's death will be prepared for the coroner. Panaji, July 13 : Amid a sustained increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Goa, as well as fatalities, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said, that it would henceforth be mandatory for private hospitals to reserve 20 per cent of their ICU beds for COVID management. "It has been decided to make it mandatory for private hospitals to reserve 20 per cent of beds in their intensive care units exclusively for COVID management," Sawant said on Monday. The decision he said was taken at a meeting attended by Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, Chief Secretary Parimal Rai and Health Secretary Nila Mohanan to "review and strengthen" COVID management in the state. Mohanan during a media interaction said, that if there is lack of compliance of the state government directive, the licence of the private hospital could be suspended. In all, 17 persons have died, even as active cases of Covid-19 neared 1,000 in Goa. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 13) Heads up, commuters! Starting Monday, passengers of Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 will be required to fill up health declaration forms in line with the managements contact tracing efforts and stricter health protocols for COVID-19. Under the document, train commuters would need to provide the following: name, address, contact number, station entry, date and time of travel, temperature, as well as possible symptoms of the viral disease. The forms will be given to passengers in queue, before they are subjected to full-body security check prior to station entry. The train management assured that all personal details provided will be kept private and secured. Passengers will also be prohibited from answering calls and talking inside trains, to prevent the possible spread of the virus through respiratory droplets, the management added. Malacanang had previously advised MRT-3 passengers to monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms, since the government-initiated contact tracing program was not yet in place for commuters. The major train line earlier halted its operations after over 200 of its personnel tested positive for COVID-19. Authorities said workers who got infected are already under quarantine, with contact tracing for employees also underway. MRT-3 had resumed operations at limited capacity, in light of the easing of quarantine restrictions in the capital region. Analysts say powerful business interests and state capture have led to the current political crisis. Over the past four days, Bulgaria has been shaken by a wave of anti-government protests with thousands marching through the capital Sofia against a mafia model of governance. Demonstrators have demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, and smaller protests have been held in other cities in the country. Public anger erupted on Tuesday when a politician from the centre-right party, Democratic Bulgaria, Hristo Ivanov, tried to reach a public beach on the Black Sea coast but was stopped by officers from the National Protection Service (NSO), guarding the nearby mansion of Ahmed Dogan, former leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party. Ivanov accused Borisovs government of enabling Dogan, who is seen as one of the most powerful men in Bulgaria, to encroach on public property and using taxpayers money to provide him security, although he occupies no formal government post. On Saturday, after declaring that NSO will stop providing a security detail for Dogan, Borisov of the governing GERB party rejected the calls for his resignation. We will remain in power because the opposition will break the country, he said in a Facebook live from his home. Earlier in the day, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, a member of the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), also called on Borisov, as well as General Prosecutor Ivan Geshev, to resign. On Thursday, prosecutors entered the presidency building and arrested two members of the presidential administration. The raid came after Radev criticised the government and said NSO should not guard Dogan. The deepening political crisis comes after a series of major political scandals in recent months and amid growing public anger against the governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic. After Bulgaria saw a slump in daily cases during a two-month lockdown, the sudden opening up of businesses and the permission to hold public gatherings have led to a new spike in cases. Analysts say the roots of the present crisis run deep and have to do with the countrys weak rule of law and the problematic relationship between oligarchy and politics. Oligarchy and state capture Dogan is a controversial figure in Bulgarian politics. A former agent of the communist secret services and an ethnic Turk, he founded the DPS in 1990 as a party meant to give political representation to Bulgarias Turkish minority, which had been brutally victimised by the collapsing communist regime. Over the next 20 years, however, he came to occupy an important position in Bulgarian politics. The power is in my hands. I am the instrument of power that distributes the portions of financing in the state, he famously said in 2009. Bulgarians shout slogans and hold the national flag during a demonstration in front of the Council of Ministers in Sofia [Vassil Donev/EPA-EFE] Dogan has not been seen in public for several years and refused to give on-camera interviews during the recent events. Bulgarian media mogul Delyan Peevski, who is one of Dogans closest allies and also a member of DPS, has also been using NSO security. Ivanov of Democratic Bulgaria Party has accused Dogan and Peevski of controlling the General Prosecutors office and the interior ministry, and has claimed Borisov is afraid of and dependent on them. [Dogan and Peevski are] part of a governing cartel going back to the mid-2000s. Other stakeholders include the Prosecutor General and whoever happens to be in power, Dimitar Bechev, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Al Jazeera. 200107225738996 According to him, state capture is a reality in Bulgaria. [In Bulgaria, there is] weakness of the rule of law and the fact that the most powerful political force, GERB, isnt a transformational actor but part of the setup [and the] EU is no longer an external check but a source of rent, he said. The European Union, which Bulgaria became a member of in 2007, has repeatedly suspended financial assistance for various economic initiatives in the small Balkan country over corruption concerns and its failure to tackle organised crime. DPS has been accused of controlling public works funding in non-urban areas, part of which has come from the EU. According to Jana Tsoneva, a Sofia-based sociologist, the main problem in Bulgarian politics is that DPS, along with all other major parties, are dependent on powerful business interests. [Big] business is a source of corruption When we talk about corrupted politicians, we have to talk about who is corrupting them, she said. We need institutions to be fixed, but that cannot happen as long as [big] businessmen continue to buy politicians and use these institutions in their internal battles of market share. What happens next? The political crisis in Bulgaria has exacerbated the growing public discontent triggered by the coronavirus pandemic and the slumping economy. According to the European Commission, Bulgarias economy is projected to shrink by 7.1 percent. Meanwhile, unemployment has soared to 9 percent. Some have argued the crisis may bring Borisovs long political career to an end and damage GERBs chances in the next election. In an opinion poll released by Sova 5 in early July, before the protests erupted, just 28.5 percent of the respondents said they trust Prime Minister Borisov; 31.9 percent said they trust President Radev. 191211004311122 If there were to be early elections, Borisovs GERB party, which has led three governments in Bulgaria since 2009, would get 21.3 percent of the vote, Radevs BSP 12 percent, DPS five percent, and Democratic Bulgaria 2.4 percent, the poll suggested. Bechev and Tsoneva said the protests are unlikely to shrink GERBs support significantly, but they could lead to early elections. Early polls might help Borisov maximize the vote for GERB but will hand power to Radev who appoints a caretaker government, said Bechev. I guess GERB will still be the largest party after the next elections, but the question is who will coalesce with it. Borisovs current coalition partner, the far-right alliance United Patriots, may not clear the 4 percent threshold at the next election. Other options may include, There is such a people, a new party established by popular talk show host Slavi Trifonov, whose support currently stands at 5 percent, or DPS. A coalition with the latter, according to Bechev, may be too risky for Borisov, given the negative public opinion of Dogan and Peevski. For Tsoneva, as long as GERB is in power it is unlikely for the reforms needed to end oligarchical interference in government affairs to be carried out. However, she sees an opportunity for the pro-EU and pro-reform Democratic Bulgaria to exploit the current political crisis and play a more significant role in the political scene. Ivanovs party is seen as catering to the small educated urban elite and so far has struggled to achieve significant results in parliamentary elections. [Democratic Bulgaria] could go beyond its unpopular legalistic discourse of guarantees for private ownership and anti-corruption and expand into wider notions of justice, which engage those suffering from poverty, exploitation, marginalisation and racism, and the lack of adequate healthcare, which are the concerns of the majority, said Tsoneva. Follow Mariya Petkova on Twitter: @mkpetkova By PTI KATHMANDU: Amid the political turmoil in Nepal, the ruling communist party executive chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' said on Sunday that he will not allow the party to split and any attempt from anywhere to weaken its unity would hurt the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and natural disasters. Addressing the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) members in his hometown Chitwan, Prachanda said that he was determined to keep the party unity intact. "It is natural to have differences of opinion, dispute and debate in a big party, but I will not allow the party to split," he said. "If there is a dispute in the party, there are proper procedures to resolve it." His remarks came amid speculation that the NCP could split after top party leaders, including 'Prachanda', demanded Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's resignation, saying his recent anti-India remarks were "neither politically correct nor diplomatically appropriate." ALSO READ | Nepal PM Oli says intra-party disputes can be resolved through dialogue Prachanda also advised the party cadres to abide by the party principles and not to run from one camp to another at the time of the crisis. "Don't describe some leaders within the ruling party as anti-national and others as nationalist," he said, in an apparent reference to Prime Minister Oli's recent statement that some of the ruling party leaders are aligning with the southern neighbour to remove him from power after his government issued a new political map incorporating three Indian territories. The party and the government worked together to issue the new map, he pointed out. Earlier in the day, addressing a meeting of the District Disaster Management Committee in Chitwan, Prachanda said that the political activities should not affect the government's response to the coronavirus crisis and natural disasters. "Any attempt from anywhere else to weaken the party unity would not be in favour of the people," Prachanda was quoted as saying by The Rising Nepal. He urged the entire political parties, civil society, media and one and all to engage in a combined battle against the COVID-19 crisis and natural disasters. Oli and Prachanda have held over half a dozen one-on-one meetings in recent days, but the two leaders are nowhere close to a power-sharing deal. ALSO READ | Amid border row, Nepal pulls plug on Indian TV channels except Doordarshan Meanwhile, the ruling party is divided on one-on-one talks between Oli and Prachanda, with a senior party leader saying that prolonging the issues will not serve anybody's interest. The meeting of the NCP's 45-member powerful Standing Committee to decide Oli's fate was scheduled to be held on Friday. But it was postponed for a week at the last moment, citing floods and landslides that killed at least 22 people. NCP leader Asta Laxmi Shakya said it was okay for the party to postpone the crucial meeting for a week, keeping in mind the risk of extreme weather, but Oli should be ready to settle these issues after seven days. She said that prolonging the issues will not serve anybody's interest and it means that differences will keep cropping up, impacting the party, The Himalayan Times reported. Shakya said that one-on-one meeting between Oli and Prachanda would not help resolve the crisis. "If the PM does not feel comfortable discussing some issues in front of all the members of the Standing Committee, then he could discuss these issues with the rival faction, with both factions including three to four key leaders or they can discuss the issues in the party Secretariat. "But the two co-chairs should not discuss issues themselves," she argued. Shakya said that Prime Minister Oli should have used his address to the nation on Friday night to calm down the youths protesting in his support and say that the party would not split, but he did not mention any of these things. NCP Standing Committee member Beduram Bhusal said that Oli mixed politics in his message meant to inform the public about the government's efforts to deal with natural disasters and COVID-19. Bhusal said that the only option for resolving the internal rift was to discuss all issues in the Standing Committee and follow the body's decision. Another Standing Committee member Mani Thapa, however, said that Oli's statement that internal differences could be resolved through dialogue was a sign that differences between him and Prachanda were narrowing down. Thapa said that he and some other second rung leaders have advised Prachanda to focus on one-on-one meeting with Oli as they were both signatories to the unity deal signed between the former CPN- UML and UCPN-Maoist Centre. According to Thapa, Prachanda was initially hesitant to hold one-on-one meeting with Oli because he thought that could antagonise his faction leaders, particularly former prime ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jahala Nath Khanal, but he finally agreed when some second rung leaders convinced him. Under mounting pressure to resign, Prime Minister Oli has downplayed the intra-party rift and said such disputes are "regular phenomena" that can be resolved through dialogue. The differences between the two factions of the NCP, one led by 68-year-old Oli and the other led by Prachanda on the issue of power-sharing, intensified after the prime minister unilaterally decided to prorogue the budget session of Parliament. The political future of Oli is now expected to be decided on July 17 during the Standing Committee meeting, amidst the growing involvement of Chinese envoy Hou Yanqui to save his chair. 13.07.2020 LISTEN Background The inception of the 1992 constitution which ushered Ghana into its 4th Republican Democracy, saw the emergence of vibrant political parties such as the National Democratic Congress (a coalition of the National Democratic Congress, National Convention Party and Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere), the New Patriotic Party, People's National Party, National Independence Party and People's Heritage Party. The aftermath of the 1992 elections has similarly, witnessed the birth, death and amalgamation of political parties to present today Ghana and some of which include, People's National Convention, Convention People's Party, United Ghana Movement et cetera and lately, the Progressive People's Party plus the National Democratic Party using the 2016 general elections as the yardstick. Very significant to this strategic document is the mention that "Ghana's 4th Republic has not been spared the menace of political vigilante groups", an "in-house approved" but publicly denied unofficial wing of unguarded political party youth groups. Following a consensus reached by the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at a stakeholder dialogue meeting mediated by the Ghana Peace Council, a wave of hope clouded Ghana's political atmosphere. At least, for the first time, the country has seen a collaborative effort by the two dominant political parties (NDC and NPP) in the drafting and hopefully, the passing into law of what is now known as the "Vigilante and Related Offences Act, 2019". It is evident that political parties since Ghana's independence have engaged the services of youth groups in various ways. Mention can be made of the Convention Peoples Party Veranda Boys (pacesetters of youth activism in Ghana), important machinery employed by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana's first president) in the run-up to Ghana's independence. Such youth groups have metamorphosed into modern-day political vigilante groups. Similarly, under the pre-4th Republic Constitution, Ghana witnessed similar groups such as the "Mobisquad", Committee for the Defence of the Revolution (CDR), Workers Defence Committees (WDCs), Peoples Defence Committees (PDCs) who were trained and equipped to defend the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC). Even though this bold step (Vigilante and Related Offences Act, 2019) deserves to be applauded, it is the position of STRANEK-Africa that the passage into law and even the effective enforcement of this Act would likely turn out to be a one off "window dressing", whiles unknowingly ignoring the root course of this menace (vigilante Group activities). It is, therefore, the position of STRANEK-Africa that the emergence and threat of increased Political Vigilantism to Ghana's National Security and its democratic regime, is only but a symptom of Party Membership Management Lapses by political parties in Ghana. The goal of this policy document, therefore, is to contribute and provide informed policy proposal on how improved Management of Political Party Membership in Ghana will help curb the threat of political vigilantism in Ghana. Attitude and Posturing of Political Party Leaders in Ghana The attitude and posturing of political party leaders in Ghana appear to be one of the main and contributing cause of political vigilantism. This is because the posturing of the leadership of a political party, is in itself reflective of the psyche and how it intends to orient its members (its membership management style). This has become worrying, especially when access to the national cake appears to be tied to ones contribution to the course of a political party prior to winning elections. Youth who have nothing to give but could display sheer show of bravado and machoism are directly or indirectly, consciously or unconsciously oriented and recruited to undertake offensive attacks on political opponents or carry out the wishes and directions of party leaders. Even though Section 2 (1) of the Political Parties Law Act 574, (2000) states that subject to the Constitution, every citizen of voting age has the right to participate in political activity intended to influence the composition and policies of the government, oftentimes, the activities of these vigilante groups threaten the lives of innocent Ghanaians to the extent that some are prevented from voting whiles some have had to refrain from voting (disenfranchised) to save their lives or avoid trouble, especially in swing constituencies. In most cases, the strongholds of opposing political parties are not left out. Not only has this posturing lured these youth into acts of political vigilantism but have also emboldened them to act with impunity regardless of the law enforcement system in place, because there is hope in sight for them. This hope in sight comes in the forms of political parties organizing mass number of supporters to solidarize with these perpetrators/agents and sometimes promising them juicy packages and assignments (joining the Police Service, National Security, BNI et cetera) when the party wins elections. A typical example is the posturing of the Deputy General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Obiri Boahen, in relation to the compiling of the New Voters Register. Speaking on Dadi 101.1FM and responding to the position of the NDC on the compilation of the New Voters Register on 13th May 2020, Nana Obiri Boahen warned that Stay home if you dont agree to the compilation of the new register because anyone who tries to disrupt the exercise will be beaten. We will beat you mercilessly. What happened in Ayawaso is just a tip of the iceberg. Similarly, David Prah, the Eastern Regional Communication Director for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), during an interview on Happy 98.9 FMs program Epa Hoa Daben on 19th March 2020 said, we have asked our people to beat anyone who attempts to disrupt the process. The lawlessness of the NDC is within their party only and cannot transcend outside the NDC. Anyone who thinks he can put the law into his hands and disrupt the process should know that we in the Eastern region will beat them. On the other side, on 16th November 2019, NDC Member of Parliament for Kintampo South, Felicia Adjei, with the help of heavily built macho men assaulted and disrupted the mass registration exercise being carried out by the National Identification Authority (NIA) in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions. Same can be said about Mr. Bernard Mornahs (National Chairman of the PNC) rhetoric during the Inter-Party Resistance against New Voters Register press conference on May 26, 2020, in Accra. Mr. Bernard Mornahs is reported to have said "People, who are already Ghanaians and already registered and going to be taken out of the voters register, don't you think confusion will come at the registration station and if confusion comes there, you think the EC staff will be safe. We will beat each other there. We will kill each other there if that is what the EC want to lead this nation to". Before you attempt to downplay the posturing of these political actors, remember, these are significant actors with a very significant influence on the behaviour and actions of their party members. It is, therefore, the position of STRANEK-Africa that the communication strategy (an important membership management tool) of these political parties, reflects peace and not militant as we approach the 2020 General Elections. This is because the how and what political parties and its leaders communicate to its members can either incite, encourage and embolden unsuspecting youth to engage in political vigilantism with impunity. Signed Emmanuel Osei Director of Policy and Political Affairs +47 412 45 303 Nii Tettey Tetteh Executive Director +233 559 042 914 Wendy Barclay, chairwoman in influenza virology at Imperial College London, has said that coronavirus particles can remain infectious in the air for more than an hour. Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Barclay said: ""It is the first time that the World Health Organization has acknowledged that the airborne route contributes to the spread of this disease. "Of course, there are other routes as well... But what this new acknowledgement means is that the route through the air probably also contributes in some circumstances." Barclay said the virus could remain suspended in the air and travel some distance away from the person who had breathed them out, with laboratory studies showing it could remain infectious in the air for more than an hour. She added that replenishing the air in a room was important to avoiding spreading the virus, rather than recirculating the air like some air conditioning systems do. Barclay's remarks come after the World Health Organization (WHO) last week acknowledged that there emerging evidence that COVID-19 can be spread by tiny particles suspended in the air, the BBC reported. The airborne transmission could not be ruled out in crowded, closed or poorly ventilated settings, a WHO official had said. WHO officials have cautioned the evidence is preliminary and requires further assessment. If the evidence is confirmed, it may affect guidelines for indoor spaces. As of Sunday, the total number of global coronavirus cases stood at 12,735,924, with 565,489 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $40 gift card! Jonathan Murphy has been the CEO of Assura Plc (LON:AGR) since 2016, and this article will examine the executive's compensation with respect to the overall performance of the company. This analysis will also evaluate the appropriateness of CEO compensation when taking into account the earnings and shareholder returns of the company. See our latest analysis for Assura Comparing Assura Plc's CEO Compensation With the industry At the time of writing, our data shows that Assura Plc has a market capitalization of UK2.1b, and reported total annual CEO compensation of UK1.1m for the year to March 2020. That's a notable increase of 42% on last year. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth acknowledging that the salary portion is lower, valued at UK395k. On comparing similar companies from the same industry with market caps ranging from UK1.6b to UK5.1b, we found that the median CEO total compensation was UK1.3m. From this we gather that Jonathan Murphy is paid around the median for CEOs in the industry. Moreover, Jonathan Murphy also holds UK1.7m worth of Assura stock directly under their own name, which reveals to us that they have a significant personal stake in the company. Component 2020 2019 Proportion (2020) Salary UK395k UK365k 35% Other UK736k UK429k 65% Total Compensation UK1.1m UK794k 100% On an industry level, around 39% of total compensation represents salary and 61% is other remuneration. It's interesting to note that Assura allocates a smaller portion of compensation to salary in comparison to the broader industry. If non-salary compensation dominates total pay, it's an indicator that the executive's salary is tied to company performance. A Look at Assura Plc's Growth Numbers Over the last three years, Assura Plc has shrunk its earnings per share by 17% per year. It achieved revenue growth of 8.9% over the last year. Story continues The decline in earnings is a bit concerning. The modest increase in revenue in the last year isn't enough to make us overlook the disappointing change in earnings per share. So given this relatively weak performance, shareholders would probably not want to see high compensation for the CEO. Moving away from current form for a second, it could be important to check this free visual depiction of what analysts expect for the future. Has Assura Plc Been A Good Investment? Most shareholders would probably be pleased with Assura Plc for providing a total return of 41% over three years. As a result, some may believe the CEO should be paid more than is normal for companies of similar size. To Conclude... As we touched on above, Assura Plc is currently paying a compensation that's close to the median pay for CEOs of companies belonging to the same industry and with similar market capitalizations. This doesn't look good when you see that earnings growth over the last three years has been negative. On the other hand, shareholder returns are showing positive trends over the same time frame. We wouldn't say CEO compensation is too high, but shrinking EPS is undoubtedly an issue that will have to be addressed. We can learn a lot about a company by studying its CEO compensation trends, along with looking at other aspects of the business. We identified 3 warning signs for Assura (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Switching gears from Assura, if you're hunting for a pristine balance sheet and premium returns, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look. 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. The almost billion-dollar program came under scrutiny after it was revealed that We Charity, an organization Trudeaus family has worked for, was chosen to administer it. Trudeaus wife, brother and mother have been paid a combined $300,000 Canadian (US$221,000) for speaking at a number of WE events. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 22:11:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson speaks at a press conference at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, July 13, 2020. Five European states and five African countries agreed at a meeting on Monday to work closer together to curtail human trafficking in Europe and at source and to establish legal pathways for migrants to reach Europe, Ylva Johansson said. (European Union/Handout via Xinhua) BRUSSELS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Five European states and five African countries agreed at a meeting on Monday to work closer together to curtail human trafficking in Europe and at source and to establish legal pathways for migrants to reach Europe, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said. Johansson told the press that the meeting was part of the European Commission's preparation of a new European Union (EU) pact on migration and asylum. "The crossing from Africa to Europe is dangerous and we need to do something about it, both in countries of origin and in countries where these migrants end up," she said. The meeting was attended by the interior ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Malta, and Spain as well as their counterparts from Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. It was held on the back of a weekend of migrant landings in Lampedusa, an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea, with the media there reporting the arrival of over 1,000 migrants between Friday and Sunday. Johansson said the EU was investing a lot of money to help countries of origin better control and protect their borders. She mentioned 342 million euros (388 million U.S. dollars) in Morocco and 155 million in Libya as examples. "We also support the fight against human traffickers through regional programs aimed at dismantling smuggling networks. We agreed to explore how best to use EU agencies like Frontex and Europol to reach this goal," she said. "Europe needs a strong partnership with these countries or origin," she said. "We need to improve the way we can help these countries manage and fight the root causes of migration. We also need to find legal pathways for these people to come to Europe." Enditem Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft Corp., gestures as he speaks during a Bloomberg event on the opening day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. Microsoft will no longer be the parent of a friendly virtual chatbot for Chinese users. The company is spinning off the technology, known as Xiaoice or Xiaobing, into a new standalone company. The move further hones Microsoft's focus on commercial business rather than consumers. In recent years Microsoft has left several markets aimed at consumers, including e-books, music streaming, fitness wearables and smartphones. Xiaoice became available in 2014, not long after Satya Nadella replaced Steve Ballmer as Microsoft's CEO. The technology uses artificial intelligence to hold up its end of a virtual chat conversation, and generally takes on the persona of a teenager. "Sometimes sweet, sometimes sassy and always streetwise, this virtual teenager has her own opinions and steadfastly acts like no other bot," Microsoft explained in a 2018 blog post. "She doesn't try to answer every question posed by a user. And, she's loath to follow their commands. Instead, her conversations with her often adoring users are peppered with wry remarks, jokes, empathic advice on life and love, and a few simple words of encouragement." Xiaoice was trained on data that Microsoft picked up from internet users through the Bing search engine, and works with multiple other chat services, including Weibo. But the Chinese authorities haven't always looked at it kindly. The service had been reportedly banned three times from Tencent's WeChat for unspecified reasons related to privacy concerns and political content. The new entity will keep serving existing users while also seeking to bring the technology to other companies in China, Japan and Indonesia, according to a Chinese-language announcement posted on QQ on Sunday. Microsoft will hold an investment interest in the new company, according to the announcement. The general manager of Xiaoice at Microsoft, Di Li, will be CEO of the new company. The chatbot had 660 million users, according to Sunday's announcement. People who used it told Microsoft that they felt more positive and supported emotionally, according to a 2018 academic paper. Xiaoice won a warmer reception than Tay, an English-language chatbot that Microsoft launched on Twitter in 2016. Malicious users quickly realized they could tailor how they interacted with Tay to manipulate it into delivering offenseive responses. Microsoft continues to operate the Cortana virtual assistant, which is available on mobile devices and in Windows 10. WATCH: Options traders see upside potential in Microsoft An Associated Press (AP) analysis of the federal loan data grudgingly released by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin last Monday revealed that one of largest recipients of government funds funneled through the fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is the US Roman Catholic Church, which received at least $1.4 billion. This staggering amount is a drastic undercount due to the fact that the US Small Business Administration declined to release information on loans approved for under $150,000. In addition to the Catholic Church, other religious organizations including Protestant churches, Muslim mosques and Jewish synagogues also helped themselves to government funds, violating the First Amendments establishment of the separation of church and state. Crystal Cathedral, Orange County California (Credit: WikiMedia Commons) This includes churches connected to President Donald Trump such as the City of Destiny in Florida and its pastor Paula White-Cain, which received a loan worth between $150,000 and $350,000 through the PPP. White-Cain serves as Trumps personal pastor and as White House faith adviser. While the AP notes that Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and other ministries received approval for at least 3,500 forgivable loans, the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference, an organization of Catholic financial officers, surveyed their membership and found that roughly 9,000 Catholic entities received loans, nearly three times what the AP was able to uncover. Coupled with the variance in reporting limits, the AP speculated it is possible that the Church as whole may have received as much, or more, than $3.5 billion in loans, which can be converted into grants if a majority of the funds are shown to have been used to cover wages, rent and utilities. Terrified of growing socialist consciousness in the working class and under conditions in which states across the country are slashing funding for public education, the US ruling class and their political pawns are funneling billions to the Catholic Church and its schools. Prior to the passage of the CARES Act and with it the PPP, religious and faith-based organizations were not eligible to receive funding through the US Small Business Administration (SBA). However, after successful lobbying by groups connected to the Church spent at least $50,000, Congress helpfully slipped in a provision within the CARES Act which allowed religious organizations and other nonprofits the ability to siphon funds from the program. The PPP has been championed by the administration and both big business parties as a vital lifeline for Main Street businesses and according to Mnuchin is responsible for saving 51 million jobs. In reality, last week marked the fifteenth week in a row in which more than 1 million new unemployment claims were filed, on top of 18.1 million continuing claims. The official unemployment rate, artificially deflated by the Trump administration, is still above 11 percent and at least 70,000 small businesses have already declared they will lay off 10 workers or more once funding for the PPP runs out. This will add at least another 700,000 people to the ranks of the unemployed, as reported by the National Federation of Independent Businesses two weeks ago. In addition to Congress granting eligibility for religious organizations to apply for the loans through the SBA, the Trump administration also waived the restriction that prevented applicants from receiving a loan if the applicant employed more than 500 workers per physical location. According to the online Catholic news service Crux, in a late April phone call, hosted by Trump and attended by several hundred Catholic leaders, Trump boasted that he was the best [president] the Catholic Church has ever seen. Among the Catholic entities that received millions of dollars in taxpayer funded loans was the Archdiocese of New York, which received 15 loans worth at least $28 million, just for its top executive offices. The diocese was also approved for at least a $1 million dollar loan for St. Patricks Cathedral, located on Fifth Avenue. On the West Coast, the Los Angeles archdiocese received at least 37 loans worth between $9 and $23 million. Four loans worth at least $3 million were approved in Orange County, California, where the Church recently completed renovation of the $70 million dollar Crystal Cathedral. The sprawling property features water fountains, the fifth largest pipe organ in the world and a 236-foot stainless-steel mirrored spire standing over 18 stories tall. Elsewhere, a loan of at least $2 million was approved for the Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, diocese, where an internal Church investigation last year confirmed allegations that then Bishop Michael Bransfield groped children and misused church funds for personal vacations, alcohol and luxury goods. The AP report noted at least 40 dioceses, which have paid out millions of dollars in compensation to victims of Church abuses, received at least $200 million in PPP funds. The Saint Luke Institute, located in Silver Spring, Maryland, is a Catholic treatment center for priests accused of sexual abuse. Often used as a stopover for pedophile priests waiting to be transferred to new parishes, the institute received a loan worth between $350,000 and $1 million. Catholic Charities USA, whose motto is working to reduce poverty in America, spent $30,000 lobbying Congress to ensure the charity network would be eligible for funds. Their efforts were handsomely rewarded; Catholic Charities USA was approved for about 100 loans worth between $90 and $220 million according to the data. The AP found that overall, roughly 500 loans exceeding $1 million were approved to entities connected to the Catholic Church and at least eight loans were approved for the maximum amount of funding, between $5 million and $10 million. Among the loan recipients were also ten groups designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as hate groups, such as the anti-LGBT American Family Association (AFA), which received the largest loan of the ten, worth between $1 million and $2 million, to allegedly support 124 jobs. The AFA, founded by pastor Donald Wildmon in 1977 as the National Federation for Decency before changing its name in 1988, proudly proclaims to be on the front lines of Americas culture war, where its goal is to be a champion of Christian activism directed toward the preservation of Marriage and the Family. An article written by David Lane and posted July 8 on AFAs website branded the official BLM movement as downright Jezebelic, an alliance between the two devils of Nazism and communism which accepts transgenderism, homosexuality, abortion and thus [is] in direct conflict with the Alpha Male Trump. Anti-immigrant hate groups tied directly to Trumps fascistic advisor Stephen Miller have also received funds. These include the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), both founded by the late John Tanton. For decades Tanton, a retired Michigan ophthalmologist, played a central role in shaping US immigration policy through FAIR and CIS. Tantons racist and eugenic views were exposed in his private papers which are housed at the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan. In a letter to ecology professor Garret Hardin, Tanton admitted, Ive come to the point of view that for European-American society and culture to persist requires a European-American majority, and a clear one at that. Tanton also ran a racist publishing company, the Social Contract Press, which in 1994 republished the novel The Camp of Saints. Le Camp des Saints, first published in 1973 by Frenchman Jean Raspail, is a racist fantasy which depicts an invasion of France by a horde of starving, dark-skinned refugees. The books republishing came with an endorsement from Tanton and a special afterword from its author which read: The proliferation of other races dooms our race, my race, to extinction. Jon Feere of CIS and Julie Kirchner of FAIR currently serve as policy advisers to Immigration Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol, respectively. 'Although real Ayodhya lies at Thori, city in the west of Birgunj, India has claimed that Lord Rama was born there' KP Oli said. Kathmandu: After staking claim to Indian territories of Lipulekh-Kalapani in a new controversial map, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday claimed that Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, is in Nepal and Lord Rama was Nepali. Although real Ayodhya lies at Thori, city in the west of Birgunj, India has claimed that Lord Rama was born there. Due to these continuous claims, even we have believed that deity Sita got married to Prince Rama of India. However, in reality, Ayodhya is a village lying west of Birgunj, Oli claimed at an event organised at Prime Minister's residence in Kathmandu. The Prime Minister also blamed India of cultural encroachment by creating a fake Ayodhya. Balmiki Ashram is in Nepal and the holy place where King Dashrath had executed the rites to get the son is in Ridi. Dashraths son Ram was not an Indian and Ayodhya is also in Nepal, he claimed. In an attempt to save self from criticism, Oli questioned how Lord Rama could come to Janakpur to marry Sita when there were "no means" of communication. He further said that it to be impossible for Lord Rama to come to Janakpur from present Ayodhya that lies in India. Janakpur lies here and Ayodhya there and there is talk of marriage. There was neither telephone nor mobile then how could he know about Janakpur, Oli said. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared Class 12th result 2020 on Monday (July 13) at the official websites- results.nic.in, cbseresults.nic.in and cbse.nic.in A total of 10.59 lakh (10,59,080) students managed to pass CBSE class 12 exam in 2020, with a pass percentage of 88.78 per cent. In 2019, the pass percentage iwas 83.40 per cent. The girls have outperformed boys with 92.15 per cent, while the pass percentage of boys was 86.19 per cent. The pass percentage of transgender students is 66.67 per cent. Here's how to check CBSE Class 12 result 2020 online: Step 1: Visit the official website- cbse.nic.in, cbseresults.nic.in Step 2: Click on the download result link Step 3: Enter registration number, roll number Step 4: Results will appear on the screen Step 5: Download it, and take a print out for further reference "Dear Students, Parents and Teachers! @cbseindia29 has announced the results of Class XII and can be accessed at http://cbseresults.nic.in. We congratulate you all for making this possible. I reiterate, Student's health & quality education are our priority," Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' tweeted. Dear Students, Parents and Teachers!@cbseindia29 has announced the results of Class XII and can be accessed at https://t.co/kCxMPkzfEf. We congratulate you all for making this possible. I reiterate, Student's health & quality education are our priority. Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) July 13, 2020 The CBSE will not issue any merit list this year. Earlier, CISCE had also announced that it will not announce topper's list for ISC and ICSE exams. "Coming up with a merit list makes no sense as the results are being calculated on the basis of an evaluation method due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic," a senior board offical had stated earlier. Besides websites, students can check their results via IVRS telephone numbers and mobile apps. The schools will also get the results of their students on the registered Email IDs. CBSE will also provide provide results through IVRS (interactive voice response system) too. Telephone numbers have been provided by National Informatics Centre (NIC) on the day of result and the students can use these numbers to know their marks. In 2019, a separate telephone number was provided by NIC for local subscribers in Delhi and another number for rest of the subscribers in the country. CBSE has also released Class 12th result on various other apps, including DigiLocker, Umang app and Digiresults app. The results is also available on UMANG Mobile Platform which is available for android, iOS and Windows based Smart Phones. The CBSE Class 12th result is also available via Android mobile app DigiResults. In Delhi, 94.39 per cent of the total students who took the CBSE Class 12 exam this year has passed. Delhi West region registered 94.61 pass percentage and Delhi East registered 94.24 pass percentage. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category A notorious Canadian mobster has been assassinated in a hail of bullets three years after his brother was shot dead - and a year after he survived a similar attack. Pasquale 'Fat Pat' Musitano, 53, was gunned down at a Burlington, Ontario, parking lot in broad daylight at around 1pm on Friday, while meeting with two associates. A grey sedan sped off and Musitano's friends Giuseppe 'Pino' Avignone, 59 and John Clary, 77, gave chase, The National Post reported. They were also shot at during the carnage and Clary, Musitano's longtime bodyguard, was wounded and rushed to hospital in a critical condition. The newer model four-door saloon - similar in appearance to an Infiniti Q50 - made off successfully and no arrests have been made. The boss is presumed to have been conducting business face-to-face with Avignone and Clary because his hulking GMC Yukon had been armour-plated and fitted with inch-thick glass a few months before his brother's murder three years ago. Pat (left) and his younger brother Angelo (right) had been marked men since the deaths of John 'Johnny Pops' Papalia, a made man in Buffalo's Cosa Nostra, and one of his lieutenants Carmen Barillaro, in 1997. Angelo Musitano, 39, was shot dead in the driveway of his home in Waterdown in May, 2017, and a few weeks later an attempt was made on Pat. The brothers are pictured together in 1998. Angelo Musitano, 39, was shot dead in the driveway of his home in Waterdown in May, 2017, and a few weeks later an attempt was made on Pat. And in April last year yet another assassination bid had failed against Pat, despite him being peppered by four bullets in a parking lot, one hitting him in the head. 'He was a dead man walking,' one Hamilton police officer told the Post. Pat and his younger brother had been marked men since the deaths of John 'Johnny Pops' Papalia, a made man in Buffalo's Cosa Nostra, and one of his lieutenants Carmen Barillaro, in 1997. Ken Murdock, the gunman in both murders, was hauled in and cooperated with police, informing detectives that Pat had ordered the hits. Pat and his brother Angelo were later arrested and, unable to shut Murdock up, agreed to a plea bargain. They would admit to conspiracy to murder Barillaro if the charges facing them for Papalia's killing were dropped. In 2000, the brothers were jailed for 10 years each for their roles in Papalia's murder. Upon release from prison in 2007, their grip on power had waned. John Ross, a retired Hamilton police sergeant, was tasked with monitoring Pat's parole and met with him as soon as he was freed. 'I let him know straight up - the likelihood of your survival is certainly limited now. And he knew,' Ross told the Post. 'This end was inevitable, for sure - and Pat knew it.' The Musitano family had established itself in Hamilton in 1937 when Pat's great uncle Angelo Musitano fled Delianuova in Calabria, Italy, after killing his sister. Known as 'The Beast of Delianuova', Angelo Musitano had dragged his sister through the streets of the small town and stabbed her to death in front of her lover's house. Pat had inherited the family business after his father Dominic died of a heart attack in 1995. A more ambitious gangster than his father, Pat had made the decision - a few months before he was arrested for Papalia's killing - to join forces with a Sicilian Mafia don out of Montreal, Vito Rizzuto. Pasquale 'Pat' Musitano, 53, was gunned down at a Burlington, Ontario, parking lot (stock image) in broad daylight at around 1pm on Friday, while meeting with two associates Rizzuto had at the time been expanding his influence into the Toronto area - controlled by the Calabrian families - but by the time Pat and Angelo were released, the Sicilian had been extradited to the US charged with three murders. This was a considerable blow to Musitano, not least because his family was of Calabrian branch of the mafia - known as the 'Ndrangheta - and his alliance with the Sicilian was seen as a grave betrayal. 'Most people in the community respected but feared Pat and would talk about how "the area was safer before Pat was in jail,"' Paul Manning, a Hamilton police officer told the Post. 'Wiseguys, however, described Pat as a "snake" and would constantly discuss - with enthusiasm - how he would get whacked and who would do it.' Sally Bown, a Chicago police spokeswoman, said in an email the man was arrested after he surrendered himself, and he was then turned over to Skokie police ... as the incident he was wanted for was in Skokie. Russia's Embassy in Turkmenistan stopped receiving citizens from July 13. The reasons are not reported but it is obviously related to the coronavirus outbreak in the country. In turn, the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat announced an unfavorable epidemiological situation in Turkmenistan, whose authorities deny the spread of COVID-19 in the country, and asked its citizens to refrain from traveling there. Now the World Health Organization (WHO) mission, which arrived in Ashgabat last week, must deliver its verdict. In case the virus is detected, a version has already been prepared - the coronavirus was brought by wind from the Aral Sea. The day before, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov discussed cooperation in the epidemiological sphere with Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev. A telephone conversation took place at the initiative of the Turkmen side. Berdimuhamedov congratulated Nazarbayev on his birthday and wished him good health, saying that "Turkmenistan is very happy for the recovery of Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev, who, thanks to his will and spirit, was able to overcome the disease and return to creative work for the good of Kazakhstan." Nursultan Nazarbayev had the asymptomatic form of novel coronavirus. He was forced to self-isolate. Berdimuhamedov expressed interest in the collaboration of scientists of the two countries to determine the causes of the occurrence and spread of coronavirus. The Turkmen side believes that "viruses can be carried by air," especially in connection with the Aral Sea environmental problem. The Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan announced this version when the WHO mission arrived. According to their version, the bacillus could be brought by winds from the Aral Sea. The theory of "a new type of coronavirus being spread through tiny aerosol droplets that have been kept in the air for a long time" was also presented by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov to WHO experts. Doctors arrived in the country on July 6 to study the situation on coronavirus. The Turkmen Foreign Ministry's press release notes that "many years of research by Turkmen doctors, ecologists, hydrometeorologists and other specialists confirm that substances hazardous to human health, including viruses, can be carried by air currents, especially in a complex ecological environment of Central Asia". According to Turkmen experts, air masses formed in the zone of ecological disaster caused by the drying up of the Aral Sea are particularly dangerous, which have an extremely negative impact on the nature, climate, and health of people living in the Aral Sea region and far beyond its borders. "Dust and salt storms that carry particularly harmful substances from the bottom of the dried-up Aral Sea spread for thousands of kilometers and pose a real danger to human life, the Foreign Ministry said. It's not known whether WHO experts will support this theory. They need to get acquainted with the situation. According to Radio Azatlyk, doctors examined a multidisciplinary clinic and an infectious diseases hospital in Turkmenabad, but there were no patients with COVID-19 or pneumonia in the medical facility. Turkmen expert Serdar Aitakov told Vestnik Kavkaza that people in Ashgabat discuss more frequent cases of deaths. They say that people die right on the streets. "Doctors told about crowded hospitals and deaths from pneumonia. Sounding any other diagnoses is strictly prohibited. When the WHO mission arrived, the president went on vacation and sent the government on vacation. Perhaps the situation will change soon, and the authorities will finally recognize the threat of a pandemic and take appropriate measures, including social distance and universal quarantine. However, the entire history of the authorities' behavior in crisis situations suggests that it is more important for them to "save face" than to acknowledge the problem, and therefore, adequately solve it," Aitakov believes. The U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat issued a warning about the epidemiological situation in Turkmenistan. "Turkmenistan has not officially acknowledged any cases of COVID-19 within its borders and may be disinclined to do so if cases were confirmed," the diplomatic service said. The U.S. Embassy has received reports of local citizens with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 undergoing testing and being placed in quarantine in infectious diseases hospitals. Those wishing to visit Turkmenistan, the U.S. Embassy asks to refrain from traveling and warns that tourism to Awaza has been restricted through August 31st as a precautionary measure related to COVID-19. The consular departments of Russia's Embassy in Ashgabat and Turkmenabad stopped receiving citizens. Documents can be submitted remotely, there's information available on the embassy website. Reasons are not reported. Russian diplomats are asked to be sympathetic to the temporary measures. Man, dog pronounced dead after early morning explosion, structure fire near Harbor Springs A man and a dog have both died as the result of an explosion and structure fire early Tuesday morning in West Traverse Township near Harbor Springs. 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. File photo: Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State (Photo Credit: AP) By Chen Yang When talking about the China-India border clashes at a press briefing of the State Department on July 8, local time, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "From the mountain ranges of the Himalayas to the waters of Vietnam's Exclusive Zone, the Senkaku Islands and beyond, Beijing has a pattern of instigating territorial disputes." Pompeo's vicious attack on China is nothing new. His "pattern of instigating territorial disputes" rhetoric this time is not only confounding white with black, but also an agitation of sentiments. As a matter of fact, it should be China's neighboring countries, not the US, that are best positioned to say whether China has formed "a pattern of instigating territorial disputes". Let's first take a look at the China-India border. The right and wrong of the Galwan Valley incident is very clear. Even India itself couldn't feign ignorance. Indian Prime Minister Modi recently said in public that "Nobody has intruded into our border, neither is anybody there now, nor have our posts been captured". Then let's turn our eyes to the South China Sea. Thanks to the concerted efforts of China and ASEAN countries in recent years, the overall situation in the South China Sea has maintained stable and positive. The cooperation between China and ASEAN countries in such areas as maritime search and rescue, oceanic environmental protection and scientific research has made substantial progress. The consultations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea are accelerating in an orderly manner, with both sides forming a clear consensus on reaching the COC at an early date. Zhou Fangyin, a professor at the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies, held that the reactions and statements by the neighboring countries are most convincing about China's neighboring diplomacy. Their statements have all clearly demonstrated that instead of forming a so-called "pattern of instigating territorial disputes", China has exercised restraint most of the time, as well evidenced by its recent handling of the Galwan Valley clashes. Neighborhood diplomacy holds a primary position in China's overall diplomacy. A review of our diplomatic efforts in the past few years shows that China and its surrounding neighbors have worked closely together for win-win results in the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the "China-Japan-ROK+X" cooperation mode, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), etc. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mutual help among these countries has further deepened their relationship. It is China's concept of neighborhood diplomacy featuring "amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness" that has given birth to such bountiful fruits of regional collaboration. If, as Pompeo falsely asserted, China has indeed formed "a pattern of instigating territorial disputes", how would the neighboring countries be willing to continue deepening the exchanges and cooperation with China? As the US presidential election is getting closer, certain people are racking their brains to embroil China into the campaign in the attempt to gain more votes by playing the China card. Pompeo's trick of driving a wedge between China and its surrounding neighbors is essential to serve their election at home rather than genuinely for the good of those countries. According to Professor Zhou Fangyin, the US sees in India, Japan, Vietnam, or the Philippines the "chess piece" against China in its strategy. Once in conflict with China, the neighboring countries know very well whether the US is willing to go all out for them. China's sticking to the policy of "building friendship and partnership with neighboring countries" is neither a tactic nor an approach, rather it's a solemn and strategic decision China has made. History has proved and will continue to prove that China is a reliable neighbor as well as a friend. Disclaimer: This article is originally published on haiwainet.cn, which is the website of Overseas Edition of the People's Daily. The article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. The dramatic collapse of German payment provider Wirecard fuelled a political row in Austria Monday, with former right-wing coalition partners trading accusations of links to key players in the scandal. Once a darling of the fintech scene, Wirecard filed for insolvency in June after being forced to admit that 1.9 billion euros ($2.1 billion) missing from its accounts likely did not exist. Both Wirecard's former chief operating officer Jan Marsalek and its founder and former chief executive Markus Braun are Austrian. In recent days reports have emerged about their connections to Vienna's political and intelligence circles, in particular to the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) and the centre-right People's Party (OeVP) of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. - Novichok recipe - According to Austria's Die Presse daily, Marsalek passed confidential information from Austria's secret services and interior ministry to the FPOe in 2017. The Financial Times has reported that Marsalek also had an association with individuals or networks linked to Russia's military intelligence directorate, the GRU. The FPOe has long been an advocate of closer ties with Moscow, and has a cooperation agreement with President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party. On Monday, the head of the OeVP's parliamentary grouping, Gaby Schwarz, said her party had called for a meeting of Austria's National Security Council, which advises the government. The affair is an uncomfortable one for Austria, a neutral country which is not a member of NATO. "This is about Austria's security and neutrality," Schwarz said, adding that she wanted the council to consider Marsalek's alleged links to the FPOe and intelligence circles, "how intense the links were, who spread what secret information". Die Presse reported that "vigorous internal investigations are underway" at the interior ministry to ascertain how Marsalek gained access to information, with Austrian media talking of possible "moles". The Financial Times has reported Marsalek attempted to impress business associates by showing them documents containing the recipe for the nerve agent Novichok, used to poison Russian-born ex-double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain in 2018. He is also reported to have had internal documents from Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) about its investigation into the poisoning. According to Die Presse, Marsalek may have received the documents from Austrian sources. Vienna had privileged access to documents relating to Skripal's case because the spy swap which saw him arrive in the West took place in Austria in 2011, the daily reported. Furthermore, Marsalek is suspected of trying to form a militia of some 15,000 men in Libya in 2018 under the guise of an aid project. Here too there is an Austrian connection, with the defence ministry in Vienna confirming on Monday that conversations about a project in Libya with a "group of experts" took place over 2017 and 2018. However, the ministry said that "there was no further interest from the team of... experts and no money was allocated". - 'Intense links' - Also on Monday Schwarz's FPOe counterpart Christian Hafenecker called his own press conference, to call attention to "the intense links between the OeVP and the scandal-ridden firm Wirecard", and Braun in particular. Braun appeared alongside Kurz at an OeVP campaign event in 2017 and in the same year donated 70,000 euros ($79,500) to the party. He was also a member of an OeVP-linked think-tank. Schwarz rejected the characterisation of Braun as an "OeVP man" and pointed out he had also donated money to the liberal NEOS party. Braun has turned himself in to police, and has since been released on bail, while an international arrest warrant has been issued for Marsalek,who remains at large. Kurz presided over a coalition of the OeVP and FPOe that collapsed in May 2019 over the separate "Ibiza-gate" corruption scandal. Since Ibiza-gate, the OeVP and FPOe have traded barbs on a variety of issues, most notably the Kurz administration's handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Following elections last year, Kurz and the OeVP returned to government, in a coalition with the Greens. Causing tremors in Austrian politics After a U.S. energy boom and strong backing from President Donald Trump propelled a major expansion of the nations sprawling oil and gas pipeline network, mounting political pressures and legal setbacks have put its future growth in doubt even as the pandemic saps demand for fuel. Two major oil pipeline projects suffered courtroom blows this week: The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the cancellation of a key permit for the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline from Canada, and a federal judge ordered the Dakota Access Pipeline which goes through Morgan County and other parts of west-central Illinois shut down more than three years after it started moving oil across the U.S. Northern Plains. The rulings came a day after utilities cancelled an $8 billion natural gas pipeline through West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina amid mounting delays and bitter opposition from environmentalists. Industry representatives took consolation from the Supreme Courts decision that the permit it denied for Keystone XL can once again be used for other projects. That would allow more than 70 pipeline projects that faced potentially billions of dollars of delays to proceed. But that outcome may be too little too late for some companies already making changes to their plans, said Ben Cowan, who represents pipeline companies as an attorney with Locke Lord LLP. The recent blows against the industry have emboldened environmentalists and Native American activists, who routinely oppose fossil fuel pipelines because of potential spills and their contribution to climate change. Montana farmer Dena Hoff, a Keystone opponent, witnessed the environmental damage that pipelines can cause in 2015 when a pipeline broke beneath the Yellowstone river adjacent to her farm and spilled 31,000 gallons of crude that fouled downstream water supplies serving 6,000 people. She said the years of protests against Keystone and other lines have made the public listen. Theres more to this argument than jobs and tax dollars, Hoff said. Industry executives acknowledged pipeline opponents have found some success in the courts, but insist that continued demand for oil and gas means new lines will be needed. We will meet them at the courthouse and fight these battles out legally at every opportunity, said American Petroleum Institute President Mike Sommers. The activist community doesnt want to build anything, anywhere. Construction crews installed almost 30,000 miles of new oil pipelines and nearly 10,000 miles of new interstate gas transmission lines over the past 10 years, according to government data and figures provided by the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America. Most projects attracted far less attention than huge endeavors like the 600-mile Atlantic Coast line. That shows companies can successfully balance landowner concerns, environmental impacts and similar issues, said Joan Dreskin, vice president of the gas association. The building spree came after breakthroughs in drilling techniques allowed fossil fuel companies to ramp up production and make the U.S. the worlds top oil and gas producer. That steep rise toppled off a cliff earlier this year, when a price dispute between Russia and Saudi Arabia combined with the onset of the pandemic caused oil prices to crater. Natural gas prices also have fallen in recent years, driven in part by oversupply. A loss by Trump in November could add to the industrys troubles. Since his election, the Republican president has issued directives to speed up pipeline permitting and even interceded personally with Keystone XL, issuing a special presidential permit for the 1,200-mile pipeline that would stretch from Alberta to Nebraska after it was stalled by an earlier court ruling. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Bidens campaign has said he would rescind Keystones permit. His administration also could make it harder for Dakota Access to resume operations and prolong the court-ordered environmental review of the project, said Aaron Brady, vice president of energy at IHS Markit. Dakota Access is by far the largest pipeline out of the Bakken shale formation of North Dakota and Montana. An extended shutdown could force oil companies to use more costly and risky transport methods, such as by rail. Similar constraints loom over natural gas producers with the defeat of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and successful attempts to block pipelines in the Northeast. That could rein in future growth of the Marcellus gas fields, which boosted U.S. production to record highs last decade, said Rich Redash, head of global gas planning at S&P Global Platts. CARBONDALE Southern Illinois University Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane said international students are concerned about a federal directive issued last week mandating that they take at least one in-person class or leave the country. It is something we are closely monitoring, Lane told reporters at a news conference following Thursdays SIU Board of Trustees meeting. SIU has outlined a plan to reopen campus for the start of the fall semester and offer a mix of in-person, online and hybrid courses. Under this model of instruction, we anticipate that all current international students will have the opportunity to stay in the U.S. while attending SIU, but great care must be taken to ensure that class enrollment decisions follow the new guidance, Andrew Carver, SIUs director of International Affairs, wrote in a letter to students shortly after ICE issued its directive. Typically, international students are limited to one online course to qualify for a visa. But ICE suspended the rule in March as President Donald Trump declared the pandemic a national emergency and universities moved quickly to transition classes online. ICEs most recent directive maintains some flexibility: Instead of limiting international students to one online class, or three credit hours, they can take most courses online so long as they enroll in at least one in-person, on-campus course as well. With SIU planning to offer in-person courses, SIU President Dan Mahony said that the bigger concern for SIU and its international students is what would happen if the pandemic forces the university to halt on-campus classes midway through the semester. If the rule is interpreted to mean that international students would have to suddenly leave rather than being able to shift and complete their coursework online, that obviously would cause a lot of hardship, Mahony said. All four regions of the states Restore Illinois COVID-19 reopening plan are in Phase 4. This phase allows for colleges and universities to resume on-campus classes with restrictions. But Gov. J.B. Pritzker has noted on numerous occasions that he wont hesitate to roll back regions to a more restrictive phase to control an outbreak. SIUs fall return plan includes contingencies for moving classes online if necessitated by the spread of COVID-19. And after Thanksgiving break, students are expected to complete their coursework fully online. Carver, in his letter to international students, said that SIU understands that the new federal guidance is confusing and adds yet one more level of uncertainty as you formulate your own plans to continue your studies under difficult circumstances. Mahony noted that there is a large scale effort by universities across the country working together to get some changes in the ruling. Last week, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in federal court, seeking a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction against the policy. On Sunday, 59 public and private universities filed an amicus brief in support of the legal action. From Illinois, the University of Illinois, DePaul University, Northwestern Illinois and the University of Chicago joined the brief. (SIU did not). On Monday, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that he has joined with 17 other attorneys general in filing a separate federal lawsuit also aimed at reversing ICEs most recent directive. In a news release, Raoul argued that the rule may force thousands of students including more than 40,000 in Illinois to leave the country. The attorneys generals lawsuit calls ICEs decision cruel, abrupt and unlawful amid a pandemic that has wrought death and disruption across the United States. Announcing this rule in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic has created additional confusion and upheaval for students and universities already facing uncertainty caused by the pandemic, Raoul said in a statement. Did you know? These 32 celebrities went to SIU. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Juan Figueroa, MBR / TNS At a time when coronavirus numbers in Texas are heading up like the temperature on a sunny July day, it should be obvious that public officials need to take greater precautions to reduce this threat. Gov. Greg Abbott has been doing more of this lately, even if he was slow to react to the virus in the spring. This effort needs the support of all Texans to work, but ironically some of the biggest opposition to Abbott is coming from within his own party. The Montgomery County Republican Partys executive committee voted 40-0 last week to censure Abbott for creating law via executive order with such actions as closing bars again and requiring masks to be worn in counties with more than 20 active virus cases. Other county GOP committees have done the same, including groups in Llano, Ector and Harrison counties. These resolutions will be considered at the Republican Party of Texas convention, which was scheduled to be held in Houston this week before being canceled by that citys Democratic mayor because of fears of spreading the virus. Over the years, there have been so many scandalous and disturbing details of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's marriage. They have to relive every single one of those times as some of Amber Heard's dramatic claims were brought up at High Court early this week as Depp battles with the News Group Newspapers (NGN) over an April 2018 article that labeled him as a "wife beater." This week, fourteen alleged incidents have been heard as evidence. The Depp vs. NGN trial is expected to go until the end of July. Here are some of the most shocking incidents Amber Heard said Johnny Depp was violent towards her. Dog Abuse Though the "Sweeny Todd" star wasn't just allegedly violent at Heard, he was also said to be violent towards the starlet's dog, Pistol, a teacup Yorkshire terrier. The 38-year-old actress accused her former husband of holding the dog out of the window of a moving car and have joked about putting the pet in a microwave. Winona Tattoo The first time that Amber Heard was reportedly hit by the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor was when she laughed at his Winona Ryder tattoo. Johnny Depp previously had a "Winona Forever" tattoo, in honor of his ex-fiancee Winona Ryder. Later on, he altered it to "Wino Forever," according to Sasha Was QC, lawyer of The Sun's NGN. "Ms. Heard laughed at that tattoo. You then slapped Ms. Heard across the face, and that was the first time it happened." "She didn't react; she just eyeballed you, she just stared at you, and that made you more angry, and you slapped her again," Wass claimed. The "Sleepy Hollow" performer denied the allegations and said that they were all "patently untrue," and "not correct," adding he didn't recall any argument about his tattoos. Booze-Binge Depp The 57-year-old Hollywood A-lister said to have thrown a chair at the "Aquaman" actress and slapped her in their private jet from Boston to Los Angeles. The actor was said to be in a rage and slapped her and kicked her in the back because he believed Heard was having an affair with actor James Franco. But Johnny Depp insisted, "I may have done things that I have no memory of. I am certainly not a violent person, especially with women." Instead, he claimed that it was the Texas-native who berated and yelled at him. Three-Day Hostage Rage During their trip to Australia in March 2015, Heard was reportedly assaulted repeatedly in a "three-day hostage rage." Johnny Depp has said to have violently pushed Heard into a ping-pong table and choked her against the fridge. However, the "Pineapple Express" star claimed that Depp injured his finger as he smashed a phone against the wall and claimed that the actor used the blood from his finger to write "I love u" on the mirror. However, according to the "Alice in Wonderland" star, it was Heard who threw a vodka bottle at Depp's finger. Heard further said that the three-day ordeal of assaults has left her with cuts all over her body. 'Kill You' In December 2015, it was reported that their headbutt was accidental. Johnny Depp has been claimed to have thrown a decanter at the blonde beauty and pulled out large chunks of her hair while yelling, "I'll f-----ing kill you." However, Depp has denied the claims and said that it was only Heard who violently attacked him. 'Drunk' Johnny In May 2016, when Johnny Depp arrived at their Los Angeles apartment "high and drunk"and reportedly threw a champagne bottle at Amber Heard. The "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" leading man's security guards entered the room when they heard the actress shouting, "Stop hitting me Johnny," while the actor was 20 feet away in the kitchen. When an officer arrived at the scene after a 911 call, they claimed that there were no injuries or damage to Heard and their home. READ MORE: Johnny Depp Exposed Himself? Actor Said Upbringing Made Him Want to 'Fix' Women Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $40 gift card! AerCap Holdings N.V.'s (NYSE:AER) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 3.2x might make it look like a strong buy right now compared to the market in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 17x and even P/E's above 33x are quite common. However, the P/E might be quite low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified. AerCap Holdings certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing earnings more than most other companies. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/E. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour. View our latest analysis for AerCap Holdings Where Does AerCap Holdings' P/E Sit Within Its Industry? An inspection of average P/E's throughout AerCap Holdings' industry may help to explain its particularly low P/E ratio. You'll notice in the figure below that P/E ratios in the Trade Distributors industry are similar to the market. So we'd say there is little merit in the premise that the company's ratio being shaped by its industry at this time. In the context of the Trade Distributors industry's current setting, most of its constituents' P/E's would be expected to be held up. Still, the strength of the company's earnings will most likely determine where its P/E shall sit. pe If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on AerCap Holdings. Does Growth Match The Low P/E? AerCap Holdings' P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very poor growth or even falling earnings, and importantly, perform much worse than the market. Story continues Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 30% last year. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 48% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company. Turning to the outlook, the next three years should bring diminished returns, with earnings decreasing 8.7% per annum as estimated by the seven analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the broader market is forecast to expand by 9.2% per annum, which paints a poor picture. With this information, we are not surprised that AerCap Holdings is trading at a P/E lower than the market. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/E has reached a floor yet with earnings going in reverse. There's potential for the P/E to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its profitability. The Final Word It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator. As we suspected, our examination of AerCap Holdings' analyst forecasts revealed that its outlook for shrinking earnings is contributing to its low P/E. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels. And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for AerCap Holdings (of which 2 don't sit too well with us!) you should know about. If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on AerCap Holdings, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there. 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. NeverTrumpers are like gnats in the summer, annoying but largely irrelevant as they dont sting or bite. Their movement hatched when Donald Trump was running for president and they became the resistance against the unfit candidate who dared run for president without paying his dues as a senator or governor. Trump was an outsider, not part of the cool kid clique within the Beltway, much like Rodney Dangerfields character in Caddyshack, a clown at the country club cocktail party. NeverTrumpers are well-known former conservatives, at least before coming out as liberals. This is not unheard of. Bill Clinton was once pro-life and Joe Biden was once tough on crime and pro-law enforcement. Bill Kristol, Jennifer Rubin, George Will, and Max Boot all at one time advocated for conservative policies. Now that they have come out, they tossed any and all conservative principles to the wind. YouTube screen grab How could these former conservatives not support President Trumps 200 conservative judicial appointments? He has rolled back business-crushing regulations and restored Americas military might and morale. He stands solidly for life and is one of few Republicans mounting a vigorous defense against the cancel culture which is rewriting the history of Americas founding and castigating its exceptionalism. He has walked the conservative walk better than any elected Republican since Ronald Reagan, certainly better than most current elected Republicans. Yet NeverTrumpers oppose him in favor of a Democratic Party further left than at any time in its history. Ahead of the 2020 presidential election, NeverTrumpers have morphed into a new organization with a surprising name, the Lincoln Project, Holding accountable those who would violate their oaths to the Constitution and would put others before Americans. I wonder if that includes spygate conspirators attempting to overturn a constitutionally elected president who have yet to be held to account, and may never be at the rate federal prosecutor John Durham is going? Lincoln Project founders include notable Trump-haters: Mr. Kellyanne Conway, also known as George; Rick Wilson, firmly in the Trump-loathing Bush camp, another family of so-called conservatives endorsing uber-liberal Joe Biden in the upcoming election; and Steve Schmidt, famous for directing John McCains anemic and unsuccessful bid for the White House in 2008. Would Lincoln endorse Black Lives Matter, elimination of the police, or destruction of his likeness as a statue or a head on Mount Rushmore? A better name for the Lincoln Project would be the Marx Project. NeverTrumpers hoped for alternative Republican candidates, such as Evan McMullin or Mitt Romney to become the standard-bearers, but ran into the reality of Rasmussen Reports' finding last summer, that 92 percent of likely Republican voters say Trump is likely to be the GOP nominee. So what better way for the NeverTrump Republicans of the Lincoln Project to advance conservatism than by endorsing Joe Biden and a Democrat takeover of America? This is called cutting off your nose to spite your face. This is the same Joe Biden echoing Barack Obama promising that his administration, Wont just rebuild this nation well transform it. How did that transformation turn out during the Obama years? If Joe Biden had eight years in the White House to transform America, why does he need to do it again? If the Obama/Biden transformation was so wonderful, Hillary Clinton would be living in the White House. This is the same Joe Biden saying police have become the enemy. Abe Lincoln would be so proud of his namesake Lincoln Project supporting this nonsense. I do not recall the NeverTrumpers endorsing Obama and his policies, in fact some were actively working against Obama. Yet their hatred of the Orange Man is so over the top that they are now endorsing an older demented version of Obama and a far more radically left party compared to 2008. What happens if the NeverTrumpers get their wish? If Biden wins, his coattails will likely give Democrats control of the House and Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer would immediately eliminate the filibuster, giving Democrats full control of the Executive and Legislative branches of government, with the Judicial branch soon following. Taxes could be raised with impunity, regulations added without resistance. The Green New Deal and Medicare-For-All would easily become law on a party-line vote. Democrats want to expand the Supreme Court and with full control of Congress, could easily confirm a Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Lawrence Tribe, or Michelle Obama to the high court, creating a permanent far-left majority to rewrite the Constitution. How is that for the Lincoln Projects fidelity to the Constitution? Is this the same Constitution NeverTrumpers have been advocating for in their think tanks and on their cruises? Amnesty will be granted to 20 million-plus illegal immigrants. Open borders will double that number, all providing enough Democrat voters to make Republicans as irrelevant as the Green Party. These new voters will be sent to red or purples states, such as Texas, Ohio, and Florida, turning them blue, creating a permanent Democrat electoral majority, one that the Democrats will never let go or lose. Illegals will be voting Democrat, in exchange for free health, education, and welfare. A Democrat Congress will make it legal for illegals to vote and the stacked Supreme Court will find it constitutional. How about adding Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico as new states, four more Democrat senators, firming up their majority? This may not even be necessary as another goal of the Lincoln Project is, to give Democrats the Senate majority by actively campaigning against Republican senators. This means more senators in the mold of Tammy Duckworth, who described President Trumps Mount Rushmore speech as, talking about dead traitors. Do these traitors include Harriet Tubman, Jesse Owens, Louie Armstrong, and Elle Fitzgerald, all honored by Trump in his speech? Or Abraham Lincoln, namesake of The Lincoln Project, whose face sits on Mount Rushmore, another dead traitor? This is what NeverTrumpers support. If Democrats regain power, they will change the rules so that they never lose power again. Lincoln Project political consultants will be unnecessary as elections will be irrelevant. Their think tanks will be as appealing as a trip to the endodontist and no one will go on their cruises. After taxes, no Republicans will have any money to contribute to their magazines and foundations. NeverTrumpers have joined forces with the anti-American left and the Marxist BLM group all because they dont like Trumps style or his tweets. Since President Trump did not purchase their services and won the election on his own with a handful of campaign staff rather than scores of ego-inflated GOP consultants, the Republican establishment is pouting and willing to throw their lifetime work and principles to the wind to teach the country a lesson. America has a binary choice in November. NeverTrumpers cant create their ideal candidate, in the way Bill Kristol pushed fellow NeverTrumper David French as the ideal candidate to thwart Trump and his 60 million supporters. Instead it is either Trump or Biden, or Bidens replacement if his cognition keeps slipping. Benjamin Franklin, 250 years ago, when asked which is preferred, a monarchy or a republic answered, A republic . . . if you can keep it. The NeverTrump so-called constitutional conservatives are playing with fire, willing to destroy our republic over petty spite. President Trump is the last bulwark against monarchy or worse. NeverTrumpers are happily helping to burn down the lone gate between America the beautiful and anarchy. Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., is a Denver-based physician and freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in American Thinker, Daily Caller, Rasmussen Reports, and other publications. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Parler, and QuodVerum. Output across the UK's services and manufacturing sectors grew last month but optimism remained below its nadir during the global financial crisis, new figures reveal. Business output rose from 55.3 in May to 66.5 in June, according to the monthly BDO Output Index, which measures output growth in the economy by weighting data from the UK's leading business surveys. A reading of at least 95 indicates growth and last month's figure is considerably below that and the June 2019 value of 97.24. However, it is a big improvement from April, when the index was a meagre 44.9. Output from the services sector, which forms around four-fifths of the British economy, rose by 11.2 points to 64.73 in June, which was the industry's largest recorded monthly rise The BDO output indices have bounced back strongly from their coronavirus lockdown lows But the Optimism Index remained below its credit crunch levels, despite rising for the second consecutive month. It was 79.59 in June compared with 79.64 in 2008/09. Services and manufacturing output jumping by more than 10 points each, as more businesses were allowed to reopen by the government. Output from the services sector, which forms around four-fifths of the British economy, increased by 11.2 points to 64.73 in June, which was the industry's largest recorded monthly rise. Manufacturing did not grow as strongly as services; nonetheless, it still rose by 10.92 points and remains at a higher number than services at 80.47. Kaley Crossthwaite, a BDO partner, remarked: 'Although economic activity remains considerably suppressed, the recovery in output is an encouraging signal that the easing of restrictions has breathed life into certain sectors. 'While output continues to show positive momentum, the crucial infrastructure underpinning the economy remains fragile. As government support measures are rolled back in the coming months, the prospects for the economy will become clearer. For now at least, there is reason for some very cautious optimism.' The manufacturing optimism index has bounced back but remains at a very low level The services optimism index has also seen a bounce and is broadly level with manufacturing Today, nail bars, massage studios, and beauty salons were finally allowed to reopen as well, though with strict limits on what services that its industry can provide On June 15, non-essential stores were allowed to reopen by the government after being closed since late March to try and stop the spread of the coronavirus. At the beginning of the month, car showrooms and outdoor markets were allowed to resume trading. But from the middle of June, business including fashion stores, gift shops, food retailers and hardware stores could reopen their doors to customers. Pubs, bars and restaurants remained shut until July 4 though, except for takeaway meals. Today, nail bars, massage studios, and beauty salons were finally allowed to reopen as well, though with strict limits on what services that its industry can provide. On June 15, non-essential stores were allowed to reopen by the government after being closed since late March to try and stop the spread of the coronavirus 'Its important to note that beauty professionals will not be able to offer therapies and treatments that involve working on the face,' the National Health and Beauty Federation states. 'These restrictions will be in place due to the requirement to avoid working in the high-risk zone which is the area directly in front of a clients eyes, nose and mouth.' Retailers have implemented strict hygiene measures to try and keep customers safe such as limits on customer numbers, regular cleaning of shop premises, and face masks for staff. Workers have gradually gone back to work after being furloughed as more businesses reopened their high street shops. BDO's Employment Index fell for the fourth month in a row to 106.24 though, which it writes is 'a trend likely to continue as Government support is rolled back further.' A YOUNG man who beat his pregnant girlfriend with a mobile phone charger and tree branches will be sentenced later this month. The 22-year-old, who has an address in Limerick city, has also admitted falsely imprisoning and intimidating the woman by making threats during phone calls he made from Limerick Prison. The man, who cant be named in order to protect the identity of the complainant, also admitted assaulting three other people after he confronted the woman at a house in Annacotty last year. During a sentencing hearing, Detective Garda Donnacha Coakley said the offences occurred shortly after difficulties arose in the relationship as the defendant believed the woman had become involved with another man. John OSullivan BL, instructed by state solicitor Padriag Mawe, said the most serious incidents occurred in the early hours of May 3, 2019. Having confronted his girlfriend, who was staying with a friend, the defendant ordered her to get into a car which he then drive to a secluded wooded area near Killaloe. He drove up a forest road, well into the forest, said Mr OSullivan who said he was angry and repeatedly asked her about the other man. Detective Garda Coakley said while in the wood the 22-year-old began slapping his girlfriend who was wearing pyjamas. He punched her in the face and began whipping her across the arms with the cable of a mobile phone charger. The victim later told gardai that he also beat her across the legs with branches which he broke off trees. Forensic examinations of the branches confirmed the presence of the womans DNA. The victim told gardai the pain was unbearable and that she feared for her life during the ordeal which lasted for a number of hours. CCTV footage of an incident which occurred at shopping centre on the outskirts of the city several hours later was played during the sentencing hearing. It shows the defendant pulling the woman by the hair and forcing her into the rear seat of a car after she tries to get out of the vehicle. A witness who approached the defendant later told gardai that he had been informed it was just a domestic and that everything was fine. The defendant was arrested at Dublin Port a number of days after the incident and after gardai became concerned about interactions between him and the woman, audio recordings of phone calls made from Limerick Prison were obtained. Detective Garda Coakley said the defendant can be heard making threats against the woman and urging her to withdraw her statement of complaint. The 22-year-old has also admitted travelling to UK after escaping from lawful custody last August. Despite being handuffed, he managed to escape via a pedestrian entrance to Limerick Prison while being returned there following a routine court appearance. Barrister Brian McInerney said his client wished to apologise unreservedly to his former girlfriend and to assure her that he bears no ill-will towards her. He asked the court to note his clients guilty plea and that fact that he is unlikely to have any significant contact with his young son. He said what happened was a crime motivated by passion as human emotions can sometimes take over from rational thoughts. Judge ODonnell said he will have to give the matter careful consideration before imposing sentence. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 23:21:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The White House is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reinstate its emergency use authorization (EUA) for hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug touted by U.S. President Donald Trump to combat COVID-19, media reported. Weeks ago, the FDA revoked the EUA that allowed for hydroxychloroquine used to treat certain hospitalized patients with COVID-19, after the agency determined that hydroxychloroquine is "unlikely to be effective in treating COVID-19 for the authorized uses in the EUA," while highlighting potential serious side effects. "White House trade adviser Peter Navarro is leading a Trump administration effort to demand the Food and Drug Administration reverse course," the Washington Post reported. "A reversal (on hydroxychloroquine) would be widely seen as bending to the political will of the White House," the Washington Post quoted Steven Joffe, a medical ethicist at the University of Pennsylvania, as saying. As the agency will take the lead in approving a vaccine for the coronavirus in the country, "health experts say it is important for the agency, which was criticized for its initial decision to okay hydroxychloroquine in March, to guard its credibility as it prepares to make these landmark decisions for a public sometimes skeptical of vaccines," the report warned. Enditem The judge was just wrong to insert it into this case. That was the take of the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in an unusual Sunday ruling, issued because a lower-court judge had manufactured a bogus reason to try to prevent a death sentence from being carried out today. This is par for the course in capital-punishment litigation. It is why, if Daniel Lee is actually executed as scheduled on this afternoon, his will be the first federal death sentence carried out in 17 years. Lee committed a brutal triple murder in 1996, killing the family of an arms dealer during a robbery aimed at obtaining arms and money for a white-supremacist organization. Under the heading of heinous, it would be hard to check more boxes than that. But murder is a grisly business, and there are many that would rightly be described as heinous. There are so few executions, though, that wed have to call them statistically negligible were it not for the seriousness of empowering the state, in all its patent imperfection and incompetence, to take any human life. The number of executions as a percentage of total homicides is infinitesimal because, over the last half century, the law has made them so difficult to carry out. Many states, whether out of philosophical qualms, court rulings, or sheer exhaustion at the extensive, expensive litigation involved, no longer abide capital punishment. The Death Penalty Information Center reports that 22 states and the District of Columbia have abolished capital punishment. Of the 28 that retain it, three California, Pennsylvania, and Oregon have suspended it. There was a federal moratorium for 16 years after the Supreme Court, in its series of confusing, conflicting opinions in Furman v. Georgia (1972), invalidated three state death sentences. The Courts most left-wing justices opined that capital punishment is unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendments proscription against cruel and unusual punishment (which is applicable to the states under the 14th Amendment). The majority of the Court either would not go that far or flatly rejected this view. Nevertheless, the justices varying opinions impelled Congress and the states to assess their procedures to determine whether capital cases were being conducted fairly, with particular attention to racial discrimination. Story continues There should be no question that capital punishment is constitutional. It is referred to repeatedly in the Constitution. Indeed, in the Fifth Amendment alone, there are two allusions in the double-jeopardy clause (a person may not for the same offense . . . be twice put in jeopardy of life) and in the due-process clause (government cannot deprive a person of life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness without due process of law) (emphasis added). The claim that something to which the Constitution approvingly refers is somehow unconstitutional is premised on living Constitution drivel: Because societys sensibilities evolve, the Eighth Amendments conception of cruel and unusual punishment evolves with them. Of course, the Framers well understood that society would change, and therefore provided a process for amending the Constitution. If the people of the nation wanted to repeal the death penalty, they could do so. The idea was not for robed ideologues to update the meaning of the Constitutions provisions to accord with their progressive pieties (which, as weve recently seen, is how the word sex suddenly evolved into gender identification). In any event, the federal death penalty was reinstated in 1988. Thereafter, in two Clinton-era crime bills, Congress overhauled federal death-penalty procedures (1994) and undertook to streamline death-penalty litigation (1996). This expanded to about 60 the number of death penalty eligible federal offenses (murders of federal officers; narcotics, racketeering, bombing and terrorism crimes in which death results; etc.). Yet in the 32 years since Congress reinstated capital punishment, there have been only three executions all during the Bush 43 administration, and none since 2003. With over five dozen federal convicts on death row, some for over 20 years, Attorney General Bill Barr has undertaken to clear the legal hurdles. As Lees case shows, however, such hurdles are energetically erected each time a move is made to carry out the sentence often by judges who are ideologically opposed. Lee was convicted of capital murder in aid of racketeering specifically, on behalf of the Ayran Peoples Republic, a white-supremacist enterprise. As the Seventh Circuit recounted, Lee and a co-defendant raided the Arkansas home of arms dealer William Mueller, stealing a cache of weapons and money. With stun guns, they shot Mueller, his wife, Nancy, and their eight-year-old daughter, Sarah. Then they duct-taped plastic bags over the parents and little girl to asphyxiate them, weighted their bodies down with rocks, and threw them into the bayou. The bodies washed up in a lake about six months later. Lee is to be executed at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind. Indiana federal district Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson, an Obama appointee, recently stayed the execution, raising an argument in support of allowing family members of the victims to attend it, based on a legal theory that the family members themselves did not advance. The family members, who have no legal right to attend, oppose capital punishment; they wanted to be invited to attend and then to have the execution postponed because the COVID-19 pandemic makes it too dangerous for them to attend. On Sunday, the Seventh Circuit found Judge Magnus-Stinsons position to be frivolous. Unless there are further judicial interventions, the execution is to go forward today. For what its worth, I am a reluctant proponent of capital punishment. I have no doubt that it is constitutional. As a practical matter, though, its questionable value has to be weighed against the significant downsides: It is prohibitively resource-intensive to litigate; and, because much of the bench is hostile to the death penalty, judges are wont to fashion reasons not to impose it, some of which have nothing ostensibly to do with the death penalty and make prosecution of other types of criminals more difficult. On the other hand, the punishment is appropriate for monstrous offenders, such as Lee. And for some offenders, it is the only effective punishment. I came around to that point of view largely because of the notorious terror master I prosecuted in the early to mid 1990s, Omar Abdel Rahman (the Blind Sheikh). Though he was sentenced to life imprisonment, he still managed to get instructions to terrorists from federal penitentiaries. Osama bin Laden credited him with issuing the fatwa that approved the 9/11 attacks, in which nearly 3,000 Americans were killed. Moreover, if they managed to eradicate the death penalty, progressives would next argue that life imprisonment is too harsh and somehow amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. For now, they need life imprisonment because it is their best argument against capital punishment (to wit, Why put people to death when we can imprison them for life and thus prevent them from threatening others?). If there were no death penalty, however, there would be a campaign, just like in Europe, to keep lowering the maximum penalty for homicide offenses. In Germany, for example, the maximum penalty for intentional homicides is generally just 15 years imprisonment. And though there is an exception permitting life imprisonment for especially heinous cases, such sentences are rare, and even when they occur, the murderer can apply for parole after 15 years. Insufficiently severe penalties for murder inevitably lead to more violent crimes. That said, retaining capital punishment entails a great deal of effort and divisiveness, even though we put very, very few people to death. More from National Review Muhyiddins coalition won by two votes in first test of parliamentary majority since manoeuvring to power in March. Malaysias Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin narrowly cleared a major political test on Monday, as his coalition won just enough votes to remove the lower house speaker in a vote seen as an important barometer of his governments support. The vote was the first real measure of Muhyiddins backing since his coalition took over the government in March after a power grab within the then ruling coalition led to the resignation of predecessor Mahathir Mohamad. A total of 111 lawmakers supported Muhyiddins bid to remove Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, a widely-respected former Federal Court judge, who became speaker after the last election in May 2018. Some 109 voted against the move. One government member was absent for medical reasons. Nga Kor Min, one of two deputy speakers and a member of the opposition Democratic Action Party, announced his resignation before the motion to remove him from his position was tabled. Uncertainty Malaysia has been grappling with political and policy uncertainty since Muhyiddin, who was part of Mahathirs administration, unexpectedly became prime minister after forging an alliance with the corruption-tainted United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which was removed from power in the 2018 election. Anwar Ibrahim, left, speaks in the Malaysian Parliament on July 13 [Lim Huey Teng/Reuters] After the session resumed after the lunch break, the new speaker was installed without a vote. Opposition members jeered as Azhar Azizan Harun, popularly known as Art Harun, took his oath of office. He had been appointed to lead the Elections Commission when Mahathir was prime minister. Amid the uproar Azhar suspended the sitting and said parliament would reconvene at 10am (02:00 GMT) on Tuesday. This week marks the first full sitting of Malaysias parliament since the sudden change in government, and the coronavirus pandemic, which led to a nationwide lockdown, or movement control order, on March 18. Parliament previously sat on May 18 but the government limited the session to the ceremonial opening and the kings address because of the coronavirus. No online sittings were held. How can Art Harun be Dewan Rakyat Speaker without a vote? It's an elected job, not an appointment from the Executive. Parliament must be independent of the Executive. The Speaker must be voted in by MPs, representatives of the people, not appointed by the PM. Boo Su-Lyn (@boosulyn) July 13, 2020 Mahathir and others in the opposition have been pushing for a confidence vote since March, but the motions are unlikely to be discussed because government business is always given priority. In collaboration with Silgan Containers from New Jersey and Wisconsin (cans); U.S. Steel (steel); Goya de Puerto Rico-Island Can (can lids), Producers Rice Mill of Arkansas (rice); Gamse Labels of Maryland (labels); DanHill Containers of Texas (cartons); and American Farmers from Washington State (beans), all made in the U.S.A., the food will be distributed through local food banks, churches, community centers, soup kitchens, and outreach programs that are in urgent need across the nation and Puerto Rico. The roll-out of the national campaign Working for Our Country #GoyaGives will begin on Monday, July 13, 2020, in key communities throughout the U.S. including New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, Houston, Puerto Rico, and other markets. "Our donation pays tribute to the dedication and hard work of 4,000 Goya employees. When the pandemic first struck, they rolled up their sleeves and worked 24/7 at the risk of their own health saying, 'If we don't do this, who will?' That shows grit and courage, and I am so proud of our Goya family. We are and will always be a company of passionate people who care about making a difference, and today we honor our promise to continue to help our communities in times of need," said Bob Unanue, President of Goya Foods. Through Goya Gives, a global program committed to promoting the overall well-being of communities through social responsibility, environmental initiatives, and company values, Goya supports each year nearly 300 charitable endeavors, scholarships, and events. In times of desperate need, Goya has always been at the forefront of disaster and humanitarian relief efforts, providing millions of pounds of food worldwide. At the start of the pandemic, the company donated an additional 500,000 pounds of food and 20,000 protective masks to health care providers. During Hurricane Maria Goya donated over 1 million pounds of food to the people of Puerto Rico, in addition to the starving people of Venezuela during governmental unrest, to the people of Haiti during the earthquake, and at home during Superstorm Sandy, and Hurricanes Isaac, Harvey, and Irene. Since 1936, giving back is the heart of Goya and has always been a part of the company's DNA. To learn more about Goya Gives, please visit: www.goya.com About Goya Foods Founded in 1936, Goya Foods, Inc. is America's largest Hispanic-owned food company, and has established itself as the leader in Latin American food and condiments. Goya manufactures, packages, and distributes over 2,500 high-quality food products from Spain, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central, and South America. Goya products have their roots in the culinary traditions of Hispanic communities around the world. The combination of authentic ingredients, robust seasonings, and convenient preparation makes Goya products ideal for every taste and every table. For more information on Goya Foods, please visit www.goya.com. For more information, contact: Natalie J. Maniscalco 845.659.6506 / [email protected] SOURCE Goya Foods, Inc. Related Links https://www.goya.com Were acutely aware of how much property rates we pay as we get a regular bill. One positive thing about this is were focused on whats done with our rates. On the other hand, last time you bought a coffee or went to the supermarket did you glance at the GST on the receipt? Unlikely. In 2019, the government collected a staggering $19 billion in GST, that figure was only eclipsed by PAYE at $33 billion. Perhaps we should ask what our GST is being spent on? Auckland Councils Emergency Budget has shown that property rates make up 37 per cent of the Councils revenue with the balance coming from user-pays charges, development contributions and dividends from Ports of Auckland and Auckland International Airport. As this non-rates income crashed, a gaping hole appeared in Councils budget. Rodney is the second-fastest growing area in Auckland. House building from Riverhead to Warkworth has highlighted the lack of infrastructure. But infrastructure should be in lock-step with growth, not at some unspecified time in the future. The lack of funding for population-driven infrastructure could not have come at a worse time. History shows government is reluctant to fund Aucklands infrastructure unless voters are going apoplectic. The previous government conducted the political equivalent of the dance of the seven veils before finally contributing to the Central Rail Link. This government hyped light rail but thats mired in MMP politics, stranded somewhere in the traffic jam on the North-Western motorway. To add insult to injury, when projects like the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway are finally built Aucklanders are seen as an easy touch for revenue gathering in the form of tolls. Meanwhile, governments have unleashed immigration on Auckland creating economic growth and healthy GST revenues. The government also enjoys access to higher levels of borrowing than council and a wider ability to increase revenues. They have passed on responsibility for convoluted RMA and building code regulatory and social functions to the Council, neatly sidestepping the deep frustration all this red tape causes, while avoiding the costs Council has to recoup. Its not surprising Council operating costs have increased. Every time Government creates some new regulation, it is frequently Councils who are left having to implement them. Its time to move away from property rates as a way of funding the huge list of growth-related projects we need to keep the city moving. There are $6 billion of unfunded projects in Aucklands Regional Land Transport Plan. The government should put in place a mechanism to return a portion of our GST to Auckland Transport, specifically for growth-related projects. This would free up funding to increase repairs and renewals on our crumbling road network and tackle the local projects that wont be delivered for decades under the current funding arrangements. This election we need a government that will return our taxes to deal with Aucklands transport mess, something to consider when casting your vote. Phelan Pirrie, chair Rodney Local Board phelan.pirrie@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz "Throughout her career, Dr. Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in the areas that are defining the future of business schools and which have long been at the heart of the Tepper School's distinct approach, including a focus on technology, analytics, interdisciplinary collaboration and entrepreneurship," said Carnegie Mellon President Farnam Jahanian. "Especially as artificial intelligence and the digital revolution transform every sector of our economy, Isabelle's vision and expertise will accelerate the momentum of the Tepper School, encourage even greater collaboration across the university and, ultimately, grow CMU's leadership at the intersection of technology and society. I look forward to welcoming her to our community this fall." During her tenure at Desautels, which began in 2015, Bajeux-Besnainou focused on interdisciplinary collaborations, experiential learning and entrepreneurship. This included creating a series of interdisciplinary minors in entrepreneurship for undergraduate students, as well as multi-level programs in data analytics. "At the intersection of business, analytics and technology, within a university with a strong culture of interdisciplinary collaborations, the Tepper School of Business and its exceptional facilities are well positioned to lead business education, research and innovation in this world of constant motion," said Bajeux-Besnainou. "I am humbled, honored and excited to be given the opportunity to serve such an amazing school and advance its mission and reputation. I feel very fortunate to be able to build upon the foundation of a world-class faculty, dynamic staff and brilliant students, led by Dean Dammon and supported by David Tepper and an amazing community of alumni." "Dr. Bajeux-Besnainou is the ideal candidate to lead the Tepper School's renowned interdisciplinary programming, including initiatives that unite researchers, students and industry leaders to advance work that shapes business and society," said Carnegie Mellon Provost James H. Garrett, Jr. "She will work closely with our students, faculty and staff both within Tepper and across campus to create even more collaborative academic and research opportunities and bolster the Tepper School's efforts related to diversity, equity and inclusion." Bajeux-Besnainou led the launch of several Master of Management programs at McGill, including Master in Retailing, Master in Finance and Master in Analytics. Additionally, she led the establishment of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, which is dedicated to "educating and empowering a global network of interdisciplinary thinkers and practitioners who research, envision and develop a dynamic and successful world of retail." Bajeux-Besnainou implemented a faculty hiring initiative at McGill that expanded the expertise within the school and hired 49 full-time professors. She also led the expansion of Desautels' physical facilities through the comprehensive renovation of a new home for McGill's MBA and specialized masters programs, a project that was entirely supported by philanthropy. "I'm delighted that Isabelle is joining the Tepper School of Business at this important time for the school and for the Carnegie Mellon community," said CMU Trustee and alumnus David Tepper (MBA 1982). "She brings a wealth of experience, a collaborative approach and a dedication to continue the university's legacy of excellent education and research. I look forward to working with her in the years ahead." Bajeux-Besnainou was selected following a year-long, global search that reviewed more than 400 candidates from industry and some of the world's top business schools. "Our search committee immediately recognized Isabelle's collaborative nature and deep commitment to interdisciplinary education," said Anita Williams Woolley, an associate professor of Organizational Behavior and Theory in the Tepper School who served as co-chair of the dean search committee. "She will galvanize our leadership position in business, technology and analytics, while expanding experiential learning programs and entrepreneurship opportunities for students. We are extremely pleased to welcome her to Carnegie Mellon." "Isabelle's management skills and creative problem-solving abilities greatly impressed our committee," said fellow co-chair Sridhar R. Tayur, the Ford Distinguished Research Chair and University Professor of Operations Management within the Tepper School. "As a proven transformative leader in business education, she brings the experience needed to lead the Tepper School and its outstanding faculty and students during this vital time." Bajeux-Besnainou succeeds Robert Dammon, who is stepping down after nine years as dean. Dammon will return to his role as a full-time Tepper faculty member. "We are grateful to Dean Dammon for his tremendous leadership, which helped establish the Tepper School as one of the nation's premier business schools," said Garrett. "Bob led the effort to open the David A. Tepper Quadrangle while strengthening and expanding CMU's academic and research programs. "I also want to thank the dean search committee and especially Sridhar and Anita for serving as co-chairs for their outstanding efforts throughout the process," added Garrett. "The committee's exceptional guidance and vision during the last year have allowed us to welcome the ideal leader to the Tepper School." Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School is the business school of the future. In 2018, the university celebrated the opening of the Tepper Quad, an innovation hub at the center of campus, where business school students intersect with students from CMU's top-ranked creative and technological research and education programs. Located in the Tepper Quad, the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship is a campus-wide interdisciplinary center which has supported more than 260 new companies since 2008 and raised $1 billion since 2011. The Tepper School's graduate and undergraduate programs are highly ranked, including the school's undergraduate business program (ranked 6th by U.S. News & World Report); full-time MBA program (ranked 12th by Businessweek); part-time MBA program (ranked 2nd by Businessweek); and Part-Time Online Hybrid MBA program (ranked 1st by Poets & Quants). SOURCE Carnegie Mellon University Related Links http://www.cmu.edu (Alliance News) - Britain on Sunday pledged GBP705 million to prepare its borders for cutting ties with the EU on December 31, amid concern within government that it is not ready. The money will fund new border posts, IT systems and 500 new staff to both ensure security and handle new customs controls after Britain leaves the EU's single market and customs union, the government said in a statement. Britain ended its EU membership on January 31, almost four years after the historic Brexit vote, but agreed a standstill transition period until the end of the year while it tries to negotiate a new trade deal with Brussels. The talks are moving slowly, sparking alarm among businesses that almost half a century of economic integration with the EU will end abruptly in a few months' time. Citing the disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak, London has already said it will not immediately introduce checks on EU imports, instead delaying them until July. But in a letter to her cabinet colleague Michael Gove, leaked to the media this week, international trade minister Liz Truss expressed concern that border infrastructure would not be ready even by then. She warned the delay in imposing checks could spark a legal challenge at the World Trade Organization , adding: "I would like assurances that we are able to deliver full controls at these ports by July 2021." Gove, the minister in charge of preparing for Brexit, said the government had been consulting on the issue for months and insisted the borders would be ready. "That's the basis of the announcement today a more than GBP700 million in order to provide infrastructure at ports, to invest in technology and also to make sure we have the personnel to keep ourselves safe," he told the BBC. The new funds only cover the border between mainland Britain and the EU, with plans for the frontier between the province of Northern Ireland a which will have a special trade status after Brexit a and the Republic of Ireland due in the coming weeks. The main opposition Labour party said Truss' letter showed a "growing sense of chaos and confusion" within the cabinet about Brexit preparations. The government is also planning a new public information campaign to prepare businesses and individuals for the end of the transition, dubbed "The UK's new start: let's get going". It will include detailed guidance for everyone from traders to holidaymakers on what might change, Gove said. source: AFP Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 17:27:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MANILA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 57,006 after the country's Department of Health (DOH) reported 836 new cases on Monday afternoon. The DOH said that the number of recoveries further rose to 20,371 after 4,325 more patients have survived the disease, which is the largest daily rise in recoveries since the outbreak of the pandemic. The death toll also increased to 1,599 after 65 more patients have succumbed to the viral disease, the DOH said. "Eighty-nine duplicates were removed from the total case count after validation," the DOH added. Guido David, a professor at the University of the Philippines Institute of Mathematics, projected the COVID-19 cases to breach the 80,000 mark by the end of July. David told the local media that the country's capital region Metro Manila has seen a "genuine surge" in infections in previous days as shown by data. The Philippine Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the inter-agency coronavirus task force of the government did not recommend the easing of quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila. Metro Manila and most part of the Philippines has been on strict lockdown since mid-March, and the lockdown rules were eased on June 1. Enditem No, its just that Im nosy. Im the same way when Im inside someone elses home. I have the possibly irrational and yet totally justified belief that whatever books a person chooses to display is revealing of his or her character. Years ago, when Mrs. Biblioracle and I were shopping for a house, I recall rejecting one possibility based entirely on what looked to be an owner who exclusively read Bill OReillys bogus histories. This house cannot be for us, I said. If we dont speak out, we die. If we speak out, we die. The only option we have is to stand up and speak out against corruption, which has pulverised our nation. This message is going to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to say to him if you have failed to deal with corruption, you must go all indications are that he has failed, Ngarivhume said. With six states expressing reservations against conducting final year examinations in universities in view of the COVID-19 situation, the HRD Ministry has asserted that the guidelines issued by the UGC have to be followed mandatorily and academic evaluation of students is crucial to ensure credibility and career opportunities. Last week, the University Grants Commission (UGC) in its revised guidelines directed the higher education institutions that final year examinations would be conducted in the month of September 2020, instead of July 2020, as per its guidelines announced in April. Punjab, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Delhi have announced reservations against the plan citing the COVID-19 situation. The guidelines have not stated that the exams have to be conducted right away, the exams have to be concluded by September end. States can devise a calendar whenever it is feasible to conduct exams in this timeline. Also, the exams can be conducted either online, offline or in blended mode. Totally doing away with exams is not a feasible situation. The UGC guidelines are binding in nature, a senior HRD Ministry official said. Academic evaluation of students is a very important milestone in any education system. The performance in examinations gives confidence and satisfaction to the students and is a reflection of competence, performance and credibility that is necessary for global acceptability, the official added. The HRD ministry may meet state education secretaries this week to ensure uniformity with regard to final assessment of students pursuing degrees. As per the UGC Act, the directive by the commission is binding. As of now the plan to conduct exams is very much in place. The Ministry is open to discussing the concerns with states and work out a feasible solution but academic credibility cannot be compromised. Top-ranking universities of the world have opted for final exams to be done remotely. Like Princeton and MIT, University of Cambridge, Imperial College of London, University of Toronto and McMaster, University of Heidelberg and University of Hong Kong have resorted to the online technology-based model of conducting exams, the official added. The UGC guidelines of April and the revised guidelines of July changed the examination window from July to September. However, it directed all higher education institutions to conduct the terminal semester or final year examinations either offline, online or in blended mode. The first and second year students were exempted from the exams and will be assessed based on previous semester performance and internal assessments. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16, when the Centre announced a nationwide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. A nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect the next day. While the government has eased several restrictions, schools and colleges continue to remain closed. DETROITManuel Matty Moroun, a billionaire businessman who owned a critical bridge that connects Ontario to Michigan, has died in his suburban Detroit home. He was 93. Moroun died of congestive heart failure Sunday in Grosse Pointe Shores. Employees of the various Moroun companies were told Monday of his death in a message from Morouns son, Matthew. My dad loved his family and that extended to his work family, Matthew Moroun wrote. He poured his heart into his work and for over seven decades spent his time leading and protecting us. As a great mentor to many, my father was so proud of the companies that he leaves behind and all the innovation that is yet to come. His fights with the Canadian government, largely over the building of a publicly owned commuter bridge across the Detroit River, were legendary and ferocious. Moroun bought the Ambassador Bridge a main trade corridor in 1979, according to the Detroit Historical Society. The span connects Detroit to Windsor, Ont. He acquired the bridge while he was the owner of a fledgling Detroit trucking firm, taking control of the valuable piece of infrastructure before Ottawa realized its worth. The link between Windsor and Detroit now accounts for a quarter of all trade between Canada and the U.S. As of 2010, the bridge was earning the Moroun family $60 million (U.S.) a year in toll revenue. In a rare interview in 2010, Moroun told the Star he was open to co-operating with Ottawa. All the talk so far has been at a lower level, and it starts with the Canadians saying, No matter what, were going to build a new bridge and kill you. Now what did you want to talk about? Its a pretty tough way to start off. It puts us in a position of saying, No matter what, were going to stop you, he said. The Gordie Howe International Bridge is expected to open in 2024. The family also owns and operates Central Transport International, a trucking and logistics company, and Crown Enterprises. Forbes estimates Morouns net worth at $1.6 billion. The Moroun family once owned the massive and vacant Michigan Central train station, which came to symbolize Detroits blight as it stood blank, dark and deteriorating just outside the citys downtown for decades. The family sold the building in 2018 to Ford Motor Co. For me to own land in Detroit, it was a badge of honour, and it was support for the city, Moroun told the Detroit Free Press in 2010. Our fortunes are linked to the city. If the city doesnt have any prosperity, we dont have any value in the land, right? Moroun attended the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and majored in chemistry and biology at the University of Notre Dame, according to The Detroit News. Born of immigrant parents in Detroit, he rose from a young man working at a neighbourhood gas station to graduating from the University of Notre Dame and creating a billion-dollar company, said Sandy Baruah, chief executive of the Detroit Regional Chamber. With files from Jacob Lorinc Joan was born in Oswego, New York to Alice and Frank Bower and raised in Syracuse, New York. Always adventurous, she loved playing outside and getting into mischief. As Joan grew up, she emerged from a tomboy into a stunning beauty. She became a fashion model in her late teens and was always in demand for photoshoots. As Joan was bringing her modeling career to a close, she met the love of her life, Sam Bersani, her husband of 60 years. Always seeking adventure, Joan persuaded her husband to quit his job and go explore the world. Weeks later, they landed in Germany, purchased a Volkswagen Beetle and spent the next six months driving across Europe and North Africa. Always wanting to be a mother, Joan knew it was time to return to the U.S. and in 1964, she and Sam adopted the first of their two children, Janae Bersani Smith. Three years later, they adopted a son, Kurt Bersani. Janae and Kurt were Joans entire life. Her world revolved around them and she loved being a mother. The family moved to Florida in 1973, where Joan eventually worked for a performing arts studio, and then became an artist. Joan was always creative and artistic, but in her early 60s, she tapped into an amazing, previously-unknown talent for oil painting. Joan created hundreds of paintings over the next couple of decades and grew more skilled and accomplished with each new painting. After raising her kids, Joan became a grandmothera role that delighted her. She enjoyed nothing more than playing with her grandchildren and once, she even created a miniature Disney World complete with Cinderellas Castle and the "Skyway aerial tramway. When she and Sam became semi-retired, Joan rekindled her love of travel. They returned to Europe twice, explored Russia, and even went on a month-long adventure to the Far East, including China, Japan and Thailand. Her sister, Janet, was one of her favorite travel partners. Joan and Janet made international shopping into a sport! In Joans later years, she loved spending time with Janae and her family in Sarasota and would often travel to Washington, D.C. to visit her son. Joan is survived by her daughter, Janae (Stanley) Smith; her son, Kurt (Nitin Verma) Bersani; her granddaughter, Jillian (Casey) Rich; her grandsons, Noah Smith and James Lockhart; her daughter-in-law, Jaclyn DuBois and her great-grandchildren Evelyn and Atticus. The family will hold a private memorial service at a later date. Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory 43rd Street Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the Alzheimers Foundation (https://alzfdn.org/support-us/donate/). Condolences may be made to www.brownandsonsfuneral.com. Joan Bower Bersani, 94, passed away on July 4, 2020 in Bradenton, Florida, where she had raised her family and lived most of her life. WASHINGTON U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson is seeking more information about the scope of President Donald Trump's executive order commuting the sentence of his longtime ally, Roger Stone. Jackson on Monday ordered parties to give her a copy of the executive order commuting Stone's sentence and to clarify if the clemency also covers supervised release, which the political operative would have had to serve after his prison sentence. The judge sentenced Stone to a little over three years in prison and two years on probation. Jackson said her inquiry was in response questions from the U.S. Probation Office. Stone gets clemency: Trump grants clemency to ally Roger Stone after railing against 'unfair' conviction, sentencing Trump commuted Stone's sentence late Friday, just days before longtime GOP consultant was set to report to prison. Democrats condemned the move, the latest in a series of instances in which Trump has wielded his broad clemency powers in highly political criminal cases. American political consultant Roger Stone speaks to the media after being indicted on federal charges at U.S District Courthouse on Jan. 25, 2019 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The president has granted pardons and commutations to several conservative allies and controversial figures, including Joe Arpaio, a former sheriff in Arizona, and commentator Dinesh D'Souza. His decision to commute Stone's sentence represents the first time Trump has circumvented the justice system in a case directly tied to himself. Stone was convicted in November of lying to Congress and obstructing its investigation on Russian election interference in order to protect Trump. The 67-year-old was one of several Trump associates to be convicted in cases stemming from former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election. Contributing: John Fritze and Kevin Johnson This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Roger Stone: Amy Berman Jackson seeks details on Trump clemency Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dino Patti-Djalal (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 14 2020 If anything, a Biden presidency will signal the return of America as a normal country. It will mark the return of a traditional foreign policy. This means that one of the first foreign policy moves President Biden will make is to reassure US allies, particularly in Europe, that he is no Trump, and will exercise a leadership role in Americas many alliances. In contrast with the disruptive instinct of President Trump, Biden will attempt to regain the comfort level and strategic trust of allies. The upshot is that, in contrast with the past four years, we will see a more strategically coherent western world with the US back at the core of it. A Biden administration will be more committed to a rules-based international order (though policy contradictions will persist), and will reposition the US into its traditional role as a champion of democracy, human rights and international law (themes that Trump showed little interest in). That said, despite the long-standing plea of the international community, a Biden administration is not likely to push for Senate ratification of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login The Crown: Part Sixteen By Michael Moriarty The increasingly infamous dinner at the White House, President Lyndon B. Johnson hosting Princess Margaret of England?! It is, at first, viewed through the reportage of Prime Minister Wilson to Queen Elizabeths frequently shocked face. Margarets remarks about President John F. Kennedy? As PM Wilson describes it, Less than discreet. It is, by now, no surprise to any of us that President Johnson agreed thoroughly to Princess Margarets low opinion of Kennedy. LBJ apparently said that President Kennedy would kill his own mother just to take the skin off her ass to make a drum to sing his own praises! As a highly suspected member of the cabal that helped assemble the very trio on the Grassy Knoll to deliver the kill shot on Kennedy, along with head of the CIA at the time, George H. W. Bush, President Johnson behaved as if the entire world knew of his guilt and were cheering him on for having called for the coup! Then the two stars of the dinner, President and sister to the Queen of England, leapt into a drinking contest! LAST MAN OR WOMAN STANDING! Queen Elizabeths face and her what?! response to the news?! Only one of a thousand superb moments of acting in this divine television series. The White House race to inebriation included a shock competition! Who could be naughtiest?! One sample from the Princess: There was a young woman From Delaware Who liked to make love In her underwear! A terrible prude! She would never go nude! Her bum, hips and tits?! She would never bare! The Presidents rejoinder?! There was a young man from Wisconsin Who was blessed with an enormously large Johnson! What is the rest of it, asks the Queen. Apparently, replies Wilson, everyone thought that was long enough. Anymore?! asks the Queen. The Princess, says Wilson, seems to have won the prize with this one! There was a young lady from Dallas Who used a dynamite stick as a phallus! They found her vagina In North Carolina! And her ass in Buckingham Palace! Then, adds the Queen to their conversation, there apparently was dancing! Then singing! Then the Queen completes the reportage for us by announcing the bailout was agreed upon and the very special relationship between the Princess and the President of the United States grew more special than ever! And all, exclaims the Queen, because Margaret was all the things Id explicitly asked her not to be! All the things I could never be? Instinctive! Spontaneous! Dazzling! In short: Sister Margarets Americanization of England! Whereas, the Queen confesses to only being Predictable. Dependable. Reliable. In the end, the Queen is willing to smile and accept her husbands final judgement: Youre a dazzling cabbage! Michael Moriarty is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor who starred in the landmark television series Law and Order from 1990 to 1994. His recent film and TV credits include The Yellow Wallpaper, 12 Hours to Live, Santa Baby and Deadly Skies. Contact Michael at rainbowfamily2008@shaw.ca. He can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/@MGMoriarty Home Search continues after man washed off rocks near Paradise Beach PHUKET: Search teams this morning continued their efforts to find a Myanmar man who was washed into the sea while fishing on rocks near Paradise Beach, south of Patong, yesterday afternoon (July 12). weatheraccidentsmarineSafety By Eakkapop Thongtub Monday 13 July 2020, 10:26AM Myanmar national Way Yam U was safely rescued, but his friend has yet to be found. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The men were fishing on rocks near Paradise Beach when a large wave washed them into the water. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The men were fishing on rocks near Paradise Beach when a large wave washed them into the water. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The search for missing Myanmar national Ar So Toy continued this morning (July 13). Photo: Patong Municipality Fire Dept The search for missing Myanmar national Ar So Toy continued this morning (July 13). Photo: Patong Municipality Fire Dept The search for missing Myanmar national Ar So Toy continued this morning (July 13). Photo: Patong Municipality Fire Dept The search for missing Myanmar national Ar So Toy continued this morning (July 13). Photo: Patong Municipality Fire Dept The search for missing Myanmar national Ar So Toy continued this morning (July 13). Photo: Patong Municipality Fire Dept Patong Surf Life Saving chief Somprasong Sangchart told The Phuket News that the search was suspended at midnight last night due to dangerous weather conditions. The search resumed this morning, he said. Mr Somprasong explained that two men Myanmar nationals Ar So Toy and Way Yam U went fishing together on rocks near Paradise Beach. A large wave rose up and swept the two Myanmar men into the water, he said. Thai national Sommai Panalai, 37, who was nearby, called for help, with Lt Col Salit Bootnongsaeng of the Patong Police informed of the incident at 3:30pm. Rescue services, including Kusoldharm rescue workers and Patong lifeguards, arrived at the scene soon after 4pm and managed to safely recover Way Yam U from the water. However, the search teams were unable to locate Mr Ar So Toy, Mr Somprasong explained. The idea that an initiative-petition amendment to that Charter requires two elections has no basis in law and is contrary to the plain language of the Charter, Kistner said in an opinion issued to Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis NAACP and a petition drive leader. Moreover, he said a two-election procedure has never been anticipated previously when proposed charter amendments were submitted via petitions. For example, he noted that in 2007 just one election was held to pass a petition-spurred amendment barring the sale or lease of city parkland without voter approval. Pruitt on Monday added that he was confident that the airport petition proposal was legally sound and pointed out that the city Election Board had not raised any issues with it. Gary Stoff, an election board official, said he would share Bushs opinion with the board. He said the board in the past has generally relied on outside lawyers it hires. The petition plan and the Reed bill have differences but both would require the city to lease Lambert to a private bidder if at least $1 billion upfront was provided for a wide range of city projects, with emphasis on aiding poorer areas. If you havent already filed your income tax returns for 2019, you are almost out of time. The federal and state governments had extended the traditional April 15 deadline to July 15 because of the coronavirus pandemic. And no, it wont be pushed back again. Here is what you need to know about filing your federal tax return with the Internal Revenue Service: You can ask for an extension to file until Oct. 15 but you must still pay what you owe by July 15. According to CNN, the IRS is paying interest on refunds issued after April 15 and before July 15. Taxpayers issued a refund between April 15 and June 30 will earn 5% interest and those who receive one between June 30 and September 30 will earn 3% interest, CNN reported. There is a large backlog of paper tax returns already filed. According to CNN, returns were stored in trailers while IRS employees worked from home. They began returning to work in late May but there are still millions of returns backlogged and it may take months for them to be opened. It is recommended that you file electronically. #IRS reminder for individuals and businesses2019 income tax liabilities and postponed April & June estimated tax payments are now due July 15, 2020. See how to schedule these at: https://t.co/rooq8HYzzO #COVIDreliefIRS pic.twitter.com/bMgRuVlUBN IRS #COVIDreliefIRS (@IRSnews) June 29, 2020 The same thing applies for your Pennsylvania returns - filing electronically is the preferred method. Tax returns that are filed electronically are processed faster, leading to taxpayers receiving their refunds sooner. Pennsylvanians can file their state tax returns by using the following paper-less e-filing options: Padirectfile - the free state-only system available on the state Department of Revenues website. There are other free filing options available, according to the Department of Revenue. You can find information on vendors from the departments website. Taxpayers also can pay a commercial tax preparation firm. The state Department of Revenues customer service center is available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at 717-787-8201. Taxpayers can also schedule a call. The online customer service center, provides taxpayers with answers to specific questions about 2019 personal income tax returns and the departments electronic filing, or e-filing, options. It also provides an option to submit a question to a Department of Revenue representative through a secure, electronic process that is similar to sending an email. If a taxpayer needs to meet in-person, the COVID-19 safety protocols must be followed. There is less than a week to file your PA Personal Income Tax return. Be sure to file by 7/15! More info: https://t.co/gdf6y9TIGj File for free: https://t.co/DEl0EUR1li Phone assistance: 717-787-8201 (M-F, 8a-5p through 7/15.) Online help: https://t.co/nTKpxF8LAR pic.twitter.com/h18u5cFfod Pennsylvania Department of Revenue (@parevenue) July 9, 2020 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 heatwave is still going to be perched just south of Michigan this week. The heatwave will be delayed because of a mid-week clump of thunderstorms. Weve been watching a hot dome of air build in size in the middle U.S. At this time last week it looked as though the edge of that heatwave would bring 95 degree temperatures back into Michigan by this Wednesday or Thursday. Now a fairly strong disturbance has emerged in the Pacific Northwest and should be crossing Lower Michigan Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. This disturbance will bring a clump of thunderstorms, and then hold the 90-degree weather at bay for a few more days. Heres the forecast of clumps of thunderstorms rolling across Michigan. Forecast animations of areas of rain through July 23, 2020 The forecast above is for the next 10 days. You should get the idea that several clumps of decent sized storms could roll across Michigan over the next 10 days. If every location gets hit by one or two of these storm clumps, we will all have some useful rain. The first clump moves through Lower Michigan Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. The forecast below is a total rain forecast for this first clump of storms. Rainfall forecast now through Thursday morning. Forecast is a human-made forecast from NOAA's rain amount forecasters. Forecasters believe at least one-half inch will be likely in most areas. I would agree. The one trend the above forecast doesnt show is the possible diminishing rain as the clump of storms moves into southeast Lower. The storms are expected there in the middle of the night, when storms often weaken and break up. Total rainfall forecast through Thursday evening from the European Model. The total rain forecast from the European Model shows that diminishing trend as the rain moves into southeast Lower. So you might still feel a little dry in southeast Michigan by Friday morning. But remember, you could get into a few more storms over the weekend into next week. So dont worry too much about it getting super dry again in Michigan over the next 10 days. But the hot temperatures will return this weekend, if we dont get a clump of storms at midday. High temperature forecast for Sunday, July 19, 2020 It looks like by Saturday we should have low-90s in Michigan, and Sunday could have some mid-90s. The clumps of storms next week may keep us from making a run at 100 degrees. My main point is a hot pattern will settle back into Michigan, but it will come with some much needed rain in thunderstorms at times. Peshawar: A Pakistani court Wednesday denied bail to an Afghan woman who was immortalised on the cover of National Geographic magazine in the 1980s and arrested last week on fraud charges, days after the Interior Minister indicated she may soon be released on humanitarian grounds. Sharbat Gula, who attained fame on the cover of an issue of the National Geographic magazine, has been in police custody since October 26 for allegedly having obtained fake identity papers to stay in Pakistan as a refugee. The special court in Peshawar had reserved its verdict a day earlier and today rejected her bail application citing a lack of evidence to prove her Pakistani citizenship. The green-eyed Gula was arrested from her Peshawar residence for alleged forgery of a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC). ALSO READ: (Pakistan's FIA arrests Nat Geo's famed 'Afghan girl' Sharbat Bibi over forged papers) During the bail hearing yesterday, Gulas lawyer had told the court that his client is the sole bread earner of her family and is suffering from Hepatitis C. Earlier in the week, Gula was sent to prison on judicial remand by a local court. She faces up to 14 years in jail. Her arrest highlighted the plight of millions of Afghan refugees staying in Pakistan. For decades, Pakistan has provided safe haven for millions of Afghan refugees who fled their country after the Soviet invasion of 1979. It hosts more than 1 million registered Afghan refugees, according to United Nations Refugee Agency. The agency also estimates a further one million unregistered refugees staying in the country. ALSO READ: (Pakistan Govt to free on bail National Geographic 'Afghan girl') Pakistans Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had on Sunday indicated that Gula may be released on humanitarian grounds. Khan had said Pakistans Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) should arrange bail for her as soon as possible. Gulas haunting photo, taken in a refugee camp in Pakistan in 1984 by Steve McCurry, was one of Nat Geos most famous covers. She surfaced in Pakistan in 2014, but had gone into hiding after authorities accused her of buying a fake Pakistani identity card. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. After staking claim to Indian territories of Lipulekh-Kalapani in a new controversial map, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday claimed that Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, is in Nepal and Lord Rama was Nepali. Although real Ayodhya lies at Thori, city in the west of Birgunj, India has claimed that Lord Rama was born there. Due to these continuous claims even we have believed that deity Sita got married to Prince Rama of India. However, in reality, Ayodhya is a village lying west of Birgunj, Oli claimed at an event organised at Prime Minister's residence in Kathmandu. The Prime Minister also blamed India of cultural encroachment by creating a fake Ayodhya. Balmiki Ashram is in Nepal and the holy place where King Dashrath had executed the rites to get the son is in Ridi. Dashraths son Ram was not an Indian and Ayodhya is also in Nepal, he claimed. In an attempt to save self from criticism, Oli questioned how Lord Rama could come to Janakpur to marry Sita when there were "no means" of communication. He further said that it to be impossible for Lord Rama to come to Janakpur from present Ayodhya that lies in India. Janakpur lies here and Ayodhya there and there is talk of marriage. There was neither telephone nor mobile then how could he know about Janakpur, Oli said. Nandini Yadav At the sixth edition of Google for India, Alphabet and Google CEO announced new 'Google For India Digitisation Fund' in India. Through this effort, Pichai revealed, Google will invest Rs 75,000 crore or $10 billion in India over the course of the next five to seven years. Pichai says that the company will make this investment in India through a mix of equity investments, partnerships, and operational infrastructure in the ecosystem. Expanding on the investment plan further, Pichai said that with the Google For India Digitisation Fund, investments will be done in four key ways: Enabling affordable access and information to every Indian in their own language Building new products and services that are deeply relevant to India's needs Empowering business as they continue to embark on their digital transformation Leveraging technology and AI for social good in areas like health, education, and agriculture Today at #GoogleForIndia we announced a new $10B digitization fund to help accelerate Indias digital economy. Were proud to support PM @narendramodis vision for Digital India - many thanks to Minister @rsprasad & Minister @DrRPNishank for joining us. https://t.co/H0EUFYSD1q Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) July 13, 2020 "This is a reflection of our confidence in the future of India and its digital economy," Pichai said during the 'Google for India' event webcast. Pichai added that one of the "most exciting success stories" of Digital India has been the digitisation of small businesses. "Just four years ago, only one-third of all small businesses in India had an online presence. Today, 26 million SMBs are now discoverable on Search and Maps, driving connections with more than 150 million users every month. Whats more, small merchants across the country are now equipped to accept digital payments. This has made it possible for more small businesses to become part of the formal economy, and it improves their access to credit," he said. He credits India's progress in getting a billion Indians online to "low-cost smartphones combined with affordable data, and a world-class telecom infrastructure". Pichai said that since it first opened it's office in India in 2005, it has spread awareness of the Internet in rural villages through programs like Internet Saathi. He says Google helped over 30 million women across India gain digital skills to improve their lives and their communities. "Building products for India first has helped us build better products for users everywhere," he added. The event was also attended by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice. "Googles efforts to bring technology and thereby, knowledge and learning to students in every part of the country is commendable. The internet has emerged as a lifeline during the pandemic, which needs to be strengthened and we welcome Googles initiatives like free access to learning resources, as well as their collaboration with CBSE to train 1 million teachers on tech-enabled education. I welcome Googles commitment to invest in India over the next 5 years and we look forward to Googles work in transforming India into a global knowledge superpower, with a focus on science and research," he said. Google For India announcements Besides the Google For India Digitisation Fund, Google, today, also announced an edutainment series for small and medium business in partnership with Prasar Bharti. Google also announces a partnership with CBSE for skill education and training. By end of 2020, Google will enable 1 million teachers and 22,000 schools across India to "combine classroom approach with online learning" using free tools like G Suite, Google Classroom, Youtube, and more. Additionally, Google.org also announced a new $1 million grant through its global distance learning fund. The grant will help teachers in India deliver virtual education for students to continue learning at home. In a separate tweet posted a few minutes before the Google For India event kicked off, PM Narendra Modi revealed that he had a meeting with Sundar Pichai earlier today. I was delighted to know more about the efforts of @Google in several sectors, be it in education, learning, @_DigitalIndia, furthering digital payments and more. @sundarpichai Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 13, 2020 He said that the two "discussed the challenges the global pandemic has brought to areas such as sports. We also talked about the importance of data security and cyber safety." The world bought into the idea of continual improvement ever since Japanese car companies embraced it in the 70s and ate Detroits lunch. But you cant improve what you cant measure which is why analytics now envelops the entire enterprise, crunching every data set it can find to get a clear view of current reality and suggest a better road ahead. For decades, those armed with the business intelligence class of analytics tools have plumbed financial and logistical databases to identify new business opportunities, flag weaknesses, and gain competitive advantage. More recently, with the addition of machine learning to identify patterns in data, analytics is proving scarily accurate at predicting future outcomes. Even better using such self-service tools as Tableau, PowerBI, or Qlik business users can now gain data insights on their own rather than requesting reports from business intelligence specialists. At the same time, the ubiquity of analytics has given rise to the hottest specialized job on the planet: the data scientist. The multidisciplinary nature of this position leaves enterprises hunting for unicorns who know statistics, programming, probability, and very likely machine learning, not to mention whatever vertical expertise a company demands. The oracle-like status of the data scientist offers definitive proof of analytics ascendency. Meanwhile, though the big data trend has cooled somewhat, big data analytics has permanently lodged itself in infrastructure, enabling engineers to process gargantuan log files to surface anomalies, inefficiencies, and vulnerabilities. And just about every company heavily invested in customer-facing applications now dumps terabytes of user clickstreams into the analytics hopper, enabling mass customization and UI tweaks that boost usability and revenue. To guide you on your own analytics journey, CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World have contributed five articles that examine todays role of analytics in the enterprise through completely different lenses, from case studies to implementation recommendations. The fully quantified enterprise InfoWorld contributing editor Isaac Sacolick, a former CIO and CTO, kicks things off with a terrific primer entitled How to choose a data analytics platform. In a couple of thousand words, Sacolick touches all the bases, from the nitty-gritty of cleansing and integrating data to the new complications introduced by machine learning. He also offers capsule descriptions of dozens of database and analytics software options, with basic parameters to consider before making a selection. Starting out? Start here. While Sacolick primarily focuses on the back end of analytics, Computerworld contributing writer Bob Violino trains his lens on the presentation layer in 6 best practices for business data visualization. His advice includes some well-illustrated basics: know your audience, tell a story, keep visualizations as simple as you can, and so on. But he also provides a framework for selecting the right visualization tools along with, perhaps, the best recommendation of all: Visualizations are a team effort, meant to be shared widely, discussed, and iterated collaboratively. Leave it to CIO to highlight analytics benefits on the ground. In Healthcare analytics: 4 success stories, senior writer Thor Olavsrud walks through use cases at Kaiser Permanente, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Jackson Health System, and Penn Medicine. Each mini case study addresses a specific healthcare objective, such as streamlining operations or shortening ICU stays, but each also dispenses broad advice from the project leader relevant to any analytics initiative. Network World senior editor Michael Cooney homes in on a different type of special case in SD-WAN and analytics: A marriage made for the new normal. As Cooney explains, the explosion of remote work has accelerated adoption of SD-WAN, which in turn raises the stakes to manage SD-WAN performance and security effectively. Using analytics to identify bottlenecks, anomalies, and vulnerabilities and correct them before admins have to deal with alerts makes large SD-WAN deployments much easier to maintain. Its unlikely youd write custom analytics code to monitor your SD-WAN deployment, but in many cases particularly those that might involve a data scientist the proprietary algorithms developed may be valuable trade secrets. Thats what CSO contributing writer Stacey Collet addresses in How to protect algorithms as intellectual property. As Collett puts it, proprietary analytics are becoming an important differentiator as companies implement digital transformation projects. Luckily, laws are changing to include algorithms among the IP that can be legally protected. In the age of analytics everywhere, that should be welcome news. Especially when augmented by machine learning, the insights derived from analytics will play an increasingly strategic role in steering your enterprise. PARIS (AP) - France and Britain signed an agreement Sunday to share intelligence in their joint fight against the human traffickers who are illegally smuggling migrants across the English Channel. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the deal to set up a French-British intelligence unit would allow for better exchanges of information about smuggling networks. British Home Secretary Priti Patel said the new unit "will crack down on gangs behind vile people smuggling." Patel crossed the Channel to visit the northern French city of Calais to sign the deal with Darmanin. She described levels of illegal migration across the waterway as "unsustainable." Crossing attempts have been surging. "Despite all of the action taken by law enforcement to date - intercepting the boats, making arrests, returning people to France and putting the criminals responsible behind bars - the numbers continue to increase," Patel said. "This simply cannot be allowed to go on." People smuggling across the Channel and migrant camps that regularly spring up along France's northern coast have proven to be an intractable problem for both governments. Britain's previously strong economy and need for farm and restaurant labor drew migrants from around the world who could speak some English. Calais over the years has unwillingly hosted rudimentary, overcrowded migrant camps that sprung up, slums so poor and violent that one was dubbed "the Jungle." The new unit will be staffed both by French and British officers and will exploit intelligence to help prevent crossings and dismantle smuggling gangs. Patel described it as "the start of a new operational approach." Darmanin said he pressed Patel for additional British help, including officers and equipment, to root out smugglers "who profit from the human misery of the people who want to cross the Channel and who are not punished enough." "Its very important that our British friends realize that if the migrants come here in Calais, its not for the beauty of the city but its to cross the Channel," he said. "The British government did a lot to protect the French coast, but we need more." 13.07.2020 LISTEN iWatch Africa, a not-for-profit organisation, is calling for an overhaul of the current police oversight approach by the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Unit (PIPS) of the Ghana Police Service to address misconduct of police officers. iWatch Africa holds that the current arrangement is not robust enough to ameliorate misconduct among police officers. The call is line with findings of Accountability, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Program (ARAP) which also identified many lapses in the PIPS model. Through our project Leveraging the Power of Data and Digital Tools to Stop Human Rights Abuse: iWatch Africa, Police and CHRAJ Collaboration, iWatch Africa held a month-long town hall awareness meeting with motorists, commuters and the police. During the public engagement forums and review of the current PIPS structure, we found that over the years, several factors have coalesced to weaken the police oversight system thereby inhibiting the Police Services ability to effectively deal with complaints from the public concerning police misconduct and corruption. The lapses identified include but not limited to; weak independence and transparency, obsolete operational and complaint system as well as financial constraints. These constraints, unfortunately, have impaired the quality of work of PIPS resulting in plummeted public trust and confidence in the Services ability to deal with police misconducts. In 2017, ARAP, through its report titled, Improving Professional Standards in the Ghana Police Service came to a similar conclusion about PIPS. In particular, the report opined that the mandate given to PIPS in 2005 has become obsolete, insofar as it refers to functions that the agency has never performed. iWatch Africa agrees with this findings and holds the position that PIPS mandate as defined by the Standing Order No 5 (2005) fall short of the international benchmark set by United Nations for independence, transparency and accountability needed in investigating complaints against police officers. Moreover, the challenges of PIPS require fixing, given the impact the unit can have on police discipline in the country. iWatch holds that addressing the PIPS challenges mustnt be ephemeral so as to minimise reform blips. However, from our thorough examination of the challenges confronting the current PIPS oversight model, iWatch Africa believes that altering the existing structure to meet the UN criteria of best practices would be herculean task after a decade of inefficiency and ineffectiveness. iWatch Africa, therefore, proposes a Hybrid system that brings on board citizens on all matters relating to investigation and prosecution of police misconduct. The singular action, we think, would help restore rectitude of the service and public confidence in the ability and willingness of the police to deal with police misconducts. The Police Citizen approach offers the best value for money. Hybrid Model - Police Citizen approach The Hybrid Model (Civilian-Police) of police oversight utilises the expert and impartial knowledge of Citizens in investigating any police misconduct. The blend of Police and Citizen is expected to increase accountability, transparency and improve public confidence in the Service. Ultimately, we hope that such an approach would enhance the integrity of Police Officers and policing in Ghana. Its also expected to bring visibility to how police deal with complaints about policing (receipt, investigation and follow-up). The Police Service is a vital institution with responsibility under law to maintain public order and safety of persons and properties. In performing these duties, the interaction between the police and citizenry is a constant occurrence. Through our routine surveys, many of our constituents have alleged police corruption of one form or the other. Also, several CSOs have come to similar conclusions on alleged police corruption and abuse of power. This, we belief impugn the integrity of the police service, which is a threat to the rule of law and undermines Ghanas democracy. For instance, eighty percent of Ghanaians surveyed by Afrobarometer in 2017 had a negative perception of the police regarding abuse of power and corruption. Surveys published by the Ghana Integrity Initiative in 2017 cited the Police Service as the most corrupt institution in Ghana. Enhancing police accountability and integrity is primarily meant to establish, restore or enhance public trust and (re-)build the legitimacy that is a prerequisite for effective policing in Ghana. iWatch Africa, after a careful review of several police oversight institutions around the world, offers a distilled range of recommendations to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Security to lead the needed reforms in the police service. We recommend that the core characteristic of our proposed Hybrid-Model should be Independence. We suggest the following guidelines modelled after the United Nations Handbook on Police Accountability, Oversight and integrity. Criteria for independence: Complete discretion in the exercise of functions or powers Statutory underpinning Reporting to the parliament Independent funding Transparent processes, based on merit, for the appointment of commissioners and staff, strict procedures for removal and fixed period in office. The newly proposed model must be unambiguous in its mandate. As a minimum, the independent oversight body must do the following: Have the capacity to receive complaints directly from the public (as well as from members of the government) Record all complaints filed against police (whether submitted at the police station, police headquarters, prosecutors office or directly to the independent body) Have the capacity to start an investigation on its own initiative and prosecutorial powers. Have sufficient investigative powers to assess the case in hand, including: The power to hear any person and subpoena powers The power to obtain any information required, including the authority to access police dockets and to conduct searches and seizures The power to compel the presence of witnesses including the police The power to prosecute The capacity to offer witness protection Have the power to recommend further penal or disciplinary action Have the capacity to make recommendations for structural change, hence enabling the police to prevent the recurrence of misconduct Have the capacity to follow up on its recommendations. To publish its findings and recommendations, including the response received from the police bi-annually To compel the police to disclose the reasons for not following up on the recommendations To make public failure by the police to follow up on its recommendations Establishing an independent oversight structure must not be the last step. The structure must be monitored for both the quality of its service delivery and its impact on police performance so that it can identify problems and their causes and try to improve its performance. Effective police accountability involves many different actors representing the different layers of modern-day democracies, including government representatives, the parliament, the judiciary, civil society actors and independent oversight bodies such as CHRAJ. We must all play an active role to improve governance and promote police accountability in Ghana. By iWatch Africa ICE officers search for a Mexican national at a home in Hawthorne, Calif., on March 1. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters) A Citizens Academy planned by a branch of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which will include scenario-based training and exercises, is spreading alarm among civil liberties and immigration rights organizations which question why the agency is devoting resources to providing civilians with firearms familiarization and instruction in targeted arrests. The program, set to begin in Chicago this fall as a pilot for nationwide implementation, will be run by ICEs Enforcement and Removal Operations branch, which is responsible for detaining and deporting immigrants. A memo from Robert Guadian, the director of ICE EROs Chicago field office, which was obtained by Yahoo News, describes a six-week program (four-hour sessions held once a week) during which participants will gain insight into the many facets and responsibilities of ICE/ERO operations through, among other things, scenario-based training and exercises conducted in a safe and positive environment, including, but not limited to, defensive tactics, firearms familiarization, and targeted arrests. Other law enforcement agencies have run similar programs meant to help the public understand their missions, and the Citizens Academy is not intended to create a vigilante corps or deputize civilians to make arrests. Still, the description of this program raised immediate red flags for immigration advocates like Ashley Huebner, associate director for legal services at the National Immigrant Justice Center in Chicago. Huebner told Yahoo News that she and her colleagues were particularly concerned about the reference to participants receiving training in firearms familiarization ... and targeted arrests. Given our experience with the manner in which ICE conducts arrests, theyre often very untargeted, she said. Protesters march to offices of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Chicago in July 2019. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images) Operating with broad authority and minimal oversight, ICEs enforcement and removal operations have become increasingly aggressive under the policies of the Trump administration. Agents have been accused of targeting immigrant communities with sweeping, often indiscriminate arrests, the systematic separation of families and inadequate care of those detained in the agencys network of secretive detention facilities around the country. Story continues We dont think theyre going to deputize citizens to go around arresting people, Huebner said. Still, she said she was troubled by the idea that someone could attend a training like this and be empowered to report on their neighbors or take some kind of action against their community members who may look different from them or who they may think are from a different country. At the very least, its extremely tone-deaf and misguided, Huebner added. In an email to Yahoo News, Nicole Alberico, a spokeswoman for ICEs Chicago field office, emphasized that ICE is not training the public to do the work of trained federal law enforcement officers. In fact, we hope by showing members of the community ICEs process the why and how an immigration arrest is made will alleviate fear and misunderstanding of exactly what ICE does. Alberico offered little in response to a request for more details on what, exactly, the trainings for defensive tactics, firearms familiarization and targeted arrests would entail. Typically, in those academies, there is a demonstration of self-defense and de-escalation tactics, she wrote in an email, referring to previous citizens academies conducted by other law enforcement agencies. She added that an exact agenda is still being worked out for the Chicago program. A protest against police violence in Chicago on July 10. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Though the program is a first for ICE ERO, various law enforcement agencies, including local police departments as well as the FBI, DEA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and even ICEs Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division, have conducted citizens academies for years as a way to give people an inside look at how they operate and, ideally, help build trust within communities. Andrea Flores, an immigration policy expert and deputy director of policy at the ACLU, pointed out that the mission and operations of HSI which is tasked with investigating transnational crimes like human trafficking, child pornography and drug smuggling are completely separate from those of ERO, which is responsible for enforcing civil immigration violations. (In fact, in 2018, top investigative agents at HSI urged then-Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to separate their division from the rest of ICE, complaining that the agencys controversial detention and deportation policies were interfering with their ability to conduct investigations pertinent to national security.) Were concerned that ICE is a rogue agency that already lacks key accountability measures and has a long history of showing a disregard for the human life thats often in its care, said Flores, who previously worked at the Department of Homeland Security. She argued that ERO should not be bringing more people into their practices of these discriminatory enforcement policies that we oppose generally. For the ACLU and other opponents of ICEs immigration enforcement operations, any sort of efforts to engage civilians in such tactics would always be cause for alarm. However, Flores argued that the timing of this citizens academy is particularly troubling against the current backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic along with the ongoing nationwide debate over police violence and systemic racism within the criminal justice system. ICE, Flores argued, should not be dedicating resources toward training civilians to do immigration enforcement at a time when the ACLU has called for a decrease in immigration enforcement during this pandemic, so that people can continue to access care without fear that theyll be caught up with ICE on the way to seek medical care, access testing. ICEs intimidating tactics have long cast a chilling effect over immigrant communities, often deterring people from reporting crimes or seeking out necessary public services, including health care. In addition to potentially exacerbating that fear in the midst of a public health crisis, Flores suggested this citizens academy will only increase racial suspicion in our communities at a time when theres a national backlash against the overpolicing of Black and brown people. John Amaya served as deputy chief of staff at ICE under the Obama administration and was at the agency when then-Director Sarah Saldana first implemented ICEs community engagement program. He thinks the idea of a citizens academy for ERO could serve a genuine opportunity to engage the community and the community engage the agency in a very constructive way. However, he said, given the backdrop of the rhetoric and the xenophobia coming out of the White House, the timing couldnt be worse. Members of ICEs Fugitive Operations team arrive to arrest a Mexican national at a home in Paramount, Calif., on March 1. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters) An official ICE statement about the program, which Alberico provided to Yahoo News, does not mention defensive tactics, firearms familiarization, and targeted arrests and other subjects of scenario-based training described in the memo to prospective applicants. Rather, it states, the curriculum will include, but is not limited to, classroom instruction, visiting an immigration detention center, learning more about the health care ICE provides to those in its custody, and examining ICEs role in an immigration case from start to finish. The statement also describes the academy as an opportunity to build a strong foundation of knowledge of an often misunderstood agency and mission and notes that ICE is inviting interested participants from a variety of stakeholder backgrounds including: community groups, state/local elected leaders, Congressional staff, consular officials and business and religious leaders. According to a Los Angeles Times report on a citizens academy held by ICE HSI in 2018, participants included a mix of people, including DHS employees, a congressional staffer and a representative from the archdiocese of L.A., as well as a screenwriter, a mortgage broker and a consultant described as part of a small but committed tribe of law enforcement citizens academy junkies. Applications for the ICE ERO citizens academy ask for a variety of personal information, ranging from date of birth and Social Security number to details about how applicants acquired U.S. citizenship (by birth, marriage, naturalization?), the mission of their current employer and the names of any organizations or associations they belong to. Applicants are also asked to explain why they want to participate in the training program and consent to a background check that will include, but may not be limited to, any record of charges, prosecutions or convictions for criminal or civil offenses. ICEs spokesperson did not provide information on where the agency plans to expand its ERO citizens academy to after the Chicago pilot program, which is slated to begin on Sept. 15. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: As restrictions are slowly lifted and local COVID-19 cases continue to fall, Travel Manitoba is pushing forward with a tourism campaign seeking to lure visitors from neighbouring provinces. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/7/2020 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. As restrictions are slowly lifted and local COVID-19 cases continue to fall, Travel Manitoba is pushing forward with a tourism campaign seeking to lure visitors from neighbouring provinces. The first phase of the "Home is Where the Heart Is" campaign focused on encouraging Manitobans to travel within home borders; however, now that self-isolation regulations have been lifted in several provinces, the second phase, launched Monday, will aim its advertising at Saskatchewan and Northwestern Ontario residents. "The goal of the campaign is to increase tourism visitation and expenditures in Manitoba by creating high-quality content and advertising that promotes bookable experiences and attractions," Travel Manitoba president and chief executive officer Colin Ferguson said at a news conference Monday morning. The $2-million campaign includes a video series highlighting Manitoba destinations, along with print, radio, digital and social-media advertising. Later phases of the campaign will, depending on the future of the pandemic, target British Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Travel Manitoba is advertising provincial highlights such as Whiteshell Provincial Park (above) to residents in Saskatchewan and Northwestern Ontario. (Joe Bryksa / Winnipeg Free Press files) Mayor Brian Bowman encouraged Winnipeggers to contribute to the local economy, not just within the city but across the province. "New assets are being added right now, so that when the storm has passed, our tourism sector will be stronger than it was before," he said Monday. Manitoban travellers already account for the vast majority of income generated from tourism in the province. According to national marketing organization Destination Canada, 85 per cent of total visitors and 58 per cent of total spending related to tourism in 2017 was generated by Manitobans. Meanwhile, losses are expected to be significant for at least the next two years. An assessment by Destination Canada suggests, depending on how quickly the virus is contained, the province could log a 25 per cent to 60 per cent decrease in tourism spending in 2020, which translates to between $411 million and $986 million in lost revenue. Regardless of how quickly the pandemic passes, a decrease is also expected in 2021, with a best-case scenario being estimated at $59 million and a worst-case estimated at $312 million. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Colin Ferguson: Campaign aims to increase tourism visitation and expenditures here. "With major tourism expenditure losses expected over the next two years, we have established a new, realistic goal in our updated provincial tourism strategy," Ferguson said, noting he would like to get the local industry back to its most recent pre-COVID numbers. In 2017, Manitoba recorded 11.4 million visitors and $1.64 billion in tourism revenue, an increase of nearly one million visitors and $71 million in expenditures compared to the previous year. Mitigating those losses also means focusing advertising on "hyper-local" travellers over the next few years. A separate, city-focused campaign by Tourism Winnipeg (in partnership with Travel Manitoba) called "Save the Summer in Winnipeg the Heart of Manitoba" launched last month. malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: malakabas_ The 1966 Ford Bronco inspired many things including competitors such as a the original Chevrolet Blazer but it has also inspired its fair share of people. Among them is Christopher Young, a Ford designer who contributed to the upcoming Bronco Sport. The Detroit Free Press explains how Young, the Black son of two government employees and an avid Matchbox car enthusiast, would grow to follow in the footsteps of McKinley Thompson, Jr. the "Jackie Robinson of car design," as the Freep refers to him who penned the design sketch for what would become the original Bronco. Thompson was hired as Ford's first Black designer in 1956, after earning his degree in transportation design at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. While Thompson was not the designer of record for Ford's game-changing 4x4, he penned early sketches that are now instantly recognizable as inspiration for the final product. He also contributed to the design of the Ford Mustang and GT40 race car. Young, like Thompson before him, was lucky enough to be selected to contribute to the design of an iconic nameplate. "People are looking for something to differentiate themselves," said Young. "The Bronco has a rich history and it's instantly recognizable." McKinley's role in the original Bronco's design was relatively unknown until Ford archivists began to dig for materials as part of the nameplate's revival. The discovery of those early Bronco sketches led Ted Ryan, Ford's chief archivist and heritage brand manager, to make the connection. "These are glimpses of the past people don't know," Young said. "This is important, so people know everybody contributes. With all this going on with the Black Lives Matter efforts, it doesn't mean just not being assaulted when you go out the door but also getting credit for things you've done." See Full Image Gallery >> Story continues "McKinley was a man who followed his dreams and wound up making history, Young previously said of Thompson. He not only broke through the color barrier in the world of automotive design, he helped create some of the most iconic consumer products ever from the Ford Mustang, Thunderbird and Bronco designs that are not only timeless but have been studied by generations of designers. Young has degrees in both fine arts and industrial design, and is a graduate of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit and the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. He specializes in UX User Experience and you'll have him to thank at least in part for the human-machine interface in vehicles such as the Ford Mustang, Lincoln Continental, Lincoln MKZ and, now, the Ford Bronco Sport. The profile covers both Young's road to the Ford design team and Thompson's career. We encourage you to check it out. Related Video: Click here to See Video >> Safety chiefs have today warned workers will not 'blindly obey' Boris Johnson's calls for a return to the office, as some of the county's biggest firms say fewer than 50 per cent of staff could come back because of social distancing. Chairman of the British Safety Council Lawrence Waterman said he understood the importance of workers returning to the office, but said many were staying away due to the government's social distancing rules. It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson today urged workers to return to the office following the loosening of coronavirus lockdown measures. Meanwhile, some companies, including accountancy giant Deloitte and law firm Slaughter and May, have allowed employees back but others have been reluctant to act. Even the firms who are getting staff to return say they will still only be at less than half-capacity to obey up to two-metre social distance guidelines to stop the virus's spread. The Government has recently relaxed the rules to 'one-metre plus', but HR chiefs and management insist on following the best practice of two meters. The lack of numbers in the offices spell disaster for High Street shops, who are already on their knees after buyers stayed away during the pandemic. And other smaller businesses including cafes and restaurants, are also set to find themselves starved of customers due to the lack of footfall from office blocks. Prime Minister Boris Johnson today urged again: 'People should start to think about getting back to work'. MP Andrew Bridgen also warned: 'The alternative to companies bringing people back in is bankruptcy and bankruptcy of others that rely on them.' Among the major buildings currently under construction in the capital are 1 Undershaft (highlighted red, left) and the Diamond (highlighted red, right). Construction of both may slow due to economic slowdown after lockdown Easing of the lockdown led to the 30 biggest employers in the City of London telling police they only intend to bring a maximum of 40 per cent of their workforce back. A source at one of them told the MailOnline: 'We are slowly increasing people in the office and we are currently at around 15 per cent. 'For the next few months we are not going to be over half-full, but the aim is to build to that. 'We have got to keep the two-metre distancing between members of staff's desks, which means the capacity of the offices are greatly reduced.' However Mr Waterman was critical of the Prime Minister and said workers would not blindly obey pressure from him to return. Mr Waterman, who is the former head of safety for the Olympic delivery authority, said he understood he was trying to kickstart the economy, but thought he had failed to explain how. And he added he believed offices may never be as full as they were before coronavirus. He told the MailOnline: Asking someone to blindly obey is not going to work compared to making them understand the argument. I think Mr Johnson has got it the wrong way round he should be giving people the information, then asking them to make the right decision. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, pictured today with CEO London Ambulance Service Garrett Emmerson, said workers needed to get back to the office Chains left in lurch without lunchtime rush Business leaders called for more clarity from ministers yesterday over when millions of white-collar workers can return to their offices. They claim working from home is damaging the economy, with High Street retailers such as Pret A Manger and Upper Crust slashing thousands of jobs after takings were hammered by the absence of employees buying food on their lunch breaks. Boots also said footfall had 'dramatically reduced' as it announced plans to cut 4,000 jobs. James Reed, of the recruitment firm Reed, said retailers had become 'collateral damage', adding: 'Businesses need greater clarity over when workers could come back to offices.' Shobi Khan, chief executive of the London offices landlord Canary Wharf Group, said: 'There is no problem going to Spain, Italy or France, but heaven forbid you go to the office.' Edwin Morgan, of the Institute of Directors, said: 'Offices play a key role in the surrounding economy. City centre firms, particularly in food and hospitality, rely heavily on commuter custom.' Advertisement Getting people to going back to what they were doing is going to require self-confidence. I think Mr Johnson is thinking that if people arent going back to work some of the hospitality and food sectors could be affected. One of the reasons office workers arent going back is because of the social distancing rules. The government want people to work in offices again without explaining facts on how it could happen. The conversations I am having with people is about workplaces rebalancing the way they work, taking into account the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. It seems to be the situation that nobody has yet got a vaccine that really works, so I think at the moment people are making decisions that are a bit more flexible with their working situations. I think most offices are going to have a lower population now on any given day. I dont think employers want to put pressure on people to go into the office. Richard Jones, Head of Policy at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, said social distancing rules made it impossible to fill offices. He told the MailOnline: 'There are multiple factors affecting occupancy rates in offices. Workplaces need to be Covid-19 secure, meaning employers need to assess their risks and have the necessary physical distancing and hygiene arrangements, which can limit the number of workers they can accommodate at any one time. 'However, some employers may have chosen to continue with working from home arrangements because their workers prefer it and they feel that productivity and wellbeing can be maintained. 'This smarter working has emerged because of the increased use of technology during the crisis. Also, while we're in the reopening phase, people may be experiencing childcare issues, making homeworking their best option, while there are others on furlough, not yet due to return.' Duncan Spencer, Head of Advice and Practice, added: 'Even with just one-meter distancing it may not be possible to sit in normal office densities, but perhaps at every other workstation. 'It also reduces the number of people in circulation again reducing the potential for disease transmission. 'Controlling numbers at work will help with reducing demand and the potential for breaking the social distancing rule at security points, lifts, on stairways, in toilets or rest areas. 'Those using public transport are at greater exposure to catching Covid-19. 'Loss of workforce to the illness could cause production problems. Making most of the workforce stay at home reduces the chances of transmission and protects production capability.' The reluctance to return was also backed by a new survey of 1,251 senior company managers that showed almost half of them would continue to let staff work from home. Remote working complete with its Zoom conference calls has been judged a success by some businesses, who are now questioning the need for huge office buildings. While Goldman Sachs has let staff return to its London headquarters only 600 of its 6,000 strong workforce took up the offer. It is at odds with Prime Minister Boris Johnson's remarks on Friday and today telling people they should start getting back to work. He told reporters during a visit to the London Ambulance Service: 'What I want to see is people, who have been working from home for a long time, now talking to their employers, talking to their places of work, about the steps that have been taken and looking to come back to work in a safe way. 'I think that's got to be the key thing. Where businesses have made a huge effort to make the workplace safe I do think people should start to think about getting back to work but provided we all continue to follow the precautions.' Staff at offices in the Wirral have already put social distancing measures into place And MP Mr Bridgen, a businessman himself, told the MailOnline there was no plan B to bringing people back into work. He agreed workers not coming back into offices would spell problems for others, like cafes and restaurants, who rely on their footfall. Mr Bridgen added: 'The alternative to companies bringing people back in is bankruptcy and bankruptcy of others that rely on them. 'These are very strange decisions for company directors to take. 'Quite apart from that, if companies don't bring people back, they risk other people coming in filling gaps they have left.' The High Street has been left in peril by the ravages of coronavirus and the pandemic's lockdown. It has seen British shoppers head online to shop, putting a feared 250,000 jobs at risks. Boris calls for staff to go back to work twice - as long as it's safe Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday workers should start returning to work. He said: 'I think everybody has sort of taken the ''stay at home if you can'' - I think we should now say, well, ''go back to work if you can''. 'Because I think it's very important that people should try to lead their lives more normally. 'I want to see more people feeling confident to use the shops, use the restaurants, and get back into work - but only if we all follow the guidance.' He repeated the request again on Monday, visiting an ambulance station. Mr Johnson said: 'What I want to see is people, who have been working from home for a long time, now talking to their employers, talking to their places of work, about the steps that have been taken and looking to come back to work in a safe way. 'I think that's got to be the key thing. Where businesses have made a huge effort to make the workplace safe I do think people should start to think about getting back to work but provided we all continue to follow the precautions.' Advertisement Already John Lewis and Boots have announced closures, respectively threatening 1,300 and 4,000 livelihoods. And smaller business have also been hit badly by the lack of customers on the street. Lucy Luu, 31-year-old manager of Le Lotus nail bar in Great Portland Street, said: People dont want to go to the salon. Around here its all offices. They all work from home.' He thoughts were echoed by Mathieu Simo, 31-year-old owner of the Mathieu Simo salon in Mayfair. He added: Most people arent back to work and they wont be back to work until September. Theyve told us they come before they start work or on their lunch break. 'Im looking forward to people being back in the office. Every business is suffering from the newsagent next door to the clothes shops. The PM and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are said to be extremely concerned about the damage empty offices are having on town centre shops and restaurants. Sources have said civil servants have now been told to return to their desks to set an example to the public on how to get back to work. A conference call with Whitehall chiefs saw Mr Johnson say they should come back as long as it could be done in a Covid-secure way. He has also asked business and City chiefs, including Goldman Sachs boss Richard Gnodde, to order more staff back to base. But the largest banks and firms are said to be concerned about issues with public transport for its staff, especially in London. Financial lobby group TheCityUK warned: 'The main focus for businesses is the ability to provide a safe office environment for staff, as well as staff concerns around using public transport. 'While localised outbreaks remain a possibility, many firms will either take a slow and phased approach to returning to the office or continue to take a wait-and-see approach.' Barclays chief executive Jes Staley said in April: 'The notion of putting 7,000 people in a building may be a thing of the past.' JPMorgan has moved some employees back into its Canary Wharf headquarters already this month, but many will be working from home for the next few months. Today its Bournemouth office welcomed back ten per cent of its employees, which will increase again next month. Management in other business hubs in cities including Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow have also taken the same view. How many jobs are at risk across the UK? Accenture - 900 Airbus - 1,700 Arcadia - 500 BA - 12,000 Beales - 1,052 Bentley - 1,000 Burger King - 1,600 Casual Dining Group (Bella Italia, Cafe Rouge and Las Iguanas) - 1,900 DHL at Jaguar Land Rover - 2,200 EasyJet - 4,500 Go Outdoors - 2,400 Harrods - 700 Harveys - 240 Links - 350 Mothercare - 2,500 Oasis Warehouse - 1,800 P&O Ferries - 1,100 Pret a Manger - 1,330 Ryanair - 3,000 SSP Group (Upper Crust, Caffe Ritazza) - 5,000 Ted Baker - 160 TM Lewin - 600 Tui - 8,000 Victoria's Secret - 800 at risk Advertisement Firms with a presence in Asia have also had their opinions formed by being hit by the pandemic earlier than Britain. The big businesses' fears is something smaller companies are also weighing over. Lowri Tan, managing director of baby food brand Little Tummy, which pre-pandemic operated from an office in Soho, said her fledgling company would not be returning immediately. She said: 'The driving factor is definitely the money. As a small company, without having the fixed overheads and expenditure, it's not a wise use of company resources when we know we can operate efficiently at home.' Last week Ian Girling, chief executive of the Dorset Chamber of Commerce, said Ms Tan's mindset was in lockstep with firms across the country. He said: 'As a result of the pandemic businesses will have to think about all of their future working arrangements, and this could be a challenge for businesses juggling the need to have people in the office or working remotely from home. 'Undoubtedly, remote working has worked extremely well for some businesses and there are opportunities for some firms to save money going forward.' If workers do go back in they will be greeted with the 'new normal' in big offices of temperature tests on arrival and strict rules on wearing masks in common areas. Banks of hand sanitiser dispensers will also be a familiar site on most walls, as employers look to stamp out any chance of infection. Accountancy firm PwC has reopened all its UK offices and chairman Kevin Ellis believes it will have more than just an impact on work rate. Boris Johnson said on Friday he wanted people to start going back into work He said: 'Bringing people together safely is important for teams, good for communities and good for the economy. 'There is also a mental health benefit for many. 'I see value in people being back in the office.' The government's website still has guidance saying employees should still work from home if they can and it suits the needs of the business. But on Friday Mr Johnson said in a Q&A with the public, dubbed People's PMQs, indicated a possible shift from the advice. He said: 'I want people to be back to work as carefully as possible. 'It's very important that people should be going back to work if they can now. 'I think everybody has sort of taken the 'stay at home if you can' advice - I think we should now say, well, 'go back to work if you can'. 'Because I think it's very important that people should try to lead their lives more normally.' 'I wanted to see more people feeling confident to use the shops, use the restaurants, and get back into work - but only if we all follow the guidance.' The urge to return to work came on the same day a survey of 1,251 senior company managers showed half of them would continue to let staff work from home. The research from Opus Energy and Haven Power showed 48 per cent of the bosses questioned are looking at the option of workers being able to work from home. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 06:38:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YAOUNDE, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Military authorities in Cameroon said Monday evening they have launched an investigation into the abduction of at least 63 civilians, including women, who were taken away by gunmen in the troubled English-speaking region of Southwest. A special investigative squad is on the case, according to the army that has blamed separatists for the kidnapping. Local sources told Xinhua the civilians were drinking in a bar early Monday in Mmouck Leteh, a locality in Lebialem division of the region, when heavily armed men held them at gunpoint and took them away to an unknown destination. Armed separatists are known to be operating in the locality that recently witnessed "fierce" clashes between separatist groups leading to the death of five fighters, according to security sources. Separatists have not claimed responsibility for the abduction. Fighting between government forces and armed separatist groups has been going on since 2017 after the separatists declared the independence of a nation called "Ambazonia" in the two English-speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest. According to the United Nations, more than 700,000 Cameroonians have been displaced internally and externally due to the fighting. Enditem The Mosul Museum and the Long Road to Recovery IS pushed over this Assyrian sculpture before defacing the cuneiform writing with jackhammers. ( MEE/Tom Westcott) Five years ago, Mosul Museum grabbed international headlines when the Islamic State (IS) group released footage of militants defacing priceless artefacts with sledgehammers and toppling statues that had survived for thousands of years. Today, the museum's darkened interior stands as a memorial to a 21st-century cultural tragedy. Stepping between pieces of Assyrian sculptures blown up by explosives, Mosul Museum director Zaid al-Obeidi gestured towards fragments bearing ancient Sumerian cuneiform lettering, one of the oldest writing systems in the world. "This is huge destruction and we need time to fix it, a lot of time," he told MEE. Among the shattered Assyrian treasures are two huge Lamassu (winged bull protective deities) from the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud. Comparative pieces stand proudly in the British Museum, attracting thousands of daily visitors, as well as in Baghdad's National Museum of Iraq. Here, just 30 kilometres from the ancient city where they once stood, this pair have been reduced mostly to mere rubble. "IS put explosives between the walls and the Lamassu, tearing them away from the wall and destroying them," Obeidi said. "They did the same to the king's throne base from Nimrud, where the force of the explosion ripped open the floor." Nearby lie the sledgehammered chunks of an Assyrian-era lion statue from Nimrud's Temple of Ishtar, decorated with cuneiform engravings detailing the life of King Ashurnasirpal II, who reigned from 883 to 859 BC. The back of the statue, which would have stood flush against a wall, was also etched with writing. "The Assyrians did this, according to experts, because they thought one day their empire would be destroyed, so they wrote on the back of the statues, which were out of sight, to preserve their history for all time," explained Obeidi. "And they were right, it happened exactly as they thought. Those who came after the Assyrians destroyed and burned their monuments. And then, thousands of years later, IS did the same." Although larger fragments still lie where they were found in 2017 during the liberation of Mosul from IS, the surrounding floor space is taped into a two metre-squared grid as part of a laborious process to gather and label each statue fragment to help accurate future reconstruction. "We've been collecting every tiny piece from each square, placing these carefully labelled in storage, so we know their exact location," local archaeologist and conservator Ghassan Sarhan explained, adding that museum staff were working with France's Louvre Museum on the project. "Seven months ago, you couldn't walk here because there were so many fragments scattered across the floor. But the conservation rescue teams have cleared this area following international rescue heritage rules, and have cleaned the pieces with world heritage approved products." The grid-system for collecting and preserving fragments, Sarhan noted sadly, was only deployed in the one section of the museum. "We only made the grid for the Assyrian gallery because we found many pieces there, but in the Hatraean gallery, we did not find any single piece." This gallery formerly held artefacts from the Unesco World Heritage site of Hatra, located in the Iraqi desert, 110km southwest of Mosul and also occupied by IS for three years. The gallery featured in a widely-shared IS video showing militants toppling and sledgehammering statues. But when museum staff entered the premises a few months after liberation, they found even the shards from this destruction had been carefully removed, and presumed stolen. Antiquities from Hatra, which grew to prominence under the Parthians (247 BC - 224 AD) and is believed to have been the capital of the first Arab kingdom, are unique to Iraq and even broken pieces are apparently very valuable on the global antiquities market. "It's easy to say in words when the museum will reopen but the reality is that it's very difficult to predict. Realistically, we're looking at between three and five years before the museum will be receiving visitors again," Obedi said. "It will take up to three years to reconstruct the building and at least three years of continuous work to reconstruct the broken statues." Conservator Saad Ahmed, who heads Mosul Museum's conservation laboratory, has a more pessimistic forecast for reconstructing the damaged exhibits. He predicts it would take around six years to complete reconstruction of just the two Lamassu and the Ishtar lion. Despite ongoing efforts by museum staff, reconstruction has not yet started on these ancient Assyrian statues. Working with Louvre Museum staff, the first project will be the Ishtar lion, a project due to start this year but currently on hold due to uncertainty over potential Covid-19 restrictions. Work has yet to even start on repairing the considerably-damaged museum building, which was affected by fighting as well as having its basement looted and set ablaze by IS. Looted heritage IS controlled Mosul completely for two and a half years, during which time militants enforced their strict interpretations of Islam, inflicting a reign of terror on inhabitants. They also enacted a wave of destruction across the city, targeting historic and non-Islamic religious sites. The eight-month battle to liberate Mosul from IS resulted in extensive destruction, especially to the historic Old City of Mosul. Even when Mosul Museum does eventually reopen its doors to visitors, with more than half of its former exhibits stolen by IS, it will be a shadow of its former self. Obeidi told MEE that as much as 60-70 percent of the museum's collection remains missing. Former Iraqi Minister of Culture Abdulameer al-Hamdani, recently replaced with the formation of a new Iraqi government, said that at all the country's historic sites where IS had had control, there was a combination of destruction and looting in an effort to erase Iraqi and Mesopotamian culture. But in Mosul Museum, IS stole much more than they destroyed, with museum staff believing that IS only destroyed artefacts too large to steal, such as the Lamassu and the Ishtar lion. By torchlight, Obeidi pointed to empty walls where vacant exhibit niches have chiselled adjacent markings, indicating that artefacts were carefully extracted, explaining that the missing items are believed to have been smuggled out of Iraq by IS towards international antiquities markets. These include many ancient artefacts of Islamic history, such as two mihrabs (prayer niches) made of Sinjar gypsum that were carefully removed from their display casings. In the Islamic gallery, IS only left one single artefact: a large wooden tomb covering what was probably deemed too large to steal. Since liberation, over a hundred antiquities from the museum's collection have been recovered from civilian homes formerly occupied by IS militants, or seized at checkpoints by Iraqi forces. These remain in storage at the museum's conservation laboratory on a separate premises until the museum is in a fit state for them to be reinstated. But many more remain missing. IS were not the first to rob the embattled institution. The museum was also looted during the chaos that followed the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. "To this day, none of those items have been returned, but, after the thefts, the US forces closed the museum doors and guarded it," Obeidi said. A plea for help As well as the support of the Louvre, Mosul Museum staff have received training on how to manage damaged antiquities from the group of American museums and research centres known as the Smithsonian Institution. But Mosul Museum is just one of Nineveh governorate's many historic sites either targeted by IS or damaged during warfare, which include Hatra; Nimrud; the Assyrian city of Dur-Sharrukin; the mosque and shrine of Nabi Younis; the Great Mosque of al-Nuri and its adjacent al-Hadba (hunchback) leaning minaret. The head of Nineveh Antiquities Directorate Ali Hazeem told MEE that, in the face of such extensive destruction, Iraq desperately needed more external help. "We need support for renovating these damaged and destroyed sites. We know it's a very difficult thing because the destruction and damage is very big but we need help to proceed. Some help is being received but only on a very small scale and, at this point, mainly only in identifying parts," he said. Noting that the help received to date is greatly-appreciated, he said that this remained inadequate compared to the extent of the work the Nineveh Antiquities Directorate was facing to regenerate its decimated historic sites. "It's hard for us to manage this problem alone because the damage is so severe and the extent of destruction so large and we really need support, especially now that Mosul is safe," Hazeem said. "And we are asking for international support because these monuments are not only for Nineveh but for all Iraq and all the world." Russia has had a difficult time trying to find export customers for its Bal coastal defense anti-ship missile system. BAL first entered service, with Russian forces, in 2008. On paper, Bal seemed pretty formidable. A Bal battalion consisted of eleven 8x8 trucks including four launcher vehicles each carrying eight Kh-35 anti-ship missiles. The 620 kg (1,365 pound) Kh-35 has a range of 120 kilometers and travels at sub-sonic (about a thousand kilometers an hour) speed while 10-15 meters above the water. A GPS/INS guidance system gets the missile to the general area of the target where the missile radar, with a range of about 20 kilometers, seeks to detect something worth hitting with the missiles 145 kg warhead. At that point, the missile drops to about five meters above the water for its final run at the target. The problem with the Kh-35 was that its typical target was Western warships and Western naves had spent decades developing effective gun and missile-based defenses backed by increasingly powerful electronic defenses to deal with anti-ship missiles like the Kh-35. Israel had demonstrated the effectiveness of these defenses in combat against Chinese versions of the Kh-35 used by Iran-backed militias in Lebanon. Russia had developed larger and more expensive anti-ship missiles that make their final attack run at supersonic (as fast as a rifle bullet) speed. Western navies developed defenses and built target drones that performed like the Russian supersonic anti-ship missiles so that a new generation of anti-missile defenses could be tested. The supersonic missiles were more difficult to intercept but they could be stopped. And ship defenses that could stop the supersonic missiles made it even more difficult for the subsonic Kh-35 to score a hit. To deal with these problems Russian Bal battalions depended on mass use of the KH-35 against a small number of warships. Each Bal battalion could launch 32 missiles within 15 minutes of reaching its coastal firing site. The vehicles would then move to another area where the reload vehicles could have the four launch vehicles ready to fire again within half an hour. Being this mobile and quick to move is how Bal battalions deal with the risk of being hit by air or sea-launched enemy missiles. One reason for mounting the Kh-35s on trucks was to make it harder for the enemy to find and attack the missiles before they can be launched. These large trucks usually had plenty of hiding places in the coastal region they were assigned to and the troops were always on the lookout for new ones. The heavy trucks used by the battalion were built for off-road use and that meant more hiding places were accessible. While all this made it more likely the Bal battalion would be used, it did not change the fact that the Kh-35 was second rate anti-ship missile. Russia has been resourceful in trying to overcome these problems. In 2015 they introduced a longer (260 kilometers) range Kh-35U missile, which also had a longer (50 kilometer) range final attack radar. Russia advertised features on the new radar that were better able to overcome enemy electronic defenses. That did not make the Kh-35U a sure thing when aimed at a target but did improve its chances. The longer range meant the Bal battalion could remain further inland when launching its missiles. Two or more battalions could more easily jointly attack one enemy task force with more capable Kh-35 missiles. The latest new feature enables Bal batteries to receive target information from all manner of aircraft, including UAVs of different sizes. A large number of smaller UAVs capable of sending brief encrypted messages including pictures and GPS coordinates of the target can be quickly used by the latest Bal fire control system. Russia also offers submerged passive (just listen) sonar systems placed offshore and connected to shore by underwater cable. A system like this can secretly track the progress of Kh-35 targets enabling the Bal batteries to stay out of sight and launch a mass surprise attack while avoiding attack by the enemy naval force. These underwater sensors are an updated version of the American Cold War era SOSUS system that monitored most of the North Atlantic and North Pacific for Russian submarine activity. More recently China has been installing a similar system in the South China Sea, while South Korea has installed its own updated SOSUS off its coasts to detect any North Korean (or Chinese or whoever) submarine activity. One of these small North Korean subs torpedoed a South Korean corvette in 2010 and South Korea is determined to avoid a repeat. The most recent Bal improvement is a cheaper and nimbler launcher truck, carrying only four Kh-35U missiles. The idea here is to have more launcher vehicles, more widely dispersed and using an improved fire control system to both avoid being detected and attacked while also launching large-scale coordinated attacks on enemy ships offshore. Facebook and Google have for years operated like shop windows for news stories, plying their billions of visitors with free snippets and information from articles across the web. An antitrust tussle thats coming to a head in Australia is set to change that. Australias competition regulator will this month publish draft rules forcing the two U.S. tech giants to share revenue generated from news with the original publishers, including Rupert Murdochs News Corp. A final version of the code, the first of its kind in the world, is due to follow soon after. Between them, Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google have a dominant position in the online advertising market and that has been under intensifying regulatory and political assault in the U.S. and Europe, with Australia now adding another front of attack. Investors are sitting up, too. Should watchdogs in other markets follow Australia, it would chip away at two of the most wildly successful business models of the 21st century, built largely on content free-for-alls. Facebook and Alphabet have combined market values in New York of about $1.7 trillion (U.S.) This would be a major shot across the bow from a regulatory perspective, said Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities in New York. It could open up a Pandoras box around monetization and sharing of data. This one matters In an interview, Australian Competition & Consumer Commission Chairman Rod Sims said he knows of several counterparts overseas who are considering taking similar steps. With traditional media hemorrhaging jobs and facing an assault from populist politicians alleging fake news, the 69-year-old is swinging the pendulum back in the publishers favour. To Sims, its about more than simply forcing businesses on his beat to play fair. This one matters because journalism matters, he said. The fourth estate is such a fundamental part of what makes our societies work. Traditional media companies have long complained their content is being exploited by digital platforms without due compensation. But thats only part of the picture. While platforms and publishers all compete for web clicks and eyeballs that can be turned into advertising revenue, theyre also allies of sorts. News stories, or even just links to them, are part of the appeal of Facebook and Google, helping them keep visitors engaged and vacuum up more data. The tech giants, in turn, direct traffic back to the publishers websites. Fundamentally incorrect The nature of this relationship is central to the crackdown by Australias competition watchdog. Theres no doubt the net value flow is to the platforms, said Sims. Facebook has called such an assumption fundamentally incorrect. In a 58-page submission to the ACCC last month, Facebook described news as highly substitutable content. Even a complete purge of stories in Australia, Facebook said, would make little difference. News does not drive significant long-term commercial value for our business, it said. Australian news organizations, meanwhile, garnered 2.3 billion clicks from Facebooks newsfeed between January and May 2020, Facebook said. At Google, only a very small direct and indirect economic value comes from news in Google Search, Australia Managing Director Mel Silva said in a May blog post. Meanwhile, Google Search accounted for 3.44 billion visits to Australian news publishers for free in 2018, she wrote. Amid the dispute, its not clear what the code will cost the tech giants in Australia. Thats partly because in between the baby pictures and community group posts on Facebook, its almost impossible to quantify the subjective appeal of news. I would say #goodluckregulators, Rich Greenfield, an analyst at New York-based research firm LightShed Partners, said in an email. I have no idea how they will determine the value. Turning tide Even Sims warns it will be extremely hard, but says there are always ways to put numbers around things. And in recent months, publishers appear to have gained ground in the argument. In April, Frances antitrust regulator ordered Google to pay media companies to display snippets of articles. Then in June, Google said it would pay certain media outlets it will feature in a yet-to-be-released news service in Germany, Australia and Brazil. Terms werent disclosed. Perhaps most significantly, Facebook late last year introduced a separate news section, paying the publishers whose stories were featured. Some 200 publishers were involved in the Facebook News service, some of them receiving between $1 million and $3 million a year to put articles in the section. The ACCCs mandatory code goes further: the watchdogs concepts paper raised the possibility of collective media boycotts of Facebook and Google in the absence of appropriate remuneration. In a statement, Google said it has worked closely and constructively with news media businesses, the ACCC and the government as part of this process and will continue to do so. Facebook will continue to work closely with news organizations, the ACCC and the Australian government to sustain a strong news ecosystem, said Mia Garlick, the companys director of policy for Australia and New Zealand. But she said: A regulatory approach that lumps two tech companies together and benefits only the most powerful publishers does not do that. Sims says hes skeptical of Facebooks argument that news delivers little economic value, and expects his code to start balancing the equation. Im not contemplating failure, Sims said. Read more about: Californias two largest public school districts will resume online-only learning when their terms begin in August. The Los Angeles and San Diego unified school districts announced plans on Monday to resume instruction in August with online teaching only, citing skyrocketing coronavirus infection rates in the state of California during the past few weeks. Los Angeles and San Diego rank as the two largest public school districts in California, with about 706,000 students and 88,000 employees combined on more than 1,500 campuses overall. Los Angeles is the second-largest school district in the United States. The two districts closed their schools and shifted to online instruction in mid-March as the coronavirus outbreak was spreading in California, days before Governor Gavin Newsom issued the nations first statewide stay-at-home orders and mandatory workplace closures. People not wearing face masks as they stroll on the beach boardwalk during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Huntington Beach, California, the US [Mike Blake/Reuters] In Mondays joint announcement, the Los Angeles school district said it will resume online instruction for the new academic year on August 18, and San Diego will follow suit on August 31. Both districts said they would continue planning for a return to in-classroom lessons during the upcoming 2020-21 academic year, as soon as public health conditions allow. The joint statement said that much of prevailing scientific research and public health guidelines regarding the coronavirus pandemic are vague and contradictory. It also pointed to the countries that have safely reopened their schools, saying they have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available. California has neither, the statement said, adding, The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control. The announcement came as President Donald Trump, speaking at the White House on Monday, said schools should be opened. He and his eduction secretary Betsy DeVos have been pushing for full school reopenings despite record surges of the virus. Newsom on Monday also ordered a massive retrenchment of the states reopening, shutting bars and banning indoor restaurant dining statewide and closing churches, gyms and hair salons in hardest-hit counties. California Governor Gavin Newsom adjusting his mask while speaking to reporters in Oakland, California [POOL via EPA] The number of people hospitalised in California with COVID-19 has risen by 28 percent over the past two weeks, with a 20 percent increase in those needing intensive care, Newsom said during a conference call with reporters in the state capital of Sacramento. Statewide, 6,485 patients were hospitalised with coronavirus as of Sunday, with 1,833 of them requiring intensive care, according to state data. Liam Campbell, who was found civilly liable for the Omagh bombing, has been granted leave by the High Court to appeal an extradition order surrendering him to Lithuania, where he is to answer charges of international weapons trafficking. Campbell (58) was arrested in Upper Faughart, Dundalk, Co Louth, on December 2, 2016, on foot of the second European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued by Lithuanian authorities to be endorsed by the High Court here. It is the third attempt overall by Lithuania to seek Campbell's surrender. The 1998 bombing was the single deadliest incident in the Troubles, resulting in 29 deaths. Today, the High Court granted Campbell leave to appeal his surrender on a point of law. He has 10 days to make his complaint to the Court of Appeal before his surrender in 25 days' time. The arrest warrant for Campbell stated that he allegedly organised the preparation for the smuggling of weapons in support of the terrorist grouping the Real IRA (RIRA) between the end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007. Campbell's legal team had originally objected to his surrender based on the length of time he had been subject to the warrant and had argued that he could be subjected to "inhuman or degrading treatment" in prison there. Mr Remy Farrell SC, for Campbell, had said at a previous sitting that the Lithuanian authorities were "culpable, with a capital C" over the delay, which amounted to an "abuse of process". Mr Farrell added that the remand prison of Lukiskes, in Vilnius, had closed in July of last year, that his client's bail was "hanging over him for four years" and that the delay in proceedings was "shameful". In a judgement returned on June 26, Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly, said she was satisfied that an order for the surrender of Campbell may be made. As that judgement was delivered electronically, Ms Justice Donnelly formally made the order for Campbell's surrender today (MONDAY) at the High Court. Campbell appeared in court wearing a white shirt, dark trousers and a dark jacket and only spoke "yes" to acknowledge his bail conditions. Mr Farrell, in his submission for leave to appeal today (MONDAY), successfully argued a question on a point of law on whether or not the wording of an "intention" by a foreign jurisdiction to put someone on trial was the same as putting them on trial. The Minister for Justice, represented by Mr Patrick McGrath SC, had opposed the submission for leave to appeal. Mr Justice Donnelly, granting the certificate of appeal, said that the court was "amenable" to clarity being sought as to whether an intention to put someone on trial is "coterminous" with putting them on trial. Ms Justice Donnelly said that the respondent's case was on "very nuanced matters" and that it was not "necessarily about the strength of the point in the case" but it was whether or not there was "uncertainty". The EAW had sought Campbell to prosecute him on three offences: preparation of a crime, illegal possession of firearms and terrorism. The maximum sentence for the offence of terrorism is 20 years The warrant alleges that Campbell "made arrangements, while acting in an organised terrorist group, the Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA) to acquire a substantial number of firearms and explosives from Lithuania and smuggle them into Ireland". It further alleges that during the end of 2006 to 2007 Campbell "made arrangements with Seamus McGreevy, Michael Campbell (his brother), Brendan McGuigan and other unidentified persons to travel to Lithuania for the purposes of acquiring firearms and explosives, including, automatic rifles, sniper guns, projectors, detonators, timers and trotyl [TNT]". Campbell had previously spent four years in custody in Northern Ireland during a second attempt to extradite him and was released when he succeeded in his objection that to do so would be a breach of his rights. Police move crowds away from nightlife spots in Rome. Rome's Piazza Trilussa and Piazza Bologna - two areas associated with nightlife in the capital - were sealed off temporarily over the weekend due to large crowds. Police broke up the gatherings which were in breach of Italy's social distancing rules aimed at containing the coronavirus pandemic. Rome police carried out more than 3,000 checks on the night of Saturday 11 July, focusing their attention mainly on the nightlife areas of S. Lorenzo, Trastevere, Ponte Milvio and Piazza Bologna. Piazza Trilussa. Photo Polizia Roma Capitale. Police also handed out fines for "more than 50 irregularities" relating to the consumption and sale of alcohol outside the permitted hours, reports Italian newspaper La Repubblica. Cover image: Piazza Trilussa, file photo. Credits: Stefano Guidi / Shutterstock.com. The Valletta Cruise Port has taken the current pause in the cruise business to further invest in projects with the aim of further enhancing the appearance of this iconic Maltese destination. Of note is the inauguration of a 2 million euro investment in bespoke canopy structures respecting the historic fabric of the Valletta Waterfront promenade with its nineteen historical 270-year-old warehouses, built by Grand Master Pinto at the height of Maltas baroque period where the Knights of St. John and European merchants used to unload their wares. Minister Farrugia Portelli accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of the Malta Tourism Authority Johann Buttigieg, visited the businesses along the Valletta Waterfront which like other outlets have started operating again with new systems and protocols in place, according to a press release. The Minister praised the way in which the management of the destination has turned a period of downtime into one which further strengthens the same business, whilst further improving the tourism product. The determination shown in the situation created by COVID-19 has prompted everyone involved to take up this challenge. A determination which is not new in nature as regards the Valletta Waterfront: suffice to say that since the location passed into the hands of Valletta Cruise Port in 2002, around 30 million has been invested so that today the destination, together with the fantastic appearance of the Grand Harbour, offers a welcoming first impression to the thousands of tourists who visit us on cruise ships. This 2 million investment will surely have an impact on tourists as soon as they arrive here and find this new look. We hope that we will welcome cruise ship visits again during August, commented Minister Farrugia Portelli. The new structures present an interplay between old and new, between function and context, with positive feedback about the simple lines and lightness that the new canopies afford in the venues historical setting, while being practical for the everyday activities of a multipurpose destination, according to a statement. Stephen Xuereb, CEO of Valletta Cruise Port and COO of Global Ports Holding, commented: "Over the last years, together with our projects team, our architects and our catering tenants, we have worked on developing a solution which addresses the practical needs of an outdoor destination, whilst respecting the historic and aesthetic values of our destination. Our focus remains to deliver a quality experience for all our patrons. News at 4Cs CCAPE Launches New No-Cost Employer Training Programs The Center for Corporate and Professional Education (CCAPE) at Cape Cod Community College has expanded the topics offered under their Small Business Direct Access Program grant course offerings. In addition to their Management Academy and Senior Leadership Programs, which have been enrolling since September 2019, CCAPE has added The Essentials of Supply Chain Management and Customer-First Service and Sales Academy to their list of grant funded, no-cost programs. Each of the no-cost programs are offered in a remote, instructor-led live webinar series, allowing more convenience for employers and their remote workers. These programs are a great way for employers to take advantage of high-quality, relevant no-cost training, said Tammi Jacobsen, Director of Workforce Development and Training. We especially feel as though The Essentials of Supply Chain Management and Customer-First Service and Sales Academy will have a profound impact on our employers as they go through various changes in their processes while settling into a new normal. The four offered programs are each 24-hour (8-session) instructor-led live-stream webinars. Space is limited and registration is required. For more information, to register, or to learn if your organization is eligible, contact Program Coordinator for Corporate Education, Danielle Dupuis at 508-375-5015 or email ddupuis@capecod.edu. The Small Business Direct Access Program addresses smaller-scale training needs by making training slots available in popular topics, free of charge, to eligible businesses. Businesses with 100 or fewer Massachusetts employees that contribute to the Workforce Training Fund are eligible to access free training through the Small Business Direct Access Program. Indigenous bands along the west coast of British Columbia say their borders will remain closed to tourists and non-residents, despite the economic impact, as they work to raise awareness about the threat COVID-19 poses to their communities. The Nuu-chah-nulth, the Heiltsuk Nation and the Haida Nation have all closed or restricted access to their territories and reserves. Of course its negatively impacting. But our directors have said, our chiefs have said, people before economics, said Judith Sayers, the president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, in an interview. I think everyone is slowly realizing the impact economically, but right now we just really feel that we want to protect the members first. Members of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, made up of 14 First Nations along the west coast of Vancouver Island, have deployed a variety of tactics to help ensure their borders are kept sealed from non-residents. Members of the Ahousaht First Nation, who live in the remote area of Flores Island, have deputized citizens to act as peacekeeping officers, Sayers said. The Ahousaht issued a notice on July 2 that their territory, which covers a large area of land and water north of Tofino, B.C., including provincial parks, will remain closed to tourists and non-residents as there is still no vaccine, no antiserum and no cure for COVID-19. Others, like the Tla-o-qui-aht in Tofino, stopped cars in an effort to convince them to turn around. The concern, Sayers says, lies in the ability to test and contain any potential COVID-19 outbreak. A lot of our communities are remote and testing is not easily available, she said. If youre in Port Alberni, or Nanaimo, or Victoria, or somewhere (else), you can get testing and get results in 24 hours. Its not the same with our communities. The closures have resulted in disputes between Indigenous groups and local businesses. The Haida Nation in Haida Gwaii have turned away non-residents at the ferry terminal, discouraged leisure travel and called on two local fishing lodges to rethink their reopening plans. Were such a close-knit community, I think that once we get a case of COVID, I think that itll spread like wildfire, said Duffy Edgars, the Chief Councillor of the Old Massett Village Council in Haida Gwaii. Edgars said many local fishing lodges are respecting the Haida Nations state of emergency, but is frustrated by others who want to open up. Its disrespectful, he said. These bigger (lodges) are coming in and just doing whatever they want. Leaders and representatives from the Nuu-chah-nulth, Heiltsuk and Haida all say they would like to see more co-operation from the provincial government in working with Indigenous communities. Its really frustrating, said Marilyn Slett, the chief councillor of the Heiltsuk. We have a limited amount of time here, we think, before that anticipated second or third wave so right now is the time for us to be sitting down and having those discussions so going forward were all working collaboratively together. Part of the issue, she says, lies in B.C. politicians encouraging residents to take part in interprovincial tourism. Were seeing a lot more vessel traffic on the coast, were seeing a lot more recreational boaters, and thats a really high concern for our community, said Slett. The closures many of which began in March have been felt at a variety of levels. The pandemic forced the cancellation of the Heiltsuks Spawn-on-Kelp fishery this year, an event Slett says employs 700 people and is a hugely important economic driver for the community. Certainly our community put forward the health and safety before the economic driver, she said. So our community has been hit hard. Sayers says when the pandemic first broke out and restrictions were placed on communities, First Nations were bringing in food for members so they didnt have to leave their reserves and face possible exposure at grocery stores. The Heiltsuk, Nuu-chah-Nulth and the Tsilhqotin issued a statement in late June, criticizing the provincial governments reopening plan and what they saw as a lack of dialogue with First Nations groups. All three want the province to commit to four conditions which would allow border restrictions being lifted: COVID-19 information sharing, screening, rapid testing and culturally-safe contract tracing teams. Until those are met, Slett says, she cant see Indigenous communities fully opening their borders. But the provincial government says it is committed to working with Indigenous communities. Many tourist-depending communities are now safely welcoming the gradual return of out-of-town visitors, said Sarah Plank, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. At the same time, we acknowledge some smaller and more remote communities and First Nations continue to be concerned about visitors to their communities. The government is also working on scheduling a meeting with the Nuu-chah-nulth, Tsilquotin, Heiltsuk and Haida Nations and other communities, she added. Read more about: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Apathy offers an important early warning sign of dementia in individuals with cerebrovascular disease, but depression does not, new research led by the University of Cambridge suggests. Depression is often thought to be a risk factor for dementia but this may be because some depression scales used by clinicians and researchers partially assess apathy, say scientists from the universities of Cambridge, King's College London, Radboud and Oxford. The study, published on 11 July in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry is the first to examine the relationships between apathy, depression, and dementia in individuals with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). SVD may occur in one out of three elderly individuals, causes about a quarter of all strokes, and is the most common cause of vascular dementia. The team studied two independent cohorts of SVD patients, one from the UK and the other from the Netherlands. Across both cohorts, they found that individuals with higher baseline apathy, as well as those with increasing apathy over time, had a greater risk of dementia. In contrast, neither baseline depression nor change in depression had any detectable influence on dementia risk. These findings were consistent despite variation in the severity of participants' symptoms, suggesting that they could be generalized across a broad spectrum of SVD cases. The relationship between apathy and dementia remained after controlling for other well-established risk factors for dementia including age, education, and cognition. Lead author, Jonathan Tay, from Cambridge's Department of Clinical Neurosciences said: "There has been a lot of conflicting research on the association between late-life depression and dementia. Our study suggests that may partially be due to common clinical depression scales not distinguishing between depression and apathy." Apathy, defined as a reduction in 'goal-directed behavior', is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in SVD, and is distinct from depression, which is another symptom in SVD. Although there is some symptomatic overlap between the two, previous MRI research linked apathy, but not depression, with white matter network damage in SVD. Jonathan Tay said: "Continued monitoring of apathy may be used to assess changes in dementia risk and inform diagnosis. Individuals identified as having high apathy, or increasing apathy over time, could be sent for more detailed clinical examinations, or be recommended for treatment." Over 450 participantsall with MRI-confirmed SVDrecruited from three hospitals in South London and Radboud University's Neurology Department in the Netherlands, were assessed for apathy, depression and dementia over several years. In the UK cohort, nearly 20% of participants developed dementia, while 11% in the Netherlands cohort did, likely due to the more severe burden of SVD in the UK cohort. In both datasets, patients who later developed dementia showed higher apathy, but similar levels of depression at baseline, compared to patients who did not. The study provides the basis for further research, including the mechanisms that link apathy, vascular cognitive impairment, and dementia. Recent MRI work suggests that similar white matter networks underlie motivation and cognitive function in SVD. Cerebrovascular disease, which can be caused by hypertension and diabetes, can lead to network damage, resulting in an early form of dementia, presenting with apathy and cognitive deficits. Over time, SVD-related pathology increases, which is paralleled by increasing cognitive and motivational impairment, eventually becoming severe enough to meet criteria for a dementia state. Jonathan Tay says: "This implies that apathy is not a risk factor for dementia per se, but rather an early symptom of white matter network damage. Understanding these relationships better could have major implications for the diagnosis and treatment of patients in the future." Explore further Apathy: The forgotten symptom of dementia More information: Jonathan Tay et al, Apathy, but not depression, predicts all-cause dementia in cerebral small vessel disease, Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry (2020). Jonathan Tay et al, Apathy, but not depression, predicts all-cause dementia in cerebral small vessel disease,(2020). DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-323092 OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada and the United States are still in talks on the future of a ban on non-essential travel between the two nations and will have more to say later this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday. OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada and the United States are still in talks on the future of a ban on non-essential travel between the two nations and will have more to say later this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday. The ban, introduced in March to help fight the coronavirus outbreak, has been extended several times and is due to expire on July 21. The measure does not include trade. Infections have risen rapidly in about 40 of the 50 U.S. states over the last two weeks, according to a Reuters analysis, and the premiers of some major Canadian provinces say the frontier must remain shut. "Every month we have been able to extend the border closures ... and those discussions are ongoing with the United States right now," Trudeau told a briefing, describing the situation south of the border as complex. "We will have more to say later this week, I'm sure." Last week Trudeau said Canada had handled the outbreak better than the United States, in a rare public comment on the faltering U.S. effort. The United States has recorded more than 135,000 deaths compared to 8,783 in Canada. Trudeau also said he had talked to U.S. President Donald Trump earlier on Monday and reiterated his opposition to the possible imposition of tariffs on Canadian aluminum exports. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Tom Brown) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Click here to read the full article. Welcome home, Disney World employees tell us in a controversial new ad announcing the Florida theme parks reopening. Maybe not so fast? The Orlando vacation destination opened its doors back up for the first time since March on July 11 with capacity limits and strict mask requirements, but the event was not without some fierce backlash online. The reopening occurred just ahead of the latest COVID-19 totals out of Florida, which set the record on Sunday for the most new cases in a single day reported for any state since the pandemic began, at 15,299. The ad released on July 8 encouraging parkgoers to return to Disney World inspired a series of parody videos on Twitter, with the announcements soundtrack replaced with everything from the music to the trailer for Jordan Peeles Us to the soundtrack for The Shining. The video was even repurposed into an A24 trailer, using footage and branding from the preview for Ari Asters Midsommar. The ad also inspired Twitter users to imagine what the fictional Jurassic Park might look like if it, too, were to reopen during a pandemic. Check them out, along with Disney Worlds original ad, below. More from IndieWire The Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom both reopened on Saturday in Florida, with Epcot and Disneys Hollywood Studios set to follow on July 15. Meanwhile, the Anaheim-based Disneyland has only partially reopened in California, with the Downtown Disney District welcoming back patrons on July 9. According to The Hill, as of July 8, Florida is the global epicenter for the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 270,000 confirmed cases and nearly 5,000 deaths. Disneylands grand re-opening ad but with music from THE SHINING pic.twitter.com/1pJeJJwmKf TODD SPENCE (@Todd_Spence) July 11, 2020 2020 is a Jordan Peele movie Sam Sanders (@samsanders) July 11, 2020 Disney reopening video as an A24 trailer pic.twitter.com/lOawwk2nJa Christopher Hudspeth (@CEHudspeth) July 11, 2020 Disney welcome home ad but with Midsommar trailer audio pic.twitter.com/ya2a9HC1Uf tenani (@Tenani) July 11, 2020 We are ready to welcome guests back to Jurassic Park. pic.twitter.com/kHSqTpkWSB Jurassic Park Updates (@JurassicPark2go) July 12, 2020 Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The Central Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHT) of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has arrested two Nigerians at Gomoa Pomadze on suspicion of kidnapping and human trafficking. According to Police intelligence, the suspects, Paul Okafor and Duru Favour, are said to be engaged in kidnapping and trafficking of young Nigerians to perpetrate cyber-crime activities in the Country. Briefing the Ghana News Agency (GNA), DSP Irene Oppong, Regional Police Public Relations Officer and Head of the AHTU, said 39 victims, all Nigerians in their twenties, were rescued in the process. She said on Sunday July 12, at about 1100 hours, the Winneba District Police Command, acting on information dispatched a Police Patrol team to Gomoa Pomadze, where they met a 21-year old Nigerian, Charles Ikorohk in the company of three Ghanaians. She said Ikorohk told the Police team that he arrived in the country from Nigeria on Wednesday January 22, to visit a friend but could not trace him. He said he got stranded in Accra where he met one Uzo at the Kwame Nkrumah interchange area, who later introduced him to one Arisuezo, also a Nigerian. She said Arisuezo brought Ikorohk to Winneba and kept him in a walled house together with other young men from Nigerian. According to DSP Oppong, Arisuezo prevented his captives from leaving the compound and subjected them to all forms of in-human treatment and also engaged them in cyber-crime activities. She said Charles managed to escape on Sunday July 12 about 0800 hours when he was tasked to weed the compound of the house while their supervisors went out with one of the victims to a Mobile money vendor to withdraw some cash fraudulently received. She said the Police after receiving a tip off, quickly went to the house and rescued the 39 Nigerians and arrested the suspects. Thirty-six laptops were also retrieved from the house. DSP Oppong said the owner of the house was arrested and given a Police enquiry bail while investigations were ongoing to arrest Michael Arisuezo and his other accomplices. 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 With the reopening of New Jerseys public schools less than two months away, school districts are facing plenty of big questions as they race to complete their plans to welcome 1.4 million students back to class. How many days a week will students be in class? How will bus schedules and classrooms be arranged so students stay 6 feet apart? Will schools be able to offer lunch and recess while ensuring students stay socially distant? And should teachers or students or both get COVID-19 tests to prevent outbreaks? EgyptAir will also offer discounted tickets of up to 10 percent on domestic flights in 'appreciation for the white army' EgyptAir said it will offer tickets for international destinations at a discount of up to 20 percent for the countrys medical staff in appreciation of their efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic crisis, a statement by the national airline read. According to the statement, EgyptAir will also offer discounted tickets of up to 10 percent on domestic flights in appreciation for the white army, in reference to the countrys doctors and nursing staff. Around 131 doctors have died from the pandemic, Dr Ibrahim Al-Zayat, a member of the Doctors Syndicate, said in press statements on Monday. In May, Egypts Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said that Egyptian doctors who die from coronavirus are treated as martyrs. He said that financial compensation for the doctors' families will be handled by the Fund of Medical Professions announced by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in late March. On Sunday, Egypt reported 912 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total infection tally to 82,070 since the outbreak began in February. The health ministry also reported 89 new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths from the virus to 3,858. EgyptAir resumed flights to over 29 destinations on 1 July after a three months hiatus due to the Corona virus crisis. Search Keywords: Short link: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has conferred the Hero of Ukraine title and the Order of the Gold Star on Junior Lieutenant Taras Matviiv who died in Donbas, defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The head of state signed a decree to that effect on July 13. According to the decree, the Hero of Ukraine title was awarded to Matviiv for his personal courage in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in his selfless service to the Ukrainian people. "Taras Matviiv has been at the frontline since the beginning of the war. He was a volunteer and a volunteer fighter. He began service in the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2019. During enemy shelling, the 31-year-old Taras rescued two of his comrades, helping them get to safety. Unfortunately, he was killed by an enemy mine. It is thanks to such people that Ukraine will hold up well and win. This is an example of the values of the young generations of Ukrainians who create our country. May the memory of the Hero live forever," Zelensky said. The defender will be buried on Wednesday, July 15. Matviiv died on the evening of July 10 when Russian-backed forces fired at Ukrainian positions near the village of Troitske, the Popasna district of the Luhansk region. A mine hit a dugout containing two soldiers. Matviiv pulled his comrades out of the crater and took them to a safe place. At that moment, another mine fell on the position and fatally wounded the Ukrainian defender. op A boy aged 15 has died from bubonic plague in Mongolia as dozens of people who contacted him are in isolation over the deadly disease. The fatality comes as Russia and China were warned that they are vulnerable to the spread of the Black Death. The unnamed teenager had a high fever after eating marmot meat with two friends. He died three days after eating the rodent meat, according to reports. A 15-year-old boy from Mongolia has died from the bubonic plague after eating marmot (pictured) meat. The teenager developed a high fever before passing away three days later The boy died in the western Mongolian province of Govi-Altai (pictured) according to reports His contacts have all been reached to halt the risk of the disease spreading. The bubonic plague is a bacterial disease spread by fleas living on wild rodents like marmots. It kills in less than 24 hours if not treated promptly. The boy died in the western Mongolian province of Govi-Altai, said the country's National Centre for Zoonotic Diseases (NCZD). A lockdown has been imposed in five soums or districts to stop the spread. Two cases of bubonic plague were recently confirmed in the neighbouring province of Khovd, a 27-year-old man and his brother, 17. Hundreds were vaccinated after coming into direct or indirect contact with the brothers. A couple died of bubonic plague in the western Mongolian province of Bayan-Ulgii in April 2019, after eating raw marmot meat. The country's National Centre for Zoonotic Diseases confirmed the news alongside two cases of bubonic plague in the neighbouring province of Khovd A lockdown has been imposed in five districts to stop the spread of the bubonic plague in Mongolia A confirmed case in China this month has not led to any spread, it is believed. But the Mongolian health ministry admitted that the mountainous Altai regions of China and Russia as well as Mongolia are at risk of the plague due to infected marmots, based on a new study. A TV broadcast acknowledged these were 'highly active areas of marmot epidemics'. It was 'very important not to hunt marmots' or eat the meat, said senior official Dorj Narangerel. The bubonic plague is a bacterial disease that kills in 24 hours and spreads by fleas living on wild rodents. Up to 200million people were killed by the Black Death in the 14th century He said: 'The marmot plague is very toxic. We urge you to pay special attention to the fact that the pulmonary form of the disease is just as rapid as the coronavirus infection - but it is a disease that can kill people very quickly.' Marmots are rodents and the heaviest member of the squirrel family. Up to 200million people were killed by the Black Death - bubonic plague - in the 14th century. (Support Free Thought) - Alexander, AR After George Floyds death on Memorial Day, protests encompassed the United States. During this time, the president himself promised to begin extrajudicially executing those who were suspected of looting. The looting starts, the shooting starts, Donald Trump promised. These comments seemingly empowered the police state to begin similar pushes with one cop going so far as to threaten to shoot peaceful protesters who showed up to his home through the door. On June 3, Alexander police officer Calvin Salyers, 33, shot and killed his colleague, officer Scott Hutton. He did so through the front door of his own home, just like hed promised to do a few days earlier. Alexander Training Sgt. Matt Wharton told investigators that just after the riots in Minneapolis, Salyers told him that he would shoot through the door if any protesters showed up at his home, according to a court document narrative from state police Special Agent Ryan Jacks, Arkansas Online reported. According to the documents, Wharton said he reprimanded Salyers and told him that shooting through the door would be reckless and negligent and that officers could not shoot anyone without first identifying the person as a threat. Salyers did not take this advice seriously. When officer Hutton showed up at Salyers residence on June 3, just after 7 p.m., he was there to retrieve a patrol car. However, a frightened Salyers claimed he saw a dark figure with a firearm through the peephole and opened fire instead of answering the door just as he promised to do days before. Salyers told investigators he transferred his weapon to his other hand and reached for the door handle, accidentally firing a shot through the door and hitting Hutton in the chest, according to state police Special Agent Ryan Jacks. For over a month, Salyers likely though police bought this explanation, all the while an independent investigation was taking place in the background. There was a complete investigative file, Saline County prosecutors office spokesman, Bill Sadler said. Everybody who was present was questioned. Everybody who may have had any knowledge that led up to that one hour before, two hours before, this officer went to that residence. During the investigation, officials found that Salyers had expressed his desire to shoot protesters through his door and this was used to help obtain the arrest warrant. I was actually the lead on the internal investigation, and that was part of my investigation was digging into those statements that were made, Alexander police spokeswoman Sgt. Jessica Burnett said. The accidental shooting while changing hands appears to be a falsehood as well. According to the forensics investigation, the powder residue indicated that Salyers fired the gun as he pressed it up against the door. Burnett said the idea that Salyers accidentally fired a round while switching hands is unlikely given the amount of time police officers spend training on how to handle their firearm. We qualify easily twice a year, Burnett said in regard to firearms training. Pretty much any extra training that the officers want, theyre able to go to. We dont turn down for any training. Once the facts of the case were determined, Salyers was charged with manslaughter. This charge is not nearly as serious as a murder charge, but definitely more than wed expect for a police officer. According to the Arkansas State Code, someone commits manslaughter if the person recklessly causes the death of another person. Though Salyers acted recklessly, he also allegedly did so with the intent to kill by pressing the gun to the door and firing. This manslaughter charge should be murder instead. Ultimately its the prosecuting attorney that makes that decision what elements of this investigation spell manslaughter, Sadler said. Tragically, officer Hutton was killed by one of his own and now the family of Hutton will watch the blue privilege unfold along the way. Indeed, with the manslaughter charge, they already have. What this instance also exemplifies is the trigger happy tendency of police officers. Salyers had no problem expressing his interest on killing entirely innocent people who walk up to his home. Unfortunately, he followed through with his intent and now an innocent man is dead. This example has played out many times before. In fact, earlier this year, we pointed out how every cop killed in 2019 from the NYPD died at the hands of a fellow cop. If this doesnt show you there is a problem with police violence, nothing will. The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) passed a resolution on Monday accusing the BJP of destabilising the Gehlot government by indulging in horse-trading of MLAs. The Congress also condemned all "undemocratic" acts to weaken the Congress party and its government and demanded action against any Congress office-bearers involved in anti-party activities. Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Monday unanimously passed a resolution supporting Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led government and accusing the BJP of destabilising the government by indulging in horse-trading of MLAs. The CLP also condemned all undemocratic acts to weaken Congress party and its government and demanded action against any Congress office-bearers involved in anti-party activities. Feared by exemplary works and public service of Congress government, BJP-led conspiracy is trying to destabilise Congress state government, horse-trading of MLAs and trying to murder democracy by using money and political power, read the resolution. It is unfortunate that BJP did not learn lessons from the defeat in the Rajya Sabha elections and are trying to destabilise Congress government using corrupt means. This ripping off of democracy by BJP is an insult to 8 crore people of Rajasthan, they will not accept it. CLP meet expresses its confidence in Congress President Sonia Gandhi and leader Rahul Gandhi, and unanimously supports the government led by Ashok Gehlot, it said. Also Read: Rajasthan Political Crisis: Ashok Gehlot, Congress MLAs flash victory sign Also Read: Gehlot govt issues whip to MLAs for CLP meeting today This meet urges that strict disciplinary action be taken against any office-bearer or member of Legislative Party who indulges in activities against the Congress government, party or gets involved in any conspiracy, read the resolution. As many as 107 MLAs attended the CLP meeting, which begun in the afternoon and now has been concluded. 107 MLAs are present at the CLP meeting in Jaipur, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlots media advisor confirmed. The crisis in Rajasthan Congress intensified with Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot at loggerheads. While Gehlot is blaming BJP for trying to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs, Pilot is camping in Delhi to speak to the party leadership regarding the political turmoil in the state. BJP has claimed that the Ashok Gehlot-led government has lost the majority in the state. Sachin Pilot was the rightful candidate for the post of Rajasthan Chief Minister but Ashok Gehlot took the charge; a conflict in the party began since then. What is happening today is the result of that conflict. The state government has lost the majority, Rajasthan BJP President Satish Punia said today. Also Read: Sachin Pilot has support of 30 Congress MLAs, independents : Sources For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Majority Think Canada Should Take a More Aggressive Approach to Secure Release of Two Michaels: Poll More than half of Canadians think Canada should take a more aggressive approach in trying to get Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor released from detention in China, a new poll finds. The Nanos Research poll, commissioned by CTV News and the Globe and Mail, also found that two-thirds of respondents think the Meng Wanzhou case should be decided by the courts rather than exchanging the Huawei executive for the two Michaels in a prisoner swap. Asked which approach Canada should pursue when it comes to trying to secure the release of Kovrig and Spavor, 53 percent said Canada should take more aggressive actions such as blocking Chinese companies from buying Canadian firms or denying entry to Chinese government officials and their families from living or studying in Canada. Thirty-six percent said Canada should focus on diplomatic efforts, six percent thought Canada should ask the United States to intervene, and six percent were unsure. Canadas default position all along has been to focus on diplomacy because we are a middle power, said Nik Nanos, the president of Nanos Research. Usually being tough with super powers is not part of the Canadian DNA, but it looks in this current environment that Canadians are at the point where they would be supportive of the government being much more aggressive with the Chinese. According to the poll, which surveyed 1,049 Canadians between June 28 and July 2, more than 40 percent of respondents oppose exchanging the Huawei executive for Kovrig and Spavor, 16 percent somewhat oppose, and just 16 percent support or somewhat support. When it comes to Mengs extradition, 68 percent say it should be decided by the court rather than the government, while 22 percent think the government could make the decision and percent are unsure. We can see Canadians are open to everything from blocking [Chinese] transactions to stopping travel of Chinese officials to Canada, says Nanos. Any kind of political deal would probably not be well-received. The preference would be to focus on the courts and the rule of law. A similar poll by Angus Reid released in May found that not only two-thirds of Canadians say the case should play out in the courts, but 81 percent say Chinese goods should be boycotted in Canada in response to the detention of Kovrig and Spavor. On June 19, Beijing filed charges against former diplomat Kovrig for spying on state secrets and intelligence, while Spavor, a businessman, was charged with spying and illegally providing state secrets. The two men were detained in December 2019, shortly after Mengs arrest in Vancouver on a U.S. warrant relating to multiple charges, including bank fraud and violating U.S. sanctions against Iran. On June 23, 19 former federal cabinet ministers, parliamentarians, and diplomats issued an open letter urging the federal government to intervene in the extradition case against Meng in exchange for the release of Kovrig and Spavor, but the idea was rejected by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said such a move could endanger Canadians abroad. Former prime minister Brian Mulroney. (The Canadian Press/Paul Daly) Earlier this month, former prime minister Brian Mulroney urged the Trudeau government to undertake an immediate and urgent rethink on relations with China, while suggesting Canada should ban Huawei from the countrys 5G networks. You can see it everywhere from the South China Sea to our two citizens who were bundled off to jail for no reason at all except to protest an extradition decision in Vancouver, Mulroney said in an interview with the Globe and Mail. There has to be an immediate and urgent rethink of our entire relationship. Get it done. Come up with a rethink of what our relationship should be with China. The world has changed, he said. A poll conducted in mid-June by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute indicates 80 percent of Canadians think Ottawa should speak out more strongly against Chinas human rights abuses and defiance of international rules, with 40 percent saying the government should speak up a lot more. "Don't shut her down! Don't shut her down!" Anti-mask activists in Florida over the weekend took their campaign to this grilled cheese bar in Windermere - a town just outside Orlando - where the state's Department of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco served the owner with a warning. "Are you taking this woman's alcohol license from her today?" "This is America!" "This is the United States!" "We are not a Communist nation!" "This is not Communist China!" 33 & Melt has become a focal point of tension since owner Carrie Hudson said she would not require customers to wear masks, after county officials mandated the use of masks in public. These anti-mask activists organized the gathering at 33 & Melt, with a promise of 100 free meals for customers who come without any masks. "All she is doing is standing up for the rights of people to make their own medical decisions." The demonstration here highlighted one major challenge Florida and other states face, as coronavirus cases soar in the U.S. Florida reported more than 15,000 new cases in just 24 hours on Sunday, breaking New York's record of close to 13,000 new cases on April 10. Florida's record spike was reported a day after Walt Disney World in Orlando reopened with a limited number of guests, who were required to wear masks and have their temperatures checked. But about 12 miles away from the theme park, these activists say wearing a mask infringes upon their individual freedom. "How I view it is, everyone's health care decisions are their own." But the country's top public health officials have urged the use of masks to slow the spread of the virus, which has killed more than 135,000 Americans. In addition to the record number of new cases in Florida on Sunday, more than four dozen hospitals in Florida reported that their intensive care units are completely full due to a surge in COVID-19 patients. Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: The 81-year-old Hyderabad-based poet and activist Varavara Rao, who is accused in the Elgar Parished case has been shifted to Sir JJ hospital due to his deteriorating health. Rao family along with several writers and activists had asked the Maharashtra government to immediately shift the ailing revolutionary. Dr Ranjeet Mankeshwar, Dean of Sir JJ hospital confirmed that Rao has been brought to the hospital and the doctors are evaluating his health. Raos wife, Hemalatha, and daughters, Sahaja, Anala and Pavana, were worried about his health after a phone call with him on last Saturday. His wife Hemlata said, her husband appeared to be in a state of delirium and hallucination, as he was talking about the funeral of his father and mother, the events that happened seven decades and four decades ago respectively. His co-prisoner took the phone from him and informed us that he is not able to walk, go to the toilet and brush his teeth on his own, she said demanding immediate medical help and release from the prison. Earlier in a today, Jitendra Awhad, NCP minister in Maharashtra also demanded that Rao be shifted to a hospital. In his tweet, Awhad had said, We are extremely worried about Varvara Rao's health condition. His possession is under Home Ministry of Central Government and not under the Maharashtra Government. We appeal to the Central Government to urgently shift him to a hospital, he said tagging to Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh. Varavara Rao is lodged in Taloja jail in Mumbai. Rao was earlier admitted to Sir JJ hospital after a complaint of giddiness but later he was discharged. The jail authority in Taloja refused to admit that Rao is unwell and need urgent medical help. The governor of Florida has been heckled at a Miami press conference where he stressed that the coronavirus pandemic was under control. As Ron DeSantis began his remarks, a young man began to heckle him, yelling, 'People are dying, and you are doing nothing!' The heckler continued: 'You are falsifying information, and you are misleading the public. 'More than 4,000 people have died, and you are blaming the protesters, and you are doing nothing! Shame on you!' DeSantis continued to talk over the heckler as he was removed from the room. Ron DeSantis was heckled on Monday afternoon at a press conference in Miami The heckler was escorted out of the room, yelling: 'Shame on you!' Thomas Kennedy boasted about heckling Governor DeSantis, and posted the video online Kennedy, an activist with United We Dream, posted the footage of himself heckling DeSantis The heckler, Thomas Kennedy, boasted about the incident on Twitter. Kennedy is an activist with United We Dream, an immigrant youth-led organization. DeSantis, a Republican former naval officer and federal prosecutor, has come under fire for Florida's exploding number of coronavirus cases. A strong ally of Donald Trump, DeSantis wholeheartedly endorsed the president's push to reopen quickly. On Monday the Florida Department of Health reported the second-highest number of test results received in one day, with 12,624 positive test results and 35 deaths reported to the state in the previous 24 hours. Florida had more new cases confirmed on Monday than all of Europe combined. Nearly half of Florida's intensive-care units were at least 90 per cent full on Thursday, and more than one in five completely full, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. 'Miami is now the epicenter of the pandemic,' said Lilian Abbo, an infectious-disease specialist from the University of Miami Health System. 'What we were seeing in Wuhan six months ago, now we're there.' Kennedy was escorted out of the room after yelling at the Florida governor Florida smashed its previous record number of coronavirus cases on Sunday, reporting more than 15,000 new positive tests (far right; data for Monday not yet shown) Despite the steep rise in coronavirus cases in Florida, the number of daily deaths has continued to decline Carlos Gimenez, the Republican mayor of Miami-Dade County, confirmed on Monday there were 2,000 people in hospital; 400 in ICU wards; and 200 on ventilators. He said the positivity rate for COVID tests in his region was now over 25 per cent. Gimenez has instituted a 10pm curfew 'to try and drive the rate down', he said. 'We do not want to overload the Miami-Dade hospitals,' he said. 'We have to follow the rules, please. We can drive the level of contagion down. It's up to us to reduce the level, to protect each other, and to protect the economy. 'Because if we don't, we'll have to take additional measures and roll back some of the opening we had.' Despite the record-breaking rise in cases, Florida beaches were crowded last weekend Miami Beach was packed on Sunday, with huge crowds taking to the sandy shores The latest positivity rate for the entire state was 11.5 per cent, a drop from the nearly 20 per cent last week. There are now a total of 282,435 Florida cases confirmed, with 4,277 deaths related to COVID-19, the state health department said. Last week, the state hit a new high death toll, but its daily fatalities remain far lower than the numbers seen in New York when it was the pandemic's epicenter. Despite that somewhat encouraging shift, the U.S. remains the worst-hit country in the world, with more than 3.3 million coronavirus cases and more than 135,000 deaths. Hospitals in Miami-Dade County are now approaching capacity as coronavirus threatens to flood the healthcare system. Stockpiles of remdesivir, the only antiviral drug shown to help coronavirus patients recover more quickly, are dwindling in Florida, leaving some hospitals in the state with no effective treatments for their patients. Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo offered to send one day's worth of the medication to Florida. The small shipment was enough to treat 280 patients and act as a stopgap for Florida on Saturday, while the state was awaiting the delivery of remdesivir from the federal government. DeSantis said that he had personally secured the new supply of the antiviral from Trump, after vehemently denying that the state needed assistance from New York. DeSantis insisted on Monday that, statewide, there was plenty of hospital capacity remaining Cars are seen in line as the drivers wait to be tested for COVID-19 on Sunday in Miami Beach On Saturday 144,000 people were tested, he said. 'The whole United States was probably not doing 144,000 tests in March,' he said. On Monday afternoon he said about 85 per cent of those who were being tested had negative results. 'We think we have stabilized - we think we are heading in the right direction,' he said. 'As you've seen more cases, we've also seen the fatality rate decline. 'At the moment it's around 1.5 per cent - that's a fraction of the national average, at about 4 per cent, and in some states it's 5-6 per cent.' DeSantis said the testing labs were 'backed up', with a seven day delay in processing tests. He said they were increasing the capacity for testing. But he said 'there are a lot of beds available' in the state's hospitals. He said 100 people have been directed to work in Miami-Dade hospitals, out of 1,000 mobilized so far. A further 1,000 are being mobilized. 'Personnel is the number one thing I've heard from our medical professionals, so we are delivering.' Carlos Migoya, the CEO and president of Jackson Health System, said his staff were under intense pressure. 'We are entering our fifth month of having COVID patients, and that makes it very, very difficult for all our employees - especially the healthcare workers dealing with this on a daily basis,' he said. 'We have seen a dramatic increase in the number of patients. 'Two three weeks ago, it was around 200 in ICUs. Now it is 400.' He said they were coping with the additional demand by reducing the number of non-essential surgeries. Florida's Republican leadership - the governor and mayor of Miami-Dade - have been strongly criticized by the state's Democrats for not doing enough. 'I hope that the governor and mayor will come to their senses and work with all of us to act quickly,' said Miami-Dade Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, whom Gimenez hopes to challenge as the Republican nominee in Florida's 26th Congressional District. 'At best, we have a hole in our leadership at the state level and at the federal level,' Democratic state Sen. Oscar Braynon said. 'A coordinated effort between federal, state and local leaders would have stopped us from breaking the COVID case record yesterday.' Bhiwani (Haryana): Amid tight security, ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal, whose alleged suicide over one rank, one pension triggered a political storm, was on Thursday cremated in his native village in Haryana which was flocked by political leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Grewals eldest son Dilawar lit the pyre at around noon in the presence of a large number of people who had gathered from nearby areas in Bamla, 20 kms away from Bhiwani. The 70-year-old ex-serviceman, who was a former sarpanch of his village, committed suicide by consuming poison at a park in New Delhi on Tuesday evening. The incident snowballed into a political row yesterday with the Congress Vice President, Kejriwal and other opposition leaders attacking the Modi government on the issue while there was high drama that continued late into the night after police detained and prevented them from entering a hospital in Delhi where Grewals body was kept. Also read: As it happened Tight security arrangements were on Thursday in view of the events in New Delhi. Rahul, who travelled by road, spent a few minutes with the grieving family members of Grewal. He had to jostle with the crowd to reach the family members of Grewal as slogans of Ram Kishan amar rahe rented the air. Other Congress leaders including former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana Congress President Ashok Tanwar, Leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Kiran Chaudhary, Selja and Kuldip Bishnoi werea also present. Also read: In audio: 'I lived for my country', Ram Kishan Grewal told his son before committing suicide Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Randeep Singh Surjewala and TMCs Derek O Brien also reached the village. Kejriwal, who was detained for four hours by Delhi Police last night from Lady Hardinge Hospital when he tried to meet the kin of ex-serviceman, was also among those present at the cremation of Grewal. BJP MPs Rattan Lal Kataria and Dharambir Singh and Haryana minister Krishna Lal Panwar were among those who spent some time with the family members of the deceased and later left the venue. Police said Grewal along with some other ex-servicemen was in the process of submitting a memorandum to the Defence Ministry over the issue of OROP. According to his friends, Grewal had been upset over the issue for some time. Grewal had gone to Delhi with three of his friends from Bhiwani in the intervening night of October 31 and November 1. On Tuesday evening, he allegedly consumed poisonous tablets. One of his friends called the police at 100 and the police personnel immediately took him to RML hospital. Unfortunately, he died after a few hours, police said. In his last phone conversation with his son Pradeep, Grewal said injustice is being done with jawans. I wanted to fight this (OROP) battle...now it is up to the jawans what they do, he said. Subedar Grewals suicide has been used by the opposition parties to accuse the Modi government of failing to implement the OROP, an issue which remained pending for about 40 years during the Congress regime. Grewal is survived by his widow, five sons and two daughters. He served in the Army for six years in the Infantry Battalion and then served the Defence Security Force for 31 years. He retired in 2004 after attaining Subedar rank. He became Sarpanch of the village in 2006. One of his sons is Havildar in army and the eldest son is in Haryana police. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. PRIs Manuka Honey contains unique antibacterial properties that set it apart as natures true wonder food. At PRI, we deliver the purest, highest quality products that help support a healthy body. Pacific Resources International (PRI), a pioneer in genuine Manuka Honey fine foods, wellness, and body care products sourced from New Zealand and Australia, today announced the launch of new Manuka Honey products kissed with citrus: Lemon Twist Manuka Multifloral Honey, available in two sizes and Lemon Twist Manuka Honey Sticks. 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Visit http://www.ShopPRI.com or connect with PRI on Instagram. SAVE the BEE - Helping the honeybee at home! A percentage of PRIs honey sales go toward the SAVE the BEE Foundation. Join us and together we can increase awareness to the plight of our honeybees by assisting SAVE the BEE raise funds for critical research. - SaveTheBee.org U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich deserve a round of applause for introducing legislation to add segments of the Gila and San Francisco rivers to the nations Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The language of the bill provides permanent protection for just under 450 miles of these rivers in southwestern New Mexico, ensuring they will remain in their free-flowing conditions for generations to come. As a native New Mexican, I know how much these rivers mean to the people of this state. Silver City and other nearby communities have long relied on access to the Gila River to maintain a traditional way of life. Look to evidence of Mogollon settlements here dating to 9500 B.C., or the history of the Fort Sill Apaches relationship to the river, which persists to this day, and its clear the Gila River has always been an integral part of the communities that call the region home. A Wild and Scenic designation guarantees that the identified segments will remain as they are today, allowing the adjacent communities to continue their traditional uses of the rivers. Love for the Gila and San Francisco rivers stretches beyond Grant County, however. Providing opportunities for solace and outdoor recreation, these rivers attract visitors from Albuquerque and across New Mexico every year. Kayakers, anglers, campers, hikers and more cherish these waters, and these visitors provide a steady flow of income for small businesses in the area. Data from the recently formed New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division reveal that outdoor recreation generates $1.2 billion for the states economy annually. Businesses in Silver City ranging from Morning Star Sports, a local outfitter, to Javalina Coffee House have adamantly signaled their support for Wild and Scenic designations because they know outdoor enthusiasts help keep their doors open. In addition to the two small businesses mentioned above, more than 150 Grant County businesses are supportive of this legislation, as are tribes, faith leaders, civic organizations, local governments, sportsmen and women, and countless others. Sens. Udall and Heinrich did what good elected leaders do: They listened to their constituents and used the powers of their offices to meet their needs. During my time as mayor of Albuquerque, I placed an emphasis on the production of clean energy and its conservation because I know New Mexicos natural beauty is our calling card. Leaders must be environmentally conscious and push initiatives that sustain our landscapes for the sake of future generations of New Mexicans. Protecting the Gila and San Francisco rivers as Wild and Scenic is a great way to do just that, preserving critical ecosystems in one of the most beautiful sections of the state. The introduction of the Wild and Scenic legislation comes at a critical time, as New Mexicans are longing to get outside after all the stress and disruption caused by the current global pandemic. I urge all New Mexicans to listen to the advice of public health experts and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and stay home as much as possible for now. Mask up! However, when it is finally safe to move about the state freely again, I hope all residents of this great state will get a chance to enjoy the wild Gila and San Francisco rivers. Martin Chavez is a board member with the national nonprofit conservation group, American Rivers. File Photo Chandigarh: The Health & Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu today inaugurated three newly constructed Mai Daultan Mother & Child Healthcare (MCH) Hospitals at Tarntaran, Bham & Fatehfarh Churian. Equipped with the all modern facilities, these hospitals have been constructed to provide the quality healthcare services to mothers and new born children near to their residences. Advertisement PhotoDisclosing this here today, Sidhu said that in addition to the several initiatives taken to slowdown the spread of Covid-19, the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh led Punjab Government was continuously working on the war footing to further strengthening the health infrastructure across the State. He said that the construction of 26 Mai Daultan MCH Hospitals have already been completed out of total 37 Hospitals, while remaining 11 hospitals would be completed within a year. He said that to mark 550th Parkash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the Punjab Government decided to name MCH Hospitals setting up in the state after the name of Mai Daultan, who took care of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji at the time of his birth. Advertisement Photo The Health Minister said that construction of 11 Mai Daultan MCH hospitals is in progress which was being set up at Sangrur, Nakodar, Moga, Fatehgarh Sahib, Goniana, Malout, Giddarbaha, Phagwara, Kharar, Budhlada & Jagraon. Sidhu further said that now under Mission Fateh to defeat Corona virus, the war is being fought on a large scale. He appealed to the people to take precautionary measures for the success of Mission Fateh and also educating others about wearing masks, washing hands, downloading COVA app and maintaining social distance. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, said his country, in cooperation with its partners, is calling for the resumption of oil production in Libya as soon as possible, stressing the importance of guarantees to prevent dwindling oil revenues from prolonging and fueling the Libyan conflict New Delhi, July 13 : The Delhi University has informed the Delhi High Court that the online Open Book Examination (OBE) for final year students of all undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including School of Open Learning (SOL) and Non Collegiate Women's Education Board (NCWEB), will commence from August 17. In its affidavit filed before the court, the Delhi University has stated that the examinations would begin on August 17 and conclude on September 8. "For such students who are unable to appear in the examinations in OBE mode remotely, it has been decided to conduct an additional phase of examinations through online/offline/blended mechanism, for the purpose of providing another opportunity to the students," the DU said in its affidavit. In its more than 160-page affidavit, the varsity informed the court that it would be conducting mock tests in two phases in order to make the students familiar with the OBE mode. While the first phase of the mock tests would be held from July 31 to August 4, the second phase would be held from August 8 to August 12. There would be three sessions of mock tests per day in both the phases. The university also made it clear that the facilities available in the colleges and the departments of the university will be made accessible to the students belonging to the persons with disabilities (PWD) category in general, and visually impaired (VI) in particular, so that the ICT infrastructure is available to the students with prior information during the scheduled examinations in OBE mode to be conducted remotely. "Preparation will also be made for the conduct of another additional round of examinations (in online/ offline / blended mode) for those students who are unable to take the examinations to be held from August 17," the affidavit said. Evaluation of answer sheets would begin from the first week of September and will continue till the first week of October. "The university will make best efforts to declare the results expeditiously. However, depending upon the number of students appearing for the OBE, it is expected that the declaration of results for different courses shall start from the first week of October and conclude latest by November 30," the varsity said. The said affidavit has been filed in a batch of petitions led by one Anup, challenging the seeking of cancellation of examinations in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the last hearing, a division bench of the high court presided over by Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad had directed the Delhi University to draw up a plan for conducting examinations for final year students. As the fight to curb the spread of the Coronavirus rages on, RB Nigeria, through its brands, Dettol and Jik, has donated hygiene products to the Federal Ministry of Health. This move is part of its global project Fight for Access Fund, which aims to improve access to health, hygiene and nutrition for all. The donated items have a combined market value of N65 million. According to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 dashboard, as of Tuesday 30, June 2020, Nigeria is the 3rd country in Africa with the most infected number of Nationals, and as the number of cases continues to rise in Nigeria, there is a need for more hygiene products for use in homes, hospitals and public places. Donated items to the Federal Ministry of Health were hygiene products such as Antiseptic, Disinfectants, Dettol soaps, Jik bleach, full Personal Protective Equipments (PPE), and 100 mobile hand wash units to be installed at locations advised by the ministry of health. The donations were presented by representatives of RB at the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja. The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, on receiving the items thanked RB for the donations, stating You have been in business for five decades, which tells us you know the health history of Nigeria. He further added that The need for hygiene cannot now be any more emphasized. What you have brought here will go a long way. We will distribute it to our agencies. Well take an inventory of all of it and declare it to the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19. Commenting on the donation, the General Manager, RB Nigeria Health, Dayanand Sriram, said; RBs purpose is to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We are delighted to support the Federal Ministry of Health and also to play our part in stemming the effects of the pandemic in Nigeria. We will continue to support the Federal and State Governments, as well as the health authorities efforts in the fight against COVID-19. READ ALSO: He further added, We have a critical role to play in promoting hygiene, and Dettol has been supporting the Governments effort through its School Hygiene and New Mums education programmes over the past 7 years. Also speaking on this, the Country Manager, RB Hygiene West Africa, Asif Hashimi said, For decades, Jik has been a popular feature in Nigerian homes and hospitals and known for very effective surface cleaning and laundry for up to 99.9% germ-kill. This is a critical time, and this contribution is in line with Jiks long term mission of helping Nigerian households maintain good hygiene and a clean environment that helps to curb the spread of infectious diseases caused by germs. Over the past months, as part of its contribution to curb the spread of COVID-19, Dettol and Jik have supported State Governments and UNAIDS with a range of Public hygiene education, disinfection of public areas, and donation of hygiene products worth millions of Naira. ANN ARBOR, MI - Student government representatives from the University of Michigans graduate school have filed an amicus brief supporting a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement for a policy saying international students must take in-person classes this fall or face being deported. Rackham Student Government is one of 19 student government bodies signing the brief filed Monday, July 13, in Massachusetts District Court. The brief was filed on behalf of all those students whose voices might not otherwise be heard, providing anonymous examples of how students at UM would be adversely impacted by the policy, Rackham Student Government President Sarah Jane Bork said. The full brief can be read here. There is no Rackham Student Government without our international students, Bork said. We wanted to make sure students stories were heard on the issue. Last week, UM joined other universities, including Harvard and MIT, in suing ICE. UM President Mark Schlissel denounced the policy, which states the U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools or programs that are completely online. Students in those kinds of programs must depart from the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status, the policy reads. UM has planned a mixture of in-person and online classes for the fall that allows for international students to study on the Ann Arbor campus, as well as students outside the country to take UM classes online, Schlissel said in a statement. If students find themselves in this situation, they must leave the country or take alternative steps to maintain their nonimmigrant status such as a reduced course load or appropriate medical leave, the policy states. According to UM, there were 7,271 non-resident alien students at UM in fall 2019, almost 1,000 more than in fall 2015. Schlissel said international students should not be penalized if the universitys best judgment dictates that UM returns to fully remote instruction. The policy states students at schools like UM that are adopting hybrid models will be allowed to take more than one class or three credit hours online. The schools must certify that the program is not entirely online, the student is not taking an entirely online course load this semester and the student is taking the minimum number of online classes required to make normal progress in their degree program, the policy says. If schools must switch to all online classes, they must update their information within 10 days of the change. This would mean international students would have to leave the country if all of their courses are online. READ MORE: UM, EMU presidents denounce restrictions for international students University of Michigan joins lawsuit against ICE policy, officials say 8 things to know about the University of Michigans plans for in-person classes in 2020-21 University of Michigan will offer in-person classes for fall semester As the political crisis intensified in Rajasthan following deputy chief minister Sachin Pilots revolt against the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, the Income Tax department on Monday conducted raids on three business groups and individuals allegedly linked to the aides of Gehlot, people familiar with the development said. One of the persons whose premises were searched by the I-T sleuths includes Rajiv Arora of Amrapali Jewels, who is also the Vice President of Rajasthan Congress. According to an official familiar with development - the main allegations against Aroras company - the group is that a substantial part of its silver jewellery business is carried out outside the regular books of accounts. The company has business of trading of silver/gold jewellery and antique silver articles and has associate enterprises in various other countries like UK, USA etc., as well as properties and bank accounts in these countries. The I-T teams also raided - Om Kothari Group, which has engineering, construction, real estate, automotive dealership, manufacturing and other business interests as well as a third company - Mayank Sharma Enterprises. It is suspected that Mumbai-based Mayank Sharma Enterprises owns a hotel and one of its main investors Ratan Kant Sharma - has close association with Vaibhav Gehlot, son of Ashok Gehlot. In fact, officials said, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing transactions of Rs 96 crore allegedly received by Sharma from Mauritius. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had alleged in 2013 that a Mauritius-based company had purchased the shares, having value of Rs 100, of Trion Hotels and Resorts of Sharma, at an absurd amount of Rs 40,000 each while seeking a probe into the involvement of Vaibhav Gehlot. In all, 20 places were searched by at least 80 I-T sleuths in Jaipur, Mumbai, Delhi and Kota, officials said. The probe, they said, pertains to tax evasion and some benami transactions and raids were conducted after examining several documents over a period of time. A finance ministry officer, requesting anonymity, said Raids are being conducted by the income-tax departments field formations based on inputs related to tax evasion. Such raids take place only after prolonged investigations and after finding discrepancies in the company or individuals tax returns. So, allegations of politically-motivated raids hold no ground. In fact, those indulging in tax evasion often term such raids as motivated to cover up their illegal activities. Tax evasion is a criminal activity and the law is same for everyone unscrupulous companies or individuals - irrespective of their political affiliations. The Congress questioned the timing of raids while targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah. The frontal departments of the BJP I-T and ED have come out in the field. When will CBI come? Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted while taking a dig at the government. He added that such raids will not topple the Congress government in Rajasthan. Om Kotharis flagship company Om Metals Infraprojects Ltd, is listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and specializes in executing turnkey contracts for infrastructure projects covering power, roads, irrigation and real estate, according to the group website. Officials cited above said that the company was raided in connection with transactions related to a contract given to it to build a dam in Rajasthan. Interestingly, Om Metals joint managing director Sunil Kothari was raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in November 2017 in connection with the VVIP chopper AgustaWestland scam. When contacted, a representative at Om Metals main office in Pushp Vihar, Saket said, I-T officials are still here. He, however, was not authorized to talk to the media. The COVID-19 pandemic hasnt stopped the developer of the new Phillipsburg Antique Mall from moving closer to opening up his new venture in Warren County. Daniel Risis has turned the old Bell & Howell Building, a warehouse at 340 Anderson St. in Phillipsburg, into the mall -- call it PAM for short. Risis owns the Perfect Pawn shops in New Jersey, as well as Tobys Cup in Lopatcong Township. Some glimpses of his new business can be seen on the malls Facebook page, with its wood floors, high ceilings and exposed brick walls. The actual building is an antique, he said. About 48 vendors from the popular Black Rose Antiques & Collectibles began moving over in the past few weeks, relocating after the store in the Phillipsburg Mall closed at the end of March. There are 85 vendor stalls total at PAM. All the vendor spots upstairs have been filled and there is a waiting list, Risis said. Risis is waiting on a variance approval from the town, but is anticipating a soft opening in August for businesses/private clients, with a grand opening for the fall. Private clients can register at fleamarketoutlet.com. Risis is still planning a flea market setup in the lower level, but current plans would move it outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moving antiques from the Phillispburg Mall to the new location began when Gov. Phil Murphy allowed nonessential construction to restart in May, he said. It wasnt right away, it took some time, Risis said. Each vendor had very different requirements. ... Every person has different inventory. It was a very delicate process. Risis, who lives in Essex County, said Tobys hot dogs fried in oil and loaded with mustard, onions and pickle spears will also be at the antique mall, as well as a health food vendor to provide some culinary balance. The goal is the feel of markets Risis experienced as a young boy. He said his parents were poor, and started a jewelry kiosk at Peddlers Square in Newark. Risis remembers the plethora of experiences running around, talking to vendors who were supporting their families and the customers looking for unique items. There was so much texture, so much to feel, and thats lost in corporate retail, he said. Have you ever gone to Target and asked for help? Its awful. ... Its so important for me to do this right. Mayor Todd Tersigni said the town is looking forward to working with Risis. We are a business-friendly community. We welcome him with open arms, the mayor said. The antique mall will be a huge draw for the town, which is also seeing new businesses coming, including a CVS, two bakeries and a Shammy Shine car wash. Theres interest and speculation, the town perception is changing for the better, Tersigni said. This administration is committed to move the Town of Phillipsburg into the present and into the future. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. 2 suspects arrested in connection with blast outside Hafiz Saeed's house in Pak 26/11: As India grieved, Saeed grew in Pak, while Lakhvi fathered a child in jail Pakistan restores bank accounts of Hafiz Saeed International oi-Vicky Nanjappa Islamabad, July 13: Pakistan has restored the bank accounts of the outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his four top aides, a media report said on Sunday. Saeed, a UN-designated terrorist whom the US has placed a USD 10 million bounty on, was arrested on July 17 last year in the terror financing cases. He was sentenced to 11 years in jail by an anti-terrorism court in February this year in two terror financing cases. Lashkar boss Hafiz Saeed may walk out of jail post FATF meet He is lodged at the Lahore's high-security Kot Lakhpat jail. Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, Haji M Ashraf, Yahya Mujahid and Zafar Iqbal - all on the UN Security Council's terrorists list - were the other members of the JuD and Lashkar-e-Taiba who got their bank accounts restored, The News reported. They are currently facing sentences ranging 1 to 5 years in Lahore jail for terror financing cases filed against them by the Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), the paper said. "The restoration of bank accounts has taken place following formal approval of the Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council," the paper said. Citing sources, the paper said that the JuD leaders had appealed United Nations for restoring their bank accounts that they could run their family affairs. "Initially we did not want to file an appeal but we were advised to file it as it was difficult for our leaders to run their affairs," a senior JuD leader was quoted as saying by the paper. These leaders in their request to the government of Pakistan had also mentioned about their financial income and sources of earning. The same was forwarded to the UNSC along their bank account numbers and other related details, it added. Conviction of Hafiz an important step towards holding LeT accountable: US Saeed-led JuD is the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. Rajasthan political crisis: Congress ready to talk to Sachin Pilot| Oneindia News The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. He was listed under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. His bank accounts were frozen by the Pakistani government complying with the UNSC resolution. One of the largest wild birds ever seen in the UK has been spotted roosting in the Peak District National Park. The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said it was only the second time a bearded vulture has been seen in Britain, after another raptor was seen on Dartmoor in 2016. Eager birdwatchers gathered to catch a glimpse of the two-year-old bird of prey, which had flown to the UK from the Alps where the endangered species has been reintroduced. 'It's incredibly rare and so impressive,' Tim Birch, from the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said. 'It's without a doubt one of the biggest birds ever seen in the wild here.' The bird of prey was photographed by Indy Kiemel Greene, 15, who woke up at 2am on Sunday and underwent a 90-minute hike to reach the area the bird had been seen. Birdwatchers from across the country have gathered to take pictures of the bearded vulture (above) Pete Garrity, 58, ventured to Howden Moor near Sheffield to photograph the rare bird 'It was absolutely unforgettable,' he told the BBC. 'There were about 100 people watching it and we were all so pleased. When I saw it I almost dropped my camera. 'We watched it for five hours and it was so chill. It was definitely worth it.' Pete Garrity, 58, also ventured to Howden Moor near Sheffield to photograph the rare bird. 'It's a unique experience to see a bird like that in this country. It was very exciting - it made my mouth go dry,' he said. The full-grown raptor has a wingspan of 10 feet, larger than a golden eagle, and is the second of its species to be seen in the UK after another was spotted on Dartmoor in 2016. Bearded vultures were originally native to almost all mountains in Eurasia, and there are strong stocks in the Himalayas and Central Asia still today. The bearded vulture, pictured left and right, flew to the UK from the Alps, where numbers have risen since successful reintroduction schemes began in 1986 The raptor, only spotted once before in the UK, boasts an impressive 10-foot wingspan The bird of prey was common in the Alps in the 18th century, but due to its size, appearance and reputation as a 'bloodthirsty vulture' it was hunted for high bounties There is also a separate subspecies which lives in the mountains of eastern and southern Asia, but the population is decreasing dramatically in many regions globally. The bird of prey was common in the Alps in the 18th century, but due to its size, appearance and reputation as a 'bloodthirsty vulture' it was hunted for high bounties. This led to dwindling populations in the mountains, and the Bearded Vulture Reintroduction Project was ultimately founded to protect populations. Birds brought up in captivity are taken at the age of 90 to 100 days and transported to protected reintroduction zones. The first reintroduction took place in 1986 in the Austrian Hohe Tauern National Park. The project has since spread across the Alpine region, with reintroductions taking place in France and Switzerland. Some 204 bearded vultures had been successfully released in the Alps up to 2015. The bird - one of the biggest ever seen in the UK - flew nearly 1,000 miles from the Alps to the Peak District National Park. Its been over two years since a slate of insurgent candidates took on the eight former members of the Independent Democratic Conference breakaway Democrats who shared power with Republicans and kept them in the majority for years. Six of the challengers won. Despite being freshmen, many of the winners got choice committee chairmanships and achieved landmark victories that will likely define their careers. Heres what the anti-IDC challengers have been up to their first term in Albany. Alessandra Biaggi A sexual harassment reckoning happened in the state Legislature in 2019, and the Bronxs Biaggi spearheaded that in the state Senate. Just two months after taking office, she presided over the first public hearing on workplace sexual harassment in Albany in over 25 years. Biaggi also sponsored many of the bills in the legislative package to update the states sexual harassment laws, including one that changed the definition of harassment to make it easier to seek justice. Robert Jackson Long before Jackson entered the state Senate, the Harlemite was an advocate for public schools. In the 1990s, he co-founded the Campaign for Fiscal Equity and sued the state over inequitable funding for city schools based on a bad formula. The court ruled the state owed New York City billions in funding, and it eventually led to the current Foundation Aid formula, the main source of public school aid. However, Jackson asserts that the state still has not fully funded city schools, and has made fighting for that money one of his key goals in the Legislature as a member of the Education and New York City Education committees, and as chair of the Cities Committee. John Liu Like Jackson, Liu, who hails from Queens, is an advocate for New York City schools. He chairs the New York City Education Committee. He has been a vocal proponent of keeping the Specialized High School Admissions Test intact, as some namely New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pushed for the tests elimination in favor of more holistic acceptance criteria for the citys elite public high schools. Liu is a key voice in the ongoing discussions on how the admissions process for the schools, which have disproportionately low numbers of Black and Latino students, may be reformed to increase diversity in those schools. Liu also made waves when he bucked the traditional legislative dress code by not wearing a tie in chambers. Rachel May The only victor over an ex-IDC member not from New York City, May represents the Syracuse area and she has perhaps flown a little more under the radar than her downstate counterparts. With a background in environmental sustainability work with Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, May considered her work on the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act one of her biggest accomplishments in 2019. The legislation set ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Zellnor Myrie State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins put Myrie, who is from Brooklyn, in charge of the chambers Elections Committee, where, in January 2019, he helped usher in a wave of election reforms to update the states antiquated election laws. He also sponsored one of the key pieces of legislation in the package that enabled early voting. In 2020, Myrie again made headlines for being pepper sprayed by New York Police Department officers while attending one of the anti-police brutality protests that rocked the city in June. He became a vocal leader for criminal justice reform in the wake of George Floyds killing by Minneapolis police and the ensuing movement. Jessica Ramos Ramos, with her background in labor unions and an immigrant-heavy district in Queens, got the chairmanship of the Labor Committee, where she sponsored and successfully passed the Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act in 2019. It gave farm workers certain labor rights long afforded to other workers, like the guarantee of at least one day off for every 60 hours worked and collective bargaining power. The same year, she sponsored legislation to legalize e-bikes and e-scooters, although the governor ultimately vetoed the bill. They did get legalized in 2020, though, when Cuomo included his own version of the legislation in the state budget. Officials at Laredo College were quick to respond this week to what the recent move by the Trump administration regarding foreign students means for their school. On Monday, the Trump administration announced that any foreign students going to college in the United States who are enrolled exclusively in online classes must leave the leave the country. Although this directive affects several students, the college is looking forward to offering mostly online classes for the next semester as the pandemic continues. Nevertheless, the college believes it has the resources in place to make sure these students have a suitable online education as they finish their degrees. At Laredo College, our international student population is a relatively small yet integral part of our student body, Laredo College president Dr. Ricardo Solis said. We have taken the appropriate steps to provide all students with the support and resources that they will need in this new virtual environment to complete their degree plans on time and without interruption. Just like this past semester when the college had to go fully online only due to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, LC plans to stay mostly the same with a limited quantity of face-to-face courses available. However, these will only be for workforce educational jobs, which foreign students are not able to take. Most classes offered by the college will continue to be fully online and accessible to all domestic and foreign students via their platforms. The college does not believe the education of any foreign student will be affected because of the online platform. The college should not be affected much by not having foreign students come to campus because they can still participate online, Laredo College vice president of student success and enrollment Dr. Fred Solis said. Only a limited number of courses will require face-to-face interaction, and these are mainly in the workforce education areas, which foreign students do not participate in due to the visa requirement. This means that the more than 100 foreign students in the college will not be affected. Most of the foreign students come from Mexico and cross the border for school, so Solis thinks going fully online might actually benefit them. On average, the college has 123 foreign students every fall semester, he said. This number fluctuates between fall and spring. Most students are regular students from Mexico who cross the border daily to attend classes. The plan for all students to continue attending school, even if it is online only, is on course for the next semester as Laredo College continues to monitor updates regarding the pandemic. Even for programs that will require students to attend in person, every precaution will be taken to assure their safety and health. It depends on the educational program/degree that students are pursuing, Laredo College provost and vice president of academic affairs Dr. Marisela Rodriguez said. For example, most academic programs, particularly the Associate of Arts and Associate of Sciences degree courses, will be predominantly online. There are other programs, particularly within the workforce and health sciences, that require limited face-to-face interaction or hybrid modality. These requirements are due to the technical skill(s) students need to acquire as mandated by the educational programs specific accreditation agency or set by licensure or national examination requirements. Whatever the discipline, LC plans to continue offering a superb educational experience while embracing distance learning. Students can rest assured that they will continue to receive the exceptional educational experience they have come to expect from Laredo College via our online courses, and they can do so regardless of their physical location, Solis said. Chinese demand for Chilean salmon is practically zero after Beijing raised concerns about Covid-19 risks in imported seafood, according to industry group Salmon Chile. Even though Chinese officials indicated there were no official restrictions on Chilean salmon, consumers in the Asian nation remain wary after authorities initially traced an outbreak of the virus to a chopping board used by a seller of imported fish. Those fears are set to grow after the detection this week of Covid-19 in Ecuadorian shrimp, Salmon Chile President Arturo Clement said. Most authorities and health experts say theres no evidence that food can transmit the virus. There has been a psychosis with the issue, therefore Chinese demand went to zero and hasnt recovered, he said in an interview Friday. Theres confusion in the market, which causes people to stop consuming seafood. Some shipments that Chilean producers had already sent to China are stuck there, while others were redirected to other markets. China typically buys about 40,000 tons of Chilean salmon a year, making it the South American countrys fifth largest customer, trailing the U.S., Japan, Brazil and Russia. Brazilian and Russian demand for Chilean salmon has also dropped in the pandemic, with prices sinking and producers facing losses, he said. U.S. demand is the one saving grace. In the end, the only open market we have is the U.S., which is far bigger, but that has put enormous pressure on prices, he said. Today, Chilean salmon farms are operating at 90% capacity after implementing a series of Covid-19 protocols. Still, volume in the first half of the year was 4% higher than the same period last year, Clement said. Chile is the second-largest producer of farmed salmon. Norway is the biggest. For Chilean producers, the second quarter was grim, with a 40% drop in prices signaling losses for all operators, he said. Fortunately, the industry is coming out of three or four good years, meaning farms are well positioned to absorb the blow, with a recent uptick in prices helping, Clement said. The Chilean salmon industry, which employs tens of thousands of people, has managed to keep Covid-19 cases to just two in farming centers and three at processing plants partly because it was already using masks, gloves and special clothing before the pandemic, he said. Scott Disick and Sofia Richie appear to have reunited once again after ending their nearly three-year relationship in May. On Sunday, Sofia, 21, shared an Instagram video from inside 37-year-old Scott's Hidden Hills home, as she revealed she was having a cosy night in watching Zac Efron's new Netflix show Down to Earth by the fire. The second sighting comes after the former couple spent fourth of July together in Malibu, sparking rumors they might be back on, and on Monday, Scott's ex Kourtney Kardashian also raised eyebrows by sharing an article about cheating on her lifestyle website Poosh - with the caption 'hmmmmm.' Back on? Sofia Richie, 21, shared an Instagram Stories snap of Scott Disick's Hidden Hills home (left) sparking more rumors she is back together with the 37-year-old Spot the difference: A view of Scott Disick's living area at his Hidden Hills home where it appears his ex Sofia has been relaxing at over the weekend Since splitting with Sofia, Scott had been spending more time with his ex-Kourtney, - 41, with whom he shares three children Mason, 10, Penelope, eight, and Reign, five - which also sparked rumors that they could be getting back together. Scott and Kourtney spent his 37th birthday together in May in Utah with their kids, and were also seen dining at Nobu together the following month. Kourtney recently revealed that she has collaborated with Scott on his Talentless brand by designing a new hoodie. However, in the past few weeks Sofia has also been pictured wearing one of Scott's Talentless hoodies, which has caused much confusion among fans of the reality stars. Poignant? Kourtney Kardashian appeared to be pondering 'bad behaviour' in a relationship on Monday, as she shared this article from her lifestyle website Poosh What's going on? Kourtney, 41, had been spending more time with her ex Scott Disick in recent months, after he broke up with Sofia, 21, in May Kourtney made a point of sharing an article on her new lifestyle website on Monday, with a headline that read: 'Why Do We Make Excuses for Bad Behavior in a Relationship?' she seemed to be pondering the question herself as the captioned over it with a 'hmmmmm.' The article details a personal story about a narcissistic abusive ex, who it turns out, was not faithful in the relationship. Kourtney shared the experience of the woman who had written the article, that said she still longed for her ex-partner even after all the crazy things he had done, including an 'accumulation of shady lies, cheating and manipulation.' Ex-factor: Sofia RECENTLY posed in one of Scott's Talentless hoodies in a sexy beach snap earlier this month, just weeks after Kourtney wore her ex's flannel A tale of two tops: Scott sparked romance rumors recently when he commented on another photo of Kourtney wearing a 'cute shirt' that belonged to him Scott caused the rumor mill to go into overdrive himself last month, when he posted a flirty comment on Kourtney's Instagram saying 'Cute shirt' highlighting the fact that she was wearing his item of clothing. The pair's display of affection on social media triggered rumors and reports that there could be another reconciliation on the cards between the on/off couple - who first dated from 2006 to 2015. But the rumors quickly fizzled out when Scott and his ex Sofia - the daughter of Lionel Richie - were spotted together over the fourth of July weekend in Malibu. An insider recently told Us: 'There's always been a chance that Scott and Sofia could rekindle their relationship and Scott knows that Sofia is good for him.' The source added: 'But her friends and family aren't sure if he is also good for her.' By PTI WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a star-studded virtual summit next week on building a better future for both the countries and the world, amidst the COVID-19 and China's aggressive actions. The two-day virtual India Ideas Summit of the powerful US India Business Council (USIBC) would be held on July 21 and 22. "The theme for this year's summit is building a better future. We are firmly committed to the US-India corridor that builds a better future," USIBC president Nisha Desai Biswal told PTI in an interview. India, the US and their industries working together can not only build a better future for both the countries and its people, but they can actually be instrumental in building a better future for the world, she said. "And that's what we're looking for this year in the India Ideas Summit," she said. The virtual summit will start on July 21, with inaugural keynote conversation on "Global Supply Chains & Combatting COVID-19" between Indian-American Congressman Dr Ami Bera and Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of Railways. Union Finance Minister Sitharaman will join the USIBC members to share her vision for India's economic recovery and the path to future economic growth in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her remarks would be followed by conversation on India's Economic Recovery by Tarun Bajaj, Secretary of Economic Affairs. On July 22, after a welcome address by Thomas J Donohue, CEO, US Chamber of Commerce, the External Affairs Minister Jaishankar along with Senator Mark Warner would participate in a discussion on "How the US and India Can Lead the Global Response Post-Pandemic" in a session moderated by former National Security Advisor Stephen Headley. ALSO READ| Trump, Biden try to outdo each other on tough talk on China Soon thereafter Pompeo would deliver a keynote address, followed by a panel discussion on "The Future of US-India Relations in a Post-Pandemic World" between US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster and his Indian counterpart Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Pompeo has already lashed out at China and said that Indians have done their best to respond to Beijing's incredibly aggressive actions. The top American diplomat said last Wednesday that China has a pattern of instigating territorial disputes and the world shouldn't allow this bullying to take place in the region. The Indian and Chinese armies have been locked in a bitter standoff at multiple locations in eastern Ladakh since May 5. The tension escalated manifold after a violent clash in the Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed last month. Currently, both sides are engaged in talks to de-escalate the situation. The prestigious annual USIBC Global Leadership Awards would be presented to Jim Taiclet, CEO, Lockheed Martin & Co-Chair of the US-India CEO Forum and Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chairman Tata Group and Co-Chair of the US-India CEO Forum. "I think that the US-India partnership can become the engine for rebirth of a global economy post (coronavirus) pandemic," Biswal told PTI in response to a question. Noting the US and India already have a very deep collaboration in terms of the services trade, Biswal, who was earlier the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, said it is well known that a large cross section of the American economy has some operations in India. The COVID-19 pandemic showed India's strength and resilience in the service economy, and despite a national lockdown the US companies were able to maintain business continuity across the board on the vast majority of these services, whether it's hospital administration, financial sector, or processing of insurance claims. She said that across the board, the service economy in India has been able to operate. India, Biswal said, is also known as the 'pharmacy to the world' and the really important role that it plays in both generic pharmaceutical production and in branded pharmaceuticals. Noting that concerns have been expressed in the US and India and other voices about too many of the inputs, the API coming from a single source, she said New Delhi is looking to see what it can do to strengthen its pharmaceutical supply chain. "There is a strong interest in the United States in working with India on that," said Biswal. "But we also know that as India looks to attract more global supply chains, that is something that the US supports, and wants to see India be more competitive and more attractive markets and to see more investment go into India to locate sourcing and manufacturing in India," Biswal said. 5G is another area where both governments have had strong statements and high-level attention on how the US and India can be more collaborative in building the 5G architecture that the global digital economy is going to move. Energy partnership, she observed, has been moving in a strong direction. "Of course, the defence sector is important not only from the perspective of national security and strategic, but also in terms of the importance of India in the global defence supply chain," Biswal said. The India Ideas Summit is also hosting a virtual performance by Sitarist Rishab Rikhi Ram, the youngest disciple of Bharat Ratna and world-renowned maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar. Brahma Kumari Sister Shivani will have an interactive session on how business leaders are embracing mindfulness, empowering their teams' wellness journeys. Search engine giant Google will kick start the virtual Google for India 2020 event on Monday (July 13). Into the sixth year this is going to be the Google Indias online event in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic Google CEO Sundar Pichai will deliver the addressing notes at the event. Minister of Communications, Electronics and IT, Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad will be among the dignitaries to attend the event. Without divulging much details, Google India has tweeted, At the first-ever virtual edition of #GoogleForIndia, our product and business leaders will share updates and announcements on our initiatives for Digital India. At the first-ever virtual edition of #GoogleForIndia, our product and business leaders will share updates and announcements on our initiatives for Digital India. Join us for the livestream on 13th July, 2:00 PM. Dont forget to set a reminder https://t.co/j17FAICaPx#G4IN pic.twitter.com/ZzXb2uOWuE Google India (@GoogleIndia) July 10, 2020 Here are the details about livestreaming of the Google for India 2020 event. The virtual event will start at 2pm IST on YouTube. You can watch the livestream here. In another tweet, Google had said, At the 6th edition of #GoogleForIndia, our product & business leaders will share their vision on building a helpful Internet for a billion Indians. Sher Bahadur Deuba to take oath as new Prime Minister of Nepal today Our friendship with India and China remains of 'paramount importance': Nepal at UN Nepal partially lifts ban on Indian private news channels International pti-PTI Kathmandu, July 13: Nepal's cable television operators on Monday partially lifted the ban imposed on Indian private news channels. A meeting of the cable operators decided to lift the ban on the Indian news channels with only a few news channels still banned in Nepal, Vice president of television operators' association Dhurba Sharma told reporters. "A few news channels airing objectionable content are still banned in the country," Sharma said. On Thursday, cable television operators stopped the transmission of all Indian private news channels except Doordarshan, accusing them of airing reports hurting Nepal's national sentiment. Rajasthan Crisis Sachin Pilot denies meeting with Rahul, sources say in talks with BJP|Oneindia News Nepal's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology also thanked the cable operators for taking action against Indian news channels. On Friday, Nepal sent a 'diplomatic note' to India, urging New Delhi to take steps against the broadcast of materials which it called "fake, baseless and insensitive as well as abusive" to the country and its leadership by a section of the Indian media. Real Ayodhya in Nepal, Lord Ram not Indian: Oli "Such materials are not only misleading and misinforming but also impair the sense of minimum public decency," the ministry said in the note. The India-Nepal bilateral ties came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8. Nepal reacted sharply to the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through Nepalese territory. India rejected the claim asserting that the road lies completely within its territory. Later, Nepal updated the country's political map through a Constitutional amendment, incorporating three strategically important Indian areas. India termed as "untenable" the "artificial enlargement" of the territorial claims by Nepal. India has handed over a diplomatic note to Nepal over the map issue, Nepalese media reports said. Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, under pressure to resign amidst a rift in the ruling Nepal Communist Party over his style of functioning, has alleged that some of the ruling party leaders are aligning with the southern neighbour to remove him from power after his government issued a new political map incorporating three Indian territories of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura. His allegations have been criticised by senior NCP leaders, including former prime minister 'Prachanda', who demanded Prime Minister Oli's resignation, saying his recent anti-India remarks were "neither politically correct nor diplomatically appropriate." A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.- Diane Arbus Photos play a significant role in marking territories of untamed wildlife, capturing an animal in its natural surroundings, and educating individuals on feral life in general. People who devote their lives doing this are very important as they are helping us understand how mother nature works whilst capturing the beauty of it. One of these people is Pranay Patel, an ambitious, young photographer, with stars in his eyes, who has been gaining popularity in the world of photography quite rapidly. He was always interested in wildlife photography ever since he was a child and started photography at the tender age of 13! According to him, nature is the best artist and animals are the precious little creations that fill the canvas of our planet with colours and joy. He says that animals in the wild are very unpredictable, so to capture something worthy, you need to have a divine sense of patience. Patel has more than ten years of experience working in this beautiful field of wildlife photography. He is always eager to learn something new about the environment and constantly hopes to bring something special in his works, something that speaks to the people. Furthermore, as it is valid for a wide range of photography styles, the additional time a picture taker goes through with the subjects, the more private and special the pictures will end up being. Hes been honing his skills and talent in the forests of India, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the USA. Gaining experience from all different types of forests and its distinguished animals he has learned a lot and is looking forward to learning even more. He has so far successfully launched a few beautifully documented calendars like, The Wonderful Wildlife of Gujarat in 2015 and The Bears of Kamchatka, Russia in 2019. He is also widely popular for his photography spree to Maasai Mara called, The Wild Earth of Africa which was launched by Shri Mukesh Ambani in 2015. Photography is my passion, not my profession. It is like a compulsion, this feeling, I cannot describe it in words. I love the idea of capturing things and moments in a frame. Feels like frozen poetry to me, says Patel, grinning. According to him the more you invest time in a thing, be it a hobby, or a job or anything else for that matter, the more personal touches can be in your work, making it special for you, therefore also making it highly enjoyable for you.Patel has been frequently showcasing his brilliant artistic and strikingly exotic photography skills in various photo exhibitions. His works are widely popular across the globe, in India and other countries like Russia and the USA. This charismatic photographer has received critical acclaim for his top-notch photography skills, which is a huge feat for someone so young. Disclaimer: This is a company press release. No HT journalist was involved in the creation of this content. Dallas, TX , July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Venture X Dallas Campbell Centre Offers Flexible Coworking Tips for Dallas Digital Nomads The phrase digital nomad has only been around since 1997, but it has become part of the booming culture of people who have found ways to work from anywhere. Coworking spaces are perfect for this group of workers. With a coworking space, digital nomads can work whenever and wherever they want. Because many digital nomads have a home base where they live when theyre not traveling, coworking spaces offer flexibility, comfort, and professional amenities. If youre a Dallas digital nomad, there are strategies you can use to make sure your business thrives even as you enjoy the flexibility of creating a work-life balance that best suits your lifestyle. Here are five tips to keep in mind. Here are 5 tips from Dallas Coworking Expert & CEO Jason Bowers to make your business thrive during COVID-19. 1. Choose the Right Coworking Space In real estate, the phrase location, location, location is king. The same rule applies to coworking spaces in the sense that finding the right kind of space is critical to your success. Whether youre a freelancer, entrepreneur, or business owner, its important to work in a space that accommodates your needs. While you dont necessarily need to surround yourself with businesses identical to yours, make sure the space you choose has the resources your business needs to thrive. Dallas Venture X offers modern offices spaces for all types of businesses. Additionally, you want to make sure the atmosphere is a good fit for your personality and your business. If you need quiet to concentrate, a coworking environment with mostly shared spaces and few private areas might hurt your productivity. For example, some coworking spaces cater to tech startups and thus might have a more open and relaxed atmosphere, while others are better at accommodating law firms and other professionals who need quieter, more private spaces. 2. Connect with Other Business Owners Just because you use a coworking space doesnt mean you need to be isolated. One potential downside of being a digital nomad is moving around too often to make connections in the business world. This is where coworking can help. By using a coworking space, you can connect with other people in your industry. This can help you make important business connections you can tap into no matter where you are in the world. 3. Get Social Even the most ardent introverts need to connect with a community from time to time. Humans are social creatures, and isolating yourself too much can lead to work burnout as well as mental health challenges. This is especially true when you have a digital nomad lifestyle. While moving around and visiting new places can be incredibly exciting and stimulating, it can also make it difficult to forget new friendships and relationships. Fortunately, having a home base with a dedicated coworking space can give you the tools you need to connect with others. Todays coworking spaces offer a great deal more than a quiet place to work on a computer or laptop. Top-notch coworking spaces like Venture X Dallas Campbell Centre provide a sense of community that involves workshops, networking opportunities, seminars, training, and happy hours. If you use a coworking space, look for opportunities to meet other people in your industry and outside your industry. You never know when youll need to draw on another professionals skill. By networking with others in your space, you can even find opportunities to share your skills and build business connections that can lead to customer referrals down the road. 4. Create Your Ideal Work Environment One of the advantages of coworking is the ability to personalize your space without the expensive overhead of maintaining your own building or paying monthly rent on a full office space. With coworking, you can take advantage of all the amenities of a traditional office without the burdens of ownership. However, coworking spaces dont have to be utilitarian, impersonal, or boring. You can create an atmosphere that helps you feel comfortable and productive. Liven up your space with some unique and individual touches like a few plants, a comfortable rug, or a favorite lamp. 5. Set a Schedule Being a digital nomad means having a great deal of flexibility. In some cases, however, too much flexibility can lead to a lack of structure. If youre not careful, this can in turn lead to frustration and burnout. In the worst-case scenario, it can make your business suffer. This is why having a dedicated coworking space is such a great resource for digital nomads. No matter where youre located, one of your first steps should be to find a coworking space and set a routine for your workday. For example, this might mean going to the office to work for a few hours in the morning, with the rest of the day devoted to exploring and sightseeing. However you break up the day, creating a routine can help you feel more structured and grounded even as your location changes. If you are looking for a flexible place to work from in Dallas contact Jason Bowers. Phone: Address: 8350 N Central Expy Suite 1900, Dallas, TX 75206 (214) 446-9801. We are closed located near Uptown, Midtown, SMU, North Park Mall. Venture X Dallas Campbell Centre offers flex plans with a full concierge service Follow us on https://www.instagram.com/vtxcampbellcentre/ Sources: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/283266 News via KISS PR Brand Story Digital Growth Partners for Venture X Campbell Centre Attachment The Pope to donate 100,000 to help migrants on border of Belarus and Poland Fourth vaccine against COVID-19 is not enough for Omicron World is on verge of country defaults French Foreign Ministry considers unacceptable Azerbaijan statements about Pecresse US to return two valuable artifacts over 4,000 years old to Iraq Germany may consider halting Nord Stream 2 if Russia attacks Ukraine Israel successfully completes test of anti-ballistic missile system Plane landing in Sochi struck by lightning Putin and Aliyev discuss Ukraine situation Greek PM Mitsotakis threatens Turkey with sanctions Handelsblatt: US and EU abandon idea of disconnecting Russia from SWIFT international payment system Artsakh President meets representatives of non-governmental organizations Avalanche kills person in Iran Erdogan says he is pleased with decline in volatility of lira NEWS.am daily digest: 18.01.22 Turkey and Azerbaijan to start laying gas pipeline to supply Nakhichevan UK begins to supply Ukraine with anti-tank weapons Armenian PM holds meeting on Armenia's Transformation Strategy until 2050 Nagorno-Karabakh: Remains of another Armenian soldier found in Jrakan region Tehran to not accept any border change in South Caucasus Dollar holding relatively steady in Armenia Armenia special representative: Future process depends on Turkeys constructiveness degree Erdogan: Gas from Mediterranean to Europe can only be pumped through Turkey Iranian Consul General discusses customs cooperation in Nakhijevan Inecobank brings Apple Pay to customers Parliament vice-speaker says he is familiar with Armenia proposals on border demarcation commission work US Secretary of State to visit Kyiv Russia, Iran and China to hold joint naval drills OSCE Chairmanship on Aliyev statement: We reiterate our full support to Minsk Group Co-Chairs Artsakh NSS denies rumors about penetration of Azerbaijanis into Karabakh villages Indonesian parliament approves bill to relocate capital Armenia PM to Bulgaria colleague: Our interstate relations are marked by continuous development of cooperation Armenian President meets Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Azerbaijan to ban foreigners from visiting Nagorno-Karabakh occupied part European Parliament new speaker elected Armenian National Interests Fund participates in Abu Dhabi Sustainable Development Week summit North Korea fires missiles for fourth time this year ECHR recognizes violation of Armenian PM's rights after 2008 elections Turkey reveals plans to produce combat aircraft Karabakh official: Azerbaijan presidents impudent behavior is due to OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs silence Azerbaijan special services force Artsakh resident to intelligence work Copper price is stable Minister of State: OSCE MG Co-Chairs must accept exercise of Karabakh people's right to self-determination Armenia President, UAE Minister of State discuss possibilities of cooperation in science and technology Investigation into criminal case of several Armenia soldiers returned from Azerbaijan captivity is over Canada sends detachment of special forces to Ukraine Armenia ex-President Kocharyan, former deputy PM now MP Gevorgyan case trial resumes 2 more persons die of coronavirus in Artsakh Armenia family has 10th child Converse Bank brings Apple Pay to customers Gold is getting weaker Lacote: French institute to operate in Armenia (PHOTOS) Ardshinbank Brings Apple Pay to Customers Armenia President in UAE, meets with Emirati environment minister Armenia legislature approves changes to several laws Differences in data on coronavirus deaths in Armenia are corrected 360 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Norway to begin Breivik early release hearing Economy minister to head Armenia side of commission on economic cooperation with Kazakhstan Mexico crime photojournalist killed Newspaper: Criminal case against Armenia archbishop dropped Newspaper: Opposition Armenia Bloc in parliament to toughen its tactics Scientists discover large breeding colony of icefish in southern Antarctica China creates low-gravity artificial moon Tehran welcomes normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations Russian and Iranian Foreign Ministers discuss regional issues UN Secretary-General: Vaccinate whole world to end pandemic Giant asteroid to fly past our planet Armenian President meets with Executive Director of Mubadala Investment Company UAE counting on Turkey Indonesia to move capital by 2024 Passenger traffic at Armenian airports decreased by 30% Armenian Investigative Committee: Six soldiers captured in November arrested Turkish government to discuss Rubinyan-Kilic meeting results German FM threatens Russia in case of aggression against Ukraine Armenian MFA senior staff meets with ambassadors to European countries Turkish court acquits German journalist Mesale Tolu Turkish UAV intercepted over Greek island Protest in front of Armenian Health Ministry France introduces vaccine passes Bitcoin begins to lose out competitors Exchange rates in Armenia Safari browser caught leaking user data Xi Jinping: Confrontation between major powers can have disastrous consequences Lukashevich: Russia concerned that OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs may not be able to visit Nagorno-Karabakh Court obligates Armenia ruling force MP to prove ex-President Sargsyan lost more than $100M in casinos Ex-ruling party official: Armenia authorities may renounce Genocide, Karabakh Armenian PM's party decides to provide free textbooks to non-state schools Times: Johnson prepares cadre purge to save his own skin Pecresse accuses French government of inaction after Aliyev's statements on her Karabakh visit Armenia President attends Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week forum opening Armenia legislature ruling majority member: It is possible for us to have neighborly relations with Azerbaijan President approves Artsakh government decisions on provision of financial assistance Armenia parliament opposition faction leader on canceling US visit: We must fulfill our international duties Fire in Abu Dhabi kills three people ANIF Anti-Crisis Fund to invest in Armenia cargo transportation Azerbaijan to soon open bus routes to Artsakhs occupied Shushi Armenia ruling force MP, businessman: Turks will be able to use our medical services in Gyumri, Yerevan Erdogan wants to save Turkish economy with oil production in the Black Sea Copper rises in price The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed the second prosecution complaint in the Yes Bank money laundering case. The complaint has been filed against 19 people and entities, including eight people and entities prosecuted earlier by the investigating agency. Former chairman of DHFL Kapil Wadhawan and former director of DHFL Dheeraj Wadhawan are named in the prosecution complaint. The ED has retained eight names in the previous chargesheet, including former managing director of Yes Bank Rana Kapoor, his wife Bindu Kapoor, Kapoor's three daughters Radha Kapoor, Roshni Kapoor and Rekha Kapoor, Doit Urban Ventures Pvt Ltd and Yes Capital. This is the first time the ED has named Yes Capital, Dewan Housing Finance Limited, Kyata Advisors Ltd, RKW Developers and Belief Realty in the charge sheet. The agency also booked Dhulresh Jain, who was the chartered accountant of Belief Realty, Yes Golden Western private Ltd, Samapti Trading Pvt Ltd and Valencia Developers. Earlier this month, the ED provisionally attached properties worth Rs 2400 crore belonging to Rana Kapoor and the Wadhawan brothers. Kapoors attached properties are located in South Mumbai, 40 Amrit Shergill Marg in Delhi, London and New York. Wadhawans properties are in Mumbai, Pune, Australia and London. The investigating agency has also raided the premises of travel company Cox and Kings and recorded statements of its founder Peter Kerkar and media baron Subhash Chandra in this case. According to the prosecution, Kapoor and members of his family and the other accused laundered the proceeds of crime. The estimated size of fraudulent deals is around Rs 5,050 crore, and members of the Kapoor family or family-owned entities received Rs 600 crore in kickbacks in lieu of extending loans through the bank, which later turned into non-performing assets. The amount appears to have been further utilised for procuring more properties. Yes Bank had sanctioned a loan of Rs 750 crore to Belief Realtor Pvt. Ltd, a company controlled by the DHFL group. The loan was sanctioned on June 18, 2018, by the Management Credit Committee (MCC) headed by Rana Kapoor, who was then the MD and CEO of Yes Bank. The loan was disbursed on September 27, 2018. Prior to that, in August 2018, the MCC had approved an additional loan of Rs 950 crore to Belief Realtors. Since the loan amount of Rs 1,700 crore required a Board Credit Committee (BCC) approval, this item was required to be placed in the BCC, scheduled for August 28, 2018. But, the subject was not discussed in the meeting. On August 29, 2018, a separate loan of Rs 950 crore was sanctioned by the MCC to RKW Developers Pvt Limited. The loan was shifted to RKW Developers instead of increasing the loan amount to Belief Realtors as sanctioning Rs 950 crore was within the powers of the MCC. While the documentation for the loan to RKW Developers was underway, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) started a special audit and, on the basis of that, the sanction to RKW was cancelled. As per the statement given by Kapoor to the ED, in 2018, DHFL issued retail senior public debentures worth Rs 8,000-10,000 crore, and approximately Rs 3,000 crore was allocated for purchase by Yes Bank as per the BCC approval. He also stated that a loan of Rs 1,200 crore had been given by Yes Bank to Aadhar Housing Finance, a DHFL group company. Another loan of Rs 600 crore against property was sanctioned by DHFL to Doit Urban Ventures India Ltd, a company wholly owned by Morgan Credits Pvt. Ltd. (MCPL). MCPL, in turn, is owned by Kapoor's three daughters. Kapoor further stated that two earlier loans of Rs 300 crore each had been given to Doit by DHFL, which were duly closed in August 2018. Later, a renewed loan of Rs 600 crore was granted. Against this loan, Doit mortgaged five properties, though Kapoor was not sure if the valuation of these properties was carried out at the time of its mortgage. The Wadhawans have put up a proposal for a loan of about Rs 1,700 crore from Yes Bank in the name of Belief Realtors PVT Limited (BRPL) for the redevelopment of slums at Bandra Reclamation. Dheeraj wanted to pay DHFL standing in the name of RIP Developers. By that time, the company for which the loan had to be applied was not decided. At that time, for the Bandra Reclamation project, there was a deed of assignment between RIP Developers and Wizard Constructions (India) Pvt Limited. RIP Developers was owned by Gopal Dalvi, a very close friend of Dheeraj Wadhawan. On this Bandra Reclamation Project, they took a loan of Rs 725 crore from DHFL which was invested by the Wadhawans for purchasing the preference shares of Kyta Advisors Pvt Limited. It was never used for the declared end use. Yes Bank never intended to give the loan to RIP Developers as it was not declared as their group company. Therefore, the Wadhawans decided to obtain the loan in the name of BRPL as it was beneficially owned by them. Yes Bank bifurcated the loan into two parts as they were getting some problem in sanctioning the loan in one entity. Accordingly, Rs 750 crore was sanctioned in the name of BRPL and Rs 950 crore in the name of RKW Project Management Private Limited. However, the loan to RKW could not be disbursed as it was cancelled by Yes Bank. The loan of Rs 750 crore, after disbursement, was ultimately transferred to DHFL after several layering. The earlier prosecution complaint named eight persons and entities which included Rana Kapoor, his wife Bindu Kapoor , daughters Rakhee, Roshni and Radha, and three entities namely Morgan Credit Pvt Ltd, Yes India Capital Pvt Ltd and Rab Enterprises, owned and controlled by Kapoor's family. - Burkina Faso is building a postmodern society where gender equality is not rare but a reality with its School For Husbands - Married men in Hounde come together to talk about issues in their homes in the presence of a facilitator with the view to be better partners - Since the inception of the school, testimonies of improved marriages abound as some of the husbands admitted they have become better lovers PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! There is a school for husbands in Burkina Faso as a way to have healthy marriages and homes. Tagged the School for Husbands, it was founded in Mamboue in the Hounde which is in the western part of the country. It should be noted that idea was sponsored by the International Development Association via the Sahel Womens Empowerment and Demographics Project and a bit of support from the United Nations Population Fund, World Bank reports. A safe space to discuss without fear Every week, 15 husbands congregate to discuss peculiar and common issues in their homes and proffer solutions to how things can be better. The meeting is supervised by a resource person. A female facilitator of the meeting, Ouanibaouie Bonde, said the meeting affords the men the opportunity to speak without the fear of being judged as they talk on issues like family planning, prenatal consultations, among other things. Since I started attending, I've become better Waimbabie Gnoumou, a participant at the event, said that before the school came into being, there was always tension in his home as he binged on beer. A collage of some of the men who attend the school. Photo source: World Bank Source: UGC His wife, Martine, testified to the efficacy of the school, saying her husband now assists with home chores like bringing cooking things from the market and fetching water. She added that when she was pregnant, he accompanied her to the maternity centre for antenatal. The school really works Dofinta Gnoumou, a village chief, said that the school is a blessing to them, adding that since its launch, husbands in the community have greatly improved in their behaviours at home. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the Tuareg tribe gives much power to women as they are allowed to decide their fate without the so-called supreme power of men. Their men wear a blue indigo veil as a protective measure to keep their face safe from the dust of the desert. It was gathered that the tribe never dumped their tradition of allowing men to wear veil instead of women despite their adoption of Islam. In the case of divorce, the women get to keep all the tents and the animals as the man is chased out to return to his mothers home with just a camel in his possession. Must a woman adopt her husbands name after marriage? | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy group-: HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has condemned the widespread accusations of massive corruptions trailing the activities of high profile cabinet level ministers and heads of parastatsls under President Muhammadu Buhari just as it is calling on Mr President to sack his Justice Minister Abubakar Malami(SAN) and minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godswill Akpabio. The Rights group said the minister of justice has been unable to sufficiently debunk the information that his son had an extensively lawless social event thereby violating the quarantine act of 1926 which gave MR President the power to impose certain restrictions on number of people to attend a social or religious gathering during this dangerous pandemic period . However, the Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy group HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) averrred that the son of the minister of Justice who is the Chief law officer of Nigeria flagrantly violated an extant law invoked by Mr President . The only other remedy for Mr President not to sack the Chief law officer of Nigeria and the minister of Justice Abubakar Malami SAN is for him (Malami,SAN) to provide forensic evidence that contradicts the newspaper reports and the avalanches of recorded videos trending on respectable Social media fora including Saharareporters. However, the Rights group said the Justice minister can not sufficiently convince rational Nigerians that these series of photographic evidences tendered and circulated by the media of mass communication are not the accurate reflection of what transpired. Besides, at the wedding, there was a violation of the Central Bank of Nigeria's law prohibiting the defacing of Naira notes and other currencies and bans the spreading of Naira notes because there were abundance of evidence that such a huge disobedience of the law took place and if such will happen in an event of the family of the Federal Attorney General and minister of justice Abubakar Malami it therefore means that we have a lawless AGF if the media evidence is anything to go by. Again, the ground for the resignation of the minister of Justice Abubakar Malami SAN is that he failed to properly provide supervisory responsibility on the EFCC Administration headed By Ibrahim Magu who allegedly committed financial atrocities and his supervisor ( Chief law officer of the Country) was unable to detect this unprofessional conduct for good five years. What this failure shows is gross incompetence and inefficiency and it will.be fatalistic for Nigeria to have a Chief law office who is unable or incapable or unwilling to provide effective supervisory functions on the agencies under his purview. The AGF has failed by not knowing on time that Ibrahim Magu was absolutely unfit to hold such a high office so he has to quit. We are calling on the EFCC to carry out proper investigation on NIGER DELTA AFFAIRS Minister Godswill Akpabio and demanding for his immediate sack , except and unless mr President does not care about the people Of Niger delta. Since Godswill Akpabio came to power there has been one accusation of fraud/corruption or the other. In NDDC Alone , three months 80 billion naira disappeared allegedly into thin air. HURIWA is not accusing him of being the thief but the story of corruption around him is becoming unbecoming as if he is the only minister in Nigeria. Another worrisome reason is the sexual harassment allegation made against him by the immediate past MD of NDDC JOY NUNIEH . He needs to go so that he will not use his office to encumber police investigation. And why is the IGP Adamu Mohammed Suddenly deaf and dumb over Godswill Akpabio's sexual harassment allegation and was too fast to demand for Dbanjs arrest over similar allegation? The IGP should invite Godswill Akpabio to give his own side of the story on the damaging sexual harassment claim made by a former officer who served under his supervision. The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs was also heard delving into personal matters against the former MD of NDDC BY saying people should find out from 4 of her husband's how she is not behaving well. We think this is so mundane and banal and unbecoming a conduct expected from a holder of the high office the cabinet level minister in Nigeria. This is shameful. HURIWA recalled that the Senate, had last week, expressed shock over the stunning revelation that the Nigerian Police Force and the staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) shared N3.14 billion as palliatives for the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, NDDC officials shared N1.5 billion as COVID-19 palliates while the Police got N475 million to buy face masks and hand sanitisers. Chairman, Senate ad hoc Committee investigating the alleged N40 billion illegally expended by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC, Olubunmi Adetunbi (APC, Ekiti North), noted the expenditure at the commencement of the investigative hearing at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja. This was as the NDDC Director of Projects, Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh, accused Chairmen of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on NDDC of hijacking the 2020 budget of the agency. Adetunbi pointed out that the expended fund was contained in the document submitted to the committee by the Managing Director of the IMC, Kemebradikumo Pondei. When invited to the podium to give explanations on the fund, which was captured on the subtitle emergency payments, Pondei admitted before the ad hoc committee that N3.14 billion was spent by the NDDC to cushion the effects of COVID-19 on staff of the agency. He further claimed that part of the money was paid to the Police, youths, men and women to cushion the negative effects of the pandemic and to forestall violence that might erupt in the Niger Delta region. Giving a breakdown on how the money was spent, Adetunbi said that from the records in the document submitted to the committee by the NDDC, out of the total sum of N3.14 billion purportedly spent on COVID-19, N1.5 billion was shared among the Police and staff of the commission across the nine states of the Niger Delta. He pointed out that N475 million was paid to the Police from the money to purchase face masks and hand sanitizers. He also said that N10 million was paid to an unnamed top management staff of the commission (believed to be the MD) while N7 million each was given to two other senior staff of the NDDC. Adetunmbi further hinted that 148 NDDC staff got N3 million each, 157 staff received N1.5 million each, 497 staff were paid N1 million each while 464 staff were paid N600,000 each as COVID-19 relief. Reading further from the documents, Senator Adetunbi said: The NDDC IMC expended on other issues, including COVID-19, to the total of N81.509 billion, from October 2019 to February 2020, and from February to May 30th, 2020, the reason of this investigation. He gave the breakdown of the N81.509 billion as follows: Community relations: N1.3 billion; condolences: N1.2 billion; consultancy: N3.8 billion; COVID-19: N3.14 billion; duty tour allowances: N486 million. Impress (October to May, 2020): N790 million; Lassa fever: N1.956 billion; legal services: N900 million; logistics: N31 million; maintenance: N220 million; medicals: N2.6 billion; overseas travel (February to May, 2020): N85.6 million; projects payment: N38.6 billion; public communication: N1.121 billion; security: N744 million; staffing related payment (October to May, 2020), including payment of salaries and other allowances: N20.9 billion; engagement of stakeholders (February to May, 2020): N248 million; and travels: N56.5 million respectively. Adetunbi further explained that out of the total N81.509 billion, the first IMC spent N22.5 billion from October 2019 to February 2020 while the second IMC spent N59.1 billion between February and May 2020. He said: It is on this expenditure that the Senate has called for this investigative public hearing. Meanwhile, while defending the spending of the agency, the NDDC Director of Projects, Ojuogboh, posited that the Commission has not misapplied any kobo as being alleged by the National Assembly. Responding to questions from the members of the Assembly, Ojuogboh stated that the IMC inherited a debt of N3 trillion, claiming that the National Assembly hijacked the 2020 budget of the agency. We have no problem with the National Assembly, but we have a problem with chairman of the Senate committee on Niger Delta. No one kobo is misapplied since the coming of NDDC IMC. The 2020 budget of NDDC has been hijacked by the two chairmen in the Reps and Senate. We submitted the budget since 2019 and nothing has been done on it, he said. On the allegation that the IMC unilaterally and arbitrary sacked some staff of the NDDC, the director said that no single staff was sacked. We have sacked no staff and all workers on leave have been paid their full salaries. So, anyone who is claiming to have been sacked should bring the sack letter, Ojuogboh stated. In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said that allegations of financial recklessness and misappropriation of funds levelled against the IMC of NDDC were unacceptable, and that propelled the Senate to investigate the activities of the commission. Financial recklessness is not an attribute that anyone can afford, whether rich or pootr. It is even worse with the poor, or for the organisation or a country with limited resources, Lawan said. HURIWA is therefore canvassing the sack of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godswill Akpabio and the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission so they can be arrested by the Economicand Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for comprehensive investigations and prosecutions if found to have a prime facie case to answer which the Competent court of law should be called upon to adjudicate but the minister and the NDDC management should be dismissed forthwith. Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley is getting close to completing their largest project to date: the Church Street build in downtown Blacksburg. As the organization incorporates the finishing touches, they invited future homeowners to permanently leave their handprints in freshly poured concrete. Its been both professionally and personally rewarding getting to know our new families, said Shelley Fortier, executive director of Habitat NRV. As we wrap things up at the build site, we wanted a fun way to celebrate them and personalize their new home. Comprised of seven attached town homes, the build on Church Street is the largest housing project HFHNRV has ever attempted. The project features two 1,500-square-foot, one-and-a-half-story units with first-floor bedrooms and zero-step entrances, accessible for those with disabilities, as well as five 1,500-square-foot, two-story interior units. All units are Earthcraft and Energy Star certified for efficiency. This $1.2 million project came about with the help of the entire community. To name a few, NRV HOME Consortium provided a forgivable loan of $828,000, Blacksburg Presbyterian Church donated the land and funds for the roofs, and Blacksburg United Methodist Church donated $50,000 to cover the cost of the foundation. The many other sponsors range from banks to builders. Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley has been providing housing services to the region since 1987. As with all NRV projects, Habitat welcomes community support and involvement. To learn more, or to make a donation, visit habitatnrv.org. Submitted by Traci Sterling (CNN) Beijing has announced sanctions against United States officials, including Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, in retaliation for measures announced by Washington last week over Beijing's alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying revealed the new sanctions at a press conference Monday, calling on the US to "stop interfering in China's international affairs." Among the US officials named by Hua are Senators Rubio and Cruz, both former presidential candidates, US Representative Chris Smith, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. "I must point out the Xinjiang affairs are China's internal affairs and the US has no right to interfere," Hua said. "We urge the US to immediately withdraw its wrong decision and stop interfering in China's internal affairs or undermining China's interests. And we will make further reactions based on the development of the situation." Hua said the sanctions would take effect on Monday but provided no further details on the measures or what they might entail. Washington's sanctions against Chinese officials include the freezing of all US assets and a block preventing US nationals from conducting business with them. Anyone sanctioned by the US also faces visa restrictions, preventing them and their families from entering the US. China's western Xinjiang region is culturally and ethnically different from much of the rest of the country, with a large Turkic minority population, and has for years had an uneasy relationship with the government in Beijing. The US State Department estimates that since 2015 as many as two million Muslim-majority Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities have been imprisoned in enormous re-education camps in Xinjiang, as part of a region wide crackdown by Beijing. There have also been reports of historic Uyghur graveyards being demolished, Uyghur families being forced to welcome in Communist Party officials and mass surveillance of communities across Xinjiang. On Thursday, the US government announced Chen Quanguo, the Xinjiang Communist Party chief, and a number of other top local party officials would be sanctioned, along with the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau. "The US will not stand idly by as the (Chinese Communist Party) carries out human rights abuses targeting Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and members of other minority groups in Xinjiang," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement Thursday. This story was first published on CNN.com, "China announces retaliatory sanctions on US officials over Xinjiang measures." The collaborators are Kazan Federal University, Vereschagin Institute of High Pressure Physics (Russian Academy of Sciences), Queen Mary University of London, Imperial College London, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Wuhan University of Technology, and Sichuan University. Co-author, Chair of the Department of Computational Physics of Kazan Federal University Anatolii Mokshin explains, "The key difference between the liquid state of matter and the solid state is the presence of shear stiffness in solids. In other words, solids can retain their shape in contrast to liquids and gases, which take the shape of the vessels in which they are placed. Together with our foreign colleagues, we found out that such an understanding is not entirely correct. We were able to obtain experimental confirmation of the presence of shear stiffness in a liquid. And this means that on a spatial scale comparable to the size of molecules and atoms, a liquid exhibits elasticity and rigidity, like a solid. This is very surprising. In particular, a liquid at these extremely small scales will respond to external deformation influences like an ordinary solid. The results are obtained for the case of gallium melt. However, they are true for any fluid." The uniqueness of this work, according to the interviewee, is that for the first time a comprehensive study was carried out, including experiments on inelastic neutron scattering, large-scale molecular dynamics calculations performed by the Kazan University computer cluster and the supercomputer of the Interdepartmental Supercomputer Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and a theoretical explanation in the framework of the original self-consistent relaxation theory of the liquid state. "New data are important for understanding a number of fundamental scientific questions related to liquid state physics. They must be taken into account when designing nanodevices, nanostructures and metamaterials. Firstly, it is now possible to more accurately evaluate the physical parameters of liquids near the solidification temperature and the conditions (temperature and pressure) under which nanostructures can be constructed. Secondly, new possibilities have appeared for controlling liquids confined by nanometer-sized structures. One of the branches of modern physics, nanofluidics, is studying these issues," concludes Mokshin. ### I have an idea. When we get our property tax bill, we should get to decide where our tax dollars go. If you want to defund police, then check a box saying you dont want your property tax dollars going to police. However you will be placed on a do not respond list. When your house is being broken into at 3 a.m., police will not come to your house. Time for you lefties to put your money where your mouth is. Likewise, I do not have any children in public schools. I do not want my money going to public schools. I would choose my share of property tax dollars to go to police and fire services instead of public schools. Everyone wins. A lot of businesses across Ontario are eagerly awaiting an announcement today from the provincial government. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/7/2020 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Ontario Premier Doug Ford stands at a window used for take-outs, as he visits a bakery in Toronto, on Friday, July 10, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young A lot of businesses across Ontario are eagerly awaiting an announcement today from the provincial government. With recent data indicating a gradual but steady decline in Ontario's COVID-19 caseload Premier Doug Ford is expected to unveil the next phase of the province's reopening strategy. The province said in a document released in late April that Stage 3 would include "opening all workplaces responsibly" and "further relaxing the restrictions on public gatherings." The document didn't get into specifics, though it did say restrictions would remain on large gatherings such as concerts and sporting events. Meanwhile, health officials in Quebec, the epicentre of the pandemic in Canada, are concerned about a spike in COVID-19 cases in Montreal linked to the reopening of the city's bars. Over the weekend Montreal's public health authority urged patrons and employees who have frequented bars since Canada Day to get tested for the coronavirus. Quebec reported 114 new COVID-19 infections Sunday, boosting its total to 56,521 cases. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The province is to introduce mandatory masks on public transit starting today, with a two-week grace period before users will be denied service as of July 27. Montreal has also indicated that it intends to bring in mandatory masks for enclosed public spaces as of that date. On the East Coast, Prince Edward Island is reporting another new case of COVID-19 a woman in her 80s from Queens County tested positive and is self-isolating at home. P.E.I. has reported four new cases of the infection since July 4 after being COVID-free during the months of May and June. Canada's COVID-19 case total currently stands at 107,589, including 8,783 deaths and 71,467 cases considered resolved. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2020. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then some snow showers after midnight. Low -2F. SSE winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 60%. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then some snow showers after midnight. Low -2F. SSE winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 60%. Higher wind gusts possible. The names of the fallen from Montgomery County have been temporarily moved from the decommissioned Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Conroe to the Montgomery County Heritage Museum. According to Jimmie Edwards III USMC Ret., chairman for the new Veterans Memorial Project we are under construction at the new memorial, but we did not want any interruption in honoring our fallen heroes, thus the new temporary memorial site at the Montgomery County Heritage Museum. The directors and staff of the museum were exceptionally cooperative giving the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission a place to honor our fallen heroes. He said the names have been checked and rechecked for verification of spelling, branch of service and dates of death. The names are located on the grounds of the Heritage Museum complex. Four names from the Texas Revolution who were killed at the battle of the Alamo, all from Montgomery County, have been added to the list. The Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission deeply appreciates the sacrifice of these men who unselfishly gave their lives on the alter of freedom, Edwards said. These names will be permanently memorialized in a designated section of hollowed ground for the fallen from Montgomery County, Texas in the new Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Park. Additionally flagpoles from the downtown Conroe location were relocated to the new location late last week. A new Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Park is in the works at Texas 105 and I-45 in Conroe. The future memorial will contain a series of galleries where veterans, the general public, educators, families, and students can gather to learn about the experiences, tragedies, and triumphs of the men and women who are serving, or have served with the United States military. Visit mcvetmemorialpark.org for more on the project. Prostitutes demonstrated in Hamburg's red light district to demand that Germany's brothels be allowed to reopen after months of closures amid coronavirus lockdown. Sex workers in Germany - where prostitution is legal - say they are being singled out and deprived of their livelihoods despite not posing a greater health risk. Shops, restaurants and bars are all open again in Germany, a country widely praised for its rapid coronavirus response and low death toll. 'The oldest profession needs your help,' read a notice held up by one woman in a brothel window in the Herbertstrasse, which was flooded with red light after being dark since March. Prostitutes demonstrated in Hamburg's red light district to demand that Germany's brothels be allowed to reopen after months of closures amid coronavirus lockdown Sex workers in Germany - where prostitution is legal - say they are being singled out and deprived of their livelihoods despite not posing a greater health risk. Pictured: Sex workers in Germany Sex workers protest against lockdown measures banning them from working during a demonstration in Hamburg Prostitutes wearing masks hold signs reading: 'One Europe - One Law', 'We attract your tourists, dear Germany' and 'Without us more women and children will be violated' A prostitute wearing a mask holds a sign reading: 'The oldest business needs more help' Sex workers wearing masks protest against lockdown measures that are preventing brothels from reopening in Hamburg's red light district Some protesters wore theatrical masks while one played folk songs on a violin in the street just around the corner from the Reeperbahn, famous for its nightlife. The Association of Sex Workers, which organised the protest, says the continued closure of licensed premises is forcing some prostitutes onto the streets. Street prostitution is illegal in the area and is a far more dangerous and unhygienic way of working. The association said brothels could easily incorporate pandemic safety measures adopted by other industries, including face masks, ventilating premises and recording visitors' contact details. A cross draped with underwear is illuminated during a demonstration by prostitutes demanding the red light district be reopened in Hamburg Prostitutes wearing masks hold signs reading: 'One Europe - One Law', 'We attract your tourists, dear Germany' and 'Without us more women and children will be violated' A prostitute wearing a mask holds a sign reading: 'We pay taxes and nobody helps us now' A woman wearing a mask looks out of a window during a rally of prostitutes demanding the reopening of Germany's brothels Sex workers protest against lockdown measures that are preventing brothels from reopening Sex workers protest lockdown measures in Hamburg as the rules are preventing them from working 'Prostitution does not carry a greater risk of infection than other close-to-body services, like massages, cosmetics or even dancing or contact sports,' the association said in a statement. 'Hygiene is part of the business in prostitution.' Their protest follows the news that Amsterdam's red light district was able to reopen on June 1. There, customers and sex workers are advised to wear masks, but not legally required to do so. Governor Bello Matawalle has announced a donation of N100 million to the Jamaatu Izalatil Bidah Wa Ikamatussunnah (JBWIS) towards the establishment of an Islamic university in the state. He made the pledge when the leadership of the group under Sheikh Bala Lau paid him a courtesy call at the Government House on Monday. Governor Matawalle said the N100 million was an initial donation for the kick-off of the university, saying nothing is too much for education. He called on governors and wealthy individuals to support the initiative as, according to him, JIBWIS is a trustworthy group genuinely out to help the development of mankind. Governor Matawalle expressed his worry that the bane of Northern Nigeria today is linked to a lack of education coupled with poor parental training. Today, we have become a fragmented society, hating one another. We have become vulnerable to bad people who are all out to use us against ourselves to achieve their selfish goals, Mr Matawalle said. Mr Matawalle said the problems of banditry and kidnapping have become rampant in the region because Northerners no longer love themselves and have become easy prey to machinations of the bad eggs among them. I have done what I could to establish peace in my state. I will continue to do more to save our people from any evil. You as scholars must do more to educate our people as proper education is the bedrock of responsible society, Mr Matawalle told the visiting leaders of the group. Earlier, the leader of the group, Sheikh Bala Lau told the governor that his team was in the state to inspect a school donated to the group by the former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, at Shinkafi Town. Los Angeles, July 13 : A total of 21 people, including 17 sailors and four civilians, were injured in a fire on a US Navy ship at Naval Base San Diego in California, authorities said. The injured are being treated for non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital after the fire on board USS Bonhomme Richard, according to the Naval Surface Forces, US Pacific Fleet, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday. "The entire crew is off the ship and all are accounted," tweeted the Naval Surface Forces, adding that all inport ships have been contacted and directed to provide fire parties to possibly assist with firefighting efforts. Around 160 sailors were aboard the ship when the fire was called away at approximately 8.30 a.m. local time, according to the tweets. Officials said that local, base and shipboard firefighters are responding to the three-alarm fire and two military ships near USS Bonhomme Richard have shifted berths to a pier further away from the fire. USS Bonhomme Richard is going through a maintenance availability and has a crew size of around 1,000, the US Navy said. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said that it is assisting on the fire on board the Navy ship, adding the department is working in unified command with federal firefighters to put out the blaze. Pictures from the scene showed plumes of smoke rising up over the deck of the ship. The cause of the fire is still unclear. Some people at the scene were quoted as saying by local news outlets that they had heard an explosion. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department tweeted earlier in the morning, "Explosion with at least one injury at the USS Bonhomme Richard." USS Bonhomme Richard is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship home-ported in San Diego. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Because we as a culture are so enamored with big, dramatic movements, with heroes and bombast, its easy to overlook how smaller gestures can turn historical flashpoints into true sea changes. Mutual aid networks, a symbiotic and horizontal political system in which individuals take on the task of caring for one another as well as receiving aid, has been integral to community organizing during the pandemic and the nationwide protests that followed the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police in May. Mutual aid can manifest as houseless neighbors watching out for each other, restaurants handing out bananas and water to protesters on your block, or people delivering groceries to immunocompromised community members. It renews both material and psychic resources and also builds supportive, grassroots connections between different people that are meant to be long-lastingthe first steps toward systemic change. As KQED writer Ruth Gebreyesus concludes in her new column on food and equity, a movement also depends on endurance: a focused stamina that preserves your resolve when you see past the beasts mouth only to find that youve been living in its belly. Two initiatives by members of the Bay Areas food industry are focused on just that. Justus Kitchen and the Nourishment Fund supply Black women and nonbinary people with care packages of a culinary bent. Similar to the SF New Deal, the Nourishment Fund pays Black chefs to cook for Black women and nonbinary people who, simply, could appreciate a hot meal delivery. The free meals are delivered weekly by a team of volunteers, and Dana Plucinski, a food business publicist and the Funds organizer, hopes to enhance the packages with fresh baked goods, candles and other self-care items. She got the idea from the work of Rachel Cargle, whose Loveland Foundation raises money to set Black women and girls up with therapy sessions. Food is also her love language, expressed often by dropping off meals to loved ones. Its nice to be thought of, she said. And it takes one more thing off the to-do list for the day. The number of times a Black woman has shown up for me, well, the list is ceiling to floor. I just want to recognize that and use this to nourish Black women and nonbinary folks as well as support chefs in the community. Jocelyn Jackson, co-founder of the Peoples Kitchen Collective and founder of Justus Kitchen, echoes that sentiment. With Justus Kitchen, it's been a lovely moment to simply say I'm here for Black women. Jacksons project offers Tender Soul Sessions, which were meals and dialogues that she would present to Black women and nonbinary people in-person before the pandemic. But now, she sends her clients care packages of ingredients to cook those meals, as well as altar-building supplies like candles and fabrics. Their purpose is culinary on the surface, but essentially spiritual, said Jackson, crafted with the intention of sustaining the political moment. What's happening in movement work right now? There's direct action and there's indirect action, right? And those moments of being resourced come from both of those places. And we have to really be clear on what is required to stay in it. Dana Plucinski Dorian Jones, the founder of B.A.B.S. Catering in Oakland, was the first chef to work with the Nourishment Fund, and she sent out packages of smoked jerk chicken, coconut rice with peas and cabbage escabeche. Jones was fed up with what she saw as the performativity of her sudden visibility as a Black chef in the wake of the protests: She was being asked to contribute to vague corporate projects that just wanted more Black people to participate and constantly tagged in social media posts calling out Black chefs. The Nourishment Funds model of giving both wayspaying Black chefs to make food for Black peopleresonated with her. People are finally recognizing Black people are here, she said. If youre actually gonna help people, Im with it. To get on the Nourishment Funds delivery list or nominate someone for it, check out its website. To connect with Justus Kitchen, email Jackson at justuskitchen@gmail.com. On the podcast Chase McCurdy You can hear more from Jocelyn Jackson on this weeks Extra Spicy podcast. We talk at length about her work with the Peoples Kitchen Collective, and Justin and I discuss the fascinating history of mutual aid networks. Hang on to the end to hear about Hot Pot Panic, my new favorite computer game made by a Bay Area local! Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. What Im eating I made possibly the worlds ugliest galette from a recipe in that old standby, The Joy of Cooking. The thing was a heap of sugared apricots and raspberries dressed with a bit of homemade Rainier cherry jam, and I made it on a casual Sunday afternoon while watching TV. Ill spare you a photo, but I would describe it as a gaping flesh-maw, or as close to a culinary depiction of Nietzsches void as physically possible. Tasty, though. Recommended reading Writing for the New York Times, food writer Mecca Bos takes a look at how members of Minneapolis-St. Pauls dining scene have been working to make the restaurant business more accessible to emerging Black entrepreneurs. Taking a page from Michael Pollans biography of a beef cow, this incredible piece from Jessica Contrera at the Washington Post looks at how a burger makes it through a pandemic-era supply chain. Contreras take is intimate and human, with portraits of the cook, cattle rancher, restaurateur and slaughterhouse worker that shepherded the burger from life to digestion. In case you missed it: Chronicle immigration reporter Tatiana Sanchez and I teamed up on a story about the undocumented restaurant workers of the Bay Area and how pandemic aid has remained frustratingly out of reach for them. The testimonies of Veronica Salazar of El Huarache Loco, Reyna Aguilar and Ignacio Galicia of Young Workers United, and Blanca Cifuentes of Mourad restaurant were integral to this story, and I am so grateful for their courage. Heres the Spanish version. Bite Curious is a weekly newsletter from The Chronicles restaurant critic, Soleil Ho, delivered to inboxes on Monday mornings. Follow along on Twitter: @Hooleil By AFP WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that the United States would treat Beijing's pursuit of resources in the dispute-rife South China Sea as illegal, ramping up pressure on another front. "We are making clear: Beijing's claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them," Pompeo said in a statement. The United States has long rejected Beijing's sweeping claims in the South China Sea, aligning itself with Vietnam, the Philippines and other US partners in the region. But Pompeo went further by explicitly siding with Southeast Asian nations, after years of the United States saying that it took no position on the merits of individual disputes. In line with the 2016 finding of an international tribunal, Pompeo said that the Mischief Reef and Second Thomas Shoal both "fall fully under the Philippines' sovereign rights and jurisdiction." Pompeo also denounced China's claims on the contested Spratly islands, where China earlier this year announced administrative districts, which would allow Beijing to expand its maritime claims. The United States as a result now rejects Beijing's claims in the waters surrounding Vanguard Bank off Vietnam, Lucania Shoals off Malaysia, waters considered in Brunei's exclusive economic zone and Natuna Besar off Indonesia, Pompeo said. "Any PRC action to harass other states' fishing or hydrocarbon development in these waters -- or to carry out such activities unilaterally -- is unlawful," Pompeo said. The statement is the latest assertive step by President Donald Trump's administration against China, which it has increasingly portrayed as an enemy ahead of November elections. The United States in recent weeks has slapped visa restrictions on officials over the treatment of the Uighur and Tibetan minorities as well as over Beijing's clampdown in Hong Kong. Trump has also harshly criticized China over the coronavirus pandemic. Universities in Vietnam should start preparing different scenarios to adapt if the country experiences new COVID-19 incidences in the community, said Dr Nguyen Ngoc Dien, rector of Hoa Sen University. A conference of rectors of member universities of Agence Universitaire de La Francophonie in the Asia Pacific region (CONFRASIE) was held on Friday at Hoa Sen University to listen to challenges and suggestions from AUF-member universities. VNS Photo Gia Loc Dien spoke at the conference of rectors of member universities of Agence Universitaire de La Francophonie in the Asia Pacific region (CONFRASIE) held on Friday at Hoa Sen University. The Agence Universitaire de La Francophonie (AUF) is a society of universities offering training in the French language. Though Vietnam has controlled the spread of COVID-19, Dien said that universities should identify opportunities and challenges at this time in case another outbreak occurs. AUF should have programmes to help its member universities resolve these challenges, he said. Nguyen Van Nam, vice rector of Tay Nguyen University, said: The current pandemic is forcing universities to develop different scenarios for training programmes, defining the percentage of time for teaching theory via online and the percentage for practice after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Universities should also create software for teaching online, Nam said, adding that for practical lessons, universities need assistance from organisations to have virtual laboratories at which students can practice. When teaching online, instructors can take two weeks to compile their lectures and they need software to help them do so, he said. Other software for university governance is also needed to resolve the health crisis in the present time and the upcoming time, he added. A representative of HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy suggested that AUF could give advice to member universities on how to assess students and the quality of online teaching. Dien said that besides taking initiatives in resolving challenges caused by the pandemic, Vietnamese universities should modernise their facilities, improve the capacity of lecturers, and implement modern governance. Dr Nguyen Thi Minh Hong, rector of University of Education, noted that 35 per cent of the instructors at her university have a PhD degree, but the percentage is still lower than universities in other countries. Dr Nguyen Tat Toan, vice rector of Nong Lam University, said the brain drain at public universities is a problem. Nam of Tay Nguyen University said: Training according to societys demands and training human resources to serve the country is a problem that universities in agriculture and forestry face because majors in agriculture are not attractive to high school students. The conference is part of AUFs global counselling programme in the French-language academic community, according to Dien. AUF said it was developing new strategies based on suggestions from its member universities. VNS Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is leading a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration change to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program requiring that international students enroll in programs with on-campus instruction or else lose their legal status. On July 6, the Trump administration announced it will be stripping international students of their visas if they enrolled in online classes at colleges and universities in the United States, which comes as the country continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic. Seventeen other attorney generals have signed on to the suit, which was filed on Monday in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts against the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The AGs allege that the Trump change is cruel, abrupt and unlawful. Nonimmigrant students within the United States are not permitted to take a full course of study through online classes, ICE said in a press release. If students find themselves in this situation, they must leave the country or take alternative steps to maintain their nonimmigrant status such as a reduced course load or appropriate medical leave. The administrations announcement comes as Massachusetts colleges and universities are finalizing their contingency plans to allow students back on campus in the fall. In a statement issued on Monday, Healey said the change forces schools to choose between keeping their international students enrolled and protecting the health and safety of their campuses. Massachusetts is home to thousands of international students who make invaluable contributions to our educational institutions, communities, and economy, Healey said. We are taking this action today to make sure they can continue to live and learn in this country. Last week, Harvard and MIT filed pleadings in the U.S. District Court in Boston seeking a temporary restraining order prohibiting enforcement of the new rules. Joining Massachusetts in the suit are attorney generals from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin. Related Content: Four Afghan Soldiers Killed In Suspected Taliban Attack July 12, 2020 An Afghan official said four government soldiers were killed after suspected Taliban militants attacked a security post in central Afghanistan. The attack occurred early on July 12 in the Pato district of Daikundi Province, a relatively peaceful area in the central highlands. Abbas Kamyar, the provincial governor's spokesman, said 12 militants were killed in the clashes. Pato district borders the southern province of Uruzgan, one of the most volatile regions in the country. There was no claim of responsibility for the attack. On July 11, at least 15 civilians were killed in separate incidents in the provinces of Ghazni, Faryab, and Maidan Wardak. Hundreds of members of Afghanistan's security forces and civilians have been killed in recent weeks as the Taliban continues to launch attacks across the country. President Ashraf Ghani on July 6 warned that the spike in violence poses a "serious" threat to the peace process with the Taliban. A peace deal signed by the Taliban and the United States in February calls for direct negotiations between the militant group and the Western-backed government in Kabul aimed at putting an end to the nearly two-decade-old war in Afghanistan. Based on reporting by TOLOnews and Radio Killid Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/four-afghan -soldiers-killed-in-suspected- taliban-attack/30722134.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address (Bloomberg) -- The U.K. is poised to ban Huawei Technologies Co. from its next generation mobile networks under a two-step plan to protect critical systems from security threats, a person familiar with the matter said. Under the blueprint, British phone companies will not be able to add any new Huawei components to their 5G networks by the end of the year. After that, all existing equipment made by the Shenzhen-based company would need to be removed from 5G infrastructure by 2027, the person said, speaking anonymously to discuss sensitive plans. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his senior ministers and top security chiefs are due to be presented with the proposal at a meeting of the National Security Council on Tuesday. A decision is expected to be announced later in the House of Commons. If the plan is agreed to at that meeting, it would mark a major reversal by Johnson, and risk escalating tensions between the U.K. and China at a highly sensitive time. China has warned Johnson will face consequences if the U.K. treats it as a hostile partner. U.K. Does a U-Turn on China, Forced Into an Uneven Fight Johnson gave the green light to Huaweis involvement in emerging mobile networks in January, subject to limits, but he came under intense pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to change course. In May the U.S. banned Huawei from sourcing microchips which use American technology, a move that forced British officials to reassess their view of the security and sustainability of using the companys equipment in 5G networks. The U.K.s National Cyber Security Centre led a review which concluded the new U.S. sanctions meant Huawei would have to use potentially insecure technology, making 5G security risks impossible to control. At the same time, Johnson has faced demands from within his own Conservative Party to take a tougher line with Beijing. Senior Tories demanded the premier should give firm deadlines for when Huawei will be blocked from Britain, amid concerns its equipment could be used by Chinese spies -- a charge the company denies. Story continues U.S. War on Huawei Begins to Turn After Europes Rough Year The premiers officials have been working on a plan to phase out Huawei equipment from 5G networks and diversify the market by bringing in other providers. The key question now is the time-frame for action. Tory opponents of Huawei want its kit to be removed from 5G infrastructure as soon as possible but phone companies have warned this will be difficult and expensive. U.K. Carriers High-Cost Estimates on Huawei Ban Raise Doubts Johnson now faces several difficulties. Huawei is a huge global phone equipment maker which is already embedded in British networks. Removing it will be complicated for phone companies and risks undermining the premiers election promise to improve communications services across the U.K. In the short term, a ban on the company will inflame already heated relations between London and Beijing. Tensions have grown recently over Chinas new security law in Hong Kong, a former British colony, and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Last week Liu Xiaoming, Chinas ambassador to the U.K., accused Johnsons government of gross interference in domestic policy and accused the U.K. of dancing to the tune of the U.S. over Huawei. Even in London, the prime minister may find his plans do not go far enough to satisfy some of his Conservative colleagues. Were delighted the government has listened to us and will start stripping Huawei out right now, Conservative member of Parliament Bob Seely said in an interview. However, there are a number of colleagues who may seek to amend the 2027 date, he added. They may use the governments 2027 date as a starting point to remove Huawei entirely from the networks and seek to make it sooner. (Updates with context in paragraph nine) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) Monday informed the Supreme Court that the May cycle of CA examination, scheduled between July 29 and August 16, has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The counsel appearing for ICAI told a bench comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and Sanjiv Khanna that now the May cycle examination will be merged with the November 2020 cycle of the CA exam. The apex court was hearing through video-conferencing a plea which had challenged the opt out option provided by ICAI alleging that it arbitrarily discriminate between the aspirants in May cycle of CA examination. The plea had also sought more centres for the examination across the country. In view of the additional affidavit dated July 6, 2020 filed by ... ICAI, as the examination scheduled in July 2020 has been cancelled, nothing survives for consideration in the present writ petition, the bench noted in its order. Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, appearing for the petitioner, pointed out to certain aspects related to the CA examinations. The top court granted liberty to the petitioner to make a representation before the ICAI in this regard and said that ICAI would decide it preferably within four weeks after receiving the same. Although, we intend to dispose of this writ petition, liberty is granted to the petitioner to make a representation to the ICAI in respect of other suggestions/issues which be decided by the ICAI on its own merits and in accordance with law expeditiously, preferably within four weeks from receipt of copy of the representation. Ordered accordingly, the bench said, while disposing of the petition. On June 29, the apex court had said that ICAI should be flexible in conducting exams amid the pandemic and take care of concern of candidates. It had suggested that option for change in examination centre should be made available to the aspirants till the last week before the scheduled exams. It had observed that situation is not static and continuously changing and the ICAI should be flexible on the issues of opt out and change of examination centre. The ICAIs counsel had earlier told the court that out of around 3,46,000 registered aspirants, nearly 53,000 have taken the opt out option. The plea filed in the apex court had alleged that ICAI had made an important announcement on June 15 by which it arbitrarily decided to discriminate between the aspirants by providing an option of opt out. The ICAIs counsel had told the court that it has ensured that no prejudice is caused to anybody by notification issued regarding the examination. The petitioner, president of India Wide Parents Association, had claimed in the plea that ICAI has stated that students, who have already submitted online examination application for the May examination cycle, shall be allowed to opt out and carry forward their candidature to November 2020 examination cycle. It is respectfully submitted that Respondent No.1 ICAI has notified that for the students who choose opt-out option, this attempt (May 2020) will be treated as cancelled/not counted. Thus, such student will be deprived of the May, 2020, attempt, as compared to other group of students, who choose opt-in option, the plea had said, while seeking quashing of the announcement made in this regard on June 15. The said opt-out option discriminates between those underprivileged group of CA students/ aspirants, who are living in remote areas of the country or living in the containment zones and thus are slated to lose one precious examination attempt by choosing opt-out option amidst ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as compared to that privileged group of students/ aspirants, who are living in big cities/ green zones and thus they have no problem in appearing in the said examination, it had said. It had said that free transportation and accommodation should be provided to the aspirants near their respective examination centres. It had further sought directions to the authorities to conduct mandatory free COVID-19 test of all aspirants and teachers and staffs deployed at the examination centres. Description GIS 13 July 2020 : In the wake of the propagation of the Covid-19 pandemic, the utmost priority of the Government was to ensure the protection of the population, and all Ministries worked in close collaboration. This statement was made by the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Protection, Mr. Yogida Sawmynaden, this afternoon, during a press conference held in Port-Louis. The Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr. Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, was also present. Minister Yogida Sawmynaden highlighted that the Covid-19 pandemic has plunged the world into an unprecedented health and economic crisis. He recalled that as soon as the first positive cases of Covid-19 were detected in Mauritius on 18 March 2020, Government took a series of bold measures to prevent any further propagation of the pandemic by providing the best medical assistance to the population. He pointed out that it was crucial at that point to provide the necessary protective gears and equipment to frontliners including health workers, police officers and those working in essential services, who were all working during the lockdown period. As all countries that were struggling with the same emergency situation, Mauritius had to resort to urgent procurement of protective gears as well as the necessary medical equipment to help fight the novel coronavirus, he said. Mr. Yogida Sawmynaden further stated that various Ministries, including that of Commerce, Health and Foreign Affairs, were called upon to coordinate efforts to ensure that the maximum amount of equipment, meeting the necessary requirements and standards, were being delivered on time by suppliers. On that score, he recalled that the prevailing market situation was difficult due to excessive demand and limited supply of the globally demanded commodities. The High-Level Committee on Covid-19, chaired by the Prime Minister, however, relentlessly worked towards the objective of fighting propagation of the pandemic, he said. He added that the Government has so far successfully managed to contain the propagation of Covid-19 through its timely and bold decisions. As for Minister Mr. Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, he underlined that Mauritius has successfully dealt with the situation that has enabled the country to lift the Covid-19 lockdown, unlike several other countries, where the novel coronavirus is still under propagation. He indicated that his Ministry analysed the crisis situation and prepared for the worst-case scenario by taking immediate and proactive measures. He spoke about the emergency procurement of ventilators being one of the essential medical equipment used for Covid-19 patients. The Ministry, he said, invested in the purchase of new ones, after considering their accessories, lifespan and maintenance needs. He emphasised that such medical equipment will be used on the long-term basis. New Delhi, Jul7 July 13 : Pakistanis singing Indian national song is rare. But Sunday saw quite a few of them joining hundreds of Indians, literally hand in hand, in a protest organised outside the Chinese Embassy in London. Arif Aajakia, a Pakistani human rights activist who believes in speaking "bitter and naked truth" about his country, shouted "boycott China" and "down with China" along with the members of several Indian diaspora groups protesting against China's expansionist policies. "Today was also the first time in my life that I sang Vande Mataram," said Aajakia. Joining him also was Amjad Ayub Mirza, who hails from Mirpur in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), a few others from Karachi and many from Iran, all pretty upset with China meddling in their affairs too. "I have travelled all the way from Glasgow for this protest. I am from PoK, an Indian living under Pakistani occupation. The Chinese are wreaking havoc across Gilgit-Baltistan through CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) and the Pakistani government continues to work hand in glove with them," said Mirza, who has been quite vocal against oppression and injustice meted out to the people of PoK by Pakistani authorities. The Indians, who've organised similar protests against China in the US, Canada and other parts of the world, carried posters and placards against Chinese President Xi Jinping, asking him to control his over-ambitious power play. The growing outrage against China is quite visible on the streets of London too. In fact, Saturday night saw an image reading 'Free Tibet, Free Hong Kong, Free Uyghurs' projected onto the Chinese Embassy building in central London. With the US sanctioning the Chinese government and its officials for their connection to serious human rights abuse against ethnic Uyghur Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, the world condemning China's 'brutal, sweeping crackdown' against Hong Kong's people, Indians boycotting Chinese products after People's Liberation Army intruded the Indian territory and killed Indian soldiers in Ladakh's Galwan Valley and countries from Japan till Australia up against the dragon, the noose is gradually tightening around the authoritarian regime. (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nina A. Loasana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 13, 2020 15:39 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665f0873 1 National Tangerang,Tangerang-regency,South-Tangerang,Banten,PSBB,COVID-19 Free The Banten administration has decided to extend COVID-19 mobility restrictions in Greater Tangerang for the sixth time, until July 26. Banten Governor Wahidin Halim announced the decision following a discussion of the efficacy of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) with local leaders in Tangerang regency, Tangerang city and South Tangerang. "We need more time for residents to fully adapt to new habits [that comply with health protocols]," Wahidin said on Monday. Banten authorities will relax some restrictions during this extension of PSBB, particularly on activities with a low risk of virus transmission. South Tangerang deputy mayor Benyamin Davine said the administration had decided to extend PSBB because many residents were still not complying with health protocols that would prevent the further spread of COVID-19. He said South Tangerang would only prepare for a "new normal" period a phrase used to describe Indonesia's post-pandemic easing of restrictions if 90 percent of the areas residents were complying with health protocols. Read also: Jakarta, Bali prepare to welcome conventions despite rising COVID-19 cases "However, weve made some exceptions, such as reopening places of worship as long as they adhere to the required health protocols," Benyamin added. Despite the relaxation of some restrictions, governor Wahidin reminded residents to adhere to PSBB restrictions. "We don't want the relaxations to cause residents to think that the situation has returned to normal and that they can behave like they did before the pandemic," he said. As of Monday, Banten had recorded a total of 1,593 COVID-19 infections, with 81 fatalities and 1,090 recoveries. The province has seen a decrease in new COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks, Banten COVID-19 task force head Ati Pramudji Hastuti said. "Banten has also recorded fewer ODP and PDP [suspected cases] and COVID-19 patients being treated at hospitals. We also have higher recovery and testing rates," Ati said, as quoted by tempo.co. (nal) Oscar nominee Kate Hudson shared a silly snap of her 21-month-old daughter Rani Rose's face covered in dirt on Monday. 'All she needs is some dirt to play with and she's happy,' the 41-year-old daughter of Goldie Hawn wrote. 'Taking a page from Rani's playbook for the week. Get dirty be happy. On it!' Little tomboy! Oscar nominee Kate Hudson shared a silly snap of her 21-month-old daughter Rani Rose's face covered in dirt on Monday The 41-year-old daughter of Goldie Hawn wrote: 'All she needs is some dirt to play with and she's happy. Taking a page from Rani's playbook for the week. Get dirty be happy. On it!' Kate's post was liked by her former Cutlass co-star Dakota Fanning and her former Gossip castmate Lena Headey commented with heart-eye emojis: 'Oh hello!' Hudson also Instastoried a video of her babydaddy Danny Fujikawa modeling a $32.47 'Courtside' hoodie from her seven-year-old athleisure clothing company, Fabletics. The 34-year-old Lightwave Records founder originally met the Sibling Revelry podcaster in 2002 through his stepsisters Erin & Sara Foster. Kate also has a 16-year-old son Ryder from her six-year marriage to Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson, which ended in 2017. Kate's post was liked by her former Cutlass co-star Dakota Fanning and her former Gossip castmate Lena Headey commented with heart-eye emojis: 'Oh hello!' Putting him to work! Hudson also Instastoried a video of her babydaddy Danny Fujikawa modeling a $32.47 'Courtside' hoodie from her seven-year-old athleisure clothing company, Fabletics All clean! Hudson later Instastoried this snap of little Rani drinking from a water bottle while rocking a high ponytail 'Home' sweet home: Hudson and her family visited a pond on Monday after she took a ride in her brother Oliver's 'disgusting' car Mother-of-three: The Sibling Revelry podcaster also has a 16-year-old son Ryder and nine-year-old son Bingham with her ex-husband Chris Robinson and ex-fiance Matt Bellamy (pictured Thursday) And Hudson mothered nine-year-old son Bingham from her four-year romance with ex-fiance, Muse frontman Matt Bellamy. The LA native also took the time to express her condolences to Kelly Preston who passed away, age 57, on Sunday morning. 'So sad to [hear] this news,' Kate - who boasts 12.6M Instagram/Facebook followers - wrote via Instastory. 'She was always kind. A lovely woman. Sending love to the entire family.' 'Sending love to the entire family': Kate took the time to express her condolences to Kelly Preston who passed away, age 57, on Sunday morning 'She was always kind': The actress wife of John Travolta (Gotti, Jerry Maguire, Citizen Ruth) succumbed to a secret, two-year battle with breast cancer (pictured June 21) The actress wife of John Travolta (Gotti, Jerry Maguire, Citizen Ruth) succumbed to a secret, two-year battle with breast cancer. Hudson famously shaved her head to play newly-sober drug dealer Zu opposite Maddie Ziegler in Sia Furler's directorial debut, Music, which is scheduled to hit IMAX theatres on August 22. The musical drama - shot in 2017 - is based on a one-page story that the Australian 44-year-old pop star penned back in 2007, and it features 10 original songs including Together. Hitting IMAX theatres on August 22! Hudson famously shaved her head to play newly-sober drug dealer Zu opposite Maddie Ziegler in Sia Furler's directorial debut, Music (pictured on set in 2017) 'It's the best thing I've done even though it's the hardest': The musical drama is based on a one-page story that the Australian 44-year-old pop star penned back in 2007, and it features 10 original songs including Together '[Together] felt like the perfect song to end the movie because I felt like I had broken your heart and put it back together and this was the perfect song to walk out of the cinema,' Sia told iHeartRadio in May. '[Directing a movie] was a terrible idea, but I'm really, really glad I did it because I think it's the best thing I've done even though it's the hardest.' The nine-time Grammy nominee's upcoming flick also features Leslie Odom Jr., Hector Elizondo, Tig Notaro, and Mary Kay Place. The man, whose FIR against gangster Vikas Dubey prompted the police to conduct a raid at Bikru village early on July 3, is missing, according to his family members and the police. The raid led to an ambush in which Dubey and his men killed eight police personnel, including deputy superintendent of police Devendra Mishra. Rahul Tiwari, besides being a complainant, is a key witness to the case related to events that led to the ambush, the police said. Kanpurs senior superintendent of police, Dinesh Kumar P, said he also faced a grave threat to his life. A team led by deputy SP (LIU) Sookshm Prakash is searching for him. Also read: UP Police takes custody of slain gangsters aides His mother Suman Devi said Tiwari last spoke to her on the night of July 2. He sounded scared over the phone; then he disappeared with his wife, children and his sister-in-law. I havent heard from him since, she said. According to the police investigation, Tiwari, who lives in Jadepur Nivada village adjoining Bikru, wanted to dispose of the land belonging to his in-laws at Monica Nivada village, which is also located in the vicinity. His sisters-in-law (wifes sisters) opposed the proposed sale. One of the them, who lives in Bikru, sought Dubeys intervention in the matter. Tiwari was threatened and beaten up publicly by Dubey on July 1, according to the police investigation. The next day, he gave a written complaint to Vinay Tiwari, the then station officer at Chaubeypur. Also read: Singhvi moves SC for mechanism to probe encounter killings, custodial deaths According to the police, the station officer, instead of lodging a complaint, had asked Tiwari to accompany him and met with Dubey for reconciliation. However, they were both beaten up by the gangster. Following the incident, the FIR was lodged on the intervention of DSP Devendra Mishra, who was the Bilhaur circle officer, on July 2 evening. A few hours later, Mishra assembled a team comprising 25 policemen, including three police station officers, for a raid on Bikru where the gangster and his men ambushed the police team and killed eight of them. Five policemen, a homeguard and a civilian were injured in the firing. Turkey's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attack carried out by Armenian forces, which killed three Azerbaijani troops and injured others Sunday. In a statement, the ministry said the fact that Armenia's action, which is a new manifestation of its understanding of aggressive nationalism, was repelled by Azerbaijan is a concrete indication that aggression will not be left unanswered. Ankara also called on the Armenian side to give up such "dangerous tactics" and urged it to act with common sense in observing the law. "Undertaking adventurousness for ambitions exceeding its own capacity showcases Armenia's weakness in reasoning and constitutes the biggest obstacle to peace and stability in the region," Daily Sabah cited the ministry as saying. It added that the international community should not accept Armenia's efforts to cover up its aggression. Turkey strongly condemns the attack by Armenian armed forces on Azerbaijan's Tovuz region, the ministry said, conveying its condolences to the friendly nation of Azerbaijan over the lost lives. "Turkey, with all its facilities, will continue to stand with Azerbaijan in its fight to protect its territorial integrity," the ministry added. On Sunday, three Azerbaijani soldiers were martyred and four others injured in a border clash with Armenian troops. Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said the Armenian army had fired on positions held by Azerbaijan in the northwestern Tovuz region. 13 Jul Two weeks after arriving in Hong Kong, Linda Chung was recently seen in TVB City for her costume fitting for her new drama, "Children's Hospital". As reported on Mingpao, the actress who finally arrived at work after 14 days of self-quarantine following her arrival from Canada, declined to be interviewed by the media so not to accidentally spill any information about the new project, but was happy to pose for the camera. However, when asked if her two kids would feel miserable for several weeks not seeing their mother, she laughed and said, "They won't feel miserable. They're so happy!" It is noted that this will be Linda's first drama two years after her last special appearance on "Another Era". The actress has been away from the limelight for several years now following her marriage to chiropractor Jeremy Leung and her subsequent move to Canada to focus on her family. The upcoming series will not only be Linda's comeback vehicle, but also Kevin Cheng and Catherine Chau - who have both left the company for several years now. (Photo Source: Linda Chung Instagram) Last year, there were 9,000 international students from 130 countries educated on Rutgers three campuses. At Princeton, there were another 2,400 foreign kids, which represents one quarter of that universitys enrollment. There are about 23,456 foreign students who attend college in New Jersey in 2019, and they do it because our state appeals to young people seeking superior instruction, a welcoming environment, an urbane culture, and, until recently, a good labor market. The educators themselves cherish the reciprocity of it. Listen to Janice Fine, a professor at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, who has PhD students from Western Europe to Eastern Asia: The wonderful thing is they bring all those experiences and understanding of political institutions and cultures with them we learn by teaching them, she says. And now, weve filled their lives with fear. There is a possibility that many scholars will be turned away at our door, because our presidents immigration policy has taken yet another spiteful turn in his catastrophic efforts to re-open a broken economy with a pandemic still raging this time, choosing a truckload of dynamite for the job. On Monday, Donald Trump seized the opportunity to torment the vulnerable, ordering US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to impose new regulations that will prevent international students from entering the country if they are currently enrolled in a college that has moved classes entirely online for the fall semester. For the foreign students who are already here, there are two choices: Transfer to a school that has opened its campus, or leave the country and take online courses from abroad. Schools are searching for operational workarounds to deal with this pointless regulation. Rutgers has joined Harvard and MIT in a lawsuit against the Trump Administration for what is essentially an attack on their decision to protect public health. As the lawsuit said, The effect and perhaps even the goal is to create as much chaos for universities and international students as possible. That chaos will be felt here. Many New Jersey schools such as Princeton and Rutgers plan a hybrid schedule, with the vast majority of classes online. ICE will allow their foreign students to stay in the country, but only if they attend one class in-person, and certify that the student is not taking an entirely online course load. But if a resurgence of Covid cases forces schools to switch from a hybrid model back to all-online instruction, schools fear these foreign students will have to leave the country yes, during the semester. The potential for financial chaos also exists. International students often pay tens of thousands more in tuition here: They represent only 12 percent of the total enrollment of US colleges, but pay 28 percent of the tuition, according to Business Insider. This is the worst time to reject foreign students, who added $45 billion to the higher education industry in 2018, according to the Department of Commerce. Acclaimed marketing professor Scott Galloway of NYU Stern notes that higher ed already is facing a reckoning, and Covid accelerates the process: With tuition rates rising faster than health care costs, fewer families will choose to take on a six-figure debt because they believe the diminished experience of remote learning is no longer worth it. Beyond economics, this is another example of our national soul being scraped raw. Princeton president Christopher Eisgruber calls the order heartless, senseless, and damaging: They needlessly put international students at risk without serving any legitimate policy objective. But he forgets that all Trump policy on immigration is driven by xenophobia and tempered by cruelty. It is a policy of family separation, one that delights in deporting grandmothers and caging children, on the theory that they infest our country. It dangles a safe harbor to Dreamers, and then tries to banish them. It demonizes immigrants as ruthless job-stealers, and ignores the corrupt employers who exploit them. And it weaponizes bigotry, repackaged as woozy barstool sophistry from the ghoulish mind of Stephen Miller. In the end, it serves one purpose: to provoke outrage among people who refuse to share the presidents obsession to decolorize America, without regard for the human consequences or the incalculable brain drain. All this winning. When foreigners attend our great colleges & want to stay in the U.S., they should not be thrown out of our country. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2015 Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. A local court on Monday cancelled the bail granted to Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun in Kerala, for failing to appear for the trial in the case and issued a non-bailable warrant against him. The Bishop was not present in the Additional Sessions Court during the hearing. Mulakkal's counsel informed the court that his client could not appear as he had been in self quarantine due to his primary contact with a COVID-19 infected person. During the previous hearing on July 1 also he had failed to appear before the court. His counsel had then submitted that the priest could not appear as he was stuck in a COVID-19 containment zone at Jalandhar in Punjab. The prosecution on Monday countered the claim by the accused, saying the place where he lived in Jalandhar was not a COVID-19 containment zone on July 1. The court cancelled his bail, considering the prosecution argument that the accused was trying to delay the trial, and posted the case to August 13. The Kerala high court on July 7 had dismissed a petition seeking to discharge Mulakkal from the sexual assault case filed against him by the nun. It had directed the deposed Bishop of Jalandhar diocese to stand for trial in the rape case, which was registered on a complaint filed by the nun of same diocese in Kerala. The court dismissed the plea by the bishop, admitting the prosecution argument that there was prima facie evidence against Mulakkal in the rape case. The senior priest of the Roman Catholic Church had filed the revision petition following the dismissal of his discharge plea by the trial court in Kottayam in March this year. The rape case against the Bishop was registered by police in Kottayam district. In her complaint to the police in June 2018, the nun had alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse by the Bishop between 2014 and 2016. The bishop, who was arrested by the Special Investigation team which probed the case, has been charged with wrongful confinement, rape, unnatural sex and criminal intimidation. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Family members of three people slain in Arkansas more than 20 years ago have been among the most vocal opponents to the federal governments plan to execute one of the men convicted of killing their loved ones. That man, Daniel Lewis Lee, is first on the list of prisoners set to be killed as the Trump administration tries to bring back federal executions this week after an almost two-decade hiatus. But relatives of William Mueller, his wife, Nancy, and her 8-year-old daughter, Sarah Powell, who were killed in 1996, say thats not what they want. They have pleaded for years that Lee, of Yukon, Oklahoma, should receive the same life sentence as the ringleader in a deadly scheme that aimed to establish a whites-only nation in the Pacific Northwest. Hours after the scheduled time for Lees execution, it was unclear whether any of the executions would go forward. The family members say their grief is compounded by the push to execute the 47-year-old Lee in the middle of a pandemic. As a supporter of President Trump, I pray that he will hear my message: the scheduled execution of Danny Lee for the murder of my daughter and granddaughter is not what I want and would bring my family more pain, Earlene Peterson, Nancys mother and Sarahs grandmother, said in a statement last month. Family members say the government is forcing them to put their lives at risk if they travel during the coronavirus pandemic to witness Lees execution. Peterson; her granddaughter Monica Veillette; and Kimma Gurel, Nancy Muellers sister and Sarahs aunt, asked a judge for a delay, which a judge initially granted. That decision was overturned as lawyers for the federal government, Lee and others fought in court in the days leading up to the execution. Peterson, 81, lives in Arkansas, while Veillette and Gurel live in Washington state. An attorney for the relatives who object to the execution said they hadnt travelled to Indiana as of Monday morning. A Justice Department official said other members of the family were still planning to attend. Some would have to travel thousands of miles to witness the execution in a small room in which the social distancing needed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus is virtually impossible. It feels disingenuous to me for someone to say theyre doing this in our familys name and for us, and no ones taken into account our well-being and health, Veillette said. She said other relatives want to witness the execution to counter the governments argument that its being done on their behalf. For us it is a matter of being there and saying, `This is not being done in our name; we do not want this, she said. Lees execution would be only the third carried out in the U.S. since March due to concerns about COVID-19. Missouri executed an inmate in May, and Texas executed a man last week. The federal executions will bring together lawyers, victims families, media and others from other communities, which could pose a public health risk. By late June, more than 57,000 inmates at state and federal prisons had tested positive for the virus, according to data compiled by The Marshall Project and The Associated Press You are creating a petri dish, and then youre bringing that into the prison, and the prison is already a hot spot for the virus, said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. The Bureau of Prisons says its implementing safety measures that include conducting temperature checks and requiring witnesses to wear masks. Lees attorneys have pressed their case that his death sentence is unfair, and cited evidence from his trial that Chevie Kehoe, the alleged ringleader, actually killed Sarah. Kehoe, of Colville, Washington, recruited Lee in 1995 for his white supremacist organization. Two years later, they were arrested for the killings of the Muellers and Sarah in Tilly, Arkansas, about 75 miles (120 kilometres) northwest of Little Rock. At their 1999 trial, prosecutors said Kehoe and Lee stole guns and $50,000 in cash from the Muellers as part of their plan to establish a whites-only nation. Prosecutors said Lee and Kehoe incapacitated the Muellers and questioned Sarah about where they could find money and ammunition. Then, they used stun guns on them, sealed trash bags with duct tape on their heads, taped rocks to their bodies and dumped them in a bayou. Kehoe and Lee were both convicted of murder. The lead prosecutor and judge from Lees trial have in recent years called the disparity in their sentences unfair. Perhaps more than anything else, this case illustrates that the most carefully crafted capital punishment regime in the hands of the humans who must carry it out can never be completely free of arbitrariness in all of its implementations, Judge G. Thomas Eisele wrote in a 2008 ruling denying Lees request to set aside his death sentence. The U.S. Supreme Court last month cleared the way for Lee and three other federal inmates to be put to death. The other three are slated to die for killing people from Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. ___ AP writer Michael Balsamo in Terre Haute, Indiana, and former AP writer Hannah Grabenstein contributed to this report. ___ Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ademillo. "Blue Shield Promise is committed to serving and investing in the communities where our members live," said Kristen Cerf, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan. "We want to support the safety net for our members and the community at large. Through the San Diego Community Impact Fund, we are helping organizations such as I Am My Brother's Keeper, that are in the community addressing food insecurity to the most vulnerable." Blue Shield Promise is providing $50,000 to the San Diego Foundation to support the San Diego Community Impact Fund. The grant will be used to distribute food to more than 2,500 families throughout southeast San Diego. The food distributions will be made to San Diego nonprofit "I Am My Brother's Keeper," a non-profit organization that provides services and resources to the community. "During this challenging time, San Diegans are going above and beyond to support their neighbors, uplift the needy and give to families hit hardest by COVID-19," expressed Mark Stuart, President & CEO of The San Diego Foundation. "Every day, we are seeing the needs of our local communities grow and we are grateful for the generosity of organizations like Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan." In addition, in Los Angeles and San Diego counties, Blue Shield Promise is providing a total of $50,000 in grants to nine community-based organizations and together, the funds will be used to serve nutritious food to more than 3,500 low-income families. The distributions began earlier this month and will continue through August. The grants will be distributed to: This is the latest example of Blue Shield Promise, and its parent company, nonprofit Blue Shield of California, providing ongoing support for their members, physicians, hospitals and the larger community during the public health crisis. In May, Blue Shield Promise and L.A. Care Health Plan participated in the Sowing Seeds for Life drive-through food pantry. This is in addition to the $350,000 Blue Shield Promise donated to support their members and providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recipients included community-based organizations serving Blue Shield members and who were engaged in meal distribution to school age children, seniors and high-risk members isolated at home, domestic violence support and community solution response efforts. About Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan is a managed care organization, wholly owned by Blue Shield of California, offering Medi-Cal, Cal MediConnect, Medicare Advantage HMO, and Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans. It is led by healthcare professionals with a "members-first" philosophy and committed to building a quality network of providers and partnering with community organizations for more than 400,000 members. For more information about Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, please visit www.blueshieldca.com/promise. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit https://news.blueshieldca.com/. Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. CONTACT: Carol Thornton / Mashi Nyssen Blue Shield of California 510-607-2359 [email protected] SOURCE Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan Key Highlights Google digitisation fund to invest $10 billion in India over the next 5-7 years. Investment to be a mix of equity, partnerships, and operational, infrastructure and ecosystem investments CapitalG Investments in start-ups include Freshworks, CarDekho, Aye Finance, among others At a virtual 'GoogleforIndia' meet, Google and Alphabet CEO, Sundar Pichai on Monday announced Google for India Digitisation Fund, a commitment of Rs 75,000 crore (approximately $10 billion) towards digitising the Indian economy over the next five-seven years. The fund deployment will be a mix of equity investments, partnerships, operations, and infrastructure and ecosystem investments. "Google's efforts in India have deepened our understanding of how technology can be helpful to different types of people. Building products for India first has helped us build better products for users everywhere. But India's own digital journey is far from complete. There's still more work to do in order to make the internet affordable and useful for a billion Indian," said Pichai. Google's investment through the fund will be around four key areas. One, enabling affordable access to the internet and to information to Indians in vernacular languages. Two, building new products and services that focus on the unique needs of the country including consumer tech, education, health and agriculture. Three, to help businesses especially the small and medium ones in their digital transformation. Four, to leverage technology and AI for social good in areas such as digital literacy, outbreak predictions, and support for rural economies. Sanjay Gupta, Country Head and Vice President, Google India said, "India has always been a strategic and important focus for Google. Over the last several years, under the 'Next Billion Users' initiative, Google has solved for India by understanding the challenges of India better and building products and solutions that can help Indians get more out of the Internet." Tapping into India's digital opportunity Google's new India fund is a step towards unlocking the latent digital potential in the country and the economic opportunities it brings. According to the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology report, successful realisation of India's digital vision can unlock significant economic value, in the range of $800 billion to up to $1 trillion, up from the current $200 billion, and sustain 60-65 million digital-economy jobs by 2025. Over the last five years the company has intensified its India customisation of products including offering voice navigation on Google Maps in seven languages, Search, Google Assistant, Google Translate in nine and supporting 60+ languages on Gboard. "With India-first products such as YouTube Go (low data consumption version), Filesgo (mobile storage space optimization app), Google's effort in India has deepened our understanding of how technology can be helpful to all different types of people. Building products for India first, has helped us build better products for users everywhere," said Pichai. Google's UPI payment platform Google Pay (earlier known as TEZ) today leads the pack in third party UPI payments, putting behind other players such as PhonePe and Paytm. India investments Over the years Google has invested in many Indian businesses through Google as well as equity investment fund CapitalG (Alphabet's independent growth fund). Google's direct investments in India include hyper-local delivery app Dunzo, Indian e-commerce fashion shopping platform Fynd (exited), a deep learning and machine learning systems development company HalliLabs and 'Where is my train' app that helps users access live train status and up-to-date schedules for Indian Railway trains. Through CapitalG it has invested in many Indian businesses through Google, as well as its growth equity investment fund CapitalG in startups such as Freshworks, Practo Cardekho, Cuemath and Aye Finance. Its first investment in Commonfloor was got acquired by Quikr. Also Read: Retail inflation grew at 6.09% in June, food inflation eases to 7.87% Also Read: Sundar Pichai-led Google sets up $10 billion India digitisation fund Also Read: Smartphone sales fall 30-40% in July so far amid import delays President Donald Trump's management of this summer's crises has triggered what Democrats detect as a tectonic shift in the political landscape, with party leaders suddenly bullish about not only taking back the White House but also wresting control of the Senate, as well as expanding their House majority. Trump's incumbent advantages have steadily eroded since the spring, with the president now trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in virtually every public poll nationally and in battleground states, as well as lagging behind the former vice president in fundraising for May and June. Trump and his advisers insist that their campaign's internal data show the race as more competitive - "In the real polls, we are doing very well," the president claimed Friday - and that he can gain momentum in the weeks ahead with a disciplined message and a brutal, sustained assault on Biden's character, ideology and mental acuity. Yet Trump has never shown much discipline, and time and again this year he has stymied his campaign's best efforts with bouts of seeming self-sabotage. On Friday night, Trump provoked critics anew with his decision to commute the prison sentence of longtime confidant Roger Stone, an act Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, called "unprecedented, historic corruption." With the coronavirus pandemic still raging across much of the country, Biden enjoys a commanding position, though his campaign advisers say nothing is yet secured and they are careful not to take any state for granted. Both Democratic and Republican operatives increasingly view Trump as a drag on GOP candidates in many key Senate and House races - especially in suburban areas, where polling and focus group data suggest he has been bleeding support. Voters' disapproval of Trump's handling of the pandemic and of the racial justice movement, as measured in public surveys, has buoyed Democrats down the ballot. Some long-shot Democratic challengers in Kentucky, South Carolina and other Republican strongholds reported staggering fundraising hauls in recent days, which party leaders see as a sign that their playing field could expand further. "It's just in the air," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said in an interview. "You just feel it, the importance of taking back the Senate, the importance of getting the country moving again, the importance of paying attention to the middle class." Schumer said "we're feeling very good" about winning the three or four seats required for Democrats to gain control of the Senate for the first time in six years. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in an interview that if the election were held today, Democrats would pick up seats and expand their majority. But she cautioned that Trump remains popular in a number of congressional districts in traditionally Republican areas that Democrats captured in the 2018 midterm elections, despite his collapse elsewhere, which endangers those incumbents. "For reasons that are beyond my comprehension, he still has some favorability in these districts, and so the question is: In the last election, did people stay home because he wasn't on the ballot and now turn out because he is on the ballot and they support him?" Pelosi said. "It's the strangest phenomenon I have ever seen in politics." Pelosi said she has warned fellow Democrats not to let down their guard. "I say: 'Own the ground. Don't give one grain of sand. Get everybody out.' " And Pelosi predicted that Trump and his allies would work to suppress access to the polls or create other obstacles for black people and other loyal Democratic voters. "One advantage we have this time over the last is people are vigilant, they are attuned, they are concerned," Pelosi said. Mike Murphy, a longtime GOP strategist involved in the Republican Voters Against Trump super PAC, similarly advised against overconfidence. "There's so much Democratic psychological energy warped by Trump's gravity field," Murphy said. "Now they're having this exhilaration. Ninety percent of the political gestalt is set by public polls, and the polls show Trump's going to lose, we can all relax, it's over. But I would say, 'Caution! Elections are very dynamic.' " Biden leads Trump by nine percentage points among registered voters in a Washington Post average of national polls conducted since mid-June. He also leads the incumbent, in some cases outside the margin of error, in recent polls in the battleground states of Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. "The president is in a very, very deep hole, and I'm not quite sure how he gets out of it," said Amy Walter, national editor of the Cook Political Report, which on Wednesday shifted a number of states in its electoral college ratings in Biden's favor. "He is taking with him Senate and House candidates," Walter added. "Instead of just a slight drag, the president is tying anchors around the ankles of Republican candidates." Michael McAdams, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, countered: "President Trump at the top of the ticket remains a massive advantage for Republicans in the 30 Trump districts House Democrats are defending." But other GOP strategists privately disagree and worry about Trump dragging down the party, though they said they were hopeful that the electorate snaps back to a more even partisan split by the fall. Haley Barbour, a former Mississippi governor and former Republican National Committee chairman, said Trump can recover with a more disciplined message. "He needs to be talking about the accomplishments before the pandemic took hold, where we were, why the positive economy was because of his policies, and why what Democrats propose is not going to work," Barbour said. For weeks now, White House officials and Trump campaign surrogates have been arguing that the president is better positioned than Biden to rebuild the economy after the pandemic, a message they hope resonates with some of the voters who polls show have peeled away from him. Jason Miller, a Trump campaign senior adviser, argued that the president's base is more motivated to turn out than Biden's, and that Trump has "a lot of room to grow." He likened Trump's performance the past few days to his "razor sharp" focus in the home stretch of the 2016 campaign. Central to Trump's efforts ahead is an all-out assault on Biden. Miller said the Trump campaign believes several lines of attack are potent, including that Biden lacks the mental sharpness for the job, that he is beholden to liberal activists and that he would "throw the country into a U-turn" by undoing Trump's economic policies. "Joe Biden is very undefined," Miller said. "Even though he's been in office for decades, people don't know Joe Biden, and they definitely don't know this iteration of Joe Biden. ... His radical, left-wing friends have to prop him up and wheel him around like a bad episode of 'Weekend at Bernie's.' " Anita Dunn, a Biden campaign senior adviser, said Trump and his allies have been attacking Biden for the past year without much success. "The idea they haven't had time to define Joe Biden yet is ludicrous," Dunn said. "This president got himself impeached by trying to define Joe Biden in a negative way. ... The problem that Donald Trump has is that he has been defined for the American people, and the American people don't like a president who they think puts himself ahead of their interests, who doesn't listen to experts and who has made a bad situation a catastrophe." Dunn argued that the election would come down to the issue of presidential leadership. "When Joe Biden makes a speech, when he addresses an issue, he is being the president people want," she said. "He's working to unify people. He's honest about the challenges facing us, but optimistic about our ability to address them if we all work together." Sixty-seven percent of Americans disapprove of Trump's coronavirus response, according to an ABC News-Ipsos poll released Friday. The same percentage said they disapprove of Trump's handling of race relations. "There's a tsunami coming," said Terry McAuliffe, a former Virginia governor and former Democratic National Committee chairman. "If he'd early on jumped in front of the coronavirus and been a leader, this guy would've been unbeatable. But every opportunity he's had to stand up and be a leader, whether Charlottesville or anything else, he's failed each time." The danger for Trump will be if the voters he lost are not willing to come back. Democratic pollster Peter Hart said this is the case, based on his extensive focus group interviews. "Voters have arrived at a place that they're done with Donald Trump," Hart said. "The last four years have been total chaos, and the public says: 'Stop the music. I want to get off.' " Former Republican congressman Carlos Curbelo of Florida, a state Trump carried in 2016, said the current environment there is unambiguously troubling for the president. "The idea of a reality-TV president was perhaps intriguing or interesting to a lot of people while the country was on autopilot," Curbelo said. "A lot of middle-of-the-road voters who took a chance on the president in 2016 are in a vastly different mood right now, and that is certainly true in suburban Florida, which will be decisive come November." The prospects for Senate Republicans have darkened in recent weeks as coronavirus cases rise in dozens of states. Though the battle for Senate control is largely being waged in a half-dozen states, Republicans are having to fend off well-funded opponents elsewhere as well. A quartet of Democratic challengers raised enormous sums in the quarter that ended June 30: Amy McGrath said she collected $17.4 million in her bid to unseat Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky; Jaime Harrison reported raising $13.9 million in his race against Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Steve Bullock collected $7.7 million in his bid to defeat Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont.; and Cal Cunningham raked in $7.4 million in his campaign against Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. GOP officials feel secure about McConnell and Graham winning re-election, though Montana and North Carolina appear more competitive. The one race so far where a Republican candidate has outraised a Democratic incumbent is in Michigan, where John James collected $6.4 million against Sen. Gary Peters. Republican officials believe the dynamics could shift once scrutiny increases on the Democratic Senate candidates. But there remains notable concern about Republican incumbent Sens. Martha McSally of Arizona, Cory Gardner of Colorado and Susan Collins of Maine. Recent polls show the races tightening for Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Tillis, both in states that Trump carried four years ago but could lose this time. Republican officials also have been watching the two Senate races in Georgia, especially as that state becomes more competitive on the presidential level. "This is shaping up to be a lot like four years ago - with challenging states, a massive Democratic spending advantage and a class of sharp Republican senators who pushed through to win at the end," said Steven Law, president of the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC dedicated to electing Republican senators. As recently as Trump's February acquittal in his impeachment trial, House Democrats were nervous about losing some seats, but now they see pickup opportunities thanks to Trump's sinking approval ratings in suburban areas. Democrats are eyeing Republican-held districts in Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas, as well as long-shot opportunities in Alaska and Montana. The most concentrated state is Texas, where Democrats are targeting seven GOP-held districts, including the suburban Houston district once represented by former House Republican leader Tom DeLay. Democratic strategists believe the spike in coronavirus cases across Texas could further erode Trump's standing with voters in those districts. "The world is changing," said Abby Curran Horrell, executive director of the House Majority PAC, a super PAC helping elect House Democrats. "What we're seeing is this president is just a drag on these Republican candidates, and it's just tough to get around that. And we're seeing it across the map." Photo: Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/WireImage Ben Stiller has heard your cry (or, at least, somebodys cry) to edit Donald Trump from his hit 2001 comedy. He hears it and he is going to go ahead and let you down easy: Its not happening. Ive had people reach out to me and say, you should edit Donald Trump out of Zoolander, the actor told the Daily Beasts podcast The New Abnormal recently. But at the end of the day, that was a time when that exists, and that happened. For those of you who havent seen Zoolander in a hot minute, Trumps split-second cameo is one of numerous celebrity appearances praising the incomprehensibly dumb, genetically gifted titular protagonist. Without Derek Zoolander, male modeling wouldnt be what it is today, the current president of the United States declares. There were so many movies that had a silly cameo from Donald Trump, Stiller said. He represented a certain thing. Its an interesting point, though. If Trump were to be erased from Zoolander, would he still remain in his many, many other cameos? Were talking Home Alone II, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Sex and the City, The Job, The Drew Carey Show, The Little Rascals New Executive Hires Tanya Woit (VP of People Operations) and Puneet Arora (VP of Finance) Strong and proven leadership are the requirements for Influitives continued growth and success. I am thrilled to have Tanya and Puneet on board working alongside myself and the rest of our leadership team to bring Influitive into the future. - Dan McCall, CEO at Influitive Influitive Corporationa leading provider of customer advocacy and engagement softwaretoday announced the appointment of Tanya Woit as the companys new VP of People Operations and Puneet Arora as VP of Finance. Both executive hires bring more than 10 years of experience in business strategy and operations and will help further strengthen the Influitive leadership team. Tanya Woit joins Influitive as VP of People Operations. Most recently, she was the Associate Vice President of Talent and Operations at Think Research where she drove organization-wide alignment and the execution of business strategy. Woit is a strong advocate for empowering team members to push the boundaries of old HR and work side by side with the teams they support to create bespoke programs and processes. She earned an MBA from the Smith School of Business at Queens University. Puneet Arora returns to Influitive as its VP of Finance and previously served as the companys Senior Director of Finance and Operations during 2017 - 2018. Prior to rejoining Influitive, Arora was a strategic financial consultant at BrightIron, where he provided strategic and operational finance support to startups and tech companies in the region. He was born and raised in India, and moved to Toronto in 2016 after contributing to the hyper-growth of multiple startups in the software ecosystem. He earned an MBA from IIM Calcutta, one of Indias top 3 business schools. Strong and proven leadership are the requirements for Influitives continued growth and success, said Dan McCall, CEO at Influitive. I am thrilled to have Tanya and Puneet on board working alongside myself and the rest of our leadership team to bring Influitive into the future." About Influitive Influitive works with forward-thinking marketers and digital businesses who want a better way to engage customers and mobilize advocates to increase referrals, references, reviews, case studies, and more. Our easy-to-use SaaS platform combines industry-leading customer advocacy tools, expert services, and training with intelligent automation, gamification, and personalization features that drive extreme engagement and customer growth at scale. Leading brands such as Cisco, Oracle, Adobe, ADP, and IBM rely upon Influitive to help foster collaboration, build trust and deepen relationships with customers for top-line growth and bottom-line profits. Visit influitive.com to learn more. China, India and Cuba replaced the U.S. as the top destinations for Venezuelas heavy crude, making up a combined 37% of all voyages from Venezuela in the year following sanctions. Still, traffic to those three countries was down by around 20% in the year following sanctions. In total, nine countries including Bahrain, South Africa and Portugal emerged as new destinations that had not appeared in the previous year. In this article JWN Influencer Arielle Charnas attends the Beach Magazine Celebration of Cover Star Arielle Charnas at the Southampton Social Club on July 24, 2019 in Southampton, New York. Mark Sagliocco | Getty Images Arielle Charnas, the mega fashion influencer with 1.3 million followers on Instagram, is relaunching her Something Navy brand Monday this time on her own. Charnas' launch, previously set to take place in March, comes in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to hammer much of the retail industry and has already resulted in numerous bankruptcies from companies including J.Crew, Brooks Brothers, J.C. Penney, Neiman Marcus and Lucky Brand, to name a few. The pandemic pushed back the timing of Something Navy's reboot, following a stint at Nordstrom, as retailers quickly were forced to adapt to stores being shut and consumers were stuck at home and many out of work. Today, according to Charnas, her followers are eager to shop for apparel again. "I've gotten a lot of feedback from my followers, and they are ready ... they are really excited to have that spark of hope and something to look forward to," Charnas said in a phone interview. "They want to buy pieces to go to dinner, even if they are sitting outside with a mask on." Previously, you could find pieces from Something Navy at Nordstrom, after Charnas struck a deal with the Seattle-based department store chain to be the sole purveyor of her line. Nordstrom produced the items, which would almost instantly sell out of sizes and styles after each drop, with Charnas promoting and styling outfits on her Instagram page. In September 2018, when Something Navy went live at Nordstrom, more than $4.4 million worth of clothing and accessories were sold in one day, the companies said. I am always talking to my customers. I think that is the biggest difference between the brand I have created and some of those bigger companies. Arielle Charnas Something Navy founder Nordstrom President Pete Nordstrom at one point called Charnas' collection the "most successful" launch at the retailer, ever. But late in 2019, when Charnas was offered the opportunity to either renew her contract with Nordstrom or go solo, she voted for the latter. "Working with Nordstrom was one of the most amazing opportunities ... with one of the biggest players in the retail space," she said. "I learned so much. But at the end of the day, I wanted more control. The whole purpose of this brand is to deliver exactly what my followers are asking for. The best way to do that was to not be attached to anyone else." Still, she has caught the attention of others to help her out along the way. Hong Kong billionaire Silas Chou, an early investor in brands Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors, through his Vanterra Capital fund recently participated in a $10 million funding round for Something Navy, valuing the business at roughly $45 million. Other investors in Something Navy include Box Group, which backs glasses maker Warby Parker; M3 Ventures; Silas Capital; Third Kind Venture Capital; and Rent the Runway co-founder Jennifer Fleiss. Engaged followers Charnas, currently serving as Something Navy founder and chief creative officer, also recently handed over key leadership responsibilities to another brand's founder, Matt Scanlan. He co-founded the direct-to-consumer cashmere brand Naadam, and now holds the title of Something Navy's interim CEO. "I have never seen a community that is as passionate or engaged," Scanlan said about Charnas' following. "A powerful conversation with your community ultimately can build a more efficient and sustainable business." If you follow Charnas' personal Instagram account, you will often see her posting polls asking people to respond to what colors they want in a top, what style shoes they prefer or what pant cut looks best. Those hundreds of thousands of responses "inform inventory planning and buying," Scanlan said. "This can impact how profitable we can become." To be sure, since the Something Navy brand is so closely tied to Charnas, the fortunes of the company could be aligned closely with her own personal success. Being such a big name, Charnas has faced her share of backlash online over the years, most recently for fleeing to the Hamptons after receiving a Covid-19 diagnosis. As is the case when major retailers sign deals with celebrities as endorsements, there is a large amount of trust instilled in that person to be the face of the brand. Charnas went on to tell CNBC that the future of fashion, in her mind, is brands having "two-way conversations" with consumers. "I am always talking to my customers," she said. "I think that is the biggest difference between the brand I have created and some of those bigger companies." Moving online India insisted on 'complete disengagement' in all its talks with China on eastern Ladakh row: Govt India-China face off: Military commander level talks tomorrow India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 13: The military commander level talks between India and China will be held today. The corps commander level talks will be held at Chushul in eastern Ladakh on Tuesday. The talks would mainly focus around the second phase of disengagement by the two sides. India, China disengagement 'a work in progress': Jaishankar Meanwhile the Chinese soldiers have taken a step back at several locations along the Line of Actual Control. The PLA and Indian Army have moved back around 600 metres from the four friction points, where they has been a tense standoff. Officials said that both sides have decided to halt patrolling at the four points- Galwan, Gogra, Hot Springs and Pangong Tso. There would be no prejudice to their patrolling rights as a precaution, sources tell OneIndia. This has been done with a view of decreasing tensions, the source also said. Both India and China have agreed that it was necessary for both sides to implement the understandings reached between the senior commanders of the Indian Army and Chinese PLA for disengagement of troops alone the Line of Actual Control. The agreement came following a meeting of senior diplomats of India and China via video-conference. Both sides reviewed the progress made in withdrawal of soldiers by the two sides from the face off scenes along the LAC. This was the 16th meeting of the working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), which was constituted in 2013. The Indian side was led by Naveen Srivastava, who heads the East Asia division at the MEA. The delegation of the Chinese government was led by Hong Liang, the Director General of Department of Boundary and Oceanic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The MEA said in a statement that both sides would ensure complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC and de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquility in the border areas in accordance with bilateral agreements and protocols. Srivastava and Hong also agreed that for the overall development of bilateral relations it was essential to maintain enduring peace and tranquility in the border areas. Rajasthan political crisis: Congress ready to talk to Sachin Pilot| Oneindia News Both sides noted that senior military commanders of India and China would hold another round of talks to follow up on the three rounds of talks they had held on June 6, 22 and 30. Srivastava and Hong also agreed to maintain the ongoing communication both at the diplomatic and military level to ensure early resolution of the situation. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 13, 2020, 17:02 [IST] The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) on Monday said the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted negatively on the oil and gas industry in Ghana and called for support in its operations. Mr James D. Yamoah, Acting Chief Operating Officer, GNPC, said because of the pandemic, international oil companies (IOCs) took business decisions to safeguard their investments, which might not necessarily coincide with the national interest. Some of them have decided to suspend their operations in the country, while others have deferred their operations to the second and third quarters of 2021. Mr Yamoah said this in his submission during a virtual conference organised by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on Africas oil and gas sector. He said new exploration activities (drilling of new wells) that had hitherto been planned for this year to add onto national reserves, had been suspended. That, he said, emphasized the need for the GNPC to be supported to build its Operatorship capabilities so that the impact of pandemics like the covid-19 on the country would not be that severe. Mr Yamoah said the low oil price on the global market, which affected GNPCs revenues and cash flows, also affected the share that government left to the Corporation. He said in all of that, the GNPC had to renew its emphasis on diversification of energy sources and maintain revenue streams that, going forward, would help the national oil company. With regards to some of the strategic responses and risk mitigations that the Corporation had taken, Mr Yamoah said it had embraced a safety mind-set and every staff of the GNPC had to take a proactive approach in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. He said as part of efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19, staff were abiding by the protocols drawn by the World Health Organisation and the Ghana Health Service. We are working from home and it is very lonely, our job is such that without a physical presence at our work, all what we do is hampered, and then also the stress and the mental health (problems) that come with it. He said the GNPC needed to consolidate its gains in the upstream segment and that it had to pursue an aggressive change in strategy from being just a facilitator to full operator in the upstream business. Mr Yamoah said there was supposed to be a continuous and increased investment in GNPC operated blocks. He reiterated that the Corporation would have to leverage its commercial subsidiaries like the GNPC Exploration and Production Company Limited for commercial participation. Stakeholders Ghana, Kenya, Sudan, and Mozambique participated in the virtual conference. It is to provide a platform for participants to deepen insights on the challenges faced by the upstream sector and share coping strategies and lessons learnt in addressing the challenges posed by the pandemic. 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 Charlize Therons new Netflix film The Old Guard has created a lot of buzz since it released on Netflix. The Old Guard is helmed by American Director and Screenwriter Gina Prince-Bythewood, and Charlize Theron plays the role of Andy, the protagonist in the film. The Old Guard released on Netflix on July 10, 2020. However, in the new Netflix film, the lead character Andys age is very unclear. Moreover, her backstory doesn't seem to point to a specific event which would help in pinpointing her age. Read on to find out, How old is Andy in The Old Guard? Read | Locations Zac Efron visited in Netflixs 'Down To Earth' in each episode; see list The Old Guard Spoilers: How old is Andy in The Old Guard? The filmmakers have hinted about Andys age towards the end of the film. She is referred to as "Andromache of Scythia" in one of the scenes, and the same title also shows up again in the "bulletin board" credits. Andromache of Scythia is actually Andy's "real" name and title holds a lot of meaning and reveals her true identity. It claims that Andy in The Old Guard has originated from the empire of Scythia, which is really, an ancient empire. The Empire of Scythia was an ancient empire in eastern Europe and central Asia, it covered countries such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Southern Russia and some parts of Kyrgyzstan, and even some parts of Afghanistan. The Scythian Empire is believed to have spanned from around the 11th century BCE to 2nd century CE. Read | Netflix renews 'The Crown' one last time, says it'll end before Harry-Meghan controversy Hence, when one tries to do that math, it is clear that Andy in The Old Guard 1,800-year-old at the youngest. And at the oldest, she is over 3,000 years old. However, in the comic books, Andy is said to be specifically 6,734 years old. Read | 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' cancelled by Netflix, Part Four to release this year The Old Guard Spoilers: Is Andy Immortal? As per The Old Guard comic and film, Andy is an immortal, however, how she gained her immortality is not clear. The answer to this might lie in the reference to Andromache in Ancient Mythology. From Ancient Mythology the name Andromache has references to two different personalities. In terms of Greek mythology, Andromache was the wife of the Trojan prince Hector who was killed by the hero Achilles. Read | 'Warrior Nun' Filming Locations: Where was Netflix's fantasy series shot? A legend about the Greek Mythology claims that, after her husbands death, Andromache was taken as a concubine by Achilles's son Neoptolemus. The legend also states that Andromache had outlived even the strongest figures of the Trojan War, which as per mythology is believed to have occurred somewhere between 13th or 12th BCE. Hence, if Andy in The Old Guard is the same Andromache from Greek Mythology then, she can possibly be considered an immortal. The second Andromache from ancient history was featured in a vase painting which dated from around 570 BCE. The painting depicts Andromache, as the queen of the Amazons, fighting a battle with Hercules. 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. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. Walt Disney World Resort, which officially reopened on Saturday, claims to be the most magical place on Earth. But in the midst of a global pandemic in which Florida has emerged as the epicenter, infectious disease experts and physicians are concerned its primed to become the opposite a hotbed of coronavirus spread that has the potential to cause a ripple effect throughout the nation. On Monday, two days after the reopening in Orlando, Disneyland Hong Kong announced that it would be closing its doors once again, citing a need to align with prevention efforts driven by the government. But despite this move, and a record-breaking number of single-day cases in Florida over the weekend, Disney World seems undeterred in its efforts to continue making magic. Disney cast members appear in front of Magic Kingdom Park ahead of its reopening on Saturday. Experts say the decision to resume business is "irresponsible" and dangerous. (Photo by David Roark/Walt Disney World Resort via Getty Images) The move has elicited mixed reviews, with some calling on local leaders to stop the reopening and others praising Disney for taking increased precautions. In a document shared with Yahoo Life, Disney outlined its extensive COVID-19 safety protocols, which include limited capacity, physical distancing, temperature checks, face masks, hand-washing and hand-sanitizing (at more than 4,000 newly installed stations), plexiglass partitions and increased cleaning and disinfecting at the park. About every 10 minutes there is a parkwide Health and Safety announcement. Reminding guests to distance, wear their mask and more. #DisneyWorld #MagicKingdom pic.twitter.com/PPxBgTXWHf ThrillGeek (@thrillgeek) July 11, 2020 While the tactics are commendable, Yahoo Life medical contributor Dr. Dara Kass says theyre not enough to justify reopening. Disney is doing everything it can to keep people safe in so far as mandating mask-wearing, hands-sanitizing, mobile-ordering and partitions. These are all smart solutions for local businesses, says Kass. But this is not a local business and so they're providing an attractive nuisance for people to come to a highly infective state. Story continues Attractive nuisance, is technically a legal term used to describe objects or properties that can be alluring to kids but ultimately put them in danger, such as pools or trampolines. The phrase was used by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in April while referring to certain activities and places such as festivals, theme parks and concerts that would prove too dangerous to reopen in the near future. Video: Disney World reopens amid Floridas virus surge Kass believes the term applies here as well. If they were a private, local business operating in their community, we would say, This is a good example of what you need to do, she says. But people don't come to Disney World from the neighborhood. Indeed, Disney World is the most visited theme park on the globe, attracting an average of 20 million visitors per year. While Disney itself does not release data on where these visitors hail from, a 2018 analysis from technology company Streetlight Data estimated that more than 70 percent of those visiting Disney World each year live 100 miles or more away and that just 0.5 percent live within a mile of it. That means not only are the park goers potentially at risk, but the people in their states may be too. So now we're asking people to go to Florida which is the world epicenter of coronavirus right now spend three days falsely reassured by the environment of the Disney world, says Kass. Meanwhile, when they're not in the park, they're stopping at restaurants, they're staying at hotels and now they're going to go back to where they came from and it's going to spread like a cancer. Its pouring but guests at Pirates are still staying on their distance markers and not crowding for cover. #MagicKingdom #disneyworld pic.twitter.com/u90UY71x0U Brooke Geiger McDonald (@BrookeGMcDonald) July 11, 2020 In interviews with the New York Times some park-goers on opening day noted they traveled from Birmingham, Ala., and Laurinburg, N.C., after having purchased a coveted block of tickets online (the park no longer allows visitors to buy passes at the door). Other news stories have mentioned visitors from Indiana and Rhode Island, the latter of which has extremely few cases of COVID-19. The move is equally concerning to Dr. Saskia Popescu, an infection prevention epidemiologist at George Mason University. Theres always a concern when people visit a place with high community transmission that theyll be exposed and potentially take the infection back with them to their home state or county, Popescu tells Yahoo Life. Since Florida is seeing such unprecedented numbers, the concern is that this could bubble up and cause clusters in other states as a result of exposure and/or transmission. Popescu points out this has happened in 2015 when more than 100 cases of measles were traced to a suspected case of measles at Disneyland in California (which has postponed its reopening). But what concerns her most is the inevitability of people collecting inside, where there is less ventilation. I worry most about indoor areas where people are congregated for long periods of time, especially unmasked (restaurants), but also those indoor areas where people are waiting in line for a prolonged period of time in tight quarters, she says. Ventilation and masking will be critical. Although Popescu agrees that the precautions Disney has taken are great intervention strategies, she still has questions about how theyre handling things like eating and drinking, or contact tracing in the event that someone tests positive. Given this, she doesnt feel confident enough to endorse the park opening. With the current COVID-19 situation in Florida, I think theme parks pose a very high risk for transmission from crowds, to enclosed spaces, and the likelihood that people will not always follow masking protocols, says Popescu. Kass agrees that the move was premature. I think from a national health perspective and a national public health response perspective, opening Disney World is an irresponsible thing to do, says Kass. Disney World is in Florida, but it's not a Floridian thing. We need to be responsible and the owners of Disney World need to be responsible for this country, not just Florida. For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDCs and WHOs resource guides. Read more from Yahoo Life Want daily lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Lifes newsletter Gujarat woman cop who took on ministers son says she has resigned Woman constable transferred hours after arresting son of Gujarat minister India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Ahmedabad, July 13: Woman constable Sunita Yadav was transferred hours after the son of a Gujarat minister and his two friends were arrested for allegedly violating the lockdown and the night curfew orders in Surat. BJP MLA's son flouts curfew, gets dressed down by woman cop | Oneindia News Sunita has been sent to police headquarters and a probe has been initiated into the matter. The arrests came a day after audio clips of a heated exchange of Prakash Kanani, son of Varachha Road MLA and Minister of State for Health Kumar Kanani, and his friends with Sunita Yadav, who tried to stop them, surfaced on social media. Coronavirus crisis: Lockdown in Maharashtra's Pune begins today Prakash Kanani and two of his friends were arrested under IPC Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269, 270 (negligent and malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), and 144 (abettor present when offence committed), Assistant Commissioner of Police, A-Division, C K Patel said. They were later released on bail, he added. Surat Commissioner of Police R B Brahmbhatt on Saturday ordered an inquiry into the incident, after the constable alleged that she was threatened by some men when she stopped them during the night curfew. Yadav stopped Prakash Kanani's friends around 10.30 pm on Wednesday during night curfew for allegedly violating the lockdown orders in force to contain the spread of coronavirus. The friends then called Prakash Kanani, who arrived in his father's car and allegedly picked up an argument with Yadav, the audio clips of which went viral on Saturday. In the audio clips, the men are heard telling the constable that they had the power to "make you stand at the same place for 365 days". The constable shouts back that she is not their slave or a servant of their fathers that they can make her stand there for 365 days. Patel said Yadav has gone on sick leave and an inquiry is under way into the incident. Independent Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae has accused politicians of engaging in a witch-hunt against Agriculture Minister Barry Cowen in relation to his 2016 drink-driving ban. Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Healy-Rae said: "If they don't stop all this, then it will be a thing of 'public interest' - it will be a witch-hunt. "Why, in the name of God, did politicians look for the right to question him in the Dail? I thought that was outrageous. What did they want to question him about? "The man made an apology. I believe it was very heartfelt. I believe he was genuinely sorry and remorseful. Show me a perfect person and I'll show you a liar." Healy-Rae said that people in farming, fishing and forestry industries "are only interested in what he is going to do for the next 12 months in his department. They are not interested in that incident". A member of Kerry's most well-known political family, Healy-Rae added that if there was an outbreak of Covid-19 in Dublin, he didn't want "Ireland to shut down again. I'd want Dublin to shut down. Or, if we have an outbreak in Donegal, we shouldn't have to shut down Clare." Reflecting on the first weeks in office of Micheal Martin, Healy-Rae said the new Taoiseach is "like a racehorse that has been in training for years and years, and is finally in the Grand National. The first thing that happened was his stirrups broke, then his stick broke, then the horse got a sore leg. And everything that could happen to that horse has happened. "It's a rocky start. It's like Murphy's law. When one thing goes wrong, everything goes wrong." One of the first meetings he had after the general election was with Sinn Fein. "I'm not a knocker of Sinn Fein," Healy-Rae said, adding that he would be "very close personally to some of the people who are involved in the party". However, he was "very fearful" of a lot of Sinn Fein's financial policies. "We can't afford what they want. There is no such thing as a free lunch. You can't say we'll have a house for every one in the country that wants to be given a State-owned house. "Let's put it this way: I would be afraid of a lot of what Sinn Fein would propose to do if they were in power. I'm worried that they are not enough for business. "You can't give everything. We are a small country. We have to pay our way. We have to make enough money to pay our taxes so that if someone is old or sick, that we are able to take care of them. I'm really paranoid about that." He is not, he said, "into the negative politics. There are business people who, the only time their name is mentioned in the Dail is in a negative way. These are people who employ thousands and thousands of people. What do these politicians want them to do? Bail out of Ireland and take their jobs with them and go to the south of Spain? It is like a race to the bottom." First elected to the Dail in 2011, Healy-Rae said he has become used to negative sentiments towards him when he's in the capital. "Sure, there are loads of people who wouldn't like me," he said, describing himself in Dublin as "like Crocodile Dundee when he came to New York. He had to climb up on the pole to have a look. Well, I'm a bit like that around Dublin." WASHINGTON, DC MAY 25: U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House for Baltimore, Maryland on May 25, 2020 in Washington, DC. The Trumps will attend a Memorial Day ceremony at the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine despite objections by Baltimore Mayor Bernard C. Jack Young, whose residents remain under a stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images) When a 50-year-old woman steps out in public wearing a face mask in the midst of a global pandemic, its generally not noteworthy. But when said woman is the presidents wife its a national news story. On Sunday, five months into the COVID-19 outbreak that has claimed more than 137,000 American lives thus far, First Lady Melania Trump stepped out in public wearing a mask to safeguard against the spread of coronavirus for the first time. In a video posted to the First Ladys official Twitter account on Sunday, Trump can be seen touring the grounds of the Mary Elizabeth House, a Washington, D.C., ministry that works to support young mothers who are in or have aged out of the foster care system. It was a pleasure to spend time with the staff, mothers & children at The Mary Elizabeth House, a place that helps strengthen families & provides life skills, counseling & educational resources to help vulnerable single women & their children. #BeBest, Trump wrote in a tweet alongside the video. Today I visited The Mary Elizabeth House, an inspiring place & supportive community for young women & children. I met w staff, mothers & children, & dropped off boxed lunches & #BeBest items to show my appreciation for their efforts to strengthen families in our community. pic.twitter.com/lR8vTfrx8u Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) July 9, 2020 Although the First Lady posted about the importance of wearing a mask to stall the spread of coronavirus back in April (Take social distancing & wearing a mask/face covering seriously. #COVID19 is a virus that can spread to anyone, she wrote on Twitter), neither she nor her husband, President Donald Trump, had sported the protective face coverings publicly until last weekend. Trump, in all his presidential power, has previously stated that he wont be wearing a mask in public saying that he doesnt see it happening. The president also mocked assumed Democratic nominee Joe Biden for wearing a mask before. Story continues But it looks like things have changed, as wearing a mask has become a political debate in the months since the pandemic started. On Saturday, Trump wore a mask publicly during a visit with wounded veterans at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The reversal brings the Trumps into line with the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions guidance on continuing to wear the masks in public in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which is believed to be highly transmissible through respiratory droplets released into the air, even when a potential carrier is asymptomatic. The president has been notoriously averse to heeding the conventional wisdom on mitigating the spread of COVID-19, and has even gone so far as to host his infamous open-air rallies despite the fact that new instances of the virus continue to surge across the country. Melania Trump, despite her previous insistence that wearing a mask is necessary, has remained quiet in the face of her husbands protest against them. The Trumps, its worth noting, are no strangers to flouting traditionally observed sartorial norms. During a trip to visit children detained in a border camp amid the Trump administrations immigration fiasco of 2018, Melania famously wore a jacket emblazoned with the phrase I really dont care, do you? And the president himself, famously, once defied the advice of medical professionals and opted to forego protective glasses in order to stare bravely into the sun during a solar eclipse Lets not commend the Trumps yet, though after all, theyre just doing what were all supposed to be doing amid a pandemic Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? Hell Is Donald & Melania Why Ivanka Brought Her Purse To A Tear-Gassing Can Trump Really Threaten To Defund Schools? For over a month, protesters with the Black Lives Matter movement have advocated for law enforcement reform across the country following the death of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of police. To interrogate and upend institutional racism is generally a controversial and unwieldy process. A much more immediate recourse has been the removal of Confederate monuments scattered around the country, which many mayors, city councils and even protesters themselves have accomplished in recent weeks. In Laredo, there are no statues of Robert E. Lee or Jefferson Davis, but there is an elementary school named after Col. Santos Benavides, the highest ranking Tejano in the Confederate Army, a slave catcher, former mayor of Laredo, county judge of Webb County and state legislator for the area. In a statement to LMT, United ISD said the schools namesake was honored for his accolades as a public servant of Laredo and Webb County. Certainly, the district is cognizant of the military service of Col. Benavides and is sensitive to community concerns, reads the statement. To be clear, it is and always has been the policy of the district to prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind, including racism. Most UISD board members did not respond to repeated requests for comment on whether the schools name should change. Board member Aliza Flores Oliveros, however, said she is open to changing the name if people find it offensive and that its a good discussion to have. Board member Rick Rodriguez said he has no issue with the name and respects the reason it was chosen years ago. Neither said they have heard complaints from parents or members of the public about honoring a Confederate colonel in this way. Several teachers at Col. Santos Benavides Elementary School said they are proud of the schools name and do not believe it needs to be changed, especially at a time when students have been thrown into such uncertainty during the coronavirus crisis. Yvonne Casso, a third grade teacher at the school, cited Benavides lengthy career in public service and argued that he was the most important individual in the long and often violent history of Laredo. To change the name of the school that honors his achievements is to dishonor our heritage, she said. Besides, Col. Santos Benavides is a well known elementary school that everyone knows. Trying to rewrite or sanitize our history is wrong. School principal Adriana Vela said we need to open the conversations to acknowledge and learn from our countrys mistakes so that history does not repeat itself. I would say why change the name? fourth grade teacher Sara Valdez said. It is part of our history. His name comes out in our social studies book. ... We can use this history to teach our students that we have the ability to make change and make our world a better place for everyone. Only one teacher polled, Annette Avila, expressed an openness to change. I think if schools are going to be named after historical figures, it should be named after a historical figure that fought for liberty and human rights rather than one that fought to oppress them, she said. As described in the book written about Benavides by TAMIU professor Jerry Thompson called Tejano Tiger, the author notes that while Benavides was not a slave owner, he was a known slave catcher during the Civil War. Benavides once gathered 10 armed men to cross into Nuevo Laredo and capture a runaway slave who was then transported to the Webb County Jail. This was one of two instances of Benavides apprehending slaves across the border and returning them to Texas. These are the kind of actions the public is analyzing in the historical figures their communities have put on a pedestal. However, Thompson does not believe the schools name should change and said a community can go too far in trying to erase history. Santos Benavides was the highest-ranking Tejano in the Confederate Army, but thats only a small part of his life, Thompson said. He had a long, very distinguished career as a public servant. And when he was serving in the House of Representatives in 1879, he was the only person of Mexican ancestry who was in the Legislature. The historian also notes that there are entire counties in Texas named after Confederate leaders; and the Davis Mountains are named after Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy. In Laredo, this elementary school is not the only instance of misplaced honor, Thompson argues. There are multiple Laredo schools and streets that are named after Confederates, womanizers and drunkards, he said. Worst of all is a south Laredo street named after Francisco Franco, one of the most evil dictators in world history, Thompson said. While Laredo was not a slave-holding region of the country and is not culturally southern today, the Confederate flag has long been a part of the citys identity, which celebrates its life under seven flags rather than the standard six that fly over the rest of Texas. The seventh is the short-lived independent Republic of the Rio Grande of which Laredo was the capital. Recently, Laredo City Council voted to replace the rebel flag that existed in some city logos, uniforms, vehicles and most prominently on the floor of the airport, with the Confederates first flag, which is not as recognizable of a symbol of racism and violence. Thompson said this is long overdue. Thats going to cost some money at the airport, but it should be done. I dont know of any other places in the South even the state of Mississippi decided to take that off of their state flag. And I think had Laredo had a large Black population, that probably would have happened a long time ago, he said. In a June 17 LMT article, Councilwoman Nelly Vielma said she does not want to erase Laredos history under the Confederacy but to show this history accurately. The first flag of the Confederacy, sometimes called the stars and bars, looks similar to the first flag of the United States. This is what would have flown over Laredo during the Civil War, Vielma said, rather than the rebel flag, which is now widely regarded as a hate symbol. The original intention for this item was not to remove the confederate flag, rather I wanted to make sure we were abiding by the decision made by a previous council back in 2011 to replace the confederate battle flag with the historically-correct stars and bars flag, Vielma said. The full implementation of this order was never fully carried out by previous administrations, but I am hopeful that now we will finally do just that. We have to own up to our history by acknowledging it, but that doesnt mean we have to honor a symbol that has been overtaken by hate groups. Benavides was born in Laredo in 1823 and was a descendant of its founder, Tomas Sanchez de la Barrera y Garza. He served three times in the Texas House of Representatives from 1879 to 1884, the only Tejano in the legislature at time, and twice served as alderman in Laredo. He died at his home in Laredo in 1891. According to the Texas State Historical Association, Benavides opposed the annexation of Laredo by the U.S. as he felt it would compromise the independence of northern Mexico. Once it was annexed, he supported the Confederacy as their states rights principles matched his regionalism. Benavides was assigned to the Rio Grande Military District and fought Juan Cortina into Mexico at the battle of Carrizo in May 1861. As a leader of his own regiment, he drove back more than 200 Union Soldiers from the Texas Union Cavalry on March 19, 1864. He is also noted by the TSHA to have contributed to the confederate a safe passage of Texas cotton along the Rio Grande to Matamoros during the Union Occupation of Brownsville in 1864. Thompson also wrote that Benavides had also had a never-ending feud with Native Americans, but that the importance of Benavides was to create peace on the Texas-Mexico Border. Julia Wallace and Jorge A. Vela contributed to this report. According to dozens of media outlets, a 30-year-old man died in the hospital from the Wuhan virus that he caught at a "COVID party," and, with his dying breath, he said "he thought the disease was a hoax." The story fits perfectly with the anti-Trump narrative that the left must sell to defeat the president's re-election in November, but is it true? I have my doubts because the whole story has the feel of a burgeoning urban legend. Here's the story straight from News 4 San Antonio which originally reported it: A patient in their 30s died from the coronavirus after attending what's being called a "COVID party," according to a San Antonio health official. Chief Medical Officer of Methodist Healthcare Dr. Jane Appleby said the idea of these parties is to see if the virus is real. "This is a party held by somebody diagnosed by the COVID virus and the thought is to see if the virus is real and to see if anyone gets infected," Dr. Appleby said. According to Appleby, the patient became critically ill and had a heartbreaking statement moments before death. "Just before the patient died, they looked at their nurse and said 'I think I made a mistake, I thought this was a hoax, but it's not,'" Appleby said. Pardon me for being cynical and suspicious, but I don't believe it. First of all, these alleged COVID parties seem to be an urban myth. According to Wired, beginning in March, rumors of "COVID parties" periodically cropped up in the news. By April, The New York Times had even managed to dig up an expert who said such parties (none of which had been proven to have happened) were a bad idea. Wired sees this as the media selling a narrative: The press just can't stop pushing the narrative that people are trying to get themselves infected. And they always seem to push it the same way: Local reporters write down what some official said, and then national publications pick up those claims, citing the local reports as evidence. At no point in this chain has anyone bothered to confirm the underlying claim. The whole thing is reminiscent of the supposed scourge, in the mid-2000s, of "pharm parties," at which America's wayward teens were said to put their parents' prescription drugs into a bowl and then consume them at random. This did not really happen. I'm extremely suspicious, therefore, about Dr. Appleby's claim that some unnamed person (she doesn't say if it's a man or a woman) went to a COVID party. The story is also pure hearsay. Appleby's just relaying what someone else said, not something of which she has firsthand knowledge. The person who had firsthand knowledge is dead, so he can't establish the truth of the statement. The law does acknowledge that people who are dying are presumed to speak the truth with their final breaths. Except that...Appleby wasn't quoting the dead man. Instead, she was quoting an unnamed nurse who purportedly heard it from the dead man. Second-degree hearsay is about as reliable as when your toddler, covered from head to toe with frosting, asks, "Cake, what cake?" It's just not believable. The other problem is the word "hoax." As you may recall, Politico ran a manifestly dishonest story claiming that, during a rally in Charleston, South Carolina, President Trump called the virus a "hoax." In fact, what President Trump said was that the media, having failed with the Russia hoax, had come up with their next attack on Trump, which was to politicize his response to the virus. That politicization was "their new hoax." At no point ever have any serious conservatives said the virus is a "hoax" although many have said the Democrats' over-the-top reaction, which lasted right up until the Black Lives Matter protests, and then resumed when the protests ended, is a deliberate effort to tank the economy in advance of the election. After all, Democrats know they can't beat Trump on the economy without their first destroying it. This whole story doesn't pass the smell test. Moreover, because of HIPAA privacy rules, no one can name the patient so that the story can be checked. Unless the patient's heirs come forth to waive the HIPAA protections, this is just going to be one more urban legend that conveniently supports the anti-Trump pre-election narrative that the left is so desperately selling. Appleby may believe the story she's telling, but, without any corroborating information, it's way too early for anyone else to take it seriously. Image: News 4 San Antonio screen grab. In 2015, university professor Nik Hammer studied working conditions in the local garment industry in Leicester, finding the sector rife with verbal abuse, harassment and safety violations. Prof Hammer catalogued what he called severe and widespread breaches of UK labour law in his report, detailing how most workers were paid about 3 an hour in cash and had no formal employment contracts. Five years later, the stock meltdown of online clothing retailer Boohoo has focused new attention on labour abuses in one of the last bastions of the textile industry in high-wage Europe. As Leicester was put back in local lockdown amid a surge in Covid-19 infections, newspapers alleged that some suppliers underpaid workers and forced them to toil in closed factories and without hand sanitiser. At one point last week, Boohoo shares had lost more than half of their value. And while the company, which makes Nasty Gal and PrettyLittleThing clothing, has recovered some of that loss, it could take a lot longer to put to rest concerns about whether its fast-fashion model, churning out "made in England" miniskirts and playsuits for less than 10, is sustainable. "Conditions in Leicester remind me of tiny workshops I used to see in south Asia 10 to 15 years ago," said Henrietta Lake of Lake Advisory, which consults companies on creating ethical and sustainable global supply chains. "We're talking Dickensian." Leicester has been a hub for manufacturing in Britain since the 16th century. However, low-cost manufacturing in Asia ravaged the industry in a city whose motto once was "Leicester Clothes the World." Fast fashion and online-only retailers filled the gap, fuelling a revival. Cranking out hundreds of new designs each week, Boohoo needs close-to-home sourcing to satisfy young customers' whims. That has protected one of Europe's few remaining textile hubs, while even Italy and Spain struggle to keep garment industries intact. Eager to work with local clients and stay in business, the Leicester factories helped create what Prof Hammer said is an entirely new and different industry. Instead of large, unionised firms, Leicester is now full of hundreds of tiny workshops and subcontractors. For many years, Boohoo's growth was stratospheric. Just over a week ago, its market value exceeded 5bn (5.58bn), towering above Marks & Spencer. Many attribute Boohoo's success to its ability to harness a network of at least 150 factories in Leicester to quickly produce items inspired from catwalks or social media within a few weeks. Nearly 40pc of its clothing is sourced from the UK, mostly in Leicester, using a "test and repeat" model where it trials designs on its website and then ramps up the orders of items that prove popular. Boohoo says it's helping support UK manufacturing. The local garment industry's Wild West reputation has led many bigger retailers to abandon it in search of cheaper countries. Buying from hubs around the world means placing orders months in advance and having less flexibility. Still, many rivals have chosen that route. New Look works with 12 factories in Leicester, down from 109 a decade ago. Asos deals with just seven factories there, accounting for 2pc of its clothing, and Dublin-headquartered Primark has not sourced clothes from Leicester in years. Next, one of the largest clothing chains in Britain, does not source any garments from Leicester even though its head office is there. Many retailers cut UK sourcing because of "systemic non-compliance to legal standards" in Britain's textile industry, said David Camp, chief executive of the Association of Labour Providers. Missguided, a smaller rival to Boohoo that plans to continue sourcing from Leicester, has reduced the number of factories it uses from to 12 from 80, in an attempt to monitor working conditions more closely. "You simply can't get your arms around 80 suppliers," said Paul Smith, Missguided's head of sourcing. "You can't visit them regularly and the level of business you give each one is relatively insignificant. So we took a decision to be more important to fewer factories and give them consistent levels of business." Boohoo says it has found no evidence of workers receiving less than the minimum wage but has pledged to carry out an independent review led by Alison Levitt, a lawyer and former UK public prosecutor. It has also promised to work with any official investigations. UK Home Secretary Priti Patel said the claims of abuses were "appalling" and called for investigations. Industry experts say it is possible for Leicester firms to operate legally and still be an attractive manufacturing base, even if the cost of producing garments increases. One advantage fast fashion retailers have is that by sourcing locally, they can respond to quick changes in demand, and usually avoid the need to sell unsold inventory in clearance sales. Thus, they have some room to absorb higher costs. Though Boohoo has denied labour exploitation, the pressure to overhaul Leicester's operations as #boycottboohoo trends on social media could become too great to make cheap dresses there. On Friday, Standard Life Aberdeen, one of the biggest shareholders in Boohoo, sold most of its shares, criticising its response so far "as inadequate in scope, timeliness and gravity". Even as Bengaluru - both urban and rural districts - prepared for a week-long lockdown starting Tuesday 8 pm, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda demanded that the Karnataka government announce a statewide lockdown as the number of Covid-19 cases continues to spiral. The former PM also appealed to the people to cooperate with the government and follow the necessary norms to combat the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Grocery shops, meat shops, and other essential but non-emergency establishments will be open only between 5 am and 12 noon. However, all other commercial private establishments would be shut for a week. On Monday, Karnataka registered 2,738 new coronavirus cases taking the states tally to 41,581 which includes 757 deaths and 16,248 discharges. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has made it clear that the lockdown in Bengaluru would be only for a period of one week and would not be extended. This clarification came after the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry criticized the governments decision to opt for another lockdown saying it would have a negative impact on industrial and economic activity which was just picking up. In spite of the CMs assurance of lockdown being limited to just one week, thousands of migrant workers have begun moving out of Bengaluru to their native districts in the state. Earlier in the day, the CM held a video conference with DCs of all districts across the state. The CM advised DCs that they should give priority to rapid antigen tests as the state had procured and distributed one lakh test kits. Yediyurappa pointed out that the number of Covid-19 cases had increased heavily in Bengaluru Urban, Dakshina Kannada, Dharwad, Bellary, Udupi, and Kalburgi districts and asked officials in these districts to take extra measures to bring down the number of cases. Pointing out that the mortality (death) rate in Bidar district is one among the top five districts in the country; the CM instructed that measures be taken to control the death rate. The CM also directed officials to take action against private hospitals that were not cooperating with the government to treat Covid-19 and non- Covid-19 cases. M.J. Hegar and Royce West, the two Democrats tangling over the Senate nomination to take on the state's senior senator, John Cornyn, and finish what Beto O'Rourke almost achieved, are at sharp odds in the lead up to Tuesday's primary runoff election. But both agree on at least two of the race's fundamental aspects. The first is obvious: Cornyn must go. The second: the contest is a measure of experience. For Hegar, a decorated former major in the U.S. Air Force and the Air National Guard, the primary is about bringing her "set of experiences" to the fore "to be able to fight for regular working Texans" in her second attempt at political office. "I believe we need people with the right experience representing us in D.C.," she told ABC News in an interview on Friday, before adding what appeared to be a veiled swipe at her runoff rival. "I think we had an overrepresentation of career politicians and attorneys and we need more combat veterans who understand the cost of war." MORE: With or without Beto O'Rourke, Democrats eye Texas as key Senate battleground West, a state senator, came up, in part, in the Dallas projects before becoming a prosecutor and serving a nearly 30-year career as a state lawmaker. For him, the race is about "bringing America back together" from division and replacing someone who has been "complicit with Donald Trump" -- a dig at Cornyn. "Look at my resume," he said of his experience in an interview. "Democrats are tired of being victims of history. ... We can make history by electing me as the next United States senator from the state of Texas. And not just because I'm African American, but because I've readied myself for this time in history to represent the Democratic Party in Washington." But the similarities in their pitches end there. An outsider versus a longtime state lawmaker Differentiating the two is Hegar's bear-hugging embrace of her outsider status, and West elevating his decades in the state Senate as a Democrat in reliably red Texas. Both are putting it to the voters to decide what kind of candidate should be put forward at a moment when the country is confronting twin crises. Story continues Hegar, who first ran in 2018 but lost to GOP Rep. John Carter in Texas' 31st Congressional District, bills herself as a fighter and a mother, particularly at this moment of crisis that she says largely preceded the coronavirus and nationwide upheaval over race. PHOTO: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate MJ Hegar heads to an early polling site after talking with the media, July 9, 2020, in Austin, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP) "What hasn't changed is the fact that we have had systemic racism and a health care crisis in Texas," she said. "These aren't new because we've been fighting for these things for years. What's new is they are now mainstream ... what's changed is that we have been able to reach people who maybe before the pandemic didn't understand why it was in their best interest that their neighbor has health insurance." "We need more people who worked in health care -- I worked five years of health care," she continued. "We need more working moms who understand the seriousness of being able to hand down our country and a world that our kids can thrive in." West, an African American political fixture in the state, casts himself as an effective lawmaker who can "get things done" and as the candidate who will meet the moment of racial reckoning, not only by potentially becoming the first Black senator from Texas, but also because of his long record on criminal justice reform, health care and education. MORE: Democrats target suburban voters in key battlegrounds ahead of 2020 "I'm not just talking about what needs to be done," he said. "I have demonstrated results being in the minority party in a Republican-dominated state." "That comes from my background as a former prosecutor and serving on the criminal justice committee for about 10 years," West continued. "I had to bring people together across the aisles." Hegar was favored to win the primary back in March, but landed in a runoff with West after failing to secure more than 50% of the vote. She finished in first with 22%, just ahead of West's 15%, and is still considered the front-runner, as the top fundraiser in the race, who has the backing of the national Democratic establishment. The national figures within the party lining up behind Hegar range from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to the progressive faction, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren. She's also garnered support from former presidential contender Pete Buttigieg, Planned Parenthood, EMILY's List and Giffords, the gun control organization. West, for his part, has racked up endorsements from some top allies of former Vice President Joe Biden, including House Majority Whip James Clyburn, a political kingmaker in South Carolina who helped boost Biden's campaign to the presidential nomination, and Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., a national co-chair of the presumptive Democratic nominee's campaign. He's also earned the endorsements of Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, who he called his mentor, five former Senate primary opponents and a majority of Democrats in the state legislature. In their efforts to replicate the enthusiasm that carried O'Rourke's upstart bid just two years ago, the race has turned contentious in the closing stretch, with the two sparring over their credentials with attacks that have turned personal. Battle for the nomination turns testy In the last week, Hegar insinuated that comments from West could be linked to sexism, according to the Dallas Morning News, while West's campaign charged that Hegar made a "racially-tinged" jab against him. Throughout the primary, West has frequently called himself a "true Democrat" -- an apparent slight against Hegar, who donated $10 to Cornyn in 2011, through VoteSane, a political action committee, and voted in the Republican primary in 2016. She has said that she only made the donation after being told she must be a donor to get a meeting with an elected official, and that she voted in the Republican primary four years ago as an act of protest against Donald Trump. West is adamant that "the voters will see ... that I am a true Democrat who has supported Democrats. I've been faithful to the Democratic Party." PHOTO: Royce West (Royce West for U.S. Senate ) His allies have also targeted Hegar, who received the endorsement from Senate Democrats' campaign arm in December 2019, and Democrats back in Washington, for intervening in the race -- and seeking to "cheat" West out of a shot at defeating Cornyn and becoming the first African American to represent Texas in the Senate. "I know who I am, and I know that I am a Democrat," Hegar told ABC News in response to the strikes against her. "It hasn't really invaded my mental space at all or distracted me from the mission of beating John Cornyn ... People in Texas have a very sensitive bull---- meter." MORE: Texas Democrats launch largest voter registration campaign to hobble GOP's grip on the state But the growing hostility in the primary concerns Democrats in the state, who see the friendly fire as potentially hurting the eventual nominee in the long run. "They're attacking each other," a Democratic strategist familiar with the race told ABC News. "They're giving Cornyn fodder and Cornyn has, I think, $20 million in the bank. It's a staggering amount so he's going to have a lot of room to be able to attack whoever comes out of this." Cornyn's campaign has already seized on the party infighting, intervening in the race by running ads that tie West to some leaders of the progressive wing of the party, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders and Warren -- perhaps in an attempt to spur support for the longtime lawmaker among the party's more liberal voters. Tuesday's race might also be reminiscent of Kentucky's Democratic Senate primary just last month, although the ideological parallels are not there since both Hegar and West are making a more moderate tact. Amy McGrath, a Marine fighter pilot who was backed by the DSCC, eked out a victory over progressive challenger Charles Booker, the youngest Black state lawmaker in the commonwealth. Booker ran a competitive campaign in the closing weeks as the energy from the nationwide unrest over racial injustice created a boon for his bid. But since his loss, he has yet to endorse McGrath in her challenge against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. In Texas, both candidates signaled in interviews a willingness to be brought to the table, without explicitly saying they would outright endorse the other. "I absolutely am going to do everything that it takes," Hegar said when asked if she would endorse West if he wins the runoff. "I will never stop supporting people who are going to move the needle on our values." "We would have to sit down and have a discussion about where we are, and what issues I think are important," West said of endorsing Hegar if she wins. "And once we come to an agreement on that, I'd be more than happy to, and hopefully she'll do the same for me." After Tuesday, a virtual unity tour is set to take place and is expected to feature both candidates, with details to be announced the day after the runoff election, according to Abhi Rahman, a spokesperson for the Texas Democratic Party. Still, the competitiveness of the Democratic race reflects the urgency within the party to put the state in play -- fueled by a quarter-century-held hope of turning Texas blue. Turning the Lone Star State blue It's been nearly two years since O'Rourke's nearly successful Senate campaign against GOP Sen. Ted Cruz in a state that has not elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994. O'Rourke received more votes than any Democrat has in the history of Texas. He also carved out a path for the party, making significant inroads both statewide and lower on the ballot after traveling to all of Texas' 254 counties, including ones he said hadn't seen a Democrat in years. This year, in an election transformed by the coronavirus, the ability of either West or Hegar to reach untapped voters remains uncertain. "In 2018, Beto O'Rourke struck a chord not only with Texas but this country. As a result of his campaign, we had numerous Democrats elected in the state House, on the judiciary, and we were two, maybe three, points away from winning the U.S. Senate race," West said. PHOTO: Sen. John Cornyn at a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 11, 2020. (Pool/VIA Reuters) Whomever earns the nomination, though, is still facing a tall order against Cornyn, a three-term Senate veteran who secured Trump's endorsement early. But the two Democrats in the closely watched primary are fiercely competing to pick up where O'Rourke left off. "People talk about how unliked Ted Cruz is and how nobody likes him, when really the fact of the matter is, Ted Cruz had higher approvals than John Cornyn because people on the right love Ted Cruz, whereas, they're very lukewarm on John Cornyn," Rahman said. MORE: Texas sets new single-day record for coronavirus deaths This cycle, Trump is also on the ballot and Cornyn has spent most of the primary season tethering himself to the president, in the hopes of being buoyed by the the pro-Trump flank. Despite the division, and the personal affronts, bringing both contenders together is ultimately the prospect of ousting Cornyn, who they view as out of touch with voters in the fast-changing battleground of Texas. "Texas is ready to lead again," Hegar said. "We're tired of people like John Cornyn that are more D.C. than Texas. We're looking for leaders that are going to take on tough fights head-on and put the well-being of Texans first." "The new Texas was not the same one that voted him in 20 years ago. It's more diverse and wants to see Texas values reflect their interests. Cornyn has not done that, and I will," West asserted, adding that he is ready to help Biden capture the state -- an ambitious feat not accomplished by a Democrat since 1976 when Jimmy Carter beat then-President Gerald Ford. Texas Democrats eye GOP Senate seat. But first they must survive a contentious primary. originally appeared on abcnews.go.com If you got diagnosed with the coronavirus after hanging out with your friends, dont wait for the contact tracers: be a pal and let them know as soon as you can, one New Jersey mayor is asking, after seeing a concerning uptick of cases in town. Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle is asking newly diagnosed residents to give any close contacts a heads up, to get a jump start on contact tracing. If you or a family member test positive, dont wait to be contacted to reach out to those that may have been in close contact with you, Brindle wrote in a Facebook post. A Holbrook, Mass., man was indicted in connection with damaging luxury cars bought under false pretenses in order to collect insurance proceeds, Attorney General Maura Healey announced. Dion Augustin was indicted by a statewide grand jury on charges of larceny over $250 by false pretenses (seven counts) and motor vehicle insurance fraud (eight counts). He will be arraigned in Middlesex and Norfolk Superior Courts at a later date. The attorney generals office alleges that between August 2016 and December 2017, Augustin purchased numerous luxury vehicles, including a Bentley, a Maserati, and two Fisker Karmas, and rented trucks from U-Haul in his own name and by using a series of intermediaries known as straw purchasers. Augustin allegedly obtained financing for those purchases by misrepresenting both his own creditworthiness and that of his straw purchasers. After securing insurance on the luxury vehicles, the attorney generals office alleges that Augustin deliberately damaged them and reported the damage as accidental in order to collect the insurance proceeds. The attorney generals office began its investigation after a referral from the Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau. In total, the AGs office alleges Augustin obtained $136,940 in financing through his use of misrepresentations. The office further alleges the false insurance claims made by Augustin resulted in insurance payouts in excess of $208,700. These charges are allegations, and all defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Eric Haskell, Investigator Michael Azevedo of the AGs Insurance and Unemployment Fraud Unit, and Victim Witness Advocate Lia Panetta. Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau investigators and Massachusetts State Police provided assistance to this investigation. Source: Office of Attorney General Maura Healey Topics Fraud Massachusetts Investment overview by Fatima Vawda Wits alumna provides an insightful look at the South African financial landscape in recent webinar About 250 Wits alumni and guests tuned in to listen to Wits alumna Fatima Vawda (BSc 1993, BSc Hon 1994, MSc 1995, HdipCompSc 1997) on 9 July 2020. In one of the first alumni networking events since the start of lockdown, Vawda walked participants through The Evolution of the South African Savings and Investments Industry. Watch the video here Vawda is the founder and Managing Director of 27four Investment Managers. A Witsie with a Masters in Applied Mathematics, she has over 20 years of experience in the local and global capital markets and has received a number of accolades such as the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Southern Africa Emerging Category award in 2016. She spoke of the key role of a healthy financial sector to facilitate economic growth, which needs to be trusted, efficient and facilitate stability. She provided a breakdown of the size of the South African investment sector providing useful context to the laws that shaped the present financial system in six different periods over 400 years. By the end of 1890 there were around 300 companies listed on the JSE. What I find most ironic about it is, present day we have just over 300 shares listed on the JSE, she quipped. Other highlights were the stark reminders of the global financial crisis which exposed a range of vulnerabilities in the financial sector such as inadequate regulatory oversight and high-profile malpractices. Although South Africa weathered the storm, there was an overhaul via the Twin Peaks Model bringing a tighter regulatory mechanism. Our very troubled and weak economy, resulting from poor decisions made over the past 10 years, has plunged into economic despair. Since 2018 South Africas fiscal position had deteriorated sharply. The arrival of COVID-19 has further pushed the country into financial gloom. Our very troubled and weak economy, resulting from poor decisions made over the past 10 years, has plunged into economic despair. Government saw this as an opportunity to consider reforms on how it can institute a reform package to crowd in investment from the private sector and retirement funds. She demonstrated how the removal of exchange controls attracted foreign investment to the country post-apartheid. This saw an increase in liquidity, activity, increase in foreign ownership a golden age of investment. The past 10 years has seen an exit of international investors from our debt and equity markets and seen a decline in the rand. The public sector wage bill is the single largest component of government expenditure currently at R639-billion for 2020/21. The public sector wage bill is the single largest component of government expenditure currently at R639-billion for 2020/21. A public sector workers salary is higher than that in the private sector. This is causing strain on the fiscus and is the reason for our sovereign downgrading for failing to reach a compromise on our debt. We have played an active role to introduce and incubate black-owned asset management firms. You can see the growth since 2009 from 50 firms and a size of R91-billion all the way to the R579 billion mark, which is very little when compared to rest of R7.9 trillion saving stock in South Africa. What we are concerned about is the saturation in the market, the decline in the economy, the level of retrenchments, the disinvestments from the market, the increase in competition. We are expecting to see further consolidation and attrition in this market given the environment. Increasingly companies are turning to alternative sources of capital to grow and expand their businesses. Although independent asset management firms have emerged, the historically dominant players remain entrenched. An emerging trend globally is the rise of private equity and the private market. It can play a phenomenal role in an emerging and developing economy as South Africa. It can be used to successfully provide economic growth and good developmental outcomes. Vawda said there is research to back this up with a good example being a partnership between 27four and National Treasury Jobs Fund, which focuses on investment in private equity to create jobs. She said the way forward will see more public and private partnerships as seen through the introduction of the Presidencys Infrastructure Office to co-ordinate investment through partnerships. The thinking behind this is to have a well co-ordinated and institutional infrastructure delivery mechanism that involves public private partnerships. It provides mechanisms for blended finance institutions and multilateral development banks. The government is currently evaluating 276 projects, with a total of R2,3 trillion investment value and a funding gap of R502 billion, and it expects 1,8 million direct and indirect jobs will be created from it. Another key area of importance are standards that potential investors use to screen potential investment. The key areas are environmental criteria (what are the climate change effects); social impacts (how companies manage relations with employees and clients); governance issues (leadership, executive pay, audit issues, shareholder rights etc). Johnny Depp accused Amber Heard of hitting him with a haymaker punch during an altercation near the end of their volatile marriage, as the star wrapped up testimony in his libel suit against a British tabloid newspaper that accused him of domestic abuse. Depp said the fight came after Heards 30th birthday party, and hours after he had learned that his former business managers had absconded with hundreds of millions of dollars. The Hollywood star is suing News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and the papers executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an April 2018 article that called him a wife-beater. He strongly denies abusing Heard. Depp, 57, and Heard, 34, met on the set of the 2011 comedy The Rum Diary and married in Los Angeles in 2015. Heard, a model and actress, filed for divorce the following year. Depp said the couple separated after an argument that followed Heards 30th birthday party in April 2016. The actor said that just before the party he had attended a meeting and been told that his former business managers had stolen my money. Asked how much was stolen, Depp said this is a ludicrous amount to have to state, its quite embarrassing apparently I had made $650 million, much of it through his involvement with the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Depp added that in addition to losing the $650 million (US) he was $100 million in the hole because they had not paid the government my taxes for 17 years. Depp and his former business managers settled a legal dispute over the alleged fraud in 2018. Depp alleges that after the party he went to bed to read, and that Heard began accusing him of ruining her birthday dinner before throwing a haymaker at him. Depps lawyer, David Sherborne, asked him to explain the American slang term for the judge, Andrew Nicol. A haymaker is a type of a wild swing, a roundhouse punch effective if it reaches the target, Depp said. Heard is attending the three-week trial and is scheduled to give her own version of events later. The Associated Press McMichael gallery reopens to public on July 31 The McMichael Canadian Art Collection announced Monday that the gallery in Kleinburg, Ont. will reopen to the public on Friday, July 31 and to members one day earlier, after being closed on March 13 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From then on, the gallery will be open from Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., until further notice. New safety rules include timed ticketing for all visitors, including members; unidirectional travel through the gallery; six feet of social distancing required at all times; masks for visitors indoors over age five; and faceshields for front-line staff. Among the current exhibitions are A Like Vision: The Group of Seven at 100 and Tom Thomson, including a number of the painters oil sketches. The gallerys theatre, cafe and other ancillary facilities will remain closed. Star staff Grandson of Elvis Presley has died at age 27, agent says The son of Lisa Marie Presley, Benjamin Keough brother to Mad Max: Fury Road actress Riley Keough has died. He was 27. Presleys representative Roger Widynowski said in a statement Sunday to The Associated Press that she was heartbroken after learning about the death of her son Benjamin Keough. He is the grandson of the late Elvis Presley. TMZ reports that Keough died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Sunday in Calabasas, California. She is completely heartbroken, inconsolable and beyond devastated but trying to stay strong for her 11-year-old twins and her oldest daughter Riley, Widynowski said in the statement. She adored that boy. He was the love of her life. Presley had Keough and actress Riley Keough, 31, with her former husband Danny Keough. She also had twins from another marriage. The Associated Press Rapper Lil Marlo dead; police see targeted shooting The Atlanta-based rap artist known as Lil Marlo has died, his record label said Sunday. Quality Control Music announced the death of Rudolph Marlo Johnson in a social media post, saying he will be remembered as a man of great talent who feared nothing. A statement from the Atlanta Police Department says a man named Rudolph Johnson was killed late Saturday in what investigators believe was a targeted shooting. Officers responded to a single-car wreck on Interstate 285 in Atlanta at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday night and found the driver, later identified as Johnson, dead inside his vehicle, the statement said. Investigators believe Johnson was shot while driving and was the intended target. Police identified Johnson as 30 years old, while the social media post from Quality Control Music says he was born in 1993, which would make him around 27. Johnson emerged in 2017 collaborating with rapper and friend Lil Baby on 2 The Hard Way. Earlier this year, the up-and-coming rapper released his project 1st & 3rd featuring Future, Gucci Mane and Lil Baby. Rapper Lil Yachty, Johnsons label mate, said on social media that he and Johnson had worked on four songs the morning of his death. The Associated Press Library of Congress to honour author Colson Whitehead Colson Whitehead keeps winning awards. Already this years recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and the Orwell Prize for political fiction, Whitehead is now being honoured by the Library of Congress. On Monday, it announced that he had won the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. Whitehead, 50, is the youngest winner of the lifetime achievement prize, which the library has previously given to Toni Morrison, Philip Roth and Denis Johnson, among others. He is the first author to win Pulitzers for consecutive works of fiction The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, for which he won in April. As a kid, Id walk into great New York City libraries like the Schomburg and the Mid-Manhattan, on a field trip or for a school assignment, and feel this deep sense of awe, as if Id stumbled into a sacred pocket in the city, Whitehead said in a statement. I hope that right now theres a young kid who looks like me, who sees the Library of Congress recognize Black artists and feels encouraged to pursue their own vision and find their own sacred spaces of inspiration. The Associated Press Andre Aciman, Tayari Jones releasing audio-only stories New fiction from Andre Aciman, Tayari Jones and Rufi Thorpe will be available this summer as audiobooks only. The producer-distributor Audible announced Monday that Jones Half Light and Acimans The Gentleman from Peru will be among five original stories going on sale in August. The others are The Getaway, by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen; Courtney Maums This is Not Your Fault, which tells of a couple divorcing during the current pandemic; and Thorpes Everyones Happy. Narrators include Bahni Turpin, who has performed the audio editions of The Hate U Give and The Underground Railroad, for Half Light, and House of Cards star Kate Mara for The Getaway. Michael Lewis, Jeffery Deaver and Robert Caro are among the many other writers who in recent years have released works exclusively for audio, one of publishings fastest growing markets. The Associated Press Read more about: Ruston, Louisiana, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Four like-minded friends and entrepreneurs combined their insatiable interest in finance literacy to create a resource that not only gives back, but educates, empowers, and teaches. Black Wealth Renaissance is the outcome, and we all benefit. Founders David Bellard, Jared Spiller, Jalen Clark, & Kelly Rhodes noted the lack of basic finance information provided to those who need it mostyoung adults starting out in the world. Simple topics like investments and assets, along with interest and debt were overlooked in school. Black Wealth Renaissance: Jalen Clark, Jared Spiller, David Ballard, Kelly Rhodes In the real world it wasnt calculus and complex equations that newly graduated students faced, but how not to end up in debt. Why were these important courses not taught? Wouldnt it make more sense to teach people how to grow wealth and avoid spiraling into financial ruin, then say, geometric proofs? How do you handle financial responsibility, when youve only been taught the basics of word problems about trains that travel 100 mph and arrive at 2pm? Founders Kelly, Jared, Jalen, and David knew that by properly educating themselves on financial literacy they could change their path. And with knowledge comes power, which is why theyve been on a mission to share this information to those who need it as well. Another important aspect of their journey is in helping lift the black community to show them positive wealth options, and to streamline their knowledge and resources to help others grow and learn. Direct the Narrative, and Be the Voice of Change They felt that the media bias focused on negative aspects of the black community, and they wanted to broadcast something differentsomething better. They want to impact the community so that as each person learns more, they can then in turn reach out and help those around them. With a top-rated podcast, theyre sharing African American Entrepreneur success stories, and echoing their message loud and clearand people are paying attention. In fact, their popular podcast is a top listed business podcast on the iTunes chart, and has remained that way for quite some time. Story continues Their specialty is in making the information accessible. Simplifying complex ideology makes it easier to understand, which in turn means the information spreads and people can use actionable tips and advice to improve their well-being. Financial literacy changes lives. Having access to solid, smart education is pivotal to growth. Theyre guiding the conversation, changing the narrative, and helping people understand integral basics that we need in our daily lives. In turn, theyre creating a difference to those they reach out to. Its in the everyday stories of people that arent in the spotlight, thats where you see whats possible. When you see a celebrity, yes, its a nice story, but how many people will live that life? Yet, we can visualize being a real estate investor, banker, or working with the stock market, or simply why its important to pay down debt and grow your assets. This is what changes lives, not the sparkly, glamorous pie in the sky moments of the few who have graced celebrity life. Be a celebrity in your own life with financial literacy, and you can walk the path youve dreamed of. Information can be intimidating when its presented in a way that is out of reach for many people. Rather, why not take that basic information and help the community understand it? Break it down into smaller pieces, show people the way, rather than hide the pieces of the puzzle behind some illusive story that sounds impressive to the few who understand it? Its about being the change, and Black Wealth Renaissance is not only being the change but encouraging others to take the information they learn so each of us can lift our communities and help them thrive. Take control of the narrative and spread the good. Be the good. For founders Jalen Clark, David Bellard, Kelly Rhodes, and Jared Spiller, Black Wealth Renaissance is more than a business and podcast, but a message of hope and revival. With education and financial literacy, you have the power to make changes in your life. Your schooling may not have given you the information you needed, but they will. Be sure to tune into their podcast to hear more inspiring stories of success, learn more about finance, and check out their other resources to expand your wisdom. When it comes to the black community, Black Wealth Renaissance sees growth, endless possibilities, and the need for greater financial education. Theyre ready to help. Be sure to spread the word and know that for every person who expands their horizon and learns more about financial literacy they can then turn around and teach it to another. They are not only the voice of change, but a group of dedicated entrepreneurs making information widely accessible. Media Details Company: Black Wealth Renaissance Email: Info@blackwealthrenaisance.com Website: https://blackwealthrenaissance.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackwealthrenaissance/ Attachment Yelp is bringing back "nearly all" of its 1,100 furloughed employees and restoring employee pay and work hours starting in August, the company announced Monday. The company will also extend its office closures into 2021, resulting in the layoff of 63 more employees. Yelp in April laid off 1,000 employees and furloughed roughly 1,100 more, as the coronavirus pandemic dramatically decreased consumer interest in going out due to social distancing mandates. "As local economies begin their recovery, we remain cautious but optimistic in the face of continued uncertainty," Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman wrote in an email to employees that was shared with CNBC. "We expect to see a continued fluctuation in business openings and closures during the course of the pandemic as communities respond to local outbreaks. While the pacing and duration of the recovery are still unknown, the executive team and board feel confident in our ability to withstand the challenges and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead," he added. Workers across the nation are slowly returning to their jobs, though Covid-19 cases are still rising. Weekly jobless claims for the week that ended July 4 totaled 1.314 million, while continuing claims came in at 18.06 million, according to the Labor Department. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Michael Quiel was wronged by the government. He was charged and convicted for crimes he did not commit. His life and the lives of his family have forever been altered. In his breakout book Rigged: The Michael Quiel Story Quiel takes back the narrative and exposes the system as being unjust. It is a compelling true story that will leave any believer in innocent until proven guilty questioning if justice is truly what our system is based upon. This book adeptly shows just how easily the government can create financial crimes, and how brutal and life-changing the resulting prosecutions are, which take an otherwise law-abiding citizen and portray them as Public Enemy #1. Michael Quiel is to be commended for telling it how it is the Justice System is rigged. -- Edward Snook - Editor-in-Chief, US Observer Quiel is a former stockbroker with over twenty years of investment banking experience and is the founder, owner, and manager of Legend Advisory Corporation currently living in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife, Vicki. All profits from the sale of this book will go to defend those who are falsely accused of crimes. Published by Page Publishing, Michael Quiels engrossing book is a cautionary tale and reflection on the false imprisonment of an innocent man. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase Rigged: The Michael Quiel Story at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Previously, U.S. policy had been to insist that maritime disputes between China and its smaller neighbors be resolved peacefully through U.N.-backed arbitration. But in a statement released Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. now regards virtually all Chinese maritime claims outside its internationally recognized waters to be illegitimate. The shift does not involve disputes over land features that are above sea level, which are considered to be territorial in nature. Pressure is mounting on Russian mining company Norilsk Nickel over an Arctic oil spill that has wiped about 17% off its share price, left it with a hefty compensation bill and exposed it to accusations of covering up the full extent of the damage. Nornickel, as it is better known, denies the cover-up allegations by green campaigners, a regional governor and a former official at Russias environmental watchdog, who have spoken out publicly and, in some cases, published tests, photographs and witness accounts to support their allegations. Their evidence, which Reuters has been unable to verify, shows diesel has spread into a lake and, according to witnesses, into a river that feeds into the Arctic Ocean. Nornickel, citing official tests and satellite images, denies pollution has spread into either body of water. Related articles: Russian Regulator Seeks $2B in Damages from Nornickel for Arctic Fuel Spill Unprecedented Arctic Diesel Spill Angers Putin and Could Force Green Reform in Russia It says it has contained the leak, from a power station near the industrial city of Norilsk on May 29, and that it has recovered 90% of the diesel by using containment booms and pumps. It also denies hiding the extent of the damage, saying the vast number of companies, regulators and others officials involved in the clean-up operation guarantees full transparency. We cannot imagine how it would be possible to hide anything in such conditions, a company spokeswoman said. An investigation into the incident is being carried out by regulatory and monitoring agencies. Reuters has no independent evidence to support the allegations that Nornickel has suppressed information. Nornickels shares fell 5% in one day in Moscow on Monday after Russias environmental watchdog demanded over $2 billion in damages. Nornickel said on Wednesday it disputed the size of the claim and the methodology used for its calculation. President Vladimir Putin in June chided Vladimir Potanin, the billionaire boss of Norilsk, for not replacing the source of the spill, a fuel tank, in timely fashion and said significant damage had been caused to the fragile Arctic environment. Potanin told Putin Nornickel would spare no expense to restore the environment and was committed to fund programs that would increase the deer population and maintain rare fish stocks. Nornickel has said publicly it is also committed to a federal investigation into the incident, takes full responsibility for what happened, and wants to avoid a repeat. At the market close on Thursday, Nornickels shares were almost 17.3% lower than at the May 29 opening. Calls for More Information The spill was caused by the failure of a reserve fuel tank at the power station, owned by NTEK, a subsidiary of Nornickel. About 21,000 tonnes of diesel leaked into rivers and subsoil near Norilsk. Nornickel, one of the worlds largest producers of nickel and palladium, blamed melting permafrost driven by climate change for eroding the tanks foundations. Federal investigators have blamed the poor state of the fuel tank, and have detained three of the power stations managers and charged Norilsks mayor with criminal negligence. Environmental groups and some Russian officials are worried by what they regard as a lack of information about how far the pollution has spread towards the Arctic Ocean. Its obvious that a cover-up is under way, said Vasily Ryabinin, who quit as an official at state environmental regulator Rosprirodnadzor in Norilsk after the spill. Most of the fuel got into the lake before they set up the containment booms, he said. Ryabinin cited as evidence photographs he took on June 4 which appear to show riverbanks beyond the booms towards the lake stained with diesel and says he was obstructed from carrying out a proper inspection of the site on the day of the accident by the power stations security guards and police. Ryabinin said he and his boss at Rosprirodnadzor were turned back even though his boss was carrying the required identity documents. Rosprirodnadzor later removed him from the case and he then resigned, judging that his employer was complicit in environmental damage. Rosprirodnadzor did not respond when asked about the circumstances of his departure and his assertions. His former boss, Andrei Konoplyov, declined to comment. Alexander Uss, governor of the Krasnoyarsk region where the leak occurred, also expressed concern after inspecting the accident site and talking with company officials. He said NTEK had first said that a car caught fire at the site and then changed its version of events to say the fuel tank may have leaked but that there was no ecological damage. Two days passed, he said, before the real picture became clear. There was clearly disinformation (from Nornickel) that you cannot describe as anything else other than a desire to hide what happened or the scale of what happened, he told state television in June. Declaring a state of emergency in the area on June 3, Putin criticized what he called a bungled and delayed response. Why did authorities find out about what happened only two days later?, Putin, visibly irritated, asked Sergei Lipin, the head of NTEK. What, are we going to find out about emergency situations from social media now? Is everything alright with your health? Lipin defended NTEKs handling of the accident to Putin, saying it had passed on information about the accident according to its standard plan for fuel spills. He did not comment on Usss assertion that NTEK had altered its version of events. U.S. Offer of Help Rejected Despite the concerns about Russias worst oil spill since 1994, Moscow has turned down a U.S. offer to help with the clean-up, saying it can manage on its own. Some environmental campaigners say they doubt Nornickels assertions that it has been able to recover 90% of the leaked diesel, citing similar clean-ups in the past around the world. Nornickel said it stood by its estimate, but that precise data would be available only when the fuel was separated from the collected water. Nornickel acts as the main employer and benefactor in the Siberian Arctic city over 2,350 km (1,460 miles) from Moscow. It has appointed a senior executive to the new role of senior vice president for environmental protection and pledged a thorough clean-up. The tests, photographs and eyewitness accounts cited by Ryabinin, Uss and environmental groups suggest diesel has reached Pyasino Lake, around 20 km (12 miles) north of the spill site. Nornickel, citing official tests, denies that. Photographs taken by Ryabinin, and posted online, show banks of the River Ambarnaya beyond the containment booms the stretch that flows into Lake Pyasino stained with diesel fuel. Separately, Moscow hydrogeologist Georgy Kavanosyan tested Pyasina river samples on a trip there in June. In a video posted online, he showed, using technical equipment, how it contained more than double the normal concentration of toxic oil products. A spokeswoman for Rosprirodnadzor shared data with Reuters that did not detect critical pollution levels there on June 30. Norilsk has cited the same data to show it is hiding nothing. (Additional reporting by Gwladys Fouche in Oslo, by Clare Baldwin in Alaska and by Polina Devitt and Anastasia Lyrchikova in Moscow; writing by Andrew Osborn; editing by Katy Daigle and Timothy Heritage) Photograph: Tundra, lakes and rivers amid smoke and pipes from the Norilsk Metallurgical Plant on the Taimyr Peninsula. Topics Energy Oil Gas Pollution Russia In the middle of a catastrophic public health crisis, the Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to overturn the entire Affordable Care Act. This is dangerous for many reasons but for women, its devastating. They would be stripped of the protections they have had in the decade since passage of the law, known as Obamacare. Before the law, insurance companies routinely discriminated against women. Those who didnt work for employers that offered health coverage or who werent old enough or poor enough to qualify for Medicare or Medicaid struggled to buy health insurance in the private market, where insurance companies made all the rules. In those days, insurers could charge women up to two or three times more than men for identical health policies. Women discovered that many of the services and medicines they needed were not included, like coverage for pregnancy, which was not part of most individual policies and was impossible to purchase once a woman became pregnant. Insurance companies routinely denied coverage to Americans with pre-existing conditions, a practice that affects more women than men. About 30 million women have a pre-existing condition like side effects from having taken Accutane as a teenager, depression or breast cancer compared with about 24 million men, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. SELBYVILLE, Del., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As per Global Market Insights Inc., the iron ore pellets market is expected to hit a valuation of nearly $70 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 3.2% from 2020 to 2026. The report delivers complete analysis of the market estimations as well as size, key avenues of investment, competitive scenario, opportunities and drivers, top winning strategies, and wavering industry trends. Global Market Insights Inc. Iron ore pellets are essentially pellets of iron ore with their main use in steel manufacturing. The pellet provides better benefits over its alternatives since it delivers a higher productivity level while consuming significantly low amounts of coal. Favorable government policies regarding sintering activities in countries like China will encourage substantial growth of the iron ore pellets market over the coming years. Request Sample Report: https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/4084 With respect to grade, the iron ore pellets market is classified into a blast furnace and direct reduction. Among these, the direct reduction segment will witness substantial growth over the projected time period due to the rising demand for top-grade iron ore within the steelmaking industry. These products also help in creating low amounts of carbon emission and use disintegration property for keeping a high amount of iron content. Key reasons for iron ore pellets market growth: Increasing adoption of iron-based chemicals. Growing product consumption across MEA. Rising awareness regarding the reduction of carbon emissions from steel plants. 2026 forecasts anticipate the 'balling disc' segment showing appreciative growth: Based on balling technology, the balling disc segment will witness over 3.5% CAGR due to the growing demand for top-quality pellets in steelmaking technology. In addition, the low weight as well as possibilities of adjustment of the balling disc in comparison to the balling drums makes them suitable for iron ore palletization, with improved quality and efficiency. The Middle East & Africa iron ore pellets industry to witness appreciative growth: The Middle East and Africa region will witness over 3% CAGR over the forecast timeframe due to the increasing infrastructure development activities throughout the region. Increasing iron ore import in Turkey from Brazil and India because of expanding steel production capabilities of companies will boost the iron ore pellets market share. Citing an instance, in August 2019, the overall iron ore imports in Turkey were valued at approximately at 925,759 tons, a significant rise from the 743,247 tons imported in July 2019. Request customization of this report: https://www.gminsights.com/roc/4084 Leading market players: The key market players analyzed in the iron ore pellets industry report include Arya Group, BHP Billiton, U.S. Steel, Anglo America, Rio Tinto, Samarco, Vale, and Ternium among others. They have incorporated several strategies including partnership, expansion, collaboration, joint ventures, and others to heighten their stand in the industry. Related Reports: Metal Foam Market Future Business Strategies and Revenue Impact Analysis - 2025 Metal Injection Molding Parts Market Business Strategies and Competitive Analysis - 2026 About Global Market Insights, Inc. Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider. Offering syndicated and custom research reports, growth consulting and business intelligence services, Global Market Insights, Inc. aims to help clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data that aid in strategic decision making. GMIPulse, our business analytics platform offers an online, interactive option of exploring our proprietary industry research data in an easy-to-use and dynamic manner. Clients get to explore market intelligence across 11 top-level categories and hundreds of industry segments within them, covering regional, company level, and cross-sectional statistics that make our offering a stand-out for decision-makers. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights, Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.gminsights.com Related Images iron-ore-pellets-market-statistics.jpg Iron Ore Pellets Market Statistics - 2026 Related Links Hydrophobic coatings market Styrenic block copolymer market SOURCE Global Market Insights Inc. Related Links https://www.gminsights.com EDMONTON, AB / ACCESSWIRE / July 13, 2020 / OneBridge Solutions Inc. today announced it has been named a finalist of Application Innovation 2020 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award. The company was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology. "It is a great honor to be recognized as a finalist for this award, which underscores the talent and dedication of team members who contributed to our success in transforming legacy oil and gas pipeline industry procedures to new and innovative processes based on Azure machine learning and data science," said Brandon Taylor, President and COO. "This achievement would not have been possible without the participation of our early adopter clients who shared our vision, and Microsoft's assistance and cloud platform upon which our technology is based. We are most appreciative of everyone who played a part in our journey." The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognizes Microsoft partners that have developed and delivered exceptional Microsoft-based solutions during the past year. Awards were classified in several categories, with honorees chosen from a set of more than 3,300 submitted nominations from more than 100 countries worldwide. OneBridge Solutions Inc. was recognized for providing outstanding solutions and services in Application Innovation. The App Innovation Partner of the Year Award competition recognizes partners who have a track record of modernizing customer applications for the cloud, demonstrating a deep understanding of their customers' business challenges and helping to motivate adoption of new cloud technologies and practices. Winning solutions are based on Microsoft Azure that also leverage a mix of emerging Microsoft technologies. Partners considered for this award were required to supply a customer example that showcases visionary thinking where an investment in application innovation helped to transform a critical aspect of their customer's business and highlight modernization opportunities where customers improved legacy applications creating significant business value with the support of the Microsoft Azure platform. "It is an honor to recognize the winners and finalists of the 2020 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards," said Gavriella Schuster, corporate vice president, One Commercial Partner, Microsoft. "These partners go above and beyond, delivering timely solutions that solve the complex challenges that businesses around the world face - from communicating and collaborating virtually to helping customers realize their full potential with Azure cloud services, and beyond. I am proud to honor and congratulate each winner and finalist." About OneBridge: OneBridge Solutions Inc., develops and markets revolutionary new SaaS solutions that use advanced Data Sciences and Machine Learning to analyze big data using predictive analytics to assist oil and gas pipeline operators to predict pipeline failures and thereby save lives, protect the environment, reduce operational costs and address regulatory compliance requirements. Visit www.onebridgesolutions.com for more information. For additional information: Sheena Sandhu, Marketing Director ssandhu@onebridgesolutions.com (604) 313-3262 Dwayne Kushniruk, CEO dkushniruk@onesoft.ca (780) 437-4950 SOURCE: OneBridge Solutions Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/597275/OneBridge-Solutions-Inc-Recognized-as-Finalist-of-Application-Innovation-2020-Microsoft-Partner-of-the-Year PORTLAND The Board of Education appointed Charles Hershon as the middle school principal at a special meeting July 6. Hershon has served as the assistant principal at Granby Memorial Middle School from 2017 to the present, according to a press release. Prior to that, he was a middle school English language arts teacher in Suffield, and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Hershon earned a sixth-year degree in educational leadership from the University of Connecticut, a masters degree in Reading Education and bachelor of science in elementary education from Vanderbilt University, the news release said. Hershon was selected from a talented pool of candidates after a rigorous vetting process, the release said. The hiring committees involved in the hiring process believe Mr. Hershons experience, student-centered disposition, energy, and commitment to equity will benefit the students, parents, faculty and staff at the Portland Middle School, it said. Superintendent of Schools Charles Britton welcomed Hershon, calling him a visionary leader. Im confident that he is going to focus on developing an overwhelmingly positive and productive school climate at Portland Middle School. Hershon will begin his service Aug. 3. Last Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave a keynote speech in the European Parliament to mark the start of Germanys EU presidency. It was her first foreign appearance since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Merkel spoke against the backdrop of new COVID-19 outbreaks on the continent, the deepest economic crisis since the 1930s, and growing tensions between the major powers. We are all aware that my visit today takes place against the background of the greatest test in the history of the European Union, said the chancellor. The global coronavirus pandemic had hit people in Europe hard and relentlessly, she declared, adding, We have over a hundred thousand dead in Europe alone. She continued: Our economy has been and continues to be severely shaken throughout Europe. Millions of workers have lost their jobs. In addition to worries about their health and the health of their families, many citizens are also worried about their economic existence. German Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses the plenary chamber at the European Parliament in Brussels, Wednesday, July 8, 2020. Germany has just taken over the European Union's rotating presidency, and must chaperone the 27-nation bloc through a period of deep crisis for the next six months and try to limit the economic damage inflicted by the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys) Merkel, of course, concealed the fact that the ruling class is fully responsible for this disaster. As the pandemic spread in January and February, she concerned herself not with the health of the population, but with the protection of corporate profits. All of the European governments played down the threat and tried to keep the economy and public life running without any impediments. It was only when the terrible consequences of the pandemic first became apparent in countries such as Italy and Spain that governments were forced to take measures to contain the virus, driven largely by growing anger in the population. The lockdown was then used to organise the greatest bottom-to-top redistribution of wealth in history. Within a very short time, trillions were transferred to the accounts of the banks, the large corporations and the super-rich in the form of coronavirus rescue packages. At the same time, establishment politicians and the media began an aggressive campaign to revive the economy as quickly as possible so as to resume the extraction of massive profits from the working class. The same companies that received billions in state money are now, with the support of the trade unions, using the crisis to push through the mass layoffs and wage cuts they had long planned. In her speech, Merkel left no doubt that the policy of profits before lives would be aggressively pursued. She cynically described the measures to contain the pandemic, which have now been largely lifted, as a high price, entailing an attack on elementary basic rights. The message was clear: despite the massive increase in infections and deaths resulting from the reopening of the economy, there would be no new lockdown. Nothing would be permitted that might endanger capitalist profiteering and the orgy of enrichment on the stock market. Merkel praised the 500 billion euro European reconstruction fund she had proposed in mid-May, together with French President Emmanuel Macron. Behind her mendacious lip service to a socially and economically just Europe, she made clear that the money would be linked to a new round of social attacks. Europe had to be made more innovative and competitive, she stressed several times in her speech. Above all, she reminded the members of the European Parliament, only by working together could European nations defend their global economic and foreign policy interests. Europe was not just something that has been handed over to us, some destiny that obliges us, but rather something living that we can shape and change. She stressed that in a globalised world, Europe does not deprive us of opportunities for action. It is not without Europe, but only with Europe that we can preserve our convictions and freedoms. In other words, only through a unified European military and great power policy under German leadership would Brussels and Berlin be able to impose their imperialist interests worldwide. The highest priority of the German presidency, she said, is that Europe comes out of the crisis united and strengthened. The aim was not only to stabilise Europe in the short term. Merkel insisted: We want a Europe that faces the challenges of the present with self-confidence and courage. We want a Europe that is fit for the future, that can assert its place in the world in an innovative and sustainable manner. It was necessary to decide for oneself who Europe wants to be in this rapidly changing world order, a geopolitical environment that underscored the need for a strong European foreign and security policy. As in previous interviews and speeches, Merkel made no secret of the need to transform the EU into a massively armed military alliance capable of acting more independently of the US. A glance at the map, she said, shows that Europe is surrounded on its external borders not only by Britain and the western Balkans, but also by Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, among others. She noted that Europe was living in a period of global upheaval, in which the force fields are shifting, and Europedespite the integration of many member states into the transatlantic allianceis more on its own. Europe had also to bring its weight as a foreign policy power to bear on China. Even if the EU-China summit set for September, unfortunately, cannot take place, we want to continue the open dialogue with China, Merkel said. Strategic relations with China were characterised by close trade policy ties, but equally by quite different socio-political ideas, especially concerning the protection of human rights and the rule of law. Alarm bells should ring whenever German and European heads of state speak of human rights and the rule of law in regard to foreign policy, since these phrases invariably conceal imperialist goals inevitably associated with attacks on democratic rights. In Brussels, Merkel called for effective protection of our democracies against cyber threats and disinformation campaignscode words for strengthening the states repressive powers, especially against the growing left-wing opposition of workers and youth. The German bourgeoisie has made it clear from the very onset of its presidency that it is willing to put its words into action. Last week was marked by the announcement by the Ministry of Defence of plans to purchase combat drones and the demand by leading German politicians to reintroduce a form of compulsory military service so as to anchor militarism more firmly in society. All parties, from the Left Party to the extreme right Alternative for Germany (AfD), are working closely together, along with the media, to fuel nationalism. Germany is now condemned to leadership, there is no other way, the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland stated in a commentary. Behind the increasingly aggressive calls for German leadership in Europe are two developments in particular. First, tensions between the European powers are constantly increasing. After Merkel's speech, EU Council President Charles Michel warned that in the run-up to the July 17-18 EU summit, stark differences remained among the member states concerning the European reconstruction fund. The proposal that the EU Commission take on debt to give countries at least some money in the form of non-repayable grants rather than loans, he said, was still difficult, even very difficult for some member states to accept. Second, political and social opposition in the working class is growing. The coronavirus pandemic has not only exacerbated tensions between the imperialist powers, it has, above all, exposed the bankruptcy of the capitalist system. Thirty years after German reunification and the dissolution of the Soviet Union by the Stalinist bureaucracy, the bourgeoisie has nothing to offer the vast majority of the population but mass impoverishment, increasing police state measures, militarism and war. Resistance is developing worldwide in the form of mass protests and strikes, which must now be armed with an international socialist programme. PORTLAND, Oregon, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, "Telecom Electronic Manufacturing Service Market by Product Type (Computing Devices & Equipment, Servers & Routers, RF & Microwave, Fiber Optic Devices, Transceivers & Transmitters, and Others), and Service (Electronic Design and Engineering, Electronics Assembly, Electronics Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027". According to the report, the global telecom electronic manufacturing service industry was pegged at $137.37 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach $209.17 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2020 to 2027. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities Rise in demand for EMS technology in the telecom sector, surge in demand for electronics devices in the developed and emerging nations, and increased government initiatives have boosted the growth of the global telecom electronic manufacturing service market. However, high labor costs in the manufacturing sector hamper the market growth. On the contrary, increase in adoption of 5G technology coupled with advancements in Internet of Things (IoT) technology would open new opportunities for the market players. Download Full PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/6906 Covid-19 scenario: The outbreak of Covid-19 has boosted the growth of the global telecom electronic manufacturing service market. Remote working, video conferencing, and increase in demand for telecommunication technology during the pandemic have positively affected the market growth. The increased demand for streaming services such as Netflix has increased demand for telecom electronic manufacturing services. Transceivers and transmitters segment dominated the market By product type, the transceivers and transmitters segment held the largest share in 2019, accounting for nearly one-fourth of the global telecom electronic manufacturing service market, owing to growth in need for data transfer capacity and storage processing for the telecommunication network. However, the servers & routers segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period, due to increasing adoption of IoT technology and 5G infrastructures in the telecom industry. Connect With Our Analyst: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/6906 Supply chain management segment to manifest highest CAGR through 2027 By service, the supply chain management segment is projected to portray the highest CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period, as SCM allows companies to manage better demand, deal with disruptions, carry the right amount of inventory, keep costs to a minimum and meet customer demand in the most effective way possible. However, the electronic manufacturing segment held the largest share in 2019, accounting for around one-third of the global telecom electronic manufacturing service market, owing to increasing demand for communication devices, continuously developing trend, and the expansion of wireless communication technology. Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, held the largest share By region, the global telecom electronic manufacturing service market across Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, held the lion's share in 2019, contributing to nearly half of the market, owing to rapid growth of industrialization, low operating cost, and increase in population coupled. In addition, increased investments by several companies in the form of facility expansions and investments in R&D fuels the market growth in this region. However, the market across LAMEA is expected to register the highest CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period, due to the growth of the telecom EMS market in LAMEA and rapid developments in the Middle East in terms of infrastructure and technology. Request Customized Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/6906 Major market players Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) Benchmark Electronics Inc. FLEX .LTD Plexus Corp Jabil Inc. Creation Technologies Celestica Inc. Pegatron Corporation Sanmina Corporation Wistron Corporation Access AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access Avenue is a user-based library of global market report database, provides comprehensive reports pertaining to the world's largest emerging markets. It further offers e-access to all the available industry reports just in a jiffy. By offering core business insights on the varied industries, economies, and end users worldwide, Avenue ensures that the registered members get an easy as well as single gateway to their all-inclusive requirements. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenue/trial/starter Similar Reports: Wireless Charging Market Projected to Hit $49,304.1 Million By 2027 Wireless Connectivity Technology Market Expected to Reach $128.47 Billion By 2026 5G Infrastructure Market Expected to Reach $58,174.6 Million By 2025 Industrial Wireless Sensor Network Market to Reach $1,200 Million, Globally, by 2023 Global Millimeter Wave Technology Market Expected to Reach $3.25 Billion by 2026 Europe 5G Infrastructure Market to Reach $27.74 Billion by 2026 Pre-Book Now with 10% Discount: Telecom Connector and Datacom Connector market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2027 Wireless Network Test Equipment Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027 About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): 1-800-792-5285, 1-503-894-6022, 1-503-446-1141 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on LinkedIn and Twitter SOURCE Allied Market Research LONDON and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard Chartered Bank and Universities Space Research Association (USRA) have signed a Collaborative Research Agreement to partner on quantum computing research and developing quantum computing applications. In finance, the most promising use cases with real-world applications include quantum machine learning models (generating synthetic data and data anonymisation) and discriminative models (building strong classifiers and predictors) with multiple potential uses such as credit scoring and generating trading signals. As quantum computing technology matures, clients should benefit from higher quality services such as faster execution, better risk management and the development of new financial products. Kahina Van Dyke, Global Head of Digital Channels and Client Data Analytics at Standard Chartered, said: "Similar to other major technological advancements, quantum computing is set to bring widespread benefits as well as disrupt many existing business processes. This is why it's important for companies to future-proof themselves by adopting this new technology from an early stage. The partnership with USRA gives us access to world-class academic researchers and provides us with a unique opportunity to explore a wide range of models and algorithms with the potential to establish quantum advantage for the real-world use cases." Bernie Seery, Senior VP of Technology at USRA noted that "This partnership with the private sector enables a diversity of research through a competitively selected portfolio of quantum computing research projects involving academic institutions and non-profits, growing an ecosystem for quantum artificial intelligence that has already involved over 150 researchers from more than 40 organizations that produced over 50 peer-reviewed publications over the last seven years." Alex Manson, Global Head of SC Ventures, Standard Chartered's innovation, fintech investment and ventures arm, stated: "The world is currently in the process of identifying commercial use cases where quantum computer capabilities will surpass classical computers. We have a conviction that some of these use cases will transform the way we manage risks in financial services, for example by simulating portfolios and exponentially speeding up the generation of market data. We will work with USRA to identify such use cases in financial services, with a view to implementing them within our bank, as well as potentially offering this service to other market participants over time." Mark Johnson, Vice President, Processor Design, Development and Quantum Products at D-Wave said: "Quantum computing research and development are poised to have a profound impact on the industries responsible for solving today's most complex problems. That's why researchers and businesses alike are looking to quantum computing today to start demonstrating tangible value. We're proud to work with USRA and Standard Chartered Bank as they improve global access to quantum systems and undertake essential research and development." At USRA's Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science, Dr. Davide Venturelli, Associate Director for Quantum Computing, notes that quantum annealing is implementing a powerful approach to computing, featuring unique advantages with respect to other traditional and novel approaches, that should be studied, theoretically and experimentally, to advance the state of art of computing technologies for the benefit of nearly all disciplines. Standard Chartered's team, led by Dr. Alexei Kondratyev, Global Head of Data Science and Innovation, and USRA have collaborated in quantum computing research since 2017. An earlier success in investigating the quantum annealing approach to computational problems in portfolio optimisation use cases led to this strategic partnership, where USRA will continue to support fundamental academic research in quantum physics and artificial intelligence and Standard Chartered will focus on future commercial applications. In 2012, USRA partnered with NASA to found the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (QuAIL): the space agency's hub to evaluate the near-term impact of quantum technologies. With QuAIL, the USRA team has investigated the physics, the engineering and the performance of multiple generations of quantum annealing processors built by D-Wave Systems. It has also participated in U.S. government research programs that looked into application of quantum annealing for combinatorial optimization, aviation, earth science and machine learning. NASA Ames Research Center is currently hosting a D-Wave 2000Q annealing system, thanks to the support of this partnership. Standard Chartered and USRA intend to develop this initial collaboration beyond quantum annealing to all unconventional computing systems that could provide an advantage to applications of interest, such as gate-model noisy-intermediate scale quantum (NISQ) processors and Coherent Ising machines. For more information, contact: Standard Chartered: Group Media Relations Contact: Shaun Gamble, [email protected] Tel: +44 2078855934 USRA: PR Contact: Suraiya Farukhi, [email protected] Technical Contact: David Bell, [email protected] About USRA Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities, and conducts other major research and educational programs, under Federal funding. USRA engages the university community and employs in-house scientific leadership, innovative research and development, and project management expertise. RIACS is a USRA department for research in fundamental and applied information sciences, leading projects on quantum computing funded by NASA, DARPA, the US Airforce and NSF. More info at: https://riacs.usra.edu/quantum/ and www.usra.edu. About Standard Chartered We are a leading international banking group, with a presence in 59 of the world's most dynamic markets, and serving clients in a further 85. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, Here for good. Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges as well as the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges in India. For more stories and expert opinions please visit Insights at sc.com. Follow Standard Chartered on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. SOURCE Universities Space Research Association Related Links http://www.usra.edu Police in France have arrested a man who is described as one of the top 10 most-wanted targets by authorities fighting sexual crimes. A man in his 40s, who has masterminded several 'darknet' paedophilia internet websites, was apprehended by officers in the city Bordeaux, southwest France on July 7. The suspect was also charged with the rape of a minor as well as the sexual assault of a 15-year-old. French police have arrested a man who was regarded as one of the top 10 most-wanted criminals by authorities fighting sexual crimes. The suspect is believed to have created paedophilia 'darknet' websites watched by thousands across the world Bordeaux prosecutor Frederique Porterie: said: 'This internet user, identified as one of the 10 most-wanted targets... enabled thousands of Internet users across the world to have access to photographs or videos of a child pornography nature' 'He also appeared to have played an active role in the production of child pornography photographs or videos'. Detectives and investigators managed to track down the suspect with the help of EU Europol's police agency. The man, whose pornographic websites could only be accessed using specialist software to maintain anonymity amongst its users, accepted the charges made against him. Cookie Preferences Cookie List Cookie List A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website when visited by a user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting for our advertising and marketing efforts. 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Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. WONDER POTIONs action-platformer has new content to test in this limited-time preview version of the next side-scrolling hit from NEOWIZ Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Eisya A. Eloksari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 13, 2020 16:12 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665f215b 1 Business Indonesia,Australia,IA-CEPA,workers,exchange-program Free Indonesia will conduct a worker-exchange program with Australia to boost its human resources. The plan was announced by a senior government official just days after the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) entered into force. Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto said Indonesian workers in health care, telecommunication, transportation, tourism and other sectors were eligible to join the program and could get up to six months of training and work experience in Australia. The government is aiming for 100 Indonesian workers to join the program in the first year, while the number of participants is expected to gradually increase to 500 within five years. This is part of Indonesias benefits in human resource development from joining IA-CEPA, along with a chance for our workers capabilities to be recognized by the Australian government and businesses, he said during a video press conference on Friday. In the implementation of the program, the government will partner with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) and the Indonesian-Australian Business Council (IABC). The IA-CEPA, which was ratified by the House of Representatives in February and took effect on July 5, eliminates trade tariffs between the two countries. With the trade pact, the Trade Ministry expects a boost in the export of some Indonesian products to Australia, especially textiles, automotive products, electronics, fishery products and communication tools. As the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global trade, Indonesian exports fell 28.95 percent year-on-year (yoy) to US$10.53 billion in May. The country's exports to Australia amounted to $920 million in the January-May period, up 15.69 percent yoy. Agus also said that, with the IA-CEPA deal, Indonesia aimed to slash the countrys export deficit to Australia by half in 2021 to around $1.5 billion from a $3.2 billion last year. Trade between the two countries amounted to $7.8 billion in 2019, much lower than bilateral trade with Indonesias top trading partner, China, which was $73 billion in the same year. We are hopeful that we can achieve an export surplus in the future, but not this year, because the agreements effect will likely be slow, because of the pandemic, he said. However, we are optimistic that we can see significant changes in 2021. The minister stated that the two countries had also agreed to increase the number of working holiday visas to 4,100 from initially 1,000. He expressed hope that, by the sixth year of the IA-CEPA, the quota for this type of visa would reach 5,000. Read also: RI to boost export to Australia as IA-CEPA enters into force Furthermore, Indonesia and Australia have also decided to prioritize industry partnerships in food agriculture and electric vehicles as well as technical and vocational education and training (TVET) within the first year of IA-CEPA, according to the trade minister. Previously, Association of Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers (Gaikindo) secretary-general Kukuh Kumara said Indonesias automotive industry might not immediately benefit from the trade deal because it prioritized trade of electric vehicles (EVs), which Indonesia was not producing yet. The Jokowi administration has set itself a target to start producing EVs in 2021 or 2022. We do not have the products of the specifications Australian consumers need, Kukuh told the The Jakarta Post in a phone interview on July 6. Indonesias auto industry produced mostly multipurpose vehicles (MPV) or sedans like the Toyota Camry, while Australians prefered sport utility vehicles (SUV), Kukuh added. Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogans decision to turn Istanbuls iconic Hagia Sophia museum into a place of worship has been met with dissent, with leaders and organisations across the world urging the statesman to reconsider the move or at least consider discussing it. From the Pope to the UNESCO to even Turkeys very own celebrated author Orhan Pamuk, everyone has looked at this decision with disfavour. The apex court of the nation unanimously cancelled a 1934 Turkish cabinet decision to celebrate Hagia Sophias legacy and turn it into a museum on the ground that the colossal monument was registered as a mosque in its property deeds. While Turkey has defended its decision by virtue of it being well within its sovereign rights, one must also understand why so many churches and world leaders are opposed to changing the status of the sixth-century building. To really get to the core of the contention, one must take a relook at its history. The huge structure that Hagia Sophia is, was constructed 1,500 years ago, in the year 537, by Byzantine emperor Justinian. He had constructed a massive church overlooking the Golden Horn harbour. It had a huge dome and was considered the worlds largest church. It remained a property of the Byzantine Empire for centuries until the year 1453, when Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II captured Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) and performed Friday prayers inside the structure to celebrate his victory. In no time, the Ottomans converted Hagia Sophia entirely into a mosque and added four minarets (a telling feature of Islamic structures) to the exterior. The ornate Christian decor and gold mosaics were covered with panels of Arabic religious calligraphy. Again, for centuries it remained as a property of the orthodox Muslim Ottoman empire, until the year 1934, when it was turned into a museum during a political drive to give a secular makeover to Turkey. Essentially, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the father of the modern Turkish state, turned Hagia Sophia into the popular tourist site that it is now, attracting more than 3.5 million visitors per year. Fifty years later, the UNESCO recognised it as a part of the Historic Areas of Istanbul World Heritage Site. However, within a few years, in the year 2005, a petition was filed in Turkeys Council of State, claiming that the Hagia Sophia museum originally belonged to a foundation established by Sultan Mehmed II. Thus began the controversy over the 1,500-year-old monument that is revered by Christians and Muslims alike. Erdogan has assured that though Hagia Sophia will be open to prayers starting July 24, it will still be accessible to tourists across the world. However, one must note that no time was spared before taking down Hagia Sophias social media channels. Russia has become the first country to complete human trials in the search for the COVID-19 vaccine. Russia overtook Brazil which was the first emerging market to get a test drive of the Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine. Elena Smolyarchuk, the chief researcher for the Russian Center for Clinical Research on Medications at Sechenov University, told TASS newswire on Sunday that human trials for the vaccine had been completed and those test patients will be discharged soon. The research has been completed and it proved that the vaccine is safe. The volunteers will be discharged on July 15 and July 20, Smolyarchuk was quoted as saying in the report. There was no other information on when this vaccine would enter commercial production. Russia had allowed clinical trials of two forms of a potential coronavirus vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology. The first one was carried out at the Burdenko Military Hospital. The other vaccine was given to test patients at the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University. Some 20 people volunteered for the injection. After given the shot, the volunteers were asked to quarantine in the hospital for 28 days. Earlier, results of the COVID-19 vaccine tests performed on a group of volunteers in Russia showed that they were developing immunity to the coronavirus, but who what the drug actually is was not discussed in the article. ---GNA A Bodyguard of the MP for Evalue-Gwira Constituency, Catherine Afeku, has come under hot bashing after he allegedly assaulted a Journalist working for Metro TV, Alhaji Mustapha Ashley. The latest group to join the calls for his head is the Western Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) which is demanding his arrest with immediate effect. The MPs bodyguard is said to have heckled Alhaji Mustapha Ashley and deleted a video he had taken prior to the commencement of the hearing of a court case involving the MPs spouse and one Angate Borzar. The Regional branch of the GJA condemned the act in a statement, describing it as an affront to democracy. We want the identity of the said bodyguard established, arrested and made to face the law for abuse of power and ensure that such perpetrators of violations against journalists are punished. We want to remind the Police and the Minister of the state that we are in a democratic era and therefore the era of tyranny belongs to the past, the statement from the GJA added. It also called on the regional police command to investigate the police officer who assisted the bodyguard to carry out the act. Alhaji Mustapha Ashley joins the growing list of reporters who have been assaulted in the line of duty. There have been calls on the government and other political parties for the protection of journalists. In October 2018, a Joy FM reporter was assaulted by a member of John Mahama's security detail while covering Mr. Mahama's campaign to be NDC flagbearer. Three journalists were also assaulted by security guards at the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) headquarters when they were covering a demonstration by some angry party members on December 21, 2017. In this instance, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) was compelled to petition the National Chairman of the NPP to help bring to book party activists who attacked the journalists. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has recommended the deportation of the Chinese woman who went viral for hitting a traffic enforcer and a biker in Makati City. Immigration acting spokesperson Melvin Mabulac reiterated that foreign nationals staying in the Philippines should also follow the law. There will be no special treatment and no exceptions for them, Mabulac said. Hindi po ibig sabihin ay isang dayuhan siya ay may espesyal siyang batas. Kung ano ang batas na pinatutupad po sa isang ordinaryong Pilipino, dapat sundin po ng kahit sino pang dayuhan na nandito sa ating bansa, (It does not mean that foreign nationals have a special law. The law followed by an ordinary Filipino should also be followed by any foreign national here in the country), he said. Authorities have also discovered that the Chinese woman identified as Dong Li is only under a tourist visa and has not followed the necessary requirements to update her status. The Immigration cited overstaying and disrespect to authority as grounds for deporting Dong. Basically, dalawa po ang tinitingnan natin. Siya po ay overstaying at the same time, iyong undersirability. Klarong-klaro naman po doon sa social media, at naging viral pa naman, iyong disrespect sa authority. Bawal na bawal po iyan (Basically, we are looking into two (violations). She is overstaying and, at the same time, there is undesirability. It is clear in the viral post on social media that she disrespected a person of authority. That is prohibited), Mabulac said. The agency already recommended to their legal division the filing of appropriate cases for Lis deportation. AAC (with reports from Asher Cadapan Jr.) The post BI eyes deportation case against Chinese woman who hit a Makati traffic enforcer appeared first on UNTV News. For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. President Donald Trump View Photo President Trump signed an Executive Director on the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative. Trump was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day and made remarks before the signing. Here are his words: I want to thank you all for being here as we proudly launch the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative. With this very exciting new effort, we will deliver a future of greater promise, opportunity, and freedom for our nations really, its a treasure. You are a treasure. The Hispanic Americans and the Hispanic American community is a treasure. Thank you. (Applause.) Were thrilled to be joined today by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Thank you, Betsy. Thank you. (Applause.) Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. Thank you, Wilbur. (Applause.) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson. Thank you, Ben. (Applause.) Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza. Thank you, Jovita. (Applause.) Very popular, Jovita. (Laughter.) And Representative Mike Garcia. (Applause.) Good. Thank you. Thank you. Congratulations, Mike. That was a big win, huh? Biggest in 22 years, they say. Huh? First time in 22 years. Thats a good one. Well, you got something special going, right? Thank you, Mike. Great job. Yesterday, I was delighted to host my friend, President Lopez Obrador of Mexico, here in the White House and affirm the close and continued friendship between the United States and Mexico. Its never been better. The executive order I will sign in a few moments will expand our efforts across all the federal government to deliver educational and economic opportunity for Hispanic Americans. (Applause.) At the heart of our strategy to create a prosperous future for every Hispanic American, as well as all Americans, is a great family of education. We are going to have a tremendous program, and we have. And, you know, were a believer in choice. Choice. The other folks dont believe in choice, and choice is a great civil rights issue and maybe the great one of our times. Im going to fight to ensure that every Hispanic American parent has the freedom and the right to send your child to the public, private, charter, faith-based, magnet, home, or independent school of your choice. (Applause.) And school choice is a incredible issue in many ways. Its a political issue, I agree. Most people agree with us. The smart ones definitely agree with us. But its also a moral issue, and it really is a fundamental issue of civil rights. No American student should ever be trapped in a failing government school, which has happened so often for so many years. Its one of the problems you see when you see these cities going up in flame. One of the most successful educational models is the charter school, which has been under unceasing attack from the radical left. Charter schools. Charter schools have been incredible, but theyre under attack, and you know why theyre under attack. More than 1 million Hispanic American children attend charter schools, and nearly one in three charter school students is Hispanic American. Im proud that under my administration, weve delivered $1.5 billion for public charter schools. Thats a record. (Applause.) As long as Im President, I will never let your charter schools be taken away from you, be taken down. I will never let you down. I will never let Hispanic American or any American down. That, I can tell you. (Applause.) Under our leadership, the Hispanic American high school graduation rate has reached an all-time high in the history of our country, and the dropout rate has reached an all-time low in the history of our country. (Applause.) Weve also delivered a $1 billion grant for minority-serving institutions, including Hispanic-serving institutions of higher learning. Our new Hispanic Prosperity Initiative will also expand access to trade schools something thats been really badly missing. Trade schools. So important. Work-based learning and vocational education, so important. Vocational. When I was young, growing up, I used to see: vocational school. Edison Vocational School. That meant people with a great talent, but a talent different than history and math and other things. But they had the same talent or far greater than many of the A students that studied other things. Vocational school. Great people, great talent, and they do very well. They do very well. Through our Pledge to the American Worker, we have already made available 16 million apprenticeships and training opportunities for the jobs of tomorrow. To bring jobs and prosperity to our most distressed communities, we created nearly 9,000 Opportunity Zones thats been a great success, a tremendous Tim Scott of South Carolina has helped them so much (applause) which have already brought nearly $100 billion in investment to neighborhoods where millions of Hispanic Americans live. And you see it. So many of you already today, in speaking with you, you said what a difference that made. Before the plague from China came in you know what that is; thats the China virus before it came in and hit us, we achieved the lowest Hispanic American unemployment rate and the lowest poverty rate ever recorded history of our country ever recorded. (Applause.) And were getting back to it very quickly. We achieved the highest-ever incomes for Hispanic Americans and many other American groups and communities. We built the greatest economy in history, not only for our country, but for the world. We were number one, by far. China had the worst year in 67 years. They werent happy with what was going. They were going in the wrong direction, and then the plague came in. But together, we will do it again and we will do it very quickly, and were already doing it. We will achieve a swift, full, and complete recovery for Hispanic Americans and the Hispanic American community, and were doing it very, very rapidly. Our strategy focuses on sheltering the most vulnerable, including older Americans and nursing home residents, while allowing those at lower risk, such as young and healthy children, in many cases; the immune system is so powerful, so strong but the young and the healthy to safely return to work and to school. We have to open our schools. Open our schools. (Applause.) Stop this nonsense. We open our schools. Germany, Norway, so many countries right now, theyre open. The schools are open and theyre doing just fine, and theyre opening in the fall. So we have to get our schools open. Denmark, Sweden. We have to get our schools open and stop this political nonsense. And its only political nonsense; its politics. They dont want to open because they think it will help them on November 3rd. I think its going to hurt them on November 3rd. Open your schools. At the same time, were unleashing the scientific brilliance of our people. We have multiple effective therapies in use already with more being developed. And you have to see some of them. The results are looking incredible. And we are on track to produce a vaccine in record time and very, very soon. Its going to be announced, I believe, very, very soon. So we have therapies and we have vaccines. Utilizing these advances and the skill of our doctors and nurses, we have dramatically reduced mortality rates. We have among the lowest mortality rate anywhere in the world. Weve done a great job, whether its ventilators or anything you want to look at, testing. We test so many people, then we have more cases. Everybody says, We have so many cases. Thats because we test so many people. Were up to approximately 40 million tests, going up to 45 very quickly. So we have tests; other countries dont do tests like we do. So we show cases; other countries dont show cases. But what we do have is we have perhaps the lowest but among the lowest, but perhaps the lowest mortality rate death rate anywhere in the world. And thats a tremendous sign as to what were doing and what our doctors have learned and the kind of things that were using. Its been an its an incredible number, statistically an incredible number. A policy of never-ending lockdowns month after month would ultimately do more harm than good to public health, and so bad for our children. As a result, it really is more loss of life. We cant do that. We have to get back now. We did it right. We saved millions of lives by what we did. We shut it down. We saved millions of lives. I put a ban on China heavily infected. I put a ban on Europe very early. Both of them, very early. We saved millions of lives. Now its time to get back to work. A lot of people were against those bans, and now they admit most of those same people admit that ban was the greatest thing. It saved so many lives. Crucially, we realize that the health of a nations economy is fundamental to the health of its people. In the last two months, we have begun the fastest economic comeback in history, including an increase in Hispanic American employment of more than 2.1 million jobs. Its a record. The Hispanic Prosperity Initiative will help build on this program. I will be naming a leader of incredible vision, former Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico John Sanchez. And I know hes here. John, Id love to have you come up and say a few words, please. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SANCHEZ: Well, thank you, Mr. President. What an honor it is to be here with you and everybody else here in our nations capital. Let me say, from a young boy who grew up in absolute poverty, the youngest of eight kids with a single mother, I understand what it is for the challenges facing all families, but especially Hispanic families in this country. But because of her leadership through personal responsibility stay in school, get a good education we have lived the American Dream. As a young boy, I used to go and search for cardboard boxes out of the trash cans of grocery stores because we didnt have the soles, Mr. President, on our shoes. We would hope and pray that it wouldnt rain so the cardboard wouldnt melt on our way to school. Here now, almost 50 years later, I stand next to the most powerful man in the world, in the most powerful city in the world, at the White House, with all of you fine folks. Today, I have lived the American Dream. I look at my brand-new black shoes. Thats the American Dream. (Laughter.) THE PRESIDENT: Nice shoes. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SANCHEZ: Mr. President, your leadership, when it comes to job creation; education reform; choice, when it comes to education, will allow this country to fulfill its American Dream. Im honored to be here with you, Mr. President. Your great leadership, making America great we stand with you. Well keep America great under your leadership. God bless you. Thank you very much. (Applause.) THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, John. Great job, John. Thank you very much. Great honor. Ill also be appointing the CEO and president of Goya Foods, Bob Unanue. Please. Please, Bob. (Applause.) Thank you very much, Bob. MR. UNANUE: Good afternoon, Mr. President. Good afternoon, everyone. Its such an honor and such a blessing to be here in the greatest country in the world, the most prosperous country in the world, and we continue to grow. And thats what were here to do today. Our company was founded in 1936 by my grandfather, who left Spain at only 18 years old. Did not know where he was heading, but he was heading and looking for opportunity and prosperity, and he found it in this great country. Today, our company is a multi-billion-dollar company with thousands of employees and with facilities all around the globe. We have a tremendous group of what we call la gran familia Goya,the Goya family the great Goya family. And these are people I told the President earlier we havent gone back to work; we never stopped working. Because when I asked our group, our family, This is going to be a tough thing, they said, Look, Bob, if we dont do it, nobody will. And they stood up and they worked, and we continue to work day and night to provide much-needed food and nutrition to this country. Today, it gives me great honor and, by the way, were all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder. And thats what my grandfather did: He came to this country to build, to grow, to prosper. And so we have an incredible builder, and we pray we pray for our leadership, our President, and we pray for our country that we will continue to prosper and to grow. Today, I have an announcement to make that the gran familia Goya wanted to share with all of you. Theres a great need today in food banks around the country. Food is being depleted. Hopefully, as the summer ends, we have new crops coming forward, but right now theres there is a shortage. So our employees and some partners we have in the industry wanted to donate 1 million cans of Goya chickpeas and a million pounds of food. And these are all products made in the United States: steel from United States Steel; Silgan containers; Producers Rice Mill, in Arkansas, donating food. Our farmers and again, all of our products, a lot of our products are grown here in the United States, made in America. And were were very proud to give back to this nation, to the food banks which are going to be needing some of that important food something that we do all year. But in particular, at this special time, we wanted to make that gift. So God bless you all. We hope that we continue to prosper and grow in this great country and give thanks to God. Thank you very much. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Bob. (Applause.) Thank you. Great. Thank you, Bob. Its very nice. Were also grateful to be joined by future commission members, standing behind me: Mario Rodriguez, Steve Cortes, Lourdes Aguirre, Jose Fuentes, Cassandra Garcia Meade, Chris Garcia, Jesus Marquez, David Olivencia, Alfredo Ortiz. Thank you all very much for being here. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Great. Great group of people. We just had a fantastic meeting. Hispanic Americans are cherished members of our national family. They have been an integral part of building this country throughout all of American history. Over generations, Hispanic Americans have started countless small businesses, inspired our communities, and served our country in every way imaginable as police officers, service members, Border Patrol agents, pastors, teachers, and business leaders. Theyre incredible. Now Hispanic Americans are watching as the cities they help build, the communities they help police, the businesses they created, and the dreams they pursued are being threatened by an extreme movement that wants to tear everything down. At the center of this movement is an aggressive effort to defund the police, if you can even believe that. Defund the police think about that. Its a sad, sad thing. These people are crazy. They are crazy. Which would inflict great harm on our hardworking Latino communities great, great harm. Many immigrants came to the United States in order to leave countries where the rule of law had been eroded. And they dont want those same conditions to be replicated here. They dont want them back. They know what it is firsthand. They know what happens when the police cannot protect the innocent, when the rule of law is destroyed, when justice becomes an instrument of vengeance. Hispanic Americans, they know. Theyre hardworking patriots who support our police, protect our communities, and believe strongly in the rule of law. I will stand arm-in-arm with the Hispanic community to ensure that every child in America can grow up in safety, security, dignity, and in peace. We believe that the timeless principles of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution are all shared, and they have to be shared in a big, beautiful heritage of all Americans. Whether you are a first-generation American or a fifth-generation American, this is your home. American history is your history. Its about you. Its about your family. Its about our country. And the American Dream belongs equally to you. American heroes inspire us all, and their legacy falls to all of us to cherish and to protect and to revere. Every American, no matter your background, is entitled to a government that puts your needs and your families first. Americans of all walks of life are united by the same noble ideas and the same fundamental designs for good schools, strong families, safe communities, and abundant opportunity. And I will not rest until we have delivered this future for every community not only the Hispanic community, which is doing so well, but every community in our land. Together, we will write the next great chapter of the American adventure, and we will defend the greatness of America for your children, for your childrens children, and for generations to come. Before signing this executive order, which is such an important executive order, Id like to invite Secretary DeVos to come up and say a few words, followed by Administrator Carranza. Please come up, Betsy. Thank you. (Applause.) SECRETARY DEVOS: Well, thank you so much, Mr. President, for your leadership on this initiative. As you have noted, education opens the door to prosperity and opportunity. And Hispanic students, like all students, need to have the freedom and choice to find their education fit. Mr. President, you have led in advancing opportunity for Hispanic students by supporting Hispanic-serving higher-ed institutions by expanding the opportunities for charter schools, by expanding the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program right here in the district. And theres still more to do because all Hispanic students across our country need to have the opportunity to choose their right education fit. They need to have school choice. We know this is broadly supported by Hispanic families. Eighty percent of them support this notion of ensuring their children and their grandchildren have that opportunity. So, thank you, Mr. President, for your leadership in ensuring that all Hispanic students have that chance at the American Dream. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. SECRETARY DEVOS: Thanks, Mr. President. (Applause.) ADMINISTRATOR CARRANZA: I cant believe I blinked at you, President. (Laughter.) Thank you, Mr. President. Its a tremendous honor to be part of an administration so dedicated to helping Latino entrepreneurs during this extraordinary time in our country. As a daughter of first-generation Mexican Americans, I know firsthand how important opportunity is toward promoting upward mobility and enabling the American Dream. Creating opportunities is the central goal behind the Presidents new executive order establishing the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative, designed to help Hispanic Americans reach their dreams through innovative education and career pathways. Under your leadership, Mr. President, Latinos have been the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the country, and we want to see that continue. (Speaks Spanish.) (Applause.) THE PRESIDENT: Hey, Mike, maybe youd come up just and say a real quick word because its about, you know, like, setting records out here. But come on up. This man is such a big star now in California. You win in California, you got to be good. The Republican were going to have a lot of Republicans winning in California, Mike, I think. Please. REPRESENTATIVE GARCIA: I hope so. I think its the beginning of something great in California, personally, Mr. President. Thank you for the honor of being here today. Its a its a huge honor to be here with my Hispanic brothers and sisters, leaders in your communities, leaders in your respective businesses. I am the American Dream. I am a first-generation American. My dad immigrated here from Mexico when he was nine years old. I had the opportunity to serve my country in the U.S. Navy, flying the most powerful strike fighter jets in the world, the F-18, off of aircraft carriers, and combat operations. And now Im sitting here as a member of Congress on the on the lawn of the White House. So (applause). Id like to just echo the Presidents comments that now is the time where we need to unite as Americans and really realize what this fight is all about. Its about freedom. Its about liberties. Its about fighting like its 1776, all over again. Thats how real this fight is. So Im proud to be here. Im proud to be serving my country again at this most critical time in our nations history. And, Mr. President, thank you for your leadership. Brothers and sisters, thank you for being here today. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. REPRESENTATIVE GARCIA: Its a huge honor. Thank you. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Mike. (Applause.) Ben Carson, please come up just for a minute. Say a few words, Ben. Youve done such a great job. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you, Ben. SECRETARY CARSON: Well, thank you, Mr. President. And thank you all for being here today. You know, its so important the emphasis that you have placed on opportunity. And you asked the White House Council on Opportunity and Revitalization to look at those communities that were particularly affected in the COVID-19. And we looked at that, and not just the fact that there was more hypertension and diabetes, obesity, asthma, but to look another layer underneath that and to deal with that. And thats what we are doing under your leadership. And, you know, every single person in our society is worth saving. We only have 330 million people it sounds like a lot, but its a quarter of what China has, a quarter of what India has. And were going to have to compete with them in the future, so we need to develop all of our people. And your emphasis on education and educational choice will be the thing that really distinguishes and liberates our people. So thank you, Mr. President. (Applause.) THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Ben. So now Im going to go and sign a very important document one that weve been working on for a long time. And I just want to congratulate the Hispanic American community. Incredible people. Thank you very much. And God bless you all. God bless America. Thank you very much. (Applause.) (The executive order is signed.) The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 12 Trend: Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry has made a statement on Armenian provocation at the front line, Trend reports citing the ministry. On July 12, the armed forces of Armenia attempted to attack, using artillery, in order to seize positions in the direction of Tovuz region along the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia." The attack of the Armenian forces was prevented by retaliatory measures. As a result of the combat, three servicemen of the Azerbaijani army were killed and four were injured." This provocative act of the Armenian armed forces should be seen as a continuation of the recent actions and statements of the leadership of aggressor state Armenia, which serve to increase tensions in the region." Armenia, which has reflected its aggressive policy in the country's national security strategy, openly demonstrates that it aims to seize new positions and increase tensions in the region instead of eliminating the consequences of the conflict and withdrawing its occupying forces from the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan." This provocation by Armenia casts serious doubt on the essence of the negotiations mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict." Armenia is trying to involve third countries in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict with such provocative actions. Nevertheless, the position of the international community on Armenia's aggressive policy is quite well known. All provocations of the Armenian forces will be adequately prevented from this time onward as well. Armenia bears full responsibility for such provocative actions that serve to aggravate the situation. God bless the souls of our Martyrs, reads the statement. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircrafts are seen at the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Ginowan on Japan's southernmost island of Okinawa TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan and the United States are sharing information about coronavirus infections at U.S. military bases after an outbreak provoked ire in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, a top Japanese official said on Monday. Of the 62 individuals Okinawa confirmed had tested positive from Tuesday to Sunday, 39 were at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, 22 at Camp Hansen and one at Camp Kinser. Later on Monday, TV Asahi said 32 more cases were confirmed at Futenma. "We will cooperate appropriately on this matter," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a regular news briefing. "Japan and the United States are sharing information about the activity history of the infected military individuals." Okinawa hosts the bulk of U.S. military forces in Japan, whose alliance with Washington is central to its security. But many Okinawans associate the bases with problems from crime to accidents, and want the Marines to reduce their presence there or leave altogether. At the weekend, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki said it was "extremely regrettable" that a large number of infections had occurred in a short time, adding that Okinawans were "shocked" by the news. "I can't help but have strong doubts about the U.S. military's measures to prevent infections," he said, adding that there were reports of personnel leaving base for beach parties and visits to night life districts around Independence Day on July 4. On its Facebook page for Pacific bases, the Marine Corps said it was prohibiting off-base activity for all installations across Okinawa, except essential needs such as medical appointments approved by a commanding officer. "We are trying to limit as much contact (with local people) as we can, as we look to contact tracing of infected personnel," a U.S. military spokesman said. Excluding the bases, Okinawa's infections stand at 148, with seven deaths, the prefecture's website shows. Nationwide, Japan has recorded nearly 22,000 cases and 1,000 deaths. (Interactive graphic tracking global spread of coronavirus: open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser.) (Reporting by Takashi Umekawa and Chris Gallagher; Additional reporting by Tim Kelly; Writing by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) Health insurance providers can no longer discriminate against Wisconsin transgender patients following a directive issued by the states chief insurance regulator. Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Mark Afable issued a memo to health insurers Monday clarifying that discrimination by health insurance companies based on sex, gender identity or a gender dysphoria diagnosis is illegal. The departments stance bars health insurers from banning or limiting health care coverage for transgender individuals for medical procedures that are otherwise covered, such as mastectomies for transgender men or breast enhancement for transgender women. To enforce the decision, the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance will not approve health insurance policies for consumers that contain exclusions or limitations on benefits that are based on a persons gender identity. Every person deserves fair and equal access to health care, Afable said. The law is clear. Discrimination based on sex, including for individuals who are transgender, is against the law. We are grateful to the U.S. Supreme Court for affirming these protections for the LGBTQIA community in last weeks ruling. Health insurers must fairly and equally offer health insurance coverage and benefits to all Wisconsinites. Afables stance follows the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark ruling earlier this month in Bostock v. Clayton County that federal law protects gay and transgender workers from workplace discrimination. The court decided that the 1964 Civil Rights Acts provision barring employment discrimination based on sex also applies to millions of gay and transgender workers. Afables prohibition on gender-based health coverage discrimination applies the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling, which dealt with employment matters, to health care and health insurance. Under Wisconsin law, its illegal to deny benefits or refuse coverage on the basis of sex. Relying in part on the U.S. Supreme Courts thinking in his memo to health insurers, Afable explained that denying health coverage based on gender identity is illegal because doing so would be based on the sex of the insured. Afable said his stance is supported by recent federal court decisions that found exclusions for services and treatment of otherwise covered benefits based upon the insureds gender identity violates the Civil Rights Act and the U.S. Constitutions equal protection clause, as well as the U.S. Supreme Courts decision on workplace discrimination. Wisconsin has recently been home to major lawsuits dealing with health care coverage for transgender individuals. In one of the cases, Wisconsin was blocked from categorically denying Medicaid coverage for medically necessary gender-confirming surgery. In another case, a federal judge found a state ban on insurance coverage for gender reassignment surgery for state workers to be sex discrimination. Rock Pledl, a Milwaukee disability and civil rights attorney, said those decisions still left open the possibility of gender-based health coverage discrimination in the private health insurance market. I get calls from transgender individuals running into insurance problems all the time, Pledl said. This will eliminate all those pockets of discrimination and therell just be one standard across the state. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 by Nirmala Carvalho Munshi Dev Tado, 28, was shot dead, presumably by a Naxalite (Maoist) activist, who falsely accused him of being a police informant. Mumbai (AsiaNews) A young Indian missionary, Munshi Dev Tado (pictured, with his family), was brutally murdered last Friday, allegedly by a member of a Maoist group, in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra. Speaking to AsiaNews, Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), condemned the murder "in the strongest possible terms. Munshi Dev Tado was a 28-year-old Christian, said George. He was shot dead, presumably by a Naxalite[*] who falsely accused him of being a police informant. The Naxalite left flyers next Tado's body claiming he was a police informant, George added. The hateful murder of this Christian took place last Friday and Munshis body was found on Saturday near his native village, Bhamragad. The GCIC President explained that Before his encounter with Jesus Christ, Munshi was also a Naxalite; he tormented and persecuted Christian families in the area. "Munshi came to know Jesus Christ through the Church Growth Missionary Movement (CGMM) in Tamil Nadu, which was engaged in missionary activity in the area. Once Munshi embraced Jesus as Saviour and freely accepted the Christian faith, he left the Naxalite group and began studying the Gospel and carrying out missionary work." Twice the Naxalites ordered him to stop prayer services and preaching Jesus. Eventually, he was seized in the fields and taken away on Friday evening and shot dead in a forest. Munshi Dev Tado entered the Kingdom of God leaving his wife and four children (three daughters and one son). "The GCIC condemns the murder of Munshi Dev Tado, said George. The Naxalites are not the only threat to Christians. Gadchiroli is a remote tribal area where local Hindutva[] groups operate. In August 2018, Christians in five local villages faced mob violence and discrimination as 'their faith was seen as a threat to the wider Hindu identity of that community.' Munshi Dev Tado's conversion to the Christian faith led to hostility and tensions. He was murdered in a remote wooded area for his Christian faith and Church and for preaching the Gospel. "The GCIC demands justice for Munshi Dev Tado and the truth about his murder. Law enforcement must bring the killers to justice. [*] The Naxalites belong to a Maoist-oriented Communist party. [] Hindutva is an umbrella term for extreme Hindu nationalism. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th July, 2020) Public health officials in the United Kingdom have reported 148 new coronavirus disease-related deaths over the preceding 24 hours, three times more than the corresponding rise reported on the previous day, the country's Department of Health and Social Care said on Saturday. This latest rise sees the UK's COVID-19 death toll, as reported by the department, rise to 44,798. On Friday, just 48 new deaths were confirmed by public health officials. The Department of Health and Social Care also confirmed on Saturday that 820 new positive tests for the disease had been confirmed over the past 24 hours, a significant rise from the 512 new cases reported on Friday. The UK's COVID-19 case total now stands at 288,953, the department stated. The latest surge in cases and deaths takes place exactly one week after the government permitted pubs, cafes, bars, hotels, and hairdressers to reopen in England, as part of efforts to bring economic relief to the country's hospitality and service sectors. All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Lenovos excellent Smart Clock with the Google Assistant hit $40 today, which is 50 percent off its normal price. Its a great deal on the smart display that would make a good upgrade to your regular alarm clock with its sunrise alarm feature, ambient light sensor and minimalist design. You can buy it at the sale price on Lenovos website, but bare in mind that only the charcoal model (not the gray model) is $40 when you use the code CMTABFDEALS1 at checkout. Buy Smart Clock at Lenovo - $40 The Lenovo Smart Clock has fallen to $40 in the past and we recommend waiting for it to hit this price (or close to it) before buying it. Its a much easier buy at $40 than at $80, and its arguably one of the best smart alarm clocks you can get. One of the reasons why is that it lacks a video camera while that means you cant use the device to video chat, that also means theres one less privacy concern associated with it. Like many similar devices, the Lenovo Smart Clock also includes a mic-mute toggle switch so you can disable the microphone whenever you want. We gave the Lenovo Smart Clock a score of 87 for all of the reasons listed above. It also earned a Best of CES award in 2019 in the connected home category. It can do almost anything that the Google Assistant can do, save for playing back videos and photos on the screen, but those features become less important when a device has a small, 4-inch touchscreen like the Smart Clock has. Its better used for playing music, viewing weather reports and calendar reminders, controlling other smart home devices and, you know, glancing at the time while youre still half asleep. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice. Late Friday afternoon, President Trump commuted the prison term of longtime political crony Roger Stone, who was convicted on seven charges of perjury, obstruction of justice and witness tampering in his responses to congressional inquiries that were part of the Democratic Partys anti-Russia campaign. The action is the latest blow struck in the ongoing political warfare in Washington, driven by conflicts between the Trump administration and sections of the military-intelligence apparatus allied with the Democratic Party, largely over foreign policy, in particular, in relation to Russia and the Middle East. Trump issued the commutation, which he had hinted at repeatedly for several months, only one day after the US Supreme Court decision that allowed Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., a Democrat, to proceed with a subpoena for Trumps business and financial records from his accounting firm Mazars. Roger Stone accompanied by his wife Nydia Washington D.C., Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) The high court remanded the case to District Court Judge Victor Marrero, who set a July 15 deadline for Trumps attorneys to declare whether they would file a further challenge to the prosecutors demand for documents. The quick action left open the possibility that Trumps business records, including his tax returns, could be made available to his Democratic opponents before the November 3 election. Stone is himself a right-wing provocateur who entered politics as a manufacturer of dirty tricks for President Richard Nixon. He has operated on the right wing of Republican Party politics ever since, working for the Dole presidential campaign in 1996 and as part of the Trump campaign in 2015, and informally thereafter. Stones conviction was the last action of the now-defunct Mueller investigation into allegations that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election and that the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow in this effort. Stone went to trial in November 2019, seven months after Mueller delivered his report finding no basis for charging any Trump aide or official with criminal collaboration with Russia. The conviction came mainly on charges that Stone lied to the House Intelligence Committeethen under Republican control in 2017-18when it was carrying out an investigation into the allegations that formed the basis of the Mueller probe as well. The lies mainly concerned Stones supposed relationship with WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy organization whose founder, Julian Assange, is now in a London prison and the target of a US government effort to extradite him and jail him for life. Stone had boasted of being in close contact with WikiLeaks and attempted to use this alleged connection to revive his influence with Trump, whom he had continued to advise informally after leaving any official position with the campaign in the summer of 2015. When subpoenaed by the House committee in September 2017, Stone repeatedly lied about his role as an intermediary between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks The gist of the case was that Stones claim to have developed a close relationship with WikiLeaks was false. He had boasted of a connection where none existed in order to curry favor with Trump. The main lie was Stones claim that a New York City talk show host, Randy Credico, had been his intermediary with WikiLeaks. The witness tampering and obstruction of justice charges relate to Stones efforts to induce Credico to back up his story when Credico was himself called as a witness by the same committee. Despite the severity of the witness tampering charge, which carried a maximum 20-year prison sentence, Stone did not threaten Credico with violence or other consequences, only sent him emails pleading for his support. The press reports on the House committee investigation, the Mueller inquiry and the trial of Stone are generally silent over the actual content of the material released by Wikileaks, which was unquestionably in the public interest and highly damaging politically to the campaign of Trumps Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. WikiLeaks made public emails from the Democratic National Committee documenting official Democratic Party efforts to sabotage the campaign of her main rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. It also released emails from Clintons campaign chairman, John Podesta, providing the transcripts of Clintons remarks to closed-door meetings with Wall Street bankers at which she vowed to serve their interests. No convincing or credible evidence has ever been produced to show that the Russian military intelligence service was responsible for hacking Democratic National Committee servers and Podestas email account to obtain the damaging documents, or that WikiLeaks obtained the emails it leaked from Russia. The Mueller investigation merely parroted the claims of the intelligence agencies themselves, without providing any evidence of Russian involvement. Nor has there been any claim that the leaked documents were falsified in any way. In other words, WikiLeaks was engaged in publishing truthful and politically important materials provided to it anonymously, as nearly all such leaks are. Stone, who had no personal contact with WikiLeaks, falsely boasted to Trump that he did. Eventually, piling lie upon lie, he went before the House Intelligence Committee and committed perjury. That said, the commutation of Stones sentence is typical of Trumps conduct as the head of a gangster administration that views every issue from the standpoint of its immediate impact on the kingpin in the White House. This is Trumps second crude intervention into the criminal justice system on Stones behalf, following his pressuring of Attorney General William Barr, who agreed to slash the recommended prison sentence for Stone from seven years to 40 months. Now Trump has slashed it to zero. The latest intervention takes the form of a commutation rather than an outright pardon apparently at Stones own request because he cannot continue to appeal his original conviction if he receives a presidential pardon. The appeal is now before the Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, which would not be expected to rule before the election, after which the case could be further appealed to the US Supreme Court. The timing of Trumps intervention was dictated by District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who had allowed Stone to delay reporting to prison from April through June but denied any extension beyond July 15. Stone had cited an entirely reasonable fear of reporting to a federal prison in Jesup, Georgia that has 23 documented cases of COVID-19, but neither the judge nor the Department of Justice was willing to make any further concessions on the grounds of his age, 67, and undisclosed health problems. The commutation is part of a pattern set by Trump in the use of his powers to commute sentences and pardon convictions. By one estimate, 31 of the 36 people to receive such clemency from Trump have been political or personal cronies. This compares to hundreds or even thousands given clemency by previous presidents, Republican and Democratic alike. For Trump, the power of clemency has nothing to do with mercy, even in the extremely constrained form in which it has been practiced by previous chief executives of American capitalism, if only, as in the case of Barack Obama, to cover for the favors they have done for political cronies like billionaire Mark Rich, pardoned for crimes relating to tax evasion and racketeering. Trumps pardon power is to be used only when it benefits his narrow political circle and his fellow billionaires. The vast numbers in federal prisons on harsh sentences for nonviolent offenses, let alone the thousands convicted unjustly, do not get a moments consideration from the White House. According to the Justice Department, there are 13,500 inmates seeking presidential clemency whose pleas have gone unanswered. For that reason, the list of those receiving clemency from Trump reads like a rogues gallery of the American political right. It includes former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik; right-wing commentator Dinesh DSouza; former Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio; former Democratic Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich; former Dick Cheney aide Lewis Libby; billionaire newspaper mogul and swindler Conrad Black; billionaire junk bond king and swindler Michael Milken; and billionaire construction boss and swindler Eddie DeBartolo, Jr. Aiji Daste and Indigo Soul Martin are proud to wear their politics on their plates. Daste and Martin are the chefs behind Global South, a vegan pop-up at Sneaky Pickle during July. Their menu draws on the cuisines of equatorial countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America that make up the global south, as well as hefty influence from their home state, Louisiana. Think plant-meets-planet-based cuisine. Global south is a term that was coined in the 60s as an alternative to the pejorative term third world when many countries were coming out from under the colonial yoke, Daste says. The centuries of dominance by a hierarchy of western countries became intolerable. Daste and Martin believe affecting social change can come in many forms, including educating by way of cuisine. Daste, who is from New Orleans, and Martin, who grew up shuttling between Ville Platte and New Orleans, met while working at the Pickle. Although they each have their own catering and pop-up gigs, their collaboration as like-minded men and chefs has been a creative balm, especially during the pandemic. Daste calls himself a South Louisiana-phile, an interest rooted in the many ethnicities that have called the region home. The Global South menu includes Filipino dishes, a nod to the Filipino community that called Saint Malo home along Lake Borgne. They prepare a version of the West African snack akara, a fritter made with black-eyed peas that could be considered a savory cousin to colonial Louisiana's calas rice fritters. There is Asian-influenced fare from Vietnam and China, a throwback to the time when New Orleans had a Chinatown on the 1100 block of Tulane Avenue, a neighborhood cleared by WPA redevelopment in 1937. Queen Trini Lisa serves Trinidadian food at Portside Lounge Of all the island-kissed home-style food Lisa Queen Trini Nelson makes now at the kitchen of the reopened Portside Lounge shes especial The menu changes weekly, but popular dishes like a fried oyster mushroom banh mi with kaffir lemongrass sauce and pickled vegetables and herbs is a usually available. The Three Beautiful Sisters is a salad of squash, beans and corn that illustrates the Mesoamerican tradition of growing those crops together. The RBG plate referring to the red, black and green of the Pan-African flag, is a changing dish, and recent iterations featured sesame-ginger glass noodles with oyster mushrooms, and jerk seitan with rice and peas. Global South takes orders by text (504-323-5043) and telephone (504-218-5651) and encourages customers to take food home, but there is some distanced outdoor seating available. The weekly menu is posted on their Instagram page, @globalsouthnola. A lifelong vegan, Daste and his eight siblings were raised Uptown by vegan parents and grew up with a global palate. I hate to say ethnic foods, because that makes western cuisine the standard, but we ate Vietnamese and Indian food around town and went to Bennachin for West African cuisine when it was still on Carrollton (Avenue), Daste says. Cooking professionally for 16 years, first in Indian restaurants in New York, then in New Orleans, Daste ran Cafe Bamboo at the Dragons Den and then the roving Burrito Juke Joint in Bayou St. John. He uses the Instagram feed @suchasweetman to offer vegan sweets, another one of his ventures. Martin started as a busboy and worked his way into the kitchen of a French Quarter restaurant. He moved to Tallahassee, Florida, to start a burger joint, but later switched to fine dining and later vegan cooking. He worked at Shaya before Sneaky Pickle. His affinity for plant-based foods started in 2013 and solidified over the years. I saw people in my family having so many health issues and I didnt want to go down that road, he says. Improvements arent just physical but emotional and mental too. Now his sister is also a vegan and his mom is eating better, asking him for recipes. Hes run his own catering business, Indigo Soul Cuisine (@_indig0soulcuisine) for close to three years. What Global South Where Sneaky Pickle 4017 St. Claude Ave. (504) 218-5651; www.yousneakypickle.com When 2 p.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday Check it out Globally inspired vegan fare The Delaware River Tubing Company and its famous hot dog stand in the middle of the river have resumed operations for the summer, despite an ongoing legal fight. Greg Crance, known as the Hot Dog Man, owner of Delaware River Tubing, Inc. since 1987, said he reopened the food stand July 8, and resumed tubing operations during the first weekend of June. Weber State is ALL IN to Get Students to Vote July 13, 2020 OGDEN, Utah Weber State University President Brad Mortensen is joining 160 higher education presidents and chancellors for the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. The program has as its goal 100% voter registration and participation in all elections for college students. In conjunction with the challenge, WSUs Political Engagement Coalition will host Weber State Votes, an initiative to achieve 100% voter participation for all its students. I am proud to sign the Higher Education Presidents Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation, Mortensen said. Promoting civic engagement and positive involvement in our democracy lies at the heart of the university. We should be both educators and practitioners of political engagement. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is a nonpartisan, national initiative striving to help college campuses increase nonpartisan democratic engagement among students. The idea is to encourage higher education institutions to help students form the habits of active and informed citizenship and make democratic participation a core value on their campuses. I think this initiative is so exciting because it is important for us as a university to have students politically engaged, said Ashley Morales, a member of WSUs American Democracy Project, which is part of the Political Engagement Coalition. Every student comes from a different background, so its important to learn about other peoples perspectives. I hope this helps students know their voice matters. By voting and voicing your opinions, change can happen. WSU launched the Political Engagement Coalition website to provide a one-stop-shop for students to navigate the political process. Students will have access to a variety of features including tools to register to vote, confirm voter registration, determine how and where to vote and understand what is on their ballot. Students can also visit allintovote.org for additional resources beginning in August. According to ALL IN, while college student voter participation in elections increased from the 2014 midterm election to the 2018 midterm election, less than half of college students made their voices heard by casting their ballots. We are seeing what happens in our nation when civic education is allowed to lapse, said Leah Murray, WSU political science professor. People have forgotten how to engage in their republic, how to deliberate and why it matters that they pay attention to the government. We need these skills now more than ever. Weber State is all in on giving our students the tools to feel confident enough to use their voices to solve problems respectfully and thoughtfully. More than 650 campuses, enrolling more than 7.5 million students, have joined the challenge since its launch in summer 2016. To learn more about the ALL IN challenge, visit www.allinchallenge.org For photos, visit the following links: wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2020-photos/July-2020/i-g2rTb9F/A wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2020-photos/July-2020/i-BGz5t3g/A wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2020-photos/July-2020/i-DRGsNvH/A wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2020-photos/July-2020/i-WXhsVB9/A Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University. The coronavirus crisis has been tough on the media industry. For months the focus has been on the future of regional newsrooms, job cuts, ABC indexation freezes and government relief packages. But it seems a key regulator is about to get caught in the crisis. For more than 40 years the Australian Press Council has played a quiet but important role in ensuring publishers uphold good standards of journalism. It also lets readers of particular newspapers, magazines and digital sites such as The Sydney Morning Herald, News Corp's The Australian, Woman's Day or Daily Mail Australia make complaints about articles that they have concerns about. Now, the industry body is on its knees. Newspapers, magazines and digital outlets rely on the APC to uphold them to good journalism standards. Credit:Phil Carrick Australia's publishing industry is financially challenged and the pandemic which has created one of the worst advertising markets in decades has put it under further pressure. As subscribers of the APC like Nine Entertainment Co (publisher of this masthead), News Corp Australia, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Daily Mail Australia and the soon-to-be refreshed Australian Associated Press look at ways to manage their own costs, they have turned their attention to how much they pay the council. Nine and News Corp declined to comment. The APC was unavailable for comment before deadline. The APC handles more than 700 complaints each year which are managed by its staff or through an adjudication panel. Articles which appear in gossip magazines like Woman's Day, cartoons from newspapers and images that are displayed in online articles on Daily Mail Australia can all be complained about. Complaints in recent years have evolved from inaccuracies to the way people are represented. For instance, after multiple complaints were made about stories relating to gender identity and sex characteristics last year, the APC released a set of voluntary guidelines to help inform the way journalists report. The panel adjudication and handling of complaints is expensive and time-consuming and the APC has no ability to penalise financially or legally. If a complaint is upheld by the council, a publisher will often apologise or take down the article. Losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding would mean that the APC cannot operate under its existing model. Industry sources said the organisation is in meetings with subscribers to discuss ways they can add value and avoid the cuts to funding. Further funding cuts could also occur next year when Antony Catalano's Australian Community Media is due for payment. Nine, which owned the regional media business until last July, is currently paying its contribution. Subscription to the APC is not compulsory but the two biggest organisations Nine and News Corp contribute about 70 per cent of annual funding, which in 2017-18 calendar year was $2.1 million. Other subscribers like AAP, the MEAA, Bauer Media (publisher of Australian Women's Weekly, New Idea and Woman's Day ) Daily Mail Australia, Australian Community Media and The New Daily, each contribute between one and 10 per cent of total funding. Guardian Australia does not subscribe to the Press Council and uses an internal set of guidelines for regulation. The ABC sits under the Australian Communications and Media Authority code of practice. The Government has said it will reveal details of its plans for Northern Ireland's new post-Brexit border infrastructure later this month. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said yesterday that more than 700m is to be spent on building new infrastructure, hiring staff and developing technology to ensure border systems are fully operational when the UK leaves the EU at the end of the year. But this spending only applies to Britain. Mr Gove said the investment would ensure traders and the border industry are able to "manage the changes and seize the opportunities" when the transition period ends in December. The 705m package includes 235m for staffing and IT systems, and 470m for port and inland infrastructure. New border infrastructure will be built inland where there is no space at ports, while ports will get one-off financial support to ensure the right infrastructure is in place. The funding relates only to the implementation of the GB-EU border, and the Government will publish specific guidance and measures for Northern Ireland in the coming weeks. Mr Gove said: "We are taking back control of our borders, and leaving the single market and the customs union at the end of this year bringing both changes and significant opportunities for which we all need to prepare. "That is why we are announcing this major package of investment today." Unlike the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland will continue to abide by EU rules on agricultural and manufactured goods. Ports here are ready to build border control points, but are still waiting for the green light from Stormont. Meanwhile, new Taoiseach Micheal Martin also said more detail is needed on arrangements following Brexit, and expressed concern about the "significant divergences" remaining between the EU and the UK on a post-Brexit trade agreement. "I think there has been some progress in terms of a paper that the UK Government published, but we do need more detail, we need more precision. "I think we need an injection of momentum into the overall talks between the European Union and the United Kingdom in relation to Brexit," he said. "I had a very fruitful discussion with the Prime Minister Boris Johnson after I took office. I think we both agreed that it's in everybody's interest, particularly in terms of businesses and giving them certainty, that we get a good comprehensive trade deal between the UK and European Union." A 1,090 tillage grass and forestry farm at Ballinla, Edenderry in Co Offaly is set to be the farmers' farm of the year. With a 10m guide price, the property will be the largest arable farm sold in the state since An Ghrianan in Donegal changed hands in 2016. The auction will be handled by Raymond Potterton auctioneers of Navan. About 7.5km from Edenderry and 30km from Tullamore, the farm was originally a 370ac holding that has been built up by the Tong family since the 1930s. The current owner, Mark is retiring from the business for succession and health reasons. The farm is all in one block with 5km of frontage to the public road and 3.3km of frontage on to the Grand Canal, while 7km of high-quality internal roadways give access to all sections. Aside from one portion across the public road, all the work on the farm can be done without machinery leaving the property. There are two dwelling houses: the original estate house and a lodge where Mark Tong, resides. "It is unusual to find a farm of this size that is farmed to its full potential but not an inch of this place is wasted. Any portion that is not farmed has a particular environmental purpose," says Stephen Barry of Pottertons. Tillage lands A total of 720ac is under tillage in large fields of regular shape ranging in size from 30 to 150ac, with habitat strips near the headlands to conserve biodiversity. Primarily a grain farm, the property produces about 13,000 tons of grain per annum from a variety of cereal crops, and this year the produce also includes a crop of peas. A precise management system is in place for every field with annual records going back 10 years kept for each field detailing volumes, dates sown and harvested, inputs and the tonnage. Grazing ground The grazing portion of the holding is a farm all on its own. Extending to 190ac the grasslands are in highly productive permanent pasture. Home to 290 ewes the fields range in size from 10 to 20ac and are fenced with top-class stock-proof fencing, with a piped water supply from a private well, while sturdy gates lead directly on to the internal roadway system. Forestry The forestry lands of c180ac, mainly in Sitka and Norway spruce, are partly bounded by the Grand Canal. Laid out in a number of sections, each with its own internal roadway access, they include young plantations of Sitka spruce, up to 35-year-old felling-ready spruce and some belts of oak and other hardwoods around the forestry perimeter. Expand Close Ballinla Farm, Edenderry, Co Offaly / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ballinla Farm, Edenderry, Co Offaly According to Stephen Barry the forestry has always been professionally managed with the objective of regular cash-flow from the sale of thinning and saw-log production. Farm buildings Approximately 71,000 sq ft of buildings make up the substantial industrial complex at the heart of the farm. All the grain produced is dried on site, where three grain dryers are located, two of which can dry 35 tonnes per hour and one with a five tonne per hour capacity. There is also extensive grain storage, grain intake hoppers, grain cleaners and machinery storage sheds. Other facilities include office and meeting space, workshops, a repair garage, fuel and lubricant storage, a 100,000-gallon fire-fighting water storage tank and a 50,000-gallon water storage tank. Livestock facilities include a slatted sheep shed, calf-rearing and lambing facilities, stables and a tack-room, while two overground tanks with 800,000-gallon capacity cater for the slurry. The yard is serviced by three-phase electricity, with a 20,000 KVA ESB substation as part of the infrastructure. The original estate house, dating from 1842, is under refurbishment; the main family residence is a 3,000 sq ft, five-bedroom dwelling. Expand Close Forestry at Ballinla Farm, Edenderry, Co Offaly / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Forestry at Ballinla Farm, Edenderry, Co Offaly The property can be sold in its entirety or in four lots, with a 78ac parcel making up one lot, 74ac making up a second, a 61ac piece making up the third, while the main portion of 877ac with the houses and yards will make up a fourth lot. The auction will be held at Johnstown Estate Hotel, Enfield at 3pm on Tuesday August 11. It was a grovelling apology. Posting at 4am on the Chinese social network WeChat, Zhang Yiming confessed that he was "filled with remorse and guilt, entirely unable to sleep". His company ByteDance, he explained, had failed to respect the "guidance" of China's powerful state censors and betrayed a "weak" understanding of the theories of Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader. ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming at the company's headquarters in Beijing. ByteDance owns TikTok. Credit:Bloomberg "All along, we have placed excessive emphasis on the role of technology, and we have not acknowledged that technology must be led by the socialist core value system," he wrote. Thirty-eight year-old Zhang, the founder of viral video app TikTok's $US100 billion ($144 billion) parent company ByteDance, is China's 10th richest man with a wealth of $US16.2 billion, after TikTok was downloaded more than two billion times. His company is the most valuable start-up in the world. Zhang announced in his 2018 apology that he would shut down ByteDance's first app, a social network for jokes called Neihan Duanzi, after the Chinese government accused him of hosting "vulgar" content. SIKHUPHE Equatorial Guinea has donated personal protective equipment (PPE) to the kingdom of Eswatini towards the COVID-19 fight. The PPE included among other things, 500 face masks and COVID-19 disposable coverall kits. The presentation of the donation took place at the King Mswati III international Airport yesterday at around 1:30pm. Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini expressed his profound appreciation to the President of Equatorial Guinea, Obiang Nguema Mbassogo, for extending the gift of PPE supplies to the Kingdom of Eswatini to boost the countrys COVID-19 intervention efforts. It is not a small measure to lend a helping hand to a brotherly country when a similar affliction is also prevailing globally and where no one is immune. This kind gesture is most heartening, taking into consideration that Equatorial Guinea is facing a similar challenge yet they did not hesitate to lend a helping hand to the Kingdom of Eswatini, he said. The premier said it was pleasing to see that the warm and friendly relations between the two countries continued to strengthen even in these challenging times. Interventions Dlamini said government was determined to accelerate the pace of interventions to curb the spread of the virus and save lives. We will never tire of advising all emaSwati to heed health precautions and take responsibility for their health and that of others. We are strengthening our tracing, testing, treating, and isolating strategies, especially in identified red zones, Dlamini said. The PM said all the countrys response measures would only succeed if all emaSwati take full responsibility for their actions as individuals and collectively, to save lives. As we press on with our intervention measures, its gratifying that we are receiving this friendly gesture from the people of Equatorial Guinea, he said. Speaking on behalf of president Mbassogo, the Minister of the Presidency of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Juan Antonio Bibang Nchuchuma, said this was not the last gift but the president would continue to send more because he felt the kingdom was their second home. When the president presented these gifts, it was not because he is a rich man but it was because of his good heart. He said the coronavirus had become one of the enemies of the world, especially for the African continent and in that regard they would continue to support the Kingdom of Eswatini. New Delhi: Another round of Corps Commander-level talks between the Indian and Chinese military will be held on Tuesday (July 14) in the Chushul sector in eastern Ladakh in the Indian side of the border. This will be the fourth such meeting between the two countries. The meeting is expected to begin at 10:30 am. The talks will focus mainly on the second phase of disengagement on Finger 4 near Pangong Lake along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Army sources said, adding that the remaining disengagement and the next phase of de-escalation will also be discussed during the meeting. The talks come in the aftermath of violent clashes between the two militaries last month when 20 personnel from the Indian Army were killed in Galwan Valley, leading to the worst stand-off between the two neighbours and deterioration in ties. On July 6, the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) moved back by at least 1.5 kilometres from three friction sites in Galwan Valley. Rearward movement of vehicles of the PLA was seen at General area Galwan, Hot Springs-Gogra Post. They have also reduced their presence on the ridgeline of Finger 4 in the recent time as demanded by India in the previous meeting. In the first phase of the disengagement process, the PLA was seen removing its tents, vehicles and structures almost 1.5 kilometres back at three friction points along the LAC. The development came after the third round of Corps Commander meet between two countries during which the Chinese side agreed to focus on carrying out the de-escalation process at the LAC. India has been pressing for the withdrawal of Chinese forces from areas between Finger 4 and 8. Mountain spurs in the area are referred to as Fingers. Said the presidency: Zindzi Mandela spent many years involved in the liberation struggle and embraced roles in the arts, philanthropy and business. In her political career she served as deputy president of the Soweto Youth Congress, was a member of the Release Mandela Campaign, and was an underground operative of Umkhonto we Sizwe. Sowetan 13.07.2020 LISTEN I came to announce to somebody that you will go boldly to where no one has ever gone before. People have set a ceiling for you but you will go beyond it. -- Pastor Mensa Otabil Pastor Mensa Otabils sermons challenge us to go beyond what is normal and inspire us in dire situations of life. Importantly, they are deeply rooted in biblical principles. His message on Break Up Your Fallow Ground was no different. The General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) sort to remind people, families, businesses and nations that from Jeremiah 4:3, we must not settle for where life has dropped us but stretch ourselves to use what we have in order to create new opportunities to continue being fruitful and dominate. A fallow ground is a problem to solve, a challenge to surmount, or a mountain to climb. The question is: how do we find new opportunities in a time like COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged our world with untold effects? According to Dr. Otabil, we must break up new ways of doing things. There are four important key points about this sermon that I want us to explore. #1. 'Pioneering New Things' The first way to break up our fallow ground as stated by Dr. Otabil is pioneering new things. That is doing new things no one has done before. There are things that no one in the world has done before. We must seek to ask God for the pioneering spirit. Marriam-Webster dictionary says a pioneer is a person or group that originates or helps open up a new line of thought or activity or a new method or technical development. Insightful! Many things have been pioneered by individuals in our world. Indeed, the world is mostly ruled by dead people who pioneered new ways of doing things. For example, at first, you will have to go to a physical library building or bookshop to borrow a book or buy. But now, wherever you are, you can download books, read them and share with anyone anywhere. Books are now virtual. Someone pioneered this new way of interacting with books. #2. Attempting Things You Have Never Attempted Before The second important way we can break up our fallow ground is to attempt things we have never attempted before. This is more about what new things we have to personally attempt other than a new thing the world will experience. There are new ways that have been pioneered but we have not yet explored. There are ways of selling online that we have not explored before. There are ways of creating multiple streams of income that we have not explored before. There are many things we are yet to touch. We must learn to attempt things we have never attempted before. The world has changed. We woke up one morning to realise that the way we relate to people has been altered, the way we do business has changed, the way we hold church services has changed, the way we greet has changed, the way we embrace people has changed, and many more. We have been forced by COVID-19 to change our ways of life. What we can do to respond to this is to change the way we do things. We cannot complain but only take hold of new ways of doing things. For instance, the church is fully online now and partially in-person. Thus, we must learn new ways of winning souls online and disciple them. We must attempt new things or the world will move and leave us. #3. 'Going Where You Have Never Gone Before' The third thought from Dr. Otabil about how to break our fallow ground is going where we have never gone before. Now it is physically difficult to be travelling and exploring and touring exciting parts of the world but certainly, nothing stops us from discovering places by the power of technology. We can read about places, trends and cultures. We must develop a deep hunger to explore the world from the comfort of our homes. We can do online courses from our home with good internet connectivity. We can do business with people outside our jurisdiction from our home. We can hold meetings with people around the world from our home. Indeed, during a session on the weekly Springboard Alumni Hangout with Albert & Comfort Ocran, Rev. Eric Xexemeku of ICGC Open Heavens Temple shared that he was a speaker for conferences in three countries without going there physically. It was all possible by the power of technology. #4. 'Starting What You Have Never Started Before' The final way we can learn to break our fallow ground is to start what we have not started before. It is very possible to think and dream of reaching million people online by live streaming but if you do not start, you cannot work your way up and succeed. We must start where we are with what we have and grow. I have realised that the churches that are doing well online did not just wake up to make it happen but they have been doing online streaming for years now before the advent of COVID-19. They have a lot of online followers because they started from somewhere and perfected it. Until we start, we cannot make it work and achieve our goals. Starting is difficult but it must be done. Dr. Mensa Otabil noted that, "When God gives you a fallow ground, dont curse it and dont run away from it. He wants to give you the opportunity to do something new and great which you thought was impossible. It is a time for new businesses, new processes and new accomplishments." I get the sense that God is on the move and we must flow with Him. Dr. Mensa Otabil is bringing our minds to the fact that things may have gone bad but we can still look and find new ways of doing things that can help us remain resilient and succeed. This message is truly going to help individuals, churches, families, businesses, companies, and countries if only we will listen and follow the few thoughts shared by Pastor Otabil. Eric Otchere The writer is a blogger (www.erickotchere.blogspot.com) and a podcaster (https://anchor.fm/eric-otchere). He can be reached via mail at [email protected] By Trend Armenian armed forces shelled the Agdam village in Tovuz district of Azerbaijan from 120 mm mortars and these actions against civilians during the COVID-19 pandemic should be assessed as a gross violation of human rights, the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) in Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva said, Trend reports. She noted that three soldiers of the Azerbaijani army have already died. "May Allah have mercy on our martyrs. We wish the wounded a speedy recovery," the ombudsman said. The Sumo Logic platform helps you make data-driven decisions and reduce the time to investigate security and operational issues so you can free up resources for more important activities. Hillsboro Sales Tax Revenue Recovers In July With widespread social distancing requirements relaxed across much of the state in May, declines in sales tax allocations were not as steep in July as they were in the previous two months, and Hillsboro's allocation was higher than last July. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced last week that he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts $744.2 million in local sales tax allocations for July, 2.6% less than in July 2019. These allocations are based on sales made in May by businesses that report tax monthly. Hillsboro's sales tax numbers recovered from the approximately 20% declines the city saw in its sales tax payments for May and June. In July, Hillsboro's allocation came to $259,000.89, up 3% from last July. Year-to-date, Hillsboro's allocations have totaled $1,776,297.87, which is down 6% from last year due to pandemic-related declines in revenue this year. Allocations and changes from last July for other cities were: Abbott - $7,444.62, down 10%; Aquilla - $1,729.29, up 141%; Blum - $3,272.98, down 14%; Bynum - $825.37, up 96%; Carl's Corner - $3,392.90, down 37%; Covington - $5,846.02, up 40%; Hubbard - $18,236.70, up 58%; Itasca - $19,414.49, up 70%; Malone - $1,920.66, up 9%; Mertens - $480.88, up 136%; Mount Calm - $1,145.82, up 44%, Penelope - $772.97, down 46%, Whitney - $62,351.30, up 17%. U.S Attorney stated that an Ohio priest has just been charged with child pornography and juvenile sex trafficking. According to the news release, CNN received a comment from McWilliam's attorney regarding the case. "At times, McWilliams is alleged to have threatened to send those photographs to family and friends if the minor male victims did not send additional photographs and videos," the news release said. McWilliams also allegedly carried through with that threat, "sending the mothers sexually explicit photographs he received from minor male victims." According to CNN, the US Attorney's Office alleges that some of McWilliams' victims were young boys he knew through his work as a priest in parishes. "We are grateful to those in law enforcement who have worked diligently to investigate this matter," the diocese said in a statement. "As the criminal case against McWilliams proceeds, let us continue to pray for justice to be served and healing for those who have been harmed by sexual abuse." Apparently, McWilliams, who was arrested in December 2019 for allegedly possessing child pornography, was put on administrative leave by the diocese "immediately" after the diocese learned of his arrest, it said in a press release at the time. On the other hand, Bishop Nelson Perez stated that he will stand ready to cooperate with law enforcement in this matter. "I am deeply committed, as the shepherd of our diocese, to the safety and well-being of our children," "Today's indictment reflects the serious and elaborate nature of the acts allegedly taken by the defendant to traffic and exploit local area children," US Attorney Justin Herdman said in a release. "The alleged acts committed in this case are a disturbing and strong reminder for parents to be vigilant about who their children talk to and what they do online." Gas imports from the European Union to Ukraine reached 70 million cubic meters per day, which is the highest level since 2014, according to Sergiy Makogon, Director General of Gas Transmission System Operator (TSO) of Ukraine LLC. "Gas imports from the EU reached 70 million cubic meters per day. This is a record high since 2014, when there were still imports from Russia," Makogon wrote on Facebook. According to him, such a significant increase was due to the creation of virtual interconnection points at the borders with Poland and Hungary, as well as the launch of a virtual reverse flow. "Last year, the maximum capacity of imports did not exceed 66 million cubic meters per day and was limited by the existing infrastructure. Now, with a virtual reverse [flow], imports can reach 170 million cubic meters per day," Makogon wrote. According to him, most gas imports go for seasonal pumping into underground storage facilities. Ukraines Naftogaz pumped significant gas volumes two years ago, while this year companies from the EU pump significant volumes, Makogon explained, adding that this is an additional significant revenue to the budget of Ukraine. As reported by Ukrinform, in November 2019, Ukraine stopped buying gas from Russia and started imports from the European Union, in particular, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. iy A Child doing his schoolwork at his family home on April 5, 2020. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images) Victoria Reinstates Homeschooling Amid Outbreak The majority of school students in the greater Melbourne region and Mitchell Shire will return to homeschooling for a month as the Victorian state government struggles to control the increasing number of COVID-19 cases. Victoria recorded 273 new COVID-19 cases on July 12, the eighth-day of record-breaking, triple-digit figures. The states leader, Premier Daniel Andrews, confirmed on Sunday that after the school holidays are extended by one week, prep to year ten students will go back to homeschooling from July 20 until around August 19. I know this will be very very challenging for many, many parents that there is simply no alternative, Andrews said at a press conference. Year 11 and 12 students are exempt from the homeschooling rule, as are year 10 VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) students and those specialist school pupils whove all returned to face-to-face learning. Federal education minister Dan Tehan and disability support organisations welcomed the decision to keep schools open for students with disabilities. In an interview with ABC News Breakfast, Tehan said he agreed with keeping schools open for the upper age groups, regional schools, and those for disabled children. I think that is the right approach that theyve taken, theyve tried to keep as many schools open for as many students as possible, and the federal government supports that, he said. The chief executive of autism organisation Amaze, Fiona Sharkie said in a joint media release with the Association for Children with Disability: We appreciate the Victorian Governments commitment to better address the needs of students with disability and special needs in this second phase of school disruptions. Related Coverage Report Finds No Evidence That Students Have Infected Teachers During the first lockdown, Tehan strongly opposed the Victorian Labor governments strict measures to keep schools closed. In May, Tehan shared a study by James Cook University on Twitter stating this was proof that schools should stay open writing: Further proof. Schools are not the problem here.' A James Cook University professor published a study in May showing that it was safe for children to return to school. The study concluded that closing schools had minimal impact on COVID-19 transmission. Stoking a potential controversy, embattled Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Monday claimed that the real Ayodhya lies in Nepal, not in India and that Lord Ram was born in Thori in southern Nepal. Condemning Oli for his remarks, BJP national spokesperson Bizay Sonkar Shastri said that the Left parties even in India played with peoples faith, and the Communists in Nepal will be rejected by the masses in the same way they have been here. Lord Ram is a matter of faith for us, and people will not allow anybody, be it prime minister of Nepal or anyone, to play with this, he said in New Delhi. Speaking at an event on the birth anniversary of Nepalese poet Bhanubhakta at the Prime Ministers residence in Kathmandu, Oli said that Nepal has become a victim of cultural encroachment and its history has been manipulated. Bhanubhakta was born in 1814 in Tanhu of western Nepal and is credited for translating Valmikis Ramayan into Nepali language. He died in 1868. Although the real Ayodhya lies at Thori in the west of Birgunj, India has claimed the Indian site as the birthplace of Lord Ram, Oli said. We also believe that deity Sita got married to Prince Ram of India. Actually, Ayodhya is a village lying west of Birgunj, he said, adding that the marriage between bride and bridegroom at such a distance was not possible at the time when there was no communication and transportation system. The place called Thori, near Birgunj is the real Ayodhya, where Lord Ram was born. In India there is great dispute on Ayodhya. But, there is no dispute in our Ayodhya, Prime Minister Oli was quoted as saying by his press advisor Surya Thapa. Valmiki Ashram is also in Nepal and the holy place where King Dasharath had executed the rites to get the son is in Ridi, which is in Nepal, he said. As Dasharath was the ruler of Nepal, it is natural that his son Ram was also born in Nepal, Oli argued. Therefore, real Ayodhya lies in Nepal, he claimed. Many scientific inventions and knowledge originated in Nepal, but unfortunately such a rich tradition could not continue later, Oli said. Prime Minister Oli, under growing pressure to resign amidst a rift in the ruling Nepal Communist Party over his style of functioning, has alleged that some of the ruling party leaders are aligning with the southern neighbour to remove him from power after his government issued a new political map incorporating three Indian territories of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura. His allegations have been criticised by senior NCP leaders, including former prime minister Prachanda, who demanded Prime Minister Olis resignation, saying his recent anti-India remarks were neither politically correct nor diplomatically appropriate. The India-Nepal bilateral ties came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8. Nepal reacted sharply to the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through Nepalese territory. India rejected the claim asserting that the road lies completely within its territory. Later, Nepal updated the countrys political map through a Constitutional amendment, incorporating three strategically important Indian areas. India termed as untenable the artificial enlargement of the territorial claims by Nepal. India has handed over a diplomatic note to Nepal over the map issue, Nepalese media reports said. A locked gate is seen after the Hong Kong Disneyland theme park has been closed, following the coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong, China January 26, 2020. Hong Kong Disneyland will once again shutter its gates after a spike of new coronavirus cases in Hong Kong. The park had reopened less than a month ago after closing in January during the first surge of Covid-19 cases in the region. Guests and staff were required to wear face masks, social distance and submit to temperature screenings upon entering the park. Hong Kong's government decided to limit group gathering to four people from 50, a measure last seen in March. Twelve different types of businesses, including gyms and gaming centers, are being forced to shutdown for a week and restaurants will only be allowed to give out takeaway after 6:00 pm. Last week, Hong Kong shuttered schools after it reported a number of new cases, some of which involved students and parents. This week, several of the new cases were from individuals who had recently traveled. "As required by the government and health authorities in line with prevention efforts taking place across Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland park will temporarily close from July 15," Disney said in a statement Monday. "The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hotels will remain open with adjusted levels of services. They have put in place enhanced health and safety measures that reflect the guidance of health and government authorities, such as social distancing measures and increased cleaning and sanitization." The news of the park's closure comes as Disney's Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom reopened in Orlando, Florida on Saturday. Epcot and Hollywood Studios are scheduled to reopen on Wednesday. All of the Walt Disney World parks had been shuttered since mid-March. Disney is one of the last theme parks to reopen in Florida. Universal Studios and SeaWorld previously reopening in early June. Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of Universal Studios and CNBC. FLIGHTS from the United States should be stopped until mandatory Covid-19 testing is in place at airports, the Labour Party has said. Coronavirus infections continue to spiral in parts of the US but flights are still landing in Ireland. Labour's Transport spokesman Duncan Smith has called on the government to suspend flights from the US and other Covid-19 hotspots until there is a testing regime in airports for passengers from those locations. He also said there should be strong enforcement of the 14-day quarantine period. Read More Mr Smith said: There is huge public concern at the arrival into Ireland of visitors from the United States, and the total lack of enforcement of the 14 day mandatory quarantine period. "The current rules are unworkable and unenforceable, and the public are rightly upset about this. "We are the only EU country allowing visitors from the US at the moment. The only requirement for visitors is to fill in a passenger locator form which simply isnt enough." Expand Close Duncan Smith TD / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Duncan Smith TD Dublin Fingal TD Mr Smith added: The line from the Government that they will tighten the rules is not sustainable when our current measures are unenforceable and the risk is already here. We have yet to see what countries will be on a green list but in the meantime we are opening our country to unnecessary risk. For months Irish people have made the hard sacrifices needed to get Covid-19 under control on our island. "We cant now have a situation where visitors from abroad are visiting Ireland but not following the rules. Mr Smith said: "The pandemic is out of control in large parts of the United States, and all our hard work to protect our most vulnerable is now for nothing if visitors from there to Ireland dont follow the recommended 14 day quarantine." He said that: "Even if it is just a few hundred people a week it is better to be safe and test where we can, to provide some certainty." Mr Smith said there are five flights due into Dublin tomorrow - from New York, Boston, Chicago, Newark and Dallas - and four more on Wednesday. Our public health officials are rightly worried at the risk from travel into Ireland, and it is clear we need more effective control measures at our airports and ports," he said. Polish Presidential Runoff Too Close to Call: Exit Polls By VOA News July 12, 2020 Poland's presidential runoff between the right-wing incumbent and the liberal mayor of Warsaw is too close to call, exit polls said Sunday. Eash candidate has about 50% of the vote, although the incumbent is marginally ahead. Final results are expected as early as Monday. Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski is looking to unseat President Andrzej Duda. Duda's far-right Law and Justice Party is hoping to be able to extend its majority in parliament and implement conservative social, judicial and immigration policies that many in the European Union have criticized as anti-democratic. Those policies include Duda's pledge to ban gay rights classes in schools. He has called homosexuality worse than communism. Trzaskowski, of the Civic Platform party, campaigned on promises to preserve the ruling party's popular welfare programs but said he would block any legislation he says would be unconstitutional. He also says he would restore good relations with the European Union. The coronavirus outbreak forced a nearly two-month delay in the first round of voting. Observers say the postponement hurt Duda, who had looked as if he would cruise to a first-round victory. But his popularity in the polls slipped after the Civic Platform party replaced a much less popular candidate with Trzaskowski and other candidates were allowed to get out and campaign more when COVID-19 restrictions were eased. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address An electronic departure board at Incheon International Airport shows the schedule for the Incheon-Nanjing route, Sunday, as Asiana Airlines resumed its service the same day. / Yonhap By Jun Ji-hye Korea has begun resuming flights on some air routes to China, to which service had been halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The flights are part of efforts to meet demand from students and businesspeople, according to officials from the transport ministry and air carriers Monday. Asiana Airlines resumed its service from Incheon to Nanjing, Sunday, 105 days after the route was suspended amid the pandemic. This has increased the number of available air routes to China, operated by domestic airlines, to four. Before this, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and Jeju Air operated flights on routes from Incheon to Shenyang, Changchun and Weihai, despite the pandemic. An Asiana Airlines official noted that its flight connecting to Nanjing operates once a week, departing from Incheon International Airport at 12:20 p.m. every Sunday. "We are making full efforts to resume flights on additional routes to China," the official said. "We hope the resumption of the Incheon-Nanjing route will be a chance for the airline industry to rebound." On Tuesday, Jin Air announced plans to resume services on its Jeju-Xian route Thursday. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Korean Air and Air Busan also plan to resume services on routes from Incheon to Guangzhou and Shenzhen, respectively, within the month. Regarding this, a Korean Air official said, "We are ready to resume services and are awaiting approval from the Chinese government." The transport ministry said it was still in talks with Chinese aviation authorities to resume flights on three more routes to Chinese cities. These routes are expected to be operated by Jeju Air, T'way Air and Air Busan. The ministry said it was aiming to wrap up its consultations with the Chinese authorities by the end of the month, if possible. Once the consultation is completed, the number of air routes to China, operated by domestic airlines, will increase to 10. "We are doing our best to disinfect airports and planes, and take preventive measures on passengers and employees," a ministry official said. Airmen and Space Force members whose names contain accent marks or hyphens will soon be able to purchase accurate name tapes and tags, while qualifying male airmen will be newly able to receive five-year shaving waivers, the U.S. Air Force announced Friday. Those changes are part of a series of updates to the service's dress and appearance policy aimed at "creating a more inclusive culture," officials said. The changes, effective immediately, update Air Force Instruction 36-2903, "Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel," to remove "subjective language and other rules that may have been creating unintentional or unfair barriers for Air and Space Force uniformed members." Read Next: 57 Suffer Fire and Smoke Injuries as Navy Ship Bonhomme Richard Continues to Burn "As we listened to airmen and space professionals, we reviewed our policies and identified language in our dress and appearance instruction that was problematic for certain groups," said Lisa Truesdale, Air Force deputy director of military force management policy. "Ensuring inclusive language in our policies is one of the first steps in creating a more inclusive culture where all uniformed members can thrive and maximize their fullest potential," she said in a release. The changes, made July 10, are effective immediately. They include: Extended shaving waivers . In June, the Air Force's surgeon general approved a five-year waiver allowing male airmen with a chronic inflammatory condition to keep their beards. The condition, known as Pseudofolliculitis Barbae, or PFB, causes razor bumps and painful ingrown beard hair; it commonly affects Black men. The change means that airmen no longer need to request an exemption on an annual basis and "allows them to more readily present a neat, clean, and professional image." The news was first reported by Air Force Times. . In June, the Air Force's surgeon general approved a five-year waiver allowing male airmen with a chronic inflammatory condition to keep their beards. The condition, known as Pseudofolliculitis Barbae, or PFB, causes razor bumps and painful ingrown beard hair; it commonly affects Black men. The change means that airmen no longer need to request an exemption on an annual basis and "allows them to more readily present a neat, clean, and professional image." The news was first reported by Air Force Times. Removal of subjective language. The service eliminated the word "faddish," according to the AFI. The word resulted "in particular demographics being disproportionately caught up by the enforcement of those rules that included the term," the release states. The service eliminated the word "faddish," according to the AFI. The word resulted "in particular demographics being disproportionately caught up by the enforcement of those rules that included the term," the release states. Unique names. Airmen and space members with names that have accent marks or hyphens (e.g. Pena, Lewis-Miles, Muller, Calderon) may purchase name tapes or tags that reflect this correct spelling and pronunciation. Airmen and space members with names that have accent marks or hyphens (e.g. Pena, Lewis-Miles, Muller, Calderon) may purchase name tapes or tags that reflect this correct spelling and pronunciation. Distinguishable hair line. Men can keep one straight-line part (cut, clipped or shaved) on either side of their head. Men can keep one straight-line part (cut, clipped or shaved) on either side of their head. Combat boot variation. The Air Force has removed the restriction on combat boot height, "acknowledging that some career fields require more flexibility." The changes are part of the service's overall goal to revise policies and procedures that may unfairly target minorities. Last month, the Air Force Inspector General launched an independent review into the service's history of disparity in military punishment and developmental opportunities given to African American service members. The service also created a new task force to analyze diversity and inclusion issues. Headed by Brig. Gen. Troy Dunn, the Air Force's director of military force management policy, the group spearheaded the latest dress and appearance changes, the service said in a separate release last week. One such reform the service is working toward is increasing scholarships for hundreds of Black and Hispanic cadets, the release adds. Qualified recipients "will receive a full-ride scholarship with full tuition and fees paid, starting in the 2020-21 school year," the service said. "The move is intended to increase minority representation in the officer ranks, something the Air Force has struggled with," officials said. "Clearly, we have to acknowledge our Air and Space Forces are not immune from racism and the challenges of inequity. As a force that depends on unity, inclusion, and a common strength of purpose, we are committed to being better every day until all within our ranks feel a true sense of belonging that allows them to maximize their talents," said Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services. "This is why we stood up the task force, to move out quickly and deliver immediate improvements for our services." -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Related: Air Force Launches Review into Racial Disparities in Punishments, Opportunities After three months, $2.2 billion and countless sleepless nights for lenders, the original deadline for companies to apply for federal funding through the Paycheck Protection Program has come and gone. While that deadline to apply now has been extended until August, New Mexico program experts confirmed that the number of new applications has slowed to a crawl. For the most part, were kind of in a holding pattern, said Sheila Mathews, president and CEO of Four Corners Community Bank in Farmington. So with that in mind, how have New Mexico organizations stacked up against their peers in other states when it comes to net dollars received? Better than might be expected considering the circumstances, but with plenty of room for improvement. I think, per capita, we did well, said John Garcia, New Mexico District Director for the SBA. I think all of us across the country could do better. The PPP, which launched in April under the federal CARES Act and was subsequently renewed and modified in May, provides loans to struggling businesses and nonprofits that can be converted to grants if the organization maintains its payroll and meets certain other criteria. From the beginning of April, when the program launched, through the end of June, lenders issued 21,924 loans to New Mexico organizations, ranging from hotels to art collectives to private schools, according to a report from the SBA. Those loans totaled just over $2.24 billion. That aggregate total lags behind New Mexicos neighbors, including Colorado ($10.36 billion) and Arizona ($8.62 billion). Because of New Mexicos much smaller population, the discrepancy makes sense. However, the Land of Enchantment lags behind its neighbors in certain per capita measures as well, including the percentage of small business payroll in the state that has been covered by PPP loans. According to the report, the SBA estimated that 77% of the small business payroll in New Mexico has been covered by PPP loans. Thats the second-lowest figure among states west of the Mississippi, behind only Washington and tied with California and Oregon. Jerry Walker, president and CEO of the Independent Community Bankers Association of New Mexico, said New Mexicos comparatively rural nature works against it, as businesses in the state are left to compete with larger businesses that have ties to massive banks. We dont have quite as many small businesses who had established banking relationships, Walker said. After the first round of funding became a scrum for funding that was dominated by the biggest lenders, the balance of power shifted more toward smaller lenders. When Congress approved an additional $310 billion in funding in April, the rules were amended to allocate $60 billion to smaller lenders, which Garcia said helped New Mexico businesses. According to the report, more money was dispersed nationwide by lenders with less than $10 billion in assets than lenders with more than $50 billion through the end of June. Garcia praised New Mexicos community banks for staying with the program through technical glitches and other frustrations. The small rural banks were the real champions of this, Garcia said. Under the new rules, businesses now have until Aug. 8 to apply for the roughly $130 billion thats still available through the program. Weve been building the airplane as were flying it, and now were building the landing gear, Garcia said. Michelle Coons, regional president for WaFd Bank in New Mexico, said her branch has opted not to continue accepting new applications, choosing instead to focus on the forgiveness portion of the program. Coons said one issue that has come up for organizations seeking to get their loans forgiven is the presence of an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan. Coons said some companies applied for an EIDL loan advance, designed to give companies a small infusion of capital in times of crisis, without knowing if theyd receive it, and didnt disclose it during the PPP process. Consequently, she said those organizations may have to deduct the total from the EIDL program from their PPP forgiveness. I think thats going to be quite a surprise to many clients, Coons said. The future belongs to the Communist Movement Statement by CPA Central Committee Secretariat Over the past three weeks or so, sixty-two members of the Communist Party in Victoria have resigned. These resignations were a planned move in the campaign of disruption and factionalism by a group led by E F Hill. The Domain Sydney. Unable to force their incorrect and dangerous policies on the membership and leading committees of the Party, and finding themselves in an isolated minority, this group has taken the path of desertion from the cause of socialism. They have spread their resignations over a period and some of the leading figures of the group have gone to the capitalist press with attacks upon the Party. This is a calculated attempt to cause confusion and create the false impression that the Party was experiencing a major split. The effort has failed completely. The Party is more united than ever, and the groups plan has rebounded. The true character of their policy and aims has been exposed by this transparent subterfuge of mass resignations, and not only to the membership of the Party but to the working class as a whole. The working class movement recognises the principles of acceptance of majority decisions and solidarity and has nothing but contempt for those who run to the capitalist press with their opposition to working class organisations. The Communist Party of Australia, as stated in the Constitution, is a voluntary union of like minded people, whose aim is to achieve socialism in Australia. No-one can be forced to join the Party, nor can anybody be prevented from leaving it. The Constitution provides for ending of membership through expulsion, or lapsing through non-payment of dues. Resignations are not provided for in the Constitution. On the occasions when resignations have been received in the past, they have been regretted as being evidence, in most cases, of inability to measure up to the hardships of the struggle for socialism, but have otherwise been accepted as representing the personal decision of the individual member concerned, and respected as such. These planned resignations are of an entirely different character. They are the planned desertion by the Hill group from the Marxist-Leninist party of the Australian working class. The press statements and other propaganda of this group show their true character. They falsely attack the Party for abandoning working class principles and failing to give correct leadership to the current struggles of the workers. These false assertions lack any examples or concrete analysis; and the group does not advance any alternative proposals as to different policies which the working class should pursue. These accusations are completely rejected by the Party membership, the majority of whom are workers in industry and trade unionism. They will also be rejected by tens of thousands of workers who know that Communists in their workplaces and unions always advocate united action and militant struggle. Workers everywhere, whatever their political views, know that the Communist Party continues its policies of building working class unity for defeat of the Menzies Government, united action by the trade union movement for economic demands and trade union rights, action in defence of peace and support for national independence. They know that the Communist Party is in the forefront of the struggle against monopoly capitalism and for a Socialist Australia. The group repeats the threadbare fiction peddled by the ruling class ever since the formation of the Party forty-three years ago, that the political line of the Communist Party is determined in Moscow. They repeat this slander in the full knowledge that the Party has decided its policy on this, as on every other occasion, by a Marxist-Leninist analysis of the Australian situation in accordance with our Party Program, and in the light of the principles to which we subscribed in endorsing the statement of the eighty-one Parties of 1960. It is well known that it was the dissident group which wanted our policy determined otherwise, and that they have carried on their disruptive activities because they could not force their minority views on the overwhelming majority. Those resigning loudly proclaim their adherence to Marxism-Leninism. But it is the first and most elementary principle of Marxism-Leninism, known to all with even a nodding acquaintance with working class theory, that a Communist Party is an absolute essential for the achievement of Socialism. THOSE WHO DESERT THE PARTY THEREFORE DESERT THE CAUSE OF SOCIALISM, THE CAUSE OF THE WORKING CLASS, HOWEVER LOUD THEIR PROTESTATIONS TO THE CONTRARY MAY BE. Lenin said: Repudiation of Party and Party discipline this is what the opposition amounts to. And this is tantamount to completely disarming the proletariat for the benefit of the bourgeoisie. It is the equivalent to precisely that petty-bourgeois diffuseness, instability, incapacity for sustained effort, unity and organised action, which, if indulged in, must inevitably destroy every proletarian revolutionary movement. These remarks apply fully to the present opposition. While in the Party they engaged in factionalism, which means in fact setting up another Party within the Party. The leaders of the opposition group and various of their supporters have refused to abide by majority decisions, walked out of properly constituted Party meetings, defied directions from the appropriate committees to attend discussions, held meetings of their own, made their own decisions and established their own discipline, and set up their own apparatus to print and circulate their material. Whether they continue in an underground or more open way such activities, which represent a complete break with Marxism-Leninism, the inevitable logic of their development could only be to fight the Party more and more bitterly. The capitalist class and right-wing forces, would clearly welcome this, and render support in all sorts of ways, whatever the present subjective intentions of those who have resigned may be. This misguided group of former Communists should think again before it is too late, otherwise they can only degenerate still further politically. Finally they would share the sorry fate of those who over the years have broken themselves in fruitless efforts to disrupt and destroy the Communist Party and the great Communist movement, to which the future belongs and which continues to go from strength to strength. This statement originally appeared in Tribune July, 1963. HONG KONG Defying warnings from local officials that the Hong Kong oppositions unofficial primary vote could be illegal under a sweeping new security law, hundreds of thousands of people chose avowedly pro-democracy candidates to run in citywide elections this year, results released Monday showed. Early returns showed that the more than 600,000 people who had voted favored candidates who were prominent supporters of the months of demonstrations that have gripped the semiautonomous Chinese city. Their choices indicated a desire to see the goals of the protest movement pressed within the government itself, but could lead to an intensifying confrontation with the authorities, who could bar some from running. So many people came out to vote despite the threat that it may violate the national security law, said Lester Shum, a 27-year-old activist and candidate who was among the front-runners on Monday. That means Hong Kong people have still not given up. Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement has been hobbled by mass arrests at protests and by the new security law, which bans vaguely defined crimes of secession, subversion and terrorism and is already working to mute dissent. The one remaining avenue of resisting Beijings tightening grip over the city, they say, is to capture a majority in the legislature in September. LAKE CITY, MI A Lake City man is facing several charges related sexually assaulting a female child under the age of 13 years old, and possession of child pornography. Larry Max Houghton, 58, has been charged with five counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13 years old, three counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13 years old, distributing explicit visual or verbal material to a minor, and 10 counts of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material, according to a news release from Michigan State Police. MSP Houghton Lake Post was contacted on April 22 after a minor female disclosed that she was allegedly touched by a male suspect. An investigation led MSP to arrest Houghton on the above charges. The child pornography charges were added later; he was arraigned on those charges on July 9. The relationship between Houghton and the victim was not disclosed. First degree CSC involves sexual penetration, and is a felony punishable by up to life in prison. Second degree CSC involves sexual contact, and is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Distributing explicit visual or verbal material to a minor is punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. A major Disney theme park is once again closing its gates due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. Related video above: Aerial views of Magic Kingdom on first day of reopening Hong Kong Disneyland is closing again after it reopened last month following a late January closing. Visitors and staff were required to wear face masks, submit to temperature checks and maintain social distancing. The safety measures taken were similar to those in place at the recently reopened Central Florida parks. As required by the government and health authorities in line with prevention efforts taking place across Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland park will temporarily close from July 15. The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hotels will remain open with an adjusted level of services. They have put in place enhanced health and safety measures that reflect the guidance of health and government authorities, such as social distancing measures and increased cleaning and sanitization, a Disney spokesperson told CNN. Hong Kong Disneyland reopened on June 18 and was the second Disney property to reopen after Shanghai Disneyland. On Saturday, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom reopened at Walt Disney World in Central Florida, concerning health experts who urge people not to gather in groups. Guests at the park said that people were wearing masks and social distancing, and videos showed near-empty parks. Florida shattered the national record Sunday for the largest single-day increase in positive coronavirus cases in any state since the beginning of the pandemic, adding more than 15,000 cases as its daily average death toll continued to also rise. Epcot and Hollywood Studios will reopen on Wednesday. Police investigate in the 7200 block of South Artesian in Marquette Park, Chicago, Ill., on July 3, 2020. (Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times) Chicago Police Say 64 Shot, 13 Fatally, Over Weekend Officials in Chicago say that 64 people were shot, 13 fatally, in separate incidents across the city over the recent weekend. Among those who were killed was Terrance Malden, 15, who was shot and killed at around 5 p.m. on July 10 on the South Side, becoming the first victim of the weekend, police told the Chicago Sun-Times and other news outlets. His family says theyre upset by the lack of outrage over the teens death. Im sick of it. Im tired of it. We talk about Black Lives Matter, but Im sick and tired of whats going on in these streets, said Erikka Gordon, Maldens aunt, according to local station ABC7. Over the Independence Day weekend, 79 people were shot, leaving 15 dead, authorities said. During the same weekend in 2019, 32 people were shot and nine were killed. The most recent fatal shooting occurred early on July 13 in Park Manor on the South Side. Shamari K. Smith, 27, was shot and killed by someone in a vehicle as he was on the street. About an hour before that, a 26-year-old male was shot and killed in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side, police said. At about 11:30 p.m. on July 12, a 14-year-old boy and a 17-year-old male were in a vehicle with a 20-year-old man in the West Englewood neighborhood, when a silver SUV approached their vehicle and opened fire, police told the Chicago Tribune. The two teens were taken into the hospital in good condition, while the 20-year-old was killed. Meanwhile, a 15-year-old girl was shot on the West Side at around midnight on July 12 as she and a 29-year-old man were standing on the sidewalk in the West Garfield Park neighborhood, police told the Tribune. The girl was struck in the calf, knee, and shoulder, and the man was hit in the calf; both were hospitalized in good condition, officials said. Good Kids Mad City, a local activist group, organized a love march following the recent violence plaguing the city, which has claimed the lives of several children. Theres not enough graduations, weddings, baby showers, march organizer Nita Tennyson, 22, told CBS Chicago. Its funerals and urns. Thats all Ive been to in the past four years. And I ended up losing one of my friends this weekend. And I wanted to do the march because its enough. - Experts have found that high blood sugar levels could increase the chance of dying from COVID-19 - The scientists in China confirmed that COVID-19 patients that have hyperglycemia but do not have diabetes have a higher chance to die - The experts recommend hospitals to test all COVID-19 patients for glucose levels - However, other scientists said that the recent study that linked high blood sugar levels to COVID-19 has limitations PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed A group of researchers in China found out that patients with abnormally high blood sugar levels are more than twice as likely to die from the coronavirus disease. KAMI learned that scientists confirmed that patients with hyperglycemia but not diagnosed with diabetes have a higher chance to die from COVID-19. Experts found out high blood sugar levels could increase the risk of COVID-19 death Source: Getty Images In a report by Philippine Star, the researchers were able to examine the death rates of 605 COVID-19 patients at two hospitals in Wuhan, China. They also suggested that blood clotting, weakening of blood vessel linings, and overreaction of the immune system could attribute to the higher risk of mortality. As reported by Agence France-Presse, other experts said that the recent student had some limitations. "This is a nice report but it is fully in line with expectations. What the authors cannot confirm is whether differential targeting of blood sugar levels in those admitted leads to differences in outcomes, University of Glasgow Professor Naveed Sattar said. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! The coronavirus disease or COVID-19 has greatly affected the people across the globe. More than 12 million have been infected by it globally. As of July 13, there are now 57,006 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines. There are also 4,300 new patients that recovered today, making it the highest number of recoveries recorded in a day. Meanwhile, in Bulacan, about nine children aged five to 13 years old tested positive for COVID-19. The children are from San Jose del Monte, Meycauayan, and Marilao. Please like and share our amazing Facebook posts to support the KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinions about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts and views on different matters! Source: KAMI.com.gh Roger Stone, convicted by a jury of seven felonies, should have been checking in to federal prison this week. That Stone remains free is a measure of the contempt the president he protected holds for the principle of rule of law. President Trump commuted Stones sentence for crimes that included witness tampering and lying to Congress in an effort to frustrate investigations related to Russian sabotage of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The upshot could be neither clearer nor more unseemly. Stone broke the law to save Trumps skin, so Trump acted to save Stones, appearances be damned. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, was the most prominent of the rare Republicans who were willing to speak out against this brazen abuse of a presidents authority to grant clemency. Unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president, Romney tweeted. The commutation prompted the normally circumspect former Special Counsel Robert Mueller to pen a Washington Post opinion piece to defend the legitimacy of an investigation Trump has denounced as a hoax and a witch hunt. Mueller noted that his team identified numerous links between the Russian government and Trump campaign personnel Stone among them. Stone had lied about his contacts with WikiLeaks and his communications about them with the Trump campaign, Mueller noted. When a subject lies to investigators, Mueller said, it strikes at the core of the governments efforts to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable. Even Attorney General William Barr, who otherwise has done Trumps bidding at almost every turn, acknowledged last week that the prosecution of Stone was righteous and the 40-month sentence was fair. Yet Barr had added in that ABC News interview that clemency was the presidents prerogative. Stone was certainly aware all along that his friend in the White House had the power to erase anything the justice system meted out. Trump encouraged Stones defiance, praising his former adviser in a December 2018 tweet for resisting a rogue and out of control prosecutor and declaring, Nice to know that some people still have guts! Just before the White House announcement, Stone removed any lingering doubts about the corruptness of the move in an interview with NBC News. He knows I was under enormous pressure to turn on him, Stone said. It would have eased my situation considerably. But I didnt. They wanted me to play Judas. I refused. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who issued the sentence, made plain that Stone was not prosecuted for standing up for Trump. He was prosecuted for covering up for the president, she said. In 1788, as the framers debated the granting of presidential pardon power, an apprehensive George Mason warned that a president may frequently pardon crimes which were advised by himself and could lead to an attempt to establish a monarchy, and destroy the republic. James Madison was less concerned: Impeachment, he said, would be a safeguard against such abuse of power. These are dark days indeed for the rule of law in Trumps America. 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. F1's governing body is looking into the legality of the 2020 Racing Point car. The stewards late on Sunday judged as admissible a protest lodged by Renault against the car known in the paddock as the 'pink Mercedes'. "We confirm that Renault DP World F1 Team has submitted a request to the stewards of the event for clarification on the legality of the Racing Point RP20," Renault confirmed. "We have no further comment on this matter until the stewards have arrived at a decision." It is believed Renault is arguing that certain parts of the Racing Point, such as the brake ducts, break the rules about teams needing to fully design certain prescribed 'listed parts'. In Austria, the FIA confiscated the brake ducts, and have requested the brake ducts of last year's Mercedes as well. Renault is the only team to lodge a formal protest, but Red Bull indicated that it is also concerned about the 'pink Mercedes'. "The pace of Perez was incredible," said Dr Helmut Marko in Austria. "If they repeat that at other tracks, it's even scary for us." (GMM) The International Chamber of Commerce, a global trade union and civil society groups, urged the Group of 20 major economies to extend and expand a freeze in debt service payments to help not just the poorest but also middle-income countries weather the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout. The ICC, International Trade Union Confederation, and Global Citizen, a group pushing to end extreme poverty by 2030, also called on G20 finance ministers, who will meet online on July 18, to take additional steps to boost the participation of private creditors, who have been slow to ... Mukesh Ranjan By Express News Service RANCHI: The school administration of St. Nandlal Smriti Vidya Mandir at Ghatshila in Jamshedpur has suspended the Principal Sanjay Mallick for making students learn the national anthem of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Class teacher Shaila Parveen had given home projects to the Kindergarten students on WhatsApp to learn and practice national anthems of Pakistan and Bangladesh on July 7 and 8. The teacher had also shared the lyrics and YouTube videos of national anthems of the two neighbouring countries in the school WhatsApp group of students for the online classes being held in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The project work, however, was removed after the opposition raised by parents. Committee has taken a strong note of the incident and the principal has been made to apologize before the parents and withdrawn such project work immediately. Further, the committee has suspended the Principal on Sunday itself, informed the school management committee. The committee and school family sincerely regret the incident and would like to assure that such things would never happen in the future, it added. The matter came into the light after BJP leaders twitted the matter to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, State Education Minister, and East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner on Sunday after parents protested the move by the school. A probe has been initiated following directions from the senior officers which will be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, said Sub-Divisional Officer Amar Kumar. District Education Officer Shivendra Kumar Deo also asserted that the Deputy Commissioner has directed them to submit the report within 24 hours. Meanwhile, Principal Sanjay Mallick, who claims to be an ex-IAF personnel, said that it was just to improve general knowledge of the children. The project work was given only to improve the general knowledge of the students while preparing them for the International School Award. This is a very normal thing and should not be connected with nationality or religion, said Mallick. The matter is unnecessarily been highlighted, he added. BJP state spokesperson Kunal Sarangi has demanded strict action against the school saying teaching young children national anthem of other countries was absolutely not acceptable. This is absolutely not acceptable as it is an attempt to manipulate young minds, said Sarangi. If action is not taken against the school, this will become a dangerous trend, he added. The Block's Jess Eva suffered a jaw-dropping wardrobe malfunction while trying to take a family photo on Monday. The Triple M host posed for a picture outside her Tennyson Point, Sydney, home with her partner, Norm Hogan, and their toddler daughter, Matilda. But Matilda, who is believed to be two or three, sabotaged the moment by pulling on her mother's pink robe to reveal her underwear. Whoops! The Block's Jess Eva suffered a wardrobe malfunction while trying to take a family photo outside her Tennyson Point home on Monday. Jess' daughter, Matilda, pulled on her mother's pink robe to reveal her underwear as her partner, Norm Hogan, stared on in disbelief Jess didn't seem fazed by the embarrassing blunder, and simply gave a thumbs-up while Norman stared at her in disbelief. While it's possible the photo was staged for comedic effect, Matilda looked like she was genuinely having a tantrum as she screamed and yanked her mother's robe. 'Family portraits Hogan style,' Jess captioned the post. The pair also have a five-year-old son named Fred, but he wasn't in the photo. Real or staged? While it's possible the photo was staged for comedic effect, Matilda looked like she was genuinely having a tantrum as she screamed and yanked her mother's robe Absent: The pair also have a five-year-old son named Fred (left), but he wasn't in the photo It comes after Jess and Norm, who starred in the 2018 season of The Block, sold their block of land on Queensland's Russell Island. They had purchased the land in July 2019 for $17,000, and sold it for $24,000 within one week of its listing. Jess told The Daily Telegraph that the couple had hoped to build on the land this year and rent it out, but they 'didn't have time'. Cashing in: It comes after Jess and Norm, who starred in the 2018 season of The Block, sold their block of land on Queensland's Russell Island Quick sale: They had purchased the land (pictured) in July 2019 for $17,000, and sold it for $24,000 within one week of its listing They are currently renting a home in Sydney's Tennyson Point, which is 15 minutes from where Jess co-hosts Triple M's Moonman in the Morning breakfast show with Lawrence Mooney and Chris Page. During the fourteenth season of The Block, Jess and Norm sold their St Kilda apartment at auction for $2,859,000, making a profit of $209,000. Jess said in October last year that she couldn't watch the first few episodes of last year's season of The Block due to 'post traumatic stress'. Renting: Jess and Norm are currently renting a home in Sydney's Tennyson Point 'I saw them [the new contestants] pulling up in their cars on the first day and I thought, "Oh God, I'm not ready." But, as time has gone on, I've really liked it and some of the contestants have reached out to chat,' she said. She also recounted telling the new couples the 'media scrutiny doesn't last forever'. 'We're all just normal people and you get tossed into a spotlight, so at times you can feel a bit stressed,' she explained. 'You just have to think at the end of the day that 45,000 couples applied for the show and you were one of the five couples that were chosen.' * Total global infections hit 13 million * WHO chief says too many countries headed in wrong direction * If basics are ignored, it will get "worse and worse and worse" * Infections rising in about 40 U.S. states By Gayle Issa July 13 (Reuters) - The number of coronavirus infections around the world hit 13 million on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, climbing by a million in just five days. The pandemic has now killed more than half a million people in six-and-a-half months, and World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there would be no return to the "old normal" for the foreseeable future, especially if preventive measures were neglected. "Let me be blunt, too many countries are headed in the wrong direction, the virus remains public enemy number one," he told a virtual briefing from WHO headquarters in Geneva. "If basics are not followed, the only way this pandemic is going to go, it is going to get worse and worse and worse. But it does not have to be this way." Reuters' global tally, which is based on government reports, shows the disease accelerating fastest in Latin America. The Americas account for more than half the worlds infections and half the deaths. Parts of the world, especially the United States with more than 3.3 million confirmed cases, are still seeing huge increases in a first wave of COVID-19 infections, while others "flatten the curve" and ease lockdowns. Some places, such as the Australian city of Melbourne and Leicester in England, are implementing a second round of shutdowns. Chinese-ruled Hong Kong, albeit with a low 1,522 cases, is to tighten social distancing measures again amid growing worries about a third wave. The United States reported a daily global record of 69,070 new infections on July 10. In Brazil, 1.86 million people have tested positive, including President Jair Bolsonaro, and more than 72,000 people have died. Story continues "POLITICAL FOOTBALL" The U.S. state of Florida reported a record increase of more than 15,000 new cases in 24 hours on Sunday, more than South Korea's total since the disease was first identified at the end of last year. It tallied another 12,624 new cases on Monday. Coronavirus infections are rising in about 40 U.S. states, according to a Reuters comparison of the past two weeks and the prior two weeks. Yet U.S. President Donald Trump and White House officials have repeatedly said the disease is under control and that schools must reopen in the autumn. "The president and his administration are messing with the health of our children," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on CNN's "State of the Union" programme. "We all want our children to go back to school, parents do and children do. But they must go back safely." WHO emergencies head Mike Ryan urged countries not to turn schools into "another political football", saying they could safely reopen once the virus had been suppressed. The leader of the Spanish region of Catalonia urged residents of an area of 160,000 people where cases have surged to stay at home, despite a judge's ruling throwing out a mandatory lockdown. Spain, which has been one of the European countries worst hit by the coronavirus, lifted nationwide confinement last month, when the pandemic seemed to have come under control. After the first cases were reported in China around the new year, it took three months to reach one million cases. But it has taken just five days to climb to 13 million cases from 12 million. India, the country with the third highest number of infections, has been contending with an average of 23,000 new infections each day since the beginning of July. In countries with limited testing capacity, case numbers reflect a smaller proportion of total infections. Experts say official data probably under-represents both infections and deaths. (For a Reuters interactive graphic, open this link in an external browser: tmsnrt.rs/2Zedzk8) (Reporting by Gayle Issa, Stephanie Nebehay, Michael Shields and Silke Koltrowitz, Writing by Nick Macfie and Kevin Liffey; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Peter Graff) Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: WHO team in China to begin an investigation A two-member advance team of the World Health Organization (WHO) experts is in China to help pinpoint the origins of the virus. The specialists in animal health and epidemiology will work with Chinese scientists to determine the scope and itinerary of the investigation, said WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris, declining to identify them. "We know it's very, very similar to the virus in the bat, but did it go through an intermediate species? This is a question we all need answering," Harris told a news briefing. The virus is believed to have emerged in a wholesale market in China's central city of Wuhan late last year after jumping the species barrier from the animal kingdom to infect humans. Fourth in the world for most new cases Florida reported a record increase of more than 15,000 new virus cases in 24 hours on Sunday, as the Trump administration renewed its push for schools to reopen and anti-mask protests were planned in Michigan and Missouri. If Florida were a country, it would rank fourth worldwide for the most new daily cases, after the United States, Brazil and India, according to a Reuters analysis. Health officials have pleaded with the public to wear masks to limit the virus spread, but the issue has become politically divisive in the United States, unlike many other countries with far fewer infections and deaths. Many Americans still refuse to wear a mask, which health experts say helps stop transmission of the virus that has killed more than 134,000 Americans. Outbreaks on U.S. military bases Japan and the United States are sharing infection information after about 62 cases at three US military bases from July 7 to Sunday provoked ire in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, a top Japanese official said on Monday. "I can't help but have strong doubts about the U.S. military's measures to prevent infections," said Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, pointing to reports of personnel leaving the base for beach parties and visits to nightlife districts around Independence Day on July 4. On its Facebook page for Pacific bases, the Marine Corps said it was prohibiting off-base activity for all installations across Okinawa, except essential needs such as medical appointments approved by a commanding officer. Inspiring confidence in air travel The Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport (DFW), the home base of American Airlines, is working with the airline to roll out a self-check-in for luggage, with all its restrooms to be entirely touch-free by the end of July, using technology developed by Infax Inc. From hands-free sinks, soap and flushing toilets to paper towel dispensers, all will have sensors to warn of low supplies. Last year DFW rolled out biometric boarding for international flights based on facial recognition and hopes to widen the VeriScan technology to arrivals too, making use of a traffic lull for work with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DFW chief executive Sean Donohue said. The airport is also testing new sanitization technology that uses ultraviolet to keep germs out of the HVAC circulation. It has deployed electrostatic foggers and hired a "hit team" of 150 people to physically sanitise high-touch areas in terminals. Serkan Golge was held in a general prison in southern Turkey, alongside high-ranking military officers, judges and prosecutors, some of whom said they were held without any evidence Istanbul: When Turkish police officers stopped him as he set out for the airport to return to the United States after a family vacation in Turkey, the country of his birth, Serkan Golge, a NASA scientist and American citizen, was in disbelief. It was July 2016, eight anxious days after a failed coup tried to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the police told Golge that it had received an anonymous tip that he worked for the CIA and was part of a terrorist group accused of masterminding the plot. The idea was so far-fetched that Golge expected to sort it out quickly and changed his flight to the next day. I was quite shocked, but I was like, This will go away, he said. This is probably a mistake, and the police and prosecutors would figure this out. It would take four years. Golge and his family returned to Houston just last week, ending a nightmare in which he was held for three years in solitary confinement as he became a bargaining chip in a series of high-level disputes between the Turkish and US governments. In his first interview since arriving home, Golge described with exasperation but little rancour the ordeal of being charged and found guilty of terrorist activities on evidence so flimsy he called it garbage. His account provides a rare insight into the Turkish judicial machine from the side of a defendant. Some 70,000 people have been accused in the Turkish courts in connection with the failed coup. Many, still fearful of the whims of Turkish justice, prefer to keep silent even once they are freed. Erdogans government has blamed the coup attempt on Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric who lives in Pennsylvania. Soon after the coup, pro-government Turkish media outlets began accusing the US government of being behind the plot, suggesting that it was in league with Gulen. For Golge, who has a doctorate in physics and worked as a senior research scientist at NASAs Johnson Space Centre, being an American citizen was enough to be presumed guilty. You fit the profile, he recalled his lawyer telling him at one point. It does not really matter if you are innocent or not. They wont release you. After 14 days, Golge appeared before a judge who told him police had found an American dollar bill in his parents house, which Turkish authorities alleged was a badge of membership to the Gulen movement, by then designated a terrorist group. He was held in a general prison in southern Turkey, alongside high-ranking military officers, judges and prosecutors, some of whom told him that they were being held without any evidence at all. Senior military officers and civilian supporters of Gulen have been charged over their part in leading the coup and ordering the bombing of the Parliament and clashes that killed 250 people. But thousands of others who were accused had only tenuous links to Gulens movement, or, like the military cadets who were ordered out on the night of the coup, had little idea what was going on. Journalists and political opponents of Erdogan with no connection to the events were prosecuted as well. Golge was sent to a prison in the town of Iskenderun, where in the August heat 32 men were crammed in a cell made for eight. He slept on a blanket on the floor and soon fell ill with bronchitis. Within a month, he was moved to solitary confinement and faced charges of overthrowing the government and the constitution, which carried a life sentence, and a charge of belonging to a terrorist organisation, which carried a 15-year sentence. Thats it; Im never getting out of here, he recalled thinking. That was a collapse psychologically, and I cried a lot. It is a very small room it barely sees the sunlight, and the guards took me out only one hour a day, he said. And I stayed in that room, in that small single cell, for three years. For a long time, Golge clung to the fact that the evidence Turkish prosecutors presented was hardly incriminating. The anonymous tip turned out to be from a relative who bore a grudge against Golges sister and later admitted he did not know if his allegations were true. The prosecutors drew on other evidence, and even Golge acknowledges that he fits the profile of a possible member of the Gulen movement. He went to Fatih University, which was one of the most prominent Gulen schools, on a scholarship to study physics; he banked with Bank Asya, which was part of the Gulen network of companies. But none of that, he points out, amounts to a crime. A one dollar bill, an anonymous tip, a bank account? How is this terrorism? Golge asked. Nobody could explain, but I think this is how laws and courts still work in Turkey. Golge has condemned the coup attempt and says he had nothing to do with the Gulen movement. I am not part of this organisation, he said. I am very sorry for the people who lost their lives. This is something unacceptable. Violence is never a solution. I have always believed in democracy, and I think currently it is the best solution we have. But he says Turkey missed an opportunity by not dealing justly with the coup attempt. Instead, zealous prosecutors have pursued people far beyond the actual perpetrators, sweeping up many who have been judged guilty by association. Golge recalls a fellow inmate, a former judge, telling him the government had no evidence against him. At least there was some bogus evidence about you, he told Golge, but I dont know why I was arrested. He shared time in the exercise yard with a one-star general who told him he had opposed the coup but had been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment anyway because his name appeared on a list of appointments made by the coup plotters. If Turkey only prosecuted the responsible people, instead of prosecuting hundreds of thousands of innocent people, I think that Turkish democracy would come out of this horrible act much stronger, Golge said. Gradually, with American officials including President Donald Trump pressing Turkey for his release over the lack of evidence, the charges against Golge were reduced. He was eventually convicted of aiding a terrorist organisation, and the sentence was reduced on appeal. He said he sensed the Turkish judges knew the case against him was garbage but were compelled to drag out the process. I felt they were scared of something, he added. He was released from prison in May 2019 and in April this year was cleared to leave the country. But then he was hospitalised with stomach ulcers, and the coronavirus pandemic grounded flights. The strain of the past four years on his wife, Kubra, and two boys, ages four and 10, erupted at the airport, when Golge was pulled aside at passport control and held for 40 minutes. My wife started crying; the kids started crying, he said. I tried to stay calm because I knew they had no basis to hold me, but they were shaking so hard. My son was crying a lot, grabbing me, holding on to me, saying No Dad, not again, not again. Officials at the US Embassy, who were tracking his progress, ensured he made the flight. Back in Houston, he is rebuilding his life, applying for his old job and looking for a house. Your life four years, three years in prison will not come back, he said. But thats life. Sometimes you lose; sometimes you win. Carlotta Gall c.2020 The New York Times Company It is not often that the imminent execution of two pro-democracy activists in the Middle East becomes the subject of a heated row in the UK and debates in both houses of parliament. But a growing number of rights groups, international lawyers, British MPs and peers point out that the UK is involved and so urgently needs to intervene. The two condemned men Mohammed Ramadhan, a 37-year-old father of three, and airport policeman and Husain Mousa, 34, a hotel driver say they were tortured to confess to murder. Those allegations of torture were investigated and then effectively thrown out by two Bahraini security bodies that were funded and supported by the UK government, allowing the case against them to proceed. British authorities need to act quickly. Time is running out. On Monday rights groups believe Bahrains Court of Cassation will reject the two mens final appeal and uphold the death sentences. All legal options will have been exhausted, they will be at risk of imminent execution without notice. In previous cases, the condemned have faced the firing squad. Ramadhan and Mousa participated in the pro-democracy protest of 2011 and in 2014 were arrested on charges of killing a police officer in a bomb attack that same year. In detention they said they were stripped, lashed with plastic pipes, threatened with rape and forced to listen to the screams of other inmates being tortured for days. Mousa said his genitals were kicked and beaten until he confessed to the killing. Although Mousa recanted his confession at trial, saying it was coerced, the court relied on it to sentence both him and his co-defendant Ramadhan to death. Facing mounting international pressure, the allegations of torture were investigated by Bahrains Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and Ombudsman, who have received millions of pounds worth of training from the UK paid for by British taxpayers. The probe by the British-funded bodies was denounced by independent experts at the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims as seriously flawed as it overlooked clear medical evidence of abuse. The death sentences against the two men were reimposed this January. With time running out, 46 MPs and peers, from across most of the UKs major parties, have now signed an open letter calling on the government to urgently intervene. It was shared with The Independent just days after the matter was raised in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The UK government has consistently failed to criticise due process violations in their trial or acknowledge abuses Mohammed and Husain have suffered. Just last week, the Foreign Office said it welcomed the work of SIU and Ombudsman, the letter reads. The persistence of torture and the significant rise in the use of the death penalty since 2017 in Bahrain show that this soft-touch approach has not worked, and a further 10 inmates are at imminent risk of execution. Bahrains use of the death penalty and torture has soared at an alarming rate over the last few years, according to rights group Reprieve. Bahrain denies all allegations of torture made against it. But despite this, since 2012, Reprieve says, the UK government has delivered more 6.5m worth of technical assistance to Bahrains justice and security sectors. The London-based rights group adds these bodies are not capable of carrying out torture investigations, allowing Bahrains courts to continue sentencing citizens to death on the basis of coerced confessions. Repreive said in the 60 years prior to 2017, Bahrain carried out only 10 executions, with no executions between 2010 and 2017. In the three years since Bahrain lifted a de-facto moratorium on executions, it has carried out six, some of which have been described the UN Special Rapporteur on Executions as extrajudicial killings. Five of the six victims were executed on the basis of torture-tainted confessions, according to Reprieve an allegation Bahrain denies. Right now, according to the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), 26 people are on death row in Bahrain. Those most at risk of imminent execution are Ramadhan and Mousa who will very likely have their death sentences confirmed tomorrow. And so, an unusual amount of pressure piled on the UK government to do something. Recommended Bahrain releases leading human rights activist Nabeel Rajab This weekend Pete Wetherby QC, executive member of the Bar Human Rights Council, argued in an amicus curiae brief that upholding the convictions in these cases would be wholly inconsistent with Bahrains international obligations. On Thursday, Sir Peter Bottomley MP, the father of the house, raised the issue in parliament, asking foreign secretary Dominic Raab whether he would use the UKs constructive dialogue with Bahrain to publicly raise the cases of these men and exert pressure. Foreign Office ministers were also questioned over why the UK was turning a blind eye to Bahrains abuses, in apparent contradiction to the foreign secretarys decision to unveil Britains new human rights sanctions regime. Its one thing for the foreign secretary to speak of taking action against those complicit in torture, the death penalty, those who are blood-drenched, but its another for the government to walk the walk, Stephen Doughty, the shadow minister for Africa, said. Time is of the essence in this case, he added. Middle East minister James Cleverly resisted calls to pull the plug on the agreements, suggesting it would do more harm than good before adding that the Bahraini royal family have demonstrated a desire to improve their structures and transparency. It followed similar statements in May by FCOs minister for South Asia and the Commonwealth, Tariq Mahmood Ahmad, who defended the work of the UKs Bahrain programme saying it continued to comply with our human rights obligations. Reprieve director Maya Foa vehemently rejects this and points to the apparent hypocrisy of the UK government talking of cracking down on regimes with blood on their hands but not acting to save the life of Ramadhan and Mousa who were beaten until they were unrecognisable. BIRDs Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, meanwhile pointed to the governments contradictory Gulf policy, as it not only comes in the same week that the government promised to sanction human rights abusers but the same week it resumed arms sales to the Saudi-led coalition that has been accused of committing war crimes in Yemen. The UK has the capacity to try to save the lives of these two men and should act now. If it does not do so, it would be yet another failure of the UK to stand up for basic rights. What should school look like when it reopens in the fall? As is the case for various other sectors of the economy and society, the question is fraught with complications. Yet by offering guidelines for school reopening that include a section on mental and behavioral health, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has addressed one important piece of the answer. The recently published guidelines helped start a crucial conversation surrounding how to get to the other side of the COVID-19 crisis. They feature materials such as guidance on behavioral and mental health services during school closures; MA Tools for Schools, a clearinghouse of resources to support sustainable school improvement; and a newsletter containing updates and offerings on holistic supports and enrichment. Following the states first step, it is incumbent upon Massachusetts schools to use this summer to prioritize mental health in their planning for the fall, building resilience, strength, and stability for the school year ahead. Reopening school is a milestone we long for, yet the details are far from clear with endless uncertainties surrounding them. September will not usher in school as we once knew it. The continuation of social distancing means desks will be kept 6 feet apart and masks will be worn by both teachers and children, along with stringent health and hygiene regimens. There will be no back to normal. But these logistical changes are secondary to the mental health implications and equity challenges facing the students themselves. Children are struggling with anxiety and depression, spurred on by huge uncertainties about the future, grief related to the lost daily connections with peers and teachers, and lost experiences (graduations, field trips, sports). As the death toll climbs, increasing numbers of children, particularly in low-income communities of color, will experience grief over lost loved ones. Still more students will experience trauma related to caregivers sudden unemployment, food insecurity, illness, or having spent months in homes troubled with abuse, addiction, or other dysfunction. Welcoming back anxious, depressed, traumatized, and grief-stricken children is an overwhelming prospect. But schools should start planning now to support all students emotional needs and wellbeing. An instructive paradigm for this process comes from the Brookline Center for Community Mental Healths Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition (BRYT) program supported by the Ruderman Family Foundation. After more than 15 years of experience successfully helping students return to school after prolonged mental-health related absences, BRYT offers a framework for schools to use in this upcoming transition. Schools have the opportunity to adopt an individualized approach for students, all of whom will return to the classroom from different places both emotionally and academically. The sudden pivot to remote learning is spawning extraordinary creativity in terms of reaching and supporting students as individuals. Rather than adopting universal solutions, schools can implement individual plans for each student that integrate academics with social-emotional learning, mental health, and care coordination. Then, when relevant, they can group students based on shared assets and needs. Family support is also critical. Parents and caregivers have been absolutely heroic, and absolutely exhausted, by this initial social distancing experiment. They are now daily frontline educators and medical providers as they struggle to hold onto jobs (or wrestle with unemployment), keep food on the table, and take care of themselves and their loved ones. Parents long for the days of putting children on the bus each weekday morning and reconnecting again at the end of the day, with schools responsible for the time in between. With the resumption of such routines still uncertain, parents need ongoing support. New rituals and routines should support students and parents emotional needs. With smaller numbers of students in classrooms and major events like games, concerts, plays, and assemblies likely to be dramatically reduced, school leaders will not be able to rely on the activities and extracurriculars that have previously defined the school experience. Schools can promote and build wellness by integrating mental health hygiene activities, including mindfulness and other forms of self-care, into school programming. Further, summertime professional development students mental health will enable staff to effectively implement these new visions. Returning to school will be uncertain and difficult. Our children are depending on us, so lets begin planning today. Sharon Shapiro is a Trustee and Community Liaison for the Ruderman Family Foundation. The Foundation works to support teens and college-age students with mental health by raising awareness and organizing programming with local institutions. Dr. Henry White, MD, is Clinical Director, The Brookline Center for Community Mental Health. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: The killing of Burhan Wani in July 2016 was a watershed moment in the cycle of militancy-related violence in Jammu and Kashmir. The new age militancy had arrived, and its poster boy represented a casualty figure whose unraveling reached yet another milestone in June this year: the month was the deadliest in terms of militant casualties. Most of these causalities were reported from south Kashmir which continues to be a militant hotbed as these figures reveal. Also, the number of militants killed in June is more than the figures in five months post scrapping of Article 370 on August 5 last year. Only 28 militants were killed in August-December 2019 as the top focus of security forces shifted from anti-militancy operations to maintaining law and order. However, June saw 22 militancy-related incidents, including 19 encounters, a hit-and-run attack on forces and two civilian killings, including that of a Kashmiri Pandit sarpanch. In these incidents, 52 militants, three civilians and two CRPF jawans were killed. Of the 19 encounters, 15 took place in four districts of south Kashmir 5 in Pulwama, 3 in Kulgam, 5 in Shopian and two in Anantnag. Most militants killed in June encounters were locals and belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. The Hizb took a massive blow as most slain militants belonged to it. Prior to June 2020, the highest toll of militants in a month was recorded in November 2018 when 40 militants were killed in gunfights with forces as a part of Operation All Out launched against militants in mid-2017 after a surge in militant violence post Burhan killing. The operation was meant to regain the ground in the worst-hit south Kashmir. Several local youth, many of them highly educated, joined the militant ranks after Burhans killing and were later killed in encounters. In June 2017 and October 2018, 30 militants each were killed in gunfights with security forces while in May 2019 and April 2020, 29 militants each were killed in encounters. Atul Goel, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police south Kashmir, told this newspaper that militants were killed because of better information and better intelligence. More information is coming. People are fed up with militancy and cooperating with the police, he said adding, People are now forthcoming and cooperating with police. Former Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid said killing of over 50 militants in a month is a big number. He said the rise in militant killings may be due to more intelligence being received by police and security forces. After the lockdown was imposed in the Valley following abrogation of Article 370 bycentre on August 5 last year, all communication modes were suspended. As the phones and internet was suspended, obviously there was less flow of information, Vaid said. The former DGP said since the lockdown was lifted, phones have been restored and 2G is also working, improving the human and technical intelligence of police and security agencies. I think the better human and technical intelligence is the main reason for specific information about militant whereabouts and subsequent encounters in which militants got killed, he said. LeT commander, 2 other militants gunned down SRINAGAR: Three militants including a LeT commander were killed in an encounter with security forces in Sopore are in north Kashmirs Baramulla district on Sunday, police said. One of the slain militants has been identified as Pakistani militant Usman, who was involved in a recent attack on CRPF pawrty in Sopore in which a CRPF jawan and a 65-year-old civilian were killed. If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think AB Dynamics (LON:ABDP) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on AB Dynamics is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.082 = UK8.9m (UK127m - UK18m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to February 2020). Therefore, AB Dynamics has an ROCE of 8.2%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Auto Components industry average of 8.8%. See our latest analysis for AB Dynamics roce Above you can see how the current ROCE for AB Dynamics compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering AB Dynamics here for free. So How Is AB Dynamics' ROCE Trending? Unfortunately, the trend isn't great with ROCE falling from 26% five years ago, while capital employed has grown 842%. Usually this isn't ideal, but given AB Dynamics conducted a capital raising before their most recent earnings announcement, that would've likely contributed, at least partially, to the increased capital employed figure. The funds raised likely haven't been put to work yet so it's worth watching what happens in the future with AB Dynamics' earnings and if they change as a result from the capital raise. Story continues On a side note, AB Dynamics has done well to pay down its current liabilities to 14% of total assets. So we could link some of this to the decrease in ROCE. What's more, this can reduce some aspects of risk to the business because now the company's suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of its operations. Some would claim this reduces the business' efficiency at generating ROCE since it is now funding more of the operations with its own money. Our Take On AB Dynamics' ROCE While returns have fallen for AB Dynamics in recent times, we're encouraged to see that sales are growing and that the business is reinvesting in its operations. And the stock has done incredibly well with a 729% return over the last five years, so long term investors are no doubt ecstatic with that result. So should these growth trends continue, we'd be optimistic on the stock going forward. If you want to continue researching AB Dynamics, you might be interested to know about the 3 warning signs that our analysis has discovered. While AB Dynamics isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets. 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. Not all cancers yield readily to treatment, but there are new ways to detect cancer early, and to treat it successfully. Representational Image Its amazing how medical technology has advanced. Half a century ago, for instance, cancer meant an almost certain death. Now, about a third of all cancer patients survive. Not all cancers yield readily to treatment, but there are new ways to detect cancer early, and to treat it successfully. A little further back, in the early 20th century, pernicious anaemia meant almost certain death. Towards the mid-1920s, it became treatable. Its exact cause was discovered in the 1950s: a deficiency of vitamin B12. Treatment was simple, effective, and inexpensive. Thereve been equally amazing advances in the treatment of diseases of the eye, for example. Sixty or seventy years ago, if you had a retinal detachment, the chances were that youd go blind. Today, methods are so advanced that fixing a detachment is almost a matter of routine. Its not just technology: there are outstanding doctors who used some of these inventions to good effect. Theres Christiaan Barnard, for example, who did the first heart transplant back in the 1960s... Doctors and technology have made huge differences to lives, but sometimes, in individual cases, theres also the matter of luck, sometimes dumb luck. Let me give you an example. It began in 1976, in Trivandrum, not long before my school exams. My parents were worried about the effect of all that swotting on my weak eyes: Id used spectacles since I was 10, and the lenses got thicker every year. My parents thought that contact lenses would reduce the eyestrain, and decided that I deserved a pair, which was good news, because it meant a good excuse to bunk school. The only place where you could check out contact lenses was the Government Ophthalmic Hospital, which we knew very well, thanks to those weak eyes. Dad and I went there one sunny morning, and bumped into a technician he knew. He told Dad to leave me with him and not to worry, so I found myself alone in the large, crowded waiting hall, with just enough money to get back home. Soon a lady doctor turned up, led me to a small chamber furnished with benches, put some drops in my eyes. Some 15 minutes, she inserted lenses into my eyes, and told me to wait awhile. With the lenses in place, I could see rather better, and I enjoyed that for a while. But then, Id been up half the night reading a new Alistair MacLean thriller, and the waiting was making me unbearably sleepy. Some minutes after the doctor left, I lay down on one of the benches and dozed off. When I woke, the world was blurred again. I had no idea what had happened to the contact lenses. I thought they might have fallen off while I slept, so I spent the next few minutes on my hands and knees, feeling the entire dusty concrete floor for those fragile bits of glass, and despaired when I couldnt find them. When the doctor returned I told her Id lost the lenses. Perhaps she was new: she wasnt quite sure what to do so, she fetched help in the shape of an older lady doctor. This new doctor found the lenses at the sides of my eyes and retrieved them gently, all the while giving me a lecture on my irresponsible behaviour. When the lenses were safely out, she relented, perhaps because of my nerdy looks, and offered me a bit of advice: if I studied regularly, she said, I wouldnt have to lose sleep over exams. She saw my heavy spectacles, and continued, Hmmm! Let me have a good look at your eyes. She led me to a dark room with instruments with glowing lights and many handles and levers. After a longish inspection, she shut off everything and led me back to the room with the benches. You need some minor surgery in both eyes, she said, but we cant do it here. Youll have to go to Madras for it... Its nothing very serious, but you have to get it done. Come back tomorrow with your father. Ask for me. My name is Mary Kuriakose. Next day, she spoke almost exclusively to Dad. Your sons retina has weak spots, she said, but we can strengthen those. One Dr Badrinath in Madras will do it. Hes got his exams coming up, Dad said. Can it wait until after that? She smiled. Itll have to, she said. Youll have to wait at least two months for your appointment. She handed Dad a letter referring me to Dr Badrinath. Write to him immediately. Dr Badrinath, was a large, reassuring man with an American accent. He took the time to explain the problem to me, and not just to Dad, and the procedure went off smoothly. One round of treatment wasnt enough, and, over the next few years, it was repeated several times. Meanwhile, technology kept progressing. By the 1990s, retinal detachments could be treated with a good chance of success, much better than in the late 1980s. And so, when I had a retinal detachment last year, fixing it was a routine operation, something that wouldnt have been possible a quarter of century ago. Then, earlier this year, my friend Dr Kamath found that the cataract in the good eye needed to be removed, and did so late in June. As this goes to press, Im still recovering from this round of surgery, and, with any luck, wont need any more. So, Im grateful to dumb luck. If I hadnt gone to sleep in that waiting room nearly half a century ago, I wouldnt have seen Dr Kuriakose, and would probably have had my troubles before they could have been treated so smoothly. Im grateful to her, for starting this chain of events. So, from the bottom of my heart, heres to you, Dr Kuriakose. Wasnt he worried she would mess it up? Nope, he insisted. Its part of the art. It was just a moment. It was the vibe. The energy was so high. All the artists signed their work on the walls with their names and Instagram handles, and Ryan said he has been getting tagged by people all over the country whove seen his contribution on social media. Its a phenomenal, great response, he said. Hes grateful that his artwork can support Black Lives Matter and uplift people who believe in the cause but arent able to go out and protest. We are all in different situations, he said. But everybody can help this movement. A British pharmaceutical giant is preparing to launch human trials of an antibody treatment that could protect old and vulnerable people from coronavirus. Cambridge-based drugmaker AstraZeneca plans to test its three-minute infusion of antibodies immune cells trained to fight infections on 30 Britons next month. If it is proven to be safe then the therapy will be fast-tracked into large-scale trials on thousands of people in the autumn and winter, when Covid-19 cases are expected to rise. The treatment, described by Government scientists as 'very exciting', works by recreating the body's natural disease-fighting substances in a lab and injecting them into vulnerable patients. It is designed for people with immune systems so weak that conventional vaccines do not fully protect them. It would be suitable for those on chemotherapy and immunosuppressant drugs, or elderly patients who naturally struggle to fight off infections. Conventional vaccines prompt the body to produce its own antibodies in preparation for the real infection. But elderly people do not respond as well and develop less potent antibodies than young people. An antibody treatment to instantly provide protection against the coronavirus could be ready next year, according to the pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (stock image) AstraZeneca, which has already partnered with Oxford University to develop a separate Covid-19 vaccine, says the antibody treatment could shield people from catching the infection for six months. The therapy can also be used on people who are already infected to block the illness from progressing. Sir Mene Pangalos, who leads pharmaceutical discovery research at AstraZeneca, told The Times: 'There's a population who are elderly that [may not] get a particularly good immune response to the [conventional] vaccine. 'In those instances you might want to prophylactically treat those patients with an antibody to give them additional protection. WHAT ARE ANTIBODIES? Antibodies are substances produced by the immune system which store memories of how to fight off a specific virus. They can only be created if the body is exposed to the virus by getting infected for real, or through a vaccine or other type of specialist immune therapy. Generally speaking, antibodies produce immunity to a virus because they are redeployed if it enters the body for a second time, defeating the bug faster than it can take hold and cause an illness. An antibody test, which involves analysis of someone's blood sample, has two purposes: to reveal whether an individual has been infected in the past and may therefore be protected against the virus, and to count those people. Knowing you are immune to a virus - although whether people actually develop immunity to Covid-19 is still unknown - can affect how you act in the future. Someone may need to protect themselves less if they know they have been infected, for example, or medical staff may be able to return to work in the knowledge they are not at risk. Advertisement 'We're going to do this as fast as we can. Obviously we've got to show that you're safe but antibodies are well known entities it should be safe.' Sir Mene warned the treatment will likely cost double the amount of a standard vaccine and should be reserved for the sickest of patients. The treatment uses so-called monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which have been engineered in a laboratory and mimic antibodies naturally produced by recovered Covid patients. Monoclonal antibodies are already being used to treat tetanus, Ebola and diphtheria. Researchers from Vanderbilt University in the US evaluated more than 1,500 mAbs to find the two most effective at stifling Covid-19's spread. The two antibodies are given in combination via an injection. They work by binding to the coronavirus's spike proteins, which is uses to latch onto human cells, and preventing it from entering the body. A scientific adviser to the UK Government today described the new treatment as 'very exciting' and said it could prevent the sickest Covid patients developing severe complications. Professor Peter Openshaw, an immunologist at Imperial College London, told The Telegraph: 'I think it's potentially a very exciting form of therapy and the field has advanced quite remarkably over recent years in terms of the ability to produce antibodies in factories or in labs in bulk, that would be necessary for such a treatment to work. We do have to wait for some really good studies to demonstrate this.' A similar therapy is being trialled on dozens of Covid-19 patients in the US by New York-based firm Regeneron. The drugmaker has developed its own antibody cocktail using an antibody made in a lab and a second isolated from humans who recovered from the disease. Like AstraZeneca's treatment, it is designed so that its two antibodies bind to the coronavirus' spike protein, preventing the virus from latching onto human cells. Antibodies are proteins which are produced by the immune system in response to the presence of a foreign substance, like the coronavirus. This can take a number of days. Antibodies recognize and latch onto these substances, called antigens, in order to remove them from the body. The immune system remembers the antigen so that if a person is exposed to it again, it can produce antibodies quicker. It is not clear how long antibodies from the first infection last in the system providing some form of immunity. An injection of cloned antibodies would be made by taking genetic coding for Covid-19 antibodies and engineering clones in a lab in order to make mass quantities. Oxford University's jab, which is being trialled on more than 11,000 people, is the frontrunner to become the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. Professor Sarah Gilbert, the the world-renowned expert behind the vaccine, believes the jab will give protection the virus for several years at least. 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. But Professor Gilbert told MPs earlier this month 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. 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. Covid-19 vaccine could be ready within a year if trials are successful, leading UK research scientist reveals A vaccine for Covid-19 could be ready within a year if trials go well, a leading UK research scientist has sad. Professor Robin Shattock, who leads a team working to produce a vaccine at Imperial College London, said that enough of the vaccine would be available for every person in the UK if trials go 'really well'. There is no certainty that the vaccine being developed with work though as its effectiveness depends on the level of immunity needed to prevent infection, which makes chances of success difficult to predict. Professor Robin Shattock, who leads a team working to produce a vaccine at Imperial College London, said that enough of the vaccine would be available for every person in the UK if trials go 'really well' Speaking on Sky News' Sophie Ridge On Sunday, Professor Shattock said: 'So we anticipate if everything goes really well that we'll get an answer as to whether it works by early next year. 'And we have put in place the infrastructure to make that vaccine for the whole of the UK. 'So, assuming that the funding is there to purchase that vaccine, we could have that vaccine rolled out across the UK in the first half of next year.' 15 volunteers have already been given the trial vaccines and testing is expected to ramp up to include as many as 200-300 new participants in the coming weeks. 15 volunteers have already been given the trial vaccines and testing is expected to ramp up to include as many as 200-300 new participants in the coming weeks (file image) Professor Shattock told the programme: 'If you only need a very small amount of immunity, I suspect most of the vaccines that are being developed will actually work, but if you need a very strong immune response or particular quality of immune response, we'll see that actually it will be shaking out to some of these candidates. 'We hope we will be the candidate, one of the candidates, that is successful, but there's no certainty with any individual approach.' Another vaccine is also being developed at Oxford University and the combined efforts of both teams has left Professor Shattock feeling optimistic that a vaccine could be ready soon especially as the number of cases are falling. He said that the although there is no certainty that either the vaccine at Imperial or Oxford could not work, the likelihood of both failing he says is 'very low'. Professor Shattock said that any vaccine will have to be introduced cautiously because normal full trials will not have taken place (file image) However, given the importance of a vaccine and the pressure to develop one quickly, Professor Shattock said that any vaccine will have to be introduced cautiously because normal full trials will not have taken place. He said: 'I think the wire pressure is actually there's such a push to develop a vaccine that normally, we would study a vaccine for two years before we made it widely available to the general public,' he told the programme. 'And of course, we won't have two years of safety for this vaccine or any of the vaccines that are being developed. 'And so they still will need to be introduced very cautiously, with long-term follow up, as that pressure to get a vaccine in and to get economies up and running is really very strong.' It is still too soon to declare that Mercedes' 2020 car is clearly faster than the Red Bull, according to Toto Wolff. "We haven't seen the real Mercedes yet. But we haven't seen the real Red Bull either," the Mercedes team boss said after Lewis Hamilton won from pole on Sunday. "Max (Verstappen) was not in clear air and he finished the race with a damaged car," he added. However, a downbeat Verstappen said simply on Sunday that his 2020 car was "too slow". But Hamilton is not getting carried away. "Red Bull could be very strong with its short car in Hungary," he said, while Wolff admitted that expected hotter temperatures are "another weak point of ours". Dr Helmut Marko, though, thinks Red Bull-Honda is simply lacking power. "We have seen that the Mercedes engine made the difference today," he said. "We are losing a lot on the straights." The Red Bull official is therefore hoping for a better showing in Hungary this weekend. "There is only one long straight there and the rest is corners," said Marko. "That makes it a better circuit for us, I think. "The temperatures in Budapest will also work in our favour." As for Ferrari, the Italian team plunged into what Tuttosport describes as a "dark crisis" over the two weekends in Austria, made even worse by Charles Leclerc driving into Sebastian Vettel on Sunday. "The performance was catastrophic," Ralf Schumacher told Sky Deutschland. "If they had gone to the finish, I doubt they would have been in the points. "It's a bad situation," the former F1 driver added. "I doubt Mattia Binotto will get much sleep tonight." (GMM) The Lincoln Project is a political action committee created last year, allegedly for the sole purpose of preventing the re-election of Donald Trump. Their inaugural op-ed in the New York Times last year proclaims, We are Republicans and We Want Trump Defeated. According to their mission statement, their goal is to elect Democrats with a shared fidelity to the Constitution despite their many policy differences. While they seem to have no problem finding Democrats who concur with their ads, any significant differences between these self-identifying Republicans and the Democrat party remains to be seen. Their most famous Facebook ad, Mourning in America is so dishonest that even the liberal moderators of Facebook have slapped on a warning label. Their rebuttal to this warning is nothing short of comical: "Facebook states that their censorship is the result of a Politifact claim that the Mourning in America ad is 'false.' However, Politifact's 'grade' is based on incorrect and misleading information. Politifact cites the CARES Act as the reasoning behind their tag of 'False,'" the statement says. "The Lincoln Project does not cite the CARES Act as the basis of the claims in our ad. We cite Bloomberg Businessweek, Common Dreams, NBC, Rolling Stone and a list of other reputable sources that back up The Lincoln Project's claim." One of these reputable sources recently settled a multimillion dollar lawsuit over a thoroughly discredited story about a gang rape at the University of Virginia. Most tellingly, all four of these reputable sources lean to the left, according to website Media bias fact/check. In fact, two of them are about as leftist as you can get, but you do not need a fact checker to figure this out: Common Dreams mission statement claims share the progressive values of social justice, human rights, equality and peace of its readers. Political Action Committees are organized for the sole purpose of persuasion, so like politicians, they often tell half-truths and sometimes even lie. But not all lies are equal, and that lying about little things like crowd size is not as bad lying about more consequential things like the events surrounding the deaths of four brave Americans in a third-world hellhole. Having said that, one of the worst forms of deception is intellectual dishonesty. By calling themselves Republicans, the organizers of the Lincoln Project want to create the impression that they are real conservatives and that Donald Trump (who has done more than any president since Reagan to appoint originalist judges and restore federalism) is a somehow clear and present danger to the Constitution. As expected, the mainstream media is pushing this narrative. While some organizers of the Lincoln Project may still belong to the Republican party, there is nothing conservative about them. How long has this been going on? Shortly before the election of Barack Obama in 2008, the late Washington Times columnist Tony Blankley wrote about a new type of Republican that emerged in reaction to the New Deal of the 1930s. Blankley called them me-too Republicans. He then went on to describe them as a pathetic breed of spineless, protect-your-career-at-any-cost Republicans enamored with growing the government, and convinced that they could do it better. Blankley then proceeded to list columnists Peggy Noonan, David Brooks, Chris Buckley, David Frum, and Kathleen Parker as their modern-day equivalents, and attributed their contempt for Sarah Palin to cultural snobbery and fear. Blankley then went on to suggest that Noonan may have seen the writing on the wall, and unconsciously feared that someone like Palin would lead a conservative movement that would render them irrelevant. Blankley was spot on: Eight years later we got Donald Trump and every last one of these me-too Republicans became a #NeverTrumper. The Lincoln Project has not only set its sights on Donald Trump, it now targeting all senatorial Republican who failed to cast a vote for impeachment, including moderates like Susan Collins. In effect these disgruntled Republicans are also happy to see Republicans lose all control of Congress as long as every vestige of the grassroots movement the brought Trump to the White House is eliminated. I liken this to a spoiled brat who burns down the clubhouse after not getting his way. According to a statement on the Lincoln Project homepage, defeating Trump will allow the country to heal its political and psychological wounds. Trump did not divide America. He just pointed it out. Blaming Trump for Americas current state of division is as ludicrous as blaming Jews for anti-Semitism, and the notion that this group can play any constructive role in uniting America is laughable in view of Rick Wilsons profound contempt for people that voted for Trump and his publicly expressed desire to see Melania Trump infected with COVID-19. It might seem ironic for such a hate-filled super PAC to bear the name of the president who famously proclaimed, with malice towards none as the Civil War was winding down. Then again, this might be an indicator of their lack of self-awareness and inflated sense of moral superiority. The same kind of chutzpah that emboldened an outgoing administrations inner circle to illegally spy on its successor, and proceed to lie in order to destroy the life of a decorated four-star general who knew too much. What hath pride wrought? Antonio Chaves teaches biology at a local community college. His interest in economic and social issues stems from his experience teaching environmental science. His older articles with graphs and images are available here. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency responded to three serious incidents on the water in middle Tennessee on Saturday. In Hickman County, District 22 officers responded to a drowning call on the Duck River around 11:30 a.m. A fisherman wading the river reportedly lost his footing and was pinned underwater against a tree. TWRA officers assisted Centerville Fire Fighters, using a jet boat to aid emergency personnel in the recovery. The Hickman County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation. On Percy Priest Lake, District 21 officers responded to a CPR in progress call at Four Corners Marina boat launch for a male who fell from a pontoon boat around 5:15 p.m. Preliminary findings is that the 77 year old man had just launched his pontoon boat when the engine would not crank. The man somehow ended up in the water where he was rescued by bystanders who performed CPR until EMS arrived. As of 6 p.m. Saturday, the man was in critical condition at Southern Hills Medical Center. At Tims Ford Lake, District 22 officers responded to a drowning call around 12:15 p.m. Officers learned that a man in his 50s voluntarily jumped from a pontoon boat near Wiseman Bend in Franklin County, and was missing. A remote operated vehicle was used by TWRA investigators, however standing timber complicated the search, which was suspended after dark. The search resumed and on Sunday the body of Anderson L Clark III, 48, from Tullahoma, was recovered after an exhaustive search, his body was located by a TWRA underwater remotely operated vehicle and recovered by divers from the Franklin County Rescue Squad. A major Taliban attack on the offices of Afghanistans main intelligence agency has killed at least 11 security personnel and wounded dozens of others, mostly civilians. A group of militants detonated a car bomb at the entrance of the National Security Directorate (NDS) offices in Aybak, the capital of the northern province of Samangan, and then stormed the building. Provincial Governor Abdul Latif Ibrahimi told RFE/RL that the ensuing hours-long gunbattle ended with the death of all four attackers. Ibrahimi said all 11 government personnel killed in the clashes were members of the NDS. He said 63 people, mostly civilians, were wounded in the attack. Mohammad Hashim Sarwari, deputy chief for the provincial council, said a suicide car bomber targeted the NDS office and the blast was a signal for other Taliban fighters to storm the building. The Taliban routinely stages such complex attacks on government targets in urban centers. Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, claimed both the bombing and the subsequent attack. The attack came as the Taliban intensified attacks in northern Afghanistan. On July 12, the Taliban attacked checkpoints in northern Kunduz Province, killing at least 14 members of the Afghan security forces, according to Esmatullah Muradi, a spokesman for the provincial governor. Overnight, local officials also accused the Taliban of attacking several security checkpoints, killing seven personnel in the northeastern province of Badakhshan and four in the northern province of Parwan. A peace deal signed by the Taliban and the United States in February calls for direct negotiations between the militant group and the Western-backed government in Kabul aimed at putting an end to the nearly two-decade-old war in Afghanistan. The Taliban and government forces have been exchanging accusations over a recent surge in attacks across Afghanistan -- even as efforts continue to try and bring about the start of direct peace talks between Kabul and the militants. Mujahid on July 12 accused the government of delaying the start of talks, saying the militant group was "left with no option but to continue the war." President Ashraf Ghani warned on July 6 that the spike in violence posed a "serious" threat to the peace process with the Taliban. With reporting by Reuters, dpa, AP, and AFP Corona Life, a new series aimed at increasing education about the novel coronavirus and reducing stigma, will start streaming online from tomorrow Tuesday, July 14. The series, which is produced by inGenius Africa led by respected film-maker, Kwame Boadi, will stream on online portals of the Graphic Communications Group Limited and Kente TV twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. Actors Gloria Osei Sarfo and Mikki Osei Berko play the lead roles in Corona Life. Gloria plays a wife who is COVID-19 savvy and strictly adheres to all the prescribed safety protocols while her husband, Mikki, is COVID-unwise and refuses to observe the protocols, eventually contracting the virus. The series is sponsored by the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources which aims to demystify coronavirus, increase education, and also help reduce stigma. It will answer questions on what it means to be quarantined or isolated and recovery. Motivation In an interview, the producer and director, Kwame Boadi, explained what moved him to come up with the concept. As the pandemic evolved, it became a big thing and especially when we were in lockdown in Ghana, all the narrative around showed that the virus had come to stay. Without vaccines or a cure, it meant that we were going to have to live with the coronavirus. And as a creative I look at topical issues, challenges of the day and try to create something that can solve it. At InGenius we specialise in edutainment andi it was in that light that I thought of the concept. More so even now, at the peak of the pandemic, when I drive around I see lots of people not social distancing or wearing nose masks. I felt there was something needed which would sensitise people even more, drive home the safety precautions and how to go about life even with this virus in our midst, he said. Expectations So far 14 episodes of Corona Life have been shot and Kwame Boadi said he had enjoyed working with Gloria Osei Sarfo and Mikki Osei Berko, praising them for their professionalism. It's been a pleasure really. They are both consummate professionals who deliver when you tell them what you want. Plus, they have such great chemistry which we saw when their behind the scenes photos sparked a whole lot of hullabaloo on social media. Those photos were for set design in their onscreen home but Ghanaians thought the two were planning to tie the knot, he stated. Kwame Boadi expressed optimism that the show would achieve its aim and help Ghanaians to be cautious. We will be doing a lot of advocacy so much so that they become COVID-WISE advocates. We intend to leverage their following on and off social media to make this happen, he added. Apart from streaming online, Akan versions of Corona Life will show on Adom TV and UTV. It will also air on Citi TV and TV3 with English subtitles. 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 Scientists studied the evolutionary history of the destructive crown-of-thorns starfish, the coral predator that is capable of wiping out entire coral reefs. The study helps us understand how their populations change with time, which may potentially help us mitigate the ecological damage they inflict. Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Graduate University (or OIST) scientists focused on the crown-of-thorns' evolutionary history. It is a species of starfish that preys on corals and has the potential to destroy coral reefs. The crown-of-thorns' large body is full of poisonous, spiky thorns. However, this is not the cause of their massive capability for ecological damage. The real danger lies in their ability to reproduce, having millions of eggs from only one spawning. This gives them the capacity to grow into uncontrollably huge numbers in just a short time and destroy vast coral reef areas equally rapidly. OIST Marine Genomics Unit leader and senior study author Noriyuki Satoh recounted the massive crown-of-thorns outbreak nearly four decades ago in Okinawa, where divers removed 1.5 million individual starfishes by hand. Together with tropical cyclones and coral bleaching, the starfish is currently becoming an increasing threat to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Outbreaks are now more severe and more common because increasingly warmer and polluted waters are favorable to the starfish larvae's survival. The OIST Marine Genomics Unit's latest study is published in the journal G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, where they determined if there is any information in the genomes of the starfish that can help illuminate the reason and method behind the outbreaks. The study involved the collection of crown-of-thorns starfish from the coral reefs surrounding three islands of the Ryukyu Archipelago, particularly Iriomote, Miyako, and Okinawa. They sequenced the mitochondrial DNA of three starfish species: the crown-of-thorns, the northern Pacific seastar, and the blue starfish. Comparing these three, the researchers determined if there is a feature that is unique to the crown-of-thorns. The researchers found that the crown-of-thorns' evolutionary tree supports the idea of complex regional ocean currents, as each crown-of-thorns lineage have been found in several geographic locations. This is important in predicting new outbreaks in the region of the Ryukyus. Because of this, scientists now advocate for a greater understanding of the area's ocean currents. The crown-of-thorns' evolutionary tree has a significant difference from the two other species, in that although it is a much younger species, only diverging later than a million years ago, its tree showed how it fragmented quickly into five lineages. This data suggests the starfish experienced genetic bottlenecks often, where its population dwindled radically, then jumpstarting a new lineage afterward. According to Professor Satoh, this implies how outbreaks of crown-of-thorns are a part of a population cycle characterized as 'boom and bust,' suggesting that crown-of-thorns populations tend to overeat coral so that they use up all food sources and begin to die off. For future research, the Marine Genomics Unit will collaborate with researchers from Australia to analyze the populations of the crown-of-thorns in the Great Barrier Reef. This time, they aim not only to sequence mitochondrial DNA, but each starfish's entire genome, including the DNA from its nucleus. Satoh says that they hope to ultimately understand better the starfish's population trends and the part that ocean currents play in dispersing it and causing new outbreaks. It will help them predict and hopefully mitigate these future outbreaks. At least 66 children have ended their lives in Kerala since the COVID-19 lockdown began on March 25 with youngsters facing stress unable to bear the unprecedented situation where schools are shut and friends are out of reach to share their woes. According to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, there has been an increasing instances of suicidal tendencies among children in the state due to various reasons, including parents scolding them over mobile phone use and failure to attend online classes. This has prompted the government to launch a tele-consultation facility for children facing stress and also cautioning parents against hurting their sentiments while being concerned about welfare of their wards. It has also ordered a study into the issue. "Among the children an increasing instance of suicidal tendency is being witnessed which will become an extremely serious social issue. Since March 25, when the national lockdown was imposed, 66 children, below 18 years of age, have ended their lives due to various reasons", Vijayan said. A mother scolding their child for not attending the ongoing online classes, or a parent questioning a child for downloading a sleazy video on the smart phoneor the constant rift between the parents were among the reasons which triggered the suicidal tendency, he said on Saturday. As the schools have not yet re-opened due to the lockdown, the children are unable to meet their friends and share their problems. Vijayan said though the parents were intervening keeping in mind their child's welfare, it was essential to ensure that the young minds were not hurt in the process. To help the children facing issues relating to mental pressures, 'Chiri'atele-counselling initiative has been started by the government under its Our Responsibility to Children Programme (ORC), a planned community intervention that connects with people between the age of 12-18 years. The state health department has also launched "Ottakalla Oppamundu" (You are not alone,we are with you) programme to help children facing any kind of mental distressand to prevent the suicidal tendencies among them. Health Minister K K Shailaja said under the psychosocial support assistance, her department has so far reached out to 68,814 children and 10,890 children have been given counselling. The changes in the behaviour of their children should be noted by the family members and if they find something amiss, the district psychosocial help desk should be informed, she said. A 15-member team of Students Police Cadets will be constituted in each of the 14 districts to help the children needing any assistance,police sources said. Education should not be a competition, but a means to gain knowledge, Vijayan said. A society's future lies with the children and it is the duty of the society and the government to ensure their physical and mental well being. Taking a serious view of the situation, the state government has constituteda committee headed byFire and Rescue Services DGP R Sreelekha to conduct a study on child suicides in the state. The aim of the ORC was also to create a multi collaborative platform for government and professional agencies, parents and teachers to equip youth with appropriate know-how to face challenges, officials said. By PTI KOLKATA: National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has provided credit support of Rs 1,607 crore to West Bengal during the COVID-19 pandemic so far, an official said on Monday. Besides the bank's normal refinance schemes, this is a special liquidity support measure as the pandemic and the lockdown have severely affected the rural economy, a NABARD official said. A smooth credit flow will provide support to the farming sector for sustaining agricultural and allied operations during the post-harvest Rabi crops and ongoing Kharif season, he said. The help was provided through state cooperative banks, regional rural banks and micro-finance institutions, he said. Of the total credit flow, Rs 145 crore was given under the Rural Infrastructure and Development Fund (RIDF) to boost infrastructure in the country-side during the pandemic. The official said that Rs 292 crore was also provided to the West Bengal government for promoting micro-irrigation schemes among the small and marginal farmers, especially in the dry districts of the state. During the current fiscal, the Centre has fixed the agricultural credit target at Rs 15 lakh crore in addition to the expansion of the NABARD refinance schemes. Type a query into the Google search bar on a smartphone and there's a good chance the results will be dominated by . That stems from a decision in 2015 to test a fourth ad, rather than three, at the top of search results. Some employees opposed the move at the time, saying it could reduce the quality of Googles responses, according to people familiar with the deliberations. But the company brushed aside those concerns because it was under pressure to meet Wall Street growth expectations, one of the people said. By 2016, the extra marketing slot was a regular feature. Its one of the many ways the search leader has altered how it presents results since its early days. Another example is the pre-packaged information Google often displays in a box at the top of a page, rather than sending users to other websites. Phased in gradually over years, changes like these have gone largely unnoticed by legions of consumers who regularly turn to Google to call up information and hunt for bargains. The company says these changes support its mission to organize the worlds information and make it useful and accessible to everyone. But to many web publishers and other businesses that have historically relied on the internet giant to send users to their sites, Google's subtle tweaks have siphoned off vital traffic and made it harder -- and costlier -- to reach customers online. Debate over Google's influence is gathering intensity as US regulators prepare an antitrust case against the company in what will be one of the biggest legal clashes between the government and a corporation since the US sued Microsoft Corp. in 1998. Google controls about 85% of the US search market, and the changes its made have piled pressure on businesses to pay more to appear at the top of search results. Thats already a focus of regulators. Last year, David Cicilline, head of the House Subcommittee on Antitrust, asked Google if a 2004 statement from co-founder Larry Page that the company wants to get users out of Google and to the right place as fast as possible," still described its approach. In a written response, Google simply skipped the question. The government is wading into a complex business with many competing interests that Google must balance. Users want the best answers. Web developers need eyeballs. Shareholders demand growth. From the beginning, websites have tried to trick Googles algorithm into feeding them traffic, and they complain when the company cracks down. However, some web developers and advertisers say this balance has swung too far in Googles favor. In the early 2000s, the companys search engine offered a simple deal: Produce quality information and Google will send you traffic so you can make money showing ads. Reinvest some of that cash to make better experiences, and the web will grow, giving Google more territory to explore and organize. Our search results are the best we know how to produce. They are unbiased and objective," Page and co-founder Sergey Brin wrote when the company went public in 2004. Ads would be few, helpful and unobtrusive, they said. This deal has been slowly changing, though. A turning point came in June 2019. That was when more than half of searches kept users on Google for the first time, rather than sending people to other sites through a free web link or an ad, according to data from digital marketing company Jumpshot. Weve passed a milestone in Googles evolution from search engine to walled-garden," said Rand Fishkin, who has advised businesses on how to work with Googles search engine for nearly two decades. They used to be the good guys." On smartphones, the change has been more pronounced. From June 2016 to June 2019, the proportion of mobile searches that led to clicks on free web links dropped to 27% from 40%. No-click searches, which Fishkin says suggests the user found the information they needed on Google, rose to 62% from 56%. Meanwhile, clicks on ads more than tripled, Jumpshot data show. When the search engine can give straightforward answers and save users a click, it will do that, and some sites have embraced this as a new way to gain traffic, according to Danny Sullivan, public liaison for Googles search team. The company knows the best information is coming from the web" and it wants to support the ecosystem, he added. Google also argues that ads keep the search service free for users and are confined to the small percentage of queries that suggest someone is looking to buy something. In some cases, Google pays to summarize other companies content. Sports scores are one example, according to a May 20 blog post. The company is also planning to pay select media outlets in a news service later this year. But Google doesnt think everyones content is worth paying for. Mike Moloney runs FilterGrade, a marketplace for custom filters photographers use to edit their work. He gets most of his traffic from articles on his website, such as lens reviews and camera-related top 10 lists. Recently, he noticed Google pulling photos and text straight off the site and showing it at the top of search results. Theres a link to Moloneys company at the bottom of the section, but clicking on any of the photos brings the searcher to another Google page full of shopping ads for film stock. None of these ads are related to, or benefit, FilterGrade -- unless Moloney chooses to pay Google for placement. Theyre doing a good job of making it subtle, almost like its an accident half the time," Moloney said. When Moloney tweeted his frustration in April, Google's Sullivan said the company would review the practice. Several months later, the situation remained the same. It's often unclear who owns content online, especially when it's relatively easy to scrape information from one site and re-purpose it quickly on a new web page. But even when ownership is not in dispute, Google's combination of direct answers and extra ads has pushed free links to sites further down the search results page. Fishkins former colleague, Pete Meyers, has been testing the same list of 10,000 search terms for years. On average, users now have to scroll down twice as far to find the first organic free link, compared with 2013. This has been the slowest but most consistent march in tech," venture capitalist Bill Gurley wrote on Twitter last year. If you are still holding out hope for a SEO strategy you must be intentionally ignoring all of the data in front of you," he added, referring to search engine optimization, a popular way of improving websites to rank higher in Googles free results. While businesses struggle to adjust, Googles revenue and profit have surged. In 2009, the company generated sales of $24 billion and profit of $6.5 billion. Last year, parent Alphabet Inc. reported $162 billion in revenue and $34 billion in net income. The Search business alone brought in almost $100 billion in sales. Much of that growth has come from adding more ads. On mobile phones, ads now take up the entire first screen for some searches. In 2015 and early 2016, when the company tested adding a fourth ad to the top of search results, there was push-back from some employees, according to people familiar with the situation who asked not to be identified discussing internal debates. The main concern was that the fourth ad was often lower quality than the first free web link right below, one of the people said. Google dismissed those worries and went ahead with the fourth ad slot because it was under pressure to keep revenue and profit growing to meet analysts expectations, this person added. Google said it removed an ad slot on the side of the page when it added the fourth ad on top, leading to a lower number of overall ads for highly commercial queries." Fewer than 2% of all searches result in four or more text ads on the first page, according to the company. Kevin Hickey, chief executive officer of Online Stores Inc., said these changes have forced him to spend more on Google search ads to keep traffic flowing to his e-commerce businesses. More than a decade ago, about two-thirds of Hickeys Google traffic came from free, or organic, listings. But as Google increased ad slots to the top of results, that mix flipped. Organic results account for about 20% of visitors to his sites now, and he spends about 10% to 15% of his revenue on Google ads. He has raised prices, but his profit margins have shriveled. The prices that consumers are paying are now higher because of Googles business model," Hickey said. Google doesnt have a responsibility to pad the bottom lines of for-profit businesses. But one of the internets most beloved not-for-profit services has been caught up in this, too. Wikipedia pages were some of the first that Google mined to answer search queries directly. The company would often fail to credit the digital encyclopedia clearly, leaving Wikipedia managers wondering if they were Google partners or simply bystanders, according to a person familiar with the situation. The concern inside Wikipedia is that its relevance will slip away the more its content is read in other places. The thousands of volunteers who write and edit the sites articles may stop contributing if they see their hard work benefiting a trillion-dollar corporation instead of a non-profit, this person said. They asked not to be identified to preserve their relationship with Google. We regularly consider the impact of third-party use of Wikipedias information, especially as the public increasingly consumes content outside our sites," a Wikipedia spokeswoman said. Weve worked with Google over the years to improve the way they credit content from Wikipedia in the knowledge panel so that the public clearly knows when theyre reading information from Wikipedia." Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Armenian defense ministry spokesperson said that Azerbaijanis have resumed resume provocative actions in the morning. "After two-three hours of pause, in the morning the opponent resumed the provocative actions, continuing to shell in the direction of the Armenian positions. The Armenian armed forces gave an adequate response. It is not ruled out that the number of the losses of opponent will increase," Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan wrote on her Facebook. At around 12:30 pm on Sunday, the servicemen of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces attempted to violate the state border of the Republic of Armenia, in the direction of Tavush Province, and with an UAZ-model vehicle, Shushan Stepanyan, spokesperson for the defense minister of Armenia, wrote on her Facebook page on Sunday. "After the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani servicemen returned to their position, leaving the UAZ-model vehicle behind. At 1:45 pm, the servicemen of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces repeatedusing artillery firethe attempt to seize the border position of the Armenian Armed Forces, but were suppressed by the Armenian side and driven back, suffering casualties. There are no casualties on the Armenian side," she added. There is a sharp decline in the wearing of nose masks in the Bono Region, contributing to rapid spread of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the region, a survey conducted by the Regional Directorate of Health Services has indicated. According to the survey conducted in June this year, about 60 per cent of the populace wear nose masks, as against the 78 per cent, recorded in a similar survey by the Directorate in May. Dr Kofi Amo-Kodieh, the Acting Bono Regional Director of Health, who made this known, advised Ghanaians to wear the nose masks to protect themselves and people around them, so as to stem the spread of the pandemic. Addressing a press conference in Sunyani, Dr Amo-Kodieh said COVID-19 education had still not gone down well with many people, and appealed to the media to help scale-up public education on the viral disease. He also advised the general public to promote personal and good environmental hygiene, saying research had showed the virus disease could also be transmitted through faecal matter. Taxi and other commercial drivers in the region are not helping us in the fight against the disease. Many of them have created holes in their nose masks, just for their comfort and to outwit the Police, he said. Dr Amo-Kodieh said the region had recorded 96 confirmed cases, adding as at July 7, 2020, there was a total of 2,949 suspected cases of COVID-19 in the region. He said with the exception of Dormaa West, Dormaa East and Tain Districts, all the remaining six Municipalities and three Districts had recorded COVID-19 confirmed cases with Wenchi Municipality recording the highest of 42 cases. Dr Amo-Kodieh called for strict enforcement of the Presidents COVID-19 directives to stem the spread of the viral disease in the region. He said the Directorate and its partners would heighten surveillance and scaled-up precautionary measures in areas without confirmed cases. 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 First Minister Arlene Foster has joined the Orange Order in calling on those still planning to celebrate the Twelfth to do so safely at home. Although some individual bands are planning to hold parades today, large demonstrations have been called off because of the risk of Covid-19. The First Minister acknowledged it would be a "difficult" year but urged all those planning to attend the individual parades to remember social distancing guidelines. "I think it is important to remember why we have the socially distanced guidelines in place, they're there to protect the community, they are there to protect our families and elderly relatives," Mrs Foster said. She urged people not to be swayed into ignoring restrictions following the scenes of crowds in Belfast last month at the funeral of republican Bobby Storey. "I know that people are frustrated when they saw the scenes in west Belfast and they say, 'Hold on, if that can happen there, why can't I do it?', but you have to remember you can't just fall below the standard required of the community just because others do it. "I am appealing to people to celebrate the Twelfth absolutely, but to do at home and in a way that protects our community. "Everybody has a responsibility to show leadership and I very much hope that not just DUP members but everyone who is celebrating the Twelfth does so in a way that respects the social responsibility and indeed respects the coronavirus regulations and the guidance." The message has been backed by Health Minister Robin Swann and Grand Master of the Orange Order, Edward Stevenson. Instead of the usual mass parades in towns across Northern Ireland, a number of bands have indicated they will stage small parades, aiming to bring the music and colour to the doors of the community. Although the Orange Order has cancelled its summer parades along with the Royal Black Preceptory and Apprentice Boys of Derry, the Parades Commission has been notified of more than 250 parades over the July 11-13 period. TUV leader Jim Allister urged those planning to celebrate to do so in a peaceful and dignified manner. "This Twelfth, for one year, it is necessary to forgo many of the traditional celebrations," he said. "The Orange Order recognised this at an early stage in the pandemic, and across the country, individual bands are making a special effort to bring some of the sight and sound of the Twelfth to people's homes by socially distancing parading of many estates. These responsible decisions are to be commended. "While there has been precious little recognition of the sacrifices loyalists across Northern Ireland have made for the public good, any failure to comply with the regulations will be seized on by our opponents and used to excuse the disgraceful scenes at the funeral of Bobby Storey. "Nothing would please Sinn Fein more than to be able to point at the conduct of loyalists over the next few days." She's been making the most of lockdown travel restrictions lifting and enjoying a girls' getaway to Ibiza. And Francesca Allen proved she's her own best advert as she modelled bright orange swimwear from her In The Style collection on Monday. The Love Island star, 24, showed off her gorgeous curves in a cut out number which showed off her toned abs. Eye popping: Francesca Allen proved she's her own best advert as she modelled a bright orange one-piece from her In The Style collection while soaking up the sun in Ibiza on Monday The reality TV personality also uploaded another sultry snap in a skimpy bikini in the same eye popping shade of tangerine. Francesca flaunted her deep tan in the gorgeous snaps as she posed while surrounded by greenery. The brunette beauty wore her dark hair in beachy waves around her shoulders and kept her makeup bronzed and dewy as she worked her best angles. Bronzed: The Love Island star, 24, showed off her gorgeous curves in the cut-out number which showed off her toned abs Francesca has been enjoying Ibiza's nightlife after arriving on the party island last week with fellow Love Island alum Georgia Steel and Elma Pazar. Francesca and Georgia also hit the beach last Tuesday to help celebrate their pal Elma's birthday. The boutique owner looked phenomenal in a sizzling green triangle bikini as she joined Georgia, 22, who was clad in a chic coral number for the jaunt. Sizzling: The brunette beauty also uploaded another sultry snap in a skimpy bikini in the same eye popping shade of tangerine Ahead of the trip, Francesca revealed she had 'blocked' Elma, who she starred with in the fifth season of Love Island last year, from her Instagram stories for a surprise. Francesca told how she nearly 'missed' her flight after her suitcase weighed in 3kg over the limit. Speaking on her platform, she said: 'Although, obviously, I only booked my case on for 20kg and I was 23 for five days.' Coromandel International and Soquimich European Holdings BV (SQM) have executed a Share Purchase Agreement on 10 July 2020 for acquisition of 50,00,000 equity shares of Rs. 10/- each constituting 50% of the total share capital of Coromandel SQM (India) (CSQM), for a consideration of Rs. 12 crore. On completion of the customary closing formalities and transfer of the shares in the name of the Company, which is planned to be completed before 31 July 2020, CSQM would become a wholly owned subsidiary of the 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.) The Ministry of the Interior and the Ghana Medical Association have congratulated Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, the former Minister of the Interior, on his 80th Birthday, which falls on Monday, July 13. The Interior Ministry said: We wish you more years and Gods blessings, good health, and look forward to more good counsel. Opanyin Dr Addo Kufuor, Afihyia Paaoo. Nyame nka wo ho. The Medical Association said: Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, as you celebrate your 80th Birthday, the Ghana Medical Association wishes you good health and long life. God Bless you now and always as you continue to serve the medical fraternity and the nation at large. These were in separate statements signed by Mrs Adelaide Anno-Kumi, the Chief Director of the Ministry of the Interior, and Dr Frank Ankobia, the President of the Ghana Medical Association, and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Monday. The following are the full texts of the statements: The Ministry of the Interior: Hon. Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor (MP) served as the Minister for the Interior under H.E, President John Agyekum Kufuor between 12th June, 2008 and 6th January, 2009 as the substantive Minister for the Interior. Prior to that appointment, he had also acted as the Minister for the Interior from 18th April, 2002 to 22nd April, 2003 whilst he was the substantive Minister of Defence. As the Minister of Defence and Acting Minister for the Interior, he set up the Special Joint Police/Military Highway Patrol Team to check armed robbery on the highways as well as check compliance to the highway codes in a bid to end fatalities on our roads. At the inauguration of this Special Joint Police and Military Highway Patrol Team, he had this to say. The team would check the unnecessary loss of lives on our roads and the unwarranted attack on innocent people along the countrys highways. Dr Addo Kufuor pursued his vision assiduously and to a logical end. The affable and hardworking Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuors tenure as the Minister for the Interior, though brief, saw some remarkable initiatives which culminated into enthusiasm and commitment from staff and personnel within the Ministry and its Agencies. His vision was to see to the expansion of the Police Hospital, but his brief stint as the Minister for the Interior did not see this vision materializing. As Minister for the Interior, he represented the country at several security and migration fora, both at home and abroad were he distinguished himself in particular and the sector as a whole. He led a delegation to the E.U. Africa Dialogue on Migration, Paris France in 2008, where he delivered a powerful speech on migration management. His warm personality, high sense of discipline and time consciousness is positive traits that Dr Addo Kufuor possessed. His impeccable sense of dressing and open door approach to work endeared him to all and sundry. His smile was infectious. Those of us who worked directly with him during his tenure, speak with fondness of the good relations he had with us and were looking forward to more of such until he resigned in January 2009 as Minister for the Interior in his bid to seek a higher office. We recall his handing-over ceremony was a solemn occasion. On behalf of the Minister for the Interior, Management, Staff and supporting staff, and Heads and Staff of all Agencies under the Ministry of the Interior, we say AYEKOO as you celebrate your 80th Birthday. We wish you more years and Gods blessings, good health and look forward to more good counsel. 'Opanyin Dr Addo Kufuor, Afihyia Paaoo. Nyame nka wo ho. HAPPY BIRTHDAY The Citation of the Ghana Medical Association: Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, Physician Specialist, was educated at Cambridge University and University College Medical School Hospital; United Kingdom, where he obtained MA MB BCHIR and MRCS (England). He did his post graduate training at the Middlesex Medical School Hospital, London, where he passed the MRCP (London) In 1975. He has worked in several hospitals in London and also at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Ghana. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London, a Fellow of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine, and a Fellow of the West African College of Physicians. For several years, he was a part time lecturer at the Medical School, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, where he worked at Kufuor Clinic, Kumasi. Aside the quality lectures he gave at KNUST, he supported Karle Bu Teaching Hospital as Member of the University of Ghana Medical School Council and Inspector of Examination: for the final year Bachelor of Medicine students. He was appointed by the Medical and Dental Council as a member of the board of examiners for foreign trained doctors applying to work in Ghana. It is commendable that most of these services were rendered free of charge, since he neither took salary nor any allowances from the University. Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor is a dedicated member of the Ghana Medical Association. His contributions to the Association and to medical practice in Ghana cannot be over-emphasised. In 1992, he was elected to serve at the highest office of the Association as President, a position he held for three years. He was the 13th President of the Association. He was subsequently conferred the highest honour of the Association as Fellow of the Ghana Medical Association. In October 2003, Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor, then as Minister of Defence of the Republic of Ghana, commissioned the new Ghana Medical Association building at Korle Bu. Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor was a Representative for West Africa on the Confederation of African Medical Associations. He was awarded the Gold Medal for distinguished medical practice by the Ghana Medical and Dental Council. He was awarded the Order of the Volta (Companion) by the Government of Ghana in recognition of his sterling contribution to health care in the country. Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor continues to play a key role in the activities of the Association to date. He contributed immensely to the Association securing at a competitive rate some SSNIT Flats at Borteyman in Accra and Asokore Mampong in Kumasi for its members. Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, as you celebrate your 80th Birthday, the Ghana Medical Association wishes you good health and long life. God Bless you now and always as you continue to serve the medical fraternity and the nation at large. 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 Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Monday said that Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot should come forward to hold talks with the top leadership about his grievances and assured that all problems will be addressed. IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and party general secretary KC Venugopal. Photograph: ANI Photo The senior leader, however, said that if the action of any MLA leads to harm to Congress government then it is simply not acceptable. "I consider Sachin Pilot as one of the most talented, competent and impressive Congressmen we have. He is a friend also. We all value him in the party. He should come and air his grievances, the floor is open. All people are prepared to listen to him," Singhvi said. "He may have genuine grievances but where I draw a red flag is that if you try to topple a government or hurt your own Congress party. I think everything except that red flag is accepted in the party. It's a capacious party. I urge, request, beg him to exercise that right," Singhvi added. He spoke of remarks by Congress leaders that Bharatiya Janata Party was behind the attempt to topple the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan. "The BJP today is known for this, from Goa to Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh to Nagaland and from Karnataka to Madhya Pradesh and now Rajasthan. There are disagreements, but they are used financially, in a corrupt fashion by the BJP. The BJP has time and again shown how they abuse power, which comes from wealth. There is evidence against two BJP members as well. Because Rajasthan is ruled by the Congress, therefore, it has come to the fore this time," Singhvi said. The senior Congress leader said that while any cause of disagreement was welcome within the party but "any attempt to topple a Congress government in the state would be not acceptable to anyone." He also said that the current situation in Rajasthan could not be compared to that of Madhya Pradesh, where recently the Kamal Nath led government lost majority with several of Congress MLAs joining the BJP. "Rajasthan is a completely different cup of tea than Madhya Pradesh. There was an unfortunate break-off in MP. In Rajasthan, the figures at the moment show a gap of at least 10-20 (MLAs), in terms of the majority with the Congress. I agree these things should be nipped in the bud and they are all discussable but if you allow your ambition, anger, dissatisfaction to be converted to a party-breaking, government toppling level then you are crossing a red flag and a boundary which nobody, including me, will accept," Singhvi said. 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. 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Dean, a spokesman for United Phoenix Firefighters Association, told Phoenix radio station KTAR FM. Phoenix Fire is the nations fifth largest fire department with 60 fire stations serving Arizonas largest city. As of Tuesday, the department had reported 62 positive COVID-19 cases among firefighters. Another 100 members out of 1,585 are currently quarantined during the testing process, awaiting their results and seven civilian members have also tested positive. Its challenging. In my 25 years of experience, Ive never seen anything like this, Dean said. Right now our service delivery model is supporting the loss of the folks we have, said Phoenix Fire Capt. Rob McDade. So weve built everything out to a doomsday scenario of staffing, were doing critical staffing, folks are working extra shifts, its all hands on deck right now for the Phoenix Fire Department. Every third day, city firefighters report to duty for at least 24 hours and share a fire station with a variety of people while sleeping, eating and living together. Dean said as many as 60 Phoenix firefighters have been taken off duty within a day because of a single exposure due to the environment they work in. That results in a mandatory quarantine for firefighters until they are tested and receive their results. Despite wearing full personal protective equipment, firefighters are still getting exposed and contracting coronavirus, which impacts their manpower. It wasnt until the re-opening when we started seeing our cases actually skyrocket, McDade said. Our numbers grew exponentially. We had multiple members at one station, then a few days later, we had another rash of multiple members at another station Were starting to stretch our numbers in our personnel, people working 48 to 72-hour shifts. McDade said two Phoenix fire stations have been deep cleaned with electromagnetic cleaners and the rest cleaned by members every day. They also have a COVID-19 decontamination protocol in place for their ambulances. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some especially older adults and people with existing health problems it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. According to KPHO-TV, Scottsdale Fire Department has had 14 of its 275 sworn personnel test positive for the coronavirus along with five Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department firefighters, six Chandler firefighters and 10 sworn personnel with Mesa Fire Department. The Phoenix Firefighters Association represents about 1,600 firefighters in the city. The union also has members from other fire departments including Glendale, Tempe, Chandler, Surprise and Peoria. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 00:27:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close - China is bracing for serious flooding in the area of Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province, as water level at the country's largest freshwater lake rose to 22.6 meters at 10 a.m. Monday, breaking the 22.52-meter record of 1998. - Jiangxi has made every effort to wrestle with the unfolding disaster, raising its flood-control response to the highest level on Saturday and mobilizing a wide range of resources to tackle flood risks. - Chinese leadership has called for the greatest efforts to ensure the safety of people's lives and property. - The Three Gorges Dam, the largest water-control system along the Yangtze River, has been used to ease the pressure at the middle and lower reaches of the river's main course. by Xinhua writers Zhang Zhaoqing, Wu Zhonghao and Lyu Qiuping NANCHANG, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China is bracing for serious flooding in the area of Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province, as water level at the country's largest freshwater lake remains high above alert level, amid ongoing torrential rains that have caused widespread flooding along the Yangtze River basin. The water level at the lake's key Xingzi hydrological station rose to 22.6 meters at 10 a.m. Monday, breaking the 22.52-meter record of 1998, and well above the alert level of 19 meters. Home to more than 46 million people, Jiangxi has been among the worst affected areas in recent weeks, as the Yangtze River basin witnessed floods following the heaviest average rainfall in decades. There has been unprecedented flooding along several rivers that lead into Poyang Lake, and the rising levels suggest that the overall situation is grim. Rescue team members transfer flood-stranded people with a rubber boat in Jingdezhen of east China's Jiangxi Province, July 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang) Jiangxi has made every effort to wrestle with the unfolding disaster, raising its flood-control response to the highest level on Saturday and mobilizing a wide range of resources to tackle flood risks. Chinese leadership has called for the greatest efforts to ensure the safety of people's lives and property. UNPRECEDENTED FLOODS Vice Minister of Emergency Management Zheng Guoguang said that since June, more than 38 million people across the country had been affected by floods, with 141 people dead or missing. Warning levels had been exceeded in a total of 433 rivers, mainly distributed in the basins of the Yangtze River and Taihu Lake, Zheng told a press conference, adding that the average precipitation in the Yangtze River basin since June is a record high since 1961. Poyang Lake is fed by several rivers within Jiangxi, and the lake's water then flows into the Yangtze River, China's longest waterway. The water then flows eastward to the sea. As a conjunction point, the lake functions to adjust the water levels of rivers during drought and flood seasons. Weeks of torrential rains have swelled rivers and lakes in Jiangxi, with several embankment breaches taking place, resulting in flooding on a scale not seen before. Rescuers build a temporary waterproof dike to stop the flood at Jiangjialing Village in Poyang County, east China's Jiangxi Province, July 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Haobo) The provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters said that 2,439 km of the 2,545 km of riverside and lakeside embankments in the province had seen water levels exceeding the warning marks. Poyang County, located next to Poyang Lake, has already seen no less than 14 of its levee sections breached. As of Sunday afternoon, floods since July 6 had disrupted the lives of over 5.5 million people in the province, with nearly half a million evacuated from flood-prone areas. A total of 183,000 people were in urgent need of living assistance, according to the headquarters. The floods damaged over 510,700 hectares of crops and caused a direct economic loss of 8.13 billion yuan (1.16 billion U.S. dollars). The headquarters predicted that a new round of rainfall would hit the region starting Tuesday. In Hubei Province, the Three Gorges Dam, the largest water-control system along the Yangtze River, has been used to ease the pressure at the middle and lower reaches of the river's main course. The outbound flow of water has been reduced by almost half to 19,000 cubic meters per second since July 7, withholding much of the floodwater in the Three Gorges reservoir, according to the Yangtze River water resources commission. The Ministry of Water Resources on Sunday raised the national emergency response for flood control from Level III to Level II, the second-highest in the country's emergency response system. Chen Tao, the chief weather forecaster at the National Meteorological Center, attributed the continuous rainfall to lingering and stable weather systems, which have kept the rain-belt stationary in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. "Compared with before, this year's rainfall was more intense and repeatedly poured down on the same region, which brought significant pressure on flood control," Chen said. PEOPLE FIRST Stories emerging from the scene of the flooding have shown the dangers faced by ordinary people, as well as the effectiveness of local efforts. On the evening of July 8, villagers in Guihu Village of Poyang County were stirred from their dreams by the sound of a gong being beaten. "Get out of the house! The floods are coming," screamed Huang Guolin, the village's deputy Party chief. Amid heavy rainfall, Huang dashed from his office when he received the order to evacuate the villagers. He went from door to door, notifying every single person. Over 9,000 villagers were evacuated to safe places in time before their residences were inundated by floodwaters running through a breach in a dike. A primary school in Poyang County had already been transformed into an emergency accommodation site, sheltering more than 500 residents. "Luckily, we still have hot dishes during such a difficult time," said Huang Shengxiang, 58, an evacuated villager who had just received two cooked dishes with meat and fresh vegetables. Volunteers and government workers distribute living materials to villagers at a temporary relocation site in Poyang County, east China's Jiangxi Province, July 9, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi) A storage room at the site was filled with food, drinks and disaster-relief materials, such as folding beds and blankets. People also had free access to boiling water. The Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) said Saturday that China had allocated 190 boats, 3,000 tents, 10,000 folding beds, 10,000 blankets and 20,000 quilts to Jiangxi to help with local flood control and disaster relief. A total of 615 million yuan of disaster-relief funds, allocated by the Ministry of Finance and the MEM, were channeled to flood-ravaged regions, including Jiangxi, Hubei, Anhui and Chongqing. IMPROVED FLOOD-CONTROL CAPACITY "In 1998, flood control relied heavily on human beings. It now turns to modern machines and advanced technologies for help," said Cheng Jianyi, a member of the expert group of the flood control and drought relief headquarters in Poyang County, who also joined in the disaster relief efforts during massive floods in 1998. China Anneng Group Second Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd., a construction corporation that participated in the embankment repair in the county, said it used modern technology to stem the dike breach on July 8. Radar was used to test the water velocity, while GPS was used to measure the water levels. On Sunday, more than 70,000 people were mobilized in fighting the floods in Jiangxi, aided by over 1,800 sets of mechanical equipment, according to the provincial headquarters. China has invested heavily in water-conservation projects to enhance its capability to withstand both droughts and flooding. Last year, the country spent a record 726 billion yuan on water-conservation projects. "We have poured a lot of money into strengthening the large dikes along the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake, but the small and medium-sized levees are still under-invested," said Xu Weiming, secretary-general of the Jiangxi provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters. (Xinhua reporter Fan Fan contributed to this story; Video reporter: Liu Bin, Yu Gang, Peng Jing; Video editor: Zhang Yichi) Job Title: Human Rights Officer Organisation: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (OHCHR) Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Job Opening Number: 20-Human Rights Affairs-OHCHR-138072-J-Kampala (X) Job Grade: P4 About UNHCR: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. UNHCRs mandate under the Statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is to lead and co-ordinate action for international protection to refugees; seek permanent solutions for the problems of refugees and safeguard refugee rights and well-being. UNHCR has an additional mandate concerning issues of statelessness, as it is given a designated role under Article 11 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Within delegated authority, the Human Rights Officer will be responsible for the following duties: Assists the Head of the Office in overseeing the execution of the Office work plan ensuring optimal use of resources allocated; ensure coordination and organisation among all programme areas; and supervise the daily activities of the Office; Assists the Head of Office to develop and coordinate an Office-wide strategy to promote the respect and protection of human rights in the country or region of assignment; Reviews, monitors and evaluates activities related to the implementation of international human rights instruments, including recommendations of treaty bodies and mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, in relation to the country or region of assignment; Prepares reports, documents, briefing notes, talking points and other written materials; Supports the work of Special Rapporteurs / Representatives / Experts / Working Groups and Treaty-Bodies, including in the preparation and conduct of field missions and the drafting of timely reports in relation to the country or region of assignment; Processes individual cases of alleged violations under existing thematic procedures; Evaluates the requirements for, plans and supports, long-term human rights presences in the country or region concerned; Works with UN and non-governmental programmes in the country of assignment to integrate human rights perspective, helps design and implements the human rights programme of the Office and organization and focus of the evaluation: Ensures up-to-date information regarding substantive matters in the field of human rights and makes recommendations on actions to take; Maintains contact with other sectors of the UN, other international organizations and government counterparts on coordination and policy matters; briefs representatives and provides, as appropriate suggestions and recommendations; Assists in the development and implementation of training programs in the field of human rights, international humanitarian law, democracy and the rule of law, with attention to gender perspectives; In consultation with the Head of the Office, coordinates work and administrative functions related to the staff, planning and budget; Trains and supervises new/junior staff; Performs other related duties as required Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal candidate for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (OHCHR) Human Rights Officer job opportunity should hold an advanced university degree (Masters degree or equivalent degree) in law, human rights, political science or international relations, social sciences or a related field. A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in human rights, international relations, law or related area is required. Experience in human rights monitoring is desirable. Experience working on human rights policies and programmes or diplomacy at national or regional levels is desirable. Experience in the Africa region is desirable. Languages: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable. Competencies Professionalism: Knowledge of and exposure to a range of human rights issues including, monitoring of human rights in the Africa region; approaches and techniques to identify and address legislative and institutional gaps with respect to human rights protection and promotion; assess and address the Governments needs for technical assistance and capacity building; develop effective mechanisms and methodologies for monitoring and reporting on human rights violations; integrate human rights into humanitarian responses and UN development plans and processes. Knowledge of and exposure to institutional mandates and the work of UN human rights mechanisms. Ability to evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources and assess impact on the human rights situation in the country, including the political environment and legal statutes as they pertain to human rights. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Judgment/Decision Making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary. How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested candidates who so desire to join the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the aforementioned capacity should endeavor to Apply Online by Clicking on the link below. Please further review job requirements and if competent Click Apply Now. Click Here Deadline: 16th July 2020 For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Secretary Blinken begins India visit today: Here is what is on the agenda At Global COVID-19 Summit, PM Modi says India has seen humanity as one family Will double down on efforts to secure Indias borders: US US remains Indias top trading partner India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 13: The US remained India's top trading partner for the second consecutive fiscal in 2019-20, which shows increasing economic ties between the two countries. According to the data of the commerce ministry, in 2019-20, the bilateral trade between the US and India stood at $ 88.75 billion as against $ 87.96 billion in 2018-19. The US is one of the few countries with which India has a trade surplus. The trade gap between the countries has increased to $ 17.42 billion in 2019-20 from $ 16.86 billion in 2018-19, the data showed. US goes past China in becoming Indias top trading partner In 2018-19, the US first surpassed China to become India's top trading partner. The bilateral trade between India and China has dipped to $81.87 billion in 2019-20 from $87.08 billion in 2018-19. Trade deficit between the two neighbours has declined to $48.66 billion in 2019-20 from $53.57 billion in the previous fiscal. The data also showed that China was India's top trading partner since 2013-14 till 2017-18. Before China, UAE was the country's largest trading nation. India is also considering certain steps like framing technical regulations and quality control orders for host of items with a view to cut import dependence on China and boost domestic manufacturing. Trade experts believe that the trend of widening trade ties between New Delhi and Washington will continue in the coming years also as both the sides are engaged in further deepening the economic ties. Presence of Indian diaspora in the US is one of the main reasons for increasing bilateral trade, Biswajit Dhar, professor of economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said. "Presence of Indian diaspora is creating demand for Indian goods such as consumer items and we are supplying that. A balanced trade deal will further boost the economic ties," Dhar said. India and the US are negotiating a limited trade pact with a view to iron out differences at trade front and boost commercial ties. Professor at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Rakesh Mohan Joshi said that although the trade pact will be mutually beneficial for both the countries, India should be a bit cautious while negotiating the pact with the US in areas such as agriculture, dairy and issues related intellectual property rights. Ludhiana-based Hand Tools Association President Subhash Chander Ralhan said there is huge potential to boost bilateral trade between the countries on account of increasing anti-China sentiment in both the nations. Rajasthan political crisis: Congress ready to talk to Sachin Pilot| Oneindia News "Because of the anti-China sentiment, several US companies are exploring news suppliers in countries like India to cut dependence on China and if it will happen, then it will greatly help India to boost exports to the US," Ralhan said. India is seeking relaxation in US visa regime, exemption from high duties imposed by the US on certain steel and aluminium products, and greater market access for its products from sectors such as agriculture, automobile, automobile components and engineering. On the other hand, the US wants greater market access for its farm and manufacturing products, dairy items, medical devices, and data localisation, apart from cut on import duties on some information and communication technology products. A Chattanooga man who was one of three men charged in connection with a July 4, 2016, shooting that left 31-year-old Natasha Jones with critical injuries is now facing federal charges. Dequan Kentrel Fuqua, 23, has been arrested by federal agents on a charge of possessing a firearm while under indictment for a felony. Fuqua is charged along with Antonio Watkins and Leuane Norris with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault in the 2016 case. Ms. Jones was in a car that was shot up around 2 a.m. She was able to drive herself to the hospital, though she had what were described as life-threatening injuries. Fuqua has been on bond awaiting the disposal of his state charges. He is set to appear back before Criminal Court Judge Barry Steelman on Monday of next week. A federal agent said on Thursday the Drug Enforcement Administration and Chattanooga Police executed a search warrant at 4683 Fall Creek Road. Numerous people were detained, including Fuqua. A white Chevrolet SUV was backed into the driveway. Warren Muir, who was one of those detained, said it was his rental. A small backpack was located in the front passenger seat. Inside were documents with Fuqua's name on it and a Glock 17 9mm pistol with an extended magazine. Fuqua said the gun was his and that he had purchased it two to three weeks earlier from "a white boy." More than 5.3 lakh recover from COVID-19; active cases at 2.9 lakh India PIB Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 2.4 lakh more Recovered Cases than Active Cases More than 19000 people recovered in the last 24 hours Testing per million reaches 8396.4 Posted On: 12 JUL 2020 3:20PM by PIB Delhi Focussed and coordinated steps taken in tandem by the Centre along with the States/UTs through a 'Whole of Government' approach, bolstered by effective clinical management of COVID-19 after early detection and timely diagnosis has led to a consistent increase in the recovered cases. In the last 24 hours, a total of 19,235 were cured of COVID-19. This has resulted in the cumulative total number of recovered cases among COVID-19 patients rising to 5,34,620 today. The recovery rate has presently improved to 62.93%. As more people are recovering due to all-round efforts, the recovered cases exceed active cases by 2,42,362. Medical attention is being provided to all the 2,92,258 active cases. The present health infrastructure dedicated to providing medical attention to the COVID affected includes 1370 Dedicated COVID Hospitals (DCH), 3062 Dedicated COVID Health Centres (DCHC), and 10334 COVID Care Centres (CCC). For the successful operation of these facilities, the Centre has so far provided 122.36 lakhs PPE Kits, 223.33 lakhs N95 masks, and 21,685 ventilators have been delivered to various States / UTs / Central Institutions. Enabling factors like removing all impediments for COVID-19 testing and facilitation of widespread testing by States/UTs continues to result in a steady rise in the samples tested every day; during the last 24 hours 2,80,151 samples have been tested. The cumulative number of samples tested, as of now is 1,15,87,153. As a result of these efforts, the testing per million for India is presently 8396.4. A crucial supporting factor in progressive rise in testing numbers is continuous expansion of the country-wide diagnostic lab network, which as on date comprises of 850 labs in the government sector and 344 private labs (total of 1194 labs). These include: Real-Time RT PCR based testing labs: 624 (Govt: 388 + Private: 236) TrueNat based testing labs: 472 (Govt: 427 + Private: 45) CBNAAT based testing labs: 98 (Govt: 35 + Private: 63) For all authentic & updated information on COVID-19 related technical issues, guidelines & advisories please regularly visit: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/ and @MoHFW_INDIA. Technical queries related to COVID-19 may be sent to technicalquery.covid19@gov.in and other queries on ncov2019@gov.in and @CovidIndiaSeva . In case of any queries on COVID-19, please call at the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare helpline no.: +91-11-23978046 or 1075 (Toll-free). List of helpline numbers of States/UTs on COVID-19 is also available at https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/coronvavirushelplinenumber.pdf . **** MV (Release ID: 1638133) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Senior citizens are the most vulnerable to Covid-19, confirms data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Of the 91,457 people diagnosed with Covid-19 in Mumbai till July 11, 22.5% (20,664) were aged 60 years and above. In the same period, of the 5,241 reported deaths in Mumbai, 54.3% (2,847) belonged to the same age group. Ramdas Chauhan, 71, a resident of Indira Nagar, was admitted to Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital (popularly known as Sion hospital) on June 28 after he tested positive for Covid-19. At the time, he had complained of minor breathlessness but his oxygen saturation was above 95%. Five days later, in the middle of the night, he had to be put on a ventilator because his oxygen levels had dropped to 75%. Chauhans family members blame the hospital for negligence, but the hospital says Chauhans underlying ailment diabetes aggravated his health condition unexpectedly. Often, health conditions of senior citizens deteriorate faster within hours of admission, especially among patients with cardiac ailment, diabetes and hypertension. We have seen patients walk normally into the hospital, but within hours of admission, die due to sudden rise in complications, said Dr Ramesh Bharmal, in-charge of Sion hospital. Medical experts say senior citizens are more susceptible to Covid-19 compared to other age groups because of already-weakened immunity. An advisory issued by the Union health ministry reads, Elderly people are at a higher risk due to their decreased immunity and body reserves as well as multiple associated comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Also, the course of disease tends to be more severe in case of elderlies resulting in higher mortality. BMCs data shows that of the 200 patients between 90 and 100 years of age, 37 have died of the infection (fatality rate: 18.5%). Of the 1,893 Covid-19 patients who were in the age group of 80-90 years, 365 succumbed to the infection (fatality rate: 19.2%). There have been 6,058 patients aged 70 to 80 years, of whom, 928 have died of Covid-19 (fatality rate: 15.3%). Among Covid-19 patients aged between 60 and 70 years (12,513), 1,517 have succumbed (fatality rate: 12.1%). City doctors say senior citizens are now more vulnerable because lockdown restrictions have been eased and younger members of the household are stepping out, thus increasing the risk of infection. Dr Pratit Samdani, internal medicine expert at Breach Candy Hospital, said more than 80% senior citizens have comorbidities that make them vulnerable to Covid-19. Almost 15% [of Covid-positive senior citizens] die mostly because of cytokine storms, when inflammation starts in organs, he said. BMC has so far screened 575,476 people who are 60 years old and above across wards and found 2,437 have oxygen saturation below 95%. We have isolated hundreds of senior citizens from slums to save them from getting infected in congested chawls. They have been kept in lodges, hotels, schools which has helped save lives, said Dr Daksha Shah, deputy health officer, BMC. Ukraine has received a batch of OMVIR medicine as humanitarian aid from the Republic of India. The donation ceremony took place at the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on July 13, the press service of the Ministry of Health reports. Ukraine is very grateful for the humanitarian aid of 50,000 OMVIR pills. This medicine is included in the national treatment protocol, and our hospitals dealing with treatment of coronavirus patients are looking forward to obtaining it. This batch will be enough to treat about 5,000 patients," said Deputy Health Minister Ihor Ivashchenko. Ambassador of the Republic of India to Ukraine Partha Satpathy pointed out the possibility of additional supplies of the medicine. "Health care is a matter of national security. When we received a request from Ukraine, we decided to help. If it [the medicine] proves useful to you, we are ready to help more," Partha Satpathy said. As the Health Ministry noted, OMVIR medicine contains 75 mg of Oseltamivir Phosphate as an active ingredient and is included in the Ukrainian COVID-19 treatment protocol. ol ITV has green-lit a three-part sequel series to groundbreaking drama The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence. Entitled Stephen, the series has been endorsed by the murdered teen's parents Doreen and Neville Lawrence, played in the 1999 original by Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Hugh Quarshie respectively. The drama will portray events starting from 2006, 13 years after 18-year-old Stephens death on the evening of 22 April 1993 in a racially motivated attack whilst waiting for a bus in Well Hall Road, Eltham. Sequel: ITV has green-lit a three-part sequel series to groundbreaking drama The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence [pictured are Hugh Quarshie as Neville Lawrence and Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Doreen Lawrence in the 1999 drama] The show tells the story of his parents' ongoing struggle to achieve justice for their sons' death. It also follows the plights of the detective - DCI Clive Driscoll - who worked closely with the Lawrences to put together an investigation that finally more than 18 years after his death secured the convictions of two of the gang who committed the murder of Stephen. Even though the Lawrences knew the identity of their sons killers, the original investigation failed to convict those responsible. Their extraordinary campaign for justice led to a public inquiry which branded Metropolitan Police institutionally racist and brought about sweeping changes in the law and police practices and transformed thinking and understanding of racial inequality in the UK. Continuation: The drama will portray events starting from 2006, 13 years after 18-year-old Stephens death on the evening of 22 April 1993 in a racially motivated attack whilst waiting for a bus in Well Hall Road, Eltham [Stephen is pictured] Police: It also follows the plights of the detective - DCI Clive Driscoll - who worked closely with the Lawrences to put together an investigation that finally more than 18 years after his death secured the convictions of two of the gang who committed the murder of Stephen Paul Greengrass, award winning screenwriter and director, who wrote and directed The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence in 1999, will also serve as an Executive Producer, as will Line Of Duty's Jed Mercurio. Stephen's mother commented of the commission: 'I am aware that the experience of police racism that we suffered as a family has been the experience of many in the UK. 'I hope that the film and the drama which has been commissioned will provide some insight into what we went through and give some hope to others that justice can eventually prevail.' His father added: 'I welcome the announcement of this new TV series by ITV, made with members of the same team who wrote and produced the 1999 original drama. Stephen's mother commented of the commission: 'I am aware that the experience of police racism that we suffered as a family has been the experience of many in the UK' 'That first film was important in telling Stephens story. It is important that the next part of the story is told, particularly at a time when, thanks to the Black Lives Matter campaign, concerns around institutional racism are so prominent. 'The recent BLM protests have served to remind people that black men and women continue to be subjected to racially motivated attacks. It was true when Stephen was killed and it still happens. 'It has always been my view that the most powerful response to racism is non-violent resistance and I am heartened to see people from all backgrounds who have come together peacefully across the country to show they will not tolerate racist attitudes. I hope this new film will further help raise awareness.' Front page: The Mail's front page in 1997 accuses Gary Dobson, Neil Acourt, Jamie Acourt, Luke Knight and David Norris of the killing of Stephen Lawrence The original drama won a BAFTA and is being repeated on ITV on Thursday, followed by a live discussion programme entitled, Stephen Lawrence: Has Britain Changed? Doreen added: 'I am pleased that The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence is being broadcast again. 'Though the events portrayed in the film took place many years ago they are even more relevant today.' Stephen's father Neville and his wife Baroness Doreen Lawrence fought for justice after charges against her son's killers were at first dropped, with Nelson Mandela even meeting Doreen in London following the murder. Stephen's death, and the controversial police investigation, became a watershed moment in British race relations and led to the Metropolitan Police being publicly damned as 'institutionally racist'. It would be four years before an inquest was held into Stephen's death, when a jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing in a completely unprovoked, racist attack. The gang of five suspects all refused to answer any questions at the inquest, and still the police seemed powerless to prosecute. Determined not to let the five escape scot-free, the Mail took an unprecedented step. Their pictures were published on the front page, on 14 February, 1997, under the headline: 'MURDERERS. The Mail accuses these men of killing. If we are wrong, let them sue us.' None of the five took legal action over that headline. In the public eye, their silence no longer protected them: it was as good as an admission. The effects of that front page were momentous. A far-reaching inquiry into racism within the Met followed, with the Macpherson Report of 1999. That report also led to changes to the law that ended the ancient legal tradition of double jeopardy, the rule that a suspect could not stand trial twice for the same murder. Two of the five accused by the Mail, Gary Dobson and David Norris, stood trial for Stephen's murder in 2011, following a 'cold case' review, and in the light of 'new and substantial evidence'. They were found guilty and jailed for life. Norris had been convicted and jailed with another of the five, Neil Acourt, for racially aggravated harassment, in another case. BEIJING As tensions between the two sides mount, the Chinese government announced on Monday that it would impose sanctions on three American lawmakers and a diplomat in retaliation for similar moves last week by the Trump administration against four officials in China. The largely symbolic sanctions targeted Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey, all of whom are Republicans. Also named were Sam Brownback, President Trumps ambassador at large for international religious freedom, and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, a United States government agency that focuses on human rights. The Trump administration imposed its sanctions in response to what it describes as pervasive human rights abuses in Chinas Xinjiang region, home to the largely Muslim Uighur minority. The administration banned four Chinese officials and a Chinese government agency last Thursday from accessing American banks and other financial institutions. It also restricted them from obtaining visas to the United States. Hua Chunying, the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Monday that China had to react to American interference in its domestic affairs. TikTok has been forced to removed harmful content from its platform in Australia, with the eSafety Commissioner turning up the heat on the Chinese social media giant to take down cyber bullying material targeting children. The social media platform, which has 1.6 million users in Australia, received six notices from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner last year to remove material that was focused on children between the ages of 13 to 15 and mainly related to impersonation accounts and mean videos posted about targeted individuals. One complaint was from parents of an eleven-year old child who wanted assistance because they thought their child would be cyber bullied for material their child had posted. Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said 7 per cent of cyber bullying complaints received were about TikTok. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said in the last financial year complaints relating to TikTok made up approximately 7 per cent of all cyber bullying complaints received by the agency. Amid India-China standoff, Army chief General MM Naravane on Monday visited forward areas along the 198 kilometre-long India-Pak international border in Jammu region to review security scenario and preparedness of troops. The Army chief arrived in a fixed-wing aircraft at the technical airport in Jammu and then visited Tiger Division from where he flew into the chopper to the forward areas to take stock of security scenario and to review operational preparedness of the troops, said a senior Army officer. The International Border (IB) in Jammu region is manned by the BSF on the Indian side and Pakistani Rangers on their side. Also read: Another terrorist killed in ongoing encounter in J-Ks Anantnag The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) recently constructed six strategic bridges along the international border - two in Tarnah area of Hiranagar in Kathua district and four in Akhnoor-Pallanwala sector - for the swift movement of Armed Forces. Defence minister Rajnath Singh had inaugurated all six bridges recently. The Army officer informed that General MM Naravane will fly to Pathankot later in the day. Though there is no heightened activity across the IB, Army chief had to see the prevailing security scenario, said the officer. US Navy officials said on Sunday (July 12) that 21 people, including 17 sailors, were injured after an explosion and fire on board a ship at the US Naval Base in San Diego. "Seventeen Sailors and four civilians are being treated for non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital," the US Navy said in a statement. Lt. Cmdr. Patricia Kreuzberger told CNN that the sailors on the USS Bonhomme Richard suffered "minor injuries" due to the explosion and were admitted to a hospital. SDFD was requested by Federal Fire at about 9am. #shipfire pic.twitter.com/Ah6GRzpJHJ SDFD (@SDFD) July 12, 2020 Rear Admiral Philip Sobeck told reporters that the sailors are in stable condition. US Pacific Fleet Naval Surface Forces tweeted that the crew members were deboarded from the ship and all were accounted for. SDFD's Monica Munoz said thta a three-alarm fire engulfed the ship. Federal Fire San Diego Division Chief Rob Bondurant said in a statement," Federal Fire is rotating their crews aboard the ship with U.S. Navy firefighting crews from the waterfront to fight the fire in order to find the seat of the fire and extinguish it. Navy Region Southwest tugs are also continuously combating the fire from the bay." Soebeck added that as of Sunday evening, firefighters were "at the seat of the fire, if you will" and were busy clearing compartment spaces in order to close in on the fire. "Sailors across this waterfront are absolutely doing a magnificent job," Sobeck said, "They are saving their ship. We're seeing just incredible results." The reason behind the fire is still unknown. A public artwork on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue has been damaged just days after the commission by the City of New York was completed. Mayor Bill De Blasio joined the community effort to paint the 'Black Lives Matter' road mural in bold yellow letters last Thursday but by noon Monday a man had defaced the area outside the President Trump's NYC residence, Trump Tower. The project carried out by young people wearing 'I Am Peace' T-shirts last week, only last days before it was splattered in red paint. Cops said the vandal was wearing a black shirt and black cap. The suspect dumped the paint then fled down 56th Street but it was smeared further most of it across the letters 'K', 'L' and 'V' by passing vehicles. The Black Lives Matter mural was defaced Monday afternoon, just days after it debuted The red paint was spread further by passing cars on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York A man stops his bicycle to look at where the mural was partially destroyed by a vandal The suspect reportedly escaped before law enforcement officers could catch up with him. Police said they are reviewing surveillance footage and asked people to get in contact with any information. Crews were working to get rid of the damage on Monday afternoon. The iconic skyscraper has been heavily-guarded since Trump delved into the world of politics. It has been the site of numerous protests, including one on Saturday where Trump supporters clashed with anti-racism protesters. On Monday a man wearing and selling 'Dump Trump' gear witnessed the property damage. He was pictured standing nearby a man holding up a sign seemingly intended to gaslight people highlighting racial inequalities. It read: 'The only time black lives matter is when they are shot by a white policeman or an Oreo cookie. Defend all policemen.' An 'Oreo' is a derogatory term used against people of color, comparing them to the cookie which is classically brown on the outside and white on the inside. The slur suggests the person exhibits behavior that the person judging aligns with being characteristically white. This month Trump said the artwork would 'denigrate' the luxury shopping area which has quietened down amid the coronavirus pandemic Cops said they were unable to catch the suspect who dumped the red paint on the mural New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers are investigating the vandalism incident The artwork was restored to with a fresh lick of paint on Monday after it was ruined Heavily armed New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers look on as workers re-paint Workers re-paint a portion of a 'Black Lives Matter' mural that was vandalized with red paint The mural was one of five announced for New York City last month as part of an initiative to honor civil rights activists. This month Trump expressed his opposition to the mural, saying it would denigrate the luxury shopping area. He also said it would 'further antagonize New York's finest'. Before cops guarded the area while the mural was being painted, the president tweeted: '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.' The decision came as Americans across the country expressed their hurt at statues and memorials to Confederate soldiers and slave-owners looming over public places for decades. 'When we say 'Black Lives Matter,' there is no more American statement, there is no more patriotic statement because there is no America without Black America,' de Blasio said. On Monday a man wearing and selling 'Dump Trump' gear witnessed the property damage. He is seen speaking to Trump supporters A Trump supporter held up a gas-lighting sign on Monday in reference to protests highlighting racial inequalities. An 'Oreo' is a derogatory term used against people of color, comparing them to the cookie which is classically brown on the outside and white on the inside 'We are acknowledging the truth of ourselves as Americans by saying 'Black Lives Matter.' We are righting a wrong.' Trump recently signed an executive order that would see anyone found to have tampered with a statue or monument face up to 10 years in prison. It's unclear what the suspect's punishment could be. On Tuesday, the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office charged David Nelson and Nicole Anderson with a hate crime after they destroyed a similar mural that was painted in Martinez, California on July 4. 'We must address the root and byproduct of systemic racism in our country. The Black Lives Matter movement is an important civil rights cause that deserves all of our attention,' District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement. 'The mural completed last weekend was a peaceful and powerful way to communicate the importance of Black lives in Contra Costa County and the country. We must continue to elevate discussions and actually listen to one another in an effort to heal our community and country.' Ann Arbor, July 13, 2020 -- New research and guidance in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, focus on critical topics pertaining to community and individual health during the COVID-19 epidemic. Researchers issue a transdisciplinary "Call to Action" to strengthen pandemic behavioral science to overcome COVID-19 The only evidence-based strategy currently available to halt the transmission of COVID-19 is population-wide behavior change. Although information about COVID-19 protective behaviors such as hand washing, mask wearing, and social distancing has been widely disseminated in the United States by federal and local governments, research has shown significant gaps in the public's understanding and behavior, maybe because of inconsistency and lack of optimal tailoring. Researchers say the narrative is missing the behavioral science expertise that is central to achieving protective behaviors. "Fighting this pandemic will require new 'weapons' and a new resolve on the part of the government and the public," says lead author John Allegrante, PhD, Columbia University's Teachers College and the Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA. "A national historic commitment is needed in which behavior change methodology is a dominant weapon in the nation's public health arsenal." The researchers say there is an urgent need for accurate data about the public understanding of COVID-19 risk and preferred sources for obtaining information about how to stay safe. Better utilization of digital technology would enable more efficient targeting of at-risk individuals and tailoring of behavioral interventions. And, to drive these changes now and for the future, pandemic behavioral science, methodology, and evidence need to be updated and expanded. "Preventing COVID-19 and Its Sequela: "There is No Magic Bullet . . . It's Just Behaviors," by John P. Allegrante, PhD, M. Elaine Auld, MPH, and Sundar Natarajan, MD, MSc (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.05.004). Journalists wishing to speak with the authors should contact John Allegrante at jpa1@tc.columbia.edu. Perception of the risk of contracting or dying from COVID-19 strongly influences people's decision to take protective actions, a national survey finds As coronavirus began to spread across the United States, researchers conducted a cross-sectional national online survey between March 10 and March 31, 2020 asking participants to assess their risk of COVID-19 infection and fatality. They were also asked about behaviors they had taken to protect themselves from infection such as washing hands or avoiding public spaces and crowds. Individuals disagreed about the risks, and those perceiving higher risk were significantly more likely to engage in protective actions. Risk perceptions for getting COVID-19 and people's willingness to act upon them grew stronger in responses provided after March 13, 2020, when many states declared school closures and bans on large gatherings, and the US declared a state of emergency and implemented travel bans. "Our findings suggest that to motivate protective actions, clear and consistent risk messages are needed. This was the case when states were closing down in March 2020. It will likely also be important when states open up again," observes lead investigator Wandi Bruine de Bruin, PhD, Sol Price School of Public Policy, Dornsife Department of Psychology, Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics; and Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. "Relationships Between Initial COVID-19 Risk Perceptions and Protective Health Behaviors: A National Survey," by Wandi Bruine de Bruin, PhD, and Daniel Bennett, PhD (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.05.001). Journalists wishing to speak to the authors should contact Stephanie Hedt at hedt@healthpolicy.usc.edu. Financial strain associated with COVID-19 hospitalization may be felt most by younger patients with lower premium, higher deductible health plans Out-of-pocket spending associated with hospitalizations for respiratory conditions similar to those caused by COVID-19 from January 2016 through August 2019 were significantly higher for patients who have a consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) that features lower premiums but higher deductibles compared with patients who had a traditional, low deductible plan. The difference was largest for those under 21 years old, and decreased as age increased. The largest increase was in the first half of the year when, the researchers note, younger people have likely not exceeded their deductibles. Although some insurers are waiving cost-sharing payments for a hospitalization related to COVID-19, self-insured employers are exempt. "Congress is now debating whether or not to require all plans to waive cost sharing related to COVID-19 treatment. Our findings suggest they might want to take action on cost-sharing waivers, because those out-of-pockets costs are otherwise going to be high for many people," says lead investigator Matthew Eisenberg, PhD, Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA. "Financial Risk for COVID-19 Respiratory Hospitalizations in Consumer-Directed Health Plans," by Matthew D. Eisenberg, PhD, Colleen L. Barry, PhD, MPP, Cameron Schilling, MPH, and Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, PhD (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.05.008). Journalists wishing to speak with the authors should contact Caitlin Hoffman choffman@jhu.edu. Researchers warn that a lack of a racial/ethnic identifier in health records and medical data may lead to worse health outcomes for Arab Americans during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond There are increasing calls to better understand the inequities populations of color face in the United States with regard to COVID-19, including increased infection rates, more severe disease, and greater risk of death. Potential health disparities for Arab Americans may never be recognized, however, because most medical data and surveys do not include an option to identify as Arab American. Author Nadia N. Abuelezam, ScD, Boston College William F. Connell School of Nursing, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA, observes that Arab Americans are asked to identify as non-Hispanic white, despite the fact that their health outcomes are significantly different. Arab Americans may be at increased risk for COVID-19 due to xenophobia and stigma, pre-existing conditions, crowded living conditions, lack of social support for new immigrants, and poor adoption of prevention behavior. "Arab Americans have long been 'invisible' in the medical and public health literature due to a lack of an ethnic identifier," explains Dr. Abuelezam. "The COVID-19 crisis has forced the medical and public health community to reimagine the ways that healthcare can be provided and data can be collected in real time. In this moment of reimagination and creativity, we can embrace and enhance our racial and ethnic reporting measures to ensure we are collecting data on all ethnic and racial subgroups in the US." "Health Equity During COVID-19: The Case of Arab Americans," by Nadia Abuelezam (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.06.004). Journalists wishing to speak to Dr. Abuelezam may contact her at nadia.abuelezam@bc.edu. ### Biological membranes play important roles in shaping the cell, sensing the external environment, molecule transport, and generating energy for life. One of the most significant biological membranes are the thylakoid membranes produced in plants, algae and cyanobacteria, which carry out the light reactions of photosynthesis. Researchers at the University of Liverpool have uncovered the molecular architecture and organisational landscape of thylakoid membranes from a model cyanobacterium in unprecedented detail. The study, which is published in Nature Plants, could help researchers find new and improved artificial photosynthetic technologies for energy production. Professor Luning Liu, who led the study, explained: "Cyanobacteria perform plant-like photosynthesis. Hence, thylakoid membranes from laboratory-grown cyanobacteria are the ideal model system for studying and tuning plant photosynthesis." The researchers used state-of-the-art atomic force microscopy (AFM) to probe the structures and organisation of photosynthetic proteins within the thylakoid membranes. The results reveal how thylakoid membranes modulate the abundance of different photosynthetic proteins and form structurally variable complexes to adapt to the changing environments. Dr Longsheng Zhao, the first author of this paper, said: "We observed that different protein complexes have their specific locations in the thylakoid membranes. We also visualised that distinct photosynthetic complexes can be close to each other, indicating that these photosynthetic complexes can form 'supercomplex' structures to facilitate electron transport between these protein complexes." Professor Luning Liu, added: "The development of structural biology approaches has greatly improved our understanding of individual photosynthetic complexes. However, these techniques have limitations for studying membrane multi-protein assembly and interactions in their native membrane environment. Our research has proved the power and potential of AFM in exploring complex, dynamic membrane structures and transient protein assembly." The researchers hope their ongoing work could help find solutions to modulate the photosynthetic efficiency of crop plants to boost plant growth and productivity. ### The project was done in collaboration with the University's Centre for Cell Imaging and researchers from Queen Mary University of London, Shandong University (China), Ocean University of China and Henan University (China). The research at the Liu lab was funded by the BBSRC and the Royal Society. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly changed our lives in 2020. We are dragged into a world that is full of uncertainties and possibly with more bad news to come. The first case of human-infected COVID-19 was found in Wuhan, China. Some politicians started to call the virus the Chinese virus. Although the World Health Organization has explained that the virus originates from nature, rather than a country, and recent research has shown that the COVID-19 may be dormant around the world and activated under appropriate environmental conditions, it does not make people feel better, as nature cannot be held legally accountable. Some individuals in the U.S. believe that the Chinese authorities should be held responsible for causing the global pandemic. Cases against China Since the outbreak, at least 16 lawsuits have been filed against the Chinese government and the Communist Party of China (CPC) by individuals and businesses seeking indemnities for death, injuries, and health and wealth loss. These 16 cases are: Alters et al. v. Peoples Republic of China et al., No. 1:20-cv-21108-UU (S.D. Fla. Mar. 12, 2020) Buzz Photos v. Peoples Republic of China, No. 3:20-cv-656 (N.D. Tex. Mar. 17, 2020) Bella Vista LLC et al. v. Peoples Republic of China et al., No. 2:20-cv-00574 (D. Nev. Mar. 23 2020) Bourque CPA s and Advisors, Inc. et al v. Peoples Republic of China, No. 8:2020-cv-00597 (C.D. Cal. Mar 25, 2020) Aharon v. Chinese Communist Party, No. 9:20-cv-80604 (S.D. Fla. Apr. 7, 2020) Cardiff Prestige Property, Inc. v. Peoples Republic of China,8:20-cv-683 (C.D. Cal. Apr. 8, 2020) Azalea Woods of Ouachita et al. v. Peoples Republic of China, No. 3:20-cv-00457 (W.D. La. Apr.13, 2020) Smith v. Peoples Republic of China, No. 20-cv-01958 (E.D. Pa. Apr. 20, 2020) Missouri v. Peoples Republic of China, No. 1:20-cv-00099 (E.D. Mo, Apr. 21, 2020) Edwards v. Peoples Republic of China, No. 2:20-cv-01393 (E.D. La, Apr. 23, 2020 Stirling v. Peoples Republic of China, No. 3:20-cv-00713 (D. Ore, Apr. 30, 2020) Benitez-White v. Peoples Republic of China, No. 20-cv-01562 (S.D. Tex. May 3, 2020) Edwards v. Peoples Republic of China, No. 20-cv-01393 (E.D. La. May 8, 2020) Greco v. Peoples Republic of China, No. 5:20-cv-02235 (E.D. Pa, May 11, 2020) Mississippi v. Peoples Republic of China, No. 1:20-cv-00168 (S.D. Miss, May 12, 2020) Patella v. Peoples Republic of China, No. 20-cv-00433 (M.D.N.C. May 15, 2020) Most of these cases are based on claims for wrongful death, personal injury, gross negligence, fraud and reckless indifference for failure to contain the virus, strict liability, and public nuisance against Chinese government entities and ministries for failing to take appropriate actions to stem the spread of the coronavirus or unjust enrichment based on allegations the coronavirus originated from the Wuhan Biosafety Level 4 lab. The Aharon case also alleges that China has been stockpiling personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 crisis. Claims not tenable However, I dont think these claims are tenable. First of all, the origin of the COVID-19 has yet to be determined. Even if the origin of the virus is determined in the future, there is no law or precedent that requires the country of origin of the virus to bear the epidemic loss of other countries. Scientists have found more evidences about the origin of the coronavirus, which could overthrow the earlier argument that the virus was from China. According to the latest finding by Dr. Tom Jefferson, senior associate tutor at the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM), Oxford University, the virus may have existed across the world and emerged when environmental conditions were right for it to thrive rather than starting in China. Spanish virologists had found traces of the disease in samples of waste water collected in March 2019, nine months before the coronavirus disease was seen in China. Italian scientists have also found evidence of coronavirus in sewage samples in Milan and Turin, in mid-December 2019, many weeks before the first case was detected, while experts have found traces in Brazil in November. More evidences are expected to be found in coming months as scientists have a deeper study on the coronavirus. So, the lawsuits against China over the origin of the virus is frivolous and groundless. Second, there is no evidence to support the allegation that the Chinese government hid the epidemic or did nothing; neither that China has committed an internationally wrongful act against any country. In fact, the Chinese government notified the World Health Organization about the information of the virus on December 31, 2019 and has continuously provided information about the virus and updates on the outbreak to the global society, including state authorities of other countries and international organizations, since January 3. I think it is another matter how these authorities had dealt with the information professionally. We should use the same standard to view how the Chinese Central Government and local governments had handled the information flow within China, and how the United States has used the information since January 3 to take effective prevention measures at the appropriate time. Essentially, it is a global public health crisis. As the first country that had to deal with the crisis, China has shown the world useful and valuable control and prevention measures. Countries that copied Chinas experiences, such as Thailand, have controlled the pandemic very well. Third, it is very unlikely that the US courts would support such claims, because foreign governments enjoy immunity from suit in US courts under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976. The statute codifies long-standing principles of US and international law that sovereign governments may not be sued in courts of other countries. The lawsuits claim to fall within statutory exceptions to immunity for tortious or commercial acts in the United States. But these arguments would not prevail because there is no evidence that China committed wrongful acts in the United States or that coronavirus arose from Chinas commercial activities in the United States. There are members of Congress who have drafted legislation to strip China of its immunity from suit in US courts. Even if Congress were to strip China of its immunity, there are issues regarding the recognition and enforcement of that judgment. The Chinese government could refuse to pay any award. The argument that the CPC does not enjoy immunity as a sovereign power would probably fail as well because the Communist Party is generally viewed as the State authority, and there was a ruling by a federal judge in Florida holding that the Communist Party of Cuba was an agency or instrument of the Cuban government. Consequences to the global society and the US If these claims were to succeed in the US courts, China may well retaliate by allowing lawsuits against the US government or its officials in China. This is not what the global society would like to see. All nations respect the principle of sovereign immunity, not as a favor to other countries, but because they expect other countries to respect and protect the immunity of themselves and their officials. Allowing the lawsuit in the US courts could potentially cause severe chaos in the global society, and no countries would really want to see that happening or reveal more uncertainties in the current fragile world judicial system. Within the US, these lawsuits may serve more as political distractions rather than legal actions, especially in an election year. Foreign policy towards China is always a hot topic in elections, particularly Presidential elections. President Trump is faced with multiple factors that compromise his reelection chances, particularly an economy threatened by the coronavirus resurgence. Conventional wisdom is that, faced with a threatening political situation, Trump will continue to make China the scapegoat for his electability problems. Focusing on the so-called problems caused by China and supporting or proposing strong and aggressive actions towards China can, on the one hand, cover the mistakes the authorities have made during the pandemic, and, on the other hand, manipulate peoples emotions to get votes by creating common enemies and targets. More to understand Using law to protect citizens' rights and interests is like a lifestyle in the US, and has earned the US the label of a "litigious society". Except for suing the Chinese government, there have also been at least 47 cases (up to July 2) filed against US state and federal executive orders and government actions in response to the COVID-19, and one case against the World Health Organization asserting claims of negligence for the WHO's alleged failure in containing the COVID-19 virus and in failing to timely declare the crisis a public health emergency. It is easy to find someone to blame when things go wrong. It is not easy to commit some compassion for the world and try to feel that we are all suffering from it. It is really time for everyone to re-frame our thinking and mindset that we live in a globalized world where the problems are globalized and we are actually one community with no boarders. We need to come together and fight the challenges as a whole. Dr. Zhu Shaoming is the Founder and President of Foundation for Law and International Affairs. She is also Postdoctoral Researcher of School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University. Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi ordered completing the scientific and technical sides of the national project for self-sufficiency of plasma derivatives in line with the global standards. Sisi's remarks came on Monday during his meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Health Minister Hala Zayed, Presidential Adviser for the Urban Planning Amir Sayed, and Presidential Adviser for Health and Prevention Affairs Dr. Mohamed Awad Taj Eddin, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said. The meeting reviewed the project's framework and steps that had been taken in this score, including getting acquainted with the relevant international expertise in producing plasma, Rady noted. The meeting was also attended by Chairman of the Unified Procurement Authority Bahaa Al Din Zaidan, Director of the International Medical Center Mostafa Abou Hatab, and Director of the Medical Services Department of the Armed Forces Magdi Amin Mubarak Search Keywords: Short link: Many climate scientists regard Thwaites glacier in West Antarctica as one of the most vulnerable and most significant glaciers in the world in terms of future global sea-level rise. Its collapse would raise global sea levels by more than half a metre on its own, and subsequently release other major bodies of ice in West Antarctica, which together could raise sea levels by 2-3 metres. The ramifications for many countries, including most of the worlds coastal cities, would be catastrophic. For this reason, Thwaites is known as Antarcticas Doomsday glacier. Earlier this year a team of scientists observed, for the first time, the presence of warm water at a vital point underneath the glacier, which helps explain the reason behind the extent of its decrease. The Thwaites glacier is 74,000 square miles, roughly the size of the UK. The ice melt draining from Thwaites into the Amundsen Sea already accounts for 4 per cent of global sea-level rise but scientists are concerned its continued existence is hanging in the balance as the world warms. The big question is how quickly it becomes unstable. It seems to be teetering at the edge, Paul Cutler, programme director for Antarctic glaciology at Americas National Science Foundation told the Financial Times this week. It is a keystone for the other glaciers around it in West Antarctica, he said. If you remove it, other ice will potentially start draining into the ocean too. Rob Larter, UK principal investigator for the Thwaites Glacier Project at the British Antarctic Survey, added: It is the most vulnerable place in Antarctica. Antarctica accounts for vast quantities of ice around 90 per cent of all ice in the world - and unlike in the Arctic, most of the ice is out of the water and on land. The average thickness of the ice is 1.6 miles deep. At its thickest point, the ice sheet is almost three miles deep. Current sea level is around 20cm (almost 8 inches) above pre-industrial levels and is blamed for increased coastal flooding. For about 2,000 years until the late 1800s, global sea levels remained almost static with small fluctuations. The burning of fossil fuels ramped up during the Industrial Revolution in the mid-18th century, increasing levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. The greenhouse gas absorbs heat from the sun and traps it, heating the atmosphere and the planet. Our rapidly-warming planet causes sea levels to rise on two fronts. Warmer temperatures melt ice sheets and glaciers, leading the run-off to flow into oceans. The ocean also absorbs excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions and warm water expands, taking up more space than colder water. The annual rate of sea-level rise has roughly doubled since 1990. Scientists previously found the extent of the instability of the Antarctic ice sheet difficult to study but improved technologies are allowing greater insight into the changes in the ice on, and surrounding, the continent. In January, a probe designed to search for alien life on Jupiters Moon Europa was tested by scientists working at Thwaites. Recommended Melting glaciers reveal five new new islands in Russian Arctic The cylindrical robot was lowered down a 600m-deep hole just 35cm in diameter to measure the waters moving below the glacier's surface. It measured temperatures and also the turbulence of the water - a means of testing the mixing of fresh meltwater from the glacier and salty water from the ocean. The turbulence allows scientists to understand the rate of melting and therefore the overall stability of the glacier. The latest warning over Antarcticas melting glaciers comes amid a record heatwave on the other side of the planet in the Arctic. Both the Antarctic and Arctic regions are warming faster than the rest of the world but in the Arctic temperatures have hit record highs, with an alarming all-time high of 38C recorded in Siberia in June. The high temperatures have fuelled hundreds of wildfires and Russian authorities have declared emergency situations in seven regions. Korea and the U.S. are likely to cancel a large-scale military exercise scheduled for mid-August as coronavirus infections spike to record levels in America. "We're discussing how to conduct [the drill] but haven't decided yet whether to downscale or postpone it," a government source here said. The two allies earlier canceled a joint drill slated for March amid fears of COVID-19, but the epidemic has not abated yet in Korea and some 70,000 new infections a day are found in the U.S., where over 3 million people have now tested positive. Sixteen U.S. soldiers tested positive on arrival last week alone. Normally, hundreds of troops have to fly in from the U.S. during joint drills, which would cause a big headache for health authorities. The two countries are also at loggerheads over the focus of the drills. The Korean military wants to take control because it was originally intended to test Koreas readiness to take back full operational control of its troops for the first time since the Korean War. The handover date is set for 2022. But the U.S. Forces Korea thinks it is more important to test the war-readiness of the two militaries and wants to keep charge for now, according to sources. Donald Trump could never be accused of knowingly underselling the US economy. Having laid claim to the greatest economy "in the history of the world", the president heralded a "spectacular" achievement after employers added a record 4.8 million workers in June, and claimed the jobs market was "coming back faster, bigger and better than we ever thought possible". With an eye to his bid for a second term, Trump confidently predicted a "fantastic third quarter" but offered up a huge hostage to fortune with it: "The good thing is the numbers will be coming out just prior to the election, so people will be able to see those numbers." Such boasts may offer cause for regret. Despite the beginnings of a recovery since April's nadir, at 11.1 per cent the headline unemployment rate in the US remains at its highest level since the Great Depression. Another set of dismal economic numbers could sink Trump's re-election hopes. Credit:AP US labour market watchers also warn the headline rate disguises a more realistic and far more damaging picture of unemployment. Far from "roaring back", indicators show a jobs recovery threatening to stall altogether as COVID-19 cases pile up at a rate of more than 60,000 a day, and dozens of US states reimpose restrictions. The official figures producing the current 11.1 per cent jobless rate show 17.8 million Americans unemployed. But Jason Furman, an academic at the Petersen Institute for International Economics, thinks a more "realistic" rate of unemployment is actually 13 per cent. Since the outbreak began, an unusually high number of people - some 2 million in June - have declared themselves employed but "not at work for other reasons". Furman argues these are actually more likely to be unemployed. So too the 4.6 million Americans who described themselves as not working but not actively looking for a job; in statistical terms, a worker is only classed as unemployed if looking for work. The spike in this category is bigger relative to the increase in actual unemployment than seen in previous recessions, raising the suspicions of disguised joblessness. POMONA, Calif. (Reuters) - Filming crews are beginning to tentatively return to set in California, after a hiatus forced on the industry by the coronavirus pandemic. State-designated safety protocols - such as wearing masks, taking temperature checks, and crew members staying at least six feet away from each other - are in place. One of the first productions given the green light by acting union SAG-AFTRA is "7th & Union," a story about a Mexican ex-boxer and his unlikely friendship with a disgruntled African-American man. "We are doing a lot of the smaller scenes, the scenes that require the least amount of cast members at first," said producer Christopher Acebo, from the set in Pomona near Los Angeles, with a bandana wrapped around his face. "We're in open space and open locations so that's also been really, really helpful in terms of the shape of the film and how we're able to keep safety," Acebo added. (Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Richard Chang) Protesters hold up blank papers during a demonstration in a mall in Hong Kong on July 6, 2020. (Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images) About 35 Percent of Companies in Hong Kong Considering Relocating Due to Beijings Security Law: Survey More companies are now considering moving out of Hong Kong compared to a month ago, because of the national security law implemented by the regime in Beijing, according to a business survey released on July 13. The law, which Beijing formally enacted with ceremonial votes on June 30, criminalizes individuals for any acts of subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), with maximum penalties of life imprisonment. The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Hong Kong polled 183, or 15 percent, of its members from July 6 to July 9. Among those polled, 98 respondents are companies whose headquarters are located in the United States, along with 65 with headquarters in Hong Kong, and 13 based in Europe. About 30 percent said they considered moving assets or business operations out of the city in the medium to long term, while about 5 percent said they were considering doing so in the short run. The combined percentage is about 6 points higher than AmChams previous survey released on June 3, when roughly 29 percent of 180 polled said they were considering a move. In the current survey, one unidentified member said he had concern about the free flow of informational and data integrity, as well as personal security. Another unnamed member cited a sharply increased political risk as the rationale for weighing a cut in business operations in the city. When asked if they will consider personally leaving Hong Kong in light of the national security law, 48 percent said they will in the medium to long run, while almost 4 percent said they will in the short term. In the June survey, roughly 38 percent said they were personally considering leaving the city. The June survey was conducted just days after Chinas rubber-stamp legislature, the National Peoples Congress, said they would adopt the law upon a ceremonial vote on May 28. More than half (56 percent) of those surveyed said they felt the law was more stringent than what they expected, while about 40 percent said it was roughly what they expected. Almost every clause is overly general, with unchecked balance of power given to the CCP, one unidentified respondent said. About 78 percent of the respondents said they were either somewhat concerned or extremely concerned about the law. When asked to name those concerns, 65 percent said they were concerned about the ambiguity in the scope and enforcement of the law, almost 61 percent said they were worried about the laws effect on the independence of Hong Kongs judicial system, and 51 percent said the law jeopardizes Hong Kongs status as an international business center. One unnamed member was specific in his concern about loss of freedom of expression and speech, while another said the law accelerates the shift of Hong Kong from an international business center into a mainland-focused business center. More than half (51 percent) said implementation of the law made them feel less safe living and working in Hong Kong, while only 26 percent said the law made them feel safer. Far less safe. Rule of law is disappearing, one unnamed member stated. Despite being a foreign passport holder, the law could be applied to me and theres no confidence of any protection in the courts, another respondent said. Almost 49 percent of respondents said their businesses will be negatively affected by the law, compared to the about 13 percent who said there will be a positive effect. Meanwhile, roughly 64 percent stated that the effect of the law on their business prospects will be negative, compared to 22 percent who said it would be positive. More than two-thirds (67 percent) hold a pessimistic outlook about the overall business prospects in the city. One unnamed respondent expressed fear about the loss of freedom of the press and freedom of expression. Will my staff members be taken away because of what they posted on social media platforms? Will I still be able to read actual news or just Chinese propaganda? the respondent said. Another respondent said: Hong Kong is no longer a free, transparent and fair market, with independent legal and judicial systems due to the death of one country, two systems. One country, two systems is the framework by which Beijing promised to preserve Hong Kongs autonomy upon the citys transfer of sovereignty to China from the UK in 1997, in accordance with the 1984 handover agreement, the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberals are scheming with big business to curtail and phase out the meagre makeshift benefits the federal government is providing the millions of workers who have lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Canadas ruling elite considers the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), at least in its current form, to be a major obstacle to its reckless campaign to force workers back on the job, with little to no protections, amid a pandemic that continues to rage across North America and the world. In recent weeks, tens and possibly hundreds thousands of workers across the country have seen their CERB payments temporarily suspended without warning. Introduced in late March in lieu of the more restrictive Employment Insurance program, the CERB initially provided $2,000 per month for a maximum of 16 weeks to workers, including gig economy and self-employed workers, who lost their incomes as a result of the pandemic. Applications for the CERB quickly surpassed 7.5 million, representing close to 40 percent of Canadas labour force. But in mid-June, the government without warning withheld two weeks worth of CERB payments to an as yet unknown number of jobless workers. Jane Derowin, a former airport worker in Calgary, Alberta, gave voice to the distress caused by the Liberals action. In a television interview with CTV, Derowin shows the camera her nearly empty fridge. Visibly distraught, she tells the interviewer, This is going to leave me with nothing to live on. I cant pay my rent, I cant pay my bills, I cant buy groceries. What am I supposed to do? The transparent aim of this callous measure, which was justified by the government as necessary to claw back the extra payments it purposely made in March and April, was to leave workers with no option but to return to work or go without food and shelter. The unannounced benefit suspension came just days after the Liberal government failed to secure a parliamentary majority for Bill C-17, legislation aimed at goading workers into returning to work despite the pandemic. Under Bill C-17, workers deemed to have improperly claimed CERB benefits, including by refusing to return to work when ordered by their employer or to accept a reasonable opportunity for work or self-employment, would be liable to punitive fines. The legislation would also threaten workers with massive fines and a six-month jail term if they fraudulently obtained CERB benefits, including by misrepresenting their income. However, the legislations definition of fraud is so all-encompassing workers and youth who refuse to work under unsafe conditions could face jail time. The bill remains on the parliamentary order paper and the government could well seek to pass it at a later date. Following their failure to enact Bill C-17, the Liberals made a deal with the New Democratic Party (NDP) to extend the CERB program by another two months to October, and the maximum eligibility to 24 weeks, but with stricter conditions. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh trumpeted this extension, which had been expected given the continuing Depression-level jobless numbers, as a boon to workers and on that basis he and his New Democrats once again rallied to the minority Liberal governments support in parliament. Left out of Singhs charade was the fact that with the NDPs blessing, the government is tightening the eligibility requirements for the CERB. As of July 5, workers must sign an affidavit when reapplying for CERB benefits, acknowledging that they should return to work as soon as possible, and must now reapply for the CERB every two weeks, instead of every month. Despite these changes, big business is adamant that the Liberal government has not gone far enough. For weeks, business organizations have been denouncing the CERB as a disincentive to work, because the income it provides is higher than the poverty-level wages paid by corporate Canada to millions of super-exploited workers. These denunciations reached fever pitch last week as Finance Minister Bill Morneau presented a snapshot of the governments fiscal position. It projected a deficit of $343 billion for the current 2020-21 fiscal year, due to a collapse in tax revenues and levels of emergency government spending not seen since World War II. While the corporate media churned out commentary claiming that the gains from years of austerity are fast disappearing, Goldy Hyder, head of the powerful Business Council of Canada, demanded the Trudeau government pivot from providing support to people, to promoting economic growthi.e., business profits. The sentiments within the ruling class were summed up by Pedro Antunes, chief economist at the Conference Board of Canada, who complained in a Globe and Mail comment, The CERB as a disincentive for workers to re-enter the labour force is a real risk. Currently, at $2,000 a month, the CERB is equivalent to an average hourly wage of just less than $15 for an average 33-hour work weekwell above the minimum wage in most Canadian jurisdictions. In other words, the CERB must be slashed and phased out so workers can be press-ganged into low-wage jobs; jobs, moreover, that provide few if any protections from the potentially lethal coronavirus. This system of ruthless exploitation is to be enforced on the one hand by cutting off state support, and on the other by mass unemployment, which will facilitate the driving down of wages and working conditions. As Rebekah Young, director of fiscal and provincial economics at Scotiabank, put it, There will be significant unemployment across Canada for the duration of the recovery. The [Employment Insurance system] was not and is not sufficient to cover all Canadians that will be out of work, but the [Canadian Emergency Response Benefit] clearly is too expensive for that duration. The Conservatives, echoing the concerns of big business, have proposed a Back to Work Bonus, which would temporarily pay workers 50 cents per dollar earned over $1,000 so as to make low-wage employment more attractive. A similar scheme has already been implemented by Manitobas Conservative government. The Manitoba Job Restart Program pays out a one-time benefit of up to $2,000 to Manitobans who leave the CERB and return to work for at least 30 daysthe better to kick the CERB to the curb, gloated Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister. The campaign to phase out the CERB is connected to big business insistence that there must not be a second lockdown, even if COVID-19 cases and deaths surge. This point was made bluntly by the Business Council of Canada. Canada, it declared, cannot afford another shutdown. The slashing of wages by companies across the country as they call workers back to their jobs is being facilitated by the governments Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program. In last Wednesdays fiscal update, Morneau almost doubled planned expenditure on the CEWS from $45 billion to $82.5 billion. Under the CEWS, the government pays 75 percent of workers wages if employers keep them on the payroll. However, there is no requirement for companies to pay the remaining 25 percent. In effect, the dramatic expansion of the CEWS program, which has accounted for just $18 billion in government spending to date, will institute a 25 percent pay cut for large numbers of workers, even as they risk their lives by returning to work amid the pandemic. The gutting of workers wages is a key objective for big business, which is preparing for even more ruthless competition with its global rivals. The corporate press has been full of articles and commentary in recent weeks warning that competition over investments, markets, and raw materials will only intensify amid the ongoing economic crisis. The fact that the ruling elite can proceed so ruthlessly is above all due to the role played by the trade unions and the New Democratic Party (NDP). They have worked to suppress working class opposition during the pandemic, and forged still closer ties with the Liberal government. Both the NDP and trade unions have maintained a deafening silence on the more than $650 billion in bailout funding the Trudeau government and Bank of Canada have funnelled into the financial markets, banks and big business in order to guarantee the investments of the rich and super-rich. Since April, the unions have worked hand-in-glove with employers organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, to implement a return to work amid the pandemic. In a joint statement co-authored by Canadian Labour Congress President Hassan Yussuff and Chamber of Commerce head Perrin Beatty, the two organizations appealed for the creation of a national economic task force to promote economic recovery and tackle the challenges for a trading nation like ours, including substantial new public and private debt. Such a corporatist alliance was necessary, the pair continued, to stop stakeholders going off in different directions. The World Socialist Web Site noted at the time that this and other such statements were meant to send a message to the ruling class: the unions intend to partner with big business to boost the competitive positionthat is, profitabilityof Canadian capital, and will block and sabotage all working class resistance. Less than two months later, the intensification of the campaign to phase out the CERB and force workers back to work on the basis of lower wages and worse conditions of employment underscores how correct that warning was. (See: Canadian unions cement anti-worker corporatist alliance with government and big business) ALBANY, New York, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --: Redispersible polymer powders form a crucial ingredient of all types of dry-mix mortar to improve the performance and strength of mortars in wide variety of architectural applications, mainly for waterproofing and surface protection. The demand in the redispersible polymer powder market for 1k cementitious waterproofing & self-levelling mortars follows closely with rise in infrastructure development activities in residential and industrial construction. The global valuation of the redispersible polymer powder market for 1k cementitious waterproofing & self-levelling mortars stood at US$122.5 Mn in 2018. During the forecast period of 2019 2027, the valuation is projected to climb at a CAGR of ~6%. Analysts at Transparency Market Research contend that players in redispersible polymer powder market for 1k cementitious waterproofing & self-levelling mortars should be geared toward product innovation to meet the changing demand for building materials in modern constructions. A case in point is their focus toward environmentally compatible products that utilize vinyl acetate ethylene redispersible polymer powders. Download PDF Brochure - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=76721 Key Findings of Redispersible Polymer Powder Market for 1k Cementitious Waterproofing & Self-levelling Mortars Report Among the various polymer types, vinyl acetate ethylene accounted for the majority of shares in global market Demand for vinyl ester of versatic acid to rise at vibrant pace during the assessment period The top six players accounted for at least 60% of the share in the redispersible polymer powder market for 1k cementitious waterproofing & self-levelling mortars cementitious waterproofing & self-levelling mortars Europe held leading share of global market in 2018 held leading share of global market in 2018 Asia Pacific holds promising share and is anticipated to rise at rapid growth rate holds promising share and is anticipated to rise at rapid growth rate China and India are key markets in Asia Pacific , propelled by rapid pace of infrastructure development to meet strides in construction industry Explore 274 pages of top-notch research, incisive insights, and detailed country-level projections. Gain business intelligence on Redispersible Polymer Powder Market for 1k Cementitious Waterproofing & Self-levelling Mortar (Polymer Type: Vinyl Acetate Ethylene, Vinyl Ester of Versatic Acid, Styrene Butadiene, Acrylic, and Others; and Application: 1k Cementitious Waterproofing Mortar and Self-levelling Mortar) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2019 2027 at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/redispersible-polymer-powder-market-for-1k-cementitious-waterproofing-self-levelling-mortar.htm Redispersible Polymer Powder Market for 1k Cementitious Waterproofing & Self-levelling Mortars: Key Driving Factors and Promising Avenues The demand for new waterproofing techniques and products has raised the prospect of the redispersible polymer powder market for 1k cementitious waterproofing & self-levelling mortars. The growing popularity of elastomeric waterproofing coatings is a notable trend in this regard. cementitious waterproofing & self-levelling mortars. The growing popularity of elastomeric waterproofing coatings is a notable trend in this regard. Companies in the residential and industrial construction industry are shifting to one-component waterproofing systems as an economically sustainable method. The slew of functional benefits that redispersible polymer powders offer to cement repair mortar and concretes spurs their use in the building and construction industry, boosting redispersible polymer powder market for 1k cementitious waterproofing & self-levelling mortars. Some of the key properties that their use promotes are adhesion properties, water resistance, flexural strength, and durability of the dry-mix mortar. cementitious waterproofing & self-levelling mortars. Some of the key properties that their use promotes are adhesion properties, water resistance, flexural strength, and durability of the dry-mix mortar. Polymer modified cementitious mortars find extensive applications in residential construction, thereby bolstering sales in redispersible polymer powder market for 1k cementitious waterproofing & self-levelling mortars. Analyze global Redispersible Polymer Powder Market for 1k Cementitious Waterproofing & Self-levelling Mortar growth in 30+ countries including US, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, Poland, Benelux, Nordic, China, Japan, India, and South Korea. Request a sample of the study Key Impediments to Market Stakeholders One of the key basis material to which redispersible polymer powders are used is self-levelling mortars. However, the mixing process may cause substantial loss of performance characteristics. High temperature and pressure tend to reduce the caking capacity of redispersible polymer powders. On the other hand, players in the redispersible polymer powder market for 1k cementitious waterproofing & self-levelling mortars are expected to circumvent these by constantly focusing on innovation in their product lines. They are also keenly strengthening their distribution channels, mainly to consolidate their shares in the market. Also, shifting attention to untapped markets will expose them to new revenue streams in near future. View Detailed Table of Contents at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/76721 Redispersible Polymer Powder Market for 1k Cementitious Waterproofing & Self-levelling Mortars: Regional Assessment Among the various regions in the redispersible polymer powder market for 1k cementitious waterproofing & self-levelling mortars, Asia Pacific is a remarkably lucrative region. The demand in this regional market has been propelled by the need for high-performing and environmentally compatible products in the construction industry. Further, residential as well as non-residential constructions have witnessed a rise in countries such as India and China. Purchase Premium Research Report on Redispersible Polymer Powder Market @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=76721> Throughout the 20th century, New Mexico generally voted Republican for President but changing demographics shifted it into the Democratic corner when Bill Clinton came along. By the early 2000s, New Mexico was one of the most closely-contested states in the nation. Despite all the post-attention election attention Florida received, New Mexico was actually the closest state, by raw votes, in the 2000 election. Gore won here by just 366 votes. With his message of compassionate conservatism, Bush very narrowly flipped it in 2004, but Republicans have struggled there since. The Trump campaign has insisted it can compete in New Mexico but it is hard to take such a claim seriously given his unpopularity nationwide. Polls show Joe Biden a bit weaker with Hispanics than Hillary Clinton in 2016 but it is quite unlikely New Mexico is in play this cycle. Next Week: Virginia Going forward, we will use the model powering the 2020 presidential election simulator to determine the following week's state. Specifically, we will look at the 'Battleground 270' results of 25,000 simulations run late Sunday afternoon. Of the states remaining, the next to be covered will be that with the highest likelihood of a Trump or Biden win as of that date. View the current state-by-state probabilities in the table at the bottom of the Battleground 270 page. Move comes after former special counsel defended his investigation into collusion between President Trump and Russia. The Republican chairman of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee says he will accede to Democrats request to call former special counsel Robert Mueller to testify, after he led a probe into allegations of collusion between United States President Donald Trump and Russian officials in the 2016 US presidential election. The development came after Mueller offered a rare public defence of his investigation after Trump commuted the sentence of long-time friend Roger Stone, who faced a 40-month jail term after being convicted on seven felony charges flowing from the Mueller investigation. Apparently Mr Mueller is willing and also capable of defending the Mueller investigation through an op-ed in the Washington Post, Senator Lindsey Graham said in a statement. Though the committees Republican majority had previously said it was time to move on, Graham said the Democrats repeated requests for Mueller to appear would now be granted. It was unclear what Grahams motivations were, or indeed whether Mueller who has maintained silence on the matter since testifying reluctantly and in measured terms before Congress last July would necessarily appear. Amid the Republican-lead probe, Democrats have renewed calls for Mueller to testify, with Senator Dianne Feinstein saying there are at least 60 unanswered questions related to both Russian interference and obstruction of justice. We believe Robert Mueller would be best-suited to answer these and other questions, Feinstein was quoted as saying by the Hill news site. The two-year-long Mueller investigation did not establish collusion between Trumps campaign team and Russia. But Mueller said it did establish that Moscow had intervened in efforts to boost Trumps election chances, and he pointedly said it did not exonerate Trump of obstruction of justice. Outrage over commuted sentence Democrats were outraged when Trump on Friday commuted the jail sentence of Stone. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the commutation a case of staggering corruption. Apparently Mr. Mueller is willing and also capable of defending the Mueller investigation through an oped in the Washington Post. Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 12, 2020 A White House statement about the Stone matter denounced the Mueller probe as part of a witch hunt by overzealous prosecutors looking into what Trump has often called the Russia hoax. The latest round of White House criticism apparently prompted Mueller to break his longtime silence. In The Washington Post op-ed published Sunday, he defended his probe as being of paramount importance, dismissing White House claims he was out to get Trump or his allies. He [Stone] remains a convicted felon and rightly so, Mueller wrote, adding that prosecutors acted with the highest integrity and that claims to the contrary are false. China has decided to impose corresponding sanctions on an institution and four individuals of the United States with immediate effect for "acting viciously" on issues related to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Monday. According to spokesperson Hua Chunying at a daily press briefing, the sanctions will be applied to the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Ted Cruz, Congressman Chris Smith, and Sam Brownback, the US ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom. "The US practice constitutes serious interference in China's internal affairs, a severe violation of basic norms governing international relations, and grave harm to China-US relations," Hua said. "China firmly opposes and strongly condemns such moves." Hua pointed out Xinjiang affairs are entirely China's internal affairs, and the United States has no right, and is in no position, to intervene. "The Chinese government is determined to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, combat violent terrorism, separatism and religious extremism, and oppose foreign interference in Xinjiang affairs and China's other internal affairs," said the spokesperson. "We urge the United States to immediately withdraw its wrong decisions, and cease any remarks or attempts to meddle in China's internal affairs, and damage China's interests," Hua said, adding China will make further decisions following the development of the situation. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 22:40:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry on Monday reported 2,274 recoveries from coronavirus pandemic, which is the highest in a single day so far, bringing the total recoveries from the disease to 46,998. It also confirmed that 2,229 new COVID-19 cases during the day, pushing the total nationwide infections to 79,735, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry also reported 100 more deaths during the day, raising the country's death toll from the infectious virus to 3,250 in the country, it added. The new cases were recorded after 15,380 testing kits were used across the country during the past 24 hours, and a total of 698,012 tests have been carried out since the outbreak of the disease, according to the statement. Separately, Talar Faiq, manager of Erbil airport, said in a press release that the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority announced it had extended a flight ban on commercial flights until July 22, as a precautionary measure to curb the further spread of COVID-19. "The Iraqi crisis committee will hold a meeting to decide whether to resume the flights next week or not, depending on the health situation," Faiq said. The Health Ministry frequently attributed the recent increase of COVID-19 infections to the lack of public compliance to the health instructions and the stronger testing capacity with the increase of labs in Baghdad and other provinces. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, Iraq has been taking measures to contain the pandemic. China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad. Since March 7, China has sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem Some directors of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are currently being grilled by the presidential panel set up to ... Some directors of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are currently being grilled by the presidential panel set up to probe the anti-graft agency under the watch of Ibrahim Magu. Magu, who was suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari last week, arrived at the state house conference centre of the presidential villa on Monday. He was arrested exactly a week ago and whisked to the presidential villa where he has been answering questions on his time as head of the agency. Apart from Saturday and Sunday, Magu has appeared before the panel headed by Ayo Salami, a former president of the appeal court, every day since his arrest. The panel began sitting three weeks ago, but was only able to compel Magu to appear before it last week. He has been detained since his arrest while Umar Mohammed, director of operations, has taken over the commission in an acting position. On Thursday, the panel grilled the so-called Magu Boys a group of operatives believed to be favoured by Magu. The boys have been accused of committing several atrocities including blackmailing and extorting suspects, appropriating exhibits to themselves and selling off forfeited or seized assets without remitting the proceeds to government coffers. These are some of the allegations listed in the memo sent to Buhari by Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation, who asked the president to remove Magu from office. Family financial stress blamed for suicide PHUKET: Police believe stress over family financial problems motivated a man to take his own life in the Soi Kingkaew housing community in Rassada early this morning (July 13). deathsuicideeconomics By Eakkapop Thongtub Monday 13 July 2020, 04:20PM Police at the front of the house in Soi Kingkaew this morning (July 13). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Capt Wetchasak Junadul of the Phuket City Police was called to the impoverished housing estate at 10am, after the parents of the man, Weerapol Mahingsarat, 22, found their son hanged by a nylon rope attached to a bathroom door near the back of the house. Mr Weerapol lived in the home with his parents. All three were originally from Songkhla province, Capt Wetchasak noted in his report. When police arrived, the body had been brought down from where it was found hanged, Capt Wetchasak also noted. Mr Weerapol was embroiled in an argument with his father at about 4am over family finances, the parents told Capt Wetchasak. The parents went out to sell fried chicken, and found their son hanged when they came home at about 10am, they said. Forensic Police and a post-mortem examination conducted at Vachira Phuket Hospital found no signs of a struggle on Mr Weerapols body or at the scene, Capt Wetchasak explained. It is believed that the deceased may have been stressed from family problems and may have been distraught by his argument with his father, leading him to take his own life, he concluded. Mr Weerapols body had been already handed back to his parents at their request so they may prepare to hold their sons funeral, he added. If you or anyone you know is in need of counselling, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand at their 24-hour hotline 02-713-6791 (English), 02713-6793 (Thai) or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Florida has reached the highest single-day recording of new coronavirus cases in any state with 15, 299 new cases on Sunday. This record outranked New York with its previous daily record by over 3,000. The State Health Department said Florida now has around 269,000 total cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). According to Florida's Health Department, hospitalization in Florida is also increasing, with over 18,000 people seeking treatment. State governor Ron DeSantis said on Friday that there is no other explanation not to move forward. "We have a situation where you've got a lot of beds available. No major system, nobody that we've seen yet, has even gone to the surge level," he was quoted in an NBC News report. Disney World Reopening Despite the surge in new coronavirus cases, Disney World reopened to the public on Saturday. The two other parks, Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, are expected to open on Wednesday. However, park goers will have to get used to a few changes before enjoying the park again. "From increased cleaning and disinfecting across our parks and resorts to updated health and safety policies, we have reimagined the Disney experience to enjoy the magic responsibly," Disney Parks Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pamela Hymel was quoted in a report. Some of these changes include making reservations to limit the number of people in the park each day, face masks requirement for anyone above the age of 2, and temperature checks. There are also some changes inside the park. Physical barriers are put into places where distancing is not possible. Wait times also decreased with rides that used to have one to two hours waiting time. Tom Corless, who runs a fansite dedicated to both Disney's Florida, said that safety measures put in place seemed to be working. "I don't think people had a hard time keeping space from each other," Corless was quoted. However, social media users have different opinions. Social media users have advised people to stay home. One user said the reopening during COVID-19 surges is "sketchy." "Having people who have COVID but are asymptomatic would bring The Thing levels of distrust," Twitter user WheresJowaldo tweeted. Florida's Economy South Florida depends on tourism for its economic activities. But due to COVID-19, some executives do not see a recovery until two years from now. Three counties in South Florida have lost jobs in hotels, restaurants, and leisure-oriented businesses. Broward County was hugely affected. Unemployment reached 16-percent in Broward in May. Palm Beach County at 14.1-percent, and Miami-Dade at 11.3-percent. Many businesses, mostly tourism-dependent, say they will not be able to recall workers as soon as possible due to COVID-19. When he campaigned for mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Dean Trantalis hoped to diversify the city's economy. Trantalis said tourism could be disrupted due to storms and economic downturns. Trantalis said he advocates for more opportunities with different talents as it would allow Florida to be less dependent on tourism. Trantalis said the mayor had made efforts to increase its base in technology and financial services industries. "I think the economy probably would have been worse if we hadn't made these strides," he said. Check this out: The Telugu audience was highly excited when the makers of Pushpa announced Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi's inclusion in Pushpa. But in a turn of events, several media reports suggested that the actor has walked out of the project. Several speculations were made about his exit like date issues and creative differences with the makers. Well now, the actor himself has clarified the rumours by bringing all the speculations to a full stop. During a recent interview, Vijay revealed that he decided to opt-out of the project owing to date issues. He also said that he had met Sukumar (director of Pushpa) in person (before the lockdown) to enlighten him about the date issue. The actor said that he eagerly wanted to do the film, but opted out as he didn't want to create confusion during the shoot. He also talked about how he has his hands full with other Tamil projects that need to be finished soon. Well now, the makers of the Allu Arjun-starrer are on a quest for an actor, who could replace Vijay for the highly-anticipated project. Earlier, a few big names from the industry had emerged suggesting their inclusion in the film, like Bobby Simha, Roja, Raj Deepak Shetty, Dhananjay and Aadhi Pinisetty. However, the makers have not yet officially zeroed in on any actor so far, to lock horns with the Stylish Star. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers in association with Muttamsetty Media, the movie will also feature Rashmika Mandanna Prakash Raj, Jagapati Babu, Harish Uthaman, and Vennela Kishore in pivotal roles. Pushpa will start rolling from mid-August or September, after the team analyses the condition to shoot amid COVID-19 lockdown. There are also reports suggesting that the makers will now shoot the pending sequences, which were set to be shot in Kerala, in Hyderabad's Annapurna Studios itself. A forest set up has been erected for the same. Payal Rajput Rubbishes Reports Of Being Part Of Allu Arjun's Pushpa Allu Arjun To Lock Horns With Aadhi Pinisetty In Sukumar's Pushpa? General Secretariat of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications; General Secretariat DETEC Bern, 13.07.2020 - President Simonetta Sommaruga will pay a visit to Ukraine next week. Ukraine is important in terms of Switzerlands security and peace policy, and also has considerable economic potential. Ms Sommaruga will be received by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv for a state visit on Tuesday, 21 July. The two presidents will discuss bilateral cooperation and the international situation. This is the first foreign trip that Ms Sommaruga will make since the outbreak of the pandemic in Europe. The programme on the first day of the presidential visit includes several events dedicated to economic and scientific exchanges. The official delegation will be accompanied by an economic delegation composed of representatives from the energy and infrastructure sectors. On the second day, Ms Sommaruga will meet various ministers in Kyiv along with Ukrainian civil society representatives to discuss areas in which cooperation between Switzerland and Ukraine can be further strengthened. On Thursday, 23 July, Ms Sommaruga will travel to the east of the country, where talks on the current situation are planned with local authorities and humanitarian and development policy experts. Also planned is a visit to a water treatment plant supported by Switzerland, which supplies the population on both sides of the contact line. The search for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine is one of Switzerlands peace policy priorities. Switzerland is the fifth largest donor of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and is also involved in the peace process, particularly through the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Switzerland has been active in the country through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) since 2000 and has opened a cooperation office in Kyiv. The two states took up diplomatic relations shortly after Ukraine gained independence in 1991. Contacts are good and can be further developed in a number of areas, which is evidenced by the fact that this is the first bilateral presidential visit between Switzerland and Ukraine. Economic relations with Ukraine benefit greatly from the free trade agreement with EFTA, which has been in force since June 2012. The volume of trade in 2018 amounted to CHF 556 million, which leaves a great deal of potential for development. That potential has increasingly been exploited over the last few years. Cultural contacts have also been deepened recently. Address for enquiries DETEC Information Service: Geraldine Eicher, +41 79 211 30 52 Publisher General Secretariat of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications; General Secretariat DETEC https://www.uvek.admin.ch/uvek/en/home.html Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html Ebunolu Akintade, 38, outside Hendon Magistrates' Court A former BBC broadcaster 'gaslighted' his ex-lover and tried to convince him he was mentally ill in a six-month campaign of harassment. Ebunolu Akintade, 38, became obsessed with estate agent Tom Chandler and stalked him for months after their breakup last August. Akintade told his ex he must be suffering from mental health issues and tried to undermine his grip on reality - a technique known as 'gaslighting' - which left his victim feeling trapped, Hendon Magistrates' Court heard. Despite Mr Chandler ending the relationship in August 2019, Akintade wouldn't leave him alone and received a police caution for harassment in September. He told Akintade to leave him alone in February this year when they bumped into each other at a bar in Soho, but the mental health coordinator sent him the anxiety remedy Ashwagandha in early March with a note saying 'See you at the end of your course in 60 days, your mental health matters.' Later that month, Akintade copied Mr Chandler into a 'ranting' email to the police arranging an appointment to give his fingerprints, and the next day he emailed Mr Chandler saying he had booked him a therapist and paid for six sessions. Mr Chandler told the court: 'I feel like he was using my mental heath, telling me I had mental health problems to control me. 'He insisted on coming to the doctors with me, I couldn't say no. He suggested I go and see a counsellor, I felt I had no choice. 'It was just wearing me down, I didn't know what was happening.' Akintade, a former Dulwich College pupil, was convicted of stalking and harassing his estate agent ex-boyfriend between November 2019 and April 2020. He will be sentenced on August 7 at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Akintade had worked for Radio Jackie as a traffic reporter then a showbiz interviewer. He moved onto BBC Radio London in 2011, having worked as a researcher for a BBC documentary 'Trauma' following doctors and nurses on 12-hour shifts. Akintade, a former Dulwich College pupil, was convicted of stalking and harassing his estate agent ex-boyfriend at Hendon Magistrates Court (pictured) Mr Chandler had told the court the police came to his office on December 15 because earlier that month Akintade 'turned up' there and approached his deak. 'My colleague had to get him out, he came back in again and I had to get him out again,' Mr Chandler said. 'He said ''I love you, I want to help you. Why won't you listen to me? I'm doing it for all the right reasons, why won't you believe me?'' ' Mr Chandler said when he realised what Akintade was doing 'the penny dropped and I didn't want anything to do with him'. He added: 'I feel he was trying to break and control me and pretend he's caring, he told me that his ex-partner had committed suicide and implied it would happen to me. 'I contacted his ex-partner and he said [he] was well. I think he has a dark personality.' Akintade wrote Mr Chandler a letter on October 13 begging him to 'make the leap' and not to shut him out. The note read: 'I love you and we can do this, hurt people - hurt people and I want you to stop hurting. 'Please I beg you, to make the leap. I accept this is totally confidential. I'm on your team, more than anything I love you, please do it, don't shut me out.' Prosecutor Neehal Patel said Akintade was not a medical expert and Mr Chandler had told the court he did not suffer from mental health issues. 'He had counselling, nothing was wrong, he was quite forthcoming. There were no suicidal thoughts,' the prosecutor said. 'The reason he contacted the police was the unwanted contact, he got too much for him, he felt gaslighted and trapped in the relationship. His contact was unwanted and was upsetting.' Akintade had also turned up at Mr Chandler's office unannounced on November 29 following the London Bridge terror attack, saying he wanted to 'smooth things over'. Mr Chandler told his ex 'you're sick leave me alone', but Akintade waited on a bench outside the office for two hours. Mr Chandler accidentally called Akintade while showing the police his phone and was 'bombarded' with calls and messages the following week. Mr Chandler added: 'It has been the worst experience of my life, I just have been constantly bombarded. 'He's unpredictable, I've been distressed, mixed emotions, how has it even come to this? 'It's just been horrible, I've just been trying to manage it and not let it affect my work and really it's just been a struggle. 'I have to look out if I catch the tube, I'm always on edge if I get an email. Is he going to turn up? It's unpredictable, I'm on edge all the time. 'At that time my relationship was not good and I was being manipulated. He had made me go to the doctors on three occasions and came with me. My relationship was not happy and I wanted to get it out, if you know the expression ''gaslight''. 'I was trapped and he was making me feel like I had an illness which I didn't have. I was unhappy with the relationship and how it was making me feel. 'Previously I had tried to end the relationship saying I wasn't happy in the way he was treating me, I previously had said if it doesn't stop I will end it.' Magistrate Edward McMallan said: 'Mr Chandler made clear his intention to break it off in August. 'When he visited his office he was told to ''f*** off'', the only encouragement he may have had was an accidental call on 14 December. 'By the police interview he could have been in no doubt. Following the meeting in a bar his subsequent actions were not reasonable to any extent.' Akintade, of Croydon, was convicted of harassment and stalking after trial. The gunman behind New Zealand's Christchurch mosque shootings sacked his lawyers Monday and opted to represent himself, raising fears he would use a sentencing hearing next month to promote his white-supremacist views. Australian national Brenton Tarrant will be sentenced on August 24 on 51 murder convictions, 40 of attempted murder and one of terrorism arising from last year's massacre, the worst mass shooting in New Zealand's modern history. He has pleaded guilty to the charges. At a pre-sentencing hearing on Monday, High Court judge Cameron Mander allowed Tarrant's lawyers, Shane Tait and Jonathan Hudson, to withdraw from proceedings at the request of their client. However, the judge ordered "standby counsel" to be available next month in case Tarrant -- who appeared in the Christchurch court via video link from an Auckland prison -- changes his mind. New Zealand Muslim Association president Ikhlaq Kashkari questioned Tarrant's motives, saying victims could be re-traumatised if the gunman were allowed to spout far-right rhetoric from the dock. "My first concern when I read this was 'Oh my God, what's this guy up to, is he going to use this as a platform to promote his views and thoughts?'," he told AFP. "A lot of people are still going through trauma and this was seen as one of those events that would give them closure. I hope it's not going to be something that will trigger more pain instead." In March 2019, Tarrant gunned down Muslim worshippers during Friday prayers at two Christchurch mosques, live-streaming the killings as he went. His victims included children, women and the elderly. The former gym instructor unexpectedly reversed his not-guilty plea in March this year, removing the need for a lengthy trial. The terror and murder charges all carry life sentences, setting a minimum non-parole period of 17 years while also giving the judge power to imprison without the possibility of release. New Zealand does not have the death penalty. Survivors and the families of victims will be present during the three-day sentencing hearing and Islamic Women's Council of New Zealand spokeswoman Anjum Rahman said many would not want to hear from Tarrant. While she did not want to speculate on Tarrant's motive for representing himself, she said: "He has shown in the past that he likes to get attention and he wants attention. "I feel this is all part of that mindset." Since statehood, state courts have heard criminal cases where jurisdiction was considered to be on nontribal-owned land, while federal courts have handled major crimes that occurred on tribally owned land, referred to as Indian Country. Tulsa Police Departments Homicide Unit and federal authorities began talks after the court ruling on how to proceed; however, Watkins said Fridays homicide forced them to learn on the fly. Landrys tribal affiliation, if any, was unavailable Monday. Tribal enrollment, prior to the Thursday ruling, was not a regular part of the investigative process, he said. Were going to have to work this out and come up with some processes, and obviously one of the first questions were going to have to (start asking) is whether our suspects are Native American or not, Watkins said. Tulsa police requested federal and Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police assistance to investigate the death. A 911 caller told dispatchers that a man ran up to him and said he needed help because his girlfriend was going to die, according to a criminal complaint. Teachers in Donegal have raised 55,000 for a childrens hospital. The members of the INTO in the county raised the funds through a raffle for CMRF Crumlin, which is part of the Childrens Health Foundation family. This year due to Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing guidelines, tickets were available online from 10 with the chance to win incredible prizes up to a value of 10,000. All proceeds from the 2020 draw will provide continued support for the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) research project in the National Children's Research Centre (NCRC). The INTO is delighted and very proud to once again support CMRF through their annual members raffle, Mary Magner, president of the INTO said. Thank you to our members in Co Donegal for their generosity in raising 55,000 in the 2020 raffle. This year despite restrictions with Covid-19, our members got behind the online raffle. It will benefit thousands of children all over Ireland in their most vulnerable sick moments, and their parents through periods of strain and worry. The Childrens Medical and Research Foundation (CMRF) Crumlin, the fundraising body for CHI at Crumlin and the National Childrens Research Centre, has praised the INTO for their continued fundraising. Every year, we meet fundraising groups like the INTO and were just overwhelmed by their generosity and their ability to create such a fantastic fundraiser, Chief Executive of Childrens Health Foundation, Denise Fitzgerald said. On behalf of all the children that these funds will ultimately benefit through the research funded we thank the INTO for their amazing ongoing support. The hospital treats upwards of 150,000 children each year from all over Ireland. Every family in our school communities knows of a child who has received treatment in Crumlin hospital, says Mary Magner. We support the hospital in providing the best possible care for children and are mindful of the constant need to invest in research projects. Therefore, the proceeds from the 2020 INTO members draw will be used to fund the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) research project. IBD is a term used for two chronic relapsing conditions, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohns disease (CB). Unfortunately, childhood IBD is on the rise with a tripling of cases in the past ten years in Ireland. Current treatment strategies are ineffective in a large number of children, so further research is vital. The INTO launched their annual members online raffle in April and with the support of INTO staff representatives in schools who encouraged members to participate in the raffle, they were delighted with the very generous response. INTO President Mary Magner presented the cheque to Sinead Nolan, Schools and Youth Development Executive with CMRF Crumlin and said the work in CMRF Crumlin is vital and urgent. Children are suffering right now from the most serious and harrowing illnesses and conditions, Mary says, we need to provide the best research and treatment to save their lives, ease their burden and speed up healing. A rare item has hit the auction block: an investment guaranteed to pay as long as people fret over bad breath. Bids are being taken through Tuesday on a share of royalties backed by Listerine mouthwash sales. They stem from contracts signed 140 years ago by its inventor and still cited in business law classes that require the maker -- currently Johnson & Johnson -- to pay shareholders in perpetuity. That's a group that has at various times included the Archdiocese of New York, the Salvation Army and even former New Jersey governor Chris Christie. "It's a contract that says this royalty must be paid as long as Listerine is sold," said Gary Young, co-founder of Royalty Exchange, which is conducting the auction of a single share. "It's a crazy contract." During the coronavirus pandemic, in which some investors don't know where to find safe havens, Royalty Exchange is betting that buying a share of the premiere halitosis remedy may spark the interest of numerous bidders. More than 110 bids have already been placed and the price has topped $340,000. While the share up for sale only paid $32,000 last year, it's a payment that will keep coming as long as -- to quote the brand's slogan -- Listerine "kills germs that cause bad breath." And Listerine is by far the most popular mouthwash -- it had a 37% share of a growing $5.2 billion global market for mouthwashes and dentals rinses last year, according to market research firm Euromonitor International. Melissa Munoz, a J&J spokeswoman, said the mouthwash has been used by more than one billion people in more than 85 countries across the globe. It's also a quintessential American business success story. "They created a disease that no one knew they had, and developed a cure for it," said medical historian Leonard Vernon, a New Jersey chiropractor. The formula for Listerine was invented by Joseph Lawrence, a St. Louis doctor who originally marketed it as a cure for dandruff and a treatment for gonorrhea. He was inspired to develop an antiseptic after hearing a talk by famed British doctor, Joseph Lister, who discovered that disinfectants could reduce post-surgical infections. There are conflicting reports as to whether Lister approved of the use of his name on the antiseptic liquid, Vernon said. J&J, on its website, says that speech by Lister in New York also inspired Robert Wood Johnson and his brothers in 1886 to found the company that bears their name. Lawrence wasn't having much luck selling Listerine on his own, so he sold the formula to a pharmacist named Jordan Wheat Lambert in return for royalty payments based on sales. The original deal was for $20 per gross -- 144 bottles -- though that later was lowered to $6 per gross, and is now $6 based on sales of certain ounces of Listerine, since bottle sizes vary, Young said. One thing that didn't change in the contracts was that the royalties would be paid to Lawrence and his "heirs, executors and assigns" with no time limit listed.Lambert's company built the brand into what it is today by marketing it to treat "halitosis," a word that wasn't familiar to American audiences but which ads warned could drive away friends and cause a young woman to become "often a bridesmaid but never a bride." When Lambert's company merged with Warner-Hudnut Inc. in 1955 to become Warner-Lambert, the new company sued to avoid paying the royalties, which by then totaled $1.5 million a year. It argued that the contract was based on access to a trade secret for the Listerine formula that was no longer a secret. In a 1959 ruling still taught to law school students, a judge disagreed, saying the obligation to continue paying "is plain from the language of the agreements and is implicit in their terms." "It's one of these cases that stands out because it's so unusual," said Elizabeth Rowe, a law professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville who teaches this case to her students. "It's a cautionary tale for lawyers representing potential licensees because it can be a trap for the unwary." Warner-Lambert was bought by Pfizer Inc. in 2000, and then J&J bought Pfizer's consumer products division in 2006. Throughout all that time, the royalties have been paid -- every month for U.S. sales and every quarter for global sales. Lawrence's heirs currently split about half of the royalties, Young said. The other half have had a twisted history over the past 70-plus years. Prominent New York real estate broker John Reynolds bought half, then donated it to the Archdiocese of New York, which in turn sold shares to universities, pension funds, hospitals and individuals."It's this thing that's spread out all over the place and a lot of people have an interest in how many bottles of mouthwash are sold," Young said. J&J wouldn't comment on the auction or reveal how many people get a cut of Listerine sales, but one recipient that's been publicly identified is Christie. On financial disclosure forms from his failed presidential campaign, Christie reported that he and his wife received royalties in the range of $15,000 to $50,000 for the period of Jan. 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. Christie couldn't be reached for comment. Royalty Exchange typically sells residuals based on copyrights and trademarks, which are appealing to investors because they aren't tied to the stock market and have the potential of a windfall if a movie or song gets revived popularity, Young said.The advantage of the Listerine royalties is that, unlike copyrights, they never end -- at least not until people stop caring about their breath. Phu Quoc Island has a deserved reputation for its pristine beaches and stunning landscapes, but pollution is starting to have a negative impact on its sustainable development. browser not support iframe. Local authorities are now working to implement different measures to protect Vietnams precious Pearl Island. Phu Quoc has not escaped from the grim task of dealing with waste generated by tourism and local activity. With a population of more than 100,000 people, Phu Quoc also welcomes over 4.3 million tourists in a normal year, so the volume of waste generated by tourism and local life has become a growing concern. More than 150 tonnes of waste are generated on the island every day and have overloaded waste treatment facilities. A host of initiatives have been proposed and put into operation but havent been able to turn the tide. The 10 million USD waste treatment facility on the island can only operate at a quarter of its designed capacity and has actually hindered the development of local enterprises. Protecting the environment is considered key for the development of the precious island, and raising awareness among both tourists and local people about disposing of waste correctly is among many measures adopted to ensure Phu Quocs sustainable development. VNA The past, present, and future of Quebec updated to 2020 (Part Six) By Mark Wegierski Jacques Parizeau's Parti Quebecois won the September 1994 provincial election with about two-thirds of the seats (but with only 44% of the popular vote, under the "first-past-the-post" system of geographic ridings). Also, in the October 1993 federal election, the Bloc Quebecois, running candidates exclusively in Quebec, won 54 seats in the federal Parliament, ironically becoming the Official Opposition. Together with a smaller party in Quebec, the ADQ, the PQ and BQ launched a coordinated effort to win the Quebec referendum of 1995. A Yes would have authorized the Parti Quebecois government to begin negotiations towards Quebec sovereignty. The referendum failed by an extremely thin margin. One of the possible reasons why separatism is a major but not overwhelming force in Quebec, is that Quebec receives substantial economic benefits for remaining in Canada, a process which has been ongoing for at least four decades. Considerable numbers of so-called non-separatist nationalists feel that the Quebecois are already maitres chez nous ("masters in our own house"), especially in terms of the now-current, mostly linguistic focus of identity. Robert Bourassa, a long-serving Liberal Premier of Quebec, had talked about federalisme rentable a term which has sometimes been translated as booty federalism. Some exasperated English-Canadian right-wingers have argued that the interaction between the so-called federalists and so-called separatists in Quebec is nothing but a stratagem to maximize the amount of federal funds flowing to the province. The Quebecois never seem to want to embrace their nationalism overwhelmingly. Perhaps they want to maintain the pretence that, if English-speaking Canada does enough for them, they might just choose to remain in Confederation. When Justin Trudeau spoke to Quebeckers that they should want to be a part of a country stretching to the Rockies, and so forth, this was the classic Quebec federaliste appeal. While this may sound like Canadian patriotism in English-speaking Canada, what this really means is that French-Canadians should be filled with the desire to dominate a continent-wide polity, rather just confining themselves to dominating Quebec. I believe that Jean Chretien, too, had once spoken of our Rockies to a French-Canadian audience. The fact is that English-speaking Canada expends enormous amounts of political energy (as well as economic resources), just to keep Quebec in Confederation. Indeed, English-speaking Canada has surrendered vast amounts of its own traditional culture, which is said to be the price of keeping Quebec in Canada. But Quebec separatism does not seem to be going away. Perhaps this is because there really are two nations in existence, and all of English-speaking Canadas sacrifices and efforts are going to be futile in the end, anyway. Some English-Canadian right-wingers have suggested that a way to cut through this Gordian knot, is not to approach Quebec as abject, groveling supplicants, but actually threaten to expel the province from Confederation. It could also be argued that some of the attitudes of Quebecois nationalists towards Quebec sovereignty have been curious, indeed. For example, they have sometimes proposed to leave the armed forces under federal jurisdiction. This blatantly contradicts the notion of national sovereignty at its most basic. It is often enough stated that we live in a post-modern world of fluidity and amorphousness. One could ask the question whether, in this post-modern context, some kind of accommodation could be negotiated between Canada and Quebec that would not need to stand hard on notions of hard sovereignty. The 2007 provincial election gave a lot of play to the then-resonant message of ADQ leader Mario Dumont. The ADQ tended to see the notion of full separation as too chimerical but wished to negotiate a so-called autonomous status for Quebec within Canada. It also attached great importance to notions of what could be called cultural sovereignty. One of today's ironies is the fact that secularization and modernization have given Quebec one of Canada's lowest birthrates and highest abortion rates -- creating a demographic crisis (and sense of psychological siege) in a society once known for its very large families, and for its "revenge of the cradle" against the English. It could be argued that Quebecois nationalists will have to re-evaluate their relationships to TROC, to North American technological civilization, to their own traditionalist past, and to the rapidly-increasing Third World immigration into Quebec, if they are indeed seriously interested in their survival as a nation and a people over the coming centuries. To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home BJP MP V Srinivas Prasad has condemned the attack on Dr. B R Ambedkar's house in Mumbai and demanded immediate arrest of the attackers. In a press conference here, Prasad said that the attack must not be politicised and the police must conduct a thorough probe. "Congress and Shiv Sena are in power in Maharashtra and the government must consider the attached seriously. Mumbai police are intelligent and must crack the case soon," he said. Prasad also urged Dalit organisations not to level allegations against any group or organisations until police complete investigation. "The Dalit organisations can stage protest over the issue but, should not take law into hands. The leaders must speak about the attack and Ambedkar's name must not be used for politics," he added. Prasad also expressed displeasure over other non-Dalit organisations for not raising their voice against this issue New York: Naya Rivera, a singer and actress who played a gay cheerleader on the hit TV musical comedy Glee, was found dead on Monday in a Southern California lake. She was 33. Rivera's body was discovered six days after she disappeared on Lake Piru, where her son, Josey, was found on July 8 alone on a boat the two had rented, the Ventura County Sheriffs Office said. The Sheriff's Office confirmed that the body was Rivera's. Glee star Naya Rivera went missing at a Southern California lake. Credit:AP "Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were," wrote Glee co-star Jane Lynch on Twitter. Steven Canals, who co-created and produced the FX television show Pose, tweeted that he was "heartbroken over all the stories that will remain untold". Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said: "Based on the location where the body was found, the physical characteristics of the body, the clothing found on the body and the physical condition of the body, as well as the absence of any other persons reported missing in the area, we are confident the body we found is that of Naya Rivera." Detectives have found no indication of foul play, or that Rivera's death was a suicide, he said. Five years ago this Thursday, five servicemen were gunned down in Chattanooga. I cant imagine what it is like for the families of Gunnery Sgt. Thomas J. Sullivan, Sgt. Carson A. Holmquist, Lance Cpl. Squire Skip K. Wells, Staff Sgt. David A. Wyatt and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith, the five fallen servicemen our city is still grieving. I cant imagine the parents, grandparents, wives and children hearing the news that the shooter had opened fire in Chattanooga. I dont know what it was like for them to see the national news, and learn that the shooter was not apprehended, that he was still active, and know that their loved ones could easily be in harms way. I got a tiny taste of that feeling the next week. My son and his new bride lived in Lafayette, La., where a man opened fire in a movie theatre, killing two women. A friend texted me early in the morning, asking if I had talked to them; I immediately knew something had happened. Seconds later, I turned on the news and froze. My son was out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico on an oil rig, but as far as I knew, my daughter-in-law, Julianna, was at home in Lafayette. I didnt know the Grand movie theatre was near their home, or that Julianna had bought me a gift at shooting victim Jillian Johnsons shop. Frantic when I couldnt get in touch with either of them, the more I thought about it, the more I thought Julianna easily could have been in that theatre. My mind raced, imagining every scenario as the newscasters reported this senseless tragedy. A long hour later I learned Julianna was in Savannah on business, and my son had known this all along. But for those few endless minutes, time froze, and I was filled with fear and dread. But unlike these minutes for the Sullivan, Holmquist, Wells, Wyatt and Smith families, they didnt last. I do not know what it was like for those families on July 16. I imagine they called the young men frantically, making up scenarios as their words went straight to voicemail. I imagine them telling themselves their sons cell phones were dead, or that they were too busy to answer. The city was devastated, and the outpouring of concern and sorrow from citizens of Chattanooga was sizable. One of the families asked to see support along the funeral route, from Fort Oglethorpe to the Chattanooga National Cemetery. To honor this request, I-24 all but shut down. People lined the streets, the interstate, the overpasses, waving American flags, before holding them still and silently saluting. I saw the letter the mother of one of the men had written about Chattanooga. It was on Facebook, and brought me to my knees. Ive searched for it since, and cant find it. She said she was undone by the outpouring of support and compassion and sorrow from strangers. She said people left food at her doorstep people shed never met made meat loaf and seven-layer salads and their grandmothers pecan pie. She said they left letters. And flowers. In short, this woman was lifted up by the people of Chattanooga. Somehow, she had the ability to be gracious to a city of strangers - to faces she had never seen. I cant imagine this either. That after something so horrific as the tragedy on July 16, 2015, that a person could reach out like that. Could break free of the agony of their own tragic loss to acknowledge the outpouring of sympathy from strangers. But Gunnery Sgt. Thomas J. Sullivan, Sgt. Carson A. Holmquist, Lance Cpl. Squire Skip K. Wells, Staff Sgt. David A. Wyatt and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith are not strangers to anyone in our city. They are heroes, and will always be remembered. (Ferris Robinson is the author of two children's books, "The Queen Who Banished Bugs" and "The Queen Who Accidentally Banished Birds," in her pollinator series, with "Call Me Arthropod" coming soon. "Making Arrangements" is her first novel, and "Dogs and Love - Stories of Fidelity" is a collection of true tales about man's best friend. Her website is ferrisrobinson.com. She is the editor of The Lookout Mountain Mirror and The Signal Mountain Mirror. Ferris can be reached at ferrisrobinson@gmail.com) SOUTHFIELD, Mich., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Women in southeast Michigan have a new option to rejuvenate aging skin: AmazingLift. AmazingLift offers three minimally-invasive procedures, all with fast recovery times: AmazingLift Eyes: Reduce or eliminate bagginess, puffiness and droopy eyelids AmazingLift Neck: Lift sagging jowls and eliminate "turkey neck" AmazingLift Face: Designed for a more youthful face, eyes and neck Soon, lots of southeast Michigan doctors will offer AmazingLift facial rejuvenation services. At launch, the services will be offered by Dr. Jeffrey Colton of Novi. Double board-certified, his expertise is widely acclaimed and he was listed as one of America's top surgeons by the Detroit Free Press. "I had the eye procedure done and I couldn't be happier," said Lisa Zeitlin, 64, of Farmington Hills. "My hooded eyelids made me look old and tired. This simple procedure boosted my enjoyment of life and made me feel 20 years younger." "We want to help people look their very best without the hassles and long recovery time of traditional plastic surgery," said Dr. Colton. "AmazingLift is a minimally-invasive and quick procedure that takes less than an hour to bring out a natural looking you. It is as quick as most dental procedures." The AmazingLift procedure will soon be offered across the State by dozens of the best facial surgeons with a goal of helping thousands of men and women look their absolute best. Patients are assigned a Personal Advocate to guide them through the process and answer any questions that may arise. Pricing begins at $99/month and financing is available. For more information about AmazingLift, visit www.amazinglift.com or telephone 1-866-6-AMAZING. MEDIA CONTACT: Colleen Robar, 313.207.5960, [email protected] SOURCE AmazingLift Some passengers in Cork moved faster than the Government in adapting to the Covid-19 pandemic, wearing masks on public transport before it became mandatory to do so yesterday. Courtney Thompson and Aaron Gilmour said that they have worn masks on every bus trip since last week. The mask makes you feel safer, Courtney said. Its way better. And the bus can take more people if were all wearing masks." The pair, who were boarding the bus to Killarney for a staycation instead of the flight they had booked for a holiday in Portugal, had already missed two buses from Bandon that morning because "they fill up so quickly due to reduced capacity on board. After each bus cleared out, a cleaning team of two jumped on, disinfecting hand rails, windows and all surfaces. Those who travel without a face covering now risk fines of up to 2,500 and/or six months in prison although children and people with certain conditions are exempt. Eric Hynes, who was travelling back to Youghal, said that although most people now wear face masks queuing for public transport, many remove them once theyre on board. Im all for wearing masks, he said. Its discouraging to see people taking them off straight away when they get on board. If we need to keep the [Covid-19] infection numbers down we may need someone on board checking that people leave the masks on. Some people still arent buying into the benefit of wearing them. Bus driver Jerry Connolly was returning from a round trip to Clonmel on which he said the vast majority complied with the new law. 99.9% wore masks today. But I dont open my mouth if they dont, youre only drawing trouble. "My job is to drive a bus, not to enforce the Governments new legislation. But fellow bus driver Martin Simmons said that he will not let anyone on board his bus without a mask. On the 245 bus to Fermoy that morning, everyone wore a mask, he said. Bus driver, Martin Summons, says people who refuse to wear a mask will no be permitted to travel. Picture: Denis Minihane Hopefully I wont have to stop people getting on. As the weeks go on, people will get more used to it and more people will wear them." Nancy Reynolds was getting a bus to Clonmel after arriving in Cork airport from Carcassone, France that morning. Wearing masks on public transport in France was already mandatory so Nancy said that she "was used to it". I think you should have to wear masks on public transport, it doesnt look like it [the virus] is going anywhere soon," she said. Wearing a mask was not optional in the airport. It was a bit eerie, there were not a lot of people around but it felt safe enough, I didnt feel that I was in danger or catching the virus. Originally from the UK, Nancy was studying in Montpellier when the pandemic struck but she is now hoping to move to Ireland. Im thinking of moving here. I like it here, the people are welcoming, it's nice." Nancy plans to quarantine for two weeks at her friends house in Clonmel before getting out to explore the country, but shes used to staying indoors after living through the pandemic in France. At Kent railway station in Cork, compliance with the new law on face coverings was also high. Gerard Corkery, who has worked with Iarnrod Eireann for 39 years, said that 99% of people are compliant." Iarnrod Eireann worker Gerard Corkery says "99% of people are compliant".Picture: Denis Minihane There are clear signs up telling people to wear masks although sometimes you have to point them out to them. I remind people that wearing a mask is for their own good. Nicholas ODonnell, a freelance photographer usually based in Bray, has been at his family home in Bantry since lockdown. He travelled from his partner Niamh Power's home in Midelton for their first meal out together since the pandemic struck. A lot of people are still not wearing masks here," Nicholas said. "In Dublin, about 80% of people wear masks on the Luas and about 90% on the bus. Rules are rules. Everyone should be doing it, said Niamh. I try to wear mine as much as I can." Irelands doing well now, we just all need to keep it going. Nicholas said. Kyle Cooney was travelling to Dublin for the day with his friend Finbarr Thompson. Finbarr Thompson says he "feels safer" wearing a mask.Picture Denis Minihane. I think more people should be wearing them, especially on buses. Finbarr Thompson agreed. You get used to them. Theyre grand really. And its 100 times better to wear them and be protected. You feel safer. Were going to Dublin for the day to get out of Cork while we can. Id say we will go back to lockdown once everyones been out in the pubs again. On the morning of July 10, a gathering was held to mark the establishment of the 19th Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineering detachment to Lebanon. At the request of the United Nations (UN) and in accordance with the order of the Central Military Commission, China's 19th peacekeeping force to Lebanon will fly to the country in two groups from late July to mid-August, and undertake shift work with the 18th peacekeeping force in Lebanon, implementing missions for one year including mine-sweeping, removing explosives, setting up boundary markers along the Blue Line that separates Lebanon with Israel, building and maintaining military defense works, and delivering medical treatment and humanitarian relief. The force reportedly consists of a multi-functional engineer detachment, construction engineer detachment and medical detachment, totaling over 400 members. According to reports, through the unremitting efforts of past peacekeepers, the multi-functional engineering detachment has not suffered a single casualty while mine sweeping for 14 years in a row, and has hit four international records in completing the mine sweeping tasks entrusted to it by the UN, namely, sweeping mines with the greatest speed, highest quality, lowest cost and lowest casualty rate. To date, about 2 million square meters of suspected minefields, explosive-scattered areas and 14,000 meters of patrol roads have been searched and cleared, and more than 14,000 mines and all kinds of unexploded materials have been found and removed. Du Jia, the commander of the 19th batch of peacekeeping forces to Lebanon and leader of the multi-functional engineering detachment, said that for the last four months that he has been in charge of the peacekeeping mission, all peacekeepers have been working hard and conscientiously. During the training period, peacekeepers have conducted systematic training for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) qualification certification, emergency defense, war trauma treatment, commonly used English and foreign affairs etiquette, and so on, greatly enhancing their capabilities in carrying out peacekeeping missions. As the only post-00s female soldier of the multi-functional engineering detachment, Zhou Hui, a minesweeper, is very proud to be able to participate in this international mine-sweeping mission. Ahead of her upcoming journey, she said with a smile: "The intensive training has given me the confidence to deal with challenges, and I will certainly live up to my mission." Here is all the latest from the files of the Lake Geneva Police Department. June 14 11:48 p.m.: An officer dispatched to 710 Williams St. cited Matthew J. Nickelsen Jr., 21, Delavan, on suspicion of possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia. 4:48 p.m.: An officer dispatched to Baker Street near South Lakeshore Drive issued citations on suspicion of underage drinking-possession to a 17-year-old boy from Algonquin, Illinois, a 17-year-old boy from Gilberts, Illinois, Mitchell R. Phelps, 19, Pingree Grove, Illinois, and a 17-year-old boy from Paw Paw, Michigan. 12:22 p.m.: An officer dispatched to a traffic crash near Main Street and Lockwood Boulevard cited Natalie Kathleen Capelli, 23, Burlington, on suspicion of automobile following too closely. 2:17 a.m.: Officers dispatched to Broad Street near West Main Street cited Stephen A. Tolbert II, 19, Delavan, on suspicion of disorderly conduct and resisting an officer. 12:36 a.m.: An officer dispatched to the 700 block of West Main Street cited Kevin M. Clavey, 27, Chicago, Illinois, on suspicion of disorderly conduct-public urination. June 13 6:34 p.m.: An officer conducting a traffic stop on Townline Road near South Curtis Street cited David J. Williams, 32, Genoa City, on suspicion of operator fail/have passenger seat-belted. June 12 7:52 p.m.: An officer in the 300 block of Wrigley Drive cited Leslie R. Anderson, 30, Racine, on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia. 2:08 a.m.: Officers dispatched to the 200 block of Broad Street cited referred recommended charges against Mitchell James Lincoln Rambicourt, 21, Lake Geneva, on suspicion of battery, disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property. June 11 10:21 p.m.: An officer dispatched to West Main Street near Broad Street cited Alexander E. Buttell, 24, Schaumburg, Illinois, and Kaitlynn O. Schumacher, 21, Schaumburg, Illinois, both on suspicion of disorderly conduct-involved in a fight. 6:21 p.m.: Officers in the 100 block of Broad Street cited Kaitlynn O. Schumacher, 21, Schaumburg, Illniois, on suspicion of inattentive driving. June 10 11:54 a.m.: An officer dispatched to 300 Peller Road cited Victoria L. Drummond, 60, Lake Geneva, on suspicion of theft-simple less than $50. 3:01 a.m.: Officers dispatched to the 1100 block of Wells Street arrested Tyler K. Youngthunder, 27, Lake Geneva, on suspicion of criminal damage to property, resisting an officer, disorderly conduct, harassment and discharge of bodily fluid on law enforcement officer. June 9 8:47 a.m.: Officers dispatched to the 600 block of Williams Street arrested Anthony Michael Fernandez, 34, Burlington, on suspicion of resisting an officer, criminal damage to property, trespass to land or dwelling and disorderly conduct. June 8 12:07 p.m.: An officer dispatched to Edwards Boulevard near State Highway 50 for a traffic accident cited Robert D. Hahn, 57, Woodstock, Illinois, on suspicion of operating a motor vehicle without insurance. June 7 2:32 a.m.: An officer dispatched to the 300 block of Wrigley Drive cited Tyler Michael Maki, 37, Salem, on suspicion of hit and rununattended vehicle, deviating from a designated lane, failure to keep vehicle under control and operating a motor vehicle without insurance. 2:31 a.m.: An officer conducting a traffic stop on Geneva Street near Cook Street cited Yesenia Lopez, 24, Woodstock, Illinois, on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance. 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. Guard towers and razor wire ring the compound at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind., on March 17, 2003. (Michael Conroy/AP Photo) Trump Administration Appeals After Judge Orders New Block on Federal Executions A federal judge ordered a new delay on federal executions, just hours before the first lethal injection was scheduled to be carried out in a federal prison in Indiana. The move prompted the Trump administration to immediately appeal the decision. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on July 13 granted a preliminary injunction to four death row inmates, effectively blocking the first federal execution in 17 years from proceeding later in the day. Chutkan said that its in the public interest to issue a temporary block because there were still legal issues that needed to be resolved, adding that the public is not served by short-circuiting legitimate judicial process. The succession of last-minute rulings is the result of the governments decision to set short execution dates even as many claims, including those addressed here, were pending, Chutkan wrote in her ruling (pdf). The government is entitled to choose dates, but the court cannot take short cuts in its obligations in order to accommodate those dates. The judge accepted the inmates argument that they are likely to win on their claims that the 2019 Protocol method of execution constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. She said that the inmates had shown that pentobarbital alone poses an unconstitutionally significant risk of serious pain. The inmates had identified alternative methods of execution that would significantly reduce the risk of serious pain such as using a pre-dose of opioid painkiller or anti-anxiety medication, or execution by firing squad, Chutkan added. Immediately after, the Justice Department (DOJ) filed a notice of appeal to challenge her ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The department also filed a motion to ask Chutkan to consider her order, arguing that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is likely to suffer harm if the executions are postponed. Each execution requires significant advanced planning and coordination, the department argued (pdf). These preparations cannot easily be undone; [a]ny adjustment to the execution dates would require significant planning and coordination such as that which already has been undertaken by BOP to date.' The DOJ declined a request by The Epoch Times for comment. A guard tower flanks the sign at the entrance to the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind., on Dec. 10, 2019. (Michael Conroy/AP Photo) The new block comes a day after a federal appeals court made way for the federal government to carry out plans to execute Daniel Lewis Lee. The 47-year-old, who was set to die by lethal injection, was convicted in 1999 for the brutal murder of an Arkansas family of threegun dealer William Mueller; his wife, Nancy; and her 8-year-old daughter, Sarah Powell. In that case, family members of Lees victims sued the federal government in an attempt to postpone Lees execution, citing CCP virus concerns. They said that the governments decision to schedule the executions in July amid the pandemic burdens their ability to attend the executions, arguing that attending the execution puts them at risk of catching the disease. Chief District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson of the Southern District of Indiana ruled late July 10 in favor of the three plaintiffs and ordered Lees execution to be postponed. She found that the federal governments act of setting Lees execution date without considering the right of the plaintiffs to be present was arbitrary and capricious and not in accord[ance] with [the] law. The DOJ immediately sought to overturn Magnus-Stinsons decision by asking the 7th Circuit to block her decision. The department argued (pdf) that the district judges order misconstrued federal and state law and has no basis in equity. The three-panel judge of the 7th Circuit overturned the district courts order, saying that the plaintiffs argument lacks any arguable legal basis and is therefore frivolous. They said the federal governments action in setting an execution date cannot be reviewed by the courts and that the plaintiffs have no statutory or regulatory right to attend the execution. In June, Attorney General William Barr ordered the BOP to schedule the executions of the four inmatesLee, Wesley Ira Purkey, Dustin Lee Honken, and Keith Dwayne Nelson. Their executions have been scheduled for dates in July and August. The decision to proceed with the executions during the pandemic garnered widespread criticism, with critics saying that the scheduling had no regard for the safety and health of those involved. Hundreds of people will be exposed if this weeks federal executions are allowed to go forward. This willingness to risk lives is indefensible, the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement on July 12. A lawyer for Lees victims said in a statement to media outlets that the federal governments decision has put his clients in the untenable position of choosing between their right to witness Danny Lees execution and their own health and safety. Eighty-one-year-old Earlene Branch Peterson, the mother and grandmother of the victims, along with Ms. Petersons surviving daughter and granddaughter, wanted to attend the execution and had planned to be there when it was scheduled for December 2019. Because the government has scheduled the execution in the midst of a raging pandemic, these three women would have to put their lives at risk to travel cross-country at this time, the lawyer, Baker Kurrus, said in the statement. Kurrus added that his clients will appeal the 7th Circuit decision to the Supreme Court. India is not among countries collaborating on research into the airborne transmission of the coronavirus. (AFP) Hyderabad: Two hundred and thirty-nine scientists from 32 countries have come out in support of research into the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV2, the virus which causes COVID-19. The initiative is meant to persuade the World Health Organisation (WHO) to consider the virus as an airborne vector. Missing from this action are India and its scientists. That is because research into communicable diseases is poor in India, according to a top virology researcher. If you see 50 research papers in top journals on the topic, you will see about 35 from the USA, about 10 from Europe and the rest from other countries including China, said Dr Syed E Hasnain, former head of the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) and currently vice-chancellor of Jamia Hamdard University,. There has been no research in India into how COVID-19 spreads and there is none that is likely to happen, he told Deccan Chronicle. India is heavily dependent on the rest of the world when it comes to understanding how Covid-19 spreads or how to control the virus. The initiative for research on the airborne nature of the coronavirus was taken up by Lidia Morawska and Donald K. Milton of the International Laboratory for Air Quality and Heath, Queensland University of Technology, Australia, and the University of Maryland School of Public Health, USA. Among the countries from where scientists put down their names in support of Morawska and Miltons research are Estonia, Lithuania, Madagascar, apart from with academic research giants such as the USA. The other countries include the UK, Australia, Germany, Israel, France, Italy, the Netherlands, China, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Denmark, Sweden, Republic of Korea, Portugal, Norway, Taiwan, Lebanon, Poland, Jordan, Finland, New Zealand, Greece, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and Brazil. Morawskas research essentially says that it is time to revisit the theory that coronavirus spreads through droplets. The research, first reported by the New York Times, says virus particles can glide across a room for several metres and that it is time for WHO to call it a disease that is more communicable through air than previously believed. I am not surprised that this could be the case, said Dr Hasnain. There is so much being learnt about the virus every day and never before have we seen such a breadth of research into a pathogen. What we know tells us it is going to be more dangerous in the days, weeks, and months to come. The WHO will have to take a call on the latest research, he said. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. With the crucial Congress Legislature Party meeting scheduled to take place at 10.30 am in Jaipur, the party has made it clear that any indiscipline would not be tolerated. The CLP meeting will be attended by AICC observers Ajay Maken and Randeep Surjewala and AICC Incharge for Rajasthan Avinash Pandey. The party has issued a whip to mandate the presence of all the party's MLAs during Monday morning meeting. Speaking to ANI Avinash Pandey said: "Whip has been issued to give a message to all MLAs to be present and if anybody fails to come strict disciplinary action will be taken against any legislator who doesn't attend the meeting." On the issue of Deputy Chief Minister reportedly being in the capital he said, "I have tried to speak to him and have sent messages to him also but he has not replied. Pilot is not above the rest. He is like other MLAs and will also have to face action. Party is ready to listen to Pilot but within the frame of discipline." "No indiscipline will be tolerated but I am hopeful that he will turn up for the meeting," he added. According to sources in the party, 109 MLAs have signed the letter of support to Chief Minister including Congress, other parties, and independent MLAs in front of AICC observers. Many of the MLAs have told the observers that indiscipline should not be tolerated by the party and the party shouldn't come under any pressure of any leader. A meeting of CLP is scheduled to be held at Rajasthan Chief Minister's residence today. 2021 Hyundai Palisade Adds Calligraphy Model and Streamlines Content Packaging New, upscale Calligraphy trim adds numerous premium features, including 20-inch alloy wheels, exclusive front/rear LED lighting signature and micro-suede headliner Streamlined content repackaging simplifies shopper trim selections Nearly half of Palisade buyers had never considered the Hyundai brand, indicating growing brand consideration from an appealing new vehicle FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Jul. 13, 2020 Hyundai today released product details for its 2021 Palisade SUV, including an all-new, premium Calligraphy model. The 2021 Palisade, including the Calligraphy model, begins arriving at Hyundai dealers in July. 2021 PALISADE CALLIGRAPHY Adds to Palisade Limited trim: Mechanical HTRAC AWD with AWD Lock Downhill Brake Control Snow Mode Exterior Calligraphy-exclusive 20-inch alloy wheels HTRAC badging Calligraphy-exclusive front grille fascia Premium side door garnish Premium rear-accent lighting signature Ultra-wide LED center high-mount stoplight (CHMSL) Puddle lamps Interior Quilted-leather door panels Microfiber-suede headliner Premium cargo sill protection plate Perforated-leather steering wheel 2021 Palisade has also undergone significant content repackaging to give buyers of all trim levels added comfort & convenience while streamlining shopper trim selections. Much of the former Drive Guidance package, including high-demand features such as a 10.25-inch navigation system, Highway Drive Assist, SiriusXM Radio, Blue Link, and Driver Talk (in-car intercom system), was added to the Premium package and above. Further, Multiple Device Connection capability, HD radio and Wireless Smartphone Connectivity (for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) have been added to the SE model and above for vehicles without navigation. This generous repackaging ensures even more Palisade customers can enjoy these popular technologies in their ownership experience. Even more, LED headlamps are now standard, while sunroof and LED map-interior lights have been added to the SEL model and above. Palisade trailer pre-wiring connectors, an important feature for those Palisade buyers who tow, has been upgraded from a 4-pin connector to an enhanced 7-pin connector design. Finally, a premium melange headliner has been added to the Premium package. PALISADE EARLY BUYER SATISFACTION In Hyundai early buyer studies, nearly half of Palisade buyers had never previously considered Hyundai, a clear indication of growing market consideration of the brand. Moreover, more than 60 percent of Palisade buyers represent conquest sales, such as when the vehicle traded-in is from a competitive brand. Impressively, 77 percent of Palisade owners indicated strongly improved perceptions of Hyundai from their ownership experience. Finally, 98 percent of Palisade buyers confirmed they were likely to recommend a Hyundai purchase in the future to friends and families. HYUNDAI COMPLIMENTARY MAINTENANCE AND AMERICAS BEST WARRANTY Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance is the latest addition to the Hyundai Assurance program, which promises to create a better experience for shoppers and owners of Hyundai vehicles. Hyundai Assurance is made up of Owner Assurance, now including complimentary maintenance, and Shopper Assurance, which together offer customers a variety of ways to simplify the buying process and improve the owning and service experience. Details on these promises include: Americas Best Warranty: 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, 5-year/60,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty and 7-year anti-perforation warranty Complimentary Maintenance: 3 years/36,000 miles of normal oil changes and tire rotations 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. Hyundais 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. H eathrow today demanded more action from government to stem the collapse in passenger numbers flying into and out of the UK. Reporting a 95% drop in passenger numbers so far this summer season. The company warned the quarantine policy for international arrivals directly caused a 10% slump in traveller numbers following its introduction in early June. "An exit plan is now more critical than ever, as long-haul flights remain grounded and more jobs continue to be put at risk in an industry crucial to rebuilding the UK economy," it warned. Heathrow, which has in the past been criticised for having less covid security screening in place than other major airports globally, called for more so-called "travel corridors", where the UK agrees reciprocal agreements to allow quarantine-free travel with countries. Calling for the UK to take a lead on standardising testing procedures at airports, it said: "Heathrow urges government to act faster on establishing Common International Standards that would allow safer travel to critical trading routes." The airport said it had prepared a test-on-arrival procedure that was awaiting government approval to allow covid-free passengers into the UK from higher risk countries without the need to quarantine. The airport is also testing new technologies to keep its buildings and equipment free from the virus, such as using UV light to sanitise surfaces quickly and efficiently. Overall cargo tonnage in June was down by more than 30% against 2019 but 6 June saw a record number of 140 cargo movements in a day. Passenger numbers into and out of Heathrow in June were 350,000, down 95% on a year ago. North American travel was the worst affected, down 97.4%, but Africa was also heavily hit, down 96.8%. Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: "Travel corridors were a great first step and now we need to go further to protect jobs and kickstart the economy, by allowing healthy passengers to travel freely between the UK and the rest of the world. "We're ready to pilot a testing system on arrival for passengers from "red" countries as an alternative to quarantine, but even better would be to test passengers before they get on a plane. This requires a Common International Standard for testing, which the UK government could take a global lead in setting up." Holland-Kaye last week spoke of his concerns that occasional outbreaks in cities such as Leicester, Lisbon and Melbourne and cities in the US were looking increasingly inevitable. He said there had to be an alternative to just shutting down travel to everyone from that country. His warnings come as the industry reaches its peak months as millions of families weigh up the risks of flying and visiting foreign countries. Key concerns appear to be sitting on the aircraft itself, as well as the threat of being stuck in a foreign country's covid outbreak and concerns about being quarantined on their arrival back in the UK. As with shopping, the government has been reluctant to enforce the wearing of masks in English airports, although they are compulsory in Scotland. Temperature checks are only in place on certain routes before flying, the government website says, although masks must be worn onboard the aircraft in both England and Scotland unless eating or drinking. Passengers are told they must leave the airport as quickly as possible on arrival, and only those travelling are allowed to enter unless accompanying children or passengers needing assistance. A full list of countries exempt from quarantine is on the government website. BOSTON, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BV Investment Partners ("BV"), a middle-market private equity firm focused on the tech-enabled business services, software and IT services sectors, announced today an investment in Becklar, LLC ("Becklar" or the "Company"), parent company of independently operated and complementary sister companies, Freeus and AvantGuard, in partnership with company founder and Chief Executive Officer Josh Garner. Becklar, based in Ogden, UT, was formed in 2017 by Josh Garner to unite the complementary Freeus and AvantGuard businesses under one entity. Freeus provides mobile personal emergency response system ("PERS") solutions to life safety, security and technology businesses nationwide. Freeus' full solution bundles mobile PERS devices, a proprietary device management software platform, cellular connectivity and event response monitoring services. AvantGuard is a technology-forward wholesale monitoring provider that offers critical event response services to the security, fire, PERS and IoT industries across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Justin Garrison, Managing Director of BV Investment Partners, said, "For a number of years we have been working to execute on an investment thesis around wholesale monitoring and PERS. These industries provide critical life safety technology and services, and they benefit from a number of growth drivers including demographic tailwinds, the desire of seniors to have the freedom to age in place, IoT adoption, and the trend towards outsourcing commercial and residential monitoring to leading wholesale providers like AvantGuard. We have gotten to know Josh and the Becklar team over the last several years; they are a terrific group and have established a leading position in the wholesale monitoring and PERS industries through careful investment in technology, process and people. We're looking forward to be working in partnership with them to execute on a compelling growth strategy." Mr. Garner, said, "Driven by the quality and dedication of the Becklar team, investment in technology, and the good fortune of positive market trends, Becklar has grown rapidly. Together with BV we're pursuing a number of organic growth opportunities, including the overall growth in the mobile PERS market, developing new products and services, meeting emerging monitoring needs, and expanding our software development capabilities for a number of end markets. We also plan to pursue sizeable M&A opportunities which had previously been out of our reach without a partner like BV. The BV team has a long history of working with founder-owned companies, has experience in our sectors, and we are excited to be working with them." Mr. Garner is retaining a sizeable equity stake in Becklar and plans to remain highly engaged with the business. Sam Axelrod, Vice President of BV, said, "From our initial meeting we have been enormously impressed with the Company, its team, and its service and product offerings. Freeus and AvantGuard are differentiated businesses that operate in two growing markets. Both companies are well-regarded in the industry and known for high quality solutions and service levels. We're looking forward to being a key part of Becklar's future as the Company continues to grow and provide the highest levels of service." In addition to Justin Garrison and Sam Axelrod, Vikrant Raina, CEO and Managing Partner of BV, will be joining the Company's Board of Directors alongside Josh Garner. The Edmonds Group acted as exclusive financial advisor to Becklar for the transaction. About BV Investment Partners BV Investment Partners is one of the oldest and most experienced sector-focused private equity firms in North America. Since its founding in 1983, the firm has invested approximately $3.7 billion, actively targeting investments in the business services, software and IT services industries. For more information, please visit www.bvlp.com. About Freeus, LLC Freeus is a wholesale provider of revolutionary mobile medical alerts, powered by its award-winning Orion platform. For more information on Freeus, visit www.freeus.com. About AvantGuard Monitoring Centers, LLC AvantGuard provides professional third-party monitoring and event response services to dealers throughout North America in the security alarm, PERS, and IoT industries. For more information on AvantGuard visit www.agmonitoring.com. Contact: Chris Tofalli Chris Tofalli Public Relations, LLC 914-834-4334 SOURCE BV Investment Partners Related Links http://www.bvlp.com CBSE Class 12 board results 2020 | Students can check the CBSE Class 12 result Android mobile app 'DigiResults', if the official website is slow. The app can downloaded from Google Play Store CBSE Class 12 board results 2020 | The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has declared the CBSE 12th result 2020 today (Monday, 13 July). Students who appeared for the exams will be able to check their results online on various official websites - cbseresults.nic.in, results.gov.in. The CBSE Class 12 Board examinations were scheduled to be conducted from 15 February till 30 March. Due to the spread of COVID-19, CBSE was forced to cancel examinations scheduled from 19 till 30 March for 12 subjects. These exams were rescheduled to be held from 1 to 15 July. To check the results, students will have to enter their roll number and date of birth. Follow LIVE Updates on CBSE Class 12 board results here Steps to check CBSE Class 12 result 2020 online Step 1: Visit the official results link cbseresults.nic.in or cbse.nic.in Step 2: Enter your Class 12 board exam credentials like roll number and date of birth Step 3: Submit the details and check your CBSE board exam result 2020. How to check result via SMS Due to excessive traffic on the official website of CBSE, the site can crashed. So students can also check their CBSE Class 12 Result 2020 through the SMS service. Type cbse12 on your mobile phone and send an SMS to the phone number 7738299899. If the official websites are down, students can also check their scores on mobile application DigiLocker. The CBSE had sent out SMSes on the registered mobile numbers of Class 10 and Class 12 students advising them to download the DigiLocker app on their phones. How to use DigiLocker app: Step 1: Go to PlayStore or App store on your smartphone Step 2: Search and download DigiLocker app Step 3: To login, use the mobile number registered with CBSE. Step 4: You will receive an OTP to login to your DigiLocker account Step 5: Enter a six digit security pin, which is the last six digits of your CBSE board exam 2020 roll number Step 6: Download is complete. You will now be able to check and download your CBSE digital mark sheet. You can also download the app from digilocker.gov.in. DigiLocker will inform the students of their marksheets and pass certificate once it is sent by the CBSE. Alerts will be sent on the registered mobile number of the students. Students can also check their results online on various official websites, IVRS telephone numbers, and mobile apps, according to Hindustan Times. Steps to check results through IVRS Students can access their results through IVRS (INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE SYSTEM) call. The telephone numbers of NIC through which results can be accessed through IVRS are as follows: For local subscribers in Delhi: 24300699 For subscribers on other parts of the country: 011-24300699 For students who have appeared in only three subjects, the average marks obtained in the best two performing subjects will be given in the subjects whose exams were not held. For those who have appeared in more than three subjects, the average of the marks obtained in the best three performing subjects will be awarded in the subjects whose exams were not conducted Experts warn that the North Atlantic right whale is on the brink of extinction, and unless urgent action is taken they will reach a point of no return in five years. The large marine mammals have been upgraded to being critically endangered on the IUCN Red List which lists threatened species. Numbers were decimated by hunting last century, with whaling vessels targeting them due to their high oil content and docile nature. A North Atlantic whale tangled in plastic fishing ropes. Source: Nick Hawkins via IFAW Despite a ban on hunting the species, IUCN assessor Dr Justin Cooke said on releasing his report that the whales numbers had been heading downhill for 10 years. The mammal is thought to have lost 10 per cent of its entire population since 2017, with the shipping and fishing industries believed by conservationists to be responsible for the majority of deaths. Urban whale living in busy New York-style environment Observed off the Australian shoreline, the southern right whale is estimated to number 10,000 individuals, while the population of its Atlantic cousin, by contrast, is thought to be just 400, with only 100 of them breeding females. With climate change impacting on food sources, North Atlantic right whales are being forced to migrate into busy shipping channels in Canada where mariners havent had to negotiate the animals before. As a result, the mammals are increasingly been caught in fishing line and being struck by boats, according to Patrick Ramage from International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Mr Ramage points to a scientific belief suggesting that the noise from shipping is also thought to be frustrating the animals ability to communicate and hunt for food. Southern right whales (pictured) are thought to number 10,000, while their North Atlantic cousins are believed to have a population of 400. Source: Getty It's caused scientists in this part of the world to refer to the North Atlantic right whale as the urban whale, Mr Ramage told Yahoo News Australia from his US office. Because it's almost like walking down a busy New York, London or Sydney Street and the hazards posed to pedestrians from moving traffic. So the comparison is apt, but its a very difficult situation for these whales. Story continues Plastic fishing rope injuring North Atlantic right whales Like many marine species, plastic is having a big impact on North Atlantic right whales, but despite our oceans being increasingly flooded with it, theyre not dying not from swallowing the substance. Fishing ropes that were once made from natural materials are now forged out of plastic, and these near unbreakable lines are cutting deep into their flesh, causing death and injury. Now 83 per cent of the remaining 400 animals show scars from the rope. Rescuers head towards a North Atlantic right whale calf tangled in nets. Source: IFAW Those are scars on their bodies from where ropes have cut into their flesh, Mr Ramage said. For those unfortunate enough to be seriously entangled, they are unable to free themselves. The whale essentially spirals and tries to get out of this gear that it feels on its body, entangling itself worse as it does so, and ultimately fins, or part of the tail can be severed. It was less of an issue when it was hemp rope, because it would just rot and fall off, or the whale would be strong enough to break free. With this plastic polypropylene line, either the animal is starving to death because its mouth is wrapped closed and can't feed properly, or (the rope) cutting more and into its flesh, causing infection or loss of limbs. It's just a gruesome and horrible way to die, arguably much worse than being dispatched with a harpoon as in days of yore. Race to prevent whale extinction A glimmer of hope remains for North Atlantic right whales, with the Canadian government adopting ship speed restrictions around some whale paths. IFAW have developed an app with Apple and Google which they say will help mariners track and avoid migrating whales. In the US, conservation groups are now pressuringCongress to develop new technologies to reduce human impact on the mammals. This would involve adopting fishing equipment that eliminates the vertical ropes responsible for many of the whale injuries. This year, of the 10 calves born this season, two have been killed in the US, and with a minimum yearly birthrate of 15 to 20 required to prevent extinction, the whale is in serious trouble. Unlike land-based animals, breeding large marine mammals in captivity is not a viable option, and so if the North Atlantic right whale becomes extinct in the wild, it will be no more. 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. (HealthDay)New U.S. coronavirus cases surged across 37 states on Sunday, with worsening hotspots in the South and West also fueling new daily records for COVID-19 deaths. Florida recorded more than 15,000 new infections on Sunday, breaking the daily record for new cases once held by New York back at the beginning of the pandemic, The New York Times reported. The state also saw single-day records in the counties that include its largest citiesMiami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Fort Myers, West Palm Beach, Pensacola and Sarasota. Five statesArizona, California, Florida, Mississippi and Texasalso broke records for average daily COVID-19 fatalities in the past week, the Washington Post reported. That marks a departure from the past weeks, when death rates had remained steady even as case numbers rose. Adding to the problem, long delays in testing are hampering efforts to contain future spread of the coronavirus, the Post reported. Many testing sites are struggling to provide results in five to seven days. Others are taking even longer, the newspaper reported, as outbreaks across the Sun Belt have strained labs beyond capacity. And there were signs of new trouble in regions outside current hotspots: Twenty states and Puerto Rico reported a record-high average of new infections over the past week, the Post reported. In the Midwest, cases have been trending upward in every state except Nebraska and South Dakota. The case spikes are resulting in another grim fact: Hospitals across the South and West are being flooded with COVID-19 patients and are having to cancel elective surgeries and discharge patients early as they try to keep beds available, the Times reported. In Miami-Dade County, Fla., six hospitals have reached capacity as virus cases spike. In response, Miami Mayor Carlos Gimenez rolled back reopening plans by imposing a curfew and closing restaurants for indoor dining, the Times reported. "We've definitely had a sharp increase in the number of people going to the hospital, the number of people in the ICU, and the number of people on ventilators," he told the Times. "We still have capacity, but it does cause me a lot of concern." Things are also dire in Texas. In Houston, leaders called for a renewed stay-at-home order they hope would curb the city's outbreak, one of the worst in the country. "Not only do we need a stay home order now, but we need to stick with it this time until the hospitalization curve comes down, not just flattens," Lina Hidalgo, the Harris County judge and chief executive for Texas' most populous county, wrote on Twitter, the Times reported. 'It just keeps adding' To try to address the shortage of beds, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott last week ordered an increase in hospital bed capacity in nearly 100 counties, extending a ban on elective procedures to new corners of the state, the Times reported. Even though regular wards are being converted into intensive care units and long-term care facilities are being opened for patients too sick to go home, doctors say they are barely managing, the newspaper said. "When hospitals and health care assistants talk about surge capacity, they're often talking about a single event," John Sinnott, chairman of internal medicine at the University of South Florida and chief epidemiologist at Tampa General Hospital, told the Times. "But what we're having now is the equivalent of a bus accident a day, every day, and it just keeps adding." While hospital beds are easily converted for ICU use, the more difficult challenge is having enough advanced practice nurses who are qualified to care for such patients and equipment such as ventilators, hospital experts told the Times. Hospitals can "pivot enough space," Jay Wolfson, a professor of public health at the University of South Florida, explained. "The trick is going to be staffing. If you get people burned out, they get sick, then you lose critical care personnel." Beds aren't the only thing hospitals are running out of now: Roopa Ganga, an infectious disease specialist at two hospitals near Tampa, told the Times that they lacked sufficient supplies of the proven COVID-19 medication remdesivir, forcing her to choose which patients needed it the most. Patients were also being discharged "aggressively," sometimes returning in worse shape a few days later. "About five people came back in one week last week," she said. "That is making me feel like, you know, you got to slow down." 'Pooled' testing strategy tried One new testing strategy that U.S. health officials plan to adopt is "pooled" coronavirus testing, the Times reported. The decades-old method would vastly increase the number of virus tests performed in the United States. Instead of carefully rationing tests to only those with symptoms, pooled testing would allow frequent surveillance of asymptomatic people, the newspaper reported. Mass identification of coronavirus infections could hasten the reopening of schools, offices and factories. With pooled testing, nasal or saliva swabs are taken from large groups of people. Setting aside part of each individual's sample, a lab then combines the rest into a batch holding five to 10 samples each. If a pooled sample yields a positive result, the lab would retest the reserved parts of each individual sample that went into the pool, pinpointing the infected person, according to the Times. "We're in intensive discussions about how we're going to do it," Fauci told the Times. "We hope to get this off the ground as soon as possible." A handful of states have actually brought the virus under control after being slammed in the early stages of the pandemic. Determined to keep case counts low, New York, Connecticut and New Jersey have said they will mandate quarantines for travelers coming from states that are experiencing large spikes in new cases, the Times said. By Monday, the U.S. coronavirus case count passed 3.3 million as the death toll neared 135,000, according to a Times tally. According to the same tally, the top five states in coronavirus cases as of Monday were: New York with more than 406,000; California with over 327,000; Florida with nearly 270,000; Texas with nearly 265,000 and New Jersey with over 177,000. Vaccine research makes headway Meanwhile, the search for an effective vaccine continues. The federal government will pay Novavax $1.6 billion to speed development of 100 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine by the beginning of next year, the Times reported last week. The deal is the largest that the Trump administration has made so far with a company as part of Operation Warp Speed, a federal effort to make coronavirus vaccines and treatments available to the American public as quickly as possible, the Times said. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had already said that it would provide up to $1.2 billion to the drug company AstraZeneca to develop a potential coronavirus vaccine from Oxford University, in England. That research agreement funds a clinical trial of the potential vaccine in the United States this summer with about 30,000 volunteers, the Times reported. The goal? To make at least 300 million doses that could be available as early as October, the HHS said in a statement. The United States has already agreed to provide up to $483 million to the biotech company Moderna and $500 million to Johnson & Johnson for their vaccine efforts. It is also providing $30 million to a virus vaccine effort led by the French company Sanofi, the Times reported. Moderna said a large clinical trial of its vaccine candidate would begin in July. Nations grapple with pandemic Elsewhere in the world, the situation remains challenging. Even as the pandemic is easing in Europe and some parts of Asia, it is worsening in India. That country now has the third-highest number of COVID-19 cases, with over 878,000 infections, the Times reported. Brazil has also become a hotspot in the coronavirus pandemic, with over 1.8 million confirmed infections by Monday, according to the Hopkins tally. It has the second-highest number of cases, behind only the United States. Cases are also spiking wildly in Russia: As of Monday, that country reported the world's fourth-highest number of COVID-19 cases, at more than 726,000, the Hopkins tally showed. Worldwide, the number of reported infections neared 13 million on Monday, with more than 569,000 deaths, according to the Hopkins tally. More information: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the new coronavirus Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved. UNITED NATIONS, July 11 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Saturday adopted a resolution, with 12 votes in favor and three abstentions, on the mandate renewal for the cross-border humanitarian mechanism in Syria. Resolution 2533 decides to renew the border crossing of Bab al-Hawa for 12 months, until July 10, 2021. China, Russia and the Dominican Republic voted in abstention. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, made remarks in explanation of China's vote. Zhang stressed that it is China's consistent position that the international community should increase humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people on the basis of respecting Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. China always has reservations about the cross-border mechanism, he said. Considering the actual situation in Syria, China does not object to retaining the cross-border mechanism at this stage, and at the same time, China believes that the cross-border mechanism should be adjusted accordingly in light of the developments on the ground, the envoy said. He pointed out that years of illegal sanctions have been exacerbating the economic and humanitarian crises in Syria, devastating livelihoods, and bringing untold sufferings to innocent civilians. The sanctions have also seriously undermined Syria's ability to respond to COVID-19, Zhang said, adding that in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, lifting unilateral coercive measures has become more important and urgent for improving the humanitarian situation in Syria. "We urge the United States to lift its unilateral coercive measures on Syria immediately, stop causing more harm to the lives and livelihoods of the Syrian people, stop politicizing the humanitarian issue and putting up hypocritical political show, and demonstrate responsible attitude and spirit of humanitarianism with concrete actions," he said. The harvest season has already started in almost all regions of Ukraine, according to the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture. As of July 9, farmers started harvesting grain and legumes in almost all regions of Ukraine. In total, 6,340 thousand tonnes of grain have been threshed from an area of 1,934 thousand hectares (13% of the target), reads the report. During the week, Ukrainian farmers gathered 5.085 million tonnes of grain, legumes and rapeseed. In particular, Ukrainian farmers threshed 2.92 million tonnes of wheat from an area of 918 thousand hectares (14%); 3.03 million tonnes of barley from 870 thousand hectares (69%); 158 thousand tonnes of peas from 84 thousand hectares (36%); 3.85 thousand tonnes of rapeseed from 2.49 thousand hectares. The highest harvest volumes have been gathered in the Kherson region (1.407 million tonnes from 394 thousand hectares), Mykolaiv region (1.313 million tonnes from 451 thousand hectares), Dnipropetrovsk region (0.91 million tonnes from 261 thousand hectares), and Zaporizhzhia region (0.88 million hectares from 239 thousand hectares). As reported, Ukraine harvested more than 98 million tonnes of grain and oilseeds in the 2019/2020 marketing year. The Ukrainian Grain Association forecasts a harvest of 2020/2021 MY at the level of the previous year - 98 million tonnes. At the same time, Ukraines exports of grain and oilseeds may increase from 57.2 million tonnes to 58.5 million tonnes. iy A Brexit with no trade deal would be an enormous act of self-harm and an extraordinary failing of politics, said the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence. Simon Coveney described negotiations as frustrating and said there had been little progress, after briefing Cabinet about the ongoing Brexit talks. He said EU negotiators are being consistent with the political declaration signed by the UK and its EU counterparts six months ago. Theres been four rounds of negotiations to date and really very little progress and quite a lot of frustration, Coveney added. Read More We will attempt to agree a future relationship agreement that had a basic free trade agreement, but with that there needs to be a level playing field provision, there needed to be a governance arrangement that could monitor and deal with disputes, should they happen. And that we would have a fisheries agreement with that also, along with an attempt to try and agree a series of agreements in a whole range of areas including data, financial services, transport, to aviation to policing and security co-operation, to climate to environment. There are more discussions happening this week and we hope the UK will adapt its approach to the commitment that they gave in the political declaration that they have moved away from since these negotiations began so we can try to put the pieces of this agreement in place. Hopefully by the end of September or October to ensure we avoid the consequences of a no-deal trade Brexit which would be an enormous act of self-harm, but also an extraordinary failing of politics if we were, at the start of next year, trading on the basis of WTO regulations which would include tariffs on certain products. Mr Coveney said there will be more focus on the Northern Ireland protocol this week. Describing it as a complex agreement, he said it would allow Northern Ireland to act as an entry point for the EU single market into the Republic of Ireland which would avoid the need for checks. He also said there will be a new omnibus Brexit Bill including a wide range of legislation. Taoiseach Micheal Martin is expect to travel to Brussels this week for a meeting of the European Council. DEAR ABBY: "Darlene" and I have been friends for 40 years. She moved to Arizona with me in the '80s from Michigan. Her boyfriend drove out and convinced her to return to Michigan and get married, which she did, but she's always hated Michigan. She raised two girls. I was always called "Aunt" and was considered close. Years passed and the marriage was struggling. I invited Darlene to come and visit to get away for a bit. She fell right back in love with Arizona. She expressed her unhappiness in the marriage, and I told her that if she ever needed a place to stay, she could live with me. She came out for another visit, found a job and decided to stay. Her girls, now in their early 20s, were shocked and hurt by their mom's decision to divorce their father. One of them blames me, blocked me on Facebook and no longer talks to me. It has been three years, and when Darlene's daughter comes to visit, I have to stay away. Darlene refuses to talk to the daughter to smooth things out between us. I think she should do something to defend me. Am I wrong? -- WRONGLY BLAMED IN THE WEST DEAR WRONGLY BLAMED: No, you are not wrong. You did Darlene a favor by welcoming her to Arizona, but you were not responsible for her divorce. It appears no good deed goes unpunished. She should not be letting you take the heat for the fact she left her husband. Darlene should have explained to her daughter the marriage was an unhappy one for a long time, and regardless of where she chose to live afterward, it wouldn't have been near their father. Darlene and her daughter owe you an apology. Because you are required to stay away when Daughter visits, perhaps it would be better if Darlene found another place to live rather than your home. ** ** ** DEAR ABBY: During my sister's pregnancy, she made very clear that the only people she wanted to transport her child would be her, her husband and our mother. I disagreed, but because of her pregnancy, I kept silent and abided by her wish that I not purchase my own car seat in the event of an emergency. (I don't have any children of my own.) Now that the child is in day care, I found out through a third party that my sister has listed me as an emergency contact. The first question that came to mind was "Why?" but all I could do was acknowledge the information. Would it be out of line for me to ask her about this, and if she confirms it, to remove my info from her emergency contact? Or should I just hope that I never get called? I don't want to be unprepared, but I know that emergencies do happen. -- TAKEN ABACK IN THE EAST DEAR TAKEN ABACK: Emergencies DO happen. Lives can be changed in only a moment. Before listing you as an emergency contact, your sister should have asked for permission and discussed it with you. It would not be out of line to tell her you have just been informed about it and ask why she did it without telling you. While you're at it, ask if the child has any medical conditions you're not aware of and EXACTLY what she wants done in an emergency situation. If you decide to follow through with this, you should know the name of her doctor, what -- if any -- medications the child is taking, and what hospital the ambulance should deliver the kid to if it becomes necessary, since you don't have a child seat in your vehicle and don't want to risk being cited should you be stopped on the way. ** ** ** Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. ** ** ** For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person, order "How to Be Popular." Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.) COPYRIGHT 2020 ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION 1130 Walnut, Kansas City, MO 64106; 816-581-7500 [July 13, 2020] Kakao Awarded HK$31.2 Million Contract to Future Data's Korean Subsidiary HONG KONG, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- GEM listed Future Data Group Limited ("Future Data" or the "Group", 8229.hk), a technology services company, today announced that its wholly own subsidiary Global Telecom Co., Ltd. ("GT", the "Solution Provider") has won a contract to build a new cloud solution for Kakao Corporation ("Kakao", the "Customer"), South Korea's largest mobile messaging app operator for US$4.0 million (HK$31.2 million). Following its successful position as South Korea's largest mobile messaging app, Kakao has ventured into virtual banking business, after receiving a license from the government. The Customer was looking for a solution that provides stable and lowest possible delay for its virtual banking applications over the Internet. Kakao selected GT's proposed solution based on Arista Networks technology because the solution provides SDN-based high-performance and high-availability, using VXLAN/EVPN. Kakao's new IDC aims to provide network services for Kakao Pay, Kakao Game, and Kakao Talk amongst others with stable services and lowest possible delay in the case of Internet traffic congestion and in line with the increase of users. In particular, the Customer focuses on maximizing the utilization of virtualization infrastructure such as OpenStack and Kubernetes (K8s). GT proposed solution includes network traffic distributed deep buffer switch and Ethernet switch capable of expanding capacity from a 40GE-based infrastructure to a large capacity of 100GE, based on the stability of existing automation systems. The EVPN network also provides flexibility/scalability for automation implementation that integrates Kakao's Cloud Vision Platform (CVP) and OpenStack as added benefit. "Kakao has been a long-term Customer of the Group," said David Lee, CEO of the Group. "In the past, we have helped build network infrastructure for Kakao's mobile messaging app, and extended our relationship to support Kakao's virtual banking," Mr Lee added. About Kakao Corporation Kakao, better known as South Korea's largest mobile messaging app operator, is an integrated mobile lifestyle platform company with services including mobile messaging (Kakao Talk), gaming (Kakao Games), banking (Kakao bank), music (Melon), e-mail (Daum Mail), search (Daum Search), news (Daum News), and more. With the mission of "Connect Everything", Kakao is dedicated to creating an ecosystem of connectivity where people can stay connected with family and friends by sharing what matters to them. For more, please visit at www.kakaocorp.com. About Arista Networks Arista Networks was founded to pioneer and deliver software-driven cloud networking solutions for large data center storage and computing environments. For more information, visit www.arista.com. About Future Data Group Limited Listed on the GEM Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited in 2016, Future Data is a new breed of technology services companies. Future Data provides a wide range of digital infrastructure and cyber security services to corporate customers. The Group's distinct competitive advantages include the partnerships and alliances it has forged with a diverse base of leading technology suppliers and the ability to interweave its software development capabilities with a number of these suppliers. More information can be found at http://www.futuredatagroup.com. SOURCE Future Data Group Limited [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ] Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/13/2020 -- A new business intelligence report released by HTF MI with title "Military Aircraft Engines - Global Market Research and Forecast, 2015-2025" is designed covering micro level of analysis by manufacturers and key business segments. The Military Aircraft Engines - Global Market survey analysis offers energetic visions to conclude and study market size, market hopes, and competitive surroundings. The research is derived through primary and secondary statistics sources and it comprises both qualitative and quantitative detailing. Some of the key players profiled in the study are GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, Safran Aircraft Engines, Klimov, MTU Aero Engines, ITP, United Technologies Corporation, Textron, Inc, Honeywell International, Engine Alliance LLC, CFM International SA. What's keeping GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, Safran Aircraft Engines, Klimov, MTU Aero Engines, ITP, United Technologies Corporation, Textron, Inc, Honeywell International, Engine Alliance LLC, CFM International SA Ahead in the Market? Benchmark yourself with the strategic moves and findings recently released by HTF MI Get Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @ : https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1607475-military-aircraft-engines-global-market Market Overview of Military Aircraft Engines - Global If you are involved in the Military Aircraft Engines - Global industry or aim to be, then this study will provide you inclusive point of view. It's vital you keep your market knowledge up to date segmented by Applications [Fighter Aircraft, Transport Aircraft, Helicopters, Others], Product Types [Jet Engines, Turbine Engines, Others] and major players. If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization according to your requirement. This study mainly helps understand which market segments or Region or Country they should focus in coming years to channelize their efforts and investments to maximize growth and profitability. The report presents the market competitive landscape and a consistent in depth analysis of the major vendor/key players in the market along with impact of economic slowdown due to COVID. Furthermore, the years considered for the study are as follows: Historical year 2014-2019 Base year 2019 Forecast period** 2020 to 2026 [** unless otherwise stated] **Moreover, it will also include the opportunities available in micro markets for stakeholders to invest, detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product services of key players. The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below: The Study Explore the Product Types of Military Aircraft Engines - Market: Jet Engines, Turbine Engines, Others Key Applications/end-users of Military Aircraft Engines Global Market: Fighter Aircraft, Transport Aircraft, Helicopters, Others Top Players in the Market are: GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, Safran Aircraft Engines, Klimov, MTU Aero Engines, ITP, United Technologies Corporation, Textron, Inc, Honeywell International, Engine Alliance LLC, CFM International SA Region Included are: US, Canada, Mexico, UK, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Russia, France, Rest of Europe, China, Japan, India, Korea, Australia, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia & Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa Enquire for customization in Report @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1607475-military-aircraft-engines-global-market Important Features that are under offering & key highlights of the report: Detailed overview of Military Aircraft Engines - market Changing market dynamics of the industry In-depth market segmentation by Type, Application etc Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value Recent industry trends and developments Competitive landscape of Military Aircraft Engines - market Strategies of key players and product offerings Potential and niche segments/regions exhibiting promising growth A neutral perspective towards Military Aircraft Engines - market performance Market players information to sustain and enhance their footprint Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1607475-military-aircraft-engines-global-market Major Highlights of TOC: Chapter One: Military Aircraft Engines - Global Market Industry Overview 1.1 Military Aircraft Engines - Industry 1.1.1 Overview 1.1.2 Products of Major Companies 1.2 Military Aircraft Engines - Market Segment 1.2.1 Industry Chain 1.2.2 Consumer Distribution 1.3 Price & Cost Overview Chapter Two: Military Aircraft Engines - Global Market Demand 2.1 Segment Overview 2.1.1 APPLICATION 1 2.1.2 APPLICATION 2 2.1.3 Other 2.2 Military Aircraft Engines - Global Market Size by Demand 2.3 Military Aircraft Engines - Global Market Forecast by Demand Chapter Three: Military Aircraft Engines - Global Market by Type 3.1 By Type 3.1.1 TYPE 1 3.1.2 TYPE 2 3.2 Military Aircraft Engines - Market Size by Type 3.3 Military Aircraft Engines - Market Forecast by Type Chapter Four: Major Region of Military Aircraft Engines - Market 4.1 Military Aircraft Engines - Global Sales 4.2 Military Aircraft Engines - Global Revenue & market share Chapter Five: Major Companies List Chapter Six: Conclusion Complete Purchase of Latest Version Military Aircraft Engines - Global Market Study with COVID-19 Impact Analysis @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1607475 Key questions answered - What impact does COVID-19 have made on Military Aircraft Engines - Global Market Growth & Sizing? - Who are the Leading key players and what are their Key Business plans in the Military Aircraft Engines - Global market? - What are the key concerns of the five forces analysis of the Military Aircraft Engines - Global market? - What are different prospects and threats faced by the dealers in the Military Aircraft Engines - Global market? - What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia. About HTF Market Report HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the "Accurate Forecast" in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their "Goals & Objectives". Contact US : Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA 08837 Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218 sales@htfmarketreport.com A woman has revealed an incredible life hack to prevent a towel from slipping off your waist - and it has been practiced by different cultures for centuries. Jessica Ruley, 28, from Idaho, was heading to the pool with her family one afternoon when she noticed her sister, Aimee Katsma, had folded her towel around her waist in a very peculiar way. Trying the trick herself, Jessica realized the method worked and her towel was securely wrapped around her waist. Genius! A woman has gone viral after revealing a hack for wrapping a towel around your waist so that it stays perfectly in place Works like a charm! The trick requires you to fold the top of the towel over, rather than tucking one corner in, which is how most people secure the fabric Jessica decided to post a TikTok tutorial video @lifewjess showing the method, which involved folding the top of the towel twice. Viral sensation: Jessica Ruley, 28, from Idaho, shared a video of the hack on TikTok, where it quickly went viral Instead of tucking one corner of the towel inside and hoping that it holds, Jessica explains that the better method involves wrapping the towel across your body, before folding the top down completely around your waist to secure it. In the video, Jessica's sisters Aimee and Melissa can be seen jumping and dancing around with towels around their waist - which remained wrapped securely despite moving around so much. The video has since gone viral, gaining over 5.3 million views as users praised Jessica for the genius hack. One said: 'This is genius!! Why haven't I ever done this' Another added: 'TikTok teaches me more than school ever did' Meanwhile, some pointed out how people from different cultures have been practicing this type of towel wrapping for years - with one viewer from Hawaii noting that this is common practice on the island. Wrong: In the video, Jessica and her sister demonstrated the incorrect way of securing a towel - revealing that tucking one corner in will not hold the material securely Fail! Jessica and her sister showed that the traditional method of wrapping a towel doesn't hold it in place when you walk around - demonstrating how easily theirs fell off Easy as can be! When you fold over the top of the towel, it is secured in place and will not fall down - allowing you to walk around freely and easily She wrote: 'Girl.... us girls from Hawaii have been doing this for ages.' Another added: 'Somalis have been doing this for thousands of years.' Speaking about the towel hack, Jessica said: 'My sisters and I were heading down to the pool and one of my sisters folded her towel that way, and we all questioned her. Her husband taught her that method. 'We tried it right after and discovered the towel really doesn't slip or fall off! 'We purposely walked goofy to test if it was really fool-proof. 'I never thought this video would go viral as we were just messing around. 'I do realize some people already knew about this trick; however, it was new to us! I hope to make more fun videos in the future that can maybe help others!' Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fajar Zakhri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 13, 2020 12:42 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665e1ffd 3 Entertainment music,Album-review,Jessie-Ware Free Putting out a dance record when the settings under which were accustomed to basking in its corporeal glory are practically non-existent might seem gratuitous. Jessie Wares fourth offering the evocatively titled Whats Your Pleasure? begs to differ. Its all too tempting to compare Pleasure with Dua Lipas Future Nostalgia or Lady Gagas Chromatica, on the very grounds that all three are recent high-profile releases that promise dancefloor escapism when theres no dancefloor available to escape to. On the flipside, Pleasure is a fascinating document on how the concept of dance music is interpreted by an air sign performer (Ware is a Libra) versus her fire sign peers (Lipa is a Leo, Gaga an Aries) who bark where Ware coos; if bluster and bombast epitomize Future Nostalgia and Chromatica, Pleasure revels in subtleties and textures. Right off the bat, these are the very qualities that inform Pleasure and have in fact typified the British songstress oeuvre from the get-go. However, where in the past she would only occasionally flirt with strobe-lit confections via deep album cuts or one-off releases, Pleasure is her first full-length in a decade-long career that fully, unabashedly immerses itself in, to quote Janet Jacksons 1987 hit, the pleasure principle. Pleasures principle is to showcase a paean to the funkified end of pop music of the 1980s all strutty, syncopated rhythms and sinewy basslines following the downfall of disco at the onset of the decade. Second single and album standout Mirage (Dont Stop) is a prime instance of this modus operandi: Not only does it reference Indeeps 1983 smash Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life, it also directly samples Bananaramas classic Cruel Summer from the same year. The preceding track Read My Lips also recalls the rubbery delight of Anita Wards immortal Ring My Bell and doubly serves as something of an older, sexier sister to both Wares own Champagne Kisses and Katharine McPhees similarly titled Lick My Lips both were released in 2015. On the other hand, Save a Kiss is all palpitating heart and thrilling rush induced by a tryst. Buoyed by propulsive synths and swooping strings, with heavenly harmonies on top, its incontestably one to remember and then some. Likewise, the title track is replete with innuendos (Push, press, more, less, she instructs in murmury ecstasy) and breathy come-ons. Its followed by the one-two punch seduction by way of Ooh La La, a crystalline concoction reminiscent of Patrice Rushens eternal Forget Me Nots, and Soul Control, a delicious Devo-meets-Nu Shooz groove. Meanwhile, Step into My Life is what a Sade and Nu Shooz joint track in the mid-80s might have sounded like. Things slow down considerably in In Your Eyes Wares own entry to a canon populated by identically titled classics by Peter Gabriel and Kylie Minogue, among others easily the sole cut on Pleasure most reminiscent of Wares sumptuous, languid back catalog. Conversely, The Kill treads a darker, more menacing sonic path, not unlike prime era Royksopp or, naturally, Simian Mobile Disco, whose one-half James Ford is Pleasures chief producer. On a corresponding note, the hypnotic Adore You the only contribution from Metronomys Joseph Mount and the first song cut for the album showcases melancholic tenderness not unlike Robyns monumental Honey coincidentally a fellow Mount production. Pleasure, however, is bookended by two surging, jovial numbers: I just wanna stay in the moonlight, Ware croons dreamily in opener Spotlight, which opens with a vocal-piano intro before giving way to booming beats and blips, while she instructs her listeners to remember where you are at the albums tail end over a swelling soundscape that harks back to the age of classic disco and quite literally ends Pleasure on a high note. Taken as a whole, were left with the very gist of Pleasure: that amid all the pains currently ruling over our world, lifes simple pleasures are readily found, whether we look back or stay where we are. I want there to be an element of escapism and fantasy. I wanted that to take me away to an imaginary place and an imaginary situation, which I think lots of people can relate to right now, muses Ware in Pleasure, in a recent conversation with fellow pop troubadour Roisin Murphy. In doing so, Ware and her collaborators have successfully captured the very essence of dance music: to uplift and not just appease, to galvanize and not just excite. Pleasure is ample proof that the best dance music is, more often than not, less in your face, more under your skin where true-blue pleasures lie. (kes) *** Fajar Zakhri is a pop music critic based in Jakarta. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Brenton Tarrant, the man charged in the Christchurch mosque shootings, appears in the Christchurch District Court, in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 16, 2019. (Mark Mitchell/AP Photos) No Lawyers for Australian Brenton Tarrant at NZ Sentencing Australian Brenton Tarrant, who has pleaded guilty over the 2019 Christchurch mosque killings, has chosen to represent himself at his sentencing next month. The 29-year-old is expected to be sentenced to life in jail for 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism when he appears at a court sitting beginning on August 24. Tarrant appeared by video link in Christchurch High Court on the morning of July 13 where he waived his rights to a lawyer to represent himself for sentencing, Radio New Zealand reported. Justice Cameron Mander appointed a lawyer for standby counsel should Tarrant decide to be legally represented on the day. His previous lawyers Shane Tait and Jonathan Hudson withdrew their application to represent him. Tarrant live-streamed his attack on Al-Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre, before being apprehended by police. The court will allow the use of videolink technology so overseas-based victims can view the sentencing proceedings and take part if they wish. When the sentencing date was announced in July, Justice Mander said the court estimated it would take three days but the hearing will take as long as is necessary. Sydney Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 13) St. Lukes Medical Center and Makati Medical Center said their COVID-19 facilities have reached full capacity and can no longer accept critically ill coronavirus patients. In a public advisory, St. Lukes disclosed that as of Monday, both its hospitals in Quezon City and Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City have reached full capacity of allocated COVID-19 intensive care unit beds. It encouraged the public to bring suspected virus-hit patients to alternative hospitals to make sure they will be given needed medical attention. St. Lukes hospital president and CEO Dr. Art Dela Pena told CNN Philippines News.PH that while they have already allocated more ICU beds for COVID-19 patients, it was not enough to keep up with the recent rise in the number of patients seeking medical attention. Sa Global City, 'yung aming regular ICU beds is 32 18 assigned for COVID-19 and 14 for non-COVID-19, Dela Pena said Monday. And before I left the hospital this afternoon, 16 na yung occupied na beds for COVID-19, pero meron pa kaming limang pasyente sa emergency room na nangangailangan ng ICU admission." [Translation: At the Global City, we have 32 regular ICU beds 18 assigned for COVID-19 and 14 for non-COVID-19. And before I left the hospital this afternoon, 16 beds for COVID-19 patients were already occupied, but we still have five patients in the emergency room that need ICU admission. The hospital, however, said its two facilities can still accommodate admissions and treatment of non-COVID-19 patients, as well as outpatient procedures. Meanwhile, Makati Medical Center said that it has reached full capacity after a review of its bed utilization and manpower. The COVID-19 zones of MMC, both the regular wards and the critical care units, and especially the emergency room, are now full, the hospital said in a statement. The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City also issued an advisory requesting the public to refer their critically ill, probable, or suspected COVID-19 patients to other health care facilities for immediate care. The NKTI said it is already in the danger zone, which means that more than 70 percent of its COVID-19 dedicated beds and ventilators are already being used. Around last week, we are already at around 89 percent. And now, its even more than that because our capacity actually has been filled up, NKTI executive director Dr. Rose Marie Rosete-Liquete told CNN Philippines. She said around 1.5% of the hospital personnel have been infected with the disease, adding that more than 40 of the NKTI healthcare workers are no longer reporting to work, and that they may have to close another ward due to the lack of nurses. The NKTI said its emergency room staff will continue to "acutely manage only renal emergency cases and post kidney transplant patients." Non-COVID-19 and non-pneumonia patients may be seen at the outpatient services and be admitted accordingly, it added. Other Metro Manila hospitals also reported 100 percent utilization rate of their COVID-19 dedicated beds, but this does not mean there is shortage of beds because some can still expand their facilities, the Health department said. To date, the country's confirmed cases reached 57,006 with the addition of 836 new cases on Monday, while recoveries rose to 20,371, and death toll to 1,599. Pelosi Presidential Pardon Promise Baffles Legal Analysts, Draws Scorn Among GOP Strategists News Analysis Constitutional law experts and legal analysts across the political spectrum challenged Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosis (D-Calif.) promise on July 11 to introduce legislation that would limit a presidents power to pardon. Pelosis promise followed President Donald Trumps commutation on July 10 of the 40-month prison sentence of Roger Stone, the flamboyant political provocateur, who was to report to a federal facility July 14 to begin serving his time. Trumps action didnt reverse Stones seven felony convictions, but may have been motivated by a federal appeals courts previous reversal of his request to delay his reporting to jail. More than 94,000 inmates have been released from jails across the country due to concerns about their susceptibility to the CCP virus. The 67-year-old Stone argued unsuccessfully that his age and poor health made him even more susceptible to the disease, so forcing him to jail now could be a death sentence. Significant procedural questionsespecially the credibility of the jury forewoman, a former Democratic candidate for Congresssurround Stones prosecution on multiple charges, including witness tampering, obstructing an official congressional investigation, and making false statements to Congress. But Attorney General William Barr declared Stones conviction was a righteous prosecution and he recommended against commuting the sentence. President Trumps decision to commute the sentence of top campaign advisor Roger Stone, who could directly implicate him in criminal misconduct, is an act of staggering corruption, Pelosi said in a July 11 statement. Congress will take action to prevent this type of brazen wrongdoing. Legislation is needed to ensure that no President can pardon or commute the sentence of an individual who is engaged in a cover-up campaign to shield the President from criminal prosecution, she said. Pardon Power The problem for Pelosi is that the Constitution gives no power to Congress to limit presidential pardons, so she opened herself up to withering criticism by promising such legislation. Former Assistant Attorney General Joseph A. Morris told The Epoch Times theres no question about the pardon power. Morris is also a former chief counsel for two federal agencies. The Presidents powers of pardon and clemency with respect to prosecutions and convictions for federal crimes are virtually unbounded. They are vested exclusively in the President, and they are not subject to limitation or command by Congress, he said. The pardon clause, U.S. Const. art. II, Section 2, cl. 1, authorizes the President to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment. The Supreme Court has stated, Morris said, that [t]he plain purpose of the broad power conferred by Section 2, cl. 1, was to allow plenary authority in the President to forgive the convicted person in part or entirely. (Schick v. Reed, 419 U.S. 256, 266 (1974).) Similarly, George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, a Democrat who opposed Trump in 2016 and previously voted for Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, wrote on Twitter that the fact is that Pelosis proposal would be dead-on-arrival at the courts. Turley, who says he opposed commuting Stones sentence, detailed his argument in an op-ed in The Hill, saying the commutation of Stone barely stands out in the old gallery of White House pardons, which are the most consistently and openly abused power in the Constitution. This authority under Article Two is stated in absolute terms, and some presidents have wielded it with absolute abandon. From the right, Hans von Spakovsky told The Epoch Times that Nancy Pelosi is once again showing her profound ignorance of the Constitution. Congress has no power to limit the pardon power of a president. Von Spakovsky is senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundations Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies. An emailed request by The Epoch Times for comment from Pelosi was opened more than two dozen times after being received, but no response was provided. Republican Hill veterans also denounced Pelosi for promising congressional legislation to curb presidential pardon powers. Speaker Pelosi should know better than to attempt to limit the constitutional pardon power of the President. The presidential power to pardon and commute sentences is explicit, Brian Darling, former senior counsel to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told The Epoch Times on July 13. A bill to limit the presidents power is unconstitutional and nothing more than an attempt to create a political talking point for Democrats going into the fall election, Darling said. Any so-called legal scholar who tries to spin a way for Congress to limit the presidents power is doing nothing more than legal navel-gazing. He added that if Pelosi actually is able to have such a proposal introduced in the House, it should be laughed off by Republicans and if they can raise a constitutional point of order against this unconstitutional legislation, Republicans should. Similarly, Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist told The Epoch Times that it is increasingly clear that Pelosi has not read the entire U.S. Constitution. And the bits she is familiar withthe First Amendments protection of religious liberty and the Second Amendments protection of the right to keep and bear arm she doesnt much like. Contact Mark Tapscott at Mark.Tapscott@epochtimes.nyc. A suicide note has been recovered from the shirt pocket of the BJP MLA Debendra Nath Roy, whose body was found hanging outside his residence in Uttar Dinajpur. The West Bengal Police have requested people not to jump on speculative conclusions and to wait for the investigation to complete. West Bengal police on Monday said that a suicide note has been recovered from the shirt pocket of the BJP MLA Debendra Nath Roy, whose body was found hanging outside his residence in Uttar Dinajpur. Today morning the dead body of MLA Hemtabad, Debendra Nath Roy was detected hanging from the verandah ceiling of a mobile shop at Balia, Deben More, Raigunj, Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal police said in a tweet. A suicide note is recovered from the shirt pocket of the deceased. Two persons have been named in the note as responsible for his death, it said. The police further said, All necessary steps of investigation such as use of tracker dog, visit of forensic experts are being taken. Post Mortem is yet to be done. People are requested not to jump on speculative, biased and judgmental conclusions and to wait for the investigation to complete. Also Read: BJP MLA found hanging at his residence in West Bengal, Governor demands probe Also Read: PM Modi congratulates Singapore PM on General Elections win Meanwhile, BJP leader Rahul Sinha on Monday demanded a CBI inquiry into the death of the MLA. We demand a CBI inquiry into the killing of the BJP MLA from Hemtabad, Debendra Nath Ray. Trinamool Congress is behind this killing and has made it look like a suicide. I request the West Bengal CM to order a CBI inquiry to find the truth behind the killing, said Rahul Sinha. According to Raiganj Zila SP Sumit Kumar, the police reached the spot, after getting the information from local residents about the incident. The body has been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation is underway. Also Read: Rahul slams centres claim of Indias good position in Covid-19 battle For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Regarding the recent op-ed, Those harmed by marijuana being illegal should benefit when it becomes legal, by attorney Jessica Gonzales: The state Legislature was unable to pass a bill making recreational marijuana use legal, so a legalization referendum will be on the fall ballot. Recent polls indicate 60% of voters would approve the ballot question. I encourage all voters to consider the following prior to voting: Basically, approval of the referendum allows people 21 years or older to purchase recreational cannabis products. Unfortunately, as reported in the Star-Ledger, details for the range of products to be available are not outlined in the ballot question. This would be determined after voter approval. Gonzales article focuses mainly on New Jerseys cannabis arrests, their racial disparity, and a lack of social equity provisions. I agree with her about the $143 million annual cost of these arrests. Obviously, marijuana for smoking will not only form that will be allowed. The list will likely include cannabis cookies, candy, drinks, etc. The cannabis industry will not be satisfied with just selling marijuana cigarettes. They want the freedom to sell alternative products that will be desired by all age groups to get high. Therefore, the ballot question, as written, should be turned down. Residents should know all details of what they are voting for. The Legislature should decriminalize marijuana immediately to stop arrests for personal use, but still hold distributors legally responsible. I ask those in favor of recreational cannabis to vote no unless the referendum clarifies the products that would be covered, and addresses other details of serious problems that have been experienced by other states that have legalized recreational-use marijuana. Bob Barrett, Clark No new taxes on health premiums As a representative of the states health insurance brokers, I want to voice my strong opposition against a state Senate bill that calls for a 2.75% state tax on fully-insured health insurance premiums for health benefits plans, MEWAs (multiple employer plans) and dental and vision coverage in New Jersey. S-2676, introduced July 6 with the goal of supporting a Health Insurance Affordability Fund, would add yet another tax on average New Jersey citizens. Now, during this unprecedented public health emergency and deep economic disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, this proposal is unconscionable and unacceptable. New Jerseyans deserve affordable and more accessible health insurance, not another barrier to care for their employees and families. The New Jersey Association of Health Underwriters respectfully urges our state legislators to oppose such a harmful bill that would affect millions of people. Some lawmakers contend this bill would somehow make health insurance cheaper for all. Yet, in all my years as a health insurance broker in this state, I have never seen how taxing an insurance product magically makes it cheaper. This just another way in which the cost of doing business in New Jersey will get more and more unsustainable, while we see health coverage become less affordable for both employers and their employees across our state. State lawmakers need to help, not further compound the financial hardships so many of us are already facing. Desmond X. Slattery, Legislative Chairman, New Jersey Association of Health Insurance Underwriters, Spring Lake Discrediting the disloyal: Trump hangs mission accomplished banner President Donald Trumps game plan during his impeachment hearings was to smear the 17 patriots who testified against him about withholding Ukraine military funds, including Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. Trump did this, in my view, to deflect attention from his likely guilt. Mission accomplished, as Trump supporters took it all in with no problem. So, Trump must have thought: Why not try to discredit (disease expert) Dr. Anthony Fauci, as well, so youre not the one blamed for the death of approximately 140,000 Americans in the COVID-19 pandemic? Im a glass-half-full guy, so I have faith that our country cant possibly be this gullible. This administration continues to take us down dark roads that we have no business going down, in the most disgraceful and deceitful of ways. Their tactics continue at the expense of those who have dedicated their lives to serve our country, like Vindman and, now, Fauci. The contrast between them and the president couldnt be more stark. Who could possibly not see that now? Salvatore Schifano, Wayne MVC has no excuse for the chaos There is no excuse for the chaotic and futile mess that the state Motor Vehicle Commission leadership made of the reopening of agencies closed by the COVID-19 pandemic, as described in horrific detail in the July 8 edition. Of course the employees (were) doing their best, as stated by MVC Chief Administrator B. Sue Fulton. But MVC management and administration failed those hard-working frontline employees and the drivers of New Jersey by failing to develop an effective plan to deal with the entirely foreseeable difficulties of reopening. What was MVC leadership doing during the almost four months of shutdown? Clearly they were not working for the people of New Jersey! Victory Van Dyck Chase, Princeton 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. Want to learn more about the cannabis industry? Subscribe to NJ Cannabis Insider. In a twist of fate, a police chase in Oregon ended when a suspect driving a stolen vehicle crashed into the driver of a second, unrelated stolen car, resulting in the arrest of both suspects. Newberg-Dundee Police officers responded to a report of a stolen Toyota Land Cruiser on the morning of July 5 and located the vehicle just moments later as it drove through town, according to a press release from the Newberg-Dundee Police Department. The suspect led the officers on a chase through downtown Newberg; but it finally ended when the Land Cruiser crashed into a Buick Regal near E. Franklin & College St., about 20 miles southwest of Portland, where the officers took the suspect into custody. Coincidentally, the police learned that the Buick Regal had also been stolen in a completely unrelated crime, and the driver of the sedan was then also apprehended. The suspect driving the Toyota Land Cruiser was identified as 27-year-old Randy Lee Cooper from Portland. He was taken into custody for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, attempting to elude police, third-degree assault, reckless driving, and other related crimes, the release stated. The second suspect driving the stolen Buick was identified as 25-year-old Kristin Nicole Begue from Newberg, who failed a sobriety test and was arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicants and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Randy Lee Cooper, 27, from Portland, was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, attempting to elude police, third-degree assault, reckless driving, and other related crimes. (Courtesy of Newberg-Dundee Police Department) Kristin Nicole Begue, 25, from Newberg, was arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicants and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. (Courtesy of Newberg-Dundee Police Department) We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc Binita Jaiswal By Express News Service CHENNAI: Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has urged the Centre for implementation of free trade agreements with the US, UK, European Union, Australia and Canada in a bid to double exports of apparel from the country in three years. Apparel Export Promotion Council of India (AEPC) Chairman, A Sakthivel on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a review of Indias trade pacts with these countries. In his letter, Sakthivel cited that the industry has taken several hits due to the COVID-19 pandemic and business in principal exports markets like US, UK and Europe have been affected. Although the government is taking steps to revive exports, an important area that can supplement your efforts in this direction is improving export competitiveness through a comprehensive review of Indias trade agreements through a fast-tracked mechanism with the EU, UK, US, Australia and Canada," he said in the letter. AEPC said if disadvantages in trade pacts are removed and positive sentiment leveraged, the exports will see significant growth. Sakthivel stressed that the present scenario of apparel exports is that India has a duty disadvantage of 9.6 per cent in the EU market as compared to competitors like Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Recently, Vietnam has also concluded a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU and most competitors are leveraging such FTAs in a big way to enhance their cost competitiveness. "There is an urgent need to have a level playing field in terms of market access and margin of preference in our biggest global market and to rectify the distortion that we are suffering," said AEPCs chairman. The council claimed that an FTA with the US will have a significant impact on the sector as while the average tariff of USA is 12.5 per cent, on certain items like manmade fibre-based apparel, which India is promoting, has a peak tariff of 28 per cent. The USA is Indias major destination with over 27 per cent share. Similarly, the council has also pleaded for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Canada and Australia. The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma has increased 8-fold over the past 50 years. This is one of the deadliest cancers, with a five-year survival rate of only 20 percent. However, the survival rate more than doubles if the cancer is identified early. Gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD), which affects one in five adult Americans, is a major risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma via the precursor lesion Barrett's esophagus. Aiming to find new ways to prevent esophageal cancer, a research team at Baylor Scott & White Research Institute received an R01 award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases one of the 27 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation's premier medical research agency, to study the molecular mechanisms that link GERD to Barrett's esophagus and cancer. In particular, the research team wants to know why Barrett's esophagus frequently recurs after radiofrequency ablation, a minimally invasive endoscopic therapy that uses heat to destroy dysplastic cells. The answer seems to lie in the formation of subsquamous intestinal metaplasia, wherein Barrett's cells burrow under the normal squamous lining of the esophagus to evade ablation. They found that the acid and bile components of gastroesophageal reflux trigger the Barrett's cells to undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a wound-healing event in which the cells acquire the ability to migrate under the squamous lining where they are hidden from endoscopists and shielded from destruction by radiofrequency ablation. They hypothesize that EMT also helps the Barrett's cells survive after reflux-induced oxidative stress, a process that could allow oncogenic mutations to accumulate. Identifying strategies to prevent EMT or mitigate its cancer-promoting effects in Barrett's cells will guide the design of new therapies to prevent esophageal cancer. According to Stuart Spechler, MD, director of the division of gastroenterology at Baylor University Medical Center, co-director of the Center for Esophageal Research, and co-principal investigator on the R01 proposal, "Barrett's cells are predisposed to cancer but nobody really knows exactly why. Therefore, we are looking at what is happening in the esophagus when reflux is causing cancer-promoting damage to the Barrett's cells." Rhonda Souza, MD, co-director of the Center for Esophageal Research and co-principal investigator on the R01 proposal, describes some of the data that inspired the current proposal. "We found that ursodeoxycholic acid, a non-toxic bile salt that is used to treat some liver diseases, can increase DNA repair in Barrett's cells through a signaling pathway involving P38 and APE1/Ref-1. This is one of several intriguing new molecular pathways that can be targeted for preventing mutation accumulations in Barrett's cells." Other key signaling pathways under investigation include the hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded for the identification of hypoxia-inducible factors as multifunctional factors involved in sensing oxygen levels, including oxidative stress. The Baylor Scott & White research team previously discovered that HIF-2a mediates the response to GERD in normal esophageal epithelial cells. The new work focuses on HIF-1a in Barrett's cells. The researchers also have evidence that pathways involving the transcription factor ZEB1 link reflux to the initiation of EMT. They are now planning to extend these studies and identify new drug targets both upstream and downstream of EMT. The work leading up to this proposal has been published in high impact journals including Gastroenterology and Gut. The importance of this mechanistic research is clearly shown in their prior work on GERD itself. According to Dr. Spechler, "We were able to completely change the paradigm of how reflux disease works. It was thought that the injury was just an acid burn, but we showed that the real damage comes from cytokines release in response to the refluxed acid. This was a brand new concept. Our research is translational and patient-oriented, focusing on fundamental mechanisms that underlie common disease processes. These are the kinds of studies needed to develop novel, effective treatments for our patients." Dr. Souza is currently on the American College of Gastroenterology panel for establishing new national guidelines for treating Barrett's esophagus, and Dr. Spechler is on a similar American College of Gastroenterology panel for establishing national treatment guidelines related to GERD. ### About Baylor Scott & White Research Institute Extending investigational expertise across more than 50 specialties areas, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute provides the business and regulatory infrastructure to accelerate medical breakthroughs and innovative new treatment models through clinical and translational activities. Baylor Scott & White Research Institute is present at sites and centers across Baylor Scott & White Health and maintains nearly 2,000 active trials each year. About Baylor Scott & White Health As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White Health promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. An integrated care delivery network, the system includes the Scott and White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance. Through 52 hospitals and more than 1,100 access points including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care, throughout Texas, and via virtual touchpoints. If its service area were a state, it would be the eighth largest, providing care to a population larger than that of the state of Georgia. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing, Baylor Scott & White is proud to honor its century-long legacy through its commitment to improving accessibility, affordability and the customer experience for all. For more information, visit BSWHealth.com About The National Institutes of Health T he National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov. Outgoing Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Dimitris Psillakis speaks during the 2019 Seoul Motor Show in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, in this March 28 photo. Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo Outgoing Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Dimitris Psillakis is taking a long business trip, at a time when the brand is being investigated by the prosecution for allegedly manipulating emissions programs in diesel vehicles. Given his successor, Mercedes-Benz Sweden and Denmark President Bjorn Hauber, will begin his term on Aug. 1, and Psillakis has to spend two weeks in self-quarantine due to the overseas trip, the chances of him making a public appearance again as the head of Mercedes-Benz Korea are slim. Raising a question is the timing of his departure from Korea. Though Mercedes-Benz Korea did not clarify when he left Korea for the trip, he has been out of the country at least before May 27, because prosecutors conducted a search and seizure operation at the company's headquarters near Seoul Station that day over the allegations. At the time, Mercedes-Benz Korea did not clarify whether he will come back to Korea or not. Given he had an interview with The Korea Times on May 11, he is assumed to have left Korea between May 11 and 27, and currently is in Canada because he was appointed as president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada starting Aug. 1, Friday. Initially, Psillakis was appointed as the head of sales and management at Mercedes-Benz USA, but that was changed apparently due to the U.S. H-1B visa ban. Though it is uncertain whether Psillakis will return to Korea, he still has unfinished business with the country. The Ministry of Environment fined Mercedes-Benz Korea 77.6 billion won ($64.6 million), May 6, after it ruled that the company had manipulated emission programs in 37,154 vehicles, including the C200d, it sold from 2012 to 2018. Along with the fine, the ministry filed complaints with the prosecution. This was the largest fine imposed by the ministry against an automaker in the emissions-related Dieselgate scandal, surpassing the 17.8 billion won handed down to Audi Volkswagen Korea. Raising more questions is the timing of Psillakis' appointment. Mercedes-Benz Korea announced the replacement of Psillakis, May 1, just five days before the ministry publicized its fine. Industry officials are comparing Psillakis' trip to former Audi Volkswagen Korea CEO Johannes Thammer, who left Korea on a business trip before a hearing on the manipulated emissions tests of vehicles imported into the country in 2017, and did not come back. Though the prosecution is cooperating with German investigators on repatriating him, the chances of Thammer returning to Korea are slim. Former Volkswagen Korea CEO Park Dong-hoon, who was indicted with Thammer, was sentenced to a two-year prison term in February this year. Since Psillakis has been heading Mercedes-Benz Korea since 2015, he is responsible for Mercedes-Benz Korea's businesses during that time, but can avoid questioning or even a possible trial if he stays outside Korea. Over Psillakis' trip, Mercedes-Benz Korea said it has "no relation at all to the investigation and the environment ministry's fines." Psillakis' tenure in Korea was filled with fine moments. Under his leadership, Mercedes-Benz became the best-selling import brand with towering sales figures in recent years. The number of vehicles the brand sold last year grew 10.4 percent year-on-year to 78,133, which was No. 5 among all auto brands here. He maintained a high profile outside of the company as the chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea and the vice chairman of Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association. Also, he became an honorary Seoul citizen in 2018 for "his great social contribution and investment" in the city. This apparently gave him the position of Mercedes-Benz Canada chief, which is a bigger market than Korea. But at the same time there was criticism of his management styles, as aggressive discount policies became a burden for dealers. As it is uncertain whether he will come back to Korea to face questioning, a bitter farewell between Korea and the Greek CEO seems to be inevitable. Russia has formally charged a space official and former military journalist with treason, opening the door to a possible 20 years in prison. Ivan Safronov, 30, was arrested in central Moscow six days ago, bundled into a van and whisked to Lefortovo, a high-security prison favoured by intelligence services in the east of the city. Mr Safronov was considered one of the finest military reporters of his generation, and a longtime member of the Kremlin reporter pool, before starting work for as a spokesperson for Roscosmos, Russias space agency, in May. Pinterest has received kudos for moderation that relies on customizing search results to hide or counter material, but it appears to have its limits. OneZero has discovered numerous cases where Pinterests moderation didnt catch some abusive or false content, including sexualized photos of young girls, conspiracy theories (including those for 5G and QAnon) and racist material. The issue revolves around loopholes that get past Pinterests standard search approach. The abuse filters typically kick in on Pinterest itself. You cant search from the homepage if you havent logged in, but you can get round that by visiting another accounts page. And if you use the right Google searches, you can find a slew of content that Pinterests filters would otherwise detect. Moreover, Pinterests autocomplete and recommendation systems may also steer users toward racist and misleading material. A spokesperson acknowledged to OneZero that policy-violating material would sometimes appear in results, even after it asked to have the content removed entirely. The company stuck to its emphasis on blocking search results, though, and said it encourage[s] people to content in addition to taking advice from outside experts. The representative added that it didnt want to be a go-to place for politics and was trying to curb adversarial behavior. Pinterests approach contrasts sharply with social networks like Facebook and Twitter, which typically remove offending content outright rather than hide searches. They have their own share of problems, though, including easier searches for offending material. Moderation appears to be a challenge for numerous social networks, then, and no one strategy appears to be bulletproof. * Euro zone periphery govt bond yields http://tmsnrt.rs/2ii2Bqr By Yoruk Bahceli AMSTERDAM, July 13 (Reuters) - Italy's 10-year government bond yield climbed to over a week's high on Monday, as investors stayed cautious ahead of a European Union summit at the end of the week. Investors hope the EU 27 will make progress in agreeing a 750 billion euro ($848.78 billion) COVID-19 recovery fund. Markets have moved in support of the fund, most of which has been proposed as grants to the worst-hit states such as Italy, sending that country's debt rallying in recent weeks. But opposition looms from hawkish states which oppose grants. The Netherlands will also seek guarantees on budget reforms during negotiations this week, its Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday. On Friday, European Council President Charles Michel offered a proposal to make the fund more palatable. Hawkish states welcomed the move, but said more work was needed. Italy's 10-year yield rose to its highest in over a week at 1.33% in early trade. It was last up 2 basis points (bps) at 1.31% "I don't see any major topic driving the yield rise - just profit taking after the run we've seen recently, especially in the later part of June," said DZ Bank strategist Rene Albrecht. "Everyone is waiting for the EU summit... We can't be sure there will be a solution or some kind of compromise." German yields also rose, with the 10-year yield up 2 bps at -0.45%, off Friday's 6-1/2 week lows of -0.49%, as world equities rose. Market focus is also on the European Central Bank (ECB), which meets on Thursday. Analysts will be watching the ECB's weekly bond purchase data later on Monday for a further sense of slowdown in the bank's bond buying. The slowdown has been a potential cause of concern, analysts said, as some ECB bond members suggested the emergency bond purchase "envelope" might not be used in full, while others saw the slowdown as an early start to the sluggish summer period. As widely expected, Fitch Ratings affirmed Italy's credit rating at 'BBB-' on Friday, one notch above junk. ($1 = 0.8836 euros) (Reporting by Yoruk Bahceli; Editing by Christopher Cushing) Fake council signs encouraging children to use playground equipment because they are 'safe' from coronavirus have been left at Melbourne parks as the city goes into stage three lockdown amid a second wave of infections. Believing the signs were from the local council, many families used the playgrounds at Chelsea Bicentennial Park and Bonbeach Recreation Reserve in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs over the weekend. The bogus signs used the City of Kingston logo and its Mayor Georgina Oxley's signature to make them seem authentic. 'Park open,' the signs read, before providing information about why children are 'safest' from COVID-19. Several fake signs (pictured) falsely telling people it was safe to use playgrounds were left at Chelsea Bicentennial Park and Bonbeach Recreation Reserve in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs over the weekend 'Kingston City Council recognises that a strong immune system is [the] best defence against the current COVID-19 threat and children are the safest community group,' the sign read. 'Your children can best maintain a healthy immune system by the following: regular vitamin D, regular physical activity [and] healthy eating habits. 'Please observe all required social distancing measures while using this park equipment.' Images of the signs circulated on Facebook before the Kingston Council ripped them down, replacing them with red signs that said 'playground closed'. Outraged her signature had been used, Mayor Oxley warned her Facebook followers 'these signs are fake'. 'It's incredibly upsetting that someone has forged my signature and used the Kingston Logo to try to mislead our community,' she wrote. 'Playgrounds are closed - and for good reason - to keep US ALL SAFE, especially our youngest Kingston residents. 'We must keep going! We're in this together, and this type of divisiveness is not welcome in our united community.' City of Kingston Mayor Georgina Oxley with a counter-sign telling the local community that the playground was in fact closed Mayor Oxley held a press conference at one of the playgrounds with Victorian MP Tim Richardson on Monday, saying they would further investigate the matter. 'Our community has come together and shown so much love and care for each other following the rules,' Mr Richardson said. 'People thought they were doing the right thing and got on the playground on the weekend. We reiterate that playgrounds are closed for the time being. 'We'll be following this up. Georgina, we're going to investigate this and take it further.' Melbourne is currently in stage three lockdown, which means people are only allowed to leave the home to shop for food and supplies, medical care or caregiving, exercise and study or work. First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon vowed yesterday to make the case again for independence after the pandemic crisis eases, speaking on BBC1s The Andrew Marr Show. Always on the media, her personal approval ratings are high and support for Scottish independence at 54 per cent in the latest poll is at a four-year high. But is the formidable figure of Alex Salmond, her predecessor as First Minister, limbering up for a comeback at her expense? Alex Salmond is pictured above. He will be buoyed by a Panelbase survey for the website Wings Over Scotland which found 12 per cent of voters would definitely vote for him, a further 14 per cent would be more likely than not to vote for him Little has been heard from Salmond since he was cleared by a jury in March of sexually assaulting nine women during his time as First Minister. The Scottish government admitted during a judicial review last year that it had acted unlawfully while investigating the sexual harassment complaints. So, will he take his revenge and lead a new Independence party in next years Scottish Parliament elections, having resigned from the SNP in 2018? He will be buoyed by a Panelbase survey for the website Wings Over Scotland which found 12 per cent of voters would definitely vote for him, a further 14 per cent would be more likely than not to vote for him. Meanwhile, 40 per cent of those who voted SNP in last years Westminster election would likely back the new party. Trouble is brewing for Sturgeon. Ruths ripping yarn Former Tory leader in Scotland Ruth Davidson recalled her ultimate bridesmaid blunder on Susannah Constantines My Wardrobe Malfunction podcast. We got to the morning of the wedding and I put the dress on, she said. Except I couldnt. Id had three weeks on the lash. We took a set of shears and went straight up the back. Isnt that the worst dress story youve ever heard? Yes. At the centre of Sir Ed Daveys campaign to become the next LibDem leader is a 150 billion green revolution, saying Boris Johnson doesnt care about the issue. Davey, Climate Change Secretary under David Cameron, was author of the LibDem manifesto commitment to reduce the climate impact of flying by reforming the taxation of international flights to focus on those who fly the most. The same Ed Davey has taken 16,500 of donations to his leadership campaign from Chris and Tina Leach, who run private jet rental company Air Charter. Lord Wood of Anfield, Gordon Browns former political adviser, relates a visit to buy coffee at his local Gails bakery. Maximum of two customers inside the store at a time. It was me and Jude Law. So Jude and I were the top two best-looking customers in Gails. He adds: The ranking is irrelevant. Lefty actress Maxine Peake, a cheerleader for Jeremy Corbyn, had an excellent review for her role in Alan Bennetts Talking Heads: Peake does a particularly splendid job. And where did it appear? In the Communist-supporting Morning Star. Where else? Lefty a ctress Maxine Peake, a cheerleader for Jeremy Corbyn, had an excellent review for her role in Alan Bennetts Talking Heads: Peake does a particularly splendid job'. She is pictured above as Miss Fozzard in the show While fashion firm Boohoo is under fire over supposed sweatshops in Leicester, it seems one of the citys Labour MPs knew all about the scandal. Claudia Webbe, who succeeded Keith Vaz as MP for Leicester East at the last election, told the Commons in March: Leicester is considered the home to the garment industry. But in Leicesters garment industry many workers, overwhelmingly women, earn well below the minimum wage as little as 3 an hour in conditions that most people would find unthinkable in modern Britain. So why didnt she do more about it? A new conspiracy theory has emerged about why the distinguished broadcaster Andrew Neils illustrious career at the BBC may be at an end Neil and a horrible fate A new conspiracy theory has emerged about why the distinguished broadcaster Andrew Neils illustrious career at the BBC may be at an end. In February, he delivered a withering verdict on the childrens programme Horrible Histories. The offending episode depicted Queen Victoria being taught where all her British things really come from, including tea, sugar and cotton. Neil said at the time: This is anti-British drivel of a high order. Was any of the licence fee used to produce something purely designed to demean us? Yes it was public money, and Neil was right, but a growing number of BBC suits think the criticism may have sealed the great mans fate. Bad news for Scooby Doo. British pet-owners are falling out of love with the Great Dane - the dog that the beloved cartoon canine is based on - a new report has found. The popularity of the breed has been in steady decline since its heyday in 1980 when the spin-off show Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo first appeared on TV screens - with 3,000 Great Dane puppies registered that year - the Kennel Club reports. But since then, the number of puppies registered with the Kennel Club of Great Britain has plummeted by 69 per cent to its lowest point in 50 years - with 855 puppies registered in 2019. These days, British people are more likely to take in a smaller dog like a French Bulldog or a Pug than a larger breed, the report found. The popularity of the large Great Dane breed has been in steady decline since its heyday in 1980 when the spin-off show Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo first appeared on TV screens - with 3,000 Great Dane puppies registered that year - the Kennel Club reports This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows animated characters, Scooby-Doo, voiced by Frank Welker, left, and Shaggy Rogers, voiced by Will Forte, in a scene from 'Scoob!' The Great Dane's popularity can be plotted alongside the Scooby Doo franchise, a Kennel Club spokesperson said. In 1969 when the animation aired for the first time on television, the breed jumped by 24 per cent in popularity in the UK. Numbers steadily increased after Scooby Doo was released and in 1980 when Scrappy Doo came onto the scene in a spin-off - they reached their peak. Following this 'puppy power', the breed steadily began to drop in popularity and haven't recovered despite spikes in popularity for Scooby-Doo including movies. The Kennel Club released new statistics on the number of Great Dane puppies to coincide with the release of the new Scooby Doo movie - Scoob! The Great Dane's popularity can be plotted alongside the Scooby Doo franchise, a Kennel Club spokesperson said The new Scooby-Doo film, billed as the first-ever animated feature-length film in the franchise, explores Scooby's and best human friend Shaggy's origins, along with Mystery Inc.'s most challenging mystery ever. Along with Zac Efron, Scoob! features the voices of Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried, Kiersey Clemons, Ken Jeong, Tracy Morgan and veteran Scooby-Doo voice actor Frank Welker as the titular dog. It isn't just Great Danes suffering a decline in attention - according to the Kennel Club the country has fallen out of love with big dogs. Compared to 20 years ago, of those large breeds in the top ten most popular dogs, all but the Labrador have declined in popularity. The German Shepherd was number two 20 years ago but is now number seven, and the Golden Retriever dropped from fifth to sixth place. The new Scooby-Doo film, billed as the first-ever animated feature-length film in the franchise, explores Scooby's and best human friend Shaggy's origins, along with Mystery Inc.'s most challenging mystery ever These days, British people are more likely to take in a smaller dog like a French Bulldog or a Pug than a larger breed, the report found Meanwhile, the top three 'quickest risers' in the 2020 top ten which have seen the biggest popularity increases since 2000 are all small breeds. 'Dog breeds certainly do go in and out of fashion and ups and downs can be impacted by what people see on television or in films,' commented Bill Lambert, spokesperson for the Kennel Club. Great Danes, just like Scooby Doo, can be gentle giants when raised in the right environment, he said, but busy lifestyles make it harder to manage them. 'Of course, nobody should be buying a dog simply because they've seen them on TV or they're suddenly popular thorough, extensive and responsible research should drive any decision to ensure the breed is right for you,' he said. 'Great Danes certainly need space, experienced owners and a lot of exercise.' Lambert said Scooby Doo 'might be a very well-trained sniffer dog sidekick and companion for Shaggy' but eats a lot and is easily scared. 'Each breed has different needs and traits that must be understood by their owner, or potential owner, to make sure you're a perfect match.' Johnnie Walker scotch whisky will be available in plastic-free bottles from early 2021, Diageo Plc said on July 13, as the world's biggest spirits maker ramps up efforts to tackle plastic waste. The new bottle, developed in partnership with venture management company Pilot Lite, will be made from wood pulp that meets food grade standards and is fully recyclable, the Guinness and Tanqueray Gin maker said. Diageo and Pilot Lite have launched a sustainable packaging company called Pulpex Ltd to develop the paper bottle and collaborate on research and development. Pulpex will also create branded paper-bottles in non-competing categories for companies including Lipton team maker Unilever Plc and soda maker PepsiCo, which are also expected to launch next year. Consumer product companies have come under increased scrutiny for the amount of plastic they use in packaging food and other household items. In Europe, for example, 8.2 million tonnes of plastic were used to package food and drink in 2018, according to ING analysts. Diageo uses less than 5% of plastic in its total packaging, but along with Unilever and PepsiCo, has set targets to reduce and recycle plastic in their packaging as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals program by 2025. New Delhi: Based on clinical trials data, India's drug regulator has approved itolizumab, used to treat skin condition psoriasis, for restricted emergency use on COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. Considering the unmet medical needs in COVID-19, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr V G Somani had on Friday approved itolizumab injection for use in the treatment of coronavirus patients. Biocon, a domestic biopharmaceutical company, has been manufacturing and marketing Itolizumab, a monoclonal antibody drug, for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis since 2013 under the brand name Alzumab, the health ministry said. "This indigenous drug has now been repurposed for COVID-19," it said in a statement. The firm presented the phase II clinical trial results to the drug regulator which were deliberated upon by the Subject Expert Committee of the DCGI's office. "After detailed deliberation and taking into account the recommendations of the committee, the DCGI has decided to grant permission to market the drug under restricted emergency use for the treatment of cytokine release syndrome in moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome patients due to COVID-19," it said. The use of the medicine is subject to some conditions including requirement of informed consent of patients, a risk management plan and usage only in hospital setup. The average cost of treatment with this indigenous drug Itolizumab is lesser than other medicines which are part of investigational therapies indicated in the health ministry's Clinical Management Protocols for COVID-19. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Above: Ouyang Xiangping (R) gives a lesson about environmental protection. [cnr.cn] Below: Ouyang Xiangping attends an event to promote environmental protection. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun] Many Chinese families across the country are increasingly dedicated to promoting a low-carbon lifestyle as environmentally-friendly concepts gain ground due to popular publicity activities such as National Low-carbon Day, which was observed on July 2 this year. One of the role models, Ouyang Xiangping's family from Beijing, built a micro-ecosystem through breeding rabbits, earthworms and fish, allowing household food waste to be decomposed and recycled to achieve zero emissions; they also transformed water pipes and switches to save energ y . At the same time, the service life of many daily supplies was extended old clothes were changed into hats, waste baths were transformed to raise fish and lotus flowers, and used tires were made into flowerpots. Qin Yufeng's family has organized more than 100 environmental protection activities in 349 villages of Zhangjiajie City, Central China's Hunan Province, in the past 10 years, including cleaning the streets, visiting sewage treatment works and planting trees. From November 2018, the couple began to patrol the river in the urban area every day to monitor water pollution. Another couple, Wu Xida and Yu Xiaojing, both volunteers in Fuzhou City, Southeast China's Fujian Province, knew and fell in love with each other because of their common interest in public activities on environmental protection. They often publicized green commuter, and on weekends held activities of ranching and population enhancement of aquatic species. Meanwhile, they published over 800 articles on environmental protection in national, provincial, and municipal-level media. As the initiator of the Fuzhou Women Volunteers Association, Yu noted that garbage sorting depends on its being done by the majority of families, in which the women tend to play a vital role. In addition, the couple encouraged their daughter Wu Yueling to join them. "She enjoyed joining the activities very much and made many new friends," added Yu. The last representative, Wang Lei's family from Southwest China's Guizhou Province, turned waste materials into treasure while building a new cement house, making full use of old bricks, tiles and wood to construct the courtyard door and debris room. Wang insisted on advocating the concept of "using old and local materials, saving energy and protecting the environment" after graduating from the major of environmental art design. His wife He Qun is passionate about making handicrafts that help reduce pollution of the environment. That is her way of getting along with nature. They led more than 700 households in the village to improve the living environment. Each family maintains a tidy toilet and changes messy conditions for livestock. Trees and flowers surrounding the houses have further formed a new rural fashion for which everybody is credited. Above: Qin Yufeng takes part in a voluntary activity in Zhangjiajie City, Central China's Hunan Province. [rednet.cn] Below: Qin Yufeng (R) and her husband in Zhangjiajie City, Central China's Hunan Province [fengone.com] Above: Wu Xida (R), Yu Xiaojing (L) and their daughter pose for a photo. [Jinan Civilization Office] Below: Scenery of Wu's hometown Fuzhou City, East China's Fujian Province [fjsen.com] Above: A photo of Wang Lei's hometown in Southwest China's Guizhou Province. [For Women of China] Below: Local residents enjoy happy lives in Wang's hometown in Guizhou Province as the living environment has been improved. [For Women of China] (Women of China) 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 When This Is Us star Justin Hartley filed for divorce from his wife of two years - Chrishell Stause - on November 22, she claimed she was 'blindsided.' But the 28-year-old Selling Sunset star's castmate Christine Quinn, told Page Six on Monday that the estranged couple had been 'in therapy' for 'a while.' 'We all just thought maybe they were having communication problems for a while,' the 31-year-old self-described 'villain' told the magazine. When This Is Us star Justin Hartley filed for divorce from his wife of two years - Chrishell Stause - on November 22, she claimed she was 'blindsided' (pictured November 14) 'They were having communication problems': But the 28-year-old Selling Sunset star's castmate Christine Quinn, told Page Six on Monday that the estranged couple had been 'in therapy' for 'a while' 'We heard that they were in therapy, so obviously there were some issues going on with them.' Chrishell (born Terrina) took to Instastory on Monday to call Christine 'desperate to gain attention' and wrote: 'She has absolutely zero knowledge of the marriage we had.' In fact, Stause blocked Quinn on Instagram over her 'toxic insults and toxic energy' last month. 'I have her blocked. And it's one of those things where I think that's that does come across very childish and ridiculous,' told Radio One's The Reality Tea podcast. Chrishell took to Instastory on Monday to call the 31-year-old self-described 'villain' 'desperate to gain attention' and wrote: 'She has absolutely zero knowledge of the marriage we had' 'Anything from her is either a complete lie or total conjecture': In fact, Stause (L) blocked Quinn (R) on Instagram over her 'toxic insults and toxic energy' last month' (pictured in 2019) Let it go: The blonde Texan told Page Six everyone was 'exhausted' by Chrishell 'ignoring me' - name-dropping their co-stars Maya Vander, Heather Rae Young, Davina Potratz as being 'tired of it' (pictured in 2019) 'But I have the screenshots. She knows why she's blocked. I'm sure she hopes that I never show you guys why she's blocked, because it would be embarrassing to her.' The blonde Texan told Page Six everyone was 'exhausted' by Chrishell 'ignoring me' - name-dropping their co-stars Maya Vander, Heather Rae Young, Davina Potratz as being 'tired of it.' Stause - who's asking for spousal support - was stepmother to Justin's 16-year-old daughter Isabella from his eight-year marriage to Lindsay Korman, which ended in 2012. Curiously, Hartley listed the day of their legal separation as July 8 (despite sightings together months later) while the Kentucky-born brunette listed November 22. Asking for spousal support: Stause was stepmother to Justin's 16-year-old daughter Isabella (L) from his eight-year marriage to Lindsay Korman, which ended in 2012 (pictured October 25) Say what? Curiously, Hartley listed the day of their legal separation as July 8 - despite sightings together months later - while the Kentucky-born brunette listed November 22 (pictured October 5) Adding insult to injury: The 43-year-old Illinois native was seen passionately kissing his former Y&R co-star Sofia Pernas on May 29 - six months after his divorce filing (pictured in 2015) Adding insult to injury, the 43-year-old Illinois native was seen passionately kissing his former Y&R co-star Sofia Pernas on May 29 - six months after his divorce filing. Catch more drama from the dueling Oppenheim Group realtors on the eight-episode third season of Selling Sunset, which starts streaming August 7 on Netflix. Christine recently told Goss she had COVID-19 when she wed retired tech millionaire Christian Richard on December 15 at LA's Cathedral of Saint Vibiana in front of 75 guests. Meanwhile, Justin will resume his role as rehabbed actor Kevin Pearson in the fifth season of the critically-lauded, time-hopping hit show, which premieres this fall on NBC. COVID-19 wedding: Catch more drama from the dueling Oppenheim Group realtors on the eight-episode third season of Selling Sunset, which starts streaming August 7 on Netflix Julie Mariane puts her mask on at a motel which provided rooms to homeless people through the NGO St. Joseph Center, in Venice Beach, Calif., on April 26, 2020. (Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images) Hotel Owners See Benefits, Drawbacks in Housing Homeless California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced that hell extend the state-run Project Roomkey that has brought homeless people into hotels amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and invest $1.3 billion into permanently housing the homeless. Hotel owners in San Francisco say the benefits of the programwith its new name Project Homekeyinclude a steady income from the state, at a time when hotel rooms would otherwise remain vacant, while the downfalls include syringes in the hallways, overdoses on the premises, and concerns about the homeless taking on the legal status of tenants, they told The Epoch Times. The Cable Car Hotel in San Francisco currently has about 40 homeless guests. If I didnt take the homeless, my place would be closed, closed, closed, owner Jean Claude Lair said. And I would be on the sidewalk. So Im very, very lucky [to take] the homeless people. Benefits When tourists book rooms at his hotel, he often pays a 15 percent commission fee to Booking.com. Not so with the homeless, who are referred to his hotel through the citys Department of Public Health or Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. He doesnt need as many employees, since the homeless guests are expected to clean their own rooms. With tourist guests, Lair said, If you have a fingerprint on the window, they will say, Oh, its dirty. But homeless people are not like this. He says he doesnt have to worry about keeping up the showroom-like cleanliness or having staff clean rooms and make beds daily. If the homeless guests dont clean up their rooms, Lair said, he can report them to their social workers and they may then be placed at the bottom of the list for housing. They have left needles lying around, he said, but they are told to clean them up themselves. Each homeless person has a social worker assigned to him or her. But, if any issues occur on the weekends, he must resolve them himself, since the social workers dont work weekends. Lair has two employees to keep the public restrooms clean, one on the day shift and one at night, plus a handyman on site. Otherwise, he doesnt need a lot of people that might tend to guests needs. The homeless know the city and dont need assistance about places to go and what to do. The city gives them money to take taxis to the hospital or other destinations, and provides their meals. See, [this is] why Im happy, Lair said. A couple of blocks from Lairs hotel is The Monarch Hotel, the owner of which had concerns about Project Roomkey and chose not to participate. Concerns The hotels general manager, Francis, who preferred not to publish his full name, said he feels sorry for the homeless, but he thinks there should be a better program to help them. They dont have anybody trying to help these people, he told The Epoch Times. The homeless get to stay in a hotel, but no one is providing them with the support they need, he said, so that at the end of this pandemic, they can go back to society [and] find jobs. Project Roomkey reached out to The Monarch in April, but the owner didnt like the plan after the hotels lawyer reviewed the related documents. In California, a hotel guest becomes a tenant after 30 consecutive days and has the right to a formal eviction proceeding. The owner worried that once the homeless became tenants, he would be fined for making them leave. Also, the damages in the room and all that, thats one big question after they check out, Francis said. He says hes heard from staff at hotels in Project Roomkey that the homeless go out during the day and return drunk or on drugs. They reportedly find needles in the hallways, people overdosed, and even corpses. Concerns for hotels include the effects on insurance and on the reputation of the business. There are five-star hotels here well-known hotels, several of them you pass by, you walk by, youll see the homeless in and out, he said. Lair indicated that wasnt a problem and believes that people wouldnt mind staying in a hotel after the homeless had been there. This is the City of San Francisco, its the way it is, man, he said. The Projects Project Roomkey was introduced in April to get the homeless off the streets, where they would be more susceptible to the spread of COVID-19. The programs cost was $150 million, and it secured about 15,000 rooms and 1,305 trailers across the state. Stuart Malcolm, a doctor with the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic, speaks with homeless people about COVID-19 in San Francisco, on March 17, 2020. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) An aerial view shows squares painted on the ground to encourage homeless people to keep to social distancing at a city-sanctioned homeless encampment across from City Hall in San Francisco, on May 22, 2020. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) San Francisco currently has 25 hotels with lease agreements under Project Roomkey, the office of Mayor London Breed told The Epoch Times via email. The city declined to release the names of the hotels for privacy reasons, the mayors office said. While The Epoch Times contacted more than 30 hotels in the city, only the Cable Car Hotel was willing to comment about participating in Project Homekey. According to the mayors office, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will provide local governments up to 75 percent federal cost-share reimbursement for hotel accommodations, meals, security, and custodial services for people experiencing homelessness. On June 30, Newsom announced a new investment from the state budget of $1.3 billion for Project Homekey, the next phase of Project Roomkey. The funds will be used to buy hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings, tiny homes, and other facilities for the homeless. It will also establish long-term social services for the tenants. The new phase of the program will be the largest expansion of housing for people experiencing homelessness in recent history, while addressing the continuing health and social service needs of this vulnerable population, the governors office said in a statement. There were 27 active coronavirus cases in rural local government areas not subject to the lockdown on Monday, compared with five this time last week. This is the highest number of active cases in regional Victoria since the Department of Health and Human Services started publishing this information on May 7. Premier Daniel Andrews is hopeful Victoria is past its second peak of coronavirus infections. Credit:Getty But there are no plans to extend the lockdown beyond Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire, which are subject to stage three restrictions. Premier Daniel Andrews said any decision on whether to lock down the entire state would be based on the caseload and an assessment of the individual circumstances of each positive case. ODESSA -- The Pride Center West Texas officially has found a home in Odessa at 1330 E. 8th St. The center already has begun to bring together LGBTQ-pulse people and organizations in the area to give them a space to conduct programming and meetings. Board members from Midland and Odessa met Thursday night in the new office. Executive director Bryan Wilson and his husband, Clint, who is the director of programming, moved back to Odessa from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to start the center. Its been a dream that we have had for a while, Clint said. This is Bryans hometown, and hes always had the idea that he would like to come back. We decided that now is a great time to get the ball rolling. The couple made a leap of faith before seeing what the climate was like for LGBTQ-plus people in West Texas, Bryan said. He will also be a co-facilitator for the Queer Black and Brown Group. The Wilsons said they were surprised by what they found in the community. We were beyond pleasantly surprised at how much work has been done before we ever came along, Bryan said. We found out that we had not one, not two, not three but four or five different partner groups and other nonprofits who had been doing outreach with parents and family members of LGBTQ people. He said the area also has groups focusing on trans services and mental health as well as political organizations for those who are uncompromising when it comes to being inclusive to the LGBTQ-plus community. He said there is also West Texas Pride and Basin Pride that unfortunately had to cancel their in-person events this year. The centers mission is to improve the lives of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) minorities through the provision of safe gathering spaces, educational offerings, and social services that prioritize those whom identify as LGBTQN plus (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, nonbinary, and the rest of our family members plus), according to its website. PFLAG has been having meetings at a hotel, said Shavonica Meyer, who works with PFLAG and Basin Pride. She is also a board member at Pride Center West Texas. How to get connected. Connect through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PrideCenterWT/ Check out events at https://www.pridecenterwt.org/ See More Collapse Weve been looking for a home, she said. It will be nice to have a private space. We usually meet in a hotel, which is very kind of them to allow us space but sometimes we have to meet in the lobby, which some people will just leave if that happens. Bryan said the 1,080 square feet space can be used for meetings, storage and other things that might arise. The center has started partnerships with Basin Pride, Out In West Texas and West Texas Pride. Midlander Courtney Ratliff, a co-facilitator for the Queer Black and Brown Group, said is it extremely refreshing to have a place that isnt alcohol-related to go to and turn to. That is especially valuable for our youth, he said. So often we are talking about creating environments for our youth; however, we dont really create an environment for our youth. That is what this center will allow us to do: provide a safe space for the youth of the Permian Basin to be who they are. The center will have multiple groups involved, including the Youth Group, Bi/Pansexual Group, the Queer Book Club Group, Queer Black and Brown Group and a Trans Voice Therapy Group, which starts at the end of July. It is huge to have a speech therapist who will be providing that service for free to community members, Bryan said. They just have to contact us to sign up. The first book that club members will be reading is a graphic novel, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel. The book club will be limited to the first 10 people who sign up. Ratliff said a center to bring the LGBTQ-plus community together is absolutely necessary during this time. Were all working towards the same goals, he said. Its great that we can finally get together and actually work together towards commonalities and not be the splintered little groups amongst ourselves. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Greece, and Cyprus called on the United Nations not to register the maritime boundaries deal signed between Turkey and Prime Minister of the Government of the National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj, according to a well-placed source at the UN. The five countries sent a note verbale to the Secretariat of the United Nations, stressing that the deal is illegal and cannot be registered at the UN. On November 27, 2019, Turkey and the GNA head inked a memorandum of understanding on maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea. The note verbale reviewed the legal framework that regulates procedures of registering international conventions at the UN. Any international convention or agreement has to be in force to be registered at the UN Secretariat, a matter which does not apply to the signed MoU, especially that Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives Aguila Saleh, in his letter to the UN, rejected the agreement. The note verbale also stressed the importance of taking into account the Skhirat Agreement outcomes, mentioning that signing an agreement between Turkey and Sarraj violates the agreement's provisions. It also highlighted that the deal violates the rights of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and the UN and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as well. Therefore, the Turkish deal is illegal and should not be registered to maintain stability and security in the Mediterranean region. Search Keywords: Short link: A group of Australian Defence Force personnel are in self-isolation after attending a Sydney pub now linked to nine COVID-19 cases. Twelve ADF personnel have been placed in self-isolation at the Royal Australian Air Force's Wagga Wagga base after attending the Crossroads Hotel at Casula, the Department of Defence confirmed on Monday morning. Medical staff at a pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic in Casula in NSW, where the local Crossroads Hotel is now a hotspot. Credit:David Gray The group stopped at the pub the day before they were due at the Albury-Wodonga border, where ADF personnel have been assisting NSW Police. They realised they had been at the venue during its "infectious period" on their way to the base. KYIV -- A Kyiv court has eased pretrial restrictions for one of the suspects in the high-profile 2016 killing of journalist Pavel Sheremet in the Ukrainian capital. The Kyiv Court of Appeals on July 13 agreed to lift curfew restrictions for military paramedic Yana Duhar. The court also said Duhar no longer needed to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. But the court said she is still banned from communicating with witnesses in the high-profile case and must be present when summoned by investigators or prosecutors. The court on July 13 also remanded Andriy Antonenko, another suspect, in custody. The third suspect, Yulia Kuzmenko, a pediatric surgeon, is also being held in pretrial detention. Vladyslav and Inna Hryshchenko, a married couple who are suspected in another unrelated case, have been declared persons of interest in the case. All five took part in military operations in different capacities in Ukraine's east, where government forces are fighting against Russia-backed separatists. The Interior Ministry and the National Police said in December that the group's goal was "to destabilize the political and social situation in Ukraine" by killing Sheremet. Sheremet, a Belarusian-born Russian citizen who had made Kyiv his permanent home, was leaving his apartment to head to the studio where he hosted a morning radio program when an improvised explosive device planted under his vehicle exploded on July 20, 2016, killing him instantly. Duhar, Antonenko, and Kuzmenko were arrested in December as suspects in the case. Sheremet's killing underscored concerns of a climate of impunity for attacks on journalists and others who challenge the authorities, while the government has faced persistent criticism over a perceived lack of progress in solving the case. In January, Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Ruslan Ryaboshapka said additional evidence was needed for the Sheremet murder case to go to trial. Sheremet's mother, Lyudmila Sheremet, told RFE/RL in December that she does not know if the suspects are guilty or not, but that she is afraid "innocent people may be hurt" as officials try to show they're making headway in the case. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 11:16:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A staff member feeds baby Tibetan antelopes at the Zonag Lake protection station in Hoh Xil, northwest China's Qinghai Province, July 7, 2020. Patrollers have rescued 11 baby Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national nature reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province this year, according to the Zonag Lake protection station. Zonag Lake in Hoh Xil is known as the "delivery room" for the species. (Xinhua/Zhang Long) XINING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Patrollers have rescued 11 baby Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national nature reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province this year, according to the Zonag Lake protection station. Zonag Lake in Hoh Xil is known as the "delivery room" for the species. Every year, pregnant Tibetan antelopes start to migrate to Hoh Xil in May to give birth, and then migrate back to their habitats with their offspring around August. "Some baby antelopes may fall behind and get separated from the herd during the migration journey," said Choephel Tashi, head of the Zonag Lake protection station. The rescuers bottle-fed the rescued baby antelopes with milk three times a day, and each of them had its own nursing bottle. The station has transferred four of them to the wildlife rescue center of the Sonam Dargye protection station. The rest will be sent there soon. Tibetan antelopes are mostly found in Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The species is under first-class state protection in China. In the 1980s, the Tibetan antelope population declined sharply from 200,000 to 20,000, due to illegal hunting. It has recovered thanks to the country's great efforts to improve its habitat, and a ban on illegal hunting. In July 2017, Hoh Xil became a world heritage site, and is now home to more than 70,000 Tibetan antelopes. Enditem BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 13 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: Uzbekistans Asaka Bank has provided loans worth over $43.3 million to Uzbek Crafers LLC confectionery manufacturer, Trend reports with reference to Uzbekistan National News Agency. Currently, the company produces 150 types of confectionery products. The company's products have the Halal certificate (permissible in Islam). The Company has big plans for the future, among which, is the export of sweets to the US, said the report. "Currently, the company exports its goods to Central Asia, Afghanistan, Russia, South Korea and the Baltic States. In the future, the company plans to expand the assortment and bring the annual export volume up to $4 million. At present, the enterprise employs 800 people," the message said. Asaka Bank, in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, provided privileges to Crafers LLC on credit payments for almost $8 million. The amount of annual tax of Crafers LLC is 38 billion soum ($3.7 million). The company has 12 lines and production capacity is about 2,400 tons of products per month. The volume of annual production is 47,500 tons. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini Click here to read the full article. Amazons mega-budgeted Lord of the Rings television series has the green light to resume production in New Zealand, and ex-cast member Will Poulter assures fans the final product is going to be incredible. News broke last September that the Black Mirror and The Revenant actor was joining the Lord of the Rings series in a leading role, but Poulter dropped out of the project in December. Amazon never formally announced Poulters hiring or departure, but the actor tells NME in a new interview that he was signed on at one point to star. Unfortunately, theres no particularly interesting story, other than the fact that there was a last-minute change to the schedule, which meant that there was a clash for me and I was unable to do it, Poulter said about why he dropped out of the highly-anticipated Rings series. I have utmost respect for everyone involved in that project. And I have no doubt its going to be incredible. More from IndieWire Poulter could not reveal which role he was signed on to play. Almost everything about Amazons Lord of the Rings series remains under wraps other than confirmation the show will take place during the Second Age of Middle Earth, which is long before the adventures of Frodo and the fellowship of the ring. J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are the showrunners of the series. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom director J.A. Bayona is directing the first two episodes and is serving as an executive producer. The Poulter-free cast includes Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Sophia Nomvete, Joseph Mawle, and Robert Aramayo, among others. Story continues In a video interview with IndieWire last week, Lord of the Rings film franchise star Elijah Wood said he would absolutely be interested in reprising his role of Frodo on the show if an appearance made sense. Given the show takes place years before the events of the movie trilogy, it appears unlikely Frodo will turn up on television. The timeline is part of the reason Wood said its a bit misleading to call the upcoming TV series a Lord of the Rings show. From what I understand, the material they are working on exists chronologically further back in history in the lore of Lord of the Rings or Middle Earth than any characters represented in Lord of the Rings,' Wood said. It sounds more Silmarillion era. Not to get nerdy, but its the Second Age of Middle Earth. Poulters recent credits include Ari Asters Midsommar and motion capture work in the video game The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope, which is set for release in October 2020. Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 15:33:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's anti-COVID-19 measures have been stepped up in the eastern part of the country after a crewmember from an Egyptian military airplane recently tested positive for the virus, a government official said on Monday. The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin confirmed an airport, a hotel, a department store and elsewhere places in Rayong province visited by the 43-year-old Egyptian have been put under tight control of the authorities in charge of stemming the pandemic. The unidentified Egyptian was among 10 others tasked with an undisclosed military mission overseas, Taweesilp said. Among all the crewmembers of the Egyptian military airplane, which landed at U-tapao airport in Rayong last Wednesday, only that particular one tested positive for the COVID-19 while all the others tested negative, Taweesilp said. Under Thailand's emergency rule, personnel aboard all military aircraft, either Thai or foreign, are legally exempted from undergoing a 14-day state quarantine upon arrival in this country. Last Saturday, they departed from Thailand to return to their home country, according to the CCSA spokesman. Thailand has so far reported a total of 3,220 COVID-19 cases, 283 of which have come with those who returned from overseas. Of that total, 3,090 patients have fully recovered and been discharged from hospitals and 72 others are currently treated at hospitals. A total of 58 fatalities have been reported so far in Thailand. Enditem California legislation that would have forced insurers to pay more coronavirus business-interruption claims was put on hold last week when state lawmakers decided not to return from their summer recess because of a resurgence of the disease. Assembly Bill 1552 appeared to have a better chance of winning passage than any of the bills introduced in 10 states so far. All of them, in one way or another, would change rules to make insurers liable to commercial property owners for income lost because of closure orders. AB 1552 passed the state Assembly 77-0 on June 26 and was awaiting a vote in the Senate when leaders decided to end the session early. Normally, the legislative session would not have ended until Aug. 31. Leaders in the Assembly and Senate decided to cancel todays return to Sacramento after six staffers, including Assemblywoman Autumn Burke, D-Inglewood, were sickened by the virus. Leaders have given no word about when the session might resume. Legislation introduced in other states to make insurers liable for COVID-19 business-interruption claims has barely moved. Bills were introduced in Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina. The Louisiana bill failed when the legislature adjourned. None of the measures introduced in the other state houses have moved out of committee. No action has been taken on most of the bills since April or May, according to a National Conference of State Legislatures database. The insurance industry has objected to the legislation, saying its unfair to change the rules of their contracts retroactively. The California bill took a unique approach that may have made it better able to withstand a constitutional challenge. The White and Williams law firm said in a blog post Thursday that the California bill is the only bill introduced in the 10 states that would create rebuttable presumptions that affect the burden of proof in coverage cases. The courts would be required to presume that for any business interruption caused by closure orders that: COVID-19 was present on the insured property and caused physical damage. COVID-19 was present on any property in the geographic location covered by a civil authoritys order and had caused physical damage. COVID-19 was present on the property of a third-party which prevented the ingress and egress to an insureds property. According to the blog by attorneys Edward Koch and Felix Yelin, most of the bills introduced in the other states mandate coverage and would face constitutional challenges. Legal challenges would still be likely if Bill 1552 is passed, although it could involve novel issues involving whether statutory-mandated rebuttable presumptions for key coverage determination elements are still unconstitutional impairment of contracts, the blog says. Insurers have argued that for the vast majority of policies, they are liable for business-interruption losses only if a covered peril, such a landslide, earthquake or hurricane, causes physical damage to the property or an adjacent property and blocks ingress. A Michigan state trial court judge agreed with that argument last week and dismissed a lawsuit filed by two Lansing restaurants in what may have been the first final ruling on a COVID-19 business-interruption lawsuit. The legislation in other states took some novel approaches to force insurers to pay business-interruption claims. Under New Jerseys Assembly Bill 3844, for example, insurers would be required to pay claims but could then seek reimbursement from the state, which would collect funds through an assessment on all authorized insurers, according to an analysis written by theEversheds Sutherland law firm. Pennsylvania Senates S. 1127, introduced on April 30, does not direct insurers to pay business interruption claims; instead, it would effectively override many of the defenses insurers assert in response to COVID-19 claims, Eversheds Sutherland said. Bills introduced in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and South Carolina attempt to give policyholders a route around policy language that excluded coverage for viruses. The National Council of Insurance Legislators has strongly objected bills that seek to overturn Insurance Service Office policy language that has been added to many commercial all risk property policies since 2006. Such state legislation would violate the Contract Clause within Article I of the United States Constitution, which prohibits the Legislature from impairing the obligation of contracts, NCOIL said. The organization suggested that Congress create a victims compensation fund for small business owners impacted by the virus. A Swiss prosecutor is investigating a 3.5-million transfer from a bank account held by Spains emeritus king Juan Carlos I to another account in The Bahamas, as part of a wider ongoing probe into alleged financial irregularities involving the father of Spains reigning monarch Felipe VI. Swiss prosecutors are not investigating the former king for now, although they have not ruled out doing so in future. Instead, they are focusing on three individuals with ties to Juan Carlos I, who abdicated the throne in 2014 in favor of his son Felipe. King Felipe VI recently announced he is relinquishing any inheritance from his father, after news emerged that he himself was a beneficiary of two foundations named in the Swiss investigation. The 3.5 million under investigation was sent from an account at the Swiss bank Mirabaud that was opened in the name of Lucum Foundation, a Panama-based entity whose first beneficiary was Juan Carlos I. The money ended up in The Bahamas, a tax haven, in an account held by Dante Canonica, a lawyer who was also an administrator of Lucum Foundation, along with the fund manager Arturo Fasana. The Geneva public prosecutors office is investigating Canonica, Fasana and a businesswoman named Corinna Larsen on suspicion of money laundering in connection with large money transfers, including a $100 million (88 million) deposit made by the Saudi royal house in Lucum Foundations Mirabaud account in 2008. Corinna Larsen in New York in 2016. Andrew Toth (GETTY) Swiss prosecutors have been investigating this account, which was closed in 2012, over alleged kickback payments for the contract to build the AVE high-speed rail link to Mecca, which was awarded to a Spanish consortium, as EL PAIS revealed. In 2012, right before the account was closed, the remainder around $65 million (57 million) was transferred to Corinna Larsen, a German businesswoman described as a former close friend of Juan Carlos. Larsen has told investigators that the money was a donation from the former Spanish monarch. Robin Rathmell, Larsens lawyer, has said that the money from Juan Carlos I was an unsolicited gift and denies any commission payments for the Mecca project. The commission theory has been criticized on the basis that winning companies would be the ones expected to pay kickbacks, not the countries awarding the contracts. Documents seen by EL PAIS show that Swiss prosecutor Yves Bertossa has already followed the trail of the nearly $65 million that Juan Carlos I transferred in June 2012 to Larsens account at a Bahamas bank named Gonet & Cie. Part of this money, $39 million (34 million), later ended up in another account held by Larsen at New Yorks FieldPoint Private Bank, while another $11 million (9.7 million) was sent to her account at a British bank. But investigators are still trying to determine why, before the Mirabaud account was closed in 2012, a $3.5 million (3.1 million) transfer was made to an account at The Bahamas-based bank Pictet & Cie. The account was in the name of a society called Dolphin, controlled by the lawyer Dante Canonica, who also handled the Lucum Foundation for the former Spanish king. Asked about it, Larsen said she knew nothing about this particular transaction. I have not been informed about that, she told prosecutors in a statement given on December 19, 2018, to which EL PAIS has had exclusive access. Emeritus king Juan Carlos I with his son Felipe VI of Spain in May 2019. Paco Campos Both Canonica and Fasana received their fees for handling the Lucum Foundation from the Mirabaud account. The former was in charge or managing the entity, while the latter handled its assets. Between 2008 and 2012, both men received work-related fees that are not under investigation. Nor are other expenses financed through this account, such as trips, gifts and purchases made by Juan Carlos I. Instead, Swiss prosecutors are focusing on multi-million payments made from the former kings account to Larsen. One of these payments, worth 1.5 million (1.67 million), was used by Larsen to help fund the purchase of a luxury home in Londons Eaton Square worth 5 million (5.4 million). Investigators are also probing another real estate purchase by a Larsen-held company in the north of London. Juan Carlos I also helped Larsen buy and refurbish two apartments at the exclusive Swiss ski resort of Villars-sur-Ollon. The former monarch put up 1.9 million, half the required amount, in what Larsen has described as loans that were repaid. But the prosecutor is especially interested in a $5 million (4.4 million) transfer made to Larsens own account at Mirabaud a few weeks after Juan Carlos I visited Kuwait. Larsen said the payment was a fee for her consulting services and that she justified it with a contract, but bank managers said the document in question was more like a letter than a legal contract. PROBE IN SPAIN The former monarchs financial dealings have come under the spotlight in Spain as well. The Supreme Courts public prosecutors last month announced that they are investigating whether there is enough evidence to start proceedings for money laundering and tax crimes against Juan Carlos I over his alleged ties to suspected kickbacks for the contract to build the AVE high-speed rail link to Mecca, a project whose second construction phase was awarded to a consortium of Spanish companies in 2011. But investigators can only focus on his activities starting in 2014, when he abdicated the throne and lost his legal immunity to prosecution. English version by Susana Urra. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 12:50:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, July 13 (Xinhua) -- India's federal health ministry Monday morning said 500 new deaths due to COVID-19, besides fresh 28,701 positive cases, were reported during the past 24 hours across the country, taking the number of deaths to 23,174 and total cases to 878,254. This is said to be the highest single day spike in the number of fresh cases in the country so far. "As on 8:00 a.m. (local time) Monday, 23,174 deaths related to novel coronavirus have been recorded in the country," reads information released by the ministry. On Sunday morning the number of COVID-19 cases in the country was 849,553, and the death toll 22,674. According to ministry officials, so far 553,471 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement. "The number of active cases in the country right now is 301,609," reads the information. Presently the country has entered Unlock 2.0 phase, though restrictions remain in full force inside the COVID-19 Containment Zones. Commercial international flights to and from India are suspended until July 31. Last week, the government of Uttar Pradesh, the country's biggest state in terms of population, had decided to impose a weekend lockdown from Friday night till Monday morning, to cut the chain of transmission of Coronavirus (COVID-19). The state decided Monday it would continue with similar lockdowns every weekend. Enditem DEARBORN (dpa-AFX) - Ford Motor Co. (F) said it would test hourly and salaried employees with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 in two of its Ohio plant cities, Cleveland and Lima. The automaker signed contracts with health systems in two Ohio plant cities to conduct the testing. This is in addition to Ford's existing agreements announced last month in four major metro areas, including Southeast Michigan and the Louisville, Kansas City and Chicago areas. These contracts would enable Ford to test employees with suspected symptoms and have results back as fast as within 24 hours, said Dr. Walter Talamonti, Ford Medical Director. In the Cleveland area, where Ford's Ohio Assembly Plant and Cleveland Engine Plant are located, Ford would work with University Hospitals for testing. In Lima, Ford's Lima Engine Plant employees would be tested through Lima Memorial Hospital. The testing results would be simultaneously shared with Ford doctors in order to quickly identify others who might have been in close contact with infected employees in the workplace and immediately have them self-quarantine for 14 days. Employees and visitors would have to complete health self-certifications daily and have their temperature scanned upon arrival. Everyone entering a Ford facility is required to wear face masks. Safety glasses with side shields or face shields are required when jobs don't allow for social distancing. 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. By Aditya Kalra NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google supports a multilateral solution for taxing digital services that is under discussion by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), its chief executive Sundar Pichai told Reuters in an interview. The OECD talks involve over 100 countries on a major rewrite of global tax rules to bring them up to date for the digital era, but they have so far not produced results as the negotiations have been complicated by the coronavirus pandemic. The United States has already initiated investigations of digital services taxes adopted or being considered by countries such as France, India and Turkey, saying it discriminates against U.S. tech firms. Pichai said it was important to rely on OECD frameworks, which he referred to as the "right approach". "It's not (an issue) for an individual company to solve," Pichai said in an interview from San Francisco via a video conference. "We would be supportive of the OECD engagement." Countries imposing digital service taxes see it as a way to raise revenue from the local operations of big tech companies which they say profit enormously from local markets while making only limited contributions to public coffers. Google and other companies have been concerned with India's recent decision to impose a 2% digital tax that also applies on advertising revenue earned overseas if the ads target customers in India, Reuters has previously reported. Pichai did not directly comment on the Indian tax. His comments came as Google announced a plan on Monday to invest $10 billion into Indian companies over 5-7 years, marking its biggest bet on the South Asian market and its fast-growing digital economy. Google and other tech companies also continue to face a raft of regulatory hurdles around the world as governments impose more controls over how big technology companies use and process data of millions of users. Story continues In terms of the data regulations being developed in India and other countries, Pichai called for a balanced approach of policy making that promotes innovation. "It's important you find the balance in protecting the privacy of your citizens but allowing for free flow of products and services," Pichai said. "That's the potential of a digital economy ... the strength of the internet comes in the fact that it works globally." Data storage rules, for example, have been criticised for hindering long-term growth of companies, while restrictions on cross-border data flows has been blamed for hampering innovation. Governments, however, say such controls are necessary for protecting user privacy and data abuse. (Reporting by Aditya Kalra. Editing by Jane Merriman) Bismah Malik By Express News Service Tech behemoth, Google on Monday announced a $10 billion (Rs 75,000 crore) Google for India digitization fund in India over the course of next 5-7 years to support small businesses/startups, online education for the countrys digital transformation. Googles Indian origin CEO, Sundar Pichai said during the companys first virtual Google for India event that the investment will happen through a mix of mix of equity investments, partnerships, and operational, infrastructure and ecosystem investments. This is a reflection of our confidence in the future of India and its digital economy, Pichai added. Google CEO said that the $10 billion investment in India will focus on four areas including enabling accessibility to information for ever India in their local language, building new products and services relevant to the countrys unique needs, empowerment of small businesses and leveraging technology and AI for social good, in areas like health, education, and agriculture. The tech giant has backed many startups in India in mobility, edtech, fintech and telemedicine spaces through its growth equity investment fund, CapitalG. Pichai said that this will be possible through partnership with the Indian government and private businesses to share Prime Minister, Narendra Modis vision of a digital India. While praising the fast growing app economy of India and its 2500 Youtubers who have a huge following online, Pichai said that that the accessibility to low cost smartphones and affordable data has paved the way for the same. Digitising small businesses The digitization of small and medium busineses (SMBs) across the country has also been pivotal to the transformation with 26 million SMBs now discoverable on Google search and maps, Pichai said. He added that the Googles digital payments platform, Google Pay has been a part of their success story in India which has enabled the Indian families to acess the essential goods during the locdowns . Just four years ago, only one-third of all small businesses in India had an online presence. Today, 26 million SMBs are now discoverable on Search and Maps, driving connections with more than 150 million users every month, Pichai said.Google Pay now has over 3million merchant user base in India, atop Google executive earlier said. Googles India initiatives go global Pichai said that Googles several initiatives for India including its rural internet programme, Internet Saathi, payments platform, Google Pay and reading tutor app, Bolo have proved to be a hit in India and the company has plans to scale these projects for the global users. Google also announced a tie-up with the Central Board for School Education(CBSE) which will help over 1million teachers across 22,000 schools in the country to impart education using free online tools. Ordinarily, in these covidic times, one would have thought that, an innocent and well intentioned tree planting exercise of one thousand seedlings by volunteer residents supported by the Lions Club in any community would have been received with approval, joy and applause by all, especially after being advertised heavily by WhatsApp and personal visits to homes by the Executives. However this was not the case over the weekend of Saturday, 11th July 2019 in my Community 18. On the contrary, it brought out some interesting aspects of our nature. Uprooting seedlings Before we went half way through the planting exercise, reports reached us that a landlady had uprooted the newly planted seedlings we had planted minutes earlier. When we went to find out why, she said she had her own plans of landscaping her frontage with concrete. Incidentally, when we bought our land from the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) in the early 1990s, the area was very green with a relatively cooler climate and more rainfall than Burma Camp where we lived. Subsequently, the greenery has been replaced by a concrete jungle which generates so much heat. I found the landladys desire and others like her, to add more concrete when we are trying to plant trees unfortunate. Police Worse still, another resident called the Police at us in spite of our Vice Presidents earlier communication with him. When the Police came, they were surprised at why an individual could have them called when the exercise being undertaken was such a laudable one. Was it a case of abuse of power backed by money and influence? The Police chatted with us and left unhappy about why they should be called in for this. This incident sent me back to a story we read about in my primary school days. Thomas Yaw Kani Thomas Yaw Kani was a prolific Twi writer whose books we read in the primary school in the early 1960s. One of the stories we read was about the porcupine known in Twi as kor-tor-kor! Porcupines are large rodents in the same family as the popular grass-cutter whose meat akrante nam and light soup is a delicacy for some Ghanaians. The porcupines coats of sharp spines or quills protect them against predators when attacked. They are said to be of a gentle disposition and would normally not initiate an attack. However, if attacked porcupines release their quills on the attacker in self-defence. Winter survival A story has it that, long ago in winter in temperate climes, porcupines were forced to huddle together for warmth and survival. However, their quill started pricking one another. Thinking this discomfort was unbearable, they started going their separate ways individually. In no time, many of them died from the cold. The survivors quickly came together again, having realised that, in unity lay strength and their survival. Lesson The trees we are planting in Community 18 are not meant for us retirees, but for future generations. For young individuals who will be the future beneficiaries of our efforts to uproot seedlings and call the Police at us is therefore unfortunate. Similarly, the present adversarial stance of Ghanaians against one another in the name of politics, religion, ethnicity etc will only succeed in destroying us as a nation. For my generation who had our secondary education in the 1960s, were we not taught among others to be Ghanaians first and not tribalists? Why did other African nationals overseas with us those days claim to be Ghanaians? Are we proud of ourselves as Ghanaians with the current spate of insults we hurl at one another daily? So, what have we bequeathed the younger generation such that, like the porcupines did initially, we are now going our separate ways as individuals, until death teaches us a lesson? Conclusion Unbelievable disrespect, insults and vitriolic and incendiary language, the threat of violence and in some cases its actualization appear to have gone beyond epidemic proportions into a local pandemic across all regional and district boundaries of Ghana. In my article in the Daily Graphic of 11th March 2019, titled Racing towards self-destruction?, I advised Ghanaians not to create conditions for UN peacekeeping troops to be deployed in our dear country as Ghanaian soldiers have been doing in war-torn countries. Some of the unpleasant peacekeeping experiences we soldiers have on operations scar us psychologically for life. There is nothing good about violence! What is the point in achieving power at all cost such that Ghana is thrown into anarchy? Let us live like the porcupines in winter and suffer little pricks of discomfort and disagreement, rather than go our separate ways as individuals and die! COVID-19 must unite us! FELLOW GHANAIANS, WAKE UP! Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd) Former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association Nairobi, Kenya Council Chairman Family Health University College Teshie, Accra [email protected] Source: Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd)/ [email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Shanghai (Gasgoo)- With China's auto market keeping rebounding, Toyota, Nissan and Mazda all won their third-month-in-a row sales growth in China as of June. With respect to the first-half performance, the four major Japanese automakers all posted contracted decrease in the world's largest auto market compared to the prior-year period. Toyota sees YoY drop in YTD China sales shrink to 2.2% In June, Toyota delivered 172,900 new vehicles in China, posting a year on year leap of 22.8%. It was the third-month-in-a-row growth achieved by the Japanese auto giant, according to Nikkei's report. As of the year-to-date performance, Toyota still recorded a 2.2% decrease, while outpaced the other three. It sold 753,100 vehicles from January to June, outnumbering Honda by over 141,000 units. The vigorous growth in monthly sales owed much to the powerful driving forces from the all-new Corolla and the Levin, said Nikkei. Besides, the sales of Lexus-branded premium vehicles and the RAV4 SUV continued to grow. According to the data offered by FAW-Toyota, the joint venture sold 82,210 vehicles (+30%) in June and 350,759 units for the first six months. Specifically, the wholesales of the Avalon reached 13,245 units in June, hitting a new high level in terms of monthly sales. A total of 36,103 vehicles from the Corolla family were sold last month, of which the volume of its hybrid version vigorously leapt 154% from the previous year. Moreover, the June sales of the all-new RAV4, the IZOA series, the Vios and the Prado amounted to 15,566 units, 5,893 units, 7,140 units and 3,282 units respectively. Honda Motor's China deliveries slide 4.1% YoY in June Honda Motor Co.,Ltd.'s deliveries in China declined 4.1% year on year to 142,363 units in June, the automaker announced on July 3. The decrease was entirely attributable to the downturn in Dongfeng Honda's retail sales. Last month, the joint venture with Dongfeng Motor saw its sales slid 14.8% over a year ago to 70,776 units. (Civic, photo source: Dongfeng Honda) Three models of Dongfeng HondaCivic, CR-V and XR-V--have respective sales exceeding 10,000 units in June. Notably, the Civic was once again honored Honda's best-selling model with its sales topping 20,000 units for the second month in a row. With 71,587 vehicles delivered, GAC Honda boasted a year-on-year growth of 9.6%. It also has three modelsthe Accord, the Vezel and the Breezewhose June deliveries all surpassed 10,000 units. Additionally, the Japanese automaker delivered a total of 18,534 units of Sport Hybrid models. For the first half of the year, Honda Motor recorded a 17.9% year-over-year drop in China by handing over 612,007 new vehicles. The year-to-date deliveries of GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda reached 315,032 units and 296,975 units, falling 17.2% and 18.6% respectively over the year-ago period. Nissan records 4.5% YoY sales increase in June for China businesses Nissan announced that its sales in China business region climbed 4.5% from the previous year to 136,929 units in June with both PV and CV arms achieving growth. (Sylphy, photo source: Dongfeng Nissan) Its passenger vehicle businessesDongfeng Nissan and Dongfeng Venuciadelivered a total of 111,234 vehicles in June, logging a 0.5% year-on-year growth. Including imported vehicles, Dongfeng Nissan sold 104,528 units with the seventh-generation Altima, the Sylphy series and SUV family serving as core models. The sales of the Sylphy reached 48,977 units, the highest-ever volume in terms of June sales. In addition, the delivery of the Venucia-branded vehicles amounted to 6,706 units last month, including 2,595 D60s, 1,496 T60s and 1,684 Venucia Stars. The light commercial vehicle units scored a 36.8% jump in June by selling 22,855 units. Specifically, Dongfeng Automobile Co., Ltd. and Zhengzhou Nissan delivered 17,797 units (+47%) and 5,058 units (+9.9%) respectively. Mazda's China unit scores 7.3% YoY increase in June deliveries Mazda Motor (China) Co., Ltd. reported a retail sales volume of 21,002 units in June, which climbed 7.3% over a year ago. Thanks to the consecutive growth for the second quarter, the Japanese automaker saw the decrease in its China year-to-date sales shrink to 8.5%. (Mazda CX-4, photo source: FAW-Mazda) FAW-Mazda gained a 19.6% growth in June with 8,922 vehicles delivered. During the Jan.-Jun. period, the joint venture witnessed its total sales edge up 1.8% from a year ago to 40,379 units. FAW Group's independent business unit set for Mazda brand officially started operation on June 1, and it takes over the whole operational businesses of the Sino-Japanese brand from FAW Car Co., Ltd. Changan Mazda delivered 12,080 new vehicles in June, posting a slight drop of 0.3% over the prior-year period. However, the growth in its first-half deliveries still remained negative due to the flagging sales for the first four months. The top 3 models by both June and first-half deliveries were the Mazda3 Axela, the CX-4 and the CX-5. The sales of the best-selling one reached 6,933 units in June and totaled 39,648 units for the first two quarters. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal With the coronavirus pandemic still raging, New Mexico State University is partnering with a local telemedicine technology company to evaluate a system aimed at detecting COVID-19 symptoms among students and faculty. Las Cruces-based Electronic Caregiver is deploying the system to monitor 100 study participants 40 students and 60 faculty members before they leave home and then pre-screening them every morning for signs of infection. If the morning surveys detect any red flags,the system immediately tells the individual to seek medical advice, alerts health professionals about the issue and instantaneously offers direct online consultation to determine next steps, said project director Joe Tomaka, a professor in the Public Health Sciences Department at NMSUs College of Health and Services. Everyone now at the university and everywhere else is trying to figure out what to do in a landscape thats changing by the day, Tomaka told the Journal. This is a feasibility study to see if we can encourage symptom monitoring among people who have to go to campus and be around others. We want to detect symptoms early and get attention for it before they go to school to help avoid infection and encourage a safe return. The six-month project could show whether broad technology deployment can help change individual patterns of behavior, encouraging people to take the necessary precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19. People say theyre monitoring for symptoms already, but were not sure how much that conscious effort actually happens, Tomaka said. This study will show if folks can do this on a daily basis. The study could help Electronic Caregiver develop effective methods to broadly deploy its technology among schools and workplaces as coronavirus lockdowns give way to masses of people returning to daily activities, chief clinical officer Timothy Washburn said. After six months, well look at all the data to learn what works, what doesnt, and what people liked and didnt like to get better as we go, Washburn said. Remote monitoring Electronic Caregiver is an example of how telemedicine has moved to the forefront during the pandemic, becoming an essential tool to safely provide health care, not just for COVID-19 cases, but for medical care in general. Electronic Caregiver, which now has about 150 employees, had already developed technology for remote monitoring of people with chronic diseases. The company has invested about $55 million since launching in 2009 to build systems that provide 24/7 telemedicine technology to remotely track patients vital signs and automatically intervene in their care as needed. The systems monitor temperature, oxygen levels, blood pressure, weight, glucose levels and even peak-flow spirometry, which measures how well the lungs are working as the patient inhales and exhales, Washburn said. Its connected online to provide a continuous flow of patient information to caregivers with a push-button option for immediate, virtual consultation. We work to optimize health and minimize hospital admissions and costs by providing real-time data to doctors and providers, Washburn said. The company began deploying its technology in 2017 and has grown rapidly, now serving more than 100 medical practices across the U.S. Its been an overnight success, president Joseph Baffoe said. We raised $70 million in capital from accredited investors to build out the company. But during the pandemic, demand for services has grown exponentially, as medical providers and patients seek safer ways to interact. Before, many elderly patients would say they didnt need telemedicine, but now everyone sees the benefit, Baffoe said. Its changing the health care paradigm. Zia Health Management, which partners with Electronic Caregiver to provide remote monitoring services, says its business has increased about 30% during the pandemic. It now works with 75 medical practices serving patients in seven states. There is no normal coming back, so everyones looking to do a lot more telehealth, said CEO Jeff Oldroyd. It eliminates exposure risk and provides a safe method for patients to gain access to resources and professionals, while allowing doctors to get all the information they need about patients through remote monitoring. Perhaps the biggest change is patients willingness to use technology for their health care needs. The population needs to be more comfortable with telemedicine for it to work, and the coronavirus just kind of forced us into using technology more, Oldroyd said. How many grandparents are now using Zoom to talk with their kids and grandkids? Before, they wouldnt even think of it. Measuring changes Measuring such behavioral changes is key to the NMSU/Electronic Caregiver study, which launched in June with 40 students and 60 faculty members. With the coronavirus, more people understand the importance of monitoring their health at home, and many are more willing to listen, take action and follow up, Washburn said. With the right system of encouragement, folks can be inspired to change behavior. Its not about pushing technology out, but keeping it relevant in an ever-changing and mobile world. For the study, the company tweaked its existing technology to focus on monitoring for the coronavirus, altering the software to provide morning surveys with specific questions about COVID-19 symptoms and providing hardware for participants to digitally check their temperatures and oxygen levels each day. The system contains a cellphone SIM card for individuals to answer all daily survey questions via voice, and to directly connect with health professionals as needed. Based on the answers, the system determines if theres an issue and then alerts project-related health professionals to discuss if additional steps are needed Its a three-tiered process to pre-screen individuals for signs of infection, alert people and intervene, Washburn said. It could help catch more folks before they leave their home, and hopefully flatten the (infection) curve. For NMSU, its all about creating a safe environment on campus. Thats the real aim, said Tomaka, NMSUs project director. Its a campuswide effort for a safe return to school and work. Hamilton is a city where more people can name the Mob boss than the chief of police. Its been that way for generations. Like it or not, traditional organized crime Ndrangheta, the sort with deep Italian roots is part of our history. Part of our lore. Its members so mythologized, they are more like quirky characters from central casting than criminals who shop in our grocery stores, drive on our streets, run shady businesses and plot murders. When Pasquale Musitano was shot dead in a parking lot near the Good Fortune Chinese Buffet Friday afternoon in Burlington, his once mighty crime family may have lost its last member. The 52-year-old was the head of the enterprise, but possibly at the end he was the entire enterprise. If there are other Musitanos living a criminal lifestyle, as police call it, their names are not known publicly. No new information on the hit was available over the weekend. There were no updates on the condition of Pasquales longtime bodyguard, John Clary, who was also shot, or of another, unidentified man, who was injured. It is likely Pasquales funeral arrangements will be handled by Friscolanti Funeral Chapel, who took care of his father and brother. However, because of COVID-19 restrictions, the service will have to be a small affair. Pat, as he was known, leaves behind his wife Linda DeRosa-Musitano. For years the couple lived in a pretty house on scenic St. Clair Boulevard. They left the home and went into hiding in April 2019 when Pat was shot in the parking lot of his lawyers office in Mississauga after an early morning meeting. Miraculously, he survived that attempt on his life. But his whereabouts and activities since have been clandestine, until he was identified as the man under the tarp at Fridays murder scene. If the Musitano story was turned into a Mario Puzo novel, it would begin in Delianuova, Italy in the 1930s. with Angelo Musitano, Pats great uncle. Two hours following his release from prison after serving a murder sentence, Angelo killed his sister Rosa and shot a man he thought was her boyfriend because she was unmarried and pregnant. He fled to Hamilton where he lived in the North End, sold bleach, bought ice cream for neighbourhood kids and went to mass at St. Anthony of Padua every Sunday. Angelos cold cruelty earned him the nickname The Beast of Delianuova, and gave him the credentials to establish his criminal network. The Beasts nephew, Dominic, eventually took over the business. He was a short, jowly man raising his family on Colbourne Street while involved in murder, extortion, drug trafficking, loan sharking, money laundering, arson and insurance scams. On the more legit side of the ledger, he ran a quasi-legal tire dump with his eldest son Pat in Mount Hope until it was shut down by the government for environmental infractions. By then, Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Police estimated the Musitanos were pulling in $14 million a year. Dominic died in August 1995 of a heart attack. He was 57. One of the best known stories of the Musitano family is that his sons were so distraught at his death that they trashed the hospital waiting room in a fit of grief. Life is complicated, Father Wilhelm eulogized to 1,000 mourners at Dominics funeral at Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King. Christians desire to live according to Gods plan. But sometimes we fall short. When his casket was carried out, the procession was led by Pat and rival mob boss Johnny Pops Papalia, in his trademark dark sunglasses. It was one of the largest funerals held in Hamilton, and it got news coverage across the country. At that moment, Pat inherited the family business. Unlike his great uncle with the menacing nickname, Pasquale became known as Fat Pat. A prevailing story about Pat is that he loved The Godfather films and watched them repeatedly. I thought that was an urban legend until I talked to a cop involved in executing a search warrant at Pats house. Sure enough, he had all the movies. Pats little brother Angelo was eager to earn his way into the business. In the spring of 1997, Ang got his wish. He and Pat ordered two brazen hits. Johnny Pops was gunned down outside his Railway Street business and his lieutenant Carmen Barillaro was killed at his home in Niagara Falls. Papalia was targeted over money. Barillaro was killed because it was feared hed take out the Musitanos as revenge for Papalia. Hit man Kenny Murdock did the jobs. Ang went with him to Barillaros house and wanted to pull the trigger himself. But according to an agreed statement of facts presented later in court, Murdock told him to wait in the car Murdock went on to explain that (Ang) wanted to be the one to kill Barillaro. Murdock said that he would not allow him to commit the murder because of a promise that he had made previously. Before Murdock left the car (Ang) told him to be sure to deliver the message for shooting Barillaro. He said Let him know its from us. On Nov. 24, 1998, the Musitano brothers were arrested. The front page of The Spectator the next day showed Ang, 21, being escorted out of his moms house in handcuffs. Meanwhile, police were arresting Pat, 31, at his house. In February 2000, Pat and Ang struck a plea deal. Though they were originally charged with first-degree murder, they were sentenced to 10 years for conspiracy to commit murder for Barillaros death. They served no time for Papalias murder. They were released from prison in 2006. Payback for those killings, 23 years ago, is the reason many mafia watchers believe Ang was gunned down in his Waterdown driveway in 2017. He had been living a quieter life with his wife and children. Just before he died, he wrote a testimonial about finding Christ. Published by his faith group as Angelos Story it reads: I was born into a family not just any family, but the family in other words, a family associated with organized crime. One man is charged in connection to his murder. There are arrest warrants for two others. Angs murder set off a chain reaction of gangland killings across Hamilton and the GTA. The violence was all around Pat. Maybe time had not buried his sins against Papalia and Barillaro. The Musitanos have been written about in books, magazines and countless newspaper stories 433 times in The Hamilton Spectator in the last 30 years. Within moments of Fridays shooting, social media lit up with the still unconfirmed rumour that Pat was the target. The day after his death, someone left a tribute on the asphalt where Pat died: a bouquet of flowers and a crucifix necklace. Many are mesmerized with the Musitanos underworld drama and will be saddened by Pats death. Not because they grieve for him, but because the tantalizing family saga may finally have reached its end. Brazil: Amateur Radio statistics released Brazil's national amateur radio society LABRE has released a report by Ricardo Benedito PU2RKA that uses ANATEL's Open Data to provide an analysis of radio amateur numbers by Class and State Brazil has a population of 212 million and in 2019 there were 39,539 radio amateurs (36,919 Men and 2,620 Women). For comparison as of mid-July 2020 the United Kingdom, population 67 million, is believed to have about 78,000 individual radio amateurs. A translation of a post on the LABRE website says: Based on official data published by ANATEL, the work consists of several graphs containing information previously unknown to us, which will help LABRE to better understand Brazilian radio amateurs and their distribution throughout the national territory. Divided into two parts, the first deals with the issue of the number of Brazilian radio amateurs, composed only of individuals with COER (Radio Amateur Station Operator Certificate), and in the second part, licensed stations, whose grants may also include clubs, associations and other legal entities. In the graphs, easy to understand, Ricardo lists the number of radio amateurs and licensed stations by state, city, per 100 thousand inhabitants, per class, etc. There is even a curious graphic containing the most common names in amateur radio. Ricardo, who is a professor of the Energy Engineering Course at the Federal University of ABC and recently became a radio amateur, prepared the study and kindly sent it to LABRE. After some minor adjustments, we now present to the Brazilian radio amateurs. LABRE thanks its colleague Ricardo PU2RKA for the excellent service provided to Brazilian amateur radio and for the confidence in sharing it with us. Download the study at http://labre.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/RADIOAMADORES-Versao-2.pdf Source LABRE https://tinyurl.com/BrazilLABRE 2018 Ofcom release total number of individual UK radio amateurs http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2018/september/how-many-uk-radio-amateurs-are-there.htm Brazil has three classes of Amateur Radio licence: Class C permits 100 watts output, all bands except for 10/14/18 MHz and parts 7/21 MHz. It requires 14 correct answers in each of a 20 question Operating Theory exam paper and a 20 question Rules & Regs paper Class B permits 1000 watts output all bands except for 10/14/18 MHz and part of 21 MHz. The segments 28000-28500 kHz & 29300-29510 kHz are limited to 100 watts. It requires 10 correct answers (50%) in a 20 question Basic Knowledge of Electronics and Electricity exam paper and a 5 WPM Morse receiving test Class A permits 1000 watts output all bands (10 MHz 200 watts) and requires 14 correct answers (70%) in the 20 question Basic Electronics and Electricity exam paper and a 5 WPM Morse sending and receiving test Further information at http://www.anatel.gov.br/setorregulado/index.php/radioamadorismo A South Dakota sheriffs deputy lost his life after jumping into a fast-moving river to save his 8-year-old sons life. The officer was swept away by strong currents, while the boy survived, and was rescued from the water by another group of boaters. The incident occurred on July 3, when Chief Deputy Lee Weber of Hughes County Sheriffs Office was boating with his son on the Missouri River 2 miles northwest of Fort Pierre. After the boy accidentally fell off the moving vessel, the 37-year-old officer dove overboard without a life jacket, according to his obituary. Weber made contact with his son in the water but was soon dragged under by strong currents. When you are trying to rescue somebody, if you are using a life jacket you cant get under the water to grab them, Stanley Countys Chief Deputy Greg Swanson told Capital Journal. So, youd go in without a life jacket I would do that. The boy was pulled aboard a nearby vessel due to Webers efforts to keep him afloat, the familys GoFundMe page explains. A six-day search commenced for the missing deputy, involving a team of 18 local, state, and federal agencies using rescue boats, divers, drones, cadaver dogs, and a Highway Patrol airplane. Webers body was eventually recovered and identified by a volunteer searcher near a railroad bridge, 4 miles from the spot where he had jumped into the water. Hughes County Sheriffs Office, South Dakota (Screenshot/Google Maps) The Sheriffs Office extended their condolences to Webers family on social media. With heavy hearts we regret to announce the passing of Chief Deputy Lee Weber, they posted on Facebook. Our office extends our sincere condolences to the family. The officers colleagues hailed him as a mentor and a hero. He had been a member of the Sheriffs Office since 2015 and was promoted to Chief Deputy after four years service. Weber was also a decorated veteran of the South Dakota National Guard and served both in Iraq and Afghanistan. He will be greatly missed by his law enforcement family and those whom he was sworn to serve, the department added. Rest easy 36-1W, well hold the line from here. Weber is survived by his wife, Wendy, and six children: LaToya, Magnus, Amadeo, Lexinn, Emalee, and Samuel. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc Mr. Vipul P Shah, Vice Chairman, GJEPC and also CEO & Managing Director of Asian Star Co. Ltd. has a rich experience in the diamond industry. His business acumen and professional conduct have contributed significantly in transforming a diamond manufacturing company to a value-added, vertically integrated business. He has been instrumental in establishing the companys jewellery business and global distribution network, currently one of the best in the industry. Under his leadership and guidance, the company has attained the status of being one of Indias leading diamantaires. Besides, he has been pro-active in supporting all activities to promote the Indian Diamond Industry, which brought him to the position of the Chairman of GJEPC from October 2012 to September 2015 wherein a host of initiatives were carried out under his leadership for the growth of exports and advancement of Indian gems and jewellery across the world. In this interview given to Rough&Polished Vipul P Shah covers a range of questions regarding the current situation in the global diamond industry. How has the situation with coronavirus affected the diamond industry in India and when do you expect the diamond factories to open completely? As coronavirus has affected the entire world including our major exporting countries like China, the USA, and the Middle East, there is limited demand for gems and jewellery. Manufacturing activities in India were stopped during the countrywide lockdown period. Gem & jewellery gross exports during the financial year 2020 declined by 10.9% to US$ 35.53 billion as compared to US$ 39.56 billion in Financial year 2019. During the April-May 2020, in value terms, gem & jewellery exports declined by 84% to US$ 572 million as compared to USD 3.51 billion during April-May 2019. Although factories and units have started functioning with limited capacity, it is very difficult to say when factories will become fully operational as the number of COVID cases are increasing drastically on a daily basis. How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect diamond markets worldwide, and especially in the United States? The outbreak of COVID-19 led to a fall in demand from major diamond consuming markets like USA, European Union and China. Due to COVID, productions were stalled, supply chain and markets were disrupted. However, currently in the USA the market sentiment is improving as the New York dealer market gains some momentum. Orders coming in at reduced levels. Buyers require melee for bridal collections and noted rising interest in lower-priced engagement rings. Can you provide any data on the export of diamonds from India by countries? Indias Exports of Cut & Polished Diamonds to different markets Do you expect a drop in diamond jewelry consumption in the US and China? There was pent-up demand in China post COVID-19 and the USA market is also expected to revive in later part of 2020. Trade shows cancelled earlier due to pandemic are also now taking place through virtual platforms mid this year. This would help gain momentum and drive the jewellery business in the market. What can you say about the consumption of diamonds in the domestic market of India? Primarily, India is a gold-consuming nation, with over 800 tonnes consumed annually. Consumers spend on jewellery as a form of investment here. It will be more so during such a crisis and post pandemic. The consumption of diamonds in India had will be less compared to the last few years. Will GJEPC participate in diamond and jewelry promotion and marketing programs both in India and abroad? GJEPC will focus on demand generation for diamonds and jewellery in the next two years and will sustain its promotional efforts across focused target markets and emerging markets. The initiatives will include Virtual BSM, International trade fair participation, focused delegations, brand India campaigns, direct marketing programmes, PR to name a few. GJEPC has also partnered with Diamond Producers Association (DPA), now known as the Natural Diamond Council for promotion of diamond jewellery in markets of USA, China and India. India market contributes 29% to global jewellery consumption, considering the vast expanse and potential of the market, Council would undertake few marketing programs in the region. What are you doing to overcome the lack of liquidity in the countrys diamond industry? Will Indian banks work to provide additional credit lines to diamond manufacturers? The Coordination Committee (CoC) was set up by the Ministry of Commerce to understand the challenges and issues related to credit and finance in the gems and jewellery sector. The CoC was part of an effort to seek solutions and create a greater understanding among all stakeholders. The CoC has conducted seven meetings in the past two years, and discussed issues related to credit and insurance, and has achieved a reasonable degree of success. Taking into account the cases of fraud against Indian banks and their wary attitude to the industry, how will the policy of the Indian state banks develop to support the cutting and jewelry industries in the country? Your thoughts, please. GJEPC has taken a series of self-regulation measures, including the introduction of MYKYC Platform which has brought further transparency and addressed relevant risks. The afore mentioned CoC was also part of our efforts to raise the confidence level of banks in our industry. When do you expect the Indian industry to resume regular rough imports? Currently, we have requested members to voluntarily curtail imports between 10th July to 31 July 2020. However, we would review the situation in the last week of July before taking any decision. When will Indian diamond manufacturing factories start operating at full capacity? Diamond units have started functioning with limited capacity, however it is very difficult to say when these units will become fully operational as the number of COVID positive cases are increasing drastically on a daily basis. How is the Special Notified Zone (SNZ) in Mumbai operating these days and what are the plans for its further development? The Special Notified Zone (SNZ) has been conducting diamond viewing session successfully, but due to COVID-19 Diamond viewing session has been stopped since March 2020. GJEPC has proposed to the Govt. for direct sale of rough diamonds by miners in Special Notified Zones (SNZs) in India. Currently, rough diamonds are sent to SNZs by miners for viewing in the country, post which diamonds are shipped back to Dubai or Antwerp by SNZ. Sales arent permitted, and if they do, it comes under the Permanent Entities as per the IT Act, and attracts income tax on the sale. The same goods are then shipped back to India via offices in Dubai or Antwerp, thus increasing costs for the importer. As much as 60% of the rough is routed through Antwerp or Dubai. The Council has requested the Govt. that if customers in India choose to confirm their orders, an invoice can be made within the SNZ. Miners could pay a turnover tax not exceeding 0.16% (the prevailing rate in Belgium). What will be your forecast for 2020 for the Indian diamond industry? It is expected that there would be drastic decline in cut and polished diamond exports. Exports of cut and polished diamonds in the month of April/May 2020 has shown a decline of 79% to US$ 389.07 million as compared to USD 1867.65 million in the same period last year. Considering the current scenario, it would take some time for the world and trade to regain normalcy. Thus, exports may be expected to decline by 60 to 70% in FY 2020. Aruna Gaitonde and Vladimir Malakhov, Rough&Polished Ayodhya is getting its glory back with new grand Ram Mandir: PM Modi Real Ayodhya in Nepal, Lord Ram not Indian: Oli International oi-Deepika S Kathmandu, July 13: Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Monday stoke a controversy claiming that Lord Rama belongs to Nepal, not India. "Real Ayodhya lies in Nepal, not in India. Lord Ram is Nepali, not Indian," news agency ANI cited Nepali media as quoting Oli. The claim comes amid an ongoing diplomatic tussle between Kathmandu and New Delhi over the newly published Nepal map which claims Indian territory as its own. Ram Mandir Trust members to meet on 18 July in Ayodhya Rajasthan Crisis Sachin Pilot denies meeting with Rahul, sources say in talks with BJP|Oneindia News Oli said that Nepal "has become a victim of cultural encroachment and its history has been manipulated." Bhanubhakta was born in 1814 in Tanhu of western Nepal and is credited for translating Valmiki's Ramayan into Nepali language. He died in 1868." "Although the real Ayodhya lies at Thori in the west of Birgunj, India has claimed the Indian site as the birthplace of Lord Ram," Oli said. He was speaking at an event on the birth anniversary of Nepalese poet Bhanubhakta at the Prime Minister's residence in Kathmandu "We also believe that deity Sita got married to Prince Ram of India. Actually, Ayodhya is a village lying west of Birgunj," he said, adding that the marriage between bride and bridegroom at such a distance was not possible at the time when there was no communication and transportation system. "The place called Thori, near Birgunj is the real Ayodhya, where Lord Ram was born. In India there is great dispute on Ayodhya. But, there is no dispute in our Ayodhya," Prime Minister Oli was quoted as saying by his press advisor Surya Thapa. "Valmiki Ashram is also in Nepal and the holy place where King Dasharath had executed the rites to get the son is in Ridi, which is in Nepal," he said. As Dasharath was the ruler of Nepal, it is natural that his son Ram was also born in Nepal, Oli argued. Therefore, real Ayodhya lies in Nepal, he claimed. Many scientific inventions and knowledge originated in Nepal, but unfortunately such a rich tradition could not continue later, Oli said. Condemning Oli for his remarks, BJP national spokesperson Bizay Sonkar Shastri said that the Left parties even in India played with people's faith, and the Communists in Nepal will be rejected by the masses in the same way they have been here. "Lord Ram is a matter of faith for us, and people will not allow anybody, be it prime minister of Nepal or anyone, to play with this," he said in New Delhi. Recently, Nepal redrew the country's political map through a constitutional amendment, incorporating three strategically important Indian areas. The Nepal Parliament also approved the new political map of the country featuring Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura areas which India maintains belong to it. India has already termed as "untenable" the artificial enlargement" of the territorial claims by Nepal. Last week, Nepal stopped the transmission of all Indian private news channels except Doordarshan, accusing them of airing reports hurting the country's national sentiment. Actress Naya Rivera attends the 23rd Annual Race To Erase MS Gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., on April 15, 2016. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images) Body Found During Search for Missing Glee Actress Naya Rivera: Sheriff Police confirmed Monday they have found a body during the search for missing Glee star Naya Rivera at a California lake. Happening now: A body has been found at Lake Piru this morning. The recovery is in progress. A news conference will take place at 2 pm at the lake, wrote the Ventura County Sheriffs Department. Other details about the body were not confirmed. The local medical examiners office will have to work to confirm whether the remains belong to the actress. The Ventura County Sheriffs department has notified Riveras family, sheriffs office spokesman Eric Buschow said Monday When you have a situation like this and it ends up being a recovery, its hard for everybody involved. I cant even imagine what its like for the family, Buschow said in a live interview with KTLA. Hopefully this provides some level of closure, whatever that means, for the family. Rivera, 33, disappeared last week while visiting Lake Piru with her 4-year-old son. The boy was found alone in a boat that the actress had rented. A boat covered in caution tape rented by Glee actress Naya Rivera sits at a dock while members of Ventura County Sheriffs Office Underwater Search and Rescue Team search for the actress at Lake Piru in Los Padres National Forest, northwest of Los Angeles, Calif., on July 9, 2020. (Chris Pizzello/AP Photo) A helicopter helps in the search for former Glee star Naya Rivera at Lake Piru in Los Padres National Forest, northwest of Los Angeles, Calif., on July 9, 2020. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Photo) The boy, Josey, is said to be in good health following the incident. Last week, sheriffs officials told news outlets that Rivera is presumed to be dead, about a day after she went missing. Were presuming that an accident happened and were presuming she drowned in the lake, Deputy Chris Dyer said at a news conference on July 9. He said that a search-and-rescue changed to a recovery operation. The goal is still to bring Miss Rivera home to her family, he said at the time. Actress Naya Rivera attends Vanity Fair and FIAT Celebration of Young Hollywood in West Hollywood, Calif., on Feb. 23, 2016. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) Heather Morris, who worked with Rivera on Glee, said on Instagram that we need all the prayers we can get to bring our Naya back home to us. We need your love and light, including prayer emojis. Harry Shum Jr., who also appeared on the show, wrote on Twitter, saying Praying. Iqbal Thebawrote, another Glee star wrote on Twitter: Oh God mercy please, while re-posting a report of Riveras disappearance. Two other actors who appeared on Glee have died in recent years. Mark Salling, who played Puck on the show, committed suicide in January 2018 after he was accused of assault and possession of child pornography. Years before that, Cory Monteith was found dead in a Vancouver, Canada, hotel room. Officials later ruled that he died of a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol. Imagine putting on a pair of kaleidoscope glasses: now look through them to see the myriad and fractured ways racism is playing out in Canada today. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/7/2020 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Imagine putting on a pair of kaleidoscope glasses: now look through them to see the myriad and fractured ways racism is playing out in Canada today. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified public attention to the unequal vulnerability of Indigenous and Black people and amplified other racialized inequalities inherent in society: from exposing exploitable labour in the front lines to inadequate care and resources. Some argue that Canada doesnt have a problem with racism. Others vigorously demonstrate the systemic and insidious effects of structural and everyday racism. Still others want to study the issue, call witnesses to verify that systemic racism exists. That was the take of the Bloc Quebecois, which resulted in accusations of racism and the expulsion of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh from the House of Commons. How much further study is required? How many witnesses need to be called to establish the reality of racism and the violence it authorizes? As someone active in Canadian critical race studies for over three decades, I wrote Discourses of Denial to demonstrate the entrenched denial around racism that is often camouflaged under the veneer of Canadian politeness and a token celebration of diversity. More than a decade later, governments and institutions at all levels continue to deny the reality of racism. When acknowledged, the talk shifts quickly to managing diversity or tokenizing difference. Naming and evading racism Inequalities are structured in dominance, as British cultural theorist Stuart Hall explained in a 1980 essay. They manifest in what peace researcher Johan Galtung described as structural violence. Structurally embedded racism is made possible by power. Powers enactment of racist policies and practices is mediated by everyday norms, values, attitudes and habits that cognitively coalesce in the form of stereotypes. Yet, the "systemic" nature of racism is perplexing to politicians like Quebec Premier Francois Legault, who continues to deny its existence in Quebec. In his view: "Quebecers are not racist, but there is still racism here as (exists) everywhere, and we must admit it and we must fight it." To this, the social democrat Quebec Solidaire co-spokesperson Manon Masse countered: "Systemic does not mean systematic. It does not mean everyone. It means there is a system that tolerates this." Different issues underpin this denial. First, it assigns racism to an abstract system and thus evades the agency of racists. Second, it suggests that racism is in the air much like the coronavirus and we just have to fight it. Third, it implies that racists are the minority, perhaps some ignorant folks out there. This doesnt account for systemic racism within institutions such as the police or academia, or the proliferation of far right racist groups in Canada. Fourth, it erases the histories of racialized groups and the changing permutations of racism as it shifts according to social and political conditions. Racism as deep structure The timing of this latest denial of systemic racism is striking. It is part of the systemic nature of the white gaze. This gaze that turns the wheel of the kaleidoscope, shifting our focus from one frame to another, without reflecting the reality of a hierarchical society. Pre-pandemic, the threat to society was crafted in the language of a war on terror (and before that: the war on poverty, and war on drugs, etc.). In that war, the quintessential enemy are the Muslims. Today, the tendency would be to deny this. However, the reality of Bill 21 in Quebec, not to mention the escalating Islamophobia, contests such denial. In the background, percolating through all these decades if not centuries, has been anti-Indigenous and anti-Black racism, both pillars of a colonial settler society anchored in white supremacy. Shifting frames The pandemic ushered kaleidoscopic frames mediated by a white gaze. First in the public limelight was anti-Asian racism, partly sparked by the rogue MP Derek Sloan, who accused Chief Public Health Officer of Canada Theresa Tam of having divided if not dubious motives. He asked, "Does she work for Canada or for China?" with a caption on his video that read, "Dr. Tam must go!" The stereotype of the diseased Asian body persists. It is part of the constructed threat of a "yellow peril." A recent Angus Reid survey reveals that "almost one-third of Chinese-Canadians report being physically attacked during COVID-19." In Montreal, documentation collected by law student Lilly Maya Wang helped to pass a city council motion condemning racism against Asians. With the murder of George Floyd and Regis Korchinski-Paquet, the kaleidoscopic lens shifted to Black bodies and police violence. Scholars have been arguing about this connection for decades. And the Black Lives Matter movement has continuously struggled to keep the issue in the public limelight. Recently, the gaze is shifting back to violence against Indigenous peoples in Canada with the terrible revelation of the RCMP assault on Chief Allan Adam. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Racism is a system of violence What does racism as a form of violence accomplish and for whom? Racism functions in the interests of power by maintaining a hierarchy. Here the colonial framework is highly relevant. The colonizers maintained power by subjugating racialized groups in different ways. At the bottom were those considered dispossessed (Indigenous) and disposable (Black slaves), and in between were the classic middlemen minorities (brown, Asian peoples). Sandwiched in between, brown people then become the buffer zone between those at the bottom and those at the top, and subject to different forms of violence. While fighting racism, we cannot fall into the trap of an "Olympics of oppression" that pits one group against another. We must remember the specific historical conditions and lived realities of different racialized groups. Structural racism makes the white gaze invisible. Whiteness continues to be the powerful backdrop against which Indigenous, Black and people of colour stand out as demanding minorities making unverifiable and highly subjective truth claims. Hence, the need for the constant proof from inquiries, reports, panels and commissions. Yasmin Jiwani is a professor of communication studies and research chair on intersectionality, violence and resistance at Concordia University. This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca. This is the moment a clever bear cub opened a car door with its paws and clambered inside. Car owner Kathryn Ellis watched in horror from her holiday cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina, as the bear hopped into the front passenger's seat and began rummaging around inside. The 50-second video begins with the young black bear emerging from woodland and sauntering up to a silver four-by-four. Un-bear-lievable! A black bear opens a car door in the Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina Open sesame! The bear clambers inside before owner Kathryn Ellis remotely unlocks the boot The animal peers through an open window and sniffs before deciding to head towards Ms Ellis' black car parked nearby, which had been left unlocked. Ms Ellis said: 'I noticed a bear on my morning walk and went back to the cabin I was staying at. The bear followed and examined the outside of the cabin and our vehicles. 'One of the car doors was unlocked and the bear managed to open it and get inside. 'He investigated the inside of the car for about five minutes, before exiting the car out the back, which we opened with our key watching from the balcony.' Bear-ggars belief: Curious bear runs for the trees after Ms Ellis throw an object at it What a bear-gain?: The bear inspected a silver vehicle before moving on to the black car There are an estimated 8,000 bears living in North Carolina, especially around the mountains, according to the Wildlife Resource Commission. Wildlife experts warn residents that they shouldn't leave garbage and human waste outside their homes, in case it attracts the bears. This is not the first time a bear has been spotted opening a car door. Only last week one was spotted unlatching a door before climbing in in Gatlinburg, Tennesse. New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday demanded apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly lying to Armymen about One Rank One Pension scheme. Tweeting his dissent after being released from the RK Puram police station in New Delhi around midnight, Kejriwal accused PM Modi of false nationalism. Modiji lied that OROP has been implemented. Modiji should apologise to soldiers. Today Modijis false nationalism has been revealed, Delhi CM tweeted from his handle @ArvindKejriwal. aaaa aa aa aaa aaaa aa OROP aaaa aa aaaa aaaa aa aaaaaaa aa aaaaa aaaaaa aa aaaa aa aa aaaaaaa aaaaaYaaaaa aa aaa aaa aaaa Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 2, 2016 After more than four hours detention, Kejriwal left around midnight the R K Puram police station, following his detainment as he tried to meet the kin of ex-serviceman who allegedly committed suicide over the OROP issue, police said. Also read | OROP suicide row: High-voltage political drama, detentions and Section 144 at CP; here is what all happened Kejriwal was detained from Lady Hardinge Hospital around 7.45 PM and brought to the RK Puram police station in south District since there was no media or presence of political leaders there, police sources said. Police had asked him to go at around 8.45 PM but he refused to leave the police station. However, the Delhi CM denied the accusation as he claimed that he was asked by police to stay back. This is completely false. I have been asked to stay back. https://t.co/rMUeeehI4Q Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 2, 2016 Sources close to the Chief Minister said that the police initially allowed him to leave but detained him again. The police allowed us to leave but the chief minister expressed his desire to meet the family of the deceased ex-serviceman. He also told the pilot of the police patrol that he was proceeding to the Connaught Place Police Station, but he was again detained, a Kejriwal aide said. Kejriwal tweeted from the police station saying that Sisodia, who was detained at Parliament Street police station for close to ten hours and later released, had come to meet him. Manish reaches here at RK Puram PS where I am still detained, he had tweeted. Manish reaches here at RK Puram PS where i am still detained Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 2, 2016 The suicide by an army veteran over OROP on Wednesday snowballed into a huge political show with Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal and other opposition leaders attacking the Modi government on the issue while there was high drama after police detained and prevented them from entering a hospital. Also read | In audio: 'I lived for my country', Ram Kishan Grewal told his son before committing suicide The Congress Vice President was detained twice and was finally released late in the evening as restrictions were put on Kejriwals movements before he was detained. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was kept in custody for close to 10 hours. Meanwhile, the ex-servicemens body was sent to his home town Bhiwani in Haryana after the postmortem. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. If I was the type to keep a gratitude journal during Melbournes lockdown Mark II, one entry would read: Im grateful to be living in a society where face masks are about science and not a pretext for a culture war. (Please let this always be so.) Premier Daniel Andrews and Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton are urging the newly locked-down residents to wear masks when they leave home if social distancing is difficult Masks could be the difference between success and failure in controlling the pandemic and saving the economy. Credit:AP It is our request of you, its not compulsory, Andrews said on Friday. The government would be ordering 2 million reusable masks for distribution, and boosting local production, but in the meantime Melburnians are advised to make our own, which makes me nervous because I fumbled craft at school. It is now mandatory to wear face masks on public transport Photo: Mark Condren Commuters risk a 2,500 fine or six months in jail for not wearing a face mask on public transport from today - but the new law is mired in confusion over how it will be enforced. It is now an offence not to wear a face mask on a bus or train in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19. But the National Transport Authority (NTA) could not say who will be designated to enforce the rules at busy railway stations. And bus drivers have been told by their union they are not compelled to take on the role of demanding compliance. The lack of clarity over how it will be implemented is expected to lead to widespread flouting of the law. Early morning commuters by train, tram and bus were largely heeding the mandatory face mask rule, with the vast majority of passengers traveling with face coverings. While passenger numbers are still very low compared to pre-Covid times, bus and tram drivers reported a big difference in the numbers wearing masks today compared to last week. One Luas worker who was recording passenger numbers and how many of them were wearing masks said that over ten trams she had surveyed there were 286 passengers and 280 of them were wearing masks, which is almost 98pc compliance. Expand Close A Luas worker checks for passengers not wearing face marks before embarking Pic: Mark Condren / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Luas worker checks for passengers not wearing face marks before embarking Pic: Mark Condren On buses around the capital it could also be seen that most, if not all, early morning commuters were heeding the mandatory face mask notice. I have been talking to some passengers and advising them about wearing a mask, and some have them in their bags or pockets and had just forgotten to put them on, said the Luas worker. Some passengers cannot wear masks for health reasons, and children under 13 dont have to wear them, they added. I think the message is getting through. While last week the compliance might have been 75-80pc this morning it is much higher, they explained. Bus drivers too noticed more people wearing masks. I think its society itself is dictating it. The health authorities and government can all talk about it, but the difficulty remains about implementing it. But its passengers themselves who, by their own actions, are swaying people towards wearing a mask, said one bus driver. If you get on a bus now and you dont have a mask, and nearly everyone else does, you might feel more inclined to have one the next time, he added. It comes amid ongoing concern as the number of new daily cases of the virus remains higher than in recent weeks with another 17 people diagnosed with the infection yesterday. It means that in the space of just four days 90 new cases of the virus have been detected as the impact of travel-related infection and among young people enjoying house parties and pre-Covid style socialising takes hold. The Department of Health, which brought in the new mandatory face mask rule, referred all queries on enforcement to the Department of Transport yesterday. Earlier, Dermot O'Leary of the National Bus and Railworkers Union (NBRU) warned: "Frontline workers should not be put in a position of potential confrontation with passengers. "We support the wearing of masks but it has been introduced without consulting with us. "It is distasteful that pressure is now put on workers who were at the centre of supporting the public during lockdown. "A bus driver was killed in France when he got into an altercation with a passenger over the wearing of a mask and we don't want that to happen here." The NTA said the regulations allow for "any officer, employee or agent" to enforce the law but could not say what will happen if somebody buys a rail ticket at Heuston station today and does not wear a mask. The Department of Transport, in response to questions, said last night that the Department of Health is the lead agency for Covid-19-related regulations and public health guidelines. "In circumstances where a non-compliant passenger, without reasonable excuse, fails to accept the refusal or comply with a 'relevant person's' request, members of An Garda Siochana may be called to assist. "An Garda Siochana will continue its graduated policing response based on its tradition of policing by consent. "This has seen gardai engage, educate, encourage and, as a last resort, enforce. That approach will continue in assisting the enforcement of these regulations. "Where potential breaches of the public health regulations are identified, and where a person does not come into compliance with the regulations, a file will be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a direction as to how to proceed." The Garda press office said it would respond to a series of questions about the role of gardai. Under the regulations, signed by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, people are exempt from wearing a mask if they have a reasonable excuse. This is where they cannot put one on, wear or remove a face covering because of any physical or mental illness, impairment or disability or without severe distress. They are also exempted where there is a need to communicate with another person who has difficulties communicating. People can remove the face covering to provide emergency assistance or to give care or assistance to a vulnerable person. It can also be taken off if they need to take medication. A transport employee can refuse to allow a person without a face covering on to a bus or train. They can also demand that a passenger must get off if they are found not to be complying. Before this happens they have to give the passengers an opportunity to "provide a reasonable excuse" for not wearing a mask. Meanwhile, a new poll today shows almost three in four people are likely to take a Covid-19 vaccine if one is found. The Ipsos MRBI poll for the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association found 52pc are very likely to get a Covid-19 vaccine while 21pc are fairly likely. Almost one-fifth, or 17pc, are unlikely to get the vaccine while 10pc are unsure. Over four-fifths, or 81pc, of people believe a Covid-19 vaccine will be found. But most of those people, or 62pc, believe it will be next year before one is available to the public. Around 200,000 Hong Kongers could come to Britain after the UK offered them a route to citizenship. This month, Boris Johnson unveiled firm plans for the UK to welcome Hong Kong residents today after China instituted 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. The Foreign Office is working on estimates that 200,000 Hong Kongers will take up the offer and move to the UK, according to the Financial Times. The Foreign Office is working on estimates that 200,000 Hong Kongers will take up the offer and move to the UK, according to the Financial Times (Pictured: Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in the House of Commons to discuss China's controversial Security Law on July 1 2020) One source told the newspaper that the exact number was in a state of 'flux' with an average of 180,000 expected. Another said the office was predicting over 200,000. Alan Mak, a Conservative MP of Chinese descent, said he didn't think many Hong Kongers would take the offer but said he felt, if they did, it would 'be a very big boost' to the economy, adding that 'Hong Kongers are very industrious and entrepreneurial. Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions on July 1 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.' Police detain a protester after spraying pepper spray during a protest marking the 23rd anniversary of UK pulling out of Hong Kong in 1997 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 China's ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming today accused the UK Government of a 'gross interference in China's internal affairs' over its decision to offer a path to citizenship to up to three million Hong Kongers Johnson previously called the Hong Kong security law 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. The move, dubbed a 'route to citizenship' by the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, will give around three million Hong Kongers the rights to 'British National Overseas' passports. Days after the announcement, Beijing slammed the British Government, accusing them of 'gross interference in China's internal affairs' and 'political manipulation'. Downing Street hit back at the ambassador's comments and said while the UK and China have a 'strong and constructive relationship' in many areas 'this relationship does not come at any price'. System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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Whether you are a returning student, first-time student or an adult looking for a new career, WKCTC is offering Pathway to Enrollment the week of July 20 -23 from 9 am to 3 pm in the Anderson Technical Building or through remote meetings. Staff members from admissions, advising, financial aid and the business office are available by appointment to make enrolling as easy as possible.An appointment should be made to attend Pathway to Enrollment. Those who make an appointment and attend either in the Anderson Technical Building or online will be entered to win prizes including a laptop or a gift card. To make an appointment for Pathway to Enrollment, visit https://westkentucky.kctcs.edu/admissions/pathway/Safety is a top priority at WKCTC. Masks or other face coverings are required as will social distancing in all campus facilities. Signage is posted throughout campus to remind visitors of CDC guidelines. The college has increased deep cleaning and the availability of hand sanitizers in all buildings, as well as the use of plexiglass.Attending WKCTC is one way to stay healthy at home while moving forward with college classes. Fall term classes will be offered in a variety of formats. This includes fully online classes as well as face-to-face classes and some options that are a mixture of both. Face-to-face classes will have a strong online or remote instruction part, so if classroom classes must move online for a while the transition will be smooth. There are a variety of scheduling options, so students can create a schedule of classes that fits their schedule.For questions about Pathway to Enrollment, call 270-534-3435. On the Net: Newly named Russian Ambassador to Egypt Georgy Borisenko was welcomed this week by a delegation of the Egyptian Association of Graduates from Russian and Soviet Universities, discussing means to enhance bilateral ties The newly named Russian ambassador to Egypt started his activities in Cairo meeting a delegation from the Egyptian Association of Graduates from Russian and Soviet Universities, to discuss means of enhancing bilateral relations. Ambassador Georgy Borisenko was welcomed this week by Alexey Tevanya, director of the Russian Cultural Centers in Egypt, and Sherif Gad, president of the association at the Russian Cultural Centre in Dokki. Gad underlined the success of the association's initiative to welcome Borisenkos arrival in Cairo, in which notable members of the Egyptian community including governmental figures, representatives of civil society, university presidents and public figures participated. The delegation of the association included Fathy Toughan, secretary-general of the Egyptian Association of Graduates from Russian and Soviet Universities, Professor Makarem El-Ghamry, who was recently awarded the Pushkin Medal from President Putin, former cultural advisor in Moscow Ali Ghaleb, together with members in the association, professors Samia Tawfik, Noor Nada, Mona Zeidan and Ayman Montaser. During the meeting, members of the association seized the opportunity to present their vision for boosting bilateral relations between Egypt and Russia, suggesting the postponement of the Egypt-Russia Cultural Year 2020, which came at the initiative of presidents Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Vladimir Putin, for the coming year in order that the importance of this unprecedented historical event is not lost. They also highlighted the importance of the friendship associations between the two countries and conveyed the proposal of the General Egyptian Book Organisation to sign the exchange of translation rights agreement, and the need to provide Russian language sections in Egyptian universities with more books and professors, and to facilitate visas for Egyptian businessmen while providing the necessary information about the Russian market, in addition to developing cultural relations and exchanging visits of ministers of culture in the two countries, which stopped 40 years ago. Members of the delegation also expressed their desire to include the cultural field with all its branches in annual Russian grants, alongside the scientific field, taking into account the importance of developing technical and scientific relations in the field of mineral industries and organising joint scientific conferences. For his part, Ambassador Borisenko welcomed the efforts and suggestions of the associations members, confirming that Russia values the role of Russian and Soviet university graduates in building bridges of communication between the two peoples and a key partner in supporting and developing cooperation in all fields. Bilateral relations are witnessing a qualitative breakthrough thanks to the support of presidents Putin and El-Sisi, and Egypt being its largest country is key to the region, he pointed out. Borisenko disclosed in the meeting that the Egypt-Russia Cultural Year will be celebrated immediately after the Covid-19 pandemic abates, and will be continued into 2021. He added that there are joint efforts underway to reduce the spread of coronavirus through cooperation between Russian and Egyptian medicine companies. He also welcomed regular meetings with members of the Egyptian Association of Graduates from Russian and Soviet Universities to discuss visions of developing bilateral relations and to benefit from their experiences in various fields. Search Keywords: Short link: The Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia, celebrating its 60th anniversary year, announces the business winners of the BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics and Student of Integrity scholarship winners for 2020. Businesses recognized for the 2020 BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics are: Category I Winner: Mr. Handyman of Chattanooga, Chattanooga Category I Honorable Mention: The Robinson Team of Keller Williams, Chattanooga Category II Winner: Dales Heating & Air, Inc., Chattanooga Category II Honorable Mention: Ortwein Sign, Chattanooga Category III Winner: Kelly Auto Group, Inc. Chattanooga Category III Honorable Mention: Pratt Home Builders Chattanooga Category IV Winner: North American Credit Services, Chattanooga Category V Winner: Walden Security, Inc., Chattanooga Category Non-Profit Charity Winner: Signal Centers, Chattanooga Category Non-Profit Charity Honorable Mention: The Caring Place, Cleveland Now in its 16th year, BBB achieved a milestone in its annual Student of Integrity scholarship competition surpassing $151,000 in total scholarships. This year scholarships with the value of $1,000 each were awarded to ten students who competed by writing an essay on the importance of ethics in business and our community. The competition was available to all high schools seniors in the BBB service area of 21 surrounding counties in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. One hundred and twenty students entered the competition this year. The winners of the BBB 2020 Student of Integrity scholarships are: Sarah Caroline Able: Cleveland, TN, Cleveland High School Emily Morgan Allen: Dalton, GA, Southeast Whitfield High School Mia Grace Crider: Summerville, GA, Chattooga High School Katherine E. Derrick: Athens, TN, McMinn County High School Evan Michael England: Jasper, TN, Richard Hardy Memorial School Michael Traegan Gober: Cleveland, TN, Walker Valley High School Lexi Ann McGill: Blue Ridge, GA, Fannin County High School Andie Lanore Robinson: Calhoun, GA, Calhoun High School Jason T. Tran: Chattanooga, TN, East Hamilton High School Bryara Madison Whitaker: Lafayette, GA, Trion High School BBB President Jim Winsett said, Individually, the business winners and the student winners are exemplary representatives of ethics, integrity and trust in our marketplace." Prince Harry has reignited the row over Britain's colonial history as it emerged today he wanted the organisation to 'acknowledge the past', even if it's 'uncomfortable'. It is likely to cause a ruckus in the Royal household, with his grandmother the Queen being head of the 54-nation group, and his father Prince Charles to succeed her when she dies. His claims have touched on a delicate subject which Britons have mixed views, with some supporting the Commonwealth and noting its differences from the British Empire, while others detest them both. The Queen is the head of the 54-nation Commonwealth. She is pictured here with Jamaica's Governor General Patrick Allen and his wife Patricia during a reception for Commonwealth Governors General at Buckingham Palace in 2012 The Commonwealth consists of 54 independent countries, the vast majority of which were at one point controlled by Britain. The UK is one of the member states in the Commonwealth of Nations, as are Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. Other member states include India, Pakistan, Singapore, Barbados, Namibia and Papua New Guinea and others from across Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and Oceania. Association in the Commonwealth of Nations, which is based at Marlborough House on Pall Mall in central London, is voluntary. The Queen heads the organisation, with her son and Harry's father Prince Charles set to take over when she dies. It is designed to promote peace, human rights, democracy and other core values among its member nations. Association in the Commonwealth of Nations, which is based at Marlborough House on Pall Mall (pictured) in central London , is voluntary The Commonwealth is still seen by many as relevant, with its 2.4billion-strong membership making up a third of the world's population. It is often a platform for smaller nation members to be heard on the world stage, when otherwise they would be ignored. Commonwealth leaders drop by Marlborough House when they are in London and have the chance to raise concerns to the British, who sit on the United Nations Security Council and have a louder voice than places such as the small Pacific island of Nauru. On a more direct level, the Commonwealth connects people, with one example being deploying doctors or vets or lawyers from one member state to another which has a shortage. It also helps out financially, which with the current pandemic still raging across the world is a saviour for many of the poorer nations. Some less economically developed countries in Africa and Asia see the organisation as a lifeline to help boost sectors such as business - with at least 1.039billion being spent since 2015. The importance of the association was made abundantly clear at a meeting in April 2018, where principles were drawn up to protect journalists working in hostile countries to the trade. Some reporters had been facing death threats in rural parts of India, while others were physically attacked in Rwanda - both member nations - but the meeting agreed to make sure 'journalists can work without fear of attack, intimidation or interference, and to take prompt measures to protect them when they face a serious threat of harm or are subject to attack'. The power of the Commonwealth, sometimes referred to as a 'family of nations' was also on show more recently during Theresa May's premiership, with the organisation playing a part in exposing the Windrush Scandal. World leaders from the organisation were gathered in London in 2018 when the story broke, heaping pressure on the government to U-turn in policy and issue an apology. The Balfour Declaration, named after Lord President of the Council and former Prime Minister Arthur Balfour, enshrined equality and autonomy to the Dominions of the British Empire The Commonwealth has only been a recognised organisation since 1931, but its origins can be traced back further to the Balfour Declaration in 1926. The document, named after Lord President of the Council and former Prime Minister Arthur Balfour, enshrined equality and autonomy to the Dominions of the British Empire. The 1931 Statue of Westminster codified the independence of the Empire's Dominions and officially established the Commonwealth. After a wave of decolonisation swept across the world after the Second World War, the Commonwealth of Nations was officially declared by the London Declaration on April 28, 1949. Over the years, a number of countries have either voluntarily left or joined the Commonwealth, while others have recognised their own Heads of State in lieu of the British Monarchy. Some feel strongly today that the Commonwealth is just a second British Empire masking as something else, despite efforts by the organisation to move away from its colonial past. One writer pointed to the control Britain still has over vast areas of the world thanks to the organisation. Afua Hirsch said in the Guardian that UK companies rule of over $1trillion resources in Africa - including gold, diamonds and oil - shows the continent is still under the power of the Empire. Some people continue this link between the Commonwealth and Empire, pointing to atrocities the British oversaw in its territories. Colonialism had many benefits for smaller overseas territories, such as economic development and greater transport systems - including the building of India's railway network, which helped transform the country. So-called 'Whig' historians, such as 19th century historian Thomas Babington Macaulay, argued the British Empire led to greater liberty, the spread of democracy and scientific progress in its colonies. Maccaulay played a major role in the introduction of English and western concepts to the education system in India - including replacing Persian with the English language. But there were a number of atrocities involving the British Empire - including the concentration camps in the Second Boer War, the Amritsar massacre in 1919, the aftermath of the partition of India, the Mau Mau Uprising and famines in India - that people criticise Britain for and question its right to have any power over these countries today. Coils of barbed wire form a makeshift compound during the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya by rebels against the British Colonial Administration in the 1950s In the Boer War, between 1899 and 1902, Britain fought with two Boer republics in South Africa. Though the cause of the dispute is debated by historians, some suggest it was an attempt by Britain to take control of the world's largest cold mining complex. The vastly superior British army, of around nearly 500,000 soldiers, fought the much smaller 88,000 strong force of Boers - who used the hostile terrain of their land to their advantage. Frustrated by the guerrilla warfare tactics, Britain turned to a scorched-earth policy, destroying Boer farms and rounding-up inhabitants into concentration camps - many years before their infamous use by the Nazis. Thousands of women and children captives died due to to poor conditions - causing protests in Britain and damaging the country's reputation worldwide. Less than two decades later, in 1919, British troops slaughtered 379 Indian civilians in the bloody Amritsar massacre. A painting of the Amritsar massacre in which at least 379 died The killings took place when soldiers fired on a group of unarmed Punjabi civilians in Jallianwala Bagh public garden as they protested the British government's forced conscription of Indians to join the armed forces and also the war tax which threatened to cripple the Indian economy. The Amritsar massacre remains a flashpoint between the UK and the Commonwealth country to this day. Last year, then-Prime Minister Theresa May expressed the UK's 'deep regret' over the massacre. Another contentious issue, which has more prominence today due to the Black Lives Matter movement, is the calls for Britain to pay reparations to people descending from slaves. There were 14 countries in the Caribbean alone aiming for this, but Hirsch claimed the UK government was using using jurisdiction problems to manoeuvre around any payments. This argument came to a head when former Prime Minister David Cameron ruled out slavery reparations during a trip to Jamaica. He admitted 'these wounds run very deep', but said Britain's role in ending the slave trade should be remembered and called for people to 'move on'. The Old Etonian was asked to personally atone for his family's slave owning past and for the country to pay back billions, which he refused. But perhaps the most famous scandal involving the Commonwealth was the treatment of the Windrush generation, whose parents had been invited here in the 1960s but the country tried to deport them over the last decade. The Windrush generation was named after the ship that brought over one of the first groups of West Indian migrants invited to the UK in 1948 to help rebuild post-war Britain. The Windrush generation was named after the ship that brought over one of the first groups of West Indian migrants invited to the UK in 1948 to help rebuild post-war Britain Over the next 25 years thousands followed, taking jobs to fill shortages, particularly in the nascent NHS. When the scandal blew up in 2018, the then Home Secretary Amber Rudd was forced to resign after misleading parliament about how many people had been affected. The forgotten victims were the hundreds who had their lives turned upside down by the policy. They lost their jobs and their rights, were incarcerated and even deported. The Winsrush Scandal was seen as a product of the British attitude to the Commonwealth, buried deep in racism. Some trace the scandal back to the laws on immigration to the UK from the Commonwealth in the 1960s, while others point to the 'working holidaymaker rules' in the 1970s. Regardless of how others see the Commonwealth, Prince Harry made a huge gamble by wading into the debate, with the rest of the Royal Family and their involvement in the organisation unlikely to leave them impressed with his comments. A 26-year-old man was shot multiple times early Sunday morning on Sylvan Avenue. At approximately 3:44 a.m., Chattanooga Police responded to the Circle K convenience store at 4026 Shallowford Road on a report of a person shot. Upon arrival, officers located the victim. Based on statements from the victim, officers responded to the 700 block of Sylvan Avenue, located the scene of the incident and then secured it. The victim was transported to a local hospital by Hamilton County EMS with non-life threatening injuries. Investigators with the Violent Crimes Bureau responded to conduct an investigation. Sylvan Avenue is near Talley Road in Brainerd. You know about the CIA. And the FBI. The whole world knows that James Bond worked for MI6. Everyone knows the name of the Soviet Union's notorious foreign espionage service, the KGB, the training ground for today's Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Most people have heard of the ruthlessly efficient Israeli Mossad. Most Australians have heard of the domestic spy agency ASIO. And a few will know of Australia's overseas spy agency, ASIS. But can you name one of China's intelligence services? Just one? We've heard in recent years that Chinese spying and hacking in Australia is so rife that it's overwhelming our own intelligence agencies. The federal government in 2018 even introduced new laws to try to limit Chinese spying and interference. But we can't name the agencies doing it. Is it because they are so small and insignificant? Today, China has more people engaged in its spying effort than any other country, according to the 2019 book Chinese Communist Espionage: An Intelligence Primer by Americans Peter Mattis and Matthew Brazil. Illustration: Dionne Gain Credit: So how can we be so blind to such a big enterprise? A New Zealand sinologist, Anne-Marie Brady, in a new essay on China's spying, suggests a couple of reasons. One is what she calls "decades of post-Cold War complacency, of arrogance about the superiority of liberal democracies over communist systems". Another is a post-September 11 preoccupation with terrorism among Western intelligence systems including Australia's. A third is public sector cutbacks. The Congress workers on Monday removed the posters of Rajasthan party president and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot from the party office in Jaipur amid his rebellion against the leadership. On Sunday evening, Pilot had announced that he would not attend the party legislature meeting called by CM Ashok Gehlot the following day and claimed that the Congress-led government had been reduced to a minority. Pilot maintained that he enjoyed the support of 30 members of the 200-member Rajasthan legislative assembly (MLAs). Contrary to Pilots claims over 100 Congress MLAs attended the legislative party meeting on Monday morning and reposed their faith in CM Gehlots leadership. The Congress had issued a whip to all its MLAs, stating that the attendance of the meeting at CMs official residence was mandatory. Amid the backdrop of the high-voltage political drama in Rajasthan, a re-run of a similar rebellion in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh in March that had led to the toppling of the Kamal Nath-led government, the banners with Pilots pictures were removed from the boundary wall of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) office in Jaipur on Monday morning. The state party office wore a deserted look on Monday morning. Pratap Singh, Jaipur district president of the Congress and state transport minister, took a potshot at the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for their bid to destabiliise an elected government in Rajasthan, but stopped short of naming Pilot as the wrecker-in-chief. People voted for the party (the Congress) and now they (the BJP leaders) are insulting the peoples mandate, Singh said. HOUSTON, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OctoNation, a community that inspires the conservation of the ocean by teaching the world about octopuses in a fun and informative way, today announced that it had been accepted to participate in the North American cohort of Facebook's Community Accelerator. The Community Accelerator is focused more specifically on communities that are already established, have a business model, and are looking to grow their community through Facebook family of apps. The Community Accelerator Program is a six-month program aimed at helping community leaders quickly and strategically achieve their growth goals. The initiative is part of Facebook's mission to empower and invest in these leaders to start, grow, and sustain significant communities that positively impact people's lives. Changing climate, pollution, plastics, and overfishing: our ocean is well-studied and known to be facing threats, yet many people find these issues confusing. Octopuses are spread throughout a vast ocean area and are solitary, which makes it difficult to determine the status of their populations. While there are over 300 species of octopus, some are believed to be under threat. OctoNation is creating awareness, comprehensive education plans for educators, and bringing a community of octopus lovers together to inspire conversation. "It is our pleasure to be accepted to Facebook's Community Accelerator," said Warren Carlyle, the founder of OctoNation. "I started OctoNation to inspire conservation by teaching the world about octopuses, but then realized we could do even more if we had access to more funding and better training." Facebook said $3 million in total would be awarded to participants globally. Facebook will work with GlobalGiving to fund participants' approved growth plans. According to Facebook, participants will learn how to optimize Facebook's family of tools, features, and apps to grow and scale their community. They will learn multiple growth strategies and how they can leverage each of them to build and improve their community. They will also learn how to define, measure, and communicate the influence their community has on the world. The Community Accelerator is an evolution of Facebook's Fellowship program, which in 2019 supported 115 participating leaders worldwide. Together, those leaders reported that their projects impacted over 1.9 million lives through online community support, the use of helpful resources, and other activities made possible by the program. People looking for a Facebook Group and community to learn the coolest Octopus facts, art, videos, and meet people in the process can reach OctoNation on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. Photos: https://www.prlog.org/12829842 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE OctoNation BOSTON, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Brattle Group announced today that Dr. Jurgen Weiss, a principal in Brattle's Boston, MA office, has joined the faculty of Harvard Business School as a Senior Lecturer of Business Administration in the Business, Government, and International Economy (BGIE) unit, where he will help strengthen energy-related research and teaching. Dr. Weiss will also continue to be a principal at Brattle. Dr. Jurgen Weiss - The Brattle Group "Stakeholders across the energy industry landscape continue to wrestle with the pace and depth of decarbonization," said Brattle President and Principal David Sunding. "Jurgen has been a recognized thought leader in this space for many years. His experience shaping the ideas and pathways for a decarbonized economy will be well-suited for the Harvard Business School community. He will also continue to guide Brattle and its clients on these issues, and we look forward to continued collaboration with Jurgen as he embarks on this new role." As an energy and industrial organization economist with 25 years of consulting experience in the United States, Europe, and Middle East, Dr. Weiss focuses on the fundamental transformation of the energy industry as a result of technological change and climate change-related pressures. He has consulted, testified, and published on specific topics such as the electrification of transportation and heating, the deep decarbonization of the power sector, and the impacts these changes have on assets, carbon and energy market designs, market structures, long-term planning needs, and business models for companies inside and outside of the energy industry. "The confluence of rapid technological progress and increasing pressures to decarbonize the energy sector in the face of climate change risks will likely lead to a fundamental transformation of the sector over the coming decades," noted Dr. Weiss. "This in turn will imply fundamental shifts in strategy and planning for both incumbents and new entrants to the energy industry as well as the policy, regulatory, and market frameworks of the industry. I am excited to be joining my Harvard Business School colleagues in exploring, through research, teaching, and collaborating with students, faculty, and the broader business and academic community, how economies and corporations can succeed in this transition to a decarbonized world. I'm also looking forward to applying these insights in my continued consulting work with The Brattle Group." ABOUT BRATTLE The Brattle Group answers complex economic, finance, and regulatory questions for corporations, law firms, and governments around the world. We are distinguished by the clarity of our insights and the credibility of our experts, which include leading international academics and industry specialists. Brattle has over 350 talented professionals across three continents. For more information, please visit brattle.com. SOURCE The Brattle Group Related Links http://www.brattle.com New Delhi, July 13 : In a remarkably statesman like move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to a request to allow Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to retain the 35, Lodhi Estate Bungalow for some time. Just when people thought there is witch hunt against the erstwhile first family of Indian politics, the PM's move once again validated his large heartedness. After the government directive to vacate the prime Lutyens real estate property in Lodi Estate, the Centre was approached to allow Priyanka Gandhi to stay there for some more time. Sources close to developments revealed that when the matter was brought to Modi's notice, he said that her request most certainly be accepted. Those who know Modi say that this is not the first time that he has gone out of the way and shown large heartedness towards a family that has left no opportunity to bad mouth him, demean him and use every trick out of the book to nail him. The general impression being that both sides have a visceral hatred for one another. It was in 2011 when Sonia Gandhi had to travel abroad for health related treatment. That time, it was Modi who sent a bouquet of flowers to 10, Janpath. The Congress, which was keen to keep Sonia Gandhi's travel plans a secret, was not only surprised but was also compelled to share details about Sonia Gandhi's illness with the entire nation. Back in August 2013, when the Congress-led UPA was in power and Modi was merely the campaign committee chief, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi fell ill. The nation saw a visibly unwell Sonia Gandhi being escorted out of the Parliament House, driven to the hospital. Later on, she was taken home from hospital. That is when Modi Tweeted, "Glad to know that Sonia ji's health is fine. Wishing her the best of health in future." He had also tweeted, "Concerned that basic medical emergency procedures were not used. Would have been better if wheel-chair or stretcher was used in the Parliament," adding, "Considering her health, Sonia ji should have been taken to hospital in a well-equipped ambulance. Still, doctors are best judges." Old timers recall another incident from the past when a chopper ferrying Sonia Gandhi and Ahmed Patel developed a snag at Daman. Modi dialled Sonia Gandhi and offered all possible help to her. When the NDA government came to power, Modi would make it a point to greet Sonia Gandhi at the start and end of every Parliament session. Such a practice continues even now. This is a basic courtesy that was never given to the NDA when the UPA was in power. In August 2016, when Sonia Gandhi fell ill during a roadshow in Varanasi, Modi immediately enquired about her health. He also offered to arrange for a plane to bring her back to Delhi. The fact that Modi reached out to Sonia Gandhi, who was campaigning in his parliamentary constituency and using acerbic language, was not missed by people. During the peak of the Karnataka election campaign, Rahul Gandhi's aircraft developed a technical snag on the way to Hubballi. The Congress used this as an opportunity to taunt the BJP-led Central government for being inconsiderate towards the Gandhi family. In the midst of such slander, and slap-bang in the middle of a tough and bruising election campaign, Modi called Rahul Gandhi and enquired about his well-being. He also ensured a proper DGCA probe was held on the issue. The Gandhi family has considered Narendra Modi as an usurper of sorts -- someone who has denied them a set of privileges they deserved. In contrast, Modi has always shown a larger heart when it comes to dealing with the Nehru-Gandhi family. NSW Health will open a new coronavirus testing clinic in Picton and extend hours at its Crossroads Hotel pop-up site in Casula, after hundreds of cars lined up for more than four hours in south-west Sydney to get tested on Monday. The NSW government has asked any person who went to the Casula pub or the Picton Hotel in Picton on the same day as confirmed cases to get tested for COVID-19. The Crossroads Hotel cluster ballooned to 21 cases on Monday. The head of the queue before it reaches the car park at the Crossroads Hotel on Monday. Credit:James Brickwood A pop-up clinic was established in the Crossroads car park on Friday evening after two people, who visited the venue on July 3, tested positive for COVID-19. Queues of more than a kilometre were reported over the weekend. Cars snaked around the block for about a kilometre at midday on Monday, creating a stationary lane of traffic on a stretch of the Hume Highway that curved off the main road, past Bunnings and KFC, and back around to the car park entrance off Campbelltown Road. We are proud to welcome the Eurasia Affiliate and grow our base of Affiliates and Chapters, which is the backbone of ISPE. The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) announced today the formation of the new Eurasian Economic Union (Eurasia) Affiliate. The Affiliate will provide a local forum through which professionals in Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan can contribute to the advancement of the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. ISPE has 39 Affiliates and Chapters worldwide that provide venues for its Members to knowledge-share and stay connected to the pharmaceutical industry at the local level while engaging in open dialogue on issues and solutions that will ultimately benefit patients around the world. We are proud to welcome the Eurasia Affiliate and grow our base of Affiliates and Chapters, which is the backbone of ISPE, said Tom Hartman, CEO and President, ISPE. It is at the local level where collaboration and empowerment thrive, contributing to the success of the Society and the advancement of the pharmaceutical industry. This has been recently demonstrated with several ISPE Affiliates and Chapters initiating efforts within their local communities to respond to COVID-19. We are incredibly proud and inspired by our Members' actions and I look forward to the positive impact the Eurasia Affiliate will make on the pharmaceutical industry. Board Members for the ISPE Eurasia Affiliate include: Chair: Vladimir Orlov, Division Lead, Department of International Cooperation and Foreign Affairs, Russian State Institute of Drugs and Good Practices Vice Chair: Oxana Pryanichnikova, Chief Digital Transformation Officer, DXDO Treasurer: Svetlana Minchenkova, Accountant, FSI SID & GP Secretary: Polina Bobyleva, Deputy Head of the International Division, Russian State Institute of Drugs and Good Practices Please visit https://ispe.ru/ to learn more about the ISPE Eurasia Affiliate. About ISPE The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) is the worlds largest not-for-profit association serving its members through leading scientific, technical, and regulatory advancement across the entire pharmaceutical lifecycle. The 18,500 members of ISPE are building solutions in the development and manufacture of safe, effective pharmaceutical and biologic medicines, and medical delivery devices in more than 90 countries around the world. Founded in 1980, ISPE has its worldwide headquarters and training center in North Bethesda, Maryland USA, and its operations center in Tampa, Florida USA. Visit ISPE.org for more information. For more information, contact: Amy Henry Marketing Communications Manager International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) Email: ahenry@ispe.org ISPE.org She was on the forefront of molecularly defining the human immunodeficiency virus and explaining how this virus caused AIDS and what was needed to combat it, Beatrice H. Hahn, a molecular virologist who worked under Dr. Wong-Staal as a postdoctoral fellow and is now a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, said in an interview. This was a mans world at the time this was 40 years ago and she certainly held her own. ALBANY, New York, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The blood collection tubes market is generating massive growth on the back of the escalating need for performing blood tests. These tubes are produced using plastic and glass materials. The mandatory blood test before any surgical procedures is burnishing the growth of the blood collection tubes market, as a surge is being observed in the surgical procedures. Also, use of high quality additives and technological advancements is helping in improving the quality of blood collection tubes. Additional features like protection from light and easy handling further increase the growth prospects of the blood collection tubes market. The expert analysis of experienced researchers at Transparency Market Research (TMR) predicts the global blood collection tubes market to expand at a CAGR of 6.5% across the forecast period of 2018-2026. The global blood collection tubes market was valued at US$ 1,569.8 mn in 2017. Growing demand for safe blood collection methods and inclination toward dispensable items for research centers is signaling good growth prospects for the blood collection tubes market. Download PDF Brochure https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=48861 Blood Collection Tubes Market: Key Revelations Plastic material type is estimated to bring US$ 790.1 mn across the forecast period for the blood collection tubes market across the forecast period for the blood collection tubes market Serum separating tube segment is anticipated to record a CAGR of 7.1% during 2018-2026; it was valued at US$ 722.7 mn in 2017 in 2017 The healthcare centers segment is prophesied to reach US$ 1,371.5 mn at the end of 2026; it was valued at US$ 744.8 mn in 2017 at the end of 2026; it was valued at in 2017 North America may serve as the largest growth contributor for the blood collection tubes market may serve as the largest growth contributor for the blood collection tubes market The glass material segment may register a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period Explore 184 pages of in-depth research, incisive insights, and detailed country-level projections. Analyze and discover the latest developments in the Blood Collection Tubes Market (Product Type - Plasma Separation Tube, Serum Separating Tube, Heparin Tubes, EDTA Tubes, Others; Material Type - Plastic, Glass; End Use - Healthcare Centers, R&D Centres, Diagnostic Centers) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2018-2026 at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/blood-collection-tubes-market.html Blood Collection Tubes Market: Growth Boosters The properties of blood collection tubes such as robustness and precise filling volume serve as major growth contributors to the blood collection tubes market. The expansion of government activities related to blood collection is assisting in increasing the growth rate of the blood collection tubes market The escalating rate of surgeries across the globe is bringing considerable growth opportunities for the blood collection tubes market Preventive healthcare tests due to the growing awareness among a wide range of populace are sowing the seeds of growth in the blood collection tubes market Request the Coronavirus Impact Analysis across Blood Collection Tubes Market How has COVID-19 Changed Dimensions of Growth across Blood Collection Tubes Market? The COVID-19 outbreak may have a negative influence on various markets across the world but it has not affected the blood collection tubes market hugely. The growing use of plasma therapy as a mechanism to prevent the growing fatalities due to the COVID-19 outbreak has led to the establishment of plasma banks and the government is encouraging plasma donation by COVID-19 recovered patients for using it on COVID-19 patients at a severe stage. India recently inaugurated its first plasma bask in Delhi where COVID-19 recovered patients can donate their plasma for enhancing the recovery among seriously-affected COVID-19 patients. The growing network of plasma donation centers may prove to be a turning point of growth for the blood collection tubes market. Analyze Global Blood Collection Tubes Market growth in 30+ countries including US, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, Poland, Benelux, Nordic, China, Japan, India, and South Korea. Request a sample of the study Blood Collection Tubes Market: Key Players Some well entrenched players in the blood collection tubes market are Terumo Corporation, Cardinal Health Inc., Sarstedt AG & Co., Beckton Dickinson & Co., Chengdu Ric Science Industry, Qiagen N.V., Medtronic PLC, and Improve Medical Instruments. Purchase Premium Research Report on Blood Collection Tubes Market at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=48861
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The memorandum comes a day ahead of a bail hearing for Ms Maxwells in New York on Tuesday, where a judge will decide whether she can be released before her trial on charges of facilitating the abuse of minors by her former boyfriend and associate, Jeffrey Epstein. The defendants conduct at the time of her arrest further underscores the risk of flight she poses, prosecutors said in a filing in the US District Court in Manhattan. Because there is no set of conditions short of incarceration that can reasonably assure the defendants appearance, the government urges the court to detain her. Prosecutors argue that Ms Maxwell poses an extreme flight risk due to her international ties, her access to money and what they describe as efforts to evade law enforcement. The filing cites the effort to hide her phone as one way in which she tried to deceive investigators. As the agents conducted a security sweep of the house, they also noticed a cell phone wrapped in tin foil on top of a desk, a seemingly misguided effort to evade detection, not by the press or public, which of course would have no ability to trace her phone or intercept her communications, but by law enforcement, the memorandum said. They also alleged that Ms Maxwell ignored FBI agents directions to open a locked gate when they arrived at her New Hampshire property on 2 July, and that they saw her instead, try to flee to another room in the house, quickly shutting a door behind her. Agents were ultimately forced to breach the door in order to enter the house to arrest the defendant, who was found in an interior room in the house, they added. Ms Maxwell, a former British socialite, has been charged with multiple crimes in relation to the investigation into Epsteins alleged abuse of minors. The indictment against her alleges that she assisted, facilitated and contributed to Jeffrey Epsteins abuse of minor girls by, among other things, helping Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse victims known to Maxwell and Epstein to be under the age of 18. Ms Maxwell had seemingly disappeared into thin air last year, after Epstein was arrested and later killed himself in federal custody while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Her whereabouts have been the subject of intense speculation since Epsteins arrest and apparent suicide. Media reports have alleged that she was living in Paris, London and Israel. But the FBI said they had been monitoring her movements as their investigation proceeded, before finally swooping on her latest location in a luxury mansion in New Hampshire. We have been discreetly keeping tabs on Maxwells whereabouts as we worked this investigation, said William Sweeney, assistant director in charge of the FBIs New York Field Office, at a press conference following her arrest. More recently, we learned she had slithered away to a gorgeous property in New Hampshire, continuing to live a life of privilege while her victims lived with the trauma inflicted on them years ago. Prosecutors said that one or more of Epsteins victims will testify at the bail hearing on Tuesday to ask that Ms Maxwell be denied bail. Ms Maxwell has denied taking part in any abuse by Epstein. Her lawyers have argued that she is being made a scapegoat in the abuse after Epstein killed himself, and have asked that she be released on $5m bail and electronic monitoring. They added that she is at significant risk of contracting the coronavirus in New Yorks jail system. They said in a separate filing that she did not flee from law enforcement, but rather left the public eye, for the entirely understandable purpose of protecting herself and those close to her from the crush of media and online attention and its very real harms. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the death of Debendra Nath Roy, party MLA from Hemtabad, North Dinajpur district in West Bengal who was found hanging in Bindal village near his home on Monday morning. Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Ghosh called it a 'cold-blooded murder' which 'is shocking and unfortunate'. He asked for a CBI investigation as the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) 'will not do fair enquiry.' "The cold blooded murder of Hemtabad BJP MLA is shocking and unfortunate. We demand a CBI investigation as State Government will not do fair enquiry. We will do protests all across the state...," he tweeted along with a video. The BJP West Bengal unit has called for a 12-hour bandh in North Bengal on July 14 (Tuesday). BJP MP and West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh has also said that the party has asked President Ramnath Kovind to meet them to discuss the death of Roy. From July 15 (Wednesday) onwards, BJP will hold a dharna outside police stations across North Dinajpur District. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has taken over the investigation of the death of Roy. The family members of the MLA have claimed that he has been killed and hanged later. People of the area also claimed that the BJP MLA was murdered and then hanged. However, police said the cause of death will be ascertained after post mortem. His body was sent to Raigunj hospital for post mortem. Police have also found a suicide note from the pocket of BJP MLA. The note mentions the names of two persons and reads, these two people are responsible for my death. The names are not being shared by the police as their role need to be investigated. The local enquiry has revealed that he had financial dealings with these two persons named in the note. Ray had recently sold 6-7 bighas of land due to financial crisis. Police is yet to comment whether it is a suicide or a murder as post mortem report is awaited. BJP president JP Nadda expressed shock over the incident and said, "The suspected heinous killing of Debendra Nath Ray, BJP MLA from Hemtabad in West Bengal, is extremely shocking and deplorable. This speaks of the Gunda Raj and failure of law and order in the Mamta government." "Body of Shri Debendra Nath Ray, BJP MLA from Hemtabad, a reserved seat, in Uttar Dinajpur, was found hanging like this in Bindal, near his village home. People are of the clear opinion that he was first killed and then hung. His crime? He joined the BJP in 2019," said West Bengal BJP in a tweet. Roy was earlier a CPI(M) MLA but had changed camps and joined BJP in 2019. Roy had joined the saffron party in Delhi in presence of senior BJP leaders. INS Kavaratti: The silent submarine killer in the seas, to be commissioned into Navy today Fire breaks out at Visakhapatnam plant, 1 injured India pti-PTI Visakhapatnam, July 13: At least one worker was injured after a major fire broke out following an explosion at a pharmaceutical unit near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on Monday night, officials said. The incident triggered panic among the residents in the Paravada area as it came just over a couple of months after the styrene vapour leak in the LG Polymers plant in the region. Fire breaks out at multi-storey building in Kolkata An explosion was first heard at Pharma City, following which there was a huge fire. The incident is said to have occurred in the Coastal Waste Management Project, a unit of Ramky Solvents, according to sources. Rajasthan Crisis Sachin Pilot denies meeting with Rahul, sources say in talks with BJP|Oneindia News At least nine fire tenders were being pressed into service to put out the massive blaze and also prevent it from spreading to other pharma plants in the vicinity, Visakhapatnam District Collector V Vinay Chand said. A worker sustained burn injuries, while three others who were also at the unit when the incident occurred escaped to safety. The injured was rushed to a hospital in Gajuwaka in the city for treatment, Chand said. The cause of the incident is not yet known, and fire and emergency services personnel could not immediately reach the spot as the blaze has engulfed the area, police sources said. State Industries Minister M Goutham Reddy spoke to Visakhapatnam district Collector and enquired about the incident. He directed the district administration to first evacuate workers who were on night shifts at other units. Reddy asked the police, fire services and health officials to be on high alert and ensure that there were no loss of lives. Last month, a gas leak incident in one of the companies in the Pharma City left two workers dead and four injured. Bahrain and the U.S have extended to 10 years the validity of tourist visas granted to citizens of both countries, Trade Arabia reports. Bahrains ministry for foreign affairs and the US embassy the online media notes reached to a deal to extend the visa from five years to ten years. The agreement will come into force at a future date, Trade Arabia reports citing the Gulf countrys state-run news agency Bahrain News Agency. This agreement is a reflection of the long and rich history of mutual cooperation, partnership, and friendship between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States of America. Together, our governments and citizens have endeavored side-by-side in academic, industrial, healthcare, business, and social pursuits for over a century. This agreement will serve to broaden and enhance those continued pursuits, a statement issued after agreement said. If the education system is to address structural racism, the issue of representation on school boards matters. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/7/2020 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion If the education system is to address structural racism, the issue of representation on school boards matters. School governance is one of the key policy areas that is being examined by the Provincial Education Review Commission. The provincial government will either reduce the number of school divisions through amalgamation or eliminate school boards altogether and replace them with some form of government-appointed advisory body. The representation of Indigenous and racialized community voices within the existing school-board governance structures is an important issue that needs to be addressed. In the city of Winnipeg, there are 54 school trustees representing six school divisions; a review of the 54 school trustees based on the 2018 election results indicates that only two self-identified Indigenous persons and three persons from racialized communities are represented on school boards. This imbalance regarding representation means that the voices of Indigenous and racialized communities are not present at policy and program decision-making tables. Good decisions are made when the diverse voices that reflect the various communities within our city are represented at decision-making tables in order to effectively problem-solve and address the needs and priorities of the children and families served by our public education system. Without the lived experience, knowledge and perspectives of Indigenous peoples and members of racialized communities, decision-making regarding the prioritization of issues and allocation of resources is brought into question. While it is recognized that the intention of the current slate of school trustees is to serve all students and families in their school districts, it is the impact of their actions that needs to be taken into consideration regarding program and policy decisions that are made without the input of Indigenous peoples and persons from racialized communities in school-board decision-making. The province of Nova Scotia has for a number of years been working on this issue of representation of Indigenous peoples and racialized communities within school governance structures. Legislation was put in place for Mikmaq First Nations to identify their representatives to be appointed to each of the seven school divisions in the province, in order to ensure the voices of Indigenous peoples are present on local school boards. As well, legislation was enacted to have designated seats on school boards for elected African Nova Scotian school trustee positions on each of the respective boards. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In 2018, Nova Scotia eliminated school boards and replaced them with a 15-person Provincial Advisory Council for Education appointed by the provincial government. Legislation set aside designated seats for representatives of the Mikmaq First Nations, African Nova Scotian and Franco-Acadian communities, along with 12 other appointed representatives reflecting the diversity of educational and community interests. The legislated terms of reference of Nova Scotias advisory council are based on consensus decision-making rather than a majority-rule process, in order to ensure decision-making is inclusive and representative of the cultures, languages, families, regions and communities within the province. The Winnipeg Indigenous Executive Circle, a coalition of Indigenous non-profit organizations, and the Newcomers Education Coalition, representing ethno-cultural, settlement and community organizations, will be releasing a State of Equity in Education Report for each of our respective groups later this fall. The report will recommend that the provincial government address this issue of representation of Indigenous peoples and racialized communities within school governance structures. The limited representation of Indigenous peoples and persons from racialized communities on school boards needs to be structurally addressed by establishing designated seats within governance structures, whether this is elected school-board trustees or appointed advisory councils. As well, in order to further address the issue of representation marginalization, consensus decision-making rather than majority-rule processes should be mandated in legislation to ensure all voices are authentically included around decision-making tables. The status quo regarding representation on school boards is not working, particularly in the city of Winnipeg. We hope that the minister of education will consider this issue as one of the significant changes that needs to be made in order to begin to address the impact of structural racism within our public school system. Heather McCormick is chair of the education committee of the Winnipeg Indigenous Executive Circle; Kathleen Vyrauen is co-chair of the Newcomers Education Coalition. Texas reported a small drop in COVID-19 hospitalizations on Monday, the first decline in two weeks as health officials work to slow the spread of the disease. The state said 10,405 people were hospitalized with lab-confirmed infections, down from a high of 10,410 on Sunday. While the decline itself was minimal, the overall growth of hospitalizations has been slowing for several days now, a possible early sign that the states surge is beginning to weaken. It will take several more days to see whether the trend holds, and a single days worth of the data can be skewed by delays in reporting, especially right after a weekend. We need to see if this first day will be the first of many, Gov. Greg Abbott cautioned in an interview on KXAS in Dallas. SCHOOL IN AUGUST?: Some Texas schools may not reopen for in-person classes in August. Heres how. Also Monday, the state reported a drop in the number of deaths, with 61, and 7,473 new cases, according to a data analysis and reporting by Hearst Newspapers. The seven-day averages for all three indicators remain high. The state is now reporting more than 80 deaths per day, on average, and more than 9,000 average new daily cases. Its averaging more than 9,000 hospitalizations. Abbott declined again Monday to allow local officials to enact temporary stay-home orders in hard hit parts of the state. That comes after Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo pushed over the weekend for a temporary shutdown to slow their regions spread. The governor said he was skeptical people would comply with another lockdown, or that counties would try to enforce it. We are still not seeing adequate enforcement of the current orders in place, he said, referring to recent orders closing bars once again and mandating masks in most counties. Authorities in some conservative counties have refused to enforce the governor's mask order, which he imposed earlier this month, after months of pressure from Democrats. The governor has also delayed elective medical procedures at hospitals in much of the state. On Monday, hundreds of medical personnel from the Department of Defense were expected to be dispatched to Texas to help staff strained facilities. Its not going to solve the problem, but it will start alleviating some of the crunch, Lori Upton, vice president for the SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Councils disaster preparedness and response, told Hearst over the weekend. Last week, federal medical personnel were deployed to Bexar County, and more disaster assessment teams are operating in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, McAllen, Laredo and El Paso. Some people may have been surprised to read an article on Friday boldly stating that Melbourne has nothing to apologise for with respect to the surge in COVID-19 cases. The author, Catherine Bennett, the chief epidemiologist at Deakin University, is clearly on top of her game. The article is worth a read. Wherever you are in Australia, you could be unlucky and come into contact with a super spreader. You might then become one yourself. In not much more than a blink of an eye, youre a part of a sudden resurgence of COVID-19. Public health officials will want to know where youve been, who you have been in contact with. Hopefully for the rest of us, them contacting you and then all your contacts will happen quickly. If it doesnt, the trail of infection just gets longer, wider, deeper. Nasty. Shell be right mate, domani, manyana ... just will not do. Thats one of the lessons on which we all need a refresher course. The defence forces checking drivers on the Geelong highway on June 10. Credit:Jason South I learnt a similar lesson in Rome from Antonia, the lady in charge of looking after the Australian ambassador's residence there. Neither I nor another person could find something. When I returned from work there it was on the otherwise empty kitchen bench. You couldnt miss it. With the smile of experience she told us both, If that was a snake, youd have been bitten. The message was simple: if you dont put focus and urgency into your work, you wont get it done properly. Bennett is right to say Victoria is not to blame. But some people are. Everyone needs to recognise the failures. Its not about finger-pointing or some egotistical blame game. Its about not getting bitten again. WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Donald Trump to think twice Monday before imposing new tariffs on Canadian aluminum, saying the sector is emerging from the pandemic-induced production stance that prompted the White House to consider such measures in the first place. Trudeau, who said in a news conference he had spoken to the U.S. president earlier in the day, told him that with the North American economy getting back up to speed, Canadas aluminum smelters would soon be back producing value-added specialty products for the American auto sector. The spectre of new tariffs emerged last month after Canadian producers, unable to shut down production and with their usual customers hamstrung by the impact of COVID-19, were forced to make a more generic form of aluminum and ship it to warehouses in the United States. That alarmed certain U.S. smelter owners and operators, who have been urging the U.S. trade representatives office to slap fresh levies on imports from Canada. The pandemic caused certain disruption in the aluminum sector that is starting to realign itself, given the economies are starting up again and manufacturing is getting going, Trudeau said after his call with Trump. I impressed upon him that it would be a shame to see tariffs come in between our two countries at a time where were celebrating NAFTA and at a time where we want our businesses and our manufacturers to get going as quickly as possible. Canada has been on the outside looking in when it comes to the coming into force of NAFTAs successor, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which took shape in 2017 and 2018 before a backdrop of steadily worsening relations between Trump and Trudeau. While Trump welcomed Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to a celebratory event at the White House last week, Trudeau kept his distance, citing the tariff dispute and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic among his reasons. A readout from Mondays call said the prime minister expressed regret for being unable to attend. The U.S. trade representative reportedly gave Canada a deadline of July 1 to impose export restrictions the very day the USMCA took effect. That deadline has come and gone without a hint from either the White House or U.S. trade ambassador Robert Lighthizer about what happens next. Trudeau said he and Trump also discussed the Canada-U.S. border, where non-essential travel has been curtailed since March in an effort to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. The 30-day bilateral agreement to limit discretionary cross-border travel without restricting trade or essential workers has been extended three times and is now set to expire July 21. Since the last extension, however, the public health crisis in the U.S. has exploded. More than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases were identified over the weekend, particularly in southern states that reopened early, with Florida emerging as the new epicentre. Canada has had 108,000 confirmed cases in total, compared with more than 3.3 million cases and 135,000 deaths in the U.S. to date. Hospitals in major urban centres across the United States are again nearing capacity and health care workers face another critical shortage of personal protective equipment like masks and respirators. Recent polls suggest Canadians remain unequivocally opposed to reopening the border any time soon a predictable symptom of the accelerating crisis in the U.S., said Kathryn Friedman, a University at Buffalo law professor and Wilson Center global fellow. But there could be other lingering foreign-policy irritants at play, she added. I wonder if the United States had treated our dear neighbour, friend and ally a little bit better over the last three-and-a-half or so years, if the reaction would be as harsh, Friedman said. Maybe people are just like, Well, too bad, I dont care if you want to open the border. Friedman is among several Canada-U.S. experts, border community leaders, northern state lawmakers and others who want to see a plan for when the time comes to lift the restrictions. I think we have to have this conversation, she said. I think we have to engage the right people now, so that when the border restrictions are eased, whenever thats going to be, they are done so responsibly. Its less a question of when and more a question of how, Friedman said what sort of controls, testing and screening measures and other tools will need to be in place even after the emergency has passed. Im more concerned that the climate will change, and some relevant government officials wont have given any thought to how this border opening is going to take place, she said. We have to get our act together and really think more clearly about how were going to handle these kinds of situations in the future, and really use science-based data an evidence-based, science-based approach to health screenings when it comes to border restrictions and border policies. Trudeau demurred Monday when asked whether this time, Canada and the U.S. might negotiate a closure that lasts longer than the standard 30-day window. We will be discussing with our American partners what the next steps should be, and I think this is a situation that is evolving rapidly and we need to keep responding to the situation on the ground. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2020. Follow James McCarten on Twitter @CdnPressStyle As Saudi Arabia grapples with how to host the hajj amid the coronavirus pandemic, the kingdom announced anyone entering the holy sites without a permit will be fined. The Ministry of Interior said fines of 10,000 riyals ($2,666) will be issued to those who trespass onto the hajj sites of Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat, Arab News reported Monday. Repeat offenders will be fined twice as much. One of the five key pillars of Islam, hajj is required of all Muslims who are able to make the journey to the holy city of Mecca at least once in their lives. The yearly pilgrimage typically draws some 2 million people from around the world. The Saudi government announced last week that only 1,000 people would be permitted to attend the weeklong ritual this year, which is expected to begin July 28. Religious authorities are processing the requests of pilgrims from 160 countries, Saudi Arabias Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said on Sunday. Approved worshippers will consist of 70% non-Saudi residents and 30% Saudi citizens. Pilgrims traveling from abroad will not be allowed to participate. All who attend will be required to wear face masks, and social distancing will be enforced during mass prayers. Touching or kissing the sacred Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, will be forbidden. With 20 new deaths on Monday, the country registered its lowest daily fatality rate in two weeks. Health authorities reported a total of 235,111 cases and a death toll of 2,243. (Newser) Now that Roger Stone is once more a free man, Mike Allen of Axios was able to catch up with him for a chat over the phone, and he's got the scoop on Stone's next move: campaigning for President Trump's reelection. The 67-year-old Trump ally says now that he "won't die in a squalid hellhole of corona-19 virus" (i.e., prison), he's ready to hit the pavement writing and speaking for the incumbent. And he won't be taking half measures, either, he tells Allen: "I will do anything necessary to elect my candidate, short of breaking the law." Stone says that, despite grim poll numbers, he expects a Trump victory, as the president is a "great campaigner" and "great communicator." Stone's confidence on this front is because "I know more about it than anybody else," as he's worked on multiple presidential campaigns over the decades. story continues below Per a Sunday New York Times op-ed, Stone aiding Trump's campaign may not be such a surprising development, since Stone was instrumental in helping to jump-start Trump's 2016 campaign. Now, as Trump faces the prospect of a humiliating defeat in November, he "would surely want to turn to Mr. Stone, whose political acumen he has trusted for nearly 40 years and who has far more experience in presidential campaigns than anyone else in the president's inner circle," the authors write. Axios' Allen asked Stone about another recent New York Times article, in which Peter Baker declared that by commuting Stone's sentence, Trump went even "where Nixon would not" during the Watergate crisis. Stone's reply, in addition to saying he thought God had had a hand in his release: The president "has an enormous sense of fairness and justice and mercy." (Read more Roger Stone stories.) By Howard Brand July 12, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - Identity politics currently is in the forefront of the United States political agenda, and things do look quite dismal in regard to wealth, opportunity, and quality of life of a significant number of minority workersbut this is also the case, when we look closely, for a large segment of the overall population of our country. The question I see is where do we want to go and how can we change the situation? It is quite clear to me that the current ruling class has no intention of giving up their ruling position without a concerted fight. The ruling elite (the capitalist class or rich people as a class, not individually) have fought throughout the history of its existenceabout 350 years, for its ruling position. I think the choice for us is this: Parity or Emancipation? Parity is the acceptance of the current system as long as the distribution of wealth is approximately the same for all races and ethnic groups. What would this mean?Using the analysis Income Percentile by Race Calculator for 20181thefollowing is presented. Total number of White (not Hispanic or Latino) workers 109,140,758 Total number of Black workers -20,396,139 Total number of Hispanic or Latino workers any race -29,900,624 From this study we can find the number of workers in various income brackets: Number of Workers Twenty thousand dollars income per year is usually considered a poverty existence, with an extremely restricted quality of life. There were approximately 40 million workers living on an income between zero and 20 thousand dollars per year in 2017. If we accept parity for the races this figure would change and assuming the same percentage for all races as the White percentage there would be still approximately 34 million workers, in the groups considered here, living on 20 thousand dollars or less per year. Of course I assume that the workers who moved out of this group have moved to a higher group and not gone into negativity. Also we should note that 16% of the white workers in 2017 earned more than $100,000/year, versus 7% for Black, and 5% for Hispanic or Latino. This turns out to be 20,385,283 workers from the above groups earning over $100,000. per year. Achieving Parity Proposals for achieving parity usually involve revising regressive tax codes to more progressive codesfavoring people on the lower end of the income brackets and taxing the upper end of the income brackets to pay for social benefits. This is what is being done in many European countries that are commonly characterized as social welfare states. Bernie Sanders and other Democratic Socialists espouse this view. Sanders has proposed a tax on securities trading of 0.5% to cover various social benefits such as health care for all and educational spending. This concept is not bad but it neglects the fact that the capitalist class controls the political, financial, and industrial production systems, and possesses the overall wealth of the country. This means that the tax laws even if initiated could be changed at any time as has been done in the past and is currently being done with international treaties. So the question is can we trust the capitalist class to maintain support for social benefits that attempt to achieve economic parity? I think not! The capitalist class through its control of property and wealth is able, without democratic controls, to determine the details of industrial production. Detroit 40 years ago was one of the richest industrial cities in the world and its working class had achieved a relatively high standard of living. The owners of the production enterprises in Detroit decided to move their production facilities to other locations and abandon Detroit and now Detroit is one of the poorest major cities in the US. The wealth lost by the working class of Detroit is probably greater than the wealth gained by upper class in making the move, but the capitalist class has significantly increased its wealth! Has the working class increased its wealth? There was and is no democratic process in the US to control the capitalists investment and production process to benefit all of society. When capitalists speak of democracy they mean the unfettered freedom of capitalists to do whatever they want with their capital. A more egalitarian system would have a democratic system that represented a broad spectrum of the people living in the region, county, and country and have some control over the economy including industrial production. Currently the capitalist class controls the financial, industrial and military systems. Because of the enormous wealth of the US this financial control extends to the world at large and allows the US to use mafia tactics in an attempt to control foreign economies. This necessitates democratic control of the banking and financial systems to the benefit of all people in the world. Emancipation Emancipation is any effort to procure economic and social rights, political rights or equality for all people. What does this mean for people? It means the ability to live a life free of want and deprivation, with adequate housing, nutrition, health care, and education. That would provide people the opportunity to achieve their full potential in society along with the time to actively engage in cultural activities that give them pleasure. I have been in only one country (China) where several people told me on different occasions Do you know what we thinkwe think that all people should have a good lifeand we don't mean just Chinese people, but all people in the world. This is the objective of emancipationa formidable task that can only be approached through a process of continuous trials and extensive scientific experimentation, since there is no known path. With this objective in mind, what is necessary in our country in order to initiate a process that will achieve this goal some time in the distant future? Is it possible that the current leadership will open a path to achieve this goal? Thats highly unlikely. In order to proceed in some way toward emancipation the leadership must have it as its goal, and the current elite clearly does not. A leadership that does have this as a goal must attempt to control the financial system, large industry, and the military in some democratic way. This calls for a change in the paradigm of our political and economic systems. Xi Jinping in discussing the difference in the origin of the Chinese government and the Western governments said that the Western capitalist governments originated with the overthrow of feudalism by the business people (bourgeois) and are still primarily responsible to the business people whereas the Chinese Marxist government came into existence with the overthrow of feudalists, colonialists, and capitalists by the workers and peasants and so is responsible to the workers and peasants. We also must have a change in leadership whose objective is a good life for all people. The first step is to develop a leadership with that objective and for that we need a revolutionary party that is committed to scientific methods to change reality. In addition, a massive popular demand must arise in the general population. The revolutionary leadership must have the ability to secure the support of the majority of the population. With this democratic leadership, and with the oversight of the people, decisions would hopefully be made that benefited the broad population of people and not a select few. We need to organize! Howard Brand is a retired high school physics teacher and a committed Marxist Leninist. - hbrand566@aol.com - Source Post your comment below See also Working Woman Testifies About Reality Of Poverty In The U.S. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. HHS spokeswoman Mia Heck said turnaround times at large commercial laboratories are generally increasing. In about half of states, she said, it takes two to three days on average to get results, and in 24 states, it takes three to four days. Only two states have average turnaround times as long as four to five days, she said. But that does not include further delays in getting the results to patients. Sirius Automation Group, a market leader in benchtop Sample Preparation and Manipulation Laboratory Automation Workstations, is proud to announce their collaboration with Cerulean of Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. Cerulean will exclusively distribute worldwide outside the U.S., Sirius' Automated Systems focusing on the UK and Ireland laboratory automation marketplace for implementations addressing aspects of Inhalation Toxins, Tobacco and Smoke related testing. In order to better serve existing and new clients, Sirius Automation and Cerulean have begun a close collaboration for the supply and applications of integrated solutions for laboratory automation. This partnership leverages the technical expertise of Sirius Automation and the extensive high caliber sales, service and aftersales teams of Cerulean already present in the market ensuring swift, effective and highly focused support. This strategic partnership signals Sirius Automation's ongoing determination to provide comprehensive solutions for our worldwide clients and complements our existing distribution in other geographies including China and South America. Sirius Automation is especially encouraged by Cerulean's existing market presence and professional approach encompassing 75 years of company growth in precision test and measurement equipment. Tony Cox, VP Business Development, commented, "Given the fact that we have enjoyed ongoing technological discussions and strong ties with senior personnel at Cerulean for several years now, this has the feel of a natural progression rather than a new venture. We are very excited to engage in this fantastic partnership and expect great things moving forward." Sirius Automation Group has locations in Buffalo Grove IL USA, and bases design, manufacturing, applications customer service and support from this geographic locus. Visit us at https://www.siriusautomation.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200713005040/en/ Contacts: Tony Cox, jacox@siriusautomation.com JACKSON, MI A Jackson man accused of shooting a man multiple times last month was arraigned on Monday. Blake Curran, 28, is facing a felony charge of assault with intent to murder. He was given a cash surety bond of $1 million during his July 13 arraignment before Jackson County Magistrate Frederick Bishop and is currently lodged in the Jackson County Jail. Jackson man wanted for attempted murder arrested at Westwood Mall Curran was arrested Friday, July 10, at Jacksons Westwood Mall, 1850 W. Michigan Ave., after trying to escape officers by running through the mall and into a wooded area, police said. He is accused of shooting a man in his 20s in the 300 block of E. Euclid Avenue south of downtown on June 28, police said. The man, who was shot multiple times, survived and was taken to Henry Ford Allegiance Health where he was listed in stable condition as of July 10, police said. Curran had escaped from parole at the time of the shooting, per the Michigan Department of Corrections. Curran pleaded guilty to manslaughter and using a firearm to commit a felony in May 2010. Then 17, Curran told Jackson Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson he knew a revolver was loaded with a single bullet when he played with the gun on Dec. 17, 2009, but did not know the round would fire when he pointed it at his friend Michael Devon Adams Jr. and pulled the trigger, fatally shooting the 19-year-old Adams. Jackson teen is given seven years in prison for killing his friend in Russian roulette style shooting Curran was sentenced in June 2010 to two years for using a gun in a felony, followed by 57 months to 15 years for manslaughter. The Michigan Department of Corrections does not list when Curran was paroled because he is listed as an absconder. Curran is scheduled for a probable cause hearing at 3 p.m., July 23, before Jackson District Judge R. Darryl Mazur. Read more from the Jackson Citizen Patriot: Consumers Energy Foundation donates $3.6M to Michigan nonprofits during coronavirus pandemic Two Jackson County Democrats vying for spot on November ballot in 65th District House race Four vying to be judge in Jacksons 12th District Court 172,000 pounds of food, 132,000 basic necessities distributed in Jackson HONG KONG - For the second time this year, Hong Kong Disneyland Park is closing temporarily following the citys decision to ban public gatherings of more than four people because of the coronavirus pandemic, Disney officials said Monday. Disney officials posted on the resorts website that the Hong Kong park was closing Wednesday until further notice. The resorts hotels will remain open with adjusted levels of service, Disney officials said. The resort is closing as required by the government and health authorities in line with prevention efforts taking place across Hong Kong, Disney said on the website. Hong Kongs leader, Carrie Lam, announced new coronavirus-related restrictions Monday and she urged the private sector to put in place work-from-home arrangements for employees. On Monday, 41 out of 52 coronavirus infections reported in Hong Kong were locally-transmitted cases. Since July 6, Hong Kong has reported 250 new cases, with Mondays tally being the highest since March. The Hong Kong park and Shanghai Disneyland closed in January because of the virus. Tokyo Disneyland closed the following month and Disney parks in the United States and Europe shut their doors in March. Shanghai Disneyland reopened in May, as did Hong Kong Disneyland Park last month. Two of Walt Disney Worlds theme parks in Florida reopened last Saturday, and the other two are set to reopen this week, despite a spike in coronavirus cases in the state. Disneyland Paris also is welcoming back visitors this week for the first time since March. The reopening of Disneys California parks was postponed pending the issuance of state guidelines. ___ Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak. The poet and professor's 'life breath is now in the hands of those sworn to uphold his Constitutional right to life.' 'Will they be true to their oath?', asks Jyoti Punwani. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/ Rediff.com IMAGE; Professor Varavara Rao, the Telugu poet and Left activist. Your verdict, My Lord Your verdict, my lord Is against the Change Against the red of the East And you want me to sign it But if you can, my lord So stop the Wheel So blot the Red I shall then, my lord Sign the undertaking And publish my regret --July 16, 1977 WORDS Words, smothered in the folds of the self, Must be stirred awake, Made to amble and watch See if wings can bear aloft The crippled limbs And soar into the sky Like the first showers after the drought To my parched ears, my own words, Not any other's, remain strange Like the marvel of the sky Discovering its lost monsoon I long to sprout on a soil In the vibrations of a sonorous world -- March 1988 Imagine the writer of these verses struggling to complete a sentence in a phone call to his family. So powerful were his poems that the government actually blamed them for actual incidents of revolt that took place. Professor of literature for 40 years, pioneer of modern Telugu poetry, one of the founders of Virasam (Revolutionary Writers Association in then Andhra Pradesh), Varavara Rao once addressed a rally of 1.2 million people. His presence at a public meeting would attract thousands, lured by the mix of literature and politics that marked his speeches. It is not age that has transformed the 79-year-old poet into the incoherent man who called his wife from Taloja Jail near Mumbai on Saturday, July 11. So disoriented was his speech that his family as well as intellectuals like Romila Thapar have demanded that he be immediately moved to a proper hospital. Nor is it the 20 months of imprisonment that has affected his brain. Since the age of 33, VV, as he is popularly called, has been in and out of jail. He has undergone a total of nine years' imprisonment including solitary confinement for as many as 25 cases; charged with sedition, murder, extortion, possession of arms, even distribution of bombs. Two cases, the Secunderabad Conspiracy Case and the Ramnagar Conspiracy Case, dragged on for 15 and 17 years respectively. Rao was not only discharged or acquitted in all 25, but retained his teaching job all through. Jailed during the Emergency under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act, Varavara Rao faced stringent restrictions on meeting his family and access to newspapers, which many other political prisoners didn't. But never during his many stints in jail, did he stop writing. In fact, a third of his poems was written behind bars. One of his poems published while in jail (Postal Mortem) caught the eye of Arun Shourie, then the editor of the Indian Express, who asked him to write a column on life seen through the eyes of prisoners. The 13 'Letters from Prison' that were published as a fortnightly column in the Indian Express and the Express group's Telugu newspaper Andhra Prabha from December 1988 to April 1989, later became a book Captive Imagination (Penguin). But this current stint of imprisonment is nothing like this veteran of jails has faced before. VV was behind bars between 1973 and 1989, and then again from 2005-2006. These years spanned the period when the Naxalite movement was at its peak in Andhra Pradesh, and then when it was finally crushed by eliminating suspected Naxalites in fake encounters. Ironically, in those lawless times, Varavara Rao, despite making no secret of his belief in revolution, was given facilities in jail that he has been denied in his current incarceration in Maharashtra. He could even occasionally get bail on merits. And he could directly address the judge and get him to agree with him. One such occasion described in Captive Imagination was after he read the news that two of his co-accused who had evaded arrest, had been gunned down in fake encounters. The next day, Varavara Rao told the judge: 'We have names, yet you address us as A (accused)-1, A-2 and so on. A-1 and A-2 were two human beings and they have been "encountered". Even if you ignore the duty to learn about them as human beings, doesn't this court still have a need, a responsibility, to know why they are not present as accused in a case that is still being tried?' The judge was moved, Rao recalled. The second time was when he got the judge and the public prosecutor to agree that the court pay its respects to the memory of poet Cherabanda Raju, a co-accused in the Secunderabad Conspiracy Case. Among the 46 accused in this case, six were prominent Virasam writers whose writings it was alleged, had 'directly' inspirED the violent acts of Naxalites. In jail, Cherabanda Raju fell ill with cancer and died before the 15-year trial ended. Would such conversations be possible today between those accused of sedition and the judges trying their case? There are judges whose names remain imprinted in a nation's consciousness. Justice H R Khanna, who upheld the Right to Life and Liberty even during the Emergency when all Fundamental Rights were deemed to have been scrapped, is one. Another is Justice B N Srikrishna, whose inquiry report indicting then Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray for the second phase of the Mumbai 1992-1993 riots was submitted when Thackeray was the remote control of the Maharashtra government. Then Supreme Court Justices Jasti Chelameshwar, Ranjan Gogoi, Kurian Joseph and Madan Lokur, who created history by calling a press conference to warn about the dangerous slide of the apex court, will forever be remembered, even if one of them later betrayed the cause. IMAGE: Professor Varavara Rao after he was produced in a Pune court in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case. Alas, where the Bhima Koregaon case is concerned, the judiciary, from the Supreme Court downwards, has only made a mark through its refusal to uphold the fundamental rights of the accused. But it is the refusal of bail at a time that COVID-19 is spreading inside jails that will be remembered forever as a new low for the judiciary. So far Sudha Bharadwaj, Shoma Sen, Varavara Rao and Gautam Navlakha, all of them at high risk for COVID-19, have been denied bail. Will we be able to forget the reasoning of NIA Special Judge S E Kothalikar that 'the mere fact that (Shoma Sen) is suffering from some diseases' cannot be a ground for release on interim bail? The judge rejected Varavara Rao's bail even after knowing that the 79-year-old poet and professor had been hospitalised once, after he fainted in jail, and that the NIA had not informed his family. The Bhima Koregaon accused have a standing few other accused have. It is not just intellectuals like Romila Thapar and Prabhat Patnaik, known to stick their necks out for inconvenient causes, who have appealed to the powers that be to release them. In April, having learnt of Varavara Rao's deteriorating health, 40 poets wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi to release him. The first signatory was Gulzar. On June 20, 14 MPs wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray to shift Varavara Rao to a hospital. Expecting the PM to respond is the height of naivete. But what can one say about the deafness of the Maharashtra government? Here's what Sharad Pawar, seen as the man holding the Maharashtra government together, told a press conference in Pune in December: 'The arrest of the activists is infringement and calls for the suspension of Pune police chief K Venkatesham and other officers involved in the probe.' 'We will be asking the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to form an SIT to investigate the Elgaar Parishad case properly. It is wrong to imprison the activists on the charge of sedition,' Pawar stated. 'Voicing extreme views is allowed in a democracy. The action of the Pune police is wrong and vengeful. It is a misuse of power by the police commissioner and some of the officers,' he added. 'They had attacked the basic freedom of people and one cannot be a mute spectator to all this. The arrests are highly inappropriate. The activists having mere literature on Maoist ideology does not mean they were involved in such activities,' Pawar asserted. IMAGE: Professor Varavara Rao returns home in August 2018 after the Supreme Court then ordered him to be placed under house arrest in the Bhima Koregaon violence case. The ailing poet is now imprisoned in Taloja jail near Mumbai. There is yet another government whose silence needs to be questioned. From the time the movement for a separate Telangana began in 1969, till the state was formed in 2014, Varavara Rao was at the forefront of the movement. Telangana Chief Minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekhar Rao and his cabinet colleagues know him well as does Union Minister of State for Home Gangapuram Kishan Reddy. Yet, not one of them has responded to pleas to intervene. What if my life breath goes out After lighting a thousand lamps like me? I am the radiance of this Age I am electric power Born out of this operation generator I am The Revolution Varavara Rao was 25 when he wrote this. His life breath is now in the hands of those sworn to uphold his Constitutional right to life. Will they be true to their oath? Union minister and Republican Party of India (RPI) president Ramdas Athawale on Monday urged NCP leader Sharad Pawar to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and form the government in Maharashtra along with his party and the BJP. Presently, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is in power with the Congress and the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. In a video posted on Twitter, Athawale said the NCP's tie-up with the Congress and the Shiv Sena was not beneficial to it. "The NCP's decision to support the Shiv Sena is not giving any benefit to the NCP. If Pawar sahab (NCP president Sharad Pawar) wants the country''s development and that the Centre gives more fund for the development of Maharashtra, then he should take the decision to support (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi ji and he should think about joining NDA (National Democratic Alliance)," Athawale said in Hindi in the video posted on Twitter. "If this happens in Maharashtra, BJP, RPI and NCP can form an alliance," Athawale said. "...then the government here (Maharashtra) will run well and the Centre will also allocate more funds for Maharashtra's development. It is my request to Sharad Pawar to take a decision to join the NDA," Athawale, the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, said. BERLIN - Bridges still need to be built between European Union countries at odds over plans for a massive stimulus package to help the blocs economies recover from the coronavirus pandemic, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday, warning that if a summit this week doesnt result in agreement a further meeting may be required. The leaders of EU member nations are preparing to gather in person Friday for the first time since February to thrash out a compromise on a one-off, 500 billion euro ($569 billion) stimulus package proposed by Germany and France. Much of the stimulus money would go to help countries that were most affected by the virus and its economic impacts, such as Italy and Spain. Some fiscally conservative EU countries oppose the French-German plan because it would entail borrowing by the bloc as a whole. The debate has been linked to a discussion on the 27-country blocs long-term budget, already complicated by Brexit and ongoing friction over funding cuts for countries that fail to meet human rights and rule of law standards. I dont know whether we will reach an agreement, Merkel said of the two-day meeting in Brussels where leaders are expected to debate a massive package of debt mutualization, grants, aid and loans worth 1.85 trillion euros ($2.1 trillion.) It needs to be an extraordinary effort that shows Europe wants to stand together at this difficult time. This has a political dimension that goes beyond the number, she told reporters at the German governments guest house near Berlin where she was meeting with Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte. I dont know whether one meeting will be enough or whether we will need to meet a second time before the end of the summer, Merkel added, noting that an agreement will require unanimity among all 27 EU members. I would be glad if it was just once. Conte called for quick action, warning that any delay would slow down Europes economic recovery. Perhaps we should rather build highways than bridges, to get there faster, he added. Italy, the first Western country hit hard by the coronavirus, has now reported over 243,000 confirmed virus cases and almost 35,000 deaths in the pandemic. Conte thanked Germany for treating dozens of Italian patients at a time when Italys own hospitals were strained by the crush of people with COVID-19. That was an incredible help which happened at a very difficult time for our country, he said. It was indeed proof of solidarity, concrete solidarity. Merkel said further solidarity was required to deal with the consequences of the pandemic, adding that nobody should take the blame for what happened. Italians got through those difficult weeks with admirable discipline and patience, she said, citing footage that showed people in Italy standing at their apartment windows singing songs of hope together during the height of the countrys outbreak. And thats why we also want to conduct these talks in Brussels with great friendship and solidarity, to give us all a chance to get out of the great humanitarian disaster but also the great economic weakness that has arisen from (the pandemic) as best as possible, the German leader said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jessicha Valentina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 13, 2020 15:22 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665ef274 1 Food street-food,Netflix,Netflix-original-series,gudeg,Mbah-Lindu Free Yogyakartas legendary gudeg (traditional rice dish served with jackfruit stewed in coconut milk and various side dishes) seller Biyem Setyo Utomo, popularly known as Mbah Lindu, passed away on Sunday at 6 p.m., kompas.com reports. Mbah Lindu was among Yogyakarta's street food sellers featured in Street Food: Asia, Netflixs documentary series created by American film director David Gelb. The series showed Mbah Lindu selling Yogyakartas iconic dish gudeg on Jl. Sosrowijayan. In the show, Mbah Lindu said that she was already over 100 years old and made all the food by herself. Food writer Kevindra Prianto Soemantri told The Jakarta Post via messaging app that Mbah Lindu had been selling gudeg for over 80 years. She started was she was a teenager, together with her mother, said Kevindra, who was among the Indonesian consultants who collaborated with the Street Food team. Read also: Heartfelt stories are main dish in Netflixs 'Street Food' Kevindra remembered Mbah Lindu as a funny woman who was always laughing. When we visited her house and kitchen, she did not hesitate to share the stories from her past, as if we were members of her family, Kevindra recalled. Mudiati, one of Mbah Lindus family members, said that the legendary gudeg seller fell on June 6 as she was walking to her kitchen. Although Mbah Lindu had passed the gudeg stall to her daughter Ratiyah, she was still helping out in the kitchen. After being hospitalized for two days, Mbah Lindu returned home. She died of old age. (kes) A Ryanair flight destined for Dublin was forced into a diverted landing after a note was found in the bathroom warning of "explosives on board". The aircraft is currently being checked by UK authorities after the flight, from Krakow to Dublin was diverted to Stansted Airport today. A spokesperson for Ryanair said that passengers, as well as the aircraft are being searched before the plane will be allowed to complete its journey to Ireland. "A Ryanair flight from Krakow to Dublin this evening discovered a note in one of the toilets claiming that there were explosives on board," the spokesperson said. "The captain followed procedure by alerting the UK authorities and diverted to the nearest airport where the plane landed normally, but was taxied to a remote stand where passengers disembarked safely. "The aircraft and passengers are being checked by the UK police who will decide when they may travel onwards to Dublin on a spare aircraft. "Passengers in Dublin waiting to depart to Krakow are being transferred to a spare aircraft to minimise any delay to their flight. "Ryanair apologises sincerely for the delay and inconvenience caused to those affected by this diversion". Ex-journalist Safronov charged with treason The press service of Moscow's Lefortovsky District Court 15:58 13/07/2020 MOSCOW, July 8 (RAPSI) Treason charges were brought against advisor of the Roscosmos state corporations CEO and ex-journalist of Kommersant newspaper Ivan Safronov, his attorney Ivan Pavlov told RAPSI on Monday. The defendant pleaded not guilty, according to the lawyer. Safronov was arrested on July 8. The same day Moscows Lefortovsky District Court detained him until September 6. He is suspected of treason. According to the Roscosmos press service, Safronovs arrest is not connected with his work in the company. Investigators claim Safronov has transmitted secret military information to the Czech intelligence services which, as it known, are linked to the U.S. security agencies. The former reporter of Kommersant and Vedomosti newspapers was appointed as advisor of Dmitry Rogozin in May 2020 after a scandal related to the publication of an explosive article about possible resignation of the Federation Council head Valentina Matviyenko. President Donald Trump talks to reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on July 10. MUST CREDIT: Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford Read more Its always tempting to look back and imagine what-ifs. Had our nations leaders acted differently in times of crises past, where might we be today? The spread of COVID-19, one of the greatest crises in our history, has been met with a national leadership style unlike any we have seen before. What if our countrys past leaders had followed that approach? Instead of the words we remember, might the declarations from past crises have sounded something like these pronouncements by President Donald Trump (some slightly paraphrased): December 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, calling it a day that will live in infamy. Might we remember instead a declaration that We have it totally under control. Its one group of planes. We have it under control. Its going to be just fine. Might we also remember being reminded about a month later, I said they were going away and they are going away. October 1962, President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation after Soviet missiles were discovered in Cuba and declared an unswerving objective to secure their withdrawal or elimination from the Western Hemisphere. Following todays example, might he instead have said, by April or during the month of April, the heat, generally speaking, will make them go away. And might he have added in a later statement, Theyre going to disappear. One day, its like a miracle, they will disappear. September 2001, President George W. Bush addressed a joint session of Congress in the aftermath of the attacks on September 11 and avowed that all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for peace and justice. Might we remember these words instead, We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. Our officials have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me! January 2009, at his inauguration in the middle of a major economic crisis, President Barak Obama affirmed that we are made for this moment, and we will seize it so long as we seize it together. Might his strategy to implement his vision have been, Its going to be up to the governors. Were going to work with them, were going to help them, but its going to be up to the governors. And back on November 1863, President Abraham Lincoln, speaking at the dedication of a cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to honor the sacrifice of soldiers in one of bloodiest battles in American history, foresaw that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Were he speaking in the leadership style of today, might he have added, The president of the United States has the authority to do what the president has the authority to do, which is very powerful. The president of the United States calls the shots. ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters. Of course, we can only speculate as to the path of history had past presidents managed crises in the manner we are seeing today. All we can say for sure is that they acted far differently, and we know the results. We also know how the COVID-19 crisis is being managed by the President today. And when we look at the numbers of cases and deaths in the United States compared to other developed countries, we know the results so far of that manner of leadership, as well. Robert I. Field holds a joint appointment as a professor of law at the Kline School of Law and a professor of health management and policy at the Dornsife School of Public Health at Drexel University. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has suggested the rise in crime in New York City is because 'desperate' people are 'stealing bread to feed their children'. The Democrat, speaking during a virtual town hall last Thursday, was commenting on plans to defund the police. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last month he was slashing $1 billion from the New York Police Department's annual $6 billion budget. Police data shows that shootings in the city last month were up 130 per cent year on the year - from 89 shootings last year to 205 this year. But Cortez asked: 'Do we think this has to do with the fact that theres record unemployment in the United States right now? Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez addressed a virtual town hall last week 'The fact that people are at a level of economic desperation that we have not seen since the Great Recession?' AOC on increased NYC crime: "Maybe this has to do with the fact that people aren't paying their rent & are scared to pay their rent & so they go out & they need to feed their child & they don't have money so... they feel like they either need to shoplift some bread or go hungry." pic.twitter.com/oHSTWWJZ6a The Hill (@thehill) July 12, 2020 Asked about the uptick in crime the congresswoman added: 'Maybe this has to do with the fact that people aren't paying their rent and are scared to pay their rent. 'And so they go out, and they need to feed their child and they don't have money so they feel like they either need to shoplift some bread or go hungry.' It comes after a Long Island sheriff warned the city authorities were 'starting to lose control'. 'When you see the vandalism in all our own communities - when you see the assaults, you see Molotov cocktails being thrown at law enforcement vehicles, you have to start to realize that, we're starting to lose control,' said Errol Toulon, Suffolk County sheriff. 'And once we start to lose control, we're not losing control to peaceful protesters, these are criminals,' he told Fox News. 'And so once we start to relinquish authority to them, we're going to have chaos in our streets.' Protesters have called for rent to be canceled in light of unemployment amid COVID-19 Demonstrators in Bushwick, Brooklyn, called for more help during the pandemic on July 5 Calls to defund the police, reducing the cost of policing and directing the money to social work instead, have proliferated since the May 25 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. De Blasio on Friday asked the NYPD to place more cops at violent hotspots despite having just cut the department's budget by $1 billion. The mayor unveiled his new 'Take Back the Block' initiative to curb gun violence in the Big Apple saying: 'We will take back our streets in Harlem and all over our city but we're going to do it from the ground up. 'We are going to break the cycle of violence.' NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea accused de Blasio of 'bowing to mob rule' by cutting the department's budget and said that the subsequent violence over the Fourth of July weekend was 'predictable'. Members of the NYPD investigate the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old man in Harlem on July 5 A plainclothes police officer detains then releases an alleged vandal in NYC on May 31 NYPD Chief Terence Monahan also weighed in on the weekend violence on Monday, calling it 'unacceptable'. He said the surge was due to 'a combination of things', including the pandemic, new reforms and heightened tensions between police and citizens. 'The animosity toward police out there is tremendous,' Monahan said. 'Just about everyone we deal with is looking to fight a police officer when we make an arrest, so it is vital that we get communities together supporting and speaking up for police.' The mayor acknowledged that the city saw 'too much violence' between Friday and Sunday. 'We have a lot of work to do to address it,' he said. But he argued that 'there is not one cause for something like this', citing failures by the court system, economic uncertainty and the fact that residents are restless after months in coronavirus lockdown. Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft co-founder and CEO, speaks during the Ubisoft E3 2019 conference at the Orpheum Theatre on June 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Christian Petersen | Getty Images Ubisoft unveiled a slew of new video games on Sunday, looking to stir up excitement for fresh titles after several top executives resigned over misconduct allegations. The French publisher, known for big game series such as "Assassin's Creed" and "Far Cry," held its Ubisoft Forward event online Sunday. It was due to be a major press conference at the E3 gaming conference in Los Angeles, however the event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Much of what Ubisoft revealed was already known ahead of the event details of "Far Cry 6," which stars "Breaking Bad" actor Giancarlo Esposito, had been leaked two days before. Still, gamers watched to get a sense of gameplay and graphics, as the current generation of consoles from Microsoft and Sony near the end of their lifespan with new devices expected to be launched later this year. Screenshot taken from the trailer for Ubisoft's upcoming game "Far Cry 6." Ubisoft Other games showcased by the company included "Assassin's Creed Valhalla," which uses the classic franchise to tell an alternative story of the Viking invasion of England, and "Watch Dogs Legion," the third instalment of the "Watch Dogs" series set in a fictionalized London, where gamers play as hackers fighting against an authoritarian surveillance state. "Watch Dogs: Legion" is set to be released on October 29, "Assassin's Creed Valhalla" on November 17 and "Far Cry 6" on February 18, 2021. But the flashy digital event failed to impress investors. Shares of Ubisoft slumped more than 9% on Monday, after the company announced the departure of three top executives on Saturday following a probe into allegations of misconduct. Ubisoft announced that its Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoet and Managing Director for Canada Yannis Mallat were both stepping down and leaving the company with immediate effect. CEO Yves Guillemot will take Hascoet's place for the interim and oversee a "complete overhaul" of how the firm's creative teams work, according to a press release from Ubisoft. Cecile Cornet, Ubisoft's global head of HR, also stepped down. Hascoet's exit is a significant one. Since 2006, he has been in charge of creative production on all of Ubisoft's games. On Friday, French newspaper Liberation reported that Hascoet was central to a toxic work culture at the firm. It comes after several Ubisoft employees became the subject of sexual harassment allegations that were posted online last month. Ubisoft told industry publication Gamasutra on June 23 that it was "deeply concerned" by the claims and would look into them to "determine next steps." Top Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, are in touch with Sachin Pilot and are trying to placate him, a day after the Rajasthan Deputy CM declared open rebellion against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, sources said on Monday. Pilot has claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government is in minority and that he has the support of over 30 MLAs in the 200-member Assembly. According to sources, top Congress leaders have talked to Pilot and have asked him not to rebel against the chief minister. They also assured him that his grievances would be redressed at the party level. Besides Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, other Congress leaders who are learnt to have spoken with Pilot are Ahmed Patel, former Union finance minister P Chidambaram and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal. It was not immediately known what transpired during the discussions. Sources said the leaders asked Pilot to attend a Congress Legislature Party meeting in Jaipur, but he has not given any assurance. Pilot, who is in Delhi, has not been taking calls of many party leaders. AICC general secretary in-charge for Rajasthan Avinash Pande has said that Pilot has not been responding to calls and messages have been left with him. Pilot has raised a banner of revolt against Gehlot, after the special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police sent a notice to him for appearing before it in the case involving "horse-trading" of MLAs in the state. The SOG has registered an FIR in this regard and has also sent notices to the chief minister, chief whip of Congress and some ministers and MLAs. Meanwhile, the Congress has pulled out all the stops to save its government in Rajasthan and CM Gehlot has convened a meeting of the state legislature party. Pilot, who is also the state Congress president, is miffed with Gehlot and has alleged that he was not being kept in the loop on key decisions. The Congress Legislature Party meeting began about three hours later than scheduled, with ministers and MLAs flashed victory signs for the cameras. The Congress said 109 MLAs have already expressed support for Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, rejecting the claim by Deputy Chief Minister and the party's state unit president Sachin Pilot that the senior leader does not have the majority. About 100 MLAs had walked into the chief minister's residence by 12.30 pm, an hour before the meeting actually started. But some MLAs considered close to Pilot had not arrived till then. The National Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammi Awuku has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of constantly indulging in tribal politics to amass votes during national elections. According to him, ethnocentric politics is not good for Ghanas forward movement. Awuku speaking on Kingdom FM asked NDC to tell Ghanaians about their alternative for free SHS, planting for food and jobs, payment of various allowances, among others. But I have a very important question for John Mahama, perhaps, the most important question for 2020: What does John Mahama stand for? What does he believe in? What is his vision? despite our shortcomings, tribalism is not one of us and I want the NDC to refrain from tthat in the upcoming polls. Sammi Awuku, therefore, charged the NDC to learn from the NPP to campaign based on ideas and policies to ensure the countrys progress. He also admonished the electorate to vote for competent and visionary candidates to take the country to the promised land. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video (Newser) A former 21-year veteran of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in Florida is now facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after being accused by his colleagues of pointing a gun at the head of an unresisting Black man already in custody. The Tampa Bay Times reports the incident involving Sgt. Janak Amin took place in Tampa on Thursday, when an inmate was mistakenly taken to a mental health facility, which he simply walked out of. HCSO deputies found him hiding nearby and detained him. The unarmed man was in a "prone" position and not acting aggressively toward officers, but he wouldn't give his name, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister says. That's when, per Chronister, Amin whipped out his gun, pointed it inches away from the man's head, and threatened to shoot him. The other deputies on the scene calmed Amin down and the man wasn't hurt. story continues below Those deputies then reported what had happened. "Sgt. Amin's actions, the violation of public trust and the dishonoring of his oath to serve and protect, is despicable," Chronister said Friday, adding that threatening to shoot the man was "most egregious." Amin was fired and arrested on Friday, booked into the Hillsborough County Jail, then freed on $2,000 bail. Body cameras ordered by the sheriff's office aren't due in till August, so there was no video of the incident. Bay News 9 and WFTS report Amin was involved in the fatal shooting of an ex-firefighter in 2007, though he was cleared of wrongdoing in that case. If Amin is found guilty of the current assault charge, he could receive a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, according to Florida's 10-20-Life law, which dictates that minimum for anyone producing a firearm while committing certain felonies. (Read more police officer stories.) A hunt has today been launched for a group of vegetable pickers - one who has tested positive for Covid-19 - after they escaped from a farm at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak. According to reports, up to four vegetable pickers are believed to have 'escaped' police-guarded A S Green And Co in Herefordshire, where 75 people working and living on the site in trailers have tested positive for the virus. The workers are believed to have run across fields near Rook Row Farm in Mathon, where 200 staff working for the vegetable producers, which supplies a number of major supermarkets, have been ordered to self-isolate as a precaution. West Mercia Police have today confirmed that three workers have left the site, one of whom has tested positive for coronavirus. A spokesperson for the force said officers were working with Public Health England and the local council to track down the workers. It comes as reports today suggest authorities were offering the isolating workers - most from Eastern Europe - beer and cigarettes to prevent another break out attempt. Four vegetable pickers, three of whom had tested positive for Covid-19, have fled after 75 people working for A S Green And Co in Mathon, Herefordshire (aerial view of the farm pictured), tested positive for Covid-19 A police officer wearing a face mask stands by his car outside the gates of Rook Row Farm near Malvern West Mercia Police have today confirmed that three workers have left the site, one of whom has tested positive for coronavirus. Pictured: Men wearing full PPE leave the site in Mathon, Herefordshire Karen Wright, the director of Public Health Herefordshire, pictured right, is seen at the farm today Workers at A S Green And Co were tested after some workers showed symptoms of the bug (stock photo) Two of the escapees, one who had the virus, reportedly left on Saturday, while the other two, who also tested positive, fled today, a source told the Sun. The first case was reported to the farm on Wednesday and another five tested positive the day after, the source added. By the time it was locked down, the farm, run by Andrew Green, with the help of his son Tom and wife Caroline, had a total of 72 cases however it has now understood to have risen to 75. In an attempt to keep workers from fleeing, local authorities are said to be keeping their passports 'secure' and offering 'beer and cigarettes'. The workers are employed to carry out picking and packing work at the site while living in mobile homes. Police wearing protective face masks are currently guarding the exits of the farm and Herefordshire Council has organised the supply of deliveries. Workers have been told they are not be permitted to leave the site but are receiving the required support - with officials treating the group as 'one extended bubble'. Herefordshire Commander, Superintendent Sue Thomas said: 'Within the constraints of the current legislation, we continue to support our partners in Public Health England and Herefordshire County Council as they work with the farm owner and those working there to keep them all safe and to provide reassurance to the local community. In an attempt to keep workers from fleeing, local authorities are said to be keeping their passports 'secure' and offering ' beer and cigarettes'. Pictured: Ms Wright speaks with a man wearing full PPE at the farm A large container reverses at the farm earlier today after the outbreak of coronavirus The staff have been ordered to self-isolate in trailers that are set up near to where the staff work 'In relation to an individual who has left the site after testing positive with the virus, we are assisting our colleagues at Public Health England, as required, in order to trace them.' Meanwhile, visitors and management team members have been tested for the bug and the company confirmed all results to date outside of their site have been negative. The firm has put in place a range of infection control measures to try to reduce the risk of staff being exposed to the virus. These include supporting testing, promoting social distancing in communal social areas and the indoor packaging areas. They are providing PPE for staff where applicable, encouraging regular hand washing for 20 seconds and promoting the use of face coverings in closed areas. The farm supplies vegetables to major supermarket chains, such as Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda and M&S. Trade body the British Retail Consortium today reiterated advice from PHE that it is 'very unlikely' that the virus can be transmitted through food. Andrew Opie, Director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: 'Retailers are well versed in managing potential disruptions to prevent any impact on consumers. 'This outbreak involves one farm in a very large supply chain, so retailers are confident that there will be no interruption to supply. 'The farm in question is being supported by Public Health England, which has advised that it is very unlikely that the virus can be transmitted through food or packaging.' An officer wearing a face mask stands at the entrance to AS Green and Co Farm, where employees have tested positive for Covid-19 Rook Row Farm is currently closed for all visitors and workers are receiving support required on the site, the company said in a statement 200 workers at the vegetable farm have been asked to self isolate in mobile homes (pictured) onsite after people tested positive for coronavirus Workers are being asked to isolate on the farm and stay within household groups to reduce the risk of spreading the virus within the workforce Director of Public Health at Herefordshire CCG speaks outside Rook Row Farm in Mathon, near Malvern During the harvest season, workers live onsite in shared mobile homes which have toilets, showers and kitchen facilities. As a precaution the whole group are being treated as 'one extended bubble', according to officials. Herefordshire Council is arranging food and essential supplies for residents on the site while they self-isolate. It comes after farmers appealed for people to take up paid roles on local farms to stop food being left to rot in the fields as part of the Feed The Nation campaign. Owner of A S Green And Co, Mr Green, was looking for 100 pickers and 60 packers to join their family team at the end of April, the Hereford Times reported. In a previous statement posted on its website, the company said: 'We confirm that we are working closely with, Public Health England and the Public Health team at Herefordshire Council to support a number of our workers that have tested positive for COVID-19. 'As a precautionary measure we have arranged for testing of additional key workers including management team members and visitors connected with A S Green and can confirm all results to date outside of our site have been returned with negative results. To date there are 73 positive cases on our site. 'Our site is currently closed for all visitors and with the assistance of the various bodies no workers are being permitted to leave our site and are receiving the required support at our site. 'Our work force and local community are our priority at this difficult time and we continue to follow the guidance of the relevant bodies to ensure that the spread of the virus is controlled and our workforce is supported. 'Public Health England advises that it is very unlikely Covid-19 can be transmitted through food or food packaging, so shoppers can remain confident buying British fruit and veg. 'Thank you for your understanding in these difficult times.' A man puts on PPE as he arrives at Rook Row Farm in Mathon, near Malvern in Herefordshire Katie Spence, PHE Midlands Health Protection Director, said: 'We are working closely with the management at AS Green and Co to support the health and wellbeing of their workforce and wider public health. 'At this phase of the pandemic, we still expect to see cases in the community and within settings where people are closer together, such as workplaces, which is why the Test and Trace system is important, to help us pick up on any potential problems and swiftly to take remedial action to reduce spread. 'To support this workforce of around 200 key workers, the company has put in place a range of infection control measures to try to reduce the risk of staff being exposed to COVID-19. 'Measures include supporting testing on site, promoting social distancing in communal social areas and in the indoor packaging area; providing PPE for staff where applicable, encouraging regular handwashing for at least 20 seconds, and promoting the use of face coverings in closed areas.' 'Despite these measures, a small number of workers became symptomatic earlier this week and they and a few close contacts among the workforce were tested initially and found to be positive. 'In line with NHS guidance, affected individuals were asked to self-isolate for 7 days, with their households and close contacts asked to isolate for 14 days.' 'As we have seen a global trend of large food producers being subject to outbreaks, as a precautionary measure, the decision was made to test the entire workforce. The site is still waiting on all the results but has asked all workers to seld-isolate as a precaution (stock photo) The owner of A S Green And Co was looking for 100 pickers and 60 packers to join their family team at the end of April 'The initial batch of results showed a significant percentage of positive cases, despite these individuals being asymptomatic. 'We are still awaiting a few final results, but currently we have 73 positive cases of COVID-19 among the workforce.' 'PHE Midlands and Herefordshire Council are therefore working with AS Green and Co to closely monitor and manage the outbreak and support individual workers.' A spokesperson for AS Green said: 'Our staff are our priority, they are hard-working key workers helping us provide food for the country during these unusual times. 'We contacted PHE and we are working closely with them and Public Health at Herefordshire Council to prevent the spread of COVID-19.' The company said that Public Health England advises that it is very unlikely Covid-19 can be transmitted through food or food packaging (stock photo) A S Green And Co specialise in growing runner beans, Tenderstem broccoli, broad beans and helda beans Karen Wright, Director of Public Health for Herefordshire, said: 'While Herefordshire is the first to experience an outbreak of this kind, this is not unexpected. 'Our priority is to protect the health and wellbeing of all residents in our community. Prompt testing on the farm has allowed us to understand transmission and control the spread of infection. 'We continue to support the farm management, their workers who form an important part of our local economy, and the local community through this challenging time. 'Anyone who has a fever, persistent dry cough, or loss or change in their sense of taste or smell should call 119 or go online to arrange a test.' Herefordshire have had 809 confirmed cases of the virus, with a rate of 421.1 (per 100,000 resident population), according to the Government's daily statistics published last night around 6pm. The company harvest from mid-May to mid-November and have packing jobs during the winter In April Andrew Green, owner of AS Green and Co, told the Hereford Times: 'The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in soaring demand for fresh produce, but with tighter border controls and travel restrictions in place, many UK farmers have been left with a labour shortage, putting their produce at risk.' He added: 'Not only does the role provide the opportunity to work in a safe, healthy environment throughout the summer months, but it also enables those who have been financially impacted by the pandemic to boost their income, without jeopardising the support they will receive through the Government furlough scheme.' Following the Pick for Britain campaign - an initiative to bring together UK workers and farmers together to prevent crops rotting in the ground during the pandemic - the farm said it had received more than 300 applications. On the firm's website, it says workers are expected to share accommodation at Rook Row Farm, while there is a recreational building with a pool table, dart board and TV for all employees. A spokeswoman for the National Farmers' Union (NFU) said: 'The industry takes this issue incredibly seriously and everything is being done to keep workers safe; their health and safety remains the priority. 'Across the sector there have been significant investments this season; from the use of additional safety equipment and PPE, regularly testing temperatures, and following government guidance created specifically for seasonal workers.' Karen Wright, director of public health for Herefordshire, urged anyone experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19 to arrange a test. 'While Herefordshire is the first to experience an outbreak of this kind, this is not unexpected,' she said in a statement. 'Our priority is to protect the health and well-being of all residents in our community. 'Prompt testing on the farm has allowed us to understand transmission and control the spread of infection. 'We continue to support the farm management, their workers - who form an important part of our local economy, and the local community through this challenging time.' The outbreak comes after lockdown was extended for at least two weeks in Leicester, east midlands, after a surge in coronavirus cases. Number 10's scientific advisers revealed on July 10 that the UK's R rate is between 0.7 and 0.9. The R rate represents the average number of people each Covid-19 patient infects and SAGE admitted it could be one or higher in London, the Midlands, the North East and Yorkshire, the South East and the South West. A S Green And Co specialise in growing runner beans, Tenderstem broccoli, broad beans and helda beans. The cause behind the move is an inaccurate description of how the vote in district councils will be held. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has withdrawn a resolution on local elections from the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament. This was announced by First Deputy Chairman of the Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, the RBC Ukraine news agency reported. Read alsoUkraine's parliament speaker sees no grounds for cancelling local elections According to the agency's sources, the cause behind the move is an inaccurate description of how the volte in district councils will be held. The president sent a letter to the Verkhovna Rada in order to remove draft No. 3809 (on the appointment of a date for local elections in Ukraine) from the July 13 agenda, Stefanchuk said. RBC Ukraine's source in the Servant of the People parliamentary faction's leadership said even before Stefanchuk's announcement that the Rada would not consider the local election resolution on Monday, July 13. He also added that the submitted resolution incorrectly described how the local elections would be organized in the district councils. On July 13, the parliament's Committee on State Building, Local Governance, Regional and Urban Development tried to amend and submit the updated version of the document, but lawmakers failed to prepare it by 14:00 Kyiv time. "The committee managed to gather, but we did not come to an understandable answer on how to handle it in the right way," the source said. As UNIAN reported earlier, the Verkhovna Rada at a special meeting on July 13 planned to consider a draft resolution on the appointment of October 25 as the date for the next local elections. The impact of the Supreme Court judgment in the Padmanabhaswamy temple case on other cases relating to Shebait or religious rights may be limited because the ruling is based on the existence of a 1950 law enacted by the state of Travancore-Cochin, which was the precursor to the Kerala state, legal experts told HT. The Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act (TC Act), more specifically Section 18 (2) of the act, provides that the administration of the Padmanabhaswamy temple and all other properties and funds of the temple be vested with the ruler of Travancore. The right under Section 18 (2) of the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act, 1950, is specific to the covenants entered in this particular case. The question was whether it extended to the ruler alone or his successors as well, for which the high court answered in the negative while the Supreme Court in the affirmative. No proposition of law in rem (applicable in general) was laid down in either of the judgments, Supreme Court advocate Sriram Parakkat said. The impact of this judgment would be limited to such cases where there are specific laws providing for religious/ shebait rights, he added. The repeal of that law from the statute book by the state legislature, however, can lead to the termination of Shebait rights of the royal family. The rights will be operative as long as appropriate steps are not taken by the concerned legislature, the court made it clear in paragraph 90 of its judgment. Besides this law, agreement of accession or the covenant signed between the ruler of Travancore and Government of India in 1949 by which Travancore became a part of the Indian union, also provided that the administration of the temple will be vested with the ruler of Travancore. Article 362 of the Constitution stipulated that such covenants and agreements should be given due consideration by the central and state legislatures while making laws. However, Article 362 was repealed in 1971 by Parliament through the 26th Amendment, putting a question mark on whether the rights of the ruler under the covenant would still be valid. The court held that since there is a law, TC Act, specifically backing the Shebait rights, the Shebait rights would continue with the royal family even though Article 362 was repealed. This is because the source for enjoyment of personal rights, privileges and dignities referred to in Article 362 would be in the statutory provisions enacted in terms of the obligation spelt out in Article 362 in this case the TC Act -- the court said. The court has held that vested rights under a succession treaty remains preserved if protected under a state law, notwithstanding the 26th Amendment, Supreme Court advocate Vipin Nair who represented a few devotees before the Supreme Court said. However, advocate V Shyamohan, who represented the royal family, argued that the judgment recognises the centuries-old rights of Padmanabha Dasa as the hereditary trustee of the temple and protects the faith and beliefs of millions of devotees. Every ruler of Travancore is engaged in the service of Sri Padmanabhaswamy, and are known as Padmanabha Dasas. Under Hindu Law, the property stands vested in the idol and not shebait. Shebaitship is inherent in the founder and unless a contrary custom exists, it is a heritable right, he said. John Bland, a civil rights activist and union leader who as a Texas Southern University student helped lead a lunch counter sit-in at a Houston supermarket that refused to serve Blacks, a protest that helped end segregation here, died Thursday at the age of 80. His family said his death was likely due to complications from COVID-19. That activism, as well as his dedication to the labor movement and involvement with public service, would last his entire life. They say a good leader has to be a follower, but my dad was a leader in everything he did, his daughter Fayetta Bland said. Born on March 20, 1940, Bland was a lifelong Texan, attending Phillis Wheatley High School in Houston and continuing his studies at TSU. At 19, Bland joined 12 other TSU students who on March 4, 1960, marched in protest from the campus to the whites-only lunch counter at Weingartens supermarket. Others joined along the milelong walk and occupied seats there for hours on end. Bland continued participating in non-violent sit-ins as a founding member and secretary of the Progressive Youth Association, a group initially formed by Houston students to combat racial inequality in their city. Decades later, Bland and his fellow protestors were honored with a memorial plaque commemorating their efforts and the history of the first sit-in. We just wanted to be treated like ordinary citizens, Bland told the Transport Workers Union when they recogized his activism during Black History Month several years ago. We felt that our time had come and we no longer had to go to the back door. For more than 50 years, Bland worked with the union and was recognized in 2017 as the longest serving officer by TWU International. That same year, Bland retired as the administrative vice president, but continued on as director of the Human and Civil Rights Department until late 2019. Bland joined the organization when he was a bus operator for what is now Houston Metro. He held various roles for the local union, including steward, vice president, secretary-treasurer and Local 260 president, helping to organize labor across the state of Texas. He also served as vice president for the Texas State AFL-CIO, vice president for the A. Philip Randolph Institute and president of the Houston chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. Those who worked with Bland described him as a humble, gentle man who was devoted to his work. John Samuelsen, TWU International president, called Bland a warrior, and said he was just absolutely the most respected man in the TWU. He had a tender heart, he looked out for the most vulnerable, Samuelsen recalled, invoking the countless times Bland called him on behalf of struggling union presidents and constituents. Up until the very end, Bland was a force at the TWU. John Bland looked hatred squarely in the eye and prevailed. He was an example to all of us a freedom fighter and ferocious pursuer of justice, Texas AFL-CIO president Rick Levy said in a statement. In a public statement, Mayor Sylvester Turner remembered Bland as a giant in the civil rights and labor movement, and a humble but fearless man who devoted nearly his entire life to making our community better for everyone. Bland served on Turners first transition team as part of the Traffic and Transportation committee. But behind the civil and labor rights activist was a man deeply devoted to his family and church, Bethany Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon. Despite a perpetually busy schedule, Bland never missed his two daughters dance recitals. His eldest daughter, Debbie Bland Nicholson, remembered Bland surprising her by showing up to support her during her dissertation presentation. Hes always there for people, no matter who you are, Nicholson said. At home, Bland was adept in the kitchen, often whipping up homemade biscuits or insisting on doing the dishes. He was wonderful with kids and liked to make up songs with nonsensical lyrics for loved ones. He never missed breakfast and loved traveling with his wife. But his work was never far from his mind. On Saturdays, Bland would sometimes take his younger daughter, Fayetta, to union meetings with him. When she heard the news of his death, Fayetta said she thought of him in heaven trying to organize something. Despite the sadness, that image made her smile. At a 2017 ceremony honoring him for decades of devoted service to TWU, Bland reinforced his deep committment to his lifes work. As long as God gives me breath, Bland said, I will keep fighting for the rights and the privileges of the underprivileged, and to get what we so richly deserve. Betty Bland recalled one of her husbands favorite sayings: You cant die but one time. It was a saying that suggested strength in moments of danger or adversity, situations Bland encountered frequently. He was daring, he was bold, Betty said. He tried to help everybody that he could. Bland is survived by his wife of nearly 58 years, his two daughters, Debbie Bland Nicholson and Fayetta Bland, his grandson, Jordan Nicholson, and great-granddaughter, Abigail Nicholson. On DeLong Street in Daly City, there sits a row of pretty homes built by Habitat for Humanity. One of these modest town houses is particularly special. Known as the All Faiths House, it brought together churches, synagogues and mosques from around the Bay Area. Together, these organizations underwrote the construction costs and their congregations volunteered their time to excavate, saw, hammer and paint the home into being. The house became home to three generations of a wonderful local family. Faith groups have long recognized the profound need for safe, decent and affordable housing in our communities. In the Bay Area, theres a long history of many different religious groups taking on the challenge to build, finance and advocate for affordable housing. Thats why SB899 is so important. Authored by state Sens. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and Anna Caballero, D-Salinas, it cuts through the mountains of red tape that prevent faith groups from building affordable housing on their own land. If passed, SB899 will allow these projects to bypass the burdensome process of securing separate permission from local planning commissions, city councils, or county boards of supervisors. These long-winded processes would be replaced with ministerial approval if the development met local requirements and certain other criteria. This streamlining would allow congregations to avoid the interminable delays and significant costs associated with approvals that often derail affordable homebuilding before the plans even get off the architects board. These delays are an albatross around the neck of too many homebuilding projects in our state including the hundreds of homes that Habitat Greater San Francisco will be building in the years ahead. With more secure, speedy, and predictable approval rules for affordable building on land that faith groups wish to use we can confidently expect a reinvigorated and revitalized appetite for construction and, as a result, more families making a permanent future for themselves in our region. A May 2020 study by the UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation calculated that there were 162 such potentially developable sites in San Francisco alone. In Los Angeles County the number is nearly 3,500. While the actual total of realistically developable sites will be lower in practice, such building has the clear potential to put a sizable dent in Californias 3.5 million unit housing shortfall. Habitat for Humanity knows all too well the immense cost of housing in our area, driven by grossly insufficient supply and policies that restrict construction. The toll this takes on families is immense, as they are forced to either live in overcrowded and substandard accommodations or endure (in non-coronavirus times) commutes that can last three or four hours. An affordable home, and particularly affordable homeownership, gives a family the opportunity to thrive. Parents spend more time with their children and become integral parts of their community, and their children are put on a path for better educational outcomes and future success. Nearly 50 years ago, Habitat for Humanity was born as a Christian ministry on a farm in Americus, Georgia. It forged an approach of radical inclusivity at a time when inclusivity was seen as a threat. In this spirit, SB899 is deserving of support. Its passed the state Senate and is currently being discussed in the state Assembly. We call on the Assembly especially the Bay Area delegation to pass it, and for Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign it. Maureen Sedonaen is chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco. Habitat Greater San Francisco builds affordable homes in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties. At its Google For India event, the tech major had announced a new partnership with Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Skill Education and Training, for driving education in the country. The company also plans to partner with CBSE to digitise classrooms across the country. Sapna Chadha, Senior Country Marketing Director (India and Southeast Asia) at Google, while speaking at the Google for India event, said that the search giant would train over 1 million teachers in 22,000 schools across India by the end of 2020. Chadha added that this would deliver blended learning that combines the classroom approach with online learning, using free tools like G Suite for Education, Google Classroom, and YouTube. Google, in a blog post, said, "When the pandemic restricted mobility across the country, we enabled free access to the premium features of tools like Google Meet, as well as sharing free education tools like Google Classroom. The results have been heartening, including at schools like Podar, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Nehru World and GD Goenka." Additionally, to support underserved low-income communities, the tech giant has also announced a new Google.org grant of $1 million to Kaivalya Education Foundation (KEF) as part of the Global Distance Learning Fund. "Recognising that it's more important than ever to ensure education is inclusive, especially for lower-income households, we are also announcing a new grant of $1 million to Kaivalya Education Foundation (KEF) from Google.org, Google's philanthropic arm, as part of the Global Distance Learning Fund," the company stated. "Using these funds, KEF will work with the Central Square Foundation and TeacherApp to train 700,000 teachers to deliver virtual education for vulnerable students so that they can continue learning at home. Where families don't have access to the internet or a smartphone, other channels including TV and radio will be used to reach these children," it added. Google Classroom is an internet-based service designed by Google for creating, sharing and grading assignments at schools. Google's G-Suite is a set of tools which offers collaboration and storage of data on Google's cloud network. Tools like Gmail, Google Meet, Calendar, Docs, Sheets and Slides are part of the suite. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, union Minister of Human Resource Development, while speaking at the event, explained that free-of-cost tools offered by Google in partnership with CBSE would be beneficial for teachers across schools. Nishank also added that Google must take efforts to ensure that content services and tools are available across the 22 Indian languages so that maximum number of students across the country benefit. Also Read: Retail inflation grew at 6.09% in June, food inflation eases to 7.87% Also Read: Sundar Pichai-led Google sets up $10 billion India digitisation fund Also Read: Smartphone sales fall 30-40% in July so far amid import delays Representative image Foodtech company Zomato, which saw a massive hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, expects to make a complete recovery of monthly revenue in the next three-to-six months. The management said it is set to cut its monthly burn rate to under $1 million in July compared to $12 million in March. The statement comes as part of Zomatos annual report where it also highlighted its performance for FY20. Revenue more than doubled to $394 million, a 105 percent jump from the previous year. The company saw costs grow 47 percent this fiscal, with EBITDA losses growing marginally to $293 million compared to $277 million in FY19. While FY20 was a strong fiscal for the company, where it also saw its food delivery GMV (gross merchandise value) more than double to $1.4 billion from $718 million in FY19, Zomato said the COVID-19 crisis has already set it back by a year. Follow our LIVE blog for updates on the COVID-19 pandemic "While COVID-19 has impacted the size of our business, it has accelerated our journey to profitability. In terms of the size of the business, COVID-19 has set us back by a year or so but a year is only a small blip when you are building a company for the next 100 years," CEO Deepinder Goyal said in the report. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show In the June quarter, the food-tech company saw losses of $12 million on a revenue of $41 million. "Right after the rise of COVID-19 cases in India towards the end of March, our food delivery GMV hit its lowest point in two years GMV was 80 percent down in the last week of March compared to our peak pre-COVID-19 week (in mid-February)," Goyal said. Zomato said its dining-out business segment was the hardest hit as restaurants remained shut for dining-out, leading to 'almost negligible revenue' across advertising and Zomato Pro (earlier Zomato Gold). However, the company is starting to see a recovery, stating that the food delivery GMV has recovered to 60 percent of pre-COVID levels. Goyal said the crisis positively impacted the 'health of its business'. "In July, we estimate our monthly burn rate to be under $1 million and revenue should land ~60 percent of pre-COVID peak ($23 million per month). We expect to make a complete recovery over the next 3-6 months while continuing to maintain tight control on costs/profitability," he said. Zomato had laid off 520 employees, or about 13 percent of its workforce in May during the COVID crisis, and had also initiated pay cuts across levels. The company said on July 10 that it is reinstating the salaries back to original levels. "Around 75 percent of our employees volunteered for partial salary cuts, resulting in a total reduction of 14 percent in our payroll costs. As of today, all the original salaries have been re-instated, and our net losses of under $1 million for July reflects the increased payroll cost already," Goyal said. Follow our full coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic here We consider SiteSeer a partner that will help us learn and leverage their technology so we can provide the best information for tenants to make decisions. We believe SiteSeer will help us do things faster and be as strategic as possible. ComptonAddy Engages SiteSeer Technologies for its Void Analysis, Retail Match, & Other Tools SiteSeer Technologies, creator of SiteSeer Professional site selection software and Void Analysis Pro, has partnered with ComptonAddy, a commercial real estate development firm based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The brokerage firm offers traditional, turnkey, build-to-suit services, including site assessments, site selection assistance, development and redevelopment, site acquisition, leasing, and construction. ComptonAddy will use SiteSeer Professionals full suite of real estate analytics tools, including its Void Analysis, Retail Match, mapping and Match Score tools. The ComptonAddy team leads real estate development projects through all phases, from site selection to store opening. Tenants often rely on the firm for the coordination of multi-state, multi-site projects. We are a newly established company with founders that have deep experience in single tenant development in states across the country, says Mark Addy, principal and co-founder of ComptonAddy. One goal we have is to expand our use of technology to augment our own expertise and do things smarter and better. Data can help us educate ourselves about potential sites and properties. The SiteSeer team has a reputation for being trustworthy. We consider SiteSeer a partner that will help us learn and leverage their technology so we can provide the best information for tenants to make decisions. We believe SiteSeer will help us do things faster and be as strategic as possible. Sam Lowder, VP of business development for SiteSeer Technologies, expressed excitement about the firms new partnership with ComptonAddy. We are looking forward to helping ComptonAddy achieve success and get the very most out of the SiteSeer platform, says Lowder. Their team has built the trust of retailers in markets all across the country and we know that SiteSeer will help them continue to forge strong relationships with the tenants they serve. Learn more about ComptonAddy at https://comptonaddy.com/. ABOUT SITESEER TECHNOLOGIES SiteSeer Technologies, LLC, provides a suite of software, professional services, consulting and support for site selection and market analysis. Its flagship Software-as-a-Service, SiteSeer Professional, is a web-based analytics platform that helps businesses make data-driven location decisions with features and tools that include mapping, trade area analysis, demographics, customer analytics, custom reporting, analytics, model building, hot spots, site scorecards and predictive modeling tools. The SiteSeer Professional product suite also includes a real estate analytics tool (Void Analysis Pro with Retail Match and Match Score) and a territory management tool (Automated Territory Optimization Model (ATOM)). Learn more at http://www.siteseer.com. New Delhi: Chhath Puja is an ancient Hindu festival and celebrated every year with full elation in Northern states of India. The grand Chhath Puja pays reverence to Sun God for sustaining life and energy on earth. In this festival of penance and prayers, people worship the rising sun and setting, symbolic of death and rebirth. Chhath Puja is deemed as the festival of compassion and forgiveness. It is believed that by worshipping the sun during Chhath, worshippers are bestowed with prosperity, progress and well-being. It is also said to cure a variety of diseases, including leprosy, and ensure the longevity and prosperity of family members, friends and elders. Chhath is also known as Suryasasthi because it is observed after the six days of Deepawali. It is observed by people for a period of four days. The rituals connected with Chhath Puja include fasting, holy bathing, and abstaining from even having food and drinking water. Chhath Puja Legends Chhath Puja is immersed deeply into several folklores and these myths speak clearly about this festival. Rigveda describes some traditions that are akin to the customs of Chhath Puja. The great epic Mahabharata also showcases descriptions of Draupadi, the wife of Pandavas observing same rituals suggested by sage Dhaumya to get back the lost empire of Pandavas. A myth also mentions that Chhath Puja was started by Karna to please his father Sun God. As per Hindu legends, it is also believed that rishis used to perform this holy Puja to get energy from sun directly rather than other sources. Shakya Dwipi Brahmins The mythological connections to this festivity are many. This puja was first done by the Shakya Dwipi Brahmins; this is why it is still celebrated in areas that are dominated by them. Rig Veda In the Rig Veda there is a detailed procedure mentioned on this festival. The rishis would follow this festival very closely. They would worship sun god and stop taking any external food stating that they will get the energy directly from the lord of Sun. They would fast for days and after doing the puja they would break the fast. Slowly it became a major festival for the common man as it is today. For all the Latest Lifestyle News, Others News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. YEREVAN, Armenia - Armenia and Azerbaijan blamed each other Monday for skirmishes on their volatile border that has left four Azerbaijani soldiers dead and several troops wounded on both sides. The two neighbours in the South Caucasus have been locked in conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan that has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. International efforts to settle the conflict have stalled. Armenian and Azerbaijani forces have frequently engaged in clashes. In 2016, scores were killed in four days of fighting. The latest incident began Sunday when Armenian and Azerbaijani troops exchanged fire in the northern section of their border. Officials in both countries blamed each other for starting the fighting and said that sporadic shelling continued Monday. Azerbaijans Defence Ministry said that four of its soldiers have been killed in Armenian shelling since Sunday and another one later died in a hospital. It said five Azerbaijani servicemen were wounded. Armenian Defence Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said Monday that two Armenian troops were wounded. Hayk Chobanyan, the governor of Armenias Tavush region where the clashes occurred, later said that three other servicemen were wounded. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused Azerbaijan of provoking the clashes and warned that it would bear responsibility for the unpredictable consequences. Azerbaijani President Ilhan Aliyev denounced what he described as another provocation of Armenia and vowed to protect Azerbaijans national territory. Turkey, which has close ethnic and cultural ties with Azerbaijan, voiced strong support to Baku in the conflict. What Armenia did is unacceptable. It must get back to its senses, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with state broadcaster TRT. Azerbaijan is not alone. The Turkish Republic and the Turkish people, is with Azerbaijan with all of its capabilities. The United States condement the violence. We urge the sides to stop using force immediately, use the existing direct communication links between them to avoid further escalation, and strictly adhere to the ceasefire, said State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus in a statement. In Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed serious concern about the outbreak of fighting and warned against further escalation that could undermine regional security. Russia has maintained close ties with both Armenia and Azerbaijan and has been part of the so-called Minsk group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe alongside the U.S. and France, which has tried to mediate a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Toivo Klaar, the European Unions special representative for the South Caucasus, voiced concern about the exchange of fire on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, tweeting that its important for both countries to show restraint and to use all channels of communication, both direct and the good offices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Alderman Moore was a very quiet person when she came on the council, Rockingham, who was not there, said after the unveiling. When she had to make her point, she could do it in a definite and quiet way. She was a mentor to me because of the way she handled herself. James Mike Anderson was a hospital employee in suburban Philadelphia with a low-profile though critical job: changing air filters in COVIAdding To COVID Stress, Families Of Health Workers Fight For Denied Workers Comp BenefitsCOVID cases in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, had ramped up to as many as 90 per day. At the hospital, Anderson handled air filters and other surfaces that might have been contaminated with the deadly virus, also known to hang in the air. In early April, Anderson, 51, came down with what he thought was a cold, according to his familys lawyer, David Stern. On April 13 Anderson was rushed to the hospital, where he died of acute respiratory distress syndrome from COVID-19, according to the county coroner. He left behind a wife and two children, ages 5 and 9. Anderson was exposed to the virus at work, the lawyer contends, making his family eligible for workers' compensation death benefits paid by his employers insurer. His family deserves to have that income replaced," Stern said. "Their husband and father certainly can't be." But in a June 16 response to Sterns death benefits claim, St. Mary Medical Center denied all allegations. As the COVID toll climbs, sick workers and families of the dead face another daunting burden: fighting for benefits from workers' compensation systems that, in some states, are stacked against them. In interviews with lawyers and families across the nation, KHN found that health care workers - including nurses aides, physician assistants and maintenance workers - have faced denials or long-shot odds of getting benefits paid. In some cases, those benefits amount to an ambulance bill. In others, they would provide lifetime salary replacement for a spouse. Legal experts say that in some states COVID-19 falls into a long-standing category of diseases like a cold or the flu conditions not covered by workers' compensation with no plans to change that. Other states force workers to prove they caught the virus at work, rather than from a family member or in the community. "We are asking people to risk their lives every single day not just doctors, nurses and first responders, but also nurses aides and grocery store clerks," said Laurie Pohutsky, a Democratic Michigan lawmaker who proposed a bill to help essential workers get coverage more easily. "These people are heroes, but we have to actually back those words up with actions." In at least 16 states and Puerto Rico, officials have passed measures to make it easier for workers infected with the coronavirus to qualify for benefits for lost wages, hospital bills or death. Similar bills are pending in other states, but some face opposition from business groups over costs. Many of the proposed actions would turn the tables on the status quo, forcing employers to prove workers did not catch the virus at work. Bills vary in the scope of workers they cover. Some protect all who left home to work during stay-at-home orders. Others are limited to first responders and health care workers. Some would cover only workers who get sick during states of emergency, while others would cover a longer period. An early glimpse of data shows that health care workers and first responders, two groups hit hard by the virus, make up the majority of those seeking benefits. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than 95,000 health care workers have been infected, a figure the agency acknowledges is an undercount. KHN and The Guardian U.S. have identified more than 700 who have died and told the story of 139 of them. For these workers families, the stakes of the pending laws are enormous. In Virginia, attorney Michele Lewane is representing a nurse and a physician assistant who contracted the coronavirus while working at the same urgent care center. The physician assistant, who administered COVID tests, was hospitalized with COVID-19 and pneumonia for about a week. He missed five weeks of work. When the physician assistant asked the urgent care center for paperwork to file a workers' compensation claim to cover his hospital bill, an administrator refused to hand it over, saying coronavirus treatment wouldn't be covered, Lewane said. He was laid off days later and left with a $60,000 hospital bill. Lewane said the law in Virginia will likely consider COVID-19 an "ordinary disease of life," akin to a cold or the flu. She said she'd have to prove by "clear and convincing evidence" that he caught the coronavirus at work. The bar is so high, she said, that she's waiting to file a claim in hopes that Virginia joins many other states passing laws that make it easier for health workers to prove their cases. Craig Davis, president-elect of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, said he took on a test case and received a quick denial of workers' compensation benefits for a COVID-positive physician assistant. We think there's an infinitesimal possibility of prevailing under our laws as currently written," he said. His group is pushing for a legislative change. In Montana, which has largely been spared by the pandemic, workers face even longer odds. A 64-year-old nurse at a small hospital there was hospitalized for eight days with COVID-19 in April, according to her Great Falls lawyer, Thomas Murphy. She remains at home on oxygen, unable to work. The woman filed a workers' compensation claim, which could qualify her for up to $800 a week in lost wages plus lifetime coverage of medical bills related to her condition. Instead of agreeing to those benefits, Murphy said, the insurer offered to settle for $17,000, which she declined because it would not cover her medical bills. Murphy said the employer, which he did not name to protect his client from retaliation, is arguing that she was the first person at the hospital to contract the virus, so she likely didn't get it at work. However, he noted that two other hospital employees and six patients tested positive within the next two weeks and his client went few places other than work. In Montana law, the burden of proof lies on the employee to show an illness was work-related. "We're going to have to try to piece together all of the sources" that might have infected her and prove that it's more probable than not that she got it at work, Murphy said. Women like this woman are going to have a hard road ahead of them. The Montana Legislature isnt set to meet until January, and an executive order appears unlikely. In New Jersey, attorney Rick Rubenstein is representing the widow of a man who worked as a housekeeper at a nursing home, doing laundry and occasional patient care. Not given protective gear by his employer, the man caught COVID-19 and had a lengthy stay in the intensive care unit before he died. His wife has the virus now and was faced with a default no answer in 35 days after seeking benefits in New Jersey's workers' compensation system. They would cover her husband's $188,000 hospital bill and survivor's pay of $308 per week. "She's isolated, doesn't know what her own health future holds and doesn't have an explanation of why this stuff is happening," Rubenstein said. "It's terrible." A bill proposed in New Jersey would make it easier for essential workers who got COVID-19 during the state of emergency to prove that they got it on the job. The bill was passed by the state Senate and is pending before the General Assembly. The New Jersey Business & Industry Association has opposed the bill, saying it would push higher workers' compensation insurance rates onto businesses that are "struggling to survive." "Our concerns are primarily that the cost of these claims can overwhelm the system, which was not designed to handle claims during a worldwide pandemic," NJBIA Chief Government Affairs Officer Chrissy Buteas said in a statement. While there are no national estimates of how many are filing claims for workers' compensation - or getting approvals - Massachusetts provided KHN with a summary of its coronavirus reports from March, April and May. During those months, employers filed 3,482 "first reports of injury" regarding a worker with COVID-19 - 2,915 were for health care workers. Insurers denied benefits to 216 health care workers, according to Massachusetts records. Florida posted similar data, showing a higher rate of denied claims for health care workers. While 1,740 health care workers sought benefits related to COVID-19, about 30%, or 521 claims, were fully denied. Among the 1,200 who were paid benefits, the amount paid added up to $1.3 million. The cost of covering 9.6 million first responders and health workers nationally could range from $1 billion to $16 billion, according to the National Council on Compensation Insurance, which provides insurance rate recommendations for 38 states. The bill is paid by employers who buy workers' compensation insurance, employers that self-insure and taxpayers, who support government agencies. Those estimates do not include New York or California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom's executive order broadening coverage through July 5 is projected to add about $1.2 billion to California's costs. In many states, business associations consider proposals to expand workers' compensation too costly and too broad. A proposed California bill would extend Newsom's executive order and put the burden on employers to prove that "critical workers," including those in retail, warehousing and delivery, who got the coronavirus did not get it at work. The bill has critics. "California employers have been significantly impacted by this crisis and simply cannot be the safety net for this pandemic by providing workers' compensation benefits for all employees, even when they are not injured at work," according to a letter of concern signed by the California Chamber of Commerce, California Hospital Association and others. A federal backstop may become available. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill that would create a federal fund for essential workers, including health care personnel, who get sick or die from the coronavirus. The Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act would be modeled after the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. In Pennsylvania, there is no presumption that COVID-19 is acquired on the job. Stern, the lawyer for Andersons family, filed a fatal claim in May with the state workers' compensation board, which passed it on to the employer. A St. Mary Medical Center spokesperson confirmed in an email that Anderson worked there for 23 years and was a maintenance mechanic. She would not discuss his case. We are extremely saddened by his death, she wrote. We are not able to provide additional information out of respect for his and his family's privacy." Mark Banchi volunteers with hospital chaplains and knew Anderson for over 30 years. He said co-workers are reeling from the death of a man who was enthusiastic, gregarious, friendly. His loss to the hospital is real, Banchi said. Some people lift spirits, some people make you glad you came that day, and Mike was one of those people. In addition to working at St. Mary for $22 an hour, Anderson had a cleaning job at a car dealership. Stern said Anderson was unlikely to be exposed to the virus there. If Stern prevails, the family would receive two-thirds of Andersons combined pay, capped at $1,081 a week. Its truly mind-boggling that after leading the race to carry Canada through the COVID-19 crisis, Justin Trudeau has fallen on his face just metres from the finish line. But thats what the bizarre decision by the prime minister and his Liberal government to award a fat, untendered contract to WE Charity has accomplished in the blink of an eye. From pandemic hero to in the minds of some Canadians at least a zero: Thats been the latest downward trajectory of Trudeaus reputation. It seemed strange from the start that the Liberals handed WE Charity the formidable job of administering a pandemic-related program worth $912 million. The federal bureaucracy had already been deemed fit to run the two main COVID-19 economic aid programs the Canada Emergency Relief Benefit and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy with their combined cost of over $160 billion. Why federal civil servants were considered incapable of handling a fraction of that money to encourage young Canadians to provide volunteer services remains a mystery. Questioned about the WE Charity deal, Trudeau initially insisted no one else in Canada could possibly manage the program. So no one else was asked. WE Charitys modus operandi fuelled more questions and astonishment. It was to receive at least $19.5 million for administering the volunteer program with $5 million of that going to other organizations. Camps would benefit to the tune of $25,000 for hiring volunteers. School teachers would be eligible for up to $12,000 if they enlisted as many as 75 student volunteers. WE Charity itself was on track to employ 450 of those volunteers which seemed like having its federally-funded cake and eating it too. Such oddities along with the criticism that its oxymoronic to be paying volunteers in the first place resulted in the government and WE Charity ending their partnership on July 3 and the job of hiring volunteers being handed to the very public servants who had earlier been denied the job. But the steady drip of new embarrassments and new irregularities continues. Late last week, the public learned that far from being properly distanced from the WE Charity deal as he had previously stated, Trudeau sat at the table when cabinet approved the arrangement. Nor did he recuse himself from the decision even though his strong personal connections to WE Charity hes friends with the organizations head honchos Craig and Marc Kielburger should have raised alarms about a potential conflict of interest. Finance Minister Bill Morneau made the same serious mistake and failed to recuse himself from cabinets decision, despite the fact that his daughter, Grace Acan, works for WE Charity. Myopia must be catching. Like a package of fish left out on summers day, the longer this fiasco drags on, the worse it smells. Now it turns out three members of Trudeaus family have received money from WE Charity for their services. The prime ministers mother, Margaret Trudeau, was paid about $250,000 to speak at 28 WE Charity events while brother Alexandre Trudeau got $32,000 for appearing at eight. All this happened when Trudeau was in government. Before he was PM, his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau received $1,400 for headlining a 2012 WE Charity event. The prime minister has already been found to have violated conflict-of-interest laws on two occasions. Why he didnt learn from that, and as a result is being investigated again by the federal ethics commissioner, is as baffling as everything else in his latest scandal. Is it hubris, sloppiness or blindness that explains the latest stumble? Or something more serious? We wait just as we wonder about WE. Advertisement Coronavirus case numbers continued to spike over the weekend as Florida shattered it's previous record number of new infections in a single day on Sunday and surpassed all but eight countries worldwide for the greatest number of cases. More than 15,000 new positive coronavirus tests were reported on Sunday alone in the state, far outstripping the previous record of over 12,000 infections. Florida reported more than 12,000 new cases on Monday - more than all of Europe combined. Nearly 60,000 Americans tested positive in total on Sunday, although the daily death toll remained low, at 428, according to tracking by Johns Hopkins University. Both in hotspots like Florida, and nationwide, fatalities have turned slightly upward, but remain low as experts warn the spike in deaths may be yet to come. The sharp rise in cases in Florida comes as the state presses on with its reopening plan, including opening the gates to Disney World, which allowed tourists in for the first time in months over the weekend. Last week, the state hit a new high death toll, but its daily fatalities remain far lower than the numbers seen in New York when it was the pandemic's epicenter. Despite that somewhat encouraging shift, the US remains the worst-hit country in the world, with more than 3.3 million coronavirus cases and more than 135,000 deaths. Florida smashed its previous record number of coronavirus cases on Sunday, reporting more than 15,000 new positive tests (far right; data for Monday not yet shown) Despite the steep rise in coronavirus cases in Florida, the number of daily deaths has continued to decline f HOW FLORIDA CASES COMPARE TO CASES ABROAD US: 3,346,246 BRAZIL: 1,864,681 INDIA: 878,254 RUSSIA: 732,547 PERU: 330,123 CHILE: 317,657 MEXICO; 299,750 UK: 291,685 FLORIDA: 278,667 Advertisement While newly diagnosed cases remain high in previous hotspots like Arizona and Texas, Florida is now indisputably the most concerning state in the nation. In Texas, where several counties saw their hospitals overwhelmed by coronavirus cases had fewer than 8,800 new cases diagnosed Sunday, compared to Florida's 15,300. Similar patterns to those seen in Texas are emerging in Florida. Hospitals in Miami-Dade County are now approaching capacity as coronavirus threatens to flood the healthcare system. Stockpiles of remdesivir, the only antiviral drug shown to help coronavirus patients recover more quickly, are dwindling in Florida, leaving some hospitals in the state with no effective treatments for their patients. Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo offered to send one day's worth of the medication to Florida. The small shipment was enough to treat 280 patients and act as a stopgap for Florida on Saturday, while the state was awaiting the delivery of remdesivir from the federal government. Florida Governor Rick DeSantis said that he had personally secured the new supply of the antiviral from President Trump, after vehemently denying that the state needed assistance from New York. But doctors there tell a different story. 'It's been very frustrating,' Dr Eliot Godofsky, an infectious disease specialist in Bradenton, South Florida, told the Sun-Sentinel. Despite the record-breaking rise in coronavirus cases, Florida beaches were crowded last weekend, with few masks in sight 'Patients suffer and you just feel terrible.' So far, nearly 4,300 Floridians have died of coronavirus, and its fatality rate has hovered just below 20 per 100,000 residents. That's below the rate seen in Arizona, where about 30 people per 100,000 residents have died of the virus. Massachusetts's outbreak has been relatively under control, with less than 300 new cases diagnosed each day for all of July, but its fatality rate soared much higher than either Florida's or Arizona's, with 120 people dying per 10,000. Arizona's rapid increase in coronavirus cases has experts holding their breath for a subsequent rise in deaths California's death rate is comparable to Florida's, with 17.6 coronavirus deaths per 100,000 residents, while hard-hit but populous Texas has only about 10 coronavirus deaths per 100,000. In part, the diverging patterns in cases and deaths - the steep rise in cases, but stable, relatively low number of deaths - across the nation and in many states reflects the massive ramp up of testing. Florida is now testing several times more people for coronavirus each day than New York was at the height of its crisis. But experts warn that an uptick in fatalities may be yet to come, both in individual states like Florida and across the US. North carolina is being eyed as an emerging coronavirus hotspot new daily infections and hospitalizations climb Idaho still has a low number of infections, but saw more than 400 new positive tests on Sunday. It has surpassed its previous peak of hospitalizations as well Estimates of lag times vary, but many experts have warned that mid-July could bring a rise in fatalities. Modelers have projected that by that same time, Florida may be seeing as many as 20,000 new cases a day. Emerging hotspots are also being closely watched as well. Louisiana has now surpassed its first case peak. On Sunday, more than 2,000 people there tested positive. North Carolina, too, is facing a growing crisis. It too saw more than 2,000 new cases on Sunday, and doctors are concerned that remdesivir may run out there too. July 13 : While film and television actors were slowly resuming shooting on the sets amid unlock 2, some of them have tested COVID-19 positive. After Amitabh Bachchan and his family tested positive for the virus, Star Plus TV serial Kasautii Zindagii Kay actor Parth Samthaan has also tested positive of COVID-19. Parth took to his Instagram handle and informed his fans and followers that he has been tested COVID-19 positive with mild symptoms, and has been self-quarantined at home. The actor asked everyone who had come in close proximity with him to get tested. On hearing Parths health condition, Ekta Kapoor, the producer of Kasautii Zindagii Kay, cancelled the shoot of the show for three days and the studio has been sanitised thoroughly. The studio has been sealed as well. The cast and crew of the show had just started filming post unlock 2. Due to the current health condition of Parth Samthaan we will not be proceeding with the #KomebackSerialsKa LIVE activity of #KasautiiZindagiiKay tomorrow at 8pm on @DisneyPlusHS. Our sincere apologies to the fans StarPlus (@StarPlus) July 12, 2020 Star Plus also took to the social media and informed its viewers that due to Parths current health condition, Kasautii Zindagii Kay will not be telecast from today, till shoots resume again after Parth recovers. The shoot of the TV series Kumkum Bhagya, Kundali Bhagya and Pavitra Bhagya were also stalled because they were all shot in the same studio. Ekta Kapoor took to her Instagram handle and wrote Get well soon Parth! @the_parthsamthaan Kasauti... is waiting for its Hero! She also shared a teaser of Parths upcoming web series Mein Hero Boll Raha Hoon. Billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya recently explained why the thinks New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is both interesting and spectacular. In a series of Twitter posts last month, the CEO and founder of tech holding company Social Capital lashed out at President Donald Trump while vowing to send money to Democrats an amount he pegged at over $750,000. At that time, he also endorsed the polarizing freshman Congresswoman from Queens, also known as AOC. I love @AOC - she will be President one day. Ill be there for her when shes ready. Chamath Palihapitiya (@chamath) June 24, 2020 Over the weekend, Ocasio-Cortez waded into a new controversy by describing New York Citys spiking crime rate as a consequence of unemployed workers trying to feed their families. In a recent interview with Yahoo Finance, Palihapitiya explained his thinking on the evolution of the major parties, and why he considers AOC a wonderful politician. "I spend a lot of time trying to understand where the parties are going. And I think what's happening is that the Republican Party is going to get torn apart because of people's affiliation or lack of affiliation with Donald Trump, said the 43-year-old investor, who grew up in Canada in an immigrant family on welfare. Similarly, I think the Democrats are too beholden to a, you know, a gerontocracy class that's, frankly, fading away. It's the reason they lost the election. And I think people are very perceptive of that," the billionaire added. The reason AOC is interesting is that "she represents a standard-bearer of the movement in the left." He also thinks there will be "standard-bearers, young, dynamic leaders, in the right that do the same thing." And what that's going to do is actually create a movement among centrists, he added. Story continues The swinging pendulum Palihapitiya, who has no party affiliation and prides himself on independence, believes what's happening currently is a disintegration of both the Democratic and Republican parties, and "broadly speaking, that disintegration is a really good thing." When these standard-bearers, like Ocasio-Cortez, emerge from within both the Democratic and Republican parties, and "those two poles exist at scale," it creates "an opportunity for somebody down the middle to unify the country." Meanwhile, what AOC represents is something really unique and special. I also think I would say the same thing about a Republican, a young, dynamic personality who has a modern view of economic theory and social programs, which is sorely needed," Palihapitiya added. At the moment, he explained, the pendulum is "swinging toward progressives, and then it'll swing back to centrism." The latter is where most of the good will be done. But I think AOC is spectacular," he added. SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 19: Founder/CEO of Social Capital, Chamath Palihapitiya, speaks onstage during "The State of the Valley: Wheres the Juice?" at the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on October 19, 2016 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Vanity Fair) According to Palihapitiya, "politicians at their best are 'do no harm' because the real things that move society forward are incentives. And incentives are best designed by people who are experts of policy, not experts of politics." What that means is the U.S. is in need of a bipartisan political class who just get out of the way, and who don't make things worse, and who allow us to do what we're all capable of doing, which is taking care of ourselves and fending for ourselves and, at the edges... design incentives so that we can take care of ourselves in a more humane and thoughtful way," he added. In the midst of a heated debate over what capitalism needs to do to better society, Palihapitiya made a case for the need to create incentives for a more accountable form of capitalism, more progressive form of capitalism can actually make money for shareholders but return more value to people. Julia La Roche is a Correspondent for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter. An incomplete count could cost the city its fair share of that funding, the report found. Missing just one person in the city could reduce education funding by $2,295, and job training by $281. By the citys estimate, it receives some $1 billion a year in federal aid that is based in, or guided by, census data. That funding comes in the form of education funding for low-income students and children with disabilities, child care funding and rental aid for low-income families; any loss in federal funding would be critical at a time when the pandemic has caused the citys revenues to plummet. The census has electoral repercussions, too. Officials fear a potential undercount, coupled with New Yorks declining population, could cost the state two congressional seats. New York City officials say its unfair, however, to compare the citys current response rates to 2010, because there was no global pandemic, and this years exercise will have a longer period to collect questionnaires. Also, the U.S. Census Bureau has yet to massage these self-response rates to account for vacant apartments, which is likely to send the numbers higher. All that being said, it seems clear that the coronavirus-driven flight from New York has affected the census response rate; the Upper East Side, for example, had a nearly 71 percent self-response rate in 2010, significantly higher than the citywide average of about 62 percent. Despite the challenges of this years census versus one 10 years ago, the 2010 rate is the best that is publicly available to use as a benchmark at this time, said Steven Romalewski, director of the City University of New York Mapping Service, which develops maps for census stakeholders. The pandemic has prompted census outreach workers to adjust their tactics, especially in trying to reach undocumented immigrants and residents in illegal housing, who may be fearful of sharing information with the government. In the heavily immigrant neighborhoods of North Corona and East Elmhurst, outreach workers have approached New Yorkers while they wait in lines at food distribution sites, for example. Subscriber content preview The city of Seattle will provide $2.1 million to buy land for the future home of the Food Innovation Center adjacent to the Rainier Beach light rail station, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Friday. . . . A motorist has joked about how to avoid being identified as a Victorian during the state's second coronavirus wave. The driver filmed himself using tape to cover the 'VIC' on his number plate as the state combats 1612 active cases. A video posted to TikTok shows him taping over the left side of his registration plate as a joke. Victorian man videoed himself using black electrical tape to cover the VIC on his number plate (pictured) in response to the state's skyrocketing COVID-19 cases 'Try working in NSW right now with a plate that says "Victoria State! The Education State" I feel like people are going to make a citizen's arrest!' one TikTok user replied. 'I literally love how everyone hates us now because of how high our numbers are,' another joked. 'As a Victorian why do I find this so damn funny,' a third user added. Meanwhile on Monday Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed 177 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Victoria overnight. Premier Andrews said one of the cases is a returned traveller in hotel quarantine, 25 are connected to known outbreaks and 151 remain under investigation. Victoria now has 1612 active cases, with 72 people in hospital and 17 of those in intensive care. The new figure comes after the state experienced consecutive days of case numbers exceeding 200. Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said he had a 'bit of optimism' looking at Monday's numbers but he would like to see a week of decreasing numbers. 'I'm not going to be complacent about today's number. It's great it's lower than our peak. But it may not be our peak yet,' he said. SenseTime Builds AI Computing Platform in Shanghai Amid New Infrastructure Push By Ding Yi / Jul 13, 2020 12:49 PM / Business & Tech Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) specialist SenseTime has started construction of a new-generation AI computing platform in Shanghai in a bid to contribute to the city becoming a global AI powerhouse. The platform will feature mass data processing engines, a deep learning training framework, and a task-scheduling system for heterogeneous computing, the firm said in a WeChat post last week. Heterogeneous computing refers to systems that use more than one kind of processor. These systems improve performance not just by adding the same type of processors, but by adding dissimilar coprocessors, usually incorporating specialized processing capabilities to handle particular tasks. The platform aims to improve the usage efficiency of computing power and the iteration efficiency of original algorithms, and will provide services to other cities in the Yangtze River Delta, the company added. SenseTime claims to have established AI computing platforms in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore. Recently, the Hong Kong-headquartered company announced plans to build an open-source platform for AI algorithms. The platform is also part of Shanghais broader plans to invest in new infrastructure, which refers to infrastructure projects that support tech-based developments, according to Zhang Ying, deputy head of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization. In China, new infrastructure has increasingly become a buzzword for tech firms when they are trying to sell their investment ideas. Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu, for example, have all pledged huge investment in new infrastructure projects related to AI, cloud computing and data centers. Contact reporter Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com) Related: Chinas State Grid Pledges $3.5 Billion Investment in Digital Infrastructure This Year By Online Desk The Congress on Monday said its doors remain open for Sachin Pilot, the rebel leader who claimed that he has the support of over 30 party MLAs in the state's 200-member assembly. "Doors are open for Sachin Pilot and other MLAs," senior leader Randeep Surjewala told reporters here ahead of a crucial meeting of party MLAs. The Congress Legislature Party meeting began about three hours later than scheduled, with ministers and MLAs flashed victory signs for the cameras. The Congress said 109 MLAs have already expressed support for Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, rejecting the claim by Deputy Chief Minister and the party's state unit president Sachin Pilot that the senior leader does not have the majority. About 100 MLAs had walked into the chief minister's residence by 12.30 pm, an hour before the meeting actually started. But some MLAs considered close to Pilot had not arrived till then. These included G R Khatana, Harish Meena, Ramesh Meena, Vishvendra Singh, Ved Prakash, Mukesh Bhakar and Ramnivas Gawriya Striking a conciliatory note at a press conference, Surjewala said the MLAs who have not yet turned up in Jaipur can call Avinash Pande, the AICC general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan. He said the party's top leadership spoke to Pilot several times in the last 72 hours. Surjewala said differences in a family can be resolved within the family, suggesting that Pilot and other MLAs should come and discuss grievances at party forums. "When a member of the family gets annoyed, he does not make the family fall but sits with family members and resolves the issue," he said. "Doors are open for Sachin Pilot and other MLAs. They will be heard and solutions will be found." ALSO READ | Pilot vs Gehlot: Rajasthan Congress leaders question timing of I-T raids The Congress had rushed Pande, Surjewala and Ajay Maken to Jaipur as observers at the meeting, amid a power tussle between its two Rajasthan leaders. "This is the discipline of the party," the AICC spokesperson said. The Congress had rushed Pande, Surjewala and Ajay Maken to Jaipur as observers at the meeting, amid a power tussle between its two Rajasthan leaders. Pilot, who is also the president of the state unit of the party, on Tuesday night claimed he has the support of 30 MLAs and the Gehlot government is now in minority. Surjewala said the Congress government in the state is stable and in majority. Surjewala targeted Prime minister Narendra Modi, Union Home minister Amit Shah for the Income Tax raids on the premises of some people linked to the Congress in Rajasthan. He said the Income Tax department, Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation are the BJP's "frontal departments", but such raids will not topple the government. The claim has been rejected by the Congress. The party says 109 MLAs have already expressed support for Gehlot. Meanwhile, a meeting comprising of all Congress MLAs pledging their support to the state government, took place in Jaipur. Over 80 MLAs reached Gehlot's residence, the venue of the meeting. State party in-charge Pandey had earlier claimed that 109 MLAs have so far signed letters of support for Ashok Gehlot to continue as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Meanwhile, Pilot had it made it clear yesterday that he will not attend the meeting and in statement issued on Sunday he had claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government was in minority as more than 30 Congress and some independent legislators have pledged support to him. Over 90 MLAs at Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's residence in Jaipur, for Congress Legislative Party meeting. The meeting has started: Sources. pic.twitter.com/QrnxjQxUKb ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2020 Reacting to the development, senior BJP leader and National Vice President Om Mathur said that Congress is facing difficulties to retain their position of power in Rajasthan due to internal infighting and is instead blaming the opposition for it. He also added that should there be any trouble in the power balance there, BJP is all set to form the new government. Meanwhile, IT raids have reportedly been coducted at the houses of a dozen minor Congress leaders and supporters of the party in Rajasthan. Most prominent names include, Rajiv Arora who is also a jeweller and close friend of CM Ashok Gehlot and Dharmendra Rathore who is a businessman in Jodhpur. Officials said the raids have been launched early morning in Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai and Kota. PL Punia, AICC General Secretary In-charge of Chhattisgarh, tweets clarification on his statement, Sachin Pilot is now in BJP pic.twitter.com/rq54wpQsFf ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2020 At least 80 tax sleuths apart from police officials are part of the action, they said. They said the department initiated action on the basis of inputs of huge cash transactions taking place and the business group's alleged links to these transactions. ALSO READ | Sachin Pilot is a 'sincere Congressman', won't quit the party: DK Shivakumar Another entity in Rajasthan is also being searched, they said. Official sources did not comment on reports claiming that the searches were linked to the current political crisis in the state. In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72. The Congress has the support of 10 out of 13 independents, and other party MLAs like Rashtriya Lok Dal (1), which is its ally. The Congress also considers Bhartiya Tribal Party (2) and CPI(M) (2) MLAs as their supporters. BJP ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) has three MLAs in the assembly. (With ENS, PTI inputs) France's first lady Brigitte Macron decided against wearing a face mask as she marked Bastille Day alongside the French president in Paris tonight. The French First lady, 67, was accompanying her husband President Emmanuel Macron, 42, who was addressing the French Military Forces at the Hotel de Brienne. While his wife opted out, the French head of state donned a white mask while delivering his address, and kept his distance from staff and attendees after arriving at the hotel. Macron was addressing the forces ahead of Bastille Day, which marks a pivotal date of the French revolution of 1789. Due to the coronavirus, the annual parade will be tame, with access to the Eiffel Towers, where masses usually congregate to watch a fireworks display, banned. Brigitte Macron decided against wearing a mask during an official event on the eve of Bastille Day in Paris. The French First lady, 67, was accompanying her husband President Emmanuel Macron, 42, who was addressing the French Military Forces at the Hotel de Brienne in Paris Upon arriving, Emmanuel Macron, who was then not wearing a mask, kept his distance from staff and attendees As the presidential couple made their way to the Hotel de Brienne tonight, Brigitte stunned in a navy blue fitted dress and chic block heels. The First Lady did not wear a mask but donned a pair of sunglasses. She stood solemnly during her husband's address to represented of the armed forces who where wearing masks around her. Brigitte accessorised her simple and effective look with some silver bracelets and a silver watch. The French lady ditched the mask as she listened to her husband's address to the armed forces Brigitte was not wearing a mask, but sunglasses. She listened as Macron thanked the French military forces for their efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic Emmanuel Macron looked smart in a navy blue suit, which he wore with a crisp white shirt. Tradition sees French presidents address the French armed forces every year on July 13, ahead of Bastille Day. This year, and after months battling the coronavirus pandemic, Macron thanked them for their services, saying they had 'contributed to the collective effort' against the virus, France TV Info reported. The French first lady stood solemnly during her husband's address. This year, Bastille Day celebrations had to be cancelled or modify to avoid the risk to spread the coronavirus As France gears up for Bastille Day, sanitary measures have been taken in the French capital to limit the spread of the coronavirus, two months after the country lifted its tight lockdown. The usual military parade taking place every year on the Champs-Elysees was cancelled and replaced by a static ceremony which will honour medical staff. The event will take place on the Place de la Concorde with 2000 participants - half less than last year's celebration. The fireworks. which usually lighten the French capital on the evening of celebrations, have also been cancelled and access to the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadero square have been restricted to the public. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riska Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 14 2020 The State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry is planning to restructure state-owned insurance company PT Asuransi Jiwasrayas policies before carrying them over to a new company and dissolving the ailing insurer. Deputy Minister Kartika Tiko Wirjoatmodjo said the ministry made a proposal to the House of Representatives to restructure all of Jiwasrayas life insurance policies. Should the House agree to the scheme, the ministry will instruct state-owned insurance holding firm PT Bahana Pembangunan Usaha Indonesia (BPUI) to start negotiations with policyholders in August. The negotiations are expected to conclude in December 2021. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Five human passengers and a dog were on a boating trip when something went wrong, and the boat started taking on water. The U.S. Coast Guard responded, and fortunately the group was transported safely to dry land. The group set sail on the morning of July 1 in Saginaw Bay, near Lake Huron, in a 52-foot Chris-Craft boat but soon ran into trouble. They were roughly 1.5 miles northwest of Spark Plug Light, reported Michigan Live. The owner of the boat then called Bay County Central Dispatch to send help. The boat became halfway submerged when the Detroit and Station Saginaw River Coast Guard arrived on the scene. All five passengers had donned life jackets, but one person had fallen in the water. (Illustration Sundry Photography/Shutterstock) When we arrived on scene, there was already [a woman] in the water getting smashed against the boat from the waves, explained Boatswains Mate Second Class Adam Voigt. When we got there, we quickly realized there was no saving the boat, he continued. [W]e had to get [the woman] out of the water and the rest of the people off of the boat before it went down. The Coast Guard tossed a line to the overboard passenger and pulled her aboard their 45-foot rescue ship. The four remaining passengers and their German shepherd dog were then lifted to safety from the sinking vessel before heading for Bay Harbor Marina in Bay City. A lot of them were in shock, Voigt recalled, adding that one passenger was slipping in and out of consciousness. They were very nervous. It was difficult to get them to calm down and help themselves. Nonetheless, none of the passengers requested medical care. The cause of the accident remains unknown. The boats owner, speaking to Voigt, simply recalled water flooding the bow in the lower decks. The bow started getting lower and lower in the water before they noticed, Voigt said. Salvage crews arrived the next day, on July 2, to organize the removal of the submerged boat from Saginaw Bay. The two most important things these survivors did was put on their life jackets and accurately relay their position to rescue authorities, said Lieutenant Junior Grade Jeremiah Schiessel in a news release. It was not the only privately owned boat to sink in Michigan waters in recent weeks. On June 19, the Sault Sainte Marie Coast Guard responded to a distress call from a 30-foot boat taking on water and launched a rescue helicopter out of Traverse City. The 10 people aboard the boat were forced to abandon ship before help arrived, 9 and 10 News reported. Fortunately, no passengers were injured. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc The onset of hotter weather have helped lift natural gas prices by more than 25% since late June, when they hit their lowest level since 1995. With the commodity being the primary U.S. power plant fuel, firms in natural gas business are set to benefit from the bump in cooling demand. Supportive Weather Record heat has descended on most of the country and is expected to last for the bulk of July, Tudor Pickering Holt & Co. analysts say. The recent spike in summer heat translates into the burning of more gas to feed higher electricity consumption for air-conditioning. According to the EIA's latest Short Term Energy Outlook, natural gas share of electricity generation would rise to 41% this year from 37% in 2019. Therefore, as Americans crank up their air conditioning to combat hotter-than-normal weather, companies in the natural gas industry stand to make more money. This should also significantly reduce the current inventory surplus that remain bloated due to a combination of weak consumption from warmer-than-expected winter 2019-2020, coronavirus-induced drop off in usage and a dip in volumes flowing to LNG export plants. As of Jul 3, natural gas stockpiles held in underground storage in the lower 48 states stands at 3.133 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) - 685 Bcf (28%) above 2019 levels at this time and 454 Bcf (16.9%) over the five-year average. With weather models suggesting continuation of this warming trend over the next few weeks, the storage surplus is expected to shrink that should push prices even higher from the current level of around $1.8 per MMBtu. This bodes well for companies that develop and sell natural gas. Other Positives The novel coronavirus outbreak remains a big catalyst for balancing the natural gas market. Analysts believe that the brake in skyrocketing shale oil production growth tied to the crude price collapse - will also limit associated gas output, thereby cutting the massive supply glut. As a proof of the impending supply drop, the EIA expects that the United States will churn out 89.2 billion cubic feet a day (Bcf/d) of dry natural gas this year, down from the 2019 average of 92.2 Bcf/d. The U.S. natural gas rig count, an indicator of future production, also points to the same. According to Baker Hughes BKR, the gas rig count continues to decline, recently falling to a record low of 75 in the second week of July, down from 172 a year ago Play the Rise in Gas Prices with These Quality Names Scorching hot weather forecasts across the lower 48 over the next few weeks are likely to spur natural gas demand for cooling, and therefore prices, at least for the near term. The upward trend should aid gas-weighted producers. While adding these stocks to your portfolio looks prudent, picking winning stocks may be difficult. Here, Zacks proprietary methodology comes in handy. Our research shows that stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) offer good investment opportunities. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. . The Zacks Rank is a reliable tool that helps you trade with confidence regardless of your trading style and risk tolerance. To learn more about how you can use this proven system for market-beating gains, visit Zacks Rank Education. We have narrowed down our search to the following stocks: SilverBow Resources, Inc. SBOW: A pure play upstream operator in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, SilverBow Resources is a natural gas-focused E&P company. The #1 Ranked firm has 165,000 net acres in the Eagle Ford and has surpassed estimates in two of the last four quarters, the average being 53.1%. Of SilverBows total output, 79% comprises natural gas. Range Resources Corporation RRC: The company, with a Zacks Rank of 2, has a strong footing in the prolific Appalachian Basin. In the gas-rich resource, the upstream firm has huge inventories of low-risk drilling sites that are likely to provide production for several decades. About 70% of the companys total output is natural gas. Over 30 days, Range Resources has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2020 increase 15%. Gulfport Energy Corporation GPOR: The company's asset base primarily focused on natural gas is concentrated in the Utica Shale of Ohio and the SCOOP play in Oklahoma. Gulfport has a combined inventory in excess of 3,000 gross drilling locations in its two primary plays. Of Gulfports total output, nearly 90% comprises natural gas. The Zacks #2 Ranked company surpassed estimates in three of the last four quarters, the average being 31.3%. We also present two companies, each carrying Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), that investors should watch out for. EQT Corporation EQT: EQT is primarily an explorer and producer of natural gas, with primary focus on the Appalachian Basin in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Notably, in terms of average daily sales volumes, EQT Corp is the largest natural gas producer in the domestic market. Approximately 95% of EQTs production is natural gas. Comstock Resources, Inc. CRK: Comstock is a leading operator in the Haynesville shale a premier natural gas basin - with 307,000 net acres. About 98% of the companys total output is natural gas. Today's Best Stocks from Zacks Would you like to see the updated picks from our best market-beating strategies? From 2017 through 2019, while the S&P 500 gained and impressive +53.6%, five of our strategies returned +65.8%, +97.1%, +118.0%, +175.7% and even +186.7%. This outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. From 2000 2019, while the S&P averaged +6.0% per year, our top strategies averaged up to +54.7% per year. See their latest picks free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Comstock Resources, Inc. (CRK) : Free Stock Analysis Report EQT Corporation (EQT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Range Resources Corporation (RRC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Gulfport Energy Corporation (GPOR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Baker Hughes Company (BKR) : Free Stock Analysis Report SilverBow Resources Inc. (SBOW) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. To the Editor: I was dismayed to read the recent article about the governor delaying plans for full reopening of bars. The story explained the impact COVID-19 is having across the country. I watched my uncle die as his kidneys failed. Although the virus rate has slowed in Connecticut, Im particularly concerned that cases may spike again in our region, as it means many kidney patients have an increased chance of dying from COVID-19. Coronavirus is adding to the ranks of the 37 million Americans adults affected by kidney disease, as some COVID-19-survivors develop acute kidney injury, a condition which could cause permanent damage. Increased incidence of kidney disease may end up becoming the secret legacy of COVID-19, at a time when the federal budget is not prepared to address this tidal wave of need. Despite research which shows that early detection and intervention can slow or stop the progression of kidney disease, the federal government spends almost nothing on kidney health initiatives. At the same time, Medicare spends more than $120 billion annually 24 percent of its budget on patients with kidney failure. Why is our budget allocated to only addressing the end, when money should be spent on awareness and prevention? Taxpayers would be better served if the federal government allocated funding to awareness, prevention, and early intervention so patients would not advance to kidney failure when they require expensive dialysis or a transplant to survive. Im calling on our federal lawmakers to prioritize funding to address kidney health in the coming fiscal year. In the wake of COVID-19, the need is greater than ever for kidney patients, their families, and the professionals who care for them. William Prevatte, Middletown A US federal judge issued an injunction delaying what would have been the first federal execution in 17 years, scheduled for later in the day, thwarting at least for now the Trump administration's goal of reviving capital punishment at the federal level. Judge Tanya Chutkan of the US district court in Washington on Monday, local time, ordered the US Department of Justice to delay four executions scheduled for July and August to allow continuation of the condemned men's legal challenges against a new lethal injection protocol announced in 2019. Daniel Lewis Lee was due to be executed later on Monday, hours after the judge's ruling. Credit:AP "The scientific evidence before the court overwhelmingly indicates that the 2019 Protocol is very likely to cause Plaintiffs extreme pain and needless suffering during their executions," Chutkan wrote in her order. She said the inmates were likely to succeed in their claim that the new one-drug protocol using pentobarbital, a powerful barbiturate, breached a constitutional ban on "cruel and unusual" punishments. Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has outlined the reasoning behind South Africas new lockdown regulations, which include a ban on alcohol and the mandatory wearing of masks. Speaking at a media briefing on 13 July 2020, Dlamini-Zuma said that the reintroduction of the alcohol ban was done to combat the accelerating spread of the virus. She acknowledged that South Africa previously opened up various sectors of the economy as the number of cases continued to increase. We were forced to do that because of our unique situation where we had to balance saving lives and saving livelihoods, Dlamini-Zuma said. We have allowed a lot of economic activities precisely for that balance. Dlamini-Zuma stressed that wearing a cloth mask or other face covering was now mandatory, and she conveyed the importance of social distancing for combatting the spread of the virus in South Africa. Social distancing still remains important and it is also all of our responsibilities, not just one persons responsibility that social distancing is kept. We should avoid activities that lend themselves to not keeping to those responsibilities; that is why social gatherings are still not allowed, she said. Why alcohol is banned Dlamini-Zuma explained that the sale of alcohol resulted in behaviours which conflicted with these responsibilities, and that was one reason why it has been banned. Alcohol will not be sold and it should not be transported, and this is very important because when people are drinking in groups, they let their guard down. She said that in these cases, people will not continue to wear their masks or observe social distancing, resulting in a higher risk of the virus spreading. We have seen it in many instances. The way alcohol brings people together, it discourages people from wearing masks, social distancing, and sanitising, Dlamini-Zuma said. When people have taken liquor, they get drunk some become violent, start fighting, killing each other, or even at home they become violent. These people then have to be rushed to hospital, she said, which results in them taking up a bed which should be used to treat those who are seriously ill with COVID-19. Dlamini-Zuma added that when South Africans encounter others who are still selling alcohol, they should tell them to stop or threaten to call the police. It should be our responsibility when we see somebody still selling alcohol to say to that person: Dont sell alcohol, otherwise we will call the police.' Read more about the new lockdown regulations and their penalties in our article on the topic. Now read: New level 3 lockdown rules and the penalties for breaking them The World Health Organisation has reported a record single day increase in global coronavirus cases, with the total rising by 230,370 in just 24 hours. The biggest increases were from the United States, Brazil, India and South Africa, according to a daily report on Sunday. The previous WHO record for new cases was 228,102 on July 10. Deaths remained steady at about 5000 a day. Global coronavirus cases were approaching 13 million on Sunday, according to a Reuters tally, marking another milestone in the spread of the disease that has killed more than 565,000 people in seven months. Disney World reopens despite Floridas record In the US, Florida reported the largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases in any part of the country since the beginning of the pandemic, with 15,000 infections. But that hasnt stopped Disney World in Orlando from reopening its doors on Saturday. People queue to get into Disney World. Source: Getty Images Walt Disney Co welcomed a limited number of guests to its two most popular parks at the sprawling Orlando complex, the world's most-visited theme park resort, with a host of safety measures designed to reassure visitors and reduce the chances of catching the sometimes deadly virus. Executives felt confident they had a responsible plan for reopening in phases during the pandemic, Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney's parks, experiences and products division, said. "This is the new world that we're operating in, and I don't see that changing anytime soon," Mr D'Amaro said in an interview after he greeted guests and workers at the park. Disney's reopening of parks in Asia helped provide assurance about moving ahead in Florida, he added. Disneyland Shanghai opened in May, followed by the Disneyland parks in Hong Kong and Tokyo in June and July, respectively. "I feel really good about our environment," Mr D'Amaro said. "We're taking this seriously." Florida didn't just break the record for reported cases. It also shattered the mark for cases per million population. New York, at peak, hit 595. Today, Florida reported 712 cases per million. Arkansas also entered the 500+ tier, where we've only seen FL, AZ, and LA. pic.twitter.com/KeQmHMA9as The COVID Tracking Project (@COVID19Tracking) July 12, 2020 The company did not say how many people entered Disney World on Saturday but Mr D'Amaro said he saw "really good demand" for reservations in the short term and into 2021. Story continues At the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, the two parks that reopened Saturday, guests and employees wore face masks, underwent temperature screenings and were told to social distance everywhere from streets to rides. Plexiglass separated rows in lines, and ground markings indicated where people should stand. Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, the two other Walt Disney World parks, are scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, local time. The US as a whole has registered about 60,000 new cases a day for the last four days in a row. Cases surge across the globe India registered a record surge of 28,637 cases reported in the past 24 hours. Local authorities announced a week-long lockdown beginning on Tuesday in the key southern technology hub of Bangalore, where the offices of top tech companies like Microsoft, Apple and Amazon are located. Cases jumped from 600,000 to more than 800,000 in nine days. People are packing Indias public hospitals as many are unable to afford private ones that generally uphold higher standards of care. Crews outside Greenacres Hospital in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Source: Getty Images Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged top officials to improve infection testing and tracking, especially in states with high positivity rates. South Africa has reported more than 10,000 new daily cases for several days in a row, including 13,497 new infections announced on Saturday night, local time. Romania announced a record-high number of infections on Saturday, with 698, while 456 new cases were reported on Sunday. Travellers are tested at Greek Bulgarian borders of Promahonas Kulata as they enter Greece for holidays. Source: Getty Images Bulgarian authorities reintroduced restrictions lifted a few weeks ago because of a new surge in cases, with indoor facilities at nightclubs and discos ordered to close and weddings and baptisms limited to 30 people while sporting events can be held only without spectators. Albania has recorded a significant increase in infections since mid-May, when it eased lockdown measures. The Balkan country reported 93 new cases, more than twice as many as the highest daily figures in March and April, and the health ministry called the situation at the main infectious disease hospital "grave". with Reuters and The Associated Press Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd. has developed the world's first AI technology that accurately captures essential features, including the distribution and probability of high-dimensional data in order to improve the accuracy of AI detection and judgment. High-dimensional data, which includes communications networks access data, types of medical data, and images remain difficult to process due to its complexity, making it a challenge to obtain the characteristics of the target data. Until now, this made it necessary to use techniques to reduce the dimensions of the input data using deep learning, at times causing the AI to make incorrect judgments. Fujitsu has combined deep learning technology with its expertise in image compression technology, cultivated over many years, to develop an AI technology that makes it possible to optimise the processing of high-dimensional data with deep learning technology, and to accurately extract data features. It combines information theory used in image compression with deep learning, optimising the number of dimensions to be reduced in high-dimensional data and the distribution of the data after the dimension reduction by deep learning. Akira Nakagawa, (Associate fellow) of Fujitsu Laboratories commented: "This represents an important step to addressing one of the key challenges in the AI field in recent years: capturing the probability and distribution of data. We believe that this technology will contribute to performance improvements for AI, and we're excited about the possibility of applying this knowledge to improve a variety of AI technologies." Details of this technology was presented at the International Conference on Machine Learning "ICML 2020 (International Conference on Machine Learning 2020)" on Sunday, July 12. DEVELOPMENT BACKGROUND In recent years, there has been a surge in demand for AI-driven big data analysis in various business fields. AI is also expected to help support the detection of anomalies in data to reveal things like unauthorised attempts to access networks or abnormalities in medical data for thyroid values or arrhythmia data. Data used in many business operations is high-dimensional data. As the number of dimensions of data increases, the complexity of calculations required to accurately characterise the data increases exponentially, a phenomenon is widely known as the "Curse of Dimensionality". In recent years, a method of reducing the dimensions of input data using deep learning has been identified as a promising candidate for helping to avoid this problem. However, since the number of dimensions is reduced without considering the data distribution and probability of occurrence after the reduction, the characteristics of the data have not been accurately captured, and the recognition accuracy of the AI is limited and misjudgment can occur. Solving these problems and accurately acquiring the distribution and probability of high-dimensional data remain important issues in the AI field. Fujitsu tested the new technology against benchmarks for detecting data abnormalities in different fields, including communication access data distributed by the International Society for Data Mining "Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD)", thyroid gland numerical data and arrhythmia data distributed by the University of California, Irvine. The newly developed technology successfully achieved the world's highest accuracy in all data with up to a 37% improvement over conventional deep-learning-based error rates. Since this technology solves one of the fundamental challenges in the field of AI, which is how to accurately capture the characteristics of data, it is expected to prove an important development to unlocking a wide range of new applications.-- Tradearabia News Service Export turnover in the first half was down 1 per cent which is still a historical first According to statistics published by the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the export turnover shrank by $121.21 billion, down 1.1 per cent on-year, 34 per cent of which came from domestic enterprises, up 11.7 per cent, while foreign-invested enterprises made up 66 per cent, down 6.7 per cent. In June only, the export turnover was estimated at $21 billion, up 9.5 per cent compared to the month prior, while the figure for the second quarter declined by 9 per cent on-year. 22 sectors acquired export value upwards of $1 billion, making up 81.2 per cent of the total export turnover. The United States was the largest export market of Vietnam in the first half with an increase of 10.3 per cent on-year. The runners-up were China (up 17.4 per cent) and the EU (down 8.8 per cent). Regarding import turnover, the total value was estimated at $117.17 billion, down 3 per cent on-year. Domestic enterprises reported an increase of 0.1 per cent, while foreign-invested enterprises saw a trade deficit of 5.4 per cent. In June only, the import turnover was $20.5 billion, up 12.8 per cent on-month, while the second-quarter figure dropped by 9.1 per cent on-year. In spite of a 2.2 per cent decline on-year, China was the largest import market of Vietnam. Imports from the South Korean market decreased by 10 per cent, the ASEAN were down 12 per cent, and Japan were up 5.3 per cent. In stark contrast, the total import-export turnover in the first six months of 2019 was estimated at $245.48 billion, the highest ever level six-month figure.It is noteworthy that fruit and vegetable exports remained solid, with over $2 billion in this period. The General Department of Vietnam Customs claimed that much of the reduction in performance was due to the impact of COVID-19, which led to the restriction of trade and decrease in consumption, difficult customs clearance, disrupting about and operations at businesses, and a sharp decrease in goods consumption. Lagos SAN Femi Falana has threatened action against the publication of a news wire story naming him in the final report of a presidential panel probing the suspended EFCC chairman Ibrahim Magu on corruption allegation, According to the rights activist in pre-action letter, he ordered the Lagos-based newspaper to publish a retraction of the online story or face litigation. Falana denied receiving N28m from Magu, who is being investigated for corruption allegations by a special presidential panel. The newspapers story was based on the so-called final report of a prior presidential panel allegedly indicting Magu for being unable to account for the interest generated from N550bn cash recovered from 2015 to 2020. Falana, through his lawyer Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, stated in his letter the story was damning against my client because his entire career as a lawyer has been devoted to fighting human rights abuses and corruption in high and low place. In the circumstance, my immediate instruction is to demand that you acknowledge your wrongdoing, expressly admit that what you imputed against my client was false, and apologise for your unprofessionalism and the damage you have caused to him, he said. I do hope that you will, within the next 48 hours, comply with this gentlemanly request by publication on the front page of your newspaper. Failing compliance, my instruction is to issue a Writ in the tort of defamation in other to afford you an opportunity to prove what you imputed against his my clients character. The lawyer insisted the newspaper meant and intended to mean and convey to its readership that Magu allegedly used a bureau de change operator to pass the sum of N28m to Falana in an alleged money laundering scheme. Magu has been indicted in the report, and the story was exclusively published on the Nigerian newswire service. Nearly 100 PSNI officers have convictions, including for assault, harassment and firearm offences - accounting for almost half of the overall figure revealed in a probe by Sky News of UK police forces. However, two-thirds of the forces did not respond to Sky. The PSNI disclosed 99 serving officers had received criminal convictions while employed by the force, of which five were sergeants and the rest constables. Offences included death by common assault, harassment, possession of a firearm/drunk in charge of a firearm and breach of data protection, as well as driving-related offences such as grievous bodily injury by careless driving, driving with excess alcohol and excess speed. The figures were revealed by Sky, which made Freedom of Information requests to 45 police forces. The forces employ at least 211 officers and police community support officers (PCSOs) who have been convicted of criminal offences. However, the actual number is likely to be much higher as just a third of UK police forces disclosed how many of their serving officers had broken the law. Police Scotland and Greater Manchester Police were among those which did not respond, while North Wales Police said 20 officers and five PCSOs have criminal convictions. Policing Board member John Blair said: "This is a matter of concern to me and I am absolutely sure it will be a matter of concern to members of the public in relation to openness of policing and openness of accountability." The Alliance MLA added: "I'll be asking that a full report be brought to the Policing Board, or the appropriate board committee, for full consideration." The National Police Chiefs' Council insisted that having a criminal record has "never been an automatic bar to joining the police" and insisted officers are vetted "throughout their service", according to Sky News The Police Federation of Northern Ireland stressed the figures needed to be put into perspective, adding the officers concerned have been "dealt with by the courts and been the subject of rigorous internal disciplinary procedures". "The vast majority of our men and women are professional and dedicated officers who do their level best to safeguard our communities, often in most challenging circumstances," it said. "They are caring and compassionate and these figures, although infinitesimal in overall terms, take no account of their courage and dedication." The PSNI said it expects officers and staff to behave "professionally, ethically and with the utmost integrity at all times". "Any deviation from those standards is unacceptable and any conduct, whether on or off duty, which brings or is likely to bring discredit on the police service may be investigated in order to establish whether or not a breach of the code of ethics has occurred," it explained. Any code breach may result in a criminal investigation or Ombudsman probe, it added. Your browser does not support the video tag. Baytik Industrial Oasis, a high-specification industrial complex in Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP) has signed up leading real estate expert Savills to provide property, facilities management, marketing and leasing services for the facility. Spread over a 54,072 sq m area in the Salman Industrial City, Baytik Industrial Oasis, has become a hub for businesses looking to locate manufacturing and international services operations in the Middle East. It offers turnkey operations for businesses with all required infrastructure. Savills is a UK listed company providing an extensive range of residential and commercial real estate services across the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Founded in the UK in 1855, it currently boasts over 700 offices across the America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East. Announcing the appointment, Chairman Osama Al Khaja said: "As per the deal, Savills will be responsible for the exclusive property and FM, marketing and leasing services for Baytik Industrial Oasis." "We believe in providing a cordial business environment to attract international and regional establishments to Bahrain as well as providing opportunities for expansion and growth to local businesses. By partnering with the experienced team of Savills, we further strengthen our commitment to provide services of the highest professional standards to our tenants, who we always consider as our business partners. We welcome Savills on board and wish them best of luck," he stated. Al Khaja said Baytik Industrial Oasis has always strived to contribute towards the economic development of Bahrain and worked closely with Ministry of Industry and Commerce & Tourism, Bahrain International Investment Park, Economic Development Board, Bahrain Development Bank and other institutions and authorities. Commenting on the deal, Savills Head of Northern Gulf Harry Goodson-Wickes said: "Savills in Bahrain continues to see growth in demand for our services. We are an experienced regional team backed by global specialists and excited as we continue to expand on our services within Bahrain." "We are eager to provide the best in class to property services to local and international occupiers as we strengthen our relationship with Baytik Industrial Oasis, respected and established market leaders within the kingdom," stated Goodson-Wickes. "The management of business parks requires specific and unique expertise. Savills offers a comprehensive and methodical approach to address the requirements of both tenants and landlords. Savills has appointed a professional team with substantial experience within the region to manage and deliver world-class services for the daily management of Baytik Industrial Oasis," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Two people, a man and a woman, suffered injuries when the Cessna aircraft came down in a field close to Killimordaly GAA club in Co Galway at lunchtime on Saturday. The pair, both aged in their sixties, were taken to University College Hospital in Galway where they are being treated for their injuries. One was airlifted from the crash site and the other taken by ambulance. They had taken off from Rathcoole Aerodrome in Cork on Saturday morning to travel to Roscommon where the Tibohine Flying Club near Frenchpark were staging a fly-in to raise funds from Mayo/Roscommon Hospice. A spokesperson for the Tibohine Flying Club said he did not wish to comment on the incident in Galway but confirmed that the charity event had gone ahead as planned. Three inspectors from the Air Accident Investigation Unit attended the crash site on Saturday afternoon and the aircraft, which suffered considerable damage to the front, has been taken to their wreckage facility at Gormanstown in Co Meath. Fire crews from Athenry and Loughrea were among the emergency services which rushed to the scene and they doused the aircraft in foam. A Garda investigation has also been launched. The pilot of the Cessna had been in regular contact with air traffic control, confirming their location over Loughrea and also their estimated time in Roscommon shortly before contact was lost. An air traffic controller appealed for radio silence from other pilots as attempts were made to contact the Cessna. The alarm was raised when the aircraft came down in a farmers field a short distance from a road in Killimordaly and emergency services were quickly on the scene. NEW YORK, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Automotive Safety Market Research Report by Technology (Active Safety System and Passive Safety System), by On-Highway Vehicle (Bus, Light Commercial Vehicle, Passenger Car, and Truck), by Off-Highway Vehicle, by Electric Vehicle, by Product - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913457/?utm_source=PRN The Global Automotive Safety Market is expected to grow from USD 69,570.78 Million in 2019 to USD 119,023.17 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.36%. Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Automotive Safety to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: On the basis of Technology, the Automotive Safety Market is studied across Active Safety System and Passive Safety System. The Active Safety System further studied across Anti-Lock Braking System, Automatic Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Detection, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Electronic Stability Control, Forward-Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning System, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, and Traction Control System. The Passive Safety System further studied across Occupant Protection, Pedestrian Protection System, and Whiplash Protection System. On the basis of On-Highway Vehicle, the Automotive Safety Market is studied across Bus, Light Commercial Vehicle, Passenger Car, and Truck. On the basis of Off-Highway Vehicle, the Automotive Safety Market is studied across Agriculture Vehicle and Construction Vehicle. On the basis of Electric Vehicle, the Automotive Safety Market is studied across Battery Electric Vehicle, Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle, Hybrid Electric Vehicle, and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle. On the basis of Product, the Automotive Safety Market is studied across Hardware and Software. On the basis of Geography, the Automotive Safety Market is studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas region is studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The Asia-Pacific region is studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa region is studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. Company Usability Profiles: The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Automotive Safety Market including Autoliv, Continental, Delphi Automotive, Denso, Hyundai Mobis, Infineon, Magna, Mobileye, Robert Bosch, Valeo, and ZF Friedrichshafen. FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Automotive Safety Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape. Competitive Strategic Window: The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth. Cumulative Impact of COVID-19: COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market. The report provides insights on the following pointers: 1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on sulfuric acid offered by the key players 2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets 3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments 4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players 5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments The report answers questions such as: 1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Automotive Safety Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Automotive Safety Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Automotive Safety Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Automotive Safety Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Automotive Safety Market? 6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Automotive Safety Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913457/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) on Monday mulled ways to take up the issue of one-year-degrees with the HRD ministry, which has barred them from running such courses. Raising the issue jointly through the coordination forum of the IIMs, raising the matter separately with the HRD ministry and UGC or taking legal recourse, were all factored in the meeting according to people familiar with the development. There was a meeting attended by most IIM directors. The effort was to form a joint strategy to deal with the issue. There was some progress as many institutes felt that the issue could be taken jointly with the HRD ministry, probably through the coordination forum. It could be done even separately. In the meeting, the various aspects, including legal, were discussed, one of the persons told HT. However, it would take some more time before a final recourse is adopted, the person said. The HRD ministry had earlier informed the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) that they cannot offer one year post graduate degrees in management as they should follow the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations which do not allow such a practice. Around 6 of the 20 IIMs offer one-year-MBA degrees which are often called executive MBAs to persons with some experience. After seeking opinion of the Law ministry, the HRD ministry conveyed to IIMs that running such degrees was a violation of norms. However, there is a view among the IIMs that after the IIM Act of 2017, they can choose which degrees to confer. However, others contend that IIMs have been granted the power to confer degrees but they cannot define degrees. Degrees are defined according to UGC norms, they say. There has also been a view that if IIMs offer one-year-degrees, it would set a precedent for many others to do the same compromising quality and credibility of the Indian higher education system. Top IIMs like Ahmedabad and Bangalore offer one-year-degree courses which are among the most expensive courses these premier B-schools offer. In the meeting on Monday, where barring one or two most IIMs were represented, it was felt that the matter should be taken up with HRD and UGC, preferably jointly by IIMs. Till that time, we feel status quo will be maintained, said an IIM director who wished not to be named. As for the existing courses, we will consult our boards and decide about the courses which we are already running, said the director. It is learnt that IIM Ahmedabad did not attend the meeting. Campaigners have accused the Government of excluding care workers from its new immigration system and ignoring the vital role they have played during the coronavirus pandemic. Critics hit out at the lack of visa options for foreign care workers in the points-based system, which is due to come into force on January 1 when EU freedom of movement ends. Government documents published on Monday confirmed plans to deny visas to low-skilled workers, which could also include hospitality staff and labourers like builders, if they cannot meet the criteria for applications. The move which was fiercely criticised when it was initially announced earlier this year has now been branded shambolic and disastrous by campaigners amid a groundswell of support for staff in the care sector through the Covid-19 crisis, in light of fears that NHS cleaners and porters will also be affected by the changes. Weve gone from clapping for our key workers to calling them 'low skilled' in a few short weeks Satbir Singh Rehana Azam, national secretary of the GMB union, described the rules as an embarrassing shambles which make no consideration or acknowledgement of the vital job care workers have been doing these past few months. Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said: The Governments decision not to include social care workers in the NHS visa scheme is another example of the way in which the Government treats social care staff as second class citizens. Satbir Singh, chief executive of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said: Weve gone from clapping for our key workers to calling them low skilled in a few short weeks. Unisons assistant general secretary Christina McAnea said the move will make recruitment even harder, adding: Social care was in crisis long before the pandemic. Refusing to include care workers in the new NHS visa is a disastrous mistake that will make existing problems spiral. She said ministers must get to grips with the massive issues facing social care, which only an urgent overhaul will fix. Migrants have kept our country going during the crisis, but many are exploited + unprotected. We must do better. That's why we're calling for a new deal on migration, one which allows people to live & work here safely & be treated with respect. https://t.co/DKPTprrorx JCWI (@JCWI_UK) July 2, 2020 Designed to cut the number of low-skilled migrants entering Britain from the beginning of next year, the new system aims to make it easier for higher-skilled workers to get UK visas. People who want to live and work in the UK will need 70 points to apply for a visa. Points will be awarded for key requirements like being able to speak English to a certain level, having a job offer from an approved employer, and meeting a minimum salary threshold. Some NHS health professionals, including social workers, will be able to apply for a specific health and care visa, designed to be quicker and cheaper, but this route will not be open to care workers, Downing Street confirmed. Although senior care staff or managers may meet a skilled worker threshold for a visa, the vast majority of care workers would not be eligible, according to officials. Other visa options for young people, students and graduates and those granted to relatives of work visa applicants may still allow foreign workers to get jobs in the care sector but there is no dedicated employment route for the industry. Of course were going to have a humane and sensible system Boris Johnson Last month Brian Bell, the new chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), told MPs social care staff should be paid at least 10 an hour to help fill vacancies and avoid the need to rely on migrant workers. It is unlikely that overarching problems with staff shortages and job retention can be solved by the time the immigration changes are made, he said, but he suggested unemployment brought on by coronavirus could be an opportunity for the sector to attract staff. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: We want employers to invest more in training and development for care workers in this country. On care workers specifically, our independent migration advisers have said that immigration is not the sole answer here, which is why we have provided councils with an additional 1.5 billion of funding for social care in 2021/22, as well as launching a new recruitment campaign. Existing European Union workers in the care sector could apply to stay in the UK through the settlement scheme, and a very large number have done so, the spokesman said. Boris Johnson said the UK will have a humane and sensible immigration system despite taking back control after Brexit. Asked if he thought there would be enough people coming in to work in the social care system, the Prime Minister told reporters: I do, adding: Were not going to be simply slamming the gates and stopping anybody anywhere coming into this country. Where people can contribute to this country, where people want to make their lives and do great things for this country, of course were going to have a humane and sensible system. Noosa Virtual Conference 15 July 2020 Brisbane, July 13, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Clean lithium developer Lake Resources NL ( ASX:LKE ) ( FRA:LK1 ) ( OTCMKTS:LLKKF ) announced today that Steve Promnitz, Managing Director, will present at the Noosa Mining Virtual Conference on Wednesday 15 July at 5pm AEST (Brisbane), 8am GMT (London).Lake Resources invites Australian, Asian, UK and European based investors to attend a presentation in the Noosa Mining Virtual Conference at www.noosaminingvirtual.com.auLake recently announced another step towards the delivery of high purity, responsibly sourced lithium, with the first samples of lithium chloride successfully produced from the direct lithium extraction pilot plant module dedicated for Lake's Kachi Lithium Brine Project. The samples show high lithium concentrations as previously demonstrated at lab scale (refer ASX announcement, 9 January 2020).The presentation will provide an update on progress and discuss the looming crisis in supply of high purity lithium and the need for a disruptive tech solution to deliver the volume.This will be available on Lake's website before the conference timeslot at:A replay will be available some days later at:About Lake Resources NL Lake Resources NL (ASX:LKE) (OTCMKTS:LLKKF) is a clean lithium developer utilising clean, direct extraction technology for the development of sustainable, high purity lithium from its flagship Kachi Project, as well as three other lithium brine projects in Argentina. The projects are in a prime location within the Lithium Triangle, where 40% of the world's lithium is produced at the lowest cost. This method will enable Lake Resources to be an efficient, responsibly-sourced, environmentally friendly and cost competitive supplier of high-purity lithium, which is readily scalable, and in demand from Tier 1 electric vehicle makers and battery makers. A coronavirus-infected security guard who worked at a Melbourne hotel housing asylum seekers is employed by the same security company linked to an outbreak in Victoria's hotel quarantine system. The Mantra Hotel in Preston, in Melbourne's north, is being used as a makeshift detention centre for about 60 men who have been medically evacuated from Nauru and Manus Island. Home Affairs said a staff member who last worked at the Mantra on July 4 tested positive on July 8, a day after developing symptoms. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald have confirmed that staff member is employed by MSS Security. By Joanna Plucinska and Alicja Ptak WARSAW (Reuters) - Incumbent Andrzej Duda was marginally ahead in Poland's presidential election on Sunday, an exit poll found, in a result seen as likely to have profound implications for Warsaw's relations with the rest of the European Union. The re-election of Duda, an ally of the ruling nationalists Law and Justice (PiS), is crucial if the government is to implement in full its conservative agenda, including judicial reforms that the European Union says are undemocratic. Duda's challenger, liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, has pledged to repair Poland's relations with Europe and use the presidential veto power to hold back any legislation that would subvert the rule of law. By Joanna Plucinska and Alicja Ptak WARSAW (Reuters) - Incumbent Andrzej Duda was marginally ahead in Poland's presidential election on Sunday, an exit poll found, in a result seen as likely to have profound implications for Warsaw's relations with the rest of the European Union. The re-election of Duda, an ally of the ruling nationalists Law and Justice (PiS), is crucial if the government is to implement in full its conservative agenda, including judicial reforms that the European Union says are undemocratic. Duda's challenger, liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, has pledged to repair Poland's relations with Europe and use the presidential veto power to hold back any legislation that would subvert the rule of law. The exit poll by Ipsos showed Duda winning 50.4% of the vote, while Trzaskowski, the preferred candidate of the main opposition party, the centrist Civic Platform (PO), had 49.6%. Ipsos said it was too early to call a winner. "All we need is to count the votes. The night will be tense but I am certain that when the votes are counted, we will win," Trzaskowski told supporters in a park just outside Warsaw's historic Old Town. Partial official results are expected on Monday. Opinion polls before the election had shown the candidates, both 48, neck and neck, with Trzaskowski having closed the gap on Duda, who initially looked like a clear favourite. Backed by the government, Duda ran an acrimonious campaign, laced with homophobic language, attacks on independent media and accusations levied against Trzaskowski that he would serve foreign interests instead of Poland's. Duda, a devout believer, had painted himself as a defender of Catholic values and of the government's generous social benefit programmes that have transformed life for many, especially in the poorer rural regions of the country. He appeared conciliatory on Sunday. "If anyone was offended by anything I did or said in the last five years, not just during the campaign, please accept my apology," he told supporters in Pultusk, a small town north of the capital. Duda has also championed large infrastructure projects, which he says will create jobs and boost the country's autonomy and international standing. 'LETHAL DANGER' For many religious conservatives in Poland, Trzaskowski came to represent the threats facing traditional values when he pledged to introduce education about LGBT rights in the city's schools. The archbishop of Krakow, Marek Jedraszewski, told worshippers in the southern city of Czestochowa on Saturday that Poland faced a "lethal danger" from ideologies that seek to undermine the traditional family structure and corrupt children. Trzaskowski says he seeks a more tolerant Poland and has criticised PiS' rhetoric, vowing to abolish state news channel TVP Info, which critics say gave overt support to Duda in its programming. "In politics, you should have opponents, not enemies," Trzaskowski said on Sunday. "They thought they had full power, but today they have fear in their eyes." Duda' re-election to a second five-year term would open up the prospect of three years of uninterrupted rule by PiS, which controls the lower house of parliament, with the next national election scheduled for 2023. Observers say his defeat could undermine the fragile parliamentary majority that supports the PiS government, raising the spectre of political instability as Poland is coping with the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The election is being closely watched in Brussels. Before PiS and Duda came to power in 2015, Poland had one of the most pro-European administrations in the bloc's ex-communist east. But it has grown increasingly isolated, with divisions focusing on climate change and migration, in addition to democratic norms. (Reporting by Joanna Plucinska and Alicja Ptak; Additional reporting by Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz, Marcin Goclowski and Anna Koper; Writing by Alan Charlish and Justyna Pawlak; Editing by Frances Kerry, Louise Heavens and Peter Cooney) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. NEW YORK, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- automotiveMastermind, part of IHS Markit (NYSE: INFO) and a leading provider of predictive analytics and marketing automation solutions for dealerships and manufacturers, has hired two new executives and promoted one to add to its leadership team. Charity Taylor joins the team as vice president of data analytics, and Matt Leone joins as chief operating officer leading the operations, finance and human resources teams. Mastermind has promoted Tomy Szczypiorski from national enterprise account director to vice president of national enterprise accounts. The addition and promotion of these seasoned professionals will play a vital role as the company continues to accelerate. Taylor has been working in the automotive industry for over 20 years, beginning her career supporting a variety of departments at General Motors with her finance background. She then spent more than 12 years making data driven decisions at J.D. Power, helping the company provide real-time estimation of retail sales, incentive spending and transaction pricing. With her industry background, she will help the organization refine the use of third-party data to support product advancement and improve sales efficiency for Mastermind clients. Prior to joining Mastermind, Leone was the chief operating officer for HotSchedules, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) providing HR services for the hospitality industry. His background in the SaaS industry will help Mastermind be more effective and efficient long-term, as well as support overall employee culture and growth. Szczypiorski joined the company in 2018 as the director of strategic partnerships. Prior to Mastermind, he spent two years with the digital marketing solutions provider, Dealer.com. His automotive experience, along with owning his own business, gave him concrete sales and solutions acumen. In his new role as vice president of national enterprise accounts, he will oversee the enterprise account team, working to strengthen and broaden relationships with current and future dealer group partnerships. The addition and promotion of these seasoned professionals will play a vital role as Mastermind continues to invest in the expansion of its product offering and team to provide increased value to dealer partners. "The best data and the best people are Mastermind's most important assets," said Mastermind co-founder and CEO Marco Schnabl. "I look forward to collaborating with Matt and Charity to continue building a team of the industry's best so Mastermind remains a leader in providing behavior prediction technology and predictive marketing analytics to the automotive industry. Tomy has been a great member of our team for the past few years, and I'm confident he'll continue building on the value he's provided to our dealer partners in this new role." About automotiveMastermind Founded in 2012, automotiveMastermind, part of IHS Markit (NYSE: INFO), is a leading provider of predictive analytics and marketing automation solutions for the automotive industry. Market EyeQ by Mastermind is the single sales platform to identify, communicate with and close every buyer in a local market. Mastermind is headquartered in New York City and San Francisco. For more information, visit automotivemastermind.com . Based in London, IHS Markit is a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions. SOURCE automotiveMastermind Related Links https://automotivemastermind.com Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 14) Multi-sectoral group Sanlakas filed before the Supreme Court on Monday the eighth petition assailing the controversial Republic Act No. 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. The progressive group specifically questioned Section 4 of the controversial law, which violates the freedom of speech and expression as enshrined under the Bill of Rights of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Sanlakas explained Section 4 declares advocacy, protest, dissent, stoppage of work, industrial or mass action, and other similar exercises of civil and political rights as acts constituting a crime of terrorism when such is intended to cause death or serious physical harm to a person, to endanger a persons life, or to create a serious risk to public safety. The absence of standards leaves such a wide latitude of discretion to law enforcement to determine whether advocacy, protest, dissent, stoppage of work, and industrial mass actions are intended to cause harms which the law seeks to abate, Sanlakas argued in their petition. The organization, which filed a Temporary Restraining Order for the Anti-Terrorism Laws implementation, stated the provision also violates the constitutional right to due process. Since Sanlakas was founded in 1993, its members have staunchly advocated for social, economic, political, cultural, and environmental reforms to improve living conditions of marginalized Filipinos. Often, calls for such come in the form of advocacy, protest, dissent, stoppage of work, industrial or mass action all of which R.A. 11479 now lists as acts of the crime of terrorism when deemed to be coupled with harmful intents, said Atty. JV Bautista, lead counsel of Sanlakas. Sanlakas also asked the High Court to order President Rodrigo Duterte to desist in enforcing the questioned provision of the controversial measure. Their plea also included members of the House of Representatives and the Senate to refrain from issuing budget allocations in implementing the Anti-Terrorism Law. Seven other petitions were filed before the Supreme Court last week challenging the legality of the controversial Anti-Terrorism Law. The petitioners are Rep. Edcel Lagman, the Makabayan bloc, the group of law professor Atty. Howard Calleja, Far Eastern University Institute of Law professors led by Dean Mel Sta. Maria, former government corporate counsel Rudolf Jurado, the group of 1987 Constitution framers Christian Monsod and Felicitas Arroyo, and labor rights groups Center for Trade Union and Human Rights and Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center. Duterte signed the law last July 3, amid widespread criticisms due to its vague provisions that relax safeguards on human rights and are open to abuse. Proponents of the law argued that the Human Security Act of 2007 must be repealed and the government now needs more surveillance powers to protect the society from terrorist groups. - A doting wife has left social media users in admiration of how she treats her husband - The lady bought a brand new luxury ride for her man and shared photos on Twitter - The excited husband was seen striking poses in his new ride - Several internet users were moved by the display of love and many reacted in the comment section Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana! There is no doubt that some people are often willing to go the extra mile in showing how much they love their significant other and such is the story of a lady on Twitter who recently left social media users in awe. The lady identified as @brittwill recently flooded her timeline with photos of her husband striking different poses in the luxury ride she just bought for him as a gift. @brittwill in her caption noted that she paid for the pricey car in cash. Gushing on her hubby, she noted that he deserves the gift because he has been the best husband to her. Brittwill and her husband. Photo: Twitter/@britttwill Source: UGC The doting wife also expressed love for her man as thanked him for always being phenomenal. She said: "Cashed out on Da babyyyyy today!! ALL CASH, NO NOTE!!! You deserve it, youre the best husband in the world I love you so much, thank you for always being phenomenal! I dont want hear the words 'SCAT PACK OR CHARGER' anymore!!!" Check out the post below: @brittwill also shared a video that captured the moment she surprised her man with the ride. They both visited the car dealership together with another family member in attendance. Their little kid was also present as daddy got his new whip. Watch the heartwarming video below: Several internet users who were moved by the post were spotted reacting in the comment section. Some of them praised the lady for treating her man right. Read reactions to the post below: In another story, a couple who recently moved to Ghana after the man was deported to Italy has recounted their experience prior to and during their stay in the country. The lady, identified as Manka Ndah, a UK native with Ghanaian roots who moved into the country with her deportee boyfriend, revealed that life has been good for them after they moved to Ghana six months ago. Faces of Ghana: 21-year-old female boxer's dream of becoming a world champion: Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Russia called for an immediate end to heavy fighting which continued on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border for the second consecutive day on Monday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov phoned his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts to discuss the tense situation there. We find inadmissible a further escalation threatening the security of the region, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. We are calling on the conflicting sides to show restraint and strictly adhere to the ceasefire regime. For its part, the Russian Foreign Ministry is ready to provide necessary support for stabilizing the situation, added the statement. Three Azerbaijani soldiers were killed and several others wounded shortly after the fighting broke out at a western section of the long border in disputed circumstances on Sunday afternoon. It continued overnight, leaving another Azerbaijani serviceman dead. The Armenian army reported no combat deaths within its ranks. Both sides reported on Monday morning continuing skirmishes involving mortar fire. The Defense Ministry in Yerevan claimed that Azerbaijani forces also used an attack drone and shelled an Armenian border village. Each side again accused the other of provoking the escalation with attempts to seize enemy positions in the mountainous area between Armenias northern Tavush province and the Tovuz district in western Azerbaijan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian condemned Bakus provocative actions during a cabinet meeting in Yerevan. I can assure you that their provocative actions do not remain unanswered, he said, appealing to the nation. Meanwhile, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held an emergency session of his national security council to discuss the deadly truce violations. We thwarted the [Armenian] attack and gave an adequate response, avenging the death of our soldiers, he said, according to the Trend news agency. Foreign Ministers Zohrab Mnatsakanian of Armenia and Elmar Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan stood by their countries official versions of events during their separate phone conversations with Lavrov. Mammadyarov also said that the fighting is contributing to third countries involvement in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. It was not clear if Mammadyarov referred to Russia or Turkey, his countrys closest ally. Ankara was quick to blame Yerevan for the latest escalation and reaffirm its unconditional support for Baku. Earlier in the day, the secretary general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Stanislav Zas, called an emergency meeting of the Permanent Council of the Russian-led defense alliance, of which Armenia is a member, to discuss the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani frontier. The meeting was postponed indefinitely a couple of hours later, however. A spokesman for Zas refused to say who initiated the delay. He only told RFE/RLs Armenian service that the CSTO Secretariat and member states need to ascertain the format of the discussion beforehand. Zas and Mnatsakanian also spoke by phone on Monday. Constant contact with the CSTO Secretary General is maintained, and efforts within the CSTO framework are continuing, said the official Armenian readout of the phone call. BOWIE, Md., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bowie Business Innovation Center (Bowie BIC) is pleased to announce it has been awarded the 2020 Most Innovative Entrepreneurship Center of the Year Award from the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA). The award recognizes Bowie BIC's 8(a) Accelerator Program, a fast track program for winning federal government contracts. The program is exclusively for women, minority and veteran-owned government contractors participating in the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) business development program for small and economically disadvantaged businesses. Annually, the InBIA recognizes business incubators and entrepreneurship centers of excellence globally for their work to accelerate ecosystem building and regional economic growth. Award winners were announced in late June 2020 during the 34th Annual International Conference on Business Incubation with 350 attendees and 44 countries represented in a virtual format. "This is more than an award for Bowie BIC. It is an acknowledgment of the power of collaboration to address challenges faced by economically disadvantaged companies and an example of how our community is generating economic impact and jobs. Prince George's County is leading the way as a hub and center of excellence for 8(a) business success," commented Lisa S. Smith, Bowie BIC's founding executive director. Bowie BIC's 8(a) Accelerator Program was launched in 2019 with collaboration from the SBA and funding from Capital One, PilieroMazza, and EZGovOpps Market Intelligence. A cornerstone of the program is mentoring from other successful 8(a) CEOs. In its first year, the program assisted 32 8(a) companies and generated $12 million in new government contract revenues. SBA's Washington Metropolitan Area District Office (WMADO) serves the largest portfolio of 8(a) contractors in the country, according to Antonio Doss, WMADO district director. "We were pleased to work with the Bowie BIC to launch this initiative. This high-profile award rightfully brings attention to the excellent teaching and mentoring that the 8(a) Accelerator Program provides to socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses. Participants gain confidence in their ability to compete effectively in the federal marketplace and use these learnings to gain new contract awards." In the fall of 2020, Bowie BIC will launch its first virtual cohort for the 8(a) Accelerator Program. Due to COVID-19, the program will be designed for participation 100% online. Applications will be accepted in August for the 8(a) Accelerator which begins in October of this year. Learn more at bowiebic.com/8a-accelerator-program/ About Bowie Business Innovation Center Bowie BIC is an award-winning hub for business acceleration in Prince George's County, MD. Technology companies and government contractors access key business scale-up resources at Bowie BIC, such as customized business support, professional counseling, mentoring and competitively priced office and collaborative workspace. A Maryland nonprofit headquartered at the Center for Business at Bowie State University, Bowie BIC is the only business accelerator in the State located on the campus of a historically black college or university (HBCU). Generous support for Bowie BIC is provided by the City of Bowie, the Prince George's County Council, Capital One, M&T Bank, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, Joseph, Greenwald & Laake PA, Proven Management, LLC, Magadia Consulting, Inc., Inncuvate, Three|E Consulting, Tradewinds International Holdings, LTD., Workforce Resources, Inc., Bowie State University, and Maryland TEDCO. SOURCE Bowie Business Innovation Center T hree newborn puppies have been discovered "left for dead" dangling over a river in a plastic bag. Irish animal charity the ISPCA reported the "disturbing" finding in an urgent appeal for information about the "heartless act". The tiny collie pups were found by vet Alexander Smyth, who was called to the scene in Co. Donegal, Ireland, at around 9pm on Wednesday. A concerned member of the public had contacted his practice, Smyth Vet Services, after spotting the bag which they suspected might contain abandoned kittens. A member of the public spotted the bag dangling above the water / Smyth Vet Services Mr Smyth arrived at the scene and proceeded to perform a "specialist rescue", the ISPCA said. He knew that if the bag became detached or ripped, whatever was inside would almost certainly drown in the fast-moving water. "It was only then that he discovered three new born collie puppies; deliberately dumped in the plastic bag and tossed towards the river, to be drowned," the charity said in a statement. The dogs, which were no more than 10 days old, were then rushed to safety and treated for hypothermia, hypoglycaemia and hunger. The puppies are now receiving round the clock care at the ISPCA Animal Rehabilitation Centre / Smyth Vet Services ISPCA Senior Inspector Kevin McGinley said: It is disturbing how anyone could be so cruel and heartless, to put three vulnerable little puppies in a plastic bag leaving them to dangle over a river to an inevitable death. "There are just no words. "These three puppies are lucky to be alive thanks to the kind-hearted member of the public and to Smyth Veterinary Services for rescuing them. "Its unclear how long the puppies were there but they are now receiving round the clock care at the ISPCA Animal Rehabilitation Centre. "The situation could easily have been avoided if the puppies mother had been spayed or if the dogs owner had contacted the ISPCA for help. "Spaying and Neutering is the obvious solution in preventing unwanted puppies from being born in the first place." Thankfully the puppies are recovering well / Smyth Vet Services Mr Smyth said: This is a tragedy in this day and age with so many animal charities and places that are willing to care for these animals, the suffering of these animals could have been avoided." He added: "The puppies are doing well but will require intensive support as they are very young and now orphans, and the ISPCA team will continue to provide this over the coming weeks. "We support the work of the ISPCA charity and all the good work they do for the welfare of animals across Ireland. It is only possible with donations from the public and we encourage people to consider them in their charitable donations. Five United States Marine Corps Air Station in Okinawa, Japan, were found with soldiers having tested positive with the viral coronavirus. Nearly 100 marine forces tested positive. Due to this, local authorities from Japan found the American presence not good for their community. Nearly 100 U.S. Marines tested positive with COVID-19 As first reported via Associated Press over the weekend, the governor of Japan's Okinawa island, Gov. Denny Tamaki, confirmed that dozens of American forces staying on the island had confirmed the virus. Gov. Tamaki demanded the numbers to Lt. Gen. H. Stacy Clardy, commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force. He said that the American presence did not help contain the virus, resulting in even worse confirmed populations. "Okinawans are shocked by what we were told (by the U.S. military)," Tamaki told a news conference Saturday. "It is extremely regrettable that the infections are rapidly spreading among U.S. personnel when we Okinawans are doing our utmost to contain the infections." Japan Times confirmed that 71 coronavirus cases had been confirmed at Futenma and 22 at another U.S. Marine base, Camp Hansen, three cases at Kadena Air Base, and one case each at Camp McTureous and Camp Kinser. Both Futenma and Camp Hansen were under strict lockdown since the day one of the spread. However, Okinawa governor is not impressed with how the U.S. forces are doing their job. "We now have strong doubts that the U.S. military has taken adequate disease prevention measures," he added. U.S. forces are bringing their families to Japan One thing that the Japanese government was looking to explain the sudden COVID-19 spread in military bases was the reports that the soldiers brought their families in Japan during their stay. "We are also looking into reports of gatherings and directing individuals to quarantine... Leadership in Okinawa is working non-stop to curtail the spread," said U.S. spokesman Maj. Ken Kunze, saying that investigation is ongoing. However, the U.S. forces explained that these theories were not real and had no basis at all. According to their Facebook pages, the Marine Corps is trying their best to curb the spread of COVID-19. They also clarified that there are no gatherings or other local contact from the officials to the local authorities, that happened since the day they first stayed. "We are trying to limit as much contact (with local people) as we can, as we look to contact tracing of infected personnel," a U.S. military spokesman said.Okinawa is home to more than 50,000 US soldiers that are based in Japan. As of now, the U.S. government has not yet said anything about the issues or if whether what will happen to the soldiers that got affected by the virus. ALSO READ: COVID-19 Update: China Warns About An Unknown Disease Deadlier Than Coronavirus 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The inside vs outsider argument, nepotism and favouritism debates have again come into the spotlight after the tragic demise of Sushant Singh Rajput. Not just people, Bollywood celebs are also exposing the dark realities of the industry. Recently, HotStar organised a virtual press meet to make the big announcement, which was attended by Akshay Kumar, Alia Bhatt, Abhishek Bachchan and Ajay Devgn and was hosted by Varun Dhawan. However, they completely ignored Kunal Kemmu and Vidyut Jammwal who too have their movies scheduled. Kunal Kemmu took Twitter to express his disappointment and wrote, 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. He basically asked for equal opportunities to showcase their talents. 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 kunal kemmu (@kunalkemmu) June 29, 2020 Kunals wife Soha Ali Khan has shed light on this matter and made some valid points about the prevailing factor of nepotism in the industry. I can say this much that when it comes to words like nepotism, equal opportunities, this is not something that has cropped up in the last month. It exists and it is not unique to the film industry or to India even. We can talk about what nepotism, favouritism means, how much right one has if they are a producer to work with the people they like or vs those who people think are deserving. Whether as an actor youve ever felt that youve got the love and respect you deserve or whether you would always feel that someone has taken something that was owed to you. These are very broad questions and your question will only lead to more questions. Not to answers. And it is good that these questions are being raised and that is something that should be encouraged, Soha said in an interview to Zoom. She also added that people too need to support the actors by investing in their pictures by seeing them. People have to look within themselves. You cant blame other people. Whenever it comes to a systemic issue, you have to see how you can make a difference. If you want someone to be celebrated, loved, buy their tickets, see their films, follow them on social media and make them that. Because were in a democracy and of course favouritism exists and there is no point saying that it doesnt. But I believe in the powers of movies. And dont forget about it next week, she added. Her points do make sense as the audience is equally responsible for an actors fate. The Northern Fleets all-arms strike force led by the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky and supported by Tu-22M3 strategic bombers of Russias Aerospace Force delivered a missile strike against a notional enemys ships during drills in the Barents Sea, the Fleets press office reported on Thursday. The Northern Fleets all-arms strike force led by the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky and supported by Tu-22M3 strategic bombers of Russias Aerospace Force delivered a missile strike against a notional enemys ships during drills in the Barents Sea, the Fleets press office reported on Thursday. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Pyotr Veliky missile cruiser (Picture source: Peter Kovalev/TASS) According to a video published on the Russian Ministry of Defense Youtube Channel, the missile cruisers "Pyotr Velikiy" and "Marshal Ustinov" of the Northern Fleet went to the Barents Sea to participate in a large-scale gathering campaign. At the deployment stage, the crews conducted an exercise to suppress coastal targets of a conditional enemy by artillery fire. The missiles fired are the P-700 Granit and the P-1000 Vulkan naval anti-ship cruise missiles. In the near future, the sailors will complete the tasks of organizing interaction, check the readiness of the personnel for actions on sudden lead-in and will conduct a series of exercises on anti-submarine and air defense. Pyotr Veliky missile cruiser (Picture source: Russian Defense Ministry/TASS) About Pyotr Velikiy Battlecruiser: Pyotr Velikiy is the fourth Kirov-class battlecruiser of the Russian Navy. The Russian designation for the type is "heavy nuclear missile cruiser", but Western defense commentators have resurrected the term "battlecruiser" to describe them, as they are the largest surface combatant warships in the world. Pyotr Velikiy is the flagship of the Northern Fleet. Pyotr Velikiy was put into operation in 1998. The ship is equipped with the Granit missile system and the S-300F Fort air defence system and is designed to destroy enemy carrier formations. The cruisers nuclear power system allows it to reach a speed of 32 knots (60 kilometres per hour) and is designed to operate for 50 years. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 00:40:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MAPUTO, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in Mozambique's northern province of Nampula that it is supporting the government in rehabilitating water and sanitation systems as part of the process leading to the classes resuming amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report by Radio Mozambique on Monday, the agency will join education authorities in the efforts to make sure those schools set to reopen constitute no health risk to children. "One of UNICEF's specialized sectors is in water and sanitation, so our priority will be working with different groups to ensure that the aspect of water and sanitation is secured both in the health and education sectors," said Balsiamo Marcelino, the provincial coordinator of UNICEF. UNICEF reinforced its position to guarantee that conditions are created for children to return to school in a safe environment while recognizing the need for children to enjoy their right to education. "We have to recognize that this happens within a context where there are challenges for the system, challenges in infrastructures and it is on these challenges that all of us should be working in order to ensure that the process of resuming lessons is done in a safe environment," said Marcelino. By the end of this month, 171 schools teaching grade-12 students and 19 teacher-training institutes in the country are set to reopen first. Enditem She has been presented with an unimaginable amount of free time, with the majority of Hollywood productions at a standstill due to to COVID-19. And Kristen Stewart has been spending the majority of that time with girlfriend Dylan Meyer, who she was spotted grabbing lunch with on Sunday afternoon. The 30-year-old Twilight star tenderly held onto Dylan's hand before enjoying some Japanese fusion cuisine at Kitsune restaurant located in trendy Silverlake. Quarantine partner: Kristen Stewart was spotted grabbing lunch with girlfriend Dylan Myer on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles Both, Stewart and her gal, donned face masks for their outing in an attempt to deter the spread of the coronavirus. Kristen hid her brown hair beneath a black Stussy cap that matched the shades on her face. The Cake actress showed off her toned tummy in a cropped navy blue graphic tee and a pair of denim cut-off shorts. She wore a pair of classic Adidas sneakers on her feet and was seen carrying a book in her hand. Lots of love: The 30-year-old Twilight star tenderly held onto Dylan's hand before enjoying some Japanese fusion cuisine at Kitsune restaurant located in trendy Silverlake Meyer - who Kristen has been dating since August of 2019 - flaunted her extensive arm tattoo collection in a stylish, patterned romper. She had a white cross-body bag over her shoulder and rocked a pair of white Converse All Star sneakers on her feet. Stewart is set to star as Princess Diana in the Pablo Larrain-directed film Spencer, which recently sold US rights to Neon and Topic Studios for $4million. Differing styles: Meyer - who Kristen has been dating since August of 2019 - flaunted her extensive arm tattoo collection in a stylish, patterned romper Royal role: Stewart is set to star as Princess Diana in the Pablo Larrain-directed film Spencer, which recently sold US rights to Neon and Topic Studios for $4million Production is expected to begin in early 2021 on the movie, which takes place one weekend in the early 1990s, when Diana decided to separate from Prince Charles. She also recently teamed up with Larrain for the star-studded quarantine-themed anthology Homemade, premiering June 30 on Netflix. The Charlie's Angels star and Larrain both directed their own shorts for the project, using only the equipment they had at their disposal. BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- With joint efforts of both sides, China-Mexico relations have maintained a good momentum of development, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang has said. Zheng made the remarks on Friday at the 17th political consultation between the two countries' foreign ministries via video link, which was also attended by Mexico's Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs Julian Ventura. Not long ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Mexican counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reached an important consensus in a telephone conversation on strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields, including the fight against COVID-19, Zheng said. Noting the two sides have maintained close communication at all levels, Zheng said the two countries have made new progress in bilateral cooperation in such fields as pandemic prevention and control, economy and trade, as well as infrastructure construction. China is willing to work with Mexico to continue to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen communication, coordination and cooperation in various fields and jointly safeguard multilateralism, so as to push the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to a new level, Zheng said. Ventura spoke highly of the bilateral cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 and other fields. Noting that Mexico values developing relations with China, Ventura said his country is willing to step up mutually beneficial cooperation with China in a wide range of fields such as epidemic prevention and control, trade and investment, culture, education and tourism in order to promote greater progress of their comprehensive strategic partnership. The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern. Kosovo President Hashim Thaci arrived on Monday for questioning by war crimes prosecutors in The Hague, saying that nobody can rewrite history over his role in the 1990s war. Thaci, 52, was indicted by a special tribunal in late June for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the 1998-99 conflict with Serbia that won the province its independence. Thaci and others are charged with being criminally responsible for nearly 100 murders in addition to other crimes against Serb, Roma and Kosovo Albanian victims while he was leader of the rebel Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). Today I am here to respect what I dreamt and fought for, a free independent Kosovo based on equal rights, multi-ethnic society and rule of law, Thaci told reporters outside the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. I am ready to face the new challenge and succeed for my son, my family, my people and my country. Nobody can rewrite history. This is a price of freedom. Around two dozen Thaci supporters gathered outside the court for his arrival, chanting his name, holding up Kosovo flags and waving banners with slogans including Hashim is not simply a name it is a symbol of an honourable epoch. A spokesman for the prosecutors at the court declined to comment when asked by AFP for details of the questioning. A number of Thacis former KLA colleagues have previously been interviewed by the court. Reconciliation and justice President since 2016 and prime minister before that, in recent years Thaci has taken part in talks aimed at normalising ties with Serbia, which still rejects the independence of its former province. Kosovo is a success story, I am very proud, Thaci said before entering the heavily secured court building. I believe in peace through reconciliation and justice. I believe in dialogue and relations with all nations. A judge will decide later this year whether to formally charge Thaci, Kosovos most powerful politician. He has previously said he would resign if the charges were confirmed, insisting he is innocent. He said on Sunday before his departure for The Hague that our war was clean and just and that Kosovo was a victim. Its true that we violated the laws of Slobodan Milosevic, he said referring to Serbias former leader. But that was something he was proud of, he added. The Kosovo conflict, which claimed about 13,000 lives most of them Kosovo Albanians was only ended when NATO forces launched a bombing campaign against Serbia that forced them to quit the territory. After the 1990s war, several Serbian military and police officials were convicted of war crimes. Milosevic died in custody in The Hague in 2006 while awaiting trial by a UN-backed tribunal. But KLA rebels have also been accused of coordinating a campaign of revenge attacks on Serbs, Roma and ethnic Albanian rivals during and after the war. Among the others indicted last month were Thacis closest political ally Kadri Veseli. The charges were announced as Thaci was preparing to fly to the United States for a meeting with Serbian representatives, a meeting which had to be postponed until Sunday in Brussels. File image There will be no rollback of the Centre's decision to revoke Article 370, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav asserted on July 12 and said a Legislative Assembly for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir would be formed "very soon". Madhav also demanded proper security for political activists in Kashmir in the wake of the killing of BJP's Bandipora district president, Wasim Bari, along with his father and brother on Wednesday by terrorists. He along with Union Minister Jitendra Singh and other leaders also visited the bereaved Bari family. "There can be a political discourse. (Let the politicians here) go to the people and tell them that we want Article 370 back. We are not opposed to the political argument, but we maintain that Article 370 was a roadblock and we abrogated it," he said while addressing party workers at the Tagore Hall here. The Centre on August 5 last year had revoked Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and divided it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The BJP leader, while hitting out at the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said if they want to do politics, they should go to the people rather than just tweeting. "You (NC and PDP) tell people it (Article 370) was beneficial, that is politics. But, here you will find people who will get others killed over it (Article 370) or leaders who just tweet from home. All leaders are free... some are in Kashmir, but they only tweet. They do not come on the streets," he said. Madhav said Article 370 was not going to make a comeback no matter how much political parties in Jammu and Kashmir "mourn". "One year has passed, if the NC and the PDP want to keep on mourning (over abrogation of Article 370) for one more year, if they want to keep on tweeting, let them," he said. Hinting at assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP national general secretary said a legislative assembly would be formed soon. "Very soon a legislative assembly of the UT (Union Territory) will be formed. Legislative representation too will happen and the UT will march towards development," he said. Talking to reporters outside the venue, Madhav said the legislative assembly will be formed after the completion of the delimitation exercise. However, he said, the first priority was to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. To a question over allowing NC and PDP leaders to resume political activities, he said the two parties are not ready for such activities. "They are enjoying their Twitter world. They are not coming out in front of the people and raising their issues," Madhav said. After his visit to the Bari family, he said "We have come here to offer condolences with the bereaved family and provided them some help. The act committed by terrorists has definitely pained us a lot". "We have come here to give some immediate help to the family. All BJP leaders of the country stand by the (bereaved) family in this difficult situation," Madhav said. "Those who are responsible for the act should be neutralised. We also demand the political workers of any party be given proper security, he said. Bari, his father and brother were killed on Wednesday evening outside their home. Following the incident, 10 of their PSOs were also suspended and arrested by the police. By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union (EU) is preparing counter-measures on China in response to Beijing's new security law on Hong Kong, the bloc's top diplomat said on Monday, but envoys stressed the likely steps will not amount to economic sanctions. Diplomats said there was broad support among EU member states for some action but tough measures were not being discussed in detail because of resistance from China's closest trade partners in Europe, such as Hungary and Greece. Like much of the West, the EU has denounced the decision by China's parliament to pass national security legislation for the ex-British colony of Hong Kong despite an international outcry. While European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month warned of "very negative consequences" for Beijing, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell detailed lighter measures after a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in Brussels. "We have agreed today to develop a coordinated European Union response to show support for Hong Kong's autonomy and civil society," he told a news conference after the meeting. "This will comprise measures both at the European Union level and also measures falling on the member states' national competencies in a coordinated approach," Borrell said. He said nothing specific had been decided but that EU foreign ministers had discussed extending the EU's export ban on "sensitive technology" to Hong Kong. Borrell was referring to any equipment or software that could be used for suppressing protests aimed at preserving Hong Kong's autonomy granted under terms of its handover back to China by Britain in 1997. German Chancellor Angela Merkel backed a common EU response but warned against severing dialogue with China. "It is important that EU member states are trying to find a common policy toward China and a common answer," she said during a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. "(But) this is no reason not to remain in dialogue with China." Story continues Borrell said EU governments could also review their extradition agreements with Hong Kong authorities, review travel advice, increase scholarships for Hong Kong students and offer more visas to Hong Kongers. EU governments could announce national steps separately, but the 27-nation bloc viewed its response as a package to be defined and made reality in coming days, he added. Finland said it supported the idea of suspending extradition treaties with Hong Kong since the new security law meant detainees could be transferred to mainland China, where courts are controlled by the ruling Communist Party. (Additional reporting by Joseph Nasr in Berlin; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez is best known for her films like Kick, Race sequel, Dishoom, and Judwaa 2, among others. Many of her fans, however, are not aware of the fact that she was once a reporter in Sri Lanka. According to reports, the actor was a Mass Communication student and used to work as a journalist in the country. Here are details and other unknown facts about Jacqueline Fernandez that you must know. Read on: Jacqueline Fernandez was a reporter in Sri Lanka As per reports, Jacqueline Fernandezs mother found an old reporting tape of the actor and sent it to her. Struck by nostalgia, she revealed how much she missed her reporting days. Fernandez recalled her experience and called coming to work, finding the latest news, and working with the team. Reportedly, she felt like being a ''little detective''. On the other hand, Jacqueline Fernandez accepted that she always wanted to be an actor, but that dream looked ''far-fetched''. According to a report, when someone asked if she would like to play a reporter in a movie, the actor replied positively. She thought that it would come out naturally as she had done that several times. Jacqueline Fernandez also called it a part of her personality. Read on to know other rarely known facts about the actor that you must check out. Jacqueline Fernandez trivia Although most people know Jacqueline Fernandez is from Sri Lanka, not many people are aware of the fact that she was born in Bahrain. Some reports reveal that the actors family is multicultural. For instance, the Fernandez family has members from countries like Sri Lanka, Canada, and Malaysia. Moreover, after winning the coveted title of Miss Sri Lanka Universe in 2006, Jacqueline Fernandez appeared in a hit TV commercial video by Sri Lankan duo Bathiya and Santhush, as per reports. It happened before the actor marked her Bollywood debut in Aladin by Sujoy Ghosh. The romantic movie also featured Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, and Riteish Deshmukh in pivotal roles. Also read: Making Of Kareena Kapoor Khan's Multi-starrer Hit Film 'Ajnabee': WATCH Also read: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Vs Anushka Sharma: Who Rocked The Classic Red Saree Better? Jacqueline Fernandez supports several charitable trusts. According to reports, the Bollywood star had sent a letter to the consulate general of the Philippines in Colombo (Sri Lanka) in 2013. She did it to expedite the transfer to the elephant Mali from the inadequate Malila Zoo to a lush sanctuary on PETA's behalf. Moreover, the actor also raised around 4000 in Mayfair, London, for assisting Pratham NGO, involving in helping for primary education for children. Over the years, she has starred in numerous commercially successful projects like Kick, Murder 2 and Brothers. She has shared the screen space with many iconic actors like Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, and Emraan Hashmi. She is also known for her stunning dancing skills. Also read: Hrithik Roshans Songs From 'Bang Bang' To Add To Your Lockdown Workout Playlist Also read: Did You Know Kareena Kapoor, Neha Dhupia, And Shweta Tiwari Are The Same Age? 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. SCHENECTADY Protesters blocked the four doors in and out of City Hall Monday afternoon but never got inside to occupy the facility as they took their demands for police reforms to the building in the aftermath of a video last week that showed a police officer using a controversial knee hold on a man he was trying to arrest. Call and response chants such as "What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now" and "Whose Streets? Our Streets" reverberated around City Hall during a peaceful and at times festive demonstration. Jamaica Miles, one of the march organizers and co-founder of the activist group All of Us, said some of the demonstrators had seen people enter the building around 3 p.m. Monday. It appeared the protesters were trying to keep people from exiting once they were inside. "I don't know what time their shift ends but I got all night," she said of her commitment to calling attention to the group's demands. All of Us has outlined a series of demands they want police, prosecutors and corrections officers to follow. The organization wants police officers and jail guards prosecuted for violating civil rights, a money and assets seized in drug investigations to be sent back to communities, and the abolition of so-called no-knock warrants, which have been linked to a number of police shootings across the country. The demonstrators also called for law enforcement officials to be fired for racist texts, social media posts and comments on private chats as well as termination for turning off body cameras. As of 6:30 p.m., there was no sign of anyone inside City Hall, but the roughly 150 protesters seemed ready for action. Many remained on the premises well after dark and the protest did not official end until about 1 a.m. Protest organizers said they planned to return because Mayor Gary McCarthy and Police Chief Eric Clifford did not address the series of reforms they want to end police brutality and ensure equal justice. Clifford, who took a knee in solidarity with Black Lives Matter demonstrators during a protest last month, struck a different tone Monday on Twitter. "I have shown this community my willingness to discuss reforms @schdypolice, have made efforts to engage conversations, and remained patient during a month of peaceful protests," he wrote. "That all ends tonight. No more disorder in the city." Organizers had not yet responded to Clifford's missive. During Monday's demonstration, some protesters grabbed trash cans as roadblocks and impromptu drums. As organizers reminded people that the action was a nonviolent protest, roughly 100 or so signed up for civil disobedience arrests. No arrests were made. Earlier in the evening, a bearded man who was part of the group standing sentry at the side entrance of the building at Jay and Franklin streets instructed people about how they would create a blockade. He said the two people weighing the most should be closest to the door with everyone linking arms with their strongest foot planted in front of the other one for stability. "Whoever is coming through that door, they need to see our face, they need to know we're not moving," he told his mostly young charges. Attorney Derek Andrews is representing Yugeshwar Gaindarpersaud, the man detained by a city police officer on July 6 with the knee hold. Andrews spoke to demonstrators, telling them changes must be made to ensure that people of color are not subjected to police abuse and injustice. "I have not experienced the racism or injustice that many of you have experienced and I'm sorry that that's the case. I truly am," Andrews said standing on the lawn of City Hall. "But when I grew up I was taught to ensure that people are treated equally and when I became a criminal defense attorney, I had no idea that the systems that I was going to be working in were that unjust, that (anyone) would treat someone like Yugeshwar that awfully. "And so what I've realized since then is that police, law enforcement and the institutions that bind them together need to be reformed. We need to be reformed," he continued. "We need to focus on de-escalation, not escalation. We need to focus on community growth and not militarization." Police said Gaindarpersaud ran from Brian Pommer after the police officer approached him to speak about a neighbor's complaint regarding a vandalized vehicle. Gaindarpersaud ran into the backyard of the North Brandywine Avenue home where the confrontation took place. Manually added embed www.youtube.com Gaindarpersaud, 31, was charged with resisting arrest and criminal mischief, according to the criminal complaint. He is due back in court on July 21. Manually added embed www.youtube.com But there seems to be a growing rift in Schenectady's Guyanese community about the police encounter. Plans for a protest by Guyanese residents Monday afternoon never materialized. Punema Singh said that a meeting Sunday with Police Chief Eric Clifford and Mayor Gary McCarthy at the Guyanese Community Center in Mont Pleasant Hindu Temple helped tamp down the furor. She said that the neighbors, who are also Guyanese and called the police on Gaindarpersaud, spoke during the gathering about their longstanding dispute with the man. "We had that meeting yesterday and most of the grievances were resolved," she said. "We'll try to settle it and reach a compromise as much as we can and want to avoid violence." Shawn Young, one of the organizers of Monday's protests and co-founder of All of Us, said the group wanted to make sure that the police chief and mayor take their demands related to police reforms seriously. 'We're here to make sure that they're aware of our demands and the changes that we need and for the community's voice to be heard," he said. "That instance of public brutality was an outgrowth of deeper ills in our society," he said. He mentioned that he was part of a Zoom meeting on Sunday involving Clifford and McCarthy that was moderated by Schenectady Clergy Against Hate, a network of Jewish, Sikh, Christian, Muslim, and Pagan faith leaders. As he spoke with a reporter, he pointed his cellphone camera and took a picture of a man on a motorcycle revving up his engine as he rode by and pegged him as an agitator. The group had people serving as security and keeping an eye out for any agitators. At one point, a caravan of police vehicles two sports utility vehicles, two police cars and a transport van stopped at the intersection and a police sergeant using the loud speaker system asked the protestors to move a car that was blocking traffic. As they pulled away, the crowd in unison chanted "de-fund the police" and other anti-law enforcement slogans. Gaindarpersaud took part in the rally one week after his arrest. In addition to images of the officer's knee on Gaindarpersaud, the video also shows Pommer punching Gaindarpersaud several times while he was holding him to the ground behind the home the 31-year-old shares with his parents. Gaindarpersaud's father says the video he made shows Pommer kneeling on his son's neck, an image that drew quick comparisons to the killing of George Floyd, who died May 25 in Minneapolis after a police office kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Police Chief Eric Clifford insists Pommer was kneeling on Gaindarpersaud's head. Dozens of protesters showed up Monday to press for a number of reforms they say they want to see made in the criminal justice system. Late last week, McCarthy said he had concerns about the thoroughness of the preliminary investigation involving the arrest and asked Clifford and Public Safety Commissioner Michael Eidens to consider possible discipline based upon any department policies that may have been violated. The Schenectady County District Attorneys Office and the police department's internal affairs department are conducting a review of the encounter between Pommer and Gaindarpersaud. Those findings are expected back this week. Steve Hughes contributed to this article. In three separate operations across Jammu and Kashmir, Police along with the Indian Army and CRPF have managed to crush the backbone of terrorism in Kashmir Valley by neutralizing three terrorists and arresting four others. In a17 hour-long operation, the Jammu and Kashmir police along with CRPF and Indian Army has managed to gun down 3 terrorists in the Reban area of North Kashmir's Sopore. The encounter between security forces and terrorists broke out at around 3:30 in the morning when hiding terrorists attacked the search party of joint security forces in the area. Read: Not Easy To Be A Patriot In Some Parts Of Kashmir: BJP's Ram Madhav On Wasim Bari Killing 'Both terrorists were arrested' With the killing of these three terrorists, forces have neutralized 128 terrorists this year. Forces have also managed to get down Pakistani Lashkar terrorist Osman Khalid who was involved in the recent terror attack in Sopore in which one civilian and a CRPF jawan was killed. In another major success, Jammu and Kashmir Police have solved the terror case within four hours by arresting two terrorists behind the attack. "At about 16:10 hours terrorists lobbed two grenades on the security forces deployment near Sail Charsoo on National Highway, grenades, however, did not explode. Police got a clue that two persons were boarding on the white colour Apache bike who actually had lobbed grenades and were driving very fast. The area was cordoned immediately and during the search of the village Sail the suspected white colour Apache bike was traced at about 100 meters from the place of incident. During a further search of the area, both the terrorists were arrested from village Sail Awantipora who had lobbed the grenades. The arrested terrorists have been identified as Umer and Zahid Yusuf Pala, within 04 hours of the incident," official said. Read: L-G Begins Public Outreach Program From South Kashmir's Kulgam District Security forces in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir have managed to bust the terror module in the vicinity of Hajin town. Based on a specific input the Jammu and Kashmir police along with 13 Rashtriya Rifles of Indian Army and 45th battalion of CRPF have arrested 6 terror associates from the area. Those arrested have been identified as Shafat Ahmad Dar, Mudassir Ahmed Khwaja, Abdul Qayoom Mango, and Ishfaq Ahmad Dar. In this joint operations, the security forces have recovered three live grenades, one AK 47 magazine, 25 live rounds of AK47, and UBGL. Police said that all the four arrested 13 associates were involved in providing logistic support and shelter to active terrorists of Lashkar-e-Toiba. Read: Strict Implementation Of Lockdown In Kashmir As COVID-19 Cases Surge Read: Legislative Assembly For Jammu And Kashmir Would Be Formed 'very Soon': Ram Madhav (Image credits: PTI) BETHALTO 1st MidAmerica Credit has been named to Forbes annual list of Americas Best-In-State Banks and Credit Unions. Being recognized by Forbes as one of the top five credit unions serving Illinois is a great honor, said Alan Meyer, President and CEO of 1st MidAmerica Credit Union. This prestigious award is a testament to the work our 230 employees do every day and their commitment to service and helping our 68,000 members achieve their financial goals. A nationwide survey asked 25,000 consumers about their overall recommendation and satisfaction of banks and credit unions with which they have banking relationships. Financial institutions were scored on respondents overall recommendations and satisfaction, as well as five specific criteria: trust, terms and conditions, branch services, digital services, and financial advice. The results were then used to compile the Best Banks and Best Credit Unions lists for each state. Of more than 5,000 credit unions nationwide, only 3.5% were awarded the designation. A c0mplete list is online at www.forbes.com/best-in-state-credit-unions/. For more about 1st MidAmerica Credit Union, visit www.1stMidAmerica.org. PLEASANTON, KS (KCTV) -- A rural Kansas county that opted out of the governor's mask order is now threatening to put people in jail for violating mandatory quarantine. Ian Peery is going on day four of not being allowed to leave his property in Pleasanton. Report: BLM rally on Gadigaal Land (Sydney) The Black Lives Matter movement stays strong in Sydney and all over Australia! Gadigal Elder Aunty Rhonda Dixon-Grovener, daughter of Aboriginal activist and wharfie Chicka Dixon, her daughter Nadeena Dixon, with the assistance of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), and the Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA), had their voices heard by protesters and police in the thousands in Sydney on Sunday 5th July. A static demonstration was held at Djarrbarrgalli, now the The Domain. Djarrbarrgalli is a sacred area for the Gadigal people where historically corroborees were held, and under colonisation, Djarrbarrgalli was used as a place to soapbox for Aboriginal voices to be heard. This sentiment was echoed at the peaceful demonstration where the families of the victims of police brutality were able to speak on the importance of Black lives, criticisms of the justice system, how police brutality has affected them, and ultimately the Black struggle in Australia. In Sydney, Gadigal elder Aunty Rhonda Dixon-Grovener opened with a Welcome to Country, and a traditional smoking ceremony that welcomed all present families of victims of violence from the State. The demonstration maintained a crowd of peaceful protesters in the thousands. Following the ceremony, more families and Black people were given the platform to speak, at which time the crowd was treated to a spoken word piece, followed by Aboriginal-Filipino artist Rhyan DOBBY Clapham performing with original lyrics over Wondaland Records HELL YOU TALMBOUT listing off the names of the black victims of state violence here in Australia and internationally, calling on protesters to say the victims names. During the demonstration, specific demands were given to the Australian government. First, to stop black deaths in custody and to bring justice to the families through reopening all cases and charging those responsible for those Black deaths. Secondly, to abolish the police as an institution, as the traditional owners of this land did not need police for millennia before white colonisers arrived. Thirdly, a closing of juvenile detention centres, a legal institution that disproportionately affects Aboriginal minors, especially in the Northern Territory. Lastly, an end to the Northern Territory Intervention, which is a set of legislation aimed at suppressing the freedoms of Aboriginal people there. At this time a 48-year-old man was removed from the park after yelling at protesters. Shortly before the closing of the ceremony, Comrade Paul McAleer, the MUA Sydney Branch Secretary and member of the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) gave a speech connecting the Black struggle to the anti-Imperialist, anti-Capitalist working-class struggle under the notion that Aboriginal people and other Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) have always been an important part of the working-class in Capitalist states. As the demonstration came to a close, some protesters began an impromptu march, despite a reported contention between the organising Aboriginal families on the matter. During this march protesters made their way towards Hyde Park and St James station. A 16-year-old male was removed from Hyde Park for throwing a bottle directed at the police, reportedly two women were assaulted by police constables in this confrontation. From the events of Saturday, it is clear that the Black Lives Matter movement is still in the minds of Australians, and rightly so! White people must not forget the importance of their allyship to the movement and continue protesting, and to continue fighting back against the oppression of those less privileged. The movement is not just a trend and will continue until there is justice and equality for Black lives across the world. It's been five years to this date since Sandra Bland was found hanging in her Walker County, Texas, jail cell. Bland, a 28-year-old Chicago-area woman, was found hanging on July 13, 2015, just three days after she was arrested following a confrontational traffic stop. The African American Policy Forum (AAPF) in 2015 coined the hashtag #SayHerName to draw awareness to Black women and girls who were victims of police injustice. SB 1849, better known as the Sandra Bland Act, was proposed in 2017 by State Sen. John Whitmire and State Rep. Garnet Coleman. The bill was signed into law on June 15 of that year. According to HoustonTX.gov, the Sandra Bland Act aims to improve and correct Texas' criminal justice system to make it better for all people and prevent tragedies like Bland's case from happening in the future. Under the law, among other things, officers are to be trained on limiting use of force and understanding implicit bias; county jail are to transport people with mental health and substance abuse issues to treatment; officers are prohibited from searching a person without consent and county jails are ordered to install electronic sensors or cameras to better monitor inmates. SAY THEIR NAMES: From Trayvon Martin to Breonna Taylor, other names besides George Floyd that make the case for Black Lives Matter Video frame grab courtesy of Investigative Network / Video frame grab courtesy of Investigative Network Today, Texas lawmakers are still fighting for more police reform. The Texas Tribune reported in June that Whitmire and Coleman are now pushing to reinstate the police reforms stripped from their original bill, like increasing restrictions on when law enforcement officers can stop and search a vehicle and prohibiting officers from stopping drivers for minor traffic violations to give them a chance to investigate their own personal suspicions. The Houston Chronicle reported in 2019 that Bland's death still has a strong impact on the City of Prairie View, where Bland had returned in 2015 after she found work at Prairie View A&M, her alma mater. Authorities released the dash cam video footage of Bland's arrest a week after the original traffic stop. Bland's own dashcam video of the incident surfaced in 2019, showing, from her perspective, Trooper Brian Encinia trying to pull the her out of her vehicle while aiming his stun gun at her. Attorneys at the time declined to reopen Bland's case when the video was made public. Some people allege Bland was murdered and already dead when she took her mugshot photo. At the time, USA Today had forensic pathologist Michael Baden examine the photo. He said he saw no evidence that would indicate Bland is not alive in the mugshot. Encinia was fired from the department and agreed to never work in law enforcement again. ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JULY 09: Guests wear face coverings as they walk on their way to enter the Downtown Disney District on the first day it reopened following temporary closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic on July 9, 2020 in Anaheim, California. Downtown Disney District is beginning a phased reopening while Disneyland Resort parks are awaiting state and local government approval to reopen as the spread of the coronavirus continues. (MARIO TAMA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) The number of cases in the US has rocketed in recent weeks, hitting a record of 66,528 in 24 hours on Saturday. The country has now registered a total of 3,301,820 infections, the Baltimore-based university said in its latest data as of 8:30 pm (0030 GMT Monday). The death toll stood at 135,171 with 442 additional deaths counted. The surge in cases has forced some state governors to retreat from earlier efforts to reopen their economies, with some now embracing the wearing of masks. President Donald Trump's administration on Sunday again pressed for full school reopenings in the fall despite resurgent COVID-19 infections. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 19:42:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Russian warplanes on Monday struck positions of the Islamic State (IS) militant group in the desert region in eastern Syria, a war monitor reported. The attack took place in the desert of the Sukhneh area in the remote eastern countryside of Homs Province amid renewed battles between the IS and the Syrian government forces, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Britain-based watchdog said losses have been reported on both sides. On July 7, the IS militants launched attacks on the Syrian army positions in a triangle of areas combining countryside areas of Aleppo, Hama, and Raqqa provinces in northern Syria, according to the watchdog. A total of 601 Syrian and pro-government soldiers have been killed in the battles with IS militants in the desert since March, while 256 IS militants lost their lives, the watchdog said. Enditem This week, Ontarios Minister of Education Stephen Lecce made a suite of education announcements. Unfortunately, he stopped short of providing key information about the funding for his education plan and how it can be implemented by September. As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 crisis, there is a lot of work ahead to ensure students receive the best education possible to prepare them for this uncertain and rapidly changing world. My 11-year-old niece Nevaeh delivered a convocation speech for my nephews digital convocation in June and left the students with a sage message: While we may not know what learning will look like in the future, what we do know, is that it includes you at the centre of it, because you are our future. Our education systems are best when we shape them to bring out the full potential of students first. In order to achieve this, we need a minister of education at the helm who is a transformational leader with strong and mutually trusting stakeholder relationships. At the same time we need to support parents and especially mothers so they may contribute to our economic recovery in their respective fields of work. It is crucial that the minister, and their team, intimately understand the systems that they are tasked to lead. We need an approach that centres students, educators, and parents in its development, each working together with policy-makers rather than forging separate paths and wasting precious time. The current minister has deliberately sown distrust between the government and educators through combative language and approaches chosen during recent contract negotiations. The minister set an adversarial tone with the people he must now co-operate with toward creative solutions. Should Education Minister Stephen Lecce choose to proceed in this fashion we are destined to fail the young people depending on us to deliver on their right to learn. Delivering on properly resourced education plans is the single most important thing we can do for the future of this country, province by province. We were past due an end to streaming in Ontario. The evidence was clear, Black and Indigenous students were grossly overrepresented in applied classes. This change is a welcomed development in the fight to remove barriers to post secondary education, and it is just the beginning. Success will be defined in the long term, and must be more than ad hoc government response to community asks mixed with distractions nobody asked for at all. The COVID-19 impacts on our education system are overwhelming, but with a truly collaborative approach the load is manageable. School boards across Canada have been in various stages of effective equity work. Many issues of racial and gender inequality have been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing that some school boards are better resourced for this work, whether a student is in Ottawa, the Region of Peel, or Windsor, our efforts to understand and rectify the experience should be the same. We need a strong planner on the file, and preferably a minister who knows their way around a publicly funded school more than a publicly funded press conference. Our systems are not equipped for the challenge ahead, but they could be. We should strive toward the best possible education system in Ontario, especially from an equity lens. I care deeply about seeing this system evolve following this storm into one that is safe for my future children to be shaped and empowered, supported through the advocacy of Black mothers who fought for those changes before me. I stand with advocates because the system we build during and after COVID-19 must be better than the one that preceded it. Every premier should want to be an Education Premier and put their very best team forward to build on this world-class system to ensure every child is reaching their full potential. The cost is too high to not get this right. As this work is carried out, a Stacey Abrams quote comes to mind, Dont allow reformation to get in the way of transformation. Harris County businesses with fewer than 30 employees are eligible for grants up to $25,000, County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced Monday. The $30 million program, which Commissioners Court approved unanimously June 30, aims to assist the smallest county businesses harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea is to give an injection into our economy, to strengthen it to help them keep their doors open, to keep their employees on the payroll, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said. As much as we want to flatten the pandemic curve, we want to flatten the unemployment curve. Grants from the Small Business Relief Fund can be used to cover payroll, rent, supplies and other operating expenses. To be eligible, firms must conduct business in Harris County, employ fewer than 30 people, have been in businesses for all of 2019, owe no outstanding local, state or federal taxes, and be able to verify a negative impact caused by the pandemic. Businesses inside the city of Houston are ineligible, unless they are located in Precinct 1. The application period opened Monday at 8 a.m. and expires July 24. Business owners can apply online at www.harriscounty-sbrfund.org. The grants will be awarded on a random basis to qualified applicants; Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said the county wants to ensure each businesses has a fair chance at receiving aid. He said a first-come, first-served approach to distributing the countys original $10 million small business aid program left some of the most vulnerable businesses without help. Many of our smaller businesses were still at the back of the bus, Ellis. Sometimes, the better prepared (rather) than the most unfortunate are the ones sitting by the computer waiting to go online and grab the money. The pandemic and government restrictions on movement and commerce caused more than 500,000 job losses in the Houston area by June. Gov. Greg Abbotts plan to reopen the economy May 1 unraveled last month as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have increased steadily since Memorial Day. In the first weeks of July, deaths began to increase as well. Hidalgo said the economy will not recover if Texas fails to get the virus under control, and again called on Abbott to allow her to again issue an enforceable stay-at-home order, as she had in March. We know some businesses are open seemingly enough to spread the virus but not enough to sustain them, Hidalgo said. As long as we continue thinking we can reopen the economy safely, while being at surge hospital capacity, while having an enormous pool of places that will spread the virus, we are simply trying to make policy based on wishful thinking. zach.despart@chron.com People queue up to vote in an unofficial primary for pro-democracy candidates ahead of legislative elections in September, in Hong Kong on July 12, 2020. (Vincent Yu/AP Photo) Hong Kongs Democrats Triumph as a Bruised Beijing Mulls Disqualifying Candidates Commentary In a stunning rebuke to Beijing, more than 600,000 Hong Kong residents turned out on July 11 and 12 to vote in the pro-democracy camps primary election, in spite of co-organizers of the poll being raided by police, exploding numbers of coronavirus cases, and threats by officials that voting was illegal under the new national security law. The result is a major embarrassment to the authorities, who had sought to avoid a show of defiance by the opposition. The pro-democracy camp had seemed to have been on their heels, with entire parties disbanding last week as the national security law came into effect. The primary is an innovation in Hong Kongs politics. Its main purpose is to ensure that democrats dont run excess candidates in each district, which Hong Kongs highly proportional electoral system punishes severely. In the past, lack of coordination among candidates and parties has cost the pro-democracy camp seatssomething that the primary appears set to prevent. On the eve of the poll, Hong Kongs leading pollster, PORIone of the primarys co-organizers along with the umbrella pro-democracy organization Power for Democracywas raided by police, leading many to fear that police would heed many pro-Beijing politicians calls to break up the primary and even arrest voters. Instead, the result will send shockwaves through a pro-Beijing political establishment that just last week was celebrating a supposed victory against the pro-democracy protests, recently quelled by the national security law. This demonstration of strength by democrats is a reminder that the uneasy peace of the citys streets is likely just the calm before the storm before violent protests erupt once more, as hardcore protesters bide their time and wait for the heavy police presence to subside. With the mass marches that characterized the 2019 protests rendered a thing of the past due to rampant police violence, public transport closures on scheduled protest dates, and the national security law, the extraordinary turnout serves notice to Beijing that as backing for the demands of pro-democracy activists remains undimmed, the Hong Kong public will seek to find outlets to voice their support. People queue up to vote in an unofficial primary for pro-democracy candidates ahead of legislative elections in September, in Hong Kong on July 12, 2020. (Vincent Yu/AP Photo) An Organized Opposition Indeed, even a heavily-discredited report by a government body into police brutality found that 62.3 percent of respondents supported the protests, with just 18 percent opposed. In this context, it is difficult to see anything other than crushing defeat beckoning for the pro-Beijing camp in Septembers Legislative Council (LegCo) elections. However, the advent of the national security law means any semblance of a free and fair election following the primary is extremely unlikely. High-profile government officials and pro-Beijing politicians have called for anyone who has publicly opposed the lawin other words, every established pro-democracy politicianto be struck from the ballot. However, the leaders of the pro-democracy camp, anticipating mass disqualifications, have back-up candidates without a record of controversial statements waiting in the wings, identities as yet unknown. With elections in Hong Kong defined irrevocably as a choice between representatives of the resilient pro-democracy movement and hand-picked shills of the Communist Party, which candidates appear on the ballot matters far less than their political affiliation. Thus, the value of the success of the pro-democracy camps primary rests in the finality it gives to who will be running, putting any internal disagreements to bed long before the campaign proper begins. This is significant due to the fact that previous election cycles gave been characterized by vicious infighting between more radical and moderate democrats, and though these disagreements havent disappeared, the primary provides a definitive result as to who will carry the pro-democracy movements banner in each of Hong Kongs five electoral districts. Thus, the primarys triumph leaves the pro-democracy camp as united as ever, as pro-Beijing parties stare into the abyss ahead of the critical September elections. The Legislative Council Complex in Hong Kong on Nov. 5, 2011. (Tksteven/GFDL) The Democrats Challenge Although LegCos powers are limited, the election will be seen as a referendum on the future Hong Kongers wish to see for themselves, as well as a chance to dispel the fiction that a pro-government silent majority exists in the city. That being said, while LegCos powers arent comparable with those of the U.S. Congress or British Parliament, a LegCo majority would hand the pro-democracy camp the power to wreck the governments legislative agenda and even dismiss Hong Kongs embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Under the Basic Law, the chief executive is mandated to resign if LegCo rejects two consecutive budgets, which would be certain to happen under a Democrat-controlled LegCo. We can only wait for the results. In the face of such grave threats to its authority and standing, many pro-government figures have called for all candidates who have publicly opposed the national security law to be struck from the ballot. The legal basis for this rests in the fact that elected legislative candidates must swear to uphold the Basic Law as part of their oaths of office. As the national security law has been inserted directly into Annex III of the Basic Law, many pro-Beijing politicians have called for the auto-exclusion from the election of anyone who opposes the law. However, any such attempts by the government to strike democrats from the ballot would have to contend with Hong Kongs legal system. Recent court rulings have largely thrown out past disqualifications of elected legislators, and the District Council elections in November 2019, in which the pro-democracy camp scored a landslide victory, only saw one candidate, high-profile activist Joshua Wong, barred from standing. However, it remains abundantly clear Beijings intention is to seek to keep all democrats off the ballot. The primarys success all but confirms candidates favored by the government are headed for a crushing defeat at the polls, likely only hardening Beijings resolve to dash hopes of a broadly free and fair election. Should Beijing fail in somehow fixing the election in advance, the challenge Hong Kongs pro-democracy camp faces this September remains daunting. Despite widespread public support for the protests, only 40 of the 70 Legislative Council seats are elected by the public, with the remaining 30 being so-called functional constituencies, which are selected mainly by business interests. This system of electionapart from making a mockery of democracyis engineered specifically to prevent the pro-democracy camp from gaining a LegCo majority, even despite it long winning more than 50 percent of the vote at legislative elections. Notwithstanding the Hong Kong publics clear aspirations for a liberal, democratic future for their city, they will need all their wits about them if they are to take control of the citys legislature and secure another triumph over the worlds largest dictatorship. Jack Hazlewood is a student and activist based in London. He previously worked for a localist political party in Hong Kong, and served as field producer for the conflict journalism outlet Popular Fronts documentary Add Oil, which followed frontline protesters in Hong Kong in the run up to Chinas national day in 2019. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 04:54:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A medical worker is seen at a COVID-19 testing site at Ain Shams University Specialized Hospital in Cairo, Egypt, on July 13, 2020. Egypt confirmed on Monday 931 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of cases in the country since mid-February to 83,001, said the health ministry. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) CAIRO, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Egypt confirmed on Monday 931 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of cases in the country since mid-February to 83,001, said the health ministry. It is the fifth consecutive day for the country's daily COVID-19 infections to be below 1,000 since May 28. Meanwhile, 77 patients died from the virus, bringing the death toll 3,935, while 556 others were cured and discharged from hospitals, increasing the total recoveries to 24,975, Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said in a statement. Egypt announced its first confirmed COVID-19 case on Feb. 14 and the first death from the highly infectious virus on March 8. The country resumed international flights on July 1 after more than three months of suspension, amid a "coexistence plan" to maintain anti-coronavirus precautionary measures while resuming economic activities. The government has recently lifted a partial nighttime curfew it imposed over the past three months, and reopened restaurants, cafes, theaters and cinemas, as well as hotels, museums and archeological sites for tourists, all with limited capacity. Egypt and China have been cooperating closely in fighting the pandemic through exchanging medical aid and expertise. In early February, Egypt provided aid to China to help with its fight against COVID-19 and China later returned favor by sending three batches of medical aid to the North African country. "So far, Chinese medical experts have held eight video conferences with Egyptian counterparts over COVID-19," Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang said earlier this month. On July 5, Liao delivered a batch of anti-coronavirus medical aid sent by the Chinese government to the Cairo-based Arab League. Enditem A senior Maharashtra minister and NCP leader has urged the Centre to shift revolutionary poet Varavara Rao to a hospital. State housing minister Dr Jitendra Awhad tweeted after requests from Varavara Rao's family, various human and civil rights organisation and CPI (M). Also read CPI (M) seeks medical attention for Telugu poet Varavara Rao "We are extremely worried about Varvara Rao's health condition. His possession is under the Home Ministry of Central government and not under Maharashtra government. We appeal to the Central government to urgently shift him to a hospital," Dr Awhad tweeted. We are extremely worried about Varvara Rao's health condition . His possesion is under Home Ministry of Central Govt and not under Maharashtra Govt. We appeal to the Central Govt to urgently shift him to a hospital.@AnilDeshmukhNCP Dr.Jitendra Awhad (@Awhadspeaks) July 12, 2020 He has also tagged state home minister Anil Deshmukh in the tweet. As the first-ever air ticket discount package launched in China that allows passengers to enjoy unlimited weekend flights till December 31, the "fly at will" released on June 18 was priced at 3,322 yuan (about $473.72). The product has been especially welcomed by backpackers and migrant workers. Some netizens even call it "a godsend for long-distance relationship". As the COVID-19 pandemic has been effectively brought under control in the China, 150,000 passengers flew to enjoy holidays or visit their family by using the ticket package, which has become a hot topic and a phenomenal economic activity in China. The average passenger load factor of the China Eastern flights from Shanghai to more than ten destinations rose by nearly 20 percent, with the figure of some flights even surpassing 90 percent. Some popular flights have seen the proportion of "fly at will" passengers exceed 90 percent. Although the company has dispatched wide-body aircrafts like B777 and A350 to the hot flights, it still cannot fully meet passengers' growing travel demands. The ground-breaking move has also caused social discussion. Jeff Yu, a partner in the Beijing office of consultancy Roland Berger, said that the most noteworthy part of the "fly at will" is not only the pricing or business model, but the actual test data, for which will help provide valuable insights into and support for the full recovery of the aviation field. With the "fly at will" filling a market void and driving travel demands, China Eastern is called a "pathfinder" and "wind vane" by industry insiders and media. There are by far over 20,000 pieces of news reports on the product published by more than 1,000 media outlets. Putting aside the profits and losses, "fly at will" is already a very successful product for its topicality and the publicity, pointed out Xiong Wei, a PhD candidate majoring in aviation law at McGill University. Other airlines in China have launched similar products following "fly at will". On June 21, China Express launched a similar air ticket packages. On July 1, Hainan Airlines announced that its 12 airline companies will jointly launch an air ticket package with limited destinations. China Eastern hopes that its "fly at will" can help boost businesses in tourism and hospitality, so that relevant industries can tide over the tough time together, said an executive of the service department of China Eastern. As the COVID-19 pandemic causes a marked impact on economy, a popular ticket package may lead to more positive results in consumption in relevant fields, said Xiong, noting that the social benefits of "fly at will" is already far beyond the profits it can get for the company. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=367220 Caption: The passengers landing in Chongqing hold high the slogan "The world is so big. Let's take a look!" SOURCE China Eastern Airlines Russian-US relations are at their lowest point, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Moscow. Kremlin. Putin program on Rossiya-1 TV channel on Sunday, TASS reports. "Our relations are still nearly at the lowest point," Peskov said commenting on the dynamics of Russian-US relations. "The situation is very bad - both in terms of bilateral relations and our two countries responsibility for multilateral affairs, first of all the issue of control over arms and strategic stability," Peskov said. According to him, there were contacts in this field at an expert level. "But they dont bring us closer to understanding between our countries in terms of preserving any existing documents, first of all New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), which are now the only documents that can ensure arms control on a global scale," Peskov said, recalling that Russia and the US have the biggest nuclear capabilities in the world. "None of other countries, including China, by the way, which the Americans are very persistently trying to invite to these negotiations, cannot be compared in terms of its arsenal with either America or us," the Kremlin spokesman said. Rajasthan crisis: Here is how the number stack up India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 13: The Ashok Gehlot government appears to be shaky after Sachin Pilot claimed the support of 30 MLAs. Rajasthan political crisis: Ashok Gehlot versus Sachin Pilot| The number game | Oneindia News In the 200 member Rajasthan assembly, the magic number is 101. Congress has the support of 125 MLAs including 107 of its own legislators. The party has the backing of 13 independents and 5 from other parties. In the house where the majority mark is 101, the BJP has 72 legislators and also the support of three Hanuman Beniwal Rashtriya Loktantrik Party. If the Pilot camp exits with 30 MLAs then the strength of the Congress would come down to 95. This would mean that the party would fall short by 6 to be in power. If the 30 MLAs aligned with Pilot were to back the BJP, then the party would have 102, which is one above the magic mark. Moreover, the BJP also has the support of 3 MLAs from the RPL, which would take the party's number to 105, which is 4 above the magic mark. In late night statement, Pilot indicates how he can cut Gehlot to size Meanwhile, the Congress has called for a meeting of all its Rajasthan legislators and also rushed two central observers, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Ajay Maken to Jaipur. The Congress leadership is looking to iron out differences between Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot. The Gehlot camp sounded confident about the stability of the government. A large number of Congress and other legislators supporting the government, met with Gehlot at his residence. There is no danger to the government. All MLAs are with us, Ashok Chandana, a close aide of Gehlot said. The developments have drawn plenty of reactions from both the Congress and BJP. Senior Congress leader, Kapil Sibal said, "worried for our party. Will we wake up only after the horses have bolted from our stables?" Sad to see my erstwhile colleague Sachin Pilot, too, being sidelined and persecuted by Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot. Shows that talent and capability find little credence in the Congress," Jyotiraditya Scindia, who quit the Congress recently said in a tweet. Anyone in the Capital Region who knows a Purple Heart recipient can nominate that veteran for an all-expense paid four days of special recognition. Those Purple Heart recipients will compete to represent New York state during a 2021 Purple Heart Patriot Project Mission. Purple Heart Recipients from every U.S. state and territory Will be honored with special ceremonies at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Nominations are due by Aug. 31. National Purple Heart Day is Aug. 7. This multi-day salute to service by the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor of Newburgh will bring together Purple Heart heroes representing each state and territory to pay tribute to their courage and sacrifice on behalf of a grateful nation. One Purple Heart recipient and an escort of their choosing from each state and territory will be selected for the all-expenses-paid tribute filled with tours and ceremonies honoring their service and that of all those who have earned the Purple Heart. The four-day Patriot Project Mission will feature visits to the U.S. Military Academy West Point, a visit to historic Washington's Headquarters where the Badge of Military Merit originated in 1782, and a private tour of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor the museum dedicated to paying tribute to our nation's combat wounded. Other special tribute events are also being planned. "Our nation's Purple Heart recipients have made extraordinary sacrifices for our freedom," said retired Army Col. Russell Vernon, National Purple Heart Honor Mission executive director. "These brave men and women who bare the physical scars of war, saved the world from the darkness of Nazism, communism, fascism and terrorism. This tribute is a reminder to all of us that their sacrifice will never be forgotten. For some, it is the homecoming they never had. For others, it is an opportunity to connect with their fellow Purple Heart recipients and share stories only they can fully appreciate. For all Americans, The Patriot Project, it's a reminder of the cost of freedom." It is estimated that more than 1.8 million Americans have been awarded the Purple Heart for being wounded in action or making the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, according to Vernon. "The honorees we will select symbolize what it means to be humble heroes, who served, sacrificed and continued to serve their communities," he said. Anyone can nominate a Purple Heart recipient they know. Nominations must include a short description (up to 250 words) of why their nominee is deserving of this special recognition. Submissions can be sent via email to Info@PurpleHeartMission.org or submitted via the Honor Mission's website at https://www.purpleheartmission.org/patriot-project. Nominations will be accepted until Aug. 31. The Honor Mission will select three finalists from each state and territory. A national panel of Purple Heart recipients and other distinguished Americans will select the final honorees. A complete list of honorees will be announced nationally on Nov. 11, Veterans Day. The Purple Heart is earned by those who are wounded or killed while fighting in the nation's wars. Others who are wounded, injured or die in terrorist attacks are also eligible to receive the medal. The Purple Hreat is our nation's oldest military decoration. General George Washington awarded the first purple-colored heart-shaped badges to soldiers who fought in the Continental Army in the American Revolution. Until World War II, the Purple Heart was exclusively an Army decoration and, with rare exceptions, only soldiers received it. The Navy and Marine Corps lacked the authority to award it to sea service personnel. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Sgt. Henry Johnson of Albany, who earned a Medal of Honor while serving with the all-Black 369th Infantry Regiment in World War I, should also have been noted for having earned the most Purple Hearts. He was wounded 21 times but only received one Purple Heart posthuously. His orginial chain of command of white officers had failed to recommend him for the medal. Three military personnel, who officially received the most Puple Hearts, each earned 10. The following hold the official record for the largest number of Purple Hearts: Army Staff Sgt. Curry T. Haynes of White Plains, Ga., earned 10 Purple Hearts while serving with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in the Vietnam War. Army Pfc. Charles Barger of Mt. Vernon, Mo., was wounded 10 times in World War II. Army Maj. William G. White of Carmel, Calif., was wounded nine times in World War II and once in the Korean War. News of your troops and units can be sent to Duty Calls, Terry Brown, Times Union, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 or brownt@timesunion.com. As Alabama schools prepare to open their doors next month, state lawmakers are now pushing for $150 million for more safeguards against the spread of coronavirus, arguing for a plan that could add up to 300 school nurses, provide testing in schools and add space to isolate students who show symptoms. But State Superintendent Eric Mackey does not support parts of the plan, and would rather provide some of the money to local schools and let them decide how to spend it. Sen. Jim McClendon, R-Springville, told AL.com he doesnt understand why the plan, which was crafted by the Alabama School Nurses Association isnt being embraced by Mackey. "We seem to have everybody on board but Dr. Mackey," McClendon said Monday. McClendon said the majority of the money would come from federal CARES Act funding, which must be spent by the end of the year. "The superintendent has not come up with any plan to protect our students," McClendon said, referring to the state's roadmap to reopening schools, released June 26. "Nothing. Except wear masks and social distance." The issue is set to come to a head on Tuesday in front of the state school board. Related: Reopening Alabamas K-12 schools: Here are the plans so far The Senate plan has four main pieces: add 300 school nurses so every school has its own nurse, build 480-square-foot nursing facilities at every school to isolate children who show COVID-19 symptoms at school, test 70,000 school children every month, and equip every school with a thermal imaging system that would screen students and faculty for fever as they enter a school building. Mackey told AL.com schools have nursing needs, but the senators plan is overly prescriptive, and he would rather provide funds to local school officials to allow them to use it as needed. McClendon, who chairs the Alabama Senate healthcare committee, will be at the state board work session on Tuesday, arguing for the plan. Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greenville, will join McClendon at the board table. They were invited by Gov. Kay Ivey, who serves as president of the state board of education. Last week, Singleton wrote a scathing opinion piece criticizing Mackey for not backing the plan. In the opinion piece, Singleton said he left Montgomery "fuming" after running into roadblocks to get the plan funded, calling Mackey's reopening plan "woefully inadequate". Singleton wrote, "Without this program, all students are at increased risk. That risk is disproportionately high for students in underserved and historically marginalized districts." Mackey said he also wants 300 nurses. In a June 5 request to Ivey, Mackey asked for $72 million in CARES Act money that would provide $50,000 to each of Alabama's 1,440 schools to spend on adding school nurses, paying them extra for coming back to school a few weeks before school starts, and to upgrade nursing facilities at schools. "Some school nurse's stations don't have running water," Mackey said. Even if they have running water, he added, they may not have hot water available. Kristine McClary is a school nurse and legislative committee chair of the Alabama Association of School Nurses. She helped craft the plan. She said the CARES Act funding is a way to improve school nurse facilities and beef up capabilities like testing for the flu and also for COVID-19. There are too many schools without adequate nursing supplies and access to needed health care, she said. McClendon called the CARES Act funding a one-time shot at getting all schools appropriate nursing facilities by building the freestanding nurses station, designed by architects at Auburn University. Mackey said his plan for more nurses overlaps with the senators' plan, but said he wasn't comfortable with certain pieces of the plan, such as purchasing $26.2 million in thermal imaging systems for schools without following state bid law. McClendon said the clock is ticking and if all 138 school systems had to go bid out the various pieces of the plan, time will run out. "Stuff has got to be put in place, the checks written by Dec. 30. That will not happen if you have 138 systems doing their own thing." Mackey said he welcomes lawmakers to discuss the proposal at the board table on Tuesday. "I think our proposal overlaps with their proposal really closely except for testing, which is a public health function," Mackey said. "Testing is not an education function. Other than the testing, I think our proposals are pretty close." Related: $260 million in federal money coming to Alabama K-12 schools to help with pandemic expenses (Natural News) Here is a message which should send a shudder down the spine of anyone who believes in the concept of equality before the law: a British police department openly admitting that it intends to give special, favourable treatment to Black Lives Matter. (Article by James Delingpole republished from Breitbart.com) Note the use of that weasel word vigil. Presumably this comes from the same dictionary of politically correct excuse-making that led the BBC describe a violent Black Lives Matter violent demo in London in which 27 police officers were injured as largely peaceful. Its a lie and an insulting lie at that. Vigils are what angels keep. Vigils are what servicemen keep over the bodies of their fallen comrades. Vigils are honourable, solemn, ancient and have nothing whatsoever to do with a bunch of mostly white, middle-class uni graduates and Marxist agitators causing mayhem on the public streets under the pretence that they fighting against structural racism. We'll be in attendance to facilitate a planned Black Lives Matter vigil at Keel Square in #Sunderland tonight. A Section 14 order is in place forbidding any other public assembly, including counter-protests, to ensure the public's safety. Anyone with concerns should ring 101. pic.twitter.com/9OB5R0THDf Northumbria Police (@northumbriapol) June 25, 2020 Note also that Northumbria Police are effectively declaring a two-tier policing system. Protest gatherings even ones pretending to be vigils are illegal under the draconian legislation which was rushed through by the British parliament in response to coronavirus. Yet here is Northumbria Police explicitly and unilaterally announcing to the world that they consider Black Lives Matter are exempt. Why? How can it possibly be justifiable let alone fair for any police department in the United Kingdom to turn a blind eye to (or indeed, as here, actively encourage) the hard left while simultaneously warning that anyone who wants to protest against this injustice will be liable for arrest? Also, what the hell are the police doing giving special privileges to a Marxist organisation which not only wants them to be banned but thinks that All Cops Are Bastards? I doubt or at least hope that no rank and file police in Northumbria (one of the more down-to-earth regions of Britain) support this lunacy. But then I suppose I wouldnt be altogether surprised if some did, because policing in Britain these days seems to be so heavily in thrall to the Social Justice Warrior values of Common Purpose and the radical left generally that they may well believe their job is to promote anti-racism more than it is to uphold the law and keep the peace. Some of us could see this coming a mile off. Police cars redecorated in the colours of unicorn vomit (in solidarity with LGBTQetc), policemen being encouraged to wear high heels and paint their fingernails in solidarity with something or other, policemen obsessed with hurty tweets but not with preventing burglary or grooming gangs. We saw all this happening and asked ourselves: but will this cucked, emasculated police be capable of responding if it all kicks off and some actual, old-fashioned law enforcement is required? Well over the last few weeks weve had our answer: police in Bristol looking on (approvingly) as statues are dragged by mobs and dumped in the sea; police in London running away from the mob and being beaten up by more uncontrolled mobs. Home Secretary Priti Patel has been talking some tough talk, saying shes going to haul the head of the Metropolitan Police Cressida Dick over the coals for failing to keep order. But will she really have the appetite for the root and branch reform thats needed? And where, among all the milquetoast, right-on, sociology graduates that now form the upper echelons of the police is she going to find officers with the mettle and backbone to restore the police to their original purpose? I would suggest that maybe its time to put the Army in charge of law and order except theyre now commanded by politically correct bedwetters too. Britain, I fear, is toast. But then I look across at whats happening in the U.S. and I see the same problem there too. And to think that, up until quite recently, right-wingers like myself who pointed out that we were losing the culture wars to the radical left and that all our institutions had fallen to Social Justice Warriors were treated like tin-foil-hatted loons. Such was the fate of Cassandra. Nothing changes. All I know that if Boris Johnsons administration doesnt get its act together soon on the law and order front, then we aint seen nothing yet. Come October, when the economic consequences of the governments pointless coronavirus lockdown make themselves felt and unemployment starts to bite, that is when the shit is really going to hit the fan. Priti: you wanted to be the next Margaret Thatcher. Nows your chance. Read more at: Breitbart.com Credit: CC0 Public Domain "Fake news" is not just a problem of misleading or false claims on fringe websites; it is increasingly filtering into the mainstream and has the potential to be deeply destructive. My recent analysis of more than 500 public submissions to a parliamentary committee on the launch of 5G in Australia shows just how pervasive misinformation campaigns have become at the highest levels of government. A significant number of the submissions peddled inaccurate claims about the health effects of 5G. These falsehoods were prominent enough the committee felt compelled to address the issue in its final report. The report noted: "community confidence in 5G has been shaken by extensive misinformation preying on the fears of the public spread via the internet, and presented as facts, particularly through social media." This is a remarkable situation for Australian public policyit is not common for a parliamentary inquiry to have to rebut the dodgy scientific claims it receives in the form of public submissions. While many Australians might dismiss these claims as fringe conspiracy theories, the reach of this misinformation matters. If enough people act on the basis of these claims, it can cause harm to the wider public. In late May, for example, protests against 5G, vaccines and COVID-19 restrictions were held in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Some protesters claimed 5G was causing COVID-19 and the pandemic was a hoaxa "plandemic"perpetuated to enslave and subjugate the people to the state. Misinformation can also lead to violence. Last year, the FBI for the first time identified conspiracy theory-driven extremists as a terrorism threat. Conspiracy theories that 5G causes autism, cancer and COVID-19 have also led to widespread arson attacks in the UK and Canada, along with verbal and physical attacks on employees of telecommunication companies. The source of conspiracy messaging To better understand the nature and origins of the misinformation campaigns against 5G in Australia, I examined the 530 submissions posted online to the parliament's standing committee on communications and the arts. The majority of submissions were from private citizens. A sizeable number, however, made claims about the health effects of 5G, parroting language from well-known conspiracy theory websites. A perceived lack of "consent" (for example, here, here and here) about the planned 5G roll-out featured prominently in these submissions. One person argued she did not agree to allow 5G to be "delivered directly into" the home and "radiate" her family. To connect sentiments like this to conspiracy groups, I looked at two well-known conspiracy sites that have been identified as promoting narratives consistent with Russian misinformation operations the Center for Research on Globalization (CRG) and Zero Hedge. CRG is an organization founded and directed by Michel Chossudovsky, a former professor at the University of Ottawa and opinion writer for Russia Today. CRG has been flagged by NATO intelligence as part of wider efforts to undermine trust in "government and public institutions" in North America and Europe. Zero Hedge, which is registered in Bulgaria, attracts millions of readers every month and ranks among the top 500 sites visited in the US. Most stories are geared toward an American audience. Researchers at Rand have connected Zero Hedge with online influencers and other media sites known for advancing pro-Kremlin narratives, such as the claim that Ukraine, and not Russia, is to blame for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. How it was used in parliamentary submissions For my research, I scoured the top posts circulated by these groups on Facebook for false claims about the health threats posed by 5G. Some stories I found had headlines like "13 Reasons 5G Wireless Technology will be a Catastrophe for Humanity" and "Hundreds of Respected Scientists Sound Alarm about Health Effects as 5G Networks go Global". I then tracked the diffusion of these stories on Facebook and identified 10 public groups where they were posted. Two of the groups specifically targeted Australians Australians for Safe Technology, a group with 48,000 members, and Australia Uncensored. Many others, such as the popular right-wing conspiracy group QAnon, also contained posts about the 5G debate in Australia. To determine the similarities in phrasing between the articles posted on these Facebook groups and submissions to the Australian parliamentary committee, I used the same technique to detect similarities in texts that is commonly used to detect plagiarism in student papers. The analysis rates similarities in documents on a scale of 0 (entirely dissimilar) to 1 (exactly alike). There were 38 submissions with at least a 0.5 similarity to posts in the Facebook group 5G Network, Microwave Radiation Dangers and other Health Problems and 35 with a 0.5 similarity to the Australians for Safe Technology group. This is significant because it means that for these 73 submissions, 50% of the language was, word for word, exactly the same as the posts from extreme conspiracy groups on Facebook. The impact of misinformation on policy-making The process for soliciting submissions to a parliamentary inquiry is an important part of our democracy. In theory, it provides ordinary citizens and organizations with a voice in forming policy. My findings suggest Facebook conspiracy groups and potentially other conspiracy sites are attempting to co-opt this process to directly influence the way Australians think about 5G. In the pre-internet age, misinformation campaigns often had limited reach and took a significant amount of time to spread. They typically required the production of falsified documents and a sympathetic media outlet. Mainstream news would usually ignore such stories and few people would ever read them. Today, however, one only needs to create a false social media account and a meme. Misinformation can spread quickly if it is amplified through online trolls and bots. It can also spread quickly on Facebook, with its algorithm designed to drive ordinary users to extremist groups and pages by exploiting their attraction to divisive content. And once this manipulative content has been widely disseminated, countering it is like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube. Misinformation has the potential to undermine faith in governments and institutions and make it more challenging for authorities to make demonstrable improvements in public life. This is why governments need to be more proactive in effectively communicating technical and scientific information, like details about 5G, to the public. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, a public sphere without trusted voices quickly becomes filled with misinformation. Explore further Collectivism drives efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The Seventh District's US Court of Appeals issued an order on Sunday that would conduct the first federal execution of a prison in the last 17 years that was scheduled to be held on Monday, following a pending appeal to the US Supreme Court. Capital punishment According to CNN, the prisoner, Daniel Lewis Lee, who was sentenced with the execution, is a convicted killer and was initially set to be given his sentence on Monday. However, a ruling on Friday delayed the execution after the family of the victim requested to put it on hold in fears of the coronavirus pandemic that threatens their health if they were to attend the capital punishment. The ruling of the Seventh Circuit will enable the Monday execution to continue for now. Still, the attorney of the victim's family said they are expected to make an 11th-hour appeal to the Supreme Court. Attorney Baker Kurrus stated that the federal government gave the victim's family a difficult choice between witnessing Lee's execution and keeping themselves away from the risk of the coronavirus pandemic. Also Read: French Street Child Molester in Indonesia Nabbed, May Face Death Penalty Via Firing Squad On Sunday, a separate court filing showed that the Bureau of Prisons stated one of its personnel had tested positive for the deadly disease on Saturday while they were at the Terre Haute, Indiana, prison. The execution was set to take place in the prison, and the agency had reassured that it conducted effective virus mitigation efforts. The positive staffer never stepped foot inside the execution chamber, stated the agency. A gruesome crime The execution of Lee was expected to bring a new era to the United States' justice system and its use of the death penalty. Three unrelated men convicted of child murders were also scheduled to be executed in the following weeks. The court's order to suspend the punishment is a blow to Trump's administration, who, last July, announced the reinstatement of the death penalty after a 17-year lapse. Last year, US Attorney General William Barr announced the revival of the federal death penalty, which President Trump called for previously, as reported by The New York Times. Lawyers of the convicts scheduled to be executed were not allowed to visit their clients in prison for health concerns during the coronavirus pandemic. The agents noted the restrictions severely impeded their ability to defend their clients to their abilities. Last month, Barr announced the US government intends to push through with the capital punishment starting with Lee. The family of Lee's victims noted that if they were to attend the execution amid the coronavirus pandemic, they would be violating their doctors' orders. Some members would have to fly across four different states to get to the Terre Haute prison. The family said they made a tough decision but revealed that they opposed putting Lee as a subject to the death penalty, stating it was not the justice they were looking for, as reported by Law and Crime. Related Article: Joe Biden's Family Record Show Drug Usage, Drunk Driving, and Other Charges But No One Was Jailed @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 13:35:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Pema Yangtso, Zhao Jiasong XINING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- In mid-summer, farmers in Padma County are busy picking tender leaves from two varieties of cherry-apple trees, which only grow at an altitude of between 3,000 and 3,500 meters, to make "Tibetan snow tea." Padma, located in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of northwest China's Qinghai Province, is home to these two tree species, Malus transitoria and Malus toringoides. Their leaves are processed to make the special tea that is believed to boast heat-clearing, detoxifying and anti-dyspepsia properties. In 2015, a tea company was established in Padma, with 18 million yuan (about 2.57 million U.S. dollars) invested by many parties including the local government, integrating the planting, producing, processing and marketing of the snow tea. Since then, it has been promoting the brand of "Padma Tibetan Snow Tea" nationwide. "We have been drinking snow tea since childhood, but never imagined the trees growing beside our houses could be cash cows," said Amzi Kartai, a villager from Dengta Township. "As the local tea brand grows in popularity, more locals engage in this business." "Our company started to try artificial planting in 2014, and now we have our own planting base. Besides, we also purchase the tree leaves from farmers," said Jing Guomei, who heads the company. "Now the planting area of the base has increased to over 1,200 hectares from some six hectares in the past," she said. The industry has changed the lives of many residents in the small county. Before 2015, Karme and her husband were in extreme poverty, with no fixed residence. "We always climbed into the mountains at 8 a.m. with tea and some dried food in our packs, to dig for fritillary bulbs, a major source of income for us. The digging season lasted only about a month and we could earn about 2,000 yuan," she said. From drinking tea to producing tea, Karme has found herself a stable part-time job in the tea company. She can earn 3,300 yuan a month and nearly 1,000 yuan for her year-end bonus. In Padma, like Karme, 7,766 poor people have benefited from the poverty-alleviation industry, with each seeing their income increase by over 1,580 yuan per year. In 2019, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in Padma reached 8,020 yuan, up 11.3 percent year on year. This April, Padma was removed from the country's list of impoverished counties. According to official statistics, the total output value of Padma's snow tea industry from 2016 to 2019 reached 17.18 million yuan. In 2019, the tea company paid an average dividend of 2,300 yuan to each of the 503 poor households. Jing said last year the company even invited online celebrities to help them sell tea on a livestreaming platform. "We sold out 5,000 orders, worth 450,000 yuan, in five minutes," she said. According to the dividend agreement the company reached with the farmers, 134 poor households received part of the revenue, with each person given 1,314 yuan. "Our next step is to further develop our organic tea industry into a pillar industry in Padma, and our snow tea will continue to lead us to a better life," said Li Funian, deputy head of Padma County. Enditem Apple has committed over $400 million to housing programs after a $2.5 billion pledge last November. The Cupertino tech giant said the commitment will help fund over 1,250 new Bay Area affordable housing units and aid thousands of first-time California home buyers. Rents dropped by double digits across the Bay Area as coronavirus crushed the economy and weakened demand, but the region remains the countrys most expensive real estate market. A surge in unemployment heightens the risk of tenants losing their homes, and drops in tax revenue make it harder for the government to fund affordable housing, which rely on public subsidies. At a time when so many members of our community are facing unprecedented challenges, we believe its critical to make sure that their hopes for the future are supported through tangible programs and results, Kristina Raspe, Apples vice president for global real estate and facilities, said in a statement. The weakened economy could make affordable housing groups more reliant on the generosity of the private sector. Google and Facebook are each allocating $1 billion to housing, including funding affordable units. Apple is partnering with nonprofit Housing Trust Silicon Valley to finance more than 250 affordable units across two projects in San Jose, and one each in Santa Rosa and Pittsburg. Apple said many of the homes will be reserved for veterans, formerly homeless people and those with disabilities. Housing Trust Silicon Valley is receiving a total of $150 million from Apple and will fund additional projects. The tech company is also providing $50 million to Destination: Home, a nonprofit focusing on homeless aid, for developments including the 80-unit Kifer Senior Housing project in Santa Clara. Apples funds will help Destination: Home build over 1,000 affordable units. Apples contribution could not have come at a more crucial time, as the COVID-19 pandemic has only made our work to end homelessness that much more urgent, Jennifer Loving, CEO of Destination: Home, said in a statement. We were able to immediately invest their funding into several new housing developments that will provide a permanent home to vulnerable residents across the region and reinforce our Homelessness Prevention System at a time when were seeing an unprecedented number of at-risk families in need, she said. Apple is also helping fund the California Housing Finance Agencys state program for first-time home buyers and creating an additional affordable housing funding program with the state that will expand the use of tax-exempt bonds. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Apples $2.5 billion commitment includes a $1 billion California affordable housing fund, $1 billion for home buyer assistance, using land valued at $300 million for affordable housing, and the $150 million committed to Housing Trust Silicon Valley and $50 million to Destination: Home. Amie Fishman, executive director of the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California, an advocacy group, said she wants Apple and other tech companies to increase their housing commitments in the wake of the pandemic. Tech companies have done very well at a time when huge numbers of people are suffering, she said. Now is the time for them to invest and do more. The Bay Area has 20,000 approved affordable housing units that need more funding to start construction, she said. Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf At least three Midwest states Michigan, Missouri and North Dakota will receive federal help after President Donald Trump approved their requests for federal disaster declarations. Missouri requested a federal disaster declaration for severe storms in early May. Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons office said in a news release that the declaration means federal assistance will be available to help 19 counties with the expense of responding to and recovering from the storm that churned up 70 mph winds. One person died after strong winds knocked a tree into a home in western Missouri. The winds also tore the roof off a Mansfield school building. And there were several reports of downed trees, with thousands of people in the Kansas City metro area without power. The preliminary damage and response cost estimates totaled more than $9.3 million. Parsons office said some of the federal money will be used to help repair and replace damaged electric power systems, buildings, bridges, roads and other public infrastructure. The counties included in the disaster declaration are Bates, Butler, Carter, Dallas, Douglas, Dunklin, Henry, Hickory, Howell, Laclede, New Madrid, Oregon, Pemiscot, Polk, Ripley, Shannon, Stoddard, Wayne, and Wright. Trump approved Gov. Gretchen Whitmers request for a major disaster declaration for mid-Michigan counties swept by May floods and will provide more than $43 million to help in the recovery. The Edenville dam failed during a steady rain, draining Wixom Lake and unleashing the Tittabawassee River, which then overwhelmed the Sanford dam, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) north of Detroit. The devastation of this disaster touched thousands of Michigan families and businesses, and this federal declaration is an important step in our efforts to continue to provide assistance as they recover and rebuild, Whitmer said. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum had requested a disaster declaration for widespread spring flooding in his state. Burgums office said flooding has caused an estimated $40 million-plus in damage in roads and other public infrastructure in North Dakota. A presidential declaration unlocks Federal Emergency Management Agency public assistance to help cities, counties and townships pay for the costs of repairing roads and other infrastructure damaged by flooding. The governor in April declared a statewide emergency for spring flooding. He requested a presidential disaster declaration in May, when the Red River dropped below major flood stage in Pembina, in northeastern North Dakota. Preliminary assessments of damage in 18 counties surpassed $8 million, with an additional $2 million in damage estimated to still be underwater. The state Department of Transportation also reported nearly $30 million in damage to its network of roads that are supported by federal aid. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Flood Michigan Missouri North Dakota Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Doina Chiacu (Reuters) Washington, United States Mon, July 13, 2020 08:32 555 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665d0a68 2 World Nancy-Pelosi,US,Donald-Trump,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-infection,pandemic,school,reopening,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused President Donald Trump of "messing with" children's health on Sunday and said federal guidelines on reopening schools amid the coronavirus outbreak should be mandatory. The Democratic House of Representatives leader sharply criticized the Trump administration for advocating a return to school in the fall as coronavirus infections surge across the country, particularly in states that reopened their economies earliest during the pandemic. The federal government can make the Centers for Disease Control guidelines for reopening schools mandatory, like some state governors have done with anti-coronavirus measures, she said. Critics of the Trump administration's pandemic response have long called for a national strategy on mitigation efforts. "Going back to school presents the biggest risk for the spread of the coronavirus," Pelosi said on CNN's "State of the Union" program. "If there are CDC guidelines, they should be requirements." "They should be mandates." Trump last week attacked the CDC, the federal government's health protection agency, for school reopening guidelines that he said were too tough, expensive and impractical. "The president and his administration are messing with the health of our children," Pelosi said. "We all want our children to go back to school, parents do and children do. But they must go back safely." On Sunday, the Republican president's education secretary, Betsy DeVos, repeatedly refused to say if states and school districts should follow the CDC guidelines. In an interview with CNN, DeVos said children get the virus at a far lower rate than adults and downplayed the risk of children bringing the virus home to teachers, parents, grandparents or caregivers. She also failed to put forth any other blueprint for safe school reopenings, saying there was no single solution. "We know that schools across the country look very different and that there's not going to be a one-size-fits-all approach to everything," she told "Fox News Sunday." Her comments drew an immediate rebuke from Pelosi, who said the Trump administration's approach to school reopenings was dangerous. "What we heard from the secretary was malfeasance and dereliction of duty," Pelosi said on CNN. Facing a battered economy as he seeks re-election in November, Trump has pressured states to reopen shuttered businesses and schools. Since many states relaxed coronavirus restrictions, the virus has found a new toehold. So far in July, 24 states have reported record increases in cases of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, according to a Reuters tally. CDC recommendations for schools include testing for COVID-19, dividing students into small groups, serving packaged lunches in classrooms instead of cafeterias, and minimizing sharing of school supplies. It has advised that seats be spaced at least six feet apart and that sneeze guards and partitions be put in place when social distancing is not possible. DeVos last week criticized Fairfax County schools for offering virtual learning with an option of two days a week in-person schooling for the fall. Schools superintendent Scott Brabrand said it was impossible for the district to get all 188,000 kids back in the classroom while honoring the six-foot distancing guideline. "We're the size of five Pentagons. You would need another five Pentagons of space to be able to safely accommodate all of the students in Fairfax County Public Schools," he told CNN. A number of Republican governors have made clear they will go their own way on coronavirus measures, including whether to reopen schools. "We are not going to be rushed into this," Maryland's Republican governor, Larry Hogan, said on NBC's "Meet the Press." When journalist Linda Kass decided to go digging into her family history for her parents 60th wedding anniversary, she had no idea that the makings of her next novel would literally land in her lap. But thats what happened several years later, when her father gave her an invitation hed received for a reunion of WWII soldiers known as the Ritchie Boys. Given that I am a first-generation Jewish American whose parents uniquely escaped the fate of millions, Kass says, Ive had a lifelong fascination with books and films about WWII and the Holocaust. But shed never heard of the Ritchie Boys. After I read that letter and realized my dad was part of something much bigger, Kass says, I immediately began to research. She discovered that the Ritchie Boys were a group of young menmany of them Jewish immigrantswho were recruited for their knowledge of the German language and culture and trained in military intelligence at Camp Ritchie, near Hagerstown, Md., before being deployed to the Allied front in Europe. The novelist J.D. Salinger is reported to have been a member of this squad, which proved extremely effective at accomplishing its mission. One Army study estimates that almost 60% of the intelligence collected in Europe came from interrogations conducted by Ritchie Boys, Kass says. It soon became apparent that her father, Ernest Stern, had been a member of one of the most unsung and important units of the war. Instead of writing a straightforward biography, Kass turned to fiction to tell the story of the Ritchie Boys. I wanted to adequately convey how people like my parents felt, what they were up against, what they had to suffer and endure, she says. I could imagine many scenarios, inspired by those real events, in order to arrive at an even deeper truth around survival, morality, hope, love, and family. Kasss new novel, A Ritchie Boy, is the result, a series of braided stories that tell the inspiring tale of Eli Stoff, a fictionalized version of her father. In the book, a teenage Stoff and his parents arrive in New York in 1938 as Austrian Jews whove experienced vicious anti-Semitism and barely escaped the Nazis. Eventually settling in Columbus, Ohio, Stoff attends high school and Ohio State before joining the U.S. Army and becoming a member of the elite unit out of Camp Ritchie. Published to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Japanese surrender that ended WWII, Kasss narrative is an immigrant story that, she says, represents thousands who have arrived on our shores and who continue to arrive. As a writerand the owner of the independent bookstore Gramercy Books in ColumbusKass recognized the power of a tale about a young man fleeing persecution to come to America, only to turn around and help his beloved adopted country fight a war against those same perpetrators. As the child of immigrants, Ive spent my life aware of the extraordinary circumstances that were part of each of my parents early lives, Kass says. Imagining their stories also gave me a sense of where hope comes from and how we become who we eventually areparticularly when early circumstances are so monumental. It also provided a deeper understanding of the humble father who didnt often talk with his family about his military service. Kass credits her approach to a famous scene in To Kill a Mockingbird. She says, As Atticus Finch explained to Scout: You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. Well, thats what I did. Kanu Sarda By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Upholding the rights of the Travancore royal family in managing the affairs of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, the Supreme Court on Monday resolved the decade-old dispute over the administration of one of the richest temples in the world. A two-judge bench headed by Justices UU Lalit and Indu Malhotra overruled a 2011 Kerala High Court order, which had directed the state government to set up a trust to take control of the management and assets of the temple, and held that the family will continue to have shebait rights. The top court ordered that the District Judge of Thiruvananthapuram shall head an administrative committee to manage the affairs of the temple till a final committee is constituted by the royal family. The administrative and advisory committees shall do well to discharge all their functions including performance of the worship of the deity and maintenance of its properties, diligently and in the best interest of the temple, and provide adequate and requisite facilities to the worshippers, the judgment stated. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple verdict: CLICK HERE FOR LIVE UPDATES The bench left it to the committee to decide on the question of unlocking Vault B, a large mysterious chamber in the temple which has remained untouched on account of the belief that its opening will spell doom for whoever opens it. The committees shall consider whether Nilavara B is to be opened for the purpose of inventorying. The interim orders dated 27 November 2014 and 4 July 2017 passed by this court had recorded that Nilavara B was not opened, and it was directed that inventorying with respect to the said vault be undertaken only after obtaining express orders from this court. We deem it appropriate to leave this issue to the best judgement and discretion of the committees. The judgment noted that the committee shall preserve all treasures and properties endowed and those belonging to the temple. Protect all tenanted properties and take appropriate measures to ensure reasonable returns from such tenanted properties, the 218-page judgment reads. Ensure that all rituals and religious practices are performed in accordance with the instructions and guidance of the chief thantri of the temple and according to customs and traditions. In temporal matters, the committees shall be guided by the advice given by the chief thantri. The designation of the chief thantri shall be done in accordance with the customs and traditions, the order directed. ALSO READ | Focus back on vault B of Padmanabhaswamy temple It added that audit for the past 25 years as suggested by the amicus curiae shall be conducted by a firm of reputed chartered accountants. The bench directed the committee to file reports by second week of December 2020 stating all the developments along with the audited accounts and the balance sheets. The judgment came on an appeal filed by Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma, younger brother of the last ruler of Travancore. While deciding the decade-old dispute over the administration of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, the Supreme Court on Monday held that the proposals regarding the administrative committee and the delegation of powers to it came from the family itself. A bench of Justices U U Lalit and Indu Malhotra also constituted an advisory committee which will have a retired high court judge who shall be nominated by the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court and who shall be the chairperson of the committee, one eminent person to be nominated by the trustee and a reputed chartered accountant to be nominated by the chairperson in consultation with the trustee. The bench made it clear that the principle of escheat will not apply and, hence, the properties of the temple cannot be reversed to the state after the death of the last ruler in 1991. ALSO READ | SC verdict game changer: Ex-chairman of committee We hold that the death of Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma who had signed the covenant, would not in any way affect the shebaitship (right to manage the financial affairs of the deity) of the temple held by the royal family of Travancore, the bench said. After such death, the shebaitship must devolve in accordance with the applicable law and custom upon his successor and that the expression Ruler of Travancore as appearing in Chapter III of Part 1 of the TC Act must include his natural successors according to law and custom; and that the shebaitship did not lapse in favour of the state by principle of escheat. This essentially means that the royal family will continue to act as the trustee of the temple and will have rights to offer prayers, have a say in the temple management. In its 281-page judgment, the bench also directed that all members of the committee must be Hindus and will function in accordance with the pertinent statue in the state. The family of Chinese student Qi Yu, who was murdered by her housemate in Sydney two years ago, have told a court her killer was motivated by a desire to stay in Australia and was prepared to go to prison rather than return to China. Shuo Dong, now 21, pleaded guilty in December to the murder of 28-year-old Ms Yu, with whom he had lived for just under three weeks at a home in Campsie in Sydney's inner south-west. The family of Qi Yu (right) claim her killer, Shuo Dong (left) murdered her to avoid returning to China. Her body was found wrapped and dumped in scrub near a section of the M1 Motorway at Mount Colah, more than six weeks after she went missing on June 8, 2018. In a victim impact statement tendered to the NSW Supreme Court during a sentencing hearing on Monday, Ms Yu's parents Zhihe Yu and Qin He claimed Dong murdered their "intelligent, beautiful, lovely, lively and innocent" daughter because his visa had been cancelled and he did not want to go back to China. He refuses to comment on whether he plays Dawood Ibrahim in Dongri to Dubai Avinash Tiwarys television soap starring Amitabh Bachchan may not have clicked, but even so, there has been no looking back since then for this young lad. His latest film, The Girl on the Train, extensively shot in London, is complete and ready for release. Girl on the Train was supposed to release on May 8. But because of the lockdown, it has been postponed. He does not know when the release will actually happen. There is Parineeti Chopra, Aditi Rao Haidri, Kirti Khullari and myself in the film. Its the adaptation of the book by the same name. I just keep joking with my mom, ki yeh mera Hollywood venture hai, says Avinash. Talking of his experience working with Parineeti, he says I believe she is the easiest actor to work with. I was on joking terms with her right after the first day. She has given me that space to feel extremely comfortable. I dare to call her a friend now. Our whole gang of actors watched concerts and relished dinner at some lovely restaurants. It was amazing working on this project. Avinash, who loved London not only as the setting of the film, but also for its serenity, went for long walks in that city, and also participated in unique debates that took place there. I loved talking to people there...connecting with them, he said. There are open spaces where people express their opinions on various topics and hold debates... one gets to know their culture better, he adds. He refuses to comment on whether he plays Dawood Ibrahim in Dongri to Dubai. All I can say is, its a war revenge drama, a story of the Mumbai mafia. Its all about the underworld from when it started to late 2000. Its an adaptation of the book of that name, he says. He signs off saying, I am playing something important right now and I cannot reveal anything owing to the publicity strategy. Qatar Airways, the worlds largest cargo airline, is committed to helping people in need through its 1 Million Kilos campaign. From July to the end of December, charities will be able to use the services of Qatar Airways Cargo to transport humanitarian aid and medical supplies all over the world, free of charge. Such action is unprecedented in its scale. Qatar Airways is donating 1 million kilos of freight to selected customers around the world to give to the charities of their choice. This will allow the movement of medical equipment, humanitarian relief and essential products to where they are most needed, free of charge. This action was triggered by the Covid-19 crisis. The pandemic is a tragedy for millions of people, and we looked for ways how we, as an airline, could help those in the greatest difficulty. This solution shipping 1 million kilos of cargo free of charge is a firm commitment for QR Cargo. More than just words, we wanted to act and to adopt a comprehensive approach based on actions for the future, said Guillaume Halleux, Chief Officer Cargo at Qatar Airways. 1 Million Kilos is the first chapter in an ambitious sustainability project called We Qare. Built on the four fundamental pillars of sustainability (economy, environment, society and culture). We Qare is a series of concrete air cargo actions designed to create a positive impact on the industry and the world. The history of the airfreight industry must change in line with the new challenges the world is facing. As the leading voice within the cargo market, QR Cargo is pioneering the future, sustainable and socially responsible air cargo industry.-- Tradearabia News Service Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro was part of a group Monday that filed a lawsuit to stop a new federal rule that threatens to bar international students from studying in the United States. Shapiro joins 17 other attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin. In a press release sent Monday, Shapiro said he took action following an outpouring of concern from Pennsylvania universities. The lawsuit is in response to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) policy change to reverse a March 13 guidance that allowed international students with F-1 and M-1 visas to take online classes during the COVID-19 public health emergency, the release said. ICE announced July 6 that international students can no longer live in the United States while taking all of their classes online. According to the release, this decision upends months of planning at colleges and universities across the nation and leaves thousands of students with no other choice but to leave the country. The lawsuit also alleges the new rule will hurt the economy by keeping thousands of international students from coming to and residing in the United States and finding work in fields such as science, technology, biotechnology, healthcare, business and finance and education. Betsy Devoss attempt to take advantage of an international pandemicto push a cynical, partisan agenda that threatens the health and safety of young people who want to pursue an educationis cruel, illegal, and puts our already fragile economy at risk, Shapiro said. Im working hard to ensure that students in Pennsylvania can safely continue their education at universities across the Commonwealth in the fall, without fear of partisan interference. The attorneys general listed how the rule threatens their states in a press release: Fails to consider the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff; Fails to consider the tremendous costs and administrative burden it would impose on schools to readjust plans and certify students; Fails to consider that, for many international students, remote learning in their home countries is not possible; Imposes significant financial harm to schools, as international students pay hundreds of millions of dollars in tuition, housing, dining, and other fees; Imposes harm to schools academic, extracurricular, and cultural communities, as international students contribute invaluable perspectives and diverse skillsets; and Forces colleges and universities to offer in-person classes amid a pandemic or lose significant numbers of international students who will either have to leave the country, transfer or disenroll from the school. 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. In March, when the United States was just starting to feel the widespread economic effects of the novel coronavirus, distillery founder Mike Reppucci knew his business was in danger. Reppucci left a job in finance in 2011 to open Sons of Liberty Spirits, a Rhode Island distillery, brewery, and maker of canned cocktails. Sons of Liberty had big expansion plans for this calendar year and beyond, but those plans were halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was going to take away Sons of Liberty's highest-margin line of business: the tasting room in coastal South Kingstown. A pivot to producing a different type of alcohol as well as successful application for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan meant that Sons of Liberty could continue to pay its staff and gave it time to reimagine its business model. June and July are when business in the region picks up, he said, but not if state regulations limit occupancy and not if customers are wary of being indoors. To provide an immediate lifeline both to the community and the distillery's approximately 20 full-time employees, Sons of Liberty began making hand sanitizer selling some but giving most of it away. Production was not as efficient as other business lines for instance, the growing cocktail business reached nearly 2 million cans sold in 2019. So there the employees were in mid-March, filling 4-ounce pump bottles of hand sanitizer by hand, because they didn't have a production line set up for that type of operation. Reppucci said he read an article about a Seattle distillery switching production to hand sanitizer. He thought Sons of Liberty could do the same thing, but the hurdles the business faced were unexpected. First, because Sons of Liberty was producing a new product, it needed new liability insurance, which cost close to $20,000, Reppucci said. Then it had to acquire containers quickly. "I was told, 'Let me know in five minutes or they'll be gone,'" he said. "I put them on my personal Amex." Sons of Liberty also thought it had to get a new industrial license from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The bureau ended up granting blanket approval to streamline the process. Shortly after Sons of Liberty announced it would be producing sanitizer, it was besieged with inquiries, including from the commissioner of the Boston Police Department. Reppucci estimates that Sons of Liberty gave away close to 3,000 gallons of sanitizer, in gallon containers and 4-ounce hand-pump containers, to the public, including to law enforcement, medical facilities, and others. Sons of Liberty also sells gallon-size containers for industrial use. The new business helped the company keep tasting room employees on the payroll. Advised by Rhode Island CPA firm DiSanto, Priest & Co., Sons of Liberty applied promptly for a PPP loan, seeking part of the initial $349 billion made available in the first round under the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, P.L. 116-136. Reppucci, who declined to disclose the amount Sons of Liberty received, also credited the Bank of Rhode Island for loan assistance, saying the bank was "on top of everything and one of the first banks in the state to process these loans." He is confident that Sons of Liberty will be able to get most if not all of the loan forgiven, thanks to guidance from DiSanto, Priest. Reppucci said he was on track in May to have more than 75% of PPP funds used for payroll expenses, and he was also able to pay rent with the money. Guidance for PPP loans has since changed to allow companies to have loans forgiven if at least 60% of funds are used for payroll. And partial forgiveness is allowed if companies don't meet the 60% threshold. "We used all of the proceeds and followed very closely the 75% [guidance] for payroll," Reppucci said. "We hope that the entire loan will be forgiven." Reppucci said the loan helped his employees with needed income and the business with the gift of time. "I said, 'Look, our business model's changed,'" Reppucci said. "'We are blessed to be employed. You're blessed to be here. PPP's helping me keep you here. We realize the business model has changed now, and if we utilize this time to have a path forward, we're going to come out so strong.'" Online ordering and to-go business was strong in the spring, Reppucci said. And while demand for hand sanitizer has diminished, he said that having that product available, for profit or for giveaways, was important. "One, when you hire someone, as an employer you make a commitment to them and you don't want to have to let them go," he said. "You don't want to back down from that. Two, I love how our staff stepped up. I said, 'We're doing this for Boston PD. We're giving this away. We're doing this,' and they came out." The first day Sons of Liberty gave out sanitizer, it was a dreary New England day. It's one Reppucci will not soon forget. "It was 42 degrees and raining and our staff showed up to hand stuff out for free. I didn't want to let them go because they were totally invested in everything we're doing. "So I think they go hand in hand. The giving back to the community thing, it helped not only me feel good, but everyone here was psyched. They felt so good that we could add value. And then seeing them do that, go above and beyond and stand out in the rain for six hours handing out sanitizer, I didn't want to say, 'OK, now you're out of a job.' " The AICPA's Paycheck Protection Program Resources page houses resources and tools produced by the AICPA to help address the economic impact of the coronavirus. For more news and reporting on the coronavirus and how CPAs can handle challenges related to the outbreak, visit the JofA's coronavirus resources page or subscribe to our email alerts for breaking PPP news. Neil Amato (Neil.Amato@aicpa-cima.com) is a JofA senior editor. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 13 Trend: The Armenian armed forces fired at Dondar Gushchu village of Azerbaijans Tovuz district by using D-30 howitzer, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told Trend on July 13. There were no casualties among rural people as a result of shelling, the ministry said. The Azerbaijani armed forces are taking more stringent retaliatory measures against the provocations of the Armenian armed forces. Starting from noon on July 12, units of the armed forces of Armenia, grossly violating the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijans Tovuz district along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, opened artillery fire at Azerbaijani positions. Azerbaijan's armed response forced the Armenian army to retreat suffering losses. Azerbaijani personnel, sergeant of military service Vugar Sadigov and corporal Elshad Mammadov, died while repelling the attack of the Armenian armed forces. Despite the efforts of the Azerbaijani doctors, severely wounded serviceman of the Azerbaijani army Khayyam Dashdemirov also died. The tension remained in Tovuz district on the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on July 12 night. During the night battles, by using artillery, mortars and tanks, the Azerbaijani armed forces destroyed a stronghold, bombshells, vehicles and servicemen on the territory of the Armenias military unit. Azerbaijani serviceman, senior lieutenant Rashad Mahmudov was killed during the battles. From Black Lives Matter protests in the United States to deadly floods in Japan, here's all the top stories in images from the past week. A woman walks past cars that have been swept up against a wall after torrential rain caused the nearby Kuma River to burst its banks and flood the area in Hitoyoshi, Japan. At least 60 people are believed to be dead and many missing after unprecedented torrential rainfall in central Japan caused 59 rivers to overflow while around 180 mudslides have occurred in 23 prefectures. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty Images In an aerial view from a drone, a large-scale ground mural depicting Breonna Taylor with the text 'Black Lives Matter' is seen being painted at Chambers Park in Annapolis, Maryland. The mural was organised by Future History Now in partnership with Banneker-Douglass Museum and The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture. The painting honors Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by members of the Louisville Metro Police Department in March 2020. Photograph: Patrick Smith/Getty Images People watch the fireworks near the Washington Monument during Independence Day celebrations in Washington, US. Photograph: Joshua Roberts/Reuters Students of Sam Khok school wearing face masks and face shields are seen inside old ballot boxes repurposed into partitions as they attend a class after the Thai government eased isolation measures and introduced social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease as schools nationwide reopen, at Pathum Thani province, Thailand. Photograph: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters An injured demonstrator receives aid as he lies on the stairs of the Serbian parliament building, during a protest against a lockdown planned for the capital this weekend to halt the spread of the coronavirus disease in Belgrade, Serbia. Photograph: Marko Djurica/Reuters A couple takes selfie in front of Qutub Minar, after authorities reopened it for visitors following a three-month lockdown that was imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease in New Delhi. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters A Reuters photographer holds a picture of a reveller sprinting in front of a bull during the first running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival, taken in July 2019, in front of a street, during the second day of San Fermin festival which was cancelled due to the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Pamplona, Spain. Photograph: Jon Nazca/Reuters Guests pose a they sit inside a teardrop-shaped tent hanging from a tree created by Dutch artist Dre Wapenaar, offering an unusual accommodation for tourists in the Belgian countryside, near Borgloon, Belgium. Photograph: Francois Lenoir/Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Bristol, Britain. Photograph: Rebecca Naden/Reuters The Aviation Division has cleared 95 per cent licences of Pakistani pilots serving in different airlines in seven countries, while the process of verification of the remaining will be completed next week, the media reported. The issue of 'dubious' licences drew world attention after Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan revealed in the National Assembly that there were 860 active pilots in the country and 260 pilots had not sat their exams themselves and almost 30 per cent of the pilots had a fake or improper licence and did not have the flying experience, Dawn news reported. Shortly afterwards, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) grounded 107 pilots suspected of having fake licences and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) started verification of their licences. Khan also announced that five senior officials of the CAA had been sacked over the scandal and they could be prosecuted. Also Watch: The issue also caught the attention of other countries and airlines where Pakistani pilots were employed. The countries which grounded the Pakistani pilots and asked the Aviation Division to verify their credentials included the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Vietnam, Turkey and Bahrain. On Friday, Ethiopia also asked the Pakistan government to verify the licences of Pakistani pilots serving there. The European Union Air Safety Agency has also announced the suspension of PIA authorisation for six months. Rajasthans Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, who has staged a rebellion against the Congress, has told NDTV that he is "not joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This came amid news reports that Pilot could meet BJP National President Jagat Prakash Nadda on July 13. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates on the Rajasthan political crisis Pilot is in New Delhi and has said that he will not attend the Congress Legislative Party meeting scheduled for 10.30 am on July13. Congress had issued a whip to all its Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to attend the meeting at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's home. In a statement issued on July 12 night, Pilot had claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government was in minority and more than 30 Congress and some independent legislators have pledged support to him. By doing so, he has openly displayed rebellion against the leadership of Gehlot. However, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Avinash Pande has said that 109 MLAs have expressed confidence in the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in the state and have signed a letter in support. Pande said a whip had been issued asking all the MLAs to attend the CLP meeting and that action will be taken against those who skip it. In the 200-member Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72. The Congress has the support of 10 out of 13 independents, and other party MLAs like Rashtriya Lok Dal (1), which is its ally. The Congress also considers Bhartiya Tribal Party (2) and CPI(M) (2) MLAs as their supporters. BJP ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) has three MLAs in the Legislative Assembly. The Noone family were supposed to be on the trip of a lifetime these school holidays: a family wedding in Ireland, a week in Malta, a side trip to Paris. Thanks to COVID-19, theyve had to spend the holidays at home. My son was gutted, says Katy Noone from Sydneys north-west. My daughter just went on and on: When are we going for our trip? When are we going for our trip? Kevin and Katy Noone with their children Zara and Finn and their new puppy Georgia. Credit:Dean Sewell For the third school holidays in a row, many families have had travel plans disrupted after the summer's catastrophic bushfires and now, the coronavirus pandemic particularly in Victoria, with its recent surge in cases. Thats meant a lot of upset kids and frustrated parents stuck at home. Erin Mackenzie, lecturer in education at Western Sydney University, says if kids have missed out on a long-awaited trip or event, theres going to be disappointment. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 07:33:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A screenshot taken from ABC News's Twitter account shows the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department assisting on the fire on board the USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego in California on July 12, 2020. (Xinhua) Around 160 sailors were aboard the ship when the fire was called away at approximately 8:30 a.m. LOS ANGELES, July 12 (Xinhua) -- A total of 21 people, including 17 sailors and four civilians, were injured Sunday morning in a fire on a U.S. Navy ship at Naval Base San Diego in California, authorities said. The injured are being treated for non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital after the fire on board USS Bonhomme Richard, according to the Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet. "The entire crew is off the ship and all are accounted," tweeted the Naval Surface Forces, adding that all inport ships have been contacted and directed to provide fire parties to possibly assist with firefighting efforts. The U.S. amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard is seen at the Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, Sept. 18, 2013. USS Bonhomme Richard pulled in Hong Kong waters on Wednesday to get replenishment. (Xinhua/He Jingjia) Around 160 sailors were aboard the ship when the fire was called away at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time, according to the tweets. Officials said that local, base and shipboard firefighters are responding to the three-alarm fire and two military ships near USS Bonhomme Richard have shifted berths to a pier further away from the fire. USS Bonhomme Richard is going through a maintenance availability and has a crew size of around 1,000, the U.S. Navy said. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said that it is assisting on the fire on board the Navy ship, adding the department is working in unified command with federal firefighters to put out the blaze. Crew members walk on the deck of the U.S. amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard in Hong Kong, south China, Sept. 18, 2013. USS Bonhomme Richard pulled in Hong Kong waters on Wednesday to get replenishment. (Xinhua/He Jingjia) Pictures from the scene showed plumes of smoke rising up over the deck of the ship. The cause of the fire is still unclear. Some people at the scene were quoted as saying by local news outlets that they had heard an explosion. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department tweeted earlier in the morning, "Explosion with at least one injury at the USS Bonhomme Richard." USS Bonhomme Richard is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship home-ported in San Diego. Motorola recently announced the new Moto One Fusion+ in India. The new handset comes with a quad-rear camera, a big 5,000mAh battery, and is one of the phones that launched with a pop-up selfie camera this year. The handset will go on its first flash sale today in India starting at 12PM via Flipkart. MOTOROLA ONE FUSION+ SPECIFICATIONS The One Fusion+ is a dual-sim smartphone and features a 6.5-inch FHD+ display. Under the hood, the phone runs on the Snapdragon 730 chipset which is paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 1TB using a microSD card. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Motorola One Fusion+ includes a 64-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, a 5-megapixel macro camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, the One Fusion+ houses a 16-megapixel pop-up camera. In addition to the chipset and the quad rear cameras, other features of the One Fusion+ include a 15W charging support for the 5,000mAh battery, which according to the company, will help the phone to last for up to two days. The One Fusion+ also packs Bluetooth v5, Wi-Fi 802.11 AC, GPS, Adreno 618 GPU, a 3.5mm audio jack, USB Type-C port, and dual 4G VOLTE. There is also a fingerprint sensor on the back and the phone comes with a dedicated Google Assistant button as well. The handset will run on Android 10 and will be available in two colour options- Moonlight White and Twilight Blue. MOTOROLA ONE FUSION+ PRICE AND OFFER The Motorola One Fusion+ is priced at Rs 16,999 for the sole 6GB + 128GB variant. Flipkart Axis Bank credit card users will be eligible for at 5 percent unlimited cashback while customers can get an extra 5 percent off with Axis Bank Buzz credit cards and of course there are no-cost EMI plans ranging from 3 months to 12 months. Irondequoit, N.Y. A child attending a summer camp in Upstate New York has tested positive for coronavirus. WHAM reports families of children attending Camp Eastman in Irondequoit, New York, have been notified by the Monroe County Health Department that a camper tested positive for Covid-19. Irondequoit Town Supervisor Dave Seeley said Sunday that the child was at the camps Older Camp group on Monday, July 6. According to RochesterFirst.com, campers were split into groups of 10 children or less and two counselors per group. All 12 people in the Older Camp group have been told to quarantine by the Health Department. The name and age of the camper have not been disclosed. The Health Department said that it is highly unlikely the camper contracted Covid-19 while at the camp, and had no concerns about the camp staying open. The safety of our campers is paramount. The State put in place very strict guidelines for us to follow, which we take very seriously. This includes isolated clusters of campers, thorough sanitation, keeping the kids outdoors as often as possible, and keeping them separate if they need to be brought indoors due to inclement weather, Seeley wrote on Facebook Sunday. According to WHAM, guidelines include masks being required at all times and requiring each group of campers to bring its own supplies for activities that are not shared with other groups. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Cuomo: New York schools will reopen based on a formula similar to economic reopening Florida shatters NY record for most daily coronavirus cases in a state Madison County park closed after patrons flaut rules Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com BAY CITY, MI - No confirmed COVID-19 cases have sprung from exposure the Bay City hair salon employee who tested positive for the disease as of Monday, July 13. The Bay County Health Department announced Wednesday, July 1. that a hairstylist at the Great American Man Cave tested positive for COVID-19 and could have exposed up to 75 people to the novel coronavirus. Though some are in quarantine and the department has advised some to seek testing, no positive cases stemming from the exposure have been confirmed yet, according to Bay County Health Officer Joel Strasz. However, cases spiked in Bay County over the weekend. There were 19 new confirmed cases between Friday and Sunday, according to the health departments website, with Friday and Saturday representing daily highs not seen since early June. Several cases were linked to parties, including cases connected to recent sandbar gatherings in Torch Lake, Strasz said. About 70% of the new cases were individuals under 30. Strasz encouraged residents to keep practicing measures that limit the spread of COVID-19, including social distancing and wearing masks, citing record infection spikes in states like Texas, Florida and Arizona. Residents need to take this seriously, business owners need to take it seriously, Strasz said. This is not a hoax, this is the real thing. There are some vary serious consequences when people do become confirmed cases. At the time of the announcement, the department said it was unknown whether customers or employees consistently wore masks. The department since confirmed through people who reached out to them after the announcement that masks were only worn when customers asked, Strasz said. If nobody asked about wearing masks, then there were no masks, Strasz said. The stylists were inconsistent about wearing masks. Through an executive order, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer required the use of masks in public places on Friday, July 10, following an uptick in the states own caseload. The Great American Man Cave did not respond to multiple messages left seeking comment. A new voicemail message heard Monday says the salon is now open with limited hours, and asks customers to both call ahead and bring masks. Read more: Monday, July 13: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Several people at massive Torch Lake July 4 party have tested positive for coronavirus Hairstylist tests positive for COVID-19 in Bay City, up to 75 people exposed Nick Cannon loves the ladies, and apparently, the ladies love him back. The former husband of Mariah Carey is expecting another child with his ex, Brittany Bell. While Cannons family is expanding, his love life is confusing as model Jessica White has been hinting that theyve rekindled their flame. Nick Cannon and Brittany Bell 2017 Brittany Bell and Nick Cannon share a son Bell is an accomplished model. The 32-year-old is a native of Guam and had success in the pageant world. Shes held several titles, including being crowned Miss Guam in 2014 and Miss Arizona USA in 2010. A graduate of Arizona State University, Bell worked as a dancer for the Pheonix Suns for three years. Bell and Cannon have been close friends for years. He revealed that their families grew up together in the same housing project in San Diego, as reported by Daily Mail. Cannon told Vlad TV that he and Bell connected due to their shared spiritual beliefs. Despite their closeness, and them being intimate, he explained that they were never in a relationship and that Bell was accepting of such. She was somebody that I would go to for advice about my life and situations, and she was just one of those spirits that I could confide in, and obviously, you grow closer, he told Vlad. She knew what I was about. I never hid anything. I never lied. In 2017, their son Golden was born. Cannon also told Vlad that the two are close as co-parents and Bell even jokes with him about his bachelor lifestyle. She gets to see two dynamics because Im never going to lie, Im going to front, he said. Brittany Bell is currently expecting another child by Nick Cannon though Cannon is rumored to be dating Jessica White Bell announced in June 2020 that she was expecting her second child. In an Instagram post of her son wearing a cape that read big brother, Bell captioned the adorable picture, And now you know. We are so happy. It was later confirmed that Cannon is the father of Bells unborn child. Interestingly, Cannon is rumored to be back with his on-again-off-again girlfriend, Jessica White. The two first started dating in 2015 while Cannon was going through his divorce with Mariah Carey. White fueled speculation that she and Cannon reconnected after she posted a tribute post to Cannon to her Instagram page, the same day that Bell announced her pregnancy. White recently posted another tribute to Cannon, leaving fans wondering about the status of their relationship and questions about Bells pregnancy. In response to a comment left under the photo, White clarified the overlap between the two relationships and confirmed that she and Cannon are currently an item. Related: Has Nick Cannon Rekindled His Relationship With His Ex, Jessica White? Nick and I have been together off and on for years. Their new child was conceived when we had temporarily broken up. Any child is a blessing. This is the last time I will answer these questions. I am no home-wrecker at all, White wrote. White also shared in her Instagram story that she is hopeful that her, Cannon, and the mothers of his children are able to form a bond for the sake of their family. Lucknow: Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said he is not aware of any attempt at forming a coalition with other parties ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, a final decision on which would be taken by Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. National president will decide what is to be done. He will take decision after giving due thoughts. I am not aware if coalition has started or not. I also dont know what is being discussed. If a coalition is formed, political parties have to decide themselves who will lose or gain, he told reporters after starting his vikas se vijay ki ore rath yatra. Congress election strategist Prashant Kishore had recently met Mulayam in Delhi, triggering speculation of a maha-gathbandhan. We are open to alliance with any party to form a secular government in the state but a final decision will be taken by netaji (Mulayam), Akhilesh said. ALSO READ | Vikas Rath Yatra: Hi tech rath develops snag, Akhilesh shifts to official SUV SPs silver jubilee celebration on November 5 is likely to be attended by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, RLD chief Ajit Singh and some others. Pointing out the presence of Mulayam and state party president Shivpal Yadav at the yatra flag-off, Akhilesh said, Though (minister) Azam Khan and (expelled SP leader) Ramgopal Yadav, were not present today, their blessings are with me. On differences in the party, the chief minister said, As yatra will continue, all differences will sink and all samajwadis will come togehter. I am not angry with anyone and I think no one is angry with me too, Akhilesh said when asked about his strained relations with Shivpal. He also exuded confidence that the minority community would support the SP and help it come to power. The CMs wife, who was present with him in the rath, said Akhilesh who was labelled as a trainee has done tremendous work in the state. If a trainee CM could initiate a number of development projects, people should think what he could do when he becomes CM for the second time, she said, adding the support of youths for the yatra is overwhelming. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A civic group representing the former secretary of Seoul mayor Park Won-soon publicly appealed for an investigation into the sexual harassment allegations against Park, who died shortly after the complaint was filed last Friday. A legal representative of the former secretary, who filed the complaint with the police, read out a statement at the Korea Women's Hot Line and Korea Sexual Violence ReliefCenter, asking authorities to launch a proper probe into the case, writing that the victim took courage in hoping for the prosecution to resolve a #MeToo allegation against power. Police investigation on the case closed as Park died in an apparent suicide last week. I wanted him to be judged by the law. I wanted to receive a humane apology. The day I took courage to file a complaint and was investigated all night, the person who had harmed my dignity let go of his life, Kim Jae-ryun, the lawyer representing the victim, who hasn't been named, read out her statement. The civic group referred to the case as a "typical workplace molestation case" that should be investigated to establish the truth surrounding the allegations. In the statement, the alleged victim claimed that Park made unwanted physical contact and sent inappropriate messages using Telegram, an encrypted messaging app. The statement claimed that the molestation agonized the victim for four years. Under South Koreas current legal system, prosecution ends when the accused party dies, because there is no one to take the responsibility of the alleged crime, Min Kyoung Chul, attorney at the Dong-kwang law firm, who specializes in defending sexual harassment cases, told ABC News. The former secretary's representative also pointed out that Park took his own life not long after a criminal complaint was filed against him. We have witnessed that a person in the position of Seoul mayor was given a chance to get rid of evidence even before a full-fledged investigation begins. Who in such a situation could trust the national system and report sexual violence? the representative said. Story continues The press briefing took place the same day Parks funeral ceremony was held at Seoul's city hall, seen off by politicians and supporters. Over 20,000 people had visited the mourning altar by Monday afternoon while nearby a group of activists was condemning the city of Seoul for holding a mayoral funeral for someone with sexual harassment allegations. The former secretary has also filed an additional complaint on the secondary damages people have inflicted on her following Parks death, accusing her of false accusations and threatening to track down her personal information. Park was a three-term mayor of Seoul and was considered a strong presidential candidate for the 2022 presidential elections. Before jumping into politics, he was a prominent human rights lawyer who won South Koreas first sexual harassment conviction. He was also known as a strong supporter for the rights of comfort women, or Korean sex slaves forced to work during the Japanese colonial years. South Korea split over Seoul mayors harassment allegations after his death originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan decided to provoke clashes on the border with Azerbaijan in order to strengthen his domestic political position, trying to consolidate citizens dissatisfied with the failure of his government, editor-in-chief of 'National Defense' magazine Igor Korotchenko told Vestnik Kavkaza, commenting on the Armenian militarys attack on the Tovuz region of Azerbaijan. "I think the main goal is to divert the attention of Armenian citizens from the Pashinyan government's failed policy, once again create the image of an external enemy. That is, the goal is to extend Pashinyan's days in power. The republic is now in a severe political crisis, a broad opposition coalition is being formed against Pashinyan. In this uncomfortable situation for the Prime Minister, a military provocation was needed to transfer the accumulated discontent from himself to Azerbaijan," he explained. "Now, because of this, Armenian soldiers are dying, but Nikol Pashinyan is only interested in his own political survival. Of course, his propaganda apparatus says that Azerbaijan is to blame - although Azerbaijan does not need military action during the coronavirus pandemic. Azerbaijan is aimed at peaceful development and is now focused on preserving and restoring the economy after the effects of quarantine measures," Igor Korotchenko emphasized. According to the expert, Russia is interested in the stabilization of the situation. "I think the Russian authorities will call for a ceasefire and peaceful dialogue, as far as possible in this situation. At the same time, Russia understands that it was Pashinyan's regime that acted as the provocateur. This has already happened many times, under the new authorities, Armenia remained an aggressor country occupying 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan. In recent months, we have heard belligerent statements from Yerevan that they are ready, if necessary, to resume military operations against Azerbaijan and even occupy another quarter of Azerbaijani territory. Armenia has replaced the military doctrine with a more aggressive one, with 'preventive strikes' - and now we see the provisions of this doctrine are being implemented," he said. "As a result, for Nikol Pashinyan, war is like heavens manna, which can be attributed to all problems and mistakes, he could continue to usurp power, explain the cleansing of opponents and the Constitutional Court of Armenia by the need to consolidate the nation against Azerbaijan. These technologies have been worked out since the Third Reich times," Igor Korotchenko concluded. On a sunny, 83-degree day last January, Bethany Roberts began her first day as an intern at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Roberts, a Delta College student, worked for the Launch Services Program that supports unmanned scientific missions, like rockets. She assisted with community outreach for several months before her internship ended early due to the coronavirus crisis. That didn't discourage her, though. After a lengthy application process, Roberts was selected to participate in NASA's Community College Aerospace Scholars program this summer. The program includes several online modules, a final project and the opportunity to present to a NASA team. For her final project, she's designing a 3D model of a lunar rover to explore the south pole of the moon. "That's where NASA is planning to send astronauts in 2024," said Roberts a Midland resident. Roberts said she's using much of what she learned at Delta, especially the software needed to design the Rover and the engineering concepts he learned in classes. "I discovered engineering and Robotics in high school when I joined a FIRST Robotics club and found that I really enjoyed that kind of work," she said. Roberts joined Delta in 2016 because it was close to home and she wanted to take time to explore her interests. She took classes in the mechanical engineering and industrial technology programs and completed the CNC certificate program. During her time at Delta she was a member of the Drama Club and worked as an outreach assistant for the STEM Explorer. "I definitely recommend attending Delta," she said. "My professors were great, there are a ton of ways to get involved outside of class and it allowed me to get a taste of engineering classes at a low tuition cost before transferring." Roberts has been accepted at Lake Superior State University and is considering attending because she's interested in the robotics engineering program. Ultimately, she wants a career in robotics. "If it's at NASA," she said, "even better." Authorities are investigating the death of a Chihuahua at a Massachusetts beach over the weekend, claiming the pet had been abused by its owner before it died. Troopers responded shortly after 12 p.m. on Sunday to a report of an injured dog near the Shirley Avenue bathhouse at Revere Beach, according to a statement from Massachusetts State Police. Lifeguards and firefighters attempted to resuscitate the small Chihuahua mix, who was in severe medical distress, but efforts to save the dog were unsuccessful, the statement said. The pets co-owner, a 57-year-old Saugus woman, told troopers she had taken the dog into the water to swim when it suddenly became stricken and drowned, according to state police. However, after the woman left the dogs body, several beachgoers approached troopers to tell them they had seen the owner abuse the Chihuahua before it died, state police said. Based on that information, troopers are summonsing the woman for various animal cruelty charges, state police said. The woman was not arrested because she left the scene before the troopers learned witnesses had seen her allegedly abuse the dog. Working with the law enforcement division of the Animal Rescue League, troopers were able to get the dogs body from its other owner, a Chelsea man, according to authorities. LOS ANGELES Christine Kroger, a deputy public defender in San Joaquin County, did an "inventory" last week to see how many people were wearing face coverings in the county's courthouse. She toured every Superior Court department that was open. In 7A, she reported: "Judge and court clerk had masks, court reporter had mask around nose, bailiff, no mask, D.A., no mask." In 7C, judge and court clerks wore masks; one bailiff had a mask, the other did not. Although Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued a statewide mask order, compliance in some California courthouses has been spotty, particularly among sheriff's deputies, public defenders and court officials say. Kroger made it her mission to ensure that masks were worn in the San Joaquin County courthouse. "I am angry that my coworkers are being put in peril and potentially bringing the virus back to the office because we have a bunch of idiots over there who don't want to follow the rules," Kroger said in an interview. Since the pandemic began, the sight of law enforcement officers without masks has drawn criticism and controversy. Those who failed to wear face coverings during the Black Lives Matters protests drew particular attention. But inside buildings, there's an elevated risk of spreading the coronavirus. Since courts began reopening, presiding judges have ordered those entering to mask up, but making sure everyone does has been challenging. Going to court for most people is compulsory. Jurors are being seated once again, lawyers must represent their clients, prosecutors must prosecute, judges must preside, court staff must be on hand to interpret and report proceedings. Sheriff's deputies serve as bailiffs in county courts and escort jail inmates in and out for hearings. Kroger, angry about what she was seeing, wrote a letter that was sent to the county Board of Supervisors. She contacted her City Council member and the state Judicial Council, which Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye heads and which sets court rules. Her office wrote a letter to the presiding judge, and she called her local newspaper. She said she was angered that criminal defendants face penalties for violating society's rules and cannot enter courtrooms without masks, yet "law enforcement and the judiciary seem not to have to follow the same rules that my clients have to follow." The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department finally took notice last week, ordering all deputies to wear masks. The order came after The Times inquired about the department's mask policy. Brandon E. Riley, the executive officer for the San Joaquin County Superior Court, said staff members take the temperature of everyone who enters the courthouse and distribute masks. "We don't have enough staff to follow them around the courthouse, but we expect them to wear it," he said. He said that court staff wear face coverings, except those who have medical reasons for not donning them. In that case, Kroger said, they should be wearing face shields. "I do understand the concern," said Riley, himself a mask wearer, "but we have applied the guidance to the fullest extent that we can." Oscar Bobrow, who heads the California Public Defenders Association, surveyed his members to determine which courts were complying with the mask rule. Most who replied, including public defenders in Riverside, Yolo, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, Ventura, San Diego, Sacramento, Napa, Nevada, Monterey, Los Angeles and Orange counties, said bailiffs were wearing masks, with some lapses. Bobrow, who is chief deputy public defender for Solano County, said some sheriff's deputies and court reporters there still do not wear masks, though compliance improved after the court's presiding judge issued an order on June 18 mandating face coverings. In the Tehama County Superior Court, some sheriff's deputies wear masks, others don't, said Chief Court Executive Officer Kevin Harrigan. "The Sheriff's Department has cited an exclusion" for mask wearing, he said. After a June 18 court order directing all people entering the Tehama County Courthouse to wear face coverings, Sheriff-Coroner Dave Hencratt developed a written policy. "The purpose of this policy is to mitigate extreme peril to Deputies, which may result from the State's Guidance Document for the use of face coverings and the order of the Tehama County Superior Court mandating face coverings/Masks," the sheriff wrote. The policy says a mask "severely hampers" deputies' "command presence," reduces the senses of smell and taste needed to detect smoke, chemicals or alcohol, causes fogging when worn with glasses and may restrict breathing. In addition, the sheriff wrote, prolonged wearing of a mask could trigger "anxiety and claustrophobic reactions." The dangers deputies face are "much more imminent and by far outweigh the risk of exposure or transmission of almost any airborne pathogen," he said. But in a memorandum to the court, the sheriff said deputies in the court should abide by state guidance. The Sheriff's Department did not respond to a request for an interview. In Fresno County, a sheriff's spokesman said all deputies were required to wear masks in the courtrooms unless they were alone. But Fresno County Deputy Public Defender Stephanie Negin said some deputies in courtrooms still do not wear them, even though more than 600 people at the Fresno County Jail have COVID-19, including more than two dozen correctional officers. Negin said one of her colleagues contracted the disease from a client, an inmate. Jail inmates wear masks made with a material she likened to a light T-shirt. She said clients have told her they wash the masks at night if they can obtain soap. Modoc County Sheriff Tex Dowdy prepares for the annual Fourth of July Parade in July 2020. It's tradition that sheriff lead the parade on horseback behind the color guard. Unlike sheriff's deputies, Fresno police have been wearing masks, she said, which she has seen from reviewing video of body cameras. Kroger is pleased that San Joaquin County deputies have been told to cover their faces in court, but knows compliance is likely to be a challenge. When she did her "inventory" last week, she said, she walked into a courtroom and saw a bailiff who was not wearing a mask. When he saw her, he quickly put one on, she said. "Several security guards had their masks not covering their noses," she said. "One had his hanging from his ear when I was leaving." Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Ljubljana Joze Pucnik Airport is in talks with one of the largest carriers in the region, which may hire local pilots and crew for their flights from the Slovenian capital. Speaking to the 24ur portal, the Head of Airline Management at Ljubljana Airport, Janez Krasnja, said, We hope this project will see the light of day as soon as possible and that, perhaps, it will best enable members of the Slovenian aviation sector to quickly become active again". Mr Krasnja did not reveal the name of the company in question, noting only that it is one of the largest airlines in the region. Slovenia is seeking to improve its connectivity following the collapse of Adria Airways late last year, as well as the setback posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Airlines establish flights to places where there is a market. Even if it is not a domestic or flag carrier, it is crucial for the population and the economy to have solid air connections, Mr Krasnja said. Ljubljana Airport has argued the government should not get involved in the creation of a new national airline and should instead provide subsidies to foreign carriers. Croatia Airlines is still considering the possibility of basing some aircraft in Ljubljana as well. Last November, the Slovenian government noted it was in talks with a regional carrier as a potential part-owner in a new national airline, noting that talks had come a long way, however nothing has materialised since. Ljubljana Airport handled 197.090 passengers during the first half of the year, representing a decrease of 77.1% on the same period in 2019. In June alone it welcomed 5.085 travellers. Aircraft movements during the first two quarters stood at 6.561, down 60.7%. Ljubljana Airport was closed for commercial traffic from March 17 until May 12, but saw its first revenue flight on May 29. The airport anticipates it will process between 400.000 and 500.000 passengers this year. Register with JOC.com and receive 5 free pieces of content for the first thirty days. After thirty days, you will receive 3 pieces of content and after sixty days you will receive 1 piece of content. To receive full access, Subscribe Today . You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter. Register Thai health authorities said they are tracing any contacts the Egyptian might have had during the visit, but have not announced any specific locations. The Bangkok Post newspaper reported that Rayongs governor has ordered the floors of the hotel where the Egyptian delegation stayed to be sealed, and two hotel staff who delivered room service to them to be quarantined. GOP Duos Bill Would Enable CHAZ Victims to Sue State, Local Officials for Failing to Protect Rights, Property Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.) have introduced a proposal that would enable individuals victimized by violent crime in a so-called autonomous zone to sue state and local authorities for compensatory damages. The measure, called the Justice for Victims of Lawless Cities Act (JVLCA), refers to areas such as Seattles Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, in which Antifa-led rioters took over a six-block square of the citys downtown last month after police abandoned a local precinct station. Authorities retook the area by force on July 1. Over its 24-day history, the autonomous zone saw two gun-homicides and four additional shooting victims. All the identified victims were black menprecisely the demographic for whom the CHAZ had claimed to offer protection, according to City Journal (CJ). In the absence of a legitimate police force, armed criminal gangs and untrained anarchist paramilitaries filled the void. Almost every night, gunshots rang through the streets. The first homicide victim was killed in an outburst of gang violence; the second, reportedly unarmed and joyriding in a stolen car, was gunned down by the CHAZ security force, CJ stated. Lawless autonomous zones have no place in America. Any city or state that tolerates one should be legally on the hook for any tragedies that happen, Budd said in a statement to introduce the bill. This bill would be a strong incentive to local jurisdictions to break up any remaining lawless zones or prevent one from being established in the first place. The United States is a nation of laws. The first order of government is to secure the blessings of liberty. Any state or city that takes federal funds and fails to enforce the laws should both lose those funds and be liable for the harm they have allowed to occur, including those allowing lawless autonomous zones to be created, Roy said in the statement. Today, Congressman Budd and I have introduced legislation to do just that and help make sure the streets of America can be safe again, the Texas Republican said. Their bill creates a private right of action, whereby any individual, or a spouse, parent, or child of such individual (if the individual is deceased or permanently incapacitated), who is the victim of a murder, rape, or any felony (as defined by the state), which occurred in a lawless jurisdiction may bring an action for compensatory damages against a state or a political subdivision of a state in the appropriate federal or state court. The JVLCA also requires that states or local jurisdictions accepting a wide variety of federal assistance must agree to waive immunity to litigation brought under the private right of action. The proposals provisions also enable the owners of businesses damaged in an autonomous zone to seek compensatory damages. There is a 10-year statute of limitations for litigation authorized by the bill. Under normal circumstances, the JVLCAs chances of becoming law in the 116th Congress are remote because Democrats control the House of Representatives and Democratic leaders almost certainly wouldnt let the proposal advance in the legislative process. But 2020 is an election year and House Republicans can be expected to focus as much attention as possible on the proposal in order to portray Democrats as uncaring about victims of the recent wave of riots that have struck the nation in the wake of George Floyds May 25 killing by a Minneapolis police officer. A knowledgeable House Republican aide, who asked not to be identified, told The Epoch Times that GOP representatives are looking at forcing votes on these issues, so as to clarify the positions of each side. Among the ways that could be accomplished in the coming months, besides media appearances and floor speeches in Congress, are moving to schedule hearings on the proposal in the House Judiciary Committee and circulating a discharge petition that could force the bill to the House floor. Contact Mark Tapscott at Mark.Tapscott@epochtimes.nyc A bus crash in southwest China last week that killed 21 people and injured 15 others was caused by the driver, who deliberately steered into a reservoir because he was angry at the demolition of his home, the police have said. The crash on Tuesday, which also killed the driver, drew an outpouring of grief; some of the passengers included students traveling to take Chinas notoriously difficult college entrance exam. The police in Anshun, a city in Guizhou Province, said in a statement on Sunday that the 52-year-old driver, identified only by his last name, Zhang, had been aggrieved over the demolition of his home that morning. The driver crashed the passenger bus, the police said, to send a message. Due to his dissatisfaction with his lifes circumstances and the demolition of rented public housing and in order to cause a stir, he has committed extreme crimes that endanger public safety, the police report said. Amnesty says Pegasus spyware is used by repressive governments to target human rights activists and journalists. An Israeli court has rejected a request to strip the controversial Israeli spyware firm NSO Group of its export licence over the suspected use of the companys technology in targeting journalists and dissidents worldwide. The case, brought by Amnesty International in January, called on the court to prevent NSO from selling its technology abroad, especially to repressive governments. The Tel Aviv District Court ruled that Amnestys lawyers did not provide sufficient evidence to prove the claim that an attempt was made to track a human rights activist by trying to hack his cell phone or that the hacking was done by NSO. Granting a license is done after the most rigorous process and also after granting the permit, the authority conducts oversight and close inspection, as necessary, the court said. If human rights are found to be violated, that permit can be suspended or cancelled, it added. The court issued its ruling on Sunday, but only made it public on Monday. In a report published last month, Amnesty International said Moroccan journalist Omar Radis phone was tapped using NSOs technology as part of the governments efforts to clamp down on dissent [File: Abdeljalil Bounhar/The Associated Press] Gil Naveh, spokesman for Amnesty International Israel, said the group was disappointed but not surprised. Its been a long-standing tradition for the Israeli courts to be a rubber stamp for the Israeli Ministry of Defense, he said. The group does not know what evidence NSO or the Defense Ministry gave to the court, because the hearings were closed. Even if we knew, we were not able to talk about it, he said. In 2018, Amnesty claimed one of its employees was targeted by NSOs malware, saying a hacker tried to break into the staffers smartphone, using a WhatsApp message about a protest in front of the Saudi Embassy in Washington as bait. NSO, an Israeli hacker-for-hire company, uses its Pegasus spyware to take control of a phone, its cameras and microphones, and mine the users personal data. The company has been accused of selling its surveillance software to repressive governments that use it against dissidents. It does not disclose clients, but they are believed to include Middle Eastern and Latin American states. The company said it sells its technology to Israeli-approved governments to help them combat criminals and terrorism. NSO Group said in a statement that the company will continue to work to provide technology to states and intelligence organizations, adding that its purpose is to save human lives. In a report published last month, Amnesty International said Moroccan journalist Omar Radis phone was tapped using NSOs technology as part of the governments efforts to clamp down on dissent. A Saudi dissident has accused NSO of involvement in Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggis killing in 2018. By Trend Armenian armed forces shelled the Agdam village in Tovuz region of Azerbaijan from 120 mm mortars and these actions against civilians during the COVID-19 pandemic should be assessed as a gross violation of human rights, the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) in Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva said, Trend reports. She noted that three soldiers of the Azerbaijani army have already died. "May Allah have mercy on our martyrs. We wish the wounded a speedy recovery," the ombudsman said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Thiruvananthapuram, July 13 : The Travancore royal family expressed happiness over the Supreme Court order on Monday upholding its rights in the administration of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple here. Aswathy Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bhai, member of the Travancore royal family, described the verdict as a blessing from Lord Padmanabha. "We are really happy at the Supreme Court's ruling. We thank people across the world who prayed for this moment," the princess said. A Supreme Court Bench, comprising Justice U.U. Lalit and Justice Indu Malhotra, set aside the 2011 verdict of the Kerala High Court, which had directed the state government to form a trust to manage the temple's administration. The High Court had said the Travancore royal family's rights ended after the death in 1991 of the last ruler, who had signed the covenant. The top court said the rights of the royal family over the deity did exist and would not cease with the death of ruler. The Supreme Court said the administrative committee would manage the temple affairs and the Thiruvananthapuram district judge be the committee's chairperson. While the LDF government in Kerala was guarded in its response, the opposition parties welcomed the development. Minister for Dewaswoms Kadakampally Surendran said, "the government welcomes the Supreme Court verdict and it's the duty of the government to implement it." Welcoming the verdict, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said, "The Congress has always been for maintaining status quo at Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple and hope the state government is not going to appeal the verdict." Kerala BJP chief K. Surendran said, "Justice has been delivered to the Travancore royal family in their fight over Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. This is a moment of joy for the BJP and all other Hindu organisations that stood for the cause." The Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple hit headlines as it was discovered that its vaults contained precious stones and gold worth lakhs of crores of rupees, making it one of the richest temples in the world. Hours after a late night statement by Sachin Pilots media office about Ashok Gehlot government being in minority, the Congress, at a 2:30 am meeting, said it had the backing of 109 legislators. The majority mark in the 200-member assembly is 101. A total of 109 MLAs have signed a letter expressing their trust and support to government led by CM Ashok Gehlot and leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.Few more MLAs had telephonic conversation with the CM and theyll also sign letter of support till morning, said Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande late into the night at a press conference after a legislature party meeting at Ashok Gehlots residence in Jaipur. Pande said a whip has been issued to all party MLAs to be mandatorily present at Congress legislature party meeting to be held on Monday morning, adding strict disciplinary action will be taken against any MLA who is absent without mentioning any reason. The Rajasthan state-in charge upon being asked if he met Sachin Pilot in Delhi feigned ignorance about the latters presence in the national capital. Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, who has been camping in Delhi with his MLAs, has said he will not be attending the meeting. The Congress had rushed two central observers Randeep Singh Surjewala and Ajay Maken to Jaipur yesterday in a bid to iron out differences between Pilot and CM Ashok Gehlot, who have differed on a number of issues since the formation of the partys government in 2018. The Ashok Gehlot government is in minority after over 30 Congress and some independent MLAs have pledged their support to Sachin Pilot, said the statement released by Pilots media office yesterday. In the 200-member assembly, the Congress has the support of 125 MLAs, including 107 of its own legislators. The party has the backing of 13 independents and five from other parties. The majority mark is 101. The BJP has 72 legislators and has the support of three of Hanuman Beniwals Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RPL). Pilots supporters said he has raised issues against the functioning of Gehlot over the past fortnight with the partys state in-charge and general secretary, Avinash Pande, Congress organisation secretary KC Venugopal and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel in Delhi.His concerns were not addressed, said a party leader considered close to Pilot. The ongoing crisis in the desert state reached a tipping point when Pilot received a notice from the special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan police to record his statement regarding the alleged attempt to topple the Congress government in the state. The Congress sought to downplay it, saying a similar notice was sent to Gehlot as well. Leaders close to Pilot called it a joke since the chief minister is also in charge of the home department that oversees the police force. Pilots camp said the July 10 notice is yet another move to humiliate the deputy chief minister and undermine his authority. With Pilot rushing to Delhi on Saturday, some Congress legislators backing him and a few Rajasthan BJP MLAs are said to be staying in a five-star hotel in Manesar on the outskirts of Delhi. For the Congress, the developments in Rajasthan could be reminiscent of what happened in Madhya Pradesh in March, when 24 legislators owing allegiance to Jyotiraditya Scindia resigned from the party and the state assembly, reducing chief minister Kamal Naths government to a minority. Scindia is now in the BJP camp. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- More and more of us are staying close to home for summer vacations this year because of the coronavirus. Luckily for us, we have the beautiful, expansive Lake Erie coastline. Whether you want to spend a night away or pack the family up and spend a week in new surroundings, we have terrific Airbnb suggestions for you that are either on the water or close enough to walk to Lake Erie. If you are new to or unfamiliar with Airbnb, it is a great alternative to traditional hotels. Airbnb rentals typically offer all the conveniences of home. These Airbnb Superhosts are committed to enhanced cleaning protocol during these unprecedented times, the website says. Click on properties below for more photos and for booking info. Note: Prices are as of the date this article was published. Note: Like a hotel, Airbnb prices are variable and may be different based on the dates you want to book. Also, because they are individual properties, they tend to book quickly so if you see something you like, you might want to book it before your desired dates are gone. Cleveland: Home By the Lake Airbnb - Photo courtesy of Craig & Katie, owners of Airbnb 1. Home by the Lake: Steps away from Lake Erie are what you get in this inviting North Collinwood colonial. Less than a mile from Wildwood beach and parks. There is a front porch, sun room, outdoor living space and much more. Accommodates: 8 guests, four bedrooms and 2.5 baths Price: $111 per night 2. Fun and kitschy 1960s loft apartment close to Lake Erie: A mid-century modern style loft apartment, located in the Edgewater neighborhood. Only two blocks from Lake Erie. Accommodates: 2 guests, 1 bedroom, 1 bath Price: $119 per night Euclid: 1. Cozy blue house on shores of Lake Erie: Homey decor welcomes you to this North Collinwood house with Lake Erie in its backyard. Accommodates: 4 guests, 2 bedroom, 1 bath Price: $141 per night Huron: Modern Private Beach Cedar Point Oasis in Huron available on Airbnb - Photo courtesy of James, owner 1. Modern private beach Cedar Point oasis: An updated, and open concept home that is less than a 10-minute walk to a private beach awaits you at this charming rental. Owner says house is nestled in a safe, quiet and family-friendly neighborhood. Accommodates: 9 guests, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths Price: $278 per night Octagon Lighthouse- Lake Erie/private beach access available on Airbnb - Photo courtesy of owner James 2. Octagon Lighthouse with Lake Erie/private beach access: If you are looking for something different, check out this octagon lighthouse near the lake. You can take a short walk to see the lake at the end of the street. Private beach access a short drive away is included with your stay. You will need to climb stairs to access the second floor, either through the deck or the spiral staircase inside the house. Accommodates: 10 guests, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths Price: $305 per night Modern Private Pool Cedar Point Retreat available on Airbnb - Photo courtesy of owner James 3. Modern private pool Cedar Point retreat: Not only are you a quick walk to the beach, but you have your own private in-ground pool with this charming home. If you have a little one, theres a crib in one of the bedrooms. The open concept space is modern and has top-end appliances. Accommodates: 7 guests, 3 bedrooms, 1 bath Price: $278 per night Lakewood: Vintage Loft Apartment by the Lake - Priv Apt & Prk available on Airbnb - Photo courtesy of owner Jessica 1. Vintage loft apartment by the lake: If you are looking for charming, look no further than this second floor cottage-like apartment in the Gold Coast that was once a farmhouse back in 1903. Although there is no central air, there are ceiling fans and window units. A small private deck leads down to a small private patio. If you are bringing your water toys theres parking available for an extra fee for your jet skis or boat. You are a short walk or bike ride away from the lake. This property is run by a woman-owned business. Accommodates: 2 guests, 1 bedroom, 1 bath Price: $64 per night Marblehead: The Marblehead lighthouse -Photo by Laura Johnston, cleveland.comLaura Johnston, cleveland.com 1. Lakeside Marblehead retreat: This home is just a 2-minute drive to the Lakeside Main Gates, nestled between Lakeside and Marblehead. Close to the Kelleys Island ferry, Port Clinton and Put in Bay Ferries, East Harbor State Park, and a 5-minute walk to the Lake Erie shoreline. Accommodates: 4 guests, 1 bedroom, 1 bath Price: $133 per night 2. Jamestowner 54-foot houseboat Lakeside Marblehead: Looking to stay right on the water? How about this houseboat? You will find the boat docked near Put in Bay, Kelleys Island and many other local attractions. Their is a rooftop deck where you can watch sunrise and sunset views. It is fully equipped with everything you need for your stay, including kayaks. Accommodates: 6 guests, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath Price: $229 per night 3. Peach Street cottage inside gates of Lakeside: This newly-renovated cottage is located inside the Lakeside gates, so there is an additional daily gate/attendance fee for all adult guests. Refer to Lakesideohio.org for info on pool, activities, lessons, concerts and amenities included in those gate fees. Accommodates: 6 guests, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath Price: $259 per night Port Clinton: Lake Views! Walk to Jet Express/Docks! 2nd Floor! available on Airbnb - photo courtesy of owners Jim & Katy 1. Lake views, and walk to docks (second floor): Second floor condo within walking distance to downtown Port Clinton. This condo features an open floor plan with a private master bedroom, a sunroom, comfortable furniture and, best of all, amazing lake views. Accommodates: 5 guests, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath Price: $187 per night Lake Views! Walk to Jet Express/Docks! 1st Floor! available on Airbnb - photo courtesy of owners Jim & Katy 2. Lake views, and walk to docks (first floor): Being on the first floor, you have access to the front lawn and the lakeshore. This lakefront condo has been completely remodeled and has outstanding lake views. It is within walking distance to the Jet Express, Docks Beach House and downtown Port Clinton. There is a dock on the river for boating and kayaking enthusiasts. You will also find a washer and dryer in this unit. Accommodates: 5 guests, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths Price: $189 per night 3. Lakefront cottage with hot tub, king bed, fishing: This lakefront cottage offers beautiful views of Port Clinton sunsets. There is a the hot tub, and a spacious patio you can grill on. The cottage is just 1.5 miles to the Jet Express and downtown Port Clinton. The shoreline is a 2-minute drive or 25-minute walk away. Accommodates: 7 guests, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths Price: $203 per night Put-In-Bay: Put-in-Bay's Premier Lakefront Condo #212 available on Airbnb - photo courtesy of owner Rhett 1. Premier Put-in-Bay lakefront condo: This two-story luxury condo is located directly behind the airport and situated on the shores of Lake Erie. It is a recent property that opened in 2016. The unit comes with a fully-equipped kitchen, two outdoor decks and a washer and dryer. Accommodates: 12 guests, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths Price: $875 per night 2. Captain quarters: Lofted ceilings, wood interior and a fireplace are hallmarks of this charming, quiet cabin located just two miles from downtown. Plenty of parking for cars and boats and a short walk to the Miller Ferry dock. Accommodates: 6 guests, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath Price: $321 per night Sandusky: Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. (Cory Morse | MLive.com) Cory Morse | MLive.com 1. Cove getaway Unit A: Located in a quiet neighborhood and just steps away from the Sandusky bay. This property in the Lakeside Marblehead neighborhood was renovated in 2017. Theres an outdoor patio and a propane grill. There is also dockage available for your boat. Theres a second identical unit available if you want to double your occupancy. Accommodates: 6 guests, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 bath Price: $156 per night Ahead of a scheduled recess next month, the Ghana Parliament is expected to begin sittings later today on Monday. The August House also has plans to host the Finance Minister for the presentation of the mid-year budget review and supplementary estimates for the 2020 financial year. The House usually conducts sittings from Tuesdays to Fridays, however, to give members additional time to complete work on critical legislation such as the Lands Bill which is under consideration Mondays has not been added. One of the major Bills also before the House is the National Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill. The Bill, which is to provide the framework for the establishment of District and Regional security Councils was first laid in the House in May 2020. However, during proceedings on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, requested for the Bill to be withdrawn and relaid. I want to seek the indulgence of the House to withdraw the one that was laid on the 1st of May 2020. And if that is granted, the presentation can be made in respect of the new one. But Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, argued that since the Bill was laid in Parliament by the Minister for National Security, he would have to be the same person to withdraw it. You know that a Minister came to lay this Bill, so if it has to be withdrawn, it is the Minister who has to come and withdraw it. If the Minister really wants to withdraw it, he should be here himself to withdraw it because this is a very important matter. The Speaker of Parliament however rejected the Minority Leader's argument and allowed the Bill to be withdrawn and relaid. ---CitinewsRoom Egyptian government is set to build a total of 765,000 housing units over the next three years across the country at a total investment of of E165 billion ($10.3 billion) under the One Million Housing Initiative, reported Amwal Al Ghad. Of this, nearly 100,000 homes will be completed during 2020/2021 fiscal year, while around 210,000 units will be completed during the fiscal year 2022/2023, stated the report, citing the Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait. The Sisi government is planning to build a total of 310,000 social housing units during the period including 60,000 middle-income housing units, noted Maat. Meanwhile, top Egyptian construction firm Al Abd said it expects to complete the final handover of 1,440 housing units at the sixth residential district in the countrys new capital by next December. These residential units are being built at a cost of E750 million ($47 million), said the company's managing director Said Fattouh. We are current developing 36 fully-fledged buildings in the new capitals sixth residential district, Fattouh said, adding that these buildings are to be handed over next December. Two drug policy experts have identified gaps and challenges in New Zealand's proposal for legalizing recreational cannabis. In advance of a widely-watched national referendum vote to be held this September, Associate Professor Chris Wilkins and Dr. Marta Rychert of Massey University argue in the pages of Addiction that New Zealand's Cannabis Legislation and Control Bill (CLCB) needs to be strengthened in two critical areas: Set a formal minimum price for cannabis: The legalization of cannabis in other jurisdictions has resulted in significant declines in the legal price of cannabis. Minimum unit pricing has been shown to be effective at reducing alcohol consumption levels and related harms. The CLCB includes a discretionary power to raise the excise tax for cannabis for a maximum of 12 months if the price of cannabis drops below the level consistent with purposes of the Act. This discretionary power lacks clear criteria for activation and thus falls short of a clear minimum price provision. Lower the potency cap for cannabis products: High potency cannabis is associated with increasing first-time cannabis treatment admissions, transition to daily use, cannabis dependence and higher risk of psychosis and psychosis relapse. The CLCB's maximum potency levels for cannabis plant (15% THC) appears to be at the higher end of those currently found in the black market in New Zealand. Potency levels for edibles and extracts are expressed as milligrams "per unit" and "per package" without defining what constitutes a unit or package. (Edibles and concentrates will not initially be sold but they are included in the CLCB for future approval.) Wilkins and Rychert also identify two public health objectives of the CLCB that will be difficult to achieve: Difficulties reducing cannabis use over time via a commercial market: The CLCB largely proposes a commercial cannabis market with provisions for non-commercial and not-for-profit supply. The CLCB objective of lowering cannabis use over time appears at odds with the proposed commercial cannabis sector, which will focus on expanding sales. Non-commercial or not-for-profit operators can provide legal access to cannabis while avoiding profit driven commercial companies. Difficulties taxing products by THC potency: The CLCB proposes a progressive product excise tax based on THC potency and weight. Considerable work will be required to implement a potency-based tax, including consistent sampling procedures, certified testing facilities, and effective auditing to prevent producers gaming the system. Also, the reliability and replicability of testing THC is problematic. A weight-based tax (similar to the taxation of tobacco) may be a more practical alternative for now. Dr Wilkins says: "The New Zealand referendum vote will be the first time a country will have the opportunity to vote on a comprehensive regulatory framework to legalise cannabis rather than a general question asking whether cannabis should be legal or not. It's therefore important that New Zealand voters clearly understand the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed CLCB." Wilkins and Rychert provided feedback on the first draft of the CLCB to the New Zealand Ministry of Justice Cannabis Referendum Team, along with a number of other anonymous experts and public commentators. The authors received no financial or non-financial remuneration for these comments. ### For editors: Peer reviewed: Yes Type of study: Policy analysis Subject of study: People Funding: Government/research council This paper is free to download for one month from the Wiley Online Library: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/add.15144 or by contacting Jean O'Reilly, Editorial Manager, Addiction, jean@addictionjournal.org. To speak with lead author Dr Chris Wilkins: contact him at Massey University (New Zealand) by email (c.wilkins@massey.ac.nz) or telephone (+64 (09) 414 0800 ext. 41330). Full citation for article: Wilkins C and Rychert M (2020) Assessing New Zealand's Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill: Prospects and Challenges. Addiction 115: doi: 10.1111/add.15144. Funding: The work in this paper was supported by external research funding from the New Zealand Royal Society Marsden Grant (MFP_MAU1813). Addiction is a monthly international scientific journal publishing peer-reviewed research reports on alcohol, substances, tobacco, and gambling as well as editorials and other debate pieces. Owned by the Society for the Study of Addiction, it has been in continuous publication since 1884. Addiction is the number two journal in the 2019 ISI Journal Citation Reports ranking in the substance abuse category (science and social science editions). Russian President Vladimir Putin will always defend historic truth in case attempts continue in the West to distort history, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Moscow. Kremlin. Putin program on Rossiya-1 TV channel, TASS reports. Speaking on whether the Russian leader would continue his article devoted to World War II, Peskov stressed that "definitely this work will go on in terms of preventing the distortion of history" and the truth. "Im sure that if such distortion continues by our colleagues from the West, each time Putin will stand up for historic truth," the presidential spokesman said. Peskov commented on Putins reaction to the words of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who during his visit to Poland this January blamed the Soviet Union for starting World War II on par with Nazi Germany. "We know that for any citizen of our country and especially for President Putin, this is a sacred issue. And when we hear such statements, certainly, Im sure that this jars on Putin.". Polish President Andrzej Duda, who has won Sunday's election according to near-complete results, is a loyal ally of the ruling populists. A second five-year term for the 48-year-old lawyer would improve the governing right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party's chances of moving ahead with its agenda. Duda has rarely said no to powerful PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski and is known for waving through policies including controversial judicial reforms. "He's a party man, carrying out its orders," said Warsaw-based political analyst Stanislaw Mocek. The only time Duda broke from the party was in 2017, when he vetoed two judicial reforms that he believed gave too much power to the attorney general, who is also the justice minister. The surprise veto left the PiS stunned and earned Duda applause from the liberal opposition and the European Union. - Spiritual heir - Born in 1972 to a family of professors in the southern city of Krakow, Duda was a choir boy and Boy Scout before earning a law degree from the Jagiellonian University in 1996. When PiS first came to power in 2005, Duda was named deputy justice minister, a job he gave up in 2008 to become an aide to then president Lech Kaczynski, Jaroslaw's twin. A devout Catholic, Duda was close to Lech Kaczynski -- who died in 2010 when his presidential jet crashed in Smolensk, Russia -- and often calls himself his "spiritual heir". Duda also has the backing of the present-day incarnation of the Solidarity trade union that brought a peaceful end to communism at home in 1989. He was elected to the Polish parliament in 2011 and the European Parliament in 2014. But he only became well-known after Jaroslaw Kaczynski crowned him presidential candidate. Duda went on to win the presidential election in May 2015, after promising voters social benefits galore. - Judicial changes - Duda is in favour of tightening Poland's anti-abortion law -- already among Europe's most restrictive -- and recently likened "LGBT ideology" to communism, drawing criticism at home and abroad. On Duda's watch the retirement age for men was lowered from 67 to 65. The PiS also began giving parents a monthly allowance of 500 zloty ($130) for each child. In terms of foreign policy, Duda has worked on strengthening ties with NATO. Since he became head of state, the Western defence alliance and the United States have deployed their troops in the region in response to Russia's activity in neighbouring Ukraine. Just four days before the first round of the election last month, Duda visited US President Donald Trump, the first foreign leader invited to the White House since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Trump lavished praise on his Polish "friend". Without going so far as to call himself a eurosceptic, Duda has in the past described the European Union as an "imaginary community from which we don't gain much". Duda's critics fault him for his role in hobbling the Constitutional Court and other judicial institutions. In 2017, the EU launched unprecedented proceedings against Poland over "systemic threats" to the rule of law that could see its EU voting rights suspended. An avid skier, Duda is married to German language teacher Agata. They have an adult daughter. Coronavirus pandemic means fewer Africans in diaspora are sending money home. Al Jazeera looks at how Kenyans are affected. Many African families depend on money sent home by relatives working abroad; in fact, remittances to Africa grew from $4.8bn in 2000 to $48bn in 2018. Today, many are struggling to pay for food and rent as coronavirus lockdowns have caused mass unemployment and stopped billions of dollars in remittances. The World Bank predicts a 23 percent fall in remittances to Africa this year because of the pandemic. Al Jazeeras Mohammed Adow reports from Nairobi, Kenya. WASHINGTON, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Despite his leading role in the U.S. fight against COVID-19, top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci has been sidelined by the White House, the Washington Post reported on Sunday. Citing a senior White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the Post reported that Fauci "no longer briefs (U.S. President) Trump and is never in the Oval (Office) anymore." According to the report, Fauci had not spoken to Trump since "the first week of June." Since COVID-19 broke out in the United States, the Trump administration and especially the president himself have had strained relations with the scientist over the country's coronavirus policy. In recent days, with coronavirus infections and death surging in most U.S. states, Fauci, whose TV appearances were reportedly "scuttled" by the White House, had spoken more critical of the country's response to the epidemic. In a live stream event on Tuesday, Fauci warned against a "false narrative" of a falling COVID-19-related death rate even as Trump continued to tout alleged progress the United States had made in tackling the COVID-19 outbreak by citing a falling U.S. mortality rate. In another interview with the Hill on Thursday, Fauci said that U.S. states hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic should not be moving forward with reopening, another public rebuke of Trump, who had repeatedly downplayed the worsening COVID-19 outbreak in the country and encouraged states to quickly reopen their economies. A political crisis has emerged in Rajasthan after Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot decided to rebel against Congress and threaten to destabilise the state government. He declared open rebellion, claiming that the Ashok Gehlot government is in minority now as over 30 Congress MLAs have pledged support to him. Get live updates of the Rajasthan political crisis here According to reports, Pilot had the support of 16 Congress MLAs and three Independents, whom the Congress had distanced itself with for allegedly hobnobbing with the BJP. Notices were sent by the Special Operations Group to CM Ashok Gehlot, his deputy Pilot to record statements in the case of allegations of horse-trading ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections. It has miffed the latter, who left for Delhi on Saturday along with some of his loyal MLAs to plead his case before the party high command. Also Read: What we know about the Rajasthan political crisis so far After what happened with the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh, the Rajasthan crisis too had heads turning. Anticipation of the Congress losing another state and yet another set of young leaders invited several word wars and allegations. Here's a brief glimpse of who said what: BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia took a swipe at his former party, saying talent and capability find "little credence" there. He claimed that Rajasthan's Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot was being "sidelined and persecuted" by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. "Sad to see my erstwhile colleague Sachin Pilot, too, being sidelined and persecuted by Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot. Shows that talent and capability find little credence in the Congress," Scindia tweeted. Unfortunate to see @JM_Scindia parting ways with @INCIndia. I wish things could have been resolved collaboratively within the party. Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) March 11, 2020 Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pandey told ANI that Sachin Pilot was not above the party and no indiscipline would be tolerated. "I'm hoping he will turn up for the meeting," he said. I've tried to speak to him (Sachin Pilot)& have also sent messages to him but he hasn't replied yet. He isn't above the party.The party is ready to listen to him but no indiscipline will be tolerated. I'm hoping he'll turn up for the meeting: Rajasthan Congress in-charge A Pandey ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2020 PL Punia, AICC general secretary incharge from Chhattisgarh claimed that Sachin Pilot had joined the BJP. However, he later issued a clarification. PL Punia, AICC General Secretary In-charge of Chhattisgarh, tweets clarification on his statement, Sachin Pilot is now in BJP pic.twitter.com/rq54wpQsFf ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2020 Read: Not joining BJP, says Sachin Pilot as crisis brews in Rajasthan Senior BJP leader Om Mathur said, "People of Rajasthan had given an opportunity to Congress to form govt in the state, they should have used it properly. CM should have kept his government intact, but he is not able to do it. His party MLAs are not happy with him." People of Rajasthan had given an opportunity to Congress to form govt in the state, they should have used it properly. CM should have kept his govt intact, but he is not able to do it. His party MLAs are not happy with him: Om Mathur, BJP. pic.twitter.com/qndQJGGypi ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2020 Rajasthan BJP president Satish Punia said, "Sachin Pilot was the rightful candidate for the post of Rajasthan CM but Ashok Gehlot took the charge, a conflict in the party began since then. What's happening today is the result of that conflict. The state government has lost the majority." Sachin Pilot was the rightful candidate for the post of Rajasthan CM but Ashok Gehlot took the charge, a conflict in the party began since then. What's happening today is the result of that conflict. The state government has lost the majority: Rajasthan BJP president Satish Punia pic.twitter.com/WJLPrwIVUh ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2020 Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said, "I appeal to all Congress MLAs that people have voted for Congress to lead a stable govt in the state, so all MLAs should take part in the Congress Legislative Party meeting today and make our govt in the state stronger." He also said that if anyone has any problem, they must come forward and mention the issue on the party forum. The members of the party are like a family and must work together to find a solution. #WATCH If anyone is upset in family, they should find a solution by sitting with members of the family...On behalf of Congress leadership, including Sonia ji & Rahul ji, I convey that doors of Congress party are always open for Sachin ji or any member: Randeep Surjewala, Congress pic.twitter.com/x4sYvVs4Gk ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2020 BJP leader Uma Bharti trained guns at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying, "Rahul Gandhi is responsible for what's happening now in Rajasthan and happened in Madhya Pradesh. He doesn't allow young leaders in Congress to grow. He feels that if educated and able leaders like Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot get high posts then he'll be left behind." Read: Rahul Gandhi's envy causing Congress' destruction, says Uma Bharti on Rajasthan crisis Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar called Sachin Pilot a "sincere Congressman", expresses confidence that the Rajasthan Deputy CM would not quit the party. Earlier, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal was the first to go public on the crisis saying he he was worried for the party. Seeking a quick resolution of the "crisis", he asked when would the party leadership "wake up". "Worried for our party. Will we wake up only after the horses have bolted from our stables," he said on Twitter. Worried for our party Will we wake up only after the horses have bolted from our stables ? Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) July 12, 2020 (With inputs from agencies) Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $40 gift card! This article will reflect on the compensation paid to Mike Corbat who has served as CEO of Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) since 2012. This analysis will also look to assess whether the CEO is appropriately paid, considering recent earnings growth and investor returns for Citigroup. See our latest analysis for Citigroup How Does Total Compensation For Mike Corbat Compare With Other Companies In The Industry? According to our data, Citigroup Inc. has a market capitalization of US$110b, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth US$26m over the year to December 2019. That's a fairly small increase of 5.5% over the previous year. We think total compensation is more important but our data shows that the CEO salary is lower, at US$1.5m. On comparing similar companies in the industry with market capitalizations above US$8.0b, we found that the median total CEO compensation was US$13m. Accordingly, our analysis reveals that Citigroup Inc. pays Mike Corbat north of the industry median. Furthermore, Mike Corbat directly owns US$20m worth of shares in the company, implying that they are deeply invested in the company's success. Component 2019 2018 Proportion (2019) Salary US$1.5m US$1.5m 6% Other US$24m US$23m 94% Total Compensation US$26m US$24m 100% Speaking on an industry level, nearly 43% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 57% is other remuneration. In Citigroup's case, non-salary compensation represents a greater slice of total remuneration, in comparison to the broader industry. It's important to note that a slant towards non-salary compensation suggests that total pay is tied to the company's performance. A Look at Citigroup Inc.'s Growth Numbers Citigroup Inc. has seen its earnings per share (EPS) increase by 14% a year over the past three years. Its revenue is down 2.1% over the previous year. Story continues Shareholders would be glad to know that the company has improved itself over the last few years. The lack of revenue growth isn't ideal, but it is the bottom line that counts most in business. Moving away from current form for a second, it could be important to check this free visual depiction of what analysts expect for the future. Has Citigroup Inc. Been A Good Investment? Since shareholders would have lost about 15% over three years, some Citigroup Inc. investors would surely be feeling negative emotions. Therefore, it might be upsetting for shareholders if the CEO were paid generously. In Summary... As previously discussed, Mike is compensated more than what is normal for CEOs of companies of similar size, and which belong to the same industry. However, the earnings per share growth is certainly impressive, but shareholder returns over the same period have been disappointing. Considering overall performance, we can't say Mike is underpaid, in fact compensation is definitely on the higher side. While it is important to pay attention to CEO remuneration, investors should also consider other elements of the business. We did our research and spotted 1 warning sign for Citigroup that investors should look into moving forward. Switching gears from Citigroup, if you're hunting for a pristine balance sheet and premium returns, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look. 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. It is a wise and statesmanlike measure likely to advance the process of national reconciliation. By carrying both flags at the Games, Ms Freeman conveyed an important message. The popular response showed that Mr Tunstall is seriously out of step with present thinking. When Cathy Freeman ran her lap of honour after winning gold at last August's Commonwealth Games with the Aboriginal flag in one hand and the Australian flag in the other, she made us all proud. Well, not quite all, but the heavy-handed reprimand by the secretary-treasurer of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association, Arthur Tunstall, served largely to rally support and respect for Ms Freeman and her flag from non-Aboriginal as well as Aboriginal Australians. This virtually guaranteed popular support for the Government's decision this week to recognise the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags officially. When the Opposition Leader, Mr Howard, opposed recognition of the flag, therefore, he identified himself on this issue with a school of thought that is increasingly irrelevant to most Australians. In a multicultural society, the Aboriginal flag can be recognised officially without in any way diminishing the status of the national flag. The flag is also an important symbol of Aboriginal aspirations for self-determination and land rights: it first flew over the Aboriginal tent embassy outside Parliament House in Canberra in 1972. Aboriginal people's rights to land and to self-determination are now widely accepted. Such old controversies have now lost most of their fire, as a new generation of Government policy makers and Aboriginal community leaders sit down together to negotiate the details of legislation to implement these rights. Loading To argue, as Mr Howard did, that recognising the Aboriginal flag would be divisive could hardly be further from the truth. Ms Freeman's lap of honor has helped to heal the painful old divisions between black and white Australians. The only new divisions were those provoked in the first instance by Mr Tunstall and in the second by Mr Howard's objections. It is ironic that Mr Howard should have seized on this issue, once again demonstrating his unease on matters multicultural to the point where his tent is pitched dangerously close to the Arthur Tunstall camp. Already, his remarks have been disputed by Mr Ian Viner, QC, a former Liberal Cabinet minister who now serves on the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. It would be surprising if Mr Viner's views are not supported by many, if not most, of Mr Howard's parliamentary party members. Liz Truss is expected to make an announcement on the issue in the coming days - REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo/REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo The Government is set to scrap plans to make it easier for people to self-identify their gender, but birth certificate changes could be made easier in an attempt to soften the blow. Women and Equalities Minister Liz Truss is expected to officially confirm that the proposals have been ditched as early as Thursday in response to a public consultation on the Gender Recognition Act. The plans were originally drawn up under Theresa Mays government to enable transgender people to change their birth certificate without a medical diagnosis. While self-identification is expected to be dropped, it will be made easier for transgender people to change their gender on their birth certificate, The Sunday Times reports. It is understood that Ms Truss will announce the result of the consultation in an oral statement in the Commons later this week or early next. According to reports around 70 per cent of responses to the public consultation were in favour of allowing people to self-identify as a man or a woman. However, officials were said to believe that the results had been "skewed" by an "avalanche" of responses generated by trans rights groups. The Government is also preparing to ban gay cure therapies, which would end controversial church group and therapist conversion courses. Sir Elton John, Stephen Fry and popstar Dua Lipa have supported calls for conversion therapies to be made illegal in the UK. All three added their names to a 200,000-strong open letter to Ms Truss, which calls for an end to the treatments for all lesbian, gay, bi, trans and gender diverse people in the UK. The Government is also expected to set out new safeguards to protect female-only spaces such as refuges and public lavatories. Deputy chair of LGBT+ Conservatives John Cope warned that scrapping self-identification could be a Section 28 moment, comparing it to the law passed by Margaret Thather in 1988 that banned councils and schools from promoting the teaching the acceptability of homosexuality. Story continues Mr Cope told the Daily Telegraph: Modernising how people legally change their gender is overdue and should in my view include cutting red tape, scrapping the unfair fees, and reducing years long waiting lists. Most importantly though, we need to stop treating being trans as a mental health condition. While Nancy Kelley, the chief executive at LGBT+ rights organisation Stonewall, said the reforms would have made many trans people's lives much easier. She said: "This is another blow to our community during a difficult time. Trans people face a huge amount of abuse in their daily lives, just for being themselves. Across issues like access to healthcare, fair treatment in the justice system and the ability to have their voices and stories heard in public life, trans people experience profound inequalities. A GEO spokesperson said: "We will publish our response to our consultation on the Gender Recognition Act this summer." Under current rules those wanting to change their gender pay 140 and have to produce two medical reports that they have suffered from gender dysphoria. Former prime minister Theresa May pledged to let people officially change gender without medical checks in 2017, saying that being trans is not an illness and it should not be treated as such. Ms Truss set out her priorities in response to the consultation in April this year, vowing the protection of single sex spaces and ensuring transgender adults are free to live as they wish while maintaining proper checks and balances. Reports originally suggested that self-identification would be scrapped last month, but a Government source suggested the story had been briefed by ministers who were "trying to stampede a decision that has not been taken". Ms Truss was said to have received a total b********* from Dominic Cummings last week over a separate leak of a letter she wrote to Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Michael Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. In the letter Ms Truss expressed her key areas of concern over post-Brexit border policies. A source told the Mail on Sunday that the Prime Ministers most senior adviser accepted the International Trade Secretarys protestations, but told her she should have realised the Civil Service would leak it. President Donald Trump's 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) Top GOP Senator: Next Stimulus Package Needs to Get Americans Back to Work Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), a member of the Senates leadership, said that the next stimulus bill has to be focused on bolstering employment so Americans can earn a living. The Senate is slated to return back from its nearly three-week-long break on July 20. Top members of Congress have suggested that passing the stimulus package is a top priority, as the expanded $600 per week unemployment insurance payments are slated to run out at the end of the month. Barrasso suggested that additional relief checks could be sent to people in the service industry and hospitality industry who lost their jobs during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. The last stimulus package, the CARES Act, provided checks for people who make up to around $95,000. But were looking at a lower number there, Barrasso told Fox News on Sunday about who might see direct payments in the latest bill. House Democrats passed the HEROES Act about a month ago, which would provide up to $1,200 in direct payments and extend the expanded unemployment insurance payments. However, GOP senators said there are too many unnecessary provisions, while adding that the $3 trillion bill is too costly. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has told reporters that the next bill should include more money to state and local governments, more testing, more direct payments, and more funds for hospitals and healthcare workers. Barrasso, in the interview, criticized the bill and said it would provide direct checks to illegal immigrants, its bailouts to big city and state pension plans that are run by Democrats. Doctors test hospital staff with flu-like symptoms for COVID-19 at St. Barnabas hospital in New York City, N.Y., on March 20, 2020. (Misha Friedman/Getty Images) There is a general agreement that Congress needs to pass legislation before the next recess in early August, he said. Theres a consensus we need to do another bill, thatll be in the next couple of weeks, Barrasso remarked. We cannot continue to pay people more to sit at home, Barrasso stressed. We need to do all we can to get people back to work and earn that paycheck, he said. The Wyoming Republican added that the bill should also provide for more testing, treatment, and possibly a vaccine for the CCP virus, a coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19 and emerged in mainland China late last year. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said earlier this month that he supports another round of stimulus payments, which could be greater than $1,200. However, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the next round of payments will be smaller and aimed at lower-income Americans. That kind of economic assistance will probably be very carefully targeted, Kudlow said at the White House on Friday, reported the Reuters news agency. Its not going to be across the board. New Delhi: In a big development in Delhi riot incident, the Karkardooma Court on Monday (July 13, 2020) rejected the plea of AAP's suspended councilor Tahir Hussain in connection with the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) staffer Ankit Sharma. Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav observed, "There is enough material on record to presume that the applicant was present at the spot of crime and was exhorting the rioters of a particular community and as such, he did not use his hands and fists, but rioters as `human weapons`." Hussain, who is in judicial custody since March, had sought bail on the grounds that there is no cogent evidence to connect him to the alleged murder of Sharma. The crime branch of Delhi Police has filed a charge sheet in this case, but it has mentioned in the charge sheet that the investigation in the matter is underway. Intelligence Bureau (IB) staffer Ankit Sharma was killed in Chand Bagh area during the northeast Delhi violence on February 25. His body was recovered from the drain and had 51 sharp and blunt injuries on it. Violence incident took place in northeast Delhi on February 24 after clashes between citizenship law supporters and protesters. At least 53 people dead and around 200 injured in the delhi riot incident. As crazy as it may sound that this doesn't exist yet, a new ordinance to criminalize racist emergency calls has been introduced by a San Francisco supervisor. The Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday, July 8, that Supervisor Shamann Walton introduced the CAREN Act. The acronym stands for Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies, but if you're an avid social media user, you probably know why the name behind the proposal seems to have a much deeper meaning. According to Dictionary.com (and Twitter), "Karen" is a pejorative slang term for an obnoxious, angry, entitled, and sometimes racist middle-aged white woman who uses her privilege to get her way or police other people's behaviors. It's become the golden term to describe a number of women who have been captured on video seemingly harassing Black people for... being Black. Waltons ordinance follows a similar proposal introduced in June by Democratic State Assembly Member Rob Bonta. Under California law, it's a criminal misdemeanor to make false police reports, but AB 1550 will specifically classify classify your actions as a hate crime if you call police on another individual "due to their race, religion, outward appearance, or inclusion in a protected class." "If you are afraid of a black family barbecuing in the community park, a man dancing and doing his normal exercise routine in the bike lane, or someone who asks you to comply with dog leash laws in a park, and your immediate response is to call the police, the real problem is with your own personal prejudice," Bonta said in a press release. Forum focus: Developing anti-racist legislation following Floyd killing At a July Board of Supervisors meeting (53:43 mark), Walton said the CAREN Act is in response to the rising incidents all over the country of people harassing and calling police on Black people and people of color doing every day activities. "Let it be known that this has always happened," he said. "But with smart phones and social media, we are seeing it reported and broadcast on the news." In June, a white couple called police on James Juanillo, a Filipino man, after accusing him of defacing private property. Juanillo was actually stenciling Black Lives Matter on his own property. Walton continued by saying that police were also called on a Black man in Alameda because he was exercising and dancing in the street. In New York, a white woman by the name of Amy Cooper called 911 on a Black man who was bird watching in Central Park after he asked her to put her dog on a leash (which were literally the rules of the park). To make matters worse, Cooper purposely exaggerated the call and told police the bird watcher was attacking her. "These are only a few examples that have been publicized recently, but there are countless others that do not get news coverage or are not even recorded," said Walton. During the meeting, Walton stressed that the point of the proposed CAREN Act is not to discourage people from making emergency calls to report actual emergencies in good faith, but to protect communities of color from "often targeted and victims of fraudulent emergency calls." Under the CAREN Act, people who make false 911 calls based solely on discrimination could be sued by the victim for up to $1,000 in damages. If all those years of being ordered around in the military made you decide to be your own boss when you get out, you're in luck: It seems like everyone wants to help you do that. This includes the U.S. Small Business Administration. No matter what stage you're at in your business or in separating from the military, the SBA has you covered with its "Boots to Business" program. Whether you know it or not, you -- like all veterans -- are uniquely suited to be self-employed. In fact, around 9% of all businesses in the U.S. are veteran-owned and 10% of veterans run their own business. The SBA says military experience is a stronger predictor of entrepreneurship than a graduate degree. The reasons are fourfold: 1. Military veterans are organized. There's a lot about the military that doesn't make sense, depending on what level you're at. There's a reason every veteran of every era knows what a soup sandwich is. That's OK. We thrive in chaos and create order from within. 2. Veterans take the initiative. Following orders takes military personnel only so far. They have to think on their feet, sometimes under fire, to reach objectives. This doesn't change when they get out. Veterans are quick to take an opportunity that presents itself. 3. Veteran share experiences. Though networking with civilians in their military career field can be difficult, once out of the military, veterans are quick to grow their personal and professional networks, both military and civilian. The veteran networks they create are often stronger because of the shared experience of military service. 4. The military gives you focus and dedication. Military life isn't easy and, if you can endure some of the hardships that come with it, you can probably endure a lot, so the stress of starting and operating your own business isn't something you can't handle. Now that you have the confidence to begin, the important thing is to know where to start, which brings us back to the Small Business Administration. Even if all you have is an idea, even if you're still in the military, the SBA is ready to help. There are two Boots to Business program tracks. The first is the Boots to Business SBA program, offered in conjunction with the Defense Department's Transition Assistance Program. This is open to current service members and military spouses. To register for this program, you need to visit the transition office on base. The second program is the "Boots to Business: Reboot" program, available to veterans of any era, National Guard and Reserve members and military spouses. This is also an online community of entrepreneurs with military backgrounds. Both programs are training tracks that start with an "Introduction to Entrepreneurship" course. This is a fundamental course that gives you everything you need to know about getting started. After the foundational class, there are a number of optional courses you can take to continue your business education. Completing the foundational course also opens more resources to participants, including a course covering everything you have to do with your revenues and an SBA Learning Center for all the reference works you need. That's not all, however. The SBA also has 22 Veteran Business Outreach Centers (VBOC) positioned in 18 states -- including Hawaii (sorry, Alaska). If in-house training is more your speed, these centers offer training and workshops on subjects like financing, marketing and hiring. They also house tools and resources such as mentorship, application assistance and market research databases. Once you know how to get started, the trick is to actually do it. At this point, you'll know how to finance your business, but the SBA still offers training and help on getting access to capital. The SBA itself is not a small business lender, but it works with lenders to help get special access to funding for small businesses. Washington, D.C.-based and veteran-owned Dog Tag Bakery won a $50,000 SBA Grant in 2016. (Dog Tag Bakery) For those who are growing their business or are a special subset of military-connected Americans, the SBA even offers special training for female entrepreneurs and for service-disabled veterans. Whether you need a facility, real estate, equipment, inventory or even just working capital, there are SBA loan programs that might suit your needs. Many have reduced upfront fees and other benefits just for military-connected entrepreneurs. You can learn all about these programs at your local VBOC, through one of the Boots to Business tracks, or by going to the SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development website. -- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook. Want to Know More About Veteran Jobs? Be sure to get the latest news about post-military careers as well as critical info about veteran jobs and all the benefits of service. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police took the transit remand of Arvind Ramvilas Trivedi, a key aide of slain gangster Kanpur Vikas Dubey, and Trivedis driver Sushilkumar Suresh Tiwari from a Thane court on Monday. Inspector Gyan Singh, who is an investigating officer (IO) in the killing of eight police personnel by Dubey and his henchmen at his native village Bikru in UPs Kanpur district in the intervening night of July 2 and 3, arrived in Mumbai on Sunday night along with other constables for the transit remand proceedings. Trivedi and his driver were produced in the Thane court around 2:45 pm on Monday and were given transit remand till July 16. Defence lawyer Anil Jadhav said, The accused are not safe to travel by road due to heavy monsoon rains and also because of the prevailing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak the train service has been suspended. The accused are scared to travel to Kanpur from Mumbai by road. UP Police should take them by flight. Both the accused have undergone Covid-19 tests on Saturday and the results are expected by Monday evening, said Jadhav. Trivedi and Tiwari had fled from UP soon after the killing of eight police personnel. Initially, they had gone to Madhya Pradesh, where Maharashtra Police believed that they had met Dubey and then proceeded towards Pune by hiding in a truck. Then, they took a truck and came to Thane, where they were staying at Kolshet area, said an official of Anti-terror Squad (ATS), Maharashtra Police. Acting on a tip-off, the Juhu unit of the Maharashtra Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested Trivedi and Tiwari from Thanes Kolshet area on Saturday morning. Soon, the UP Police authorities were informed about their arrest. Trivedi is allegedly involved in the murder of UP minister Santosh Shukla, who was killed inside the Shivli police station in Kanpur in 2001. Dubey was the main accused in the case, where 25 policemen, who had appeared as eyewitnesses to the murder, turned hostile during the trial. The UP government had announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information on Trivedis whereabouts after the Bikru village massacre of eight police personnel. The boss of Australia's largest commercialisation program for digital health startups has said big biotechs should welcome new regulations on software, arguing recent calls for exemptions don't fully appreciate the risk that even simple products like apps pose to patients. "I do think that we need to think carefully about whether we are influencing patient behaviour [with software], it is not enough to say the 'individual can decide'," ANDHealth chief executive Bronwyn Le Grice said. Chief executive of ANDHealth Bronwyn Le Grice said big biotechs stand to benefit from clear regulation of software. She said instead of being resistant to oversight, the medtech sector should recognise that clear regulation could lead to commercial gains for Australian companies. ANDHealth is a national organisation that helps companies raise capital and launch into new markets. Over the past couple of years it has seen these companies raise close to $30 million and serve around 70,000 Australian patients. Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said Sunday that he will grant Democrats request to have former special counsel Robert Mueller testify about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election before the committee. Grahams surprising statement came a day after Mueller broke his silence to defend his offices prosecution of President Trumps longtime friend Roger Stone in an op-ed published by the Washington Post. Stone was convicted of crimes that included lying to Congress, prosecutors alleged, to protect the president, but had his sentence commuted by the president just days before he was set to report to federal prison. Mueller wrote in his op-ed that Stone is still a convicted felon and rightly so. Apparently Mr. Mueller is willing and also capable of defending the Mueller investigation through an oped in the Washington Post, Graham tweeted. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have previously requested Mr. Mueller appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about his investigation. That request will be granted. Graham had previously expressed that he was done with the Mueller report, echoing the sentiments of many Republicans who have said its time to move on from the investigation, while Democrats have pushed to have Mueller testify before the committee. But during a Judiciary Committee meeting last month, Graham shifted in saying it is not an unreasonable request to have somebody from Muellers team come before the committee. Im not adverse to having somebody from the Mueller team come and tell the committee what they did and how they did it, as a matter of fact I think thats a really good idea. Im not so sure Mr. Mueller would be the best person now, Graham said. He later added that he would call Mueller, if thats what the committee wanted, but he implored members to think twice about that. But Democrats have expressed skepticism of Grahams intentions. Story continues I suspect all Lindsey Graham wants to do is continue his counterfactual, that is that Donald Trump was somehow the victim when Donald Trump was the one inviting Russians to help him get elected in the first place, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Representative Adam Schiff (D., Calif.) said in an appearance on CNN. In the op-ed, Mueller, who had remained silent since he testified under subpoena to Congress last July, defended those involved in the investigations and prosecutions, saying they acted with the highest integrity. We made every decision in Stones case, as in all our cases, based solely on the facts and the law and in accordance with the rule of law. The women and men who conducted these investigations and prosecutions acted with the highest integrity. Claims to the contrary are false, Mueller wrote. More from National Review Two World Health Organization experts have gone to China for a mission to trace the origin of the pandemic. The United States was grappling with the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world on Monday, as Florida shattered the national record for a states largest single-day increase in new confirmed cases. Meanwhile, two World Health Organization experts went to China for a mission to trace the origin of the pandemic. The virus was first detected in central Chinas city of Wuhan late last year. Beijing had been reluctant to allow a probe but relented after dozens of countries called on the WHO to conduct a thorough investigation. Deaths from the virus have been rising in the US, especially in the South and West, though they are still well below the numbers reached in April, according to a recent Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. A man wearing a mask outside a restaurant in Beijing [Ng Han Guan/AP Photo/] I really do think we could control this, and its the human element that is so critical. It should be an effort of our country. We should be pulling together when were in a crisis, and were definitely not doing it, said University of Florida epidemiologist Dr Cindy Prins. Admiral Brett Giroir, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, called mask-wearing in public, which has been met with resistance in some US states, absolutely essential. Giroir, the assistant secretary at the Health and Human Services Department, told ABCs This Week on Sunday that if we dont have that, we will not get control of the virus. President Donald Trump wore a mask in public for the first time on Saturday, something Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Sunday showed he has crossed a bridge. US President Donald Trump who had long resisted wearing face coverings donned a mask during his visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland [AP Photo/Patrick Semansky] Pelosi told CNNs State of the Union that she hopes it means the president will change his attitude, which will be helpful in stopping the spread of the coronavirus. In Florida, where parts of Walt Disney World reopened on Saturday, 15,299 people tested positive, for a total of 269,811 cases, and 45 deaths were recorded, according to state Department of Health statistics reported on Sunday. California had the previous record of daily positive cases 11,694 set on Wednesday. The numbers come at the end of a record-breaking week as Florida reported 514 fatalities an average of 73 per day. Three weeks ago, the state was averaging 30 deaths per day. Researchers expect deaths to rise in the US for at least some weeks, but some think the count probably will not go up as dramatically as it did in the spring because of several factors, including increased testing. Regarding the WHO experts in China, the countrys Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said they would work with Chinese scientists and medical experts on scientific cooperation on the new coronavirus tracing issue. China has argued that the virus might have originated outside of China and has angrily denied allegations that it covered up the scale of the outbreak as infections first began to spread. World Health Organization (WHO) Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan attending a press conference organised by the Geneva Association of United Nations Correspondents (ACANU). The WHO is working with China to trace the origin of the pandemic [Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via Reuters] Trump has harshly criticised the WHO over its response to the coronavirus pandemic and accused it of bowing to Chinese influence. The Trump administration formally notified the UN last week of its withdrawal from the WHO, although the pullout will not take effect until July 6, 2021. We have a basic consensus with the WHO that virus tracing is a scientific issue, and that requires international scientific research and cooperation of scientists across the world, ministry spokesperson Hua said at a daily briefing. WHO also believes that the virus tracing is an issue in progress, which may involve multiple countries and regions, and WHO will also conduct similar inspections in other countries and regions as needed. The WHO has confirmed the visit by an epidemiologist and an animal diseases specialist but has not given out information on their agendas while in China. The virus causing the deadly illness COVID-19 is believed to have originated in bats and then jumped to humans via an intermediary species, possibly the anteater-like pangolin that is prized in China for its scales used in Chinese medicine as well as its meat. In Japan, more than 30 marines tested positive at the Futenma US air station on Okinawa, where infections among American service members have rapidly risen to more than 90 since last week. Okinawa is home to more than half of about 50,000 American troops based in Japan. Confirmed cases also have been found at three other Okinawa bases: 22 at Camp Hansen, one at Camp Kinser and another one at Camp McTureous. Officials said the movements of people at Futenma and Camp Hansen have since been restricted and large-scale virus testing is being conducted. In other parts of the world, the number of infections has been rising dramatically in India, South Africa and Brazil, whose virus-denying president has tested positive. India, which has the most confirmed virus cases after the United States and Brazil, on Monday reported a record daily surge of 28,701 new cases. Authorities in several cities are reinstating strict lockdowns after attempting to loosen things up to revive an ailing economy. COVID-19 patients being treated with oxygen at the Tshwane District Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa [Jerome Delay/AP Photo] In South Africa, which accounts for more than 40 percent of all the reported coronavirus cases in Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday that the country would reimpose a ban on alcohol sales to reduce the volume of people needing emergency treatment so hospitals have more beds to treat COVID-19 patients. South Africa is also reinstating a nighttime curfew to reduce traffic accidents and has made it mandatory for all residents to wear face masks in public. We are taking these measures fully aware that they impose unwelcome restrictions on peoples lives. They are, however, necessary to see us through the peak of the disease, Ramaphosa said in a letter to the nation on Monday. There is no way that we can avoid the coronavirus storm. But we can limit the damage that it can cause to our lives. In France, the government was considering requiring the use of masks in all indoor public spaces amid a small rise in virus infections and a big drop in public vigilance. Greece was seeking a ban on church and village fairs and tighter tourism-related checks following a recent increase in confirmed coronavirus cases. Rajasthan crisis: CLP passes resolution supporting Ashok Gehlot-led govt India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, July 13: Rajasthan Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Monday passed a resolution supporting the Ashok Gehlot-led government in the state. In a show of strength, 102 MLAs turned up at the chief minister's residence ahead of the meeting, which was called by the party amid the crisis caused by deputy CM Sachin Pilot's rebellion. Rajasthan Transport Minister says 'confident of winning number game in state' | Oneindia News A statement issued by the Congress after the CLP meeting amid the ongoing political slugfest in Rajasthan, blames the BJP of being insecure of the good governance of the state government. "BJP is trying to horse-trade MLAs and destroy democracy. The MLAs express their support to the Congress leadership and high-command," the statement said. Rajasthan crisis: Here is how the number stack up The Congress also condemned the undemocratic activities to weaken the government and demanded stern action against any office-bearer or MLAs found directly or indirectly involved in anti-party activities or conspiracies. Meanwhile, Congress leader Ajay Maken said that Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has the support of 109 MLAs, and that the government was stable and in majority. He said a report has been sent to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot and his deputy, Pilot have been at logger heads. Gehlot blamed the BKP for trying to destabilise the government. However Pilot has blamed Gehlot's functioning for the crisis. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 13, 2020, 16:10 [IST] Gardai are appealing to the Limerick public, particularly younger people, not to let anyone else use their bank account. The warning follows an arrest made in West Cork last week in relation to suspected money laundering. The man, aged in early 20s, is believed to have allowed a large quantity of cash be lodged and transferred using his account. He was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and later released. A file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Situations like this normally involve a person known as a "Money Mule. The practice usually involves criminals recruiting young people to help launder stolen or illegal money using their bank account often unwittingly. The chance to earn a "quick buck is a tactic used by fraudsters to recruit money mules, who are promised a share of the proceeds in exchange for their bank account details. They allow their account to be used for the transfer of ill-gotten gains. They may or may not be aware of the crime. However, they are complicit if they recklessly allow their account to be used to launder the proceeds of these crimes. Young people are often targeted by organised crime gangs to act as money mules, laundering thousands of euro through their accounts in exchange for a few hundred euro. Anti-money laundering legislation is designed to prevent organised crime gang members from opening up accounts so they need money mules to launder their money. Students are an easy target for these "money herders. They are often approached online, on campus, or while out socialising. Crime Prevention Advice 1. Do not allow anyone to use your bank account. 2. Do not share personal bank account data. 3. Do not send or receive money. 4. Trust your instincts. If it sounds too good to be true it most likely is. If you are approached to facilitate this crime. Say no and report the matter to Gardai. If you agree to allow your account be used in this way you are committing the offence of money laundering. Money laundering is a serious offence which on convictions carries a penalty of up to 14 years imprisonment. This will have a serious impact on your future travel plans, career opportunities, vetting and credit ratings. For more crime prevention details on this, and other topics, please see www.garda.ie Most Americans made a lifestyle U-turn several months ago because of the potential risks posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Activities that once were a given in our day-to-day lives have become less common or have disappeared such as going out to dinner, taking in a movie or shopping for something other than food. But weve also stopped doing tasks that can affect our health and well-being such as keeping appointments with doctors, dentists, physical therapists and more. Now that its clear that the coronavirus waves are going to keep coming, here are five health practices that experts say you might want to reconsider delaying. Perhaps you were due for a mammogram, a colonoscopy or a Pap test but put it off. In fact, health experts from the American Cancer Society, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Susan G. Komen organization and more have encouraged Americans to delay routine cancer screenings to minimize everyones exposure to the coronavirus (and to maintain health care facilities needed supply of masks, gloves and the like). The response has been significant, according to data from two health care technology companies. By mid-April, the number of colonoscopies (to screen for colorectal cancer) had dropped by about 90 percent compared with the previous year, according to Komodo Health, a San Francisco-based company that collects and analyzes health care data. In addition, according to a report from the Epic Health Research Network, mammograms to screen for breast cancer and Pap tests to screen for cervical cancer each declined by 94 percent in that time, compared with the average for that period in the preceding three years. Over the short term, health experts generally agree that delaying these screenings is probably OK for most people. But your risks rise as time goes on. If a problem does exist, diagnosis gets delayed, which could mean a poorer prognosis because the cancer has had more time to progress. Treatment options for a more advanced cancer are often fewer and more invasive. Also keep in mind what the success rate of routine screenings has yielded. For instance, deaths from breast cancer have declined by about 20 percent in the past three decades, attributable to early detection by mammography screening as well as improved treatments, according to an American Cancer Society report. It also notes that, in those three decades, the incidence of cervical cancer, as well as its mortality rate, has decreased by more than 50 percent, with most of the credit for the reduction going to Pap screenings. However, the head of the National Cancer Institute has warned that Americans delays in screening, diagnoses and treatment because of the pandemic could lead to as many as 10,000 more deaths from breast and colorectal cancer in the next decade. Dental visits Dental problems early on such as very small decay in a tooth rarely have symptoms, so people often arent aware they have a problem until a dentist examines their teeth, said Chad Gehani, president of the American Dental Association and an endodontist in New York. Hence the recommended checkups and cleanings every three, six or 12 months, depending on the persons oral health status, to help spot dental health problems when treatment is effective and more affordable, he said. With the coronavirus pandemic, though, came guidelines to postpone elective dental care, which kept most patients out of the dental chair for at least several months. For those in the midst of treatment, that delay could become problematic. For instance, children with braces are usually seen by their orthodontist every five to six weeks for adjustments, Gehani said, but missing appointments and leaving the braces unattended can cause the teeth to move in a bad way and sometimes cause damage in the root underneath. People in the midst of having a crown put on a tooth also could face problems if the process was interrupted for very long. If, for example, the temporary crown that was put on the tooth comes off and isnt replaced right away, the existing teeth may drift into the area, creating a narrower space and requiring new measurements and a new permanent crown to be fabricated, Gehani said. Generally, with any dental procedure, if you start and dont finish it, it will create more of a problem, he said. The longer time you wait, the more complexity you can generate in the mouth. Where you once needed a simple filling, you might now need a root canal. Or, if you needed a root canal, you could end up with an abscess or maybe lose the tooth altogether. Physical therapy Say you sprained an ankle. Or perhaps you had knee-replacement surgery before the pandemic settled in. Or youve developed back or neck pain from working out of your so-called home office. Going to a clinic for hands-on physical therapy or ergonomic advice might not be on your OK-to-do list at the moment. But, said Robert Gillanders, a physical therapist with Point Performance Therapy in Bethesda, Md., and a spokesman for the American Physical Therapy Association, when you treat injuries in the early stages, the outcomes are always better. To make sure that still can happen, physical therapists are turning more and more to telehealth, so-called virtual therapy, and have been pleasantly surprised, he said, at how successful it has been. I had always joked that you cant do physical therapy remotely, but weve learned through this (pandemic) that we can, Gillanders said. Using FaceTime, special apps designed for doctor-patient interactions, Zoom or similar software, physical therapists can watch, guide and evaluate patients as they walk, squat, balance, lunge or do whatever is needed to progress, all through a virtual appointment. And if you dont have equipment, such as weights, at home, therapists can suggest alternatives; Gillanders said he advised a patient to load up a backpack with laundry detergent and start exercising to get stronger. Whatever works. Living through the pandemic, he said, has opened more eyes to whats possible through technology. After-work talks or classes on topics such as ergonomics or lower-back pain attracted 40 or so people in a heavily urban area and only a handful in suburbia, but they drew 100 log-ins when done via Zoom, Gillanders said. Now, people are way more open to the idea of doing a virtual class to learn something about a relevant topic than they are to schlepping to a clinic for the class, he said. Blood tests Some people get their blood tested far more often than right around their annual physical. For instance, if youve had a blood clot and are taking an anticoagulant such as warfarin to prevent a recurrence, weekly blood tests may be needed to check the level of the drug in your system and possibly change your prescribed dosage. If their level is not high enough, theres not enough anticoagulant in their body to prevent a blood clot, thats a big risk, said Alok Khorana, a hematologist and oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and chair of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board for the National Blood Clot Alliance. But if their level is too high, they have a risk of bleeding. Between clotting and bleeding, he said, were walking a very fine line. Nonetheless, anxiety about possible coronavirus exposure at a hospital or clinic has led some patients to miss their blood-test check-ins, Khorana said. The ultimate downside? Theres no real workaround, he said. The testing needs to be done at a lab. However, most health institutions in the United States have been very aggressive in ensuring appropriate masking and social distancing by employees and patients (and) are as safe as they can possibly be, he said. Be cautious, yes, but dont jeopardize your own health by skipping needed blood tests, he said. Emergency-room visits If, fearful of contracting the coronavirus, you have held back from seeking emergency care during the pandemic, youre not alone. ER visits nationwide declined by 42 percent during a four-week period from late March to late April, compared with the same period a year ago, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That meant nearly a million fewer ER visits a week, described as a striking decline by the CDC. Patient volume picked up a bit by late May but was still 26 percent lower than in the preceding year. The number of ER visits attributed to coronaviruslike symptoms increased significantly during the periods that the CDC report compared, but visits for a host of other reasons that people typically go to the emergency room abdominal pain, musculoskeletal pain, sprains and strains, superficial injuries and more all declined. So did visits from people with chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack, which the CDC says suggests that some persons could be delaying care for conditions that might result in additional mortality if left untreated. In a follow-up report, the CDC noted that 23 percent fewer people went to the ER for a heart attack and 20 percent fewer were treated for a stroke from mid-March to mid-May, compared with the preceding 10 weeks. Large hospital systems also admitted up to 50 percent fewer patients because of heart attacks and 39 percent fewer patients for stroke, according to CDC data. The American Heart Association, noting that the pandemic will not stop heart attacks and strokes from happening, responded with a new public awareness campaign called Dont Die in Doubt. It stresses that a hospital is the safest place to be if you have a medical emergency, even during the pandemic. What to do? Of course, there are plenty more things that people havent been doing because of a hesitancy about safety, a lack of money from having been furloughed or laid off or a host of other reasons and all could have health and wellness consequences. Not going to the gym? Eating more fast food from the easily accessible drive-thru? Weight gain and loss of muscular and cardio fitness could make you more vulnerable to a variety of health problems. Not taking your youngster to get standard childhood vaccines? If hordes of people do that, a resurgence of measles could result. Just remember: Everyone is different, and there is no single standard for which appointments are OK to delay and which are not. Balance the risks and benefits and discuss them with your doctors. Your health and wellness are at stake. Michigan saw its typical Sunday dip in reported COVID-19 cases and deaths July 12. The number of new coronavirus cases dropped below 400 for the first time in nearly a week. Daily figures provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services show 390 new confirmed coronavirus cases, as well as one additional confirmed death. Its the lowest number of new cases since 297 were reported July 6. Figures on weekends, particularly Sundays, have typically been lower since the Michigan outbreak began, as not all county health departments provide an update on those days to MDHHS. Michigan reports fewer than 400 new coronavirus cases for first time in six days Michigan has seen a total of 69,338 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 6,068 confirmed deaths since March. MDHHS also reports a total of 7,438 probable cases and an additional 246 probable deaths. While recent COVID-19 numbers have seen an upward trend -- with a seven-day average of 494, up from 373 the prior week -- the fatality rate has fallen to 8.8 percent, down from 9.1 percent last Sunday. Health officials, however, say trends in death numbers typically lag behind rises in case counts. Here are the latest stories on coronavirus in Michigan. Betsy DeVos says CDC school guidelines for coronavirus meant to be flexible U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told CNNs State of the Union on Sunday morning that the CDC guidelines in place for schools to reopen this fall are meant to be flexible. The CDC guidelines are just that, meant to be flexible and meant to be applied as appropriate for the situation, DeVos, who was speaking from Grand Rapids, told CNNs Dana Bash in a more than 20-minute interview. As school districts struggle to combine the Trump Administration's push for in-person learning with CDC guidelines, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos says "the CDC guidelines are just that, meant to be flexible and meant to be applied as appropriate for the situation" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/4qVh5KZudU State of the Union (@CNNSotu) July 12, 2020 DeVos said repeatedly the key is for kids to return to school full-time. We know there are going to be hot spots and those are going to need to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, she said. The secretary said what full-time learning looks like this fall will vary, depending upon the district, but the bottom line is schools need to be open. She said she is OK with schools closing for a short time if there is a prevalence of coronavirus cases, but schools need to be making plans to deal with those situations when they arise, and not preparing to begin the school year remotely. When asked whether the U.S. Department of Education had guidelines in place for districts to follow if those situations did arise, DeVos said districts should have individual plans in place as every situation is different. Schools should do whats right on the ground at the time for their students and for their situation, DeVos said. There is no uniform approach that we can take or should take nationwide. The secretary was asked if she was concerned about a record number of new COVID-19 cases on Friday, July 10 and the fact that 45 of 50 states are seeing higher daily averages of new cases now as compared to when schools closed in March. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. DeVos pointed to children being a low-risk demographic and said: There is nothing in the data that would suggest that it is dangerous to them and its more for a matter of their health and well-being they be back in school. We want to see every school district in every state doing the same thing to say not what we cant do, but what we can do and what were going to do, she said. To see the full interview click here. Trump, Biden take different approaches to campaigning, amid coronavirus concerns in Michigan While President Donald Trumps reelection campaigners are knocking on doors in Michigan, organizers for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden are worried that resuming normal campaign activities could contribute to the spread of COVID-19. Holding large events where people have the potential to come into close contact runs counter to the recommendations of public health experts, but Michigan remains an important presidential battleground with 16 electoral votes coveted by both candidates. Trump and Biden held major rallies and events across the country as the first cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, though only Trump has returned to the campaign trail since the pandemic caused mass shutdowns of businesses and public spaces. New cases of the virus continue to be counted at a rapid clip in battleground states like Arizona, Florida, Texas and Oklahoma, while Michigan has been experiencing a spike in confirmed cases in July. I think both presidential campaigns, if they had their druthers, would be doing some kind of in-person events, said John Sellek, a veteran campaign strategist and owner of Harbor Strategic Public Affairs. The Trump campaign clearly has done far more of those kind of events. Based on the turnout in Tulsa, I have to assume that his campaign will reevaluate how useful it is to put on or to attempt to put on large scale events. Mid-Michigan Walmart store listed as possible coronavirus exposure site A mid-Michigan Walmart store has been listed as a potential COVID-19 exposure site. The Shiawassee County Health Department issued a statement Friday, July 10 after being notified of an employee at the Owosso Walmart Supercenter, 1621 East M-21, tested positive for the upper respiratory virus. This employee wore a mask during their shifts, the statement reads. Walmart Supercenter is working with the Shiawassee County Health Department during this time. The health department said it would release information on public exposure sites -- including large gatherings and high-traffic establishments -- when close contacts cannot be identified. Anyone who visited the store from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, July 6 or 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday, July 8 have been asked by the county health department to self-monitor for symptoms due to the possible exposure. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Lapeer County Health Department alerts residents after restaurant employee tests positive for coronavirus Health officials in Lapeer County are advising anyone who recently traveled to an Imlay City restaurant to self-monitor for symptoms after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. Kathy Haskins, director of the Lapeer County Health Department, issued a statement Friday, July 10 after officials learned the test result of an employee at the Luckys Steakhouse in Imlay City. The business voluntarily closed Friday evening to ensure that a thorough cleaning of the facility can be accomplished, and employees who worked closely with the positive case will be quarantined, Haskins said. The restaurant has since reopened for business. Anyone who went to the restaurant at the intersection of M-53 and Newark Road on Thursday, July 9 or Friday, July 10 is asked by the health department to closely monitor themselves for the next 14 days and consider taking a COVID-19 test. You should also take extra precautions to ensure that you do not transmit the virus to others. Remember that you may be able to spread the disease for up to 48 hours prior to symptoms, and a number of individuals will be asymptomatic, said Haskins. The virus spreads through respiratory droplets between people who are in close contact with one another. This generally occurs when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Kalamazoo plasma center a possible coronavirus exposure site The Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department is suggesting those who donated plasma June 27-29 or July 3, 6 or 8-9 at Grifols BioMat USA get tested for the novel coronavirus. The plasma center, located at 167 E. Kalamazoo Ave., reportedly has had one symptomatic employee who was at the center on those dates test positive for COVID-19, a news release from the county states. The medical/clinical employee with COVID-19 was wearing a face covering and shield while working; however, transmission is still possible due to the prolonged close contact that may occur during the process of plasma donation, the release states. 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. 78 Shares Share A quarter of the physician workforce in the United States consists of international medical graduates (IMGs). This year 4,222 non-U.S. citizens matched in first-year residency positions. I am an IMG from Guatemala, where I completed medical school. In March of 2014, I matched to an internal medicine residency in the United States. The road has been both satisfying and challenging, with all kinds of uncertainties. I have always been attracted to the countryside, and started my training at a large tertiary academic medical center in rural Pennsylvania on a J-1 visa (training visa). IMGs mainly come to the United States on two types of visas H-1B and J-1 visa (sponsored by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates [ECFMG]). My wife and I opted for the latter due to work restrictions for her if I was on an H-1B visa. Some J visas carry the requirement of returning to your home country for two years after finishing your training before you are eligible to work in the United States [212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act]. Furthermore, some J visas carry the burden of annual renewal, depending on your duration of training. To renew the visa, you must leave the U.S. and apply at a U.S. embassy. When you re-enter the U.S., you also need to renew your drivers license at the Department of Motor Vehicles. After I finished my residency, my family and I headed to New Hampshire so that I do an endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism fellowship combined with a preventive medicine residency and a MPH degree. One way to waive the two-year home country requirement, after completing the exchange program, is by doing a J-1 waiver through the Conrad 30 Waiver Program. Senator Kent Conrad formulated the Conrad 30 Program in 1994 to address the issue of physician shortages in rural and urban areas of the United States. This program allows each states Department of Health to sponsor 30 IMGs by having them serve in federally designated shortage areas. Because we like living in rural areas, and I am trained in public health and preventive medicine, with interest in caring for underserved populations, I thought this program was an excellent balance between my interests and serving a community in need. I interviewed for a job in upstate New York that qualified as a shortage area, signed the contract, applied for the J-1 waiver, and was fortunate that the New York Department of Health recommended me to the Conrad 30 program. My family and I celebrated on that day, thinking this was the end of a long and nerve-wracking process. But this was only one of the steps that will allow me to provide care to an underserved community in rural America. After each states Department of Health recommends a waiver, the application is forwarded to the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Waiver Review Division (WRD) for appropriate action. The DOS-WRD then notifies the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of its recommendation. USCIS makes a final determination on whether to approve or deny the waiver application, at which point you are able to switch from a J-1 to a H-1B work visa, and start the job where you signed your contract. This process normally takes many months and hiring an attorney. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the time for approval has extended, placing IMGs and their families in a particularly difficult and vulnerable position. Some of the recent concerns raised by IMGs include how the introduction of telehealth affects meeting some of the J-1 waiver requirements for those who are already in the waiver program. For IMGs who are starting their residency or fellowship training, there are now delays both in scheduling visa interviews at U.S. Embassies and in the processing time of their visas. Realizing that there is a great need for physicians in underserved communities, national organizations such as the American Medical Association are advocating to expedite this process. The USCIS issued a policy memorandum that introduced temporary policy changes regarding full time-work requirements and provision of telehealth services. For those who are starting their residency training, ECFMG has been working with the U.S. DOS to communicate concerns related to COVID-19 and IMGs participating in residency or fellowship programs. Many IMGs, like myself, are facing challenges related to the visa application, immigration status, and waiver programs, amongst others. I strongly believe this population of resilient physicians should be continued to be supported more than ever. This will not just help us feel more certain for our own and familys futures, but allow us to care for patients in times of unprecedented need. In my case, I will complete fellowship training at the end of June 2020 and am eager to practice as an attending in an underserved area in New York State. However, my wife and I have no option but to stay and wait in the granite state with our two U.S.-born daughters until our paperwork is complete. Juan J. Delgado-Hurtado is an internal medicine physician. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Harrison Ford turns 78 today. As an actor, writer, director and producer, his films have earned more than $9 billion worldwide. To wish the film icon a happy birthday, well share our 10 favorite films of his. Well cover plenty of the hits you know and love, but also include some lesser celebrated titles that deserve the love. Read our picks (and honorable mentions) below: Star Wars (1977) Our introduction to Han Solo belongs on this list, and not just for the sake of it. Wed caught a glimpse of Fords roguish charm in George Lucas previous film American Graffitti, signaling real star power the director knew would translate in all of the actors space pirate glory. As the braggadocios smuggler and captain of the Millennium Falcon, Ford even had chemistry with a guy in a Wookie costume and quickly proved the galaxy had a new superstar on its hands. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) While the first Star Wars film introduced us to Han Solo, Ford does arguably career-best work in Empire, cementing the character as a classic leading man, mixing archetypal flourishes with his own personal style and humor that made the space pirate nearly everyones favorite character in the franchise, thanks in large part to the script by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan and his equally good co-star Carrie Fisher. The fact that they recast the role with another actor for the 2018 Solo spinoff still seems like a movie crime. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) We could combine the first three Indiana Jones movies in one pick, but well start with the one that kickstarted Steven Spielbergs adventure franchise that packs a punch as one of the best movie franchises ever that wouldnt have worked with anyone other than Ford wearing the hat and carrying the whip. After the first two Star Wars movies, it only further established the actor as a mega-star whose future knew no end on the silver screen. Also does some lovely work with romantic counterpart Karen Allen who share terrific chemistry. Blade Runner (1982) Ridley Scotts brilliant science fiction thriller depicts a dystopian Los Angeles in which genetically engineered replicants, which are visually indistinguishable from adult humans, are manufactured by a powerful corporation. Ford plays Rick Deckard, a special police operative known as a Blade Runner tasked with hunting down and killing the deadly replicants. This futuristic film noir features a steely but cool lead performance from Ford in what some consider his best-ever movie. Witness (1985) In Peter Weirs gripping drama, Ford plays a detective protecting a young Amish boy who becomes a target after he witnesses a murder in Philadelphia. It earned Ford his only Oscar nomination, and deservedly so for bringing his typical heroism to a much more serious story that also demanded and got tremendous restraint from the actor. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) We love Temple of Doom just as much, but well give the edge to Last Crusade thanks to Fords amazing chemistry with Sean Connery, who plays the archaeologists father on their quest to find the Holy Grail, with more Nazis on their tails. Firmly back into Raiders mode, the would-be last Jones adventure is a delight. Patriot Games (1992) The second Jack Ryan flick based on the Tom Clancy novels recasts the role with Ford as the CIA agent, who this time interferes with an IRA assassination, causing a renegade faction to target him and his family for revenge. Complex and exciting, a rare adult thriller perfectly buoyed by Fords steady and likable work. The Fugitive (1993) Other than the obvious big-daddies, probably Fords best and most iconic role to date. After being wrongfully convicted for the murder of his wife, Dr. Richard Kimble (Ford) escapes from custody and sets out to prove his innocence while pursued by a team of U.S. Marshals led by Deputy Samuel Gerard (an Oscar-winning Tommy Lee Jones). Frankly, Ford also deserved an Oscar nod for playing the desperate and determined Kimble in this thriller based on the 1960s television series of the same name. Air Force One (1997) How about this corny action flick in which Ford plays President James Marshall, who battles a group of Russian terrorists (led by Gary Oldman) that hijack Air Force One? Easily one of the movie-est movies ever made, it also stands as a great prototypical Ford vehicle, highlighting all of the stars leading man appeal and action movie presence. Just have a little fun, OK? Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) Many thought Ford had stopped caring on screen, often coming across as grumpy and tired in his latter roles, but J.J. Abrams pulled another great performance from him in The Force Awakens, bringing back the Han Solo we knew and loved one last time and suggesting Ford just might do it again when he reprises Indiana Jones one more time the near future. Honorable Mentions: American Graffiti (1973), Return of the Jedi (1983), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Frantic (1988), Working Girl (1988), The Mosquito Coast (1986), Regarding Henry (1991), Sabrina (1995), Six Days, Seven Nights (1998), 42 (2013), Blade Runner 2049 (2017) A 3D printed oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed Opec logo in this illustration picture By Alex Lawler and Rania El Gamal LONDON/DUBAI (Reuters) - The oil market is getting closer to balance as demand gradually rises, OPEC's secretary general said on Monday, two days before the group and ally Russia meet to decide whether to ease output curbs from August. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, have been cutting output since May by 9.7 million barrels per day after the coronavirus crisis destroyed a third of global demand and caused a price collapse. After July, the cuts are due to taper to 7.7 million bpd until December although a final decision has yet to be taken. A panel called the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) meets on Wednesday to recommend the next level of cuts. "The gradual reopening of the economies and societies around the world has provided a much-needed resurgence in demand," while the supply cuts "have helped reverse a rapidly rising trend in inventories," OPEC's Mohammad Barkindo said. "These supply and demand trends are helping bring us step by step closer to achieving a balanced market." The assessment from Barkindo during a webcast presentation on Monday, suggests drastic changes to the OPEC+ deal are unlikely. He did not comment directly on whether the producers would ease the supply cut. Still, OPEC+ sources told Reuters last month OPEC and Russia will likely ease the cuts from August. Oil has recovered to almost $43 a barrel from a 21-year low below $16 in April. The real production increase could be less than 2 million bpd given Iraq and others promised to over-comply to make up for not delivering all of their cuts in May and June. And Saudi Arabia's oil exports in August will remain the same as in July as the extra barrels the kingdom is set to pump will be used domestically, industry sources told Reuters. (Editing by Edmund Blair and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) In Batu Gadang Village, Padang city, one school is managing waste by accepting tuition fees in the form of plastic trash. White Coral Pearl Kindergarten's initiative was established by a woman named Asri Astianingsih in 2007. Astianingsih said: "In addition to plastic waste management efforts, the payment system for school fees with plastic waste also helps students who are often late paying school fees." Payment with rubbish is deposited to the school every month, where the school will organise the waste - food and drink bottles or household rubbish. "Currently, there are 60 students in the school who deposit plastic waste to us," explained Astianingsih. She continued: "We process the plastic garbage by sewing the items into a number of knick-knacks - bags, pouches, napkins, mats, and others - that are sold to shops or ordered directly from us. It also indirectly opens up employment opportunities for people. "Plastic waste that will not be destroyed must be handled properly in innovative ways so that people are aware of the dangers of plastic waste to the earth." Footage inside this unique school was recorded on July 13. By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijans Energy Ministry has discussed the implementation of the Action Plan on attracting additional investments in renewable energy. The action plan on attracting additional investments in renewable energy was approved at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan on May 22, 2020. During the meeting held on July 11, land issues have been solved with ACWA Power company of the Saudi Arabia and Masdar company of the United Arab Emirates for the implementation of pilot projects of 240 MW wind and 200 MW solar energy, as well as installation of wind measurement stations and agreement on purchase of energy. Moreover, it was noted that the documents Investment agreement, Agreement on joining the transmission network and Land lease agreement have been submitted to investors and the signing is planned for the next month. Furthermore, it was noted that state guarantees on financial and non-financial obligations to investors were identified, and economic, environmental and social assessments of projects were carried out. Additionally, relevant technical specifications and connection schemes had been prepared, including measures on power system management, transmission, relay protection and automation in connection with network strengthening and integration of projects into the network. It was noted that, in order to increase the share of renewable energy in installed capacity to 30 percent by 2030, the preparation of proposals began with the involvement of a consulting company to determine the optimal period for connecting additional capacity to the network. Parties exchanged views on the definition of areas for additional capacity for renewable energy and their auction, and agreed that it is important to continue cooperation. Issues related to the development of permits for construction of power plants and simplification of commissioning procedures in the field of renewable energy sources were also discussed. The use of renewable energy sources was determined by the country's president as one of the priority spheres for the development of the energy sector - implementation of pilot projects on the construction of a 240 megawatt wind farm and a 200 megawatt solar power plant in accordance with the agreements signed with Saudi Arabias ACWA Power company and UAEs Masdar company on January 9, 2020. Seven working groups, consisting of representatives of the structures such as the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Justice, the Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture, the State Service on Property Issues, the State Tax Service, Central Bank, Azerenergy OJSC, Azerishig OJSC, are operating to implement the presidents order. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Dallas public schools Superintendent Michael Hinojosa is considering plexiglass in classrooms to protect students from the coronavirus while also adhering to a state mandate that all students who want a full-time, in-classroom education receive one. In Clayton County, Ga., Superintendent Morcease Beasley is recommending all students start the school year remotely and he is planning a virtual learning academy to help students benefit more from distance learning. In Rochester, N.Y., 10 percent of teachers have already been laid off, with more job cuts expected soon if federal relief doesnt arrive. Weeks before the 2020-21 school year is due to start, plans vary wildly from district to district, with school superintendents across the country scrambling to figure out how to safely educate children during a pandemic and a looming financial crisis. Many of these superintendents are predicting draconian budget cuts and chaos if they are forced to reopen schools without billions of dollars in federal aid that is so far languishing in the U.S. Senate. In the clearest sign yet that many local school officials have deep concerns about how to pay for or guarantee a safe learning environment, the San Diego and Los Angeles superintendents today announced all classes will be online-only through the fall. President Trump made headlines last week when he threatened to withhold funding from districts that do not open their doors and bring students back in person for the fall term. But with less than 1 percent of the March congressional relief package going to K-12 schools, educators and their unions say that without more federal funding, opening schools will be dangerous in some places and impossible in others. Joshua Roberts/Getty Images The president of the National Education Association, which represents 3 million teachers across the country, called Trumps comments a bombshell. She said a close friend from her teaching days has been talking about getting our wills in order. Story continues She said, If they make us go back, we know that some of us will die, NEA president Lily Eskelsen Garcia told Yahoo News in an interview. We know well carry it home to our families. We know that some of our students will die. Eskelsen Garcia said most school districts are already preparing for severe budget cuts due to the coronavirus-induced financial downturn and resulting state budget reductions. In May, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called a $3 trillion, House-approved relief bill containing K-12 money dead on arrival. More recently, he has said the Senate is likely to consider an additional relief package, which would prioritize money for schools, but he has not elaborated. McConnell, who diverged from the president by saying he believes schools should follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines when reopening, this week told his hometown newspaper, We cant get back to normal if the kids are not back in school. A McConnell spokesman did not respond to an email request for comment. Eskelsen Garcia said the funding situation is dire and time is running out. Were going to have to have sanitizing stations all over the place, were going to maybe have to have double sessions to distance the kids and only have half the kids in the school, and that means double bus routes, she said. Theyre looking at this, going, They just told us that all the tax revenue that funds our schools might be 20 to 30 percent lower. That were going to be laying off teachers and the school nurse and the counselor. National Education Association president Lily Eskelsen Garcia. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters) The cleaning and transportation costs involved in reopening schools are huge, according to the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). Dan Domenech, executive director of the AASA, said most districts are using guidelines issued by the CDC to shape their plans. He said his agency estimates that the average district will spend $1.8 million to bring students back this fall. Among the costs: The average school district will need to spend nearly $40,000 on disinfectant wipes for classrooms and $26,000 to deep-clean after a single confirmed case of COVID-19. The AASA also projects that aides will need to be hired to screen students as they board buses ($384,000), and buses will need to be outfitted with fog machines equipped to spray disinfectant, cleaner and hand sanitizer ($66,394). Domenech said many districts have no clear plan for paying those costs. In many districts, the planning process is at a standstill as superintendents wait to see if they will receive additional federal funding to pay for pandemic safety measures. Districts around the country are exploring creative solutions to open their doors safely, Domenech said. In Virginia, the governor has proposed that school spots be prioritized for children in third grade and below, since young children have a harder time learning by computer. Some superintendents are considering a yearlong calendar so that more students are able to get in-person time over a longer school year. Others are talking about having in-person school a couple of days a week and offering supervised space in a public library for children to learn remotely while their parents are at work. In Montgomery County, Md., a suburb of Washington, D.C., the districts plan calls for students to go back to school virtually at first and transition to a rotating schedule, which will keep some students off campus until as late as the end of November. There are a lot of things that can be done, but its going to require funding; its going to require time, Domenech said. A maintenance worker mops a hallway floor at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego on Friday. (Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Adam Urbanski, the president of the Rochester, N.Y., Teachers Association, said his district will be forced to lay off more teachers if the federal money does not materialize. Urbanski said the district is among the poorest in New York state and recently went through a third round of teacher layoffs, which led to a 10 percent reduction in staff. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has projected 20 percent across-the-board cuts for public school funding in the state budget unless federal money becomes available, Urbanski said. When you combine that with the reality that in order to open schools safely you will need substantially more, not less, money for proper PPE, for proper sanitizing and disinfection, for lower class sizes, for social distancing, for additional health and social and emotional needs of students, youre talking about a really dire situation, he said. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo during a COVID-19 briefing on July 6. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) Beasley, of Clayton County, Ga., said he is going to recommend that the district start the school year virtually. But he has asked parents to include masks in their school supply purchases because he anticipates returning in person at some point and hopes to not shoulder that cost. He said that recommending the all-virtual option to start the year was an obvious call since the virus data is worsening in our state and our county and clearly across the nation. Beasley said he is worried about learning loss, particularly for low-income students whose parents may not be able to be at home to help with distance learning, but we just dont have the solution as long as this pandemic continues to be in a high-risk situation. In Dallas, Hinojosa said that as many as half his teachers are unsure if they will come back to teaching, given the states spiking infection rate and the requirement to teach in person. He said he is recommending pushing the first day of school past Labor Day, but the teachers union asked him to consider January 2021. Hinojosa said the latter is not an option unless he wants to risk state funding. He said he is now planning to spread students out across libraries and gyms in order to have space to house as many as possible five days a week. But he is worried about teachers morale. A lot of them feel uncomfortable being face to face with students, Hinojosa said. We have 10,000 teachers typically we have to hire about a thousand a year. ... If a lot of them decided to retire, it would be a challenge. Cover thumbnail photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images _____ Read more from Yahoo News: The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has directed a reputed hospital in Mumbai to pay compensation of Rs7.5 lakh to a diamond broker (74) for gross medical negligence that led to the loss of two of his fingers in the left hand during a botched-up surgery over 15 years ago. A detailed review of the entire record reveals that it is a case of gross medical negligence, involving loss of body parts, business and mental agony to the complainant, who is a senior citizen, during the course of treatment given in the respondent hospital, said a two-member NCDRC bench, comprising presiding member Prem Narain and member C Vishwanath, holding the hospital liable to compensate Murlidhar Chhabria, a resident of Peddar Road in south Mumbai. On September 18, 2005, Chhabria was admitted to the hospital for a coronary artery bypass graft, and two days later he underwent the surgery. On October 1, 2005, re-suturing was required to be done because blood was found to be oozing from his chest. He was shifted to an intensive care unit (ICU) after the surgery, where his wife noticed that his left palm and fingers were burnt. The burn injuries were treated even after he was discharged from the hospital, and eventually, he was operated upon for the burns on November 21, 2005. Later, he found that his middle and little fingers had been amputated due to gangrene. In 2006, he had filed a complaint before the Maharashtra Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (MCDRC), alleging gross medical negligence on part of the hospital, which resulted in the burning of his left hand and the resultant amputation of two fingers. He prayed for compensation of Rs 50 lakh claiming that being a diamond broker and expert in an assortment of diamonds, the absence of fingers was not only a loss of his body parts but also impaired his earning capacity. The hospital denied the allegations and maintained that since no heaters were used in its operation theatres (OTs) or the ICUs, there was no question of the patient getting his hand burnt by accidentally touching one. The hospital claimed that the patient was also having a history of long-standing diabetes, which finally led to Tropical Diabetic Hand Syndrome (TDHS), and the symptoms of heater burn and TDHS are similar. It also filed an expert opinion to show that TDHS results in the burning of the hand that leads to gangrene. On March 28, 2012, the state commission accepted the hospitals argument and dismissed the complaint observing that the treating doctors had exercised due care and caution in operating and treating the complainant. Then, Chhabria moved NCDRC for a redressal. The national commission, however, refused to accept the hospitals stand. It said: when there were no chances of any burn caused due to heaters in the OT/ICU or of any cautery burns during surgery, as alleged by the complainant, one does not understand as to why blisters on the hand were not taken seriously but only treated normally as burns over a long period of time. It noted all along the burn injury was mentioned in the hospital record as burn injuries in the OT during bypass surgery. All through it was being treated as a case of burns having sensation in the hand and not a case of TDHS, said the bench. Never the case was treated as TDHS, said NCDRC, adding that the theory was introduced two years after treating the patient, and Wisdom and Gyan about TDHS and burns appeared for the first time in the affidavit in reply to the consumers complaint. Record only shows burn injuries in OT during bypass surgery, the NCDRC bench said. Theory of TDHS has been floated only as a cover-up to their medical negligence, resulting in permanent injury to the patient, it added. It stated that treating doctors ought to have consulted the diabetologist and dermatologist at the earliest and if proper diagnosis and treatment had started early, the complainant could, perhaps, have been saved from permanent injury and damage. The bench said that amputation of fingers involves loss of bone, a very serious consequence for the complainant, but no effort had been made to properly diagnose the problem. This is certainly a case of gross medical negligence on the part of the respondent hospital and the complainant is to be compensated for the loss of body parts, trauma, agony, and source of livelihood, it added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The 600-year-old astronomical clock in Prague is a major tourist attraction in the UNESCO World Heritage site of the citys historic center. Yet many tourists and even residents of the city might not exactly know how intricate and loaded with symbolism it is. Since the clock, locally known as the Orloj, started ticking in 1410, it has only stopped a few times for repairs, first in the 18th century, then after the devastation of World War II, and again in 2018. Despite a global pandemic and uncertainty about the future, this wonder of the world remains a constant. People attend the unveiling of Pragues restored astronomical clock on the Old Town Square on Sept. 28, 2018. (MICHAL CIZEK/AFP via Getty Images) To those who havent been fortunate enough to see the clock, it might seem strange that a time-keeping device could be so special, but this is no ordinary clock. The clock is based on a mechanical astrolabe, a device that dates back to antiquity, designed to track the movements of the Sun, Moon, and other heavenly bodies. To modern eyes, the clock may look confusing, as it was designed in the 15th century, when no one system of telling time had yet become dominant. One of the clocks dials tracks time in the Old Bohemian fashion, which starts the new day from sunset, while another reckons time in the ancient Babylonian system: from sunset to sunrise. Other features indicate modern Central European time and star time, which tracks the movement of the constellations resulting from Earths orbit. The clock features figures such as Vanity, the Miser, the Turk, and the Rooster, which move, and stationary ones such as Archangel Michael, the Astronomer, the Philosopher, and the Chronicler. (S-F/Shutterstock) Part of the clocks appeal, besides its incredible longevity, is its beauty. Not simply a functional object for telling time, the clock is adorned with beautiful gold leaf script for the numbers, and its dials are painted beautiful colors. The clocks decoration also continues to offer moral lessons for citizens of Prague and visitors to the historic city. In addition to displaying the 12 constellations of the zodiac, the clock is also adorned with sculptures, including Death with an hourglass in hand, as a reminder of the brevity of life. Another sculpture with a mirror represents Vanity, highlighting the pernicious obsession with self that existed then as now. The calendar plate below the clock features a church calendar with holidays and the names of 365 saints. (Vladimir Sazonov/Shutterstock) If all this intricacy and rich symbolism werent enough, one of the statues of the 12 Apostles on the clock reveals a secret message from the past. During the 2018 repairs, the statues were taken down for restoration, and that of St. Thomas was examined with X-ray, and a metal case with a message was found inside. As reported by Prague.tv, sculptor Vojtech Sucharda, who was responsible for the post World War II restoration, had tucked away his vision for a fuller restoration as well as criticism of the late 1940s communist government. The clock traces the movement of the sun and moon. (Lev Kropotov/Shutterstock) Now that Czechs are celebrating the end of lockdown and look forward to the city reopening to international tourists, the clock will be there as always, telling time and telling stories about the citys past and present. Pragues clock master and head of the 2018 restoration, Petr Skala, put it perfectly to The New York Times: A clock measures time. And time is the most precious gift we are given. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc Dubai, July 13 : An Indian man and his wife have gone on trial at a court in Dubai after being accused of issuing death threats, it was reported. The 36-year-old Indian defendant threatened to kill his employer and his family members if the employer didn't withdraw an absconding case against him, Gulf News reported on Sunday. The defendant's wife also insulted the victim via WhatsApp messages. According to official records, the 40-year-old Indian businessman reported the incident to Al Rashidiya Police station in February. "The defendant was working with me and before six months, I opened an absconding case against him as he failed to show for work and started working in other companies," said the victim. "I received many calls from him and he threatened to kill me and my family members if I didn't withdraw the case." The employer added that the defendant's wife also insulted him through WhatsApp messages to his phone and threatened to kill him. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Monday said President Donald Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert whos publicly disagreed with the president over health and safety issues during the coronavirus pandemic, maintain a very good working relationship. Fauci faced criticism over the weekend from anonymous Trump administration aides, who detailed to reporters at multiple outlets a series of Faucis statements on the virus that they said turned out to be inaccurate. A White House official told The Washington Post in a statement that several White House officials are concerned about the number of times Dr. Fauci has been wrong on things The critiques, amid the sidelining of Fauci from White House meetings, public appearances and interviews, according to The Post, came after Trump told Fox News Sean Hannity last week that Fauci is a nice man, but hes made a lot of mistakes. McEnany assured reporters in a news briefing Monday that the president still appreciates Faucis public health expertise and advise. She noted that his focus was on infectious diseases, whereas other members of the White House coronavirus task force are more concerned with economic impacts and the effects on children of keeping schools closed. The administration has strongly maintained that American schools can, and should, reopen safely in the fall. Asked by CNNs Jim Acosta why the White House anonymously trashed Fauci, McEnany said there was no opposition research being dumped to reporters. She argued the White House merely responded to a specific answer to a question from The Washington Post. The notion that theres opposition research and that theres Fauci versus the president, nothing could be further from the truth, McEnany said. Dr. Fauci and the president have always had a very good working relationship. But several outlets, including The New York Times, said the administration made an effort to paint Fauci in a negative light at a time when new coronavirus cases are surging in the South and West, and less than two weeks after Fauci said the outbreak was not in control. The Times reported that the list of Faucis statements provided by administration officials was laid out similarly to a campaigns opposition research document. One of Faucis problematic statements came in a Feb. 29 interview in which he said there was no need for Americans to change any of their activities. But White House officials, in their critiques sent to the media, omitted Faucis warning that coronavirus could become a major outbreak, which he delivered moments later during the same interview, The Times reported. On Sunday, Dan Scavino, Jr., White House deputy chief of staff for communications, posted a political cartoon depicting Fauci as a leaking faucet on Facebook. Sorry, Dr. Faucet! At least you know if Im going to disagree with a colleague, such as yourself, its done publicly and not cowardly, behind journalists with leaks. See you tomorrow! Posted by Daniel Scavino Jr. on Sunday, July 12, 2020 Sorry, Dr. Faucet! Scavino wrote. At least you know if Im going to disagree with a colleague, such as yourself, its done publicly and not cowardly, behind journalists with leaks. See you tomorrow! Asked whether the president has made mistakes during the pandemic, McEnany said Trump stands by the actions and steps hes taken in this historic response. Trump told reporters Monday that he has a very good relationship with Dr. Fauci. I dont always agree with him. Trump touted his decisions to ban travel from China and Europe, saying the moves saved tens of thousands of lives. More than 3.3 million Americans have tested positive for coronavirus and more than 135,000 have died, by far the most reported cases and deaths in any country. Several states, including Florida, Texas and Arizona, have seen surges and new records for day-over-day increases in coronavirus cases. McEnany said the federal government was surging personnel, equipment, testing supplies and therapeutics including the antiviral drug Remdesivir, to several southern and western states experiencing spikes. McEnany noted that at the viruss peak in hotspot states like New York and New Jersey, there were 21 and 20 deaths, respectively, per 1,000 cases. Now both states are below 2 deaths per 1,000 cases a sign, she argued, that therapeutics are working. She added that in Florida, where more than 15,000 new cases were reported Sunday, the highest total for any state during the pandemic, there are 0.2 deaths for every 1,000 cases. Adm. Brett Giroir, the Trump administrations coronavirus testing chief, told ABC News Sunday that the increasing number of hospitalizations were very concerning and that the number of deaths could increase over the next few weeks. He also strongly encouraged Americans to wear masks in public, especially in coronavirus hotspots. Related Content: The Trump administration rejected Chinas expansive claims in the South China Sea, reversing a previous policy of not taking sides in territorial disputes in the region and escalating tensions with Beijing on yet another front. We are making clear: Beijings claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said in a statement Monday. In the past, the US has called for protecting freedom of navigation in the contested waterway while stopping short of taking a position on specific territorial claims. Intensification of the long-simmering maritime dispute adds to conflicts over issues from trade and technology to cybersecurity and President Donald Trumps efforts to blame China for the coronavirus pandemic that began there. Most recently, the US had raised concerns over Chinas decision to conduct military exercises in the contested waters around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. The Defense Department last week called the actions unlawful. In 2016, a United Nations tribunal sided with the Philippines in its argument that Chinas claims of historic rights to the South China Sea -- as part of its so-called Nine Dash Line -- dont comply with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Chinas assertions are based on a 1947 map showing vague dashes that cover about 80% of the waterway. Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan claim parts of the same maritime area. Stretching from China in the north to Indonesia in the south, the South China Sea encompasses 1.4 million square miles (3.6 million square kilometers). Beijing has rejected claims that its doing anything out of the ordinary in the South China Sea and has indirectly accused the U.S. of trying to sow discord between China and Southeast Asian nations. (CNN) The "Nigerian Nightmare" might not have given his opponent a terribly bad dream but he still eased to victory in the main event on the debut of UFC's "Fight Island." Kamaru Usman improved to 17-1 with a unanimous decision over late replacement Jorge Masvidal to retain his welterweight crown in UFC 251. The 33-year-old -- who was born in Nigeria and moved to the United States as a child before becoming a wrestling champion in university -- also made it 12 straight wins to tie lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov for the longest active streak in the sport. READ: Nurmagomedov's father dies Given Usman's pedigree, a Masvidal win would have been an upset. But even more so because the bout was only finalized last week after Usman's intended opponent, Gilbert Burns, pulled out when he tested positive for coronavirus. The ongoing pandemic prompted UFC President Dana White to seek as safe a place as possible to hold fights and in early June he picked Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, which has been a previous UFC destination. All fighters, their teams and workers have been tested for the virus that has, according to Johns Hopkins University, killed 565,000 people around the world and infected nearly 13 million. In a quirk for major fights, the showpiece bouts were held in the early morning hours local time Sunday for the prime time US television market but it didn't seem to affect Usman. All three judges gave him a hefty advantage. Two scored it 50-45 while the third had it 49-46. "Gamebred is the biggest, baddest dude out there right now," Usman said, referring to Masvidal's nickname. "I had to prepare for him, switch gears on six days' notice. I know a lot was made of him taking a fight on short notice but he's prepared. "All these guys have prepared for one guy, and that's me at the top of the mountain. I had to take a mental shift. I trained for Gilbert, I had a completely different game plan. "Gamebred is tough and he showed it out there. He took a lot of big elbows there at the bottom but he kept getting up, kept fighting and didn't quit." 'Very tired' Masvidal -- who recorded the fastest UFC knockout last year, in five seconds -- acknowledged Usman won "fair and square" but added his "gas tank" was a little empty. "But I'm still a dangerous man," said the American, now 35-14. "I'm going to come back better than ever. I'm not going to disappear from this sport without this belt being wrapped around my waist one way or another. "It wasn't my best performance tonight but everyone can see I have a dog in me. That dog doesn't shut up or roll over for anybody. I was very tired at some spots. "But I was able to dig down and get back on my feet. I'm not happy with my performance but I'm telling everybody I'll be back strong." Both men wanted a rematch. For the time being, though, Usman is keen to return to the US to spend time with his five-year-old daughter, Samirah. "I need to get back to my daughter," he said. "I need to sit on my couch, eat some Thai food and watch some Netflix with her. And then watch a couple of (her) gymnastics training and ju-jitsu trainings, and then we'll start thinking about fighting someone again." Elsewhere, Alexander Volkanovski successfully defended his featherweight title by beating Max Holloway -- whom he toppled in December to first take the belt. But the result wasn't as straightforward. Controversy Two judges scored it 48-47 for the Australian while the other gave it to the American by the same score. White felt Holloway did enough to win. Russia's Petr Yan, meanwhile, became the bantamweight champ by stopping veteran Jose Aldo of Brazil in the fifth and final round. Many onlookers, including White, felt the affair should have been stopped sooner. "Horrible, horrible stoppage by the referee. It should have been stopped sooner," said White. "Looks like we have to tighten up our refs and judges on Fight Island." Three more events are scheduled, beginning on July 16. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Usman eases past Masvidal on UFC 'Fight Island' debut" Armenia's leadership aims to escalate the situation, against the backdrop of socio-economic problems deteriorated further by the widespread of COVID-19 in Armenia, caused by its incompetent performance, and distract attention from the domestic problems in the country, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev said. "The armed forces of Armenia had flagrantly violated the ceasefire regime and used artillery mounts to fire on the positions of Azerbaijans armed forces in the direction of Tovuz district, along the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan," he said. "The armed forces of Azerbaijan responded with counterfire and launched counteroffensive measures, preventing the advancement of the Armenian armed forces. Azerbaijans armed forces remain in control of the operational situation. The Armenian side has failed to make any territorial gains," Hajiyev noted. According to him, the attack by Armenia, with the use of artillery, against the positions of the armed forces of Azerbaijan, along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, constitutes aggression, an act of the use of force, and another provocation. "The troops of the State Border Service have been deployed along the extensive part of the state border in Gazakh and Tovuz districts from Azerbaijans side, to prevent provocations and reduce cases that can lead to tensions on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia, on the contrary, has continued to militarize the border between two countries, while deliberately and systematically targeting the civilians," he noted. "Such military recklessness on the part of Armenia pursues an objective of drawing the military-political organizations to which it is a party to into the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, and evade the responsibility of occupation and aggression against Azerbaijan. Armenias aggression against Azerbaijan that has lasted for nearly 30 years and provocations perpetrated along the border also contravene the legal documents of the military-political organizations to which Armenia is a member," Hajiyev said. "In the meantime, by doing so, Armenia's leadership aims to escalate the situation, against the backdrop of socio-economic problems deteriorated further by the widespread of COVID-19 in Armenia, caused by its incompetent performance, and distract attention from the domestic problems in the country," Trend cited him as saying. "In blatant violation of the UN Charter and other legal international obligations Armenia has carried out military aggression against Azerbaijan and occupied Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The UN Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 demand full and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan," Hajiyev stressed. "The provocation by Armenia, perpetrated along the border, is yet another evidence that the official Yerevan is disinterested in the negotiated settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict," the head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration added. "Armenia launched this offensive and a provocation during the time when the international community is fighting the COVID-19. That and continued violations of the ceasefire by Armenia proves that Armenias support of the initiative by the UN Secretary-General on a global ceasefire due to COVID-19 is nothing but hypocrisy," he said. Hikmet Hajiyev called upon the international community to condemn strongly Armenias policy of occupation against Azerbaijan and its provocative actions perpetrated along the border. "Armenia's leadership bears full and sole responsibility for the current situation," the Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan concluded. Approximately 160 sailors were aboard the 23-year-old ship at the time. An amphibious assault ship caught fire on Sunday at Naval Base San Diego, resulting in an on-board explosion that injured 21 people and filled the skies with dark smoke, according to officials. The entire crew of the USS Bonhomme Richard has been accounted for and all are off the 840-foot vessel, according to a statement from Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, USA TODAY reported. Read alsoBloomberg: Iran says forgetful operator was trigger for Ukraine jet crash Seventeen sailors and four civilians were taken to local hospitals and all were in stable condition, Rear Admiral Philip Sobeck said during a Sunday night press conference. The blaze was reported around 8:30 a.m. in the lower vehicle storage, Sobeck said. While the Navy is still working to determine the cause of the explosion, Sobeck said it was likely due to "backdraft of overpressurization as the compartment started heating up." Approximately 160 sailors were aboard the 23-year-old ship at the time, officials said in a statement far fewer than if the ship was on active duty. BERLIN - Two Syrians accused of involvement in the killing of an army officer in their homeland in 2012 were arrested in Germany on Monday, prosecutors said. Federal prosecutors said the pair, identified only as Khedr A.K and Sami A.S. in line with German privacy rules, were arrested in Naumburg, in eastern Germany, and in the western city of Essen. Their apartments were searched. Khedr A.K. is suspected of membership in the Nusra Front, as al-Qaidas affiliate in Syria was known at the time of the alleged offences, and the other man of supporting the group. The pair are suspected of taking part in the killing of a captured lieutenant colonel in July 2012, prosecutors said in a statement. They said that Khedr A.K. guarded the man as he was brought to the execution site. Sami A.S. is suspected of filming the officers shooting and preparing the footage for use as propaganda. The two men were ordered held in custody pending possible formal charges. More than 100 outbreaks of coronavirus are 'swiftly and silently' being dealt with every week across the UK, the Health Secretary has said. Matt Hancock revealed how flare-ups in schools, businesses and pubs across the country are consistently being handled with 'local actions', just nine days after many businesses reopened. He stated that increased testing, some of which is being done door-to-door in infected areas, means officials can take a more targeted approach rather than imposing national measures. Matt Hancock revealed how flare-ups in schools, businesses and pubs across the country are consistently being handled with 'local actions' Hancock's comments come after 73 cases of the virus were confirmed at A S Green And Co, a farm in Mathon, Herefordshire, leading to around 200 workers being quarantined as a precautionary measure. Meanwhile, today marks two weeks since Mr Hancock announced Leicester would be the first city to be put under a local lockdown - restrictions he is expected to review later this week. The Health Secretary added that many of the outbreaks are nipped in the bud before they can 'make the news'. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Hancock said: 'Each week there are more than 100 local actions taken across the country - some of these will make the news, but many more are swiftly and silently dealt with. A police officer wearing a surgical face mask stands at the entrance to AS Green and Co farm on July 12, 2020 in Mathon, Herefordshire People on AS Green and Co site on July 12, look out over the fence in Mathon, Herefordshire Workers within the site appear to be carrying out social distancing as they pass the time on their phones Another 21 people have died of coronavirus in the UK in 24 hours bringing the total death toll to 44,819 A further 21 people have died from coronavirus in 24 hours bringing the UK's total death toll to 44,819. Yesterday's figure - which covers deaths in care homes, hospitals and the wider community - is the lowest Sunday figure since lockdown began in March. But figures released yesterday are usually smaller due to a delay in processing over the weekend. While it is a slight drop from the previous Sunday's death toll of 22, this weekend has sparked concerns about a potential second spike after 148 deaths were reported yesterday. Saturday's number was more than double that of the week before and came three weeks after shops were allowed to reopen in the first major easing of lockdown. A total of 650 people tested positive for the virus yesterday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 289,603. On Saturday, 820 people tested positive. No deaths were reported in Scotland, Wales nor Northern Ireland on the second Sunday that pubs, bars and restaurants were able to open their doors to lockdown-weary revellers. Advertisement 'This is thanks in large part to the incredible efforts of local authorities - all of whom have stepped up and published their local outbreak control plans in line with the end of June deadline.' In an article for the newspaper, the Health Secretary said officials will 'hunt down the virus' by targeting areas of concern. An increased testing capacity means the Government can take 'more targeted local action and less national lockdown' to allow the easing of measures for the majority of the country, he said. The newspaper reports that door-to-door testing, which was utilised in the worst-hit areas of Leicester, is to be used more widely to curb outbreaks in the coming months. Portable walk-in centres will also be stationed in areas where there is a flare-up of the virus. A further 21 people were announced to have died from Covid-19 yesterday, the lowest figure since lockdown began in March. However figures released on Sunday are usually smaller due to a reporting lag at the weekend. Yesterday, Public Health England (PHE) Midlands and Herefordshire Council said around 200 employees at vegetable producer AS Green and Co were put into lockdown following a Covid-19 outbreak among the workforce. The farm supplies vegetables to major supermarket chains, such as Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda and M&S. Some 73 workers tested positive for the virus, leading to the whole group of workers, who live in shared accommodation at Rook Row Farm, to be isolated together as 'one extended bubble'. Police were seen guarding the exits of a vegetable farm, as residents of the farm's static caravans faced lockdown. The council said it is arranging food and essential supplies for residents on the site while they self-isolate. A further 21 people have died from coronavirus in 24 hours bringing the UK's total death toll to 44,819 Police guard the exits as hundreds of vegetable farm staff who live in trailers are ordered to self-isolate after 73 co-workers test POSITIVE for coronavirus at supplier to Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda and M&S Workers at A S Green And Co told to isolate on the site in Mathon, near Malvern Mass testing was carried out after some workers showed symptoms of the bug Visitors and management team members were also tested, which were negative Company has measures to cut virus risk including testing and social distancing By Georgia Simcox and James Robinson for MailOnline Police are guarding the exits of a vegetable farm which supplies a number of major supermarket chains after 73 staff working and living on the site in trailers tested positive for coronavirus. A total of 200 staff have been ordered to self-isolate after workers at A S Green And Co in Mathon, Herefordshire, tested positive for Covid-19 - which has caused the death of almost 45,000 people in the UK. The workers are employed to carry out picking and packing work at the site, located to the south-west of Worcester and east of Hereford, while living in mobile homes on Rook Row Farm. No workers at the site are being permitted to leave, but are receiving the required support - with officials treating group as as 'one extended bubble'. The farm supplies vegetables to major supermarket chains, such as Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda and M&S. Visitors and management team members were also tested and the company confirmed all results to date outside of their site have been negative. The company has put in place a range of infection control measures to try to reduce the risk of staff being exposed to the virus. These include supporting testing, promoting social distancing in communal social areas and the indoor packaging areas. They are also providing PPE for staff where applicable, encouraging regular hand washing for at least 20 seconds and promoting the use of face coverings in closed areas. Workers at A S Green And Co were tested carried out after some workers showed symptoms of the bug (stock photo) A police officer wearing a face mask stands by his car outside the gates of Rook Row Farm Rook Row Farm is currently closed for all visitors and workers are receiving support required on the site, the company said in a statement The site is still waiting on all the results but 73 positive cases are confirmed so far. During the harvest season, workers live onsite in mobile homes which all have toilets, showers and kitchen facilities and participants share the accommodation. As a precaution the whole group are being treated as 'one extended bubble', according to officials. Herefordshire Council is arranging food and essential supplies for residents on the site while they self-isolate. It comes after farmers appealed for people to take up paid roles on local farms to stop food being left to rot in the fields as part of the Feed The Nation campaign. The owner of A S Green And Co was looking for 100 pickers and 60 packers to join their family team at the end of April, the Hereford Times reported. In a statement posted on its website, the company said: 'We confirm that we are working closely with, Public Health England and the Public Health team at Herefordshire Council to support a number of our workers that have tested positive for COVID-19. 'As a precautionary measure we have arranged for testing of additional key workers including management team members and visitors connected with A S Green and can confirm all results to date outside of our site have been returned with negative results. To date there are 73 positive cases on our site. 200 workers at the vegetable farm have been asked to self isolate in mobile homes (pictured) onsite after 73 people tested positive for coronavirus Workers are being asked to isolate on the farm and stay within household groups to reduce the risk of spreading the virus within the workforce 'Our site is currently closed for all visitors and with the assistance of the various bodies no workers are being permitted to leave our site and are receiving the required support at our site. 'Our work force and local community are our priority at this difficult time and we continue to follow the guidance of the relevant bodies to ensure that the spread of the virus is controlled and our workforce is supported. 'Public Health England advises that it is very unlikely Covid-19 can be transmitted through food or food packaging, so shoppers can remain confident buying British fruit and veg. 'Thank you for your understanding in these difficult times.' Director of Public Health at Herefordshire CCG speaks outside Rook Row Farm in Mathon, near Malvern A man puts on PPE as he arrives at Rook Row Farm in Mathon, near Malvern in Herefordshire Katie Spence, PHE Midlands Health Protection Director, said: 'We are working closely with the management at AS Green and Co to support the health and wellbeing of their workforce and wider public health. 'At this phase of the pandemic, we still expect to see cases in the community and within settings where people are closer together, such as workplaces, which is why the Test and Trace system is important, to help us pick up on any potential problems and swiftly to take remedial action to reduce spread. 'To support this workforce of around 200 key workers, the company has put in place a range of infection control measures to try to reduce the risk of staff being exposed to COVID-19. 'Measures include supporting testing on site, promoting social distancing in communal social areas and in the indoor packaging area; providing PPE for staff where applicable, encouraging regular handwashing for at least 20 seconds, and promoting the use of face coverings in closed areas.' 'Despite these measures, a small number of workers became symptomatic earlier this week and they and a few close contacts among the workforce were tested initially and found to be positive. 'In line with NHS guidance, affected individuals were asked to self-isolate for 7 days, with their households and close contacts asked to isolate for 14 days.' 'As we have seen a global trend of large food producers being subject to outbreaks, as a precautionary measure, the decision was made to test the entire workforce. The site is still waiting on all the results but 73 positive cases are confirmed so far (stock photo) The owner of A S Green And Co was looking for 100 pickers and 60 packers to join their family team at the end of April 'The initial batch of results showed a significant percentage of positive cases, despite these individuals being asymptomatic. 'We are still awaiting a few final results, but currently we have 73 positive cases of COVID-19 among the workforce.' 'PHE Midlands and Herefordshire Council are therefore working with AS Green and Co to closely monitor and manage the outbreak and support individual workers.' A spokesperson for AS Green said: 'Our staff are our priority, they are hard-working key workers helping us provide food for the country during these unusual times. 'We contacted PHE and we are working closely with them and Public Health at Herefordshire Council to prevent the spread of COVID-19.' The company said that Public Health England advises that it is very unlikely Covid-19 can be transmitted through food or food packaging (stock photo) A S Green And Co specialise in growing runner beans, Tenderstem broccoli, broad beans and helda beans Karen Wright, Director of Public Health for Herefordshire, said: 'While Herefordshire is the first to experience an outbreak of this kind, this is not unexpected. 'Our priority is to protect the health and wellbeing of all residents in our community. Prompt testing on the farm has allowed us to understand transmission and control the spread of infection. 'We continue to support the farm management, their workers who form an important part of our local economy, and the local community through this challenging time. 'Anyone who has a fever, persistent dry cough, or loss or change in their sense of taste or smell should call 119 or go online to arrange a test.' Herefordshire have had 809 confirmed cases of the virus, with a rate of 421.1 (per 100,000 resident population), according to the Government's daily statistics published last night around 6pm. The company harvest from mid-May to mid-November and have packing jobs during the winter In April Andrew Green, owner of AS Green and Co, told the Hereford Times: 'The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in soaring demand for fresh produce, but with tighter border controls and travel restrictions in place, many UK farmers have been left with a labour shortage, putting their produce at risk.' He added: 'Not only does the role provide the opportunity to work in a safe, healthy environment throughout the summer months, but it also enables those who have been financially impacted by the pandemic to boost their income, without jeopardising the support they will receive through the Government furlough scheme.' Following the Pick for Britain campaign - an initiative to bring together UK workers and farmers together to prevent crops rotting in the ground during the pandemic - the farm said it had received more than 300 applications. On the firm's website, it says workers are expected to share accommodation at Rook Row Farm, while there is a recreational building with a pool table, dart board and TV for all employees. A spokeswoman for the National Farmers' Union (NFU) said: 'The industry takes this issue incredibly seriously and everything is being done to keep workers safe; their health and safety remains the priority. 'Across the sector there have been significant investments this season; from the use of additional safety equipment and PPE, regularly testing temperatures, and following government guidance created specifically for seasonal workers.' Karen Wright, director of public health for Herefordshire, urged anyone experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19 to arrange a test. 'While Herefordshire is the first to experience an outbreak of this kind, this is not unexpected,' she said in a statement. 'Our priority is to protect the health and well-being of all residents in our community. 'Prompt testing on the farm has allowed us to understand transmission and control the spread of infection. 'We continue to support the farm management, their workers - who form an important part of our local economy, and the local community through this challenging time.' The outbreak comes after lockdown was extended for at least two weeks in Leicester, east midlands, after a surge in coronavirus cases. Number 10's scientific advisers revealed on July 10 that the UK's R rate is between 0.7 and 0.9. The R rate represents the average number of people each Covid-19 patient infects and SAGE admitted it could be one or higher in London, the Midlands, the North East and Yorkshire, the South East and the South West. A S Green And Co specialise in growing runner beans, Tenderstem broccoli, broad beans and helda beans. Turkey's Test of Civilization Basically, the whole Hagia Sophia affair can be summed up with the phrases "improper" or "a shame". But I think that the audience whom I am addressing do not possesses the cultural delicacy to find these words meaningful. For their sakes, it would better to formulate it in a frank manner that they could more easily understand: the deed that is being performed in regard to Hagia Sophia is a clear show of barbarism. It is a declaration of a "Turkish lack of culture and destructiveness" to the entire world. And the pairing of President and AK Party leader Recep Tayyip ErdoAan with MHP leader Devlet BahAeli is the political alliance through which this lack of culture and destructiveness has been made manifest. "But, why?" you may ask. Because with this step it's being said to the world that "Even though we live in the 21st century, our mentality is still that of 1453. Even now, in the 21st century, we are utterly unconcerned with preserving the cultural heritage of humanity. Among us, there's no sense of a greater cultural inheritance beyond that which was left to us; we have nothing to contribute to humanity's cultural treasures. We are unable to create any new cultural value ourselves. We seize the cultural treasures of humanity, we break them and/or we destroy them." This is what's being done. Here, now, in the 21st century, the Hagia Sophia, one of the most significant monuments of human culture will again be "conquered" and turned into a mosque, just like in 1453. What's being performed here is an act of cultural vandalism. One wonders: will this partnership of ErdoAan and BahAeli understand the reasons that world opinion once held such an utterly negative image of Turkey and the Turks? The famous 19th century Russian thinker Nikolai Danilevski once divided human societies into "civilization creators" and "civilization destroyers". He listed the ten greatest unique civilizations in chronological order: Egyptian, Chinese, Ancient Semitic (Assyrian, Babylon, Phonoecia, Chaldea), Indian, Persian, Grecian, Roman, neo-Semitic (Arab), and Germano-Roman (European) and had the following to say about them: "[B]eside these positive... civilizations there have also periodically appeared in the ages of humanity certain transitory actors like the Huns, Mongols, and Turks, whose candles have suddenly flared up and gone out, passing quickly into history. After completing their task of destruction, of assisting in the deaths of moribund civilizations and scattering their remains, they return to their previous insignificance and disappear. We may call them the negative actors of history." Not only among the intellectuals, but throughout the West there has been no end of things said about the cultural vandalism of the Turks. "In the Balkan Peninsula, with his every step, the Turk has trampled underfoot the products of thousands of years of culture." "Where ever the Turk sees a tree, he cuts it down"; "The Turks have obliterated cultures at every turn and have not preserved those things of which they have taken possession. They were not a people of culture in a sense whatsoever and have failed to build one on the cultural foundations that they have occupied." "The places where the Ottoman has set his foot have not flourished", the places where the Turk has stepped "have withered and died." "The Ottoman rulers have done nothing with the places they have conquered other than to raze and destroy, to blight." Some sources even mention that the cruelty and mercilessness of the Turks was not only toward foreigners. Turkish rulers "would cruelly strangle and kill their own people if they felt even the slightest trace of suspicion."1 If we were to repeat these utterances today, would ErdoAan and BahAeli be able to reasonably object? Just look at the state to which they have brought the country. Almost everyone who has attempted to speak out against the powers that be has been intimidated and suppressed, they've been jailed and imprisoned, and none of it has shown any sign of letting up. There is no one left who hasn't been cowed into silence, who hasn't been crushed by the oppressive weight of the state. The cultural heritage that exists on these lands, and beyond that, nature itself, have both been dealt their share of this destruction. The things that have been done--that are still being done, are the product of nothing less than the unrestrained exercise of power; of a ravenous appetite for destruction. Indeed, the ErdoAan-BahAeli partnership is only the most recent manifestation of a barbarism and tradition of destruction whose roots run deep in these lands. The geography of Anatolia today is one of destruction, of ruin; it is filled with thousands of churches and other holy places being used as stables or warehouses. The ErdoAan-BahAeli partnership (and we can just as easily add Patriotic Party (VP) head DoAu PerinAek) represents this tradition of destruction that has razed Anatolia, that has not only deported and liquidated whole peoples, but also destroyed their cultural heritage and attempted to erase all trace of them. Today, Turkish vandalism, Turkish destructiveness holds the reins of power as the ErdoAan-BahAeli-PerinAek coalition. Every Turk must therefore understand that opposing this axis is, at its core, the waging of a war for civilization. The regime's imprisonment of the wealthy philanthropist Osman Kavala, who as the founder of the Foundation for Anatolian Culture desires to preserve the cultural heritage and civilization of these lands, is perhaps the most poignant example of the struggle. What is at stake here is nothing less than whether Turkey will stand the test of civilization. In the end, civilization will triumph; but those who oppose it may not... 1 The statements regarding Turks in the text are taken from the works DoAan AvcAoAlu, TArklerin Tarihi, Volume I, and Onur Bilge Kula, Alman KAltArAnde TArk Amgesi III. In a news release detailing the closure, the health department cited flagrant violations of mandatory public health infection control orders and failure to cooperate with DPHs investigation of a reported COVID-19 outbreak. This is one of the first forced closures of a factory in Los Angeles because of coronavirus-related outbreaks, according to Jan King, the regional health officer for South and West Los Angeles. Though the health department conducts numerous investigations, they are usually resolved through action with the companies involved. Business owners and operators have a corporate, moral and social responsibility to their employees and their families to provide a safe work environment that adheres to all of the health officer directives this responsibility is important, now more than ever, as we continue to fight this deadly virus, said Barbara Ferrer, the director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, in a statement about the closure, which contained a timeline of the investigation. In a phone call, Mr. Charney called the announcement media theatrics, and said: I dont think that press release represents the point of view of the people I am working with at the department of health. Some of them have apologized to me. Its not truthful. He also issued a lengthy statement of his own in response, which stated, in part: In all fairness, its morally irresponsible for the Health Department to speak on the infection rates at our factory without also addressing its connection to the issue at large: that the Latino community in Los Angeles is left vulnerable to Covid-19 in a healthcare system that provides no support with testing and no support or assistance for those that test positive. In many of the commentaries that followed the nomination of Nana Jane Opoku-Agyeman as John Mahama's running mate, one message stood out - and it is the fact her nomination is seen as victory for inclusiveness and gender empowerment. While the upper-level leadership of the NDC is quick to attribute this nomination to women empowerment, most of the congratulatory messages from Feminist groups has expose our stark hypocrisy as people. The ill mannerism and lack of verbal articulation on basic issue of this singular nomination of Jane Opoku-Agyeman by women's groups speak volumes. The belief that, by allowing a woman to run with a man will empower women is so absurd and utterly disgusting. We know better as a nation, and people. Dont we? In my personal opinion, to invite the marginalized to be part of the centre does not pollute the centre by any means. Rather, it adds to the wealth of solution-driven ideas, but then again, let's roll back the years and interrogate the conversations that met Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings' quest for leadership role in the NDC. I feel exasperated by the stupidity and ignorance of people who think we should elevate their petty parochial partisan interest above the constitution of the republic. I feel exasperated because the people who are today rejoicing and engaging in praise singing, not long ago called Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings names and even attempted to emasculate her when she stood up for gender empowerment, and made a compelling case for leadership in the NDC. Grown ass men including some so called women empowerment advocates in the NDC join hands together in mocking Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings because she's not one of them. Today these same people are preaching something they laughed about not long ago. Why didnt these same support not extended to Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings when she challenged late former President John Atta Mills in 2011 for the presidential candidate position of the NDC? To the extent that these hypocrites are not discussing what particularly Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman can bring on board, all the arguments seem to centred around the fact that shes a woman; clearly explains our emotional intolerance and how we just consume everything forced down our throats without any independent thinking. There's no woman in this country that has been insulted and humiliated for standing up for women than Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings. She remains the touched bearer for women empowerment and political participation for women. Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings has been reviled, lied about, called names and faced more obstruction and hate than anyone. And yet she persisted in her message of inclusiveness, and it is a huge insult to our sensibilities for anyone to say that Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman is the best thing that has ever happened to gender empowerment. Let no one get it slanted, Nana Jane Opoku-Agyeman's nomination is not about inclusiveness, neither is it about gender empowerment. It is a nomination for political patronage, policy imprecision, corruption, horizontal apathy and to a very large extent serve Mahama's own agenda. But it certainly cannot make up for Mahama's inadequacies as the flagbearer of the NDC. The same derision for Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings and the lack of patience to even listen and savour her substantive interpersonal communication which is actually an epitome of the pervasiveness of our ill training within Ghana's body politics will be served Nana Jane Opoku-Agyeman. She will be treated with the same disdain that the likes of Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was served. We will ask legitimate questions of her. Questions that is infected with post-colonial arrogance, impressionism and rigidity, about her public records. The December elections is going to be fought on the public records of both President Nana Akufo-Addo and John Mahama. And since the NDC has elevated Nana Jane Opoku-Agyeman to the frontline and pushed Mahama to the backstage, we will ask questions relating to her public records. No one should be swayed by her meek act, inflated titles and individual incompetence. Are the public records of Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman worth the mandate she is seeking? I shall be back Yours truly Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah The Congress government in Rajasthan led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot plunged into serious crisis on Sunday (July 12) after the tussle between CM Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot intensified with the latter claiming that he has the support of over 30 MLAs and Gehlot goverrnment is in minority. Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande on Sunday (July 12) night said that a whip has been issued to all party MLAs to be mandatorily present at Congress Legislature Party meeting to be held on Monday (July 13) in Jaipur. Pande expressed confidence that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led government will survive as 109 MLAs have signed a letter expressing their trust and support to his government. Pande added that some more MLAs had telephonic conversation with CM Gehlot and they will also sign letter of support on Monday. The current flashpoint between Gehlot and Pilot was a probe ordered by the state police into "poaching" of MLAs and a notice sent to Pilot, which has not gone well with Rajasthan Congress president. The Rajasthan police issued notices to Gehlot and his deputy Pilot to record their statement in connection with the alleged attempts to topple their Congress government, sources said on Saturday. This is how the numbers stack up in the Rajasthan Assembly: Congress has 107 MLAs, including six those who defected to the party from Mayawati's BSP in 2019. The party also enjoys the support of 12 of the 13 Independent MLAs and one Rashtriya Lok Dal MLA in the state. The BJP has 72 MLAs and is backed by three legislators from the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party. The majority mark in 200-member Rajasthan Asembly is 101. GUAM Secretariat condemns attacks of the Armenian armed forces in the direction of Azerbaijans Tovuz regiom along the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, GUAM Secretariat said, Trend reports on July 13 with reference to GUAM. We stress again that conflicts impede well-being, stability and prosperity of GUAM area, reads GUAM's message on Twitter. Starting from July 12 afternoon, while grossly violating the ceasefire regime in Azerbaijans Tovuz region on the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border, the Armenian armed forces fired at the Azerbaijani positions by using artillery. As a result of the appropriate measures, the Armenian forces were struck back while suffering losses. GUAM's member states include Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova. Transportation minister El-Wazir said that the arrival of several trains comes in parallel with the conclusion of construction at Phase 4 and the development of Phase 3 on Metro Line 3 Egypt has received a second train under a deal with South Koreas Hyundai Rotem to supply 32 new air conditioned trains for Cairo Metros Line 3, Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir said on Monday. El-Wazir said that the arrival of several trains comes in parallel with the conclusion of construction at Phase 4 and the development of Phase 3 on Metro Line 3. Phase 4 of Line 3 extends through 10 stations from Haroun El-Rashid to Cairo International Airport with a total length of 15.8 km passing through the areas of Heliopolis Square, Alf Maskan, Gesr El-Suez, Hikestep Bridge, the Ring Road, and the Ismailia Desert Road. Work on this phase began in July 2015 and the final cost of construction was 257 million euros plus EGP 1.842 billion. El-Wazir said the new trains will be equipped with an air conditioning system and a corridor that allows passengers to move from one carriage to another while the train is in motion. They will also be equipped with closed-circuit television cameras for central oversight and LCD screens inside trains to provide passengers with information about their trips alongside paid advertisements. The 32 new trains are part of a 2017 deal between the National Authority for Tunnels and Hyundai Rotem. The deal costs an estimated 317 million euros and EGP 640 million, which is being provided by the state treasury. The agreement includes an eight-year maintenance deal for trains, and the assembly of 10 trains locally in Egypt with technical support from Hyundai Rotem. The Cairo underground metro system carries more than four million passengers daily throughout the capital and surrounding areas. The underground system, once deemed the cheapest in the country with a basic fare of EGP 1, has seen multiple price hikes in recent years to offset annual losses and develop ailing lines in the network. Rides up to nine stops on the third metro line, which is currently the newest, cost EGP 5. Rides up to 16 stops are priced at EGP 7, and rides exceeding 16 stops cost EGP 10. Search Keywords: Short link: DUBLIN, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Culinary Tourism Market [By Region - North America (The US), Europe (The UK, France, Italy & Germany) & Asia Pacific (China, Japan & India)] Market Outlook 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The proliferation of food networks has made culinary tourism one of the hottest trend in travel. The world's leading destinations are already leveraging the power of food tourism. The industry is increasingly witnessing higher opportunities for foodservice and culinary tourism providers with an underlying rise in integrative culinary and cultural events across the world. There has been a substantial increase in collaborations between local businesses and celebrated native chefs at popular tourist destinations. According to this new report, the global culinary tourism market is estimated to be valued at US$ 1.8 billion in the year 2027, growing at a CAGR of 16.5% in the period 2020 to 2027. Growth of the market is driven by rising demand by food enthusiast millennials, the surge in the number of travellers, the positive influence of digital media, increasing disposable income and food festivals and other promotions. This report provides detailed analysis of the global culinary tourism market from qualitative and quantitative outlooks during the forecast period across various regional markets. It also provides coverage on market dynamics with potential impact on the market during the forecast period and an in-depth analysis of the leading companies operating in the market. Key questions answered in the report The historical market size of the culinary tourism market in value terms for the year 2019 in US$ Billions. Projected market growth in the forecasted period 2020 to 2027 with estimated revenue for each year in US$ Billions. Regional and country analysis of culinary tourism market is provided for the period 2019 to 2027. Market drivers, restraints and industry trends that have an impact on revenue. Profiling of major companies in the segment. Culinary tourism, also known as gastronomic or food tourism refers to the exploration of food as the purpose of tourism. This exploratory eating encompasses a wide range of activities related to cooking, food sampling, food trends, winemaking and baking. The industry established linkages amongst the travel industry with agriculture, the food/beverage industry and more. Uptake of culinary tourism is seen as a result of increasing focus on defining cuisine as a true artistic expression of a country's culture. Culinary tourism has garnered huge popularity in recent years. It has emerged as a vital component of the tourism experience. Growth of the market is attributed to the rise in demand by food enthusiast millennials, surge in the number of travellers, positive influence of digital media, increasing disposable income and food festivals and other promotions. Furthermore, the growing popularity of food truck is also expected to boost the market growth in the upcoming years. However, the market faces several challenges due to pandemic caused by COVID-19 outbreak, high cost associated with culinary tourism and safety issues in less explored areas. Major industry players operating in the global culinary tourism market include Abercrombie & Kent, Classic Journeys, G Adventures, ITC Travel Group, T ELITE, The Travel Corporation, Topdeck Travel, Tour Radar, among others. These players are profiled herein based on attributes such as business overview, product segments and financial analysis. It also compiles the performance comparison of the aforementioned companies and other leading companies in the segment based on various parameters in the competitive landscape section. In totality, the report provides detailed market analysis, with relevant forecasted data supported by key market dynamics. This information will be helpful in evaluating opportunities in the global culinary tourism market. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Research Methodology 3. Culinary Tourism 3.1 Overview 3.1.1 Market Evolution 3.1.2 Benefits 3.2 Types of Culinary Tourism 3.3 The Value Chain Analysis 4. Market Analysis 4.1 Market Sizing (Actual & Forecasted) 4.2 Market Share Analysis 4.2.1 By Category 4.2.2 Market Share by Tour 4.2.3 Market Share by Distribution Channel 4.2.5 By Mode of Booking 4.2.6 By Age Group 4.2.7 Market Share by Region 5. Regional Analysis 5.1 North America 5.1.1 Market Sizing (Actual & Forecasted) 5.1.2 The US 5.1.2.1 Market Sizing (Actual & Forecasted) 5.2 Europe 5.2.1 Market Sizing (Actual & Forecasted) 5.2.2 The UK 5.2.2.1 Market Sizing (Actual & Forecasted) 5.2.3 Germany 5.2.3.1 Market Sizing (Actual & Forecasted) 5.2.4 France 5.2.4.1 Market Sizing (Actual & Forecasted) 5.2.5 Italy 5.2.5.1 Market Sizing (Actual & Forecasted) 5.3 Asia Pacific 5.3.1 Market Sizing (Actual & Forecasted) 5.3.2 Japan 5.3.2.1 Market Sizing (Actual & Forecasted) 5.3.3 China 5.3.3.1 Market Sizing (Actual & Forecasted) 5.3.4 India 5.3.4.1 Market Sizing (Actual & Forecasted) 6. PESTLE Analysis 6.1 Socio Cultural Trends 6.2 Technological Trends 6.3 Economic Trends 6.4 Political Trends 7. Market Dynamics 7.1 Industry Trends & Developments 7.1.1 Focus on Integrative Culinary & Cultural Events 7.1.2 Rising Popularity of Organic Culinary Tourism 7.1.3 Culinary Classes in Tourists Itinerary 7.1.4 Attractiveness of Street Food & Markets 7.2 Growth Drivers 7.2.1 Rise in Demand by Food Enthusiast Millennials 7.2.2 Surge in Number of Travelers 7.2.3 Positive Influence of Digital Media 7.2.4 Increasing Disposable Income 7.2.5 Food Festivals & Other Promotions 7.3 Challenges 7.3.1 COVID-19 Outbreak 7.3.2 High Associated Cost 7.3.3 Safety Issues 8. Competitive Landscape 9. Company Profiles 9.1 Abercrombie & Kent 9.2 Classic Journeys 9.3 G Adventures 9.5 T ELITE 9.6 The Travel Corporation 9.7 Topdeck Travel 9.8 Tour Radar For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9ol0f9 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 Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Overview Over the years, the ease of availability and convenience has proliferated the demand for bakery products globally. Advancement in processing technology has allowed the inclusion of numerous ingredients that help ameliorate taste, appearance, and the overall nutritional value of the baked products. This is another key factor helping support the global bakery products market. With rising demand for healthy convenience food products, the availability of bakery products have increased due to its convenient-nature and enhanced packaging. Bakery products are available in different types and varieties like sweet, breakfast foods, and as savory snacks. This attracts the consumers to experiment with their choice. However, on the flip side, the increasing health awareness among the consumers has shifted their food preferences. The shifting consumption pattern and growing population of health-consciousness consumers can restrain the growth of bakery products. Competitive Landscape Britannia Industries Limited (India), Mondelez International, Inc. (US), Barilla Holding S.p.A. (Italy), General Mills, Inc. (US), United Biscuits (UK), Grupo Bimbo, S.A.B. de C.V. (Mexico), Dunkin' Donuts LLC (US) and others are some of the leading players operating in the Global Bakery Products Market. April 3rd, Puratos India, a subsidiary of the Puratos International Group, has announced the launch of four new innovative products that aims at revolutionizing the Indian Bakery, Chocolate, and Patisserie Industry. The products include Carat Supercrem Nutolade, Tegral Satin Purple Velvet EF, Tegral Red Velvet Sponge Mix, and Fruitfil Range. March 12th, 2019, Nature Bakery has announced the launch of new products in the market but with a different and eye-catching packaging and designing to support the appeal of the product. Market Segmentation Global Bakery Products Market segmentation is based in terms of three dynamics: by type, by claim, and by form. By product type, the market includes pastries, doughnuts, cake, biscuits, breads, and others. The breads segment holds the largest share in this market category and is expected to continue its dominance in the forthcoming years due to the wide usage of bread as one of the staple food items across various regions worldwide. By claim, the market segments into organic, gluten-free, low calories, sugar-free, and others. The organic segment holds a majority of the share and is expected to hold on to its leading positioning in the forthcoming years due to the healthier alternative it provides over other options. These products are produced without any chemical compounds, one which makes them much more nutritive and healthier for consumption than various other conventional products. The gluten-free segment is expected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This is due to the rising sensitivity of gluten among the consumers. Access Full Report Details and Order this Premium Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/bakery-products-market-1985 By form, the market divides into frozen, fresh, and others. The fresh segment holds the leading share in the market and is forecasted to be the dominant player going forward. Fresh products boast much more nutritious content than other frozen products, which require preservatives to be added to keep them away from being spoilt. Regional Analysis Global Bakery Products Market is geographically segmented into the following key regions: Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and the Rest of the World (RoW). The Europe region is the dominant market share holder globally. The region is even anticipated to dominate the global market throughout the forecast period. The increasing traction and demand for convenient bakery items is one of the biggest drivers of the bakery products market globally. Developing economies and the high disposable income of consumers are playing significant role in aiding the bakery market growth in recent years. Add to this, the mass consumption of bakery items due to its low pricing level and shifting consumer eating habits are anticipated to accelerate the growth of the market in this region even further. The Asia Pacific region is expected to be one of the fastest growing regions in the world due to the expanding population in the region and shift in consumer eating pattern. Herein, emerging economies like China and India hold a key role in aiding the market growth further. Related Covid-19 Analysis on FnB Reports: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/report/covid-19-impact-a2-milk-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/report/covid-19-impact-alternative-sweeteners-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/report/covid-19-impact-artisan-bakery-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/report/covid-19-impact-rtd-beverages-market NOTE: Our Team of Researchers are Studying Covid19 and its Impact on Various Industry Verticals and wherever required we will be considering Covid19 Footprints for Better Analysis of Market and Industries. Cordially get in Touch for More Details. A widely-shared photo on social media shows U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on an American Airlines flight Sunday not wearing a face mask, which is in violation of the airline's policy requiring passengers wear to face coverings to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Hosseh Enad, who works for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, took the photo and posted it Sunday on his Twitter account, writing that Cruz was on a commercial flight and was "refusing to wear a mask." A spokesperson for Cruz emailed mySA.com a statement that the senator was drinking coffee at the time the photo was taken and did not need to have it on. The face mask policy for American Airlines does not apply to those who are eating or drinking, however, the airline does ask people to cover their faces as soon as they're done, according to its website. "To help promote safety, Senator Cruz wears a mask when traveling, and practices social distancing where possible," the spokesperson said in the statement. "Consistent with airline policy, he temporarily removes the mask while eating or drinking. Yesterday (Sunday) during his flight he removed his mask to drink and put it back on afterward. We should all practice common sense measures to slow the spread of the virus." Cruz, a Republican, was on his way to attend a rally for Jon Francis, a candidate for the Texas Legislature, according to a tweet from Bud Kennedy of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. READ ALSO: 'This is NUTS': Ted Cruz slams S.A. City Council over coronavirus hate speech ruling In the photo posted by Enad, Cruz is seen holding a beverage but it is unclear whether he removed his face covering before drinking the beverage. A face mask is not see in the photo posted by Enad, who responded to those who argued the senator was drinking his coffee by tweeting, "it's not hard to have a mask on and undo one side to take a sip then put it pack on." Enad also posted another photo of Cruz outside the gate without a face mask on, which is another violation of the airline's policy as the company stated on its website it will deny boarding customers who don't wear a face mask while at the gate. READ ALSO: Whataburger joins H-E-B in asking customers for help amid another national shortage Another account on Twitter (@ComfortablySmug) responded to Enad's photo by tweeting a photo of Cruz wearing a face mask while on a flight. It is unclear whether it is the same American Airlines flight Enad and Cruz were on together. American Airlines responded to Enad's photo, tweeting that the airline is "committed" to protecting the health and safety of all customers and that the company is reviewing the details of the matter. "We do require masks to be worn by everyone and assure you that this matter will be reviewed internally by our team," the airline commented. Enad's photo, which has more than 37,000 retweets and over 90,000 likes as of Monday, left many outraged, including Netflix's Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness. "This is @SenTedCruz on an @AmericanAir flight with no mask. People are dying in Texas & the leaders are out here doing this," the celebrity tweeted. Since the start of the pandemic, the spokesperson for Cruz said the senator has repeatedly said the country should listen to public health experts and take common-sense steps to slow the spread of COVID-19. "That includes wearing face masks, washing hands, and social distancing where possible," the spokesperson wrote in the statement. Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre DUBAI Yemeni Houthi forces hit a large oil facility in the southern Saudi Arabian city of Jizan in drone and missile attacks overnight, a Houthi military spokesman said on Monday. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said earlier it had intercepted and destroyed four missiles and six explosive drones fired by the Houthis over the border towards Saudi Arabia. There was no Saudi confirmation of where they were intercepted or whether anything was hit. Oil company Saudi Aramco operates a 400,000-barrel-per-day refinery in the Red Sea city of Jizan, which lies around 60 km (40 miles) from the Yemen border. Aramco did not immediately reply to a request for comment. "With many drones our armed forces targeted military aircraft, pilot accommodation and Patriot systems in Khamis Mushait, and other military targets at Abha, Jizan and Najran airports," said Yahya Sarea, a Houthi military spokesman. "Additionally, the giant oil facility in the Jizan industrial zone. The strike was accurate." Khamis Mushait, Abha, Jizan and Najran are all in southwest Saudi Arabia near the Yemen border. Cross-border attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement have escalated since late May when a truce prompted by the coronavirus pandemic expired. In late June, missiles reached the Saudi capital Riyadh. Image: Yemen's Shiite Huthi rebels shout slogans during a gathering to mobilise more fighters to battlefronts to fight pro-government forces, in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. (Mohammed Huwais / AFP/Getty Images file) The coalition, in a statement published by Saudi state news agency SPA, did not say where the objects where intercepted but said the drones had been launched from the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa towards Saudi Arabia. The coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the Houthis ousted the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government from Sanaa in late 2014. The Houthis, who control most large urban centers, say they are fighting a corrupt system. Houthi-run news outlet Al Masirah said the coalitionhad carried out air strikes on various regions under Houthi control on Monday. The United Nations has launched virtual talks among the warring parties on a permanent ceasefire and confidence-building steps to restart peace negotiations. But discussions have been complicated by the surge in violence since the ceasefire expired. The war has killed more than 100,000 people and caused what the United Nations describes as the world's largest humanitarian crisis. Editor : Ling Xiao Source : xinhuanet.com Starting July 1, Hainan has increased its annual tax-free shopping quota from 30,000 yuan (4,261 U.S. dollars) to 100,000 yuan per person each year. The categories of duty-free goods have also been expanded from 38 to 45, with some electronic products such as mobile phones and laptops added to the duty-free list. (Source: Xinhua) Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more In the midst of the global Covid-19 pandemic this spring, entrepreneurs Rebecca Cahua and Vivian Qu joined forces, skills, and teams to create and bring to production an innovative new product the O2 Nano Mask, a reuseable nanofiltration mask that combines a high level of filtration with unique breathability and comfort. Together, Cahua and Qu founded a O2 Brands, Inc., and the two used their combined skills and experience in textiles and technology to bring the O2 Nano Mask to Kickstarter in May. The campaign was successful, and the mask is currently in production. Before they joined forces, the two women had been running their own successful companies Cahuas DaD Sewing House and Qus Viaex Technologies. Their experience with these companies inspired and continues to inform their vision for O2 Brands. 02 Nano Mask CreatorsVivian Qu (L) and Rebecca Cahua (R) The E-Commerce Times spoke with Cahua and Qu to hear their story, learn about the impulse behind their new mask, and get a glimpse into their plans for the future. E-Commerce Times: Could you describe your career trajectory? How did you get to where you are today? Cahua: I started in the fashion industry, and when I left college, my first project was providing merchandising to nonprofits. Thats when I got the idea of designing for a difference, and ultimately creating employment in the Bay Area and sustainable domestic manufacturing in San Francisco. Thats been my business for the last three years, working with small brands to large corporations. Vivian met me through my business. She came in right before the shelter-in-place order happened here, and we quickly decided to collaborate, since we were both separately working on a mask project. People were reaching out to me since I had the ability to sew. We both had people reaching out to us to figure out how to make masks. We thought we would partner together and start O2 Brands Inc. to create products together. Qu: My background is in material science engineering. We have been very interested in using biopolymers in new products. Viaex Technologies has been working on biopolymer solutions for anti-microbial applications in water and air. The main thing about working together with Rebecca is that we have good synergy, since she has specific textile experience and is used to sourcing materials from all over the world. On our end, weve been looking for good applications for our materials. Were able to piece that together and do something greater with it, which has cumulated in our initial product. ECT: Where did the idea for O2 Brands, Inc. come from? What inspired you to start this company? A D V E R T I S E M E N T Qu: For us it was clear that we could make premium PPE not in the medical sense, but something everyone could use to protect themselves. We thought that if we wanted to do this, instead of doing it in a rushed or oversimplified way, we could do a better job by combining our backgrounds in technology and design to make a better product. The products available today are not all that comfortable, and we thought there needed to be a better product, and thats why we created it. Cahua: We wanted to produce a product that we could be proud of. We couldnt do it alone, but when we worked together, we were able to make a premium product that could really protect and help people during this time. Before Covid-19 happened, we never would have done this. Weve basically launched a company and a brand in a month, which is amazing. We trust each other and believe in what were doing. Our goal is to grow O2 Brands, and thats our newfound passion. Right now, our focus is to see where this path takes us. Its something we both wanted, to get behind a product we really wanted. It was exciting for both of us to find someone to work with. ECT: What is your companys mission? Qu: Our mission is to integrate materials, technology, and the supply chain to create amazing products that focus on sustainability. Because of these unique times, were doing the Good Mask Project, where were donating masks. Thats been part of our DNA, even before we met. Its something that drives us, and were excited to work more on the social responsibility side. ECT: What makes the masks your company is producing unique? Qu: It has to do with our design and technology. A lot of the cloth masks and bandanas we see arent that effective, but if you have a premium filter inside, the material will block much more. The efficiency of our mask is around 80 percent. Our goal was to create a product that has the fit and comfort of a casual mask, with premium filtration material inside. What we want to do for our customers is to maximize their protection. Even though N95 masks are very good, theyre created for professionals, and theyre not very comfortable to wear for the entirety of a day. That prevents people from doing so. We wanted to bring that much higher level of protection to the average user. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Cahua: What makes our product unique is the science that went into creating it. In particular, the higher filtration level makes it unique. At a time when you couldnt find filters on the market, for Vivian to have that kind of filter accessible made me jump on this project right away. Anyone can make a cloth mask, but the combination of the two is what takes it to a higher level. We did at least fifty samples of the mask, testing for breathability and fit. We feel like weve achieved one of the highest levels of filtration and comfort that weve seen, and the response has been amazing. Each mask almost looks like its handmade, with the detail it has, and you can be heard and seen while you speak through the mask. We put a lot of thought into the mask, and we worked hard to make sure our mask is a premium mask that we can really be proud of. ECT: Why did you decide to launch the Kickstarter campaign for your masks? Qu: We found that we have a story that is uniquely suited to Kickstarter. The fact that we were still iterating and making this a better product made it especially good for Kickstarter. Kickstarter is very supportive of human-made products that are in a pre-product phase. Weve enjoyed communicating with the community, as well as having the chance to improve the product before we send it out. Cahua: Kickstarter was a great platform that we both understood would be the best way for us to respond at the highest capacity to get masks out to the market as quickly as possible. We understood there was a need for consumers and essential service workers. Our Buy One Give One project, we figured, would be effective using Kickstarter, since we are able to engage the community through that platform. ECT: How would you describe the response to the Kickstarter campaign? Has it been successful? Qu: Its been successful in many ways, but a couple that are especially meaningful. Its meaningful to interact with the community and hear from future users about what their needs are, and weve heard a lot of things from them. It gave us the courage to incorporate that right away, and we continued to improve the product. Cahua: The human-to-human interaction was great, since its not very often that you get that kind of community engagement when youre developing a product at this level. ECT: How do you see your business evolving? Whats in the future? Qu: We have a good vision of where we want the next set of masks to be. Broadly, we want to integrate our own materials into the next major product. What we mean by that is using some sort of recycled biowaste fibrous materials. Thats something were excited to do, and we have a customer base that cares about the same things. We will still be focused on consumer protection and textile products, and we will make premium and user-friendly version of those products and incorporate our sustainable materials into them. Were also looking forward to increasing the convenience of our products for customers. If youre going to wear something anyway, we want to make this experience better. Were not ready to launch those ideas formally, but we know, for instance, that people like bandanas and scarfs, and those are things were interested in. We also found that lot of masks represent something, almost like a piece of real estate. Were interested in helping customers make masks more their own. We also want to have the similar attention to detail before launching our next product, so its even more sustainable and user-friendly, and we hope that by being successful with this product we can reinvest to make a good next product. ECT: In what ways has the coronavirus pandemic changed the world of business and technology? How can innovators and entrepreneurs most effectively respond to these changes and be successful in this new era? Qu: For us, its about being able to dig down on our locally-based supply chain. A locally-based supply chain is better for the environment, because it reduces our carbon footprint. Now because of the fact that Covid-19 hit the entire globe in phases, the global supply chain has been affected. A lot of our focus has been to shed light on the fact that we have a globalized supply chain and not much recourse if something disrupts that supply chain. Thats one thing well focus on. As a small company, we will continue to invest in our locally-based supply chain to ensure that were providing a premium product and will continue to be able to do so. Cahua: For designers or other entrepreneurs, my advice to pivot is to listen to the consumer pay attention to societys needs and be aware of any gaps. The supply chain has been disrupted, so theres someplace your business. Qu: Another major point that Ive thought about is how weve been relying on essential workers during this time. Hopefully in the future, the business community will be more appreciative of these essential workers, acknowledging the fact that it is those people who make everything possible. We want to find ways to support that community in the short term and continue to play a role in helping service workers in the future. 'The person amassed 349 parking tickets, with an average of 60 owing on each.' (stock photo) A motorist ran up almost 21,000 in unpaid parking fines on 349 tickets over the course of just three years. The driver was one of three people in a single local authority area to clock up more than 10,000 in fines, according to records released under Freedom of Information. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said the person amassed 349 parking tickets, with an average of 60 owing on each. According to the council, the person has since been disqualified from driving following district court proceedings and multiple convictions have been secured. The second worst offender owed the council 18,900 for 315 separate tickets, and has also been the subject of court proceedings and convicted. The third five-figure offender, however, has so far evaded the clutches of justice, having run up a 11,240 bill for 281 separate tickets. The council said: "[The] vehicle [is] not registered in the Republic of Ireland so [the council is] unable to pursue." That was the same situation for four other motorists who regularly break parking laws in the borough, whom owe 9,720, 6,160, 5,900, and 4,760 respectively. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said that parking fines had brought in 3.34m over the past three years. However, income from tickets fell last year to its lowest level in several years at 1.01m as the percentage of people paying their fines fell significantly. In 2017, 85pc of parking fines were paid, which dropped to 81pc the following year. In 2019, the rate fell again to 79pc. The council said it did not clamp any cars and that fixed-charge notices were issued for parking offences, including: non-payment, use of a loading bay, parking on a footpath or a double yellow line, and parking in a disabled person's bay, or in a cycle lane. The rate of payment of parking fines was even lower in Fingal County Council where just over two-thirds of fines have been paid over the past three years (68pc in 2019). Income from parking fines rose sharply last year, however, to 356,056 from 294,208 in 2018. Fingal has also been contending with repeat offenders, although not in quite the same league as Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, according to the records. The worst offender in the Fingal area owes 199 separate unpaid fines totalling 7,960, well ahead of the next worst person with 2,820 owed on 65 tickets. At least eight other people owed between 1,520 and 2,560 to the council over the past three years for repeated parking transgressions. In South Dublin County Council, the rate of parking fine evasion has been going in the right direction but more than a quarter of fines are still going unpaid. The council said in 2017 that 65pc of parking fines had been paid. By last year, this had risen to 74pc. New Delhi: The Chinese government is forcing thousands of its Uyghur Muslim citizens to work as forced labour in hundreds of factories across Chinese cities, according to a report published by an Australian think tank in March this year. The report released by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) titled Uyghurs for Sale stated that big, well-known global companies in the field of clothing, technology and automotive sectors like Abercrombie & Fitch, Amazon, GAP, H&M, Nike, Jack & Jones, Sharp, Siemens, Skechers, ASUS, Apple, Samsung, Huawei, BMW, Volkswagen, Sony, Polo Ralph Lauren, Puma, Victorias Secret, Vivo, among others, are using Uyghur Muslims as forced labour in their factories in China. According to the report, these minority labour forces in China are being supplied in a systematic way under the revived and exploitative government-led labour transfer scheme to Chinese factories outside the Xinjiang province in China where this community of Muslims live. The ASPI has identified 27 factories in nine Chinese provinces that are using Uyghur labour transferred from Xinjiang since 2017. Those factories claim to be part of the supply chain of 83 well-known global brands. Between 2017 and 2019, we estimate that at least 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred out of Xinjiang and assigned to factories through labour transfer programmes under a Central government policy known as Xinjiang Aid, the report said. The factories in which these Uyghur Muslims are made to work form a major chunk of the supply chain of these big brands. For example, in January 2020, around 600 ethnic minority workers from Xinjiang were employed at Qingdao Taekwang Shoes Co. Ltd, which makes shoes for the American company Nike. The workforce in this factory are mostly Uyghur women from Hotan and Kashgar towns in China, which are remote parts of southern Xinjiang that the Chinese government has described as backward and disturbed by religious extremism. The report also mentions that it had investigated into the Haoyuanpeng Clothing Manufacturing Co. Ltd, which has a strategic partnership with global companies like the Italian-South Korean fashion label Fila, German sportswear companies Adidas and Puma and Nike for manufacturing clothes and found that it was part of the Xinjiang Aid and had been receiving forced labour. Global phone leader Apples selfie camera manufacturer O-Film Technology Co. Ltd in Guangzhou, China, is also a part of the Xinjiang Aid and receives multiple workforces in terms of Uyghur Muslims, the report said. The company also claims on its website to manufacture camera modules and touchscreen components for a number of other well-known companies including Huawei, Lenovo and Samsung. tech2 News Staff Owing to the Coronavirus pandemic, this year, Google is hosting its annual Google for India 2020 event, online. The virtual event will take place today at 2 pm IST. This is the sixth edition of the event, company officials, including the CEO Sundar Pichai will make some announcements on initiatives for Digital India. Google for India 2020: How to catch the live updates The event will kick off at 2 pm IST today. To catch the livestream, you can visit Google India's YouTube page or tap on the webcast link embedded below. At the first-ever virtual edition of #GoogleForIndia, our product and business leaders will share updates and announcements on our initiatives for Digital India. Join us for the livestream on 13th July, 2:00 PM. Dont forget to set a reminder https://t.co/j17FAICaPx#G4IN pic.twitter.com/ZzXb2uOWuE Google India (@GoogleIndia) July 10, 2020 Google For India 2020: What to expect As per the invite that we received, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice will be present at the event. The speakers will share their vision and path to solve India's needs and "bring the benefits of the digital economy to all." An official company tweet revealed that other speakers will include Sanjay Gupta, Google India Country Head and Vice President, Caesar Sengupta, Google Vice President Payments and Next Billion Users and Sapna Chadha, Google Senior Country Marketing Director India and Southeast Asia. At the 6th edition of #GoogleForIndia, our product & business leaders will share their vision on building a helpful Internet for a billion Indians. Livestream starts on 13th July, at 2:00 PM. Set a reminder https://t.co/WMfUGpuo8k#G4IN pic.twitter.com/6s1upfnqrC Google India (@GoogleIndia) July 10, 2020 Last year, at the Google for India event, Google Pay for Business was revealed along with other features for Google Pay including The Spot Platform, Jobs, tokenised cards, and more. Google Lens was given an update to support translation on-the-fly. Phone Line with Assistant allows users to make search queries by dialling into a number, free of charge was also announced at Google for India 2019. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Day cares across the five boroughs had the chance to reopen Monday for the first time since March, but some plan to take their time. Linda Indelicato, owner of Big Bird Playhouse in Bulls Head, said the day care had been preparing for about three weeks before Mayor Bill de Blasio made the announcement during a press conference last Tuesday. Both teachers and the kids they work with were excited to return, Indelicato said. Day care centers in the five boroughs shut in early April as the city dealt with its surge in coronavirus cases. City childcare centers for frontline workers remained open. We got to start somewhere. The kids are very happy to be back -- theyre thrilled, she said. Theyre running around the playground, telling us how they missed theyre friends. The kids are happy, and the teachers are happy. Like other New York City day cares open Monday, the Bulls Head business will be adhering to guidelines laid out by the state Department of Health that include temperature checks, along with social distancing and sanitizing efforts. Big Bird normally runs at a lower capacity during the summer months, Indelicato said adding that the low number of students will help facilities prepare for the busier months.. Several other locations on Staten Island said they plan to wait to reopen. In an email, representatives from the Richmond Hill Childrens Center in New Springville said they would not reopen this summer, because of low enrollment, and that they would be waiting for the start of their pre-K and 3-K programs in September when they would be reopening under state and city guidance. Gov. Andrew Cuomo also announced guidance on Monday for schools reopening. Regions will need to be in phase four of the reopening process, and have infection rates below 5% over a 2 week rolling average. Were not going to use our children as the litmus test, Cuomo said. Were not going to put our children in a place where their health is endangered; its that simple. Last week, Cuomo said schools statewide must submit a plan which would either be accepted, denied, or need to altered at the states discretion. Then the decision would be made as to whether the school district could reopen. A final decision would come by August 7, Cuomo said. Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday kicked up a potential controversy when he claimed that the real Ayodhya lies in his country and not in India. "Lord Ram is Nepali, not Indian," news agency ANI quoted Nepali media as saying. According to the reports, Oli said that Ram's birthplace of Ayodhya is not located in Uttar Pradesh but near the Balmiki Ashram in Thori in southern Nepal. Nepal shares a border with India's most populous state. Speaking at an event on the birth anniversary of Nepalese poet Bhanubhakta at the Prime Minister's residence in Kathmandu, Oli said that Nepal "has become a victim of cultural encroachment and its history has been manipulated". Bhanubhakta was born in 1814 in Tanhu of western Nepal and is credited for translating Valmiki's Ramayan into Nepali language. He died in 1868. "Although the real Ayodhya lies at Thori in the west of Birgunj, India has claimed the Indian site as the birthplace of Lord Ram," Oli said. "We also believe that deity Sita got married to Prince Ram of India. Actually, Ayodhya is a village lying west of Birgunj," he said, adding that the marriage between the bride and the bridegroom at such a distance was not possible at the time when there was no communication and transportation system. "The place called Thori, near Birgunj is the real Ayodhya, where Lord Ram was born. In India there is great dispute on Ayodhya. But, there is no dispute in our Ayodhya," Oli was quoted as saying by his press advisor Surya Thapa. "Valmiki Ashram is also in Nepal and the holy place where King Dasharath had executed the rites to get the son is in Ridi, which is in Nepal," he said. As Dasharath was the ruler of Nepal, it is natural that his son Ram was also born in Nepal, Oli argued. Therefore, real Ayodhya lies in Nepal, he claimed. Many scientific inventions and knowledge originated in Nepal, but unfortunately such a rich tradition could not continue later, Oli said. BJP slams comments Condemning Oli for his remarks, BJP national spokesperson Bizay Sonkar Shastri said that the Left parties even in India played with people's faith, and the Communists in Nepal will be rejected by the masses in the same way they have been here. "Lord Ram is a matter of faith for us, and people will not allow anybody, be it prime minister of Nepal or anyone, to play with this," he said in New Delhi. Oli, under growing pressure to resign amidst a rift in the ruling Nepal Communist Party over his style of functioning, has alleged that some of the ruling party leaders are aligning with the southern neighbour to remove him from power after his government issued a new political map incorporating three Indian territories of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura. His allegations have been criticised by senior NCP leaders, including former prime minister 'Prachanda', who demanded Prime Minister Oli's resignation, saying his recent anti-India remarks were "neither politically correct nor diplomatically appropriate." The India-Nepal bilateral ties came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8. Nepal reacted sharply to the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through Nepalese territory. India rejected the claim asserting that the road lies completely within its territory. Later, Nepal updated the country's political map through a Constitutional amendment, incorporating three strategically important Indian areas. India termed as "untenable" the "artificial enlargement" of the territorial claims by Nepal. India has handed over a diplomatic note to Nepal over the map issue, Nepalese media reports said. (With inputs from PTI) I have lived a lifetime of always receiving the benefit of the doubt. I have never had someone clutch her purse when I walked by in a store due to the color of my skin. When I have been pulled over for a speeding violation, I have always been able to expect that I would likely get off with a warning, a have a good day never the possibility that I would be harmed or unjustly charged or lose my life, she wrote. Alleged fake au pair Samantha Azzopardi is challenging accusations she defrauded families by lying about her identity. The 31-year-old Victorian woman is facing 55 charges including child stealing. It's alleged she posed as a qualified au pair named Harper Hernandez, dishonestly obtaining $6500 in wages over six months. She's also accused of posing as a nurse named Sakah and of possessing identification documents belonging to 19 different people, including a child. Alleged fake au pair Samantha Azzopardi is challenging accusations she defrauded families by lying about her identity It's alleged she posed as a qualified au pair named Harper Hernandez, dishonestly obtaining $6500 in wages over six months Azzopardi, who is in custody, will face a committal hearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court in March next year. Her lawyers are challenging the nature of the fraud she is alleged to have committed. Magistrate Donna Bakos said lawyers appeared only to be identifying the use of a false name as the issue. 'It's not just the name. It's a lot more than the name that comprises the fraud,' she said. 'It's how she presented herself, what she's presented herself to be.' She said Azzopardi had allegedly given different names to different people. Six witnesses are due to give evidence in the March hearing, including Jazze and Tom Jervis, who employed Azzopardi between December 2018 and June 2019. The court heard the couple are currently in Queensland and would like to attend the hearing if coronavirus restrictions allow. The hearing is expected to take two days. Bengaluru, July 13 : Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar on Monday hoped party's rebel leader and Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot would remain in the party. "As Pilot is a sincere Congressman, he will not quit the party. I am confident he will remain in the party and resolve the issues amicably," Shivakumar told reporters here, amid the crisis in the faction-ridden party's Rajasthan unit. Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to destabilise another Congress ruled state after it brought down its governments in Madhya Pradesh in mid-March and the coalition government in Karnataka in July 2019, Shivakumar said the saffron party was again luring Congress legislators with money and ministerial posts to reduce the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan to a minority as it did in the past. "The BJP is continuing its operation kamal agenda to destabilise governments of opposition parties through undemocratic means. Though it (BJP) does not have numbers (legislators), it is trying to break our party and take away some of our MLAs to form its government even in Rajasthan," alleged Shivakumar. "Our party has majority in the Rajasthan assembly, where 101 is the halfway mark for simple majority. The party also has support of 15 more legislators," asserted Shivakumar, who took over the reins of the party's state unit on July 2 here. Lauding Pilot for rebuilding the party over the last 6-7 years to win the December 2018 Rajasthan assembly elections with majority, Shivakumar said the former was also the party's northern state unit president and son of a veteran Congress man (late Rajesh Pilot). "I am sure the party's leaders will resolve the issues. I am not denying that there are no differences in a democratic party like ours. They will be sorted out," claimed Shivakumar, also known as the party's troubleshooter. China on Monday announced tit-for-tat sanctions against four US officials including senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio after Washington imposed visa restrictions on Chinese officials over the treatment of the Uyghur community in the northwestern province of Xinjiang. China has decided to impose sanctions on four US officials and an institution who have acted viciously on issues related to Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) as a reciprocal measure against relevant moves made earlier by the US, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Monday. The spokesperson said the sanctions are against senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, US Representative Chris Smith, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback and the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Tenuous at the best of times, ties between the US and China have been frayed with the two countries at loggerheads, most recently over the origins of the coronavirus. The other contentious issues between Washignton and Beijing include an ongoing trade war, Taiwan, the South China Sea where Washington has dispatched two of its super aircraft carriers, the status of Hong Kong, the tit-for-tat visa restrictions over Tibet and the human rights situation in the remote northwestern province of Xinjiang. Rubio and Cruz, both from President Donald Trump-led Republican Party, have sponsored legislation that would punish Chinas actions in Xinjiang while Smith has been a vocal critic of China on issues ranging from Xinjiang to the coronavirus. The US actions seriously interfere in Chinas internal affairs, seriously violate the basic norms of international relations and seriously damage Sino-U.S. relations, Hua said at the regular ministry briefing on Monday. China will make further responses based on how the situation develops, she said without elaborating. Last week, Washington said the sanctioned Chinese officials included Chen Quanguo, the Communist party secretary of Xinjiang, and Zhu Hailun, who helped oversee policy in the province. The US sanctions also target Wang Mingshan, head of the Xinjiang public security bureau, and Huo Liujun, a former head of the bureau. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Representative image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Coal India's dues from state- owned power generation companies have risen to Rs 22,000 crore amid muted demand and high production, sources said on Monday. The mining behemoth is also not in a position to regulate supplies to the power companies as demand has remained subdued over the last few months, they said. "Dues are now at Rs 22,000 crore. We are not sure when the situation will improve, and are yet to see the flow of government funds as assistance to gencos," a company source told PTI. The outstanding amount was around Rs 12,000 crore in January. "Majority of the dues are from state gencos and rationalisation of supply to put pressure on them is also not feasible," he said. The government had recently announced Rs 90,000 crore worth of loans to state power distribution companies. Net cash flow from operating activities for Coal India slumped sharply to Rs 4,146 crore in the last fiscal from Rs 16,355 crore in 2018-19, "State generation companies are not in a position to pay. The situation is unlikely to improve until September. Dispatches are down 22 per cent year-on-year currently for the first quarter. The company is trying to maintain production at the same level as dispatches," Brokerage house Motilal Oswal said in a note. "The problem of cash flow is severe with some of the subsidiaries like Bharat Coking Coal, Western Coalfields and Central Coalfields. They are facing a liquidity crunch to fulfil their statutory obligations like payment of salaries in the wake of low realisations," an official said. Another official said low realisation is a critical issue for some subsidiaries but the problem is short lived. "Subsidiaries had been asked to rely on short-term loans from banks. Coal India does not have any plan for long-term borrowing through instruments like issuing bonds to tide over this crisis," he said. An analyst at the brokerage house said that volume and e-auction realisations are likely to remain under pressure. Officials said the coronavirus lockdown came at a time when power demand was largely muted and production at Coal India's mines had been ramped up, which led to an increase in inventory. Coal India's supplies to the power sector in April-May declined 24 per cent on-year to 62 million tonnes. AMES, Iowa, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Proplanner, leader in Manufacturing Data Management of Product Lifecycle solutions for Assembly Manufacturing, today announced a new partnership with Proceedix, a SaaS platform provider. The alliance enables manufacturers of complex products to leverage Proplanner work instructions, procedures, and inspections on smart glasses. During this exciting time, Proplanner added to employee competence and skills with the new smart glasses due to understanding the process of unique variation with unit-specific work instructions. Proplanner With Proceedix' software, the smart glasses bring the work instructions to the user with a simple tap on the side of the glasses, or by voice command. Allowing a hands-free, easy-access tool that is efficient and quick at finding what the user needs. Key Benefits for our clients - Ease of use hands-free and activated by voice - improves operator efficiency and time it takes when in areas where holding and referring to a tablet or paper copy isn't possible. - Doubles as protective wear - Includes the ability to read bar codes, and capture context-based pictures and video - Voice recognition speeds data entry of quality and serialized component information Customised, digital support for every shop floor worker. "Proplanner's sophisticated MES and PLM tools provide rich work instructions to handle even the most complex product variability. Teaming up, our combined solutions will offer customers a significant competitive advantage," says Michelle Krogmeier, VP of North America for Proceedix. "Proceedix has been a great partner in helping us deliver our work instruction content to the shop floor worker," says Dave Sly, President of Proplanner. "With this new integration, engineers can publish their pictures, schematics, instructions, and checklists appropriate for a specific operator working on a specific customer order in a hands-free format. In addition, the ability to effortlessly sign-off on tasks, scan serialized barcodes and capture pictures and video for a product will greatly expand the data we currently collect about every vehicle produced in the factory and the people who produced it." Proplanner's integration with Proceedix is bi-directional in that unit-specific and operator-specific information is compiled and delivered to the Proceedix system for every operator logged in and every vehicle worked on by the operators. This information is still available for all tablets, computers, and station displays currently supported by Proplanner's shop floor MES environment. When the Proceedix user signs into the Proplanner MES, their competence and skills history is evaluated to determine the level of work instruction detail needed by that shop floor worker. This filtered view is based on both how often and how recently an operator performed the task since the Process Engineer updated it. Using the Proceedix application, the operator scans bar codes, answers questions on tasks, responds to task start, and completes checks or captures pictures and video. This information is serialized with the unit they are signed into and delivered back to Proplanner for logging in that unit's genealogy file which captures which operator executed every task, when they completed it and any issues/data logged when it was performed. About Proplanner Proplanner is the leader in PLM-MDM (Manufacturing Data Management for the Product Lifecycle) solutions for Assembly Manufacturing. Assembly facilities around the world in the automotive, recreational vehicle, aerospace, agriculture and construction, military, white goods, highway vehicles, electrical equipment, and universities rely on Proplanner solutions from the mBOM and Bill of Process (BOP) routings to Shop Floor Instructions, MES, and Andon. Media Contact: Paige Mescher Phone: 515-296-9914 Email: [email protected] Related Images proplanner-and-proceedix-partner.png Proplanner and Proceedix Partner to Connect Smart Glasses to Factory Floor Systems SOURCE Proplanner Derry YouTuber Adam B taking photos with fans during his the big 20k giveaway where he travelled around Derry in an ice cream truck giving gifts to people he believed deserved them. Local internet star Adam B has come up with a novel way to excite his huge army of fans - by writing his first book. The 20-year-old is a YouTube sensation with almost three million subscribers to his channel watching his weekly homemade videos. His rise to fame has seen him land a presenting slot on kids' telly show The Dog Ate My Homework on CBBC with him set to follow that up with more TV work later this year. But busy Adam - whose full name is Adam Beales - told Sunday Life that work has already started on his first book as well. He revealed: "I am working on a book, I'm working on a graphic novel which hopefully will be out next year. "I'm really excited for it, we're making really good progress on it. "It's about a story that's based loosely on my life but not really, it's a fictional story about a boy who does YouTube and the twists and turns of how he gets there and it's a very captivating story. Expand Close Lucas-Noah Broderick, who is a fan of YouTube star Adam Beales who is also from Derry city, set up his own channel in February posting fun videos of himself pranking his dad Paul. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lucas-Noah Broderick, who is a fan of YouTube star Adam Beales who is also from Derry city, set up his own channel in February posting fun videos of himself pranking his dad Paul. "I'm really proud of it so far and I hope kids and parents will enjoy it too. "It's almost like David Walliams in a way, you know that sort of graphic novel type, so I'm really, really excited for that. "It's been in the works now for over a year and, yeah, I'm super, super proud of where it's got too." Kind-hearted Adam hit the headlines when he splashed out 20,000 of his own cash to surprise scores of people in his native Londonderry with "random acts of kindness". He drove around the city in an ice-cream van handing out gifts like computers, mobile phones and toys to deserving locals in need of a pick-me-up who had been nominated online, but he also fired out cash to complete strangers as well. Among the people surprised was a 14-year-old girl who has had a tough time of it after having a stroke who he gave a new iPad and kids who had been subjected to bullying. Expand Close Derry YouTuber Adam B drops off hampers to staff at Altnagelvin Hospital in the big 20k giveaway where Adam travelled around Derry in an ice cream truck giving gifts to people he believed deserved them. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Derry YouTuber Adam B drops off hampers to staff at Altnagelvin Hospital in the big 20k giveaway where Adam travelled around Derry in an ice cream truck giving gifts to people he believed deserved them. Other gifts included a new Macbook and art set for a young woman trying to start a business as an artist, a microwave with money inside and a PlayStation for a young boy who broke his during the lockdown. On top of the ice cream van deliveries, Adam also surprised Derry mum Bronagh Burke (29) who lost her husband Thomas suddenly in April by giving her a new car and gifting her twins Adam and Aoife with toys. Adam is one of Ireland's biggest YouTubers and his success has not only made him well-off but it has seen him sign with an agent in the States and headhunted for TV projects. He said: "YouTube will always be my lifeblood and always be my passion in life because that's what got me to where I am today and I'm really thankful. "I was actually co-hosting The Dog Ate My Homework on CBBC there last year and that was my first proper presenting opportunity. "And I have a very exciting opportunity this year that I can't wait to announce in terms of TV work as well, so it's all exciting - it's crazy what a camera and an internet connection can do." As well as his own channel, his little brother Callum has one and there is also a family channel that includes his mum Edelle and dad Paul. His mum is a cousin of Girls Aloud pop star Nadine Coyle and Adam said that her daughter Anaiya is one of his fans and that Nadine has asked him to come and surprise her in the past. Last month generous Adam went viral after surprising them with a new home which took him a year to plan. He then broadcast the heart-warming surprise online. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Nandan Nilekani's family members on July 13 have offloaded 2.67 percent equity stake in chemical manufacturing company Clariant Chemicals via open market transactions. Infosys' co-founder Nandan Nilekani's son Nihar sold 1,92,012 shares in the company at Rs 558.29 per share. Daughter Janhavi sold 2,26,000 shares at Rs 551.35 per share and wife Rohini sold 2 lakh shares at Rs 546.17 per share, bulk deals data available on the National Stock Exchange showed. In total, Nilkeni's family members sold 6,18,012 shares, or 2.67 percent stake, in Clariant Chemicals. The Switzerland-based specialty chemicals manufacturing company's share price was locked in at Rs 583.55 -- the 20 percent upper circuit limit -- after announcement of a special dividend of Rs 140 per share on July 13. The manaagement announced the dividend after selling of the Masterbatches business to PolyOne Polymers India on a going concern basis by way of a slump sale. Among other deals, Kotak Standard Multicap Fund offloaded 4,83,404 Rights Entitlement shares of Arvind Fashions at Rs 36.26 per share. Silvertoss Shoppers acquired 3 lakh shares in North East Carry Corp at Rs 16 per share while Vishwakarma Trading House acquired 87,000 shares in United Polyfab Gujarat at Rs 10.15 per share. 3-y-o girl dies of injuries, 9 others hacked to death in Fulani attack on Christian village Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A 3-year-old girl and nine others died in north-western Nigeria's Kaduna State in an early morning attack on a Christian village carried out by armed Muslim herdsmen of Fulani origin, according to a report. The girl, identified as Elizabeth Samaila, suffered multiple machete lacerations to the head. She died in a hospital Thursday, the day after the attack on the Tudun Agwalla community in Kajuru Local Government Area, the U.K.-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported. Also on Thursday, families of nine others who were hacked to death with machetes buried them in a mass grave. Six of the nine were identified as Richard Yusuf, Kefas Yusuf, Fidelis Wada, Kachia, Genesis Soja, and Rahab Soja. Eight-year-old Rita Friday, who was also injured on the head, was among an unknown number of Christian villagers who were wounded in the attack, CSW said, adding that seven people remained unaccounted for. "What is particularly unacceptable is that her death is the latest to occur in a series of attacks which continue unabated," CSW's Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said. "Southern Kaduna is steadily being transformed into killing fields, either due to a gross failure of governance, or official indifference and acquiescence." Fulani herders routinely brutally attack predominantly Christian farming communities in Nigeria's Middle Belt. While some believe the nomadic herders launch attacks as they look for grazing pastures, the radicals target Christian villages in a similar manner as the Boko Haram terror group that terrorizes the northern regions of the country. In a special report, titled "Nigeria: A Killing Field of Defenseless Christians," released earlier this year, the Anambra-based nongovernmental organization International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) estimated that about 11,500 Christians have been killed in Nigeria since 2015 by Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram, and highway bandits. A recent estimate by Intersociety suggests that over 620 Christians have been killed in Nigeria so far in 2020. "International pressure must now be brought to bear on both the state and federal authorities to ensure protection for these vulnerable communities, and that effective action is taken to disarm all armed non-state actors and bring the perpetrators of these horrific atrocities to justice," Thomas said. Last year, two members from the Adara community, a majority Christian ethnic group in Southern Kaduna state, were among other Nigerians who shared their experiences during a panel event sponsored by the conservative think-tank Heritage Foundation. "Right now my tribe is nonexistent legally," Alheri Magaji, the daughter of the leader of the Adara Chiefdom, said. "Part of the reason why I am here is to try to get my land back. That is who I am. That is my identity. That is what makes me. My people are stranded. They are literally sleeping under the skies on the floor [with] no houses, no food, nothing. It is not about relief materials and how much we can donate. It's about holding the government accountable." "I spoke to a woman whose limbs were cut off. She had four kids and was nine months pregnant," Magaji recalled. "Fulani herdsmen came to a Kajuru town in February, about 400 of them with AK-47s. They came at around 6:30 a.m. They spoke Adara. They came in with war songs. They were singing songs that translate into 'the owners of the land have come. It's time for settlers to leave.' "We have 2-month-old babies, 6-month-old babies, babies in the bellies turned from their mother's womb and slaughtered like animals, like chickens," she said. "We are here today to beg the U.S. government and for the world to hear our story." Nigeria was added to the U.S. State Department's "special watch list" of countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom and is ranked as the 12th-worst country in the world for Christian persecution by Open Doors USA. Trump supporters have followed his lead in responding to the new coronavirus. Like him, theyve shown contempt for science and public health experts. Theyve ignored recommendations for wearing masks and maintaining social distancing and especially to isolating themselves by remaining at home. But now, as COVID-19 marches through Trumpland, its residents are beginning to experience firsthand the results of following their leader. As the coronavirus headed south geographically, Trumps standing in the polls has headed south metaphorically. Until recently, COVID-19 was primarily an urban and blue-state problem. The rural west and the Bible Belt seemed immune. Residents of those regions didnt witness COVID-19 in their communities, and it was largely ignored by the right-wing media they consume. Now the coronavirus is coming to roost in their backyards. Single-day records for new cases have been seen recently in red bastions, including Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. On July 12, Florida recorded over 15,000 new coronavirus cases, setting a new single-day high for any state, including New York at its peak. Florida Republican governors in the pandemic's new hotspots are diverging in their reactions to the challenge. Some, like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, are taking a purely political approach, while others, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, are putting the health and safety of their constituents first. Despite Florida's out-of-control situation, for example, DeSantis is focused on currying favor with Trump by refusing to order Florida residents to wear masks. Florida has recorded more COVID-19 cases than all of Europe combined. DeSantis has joined Trump in downplaying the resurgence of the coronavirus. Abbott, on the other hand, has issued a mask-wearing mandate, ordered the shutdown of bars, and limited restaurant capacity in the state. "If we do not slow the spread of COVID-19 the next step would have to be a lockdown, Abbott, he told KLBK TV in Lubbock. The worst is yet to come as we work our way through that massive increase in people testing positive. DeSantis has long faced criticism for skipping over several steps in the CDCs recommended reopening guidelines. He was renounced nationally for opening public beaches during spring break. Most beaches in the state are now open, albeit with some local restrictions on behavior. In late June, DeSantis banned the consumption of alcohol but he's currently under fire for insisting on ordering schools to reopen in the fall, claiming that children are less likely to contract and spread the virus. Experts believe that's true for young students, but older students, teachers and staff remain a question as well as a concern. In mid-May, DeSantis announced he would not follow the White House coronavirus task force's advice to test all residents and staff of elder care facilities over a two-week period. Like Trump, he's misrepresented both the extent of his testing effort and the results. In late June, the state fired Rebekah Jones, who designed and maintained Florida's online display of COVID-19 data. She said the DeSantis administration was angry because she refused to hide and manipulate data to make it appear that the disease was under control in the state. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Jones used Twitter to inform "her nearly 42,000 followers that multiple health department sources have told her staff is being asked to 'change the numbers and begin slowly deleting deaths and cases so it looks like Florida is improving next week in the lead-up to July 4, like theyve made it over the hump. " DeSantis denied the accusation. Unlike Abbott, who's signaled his willingness to put Texas under lockdown again if the state doesn't bring the virus under control, DeSantis has vowed that will never happen in Florida. Amid all the controversy over DeSantis' handling of the crisis, the coronavirus continues to rampage his state. Miami-Dade County recorded a 33.5 percent positivity rate on July 8, and during the two-week period leading up to that date, hospitalizations in Miami-Dade grew by 76 percent and the use of ventilators rose by 124 percent. On July 9, 435 patients were admitted to hospitals in the state, the largest one-day increase since the first cases hit Florida. A total of 52 Florida hospitals had no available intensive care unit beds as of July 12. Pull Quote Single-day records for new cases have been seen in such blood-red states as Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas in the past week. DeSantis, whos running for re-election on Trumps coattails, was not prepared for the virus' resurgence. His state was running out of the experimental drug Remdesivir and had to ask for a loan from New York. Long delays in obtaining test results flummoxed health care workers in the state. High-ranking Republicans are announcing that, due to the rapid intensification of the pandemic in Florida, they will not attend the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville in late August. Its hard for De Santis and Trump to downplay an outbreak thats scaring members of their own party away from its premier event. Texas Other Republican governors in emerging hotspots are reacting with more regard for their citizens than their politics. On July 10, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott extended his disaster declaration for the entire state in response to its soaring number of new cases. "Extending this Disaster Declaration helps ensure that Texas has the resources and flexibility needed to effectively respond to COVID-19," Abbott said in a statement. "To further mitigate the spread of the virus and overcome this challenge, Texans should continue to do their part by wearing a mask, social distancing, and staying home if possible." Abbott's direction on the crisis is a turnabout. In the past, he's listened to the demands of his state's large and reactionary far-right minions, who believe that public health safety is secondary to their freedom of movement. Now he's reinforcing his state's battle against the disease even though it's provoked an inevitable backlash. Pull Quote Trump has convinced his hardcore acolytes that wearing masks projects weakness and conformity. He recently claimed, falsely, that 99 percent of cases found through testing are totally harmless. Harris County, including Houston, is the hardest hit part of the state. Aggressive testing efforts there have been hampered by extreme heat. Houston hospitals, particularly their ICU units, are operating at full capacity and, in some cases, beyond it. Hundreds of COVID-19 patients are being kept in emergency rooms as hospitals struggle to open ICU beds, according to NBC News and ProPublica. On July 9, 3,812 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Houston area, including more than 1,000 in intensive care units. That's the highest number in the state since the pandemic began. Houston officials fear the situation could become a replay of what happened in New York City in March and April, when thousands of people died as hospitals struggled to keep up with the surge of patients, but without the same level of government intervention to stem the tide, NBC News reported. In the State of New York, meanwhile, the numbers of new COVID cases is declining. Texas has reported a total of 3,246 deaths as of July 12. For perspective, consider that the combined number of COVID-19-related deaths recorded in Texas and Florida over the past month exceeds the total number of hurricane-related deaths in the entire nation over the past 20 years. Oklahoma's not OK Oklahoma, Texas neighbor to the north, is also experiencing a surge, and its partly tied to Trumps indoor campaign rally on June 20 in Tulsa. Against the advice of health officials and local Republican leaders, more than 6,000 mostly unmasked people gathered there for Trumps campaign launch. But all they got besides COVID-19 was the opportunity to purchase Trump campaign merchandise and listen to a speech that spent 1,798 words on his trouble drinking a cup of water and walking down a ramp from the stage at West Point on June 13 after addressing its 2020 graduation class. Cases of COVID-19 began appearing in Tulsa before the commander-in-chief began to speak. Eight members of his advance team, including two secret service agents, tested positive for the coronavirus and were forced to spend 14 days quarantined in Tulsa. Herman Cain, one of Trumps surrogates, also tested positive after sitting in the audience. Since then, COVID-19 cases in the Tulsa area and the State of Oklahoma have exploded. On July 9, Tulsa County reported a record 261 new cases. Oklahoma reported a record one-day total of 603 new cases, bringing the number of infected people in the state to 18,500. Hospitalizations also were climbing, and the states death toll has reached over 422. At the beginning of June, cases in the state were rising by less than 100. Tulsa Health Department director Dr. Bruce Dart linked the rise to recent large events in the area, including Trumps. We knew we had several large events a little over two weeks ago, which is about right, so I guess we just connect the dots, Dart said, as reported by Democracy Now!. Despite the growing pandemic in Trumpland, it might take a lot more misery to unclench the firm hold he has over Bible Belt and Confederate supporters. Cult-like in their devotion, theyve gone great lengths to show it. A number of them have attacked and even shot people whove asked them to wear masks in places of business. Theyve refused to follow shelter-in-place orders, claiming that their freedom of speech and movement is immutable to germs as well as health care rules. But cracks are beginning to emerge as Trump continues to model the destructive behavior thats fueling the virus growth. In pretending that COVID-19 is not nearly as bad as the fake news media want people to believe, Trump is promoting denial to people who are now living amid the truth. In refusing to wear personal protective equipment until very recently or to follow social distancing guidelines, hes downplayed prevention strategies to people who now see that theyre needed. Trumps cult-like followers still show their unity with him by following his lead and flouting protective measures, but Independents, who account for 40 percent of the vote, are growing weary of the dumb show. Even Trumps Republican support is softening. According to a July 8-July 9 ABC/Ipsos poll, 67 percent of Americans surveyed disapproved of Trumps handling of the coronavirus. Thats up 17 points since the same pollster conducted a survey on the subject in mid-June. At the same time, Trumps approval rating on the issue dropped from 41 percent in the mid-June poll to 33 percent in the recent ABC/Ipsos poll. Other polls have shown similar findings regarding his management of the pandemic. Pull Quote According to Trump, the so-called deep state is exploiting the pandemic to control Americans behavior. He claims sinister forces within the government implemented lockdowns as an exercise to train the nation for submission after they take charge. Polls also have shown a softening of overall support from Republicans and Independents. Trump scores decreasing support not only on COVID, but also on race relations and his ability to unify the country. Having made the pandemic a political issue, Trump will now face the political consequences of how he handled it. I cannot help but wonder if we have lost sight of community? Are our schools, companies, religious places of worship and friendship circles really communities? And if they are, how deeply are our stories connected? The root of the word comunidad in Spanish is the word comun. This lets us understand that in a true community, there is a definitive decision to say we are together. This is the heart of any culture. We might have differences (diversity) in thoughts, beliefs, or actions but we choose to focus on that which we have in common while honoring the differences because they are what essentially create the beautiful mosaic that is the human experience. Since childhood, I was quite aware I did not really fit in. My leadership journey is likely how many feel on a daily basis. Questioning if our voice is heard (even when we have jumped through hoops to earn a seat at the table). Wondering and becoming hyper-aware of how we may or may not be perceived based on our words, skin color, name, fashion choices, height, weight, age, marriage or parental status. I grew up in a bicultural family. My lineage includes my father, who is Puerto Rican with his mother being an orphan from Kentucky who met my grandfather in Chicago (who left Puerto Rico at 16). He was also one of 27 children, but that is a different story for a different day. My grandparents on my mothers side speak Dutch and were part of the Amish culture and religious sect until they left the church. I come from a long line of disruptors. This is part of my identity. If there is no way we make one. The people I will feature in this column will always be asked what they are currently reading. I love to read, and as a child, I read anything I could get my hands on. Books were my escape and ticket to understanding and connecting with humanity. My favorite book was The Girl on the Outside by Mildred Pitts Walter, which was based upon the Little Rock Nine. By the age of 10, I had worn my copy out and would move into other texts like Nightby Elie Weisel, based upon a boy and his father in Nazi Germany concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald and Zlatas Diary, the biography of Zlata Filipovic about growing up in war-torn Sarajevo. I had a mother who allowed me to read as much as I desired (thanks, mom!). So, if you are a parent reading this and still wondering if your kids are too young to talk or read about race and social justice no, they are not too young. One of my favorite authors is Don Miguel Ruiz, who authored the Toltec wisdom book The Four Agreements. He contends: To be alive is the biggest fear humans have. Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive the risk to be alive and express what we really are. Just being ourselves is the biggest fear of humans. We have learned to live our lives trying to satisfy other peoples demands. We have learned to live by other peoples points of view because of the fear of not being accepted and of not being good enough for someone else. (p. 17) My intention with the En Comunidad column is to introduce you to diverse stories that are very much the heartbeat and fabric of Indianapolis and the Midwest. Stories of the human experience that allow anyone the CEO, the school principal, the nonprofit director, the nurse, the pastor, the parent and the child to see the world through the eyes of another perspective and cherish that each and every human interaction has a deep connection to our own personal journey. Most of all, I hope the stories featured can inspire you to value the lived experiences of any human you encounter, understanding that if you so choose both lives will forever be connected. As I plan to sign off every column, I will leave you with this question: How are you living today? Justine Gonzalez is an Indiana native and first-generation college grad having served in both Chicago Public and Indianapolis Public Schools. Her consulting firm, EducatorAide, partners with organizations to help create culturally connected, equitable, and inclusive environments. The growing number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive cases have led most of the civic bodies in Maharashtra to enforce stricter lockdown restrictions that have been extended until July 19. Besides the municipal corporations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Aurangabad, and Solapur have also extended the lockdown restrictions. Thane, Kalyan-Dombivali, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Navi Mumbai part of the densely populated MMR have imposed a new round of lockdown restrictions until July 19. Similar steps have been taken by Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad Solapur, and Aurangabad municipal corporations. While Nagpur and Nashik civic bodies have warned the public of imposing similar lockdown restrictions if the overcrowding on streets goes out of control. Mumbai, however, has succeeded in stabilising the spike over the past few weeks, officials said. In Maharashtra, the Covid-19 positive cases have spiked amid the state governments Mission Begin Again campaign that started from June 3 in a bid to open up commercial activities to revive the economy battered by the viral outbreak. On June 3, Maharashtras Covid-19 count and fatalities stood at 74,680 and 2,587, respectively. But, a month on, the corresponding tallies had risen to 1,92,990 and 8,376, respectively. The viral outbreak was pronounced in several densely populated urban parts of the state, including MMR, Pune Metropolitan Region, Nashik, Aurangabad, and Solapur, prompting civic authorities to enforce stricter lockdown restrictions by prohibiting the public from stepping out of their homes unless for essential services. The state government was planning to roll out the next phase of Mission Begin Again campaign by allowing more employees to attend private companies and easing public transport restrictions from the first week of July. However, MMR civic bodies opposed the move because of a spike in Covid-19 positive cases owing to the increase in movement of the public between Mumbai and adjoining urban centres such as Thane, Kalyan-Dombiwali, and Mira-Bhayandar. The municipal authorities have demanded an extension in lockdown restrictions in a bid to rein in the viral outbreak. This is the crucial week as far as containment and the viral spread is concerned. We expect the viral scourge to stabilise soon, said a state government official requesting anonymity. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had held a meeting with the civic bodies last week, except the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and directed the MMR chief to take a leaf of the BMCs book by ramping up their respective healthcare infrastructure. Nashiks guardian minister Chhagan Bhujbal has warned the public that stricter lockdown restrictions would be imposed if norms are found to be violated. The lockdown norms were relaxed in a bid to revive the economy. But, the public has stopped following the norms, triggering the spike in Covid-19 positive cases. We will be forced to impose stricter lockdown restrictions, if the public doesnt pay heed to our advice, Nagpur municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe had said on Saturday. Maharashtra has reported 2.54 lakh Covid-19 positive cases and 10,289 viral outbreak-related deaths until Sunday the highest in the country on both counts. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bellaboos, which was closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, is scheduled to reopen from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to its website. The road to the play center is open. They have worked tirelessly on the health front line, shouldering extra stress and putting their own safety at risk. Yet these Covid-19 heroes have still found time to litter pick in between their draining shifts. Clinical nurse Simon Green and care worker Rachel Andrew are backing the Mails Great British September Clean and insist that if they can get involved, anybody can. Commitment: Clinical nurse Simon Green, right, with his local litter picking group. Mr Green, from Surbiton, south-west London, told the Daily Mail he feels it is his civic duty to pick up litter on his weekends Mr Green was redeployed to a Covid-19 ward at the start of the pandemic. He has worked in the NHS for 20 years but cannot remember a time as stressful or as daunting as this crisis. Despite his long and gruelling shifts, Mr Green, 40, still finds the energy to help out with the local litter picking group he set up two years ago. Mr Green, from Surbiton, south-west London, told the Daily Mail he feels it is his civic duty to pick up litter on his weekends. Care worker Rachel Andrew, 31, has also been shocked by litter louts in recent weeks, so she decided to take her son Dylan, eight, out litter picking You know that old saying, if you want something done, give it to a busy person, he said. Thats very true, I think, because Im just the kind of person who likes to get things done. I spend all day in a very sterile environment where I go to great lengths to keep things clean and tidy, I just got sick of walking out of the hospital and seeing so much mess. More than anything I just find it really embarrassing to see my borough in such a state after all thats where I live. A keen litter picker, he first started organising clean-ups two years ago and now commits to at least one a month. Up to 20 eco-conscious residents join him, under the group name #2minutelitterpickhook. Mr Green added: During lockdown, everything was so nice and tidy and you got a real sense of how things could be if people were just a little more conscientious. But unfortunately we have seen that completely reverted and its very disheartening to see. Care worker Rachel Andrew, 31, has also been shocked by litter louts in recent weeks, so she decided to take her son Dylan, eight, out litter picking. Now the mother and son duo, from New Mills, Derbyshire, have made it their ambition to clean-up the Peak District. Mrs Andrew, who has worked in the care sector for seven years, said: We started going out around a month ago because Dylan wanted to earn his green Blue Peter badge. And weve been out every single day since now, covering beauty spots all around the Peak District. We cant believe the mess that has been left by people recently, I dont know what has got into everyone. But its been very good for Dylan, hes so much more aware of the environment and his surroundings now. Anytime we go out, Dylan will spot some litter and will say quick mummy, Ill just go get the grabber from the boot! She added: I think carers and nurses are naturally the kind of people who want to go out litter picking and do things for their local community as were very conscientious and empathetic. Its what we do: we care. The Prince William 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. A K9 unit and other police officers search a back road on July 11, 2020 in St-Apollinaire, Que. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot) Quebec Police Still Searching for Missing Father 2 Days After Daughters Found Dead ST-APOLLINAIRE, Que.Quebec provincial police continue to search today for the father of two girls whose bodies were found Saturday in a small town southwest of Quebec City. The bodies of Norah and Romy Carpentier, aged 11 and 6, were located in a wooded area in the community of St-Apollinaire, Que. Provincial police say they continue to focus their hunt for Martin Carpentier near where the girls bodies were found after discovering items they say are of interest to their investigation. Police did not specify what the items were but raised the possibility Carpentier could be unconscious or dead. They say a helicopter, a drone and police dogs are all involved in the search. The girls were last seen Wednesday and became the subject of an Amber Alert the next day. On Sunday, the manhunt for their 44-year-old father had authorities tightening the search in a thickly wooded area near where the young sisters from Levis, Que. were found. Residents had helped with the searches until Saturday, but police asked people to stay away from the area Sunday to let officers work. The case has gripped the attention of the province, especially in the town of just over 6,000 people where its playing out. Police have said the girls and their father were believed to have been in a car crash on Highway 20 in St-Apollinaire Wednesday evening. Investigators said the car was heading east when it skidded into the median, flipped over and landed on the shoulder on the opposite side of the highway. But police did not find any occupants inside the car when they arrived. Two contractors dont have to pay a central Pennsylvania municipal authority $243,505 in damages in a dispute over whether they used enough U.S.-made steel in a sewage treatment plant upgrade, a Commonwealth Court panel ruled Monday. The ruling outlined in an opinion by Judge J. Andrew Compton marks a defeat for the Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority. It spares Bellefonte-based G.M. McCrossin Inc. and United Blower Inc. from having to forfeit the full cost of their work installing an air blower system at the Montoursville sewage treatment plant. The disagreement was decided on the basis of a few one hundredths of a percent. Under the Steel Products Procurement Act, a measure designed to aid the American steel industry, the firms were required to install equipment that consisted of at least 75 percent U.S.-manufactured steel. The authority contended the blowers provided by the companies fell below that threshold due to their inclusion of Chinese steel. Authority officials appealed to Commonwealth Court after Lycoming County Judge David E. Grine disagreed and overturned the authoritys order for the firms to repay the full cost of the blower project. Compton agreed with the county judges finding that the contractors complied with the Steel Act, if only just barely. Grine calculated that at most 24.9 percent of the blowers consisted non-American steel, so there was no violation. - The Bank of Ghana has drawn the attention of banks in Ghana to a new type of fraudulent activity being carried out in the country - It revealed that the fraudsters pose as representatives of telecommunication companies and call banks - They then give the impression they are to carry out a training procedure only to end up taking money from them Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has cautioned financial institutions in Ghana against falling victim to the activities of fraudsters. It revealed that some people have developed a new version of Mobile Money fraud and as such everyone needs to be careful. According to the BoG, the fraudsters call the staff of the bank and inform them that they operate from the head office of one of the telecommunication companies. BoG Governor, Dr Ernest Addison Source: Graphic Online Source: UGC READ ALSO: BoG to settle salaries of former employees of defunct microfinance institutions The fraudsters then inform the staff they have been tasked to train them on the process of reversing Mobile Money (MoMo) transactions. Per a report by myjoyonline.com, they ask the staff to input certain codes on the MoMo platform. Information available shows that the codes result in the debiting of the banks MoMo wallet. The BoG noted that it intends to raise awareness among institutions about fraudulent activity in order to reduce its occurrence. It, therefore, advised banks to watch out for this type of fraud and ensure that at least two officials handle the banks MoMo transactions at the branch. The bank also indicated that staff who handle MoMo transactions at the branches should be at the management level and should not take instructions from representatives of telecommunication companies. All correspondence between the bank and the telecommunication companies, it went on, should be approved by relevant authorities. In other news, YEN.com.gh has learned that the Bank of Ghana has agreed to pre-finance the unpaid salaries of former employees of 347 defunct microfinance and 23 savings & loans firms. The bank has also agreed to exit packages for the same groups of people as well as finance houses. The details of the package were shared by the government-appointed receiver, Eric Nana Nipah. READ ALSO: COVID-19: Ghana stock market dropped by 17% in 6 months - Report Read the best news on Ghana's #1 news app. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana Faces of Ghana: 21-year-old female boxer's dream of becoming a world champion: Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos, or videos Source: YEN.com.gh These are the schools that have canceled classes for Jan. 18 Some school districts across the county are virtual today. Others will make up the snow day. Dozens of activists gathered outside the Lefortovo prison in Moscow on July 13 to support former journalist Ivan Safronov, who was detained on high-treason charges on July 7. Police detained at least 10 activists, all of whom work in the media, during the demonstration. When we spoke on the phone last week, Traci Falbo was a few hours gone from home in southern Indiana and rolling through Columbus, Ohio. In her Subaru Crosstrek, she pauses her play list, a mix she calls eclectic but that her husband sometimes says is more angry chick music. Akron, Ohio is two hours away, and the Canal Corridor 100 Mile start is less than a day away, but Falbos road to this start line has been a lot longer than this five-hour drive. Im nervous and scared, the 48-year-old confided. I havent race raced for a long time. Falbo remembers the day well. It happened on a vacation in Maine in September of 2018. Earlier in the trip she ran 26 miles over the Acadia National Park carriage roads, on a link-up of the parks 16 majestic stone bridges. Her husband biked beside her. We had a picnic lunch, it was lovely, she recalled with a pleasant tone. And then a couple of days later, I was on Appalachian Trail-type trails in Maine and thats just not my wheelhouse at all. I ran down some boulders that I shouldnt have, and sort of fell, my left leg planted, I was against a tree, and my right knee was bloody. She focused her immediate attention on that right knee, but the next day she couldnt bend or straighten her left leg, and it was swollen. She nursed it for a month and started a 50-mile race in October of 2018 but dropped after 20 miles due to the pain. She endured a few different doctors visits, hearing about arthritis, or meniscus tears, or both depending on the doctor. Around Thanksgiving of that year she had meniscus surgery, followed orders for a four-week rehabilitation, and tried to run again. Just horrible pain, Falbo grew weak at the memory. Well maybe we should give it 12 weeks then, she echoed her then doctors advice, but after that, within a week and a half it just wasnt going to happen. She moved on to a different doctor, and a different diagnosis. On July 2, 2019she knows the date by heartshe had another surgery. The complex procedure included an osteochondral allograft on her femur and a tibial microfracture. Falbo dumbs it down for me, explaining that her femur did have arthritis and a defect. They core out the bad part and shore it up with donor bone, and that in her tibia, they drilled a bunch of holes, like lawn aeration, but its microfracture. And then she was on her way with an eight-month rehab. That work included traditional physical therapy, running on an AlterG treadmill, and riding an ElliptiGO bike. Pay to play, she said of the Alter-G access, and three times a week she went across the river to Louisville, Kentucky to run on it. The first day I ran 15 minutes. I tried 20% weight bearing and I just felt suspended, she laughed. So I started at 30% and kept increasing, slowly. She eventually was running up to 60 minutes at a time on the AlterG. That wasnt all though. The ElliptiGO kept me as fit as anything could. Mentally that thing kept me totally happy. I just wanted to be outside and around friends, and I swam and biked at the gym, but Im not a gym person. The ElliptiGO was the best workout, I would sing their praises left and right, she gushed. Hell of a workout. I built up on it and was close to 50 miles several times. That work got Falbo to March 1 of this year and she was cleared to run. With 40 minutes of approval, Falbo went hard to start trying to stretch that time to the longest distance. I almost puked, five miles, not quite 4.9, she exhaled. She got up to 10 to 12 miles at a time, and then ran the Antelope Canyon 50 Mile on March 14. I gasp at the jump in distance, and she explains. Shed twice deferred her entry and was eager for the bucket-list race. My physical therapist was really leery. Id run seven or eight miles on the AlterG. I promised Id run-walk. It was an adventure run, I wanted to take pictures. And the rehab had gone really well. I did what I was supposed to and nothing that I wasnt supposed to. It was gorgeous, she said of the postcard-filled Arizona course. Falbo finished in 11:44. It was phenomenal. I was excited I couldnt race it [so she could instead take pictures, and I was thankful I could run again. March 1, I was so scared to run outside. What if it doesnt work? She wondered out loud. Im not going to die if I dont run, but was so thankful that I could. She loves the U.S. Southwest, but has traveled well otherwise too. She calls out trips to Yosemite, the Grand Tetons, and the Bahamas as other favorites. She expands on the Bahamas, letting slip that she and her husband fly on his private plane. It sounds cool, but its not. Its a small 1979 Piper Archer, some people have cars that cost more, she said. We put a life raft on, just in case, she chuckled, just a little, of the over-water flight. And now Falbos just a half day away from starting the Canal Corridor 100 Mile. Its something of a replacement race for her since the Six Days in the Dome contest was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Falbo was signed up for the 24-hour race there. She has a kittens-and-hearts mask packed, and will start alongside two others targeting a 17-hour run. Runners will start in one-minute waves. Her entry was last minute, but she secured a crew too and, a veteran of such adventures, plans to not use the aid stations. It sounds like shes got it together, but confessed, I feel like a newbie. Im not as fit as I used to be. My knees solid, but I dont know. I feel like a nervous new runner. This time, in our second phone call a day post-race, Falbo is back on I-71, heading south. A bunch of ketchup, she says as I shush and she finishes her order. I never eat McDonalds, I just got a Happy Meal. I never get McDonalds, she repeats, as if needing to apologize for the treat. Their fries are delicious. She won the Canal Corridor 100 Mile and finished 10th overall in 18:44. Shes happy, but concedes that the effort wasnt without significant strain. My knee started bugging me at mile 37 and I thought, Oh man, I may not get this done. With some triage, mostly Tiger Balm and Voltaren, my knee hung in there, she said. My fitness just wasnt there, it was a year and a week [since surgery]. Shit, I just ran 100 miles. Falbos full of fatigue and emotion and is not sure whats next. I wish her well and hang up to let her enjoy those fries. Call for Comments Calling all Traci Falbo running, racing, and adventuring stories! Leave a comment to share yours. The mummies of two high-status ancient Egyptians discovered in a temple on the Nile delta may bring researchers a step closer to finding the remains of Cleopatra, the legendary Egyptian queen. The mummies, which had lain undisturbed for 2,000 years, are in a poor state of preservation because water had seeped into the tomb, according to the Guardian. But they were originally covered with gold leaf a luxury reserved for only the top members of society's elite meaning they may have personally interacted with Cleopatra. The male and female mummies may have been priests who played a key role in maintaining the power of the legendary Egyptian queen and her lover, Mark Anthony. Also found at the site were 200 coins bearing Cleopatra's name and her face, which would have been pressed based on Cleopatra's direct instructions. The location of the long-lost tomb of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII from the year 30 BC remains unknown, although it's somewhere near the Egyptian city of Alexandria. But this research team are convinced excavations at the ancient city of Taposiris Magna, which is marked by a temple that still stands today, will soon uncover the ancient couple's resting place. The two mummies found inside a sealed tomb at Taposiris Magna, where digs are ungoing to oncover the grave of Cleopatra The temple is located near Alexandria, the capital of ancient Egypt and where Cleopatra killed herself in 30 BC Despite the fact researchers have been excavating the site since 2005, only a tiny percentage of the vast site has been explored. The mummies were found in what is the first ever intact tomb to be opened at Taposiris Magna an event that's the subject of a Channel 5 documentary to be broadcast this week. 'Although now covered in dust from 2,000 years underground, at the time these mummies would have been spectacular,' Dr Glenn Godenho, a senior lecturer in Egyptology at Liverpool University, told the Guardian. 'To be covered in gold leaf shows they would have been important members of society.' One of the mummies was found wearing an image of a scarab, pained in gold leaf, symbolising rebirth. But the 200 coins bearing Cleopatra's likeness links the pharaoh ruler directly to Taposiris Magna, which was founded in the third century BC. The 'prominent nose and double chin' of the queen as depicted on the coins suggest she wasn't as conventionally beautiful as the actresses that portrayed her on screen most memorably by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film 'Cleopatra'. Dr Godenho said that the tomb of Anthony and Cleopatra is expected to be a 'way grander affair' than this mummified couple. 'Although we dont know what Ptolemaic rulers tombs looked like because none have ever been firmly identified yet, its really unlikely that theyd be nondescript and indistinguishable from the burials of their subjects,' he told MailOnline. 'Add to that the fact that most consider the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony to be in the vicinity of Alexandria rather than out here at Taposiris Magna, and all the evidence points to these not being royal mummies at all.' Archaeologists searching for the tomb of Anthony and Cleopatra (pictured played by Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film) have zeroed in on a site in northern Egypt Dr Kathleen Martinez, an academic from the Dominican Republic, is leading the dig at the Taposiris Magna temple. After working there for over 14 years, Dr Martinez and her colleagues are more convinced than ever Cleopatra's tomb will be found there. Dr Martinez is seen reacting to the opening of the newly-found mummies at Taposiris Magna in the Channel 5 documentary, which will broadcast on Thursday. After an initial limestone slab is removed, she says: 'Oh my god, there are two mummies See this wonder.' Osteoarchaeologist, Dr Linda Chapon, working to conserve the two mummies found inside a sealed tomb at Taposiris Magna Experts believe Cleopatra made plans for herself and Anthony to be buried at a temple called Taposiris Magna in order to imitate the ancient myth of Isis and Osiris Cleopatra was Egypt's last pharaoh and the ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, from 51 BC to 30 BC. Cleopatra and her Roman lover Mark Anthony may have been buried at the site 2,000 years ago because of her desire to imitate an ancient prophecy, Dr Martinez believes. During her life, which ran from 69 BC to 30 BC, Cleopatra was known both as a seductress and as a captivating personality. She famously used her charms to first seduce Julius Caesar to cement Egypt's alliance with Rome, and then to seduce one of his successors, Mark Anthony. In order to fix herself and Anthony as rulers in the minds of the Egyptian people, she also worked hard to associate them with the myth of Isis and Osiris. Dr Glenn Godenho and Dr Kathleen Martinez inside Taposiris Magna temple near Alexandria in Egypt Kathleen Martinez, who is leading the dig, believes the site was strongly associated with the myth of Isis and Osiris - a myth that Cleopatra often tried to imitate during her life According to the myth, Osiris was killed and hacked into pieces that were scattered across Egypt. After finding all of the pieces and making her husband whole again, Isis was able to resurrect him for a time. Martinez believes Taposiris Magna was closely associated with the myth as the name means 'tomb of Osiris'. The inclusion of 'Osiris' could mean it was one of the places where his body was scattered in the story. The temple at Taposiris Magna. The opening of the first-ever intact tomb found at Taposiris Magna will be shown on Channel 5 this week The inside of Taposiris Magna temple, where excavation work is taking place. The temple was established between 280 and 270 BC After Mark Anthony killed himself following defeat to Octavian but before her own suicide, Cleopatra put detailed plans in place for them both to be buried there, in echoes of the myth, Dr Martinez thinks. She previously told National Geographic: 'Cleopatra negotiated with Octavian to allow her to bury Mark Antony in Egypt. 'She wanted to be buried with him because she wanted to reenact the legend of Isis and Osiris. 'The true meaning of the cult of Osiris is that it grants immortality. After their deaths, the gods would allow Cleopatra to live with Antony in another form of existence, so they would have eternal life together.' Doubts have been cast on the theory, however, as other experts believe Cleopatra was hastily buried in Alexandria itself the city from where she ruled Egypt until her death, believed to have been caused by snake venom. The Hunt for Cleopatra's Tomb will be shown on Channel 5 on Thursday 16 July at 9pm. Native Sun News Today Columnist As we look at recent events concerning public art, it is difficult to say that ART is NOT political. Of course it is! The recent visit by the current president of this country to the monument called Rushmore has made that fact abundantly clear. Though it comes as no surprise to most people who can put two sentences together, there has never in our lifetimes been such a crass, cynical , ugly and despicable display of it as we have witnessed this past week. The first thing to know about all of the sculptures on that sacred mountain, including the ridiculously false image called Crazy Horse is that we are all the victims of this kind of ART. Not everyone gets it! Elizabeth Cook-Lynn. Courtesy photo There are many ironies in these kinds of displays of ART and some know there is nothing new about Europeans coming into the North American continent to create their own art and their own story. The latest comer is a man called Trump who, like the virus that has us in its grip these days, wont go away. He courts his base, a cadre of flag waving white-man drivers of decorated pick-up trucks up Highway 44W, and he is telling them that liberal left-wing fascists are trying to overthrow the American Revolution simply because they disagree. Fireworks and fly-overs from Ellsworth Military Complex accompany this newcomers ignorant words which he uses as his way to preserve our monuments to history, not knowing much about that history. Nor does he care about or give a second glance to the Sioux Indian protesters in front of him who, having experienced the indigenous history of Americas decades of war and colonization, are hauled off to jail by the South Dakota National Guard for disturbing him. The truth is, America is no longer a new country, as it has often said to be. It is an old country inhabited by people who have wanted to create a new history. America is two hundred and forty four years old. An adult nation, one that should know better than to believe that breaking treaties and building walls is a decent way to behave among nations, if it intends to become a democratic symbol to others. America is in danger of becoming a ridiculous and irrelevant country just as DToqueville predicted. A sorry joke. For this country to truly own up to its promises, it begins with returning the Black Hills. Its time to honor the treaties. #LandBack #HonorTheTreaties https://t.co/EszIndo9wz indianz.com (@indianz) July 6, 2020 The Rushmore Monument accompanies the art called Crazy Horse, a monstrosity blasted into the Mountain since 1948 by a European sculptor Korzcak Ziolkowski. It is not the first nor is it the last of the desecrations suffered in these lands, but is an insult to every Indian in the country. Zolkowskis heirs have become the darlings of the tourist trade of the sacred Black Hills. He and Trump and countless other white-man progenitors of such arrogance show an ignorant tourist public what Indians around here call the desecration tour. The tour like much of the art by white men and women of the area represents quite obviously a failure to honor the values of Crazy Horse and his people. NATIVE SUN NEWS TODAY Support Native media! Read the rest of the story on Native Sun News Today: Art is politics Contact Elizabeth at ecooklyn@gmail.com Copyright permission Native Sun News Today Join the Conversation Florida reported an increase of 15,299 coronavirus cases in data released on Sunday the highest single-day increase of any US state since the pandemic began. The Department of Health recorded a new total of 269,811 positive cases. The death toll also rose by 45 people, making a total of 514 deaths from Covid-19 in the state this week. California previously held the record for the highest single-day increase with 11,694 cases on Wednesday. New York recorded 11,571 on 15 April at the height of the outbreak there. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez told CNN on Sunday that his countys hospitals will soon reach capacity but he said more beds can be added, including for intensive care. We still have capacity, but it does cause me a lot of concern, he said. Florida has steadily moved to reopen much of its economy in the last two months with some of Disney World's theme parks welcoming visitors on Saturday, after months of closure. Testing has doubled over the last month, going from about 25,000 tests per day to almost 50,000, but the percentage of people testing positive has risen even more dramatically. A month ago, fewer than 5% of tests came up positive on a daily average. Over the past week, the daily average exceeded 19%. Doctors said that they anticipate the death toll will rise following the increased caseload. The mortality rate usually increases two to four weeks later as some of those infected get sicker and eventually die. In the wake of the rising number of cases, health experts have expressed concerns over large gatherings in Florida. University of Florida epidemiologist Dr Cindy Prins said that the state and local health departments should ramp up their contact tracing in addition to testing. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Dr Prins said that she is still concerned about large crowds, gyms and some restaurants as being places of mass transmission. Reports of illegal clubs and raves in South Florida is also a worry, she said. The Republican National Convention's nomination party for President Trump is still scheduled for next month in Jacksonville, a city that has seen more than 12,000 confirmed cases and 76 deaths. Governor Ron DeSantis said on Saturday that additional drugs and medical staff may be flown into the state to cope with the surge in numbers, noting that caring for and treating those with the virus is very labour intensive. A shipment of the experimental drug remdesivir has arrived in Florida, according to the governor. Mr DeSantis has pledged to continue reopening the state by returning students to school next month something that president Donald Trump has consistently urged states to do as another step in reopening the country. "We know there are huge, huge costs for not providing the availability of in-person schooling," he said. "The risk of corona, fortunately, for students is incredibly low." A total of 33 states have seen their case numbers rise this week. Three states have seen their death tolls rise by more than 100 per cent in four weeks. Modelling by Nicholas Reich, a University of Massachusetts biostatician, indicates that the death toll nationwide could reach almost 150,000 by 1 August. As of 12 July, the US has more than 3.3 million confirmed cases of Covid-19, and more than 135,000 officially recorded deaths. Additional reporting by AP In a letter to Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the retail group and others said that their industries process large volumes of consumer transactions every day and that many of those transactions are paid in cash. A critical, but largely unseen, part of these businesses operations, then, is obtaining sufficient amounts of coins to be able to handle cash transactions and provide customers with change. Kid Cudi delivered a moving statement on mental health and channeling one's emotions in a collaboration with PBS's Washington D.C. station WETA and the National Alliance on Mental Illness Home for a virtual town hall event. 'When we're young, we face a lot of pressure to do things that harm us,' the 36-year-old rapper said in a clip (which People first debuted), which presented text of his statements. 'We pretend to be happy when there's a raging violent storm inside of our heart.' The Cleveland native described the battles he's fought: 'Once it was difficult for me to find the words. Anxiety and depression ruled my life for as long as I could remember. I was scared, I was sad, I felt like a damaged human swimming in a pool of emotions.' The latest: Kid Cudi, 36, delivered a moving statement on mental health and focusing on positives in a collaboration with PBS's Washington D.C. station WETA and the National Alliance on Mental Illness Home for a virtual town hall event The rapper-songwriter said he knew he 'deserved peace and to be happy,' but 'didn't know how' to put it all together.' The Pursuit of Happiness artist continued: 'It took me a while to get to this place of commitment, to say I'm gonna get through this. To know that we can take our pain and turn it into something. 'I turn my pain into music. And my music is how I am different. And my difference is my power.' Kid Cudi, whose full name is Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, has past been candid about his mental health, saying in a 2016 Facebook post that he had decided to enter a rehab facility amid feelings of turmoil and despair. Focused: The Cleveland native described the battles he's fought in his segment. He was snapped in Paris last year Sharing his truth: Kid Cudi, whose full name is Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, has past been candid about his mental health. He was snapped in LA in March 'I am not at peace,' he said. 'My anxiety and depression have ruled my life for as long as I can remember and I never leave the house because of it. I cant make new friends because of it. I dont trust anyone because of it and Im tired of being held back in my life ... Its time I fix me. I'm nervous but I'mma get through this.' The Day 'n' Nite performer again chat up about his turnaround in an interview with Billboard two years ago, declaring himself 'the best [he's] ever been in [his] life. 'I have so much joy that I don't feel like I'm fighting anymore,' he said. 'I realized I was genuinely happy, and there's nothing really going on in particular. Creating is making me happy again.' Cudi is slated to return to the forum for another town hall on Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET that is also schedule to feature stars such as Ariel Winter, Billy Porter, Bill Pullman, Sean Astin and Alanis Morissette. Cudi's latest album, a collaboration with Eminem titled The Adventures of Moon Man & Slim Shady, is out now. A giant elephant or a life-like cow that appears all of a suddenly inside a kindergarten classroom in Keralas Malappuram district has added a whole new dimension to learning for children. Shyam Vengalloor, a social science teacher at the AEM AUP School has introduced augmented reality to online classes. Using this state of the art technology, Vengalloor says he strives to impart a better education for his students. It took around two months to get it done. The online lessons were otherwise dull and needed more effort, Shyam Vengalloor told ANI. Now kindergarten children at AEM AUP School jump up in excitement as giant planets, animals and other interesting things pop up beside their teacher. Kerala: Shyam Vengalloor (pic 4), a social science teacher at a school in Malappuram has introduced augmented reality to online classes for students. He says, "It took around 2 months to get it done. The online lessons were otherwise dull and needed more effort." (12.07.2020) pic.twitter.com/rP9c2TvZQH ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2020 Looking at the success of the lessons, many schools and teachers from across Kerala have begun to seek Vengalloors help. Using green screen, Gif (graphics interchange format) images and several apps, Shyam has succeeded in creating an augmented reality for the virtual class by superimposing graphics, audio and sensory enhancements. AR technology superimposes a computer-generated image on a users view of the real world, thus providing a composite view. On June 1, Kerala commenced its academic year by launching online classes for school students by the name First Bell. The Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) released the timetable for the classes that will be carried out through KITE Victors Channel, and will be also available on YouTube. Government authorities and media outlets in Nepal are utilizing the global COVID-19 pandemic as a cover for the arbitrary arrests and denial of fundamental rights of religious minorities. Religious minority communities, including Christians, Muslims and Buddhists, in Nepal suffer increased discrimination, harassment and persecution. In October 2017, the Nepalese government passed legislation that criminalizes religious conversion which states that no one should either be involved in or encourage conversion of religion. Those arrested and found guilty in violating this law can be imprisoned for five years and fined $500 USD. Whether someone is Muslim or Christian or Hindu or Buddhist they are expected to stay that way. Anti-minority movements have since gained boldness and have ramped up persecution of Christians and Muslims at alarming speed. In response to the deteriorating situation, prominent non-profit organizations that advocate for the universal right to freedom of religion or belief have prepared a joint submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review process for Nepal. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process where the UN Human Rights Council periodically reviews he human rights records of all 193 UN Member States. The ultimate goal of the UPR is to improve human rights on the ground. The joint report, prepared by 21Wilberforce, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Jubilee Campaign, Nepal Christian Society, The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and The Intellectual Muslim Association of Nepal, cites unlawful and arbitrary harassment, restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, and the detention of religious minority communities in Nepal. While the Nepalese government might investigate these incidents, they routinely do not hold accountable the officials and security responsible for the occurrences. The report concludes with a set of recommendations for Nepal to adopt that can help secure justice and freedom of religion or belief for citizens of Nepal. Story continues Contact Details Lou Ann Sabatier +1 703-216-2941 Lsabatier@21Wilberforce.org Company Website https://21Wilberforce.org BOSTON - Gyms in Boston are welcoming back members and the iconic duck boat tours are rolling again as the city enters the third phase of its coronavirus economic restart. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/7/2020 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Signage gives visitors instructions as to capacity limits in each gallery at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass. on Sunday, July 12, 2020 as the museum opened to the general public on Sunday with strict protocols in phase three of the state's COVID-19 reopening plan. (Gillian Jones/The Berkshire Eagle via AP) BOSTON - Gyms in Boston are welcoming back members and the iconic duck boat tours are rolling again as the city enters the third phase of its coronavirus economic restart. Boston begins Phase 3 on Monday, a week after most of the rest of Massachusetts, allowing museums, movie theatres, historical sites and gyms to reopen with certain restrictions. The New England Aquarium and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are among those expected to reopen this week. Boston Duck Tours are also beginning on Monday. The company says its limiting the number of people on the duck boats so guests can socially distance and is requiring face masks for staff and guests. Pat Smith, co-founder of a South Boston gym that reopens Monday, told The Boston Globe that most of its members have said they feel safe to return to working out in person. People are ready to roll, and get back to a little bit of normalcy, said Smith of Lifted Fitness. But only if they know the place they are going is taking the right precautions and being safe about it. Boston's iconic duck boat tours started rolling again on Monday, July 13, 2020, as the city began Phase 3 of its coronavirus economic restart. Museums, movie theaters, historical sites and gyms in Boston were permitted to reopen Monday with certain restrictions, a week after most of the rest of Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) But some residents are concerned that the reopenings could set Boston back in its coronavirus recovery. I feel like once the stuff starts to reopen, just like everywhere else in the country, there will be a surge in Boston and theyll have to pull it back," Marc DAmico told WHDH-TV. A look at other coronavirus developments in Massachusetts: ___ VIRUS BY THE NUMBERS Massachusetts reported just five confirmed COVID-19-related deaths Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable deaths since the beginning of the pandemic to 8,330. There were 230 newly confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, reported Monday bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to more than 111,800 in Massachusetts since the start of the pandemic. There were 570 people reported hospitalized Monday because of COVID-19, while 89 were in intensive care units. The number of confirmed and probable COVID-19 related deaths at long-term care homes rose to 5,241 or more than 63% of all confirmed and probable deaths in Massachusetts attributed to the disease. ___ CASINO REOPENS Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. All three casinos in Massachusetts are now back in business. MGM Springfield reopened Monday morning, following the reopening of Encore Boston Harbor in Everett on Sunday. Plainridge Park Casino, a slots parlour and horse racing track in Plainville, reopened last week. The casinos, which have been shuttered for nearly four months, have reopened under strict guidelines from the states Gaming Commission. Guests are required to wear face masks and arent allowed to carry or drink beverages while moving around the casino floor. Capacity has also been capped, dining options have been limited, and bars and nightclubs remain closed. At MGM and Encore, poker, roulette and craps games also arent being offered and plastic barriers have been installed at blackjack and other table games. Slot machines have been spaced out and barriers installed at all three casinos. In addition, MGM Springfield says its hotel will remain closed for now, and Encore is conducting temperature checks on guests and employees. A day after a PREMIUM TIMES report showed that Nigerias maize importation failed to decline in two years despite farmers saying they can meet local demand, the Central Bank of Nigeria has stopped the issuance of forex for the importation of the cereal. The CBN made this known on Monday in a circular signed by O.S. Nnaji, its director, Trade and Exchange Department. The decision, according to CBN, is to boost local production of maize. As part of effort by the Central Bank of Nigeria to increase local production, stimulate a rapid economic recovery, safeguard rural livelihoods and increase job, which were lost as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic, Authorized dealers are hereby directed to discontinue the processing of Form M for the importation of maize/corn with immediate effect, CBN said in the memo. Form M is a mandatory document used by the Ministry of Finance and the CBN to monitor goods that are imported into the country as well as enable collection of import duties where applicable. The bank, however, asked the dealers to still submit the already registered forms. Accordingly, all authorized dealers are hereby requested to submit the list of Form M already registered for the importation of maize/corn using the attached format on or before the close of business on Wednesday 15, 2020, CBN said. Data obtained from the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that Nigeria imported 400,000 tons of maize in 2019 as it did in 2018. That figure, recorded separately in both years, is the second-highest maize import volume for the country since 2009. The highest was recorded in 2016 when 650,000 tons of maize was imported by the country. Since its introduction to Africa in the 1500s, maize has become one of Africas dominant food crops. Nigeria is Africas top producer of maize, followed by Tanzania, according to the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture. But the country is also a leading importer as demand for animal feed grows in the country. Nigerias annual need for maize is estimated at 15 million metric tons while the countrys local production is 10.5million tons. According to Edwin Uche, the national chairman of Maize Growers and Processors Association of Nigeria (MAGPAN), he told PREMIUM TIMES that maize farmers in Nigeria can produce enough maize needed in the country if the government supports them with more incentives. We are capable of producing the needed quantity of maize in the country if the government can place a ban on maize importation and provide us with the necessary incentives such as financial aids, loans, fertilizer among others, Mr Uche said. Also, according to Abraham Godson, a former research supervisor at IITA, Ibadan, continuous importation of agricultural commodities like maize can weaken the countrys economy. It is sad that we still import many of the agricultural produce that we produce locally. This leads to the continued depreciation of the naira and in turn weakening of the economy and our international purchasing power. More efforts should be made at changing our economy and especially the agricultural sector from a consumption-oriented to export-oriented, Mr Godson said. A new strategic policy is urgently needed to reverse this trend. It should be geared towards modernizing agriculture through supply of agricultural machinery to farmers, improved seeds, agrochemicals to farmers, and a nationwide capacity building and training for those involved in agriculture, he added. The CBN on June 23 during the flag-off of 2020 wet season maize farming in Delta State expressed its readiness to support about 200,000 maize farmers across the country to boost maize production. The plan, according to CBN, is to support maize farmers with 166,000 farming inputs that will lead to the production of a minimum of 4 tons of maize in a hectare of land. The bank said it would do more next season if farmers deliver. MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo has listed his sprawling South Australian home while his restaurant Orana remains closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 43-year-old's four-bedroom, three-bathroom rural abode in Summertown, Adelaide Hills is back on the market, with domain.com.au branding the luxurious property a 'soul-restoring retreat from the every day.' It is unclear if the listing is a direct impact of the global crisis after the Scottish celebrity chef was forced to close the doors to his upscale eatery indefinitely back in March. In exclusive pictured obtained by Daily Mail Australia, items in Jock's restaurant are seen packed up and piled into one room. Hard times: It is unclear if the listing is a direct impact of the global crisis after the celebrity chef was forced to close the doors to his upscale eatery indefinitely back [Pictured at the 2018 Good Food Guide Awards in Melbourne] Daily Mail Australia has contacted representatives for Jock and his restaurant, Orana, for further comment. Jock, who purchased the pad in 2016 according to domain.com.au, was living in style thanks to the property's spectacular, and private, views. The estate, which is situated on the 'edge of civilisation', also boasts solid brick interiors, substantial living spaces to entertain family and friends, as well as a chic conservatory to enjoy the winter sunshine. While the new owners will be in for a treat, Jock has no doubt been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. In March, he announced he was forced to close doors to his restaurant, revealing at the time that he was continuing to pay staff until the business 'runs out of money' and is unsure if they'll ever open up again. Unsure: In March, he announced he was forced to close doors to his restaurant [Pictured], revealing at the time that he was continuing to pay staff until the business 'runs out of money' Chef's dream! The kitchen in the property is a chef's dream, with plenty of space for cooking up a storm Opulent: Domain.com.au branded the luxurious property a 'soul-restoring retreat from the every day' in their listing 'We are sending our team on paid annual leave after service tonight; this will inevitably move into unpaid leave. We will, however, continue to pay our team until the bank account is drained or we can reopen our doors,' he said in a statement. 'Other than my three children, Restaurant Orana opening, surviving and thriving is what I am most proud of in my life. 'I know we have had an impact on Indigenous communities, and whether I have a restaurant at the end of this or not who knows.' Wow: The estate, which is situated on the 'edge of civilisation', also boasts solid brick interiors, substantial living spaces to entertain, as well as a conservatory to enjoy the winter sunshine Plenty of light: The home has several floor to ceiling windows Global crisis: Jock has no doubt been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic [Pictured is Jock's Orana Restaurant] All packed up: In exclusive pictured obtained by Daily Mail Australia, items from the restaurant are seen packed up and piled into one room Jock opened his restaurant Orana in Adelaide in 2013, but it wasn't an instant success. According to his Financial Times profile, the business lost a staggering $700,000 in the first year, and at one stage Jock had 23 credit cards just to 'spread the load'. After being open for a second year, the business was down $500,000, and then the year after that $157,000 down - before it eventually broke even. In more recent times the eatery has seen a big turnaround - Orana has been awarded Restaurant of the Year several times thanks to Jock's use of Australian indigenous ingredients in his cooking. Sad times: Chairs from around the restaurant have been rounded up The verdict on the disengagement worked out between India and China on June 30 is that India has lost territory. It is a setback to Indias long-standing claims in the Ladakh sector. Indias strategic community of military and intelligence professionals are coming around to the view that China has the clear upper hand now. For starters, India has to move back considerably from the perceived Line of Actual Control (LAC), which had been the de facto border ever since China captured large swathes of territory in the 1962 war. Worryingly, as multiple Indian army and intelligence sources have pointed out, the LAC is now all set to become a hot border like the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan in the Jammu & Kashmir sector. Not only has India lost territory, it now has to spend millions manning a large military formation to ensure the LAC is not pushed back even further. Such a possibility, a senior military official said, would be unthinkable had this been the LoC with Pakistan. Unfortunately, the voices heard advocating a harder line vis a vis Pakistan have quietened down while the disengagement deal by Lt. Gen. Harinder Singh, the XIV Corps Commander, and his Chinese counterpart, Maj Gen Liu Lin, head of Chinas South Xinjiang Military Region, is underway. Ground lost in Galwan Valley What has surprised many military commanders is that the Indian leadership agreed to Chinas terms. A key loss is Patrolling Point 14 (PP 14), where a major clash took place on June 15 that claimed the lives of one Indian Army officer and 19 soldiers. An indeterminate number of Chinese soldiers are believed to have been killed in the clash, but no proof of that has emerged so far. This means the Indian Army and ITBP will move considerably back in the Galwan Valley sector. A similar position has been taken at PP 17A and on the mountain ridges known as Finger 2 to 8: India will no longer be allowed to move ahead either. Effectively, China has managed to push back Indias LAC further back and taken ground that was earlier in Indias possession. In other areas such as Hot Springs and Pangong Tso lake, the confrontation continues with Indian soldiers in eye-ball-to-eyeball confrontation with the Chinese. Till a few months ago these were considered settled areas. Bilateral agreements from 1993, 1996 and 2013 protected them from any forcible change by either side. This has now happened, and India has agreed to push back its perception of the LAC without getting an opportunity to resort to the earlier bilateral agreements. An indication of things to come was evident when both countries released their official statements between Indias National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinas Special Representative and foreign minister Wang Yi on July 6. The right and wrong of what recently happened at the Galwan Valley in the western sector of the China-India boundary is very clear. China will continue firmly safeguarding our territorial sovereignty as well as peace and tranquillity in the border areas, the Chinese statement said. Indias official statement was completely silent on the Galwan Valley and only mentioned that peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas was essential. India also stated that both countries should not take any unilateral action to alter the status quo and work together to avoid any incident in the future that could disturb peace and tranquillity in border areas. But on June 19, the Chinas foreign ministry official spokesperson Zhao Lijian had explicitly stated that since May 6, India had made an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo of control and management. This, Zhao Lijian said, resulted in the clash on June 15 when 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. Clearly, the Chinese now claim that Galwan Valley, which saw bitter fighting in 1962, is now claimed and virtually held by China. Indian troops will be at least 2 km away from this area and will not even send patrols up to PP 14. This is in keeping with the Chinese position which it has explicitly stated several times publicly and on record. A new kind of war India has also been deploying all its surveillance capabilities throughout the crisis. A fleet of drones based out of Srinagar has been flying over the area when the weather permits. The Indian government is now sourcing satellite images from private players in addition to a host of Indian satellites developed and manufactured by ISRO that are keeping close watch on the Chinese withdrawal. While India has retaliated by banning 59 apps made by Chinese companies, there has been a significant rise in cyberattacks on Indian critical information infrastructure. The kind of malware Indian cybersecurity experts are gathering indicates a major step up in Chinese cyber operations. Meanwhile, Indian security officials also agree that salami slicing, a known Chinese tactic to slowly expand its territory in disputed areas, is working. The latest crisis in the Ladakh sector and the agreed upon principles of disengagement have given the Chinese more territory in Galwan Valley, Hot Springs and the ridgelines leading to the Pangong Tso lake. A similar confrontation in the Depsang Plains also continues. There is now a legitimate concern in the Indian security establishment that China has outplayed India on several fronts. Clarification Senior Indian government officials have clarified that Indian satellites have been performing optimally and there has been no problem with coverage. 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. London, July 13 : Immunity to Covid-19 in recovered patients may only last a few months, say German researchers, suggesting that coronavirus antibodies may not remain in the body for long. According to The Brussels Times, the new results reduce hope for a vaccine or collective immunity. The study showed that patients at a clinic in Munich showed a significant drop in the number of so-called neutralising antibodies in the body. "In four of our nine patients, we found a drop in neutralising antibodies in a special test that can only be carried out in a high-security laboratory," Clemens Wendtner of the hospital's infectious diseases department was quoted as saying by brusselstimes.com. "The impact on long-term immunity and vaccination strategies remains speculative but this needs to be monitored," he added. The findings suggested that recovered patients could become re-infected with coronavirus, although further tests have yet to confirm this. According to the study, the body's immune response consists of B cells, which secrete antibodies, and T cells, which are capable of recognising and killing previously detected antigens. Both are necessary for long-term immunity. Wendtner's findings are consistent with other studies around the world, the media report said. Last month, another study published in the journal Nature Medicine revealed that people who develop coronavirus-fighting antibodies might not keep them very long, especially if they didn't have symptoms. A Spanish study published this month in the journal The Lancet found that only 5 per cent of the population in Spain has developed antibodies, nowhere near the levels needed to achieve 'herd immunity'. Five people remain hospitalized a day after a Navy big-deck amphibious assault ship caught fire in San Diego, sending dozens to the hospital for heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation. Fifty-seven people, both uniformed Navy personnel and civilians, have been treated for injuries after the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard caught fire Sunday morning at Naval Base San Diego. The five who remain hospitalized are in stable condition, officials with Naval Surface Force Pacific said Monday morning. Read next: Camouflage Uniforms, Flight Suits Now Off-Limits for Marines and Sailors at the Pentagon Firefighting teams continued battling the blaze as of 6:30 a.m. local time. Late Sunday night, helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 3 began aerial firefighting operations, using a water bucket to try to quell the flames. The fire is believed to have started in a lower cargo hold in the ship known as the "Deep V," Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, told reporters Sunday night. "It's this huge open area where you store a lot of Marine equipment and everything else," he said. The fire caused at least one explosion, leading to an evacuation, Sobeck said. The cause of the explosion was not immediately known, he said, though it's believed to have been the result of a backdraft of overpressurization in one of the compartments. As of Sunday night, the risk of follow-on explosions was low, though not impossible, Sobeck said. Personnel set up temperature gauges and monitors to keep track of the fire's temperature, he said. Naval Base San Diego on Sunday announced a shelter-in-place order for everyone but first responders. Sobeck said the goal was to create an 1,800-yard safety perimeter around the ship. The National Weather Service in San Diego on Monday recommended residents keep their windows closed if the smell from the fire was strong in their area. Sobeck said Sunday night that there was nothing toxic in the smoke from the fire and that it was being closely monitored to ensure it didn't pose a hazardous risk. The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District on Monday said the level of fine particles from the fire could reach unhealthy levels in some smoke-filled areas, though. "In areas with minor smoke impacts, assume that air quality levels range from moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups," the agency's website states. "In areas where you smell smoke, it is advised that you limit physical activity. If possible, stay indoors to limit your exposure to fine particulate matter." Lawrence Brennan, a retired Navy captain and professor at Fordham University School of Law in New York, was aboard the aircraft carrier Nimitz when it suffered a fire in 1981 that killed 14. As a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps, Brennan also investigated and litigated ship fire cases. A public investigation into the fire will be necessary, he said, for the Navy to keep the public's confidence. The service must also examine other amphibs, he said, to ensure they aren't at risk of suffering similar fates. "The taxpayers and the civilian leaders all need to be convinced that the Navy knows what it's doing and is trying to avoid this," Brennan said. Sobeck said Sunday that the Navy will get the Bonhomme Richard repaired and back to sea, even as the fire raged into the night. But San Diego Fire Chief Colin Stowell told CNN on Sunday that the fire could continue for days, "down to the water line." Brennan said that could leave a great deal of steel and warping damage to the 23-year-old ship, which could make repairs expensive. The Bonhomme Richard's flight deck was upgraded in recent years to support F-35B Joint Strike Fighter vertical lift and landing flight operations. "If the flight deck, if the hangar deck is warped, can those F-35 flight operations be done?" Brennan asked. If the ship does burn down to the water line, he said the much bigger concern is the risk that the hull could give way, potentially leaving the ship to break apart and sink. "You've got to watch that because that wreck removal problem is an environmental disaster," Brennan said. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Related: 17 Sailors, 4 Civilians Injured in Fire Aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego She has a number of glamorous celebrity pals. But Rebecca Judd has revealed she once had a run-in with a Hollywood star during a holiday in Byron Bay with her family. The mother of four said the incident resulted in a photo shoot for her activewear label being cancelled. Scroll down for video Oh dear! Rebecca Judd has revealed she once got bumped from her accommodation in Byron Bay by a Hollywood superstar Bec recalled how she traveled interstate from Melbourne for a family holiday, but decided to book some locations in the area to shoot campaigns for her activewear label, Jaggad. 'We booked out this amazing place, it was an awesome location out in the hinterlands for the day and then we got bumped from the location because they'd taken this big booking,' she explained on her KIIS FM radio show, The 3PM Pick-Up, on Monday. Bec said she was told the venue had to cancel her booking as they had taken a bigger, more important one, instead. Oh dear! The mother-of-four claimed she had booked a property in the Byron Bay Hinterland and the booking had been cancelled as they had taken a bigger, more important one - Hollywood actor Matt Damon 'This place was quite pricey... and I thought, who could stay in a house like this for such a long time?' Bec said. 'So, on the plane on the way home I was talking to somebody and I said what our plans had been and he said he knew who had bumped me. 'I got bumped for Matt Damon!' Bec claimed. Despite Bec's claims, it has never been confirmed whether The Bourne Identity star was actually the person who booked the location and 'bumped' Bec. 'I got bumped for Matt Damon!' Matt is known to holiday in the area, and once rented a luxury $24,000-a-month mansion next to his pal Chris Hemsworth in 2019. Pictured: Matt with wife Luciana Barroso in 2019 Matt is known to holiday in the area, and once rented a luxury $24,000-a-month mansion next to his pal Chris Hemsworth in 2019. The Good Will Hunting actor, 49, and his wife Luciana Barroso, 44, were rumoured to be staying at the incredible five-bedroom beachfront pad until mid-April 2020. In 2018, the Damons rented a $4million Byron Bay home for four months. Matt was spotted this week on a surf trip with his family in Malibu. KNOXVILLE, Tenn., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The graduate supply chain program in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Haslam College of Business is ranked second among programs in North America, according to a report from a leading industry research organization. Gartner Inc. periodically assesses the top supply chain programs in the country, based on such factors as program scope, industry value and program size. In 2020, Gartner measured 67 universities in the United States and Canada through surveys and interviews of industry professionals and academics. Supply chain programs around the country consider Gartner's evaluation the premier ranking of its kind. This year's No. 2 ranking places UT's program ahead of such peer institutions as Michigan State University, Georgia Tech, Arizona State University and MIT. Additionally, the undergraduate supply chain management program is ranked No. 6 in the current report. "These ranking are an affirmation of the quality of the supply chain management program's offerings," Stephen L. Mangum, dean and Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair at Haslam, said. "Through our faculty's dedication and leadership and our students' skills and applied knowledge, we are aiding companies across the U.S. in designing the supply chain of the future." According to Gartner, the current average starting salary for a graduate with a supply chain management MBA is $91,949, while Haslam's is $101,273. Haslam has more than 1,200 supply chain management students, making it one of Gartner's program size leaders. Also, supply chain management was the No. 1 major at UT based on number of degrees granted in 2017, 2018 and 2019. "Over the past 15 years, our department has been developing a broad, integrated supply chain curriculum that provides students with a solid, results-oriented grounding in the field," Chad Autry, FedEx Endowed Professor of Supply Chain Management and head of the department of supply chain management, said. "These rankings demonstrate that we continue to approach that goal, and the program is providing value to both our students and the firms that hire them." Gartner's reports also indicate that integrated supply chain management, project management and process improvement and strategy and change management are becoming more prevalent subjects while technology, analytics and manufacturing are being deemphasized in program curricula. UT provides a broad spectrum of supply chain programs, including the Executive MBA for Global Supply Chain, the full-time MBA with a supply chain management concentration, the MS in Supply Chain Management Online and the undergraduate supply chain management program. These offer wide-ranging curricula that familiarize students with the most current practices in supply chain. "Through our program, students become knowledgeable in all areas of contemporary supply chain management and proficient in their chosen areas of specialization," Ted Stank, Harry J. and Vivienne R. Bruce Chair of Excellence in Business in the department of supply chain management and faculty director of UT's Global Supply Chain Institute, said. "Organizations know when hiring our students that they will immediately begin to contribute in their workplace, and that makes our program extremely competitive." The supply chain programs at Haslam are consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally by Gartner, U.S. News and World Report, SCM World and Supply Chain Management Review. SOURCE University of Tennessee, Haslam College of Business Related Links haslam.utk.edu The Ministry of Health has announced that all travellers arriving into Bahrain International Airport from 12:00 am on July 21st will be required to shoulder the cost of mandatory Covid-19 tests, a total of BD60 ($158), said a Bahrain News Agency report. Under the decision, travellers arriving in Bahrain will first be tested on payment of BD30. Cash and electronic payments will be accepted with the option for travellers to pay in advance through the BeAware Bahrain mobile application to ease proceedings. This decision does not extend to cabin crew, diplomatic or other official travellers and those arriving from medical travel. Additionally, transit passengers will not be required to test for Covid-19 or quarantine. The Civil Aviation Authorities will coordinate with Bahrain International Airport and airlines on this matter, the Ministry added. Travellers who test negative are required to self-isolate for a period of 10 days and test again at the end of their quarantine period. Exit swabs will cost an additional BD30, to be incurred by travellers and paid for through the app or at the testing center. In this regard, all self-isolating cases are mandated to register on the BeAware application, the report said. The Ministry undelined that citizens intending to travel abroad must understand the entry procedures and requirements in place at their chosen destination. They must also sign a declaration form either through the BeAware Bahrain app or handwritten prior to departure, agreeing to bear any medical costs incurred while abroad as well as mandatory Covid-19 testing, at their own cost, and 10-day self-isolation upon return to Bahrain, it said. The US space agency NASA recently revealed the details of its VERITAS mission to Venus which is aimed to explore the deep truths of Earths mysterious twin. Venus is the second planet from the Sun and it is very similar in size and structure to Earth. While the researchers informed that the twin planet even appeared at the same time as Earth, they also said that the rocky planet is different in almost every other way. In a bid to understand how the sister planets evolved so differently, NASA proposed mission VERITAS. According to a press note, the mission will help the scientists understand the internal geodynamics that shaped Venus. Further, the researchers believe that the mission could lend insights into Earths evolution as well. READ: Citizen Scientists Helped NASA Find Brown Dwarfs From NASAs NEOWISE Satellite NASA plans to launch the VERITAS project in 2026 in collaboration with the French Space Agency, Germany Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The mission will orbit the planet and create 3D maps with the help of a high-tech radar system. It further will also measure Venus gravitational field in order to determine the planets interior. With the help of a near-infrared spectrometer, VERITAS will help figure out what the planets surface is made of. While calling Venus the cosmic gift on an accident, Suzanne Smrekar, principal investigator of VERITAS at JPL, said, You have these two planetary bodies - Earth and Venus - that started out nearly the same but have gone down two completely different evolutionary paths, but we don't know why. READ: NASA Invites People To Participate Remotely In Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Launch 1st maps of Venus surface composition As per the press release, the US Space Agency aims to learn more about the geological processes on Venus. The researchers believe that with the high resolution 3D topographic maps VERITAS would bring into focus structures that have previously been too small to resolve. Additionally, the mission would study vast deformation structures called tessera and VERITAS would also construct the first global multispectral maps of Venus surface composition. Smrekar said, To unwrap the mysteries of Venus we have to look under the hood at Venus' interior; it is the engine for global geologic and atmospheric evolution. She further added, "Are Venus and Earth fundamentally unique worlds? Or are the differences between these 'twins' only cosmetic? Answering this question is key to understanding what makes other rocky planets habitable and, ultimately, emerge with life. (Image: NASA/Website) READ: NASA Sends Its Mars Curiosity Rover On A 'summer Road Trip' To Mount Sharp READ: Could NASA's Revolutionary Device On Perseverance Rover Find Traces Of Life On Mars? Actor Alia Bhatts sister, writer Shaheen Bhatt, has said that she will expose and report any person who sends her inappropriate messages on social media. I will use all legal recourse available to me to take action, she wrote. Taking to Instagram stories, Shaheen shared screengrabs of the sort of hateful messages she has been receiving, and wrote, A country where rather than being raised on empathy, most people are raised with the explicit permission to hate. A country where a woman is either your mother, your sister, your wife or a wh**e. A country where not just men, but women feel like the worst thing you can call another woman is a sl*t. Because what better way to render a woman powerless than to make her ashamed of being a woman. Ashamed of being herself. Because if she werent a woman would she still be debased, humiliated and threatened with violence and violation every day? Would she so casually be robbed of her security and sense of agency? You see. Its genius. You abuse her. Yet, you try to convince her the problem is her. Not you. Shaheens post comes a day after a Vadodara man was arrested for recording a rape threat on video, targeted at a female comedian. She also shared statistics about rape in India, and reproduced a quote by comedian Hannah Gadsby. Shaheen continued, I wondered for days whether or not this was something I should address. I debated whether it was worth the effort it would take because ugh, why waste time and even 1% of mental processor power on this. But then I realised, if I believe that the world should be a place in which women can feel safe and exist without being constantly threatened, sexualised or subjected sexist/misogynistic slurs with the sole intent to humiliate them - if I believe women should be treated like HUMANS. Then thats a world I have to help create. And in order to create that world I have to draw boundaries in my own life and pursue action no matter how annoying or time consuming or downright sad it is. Also read: Shubham Mishra arrested over rape threats to comedian, Pooja Bhatt, Swara Bhasker laud Vadodara Police Addressing her harassers directly, she wrote, So, I speak now to those of you who think its okay to send me or anyone messages full of hate: If you send me a message with the sole hope (I say hope because I promise you -nothing you say is keeping me up at night) of humiliating, insulting, or bullying me, then the following things will happen: - The messages or comments will first be blocked and reported to Instagram directly. - You will forfeit the right to your privacy. I will NOT protect your identity. Every sh**ty message you send me will - should I choose to - go up for everyone to see. Abusers are emboldened by their anonymity. I will not help hide you. - I WILL use all legal recourse available to me to take action. If you think you cant be located because your account is anonymous, please think again - IP addresses are easily trackable. You are not invisible. Harassment is a crime. Addressing Instagram, she wrote, To Instagram- you have zero tolerance policies for a lot of the content that people put up on your platform - I think its fair to say that misogynistic slurs, intended to subdue and oppress *should* fall under the umbrella of your zero tolerance community guidelines. But if you dont want to receive abusive message turn off your message requests `Tired of being called a b*tch in your comments? Turn off your comments. Asking me to change the way I use a platform because of someone elses hatred and misogyny is the equivalent of telling me that if I go out at night and get assaulted I was asking for it. I should not have to change the way I use a platform if someone is being abusive. They should. Full stop. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Kate Groetzinger, a Report for America corps member in KUERs Southeast Utah Bureau, interviews a Pueblo dancer at Bears Ears Summer Gathering at Bears Ears National Monument last summer. Report for America provides a unique opportunity for newsrooms to bring journalists on staff at a time when the need for local, trusted news is more important than ever, said Norman Parish, director of recruitment for Report for America. Report for America announced today that applications are now open for news organizations interested in hosting more than 300 emerging journalists in their newsrooms for up to three years, beginning next June. Report for America is a national service program that places talented journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. The program recruits journalists and pays half the salary, up to $20,000. The other half is split between the host news organization and local donors. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Report for America provides a unique opportunity for newsrooms to bring journalists on staff at a time when the need for local, trusted news is more important than ever, said Norman Parish, director of recruitment for Report for America. Through our support, news organizations are better positioned to cover the issues that matter most within their own communities. The application deadline is September 30, 2020, and newsrooms will be publicly announced in December. Attentive to the budgeting and fundraising needs of some newsrooms, an early decision will be made for those who apply by Aug. 31. More information about how the program works can be found here. All local news organizationsnonprofit or commercialare eligible to apply. The application asks newsrooms to identify specific gaps in coverage in the community, drawing attention to under-covered communities or issues. It also requires applicants to craft a beat that would seek to address those gaps. Newsrooms are encouraged to consider sponsoring multiple journalists. Currently, Report for America has 225 corps members at more than 160 local news organizations in 46 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. These include daily and weekly newspapers, digital-only news outlets, radio and television stations. Next year, the initiative aims to place 350 emerging journalists with local newsrooms in every state. The reporters are chosen after a rigorous national competition. Some 1,800 applied this past year for a few hundred open slots. Corps members already in the program are award-winning, multi-talented journalists who reflect the diverse communities they serve. Forty-two percent of the corps are journalists of color and 70 percent are women. Theyre tackling some of the most important issues facing Americans today, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, health care, education, minority and immigration issues, economic development, elections and local government. The effort is part of a larger goal of Report for America to reinvent local journalism by creating a sustainable system that provides Americans with the information they need to improve their communities, hold powerful institutions accountable, and rebuild trust in the media. Reporters in the program have already had a big impact on communities, newsrooms say. "If you're in the newsroom and you're looking around like I did and seeing empty desks where reporters used to sit, apply to be a host newsroom with Report for America," said Ken Ward Jr., co-founder of Mountain State Spotlight, a West Virginia start-up. Its the best way to get boots on the ground to go out and report for your community. Report for America plans to hold online information sessions with newsrooms and partner organizations throughout the application period. To begin the application process or to learn more information, news organizations can visit http://www.reportforamerica.org or send an email to: info@reportforamerica.org. About Report for America: Report for America is a national service program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities. Launched in 2017 and donor-financed, Report for America is creating a new, sustainable system that provides Americans with the information they need to improve their communities, hold powerful institutions accountable, and rebuild trust in the media. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. GroundTruth is an award-winning nonprofit media organization with an established track record of training and supporting teams of emerging journalists around the world and in the U.S. While David X. Sullivan and U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes may not agree on much, Sullivan the endorsed Republican challenging Hayes for her seat has called for an investigation and action into alleged discrimination against Hayes on Capitol Hill. Hayes, in an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media, said she has experienced racism in Washington, D.C., and that her husband, a police officer in Waterbury, has witnessed discriminatory policing there. In D.C., she said she has been stopped repeatedly by the same Capitol Police officer, asking for her identification every time she entered the U.S. Capitol Complex even eight months after she began work as a member of Congress. Like all Americans, she and her family deserve respect and the rights and privileges protected by the U.S. Constitution, Sullivan said. I will not stand idly by while she suffers from racist and abusive discriminatory policing. As Congress debates a reform bill named for George Floyd, whose death has sparked more than 40 days of protests across the country as well as calls to defund police, Sullivan, who spent 30 years as a federal prosecutor in Connecticut, said he supports some reforms because no country is perfect. Sullivan filed paperwork to challenge Hayes his first run for elected office three days after he retired in 2019. Democrats and Republicans agree on 75 percent of criminal justice reform issues, he said. On the use of body cameras, for example, support is nearly unanimous. Sullivan, a New Fairfield resident who was born and raised in Danbury, said he supports a national database for use-of-force incidents, so that officers who are regularly involved in using excess force wont be easily able to seek employment at other departments. And he said he supports increased accountability and transparency for civilian complaints of officers. He did not say whether that includes subpoena power for an independent review board, a hot-button issue that has been proposed in the Connecticut General Assembly, as well as the U.S. House bill. Hayes recently voted in favor of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which among other things, would grant subpoena power to the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and create a grant program for state attorneys general to develop authority to conduct independent investigations into problematic police departments. The bill would also remove qualified immunity for police officers, which Sullivan said he does not support. Hayes did not return an emailed request for comment on her support for those specific provisions in the legislation. Qualified immunity should be reformed, Sullivan said, adding that without qualified immunity which protects officers from civil lawsuits in most cases he fears a chilling effect on officers, who would be unwilling to do their job for fear of being sued civilly. Law enforcement officers have to have some degree of protection from civil lawsuits, he said. I think the standard can be revised, but you cant get rid of qualified immunity, Sullivan said. I think the standard right now is something along the lines that you have to demonstrate that an officer engaged in a willful disregard of someones civil rights, and I know theres discussions about perhaps a reckless disregard standard or a gross negligence standard. So I think thats open to discussion, and I think discussion is really important among all the people, whether it be members of Congress, members of the state legislature, members of the community and certainly our law enforcement community. Sullivan said he believes police should receive more funding for training, and does not support reducing the number of officers in towns and cities in favor of other first responders a centerpiece of the defund police movement. He believes departments need more funding for training and to revise best practices for emergency response. Sullivan criticized the protests and efforts to remove statues of racist historical figures, calling it a mob. On the beheading of a Christopher Columbus statue in Waterbury over the July 4 holiday weekend, Sullivan said he hopes that the individuals responsible are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Theres a lot ot talk about and right now, were not getting that done with the desecration or destruction of statues, he said. The looting, the riots, the shootings, the killings. The rule of the mob should not drive the discussion, because there is no discussion. Its a soliloquy. Theyre going to tell us how were going to do things. kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt The first execution in the United States of a federal prisoner in more than 17 years was due to take place later on Monday, the culmination of an effort by the Trump administration to revive the US government's use of a punishment long mired in legal challenges. Unless a federal court orders a delay, the US Department of Justice plans to execute Daniel Lewis Lee using lethal injection, for his role in the murders of three members of an Arkansas family, including an eight-year-old child, in 1996. Daniel Lewis Lee may be the first federal prisoner executed in the US in 17 years. Credit:AP The execution of Lee is due to take place at the Justice Department's execution chamber at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. Some relatives of Lee's victims opposed him receiving the death sentence while his accomplice in the murders, Chevie Kehoe, was sentenced to life in prison. Efforts to resume capital punishment at the federal level were under way within a few months of President Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017, ending a de facto moratorium that began under his predecessor, Barack Obama, while long-running legal challenges to lethal injections played out in federal courts. 'My thoughts go to Istanbul. I think of Santa Sophia and I am very pained,' the Pope said during his weekly blessing in St. Peters Square Vatican City: Pope Francis said on Sunday he was hurt by Turkeys decision to make Istanbuls Hagia Sophia museum a mosque, the latest religious leader to condemn the move. My thoughts go to Istanbul. I think of Santa Sophia and I am very pained, he said during his weekly blessing in St. Peters Square. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said the first prayers would be held in Hagia Sophia on July 24, after declaring the ancient monument was once again a mosque following a court ruling revoking its status as a museum. The World Council of Churches has called on Erdogan to reverse his decision and Patriarch Bartholomew, the Istanbul-based spiritual leader of the worlds Orthodox Christians, called it disappointing. Erdogan said the nearly 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia, which was once a Christian cathedral, would remain open to Muslims, Christians and foreigners. He added that Turkey had exercised its sovereign right in converting it to a mosque and would interpret criticism of the move as an attack on its independence. Greece has condemned the move and UNESCO said its World Heritage Committee would review Hagia Sophias status and that Turkeys decision raised questions about the impact on its universal value as a site of importance transcending borders and generations. As the second quarter has seen widespread shut-down measures ordered by the government to curb the spread of the coronavirus, expectations for the quarters earnings are dismal across all sectors. Total Q2 earnings for S&P 500 companies are currently expected to decline 44.8% on 10.7% lower revenues (read more: What Will Q2 Bank Earnings Reveal?). Demand contraction due to widespread travel restrictions, supply shortages and deferred discretionary spending most likely impacted airlines, lodging and cruise operators. In fact, by mid-April, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at the airport saw only 5% of passenger levels compared to the year-ago period. Meanwhile, carmakers, electronic goods makers and chemical companies were exposed to supply chain interruptions. And these companies owe a lot to creditors, which surely made banks more susceptible to risks in the said quarter. However, many businesses were able to avoid loan defaults in the second quarter by participating in the Paycheck Protection Program, which will reflect on their quarterly net interest income. The unemployment benefits provided by the government might have also to some extent reduced consumer debt. Notably, banks loan forbearances and deferred payments due to the pandemic have stretched the credit cycle beyond the second quarter. So, the impact of defaults, if any, wont get much reflected on second-quarter results. Nonetheless, total Q2 earnings for the Zacks Major Banks industry, including JPMorgan, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other major industry players are expected to fall 65.1% from the same period last year on 2.1% lower revenues. Meanwhile, coronavirus roiled energy markets in the second quarter. Record-low demand for oil and gas, and massive asset write-downs have deeply impacted energy players, with many analysts expecting the industry to never return to its pre-crisis level. Story continues The sectors that stands out for having a lower earnings decline expectation compared to other sectors are technology, healthcare and utility. In case of tech, investors saw these companies gaining immensely from secular trends like cloud computing and robust telecommunications infrastructure demand for which skyrocketed amid the health crisis. Chief executive officer at DigitalOcean, a cloud infrastructure company, Yancey Spruill said that the clear winners are enterprise technology companies whose infrastructure or software supports the shift to remote work environments and deliver services to customers in a low-friction manner through an internet-based interface. Further, with majority of the population trapped at home with an Internet connection, trends like streaming media, video chats with friends and online connections with co-workers have picked up. These trends, in turn, have bolstered the need for newer technologies. Healthcare and utility stocks are also best positioned to trounce Wall Street expectations as investors pulled money out of cyclical sectors and invested in defensive stocks to protect their portfolio from market gyrations amid the pandemic. Health has no doubt been a priority and consumers continued to avail healthcare products and services in such trying times. Not many people will be willing to live without electricity, gas and water, so the demand for utility products remained intact as well. 5 Stocks to Buy in Coronavirus-Battered Q2 Earnings Season It will be prudent to invest in companies from the aforesaid sectors, which are expected to have suffered less compared to others. Whats more, such stocks flaunt a positive Earnings ESP our proprietary methodology for determining stocks that have the best chance to surprise with their next earnings announcement. It provides the percentage difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate. At the same time, these stocks flaunt a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Etsy, Inc. ETSY offers e-commerce services. It provides online and offline marketplaces to buy and sell goods. The Zacks Rank #1 company is expected to report earnings results for the quarter ending June 2020 on Aug 6. Etsy has an Earnings ESP of +23.66%. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 46.1%. TMobile US, Inc. TMUS is a national wireless service provider. The Zacks Rank #1 company is expected to report earnings results for the quarter ending June 2020 on Jul 23. TMobile has an Earnings ESP of +30.89%. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the next year is 42.1%. Anthem, Inc. ANTM offers a spectrum of network-based managed care health benefit plans to large and small group, individual, Medicaid, and Medicare markets. The Zacks Rank #2 company is expected to report earnings results for the quarter ending June 2020 on Jul 29. Anthem has an Earnings ESP of +7.61%. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 15.1%. Novavax, Inc. NVAX is a biotechnology company engaged in the development of innovative vaccines to prevent serious infectious diseases. The Zacks Rank #2 company is expected to report earnings results for the quarter ending June 2020 on Aug 5. Novavax has an Earnings ESP of +297.56%. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current quarter is 120.4%. Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. SWX purchases, distributes, and transports natural gas in Arizona, Nevada, and California. The company operates in two segments, Natural Gas Operations and Utility Infrastructure Services. The Zacks Rank #2 company is expected to report earnings results for the quarter ending June 2020 on Aug 4. Southwest Gas has an Earnings ESP of +41.77%. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current quarter is 30%. Today's Best Stocks from Zacks Would you like to see the updated picks from our best market-beating strategies? From 2017 through 2019, while the S&P 500 gained and impressive +53.6%, five of our strategies returned +65.8%, +97.1%, +118.0%, +175.7% and even +186.7%. This outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. From 2000 2019, while the S&P averaged +6.0% per year, our top strategies averaged up to +54.7% per year. See their latest picks free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Southwest Gas Corporation (SWX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Novavax, Inc. (NVAX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Anthem, Inc. (ANTM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Etsy, Inc. (ETSY) : Free Stock Analysis Report TMobile US, Inc. (TMUS) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Google said on Monday that it has partnered with CBSE, an Indian government body that oversees education in private and public schools in the country, to deliver by the end of this year a "blended learning experience" across 22,000 schools in the world's second largest internet market. The Search giant, which today also announced plans to invest $10 billion in India over the course of five to seven years, said it will train more than 1 million teachers in India this year and offer a range of free tools such as G Suite for Education, Google Classroom and YouTube to help digitize the education experience in the nation, which like other countries, closed schools earlier this year to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Google said it sees three challenges in the education system in India: Quality of digital content in Indian languages, teacher readiness to use digital tools and access to devices and the internet. "We must acknowledge that not everyone has access to internet," said Sapna Chadha, senior marketing director at Google India and Southeast Asia, at an online event Monday. She said the company is working with partners to address the aforementioned challenges and reach even those students who don't have access to internet by using TV and radio and other mediums. In recent months Google has provided free education tools such as Google Meet and Google Classroom to a range of schools in India including Podar, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Nehru World and GD Goenka, she said. Google's Monday announcement follows a similar effort from its global rival Facebook, which partnered with CBSE earlier this month to launch a certified curriculum on digital safety and online well-being and augmented reality for students and educators in the country. The Android-maker also announced a new grant of $1 million to Kaivalya Education Foundation (KEF), a foundation in India that works with partners to provide underprivileged children with education opportunities, from Google.org, Google's philanthropic arm. Story continues "Using these funds, Kaivalya Education Foundation will work with the Central Square Foundation and TeacherApp to train 700,000 teachers to deliver virtual education for vulnerable students so that they can continue learning at home," said Chadha. Separately, Google said it had also partnered with state-run Prasar Bharati, India's largest public broadcasting agency, to launch an edutainment series to help business owners tackle the evolving challenges of COVID-19 with online tools, learn from other companies and plan for the long-term future. The Android-maker also announced that Bolo, an education app it launched in India last year that helps students develop reading and comprehension skills, is expanding to 180 countries in nine languages under Read Along brand. The company first unveiled its plan to expand Read Along worldwide in May. For the first time, physicians can examine the systemic burden of inflammatory arthritis simultaneously across all joints and organ systems, using the high-sensitivity, high-resolution uEXPLORER total-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography (TB-PET/CT) scanner. Results of the first in-human TB-PET/CT scans conducted in the arthritic population were presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting. Inflammatory arthritic conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis, are considered systemic disorders, affecting the whole body. Yet current evaluation--mostly via anatomical imaging, such as x-ray or CT imaging--is conducted for only a few joints of the body, such as those of the wrist and hand. In the past, 18F-FDG PET scans have been used infrequently in this population due to spatial resolution and sensitivity limitations as well as radiation dose concerns. The total-body coverage, high resolution and high sensitivity of the TB-PET/CT scanner, however, offers new imaging options for inflammatory arthritis. In our research, we sought to examine the feasibility of assessing glucose metabolism both in normal and diseased joint tissues across the body as a means for quantifying systemic inflammatory burden for these conditions." Yasser Abdelhafez, MBBCh, MSc, MD, FEBNM, a postdoctoral researcher in Abhijit Chaudhari's laboratory at the University of California, Davis, in Sacramento, California The ongoing, prospective study enrolled 14 participants with established rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis or osteoarthritis who underwent a single-timepoint TB-PET/CT scan for 20 minutes. The participants received an injection of 75.5 MBq of 18F-FDG, which is approximately 20 percent of the conventional 18F-FDG dose. Qualitative findings and different patterns for the three conditions were analyzed. Participants with rheumatoid arthritis showed multiple, rather symmetric joint involvement, most commonly in the hands; joints of the feet appeared to be less frequently affected. Other notable features of this group included radiotracer uptake patterns consistent with inflammation of the joint synovium. All participants with psoriatic arthritis had positive findings in large joints and demonstrated multiple sites of enthesitis (inflammation where a tendon or ligament attached to a bone), which affected the tendons of the hand and fingers, including the nail beds. Osteoarthritic participants showed unilateral enhanced FDG uptake in at least one large joint (shoulder, elbow or knee), and occasionally in a few small joints of the hand and feet and the quadriceps femoris tendon. "Systemic joint evaluation of patients with inflammatory arthritis is indeed feasible with this TB-PET/CT scanner, and feasible with low radiation dose," stated Abdelhafez. "The evaluation of arthritic disease activity at all joints of the body could have direct implications for disease staging, risk stratification, treatment selection and monitoring of treatment response. Furthermore, the impact of arthritis on other tissues of the body can be studied to better understand systemic disease burden." He continued, "Total-body molecular imaging could provide currently unavailable, systemic, objective biomarkers that could help address the significant clinical challenges in managing inflammatory arthritic populations. These biomarkers may also have clear potential to accelerate arthritic drug discovery and development." Michigan reported 384 more confirmed cases of coronavirus and seven new COVID-19 deaths on Monday, July 13. Although Mondays number was lower than the 653 new cases reported Saturday, the seven-day averages for new cases and deaths is continuing to trend upward, as are the number of hospitalizations. In total, Michigan has reported 69,722 confirmed cases and 6,075 deaths linked to COVID-19 over the course of four months. Health officials recommend looking at seven-day moving averages to evaluate data trends during the pandemic. The state is averaging 495 new cases, the highest seven-day average since May 21, and 14 new deaths per day, the highest since June 12. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. As of Monday, July 13, the states hospital systems were treating 388 coronavirus patients, up from 363 on Friday, July 10. There are currently 113 on ventilators, up from 92 on Friday. About 74% of in-patient hospital beds were reported occupied in total, which is unchanged from Friday. Browser does not support frames. Thirty-three of Michigans 83 counties reported no new cases on Monday. Wayne County had the most new cases in Mondays report with 80, followed by Oakland (50), Macomb (43), Kent (35), Washtenaw (20), Saginaw (13), Berrien (13), Ingham (12), Muskegon (10) and Monroe (9). Heres a look at the five Michigan counties with the most confirmed cases. 1. Wayne County: 24,076 cases (2,759 deaths) 2. Oakland County: 12,752 cases (1,108 deaths) 3. Macomb County: 7,877 cases (928 deaths) 4. Kent County: 5,885 cases (144 deaths) 5. Genesee County: 2,916 cases (291 deaths) Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Of the 22,215 tests processed on Saturday, 698 -- or 3.14% -- came back positive for COVID-19. The Detroit and northern Lower Peninsula regions were the only areas with positive test rates above 3%. 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. 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: Whitmer orders mask use in Michigan, violators could be fined up to $500 Michigan at tipping point in fight against coronavirus Seeing beefed up prices at Michigan grocery stores and restaurants? Heres why Lottie Tomlinson has discussed the tragic deaths of her mother and sister and how she has 'got to a good point' with her grief after undergoing counselling. Lottie, 21 -who is the sister of One Direction star Louis - and her family, lost their mother Johannah Deakin in December 2016 aged 43, following a battle with leukaemia. In March 2019, the family suffered further devastation when sister Felicite Tomlinson died accidentally, aged just 18, from an overdose of cocaine, anxiety drug Xanax and painkillers. Brave: Lottie Tomlinson has discussed the tragic deaths of her mother and sister and how she has 'got to a good place' with her grief after undergoing counselling Appearing on Monday's episode of Lorraine, the social media sensation, who is a new ambassador for bereavement support charity Sue Ryder, revealed therapy after Felicite's death helped her with the grieving process. Discussing her mother's death in 2016, she said: 'It was really fast. That made it harder. We didn't have time to get our head around things and process it. She was the best. 'She made her whole life about us and did everything for us. She was the sweetest, kindest woman. Lorraine asked: 'And then three years later, your poor sister. Has you learned anything that helped you?' Lottie said: 'I feel like I was able to deal with it a lot better with my sister. I had picked up a few coping mechanisms. Much missed: Lottie, 21 -who is the sister of One Direction star Louis - and her family, lost their mother Johannah Deakin in December 2016 aged 43, following a battle with leukaemia (pictured 2015) Tragic loss: In March 2019, the family suffered further devastation when sister Felicite Tomlinson died accidentally, aged just 18, from an overdose of cocaine, an anxiety drug and painkillers 'I got extra help when my sister died than when my mum died. I want people to know that you can get help. It does really help with the grieving process when you go and speak to someone. 'A lot of people try and deal with it themselves but I think it's important that you don't go through it alone. Lottie said the support from Louis' fans as well as Sue Ryder had enabled her to manage her grief. She said: 'They [fans] have always been so kind to us. It's like an extended family and having them supporting us really helped. 'It's amazing what Sue Ryder does, you can get six online sessions with a professional counsellor and peer to peer support. It's amazing what they can do. Discussing her mother's death in 2016, she said: 'It was really fast. That made it harder. We didn't have time to get our head around things and process it. She was the best' 'They've got such a different perspective on things. You can divulge about yourself. 'Having not had therapy when my mum died compared to when my sister died, it was such a different kind of grief. I look back and think, I should have just done it the first time. It was a longer and more painful process than it was when my sister died. 'I feel really good. I feel I've got to a good point with my grief and just to be able to pass that onto people really helps me with my grief.' Lottie also praised big brother Louis for being 'supportive.' She added: 'Grieving in lockdown is so hard and a lot of people are losing people at the moment. Being able to let people know about Sue Ryder's services, it's a really important time right now. As her ambassadorial role was announced, she said: 'I want to try and help people because grief can be such a scary thing. 'You need to keep talking about it otherwise you get lost in your feelings and that can send you into a really dark place. 'I can't imagine how hard it's been for people grieving during lockdown and that's why I really want to spread the word about Sue Ryder's free video counselling. It is so important to keep people talking about their grief so they don't spiral. 'I also want to help to guide people when it comes to supporting someone that is grieving because I think so many people don't know what to say or how to act. One of the hardest things for me was people not bringing it up, it makes it even harder because you've lost that person and it feels like they're fading away.' As well as Louis, 28, and Lottie, Johannah was also mother to twins Daisy and Phoebe, and twins Ernest and Doris, aged just two when she passed away. She was also grandmother to Louis' son Freddie, now four. Family: 'Having not had therapy when my mum died compared to when my sister died, it was such a different kind of grief. I look back and think, I should have just done it the first time' (above Johannah - front left and Felicite - middle back row) Day after her death, Louis performed at the X Factor final as a tribute to his late mother. He performed his debut single Just Hold On a dance floor track with DJ Steve Aoki. The statement released to MailOnline following Johannah's death read: 'It is with immeasurable sadness that Johannah Deakin's family said goodbye to Johannah in the early hours of Wednesday 7th December 2016. 'Earlier this year Johannah was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of leukaemia that required immediate and continuous treatment. We respectfully request that the family are given time and space to grieve in private.' Two years later Felicite was found collapsed and lifeless at her fourth-floor studio apartment in Earls Court, west London. Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said at an inquest afterwards: 'It was a perfect storm, the OxyCodone, the alpraxolam [Xanax] and cocaine. I find no evidence this was a deliberate act to end her life.' After hearing she had turned to drugs following the tragic death of her mother, the coroner recorded a misadventure verdict. Devastated: Felicite was found collapsed and lifeless at her fourth-floor studio apartment in Earls Court, west London in March 2019 A tribute by her and Louis' father Mark Tomlinson was read out at Westminster Coroner's Court. He said she 'was a much loved daughter and sister' and had from an early age 'established herself as mischievous and wonderful with children.' He added: 'She had huge hopes and aspirations for her future, a lot of which were beginning to come to fruition at her untimely passing. She is missed by all who knew and loved her.' At the time of Felicite's death, friends of Louis said he was left 'devastated and distraught'. New role: Lottie is a new ambassador for charity Sue Ryder (pictured above with the charity's 'don't grieve alone' mural) A family source said at the time: 'Felicite was an absolutely adored young woman who was loved by Louis and her whole family. She was a loveable, caring, bright, passionate, popular and beautiful young lady.' Shortly after her death, her sister Phoebe posted online: 'Words don't even begin to describe how shocked and broken hearted we all are. You were my best friend, sister, motivator and person that could make me laugh until I cried.' Another sister, Daisy, added: 'It was only a few weeks ago that we were sat on the sofa bed at 3am drinking tea, eating French fries and chatting about the future. You told me about all your plans. We were excited. 'I pushed you away when you tried cuddling me, I thought I would have so many more chances to do that. I would cuddle you a million times over if you were still here, with me. Protecting me from this cruel world.' For confidential support in the UK 24 hours a day 365 days a year, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org For bereavement resources including practical and emotional advice to encourage conversations about grief, visit sueryder.org/copingwithgrief. S adiq Khan has accused Boris Johnson of pulling up the drawbridge with post-Brexit immigration rules that could bar social care staff from moving to the UK. The Mayor of London hit out at ministers after details of a new health and care visa were announced on Monday. The measures wil allow key health professionals to work in the UK post-Brexit, but exclude social care staff. The new points-based immigration system is designed to cut the number of low-skilled migrants entering Britain when the Brexit transition period ends January 2021. But healthcare chiefs, charities and unions have rounded on the plans for leaving out lowly-paid NHS cleaners, porters and support staff, who have been on the front line of Britain's coronavirus crisis. Mr Khan said he had serious concerns that the new rules could damage the capitals economic recovery, causing difficulties for sectors including social care. Social care staff have been on the front line of the coronavirus crisis / PA Undermining these sectors will make it even harder to look after our elderly relatives and resolve the ongoing pressures within our NHS and social care system, he said. Instead of recognising the hugely positive impact that immigration has had on London and the UKs economy and communities, the Government is pulling up the drawbridge to much of the talent we continue to need as a city and a country. Experts at Oxford Universitys Migration Observatory warned that critically, only a relatively narrow range of skilled professionals are actually eligible under the new system and it does not cover a very large share of care workers. People who want to live and work in the UK will need to gain 70 points to be eligible to apply for a visa. Boris Johnson is under pressure to include social care staff in the new rules / PA Points will be awarded for key requirements such as being able to speak English to a certain level, having a job offer from an approved employer, and meeting a minimum salary threshold. Royal College of Nursing chief executive Dame Donna Kinnair said the NHS and social care should not be viewed as separate services. She said: Once again, we are disappointed to see the Governments plans for the UKs future immigration system falling short of what is required to meet the workforce needs of the health and social care sectors, now and in the future. The Government is ignoring our concern that we need an appropriate immigration route for social care workers. Arbitrary salary thresholds will prevent key workers from working in the UK, which will directly impact patient care. Chief executive of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) Satbir Singh said: The very same people whove risked their lives to keep our country going would have no safe route of entry to the UK. Weve gone from clapping for our key workers to calling them low-skilled in a few short weeks. Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said it was another example of the way the Government treats social care staff as second class citizens. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said immigration is not the sole answer and that councils have been given an additional 1.5 billion of funding for social care in 2021/22, and a new recruitment campaign has been launched. Existing European Union workers in the care sector could apply to stay in the UK through the settlement scheme and a very large number have done so, he added. SHANGHAI, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Please join SMIC's earnings conference call, with: Dr. Zhao Haijun , Co-Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director , Co-Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director Dr. Liang Mong Song , Co-Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director , Co-Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director D r. Gao Yonggang , Chief Financial Officer, Executive Director, and Joint Company Secretary , Chief Financial Officer, Executive Director, and Joint Company Secretary Tim Kuo , Director, Investor Relations as they announce the company's second quarter 2020 results and take questions from investors on Friday, August 7, 2020 . The second quarter 2020 results will also be released and available at http://www.smics.com/en/ before the start of trading on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong on Friday, August 7, 2020. CONFERENCE CALL / WEBCAST ANNOUNCEMENT DETAILS DATE: Friday, August 7, 2020 TIME: 8:30 A.M. (Shanghai and Hong Kong) 8:30 P.M. (New York *please note that as this call is live, it will take place on Thursday, August 6th , 20 20 E DT ) WEBCAST: The call will be webcast live with audio at: http://www.smics.com/en/site/company_financialSummary or https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/4majjijt DIAL-IN: Teleconference call services are affected by the COVID-19, operator assisted conference calls are not available at the moment. You must preregister online in order to receive the dial-in numbers. ONLINE REGISTRATION: You may register for the conference call at: http://apac.directeventreg.com/registration/event/1289672 Once preregistration has been complete, you will receive dial-in numbers, the passcode, and a unique registrant ID. To join the conference, dial the number you receive in the email, enter the passcode followed by your registrant ID, and you will join the conference instantly. REPLAY: Recording will be available approximately 1 hour after the event and it will be archived for replay at http://www.smics.com/en/site/company_financialSummary , for a period of 12 months following the webcast. CONTACT: Investor Relations +86 21-2081-2804 [email protected] SOURCE SMIC Related Links http://www.smics.com A major fire broke out following an explosion at a pharmaceutical unit near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on Monday night, police sources said. The incident triggered panic among the residents in the Paravada area as it came just a couple of months after styrene vapour leak in the LG Polymers plant in the region. An explosion was first heard at the Pharma City, following which there was a huge fire, according to sources. No casualties have been reported so far, and the fire and emergency services personnel could not immediately reach the spot as the blaze has engulfed the area, police sources said. The explosion is said to have occurred in the unit of Ramky Solvents and the cause of the incident is not yet known, according to sources. Further details are awaited. Last month, a gas leak incident in one of the companies in Pharma City left two workers dead and four injured. One of many Black Lives Matter signs on the lawns of Colonial Village residents today. That sentiment wasn't shared in the 1930s when a private covenant attempted to keep out Black Americans. On the Books, Unenforceable: Restrictive Covenant an Echo of Williamstown's Racist Legacy Paragraph 'f' of the covenant for a housing development in 1939 is a vestige of a sadder period of our history WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. The language jumps off the page and slaps one in the face. And it smacks of Jim Crow laws and unreconstructed Confederates. It is the kind of thing that 21st-century New Englanders might associate with "the South." But it happened right here in the Village Beautiful, and although it never could be enforced for a variety of reasons, it still is on the books. "No persons of any race other than the white race shall use or occupy any buildings or any lot, except that this covenant shall not prevent occupancy by domestic servants of a different race domiciled with an owner or tenant," reads section "f" of the "Protective Covenants and Restrictions" written when the Colonial Village neighborhood off Main Street (Route 2) was developed in 1939. The racist provision has been unenforceable in the United States for more than 70 years, so it is likely many of the neighborhood's residents have never heard of it, much less considered it when moving to the area. Nevertheless, it is one clause among nine mostly benign restrictions attached to the residential lots that are home to dozens of town residents. It is tucked in between, "No noxious or offensive trade or activity" and "No trailer, basement, tent, shack, garage, barn or other outbuilding shall at any time be used as a residence." The seemingly routine reference to racial purity, if anything, makes it more insidious to a contemporary reader. An article by the non-profit Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston notes that such racially restrictive private covenants became common after the northern migration of Black Americans in the post-Civil War era and a 1917 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that ruled governments could not racially segregate neighborhoods based on zoning. "The practice of using [private] racial covenants became so socially acceptable that in 1937 a leading magazine of nationwide circulation awarded 10 communities a 'shield of honor' for an umbrella of restrictions against the 'wrong kind of people,' " the Fair Housing Center's article reads. "The practice was so widespread that by 1940, 80% of property in Chicago and Los Angeles carried restrictive covenants barring Black families." Restrictive covenants were found to be constitutional by the Supreme Court in its 1926 Corrigan vs. Buckley decision. "The Supreme Court of the United States acknowledged, sadly, the legality of racial covenants," Williamstown real estate attorney Stanley Parese said. "During this period of time, as horrific as this is to look at today, this was legal as defined by the Supreme Court. And it gets on the land records in 1939 during the time it was a terrible but lawful thing to do." It took more than two decades for the Supreme Court to begin to rectify the Corrigan decision. The chance came in 1949, and the unanimous court found in the case of Shelley vs. Kramer that governments cannot enforce racially restrictive covenants because of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. "Whatever else the framers [of the amendment] sought to achieve, it is clear that the matter of primary concern was the establishment of equality in the enjoyment of basic civil and political rights and the preservation of those rights from discriminatory action on the part of the States based on considerations of race or color," Chief Justice Fredrick Moore Vinson wrote in the opinion. "Seventy-five years ago this Court announced that the provisions of the Amendment are to be construed with this fundamental purpose in mind." Even that decision was limited in scope. "The Supreme Court said these are not enforceable," Parese said. "You can have private agreements, but you can't come to the state and have the state get involved." That changed in 1968 with the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal "To refuse to sell or rent after the making of a bona fide offer, or to refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any person because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin." A year later, Massachusetts passed Massachusetts General Law Chapter 184, Section 23B , which reads, in part, "A provision in an instrument relating to real property which purports to forbid or restrict the conveyance, encumbrance, occupancy, or lease thereof to individuals of a specified race, color, religion, national origin or sex shall be void." Another provision in the commonwealth's law, MGL Chapter 184, Section 28 , passed in 1962, made all real estate restrictions -- many of which were redundant with zoning -- obsolete. "So you have the Supreme Court of the United States saying it's unenforceable, the federal government says it's unlawful, Mass General Law says it's void it has no operable effect at all," Parese said. "There are four separate stakes, if you will, driven into this thing." That is not to say that housing discrimination ended with the passage of the Fair Housing Act , only that it became illegal under federal law. And yet the Colonial Village covenant -- like untold other unenforceable anachronisms -- remains part of the permanent record and attached to those properties in the commonwealth's Registry of Deeds. "As title searchers, which is what lawyers do, one would look at it and say, 'This is terrible but it's absolutely ineffective,' " Parese said. "I know it sounds like an insensitive thing to say, but as a lawyer searching a title, you're trying to find if something has a legal operative effect and the answer is, four times over, absolutely not for the past 50 years." Why not simply discard the covenant altogether? Parese said it's possible but unusual for documents in the Registry of Deeds -- which has records going back to the 18th century -- to be altered. He can think of one example where records were erased. In the beginning of the 21st century, the state redacted Social Security numbers from deeds, which are public records, in an effort to combat identity theft. That decision required an act of the Legislature to address a specific criminal activity. Parese, who has been practicing property law in Williamstown since 1988, declined to hazard a guess what the procedure would be to strike the covenants from the record. "[Changing the record] is exceedingly rare in my experience, but I don't want to speak to it as something that's either easily done or impossible to do," he said. "I just don't know because I haven't undertaken that exercise." But another question is whether it should be undertaken: Does destroying the public record of the now unenforceable yet reprehensible provisions only serve to sweep a racist legacy under the rug? Parese said that from his standpoint, there could be a case for leaving the hateful words in place as a reminder of the hatred that engendered them. "I'm not saying anything that hasn't been said already, but people have been saying over and over the past few months that this is a time when people need to listen to each other," Parese said. "There needs to be a healthy listening exercise before taking any particular action. And I completely expect that conversation will happen in Colonial Village. "I could see a straight-faced argument that says pretending this thing was never there is not what we should be doing. We should be facing the reality of what this was. It happened, and it's right there in black and white. "It's just profoundly sad." Prestons death comes just over a decade after the couple lost their son Jett. Travolta announced Kelly's death on his Instagram, saying he would be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother. He continued: Please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal. John Travolta 1 /13 John Travolta As John Travolta reveals he is writing his autobiography - including details of his relationship with Princess Diana - we look back at his rollercoaster career

AA Reuters As John Travolta reveals he is writing his autobiography - including details of his relationship with Princess Diana - we look back at his rollercoaster career ;A Reuters Still Cool: Travolta and Uma Thurman team up for the second time in Get Shorty sequel Be Cool

AA PA Still Cool: Travolta and Uma Thurman team up for the second time in Get Shorty sequel Be Cool ;A PA Loving couple: The Grease star is married to actress Kelly Preston

AA Reuters Loving couple: The Grease star is married to actress Kelly Preston ;A Reuters Dance of a lifetime: Travolta famously took to the floor with Princess Diana in 1985

AA Reuters Dance of a lifetime: Travolta famously took to the floor with Princess Diana in 1985 ;A Reuters Sky captain: Travolta is a qualified airline pilot with his own Lear jet

AA Reuters Sky captain: Travolta is a qualified airline pilot with his own Lear jet ;A Reuters Flying the flag: Travolta touches down in the UK on one of his many flights

AA PA Flying the flag: Travolta touches down in the UK on one of his many flights ;A PA Gong show: Travolta has been lavished with awards since reviving his career

AA Reuters Gong show: Travolta has been lavished with awards since reviving his career ;A Reuters Bloody great: Travolta was cool again after his performance in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction Bloody great: Travolta was cool again after his performance in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction The one that I want: Travolta with Olivia Newton-John in Grease The one that I want: Travolta with Olivia Newton-John in Grease Disco fever: Travolta in Staying Alive, the sequel to his career-defining Saturday Night Fever Disco fever: Travolta in Staying Alive, the sequel to his career-defining Saturday Night Fever Kellys breast cancer battle Jerry Maguire actress Kelly Preston, 57, had been battling breast cancer for two years, choosing to keep her diagnosis private. According to People magazine, the What a Girl Wants star had been undergoing medical treatment for breast cancer for some time. REUTERS "On the morning of July 12, 2020, Kelly Preston, adored wife and mother, passed away following a two-year battle with breast cancer," a family representative told People. "Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends," they said. "She was a bright, beautiful and loving soul who cared deeply about others and who brought life to everything she touched. Her family asks for your understanding of their need for privacy at this time." Travolta thanked the care staff at MD Anderson Cancer Centre in his Instagram announcement. [Kelly] fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many, he wrote. My family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center, all the medical centers that have helped, as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side. Kellys love and life will always be remembered. The pair met in 1987 on the set of The Experts and married in 1991. It is tragically the second time Travolta has lost a loved one to cancer. In 1976, he began a relationship with actress Diana Hyland after meeting her on the set of TV movie, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. They remained together until Hyland's death from breast cancer in March 1977. The tragic death of John and Kellys son Jett Jett Travolta, born in 1992, suffered from Kawasaki disease as an infant and had a history of seizures. On January 2, 2009, while their family were on holiday in the Bahamas, Jett tragically passed away at the age of 16. In a statement posted to John Travoltas website, Travolta and Preston said he had knocked his head on a bathtub during a seizure. "Jett was the most wonderful son that two parents could ever ask for and lit up the lives of everyone he encountered," the statement read. "We are heartbroken that our time with him was so brief. We will cherish the time we had with him for the rest of our lives." Travolta has two more children with Preston: Ella Bleu (born 2000) and Benjamin (born 2010). A Malian protest leader called for calm Sunday after four more people were killed during demonstrations calling for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's resignation, the West African country's worst civil unrest in years. Bloody demonstrations rocked the capital Bamako on Friday and Saturday, with witnesses saying that security forces fired live rounds during clashes with protesters. The atmosphere remained tense on the streets of Bamako on Sunday, as hundreds of people converged on the Badalabougou district for the funerals of four people killed in the violence. In the face of the heightened tensions, Keita had announced he would dissolve the poor Sahel country's constitutional court, the focus of anger since it overturned provisional results for parliamentary elections earlier this year. Protests in several cities on Friday descended into violence in which at least three people were killed. Fresh clashes broke out on Saturday as protesters took to the streets of Bamako, angered by a long-running jihadist conflict, economic woes and perceived government corruption. Four civilians -- including a 15-year-old and 17-year-old -- were killed overnight Saturday, a hospital official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Six opposition figures have been detained in recent days, of whom one was released late Saturday, as the government cracked down on the June 5 Movement, an opposition alliance tapping into the deep-seated nationwide frustration. The movement's leading figure, influential imam Mahmoud Dicko, tried to tamp down the tensions on Sunday. "I once again call on the youth of Mali to show restraint and calm," Dicko told AFP shortly before speaking at a funeral. "We can truly find and obtain what we want (through) patience (and) good behaviour," he said. "But the struggle continues," Dicko said, adding that Mali's "endemic corruption (is also) bringing our country to its knees". In a video broadcast earlier on social media, Dicko said: "Do not set fire to petrol stations or this district. Calm down, please! Calm down!" He had recorded the video at his mosque, the scene of especially violent clashes at the weekend. While the known death toll is currently seven, Dicko's supporters have said the total is much higher, posting videos resembling scenes of war. In the videos, at least two dead men can be seen lying in pools of blood, while others have bullet wounds. Shots can be heard at regular intervals in the distance. "You are killing Malians in the mosque with live ammunition. The mosque is on fire," said a man in one of the videos, which could not be independently verified. On Sunday, hundreds crowded around the mosque, walking overspent bullet shells, rubble and the remains of torched tires. Opposition leaders who have not yet been arrested now appear to be in hiding. Fearing that Dicko might be arrested like other leaders of the movement, his supporters erected barricades on Sunday "in case the police return," one of them said. Clashes have also been reported outside the home of the constitutional court's president Manassa Danioko, a focus of public anger. Following a long-delayed parliamentary poll in March -- which Keita's party won -- the court overturned the provisional results for about 30 seats, which meant several members of Keita's party were elected. This ruling is widely believed to have ignited the crisis. The 75-year-old president, in power since 2013, said Saturday he had revoked the nominations of all remaining members of the constitutional court so that new judges could be appointed from next week. Since the outrage that followed the parliamentary election, a disparate group of religious leaders, political and civil society members have joined forces to ramp up pressure on Keita. Its leaders have called for "civil disobedience", including the non-payment of fines and blocking entry to state buildings. It blames those in power for the violence, a rarity in Bamako. The former French colony has struggled to contain an Islamist insurgency that first emerged in the north in 2012 before spreading to the centre of the country and to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed and hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes. French Defence Minister Florence Parly said Sunday that a joint EU special ops force formed to back Mali's fight against jihadist groups would begin to deploy on Wednesday. The first batch of around 100 French and Estonian troops will be joined later by contingents from the Czech Republic and Sweden, Parly told the French daily La Croix, adding that Italy may also take part. Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh said on Monday that the Mumbai Police has sought legal opinion in a case filed against stand-up comedian Agrima Joshua and action would be taken if she is found guilty of allegedly insulting the state icon, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in her year-old video. Deshmukh said all those, who have used foul language for the stand-up comedian on social media, would face strict action. Two such persons have been arrested in Gujarat and Maharashtra, he added. Joshua has been accused by a Shiv Sena legislator of insulting the Maratha warrior king during one of her stand-up acts a year ago. Later, she had apologised on social media and deleted the video. She has been getting rape threats on social media for allegedly insulting Shivaji Maharaj. On Sunday, a YouTuber, Shubham Mishra, was arrested from Vadodara on charges of threatening and abusing Joshua. Umesh Jadhav alias Imtiaz Shaikh has been arrested in Maharashtra for a similar offence and strict action would be taken against him, if found guilty, Deshmukh said. All those, who have used objectionable and derogatory language against the stand-up comedian, will face action. Police are preparing a list of all those accused of threatening Joshua and action will be taken against them, he added. Deshmukh said that the authorities would also look into the complaint against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers, who allegedly vandalised the restaurant, where Joshuas show was shot last year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MTN Uganda has been granted a 12-year operation license extension effective July 1, 2020, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) announced. At a brief ceremony held at the UCC offices in Bugolobi, Ag. Executive Director Irene Kaggwa Ssewankambo congratulated MTN on this momentous occasion while the MTN Uganda CEO Wim Vanhellpute pledged to deliver a new digital life to everyone, everywhere. MTN Uganda was first granted a Second National Operator License for the provision of telecommunications services on October 20, 1998 for a period of 20 years. The telecommunication giant paid $100 million for renewal of the license. Stories Continues after ad The telecoms license, having expired in October 2018, was followed by protracted negotiations involving the government, UCC and MTN Uganda, culminating in this breakthrough. Under section 5, 22 and 39 of the Uganda Communications Act 2013, the Commission is mandated to monitor, license, inspect, supervise, control and regulate communications services. In addition, the Commission is empowered, under section 38 and 43 of the Uganda Communications Act 2013, to grant an extension to the Second National Operator licensee upon terms and conditions that reflect the prevailing circumstances of the communications sector in Uganda. Having conducted a performance assessment of MTN Uganda operations over the last 20 years, the Commission came to the conclusion that MTN Uganda had substantially complied with its financial and legal obligations, as well as most of the technical obligations. Noting that this was the first license under the new licensing framework, Ms Ssewankambo congratulated MTN and the Government of Uganda on this milestone and expressed readiness to continue to work with the telecom operator to modernise the communications sector and to provide quality and affordable services to the people of Uganda. On his part, Mr Vanhellpute expressed gratitude to President Museveni, the government and UCC for the engaging discussions that led to the license extension. Weve fulfilled our obligations, he said. However, although Mr Vanhellpute observed that MTN Uganda has a presence in all of Ugandas 135 districts currently, he was quick to acknowledge that there is much more to do on the technical side to make the slogan Everywhere you go a scientific reality. The MTN Uganda CEO also underscored MTNs commitment to the terms and conditions of the license agreement, including the listing of a portion of its shares on the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE). We believe this is an opportunity to enhance our relationship with our customers who will also now be able to become owners in this venture, he said, adding that this will come to pass within the next 24 months. CALGARY, CANADA / ACCESSWIRE / July 13, 2020 / Valeura Energy Inc. (VLE.TO)(VLU.L) ("Valeura" or the "Company"), the upstream natural gas company focused on the Thrace Basin of Turkey, provides a trading update for the three-month period ended June 30, 2020. This is in advance of the Company's full financial and operating results which will be announced on August 12, 2020. Value Proposition As of June 30, 2020, the Company was in a strong financial position, with no debt and a cash balance of US$30.7 million. Spending during the second quarter related to drilling two shallow exploration commitment wells and conducting testing operations on the Devepinar-1 well in the deep gas play. The Company continues to manage its capital and operating costs aggressively to protect Valeura's strong net cash position. The Company's cash value is over 50% higher than its current market capitalisation, which is approximately US$20.0 million1. As a result, management believes Valeura shares offer compelling value based on: Cash of US$30.7 million at June 30, 2020; A producing conventional shallow gas business in a strong gas price market with externally evaluated NPV 10 of US$23.8 million at December 31, 2019, based on after-tax value of 1P reserves; Upside value attributable to its unconventional deep gas play; and The expectation that inorganic opportunities such as mergers and acquisitions will play a role in the Company's growth, as the Company seeks to leverage its strong financial position. Ongoing production operations Second quarter 2020 production averaged 521 boe/d, comprised primarily of gas produced from the Company's ongoing conventional shallow gas programme. This is a decrease of 27% over the prior quarter, reflecting lower natural gas demand from its customer base due to the combined impact of a reduction in local industrial activity in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and national holidays in Turkey. Toward the end of the quarter, economic activity and gas demand had begun to ramp up as Turkey's lockdown restrictions reduced, resulting in production increasing by 40% in June, compared to the lower rates experienced in May. Story continues Price realisations in the second quarter were effectively unchanged from the first quarter on a Turkish Lira basis and averaged US$6.24 per thousand cubic feet ("Mcf"), reduced from the prior quarter by 12%, reflecting a strengthening US dollar in relation to the Lira. Effective July 1, 2020 the Government of Turkey lowered the natural gas reference price in Turkish Lira by 10%. Operations in Turkey are returning to normal with COVID-19-related restrictions being eased. Valeura personnel have resumed both office and field work arrangements and the Company is preparing to resume production enhancement work, including workovers and production testing of its two recently drilled shallow exploration commitment wells. Wireline logs indicate that both wells encountered gas zones. Continuing deep gas appraisal The Company is pleased that on July 1, 2020, the Government of Turkey announced the extension of Valeura's three exploration licenses at Banarli and West Thrace until June 27, 2022. This is the first of up to three possible two-year extensions providing a period of up to six additional years to explore and appraise the deep play before the requirement to convert the licences to production leases. This first licence extension period carries an obligation to drill a well on each license. These commitments can be fulfilled by either deep appraisal wells or shallow exploration or production wells. During the second quarter Valeura resumed production testing of the Devepinar-1 well in which the Kesan Formation had been previously stimulated at three depths between 4,640 and 4,765 metres. This zone flowed gas to surface over a cumulative total of 41 days, producing an aggregate 28.6 MMcf of natural gas, of which approximately 75% was produced into the Company's infrastructure and sold to customers. The well's average initial production rate over 30 days (IP-30) was 890 Mcf/d, and over the course of the test period, declined to approximately 170 Mcf/d for the final 7 days of flow. Testing and evaluation of this section in the well has now been completed and the well has since been shut in. Pressure build up data will now be acquired to assist in interpretation. Based on the new Devepinar-1 flow test data which was tested deep with the Kesan Formation, the Company is continuing studies to identify sweet spots for the play where higher porosity reservoir, which is normally encountered in the top approximately 300m of the Kesan Formation, is coupled with enhanced natural fracturing to yield a higher sustained gas flow rate. Refined 3D seismic interpretation, petrophysical analysis and reservoir modelling work will be used to build an inventory of potential locations for future vertical and horizontal appraisal drilling. Valeura will seek a new partner to participate in the play, for a programme which will target additional deep appraisal wells, stimulation, and testing. Growth Strategy The Company is evaluating several potential inorganic growth transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, and has engaged RBC Capital Markets to support certain of these opportunities. Management believes the conditions are favourable for inorganic growth to play a significant role in the forward strategy as the current market environment is generating a flow of new deal opportunities which the Company is well-positioned to pursue given its enviable financial position. ______________________ 1 Based on June 30, 2020 TSX closing price of C$0.315/share and C$/US$ exchange rate of 0.7367 For further information, please contact: Valeura Energy Inc. (General and Investor Enquiries) +1 403 237 7102 Sean Guest, President and CEO Heather Campbell, CFO Robin Martin, Investor Relations Manager Contact@valeuraenergy.com, IR@valeuraenergy.com Canaccord Genuity Limited (Corporate Broker) +44 (0) 20 7523 8000 Henry Fitzgerald-O'Connor, James Asensio CAMARCO (Public Relations, Media Adviser) +44 (0) 20 3757 4980 Owen Roberts, Monique Perks, Hugo Liddy, Billy Clegg Valeura@camarco.co.uk Oil and Gas Advisories A boe is determined by converting a volume of natural gas to barrels using the ratio of 6 Mcf to one barrel. Boes may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio of 6 Mcf:1 boe is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. Further, a conversion ratio of 6 Mcf:1 boe assumes that the gas is very dry without significant natural gas liquids. Given that the value ratio based on the current price of oil as compared to natural gas is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6:1, utilising a conversion on a 6:1 basis may be misleading as an indication of value Reserves Reserves disclosure in this announcement is based on an independent reserves evaluation as at December 31, 2019 conducted by DeGolyer and MacNaughton in its report dated February 25, 2020, which was prepared using guidelines outlined in the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook and in accordance with National Instrument 51-101, Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities ("NI 51-101"). Additional reserves information as required under NI 51-101 is included in the Company's 2019 AIF filed on SEDAR. The forecast prices used to calculate reserves value are $7.53/Mcf for natural gas and $65.77/bbl for light and medium crude in 2020, and these prices both escalate at 2% per year going forward. This natural gas price forecast is for the TBNG assets, and the realised price for the Banarli assets is approximately 97% of this price. More details on prices are included in the Company's 2019 AIF filed on SEDAR. Advisory and Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain information included in this new release constitutes forward-looking information under applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking information is for the purpose of explaining management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "propose", "project", "target" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking information in this new release includes, but is not limited to: the timing for announcement of financial and operating results; management's belief that the Valeura shares offer compelling value, the expectation that the Company will conclude a merger or acquisition deal; the Company's remaining work programme obligations; the Company's ability to find another partner for the deep unconventional gas appraisal programme; and the potential for inorganic opportunities to play a role in the Company's growth. Forward-looking information is based on management's current expectations and assumptions regarding, among other things: the resumption of operations following the COVID-19 pandemic; political stability of the areas in which the Company is operating and completing transactions; continued safety of operations and ability to proceed in a timely manner; continued operations of and approvals forthcoming from the Turkish government in a manner consistent with past conduct; future drilling activity on the required/expected timelines; the prospectivity of the Company's lands, including the deep potential; the continued favourable pricing and operating netbacks in Turkey; future production rates and associated operating netbacks and cash flow; decline rates; future sources of funding; future economic conditions; future currency exchange rates; the ability to meet drilling deadlines and other requirements under licences and leases; the ability to attract a new partner in the deep play; the ability to identify attractive merger and acquisition opportunities to support growth; and the Company's continued ability to obtain and retain qualified staff and equipment in a timely and cost efficient manner. In addition, the Company's work programmes and budgets are in part based upon expected agreement among joint venture partners and associated exploration, development and marketing plans and anticipated costs and sales prices, which are subject to change based on, among other things, the actual results of drilling and related activity, availability of drilling, high-pressure stimulation and other specialised oilfield equipment and service providers, changes in partners' plans and unexpected delays and changes in market conditions. Although the Company believes the expectations and assumptions reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking information involves significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Exploration, appraisal, and development of oil and natural gas reserves are speculative activities and involve a degree of risk. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company including, but not limited to: the risks of further disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic; the risks of currency fluctuations; changes in gas prices and netbacks in Turkey; potential changes in joint venture partner strategies and participation in work programmes; uncertainty regarding the contemplated timelines and costs for the deep evaluation; the risks of disruption to operations and access to worksites; potential changes in laws and regulations, the uncertainty regarding government and other approvals; counterparty risk; risks associated with weather delays and natural disasters; and the risk associated with international activity. The forward-looking information included in this new release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. See the 2019 AIF for a detailed discussion of the risk factors. The forward-looking information contained in this new release is made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking information contained in this new release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Additional information relating to Valeura is also available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. This Announcement contains inside information as defined in Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation No. 596/2014 ("MAR"). Upon the publication of this Announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction, including where such offer would be unlawful. This announcement is not for distribution or release, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Ireland, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which its publication or distribution would be unlawful. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com SOURCE: Valeura Energy Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/597204/Valeura-Energy-Inc-Announces-Trading-Update Viktoria Jurek, with mum Alzbeta, has waited over four years Growing numbers of children suffering from scoliosis, the painful and disabling spinal condition, are enduring distress after vital surgeries were cancelled in recent months due to the Covid-19 crisis. Figures show that 107 children are now on the waiting list for an operation to straighten their spine, with some suffering deterioration due to the delay. The majority are patients at Crumlin Hospital while 21 are in treatment in Temple Street. "We have witnessed an increase in the number of parents contacting us fearful and upset regarding their children's waiting times for scoliosis care," said Claire Cahill, of the Scoliosis Advocacy Network. Specialist "Scoliosis is a time-sensitive condition. Long waits for surgery can result in reduced outcomes and higher risks to children." She said parents accepted that no surgeries or specialist clinics took place during the worst of the Covid-19 spread but "children still require care and treatment". The last government promised no child would wait longer than four months for surgery but this has been breached. One of the young patients caught up in delays is 18-year-old Viktoria Jurek, from Norwood in Waterford city, who has been waiting more than four years for surgery. Viktoria, whose family is originally from Slovakia, has been attending Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin for years and was eventually due to have surgery at the end of 2019. "She had no capacity in her lungs any more. We have been waiting for the surgery for years. Since December we are no clearer on when the operation will go ahead," her father Joseph said. He said Viktoria, who is confined to a wheelchair, now has very severe scoliosis and the longer the surgery is delayed the more difficult the operation will be. Her family is now pleading with doctors to set a date for the surgery and end the limbo of uncertainty which is leaving Viktoria struggling daily. A spokesman for Children's Health Ireland (CHI), overseeing Temple Street and the other children's hospitals, said he could not comment on individual cases. "CHI sincerely regret that children and their families are experiencing long waiting times for their appointments," he said. "While the majority of children are seen within a 12-month period, we recognise that too many are waiting too long for their appointments and we are making every effort to reduce these waiting times." He said Covid-19 the hospitals to defer all non-emergency spinal operations but they are now planning to "phase up services on an incremental basis". Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is in the closing session of the Chinese rubber stamp legislature conference in Beijing, China, on May 27, 2020. (Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images) Chinese Economy Faces Unprecedented Challenges Amid Pandemic, Top Official Admits Chinese premier Li Keqiang admitted that the global pandemic has brought an unprecedented impact on the Chinese economy, during a July 13 speech at an economic seminar. Explaining that the situation was grim, Li said the Chinese regime needed to support labor-intensive enterprises in order to create more jobs. Difficulties At a Monday seminar with Chinese economists and entrepreneurs in Beijing, Li said that the CCP virus epidemic and the global recession as a result of the pandemic has impacted Chinas economy. Uncertainty in the global environment is worsening, so our situation is still serious, he said, according to the Chinese regimes official report published on its website. Li pointed out that the main challenge was unemployment. We should continually prepare for a tough battle, he said. The seminar was attended by some of Chinas biggest firms, such as Haier, the countrys largest home appliance manufacturer, and Pinduoduo, Chinas largest interactive e-commerce platform, as well as top experts such as Ma Jun, chief economist at the research bureau of Chinas central bank Peoples Bank of China. They discussed how the difficulties and shock that the Chinese economy faces this year are extraordinary, according to the official report. A vendor talks over his phone at his stand which is full of fake luxury brand caps at a market in Shenyang, China on July 1, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Proposal Li said that the government and companies should work on three things: employment, peoples livelihood, and the Chinese market. He especially noted that two groups of people, university graduates and migrant workers, desperately need jobs. He proposed that local authorities implement differentiated taxation and financial support policies for labor-intensive firms, which can help them to hire more people. To promote economic development, Li said the government should reform itself in the direction of creating a better market-oriented economy, increase Chinese firms competitiveness on the global market, and encourage people to consume more. Conflicts Since late May, Li has on several occasions highlighted the severity of Chinas economic woes. But it appeared to conflict with Chinese leader Xi Jinpings messaging. During a speech at the May 28 session of Chinas rubber-stamp legislature, Li encouraged people to set up a street vendor economy in order to alleviate the countrys unemployment crisis due to the pandemic. Li revealed that 600 million Chinese currently earn about 1,000 yuan ($140) per month, which is not enough to pay for monthly rent on a one-bedroom apartment in a mid-sized Chinese city. But in a May 31 article that Xi penned, which was published in Qiushi, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)s official magazine, he wrote that China was advancing toward becoming a moderately prosperous society, with 400 million people in the middle class. His standard for the middle class was: an annual household income of 100,000 to 500,000 yuan ($14,160-$70,810). But in China, multi-generational households living under one roof are not uncommon. Street vendors are selling clothes at an outdoor market set up in a street in Wuhan, China on June 8, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) On July 6, while Li was touring southern Guizhou Province, he revealed that lots of factory workshops in the province have been closed, a reflection of the pandemics cost to the economy. Meanwhile, the Partys official mouthpiece newspaper Peoples Daily encouraged the 8.74 million students who graduated from university this month to go to rural areas for work opportunities. The official says Ukraine needs a state program to popularize the Ukrainian language. Newly appointed Ukrainian Language Ombudsman Taras Kremin has announced that his agency will launch a Ukrainian language course at the expense of budget funds. "We are talking about the mass popularization of such courses. I think that the initiative here could be developed by educational institutions and local authorities," he said in an interview for Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty's Ukrainian service. Read alsoAdvocates of Ukrainian Language Law rally outside Constitutional Court building He says state-run universities and colleges, as well as local governments should be interested in creating all the necessary favorable conditions for citizens. Kremin was appointed commissioner for the protection of the official language. The government voted for the creation of the Secretariat of the Ombudsman for the protection of Ukrainian late in June 2020. Its personnel will be up to 50 people. Kremin has a diploma in language teaching (Ukrainian and a foreign language). In 2014, he became Mykolaiv region's governor. From 2014 to 2019, he was a Member of Parliament and headed the subcommittee for secondary and general education. The official says that Ukraine needs a state program to popularize the Ukrainian language. For the past few months, the world has been feeling the impact of Covid-19 and, with many countries under lockdown, the economic ramifications have already been serious. Boitumelo Kiepile, head of regulatory affairs, Enel. Success of REIPPPP Economic recovery For the past few months, the world has been feeling the impact of Covid-19 and, with many countries under lockdown, the economic ramifications have already been serious. In Africa, the impact of the slowdown on economic and business activity is estimated to result in a 5-6% decline in gross domestic product. Various economic sectors have been negatively impacted by these lockdowns and renewable energy is not immune to such effects.The South African government has demonstrated its commitment to the development of renewable energy, as made evident by the announcement of the updated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which provides a robust plan for the development of new power generation capacity from renewable sources. Furthermore, the minister of mineral resources and energy issued directives on 15 May 2020, which saw the resumption of construction activities for renewable energy projects, both utility and small-scale embedded generators.Currently, the construction works on the 27 utility-scale renewable energy projects in South Africa, which were affected by the lockdown, have been allowed to resume. These projects provide customers with sustainable, affordable and clean energy for the foreseeable future and ensure that economic activity restarts after the lifting of the economy-wide lockdown.The renewable sector in South Africa has demonstrated its importance as an economic contributor through the highly acclaimed Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). In less than 10 years since its introduction, the programme has seen sizable investments, spurred job creation, economic and social opportunities and support to enterprises. Therefore, through its various value chains, from manufacturing to construction and other related industries, the sector will be an important driver of a post Covid-19 economic recovery, as it is also demonstrating now that it can operate under the risk-adjusted opening of the economy by the government.In South Africa, the renewables sector can play a particularly important role in the economic recovery, especially for an economy that has already been hit by credit rating downgrades. As evident from the REIPPPP and the rapid uptake of technologies such as roof-top solar and other small-scale embedded generation for both residential and commercial customers, the sector has been led by private sector participation.The minister's directives also allowed regulatory bodies, such as the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, to resume processes that were stalled or an acceleration of those which were proceeding slowly.Additional measures that could be considered by the government include the continued promotion of renewables by finalising programmes and policies already in place such as REIPPPP, the recently published Section 34 Ministerial Determinations and the draft Regulations amending the Electricity Generation on New Capacity.The initiatives that can boost the recovery through renewables include developing and finalising a less administrative licensing framework for own-use and self-generation by the commercial and industrial sector and energy intensive users. With the same goal in mind, updating and finalising the wheeling regulatory rules gives access to the grid for third-party transportation of energy for power plants that cannot be built on-site. Furthermore, it encourages the local manufacturing of components.We believe that a post Covid-19 economic recovery will require a secure energy supply, and the renewables sector, with its proven short time-to-market, can contribute both to the energy requirements and to the broader economic recovery through its manufacturing, construction and operations value chains both at national and local levels. Broader advantages can be achieved by placing the renewables sector at the center of an economic recovery. Therefore, promotion of the renewable sector is and will be the key to the restart of the economy.Renewables do not require actual government funding, therefore allowing the governments budget to focus on dealing with the impacts of Covid-19 emergency directly. In addition, renewables deliver savings by using more affordable and reliable energy sources, especially for commercial and industrial markets, which includes small and medium enterprises, who are the drivers of economic recovery. Due to their decentralised nature, renewable projects allow for far more community inclusion than their fossil fuel counterparts, all while increasing the resilience of the energy system and providing a solution that integrates economic recovery with a greater reduction of emissions. For South Africa, an economic recovery that includes the renewables sector as a main driver reinforces the countrys commitments made under the Paris Agreement.To support the announced investments in the recovery, we need energy, and new renewable energy currently provides the most affordable form of power generation, making its promotion and development a key step in kick starting the economy. Im writing from a gilded cage in the Sydney Harbour Marriott as one of the last returning citizens whose quarantine is funded by the NSW government. Im one of the last Australians whose right to come home was not dependent on how rich I am. Estimates vary but about 1 million Australians are usually overseas at any one time. Many of us have made a life overseas we have careers, families and homes. While some may be well-paid financiers in Dubai or Singapore, others are barely making a living teaching English in Cambodia or working in human rights and development in Kenya. Many were exporting the treasured ethos of Australians helping others as fellow global citizens especially during a pandemic including doctors and nurses. When I made the decision in May to abandon the life I had built in New York, I had just passed the bar exam, just started a new job at a criminal defence not-for-profit, and had an apartment, a car, friends, and career plans. It was a difficult decision to make trying to predict the trajectory of the pandemic in the United States, the possibility of someone I care about in Australia getting sick, and the risk that if I did not take this window, commercial flights would cease or the Australian government might make it difficult or even impossible to get home. I gambled that if I wanted to see my family anytime in the foreseeable future, I would have to give up my life in the United States and come home indefinitely. This article by Jared Keller originally appeared on Task & Purpose, a digital news and culture publication dedicated to military and veterans issues. Marine grunts in close combat formations will start receiving suppressors for their small arms at the end of this year, Task & Purpose has learned. Marine Corps Systems Command on Thursday announced its intent to award a single-source contract to Knight's Armament Company for 5.56 small arms suppressors for use on the Corps' arsenal of M27 Infantry Automatic Rifles, M4 carbines, and M4A1 Close Quarter Battle Weapons. In an email to Task & Purpose, MARCORSYSCOM confirmed that the Corps plans on fielding those suppressors to close combat units starting in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021. "Our intent is to posture our Marines with capability now in order to improve the lethality of our Marine Corps Close Combat Forces," MARCORSYSCOM spokesman Many Pacheco said. While the Corps has fielded suppressors to reconnaissance units and employed them on the M27-based M38 Squad Designated Marksmanship Rifle in the past, the proliferation of suppressors among close combat units has been years in the making. Starting in 2016, the Corps initiated a series of experiments that saw several units from the 2nd Marine Division apply suppressors to every element of an infantry battalion from the M4 to the M2 .50 caliber machine gun. By mid-2017, the 2nd MarDiv's Bravo Company, 1st Battalion became the first unit to deploy with suppressors on every individual service weapon during a rotational deployment to Norway. Months later, MARCORSYSCOM issued a sources sought notice to the defense industry for between 18,000 and 194,000 commercially-available suppressors for the M27, M4, and M4A1. MARCORSYSCOM did not specify exactly how many suppressors the Corps plans on acquiring as part of its latest sole-source contract, but officials have said in the past that fielding will eventually reach every corner of the infantry community. "The intent is to suppress every M4, M4A1 and M27 in the infantry community," MARCORSYSCOM program manager for infantry weapons Lt. Col. Tim Hough said in 2019. "Our intent there is to move quickly and find the best possible suppressor we can that is good enough in order to move out in a quick enough fashion." More articles from Task & Purpose: By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Monday that it will restore Afghanistan's exports through the Wagah border with India from Wednesday at the special request of Kabul and to faciliate Afghan Transit Trade. Pakistan closed the Wagah border with India in mid-march March in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. "At the special request of the Government of Afghanistan and with a view to facilitating Afghanistan's transit trade, Pakistan has decided to resume Afghan exports through Wagah border crossing from 15 July 2020, after implementing COVID-19 related protocols," the Foreign Office said in a statement. The FO stated that with this step, Pakistan has fulfilled its commitments under Pakistan-Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA). It also said that Pakistan remains "fully committed" to improving bilateral relations with Afghanistan in all areas including trade, and to facilitate Afghanistan's transit trade under the agreement. Mohammad Sadiq, the Pakistan Prime Minister's Special Representative for Afghanistan, said that his country has already restored bilateral trade and Afghan transit trade at all border crossings. Pakistan and Afghanistan share 18 crossing points. Pakistan closed its border with Iran and Afghanistan after COVID-19 cases increased in the country early this year. Pakistan last week opened the Angor Adda point in South Waziristan and the Kharlachi crossing in Kurram districts bordering Afghanistan to boost trade between the two countries after months-long closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. While the Angor Adda was operationalised on Friday, two days ahead of its scheduled opening, the Kharlachi was reopened on Saturday. Last month, Pakistan reopened Torkham crossing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Chaman point in Balochistan and Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan tribal district to promote bilateral business and trade activities. Pakistan has so far recorded 5,266 coronavirus fatalities and more than 251,000 cases. According to officials, Pakistan is the largest importer of Afghani products, while Afghanistan is the 4th largest destination for Pakistani exports. Experts believe that Vietnam should follow a gradual opening roadmap instead of an immediate opening to protect its great achievements in fighting against Covid-19. The proposal on resuming trade relations with 17 economies, important partners which make up 90 percent of foreign investment, 80 percent of international trade and 80 percent of travelers to Vietnam, has been made by the HCM City Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan. A representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) told the local press that the economic and trade relations between Vietnam and its partners have not been completely closed but maintained via many different channels. A reopening, according to the official, is understood as resuming international air routes and restoring entry/exit activities, thus creating favorable conditions for businesses and investors to carry out their production and business activities in a normal state. Experts believe that Vietnam should follow a gradual opening roadmap instead of an immediate opening to protect its great achievements in fighting against Covid-19. However, though economic relations were not shut down, the countries application of measures to fight against COVID-19 has hindered production, import/export and travel activities. This has had direct impact on Vietnams trade turnover, especially in smartphones, textile and garments and footwear products. GDC has reported a sharp fall of 11.2 percent in the export of key products to the EU to $13.3 billion in the first five months of the year. The total Vietnam-EU import and export turnover reached $19 billion, a decrease of 6 percent. Footwear exports brought turnover of $4.6 billion, down by 1.4 percent, textiles and garments $6.37 billion, down by 18.14 percent and seafood $1.21 billion, down by 3.6 percent. Textiles and garments, and footwear, are the two industries which suffered most heavily from Covid-19. The export turnover of the industries has dropped by 20-30 percent compared with the pre-pandemic days. Phan Thanh Xuan, deputy chair of the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Associaiton (Lefaso), said footwear companies are looking forward to resuming trade relations with large economies and major export markets as soon as possible. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) has proposed that the government consider a roadmap to step by step loosen entry/exit, reopen the market and resume some air routes with countries and territories that are big trade partners and who have contained COVID-19. Nhan believes that a safe country is one which has no more than 10 coronavirus cases for every 1 million people. He named 10 economies which Vietnam can consider resuming trade relations with: Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Germany, Australia and the Virgin Islands. Other partners, including the US, will need further consideration. Kim Chi 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). Union minister and Republican Party of India-Athawale chief Ramdas Athawale on Monday invited Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar to join the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, saying the country and Maharashtra will benefit from the veteran politician's vast experience. Pawar should support the BJP instead of the Shiv Sena, Athawale, whose party is a constituent of the NDA, said in a statement. "The BJP, NCP and RPI-A should form a grand alliance in Maharashtra," he said, adding that Pawar should work with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The country and Maharashtra will benefit out of Pawar's vast experience and hence, it is extremely necessary for Pawar to consider joining the NDA. I invite him to join the NDA," the Union social justice minister said. The "grand alliance of the BJP, NCP and RPI-A" would be a formidable one, Athawale claimed. Pawar played a key role in stitching the alliance of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress to form government in Maharashtra last year, after the Uddhav Thackeray-led party fell out with the BJP over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post. In an interview published in Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Monday, Pawar said his offer of outside support to the BJP in 2014 to form government in Maharashtrawas a "political ploy" aimed to keep the Shiv Sena away from its then ally. The Maratha strongman admitted he took steps to "widen thedistance between the BJP and Shiv Sena". He also said after the last year's assembly polls, BJP leaders approached him to support the Devendra Fadnavis government in the state, but he told Prime Minister Modi that the NCP will not go with the BJP and if possible, it will form government with the Shiv Sena or sit in the opposition. "The BJP doesnt believe that non-BJP parties have the right to function in a democratic set up," Pawar said. She made her return to Walford last month after filming for EastEnders resumed following lockdown. And Jessie Wallace looked summer-ready as she stepped out to run errands in north London on Monday. The actress, 48, who is known for playing Kat Slater on the BBC soap, returned to filming last month after being suspended in January for 'turning up drunk on set'. Summer-ready: Jessie Wallace stepped out to run errands in north London on Monday after returning to the set of EastEnders following her suspension The mother-of-one teamed an olive shirt tied at the waist with a floaty yellow skirt printed with palm trees to show off her bronzed legs. Jessie paired her laid-back look with oversized sunglasses and tassel sandals as she walked along the pavement in the sunshine. To complete her look, Jessie wore a leather satchel over her shoulder and accessorised with a rainbow pendant necklace. A fresh-faced Jessie wore her dark locks off her face as she carried a carton of coconut water in her arm. Low-key: The actress, 48, paired an olive shirt tied at the waist with oversized sunglasses and a black leather shoulder bag Errands: Jessie carried a carton of coconut water as she stepped out in London in the sunshine The soap star's return to Walford comes months after she was suspended for reportedly appearing drunk on set during filming. The actress, who has played fiery Kat on and off for nearly two decades, was temporarily written out of storylines after her behaviour was 'called into question'. It was claimed Jessie hauled into a crisis meeting with show bosses, who were said to have suspended her for two months, ordering her to 'sort herself out' before returning. A source told The Mirror: 'Bosses were left with no choice but to discipline her. During the meeting she was told to sort herself out before returning to work.' Relaxed: Jessie paired her laid-back look with minimal make-up and scraped her dark locks off her face Natural: The soap star wore flat tassel sandals and wore her hair in loose waves as she walked on the pavement through north London They added that series chiefs were relieved that Jessie had already filmed her scenes on the River Thames for the soap's 35th Anniversary Special which subsequently aired on February 19. The source continued: 'Thankfully all of the episodes she appears in on the boat along the Thames have been shot, so her suspension didn't cause any chaos to the soap's big birthday week.' Filming of the beloved TV soap opera resumed last month, but it is unclear when new episodes will air. Those on set now have to follow new social distancing guidelines in accordance with government regulation so that they are able to return safely amid the crisis. WASHINGTON The first federal inmate in 17 years is set to be put to death on Monday, barring a last-minute stay, after a federal appeals court ruled on Sunday that the Justice Department could carry out the execution as planned. Daniel Lewis Lee, 47, was sentenced to death decades ago for his part in the 1996 murder of a family of three. Family members of Mr. Lees victims had sued the Justice Department, arguing that they could not safely travel to witness the execution because of the coronavirus. A federal judge in Indiana, where the execution will take place, suspended the plan late Friday, but the decision on Sunday by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit put it back on track. The family plans to appeal to the Supreme Court, which would have to act before 4 p.m. Monday to stop the execution. The Trump administration announced in July 2019 its campaign to bring back the federal death penalty from what had been a de facto moratorium. But legal challenges to the federal governments proposed execution protocol delayed the procedures. Less than a month ago, the Justice Department renewed that push, scheduling four executions this summer, all of which were of inmates convicted of murdering children. Three, including Mr. Lee, are scheduled to die this week. NEW YORK - Mary Trump can talk about the highly critical book she wrote about her uncle, President Donald Trump, over the objections of the presidents brother, a judge ruled Monday as he lifted an order that had blocked her from publicizing or distributing her work. Judge Hal B. Greenwald in Poughkeepsie, New York, rejected arguments by the brother, Robert Trump, that Mary Trump is blocked from talking about family members publicly by an agreement relatives made to settle the estate of her father after his death. The judge said the confidentiality clauses in the 2001 agreement, viewed in the context of the current Trump family circumstances in 2020, would offend public policy as a prior restraint on protected speech Notwithstanding that the Book has been published and distributed in great quantities, to enjoin Mary L. Trump at this juncture would be incorrect and serve no purpose. It would be moot, the judge wrote. Greenwald said the confidentiality agreement that settled multiple lawsuits mainly concerned the financial aspect of the deal, which isnt as interesting now as it might have been two decades ago. On the other hand the non-confidential part of the Agreement, the Trump family relationships may be more interesting now in 2020 with a Presidential election on the horizon, the judge said. He also wrote that Robert Trump had not shown any damages that the books publication would cause himself or the public. Robert Trump is not frequently mentioned in the book that seeks to trace how family members were affected by the presidents father, a successful real estate owner, and how the president may have developed some of the traits that have been most apparent at the White House. Mary Trump, a trained psychologist and Donald Trumps only niece, wrote in the book that she had no problem calling Donald a narcissist he meets all nine criteria as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The judge reversed orders he had issued temporarily blocking Mary Trump and her publisher, Simon & Schuster, from publishing or distributing a tell-all book about the president. An appeals judge had already lifted the order blocking Simon & Schuster. The book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the Worlds Most Dangerous Man, was originally to be published at the end of July. The publisher announced last week it would be published Tuesday. Mary Trumps lawyer, Theodore Boutrous Jr., said the judge got it right in rejecting the Trump familys effort to squelch Mary Trumps core political speech on important issues of public concern. The First Amendment forbids prior restraints because they are intolerable infringements on the right to participate in democracy. Tomorrow, the American public will be able to read Marys important words for themselves, he said in a statement. In a statement, Simon & Schuster said it was delighted that the Court has denied the plaintiffs request for preliminary injunction, and vacated the Temporary Restraining Order against our author, Mary L. Trump. It added: The unfettered right to publish is a sacred American freedom and a founding principle of our republic, and we applaud the Court for affirming well-established precedents against prior restraint and pre-publication injunctions, it added. TOO MUCH AND NEVER ENOUGH is a work of great significance, with very real implications for our national discourse, and we look forward to bringing it to a public that is clearly eager to read it. Messages seeking comment were left with an attorney for Robert Trump. On the eve of its publication, Mary Trumps book was ranked No. 1 on the Amazon.com list of bestselling books. Only one of the 75 new Queensland trains that failed to meet modern disability access standards has been modified to meet the requirement, eight months into a $335 million contract. Now disability access and rail commuter groups are questioning the pace of modifications and asking if another rail fail looms as the October state election nears. Only one of Queensland's 75 new trains has had the aisles widened and a second, larger toilet added for people in wheelchairs. The Queensland government in January 2019 set aside $335 million to add a second toilet to the trains, make the toilets 10 per cent larger, improve internal seating and improve signage after an inquiry found the new trains, built under a $4.4 billion contract, did not meet disability access standards. The New Generation Rollingstock project began and stalled in the later years of the Bligh government, was revived by the Newman government, which ordered non-compliant trains from overseas to save money, before it became a political hot potato during the first term of the Palaszczuk government. Few stories are told about entrepreneurship from the perspective of a Millennial, African-born immigrant woman scientist. That's why I wanted to share mine. It's particularly on point now--during the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic and mental health crises accompanying it. I could cite statistics about how Millennials are second only to teenagers when it comes struggling with depression. I could also showcase data about heightened anxiety that small-business owners face daily as they struggle with headcount, vendor management, and liquidity. If you factor in the confusion stemming from Small Business Administration loans and how difficult it has been for the 60 million or so working Americans who are small-business owners, it is no wonder that we all are generally uncertain on how the dust will settle. I was born in a small town in Southeastern Nigeria. I always knew that I was different because I was a "career woman" from the start. I never really had the googly eyes that most young women had about romance and marriage, possibly because of my own experiences with my family, immediate and extended. But also because I was raised in a male-dominated society where any form of infidelity--emotional, physical or financial--was absolved for men and heavily punitive for women. I had a visceral reaction to this inequity and vowed for myself that I would find financial independence by pursuing my own career instead of chasing boys or cars. I literally watched my aunt die from a broken heart prior to her 45th birthday--she had three children from a man who never legally married her and showed up whenever it was convenient for him. Her death is probably the most painful event I have ever experienced. The only thing that comes close is the premature death of my PhD. adviser, the late great Amy Anderson, who at the time of her death was the head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Connecticut's School of Pharmacy--an accomplishment that was testament to her character and relentless drive. Dr. Anderson, a cancer researcher, had died of cancer, and this haunted me. She was one of the few people who believed in me. She gave me a research position in her lab without meeting me in person. She allowed me to conduct cancer research, although her background was in antibiotics. Additionally, despite criticism from others, she supported my ambition to earn a PhD. in three-and-a-half years, instead of the usual five to eight years. I share all of this because my thoughts are heavy with sorrow--the nostalgic longing for the innocence of my childhood and early-adulthood experience. A need for fulfillment urged me to start my own consulting firm in the crowded New York City market and to experience entrepreneurship as a woman, firsthand, with all its perils and triumphs. This is the African-born scientist part of my story. I worked for more than a decade as a laboratory scientist, with a focus on cancer research. In some ways, working in the lab was a bubble that shielded me from the harsh realities of life and some of the deeply rooted ugliness of human nature. Like others, including my favorite male athlete, LeBron James, I have found that the narrative changes when you don't do what people want you to do. I have found myself feeling abandoned, alone, and anguished in the past five years since I left the laboratory setting to pursue scientific consulting as an entrepreneur. I have been betrayed, abandoned, and criticized because I have sacrificed much for my career. In other words, I could have just had kids 10 years ago, versus the reality of my life today, and I'm reminded, often in a subtle manner, that my biological clock is ticking rapidly: "Why did you wait so long to start a family?" This is the female Millennial scientist part of my story. Imagine starting your own business with all the difficulties that I have faced and the many times I've spent either in isolation or feeling like a social misfit. The truth is that I crave and prioritize autonomy. Part of the reason I pushed myself to obtain an honors undergrad degree in biochemistry, a PhD., two master's degrees, and two graduate certificates was because I believed in the power of the future. Today, I'm not so sure, but I press on--not because I have all the answers, but because it's already been ingrained in me to push, to work hard and to achieve. Yet even in America, women are judged harshly for prioritizing career over family. Additionally, minority and female-owned businesses struggle the most with securing funding, because their networks are not as developed and their credibility is often questioned. This is the female, minority small-business owner part of my story. Entrepreneurs are often praised for their boldness and forward thinking. Yet they struggle with keeping their passions afloat, while paying for rents and mortgages. Minority- and female-owned businesses are more likely to fail from inadequate funding and inability to secure and retain customers. Even prior to Covid-19, Millennials were one step ahead of the curve when it came to adopting new technology and entrepreneurship. Additionally, Millennial women with children struggle with the double roles of caretaker and worker--a load that has been intensified by the perils of abrupt home schooling, remote work, and heightened issues with domestic partners amid the pandemic. My whole point in writing this article is to showcase just how difficult it is for women to prioritize their career advancement in a global society where we may be praised outside for our ingenuity and judged harshly behind the scenes for a failure to match antiquated societal norms. Additionally, minorities, women, and immigrants experience more financial and emotional hardships stemming from what sometimes seems like constant rejection. If they return to the workplace after having children, Black women in particular are less likely to attain senior positions even when qualified, according to research from the Center for Talent Innovation. The attention of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has been drawn to a series of online publications on operanewsapp.com and ReblessTV, a Facebook page alleging that the Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development, Hon. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid ( PhD) and the Mayor of Accra, Hon. Mohammed Adjei Sowah "have jointly commissioned a one-seater latrine in a suburb of Accra." Although the said publications did not confirm when this event took place, it states that both the Minister and the Accra Mayor appeared without facemasks, mischievously suggesting that the event took place amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The AMA, however, wishes to state in unequivocal terms that there is no iota of truth in the publication and that the said event which took place as far back as 20 January 2020 was an inspection of some 250 completed household toilet facilities constructed by the Akufo-Addo Government for residents of Jamestown and Chorkor at no cost to the beneficiaries. As the photographs depict, there was heavy media presence at the said event and the records are there to verify. It is also informative to state that over 27,000 toilets have so far been constructed in various homes in Accra since 2017 under the governments one household; one toilet project which seeks to promote cleanliness and eliminate open defecation by ensuring that there is a toilet facility in every house. Under the Greater Accra Metropolitan Assembly Sanitation and Water Project (GAMA-SWP) which was supported by the World Bank, the Government of Ghana pays 70 per cent of the construction cost for the toilet facility while households bear the remaining 30 per cent, however in this particular instance the Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development absorbed the 30% hence the inspection. The Assembly wishes to assure the general public that as an institution, it would not undertake any activity or event especially during this time of COVID-19 without adhering to all the safety protocols and in this instance the wearing of a facemask. The Assembly is by this response urging the general public to ignore the said publication and treat as propaganda and mischief intended to attack and discredit the hard-earned reputation of government officials. This is a sad example of bad journalism that we must endeavour to eradicate from our public discourse. Our checks indicate that the said online portal is managed by faceless individuals who put up stories deliberately to malign people for political reasons. Signed Gilbert Ankrah PRO For: Metro Chief Executive Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video After Prince Andrew's scandal, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's decision to step down as senior members of the royal family came at the worst possible time for Queen Elizabeth II. According to the royal commentator Wesley Kerr, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have said to surprise the 93-year-old monarch with their in January. The latest documentary, "The Queen: Duty Before Family," showed some of the difficulties Queen Elizabeth II had to experience after the couple's announcement. According to the narrator of the documentary, Her Majesty was not going to be forced into doing something that she thinks is not right. "The Queen clearly adores Harry, but refused to be pressurized by him." They added, "There was no way she would accept his conditions. She issued him a firm reply setting out her position." "Prince Harry's announcement put his grandmother in a difficult position, and his timing could not have been worse." Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wanted to be part-time royals, where they could continue serving the crown, and on the other hand, they will also earn their own money. In their website, a statement said, "Their Royal Highnesses feel this new approach will enable them to carry out their duties for Her Majesty the Queen while having the future financial autonomy to work externally." But senior members of the royal family are not allowed to earn their own money, because they receive an allowance from the crown. Queen Elizabeth II was surprised at the statement that they have issued. According to Kerr, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had given Her Majesty a public ultimatum. "Surprised at Meghan and Harry's statement that these are the terms, that we are going to be different sort of royals, that we are going to collaborate with the Queen, perhaps on our own terms." At that time, reports indicate that there was a sense of disappointment within the palace, which likely extends to the Queen. Senior members were said to be "hurt" by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's announcement. In the end, Queen Elizabeth II didn't allow the couple to use their "Sussex Royal" brand. They have also lost their HRH titles. Royal expert Julia Montagu revealed that the world was shocked by the Queen, as something this complex and undecided needs a lot of figuring out to do. With royal scandals already plaguing the family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision became one of the challenges she had to face. Who could forget Prince Andrew's disastrous BBC interview? He has also stepped down as a senior member of the royal family because of his connections to former financier Jeffrey Epstein. Prince Philip, the Queen's husband, has also been "extremely ill" in the hospital just before Christmas. "So I think for the 93-year-old Queen, this came at a challenging time." Royal author Tom Quinn agreed to the previous statements and said that the Queen should have expected that Megxit would be a storm. "She would have known that if this wasn't dealt with quickly, this could turn into something really damaging." READ MORE: Another Meghan Markle Tell-All? Jessica Mulroney Plans to EXPOSE Duchess After Being Ditched New Covid-19 laws obliging people on buses, trains and other public transport to wear a face mask travel come into force from this morning, Monday, July 13. Months after bus and train drivers demanded mandatory masks, the new Government has given the green light to the measure. Anyone who refuses to do so and does not have a 'reasonable excuse' not to can be forced to leave the bus or train. Not wearing a mask is an offence on under the law. The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, has signed the Health Act 1947 (Section 31A Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) (Face Coverings on Public Transport) Regulations 2020 for the mandatory wearing of face-covering on public transport unless they have a reasonable excuse not to wear one or does not have to wear a mask. Reasonable excuse includes where a person Cannot put one on, wear or remove a face covering because of any physical or mental illness, impairment or disability or without severe distress. Needs to communicate with another person who has difficulties communicating. Removes the face covering to provide emergency assistance or to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person. Removes the face covering to take medication. The Regulations do not apply to children under the age of 13. Where a passenger is not wearing a face covering, a relevant person under the Regulations may request the passenger to wear a face covering, refuse the passenger entry to the public transport vehicle, or may request the passenger to alight from the vehicle. A passenger must comply with these requests or with a refusal of entry. Failure to comply is an offence. MORE BELOW VIDEO. Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ronan Glynn, said people must be conscious of how to wear a mask. When wearing a face covering, ensure your hands are clean before putting on and removing. Do not touch the front of the covering, instead apply and remove the covering using the ear loops. If you require a number of coverings as you go about your day, store used coverings in a plastic, zip lock bag until you can wash them at 60 degrees. It is important to be aware that some members of the public are unable to wear face coverings due to health reasons or age and should not be criticised or judged for this. Ensure you are familiar with the appropriate use and disposal of face coverings through reputable sources such as gov.ie/health or hse.ie. Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, said the measure is needed to protect the public. Mandatory wearing of face coverings on public transport will not only protect staff and passengers alike, but reinforce the need for all of us to embrace new habits during this pandemic. Physical distancing, hand washing, cough/sneeze etiquette and face coverings are small, individual measures that can make a significant difference to many lives. The wearing of face coverings in appropriate settings is a sign of solidarity to your friends and family, your health service and their staff who continue to be at the frontline of this crisis and solidarity to your country as we all continue in our efforts to suppress this disease, he said. Wearing a face covering is recommended in situations where social distancing is not possible, for example shops and busy public transport, or if you are meeting someone who is vulnerable to the virus, for example people who are cocooning. Wearing cloth face coverings may help prevent people who do not know they have the virus from spreading it to others. Wearing of face coverings is recommended in the following circumstances: when staying 2 metres apart from people is difficult - for example, in shops, shopping centres or public transport by people visiting the homes of those who are cocooning by people who are being visited in their homes by those who are cocooning People wearing face coverings are still advised to do the important things necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. These include: washing your hands properly and often covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough and sneeze not touching your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean social distancing (keeping at least 2 metres away from other people) Cloth face coverings are not suitable for children under the age of 13 and anyone who: has trouble breathing is unconscious or incapacitated is unable to remove it without help has special needs and who may feel upset or very uncomfortable wearing the face-covering More below video Minister for Climate Action, Communication Networks and Transport, Eamon Ryan TD, said; As we work to safely reopen society, the number of people using public transport will increase. While I am aware that there has been a good response to the wearing of face coverings on public transport services, we need to ensure that everyone complies, with the exception of those who cannot do so for health reasons or due to young age. The mandatory wearing of face coverings will play an important role in ensuring that those who need to travel can do so safely. This is something we can all easily do to help control the virus and protect one another. More guidance on the appropriate use of face coverings is available here. Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot late Monday snubbed the Congress partys request to attend a meeting of the legislature party on Tuesday amid a turf war with chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Hours after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot shifted his 100-plus lawmakers to a luxury resort on the outskirts of Jaipur, the party announced that the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) will meet Tuesday morning to discuss the political situation and invited the deputy CM to attend. But Pilots aides say he will not attend the CLP meet, signalling a hardening of stance. Also read: Ashok Gehlot aces 1st test, sequesters MLAs in luxury resort to prep for more To discuss the political situation another Congress Legislative Party (CLP) will meet at 10 am tomorrow. We request Sachin Pilot and all MLAs to come. Weve requested them to come and discuss the situation, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, according to ANI. Surjewala also said that Ashok Gehlots government is safe and that the BJPs attempts to lure away MLAs to bring down the government have failed. WATCH | Rajasthan cliffhanger: Will Sachin Pilot stay with Congress or will he go? With a majority of 109 for the Congress Government in Rajasthan under Ashok Gehlot, all our MLAs gave their support letter. They have ensured that the BJPs attempts have failed, Surjewala said. Surjewala reiterated that the Congress leadership including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were ready to listen to everyone to find a solution. Also read: Sachin Pilot always in Rahul Gandhis heart, says Congress leaders office They are requested to come and discuss how to strengthen Rajasthan and serve the 8 crore people together. If there are some differences with someone then they should say that with an open mind. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are ready to listen to everyone and find a solution, he said. By Trend Azerbaijani army inflicted strikes on Armenian army's stronghold, destroying manpower, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijan's Defense Ministrys press office. On the night of July 12-13, tensions continued on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border in the Tovuz districts direction. In the night battles involving artillery, mortars and tanks, Azerbaijani military divisions destroyed the stronghold, artillery installations, automotive equipment and manpower of the Armenian military unit. During the battles, the senior lieutenant of the Azerbaijani army, Rashid Mahmudov was killed. Currently, the situation is under the control of Azerbaijani troops. "The Armenian side hides information about its losses," said the ministry. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The College of New Jersey will reduce costs to help families struggling financially due to the coronavirus outbreak. The colleges Board of Trustees approved cuts of 3.5% for in-state undergraduates and 2.5% for out-of-state undergrads on June 30, the school announced Monday morning. Concern for our students and families, many of whom are directly impacted by the recession caused by the pandemic, was an important consideration in our budget process, said TCNJ President Kathryn Foster in a statement. Tuition will stay flat at $6,619 a semester for in-state students and $12,608 for those from other states. But the college will do away with fees for the student center, student activities and card service, which amount to about $295 a semester, according to its website. Many have called for colleges to reduce their costs as they continue with remote learning. Princeton University approved a 10% tuition discount as it announced last week that students can return for only one semester of the 2020-2021 school year. But for state schools, which rely on state funding that has seen drastic cuts, reducing costs isnt as feasible. A bill introduced to the state Senate in May sought a 25% tuition refund for students who had to move to remote learning during the spring, but colleges said they did not have the money to give. It has not yet moved through the Legislature. Rutgers Universitys new president, Jonathan Holloway, announced he would take a 10% pay cut as tuition remained flat. But the school, which will offer mostly remote classes in the fall, has said it will not give tuition and fees discounts. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Amanda Hoover may be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. A railway line proposed to be built in the Western Ghats, rejected by several statutory bodies in the past amid concerns that it could cause irreparable damage to prime forests and unique biodiversity in the region, received approval on March 20 from the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL), which rejected the project 11 days earlier. The SBWL approval was granted after the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), under the union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC), started reviewing the project in Karntaka and asked about the reasons behind the delay in implementing it, documents reviewed by HT suggest. SBWLs approval has resurrected the serious environmental concerns that held up the project for the past two decades. At least 101 scientists have endorsed a letter written by 11 ecologists and wildlife biologists to the NBWL member-secretary and MoEFCC minister Prakash Javadekar on July 2, raising several concerns about the Hubballi Ankola Railway Line Project (HARP) in Karnataka, including irreversible damage it could do to forests, fragmenting wildlife habitats in the Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot and a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) world heritage site. The project is likely to come up for NBWLs nod before other requisite clearances are sought. The proposed rail track will pass through a wildlife corridor between Bedthi Conservation Reserve (BCR) and Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR), a natural habitat for many species, including tigers and elephants. The project involves entails of felling of around 190,000 trees. The habitat of Great Pied and Malabar Pied Hornbills, both keystone species -- species critical for the survival of other species in the region -- are likely to have a major impact due to the project. It also passes through habitats that host many endemic and endangered species such as the Malabar Tree Toad, said the letter written by ecologists that quoted from various peer-reviewed papers in a bid to bolster their argument. The letter and details of the project have also been published on the Conservation India website that is spearheading a campaign to protect ecology. No amount of mitigation will compensate for the damage to the ecosystem that will be lost for good. Ultimately, the well-being of local communities will be jeopardised, the letter said. The Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot has already lost 33,000 square kilometres, or up to 40% of its forest cover, in the last 100 years, according to scientists. A significant proportion of this forest loss is attributed to linear projects such as power transmission lines, highways, and construction of dams. The existing railway line (Tinai Ghat-Castlerock), located around 50 km north of the proposed site, along with several state roads and power lines have significantly contributed to fragmenting forests of the region and creating edges. Implementing HARP will create many more edges by splitting 10 large forest patches of conservation significance into 15 smaller patches, said the letter, endorsed by scientists from various research organisations. They have argued that mitigation measures would not be able to counter the ecological impact. The project has in the past been rejected by the Supreme Court (SC)-constituted Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in 2015 and by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in 2018, according to documents seen by HT. The MoEFCCs Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) had also raised several issues regarding the project. The CEC is of the considered view that the project would cause huge and irreparable damage to forests, wildlife and biodiversity of the Western Ghats, which would far outweigh the actual tangible benefits of the project. The CEC report was based on a number of hearings, documents, and meetings with various senior Karnataka government officials, the CEC had said while rejecting HARP. A MoEFCC letter to principal secretary (forests), Karnataka, dated September 29, 2018, had stated that a site inspection committee of NTCA has rejected the project because out of the six tiger-occupied landscapes in India; Western Ghats tops on habitat connectivity and contiguity counts. The project has come up, pending NBWL and other national-level approvals, despite a spate of rejections in the past. HT has seen the minutes of Karnataka SBWL meeting, which suggests that the project was rejected unanimously by board members and special invitees on March 9. The minutes suggest that a majority of SBWL members had opposed the project. The additional chief secretary (ACS), forests, Karnataka had said that since the rail network had already been strengthened in the Tinnaighat-Castlerock-Caranzol area, HARP was redundant. Karnataka chief secretary (CS), who was a special invitee to the SBWL meeting, cited the Centres enquiry regarding the delay in the projects implementation. In the March 20 meeting, the Board reversed its own decision. The minutes show that a number of special invitees attended the meeting, including the state minister of industries and the CS along with chief minister BS Yediyurappa. The Board recommended the project because of the need for development in the north Karnataka region. Environmentalists have found holes in SBWLs approval for the project. The decision taken on March 9 to reject the proposal was in conformity with legal and statutory procedures. However, handpicked special invitees with no expertise in wildlife were allowed to deliberate at a hurriedly convened meeting on March 20, violating all procedural norms. This smacks of arbitrariness. There is no legal provision under the Wildlife Act, 1972, that empowers the State Board to review its own decision taken after completion of a statutory process, said Praveen Bhargav of the Bengaluru-based Wildlife First, a conservation advocacy group. HT had sent queries on whether Javadekar had received the scientists representation on Monday but did not get a response till Tuesday evening. Another NBWL, member, however, said on condition of anonymity that all members had received the representation and it would be deliberated upon. To the Editor: As a resident of the Syracuse University neighborhood, I am writing to express my concerns about the universitys plans to reopen in August. While I recognize the complicated financial necessity for the university to bring students back to campus, I wonder what steps they will take to safeguard the health and well-being of the greater Syracuse community. I own a home in the University neighborhood. I pay taxes and care about my neighbors and the community. I am surrounded by student apartments and businesses that rely on the 20,000 students that are scheduled to return in August, so I understand how interwoven the students are with my community. On the other hand, I work with many older clients who live alone. They depend on me on a daily basis for food and companionship. Since March, I am the only person with whom they have had contact. I feel a strong responsibility for their well-being. I am self-employed. I do not have sick days or financial coverage if I become ill, and neither do they. Who will care for them or me if I become ill? I am concerned that the influx of students from all over the world will put me increasingly at risk of contracting Covid-19. I understand Syracuse University is making plans to protect the health and safety of their students, but young people are notorious for taking risks. I dont want their fun night out to result in an increase in Covid-related death and illness in our local community. Why cant SU keep the students away temporarily, like other universities are doing? Syracuse University, what is your plan to help protect the rest of us? Melissa Montgomery Syracuse Related: Syracuse University will require negative coronavirus test from students before they arrive on campus Steven Anthony Shields, 24, allegedly crashed his vehicle through the front doors of the church and attempted to set it on fire (Marion County Sheriff's Office) Florida Man Crashes Into Church, Sets It on Fire: Sheriffs Office California church destroyed in fire on Saturday A Florida man was arrested Saturday after he crashed his vehicle into a Catholic church and attempted to set fire to the building as people were inside preparing for Mass, authorities said. The Marion County Sheriffs Office said Steven Shields, 24, crashed his van into the doors of the Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Ocala on Saturday morning. Shields then got out, poured gasoline on the ground, and set it on fire, officials said. Shields drove away after the incident but was stopped by a sheriffs deputy, the office said. The parishioners were able to escape without injury and Marion County Fire Rescue personnel were able to quickly extinguish the fire, said the sheriffs office. The foyer of the Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Ocala sustained damage after the incident on Saturday. (Marion County Sheriffs Office) Shields was charged with attempted second-degree murder, one count of arson to a structure, burglary of an occupied structure, and other crimes. He is being held in a local jail without bond. Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said, Our freedom of worship granted in the Constitution is a freedom that we all hold dear. My deputies and I are sworn to protect that right and will always ensure our citizens can worship in peace. Im proud of my deputies for capturing this man so quickly and we appreciate the assistance from all of the state and federal agencies that worked alongside of us during this investigation. Steven Anthony Shields, 24, allegedly crashed his vehicle through the front doors of the church (Marion County Sheriffs Office) According to an arrest affidavit, Shields told investigators that what he did was awesome and laughed while admitting to setting the church on fire, reported the Ocala Star-Banner. Shields added that he is a king and is on a mission, saying he has problems with the Catholic church. He also said he suffers from schizophrenia and wasnt taking his medication, the affidavit said. The paper reported that the churchs foyer was damaged, but Mass was still celebrated on Saturday evening. Pastor Steven Smith, who has a church across the street, told WCJB: That kind of really concerns me the fact that hes young and to have that much hatred or that idea to do something of that magnitude at such a young age thats concerning. But we have to constantly keep him in prayer and pray that he can get through this with the help of the almighty God. Meanwhile, a fire early Saturday destroyed the rooftop and most of the interior of a Catholic church in California that was undergoing renovation to mark its upcoming 250th-anniversary celebration. Fire alarms at the San Gabriel Mission rang around 4 a.m. When firefighters arrived, they saw smoke rising from the wooden rooftop in one corner of the historic structure, San Gabriel Fire Capt. Paul Negrete said. Firefighters entered the church and tried to beat back the flames, but they had to retreat when roofing and other structural materials began to fall, Negrete said. And in Alabama on Friday, first responders were called to the Faith Tabernacle Pentecostal Church in Limestone County after a section caught on fire, according to reports. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Harrisburg restaurant is temporarily closed after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The Millworks at 340 Verbeke St. will remain closed out of an abundance of caution so additional employees can be tested for the virus, said Josh Kesler, owner. In addition, Kesler said he has delayed the opening of The Watershed Pub in Camp Hill to at least next week. The tasting room was scheduled to open this week at 2129 Market St. Its just better to take a little pause and make sure everyone is healthy, Kesler said. The Millworks notified customers July 12 on social media that the employee had tested positive. Kesler said the person had last worked at the restaurant on July 8-9 and did not exhibit any symptoms. The staff member has informed us of a positive test result. We do want to assure all guests that our staff has followed the guidelines and has worn face masks throughout their shifts for your safety. We will continue to make sure any questions are answered to the best of our ability, read the Facebook post. The Millworks emphasized it is following recommendations by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and the CDC as far as testing and sanitation. When the restaurant does reopen, Kesler said its likely to be for outdoor seating only with a limited menu. Because the Millworks relies on fresh ingredients and nothing frozen, Kesler said closing down comes at a cost. However, he said employees are his No. 1 concern. Its tough to not be able to give your employees certainty over their near future, but Im really confident we are well positioned for the longterm. Well all eventually get through this virus together, and after that well all be as robust as ever, Kesler said. The Millworks is not the only local restaurant to close due to COVID-19. Last week the Sierra Madre Saloon at 4035 Market St. in Hampden Township temporarily closed after an employee who worked in the kitchen tested positive, said Bill Kokos, owner. Meanwhile, the Brewhouse Grille in Lower Allen Township announced a temporary closure until July 6 after one if its employees tested positive. Fiddlers Bar & Grill in South Middleton Township announced it will stay closed until July 12 following a positive test of one of its employees. 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. BURLINGTON, ON and BRANTFORD, ON and OTTAWA, ON, July 13, 2020 /CNW/ - Thordon Bearings Inc., Dominis Engineering Ltd. and Patriot Forge Co., three world-class, family-owned and operated high-performance manufacturing businesses in Ontario, today announced they have joined forces as a consortium to provide fully integrated and complete vessel shaftline systems. All three companies have a long track record of supplying individual components to Canadian, American and global navies and coast guards. The consortium will be led by Thordon Bearings, a global leader in propeller shaft bearings and seals whose products have been used on over 850 vessels across 40 navies and coast guards worldwide. The consortium is focused on supplying in-progress and future vessels included as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy with its finished product, "the Canadian Integrated Shaftline System" (CISS). The CISS includes all of the necessary components needed for both large and small navy and coast guard vessels' main shaftlines, using an entirely made-in-Canada solution including the propeller itself (Dominis Engineering Ltd.), the propeller shaft and couplings (Patriot Forge Co.), and the shaft bearings, coatings and bulkhead seals that provide efficient and environmentally sustainable operations of the shaftline (Thordon Bearings Inc.). At a time when domestic jobs and the resiliency of global supply chain solutions are being tested in extraordinary ways, the consortium provides an opportunity to generate and showcase a "sovereign" industrial capability that, when leveraged as part of Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy, will sustain hundreds of high-skilled Canadian manufacturing jobs while also creating many new full-time positions here in Canada. While parts of the shaftlines on Canadian Coast Guard and Navy vessels currently have been supplied domestically, never before has a complete, made-in-Canada shaftline system been available. All three consortium partners have the proven experience and expertise in supplying navies around the world and in Canada for major shipbuilding initiatives. Simply put, their combined value is unmatched in Canada. Moreover, there is a strong desire to be part of the solution to support the country's COVID-19 economic response and recovery, as key players in the critically-important Canadian manufacturing sector. The consortium looks forward to working with the Government of Canada, Canadian shipyards and their major suppliers to ensure that the CISS is given equal and fair consideration to supply Canada's future, highly critical navy and coast guard ships. Quotes "We are beyond proud to have brought together a consortium that is dedicated to offering a made-in-Canada propeller shaftline solution for Canada's most important vessels included in the National Shipbuilding Strategy." - Terry McGowan, President and CEO, Thordon Bearings Inc. "This partnership affords the critical opportunity to be considered as a meaningful, world-class option for shipyards and their suppliers, and the ability to support the economic and social benefits the National Shipbuilding Strategy was intended to deliver." - Robert Dimitrieff, President, Patriot Forge Co. "Hundreds of long-term, sustainable jobs will be created or maintained in Canada's important domestic and highly skilled manufacturing sector." - Bodo Gospodnetic, President, Dominis Engineering Ltd. About Thordon Bearings Inc. Headquartered in Burlington, ON, Thordon Bearings Inc., a Thomson-Gordon Group company, is a family-owned business that designs and manufactures a complete range of journal bearing, seal and shaftline components for marine, clean power generation, pump and other industrial markets. These products are built using Thordon proprietary non-metallic polymer materials that are lubricated with water eliminating oil or grease usage, meaning ZERO risk of oil pollution to our rivers, lakes and oceans. Thordon systems and bearings are available worldwide through over 75 agents and distributors. About Patriot Forge Co. Headquartered in Brantford, ON, Patriot Forge is the largest custom open-die and rolled ring forging company in Canada and a leader in the global market. Patriot specializes in producing high grade specialty steel and metal alloy components that are sold on the global market in sectors such as oil and gas, nuclear power, infrastructure, aerospace and the military. Only the forging process can yield a grain structure oriented to the part shape, resulting in optimum toughness, ductility, impact strength, and fatigue strength. Forged materials are often the only option for highly critical applications. About Dominis Engineering Ltd. Headquartered in Ottawa, ON, Dominis Engineering Ltd. is recognized leader in ship propeller manufacturing and design. The company's own state-of-the-art technology for CNC milling to "final form and finish" is used to manufacture monoblock propellers, CP propeller blades and water jet impellers for Canadian and US Navy and Coast Guard Vessels. Dominis' technology eliminates robotic grinding of propeller surfaces and hand finishing of leading edges from the manufacturing process. Dominis is the only "sovereign" propeller manufacturing facility in Canada. Links www.ThordonBearings.com/CISSpartners SOURCE Canadian Integrated Shaftline System (CISS) For further information: Media Contacts, Hunter Doubt, [email protected], 613-899-5036 We were fortunate to be in a strong financial position when the coronavirus hit, but the expenses continue to mount. This funding is critical for many programs like ours and will enable us to continue providing the quality care we are known for. The New England Center for Children (NECC), a world-class autism education and research center in Southborough, MA, hosted a press conference today for Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karen Polito and Secretary of Health and Human Services, Marylou Sudders. NECC was selected for its strong residential program that demonstrated great resolve in weathering the COVID-19 pandemic without compromising quality of care or staff/student safety. During the press conference, the Baker administration announced a major commitment of funding to the Commonwealths residential special education schools to help defray the extraordinary expenses incurred to keep students safe during the pandemic. The news brought a sense of relief for many residential programs that were forced to re-direct current use funds from typical program costs to special sanitization equipment, copious amounts of disinfectant cleaning supplies, personal protective gear, medical supplies and coronavirus testing for staff and students. NECC founder and CEO, Vinnie Strully, shared his gratitude for the financial support and added his deep appreciation for the guidance from the COVID task force throughout the crisis. At no point did my executive team or our Board of Directors feel that we were alone in navigating this public health crisis. Secretary Sudders and state health officials provided up-to-the-minute communication and direction about the virus and what precautions should be taken to mitigate risks for our special needs students. Because of their partnership, our staff was able to focus on our area of expertise caring for children with autism. The greatest contribution comes from our over 900 employees who are bravely willing to work throughout the Center during the pandemic. In addition to implementing new protocols, such as mask-wearing, frequent hand-washing, temperature checks, social-distancing, and sanitizing frequently touched surfaces, the Center had other challenges to work through. Keeping direct care staff isolated in extended stay hotel rooms and transitioning lesson plans and skill-based learning to remote sessions for residential and day school students were high priorities. The Center also needed to renovate classroom space in the school to serve as a unit for COVID positive students who did not require hospitalization. With these expenses topping $3 million for the New England Center for Children alone, this announcement from the Governor is a welcome relief. Michael S. Downey, Chief Financial Officer at NECC, shared his appreciation, We were fortunate to be in a strong financial position when the coronavirus hit, but the expenses continue to mount. This funding is critical for many programs like ours and will enable us to continue providing the quality care we are known for. Although the threat is not over, The New England Center for Children is confident in their ability to follow the administrations recommendations for a safe re-opening, and to continue bringing out the potential in every student with autism they serve. Strully added, For 45 years we have been helping kids grow and learn and achieve skills that seemed unlikely when they were diagnosed. Thanks to the support of Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito and Secretary Sudders, we will continue for many years to come. About The New England Center for Children NECC is an award-winning autism education and research center and an equal opportunity employer. Our diverse community of teachers, researchers, and clinicians have transformed the lives of thousands of children with autism worldwide through education, research, and technology. The Center provides comprehensive services to maximize independence: home-based, day, and residential programs, partner classrooms in public school systems, consulting services, the ACE ABA Software System (http://www.acenecc.org), teacher professional development, and research on educational best practices. NECC is committed to staff professional development, partnering with local colleges to provide on-site graduate training and degrees at little to no cost to the NECC teacher. The result is a growing pool of exceptional teachers trained in best-in-class methodologies, whether they continue their careers at NECC or move on to public schools or private agencies. The New England Center for Children is based in Southborough, MA, and operates a center in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Learn more at http://www.necc.org. PUVIRNITUQ, QC, July 13, 2020 /CNW/ - In recent months, the daily lives of not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations, including organizations in northern communities, have been particularly shaken with the COVID-19 pandemic, which added further pressure on their already limited and valuable resources. The Government of Canada is committed to continuing to support them in their mission and initiatives, including commemoration, to the best of its ability. Commemoration is a powerful way to honour truths, support healing, create awareness, and advance reconciliation. We cannot fully address the systemic causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ and Two-Spirit people without acknowledging the past. That's why the Government of Canada created the Commemoration Fund which invests over $13 million in over 100 commemoration initiatives from coast to coast to coast to help honour the lives and legacies of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, including LGTBQ and Two-Spirit people. As part of this investment, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Quebec Lieutenant and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, on behalf of the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Canada's Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, announced today that the Government of Canada is providing $100,000 in support of the Inuulitsivik Health Centre's On the Land workshops-commemoration events in the communities of Puvirnituq and Inukjuak, Quebec, and for the commission of a commemoration sculpture. This project will help honour the lives and legacies of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ and Two-Spirit people, and increase awareness about this ongoing national tragedy. This responds to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls' interim report, issued in November 2017, and stems from a Call for Proposals launched by Minister Monsef under the Commemoration Fund in February 2019. The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls submitted its Final Report on June 3, 2019. The Government of Canada is working to end this national tragedy with Indigenous, provincial and territorial partners. We are continuing to co-develop the National Action Plan and to recognize and honour missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and LGBTQ and Two-Spirit people, and support the healing of families, survivors and First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities. Quotes "The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was a step forward and not an end. We cannot move forward and eliminate gender-based violence without first acknowledging the past. That is why supporting commemorative projects across Canada, such as the Inuulitsivik Health Centre's On the Land workshops-commemoration events and sculptures, is so important to help honour those who are missing and those whose lives have been tragically lost." The Honourable Maryam Monsef, P.C., M.P. Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development "The Inuulitsivik Health Centre's commemoration initiatives are making a concrete contribution to the Government of Canada's efforts to raise awareness of this national tragedy and to put an end to it. The funding for this project is making a real difference in the lives of the people of Nunavik, but also of the entire province." The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, P.C., M.P. Quebec Lieutenant Leader of the Government in the House of Commons "The MMIWG2S+ Commemoration initiatives in Nunavik will honour family and community members who were tragically taken from us. The objective is to foster the healing of families, survivors and communities whose lives have been forever changed. We know there is much more work to do to end this national tragedy. We are working in partnership to take concrete actions that will keep Indigenous women, girls, LGBTQ and Two-Spirit people safe wherever they live." The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, M.D., P.C., M.P. Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations | "This investment from the federal government will help support a crucial part of the healing process for our communities in Nunavik. We must remember and honour Indigenous women, girls, and LGBTQ and Two-Spirit people who are missing or have been murdered. They have been tragically taken from their families, friends and communities, and it is our hope that in remembering them, we can help stop the cycle of violence." Maata Putugu, Director of Social Services Inuulitsivik Health Centre Quick Facts In 2016, the Government of Canada provided $53.8 million to establish the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, to complete its important work, and it received additional funding of $38 million to support its extension to complete its Final Report. provided to establish the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, to complete its important work, and it received additional funding of to support its extension to complete its Final Report. The National Inquiry released an interim report with recommendations on November 1, 2017 . The Government of Canada responded to the interim report on June 5, 2018 including launching the Commemoration Fund. . The Government of responded to the interim report on including launching the Commemoration Fund. The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls presented its Final Report to the public at a televised closing ceremony in Gatineau, Quebec on June 3, 2019 . The Prime Minister committed to thoroughly reviewing the final report to determine the next steps we need to take together to prevent violence against Indigenous women and girls, and Indigenous LGBTQ and Two-Spirit people. on . The Prime Minister committed to thoroughly reviewing the final report to determine the next steps we need to take together to prevent violence against Indigenous women and girls, and Indigenous LGBTQ and Two-Spirit people. While Indigenous women and girls made up only 5% of Canada's total female population according to the 2016 Census (Statistics Canada, 2018), they account for 23% of all women and girls murdered in Canada between 2014 and 2018 (Statistics Canada, 2019). total female population according to the 2016 Census (Statistics Canada, 2018), they account for 23% of all women and girls murdered in between 2014 and 2018 (Statistics Canada, 2019). As part of Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, the Government of Canada announced new funding to provide critical support to Indigenous families and communities during this crisis, based on needs that have been identified. The funding includes: COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, the Government of announced new funding to provide critical support to Indigenous families and communities during this crisis, based on needs that have been identified. The funding includes: $10 million to Indigenous Services Canada's existing network of 46 shelters on First Nations reserves and in Yukon to support Indigenous women and children fleeing violence through the Family Violence Prevention Program. to Indigenous Services Canada's existing network of 46 shelters on First Nations reserves and in to support Indigenous women and children fleeing violence through the Family Violence Prevention Program. $285.1 million to support the ongoing public health response to COVID-19 in Indigenous communities; to support the ongoing public health response to COVID-19 in Indigenous communities; $270 million to supplement the On-Reserve Income Assistance Program to address increased demand on the program; and to supplement the On-Reserve Income Assistance Program to address increased demand on the program; and $44.8 million over five years to build 12 new shelters, which will help protect and support Indigenous women and girls experiencing and fleeing violence. Related Product Backgrounder National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls The Government of Canada is committed to addressing the systemic causes of violence and increasing the safety of Indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ and two-spirit people. In 2016, in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action #41, the Government of Canada's launched the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in order to end the violence faced by Indigenous women and girls. Between September 2016 to December 2018, the National Inquiry conducted and in-depth study and analysis on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, including LGBTQ and two-spirit people, by collecting information from community and institutional hearings, reviewing past and current research, and conducting forensic analyses of police records. The Inquiry also gathered evidence from over 1,400 witnesses, including survivors of violence, the families of victims, and subject-matter experts and Knowledge Keepers. On November 1, 2017, the National Inquiry issued its Interim Report. The Government of Canada has taken a family-first approach to addressing the recommendations contained therein, recognizing the significant strength and courage of the family members of murdered or missing Indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ and two-spirit people who contributed to the Inquiry. This included an allocation of $50 million in funding to: provide health and support services to survivors and families of missing and murdered women and girls, including LGBTQ and two-spirit people; support a national oversight body at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; support a review of police policies and practices; and, commemorate the lives and legacies of Indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ and two-spirit people. The Path Forward The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls presented its Final Report to families, survivors, Indigenous leaders, as well as federal, provincial and territorial governments at a closing ceremony in Gatineau, Quebec, on June 3, 2019. At this event, the Prime Minister welcomed the release of the Final Report and highlighted the Government of Canada's commitment to addressing this issue. The Government of Canada is committed to ending the disappearances and deaths of Indigenous women, girls, and LGBTQ and two-spirit people, and to helping prevent and eliminate violence against them in future generations. It is an integral part of the Government's commitment to reconciliation. The Inquiry's Final Report is far-reaching and deals with many underlying systemic issues. Its recommendations, directed towards multiple levels of government and various stakeholders, is helping identify the Government of Canada's next steps in preventing the systemic violence that led and continues to lead to this tragedy. Concrete actions are already being implemented to address some issues highlighted in the Final Report, such as: Eliminating Gender Discrimination in the Indian Act ; ; Enacting legislation respecting Indigenous languages; Enacting legislation reforming the child and family services system; and, Investing in education, housing, Family Information Liaison Units and community-based supports, commemoration initiatives. We know there is more to do. The Government of Canada is focusing current efforts to co-develop a National Action Plan with Indigenous, provincial, and territorial partners to address the ongoing violence towards Indigenous women, girls, and LGBTQ and two-spirit people, as well as to recognize and honour the lives and legacies of those who are missing or have been murdered. We are also working to support the healing of families, survivors, and First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Commemoration Fund The National Inquiry reminds us that commemoration is an essential part of truth gathering, healing, and reconciliation. The Government of Canada created the Commemoration Fund to address recommendations and calls for early action from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls interim report. The Fund invests over $13 million over two years to over 100 projects to help honour the lives and legacies of missing Indigenous women and girls, and LGBTQ and two-spirit people. In February 2019, Minister Monsef issued a Call for Proposals through Women and Gender Equality Canada's Women's Program, soliciting Indigenous governments and organizations working with families, survivors, and communities to develop and implement commemoration initiatives for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and LGBTQ and two-spirit people. Women and Gender Equality Canada has a longstanding relationship with Indigenous women's organizations, particularly addressing the issue of violence against Indigenous women and girls, both through funding opportunities and ongoing dialogue. After the call closed on March 28, 2019, the Department engaged Indigenous external review committees, composed of affected individuals, including family members, community representatives, Indigenous artists and grassroots advocates, to review and recommend proposals for funding. Over 100 projects have been approved. Commemoration includes honouring, educating, and remembering, missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and LGBTQ and two-spirit people, and acknowledging the broad and systemic causes of this violence. It is an important part of the healing journey for families and survivors, public education and awareness, and bringing communities together as part of the reconciliation process. Examples include (but are not limited to): Holding events that contribute to healing by acknowledging those who were murdered or went missing, and bringing people together to share and support one another. Creating items that leave a legacy or educate people about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and LGBTQ and two-spirit people. Coordinating and supporting commemoration initiatives. Developing and implementing region-wide or nation-wide commemoration initiatives. Puvirnituq and Inukjuak, Quebec (Nunavik) Project Today's announcement profiled Inuulitsivik Health Centre, which was selected for federal funding through the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Commemoration Fund. Project title: On the Land Workshops-Commemoration Event and the Commission of a Commemoration Sculpture Funding amount: $100,000 Through this project, the Inuulitsivik Health Centre will honour the lives and legacies of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ2S individuals and increase awareness about this ongoing national tragedy. Project activities will include one workshop on the land in the communities of Puvirnituq and Inukjuak, as well as the unveiling of a commemorative sculpture. The Inuulitsivik Health Centre contributes to the improvement of the overall health, well-being, and living conditions of communities through accessible, integrated and quality services. These services promote the empowerment of individuals towards their overall health in its many aspects, respecting individual and collective values (cultural and traditional) of each community. Associated Links Follow the Women and Gender Equality Canada: SOURCE Women and Gender Equality Canada For further information: Marie-Pier Baril, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, 613-295-8123; Media Relations, Women and Gender Equality Canada, 1-855-969-9922 Related Links http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/ The judge in the case involving the extradition of Liam Campbell, who was found civilly liable for the Omagh bombing is to take a number of weeks to consider issues before formally ordering his extradition to Lithuania. Liam Campbell was arrested in Upper Faughart, Dundalk, County Louth on December 2 2016, on foot of a second European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued by Lithuanian authorities. Mr Campbells arrest warrant stated that he allegedly organised the preparation for the smuggling of weapons in support of the terrorist grouping the Real IRA (RIRA) between the end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007. The warrant included charges including being engaged in terrorism and preparing to smuggle items including firearms and explosive substances and attempting to acquire weapons, ammunition, explosives and items including detonators, and timers. Mr Campbell appeared in the High Court in Dublin on Monday where the judge was set to formally order his extradition. He wore a white shirt and a face mask. Patrick McGrath for the State said there is no mystery or lack of clarity to the facts applied in this particular case. Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly said she wanted to consider a few issues about the case and ordered Mr Campbell to appear before the court again in three weeks time. Ms Justice Donnelly said: Im going to consider some matters and should hopefully be in a position to decide in three weeks time. Forced to cease normal, in-person summer operation for the first time since World War II in response to the COVID 19 pandemic, the Tanglewood Music Festival nevertheless refused to be silenced, instead taking music into the digital universe and creating the 2020 Tanglewood Online Festival. Comprised of newly recorded and livestreamed material, archival video and audio, and a host of peripheral discussions and presentations connected with the new Tanglewood Learning Institute (TLI), the 2020 Online Festival offers patrons almost daily events throughout July and August, most ticketed, but some free of charge. One such series of events is entitled BSO Musicians in Recital from Tanglewood. For $5 each, or $32 for the full series, patrons can view Boston Symphony Musicians performing (mostly in Studio E in the new Linde Center) 8 recital programs containing a variety of chamber music from Bach to Berio and beyond. Tanglewood is, of course, familiar ground for world premiere performances. In addition to founding the festival, BSO Maestro Serge Koussevitzky commissioned many of the staples of the modern orchestral repertoire during his (1924-1949) tenure at the helm of the orchestra. The process of commissioning, creating, and launching new music continues to flourish in the BSO organization. On July 31, another world premiere will take place very special in that the piece itself was written in 1939, but has (by all accounts) never been publically performed before this year. It is a single-movement work by the African-American composer Ulysses Kay, called Sonatine for Viola and Piano. BSO violist Mary Ferrillo will be joined by pianist Brett Hodgdon in the performance. It had been a while since I had taken stock of solo (viola) repertoire, Ferrillo said in a recent interview. With all the unexpected time on my hands due to the COVID shutdown, I began to dig into what I had and I asked myself how inclusive that repertoire was. When the virtual Tanglewood series came up, it was important to me to address the discrepancies, and I researched and found lots of wonderful music (by African-American composers) including this Ulysses Kay Sonatine for Viola and Piano, she said. I also got in contact with the wonderful organization Castle Of Our Skins and their co-founder, the violist Ashleigh Gordon. Their mission is to celebrate Black Artistry through music, and address the lack of Black voices in classical musics oft-performed canonical repertoire. Ferrillo was very grateful for Gordons guidance and is excited to tackle works like John McLaughlin Williams 2 Pieces for Solo Viola, (Pulitzer-Prize-winner) George Walkers Viola Sonata, several works by Anthony R. Green (assoc. Artistic Director of Castle of Our Skins), and Adolphus Hailstorks Sanctum. But first, Kays Sonatine. Its a welcome addition to the viola repertoire, Ferrillo said. (The piece) explores a lot of emotional ground. It is unabashedly romantic, but also combines virtuosic sweeps with some musical sweetness. She detects the probable influence of Kays Eastman teacher Howard Hanson, but says, Its remarkably a self-assured musical voice for someone so young Kay would have been 22 in 1939. Born in 1917 in Tucson, Arizona, Kay was the son of a singing cowboy barber and an amateur pianist, and the nephew of jazz cornetist Joseph King Oliver. Kay recalled his famous uncles advice to his mother - give the boy piano lessons, so he can learn the rudiments and then hell find what he wants to do in music. Piano lessons proved fruitful, and Kay did indeed find what he wanted to do in music, sealing the deal with a visit to composer William Grant Still during his college years at the University of Arizona and the Eastman School of Music. At Eastman, several of Kays works were performed, including his Sinfonietta for Orchestra and Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra. The summer following his graduation from Eastman, Kay won a scholarship to Tanglewood, where he studied with Paul Hindemith, and continued on to work with Hindemith at Yale during 1941-42. Mary Ferrillo shares the Tanglewood connection with Kay. She was a Tanglewood Music Center Fellow for three summers, 2012-2014, and received the Maurice Schwartz Prize there in 2014. She returned to Tanglewood as a member of the New Fromm Players in 2016 and 2017, premiering compositions by John Harbison, Joseph Phibbs, Kui Dong, and Marc Neikrug among others. The kinds of things she learned while working directly with those living composers to bring their music to premiere resonates with her work on the Kay Sonatine. Though this piece is technically 80 years old, Ferrillo explained, the fact that there were no performances to listen to meant that I had no preconceived ideas of what it should be, and it felt like a very collaborative experience even though I could never meet Kay. You may be physically alone in the room, but its a dialogue you ask Is this what you meant? Does this choice Im making satisfy your vision? Its as if Ulysses Kay was sitting in the room nodding or shaking his head. Kay would go on from the Sonatine and his student works at Arizona, Eastman, and Tanglewood, to write in every genre of classical music, producing symphonic works, band works, choral works, ballets, and several operas, including The Boor, The Juggler of Our Lady, Jubilee, and Frederick Douglass. He was the first African-American to win the Prix de Rome (he won it twice, in 1946 and 1949). Several Guggenheim grants, a Fulbright Scholarship, and a Julius Rosenwald Fellowship were among subsequent honors bestowed upon Kay. He held a position at Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) from 1953-1968, but turned down several teaching positions (from at least nine colleges and universities) in order to preserve his composing time. In 1949 he married Barbara Harrison, also a musician, and Kays muse throughout the remainder of his life (he died in 1995). During Kays tenure at BMI, she taught music in Manhattan. During the 1960s, she was active in the Civil Rights Movement, participating in the Mississippi Freedom Rides, the New Jersey Englewood Movement, and the March Against Fear. The couple had three daughters. Ferrillo would go on from her own Tanglewood experiences to become a full-fledged member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2019. Her father, John Ferrillo, has been with the BSO since 2001 and is the Orchestras Principal Oboist. Father and daughter understand each other with even greater depth and appreciation, now that they share the thrill of making great music in one of the worlds finest orchestras. Sometimes I sit in front of my father (in rehearsal or performance), she said, which is very special, but even if we arent sitting near each other, there is always a moment when we make eye contact and register that we get to play together. For the Online Festival concert on July 17, Mary and her father collaborated with pianist Randall Hodgkinson to record Boston composer (and BSO violinist) Charles Martin Loefflers Deux Rapsodies for Oboe, Viola, and Piano. In addition to the Ulysses Kay premiere on July 31, Ferrillo and Hodgdon will play Rebecca Clarkes brilliant Sonata for Viola and Piano, and Daniel Getz and Hodgdon will play the Sonata for Viola and Piano Op. 11 No. 4 by Hindemith, completing a neat teacher-student circle within the boundaries of the program. Violist Steven Laraia will be joined by percussionist Kyle Brightwell in a very different work, Luciano Berios Naturale for viola, percussion, and recorded voice. Other series available online this summer include Great Performers In Recital At Tanglewood, Recitals from the World Stage, BSO Encore Performances From Tanglewood, and many other offerings, including post-concert Q&A, commentary from celebrity hosts, etc. For information on how to access this July 31 performance and any other part of the Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival, visit the Boston Symphony at www.bso.org Related content By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad President Ilham Aliyev has slammed Armenias deadly provocation on the border yesterday, saying that Azerbaijans military post was hit by artillery fire from the Armenian side without any reason. Chairing the Security Council Session on July 13, the president said that Armenian forces were unable to make any advances on the Azerbaijani territories in yesterdays attack, adding that the situation still remains tense in the area. Armenia staged another military provocation on the direction of Tovuz region of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border yesterday afternoon. This is not the first military provocation staged by Armenia on the state border. Several of our servicemen were killed as a result of another provocation yesterday afternoon. Artillery fire was opened at our military post, and as a result of this insidious act, our servicemen were killed and wounded, the president said. Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan gave adequate response to the Armenian provocation and avenged the death of its soldiers. All the attempts of the Armenian side failed, Azerbaijan protected its state border and Armenian soldiers could not cross even an inch into Azerbaijani territory, Aliyev said. Such events occur because of the hypocritical and dishonest activities of the Armenian leadership. On the one hand, it [Yerevan] appeals to the international community and asks for help in strengthening the ceasefire on the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line. On the other ha, by committing military provocations it wants to invade the territory of Azerbaijan, seize our positions, fire on the civilian population and our villages. This ugly and insidious policy will lead Armenia to the abyss. All the responsibility falls on the leadership of Armenia. Azerbaijan will continue to protect its territorial integrity and borders. The crushing blows inflicted on the enemy yesterday afternoon and this night showed this once again. Our fallen servicemen have been avenged, their blood has not and will not remain on the ground, the president stated. He stressed that relevant appeals have been sent to international organizations, and as soon as the operational situation permits, Azerbaijan will invite foreign military representatives operating in Azerbaijan to the area so that they can see the situation with their own eyes Let them see who committed this military provocation, what happened as a result of this military provocation and who is responsible for the escalation of the situation. Ours is a cause of justice and Azerbaijan will not take a step back from its principled position, president said. Likewise, Aliyev stressed that Armenia is very concerned about Azerbaijans recent international successes. In particular, our successful activities within international organizations, recent statements by all leading international organizations on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the decisions made, the support for the territorial integrity of our country have, of course, dealt a serious blow to Armenia's position on the conflict. At the same time, the specific facts and convincing arguments we regularly communicate from high-profile podiums on the history of the conflict and the history of the region have undermined their propaganda, the president said. The whole world knows that Nagorno-Karabakh is historically the land of Azerbaijan. There are enough documents confirming this, and we are now sharing these documents with the wider international community. At the same time, the whole world recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as an integral part of Azerbaijan. There are many international documents and statements confirming this. In particular, the recent so-called elections in the self-styled Nagorno-Karabakh republic were not only not recognized by any country, but were also condemned by all leading international organizations, neighboring countries and countries involved in this issue. Thus, support for the territorial integrity of our country was once again expressed and it was once again made clear that Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan, Aliyev went on saying. The president highlighted that the current chaos in Armenia and the fact that events are reaching a critical point in the country have prompted Yerevan commit these heinous acts. It is no secret that Armenia has long been trying to form an opinion on the conflict, especially on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, that it is Azerbaijan that attacks the territory of Armenia. However, this is a lie. All the attacks are committed by Armenia, and this is well documented, there are video and photo documents. Azerbaijan simply responds adequately to all provocation, Aliyev said. Armenia is using all opportunities and, at the same time, fabricating information and doing its best to draw attention to the state border. Yesterday's military provocation is another manifestation of this ugly policy, the president went on saying. Armenia is losing almost all its support in the international arena. The internal situation is quite tense. Everyone understands now that the promised 'prosperity' was just a fantasy, a lie. Of course, the information released by the Armenian authorities about yesterday's incident is another sign of a lie. In their report, they want to shift the responsibility towards Azerbaijan. However, there are no grounds for that, and I want to say again all independent experts can confirm this our military post was hit by artillery fire without any reason. As a result, our servicemen died. They are only strong enough to fire on the civilian population or to suddenly open fire on our military post. They did so and once again revealed their ugly and insidious nature, Aliyev said. We will use every opportunity to defend ourselves and show the enemy its place again, he concluded. British parents have shared the names they'd never call their children - and Boris, Meghan and Karen top the list. The survey by Gigacalculator.com also revealed the monikers Brits regret giving their babies. The results spoke volumes for the popularity of leading British and American politicians. Out of the names parents said they would never give to their children, Boris - the moniker of the UK prime minister, Mr Johnson - and Donald (the Christian name of President Trump) occupied the first and second spot. Karen was top of the list for girls at 83 per cent - most likely as a result of the endless TikTok videos dedicated to the Karen meme. The term 'US Karen' is commonly used on social media in the US to refer to a middle-aged, middle-class white woman who is unaware of her 'white privilege' and talks down to people of colour. The results of the survey spoke volumes for the popularity of leading British and American politicians - with Boris and Donald occupying first and second spot out of the names parents said they would never give to their children. Pictured left: Boris Johnson and right: Donald Trump THE NAMES PARENTS SAY THEY'D NEVER CALL THEIR CHILDREN BOY'S NAME PERCENTAGE OF PARENTS WHO WOULDN'T USE IT GIRL'S NAME PERCENTAGE OF PARENTS WHO WOULDN'T USE IT Boris 76% Karen 83% Donald 62% Isis 72% Manson 43% Meghan 61% 'Karen' has also been used as a catch-all moniker to target a number of Americans who now refuse to wear face masks in public during the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile 61 per cent of the parents surveyed by Gigacalculator.com said they would refuse to call their daughter Meghan, after the Duchess of Sussex. Out of the 5,842 parents questioned, 73 per cent said they had thought of better names for their children after naming them. A third (30 per cent) of mothers and fathers admitted they didn't give their child's name enough thought beforehand. And 64 per cent said their child's moniker not suiting them was the main reason for wishing they'd picked an alternative. Out of the names parents said they would never give to their children, 61 per cent said they would refuse to call their daughter Meghan, after the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle (pictured) THE NAMES PARENTS MOST REGRET GIVING THEIR CHILDREN NAME NUMBER OF CHILDREN WITH THAT NAME BORN (2018) PERCENTAGE OF PARENTS THAT REGRET CHOOSING THAT NAME Hunter 1,410 32% Jaxon 1,346 29% Carter 1,030 28% Tobias 647 25% Oliver 5,390 24% Grayson 742 22% Felix 689 21% Jasper 708 20% Sonny 640 17% Dexter 676 12% Aurora 752 35% Arabella 619 32% Lyla 539 28% Amber 751 27% Edith 599 24% Maryam 634 21% Harriet 1,128 19% Summer 718 15% Delilah 601 13% Gracie 719 12% Aurora - thought to be inspired by Disney's Sleeping Beauty - is the most regrettable name for a girl with 35 per cent of the votes, while Hunter is the boys' (32 per cent). Possibly the most surprising entry on the list of regrettable names is Oliver - the official most popular boys moniker according to the latest government data. Of those surveyed, 24 per cent of parents said they regret choosing this for their son, presumably due to its popularity. Lyla and Arabella are also among the top three names parents most regret for their daughters, at 32 per cent and 28 per cent respectively. Gigacalculator.com also asked parents to list 10 names they would never call their kids and compiled a top three for boys and girls. ATLANTA - A federal judge on Monday permanently blocked Georgias 2019 heartbeat abortion law, finding that it violates the U.S. Constitution. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled against the state in a lawsuit filed by abortion providers and an advocacy group. Jones had temporarily blocked the law in October, and it never went into effect. The new ruling permanently enjoins the state from ever enforcing House Bill 481. Georgias measure sought to ban abortions once a detectable human heartbeat was present, with some limited exceptions. Cardiac activity can be detected by ultrasound as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women realize theyre pregnant, according to a legal challenge. The bill narrowly passed the Georgia General Assembly amid intense lobbying for and against. Those who challenged the lawsuit said the ruling proves their contention that the measure was unconstitutional. Lead plaintiff SisterSong, an Atlanta-based group that fights abortion restrictions on behalf of African American and other women of colour, called it a huge win for bodily autonomy. No one should have to live in a world where their bodies and reproductive decision making is controlled by the state, SisterSong Executive Director Monica Simpson said in a statement. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who has supported the restriction, immediately vowed an appeal. We will appeal the courts decision, Kemp said in a statement. Georgia values life and we will keep fighting for the rights of the unborn. The prospects of an appeal are uncertain, though, considering the U.S. Supreme Court last month struck down other abortion restrictions from Louisiana. Women in Georgia can currently seek an abortion during the first 20 weeks of a pregnancy. Both the state and those challenging the law asked Jones to rule without a trial, saying there were no disputed facts. Jones granted the challengers motions for summary judgment and denied the states motions, finding the law violated the 14th Amendment. The court rejects the state defendants argument that the statutory purpose solely concerns promoting fetal well-being, Jones wrote. Instead, HB 481s specific references to Roe v. Wade and established abortion related precedents ... lends support to plaintiffs argument that the purpose of H.B. 481 was to ban or de facto ban abortion. Jones refused to leave any parts of the law in effect, which would have also granted personhood to a fetus, giving it the same legal rights as people have after theyre born. For example, a mother could have claimed a fetus as a dependent to reduce taxes. U.S. Supreme Court precedent has for nearly five decades held that states cannot ban abortion prior to the viability of a fetus, and since Georgias law does just that it is unconstitutional, the laws opponents argued. The state argued that the law promoted fetal well-being. It was widely considered as one of a number of attempts to create fresh legal challenges to abortion after two new conservative justices were confirmed to the Supreme Court. The high court, by a 5-4 ruling on June 29, struck down another of those challenges involving regulations from Louisiana. The legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, one of the groups that brought the lawsuit, said any appeal would be fruitless. The district court blocked Georgias abortion ban, because it violates over 50 years of Supreme Court precedent and fails to trust women to make their own personal decisions, Sean Young said in a statement. This case has always been about one thing: letting her decide. It is now up to the state to decide whether to appeal this decision and prolong this lawsuit. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican, said he would appeal the ruling but declined further comment. At least eight states passed so-called heartbeat bills or other sweeping bans in 2019, including Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee. South Carolina is still considering one. All of the new bans joined the fate of earlier heartbeat abortion bans from Arkansas, North Dakota and Iowa in being at least temporarily blocked by judges. Louisianas ban wouldnt take effect unless a court upholds Mississippis law. In a separate ruling Monday, a U.S. district judge in Tennessee blocked a Tennessee law that Republican Gov. Bill had signed hours earlier banning an abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy and prohibiting abortions based on race, sex or diagnosis of Down syndrome. ___ Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy. In the weeks following George Floyds death, readers wanted to know how to support Black-owned businesses in central Pennsylvania. As part of the project Black-owned Businesses: Stories of Struggle and Success, PennLive has launched a page featuring a map and databases of Black-owned businesses. You can find that page here if you cannot see the embeds below. The Google map features businesses that have physical locations. The same information is also in a database for those who prefer to search that way. You can search either by location or by industry type. There is also a second database of businesses that are either run online or are home-based. If you are interested in embedding either of these databases on your own website, please email Megan Lavey-Heaton at mheaton@pennlive.com. If you are a Black business owner and would like to add your business to this map, please fill out this form. We will be checking it once a day, Mondays through Fridays, and updating the map and database at that time. Information in these databases were compiled by Teresa Bonner, Hannah Pollock and Nolan Simmons. Advertisement Britain's coronavirus outbreak may be getting worse as alarming government figures today revealed the average number of new cases has jumped six per cent in the first week-on-week rise since early May but the daily death toll has dipped to a 17-week low. Department of Health data shows 530 more Britons have tested positive for the life-threatening disease, meaning the rolling average of daily infections has increased for the third day in a row to 624 up from 590 last Monday, which was 34 per cent lower than the same day the week before. The last time the UK suffered an increase in its average number of daily cases was on May 7, when 5,600 Britons were diagnosed with Covid-19 and the spike was blamed on more people being swabbed for the infection after officials finally ramped up the mass-testing scheme. It comes little more than a week after Britain took the first steps back to normal life, after Number 10 finally relaxed strict lockdown rules in a desperate bid to kick-start the economy. Millions flocked to pubs to celebrate 'Super Saturday' despite warnings from top scientists that it would cause another spike in cases. In other promising signs, just 11 more Covid-19 deaths were announced in the lowest daily fatality toll for 17 weeks. It can take three weeks for patients to succumb to the illness, meaning any actual spike in cases may not come to light for another fortnight. Department of Health chiefs say the final death toll, which includes laboratory-confirmed fatalities in all settings across the UK, now stands at 44,830. But separate grisly figures that take into account suspected deaths show the UK passed the 50,000 mark at the start of June. Government data shows 21 fatalities were recorded yesterday as well as 16 last Monday. However, counts released on Sundays and Mondays are always lower because of a recording lag at weekends. Eighty-three Britons are now dying from Covid-19 each day, on average down 12 per cent on the average of 95 last Monday. In other coronavirus developments Britain today: Face masks could be made compulsory in shops 'in the next few days' as Boris Johnson promised clarity after ministers sparked confusion by contradicting each other over the policy; More than 100 outbreaks of coronavirus in schools, businesses and pubs are 'swiftly and silently' being dealt with every week across the UK, Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed; The drive to bring workers back to the office from coronavirus lockdown hit a roadblock after some of country's biggest firms said only 40 per cent will return from home; Councils in England are preparing to make significant cuts in jobs and services after losing income on investments in airports, cinemas and offices amid the coronavirus pandemic; British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is preparing to launch human trials of an antibody treatment that could protect old and vulnerable people from coronavirus; Beauty salons, nail bars and tattoo shops in England opened the first time in four months as part of the latest relaxation of lockdown restrictions; Immunity to Covid-19 might be lost within months, according to research that suggests the virus could infect people on an annual basis, like the flu. A further 21 people have died from coronavirus in 24 hours bringing the UK's total death toll to 44,819 BORIS PROMISES CLARITY ON FACE MASKS 'IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS' Boris Johnson wore his facemask again today as he visited the headquarters of the London Ambulance Service Boris Johnson vowed clarity on face masks 'in the next few days' today as the government's approach descended into shambles. The PM, who was wearing a covering out and about in London this morning, insisted they had a 'great deal of value' in confined spaces such as shops. He said ministers and officials were 'looking at' the guidance on whether they should be compulsory in such settings, and suggested an announcement is imminent. The comments came amid accusations that the government is 'all over the place' on face masks with the premier Mr Gove seemingly at odds over requiring them in shops. Currently they are only required by law on public transport in England. Scientists have warned that the public will be 'confused' after the Cabinet minister insisted wearing coverings indoors should be a matter of 'courtesy'. Mr Johnson said on Friday that the government 'needs to be stricter in insisting people wear face coverings in confined spaces'. Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland added to the sense of confusion by saying 'perhaps' masks should become mandatory inside, arguing it was more than a 'courtesy' and about 'safety'. Nicola Sturgeon has already brought the rule in for Scotland, while London mayor Sadiq Khan has been demanding the change. Advertisement Department of Health figures released yesterday showed 207,000 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 650 more cases of Covid-19. Government statistics show the official size of the UK's outbreak now stands at 289,603 cases. But the actual size of the outbreak, which began to spiral out of control in March, 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'. More than 1,000 infected Brits died each day during the darkest days of the crisis in mid-April but the number of victims had been dropping by around 20 to 30 per cent week-on-week since the start of May. NHS England today posted 11 deaths in hospitals across the country. One Covid-19 fatalities was recorded in all settings in Northern Ireland but none were registered in Scotland or Wales. It comes after the Health Secretary today claimed more than 100 outbreaks of coronavirus are 'swiftly and silently' being dealt with every week across the UK. Matt Hancock revealed how flare-ups in schools, businesses and pubs across the country are consistently being handled with 'local actions', just nine days after many businesses reopened. Writing in the Daily Telegraph today, he added that many of the outbreaks are nipped in the bud before they can 'make the news'. He stated that increased testing, some of which is being done door-to-door in infected areas, means officials can take a more targeted approach rather than imposing national measures. Mr Hancock's comments came after 73 cases of the virus were confirmed at A S Green And Co, a farm in Mathon, Herefordshire, leading to around 200 workers being quarantined as a precautionary measure. In other developments today, Boris Johnson vowed clarity on face masks in the next few days as the government's approach on coverings descended into shambles. The Prime Minister, who was pictured wearing a covering out and about in London this morning, insisted they had a 'great deal of value' in confined spaces such as shops. COVID-19 IMMUNITY MAY BE LOST WITHIN MONTHS, STUDY FINDS Immunity to Covid-19 might be lost within months, according to research. The graph shows how antibody levels peaked five weeks after symptoms began (POS) but then faded away. The colour of the dots indicate severity, with purple being the most severe symptoms Immunity to Covid-19 might be lost within months, according to research. The findings suggest that, like the common cold and flu, the virus could infect people on an annual basis. This undermines ideas that herd immunity could be a way of defeating the virus. Kings College London scientists looked at the immune response of more than 90 patients and healthcare workers at Guys and St Thomas NHS foundation trust. They found antibody levels peaked three weeks after symptoms and then declined. Lead author Dr Katie Doores told the Guardian: People are producing a reasonable antibody response to the virus, but its waning over a short period of time and depending on how high your peak is, that determines how long the antibodies are staying. Advertisement He claimed ministers and officials were 'looking at' the guidance on whether they should be compulsory in such settings, and suggested an announcement is imminent. The comments came amid accusations that the government is 'all over the place' on face masks with the premier seemingly at odds with Michael Gove over requiring them in shops. Scientists have warned that the public will be 'confused' after the Cabinet minister insisted wearing coverings indoors should be a matter of 'courtesy'. Mr Johnson said on Friday that the government 'needs to be stricter in insisting people wear face coverings in confined spaces'. Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland added to the sense of confusion by saying 'perhaps' masks should become mandatory inside, arguing it was more than a 'courtesy' and about 'safety'. More questions today arose over the coronavirus immunity puzzle, with research suggesting that antibody levels peak three weeks after symptoms and then fade away. The findings uncovered by a team at Kings College London suggest that the coronavirus could infect people on an annual basis, like the flu. This undermines ideas herd immunity could be a way of defeating the virus and that any protection from a vaccine may not be very long lasting and the vaccine may need to be reformulated every year. Researchers looked at the immune response of more than 90 patients and healthcare workers at Guys and St Thomas NHS foundation trust. But there remains a chance that even if antibody levels do drop, the body could fight off the virus a second time using T-cells. It comes as another study found more than half of hospitalised coronavirus patients given heart scans worldwide were found to have abnormalities. Separate figures released yesterday showed more than 230,000 Covid-19 cases were recorded on Sunday in the darkest 24 hours of the pandemic so far, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The record-high number of new infections means 12.5million people worldwide have now been struck down since the pandemic began back in December. Outbreaks are growing in the US, Brazil, India and South Africa, statistics show. While European nations appear to have emerged from the worst of the crisis. The coronavirus which first emerged in China has killed more than half a million but the number of infected patients dying each day has barely changed. WHO chiefs have warned the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic is yet to come because the spread of the virus is accelerating in some parts of the world. The total number of cases worldwide has doubled in the last six weeks, according to Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the UN agency. Dr Tedros last week warned the coronavirus pandemic has still not reached its peak and admitted the situation is 'getting worse'. FAIRFIELD Rain or shine, the annual sidewalk sale is happening Saturday, according to First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick. In a statement, Kupchick said the event is sponsored by the town and the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce. She said the event would take place in Fairfield Center on July 18. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kupchick said select merchants will offer a preview Thursday in advance of the Satruday event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4: p.m. Vendors will set up stands and offer a variety of merchandise for sale on Sherman Green and along the Post Road from the Heritage Square Shopping Center to the Promenade at the Brick Walk. From the latest fashion apparel and jewelry, to sporting goods and best-selling books, theres something for everyone, Kupchick said in a statement. Shop the summers hottest deals offered by Fairfields local merchants. The first selectwoman said admission to the event is free, adding that people could take a break from shopping and have lunch at local restaurants. Kupchick said all business participants and attendees are expected to adhere to public health and safety protocols. This, she said, includes social distancing and facial coverings to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in accordance with state and local guidelines. I encourage everyone to come and be a part of this fun-filled event and help support our local business community, Kupchick said. But use good judgment and follow all public health guidelines to observe social distancing and to wear a face covering. Mark Barnhart, the towns director of economic development, said it is important to support local businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. These last few months have been a challenging time for many of us, Barnhart said, especially our local merchants and our small businesses that form the backbone of our local economy and help make Fairfield what it is. Kupchick said the town and the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, which are co-organizing the event, wanted to acknowledge and thank Fairfield Moms and Massage Envy for also sponsoring the event. The upcoming July 18 date is very timely, Chamber President Beverly Balaz said, because now more than ever, Fairfields much-anticipated Sidewalk Sale day really helps support our local business community. For additional information on participating vendors, restaurants and activities, please visit www.fairfieldct.org/sidewalksale. The United Kingdom has a unique opportunity to start rebuilding its fish stocks by taking advantage of the slowdown in commercial fishing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing Brexit negotiations, new research has shown. A study by the University of Southampton, the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research and the Sea Around Us initiative at the University of British Columbia sets out how the UK Government can take a new approach to managing its fishing waters. After Brexit the UK will no longer be bound by the Common Fisheries Policy and therefore has the chance to develop a new policy focused on sustainability and preserving the livelihoods of fishing communities. Furthermore, the reduction in fishing activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has seen pressure on some threatened species fall to levels not seen since World War II, giving opportunities to help fish populations recover and increase the potential economic returns for fishers. "Several stocks targeted by UK fishers are in a degraded and precarious state, with around 40 per cent that will continue to be overfished when normal activity resumes," said Professor Paul Kemp, lead author of the study and a researcher at the University of Southampton. "One of the reasons for this is that fishing quotas - or how much of each species can be caught in a certain area by each country - are set by the EU at levels higher than those that would enable the recovery of the populations." To regulate the ongoing harvest beyond sustainable limits, the researchers propose fishing targets be set to levels in which fishers leave more fish in the water than the minimum required to generate maximum sustainable yields. "Maximum Sustainable Yield or MSY is defined as the highest catch that can be continuously taken from a stock under existing environmental conditions," said Rainer Froese, co-author of the study and senior scientist at GEOMAR. "Smart fisheries management, such as applied in Australia, aims for a little less than MSY. That reduces the risk of unintentional overfishing and ensures close to maximum catches, year after year." "This will allow fish populations to recover to levels that are higher than those that can produce MSY to ensure large and diverse populations that will be better prepared for climate change, stabilize ecosystems, and at the same time maximize fishers' profits," said Daniel Pauly, co-author of the study and principal investigator of the Sea Around Us initiative at the University of British Columbia. "The opportunity to do this is now because of the slowdown caused by COVID-19 and because after Brexit, the UK will be in a position to insist in its negotiations with the EU that fishing quotas advised by scientists not be exceeded." As an additional safeguard for sustainable and highly profitable fishing in the post-Brexit and post-COVID-19 world, the researchers propose further creation of a "blue belt" of Marine Protected Areas around the UK coast, and enforcement of their protected status, something that up until now has been seriously lacking. "The establishment of MPAs is one of the most cost-effective ways to restore overexploited stocks and habitats on which fish depend, to the mutual benefit of the fishing industry who experience increased catches in grounds immediately outside of MPAs," Pauly said. The researchers warn that strong conviction will be required to ensure these areas are suitably protected as there are likely to be disputes with EU members who may regard this as a challenge to their perceived historic fishing rights. "Brexit divided the UK and the whole world has been challenged by the global health pandemic" added Professor Kemp. "However, regardless of how people voted, UK politicians have the chance to bring people together over a common goal that supports fishing communities, wider society and environmental sustainability. The opportunity is there but it will require political vision; with the necessary strength of character the negotiators can deliver a positive outcome from the combined systemic shocks of Brexit and COVID19." ### Notes to editors 1) For interview requests, please contact Peter Franklin, Media Relations Office, University of Southampton. p.franklin@southampton.ac.uk M 07748 321087 2) The paper "COVID-19 provides an opportunity to advance a sustainable UK Fisheries Policy in a post-Brexit brave new world" has been published in Marine Policy: https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0308-597X(20)30103-2. 3) The University of Southampton drives original thinking, turns knowledge into action and impact, and creates solutions to the world's challenges. We are among the top 100 institutions globally (QS World University Rankings 2019). Our academics are leaders in their fields, forging links with high-profile international businesses and organisations, and inspiring a 24,000-strong community of exceptional students, from over 135 countries worldwide. Through our high-quality education, the University helps students on a journey of discovery to realise their potential and join our global network of over 200,000 alumni. http://www.southampton.ac.uk At the corner of 38th and Chicago, the kneeling officer locked eyes with Judeah, giving her the same look he leveled at Darnella as she pulled out her phone to record the scene. A look that said, Theres nothing you can do about this. You have no power, little girl. Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers & Chemicals (GNFC) reported 152.11% surge in consolidated net profit to Rs 240.01 crore on 6.2% decline in net sales to Rs 1,342.47 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. Shares of GNFC were trading 1.50% lower at Rs 170.60. The scrip hovered in the range of Rs 170.10 to Rs 180 so far. The Q4 earnings were announced after market hours on Friday, 10 July 2020. The board has recommended a dividend of Rs 5 per equity share for the year ended 31 March 2020. GNFC is engaged in operating businesses in the industrial chemicals, fertilizers and information technology (IT) products space. The firm is engaged in manufacturing and selling various fertilizers, such as urea and ammonium nitro-phosphate under the Narmada brand. The company's segments include fertilizers, chemicals and others, which includes the activities of the IT division. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dino Patti Djalal (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, July 14, 2020 08:54 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665dc17e 3 Opinion Donald-Trump,US-presidential-election,united-states,politics Free I know many of us got this wrong in the past, but I am willing to bet my house that President Donald J. Trump is finished. Either by a small or large margin, the incumbent will lose the US elections in November. It will not be Joe Biden that will beat Trump: Donald Trump is the cause of his own demise. His unmistakable authenticity, an asset that distinguished him from his political competitors in the past, is now a liability. His notorious claim of invincibility that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and still get elected no longer holds weight today. In 2016, Trump received a sizeable vote from Americans who voted for him not so much because they believed in him, but because they did not like Hilary Clinton. That dynamic will no longer be at work this coming November. I cannot give you a fancy formula, but I do know this from American history: US voters have a habit of being punitive to leaders who govern when the country is in distress. I was a high school student in MacLean, Virginia, in the late 1970s and I remember, like many Americans then, admiring the incumbent president Jimmy Carter. He projected an aura of decency, humility and goodwill much more so than Trump does today. But America back then was in a big mess: the energy crisis, the Iran hostage debacle, the so-called national malaise. President Carter failed to get a second term; the American voters decided to give his opponent Ronald Reagan a chance. This happened again to another one-term president who succeeded Reagan: the decent person of George HW Bush. He led a glorious international coalition to oust Saddam Husseins army from Kuwait, and for a while he looked sure to win a second term. But domestically the US economy was not in good shape and the unhappy American voters, again, punished President George HW Bush by denying him a second term. Carters America or Bushs America were certainly hurting, but nothing like what we see in Trumps America. America in 2020 is a divided, angry, unhappy, insecure nation. The accumulated impacts of COVID-19 (over 3 million cases and 130,000+ deaths), the unprecedented job losses, impending economic recession, George Floyd protests, revelations from the Bolton book and the rapid loss of the feel good factor; all have tilted the electoral margin to Bidens favor. It is hard for Trump to make a case to Keep America Great when the key indicators are running in the opposite direction. Blaming liberals, immigrants, Muslims, China, Barack Obama and CNN will no longer work. While the US elections and inauguration are still months away, it is time to prepare for a post-Trump America and post-Trump world order. A post-Trump America will still be a divided country. This, I suppose, will never change. Trump, as he already said he would, might make a futile attempt to challenge the November election results. But even after the Trump presidency ends, Trump-ism will not go away, his core political base (around 24 percent of voters) will remain a loud force, and Trump will certainly continue to bully his successor (because that is his character) and will probably try to run for president again in 2024. But for the majority of mainstream Americans who will vote him out, a post-Trump America will be and surely feels like a different America than the one of the last four years. There will be a sense that America has been reclaimed, and returned to what it used to be decent, open, moderate, progressive, compassionate and moving in the right direction, wherever that may be. Whether or not Joe Biden will be able to resolve Americas problems is of course a totally different matter. If anything, given the enormous economic, social and health challenges wrought by the pandemic, a Biden presidency would most probably reinstate a greater role for the government in the economy, enact more social safety nets and bring policies more to the left of the center. A world without President Trump in power will be a better and hopeful one. In the last four years, Trumps America ceased to inspire the world. Instead, President Trump brought out the image of the ugly America. American professor John Delury recently lamented that the US has now become the sick man of democracies. US foreign policy suffered from a glaring confusion indeed, contradiction between Trumps personal interests and US national interests. This, and Trumps endless diplomatic gaffes, have caused considerable demoralization in the State Department and to American diplomats abroad some of them indeed chose to leave the diplomatic service. Under President Trump, US foreign policy lost interest in leading the world (after all, its all about America First), retreated from global leadership, bullied and embarrassed US allies, alienated the Islamic world and unassembled everything Obama did, despite the possible merit of such policies. In that process, the US stopped leading: on climate, democracy, human rights, governance, trade, America took a back seat. American exceptionalism, and respectability, had lost currency worldwide. While the US remains the worlds only superpower, its status as the worlds most consequential power has seriously eroded. As one American foreign policy wonk told me, For many years, the US used to be either loved or hated. We were used to that. Now, for the first time, the US is pitied. We are not used to that. In a post-Trump world, the question is whether a Joe Biden presidency will be Obama 2.0. Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, Bush 41 had all faced this same question upon assuming power, and each (with the exception of Ford) managed to craft their own distinctive path of US foreign policy. The same goes for a future president Biden. But unlike Obama, Clinton, Bush or Carter before him, Biden will assume presidency as the most foreign policy prepared president serving eight years as Obamas vice president, and prior to that many years in the Senate foreign affairs committee. This long track-record means that, as one American friend pointed out to me, There is not one important international issue that Biden is not familiar with. Many of the talented policy wonks who boycotted Trump in 2016 will return to Washington, DC, to serve under Biden. If anything, a Biden presidency will signal the return of America as a normal country. It will mark the return of a traditional foreign policy. This means that one of the first foreign policy moves President Biden will make is to reassure US allies, particularly in Europe, that he is no Trump, and will exercise a leadership role in Americas many alliances. In contrast with the disruptive instinct of President Trump, Biden will attempt to regain the comfort level and strategic trust of allies. The upshot is that, in contrast with the past four years, we will see a more strategically coherent western world with the US back at the core of it. A Biden administration will be more committed to a rules-based international order (though policy contradictions will persist), and will reposition the US into its traditional role as a champion of democracy, human rights and international law (themes that Trump showed little interest in). That said, despite the long-standing plea of the international community, a Biden administration is not likely to push for Senate ratification of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It is important to keep in mind that a future president Biden will be forced by circumstances to focus on the herculean task of producing jobs at home. As Gordon Flake of Perth US-Asia Center argues, President Biden will inherit a weaker and poorer United States. More than 20 million jobs were lost this year, and there is a recession looming with unemployment reaching 14 percent, the highest since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, reversing this jobs avalanche will be the number one validation of the Biden presidency. If Biden fails this, he too might be a one-term president. Much of how Biden will engage the world will be seen from this jobs at home prism. To save the US economy, Biden will likely reduce military spending, which under President Trump reached a historic height of US$725 billion in 2020. This may mean that exotic programs like the Space Force will be halted (its hard to justify spending billions on space warfare when 20 million Americans are out of jobs). That said, given the US threat perceptions and strategic challenges, military spending will remain high. The Biden presidency is also expected to return US active engagement in the climate diplomacy circuit, which will be a great boost to Conference of Parties-26 in Glasgow in November 2021. A Biden administration is also expected to enhance multilateral diplomacy, be hard on Russia and China and place emphasis on arms control, which means it will right away begin negotiations on a new START Treaty with Russia (and perhaps find a way to engage China in it). In the Middle East, a future president Biden will be less beholden to Israel (compared to Trump) and show greater sensitivity to the Islamic world; will likely return America to the table regarding Irans nuclear deal; will handle Saudi Arabia differently than Trump; and will be more favorable over a more normalized place for Qatar in the region. It does not look likely that Biden will make a strong attempt to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. President Biden will not be softer on China. This is because the basic instinct of Washington, DC, establishment is now systematically geared for a long-term strategic rivalry with China. A future president Biden needs to prove that he is tough on China, and that under his watch America will not be surpassed by China. But Biden is likely to handle China with greater policy sophistication and will be less predisposed to blame China and less confrontational when he needs to be. In any case, the respectability gap that was palpably felt between erratic Trump and steady Xi Jinping will decrease much during a Biden presidency. It would be hasty to assume that a Biden presidency will immediately make America rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The domestic political circumstances in the US do not warrant that as yet. Instead, Biden is likely to begin with safe bilateral free trade negotiations, perhaps with Taiwan. Biden will need a year or two to assess the political and diplomatic situation before making a more determined move on the TPP. It is a safe bet that the Indo-Pacific strategy will endure under the Biden administration. This is because the Indo-Pacific is now firmly entrenched in the US strategic psyche. Outside US alliance systems, India will continue to be a key benefactor of Bidens Asia policy. The big question is whether Bidens Indo-Pacific strategy will proactively embrace China or continue to sideline it in this regional architecture. The other big question in this Indo-Pacific strategy will be how Biden sees Southeast Asia. Under Obama, Southeast Asia occupied a key place in the so-called pivot or rebalancing strategy, which by extension, raised the strategic position of Indonesia in the eyes of US policymakers. While the policy package may be different, expect the Biden presidency to ramp up the US overall presence (strategic, economic, soft power) vis-a-vis China in the ASEAN region and a more intense competition for diplomatic and political influence in the region. The aforementioned post-Trump US foreign policy still, of course, awaits president-hopeful Joe Bidens actual policy pronouncements, which are still forthcoming. These will be clearer after the Democratic Convention, the presidential debates prior to elections and the inauguration in January 2021. Some of these policy predictions are deduced from my conversations with Washington, DC, insiders. Yes, I know, you think I am getting way ahead of myself. But the US elections are just four months (one summer season) away a blink of an eye. The exit of President Trump will have a profoundly strategic impact on world affairs. As the world scrambles to sketch a complex diplomatic agenda for a COVID-19 and post-pandemic world, they are well advised to start calculating what a post-Trump America and Biden presidency will look like, as that would make a huge difference in how world affairs evolve and how world problems would be solved in the coming five years. *** The writer is founder of Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) and former Indonesian ambassador to the United States. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. With the highest single-day spike of 28,701 cases, Indias total number of COVID-19 cases reached 8,78,254, informed Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Monday. The countrys death toll now stands at 23,174 with 500 more deaths in the last 24 hours. Out of the total number of cases, as many as 3,01,609 are currently active. Also, over 5,53,471 people have been cured/discharged/migrated so far from the infection. The state of Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of cases at 2,54,427, followed by Tamil Nadu 1,38,470. The coronavirus tally in the national capital has also increased to 1,12,494. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the whole world was appreciating Indias successful fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking ahead of the mega tree plantation drive of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Officers Training Academy in Kadarpur village in Gurugram district, the Home Minister also lauded the contribution of security forces in the battle against COVID-19 in the country. Also Read: Sachin Pilot has support of 30 Congress MLAs, independents : Sources Also Read: Gehlot govt issues whip to MLAs for CLP meeting today India is one of the most populous countries. Everyone thought how will a country like India battle COVID-19, there were apprehensions but today the whole world is witnessing how one of the most successful battles against COVID-19 has been fought here, the Home Minister said. In Indias battle against COVID-19, all of our security forces are playing a huge role, nobody can deny it. Today, I salute these corona warriors. They have proved that they not only know how to fight terrorism but also against COVID with help of people, he added. As many as 2,30,370 new coronavirus cases were reported in last 24-hours worldwide taking the total cases to 12.55 million, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is the highest single-day surge in the coronavirus cases, Sputnik reported citing WHO. According to the organization, the global case total now stands at 12.55 million. The previous single-day surge record of 228,102 was set on Friday. More than half of the new positive tests, 133,486 in total, were reported in the United States, the WHO said. A further 70,398 new cases were also reported in Brazil. Also Read: Rahul slams centres claim of Indias good position in Covid-19 battle For all the latest National News, download NewsX App New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to issue an order today requiring that travelers from certain states give authorities information about where they came from or face fines and a court summons. The order will apply to travelers from states on New Yorks quarantine list, which currently includes 19 states. Travelers arriving in New York from any of those states will have to fill out a form detailing their contact information, where they came from and where theyre going. Travelers will have to give the form to authorities before leaving the airport. Airlines will hand out the forms on flights and theyll also be available online, Cuomo said. If a traveler leaves the airport without providing the required information, theyll face a $2,000 fine and a court summons. The traveler could ultimately be ordered by a court to complete a mandatory quarantine, Cuomo said. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will be responsible for enforcing the new requirement in the New York City area. Local airports will enforce the rule in the rest of the state, Cuomo said. New York in June began requiring 14-day, self-quarantines for travelers from states where the coronavirus is still spreading rapidly. Experts have said the rule is difficult to enforce. Cuomo initially said the state would use random checks to ensure compliance. He also mentioned asking airlines to hand out forms to gather information about incoming travelers. The new order appears to be a more concerted effort to enforce the quarantine rule. Cuomo said the state knows not all travelers have been following the requirement. The current states on the quarantine list are: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. New York has been updating the list weekly. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Coronavirus in NY: Hospitalizations drop below 800, lowest since mid-March NY allows nursing home residents to have visitors again Capping entry at 50% likely wont be a problem for a mall as big as Destiny USA Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 K nife crime could spike as children who have witnessed domestic violence are released from lockdown, according to a shocking report by MPs released today. Urgent measures are needed to ensure schools and pupil referral units are adequately resourced and prepared for the challenges ahead, the cross-party Youth Violence Commission said. The commission has serious concerns over the extent that teachers will be able to effectively support and care for children and young people returning to education after an extended period of confinement at home. Researchers found that those who committed serious acts of violence had often been subjected to domestic violence or seen their own mothers being brutally and repeatedly attacked in their homes. Young people aged 10 to 17 receiving a caution or conviction for knife or weapon offences soared by 73 per cent from 2,639 in 2013 to 4,562 last year. MPs said: The full extent of the lockdowns effects on young peoples mental health, educational attainment, attitudes and behaviour will not be known for many years, but it is highly likely that schools will face severe challenges in the short to medium term. If schools are unable to adapt and cope with these challenges, then there are serious risks of an additional spike in school exclusions, and a further widening of the attainment gap. Their report highlights the immense damage of school exclusions on young peoples prospects, including the close connection to increased rates of serious youth violence. The commission adds: Millions of people are now facing extended periods of heightened insecurity and financial hardship. Despite Government aid packages, there is significant potential for various social ills such as unemployment, homelessness, domestic violence and abuse, depression, anxiety and trauma to intensify in the coming months and years. Tens of thousands of children and young people in the UK already grow up in poverty, live in insecure and unsafe housing, witness or experience domestic violence and abuse on a daily basis, and face serious mistreatment at the hands of many of the adults and institutions in their lives. Last week the Standard revealed the plight of tens of thousands of domestic abuse victims under lockdown. Pressure on abuse victims was intensified with many councils reporting a dramatic decline in face-to-face visits undertaken by their adult social services teams. The report also criticises police stop and searches that appear to be based on racial profiling, saying they should be avoided as they are likely to prove counter-productive in the long-term and severely undermine evidence-based prevention strategies that build trust and confidence The commission said there was a glaring lack of trust between the police and those children and young people most at-risk of serious violence. Last week Met Commissioner Cressida Dick apologised to Team GB sprinter Bianca Williams for distress caused when she and her partner were dragged from a car and handcuffed during a stop and search in Maida Vale. Cressida Dick / Parliament TV A drastic increase in stop and search in May saw the tactic used more than 43,000 times. Of 10,000 young black males stopped in London in May, 80 per cent of searches resulted in no further action. Justice campaigner Richard Taylor, 71, whose ten-year-old son Damilola was stabbed to death in Peckham in 2000, called for all the reports recommendations to be implemented in full. He also wants Dame Cressida to meet with senior black community leaders to discuss a recent escalation of mistrust. He told the Standard: Surely this is a time for understanding and empathy? How is it that stop and search has increased with such a high disparity? I am inspired will finally see an end to violence on our streets if the findings of the all-party commission are adhered to with investment in public health strategies. The commission added it had concerns for the work of the Violence Reduction Unit in London and 17 other areas across England and Wales if funding is cut due to the pandemic. Loading.... They said: Given the potential for the impact of Covid-19 to create the types of social conditions in which one might reasonably expect to see increased rates of serious violence, it is imperative that support for these units is not only maintained, but increased. MPs called for improvements in pay and conditions for keyworkers many of whom care for our most vulnerable young people. Whatever the new normal looks like, it must include a relentless drive to reduce poverty and inequality and ensure that all children and young people are given the best possible opportunities to cultivate and pursue their hopes and dreams for a better future. Costs associated with their recommendations are dwarfed by the financial impact of serious violence, they said adding Covid-19 must not take us back to square one. Lewisham Deptford MP Vicky Foxcroft, chair of the Youth Violence Commission which spoke to 2,200 young people over three years, said: Serious violence between young people has devastating and far-reaching consequences, not only for individuals and their families, but also for communities and society as a whole. It is clear that urgent action must be taken across a range of policy areas to protect young people up and down the country and across all sections of society. Throughout this process, the overwhelming verdict from victims, youth workers, community leaders and other stakeholders has been that short-term solutions are not sufficient to effect long-term change. Newsreader Kate Silverton, a mother-of-two, will tonight warn about the damage the pandemic could do to children's mental health in her film on Scotlands Violence Reduction Unit on BBC1 at 7.30pm. 1. What care is necessary right now? Although the decision to use in-home care during COVID-19 is a personal one, dependent on many factors, it's worth discussing with your agency or aide whether their visits are essential right now. For many, care is essential and refusing it is not an option, says NAHC President William A. Dombi. Remember, the reason health care workers are going into people's homes is because those people need care, he says. And those needs are still there in spite of the pandemic. If they don't get the care they need, they may end up in the ER, and that's not the place for them to be right now. Brent Korte, chief home care officer of EvergreenHealth Home Care in Washington state, says his team is constantly assessing which in-person home visits are clinically essential and whether care can be provided virtually in between essential visits. Videocalls, or in some cases even telephone calls, can be very effective, he says. For example, his chaplain team has successfully used phone and videoconferences to provide remote spiritual care to hospice patients. But it's a very case-by-case situation with many considerations involved, he says, noting that complex wound care and physical therapy after a surgery are treatments that require in-person, hands-on visits. Everyone's health requirements are different, and the decision comes down to the individual or their representative. It's worth bringing your care providers into that conversation. 2. Do you offer telemedicine? Many home-care agencies are connecting with clients over video, phone, email, an app, online portal or other technology to reduce person-to-person contact during COVID-19. While some common types of assistance dressing, bathing, feeding cannot be provided via telehealth, many home care agencies have been shifting to telemedicine where possible. Ken Albert, president and CEO of Androscoggin Home Healthcare and Hospice in Maine, says his agency's use of telemedicine has increased by 33 percent during the pandemic. Our clients are quickly becoming accustomed to the technology, he says. It's been a great adjunct, allowing us to decrease the number of in-person visits while maintaining quality care. It also has been beneficial in instances when individuals or families are uncomfortable seeing a provider for an in-person visit, due to a perceived risk of COVID-19 exposure or otherwise. It allows patients to receive the care they need in an environment that they are comfortable with. But the capabilities of telemedicine vary greatly from agency to agency; While Johns Hopkins Home Care Group recently completed its first-ever in-home intravenous immune globulin infusion using video technology, other agencies may not have the resources to provide even basic video calls. Ask what's possible, and whether switching from in-home visits to telehealth will affect your level of care in any way. Also check whether your health care coverage be it Medicare, Medicaid or a private insurer is covering the telehealth service. While there are extensive waivers that grant telemedicine coverage during the pandemic, there may be some exceptions. 3. Are you or others at the home care agency caring for any COVID-19 positive individuals? If so, will any of those providers or staff be assigned to me? A May survey by the NAHC found that 63 percent of home health agencies nationwide were treating patients who had tested positive for COVID-19, says Dombi. In hot spots within New York and New Jersey, 83 percent of agencies were taking on COVID-19 infected patients. Most agencies who are treating positive COVID-19 patients are, to the best of their knowledge, separating their workers into those treating positive COVID-19 patients and those who are not, says AARP's Stephen. During New York's surge in COVID-19 cases in April and May, COVID-19 positive patients experienced longer wait times for visits from in-home heath aides because most agencies were keeping their staff separate, he says. Although this is generally what agencies are doing, you still want to ask, to make sure, he adds. If your carer is treating both categories of individuals, be extra thorough in asking about their infection control protocols (more on that in questions 4 and 5). Also be mindful that they may be treating a positive patient without knowing it; the incubation period for COVID-19, which is the time between becoming infected and the onset of symptoms, is on average five to six days but can be up to 14 days, according to the World Health Organization. A crucial meeting of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) will be held at the chief minister's residence in Jaipur on July 13, amid deepening political crisis in Rajasthan. The Congress has issued a whip to all party legislators mandating their presence during the meeting which will be convened at 10.30 am by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has made it clear that he is not going to attend the meeting. In a statement issued on July 12 night, Pilot had claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government was in minority and more than 30 Congress and some independent legislators have pledged support to him. Also read: Rajasthan political crisis | Sachin Pilot rebels, claims support of 30 Congress MLAs By doing so, he has openly displayed rebellion against the leadership of Gehlot. However, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Avinash Pande has said that 109 MLAs have expressed confidence in the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in the state and have signed a letter in support. Pande said a whip had been issued asking all the MLAs to attend the CLP meeting and that action will be taken against those who skip it. In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates on the Rajasthan political crisis The Congress has the support of 10 out of 13 independents, and other party MLAs like Rashtriya Lok Dal (1), which is its ally. The Congress also considers Bhartiya Tribal Party (2) and CPI(M) (2) MLAs as their supporters. BJP ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) has three MLAs in the Legislative Assembly. (With inputs from PTI) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Debendra Nath Ray from Hemtabad was found hanging in front of a shop in Bengals North Dinajpur district on Monday morning. The incident came to light after the locals spotted Ray hanging in front of a shop and they alerted the local police and immediately a team rushed to the spot and sent the body for post mortem examination. Rays family members alleged a foul play and claimed that he was murdered and then hanged since his hands were tied. On Sunday night, he was called up by some unknown persons and since then he went missing, the family members added. Demanding a high-level inquiry into the matter, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar took to Twitter and said, "Political violence and vendetta @MamataOfficial shows no signs of abating. Death of Debendra Nath Roy, Hemtabad MLA-Uttar Dinajpur District, raises serious issues including allegations of murder. Need for thorough impartial probe to unravel the truth and blunt political violence." Hematabad MLA hanging-Police stance at top that it is suicide is indicative of cover up- smacks with police prejudice, not without obvious intentions.Autopsy beVIDEOGRAPHED BY EXPERT TEAMAS PER SUPREME COURT DIRECTIVES Highest TRANSPARENCY be observed @MamataOfficial Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) July 13, 2020 While, the states BJP President, Dilip Ghosh suspected that he was murdered. It is unfortunate that there is no law and order in Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has completely failed in maintaining law and order situation in Bengal. We are in touch with the local leaders and trying to get more details about the case, Ghosh said. BJP state leadership has also demanded a CBI probe in the case. Meanwhile, the local BJP leaders staged protests in the area and accused police of not investigating the matter. The suspected heinous killing of Debendra Nath Ray, BJP MLA from Hemtabad in West Bengal, is extremely shocking and deplorable, National President of BJP, JP Nadda said on Twitter. The suspected heinous killing of Debendra Nath Ray, BJP MLA from Hemtabad in West Bengal, is extremely shocking and deplorable. This speaks of the Gunda Raj & failure of law and order in the Mamta govt. People will not forgive such a govt in the future. We strongly condemn this. Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) July 13, 2020 The BJP vice president Jay Prakash Majumdar claimed that with the cruel killing of MLA Debendra Nath Ray - so far 105 BJP workers became martyrs in the hands of TMC goons in Bengal and senior party leaders Shiv Prakash and Arvind Menon questioned if MLA is not safe in Bengal and one can imagine the safety and security of common people in the state. BJP MP Babul Supriyo said, I dont want to write much now. All I can say is that people of Bengal will respond to it soon. It is just a matter of time. Once Mamata Banerjees close aid and now in BJP, Mukul Roy claimed that it is a pre-planned murder and alleged that there is no democracy in West Bengal. Refuting all allegations, the district (North Dinajpur) president of Trinamool Congress, Amal Acharya, said, He was a good human being and I used to know him personally despite our political differences. I am personally devastated with the news. If it is a murder, I want a thorough investigation into the matter. In 2016, Debendra Nath Roy was elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from Hemtabad as a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). In May 2019, he along with Subhranshu Roy, Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya and more than 50 Councillors joined the BJP in the presence of senior BJP leaders Mukul Roy and Kailash Vijayvargiya. Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Running Mate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed her appreciation to the party and Ghanaians for the support that greeted the announcement of her new role. A statement issued by the NDC Campaign Team, said the former Minister of Education, who also served as the first female Vice Chancellor of a public university in Ghana, was on Monday announced by former President John Dramani Mahama as his Running Mate for this year's presidential election. That announcement has been greeted with enthusiasm and support from people from all walks of life, including; academia, civil society, professional and women's groups, it said. Social media has also been awash with support for the NDC Running Mate. Addressing a retreat of the NDC Campaign Team in Accra, Prof Opoku-Agyemang expressed her gratitude for the support and pointed out that she would justify the confidence reposed in her. She said people especially women were looking up to the NDC for answers to issues that affected them and called on the NDC to close its ranks and work hard for victory in the upcoming elections. Daily Guide KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Two generations of farmers have benefited from the knowledge, expertise and commitment of one University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture expert. One of the most well-known beef experts in Tennessee, F. David Kirkpatrick was recently recognized at the 52nd annual meeting of the Beef Improvement Federation with their Continuing Service Award. This award is given to members of the beef industry who have made major contributions to the field and to the Beef Improvement Federation organization. Kirkpatrick is a professor in the Department of Animal Science and beef cattle genetic specialist serving UT Extension. Kirkpatrick has been an indispensable resource for the beef cattle farmers of Tennessee for almost half a century. As he retires, Kirkpatrick brings to a close an entire lifetime spent serving Tennessee. A native of Oklahoma, Kirkpatrick came to the University of Tennessee to pursue a Ph.D. in animal science and has been a member of the faculty since the 1970s. "Serving as a beef cattle specialist was both my vocation and my avocation," states Kirkpatrick. "I've had the incredible opportunity to work with and for great people. Receiving this award is a great honor." Among his accomplishments, Kirkpatrick helped develop the UT Bull Test Program and was heavily involved in developing the annual Bull Test Sale at the Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Spring Hill. Kirkpatrick was instrumental in the development of the Beef Genetic Qualification program for the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) and a major contributor to the UT Master Beef Producer Program as well. Using DNA testing and Genomic Enhanced Expected Progeny Differences as an incentive for participation in both TAEP and the UT Master Beef Producer Program has led to improvements in quality across the state's beef cattle industry. Kirkpatrick is also the author of many UT Extension publications, 15 of which are currently available for download at the UT Extension publications site. ### The Beef Improvement Federation is dedicated to coordinating all segments of the beef industry, from researchers to producers to retailers. For more information about the Beef Improvement Federation, and to read more about Kirkpatrick's award, visit the Beef Improvement Federation website. A video highlighting his contributions to the beef industry and the presentation of the award is also available on YouTube. Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu. 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 01:15:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW YORK, July 13 (Xinhua) -- A one-year-old boy in New York City was shot dead late Sunday night in a sidewalk cookout, local authorities said. The New York Police Department (NYPD) said early Monday that two men opened fire on a group of people who were having a cookout outside a playground in Brooklyn at around 11:30 p.m. The boy, identified as Davell Gardner, was shot in the stomach while sitting in a stroller. He died in the hospital later. Three others were also injured during the shooting but are expected to survive, according to the NYPD. The suspects are still at large, and their motives are unclear, police said. Mayor Bill de Blasio mourned the death of Gardner on Monday's briefing with a moment of silence. "It's heartbreaking for so many reasons and it begins with the fact that there are so many guns out there, and that's a New York tragedy and a national tragedy," said de Blasio. "We have to heal. We have to bring our police and communities together. We have so much to do," he added. The city experienced another violent week with 43 shooting incidents, an increase of 231 percent compared with the same week in 2019, according to NYPD database. Enditem Crowded bars and house parties have been identified as culprits in spreading the coronavirus. Meat packing plants, prisons and nursing homes are known hot spots. Then theres the complicated case of Americas churches. The vast majority of these churches have cooperated with health authorities and successfully protected their congregations. Yet from the earliest phases of the pandemic, and continuing to this day, some worship services and other religious activities have been identified as sources of local outbreaks. They are by no means at the top of the list of problematic activities across the U.S., but they have posed challenges for government leaders and public health officials whose guidelines and orders are sometimes challenged as encroachments on religious liberty. If we wanted to have zero risks, the safest thing would be to never open our doors, said prominent Dallas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress. The question is how can you balance risk with the very real need to worship. In the past two weeks alone, there have been two notable church-government confrontations in California. San Franciscos city attorney sent a cease-and-desist order in late June to the Roman Catholic archdiocese, alleging that some of its churches had violated a local ban on large indoor gatherings. The archdiocese promised to comply. The extent to which religious gatherings have contributed to the pandemics toll may never be known with any precision. But theres no question they have played a role. A few days later, state officials temporarily banned indoor singing and chanting activities at all places of worship, prompting some pastors to defy the rule. Evangelical pastor Samuel Rodriguez said worshippers at his Sacramento megachurch joined in singing hymns on July 5, even as most of them wore face masks and obeyed social-distancing guidelines. To forbid singing in a church is morally reprehensible, Rodriguez said. That is how we petition heaven. The extent to which religious gatherings have contributed to the pandemics toll may never be known with any precision. But theres no question they have played a role throughout, internationally as well as in the United States, even as myriad houses of worship halted in-person services for safety reasons. Of the first wave of cases in South Korea in February, several thousand were members of the secretive Shincheonji Church of Jesus. Hundreds of other cases were linked to a Muslim missionary movement event in late February in Malaysia that was attended by about 16,000 people from numerous East Asian countries. In the second week of March, before warnings and lockdown orders proliferated in the U.S., 35 of the 92 people who attended events at a rural Arkansas church developed COVID-19, and three of them died, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report issued in May. More recently, in mid-June, a small-town church in northeastern Oregon became the epicenter of the states largest coronavirus outbreak when 236 people linked to the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church tested positive. According to the Observer newspaper in nearby La Grande, the church in Island City had held religious services, a wedding and a graduation ceremony in the weeks preceding the outbreak, sometimes with more than 100 people in attendance in defiance of state restrictions on gatherings. Union County, with a population of 25,000 people, had recorded fewer than 25 cases during the pandemic prior to the church outbreak. Within two weeks, it had Oregons highest per capita rate of coronavirus infections. Also in June, West Virginias health department announced outbreaks linked to five churches in different parts of the state. The biggest was at Graystone Baptist Church in Lewisburg with 51 cases, three of them fatal. In several cases, churches that resumed in-person services opted to close again after outbreaks. Among them: A church and an administrative office affiliated with the Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee, which is the home base for the Pentecostal denomination. No official case count has been released, but a senior leader of the denomination, General Overseer Tim Hill, confirmed that the number of verified cases is growing, and that several church leaders were among those seriously ill. One pastor, Ernie Varner of Lenoir City, Tennessee, died Friday, six days after posting on Facebook, Im in the ICU with COVID. Please pray for me. Calvary Chapel, an evangelical church in Universal City, Texas. It reopened in early May only to close anew in late June after dozens of staff and churchgoers tested positive, including Pastor Ron Arbaugh and his wife. Arbaugh says he regrets telling worshippers last month they could resume the tradition of hugging each other during an interlude of mid-service socializing. Holy Family Catholic Church in Las Vegas. The diocese announced Thursday that the church would be closed indefinitely after a priest who celebrated Mass this week tested positive. First Baptist Church of Tillmans Corner in Mobile, Alabama. It resumed in-person services May 17 after the governor gave a statewide green light, but recently canceled them at least through July 31 after more than 20 of the congregations 1,500 members tested positive. Pastor Derek Allen wrote a blog post describing the outbreak as a harrowing and demoralizing journey, and offering advice to other pastors: Assume every sniffle is COVID-19, and act quickly. Weve learned that the tests take too long, and false positives are possible along with false negatives. Another Baptist church, First Baptist Dallas, was in the spotlight June 28 when it hosted Vice President Mike Pence at its annual Freedom Sunday celebrations. Most of the 2,400 attendees wore face masks, but some criticism surfaced after the choir sang without masks. Jeffress, the churchs pastor and a prominent evangelical conservative with close ties to President Donald Trump, said the choir and orchestra had been tested for COVID-19 beforehand. The church said a few who tested positive did not take part in the event. Jeffress bristled at the idea that choirs should be temporarily banned. Choirs will always be a part of worship for us, he said. We think its possible to still have them but do it in a safe way. A few days after the Freedom Sunday event, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order requiring people wear face masks in most public settings with several exceptions, including participants in religious services. To forbid singing in a church is morally reprehensible. That is how we petition heaven. Some churches, through their physical attributes and the decisions of their leaders, have been able to minimize risks as worship resumes. In Incline Village, Nevada, along the north shore of Lake Tahoe, St. Patricks Episcopal Church took advantage of a unique feature to relaunch scaled-back, in-person services this month: its outdoor mountain amphitheater chapel shaded by pine trees. Church officials took precautionary measures such as moving the log-bench pews farther apart, capping attendance at 50 and requiring worshippers have their temperature taken, employ hand sanitizer and wear masks. There was no Eucharist or passing of the peace, and the usual post-service coffee hour was held by video conference. Good morning, children of God, the Rev. Sarah Dunn, the churchs rector, said from behind a plexiglass screen, welcoming parishioners back to the socially distanced service July 5 after 16 Sundays apart. She acknowledged feeling mixed emotions: apprehension as the virus remains a threat, but joy at being able to gather in the sacred space. Associated Press reporters Peter Orsi in Truckee, California, Anthony Izaguirre in Charleston, West Virginia, and Sara Cline in Salem, Oregon, contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics COVID-19 Oregon Syracuse, N.Y. The parent company of womens clothing retailer New York & Company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and says it may close all its 378 stores, which include locations at Destiny USA in Syracuse and Sangertown Square in New Hartford. RTW Retailwinds Inc. said Monday it expects to close a significant portion, if not all, of its brick-and-mortar stores and has launched a store closing and liquidation process. The combined effects of a challenging retail environment coupled with the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have caused significant financial distress on our business, and we expect it to continue to do so in the future, CEO Sheamus Toal said in a statement. As a result, we believe that a restructuring of our liabilities and a potential sale of the business or portions of the business is the best path forward to unlock value. The companys retail portfolio includes New York & Company, Fashion to Figure and Happy x Natures stores, which sell the companys branded merchandise. Its stores at Destiny USA and Sangertown Square have been closed since March 19 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The New York & Company store at the Destiny USA mall in Syracuse has been closed since March 19 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com RTW also sells its merchandise online at www.nyandcompany.com, www.fashiontofigure.com, www.happyxnature.com, and through its rental subscription businesses at www.nyandcompanycloset.com and www.fashiontofigurecloset.com. However, the company said it is evaluating the potential sale of its e-commerce business and related intellectual property as part of the proceedings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Jersey. Founded in 1918, the specialty retailer operates stores in 32 states. The company had been struggling even before the pandemic struck in March. Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148 New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was on Thursday detained at Delhias Jantar Mantar during candle-light march for ex-serviceman Kishan Grewal, who allegedly committed suicide over OROP on Tuesday. Police escorted Rahul Gandhi away from the protest siteA due to security concerns. Here are the Live updates: #What wrong did Rahul Gandhi do that he was detained three times in the last 24 hours?: Randeep Singh Surjewala, CongressA #Ye Modiji ka naya Hindustan hai: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi after being released by police post 2 hour detention #If they can't accept the complaint of a MP, how will they accept the complaint of a common man?: Rahul Gandhi #Tried to give in a complaint in the police station, but the police said we can't accept it: Rahul Gandhi #Rahul's aide Kanishk Singh files complaint at Tughlak road police station that Rahul Gandi has been kidnaped by police. Complaint has been filedA under IPC 340, 346, 375, 350, 365: Sources #Delhi Police has abducted Rahul Gandhi & taken him where? We're trying to lodge a complaint; Itas worse than emergency: Jitendra Singh, Congress #Rahul Gandhi taken from Feroz Shah Road in the PCR van Congress workers stage a protest against the detention of party VP Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/QKFLSImOGr a ANI (@ANI_news) November 3, 2016 #Congress leaders stage a protest against the detention of party VP Rahul Gandhi in Delhi Here is what Rahul Gandhi said after detention: #Clash between police and Congress workers protesting over Rahul Gandhi's detention in Delhi #Mai toh yahan baitha rahunga, mujhe koi fark nahi padta..main khush hoon #It's almost half an hour and we are still here in the car. Way the family was treated and dragged, Govt should apologise for it #Have been inside car for past half an hour, not letting us out; nt even taking us to PS; was told we were removed bcz of Sec144 #We are asked to remain in the car by police, they are not telling where are they going to take us now On Wednesday, the alleged suicide of an army veteran over the OROP issue snowballed into a huge political showdown in the capital with Rahul Gandhi being detained twice by Delhi police amid high drama. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also detained. The Congress immediately latched on to the issue after reports of the suicide came in the morning with party leaders taking to the streets. Rahul Gandhi went to RML Hospital to meet the bereaved family and express his condolences, but was taken into custody and kept at Mandir Marg police station. He was again detained at the Tilak Marg police station and released late at night. Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia also met similar fate. #WATCH: Rahul Gandhi speaks to ANI after detention from protest site,says 'have been in car for past half an hour,police not letting us out' pic.twitter.com/sCBt2XNmDG a ANI (@ANI_news) November 3, 2016 Ex serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal suicide case: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi detained by police on his arrival at the protest site in Delhi a ANI (@ANI_news) November 3, 2016 (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. NEW YORK (AP) A top prosecutor for special counsel Robert Mueller has a book coming out this fall about the two-year investigation into the alleged ties between Russia and the 2016 campaign of President Donald Trump. Random House announced Monday that Andrew Weissmann's Where Law Ends: Inside the Mueller Investigation will be published Sept. 29. Weissmann, often the target of criticism from Trump supporters, is calling the book a meticulous account of the Mueller team's probe and its ongoing battles with the Trump administration. I felt it was necessary to record this episode in our history, as seen and experienced by an insider, he said in a statement. This is the story of our investigation into how our democracy was attacked by Russia and how those who condoned and ignored that assault undermined our ability to uncover the truth. My obligation as a prosecutor was to follow the facts where they led, using all available tools and undeterred by the onslaught of the presidents unique powers to undermine our work. "I am deeply proud of the work we did and of the unprecedented number of people we indicted and convicted and in record speed. But the hard truth is that we made mistakes. We could have done more. Where Law Ends documents the choices we made, good and bad, for all to see and judge and learn from. Weissmann, who worked as an FBI general counsel under Mueller, gained prominence as a prosecutor investigating organized crime in New York City and for his leadership of a task force looking into the Enron scandal. He has a reputation for being aggressive and experienced, and skilled in developing cooperating witnesses. Under Mueller, Weissmann led the case against former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in 2018. The Mueller Report, released in April 2019, found no criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to tip the outcome of the 2016 presidential election in Trumps favor. But it also did not reach a conclusion on whether the president had obstructed justice. The investigation did lead to more than 30 indictments, including Manafort, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and longtime Trump friend Roger Stone, whose sentence for seven felony crimes was commuted last week by the president. London: Johnny Depp accused Amber Heard of hitting him with a "haymaker" punch during an altercation near the end of their volatile marriage, as the star wrapped up testimony in his libel suit against a British tabloid newspaper that accused him of domestic abuse. Depp said the fight came after Heard's 30th birthday party, and hours after he had learned that his former business managers had absconded with hundreds of millions of dollars. Johnny Depp is taking News Group Newspapers, publishers of The Sun, to court over allegations that he was violent towards his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Credit:Getty Images The Hollywood star is suing News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and the papers executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an April 2018 article that called him a "wife-beater." He strongly denies abusing Heard. Depp, 57, and Heard, 34, met on the set of the 2011 comedy The Rum Diary and married in Los Angeles in February 2015. Heard, a model and actress, filed for divorce the following year, and the divorce was finalised in 2017. Photo from Getty Images SINGAPORE Upon being confronted by an enforcement officer and a safe distancing ambassador for not wearing a mask, a 30-year-old man grew angry. He threw a popsicle stick at the ambassador twice and flung a packet of newly bought masks at the officers face. Muhammad Adimin Kemton, 30, was jailed for four weeks for his abuse of the officer, a 29-year-old man from the Ministry of Health, and the ambassador, a 46-year-old woman from the Singapore Food Agency. Both had been performing safe distancing enforcement duties on 26 April when they confronted Adimin. Adimin, a food deliveryman, pleaded guilty to one count each of using vulgarities and criminal force on the officer, who is a public servant. Two remaining charges of a similar nature against the ambassador, and one charge of failing to wear a mask over his nose and mouth while outside of his residence, were taken into consideration for his sentencing. On 26 April, at about 5.10pm, the ambassador and officer were performing patrol duty around Block 18 Upper Boon Keng Road when they saw Adimin exit a shop without a mask. Adimin was with two friends then. When approached by the duo, Adimin said that he was only buying a few items and would return home. He then said he would wear his friends mask, but the officer replied that Adimins friend would not have a mask to wear. Angered, Adimin began hurling vulgarities. He stormed back into the store to buy disposable masks. After purchasing a packet of masks, he confronted the pair, shoving a single mask from the packet into the officers face. He then charged towards the ambassador and threw a used ice cream popsicle stick at her, which hit her left arm. He picked up the stick and again threw it at her while scolding profanities. He also threw the remaining disposable masks left in the packet at the officers face while uttering vulgarities at him. After a while, Adimin left the area with his friends while still shouting at the duo. A few bystanders later approached the victims and told them the direction where Adimin was headed. Story continues Mitigating through an interpreter, Adimin said his children had been under foster care for three years. He said that he had alot of problems and was unable to focus, adding that he sometimes became agitated over simple matters. My wife is in the family way. (I would) like to make arrangements (on) care for her before commencement of sentence, he added. For using abusive words on a public servant, Adimin could have been jailed up to a year and/or fined up to $5,000. For using criminal force on a public servant, Adimin could have been jailed up to four years and/or fined. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore More Singapore stories COVID-19: Alleged bra thief, 2 PMD riders charged for circuit breaker breaches GE2020: WP will also be 'soul searching' as PAP 'tries its hardest' to take back lost wards Pritam Singh 'A flight from the status quo': Analysts break down GE2020 results By Express News Service KOLKATA: BJP MLA from Hemtabad in North Dinajpur district Debendra Nath Roy, who defected from the CPI(M) last year, was found dead, hanging from the ceiling of his shop, on Monday morning under mysterious circumstances. His family members alleged Roy was murdered and hanged. Bengal BJP unit demanded a probe by the CBI into the incident. The partys national leadership asked the state leaders to arrive Hemtabad immediately and submit a report. Roys family members told police that he had left home around 12 midnight when some people came and asked him to go with them. "Roy did not return home last night. His family members searched the area but he was found nowhere. They came to Roys shop on Monday morning, around 1 km from his home, and found him hanging from the ceiling with a rope tied around his neck," said a police officer probing into the incident. The police, however, are yet to ascertain whether Roy committed suicide or he was murdered. Roy, a first time MLA, was elected from Hemtabad constituency on a CPI (M) ticket in 2016. He had switched sides to join the BJP in 2019. While speaking to TNIE in July last year, Roy expressed his unhappiness saying the BJPs district leadership had asked him not to be active and he was not being informed about the partys regular political programmes. The police said they would explore whether Roy had any dispute with his family members, who are still known as CPI(M) supporters, since his defection to BJP. BJPs national president JP Nadda described Roys death shocking. "The suspected heinous killing of Debendra Nath Ray, BJP MLA from Hemtabad in West Bengal, is extremely shocking and deplorable. This speaks of the Gunda Raj & failure of law and order in the Mamta govt. People will not forgive such a govt in the future. We strongly condemn this," he tweeted. Dilip Ghosh, BJPs West Bengal president, the ruling partys youth wing activists targeted Roy since he joined the saffron camp. "The TMC can go to any extent to remain in the power. We are demanding CBI probe into Roys murder," he said. West Bengal governor wrote on his Twitter handle, "Hematabad MLA hanging-Police stance at top that it is suicide is indicative of cover up- smacks with police prejudice, not without obvious intentions. Autopsy be VIDEOGRAPHED BY EXPERT TEAM AS PER SUPREME COURT DIRECTIVES. Highest TRANSPARENCY be observed @MamataOfficial. Endicott, N.Y. Two white officials in an Upstate New York village apologized amid calls for their resignations over White Lives Matter Facebook posts. Screenshots of Endicott Deputy Mayor Cheryl Chapman, a Democrat, sharing a post and Republican Mayor Linda Jackson liking a similar post began circulating online in June. The post shared by Chapman read: White lives matter!!! Bet you wont repost, the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reported Saturday. The mayor liked a post with the same wording. It was a genuine mistake with no intent to promote racism through a post shared with us and no knowledge of its origins, they wrote in a joint apology issued Friday. We have listened and learned. The apology came two days after the Broome County Democratic Committee requested the immediate resignations of Chapman and Jackson for the posts. Chapman earlier said she did not understand the whole meaning and mission of Black Lives Matter. A community protest was held July 2. Since the beginning of the controversy, we sought advice from community groups and educators with experience in diversity and anti-racism education, Chapman and Jackson wrote in the statement. Acknowledging that `you dont know, what you dont know,' we have committed to continue learning about racism. A study by scientists in the German city of Munich suggests coronavirus antibodies may not remain in the body longer than a few months, dampening hopes of an effective vaccine or long-term immunity. Tests on patients treated at Munich's Schwabing Clinic showed a significant drop in the number of so-called neutralizing antibodies in the blood, said Clemens Wendtner, senior consultant at the hospital's department for infectious diseases. "In four of the nine patients, we see falling neutralizing antibodies in a very special test that can only be carried out in a high-security laboratory," Wendtner said. "The extent to which this has an impact on long-term immunity and vaccination strategies is still speculative, but must be monitored critically as it progresses," The AAPn cited him as saying. The results suggest that recovered patients can be re-infected with the virus, though further tests are necessary to confirm this, Wendtner said. Wendtner's findings chime with other studies around the world. Sunrise host David 'Kochie' Koch made a controversial joke about Chinese spying when the connection dropped out during a live interview with an American journalist. The Australian morning show host was interviewing Mary Jordan about US President Donald Trump's relationship with his wife, Melania, on Tuesday morning. When the video-call connection stopped mid-way through the interview, an exasperated Koch threw his arms up in disappointment and yelled 'no'. 'It must have been the Chinese,' he told co-host Samantha Armytage. Sunrise host David 'Kochie' Koch (pictured, right, on Tuesday) made a controversial joke when the connection dropped out during a live interview with an American journalist 'Or the Russians,' Ms Armytage responded. Both disappointed with the interview cutting out, Koch went on to complain about having to use Zoom and Skype to conduct interviews. 'Oh! This is our life today, isn't it?' he said. 'Buggered up by Zoom and Skype.' Koch's comments come amid growing tensions between Australia and China as diplomatic relations worsen between the two nations. Some federal MPs have called for the popular app Tik Tok to be banned after claims China uses it to spy on Australians. China has since claimed that law enforcement agencies in Australia are targeting Chinese people, and have warned students not to travel Down Under. The Australian morning show host was interviewing Mary Jordan (pictured, right) about US President Donald Trump The interview was with journalist Mary Jordan, who has written a book about Donald Trump's wife, Melania (pictured together) The communist government has also accused Australian officials of 'arbitrarily' searching Chinese citizens and seizing their belongings. Scott Morrison has offered to extend visas for 10,000 people in Hong Kong who need to flee China's draconian new laws - a move that further escalated tensions between the two nations. 'Recently, there has been a marked increase in racial discrimination and violence in Australia,' the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing wrote on its website. 'The Australian media continue to incite anti-China and hatred of China sentiments. 'Relevant Australian law enforcement agencies have arbitrarily searched Chinese citizens and seized their articles, which may cause harm to the personal and property safety of the Chinese citizens in Australia. The Chinese government claims Australian police are unfairly targeting Chinese people (pictured, people wear face masks in Sydney's CBD on Monday) 'The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in Australia remind Chinese citizens to be extra careful about the local security risks and be cautious about travelling to Australia in the near future.' Beijing's warning was reportedly also posted to social media app WeChat to remind Chinese citizens to 'travel with caution to Australia in the near-term'. But the travel advice is redundant as Australian borders to non-residents or citizens remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Beijing's travel warning comes just days after the Morrison government upgraded its own travel advice to Australians in China. 'Australians may also be at risk of arbitrary detention,' the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website advice states. Scott Morrison (pictured) offered to extend visas for 10,000 Chinese expats who need to flee China's draconian new laws, a move that only further escalated tensions Media outlet Xinhau slammed Australian politicians 'who are attempting to smear China with lies and push the China-Australia relationship to the brink of an abyss'. 'Indeed, a long list of similar anti-China claims by certain Australian politicians have proved to be nothing more than brazen slander,' the report read. 'Australian politicians should understand that it will bring no good to their country and people to deliberately whip up nationalist sentiment. Demonizing China has already caused damage in the country.' The Morrison government believes there is a greater risk of pro-democracy supporters facing political persecution in Hong Kong following China's imposition of new national security laws which came into effect on July 1. Around 10,000 Hong Kongers who are already in Australia are currently able to apply for extended visas. But the government stopped short of a special round of humanitarian visas for people fleeing persecution in the Chinese territory. Mr Morrison said if the situation deteriorated he would look at offering people safe haven. 'The government obviously has the option in very serious circumstances, like we saw with Tiananmen Square all those years ago, to move to convert to permanent residency immediately,' he told 2GB radio on Monday. 'We have all of those options still available to us. We haven't taken the decision to move to that level at this point.' Sales for the country's premiere group of local automotive manufacturers started to normalize last June, but the numbers have yet to reach the maximum strength achieved last year. Based on the joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA), vehicle sales reflected a 225.4 percent increase after posting 15,578 units in June compared to the lowly 4,788 units sold back in May. However, on a month-over-month comparison, it has still yet to match the 31,950-strong sales volume it reached in June 2019, with the current number showing a 51.2 percent decline. Overall, CAMPI has suffered a 51.2 percent blow for the first six months of 2020, selling only 85,041 vehicles unlike the 174,135 units rolled out covering the same period last year. Motorcycle EDSA Despite the numbers, CAMPI President Atty. Rommel Gutierrez remains cautiously optimistic amid the prevalent social and economic risks and uncertainties the country is facing. This positive growth shows early signs that consumer demand for new cars is starting to improve albeit slowly. The auto industry recovery may take time as vehicle sales still remain a challenge, Gutierrez noted. According to him, the the industry is also maximizing digital platforms as one of the avenues to strengthen campaigns for our sales promotional. This is one of the strategies to adapt to the new normal environment. Toyota Motor Philippines remains at the top of bestselling automotive brands in the country, managing to hold 41.92 percent of the market despite being hit by a 51.5 percent dropfrom 73,454 vehicle sales for the first six months of 2019 to 35,648 units for the same duration this year. Also read: Car, Truckmakers' Group Sales Down in January 2020 Local Car Manufacturers Rebound in February 2020 Auto Industry 2019 Sales Shows Steady Climb New Delhi: A new supersonic jet prototype, Concorde's purported successor XB-1 prototype, will be unveiled to the public on October 7, said a report published in express.co.uk. The industry insiders reportedly believe that the cutting-edge tech could pave the way for a return to ultra-fast supersonic air travel. The jet's designers Boom Technology have announced that the XB-1 prototype will undergo testing in the coming months and if successful, it will pave the way for the Boom Overture a proposed passenger jet with 55 seats, said the report. Denver-based Boom Technology, which has so far raised $141m (107m) to build the XB-1, has already attached the crafts wings to its fuselage, built its vertical stabiliser and completed landing gear tests, according to Flight Global reports. XB-1, which is believed to boast a top speed of Mach 2.2 almost 1,700mph, will only have room for one pilot an experienced US Air Force recruit. It will reportedly go through testing at California's Mojave Air and Space Port in 2021. Boom is quoted as saying, With XB-1, were demonstrating that we are prepared to bring back supersonic. We're ensuring that the supersonic future is safe and environmentally, and economically sustainable," adding "Weve learned that the demand for supersonic has grown even faster than we anticipated. If we can fly twice as fast, the world becomes twice as small, turning far off lands into familiar neighbours, the company's mission statement further stated. According to Boom Technology, if the company's XB-1 has a successful test flight, the company will reportedly shift its focus to the Boom Overture. Simple Flying reports that Richard Branson and Japan Airlines have already made investments, and both the companies have pre-ordered a total of 30 aircraft. Boom is said to be hopeful that the Overture will fly in the mid-2020s and sell for $200 million each. Blake Scholl, CEO of Boom Supersonic, is quoted as saying, Youll be able to fly Overture for a quarter the price of a Concorde ticket, or about the same price youd pay in business class today. Thats the most important thing. Notably, the wait for supersonic passenger flight is almost over after 17 years. For over three decades, supersonic commercial travel was dominated by the Concorde, the only successful supersonic passenger jet. Concorde was known for swiftly shuttling passengers across the Atlantic in record time. Concorde embarked on its final commercial flight from New York JFK to London Heathrow on October 24, 2003. The supersonic aircraft was then put into retirement after 27 years of service. President Donald Trump talks to reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on July 10. Read more A super PAC supporting President Donald Trumps reelection is ramping up its advertising in Pennsylvania and other key battleground states, pledging to spend more than $1 million a week in the Keystone State starting next week until Labor Day. America First Action said Monday it would spend $23 million on its latest round of commercials and digital ads attacking presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Arizona. That includes $7.5 million in Pennsylvania, a state Trump won by less than 1 percentage point in 2016. The political action committee has already spent $5.4 million on broadcast and cable television in the state this year, according to the ad-tracking firm Advertising Analytics. The Keystone States importance in November was underscored last week with dueling campaign appearances by Biden and Vice President Mike Pence. The new spending comes as polls show Trump trails Biden by a significant margin in Pennsylvania and the public continues to sour on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The Trump campaign has done a terrific job of laying down their advertising strategy for the fall, so we are stepping up to help fill the gap in the summer, Brian O. Walsh, president of America First Action, said in a statement. Hopefully, this provides some clarity on our next steps, gives the campaign the flexibility to deploy their extensive financial resources as they see fit, and helps define the choice in this election by keeping the focus on Joe Biden, he said. The Biden campaign and pro-Biden outside groups have spent about $21 million on TV ads in Pennsylvania this year, exceeding the roughly $14 million spent by the Trump campaign and America First, according to Advertising Analytics. The Trump campaign has been airing commercials in the state since early May, and Biden started in mid-June. America Firsts ads aim to help Trump make the argument that Biden is an unacceptable alternative. A New York Times/Siena College survey conducted last month showed Biden with a 10-point lead over Trump in Pennsylvania. Fifty-six percent of registered voters viewed Trump unfavorably, while just 42% viewed him favorably, the poll found. Biden, the former vice president, was viewed favorably by 50% of those polled and unfavorably by 48%. READ MORE: Trumps slumping numbers pump up Joe Biden in Pennsylvania, new poll says Nationwide, 57.5% of voters disapprove of Trumps handling of the pandemic, according to an average of polls compiled by RealClearPolitics, and just 40.5% approve. Those figures track closely with his approval ratings overall. Press Release July 13, 2020 Poe stresses need to strengthen PH institutions, media Sen. Grace Poe called on the media to continue to be fearless in their journalism despite the recent House decision on the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise. Poe said a vigilant public and a free and fair media are what the country needs. "We really have to strengthen our institutions and with that media should also be strengthened. . . . If we have a strong media and strong accountability in this country, I think that lawmakers will be very cautious to do the right thing," Poe said in a television interview Monday. The senator said that, in the end, it will be the Filipino people who will judge. "Dapat bang matakot ang media? Sana huwag dahil importante talaga ang trabaho ng media para mailahad ang nangyayari, at ang taumbayan ang mismong magdesisyon kung ito ba ay patas o hindi," she said. Asked about her view whether the case was an attack on press freedom, she explained, "Maybe legally they did not put it on paper, but indications would point that some of their reasoning would really say that people now are being very cautious of what they say, if it might be perceived as something that might be offensive to some people in government." Poe was saddened by the outright denial of the franchise application amid alleged violations of the network, which she said could have been dealt with in another forum or the proper agencies. "If there was indeed violation of some kind, the NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) should have filed a case against them," she said. The chairperson of the public services committee recalled that Dito Telecommunity Corp., which was formerly called Mislatel, was given a franchise by Congress and allowed to operate despite its violations. "When it acquired that franchise, part of the franchise agreement states that you should be in operation for a certain period. Mislatel was dormant for the longest time and yet Congress moved past that and granted them the franchise," Poe said. When the resolution on the franchise reached the Senate, she said senators saw the need of the telecommunications industry for a third player and gave Mislatel a chance but with certain safeguards. "There are parameters but you should also be flexible in the name of public service, what can serve the most number of people, what interest will be upheld. If it will be just for personal vendetta or personal opinions about it, I don't think it would be fair," Poe stressed. When the congregation built a new sanctuary on Jefferson Road in 1999, the Temple imported sand-colored stones from Jerusalem for an 18-foot-tall rock. It also installed a stained-glass image of the Burning Bush and the parting Red Sea. Neoclassical style In only some ways did Asheboro Street Friends Meeting on Martin Luther King Drive reflect the simplicity of Quaker values: enjoying space for the simplicity of space, with clean lines and no stained-glass windows. The brick church, now Skenes Chapel Holiness Church, lacked a steeple and a grand entrance, but it remains one of the few of its type for other reasons. Built in 1910, it is one of the earliest examples of a Quaker meeting house with columns in the front, a neoclassical style of architecture. Asheboro Street Friends Meeting, the predecessor to First Friends Meeting, moved to Friendly Avenue in the 1950s. The Quakers were trying to join mainstream society a little more than they had in the past, Briggs said. Quakers, for the first time, were beginning to show off a little they were incorporating music and hiring pastors." More exotic-looking It is often said that there is some blessing associated with times of hardship and every bad situation. It appears this has manifested in Ghana's local poultry sector. Ghana's local poultry sector which competed with imported products from foreign countries has made some gains following the COVID-19 pandemic which has largely affected the import of products into the country. As the COVID-19 pandemic takes a toll on businesses that largely rely on imported products due to disruptions in the global supply chain, some local businesses usually overwhelmed by competition from imported products are making some gains. Players in Ghana's poultry industry, which is struggling for attention due to over-reliance on imported chicken, say they've witnessed an increase in demand for local poultry, due to limited importation. They however want government support to boost production. In recent times, some poultry farmers have complained about low patronage due to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly during the period of the three-week partial lock-down. Some egg sellers in the Bono Region complained about their products wasting away due to low patronage. Already, the local poultry industry has been stifled by imported products, which contributes nearly 90% of poultry consumed in Ghana. Limited government support, and challenges such as the high cost of feed among others, limits the capacity of local farmers to meet national demand. While government has indicated its commitment to increase local poultry production and eventually ban importation by the year 2023, poultry farmers have consistently called for the right support to achieve this objective. International news agency, Reuters, reports that the coronavirus pandemic has taken a huge toll on workers at U.S. meat and poultry processing facilities, with more than 17,000 COVID-19 cases and nearly 100 deaths in April and May, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This has affected the export of poultry from the US to countries like Ghana, one of its major export markets. According to the President of the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association, Michael Nyarko-Ampem, there has been a slight increase in the consumption of local poultry products due to this situation. Fortunately, we are getting orders from restaurants and various eateries. Also, markets are functioning so our poultry is gaining momentum. People are beginning to appreciate the local poultry more compared to the imported ones. This is due to the Covid-19 scare and the low importation of the product. Business has improved tremendously he said. He however says they would require government support to boost production to meet the growing demand if the pandemic continues for a while longer. We do not have enough day old chicks which is a major challenge for us. The market has been created, but the day-old chicks to fill that space is not there. We hope the government will find a way to bring in day-old chicks to keep our industry running he said. ---Daily Guide Google for India 2020: Google has announced that it is launching a new edutainment series on Doordarshan to show how SMEs are using technology to adapt to the changing scenario. Google hosted its annual Google for India event on Monday. The sixth edition of the event that was held virtually for the first time saw the companys leads sharing details on how its services like GPay and Bolo app, that were initially launched for the Indian market, have helped in creating a global standard. At the event, which began at 2PM, Google India also announced a special partnership with the governments public broadcasting arm, Prasar Bharti. Google announced that it would soon launch an edutainment series that will feature success stories of Indian businesses going digital. The series would also explore how small and medium business enterprises in India were adapting to the changing scenario in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. And now in partnership with Prasar Bharti, were also launching an edutainment series on Doordarshan on how small businesses can adopt digital tools and adapt to the current situation using examples of real-life Indian businesses, Caesar Sengupta, Google Indias Lead Payments & Next Billion Users teams, said during the event. We hope that these efforts help small businesses in India access skills and resources they need to go digital, he added. To inspire the many SMBs looking to digitise, were launching a learning series in partnership with @prasarbharati, featuring success stories of Indian businesses going digital Catch @caesars talk about it at #GoogleForIndia, now https://t.co/j17FAICaPx#G4IN pic.twitter.com/lNh1MSmI4M Google India (@GoogleIndia) July 13, 2020 The Google executive also presented some interesting statistics pertaining to Googles various initiatives in the country. For instance, over 26 million SMEs in India are now discoverable via Google Maps and Google Search and that the company drives over 150 billion direct connections between businesses and customers every month. He also revealed that over 2 million users have used the Nearby Stores Spot on Google Pay to find and buy essential goods and that over 3 million businesses now accept contactless digital payments with Google Pay for Business. Associated Press (Bloomberg) -- Democratic nominee Joe Biden has taken a five-point lead over President Donald Trump among voters in Texas following a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths there, according to new polling. A Dallas Morning News/University of Texas at Tyler poll released Sunday had Biden attracting 46% of registered voters compared to 41% for Trump. The poll of roughly 1,900 Texans was taken June 29-July 7 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2%. Great hope rests with diplomats, in particular foreign ministers, Reznikov believes. Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, one of Ukraine's envoys to the Trilateral Contact Group for the Donbas settlement in Minsk Oleksiy Reznikov has said Ukraine is ready to discuss the introduction of a peacekeeping mission in Donbas, but the final decision will depend on the Normandy Four leaders (Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany). Read alsoZelensky responds to Russia's demand that amendments on special status of occupied Donbas be made in Constitution "We are considering any ideas any new options or old ones that have not worked that today allow us to find a way to restore peace in Ukraine, restore its territorial integrity and ensure its sovereignty. Therefore, the option related to peacekeepers is one of those that is on the table for discussions," he said at a press conference on July 13. According to Reznikov, it is now incorrect to talk about the timing and prospects of introducing a peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine. The official added that the move depends not only on Ukraine. "We declare that we are ready to discuss this issue. But how and with what mandate, of course, this issue can only be discussed at the level of at least top leaders of the Normandy Four countries, because it was they that undertook in due time to solve this problem, they gave birth to Minsk [talks], which is a 'child' of the Normandy format," he said. Reznikov says any decision can be made by just the Normandy Four leaders and with the help of Ukraine's strategic partners other countries of the European Community, the United States, and Canada. "Depending on this, there are different formats, including with the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary General. So, there is a mechanism for a diplomatic way to solve this problem," he said. Reznikov says that great hope rests with diplomats, in particular foreign ministers. Fired United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) chief executive officer Mrs Nonhlanhla Ndlovu has been on leave and outside the country since the start of the national Covid-19 lockdown on March 30. UBHs clinical director Dr Narcacius Dzvanga has been acting chief executive officer at the institution which is one of Zimbabwes six central hospitals during a time of crisis when leadership was most needed in fighting the Covid-19 The 650-bed referral hospital caters for the southern region which includes Bulawayo, Midlands, Masvingo, Matabeleland North and South provinces. The death of a 79-year-old woman from Covid-19 at the health institution three weeks ago resulted in 97 nurses being quarantined. About 18 nurses have tested Covid-19 positive at UBH. The Health Services Board (HSB) announced on Sunday that Mrs Ndlovu together with four other chief executive officers including Mr Leonard Mabandi who was heading Ingutsheni Central Hospital had been dismissed as part of a restructuring exercise. Mr Ernest Manyawu of Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Dr Tinashe Dhobbie of Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, Dr Enock Mayida of Chitungwiza Central Hospital were also fired. In an interview, Mrs Ndlovu said she learnt from a friend about her dismissal as she was still on leave and out of the country since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown. She also dispelled speculation that she was on suspension as the clinical director Dr Narcacius Dzvanga had been acting since the beginning of lockdown. I was not on suspension as I am actually on leave. Im still out of the country with my family and I discovered about my dismissal on Sunday when a friend alerted me, said Mrs Ndlovu. Regarding HSB terminating all CEOs contracts, not just those in Bulawayo, you must ask HSB for their reasons. I have no further comments. Mrs Ndlovu was appointed as UBH CEO in 2014. Contacted for comment, Mr Mabandi said he was not yet ready to comment on the issue. Mr Mabandi joined Ingutsheni this year after serving at Mpilo Central Hospital as chief executive officer for about five years. He was transferred to Ingutsheni in April this year and Mpilos clinical director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya has been acting chief executive officer since the departure of Mr Mabandi. HSB chairperson Dr Paulinus Sikhosana did not respond to questions sent to him by Chronicle but he told our sister paper Herald that the sacking of the five executives was a restructuring exercise within the Ministry of Health and Child Care. He said all clinical directors in all the five central hospitals would be CEO on acting capacity until the fired are replaced. Yes, I can confirm the latest development and changes within the ministry. It is part of restructuring within the ministry. Like in any organisation, the restructuring is being carried out to improve operational efficiency, effectiveness, accountability as well as effective use of resources within the ministry. We want to keep the integrity of the organisation, said Dr Sikhosana. Courtesy JBSA-Fort Sam Houston / An investigation is underway after a U.S. Army Soldier was found dead at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston on Sunday. Identification of the soldier is being withheld until next of kin is notified, a U.S. Air Force news release says. In 2018, the Pakistan government had decided to convert the Kapoor Haveli in Peshwar's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province into a museum. The historic ancestral home of late Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor in Pakistan's Peshawar city is facing demolition threat as the current owner of the house is adamant on building a commercial complex on the site. In 2018, the Pakistan government decided to convert the Kapoor Haveli in Qissa Khwani Bazar in Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province into a museum, heeding to a request by Rishi Kapoor who passed away recently at a hospital in Mumbai. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had assured Rishi that the Pakistan government will convert the actor's house into a museum. The haveli has turned into a ghost building, residents of the area said. Due to its dilapidated condition, the building can collapse anytime, they said. The state of the building is deteriorating with each passing day due to ecological impacts, torrential rains, earthquakes and wind storms. The haveli is currently owned by Haji Muhammad Israr, a wealthy jeweller in the city. The provincial government wanted to buy the haveli keeping in view its historic importance and conserve it in its original shape for the tourists. Israr, however, wants to demolish the building and construct a new commercial building at this prime location. He made three/four attempts in the past to demolish the building but could not do it as FIRs were registered against him by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa heritage department. There were reports that the provincial government has failed to convert the building into a museum due to differences with its owner over its price. Israr, the owner of the haveli, has denied that he had any issue with the government over the price of the property, estimated to be over Rs 5 crore. He said he simply wanted to demolish the haveli and construct a huge commercial market at the site. "I have sufficient money to cater to my needs. I supply around 3 to 4 maund (120kg-160kg) gold a week to the Peshawar biggest jewellery market," he said. Local residents fear that the building may automatically collapse unless the government takes timely action to conserve it. It is a matter of concern that the Kapoor Haveli which we consider as the pride of our city is in dilapidated condition and is fast heading to the disappearance because of being ignored, said Mujeeb-ur-Rehman, a resident of Dhaki Nalbandi where the palatial house is located. Mujeeb said that he was a teenager when late Rishi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor had visited their ancestral home in the early 90s. Shakeel Waheedullah, Secretary Cultural Heritage Council Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, expressed regret over the dilapidated condition of the house. The Kapoor Haveli was built by Basheswarnath Kapoor, the father of Bollywood pioneer Prithviraj Kapoor. The Kapoor family, originally from Peshawar in Pakistan, migrated to India after the partition in 1947. In 1990, Rishi Kapoor along with brother Randhir Kapoor visited their ancestral home where his grandfather, Prithviraj and his father Raj Kapoor, were born. Many Feminist Atheist Women navigate life and work by keeping our opinions on religion largely to ourselves unless we have the assurance of a safe space. In the mid to late 2000s when the tedious subject of actively seeking nuptial associations through newspaper ads and matrimonial websites was being broached in my family, I offered my lukewarm consent to speaking to potential alliances based on a checklist of things that were core to my personal politics. Ranked very high on that list was religion, or lack of its practice thereof in a future partner. I wasnt yet out to my family as an atheist but I knew what I did not want. (Disclaimer: I still use oh god! and omg! as exclamations out of sheer force of habit.) Beyond the mild chiding of beshi barabari korona (dont overdo it), my parents were resigned to the fact that I will actively try to sabotage every potential match to escape being tied down in holy matrimony. It wasnt much of a surprise that most Bengali middle class families sought practicing Hindu daughters in law and none of the arranged attempts at matchmaking fructified into potential leads. I grew up in a Hindu family with an atheist father and a religious mother with no real restrictions on my choices. Both of them encouraged me to think independently and question everything, but also to respect the fundamental rights of others. I grew up with the simplistic notion that, like sexual acts, religion is a deeply personal thing, practiced within the confines of ones house with enthusiastic consent of participants. Of course, with age, the nuances of religions close ties with culture, community, caste, sexuality and gendered components were clearer. What didnt change was how I and many other Feminist Atheist Women navigate life and work by keeping our opinions on religion largely to ourselves unless we have the assurance of a safe space. Mostly we do not. And in current times, a comment against religion is opening oneself up to an endless cycle of organised online harassment, state intervention in the form of FIRs, and physical violence in the form of mob attacks. Theres a blurry, uneasy space in the backrooms of activism of change that is inhabited by this minority group whose voices are increasingly guarded in criticism of certain things. And by certain I specifically mean all things that have to do with religion. They are the irreligionists, the atheists, the rationalists, and the nones. These are the people usually at the forefront of campaigns against political intimidation of those accused of hurting religious sentiments a blanket term that can mean anything from an insulting tweet to a risque dialogue in a film. The Indian law vigorously protects those who practice religion. There are no similar provisions for atheists, though Article 51A (h) of the Constitution does say that it is the duty of every Indian to develop a scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform. Read in the current context, it probably means that spirit of inquiry is okay as long as it does not ruffle religious sentiments. There, of course, is no legal recourse for hurting of scientific sentiments. Now narrow this group down to women. Narrow this further down to women who identify as feminists. Its a space filled with lifelong experiences coloured by violent patriarchy which not just policed their actions since birth but also their free thought from an age when they started to question injustice. It started with a dont ask questions, and bled into all spaces of life from being made to go to places of worship against their will to being punished for not keeping religious fasts. This, of course, is in the context of access, ableism and privilege. For women without all of this, a vocal lack of belief in god in a deeply religious family is still punishable by violence in many parts of India. Many women are brainwashed into picking up familial religious traditions from a young age. Some do it willingly, others through the force of habit-forming repetition. Its bad enough to be a woman practicing atheism in India, its worse if were also feminist. I do not even mean radical atheism. What most of us grow into is an atheism printed in the mellow colours of regional, cultural acceptances and reluctant observation of events tied to religion such as Durga Puja, harvest festivals, feasts and public holidays. Were basically indulging our loved ones from the outer periphery of religion, impatiently waiting for the food service to start. Since in India religion is closely woven into ones cultural and community identities, atheist women find themselves not just a minority but also navigating multiple layered existences within caste, sexual orientation and gender identities. The protection and accumulated privileges that upper caste, cishet, practicing atheist, feminists have, will starkly differ from anyone else. But what is most intriguing is the way this feminism plays out in this intersectional space. Especially in the performative atheism on the internet that ignores and demonises the politics of religious women as primitive versus actual allyship. And this also works the other way round. Often religious women mothers, sisters, mothers in law, aunts and grandparents gatekeep this space for Indian women atheists. How can we protect our atheism online from a bloodthirsty religious mob and still stand in solidarity with religious feminist sisters who are under attack for other aspects of their work? How can we protect the fundamental rights of women who say anti-religious things and not face similar attacks? I found myself writing and deleting several times an atheist response to the hounding of the two young women in the past week Hindustan Times reporter Shristi Jaiswal who made a puerile comment about a Hindu deity, and comedian Agrima Joshua who used (the statue of a) historical Hindu icon as a punchline of a joke in a standup act. I would think that both views should ideally be inconsequential to the stature of the icons in question. But as is the custom of Indias thriving industry of offense taking, both views have resulted in the two womens relentless hounding, including public rape threats. In the case of the former, the silence of women journalists who are normally quick to jump to the defense of a colleague, is bothering me. I found myself asking, does feminism not extend its benevolent safety net to those who lampoon religion? In the case of the latter, the silence was broken mainly after there was a rape threat, not because Joshuas free speech is her fundamental right if that speech isnt breaking a law and it didnt. It is not that feminist religious women do not protest arbitrary muscle-show of religion. They often have in the past. One does not have to be an atheist to protest injustice. But silences in the face of religious anger directed at women could stem from the following reasons i) that they too feel their own religious sentiments have been hurt and this is where they need to introspect why this makes them uncomfortable ii) they think that an adult displaying irresponsible behaviour should bear the full consequences of their action, and iii) as is mostly commonly the case, without steel-strong safety nets of judicial protection, online spaces are violent and swift in retribution to those who question the majority view, especially if the majority view is in favour of majority religion. Navigating atheism and feminism in India with the view that most organised religion oppress women and underrepresented genders is standing up against layered structures with roots that start with ones own families, then creep into society, in schools, colleges, community gatherings, marriage, workplace, public recreational places and every structure where patriarchy has a hold in deciding what women say and read, and how they live their lives. If there has been hesitation to put in words the sense of irony in seeing the harassment of a living person for an immature opinion, to protect a mythological character who probably does not need this protection, will be to expose oneself to similar attacks. Religion wields too much and too disproportionate a power. Especially in the absence of a clear definition of what constitutes religious sentiment. The problem is not that religions form the basis of most lived practices in our country its one of the things that makes India diverse and multicultural. The problem is that ardent followers of religions demand absolute immunity from caricature. To be an atheist feminist in India is to increasingly expose oneself to hate but more alarmingly, to actual acts of violence in physical spaces. And the act of offering solidarity to sisters and brothers outside this space is getting increasingly difficult. Illustration by Namaah K for Firstpost Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Suzhou/Beijing, China Mon, July 13, 2020 08:12 555 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665ce5f5 2 World China,CanSino,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-vaccines,human-trial,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus,pandemic Free Chinese vaccine developer CanSino Biologics is in talks with Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia to launch a Phase III trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine, its co-founder said on Saturday. China's success in driving down COVID-19 infections has made it harder to conduct large-scale vaccine trials, and so far only a few countries have agreed to work with it. "We are contacting Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia (for the Phase III trial), and it's still in discussion," Qiu Dongxu, executive director and co-founder of CanSino, told an anti-viral drug development conference in Suzhou, in eastern China. He said its Phase III trial was likely to start "pretty soon," and the company plans to recruit 40,000 participants for the test. Its COVID-19 candidate, Ad5-nCov, became the first in China to move into human testing in March but is running behind other potential vaccines in terms of trial progress. Two experimental vaccines developed by Sinovac Biotech and a unit of China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) are already approved for Phase III trials. Qiu said its Phase II trial involving 508 people has yielded "much better" results than the Phase I about the safety and ability to trigger immune response. He did not disclose specific evidence. He said its new factory under construction in China will allow it to produce 100-200 million doses of coronavirus vaccines per year by early 2021. China's military, whose research unit is co-developing the vaccine candidate, approved its military use last month, while Sinopharm's two experimental shots are offered to employees at state-owned firms travelling overseas. Zeng Guang, former chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told the conference that Chinese construction groups overseas in particular are keen to take experimental vaccines. He also said discussion should start whether to launch emergency inoculation of experimental vaccines "right now." There are no approved vaccines yet for COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, which has killed more than half a million people globally. The surge in Florida reflects how the spread of the virus has escalated in much of the country, particularly in Southern states where governors following President Trumps lead had pushed aggressively to ease restrictions and encourage businesses to reopen. Now some states are trying to add mask mandates and other protective measures, and seeing renewed tensions between governors and mayors as they disagree over how much to pull back on the reopening. In some ways, the situation in Florida differs from the worst days of the pandemic in New York. Some of the increase in cases reflects the dramatic increase in testing; Florida is testing several times the number of people that New York was at the height of its crisis. The spread of the disease amid the Florida sun does not play out with the same dread as it did in crowded city streets in New York. Hospitals are better supplied and somewhat more prepared to treat patients than they were in March and April. And while the daily death toll in Florida climbed to a high last week, it remains far below the levels that New York suffered, at least for now. It was very difficult to figure out how to test, now its a little easier, Mr. DeSantis, a Republican, told reporters on Saturday, adding that concerns about equipment supplies had eased as well. Asus is reportedly working on the ZenFone 7 as the successor of the Asus ZenFone 6. The Asus ZenFone 7 will launch as Asus 7Z in India, following the change in the nomenclature for the flagship. This time Asus is also said to have a Pro variant of its flagship smartphone, which will be called ZenFone 7 Pro aka Asus 7Z Pro. The Asus 7Z is said to borrow the flip camera design from the Asus 6Z but have more sensors than the one on the latter. According to a report by the Chinese blog TNN Today, citing a news wire, the Asus 7Z will have a rotating camera module that can be flipped forwards to double as selfie cameras. A similar setup was seen on the Asus 6Z but with fewer camera sensors than what the successor is supposed to come with. There will definitely be more than two sensors on the camera module but it is uncertain how many there will be. The report also mentions the Asus 7Z will not have any display notches and even a punch-hole setup is unlikely. The Asus 7Z will be available in Black and White colour options, according to the Chinese blog. The upcoming smartphone is also expected to be priced less than what the upcoming ROG Phone 3 would cost, which will be important for the smartphone to make its space in the market. The company has already confirmed it will pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor on the flagship Asus 7Z. There will be 5G support, as well on the Asus 7Z. The smartphone, according to the Geekbench listing, will pack 16GB of RAM and Android 10. The details of the Asus ZenFone 7 Pro aka Asus 7Z Pro are not clear but there will be some bump-ups to the Pro variant definitely. For Asus, the 7Z could be an important device as it will take the flagship line-up forward after the Asus 6Z. The Taiwanese company is also launching the ROG Phone 3 in India later this month. The smartphone is expected to come with the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ SoC while the Asus 7Z will expectedly feature a Snapdragon 865 processor, which is only slightly less powerful. There will be a 64-megapixel main camera and a 6000mAh battery on the upcoming ROG Phone 3. The ROG Phone 3 will have a 144Hz display with less touch latency, meant for better gaming. The smartphone is also likely to feature 5G support in India. The armed St. Louis couple who brandished guns during a Black Lives Matter protest have received at least 50 offers to replace the AR-15 seized by cops. Mark and Patricia McCloskey's attorney Joel Schwartz told Forbes a Missouri gun store was among those to have made the offers, which they are 'kindly refuting'. The couple, who are personal injury lawyers, were caught on video brandishing guns as demonstrators walked past their Renaissance palazzo-style home on June 28 while headed to protest outside of the mayor's home nearby. Authorities executed a search warrant Friday evening and the long-barreled gun Mark McCloskey, 61, was holding in the video was seized. 'They took my AR. Im absolutely surprised by this', McCloskey said. Attorney Schwartz said arrangements have been made to turn over to authorities on Saturday the handgun that Patricia McCloskey, 63, had been holding, adding that her gun was inoperable at the time of the protest and still is. Schwartz admitted to Forbes 'charges are more likely than they were two days ago'. Mark and Patricia McCloskey, a husband and wife personal injury attorney duo, on June 28 Patricia McCloskey, left, works with her husband Mark, right, as a personal injury attorney Mark and Patricia McCloskey's attorney Joel Schwartz told Forbes a Missouri gun store was among those to have made the offers, which they are 'kindly refuting' Gun store Alien Armory Tactical wrote on Facebook: 'To the couple that had this warrant served, please come on by our shop and we will gladly rearm you with a brand new ar15 for ( FREE ). 'We will gladly assist you with a replacement for you to protect your private property for FREE! Also we will assist you with some FREE firearms training so if anything were to happen you will be better prepared.' The couple, who have a 25-year history of filing a slew of lawsuits against people including their own family, has not been charged. Schwartz added that charges against them would be 'absolutely, positively unmerited.' 'A search warrant being executed is clear indication of what the circuit attorney's intentions are. Beyond that, I can't comment,' Schwartz said. The 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. They had broken their way into the gated community where the McCloskeys live. Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner, who is St. Louis' top prosecutor, issued a statement after the June 28 incident in which she said she was 'alarmed' by what happened. Gardner added that 'any attempt to chill (the right to peacefully protest) through intimidation or threat of deadly force will not be tolerated.' Schwartz said that under Missouri law, people who are in reasonable apprehension or fear have the right to take necessary steps to defend themselves. 'In this particular situation, people not only broke the law and trespassed on private property, but they committed property damage,' Schwartz said, adding that a St. Louis business was burned down and a retired police captain was killed in the week leading up to the confrontation. Photos of the couple standing outside their palatial property armed with an AR-15 and a handgun were beamed around the world at the end of June Meanwhile, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Saturday that public records and interviews show the McCloskeys are almost always in conflict with others, typically over control of private property. They filed a lawsuit in 1988 to obtain their house, a castle built for Adolphus Buschs daughter and her husband in the early 20th century. At the McCloskeys property in Franklin County, they have sued neighbors for making changes to a gravel road and twice evicted tenants from a modular home on their property. Mark McCloskey sued a former employer for wrongful termination and his sister, father and his fathers caretaker for defamation. The triangle of land bordering the McCloskey home has been the source of a long dispute The McCloskeys and the trustees of Portland Place, the tony private street in a St. Louis historic district where they live, have been involved in a three-year legal dispute over a small piece of land in the neighborhood. The couple claim they own it, but the trustees say it belongs to the neighborhood. Mark McCloskey said in an affidavit that he has defended the patch previously by pointing a gun at a neighbor who tried to cut through it. The U.S. Roman Catholic Church accumulated a sum equal to $1.4 billion using a special and unprecedented exemption from US federal rules, in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid. Millions from the aid went to dioceses that have invested money into huge settlements or pursued protection against bankruptcy because of clergy sexual abuse cover-ups. Bankrupted by sexual abuse cases, US Roman Catholic Church is one of the biggest beneficiary of taxpayer-backed Coronavirus aid with more than $1.4 billion Faith-based organizations are not usually eligible for money from the U.S. Small Business Administration The administration was requested by religious groups to free them from a rule that typically disqualifies an applicant that has more than 500 workers The Archdiocese of New York received 15 loans worth at least $28 million just for its top executive offices The amount that the church collected, between $1.4 billion and $3.5 billion, is an underestimate The governments data was released after pressure from Congress and a lawsuit from news outlets Long before the pandemic, scores of dioceses faced increasing financial pressure because of a massive rise in clergy sex abuse claims Biggest beneficiary of taxpayer-backed Coronavirus aid The $1.4 billion figure was sometime before, now the Churchs sum could be estimated to be $3.5 billion. This makes the U.S. Roman Catholic Church a global religious institution that has more than a billion followers, emerge as one of the biggest winners in the U.S. governments pandemic relief efforts. Faith-based organizations for worships that encourage religious beliefs are not usually eligible for money from the U.S. Small Business Administration. But as the unemployment rates soared, Congress let faith groups and other non-profit organizations to take help of the Paycheck Protection Program, a $659 billion fund created to keep the main street open and ensure the employment of Americans. By emphasizing on this payroll program Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and other ministries have obtained permission to forgive at least 3,500 loans, the Associated Press reported. As an example, the Archdiocese of New York received 15 loans worth at least $28 million just for its top executive offices. St. Patricks Cathedral was approved at least $1 million. In Orange County, California, where a sparkling glass cathedral that costs over $70 million was recently inaugurated, the diocesan officials received four loans that were at least equivalent to $3 million. A loan of minimum $2 million was given to the diocese covering Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia. Here a church investigation done last year revealed that the then-Bishop Michael Bransfield took funds and made sexual advances toward young priests. Lobbying for a loophole In this scenario, being eligible for low-interest loans was a new opportunity. For surety, the Church couldnt have obtained approval for so many loans. The government could have approved if they are used for wage, rent and utilities without a second break. The administration was requested by religious groups to free them from a rule that typically disqualifies an applicant that has more than 500 workers. Without this request many Catholic dioceses are ineligible as they exceed the 500-person limit. Actual amount of loans hidden The amount that the church collected, between $1.4 billion and $3.5 billion, is an underestimate. The Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference, which is an organization of Catholic financial officers did the job of surveying members and reported that about 9,000 Catholic entities have already received loans. That is nearly thrice the number of Catholic recipients the Associated Press (AP) could identify. The AP couldnt find more Catholic beneficiaries because it was denied the permission of naming recipients of loans under $150,000. This is a category in which many smaller churches would fall into. The governments data was released after pressure from Congress and a lawsuit from news outlets. Being more precise wasnt possible because only ranges of loan amounts were released. Although it wasnt an in-depth accounting, APs analysis seats the Catholic Church as one of the major beneficiaries through the Paycheck Protection Program, which also has helped companies backed by celebrities, billionaires, state governors and members of Congress. However, many of the financial problems of the Church were self-inflicted. Long before the pandemic, scores of dioceses faced increasing financial pressure because of a massive rise in clergy sex abuse claims. The sexual abuse scandals The 2018 scandals reverberated throughout the world. Pope Francis ordered the former archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick to live a life of prayer and penance following allegations that he abused minors and adult seminarians. A grand jury report about the abuse in six Pennsylvania dioceses revealed bishops had long covered spurring investigations in more than 20 other states, for predator priests. As the church presumed with its longtime crisis, abuse reports tripled to a total of nearly 4,500 in the whole nation combined. From $106 million, in just five years the dioceses and religious orders lost $282 million. Most of this incurred money went to settlements, besides legal fees and support for offending clergy. There were about 40 dioceses as loan recipients that have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the previous years paying victims through compensation funds. The APs review made the finding that these dioceses were approved for a sum that is estimated to be about $200 million, though the value can likely be much higher. In 2016, a victim compensation fund was established by Cardinal Timothy Dolan to lift the limitations on filing of child sexual abuse. Since then, other dioceses have established similar funds, which offer quick settlements to victims. For latest updates on the outbreak check out our Coronavirus Coverage. Reliance Industries (RIL) gained 2.04% to Rs 1,916.85 after the company said that Qualcomm Ventures has committed to invest upto Rs 730 crore in Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of Rs 5.16 lakh crore. Shares of RIL scaled a record high of Rs 1,938.80 in intraday trade today. Reliance Industries (RIL) in an exchange filing on Sunday said Qualcomm Ventures' investment will translate into 0.15% equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis. The investment will deepen the ties between Qualcomm and Jio Platforms, to support Jio Platforms on its journey to rollout advanced 5G infrastructure and services for Indian customers. Qualcomm is the world's leading wireless technology innovator and the driving force behind the development, launch and expansion of 5G. Qualcomm Ventures is the investment arm of Qualcomm Incorporated, an industry leader in wireless technologies. Jio Platforms, a majority-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries, is a next-generation technology platform focused on providing high-quality and affordable digital services across India, with more than 388 million subscribers. In a separate announcement made after market hours on Friday, 10 July 2020, RIL said that its subsidiary Jio Platforms has received subscription amounts from Interstellar Platform Holdings Pte (Rs 1,894.50 crore for 0.39% stake), The Public Investment Fund (Rs 11,367 crore for 2.32% stake), SLP Redwood Holdings and SLP Redwood Co-Invest (DE), L.P. (Silver Lake) (Rs 10,202.55 crore for 2.08% stake) and General Atlantic Singapore JP Pte (Rs 6,598.38 crore for 1.34% stake). Meanwhile, investors are closely awaiting RIL's 43rd Annual General Meeting to be held on July 15. On a consolidated basis, RIL's net profit fell 37.2% to Rs 6,546 crore on 2.4% decline in net sales to Rs 1,36,240 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. RIL is India's largest private sector company. RIL's activities span hydrocarbon exploration and production, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals, retail and digital services. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Notice of Investor Presentation - Noosa Mining Conference Adelaide, July 13, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Resolution Minerals Ltd ( ASX:RML ) is pleased to invite investors to attend an investor presentation by Managing Director, Duncan Chessell, who will be presenting at the Noosa Mining Virtual Conference on Thursday this week.The presentation will focus on the 64North Project in Alaska where drilling is ongoing adjacent to the world class high grade Pogo Gold Mine. The presentation will also cover the regional prospectivity of the 64North Project.Date: Thursday 16 July 2020Time: 1:40pm Brisbane, AustraliaAttendance is freeRegister directly to Join Zoom Meeting Presentation, please view the access methods by visiting:To view the company presentation, please visit:About Resolution Minerals Ltd Resolution Minerals Ltd (ASX:RML) is a mining company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of precious and battery metals - such as gold, copper, cobalt, and vanadium. The company is led by Managing Director Duncan Chessell and an experienced team with proven success in corporate finance, marketing, metallurgy and geoscience. This equips Resolution Minerals with the tools to meet the changing demands of the mining markets. Resolution Minerals Ltd Listed on the ASX in 2017 with a focus on the exploration of the Wollogorang Copper Cobalt Project. It has since aquired the Snettisham Vanadium Project and more entered into a binding agreement witth Millrock Resources to earn up to 80% of the highly prospective 64North Gold Project. GAA President John Horan said the GAA is delighted to welcome members of the Muslim community.. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile The Muslim celebration of Eid al-Adha will take place at Croke Park stadium this month, the GAA announced today. Because the festival is based on moonsighting, Eid is currently scheduled to take place on July 31 or August 1, with the exact date to be confirmed on July 21. Under government advice, places of worship closed at the beginning of the pandemic on March 12, however public health advice will allow a maximum of 100 in an indoor setting from July 20. GAA President John Horan welcomed confirmation of the staging of the celebration in Croke Park, stating that the GAA is delighted to welcome members of the Muslim community. Expand Close Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Umar Al-Qadri. Photo: Gerry Mooney. 3/7/15 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Umar Al-Qadri. Photo: Gerry Mooney. 3/7/15 I believe the staging of this celebration fully supports our commitment to inclusion and a GAA welcome linked to our belief that its Where We All Belong, he said. I wish everyone involved in the occasion an enjoyable visit to Croke Park Stadium as it once again shows its suitability and versatility in welcoming visitors to the venue for a wide variety of different events. Speaking on behalf of the organisers, the Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council Chairperson, Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, added that Croke Park as a venue will be symbolic to the Irish Muslim community. Many people living in Ireland who are members of the Muslim faith call Ireland 'Home'. Irish Muslims have contributed significantly in many sectors across our country, especially the health sector, he said. The choice of Croke Park as a venue for Eid ul Adha celebration will be symbolic to Irish Muslims in their dual-identity as being both Irish and Muslim and the significance that Croke Park and the GAA have in Irish history. He added that the GAA is making great strides in embracing all communities. The historic Muslim celebration of Eid Al Adha at Croke Park this year will be a positive representation of Irelands growing diversity of many different faiths and communities, he said. Invitations have been extended to faith leaders and politicians to attend Eid Al Adha in Croke Park. Speaking to the Irish Independent, Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri said that 500 people will attend the festival. There is no other venue that could accommodate 500 Muslims while social distancing is being implemented that is as iconic and as symbolic as Croke Park, he said. Its an iconic venue that represents Irishness at its best. The festival will take place on the pitch, with measures put in place for markings to aid social distancing. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Since Hamas and Islamic Jihad remained on the sidelines in the Syrian civil war and left their respective offices in Damascus in 2012, Iran, a staunch ally of the Syrian regime, suspended its financial support to both movements, cutting off their largest sources of funding. The return of these relations, however, seems to be in the offing, especially with the recent events in the region. On May 28, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his government intends to annex 30% of the West Bank. Head of the Hamas political bureau Ismail Haniyeh said July 6 that he had received a message from Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, confirming that his country will continue to provide support to the Palestinians. Iran will spare no effort to support the Palestinian people to restore their right and hold off the evil schemes of the Zionist entity, the message read. The message comes after Iranian Shura Council Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf made two phone calls to Haniyeh and Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ziyad al-Nakhalah July 1, to discuss mechanisms and ways to thwart Israels annexation plan. Ghalibaf expressed his countrys support for the Palestinian people in the face of the US Middle East peace plan, known locally as "the deal of the century." Hamas has made great efforts in the past months in a bid to restore Iranian support. Hamas condemned the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, by a US strike in Baghdad Jan. 3. Haniyeh also traveled to Tehran to participate in Soleimanis funeral. Mahmoud al-Zahar, a member of Hamas political bureau, had said during an interview with Al-Nahda News July 9, 2019, that Hamas had been making great efforts in a bid to restore relations with the Syrian government backed by the Iranian regime. A prominent Hamas leader who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity said, Iran decided to provide the Palestinian resistance with the greatest possible support to confront Israels annexation plan of the West Bank. This support will be greater than ever, with no restrictions and in any way the Palestinian resistance wishes." Although Iran announced that it would continue to support the Palestinian resistance, a major challenge stands in the way, which is the Palestinian Authority and Israels policy to dry up Hamas sources of funding, taking strict measures to prevent money from outside the Palestinian territories from reaching the Islamic movement through local banks. Hamas has its own ways to get the money. Banks are no longer part of its scheme to do so, the Hamas source said. A Reuters report published on April 26, 2019, said that Hamas is increasingly using sophisticated methods to raise money using Bitcoins, which highlights the difficulties facing the authorities to track cryptocurrencies financing groups that some classify as terrorists. It is not important here for the public to know how the support will reach the resistance, but what is important is where and how such support would be used on the ground to thwart the Israeli annexation plan, the source explained. He added, The Iranian support will mainly be directed to the West Bank that is at risk now with the Israeli annexation plan. Support will also focus on mobilizing the Palestinian people to confront this scheme. On July 2, Secretary-General of Fatahs Central Committee Jibril Rajoub and Hamas leader Salah al-Arouri, who is based in Beirut, held a rare joint video conference to discuss a joint plan of action to counter the Israeli annexation plan. We must realize that the battlefield now is the West Bank and our people in Gaza are ready by all means to [counter the plan]. Abu Obaida [spokesman for Hamas military wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades] said that the annexation is a declaration of war, Arouri said during the conference call. Islamic Jihad leader Khodr Habib told Al-Monitor, Irans support is of paramount importance for the Palestinian resistance and willl significantly contribute to escalate the resistance against the Israeli occupation in the coming period. He stressed that there is ongoing communication between his movements leadership and Iranian officials to discuss mechanisms to translate what has been agreed upon in recent contacts with Iran on the ground. He added, The resistance factions have been holding regular meetings to develop practical measures to address the Israeli plan. All our efforts in the coming stage will be focusing on resisting and thwarting the [annexation] plan and we will certainly succeed in that. Talal Okal, political analyst and writer for the Ramallah-based newspaper Al-Ayyam, told Al-Monitor, Irans recent stance to provide the greatest possible support to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the framework of confronting the Israeli annexation plan, is the culmination of great efforts made by the leadership of the two movements to restore their relations with Iran. He said that Hamas felt it had made a historic mistake by detaching itself from Iran over the Syrian conflict, and by looking for alternative sources of funding, such as Qatari support. Okal explained that Hamas found out that Qatars support is conditioned by maintaining calm with Israel, which is in direct conflict with the movements principles and goals aimed at perpetuating the conflict with Israel. Hamas was forced to maintain calm with Israel at the moment in order to receive more funds from Qatar, especially since it has been grappling with a major financial crisis since Egypt established a buffer zone along the borders with the Gaza Strip in 2014 to destroy the border tunnels, he added. Hamas realized that it is in imperative need of the Iranian support more than any other source of funding, as Iran would provide it without any conditions or prerequisites, Okal concluded. Hassan Abdo, a writer and political analyst close to Islamic Jihad, told Al-Monitor, The recent contacts between Hamas and Islamic Jihad with Iran and Khameneis message are proof that all differences between the two parties would remain on hold now as they are insignificant in light of the Israeli annexation scheme. He added, Many other Arab countries turned their back on the Palestinians and contributed in intensifying their blockade, making way for the US deal of the century and the annexation plan, which is part of it. Irans position was exactly the opposite." It was 2015 when Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warned about the threat of a pandemic during a TED talk titled The Next Outbreak? Were Not Ready. As we have seen, the world was in fact not ready, but the coronavirus pandemic has shown that technology is a major ally during a disruptive crisis, allowing us to be connected and businesses to continue operating. During these tough times, CIOs can play a prominent role in establishing resilience for their organizations, in order to ensure business continuity throughout the coronavirus crisis and beyond. CIO Middle East talked to teach leaders in different sectors to know more about how their companies are operating during the coronavirus pandemic and lessons they have learned about business continuity planning (BCP); the issues that come up are not only about technology. Preparedness, adaptability and agility are key Established in 2009, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has moved to a work-from-home paradigm in line with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia business directives established to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. KAUST is proud to say that they have made the transition to a fully virtual educational model. Jason Roos Jason Roos is CIO of Kaust. A critical component of any organizations business continuity plan is information accessibility and communications that enable effective situational awareness and supports the leaderships real-time decision-making process, says Jason Roos, CIO at KAUST. This specific functionality is primarily the responsibility of the CIO and therefore he or she must ensure that communications infrastructure is designed with resiliency in mind to withstand various component failures without resulting in service failure that adversely impacts the organizations ability to operate effectively. Roos specifies that he is referring to all communications systems including land line telephones, cellular phones, SMS communications, emergency radios and satellite phones, as well as all IP enabled communication channels such as video and voice conferencing services, email, and any other digital collaboration tools as the responsibility of the CIO when conducting business continuity planning. KAUST has been developing detailed business continuity plans around a multitude of different scenarios. These plans are updated annually and its Emergency Management and Risk Management teams continually review them to support the operational effectiveness of the organization. In our exercises weve planned to deal with various scenarios such as sea cable outages, distribution router failures, primary telecommunications link failures, and other examples that would require us to revert to secondary communication systems to minimize the operational impact to the delivery of our services, Roos says. Rooss goals as a CIO, especially during the pandemic, are clear: Faculty, student, researchers, and staff need to have the ability to function whether they are on or off our campus. Lessons learned? Be prepared for different scenarios and continually test capabilities through various exercises and drills to ensure that not only the necessary technologies are available, but that people are trained to use them when the time comes, says Roos. Spread of virus spurs communications More and more businesses are looking to improve their business continuity plans to deal with the long-lasting impact of COVID-19 and better prepare for future emergencies. Mohamed Saad Mousa Mohamed Saad Mousa is chief information security officer at IKEA Saudi Arabia /Bahrain. For Ikea Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, an effective BCP strategy has to address these major points: prioritization of employee safety, identification of the risks and impact (in this case, of COVID-19) and implementation of transparent communications. As the impact and spread of COVID-19 continues, we reshape the way businesses operate; its critical that we review existing business plans, including our current business continuity plan and business disaster recovery plan, explains Mohamed Mousa, CISO (chief information security officer) at IKEA Saudi Arabia /Bahrain. The glaring example of that is improving e-commerce channels in order to guarantee the opening of our channels with our dear customers. IKEA has established a communications plan that includes providing employees, senior management, customers, suppliers, and government regulators with regular updates, and in order to achieve this goal the IT department has become a key player in BCP. Digital transformation programs that support complete service mobility and secure, reliable communication channels are a crucial part of this role. Lessons learned? This crisis gives us great lessons to cooperate more, move dynamically, and adopt new ideas and initiatives vastly and effectively. Transparent and clear communication will be our main tool to pass this crisis safely and successfully, Mousa says. This is the main and great lesson we learn. Post COVID-19, I expect that IT will be more effective in guaranteeing the continuity of business and fast recovery from any expected adverse effect. Working remotely still needs to be in the BCP In any modern, digital business environment, establishing IT resilience is important if you want your business to survive in a time of disruption and crisis. However, the COVID-19 outbreak has presented businesses with many unforeseen challenges due to its rapid spread and global reach. Faisal Ali Faisal Ali is group CIO at the Gargash Group. Gargash Group, which has diverse interests in the UAE including automotive, real estate, hospitality and financial services, believe it is important to keep investing in their business continuity plan. While our migration to work from home was relatively smooth, I think returning back to offices and switching into 100 percent back to office has been a challenge, says Faisal Ali, CIO at Gargash Group. Processes of unwinding the remote systems is a challenge. The decision to keep them running [or] switched off is a grey area. While there are costs involved in maintaining the infrastructure associated, there is always a possibility of going back into a lockdown something that I am sure that most of the CIOs had not experienced or thought off before. Ali explains that technology is not the only asset that has been crucial during these times. Human resources have proven to be effective partners within the organization. The most important lesson that I have learned personally is that there is no substitute for rolling up your sleeves, sharing the workload and having one-on-one conversations with your team and lead them from the front. Twitch has lifted its temporary ban on Donald Trumps account. It suspended the president two weeks ago for hateful conduct related to controversial comments regarding Mexican migrants that he made in two streams. The service cited a quote from Trumps rally in Tulsa in late June as one of the reasons for his suspension. Hey, its 1:00 oclock in the morning and a very tough, Ive used the word on occasion, hombre, a very tough hombre is breaking into the window of a young woman whose husband is away as a traveling salesman or whatever he may do, he said. Twitch also took issue with a rebroadcast of Trumps 2015 speech in which he declared he was running for president. At the time, he referred to Mexican migrants as rapists. Its not clear why Twitch determined that a two-week suspension would be appropriate in this case. A spokesperson declined to comment further on the issue, pointing Engadget to the statement Twitch gave two weeks ago: A new radiotracer, 18F-SynVesT-2, can directly assess synaptic density changes in the brain, providing an objective and quantitative measure of disease progression after stroke. Research presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2020 Annual Meeting shows that the radiotracer may also offer a primary endpoint to evaluate treatment efficacy of novel therapeutics for stroke in clinical trials. Current positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of stroke focuses on the measurement of oxygen or glucose metabolism. 18F-FDG PET has been used to probe brain tissue viability after acute ischemic stroke, but transient hyperglycemia, a common phenomenon in acute stroke patients, affects FDG uptake and thereby confounds its interpretation. "Because synapse is a crucial microstructure for brain functions and synaptic deficit is a hallmark of stroke, we developed a new imaging method to assess synapses directly, providing an alternative to measuring metabolism to determine stroke progression," said Xueying Lyu, postgraduate research associate at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. Researchers utilized a rat model of stroke (established through a middle cerebral artery occlusion procedure followed by reperfusion) to test the 18F-SynVesT-2 radiotracer. A total of six stroke model rats underwent weekly 18F-SynVesT-2 PET scans for four weeks, starting at one day post-reperfusion. Image analysis was conducted and standardized uptake values (SUV) were generated for the hippocampus, cerebellum, neocortex and thalamus. The SUVs of affected and non-affected sides of the brain were compared by calculating ipsi- to contralateral ratios, and the volume of lesion was assessed using SUV ratio normalized by the cerebellum, after smoothing, masking, subtracting, thresholding and binarizing. 18F-SynVesT-2 PET imaging successfully detected synapse loss in the rat model of stroke and tracked disease progression via lesion quantification. Synapse loss occurred mainly in the hippocampus, thalamus and neocortex rather than the cerebellum. The most significant loss of synapses was observed to occur during the first week post-reperfusion. "This is the first direct demonstration of synaptic changes following stroke and has shown that the synaptic protein SV2A is a potential biomarker for tissue viability," noted Lyu. "Information on tissue viability is valuable to detect stroke early and to evaluate therapeutic efficacy and recovery. We hope to help stroke patients by bringing this SV2A PET imaging method to clinical settings in the near future." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 175,000 strokes occur each year in the United States, killing 140,000 Americans. It is a leading cause of long-term disability and costs the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $34 billion annually in health care services, treatment and lost time at work. ### Abstract 383. "Monitoring synaptic loss in a rat model of stroke: a PET imaging study with [18F]SynVesT-2, radiotracer for the synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A)," Xueying Lyu, Takuya Toyonaga, Gang Deng, Yiyun Huang, Richard Carson, Jiangbing Zhou and Zhengxin Cai, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. SNMMI's 67th Annual Meeting, July 11-14, 2020. All 2020 SNMMI Annual Meeting abstracts can be found online at http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/61/supplement_1.toc. About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, vital elements of precision medicine that allow diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. SNMMI's members set the standard for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine practice by creating guidelines, sharing information through journals and meetings and leading advocacy on key issues that affect molecular imaging and therapy research and practice. For more information, visit http://www.snmmi.org. The University of Nebraska on Monday joined 180 other universities opposing a new policy to ban or remove international students from the country if their college classes were held exclusively online because of the coronavirus pandemic. NU joined an amicus brief in a lawsuit filed by Harvard University and MIT against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security, which announced the new guidance earlier this month. As the coronavirus began spreading in the U.S. in March, forcing colleges and universities to move classes online for the remainder of the semester, ICE waived requirements that allowed students on F-1 and M-1 visas to take no more than one class online. In its push for students to return for in-person instruction this fall, the Trump administration announced last week it was reinstating that rule, despite plans by many colleges and universities for online or hybrid class environments beginning this fall. President Ted Carter said while NU is intending to hold on-campus and in-person classes this fall, the university joined other institutions, including most of the Big Ten Conference, as a show of support for its international students. In this May 4, 2020 photo provided by the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the first patient enrolled in Pfizer's COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine clinical trial at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, receives an injection. University of Maryland School of Medicine | AP U.S. health officials and drugmakers expect to start producing potential coronavirus vaccine doses by the end of the summer, a senior administration official said Monday. The U.S. is aiming to deliver 300 million doses of a vaccine for Covid-19 by early 2021. The manufacturing process is already underway even though they aren't sure which vaccine, if any, will work, a senior Trump administration official told reporters on a conference call Monday. He said they are already buying equipment, securing the manufacturing sites and, in some cases, acquiring the raw materials. "Exactly when the vaccine materials will be in production and manufacturing? It's probably four to six weeks away," the official said on the call, which was hosted by the Department of Health and Human Services. "But we will be actively manufacturing by the end of the summer." Because of the pandemic, U.S. health officials and researchers have been accelerating the development of vaccine candidates by investing in multiple stages of research even though doing so could be for naught if the vaccine ends up not being effective or safe. U.S. health officials have previously said they are ramping up the manufacturing process to ensure they can immediately get a vaccine to market once they identify one that works. The Trump administration has selected four potential vaccines as the most likely candidates, but the senior official said Monday that that list could grow. On the list are vaccines from biotech firm Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. The two companies are expected to begin late-stage human trials for potential vaccines by the end of this month. It's a record-breaking time frame to produce a vaccine even as scientists say there is no guarantee the vaccines will be effective. President Donald Trump has repeatedly touted the "tremendous progress" of vaccine development, calling the project Operation Warp Speed, as coronavirus cases across the U.S. continue to surge. The U.S. has reported more than 3.3 million Covid-19 cases and at least 135,205 deaths as of Monday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. As of Sunday, cases grew by 5% or more in 37 states and also Washington, D.C., according to CNBC's analysis of the data. New cases hit a record daily average of 59,100 on Sunday, according to a seven-day average that smooths out fluctuations in day-to-day reporting gaps. Many state and local officials across the U.S. have criticized Trump and the administration, saying they lacked a strong, coordinated response. Last month, the Trump administration said the vaccine will be provided free of charge to Americans who can't afford it. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 18:47:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RIYADH, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-led Arab coalition involved in a war in Yemen said it intercepted on Monday four missiles and seven drones launched by the Houthi rebels toward the kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Turki Al Maliki, spokesman of the coalition, said in a statement that the the dawn attacks by Houthis targeted civilians and civilian areas. Early this month, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir told a press conference that Houthis carried out 1,659 attacks on Saudi Arabia in the past five years, with 318 ballistic missiles, 371 drones, 64 explosive boats and 153 naval mines. The Arab coalition completed in March its fifth year of war in Yemen against the Houthi militia and in support of the elected Yemeni government. Enditem MOSCOWIf you ask where to find almost anyone in Moscows Afghan community, youll be told to come here, to the Hotel Sevastopol. Probably you will be told it has 16 floors, which seems important to the direction givers. Much of the hotel has been turned into a market, a sort of Afghan bazaar where men with tired eyes above their COVID-19 masks crowd into the elevators carrying plastic shopping bags full of fragrant Indian spices, semi-precious stones, and cheap leather goods. Russian neighbors of the Hotel Sevastopol complain bitterly about drugs being sold in the depths of this maze of hallways and rooms converted into tiny shops. Not unlike Afghanistan itself, they say, the market is a complete mess. But the Afghans seem to have enough clout with Moscows city government to keep business going. Always, new men are showing up to have a kebab and share the latest news. Lately, talk turned to a certain Rahmatullah Azizi. He was identified by The New York Times at the beginning of this month as a middleman U.S. and Afghan security services believe paid bounties to the Taliban and criminal gangs in Afghanistan to kill American and other coalition soldiers. A unit of the Russian military intelligence, known as the GRU, allegedly was behind the operation. Both the U.S. and Afghan security services have been investigating the bounty scheme for months, raiding homes and offices and arresting at least a dozen suspects. According to the report, Azizi accumulated considerable wealth, with expensive cars and private bodyguards. A raid on one of his homes in Afghanistan several months ago turned up half a million dollars in cash. But Azizi was believed to have fled to Russia. Here in the Sevastopol Hotel, however, it appears nobody ever heard of Rahmatullah Azizi. He certainly hadnt shown up here, people said. A tall young Afghan man, who offered just one name, Sam, was selling lapis lazuli necklaces on the 16th floor. An Azizi worked here before me, he said. But he wasnt Rahmatullah. Story continues Ali, in a small jewelry shop, said his uncle had a pharmacy in Kabul and knew everybody, but not Rahmatullah Azizi. He never heard of any such Azizi. The answers kept coming back the same: Essentially, Rahmatullah who? Anna Nemtsova The bazaaris might not have met that Azizi, they said, but they knew what the story of this particular business meant: Another conflict between Russia and the United States on Afghan land would be a catastrophe for our people, says Sherkhasan Hasan, formerly a practicing physician, who now runs a small business here selling toys. BLACK TULIPS The Afghan diaspora in Russia counts about 20,000 in Moscow, and as many as 100,000 around the country. Its leaders, mostly Russian-educated during the decade of Russian occupation and dominance there, play an important role in political negotiations between Moscow and leaders on both sides of the Afghan conflict in which the United States became so deeply embroiled over the last 20 years. Today, Russian attitudes toward Afghanistan are complicated, and even the Kremlin does not articulate any clear strategy. The Soviet war in Afghanistan took the lives of more than 14,000 Soviet soldiers and triggered the fall of the USSRthat is how many in Russia remember this bloody chapter of their countrys modern history. The word Afghanistan is associated with what became known as Black Tulips, the Antonov cargo airplanes carrying dead soldiers home. In recent years, there has been a lot of concern about the drug traffic. Afghan opium smuggled across Central Asia makes its way to every Russian region. Thousands of drug addicts die in Russia every year. Stamping out the drug trade, which is partly run through the diaspora, seemed for a time an opening for cooperation between the United States and Russia in Afghanistan. The cooperation ended after the U.S. economic sanctions on Russia were enforced in 2014 following the annexation of Crimea. Russian Bounties for Killing Americans Go Back Five Years, Ex-Taliban Claims In 2008, three of Vladimir Putins close allies decided it was time to re-engage on Afghanistan. They were the head of the FSB Federal Security Service, Nikolai Patrushev; the deputy prime minister, Igor Sechin; and director of the drug-control agency, and an old friend of Putins from the KGB years, Victor Ivanov. Ivanovs aide, Yuriy Krupnov, traveled to Afghanistan in 2008 and 2009 to invite Afghan politicians and Pashto leaders to a high-level forum in Moscow. By then Afghanistan was sick of American occupation and remembered Russians fondly as sheravi, which means Soviet people, Krupnov told The Daily Beast. THE OPENING Patrushev, Sechin, and Ivanov on the Russian side and Afghan Vice President Karim Khalili opened the forum at another Moscow hotelthe upscale President Hotelin May 2009 to sign some business agreements, appeal to the Russian government for bank credits, restore 142 Soviet-built industrial sites, and announce support for some educational programs. Bridges were being built. At the forum, an old friend of Moscow, the nephew of Afghanistans last king, Abdul Ali Seraj, declared, We dont want the American model. In the fractured political landscape of Afghanistan, Moscow realized, Pashto leaders were once again reasserting their influence, and not just as the Taliban. This is all wrong to say, Taliban claims this or that, Krupnov said. There are dozens of various Taliban groups among about 60 tribes, who each have their own ancient culture and history. Russia planned to work on what it saw as this deeper, older level of Afghan power structures. Two months after the forum, in July 2009, President Barack Obama visited Moscow to help launch the so-called reset of the U.S.-Russia relations. In the years to come, Victor Ivanov on the Russian side and Gil Kerlikowske, director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, would lead a joint anti-drug group and organize about 15 joint anti-narcotics operations in Afghanistan. The U.S. national security adviser at the time, Gen. James L. Jones, addressed Nikolay Patrushev, as his friend and counterpart in fighting organized crime and terrorism in the country. As a correspondent for Newsweek, I interviewed Ivanov multiple times in 2010 and in 2011. He spoke about the huge volume of drugs coming into Russia and financing terrorism in the North Caucasus. A kilo of heroin, he noted, is worth $150,000 on the street in Russia and a Kalashnikov costs $1,000 on the Afghan market. Ivanov traveled to Kabul in 2010. On the plane with some members of the press, Russias drug tsar drank Champagne and toasted his return to Afghanistan, two decades after he last was there during the war with Soviet army. Krupnov says he believes that Ivanovs activitytrips to China, to Afghanistan, and Russian drug-fighting centers in Central Americaannoyed Washington. The Obama administrations special envoy for the region, the late Richard C. Holbrooke, said poppy eradication had alienated poor farmers and was driving people into the hands of the Taliban. Washingtons special representative to Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, told Viktor Ivanov to keep his hands off Afghanistan during their meeting at the State Department, Krupnov says, citing that as a turning point in the relationships. Holbrooke died in 2010, and cooperation continued, but without the commitment that existed before. The last joint operation was in 2012, and meetings ended in 2014. ASSASSINS? REALLY? Today Krupnov denies outreach to the Afghans a decade ago was the beginning of an anti-American campaign in the Middle East and South Asia, or that the Kremlin, brushed off so many times, was offended and seeking revenge in some fashion, much less paying Taliban to kill U.S. and coalition soldierswhich is something that many are perfectly willing to do on their own. It would be ridiculous to imagine that any Russians in Afghanistanthere are about 300 Russian nationals there and thousands of U.S. military and private forceswould hire assassins to kill American soldiers. (The element of the GRU cited by the Times as instrumental in the alleged bounty operation, Unit 29155, also has been blamed for destabilization operations in Europe and the attempted murder in Britain of former GRU officer Sergei Skripal.) In any case, outreach to the Taliban has continued. Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov received a Talib leader, Sher Mohammed Abas, last year along with a group of other Taliban authorities to discuss the joint fight against the Islamic State terror group. The idea that Russia and the United States make a great team against ISIS is one that U.S. President Donald Trump has promoted for years. At the Helsinki summit with Putin in 2018, for instance, Trump noted his appreciation for Russian help against the scourge of radical Islamic terrorism. Both Russia and the United States have suffered horrific terrorist attacks, Trump said. We have agreed to maintain open communication between our security agencies to protect our citizens from this global menace. That was the same summit where Trump said he doubted U.S. intelligence about Russian interference in the 2016 elections that made him president. Meanwhile, the Russian foreign ministry has eagerly pointed out that the Trump White House, too, is questioning intelligence on Russian bounties for the deaths of American soldiers. But the sense Russia is inching back into Afghanistan, again in conflict with the United States, is not lost on those who know this relationship well. I dont like the idea of some bearded Taliban leaders, who previously tried to drag us back a thousand years, all of a sudden becoming legitimate, Hasan said of Russias negotiations with the group. It would be a big mistake to help people who everybody considered terrorists. 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. Four Pakistani Army soldiers were killed in exchange of fire with terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan on Sunday. "Four terrorists were killed during an IBO in Vezhda Sar, eight kilometres southwest of Boya, Miranshah, North Waziristan district," Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), military's media affairs wing was quoted as saying in a statement by Dawn. "Sanitisation force conducted [an] operation against terrorists' hideout in Vezhda Sar this morning. As soon as the troops cordoned off the area, terrorists opened fire. All dug out terrorists were shot down by security forces," the statement added. Last month, two Pakistan soldiers were killed during an exchange of fire with terrorists in Waziristan, the ISPR had said. However, ISPR in its statement did not clarify to which organisation the terrorists belonged. (ANI) Also Read: Imran Khan govt has added nearly USD 22 bn to Pak's international debt: Experts The Trump administration cannot withhold funding from the state of California or the city of San Francisco for their sanctuary laws that restrict police cooperation with federal immigration agents, a U.S. appeals court ruled Monday. Federal law requires state and local governments to share information with federal officials about the immigration status of someone in their custody. But the law does not require them to notify immigration agents about upcoming release dates or to keep undocumented immigrants in custody beyond those dates so that federal agents can pick them up and deport them, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said. No evidence has been cited to suggest that local officials have ignored ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) requests for immigration status information, which California allows local law enforcement agencies to share with federal agents, Judge Richard Clifton said in the 3-0 ruling. He said the federal information-sharing requirement does not extend to contact and release status information, which California legally withholds. Clifton, an appointee of President George W. Bush, was joined by Judges Eric Miller, appointed by President Trump, and William Fletcher, appointed by President Bill Clinton. The ruling comes four weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Trump administrations legal challenge to Californias 2018 sanctuary law, the first of its kind in the nation. The law was intended to avoid state participation in increasingly severe federal immigration policies and encourage immigrants to cooperate with local police without fear of deportation. The laws restrictions on information-sharing do not apply to immigrants convicted of violent crimes. Mondays ruling allows California, San Francisco and other cities and counties in the state to keep federal funds they were awarded under the Justice Departments Edward Byrne grants for state and local criminal justice programs. California has used the funding for programs focused on drug crimes, violent crimes and gangs, while San Francisco has focused on reducing the illegal drug trade, and providing mental health and drug treatment services. The state says it would lose $31.1 million in federal grants for state and local funding if the Trump administrations view prevailed, while San Francisco was in line to lose $1.4 million. While the appeals court largely upheld an injunction issued by U.S. District Judge William Orrick III against the funding cutoffs, the court rejected Orricks order of a nationwide injunction that would have applied to all state and local governments, and instead limited the injunction to the states boundaries. Clifton said a statewide order would fully protect California and San Francisco, the plaintiffs in the suit. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The ruling maintains the status quo, as Orrick had suspended the nationwide aspect of his injunction while the appeals court reviewed it. Three other federal appeals courts have ruled against the Trump administration in separate cases, but the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld the funding restrictions in February. The Supreme Court often grants review of significant issues in which lower federal courts are divided. Immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the federal government alone, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said in a statement after the ruling. He said the city is not interfering in federal immigration enforcement, but our police, firefighters and nurses are not going to be commandeered and turned into the Trump administrations deportation force. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Justice Department. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko The unpredictability of the British climate is leading to an increase in heat stress losses in poultry units, NFU Mutual has warned. The changeable climate means temperatures can vary widely from day to day during summer, the insurer said, adding that sudden spikes can 'very quickly' lead to heat stress. It said the situation can be made worse if cooling equipment was not maintained rigorously or staff weren't trained to spot the signs of stress. Poultry, in particular, are highly susceptible to heat stress, and the first sign of this in the bird is panting. Birds are heat stressed if they have difficulty achieving a balance between body heat production and body heat loss. This can occur at all ages and in all types of poultry. Ian Jewitt, MD of NFU Mutual Risk Management Services said: All types of poultry can be affected by heat stress but the birds most at risk are meat birds that are towards the end of their crop cycle. "To minimise the risk of losses, cooling equipment and controls must be maintained and checked rigorously and management systems put in place and tested to ensure a quick response if things start to go wrong. NFU Mutual said farmers should ensure stocking density does not exceed Defra guidelines, or those of the assurance scheme. It added that it was good practice to reduce the stocking density further below the guidelines in the summer months. What measures can I take to avoid heat stress? NFU Mutual has created a poultry heat stress prevention checklist: Ensure the recommended maximum ventilation rates are achieved to avoid overheating and reduce excess moisture. Ensure planned preventative maintenance and testing is undertaken to avoid the risk of mechanical /electrical breakdowns. It is critical that poultry staff are fully trained and able to recognise early signs of heat stress. Staff should check the birds more frequently in hot weather but be careful not to disturb them unduly. Consider temporary on-site accommodation for designated staff during periods identified as being at increased risk to reduce any delay in completing any time-critical interventions. Test the environmental alarm on a weekly basis to ensure it is fully operational and that all audible alarms can be heard on site. Further consideration should be given towards installation of a separate manual temperature variation alarm to ensure that you are aware of an alarm situation in the event of a failure within the main control panel. Ensure that you have an available backup generator with enough capacity to power the whole installation. The investigation into corruption at the WA Department of Communities has uncovered a third alleged accomplice of former executive Paul Whyte. Mr Whyte will have more charges added to the 530 he pleaded guilty to after his role in a $22 million rort Western Australia's biggest ever case of public sector theft was discovered. WA Police will allege a 57-year-old-man entered into an arrangement with Mr Whyte, and have charged both the East Fremantle man and Mr Whyte with 16 counts of Public Officer Acts Corruptly. Under that arrangement, police allege the man created a company and submitted 16 fraudulent invoices between February 2017 and June 2018, which it will be further alleged were approved for payment by Mr Whyte. Specialty chemicals manufacturer Rossari Biotech has become the first company to launch an initial public offering (IPO) during the coronavirus lockdown and the second after SBI Cards this year. The company was to launch its IPO in March but unfavourable market conditions forced it to put off the plan. The Mumbai-based company opened its Rs 496-crore IPO for subscription from July 13 to 15 with a price band of Rs 423-425 per share. The IPO comprises a fresh issue of Rs 50 crore and offer-for-sale of up to 1.05 crore equity shares by promoters Edward Menezes and Sunil Chari, who are selling 52.5 lakh shares each. ALSO READ: Rossari Biotech IPO, Bharat Bond ETF & Yes Bank FPO: Where should investors put their money? Given the company's debt-free status, best asset turnover ratio, strong financial performance and an increase in demand for hygiene products after COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of brokerages advise subscribing to the issue for listing gains and long-term investment despite a high valuation. At the upper end of the price band, Rossari Biotech demands PE multiple of 31-33x FY20 fully diluted EPS, while its peers such as Aarti Industries, Fine Organics, Vinati Organics, Atul and Galaxy Surfactants are available at PE multiples of 31x, 35-36x, 31x, 21x and 24x FY20 fully diluted EPS respectively. "None of the listed chemical companies has the same business as Rossari. We believe Rossari will command a premium over most of its chemical peers as it is net debt-free as well as it has better asset turnover, working capital days, RoE and RoCE better than most of its peers. Only 10 percent of sales are dependent on imported raw material, of which less than 5 percent comes from China. As we are positive on the future outlook for the industry as well as the company, we would recommend subscribing to the issue," Angel Broking said. Arihant Capital Markets, which has a positive outlook on the company's growth prospects, said due to a growing demand for hand sanitisers, disinfectants and cleaning chemicals manufactured by Rossari, its business performance has boomed. "Thus, we recommend investors to subscribe for this issue." Rossari Biotech has a well-diversified product portfolio of 2,030 different products across its three categories--home, personal care and performance chemicals (HPPC; 47 percent revenue share); textile specialty chemicals (TSC; 44 percent revenue share) and animal health and nutrition products (AHNP; 10 percent revenue share). The company has delivered robust growth in revenue/EBITDA/PAT over FY15-FY20, reporting CAGRs of 31/51/78 percent, leading to high return ratios (RoE/RoCE), largely due to its strong promoter and management team. Its return on equity (RoE) has increased from 7.9 percent in FY15 to 22.8 percent in FY20, registering a growth of 1,490 bps. Similarly, the return on capital employed (RoCE) has increased from 8.7 percent in FY15 to 18.8 percent in FY20, at a growth of 1,010 bps. Rossari also has a high return on invested capital (RoIC) of 31.6 percent in FY20 compared to 8.8 percent in FY15 due to the flexible assets that can be used for multiple purposes and it is a flexible and agile company known for its speed to market innovative products and customised solutions, said Ventura, which also recommended subscribing the issue. After its Silvassa facility, having an installed capacity of 1,20,000 MTPA, the company is adding another plant at Dahej that is expected to be a game-changer, brokerages said. "High asset turnover in the business of more than 6x (FY20) augurs well for around Rs 540 crore incremental revenue potential from capacity expansion at peak utilisation," said Emkay Global. The first phase (30,000 MT) of the second facility started in July 2020 and balance would come online by March 2021. "The new capacity expansion at Dahej (1,32,500 MTPA) with Rs 90 crore capex should strengthen its portfolio in the high-growth HPPC segment to serve its wide customer base. Customised product offering, fungible capacities and rapid finished product conversion rate remain the key differentiators for the company," said Emkay. It, too, favoured subscribing the issue. While the valuations may appear high, Motilal Oswal also likes the company given its strong financial performance, lean balance sheet and doubling of capacity over that next one year. Hence, investors can subscribe to the IPO from a long-term perspective, the brokerage said. Considering market conditions and bright prospects for specialty chemical space, one may also get listing gains, it feels. Rossari holds around 6 percent market share in the highly fragmented textile specialty chemicals (TSC), which has grown at an 11 percent CAGR over FY18-20, while its HPPC and AHNP segments have grown at 125/39 percent CAGRs over FY18-20. Management is keen on sustaining TSC market share and is confident of Health and Hygiene Prospects (HPPC) to supplement growth by consistently delivering tailored solutions across all business segments. In addition, expansion plans are ongoing, which should enable to service segments such as water treatment solutions (in place), pet shampoos, distilleries, dairy industry and breweries (R&D completed), Emkay said. However, brokerages say any slowdown in the textile industry, dependence for revenue on a few customers, a delay in capacity addition and failure in maintaining return ratios, etc could be risky. Rossari Biotech will utilise around Rs 100 crore raised from the fresh issue and the pre-IPO placement for debt repayment (Rs 65 crore), working capital requirements (Rs 50 crore) and balance for general corporate purpose. After the IPO promoters' shareholding will reduce to 72.7 percent from 95.1 percent. : 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 In an unprecedented turn of events, Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy announced on Friday, July 10, he would launch an independent review of Fort Hood in the wake of Spc. Vanessa Guillen's death. "The announcement came shortly after McCarthy met Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, Rep. Gil Cisneros, a California Democrat, and leaders from the League of United Latin American Citizens to discuss concerns raised by the investigation," reported Gabrielle Banks of the Houston Chronicle. MURALS ACROSS TEXAS PAY TRIBUTE TO VANESSA GUILLEN: See how murals across Texas pay tribute to Spc. Vanessa Guillen Guillen's death has sparked nationwide support for the 20-year old Fort Hood soldier who was last seen on April 22, and whose remains found along the San Leon River were positively identified by the U.S. Army investigators. McCarthy acknowledged in a tweet that in order to "create enduring change" the Army will have to listen. In a news release, McCarthy thanked the League of United Latin American Citizens for "their continued commitment to honor the memory of Specialist Guillen, and in helping the Army identify and address challenges Hispanic service members face." Support has been pouring in across the nation for Houston native Guillen and her family, as leaders in the community voiced calls for justice. "The manner in which Vanessa Guillen was murdered was traumatic. I think that's what really sent some women over the edge. This is enough. Not one more," said Stephanie Gattas of The Pink Berets in a statement to ABC13. The handling of Guillen's disappearance by Fort Hood officials and the concerns she shared with her family regarding sexual harassment are now taking center stage as they have garnered the attention of President Donald Trump, who voiced his concerns on the case in an interview with Telemundo on, July 10. Over the weekend, Mayor Sylvester Turner proclaimed July 11, 2020, as Vanessa Guillen Day in the City of Houston. STAY INFORMED: Sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. Hyderabad: COVID-19 has made its presence felt at the Telangana Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the governor, with a total of 48 individuals, either directly working at the Raj Bhavan or related to employees, testing positive for the coronavirus over the weekend. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan underwent a COVID-19 test and said on her official Twitter handle that her test result was negative. The Raj Bhavan said that among those who tested positive were 28 police personnel posted at the governors residence. Ten others were staff and the rest were relatives of the staff who live in the residential quarters next to Raj Bhavan. In all, 395 persons associated with Raj Bhavan were tested over Saturday and Sunday using Rapid Antigen Test kits, of whom 347 tested negative. The tests were initiated after the health department discovered that some personnel of the Special Police battalion had earlier tested positive through RT-PCR tests, had primary contacts among security staff at Raj Bhavan. All the police personnel who tested positive have been sent to isolation while the 10 Raj Bhavan staffers and 10 members of their families have been admitted to the Government Ayurveda Hospital, SR Nagar for further treatment. 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The San Francisco coffee roaster will primarily cut ties with baristas and team leads across the region and the state, according to a notice filed with the states Employment Development Department. Some designer, analyst and content producer jobs will also be cut, the company said. Philz told The Chronicle that the cuts were directly related to the economic challenges posed by the pandemic and faltering demand. The company said it plans to assist employees who want to reapply for jobs when demand returns to pre-pandemic levels and noted it had paid employees for scheduled shifts after the initial closures in March and covered health insurance costs. The Chronicle reported the chain had begun pressing some furloughed workers to return to their jobs or quit, despite the ongoing risks of frontline work. Employees affected by the layoffs were informed by email Friday that their last day would be July 15. As the repercussions of this pandemic continue, we are able to gain a better understanding of what we can expect from sales, which is materially divergent from where we were pre-COVID-19, the company wrote to employees in the email, which was reviewed by The Chronicle. The company told employees Friday it was not comfortable opening cafes, which it operates in California and as far afield as the East Coast, to walk-in business. With the longevity of the pandemic, and its impact, uncertain, it is unrealistic that Philz will be able to bring all furloughed Team Members back, and that continuing furlough status would only hold individuals back from pursuing other opportunities, the company said. Philz made the announcement before Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday ordered every county in California to close indoor restaurants, shutter bars and close other businesses including movie theaters, wineries, zoos and museums. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes The chain closed stores on March 17 as a safety measure, even though as an essential food business it could have chosen to stay open. It reopened most locations on April 8 after shifting to a no-contact, pickup business model. Although Philz began to bring some employees back in recent months, the company told the EDD the severity and duration of the pandemic has been worse than Philz reasonably anticipated, and said the layoffs were unavoidable. Businesses like Philz can open for to-go orders, their business is highly dependent on customer routines that have been upended by the pandemic, according to Mike Cullom, national director of restaurant and hospitality consulting at Moss Adams LLP. These businesses are very dependent on habit, people stopping in for their morning cup of coffee, Cullom said. With the pandemic disrupting almost every aspect of daily life, people like you and me have to make an effort to leave our house and go to the coffee shop, driving down sales, he added. Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice The Cambodia Microfinance Association hit back at a civil society report from last month that highlighted the high levels of indebtedness among surveyed garment factory workers, with the industry group calling into question the surveys findings and methodology. In late June, rights groups Licadho and Central, and pro-worker union Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions (CATU) issued a report revealing a high level of indebtedness among surveyed garment workers, which was resulting in them eating less, selling their land or taking additional loans to repay debt. On Monday, the Cambodia Microfinance Association (CMA) issued a statement contesting the findings of the report, questioning the three civil society groups real intentions behind publishing the document. It also questioned the sample size of the report, which was 162 garment workers from three factories, as well as calling the report biased and insufficient in the information provided. The methodology of the survey lacks scientific basis, is biased, lacks knowledge of MFIs and there is insufficient information for verification, reads the statement. The report, the statement said, also didnt point out the interviewee's credit amount and whether the garment workers had other sources of income besides their factory minimum wage. The CMA said that its members evaluated a clients capacity to repay a loan and were aware of the risks before approving the debt. The statement did not provide any specific evidence to suggest or show that the survey was wrong or conducted in bad faith. Kaing Tongngy, a spokesperson for the Cambodian Microfinance Association, questioned the reality presented by the three rights groups, pointing to allegations the industry body had made against Licadho for a prior report linking migration and microfinance debt. We question their methods and their real intention, he said. [CATU] is a union, so it is hard for us to accept their selection of workers and we also questioned the credibility of the report. On July 2, Acleda Bank, one of Cambodias big commercial banks and recently listed on the Cambodia Securities Exchange, also criticized the report in a statement that said the NGO was curtailing the rights, freedoms, honor and dignity of the Cambodian people. The bank questioned the research findings, saying it was baseless and not professional and called for the authorities to take action against anyone inciting persons or groups that deal with financial institutions. On July 6, the CMA had challenged an earlier Licadho report and video released in May, highlighting a link between indebtedness and migration, in a sample village. The CMA found the village, which was not identified in the Licadho report to protect the respondents identities, and claimed that the rights groups had misrepresented the cases of two of the four people in the group. Am Sam Ath, the deputy director for rights monitoring at Licadho, said that the 162 workers in the survey did not represent all garment workers, but the findings should be used by the relevant organizations and institutions to find suitable solutions for the workers. We have the right methodology in the survey. We did not just identify and select them [without methodology], he said. The CMA statement from Monday also alleged that the rights groups conducted the survey during the COVID-19 pandemic, which had affected incomes and that using this period of time to conduct the survey revealed their bad intentions. The two NGOs and one union had addressed this in their June report. The experiences of these 162 people are not representative of every garment worker or microloan borrower in Cambodia, reads the report. But we know their struggles are shared by some of the other 2.6 million microloan borrowers in Cambodia, who together held more than $10 billion in microloans at the end of 2019. Khun Tharo, a program coordinator at labor rights group Central, said on Monday that the pool of workers surveyed was from factories that were completely or partially suspended, in order to highlight the reality faced by workers affected by the pandemic. It is not an inciting report. The report reflects reality during the COVID-19 pandemic, where garment workers have lost their income, he said. In the Licadho, Central and CATU report, almost all of the 162 respondents said they were indebted and had to eat less food, take another loan, or sell their land to repay their debts. (Natural News) You may recall in recent weeks at St. Louis couple arming up and defending their very expensive home against hundreds of Black Lives Matter demonstrators who had busted through a locked gate into the private community and began threatening them. You may have also read that the couple expressed support for the BLM movement and Democrats in general. Well, the husband lawyer Mark McCloskey did an interview this week in which he cleared up a few misperceptions, as it were. Speaking to Daily Wire host Michael Knowles on Wednesday, McCloskey made it very clear he was neither a supporter of the Marxist BLM movement nor a Democrat. I want to set the record straight on one thing. Ive been reading a lot of reports about me from the media Some of whom have accused me of being a Democrat, and I have donated money to various candidates, particularly ones who were personal friends of mine over the years, but Ive been a lifelong Republican, he said, as reported by Big League Politics. He went on to explain that he believes that the Black Lives Matter movement has been essentially transformed into a Marxist cultural movement (or maybe it was one all along) and that hes not at all supportive of that. Another thing Id like to clear up is that the media reports me as being a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and I am certainly not, he said, Big League Politics site reported. Black Lives Matter, to my understanding, is a Marxist organization opposed to everything I stand for and everything I hold near and dear. I do stand for equal justice under the law, but thats got nothing to do with this terrorist organization known as Black Lives Matter, he added. An earlier press release from the couples attorney seemed to indicate they were Democrats who were fully on board with the BLM movement. It should be noted that after the initial invasion of BLM protesters was repelled by the armed couple, demonstrators returned within a day, but the McCloskeys were ready: They had hired an armed private security team and were not molested in any way. Also, they boarded up several windows on the ground level of the home. ARMED GUARDS AT MCCLOSKEY MANSION pic.twitter.com/Zh00pGStzA The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) July 4, 2020 THE MCCLOSKEY RESIDENCE IS NOW GUARDED AND BORDED UP pic.twitter.com/nth0Bz5nnZ The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) July 4, 2020 So in other words, because they dared to defend their private property in an armed manner which in Missouri is perfectly legal under Stand Your Ground laws they now have to live in an armed encampment fearful for their safety. All of which has been lost on St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner, a black Democrat whos running for reelection this year. For their act of self-defense, she is considering filing chargesagainst the McCloskeys. I am alarmed at the events that happened over the weekend, where peaceful protestors were met by guns and a violent assault, she said in a statement last week. 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. (Related: Media blames Trump rally for spreading coronavirus but silent on BLM protests though COVID hits blacks harder.) Statement from Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner in regards to events over weekend: pic.twitter.com/KqqFHIvL9Q Circuit Attorney (@stlcao) June 29, 2020 My office is currently working with the public and the police to investigate these events. Make no mistake: 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, she added. That is simply unreal, especially given the fact that the couple has noted that they were being threatened with physical harm and death. BizPac Review notes: Mark McCloskey, 63, and his wife Patricia, 61, said they had no choice but to resort to their Second-Amendment right to self-defense because the police didnt show up after they frantically called 911 begging for help. The McCloskeys said they only retrieved their guns when they saw that the mob who had trespassed on their property were themselves armed and began threatening to hurt them. Its come to a point in our history where a man and woman defending their homes against a mob is illegal, thanks to Democrats. No wonder the McCloskeys are Republicans. Sources include: BizPacReview.com BigLeaguePolitics.com NaturalNews.com Donita Jose By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The social stigma associated with Covid-19 has made recovery difficult for patients in home isolation. With nearly 70 to 80 per cent of the infected people in home isolation across Telangana, many are being harassed by neighbours, who want them to be shifted to a hospital or a government quarantine facility. Sometimes, the situation turns so grave that the patients are forced to take polices help to reason with their neighbours. I tested positive for Covid-19 in June. As I had mild symptoms, I was asked to be in home quarantine and avail the telemedicine facility. But my neighbours, who did not have a problem with this at first, grew suspicious when I ordered for oxygen cylinders, Kabeer Khan, who recovered from the highly contagious disease, said. His neighbours demanded that he be shifted to a hospital as they feared contracting the virus. We had to inform the police, who were already in touch with me. They had to intervene, he said. In another case, a resident of Padma Rao Nagar was evicted from his rented apartment by his landlord after he contracted Covid-19. My owner wanted me to leave the flat with my family, without notice. I asked the police to intervene because it posed a threat to my life, the patient, who is in recovery, said. The United Federation of Residents Welfare Association (UFRWA), too, has been receiving complaints and concerns over the Covid-19 cases in residential areas. Residents are pressuring the executive members of RWAs to not only get the patient shifted, but also enforce a mini-lockdown and shut shops. We are making them aware about home quarantine being a valid treatment protocol vetted by the ICMR and WHO, U Sreenivas of UFRWA said. He further explained that the lack of testing and poor response from hospitals has added to the fear psychosis. Meanwhile, patients urged the government to sensitise and destigmatise Covid-19. If people are dying, another majority is also recovering. The government should emphasise this and destigmatise home treatment. The local GHMC officials should also sanitise the building and counsel the residents, Kabeer said. 8 more die of Covid, toll crosses 350 Telangana recorded 1,269 cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, from the 8,153 samples tested, taking the tally to 34,671. Also, eight people died of the disease, increasing the statewide toll to 356. The mortality rate now stands at 1.02 per cent. Majority of Sundays cases, 800, were reported from the GHMC area followed by Rangareddy with 132 and Medchal with 94. However, whats more concerning is that fact that 25 other districts recorded a spike in cases. Sangareddy has 36 cases, followed by 23 each in Karimnagar and Nagarkurnool. The active cases are at 11,883 as 1,563 patients were discharged on the day. The recoveries are at 22,482 individuals in Telangana. Meanwhile, the Health Department stated that they have 1,356 ICU beds and 2,926 oxygen beds available G S Vasu By If there has been one occasion in the six-year-old Telangana state when people at large are looking for reassuring and calming words from Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, it is now. Between the last week of March when the state and the country went into a lockdown and today, a sense of panic has gripped the people, partly genuine, partly on the basis of unfounded apprehensions, but accentuated by a feeling of abandonment. Poor communication from the representatives of the government is only fuelling this fear. It matters little to the people whether the Chief Minister functions out of Secretariat, Pragati Bhavan, his home-cum-office, or even his farmhouse on the citys outskirts. What, however, surely makes a difference to them is the growing apprehension whether the state has given up the fight to control coronavirus, which has so far claimed more than 300 lives and affected close to 35,000. In the initial days, everything appeared in control as the Chief Minister kept engaging with the people as regularly as was needed via media conferences and other means. As the virus spread and cases began increasing, the channels of communication disappeared. In comparison, the Chief Minister of another state started holding press conferences almost on a daily basis to address public concerns while Chief Ministers of some states repeatedly called all-party meetings to give out information and seek guidance. For a leader who galvanized people for a separate state, got millions of saplings planted in a single day and conducted household survey of the entire Telangana population, again in one day, to replicate/ improve upon what is being done elsewhere is no big deal. With several medical aspects concerning the spread of virus still unclear, it is only natural that strategies have to keep changing. Telangana, too, has to relook at what has been done so far. From the views gathered by this newspaper from experts, what urgently needs to be done in Hyderabad and elsewhere is to rapidly increase testing. As the number of tests increases, so will positive cases. It need not be seen as a reflection on the government. On the contrary, it will help arrive at specific strategies for specific locations. We need to build confidence among the people that going to government hospitals for Covid treatment is safe. We also cant have a situation where patients visit government hospitals but nurses go on strike seeking better pay. Besides, no private hospital to which patients appear to be flocking are reportedly sticking to the price cap fixed by the government. They must be reined in. Several retired medical professionals who had served at government-run hospitals for long are willing to offer suggestions and guide the team of doctors and paramedics who are currently battling it out in government hospitals. They need to be roped in. A task force comprising proven leaders in crisis management from among ministers, bureaucrats and health experts should be set up to arrive at strategies based on the emerging situation. Last but not the least, there are several organisations, ranging from Ramakrishna Mutt, Rotary/Lions clubs to Seva Samithis, with thousands of volunteers ever willing to serve the society. They have to be drafted in. Unlike in the beginning, there is now consensus that we should learn to live with the virus. Going by the trends so far, the virus appears to be spreading from cities to Tier 1 and Tier 2 towns. It will only get more challenging. Educating people on a continuous basis to prevent panic from spreading, along with effective monitoring and medical intervention, are the only way out. But the lead for proactive action can only come from the Chief Minister. Amid COVID-19 pandemic, every store that will be reopening has to follow social distancing. However, despite all the warnings and reminders, not every customer follows the rules. Due to this, a bar in the United Kingdom decides to put up a 'live' and fully-charged electric fence around its stalls. Luckily, they up a warning with a phrase, "Warning: ELECTRIC FENCE." How to push away people from getting near you amid COVID-19 Whenever you're in a bar, its a habit for most of us to get near the bartender to fix us with our drinks, however, in the middle of a pandemic, customers are now required to follow the rules on social distancing. A bar in the United Kingdom, around Cornwall, has a different strategy to force their customers in following the minimum distance among each other. Daily Mail UK reported on Sunday, July 12, about a popular pub in the city that installed a 'live' and fully-charged electric fence around the bartender's table to keep their customers 6-feet away from each other. Owner of the 'The Star Inn' knows how hard it is to always remind their customers from keeping distance inside their pub. "It's there for social-distancing," Star Inn landlord Johnny McFadden said, speaking on a Sunday afternoon where it was busy behind the bar. "Before the fence, people were not following social-distancing and were doing as they pleased, but now people take heed to the guidance around social distancing." 'It can be turned on' McFadden clarifies that the pub is not having a torture table inside their establishment. But the electric fence is not fake at all. He said that the electric fence is turned off most of the time, but it could be turned on anytime he sees customers not following their rules. The owner insists, "It's for everybody's benefit." The pub's viral images already circulated online and may have been the best marketing strategy for the pub. However, if you're going to search its website, no electric fence indicators were up there. Just a reminder that customers will be having "a friendly welcome assured." Does social distancing work? The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had its own study regarding the imposing of social distancing in the country. With a tagline 'Keep a safe distance to slow the spread,' the US CDC states that "Since people can spread the virus before they know they are sick, it is important to stay at least 6 feet away from others when possible, even if you-or they-do not have any symptoms. Social distancing is especially important for people who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19." ALSO READ: WHO Finally Recognizes Aerosolized Particles as Source of COVID-19 Transmission But With Reservations; Scientists Disappointed 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijans defense ministry informed that one more soldier of the Azerbaijani armed forces has died in the incident on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. This is the 4th death among the Azerbaijani servicemen in the military operations launched by Azerbaijan itself on the border with Armenia on July 12. On July 12, at about 12:30, the armed forces of Azerbaijan attempted to violate the state border of Armenia in an UAZ vehicle in the direction of Tavush province. Following the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani armed forces left the vehicle and returned to their position. At about 13:45, the Azerbaijani forces made a second attempt to capture the Armenian border post, using artillery fire, but were pushed back, suffering losses. The Azerbaijani defense ministry reported that three soldiers have died, four others were wounded in the incident. Later that day Armenian defense ministers spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side restarted shelling the same Armenian position, using 82 mm mortars and a tank. Today Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side has again resumed shelling the Armenian positions. No casualties and injuries were reported from the Armenian side. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan 'They should always be used in combination with social distancing and hand washing and other recommendations.' IMAGE: A traveller wearing a protective mask at the Indira Gandhi international airport in Delhi. Photograph: Yawar Nazir/Getty Images It has been known for a while that N95 respirators and surgical masks are effective in curtailing the spread of a variety of viruses. But most people today wear face masks that do not meet those exacting standards. The matter should be of some urgency to Dr Siddhartha Verma, since where he works, the Florida Atlantic University, is located at Boca Raton, not far from Miami, where the coronavirus epidemic is raging. IMAGE: Left: An experimental setup for qualitative visualisation of emulated coughs and sneezes. Right: A laser sheet illuminates a puff emerging from the mouth. Photograph: Kind courtesy Siddhartha Verma, Manhar Dhanak and John Frankenfield/Physics of Fluids Dr Verma and his team decided to compare the effectiveness of the face masks actually in use. The researchers replicated coughs by squirting jets of fluid through the mouth of a mannequin using a variety of masks or none at all and came up with some interesting results. They created an image using light from a green laser to capture images. They found that a commercial mask (CVS cone) limited the jets going out to eight inches. A stitched mask did even better, limiting the spray to 2.5 inches. But a folded cotton handkerchief did worse (1.25 feet), while a bandana fashioned from an elastic T-shirt let droplets fly out 3.6 feet, crossing the WHO recommended social distance limit of 3 feet. A single bandana-style covering provides more protection than no mask or a thin kerchief, but it cannot compete with the protection a well-fitted stitched mask can provide, Dr Verma tells Rediff.com Senior US Contributor P Rajendran. "But if you use better fabric and a better fit that tends to decrease the spread significantly." IMAGE: An emulated heavy cough jet travels up to 12 ft in ~50 s, which is twice the CDC's recommended distancing guideline of 6 ft.7 Images taken at (a) 2.3 s, (b) 11 s, and (c) 53 s after the initiation of the emulated cough. Photograph: Kind courtesy Siddhartha Verma, Manhar Dhanak and John Frankenfield/Physics of Fluids He agrees that the N95, the KN95 or other similar forms of protections are nominally even better than cloth masks. "Medical professionals are actually trained to fit it very well," Dr Verma says. "But the general public may not be as knowledgeable about that. So no matter what type of mask we use there's always a danger, some degree of leakage." He himself uses a nanofibre mask that one company gave the team for testing. He points out that "any sort of mask you use, whether it be cloth based, or an N95, there will be some leakage from the sides and from the top. So, there will always be some spread. The idea is to try and minimise them." Dr Verma says the best practice was to understand the limitations involved, and use a combination of methods to avoid infection. "Nothing is 100 percent effective," Dr Verma says. "Masks definitely are not 100 percent effective. So they should always be used in combination with social distancing and hand washing and any other recommendations." The small leakage is not riskier than going without a mask. Not using a mask is the riskiest scenario. "{When there is] no mask use or no covering at all we saw the droplets would travel eight feet on average," Dr Verma says. "And they could go even up to 12 feet in most extreme cases." He agrees that it may even go further than 12 feet because of the limitations of the testing space. "That's the maximum length we had. So it might go further, but I cannot tell you for sure." he says. Dr Verma says the smallest droplets hanging in the air perhaps form the biggest threat. "They are actually more dangerous... The larger droplets are heavy, so they fall down to the ground very quickly," he said, pointing out that the smallest droplets could stay suspended for minutes, even hours. IMAGE: Dr Siddhartha Verma. IMAGE: Dr Siddhartha Verma. Dr Verma, the son of Gayatri and Mani Shankar Verma, grew up in Patna, but, after high school, went to Georgia Tech to earn his bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, and his master's and PhD at Caltech (California Institute of Technology). It was at Caltech that he began working on fluids. While he continues to work on basic research, he is also trying to apply his work to address the pandemic. "We're expanding the study," Dr Verma says, and gave the example of how the team's research could have an impact on offices: Where exactly you place a vent can make a difference in how efficiently you can extract the air out, how quickly you can get the germs away from people. There are many factors that affect [this]." Dr Verma aims to explore them, and to use his understanding of air as a fluid to get viruses safely away from those leaky masks and noses. The research was published June 30 in the journal Physics of Fluids. Feature Production: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com India and China may be in the process of lowering tensions in the Ladakh region but there appears to be no end to the proxy war being waged by the two countries in Nepal. It is no secret that Nepals Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli is canoodling with the Chinese and this has obviously not gone down well with the Indian establishment. New Delhi would be only too happy if the Nepal Prime Ministers detractors succeed in dethroning him as suggested by recent reports from Kathmandu. However, China is learnt to have intervened to ensure that Oli remains in office. But India has no plans to give up. According to the grapevine, New Delhi has access to some incriminating material against Oli and would like it to be used against him to ensure his ouster. However, it is not clear how this will pan out as India has always maintained that it does not interfere in the internal affairs of another country. Meanwhile, the suspense about Olis future is continuing as the next meeting of the standing committee of Nepals National Communist Party, which has already demanded that he step down, has been postponed by a week. Congress leader Rahul Gandhis decision to start a Telegram channel sent many party leaders into a tizzy. Except for the younger lot, others had no clue about this new messaging platform. Several leaders even called up media-persons on the Congress beat to enquire about Rahul Gandhis latest venture to reach out to the public. Needless to say this has led to a mad scramble in the party as leaders are now vying with each other to join Telegram. From Nikhil Alva and Ghulam Nabi Azad to Sanjeev Singh, Anil Shastri and Kiran Chaudhary, all have signed up on Telegram while others are following suit. Rahul Gandhi has been active on Twitter and Facebook. His attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi are a regular feature on these social media platforms. However, Rahul Gandhi felt Telegram will help him widen his network. The Congress is synonymous with sycophancy. It was, therefore, not surprising that the partys media department came up with an angry response when Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was asked to vacate the government bungalow she had been allotted on security grounds. There are a few Congress leaders who believe Priyanka should have vacated the bungalow when the Centre withdrew her SPG cover but they cannot voice their opinion publicly for obvious reasons. On the other hand, there is a section which is suggesting that the party should ask a sitting Rajya Sabha member to resign so that Priyanka Gandhi can enter the Upper House which would automatically entitle her to official accommodation. But the question is: which Congress leader will volunteer to relinquish his or her seat. Madhya Pradesh chief minister has had a rough time ever since he took over the top job for the fourth time. These days he is busy placating the angry Bharatiya Janata Party legislators who have not been accommodated in the Cabinet. They were overlooked in favour of Jyotiraditya Scindia loyalists who had resigned their seats and helped bring down the Congress government. As resentment in the party is growing, Chouhan has been assuring his colleagues that they will eventually find a place in the Cabinet as he is confident that at least four to six former Congress MLAs, belonging to the Scindia camp, are unlikely to retain their seats in the by-elections. Chouhans assertion clearly hints at an internal sabotage. Having led a vigorous campaign against feudalism and royalty, BJP workers are now finding it difficult to support Scindias camp followers as their victory will only end up strengthening the Gwalior scion. Many of them have gone public with their opposition to the partys new recruits. As Indias consul general in New York, diplomat Sandeep Chakravorty created ripples when he told a gathering of Kashmiri Pandits that they should follow the example of Israel, which built settlements in the occupied West Bank to reclaim their land. The ministry of external affairs was unhappy with his statement and felt he should have been more circumspect as his remarks did not reflect Indias stand. As a result of this faux pas, Chakravorty was not appointed joint secretary, external publicity, though he was tipped to get this job. Though denied this high-profile posting, luck appears to be favouring Chakravorty as he is tipped to move to the Americas desk, which ranks high in the hierarchy of posts in the ministry. It is said Chakravorty is foreign secretary Harsh Shringlas special choice as the two had worked together in the United States. Shringla was Indias ambassador in Washington before he returned to take over as foreign secretary Marco Ugarte I will always remember an iconic picture of a 4-year-old girl crying and alone. Her mother had been taken away at the United States / Mexico border. She had no one to go to. This small child was being traumatized because she was alone through no fault of her own. A government official was there but seemed to ignore her. Hundreds of small children were traumatized in this way. In a Facebook post, a politically correct Democrat simply said that locking kids in cages was immoral. Lying to your wife about how much money you spent at the store is immoral. Backing legislation to help the wealthy to get campaign contributions is immoral. Philip Griffin, of Edwardsville, is among 39 Knox College students who were inducted into the academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa at the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. Only 10 percent of U.S. colleges and universities have Phi Beta Kappa chapters. The Knox College chapter, founded in 1916, is the fourth oldest in Illinois and the first at an exclusively undergraduate, four-year liberal arts college in the state. The Japanese central government considers the bases essential to the countrys security, and many citizens and businesses on Okinawa welcome the troops as customers and neighbors. When news of infections first started emerging from the bases, both the governor and the Okinawa prefectural assembly demanded more information from the Marine Corps about the number of cases, which troubled Okinawan officials and residents who feared they may have unknowingly come into contact with infected troops. When anything like this happens, when the military doesnt provide essential information of how many people are infected or where they are from or where they have been outside of the base, the Okinawan people are really scared and frustrated and disappointed, said Manabu Sato, professor of political science at Okinawa International University, which overlooks the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. Im scared, said Tomonari Kiyuna, a worker at a noodle shop in Chatan, a neighborhood on Okinawa frequented by American soldiers. Were very careful, wearing masks, washing hands, and sanitizing, Mr. Kiyuna said. I want them to disclose the information. They are Americans but they are staying in Okinawa, Japan. Okinawans or the Japanese people have the right to know about infections stemming from the bases. Yoshihide Suga, chief cabinet secretary to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said in a news conference that the government had received the necessary information from the U.S.s side, such as numbers of infected personnel and facilities affected. Governor Tamaki said he was concerned that the soldiers had spread infections during celebrations on July 4. There is information that the U.S. Forces personnel went out to the nightlife districts and had beach parties outside of the bases on July 4, Mr. Tamaki said in a statement on Saturday. He requested that the military stop transferring new troops from the United States, where case numbers are surging. High street footfall has dropped by 65 per cent and could lead to 250,000 jobs being axed by struggling retailers. Most high street shops across England and Northern Ireland were given the green light to reopen on June 15 amid the coronavirus pandemic. But many customers have chosen to stay indoors and make their purchases from the safety of their homes - sending online shopping figures soaring. High street footfall has dropped by 65 per cent and could lead to 250,000 jobs being axed by struggling retailers Retail footfall has dropped by 65 per cent when compared with figures from June last year, according to research by data company Springboard - seen by The Guardian. The worst drop in footfall was found in central London, which saw a whopping 81 per cent less shoppers in June than in the same month last year. And desperate retailers have already started cutting thousands of jobs because of a dramatic loss in high street shoppers. A graphic, pictured, demonstrates the extent of the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on the UK economy Retail footfall has dropped by 65 per cent when compared with figures from June last year, according to research by data company Springboard John Lewis and Boots axed 5,300 jobs and announced permanent store closures last week. Some 612,000 jobs have already been lost across the UK as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the number of people on benefits has skyrocketed by 1.6million to 2.8million. Experts have warned that the slew of store closures at John Lewis and Boots are 'just the start'. Britain's furlough bill soared past 25billion this week with more than 12 million jobs now being propped up by the state, new figures revealed today John Lewis and Boots axed 5,300 jobs and announced permanent store closures last week Industry insiders are monitoring Top Shop, New Look, Arcadia, Monsoon and Poundstretcher for similar announcements. Retail expert Richard Hyman told the Sun: 'If you think there are 9.5million people on furlough, 250,000 redundancies is quite a reasonable number. 'Pre-pandemic online sales accounted for 30 per cent of non-food sales. That will rise to 40 per cent, which means hundreds of thousands of job losses. 'Lockdown has been the catalyst, not the cause. Big firms like John Lewis have needed to shut stores for years. 'Fifteen years ago online shopping wasn't really used, now it's worth 70billion. But in that time they have still opened more stores. It's not sustainable.' Britain's jobs bloodbath gathered pace last week as more than 60,000 workers were axed or faced redundancy. It was an immediate blow for Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who launched his desperate 30billion package to help keep people off the dole. Weekly sales: John Lewis Partnership weekly sales figures over the last year, provided by MarketLine Gross sales: John Lewis Partnership gross sales since 2009 On the slide: John Lewis Partnership bonus payments through time Some 612,000 jobs have already been lost across the UK as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the number of people on benefits has skyrocketed by 1.6million to 2.8million His mini-Budget included a 1,000 'jobs retention bonus' for business who bring workers back off furlough, and half-price meals out funded by the government. A grim-faced Chancellor conceded he could not protect all workers, and the UK was on track for a 'severe' recession. Unite chief Len McLuskey said Mr Sunak had 'failed' to prevent more redundancies on Britain's struggling high streets. And retail is not the only sector which is still battling to recover from the coronavirus crisis. Hospitality chain The Restaurant Group, which owns Wagamama and Frankie & Benny's, has already announced that it will keep one in 10 of its restaurants and pubs closed this year. Experts have warned that the slew of store closures at John Lewis and Boots are 'just the start' The Springboard figures have shown that overall footfall, including high streets, shopping centres and retail parks fell by 57 per cent year-on-year in June. How many jobs are at risk across the UK? Accenture - 900 Airbus - 1,700 Arcadia - 500 BA - 12,000 Beales - 1,052 Bentley - 1,000 Burger King - 1,600 Casual Dining Group (Bella Italia, Cafe Rouge and Las Iguanas) - 1,900 DHL at Jaguar Land Rover - 2,200 EasyJet - 4,500 Go Outdoors - 2,400 Harrods - 700 Harveys - 240 Links - 350 Mothercare - 2,500 Oasis Warehouse - 1,800 P&O Ferries - 1,100 Pret a Manger - 1,330 Ryanair - 3,000 SSP Group (Upper Crust, Caffe Ritazza) - 5,000 Ted Baker - 160 TM Lewin - 600 Tui - 8,000 Victoria's Secret - 800 at risk Advertisement Retail parks have suffered the least as footfall was just 32 per cent lower year-on-year in June. But footfall in shopping centres declined by 62 per cent. Retail parks are generally comprised of food and homeware stores which stayed open throughout lockdown and are in general more spacious and therefore appealing to shoppers. Non-essential shops reopening in mid-June marked a turning point, according to Springboard. Some customers rushed back to shops in England and norther Ireland in the first week of reopening (seeing a spike in footfall that was 6.6 per cent higher year-on-year). But the demand did not last and footfall slowed considerably over the following two weeks. Springboard insights director, Diane Wehrle, said that lengthy queues, limited customer numbers and closed changing rooms, could have contributed to the sudden drop. She said: 'This is concerning for the economic recovery path of bricks-and-mortar retail who are heavily reliant on customer experience'. High street shops rely on customers from all walks of life - workers, students, tourists and locals. But because of government advice to only use public transport where essential, people are less likely to travel to the shops. A clear example is seen in central London, which usually has the highest footfall of high street shops in the UK but was found to be 81 per cent lower than in June last year. Statistics also revealed that the total on company payrolls had slumped by more than 600,000. The number claiming either Jobseekers' Allowance or Universal Credit more than doubled between March and May rising by 1.6million to 2.8million, the Office for National Statistics said. The Springboard figures have shown that overall footfall, including high streets, shopping centres and retail parks fell by 57 per cent year-on-year in June The worst drop in footfall was found in central London, which saw a whopping 81 per cent less shoppers in June than in the same month last year The rush for support eclipsed that seen during the first year of the Great Depression, the Institute for Employment Studies warned. Latest figures show 9.1million jobs have been furloughed under the Job Retention Scheme, at a cost of 20.8billion so far. HM Revenue & Customs also revealed that 2.6million self-employed workers are receiving support under a separate scheme which has cost 7.6billion. It means in total the incomes of 11.7million workers more than 40 per cent of the private sector workforce are being paid by the state. Figures reveal scale of Covid business loans Figures released on Tuesday by the Treasury and HMRC show one extent of the Government's massive spending spree to help sure up a faltering economy hit by the coronavirus crisis. As ministers ordered Britons to stay at home unless they had to shop for food in March, Rishi Sunak promised to do 'whatever it takes' to support the companies whose business would be decimated by the decision. It meant launching three Government-backed loans, the coronavirus business interruption loan scheme (CBILS), a similar scheme for larger businesses called CLBILS, and the bounce-back loans, which help out some of the smallest companies. Data for last week, released Tuesday, again shows that the bounce-back loans have proved the most popular. Close to 1.2million businesses have applied for the loans of up to 50,000. So far a little under 970,000 have been approved and handed 29.5billion. Meanwhile, 105,000 companies have applied for a CBILS loan, 52,000 have been approved, and 11.1billion has been paid out. Out of the 745 applicants for CLBILS, 359 have been approved for loans worth 2.3 billion. The Government also revealed that 1.1 million businesses have furloughed 9.3 million workers, claiming 25.5 billion to cover a portion of their salaries while they cannot work. The costly programmes were launched to see Britain through the worst of lockdown, but the Government will hope that these can be eased. The Treasury has already said that companies will have to shoulder some of the burden for paying their furloughed workers from August, before the programme is phased out. The deadline for new applications to the scheme was set at June 30. It comes as the economy is preparing to return to some semblance of normality. On Saturday, pubs and restaurants will be allowed to reopen for the first time since March 23. Advertisement CHARLOTTETOWNThe confirmation of an eighth new COVID-19 case in Prince Edward Island in the past week could delay an easing of border restrictions, the provinces chief medical officer of health said Monday. Dr. Heather Morrison said the latest cases are not the result of seasonal visitors to the province or the so-called Atlantic bubble, which the four provinces opened July 3 to allow travel within the region. But this situation raises questions about the possibility of the Canadian bubble, Morrison told a news conference. Although ultimately this is not my decision, I believe it would be premature today to be considering a further loosening of our border restrictions and encouraging broader travel. The latest case is a man in his 40s who works in the emergency room at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown. Morrison said he tested positive Sunday night after being identified through contact-tracing of another case. She said the health-care worker had come into contact with a Queens County woman in her 80s who went to the hospital by ambulance on July 4. Morrison said the woman was not displaying COVID-19 symptoms when she was at the hospital and was not tested. She had no contact with anyone in the waiting room. She had diagnostic testing and then was taken home by family. Morrison said the womans symptoms worsened Saturday and she called 811 and was tested. The results came back positive Sunday. This is a challenging and worrisome situation, Morrison said Monday. The increased number of contacts, both patients and staff, makes for a larger and more complex response. Morrison said the health-care worker had travelled to a Canadian destination outside the Atlantic provinces and returned to work July 4 after testing negative for COVID-19. Essential health-care workers who travel or arrive from elsewhere in Canada have been able to work as long as they are tested immediately prior to reporting to work and wear appropriate (personal protective equipment), she said. Morrison wouldnt say what role the person has in the emergency department, but he worked seven shifts between July 4 and 11. She said 100 patients and 125 staff have been identified as contacts and will be tested. I encourage anyone who was at the QEH emergency department between July 4 and July 11 to be patient and calm. Not everyone who went to the emergency department during this period will need to be tested, Morrison said. She said anyone who flew on WestJet Flight 654 from Toronto to Charlottetown on July 2 should call 811 or their family doctor about testing. She said it is hoped the spread to patients and staff at the hospital has been limited. P.E.I. has now had 35 cases of COVID-19, including 27 that are considered recovered. Morrison said, now more than ever, she is pleading with Islanders and visitors to the province to pay attention to the public health measures, including hand washing, physical distancing and wearing a mask when physical distancing isnt possible. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 18:10:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RABAT, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Morocco's economic growth will shrink by 5.8 percent in 2020, down from a growth of 2.5 percent in 2019, the country's High Commission for Planning (HCP) said Monday. In a periodical report published on its website, HCP said this performance, the worst in decades, is due to the combined effect of drought and the COVID-19 pandemic, with a negative growth of the primary sector by 5.7 percent. As for the non-agricultural activities, they will decline by 5.3 percent in 2020 compared with an increase of 3.7 percent in 2019. The secondary sector is expected to shrink by 6.9 percent in 2020 after a 3.6-percent increase in 2019, while the tertiary sector will slip by 4.5 percent from an increase of 3.8 percent in 2019. According to the report, the unemployment rate is expected to soar to 14.8 percent, the domestic consumption decline by 4.4 percent, and the budget deficit widen to 7.4 percent. On July 9, Morocco announced one-month extension of the state of health emergency since March 24 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The North African country registered 76 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, raising the tally of infections to 15,821, including 253 deaths. Enditem Global oil market analysts are carefully watching the latest news emerging from Africas (potentially) largest oil producer. In an unexpected move, Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) stated lifted the force majeure on crude exports from its key terminals. The national oil company indicated that it expects a gradual revamp of production, but emphasizes that overall production levels will be less than 50 percent of its historic highs. The company indicated that significant damage to reservoirs and oil and gas infrastructure in the country, caused by the blockade that has been in place since mid-January 2020, has left a segment of its production at risk. The removal of the force majeure by NOC surprised many observers as the security situation in the country doesnt appear to be improving. The move has left some analysts wondering if NOC has been able to set up a deal between the UN-supported GNA government and some parts of general Haftars LNA forces. Others have suggested that significant pressure from third parties may have forced the two groups to agree to an oil deal. The North African oil producer has seen oil production collapse due to the conflict between the UN-backed GNA and the self-styled Libyan National Army of Khalifa Haftar. Since mid-January, a force majeure was declared by NOC on crude loadings out of the ports of Marsa El Hariga, Brega, Es Sider, Ras Lanuf, Zueitina, and Zawiya. Total Libyan oil production fell to between 70,000 and 100,000 bpd in the past few months, from over 1.10 million bpd before the blockade. Despite the positive news from NOC, optimism about Libyan oil production should be tempered. The situation on the respective oil-producing fields is far from positive, while damage to infrastructure and possible reserve issues are expected to keep production very low in the coming months. NOC also stated that the forced closure of several of Libya's oil fields has affected the oil reservoir quality, which has undergone mechanical, structural, and chemical changes. Story continues Related: U.S. Natural Gas Production, Consumption And Exports Hit Record In 2019 The broader geopolitical situation in which Libya finds itself is another reason for analysts to temper optimism. UN chief Guterres stated that foreign interference in Libya has reached unprecedented levels, without directly stating the main culprits. It is looking increasingly likely that we will see a military operation by GNA forces, backed by Turkey, on the Sirte region. Any military action in the Sirte region would be a direct danger to NOCs future plans, as oil production and exports in the region would likely be halted. The GNA and Turkish officials have openly stated that they are preparing a move against Sirte, currently in the hands of LNA forces, to regain control of the areas strategic oil reserves. Indirectly Turkey has stated that it wants to regain power over the Sirte area in order to deliver a major blow to Haftars LNA and its backers, Russia, UAE, and Egypt. The UN is currently trying in vain to set up a possible political solution for the crisis, but the developments on the ground suggest that there is no political will for such a deal at the moment. As things stand, two major external forces are on track to clash in a military conflict within Libya. Turkish forces have recently put their full backing behind the GNA, while Egypt has promised the protect Haftars forces. Egyptian President Sisi has stated that any violation of Sirte and Al-Jufra will result in direct intervention from the Egyptian military as per international norms. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stated that these threats clearly and currently endanger Egypt, and we will not tolerate these types of threats which are close to our borders, at a time when foreign interference provides those militants with support. To show their readiness to intervene, Egypt has held a military drill near the Libyan border called Hasm 2020. This drill was a direct reaction to a Turkish statement that the Turkish navy will hold exercises off the Libyan coast. Egyptian defense sources have stated that Hasm 2020 involved Egypts Armed Forces land, maritime, and air defense. Some analysts expect more Egyptian naval maneuvers near Libyan waters in the coming days. The Turkish Navy said the maneuvers, called Naftex, will take place off the Libyan coast, involving 17 warplanes and eight naval vessels. Ankara has reportedly reserved an area for military exercises in the Mediterranean, according to Turkish news Yeni ?afak, slated to be three different regions, named Barbaros, Turgut Reis, and Caka Bey, off the Libyan coast. On June 11th, Turkish armed forces held a maneuver in the Mediterranean with eight naval ships and 17 fighter jets. Related: Libya Lifts Force Majeure On All Oil Exports A possible conflict between Egypt and Turkey is now a very real possibility. Such a conflict would likely draw in other forces as Egypt, Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are indirectly involved already. Turkish military moves, including a possible Sirte operation, will need to be backed up by Turkish naval forces. These naval forces would need to go via the maritime areas of the East Med countries, regardless of Libya and Turkey signing a bilateral EEZ agreement. Cairo is unlikely to back down any time soon as Ankara has been supplying armed drones, military advisors, and Syrian mercenaries to the U.N.-recognized GNA. On July 4, Al Watiya airbase, where Turkey had started to deploy some of its MIM-23 Hawk air defense missiles, was attacked by unidentified airplanes. There are rumors that this attack involved Rafale fighters, which would suggest that Egypt is already involved as the country has a large fleet of such fighters. Military analysts clarified that Egypts Rafales are equipped with long-range air-to-surface Storm Shadow missiles, able to evade any low to medium-altitude air defenses. Until now, there are a lot of open questions, but Turkeys willingness to take part in the Libyan conflict has put it on a collision course with Egypt, the UAE, and possibly even Israel. Turkish Airforce and Navy capabilities are impressive, but Egypt and its partners have a geographic advantage. A significant Egyptian military intervention in Libya would be a litmus test for Ankaras resolve. In the end, Turkey will have to transport its armor across the Mediterranean while Egypt would just have to drive or fly across the border. In the coming days and weeks, we will likely see the Libya crisis swing in favor of one of the two major powers. Ankara and the GNA will have to consider the possibility that some European partners and Israel may refuse to sit on the sideline if a military conflict does happen. Further destabilization of Libya and increased Turkish influence in the region would not be to the advantage of France (Total), Italy (ENI), or the littoral powers of the East Med. Whatever happens in the coming weeks, a revival of Libyan oil production and exports is looking extremely unlikely. By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Read this article on OilPrice.com July 13, 2020 - Specialized mental health units (MHUs) may be critical to managing the high rates of serious mental illness in incarcerated populations. But research data on unit characteristics, services provided, and outcomes achieved by MHUs in correctional facilities are scarce, according to a report in the July/August issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer. With the scarcity of formal, peer-reviewed studies, Clinical Psychology PhD student Talia Cohen, Rakesh Karmacharya, MD, PhD, and colleagues of McLean Hospital, Belmont, Mass., took a different approach to gathering further information on MHUs in US correctional facilities: they Googled it. "Our gathering and collating the published and publicly available information on these 317 units will help bridge the gap in the literature on MHUs and help facilitate the development of additional MHUs," the researchers write. Google Search Yields Valuable Data on MHUs in Correctional Facilities Estimates suggest that 20 percent of inmates in jails and 15 percent of inmates in state prisons may have serious mental illness. Many patients, especially those with psychotic disorders, first receive psychiatric treatment after being incarcerated. "The incarceration of mentally ill patients, who are often imprisoned due to issues related to untreated mental illness, is a major public health issue," the authors write. They set out to perform the first comprehensive compilation and description of MHUs in US correctional facilities. But a preliminary review of health and criminal justice databases found "scant data": just 11 peer-reviewed articles were identified. To bridge the gap, Ms. Cohen, Dr. Karmacharya and colleagues performed a methodical, in-depth Google search of publicly available sources, including government websites, newspaper articles, and legal reports that led to the identification of 317 MHUs across the United States. Although the available data varied, the authors analyzed the characteristics of the identified US MHUs: About 80 percent of units were located in prisons, rather than jails or other settings. About three-fourths served male inmates only. About half of units offered groups or programs to inmates, one-third provided individual therapy, and less than one-fourth provided both group and individual services. Just over half of MHUs had dedicated mental health staff, while about one-fourth provided mental health training to correctional officers. Some units were developed in partnership with other government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or universities. Funding for MHUs came from a variety of sources, most often state budgets or legislation. Information on the outcomes of mental health care was available for 38 MHUs, most of which reported reductions in violence and injuries. "The reports from these units show promising results for the benefits of implementing MHUs but also demonstrate the urgent need to conduct implementation and effectiveness trials for them," the researchers write. Based on their experience, the authors make recommendations for creating a successful therapeutic environment at MHUs. They believe that units should be small, serving no more than 40 inmates. For the MHUs identified in the review, average unit size was 73 beds. Units should offer groups and programming plus individual therapy, should have a trained and dedicated clinical staff, and should provide mental health training to correctional officers, the researchers believe. Only 12 (3.8%)of the MHUs identified in the review met all of these criteria. While acknowledging the limitations of the evidence in their wide-ranging review, including the use of largely non-peer-reviewed sources, the researchers hope the findings will provide useful descriptive information on MHUs in the United States. The authors conclude: "Future research should collect systematized data from correctional facilities with MHUs in order to get a more comprehensive picture of the programs and to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of these treatment units." ### Click here to read "Mental Health Units in Correctional Facilities in the United States." DOI: 10.1097/HRP.0000000000000267 ### About the Harvard Review of Psychiatry The Harvard Review of Psychiatry is the authoritative source for scholarly reviews and perspectives on a diverse range of important topics in psychiatry. Founded by the Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry, the journal is peer reviewed and not industry sponsored. It is the property of Harvard University and is affiliated with all of the Departments of Psychiatry at the Harvard teaching hospitals. Articles encompass major issues in contemporary psychiatry, including neuroscience, epidemiology, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, history of psychiatry, and ethics. About Wolters Kluwer Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the clinicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and tax, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2019 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students with advanced clinical decision support, learning and research and clinical intelligence. For more information about our solutions, visit http://healthclarity.wolterskluwer.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth. For more information, visit http://www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Per CNN Business, American Airlines Group AAL has postponed the resumption of Dallas-Hong Kong flights from Jul 9 to Aug 5, following Hong Kong governments mandatory coronavirus testing rules for airline crew members. Last week, the Hong Kong government announced that crew members would be required to submit deep-throat saliva samples at the Hong Kong International Airport. The country, which was quick to control the spread of COVID-19, is currently witnessing a sudden rise in coronavirus cases, which prompted its government to tighten social-distancing norms, such as putting a cap on restaurant seating capacity and restricting large gatherings at clubs and bars. In a statement, American Airlines, carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), said, We've been making regular adjustments to our schedule to match demand, and we consider a range of factors including travel restrictions or entry requirements in making network decisions. American Airlines Group Inc. Price American Airlines Group Inc. Price American Airlines Group Inc. price | American Airlines Group Inc. Quote Hong Kongs strict mandates for airline crew members come at a time when U.S. airlines are seeing the uptick in demand (from the lows in March and April) fade away amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the nation and new quarantine rules. Earlier in the month, United Airlines UAL, carrying a Zacks Rank #3, announced certain adjustments to its August flying schedule due to reduced demand following last months announcement of new quarantine rules in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The carrier now expects its August schedule to be 35% instead of 40% of the year-ago level it anticipated previously. Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in some parts of United States, Delta Air Lines DAL, carrying a Zacks Rank #3, has slowed down its capacity-expansion plans beyond August through the rest of 2020. A Key Pick A better-ranked stock in the airline space is Corporacion America Airports SA CAAP, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Shares of Corporacion America Airports have rallied more than 26% in the past three months. Today's Best Stocks from Zacks Would you like to see the updated picks from our best market-beating strategies? From 2017 through 2019, while the S&P 500 gained and impressive +53.6%, five of our strategies returned +65.8%, +97.1%, +118.0%, +175.7% and even +186.7%. This outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. From 2000 2019, while the S&P averaged +6.0% per year, our top strategies averaged up to +54.7% per year. See their latest picks free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report 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 Corporacion America Airports S.A. (CAAP) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. The Portuguese frigate D. Francisco de Almeida is currently sailing to Den Helder (Netherlands), where he is expected to arrive next Monday, July 13 2020, in order to continue, as planned, the modernization project (Midlife Upgrade). The Portuguese frigate D. Francisco de Almeida is currently sailing to Den Helder (Netherlands), where he is expected to arrive next Monday, July 13 2020, in order to continue, as planned, the modernization project (Midlife Upgrade). Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link The Portuguese frigate D. Francisco de Almeida (Picture source: Marinha) This modernization program aims, as is being done with the other ship of this class - NRP Bartolomeu Dias - to extend the lifespan of the ships until 2035, to update the ship's vital systems such as the combat, command and control of the platform and other skills necessary for the ship to maintain the high operational requirements defined by the organizations of which Portugal is a member, such as NATO and the European Union. This modernization to the NRP D. Francisco de Almeida, in addition to extending, in time, the permanence in the Portuguese Navy, will allow increasing its capacities of action and response, so that it can be engaged in an even more comprehensive range of combatant and non-combatant missions, nationally and internationally, ensuring through its flexibility, versatility and resilience, operational employment in the various theaters in which Portugal participates. The Portuguese frigate D. Francisco de Almeida (Picture source: Marinha) The Midlife Upgrade Program (MLU) includes the modernization of weapons, sensors and communications systems and some of the equipment related to propulsion, ship manoeuvre and energy distribution. The ship's crew will accompany the modernization work and will receive training in order to guarantee the maximum exploitation of these new systems, as well as the necessary maintenance. The ship left Lisbon's Naval Base last Wednesday and is expected to return to Portugal in 2022. Fines for quarantine violations tripled. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Our paywall policy: The Slovak Spectator has decided to make all the articles on the special measures, statistics and basic information about the coronavirus available to everyone. If you appreciate our work and would like to support good journalism, please buy our subscription. We believe this is an issue where accurate and fact-based information is important for people to cope. A fine of up to 5,000 rather than the current 1,650 will be imposed on those who fail to report to public health authorities and doctors after their arrival from at-risk countries and disregard the required five-days home isolation followed by a coronavirus test. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The government discussed new measures that should prevent the spread of the coronavirus because of the growing number of infected people, the Sme daily reported. The rate of newly-reported coronavirus infections has been in the two-digit numbers since the beginning of July, the exception being last weekend when only three people tested positive. How to travel to and from Slovakia post-coronavirus Read more The higher penalties, approved by the cabinet on Monday and pending a green light from the parliament, are part of the proposal that also allows state access to mobile phone numbers of people who returned to Slovakia from abroad. Based on the proposed legislation, the public health authorities will be able to interfere with the privacy of individuals in the emergency state or situation, which has been valid in Slovakia since half of March. Text messages from the state People returning from abroad should be getting a text message to remind them about the obligation to enter home isolation upon return. At first, all home-comers should receive it, later only those who return from "red countries". The law also admits the possibility of stricter punishments, said state secretary of Foreign Affairs Ministry Martin Klus. PM Matovic hints at stricter measures after coronavirus cases surge Read more We can imagine that if someone comes from an at-risk country infects their own mother who ends up on lung ventilation, and it is not shown in the media enough, such a person could end up also in prison because this was a public threat, Klus noted. It will be up to the Public Health Authority (UVZ) to decide how retroactively they will look when inspecting the data. Transport Minister Andrej Dolezal (Sme Rodina) noted that it may be as many as six weeks. Hygienists will compare contacts Hygienists should not get such information as to the names of users or their destination. UVZ would be obliged to delete the data every 60 days. They will compare their own list of contacts from people who reported themselves after arriving from risk countries at the regional office of the public health authority. Court suspends a law that would trace COVID-19 patients based on mobile phone data Read more Numbers that will be not on the second list will belong to people who did not fulfil their duty and did not report their return. Hygienists will call these numbers, and if the person does not cooperate, they can pass their phone number on to the police. The owner of the number will then face a fine of up to 5,000. Minister Dolezal admitted that people may avoid the system. If someone turns off their phone before leaving abroad, hygienists will have no way of proving where the person was. People living in cross-border regions might also encounter complications, if the country they live next to is recognised as an at-risk country. If their phone accidentally joins the foreign network even without their travelling abroad, the person will need to prove they have not left Slovakia. Read more about the coronavirus outbreak in Slovakia: Top Democrats Blast Trump's Commutation of Roger Stone Sentence By Ken Bredemeier July 12, 2020 Two leading U.S. Democrats on Sunday condemned President Donald Trump's clemency for his long-time friend Roger Stone, wiping out his 40-month prison sentence for political wrongdoing, saying it was a perversion of American legal standards. "It's staggering corruption," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of Trump's commutation of Stone's sentence during an interview on CNN. "People should know this isn't just about lying to Congress, that means lying to the American people, and witness tampering and the rest," Pelosi said of the seven convictions a jury handed down against the 67-year-old Stone. "It's about our national security." U.S. presidential power for overseeing pardons and commutations is virtually unlimited, but Pelosi said legislation will be introduced that would in the future limit a president from commuting, pardoning or offering clemency to anyone who is convicted of a crime that affects the president's behavior and culpability. House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, who oversaw impeachment proceedings against Trump last year, was a guest Sunday on ABC News's "This Week" show. "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," he said. "It shouldn't matter whether you're a Democrat or Republican, this should be offensive to you if you care about the rule of law and you care about justice." Schiff, a longtime Trump critic, said Stone "lied to cover up and protect the president." Schiff said that Trump, with his Friday night action to keep Stone from heading to prison, "is basically saying through this commutation, '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.' "Other Americans? Different standard," Schiff said. "Friends of the president, accomplices of the president, they get off scot-free." Some Republicans join frey Two Republican senators, Mitt Romney and Pat Toomey, on Saturday also attacked Trump's action. Romney, who lost the 2012 presidential election to former President Barack Obama, called Trump's commutation of Stone's sentence "unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president." Toomey, from the eastern state of Pennsylvania, said Trump "clearly has the legal and constitutional authority to grant clemency for federal crimes," but called his action a "mistake." Toomey said Stone "was duly convicted of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstruction of a congressional investigation conducted by a Republican-led committee." Trump, in a tweet Saturday night, called Romney and Toomey "RINO'S," an acronym that stands for "Republicans in Name Only." "Stone was treated very unfairly," Trump said Saturday night about his commutation of Stone's prison sentence. The president blamed the jury forewoman and the judge and said Stone "should have had another trial." One Republican lawmaker, Senator Lindsey Graham, said in advance of Trump's action, "In my view it would be justified. Mr. Stone is in his 70s (Stone is 67 - ed.) and this was a nonviolent, first-time offense." A jury convicted Stone of seven offenses, including witness tampering and lying to federal authorities, and a judge sentenced him to 40 months in prison. He was to report to prison this week before Trump commuted the sentence, but did not pardon him, which left his convictions in place. The clemency for Stone was only the 36th Trump has granted, with 180 denied. Many of those granted by Trump have been to political supporters of his or suggested by people he knows, rather than being processed through normal pardon procedures overseen by the U.S. Justice Department. At the same points in their presidencies, 3 years after taking office, Trump's six predecessors had acted on hundreds or thousands of petitions for clemency. One juror in Stone's trial, Seth Cousins, told the Washington Post, that it was a "shocking act of corruption for the president to commute the sentence of a person convicted of lying to protect him. The fact remains that Roger Stone is a convicted felon, that he was found guilty of seven counts of lying to Congress and intimidating a witness and of impeding an investigation. Nothing that Trump or anyone has done or can do changes that fact." Special counsel Robert Mueller, who led the investigation into whether Russia colluded with the Trump campaign in 2016 to help him win, wrote in a Post opinion article that the probe was of "paramount importance" and asserted Stone "remains a convicted felon, and rightly so." After a lengthy probe, Mueller's investigation did not find clear evidence that Trump's campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election and did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice. In any event, long-standing Justice Department policy says sitting U.S. presidents cannot be charged with criminal offenses. Late Friday, Trump spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said that Trump granted Stone clemency "in light of the egregious facts and circumstances surrounding his unfair prosecution, arrest and trial. "Roger Stone is a victim of the Russia hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump presidency," she said. "There was never any collusion between the Trump campaign, or the Trump administration, with Russia. Such collusion was never anything other than a fantasy of partisans unable to accept the result of the 2016 election. "The collusion delusion spawned endless and farcical investigations, conducted at great taxpayer expense, looking for evidence that did not exist," McEnany concluded. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all bars and all dine-in restaurants, movie theaters, museums and other indoor businesses across the state to close Monday as Covid-19 cases continue to climb. The affected businesses include all operations at bars and the indoor operations at restaurants, wineries and tasting rooms, movie theaters, family entertainment centers, zoos, museums and cardrooms. All except for bars will be allowed to operate outdoors, if possible, he said. The order comes after Newsom previously ordered these businesses to close in counties on the state's "monitoring list." The new order, which will now apply across the state, is effective immediately, Newsom said. In addition to the statewide order, Newsom also ordered the closure of indoor operations for fitness centers, worship services, personal care services, malls, offices, hair salons and barbershops for all counties that have been on California's monitoring list for three or more consecutive days, which represent 80% of the state's population. There are now 30 counties on the list, including Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange counties, Newsom said. Newsom said the state recorded 8,358 new cases on Sunday. The state's positivity rate, or the percentage of all tests returning positive, has ticked up to 7.4%. "The data suggests not everyone is acting with common sense," Newsom said at a press conference Monday. California hospitals also reported an increase in the number of coronavirus patients, growing 28% over a two-week period, he said. There were 6,485 people hospitalized with Covid-19 as of Sunday. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards The Golden State governor's order on Monday marks one of the largest rollbacks any state has issued since reopening their economies. Newsom reminded residents to limit their interactions with people outside their households and encouraged them to meet outside if they do meet. Earlier on Monday, two of California's largest school districts, Los Angeles Unified and San Diego Unified, issued a joint statement announcing that they will begin the fall school year online. In the statement, the school districts said much of the research surrounding the coronavirus and children is still unknown and many of the guidelines for reopening are "vague and contradictory." "One fact is clear: those countries that have managed to safely reopen schools have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available. California has neither," according to the statement. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 13 Trend: The Armed Forces of Armenia have shelled the village of Agdam in Azerbaijans Tovuz region using 120 mm mortars, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. At present, the operational situation along the front line is under the control of Azerbaijani troops. Azerbaijani troops are taking more stringent retaliatory measures against this provocation of Armenia. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 01:07:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Airport Company announced that during the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year, the country's air traffic has experienced a significant decline due to COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 44,918 takeoffs and landings during the first quarter of the current Iranian year registered a 51 percent decrease compared with the similar period of last year, Financial Tribune daily reported on Monday. During the time span under review, more than 4.04 million passengers were transported indicating a 64 percent decline year-on-year. In sum, domestic flights saw a decline of 43 percent, while international flights experienced a 91 percent drop. Enditem YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijans military-political leadership will bear the entire responsibility for the unpredictable consequences of the regional destabilization, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the extraordinary session of the Cabinet today. Yesterday, on July 12, the armed forces of Azerbaijan launched provocative actions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, attacking our border posts located in the direction of Movses village of Tavush province. The provocative operations of the Azerbaijani armed forces are strongly condemnable. Today in the morning these operations have resumed. With their resumption the Azerbaijani military-political leadership will bear the entire responsibility of the unpredictable consequences of the regional destabilization, Pashinyan said. The PM also said that Turkeys actions on provoking regional instability is also concerning, which is best reflected in the official statement of the Turkish foreign ministry where the latter is expressing an unconditional support to Azerbaijans actions with an obvious and already traditional anti-Armenian logic. This military incident has not emerged via vacuum. Its already a long time Azerbaijans leadership is trying to play the anti-Armenian card for their well-known motives. Its possible that we are dealing with an action of the Azerbaijani military-political leadership to push the domestic problems to a second plan via escalating the border situation, in the context of which the openly ignoring attitude towards human lives, including the lives of Azerbaijani soldiers, is obvious, Pashinyan said. He added that the evidence of this is the fact that Azerbaijan has not joined the UN Secretary-Generals call for global ceasefire during the COVID-19 pandemic. It turns out that the more the pandemic spreads in Azerbaijan, the more the socio-economic situation worsens, the more the anti-Armenian and militaristic rhetoric of the Azerbaijani military-political leadership intensifies. Instead of urging its own people to follow the health safety rules the Azerbaijani leadership was making military calls, calls for war, it seems the anti-Armenianism is the best mean to fight the coronavirus, he added. The Armenian PM assured that no provocative action remains without a response. I call on all our compatriots to express their unconditional support to our Armed Forces, soldiers, commanders who at the moment stand firmly in the positions of defending the Homeland, the PM said, urging all to trust only the official sources. On July 12, at about 12:30, the armed forces of Azerbaijan attempted to violate the state border of Armenia in an UAZ vehicle in the direction of Tavush province. Following the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani armed forces left the vehicle and returned to their position. At about 13:45, the Azerbaijani forces made a second attempt to capture the Armenian border post, using artillery fire, but were pushed back, suffering losses. The Azerbaijani defense ministry reported that four soldiers have died in the incident. Later that day Armenian defense ministers spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side restarted shelling the same Armenian position, using 82 mm mortars and a tank. Today Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side has again resumed shelling the Armenian positions. No casualties were reported from the Armenian side. Only two police officers, who were on a combat duty in the border, were slightly injured from the Azerbaijani operations. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan ISLAMABAD (AP) Pakistan's military on Sunday said four soldiers and four militants were killed during a shootout in the rugged northwestern region of North Waziristan, which borders Afghanistan. A statement from the militarys public relations wing said the exchange of fire took place after the army personnel had surrounded the militant hideout early Sunday. The statement did not identify the militants, but Pakistans military has been battling members of the Pakistani Taliban group, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) in that region for years. The group, which has also voiced support for the Islamic State in Afghanistan, declared war on the government of Pakistan more than a decade ago. Since then, they have carried out a series of attacks, including a brutal assault on a Pakistan Army Public School in northwest Peshawar in December 2014 killing 140 children and several teachers. Pakistans militant groups are often interlinked with those across the border in Afghanistan, so its progress at reining in terror is critical, particularly as Washington seeks to forge ahead on an agreement with the Afghan Taliban to bring an end to the 18-year war, Americas longest military engagement. A memorial altar for a highly decorated war hero was set up in Gwanghwamun, Seoul on Sunday. Paik Sun-yup died on Friday from natural causes at the age of 100. Over 12,000 people have paid tribute to him. Mourners can pay their respects until Wednesday when his funeral will be held at the Asan Medical Center and his body laid to rest in the National Cemetery in Daejeon. BENSALEM, Pa., July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Law Offices of Howard G. Smith reminds investors that class action lawsuits have been filed on behalf of shareholders of the following publicly-traded companies. Investors have until the deadlines listed below to file a lead plaintiff motion. Investors suffering losses on their investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in these class actions at 888-638-4847 or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com . United States Oil Fund, LP (NYSE: USO ) Class Period: March 19, 2020 - April 28, 2020 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: August 18, 2020 Shareholders with $500,000 in losses or more are encouraged to contact the firm The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, defendants stated that USO would achieve its investment objective by investing substantially all of its portfolio assets in the near month WTI futures contract. However, unbeknownst to investors, USO's purported investment objective and strategy was unfeasible due to market conditions in early 2020, including a "super contango" in which the futures prices for oil substantially exceeded the spot price because storage facilities in Cushing, Oklahoma approached capacity. Instead of revealing the known impacts and risks, USO held an offering of billions of dollars of USO shares in March 2020. PlayAGS, Inc. (NYSE: AGS ) Class Period: August 2, 2018 - August 7, 2019 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: August 24, 2020 The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that PlayAGS was experiencing challenges in its business in Oklahoma; (2) that, as a result, the Companys recurring revenue would be negatively impacted; (3) that PlayAGS was experiencing challenges in its Interactive business segment, including delays in securing regulatory approvals and relevant licenses; (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, PlayAGS was reasonably likely to record a goodwill impairment; and (5) that as a result, Defendants statements about the Companys business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. Story continues Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE: BKD ) Class Period: August 10, 2016 - April 29, 2020 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: August 24, 2020 The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Brookdales financial performance was sustained by, among other things, the Companys purposeful understaffing of its senior living communities; (2) that the foregoing conduct subjected Brookdale to an increased risk of litigation and, once revealed, was foreseeably likely to have a material negative impact on the Companys financial results and reputation; (3) as a result, the Companys financial results were unsustainable; and (4) as a result, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. Cheetah Mobile, Inc. (NYSE: CMCM ) Class Period: March 25, 2019 - February 20, 2020 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: August 25, 2020 The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that certain of Cheetah Mobiles apps were not compliant with the terms of its agreements with Google; (2) that, as a result there was a reasonable likelihood that Google would terminate its advertising contracts with the Company; (3) that, as a result of the foregoing, the Companys ability to attract new users would be adversely impacted; (4) that, as a result, the Companys revenue was reasonably likely to decline; and (5) that as a result, Defendants statements about the Companys business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. To be a member of these class actions, you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about these class actions, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020 by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com , or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com . This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. EDMONTONAlberta suspended environmental monitoring for oilsands companies without notifying the Northwest Territories, despite a legally binding agreement to do so. The omission is revealed in a series of emails between the two governments obtained by The Canadian Press. We have been made aware ... that the Alberta Energy Regulator has indefinitely suspended several environmental monitoring requirements for major oilsands producers, wrote Erin Kelly, the N.W.T.s deputy environment minister to her Alberta counterpart. Do you have any information that can be shared about this? The May 15 email was written more than a week after Albertas regulator suspended a wide array of monitoring over what it said were public-health concerns raised by the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly said her government learned about the move from news reports. Ten days later, Kelly had not received a response. This is concerning to many N.W.T. residents, who still maintain subsistence lifestyles, she wrote May 25. With COVID-19 we have even more residents relying on food harvested from the land and it is almost certain that concerns related to reduced monitoring upstream will be brought up during (the upcoming legislative) session. Monitoring is expected to resume Wednesday. The N.W.T. is downstream from the oilsands and in 2015 signed an agreement with Alberta that spelled out clear responsibilities on information-sharing, notification and consultation for cross-boundary waters. In her second email, Kelly points to that deal. The (territory) has not been informed of or discussed new changes to monitoring as per (the agreement). I have yet to receive a response to my last email. An Alberta Environment and Parks email shows Kellys second note provoked an urgent request within the department for a response to her concerns. In answer to a request for an explanation for the lack of consultation, Albertas United Conservative government provided a one-sentence email. There have been ongoing discussions and information-sharing with the N.W.T. on the status of ambient water quality monitoring at sites referenced in the Alberta-N.W.T. Bilateral Agreement throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, starting in March, wrote Alberta Environment spokesman John Muir. Joslyn Oosenbrug, spokeswoman for the N.W.T. Environment Department, said several meetings were held in June to address the territorys concerns. Alberta has committed to sharing information and discussing any changes to monitoring, she wrote in an email. Communication is ongoing, and includes emails and letters exchanged at the deputy minister and ministerial level. However, the territory wants a stronger voice in managing water flowing into its land. It wants a seat on several committees that determine how waters will be monitored to ensure downstream interests are represented, Oosenbrug wrote. Marlin Schmidt, environment critic for Albertas Opposition New Democrats, said the snub showed a lack of respect. Its really disappointing to me to see the government of Alberta is taking its relationship with other Canadians so lightly right now, he said. When our government is complaining about the poor treatment that were allegedly getting from other Canadians, we should be treating (them) with the respect with which we expect to be treated. The N.W.T. isnt the only interested group that wasnt consulted about the suspensions. First Nations in the oilsands area, environmental groups, Albertas chief scientist and the scientific consultants who perform monitoring work all say they were left out of the decision. The government has said the move was made in response to concerns from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers about operators not being able to meet certain monitoring requirements while complying with COVID-19 orders. Alberta has yet to release work plans or budget for this years field season of a joint federal-provincial program responsible for environmental monitoring outside various oilsands leases. Industry, which funds the efforts, has been lobbying heavily for a less extensive and cheaper plan. Read more about: BELLEVUE, Wash. Two men died at an apartment building in suburban Seattle after a male relative of the host stabbed her and two other people and one of the stabbing victims shot him, police said Sunday. The 41-year-old stabbing suspect from Burien and a 21-year-old man from Renton, whom he allegedly stabbed, died, after some kind of disturbance between the 41-year-old and the party's 22-year-old host, police chief Steve Mylett said. The woman hosting the party at the Elements Apartments, a three-building high-rise complex downtown, was taken to the hospital but released on Saturday while a 24-year-old from Bend, who shot the suspect after being stabbed, was in stable condition Sunday at Harborview Medical Center, police said. Police were investigating what led up to a disturbance and what the relationship was between the party's host and the stabbing suspect, Mylett said. Video evidence of what happened has been found and police were interviewing witnesses at the party, he said. The deaths are the third and fourth homicides in Bellevue this year. -- The Associated Press The bulls remained in control of Indian markets for the fourth week in a row and as we head into a new week, traders are spoilt for choice. The week beginning from July 13 presents an opportunity for investors to choose from any of these three options--Rossari Biotech IPO, Yes Bank FPO and Bharat Bond ETF--and secure good returns. Specialty chemicals manufacturer Rossari Biotech will open its nearly Rs 500-crore IPO for subscription on July 13. The price band of the issue, which closes on July 15, is set at Rs 423-425 per share. The second tranche of the Bharat Bond exchange-traded fund (ETF) will open for bidding between July 14 and 17, with two more new ETFs maturing in 2025 and 2031. The Bharat Bond ETF will be managed by Edelweiss AMC and the base size of the issue is Rs 3,000 crore with a green-shoe option of Rs 11,000 crore. And, lastly, Yes Bank's capital raising committee on July 10 fixed a floor price of Rs 12 per equity share and cap price of Rs 13 per share for its follow-on public offer (FPO). The FPO issue will be open from July 15 to July 17. All three options do look exciting but they cater to different segments of market participants and can't be bunched in one category. If someone wants to invest for long-term wealth creation, then Bharat Bond ETF, Rosari Biotech, and Yes Bank IPO are preferred choice, filtered on the basis of wealth creation/protection of capital. Seeing the current market situation, we would advise investors to invest in Bharat ETF Bond for the long term because the return is predictable and also earlier bonds have delivered annualised return in the range of 14-18 percent. Additionally, it has a high credit rating and a good tool for diversification into debt, Ajit Mishra, VP - Research, Religare Broking told Moneycontrol. Though Roosari Biotech has a strong product portfolio and it is well diversified, the company's valuation seems expensive. We would advise investors to wait until there is much clarity of the demand scenario and things getting stabilize. Mishra added that Yes Bank FPO is likely to help existing shareholders to dilute their holding, however, the impact of past issues is still lingering, and hence fresh investment is not advisable. We spoke to several experts about their choice and here is what they said: Expert: Siddharth Panjwani, Chief Strategy Officer Pickright Technologies A Dublin-bound Ryanair flight was on Monday night forced to make an emergency landing in London after a bomb threat was found on board. Frightened passengers had to temporarily disembark the flight from Krakow to Dublin after a note was found in one of the plane's toilets claiming there were explosives on board the aircraft. Fighter jets were scrambled to escort the Boeing 737 to its closest airport London's Stansted after the Ryanair pilot put out a distress call shortly after 6pm. UK authorities alerted the RAF, and two Eurofighter Typhoon jets guided the passenger aircraft to Stansted. The plane landed safely and was taxied to a remote stand at the airport, where police were able to take passengers off the aircraft and make enquiries. The flight FR1902 had been travelling from from Krakow to Dublin. Essex Police confirmed the plane landed at Stansted at about 6.40pm. Posting on Twitter, Essex Police said: "A flight from Krakow to Dublin was diverted to Stansted Airport at around 6.40pm on Monday 13 July due to reports of a security alert." In a statement, Ryanair said: A Ryanair flight from Krakow to Dublin this evening discovered a note in one of the toilets claiming that there were explosives on board. The captain followed procedure by alerting the UK authorities and diverted to the nearest airport (Stansted) where the plane landed normally but was taxied to a remote stand where passengers disembarked safely. The aircraft and passengers are being checked by the UK police who will decide when they may travel onwards to Dublin on a spare aircraft. Passengers in Dublin waiting to depart to Krakow are being transferred to a spare aircraft to minimise any delay to their flight. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the UK Royal Air Force said: Typhoon fighter aircraft from RAF Coningsby were launched this evening to intercept a civilian aircraft. The aircraft was escorted safely to Stansted and our aircraft have returned to base. "Our system (Afghanistan's legal and judicial system) may not allow a number of the Taliban, who may not be the Taliban or the individuals who were listed and are accused with other issues to be released," TOLO News quoted Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman to President Ashraf Ghani, as saying on Saturday. Kabul, July 12 (IANS) The Afghan government said that there were serious reservations about the release of over 500 Taliban prisoners within the countrys legal and judicial institutions, and most likely these detainees will not be released. On June 6, the government said that it was not releasing 597 prisoners of the 5,000 inmates that were to be freed as part of the US-Taliban agreement signed in late February, since they were accused of "crimes and moral issues" Three days later, The Taliban handed over a replacement list for the 592 prisoners which were originally rejected as release candidates by Afghan government, said the TOLO News report But, the Presidential Palace has said that the list so far has not been shared. The government has so far released 4,019 prisoners and the Taliban has freed 737 inmates. Meanwhile, the Taliban has said that the group will not endorse the intra-Afghan talks unless the Afghan government releases its 5,000 prisoners from the jails. --IANS ksk/ Donald Trump's former Homeland Security chief has revealed that she deliberately undermined the president's attempt to end protection for 'Dreamers' because it ran contrary to her own beliefs. Elaine Duke, a lifelong Republican, served as the acting secretary from July 31, 2017 until December 6 of the same year. Her short tenure coincided with the president's push to end protection from deportation for 700,000 young people known as 'Dreamers', who were brought to the United States as children. Barack Obama had enacted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which shielded them from deportation as long as they did not break any laws. Elaine Duke, outside the White House in Sept 2017, spoke on Saturday to the New York Times Duke's actions in deliberately weakening the policy led the Supreme Court to rule last month that Trump's actions on DACA were unconstitutional. Duke, 62, told The New York Times in an interview published on Saturday about her reason for sabotaging the plan. She explained that, in August 2017, she had been led into what she believed was a meeting to discuss DACA. Instead, she said, it was 'an ambush', with the then-attorney general, Jeff Sessions, waiting for her besides Stephen Miller, Trump's hardline immigration specialist. They demanded she sign a memo rescinding DACA. She agreed, reluctantly - but in doing so watered it down to make it legally difficult to justify. 'What was missing for me is really that process of discussing it,' she said. 'It is a grave decision not only from a legal standpoint but from the effect it will have on not just 700,000 people but 700,000 people plus their families.' Jeff Sessions, former attorney general, and speechwriter Stephen Miller 'ambushed' Duke Duke and Trump in August 2017 during her four months as acting head of Homeland Security The bare-bones memo did not include policy reasons for rescinding DACA. Instead, it simply said that Sessions had deemed it unlawful. She told the paper that she did not agree with the ideas being pushed by Miller and Sessions that DACA amounted to an undeserved amnesty and that it would encourage new waves of illegal immigration. She said she still agreed that DACA 'isn't a legal program,' but hoped that Republicans and Democrats in Congress would eventually find a way to allow the undocumented immigrants covered by the program to live and work permanently in the United States. Her decision not to cite any specific policy reasons was at the heart of the Supreme Court's ruling, which said the Trump administration had failed to substantively consider the implications of terminating the program's protections and benefits. Duke, a 30-year veteran civil servant who volunteered with an immigrant aid group in her free time, knew full well what she was doing. The DACA ruling by Trump, announced in September 2017, affected 700,000 people The DACA issue sparked fierce debate, with many Republicans uneasy about Trump's policy She said she supported the president's efforts to tighten immigration security. But the president's 'America First' philosophy has veered toward 'America Only,' she told the paper. White House officials have long expressed displeasure with Duke's short tenure as the chief of homeland security, describing her as unwilling to be a team player and resistant to the president's agenda, the paper reported. Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, was asked about Duke's actions and said that Trump was doing what he was elected to do. Deere said Trump 'has kept his promise to the American people to reduce illegal immigration, secure the border, lower the crime rate and maintain law and order.' 'He has never wavered in his highest obligation to the American people: their safety and security,' Deere added. The recent stand-off with China along the LAC and the hardship the citizens endured due to the lockdown are reminders that merely rallying around a leader is not enough to push back an intruder or withstand such travails. However, it seems nothing has changed for anti-social elements and organised criminals who challenge the might of the state. Eight policemen, including a senior officer leading them, getting slaughtered in Kanpur showed that it was no longer possible to sustain the claim that jungle raj had ended in UP. The dreaded gangster Vikas Dubey had over 60 cases of heinous crimes ... Malaysias Federal Court reserved the verdict until a later date on whether Malaysiakini and its editor-in-chief Steven Gan are liable for readers comments the government views as contemptuous. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urges the Court to support Malaysiakini and acknowledge the important role of a free and independent media in a democracy. The nominal charge heard on July 13 against Malaysiakini and Gan is contempt of court, a charge brought because the online news outlet briefly hosted user comments which allegedly insulted the judiciary. At the hearing, the governments counsel argued Malaysiakini facilitated the publication of the remarks and was responsible for generating public discussion. Acknowledging the significant number of reader comments posted on online news site each day, the Court asked whether negligence is sufficient to impute contempt. In the July 2 court proceedings, defence counsel Malik Imtiaz Sarwar representing Malaysiakini and Gan, noted Malaysiakini readers post an average of 2,000 comments a day. The Counsel for Malaysiakini and Steven Gan referred to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) code in its arguments stating that the code allows for a two-day window for posts to be taken down. The comments were removed within minutes of police notifying the news portal. Malaysiakini's lawyer Malik Imtiaz told the Federal Court that Gan was not responsible for publishing the comments. Gan, who co-founded Malaysiakini in 1999, could be jailed if judges rule against the site. Malaysiakini is an IFJ and National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJM) project partner on a major European Union-funded Malaysian media reform project, Strengthening Malaysias Media for Change. The IFJ is one of a number of media rights organisations watching the hearing, with Malaysian lawyer New Sin Yew acting as the IFJs independent legal observer The IFJ said: Malaysiakini has a well-earned reputation of honest, independent journalism. The online news outlets actions surrounding these readers comments have been entirely appropriate. The IFJ urges the Federal Court to acknowledge both the challenges posed by an evolving media and the critical role played by Malaysiakini and Steven Gan in strengthening and democratising freedom of speech in Malaysia. The Nigerian government has said new evidence suggests that COVID-19 may be transmitted through the air. Over the past few weeks, increasing evidence has emerged that in addition to droplet infections, we cannot rule out that airborne transmission is also possible as a mode of transmission of COVID-19, Chikwe Ihekweazu, the head of Nigerias infectious disease agency, NCDC, said at the bi-weekly Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing on Monday. Mr Ihekweazu said the virus was earlier believed to only be transmittable through droplets which emanate from the nose and the mouth and fall to the ground. He, however, said understanding how a new virus is transmittable is critical for effective response. Understanding the modes of transmission of any new virus is very critical for defining response strategies. For COVID-19 from the very beginning, our understanding based on other coronaviruses was spread primarily through droplets, the official noted. He said the wearing of face masks and the need to maintain social distancing had become imperative following the new evidence. Before now, the World Health Organization (WHO) said COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes. As of Sunday evening, Nigeria has already recorded 32,558 confirmed cases of the virus, out of which 13,447 have been treated and discharged. About 740 persons have also died. COVID-19 results The NCDC chief said the agency is set to begin the electronic transmission of COVID-19 results. This means people can easily use a code to electronically check for their results instead of waiting endlessly for it. There is an online platform that is being set up at the moment to enable the electronic transmission of results come back to patients. You can go in yourself and check your results once you have been tested and you have a code that is given to you. This way, you dont rely on several steps between federal, laboratories and states government in order to share those results, he said. Call hoax Mr Ihekweazu lamented that the agencys call centre has been receiving lots of hoax calls which perpetually clogged the line. This, he said, makes it difficult for individuals with genuine complaints to get through. 26 per cent of all our calls last week were hoax calls. One in four of all the calls coming to the NCDC connect centre were hoax calls; people were just calling for one reason or the other to check whether you are there, to challenge you, to ask you about Madagascar cure or something like that, he said. He said these are challenges facing the agencys call centre. Dhaka, July 14 : A red alert was sounded in Bangladesh's flood-affected Teesta zone on Monday while an eight-month-old girl in Lalmonirhat district became the latest fatality in the ongoing floods. The alert was issued by the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) as the Teesta was flowing more than 53cm above the danger level at the Teesta Barrage Point area under Hatibandha upazila (sub-district) of Lalmonirhat. According to the BWDB's Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, heavy rains might continue in northern Bangladesh and adjoining Indian states of Assam, Meghalaya, and West Bengal during the next 72 hours. Already 10 districts have been flooded. In the next 24 to 72 hours, at least three more districts may be affected. Experts warn that if the rains continue, the lower reaches of Dhaka and Narayanganj could be inundated by the end of next week. As many as seven million people have been stranded in the flood-hit districts. Rural roads and crops have been submerged. Meanwhile, State Minister of Relief and Rehabilitation, Dr M. Enamur Rahman told IANS on Monday that there will be no irregularities in the relief distribution, as only the real victims will be listed for aid. In a tragic incident, eight-month-old Alifa was sleeping with her mother when she fell into the floodwater and drowned. When her mother woke up, she found the baby's body floating in the floodwater that entered their house from the Teesta, said Atiar Rahman, chairman of Gaddimari Union Parishad in Lalmonirhat. Many people do not want to go to shelters out of fear of being affected by Covid-19, though their homes have been flooded. With many people of the area dependent on selling hens, ducks and cows for their livelihood, they have taken shelter with their animals to keep them safe from the flood. One of them, Karim Mia thought that he would earn some money by selling four cows during Eid-ul-Adha. But, the flood has put paid to his plans. Sunamganj's Secondary Education Officer, Jahangeer Alam told IANS that a family has taken shelter at the Alauddin Memorial School with their 700 ducks. "They are getting relief. But what about the animals? The administration is worried about how to feed the ducks," he said. The Teesta crossed the danger mark at Dalia point in Nilphamari district on Monday evening as major rivers started rising again following onrush of huge water from the upper catchment area of the Brahmaputra basin in India following incessant rains during the last 24 hours. BDWB's Chief Engineer, Rangpur Zone, Jyoti Prosad Ghosh said water levels of the Dharla, Teesta, Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers might continue to rise further during the next 72 hours to cause a flood situation again in the basin. "We're closely monitoring the situation round the clock and ready to take immediate steps to repair any damage or breached flood control structures on an emergency basis anywhere in all eight districts of the division. "All flood control embankments and structures are safe in the zone where riverbank protection works are continuing at most of the 52 vulnerable points in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Gaibandha districts," he said. BDWB's Executive Engineer, Teesta Zone, M. Rabiul Islam told IANS that the Teesta was flowing 28cm above the danger mark at Dalia in Nilphamari on Friday, and some low-lying areas of four upazilas in Nilphamari and areas of adjoining Lalmonirhat again went under floodwaters as the river again crossed its danger mark on Monday evening. The rising trend in water levels of major rivers might continue during the next 72 hours and the Dharla may also cross the danger mark in the next 24 hours. During the past 24 hours till 9 a.m. on Monday, 551 mm rainfall was recorded at Cherrapunji, 120 mm at Shillong, 297 mm at Pasighat, 99 mm at Dhubri, 154 mm at Goalpara and 50 mm at Jalpaiguri in upstream Indian states of Meghalaya, Assam and West Bengal. In Bangladesh, 103 mm rainfall was recorded at Chilmari in Kurigram, 58 mm at Kawnia in Rangpur and 53 mm at Gaibandha monitoring points. Water levels of the Dharla rose by 18 cm at Kurigram, of the Brahmaputra by 15 cm at Noonkhawa and 10 cm at Chilmari points during the last 24 hours. Levels of the Jamuna rose by 11 cm at Fulchhari, 6 cm at Bahadurabad, 4 cm at Sariakandi, 2 cm at Kazipur and 4 cm at Sirajganj points in Sirajganj during the period. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed FILE PHOTO: Frozen seafood products made from imported salmon are seen at a Carrefour supermarket in Beijing OSLO (Reuters) - European exports of farmed salmon to China are gradually restarting after a temporary halt due to a coronavirus scare, two exporters and Norway's seafood marketing organisation said on Monday. Many Chinese buyers halted imports of salmon and the fish was removed from supermarket shelves after the novel coronavirus was found on a chopping board used to cut salmon at a large food market in Beijing last month. Officials in China and Norway, one of the world's top farmed salmon exporters, later concluded that imported salmon wasn't the source of the contamination. "Salmon exports to China are resuming, but Beijing is still under lockdown," Regin Jacobsen, CEO of Faore Islands-based Bakkafrost, told Reuters. Another major Nordic salmon producer also said exports had resumed, but that volumes were not increasing as quickly as after a previous halt at the start of the year due to coronavirus lockdowns in China. The Norwegian Seafood Council said Norway exported 119 tonnes of fresh salmon to China in the first week of July, down 76% from the same week a year ago, but up from 58 tonnes the previous week. "So it is gradually going up again, and this is the same tendency as we saw in February," Paul Aandahl, seafood analyst at the organisation, told Reuters. It took about eight weeks for export volumes to return to normal levels after exports to China were first disrupted by lockdowns, he added. China began testing imported fresh and frozen food after the discovery of the virus at the Beijing market, and last Friday suspended imports from three Ecuadorean shrimp producers, saying it had detected coronavirus in recent shipments. (Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis and Victoria Klesty; Editing by Mark Potter) Muslim groups worry white supremacist behind worst shooting in New Zealand history plans to use dock to spew hatred. The gunman behind New Zealands Christchurch mosque shootings sacked his lawyers and opted to represent himself on Monday, raising concern he would use next months sentencing hearing to promote his white supremacist views. Brenton Tarrant, who is an Australian, will be sentenced on August 24 on 51 murder convictions, 40 of attempted murder and one of terrorism arising in relation to last years massacre, the worst mass shooting in New Zealands modern history. He has already pleaded guilty to the charges. At a pre-sentencing hearing on Monday, High Court judge Cameron Mander allowed Tarrants lawyers, Shane Tait and Jonathan Hudson, to withdraw from proceedings at the request of their client. The two said the decision was within Tarrants rights. Tarrant has instructed counsel that he wishes to act for himself at sentence, the lawyers said in a statement emailed to Reuters news agency. We are not disappointed by Mr Tarrants decision. The judge ordered standby counsel to be available next month in case Tarrant who appeared in the Christchurch court via video link from an Auckland prison changed his mind. New Zealand Muslim Association president Ikhlaq Kashkari questioned Tarrants motives, saying victims could be traumatised again if the attacker were allowed to spout far-right rhetoric from the dock. My first concern when I read this was Oh my God, whats this guy up to, is he going to use this as a platform to promote his views and thoughts?, he told AFP news agency. A lot of people are still going through trauma and this was seen as one of those events that would give them closure. I hope its not going to be something that will trigger more pain instead. Seeking attention In March 2019, Tarrant shot Muslim worshippers during Friday prayers at two Christchurch mosques, live-streaming the killings on Facebook as he went. His victims included children, women and the elderly. The former gym instructor unexpectedly reversed his not-guilty plea in March this year, removing the need for a lengthy trial. The terrorism and murder charges all carry life sentences, setting a minimum non-parole period of 17 years while also giving the judge power to imprison Tarrant without the possibility of release. New Zealand does not have the death penalty. Survivors and the families of victims will be present during the three-day sentencing hearing and Islamic Womens Council of New Zealand spokeswoman Anjum Rahman said many would not want to hear from Tarrant. While she did not want to speculate on Tarrants motive for representing himself, she said: He has shown in the past that he likes to get attention and he wants attention. I feel this is all part of that mindset. Just two days after it lifted the force majeure on all oil exports, Libyas National Oil Corporation has declared force majeure again, citing a renewed blockade on its oil export terminals and blaming it on interference from the United Arab Emirates. NOC placed the oil terminals at Hariga, Brega, Zueitina, Es Sider, and Ras Lanuf under force majeure at the beginning of this year, after forces affiliated with the Libyan National Army (LNA) of eastern Libyan strongman General Khalifa Haftar occupied Libyas oil export terminals and oilfields. The blockade at the ports lasted for more than six months, but parties were negotiating and apparently reached an agreement, for the re-opening of the oil terminals and the restart of oil production, which had plummeted to just 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) compared to 1.2 million bpd before the blockade. Last Friday, NOC lifted the blockade, possibly sparking concern among fellow OPEC members that more supply would be coming online. We are very glad finally to be able to take this important step to national recovery, and I wish to thank all the parties to recent discussions for helping to bring about this successful outcome, NOCs chairman Mustafa Sanalla said in a statement. The joy proved to be short-lived, however. Just a day after oil exports restarted, Khalifa Hafters armed forces on 11 July ordered a halt to further exports, reversing their cooperative posture in negotiations. NOC has been informed that the instructions to shut down production were given to Khalifa Hafters armed forces by the United Arab Emirates, the National Oil Corporation said in a statement quoted by the Libya Herald. This is gravely disappointing, especially following repeated statements by very senior representatives of the UAE last week in support of international efforts to restart oil production in Libya. Wagner and Syrian mercenaries now occupy Es Sider oil port and Wagner and Sudanese mercenaries are camped within the vicinity of the Sharara oil field, preventing Libyan oil from flowing. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Archbishop Moses Costa of Chittagong, passed away on July 13, 2020, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Archbishop Moses Costa of Chittagong died on Monday at the age of 69. Bangladesh's Catholic community is greatly grieved by his death. By Vatican News The Catholic Church of Bangladesh is mourning the loss of an archbishop who died just weeks after recovering from Covid-19. Archbishop Moses Costa of Chittagong, in south-east Bangladesh, died on Monday in a hospital in the capital Dhaka, after suffering a series of strokes. He was 69. He became the senior-most clergyman of the Catholic Church of Bangladesh to die during the coronavirus pandemic. The Holy Cross archbishop was flown by helicopter in critical condition and admitted to the ICU of Square Hospital in Dhaka on June 13. Suffering from severe respiratory distress he was tested positive with coronavirus the following day. His condition improved significantly and he tested negative for the virus on June 22. He continued to remain in hospital for further treatment. However, his condition took a drastic turn on July 8 and he was transferred to the ICU again. According to the medical board, he suffered multiple strokes caused by a brain haemorrhage on July 9 and passed away Monday morning He will be buried in Chittagong on Tuesday evening, Chittagong Archdiocesan officials said. An irrecoverable loss The archdiocesan website announced his death saying his passing away has left all the faithful in a state of tremendous shock. Chittagong Archdiocese is now without a shepherd! The whole Christian community of Bangladesh especially the faithful of Chittagong Diocese is under deep sorrow and pain. His death is a great loss for the Christian community as well as the whole of Bangladesh. His death is an irrecoverable loss for all of us, the archdiocesan community said. Manik Willver DCosta, the pastoral coordinator of Chittagong, commended his archbishops extraordinary efforts in laying a strong socio-economic foundation for the Church and revolutionizing the systematic reorganization of Church apparatus. In this, Archbishop Costa encouraged a spiritual awakening and missionary zeal in the clergy, the religious and the laity. Youth formation The pastoral coordinator pointed out that the archbishops simplicity and cordial manners endeared him to others, especially the young people. According to the late archbishop, Catholic youth formation was not just about teaching, but a journey and growing up with Jesus Christ. The Bangladesh Catholic Student Movement, a Church-affiliated youth group called the late archbishop a pioneer of the Bangladesh Church and guiding light for youth leadership, in a statement. Archbishop Costas death has sent shockwaves among Bangladeshi Catholics at home and abroad. Hundreds posted tributes on social media. Biography Born on November 17, 1950, the youngest of 10 children, Moses Costa entered the Little Flower Minor Seminary of Bandura in Dhaka district in 1963. He joined the Holy Cross Congregation in 1971, professed his final vows in 1981 and was ordained a priest on February 5, that year. He served as assistant parish priest in two parishes from 1981 to 1984. He was sent for higher studies to Rome, where he obtained licentiate degrees in pastoral theology and spirituality at St. Thomas Aquinas University in 1986 and in psychology and counselling at the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1989. Back home, Father Moses taught psychology and pastoral theology at the National Major Seminary in Dhaka and became director of the Holy Cross Seminary and Holy Cross Scholasticate. He also became rector of the National Major Seminary and a member of the Holy Cross Congregation General Council. On July 20, 1996, Saint Pope John Paul II appointed Father Costa as the 6th bishop of Dinajpur Diocese, where he served until 2011. Bishop Costa was appointed the 5th bishop of Chittagong in 2011 and became an archbishop when Pope Francis elevated Chittagong to an archdiocese in 2017. The late archbishop was the secretary-general of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Bangladesh (CBCB) and also the chairman of its Commission for Health Care. Organized crime groups are infiltrating the legal economy following COVID-19 crisis, says latest UNODC Research Brief 13 July 2020 - The health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about severe human and economic damage across the world. Governments have issued restrictions on economic activity and mobility to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. With numerous governments forcing closures of non-essential businesses, an economic downturn has been inevitable. A new Research Brief published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on organized crime infiltration in the legal economy and illegal governance. The pandemic has both reduced certain organized crime activities, while, simultaneously, providing opportunities for new ones. Organized criminal groups (OCGs) are trying to increase their profits not only by infiltrating private companies but also by misusing public funds, as the new Research Brief shows. These groups are seeking to benefit from the COVID-19 response, just as they have done in the past during other humanitarian crises. OCGs, such as the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, the Calabrian Ndrangheta, as well as the Russian Mafia, the Triads in Hong Kong and Macau, and the Japanese Yakuza, are again looking for opportunities to defraud legal economies and exploit funds made available by governments. Although no country is completely immune from fraud, countries with a high level of corruption are at a much greater risk of being affected. Also, as seen from past experiences in Japan and Italy, ties between OCGs and government officials are one of the most obvious means by which criminals manage to embezzle public funds. The global recession sparked by the pandemic and the national lockdowns have brought several businesses to collapse, produced massive layoffs, and placed severe stress on national institutions and public expenditure. Unable to cope with these challenges in such a short time, many states have left gaps in their emergency responses, which, in turn, have provided opportunities for OCGs to take advantage of the situation. The industries at highest risk are businesses experiencing liquidity shortage and those with actual high demand products and services. The fact that many more business activities are now being conducted online has led to an increase in phishing, credit card fraud, pirated sites for fake donations, and cyberattacks. There have been multiple reports of fake and cloned websites as well as suspicious email addresses. Many of these scams involve coronavirus-related topics, such as the sale of face masks and disinfectants. Moreover, OCGs have begun trafficking in both non-certified and stolen high-demand products such as face masks and disinfectants. The Brief provides concrete examples of the activities of OCGs which could be observed so far during the COVID-19 pandemic. It builds upon information the authors have collected during the pandemic by conducting a systematic analysis of media sources, official evidence and anecdotal information from additional news outlets and institutional reports, and by reviewing academic literature on organized crime, and other related criminal activities during prior humanitarian crises. The analysis presented here should therefore be viewed as a preliminary assessment of the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on organized crime activities related to both infiltration of the legal economy and illegal governance. Further research is needed to understand the long-term impact of the pandemic on organized crime. Further Information Research Brief on the impact of COVID-19 on organized crime Increased trafficking in falsified medical products due to COVID-19, says UNODC research The Taliban claimed the attack. The insurgents have continued to regularly target Afghan security forces despite signing a peace agreement with the U.S. in February that was intended to pave the way for an end to decades of war. The Kottayam Additional District Court on Monday cancelled bail of Franco Mulakkal, deposed bishop of Jalandhar who is facing a rape case. The court has also issued a non-bailable warrant against him. The case was earlier set for hearing on July 1. However, the accused was not present in the court, citing 'he was in coronavirus containment zone'. On Monday, when the case was taken up again, Special Prosecutor deposed that the Jalandhar civil line was not part of any containment zone. The court, admitting the argument, cancelled the bail of Franco Mulakkal. Before June 2, the trial court had taken up the case on June 10 after it resumed post relaxation of lockdown. The court then expressed serious reservation over the bishop's absence and asked him to appear before it on July 1. The counsel for the bishop had then informed the court that he was not able to travel as there were no domestic flights from Jalandhar and he will have to undergo 14-day quarantine as per the government guidelines. The case surfaced two years ago when a 43-year-old nun, also a mother superior, had complained to the police in Kottayam in central Kerala that Mulakkal had raped her several times between 2014 and 2016. On July 13, 1931, as many as 22 Kashmiris were killed in firing by the Maharaja's army outside Srinagars central prison For the first time since 1947, Kashmir martyrs' day will not be observed at official level in Jammu and Kashmir. It has been reliably learnt that no official event will take place in J&K on Monday to commemorate the occasion. Also, it is not yet clear if a government representative will visit the Mazaar-e-Shohada in Srinagars Khawaja Bazaar area to pay obeisance to the martyrs of July 13, 1931 or not. Last year, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, one of the advisors to the then Governor, Satya Pal Malik, had visited the historic cemetery to offer floral tributes to the 1931 martyrs. He was accompanied by senior government and police officials including the then Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan, who is now serving as an advisor to the J&K Lieutenant Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu. They too had laid wreaths over the graves of the martyrs and, in order to follow the tradition, a contingent of J&K police had posted the bugle and presented the ceremonial guard of honour to the martyrs. However in January this year- six months after the erstwhile state was stripped of its special status and split up into two Union Territories on August 5 last year- the government cancelled the gazetted holiday on July 13 in J&K, the decision which evoked widespread condemnation by local political parties. Greatly disappointed at the governments decision of withdrawing July 13 as a state holiday to mark the martyrs day, vast sections of J&K Muslims had termed it as an onslaught on their ethos and a deliberate attempt to hurt their sentiments. On July 13, 1931, as many as 22 Kashmiris were killed in firing by the Maharaja's army outside Srinagars central prison where an in-camera trial of famed Abdul Qadeer Khan, a non-local chef with a British traveller, was being held. Khan had been charged with sedition and instigating people for violence after he made fiery speeches against the Maharajas oppressive rule at a Friday congregation and while pointing towards his Palace asked people to raze it brick by brick. Since the July 13 would be observed as Martyrs Day on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) at official as well as unofficial levels. July 13 continues to be a public holiday in PoK where, reports suggest, the authorities are planning to observe the day with extra zeal this time in view of the J&K government decision of withdrawing the official holiday on July 13. Meanwhile, various J&K mainstream political parties including National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have paid glowing tributes to the July 13 martyr, stating that their role in J&Ks freedom struggle can neither be undone nor forgotten. The memory of the 13th July martyrs cannot be erased by changing the government calendar of holidays as they will live forever in the hearts and memories of every freedom loving Democrat, the PDP said in a statement here. Awami Action Committee headed by Kashmirs chief Muslim cleric and separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the objective for which the martyrs of 1931 sacrificed their lives has not been fulfilled yet. It is unlikely that any rallies will be held here or elsewhere in Kashmir on Monday to mark the occasion as lockdown has been re-imposed in major parts of the Valley in view of the spike in Coronavirus cases. Historian and author Dr. Abdul Ahad reiterated By all principles of historical propriety, perspective and facts, they deserve to be remembered as martyrs as they sacrificed their lives in the Kashmiris fight against feudalism. It happened in 1931 and they were not rebelling against India and the concept of Pakistan had yet to emerge. Such movements against autocracies and feudalism were being spearheaded by people in other Princely states also. However, Panun Kashmir and Kashmir Vahini and some other political groups of displaced Kashmiri Pandits allege that July 13, 1931 also marks the beginning of persecution of the minority Hindus in the Valley by Muslim majority. The BJP and like-minded parties having strong base in Jammu, the native place of despotic Dogra Maharajas, consider their rule in undivided J&K as a golden period and also maintain that Maharaja Hari Singh was a genuine ruler of the State and the rebellion against was illegitimate Navy rescues crew of four off Isla Mujeres Isla Mujeres, Q.R. The Secretary of the Navy has confirmed the rescue of four people in the vicinity of Isla Mujeres. After receiving an emergency call at the Fifth Naval Region, elements of the navy set out in search of a vessel with four crewmen who were stranded due to engine failure. Vessel El Johan was located 19 nautical miles (approximately 35 kilometres) northeast of Isla Contoy, Q. Roo. The drifting crew told navel personnel that they had sailed from Cancun and were unable to return to port after their engine failed. A vessel from the Naval Search, Rescue and Maritime Surveillance Station along with an aircraft, deployed in search of the men and their boat. They were given food and water before being towed to land. A literary festival in Roscommon will go ahead next week after controversy arose over a speaker travelling from the UK. The Percy French literary festival will take place for the 12th year in Castlecoote House in Co. Roscommon from July 22 to 24 with all precautionary measures in place. Controversy arose this morning after veteran journalist Mary Kenny spoke on Today with Sarah McInerney on Radio One defending her reasons to travel from the UK and speak at the festival. Currently, Irish government advice states that passengers should self isolate for 14 days after arriving in the country. Yesterday on Twitter, she asked if people coming from Gatwick are legally admitted and must they quarantine on arrival. Speaking on the radio, Ms Kenny said she got a lot of very angry scolding in response to her tweet and added that Covid-19 is not the Black death and is an unpleasant flu-like illness. Following her appearance on the radio, a statement was issued by festival organisers which said that Ms Kenny will not appear at the festival. In response to the announcement by the Taoiseach that travellers from Britain should not for the time being come to Ireland, the Percy French Festival and Mary Kenny have agreed that her participation in next week's events cannot now occur. We greatly regret this, but acknowledge that it is the duty of us all to put the health and safety of the people of Ireland first, the statement said. After inquiries were made by Independent.ie into festival organisers, a spokesperson, who declined to give their name, said that all precautionary measures will be taken during next weeks event, which will be held outside. The spokesperson added that they did not know how many people will attend the festival, despite a pre-booking system currently in place for those wishing to attend. Roscommon TD Micheal Fitzmaurice is scheduled to give an opening address to the festival on July 22 and he told Independent.ie that less than 100 people will attend. I spoke to the owners of it this morning and they stated very clearly that its going to be a marquee thats open, its outdoors, the sides of it will be open completely, social distancing of two metres will be adhered to, all handwash and all facilities will be put in place. They are also making sure that microphones that are used are taken away. Its been restricted down to 100 people will attend and keep two metres social distancing, he said. There will be a break every hour and a half or even every hour and 15 minutes, he added. The Deputy added that he will give a short speech to kick off the three day festival. Im there for approximately 10, 15 minutes. We were booked a year ago, I was speaking to the owners this morning because obviously you have to adhere to all regulations and peoples health and public health is paramount, he said. The marquee that theyre getting will be bigger to make sure that everything is done right, thats what they told me this morning, he added. Using smaller versions of specialist equipment found in microbiology labs, the new 'lab in a suitcase'developed by Newcastle University, UK with partners in Ethiopia, and believed to be a world firstenables screening of millions of bacteria in a single water sample. Credit: Newcastle University, UK A portable testing lab that fits into a suitcase is being hailed as the key to tackling one of the world's biggest dangers to health. Experts from Newcastle University UK, have been working with the Addis Ababa Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA), Addis Ababa University (AAU) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to ensure waterborne hazards can be identified in a quicker, easier and ultimately cheaper way, anywhere in the world. Using smaller and less expensive versions of the same type of specialist equipment found in state-of-the-art microbiology laboratories in the UK, the new suitcase labbelieved to be a world firstenables screening of millions of bacteria in a single water sample, instead of running many tests in parallel to look for different pathogens. Genetic analysis can bring to light numerous hazards potentially present in water, but such analysis is currently carried out in a laboratory, using large and expensive machines. These facilities are often not available in developing countries, and the process of sending samples from the affected country to the UK for detailed analysis can take more than a month. The portable lab means scientists can go direct to the location where a waterborne disease is thought to be present and screen a water sample for genetic materialwith results available within a day or two. The data can be used for measuring the effectiveness of wastewater treatment, fecal pollution source tracking and the identification of waterborne hazards in surface and groundwater. The rapid data generation gives public health officials more opportunity to quickly identify and deal with local hazards, potentially saving countless lives. After initial on-site testing on samples collected at Birtley sewage treatment plant in North East England, the suitcase lab was used to carry out water quality screening in the Akaki River catchment near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. These achievements have just been published in the journal Water Research. Dr. David Werner, Professor in Environmental Systems Modelling, Newcastle University, explains: "By taking advantage of innovative technologies to make it easier and faster to carry out on-site water quality assessments, and with our Ethiopian colleagues, we have demonstrated a way to study genetic material with affordable resources almost anywhere in the world. "With our portable laboratory we successfully screened millions of bacteria in Akaki River water samples and discovered a high prevalence of Arcobacter butzleri, a still poorly understood waterborne hazard that can cause watery diarrhea. Unfortunately, diarrhea is still a leading cause of death among children under the age of five." Government advice to "wash your hands frequently" exemplifies the importance of safe water and sanitation for hygiene and public health. But according to the United Nations, six in 10 people lack access to safely managed sanitation facilities and three in 10 people in the world lack access to safely managed drinking water services. As well as reducing the time required to measure water quality, the project aims to enable the independent use of the tools by researchers and water systems engineers in Ethiopia. Dr. Alemseged Tamiru Haile from the IWMI is confident that the scientific break-through will make a difference in Ethiopia. "Our collaboration with Newcastle University in terms of carrying out the field work and analysis provided an opportunity for the hands-on training of 13 junior experts in Ethiopia at AAWSA facilities," he says. "One AAWSA staff member then visited Newcastle to receive intensive training in water quality monitoring with the portable laboratory. Academics from AAU can now integrate the novel approach into their curriculum. The equipment items we have assembled in the portable laboratory are affordable for AAU and AAWSA." AAWSA is constructing more sewage treatment plants in Addis Ababa, and the team will continue their monitoring in the Akaki catchment to provide evidence for the benefits of these investments in public health. Dr. Kishor Acharya is the early career scientist at Newcastle University who has led the development of the portable molecular toolbox. He has delivered training workshops in portable metagenomics to junior academics and laboratory technicians from research institutions, NGOs, and government agencies in Tanzania, Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, India and Ethiopia. Dr. Acharya, who is originally from Nepal, says that the portable lab kit could easily be used in many different contexts to screen for dangerous pathogens. "I want to demonstrate the applicability of the mobile toolkit and the protocols we've developed for microbial hazard surveying to other disciplines," he explains. "In the future, this kit could potentially be used as a way to assure food and drink safety, efficient health services, productive agriculture and beyond." Explore further Water monitoring device will provide fast diagnosis of deadly bacteria More information: Kishor Acharya et al, Metagenomic water quality monitoring with a portable laboratory, Water Research (2020). Kishor Acharya et al, Metagenomic water quality monitoring with a portable laboratory,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116112 Hatched from the imagination of award-winning writer, producer and actor Martin Maguire, Cooley Creatures was a home birth. In the middle of a pandemic and completely locked down, the series was created without a film crew, without film studios and with all participants working remotely and socially distancing. The first six episodes have been part-funded by the Arts Council Of Ireland through its Covid 19 Response Award. The Cooley Creatures Project was one of six such awards in Co. Louth. The series features six 90-second tales from creatures all around the Northeast. From farm animals to domestic pets. Wild birds to forest foxes and deer. The short stories give viewers a fly on the wall perspective on animal life - or at least what we might imagine it to be. And we get it all from the horses mouth. Or the cats mouth. Or the rabbits. Episode 1 launches on July 13, with 2 episodes per week dropping for 3 weeks. Cooley Creatures is the first project from Martins production company Hatch50 to make it to market. And hopefully it is the first of many, with a new online series from the infamous Eamon Lowe due to start filming in August. The first episode airs on July 13th on the Cooley Creatures YouTube channel. Martin Maguire has been writing for 30 years. Working in broadcasting, he has been a presenter, producer, copywriter, comedy writer, performer and programmer with several local and national broadcasters. In 1993, he was the youngest ever winner of a Jacobs Radio Award for a 6-part radio comedy series The Richard Cranium Show (LMFM). He wrote, performed and produced the PPI Award Winning Eamon Lowe Show on Today FM in 2007. This was a series of six 30-minute comedy shows recorded before a live studio audience in Dundalks Spirit Store. During a 16 year tenure at Today FM, he was Senior Producer of The Ray DArcy Show (2000-2004) and The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show (2008 -2014) before being appointed station Programming Director in 2014. Katie May is known for designing gorgeous bridal gowns for the modern day woman. With her finger on the pulse, the Los Angeles-based designer recently created a capsule collection of affordable dresses for the bride whose plans have been changed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Her alternative and affordable creations are perfect for those wanting to wear something a little more unique for their elopements and smaller ceremonies. The line is currently available on her site and launching on Revolve on July 16. I do: With her finger on the pulse, bridal designer Katie May released a capsule collection of affordable dresses for the bride whose plans were changed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic Modern bride: Her alternative and affordable creations are perfect for those wanting to wear something a little more unique for their elopements and smaller ceremonies. The line is currently available on her site and launching on Revolve later this week Sweet: The Elle is a fully lined multi-layered tulle mini dress with a contrast waistband Both Katie May and Revolve wanted to offer something fun and affordable for brides whose wedding plans have changed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The capsule consists of the Elle and Eden Rock. The Elle ($525) is a fully lined multi-layered tulle mini dress with a contrast waistband. It features a hidden back zipper, making it easy to get in and out of. The hem of the girly frock hits above the knee, ideal for showing off evening shoes or even a pair of sneakers! The Eden Rock ($475) is a sleek mini dress with a ruched waist, oversized bow and asymmetrical train. Both figure flattering styles are the perfect mix of sweet, sexy and chic. Classy and sassy: The Eden Rock is a sleek mini dress with a ruched waist, oversized bow and asymmetrical train Affordable bridal: The Elle retails for $525 and the Eden Rock is priced at $475 Back in April when the CDC recommended that all Americans wear non-surgical face masks, Katie May launched a line of stylish masks made of their top quality wedding and evening dress fabrications. In a time when people weren't buying wedding gowns or evening wear, Katie launched the collection to keep her small business going. Unable to employ her team full time, workers were making the masks to earn a supplemental income. For every mask purchased, the company donated three utility masks to frontliners in the community. Masks range from $25-$35. Katie May also launched a social campaign, #aMAYzinghuman, where they gave away $750 worth of Katie May product each week to people on the front lines (by being nominated on social). Her elegant masks make for the perfect accessory for brides and wedding guests alike. On the pulse: Back in April when the CDC recommended that all Americans wear non-surgical face masks, Katie May launched a line of stylish masks made of their top quality wedding and evening dress fabrications This is the moment armed police raid The Apprentice winner Joseph Valente's flat after one of his staff was spotted by neighbours playing with a toy gun. The footage posted online showed officer's approaching the block of flats in Peterborough after reports a person was spotted with a gun. In the clip, posted online, a man is seen holding up his hands after being confronted by the police. An officer is then heard telling the individual to 'keep those hands where we can see them'. Cambridgeshire Constabulary confirmed they made enquiries at the property today. No arrests were made, but two BB guns were confiscated. On Twitter, an employee of Mr Valente's called Jack Driscoll owned up to causing the police incident. Armed officers attended a block of flats today after they received reports of a person holding a gun He said: 'I was at my work today messing around on my bosses balcony with a toy plastic gun with another member of staff and one of the neighbours called the police I want to apologise to my boss @josephvalente it was stupid and sorry if I caused you any grief and sorry for the scare. Mr Valente - who won the popular TV series in 2015 - responded to the tweet and praised the police for there 'incredibly service'. He said: That's ok Jack it was silly thing to do but I you didn't mean to cause the neighbours any grief to which I know you've said sorry as it's just a toy . 'Jack also apologise's to the local police for wasting their time. But what nice guys and an incredible service so Thankyou.' Speaking to MailOnline this evening, Mr Valente said the individual in the video is not him, but his employee who was 'playing around.' He added: 'Two of my employees were innocently playing around at work with a toy gun in the sun, it doesnt even look real so Im unsure how but a neighbour mistook it and called the police. It was completely innocent. Armed police were filmed today at the flat of The Apprentice winner Joseph Valente The Italian entrepreneur (right) impressed the business tycoon with his business plan of franchising his plumbing company 'My young member of staff has publicly apologised to neighbours and the local police. And I echo his apology but this is nothing to do with me. 'I will commend the emergency services they were excellent and great to know we are in safe hands.' A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: 'Officers were called to East Station Road this afternoon following reports of a male armed with a gun. 'Two BB guns were confiscated. Officers made enquiries and no arrests were made.' It comes after it transpired this week that the Apprentice winner has sold the plumbing firm that he set up with Lord Sugar and it owes almost 2million. The Italian entrepreneur impressed the business tycoon with his business plan of franchising his plumbing company. Two years after the programme finished, Mr Valente and Lord Sugar parted company, and in January this year, ImpraGas was sold off Ultimately the billionaire decided his idea was more worthy of investment than runner-up Vana Koutsomitis' gamified dating app during the series that aired at the end of 2015. Speaking to MailOnline about his business, Mr Valente said: 'ImpraGas was sold in Jan 2020 to REL Capital we did not go bust. 'We faced a challenging economic climate and decided to sell the brand, assets and intellectual property all staff 70 plus staff and many contractors kept their jobs. Customer warranties were taken on by the new owners and we created a new company that the creditors could continue to trade with which they did. 'VBH Assests is a ltd company that was put into voluntary liquidation and yes it did owe creditors money but to secure the best possible future for the new business it was our only option. 'We build the largest independent boiler installation business in the UK in just a few years winning and beating British Gas to national installer of the year in 2019. What we achieved was incredible and our success's should no be overlooked.' ImpraGas was sold this year in January to REL Capital after factors including Brexit and a warmer winter led to a financial difficulties. A record number of women are running for Congress this year, boosted in part by a surge of Republican women seeking office in a party struggling to regain lost ground with female voters. The influx adds to the advances female candidates -- mostly Democrats -- made in the 2018 midterm election that helped reshape the makeup of Congress. It also has echoes in the presidential race, based on voting patterns from two years ago and Democrat Joe Biden's lead in polls over President Donald Trump among female voters. Biden has vowed to pick a woman as running mate. "We wondered, would 2018 a be kind of a one-off?" said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. "In fact what we have seen is the numbers are continuing to grow." As of July 1, 574 women had filed to run in primaries for U.S. House seats, topping the record 476 from two years ago, according to data compiled by the center. Another 58 women filed to run for the Senate compared with 53 in 2018. In all, that's a 20% increase in women making congressional bids. The figures include 104 incumbents seeking re-election. Among them are lawmakers who quickly rose to national prominence after winning office for the first time in 2018, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress and a star of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, and Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer who flipped a seat in a district that had long been a Republican stronghold. Not all of the women who've filed to run will make it through primaries to the November ballot -- with about half of the primaries concluded, 196 women have won their races and will move on to the general election. Fewer still will win office. In 2018, 256 women were on the congressional general election ballot and 116 of them won their races. That was a record, but women still make up less than a quarter of the House and Senate in the current Congress. Women, as candidates and voters, were key to Democrats retaking the House in 2018, prompting a concerted effort by Republicans to recruit more female candidates. Some 246 women filed as Republicans to run for congressional seats this year, a 73% jump over the 142 who filed two years ago. "2018 saw the rise of Democrat women," said Olivia Perez-Cubas, a spokesperson with Winning For Women, a political action committee that supports conservative female candidates. At that point, she said, "a lot of Republican women thought it could be our year next year, and if they can do it, we can do it." Trump's 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton, the first woman to win a major party's presidential nomination, was a prime motivator for the overwhelmingly Democratic group of women who ran for the first time in 2018. "The election of 2016 did a lot to inspire the women in 2018," Walsh said. "There was a sense of losing the potential, for losing ground on a whole host of issues, that I think for a lot of women mattered tremendously." The gender gap between the two parties has widened. Clinton led Trump among women in 2016 by 13 percentage points, 54% to 41%, according to network exit polls published by CNN. In 2018 House races, 59% of women cast votes for the Democratic candidate. In the 2020 contest between Trump and Biden, multiple recent polls show the Democrat leading the president by 21 to 26 percentage points among women. The 2018 election also brought more diversity to Congress. Candidates such as Ocasio-Cortez argued Congress and the Democratic Party should be more reflective of the voting population. It helped her topple a long-time White incumbent in a diverse district representing parts of the Bronx and Queens. The killing of George Floyd in May at the hands of Minneapolis police and similar incidents, along with the exaggerated impact of Covid-19 on communities on color, has added urgency to that message. "We have been let down by so many of our elected officials," said Adia Winfrey, Democratic candidate for Alabama's 3rd District, who is Black. "Because we are having these conversations I think people are becoming more aware of their biases." Winfrey is among 86 women who are making another run for Congress after coming up short two years ago; after losing a primary in 2018 she ran unopposed this year. She faces long odds in November against long-time incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in a district that Trump won with 65% of the vote, but was encouraged by supporters to try again. "After thinking about it all summer and most of the fall, I decided that now was the time to jump right back in," Winfrey said. Gina Ortiz Jones, the Democratic candidate for Texas's 23rd District, which includes parts of San Antonio and El Paso and stretches along the U.S. border with Mexico, also emphasizes having a deeper connection with voters. "There is not enough folks in these leadership positions that have the experiences of the people being represented," she said. Jones also is making a second try but has a good chance in November. In 2018 she lost the general election to incumbent Republican Will Hurd by just 926 votes. Hurd is retiring; the Republican nominee will emerge from a runoff on Tuesday, and the non-partisan Cook Political Report rates the district as leaning Democratic. Republican women running for office are also looking to add to the diversity of GOP voices in the Capitol. "Republican women saw that there is a lack of representation in terms of who they are in Congress," Perez-Cubas said. Political newcomer Anne Marie Ward is challenging five-term incumbent Rep. Paul Gosar in Arizona's 4th District primary in August. Gosar is a libertarian-leaning lawmaker who's been endorsed by Trump. He also has a history of controversial comments and stances. "I quickly saw we did not have a voice on the Republican side that was reaching to or resonating with the next generation," Ward said. "We have seen how exhausted America is by the establishment, by career politicians." Georgia's 6th district will see a rematch of the 2018 election between Democrat Lucy McBath and Republican Karen Handel. Handel, who formerly held the seat, lost to McBath and is looking to take it back. "There has been a real focus to build an infrastructure for conservative women, so they have the tools and the experience to compete and win," Handel said. Spanberger, one of the women in the Democratic vanguard in 2018, said she's looking forward to the day when the number of female candidates won't be notable because "it will become normal." "My ideal is to keep all the wonderful women that we have, and then bring more to Congress," she said in an interview. A massive fire started raging at a pharma waste factory in Vishakhapatnam on Monday night. The explosion took place at an unit of Ranky CETP Solvents at Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City in the Parvada area and have caused panic among residents. Fire tenders have rushed to the spot, trying to douse the fire. It is still unclear if any person has suffered any injury in the fire. This is the same area where a gas leak was reported on June 30 at Sainor Life Sciences Pharma unit. Further details awaited. Every group of people deemed important in helping us through the pandemic is to be rewarded eventually. Nurses will get a bonus followed by every other profession who will claim acknowledgement for their exceptional work when we needed them most. We all have our private list of these people from Food Bank Organisers to Bin Men emptying potentially germ laden waste each day. Everyone was a hero and now the day of reckoning is coming and promises made, have to be kept. The speedy introduction of the Minimum Vital Wage has begun to filter through to the most vulnerable in our society. It was obvious from day one of the pandemic that we have a huge underclass in Spain existing on next to nothing. My Humans of Majorca discussions this week are with a completely different group of our society. Some, who exist completely under the radar and are technically illegally here. Some really have arrived on migrant boats and have not been rounded up and sent to the holding centres on the mainland. They create a new name and new identity and slip into our world like many before them. The Spain of the past had many who did just that when they left criminal lives in the UK and settled in different parts. The people I met were refugees or those coming to join family here who are now legal. They arrived before the Lockdown and made themselves incredibly useful. They slipped into the community lives of their groups and put their own skills as Doctors, nurses, cooks and seamstresses into good use. Nothing official of course, I am not suggesting that illegal migrant Doctors are currently working in the hospitals of Majorca. They did, however, play a great part in helping frightened friends keep their mental health together. There is now a movement from local people who are asking for an amnesty for all those friends and family who arrived before the Pandemic. I have no way of knowing how many we are talking about, but what are you going to do with stateless people right now? Send them back to face a worse situation of Covid in their home countries? Once you begin to say that they can stay until this is all over and then send them back, the waters become very murky. How long will this take and how many months or years will pass before that can safely happen. A vaccine might help the repatriation process, but there are a lot of ifs, buts and maybes. There are times when a government might be asked to make a very bold step. According to my new friends the time is now. The people I met, want to work, contribute and live their lives here amongst existing groups of their countrymen doing the same. Their means of entry might be unconventional but they too made a Covid contribution worth acknowledging. The following is an extract from an article by Giles Tremlett in 2005 where he describes a significant amnesty for illegals which took place. In 2005 Spain declared an amnesty for about 700,000 illegal immigrants, bucking a Europe-wide trend of cracking down on economic migrants, while striking at exploitation of those working secretly and fearfully in the black economy. We can feel very satisfied, said the labour minister, Jesus Caldera. "Almost 700,000 jobs brought out of the black economy - this represented 80% to 90% of all such jobs held by immigrants in Spain." Officials said that, with workers' families included, more than a million people would no longer have to hide from police or labour inspectors. Long queues had built up outside government offices as the deadline for the amnesty drew near. Ecuadorians, Romanians, Moroccans and Colombians made up most of the applications. "If you get the papers, you go from being nobody to being somebody ... you exist," one Ecuadorian, Alvaro Salgado, 30, told Reuters news agency as he queued. The Amnesty of Gratitude is a new movement which is not just happening here in Spain. A version of this scenario is being played out in most European countries. The thinking is, that when the world has gone mad, the last thing you need to do is to create more mayhem and distress. Stay close to all those who experienced the Majorcan Covid Lockdown and embrace all everyone did for each other. We are family, we are community, we are living in difficult times and an Amnesty of Gratitude to all is something I hope to see and be part of in Majorca. Mali's worried allies and neighbours have appealed for restraint and dialogue as the country's deepening political crisis spirals into bloodshed. The situation remained tense on Monday, after three days of unrest in the capital Bamako, as gunfire was heard in an opposition stronghold in the city. Representatives of the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union and West African bloc ECOWAS late Sunday voiced their concern over the recent clashes. Condemning "any form of violence as a means of crisis resolution", they attacked the use of lethal force by the security forces and urged dialogue, but warned the arrest of protest leaders was an obstacle to this. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is facing a mounting wave of protests sparked by the outcome of a long-delayed parliamentary poll, but whose underlying causes include discontent over his handling of Mali's jihadist insurgency. The 75-year-old has been in power since 2013. Eleven people have died and 124 have been injured since Friday, according to a senior official at an emergency department of a major hospital in Bamako. Witnesses said security forces fired live rounds during clashes with protesters, with the civil unrest the worst the country has seen in years. Hundreds of people converged on the district of Badalabougou on Sunday for the funerals of four people killed in the violence. The well-off neighbourhood is a stronghold of influential imam Mahmoud Dicko, who has emerged as a leader of the protest movement. He has appealed for calm on Sunday after deadly clashes between his supporters and security forces. But rounds of gunfire were again heard in Badalabougou on Monday, although it was not immediately clear whether the incident was isolated or part of further demonstrations. Elsewhere in Bamako, a measure of calm returned as traffic again began to circulate on two of the city's main bridges -- major choke points that protesters had targeted. All banks remained shut, however. The demonstrations are being driven by a disparate group of religious leaders, political and civil society members that calls itself the June 5 Movement. They have called for "civil disobedience", including non-payment of fines and blocking entry to state buildings. - 'Consensus government' - Mali's European allies and regional partners are anxious, given the country's poverty, ethnic mix and strategic location at the heart of the Sahel. Sunday's statement voiced support for proposals put forward by ECOWAS, the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States of which Mali is a member. The proposals call for a "consensus government of national union" and for fresh elections in constituencies whose provisional results, in the March-April elections, had been annulled by the Constitutional Court, a move that enabled several members of Keita's party to be elected. It also urged Keita to release opposition leaders who have been arrested since Friday. Malian Prime Minister Boubou Cisse visited Dicko on Sunday night, according to officials close to the imam, in an indication of attempts at dialogue. No details from that meeting have yet emerged. Keita has already made several attempts to ease the anger, including a promise to dissolve the court. Mali / AFP The former French colony has struggled to contain an Islamist insurgency that first emerged in the north in 2012 before spreading to the centre of the country and to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed and hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes. The UN has deployed 13,000 soldiers to Mali in one of its biggest peacekeeping operations, while France has 5,100 troops in its Barkhane anti-jihadist mission across the Sahel. A joint EU special ops force called Takuba is to begin deployment on Wednesday, French Defence Minister Florence Parly said Sunday. A first batch of around 100 French and Estonian troops will be joined later by contingents from the Czech Republic and Sweden, Parly told the French daily La Croix, adding that Italy may also take part. But arresting eye makeup requires you to use possibly germy fingers or brushes to apply it. And flaking eye shadow or mascara could get into your eyes, prompting you to touch them. We talked to medical experts about safety strategies to observe and got tips from Oquendo about how to make the most of makeup, if you do use it. Of course, if you can avoid wearing makeup during this time, even better, said Nada Elbuluk, a dermatologist with Keck Medicine of USC. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: He wanted to surprise the police administration with his fire prowess and planned something big this time to teach cops a lesson. So, after getting the tip-off about an imminent action, at least, a day in advance by his informers in the department, dreaded gangster Vikas Dubey gathered along with a clan of henchmen to strike in such a way so as to put even the notoriety to shame. So it happened in Bikru village on July 2/3. Eight cops fell in the line of duty exposing the chasms in the police armour. The weapons were moved to the rooftops and bullets in excess piled up. Around 30 henchmen gathered at his sprawling house a night before. Dinner was cooked for over 40 people including the army of shooters and servants, a night before the ambush. All were sensitized by the don of Shivli (a moniker which Dubey would carry with pride) for a hard battle ahead. Then all were fed and liquor flowed freely. Dubey had already told them that he meant business this time and all of them were mentally prepared to take on the police, said a highly placed source while sharing the details of the interrogation of Dubey by STF on way back Kanpur. Dubey, who had graduated to qualify as a gangster overnight after Bikru ambush, had set everything in place on July 2. The plan for the big action was executed in the following night killing eight cops, injuring seven others and looting five police weapons. The gangster, however, met a similar gruesome incident a week later on July 10 when he fell to STF bullets. The sources claimed that the gangster was responding nonchalantly to the posers by the investigation officer. He did not blink even for a moment during the night-long journey from Ujjain to Kanpur. He was continuously inquisitive about the police action after netting him in Ujjain. Dubey had believably told cops that he was planning to surrender and was in touch with a few lawyers but before that, he was nabbed at Mahakal temple. While revealing the scene before July 3 ambush, Dubey admitted that he was getting regular inputs from the police about the developments and the minutest information about the formation of the police team which had to strike to nab him in a case of attempt to murder. Dubey himself checked all the licensed weapons of his henchmen and ensured that the stock of bullets was adequate. He even claimed that he arranged 50 more bullets of different bores. There were around 30-35 firearms licences issued to his accomplices and close relatives in 2007 onwards, said a source. As the police team led by Billhaur CO Devendra Mishra reached the village and approached the premises of the gangster, they were ambushed and what followed them was a hail of bullets for the next 15 minutes. The gangster claimed that his men did not give the police party time to act. They fired aggressively and many, including CO Mishra, were shot from very close range, Dubey had admitted. He revealed that he used the occasion to settle the score with Billhaur CO with whom he had an animosity for the past 22 years. He had even conceded that one of his aides named Babban Shukla was the first to reach the road and shot four cops. As per the Kanpur police, the criminals had fired close to 100 rounds in 15 minutes. Dubey even claimed that he had stored over 50 litres of oil in advance as he had plans to burn the bodies of the dead cops. Around five bodied were piled up in the nearby toilet and others were being brought when his men spotted a number of vehicles on the main road. Suspecting them to be police reinforcement, Dubey left Bikru for Shivli on a motorbike. While humans continue to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic, some scientists worry that bees are quietly dealing with a pandemic of their own. Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder have documented how bees in Europe have been afflicted with a contagious and deadly fungus that can be spread through flower petals during pollination. Called nosema, different varieties of the fungus have been documented all over the world, including in South Africa, Kenya, Russia, Brazil, the United States, and Canada. Researchers from University of Colorado Boulder studied nosema, a deadly parasitic fungus that could be on the verge of causing a pandemic among bees According to the researchers, exposure to the fungus is contributing to bee colony collapse across Europe and could have dire consequences for bee populations around the world. Nosema is a type of fungus know as a microsporidia - a single-cell parasite that forms spores that grow into a fungus. When nosema infects a bee, it first ruptures the infected cells, then releases spores that spread through the body and eventually kill the bee. Before the bee dies, it can also excrete these spores in its feces and during pollination, leaving them all over flowers where other bees can become exposed and infected. In some areas, this has led to year-round nosema infections for beehive colonies, according to a report in the team's findings in the University of Colorado Boulder's news blog. Nosema cells can be excreted by infected bees during pollination, leaving active spores on flower petals that could later expose other bees Beekeepers have helped fight the spread of nosema by breeding particular kinds of resistant bees and using plant extracts to treat bees with current infections. Bees in different regions have developed immunity to different types of nosema, which has helped limit the spread of the fungus, but researchers worry a novel strain could sweep across multiple regions in the world despite local resistance. 'More work needs to be done to understand Nosema infections in native bee species and the potential consequences to native ecosystems, if native bees suffer a similar fate as honeybees when infected,'University of Colorado Boulder's Arthur Grupe II said. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to reporters at the State Department in Washington, July 1, 2020. The United States on Monday announced a tougher stance against Chinas sweeping claims in the South China Sea, declaring them illegal and accusing Beijing of treating the disputed waters as a maritime empire. In a statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said there were no legal grounds for Chinas expansive maritime claims. He formally aligned the U.S. position with the legal outcome of a key 2016 international court ruling between the Philippines and China. The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire, Pompeo said. America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law. According to the State Department, the U.S. now regards Chinas claim over rocks and reefs in the Spratly Islands, in the southern part of the South China Sea, as unlawful, and its maritime claims based off alleged ownership of those features similarly in violation of international law. The statement specifically cited Beijings insistence on holding economic rights to waters around Scarborough Reef, Mischief Reef and Second Thomas Shoal, all of which are claimed by the Philippines. The U.S. also rejected Chinese claims to Vanguard Bank off Vietnams southern coast, the Luconia and James Shoals which sit in Malaysias exclusive economic zone, and the waters off the coast of Brunei and Indonesias Natuna islands, the statement said. This is a major departure from traditional U.S. policy in the South China Sea. Prior to todays announcement, Washington opposed Beijings excessive claims over wide swaths of the South China Sea, but officially did not take a position on the individual claims themselves, said Derek Grossman, senior defense analyst at RAND Corp., a U.S. think tank. Mixed reactions? Previously, the U.S. had avoided taking sides on territorial disputes in the South China Sea, although it repeatedly called for freedom of navigation and overflight in the strategic maritime region. While the U.S. never accepted the so-called nine-dash-line China set as its maritime boundary in 2009, Washington had not explicitly cited international law when it came to other types of claims, including Beijings interpretation of what counts as islands in the South China Sea and their ability to generate exclusive economic zones for the sake of resource rights. Greg Poling, senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the statement clearly aligned the U.S. with the outcome of the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration award that ultimately struck down many of Chinas claims to the South China Sea, after the Philippines brought the case to court. Washington backed the process of the 2016 arbitral award but never clearly endorsed its substance. Now it has, he said. And so that means that it will not just decry Chinese activities in Southeast Asian waters as escalatory or dangerous, but can clearly say theyre illegal. The announcement of the new U.S. position comes as China continues to pressure Southeast Asian nations out of exploring for resources within their waters, through deployment of coastguard vessels, including at the Vanguard Bank, where it was involved in a months-long standoff with Vietnam last year and appears to be gearing up for another this year. Protesters in Manila call on China to leave the West Philippines Sea (WPS), the Philippines' name for the South China Sea, in this file photo dated July 22, 2019. Basilio Sepe/BenarNews Pompeos tough statement followed one by his Philippine counterpart to mark the fourth anniversary of the 2016 arbitral ruling that has never been acknowledged by China, which boycotted the proceedings. The arbitral tribunals award of 12 July 2016 represents a victory, not just for the Philippines, but for the entire community of consistently law-abiding nations, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on Sunday, calling on China to comply with ruling. The Philippines, as law-abiding, peace-loving and responsible member of the international community, reaffirms on this occasion its adherence to the award and its enforcement without any possibility of compromise or change, Locsin said. The Philippine government has recently taken a more critical stance toward Beijing. But a Manila-based analyst called Locsins statement a calculated move to register the countrys interest in a ruling it has never moved to enforce under President Rodrigo Duterte. The Philippine government simply doesnt walk its talk, said Jose Antonio Custodio, a military historian and a political analyst at the Institute of Policy, Strategy and Development Studies. In other words, he is Beijings surrogate, he said of Duterte. The Philippines is not enforcing its maritime entitlements in the area and in fact is hesitant to even participate in multilateral maritime exercises there, Custodio told BenarNews. That is because of the strong influence of China on the Duterte administration. Locsins predecessor, Albert del Rosario, said that Duterte had decided to shelve the award to pursue his full expectation of loans and investments from Beijing, which did not materialize. The U.S. decision to side with Southeast Asian nations on the South China Sea issue is likely to worsen U.S.-China relations, and get mixed responses from the countries involved, according to Grossman, the RAND analyst. Some countries, like Vietnam and the Philippines, are very likely to be happy with the U.S. move because they have been looking for support. But others, such as Malaysia and perhaps Indonesia may not be as pleased. Only time will tell, he said. Secoriea Turner was only 8 years old when she was fatally wounded during a violent Fourth of July weekend in Atlanta. According to published reports, she was in the car with her mother, who was attempting to turn into a parking lot near a Wendy's restaurant that was the scene of a highly publicized police shooting last month. For reasons that are a mystery to the rest of us, gunmen opened fire on the vehicle. Turner's death may have been the most heart-wrenching, but it wasn't the only one. Between Friday, July 3, and Sunday, July 5, Atlanta recorded 11 separate shooting incidents with 31 victims, five of whom, including Secoriea, were killed. The holiday weekend was marred by violence across the nation. Children were among those fatally wounded not only in Atlanta but also in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. In Southeast Washington, 11-year-old Davon McNeal was shot as he and his mother were leaving a community cookout designed to curb violence and promote peace. Davon's mother, Crystal McNeal, had organized the event. These appalling homicides should serve notice to the activists who are demanding that cities abolish their police departments. It's quite unlikely that the families of the victims want to live in communities with no police protection. Nor do the majority of Americans, Black, white and brown. Just ask Horace Lorenzo Anderson Sr., whose 19-year-old son, known as Lorenzo, was fatally wounded by an unknown assailant in late June in Seattle's autonomous zone for protesters, which was barricaded by armed civilians, closed to police and apparently inaccessible to first responders. Grief-stricken and angry, Anderson Sr. was among those who demanded that law enforcement agents shut down the Capitol Hill Occupation Protest zone, which they did after his son was killed and another man wounded. There are perfectly logical reasons why homicides carried out by civilians estranged husbands and ex-boyfriends, robbers and drug dealers, gang-bangers and violent teenagers don't draw the massive protests that followed the murder of George Floyd. Police officers are rightly held to a higher standard than criminals. They take an oath to protect and serve. Instead, they too often behave as an occupying force steeped in centuries of racism and malignant stereotypes about Black and brown Americans. Frustratingly, police culture has proved largely impervious to reform. Paramilitary organizations and police departments attract individuals with political beliefs ranging from right-of-center to reactionary. Police unions overwhelmingly endorsed the racist Donald Trump when he sought the presidency. And they indoctrinate or intimidate any open-minded newcomers to ensure that they conform to behaviors that alienate residents of less-affluent Black and brown neighborhoods. It's not surprising that some involved in the Black Lives Matter movement have grown so impatient with the entire policing enterprise. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Yet, every civilized society needs law enforcement agents because ... humans. Some small percentage of us will commit crimes. We need police officers who are well-trained, humane and dedicated to serving, not controlling, the communities they patrol. That's especially true for less-affluent Black neighborhoods. Young Black men commit a disproportionate share of violent crimes, but they commit them against Black victims. (Trump's Twitter feed notwithstanding, the vast majority of crime is intraracial.) That means that Black residents of poorer neighborhoods are disproportionately victimized by violent crime. Since the 1990s, rates of violent crime have dropped remarkably in cities across the country, falling by half in some major cities. But this summer of discontent has seen a disconcerting rise in random violence, a statistic that ought to trouble anybody worried about Black lives. Experts aren't sure why violence is rising, but they have cited a combination of factors, including high unemployment, the coronavirus lockdown and the intense stress those conditions have created as possible contributing factors. "I think it's just a perfect storm of distress in America," said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms after the violent holiday weekend. Some of that distress, undoubtedly, has been created by the plague of police violence that has swamped our television screens. But the answer to police violence is not to abolish police forces and fire even those officers committed to fairness and justice. The answer, instead, is to hire many more of them. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces outside Residence Villa Val des Arbres in Laval, Que., on April 19, 2020. A mix of regular and reserve forces helped out in long-term care facilities in Quebec at the height of the pandemic. (The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes) Pandemic Could Hinder Army Reserves Hard-Won Gains, Experts Fear Following a long period of neglect, Canadas Army Reserve has begun to be built up again in recent years. But the pandemic has set back training for reservists, something that concerns experts who hope the interruption doesnt jeopardize hard-won gains. Things were improving up to the onset of the COVID situation, but then, of course, everything stopped: recruiting stopped, collective training stopped, says Chris Champion, author of Relentless Struggle, a book about the 30-year fight to save the Army Reserve. Its not possible to go out in the field, at least not for ordinary reservists, because of the risk of infection. So everybody was told to stand down and keep safe, Champion explained in an interview. Retired Lieutenant Colonel John Selkirk, executive director of Reserves 2000, says reservists deployed in long-term care facilities in Quebec lost training time that might leave some unready for normal deployment. They started going back to sort of normal training on the 1st of July, but quite frankly if youre practicing social distancing and stuff, I dont know how the hell you do it, Selkirk told the Epoch Times. Were going to be behind the eight ball come September and if this COVID thing carries on, the same problems will carry on through the winter, so it is a very serious concern. The reserves received renewed attention in 2016 following an auditor generals report that said the army failed to give clear guidance to reserve units, did not provide adequate equipment, and that the reserves suffered from low numbers due to inadequate recruitment and retention. Although the reserves needed 29,000 people, it only had 19,500. Of these, less than 14,000 were active and trained. The army responded by enacting the Strengthening the Army Reserve program, which has sped up recruitment, provided better training opportunities, and set up thousands of full-time summer jobs for reservists. Now, pandemic precautions have set that training back. In his 2019 book, Champion documents how senior officers and bureaucrats based mainly at National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) worked to weaken the reservesgoing against the explicit wishes of successive national defence ministers. He also tells of how the advocacy group Reserves 2000, composed of concerned citizens and honourary colonels, saved the reserves from a misguided purge. Its probably a 10-year effort to rebuild the reserve because the neglect has resulted such a depletion of leadership, he says. To train reservists you need to have junior leaders, and those are corporals and master corporals and sergeants. So you cant have trained soldiers unless you have qualified leaders to train them at each level thats necessary. Champion argues in the book that the reserves are more important than ever given that Canadas regular army is getting both smaller and less capable. He notes that in Afghanistan, reservists at times formed up to 20 percent of Canadas deployed soldiers. The regular forces tend to think that they are the real armed forces and the reserves are just to fill in the gap when theyre needed, but really they are two quite different forces, he says. What you want is a good strong regular force and a strong reserve working together. Selkirk joined the Army Reserve (then called the Militia) in 1960. He was part of the regular full-time army from 1963 to 1984, then returned to the reserves until the early 1990s. He understands why some in the regular forces might have less esteem for fellow soldiers in the reserves. When I left the militia and joined the regular army I thought I was so much better than those guys Id been serving with the week before, he said. Thats a normal, I think, attitude of youth. In future years, Selkirk and those atop the chain of command renewed their esteem for the reserves. Even so, the same old equipment shortages remain, he says. Most reserve units cant lift themselves. I mean, they dont have enough transport to move the whole unit. They dont have radios, they dont have tents, they dont have cooking equipment. Its pretty sad shape in terms of all that kind of basic stuff. Selkirk says Canada is not ready to face real aggression from China or Russia, noting that HDHQ is too focused on what is possible under current resources, instead of considering what is actually required and building capacity. It really would serve Canada well to have a plan about how are we going to get there, and these people refuse to think along those lines. Retired Colonel J. Paul de B. Taillon was a reservist who continued on to 22 deployments. The adjunct professor at the Royal Military College tells the Epoch Times the reserves offer unrivalled leadership training that is valuable to both military and civilian life. [Someone in their] late teens, early 20s goes out on an exercise and its a live fire exercise. He has a responsibility of life and limball those soldiers that are under his command. Where do you give that to any 18, 19, 20, 21, 22-year-old, exactly? he says. Ive had parents come to me and say, What a difference this summer made with my child, he adds. He was never on time, he was dressed sloppily, he didnt take care of things. And then, after the first summer, when he was back home, such a simple thing as tidying your bedroom becomes normative behaviour. It is a motivator. Pro-democracy parties in Hong Kong held primary polls on Saturday to choose candidates for upcoming legislative elections despite warnings from government officials that it may be in breach of a new security law imposed by China. Thousands queued in the intense summer heat at unofficial polling stations across the city hours after police raided an opinion pollster helping to conduct the vote. "The more Hong Kong people were suppressed, the firmer Hong Kong people stand," democracy campaigner Benny Tai, a legal scholar and co-organiser of the primary, said as voting got under way at 250 polling stations. After polls closed at 9pm on Saturday, organisers said almost 230,000 people had cast their votes, adding that the number was higher-than-expectation. Voting in the two-day primary will continue on Sunday. "We've reached our basic (turn out) target, but we won't be satisfied by this... The more people come out to vote, the higher the primary is recognised," former lawmaker and one of the primary's organisers Au Nok-hin said on Saturday night. "Under the new national security law, no one knows how many pro-democracy candidates would be allowed to run in the upcoming LegCo election. They could possibly be disqualified by the government under the new law," a 34-year-old voter who gave her surname as Poon told AFP near a polling station in Tseung Kwan O district. "I treasure every chance we still have to vote for the candidate I like and I hope Hong Kong people can show the government that we won't bend our knees through the poll," she added. On Thursday, constitutional and mainland affairs minister Erick Tsang warned that those "organising, planning and participating" in the primary might commit offences of succession, subversion and colluding with foreign forces, according to interviews given to a select few pro-Beijing newspapers. Beijing imposed the new law on Hong Kong last week targeting acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign collusion with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, in response to huge and often violent democracy protests that erupted last year. - 'No tolerance for dissidents' - The law is the most radical change in Hong Kong's freedoms and autonomy since Britain handed the city back to China in 1997. Similar national security laws are used to crush dissent on the mainland and police in Hong Kong have already arrested people voicing certain political views now deemed illegal, such as advocating independence or greater autonomy. Organiser Au argued that Tsang's remarks were "ungrounded and without any legitimate reasons". "The suppression (we) faced when organising the primary proves that our government have no tolerance for dissidents, to accept a society with diversity and democratic universal suffrage," Au told media. Police late Friday night raided the office of Public Opinion Research Institute (PORI), a prominent opinion pollster that was helping the pro-democracy camp to conduct the primary. Police claimed they were responding to a report that PORI computers had been hacked, resulting in an unlawful leak of personal information. PORI president Robert Chung said officers copied computer files and he was given a "verbal promise" that they would not use information unrelated to the suspected leak. The raid raised concerns over the primary but Chung said the voting system was safe and its operation was legal and transparent. "The primary election is a peaceful, rational and non-violent approach to express public opinion," he said. Thousands queued in the intense summer heat at unofficial polling stations across the city hours after police raided an opinion pollster helping to conduct the vote The primary was held days after a Hong Kong government minister warned it could be in breach of a tough new security law imposed by Beijing Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong (C) campaigns for the primary which will choose candidates for upcoming legislative elections China has opened a new office for its security agents to operate openly in Hong Kong for the first time under a tough new security law it imposed on the city SPRINGFIELD The college president says the economic havoc from the coronavirus pandemic, looming state budget cuts and low enrollment numbers forced painful program cuts. Advocates for the seven affected courses say these programs speak to the very reason Springfield Technical Community College exists. More than 60 picketers stood in front of the community college Monday, holding signs that said Save Our Trades and Save STCC among other messages. They are at odds with STCC president John B. Cook, who insists cutting the seven programs (automotive technology, biomedical engineering technology, biotechnology, civil engineering technology, cosmetology, dental assistant training and landscape design and management technology) will save $1.1 million (plus facility and infrastructure costs) the college can no longer afford. Some 21 positions will be cut. Cooks stance, he said, is based on a projected student enrollment drop of 10% this fall. The campus attracted about 7,000 students last year, of which about 5,000 were enrolled at any one time (fall or spring), which would mean a projected drop of about 500. But the biggest obstacle, he said, is a reduction in state funding he calls inevitable - and severe. With the 2020-21 Massachusetts budget unresolved, Cook says he fears the worst and cant plan on better-case scenarios. We couldnt wait. We had to move forward,' he said, pointing to a state deficit forecast in the billions. State support is incredibly uncertain. If the fiscal picture were to change, we would reconsider, but this situation is unprecedented. Those calling to save the courses see more at stake than pure numbers - even though the numbers, they say, add up to thousands of jobs over years, at a time Massachusetts business leaders identify a dire shortage of skilled technical workers. They see an abandonment of the STCC mission. Union chapter president Renae Gorman doesnt dispute the state budget crisis, but said program cuts were made without exploring other solutions. The dental assistant program is running at a deficit of (only) $1,400,' she said as an example. Advocates disputed Cooks claim that low enrollment within the programs forced their demise. Interest in the programs routinely exceeds the available slots, and in some cases, interest and registration have been rising. Cook interprets the same numbers much differently. Even if the numbers are stable, he said, they are still low when matched against other STCC courses, and in relation to their cost. The auto technology program, for instance, has never had room for more than 20 to 25 students, and social distancing - along with the space needed for equipment and vehicles - would have probably limited it to as low as 16. As a rule, though, these associates degree programs are not offered anywhere else in Western Massachusetts. Moreover, protesters were asking why STCC even exists, if not for technical training programs they say are being gutted. If they close these programs, they might as well take the T out of STCC,' said Ludlow School Committee member Chip Harrington, who said his committee will draft a supportive letter this week and circulate it to other school boards. The landscaping program teaches pesticide education. That benefits the environment, which makes it a lot more important than a lot of the programs theyre saving,' said Don Moon, who owns a Springfield landscaping company. So many degree programs, though on paper look like an ideal situation, are hard to find employment in. The STCC landscape program does exactly what the COVID-hurt economy needs - it gives students the skills to walk out the door and find a job immediately. I think this (cut) is just foolish,' Moon said. Neither Cook nor Vice President of Academic Affairs Geraldine de Berly attended Mondays protest, but they released a statement explaining their position. The college recognizes and shares the frustration and dismay of those expressing concern. The pandemic has accelerated painful choices, and difficult decisions made on behalf of our mission will not always be popular. We wish circumstances were different, de Berly said. Cooks comments ran counter to protesters claim that without the discontinued programs, STCC will have lost sight of its mission. Despite the high degree of uncertainty brought on by COVID-19, STCC continues to navigate through this very difficult time, said Cook, who added that 90 programs remain. The college remains committed to preparing students to enter key workforce areas that include healthcare, manufacturing, engineering, and IT/Cybersecurity. Health and STEM programs also serve a significant population of African American, Latinx and first-generation college students.' Without disputing the impact of the pandemic, Gorman contended that much of what caused the cuts was based on assumption and not proven necessity. She said one is that school enrollment will drop, and the other was state budget numbers that have yet to be determined. Harrington, who is running for state representative in the 7th Hampden District, says he has texted Governor Charlie Baker about saving the programs. Advocates at Mondays protest pledged to engage local legislators. Cosmetology instructor Tara Lavertue circulated an online support petition that, according to Gorman, has produced more than 2,000 signatures. Lavertue also suggested that if fall semester is coming too soon to reschedule the programs, they be suspended but not canceled. Cook did not rule that out, but said decisions that were made could not be delayed. Loss of state support will be in the millions. We set that budget based on reality. Were not in a position to be comfortable ... thats what makes it so difficult,' he said. Cook also said inquiries were made involving possible private or community partnerships. We will continue to explore alternatives, but (potential private partners) were really surprised when they found out the cost of the programs,' Cook said. Asked if shes been told theres some hope for a modified strategy, Gorman paused. Thats what hes told us to our faces, but what we hear from affected faculty is that its a done deal (and) dont hold your breath. The programs are already off the college web site,' she said. Gorman is seeking another meeting with Cook but feels it has to happen soon. She said the final day of work for faculty is August 29. The longer the delay in examining alternatives to program elimination, the more likely faculty will have to seek other jobs - dooming the programs before examining how they can be saved. Cook said the cuts were made after discussion with many sources and not unilaterally, but took responsibility as the schools chief fiduciary manager. He kept the door open, however slightly, for modification of the current situation, though doing so before fall semester looks bleak - at best. We first have to do well by our contractual legal obligations,' Cook said. Any negotiations must be done between the administration and its two unions, he said, and not through individual faculty. Gorman said the college retains a substantial reserve fund that could be used to support courses deemed essential to the institution. What better use for it than to save programs? she asked. Theres one other pathway Gorman found distasteful but could not ignore: saving some programs, but not all of them. Saving all seven would be, I suppose, just short of a miracle,' she said with a sigh. But lets look at it and talk about it first. Lets see what this means and what we can do. As if things were not bad enough for Facebook, the Supreme court has agreed to hear a robocalling case concerning the social media company. As reported by The Verge Facebook will have to defend itself to the Supreme Court over alleged unwanted illegal text messages. This comes in the midst of an advertiser boycott of the company. This is in response to Facebooks poor content moderation system. To compound the problems, Facebooks new oversight board will not be ready until the end of the year. This new independent body was expected to help Facebook forge a new path and win back the trust of its users. Advertisement Facebook in the Supreme Court over robocalling allegations The court is set to examine whether automated alert texts count as an automatic telephone dialing system. This is to help establish a clearer definition of whether the company violated anti-robocalling rules. This case stems back to 2015 when Noah Duguid sued Facebook. Duguid was receiving text messages from Facebook saying someone was trying to access his nonexistent Facebook account. However, he could not get the company to stop sending these text messages. This led him to take action against the company claiming it was violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Advertisement Facebook claim text messages were a mistake Facebook claims that these text messages were made by accident. The company also points out that the automated system operated similar to a standard smartphone. Thus, in its eyes, made the system legal and ruling against it could make any normal phone call illegal. However, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed with this logic. The body believed the text messages fit the definition of automated, unsolicited, and unwanted. This has led to the case coming all the way up to the supreme court. This investigation will run alongside another Supreme Court robocalling decision. Earlier this year the court overturned a legal exception for debt collectors. Facebook also raised a similar issue however, the court will focus on defining the illegality of the messages. Advertisement If Facebook loses the case it will have to pay damages to any user receiving unwanted messages. The decision may also affect the definition of illegal calls as a whole. Given the surge in robocalls despite increasing legislation against them, this is unlikely to make much of a difference. However, for Facebook, this could be quite a problematic few weeks. Things already look bleak for the company with advertisers haemorrhaging the company. A Supreme court case dredging up past problems is the last thing the company needs. In any case, this is likely to be a very interesting decision. It could have wide reneging impacts on the technology industry and redefine robocalls for good. So what this space for any news as it happens. The Greens propose to spend $2 billion and wipe out the creeping costs of "extra-curricular' school fees paid by parents of Queensland state school students if they win - or hold the balance of power - after the 2020 state election in October. The party will also re-direct an extra $5 billion of revenue from banks, developers and mining company royalty towards Queensland's public schools over four years in a major redistribution of revenue. Greens MP Michael Berkman says state school parents are paying too much in extra-curricular fees. Credit:Tony Moore State school parents regularly pay a voluntary contribution of around $500 (2018 figures), then extra fees for laptops, sports fees, musical equipment, sports equipment, uniforms, electronic devices, excursions, transport and extra tuition classes. In an education policy to be launched on Monday morning, the Greens will argue parents of Queensland's state school students are paying an increasing share of education costs. Victorian Labor backbencher Mark Gepp has written to his caucus colleagues demanding answers about the lockdown of high-rise towers in Flemington and North Melbourne, saying he had found the police presence outside the towers "difficult to watch". It comes as authorities closely monitor the rising number of cases in public housing towers across Melbourne, with 242 cases now identified across the towers locked down last week and 32 cases at towers in Carlton. Public housing towers in Flemington and North Melbourne were locked down for five days. that have been locked down due to Coronavirus. Residents stuck in their flats. Credit:Justin McManus As a young boy Mr Gepp lived with his family in a flat at 65 Holland Court, a mid-rise apartment block next door to one of the towers subjected to hard lockdown last week. More than 3000 people in nine towers across Flemington and North Melbourne were locked in their homes without warning on the afternoon of July 4 as authorities moved to contain the spread of the deadly virus within vulnerable communities. A crew of a private ambulance service in Port Elizabeth wear personal protective equipment (PPE), on July 11, 2020 ahead of checking on a patient affected by COVID-19 coronavirus at her home. MARCO LONGARI / AFP Since the start of July nearly 2.5 million new infections have been reported, a record level since the first outbreak of the disease in China last year, according to an AFP tally. In just a month-and-a-half the number of cases worldwide has doubled, according to the count based on official figures. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said his country faced a "coronavirus storm" that was "far fiercer and more destructive than any we have known before" as he re-imposed a night-time curfew and also a ban on alcohol sales lifted barely six weeks ago. "As we head towards the peak of infections, it is vital that we do not burden our clinics and hospitals with alcohol-related injuries," Ramaphosa said. New coronavirus infections have topped 12,000 per day -- or 500 per hour -- in South Africa in recent days, making it the fourth-biggest contributor to new worldwide cases after the United States, Brazil and India. - 'Must stay at home' - The government of Spain's Catalonia region on Sunday told residents in and around the northeastern town of Lerida to go back into home confinement. "The people must stay at home," regional health official Alba Verges said. The area, with a population of more than 200,000, had already been isolated from the rest of the region last weekend. US President Donald Trump meanwhile wore a face mask in public for the first time, during a Saturday visit to wounded veterans in a hospital outside Washington. Surveys show most Americans are unhappy with how Trump, who is trailing Democrat Joe Biden in opinion polls ahead of the November election, has handled the public health crisis. The United States is the world's worst-hit country with 135,171 deaths from 3,301,820 cases. Despite the resurgent infections, the Trump administration is pressing for full reopening of schools, with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos warning that "families need for kids to get back in the classroom. And it can be done safely." London-based charity Save the Children warned that the pandemic has caused an "unprecedented education emergency" with up to 9.7 million children affected by school closures at risk of never going back to class. Across the planet, the pandemic has infected nearly 13 million people, killed over 566,000 and triggered massive economic damage in the seven months since it was detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Mexico became the country with the fourth-highest number of COVID-19 fatalities in the world on Sunday, climbing to a total of 35,006 deaths and surpassing Italy. The latest-high profile personality to test positive for COVID-19 was Bollywood superstar and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai. - 'Everything's dead' - Despite Sunday's lockdown move in Spain, life in parts of Europe has been returning to some semblance of normality, although the continent remains the worst affected with more than 202,000 deaths from over 2.8 million cases. Elections were held in Spain and Poland on Sunday after being postponed because of the virus, with strict hygiene measures in place. The tourism industry across Europe has been battered, with many businesses forced to shut because of the impact of punishing lockdowns. "Everything's dead," said Jesus Maldonado, owner of the Santos Bar just across from the Mesquite, the mosque-cathedral in the Spanish city of Cordoba. In neighbouring France, where reopened bars and restaurants are bustling in the summer heat, officials have warned of rising cases as the death toll topped 30,000. - 'Truly tragic' - The French government said it plans to introduce systematic testing at airports for visitors from so-called category "red" countries where COVID-19 is still prevalent. In Paris, demonstrating nightclub workers demanded a reopening of their venues, arguing that strictly-controlled club visits would be safer than unregulated beach parties. Across the border in Germany, Berlin offered financial help for the city's famous nightclubs which have remained shut for four months. In Iran, the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the situation was "truly tragic" and urged all citizens to help stem what has been the Middle East's deadliest outbreak. There is little chance of a 100-percent effective coronavirus vaccine by next year, a French expert meanwhile warned Sunday. "Of course, there is an unprecedented effort to develop a vaccine, but I would be very surprised if we had one that was effective in 2021," epidemiologist Arnaud Fontanet said. D aniel Lewis Lee and an accomplice were convicted of killing three members of a family in 1996. Lees execution had been blocked after his victims relatives sought to have it delayed, fearing that attending could expose them to coronavirus. An initial ruling by the appeal court meant the execution by lethal injection would go ahead. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals said in its ruling that the family's claim "lacks any arguable legal basis and is therefore frivolous". However, the execution date was thrown into serious doubt after a last-minute federal court appeal, when a district judge ordered a new delay in federal executions. Today, the 47-year-old was put to death by lethal execution. Here, we take a look at the crimes of Daniel Lewis Lee and why this execution was so significant. Who was Daniel Lewis Lee? Daniel Lewis Lee was executed today / Spokane Police Department/AFP vi Daniel Lewis Lee was a self-confessed white supremacist from Yukon, Oklahoma. Court documents state that he also went by the name of Daniel Lewis Graham, D L Graham, and Danny Lee. He was found guilty of taking part in the murder of three members of the same family 24 years ago. Why was he on Death Row? Lee was convicted of murdering three members of the Mueller family, a family of Jewish descent who lived in Searcy County, Arkansas in 1996. William Frederick Mueller, his wife Nancy Ann Mueller and his 8-year-old stepdaughter, Sarah Elizabeth Powell were all killed. The year before, his accomplice Chevie Kehoe had burgled the family home to steal a large collection of guns, ammunition and money. Lee was found guilty of multiple offences including three counts of murder in aid of racketeering on May 4, 1999 by a jury in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The court heard that after robbing and shooting the victims, Lee threw the bodies of the victims into the Illinois bayou. He was sentenced to death. His execution was the first US federal state execution since 2003. When was his execution? Lees execution by lethal injection was set to take place in Indiana at 4pm local time (8pm BST) on Monday, July 13, although the date was thrown into doubt after a last-minute federal court ruling. However, the Supreme Court then cleared the way for the resumption of the federal death penalty, in an unsigned order released after 2am on Tuesday. July 14. The court wiped away a lower court order temporarily blocking the execution in a 5-4 vote. Lee died in a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. "I didn't do it," Lee said just before he was executed. "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I'm not a murderer. ... You're killing an innocent man." Why is a federal execution so rare? The death penalty was outlawed at state and federal level by a 1972 Supreme Court decision which cancelled all existing death penalty statutes. However, in 1976, the Supreme Court allowed states to reinstate the death penalty. In 1988 the government passed legislation that made it available again at a federal level, but while 78 people have been sentenced to death in federal cases since then, only three have since been executed. There are 62 inmates currently on federal Death Row. The last execution by federal death penalty took place in 2003. The Trump administration said it would resume federal executions after a long hiatus last year. Attorney General William Barr said at the time: "Under administrations of both parties, the Department of Justice has sought the death penalty against the worst criminals. "The Justice Department upholds the rule of law - and we owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system." Earlene Peterson, 81, whose daughter Nancy Ann Mueller was killed by Lee, had opposed the execution, calling for a life sentence instead. "Yes, Daniel Lee damaged my life, but I can't believe taking his life is going to change any of that," Mrs Peterson said in a video statement last year. Lee's execution was to be one of four scheduled for July and August. All four men set to be executed were convicted of killing children. There is a powerful argument to be made for reopening schools, the most essential of the services closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic, in spite of their potential to spread the contagion. You wont, of course, get it from President Trump, who has threatened to defund districts that dont reopen and is bullying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention into weakening school safety guidelines. These are just his latest crude appeals to anyone still foolish enough to pretend the virus doesnt exist. For the rest of us, theres the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recently made a more considered, convincing and nuanced case for opening schools this fall for the sake of childrens education, health and well-being. The AAP strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school, the groups statement said. Children in the Bay Area and beyond depend on schools not just for education and socialization but also for meals, exercise, and health and social services. Some face abuse at home that is more likely to remain hidden as long as they are isolated. In that light, as the academy noted, school closures threaten to become a major public health problem in their own right. Moreover, much of our economy depends on the supervision schools provide. Many parents simply cant do their jobs as long as their children arent in school. Others are forced to work at home, care for their children and attempt to maintain a semblance of sanity all at once. Given the schools importance and the shortcomings of online alternatives, we should strive to open them before we rush back into bars, gyms, churches and other similarly risky venues. That said, schools are efficient propagators of respiratory and other illnesses. Fortunately, the coronavirus rarely causes serious disease in children. But while there is some evidence that children are less likely to catch and transmit the pathogen, it is not conclusive. Opening schools therefore carries serious risks of accelerating the pandemic among children, teachers and staff, parents and guardians, and the broader community. Schools should be ready to close or delay opening in communities where infections are surging. And districts must mitigate the risks as much as possible with distancing, masks, staggered schedules, smaller class sizes, outdoor learning, added sanitation, and testing and tracing. That is the hard part. The Chronicle reported last week that San Francisco schools are unlikely to reopen on schedule next month because of funding and logistical challenges. Los Angeles Countys top health official cast doubt on the prospect of a fall start there. And Gov. Gavin Newsom said he wouldnt be pushed toward reopening schools by the presidents latest tweets. Whats clear from this blurry picture is that schools will need more funding and guidance from federal and state officials, not inconsistent messages and fiscal ultimatums, to restore one of our most essential services. 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. The water supply and drainage sector is drawing investment thanks to its high profit margins and good growth potential. A worker of Hanoi Water Co Ltd (Hawacom). Hawacom is among the enterprises that occupy the largest market shares in the water supply industry. (Photo: hawacom.vn) According to the HCM City Securities Corporation (HSC), the water industry has positive prospects as rapid urbanisation and population growth have led to a higher demand for water for industrial production and clean water consumption. The annual compound growth rate (CAGR) of the water sector in 2017-2020 is 43 percent for industrial production and 35 percent for clean water consumption. Enterprises that occupy the largest market shares in the water supply industry include Dong Nai Plastic JSC, Binh Duong Water Environment JSC, Thu Dau Mot Water JSC, Ha Dong Clean Water JSC, Hanoi Water Co Ltd (Hawacom) and Song Da Clean Water Investment JSC (Viwasupco). HSC said more than 80 percent of enterprises in the industry have gross profit margins of more than 30 percent. In the first quarter of this year, the firms with the highest gross profit margins were Vinh Long Water Supply JSC with 65 percent, Thai Nguyen Clean Water JSC with 58 percent and Viwasupco at 47 percent. Viwasupco provides about 25 percent of the total clean water output for Hanoi via its distribution partners, serving more than 1.1 million people in the city. Although Viwasupco's market share in Hanoi is forecast to fluctuate in the near future due to the founding of many new rivals, Viwasupco plans to upgrade its system to increase competitiveness and strengthen cooperation with distribution partners. The company's revenue from the clean water supply segment increased from 373 billion VND in 2018 to 540 billion VND in 2019, reaching the highest growth rate in the segment with an increase of 45 percent. Gross profit rose 28 percent from 218 billion VND in 2018 to 279 billion VNDin 2019, becoming one of the segments with the highest profit growth in the company. Son Ha Group has also announced plans to expand operations. Clean water supply will be one of three new strategic areas Son Ha will expand in this year, in addition to renewable energy and industrial real estate. Earlier, Son Ha acquired stakes in Ha Dong Clean Water JSC and Lang Son Water JSC as well as in some other water plants. The firm expects to earn revenue of 200 billion VND from the water segment. The group is working with a Japanese partner to provide a solution to filter wastewater before discharging into the environment while providing this solution for manufacturing plants in the near future, Son said. With the positive growth prospects of the water supply industry, many foreign investors have increased their ownership in local water companies on Vietnam's stock market. Vietnam-Oman Investment JSC, a joint venture between the Oman National Reserve Fund and the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC), has poured 19 million USD into the Song Hau Water Plant. This factory serves water demand in the southern provinces of Soc Trang and Hau Giang. Philippines-based Manila Water Asia Pacific has also invested in Saigon Water Infrastructure JSC./.VNS Mekong Delta needs VND5 trillion investment for freshwater supply projects To ensure rural residents have access to fresh water in the 2021-2025 period, localities in the Mekong Delta will require an investment of VND5 trillion. Thats always a discussion at a company like ours, that we have too many flavours, too many sizes, and so on, chief executive Dirk Van De Put told Bloomberg. This is the moment to drive that. Accordingly, Mondelez aims to specialise in individual product varieties or stock-keeping units (SKUs). Van De Put, however, did not mention which products or brands would be abolished. Mondelez International is streamlining its portfolio, but it is unsure yet which brands will disappear Packaged-food manufacturers have seen demand soar during the coronavirus pandemic as consumers stuck at home stock up their pantries. The situation, however, has exposed the challenges of maintaining such an expansive product mix. Contrary to other sectors which have been hit hard by the outbreak, the confectionery industry has witnessed an increase in demand since people have bought packaged-food. Nevertheless, the outbreak has created certain challenges for Mondelez to maintain its expansive product mix. The US-based multinational confectionery, good, holding, and beverage corporation employs approximately 80,000 employees across the globe. In the 2014-2015 period, Mondelez acquired 80 per cent of Vietnamese firm Kinh Do Corporations snack business for around $370 million. In 2016, the international giant successfully bought out the remaining 20 per cent stake in Kinh Do, equivalent to approximately $90 million in a bid to boost its local footprint. The maker of Oreo cookie believes in the massive growth opportunities of the Vietnamese market. Five years after entering the Vietnamese confectionery market, Mondelez Kinh Do Vietnam has announced it would continue to strengthen its position in the bakery and confectionery market by delivering new disruptive innovations. According to Bloomberg, Mondelez is not alone in slimming its product lineup, a process known as SKU rationalisation that cuts down on inventory and packaging costs, and eases logistics for online ordering. General Mills Inc. is trimming its soup offerings by nearly half. A recent report from Euromonitor shows that the implementation of social distancing policies and city (or country)-wide lockdowns mean many out-of-home options are off the table. Authorities claim Maxwell had tried to escape during her arrest in New Hampshire and was found hiding in a room by FBI agents. - Reuters Ghislaine Maxwell, the ex-girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, is "extremely skilled at living in hiding" and could "flee abroad and live comfortably for the rest of her life" if granted bail by the courts, US authorities have warned. Ahead of a bail hearing on Tuesday, prosecutors revealed that FBI officers discovered that Ms Maxwell had wrapped her mobile phone in tin foil in a seemingly misguided effort to evade detection and hired former British soldiers to guard her hideout in New Hampshire, where she was arrested earlier this month. In the documents submitted today to a Manhattan judge opposing Ms Maxwell's application for bail, the prosecutors argued that the British heiress is an extreme flight risk and would attempt to leave the US if allowed out of prison. They revealed she has had access to $20m, including $2m in banks in the UK, and was transferring money between Swiss bank accounts as recently as last year. Metropolitan Detention Center where Ghislaine Maxwell is being held in Brooklyn New York - Reuters They submitted that Ms Maxwell, 58, who is facing 35 years in prison on charges that she recruited teenage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse in the 1990s, had tried to escape during her arrest and was found hiding in a room by FBI agents. A British private security guard working for Ms Maxwell is said to have told the FBI that she had not left the property during his time working there, and that he was sent out to make purchases for the property using a credit card. There should be no question that the defendant is skilled at living in hiding, the prosecutors wrote in a submission to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Monday. Investigators also allege that Ms Maxwell has refused to declare her financial situation and they have been unable to determine whether she has had a job in more than 30 years. They rejected Ms Maxwells $5 million bail proposal, claiming that offering a $3.75m home in London as collateral was meaningless as it could not be seized by US authorities. They also argue that the co-signatories - believed to be her twin sisters and other close relatives - have not been formally identified to them and it was not clear if they are living in the US. Story continues Maxwell claims she has been made a scapegoat since the death of longtime associate Jeffrey Epstein - Getty They also expressed concern that she may escape to France, where she holds citizenship. Paris does not extradite its own citizens. In their request for bail submitted to the court on Friday, Ms Maxwells lawyers had claimed that their client could be trusted and had never run from the law. They said she had not been hiding out at the $1m 156-acre property in Bradford, New Hampshire, which she purchased in cash through a limited company, but was simply escaping the medias glare. They argued that she has been made a scapegoat after Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan prison last August. "Ghislaine Maxwell," they wrote, "is not Jeffrey Epstein." Ms Maxwells legal team said that she was willing to subject herself to home confinement with electronic monitoring and relinquish her three passports. At least one of the alleged victims identified in the indictment against Ms Maxwell is planning to tell Tuesdays hearing that his partner in crime and longtime associate should be denied bail. Property which is believed to be the home of Ghislaine Maxwell in Bradford, New Hampshire Attorneys from Cohen and Gresser law firm have appealed that Ms Maxwell would be at risk of catching Covid-19 if she remained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, claiming that the coronavirus is an unprecedented and extraordinary dangerous threat that justifies release on bail. However, the Southern District of New York countered on Monday that at 58 years old and with no declared pre-existing medical conditions she was not at greater risk than many other inmates. Prosecutors also revealed that several new witnesses had come forward as a result of a public appeal, and that their testimony would likely strengthen their case. It also emerged that the US Virgin Islands, where much of Epsteins abuse of women and underage girls was alleged to have taken place, was investigating Ms Maxwell. The former socialite is seeking reimbursement from Epsteins estate for legal fees, claiming he repeatedly promised to take care of her financially. She and Epstein have been named as defendants in multiple lawsuits brought by their alleged victims. Ms Maxwell denies the allegations. Gonzales, who has lived on the 600 block of South Berkley Avenue in Elmhurst and on the 8500 block of East Grandview Street in Mesa, Arizona, is accused of firing a Bushmaster AR-15 semi-automatic rifle eight times at about 8:50 p.m. May 14 and hitting a 55-year-old Elmhurst man four times on the 800 block of South Linden Avenue. Two of the shots grazed the victims head and two hit him in the side as he was walking his dog, the states attorney reported. - Star Magic talent Enzo Pineda is now trending on social media because of his father who is also a congressman - It has been revealed that Enzos father, 1-PACMAN Partylist Rep. Enrico Pineda, voted yes to deny the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN Network - The decision of the Congress came days after Enzo joined the protests of Kapamilya stars and supporters regarding the franchise renewal - Enzo even openly expressed his support for ABS-CBN on social media PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Kapamilya star Enzo Pinedas father 1-PACMAN Partylist Rep. Enrico Pineda was among the congressmen that voted to deny the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN Network. KAMI learned that the decision of the Congress came days after Enzo joined the Kapamilya protest. In an Instagram post, the Kapamilya star expressed his support for the ABS-CBN network. I stand by ABS-CBN. Pagkakaisa...yan po ang kailangan natin ngayon panahon, he wrote. Buksan po natin ang ating mga mata. Hinde po ito ang kalaban, he added. Enzo explained that the real enemy of the country is poverty, hunger, and the coronavirus disease. Ang kalaban ay hunger, poverty, at itong virus na sumisira sa buhay ng million milyong nating kababayan, he said. Hinde po tayo mananalo sa laban na ito kung hinde tayo magkakaisa. #ibalikangabscbn #voteyestoabscbn, he added. However, as reported by the PEP.ph, Congressman Pineda was among those who voted yes to deny the franchise renewal of the Kapamilya network. He is also the business manager of Senator Manny Pacquiao. As of posting time, Enzo has yet to respond on the issue. Here is the list of the congressmen who voted yes, according to Interaksyon. It is stated that Congressman Pineda was the 33rd in the said list. Screenshot from Interaksyon Source: Facebook Screenshot from Interaksyon Source: Facebook Screenshot from Interaksyon Source: Facebook PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! ABS-CBN is one of the biggest networks in the Philippines. However, the National Telecommunications Commission issued a cease and desist order against the media giant while its franchise was still pending in Congress. Last Friday, the House of Representatives officially rejected the franchise renewal of the ABS-CBN Network. 70 congressmen voted yes to deny the franchise renewal, while 11 lawmakers voted no. The son of Malabon City Representative Jaye Lacson-Noel, Kito Noel, also condemned the vote of his own mother that contributed to the denied franchise. Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! Source: KAMI.com.gh He just won a landmark victory in the Supreme Court over President Trump that paved the way for prosecutors to obtain the presidents tax returns. In February, he won a conviction against Harvey Weinstein in perhaps the biggest criminal case to arise from the #MeToo movement. So why isnt Cyrus R. Vance Jr., the Manhattan district attorney, a shoo-in for re-election? Despite his recent successes, Mr. Vance remains politically vulnerable: He is facing a growing list of emboldened challengers, including two civil rights lawyers, an assemblyman, a former federal prosecutor, a career public defender and the former general counsel to the Brooklyn district attorney. Mr. Vance has raised only $29,000 for a re-election campaign, according to his disclosure forms. And some feminists and advocates for sex abuse victims have criticized the handling of sex crime cases by Mr. Vances office. Through it all, Mr. Vance has not even announced whether he will seek a fourth term next year. Mr. Vance, 66, declined to be interviewed about his political plans. But he has maintained in recent days that he is focused on getting his office through the coronavirus pandemic, cutting down a backlog of cases that had built up in the months the courts slowed down, and in response to the protests after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis addressing inequities within the criminal justice system. Because they don't always mean the same thing in Europe, Asia, or Latin America, emoticons should be used with caution depending on the person to whom they are being sent. Here's a non-exhaustive list of some common emojis which can lead to cultural misunderstandings. Now omnipresent in computer and smartphone messaging, emojis help express emotions and sometimes reinforce the adage that "an image is worth a thousand words." These digital "smileys," hands, and other pictograms originated in Japan and are now used throughout the world. There are now thousands listed at https://emojipedia.org/, with hundreds being added every year. They're so well-loved that they now have their own worldwide holiday on July 17. However, care should be taken with how they are used... A little waving hand signifies "hello" in many parts of Europe, while in China it could also indicate a desire to break up! Here are a few other examples. Thumbs up: an insult in the Middle East When we want to signal that we're in agreement with somebody, we often send a little hand icon with the thumb held up. But, careful, in Afghanistan, Iran or Iraq, there's a real risk of this being read more like "giving the one-finger salute" -- essentially an obscene gesture which can be extremely offensive! Similarly, the image of the hand that forms a circle with the tips of the thumb and index finger is also equivalent to "giving the finger" in Brazil. In these cases, it's probably safest just to send a simple "ok." The "happy poop": a way of wishing good luck in Japan As defined by Emojipedia, the "smiling poo" can be used to convey "a sense of whimsy or silliness, given its fun, happy expression." Use of this slightly vulgar emoji can also indicate self-mockery. But for the Japanese, who tend to be more solemn, it commonly indicates a wish for someone to have good luck. According to language learning website Babbel, this signification stems from a classic play on words, "kin no unko," which means both "good luck" and "golden poo"... Story continues Applauding hands: an erotic invitation in China You'd like to congratulate someone via text, so naturally you scroll through your menus to find the "clapping hands" icon. Be careful, though: in China, this can be read as an invitation for sex. The "rock on" sign: associated with adultery in Latin countries The emoji showing a hand with raised index and pinkie fingers is generally seen as a positive, relaxed emotion. In certain Latin countries like Cuba, Spain, Brazil, and Uruguay, however, it can also refer to "wearing horns," stemming from a traditional metaphor for adultery. It's a potential misunderstanding we'd all surely prefer to avoid. Father and sons charged for marketing toxic bleach as COVID-19 cure through 'church' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Mark Grenon, leader of the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, is now on the run after federal prosecutors in Miami charged him and three of his sons for allegedly marketing a toxic bleach as a cure for COVID-19. A statement released by the Department of Justice Wednesday explains that Grenon, 62, and his three sons Jonathan, 34; Jordan, 26; and Joseph, 32 all of Bradenton, Florida, are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and criminal contempt. The men, according to a criminal complaint, manufacture, promote and sell a chemical solution containing sodium chlorite and water. Grenon and his sons allegedly directed their customers to ingest the solution, which they call Miracle Mineral Solution, orally. The complaint notes that once the product is ingested, it becomes chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach that is typically used for industrial water treatment or bleaching textiles, pulp and paper, which can be toxic to the body. While the Grenons claim that MMS can treat, prevent and cure COVID-19, federal officials note that the Food and Drug Administration has not approved the solution for the treatment of COVID-19 or any other use. Rather, the FDA has strongly urged consumers not to purchase or use MMS in a prior statement, warning that drinking MMS is the same as drinking bleach. Side effects can including severe vomiting, diarrhea and life-threatening low blood pressure. We continue to protect the public from criminal conduct that takes advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Ariana Fajardo Orshan said in a statement. Not only is this MMS product toxic, but its distribution and use may prevent those who are sick from receiving the legitimate healthcare they need. A United States District Court already has ordered the defendants to stop distributing this product; we will not sit idly by as individuals purposefully violate Court orders and put the public in danger. In an interview with Natural News Wednesday, Grenon confirmed that he is in Colombia expecting to be arrested and extradited at any moment. Grenon also will not resist any attempt to extradite him to the U.S. He plans to fight for what he claims are his First Amendment rights in court. Grenon said his family has been fighting with federal authorities about their support for MMS for about 10 years but admitted that things only escalated in April when they were sent a warning to stop distributing their MMS sacraments. The FDA said we should stop giving our sacraments to the world and we just basically said No, we have the First Amendment, Grenon said. It says we have the free exercise of religious beliefs. However, Genesis website describes the operation as a non-religious church. Grenon explained that when he started his church in 2010 in the Dominican Republic, within a week, he was contacted by U.S. authorities. Grenon argues that MMS is a mineral salt. [B]asically, we use that to detox the body but we use it as a sacrament, he said. Grenon added that while people donate money to his church to get MMS, many receive it for free to help with their healing. Anybody wants anything, they just write us, give us a donation and we send it to them. And thats the way its been for ten years, Grenon said. He further explained that he believes in using MMS because it cured his Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus also known as MRSA infection he developed years ago while working as a missionary pilot. Other family members suffered from the infection and it cured them too, he said. That really motivated us to tell the world, we cannot stop telling people what happened to us, he added. Thousands of people from around the world have already testified to the benefits of using MMS, Grenon continued. He argued that the only reason the FDA wants to shut down his ministry is that the agency wants to protect the interests of big pharmaceutical companies. According to the Justice Department, Grenon and his sons have presented MMS also as a cure for other diseases and disorders like cancer, Alzheimers, autism, multiple sclerosis and HIV/AIDS. The Grenons allegedly sold tens of thousands of bottles of MMS nationwide, including to consumers throughout South Florida, the Justice Department statement explains. They sold this dangerous product under the guise of Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, an entity they allegedly created in an attempt to avoid government regulation of MMS. The Justice Department alleges that Grenon has repeatedly acknowledged that Genesis has nothing to do with religion, and that he founded Genesis to legalize the use of MMS as well as avoid jail time. Cases continued to hit record levels across the U.S. over the weekend as a number of hot-spot states continue to see Covid-19 deaths gradually rise, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Here are some of the biggest developments Monday: Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan tested positive for COVID-19 on June 11. The father-son duo was admitted to the Nanavati hospital instantly. The next day there were reports that both Amitabh and Abhishek were comfortable and feeling better. However, they are still at the hospital. While Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter Aaradhya Bachchan, who have also tested positive, have been advised to self- isolate themselves at home. Latest reports suggest that due to Amitabh and Abhishek testing positive for COVID-19, many of their projects have been stalled till further notice. Amitabh had a few films and television shoots lined up, whereas Abhishek was expected to leave for Kolkata in August for the shooting of Bob Biswas. With the current situation, it is natural that the projects involving the Bachchans will have to be pushed back. London-headquartered insurance broking giant Aon Plc, which in recent weeks reiterated its job security commitment to Aons 50,000-strong global roster amid the coronavirus pandemic, has good news for its shareholders. The board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of US$0.44 per share on outstanding Class A ordinary shares, announced the Irish-domiciled group over the weekend. The dividend is payable August 14, 2020 to shareholders of record on August 03, 2020. After nearly a week in late June with no local spread of COVID-19 in NSW, 13 separate hotels, restaurants, gyms and shops have now been flagged as hotspots or places of concern as community transmission begins to quickly rise again. The Crossroads Hotel in Casula has become the state's biggest active cluster. Twenty-one cases have been confirmed so far, with the original source of infection still not known. Hundreds of tests have been conducted at a pop-up clinic that has been set up in the hotel's car park. On Monday, The Star in Pyrmont was also identified as a place of concern after one of the Crossroads cases visited the casino on the evening of July 4. Chaldean Patriarch: ErdoAan Turning Saint Sophia Into Mosque is a 'Sad and Painful' Decision Baghdad -- The decision by Turkey's Council of State, endorsed by President Recep Tayyip ErdoAan, to turn Saint Sophia in Istanbul from museum back into mosque "is sad and painful" for "all of us and for the whole world," said Card Louis Raphael Sako. Like Pope Francis, the Chaldean patriarch is critical of the decision by Turkish authorities to change the status of the ancient Christian basilica. "In the era of the coronavirus, the world needs human solidarity to face the pandemic, not further conflicts and tensions in a region where many people die every day," the cardinal told AsiaNews. In a weekend message to the country, the Turkish president announced that the first Islamic prayer will be held on 24 July in Saint Sophia mosque, marking the conversion of the original basilica built at the time of Constantine into a Muslim place of worship. A few hours earlier, Turkey's highest administrative tribunal cancelled the 1934 decree by which Kemal AtatArk, the founder of modern and secular Turkey, disowned by ErdoAan, the modern sultan, had turned the mosque into a museum. ErdoAan announced that Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofia in Turkish) would keep its historical name and be open to Christian visitors with no entrance fee. "At the time, AtatArk's decision was courageous," said Patriarch Sako because "after the Armenian genocide it sent a strong signal about living together and safeguarding the common heritage" of Christians and Muslims. For the Chaldean primate, "it is serious thing that the Turkish president did not show respect for the feelings of two billion Christians in the world, forgetting what they have done for Muslims. Turning a church into Islamic prayer alone is a serious deed." Saint Sophia is "a symbol of Islamic-Christian coexistence," said Card Sako. "It is the story of a church that became a mosque and then, until now, a museum for everyone. "This decision goes against interfaith tolerance. It is imperative to seek dialogue to spread tolerance and coexistence between different faiths." The Chaldean primate also criticised the political leaders of the Christian West who have shown "weakness and failed to speak out." Such a timorous attitude favours conflicts and violence "in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen", where the ideals of peace and justice are increasingly vanishing. This attitude says: "We are weak". For the prelate, it is also "serious and unbecoming to politicise religion for one's own ends", in view of the fact that Muhammad himself in the pact with Christians agreed that "a church must not be transformed into a mosque". ErdoAan's decision also raised critical reactions "among Iraqi Muslims" where various "religious and secular" leaders have taken an "opposite position". For the latter, "the time is not ripe," Card Sako said. "The decision to turn it [the mosque] into a museum, which eventually became a UNESCO heritage site, protected both Christian and Muslim elements, enhancing what must be [considered] a shared heritage." Pope Francis's "strong moral appeal" yesterday was "reported several times on Iraqi television". Lastly, the history of a precious heritage must not be cancelled, reversing the "important step taken by AtatArk who showed greater openness and foresight in preserving and enhancing both legacies." Smoke rises from the USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego after an explosion and fire Sunday on board the ship. Read more SAN DIEGO A fire suppression system was inoperable when a blaze erupted aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego, so sailors fought the blaze with water, a top Navy official said Monday. Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck said the Halon gas system had been turned off because it was being worked on while the amphibious assault ship was undergoing maintenance work. The fire erupted Sunday morning and continues to burn. It broke out in a lower cargo area where cardboard and drywall supplies were stored and firefighters initially fought it with water until they had to withdraw, Sobeck said. Halon is a liquefied compressed gas that disrupts the chemical process of a fire. At least 57 people were treated for heat exhaustion, smoke inhalation and minor injuries. Five remained in hospitalized under observation. Sobeck said fire had spread throughout the ship Monday. The flames were burning plastic, cabling and other material but there was still a buffer of about two decks between the fire and fuel supplies. In the last 24 hours, 400 sailors have been on board that ship to make sure that, you know, we're making every effort to save that ship," said Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3. The fire sent acrid smoke billowing over San Diego, and local officials recommended people avoid exercising outdoors. Firefighters attacked the flames inside the ship while firefighting vessels with water cannons directed streams of seawater into the ship and helicopters made water drops. Sobeck said there was no ordnance on board, and while the ship holds a million gallons (3.7 million liters) of fuel, it was well below any heat source. About 160 sailors and officers were on board when an explosion and flames sent up a huge plume of dark smoke from the 840-foot (255-meter) amphibious assault vessel, which has been docked at Naval Base San Diego. That's far fewer than the thousand typically on the ship when its on active duty, said Mike Raney, a spokesman for Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. All crew members were accounted for, said Admiral Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations. The San Diego Air Pollution Control District warned that concentrations of fine particulate matter could reach unhealthful levels in some areas and that people should limit exposure, staying indoors if possible. The fire spread up from the lower area into office and personnel berths where it was fueled by paper, cloth, rags or other materials, Sobeck said. He said he was not concerned about the air quality or toxicity around the fire. The admiral said an explosion appears to be from a compartment heating up and over-pressurized. The 23-year-old ship has the capacity to deploy and land helicopters, certain types of short-takeoff airplanes, smaller boats and amphibious vehicles. Because of its age, a fire could be particularly destructive, especially if it reached the engine room and other tight spaces with machinery, said Lawrence B. Brennan, a professor of admiralty and international maritime law at Fordham University in New York. The heat of a fire of this nature can warp the steel, and that can be a major problem for any ship, said Brennan. On an older ship, it's even more of a problem. Brennan said it was worrisome that the fire continued to burn for more than a full day. My guess is that ... there's going to be a lot of internal damage," he said. Two other docked ships, USS Fitzgerald and USS Russell, were moved to berths away from the fire, officials said. The ship was commissioned in 1998, and is the third to bear the name Bonhomme Richard. During the Revolutionary War, Capt. John Paul Jones named the first ship after the French translation of the pen name Benjamin Franklin used as the author of Poor Richards Almanac. On Sunday, a fire and explosion broke out in a US Navy ship docked in San Diego, California. When fire and explosion occurred around 8:30 a.m., there were about 21 individuals injured as a result of the accident. The chief of naval operations confirmed that amongst the injured were 4 civilians and 17 sailors. The ship that had the accident is the USS Bonhomme Richard, an amphibious assault vessel that was docked in its homeport in San Diego, California. The vessel is in port for much-needed maintenance to get it ready for its voyage, according to Reuters. The naval-operations chief wrote a post on Twitter, claiming that the Navy admires the quickness of the response of all persons involved. They also commend the responders for trying to quell the fire insider the ship USS Bonhomme Richard to keep it under control. He also offered thoughts and prayers to all the BHR personnel and families, including the early responders that have helped in fighting the blaze. A smoking hulk of metal The amphibious assault vessel measures around 844 feet long. During that morning, a thick cloud of smoke was reported coming from a big section of the ship. It was immediately surrounded with tug boats that had harbor firefighters on board. They used water cannons to douse the flames and keep it under control. Injuries were sustained by some who responded to control the blaze. Fortunately, most of them suffered minor injuries only. A few firemen had sustained some burns and inhaled smoke during the blaze. Also read: US Navy Sends Two Carrier Strike Groups as Show of Force Against PLA Naval Exercises According to Rear Admiral Charles Brown, a US Navy spokesman at the Pentagon, they have confirmed that the sailors were injured mostly by smoke and minor burns. Of the 160 sailors that were on the ship when the fire broke out, all were counted with no missing personnel. The normal crew of the USS Bonhomme Richard is 1000 individuals but the fire broke out onboard the BHR, only a small part of the crew was present according to National Post. Under the waterline The alarm of the US Navy was caused by two guided-missile destroyers docked near the Bonhomme Richard. These two ships are USS Fitzgerald and USS Russell that was moved to docks a bit farther from the damaged ship in 90 minutes. The smoke that came from the BHR became more controlled at around 3 p.m. (22:00 GMT) when the blaze was checked. Mike Raney, San Diego-based Navy spokesman, later released a statement claiming that the origin of the fire had not been determined yet. He stressed that there was no indication of foul play. In addition to that, he claimed that munitions were off-loaded from ships when they are due for maintenance. It is a standard procedure for all ships and as part of their strict security precautions. The fire was traced to below the waterline of the ship. Another idea is the fire was able to reach the fuel mechanisms, which is the guess of a civilian contact whom Reuters interviewed anonymously, according to Malay Mail. USS Bonhomme Richard had its commissioning in 1998 that meant to bring Marine Corps attack helicopters with men into the front lines. It was featured in the Sci-Fi 'Battleship' with Liam Neeson and Rihanna. Related article: Lethal US Navy Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) Prove Their Worth in the Pacific in Repulsing Chinese Navy @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Advertisement Kelly Preston has died aged 57. She is pictured with husband John Travolta in 2018 A heartbroken John Travolta today paid tribute to 'my beautiful wife' Kelly Preston after she died of breast cancer at the age of 57. Preston died on Sunday morning having 'fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many', Travolta said as he revealed his wife's two-year cancer ordeal for the first time. The two actors' lives had already been overshadowed by tragedy when their 16-year-old son Jett died after a seizure at a Bahamas holiday home in 2009. The shock of Jett's death was followed by a legal row with an ambulance driver and lawyer who were accused of trying to extort $25million from the couple by threatening to reveal sensitive details about the death. The couple's 20-year-old daughter Ella said she had 'never met anyone as courageous' as her mother as she paid her own emotional tribute today and said: 'I love you so much mama'. Preston, a former model and actress who starred in Jerry Maguire, met Travolta on the set of The Experts and had been married to the Grease star for 29 years. The couple lived in Florida and were both practicing Scientologists, and have another nine-year-old son, Benjamin. John, 66, confirmed his wife's death in an Instagram post overnight Sunday, writing: 'Kelly's love and life will always be remembered. 'I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don't hear from us for a while. But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal.' John Travolta announced in an Instagram post last night (pictured) that his 'beautiful wife' had died of breast cancer, revealing her two-year cancer ordeal for the first time Kelly Preston's final post to Instagram was one to celebrate Father's Day in June of her and her husband and their children Ella, now 20, and Benjamin, now nine. The picture is thought to have been taken the previous year Pictured left: Kelly Preston and John Travolta in The Experts - the 1988 production on which they first met. Pictured right, Preston as Avery Bishop in the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire Actress and former model Preston and Travolta are pictured with their two children, Ella and Ben, in a recent Instagram video to celebrate Easter HOW SCIENTOLOGY HELPED TRAVOLTA MOURN HIS SON JETT'S DEATH IN 2009 Travolta previously told how Scientology helped him and Kelly mourn the death of their son, Jett, in 2009. Jett was autistic and died of a seizure. His death crippled Travolta with grief. In a 2014 interview with US Weekly, the actor said: 'It's the worst thing that's ever happened in my life. The truth is, I didn't know if I was going to make it. 'The church never left our sides for two years. I dont know if I would have made it through without their support.' Kelly, John and Jett before his 2009 death In Scientology, there is no hard concept of afterlife because the church teaches that human spirits are immortal and inhabit many physical bodies. The human spirit is referred to as a thetan that has numerous past lives, including some extra-terrestrial. Advertisement A spokesman for the Travolta family told People: 'On the morning of July 12, 2020, Kelly Preston, adored wife and mother, passed away following a two-year battle with breast cancer. 'Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends. 'She was a bright, beautiful and loving soul who cared deeply about others and who brought life to everything she touched. Her family asks for your understanding of their need for privacy at this time.' Travolta paid tribute to the 'doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center' who treated Preston during her illness, but the family has not revealed whether she was in the hospital or at the couple's Florida home when she died. The Anderson Cancer Center has numerous locations in the United States, including in Florida. The couple's daughter Ella wrote in her own tribute: 'I have never met anyone as courageous, strong, beautiful and loving as you. 'Anyone who is lucky enough to have known you or to have ever been in your presence will agree that you have a glow and a light that never ceases to shine and that makes anyone around you feel instantly happy. Thank you for being there for me no matter what. 'Thank you for your love. Thank you for your help and thank you for making this world a better place. 'You have made life so beautiful and I know you will continue to do so always. I love you so much mama.' Tributes have already poured in from celebrities who hailed her 'kindness' and 'beautiful light' and said they were heartbroken for the family, who had already suffered the agony of Jett's death in 2009. Maria Shriver was among those to pay a heartfelt tribute last night, saying she was 'shocked by this sad news'. 'Kelly was such a bright loving soul, a talented actress, and a loving mom and wife,' Shriver said. 'My heart breaks for her family who have already known such sadness and grief. Join me in sending them love and strength.' Russell Crowe said he met Preston 'first in late '92 I think,' adding, 'In 1995 we auditioned together for Breaking Up, Salma Hayek got that gig.' Crowe said he hadn't seen Preston much, 'but when I did, she was always the same sparkly eyed gem.' Actress Chloe Bennett said: 'Kelly Preston was enormously kind and unbelievably lovely. Can't believe this.' She added: 'My thoughts are with her sweet Ella and the rest of her incredible family. RIP.' John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston at the opening of the Church of Scientology Museum in Los Angeles in 1991 Preston and Travolta met on the set of The Experts in 1987. They are shown on their wedding day, above, in 1991 Kelly and John with their daughter, Ella, now 20 (left) and with Ella and their oldest son, Jett, who died in 2009 aged 16 of a seizure John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston in February this year in one of the last pictures taken of the couple before her death Daughter Ella shared this tribute to her mom overnight Sunday Paying her own tribute, actress Holly Marie Combs Ryan wrote: 'This is so sad. My thoughts are with her family and friends. She was and still is a beautiful light.' Actor Josh Gad also paid tribute, saying: 'I'm in absolute shock. What a beautiful and amazing actress and person. 'So sad to hear of her passing at such a young age. My heart goes out to John Travolta and the entire family. What a loss.' Spencer Breslin, who appeared with Kelly in 2003 movie, The Cat In The Hat, wrote: 'RIP to my on screen mom, #kellypreston. What a lovely woman. Such a sad loss.' Preston was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1962 before going onto to study at the University of Southern California. Born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, she changed her name to Kelly Preston before securing her first film role in the 1985 romcom Mischief, then appeared in another teen comedy, Secret Admirer. In the next few years Preston starred in films such as SpaceCamp and then Twins with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito. Paying tribute: Stars took to social media to pay tribute to Kelly following her sad death An aerial view of John Travolta's home at Jumbolair Aviation Estates in Florida, where he lived with his wife Kelly Preston From SpaceCamp to Jerry Maguire: Kelly Preston's TV and film career Kelly Preston met her future husband John Travolta while filming 1988 movie The Experts, a Cold War comedy featuring a steamy dance scene between their characters Travis and Bonnie. She would later appear together in other films with her husband, including 2000's Battlefield Earth and most recently the 2018 film Gotti with Travolta playing crime boss John Gotti and Preston playing his wife Victoria. Born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu in 1962, Travolta's future wife changed her name to Kelly Preston before securing her first film role in the 1985 romcom Mischief as Marilyn McCauley, the love interest of one of the two male leads. Preston with George Clooney. The pair had a relationship and also starred in two movies together She then appeared in another teen comedy, Secret Admirer. and In the next few years Preston starred in films such as SpaceCamp and then Twins with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito, in which she played Marnie Mason. In Jerry Maguire, she played Tom Cruise's fiancee Avery Bishop. Preston also starred opposite Kevin Costner in the 1999 film 'For the Love of the Game. Both Preston and Travolta returned to acting after their son Jett's death in 2009, despite their grief over the loss of their son and the trauma of a subsequent legal battle involving a Bahamian ambulance deiver. Preston's first role back was in the Nicholas Sparks adaptation, The Last Song which starred Miley Cyrus and her future husband Liam Hemsworth. She also had frequent guest-starring roles on TV series like Medium, CSI: Cyber and Joey, and in 2004 appeared in the music video for Maroon 5's 'She Will Be Loved.' Advertisement In Jerry Maguire, Preston played Tom Cruise's fiancee Avery Bishop, then co-starred opposite Kevin Costner in 'For Love of the Game'. Kelly and John met while making the 1987 film The Experts and while Preston was married to actor Kevin Gage; they divorced that year after two years of marriage. Preston then got engaged to Travolta in 1991 in Gstaad, Switzerland. Preston and Travolta were married at a midnight ceremony in Paris later that year while the couple were expecting their first son, Jett. They last starred together in the 2018 film Gotti, with Travolta playing John Gotti and Preston playing the crime boss's wife, Victoria. She also had frequent guest-starring roles on TV series such as Medium, CSI: Cyber and Joey, and in 2004 appeared in the music video for Maroon 5's She Will Be Loved. Preston's final post to Instagram was one to celebrate Father's Day in June. On their 28th wedding anniversary last year Kelly called Travolta 'the most wonderful man I know'. She added: 'You have given me hope when I have felt lost, loved me patiently and unconditionally made me laugh harder than any other human being possible shared the most beautiful highs and at times low. 'You're a dream Daddio and make life so much fun!! I trust my love with you implicitly with you I know I will always be okay no matter what happens I love you forever and completely. Happy 28th Anniversary @johntravolta.' The couple's son Jett died in January 2009 during a family trip to the Bahamas when he hit his head on a bathtub after suffering a seizure at their home on Grand Bahama Island. The death touched off a court case after an ambulance driver and his attorney were accused of trying to extort $25million from the actors in exchange for not releasing sensitive information about their son's death. Travolta testified during a criminal trial that ended in a mistrial and was prepared to testify a second time, but decided to stop pursuing the case. He cited the severe strain the case and his son's death had caused the family. Last year, 10 years after Jett's death, Kelly Preston shared an emotional tribute to her 'sweet love' Jett on Instagram, saying he was 'in our hearts forever'. 'I send love to all of the beautiful autistic children and the wonderful people who love them. May we all shine and grant love and respect to children with special needs,' she said in April 2019. In an interview with Us Weekly last January to mark the 10-year anniversary of Jett's death, Travolta said the Church of Scientology had helped the couple through the dark times. 'The church never left our sides for two years. I don't know if I would have made it through without their support,' he said. 'It's the worst thing that's ever happened in my life,' he said. 'The truth is, I didn't know if I was going to make it.' They had two other children, daughter Ella Bleu in 2000 and son Benjamin in 2010. Actress Kelly Preston attends the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2017 The tragedy that haunted John Travolta and Kelly Preston: How the actor and his wife, who has died aged 57, were devastated by their 16-year-old autistic son's death from a seizure in 2009 - and how Scientology 'helped them cope' The death of Kelly Preston at the age of 57 is the second tragedy to devastate John Travolta's family after the couple's 16-year-old son Jett died from a seizure at a holiday home in the Bahamas in 2009. Travolta described his son's death as the 'worst thing that ever happened in my life' and told how the Church of Scientology had helped him and his wife through their grief. The couple's agony did not end there, because Jett's death led to a lengthy court case after an ambulance driver and his attorney were accused of trying to extort $25million from the couple by threatening to release sensitive details about the death. Travolta testified during criminal proceedings and was ready to do so a second time after the trial collapsed, but later decided to stop pursuing the case, citing the severe strain on his family. Preston and Travolta both subsequently returned to acting but the couple had continued to voice their grief in recent years. Kelly Preston posted this picture of her late son Jett in 2019, a decade after he died at a Bahamas holiday home after suffering a seizure Jett Travolta was born in 1992, after the couple had married in Paris the previous year while expecting the child. His parents revealed he had suffered from Kawasaki syndrome when he was a toddler, a little-understood illness which can cause fevers and skin rashes. The family said he had a history of seizures, and friends said he had developmental disabilities which his mother Kelly later described as autism. In January 2009, while on vacation in the Bahamas, Jett was found unconscious in a bathroom and was pronounced dead in hospital, where medics gave 'seizure disorder' as the cause of his death. Reports said he had hit his head on a bathtub. Dozens of relatives flew to Grand Bahama to comfort John Travolta and Kelly Preston, who said that 'Jett was the most wonderful son that two parents could ever ask for'. 'We are heartbroken that our time with him was so brief. We will cherish the time that we had with him for the rest of our lives,' they said at the time. Jett was cremated and his ashes flown to Florida with his parents, and a memorial service was held at the family home. Kelly and Jett While mourning the loss of their son, the couple faced further anguish when local ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne and his attorney Pleasant Bridgewater allegedly tried to extort them by threatening to release sensitive details about the death. Lightbourne, who was among the medics who treated Jett, allegedly used the threat to try to extort $25million from the actor. He and Bridgewater denied the claims. The two suspects faced criminal charges in the Bahamas, where Travolta gave testimony about how he had desperately tried to save the life of his son. According to Travolta's testimony, Lightbourne had threatened to go public with a document signed by Travolta refusing his consent for Jett to be taken to a local hospital. Travolta said he signed the document because he had initially wanted Jett flown to Florida for treatment rather than being hospitalized in the Bahamas. However, the trial had to be aborted in October 2009 when a Bahamian lawmaker suggested the still-deliberating jury had acquitted one of the suspects. Travolta initially said he was willing to take the stand again for a retrial, but in September 2010 the family announced it was not proceeding with the charges. 'The Travolta family has said that this matter has caused them unbelievable stress and pain and they wish to put this whole thing behind them,' a prosecuting lawyer said at the time. John Travolta and Kelly Preston with their surviving children Ella (right) and Benjamin (front) at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018 John Travolta said in a statement that his co-operation in the legal case had come at 'great emotional cost to my family'. 'The long-pending status of this matter continued to take a heavy emotional toll on my family, causing us to conclude that it was finally time to put this matter behind us,' he said. 'Therefore, after much reflection I concluded that it was in my family's best interest for me not to voluntarily return to The Bahamas to testify a second time at trial.' Last year, 10 years after Jett's death, Kelly Preston shared an emotional tribute to her 'sweet love' Jett on Instagram, saying he was 'in our hearts forever'. 'I send love to all of the beautiful autistic children and the wonderful people who love them. May we all shine and grant love and respect to children with special needs,' she said in April 2019. The same month, John Travolta marked what would have been Jett's 27th birthday by sharing a painting of his son and saying: 'Happy birthday my son I love you'. SAOMAI is an influencer who ended up all over Croatia media because of an 83 apartment, which, according to her words, was way overpriced. After that, she spent the night on Brsec beach, and she commented on Instagram that the media overreacted and took it out of context. What I said was taken a little out of context, I meant no hate or harm at all. The night I spent on the beach was beautiful, and the apartment owners offered me a free overnight stay, Saomai said. She was worried about the negative comments in the media. Advertisement Dont let Croatia hate me, she Saomai said in her last posts. Many Croats commented on her posts, and no one hated her or attacked her. Im sorry for your bad experience. Enjoy our beautiful country, Luka wrote. Im glad that you liked staying in Croatia, people sometimes charge too much, Nikolina added. Jentezen Franklin, Senior Pastor of Free Chapel Church in Gainesville, Georgia criticized the new COVID-19 health guideline as an attempt to "control church" and urged Christians to "vote their faith." Franklin believes California's COVID-19 health guideline that bans churches to allow singing and chanting is an assault on religious freedom. Franklin tweeted, "California's Governor just banned singing/chanting at church. Catholics can't recite mass; Evangelicals can't worship out loud. The very definition of discrimination is to allow thousands to march and scream without masks while telling churches 100 or less that you cannot sing." "Christians must realize the radical left will restrict & control church if we don't vote our faith this November! Are you registered to vote your faith?" Franklin commented on his Twitter post. Other evangelical leaders like Tony Suarez, a Chief operating officer of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, agree with Franklin in that the banning of singing and chanting in churches threatens their religious freedom. "I'll go to jail before I'll stop singing to my God! This just turned into our Daniel chapter six moment. California has just banned singing/chanting in houses of worship," Suarez wrote on his Twitter post. California's Department of Public Health placed a ban on singing and chanting at places of worship after a recent drastic increase in COVID-19 cases in California. "In particular, activities such as singing and chanting negate the risk reduction achieved through six feet of physical distancing," health officials advised in the updated COVID-19 health guidelines. "Places of worship must, therefore, discontinue singing and chanting activities and limit indoor attendance to 25% of building capacity or a maximum of 100 attendees, whichever is lower." WASHINGTONPrime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Donald Trump spoke on the phone Monday for the first time since mid-March. It was their first conversation since Trudeau declined an invitation to the White House last week to celebrate the new North American trade agreement, a move characterized in U.S. media as a snub of the president. Their most recent previous conversation appears to have been on March 18, the day COVID-19 border restrictions went into place. Those restrictions remain a topic of keen interest to Canadians who overwhelmingly oppose allowing more non-essential travel. Though that wasnt listed among the topics the two reportedly discussed Monday, the prime minister and the White House both addressed the topic briefly. The current temporary restrictions have been extended 30 days at a time each month, as theyre expected to be again before they expire on July 21. We recognize that the situation continues to be complex in the United States in regards to COVID-19. Every month we have been able to extend the border closures to all but essential goods and services and those discussions are ongoing with the United States right now as we are a week from the next deadline for closures, Trudeau said in a press conference in Ottawa after his call with Trump. We will have more to say later this week Im sure. He declined to say if a longer time frame on restrictions was being considered because of the continued outbreak of the virus in the U.S. Trumps Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked specifically about the Canadian border during her daily press briefing, and shared less information than Trudeau. So, no announcements now for our plans with Canada, McEnany said. A readout of the phone call from the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) noted in its opening that Trudeau expressed regret for being unable to attend the celebration of the new NAFTA on July 8 in Washington, D.C. with President Trump and the President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. In his press remarks, Trudeau said he emphasized that there was no need for new aluminum tariffs the Trump administration threatened late last month just as that new agreement was about to come into effect. I impressed upon him that it would be a shame to see tariffs come in, between our two countries at the time where were celebrating NAFTA and at a time where we want our businesses and our manufacturers to get going as quickly as possible, Trudeau said. The aluminum industry is starting to realign itself after disruptions from COVID-19 that had caused the discussion of new tariffs, he said, making them unnecessary. We pledged to keep working on it together. Since the threat of tariffs became public in late June, there has been no public action on it by the Trump administration and my requests for an update on the status to Canadian and American authorities have drawn no response. The PMOs summary of the call from noted that Trudeau raised the issue of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who have been detained in China in apparent retaliation for Canadas arrest for extradition to the U.S. of Chinese Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. A White House readout summary of the call was not yet available by early evening, and neither Trump nor his press secretary made mention of the call during press availabilities in the afternoon. But Trudeau reported raising a topic on which his earlier pointed silence had been widely noted. The prime minister raised the Black Lives Matter movement, and the need to combat systemic racism, the PMO summary said. It didnt elaborate on what they discussed, and neither did Trudeau in his press conference. In early June, Trudeau made headlines in Canada and the U.S. when he responded to a question about Trumps treatment of anti-racist protesters with a 21-second silence followed by a careful statement that Canadians have their own work to do dealing with racism. Read more about: Billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes (pictured with wife Annie) says New South Wales should go into immediate lockdown Billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes says New South Wales should go into immediate lockdown to eliminate coronavirus in Australia and for the sake of the economy. The Atlassian co-founder, who is fifth on Forbes' list of Australia's 50 richest people, shared his stance on Monday after new research suggested there was no long-term immunity to coronavirus. 'If COVID-19 immunity isn't long lasting, then Australia should aim for bordered elimination,' he wrote on Twitter. 'Suppression is a slow fail... Then NSW should lock down now? '40 per cent reduction in cases for every day earlier and lowest overall economic cost.' The Atlassian co-founder shared his stance to Twitter on Monday (pictured) after new research suggested there was no long-term immunity to coronavirus Pictured: Three women wear face masks as they walk through Sydney's CBD on July 1 Should a lockdown be imposed, Mr Cannon-Brookes could bunker down at the $100 million Point Piper estate he bought in 2018. He has also bought an array of other exclusive Sydney Harbour properties along with large country homes. He said lockdown 'sucks' but was 'inevitable' and acting immediately would be better in the long run. 'My point is if a lockdown is inevitable, the least sucky one starts today,' he continued. 'Up front cost equals least overall cost?' 'Locking down before 25 cases per day will mean far less time than 200 per day like Victoria. And there's less than a week between those 25 and 200!' Cannon-Brookes said Australia's physical border provides a huge advantage, permitting quarantine continues to be 'long and thorough'. Immunity to COVID-19 in recovered patients may only last a few months, a new study conducted by King's College London has suggested. The research, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, found immunity antibodies decrease significantly in the three months following infection. This would mean patients are susceptible to contracting the virus year after year. According to Forbes, Cannon-Brookes has a net worth of $6.4billion. The 40-year-old is the co-founder and co-CEO of the software company Atlassian. Cannon-Brookes (pictured), the co-founder and co-CEO of the software company Atlassian, is one of Australia's richest people Cannon-Brookes said it 'sucks' but lockdown is 'inevitable' and acting immediately would be better in the long run NSW recorded 14 new cases of COVID-19 as of 8pm on Sunday with four in hotel quarantine, two being NSW residents who caught the virus in Victoria, and eight being linked to the Crossroads Hotel outbreak in Sydney's south-west. NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant on Monday confirmed an additional eight cases had been reported up to midday - all linked to the Crossroads Hotel. The outbreak in Sydney comes as Victoria continues to battle a second wave of coronavirus infections in Melbourne. Of 177 new COVID-19 cases reported in the state on Monday, 151 remain under investigation, a trend that has become a constant in the last week as health authorities work hard to establish links between cases. Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the latest infection tally followed three consecutive days of case numbers exceeding 200. Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire re-entered coronavirus lockdown at 11.59pm on Wednesday July 8. Residents can only leave their homes for four essential purposes - groceries, daily exercise, to give or receive care and to go to school or work. On July 1, Illinois state workers got an automatic pay raise. In all, those raises will cost taxpayers $261 million. Meanwhile, nearly 1.4 million Illinoisans have filed for unemployment since COVID-19 shuttered much of the economy in March. Other state governments have operated on the principle of shared sacrifice, recognizing the need to pare back demands on taxpayers amid major revenue shortfalls. Blue state governors in Washington, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia have cut costs through measures including canceled pay raises, furloughs and 15% agency spending cuts for fiscal year 2021. In Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker just signed a budget that increases spending by $2.4 billion over last year and relies on $5 billion from a nonexistent federal bailout to partially close a $6 billion deficit. Ironically, this continued disregard for basic fiscal responsibility shows why Illinois stands as the best single argument against state bailouts. Congress is still considering how to handle more aid to state and local governments, and another coronavirus relief package is expected to move this month. True to the times, many partisans sit on extreme ends of the issue: Many on the right are philosophically opposed to offering any aid to struggling states, while the left wants to pump in as much as $1 trillion more without regard to the amount of money actually needed or how those funds are safeguarded. The recession and pandemic have created legitimate challenges for government finances. Thankfully, theres a compromise solution that would avoid rewarding irresponsible behavior in troubled states. Congress can offer more aid, but if and only if its conditioned on sound financial management to protect taxpayers from tax increases or service failures. Attaching strings to financial rescues is already the norm across the world just look at the relief packages that followed the 2010 Greek debt crisis, the 2007-2009 U.S. bank bailouts and, most recently, the corporate financial assistance under the recently passed CARES Act. Without conditions, theres no way to ensure good money isnt thrown after bad to be squandered by those with a history of misusing funds. The federal government should follow this best practice as it debates further support for states such as Illinois, New Jersey and Connecticut that have built up crushing debt burdens through decades of bad decisions having nothing to do with COVID-19. Funding should be conditioned on three hallmarks of healthy state finances: sound pensions, truly balanced budgets and sufficient rainy-day savings. First, states must be on a path to fully eliminating unfunded pension liabilities over no more than 25 years, in line with generally accepted actuarial principles. If a state cant achieve this, pension liabilities should be reduced to the level the state can afford without increasing employer contributions, i.e., taxpayer costs. States where legacy systems are unsound should be required to close those systems to new employees in exchange for more sustainable models such as a defined contribution plan or Wisconsin-style risk sharing system. Next, any state receiving funds should be asked to maintain a truly balanced budget, meaning the fiscal year ends in the black and no deficits are carried over. Illinois is one of just 11 states that doesnt require end-of-year balance by state law or constitution. The requirement calls for the planned budget to be balanced on paper, but what actually happens is irrelevant. Balance should also mean only money actually coming in gets counted as revenue, rather than allowing for Illinois-style gimmicks such as sweeping money from other state funds or relying on short-term borrowing to paper over deficits. Lastly, states should have restrictions on rainy-day fund withdrawals to ensure theyre only used in an emergency and have rules for automatic deposits when the economy returns to growth. The federal government should not be expected to bail out states in every future recession, and that means states must have sufficient emergency savings of their own. Without these reforms and proof of effort by state governments, fiscally irresponsible states would use aid money in an inefficient and ineffective manner just as theyve done with their own mismanaged funds for decades. Federal lawmakers have a tremendous opportunity in front of them: They can provide aid to ensure the people have access to essential government services while encouraging mismanaged states to fix their tumbledown fiscal houses. Adam Schuster is director of budget and tax research at the Illinois Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization that promotes responsible government and free market principles. Kansas City Southern KSU is scheduled to report second-quarter 2020 earnings on Jul 17, before the market opens. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys second-quarter earnings has been revised 10.6% downward to $1.18 over the past 60 days. However, it has an impressive earnings history, having outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the preceding four quarters, the average being 7%. Lets see whether the company is able to repeat its success story in the June quarter as well. Factors Likely at Play The already low volumes due to freight softness are likely to have declined further during the June quarter due to the prevalent coronavirus pandemic. While sluggish U.S. market might have weighed on intermodal volumes, unscheduled plant shutdown is likely to have affected volumes at the automotive unit. Meanwhile, weaknesses in the crude oil segment might reflect on energy volumes. Notably, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for carloads (volumes) in the intermodal segment suggests a 23.1% decline from the first-quarter 2020 reported figure. The same for automotive volumes indicates a 76.8% plunge from the previous quarters reported figure. Additionally, the consensus mark for energy volumes implies a 17% decrease from the sequential quarters reported number. Besides, the consensus estimate for Chemicals and Petroleum volumes fell 16.5% from the reported March-quarter figure. Kansas City Southern Price and EPS Surprise Kansas City Southern Price and EPS Surprise Kansas City Southern price-eps-surprise | Kansas City Southern Quote Nevertheless, improved operational efficiency, courtesy of the precision scheduled railroading model, is expected to have aided the companys bottom-line performance. Consistent cost-reduction efforts are also likely to get reflected in the companys earnings. Moreover, the railroad operators operating ratio (operating expenses as a percentage of revenues) is likely to have improved in the quarter to be reported owing to cost-controlling initiatives. Notably, lower the value of this metric, the better. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the operating ratio hints at an improvement of 8.4% from the year ago quarters reported figure. Story continues Earnings Whispers The proven Zacks model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Kansas City Southern this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. However, that is not the case here as elaborated below. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Earnings ESP: Kansas City Southern has an Earnings ESP of -2.01% as the Most Accurate Estimate is pegged at $1.16, lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.18. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Kansas City Southern carries a Zacks Rank #3, currently. Highlights of Q1 Earnings In the last reported quarter, Kansas City Southerns earnings (excluding 38 cents from non-recurring items) of $1.96 beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 26 cents. Moreover, the bottom line improved 27.3% on a year-over-year basis on the back of better operational efficiency. The company also reported better-than-expected revenues. Quarterly revenues of $731.7 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $714.5 million. Further, the top line rose 8.4% year over year. Stocks to Consider Investors interested in the broader Transportation sector may consider United Airlines Holdings, Inc. UAL , Southwest Airlines Co. LUV and Air Lease Corporation AL as these stocks possess the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle. United Airlines has an Earnings ESP of +25.24% and a Zacks Rank of 3, currently. The company will release second-quarter 2020 results on Jul 21. Southwest Airlines presently has an Earnings ESP of +23.80% and is a #3 Ranked player. The company will release second-quarter 2020 results on Jul 23. Air Lease has an Earnings ESP of +23.32% and is Zacks #3 Ranked at present. The company will release second-quarter 2020 results on Aug 6. Today's Best Stocks from Zacks Would you like to see the updated picks from our best market-beating strategies? From 2017 through 2019, while the S&P 500 gained and impressive +53.6%, five of our strategies returned +65.8%, +97.1%, +118.0%, +175.7% and even +186.7%. This outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. From 2000 2019, while the S&P averaged +6.0% per year, our top strategies averaged up to +54.7% per year. See their latest picks free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) : Free Stock Analysis Report Kansas City Southern (KSU) : Free Stock Analysis Report United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Air Lease Corporation (AL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Kabul, July 13 : Twelve policemen and four civilians were killed during Taliban attacks in Afghanistan's Kunduz and Badakhshan provinces, authorities said on Monday, adding that 11 insurgents also died. Five police officers and four civilians were killed, while eight people were injured after Taliban militants stormed into Imam Sahib district in Kunduz on Sunday night, Yousuf Ayoubi, a member of provincial council, told Xinhua news agency. Several dozens of militants tried to overrun the police station and local government offices, he said. "The clashes continued until early Monday and security forces repelled the attackers and the Taliban insurgents were forced back from the district after at least six militants were killed and several others wounded," the source added. In neighbouring Badakhshan, seven policemen and five Taliban members were killed and two police injured after Taliban attacked a security checkpoint in Arghanjkhwa district, according to a provincial government spokesman. He noted that several foreigners were among the militants who attacked the key checkpoint in the mountainous district. The two provinces have been the scene of heavy clashes between Taliban and security forces for years. Since the signing of a peace agreement between Taliban and the US in February, Afghan leaders, including President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, have frequently demanded the Taliban to reduce violence. The militants, however, have intensified attacks. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 22:12:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Several hundred law enforcers were searching for a 31-year-old man who disarmed and took the guns of four police officers, the police in Oppenau, in southern Germany, announced on Monday. Local police forces were supported by special forces, dog handlers and the federal police to search for the fugitive. Several police helicopters with infrared cameras have supported the hunt from the air. German Air Traffic Control (DFS) imposed a ban on flights, including drones, within a radius of three nautical miles around Oppenau with immediate effect on Monday. On Sunday, police in Oppenau in southern Germany had been informed of a suspicious man, armed with bow and arrow and dressed in camouflage patterns. When the man was checked, he pulled a firearm and "massively threatened" the police officers to lay down their firearms. The man was said to have fled into a nearby forest afterward. In the course of the ensuing investigation, it became known that the fugitive had already spent the last weeks in the forest, according to the police. Local police assumed that the fugitive "moves safely and knows his way around the impassable terrain around Oppenau very well. The population in Oppenau was asked to refrain from outdoor activities if possible. "It has not yet been possible to assess precisely whether the armed man may be in an exceptional psychological situation and what danger he poses," according to police. The city of Oppenau announced on Sunday that schools and kindergartens in Oppenau would remain closed on Monday "due to the current dangerous situation." Enditem Premier Daniel Andrews says 1000 more Defence Force personnel will soon be working on Victorias response to its second surge of COVID-19 infections, as the federal government offers millions of face masks to the state. The army said on Monday troops could be put to work on a number of tasks, including supporting local police in door-knocking and "compliance checking" operations. News of the additional soldiers came as Mr Andrews warned even tougher stage four restrictions could not be ruled out for Victoria if the infection curve could not be flattened. ADF personnel help police at a roadside checkpoint on the Geelong Freeway last week. Credit:Jason South The stronger military deployment, which will bolster the hundreds of troops already working on testing and supporting enforcement, was announced after Prime Minister Scott Morrison offered the state more Defence resources on the weekend. YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Russias foreign ministry says the further escalation threatening the regional security is impermissible, the ministry said in a statement, commenting on the July 12-13 provocative operations launched by Azerbaijan on the border with Armenia, in the direction of Tavush province. The ministry of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation is deeply concerned over the drastic escalation of the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border on July 12. According to the reports received, the military operations continue. Artillery is used, casualties and wounded are reported. We extend our condolences to the families and relatives of the victims. We consider impermissible the further escalation threatening the regional security. We call on the conflicting sides to demonstrate restraint and strongly follow the ceasefire regime, the statement says. The Russian MFA expressed readiness to provide necessary support for the stabilization of the situation. On July 12, at about 12:30, the armed forces of Azerbaijan attempted to violate the state border of Armenia in an UAZ vehicle in the direction of Tavush province. Following the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani armed forces left the vehicle and returned to their position. At about 13:45, the Azerbaijani forces made a second attempt to capture the Armenian border post, using artillery fire, but were pushed back, suffering losses. The Azerbaijani defense ministry reported that four soldiers have died in the incident. Later that day Armenian defense ministers spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side restarted shelling the same Armenian position, using 82 mm mortars and a tank. Today Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side has again resumed shelling the Armenian positions. No casualties were reported from the Armenian side. Only two police officers, who were on a combat duty in the border, were slightly injured from the Azerbaijani operations. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Not so long ago, one of the back rows of the Lok Sabha used tobe occupied by young and enthusiastic Congress leaders men like Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot, Milind Deora, Jitin Prasada, Sandeep Dikshit and of course, Rahul Gandhi. It was a new-age Congress that brandished youth power alongside its veterans. Cut to 2020: Scindia, 49, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with his followers in Madhya Pradesh, Pilot, 42, is feeling sidelined and restive. Deora, 43, stepped down as Mumbai Congress chief, and some other young leaders are missing the political limelight., and some other young leaders are missing the political limelight. Also read: Sachin Pilot hardens stand after setback in Jaipur, preps for Round 2 In Madhya Pradesh, Scindia was credited with scripting the victory of the Congress in the 2018 state polls, but for two years, he was not made state president. In March, he ended his association with the party. In Rajasthan, Pilot was credited with the partys assembly poll victory only for his rivals to start lobbying with some central leaders for a new state Congress chief. On Monday, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot called a meeting of MLAs at his house which Pilot skipped. The Congress also rushed two senior leaders in the desert state. In the recent Rajya Sabha elections, a young leaderwho did a creditable job as a spokesperson and chaired a key cell of the Congresswas overlooked to accommodate a veteran. In April 2019, Priyanka Chaturvedi, 40, quit the party, upset with the Congress leadership for bringing back leaders who once misbehaved with her. Chaturvedi has joined the Shiv Sena. In Assam, Himanta Biswa Sharma quit the Congress over his differences with Cong veteran Tarun Gogoi. Also read: Rajasthan turmoil continues as Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot dig in heels There are several instances of veterans not treating young leaders with due respect, said a party strategist. In the run-up to the 2014 election, a powerful general secretaryconsidered close to Rahul Gandhiearned a reputation of not behaving well with young leaders, said a party insider who asked not to be named. But a section of the Congress also pointed out how some young leaders have failed to boost the partys prospects. Ashok Tanwar was in charge of Haryana; under him, the Congress failed to win any major elections. Similarly, Milind Deora was the Mumbai Congress president but the party lost all seats in the city, a party functionary said on condition of anonymity. A senior functionary maintained, Party has promoted young leaders. Pilot became an MP when he was 26, union minister at 34, PCC president at 35 and deputy CM when he was 40 years old. In the past too, the Congress has seen an exodus of prominent young leaders who were sidelined. Mamata Banerjee left the Congress in 1998 due to a tussle with the partys old guard and went on to become chief minister of West Bengal. Similarly, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy left the Congress and formed his own party after being sidelined in the Andhra Pradesh Congress following his father YS Rajasekhara Reddys death in a helicopter crash in 2009. Also read: Rift internal issue of Cong, tracking developments, says BJP To be sure, there are members of the old guard who are open to young leaders and workers, who acknowledge their role. When the Congress organized the first major rally in Delhi in 2015 against the proposed amendments to the UPA {United Progressive Alliance}-era land acquisition act, many young leaders were in the forefront of the show, but it was three-four veterans who provided the resources and manpower to make the show successful, said a young Congress leader who handles legal affairs for the party ans who asked not to be named. Many party leaders believe that the uncertainty in the central leadership, especially in the aftermath of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, has led to factional feuds in the Congress. With Rahul Gandhi resigning as party chief after the Lok Sabha poll debacle, regional leaders tried to enlarge their own political space at the expense of young rivals, maintained two Delhi-based party functionaries, requesting anonymity. Its not just a matter of old vs young problem. Its inability of leaders on what they want. Jyotiraditya was not the first one, and Sachin is not the last one to have issues with senior leadership. I also think that after UPA-2, the party has not been managed well. It looks like they have lost heart for politics, said political analyst Nilanjan Mukherjee. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 01:31:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAKU, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Four Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in a fresh wave of clashes on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border. Three soldiers were killed on Sunday and one on Monday in artillery fire near the northern Tavush region, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense said on Monday. According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, at least two Armenian police officers were wounded in the clashes. The two countries have traded accusations over which side started the fighting and violated the ceasefire. Both countries said the situation is under their control. The deadly clashes were reportedly erupted on Sunday in the Tavush region between the two countries. As a member of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) Minsk Group co-chairs, Russia's Foreign Ministry on Monday expressed concern in a statement over the escalation of the clashes and urged the two countries to exercise restraint. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988. Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a ceasefire was reached, but there have been occasional minor clashes along the borders. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 23:24:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed in a phone conversation on Monday developments in Syria and Libya, as well as the fate of Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia, the Kremlin said. Putin and Erdogan emphasized the importance of stepping up efforts to promote a Syrian settlement, including in the Astana format based on agreements reached at the Russian-Turkish-Iranian online summit held on July 1, it said in a statement. The parties highly appreciated the interaction between the Russian and Turkish defense ministries, which helped stabilize the situation in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib and in the country's northeast, the statement said. Putin and Erdogan reiterated the need for an early end to the armed confrontation and a return to the negotiation process in Libya on the basis of the decisions of the Berlin Conference held on Jan. 19, approved by UN Security Council and agreed to intensify joint political and diplomatic efforts in this area, it said. Putin drew the attention of Erdogan to the significant public outcry in Russia over the decision to change the status of the Hagia Sophia, which served as a museum since 1935, to a mosque. Erdogan said access to this unique monument of world civilization will be guaranteed for everyone, including foreign citizens, and Christian shrines will be preserved, the statement said. Putin and Erdogan also exchanged views on certain issues on the bilateral agenda, including the prospects for the resumption of tourism as the COVID-19 situation improves, it said. Enditem Lucknow, July 13 : UP Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit has rejected the Congress petition seeking disqualification of its two rebel legislators - Aditi Singh and Rakesh Singh. Both the legislators belong to Rae Bareli. Aditi Singh is the daughter of former MLA Akhilesh Singh, and Rakesh Singh is the brother of Dinesh Singh who has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Speaker said the petitioner couldn't provide adequate evidences in support of their allegations. The two legislators had been defying the party line and issuing statements against the party since the past one year. The Speaker's decision means the two legislators will continue to be members of the Assembly till the end of their term. The statue of Edward Colston loomed over the city at the beginning of June, and historians had given up hope to get even a plaque of context about the man. Now, beaten-up, bloodied and graffitied, Colstons statue is no longer just another piece of mediocre, late-Victorian public art. As is the case with the hundreds of segments of the Berlin Wall, which today stand in museums across the world, the graffiti Colston has acquired is as historically significant as the object on to which it was scrawled. The Guardian (UK) By Express News Service HYDERABAD: A consignment from UAE that arrived at the Inland Container Depot at Sanath Nagar in the city, containing accessories valued at Rs 1.24 crore, has been seized by Customs officials. A case has been registered against the consignees. According to sources, the goods in the consignment were registered in the name of a few traders in the city. To evade customs duty, the consignees had undervalued the goods. Inquiries revealed that the consignment arrived at the depot a few days ago and contained accessories like mobile chargers, bluetooth speakers, electrical toys and other electrical and electronic products. During the customs clearance, the value of the consignment was shown as less than Rs 15 lakh. However, customs officials were suspicious of the real value of the goods, and thoroughly checked the consignment. Based on their check, the value of the accessories came upto Rs 1.24 crore. The calls for DeSean Jackson to become educated on the history of anti-Semitism could be answered shortly. The Eagles receiver, who came under fire last week after posting anti-Semitic quotes attributed to Adolf Hitler to his Instagram page, accepted an invitation to the Auschwitz concentration camp. The invite came from Holocaust survivor Edward Mosberg, 94, on a Zoom call, according to the Jerusalem Post. Jackson, 33, has apologized several times since receiving criticism for the post attributed to Hitler and praising Louis Farrakhan made over the July 4th weekend, promising to educate himself. Mosberg was dressed in the clothing he was forced to wear at the concentration camp during the call. According to the report, Jackson conceded he hasnt spent much time around Jewish culture. I grew up in Los Angeles, and never really spent time with anyone from the Jewish community and didnt know much about their history, Jackson said. This has been such a powerful experience for me to learn and educate myself. ... I want to take the proper steps to let people know that I never intentionally had any hatred in my heart, I never wanted to put the Jewish community down, I want to educate myself more and help bridge the gaps between all different cultures. Last week, the Eagles penalized Jackson for conduct detrimental to the team, which included a fine, according to league sources. In a statement released last week, the team said Jacksons standing with the team would depend on his continued learning. In our many conversations with him, it has also been made clear that [the punishment] is only the beginning, the statement read. We have discussed a concrete plan for how we and he can heal moving forward. He understands that in order to remain on the team, he must also commit to supporting his words with actions. We have been encouraged by his desire to educate himself, but we all understand that there is still a lot of work to be done. We will continue to assist DeSean in this process, and we also know that all of us in our organization need to listen and learn more about things that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable to us. Its not yet clear when Jackson will make the trip to Poland, especially with the United States still grappling with the coronavirus restrictions and training camp set to start for the Eagles on July 25. One of my heroes, deceased local journalist Arnie Ropeik, wrote in his book Mosaic, a compilation of his best columns, that we are all a mosaic, a portrait of bits and pieces of our lives. Arnie was a very wise person and I believe we can learn a great deal from these words regarding how we should recognize historic figures who made significant contributions to our nation, but who were tragically flawed. None of us are perfect. Most of us are proud of some things we accomplished and in retrospect, we may also shudder at some of our actions. In deciding who we honor with statues and naming opportunities we should look at the entire panoramic of a persons life and carefully weigh whether the accomplishments, no matter how noteworthy, are overshadowed by views and/or actions the person held that are fundamentally morally and ethically repugnant. Using this lens, Princeton University at long last decided that Woodrow Wilsons name needed to be removed from the highly prestigious Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. I used the term at long last because six years ago a group of Princeton University students attempted to remove Wilsons name and erase the legacy of the former university and U.S. president from the Princeton campus because of his segregationist views but they were not able to move the needle. In spite of a forceful editorial in The New York Times on November 24, 2015 that applauded the protestors and proclaimed that Wilson was an unapologetic racist whose administration rolled back the gains that African-Americans achieved just after the Civil War, purged black workers from influential jobs and transformed the government into an instrument of white supremacy the University opted not to change the name of its school of Public and International Affairs. The New York Times editorial went on to indicated that Wilson, who took office in 1913, inherited a federal government that had been shaped during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when thousands of African-American men and women passed Civil Service examinations or received political appointments that landed them in well-paying, middle-class government jobs in which they sometimes supervised white workers. This was anathema to Wilson, who believed that black Americans were unworthy of full citizenship and admired the Ku Klux Klan for the role it had in terrorizing African-Americans to restrict their political power. In announcing the renaming of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, President Christopher L. Eisgruber acknowledged that the tragic killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Rayshard Brooks played a role in the University Trustees decision to reconsider the naming issue. President Eisgruber admitted in a very forthright manner that he had changed his view on the renaming. While acknowledging the complexity of Wilsons record, he made it clear that his many achievements did not overshadow his history of blatant racist and segregationist policies which included actively working to prevent Black applicants from matriculating at Princeton. Eisgruber pointed out that Wilson wrote that It is altogether inadvisable for a colored man to enter Princeton. Eisgruber pointed out that Wilsons segregationist policies make him an especially inappropriate namesake for a public policy school. When a university names a school of public policy for a political leader, it inevitably suggests that the honoree is a model for students who study at the school. This searing moment in American history has made clear that Wilsons racism disqualifies him for that role. In a nation that continues to struggle with racism, this University and its school of public and international affairs must stand clearly and firmly for equality and justice. It is beyond question that Woodrow Wilson was a racist and his name should be stripped from Princetons international affairs school. He was, however, a visionary champion of peace and morality in international affairs who sought to promote democracy and was the driving force behind the creation of the League of Nations, the precursor to the United Nations. On Jan. 8, 1918, in an address to Congress, Wilson presented a blueprint for world peace to be used for peace negations after World War I. In his Fourteen Points he proposed the removal of economic barriers between nations, the promise of self-determination for national minorities, a reduction in armaments, freedom of the seas and argued that a general association of nations must be formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike a League of Nations. As Arnie Ropeik pointed out, all of our lives are composed of bits and pieces. The Fourteen Points, for which Wilson received the Noble Prize for Peace, was a good piece of Woodrow Wilsons tragically flawed life. Instead of renaming the school the Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs, I would have rather seen the school renamed, as I suggested back in 2016, the Fourteen Freedoms School of Public and International Affairs with an accompanying plague detailing Woodrow Wilsons appalling and unrepentant racist view and the destructive segregationist policies he implemented. RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- How does memory training lead to cognitive benefits? Aaron Seitz, director of the Brain Game Center for mental fitness and well-being at the University of California, Riverside, has wrestled with this question for several years. Now he and Susanne Jaeggi, an associate professor at the UC Irvine School of Education; and Anja Pahor, formerly a postdoctoral researcher at UCR; are ready to address it by launching a nationwide project that seeks to engage 30,000 people in different variants of memory training through apps developed by the Brain Game Center. Results from the project can be transformative toward understanding how cognitive skills can be trained and how people may vary in their propensities for such training. Video. Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the project aims to determine for whom certain training methods work best. Many billion-dollar companies sell exercises as workouts for the brain -- a topic of controversy in the scientific community, where the effectiveness of such training is much debated. The large-scale project will contribute extensive data and may be able to resolve some of the controversies. "We want to understand which training approaches lead to what types of benefits in different individuals," said Seitz, a professor of psychology. "We are interested in exploring how individuals may have different outcomes from the same training method. We would also like to understand how and why the best approach may differ from individual to individual. We would like to know if it's possible to have something akin to personalized medicine in cognitive training where your doctor prescribes the treatment appropriate for just you." Pahor explained that although it is generally accepted among cognitive psychologists that memory training affects performance, the mechanisms involved remain largely elusive. "Understanding these underlying mechanisms can shed light on why some studies benefit brain training while others fail, said Pahor, now a project scientist at UCI. Understanding how our memory systems work and the mechanisms that guide learning can be applied broadly in society. Our acquisition of knowledge in the world intimately relies on memory processes. Improvements in memory can, therefore, benefit almost all aspects of our lives." Participation in the study is free and requires a commitment of a few weeks. Participants will play a memory training program, complete a few cognitive tests, and fill out brief questionnaires anonymously. Data is downloaded into a server at UCR. Participants can complete all sessions at home using their tablets or smartphones. They may drop out at any time. Each session lasts 20-30 minutes. Participants are asked to complete two sessions a day and at least 10 sessions a week. Prizes can be won at weekly giveaways that will be hosted by the Brain Game Center. Participants have a chance to win an iPad in a monthly giveaway. To participate in the project, people can sign up here, where additional information about the study can be found. Jaeggi, who directs the UCI School of Education's Working Memory and Plasticity Laboratory at UCI acknowledged that many in the scientific community remain skeptical that memory training works. "If we fail to find any consistent evidence that the interventions work in 30,000 people, then that also is an important finding," she said. "We would save money and time for people who currently engage in brain training. It needs to be stressed that our project is not trying to prove anything; we are trying simply to get clarity. What our project can do is shed light on the factors that mediate and moderate these types of cognitive interventions and address the extent to which some procedures may, and others may not, lead to improvements in real world cognition." The only university-based research center focused on research of brain training games, the UCR Brain Game Center researches, tests, and disseminates evidence-based, scientifically optimized brain fitness games that assist people in real-life activities. The center's interdisciplinary team includes psychologists, neuroscientists, computer scientists, medical experts, programmers, and artists. The UCI School of Education's Working Memory and Plasticity Lab takes an interdisciplinary approach to investigate individual differences in higher cognitive functions across the lifespan. A large part of the work focuses on the development of cognitive interventions and the investigation of whether, how, and for whom those interventions generalize to non-trained cognitive domains. ### The University of California, Riverside (http://www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment is more than 24,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of almost $2 billion. To learn more, email news@ucr.edu. BRIDGEPORT An Easton man, accused last week of raping two 8-year-old girls, was arrested again during his arraignment on Monday after police said they found incriminating photos on his tablet computer. Robert McGuire, 40, of Adams Road, was charged Monday with first-degree possession of child pornography and employing a minor in an obscene performance. On Friday, McGuire was charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault, two counts of illegal sexual contact, and risk of injury to a child. A police report obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media states that following his arrest, McGuire agreed to give police his passwords for two computer tablets and his cell phone, all recovered from his home. The report states, on one of the tablets, police found more than 50 photographs of the crime. During McGuires arraignment hearing, Senior Assistant States Attorney Tiffany Lockshier called McGuire a danger to the community and urged Superior Court Judge Alex Hernandez to set a high bond. There was a large amount of photographic evidence that corroborates the victims allegations, Lockshier said. McGuires lawyer, Edward Gavin, argued that any high bond would be academic but he asked that it be less than $1 million so that his client will remain at the Bridgeport Correctional Center rather than be transferred to a maximum security prison. Judge Hernandez ordered McGuire held in lieu of $750,000 bond and continued the case to Aug. 4. McGuire, who participated in the hearing via video from the basement lockup, showed no emotion. We look forward to receiving the discovery information from the state so we can aggressively defend Mr. McGuire on these serious charges, Gavin said as he left the Fairfield County Courthouse. Easton police said they received a call on July 1 from Yale-New Haven Hospital reporting they had two juveniles who had been admitted to the hospital to be examined for signs of sexual abuse and trauma. Police said the victims were interviewed on July 9 with the assistance of The Family Justice Center in Bridgeport. McGuire was arrested on a warrant the following day. The warrant affidavit has been sealed. The Asbury Park Press reporter who was arrested during a Black Lives Matter protest in Asbury Park last month identified himself as a reporter five times before police filed charges against him, according to a lawsuit filed Monday. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, states reporter Gustavo Martinez was unlawfully attacked, arrested and jailed June 1 while covering the events following a mainly peaceful protest in the Jersey Shore city. He was charged with failing to obey an order to disperse a municipal violation that was dismissed the following day in part because reporters were exempt from the city-issued curfew. Im filing this lawsuit because a press badge should not be a bulls-eye, Martinez said in a statement. The lawsuit comes days after the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office released the findings of its internal investigation that found the officers who arrested Martinez did not act inappropriately and could not identify Martinez as a reporter because of his outfit that evening a dark hooded sweatshirt, dark jeans, helmet, goggles and a mask. Martinez was not arrested because he was a reporter or in an effort to prevent him from doing his job as a member of the press, read a statement from the prosecutors office announcing the findings. Rather, Mr. Martinez was arrested because police officers believed him to be a protestor who had disobeyed numerous orders to disperse more than two hours after the expiration of the curfew. The lawsuit called the investigation by the prosecutors office an attempt to circle the wagons and a sham. Body-camera footage of the arresting officer, Lt. Amir Bercovicz, shows Martinez said, Im a reporter, bro, as hes being arrested. Furthermore, Martinez was wearing his state-issued press badge and told police officers he was a reporter four times from his arrest to processing at the Belmar Police Department. Still, Martinez was charged with failing to obey an order to disperse, which was dismissed the following day after news of his arrest became public. Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, the states top law enforcement official, personally called Martinez to apologize. Grewal is also forming a working group consisting of journalists, law enforcement leaders and civil rights activists to address freedom of the press issues during protests. The lawsuit comes as dozens of journalists around the country have been arrested or injured while covering protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. On June 29, Martinez participated in a congressional briefing on First Amendment violations at Black Lives Matters protests. The Asbury Park protest, held in front of the municipal complex on Main Street, was mainly peaceful. Martinez arrived at the protest around 7 p.m. to relieve his APP co-workers. A multi-media reporter for the daily newspaper that covers the Jersey Shore, Martinez was live-streaming the events to his followers on Twitter. He captured diplomatic exchanges between the police and protestors, as well as a scene of Asbury Park police officers taking a knee in solidarity with protestors. At about 10 p.m., two hours following the 8 p.m. curfew, Martinez continued to live-stream as the environment in the city turned hostile. Police, now clad in riot gear, started pushing the protestors that remained. Martinez could hear people screaming, and officers began spraying the crowd with what appeared to be pepper spray, the lawsuit said. Twelve people were arrested, including two juveniles, on charges ranging from aggravated assault, resisting arrest and obstruction. Three police officers were injured one suffered a fractured skull after being hit with a rock, a second was bitten on the leg and a third needed stitches to the chin. Martinez had captured an image of an officer pushing a young woman to the ground when his phone showed officers approach him. The image then cuts out. Body-camera footage released by the prosecutors office captured what happened next. Warning: This video contains graphic language and some violence. Martinez was walking backward from several officers before an officer rushes over to him and says, He want to be caught. F--- him. He the problem. Martinez appears to say, Im a reporter, bro, and then repeats it several more times. Another officer can be heard ordering him to shut your mouth. The officer who arrested him then helps him up and hands him his cell phone. The prosecutors office report said the arresting officers could not hear Martinez and the detectives who reviewed the footage could only make out the words, Im a (inaudible). The body-worn cameras of two of the arresting officers were not turned on a violation of police protocol. The prosecutors office said that matter is being reviewed by the Asbury Park Polices Internal Affairs department. After Martinez is handcuffed, the prosecutors office report notes that Martinez does not tell the officers hes a member of the press and that he failed to disclose that information to any of the officers following the arrest. While being processed in Belmar, Martinez indicated he was a reporter only after an officer took possession of his property, saw his lanyard, and specifically asked Martinez if he worked for the APP, the report said. In the lawsuit, Martinez disputes those claims. After the arresting officers handed Martinez off to the sheriffs department, an officer noticed his press badge and asked him about it. Martinez, the lawsuit said, told him he was a reporter. Martinez continued to wear his press pass in the police van from Asbury Park to Belmar. There, another officer noticed the badge. The officer asked Mr. Martinez whether he was a reporter, the lawsuit said. Mr. Martinez responded, now for the third time following his arrest, Yes, Im a reporter. That same officer took his press badges and put them with the rest of Mr. Martinezs belongings before escorting him to his cell for the night. Martinez identified himself as a reporter two more times at police headquarters before the complaint against him was signed on June 2 by Bercovicz. Martinez was released from the Belmar Police Department at 3:30 a.m. on June 2. Martinez is suing Asbury Park, Bercovicz and 14 other unidentified officers. He charges violations to his First and 14th Amendment rights and is seeking reforms in policing policy in addition to an unspecified amount of compensatory damages. Asbury Park Mayor John Moor declined to comment on the lawsuit. Bercovicz could not be reached for comment. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. The president told me that he had decided, in an act of clemency, to issue a full commutation of my sentence, and he urged me to vigorously pursue my appeal and my vindication, Stone said by phone from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was celebrating with friends. He said he had to change rooms because there were too many people opening bottles of Champagne here. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to ban Huawei from Britain's 5G network in a landmark decision that will anger Beijing but win plaudits from President Donald Trump as the United States grapples with China's rising economic and technological clout. The United States has pushed Johnson to reverse his January decision to grant Huawei a limited role in 5G, while London has been dismayed by a crackdown in Hong Kong and by the perception that China did not tell the whole truth over coronavirus. Britain's National Security Council (NSC), chaired by Johnson, will meet on ... A group of 50 people gathered outside Gov. Phil Murphys home in Middletown on Saturday to protest his mask mandate in New Jersey, the governor said Monday. At his latest coronavirus briefing in Trenton, Murphy said the gathering was billed as a burn your mask protest. But then he quipped, I didnt actually see any masks being burned. When asked for more details about the protest, Murphy said: That has happened with some amount of regularity. There have been as many as four protests outside Murphys house for a variety of topics including the bear hunt and vaccinations since he became governor in January 2018, Middletown Police Chief Craig Weber told NJ Advance Media. Weber said the police department became aware of Saturdays protest through a Facebook post. We didnt have any issues, he said, adding that the protest was relatively modest in scale. The gathering appeared to be in protest of the governors mandate to wear masks in outdoor spaces where people cant practice social distancing. New Jersey already mandated masks in public indoor settings. Murphy has received criticism from some Republicans, who have accused him of exploiting a public health crisis for power. The Democratic governor who has fired back at those critics. People claiming that powers gone to my head, that I find some joy in making everyone put a face covering on is ludicrous, he said told NJTV last week. Its also irresponsible. Experts say there is overwhelming scientific and medical evidence that suggests wearing a face covering, even a simple cloth mask, is an effective means of slowing the spread of COVID-19. In a video posted on Facebook, one of the attendees of the Middletown protest referred to it as a mandatory mask slash tyranny demonstration. Middletown protest against Murphys tyranny and mandatory masks for healthy people. If you want to join Urban Global Health Alliance and be a part of our plan against mandatory masks for school children, text message Liberty to 55-444. To help put checks and balances on the Governor, call, write, and angage your legislators to support the good bills SCR-1117, A-4147, S-2482. Demand speaker of the Assembly Craig Coughlin and Senate President Steven Sweeney to bring bills A4147, S2482 to the floor for a vote. Call Gov Murphy and tell him you do not consent to his extended lock-down and unfounded orders. (609) 292-6000. Mark Aug 2 on your calendars for this summers greatest NJ freedom & democracy protest. More to come on that. Posted by Pamira Bezmen on Saturday, July 11, 2020 We are fed up with Gov. Murphy single-handedly giving us orders top down. ... We are standing up not only for our rights, but for your rights, our childrens rights, your childrens rights, so that we have a resemblance of humanity in our future, the attendee, Pamira Bezmen, said in the video, which has been viewed more than 2,000 times as of Monday. That we are not trapped and handled like cattle and robots. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. The diversions and provocations of the Azerbaijani side are an unacceptable adventure, especially unacceptable amid a pandemic spreading throughout the world, said deputy PM Tigran Avinyan Monday during parliament's special meeting. "Official Yerevan completely lays the responsibility for the possible consequences - increasing tension in the region, the death of Azerbaijani troops, and destabilizing the situation - on the political leadership of Azerbaijan," Avinyan noted. The deputy PM expressed satisfaction with the high professionalism of the Armenian military, who gave a worthy and proportionate rebuff to the opponent's provocative actions. "I want to express my support to our soldiers and officers, who once again demonstrated military power and full comprehensive readiness," he noted. The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu has commended Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for his sense of duty and commitment to the welfare of the vulnerable in Zongos and the nation since assuming the high office of Vice President. Speaking during a visit by the Vice President to officially inform him of his re-nomination as running mate to President Akufo-Addo for the 2020 Presidential elections, Sheikh Sharubutu lauded Vice President Bawumia and President Akufo-Addo for their efforts at ensuring peace and development in the country. Sheikh Sharubutu said Ghana is a special country which is enjoying Allah's grace and destined for greatness, adding that because it is only Allah who determines who rules, having President Akufo-Addo and Dr. Bawumia currently leading the country is part of Allah's will and blessings for the country. He, therefore, prayed for the Vice President and the President for Allah to uplift them and also bless them. "I pray for Allah's continuous blessing for this country and I pray to Allah to bless your good works and that of the President. May Allah increase our country in prosperity and may Allah increase you in blessings," Sheikh Sharubutu told Dr. Bawumia during the visit. The Vice President, who was accompanied by the National Chairman of the NPP, Freddy Blay and MP for Okaikoi Central Hon. Patrick Boamah, said it is customary for him to come and inform his father about his re-nomination as running mate to President Akufo-Addo for December's elections and seek his father's continuous prayers and blessings. "You would have heard that His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has nominated me for the 4th time to be his running mate. So I have it as a duty to officially come and inform my father the National Chief Imam because every time this has happened, I had come to inform him that it has happened, as a son would do to a father to say this is what has been given to me," Dr. Bawumia said. "Not only to inform him, but we all know that it is only Allah that grants anybody authority or power, or as we say in Hausa "sarauta". Only Allah gives that power to you to serve other people so when you are seeking that power, you first have to seek the face of Allah and blessing from Allah and this is why I am here; not only to inform him but to ask for his blessings and prayers. We did say in 2016 that the battle is the Lords. Still, the battle is Allahs. It hasnt changed and that will never change." Gratitude to National Chief Imam On behalf of President Akufo-Addo, Vice President Bawumia thanked the National Chief Imam for the role he has played in the peace and unity in the country, as well as his continuous prayers and advice for the government. "We know the sort of person the Chief Imam is. He has held this country together through his interaction with different faiths; Muslims and Christians. The peace in this country, the unity in this country has a lot to do with him so the third reason for my coming is also to thank him for what he has done for this country. I have always said that he is a gift to Ghana; a real gift to Ghana and we cherish this gift." "I want to, on behalf of the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo thank him for his continuous prayers." "As we have been in office for the past three and a half years, we have continued consulting him and asked him for prayer and he has always obliged, and we believe that his prayer are part of the reasons we are having the peace that we have in Ghana." 4 more to do more Dr. Bawumia recalled the 2016 promise President Akufo-Addo made to the National Chief Imam and Zongos to prioritise Zongo development if he was elected President. The Vice President said after three and half years in office, the President has fulfilled the promise by establishing a ministry purposely for zongo development, as well as a fund, the Zongo Development Fund, which provides statutory funding for development projects in zongos. Dr Bawumia added that through the Ministry for Inner Cities and Zongo Development and the Zongo Development Fund, concerns in many zongos such as schools, roads, bridges, clinics, toilet facilities, water, drainage systems, bridges, etc are being addressed. On education, Dr. Bawumia said it is a guarantee for development and poverty eradication and that informed the decision by his office to collaborate with the Zongo Development Fund and the Zongo Ministry to offer an unprecedented 40 scholarships to brilliant but needy students from Zongo and other deprived communities to go and study medicine in Cuba. On a broader scale, he said President Akufo-Addo's Free SHS policy has also provided several children from zongos free access to education up to the senior high school level. Dr. Bawumia said President Akufo-Addo has demonstrated his sincerity and commitment to the development of zongos, and assured that he and the President will do more for Zongos and the nation if the good people of Ghana give them four more years in December, "in shaa Allah". Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video OTTAWA - The federal government is trying to block Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou's access to some documents in her extradition case, arguing in affidavits that disclosing sensitive information would harm national security. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/7/2020 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A security guard looks on as Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, leaves her home to go to B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, Wednesday, May 27, 2020. The federal government is trying to block Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou's access to some documents in her extradition case, arguing in court documents that disclosing sensitive information would harm national security. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward OTTAWA - The federal government is trying to block Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou's access to some documents in her extradition case, arguing in affidavits that disclosing sensitive information would harm national security. In an affidavit filed in Federal Court, Global Affairs Canada's director general in South Asia says if sensitive information were released to Meng's legal team, it could undermine Canada's diplomatic strategy and may risk harm to Canadian lives. David Hartman says China regularly blames foreign governments for the consequences of its actions and it's in Canada's interest to ensure the management of that relationship isn't harmed by the disclosure of sensitive information. "Generally speaking, such disclosure would inflame tensions between the governments of Canada and China, and would, necessarily, provoke a response harmful to bilateral relations and Canadian interests," says Hartman's affidavit dated June 26. Redacted documents between Canada's spy agency and the FBI over Meng's arrest in December 2018 have been released, but the Canadian attorney general is arguing against the further release of information at a hearing scheduled for July 27. The United States wants Meng extradited to face fraud charges over allegations she broke American sanctions against Iran, which she denies. Hartman's affidavit points out that after Meng's arrest two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, were detained, and there was a retrial and death sentence for Canadian Robert Schellenberg. He also mentions that the Chinese government has suspended imports of Canadian canola seed. "China regularly seeks to blame foreign governments for the consequences of its actions, rather than examining how its own behaviour affects international public opinion," Hartman's affidavit says. That's why it's in Canada's best interests to ensure the complex relationship between the two countries isn't further damaged by the public disclosure of sensitive information, the document says. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. China charged both Kovrig and Spavor with spying last month, accusations U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called groundless. Another affidavit filed by Michel Guay, an officer with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, says if the information is released it could identify informants or relationships with other intelligence agencies, injuring national security. Guay's affidavit says he doesn't know what's in the redacted portions of the documents and didn't prepare the information given to Meng's lawyers, but secrecy is essential in security intelligence matters. "The requirement for secrecy is to protect the integrity of past, present and future investigations, as well as to protect the integrity of the methodologies or capabilities of the service." Meng remains out on bail, living in her Vancouver home, while her extradition case continues before a B.C. Supreme Court judge. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2020. A tragic bride died at her wedding reception in a lavish Russian palace after she suffered anaphylactic shock 'caused by nut allergy'. Alexandra Erokhova, 25, was celebrating her wedding reception at Tsaritsyno Palace in Moscow when the allergic reaction occurred. The bride had an extreme reaction when she was eating dessert at the meal immediately following her nuptials. 25-year-old Alexandra Erokhova (pictured as a teenager) died as a result of an anaphylactic shock caused by a nut allergy while she was eating dessert at her wedding reception in Moscow Tsaritsyno Palace (pictured) was the venue for the wedding reception where Alexandra Erokhova died before ambulance crews could save her Guests rushed to assist the bride who 'began to suffocate at the table'. An ambulance was called to help the struggling bride. A resuscitation team arrived at the banquet hall but 'was unable to save the bride', reports said. Doctors said she had suffered 'anaphylactic shock' believed to be caused by a nut allergy. Alexandra had suffered from a nut allergy since childhood and relatives had warned the cooks at the venue in advance, according to her family. Guests rushed to assist the bride who 'began to suffocate at the table' after eating a dessert that contained nuts, which she was allergic to. Pictured: The wedding hall at Tsaritsyno Palace Reports say that the sweet dishes which the bride ate did contain nuts. Alexandra had studied banking and finance at the elite Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration in Moscow. Police are understood to be investigating the incident. For all allergies, the immune system is triggered by allergens into producing antibodies to defend the body. These antibodies cause inflammatory reactions and release the chemical histamine, which in turn, causes hives, hay fever and other allergic symptoms. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction which can be life threatening. Her relatives had warned the cooks at the venue in advance of Alexandra's allergy, family say (File image of a different wedding at Tsaritsyno Palace) The Tsaritsyno Palace and surrounding grounds were first founded in 1776 by Catherine the Great of Russia to replace a previously existing manor house. The Russian empress disapproved of the symmetry of the initial plans developed by architect Vasily Bazhenov and ordered the building be torn down and started again from scratch. The palace was finally finished in 1796 but Catherine never lived in the house and it lay empty and unfurnished before restoration plans were developed in the 19th century. The restoration of the palace was completed in 2007 when it re-opened as an attraction to tourists. Rumor mill: Its no secret that Nvidias Ampere-based, consumer graphics cards are launching later this year, but what does that mean for its current crop of RTX cards? According to a new report, the company is discontinuing some of its high-end Turing products: the RTX 2070, 2070 Super, 2080 Super, and 2080 Ti. The claim, which comes from Chinese publication IThome (via Tom's Hardware), does carry some weight. Mass production of the Ampere cards is expected to begin next month, with some of the products rumored to launch in September. Nvidia will likely want to discontinue its current top models as the RTX 30xxx series replaces them. A leak last month revealed some of the upcoming Ampere cards alleged specs, which you can see below. All three launch products are said to be based on the GA 102 GPU and use GDDR6X memory. Weve also heard that these high-end cards might use Samsungs 8nm fab process, rather than TSMCs 7nm alternative. Part PCB Chip Model Extension Memory Interface TBP Connectors SKU10 PG132 GA102 RTX 3090 (Ti/Super)* 24 GB GDDR6X (Double-Sided) 384-bt 350 W 3x DP, HDMI NVLink SKU20 PG132 GA102 RTX 3080 (Ti/Super)* 11 GB GDDR6X* 352-bit* 320 W 3x DP, HDMI SKU30 PG132 GA102 RTX 3080 none 10 GB GDDR6X 320-bit 320 W 3x DP, HDMI IThome also claims that the price of top Turing cards will see an increase, as Nvidia allegedly suggested the hike to its partners. This recommendation was reportedly prompted by a renewed rise in demand from minerssomething that brings back bad memories for PC gamersand insufficient production capacity from TSMC. Nvidia will want buyers to choose its new, more expensive flagships over the last generation, of course, so it might start withdrawing the RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti from market soon. IThome predicts the RTX 3080 and 3080 Ti will be announced on September 17, so we could discover the largest US chipmakers plans in just over two months. Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine talked about the rise of coronavirus cases Monday afternoon in a news conference. In her first news conference in a few weeks, Levine said the state isnt looking to impose new statewide restrictions, despite a recent uptick in coronavirus cases. The state is seeing a repeat of a trend seen earlier in the spring: younger adults are getting infected, which translates to older adults contracting the virus. In the spring, adults 19-49 were the first to get sick, and adults over 50 were infected later. Thats happening again, she said. This pattern is now repeating, she said. Levine urged residents to continue to wear masks and practice social distancing. She said some of the increase is reflected in the state doing more tests, but Pennsylvania is avoiding the surge of infections seen in states such as Florida and Texas, which are reporting thousands of new cases every day. More testing Since March, the state has conducted more than 1.1 million COVID-19 tests, reaching about 9 percent of Pennsylvanias population. Over the past 30 days, the state has performed more than 15,000 cases per day, Levine said. The states greater testing capacity is a factor in the rise in cases. Levine said statewide, 4.4 percent of test results are coming back positive. Levine said the health department would get concerned if the positive rate rises about 5 percent. You can watch it here. We want to continue to increase testing, Levine said. She noted CVS, Rite Aid and Walmart are all offering COVID-19 testing. Still, some have said they are having issues getting tested, with some laboratories finding challenges with supplies for tests. No statewide restrictions planned Levine said the health department will consider the data every day but she isnt planning any statewide responses. She hailed Allegheny County for implementing targeted measures, such as a temporary restriction on indoor dining at restaurants. Still, the state Department of Health has noted an increase in COVID-19 infections in recent weeks. While still well below the peak weeks in the spring, when the state regularly reported more than 1,000 new cases each day, health officials said they are monitoring the uptick, especially in southwestern Pennsylvania. Over the past seven days, Levine said cases have risen 14 percent statewide. Coronavirus cases have increased in 43 of Pennsylvanias 67 counties over the past week. Rise in cases The health department data over the past three weeks shows the rise in infections. June 23-29: 3,802 new cases, an average of 543 per day June 30-July 6: 4,316 new cases, an average of 616 per day July 7-13: 5,438 new cases, an average of 776 per day On Monday, the health department reported 328 new coronavirus cases, the lowest daily total since June 15. As she has noted previously, Levine said Monday laboratories sometimes process fewer tests on weekends, which can contribute to lower numbers reported on Mondays. On Friday, the health department reported 1,009 cases, the first time since May 10 the state reported more than 1,000 new cases in a day. Levine said 682 patients are being treated in hospitals, which is well below the peak of about 2,800 in the spring. Urging good decisions The health secretary said Pennsylvania residents need to make good choices to ensure cases dont spike. She noted that all of Pennsylvania is in the green zone in the Wolf administrations color-coded plan to reopen the state, allowing businesses to operate, albeit with restrictions in some cases. Our actions as a community will continue to impact whether we stay at work, Levine said. Levine said the process of contact tracing - tracking down everyone who has interacted with someone who tested positive - is a key component of the states effort to contain the virus. She said the state is making progress on that front. Were doing really well with our contact tracing, Levine said. Guidance for schools With a little more than a month before public schools are slated to reopen, Levine was asked about the states guidance for school districts and parents who have concerns. Levine said the Wolf administration would be releasing guidance for K-12 schools shortly, but didnt provide a specific date. Gov. Tom Wolf said last week that the state wants schools to be open in the fall, although some schools may choose a mix of face-to-face instruction and remote learning. More than 6,900 deaths have been linked to the coronavirus, according to the health department. More than two-thirds of those deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. More from PennLive Harrisburg restaurant temporarily closes as employee tests positive for COVID-19 Black-owned businesses: Stories of struggle and success | PennLive launches a vital two-week series STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As New York City experiences a month-long surge in shootings compared to the same time last year, opposing views have emerged on what the increase means at a time when massive protests have pushed officials to make changes to the department. Police unions and high ranking members of the NYPD caution the bump in shootings on Staten Island and across the city are a sign of things to come amid several reforms impacting law enforcement, but some community leaders describe those claims as scare tactics in an effort to turn the public against new policies. I guess the initial reaction is that weve heard this before from the police department, this is kind of a tool from their classic playbook, which is that they respond to any sort of change or effort to rein in abusive policing by invoking gun violence, said Darius Charney, senior attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights. Conversely, Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch has pointed to elected leaders soft touch approach to policing as the reason for what union leaders and some politicians on Staten Island have described as chaos on our streets. Pat Lynch on @1010WINS discussing chaos on our streets. Why are the shootings rising?: "Elected leaders, @NYCMayor, are saying there is going to be a soft touch on criminals & crime. Criminals on the street heard that message. They know police on the street are being held back." pic.twitter.com/kwW5CPKpll NYC PBA (@NYCPBA) July 6, 2020 SURGE IN SHOOTINGS Police responded to 585 shooting incidents so far in 2020, as of July 5, compared to 381 in the same timeframe in 2019. Of the 585 shootings, 223 occurred over a span of four weeks in June and early July seven of which were on Staten Island. In 2018, the NYPD responded to a total of about 750 shooting incidents, and in 2017 that number was about 790. If the gun violence continues at the same trajectory, it could be cause for concern. Throughout 2020, police on Staten Island had responded to 18 shooting incidents, as of July 5, compared to nine at the same time last year. A 27-year-old man shot Sunday in Port Richmond, and a 31-year-old man shot multiple times early Monday morning in West Brighton are not included the most recent data. All of the shooting incidents this year were reported on the boroughs North Shore, where neighborhoods historically placed at a socioeconomic disadvantage by unequal federal housing laws and disproportionate drug incarcerations have carried the annual burden of the vast majority of incidents. In 2018, police with the 120th and 121st precincts which encompass the North Shore handled a total of 17 shooting incidents. In 2017, that total was 37. COMMUNITY LEADERS SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS The sudden uptick in gun violence across New York City is occurring amid several unprecedented circumstances. The elimination of the NYPDs anti-crime unit, which police officials say had racked up a disproportionate number of complaints and police-involved shootings, is part of the citys transition to a more community-based anti-violence initiative. And while one officer with ties to an anti-crime unit on Staten Island described high-crime areas on Staten Island in the absence of the unit as the wild, wild west, advocates for social justice have pointed to NYPD data showing the surge in shootings began prior to the disbandment. Additionally, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has cost lives and jobs at a disproportionate rate in traditionally underserved, high-crime areas. Mayor Bill de Blasio had referenced this factor amid civil rights protests as frustrations and distrust between police and residents at times turned violent. Pro-police rallies on Staten Island and in Brooklyn have pointed to social justice reforms as a liability to public safety amid the recent spate of violence, while city leaders and community activists move forward with inner-departmental change deemed necessary in an ongoing fight for social equality. On Friday, de Blasio announced his Take Back the Block initiative, which emphasizes stronger community involvement alongside an increased NYPD presence of foot patrols and vehicles at hotspots across the city. De Blasio attended an Occupy the Corner event Saturday in Harlem, in the vicinity of several recent shootings. Community leaders helped organize the event as some elected officials have emphasized the importance of community organizations working alongside police. Stopping violence is a we thing, its not a me thing, Street Corner Resources Founder Iesha Sekou told Pix11. OTHER VIOLENT CRIMES ON AVERAGE PACE When looking at overall violent crimes reported citywide in 2020, compared with annual averages over the past decade, homicides are up while robberies and felony assaults are down. On Staten Island, homicides are on an average pace, while other violent crimes are down. In terms of murders and non-negligent manslaughter, NYPD officers citywide had been called to 197 murders or non-negligent homicides, as of July 5, according to the NYPDs CompStat data. From 2010 through 2019, the average was 373. Robberies so far are on pace to fall about 4,700 below the annual average of 16,768, data shows. Felony assaults are on pace to fall about 130 short of the annual average of 19,740. On Staten Island, seven alleged murders have occurred this year, after an average of about 14 murders or non-negligent homicides were reported over the past 10 years, data shows. Fatalities this year have included the July shooting death of a 45-year-old man inside a Stapleton apartment building, and a couple killed inside their Mariners Harbor home in what authorities deemed a premeditated robbery attempt. Robberies are on pace for a below-average year, while felony assaults are down slightly compared to yearly averages, as of July 5. From 2010 to 2019, police in the borough responded to an average of 395 robberies, compared to 114 recorded halfway through 2020. The average number of felony assaults from 2010 to 2019 was 623, while police have responded to 293 so far this year. Memorial candles are seen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, near the home where a man and his pregnant girlfriend were fatally shot and another woman was wounded in Mariners Harbor. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) DISBANDMENT OF ANTI-CRIME UNIT SPARKS CONCERNS The disbandment of the NYPDs anti-crime unit was announced June 15, moving the approximate 600 plainclothes cops that made up the squad to other assignments, including neighborhood policing. On Staten Island, Deputy Inspector Isa Abbassi, commander of the 120th Precinct, says the move has resulted in an increased number of individuals carrying firearms. I think its obvious from the trends that were seeing that we are not as effective without (the anti-crime unit) in controlling gun violence, Abbassi said during a Zoom meeting Tuesday with the Vanduzer Civic Association. And thats something that were going to have to learn a new way of doing. Abbassi said the precinct is exploring options that fall within the mandates of the police department, in addition to public and political opinions, that makes some of the complexities even more complex... Were going to continue to succeed here at the 120, he said. We dont know how to lose, and our cops dont know how to lose. THE UNITS TROUBLED PAST While city leaders and Staten Island cops on the street have touted the effectiveness of the anti-crime unit in removing guns from the streets, the specialized squad also has been tainted over the years by what Police Commissioner Dermot Shea described recently as a disproportionate percentage of complaints and shootings. When you look at the number of anti-crime officers that operate within New York City, and you look at a disproportionate, quite frankly, percentage of complaints and shootings and they are doing exactly what was asked of them, Shea said during a recent press conference. But Charney is among some civil rights advocates who say disbanding the unit doesnt go far enough, especially on Staten Island where former officer Daniel Pantaleo a member of the anti-crime unit was fired for using a banned chokehold on Eric Garner. Civil rights activists took issue with the fact Pantaleo was reassigned and kept his job for five years before being fired, while also pointing to other past examples of cops being disciplined for misconduct but remaining on the force. Its a systemic and its really a department culture problem with the NYPD, Charney said. And so simply repackaging or policing under a different name within the department is not going to get at the root of the problem, which is really how the NYPD views and treats the communities its supposed to protect and serve. And while social justice advocates point to the fact the recent uptick in violence began prior to the disbandment of the anti-crime unit, the upward trend of gun violence has continued in the weeks following the move. BAIL REFORM A FACTOR? At a pro-police rally this week outside the 122nd Precinct station house in New Dorp, some Staten Island politicians cited bail reform as a factor in a recent uptick in shootings when compared to the previous year. Though according to a recent data analysis by by the New York Post, just 91 of the approximately 11,000 people released from Rikers Island have been involved in a shooting this year. Outside of shooting incidents, police on Staten Island have cited bail reform as a major factor in car thefts and other crimes. Gov. Andrew Cuomo in April announced state legislators had amended the controversial laws that became effective in January. Changes to the law were scheduled to take effect July 1. New bail-qualifying charges include sex-trafficking offenses, first-degree money laundering, money laundering in support of terrorism in the third and fourth degree, child pornography offenses and first-degree grand larceny. Other added bail-eligible offenses include alleged crimes that caused another persons death, some vehicular assault offenses, enterprise corruption, and specified crimes against family or household members. 10 Over 250 people rally to support NYPD Officer Pantaleo REPEAT OFFENDERS From January through the end of June, more than 2,000 people arrested in a crime in which a gun was recovered had open criminal cases at the time of the incident, according to a recent press release on the NYPDs website. The departments top brass for years have put the number of people believed to be committing the vast majority of violent crime in the thousands, among a city of about 8.5 million people. That was in part the idea behind the tactics of the NYPDs anti-crime unit, in terms of keeping close intel on those involved in gun violence and removing weapons from the streets. But in light of the units troubled past, and in an effort to build trust between residents and police, city leaders have said the same theory will be applied to a civilian-based anti-violence approach already in place across the city. If we actually invest in people, if we invest in communities, we make a change thats much much deeper, de Blasio said during a June press conference. De Blasio was joined by leaders within those organizations, who work daily with residents to diffuse violence through face-to-face counseling, psychological healing, setting goals and job programs. When the trauma that impacts (youth) from generation to generation from the violence, from the years of oppression, from the years of brutality, from the years of miseducation... sometimes they take that trauma, that pain, and lash out at those around them, said Erica Ford, CEO of Life Camp Inc. Ford also spoke to trauma experienced by police officers in those same neighborhoods, the high number of suicides within the department and how anti-violence groups want to address those issues as well. 60 George Floyd rally in Concord marches to 122nd Precinct $1 BILLION CUT CALLED INTO QUESTION Police Commissioner Dermot Shea has criticized the City Council for bowing to mob rule when it announced it would slash the NYPDs budget by $1 billion, in reference to weeks of civil rights protests touched off by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. He said the reduction will present a significant challenge but wont cripple the department. And lets mark the date on the calendar and how long its going to be before were having a conversation about New York is crying out for more police, Shea said. And I think that day has come. Analysis of the cuts, however, have called into question whether the NYPD will actually see a $1 billion reduction. After announcing the move to defund the department, it was reported that a $300 million cut by moving school safety agents out of the NYPD in this years budget will not happen, despite assurances by de Blasio and Council Speaker Corey Johnson that they would be a part of the cuts, Politico reported. Additionally, more than a third of the reduction also hinges on a $350 million overtime decrease that many have said is an unlikely figure. Johnsons office has said the safety agents were supposed to come out of the NYPD this year, and the Council expects the switch to begin when the budget undergoes mid-year adjustments in November. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 20:17:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GENEVA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic is an "unfortunate opportunity" to rethink the policies and regulations in wildlife trades, as well as humans' relationship with nature, said Ivonne Higuero, secretary-general of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in a recent interview with Xinhua. Higuero called for a "multi-sectoral approach" to better regulate wildlife trade and reduce the risk of zoonoses -- diseases or infections that are transmissible from animals to humans. WILDLIFE TRADE & ZOONOSES According to a study published on Nature magazine, some 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases reported globally are zoonoses. Over 30 new human pathogens have been detected in the last three decades, 75 percent of which originated in animals. The coronaviruses that caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) are thought to be zoonotic viruses that have originated in bats and transmitted to humans through civet cats and camels. Although the origin of the COVID-19 has not yet identified, all available evidence for COVID-19 suggests that the virus has a zoonotic source, according to the World Health Organization. The transmission of the viruses can happen at multiple stages of interaction between humans and animals, from farming, hunting, and fishing to the trade of specimens, their transport, processing, or storage. Through international wildlife trade, pathogens carried by animals could be introduced to new environments. Since the outset of the pandemic, wildlife trade has drawn public attention. "We will never be able to eliminate them completely as long as we live side by side with animals," said Higuero, "but we can reduce the risks." An important step is to follow the framework provided by the CITES, she said. CITES is the regulatory instrument for international wildlife trade. It protects more than 30,000 species of wild plants and around 6,000 species of wild animals against over-exploitation. RETHINK HUMANS' RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE Wildlife trafficking is one of the most lucrative illicit trade worldwide. Compared with the wildlife trade that is fully regulated, illegal wildlife trade has a greater risk of introducing zoonoses. The World Wildlife Crime Report 2020 published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime notes that pangolins, which were identified as a potential source of coronaviruses, are the most trafficked wild mammals in the world, with seizures of pangolin scales having increased tenfold between 2014 and 2018. Facing a common threat of zoonotic diseases, Higuero underscored that the attention should not only be paid to the marketplace and consumption of wildlife, but more importantly, to "how we treat nature." "The extension of agricultural land, conversion of land for agriculture for deforestation, urbanization... development of infrastructure, construction of highways, all of these things are really having a huge impact for nature and all, and again, destroying ecosystems, having an impact on wildlife habitats," she said. Overexploitation of species has an impact on "propagating the zoonotic diseases" because humans "keep encroaching into wildlife areas" and are becoming closer to some "risky species" and the pathogens they carried. MULTI-SECTORIAL APPROACH VITAL Higuero stressed that reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases entails a multi-sectoral approach. "It's about trade; it's about wildlife management; it's about health management; it's about regulations inspectors," she said. She pointed out that a quicker way is to work together with actors from different sectors, countries, and organizations. For example, CITES' Wildlife management authorities are working with veterinarians and public health authorities to develop guidance that can be brought to the national level. CITES is also working with The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) to support the exchange of electronic "eCITES" permit, which aims to strengthen the control measures on the international wildlife trade between 183 parties of CITES. According to Higuero, the system can be integrated with other biosecurity measures under the current pandemic, to ensure that the project has not only the approval form CITES but also from veterinarians. Enditem For the past few years, Ive taught a seminar on the sociology of the police at Colby College in Maine. My students, mostly progressive, ask me whether theres anything they can do to help solve some of the serious problems that exist in policing, such as racial inequities in the use of force, the overpolicing of minority neighborhoods and rogue officers who lie to justify arrests. Today, young people all over the country are asking the same question. Heres the answer I give my students: Consider becoming a police officer. To many progressives, the suggestion to join the police force may be counterintuitive, even offensive. If your belief, based on what youve seen or read or experienced firsthand, is that policing is a racist, oppressive institution, why would you want to become a part of it? But if there were more police officers who cared about the things progressives support, like minimizing police violence, finding alternatives to incarceration and ensuring the right to peaceful protest, wed all benefit. One of the main challenges when it comes to controlling police behavior is that by necessity, police officers are granted a great deal of discretion. They deal with so many widely varying and ambiguous situations that even the most intricately laid out rules cant always specify how they should respond. Officers must follow applicable laws and policies, but theyre also expected to use their own good judgment, as informed by their training and experience. When that judgment isnt good when its clouded by racial animus or implicit bias, for example, or a greater sense of loyalty to ones peers than to the cause of justice problems arise. Yet the discretionary nature of policing also presents an opportunity: We could seed the occupation with people whose judgment reflects progressive values. (Years ago, I briefly served as a police officer, moved to do so by some of these concerns.) With most countries in an unlock mode after the stringent lockdown triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic over the past few months, Nomura expects an uptick in economic growth rates as measured by the gross domestic product (GDP) for most Asian countries in the second half of calendar year 2020 (H2-2020) as compared to the second quarter lows, but cautions that the pace of recovery will vary across regions. 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 UAE official did not respond to accusations but tweeted on Monday the emirates wants to see Libya oil production resume. Libyas National Oil Corp. declared force majeure on exports again, accusing the United Arab Emirates of being behind a blockade as chaos continued to engulf the countrys oil industry. The NOC said Sunday that the UAE had instructed eastern forces in Libya to shut down oil production. The North African country had resumed exports just two days earlier, before eastern commander Khalifa Haftar ordered a halt Saturday night. The swift reversal reflects the persistent turmoil roiling the OPEC nation. The UAE, along with Russia and Egypt, backs Haftars army, which has insisted the blockade continue and said a tanker given permission to load oil at Es Sider port was just an exception. The Emirates instruction is gravely disappointing, especially following repeated statements by very senior representatives of the UAE last week in support of international efforts to restart oil production in Libya, the NOC said in a statement. The UAE hasnt responded publicly to the NOCs accusation, but its minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, tweeted on Monday that his country wants to see a return to oil production in Libya as soon as possible, with safeguards in place to prevent the proceeds fueling further conflict. We continue to work for an immediate cease-fire and return to a political process. Libya has been at the center of a proxy war between various regional powers, and remains divided between a United Nations-recognized government in the capital Tripoli, where the NOC has its headquarters, and a competing administration based in the east. Haftars blockade, which started in January, sent Libyan crude production crashing to about 100,000 barrels a day from 1.2 million, and has cost the country $7 billion in lost revenue, according to the central bank. Libyas output was as high as 1.6 million barrels daily in early 2011 before an uprising ousted longtime leader Moammar Qaddafi and led to the civil war. Dilapidated Industry Libyas oil facilities have been key to the conflict, with different groups repeatedly closing them. The shutdowns and lack of maintenance have severely damaged fields and wells, which will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to repair, NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla said in an interview in June. A Russian mercenary force, the Wagner Group, and Syrian mercenaries now occupy Es Sider port, while Wagner and Sudanese mercenaries are camped near the Sharara oil field, the NOC said. There must be consequences for the actions of the handful of states that are undermining the rule-based international order and destroying Libya, Sanalla said in the statement. The renewed blockade demonstrates the urgent need for moves to improve financial transparency, to be accompanied by reform of security at oil installations. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $40 gift card! When you buy and hold a stock for the long term, you definitely want it to provide a positive return. Better yet, you'd like to see the share price move up more than the market average. Unfortunately for shareholders, while the Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) share price is up 24% in the last five years, that's less than the market return. Over the last twelve months the stock price has risen a very respectable 12%. Check out our latest analysis for Morgan Stanley There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time. During five years of share price growth, Morgan Stanley achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 18% per year. The EPS growth is more impressive than the yearly share price gain of 4.5% over the same period. So it seems the market isn't so enthusiastic about the stock these days. The reasonably low P/E ratio of 10.20 also suggests market apprehension. The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). It's good to see that there was some significant insider buying in the last three months. That's a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here.. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. As it happens, Morgan Stanley's TSR for the last 5 years was 40%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return. Story continues A Different Perspective It's good to see that Morgan Stanley has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 16% in the last twelve months. That's including the dividend. That's better than the annualised return of 7.0% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. In the best case scenario, this may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Morgan Stanley better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Morgan Stanley (including 1 which is makes us a bit uncomfortable) . Morgan Stanley is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges. 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. A Republican governor rumored to be eyeing a run for the White House in 2024 has said the GOP needs to be a 'bigger tent party' after President Trump has left office. Maryland's Larry Hogan, who has been known to break with Trump, told NBC's 'Meet the Press' that he doesn't 'know what the future holds in November.' Hogan said: 'I know that the Republican Party is going to be looking at what happens after President Trump and whether thats in four months or four years. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (pictured) has said that the Republican party needs to become a 'bigger tent party' to help attract a larger share of voters 'And I think theyre going to be looking to, "How do we go about becoming a bigger tent party?"' The rebuke was a rarity among Republicans who have largely been afraid to criticize a president still popular with the GOP rank-and-file despite questions about how he has handled the COVID-19 pandemic. Hogan did not rule out voting for Joe Biden, the Democrat challenging Trump in the November election. In 2016, Hogan wrote in the name of his father, a former Republican congressman from Maryland. Hogan did not rule out voting for Joe Biden, the Democrat challenging President Trump in the November election (file image) 'Its a difficult choice,' he said. 'I think most people would like to see something different, and maybe well figure that out in 2024.' The governor pointed to his 2018 re-election as a model, when he won in deep-blue Maryland by almost 12 percentage points 'by reaching out, by trying to find that middle ground where people can stand together' and by eschewing 'divisive rhetoric.' He also noted that he did well with suburban women, a group that polls suggest has largely abandoned Trump. Hogan also raised questions with Trump's decision on Friday to commute the sentence of longtime political ally, Roger Stone, who had been convicted of lying to help the president and said: 'Its certainly going to hurt politically.' New Delhi, July 13 : The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) Monday informed the Supreme Court that it has decided not to hold the CA examination this semester (May cycle), and postponed it till November against the backdrop of Covid-19 pandemic. The May cycle of exams were scheduled between July 29 and August 16. ICAI's counsel told a bench comprising Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Sanjiv Khanna that the May cycle examination will be merged with the November 2020 cycle. The bench observed that as per affidavit filed on July 6, the examination schedule in July has been cancelled. As Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, representing the petitioner, submitted there are certain aspects in connection with the CA examinations, the apex court, disposing of the petition, noted that liberty is granted to the petitioner to make a representation to the ICAI regarding other suggestions/issues, and the ICAI could decide it on merits. The bench said the decision should be taken preferably within four weeks after receiving the copy of the representation. The petitioner has argued for more examination centres across the country. On June 29, the apex court had told the ICAI to be flexible and consider allowing students to opt out of the exams, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. "Don't be rigid, be flexible. Show some concern for the students," it said, noting that the option of change of centres should be made available for the students in order to avoid travel, and things cannot be rigid as the situation is evolving. The ICAI counsel had sought time to issue fresh guidelines in connection with the current cycle of the CA exams slated this year. Counsel contended that there are 567 test centres, which are sanitised properly, and it cannot change the centres now. The bench replied that the option to change should be there, if in case the area becomes a containment zone. "This option should be kept open till the last week... the situation is not static. It is dynamic," noted the bench. To this, the ICAI counsel said the SOP is in place, authorities will shift the centre in case there is a containment zone. The bench also asked the ICAI that if a candidate in a containment zone is forced to appear in an exam only in November, then could it be counted as appearing in July. The ICAI counsel contended before the court that the concerns of the petitioner are unfounded in connection with the opt out option and the ICAI was bound by the Chartered Accountants Act. Counsel submitted if a candidate sends an email saying he/she is unable to take the paper due to Covid-19, it will not be questioned. "It is a group of 4-4. They can choose to appear at a later date if they are Covid-19 affected," contended the ICAI counsel. The bench then asked the ICAI to issue fresh guidelines incorporating the suggestions made by it and posted the matter for further hearing in July. "ICAI counsel may take instructions and file the modified draft notification setting out the changes," said the top court. A PIL was filed by the President of the India Wide Parents Association seeking quashing of the notification issued by the ICAI allowing chartered accountant aspirants to opt out of the exams this year. Weekend traffic accidents claimed the lives of three men, according to the Jefferson County Coroners Office. Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates gave this account: Antonio Leon Ellison, 54, of Birmingham, was walking in the 400 block of 3rd Avenue West Friday at 10:03 p.m. when he was struck by a pickup truck. Ellison died minutes alter. The driver of the pickup truck remained at the scene and reported the incident to the authorities. The death is being investigated by the Birmingham Police Department. David Lee Cain, 63, of Adger, was driving alone on Mud Creek Road Saturday at 11:08 p.m. For unknown reasons, the vehicle crossed into the opposing lane of travel, ran off the road, struck an embankment and came to a rest. Cain died about 90 minutes later. The wreck is being investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office. Ronald Demon Swann, 42, of Birmingham, was driving alone on I-459 between U.S. Hwy 280 and Acton Road Sunday at 11:44 p.m. when his vehicle was struck by a tractor trailer. He died minutes later. The wreck is being investigated by the Alabama State Troopers. Coronation Street character Todd Grimshaw is 'set for a return to the cobbles with a new actor', after original star Bruno Langley was axed in 2017 following his sexual assault conviction. According to the Daily Star, castings are taking place to find a new actor for the role played by Bruno on-off between 2001 and 2017. Doctor Who star Bruno, 37, was axed from Coronation Street in 2017 after being convicted of groping two women on a drunken night out. Comeback: Coronation Street character Todd Grimshaw is 'set for a return to the cobbles with a new actor', after original star Bruno Langley was axed in 2017 following his sexual assault conviction The actor pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault at a hearing in November 2017, and was given a 12-month community order, including 40 days of rehabilitation activity and to submit to a curfew. He offered a tearful apology for his actions, and has since said he is attending therapy session and alcoholic anonymous meetings. Back in 2017, Todd was written out with viewers told he had 'gone on the run' after assaulting a police officer. Fall from grace: According to the Daily Star , castings are taking place to find a new actor for the role played by Bruno on-off between 2001 and 2017 (pictured at court in 2017) Over: Back in 2017, Todd was written out with viewers told he had 'gone on the run' after assaulting a police officer Todd's return to the cobbles has apparently been hinted at several times in 2020, with his mother Eileen (played by Sue Cleaver) saying: 'Every Mothers Day or birthday its the same. I think this will be the time I hear from him but I never do of course.' Daniel Brocklebank, who plays vicar Billy Mayhew, who had a romance with Todd, has also said he's set to encounter 'a blast from the past.' A Coronation Street representative declined to comment to MailOnline. Meanwhile, Bruno has now found work as a portrait photographer and takes home 65 for a four hour shoot. Conviction: Doctor Who star Bruno, 37, was axed from Coronation Street in 2017 after being convicted of groping two women on a drunken night out (pictured at court in 2017) Friends of the actor told The Mirror that he is hoping to kick-start a career as a writer after losing his acting work on the small screen. At the time of his conviction, Bruno told The Sunday Mirror: 'I've been living way too fast for too long... My drinking had escalated. The wheels fell off. I wasn't particularly happy... I've started going to see a counsellor and been attending AA meetings and that's helped. 'I have no excuse, no one forced me to drink to such an extreme, but it is hard to explain why I would do anything as dreadful as that. It must have been awful for those women, and I am ashamed of myself. Im truly sorry. 'I sincerely apologise to the women, from the bottom of my heart. I promise I will never do anything like that again', he added at the time. Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. Chief Operating Officer Jan Oberholzer negotiated a contract with a construction firm in which he held shares and asked a subordinate to find a job for his brother-in-law without disclosing that he was a relative, according to probes commissioned by the company. A payment approved by Oberholzer to another contractor was also questioned by an independent counsel in his 15-page report, which was not released publicly but has been seen by Bloomberg. Eskom declined to comment. Oberholzer could not be reached for comment. The previously unreported findings came in documents related to a personnel grievance filed by a senior executive, Mark Chettiar. While the April 4 report, produced through a separate process independent of the grievance, by Nazeer Cassim, a former High Court Judge, cleared Oberholzer of corruption, it concluded that he breached Eskom policy. In a statement in April, Eskoms board said there was no need for the company to take any action against Oberholzer. Eskom, a nearly century-old monopoly that generates most of the nations electricity, is saddled with 450 billion rand ($26.7 billion) in debt and cant supply the country with sufficient power. Its battling to right itself after years of mismanagement and corruption documented in public testimony over the last two years to a state judicial commission. Chief Executive Officer Andre de Ruyter took over in January pledging to root out graft and improve operations. Breached Policy Oberholzer, a former employee of Stefanutti Stocks Holdings Ltd., signed a submission to Eskoms investment and finance committee recommending an increase in a contract with the construction firm, Cassim found. At the time, Oberholzer held shares in Stefanutti Stocks, the value of which had declined to 6,000 rand from an initial 600,000 rand. Oberholzer breached the provisions of the Eskom policy he should have abstained from the transactions in totality, Cassim said. I propose and recommend that the CEO or a nominated board member counsels Oberholzer on the matter. Eskom has since said it overpaid Stefanutti Stocks. The construction company denied on July 10 that it was overpaid. Brother-in-Law On another matter, Cassim said that if a 42 million-rand payment Oberholzer promoted or authorized to construction company Aveng Ltd. had not already been the subject of litigation between the two firms there is no reason why the issue cannot be the subject matter of a disciplinary hearing. Chettiar last year made a submission to the state graft commission about the procedures followed in authorizing that payment, which has yet to be made after the commission recommended it be held back. In an April statement, Eskom said it would wait for the litigation to be completed before it decided whether to take any disciplinary action. In separate documentation relating to the grievance filed by Chettiar on Sept. 13 against Oberholzer, the COO admitted to calling Chettiar and asking him to find a job in Cape Town for Gregory Jacobs, his brother-in-law. He said there had been no pressure. Chettiar, who declined to comment, has since faced an internal disciplinary procedure initiated by Oberholzer over the allegations he made and documents show that he has been moved to a training job in human resources against his will. In his report, Cassim said Oberholzer shouldnt have taken action against Chettiar, as he had done so hastily and emotionally. In that grievance Oberholzer was accused of use of the F word and shouting at the top of his voice with continued threats of firing people for non-performance. Oberholzer apologized for his language, according to documents related to the grievance. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented education emergency with up to 9.7 million children affected by school closures at risk of never going back to class, Save the Children warned on Monday as global cases hit a new grim milestone of 13mn. The British charity said 1.6 billion young people, or about 90% of the worlds student population, were shut out of school and university due to measures to contain Covid-19 in April. For the first time in human history, an entire generation of children globally have had their education disrupted, it said in the report, Save our Education. Te economic fallout of the crisis could force an extra 90 to 117 mn children into poverty, with a knock-on effect on school admissions. With many young people required to work, or girls forced into early marriage to support their families, this could see between seven and 9.7mn children dropping out of school permanently. The charity warned the crisis could leave a shortfall of $77bn in education budgets in low and middle income countries by the end of 2021. The United Nations, meanwhile, said in a report on Monday that the worlds hungry grew by 10mn last year and warned that the pandemic could push as many as 130mn more people into chronic hunger this year. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report noted the pandemic may add up to 132mn people to the ranks of the undernourished in 2020. The head of the World Health Organization warned the pandemic is worsening globally and things wont return to the old normal for some time. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on Monday that there will be no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future. Tedros also chastised political leaders for mixed messages about outbreaks that damage trust, without referring to any politicians by name. His grim assessment came after WHO reported a new record increase in global coronavirus cases on Sunday, with the total going up by 230,370 in 24 hours. The biggest increases were from the US, Brazil, India and South Africa. The previous WHO record for new cases was 228,102 on July 10. Deaths remained steady at about 5,000 a day. On Monday, infections across the world crossed 13 million, according to the Worldometer tracker. Confirmed Covid-19 deaths in Mexico passed 35,000, making it the fourth highest in fatalities. A count by Johns Hopkins University has only the US, Brazil and Britain with more confirmed deaths from the new coronavirus. Sundays rise to 35,006 confirmed deaths moved Mexico, a country of 130mn people, past Italy. Various regions across the world continued to grapple with the pandemic on Monday. Hong Kong reimposed social distancing measures to combat a sudden spike in infections, banning more than four people from gathering in public and requiring passengers to wear face masks on public transport or risk a US$650 fine. Some businesses will also be closed and restaurants restricted over when they can serve diners. South Africa reinstated a night curfew to reduce traffic accidents and has made it mandatory for all residents to wear face masks in public. Argentina has registered more than 100,000 cases on Sunday, despite the Buenos Aires area - the countrys coronavirus hot spot -- being under extended shutdown. The country now has recorded 1,845 deaths. Kansas City police have arrested a father and his girlfriend after finding the remains of a child believed to be his young daughter in a wooded area, hours after he had reported her missing. Howard Jansen, 29, the father of three-year-old Olivia Jansen, and his girlfriend Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, 33, have been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child endangerment and criminal desecration. The father said that his daughter had gone missing from his Gibbs Street home at 8:30am Friday, triggering an Amber Alert and massive search by multiple law enforcement agencies using drones and K9 units, police said. Cops searching for Olivia said they found the remains half a mile away near a walking trail in a wooded area in the 3400 block of Steele Road around 5.30pm Friday, KCTV reported. Officials say the father gave cops different accounts during the day about what happened to her that did not make sense. Kansas City police arrested a father and his girlfriend after finding the remains of a child believed to be 3-year-old Olivia Jansen (pictured) Olivia's father Howard Jansen (left), 29, and his girlfriend Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick (right), 33, face charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child endangerment and criminal desecration after police said they found a child's remains in a wooded area around 5.30pm Friday When asked if cops suspected the father's report of the missing child was untrue, a police spokesman told KCTV: 'Yes, very.' Officer T.J. Tomasic said: 'We have had several stories throughout the day. None of them made very much sense.' A coroner will confirm the identity of the child's remains and how she died, the spokesperson said. The FBI also will be assisting in the investigation. Jansen was booked Friday night, according to jail records, and his girlfriend was arrested on Sunday, when the couple were formally charged. Both face life sentences if convicted, with possible parole eligibility after 25 years. Family members told KCTV that they didn't understand why the father had personally gone to police headquarters to report the child was missing. They also said Jansen and Kirkpatrick's most recent address was off Ottawa Street, so it didn't make sense that the father reported Olivia went missing from his previous home on Gibbs Road. A search and Amber Alert were cancelled after the discovery of the child's body near a walking trail in a wooded area off the 3400 block of Steele Road (pictured) The above map shows roughly half a mile between Gibbs Road where Jansen said he was living with his girlfriend and daughter when the child went missing and Steele Road where a child's remains were found during a search Jansen was booked Friday night, according to jail records, and his girlfriend was arrested on Sunday. Both are pictured in an image posted on Facebook Family members said they didn't understand why Jansen had personally gone to police headquarters to report Olivia was missing. The child is pictured in an image with her father and his girlfriend that was posted on Facebook The relatives said they worried over the child, prior to her disappearance, and that they were denied seeing her. 'She's just special. She is just a beautiful little girl. Sweet, vibrant. She is my sunshine,' Olivia's step-grandmother Elisabeth Jansen had told KCTV. Cops alerted the community once the body was discovered, and said they were 'deeply saddened,' having to make the announcement. 'This is not the outcome we wanted, in fact it is the worst outcome,' police wrote in a statement on Facebook. In years past, post-secondary students may have taken a marker into a bathroom stall to vent about issues on campus. Now, students across the country have taken the forum digital. Seemingly overnight, waves of Instagram accounts have appeared with links for students to make anonymous submissions of their experiences with racism and sexual assault on campus. Vanessa Patterson, 22, runs the account @UWOMinorityStory and graduated from Londons Western University in 2019. The first story she posted, she said, was one of her own. In her first year of residence, she and a friend found a racist message written on a whiteboard: KILL ALL N***ERS. She said when they brought it to her residence advisors attention, she was scolded for making her look bad in front of her boss and floormates said what was written was so ridiculous it was funny. The other stories on the feed have been submitted by students, past and present. Patterson and her twin sister Elise have been sifting through stories and adding to the feed. Patterson said these issues dont just happen outside of school in the social scene. There needs to be an acknowledgment that this happens in residence, in the classroom, on campus in clubs, as well as in the social scene. On Monday, the group Black at Western Alumni also released an open letter that members wrote at the end of June to the universitys president Alan Shepard. It was sparked in response to the school addressing John Philippe Rushton, a professor who between 1977 until his death in 2012 published racist work that BWA said is still misused by white supremacists and eugenicists to justify racist acts. The school acknowledged the hurt caused, but the BWA said more needed to be done. In the letter, BWA outlined 13 action items for the school to take, including hiring more faculty from the Black community and from other underrpresented communities and developing workshops for faculty on how to challenge the ways anti-Black racism operates within classrooms. The group has since had an initial meeting with Shepard and anticipate more. UWOMinorityStory is one of several similar Instagram accounts that have cropped up in the last week or so for students at other schools in Canada including McGill, York, Ottawa, Concordia, another two from Western (by the Black at Western Alumni and the Ivey Business School), Dalhousie, University of British Columbia and Appleby College, a boarding school in Oakville. Nearly all of them have credited inspiration to the original Harvard Law and Cornell accounts in the U.S., as well as the account that brought the conversation to Canada at the start of July, @StolenbySmith about the Smith School of Business at Queens University. Kelly Weiling Zou, who is going into her fourth year at Smith, started the account where students and alumni have been sharing harrowing stories of racism, discrimination and sexual violence. In about 10 days, the account has amassed over 10,000 followers, shared over 200 posts and has 400 and counting to go through. I only have one year left and I desperately want to leave this school a better place than when I came in, Zou said. This isnt the first time Queens has been at the centre of racist controversy. In 2016, students at Queens hosted a party where the theme seemed to be offensive costumes. Im a disabled woman of colour. Im queer, Zou said. A lot of these identities, even though they seem to be accepted on the front page of the Smith School of Business magazine, are not accepted in the actual space itself. Brenda Brouwer, the dean of Smith, said in a statement, The experiences being shared on @StolenbySmith have exposed issues of inequity, exclusion and systemic racism in the school of business that cannot and will not be ignored. The dean goes on to say all staff and students will receive Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity and Indigeneity training going into the fall term and during the year. The partnership between Chinese tech companies and the Chinese Communist Party is threatening global Internet freedom. But the U.S. has the chance to push back and safeguard online free speech and privacy worldwide. Last Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox Newss Laura Ingraham that the U.S. is certainly looking at banning TikTok, a video-sharing social-media platform owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, over its ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Pompeo cited the threat of Chinese surveillance to national security, as TikTok user data is surely being passed on to the CCP. A day later, in an interview with Greta Van Susteren, President Trump took a different tack, listing a ban on TikTok as one of many potential ways to punish the Chinese government for its hand in the coronavirus pandemic. TikTok is no stranger to U.S. scrutiny. Government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security have banned the app for security reasons. And last year, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department investigated the company after it was alleged to have used data from users under 13 years of age in violation of American privacy laws. It was recently reported that the app may have failed to address regulators concerns on that front. It might seem strange that an app known for making harmless, entertaining videos go viral would be the center of so much controversy. But the problem isnt the content TikTok allows users to share with the world; its the companys meticulous collection of user data and its close, troubling relationship with the CCP. Parent company ByteDance is allegedly working with the CCP in its surveillance efforts. Just as unsettling, the app has been accused of aiding Chinese propaganda efforts through the use of shadow bans, fiddling with the apps algorithm so that users even users outside China dont see content concerning Tiananmen Square or the Hong Kong protests. For instance, in 2019, TikTok user Feroza Aziz had her account suspended after posting a makeup tutorial that secretly condemned Chinas mass detention and abuse of Uighur Muslims in Xianjiang Province. Story continues Such abuses are not limited to TikTok. Other Chinese tech companies have done the CCPs bidding inside and outside China as well. According to an Australian Strategic Policy Institute report, Chinese tech giants such as Huawei, Tencent, and Alibaba are using artificial intelligence to collect users data and aid and abet China in fulfilling its global ambitions. And what are those ambitions? One is obviously the legitimizing of the CCPs dictatorship abroad. But China may also be seeking to normalize authoritarianism more generally. For instance, TikTok has reportedly censored criticisms of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkeys authoritarian president. Its like a virtual Belt and Road Initiative, in which viral dance videos replace seemingly good-faith investments as the vehicle for the spread of CCP influence. In the face of Chinas threats to the freedom of the worlds Internet, the Trump administration should be applauded for considering a ban on TikTok. As Chinese censorship, surveillance, and propaganda spread worldwide, the U.S. has a chance to fight back and change the trajectory of the Information Age for the better. At a press conference on Wednesday, Pompeo said that the infrastructure of this next hundred years must be a communications infrastructure thats based on a Western ideal of private property and protection of private citizens information in a transparent way. He added, however, that realizing that vision would be difficult: Its a big project, because weve got partners all around the world where infrastructure crosses Chinese technology and then comes to the United States. It wont be easy, but it must be done. Nothing less than global Internet freedom is at stake. More from National Review Several worker advocacy organizations have filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture alleging that meat processing companies Tyson and JBS have engaged in racial discrimination during the coronavirus pandemic. The complaint filed Wednesday alleges the companies adopted polices that violate a section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects individuals from racial discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance. Tyson has received more than $109 million from USDA programs this year and JBS more than $45 million, the complaint said. As recipients of federal taxpayer dollars they are required to comply with federal laws. When they took that money, they knew at that point that they would be held accountable to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but they continued to violate that act, said Joe Henry, director of Forward Latino, one of the groups filing the complaint. Others include the Food Chain Workers Alliance, HEAL Food Alliance, American Friends Service Committee of Iowa and the Idaho Organization of Resource Councils. Coronavirus infections were first reported in meatpacking plants in March and since then at least 32,151 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed among workers in 291 plants and at least 122 meatpacking workers have died, the complaint said. A CDC report released Tuesday found 87% of those coronavirus cases occurred among racial and ethnic minorities even though they make up 61% of the worker population. After the outbreaks were uncovered, meatpacking plants began providing workers with face coverings, installed shields between work stations and implemented new procedures for distancing during breaks, but they declined to adopt other U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for keeping people at least 6 feet apart. The companies also declined to initiate slower speeds on production lines or add shifts to enable social distancing, the complaint said. The complaint alleges the operating procedures have a disparate impact on Black, Latino, and Asian workers, who make up a large share of production workers at the companies plants, representing a pattern or practice of racial discrimination. Tyson spokesman Worth Sparkman said in an email that the company was still reviewing the complaint and noted that the companys top priority is the health and safety of all workers, their families and the communities where plants are located. Weve transformed the way our plants operate to protect our team members, implementing measures such as symptom screening before every shift, he said. Cameron Bruett, a spokesman for JBS and subsidiary Pilgrims Pride said the company welcomes any review of its practices and response to the pandemic. During this pandemic, we have maintained our operations and the jobs they create only when we believe our facilities to be safe. We have embraced our responsibility to provide a safe working environment and will continue to do so. Our efforts have followed, and often exceeded, CDC guidance, he said in an email statement. A USDA spokesman declined to comment. The complaint goes to the USDA through an administrative procedure and it will be up to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to decide how its resolved. The procedure could result in an agreement between the worker groups, the USDA and the companies or it could take years to get to a final resolution if theres no agreement, said Dave OBrien, a civil rights attorney in Cedar Rapids who handled such complaints in the Obama administrations Labor Department. The complaint filed on Wednesday asks the Civil Rights Division of the USDA to investigate and remedy the discrimination and for the agency to suspended or terminate funding to the companies if they do not comply with federal laws. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Doors open: Guests wear masks as required to attend the official reopening of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida on Saturday. Photo: Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP Florida has shattered the US record for the largest one-day increase in coronavirus cases in any state since the beginning of the pandemic. It added 15,299 cases on Saturday as its daily average death toll continued to also rise. California had the previous record of daily positive cases - 11,694, set on Wednesday. New York had 11,571 on April 15. Florida has now had a total of 269,811 cases. The numbers come at the end of a grim, record-breaking week as Florida reported 514 fatalities - an average of 73 per day. Three weeks ago, it was averaging 30 deaths per day. Since the pandemic began in March, 4,346 people have died in Florida of Covid-19, the state says. Testing has doubled over the last month, from about 25,000 a day to almost 50,000, but the percentage of people testing positive has risen even more dramatically. A month ago, fewer than 5pc of tests came up positive on a daily average. Over the past week, the daily average exceeded 19pc. About 10.7pc of Saturday's 143,000 tests came up positive. "I still think we need to increase our testing a little more," said University of Florida epidemiologist Dr Cindy Prins, adding that health departments should also ramp up contact tracing. Dr Prins said that she's still concerned about large crowds, gyms and some restaurants as places of mass transmission. Reports of illegal clubs and raves in South Florida are also a worry, she said. "I really do think we could control this, and it's the human element that is so critical," she added. "It should be an effort of our country. We should be pulling together when we're in a crisis, and we're definitely not doing it. I know people want to live their lives. "There have been a lot of other times, people have made those sacrifices in order to benefit our society. It's almost like a war effort. That's what we need right now." Meanwhile, Mexico's death toll from coronavirus is poised to overtake Italy's and shoot above 35,000, the world's fourth highest deaths total. On Saturday, it recorded 539 additional fatalities to bring its coronavirus toll to 34,730, with 295,268 confirmed cases. Italy, one of the earliest countries to be hit hard by the virus, has recorded 34,945 deaths and 242,827 cases. While Italy appears to have tamed the virus, the pandemic is showing no signs of slowing down in Mexico, where the government has faced criticism for reopening its economy too soon. Countries in Eastern Europe are also facing rising waves of coronavirus infections. It has led to riots in Serbia, mandatory face masks in Croatia and travel bans or quarantines imposed by Hungary. Hungarian authorities said yesterday that they have sorted countries into three categories - red, yellow and green - based on their current rates of new coronavirus infections . Hungarian officials said that they will impose restrictions, including entry bans and mandatory quarantines, depending on which country people are arriving from. Both Hungarians and foreigners arriving from countries in the yellow category - which includes, Britain, Russia, Serbia, Japan, China, the United States, Bulgaria, Portugal, Romania and Sweden - will have to quarantine for two weeks, but will be allowed out if they test negative for the virus. Washington: The Trump administration has formally notified the United Nations of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, although the pullout wont take effect until next year, meaning it could be rescinded under a new administration or if circumstances change. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said he would reverse the decision on his first day in office if elected. The withdrawal notification makes good on President Donald Trumps vow in late May to terminate U.S. participation in the WHO, which he has harshly criticized for its response to the coronavirus pandemic and accused of bowing to Chinese influence. The move was immediately assailed by health officials and critics of the administration, including numerous Democrats who said it would cost the U.S. influence in the global arena. Biden has said in the past he supports the WHO and pledged Tuesday to rejoin the WHO if he defeats Trump in November. Americans are safer when America is engaged in strengthening global health. On my first day as president, I will rejoin the WHO and restore our leadership on the world stage, he said. Trump is trailing Biden in multiple polls and has sought to deflect criticism of his administrations handling of the virus by aggressively attacking China and the WHO. The withdrawal notice was sent to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday and will take effect in a year, on July 6, 2021, the State Department and the United Nations said on Tuesday. The State Department said the U.S. would continue to seek reform of the WHO, but referred to Trumps June 15 response when asked if the administration might change its mind. Im not reconsidering, unless they get their act together, and Im not sure they can at this point, Trump said. Guterres, in his capacity as depositary of the 1946 WHO constitution, is in the process of verifying with the World Health Organization whether all the conditions for such withdrawal are met, his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said. Under the terms of the withdrawal, the U.S. must meet its financial obligations to the WHO before it can be finalized. The U.S., which is the agencys largest donor and provides it with more than $450 million per year, currently owes the WHO some $200 million in current and past dues. On May 29, less than two weeks after warning the WHO that it had 30 days to reform or lose U.S. support, Trump announced his administration was leaving the organization due to what he said was its inadequate response to the initial outbreak of the coronavirus in Chinas Wuhan province late last year. The president said in a White House announcement that Chinese officials ignored their reporting obligations to the WHO and pressured the organization to mislead the public about an outbreak that has now killed more than 130,000 Americans. We have detailed the reforms that it must make and engaged with them directly, but they have refused to act, Trump said at the time. Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating the relationship. The withdrawal notification was widely denounced as misguided, certain to undermine an important institution that is leading vaccine development efforts and drug trials to address the COVID-19 outbreak. The Republican chairman of Senate health committee, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, said he disagreed with the decision. Certainly there needs to be a good, hard look at mistakes the World Health Organization might have made in connection with coronavirus, but the time to do that is after the crisis has been dealt with, not in the middle of it, he said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned the move. The Presidents official withdrawal of the U.S. from the World Health Organization is an act of true senselessness, she said in a tweet. With millions of lives at risk, the president is crippling the international effort to defeat the virus. And the top the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, said calling Trumps response to COVID chaotic and incoherent doesnt do it justice. This wont protect American lives or interests it leaves Americans sick and America alone. UN Foundation President Elizabeth Cousens called the move short-sighted, unnecessary, and unequivocally dangerous. WHO is the only body capable of leading and coordinating the global response to COVID-19. Terminating the U.S. relationship would undermine the global effort to beat this virus putting all of us at risk. The ONE Campaign, which supports international health projects, called it an astounding action that jeopardizes global health. Withdrawing from the World Health Organization amidst an unprecedented global pandemic is an astounding action that puts the safety of all Americans and the world at risk. The U.S. should use its influence to strengthen and reform the WHO, not abandon it at a time when the world needs it most, ONE president Gayle Smith said. Google Earth, the Group on Earth Observations and the University of Sydney will develop the world's first real-time monitoring platform for rice fields globally. The ambitious project will help realise the Zero Hunger target of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. Rice is the staple crop for more than half the world's population and 10 percent of all arable land is dedicated to rice farming, but there are currently no accurate maps outlining rice yields and land use using consistent methodology. "Accurate and up-to-date information on how much rice has been planted and how much harvest can be achieved is crucial to achieving global food and water security," said project leader Professor Budiman Minasny from the Sydney Institute of Agriculture at the University of Sydney. "Working with our partners in Asia, we will use the Google Earth Engine to build the first real-time mobile application that will allow farmers, agricultural scientists, non-government organisations and government planners to manage land use to ensure food security in the world's rice bowls." The real-time land-use data generated using Google Earth will be verified by field operators in India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. This will allow the agricultural scientists to calibrate monitoring to ensure its accuracy worldwide. These five partner countries make up more than 40 percent of the world's population. India, China and Indonesia are the world's three-largest producers of rice and together account about 60 percent of total world production. Jointly developed with the Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, the mobile monitoring app - Paddy Watch - will allow farmers, scientists and agricultural economists to: determine the extent of arable land under rice cropping in near real-time; estimate potential yields; manage water use and water security; account for greenhouse gas emissions (paddy rice releases methane); develop policies for education, economic growth, gender equity and reducing social inequality. The Paddy Watch app will build on work already undertaken in Malaysia and Indonesia by Professor Minasny and colleagues at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. Using the Google Earth Engine and cloud computing technology the project will improve on that work using the latest deep learning techniques to forecast crop yields and water consumption. Professor Alex McBratney is Director of the Sydney Institute for Agriculture and Professor of Digital Agriculture and Soil Science. He said this project "is digital agriculture writ large on a global canvas". "Digital agriculture is post-industrial agriculture," he said. "This type of technology means we can have confidence in our ability to feed the world's population in a sustainable way." The project announced today is one of 32 projects supported by the GEO-Google Earth Engine partnership, which incorporates more than 100 national governments working with the search engine company and its mapping agency. The consortium will have access to a Google Earth licence for two, valued by Google at $US3 million ($4.3 million), plus technical support valued at $US1 million. Led by Professor Minasny at the University of Sydney, Paddy Watch is being developed in partnership with Universiti Malaysia Terengganu; the Indonesian Centre for Agricultural Land Resources Research and Development in the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture; IADA Ketara, Ministry of Agriculture, Malaysia; the Institute of Soil Science at the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Indian Agricultural Research Institute; and RIICE remote sensing, Vietnam. ### BACKGROUND The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and Google Earth Engine (GEE) are unveiling 32 projects from 22 countries that will be awarded $US3 million towards production licenses and $US1 million in technical support from EO Data Science to tackle some of the world's greatest challenges using open Earth data. The GEO-GEE Programme is also supporting projects with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) to use the Earth Engine to support climate change and disaster monitoring activities over the next two years. GEO is an Intergovernmental Partnership of 111 countries and coordinates more than 60 global activities in the GEO Work Programme. GEO's mission is to inform decision making and enable better policies through open Earth observation data, information and knowledge. The GEO network will ensure that the beneficiaries receive support as they deliver data, insights and key findings to reach critical decision makers across the globe. DOWNLOAD satellite images and photos at this link. INTERVIEWS Professor Budiman Minasny budiman.minasny@sydney.edu.au Sydney Institute of Agriculture | School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Professor Alex McBratney alex.mcbratney@sydney.edu.au Director, Sydney Institute of Agriculture The University of Sydney MEDIA ENQUIRIES Marcus Strom marcus.strom@sydney.edu.au +61 423 982 485 Sydney Theadora Mills | tmills@geosec.org | Geneva DECLARATION This project is supported by the GEO-Google Earth Engine program. A French man who faced death by firing squad killed himself in prison after being accused of molesting more than 300 children and beating those who refused to have sex with him. Francois Camille Abello, 65, was found last Thursday unresponsive inside his cell at a detention centre in Jakarta, said police spokesman Yusri Yunus. 'After three days of treatment, he was pronounced dead,' Yunus told reporters on Monday. Umar Shahab, an official at National Police Hospital in Jakarta, said doctors reported the French retiree had a neck fracture, and the injury blocked the supply of oxygen. The pensioner was arrested last month in a hotel in Jakarta with two underage girls in his room. Indonesia police wearing face masks and protective gloves guard the Frenchman Francois Abello Camille during a press conference in Jakarta What appears to be evidence was displayed on a table during the press conference He was paraded Thursday in handcuffs wearing an orange prison shirt and black facemask at a police press conference. Police said they found videos on Abello's computer that showed him engaging in illegal sex acts with over 300 children aged between 10 and 17. They said he would approach children and lure them with offers of work as models. Those who refused to have sex were beaten. Abello faced life in prison, chemical castration, or even execution by firing squad if convicted on a raft of charges under Indonesia's child protection laws. The pensioner had entered Indonesia on a tourist visa several times over the past five years, according to police. Camille faces death by firing squad or life in prison if convicted on the raft of charges - including accusations he filmed the illicit encounters - under Indonesia's child protection laws 'He would approach children and lure them by offering them work as models,' Jakarta police chief Nana Sudjana told reporters. 'The ones who agreed to have sex with him would get paid between 250,000 and one million rupiah ($17-70). 'Those who didn't want to have sex would be beaten, slapped and kicked by the suspect,' he added. Video footage circulating online shows a handcuffed Camille with his head bowed as he is flanked by by 10 Indonesian police officers during a press conference. Police said they believed Camille had been molesting Indonesian children for years and that there may be more victims. As many as 70,000 children are victims of sexual exploitation annually in Indonesia, according to global anti-trafficking network ECPAT International. American fugitive Russ Medlin, wanted at home in connection with a $700 million cryptocurrency scam, was arrested in Jakarta last month on allegations he paid underaged girls to have sex with him. The French embassy in Jakarta, contacted by AFP, declined to comment on the case. Luxembourg was placed in the orange category by the federal authorities on Sunday. Several countries have colour coded travel destinations so that Belgians going to or returning from these countries know what coronavirus recommendations to follow. As a reminder, green means travel is possible. Orange indicates that travel is possible but subject to quarantine or a coronavirus test. Red stipulates that travel is not permitted for the time being. This Sunday, the list of green, orange and red zones was updated by the federal authorities. Luxembourg was placed in the orange category. Cross-border workers impacted This is an important development for thousands of cross-border workers. It is estimated that 40,000 Belgians travel to Luxembourg every day. "Luxembourg is a very special situation with regards to cross-border workers. We simply have a lot from our three neighbouring countries," said Minister of Health Paulette Lenert on Friday. "And these cross-border workers represent 10% of positive cases." The placement in the orange category can be explained by the latest statistics - click here for Sunday's figures. More cases were reported in Luxembourg over the past seven days than in the last month. Private gatherings are now singled out. Given the situation, the authorities fear a second wave. Lenert warned that we cannot deny the fact infections are on the rise, adding: "But we also notice that we are becoming a victim of the success of the very ambitious testing strategy." Some European countries such as Denmark and Finland had already placed the Grand Duchy on the list of blacklisted countries to avoid this summer. So what now? For the moment, people who return from an orange zone have no specific procedure to follow. On the other hand, with regards to the red zones (Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Lisbon and the two Spanish regions Galicia and Lleida), specific procedures must be applied. These travellers must fill out a document on the plane, provided to them by the airline at time of landing. The paper allows for tracing of passengers should one test positive. Everyone then has their temperature checked with thermal cameras installed at Findel airport. For a reminder on governmental coronavirus advice head here. Lucknow, July 13 : The caste cauldron is simmering with rage in Uttar Pradesh and this time, it is the Brahmins who are at the centre of this political churning. The encounter of Vikas Dubey and five other accomplices - all of them Brahmins - had led to protests from the community. Brahmin leaders in the Congress are being rather vocal about the 'move to eliminate Brahmins in a systematic manner.' Former union minister Jitin Prasada, in a video message, expressed concern over the manner in which the Brahmin community is being side-lined and targeted. He urged the members of his community to sink their personal differences and fight the challenges being posed by the state government. Prasada is also heading a campaign under which he is connecting with Brahmin leaders in every district. Another senior Congress leader Swayam Prakash Goswami, who is heading the Brahma Sena, said categorically that while they do not support the activities of criminals like Vikas Dubey, they are also opposed to their killing by the police. "The courts should be allowed to decide the punishment. The police cannot be allowed to deliver justice with their guns. Every criminal deserves a trail in court. Six persons were killed in cold blood and we were told the same story. The fact that all of them belong to one community, cannot be a coincidence," he said. A Congress WhatsApp group called 'Shoshit Congress Savarn' showcases the extent of rage within the community. The group members have released a list of Brahmins killed in the Yogi Adityanath regime and the lack of action taken in most cases. Sensing the Brahmin anger, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati was quick to play the caste card when she tweeted that the Brahmin community should not bear the brunt of Dubey's misdeeds. "They are terrorised and living in fear and this needs to be addressed," she said in a series of tweets. Mayawati advised the BJP to avoid politics in Dubey's name and avoid doing anything that instils fear among Brahmins. "The state government needs to regain public confidence and act on the basis of strong evidence," she said. Brahmins were an important part of Mayawati's social engineering formula that had catapulted her to power with a clear majority in 2007. Apparently, the BSP wants to cash in on the prevailing sentiments and win back Brahmins who had deserted the BSP for BJP in 2014. The Samajwadi Party, too, has been questioning the 'encounter' of Vikas Dubey - though not necessarily from the caste angle but a Brahmin leader in the party said, "We are certainly not opposed to the arrest of any criminal but the police cannot deliver justice with the gun. This is certainly going to become a major issue." A senior BJP leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, admitted that the 'killing' of Vikas Dubey has evoked a huge 'sympathy' in the Brahmin community. "No one defended him till he was alive but the manner in which he was killed has led to outrage within the community. Our leaders will have to address the issue at the earliest or else it could work against us in the next Assembly elections," he stated. Malawi at long last has a newly sworn-in president following a 13 month election process. On June 23, opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera won the countrys rerun presidential vote defeating incumbent President Peter Mutharika with more than 58 percent of the vote. The first presidential election was held back in May 2019 when President Mutharika claimed a narrow victory. But Mr. Chakwera, who came in second place, alleged voter fraud and appealed to Malawis Constitutional Court. The Court found evidence of widespread irregularities and in February 2020 ordered a new election to be held. Malawi is only the second African nation to annul a presidential election over irregularities following Kenya in 2017. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed admiration for the commitment to the rule of law and democracy exhibited during Malawis presidential elections: The people of Malawi elected Lazarus Chakwera as their next president. This is only the second time that a court in Africa, has overturned a presidential election tainted by irregularities, and the only time that a re-election process has resulted in the election of an opposite party candidate. Truly a historic opportunity for the people of that country. President Chakwera has called his election a win for democracy and justice. In his inaugural address, he promised not to put himself above the rule of law: "This means that as required by law, I will make a full declaration of my assets each year; I will go to parliament to be questioned by the people about my handling of state affairs; I will propose legislation to reduce the powers of the presidency and empower institutions to operate independently, including parliament and the Anti-Corruption Bureau. This is an historic opportunity for Malawi to work toward a future of greater prosperity, government accountability, and freedom. WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke Monday to his Russian counterpart about convening the leaders of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the State Department said. The department said Pompeo spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the possibility of a commemorative event in the near future that would involve President Donald Trump and the leaders of Britain, China, France and Russia. The U.N. had planned a series of celebrations to mark the occasion centred around the annual General Assembly session in September but has been forced to cancel or postpone many of them due to the coronavirus pandemic. No details of the proposed summit were provided in the brief, four-sentence statement, but such a meeting, either in person or by teleconference due to COVID-19, would come as the U.S. pushes ahead with efforts to extend a U.N. arms embargo on Iran that is set to expire in October under the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal. The Trump administration, which withdrew from the accord in 2018, faces stiff opposition to extending the embargo from its fellow Security Council members. The administration has threatened to invoke the snapback of all U.N. sanctions on Iran that were eased under nuclear deal unless the embargo is prolonged. The others say the U.S. no longer has standing to do so. The department said in a statement that Pompeo and Lavrov also discussed Afghanistan, following reports that U.S. intelligence suspects Russia may be paying bounties to the Taliban to kill American and allied troops. Critics have accused the administration of ignoring the potential threat and demanded action. U.S. officials have countered that the intelligence was not conclusive. The two men also discussed election security amid concerns Russia may try to meddle in the 2020 U.S. presidential vote, the statement said, adding that Pompeo had raised the matter. The statement did not specifically mention the subject of arms control, which has been a particular point of contention between Washington and Moscow with the Trump administration warning it may not extend a key nuclear treaty that expires in 2021 unless China also becomes a party. From when Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited leaders of SAARC nations to his inaugural in May 2014, each of his foreign policy initiatives were accompanied by a mirroring domestic narrative aimed at enhancing personal stature and bolstering political constituency. A running theme of the prime minister's publicists has been that Modi secured greater 'respect', so subjective a term, for the Indian passport suggesting transformation of 'pariah' to 'most favoured individuals'. Since September 2016 with the post-Uri terrorist strike, the prime minister also established that he indeed brooked no assault on Indian territory and was very much the personification of his muscular nationalist image, projected by spin doctors. The ghar mein ghus kar marenge (will hit them after entering their territory) line Modi uttered with great effect during the post-Balakot poll campaign played a major factor in BJP's win in the 2019 parliamentary polls. Difficult image to live up to The sales pitch, however, haunted the party and government throughout the eyeball to eyeball situation, followed by the fierce hand-to-hand combat, and the current phase of 'mutual disengagement' with China. Uncharacteristically, Modi opted for the discretionary route in wriggling out, for the time being at least, from a military conflict with China. Additionally, the prime minister blinked first, although it was made out that it was Modi's 'roar' on July 3 from the secure XIV Corps headquarters at Nimu outside Leh that messaged China to alter possible plans of further escalation and instead talk a phased mutual withdrawal. The official PR machinery has however been, at the least, half truthful while detailing the developments. DH in a recent editorial pointed out, There is little reason for India to draw satisfaction from events." Additionally it argued that China "has gained territory overall in the 'mutual disengagement process'... By agreeing to this farcical pull-out (of/by Indian troops), the Narendra Modi government seems unable to reverse the Chinese land-grab in Ladakh." The inability of the prime minister being able to live up to the self-created image of a vengeance-seeking leader has been painfully evident from the time the state of affairs with China in Ladakh became public knowledge in early June. The starkest evidence of this was Modi's statement of bravado, at the all party meeting with the startling "no intrusion" claim. Faced with criticism, the PMO put out a clarification that made clear little and only obfuscated matters further and the observations regarding "Chinese presence on our side of the LAC pertained to the situation as a consequence of the bravery of our armed forces," made the PMs position more vulnerable to criticism. The important question was what DH had flagged, that if Indian troops were on 'our' side of the LAC, "why are we pulling back". It has become self-evident that the Indian government's 'perception' of the LAC has altered over the course of recent weeks. Acceptance that the Indian bravado, displayed to the neighbour on the western frontier, was not put on display, at least for the moment, delivers a body blow to the 'redeemer' of India's pride. Defence and diplomacy no longer sacrosanct The moot point however is in the context of India having, for all practical purposes, ceded territory to China can any of the opposition parties capitalise on this and mount a sustained campaign on this issue? Defence is a holy cow and a tradition existed for long of political parties speaking in one voice with the intention of projecting national consensus and unity. Although this practice has come apart in recent decades as politics became more competitive and defence and diplomacy stopped being sacrosanct matters, the situation has worsened since 2014. It must be factored that unity and consensual politics on matters of national security were forged to a great extent, at the initiative of the government of the day. There is a long tradition of taking principal opposition parties on board, either formally or informally, depending on the seriousness and sensitivity of the situation. All party meetings were neither used as occasion to address the nation, nor events where the prime minister held back information. Be discreet in criticism But, because this government, and also in its previous tenure, speaks in the first person singular, criticism of the regime has become unavoidable even while the situation is unfolding. However, the Opposition this time requires to match Modi's discretion with circumspection when it comes to responding to the governments steps. Either while highlighting shortcomings in government response, or when overtly criticising the prime minister, Opposition leaders must be cautious in their responses. In the aftermath of so-called surgical strikes and after the air strikes in Balakot on facilities of non-state players operating from Pakistani territory, the Opposition parties were depicted as anti-national forces and being hand in glove with forces inimical to India. On both occasions it was possible because Opposition parties raised an element of doubt on claims of 'victory' by the government. The manner in which reservations were voiced, made it appear that Opposition leaders almost wished that India's had not succeeded in the retributive strikes. It is true that the vocabulary of politics has become coarse when compared to the past, but it would be prudent to be critical, yet couch it in political jargon and niceties. The situation with China and the awareness among people, except Modi's diehard loyalists, that the prime minister has not come clean, makes it imperative for opposition parties to refrain from sledgehammer tactics. The contrast in former prime minister Manmohan Singh's statement when he reminded Modi of his "solemn duty" and that the prime minister could not permit Beijing to "use his words as a vindication of their position" and that of others in Opposition ranks must be noted. Rahul Gandhi may have secured more cheers for utterances like "Surender Modi" but such a line of criticism remains politically counterproductive. Nationalism is a sensitive and a politically over-charged subject in India. Criticism of the government cannot morph into personalised attacks on Modi because till the situation with China continues unfolding, he represents India and undermining the office of the premier, shall weaken India's position. Even within the media, there are opinions, harsh and nuanced. Statements and speeches of political parties need not sound like newspaper editorials or op-ed pieces being read out. But there is no harm in pulling out a Brutus and keeping mentioning the salience of the prime minister's office and his authority. Singh after all never questioned the entitlement of Modi to use words and take decisions, but merely reminded him of the power he wields and responsibility he carries. Impatience is not a virtue of astute political players and coupled with the failure in managing the Covid-19 pandemic, Opposition parties shall not be short of opportunities. But for that they must consistently, but gently, expose the failure of Modi's China policy. A prerequisite for this however, is to set their own houses in order and get their priorities right. How this can be done and who requires to make the most effort, remains a different matter. (Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay is a Delhi-based journalist and author. His latest book is RSS: Icons Of The Indian Right. He has also written Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times (2013)) Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the authors own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH. Thank you for subscribing! By signing up to this free newsletter you agree to receive occasional emails from us informing you about our products and services. You can opt out of these emails at any time. WARSAW, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Poland's incumbent president Andrzej Duda was ahead by a tiny margin in Sunday's presidential run-off, showed an Ipsos exit poll. According to Ipsos, Duda, who is supported by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, received 50.4 percent of the vote, while his rival, Rafal Trzaskowski -- backed by the main opposition party Civic Platform (PO) -- won 49.6 percent. With margins well within the two percentage point margin of error, the race is too close to call until at least partial results come in, with a distinct possibility that a winner can only be pointed out after all ballots are counted. According to the Polish Press Agency, under the State Electoral Commission's optimistic scenario, the official results of the presidential run-off could come late on Monday or in the night from Monday to Tuesday. Otherwise, the final results will be announced by 11 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Tuesday. Poles voting abroad will likely be a major factor in the final outcome. Over 500,000 ballots were cast outside of Poland, but are not reflected in the exit polls. Speaking in the town of Pultusk, Duda claimed victory and invited Trzaskowski and his wife to the presidential palace to finish the campaign "with a handshake." Trzaskowski also told his crowd in Warsaw that he is absolutely confident he will prevail. "All that needs to be done is to count the votes." Ipsos, the polling company that conducted the exit polls for the three major news networks in the country, meanwhile announced that no winner can be declared at this point. According to Ipsos, the election turnout reached 68.9 percent, surpassing the record set during the presidential elections of 1995, at 68.2 percent. People wait in a line in front of Eggslut restaurant in COEX mall, Seoul, last Friday, upon its very first store launch in the country. / Courtesy of SPC Group By Kim Jae-heun A former SPC Group Vice President Hur Hee-soo, who was dismissed from the company after being accused of smuggling and smoking liquid cannabis-derived products, may return to management in two years on the back of impressive sales of the company's recently launched Eggslut brand. The growing in popularity California-based egg sandwich operator commenced business last week with the grand opening of its first Korean branch in the affluent Gangnam district. On the first day of its opening, more than 300 people lined up in front of the store at the COEX mall, southern Seoul. Founded by chef Alvin Cailan back in 2011, Eggslut is known for its egg sandwiches made with a brioche bun, coddled egg and sriracha mayo sauce. The chain now operates stores in four different countries including the United Kingdom and Japan. Given its sandwich's fluffy texture and rich flavor with scrambled eggs and melted cheese, expectations are that Eggslut's popularity will rise, pushing SPC to open other Eggslut stores in downtown Seoul or other metropolitan and larger regional cities. Former vice president Hur was known for securing contracts related to Eggslut's operations after he also helped the group introduce Shake Shack burger, here. It also created a buzz around Shake Shack in the country when the burger chain launched, selling 90,000 burgers in the first opening year and drawing 3,000 visitors on average per day at its Gangnam branch in Seoul. Hur is said to have played a crucial role in ultimately signing a contract to earn the business rights for Shake Shack here after defeating 30 other candidates. After launching Shake Shack, here, in 2016, SPC Group won the right to operate the U.S. burger chain in Singapore, where it was aiming to have more than 10 outlets by 2024. SPC brought Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin' Donuts brands to Korea. The country's leading bakery group secured the right to open Eggslut there too in 2021. "It was Hur who made it possible for SPC Group to open Shake Shack restaurants here, having traveled back and forth to New York to win the deal over five years," a SPC official said. "We had so many competitors who wanted to sell Shake Shake here creating fierce competition." Last November, Hur helped SPC Group to open its own snack brand City Deli in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, too. City Deli is a simple walk-in snack bar combining convenience store- and a restaurant-type service for customers to quickly grab ready-made food. There are over 200 menu items including fried rice, noodles, sandwiches and salads sold at the store. The brand is a test bed for the group to expand its food business while creating a chance for it to diversify business portfolio. "SPC's several new businesses that opened with assistance of Hur are meeting with favorable reviews but it is shame that he is completely excluded from the management from a one-time mistake," an industry source said. It is likely that the group will bring back Hur who has been mentioned as the heir of the bakery giant before. When SPC Group signed a deal with global food company Kraft Heinz last June, the company accredited the major accomplishment to Hur. At the time of the Heinz contract, SPC Group said it was Hur who paved the way for the deal to exclusively supply Kraft Heinz products in local market. "Hur met with the General Manager of Northeast Asia at Kraft Heinz offices and led the behind-the-scenes work before working-level discussions," an SPC Group official said. In March this year, Hur also joined a meeting held relevant to the company's new business. However, SPC Group has denied that this indicates the former vice president will return to a management position. "He only joined to give advice as a major shareholder and it is irrelevant to any possible comeback to a management position. There has not been a discussion about this return internally," a SPC Group official said. While the group has successfully launched the popular burger and sandwich brands, it is now under pressure to convert the popularity of the brands into substantial profits as SPC's net income has slumped 77 percent since reaching a record in 2016 mostly because of heavy losses from overseas investments and costs incurred due to work status-related changes for its employees in order to meet labor regulations. In Korea, its share value also declined. Food analysts dismissed the significance of SPC's lowered share value saying the group is "on track" to grow its brand recognition outside Korea. The spread of COVID-19 is forcing many restaurants to shut down their eat-in premises and lay off employees. But SPC Group recently said it will increase the number of the group's outlets, globally, to 20,000 by 2030. SPC is better known as the operator of "Paris Baguette," a brand operating in many major global cities including Los Angeles, New York City and Shanghai. Update (July 14): Campus ministry leaders are celebrating the Trump administrations decision to reverse a new policy that would have forced some international students to leave the United States. The rule said people on student visas would have to take classes in person to maintain their status, even if courses moved online because of the coronavirus pandemic. The change was announced Tuesday by a federal judge in Boston, where Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology had sued to challenge the policy. We at InterVarsity are very pleased that ICE dropped its plan to deport international college students who only use online courses, said Tom Lin, president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. In the coming week and months, InterVarsity and many faith-based organizations are working hard to help students navigate a chaotic and stressful time for us all; during this time, students and young people need more certainty and support, not less. --------- Leaders of 12 Christian organizations urged the Trump administration to rescind a policy requiring international students to leave the US or transfer if their colleges hold classes entirely online this fall, saying it falls short of American ideals. In a letter to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, shared with the Associated Press, the leaders wrote on Friday that the policy robs our country of the significant contribution international students make to their colleges on both a personal and economic level. It lacks compassion and violates tenets of our faith to not mistreat the foreigner (Lev. 19:33) but to love these neighbors as ourselves (Lev. 19:34, Matt. 22:39), they wrote. International students who have already arrived in the United States and who are enrolled in degree programs should be allowed to complete their courses of study in this country without further disruption, the leaders said. This is reasonable, compassionate, and consistent with our national interests. Among the signatories are National Association of Evangelicals president Walter Kim; Council for Christian Colleges & Universities president Shirley Hoogstra; and Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Monday that the more than 1 million international students in the country would not be allowed to take all their classes online this fall. The agency notified colleges that no new visas would be issued to foreign students at schools operating entirely online that term, and those already in the United States would be required to transfer or leave the country. Foreign students will be barred from taking all their classes online even if an outbreak prompts their schools to shift classes online, according to the policy. Fuller Theological Seminary is the only evangelical institution that has announced plans to go fully online in the fall, according to the Chronicle of Higher Educations database. The school is reconsidering that decision in light of the new rules. We are waiting on rules from the Department of Homeland Security to know which legal parameters must be satisfied, but Fuller is committed to doing everything within our power to develop plans for the Fall quarter that will enable our international students to fulfill their visa requirements and remain in the US to continue their studies, said spokesman Britt Vaughan in a statement to CT. International students contribute in immeasurable ways to our community and our mission in the world and deepen our understanding of theology, missiology, and psychology, he said. When they leave Fuller, they expand our reach around the world. The proposed policy has drawn backlash from universities and education groups who say the rules needlessly put students safety at risk. Many colleges have come to rely on revenue from foreign students, who are typically charged higher tuition rates. Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have sued to block the policy, and California became the first state to seek an injunction against it. Other signatories of Fridays letter include the president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a campus ministry; the executive director of the international student ministry at Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ; and the president of World Relief, a Christian humanitarian group. Kim and Moore previously signed onto a letter in April that asked the Trump administration to consider releasing low-safety-risk immigration detainees, particularly those with a higher risk for the coronavirus, to facilitate social distancing during the pandemic. They, along with several others joining Fridays letter, are part of the Evangelical Immigration Table, a group of Christian leaders advocating for immigration reform. Additional reporting for CT by Liam Adams. A woman and children pass by the boarded-up Christopher Columbus monument at Penns Landing in Philadelphia on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation , which maintains the monument, is covering up the bottom of the obelisk until the end of a public feedback process to determine whether it should be removed. Read more Supporters of the 106-foot, 28-year-old, $1 million Christopher Columbus monument in the park at Penns Landing have sued the parks nonprofit manager, which they say broke an agreement to maintain the monument. . America 500 Anniversary Corp., which raised funds to donate the statue in 1992, is seeking a Common Pleas Court preliminary injunction enjoining the Delaware River Waterfront Corp. from moving, damaging or destroying the Columbus Monument and requiring compliance with the Grant Agreement that it made with the groups predecessor, Penns Landing Corp. The suit says the Delaware River Waterfront Corp. violated the agreement when it covered street-level references to Columbus and said it may alter the marble base of the stainless-steel obelisk so it no longer causes continued pain to protesters who blame the Italy-born, Spain-backed explorer for attacks on indigenous peoples. Waterfront corporation spokesperson Almaz D. Crow said it would not comment on the suit. The corporations lawyer didnt immediately respond to inquiries. The lawsuit was signed by Dominic Sabatini. A Philadelphia resident, Sabatini, 80, was previously head of Penns Landing Corp., which agreed to the monument in 1992, the 500th anniversary of Columbus landing in the Caribbean. Sabatini later was chairman and an executive of the former North Philadelphia Health System. (He is not the person of the same name who is an official of the architecture firm STV Inc.) The suit was filed by Philadelphia lawyer George Bochetto, who also has filed a city lawsuit seeking to delay what he calls Mayor Jim Kenneys illegal rush to move a 144-year-old Columbus statue out of Marconi Plaza, where it was placed in 1976; and a federal complaint seeking the return of a statue of former Mayor Frank Rizzo in front of the Municipal Services Building to its donors after the city took it down following attacks by protesters. The Columbus and Rizzo monuments were testaments to the clout of the citys Italian American community, whose elected officials adopted both men as symbols of the communitys rise from immigrant poverty. Both have been denounced by civil rights protesters who see them as symbols of white supremacy. Columbus monuments have been vandalized in Boston and Baltimore this summer and removed from public locations in Wilmington, Camden and other cities. Bochetto last month sued on behalf of South Philadelphia residents seeking to block removal of the Marconi Plaza statue. Kenney urged people to comment to the city Art Commission, whose members he appoints, by Monday. Kenney has also said he plans to ask the commission to agree to the statues removal on Tuesday. That has provoked Bochetto to call the process a kangaroo court. Bochetto has asked Judge Paula Patrick to hold a hearing reviewing the citys process before the Art Commission makes its recommendation, and to ensure the Historical Commission also reviews the citys plan. The Philadelphia Art Commission plans a virtual public meeting on the topic next Wednesday, July 22, said city spokesperson Paul Chrystie. More information about the hearing should be posted by this Wednesday, July 15, at the commission website, Chrystie added. Two days later, the Philadelphia Historical Commission plans its own remote special meeting, Friday, July 24th, 9 a.m., to consider Kenneys application to take down the Columbus statue from Marconi Plaza. This commission, which is also soliciting comment before the meeting, had unanimously approved historical designation for the statue in 2017, after Philadelphia historian Celeste Morello testified it had been funded by members of the citys Italian immigrant community and was part of a group of ethnic-themed statues assembled for the Centennial of American independence in 1876 before moving to South Philly 100 years later. State Rep. Martina White (R., Phila.), last month asked Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Idee Fox and state Attorney General Josh Shapiros office to review whether the city has allowed political interference with monuments since a 2008 vote to disband the former Fairmount Park Commission. She also asked whether the city failed to get required state permission for that move, in an attempt to set the stage for possible state intervention on the side of statue supporters. Fox responded in a letter that the citys Home Rule Charter allowed for the move. Shapiro, a Democrat, also gave Republican critics of the statue removals little encouragement: The City of Philadelphia owns this statue, he said of the Marconi Plaza monument. This is a local decision that will need to be made by the community and its leaders. Brussels, 13 July 2020 (SPS) - Algerias ambassador to Brussels Amar Belani denounced Saturday the disinformation campaign led by the Moroccan media on the so-called misuse of the European humanitarian aid granted to Sahrawi refugees, noting that these unfounded allegations were clearly denied by EUs top officials in charge of the file. The Moroccan media and their satellite media relays are leading for weeks an enraged disinformation campaign aimed at making the public opinion believe that the humanitarian aid granted by the European Union to the Sahrawi refugees was misused by the Polisario Front and our country, said Belani in a reply to a question by APS on the campaign led by the Moroccan media outlets. These baseless allegations, reiterated recurrently since 2015 by this countrys diplomats and their relays in the European Parliament (notably right wing MPs) and which shouldnt remain unanswered, it is necessary to point out the following facts, as emphasize the official statements of EUs top officials in charge of this file, notably the official responses of the different officials asked about this issue, said Belani. Among these officials, there is European Commissioner for Crisis Management Januz Lenarcic who underlined on 2 July 2020 in a reply to Euro-MP Dominique Bilde that concerning the misuse of the humanitarian aid, I want to assure you that we have strong guarantees on site. I can assure you that our guarantees are robust enough to avoid any misuse of EUs aid, he added. For her part, former European Commissioner for Budget Kristalina Georgieva underlined, in a debate before the Committee on Budgetary Control of the European Parliament, held on 24 March 2015, that the accusations of misusing EU humanitarian aid for the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf are unfair, notably following the robust measures taken by the European Committee. For his part, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides said in his reply on 27 April 2016 to a question that it is not up to the EU to conduct a census on the refugees adding that this issue should be examined as part of a process led by the United Nations. (SPS) 062/SPS/700 IT major Infosys rose 2.17% to Rs 798.75 after the company announced a strategic partnership with Old National Bancorp. The disclosure was made post trading hours on Friday, 10 July 2020. Old National Bancorp (ONB) and Infosys announced a strategic partnership that will enable faster adoption of digital solutions, modernize ONB's existing technology infrastructure, and enhance both the client and employee experience. Infosys will provide digital solutions to help transform Old National Bank's technology landscape. The technology enhancement will drive digital transformation and innovation, and provide advanced automation capabilities to increase speed to market and deliver a consistent and superior ONB experience. The partnership will further streamline Old National Bank's operating model, and simplify client-facing and internal processes. The Old National Bank partnership will further cement Infosys' local presence in Indiana with access to training and learning opportunities in Indianapolis. Old National Bancorp, the holding company of Old National Bank, is the largest bank holding company headquartered in Indiana. Infosys is engaged in consulting, technology, outsourcing and next-generation services. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The designer of a popular educational children's app that promoted South Australia to the world remains behind bars after he was charged with a string of alleged offences. Father-of-two Luke Spencer Tregloan, 45, is accused of secretly filming women naked having sex in their homes, along with possession of child exploitation material. He was arrested at his Adelaide home on Friday following a joint operation between state and federal police. The investigation was sparked by a tip to the Australian Federal Police-led Australia Centre to Counter Child Exploitation that someone was allegedly uploading and sharing abhorrent content to an online platform. Luke Spencer Tregloan has been charged with a string of offences. He's pictured with characters from a children's educational app he co-created Police will allege Tregloan used a female persona online to hide his identity. Investigators also allege child abuse material was found on his mobile phone during a search of his home in Adelaide's south following his arrest. 'They also found a significant number of video files stored on the phone that were allegedly filmed from outside Adelaide residences and show the occupants in the homes in various stages of undress and performing sexual acts,' a joint police statement read. 'Police will allege the 45-year-old spied on the occupants and filmed the videos from outside the homes without their knowledge.' The Adelaide father-of-two (pictured) is accused of secretly filming women naked and having sex in their homes. He was also charged with possession of child exploitation material Court records show he is accused of illegally filming people in various states of undress over a period of three years up until his arrest, the Adelaide Advertiser reported. Tregloan was charged with possessing or controlling child abuse material, using a carriage service to access child abuse material and indecent filming. The offences carry a maximum prison sentence of between two and 15 years. Tregloan appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday, where the matter was adjourned until next week while the suitability of home detention bail is examined, which wasn't opposed by prosecutors. His wife and parents were in court on Monday but refused to comment to waiting media outside. Luke Spencer Tregloan (pictured with one of the characters from his educational app) will remain behind bars while the suitability of home detention bail is examined Tregloan is an experienced video producer, writer and director. Last November, he and a business partner launched the Hip Hop Kangaroo & Friends app which aimed to introduce children to Australias natural beauty and animal life. Central to the app were native Australian animal characters filmed in iconic South Australian locations singing educational songs co-written by Tregloan. The app's website and social media pages have been removed online. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 14:05:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., the producer of Lianhua Qingwen Capsules, an effective medicine recommended by China's National Health Commission for COVID-19 treatment, has reported notable profit growth in the first half of the year. Net profits attributed to its shareholders rose by a range of 50 percent to 60 percent year on year to reach a range of 682 million yuan (about 97.5 million U.S. dollars) to 728 million yuan in H1, the company said Sunday in its preliminary earnings estimate, filed with the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The company cited rapid growth in the sales of Lianhua Qingwen Capsules in H1, especially in the second quarter, when rising recognition of the traditional Chinese medicine, both at home and abroad, fueled sales. Lianhua Qingwen Capsules have been approved for sale in Singapore after they were officially listed as Chinese Proprietary Medicine by Singapore's Health Sciences Authority in May. The shares of the Shenzhen-listed drugmaker gained 4.94 percent to end at 35.89 yuan apiece on Friday. Enditem Armenian Ombudsman's office has sent an interim report on the shooting at Tavush province by Azerbaijani armed forces to international organizations, the Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan wrote on his Facebook. According to him, the report was prepared overnight. "The report was also sent to the UN Human Rights Council," Tatoyan noted. For a third year, NaturaLawn of America offered high school seniors and college undergraduates across the country the opportunity to win scholarship money towards their higher education by entering an essay contest. The scholarship, named The Dan Collins Scholarship Award, was established in 2017 in memory of former franchise owner, Dan Collins, who passed away from cancer in 2005. The scholarship currently offers three award prizes: $4,000 for the grand-prize, $1,000 for the first runner-up, and $500 for the second runner-up. This years winners are Derrick W. Webb, Carlton Avery Robinson, and Lily Sweet King, respectively. The Grand-Prize winner is Derrick W. Webb, from Alabama. Derrick currently attends Dillard University in New Orleans. He is a Pre-Med student with a minor in Chemistry. Derrick demonstrates dedication towards helping others and is described as an optimistic servant-leader by those who know him. First runner-up, Carlton Avery Robinson, a high school graduate, is planning on majoring in Bioengineering at the University of Louisville. He juggles a rigorous academic schedule, as well as being a student musicianpercussions of the wind ensemble, marching band, and winter drumline. Lily Sweet King, from Florida, is the second runner-up. She is a freshman at the University of Mississippi, majoring in Journalism and New Media. During her high school career, Lily created, organized, and fund-raised an event called The Longest Table, hosting over 120 of her peers. The Longest Table was so impacting in her university, the schools Chancellor decided to make the event an annual occurrence. NaturaLawn of America first introduced The Dan Collins Scholarship Award in 2017 with a single student applying for the $4,000 scholarship. The scholarship was expanded in 2019, in order to offer three scholarship awards. To evaluate each application received, NaturaLawn contacted a retired high school principal familiar with how scholarship awards were determined. With all identifying information redacted from the submissions, the company asked the retired principal to identify the top three applicants and rank them first, second, and third. The company plans to continue offering the scholarship contest every year. We would like to sincerely thank all the young adults who took the time to apply for The Dan Collins Scholarship. You came from 21 different states across the USA, and your biographies, your talents, and desires to help build our nation are truly commendable, said Phil Catron, NaturaLawn President, and Founder. Dan Collins family will be pleased knowing his legacy continues to impact so many. About NaturaLawn of America Headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, NaturaLawn of America is a national lawn care franchise system with 90 locations servicing over 100,000 customers in 24 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, please visit us on the web at https://NaturaLawn.com The General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu, who is currently on a tour of the Ashanti region on Sunday hit the grounds of some voter registration centres to monitor the progress of the exercise. John Boadu visited Kwamo Chief Palace registration centre, Roman Catholic Church registration centre, Municipal Assembly registration centre, and LA upper primary registration centre in the Ejisu Constituency. He also toured some registration centres in the Asante Akim Central Constituency including the Agric quarters registration centre as well as Day Care centre 1 and 2 registration centres in Odumasi. At each of the registration centres he visited, John Boadu donated some PPE including face masks and hand sanitizers to the officials of the Electoral Commission for onward distribution to registrants. The NPP chief scribe who doubles as the party's director of campaign operations and logistics was accompanied by a deputy director of communications of the party, Maame Yaa Aboagye and officials at the NPP headquarters. The John Boadu-led team was received by the respective Parliamentary Candidates of the NPP as well as party executives from of the constituencies they visited. ---Daily Guide The first two Queenslanders to take part in human trials of a new COVID-19 vaccine candidate say they want to do their part to get the community to the other side of the pandemic. Helen Sullivan and Christian Fercher are the first of 120 people to be given the vaccine developed by University of Queensland researchers. Helen Sullivan is one of two volunteers who were the first to be given a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by UQ. Credit:University of Queensland When the call went out earlier this year for volunteers to test the vaccine, more than 4000 people put their hand up. Ms Sullivan and Dr Fercher were among those chosen for the randomised, double-blind trial, under which they will receive two doses four weeks apart and then be monitored for the next year. A campaign event demonstrated that when it comes to Venezuela, policies of regime change, sanctions, and refusal to engage in dialogue, Biden and Trump are two sides of the same coin. By Leonardo Flores The Biden campaign held an online event on July 8 pitched as the former vice presidents vision for Venezuela and Venezuelans in the U.S. Spoiler alert: his vision for Venezuela barely differs from President Trumps. This event, which didnt merit an appearance from Biden himself, was aimed at getting Venezuelan-Americans to volunteer for Uncle Joe, as Representative Darren Soto (D-Fl) called him. It was an hour and a half of shilling for votes and influence, and it demonstrated that, when it comes to Venezuela, policies of regime change, sanctions, and a refusal to engage in dialogue unite VenezolanosConBiden (the group hosting the event) with MAGAzuela (the term for Trump-supporting Venezuelans). There are only two policy differences in the Biden and Trump approaches to Venezuela. One is about TPS, or temporary protected status, which is an immigration policy that allows people from 10 specific countries affected by disasters to live and work in the U.S. Biden supports TPS for Venezuelans, while Trump allies have blocked it in the Senate, and Trump himself ended the program and has refused to issue it for Venezuelans. According to one of Bidens surrogates, there are 150,000 Venezuelans in the U.S. who are either undocumented or are here on expired visas. The other difference is the border wall, which is now being built in part using Venezuelan funds. The Trump administration has diverted $601 million in assets stolen from the Venezuelan people to build the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. This money was previously held in the Treasury Departments forfeiture fund, which is typically used to finance law enforcement operations. This $601 million is part of an estimated $24 billion that the U.S. and its allies have frozen and looted from Venezuela in their regime-change efforts. Juan Guaido, the self-proclaimed interim president, has yet to comment on how the Trump administration is using these Venezuelan funds, but his ambassador, Carlos Vecchio, admitted to working with the Justice Department to establish a formal agreement to define the percentage of how much of the seized Venezuelan funds will go to the United States. According to Guaido and his associates, it is normal for the Trump administration to take a cut. TPS and the wall are the only two points on which Biden and Trump differ. Bidens surrogates claim he will grant TPS to Venezuelans on day one of his administration, and Biden says he will stop financing the wall. These differences are minor though, especially considering that Biden will continue the policies that have led millions of Venezuelans to flee in the first place, and he has given every indication that more funds will be frozen. Bidens vision is more of the same magical thinking that the Trump administration has engaged in for years. His campaign says the sanctions will continue and actually intensify. A Biden administration would seek a huge increase in aid, not just for Venezuela but for Colombia and other countries with Venezuelan migrants. They would build an international coalition to rebuild Venezuela. They would persecute key supporters of the Venezuelan government, regardless of where they are in the world. According to Juan Gonzalez, former deputy assistant secretary of state under Obama and current advisor to Biden on Latin America, they would give the government of President Nicolas Maduro one option: elections observed by a respected (and unnamed) multilateral institution and he must leave office. Bidens surrogates warn that Venezuela is a national security issue for the U.S., that the country has been infiltrated by terrorist groups and everything must be done to end Russian, Chinese, and Cuban influence. They responded to a question about the impact of sanctions by blaming the humanitarian crisis on Chavismo. They say Biden will not negotiate with Maduro. The Biden campaign even attacked Trump for suggesting he would meet with Maduro, forcing Trump to backtrack on the offer. The campaign has been running ads in Miami accusing Trump of being soft on Maduro. Bidens policies are the same policies and reflect the exact rhetoric used by the Trump administration. Since 2017, the U.S. has imposed sanctions that have cost 100,000 Venezuelans their lives and led to economic losses of $130 billion. But according to Biden supporter Rep. Soto, there hasnt been enough of a crackdown on the Maduro government. Trump has spent three years building an approximately 60-country anti-Maduro coalition, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has traveled the world seeking more aid allegedly for Venezuela, but that ends up in countries with Venezuelan migrants. They have sanctioned foreign companies doing business with Venezuela and sought to arrest Venezuelan businessmen overseas. On the issue of military intervention, the Biden surrogates claimed Trumps threats of a military option were empty and insisted other options must be explored and all other avenues of pressure exhausted (except, of course, dialogue) before considering military action. They did not say whether U.S. intervention should be on the table, and framed the discussion around the U.S. publics alleged aversion to another war rather than on the catastrophic consequences this would have for the Venezuelan people, let alone the illegality of any sort of military intervention. It is no secret that regime change in Venezuela is a bipartisan objective, and Trumps tactic of pandering to right-wing latino extremists in Florida has led the Democrats to do the same. The Biden campaign strategy is clear: mimic the administrations Venezuela policy while offering TPS to draw votes away from Trump. The surrogates also repeatedly insisted that Biden is not a socialist apparently a common misconception among the MAGAzuela crowd. It should be no surprise that this is all about Florida and the 2020 election. Trump not only won the state in 2016, but his allies took the governorship and a Senate seat in 2018, albeit by small margins. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and Senator Rick Scott both accused their opponents of being socialists who are soft on Venezuela. The Biden camp is doing its utmost to prevent those types of attacks from sticking against their candidate. There is no reason to believe that Biden will change course on Venezuela if elected. There are too many votes in Florida at stake, as well as donations to be had from wealthy Venezuelan expats who at this point are playing both sides and doing so very well. A Biden presidency, just like another four more years of Trump, looks to be disastrous for the Venezuelan people. FARMINGTON, Conn., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS) will host a conference call on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. Otis President & CEO Judy Marks and Executive Vice President & CFO Rahul Ghai will discuss second quarter results and the company outlook. Participants are encouraged to listen live via webcast on www.otis.com. To join by phone, dial +1-877-735-3703 and an operator will place you on hold until the conference begins. Please allow 15 minutes before the scheduled start time to connect to the teleconference. A corresponding presentation and news release will be available on www.otis.com prior to the call and a recording of the call will be made available on the website later in the day. About Otis Otis is the world's leading elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation and service company. We move 2 billion people a day and maintain more than 2 million customer units worldwide, the industry's largest maintenance portfolio. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 69,000 people strong, including 40,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. For more information, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn , Instagram , Facebook and Twitter @OtisElevatorCo. SOURCE Otis Worldwide Corporation Related Links https://www.otis.com WASHINGTON, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists from NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) will release the first data captured by Solar Orbiter, the joint ESA/NASA mission to study the Sun, during an online news briefing at 8 a.m. EDT Thursday, July 16. The briefing will stream live on NASA's website. In mid-June, Solar Orbiter made its first close pass of the Sun following its Feb. 9 launch, turning on all 10 of its instruments together for the first time. This flyby captured the closest images ever taken of the Sun. During the briefing, mission experts will discuss what these closeup images reveal about our star, including what we can learn from Solar Orbiter's new measurements of particles and magnetic fields flowing from the Sun. Participants in the briefing include: Daniel Muller Solar Orbiter Project Scientist at ESA Holly R. Gilbert Solar Orbiter Project Scientist at NASA Solar Orbiter Project Scientist at NASA Jose Luis Pellon Bailon Solar Orbiter Deputy Spacecraft Operations Manager at ESA David Berghmans Principal investigator of the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) at the Royal Observatory of Belgium Principal investigator of the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) at the Royal Observatory of Sami Solanki Principal investigator of the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) and director of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research Principal investigator of the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) and director of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research Christopher J. Owen Principal investigator of the Solar Wind Analyser (SWA) at Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London Members of the media interested in participating should register at https://www.esa.int/Contact/mediaregistration by 6 a.m. EDT Wednesday, July 15, to be able to ask questions during the briefing. For further questions please contact: [email protected] For more information on the Solar Orbiter mission, visit: https://sci.esa.int/web/solar-orbiter/home SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov A community in western Indonesia is banding together to support a group of 99 Rohingya refugees, who they rescued from Indonesian waters late last month. A community in Indonesia is banding together to support a group of Rohingya refugees they rescued. People in Aceh province towed their boat to safety late last month. Now they are trying to connect unaccompanied children with their families. Al Jazeeras Jessica Washington reports from Jakarta, Indonesia. 13.07.2020 LISTEN With the highest conviction that Kwame Asare Obeng has gone beyond embarrassing his parents to showing gross disrespect to better Ghanaians, I pen these few words of wisdom to appeal to him to behave. It is unfortunate to observe that through illogical arguments, borne out of avarice which is embellished in political activism, A Plus has resorted to attacking the personality of President Nana Addo with impunity. He does this by taking advantage of occasions that can be dented with propaganda prowess to rain insults on the symbolic figure of the land of Ghana. By the way, who is Kwame A Plus? A Plus, as called by his colleagues who have excelled in the music industry, is a failed Ghanaian musician, who smartly rode on the popularity of Nana Addo to make himself popular overnight. Having failed to excel in the music industry, Kwame Asare Obeng chose the path of attaching himself to Nana Addo, whom the Ghanaian public held so much in high esteem, then and now. How did he do this? He started composing songs in support of Nana Addo's presidential bid in those days. Fortunately, President Nana Addo endorsed his songs, which made the Ghanaian public to transfer their love and respect for Nana Addo, whom they still respect, to A Plus, who had gone into oblivion. However, A Plus now thinks his phantasmagoria popularity and songs, which were marketed by Nana Addo's popularity rather made Nana Addo the president of Ghana. This illogical thinking has deceived A Plus to feel that Nana Addo owns him so much as an individual. This has in turn jet propelled the avaricious desires of this smart, failed musician to unimaginable level. Consequently, he failed to appreciate the little reward the Nana Addo led administration gave him as a supporter of Nana Addo's presidential bid. This has therefore pushed him to wage barbarous attacks on the symbolic figure of the land of Ghana, which I think must be condemned. Before I deal with A Plus' uncivilized attacks on the symbolic figure of the land, I want to first of all clear the air that I am not in anyway against his criticism of the president though they may sound illogical and hollow to me. I am rather against his barbaric attacks on the president, which by logical interpretation of the Ghanaian constitution, is an attack on all Ghanaians. On baseless illogical analysis, A Plus recently abused President Nana Addo, calling him a hypocrite and dishonest person. Annoyingly, A Plus in his right senses thinks that Nana Addo must be held responsible for the emotional reaction of a section of Ghanaian masses at the lowest ebb of the social ladder who happily throng the president for protecting them against the deadly coronavirus. As part of his responsibility of serving Ghanaians, the symbolic figure of the land, visited a few voter registration centers in Accra to ascertain happenings on the ground with regards to the registration exercise. However, on getting to one of the registration centers, a section of the Ghanaian masses who could not hide their joy on seeing the president who has not only given them free SHS among other social interventions, but has also protected them against the deadly virus, unconsciously breached the physical distancing protocol by thronging the president. As shown in the video, Nana Addo doubled his steps to his waiting car after wavering them from a distance. Nevertheless, A Plus, in his right senses, thinks the President should be held responsible for the emotional reaction of these people which led to a breach of the physical distancing protocol the president has been admonishing all of us to adhere to. More annoyingly, he called the Head of State a hypocrite by virtue of this fact. A critical assessment of A Plus' position on the president implies that we can blame God for our disobedience to His laws and instructions as contained in His sacred books. If we cannot do that, then A Plus' interpretation of phenomenon which often makes him wage barrage of insults on the symbolic figure of the land is nothing but a cacophony of a peeved avaricious self styled political activists, who has adopted stone age communist inferior tactics to court the attention of the president or people, whom he thinks can satisfy his rapacious desires. Interestingly, A Plus thinks he should be feared because his Facebook posts reach millions of people within the twinkle of an eye. I think this kind of think cannot stand the test of logic. What A Plus does not know is that comedy and frivolous posts attract more views and comments on social media. Nevertheless, comedy and frivolity do not guide people's decisions on important issues. In fact, comedy and frivolous attacks on the president cannot give Ghanaians free SHS, Planting for Food and Jobs and other poverty alleviating programmes the president is busily implementing and well meaning Ghanaians are aware of this. Summary/Conclusion 1. A Plus, you are not the reason why Nana Addo is the President of Ghana. 2. A Plus, you had lost in the system after failing in your music career. 3. A Plus, you are popular today because Nana Addo and his NPP endorsed your songs. 4. A Plus, you are rather the hypocrite because you criticise the president but you are intolerant to constructive criticism. When I contested your illogical position on the president, whom you presented as a leader who does not govern to promote the welfare of the youth with just one sound argument on the free SHS, your guys ejected me from your telegram platform. I sent you a message via your Facebook inbox and received an automatic reply. Till date, you are yet to get back to me. This makes you an individual who wants to ride on the gullibility of the youth to satisfy your voracious desires, which will never materialise. I want to by this short piece, appeal to the conscience of A Plus to rethink and behave. Bala Ali Nationalist/Pan-Africanist. Former INLA man Dessie O'Hare is to appeal his sentence for falsely imprisoning a family in south Dublin. OHare, who was known as The Border Fox, was jailed by the Special Criminal Court for seven years last year for the crime he committed while evicting the family from their home. His attack on another man on the same occasion was described as disturbingly violent, with Justice Tony Hunt remarking that the violent side of O'Hare's personality was not in remission and that his threat to society had not completely abated. O'Hare (63), of Slate Rock Road, Newtownhamilton, County Armagh had admitted to assaulting John Roche, causing him harm, at The Towers, Garter Lane, Saggart on June 9th, 2015. He had also pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne at Rathcoole and Saggart on the same date. The three-judge court was asked to take two counts of falsely imprisoning Mr Byrnes wife and son into consideration. He was jailed for three years for assaulting Mr Roche and ten years with three suspended for the rest of his life for falsely imprisoning Mr Byrne. The sentences are running concurrently. OHare has lodged an appeal against sentence to the Court of Appeal, and was today given the date of 14th of December for his hearing. His barrister, Mark Lynam BL, said that his client wanted to be present on that date. In 1988, O'Hare was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment for falsely imprisoning and assaulting Dublin dentist Dr John OGrady, causing him grievous bodily harm, but was released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement in 2006. He also has convictions for firearm offences as well as assaulting a garda. (Newser) The Trump administration escalated its actions against China on Monday by stepping squarely into one of the most sensitive regional issues dividing them and rejecting outright nearly all of Beijings significant maritime claims in the South China Sea. The administration presented the decision as an attempt to curb Chinas increasing assertiveness in the region with a commitment to recognizing international law. But it will almost certainly have the more immediate effect of further infuriating the Chinese, who are already retaliating against numerous US sanctions and other penalties on other matters, the AP reports. Previously, US policy had been to insist that maritime disputes between China and its smaller neighbors be resolved peacefully through UN-backed arbitration. story continues below But in a statement released Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US now regards virtually all Chinese maritime claims outside its internationally recognized waters to be illegitimate. The shift does not involve disputes over land features that are above sea level, which are considered to be "territorial" in nature. "The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire," Pompeo said. Although the US will continue to remain neutral in territorial disputes, the announcement means the administration is in effect siding with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, all of which oppose Chinese assertions of sovereignty over maritime areas surrounding contested islands, reefs, and shoals. (Read more South China Sea stories.) The Montgomery County Board of Education is scheduled to consider a proposal to change the names of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Sidney Lanier high schools Tuesday night. The three schools, which all have a majority Black student enrollment, are named after people associated with the Confederacy. Board members discussed the idea of changing the names at a meeting in June. The Alabama Legislature passed a law in 2017 restricting the renaming of public schools named after people, groups, events, movements, or military services. Its the same law that blocks removal of statues and monuments in place 40 years or more -- the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act. Under that law, changing the name of a memorial public school thats at least 20 years old would require a waiver by the Committee on Alabama Monument Protection. The three schools are 50 years old and older. The committee met in December, which was only its second meeting. At that time it had received no requests for waivers. Some Lee graduates started a campaign to change the schools name during the protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. In a press release today, Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund Chief of State Lecia Brooks urged the Montgomery County school board to approve the changes. We join concerned students, alumni and other members of the Montgomery community in calling on the Montgomery County Board of Education to make the right decision by voting to remove any and all names and symbols associated with the Confederacy, which celebrates a brutal and inhumane past, Brooks said. The statue of General Robert E. Lee in front of the school was toppled during protests in June. School officials said they placed it in storage. Four people initially faced felony criminal mischief charges for bringing down the statue. A judge dismissed the charges at the request of Montgomery District Attorney Daryl Bailey, who said there were mistakes in the affidavits and/or warrants that prevented prosecution. Bailey said then he was not making a judgment on whether the charges were appropriate and stood ready to help correct the mistakes if the police department and Montgomery Public Schools and the police department still wanted to pursue charges. The cities of Birmingham and Mobile face $25,000 fines under the Memorial Preservation Act for removing Confederate monuments in June. The Madison County Commission voted in June to seek permission to remove the Confederate statue at the courthouse in Huntsville. By Lolita Buckner Inniss Princeton Universitys recent decision to remove Woodrow Wilsons name from its famed School of Public and International Affairs, and from its first residential college, is important because iconography matters. Wilson, a celebrated student (he was Princeton class of 1879), scholar (he was a Princeton professor of jurisprudence and politics), university leader (he served as president of Princeton), governor, and U.S. president, was also a virulent racist whose policies resulted in great economic harm to Black communities. The removal of Wilsons name does not alter history, nor does it promote erasure. Rather, the removal visibly dismantles the uncritical assertion of Wilsons historical and cultural authority. It also deals a blow to the institutional embrace of anti-Black racism. The removal of Wilsons name has, moreover, caused Princeton to enter the conversation about the Black Lives Matter movement, a movement that seeks to address and redress the centuries of oppression that Black people in the United States have suffered. While some of the movements key concerns have been with state and non-state violence wielded against Blacks, less attention has been given to the broader institutional and intellectual underpinnings of anti-Black racism. It is important to recall that the genteel, life-of-the-mind atmospheres that are the hallmarks of elite colleges and universities like Princeton are buttressed by the profits from centuries of slavery and generations of Black oppression. Moreover, Woodrow Wilson is but a single figure among many whose actions, words, and most pointedly, whose philosophies and ideas helped to create and sustain anti-Black racism. Princeton, where I am a graduate, and other elite colleges and universities have long and deep histories of nurturing the intellectual foundations of racist, and specifically, anti-Black thought. One significant example is seen in the work of Carl Campbell Brigham. Brigham, like Wilson, was a true son of Princeton, having obtained an AB in 1912, followed soon after by an AM and a Ph.D. Shortly after earning his doctorate, he joined the schools fledgling psychology department. Brigham collaborated on what was known as the Army Alpha test, an assessment meant to sort recruits by intelligence. Brigham concluded that the Nordic race was superior and that other races, especially Blacks, were markedly inferior. His work was one of the major foundations of the Immigration Act of 1924, which limited non-white immigrants. Such tests, Brigham wrote, would prove the racial superiority of white Americans and prevent the continued propagation of defective strains in the present population. Brigham was concerned with what he described as the infiltration of white blood into the Negro. Writing in the early 1920s, Brigham asserted, We must face a possibility of racial admixture here that is infinitely worse than that feared by any European country today, for we are incorporating the negro into our racial stock, while all of Europe is comparatively free from this taint. Even more crucially, Brigham was the creator of the SAT, an examination that purported to measure candidates aptitude for higher education. While the SAT has long been touted as a neutral means of assessing the qualifications of entering college students, its creation was framed by specious claims about biological hierarchies and the limited abilities of Black people. These are ideas that had existed at Princeton and other elite colleges and universities since the late 18th century. At Brighams death in 1943, he was lauded in a Princeton Alumni Weekly obituary as a gifted and loyal son of Princeton and a devoted servant of the truth. But indeed, whose truth? Few people today remember Carl Brigham. But the admissions test he created while serving as a Princeton professor, and that was steeped in a witches brew of racist ideologies, persists as a means of measuring students at many colleges. Use of the SAT continues despite growing cries that it is biased against Black and some other students of color. It is noteworthy that even in this time of pandemic and widespread urban upheaval Princeton was the last of the Ivy League schools to make SAT scores optional for students in the high school graduating class of 2021. Just as Princeton examined the fuller life and works of Woodrow Wilson, one of its better-known offspring, so, too, must it examine the lives and legacies of many lesser-known but influential figures in its history. Princeton must also closely interrogate the practices that stem from those legacies. Who we honor with our public statues, edifices and other memorial renderings speak volumes about what is pivotal among our values. Princetons decentering of Wilsons hagiographic biography is a first step in the journey to a much wider acknowledgment of Princetons role in fostering anti-Black racism. Lolita Buckner Inniss is the senior associate dean for academic affairs and a professor of law at SMU Dallas Dedman School of Law. She is a graduate of Princeton University, and is the author of The Princeton Fugitive Slave: The Trials of James Collins Johnson. 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. 4BIO Capital announces appointment of Professor Kenya Honda to Scientific Advisory Board Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Keio University Brings extensive experience in gut microbiota, a core area of interest for 4BIO Strengthens growing network of advisors on innovative research taking place in Japan 13 July 2020 LONDON & BOSTON 4BIO Capital (4BIO or the Group), an international venture capital firm focused solely on the advanced therapies sector, announces the appointment of Professor Kenya Honda to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Professor Honda is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Professor Hondas team is studying the immunological attributes of the microbiota and its derived factors to try to identify responsible members that deeply affect the immune system. His long-term goal is to develop a way to manipulate and normalize compositions of the gut microbiota to treat various conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), autoimmunity, allergies and cancer. Professor Honda brings significant expertise to 4BIOs SAB. He is the Scientific Co-Founder of Vedanta Biosciences, a Cambridge, MA-based company pioneering the use of defined bacterial consortia, as well as being a member of the SAB for the interdisciplinary medical journal, Science Translational Medicine. Professor Honda received his M.D. from Kobe University School of Medicine and his Ph.D. from Kyoto University School of Medicine, both in Japan. His contribution to scientific research has been internationally recognised, having been awarded the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP) Award in 2013, the Gottfried Wagener Prize in 2014, and the Baelz award in 2016. Dmitry Kuzmin, Managing Partner at 4BIO Capital, said: 4BIOs Scientific Advisory Board includes founders of the gene therapy field in both academic and hospital settings who lead groups in world centres of academic and clinical excellence. Professor Hondas extensive knowledge of microbiota and gastrointestinal tract pathology will be a valuable addition to the already deep expertise held within the 4BIO SAB. Professor Hondas appointment builds on the recent appointment of Philippe Fauchet, OBE, as Venture Partner in Japan, and the strategic investment in 4BIO from Japanese Pharmaceutical company Kyowa Kirin. As one of the leading countries in drug discovery and advanced gene and cell therapy research, we are excited by the potential opportunities of our expanded footprint in Japan. Story continues Professor Kenya Honda said: I am delighted to be joining the 4BIO team and working with the other advisors that have helped shape the advanced therapies field and contributed to its progress. I look forward to working closely with this group in the pursuit of opportunities in advanced therapies, particularly the exciting research originating from Japan at this time. -Ends- Contacts 4BIO Capital +44 (0) 203 427 5500 info@4biocapital.com Consilium Strategic Communications Amber Fennell, Olivia Manser, Lizzie Seeley +44 (0)20 3709 5700 4biocapital@consilium-comms.com About 4BIO Capital 4BIO Capital is an international venture capital firm focused solely on the advanced therapies sector. 4BIOs objective is to invest in, support, and grow early stage companies developing treatments in areas of high unmet medical need, with the ultimate goal of ensuring access to these potentially curative therapies for all patients. Specifically, it looks for viable, high-quality opportunities in cell and gene therapy, RNA-based therapy, targeted therapies, and the microbiome. The 4BIO team comprises leading advanced therapy scientists and experienced life science investors who have collectively published over 250 scientific articles in prestigious academic journals including Nature, The Lancet, Cell, and the New England Journal of Medicine. 4BIO has both an unrivalled network within the advanced therapy sector and a unique understanding of the criteria that define a successful investment opportunity in this space. Ethiopia had said it would review alternatives proposed by Egypt For the tenth day in a row, negotiations on Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan took place without reaching an agreement, the Egyptian irrigation ministry said. The ministers of irrigation of the three countries began the meeting by discussing the technical and legal discussions of Friday, when Egypt had suggested alternative agreements for the convergences of views on the points of disagreement. Sudan and Ethiopia also today suggested alternative draft agreements for points of legal and technical disagreement, but the discussions continued to reflect continuing disagreement on major issues, read a statement by the ministry. The ministry added that the legal and technical committees will continue their meetings on Monday, followed by a trilateral ministerial meeting which will generate a final report to be presented to South Africa, the chair of the African Union. The AU is sponsoring this round of virtual talks. On Friday, an Egyptian irrigation ministry statement said that Egypt has proposed several draft agreements converging views on procedures to deal with rules on the annual operation of the dam, on periods of extended drought and on refilling of the reservoir. Ethiopia had said it would review alternatives proposed by Egypt, according to the Egyptian statement. Egypt, which relies on the Nile for 95 percent of its fresh water, fears the mega-dam will significantly reduce the rivers flow, especially during the filling stages, and in periods of drought and dry years. Ethiopia, on the other hand, says its massive $4.8 billion megaproject is key to its development efforts. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi: As the Congress is grappling with a crisis in Rajasthan for the last 24 hours, political circles are agog with debates over the Ashok Gehlot government meeting the same fate of Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh, where disgruntled Jyotiraditya Scindia toppled the state government. With Sachin Pilot raising the banner of revolt against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, the DNA analysis today concentrates on the number game and other factors related to the ongoing political in Rajasthan. Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot's revolt against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has set the alarm bell ringing for the party, which held a legislature party meeting in Jaipur and decided to hold another meeting on Tuesday to woo back dissidents. Former party president Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are among the senior leaders who have been in touch with Sachin Pilot. The second meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was announced several hours after the first one ended on Monday afternoon, skipped by Pilot and 18 other party MLAs. Sachin Pilot, who is currently to Delhi-NCR with his supporting legislators, is claiming the support of around 30 MLAs. If this number is in Pilot's camp, then it would impossible for Gehlot to survive in Rajasthan. There were reports that Sachin Pilot may join BJP like Jyotiraditya Scindia, but so far it has been denied by him and sources close to him. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, however, showed his strength in Jaipur today at the Congress Legislature Party meeting, where around 106 MLAs reportedly attended. Ashok Gehlot, however, took his MLAs in the bus at a resort. This simply shows that Gehlot is not confident in his number game. However, those close to Pilot him disputed Gehlot's claim that his government had a majority and said this is proven in the assembly and not at the CM's house. So far, the Gehlot government had the support of 123 MLAs, including 107 Congress MLAs, 2 MLAs of Bharatiya Tribal Party, one RLD MLA, and 13 Independents, but of these 123 MLAs, he is now left with only 101 MLAs. Out of the 22 rebel MLAs, Sachin Pilot has claimed the support of 19 Congress MLAs and 3 Independents. In Rajasthan's total 200 assembly seats, 101 MLAs are needed to save the government, but two MLAs of the Indian Tribal Party have also pulled out of the Gehlot government, which currently has the support of merely 99 legislators. But what is more worrying for Ashok Gehlot is that among the remaining 99 MLAs, several are claimed to be of Sachin Pilot's camp. Perhaps this is the reason that despite CLP resolution urging strong disciplinary action against any party office-bearer or CLP member who does anything to weaken the government or the party, it stopped short of naming Pilot, who also heads the party's state unit. Apart from Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, Ahmed Patel, former Union finance minister P Chidambaram, and AICC general secretary, KC Venugopal are learned to have spoken with Pilot. Since Sachin Pilot is still unrelenting, he is left with three options amid the current political scenario. 1. The first option is that after talking to Priyanka Gandhi and other senior leaders, Sachin should relent and continue in his post as Deputy Chief Minister as well as the state president. With this compromise, the party in return may accept some of his conditions. 2. The other option is that like Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot should leave Congress and join BJP and chart his future course of action. This option will work be only if he is capable of toppling Ashok Gehlot's government. 3. Sachin Pilot is left with the third option to break the party with his supporters and form a regional outfit as sources close to him has so far denied reports that Pilot will join the BJP. It is important to understand what happened between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot that within 19 months, the Congress government in Rajasthan is facing this crisis. Here are six points to understand. 1. When the Congress lost in Rajasthan in the 2013 assembly elections under the leadership of Ashok Gehlot, the Rajasthan Congress was looking for a new leader Sachin Pilot emerged on the scene to revive the prospects of the party. 2. In 1998 and 2008, Ashok Gehlot was made the Chief Minister twice in Rajasthan but he failed to return the party into power both times. 3. When the Congress made Sachin Pilot the state president of Rajasthan in 2014, he strengthened the Congress and was seen as the future Chief Minister of the state. This was the reason that Ashok Gehlot could not tolerate the rise of Sachin Pilot. 4. Despite the factionalism, the Congress returned to power in Rajasthan in 2018 due to the hard work and leadership of Sachin Pilot, but Ashok Gehlot overshadowed Sachin Pilot and became the Chief Minister's chair, leading to a fresh struggle between the two. 5. Even as Sachin Pilot was appointed Deputy Chief Minister, he did not get the attention that he expected. Be it the cabinet or the administration or the political appointments, he was always kept away. 6. There was a confrontation between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot on the issue of appointment of new state president in Rajasthan as both the leaders wanted to appoint the state president of their choice. The current crisis began on Friday when the Rajasthan Police sent a notice to Sachin Pilot, asking him to record his statement over an alleged attempt to bring down the government. Although the same notice was sent to the chief minister and some other MLAs, Pilot's supporters claimed that it was only meant to humiliate him. About 44 tonnes of aviation fuel is leaked from a pipeline operated by a mining company into a lake near Tukhard town. Authorities in the Taimyr District of Russias Krasnoyarsk Region have announced a state of emergency following a fuel spill by a subsidiary of the mining company Nornickel, the second in three months. About 44 tonnes of aviation fuel leaked from a pipeline operated by the company into an unnamed lake spread over about 600 square metres (6,458sq feet), the administration of the nearby town of Tukhard said in a statement on Monday. The spill occurred on Sunday as a pipe suddenly depressurised, then the fuel transfer was promptly shut off, the statement said. More than 50 people have been involved in the clean-up effort, it said. The depressurisation lasted about 15 minutes, the company said in a separate statement. The spill poses no threats to the health of people living in the area. Tukhard is about 150km (93 miles) west of the city of Norilsk, where the company Nornickel is based. Previous spill In May, an estimated 20,000 tonnes of diesel leaked from a tank at a thermal power plant operated by Nornickel near Norilsk. That spill occurred due to the collapse of a structure that had been supporting the diesel tank. The company has blamed the collapse on melting permafrost amid abnormally warm temperatures. About 6,000 tonnes of diesel seeped into the ground and 15,000 tonnes of fuel ended up in nearby waterways, according to a state assessment. The environmentalist group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Russia has described that incident as the largest ever petroleum product spill in the history of the Russian Arctic. Russian authorities have been trying to get the company to allocate about $2bn for the clean-up and restoration effort. The company disputes the amount and has offered to pay about $150m. A senior federal legislator who represents the interests of Indigenous peoples said last month that because the enormous spill had polluted local waterways, fish populations were going to be vastly diminished. It is necessary to determine what can substitute for this food, Grigory Ledkov, a member of Russias lower house of parliament, said in comments carried by the Russian news agency Interfax. The Supreme Court on Monday has upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family in the administration of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, one of the world's richest temples, in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram. The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family in the administration of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, one of the worlds richest temples, in Keralas Thiruvananthapuram. Allowing the appeal filed by members of the Travancore family, the apex court observed that the death of the Travancore ruler, who signed the covenant, does not affect the rights of the Shebaitship Travancore family over the temple and it will survive as per the customs. A bench headed by Justice UU Lalit, as an interim arrangement, approved a committee under Thiruvananthapuram District Judge to oversee the administration to manage the affairs of the temple till the constitution of a new committee. The last ruler of Travancore, until his death on July 20, 1991, continued to manage the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple by virtue of powers conferred on him. The issue had reached the court in the wake of charges of alleged financial irregularities. Also Read: Google announces $10 Bn investment in India, PM speaks to Pichai Also Read: Sachin Pilot has support of 30 Congress MLAs, independents : Sources The top courts judgement came on a batch of petitions challenging a Kerala High Courts order dated January 31, 2011, which had directed the state government to take steps to set up a body or trust to take control of the temple, its assets and management. However, the apex court had on May 2, 2011, stayed the High Courts order on the same. The apex court had also directed the Kerala government for preparation of an inventory of articles, valuables, ornaments, precious stones in the Kallara (vault) A to F, but had later clarified that vault B would not be opened without express orders of the Supreme Court. In 2011, a team mandated by the Supreme Court opened five other vaults and inventory unveiled a wealth of Rs 1 lakh crore in the form of jewellery, idols, weapons, utensils, and coins. The century-old Vishnu temple was traditionally managed by the temples heirs, former Travancore ruler Marthanda Varma, for more than 1000 years. Also Read: Gehlot govt issues whip to MLAs for CLP meeting today For all the latest National News, download NewsX App I am trying to refresh my memory. Wasnt the GOP, for so many years, about personal responsibility? Didnt the Republicans long deride anyone who blamed their bad circumstances in life on bad luck? How did they, and by extension us, end up with leader who is constantly whining about how unfair it is that he not our country has been hit with this pandemic, economic downturn, racial unrest? Trump is the ultimate victim. And, if my memory serves me, Republicans used to blame victims for their lot in life. How did we get here? Noelle Robbins, Alameda Open the S.F. Zoo I am really concerned about the intelligence and capabilities of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. There is no understandable rationale for not reopening the zoo and other outdoor San Francisco attractions where attendance can be closely controlled. All I can imagine is that they completely misunderstand the COVID data and its significance and its implications for our city. Without a reasoned assessment of whether it is reasonable to reopen these attractions, these supervisors should be ashamed. Come on guys; do your job. Daniel Levitt, San Francisco The case for Duckworth Regarding Biden might pick healer to help bind countrys political wounds (Front Page, July 10): While Rep. Karen Bass of Los Angeles might be on the short list to run on the Democratic ticket as Joe Bidens vice president, and is admirably leading the congressional effort to reform policing, my concern is this: Like another possible Biden pick, Sen. Kamala Harris, Bass is from the reliably blue state of California. If Biden wants to appeal to a broader swath of this country, especially the so-called flyover states, he should strongly consider choosing Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. This Thai American citizen, who received a Purple Heart for her service in the Iraq War, also became the first U.S. senator to give birth while in office in 2018. She would appeal to minority voters, to veterans and to working moms across America. In this crucial 2020 presidential election, Bidens pathway to defeating President Trump is by appealing to as many segments of our population as possible. In my opinion, Duckworth would be a stronger candidate than Bass. Belinda Davis, San Francisco Worthy recipients The newest entry on my political wish list is that one of Joe Bidens first official acts would be to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dr. Anthony Fauci and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. If he could also somehow rescind the one that President Trump bestowed on Rush Limbaugh, we would have a National Honor trifecta. Bob Wieder, El Cerrito Hold that train Regarding High-speed rail plan for San Jose to S.F. rolls out (Front Page, July 10). I cannot believe that the rail authority would think that at this time, with pandemic, millions of Californians out of work, and a truly terrible economic recession for our state, that now is the time to ask for more money for this boondoggle! And on top of that, they cant even approximate what the possible price that a ticket from San Francisco to Los Angeles would be. We should be planning on how to feed our population, help get our schools back into session, and take care of one another, then planning how much faster it would be to get to Los Angeles via train. Unless they can guarantee that a train ticket will cost less than a flight from SFO to LAX, this is a waste of valuable time and money. Susan Ruiz, South San Francisco Just asking ... So President Trump says his doctors were very surprised by his unbelievable results on a cognitive test. What we would all like to know is: Who took the test for him? Richard Such, Palo Alto Phased approach Regarding kids returning to school: Why not prioritize getting K-2 or K-3 students back to school first? They are the age group whos least likely to have (or spread) the virus, and they struggle the most with distance learning. For working parents, theyre also the hardest age group to have at home. Lets keep our older kids home and let our younger kids get the in-person instruction and social-emotional learning they so desperately need, and utilize the empty classrooms to aid social distancing. And maybe school districts can install new ventilation systems that filter out viruses while theyre at it. Sarah Bardeen, Berkeley Mask up, men While painting on Mission Street, I have noticed more and more men, mostly young but some elderly, either without masks or wearing them, in what seems to be an emerging fashion, with the nose exposed. If our city and state are serious about curbing the spread of this disease they should start citing and fining scofflaws who endanger themselves and the rest of us. Anthony Holdsworth, San Francisco Missing his history DeSean Jackson, what alternative universe do you live in, where Adolf Hitler is merely a bad person and Jews blackmail America? Please educate yourself; apparently Cal, your alma mater, did pitifully in that regard. Abby Margolis, Daly City This is not a country that is in any way managing itself to be a good and decent partner in anything at the moment. Thats why we need to review our relationship with them, he added. Those who think this is a case of separating trade from government you cant do that, thats naive. The days of only finding Arizona license plates with sequential numbers and letters are over, the Arizona Department of Transportation says. ADOTs new computer system installed in late April now gives the department the ability to produce randomly sequenced plates for vehicles. Its a move allowing for a virtually unlimited supply of letters and numbers that can fit on plates, including standard and a growing list of specialty plates, the department said. So with the switchover, it gave us a lot more flexibility in terms of how the numbers are arranged for license plates, which for the consumer the most notable thing would be we were able to do a lot more specialty plates, said Douglas Nick, ADOTs assistant communications director for customer outreach. The previous system used for more than 35 years had limitations, especially when issuing smaller plates to be fastened onto motorcycles. The old system was basically maxed out in terms of how many keys we had available, Nick said. Specialty plates have seen a consistent revenue jump in the last five years, from $8.7 million in fiscal year 2015 to $11.2 million in fiscal year 2019. Chandler Aden We are excited to bring Chandler on board to support the growth of our multifamily development in the Southeast, said Ed Broderick, President and CEO of Gilbane Development Company. Gilbane Development Company announced today the addition of Chandler Aden as Vice President/Development Director Multifamily based in Boca Raton, Florida. Mr. Aden will focus on managing and expanding Gilbanes multifamily and commercial development initiatives in Central, South, and Northern Florida areas. We are excited to bring Chandler on board to support the growth of our multifamily development in the Southeast, said Ed Broderick, President and CEO of Gilbane Development Company. Chandlers leadership and experience in commercial development and construction will enhance our teams expertise in the acquisition, financing, design, development, and operation of exceptional residential communities. Chandler has experience in all aspects of residential as well as commercial development and construction. He is a graduate of The University of Florida with a BS in Building Construction. He is a certified general contractor in the States of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, Construction Executive Association of South Florida, Associated Builders and Contractors and Associated General Contractors of America. Additionally, he is very involved in multiple area charities including American Heart Association, Boy Scouts of America and Habitat for Humanity. About Gilbane Development Company Gilbane Development Company is the real estate development, financing, and ownership arm of Gilbane, Inc., a 150-year old family-owned company. With over $7 billion in development and more than 12,000 units of housing completed/underway, Gilbane Development Companys projects incorporate every aspect of real estate including: multifamily housing (student housing, market rate apartments, and affordable housing); single-family residential communities; mixed-used developments; healthcare facilities; garage/parking areas; corporate headquarters; operational | data | distribution centers; R&D | manufacturing facilities; and, many types of facilities delivered through public-private partnerships. To learn more, visit http://www.gilbaneco.com/development. ### "I will kill everybody! Accept it! Die in the name of Jesus!" screamed a passenger Saturday night on an Alaska Airlines flight heading to Chicago from Seattle. Two passengers helped subdue him while the plane returned to Seattle's Sea-Tac airport. From The Seattle Times: The incident occurred shortly after Alaska Airlines Flight 422 took off at 11:10 p.m., said Peter McGraw, spokesperson for the port "The man became extremely belligerent and physically aggressive during the ascent," Ray Lane, external communications manager for Alaska Airlines, said in an email. Video from a passenger shows the man walking in the aisle and shouting that he would kill everyone on board "in the name of Jesus." Rajasthan Congress has issued a whip to its MLAs to attend a meeting on Monday in Jaipur, and will face disciplinary action if they absent themselves without mentioning a proper reason, Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande said today. The Congress Legislative Party has issued a whip to its MLAs to attend a meeting on Monday in Jaipur, and will face disciplinary action if they absent themselves without mentioning a reason, Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande said today. The CLP meeting has been scheduled to be held at 10:30 AM today. The decision to issue a whip for todays meeting was taken after a meeting at Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlots residence here on Sunday which was attended by around 75 MLAs including ministers. After the meeting, Pande addressed a press conference in the early hours today along with party colleague Randeep Surjewala and Ajay Maken, who had reached Jaipur late on Sunday night. The two leaders have been sent by the Congress as central observers to save the partys government in the state. Pande said that a whip has been issued to all party MLAs to be mandatorily present at Congress Legislature Party meeting to be held tomorrow morning. Strict disciplinary action will be taken against any MLA who is absent without mentioning a proper reason. Pande further said that 109 MLAs have expressed their trust in the Rajasthan government led by Chief Minister Gehlot. The congress GS said that a total of 109 MLAs have signed a letter expressing their trust and support to Rajasthan government led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and leadership of Sonia Gandhi ji and Rahul Gandhi ji. He added that a few more MLAs had telephonic conversations with Ashok Gehlot and they will also sign the letter of support till morning. Also read: Rahul slams centres claim of Indias good position in Covid-19 battle Also read: Sachin Pilot in Delhi with 12 loyalist MLAs amid political crisis Rajasthan Congress in-charge alleged that Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to destabilise the government. He said that BJP is doing this in every state. They have recently seen this in Madhya Pradesh, but we will not allow BJP to do so in Rajasthan. Asked whether or not Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, who is currently camping in New Delhi, will attend the CLP meeting, Congress leader Surjewala countered with another question asking why would he not. The CLP meeting was called after the crisis in Rajasthan Congress intensified with Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot at loggerheads. Chief minister Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the State government by poaching Congress MLAs, which has been denied by the BJP. Pilot is camping in Delhi to speak to the party leadership regarding the political turmoil in the State. A controversy broke out in Rajasthan after Special Operation Group (SOG) sent a notice to Sachin Pilot to record his statement in the case registered by SOG in the alleged poaching of Congress MLAs in the state. The clash between Gehlot and Pilot is also over the post of PCC Chief as Gehlot Camp wants that One Leader One Post formula to be implemented in Rajasthan. Currently, Sachin Pilot heads the PCC besides holding the Deputy CM post. Congress has 107 MLAs and the Gehlot government is supported by 10 Independent MLAs and two each from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Bharatiya Tribal Party while BJP has 72 seats in the 200-member Assembly. As many as 30 Congress MLAs and some independent legislators who are in touch with Sachin Pilot have pledged their support to him and have vouched to stand by whatever decision he takes, sources said. Also read: Kanpur Encounter: Station officer reveals chilling eye-witness account For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Turkey's foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) refuses a ceasefire unless the Libyan National Army's (LNA) leader Khalifa Haftar decided to withdraw his troops from central and western regions. Speaking to the Financial Times on Sunday, Cavusoglu said the GNA had the "determination" to resume its attacks on the LNA in case the latter did not retreat from the port city of Sirte and Al-Jufra, which has Libya's largest air base. Cavusoglu noted that Russia offered a ceasefire deal during talks in Istanbul last month with a concrete date and time. But, after consultations with the GNA, the Tripoli-based government said it has preconditions on Sirte and Al-Jufra and wants Haftar to return to the lines his troops held five years ago. In its report about the interview, the Financial Times stated that Cavusoglu hinted that his country may support any GNA offensive, describing its preconditions as "legitimate and reasonable". Now it depends on the other side, they should accept these preconditions for a lasting ceasefire, Cavusoglu stated. Last month, Egypt that is backing the LNA Commander Haftar said it has the legitimacy to intervene in Libya to protect the countrys national security with the support of local tribes, stressing that Sirte and Al-Jufra are "red line" for Egyptian national security. Turkey's top diplomat went further by saying that Turkey will respond to the recent air strikes on Al-Watiya air base. He said Turkey had "trainers and technical staff" at the base, though claiming that "none were harmed." Sources told Al-Arabiya last Monday that Turkish intelligence officials were wounded during Sunday's air strikes on Al-Watiya air base, which was recently captured by the GNA and its Turkish backers. The wounded were transferred to hospitals in Tripoli and Turkey. Brigadier-General Khaled Al-Mahgoub, a leading LNA commander, told Al-Arabiya that repeat strikes on western Libyas Al-Watiya air base will take place soon. Al-Mahgoub also said that Turkish radars, military equipment and air defence systems were destroyed during the air strikes. Turkey, according to sources who spoke to Reuters in June, is negotiating the establishment of two bases including one at Al-Watiya with the GNA. During past weeks, local and foreign media outlets reported that Turkey is preparing to attack Al-Al-Jufra. Tripoli-based GNA is backed by Turkish troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries in its war against the LNA. Head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdel-Rahman told Sky News Arabia on Monday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan even began transferring non-Syrian mercenaries, in addition to Syrian ones, to Libya despite international condemnations and warnings. Abdel-Rahman revealed that those mercenaries were located in areas under Turkish occupation in Syria. Turkey informed its mercenaries that their next battle will be in Sirte, said Abdel-Rahman, adding that they are transferred to Libya by air. Turkish warships transferred other groups of mercenaries to Libya, revealed Abdel-Rahman. According to Sky News Arabias same report, Syrian mercenaries in Libya have reached 16,000. About 5,600 of them returned to Syria. LNA spokesperson said during an interview with Sky News Arabia last Wednesday that he expects a "Turkish attack at any time." Ahmed Al-Mesmari stated that the LNA "will do everything needed to deter any aggression." "We have evidence that Turkey is moving towards a decisive battle, which is the Sirte-Jufra battle. There are no indicators on the other side that [Turkey] will accept a ceasefire and go into negotiations," Al-Mesmari asserted. The leading LNA figure noted that the Libyan army is only conducting "defensive operations to prevent manoeuvres and advancement by the enemy towards our (LNA) positions." Al-Mesmari explained that the LNA will declare a ceasefire in case other parties to the conflict show commitment to peace, stop sending terrorists to Libya and end the presence of invaders," referring to Turkey. He emphasised that the LNA wants a peaceful settlement to the conflict. The same position was shared by the Emirati state minister for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, on Monday. The UAE, in cooperation with its partners, calls for the return of oil production as soon as possible in Libya and stresses that the presence of guarantees that prevent the prolonging and fuelling of the conflict is important. We will continue the political and diplomatic work. The priority goes to a ceasefire and a return to the political process, tweeted Gargash. Search Keywords: Short link: Partygoers heading out to Brisbane's nightclubs have been slammed for ignoring social distancing rules during the second weekend of eased lockdown restrictions. Hundreds of eager revellers were spotted shoulder to shoulder in queues waiting to gain entry to clubs in the city's Fortitude Valley party precinct, according to The Courier Mail. Australian Medical Association Queensland president Dr Chris Perry labelled the crowds 'selfish' and warned revellers they were playing 'Russian roulette' with their relative's lives. Tightly packed queues were reportedly seen outside The Beat and Prohibition nightclubs, just a week after video allegedly showing packed dancefloors at Prohibition nightclub surfaced. Tightly packed partygoers line up around the block outside The Beat night club in Brisbane after COVID-19 restrictions were eased A line of revellers pack shoulder-to-shoulder as they wait to get into Prohibition nightclub in Brisbane Fortitude Valley Safe Night Precinct president Jason Hirt previously said Brisbane venue owners were 'appalled and outraged' about patrons and Prohibition allegedly disregarding protocols. 'We are all playing by the rules and getting it right, so we are very disappointed,' he said. 'Everyone is aware the dance floor is off-limits and we're hoping it doesn't affect anyone else.' Dr Perry said nightclubs need to be especially vigilant in enforcing social distancing safety measures. 'You need to have social distancing everywhere, at the bar and in lines, so you have people standing a metre-and-a-half apart when they're queuing or you get closed. It's very simple.' The images also drew the attention of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk who said she was 'disappointed' to learn partygoers and nightclubs were flouting the rules. As well as The Beat and Prohibition, large lines were also reportedly seen outside popular venue Ric's Backyard with patrons spilling out into the Valley Mall. Partygoers can be seen allegedly dancing shoulder-to-shoulder at Prohibition in the heart of Brisbane's Fortitude Valley on Friday night, the same day pubs and clubs reopened to the public, with dance floors to remain off-limits. Picture: The Today Show Queensland Police and the Office of Liquor and Gaming conducted 31 spot checks at venues in the Brisbane CBD over the weekend. 'Efforts were made by staff of licensed venues to have those in queues physically distance, but these were not always successful to achieve sustained changes in patron behaviour,' a Liquor and Gaming spokeswoman said. 'OLGR officers engaged with representatives at venues over the weekend regarding queuing issues and will continue to do so during the week ahead.' The images follow Premier Palaszczuk warning a second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak could happen anywhere - despite Queensland having just three active cases. She said government departments have, at her request, recently completed planning exercises in anticipation of community transmission outbreaks. Queensland reopened its borders on July 10 to each state and territory except Victorians, where COVID-19 is surging again. The vision comes after industry insiders flagged concerns about the profitability of pubs and clubs in May , stating venues may not fully recover with rules and restrictions in place. Picture: The Today Show There are more than 1,400 active cases in Victoria, where some Melbourne suburbs are in lockdown. 'We know that Victoria is going through a very tough time. I have acknowledged that could happen to anyone, anywhere at any times as well and that is why we need to be ready,' Ms Palaszczuk said 'During last week I tasked departments in my government to continually do exercise planning. 'Just like we do for cyclones and bushfires and floods... we will continue to be prepared for COVID outbreaks.' Even though there were zero new cases in Queensland on Sunday, Ms Palaszczuk says it's not because the state has become complacent, with 3700 tests conducted on Saturday. Police have intercepted more than 32,000 vehicles entering Queensland since July 3 and have turned away 1,542 people. Queensland's airports are also teeming with interstate arrivals keen to soak up the sun and warmer weather, with 4,500 expected to touch down over the July 17 weekend. WASHINGTON - At 6:30 p.m. on a recent Thursday, faces started popping up on the phone and computer screens. "Hey, what's up, man?" one man yelled out on the video call. "Blessed, man. Just blessed," another responded. "I got a call back from FedEx," another said, drawing cheers at his reference to a job prospect. "That's what's up." The dozen men on the screen each had spent at least 15 years in prison for murder. As they adjust to life back in the community, they have been there for one another to offer support. Most of the men were released under a D.C. law that allows judges to free some longtime prisoners who committed serious crimes when they were under age 18. The coronavirus pandemic has led to a burst of activity under the law - nine men released in the past four months - but it also means those men have stepped into a world where traditional support and education programs have been upended by the pandemic and even the ability to see family and friends may be limited. So the former inmates, who no longer can meet safely in person, have begun to use twice-monthly video meetings for encouragement and a place to talk about job opportunities and the challenges of life outside prison walls. And for those on the call who happen to be Dallas Cowboys fans, some good trash-talking. "Look at us. There's about 300 years on this screen," said Norvelle Nelson, 43, scanning the faces of the men attending the meeting. "These guys on this screen have a level of strength and endurance to persevere." When Nelson was 17, he and two friends fatally shot a man as they tried to steal his crack cocaine. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison and released last year under the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA), which requires inmates to have served at least 15 years in prison and to have tried to better themselves there. He is among 22 men who participate in the meetings, with various numbers joining as they are able to. "They're somebody to talk to me when I need it," Manuel Brown, 39, said in an interview. Brown fatally shot someone when he was 17. He was released from prison in January. "I like to see them succeeding in life. I can learn from them, like how to think first before reacting with a comment or making a move. You don't always learn that as a kid, unfortunately." The meetings, Brown said, "keep me focused, because out here you can definitely lose focus." He works stocking shelves at a local Giant and has part-time jobs with a street-cleaning and landscaping company. The IRAA, which the D.C. Council passed in 2016, is based on studies that show that the brains of teenagers are not fully mature, and the idea behind the legislation was that those who commit offenses at younger ages should not receive adult punishments of decades in prison. So far, D.C. Superior Court judges have granted petitions for 42 inmates, most over the objections of federal prosecutors. In eight other cases, the judges agreed with prosecutors and denied the petitions. The law, Nelson said in an interview, dramatically changed the outlook for prisoners who committed serious crimes as youths but had shown evidence of growth in the years afterward. "Guys who thought they were going to die in jail, now have hope," Nelson said. "They now feel they have a chance to go home, so they are changing their behavior on the inside." Several men who petitioned for consideration under the law had been moved to the D.C. jail and were awaiting court proceedings when the novel coronavirus struck the nation and the courthouse drastically reduced its operations. At first, those legal cases slowed. But as the court ramped up telephone and virtual hearings and officials sought to reduce the jail population to limit the virus's spread, another group of men was given freedom. Darrick Evans, 41, who joined the video call, was among them. He was released in April after 24 years in prison for fatally shooting a 14-year-old boy. "I'm here just to gain some insight on what to expect now as a free man," Evans said. He told the group he had been having trouble getting proper identification so he could secure a job. "It's hard to get an ID during this covid crisis." Each morning since his release, Evans has written a to-do list to help focus his job search. "Structure is important," he told the group. Behind bars, inmates are told when to eat, when they can exercise, when they can go to the commissary and other appointments. On the outside, sticking to a schedule helps keep him on track. Eddie Ellis, 44, understands the challenges other former inmates face. He was 16 when he was charged with fatally shooting another teen in 1991 and ultimately sentenced to prison. He was released in 2006, about 15 years into his 22-year sentence. Ellis was released on parole, not because of IRAA but for good behavior. It was during his 14 years out of prison, Ellis said, that he saw former inmates struggle to build new lives as they returned to gentrified neighborhoods that were completely different from the places they had left as teens. So Ellis partnered with several organizations, including his employer, the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, as well as the Free Minds Book Club, to help fund various programs, including those to support the IRAA recipients. "We wanted to give them a safe space for them to talk about and acknowledge what had happened, the wrong they did, the guilt, their frustrations in finding jobs, mental health and self-care-type things," said Ellis, who joins each session and helps lead the conversations. The Web meetings are akin to neighborhood barbershops where men gather in a relaxed, no-judgment space and can discuss their feelings and frustrations. "We wanted to give them a place where they can come in and laugh and, when it's time to get serious, to talk about things," Ellis said. Through their meetings, the men have organized letter-writing campaigns and sent care packages to those D.C. jail inmates waiting for IRAA court hearings to be scheduled. Several even recorded videos of support on behalf of the inmates to send to the judges overseeing their petitions. Practical information such as job openings are shared at the meetings. During one recent session, one attendee said he had found a job with a construction company and shared the contact information with the group. Others mentioned companies that were hiring such as Amazon, Home Depot and Giant supermarkets. Domino's Pizza, DoorDash and Grubhub were also hiring, one of the organizers of the call noted. But employees must have a driver's license and access to a vehicle. After spending 40 years behind bars, Gary Jaggers, who was released in April, talked about the challenge he and his 73-year-old mother were having getting reacquainted. Jaggers was 16 when he was charged in 1980 with killing an elderly man and woman as well as robbing and assaulting a third elderly victim. Jaggers, 56, said he realized that his and his mother's personalities had changed drastically during the decades he was in prison. Jaggers also said he realized he needed to accept the grief that his crimes caused his mother. "One of the biggest challenges I have now is to mend a fence that was broken and the embarrassment that I caused my mom for my incarceration," he said to the group. "I don't know nothing about her other than she's my mom. I'm in a mending process right now because of the pain and suffering I caused her. It's great to be home. But it's also a responsibility for me." After 22 years behind bars, Charles Fantroy, 41, said spending time outside each day helps him cope with coronavirus restrictions. He was 17 when he was convicted of murder and was sentenced to life in prison before being granted release last year. He said he had been convinced he would die in prison. "I get out every day. I go running a lot in Rock Creek Park. I practice my social distancing," he said. "I'm going to be getting out this house. I just keep pushing." Several of the attendees called in from their phones without video. One told the group he was "still in recovery" since being released. "You are bouncing back, man," another participant said. "It's good to see y'all," another man told the group. "Good to see you too, bruh," they responded. After about 90 minutes of discussion, the men signed off until the next meeting. "See you next time, brothers," Ellis said. The economic fall-out of the crisis could force an extra 90 to 117 million children into poverty, with a knock-on effect on school admissions. The coronavirus pandemic has caused an "unprecedented education emergency" with up to 9.7 million children affected by school closures at risk of never going back to class, Save the Children warned Monday. The British charity cited UNESCO data showing that in April, 1.6 billion young people were shut out of school and university due to measures to contain COVID-19 -- about 90 percent of the world's entire student population. "For the first time in human history, an entire generation of children globally have had their education disrupted," it said in a new report, Save our Education. It said the economic fall-out of the crisis could force an extra 90 to 117 million children into poverty, with a knock-on effect on school admissions. With many young people required to work or girls forced into early marriage to support their families, this could see between seven and 9.7 million children dropping out of school permanently. At the same time, the charity warned the crisis could leave a shortfall of $77 billion in education budgets in low and middle income countries by the end of 2021. "Around 10 million children may never return to school -- this is an unprecedented education emergency and governments must urgently invest in learning," Save the Children chief executive Inger Ashing said. "Instead we are at risk of unparallelled budget cuts which will see existing inequality explode between the rich and the poor, and between boys and girls." The charity urged governments and donors to invest more funds behind a new global education plan to help children back into school when it is safe and until then support distance learning. "We know the poorest, most marginalised children who were already the furthest behind have suffered the greatest loss, with no access to distance learning -- or any kind of education -- for half an academic year," Ashing said. Save the Children also urged commercial creditors to suspend debt repayments for low-income countries -- a move it said could free up $14 billion for education programmes. "If we allow this education crisis to unfold, the impact on children's futures will be long lasting," Ashing said. "The promise the world has made to ensure all children have access to a quality education by 2030, will be set back by years, " she said, citing the United Nations goal. The report listed 12 countries where children are most at risk of falling behind: Niger, Mali, Chad, Liberia, Afghanistan, Guinea, Mauritania, Yemen, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal and Ivory Coast. Before the crisis, an estimated 258 million children and adolescents were already missing out on school, the charity said. LONDON and MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard Chartered Bank and Universities Space Research Association (USRA) have signed a Collaborative Research Agreement to partner on quantum computing research and developing quantum computing applications. In finance, the most promising use cases with real-world applications include quantum machine learning models (generating synthetic data and data anonymisation) and discriminative models (building strong classifiers and predictors) with multiple potential uses such as credit scoring and generating trading signals. As quantum computing technology matures, clients should benefit from higher quality services such as faster execution, better risk management and the development of new financial products. Kahina Van Dyke, Global Head of Digital Channels and Client Data Analytics at Standard Chartered, said: "Similar to other major technological advancements, quantum computing is set to bring widespread benefits as well as disrupt many existing business processes. This is why it's important for companies to future-proof themselves by adopting this new technology from an early stage. The partnership with USRA gives us access to world-class academic researchers and provides us with a unique opportunity to explore a wide range of models and algorithms with the potential to establish quantum advantage for the real-world use cases." Bernie Seery, Senior VP of Technology at USRA noted that "This partnership with the private sector enables a diversity of research through a competitively selected portfolio of quantum computing research projects involving academic institutions and non-profits, growing an ecosystem for quantum artificial intelligence that has already involved over 150 researchers from more than 40 organizations that produced over 50 peer-reviewed publications over the last seven years." Alex Manson, Global Head of SC Ventures, Standard Chartered's innovation, fintech investment and ventures arm, stated: "The world is currently in the process of identifying commercial use cases where quantum computer capabilities will surpass classical computers. We have a conviction that some of these use cases will transform the way we manage risks in financial services, for example by simulating portfolios and exponentially speeding up the generation of market data. We will work with USRA to identify such use cases in financial services, with a view to implementing them within our bank, as well as potentially offering this service to other market participants over time." Mark Johnson, Vice President, Processor Design, Development and Quantum Products at D-Wave said: "Quantum computing research and development are poised to have a profound impact on the industries responsible for solving today's most complex problems. That's why researchers and businesses alike are looking to quantum computing today to start demonstrating tangible value. We're proud to work with USRA and Standard Chartered Bank as they improve global access to quantum systems and undertake essential research and development." At USRA's Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science, Dr. Davide Venturelli, Associate Director for Quantum Computing, notes that quantum annealing is implementing a powerful approach to computing, featuring unique advantages with respect to other traditional and novel approaches, that should be studied, theoretically and experimentally, to advance the state of art of computing technologies for the benefit of nearly all disciplines. Standard Chartered's team, led by Dr. Alexei Kondratyev, Global Head of Data Science and Innovation, and USRA have collaborated in quantum computing research since 2017. An earlier success in investigating the quantum annealing approach to computational problems in portfolio optimisation use cases led to this strategic partnership, where USRA will continue to support fundamental academic research in quantum physics and artificial intelligence and Standard Chartered will focus on future commercial applications. In 2012, USRA partnered with NASA to found the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (QuAIL): the space agency's hub to evaluate the near-term impact of quantum technologies. With QuAIL, the USRA team has investigated the physics, the engineering and the performance of multiple generations of quantum annealing processors built by D-Wave Systems. It has also participated in U.S. government research programs that looked into application of quantum annealing for combinatorial optimization, aviation, earth science and machine learning. NASA Ames Research Center is currently hosting a D-Wave 2000Q annealing system, thanks to the support of this partnership. Standard Chartered and USRA intend to develop this initial collaboration beyond quantum annealing to all unconventional computing systems that could provide an advantage to applications of interest, such as gate-model noisy-intermediate scale quantum (NISQ) processors and Coherent Ising machines. For more information, contact: Standard Chartered: Group Media Relations Contact: Shaun Gamble, shaun.gamble@sc.com Tel: +44 2078855934 USRA: PR Contact: Suraiya Farukhi, sfarukhi@usra.edu Technical Contact: David Bell, Dbell@usra.edu About USRA Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities, and conducts other major research and educational programs, under Federal funding. USRA engages the university community and employs in-house scientific leadership, innovative research and development, and project management expertise. RIACS is a USRA department for research in fundamental and applied information sciences, leading projects on quantum computing funded by NASA, DARPA, the US Airforce and NSF. More info at: https://riacs.usra.edu/quantum/ and www.usra.edu. About Standard Chartered We are a leading international banking group, with a presence in 59 of the world's most dynamic markets, and serving clients in a further 85. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, Here for good. Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges as well as the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges in India. For more stories and expert opinions please visit Insights at sc.com. Follow Standard Chartered on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/808782/USRA___Logo.jpg Related Links http://www.usra.edu SOURCE Universities Space Research Association TEL AVIV, Israel, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- During its meeting on June 23, 2020, held via video conference, the Board of Governors of the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation approved $8 million in funding for ten new projects between U.S. and Israeli companies. In addition to the grants from BIRD, the projects will access private sector funding, boosting the total value of all projects to approximately $20 million. The BIRD Foundation promotes collaborations between U.S. and Israeli companies in various technological fields for the purpose of joint product development. In addition to providing conditional grants of up to $1 million for approved projects, the Foundation assists by working with companies to identify potential strategic partners and facilitate introductions. Projects submitted to the BIRD Foundation are reviewed by evaluators appointed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Israel Innovation Authority. The ten projects approved by the Board of Governors are in addition to the 1000 projects which the BIRD Foundation has approved for funding during its 43-year history. To date, BIRD's total investment in joint projects is over $350 million, helping to generate direct and indirect sales of more than $10 billion. The projects approved include: Aeronautics Defense Systems (Yavne, Israel ) and PreVision ( Edgewood, NM ) to develop a Wide Area Motion Imagery (WAMI) sensor with an automated interface to an Electro-optics payload on a UAS platform. (Yavne, ) and ( ) to develop a Wide Area Motion Imagery (WAMI) sensor with an automated interface to an Electro-optics payload on a UAS platform. AEYE Health ( Tel Aviv, Israel ) and University of Massachusetts Medical School ( Worcester, MA ) to develop a diagnostic screening system for retinal imaging. ( ) and ( ) to develop a diagnostic screening system for retinal imaging. Datumate (Yokne'am Illit, Israel ) and Heavy Construction Systems Specialists ( Sugar Land, TX ) to develop a construction site management collaboration framework. (Yokne'am Illit, ) and ( ) to develop a construction site management collaboration framework. Firedome ( Tel Aviv, Israel ) and Olibra ( Cresskill, NJ ) to transform traditional consumer electronics devices into connected cybersecurity guardians of the home. ( ) and ( ) to transform traditional consumer electronics devices into connected cybersecurity guardians of the home. Genoox ( Tel Aviv, Israel ) and ASPiRA Labs, a Vermillion Company ( Austin, TX ) to develop AGTT: an AI-based, dynamic, and affordable genetics testing technology transfer. ( ) and ) to develop AGTT: an AI-based, dynamic, and affordable genetics testing technology transfer. Redler Technologies (Netanya, Israel ) and Martin Technologies ( Hudson, MI ) to develop an advanced automotive electronic power distribution module. (Netanya, ) and ) to develop an advanced automotive electronic power distribution module. Senso Medical Labs ( Nazareth , Israel ) and Haystack Diagnostics ( Brookline, MA ) to develop a multi-electrode device to advance electrodiagnostic medicine. ( , ) and ( ) to develop a multi-electrode device to advance electrodiagnostic medicine. Serenus.AI ( Tel Aviv, Israel ) and HealthTrio ( Denver, CO ) to develop an AI-based platform to assist medical professionals and insurance companies in making better medical decisions. ( ) and ( ) to develop an AI-based platform to assist medical professionals and insurance companies in making better medical decisions. Vaya Vision (Or Yehuda, Israel ) and Trimble ( Sunnyvale, CA ) to develop a perception-based autonomous-driving system for vehicles and heavy machinery in the agriculture, construction, and mining markets. (Or Yehuda, ) and ( ) to develop a perception-based autonomous-driving system for vehicles and heavy machinery in the agriculture, construction, and mining markets. XRHealth ( Tel Aviv, Israel ) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center ( Boston, MA ) to develop a perioperative VR platform designed to distract patients from pain while undergoing medical procedures. Dr. Walter Copan, U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, Director of NIST and co-Chairman of BIRD's Board of Governors said: "The BIRD Foundation continues to demonstrate its unique ability to attract innovative U.S. and Israeli companies to work jointly, strengthening the ties between our two countries and benefiting our economies. These approved projects, which advance AI, biomedical health, autonomy, and cybersecurity, exemplify the continued innovation leadership of the U.S. and Israeli private sectors in driving new industries and revolutionizing existing ones." Dr. Amiram Appelbaum, Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Economy and Industry, Chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority and co-Chairman of BIRD's Board of Governors said: "The U.S. is Israel's major partner for innovation. We are proud that our collaboration with the BIRD Foundation has seen such spectacular successes over the decades, which resulted in groundbreaking technological innovations offered by both Israeli and U.S. recipients of the grant. We wish much success to the winning teams and companies and look forward to the amazing changes they will make for the benefit of the population worldwide. "We are also calling on additional companies to submit their innovations for the Fund's programs and be instrumental in finding the solution that will provide cutting edge solutions to the global challenges we are all facing." Dr. Eitan Yudilevich, Executive Director of the BIRD Foundation, said: "It is outstanding to see how companies and institutions from the U.S. and Israel demonstrate agility and creativity to pursue their partnerships in these challenging times. We at the BIRD Foundation are proud to be able to support these innovations selected by BIRD's Board of Governors from a high quality group of candidate projects, in a very competitive process." The deadline for submission of Executive Summaries for the next BIRD cycle is September 1, 2020. Approval of projects will take place during December 2020. About the BIRD Foundation The BIRD (Binational Industrial Research and Development) Foundation works to encourage and facilitate cooperation between U.S. and Israeli companies in a wide range of technology sectors and offers funding to selected projects. The Foundation supports projects without receiving any equity or intellectual property rights in the participating companies or in the projects, themselves. BIRD funding is repaid as royalties from sales of products that were commercialized as a result of BIRD support. The Foundation provides funding of up to 50% of a project's budget, beginning with R&D and ending with the initial stages of sales and marketing. The Foundation shares the risk and does not require repayment if the project fails to reach the sales stage. Contact: Limor Nakar - Vincent [email protected] Tel: +972-3-698-8310 SOURCE The BIRD Foundation Albertas economic recovery plan includes an immigration system that is more focused on supporting labour shortages and job creation. Alberta includes U.S. international student graduates in immigration reforms Albertas economic recovery plan includes an immigration system that is more focused on supporting labour shortages and job creation. Alberta includes U.S. international student graduates in immigration reforms Albertas economic recovery plan includes an immigration system that is more focused on supporting labour shortages and job creation. Alberta includes U.S. international student graduates in immigration reforms Albertas economic recovery plan includes an immigration system that is more focused on supporting labour shortages and job creation. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Alberta is accelerating two previously-announced immigration streams aimed at foreign graduates from U.S. universities as part of an overhaul of the provinces immigration system. The Foreign Graduate Startup Visa Program and the Student Entrepreneur program will be heavily promoted to graduates of U.S. universities who are not welcome in the United States, the Alberta Recovery Plan says. The report was published on June 29, which is one week after the Trump administration announced the immigration freeze for 2020 and one week before they announced that international students enrolled in a fulltime online study program would have to leave the U.S. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs One of the key factors holding back Albertas technology sector is a lack of people with relevant skills, the Alberta Recovery Plan states, At the same time, the United States has further closed its border to some of the worlds most talented information technology workers and start-up entrepreneurs. Growing the technology sector is one of the strategies in Albertas economic recovery plan following the coronavirus lockdown. The government plans to create capital investments for tech startups, support to develop artificial intelligence, enhance 5G initiatives, and create an Innovation Employment Grant program. The Foreign Graduate Startup Visa Program is still a go though jobs in Alberta have taken a hit from the coronavirus crisis, the program is poised to support technology and innovation in the province. Coronavirus effect on Alberta immigration Following the economic shutdown in March, Alberta is reducing its immigration targets for 2020 by a third from 6,250 permanent resident nominations to no more than 4,000. The province also says it is requesting that the federal government remove most occupational categories under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) for Alberta, this is part of the governments overriding goal of getting Albertans back to work. The government does not specify which occupational categories it plans to add to the refusal to process list but says they aim to remove the vast majority of occupations from the TFWP. A few specialized occupations experiencing acute and proven labour shortages will be exempt. We know job creators have a hard time filling vacancies in areas such as caregiving, emergency response, hospitality positions in the mountain parks, and agriculture, that is why these sectors will be exempt from these changes, a spokesperson from the Government of Alberta, wrote to CIC News, Employers in these sectors will be able to access TFWs to fill vacant positions. The province also said that as of December 2019, the total number of TFWs in Alberta was 10,188. The service industry accounts for 62 per cent of all TFWs in Alberta. TFWs who are currently working in Alberta will not be affected by these changes. The government will enhance services to connect employers with available workers and increase training opportunities in occupations where there is a persistent skill shortage. The province also says that newcomers will be needed in the future to create jobs and bring specialized skills to the Alberta labour market. As such, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program will become the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, and four new streams will be launched to spur entrepreneurship, tech start-ups, and to boost economic growth in rural communities. The province did not say when these changes would be implemented but said more details will be announced in the coming weeks. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved Today's forums are not for the faint-hearted. Whether the topic be race, gender, politics or popular culture; whether your views be progressive, conservative or libertarian; whether the platform be social media, talkback or old-style media the contest of ideas should more accurately be characterised in these times as a pitched battle. Credit:Bloomberg The use of "cancel culture" to attack someones platform, fame, business, company, job or popularity because of what is deemed by a collective to be "unforgivable behaviour" is now commonplace. While it has rightfully brought down some powerful people who have spoken or acted in unpalatable ways, it has also become a rigid means of regulating "acceptable" language and views. And now the backlash is on. An open letter in Harper's Magazine from 150 public intellectuals, including Salman Rushdie and New York Times columnist David Brooks, has condemned attacks on free expression, arguing that there is a growing "intolerance of opposing views, a vogue for public shaming and ostracism, and the tendency to dissolve complex policy issues in a blinding moral certainty". In Australia, a similar letter was published after a Sydney Film Festival prize-winning drama about a schoolgirl binge-eating food online a popular trend in South Korea was accused of being culturally insensitive and reflecting a "white supremacist" tendency in the Australian film industry. A boy in China has had a dart removed from his body after he inserted it into his rear 'by accident', according to doctors. The nine-year-old was said to be playing at home unattended when he allegedly stuck the arrow - estimated to be six inches long - into his backside. Doctors found the sharp object inside the young patient during a medical checkup after he was rushed to the hospital by his parents in China's eastern province Jiangsu. The medics injected a large amount of saline into the boy's colon to help him release the excrement. They then found the sharp object wrapped in the faeces. An X-ray scan released by the Hai'an hospital in eastern China shows the small arrow stuck in the Chinese boy's colon The incident was brought to light when the boy's family took him to seek medical attention at the People's Hospital in the city of Hai'an on June 30. The youngster was said to be left at home alone when he inserted the dart into his rear 'by accident', according to a social media post from the hospital. He was rushed to the hospital after his parents discovered the incident when they returned home, but doctors did not reveal how his parents found out about the matter. A boy in China has had a seven-inch dart removed from his body after he inserted it into his rear. Reports did not specify the length of the dart, but it usually measures five to seven inches Doctors said that they had spotted a large chunk of faeces in the young patient's colon during a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy is used by medical workers to examine a patient's colon and rectum by inserting a flexible tube with a camera attached into the anus. Dr Zheng, a chief medic at the hospital, told Nantong Television: 'We checked the colon further and found nothing else there. So, we suspected that the dart was in the faeces.' The medics injected a large amount of saline into the boy's colon to help him release the excrement. They then found the sharp object wrapped in the faeces. Dr Zheng said that the youngster's life could have been in danger if the pointy dart had pierced through his colon. Media reports did not specify the length of the dart, but it measures five to seven inches on average. Public health officials in Houston are struggling to keep up with one of the nations largest coronavirus outbreaks. They are desperate to trace cases and quarantine patients before they spread the virus to others. But first, they must negotiate with the office fax machine. The machine at the Harris County Public Health department recently became overwhelmed when one laboratory sent a large batch of test results, spraying hundreds of pages all over the floor. Picture the image of hundreds of faxes coming through, and the machine just shooting out paper, said Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of the department. The county has so far recorded more than 40,000 coronavirus cases. Some doctors fax coronavirus tests to Shahs personal number, too. Those papers are put in an envelope marked confidential and walked to the epidemiology department. As hard as the United States works to control coronavirus, it keeps running into problems caused by its fragmented health system, a jumble of old and new technology, and data standards that do not meet epidemiologists needs. Public health officials and private laboratories have managed to expand testing to more than half a million performed daily, but they do not have a system that can smoothly handle that avalanche of results. Health departments track the viruss spread with a distinctly American patchwork: a reporting system in which some test results arrive via smooth data feeds but others come by phone, email, physical mail or fax, a technology retained because it complies with digital privacy standards for health information. These reports often come in duplicate, go to the wrong health department, or are missing crucial information such as a patients phone number or address. The absence of a standard digital process is hampering case reporting and contact tracing, crucial to slowing the spread of the disease. Many labs joined the effort but had limited public health experience, increasing the confusion. From an operational standpoint, it makes things incredibly difficult, Shah said. The data is moving slower than the disease. The torrent of paper data led at least one health department to request additional forces. Washington state recently brought in 25 members of the National Guard to assist with manual data entry for results not reported electronically. The obsession with the number of tests obscures an important fundamental: What are we doing with all those tests? said Dr. Thomas Frieden, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is legitimately difficult stuff that every state is struggling with. Dr. Mark Escott, the interim health authority for the city of Austin, Texas, and Travis County, said his office is receiving around 1,000 faxes a day, including duplicate results. Some faxes are meant for other jurisdictions, and many are missing crucial information needed for his office to investigate cases. Most such faxes in Austin are being sent to a computer, but they still need to be printed and manually entered into public health databases. On average, his office is getting all the information it needs about a test result 11 days after the test is taken far too late to make contact tracing worthwhile. He has been advising those in the area with virus symptoms to assume they are positive, since the tests take so long to come back. When we are receiving results back 14 days after the individual became symptomatic, its not useful at all, Escott said. Before the pandemic, nearly 90% of laboratory test results for diseases tracked by public health departments were transmitted digitally, according to the CDC. But the need for widespread coronavirus testing has brought many more players into the public health arena, including companies that usually run tests only for employers, and small clinics that usually test for diseases like the flu and strep throat. That has pushed up the share of lab tests coming to public health departments in other forms. There are standards that exist out there, but with the onslaught and the drastic increase in volume and the increase in the number of tests, theyre struggling to keep up, said Jason Hall, who is the lead for the CDCs Laboratory Reporting Working Group. Nationally, about 80% of coronavirus test results are missing demographic information, and half do not have addresses, according to Janet Hamilton, executive director of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. When things come in with missing information, we have to try to put the pieces back together, she said. We call the provider back or look at other data sources. But that takes time. The Trump administration issued guidelines in early June that required laboratories to report things like patients age, race and ethnicity, so public health officials can better understand the demographics of the coronavirus pandemic. The rules, which do not take effect until August, state that laboratories should also provide patients addresses and phone numbers but do not mandate it. This type of information often gets lost, as the typical test data take a journey from doctors office to laboratory to public health authority and back to the original doctor, not necessarily in that order. At each stage, technological failures can slow or disrupt the flow of vital information. Doctors offices do not always have digital systems capable of talking to the lab that analyzes the result. Laboratory software often omits information that public health authorities will later need. And transmissions by fax or spreadsheet can require workers to manually reenter information into their computer systems, increasing the risk of errors or duplicate entries. Some public health officials say they have been especially vexed by the ubiquity of fax machines, with their blurry printouts and analog data. Large, national laboratories typically have software that allows them to communicate electronically with a wide range of hospitals and public health systems. But smaller labs, drawn to coronavirus testing by high payment rates, often do not invest in expensive software packages when they can simply send data by fax instead. Its $500 versus, literally, $5,000, said Bob Kocher, a partner at the venture capital firm Venrock, who has been helping California manage its coronavirus testing effort. In the early 2010s, the federal government spent billions to encourage doctors to replace fax machines with electronic records. That program, known as the HITECH Act, did not include similar funding for public health departments, to help them automatically digitize faxes and other nonstandard results. Nor did it require hospitals and doctors offices to build technology that would automatically send relevant test results to local health officials. Public health departments, whose budgets have been cut back over the past decade, were unable to finance the digital upgrades themselves. The best way I can describe it is to imagine youre on the information superhighway, but youre traveling with a bus pass, said Oscar Alleyne, a senior adviser to the National Association of County and City Health Officials. Money was invested to get physician practices onto electronic health records. There was no investment to build up a similar technology to tie public health into that system. The CDC has modernized public health reporting, but at a smaller scale. In the mid-2010s, the agency used $13 million in Affordable Care Act funds to help state and city health departments go digital. Although that program made some progress, it did not move the country to a completely digital public health reporting system. There have been some smaller one-time grant programs over the last few years, but no long-term funding source for digitization. What we learned really fast is that this is a hard problem, said Frieden, the former CDC director. Youve got hundreds of laboratories and thousands of tests. Nothing is interoperable because they havent been mandated to do that. Frieden noted that in other countries, like Britain and Canada, patient data travels with a unique number that identifies whom it belongs to. The United States tried to set up a similar system in the mid-1990s, but it died after Congress passed legislation barring the federal government from creating the new ID numbers. The fact we dont have that really makes this a lot harder, Frieden said. Instead, data often come to public health authorities using only the information that laboratories need to track the record, not the details that public health officials need to understand the disease. Dr. Thomas Farley, Philadelphias health commissioner, said his office had been updating its records system with a grant before the pandemic struck, and has been receiving most lab results in digital form. Compared with many other places, Philadelphia is fortunate, he said. But even with Philadelphias relatively modern system, many records come with only a patients name and date of birth. The staff then spends hours searching databases like LexisNexis to find phone numbers and addresses that were already collected by the clinic that ordered the test in the first place. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 12:45:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A passenger walks at Roma Termini Train Station in Rome, Italy, June 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting) BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- As countries in Europe are opening up borders and restarting economies, an increase in new cumulative cases over the past few weeks has shadowed the outlook for Europe's economic recovery. For many countries, returning to comprehensive lockdown measures is the last thing to do given the economic stress, yet faced with growing risk of a virus resurgence, some has to introduce again new restrictive measures. - - - - Isolated outbreaks, foreign arrivals keeping Italy's coronavirus infection rate from falling lower ROME - - A series of small local outbreaks and a growing trickle of foreign arrivals are starting to nudge the number of coronavirus infections in Italy higher, according to information released by the Ministry of Health Sunday, although rates still remain a small fraction of the highs recorded in March and April. There were a total of 234 new cases reported in Italy over the last 24 hours, up from 188 a day earlier. It was the seventh time in ten days there were at least 200 new infections in Italy, a benchmark reached just twice in the ten days before. xhne.ws/CeSOq - - - - A waiter is seen serving customers at the reopened New York Cafe in Budapest, Hungary on June 10, 2020. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) Hungary to impose new restrictions on cross-border travel to prevent virus resurgence BUDAPEST - - Hungary will impose new restrictions on cross-border travel next week in order to prevent the coronavirus from being imported from abroad after a surge in new cases in several countries, the government said Sunday. "Hungary is today among the safest countries in Europe," Gergely Gulyas, head of the Prime Minister's Office, said at a press conference. But given new outbreaks around the world, the government is putting the health and safety of Hungarians foremost and is doing everything possible to prevent the virus's return, he said. xhne.ws/SIbB7 - - - - A man wearing a face mask rests at the Trocadero Palace near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, July 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) Fears of epidemic resurgence arise in France, haunting economic recovery PARIS -- Nearly two months into lockdown exit, France now sees its population back with their rituals again, with all indicators suggesting the epidemic situation is well under control. However, fears of a resurgence of coronavirus epidemic linger, forcing the government to be ready to protect the fragile recovery of economic activities. xhne.ws/EhqMu - - - - A woman wearing a face mask is seen on a bus in Riga, Latvia, May 11, 2020. Public transport passengers are required to wear face covers to minimize infection risks in Latvia. (Photo by Edijs Palens/Xinhua) Latvia toughens COVID-19 restrictions amid virus uptick RIGA -- The Latvian government on Friday decided to toughen COVID-19 containment rules for cafes, bars and restaurants amid an increase in new coronavirus cases in the Baltic country, local media reported. The number of people allowed to sit at one table is now limited to four indoors and eight outdoors, and all cafes and restaurants, which until now were allowed to stay open until 2 a.m., are now required to close by 12 midnight. xhne.ws/L2ZCa Islamabad, July 13 : Pakistan's National Assembly will on Monday take up two crucial bills seeking amendments to the anti-terrorism act in order to fulfil international commitments and requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). According to the 22-point agenda issued by the National Assembly Secretariat for the sitting, Minister for Interior retd Brig Ijaz Shah will move the two bills, reports Dawn news. Both the bills with the same title the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2020 were approved by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior in February. Through one of the bills, the government has defined the term "economic terrorism" for the first time. The bill defines "economic terrorism" as 'the transfer of money or funds from Pakistan to destinations abroad through any informal channel, where the total amount transferred by any one agent, through a single or multiple transactions over a period of one month, is equal to or exceeds 50 million rupees PKR". The bills had been introduced by the government to meet certain requirements of the FATF and in line with the UN Security Council Resolutions No. 1267 and 1373. Last month, the FATF extended the deadline for Pakistan till the next plenary meeting in October, urging Islamabad to ensure compliance of 27-point action plan. The extension in deadline of review of Pakistan's progress to counter money-laundering and terror financing because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, made it almost impossible for assessed jurisdiction and assessors alike to conduct on-site visits and in-person meetings. The FATF had placed Pakistan on the grey list in June 2018, placing at least 27 conditions for compliance review on September 2019. Since then, Pakistan has been given extensions at least thrice of three months each as Islamabad failed to comply with the conditions, required to ensure its name is removed from the grey list. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar By Online Desk Nestled in the heart of Khurja, Uttar Pradesh's ceramic city, a close-knit weavers' community has been battling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lesser-known Khes weavers in UP, who earn their livelihood solely by churning blankets out of yarns of cotton, have been rendered jobless since the great lockdown began in March. Although the dusty city has been a famous hub of pottery with a rich history that dates back 500 years, the cottage textile industry, which has been thriving for the past two generations, has taken a beating. "We are distressed by the amount of loss we are facing and there has been no support from the (Yogi Adityanath) government so far," said Sona, a second-generation Khes weaver. The sole breadwinner in the family of five, 38-year-old Sona has been weaving at least 20 pairs of Khes blankets a day despite little or no demand. "I have been working for the past 30 years. I have three kids to take care of. How am I supposed to feed them with no demand in place," he asks. Sona weaves on his loom. (Photo| Shashank Gupta) Made of coarse yarn, Khes is a light cotton blanket produced in the northwestern belt of India and used during the onset of winter. Khes is often woven with cotton or recycled wool in solid colours or checkered patterns and at times in an amalgamation of colourful threads that contribute to its richness. From being used as shawls for men in the past, to now being used in bedding and upholstery, the allure of the fabric lies in its multifunctionality. The fabric is said to have been celebrated by the Mughals as well. Although the weave might have its home in Punjab and Haryana's Sonipat, as many as 15 families in Khurja have made it their own. These weavers weren't selling their blankets directly in the market and the disrupted supply chain had brought their business to a standstill. While Narendra Modi's call for 'Vocal for Local' has fallen short of Yogi's ears in this instance, a JNU student has been helping the community to digitally connect the weavers to potential customers worldwide. Shashank Gupta, a resident of Khurja, through his Instagram page The Random Delhi has been bringing their hard work to the fore. "I returned to Khurja during the lockdown and came to know that the weavers have been suffering a lot. My hometown is known for its ceramic work but there is a very lesser-known weavers' community that is struggling to make ends meet. They have been making blankets, floor covers, et al. I started my efforts to connect them digitally from June 25. So far, we have received a decent response, most from Delhi-NCR and Chennai," he said. "We are taking the products directly from the local weavers and selling it to the customers without any intermediary," he added. You can contact 88263 65320 to extend your help. The presidency in reaction to the current probe of suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, said that the probe of the suspended EFCC boss shows that there is no sacred cow in the Buhari-led administrations fight against corruption. In a statement released on Saturday, July 11, Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the current probe of Magus activities shows that the antigraft war is real and no respecter of persons. Shehu said the nature of the allegations leveled against Magu shows enough grounds for a detailed investigation to be conducted. The statement reads A series of documented allegations were made against the Ag. Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Following a preliminary review of the allegations leveled against the Ag. Chairman and several other members of his staff, there were grounds for a detailed investigation to be conducted. Hence, an investigative panel was constituted in compliance with the extant laws governing the convening of such a body. As is the proper procedure, when allegations are made against the Chief Executive of an institution, and in this case an institution that ought to be seen as beyond reproach, the Chief Executive has to step down from his post and allow for a transparent and unhindered investigation. The EFCC does not revolve around the personality of an individual, and as such cannot be seen through the prism of any individual. Therefore, the suspension of Mr. Ibrahim Magu, allows the institution to continue carrying out its mandate without the cloud of investigation hanging over its head. The EFCC has many good, hardworking men and women who are committed to its ideal and ensuring that the wealth of our country isnt plundered and wherein there is an act of misappropriation such person(s) are brought to justice. Meanwhile, Mr. Magu is being availed the opportunity to defend himself and answer the allegations against him. This is how it should be, as is the fact that under the Laws of Nigeria every citizen is presumed and remains innocent until proven guilty. We must realize that the fight against corruption is not a static event, but a dynamic and ever evolving process, in which the EFCC is just one actor; and as we continue to work towards improving our democratic process so shall every institution of ours also embark on that journey of evolution. What is however important is that there must be accountability and transparency and our people must realize that they would be held to account. This is the building block in the fight against corruption, the establishment of the concept of Accountability and the recognition of the Rule of Law. Those who see Mr. Magus investigation, as a signal that the fight against corruption is failing, have unfortunately, missed the boat. There is no better indication that the fight is real and active than the will to investigate allegations in an open and transparent manner against those who have been charged to be custodians of this very system. Under this President and Government, this is our mantra and guiding principle. There are no sacred cows, and for those who think they have a halo over their heads, their days are also numbered. Mr. Magu was not immune and regardless of the obvious embarrassment that potential acts of wrongdoing by him, given the office he held, may appear for the government. No other administration in the history of Nigeria would have moved to bring into the light and public domain such an allegation. ''Mumbai is at a peak, from here it can only be a downward trend.'' IMAGE: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation workers prepare an isolation centre for COVID-19 patients at the NSCI Dome in Worli, south central Mumbai. Photograph: Kunal Patil/PTI Photo Dr Neeta Warty, one of Mumbai's leading gynaecologists, has been working at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's COVID-19 facility at the NSCI stadium since April. "The prisoners had to be moved here from the Arthur road jail because if the infection spread in the prison it would have posed a huge problem. There were police personnel also admitted in the NSCI, so we said we will be fine. The prisoners gave us no problem," Dr Warty tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih in the concluding segment of a two-part interview. Where do you see Mumbai in its fight against the coronavirus? We have done very well considering the population density, hygiene conditions and level of understanding of hygiene in the slums. The infection started in pockets, first from people who came from abroad and then among the slums. South Mumbai, which had high number of cases, is showing fewer cases and the infections are now increasing in the suburbs. Mumbai is at a peak, from here it can only be a downward trend. In another month we should have lesser cases. One thing everyone wants to know is when will cases in Mumbai peak and then plateau? I feel that the pattern we saw in south Mumbai is now happening in the suburbs. In G-South ward (Mumbai is divided into 24 municipal wards) where there were 60 to 70 admissions a day, it has come down to 15 to 20 patients. There are around 250 patients currently, most of the them from other areas of the city. The pattern we saw in our ward is that the cases suddenly spiked and then started falling. I also feel that people are aware of how to protect themselves. They are getting used to wearing a mask and are washing hands, sanitising. This is what will save many people. The basic thing is to understand that virus goes in through your eyes, nose and mouth. If you protect these, you will be keeping yourself safe. When people seek treatment early, it will also bring down both the infection rate and mortality rate. The death rate for people above the age of 50 is almost 15%. What are the reasons for younger people succumbing to the disease? Co-morbidity and happy hypoxia (As blood oxygen levels begin to reduce, a person may experience shortness of breath. If blood oxygen levels continue to fall, the organs may shut down, and the issue becomes life threatening). The patient does not understand that the oxygen saturation level is going down. That is why it is advised to check oxygen concentration levels, temperature, blood pressure in the morning and evening. If there is any problem with oxygenation, come to us or a doctor immediately. Asymptomatic patients are doing home quarantine and are unnecessarily not overcrowding hospitals, but at the same time they have to be monitored well. Housing societies should also invest in oxygen concentrators. When cases are picked up fast, the mortality rate will go down. Patients being admitted to ICU are either those who are coming late to the hospital or have co-morbidities like diabetes, BP or cardiac issue. Are you surprised with number of young people dying due to Covid? A lot of young people are having sudden deaths. It is very rare that we found a young patient deteriorating and succumbing in ICU. This was more related to clotting and thrombus getting dislodged. That is why most hospitals administer blood thinners as routine treatment. Antivirals are also helping in the treatment. One thing I would like to mention is that pregnant Covid patients are responding well to treatment. Pregnancy is an immuno-compromised state where immunity is low, but somehow pregnant patients are doing well. Pregnancy is also a thrombogenic phase, the blood is thicker during pregnancy. That is why it is extremely important to put pregnant patients on blood thinners. Blood thinners have saved a lot of lives. Breastfeeding is safe because breast milk does not contain COVID-19. Mothers can wear a mask and safely feed the baby. What do you find most worrying about the virus? That it has no predictive medicine. A normal person sitting next to you could be infected. It has different symptoms and is unpredictable. The good thing is that most times patients are getting better. How do we keep homes safe from the virus? We must understand that this is the new normal. Have very few people come into the house and meet fewer people as necessary. Sanitise things that are brought into the house. Every day I tell people to wear their masks properly because so many times it is just hanging from the ears or neck. Have a good bath on returning from outside. Wash your hands often. How can we boost immunity at this time? B complex with zinc, if you are deficient in vitamins, but don't go overloading yourself by having them morning and evening. It is better to eat nutritious food. What was the experience of treating inmates from Arthur road prison? They had to be moved here because if the infection spread in the prison it would have posed a huge problem. There were police personnel also admitted in the NSCI, so we said that we will be fine. The inmates gave us no problem. I used to counsel them personally that they have to follow treatment and the doctors' advice. There was also a one-hour yoga session. When the last patient from the prison was discharged one of the nurses noticed he was carrying a bag. When it was checked it was found to contain tablets, pulse oxymeters, mobile phones and chargers that had gone missing. Old habits die hard (laughs). How was it working with doctors, nurses and healthcare workers at the NSCI? The young team was exceptional, very committed and happy workers. The PPE used was of good quality. The donning and doffing was done in the presence of a supervisor to ensure that it was done properly. Not a single health worker has been infected till date. The voluntary team was exemplary. It was really an army and the room we sat in to monitor the patients was called the 'war room'. Feature Production: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com LOS ANGELES - Glee star Naya Rivera s 4-year-old son told investigators that his mother, whose body was found in a Southern California lake Monday, boosted him back on to the deck of their rented boat before he looked back and saw her disappearing under the water, authorities said. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/7/2020 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. LOS ANGELES - "Glee" star Naya Rivera s 4-year-old son told investigators that his mother, whose body was found in a Southern California lake Monday, boosted him back on to the deck of their rented boat before he looked back and saw her disappearing under the water, authorities said. "She must have mustered enough energy to get her son back on the boat, but not enough to save herself," Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said at a news conference. FILE - In this April 1,3 2013, file photo, actress Naya Rivera arrives at Logo's NewNowNext Awards in Los Angeles. A member of a team searching a Southern California lake for Rivera, the missing TV star, said Sunday, July 12, that he's confident his crew is getting a clearer idea of where in the lake to find her, a magazine reported. Robert Inglis of the Ventura County Sheriffs Office Search & Rescue Team told Us Weekly that Rivera sent to a family member of picture of her 4-year-old son, Joey, in front of a cove before she disappeared July 8 after diving into Lake Piru. (Photo by Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP, File) The boy, Josey Hollis Dorsey, was found asleep and alone in a life vest on the drifting pontoon boat about three hours after they launched on Lake Piru northwest of Los Angeles, setting off a five-day search that ended with the discovery of the body of the 33-year-old floating near the surface early Monday, authorities said. The mother and son had gone swimming, which was permitted in that part of the lake, Ayub said. She was not wearing a life vest. Authorities believe that Rivera drowned accidentally, and that her body was most likely trapped in the vegetation under the lake for several days before floating to the top, Ayub said. Divers had already thoroughly searched the area where she was eventually found, but shrubbery that had grown wildly in the area, which was recently dry, must have kept her hidden in the murky water. Capt. Jeremy Paris of the search and rescue unit of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department continues the search for missing actress Naya Rivera at Lake Piru, Friday, July 10, 2020, in Los Padres National Forest, Calif., about 55 miles (90 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles. Authorities said that they believe the "Glee" star drowned in the lake Wednesday, but they are continuing the search for her two days after her 4-year-old son was found alone in a rented boat. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Family members chatted with Rivera via FaceTime when she was on the boat, and search crews watched those videos for clues to where she might have gone down, Ayub said. "It has been an extremely difficult time for her family throughout this ordeal," Ayub said "We share in their grief." Rivera played singing cheerleader Santana Lopez for six seasons from 2009 to 2015 on the Fox musical-comedy "Glee." She is the third major cast member from the show to die in their 30s. The announcement of her death comes seven years to the day after co-star Cory Monteith died at 31 from a toxic mix of alcohol and heroin, with the series losing one of its leads while it was still on the air. Another co-star, Mark Salling, who Rivera dated at one point, killed himself in 2018 at age 35 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges. Rivera's body was flown by helicopter 40 miles (64 kilometres) to the coroners office in Ventura, where an autopsy would be conducted and an official identification made, authorities said. Ayub said the circumstances from the location of the body to the fact that no one else has been reported missing in the lake makes the department "confident that the body we found is Naya Rivera." Rivera had experience boating on the lake in Los Padres National Forest an hour's drive from Los Angeles. It was closed down and searched by dozens of divers with help from sonar and robotic devices combing the bottom and helicopters and drones searching above. Surveillance video showed the mother and son parking and renting the boat at about 1 p.m. on July 8. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The vendor who rented it to them went looking for them when they failed to return on time, and found the boat drifting in the northern end of the lake with the boy aboard. The boy, Riveras son from her marriage to actor Ryan Dorsey, was safe and healthy and quickly reunited with family members after he was found, authorities said. His parents divorced in 2018 after nearly four years of marriage. The day before her death, Rivera tweeted a photo of herself and Josey that read, "just the two of us." ___ Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton. Interim Commissioner Shannon Tahoe said that was one of the revisions the department made in its guidance based on the public feedback. Youre so right, Tahoe said. We cant do this paper and pencil, handing out packets again. This has got to be meaningful interaction with a certified teacher. That is something we really think needs to be thought through this next academic year, Tahoe said. Similarly, concerns were raised about daily school attendance during the spring and online engagement among students moving forward. I know that schools are being asked to address that issue, but what Im concerned about is there are these kids that are not attending class at all, said Regent Judith Chin. My concern really is about how we are able to address that issue and what support we can give to the schools and districts to identify who these kids are, Chin said. These are the ones I am most concerned about because they are lost in the system. A decision on whether to fully reopen public schools in September will come from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo no later than Aug. 7, after school districts submit reopening plans by July 31. Brittany Hockley has dropped a rather huge hint about who she falls for on the upcoming season of Bachelor in Paradise. The 32-year-old, who starred on Nick "The Honey Badger" Cummins' season of The Bachelor, shared a photo of herself to her Instagram and wrote: 'Wonder if there are penguins in paradise?' Fans have claimed this suggests Brittany will couple up with Jackson Garlick. Hint: Brittany Hockley (pictured) has dropped a hint about who she will pick on Bachelor in Paradise as she refers to finding her 'penguin' in an Instagram post During his appearance on Angie Kent's season of The Bachelorette, Jackson dressed up as a penguin for a single date. Posting on the Bachelor In Paradise Australia Season 3 Sleuthing Spoilers forum, many have surmised that Brittany post about penguins refers to this moment. Meanwhile, a new trailer for Bachelor in Paradise shows Brittany flirting up a storm with Timm Hanly as they arrive at the Mango Bay Resort in Fiji. Will she pick Jackson? Fans are claiming Brittany's comment suggests she will couple up with Jackson Garlick, who dressed up as a penguin for a single date with Angie Kent 'That chick from Badger's season? She's so hot!' Timm says as he lays eyes on Brittany for the first time. 'Brittany is absolutely gorgeous! So well spoken, those piercing blue eyes.' Brittany later says: 'Timm in no way is my type. Never ever have I dated anybody like him.' Rise to fame: Brittany (pictured) starred on Nick "The Honey Badger" Cummins' season of The Bachelor In another scene, Timm is seen flirtatiously placing a kiss on Brittany's forehead as they cuddle up together on a daybed. Things become even steamier later in the trailer when the couple were also shown kidding in a bathtub. 'He really took me by surprise. [There's] something about him that I want to get to know more,' Brittany says afterwards. Spoiler! Brittany is appearing on the upcoming series of Bachelor in Paradise, which was filmed in Fiji last year, and a recent trailer also shows her flirting up a storm with Timm Hanly Journalism student, gym owner from Pune arrested in ISIS case India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 13: The National Investigation Agency has arrested two in connection with an Islamic State case from Pune. The arrested have been identified as Nabeel Khatri and Sadiya Anwar. Nabeel Khatri runs a gym in Pune while Sadiya Sheikh is a 2nd year student of Mass Communications and Journalism at Baramati. Chennai ISIS module members were in process of setting up wilayah in South Indian forests This case was initially registered by Delhi Police Special Cell on 8th March, 2020, after the arrest of a Kashmiri couple-Jahanzaib Sami Wani and his wife Hina Bashir Beigh from Jamia Nagar, Okhla Vihar, Delhi. The couple was having affiliations with ISKP, which is a banned terrorist organisation and is a part of ISIS, and was found to be involved in subversive and anti-national activities. They were also found to be in touch with Abdullah Basith, who is already lodged in Tihar jail in another NIA case (ISIS Abu Dabhi module). The investigation has revealed that accused Sadiya Sheikh was continuously in touch with Jahanzaib Sami, Hina Bashir Beigh & Abdullah Basith on various secure messaging applications and deliberating on as to how to propagate the ideology of ISIS and further its activities in India. They were trying to build up a cadre of ISIS in India by recruiting gullible youth for terrorist activities. It has also come to light that along with Jahanzeb Sami and Abdullah Basith, accused Nabeel Khatri was also actively involved in the planning to carry out violent terrorist attacks in India by arranging logistic support such as procurement of weapons, fake SIM cards, assembling of Improvised Explosive Devices etc. to further the activities of ISIS in India. He was continuously in contact with Jahanzeb on various secure messaging platforms. It has also been revealed that Sadiya Sheikh was in contact with ISIS recruiters through social media since 2015. She was planning to execute a terrorist attack in Jammu & Kashmir and was detained by J&K Police in 2018. New Delhi: Fire broke out in a Mohalla clinic situated at Delhi's Daryaganj area late on Sunday night (July 12, 2020) taking away life of one person. Fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot which later doused the fire. However, the Mohalla clinic was empty during the incident and the reason of how the deceased came there is still not known. The dead person is not yet identified and the cause of the fire is also not known. Investigation on the incident underway. MBABANE A Zion deacon says, in as much as people need to adhere to all precautionary measures related to COVID-19, there is no need to worry after testing positive for the virus. Justice Fakudze, a priest assistant, who looks after the welfare of congregants at Ekhenyeni Church in Zion, spoke boldly after testing positive for the virus. In an interview yesterday, Fakudze said all people needed to do was to adhere to all the precautionary measures put in place to minimise the spread of the virus. He said by the precautionary measures, he meant washing hands with clean running water and soap, sanitising, wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, exercising and eating healthily. State He said people should not worry or blame themselves or others once they tested positive for the virus. However, the staunch Christian was quick to state that as a believer, he believed it was high time he demonstrated his faith in God. He said what mattered most was his trust in Christ than stressing about the virus. Fakudze said when he became a Christian, he knew he would die one day. He said it was for that reason he prepared for eternal life. I was not told when and how I will die but the fact is I will die one day. Testing positive for COVID-19 has not caused me any panic. To me, COVID-19 is like all diseases just as we have seen HIV/AIDS, Ebola to mention a few, he said. He said as a believer, what mattered the most was his treasure in Christ as he believed in life after death. He said he was proud that contracting the virus was not as a result of his wrongdoings or wickedness. He stated that he adhered at all the precautionary measures meant to minimise the spread of the virus at home, work and church. Fakudze said the positive result was a wake-up call to work for eternal life. However, he stated that he would follow all the precautionary measures as provided by the Ministry of Health without stressing about the virus. Response Fakudze was asked about the events leading to the discovery of the virus in his system. In response, he disclosed that he was a father to one of the NDMA employees who tested positive for the virus last week. He said his daughter was tested and isolated at home pending her results after one of her colleague tested positive. Fakudze said his family was tested during the contact tracing. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has planned to operate 800 buses from Bengaluru to other places in the state on Monday and Tuesday ahead of the seven-day lockdown. The state government decided to impose the lockdown between July 14 and July 22 after a sudden spike in the cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). KSRTC issued a priority notice, saying 249 buses were already operating from Bengaluru from 10am on Monday and that 6,641 passengers had travelled on them. It added 231 buses have been booked in advance. The notice said thermal screening was being conducted for the passengers and they were being allowed to travel by adhering to social distancing norms. Passengers need not worry about the buses, there are many buses that are already planned for operation, it said. According to the Union ministry of health, Karnataka recorded nearly 39,000 cases and 684 deaths due to the coronavirus disease. Karnatakas health minister B Sriramulu said on Sunday that the number of cases in the state would double in the next 15-30 days and next two months would be a big challenge for the state government to combat the infection. Sriramulu added there was no need to panic and that people should follow the requisite regulations to stay safe from the virus. (with inputs from ANI) Farooq Sahab suggested me to speak with Pakistan but I will speak to the youth: Amit Shah in Srinagar If normalcy to be brought in Kashmir, Article 370 has to be reinstated: Farooq Abdullah Farooq, Omar move HC for release of 16 NC leaders detained since August 5 last year India pti-PTI New Delhi, July 13: A bunch of habeas corpus petitions seeking the release of 16 senior leaders of the National Conference (NC) from detention at their residences have been filed by the party''s president Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah, who have contended that they were being held in "brazen violation" of the constitutional guarantee of right to liberty. According to the writ petitions filed under Article 226 of the Constitution, NC general secretary Ali Mohammed Sagar, provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani, senior leader Aga Syed Mehmood, party''s chief spokesman Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, among others, were being detained at their residences illegally and wrongfully without serving them with the grounds for such action. Omar Abdullah criticises J&K govt order of keeping Move offices functional in both regions The leaders have been forcibly restricted to their homes by police personnel stationed outside for the past 11 months. Other leaders for whose release the petitions have been filed are Abdul Rahim Rather, Mohammad Khalil Bandh, Irfan Shah, Sahmeema Firdous, Mohammad Shafi Uri, Chaudhary Mohammad Ramzaan, Mubarak Gul, Dr Bashir Veeri, Abdul Majeed Larmi, Basharat Bukhari, Saifudin Bhat Shutru and Mohammad Shafi. The senior Abdullah has filed the habeas corpus petition for seven leaders, while his son Omar Abdullah has filed a similar plea for the remaining nine. Rajasthan Crisis Sachin Pilot denies meeting with Rahul, sources say in talks with BJP|Oneindia News The Abdullahs, who were taken into preventive custody on the intervening night of August 4 and 5 hours before Jammu and Kashmir''s special status was revoked by the Centre and then detained under the stringent Public Safety Act for several months, have pleaded that the detainees be set at liberty. The petitions were filed before the registrar of the high court by advocate Shariq Reyaz. The party leadership moved the high court after the petitions of these detained leaders to the Home Secretary of Union Territory on June 30 seeking removal of restrictions on their movement and set them at "absolute liberty" remained unanswered. The party on Monday issued a statement saying the habeas corpus petitions were filed in the high court, challenging "the unconstitutional and illegal house detention" of senior leaders and functionaries. Party spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said the decision to approach the high court has been taken as a resort to provide relief to various party members who have continuously been under house arrest or were kept under house detention after being released from custody under the stringent Public Safety Act. "Shifting of the detainees from detention centres to their homes only characterised revolving-door detention practice. Quashing of the PSA on the party general secretary underscored the indefensible nature of all detentions in the court of law, leading us to believe that the administration will release all the detainees in the absence of any convincing reason behind it. "Unfortunately that was not to be. The house detentions without any administrative orders are unlawful, undermining due respect to human rights and individual liberty," he said. The spokesperson expressed hope that the judiciary will come to the rescue of their colleagues, who have been suffering for no fault ever since the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir''s special status and bifurcation of the state into union territories on August 5, 2019. "This was the only recourse left to us. We are hopeful that the court will uphold the civil liberties of our colleagues most of whom have not been keeping well," the spokesman said. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has advised its staff union not to embark on a planned industrial action. The union had threatened to begin industrial action on July 16 in agitation for the payment of arrears arising from the new national minimum wage and their investigations allowances. According to a statement by the commissions assistant director of public affairs, Fatima Agwai, on Sunday, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu, pleaded with the workers to reject the temptation to embark on strike. He said the commission was making efforts to persuade the federal government to release funds to pay the minimum wage arrears and investigations allowances. The situation is similar with other sister organisations like INEC Public Complaints Commission, the Judiciary and NASS, that are on the statutory transfer or first line charge in the federal allocation system as only MDAs on IPPIS have been paid the new minimum wage and arrears, Mr Ojukwu was quoted as saying. Against this backdrop, Mr Ojukwu highlighted the various efforts made by management to the executive members of the Federal Civil Service Union and the NHRC unit, noting that, industrial harmony rather than a strike is what is needed to further deepen the interface with government towards securing the release of the necessary funds to pay the government approved minimum wage arrears. He added that the protection and investigation allowances of the commission had not been reviewed in the last 10 years but the management had approached the National Income, Salaries and Wages Commission (NISWC) which had reviewed this recently and recommended an increase to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) for approval. The office of the SGF and Federal Ministry of Finance, however, have been delaying to approve the recommended allowances by NISWC. This is affecting staff morale and jeopardising investigation of complaints on human rights violations, he said. Mr Ojukwu said that NHRC staff like other investigation agencies go through a lot of stress and difficulties in carrying out their tasks, thus the need to exercise patience. Aead also: This should be appreciated by approving their legitimate Investigation allowances as situations abound when the staff have had to augment the present paltry allowances paid for investigation with their personal funds to ensure they complete investigation assignments given to them, the executive secretary said. Minimum Wage After months of intense negotiations, the federal government and labour unions reached a deal on the implementation of the minimum wage in October 2018. President Buhari signed the minimum wage bill into law in April 2019. More than one year now, the bill has not been fully implemented at the federal and state levels. The bill makes it mandatory for employers in both public and private organisations to pay their workers at least N30,000 monthly, excluding organisations employing less than 25 workers, persons who work in a ship which sails out of jurisdiction and other persons in places of regulated employment which are accepted by the Act. Best Regards, A 95-year-old former Nazi concentration camp guard has been charged with war crimes during the Holocaust in what could be one of the last cases of its kind, a German court said Monday. The former guard at the Stutthof Nazi camp near what was then Danzig, now Gdansk in Poland, was charged with complicity in the murder of several hundred people, a spokesman for the district court in Wuppertal told AFP. The ability of the accused to stand trial must now be assessed by experts. Because he was 19 years old when assigned to work as a guard at the Stutthof camp, the case would be handled by a juvenile court. The man would be the latest former Nazi camp guard to face trial since a landmark 2011 ruling against John Demjanjuk, a former guard at the Sobibor death camp. A court ruled that as a guard at the camp, Ukrainian-American Demjanjuk was automatically implicated in killings carried out there at the time. Since then, Germany has been racing to put surviving SS personnel on trial on those grounds rather than for murders or atrocities directly linked to the accused individuals. In the latest such case, German prosecutors last week demanded three years in jail for Bruno Dey, a 93-year-old former Stutthof guard who they said was without a doubt complicit in the murder of more than 5,000 people. Men march in an anti-violence rally attended by Muslim and Buddhist residents in Thailand's southern Narathiwat province, Jan. 22, 2019. Thailand is decreasing security spending in its southern border provinces for the third time since 2018, citing a drop in insurgency-related violence, and amid a broader reduction in the defense budget with funds slated for helping fight the COVID-19 pandemic. But critics said the government should spend more money on peace talks and reducing poverty, and less on intelligence and attitude adjustment programs in the violence-torn Deep South. For 2021, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha has proposed slashing the $309 million comprehensive solution for the Deep South budget by 9 percent, or $28.7 million. His proposal includes allocating U.S. $7.1 billion for the defense ministry in 2021, a cut of $320 million from last year, according to a paper published by the governments budget bureau that outlines the proposed spending plan, with line items listed in the baht currency. During a recent parliament debate on the budget, a senior defense official justified the proposed cuts to security-related spending in the far south as being linked to relatively less bloodshed stemming from the insurgency. The fiscal year 2021 budget is based on the achievement in reduction of violence, Gen. Chaichan Changmongkol, the deputy defense minister, told parliamentarians earlier this month. From October 2019 to May 2020, there were 46 incidents, while the previous same period logged 141 incidents, a decline of 67.37 percent. At the national level, Thai officials have been debating a $105.8 billion budget for fiscal year 2021, which starts in October, seeking an increase in $3.2 billion. Expected to be voted on by the parliament in late September, the budget was tightened as the government copes with lost revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Thai economy remains highly uncertain and may perform worse than forecast if the COVID-19 outbreak continues, Prayuth told lawmakers, according to Reuters news service. In June, the parliament passed a bill to cut $2.8 billion from all ministries after Prayuth said money was needed to fight the pandemic because the Comptroller Generals emergency reserve had run low. The defense ministry cut its overall budget by $574 million, the most by any ministry. Deep South spending concerns MP Rangsiman Rome, a member of the opposition Move Forward Party, expressed concern over proposed Deep South spending. The budget aimed at improving the Deep South situation through peace talks is the smallest of the security-related portion, Rangsiman told BenarNews, adding he feared that funds would be used to enhance security intelligence operations. About $50 million will be earmarked through the militarys Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) to enhance intelligence management, improve public security, help compensate victims of attacks in the region, and attitude adjustment, the budget bureau paper showed. Attitude adjustment sessions refer to ISOC officials summoning dissidents and calling on them to stop their actions against the government. The National Security Council, which oversees the peace talks and is chaired by Prayuth, is to receive $173,000, a marginal decrease. That creates informants for the government but also creates mistrust and distrust among local residents and in the government itself, Rangsiman said. The solution the government should care to do is to put more money toward the peace talks. An analyst, meanwhile, warned that the budget reduction was premature, but agreed that funds earmarked for security operations should be spent on development projects in the troubled border region. The problems are complex especially on the socio-economy side poverty, education and other development, Professor Srisompob Jitpiromsri, director of Deep South Watch, a think-tank based in the region, told BenarNews. We need to look into longer-term efforts and not to cut the budget too early, he said. The security budget should be diverted to improve livelihoods instead. Since January 2004, Malay-speaking rebels in the Muslim-majority provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and four districts in Songkhla province reignited an insurgency against Thai security forces and soft targets over their demand for independence. More than 7,000 people have been killed since then, according to Deep South Watch. The government earlier this year, assisted by a Malaysian facilitator, began direct talks with members of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), the regions most powerful rebel group. Gen. Wanlop Rugsanaoh who leads Bangkoks negotiating panel, said he could not predict whether violence would recede when asked if a target to reduce by half this year could be achieved even with a smaller security budget for the Deep South. For the violence, I dont calculate how much it could be reduced, but other officers do monitor it. In the big picture, violent incidents have declined somewhat, Wanlop told BenarNews. The chief negotiator said he was awaiting approval from the Thai and Malaysian governments to meet the BRN panel in Kuala Lumpur next month should travel restrictions tied to the coronavirus pandemic be lifted. For several years before launching direct talks with BRN, government negotiators held peace talks with MARA Patani, a panel representing BRN and other southern rebel groups and factions. But those talks yielded no breakthroughs. Along with the peace talks, officers and soldiers from the 4th Army Region, which oversees security in the southern border region, have hosted forums involving residents to hear their concerns. Rangsiman, a former student activist who helped lead anti-junta protests in the streets of Bangkok in the years that led up to Thailands 2019 general election, said many military projects in the south were divisive. I find a project that is aimed at promoting security, prosperity and sustainability at the tambon level [village cluster level] troublesome; it is aimed at brainwashing children to appreciate the military, he said. It aims to reach 1- to 5-year-old children who are too young to understand such efforts or post a threat to the nation. He suggested those projects should be cut and money be spent elsewhere. Maj. Gen. Pramote Prom-in, the spokesman for ISOC-4, the militarys regional command, declined to comment for this report when contacted by BenarNews. Kamonthicha Maktae, a small food vendor in Pattani, agreed that money should be spent for peace talks but she expressed concerned that development funding would not trickle down to her and others. The budget should be reduced because the government doesnt really give money to the real good performers and if someone does well, it takes credit, Kamonthicha told BenarNews. But the budget for peace talks is necessary and local people should be able to safely voice their opinions about the process. Lenovo may be working on a new Android tablet the Yoga X that doubles as a hybrid auxiliary display. Thats based on a recent leak shared by Evan Blass via his Patreon page, attributed to Android developer Till Kottmann. The leak in question doesnt give away too many details, only pointing out that the Lenovo Yoga X is an Android Tablet/Aux Display Hybrid. Mr. Blass shared that along with a wireframe image of the gadget. The image itself is fairly standard for an Android tablet but with a few noteworthy differences. It has a relatively run-of-the-mill shape with a thicker top bezel held in landscape mode to house a front-facing camera. The bottom bezel is similarly sized but is offset by what appears to be a rounded segment along the bottom. Presumably, thats going to be part of a built-in stand for this device since its meant to be used as an auxiliary display too. Advertisement Volume rockers and a power button are tucked along the right-hand edge. Again, thats when held in landscape orientation, with the buttons arranged near the bottom on that edge. Lenovo is no stranger to hybrid Android tablets At IFA 2019, Lenovo unveiled the Yoga Smart Tab and this new hybrid Android tablet follows in a similar vein. Namely, that former device serves two purposes, both as a tablet and as a Google Home ecosystem smart home hub. The Lenovo Yoga Smart Tab is similarly shaped too, complete with a rounded segment and a stand. The key difference here would be that this tablet presumably features some novel input options so that it can be used as an auxiliary display. In all likeliness, that includes either a micro HDMI or HDMI input. But Lenovo could just as easily utilize USB-C for that purpose too. With the proper cables, that would allow any number of devices to link up, from PlayStations and Nintendo Switch consoles to laptops. Advertisement Will this ever release and when? What isnt immediately clear is whether or not this is an older design that Lenovo has since abandoned or if it plans to launch the Lenovo Yoga X at some point in the future. Lenovo hasnt revealed any details at all about a device bearing this branding or functionality. Leaks havent been prevalent either. So it seems likely that this device is still a long way out if it ever releases at all. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced plans to roll back the city's reopening to Phase 1 on Friday evening. Under the first phase, residents are required to stay home. Only those who are making essential trips, such as going to the grocery store, will be allowed to go outside. According to Mayor Bottoms, the decision to suspend and revert reopening was based on the recent COVID-19 cases and other data trends reported by health officials, as reported by AJC.com. Guidelines Under Phase 1 Under Phase 1, residents are required to stay at home except for essential trips. They are also required to wear face masks in public places. Individuals are encouraged to wash their hands and observe social distancing frequently. Business establishments will not be allowed to serve dine-in patrons. Instead, meals must be to-go or delivered to the resident's doorstep. It is recommended to switch to teleworking where possible. Public and high-touch areas must also be frequently cleaned. All city facilities deemed "non-essential" must remain closed. Special events are also temporarily prohibited. The city government will be responsible for establishing communication with local and state authorities to help monitor public health, WSB-TV Atlanta reports. Reopening Phases Atlanta entered its second phase of reopening during the last week of May. Phase 2 allowed small and private gatherings of no more than ten people. Residents who attended the gatherings were required to observe strict social distancing measures. The people of Atlanta were allowed to order to-go from restaurants or do curbside pick-ups for both food and retail establishments. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, Governor Brian Kemp's executive orders to reopen most businesses make Mayor Bottoms' orders non-binding and not enforceable. Bottom's order came as the state reported the most massive single-day increase in newly reported COVID-19 cases. Health officials recorded nearly 4,500 cases in the last 24 hours. Half of the new cases in Georgia occurred in the past two weeks in Atlanta. On Sunday, the state's health department said Georgia's total number of coronavirus infections had surpassed 116,000. Figures released in the afternoon also showed the state hitting more than 3,000 virus-related deaths. Over 73 cases were reported in six counties-Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Glynn, Pierce, and Ware. Testing in Georgia has seen an increase. According to The Telegraph, the state has conducted over 183,094 antibody tests. Total viral tests also reached 1,083,416, with more than 18,500 reported in the last 24 hours. The totals do not include trials that were not reported through the state's system. Georgia currently has 2,512 patients hospitalized. The new total increased by 69 patients in the last 24 hours. The count includes patients in any fo the state's hospitals who tested positive for the virus at the time of the report. However, they fo not include patients who are under investigation for possible infection. An Associated Press report showed 82 percent of the state's critical care beds are now in use. It is noted that not every patient in a critical care bed has the virus. Want to read more? The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported late on Sunday that the situation on the border with Armenia had once again deteriorated. "In the evening, the situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border at the Tovuz section deteriorated once again. The Armenian army reopened artillery fire on positions of the Azerbaijani army. The Azerbaijani army takes adequate measures in response," the ministry said on its Facebook page. On Sunday afternoon, the Defense Ministry reported that positions of its army at the Azerbaijani-Armenian border had come under shelling by the Armenian army. "Starting from noon on July 12, Armenian army units opened artillery shelling at our positions at the Tovuz section of the Azerbaijan-Armenian state border, having blatantly violated the ceasefire," it said, adding that two Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in the incident. "Armenian army units made an attempt to attack the Azerbaijani army positions at the Tovuz section of the state border using artillery systems. As a result of retaliatory measures, the enemy was rebuffed and retreated sustaining losses," the ministry said. Pande, the All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan, said some other MLAs are in touch with Gehlot and they will also sign the letter. New Delhi: Hours after Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot declared open rebellion and claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government in the state is in minority, Congress leader Avinash Pande on Monday said 109 MLAs have signed a letter of support to the chief minister. He said a whip has been issued to all the party MLAs, asking them to attend the Congress Legislature Party meeting at 10.30 am. "Action will be taken against those who skip the meeting," Pande said. "As many as 109 MLAs have signed the letter to express full confidence in the Congress government led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Some other MLAs have spoken to the chief minister over the phone and they will also sign the letter," he told reporters at the CM's residence here in the wee hours. Pilot on Sunday claimed that the Gehlot government is in minority as over 30 Congress MLAs have "pledged support" to him. In the 200-member Rajasthan assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72. EAG launches the Al Watani programme. Image: Etihad Aviation Group Akram Alami, chief transformation officer, Etihad Aviation Group said: "Vendors across the supply chain are encouraged to join the Al Watani programme provided they fulfil its application criteria. To be eligible, suppliers must demonstrate their active contribution to the UAEs market by having an operating business in the country. Successful suppliers who meet the criteria will receive a Local Content Partner certification valid for two years, that can be renewed after this duration." Alami said the programmes main objective is to establish a strong base of partners to ensure the consistent and reliable supply of products and services to the airline from the local market. As the airline works closely with UAE based suppliers, a cycle that will promote the growth and sustainability of businesses in the local market will be created. Alami said: The Al Watani programme aligns with our efforts as the UAEs national airline to support Abu Dhabis Economic Vision 2030 which strives to build a sustainable, diversified and value-added economy. Currently, only 30 per cent of the organisations spend is with UAE-based vendors, we have established this programme to be able to expand further and work closely with the local supplier community. The UAE is a thriving hub that encourages a diverse market of growing businesses including multinationals and SMEs, as well as innovative start-ups. In his words: "I am just a professional writer, which means I don't do blogs and try and get money for whatever I write." Uber had exploited the human necessity to get from one place to another Farrukh Dhondy OF CABBAGES AND KINGS Being struck by an arrow of Cupid Often results in very stupid Behaviour, but nevertheless The poets say the arrows caress Is an awakening of the heart. Then jealousy hitches a ride Coupled with love like Jekyll and Hyde. From Much Urdu About Nothing by Bachchoo All through my short, happy and intellectually engaged life, gentle reader, I have expressed a committed partiality to social justice. I have belonged to and worked my coccyx off for organisations which some would label left wing. I have on occasion, by those whom I would, in imitation of Donald Trump, call losers, even been labelled a communist. I have been known to tread the streets of several continents shouting slogans such as Hamara naam, thoomara naam, Vietnam, Vietnam!, Margaret Thatcher, Milk Snatcher and get the tax-dodging billionaires to pay their fair share and die!. You may have guessed by now that I dont hold the craft and skill of entrepreneurship in high esteem, but but gentle reader I must admit a sort of creeping, even creepy, admiration for people whove thought of ways of using the relatively-new technologies of the internet and social media to make billions. There is, at the top of that list, Jeff Bezos who started out by thinking hed sell books by receiving orders for them through the internet and then went on to sell any and every consumer article known to humankind on his broad, and torrential, Amazon. And he pays his workers in, I suppose, branded peanuts. Then there is Zuckerberg who realised that the human ego craves publicity for its insignificant existence and consequently made zillions from getting people to photograph their breakfasts on Facebook. Then someone recruited idle people to be taxi drivers and pick up people who wanted to return from B to A, and invented Uber. And there are then those who had the idea of using the internet for lust and loneliness entrepreneurs all! I must now, possibly to my eternal shame, confess that in between thinking socialistic thoughts my mind wanders to searching for gaps in this market. I have come up with nothing. Even my patented culinary inventions such as Marmite lassi have been failures and have earned me nothing but the obloquy of eccentricity. And now, dear friends, my acute analysis of recent reports and speculations in the newspapers have led me to a winning formula. Yes, Bezos worked the human drive to consumerism. Zuckerberg exploited natural vanity. Tinder went for compelling baser instincts. The one that no one has as yet tapped is ah! Let me save it for when I tell you about how it came to me: Recent reports in the British press, the first one satirical, have claimed that Boris Johnson is just a figurehead and the real Prime Minister, taking all the decision is a weirdo called Dominic Cummings, an unelected advisor to the government. Then there have been articles characterising the home secretary Priti Patel as how shall I put it not very astride an intellect. One report said that the chancellor Rishi Sunak is a potential leader of his party and so a prime ministerial candidate. The article said BoJo should watch him carefully. These articles revived old memories; the time I had introduced the serial killer Charles Sobhraj who had a possibly sensational political story to sell to BoJo who was then the editor of The Spectator. Another memory was meeting BoJo, who was the MP for the constituency in which my youngest daughter went to school. I went to pick her up at the end of the school day and there was BoJo who said he was surprised to see me. I remember asking him why he wasnt challenging the pretty insignificant Michael Howard for the leadership of the Tory Party. He frantically told me to shut up. Oh! The stratagems of ambition! And the reports and memories put together suggested the paved path to my own entrepreneurship. Here was the gap in the market. Uber had exploited the human necessity to get from one place to another. I would start an enterprise which exploited what Nietzsche called The Will To Power. Not any old power, but the top. I would, under the title PMPOSS, provide an assessment for all comers about their chances to be Prime Minister. Just as Bezos started Amazon by limiting himself to books and then going wild, I am starting with the possibility of Prime Ministership of The UK (while it lasts). I genuinely intend to move on to India, Pakistan and maybe in the end Ecuador, once Ive mastered their political landscapes. There are undoubtedly millions of people wanting to be Prime Ministers of their countries and now they can turn to PMPOSS for an informed assessment of their chances. I suppose one starts with a sample or two to encourage the millions who will see the possibilities exploding in hope before their ambitious eyes. On first examination BoJo seems to have passed the test but then fails hopelessly. The first qualification, which Winston Churchill sailed through is have you written more than three books? BoJo has. So, tick. Do you write a regular column for newspapers which would demonstrate that you are in touch with the world? Tick. He passes that one. Have you ever worked as an executive in television? Well no, though he has appeared on several shows quite regularly. So, half marks. Have you been part of a government whose bungling caused the death of a lot of people in a national crisis? the answer for BoJo and Winston would have to be yes, which of course wipes out most of their positive points. And lastly Were you born in Pune and did you go to school and college there? Again both BoJo and Winston and for that matter Rishi Sunak, Priti clueless Patel and even the Opposition leader Kier Stamer fail that test. So, gentle reader, the search goes on. Dennis Quaid secretly tied the knot with girlfriend Laura Savoie on June 2 in Santa Barbara. And now the newlyweds are enjoying a honeymoon in Montana with his three children. 'Dennis and Laura are on their honeymoon right now and his children are with them,' a source told Us Weekly on Monday. Celebrating: Dennis Quaid is enjoying a honeymoon with his new wife Laura Savoie in Montana, after eloping in Santa Barbara in June; seen in November 2019 The lovebirds had only their pastor as their witness for the secret nuptials, according to People. Quaid, who has previously been married three times, said: 'Love just has a way of surprising you' while speaking the magazine last month. Dennis and Laura, a doctoral student, met at a business event and started dating in May 2019. In October 2019, five months after they began dating, the lovebirds got engaged. He called meeting her 'love at first sight.' And the movie star spoke out about their 39-year age difference saying, 'It really just doesn't come up. There's just something timeless about us. We're partners in our relationship and in life. It's love. And love just has a way of surprising you.' Quick: Dennis and Laura, a doctoral student, met at a business event and started dating in May 2019. In October 2019, five months after they began dating, the lovebirds got engaged; seen in October 2019 Laura said she finds strength in Dennis' maturity: 'Like the wisdom that Dennis has. We both had to go through things to be who we are now and who we are now was ready for each other.' Dennis said their shared faith has also played a part in the relationship: 'We're both Christians, and right from the start God has always had a hand in the relationship.' He added: 'I think that's where the real strength comes from.' The duo plan on having a reception with friends and family 'when the time is right,' Dennis said. Dennis, who hosts his podcast The Dennissance, said of Laura: 'She's the greatest person I ever met. I love waking up and spending every day with her.' Lovebirds: And the movie star spoke out about their 39-year age difference saying 'It really just doesn't come up. There's just something timeless about us. We're partners in our relationship and in life. It's love. And love just has a way of surprising you'; seen in May 2019 The duo had planned to tie the knot with a wedding in Hawaii in April, followed up by a second reception in Nashville for their friends and family - but had to postpone them due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in accounting; Laura, who hails from St. Louis, was class valedictorian at Pepperdine University; she then got her Master's degree in Accountancy at the University of Notre Dame. Dennis has been previously married three times and has three children. He married actress P.J. Soles on November 25, 1978 when he was 24 and she was 28, but the duo divorced in early 1983. Former couple: Dennis married for the third time to Texas real estate agent Kimberly Buffington on July 4, 2004 at his Paradise Valley, Montana ranch. They welcomed fraternal twins Zoe Grace and Thomas Boone, now 12, and divorced in 2018; seen in 2011 He said I do's again on February 14, 1991 to actress Meg Ryan after they fell in love shooting D.O.A., their second film together. They welcomed son Jack Henry Quaid on April 24, 1992, before divorcing in 2001. Dennis married for the third time to Texas real estate agent Kimberly Buffington on July 4, 2004 at his Paradise Valley, Montana ranch. They welcomed fraternal twins Zoe Grace and Thomas Boone, now 12, and divorced in 2018. Paras Griffin/Getty ImagesThe hip hop community is mourning yet another loss in the music industry after rising Atlanta rapper Lil Marlo was found shot and killed in his vehicle in Atlanta Saturday night. TMZ reported the news first, which was confirmed by his label Quality Control Music in a statement on Instagram, remembering him as "a man of great talent who feared nothing." "So Much Potential That The World Didn't Get A Chance To See. Love You, Bro. It's Really Hard For Me To Say RIP," wrote Quality Control Music CEO Pierre Thomas on Instagram. Investigators believe the 30-year-old rapper, born Rudolph Johnson, was the "intended target" of a shooting that took place on Interstate I-285. Since the shocking news broke all over social media, artists including Young Thug, producer London On The Track, JT from the City Girls, Russ, and rapper Meek Mill shared their thoughts and condolences. Marlo's label mate Lil Yachty reacted to the news Instagram on, saying they had just completed four-song at the recording session the previous night. He wrote, "We just did a song [at] 4 this morning smh rip brother." Gunna shared a photo of Marlo looking over him with the caption, "I really hate I'm posting this, whoa. Rest easy gangsta." After his "2 The Hard Way" collaboration with Lil Baby in 2017, Lil Marlo became one of Atlanta's rising rappers. He went onto release a few mixtapes, and his most recent album 1st & 3rd dropped at the top of the year. Marlo is featured on both Quality Control Music compilation albums with the likes of Lil Yachty, City Girls, Layton Greene, Migos, and more. By Rachel George Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. A leading scientific adviser to the Government has said its messaging around face coverings should be clear, coherent, consistent after a senior minister said they would not be made compulsory in shops. Professor Susan Michie, a behavioural expert and member of the Governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said any legislation brought forward over the issue needed to be accompanied with information campaigns on why and how to follow the rules if people are to adhere to them. She said this had not been seen with the UK Governments approach to face coverings in England amid the Covid-19 crisis, adding that it was signalling importance rather than punishment. Her comments came after Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove on Sunday said face coverings should not be made mandatory in shops but should be worn out of courtesy and consideration for others. The confusion continued on Monday when Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said people were still "learning" to use face masks, but added that it was "sensible and safe" to wear them inside small shops. The Government is signalling were lifting all these things, and that suggests that things arent very risky any more," Professor Michie said. So the advantage of legislation is saying this is really risky, this is really important but it should be accompanied by clear, coherent, consistent messaging and a good public information campaign. Coronavirus in numbers: UK death toll at 44,819 Mr Gove had said he would "encourage" people to wear face masks but that he did not think rules needed to be put in place. He told the BBC's Andrew Marr: I would encourage people to wear face masks when they are inside, in an environment where they are likely to be mixing with others and where the ventilation may not be as good as it might. I think that it is basic good manners, courtesy and consideration, to wear a face mask if you are, for example, in a shop. I trust peoples good sense. Meanwhile, Mr Buckland told Sky News: "I think people are still learning how to use face coverings. Other countries have habitual use of them. If youre going to a small shop, slapping a face covering on is a sensible and safe thing to do." London commuters in face masks / PA But he added: "People need to be trusted to come to their own judgement." Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he added: "I think a mask is just an additional helpful mitigation that isnt just an act of courtesy. I think its an act of increasing safety and public confidence. Mr Buckland's comments came as Dr Venki Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society and a member of Sage, said face coverings should be mandatory in shops. Speaking to ITV's Good Morning Britain show, Dr Ramakrishnan said the evidence on their utility had "shifted" and was now "quite strongly in favour of using face coverings in enclosed spaces where were likely to come into contact with strangers". I think that the government should be very clear, its not consistent to make it mandatory in public transport and not make it mandatory in other enclosed and busy public spaces because the behaviour of the virus is the same in all of these spaces," he said. He added: Scotland made it mandatory and its not been a problem in Scotland. People have, since last week, been going about their business, going shopping, it gives people confidence. I should also point out that the best way to revive our economy is to prevent repeated disruptive lockdowns, these are disruptive economically but theyre also disruptive psychologically. The more tools we can throw at the problem to avoid disruptive lockdowns the better off we are in reviving our economy. The UK Government insisted early on in the coronavirus pandemic that masks were not necessary for use by the general public when out and about. But it appeared to backtrack on that message on Friday when Boris Johnson said the Government was looking at introducing stricter rules on wearing face coverings in shops and other confined spaces. As we get the numbers down in the way that we have and we really stamp out outbreaks in the way that we are, I do think we need to be stricter in insisting people wear face coverings in confined spaces where they are meeting people they dont normally meet, he said in an online question and answer session with the public," the Prime Minister said in an online question and answer session with the public. Michael Gove says face masks should not be mandatory in shops We are looking at ways of making sure that people really do have face coverings in shops, for instance, where there is a risk of transmission. The Government's reluctance to bring forward legislation over the issue to date has meanwhile contrasted with the approach taken by officials in Scotland, where a law making face coverings in stores mandatory for most people came into effect on Friday. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon issued a plea for people to abide by the new law, appealing for Scots to do so in solidarity to protect both themselves and others. Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, said there had been clearer messaging on face coverings in Scotland, including from the First Minister. You can change the social norms, you can change the message and lead by example but the big shift is by telling people you have to do it," she said. Englands 20 areas most at risk of new coronavirus outbreaks revealed Addressing Mr Goves comments directly, Professor Bauld added: Leadership and showing that example is key but trying to encourage people to do it as good manners is not really sufficient. You dont have to do that much on enforcement, there are other measures in public health that weve had in the past where enforcement can be minimal but if people are told to do it and that there will be an enforcement response if something goes wrong, most people will do it, the smoking ban is the best example of that. The concept of nudge techniques in behavioural science has also been raised, described as making small changes to the environment to prompt behavioural changes. Part owned by the Cabinet Office, the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) - also known as the Nudge Unit - has been conducting behavioural research to assist with policy, including in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. Prof Bauld said: Nudge is really useful in terms of behavioural economics and psychology and as a framework but the problem is its a voluntary response, its about changing the environment. Boris Johnson said he wanted 'stricter' rules around face coverings / Jeremy Selwyn Nudge is probably best understood if you placed healthy products at eye level in the supermarket and unhealthy products out of eyesight. It does work, but in this situation probably the easiest thing is we have now is for people to understand that voluntary measures may not be the best approach. Shadow health minister Justin Madders urged Health Secretary Matt Hancock to clarify whether wearing face coverings should be mandatory in shops. He told BBC Radio 4s Westminster Hour: We need Matt Hancock to come to the House (tomorrow) and say this is what the science says, this is what we believe you should be doing and then lets move on. Have a clear message and we all know where we stand. Last week the World Health Organisation acknowledged there is emerging evidence that Covid-19 could be spread through particles in the air. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics meanwhile suggested that more than half - 52 per cent - of adults in Britain had worn a face covering when leaving their home in the final week of June, up from 43 per cent on the week before. Regardless of whether they had worn a face covering previously, 58 per cent of the 1,788 adults quizzed between July 2-5 said they were very or fairly likely to wear one in the next seven days. Pakistan: Coastal villages near Karachi safe from Covid-19 by Shakir Sultan July 13,2020 | Source: The Express Tribune Unlike the rest of the province, more than 40 coastal villages near Karachi are safe from the spread of Covid-19 because of their secluded location. With the imposition of Section 144 in Karachi, which bans the gathering of four or more people in one place, the beaches of the city have become deserted. Since villagers have had no contact with city dwellers, especially after the lockdown, no coronavirus cases have emerged in any of the villages so far. According to a survey carried out by The Express Tribune, people dwelling in the coastal villages still have little clue as to why people in Karachi have stopped leaving their houses and visiting the beaches. We dont know what happened to the people of the city all of a sudden. We heard from some people that there is a disease spreading in Karachi. But we dont know how long it will go on, said a villager. None of these 40 villages have access to television, mobile phones, electricity, telecommunication signal towers, or public transportation. As a result, they live a secluded life. Its been almost three months since the citys people have been in lockdown. They are falling sick rapidly but there have been no cases in our villages. And there is no social distancing here, another villager, who had acquired some knowledge about the spread of Covid-19, explained. The people in our village are only concerned about earning their livelihood. We live in mud houses and have a few cattle and fishing nets as our only assets. Yet, we are satisfied and happy with our lives. We thank God that there is no disease in our villages, he said. The 40 settlements and villages are situated some 30 kilometres from Hawkes Bay beach, with a total population of about 60,000. Most villagers earn a living through fishing, farming, or buying and selling livestock. A few also earn a small income through selling food items and toys at the beaches. Among the 40 villages, Mubarak Village - which has lately become a popular picnic spot for Karachiites - is the largest. When asked if they would allow city-dwellers to live in the villages for a while to save themselves from the virus, a villager explained said that it would not be permitted because only those carrying the identification documents for those villages are allowed to live there. Unfortunately, outsiders cannot stay in any of the villages even for a night. Us people of the village have no objection, but the Pakistan Navy will not allow it as these areas are considered sensitive and are controlled by them, he went on to say. Villagers also confirmed that there were no hospitals or dispensaries in Mubarak Village or any of the other villages located nearby. In case of an emergency, no vehicle or other transportation facility is available to carry the patient to a city hospital. We must travel 50 kilometres to reach the city for treatment. As a result, most of us try to treat patients with home remedies, said one of them. Even though the pandemic has affected us economically, isolation is good for us in a way. Because we do not have any outside contacts, the disease did not spread here. Its a blessing in disguise, he added. Apart from the absence of medical facilities, there are no primary schools or madrassas in these settlements either. As a result, approximately 99 per cent of their population is uneducated. Rating Action: Moody's withdraws the rating on EPIHIRO PLC Global Credit Research - 13 Jul 2020 Frankfurt am Main, July 13, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has today withdrawn the rating on the following notes issued by EPIHIRO PLC: ....EUR 1,623M Class A Notes, Withdrawn (sf); previously on Jun 6, 2019 Confirmed at B2 (sf) RATINGS RATIONALE Moody's has decided to withdraw the rating for its own business reasons. Please refer to the Moody's Investors Service Policy for Withdrawal of Credit Ratings, available on its website, www.moodys.com. 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Story continues Yuezhen Wang Asst Vice President - Analyst Structured Finance Group Moody's Deutschland GmbH An der Welle 5 Frankfurt am Main 60322 Germany JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454 Raja Iyer Vice President - Senior Analyst Structured Finance Group JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454 Releasing Office: Moody's Deutschland GmbH An der Welle 5 Frankfurt am Main 60322 Germany JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454 2020 Moody's Corporation, Moody's Investors Service, Inc., Moody's Analytics, Inc. and/or their licensors and affiliates (collectively, "MOODY'S"). All rights reserved. CREDIT RATINGS ISSUED BY MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. 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In the last several years there have been blunders at Carillion, Conviviality, Patisserie Valerie and Thomas Cook. The conflict between audit and other work, such as remuneration consulting done by the same firm, is there for everyone to see at Boohoo among others. The business select committee has every reason to be frustrated about government delays on an audit shake-up. Conflict on interests: The Competition & Markets Authority has proposed structural separation of audit and consulting arms at the big four auditors There has been no shortage of reports on reform. John Kingman was savage in his criticism of audit and governance overseer, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), and demanded it be abolished and replaced by a new, robust Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority. Amid the delays, a determined new chairman of the FRC, Simon Dingemans, resigned. The Competition & Markets Authority proposed structural separation of audit and consulting arms at the big four auditors. A third review by Donald Brydon recommended total separation, a fundamental change in the 'true and fair' view sign-off on accounts to provide greater transparency and the opportunity for audit chairmen to be cross-examined by investors. In spite of obvious need for action, the shilly-shallying goes on. There is no sign that the minister concerned, Lord Callanan, recognises the urgency of the situation. He only needs to look at the collapse of Wirecard in Germany to understand how a corporate imbroglio can wreck a national reputation for probity. Britain is a pioneer in governance but risks falling behind. Covid-19 has not been enough to calm rapacious bonus culture in the boardroom with the pay report at Tesco rejected by a stinging 67.3 per cent of shareholders. It is hard to bring discipline to boardroom pay when the same firm that does the audit is also charged with setting remuneration. In a statement of the obvious, the minister notes that the three audit reviews are 'interlinked' reforms being developed and that not all require legislation. Amid excuses about pressure of parliamentary business, no timetable is given. The flaccid approach smacks of heavy lobbying by powerful accounting firms. Too bad, it's time for a reckoning. Woodford return Investors in Neil Woodford's dismembered empire could be nothing but appalled that the discredited fund manager has washed up as an adviser at Juno Capital along with sidekick Craig Newman. What makes the reappearance most perplexing is that Woodford is being deployed for his knowledge of biotech firms. It was Woodford's overexposure to unquoted biotech firms that was at the core of the implosion at the flagship Woodford Equity Income Fund (liquidated) and Patient Capital, trading as Schroders Public Private Trust. Shares in the Schroder fund are trading at a vast 55 per cent discount to assets. Investors in former Patient Capital are victims twice over. When Woodford was seeking to reduce the level of unquoted stocks, he dumped a package of shares into the fund. He was able to do this because of a compliant board and a web of conflicts. If Woodford had any shame, he would have retreated from the investment world. The lassitude in Britain's system of financial regulation allows such bad practice to take place. Any executive who is at the centre of a full-blown probe should be suspended from the City or investment world until such time as the formal inquiry is completed. Whatever the outcome of the probe, Woodford should not be allowed near anyone's money except his own. Dilatory and overly legalistic procedures at the Financial Conduct Authority open gaping loopholes which undermine confidence in the City. The failure of the FCA to come to any firm conclusions about Andy Hornby's management at HBOS allowed him to launch new careers at Boots, at gaming outlet GVC-Coral and now at the barely surviving Restaurant Group. Farcical. Milk Tray romance Nelson Peltz, father of Brooklyn Beckham's amour Nicola, is no stranger to these pages. The activist investor was a key figure behind the bitterly contested takeover of emblematic British chocolate group Cadbury by Kraft in 2009. Peltz first forced Cadbury to split off its Schweppes soft drinks arm, leaving it vulnerable to the sale to Kraft, which he also supported. Among the results of Peltz's handiwork work were that great delicacy Dairy Milk-flavoured Philadelphia cheese spread, the departure of the Wispa bar to Poland and the firm's tax base to Switzerland. Congratulations. I dont know whether one meeting will be enough or whether we will need to meet a second time before the end of the summer, Merkel added, noting that an agreement will require unanimity among all 27 EU members. I would be glad if it was just once. The vaccine is being developed by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology along with the Russian Defence Ministry. Six months since the first coronavirus case was reported, we are seeing a Russian contender come out with some positive results. Till now only a Chinese vaccine by CanSino Biological Inc has been approved for use on the military for a period of one year. Yesterday, the Russian embassy in India tweeted out an update on the vaccine they have been working on. The Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University conducted human trials on a group of a total of 38 volunteers in two batches. It seems that the vaccine has proved to be effective and the volunteers are safe. They will soon be discharged from the facilities in two batches Wednesday, 15 July and five days after that on Monday, 20 July. #Sechenov University has successfully completed tests on volunteers of the world's first vaccine against #COVID19. "The #vaccine is safe. The volunteers will be discharged on July 15 and July 20", chief researcher Elena Smolyarchuk told TASS https://t.co/jVrmWbLvwX pic.twitter.com/V8bon4lieR Russia in India (@RusEmbIndia) July 12, 2020 "Sechenov University has successfully completed tests on volunteers of the world's first vaccine against Coronavirus," Vadim Tarasov, director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, told Sputnik. In a report by TASS, Russia's official news agency, the chief researcher Elena Smolyarchuk said, "The results of research proved the medications effectiveness." What do we know about the Russian vaccine? The vaccine is being developed and produced by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology along with the Russian defence ministry. The trials are being conducted in the Sechenov University. Clinical trials A clinical trial for a vaccine has multiple phases. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are three phases in the development of a vaccine. During Phase I, small groups of people receive the trial vaccine. In Phase II, the clinical study is expanded and the vaccine is given to people who have characteristics (such as age and physical health) similar to those for whom the new vaccine is intended. In Phase III, the vaccine is given to thousands of people and tested for efficacy and safety. In the Russian vaccine trials, the first stage of research on the vaccine began on 18 June when a group of 18 volunteers were vaccinated. The second stage had 20 volunteers and they were vaccinated on 23 June. According to a report by The Week, the vaccine is still in the first stage which has been split into two halves. The study has been listed in ClinicalTrials.gov, which is a US registry of all the ongoing clinical studies. It states that it is a two-stage Phase I trial of the drug Gam-COVID-Vac Lyo. The registry lists the trial as "an open two-stage non-randomised Phase 1 study with the participation of healthy volunteers. This clinical trial is an open study of safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of the drug "Gam-COVID-Vac Lyo", lyophilisate for the preparation of a solution for intramuscular administration, with the participation of healthy volunteers." According to the World Health Organisation's 'Draft landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines,' there are two trials listed by the Gamaleya Research Institute as being Phase-I trials. Vaccine dosage The trials are split into two half as the two groups are being given different doses of the vaccine. According to a report by TASS, the Russian defence ministry said that "an in-ward treatment of the first group of volunteers, who were tested for the safety and tolerability of the vaccine, will end on 15 July." "On Monday, 13 July, the second group of volunteers, who are tested for the efficiency and immunogenicity of the vaccine, will be injected with the second component of the vaccine against the coronavirus," the ministry stated. "The booster scheme of the vaccination, which is intended for the second group of volunteers, will enable to strengthen the immune system and will also prolong its endurance." The main objective of the first stage of the study "was to show the vaccine's safety on humans, which was successfully done," said Alexander Lukashev, the director of the Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical, and Vector-Borne Diseases at Sechenov University to Sputnik. The Russian Defence Ministry said the volunteers that were given the vaccine were feeling well and "had no complaints, experienced no side effects and were developing immunity to the coronavirus" TASS reported that "Both the first and second groups were forming an immune response after injections of the vaccine." The vaccine is supposed to protect people and give them immunity against the virus for at least two years said Alexander Gintsburg, the director of the national research centre. "The vaccine is given twice with the same gene injected using different carriers, which allows to not just get protective immunity, but to acquire it for a longer period of time," said Gintsburg. The person who gets the booster form of the vaccine is guaranteed to get protection against the virus for two years or more. If all goes well with the vaccine in the next phases and it is approved for use, Gintsburg said that "about 50-60 million doses of the vaccine, or maybe even 70 million, will need to be produced in order to carry out mass coronavirus vaccination in Russia." After they are discharged, the volunteers will remain under medical supervision on an out-patient basis, Smolyarchuk told TASS. Russia is currently working on eight vaccines, according to Sputnik but according to the clinical trials website, 10 vaccine candidates have been listed. After the USA, Brazil, and India, Russia is the fourth country with 733,699 number of infected cases and 11,439 deaths. US trapped in "dark Covid hole" with no plan to get out: media Global Times Source: Xinhua Published: 2020/7/12 15:07:58 The United States is trapped in "a dark Covid hole" with "no plan to get out," the CNN said in a recent in-depth analysis. "There are only contradictions, obfuscations and confusion from the federal officials who ought to be charting a national course," said the analysis published Friday, citing "leadership vacuum" as the reason behind U.S. failure in epidemic control. It lamented the absence of "the massive integrated testing and tracing effort that could highlight and isolate infection epicenters," while blasting the White House's attempt to prematurely reopen schools, about which there were conflicting messages even within the administration. The analysis came at a time when the United States refreshes its record of daily new cases almost every day, with its death curve also beginning to trend up. Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University showed that confirmed cases in the United States had topped 3,243,000 as of Saturday evening, with the death toll surpassing 134,700. According to Bloomberg News, Saturday saw a staggering rise of 71,389 daily new cases across the country. "Months into the worst domestic crisis since World War II, there is no sense that a fractured country is pulling together to confront a common enemy. People are still arguing about wearing masks -- a tiny infringement of personal freedoms that represents one of the few hopes of easing the contagion," read the analysis. Anti-epidemic measures proven effective both in early U.S. hotspots and elsewhere around the world, such as early shutdowns, social distancing, wearing masks and prudent opening plans, do not seem to be appealing to the federal government, it said. "There is no sign that such competence will soon arrive in the U.S. The administration, which has offloaded responsibility for fighting the virus to states, doesn't appear to have the desire or capacity to build any such system," it said, raising President Donald Trump's repetitive attempts to paint a rosy picture of the pandemic with false claims as examples. Noting that the U.S. anti-epidemic effort "represents nothing less than a political debacle," it said "belated attempts to halt the virus in southern and western states are being hampered by feuds between Democratic mayors who want mask mandates and Republican governors handcuffed by ideology." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Back in 2013, two years before Donald Trump rolled down the escalator at Trump Tower to launch his presidential campaign, a group of political operatives met at a conservative conference in Palm Beach, Fla. Standing at the fringes of Republican politics, they aimed to thrust a populist insurgency into the mainstream. Those in attendance included Steve Bannon, the eccentric billionaire Robert Mercer, the wealthy Republican donor Lee Hanley, and the Democratic pollster and former Jimmy Carter adviser Patrick Caddell. They were particularly interested in polling data that Caddell had collected, which showed that voters felt a growing dissatisfaction with immigration policy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the failure of Republicans to counter President Obamas progressivism. The data raised questions about the future and failures of the GOP establishment, convincing the group that there was an opening for a candidate whose platform would starkly deviate from the recommendations of the autopsy commissioned by the RNC in the aftermath of Mitt Romneys 2012 loss. All that was needed was the right outsider for the job. At its onset, the logistics of Trumps campaign were orchestrated by a handful of well-connected and deep-pocketed but furtive power brokers including those who had met in Palm Beach. Bannon would come to be one of the few among them with a high-profile, public role in Trumps orbit. After serving as the Trump campaigns CEO, he took a job as the presidents chief strategist, and for the seven months that he remained in the White House, the administration possessed an ideological rudder. Since Bannon was ousted in the wake of Roy Moores disastrous Alabama Senate campaign and the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., the Trump administration has slowly lost sight of its original animating intention to drain the swamp of the establishment figures loathed by the presidents base. For populists, Jared Kushner represents the administrations capture by political elitism. Brad Parscale, Trumps 2020 campaign manager, does not possess the same monastic, intellectual drive as Bannon, spending lavishly on fast cars and mansions even as the presidents chances of reelection dim. And secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin, who worked at Goldman Sachs for 17 years, spearheaded a $500 billion fund to bail out large corporations in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Story continues In short, the Trump administration may well be becoming another faction in the swamp, captured by the very same GOP establishment that served as the foil against which the president originally campaigned. It is almost as if Trump is reenacting Obamas political evolution in reverse: Whereas Obama ran as a moderate but drifted toward left by the end of his tenure, Trump ran as a populist and has gradually surrounded himself with establishment advisers. As weve seen recently, unpredictable events have a habit of turning the political conversation on its head. After a disastrous indoor Tulsa rally and an incoherent stage performance, Trump won a small victory in his excellent July 3 speech at the base of Mount Rushmore. No recent polling indicates an uptick in his approval ratings. But the speech was the clearest sign yet that hes starting to zero in on a culture-war message that could resonate with voters: For all my foibles, he seemed to say, I will defend the American way of life. Though the New York Times condemned the speech as dark and divisive, it came across as a projection of unity in the face of those progressives and radicals now stoking a war against a common American heritage. Key questions remain. Will Trumps base be disappointed in his initial response to the cascade of statue toppling, when he spent more time tweeting LAW AND ORDER! than taking action? Will they nitpick his indecision on immigration? Or will this shape up to be an election regarding two diametrically opposed visions: Trumps defense of the American way of life versus Bidens bumbling, complacent enabling of its assault? If the election becomes a referendum on the American way, then Trump could be off the hook for his failures. But whether his policies have actually improved the lives of his base and the working class in, say, Portsmouth, N.H., the site of his next rally, remains an open and, notwithstanding the culture war, electorally important question. More from National Review Parth Samthaan shared the news of his coronavirus diagnosis on Sunday. The Kasautii Zindagii Kay actor was shooting for the hit daily soap since June 27 and said he was showing mild symptoms for the viral infection. He even urged all those who may have come in contact with him during the past few days to undergo precautionary coronavirus tests and added that he will be in self isolation and is in touch with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials for proper guidance. Read: Parth Samthaan Tests Positive for Coronavirus, Goes in Self Quarantine Meanwhile, actor Karan Patel, who had recently joined the cast of KZK and will be seen essaying the role of Rishabh Bajaj in the coming time, has shared a selfie on social media, reassuring fans that "all is good under the hood." Karan has also said that he will take a swab test to rule out all possibilities of virus infection. He lives with his wife Ankita Bhargava, little daughter Mehr and a pet dog. Meanwhile, Ekta Kapoor and Balaji Telefilms have released a statement which said, We would like to inform various stakeholders that one of our talent from the show Kasautii Zindagii Kay has tested positive for COVID-19 and is now receiving medical attention. Our first priority is to help protect our talent, production crew and employees. We are taking all the precautions detailed in the guideline. We were and will continue following all medical protocols set by the authorities and have implemented guidelines concerning social interactions, hygiene, travel and visits to the sets. From the Nile to the Mississippi and from the Amazon to the Yangzi, human civilization is inextricably linked to the great rivers along which our societies developed. But rivers are mutable, and the benefits they bestow can quickly become disasters when these waterways change course. Scientists are working to understand how environmental changes alter river dynamics. A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences coauthored by UC Santa Barbara geomorphologist Vamsi Ganti has outlined the factors that dictate how often rivers jump course, or avulse, and the effects this will have on river deltas. The results promise to help scientists and planners prepare for a future of sea-level rise and changing land use. Deltas counteract sea level rise by building up sediment, which mostly occurs near a river channel itself. Every once in a while, the river will switch course through an avulsion and begin building up the delta somewhere else. "So avulsions are the way that the river spreads its sediment out over the whole landscape," said first author Austin Chadwick, a postdoctoral scholar at University of Minnesota. "The questions we're asking are how often do rivers naturally change their course," he continued, "and how is that going to change with climate change and human interference." Unfortunately, there has previously been no consensus on how rivers responded to climactic shift. Some scientists thought avulsion rates would increase as sea level rises, while others predicted they'd decrease. "There simply was no unifying theory to explain how river avulsion frequency is dependent on sea level," Ganti said. To straighten out the situation, Ganti, Chadwick and their coauthor Michael Lamb of Caltech, combined observations from the geologic and historical records with a mathematical model of river dynamics. By focusing on this specific issue, they aimed to finally get definitive answers and useful predictions. Large rivers tend to flatten out and decelerate as they approach the ocean. After a certain point, the downstream conditions of the sea level begin to influence the river's behavior in what scientists call backwater hydrodynamics. "This is a dynamic zone where deposition and erosion occurs in coastal rivers," Ganti explained. In a previous paper, the team had shown that avulsions occur within this backwater region, which can extend quite far inland. For instance, the backwater zone of the Mississippi River reaches 500 kilometers from the coast. Deeper, flatter rivers like the Mississippi, which have larger backwater regions, therefore have larger deltas. The researchers goal with this study was to apply their newfound understanding of the impact of backwater hydrodynamics to learn about the frequency of avulsions themselves. Using the model, and comparing their results to field data, the team discovered that there are three ways that deltas can respond to sea level rise, which depend on the balance between the rate of sea-level change and the sediment supplied by the river. The first: when a river has a lot of sediment and sea-level rise is relatively slow. According to the model, these rivers are resilient to sea-level rise, and their avulsion rates remain stable. China's Yellow River is one example. The second case occurs when a river has less sediment or the sea level rises more quickly. In this scenario, avulsions become more frequent. The rising ocean promotes sedimentation, and once a channel fills to a certain depth, the river will jump its course. And representing the extreme, in which sea level rise outpaces a river's ability to deposit sediment, is the third case. As the ocean infiltrates the delta, the river will reach its maximum avulsion rate, and the whole system will begin migrating inland. Scientists hadn't known about this case before, and the discovery of the three regimes together explains the previous inconsistencies in the scientific literature. The researchers inputted observations and data into their model to see whether various river deltas would behave differently under predicted climate conditions. "The answer is yes, for most of them," Chadwick said. "Many rivers will experience more frequent avulsions and some rivers will also have avulsions farther inland." River avulsions have huge societal implications, with the potential to cause economic and civil unrest. Archaeologists believe that a course change of the Indus River in western India directly contributed to the decline of the Bronze Age Harappan civilization. More recently, avulsions led to the 1877 Yellow River flood and 1931 China floods, two of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history. An avulsion could have dire consequences for rivers like the Mississippi, where a system called the Old River Control Structure has prevented the river from jumping course since 1963. If the backwater region migrated inland, the river could change course upstream from the facility and bypass it altogether. Millions of gallons of water per minute would course through previously dry land, while the downstream portion of the channel would go completely dry. The authors have made their model available and accessible to anyone who might want to use it. They were even able to reduce several formulas into a single equation by implementing a few basic assumptions about river conditions and dynamics. "Groups like the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of the Interior can use this tool to apply to any delta," said Chadwick. "And hopefully it will help inform our decisions in these places as we cope with climate change." ### Falun Gong practitioners take part in a candlelight vigil commemorating the 20th anniversary of the start of the persecution of Falun Gong in China, on the West Lawn of Capitol Hill on July 18, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Chinese Officials Sanctioned by US for Xinjiang Abuses Have History of Human Rights Crimes Persecuting Uyghur Muslims in Chinas far-western region of Xinjiang is but one of a slew of human rights abuses by four Chinese officials who were recently sanctioned by the U.S. administration. The sanctions, imposed under the Global Magnitsky Act on July 9, barred four Chinese officials, as well as their immediate family members, from entering the United States. The sanctions will also block U.S. properties that are under the individuals names and prohibit U.S. transactions with them, the U.S. Treasury Department said. In Xinjiang, home to roughly 11 million Uyghurs, at least 1 million Uyghurs and other ethnic Muslim minorities have been detained within internment camps and subjected to torture and political indoctrination in an effort to coerce them into giving up their faith. But such persecution is not confined to Xinjiang: Human rights reports and Chinese government records have revealed a string of human rights abuses carried out under the officials watch, targeting human rights defenders and faith groups, including adherents of Falun Gong. Also known as Falun Dafa, the mind and body meditation based on moral principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance has faced brutal persecution since 1999. Millions have likely been detained over the past two decades, with hundreds of thousands tortured, according to estimates by the Falun Dafa Information Center. Minghui.org, a U.S.-based website that serves as a clearinghouse for information about the persecution in China, has confirmed the deaths of at least 4,500 adherents, though it is difficult to transmit sensitive information out of China. The true numbers are likely to be much higher. Human rights experts say that the Chinese regimes experience with suppressing Falun Gong became a template for authorities in Xinjiang to suppress Uyghur and other Muslim minorities. Falun Gong practitioners take part in a rally commemorating the 20th anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong in China, on the West Lawn of Capitol Hill on July 18, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) The Anti-Falun Gong Playbook Chen Quanguo, Xinjiangs Chinese Communist Party boss and the highest-ranking Chinese official to be hit with U.S. sanctions, began persecuting Falun Gong practitioners as a senior official in his hometown in Henan Province. From 2000 to 2005, he rose through the ranks by participating in the persecution, eventually becoming vice Party secretary of Henans standing committee. Chen had oversight over the destruction of Falun Gong flyers, books, and CDs, as well as ousting government officials who practiced Falun Gong, The Wall Street Journal reported in 2019, citing provincial records. The government reports appear to have been deleted since. After Chen became Party boss of Xinjiang in 2016, the period marked the most severe persecution for Falun Gong practitioners in the region, who risked getting arrested while taking public transport, reporting to work, or visiting government offices for personal affairs, according to Minghui.org. Before and after the Partys key conclave, the 19th National Congress, in 2017, Xinjiang police questioned all local Falun Gong adherents, detaining those who refused to give up their beliefs or put down their names on a wanted list. Some were also placed under house arrest, according to a 2018 Minghui report. Practitioners from other areas who were passing through Xinjiang security checkpoints were also arrested, it noted. In 2017, the region ramped up its security spending by more than 27.5 billion yuan ($3.93 billion)nearly double the figure of the year prior, government budgets show. While the Xinjiang government didnt specify where the funding went, the region has since seen a surge in surveillance camera policing, phone monitoring, and DNA data collection. Security cameras are installed at the entrance to the Id Kah Mosque during a government-organized trip in Kashgar, Xinjiang, China, on Jan. 4, 2019. (Ben Blanchard/Reuters) Over the past three years, Falun Gong practitioners in Xinjiang also faced arrests for reasons including having incorrect thoughts, refusing to open the door for the police, or using other mobile apps than WeChat, the ubiquitous, government-supported Chinese messaging appwhich researchers say has been gathering data from users both in mainland China and abroad to refine its censorship mechanisms. Among the arrestees was 90-year-old Yan Yixue, who has been held incommunicado since shortly before the Party convened its annual Two Sessions in late May. In 2018, she was detained for a year in a brainwashing center, where police beat her for practicing Falun Gong exercises while incarcerated. She was cuffed onto an iron stool, unable to move, for nearly half a month. She staged a hunger strike in protest, according to Minghui.org. Police and neighborhood committee officials in Xinjiang also frequently break into local Falun Gong practitioners homes and photograph them to update the governments facial recognition database, according to Minghui.org. Sarah Cook, a China analyst at the human rights group Freedom House, has previously written essays analyzing the similar patterns in persecution of Falun Gong practitioners versus Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, stating that authorities are following an anti-Falun Gong playbook in Xinjiang. Its like any kind of project management. Once youve done it before, it goes that much faster the second time, Cook told The Epoch Times in a previous interview. They know exactly what theyre doing. Two other officials on the U.S. sanctions list, Zhu Hailun, the former deputy Party boss in Xinjiang, and Wang Mingshan, head of the regions public security bureau (akin to police), were also involved in the persecution of Falun Gong, according to research by the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, a U.S.-based nonprofit. The organization linked at least one death to Wang: 77-year-old Sheng Kezhi, a Falun Gong practitioner in the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi. His wife and daughter, also Falun Gong adherents, suffered years of extrajudicial detention. After his wife was again detained in 2012, Sheng died from the stress. What the Chinese Communist Party is doing to their own people is sickening, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said in a press release following news of the sanctions, adding, We need to do more to highlight the CCPs atrocities until they are held fully to account for their abuses. Dubai Investments, a leading investment and a public joint stock company listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) recently celebrated its silver jubilee, marking 25 years of investments in the region, with a bell ringing ceremony at the DFM. The bell ringing ceremony was attended by Abdulrahman Ghanem Al Mutaiwee, Chairman of Dubai Investments, Khalid Bin Kalban, Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Investments, Essa Kazim, Chairman of DFM and Khalifa Rabba, Deputy Division Head of Operations, DFM. It is noteworthy that Dubai Investments is amongst DFMs most active traded companies with a total value of AED169 billion ($46 billion) since listing, composing of 1.2 million trades of 47 billion shares, as of end of June 2020. Essa Kazim said: We are delighted to host the special bell-ringing ceremony on the occasion of Dubai Investments silver Jubilee. Dubai Investments has been amongst the first listed companies since DFMs inauguration on March 26th2000. We look forward to strengthen our relationship with Dubai Investments and enable it to continue availing the numerous benefits of DFM listing including the linkage with our large and diversified investor base that exceeds 845 thousand investors and embracing international best practices of disclosure and transparency, corporate governance and investor relations, which creates value for its shareholders. Khalid Bin Kalban said: Over the last 25 years, Dubai Investments has significantly raised shareholder and investor value through sound and visionary policies for establishing strategic investments, executing successful acquisitions and profitable divestments. Focusing on diversified investments by engaging in prudent investments, targeting diverse sectors and strategically focused investments and services both locally and internationally, form part of the companys long term goals. As part of the companys future strategy, Dubai Investments will channelize the resources towards Investments in youth, artificial intelligence and sustainability, identified as the three major pillars governing the companys investments and businesses in the future. These pillars will lead Dubai Investments responsible investments across various sectors, constituting future value-adds and will continue to diversify investments locally and internationally which were and still are a guarantee for the risk allocation, integration of vision and the economic structure of Dubai Investments, added Khalid Bin Kalban. With 25 years of strategic investments, a robust business model backed by strong partnerships with government agencies and private companies and with 16,502 shareholders (as of June 2020), Dubai Investments value of shareholders equity has recorded a growth from AED 650 million at inception to AED12 billion as of Dec 2019 with AED6.59 billion distributed as total cash dividends and bonus shares since inception. The company has recorded an accumulated net profit of AED14.5 billion with a 21% return on investment over the last 24 years. Recording a growth in paid up capital from AED650 million to AED 4.25 billion, the Companys total assets grew from AED718 million since inception to AED21 billion as of Dec 2019. The Company has been focusing on a steady growth in assets with strategically planned business exits. The Company witnessed a growth in total turnover from AED68 million to AED2.9 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019. Creating synergy and integration among varied businesses in real estate, manufacturing and industrial, healthcare, education, and financial investments, totalling 35 subsidiaries, Dubai Investments is becoming a diversified company operating in different market segments and geographies. TradeArabia News Service Switch the Market flag Open the menu and switch the Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice. for targeted data from your country of choice. Numbers are going to be coming down even if we have to go in and take over cities because we cant let that happen. When you have 20 people killed, 22 people killed in one weekend in Chicago. When you have 88 shootings, its not even conceivable, Trump said. Thats worse than Afghanistan, I hate to say it. Thats worse than any war zone that were in by a lot. It makes them look like tame places by comparison. Sam Todd - Stylus Shred: Remy Metailler - Testing A Big Drop: Wallner's World - Are Video Challenge 2020: Dear Santa: Matt Bolton - Poacher Preview: Mainline Session: Dakota Chapman Rides Classic Bozeman Trails: Fresh Trail: Weird & Revered DVD - Derek Bolz & Outro: Building A $12,000,000 Bike Trail - The Pike 29 Track: Danny MacAskill - Archive - The Backwards Roll: Stumpjumper EVO x Matty Miles: Dennis Enarson - Demolition: Dennis Enarson - Real BMX 2016: Dennis Enarson - Resident: Toy Hawk - 50 Tricks At Age 50: Tony Hawk Lands 900 At Age 48: Tony Hawk Breaks Down Skateboarding Movies: Pitumarca, Peru: Baffin: Sam Todd takes his Stylus out for a shred in Pemberton, BC. Rider: Sam Todd. Filmer: @radek_drozdowicz.Remy shows what it takes to go big.The winning video from Are Video Challenge 2020! Produced by: Niklas Wallner. Riders: Robin Wallner, Elin Nilsson, and Ted Wallner.Riding some new stuff after a build day.A little project we've been working on. Video: Jordan Tieszen.This trail looks fun.Location: Leverich Canyon, Montana. Rider: Dakota Ray Marin-Chapman. Video: Zane Clampett. Sound: Thomas Caywood Vincent.Martin Knapec riding his local lap.Filmed from 2016 to 2019, "Vagabond Squad" is a full-length video from Canadas Weird & Revered crew. Last in our online release of sections from Vagabond Squad is Derek Bolz, along with an outro to the full film.The Pike 29 Memorial Track was built as a living memorial to the men who died in the 2010 Pike mining disaster. It was sculpted into the landscape by passionate mountain bikers and track builders and is a world-class and first-of-its-kind mountain bike track which doubles as New Zealands 10th Great Walk. This video shows some of the exploits of the team who built it - the Bush Walruses. MTB track designer and digger operator Milty Coultas, explosives specialist and track shaper Tom Woodward, and tree fellers Logan and Felix. We cut the track through the bush over three long years while exposed, battered, and frost bitten, by the elements on the West Coast. It was the most extreme construction site that any of us had worked at.For episode three we look back at the backwards roll from my film Wee Day Out produced in 2016 with Red Bull and Cut Media. [L=https://youtu.be/K_7k3fnxPq0]Wee Day Out full film.[/L]A classic.Dennis Enarson and good friend, Christian Rigal originally set out to make a quick lil promo video for Dennis' new Rig line of parts but ended up coming back with six minutes of bangers on just about everything rideable from SD to SF. There's not enough words that can describe how good Dennis is on a bike and how much control he has on dirt, street, and ramps.Short, but super gnarly.It was 10 years ago now that we picked up a curly blonde haired kid from San Diego and put him on the illustrious Haro Team.I never imagined being able to skate into my adult life, or that anyone would still care if I did. To celebrate, I did 50 tricks that I've created (and/or pioneered on vert). Thanks to all of you that made this dream possible. It's been an unreal ride, but I'm not done yet.17 years to the day after making the first 900, Tony Hawk pushes himself to the breaking point and battles through this personal goal. Tony says this might be his last 900 ever. His determination and drive are just as admirable as making the trick. Congratulations.Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk breaks down skating scenes from movies, including 'Back to the Future,' 'Grind,' 'Gleaming the Cube,' 'The Amazing Spider-Man,' 'Police Academy 4,' 'Mid90s,' 'Daddy's Home' and 'Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.'Something is considered whole only when a collection of little things come together. Emily Harrington, Nina Williams, Matty Hong, and Jacopo Larcher travel to Pitumarca, Peru, to climb the inspiring walls of the Andes Mountains. This is a celebration of a place, a sport, a group of friends, and all of those little things.In August 2016, Brette Harrington and Marc-Andre Leclerc established two new routes up Great Sail Peak on Baffin Island. This film is in loving memory of Marc-Andre Leclerc, 1992 - 2018.Photo: blackapturphoto Actor Mouni Roy, who has been stuck in Abu Dhabi for four months due to the restrictions on international flights, has finally been able to fly. She shared a video of herself, wearing a face shield and a mask, all set to take off. The actor is reportedly on her way to the UK for work. On Monday, Mouni shared a couple of videos that seem to suggest that she is indeed on her way back to India. The first, posted on Instagram stories, shows the actor wearing a mask and a face shield, with a timestamp identifying the date. The second video, shared as a post, is captioned tata, with a plane emoji next to it. Finally, safe travels, wrote one person in the comments section. Another person, however, reminded Mouni to wear her face mask, which was dangling below her nose, correctly. Mask nose pe daalo na, they wrote. In a recent interview to The Times of India, Mouni had expressed a desire to reunite with her family. I am enjoying my stay here, in the company of my friend, who I grew up with, and her family. However, I am missing my mother and brother, who are in Cooch Behar. I am dying to come back to India, but I havent finalised a return date yet, she had said. Also read: Mouni Roy, in Abu Dhabi since March, misses her family: I am dying to come back to India Mouni will be seen next on the big screen in Ayan Mukerjis fantasy drama Brahmastra, in which she plays the antagonist. The film also stars Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Amitabh Bachchan. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Central University College (CUC) is an institution of higher learning established in 1988. The centre of excellence offers tertiary education with a broad curriculum in Liberal Arts. But over the years, CUC has been expanding its programmes to now include an integrated and practice-oriented business school. In 2016, it became a fully-fledged university and named Central University. Students can enrol for various courses at undergraduate, graduate, and research level. All the courses fall under eight departments at the college. Image: central.edu.gh Source: UGC Central University College makes it easy for all qualifying individuals in Ghana to access higher education. The institution structures its courses to meet the needs of all the students regardless of their background. Although the university started as a teaching institution, it now offers research programmes that are proving to be fundamental in the training of all learners. Central University courses and cut off points Central University has various programmes for both graduate and undergraduate students. Undergraduate courses offered at Central University Courses that are available for undergraduates include: Bachelor of Architecture Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies Bachelor of Arts in Environment and Development Studies Bachelor of Arts in French Bachelor of Arts in Theology Bachelor of Arts in Social Work Bachelor of Arts in Sociology Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Bachelor of Science in Banking and Finance Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - Marketing, Human Resource Management or Accounting Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Bachelor of Science in Economics Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Bachelor of Science in Management Studies Bachelor of Science in Nursing Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistantship Bachelor of Science in Planning Bachelor of Science in Psychology Bachelor of Science in Public Health Bachelor of Science in Real Estate READ ALSO: List of top courses offered for free in Ghana Image: central.edu.gh Source: UGC Post-graduate courses offered at Central University If you need to further your education, you can enrol for any of these courses as long as you meet the requirements: Executive Masters in Leadership and Governance Master of Arts (Religious Studies) Master of Arts Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Master of Business Administration (Finance) Master of Business Administration (General Management) Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management) Master of Business Administration (Marketing) Master of Philosophy (Theology) Master of Science Marketing Research READ ALSO: GIMPA courses and fees: List of programs offered at the institution Entry requirements The cut off points at Central University vary depending on the programme. But in general, here are the minimum qualification requirements for undergraduate students: WASSCE applicants You will need: An aggregate score of 36 or better. Three Credit passes (A1-C6) in core subjects of English, Mathematics, and Integrated Science or Social Studies Credit passes in three elective subjects. SSSCE applicants The academic requirements are: Three Credit passes (A-D) in core subjects of Mathematics, English, and Science or Social Studies. Credit passes in three elective subjects. An overall aggregate score of 24 or higher. Image: central.edu.gh Source: UGC GCE applicants at ordinary and advanced levels Requirements for this category include: Credit passes in five subjects. The subjects must include English Language and Mathematics at O Level. At least three passes at A Level At A Level, one of the passes must have a grade of D (plain) or higher. A pass in General Paper. Mature applicants These are students that get an admission at the institution through the Mature Students Entrance Examination. The examinations consist of two papers in areas of specialisation and one General Paper. All applicants must meet the following requirements: Be 25 years and above. Submit a certified copy of their birth certificate. The birth certificate must be fives year old from the initial date of issue to the submission of the application form. READ ALSO: List of all public universities in Ghana Diploma holders In addition to a diploma or a professional certificate, a candidate must meet the following requirements: Credit passes in English Language and Mathematics at GCE O Level Credit passes in English and Core Mathematics for WASSCE/SSSCE applicants. You can get more information about the cut off points and other entry requirements from the institutions website. Does Central University accept D7? Like all institutions of higher learning, Central Universitys academic entry qualifications vary depending on the programme you want to pursue. All its requirements align with the standards set by the nations professional and regulatory bodies. If you have a D7, you will be eligible to join Central University College. Ideally, D7 is a passing grade for WASSCE holders. But it will only allow you to enrol for a Diploma programme at the institution. To have a competitive edge, ensure you have six passes (A1-D7) in all subjects. Three of those should have credit passes or better (C6). Image: central.edu.gh Source: UGC Where can I buy Central University forms? When applying to join Central University Ghana, you can complete your application online through the institutions website. In that case, you will have to buy an E-voucher that costs GH100.00. The voucher is available at all Ecobank branches. Alternatively, you can use MTN Mobile Money and VISA-branded cards to buy the voucher. You will need a Serial Number and PIN available on the E-voucher to complete your application online. You can also apply offline through a paper application. To do that, you will have to obtain a paper application form for GHC100.00 and GHC120.00 for Undergraduate and Graduate courses, respectively. Ways of purchasing the forms include: Bankers Draft from the Finance Office at Miotso, Kumasi, and Mataheko campuses. From all nationwide branches at Zenith Bank, Ecobank, and GCB Bank. The forms are also available at all Ghana Post Office branches nationwide. READ ALSO: Accra Business School: courses, location, contacts Does Central University offer medicine? Central University (Ghana) offers medicine courses through its School of Medicine and Health Sciences. These programmes include: Bachelor of Science in Nursing Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistantship Bachelor of Science in Public Health For any of the above programmes, students must meet the following entry requirements: SSSCE candidates You need: An aggregate score of 24 or above in six subjects. The subjects must comprise of A-D in the three core subjects of Mathematics, English Language, and Integrated Science. At least three passes (A-D) in elective subjects in the Science options. WASSCE candidates To qualify, you need: An aggregate score of 36 or higher in six subjects. The subjects must comprise of A1-C6 in the three core subjects of Mathematics, English Language, and Integrated Science. At least three passes on elective subjects in the Science options. Diploma candidates The academic qualifications are: Diploma in Public Health and Nursing from a recognised institution of learning Diploma in Environmental Health and Disease Control Central University College allows diploma holders to transfer credits from previous studies. However, they must have the right references and recommendations when applying. Also, candidates must demonstrate they can speak and write in fluent English. The institution will interview all applicants that want to join the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Is Central University a private school? Central University is a private institution of higher learning in Ghana. The university is an educational initiative of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC). Although it started as a Pastoral training institute, it is now a fully-fledged university after receiving the Presidential Charter in 2016. Central University admission 2020/2021 Image: central.edu.gh Source: UGC Central University allows eligible candidates to apply for undergraduate and graduate programmes for the 2020/2021 academic calendar. Students have the opportunity to apply for a variety of courses, including Masters and Bachelors of Science programmes. Here is what to do to start your application. Visit the institutions online application page. Buy an E-voucher at GHC100.00 that will give you access to the online application. On the E-voucher, you will see a PIN and a Serial Number. Fill in the information on the application portal to start applying. When applying online, you will need to submit the following information: Two passport-sized photographs Results slips and certificates If you prefer applying offline, here is what you should do: Download the undergraduate or graduate application form from the institutions website. Submit the completed application form to the university directly. Attach your official results slips, transcripts from previous universities and certificates with the form. Once completed, send the documents with your photographs to: The Admissions Officer, Central University, Miotso Campus, (Off the Accra-Aflao Road) P.O.Box 2305, Community, Tema, Ghana You can also contact the Admissions Hotline on +233 303 318583 or email them using enquiry.admissions@central.edu.gh. Central University admission list The Central University admission list contains the names of successful applicants on provisional admission. After submitting your application, you can check whether you are on the list using the following procedure: Visit the institutions login page. Enter the Serial Number and PIN on your E-voucher. Click Continue to view your admission status. If you are a successful candidate, proceed by printing your admission letter. You can also visit the Newly Admitted page to check whether your name is available on the list. READ ALSO: Regional Maritime University fees, courses, and admission requirements Schedule of fees The Central University fees per semester for fresh students (undergraduate and graduate) vary depending on the course. For the 2020-2021 academic year, international students will pay between USD 1,360 and USD 4,044 per semester, depending on the programme. Ghanaian students will pay between GHC 1,925 and GHC 5,500 per semester. Those doing business courses at the Kumasi campus will pay between GHC 2,000 and GHC 2,888 per semester. Get more information from the fees section of the institutions website. Central University graduation The Central University graduation function happens at the institutions main campus in Miotso. To graduate, you must complete your studies at the university. For more details about the upcoming ceremony in 2020, a current student should access the Student Information Portal. Central University College is a private institution of higher learning established in 1988. It offers various programmes to students from all backgrounds at undergraduate, graduate, and research level. If you want to join the university, you can apply now for the 2020/2021 academic year. READ ALSO: Korle-Bu Nursing Training forms and admissions Source: YEN.com.gh The Karnataka Cabinet has decided to take the ordinance route to implement amendments to the Land Reforms Act that will enable anyone with enough money to buy agricultural land. This amendment will open the floodgates for predatory capital to enter agriculture. Land ownership will be consolidated in the hands of people with money. It will also lead to large-scale mechanised agriculture. Our policies must be aimed at optimum land holdings for sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture. The importance of agriculture in ecological restoration and the fact that no sector of the economy can match agriculture in providing employment must not be forgotten while framing policies. Land reforms must be part of a larger policy shift towards social justice and sustainability. Our laws and policies must be framed so as to promote social justice and sustainability. Thus far, our policies have been guided by considerations of economic growth rather than sustainability. Since neo-liberalism gained ground, our policies came to be guided solely by pursuit of economic growth, without even bothering to think about who benefitted from it. This has resulted in unacceptable economic inequality as well as ecological destruction. Now that climate change has reached a point of crisis, it is necessary to recognise that the crisis is a symptom of the fact that humanity has been conducting its affairs in an unsustainable manner. We are truly in an emergency and we must respond to it as we do to any emergency, that is, according it the highest priority. Justice and sustainability must be the guiding principles of all our policies and our laws must also be aligned with these principles. One of the most important steps in this direction is enacting suitable land reforms. Recognising that the climate crisis is the result of relentless pursuit of economic growth disregarding ecological limits, profit maximisation must be rejected as the driving force of economic activities. It should be replaced by considerations of security and minimisation of risk to all, especially to the poor. Ecological restoration must now be undertaken on priority. Rebuilding soil fertility, restoring water security and protecting biodiversity are important aspects of ecological restoration. Our laws and policies must be changed so as to be aligned with this priority. They should be guided by a holistic vision of a just and sustainable society. Knee-jerk reactions to situations arising from earlier shortsighted policies are to be avoided. Further, alleviation of poverty itself must not be hostage to the desire of the rich to maximise profits. It should follow from our constitutional commitment to right to life, dignity and equality of opportunities. Amendments to Land Reforms must be guided by this constitutional commitment and the urgency of ecological restoration. Agriculture must no longer be meant just for producing food but must also be an integral part of ecological restoration. Seen from this point of view, it must not be an economic activity-driven by maximisation of return on investment. Land must not be a commodity but should be considered as commons if anyone who wishes to do farming, not just for producing food but as part of a project of ecological restoration, is to have access to it. Ecological restoration must be a mission and must attract not just those who have left farming but also other people who wish to participate in it. Ideally, land use planning must be done based on considerations of ecological sustainability, taking micro-watersheds as units. There should be usufruct rights for permissible use of land. Usufruct rights must be given preferably to co-operatives. The size of land holdings must be what is optimum for sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture. Value addition from farming must be evaluated not just from the economic value of the produce but also on the ecological value of restoring soil fertility, water security and biodiversity. Restoration work There must be a policy to train farmers in agro-ecological methods and farmers should be paid for doing restoration work. Scientists must be consulted to device a rational method of compensating farmers for ecological restoration. The possibility of strengthening programmes like NREGA for undertaking such work must be considered. This has the potential to not just stop migration of farmers due to ecological degradation but even encourage them to return to their places to participate in restoration. This work, being of the highest priority, should not suffer from paucity of funds. Transparency and monitoring by local bodies must prevent corruption. Taxation on all economic activities that are extractive in nature must be used for raising funds for the mission of ecological restoration. The guarantee of security offered to farmers must be sufficient to wean them away from demanding subsidies and populist policies. The policies suggested here will not find easy acceptance but are based on the realities of climate crisis and unacceptable economic disparities. Changes in our laws and policies must at least proceed in this direction. Policies leading to consolidation of land in the hands of powerful people or corporations should not be allowed at any cost since it will lead to greater economic inequality as well as further ecological destruction through the use of extractive practices in agriculture. Using an ordinance to implement such a policy amounts to a fraud on the Constitution and on the people of the nation. (The writer, who taught chemical engineering at NITK Surathkal, now does farming as part of a sustainable lifestyle) Bollywood superstar Aishwarya Rai has tested positive for coronavirus, a day after her actor husband and his father were admitted to hospital with the virus. The former Miss World's eight-year-old daughter Aaradhya, who she shares with husband Abhishek Bachchan, 44, has also tested positive. It comes after her father-in-law, Indian acting superstar Amitabh, 77, was struck down with the virus. Latest: Bollywood superstar Aishwarya Rai has tested positive for coronavirus, a day after her actor husband and his father were admitted to hospital with the virus Abhishek tweeted on Sunday: 'Aishwarya and Aaradhya have also tested COVID-19 positive. They will be self quarantining at home... The rest of the family including my Mother have tested negative.' Abhishek said he and his father were positive but both their cases were mild. He said: 'My father and I remain in hospital till the doctors decide otherwise. Everyone please remain cautious and safe. Please follow all rules!' High profile: It comes after her father-in-law, Indian acting superstar Amitabh (right), 77, was struck down with the virus Virus: Aishwarya's daughter Aaradhya Bachchan has also tested positive for the coronavirus, a Mumbai city official said In the family: Aishwarya becomes the latest member of her family to be struck down, after her husband Abhishek (right) and her father-in-law (right) Aishwarya took the Miss World crown in 1994 and made her acting debut in the late 1990s. She went on to become one of the most famous Bollywood faces abroad as well as in India and has been a regular on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. She married Abhishek Bachchan in 2007. The elder Bachchan, idolised in India and affectionately known as 'Big B', has a more than four-decade-long career in the film industry. He was voted 'actor of the millennium' in a BBC online poll in 1999 and became the first Indian actor to gain a lookalike at London's Madame Tussauds waxworks museum. Announcement: Bollywood royalty Amitabh Bachchan (pictured in 2016) and his son Abhishek revealed on Saturday that they have been hospitalised after testing positive for coronavirus Tested positive: The actor, 77, revealed the news to his fans via Twitter on Saturday, sharing that he was awaiting tests following his hospitalisation Also tested positive: Following the announcement it was also revealed his son Abhishek had tested positive for coronavirus Bollywood royalty: Amitabh pictured with actress wife Jaya (far right), actor son Abhishek and his film star wife Aishwarya Rai (centre) in 2014 Abhishek earlier wrote on Twitter: 'Earlier today both my father and I tested positive for COVID 19. Both of us having mild symptoms have been admitted to hospital. 'We have informed all the required authorities and our family and staff are all being tested. I request all to stay calm and not panic. Thank you.' Amitabh is married to actress, and current Member of Parliament, Jaya Bachchan (nee Bhaduri), the pair wed in 1973 and they share daughter Shweta and their son. He rose to fame in the 1970s with films like Zanjeer and Sholay, and has been lovingly called 'Big B' and the 'Star of the Millennium' by fans. Icon: The Indian star rose to fame in the 1970s with films like Zanjeer and Sholay, and has been lovingly called the 'Star of the Millennium' by fans (pictured in 1976 film Kabhi Kabhie) Huge influence: Widely seen as the King of Indian cinema, Amitabh has appeared in 200 films over the course of his career, which has spanned over five decades Widely seen as the King of Indian cinema, Amitabh has appeared in 200 films over the course of his career, which has spanned over five decades. Amitabh's work has earned him a number of accolades over the years, including four National Film Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Bollywood cinema. The Shahenshah star was honoured with a Padma Shri in 1984, a Padma Bhushan in 2001, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015, some of the highest civilian awards to be provided by the Government of India. Amitabh's filmography doesn't stop in Bollywood, as the actor also made his Hollywood debut in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. In 1982 Amitabh suffered a near-fatal injury while filming Coolie, the actor had been doing his own stunts and got a splenic rupture following a jump that went wrong. He had to have an emergency splenectomy after the injury, and remained in a critical condition for several months before finally making a recovery. Amitabh went into semi-retirement in 1992, becoming a producer during the five year break before his return to the silver screen in the late 1990s. Accolades: Amitabh's work has earned him a number of accolades over the years, including four National Film Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award (pictured in 2014) The actor rose to prominence once again in the 2000s with several commercially successful films, and he has also appeared on TV and done voice-acting work. Abhishek followed in his mother and father's footsteps, making his debut as an actor in 2000 with war film Refugee before going on to star in over a dozen more films. He met his wife Aishwarya Rai on the set of Dhoom 2, three years after calling off his engagement with actress Karisma Kapoor, and the pair wed in 2007. By Lisa Shumaker July 13 (Reuters) - Florida recorded more than 12,600 new coronavirus cases on Monday, its second-highest daily total since the outbreak began, coinciding with the state's attempt to revive tourism and attract visitors to the recently reopened Disney World. Florida along with Arizona, California and Texas have emerged as the new U.S. epicenters of the pandemic in recent weeks. Infections have risen rapidly in about 40 of the 50 states over the last two weeks, according to a Reuters analysis. The latest numbers emerged hours after President Donald Trump took swipes at health experts in his government leading the U.S. response to the pandemic and his relationship further frayed with top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. In the early morning, Trump retweeted accusations by a former game show host that "everyone is lying," including the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the lead agency in the pandemic response. "The most outrageous lies are the ones about Covid 19. Everyone is lying. The CDC, Media, Democrats, our Doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust," Chuck Woolery wrote Sunday night, without providing evidence. On Sunday, Florida reported a record increase of more than 15,000 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours. If Florida were a country, that would rank it fourth in the world for the most new cases in a day, behind the United States, Brazil and India, according to a Reuters analysis. The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Florida is quickly rising, with over 500 new patients in the past 24 hours raising to 8,000 the number in hospitals, according to a state agency. Across Florida, 47 hospitals reported their intensive care units (ICUs) were completely full, including eight hospitals in the Miami-Dade County hot spot. No hospital ICUs were full in Orange County, Florida, where Disney World welcomed the public on Saturday for the first time since March. Guests must wear masks, undergo temperature checks and keep physically apart. MASK CONTROVERSY Story continues The Republican president, seeking re-election in November, has been increasingly critical of government health officials and their guidance as a steady rise in infections threatens the easing of shutdown restrictions across the country. Doctors and the CDC have pleaded with the public to wear masks to limit the spread of the virus, but the issue has become politically divisive in the United States unlike many other countries that have seen far lower rates of infection and death. Seven months into the pandemic, Trump wore a mask for the first time in public when he visited a Washington D.C.-area military medical center on Saturday. He had previously refused to wear a mask in public or ask Americans to wear face coverings, saying it was a personal choice. (Reporting by Lisa Lambert in Washington; Writing by Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Howard Goller) An Mixed Martial Arts fighter nicknamed The Nightmare was been stabbed to death at his 30th birthday party. Police today named Jahreau Shepherd, 30, as the man found dead in Kennington, south London, just after 10pm on Saturday. Police and paramedics tried to stop him bleeding to death, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr Shepherd, also known as Jay, was with family and friends at a barbecue on the nearby Black Prince Estate when he was attacked not long after his mother left celebrations. Mixed Martial Arts fighter Jahreau Shepherd, 30, who was killed in Kennington on Saturday The welterweight champion had a 6-2 win record in professional Mixed Martial Arts, with five wins by knockout, according to his online profile. A spokesman for his promoters said on Instagram: Jay, our welterweight champion, was hugely talented and great fun to be around, a big personality with a huge smile and infectious laugh. Inside the cage, he was destined for the top - a champion in three different organisations with heavy hands and a warrior heart. His brother, Rico Biggs, also took to the social media platform to pay tribute to the star fighter who had started training again last week after the lifting of coronavirus restrictions. He wrote: You got me messed up bro. I cant even lie, Im crying and laughing at all the memories we shared. You always showed everyone the same amount of love from the jump, until they gave you a reason to show them otherwise, everyones a friend, everyones a brother. I miss you man, I really miss you bro. Jahreau, whose ring name was The Nightmare, had a 6-2 win record as welterweight champion Fellow fighter, Steve Cook from Team Underground MMA, who was a close friend of Mr Shepherd paid tribute to him on social media. He wrote on Facebook: Its took [sic] me a while longer to write this post because I couldnt fully accept it was real, Jahreau Shepherd my brother, my friend, training partner and drinking buddy lost his life Saturday night at his 30th birthday party. Im truly heartbroken, you was such a joy to be around, you helped the team out so much, everyone looked up to you especially all the young fighters who were coming up, my son David loved you very much and I cant thank you enough for looking after him in Sweden and helping him get ready for his fights. Our last conversation was about MMA and how much you couldnt wait to get back in the cage, My last imagine of you was you wearing all white with a big bottle of Hennessy and that massive grin. Tributes were paid to the fighter online on Instagram after he was murdered at the weekend I cried endlessly when you died but I promise I wont let the tears mar the smiles that youve given me when you were alive. Ill always miss you champ. Myself Jon and all the team at Team underground MMA will never forget you. Police launched a murder investigation after the killing and said a post-mortem will be held at a later date. Shortly after Mr Shepherds death, a 26-year-old man arrived at hospital suffering stab injuries believed to have been sustained at the same party. He is expected to recover and no arrests have yet been made, Scotland Yard said. Detective Chief Inspector Dave Whellams, from the Mets Specialist Crime, said: A man has lost his life and a family has been left suffering unimaginable grief because of the callous use of a knife to inflict fatal injuries. I will do all I can to get justice for this family, and, along with colleagues from my homicide teams, I will use every available tactic to find whoever is responsible for this terrible attack. Our investigation is at an early stage, but we are already building a picture of what happened. I would urge any witnesses who have yet to speak to police to call my officers or contact Crimestoppers anonymously to share what they know. Officers from the Mets Central South Command are supporting the investigation, and there will be additional patrols in and around the estate and the Kennington area. I ask local people to speak with those officers to tell them anything they know about this incident or more broadly about criminals who are active in the area. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 17:08:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, July 13 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and another injured in a crash of an Antonov An-2 airplane in the Bolsheboldinsky District of the central Russian Nizhny Novgorod Region on Monday, the regional division of the Russian Emergencies Ministry said. After colliding with the ground, the plane started a fire on an area of 30 square meters, which was soon put out, it said in a statement. To eliminate the consequences of the accident, 21 people and eight units of equipment were used, the statement said, without providing other details. Investigators of the Volga Investigation Department for Transport of the Russian Investigative Committee said in a separate statement that it had organized a pre-investigation inspection of the site of the accident. According to one version, the crash occurred because the plane hit a power supply line, after which it fell and caught fire, the statement said. However, an investigation still needs to be conducted. Enditem Wayfair has responded to an online conspiracy theory accusing the e-commerce company of human sex trafficking. Business Insider reports a Reddit user suggested Wayfair was involved in sex trafficking because some expensive cabinets appeared to have human names on the products. A screenshot from Wayfairs website showed armoires that cost more than $12,000 each, with names like Samiyah 5-shelf Storage Cabinet and Yaritza Storage Cabinet; social media users shared the image alongside reports of missing women and children with matching names Samiyah, Yaritza, Alyvia and Neriah. So its 3A and Im down the #Wayfair sex trafficking rabbit hole. Something doesnt sit right. pic.twitter.com/7TJEfu6k2Y Darrian (@darrianperdue) July 10, 2020 Is it possible Wayfair involved in Human trafficking with their WFX Utility collection? Or are these just extremely overpriced cabinets? the user wrote Thursday. Wayfair, an online seller of furniture and home goods, denied the rumors Friday. There is, of course, no truth to these claims, spokeswoman Susan Frechette told Fox Business in an emailed statement Friday. The products in question are industrial grade cabinets that are accurately priced. According to Newsweek, some conspiracy theorists also tried to claim a Russian search engine shows stock keeping unit (SKU) numbers corresponding with Wayfair products that allegedly return image results with children in bathing suits. However, the SKU searches dont show images of a single child, further debunking claims the sales are a front. Wayfair removed the product images from its website over the weekend and said it would rename them. Recognizing that the photos and descriptions provided by the supplier did not adequately explain the high price point, we have temporarily removed the products from site to rename them and to provide a more in-depth description and photos that accurately depict the product to clarify the price point, Frechette told Fox Business. Some social media users have continued to accuse Wayfair of wrongdoing, adding the hashtag #pizzagate. A North Carolina man pleaded guilty in 2017 to firing an assault rifle inside a Washington, D.C., restaurant after driving there to investigate unfounded internet rumors about Democrats harboring child sex slaves there; he was sentenced to four years in prison for the Pizzagate incident. WAYFAIR literally deleted the cabinets that were up for more than 10k to hide their sex trafficking scandal!! The internet busted a front line tracking operation right in front of our eyes SHARE SHARE SHARE, open you eyes people!!! This is bigger than yall even know. #pizzagate pic.twitter.com/Nye8eKJl5O Melissa Perez: (@NooRemorse) July 10, 2020 Advertisement Thomas Ravenel has become a father once more after welcoming the arrival of a baby boy. DailyMail.com was first to break the news that Ravenel was expecting a child with 38-year-old Heather Mascoe, a registered nurse with whom the former Southern Charmer had a brief relationship. Now, the man more used to troubling the headlines with drama and scandal, has shared the happy news and these charming pictures exclusively with DailyMail.com. Speaking for the first time about his joy at being a new father, Ravenel revealed, 'We've named him Jonathan Jackson Ravenel and he was born by C-section on June 29, 7lbs 4oz and 20.25inches long. 'We are both very happy. Heather is a phenomenal mom and they're both doing well.' Thomas Ravenel has become a father once more after welcoming the arrival of a baby boy two weeks ago Speaking for the first time about his joy at being a new father, Ravenel revealed, 'We've named him Jonathan Jackson Ravenel and he was born by C-section on June 29, 7lbs 4oz and 20.25inches long 'We are both very happy. Heather is a phenomenal mom and they're both doing well,' Ravenel told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview, offering first-look photos at the new baby boy Heather Mascoe, 38, a registered nurse who briefly dated Thomas Ravenel, gave birth to a baby boy on June 29. She's pictured in the hospital just after delivery Ravenel admitted that explaining the arrival to his daughter Kensie, 6, and son Saint, 4, - his children with ex, Kathryn Dennis, 28, - was not easy. The notoriously volatile former couple seemed to have reached some sort of peaceable arrangement when, three months ago, Ravenel dropped the bombshell of Mascoe's pregnancy. Dennis learned the news not from Ravenel himself but through his attorney. But now, according to Ravenel, they are back on good terms, though he is not entirely sure that he was successful when it came to explaining the new arrival to his older children. He said, 'It's kind of difficult to explain to them, you know, ''This is your half-brother different mothers, same father.'' They were a little confused. In the end I just told them, ''You'll understand when you're older!'' 'But they've Face Timed with the baby and they're very excited to meet him. They're getting ready to spend the week with their mother so we're hoping they'll meet him after that.' Both Ravenel and Mascoe have, he said, had to be, 'real careful,' about who they can have around the newborn due to COVID-19 which is currently on the rise in their hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. It is why, in part, Mascoe and the baby are currently staying outside the city. Both Ravenel and Mascoe have, he said, had to be, 'real careful,' about who they can have around the newborn due to COVID-19 which is currently on the rise in their hometown of Charleston, South Carolina 'We are both very happy. Heather is a phenomenal mom and they're both doing well,' Ravenel said Ravenel and Mascoe are no longer a couple but are, he said, 'really good friends' . The pair briefly dated last summer Pictures obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com show new father Thomas Ravenel collecting baby supplies from Target The Southern Charm star, 57, has had an on-off relationship with Mascoe (pictured) since last summer and was trying to keep the pregnancy under wraps Video, also shared here exclusively by Ravenel, shows little Jonathan enjoying the sounds of his rural surroundings. According to his father, 'He loves the sound of frogs!' Ravenel and Mascoe are no longer a couple but are, he said, 'really good friends.' He said, 'That's how I'd put our relationship, really good friends. She's happy and I'm happy.' The co-parents are not living together but Ravenel has been helping out and, though he has not been out and about socially for the past couple of weeks, according to one source, he was seen picking up baby supplies at the Target in Charleston's Citadel Mall shortly after Jonathan's birth. According to one witness Ravenel appeared distracted as any new father might. They said, 'He came rushing from another line looking for his cart. He was talking loudly about not being able to find [his things] and when an employee asked him which cart he was looking for he said, 'It's got baby supplies for our little boy.' When the cart was located, the onlooker continued, 'It was full of baby supplies, diapers and so on and he had a bracelet on that said, 'boy' and the hospital name.' The former South Carolina treasurer also has two children by his ex Kathryn Dennis, 28, finally settling their long running custody battle four months ago. Ravenel admitted that explaining the arrival to his daughter Kensie, 6, and son Saint, 4, was not easy Mascoe has two children of her own, a son and a daughter aged 12 and 13, by well-known Charleston restaurateur Leo Chiagkouris, 60 Ravenel's personal life is riddled with high profile scandals not least a vicious and lengthy custody battle with Dennis. Mascoe also has two children, a son and a daughter aged 12 and 13, from a precious relationship with well-known Charleston restaurateur Leo Chiagkouris, 60. But throughout his often very public turmoil Ravenel has been consistently described as a devoted father who dotes on his children, Kensie and Saint. Now, as these pictures show, he is happily besotted with the latest addition to the family and, he said, excited for the older children to meet their little brother. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo loves his old-timey political posters. He last treated the state to one of his distinctive art projects in advance of the State of the State address in January. Inspired by a style popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s, it depicted the Ship of State navigating the treacherous waters of the Sea of Division. It elicited more than a few head scratches. He has commissioned several other similar works in the past. Given the magnitude of the coronavirus crisis and Cuomos self-proclaimed love of visual aids, a marriage of 19th century political artwork and the pandemic was, perhaps, inevitable. Feast your eyes: Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a fan of poster art, has released a "New York Tough" poster that he says summarizes the state's battle against the coronavirus.Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office Heres a high-resolution image in a tweet from one of Cuomos aides: High res image here. pic.twitter.com/4EitwxlKCj Rich Azzopardi (@RichAzzopardi) July 13, 2020 Like the last one, Cuomo said he designed the new poster himself. He did work with an artist in Brooklyn on the State of the State project, who told Patch.com that the governors initial sketches featured large quantities of stick figures and squiggles. The artist says the new poster isnt his. not my work. Rusty Zimmerman (@RustyZimms) July 13, 2020 The latest work tracks the states progress against the virus. It starts off in early days of its arrival on a cruise ship and the beginning of Cuomos daily press briefings. There are references to the millions of people who arrived in New York on flights from Europe before the federal government stopped travel from there. The governor often criticizes the Trump administration for focusing on China when the pandemic had already spread to Europe, which Cuomo has said was ultimately the source of New Yorks outbreak. Theres even a boyfriend cliff, a reference to Cuomos mentions of the boyfriend of his daughter, Mariah Kennedy-Cuomo. The centerpiece of the poster is the mountain. Thats how Cuomo has often described the pandemic as a mountain New Yorkers had to climb. In June, he unveiled a foam sculpture depicting the curve of the virus in the state as that mountain. It has made several appearances at his regular press conferences. COVID Mountain is now an official recurring character at Cuomos NYC press briefings pic.twitter.com/yFmXCnq9kT Zach Williams (@ZachReports) July 8, 2020 Before unveiling the poster, Cuomo said working on its design helped him handle everything that was happening in the state. Its helped me because its been like a relief valve, he said. I could go and just use a different side of my brain. Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 HONG KONG, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- GEM listed Future Data Group Limited ("Future Data" or the "Group", 8229.hk), a technology services company, today announced that its wholly own subsidiary Global Telecom Co., Ltd. ("GT", the "Solution Provider") has won a contract to build a new cloud solution for Kakao Corporation ("Kakao", the "Customer"), South Korea's largest mobile messaging app operator for US$4.0 million (HK$31.2 million). Following its successful position as South Korea's largest mobile messaging app, Kakao has ventured into virtual banking business, after receiving a license from the government. The Customer was looking for a solution that provides stable and lowest possible delay for its virtual banking applications over the Internet. Kakao selected GT's proposed solution based on Arista Networks technology because the solution provides SDN-based high-performance and high-availability, using VXLAN/EVPN. Kakao's new IDC aims to provide network services for Kakao Pay, Kakao Game, and Kakao Talk amongst others with stable services and lowest possible delay in the case of Internet traffic congestion and in line with the increase of users. In particular, the Customer focuses on maximizing the utilization of virtualization infrastructure such as OpenStack and Kubernetes (K8s). GT proposed solution includes network traffic distributed deep buffer switch and Ethernet switch capable of expanding capacity from a 40GE-based infrastructure to a large capacity of 100GE, based on the stability of existing automation systems. The EVPN network also provides flexibility/scalability for automation implementation that integrates Kakao's Cloud Vision Platform (CVP) and OpenStack as added benefit. "Kakao has been a long-term Customer of the Group," said David Lee, CEO of the Group. "In the past, we have helped build network infrastructure for Kakao's mobile messaging app, and extended our relationship to support Kakao's virtual banking," Mr Lee added. About Kakao Corporation Kakao, better known as South Korea's largest mobile messaging app operator, is an integrated mobile lifestyle platform company with services including mobile messaging (Kakao Talk), gaming (Kakao Games), banking (Kakao bank), music (Melon), e-mail (Daum Mail), search (Daum Search), news (Daum News), and more. With the mission of "Connect Everything", Kakao is dedicated to creating an ecosystem of connectivity where people can stay connected with family and friends by sharing what matters to them. For more, please visit at www.kakaocorp.com. About Arista Networks Arista Networks was founded to pioneer and deliver software-driven cloud networking solutions for large data center storage and computing environments. For more information, visit www.arista.com. About Future Data Group Limited Listed on the GEM Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited in 2016, Future Data is a new breed of technology services companies. Future Data provides a wide range of digital infrastructure and cyber security services to corporate customers. The Group's distinct competitive advantages include the partnerships and alliances it has forged with a diverse base of leading technology suppliers and the ability to interweave its software development capabilities with a number of these suppliers. More information can be found at http://www.futuredatagroup.com. Related Links : http://www.futuredatagroup.com Firefighters battled a three-alarm fire and record-breaking heat Monday on the North Side. Eight apartment units were destroyed and 16 others damaged in the blaze, which consumed a section of one building at the Parliament Bend Apartments at 11838 Parliament St. The first San Antonio Fire Department trucks responded at 2:35 p.m., Chief Charles Hood said, and more than 100 firefighters and support personnel would eventually arrive. The reinforcements were necessary because of the brutal conditions to fight fire in, Hood said, noting that firefighters were wearing 60 to 70 pounds of equipment. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Hot is hot, Hood said. You have to be mentally prepared to fight fire on a day like today. The National Weather Service said temperatures in San Antonio spiked to 106 degrees Monday, tying the previous record for the date. Firefighters shut off power to the entire apartment complex and prevented more damage by cutting the building in half, Hood said. The chief explained that the fire reached the attic on one side of the building. Firefighters stopped the flames from spreading across the attic and destroying the rest of the units below. From inside the strip mall behind the apartment building, Stephen Thompson could hear banging as people evacuated. You could hear somebody from the Fire Department knocking on all the doors, yelling to get them out, Thompson said. There were no missing people or injuries, Hood said. Some pets were reported missing. Justin Dawe, who lives in one of the complexs other buildings, was working at a liquor store around the corner when a neighbor came in and told him about the fire. He rushed home to check on his puppy. The cause of the fire was unknown and arson investigators were on scene. Officials brought in a rehabilitation bus for the firefighters and VIA buses to keep residents cool in the scorching heat. Firefighters were working to restore power to the complex and to find places to stay for the displaced residents of the 24 units. (Newser) This time, Sen. Lindsey Graham is willing to listen. The chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Sunday he'll let Democrats call Robert Mueller to testify before the committee, the Washington Post reports. Graham had rejected such calls before but appeared to change his mind after Mueller penned a Post op-ed about the commutation of Roger Stone's sentence. "Apparently Mr. Mueller is willingand also capableof defending the Mueller investigation through an op-ed in the Washington Post," said the South Carolina Republican. "Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have previously requested Mr. Mueller appear" to testify about the Russia probe, he added. "That request will be granted." story continues below Mueller's op-ed implicitly criticized President Trump's commutation of Stone's 40-month prison sentence for lying to lawmakers and obstructing justice, per USA Today. Stone, a Trump advisor and longtime friend, will retain the conviction on his criminal record. Stone was "prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes," Mueller wrote in the Post. "He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so." Back in 2019, the former special prosecutor testified before House committees about his investigation into Trump and Russian meddling in the 2016 election, but Republicans found fault in his hesitant replies and at-times muddled delivery. Looks like he'll get another kick at the can. (Read more Robert Mueller stories.) NEW CANAAN Oversized balloons, a large grand opening banner, and a sandwich sign announced the opening of Your CBD Store over the weekend at 48 Elm Street an unusual sight during the coronavirus pandemic. The store sells herbal products made from hemp, not marijuana as many assume. The (grand) opening went very well, starting Friday, July 10, 2020, owner Anthony Pisano said. People were really receptive, and often said this is great. The grand opening went through Sunday, July 12, 2020. Pisano, a Hearst Connecticut Media Group advertising employee, was concerned that the weather may impact his opening, since Tropical Storm Fay was forecast to make its way to the Northeast, but instead it worked out very well. His store, at the corner of Elm Street and South Avenue, is the 24th Your CBD Store in Connecticut, which is part of a fast growing chain. In June, Pisano signed a contract for store number 681, and since, the franchise has grown to 746 stores. CBD is a chemical compound called cannabidiol, which is found in the hemp plant and marijuana. Pisano said the biggest misunderstanding he confronts is that people think it comes from marijuana, instead of hemp. Though CBD can be extracted from marijuana, hemp has a higher concentration of CBD and less of THC, Tetrahydrocannabinol, a psychoactive substance, responsible for inducing a high. Marijuana, on the other hand, has a higher concentration of THC compared to its CBD, Pisano said. Pisano chose New Canaan since his family members are so close to the community, and he has children who attend St. Aloysius School and the YMCA Day Camp. His family lives in West Norwalk. People stopped into the store to ask questions and buy the herbal product, which many believe helps with anxiety. We met our targets, the owner said, since people purchased many of their SunMed products, such as oil-based supplements, water solubles, pet products, tinctures, gummies, soft gel capsules and beauty products. Rachael Quinn, Your CBD Store founder, shares her desire to help others through the use of natural, hemp-derived products, the website reads. The products are intended to be used as an herbal supplement. Patrons are asked to consult their doctors before quitting taking any medications with the intention of replacing them with the natural and holistic option of hemp, the website also reads. Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect Pisano is a Hearst Connecticut Media Group advertising employee. The statement came hours after the Saudi-led coalition said that it had intercepted and destroyed four missiles and six explosive drones launched by the rebels over the border towards the Gulf country Egypt strongly condemned on Monday drone and ballistic missile attacks by Yemeni Houthi militias on Saudi Arabia. The missiles were intercepted by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi rebels in Yemen in support of the internationally-recognized government of Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi. The Egyptian foreign ministry stressed Egypts full solidarity with the Kingdom in fighting such vicious attacks that target civilians and civilian installations. The ministry added that Egypt supports Riyadh in any actions to defend its lands and national security. The ministry reiterated that such attacks would only lead to further escalation and instability in Yemen, and stressed the importance of achieving a ceasefire to create the conditions to resume the political process and reach a solution in accordance with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative, Yemens National Dialogue Conference, and UNSC resolution 2216. The statement came hours after the Saudi-led coalition said that it had intercepted and destroyed four missiles and six explosive drones launched by the rebels over the border towards the Gulf country. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they struck a large oil facility in the southern Saudi city of Jizan. The coalition did not reveal details about where the attack was intercepted, but said drones were launched towards Saudi Arabia from the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa. Saudi oil giant Aramco operates a 400,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Jizan, which is around 60 km from the Yemen border. Aramco did not reply to a request for comment, according to Reuters. Search Keywords: Short link: Amitabh Bachchan and son Abhishek had revealed their coronavirus diagnosis on Twitter on 11 July Assistant municipal commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), K West ward, Vishwas Mote confirmed that 26 staff members working at Amitabh Bachchan's residences have tested negative for COVID-19. "As per the laboratory report, all the staffers have tested negative to COVID-19," he said. Another BMC official said that total 30 staffers have been quarantined, but only 26 of them were from high risk contact group, while the remaining were from low risk group. Amitabh, 77, and Abhishek, 44, revealed their diagnosis on Twitter on 11 July, saying they were in the isolation ward of Nanavati Hospital and all the people who came in their direct contact will undergo test for the virus. A hospital source told Press Trust of India that both actors are "clinically stable." On Sunday, Amitabh's daughter-in-law, actor Aishwarya, 46, and her eight-year-old daughter Aaradhya also tested positive for COVID-19. Abhishek confirmed Aishwarya and Aaradhya''s diagnosis on the microblogging site on Sunday, adding that they will be "self-quarantining at home". The actor said he and his father will "remain in hospital till the doctors decide otherwise". Taking to his blog on Sunday, Amitabh thanked his admirers for their prayers and concern for him and his family members. "My dearest extended family, your concern, your prayers and your wishes for Abhishek, Aishwarya, Aaradhya and me for a speedy recovery has filled me with unending gratitude. I thank you all," the screen icon wrote. With 1,263 new COVID-19 cases being recorded on Sunday, Mumbai's case count has mounted to 92,720, the BMC said. (With inputs from Press Trust of India) SPRINGFIELD City Council President Justin Hurst has endorsed Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse in his Democratic primary challenge to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield. Hurst and the Morse campaign announced the decision Monday. Morse is challenging Neal, first elected to the House of Representatives in 1988, in the Sept. 1 Democratic primary. Im endorsing Mayor Morse because I need a congressman who I can connect with; one who is willing to build a relationship with legislators at the local level to help inform decision making at the Federal level, Hurst said in a prepared statement released by the Morse campaign. For the last seven years that I have served on the City Council and even in my current role as president, I have yet to have a dialogue with Congressman Neal about the issues impacting the constituents that we both serve. The residents that I speak to regularly are frustrated with perennial politicians who run on maintaining the status quo that continues to marginalize and exclude impoverished communities of color from receiving their fair share of resources. The days of rubber- stamping endorsements at the behest of gatekeepers from a previous generation are over, Hurst said. Regardless of how long you have served or what title in government you hold, you must be accountable to the people you represent. Neal and Hurst are both scheduled to participate Tuesday in a Black Lives Matter event in Neals Atwater Park neighborhood. Morse also announced that he has raised $322,000 in campaign contributions in the second quarter, the best fundraising quarter of his campaign, and a total of $841,000 this cycle. Neals most recent finance report is not yet available from the Federal Elections Commission. But campaign spokeswoman Kate Norton replied in an email: This quarter, while Alex Morse was pledging to vote against the Paycheck Protection Program and selling $18 masks on his website, Richie Neal was securing billions in COVID-19 relief for working people ... and still outraised Alex. Both campaigns have announced a string of endorsements over the past few weeks. Neals endorsers include Georgia congressman and civil rights hero John Lewis. Lewis was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, risked his life to protest racial injustice in the Selma-to-Montgomery marches in Alabama in 1965, and he helped organize the 1963 March on Washington at which Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his I Have a Dream speech. To overcome the aftermath of that history, policies and practices, we need to take cues and direction from children and young people. It is imperative we recognize their inherent leadership and stand behind them as they charge ahead to reboot the world they will inherit. This is our moment to get on the right side of history and not allow the recent murders of Chicagos children to be in vain. Egypt doesnt wish to resort once more to the United Nations Security Council, Sameh Shoukry says Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said on Monday concluding the African Union-brokered talks between Cairo, Addis Ababa and Khartoum over the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) without agreement was "a regrettable matter. Shoukry added that Egypt doesnt wish to resort once more to the United Nations Security Council. The foreign minister's comment came after Egypt announced on Monday night that the final day of AU-brokered talks over GERD saw the persistence of differences on fundamental issues regarding the rules of filling and operation of the dam Ethiopia has been building on the Blue Nile since 2011. In a phone interview with ON E satellite channel on Monday, Shoukry said Egypt had engaged in AU-brokered talks in good faith in an attempt to reach a fair and balanced agreement that guarantees the three parties' interests. "Cairo has shown much flexibility and understanding over GERD issues and Ethiopian needs, but once again the round ends with no agreement," he added. "We were looking forward to a change in some of Ethiopia's positions, but they remained the same and we didn't reach consensus," Shoukry noted. He stressed that Egypt expressed its will to reach consensus when it initialled the draft agreement crafted by Washington during the US-brokered talks in February, adding "but the partners didnt show the same will." Speaking on the United Nations in another TV comment with DMC channel, Shoukry said "We don't wish to return once again to the Untitled Nations Security Council, but if something threatens regional and international peace, the responsibility falls on the Security Council to take action to prevent this." The previous round of negotiations between the three countries, held from 9 to 17 June, failed to produce an accord due to Ethiopia's refusal to enter into a legally binding agreement and its recurrent announcement that it will begin filling the dam in July with or without the approval of the two downstream countries. In response, Egypt appealed to the UN Security Council to intervene to resolve the stalemate to preserve international peace and stability. The Security Council held an open session on the dam in late June, urging the three countries to avoid adopting any unilateral actions and to conduct talks based on mutual understanding. Search Keywords: Short link: Share of market: a volume based measure of market share Future Growth: projected growth based on 10 years of historical data and future trends Premium Price Positioning: a measure of a brands ability to command a premium Market Scope: number of markets in which the brand has a significant presence Brand Awareness: a combination of prompted and spontaneous awareness Brand Relevancy: capacity to relate to the brand and a propensity to purchase Brand Heritage: a brands longevity and a measure of how it is embedded in local culture Brand Perception: loyalty and how close a strong brand image is to a desire for ownership. Wine (Champagne, Other Sparkling, Still Light Wine, Fortified Wine) Whiskey / Whisky Spirit (Cognac, Other Brandy, Gin / Genever, Rum / Cane, Tequila, Vodka) Flavored (Aniseed, Bitters / Spirit Aperitifs, Light Aperitif, Liqueurs, Alcopop). Number of brands Average no. years /10 Occur in all 10 years (%) Average rank /100 Wine 39 6.0 26 61.0 Whisky 31 8.2 65 46.6 Spirit 49 6.8 47 44.3 Flavored 22 8.0 68 53.9 So, which wine brands did consistently made it onto the Power lists? This next table shows how many of the wine brands appeared in all 10 surveys. For example, for the Still Light Wines, 20 brands appeared at least once, and 6 of these appeared in all 10 years. The table then lists the average rank across the surveys for those brands that did make it all 10 times. So, for example, Moet fared best (had the best average rank), followed by Gallo and Concha y Toro, who all managed to crack the top 20 (out of 100). Still Light Wine Gallo Concha y Toro Hardys Robert Mondavi Jacobs Creek Blossom Hill Champagne Moet et Chandon Veuve Clicquot Mumm Other Sparkling Freixenet Fortified Wine 6 / 20 19.0 21.0 29.4 32.6 54.4 66.9 3 / 14 16.5 27.7 80.3 1 / 2 51.0 0 / 3 Simply put, there are more wine brands in the world than spirits brands, so that none of them can have a sufficient part of the market to achieve great market power. That is, diversity and power are inversely related. So, spirits continue to rule in the global power game. Wine Moet et Chandon Mumm Veuve Clicquot Freixenet Blossom Hill Concha y Toro Gallo Hardys Jacobs Creek Robert Mondavi Whisky Glenfiddich 100 Pipers Ballantines Bell's Chivas Regal Dewars Famous Grouse Grants Scotch J & B Johnnie Walker Teacher's Jameson Black Velvet Canadian Club Canadian Mist Crown Royal Jack Daniel's Jim Beam Maker's Mark Wild Turkey Spirit Courvoisier Hennessy Martell Remy Martin Dreher E & J Brandy Beefeater Bombay Sapphire Gordon's Gin Seagram Gin Tanqueray Bacardi Captain Morgan Havana Club Cuervo Sauza Absolut Finlandia Grey Goose Ketel One Skyy Smirnoff Vodka Stolichnaya Flavored Ricard Campari Bitters Fernet-Branca Jagermeister Cinzano Vermouth Martini Vermouth Baileys Bols Liqueurs Cointreau De Kuyper Disaronno Grand Marnier Kahlua Malibu Southern Comfort Commercial alcoholic beverages have all sorts of marketplace characteristics, one of which is their ability to dominate their markets. This feature was investigated in a survey of the worlds leading drinks brands, published annually from 2006-2015 by the international company strategists Intangible Business . This was called The Power 100 , in which each brand was given a power score, allowing them to be ranked.Intangible Business apparently researched c. 10,000 spirit and wine brands across the globe, to assess both the financial contribution of each brand and its strength in the eyes of the consumer. To do this, they combined scores from a panel of drinks industry experts along with global sales data (see Methodology , and Panelists ).The(out of 100) was produced by the panelists, who scored each brand for these characteristics (each a scale: 010):This Score was then turned into a(out of 100) by multiplying it by the brands weighted sales volume the weighting was apparently designed to adjust the volumes to a comparable level. It was the Total Score that was used for the final Power list, with the top 100 being listed each year.Across the 10 years, 141 brands appeared at least once, although only 68 (48%) of them appeared in all 10 surveys, with another 8 appearing in 9/10 years. That is, only half of the brands had any sustained Power these are listed at the bottom of this post. In the other cases, the brands either appeared in the early surveys only, or in the later surveys only very few came and went from year to year (implying that they were just on the border of the top 100).Perhaps the first thing to note about the results is that Power comes mostly from sales volume. This is illustrated in the graph, which plots Brand Score (horizontally) and Total Score (vertically). Each point represents the results for one brand in one year (ie. there are 1,000 points).Note that Total Score increases very rapidly indeed, this increase is greater than exponential. Those brands above the dashed line (eg. Smirnoff vodka, Johnnie Walker whisky, Bacardi rum) have their Brand Score massively enhanced by sales this makes them consistently by far the most powerful brands. However, also note that it is only brands with a high Brand Score that have large sales volumes, and therefore a high Total Score.To consider which types of brands make it into the lists, we can categorize them:The results for these categories are listed in the first table.Note that the Wine category does very poorly. There are a good number of brands, but they do not have much power, compared to the spirits categories. That is, fewer brands appeared in all 10 years, and their ranks were mostly lower than for the other categories. [Note: in the wine world, the word brand is often used to refer to the company, while label refers to what are here called brands.]This is not necessarily unexpected, if real power comes from sales volume. There are many more wine brands on this planet than there are spirits brands, and therefore they split the market between them into much smaller segments . Competition ensures that none of these segments is very large. Making matters even more extreme, many wineries market wines from a series of different vineyards each under their own name (citing the supremacy of terroir in the wine world), even if they use the same overall brand name this potentially fragments the market even more.Many larger wine companies have been acquiring small independent producers with a high reputation, but this consolidation would result in brand power only if they are marketed under the same brand name. However, the plan generally seems to be to keep them as boutique brands within a large premium portfolio.This list may not impress you very much. Notably, there were none of the premium wine brands included in any of the Top 100 lists, except a few from the Champagne region of France. The wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Napa Valley, for example, simply do not sell enough volume to achieve any real market power. The media write about them a lot, but most consumers know little about them; and real power rests with the masses, not the media.Note that these 2006-2015 surveys are not particularly current. However, since then, things have not improved to any extent for wine volume sales. Millennial and Generation Z consumers increasingly favor spirits and, more recently, hard seltzers. And remember, the Millennials have now officially taken over the marketplace ( Millennials overtake Baby Boomers as Americas largest generation ).Brands that appeared in all 10 of The Power 100 lists. US documentary White Light by Australian filmmaker George Gittoes, which screened at film festivals in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane last year, airs on ABC tonight. This is described as an unflinching examination of Americas pervasive gun culture in South Side, Chicago. Our intention is for White Light to be used as a tool by anti-gun violence groups to open discussions on how to bring peaceful and positive change. This is a film that must be seen by Australians too. The worldwide protest movement born in the wake of the murder of Minneapolis man George Floyd earlier this year has brought our own countrys history with Indigenous Australians into review. White Light is an intimate portrait of the community of Englewood in Chicagos segregated South Side, an area that has earned the nickname Chi-Raq from some residents who liken the area to the war zones in Iraq due to its extremely high gun violence and murder rates. White Light goes to the source of why these civilian deaths are happening, highlighting ways the community is working to bring peace, and end the cycle of revenge which is perpetuated with every new killing. Gittoes, who has spent over 40 years documenting war zones around the world, travelled to the United States after speaking with a US soldier, Yanos Hagos, who told Gittoes his hometown in Chicago was far more dangerous than fighting in Iraq. Gittoes says, I found this to be horribly true. With rising gun violence in the USA, I decided to go to the place in South Side, Chicago thats been dubbed Chi-Raq to show how little progress has been made since 1968 when first I travelled to the US after the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King and began to understand the depth of racism in that country. At the epicentre of the violence in Englewood is May Block, a neighbourhood that found itself in the spotlight of primetime news when a promising young model, Kaylyn Pryor, who had just won the Mario Tricoci Make Me a Model Competition, was shot and killed while visiting her grandparents. White Light follows the teenagers who belong to the May Blocks Black Stone Brothers led by Solja, who was paralysed and lost his leg after being shot in the local corner store. Respected elder, Steve Smiley Armour reveals to Gittoes that the Black Stone Brothers feel trapped in an endless cycle of violence with their rivals that they dont know how to end. The Brothers express frustration that while the local police arrest and intimidate members of the community for minor offences or drug offences, investigations into murders in the area rarely lead to a conviction. Gittoes captures on camera a frightening and tense moment between the filmmakers and the Brothers when they are surrounded by police while filming a freestyle, street rap session. At the heart of the documentary and central to the lives of the teens of Englewood is rap music. Every corner has its rap poets, whose lyrics are an outlet to express their frustrations with few opportunities to succeed in their segregated and underfunded communities. During their time in Chicago, Gittoes and his producing partner, wife and musician Hellen Rose, opened their apartment to the May Block communitys young rappers as a safe space for them to come to write, collaborate and record music. Together the filmmakers and teenagers created the soundtrack for White Light. In 2015, Gittoes was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize, an honour also bestowed on the Black Lives Matter Global Network in 2017. White Light strongly supports the Black Lives Matter movement, highlighting a community that has been neglected and ignored for too long. Gittoes and Rose plan to return to Chicago in October to resume filming the Southside Community through the Presidential election period in November. Production credits: A Gittoes Films Production. Directed by George Gittoes, produced by Hellen Rose and George Gittoes, Edited by Peter O Donoghue, Sound Design by David White, Music Direction by Hellen Rose. 8:30pm tonight on ABC. A Methodist Hospital doctor is warning of an increase in the number of young people getting infected with the coronavirus and said some people are deliberately trying to infect themselves by attending COVID-19 parties. Dr. Jane Appleby, chief medical officer at Methodist, said a patient who died there told a nurse of contracting the virus at a party hosted by an infected person. The patient had viewed attending the party as a test, to see if the virus was real. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases Now Playing: Dr. Appleby of Methodist Hospital talks about a COVID-19 party that led to the death of a 30-year old. Video: San Antonio Express-News Appleby said the patient told the nurse, I think I made a mistake. I thought this was a hoax, but its not. Over the weekend, the hospital released a recorded video statement from Appleby. A hospital spokeswoman said Sunday that Appleby recorded the statement in hopes it would bring awareness to the need for young people to protect themselves from the virus. In the video, Appleby notes that currently in Bexar County, about 22 percent of people who are tested for the coronavirus test positive. Thats about 1 in 5 people, she says. This is a concerning increase from a positive rate of about 5 percent only several weeks ago. And as we see the virus spreading in our community were also seeing it affect a broader age range of people, including young people in their 20s and 30s. She add that the virus doesnt discriminate and none of us are invincible. I dont wanna be an alarmist, and were just trying to share some real world examples to help our community realize that this virus is very serious. On ExpressNews.com: Were all fearful of what could happen: COVID deaths rise in San Antonio as hospitals are pushed to capacity Wearing a gray T-shirt underneath black scrubs, Appleby looked into the camera and relayed what she called a heartbreaking story from this week of a person within the age group to which she was referring who died from the virus. We cared for a 30-year-old patient at Methodist Hospital who told their nurse that they had attended a COVID party, she said. Appleby said these parties are held by somebody diagnosed with COVID-19, and the thought is that people get together to see if the virus is real, and if anyone gets infected. Just before the patient died, they looked at their nurse and they said, I think I made a mistake. I thought this was a hoax but its not, she said. She did not identify the patient or add any further details, such as where or when the party happened. Appleby said the tragedy is just one example of a potentially avoidable death in a young member of our community and I cant imagine the loss of the family. There has been no clear evidence that COVID parties are happening locally or nationally. Some health experts and public officials have cast doubt on whether or to what extent these are taking place. Reached late Sunday, representatives from the citys Metropolitan Health District said they had not heard of such parties taking place in the Alamo City. Emergency physician Dr. Robert Glatter, who works at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, said COVID parties are dangerous, irresponsible and potentially deadly, and could cause chronic and unrelenting fatigue, chest pain, difficulty breathing and daily fevers, if you do survive. In southeastern Washington state, county health officials reported in May that they had evidence at least two coronavirus cases were linked to one or more COVID-19 parties, then quickly reversed themselves, saying they may have been more innocent gatherings. Reports that students in Alabama were getting together and betting on who could get infected with the virus first with the sickened winner taking home a pot of money led to warnings from the University of Alabama to students about the risks associated with the parties. The events couldnt be confirmed by state health officials. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that people infected with the coronavirus should not attend gatherings, and that any event where people are mingling without face coverings or social distancing is inherently high risk. Appleby, the San Antonio physician, reiterated that the best way to stay safe is to follow protocols set forth by health professionals. Please wear a mask, stay at home when you can, avoid groups of people and sanitize your hands. Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. To read more from Elizabeth, become a subscriber. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 Massachusetts health officials announced 5 more coronavirus deaths on Monday, bringing the statewide death count to 8,115. Officials also confirmed another 154 cases of the virus, for a total of at least 105,783 cases across the state, according to the Department of Public Health data. Thats based on 8,587 new molecular tests reported Monday. DPH also reported 76 probable cases on Monday, bringing the total number of probable cases to 6,044. Patients with a positive serology from an antibody test and are showing symptoms of the virus, or were likely exposed to it, are counted as probable cases. Patients who did not have a laboratory test, but were exhibiting coronavirus-like symptoms, and were likely exposed to COVID-19, are also counted as probable cases. Gov. Charlie Baker said on Monday the seven-day average of the states infection rate remains at around 1.7%, which represents a 94% decrease since the middle of April. There are currently 570 patients hospitalized with the virus, according to Mondays data. On Monday, the state unveiled a new website for residents to report businesses not complying with the states health and safety guidelines during the pandemic. The website, mass.gov/covidcompliance, instructs anyone wishing to file a report of non-compliance to contact their local Board of Health. They can also contact the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards, by email or by phone, with any issues. If the Department of Labor Standards believes an investigation is warranted, the agency will call or email the complainant within 72 hours, the website says. At which point, the agency will open an investigation into the business in question in partnership with local health officials. The third phase of states reopening plan, called the vigilant phase, began last week, and will last significantly longer than the other phases so officials can monitor the impact the third phase will have on the public health data. Phase 3 includes the reopening of large-scale, indoor establishments, including gyms. Boston began Phase 3 on Monday. Baker said the state wont move forward with Phase 4 until a vaccine is available. Here are the cases listed by county: Barnstable County: 1,582 Berkshire County: 615 Bristol County: 8,491 Dukes County: 58 Essex County: 16,485 Franklin County: 384 Hampden County: 7,019 Hampshire County: 1,008 Middlesex County: 24,536 Nantucket County: 22 Norfolk County: 9,485 Plymouth County: 8,822 Suffolk County: 20,342 Worcester County: 12,679 Unknown location: 299 Related Content: Slate has relationships with various online retailers. If you buy something through our links, Slate may earn an affiliate commission. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. All prices were up to date at the time of publication. How did people live in a world where sewage flowed freely down the street? A world without indoor plumbing or regular baths? A world where dead horses were left where they dropped for days on end? The stench in centuries past was dreadful and omnipresent, the air saturated with nauseating emissions and dangerous pollution, writes French historian Robert Muchembled in his disgusting, delicious book Smells: A Cultural History of Odours in Early Modern Times, now available in an English translation by Susan Pickford. Bygoners knew the stench was bad, but there was nothing to be done: People simply lived with it as best they could. Advertisement The as best they could part is the subject of Muchembleds study. His book is about smells and smelling in French culture during the Ancien Regime (roughly the 16th, 17th, and part of the 18th centuries). Muchembled covers a range of topics as dizzying as the fumes rising from a communal piss barrelprovided on French streets for passersby to relieve themselves, with the resulting soup of pee saved for use by textile and leather workshops. If youve ever wondered how living without modern technologies of sanitation might have shaped the surrounding culture, this book is for you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sign up for the Slate Culture newsletter The best of movies, TV, books, music, and more, delivered to your inbox three times a week. 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. Smells is full of gross details about the olfactory past, like that piss barrel. I learned about charivari, a folk custom in France in which people mock-serenaded weddings they disapproved of, adding to the proceedings the stench of a donkey carcass being burned. I learned that doctors in this period advised the ingestion of all kinds of weird and awful thingsrat droppings to treat kidney stones, peacock poop for epilepsyand that, to ward off airborne contagion, they prescribed sniffing a ripe latrine in the morning. In one hilarious passage, I learned that in the court of Louis XIII, people would pee anywhere: fireplaces, staircases, corners, wall hangings, or right on the floor where they stood. Advertisement Advertisement Many entertaining primary sources, some excerpted quite generously, show how even the elite came to terms with the stench of humanity, before regular bathing and modern sewer systems removed most of it from our lives. Farting, for example, was the subject of a treatise called The Art of Farting (1751), by a Pierre-Thomas Hurtault, who gave advice on ways of hiding the sound of farts. Muchembled summarizes Hurtaults taxonomy of farts: Household, virgin, fencing master, young ladys with a little taste of off you go again, married women, bourgeois women, country women, shepherdesses scented with wild thyme or marjoram, old women, bakers, clay potters, tailors, tasting of plums, geographers, cuckolds, soft and sudden. Advertisement All of this funny stuff risks becoming more of a collection of curiosities than an act of scholarship, but Muchembleds book is saved from the realm of weird history by its insistence on understanding why people had these relationships to smelland how they changed over time. A chapter about women and their supposedly bad-smelling bodies shows how ideas about smell intertwined with misogyny, even in a time when everybody stank. Muchembled gathers evidence of widespread condemnation of women for smelling off during menstruation, absolutely repulsive during illness, and especially bad in their old agewhich, in this time and place, was any age after a womans early 20s. Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus, in his satirical essay In Praise of Folly (1511), described older women as strolling corpses, stinking carcasses which everywhere exhale a sepulchral odor. Accused witches supposedly smelled like the devil; young flirts, who masked their natural smells with perfume, were likewise subject to condemnation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even in browsing a delightful museum of everyday life like this book, we cant escape reminders of our own time. Epidemics of bubonic plague in the 16th and 17th centuries, Muchembled writes, ushered in a fashion for the use of strong-smelling ambergris, musk, and civet, as vital bulwarks against the Devils breath. Smell was incredibly important to French people trying to stay uninfected; the body was seen as porous and could be permeated by air with plague in it. Doctors advised that they should wear white, burn sweet-smelling fires, and live life in moderation, to keep humors balanced. Advertisement Advertisement Moralizing condemnations of the use of scent, which had been seen as a way for people to misrepresent their own bodily odorsto literally put on airs, in search of pleasurevanished in the face of medical advice to use strong scent to ward off sickness. Glove-makers and perfumers thrived, since every bit of clothing had to be saturated with these concoctions. The plague also changed peoples understanding of personal space. In Arras in 1597, a public rule imposed on plague patients the need to carry a white rod, 2 meters in length, to keep people away. The use of strong scents did the same thing for the not yet infected, creating a sort of isolation bubble around the individual. The poor, unable to afford the fancy oils from the Americas their rich contemporaries used to forge this bubble, made do as they could. Advertisement Advertisement Before the 18th century, when people became more convinced that modernizing sanitation practices would reduce the transmission of disease, smelling bad was just part of the human condition. Once these things changed, the upper classes emerged into a new world emphasizing hygiene and hopefulness (and regular baths); they began to favor perfumes with fruity and floral notes and to disdain older lifeways that accepted the smell of poop and pee and decay. The body was no longer seen as a stinking prison for the soul, Muchembled writes. Cities began to take steps like moving graveyards and slaughterhouses away from residential areas, out to the fringes. Advertisement Advertisement But change came slowly. Some parts of the urban population would just put up with the stench rather than pay the significant cost of the works required by the authorities, the historian writes. Odor pollution was also a matter of history and tradition; some of it came from deeply ingrained habits that were difficult to eradicate. People in particular trades, for example, had dung heaps outside their doors that were signs of wealth, because they showed that the proprietor in question had a prosperous business, and that business required a lot of poop. The transition to a better-smelling public sphere was unevenand its still in progress. (You could still smoke cigarettes on American airplanes until the 1990s.) Advertisement Muchembleds book is a capsule history of smells and smelliness in one time and place, though the author occasionally marshals evidence of the traditions and habits to make a larger argument about human nature. Your mileage may vary as to whether you buy that case. (Take this simplistic, heteronormative interpretation of the role of smell in attraction: And though we are unaware of it, it is our noses that lead us to the man or woman of our dreams, the Romeo or Juliet who will help us perpetuate our genes and thus protect the future of the species.) But these small moments are forgivablelike a courtier peeing on a tapestry in the court of Louis XIII. As diversionary history to read in a pandemic summer goes, this is a good one. A white supremacist terrorist group which supports violent race war is set to be banned in the UK, the Home Secretary has announced. Priti Patel has asked Parliament for permission to ban Feuerkrieg Division, which the Government says was founded in late 2018 and operates across North America and Europe. The move would mean anyone convicted of being a member of, or offering support to, the neo-Nazi group could face up to 10 years in jail. Feuerkrieg Division shared a list of police buildings and an image of a senior police officer with a gun to his head featuring the words 'Race traitor' after a 16-year-old member was held on terror charges in September last year, the Home Office said. The group branded West Midlands Chief Constable Dave Thompson a 'race traitor' and mocked up this photo of him with a gun to his head Dave Thompson, Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, was threatened by the Neo-Nazi group The proscription order laid in Parliament on Monday will be debated and come into force later this week if it is approved. Earlier this year, Sonnenkrieg Division became the second right-wing group to be proscribed in the United Kingdom. At the same time, System Resistance Network was recognised as an alias of the neo-Nazi group National Action, which was the first to be banned in December 2016. Ms Patel said: 'This vile white supremacist group advocates violence and seeks to sow division, targeting young and vulnerable people online. 'I am determined to do everything I can to stop the spread of extreme ideologies that encourage and glorify terrorism, which is why I have taken action to proscribe this group.' It comes as the Home Secretary today unveiled the UK's post-Brexit immigration system insisting the 'brightest and best' will still be welcome. Priti Patel has asked Parliament for permission to ban Feuerkrieg Division. Anyone convicted of being a member of, or offering support to, the neo-Nazi group could face up to 10 years in jail Under the points-based system coming into effect from January 1, EU nationals will receive more equal treatment with people from the rest of the world - although they will not have to provide fingerprints for visas. In a statement to the Commons, Ms Patel said there will also be fast-track visas for health workers coming into the country - but care staff have been left out in a move Labour branded 'disgusting' and evidence ministers had 'learned nothing' from the coronavirus crisis. Boris Johnson said the blueprint showed the UK will have an 'humane and sensible' immigration system despite 'taking back control' after Brexit. Under the plans, ministers will be given powers to exclude or deport foreign criminals who have received prison sentences of more than a year. Officials will also be able to bar persistent offenders such as pickpockets and burglars, even if they have been sentenced to less than a year. The change would mean criminals from the EU are treated the same as currently happens to those from outside the bloc. The state Public Regulation Commission has entered the final weeks of a yearslong effort to replace the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station with alternative sources of energy, but the body still faces complex issues in choosing the right mix of replacement resources. PRC hearing examiners Anthony Medeiros and Ashley Schannauer released a nearly 200-page recommendation in late June that offers different options for the five-member commission to choose from. The examiners did recommend a preferred energy portfolio that would completely replace San Juan with solar energy and back-up battery storage. But they laid out a series of fundamental considerations the commission must ponder to comply with the states new Energy Transition Act, which requires that Public Service Co. of New Mexico derive 80% of its electricity from renewable resources by 2040 and 100% carbon-free generation by 2045. That includes consideration of the impact on the Four Corners community, which has relied on the massive coal plant as an economic mainstay for half a century, as well as the environmental benefits of different alternative resources, the reliability of the electric generation that ultimately replaces San Juan, and the costs to ratepayers across New Mexico. How the commissioners choose to balance those interests and concerns will dictate the type of new generating resources they select, where new power plants will be located, and what costs PNM consumers will bear after the utility abandons San Juan in 2022. The hearing examiners whose role in most cases is to research, analyze and recommend decisions for the commission took a hands-off approach to those policy considerations, said Steve Michel, deputy director of Western Resource Advocates Clean Energy Program. Thats unusual, and something we havent seen before, Michel told the Journal. Theres a lot of moving parts the commission must consider with potentially a lot of different outcomes. But whatever the outcome, the commissions decision will help set New Mexico on a new energy path going forward, said Pat OConnell, senior policy analyst for WRAs Clean Energy Program. Coal plants are shutting down all over because of their poor economics, the enormous environmental benefits of replacing them and the declining costs of renewables and battery storage systems, OConnell said. In the end, well get a better system in the future than we have today. Two approaches The examiners outlined two alternative approaches to choosing replacement resources for commissioners, based on policy goals outlined in the Energy Transition Act, and on traditional factors the PRC weighs when approving new generating systems for public utilities. The first approach is based on the ETA, which sets certain priorities the state wants commissioners to consider. That includes putting some replacement generation in San Juan County to help offset lost taxes from the coal plant that local government and the regions Central Consolidated School District rely on, plus hundreds of lost jobs at San Juan and its nearby coal mine. Minimizing environmental impacts from new generation is also a central priority to move toward clean energy, along with assessing the reliability of new generating systems. Costs, however, are of secondary concern in the hearing examiners first approach. The ETA says costs must be reasonable, but the examiners say that can be outweighed by the Acts emphasis on location, environmental impacts, and reliability. In contrast, the second approach emphasizes the priorities the commission traditionally relies on to approve new resources, with costs and reliability elevated as top concerns, and location and environmental impacts of secondary concern. Which approach the PRC chooses is up to commissioners, the examiners said. The balancing and ultimate selection of a portfolio of replacement resources involves policy considerations that are the province of the commission, the examiners wrote. The hearing examiners do not aim or intend to make that decision for them. Still, the examiners did recommend a preferred mix of resources for each of the two approaches to guide commissioners. The examiners top recommendation is for an all-solar replacement portfolio with back-up battery storage if the commission opts for the first approach of emphasizing location in San Juan County and environmental benefits. That portfolio, proposed by the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, includes 650 megawatts of new solar plants, 300 MW of battery storage, and 24 MW of demand response programming, through which PNM enrolls customers in a plan to shut air conditioning off for short periods during peak summer months to save electricity. CCAEs portfolio would locate about 45%, or 430 MW, of the total 950 MW of new generation within the Consolidated School District, representing a $447 million investment there that could replace a significant amount of lost taxes from San Juan, the examiners said. The other 520 MW of new generation, totaling at least $430 million more in capital investment, would be located nearby in neighboring McKinley and Rio Arriba counties. Although none of the projects would employ many permanent workers, they would create about 700 to 1,000 construction jobs. If the commission opts for the second policy approach emphasizing cost and reliability over location and environment, the examiners propose a mix of solar generation, batteries and natural gas as the least-costly energy portfolio discussed by the 26 parties that intervened in the replacement-power case, which included a week of hearings in January. That option, proposed by the Sierra Club, calls for a 200 MW natural gas plant to be built in the Consolidated School District, representing a $156 million investment there. It also includes 520 MW of solar generation and batteries in McKinley and Rio Arriba counties, and another 40 MW stand-alone battery system in Bernalillo County. Wildcard possible Commissioners must make a final decision by Oct. 1. They could opt for any of the replacement power portfolios analyzed by the examiners, or select a completely different mix of resources based on various other proposals discussed in the hearings. That includes an original proposal by PNM as its preferred portfolio, which called for construction of a 280 MW natural gas plant and a small, 20 MW solar facility in the Consolidated School District, representing a $189 million investment there. It also called for 420 MW of solar generation and batteries in McKinley and Rio Arriba counties, plus an additional 70 MW of battery storage in Bernalillo County. The examiners said CCAEs all-renewable proposal is the preferred, No. 1 choice for meeting most of the ETA priorities of location and environment while still accounting for reliability and reasonable cost. But PNM says the CCAE portfolio could cost ratepayers much more than CCAE has estimated, and that its heavy reliance on battery storage with no new natural gas generation for back-up power could seriously jeopardize grid reliability. It overlooks the critical reliability considerations that PNM must meet to provide 24/7 power that our customers expect, PNM Vice President of Generation Tom Fallgren told the Journal. Reliable electricity is vital to our daily lives and the economy. Reliability central Reliability was a central part of the hearings, and of the examiners recommended decision, since battery storage will be integrated onto PNMs grid for the first time when replacing San Juan. PNM says appropriate reliability standards call for limiting the occurrence of load shed or lack of available power to meet peak demand to one incident every five years, at best. But with 300 MW of battery storage and no new gas back up, CCAEs proposal raises the potential frequency to 3 occurrences every five years, or 300% more than PNMs portfolio proposal. This means if the CCAE proposal is adopted, when temperatures reach over 100 degrees in a not too distant summer and energy usage is at its highest, customers are three times more likely to experience a power outage, Fallgren said. Back up power is critical as the grid becomes more renewable dependent, given the intermittency of solar and wind generation. Without more consistently-available base load power offered by natural gas as an alternative to coal plus the learning curve associated with integrating batteries into the system for the first time PNM could be forced to buy more expensive power on the wholesale market. And that, in turn, will drive up costs for CCAEs portfolio, Fallgren said. CCAE has estimated its proposed portfolio would cost an extra $77 million over 20 years compared with PNMs power replacement portfolio, amounting to about 56 cents more per month for an average residential customer. But PNM says CCAE is greatly underestimating costs through unrealistic assumptions about reliability and renewable integration on the grid. Using a realistic and consistent set of assumptions, the CCAE proposal would cost $242 million more than the PNM recommended replacement plan, Fallgren said. A phased-in approach is needed to transition to a fully carbon-free grid, using natural gas as a temporary bridge and steadily integrating renewables and battery storage over time, Fallgren added. Natural gas opposition In contrast, CCAE and other environmental groups praised the examiners preference for an all-renewable portfolio. Under CCAEs proposal, PNMs grid will reach 40% renewable generation after the utility abandons San Juan in 2022, compared with 34% under PNMs portfolio, said CCAE attorney Stephanie Dzur. That means PNM would reach the ETA goal of 40% renewables by 2025 more than two years ahead of time, avoiding the need to add more clean energy at that point and saving consumers money. In addition, it avoids adding more carbon-emitting gas to the system, which reduces the risk of costly stranded assets in the future when PNM must close its gas plants to reach carbon-free generation. And the hearing examiners backed CCAEs reliability assumptions as reasonable, Dzur added. We believe (PNM) is crying wolf, Dzur said. In our view, PNMs plan is the risky one with its continued reliance on natural gas. The Sierra Club said the hearing examiners recommendations show the ETA transition to a clean economy is working. The recommendations show that PNMs gas-heavy alternative is not necessary, said Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter Director Camilla Fiebelman. Were urging the commission to adopt CCAEs proposal. In fact, the Sierra Club only offered its alternative proposal of 200 MW of natural gas mixed with solar generation and batteries which the examiners cited as a possibility for commissioners if they seek lower-cost options to show that less new gas would be needed than the 280 MW plant PNM proposed in its portfolio, Fiebelman said. Sierra Club actually proposed two other portfolios in hearings that entirely eliminate new gas. It was an exercise to show that PNM doesnt need anywhere near the gas its proposing, Fiebelman said. It was just an exercise, and certainly not our preferred alternative. Menlo Church launches new probe after dismissed children's volunteer revealed as pastor's son Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Elders at Menlo Church in Menlo Park, California, have launched a supplemental independent investigation into concerns raised about the circumstances under which a volunteer, revealed as the pastors son, was allowed to work with children despite confessing to having an attraction to minors. While many of you know that the Board took immediate action upon learning of these concerns, we understand our initial investigation could have gone further and included specific expertise in child safety and sex abuse issues, and it could have been informed by conversations with a wider group of people, the elders said in a statement to the 4,000-member congregation on Saturday. Based on the feedback weve received, we are initiating a supplemental independent investigation into concerns raised about the volunteer. Pastor John Ortberg was asked to go on personal leave from the church on Nov. 22, 2019, while an investigation of concerns raised by a third party about a then unidentified church volunteer was conducted. Earlier this month, Daniel Lavery, a trans-identified woman who is Ortberg's estranged daughter, revealed in an extensive thread on Twitter that the volunteer is her brother John Ortberg III. The volunteer was my brother, John Ortberg III. When we last spoke, he admitted to seeking out unsupervised contact with children (including overnight travel) for well over a decade, Lavery wrote. I believe his unique relationship to my father, John Ortberg Jr., is the sole reason why John Jr. went out of his way to protect his secret and facilitate his continued contact with children. In January, without revealing Pastor Ortbergs relationship to the volunteer, the elders said their leader exhibited poor judgment but no harm had come to any minor in the Menlo Church community based on the findings of an investigation. Beth Seabolt, chair of the congregations elder board said Pastor Ortberg failed to take the required steps to prevent the person from volunteering with minors at the Menlo Park campus and did not consult anyone else at Menlo Church about the situation. She noted that as soon as the church was made aware of the concern about the volunteer, they informed the church and brought in an independent investigator but did not find any misconduct in the Menlo Church community. The elders reiterated this earlier this month. Pastor Ortberg, who returned to the pulpit in March, apologized for his "shortcomings" in a letter to the church on July 6. "When my son first spoke to me, I should have immediately asked our church Elders for counsel and I should have exerted my full influence to ensure that he did not volunteer again at any event with kids and youth," Ortberg wrote. "I am deeply sorry about my poor judgement and acknowledge that I betrayed my sacred trust as Senior Pastor. I have sought forgiveness from God, from our church Elders, our staff, and from our congregation." With the latest discussions surrounding the revelation about Ortbergs relationship to the volunteer, the church elders who chose not to name the volunteer acknowledged that they needed to have been more transparent, and explained that they were conducting the supplemental investigation to bridge that breach. After carefully listening to our community these last several days about the investigation into a former church volunteer, we want to first acknowledge the Boards ownership in what we have done to contribute to the pain and distrust many of you are feeling right now. Fundamentally, we did not provide the transparency that our community deserves and as a result have eroded the trust some of you place in our leadership, the elders said. A new committee, comprised of representatives from elders, staff, parents and volunteers, will also be created by the elder board to provide transparent oversight of the new investigation and ensure all impacted perspectives are represented, the church leaders said. We also have directed staff to conduct a full audit of policies, practices and training related to child and youth safety, to be led by an independent outside organization with expertise in this area and are committed to conducting regular audits on an ongoing basis. Our staff and volunteers run incredible ministries for children and youth. Our community deserves to have full confidence in their work and that the systems safeguarding our children and volunteers are best-in-class. EIB 70 million of financing to support economic resilience of Jordan Team Europe response to tackle the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic Funds to support SMEs and mid-caps in Jordan The European Investment Bank (EIB) is supporting the Jordanian economy with a 70 million line of credit to Capital Bank of Jordan to be on-lent primarily to local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have been severely affected by the economic consequences of the coronavirus outbreak. SMEs are the backbone of the Jordanian economy as they account for over 95% of local businesses, contribute to more than 50% of GDP, and employ about 60% of the working population. As a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak, many companies have experienced a decrease in turnover and profitability, leading to payment delays and an increased demand for liquidity. It is now crucial to step up support to private sector businesses, thus helping to protect jobs and keep the economy going. The EIB financing comes under the Economic Resilience Initiative (ERI), a joint EIB and EU programme aiming to support the countries in the Mediterranean region that have been most impacted by the refugee crisis. This is the EU banks first operation in response to the COVID-19 impact in Jordan, and is part of its 6.77 billion support package in countries outside the EU in the context of Team Europes response to help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Since its inception in 1995, Capital Bank of Jordan has become one of the leading financial institutions, offering a comprehensive set of added-value commercial and investment banking services tailored to the needs of individuals and institutional clients in Jordan and the region. Capital Bank offers a broad set of financial products for its Corporate and SME clients, capitalising on its established expertise in the Jordanian market, as well as its regional presence. Flavia Palanza, Director of the EU Neighbourhood Department at the EIB, said It is one of the EIBs top priorities to support the resilience of the private sector during this unprecedented crisis with the provision of funding through our cooperation with the Jordanian banking sector. Our partnership with Capital Bank of Jordan aims to make available vital financing for SMEs and mid-caps to help them cope with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the Team Europe response, we are committed to stepping up our support for Jordan to address the immediate challenges caused by the pandemic, as well as laying the foundations for a successful economic recovery after the crisis. European Union Ambassador to Jordan, H.E. Maria Hadjitheodosiou, commended on the timely and crucial financing provided by the EIB to Capital Bank of Jordan, which will enable SMEs struggling to cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus to continue operating, and assist them in preserving and creating new jobs. The Ambassador underlined that this Team Europe package, which is part of the European Unions COVID-19 response, complements the Jordanian governments response to support entrepreneurship and job creation. Chairman of Capital Bank, H.E. Bassem Khalil Al-Salem, said: We are proud to be the first bank in Jordan to cooperate with the EIB in its current response to the COVID-19 emergency. This strategic alliance will serve to support small and medium-sized Jordanian enterprises and stands as a testament to the trust that the EIB has in Capital Bank as a reputable and reliable partner capable of supporting this vital sector of the economy. Through our cooperation with the EIB, Capital Bank will be able to offer support to new and existing clients to grow and prosper. Al-Salem added: SMEs are the backbone of our national economys development and growth and have been affected by the current COVID-19 crisis. This cooperation with the EIB will be a strong tool to help support this essential sector in our economy. Both Capital Bank and the EIB have a strong track record in supporting SMEs. With this strategic partnership, we will dedicate our efforts to creating new employment opportunities, increasing competitiveness and stimulating growth in order to promote a more dynamic Jordanian economy. Jordan and the EIB EIB in the region Economic Resilience Initiative Vatican City: Pope Francis said on Sunday he was hurt by Turkeys decision to make Istanbuls Hagia Sophia museum a mosque, the latest religious leader to condemn the move. My thoughts go to Istanbul. I think of Santa Sophia and I am very pained, he said during his weekly blessing in St. Peters Square. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said the first prayers would be held in Hagia Sophia on July 24, after declaring the ancient monument was once again a mosque following a court ruling revoking its status as a museum. The World Council of Churches has called on Erdogan to reverse his decision and Patriarch Bartholomew, the Istanbul-based spiritual leader of the worlds Orthodox Christians, called it disappointing. Erdogan said the nearly 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia, which was once a Christian cathedral, would remain open to Muslims, Christians and foreigners. He added that Turkey had exercised its sovereign right in converting it to a mosque and would interpret criticism of the move as an attack on its independence. Greece has condemned the move and UNESCO said its World Heritage Committee would review Hagia Sophias status and that Turkeys decision raised questions about the impact on its universal value as a site of importance transcending borders and generations. By PTI HAILAKANDI: A 37-year-old woman, who was in institutional quarantine in South Assam's Hailakandi district with family on return from Bengaluru, allegedly hanged herself at the centre, police said on Monday. The woman was found hanging from the window of the bathroom of the Lower Primary School quarantine centre on Sunday. The woman, her husband and their eight-year-old son had arrived here from Bengaluru by flight on June 28. On reaching the inbound passenger facilitation centre at Dholeswari, their swab samples were collected and all of them were put under quarantine at a school in Nichintapur under the Lala police station limits. Their swab samples were sent to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital and the husband tested negative. But, the woman's and the son's swab could not be examined because of "deficiency in quantity", Joint Director, Health Services, Dr A Barman said. He said the swab samples collected might have been "displaced" on way to Guwahati, over 400 km away from Hailakandi. Her husband claimed that she was disturbed after coming to know about the "displacement" of the swab. On being informed about the incident, health personnel accompanied by magistrate and police rushed to the school and conducted a rapid antigen test after collecting the swab of the deceased woman. Barman said though the swab result of the deceased woman tested negative, the swab has been sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for RT-PCR test. The body was sent to S K Roy Civil Hospital and has been kept at the morgue. Further investigations into the incident are being conducted, the police added. If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call AASRA's 24x7 Helpline: +91-9820466726 for assistance. Silchar : /Agartala, July 14 (IANS) A 32-year-old woman, who was in institutional quarantine in Southern Assam's Hailakandi district along with her family on return from Bengaluru, reportedly committed suicide by hanging herself, police said on Monday. The husband of the deceased woman suspects that delay in the sample's report might have caused the suicide. A police official said that the woman was found hanging on Sunday night from the window of the washroom of a government school, which was earlier turned into a quarantine centre. The woman, her husband and their eight-year-old son had returned to Hailakandi from Bengaluru by flight on June 28. Police quoting the health officials said that after their return, swab samples were collected and sent to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital and all of them were put under quarantine. Though the husband and son were tested negative but the test report of the woman was awaited due to the technical reasons. The health officials subsequently (after the suicide) conducted a rapid antigen test of the samples of the deceased woman and the result came negative. For more confirmation, the swab sample of the woman has been sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for RT-PCR test. In Agartala, a 50-year-old woman had committed suicide last month inside the Government runs Govind Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital in Agartala. Test report of the woman's swab sample was available after her suicide. The research report on Asia-Pacific COVID-19 detection kits market offers a detailed examination of the current business scenario. It elaborates prevailing trends and major drivers that will influence the market growth over 2020-2026. Selbyville, Delaware, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Asia-Pacific COVID-19 detection kits market is poised to record a remuneration of USD 1.8 billion by the year 2026. Increasing count of positive cases, with China being worst hit and India following closely, owing to substantially high population density are impelling the demand for COVID-19 detection kits. Many APAC countries are taking desperate measures to increase their screening and testing capacity. Favorable government initiatives are encouraging detection kits manufacturing companies to spike-up their production capacity, which is likely to enhance the market outlook. Outbreak of COVID-19 has led to increasing R&D activities for innovative testing solutions. Increasing geriatric population and surging pervasiveness of chronic diseases are slated to boost the growth of therapeutic and diagnostic centers. Numerous South Korean companies have developed effective testing solutions which provide results almost within an hour. Burgeoning demand for rapid and precise detection kits from various countries is slated to propel the growth of Asia-Pacific COVID-19 detection kits market. As per the report, Asia-Pacific COVID-19 detection kits market is bifurcated in terms of specimen type, product terrain, end-use scope, and regional landscape. Request Sample copy of this Report @ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/2759502/ Elaborating specimen scope Speaking of the specimen type, the market is segmented into nasal swab, nasopharyngeal swab, oropharyngeal swab, and others. Among these, nasal swab segment is anticipated to grow with a CAGR of 21% through 2026, due to less specificity and yield of this sample type as compared to its counterparts. Story continues Unveiling product spectrum: Based on product spectrum, Asia Pacific COVID-19 detection kits market is fragmented into RT-PCR assay kits and immunoassay test cassettes/strips. The latter segment generated nearly USD 22 million in the year 2020 but is poised to record slow growth over the forecast period, owing to its inaccuracy as compared to RT-PCR assay kits. Additionally, necessity of confirmatory molecular testing to cross confirm the immunoassay test strips or cassettes result which may further hamper the product popularity. Summarizing end-use landscape: Based on end-use scope, the market is divided into diagnostic centers, hospitals, and others. The hospitals segment share is poised to grow at 17.5% CAGR during 2020-2026, owing to the fact that most patients contact hospitals to diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. Hospitals are well equipped with advanced testing devices and boast the presence of skilled medical professionals to treat the patients. To access a sample copy or view this report in detail along with the table of contents, please click the link below: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/asia-pacific-covid-19-detection-kits-market-statistics Scrutinizing regional scenario: Based on regional landscape, China COVID-19 detection kits market is poised to register a CAGR of 25% over the forecast duration, due to burgeoning cases of COVID-19 infection and increasing need for critical care and diagnosis. Asia-Pacific COVID-19 Detection Kits Market Specimen Analysis (Revenue, USD Million, 2020-2026) Oropharyngeal swab Nasal swab Nasopharyngeal swab Others Asia-Pacific COVID-19 Detection Kits Market Product Analysis (Revenue, USD Million, 2020-2026) Immunoassay test cassettes or strips RT-PCR assay kits Asia-Pacific COVID-19 Detection Kits Market End-Use Analysis (Revenue, USD Million, 2020-2026) Diagnostic centers Hospitals Others Asia-Pacific COVID-19 Detection Kits Market Regional Analysis (Revenue, USD Million, 2020-2026) China Australia Malaysia South Korea Indonesia New Zealand Philippines Singapore Thailand Japan India Asia-Pacific COVID-19 Detection Kits Market Competitive Landscape Analysis (Revenue, USD Million, 2020-2026) Abbott Laboratories Seegene BioFire Diagnostics BGI Cepheid Inc. F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech Mylab Discovery Solutions Qiagen Co-Diagnostics, Inc. SD BioSensor Inc. Thermo Fisher Scientific Shenzhen Bioeasy Biotechnology Co. Ltd. Table of Content: Chapter 1. Methodology 1.1. Definition and forecast parameters 1.1.1. Definitions 1.1.2. Methodology and forecast parameters 1.2. Data sources 1.3. References & sources 1.3.1. Secondary 1.3.2. Primary Chapter 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Asia Pacific COVID-19 detection kits industry 360A? synopsis, 2020 - 2026 2.1.1. Business trends 2.1.2. Product trends 2.1.3. Specimen type trends 2.1.4. End-use trends 2.1.5. Regional trends Chapter 3. Industry Insights 3.1. Industry segmentation 3.2. Industry outlook, 2020 - 2026 3.3. Major factor analysis 3.4. Asia Pacific regulatory landscape 3.5. Portera??s analysis 3.6. Competitive review, 2020 3.7. PEST analysis Chapter 4. Asia Pacific COVID-19 Detection Kits Market Forecast, By Product 4.1. Key trends in Asia Pacific COVID-19 detection kits, by product 4.2. RT-PCR assay kits 4.2.1. Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2020 a?? 2026 (USD Million) 4.2.2. Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2020 a?? 2026 (Units) 4.3. Immunoassay test strips/cassettes 4.3.1. Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2020 a?? 2026 (USD Million) 4.3.2. Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2020 a?? 2026 (Units) Chapter 5. Asia Pacific COVID-19 Detection Kits Market Value, By Specimen Type 5.1. Key trends in Asia Pacific COVID-19 detection kits, by specimen type 5.2. Nasopharyngeal swab 5.2.1. Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2020 a?? 2026 (USD Million) 5.3. Oropharyngeal swab 5.3.1. Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2020 a?? 2026 (USD Million) 5.4. Nasal swab 5.4.1. Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2020 a?? 2026 (USD Million) 5.5. Others 5.5.1. Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2020 a?? 2026 (USD Million) Chapter 6. Asia Pacific COVID-19 Detection Kits Market Size, By End-use 6.1. Key trends in Asia Pacific COVID-19 detection kits, by end-use 6.2. Hospitals 6.2.1. Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2020 a?? 2026 (USD Million) 6.3. Diagnostic centers 6.3.1. Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2020 a?? 2026 (USD Million) 6.4. Others 6.4.1. Market estimates and forecast, by country, 2020 a?? 2026 (USD Million) Chapter 7. Asia Pacific COVID-19 Detection Kits Market Share, By Country Related Report: North America COVID-19 Detection Kits Market Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Application Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2020 2026 North America COVID-19 Detection Kits Market value is set to exceed USD 1.7 billion by 2026, as per new research report. The rising number of coronavirus positive cases will serve to a key impact rendering factor for North America COVID-19 detection kits market growth over the forecast period. After China and Italy, U.S. rapidly climbed the ladder to become the epicenter of global COVID-19 pandemic, with the highest number of COVID-19 positive cases. With the rapidly spreading COVID-19 disease throughout the continent, the demand for COVID-19 detection kits is expected to witness robust growth over the forecast timeframe. North America region is expected to witness a rapid expansion of the geriatric population segment over the forecast period. As the geriatric population base expands, the demand for accurate and early diagnosis of COVID-19 infection will rise to render a significant positive impact on industry growth. However, low accuracy of immunoassay-based detection kits will impede the North America COVID-19 detection kits market growth to some extent over the forecast timeframe. About US: Market Study Report, LLC. is a hub for market intelligence products and services. We streamline the purchase of your market research reports and services through a single integrated platform by bringing all the major publishers and their services at one place. Our customers partner with Market Study Report, LLC. to ease their search and evaluation of market intelligence products and services and in turn focus on their company's core activities. If you are looking for research reports on global or regional markets, competitive information, emerging markets and trends or just looking to stay on top of the curve then Market Study Report, LLC. is the platform that can help you in achieving any of these objectives. Contact Us: Corporate Sales, Market Study Report LLC Phone: 1-302-273-0910 Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150 Email: sales@marketstudyreport.com Ivanka Trump turned her protective face mask into a fashion statement on Monday when she was pictured leaving her Washington, D.C. home in a chic silk ensemble that perfectly matched the blue of her disposable face covering. The 38-year-old First Daughter looked ready for a busy work day as she strolled out of the home that she shares with husband Jared Kushner, 39, and their three children, carrying two white binders under one arm as well as a large black leather handbag. It is the first time that Ivanka has stepped out publicly since heading off for a July 4th getaway with her family, during which she shared multiple images of herself and her family enjoying outdoor activities like horseback riding and hiking. Taking precautions: Ivanka Trump was pictured leaving her Washington, D.C. home on Monday morning wearing a disposable blue face mask that matched her outfit perfectly Chic: The 38-year-old wore a blue silk ensemble from Equipment, coordinating the look to her protective gear - but the $306 shirt and $383 skirt were much more expensive than the mask But on Monday it was back to business as usual for Ivanka, whose ensemble was a world away from the laidback outfits she modeled during the family's vacation. Instead of jeans and flannel shirts, Ivanka donned a blue $689 silk outfit from Equipment - a coordinating shirt and skirt that perfectly matched the blue of her disposable face mask. The First Daughter then paired the look with some cream pointed-toe heels that featured a slim black strap around the ankle. She completed her outfit with a funky pear of pearl earrings that dangled beneath the straps of her surgical-style mask. Underneath the mask, Ivanka appeared to go almost entirely bare-faced, leaving her complexion free from makeup, while her blonde hair was pulled back in a half-up style, then left straight to hang back behind her shoulders. This is not the first time that Ivanka has donned a coordinating mask-and-outfit look, having showcased her style skills on multiple occasions by matching her protective facewear to whatever outfit she is wearing. Ivanka has actually come under serious criticism from her father's most outspoken supporters because of her decision to not only wear face masks, but to encourage others to don the protective gear too. On July 1, she posted a photo on Instagram showing herself wearing a light blue face mask as she posed outside with Republican Leader of the House Kevin McCarthy and Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman from Arkansas. Busy? Ivanka looked like she meant business as she left her home, carrying a large black leather handbag and two white binders Accessories: The First Daughter added some funky pearl earrings to the look Fashion star: Ivanka regularly matches her face mask to her outfit, having done so several times in the past, however she usually opts for a reusable mask instead of a disposable one But while Ivanka's caption encouraged others to follow suit and wear their own masks in public, her father's supporters are not convinced and are chastising the first daughter, telling her to remove the mask. The photo showed Ivanka and the two representatives outside. Rep. Westerman wore a suit and surgical mask, Rep. McCarthy had a gray cloth mask, and Ivanka was modeling a pretty blue watercolor mask. The caption which Ivanka copied from Rep. McCarthy read, 'Wear a mask. Plant a tree,' and included both a tree and a face mask emoji. However the post sparked fury from some of her followers, many of whom chastised the First Daughter for wearing a face mask. 'Please do not wear a mask thats not what we were created to do,' wrote one, while another told her to 'take the mask off.' 'I love POTUS but this mask bs needs to stop,' said another, while others called her 'silly' and 'stupid' and posted sheep emojis. More comments have poured in, with countless Trump supporters telling her to lose the mask. 'Why are you reppin the mask? Take that off.......' wrote one commenter Timing: On Tuesday, protesters gathered outside Ivanka and Jared Kushner's home in to denounce the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip Good influence? Ivanka's father, President Donald Trump, wore a face mask in public for the first time over the weekend 'Mask are bs if you where a mask why social distance all bs political bs,' wrote another. However, it seems as though Ivanka's fondness for face masks may well be rubbing off on her father, President Donald Trump, who was pictured wearing a mask in public for the first time over the weekend when he visited the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on Saturday. The President has repeatedly shrugged off suggestions of wearing a mask, saying that it causes people to touch their face too much and so is not helpful. Health experts agree that face masks are useful at stopping the spread of COVID-19. People close to him have told The Associated Press that the President feared that wearing a mask would make him look weak and was concerned that it shifted focus to the public health crisis rather than the economic recovery. As he left the White House on Saturday afternoon he told reporters: 'When you're in a hospital, especially, I think it's expected to wear a mask.' Trump told Fox News on Thursday that he would wear a face mask during the trip. Ivanka's outing on Monday morning comes less than a week after protestors gathered outside her home in D.C. to decry the Israeli occupation of the West Bank - not realizing that the First Daughter and her family were not actually in the property at the time. Getaway: Last weekend, Ivanka enjoyed a fun July 4th vacation with her husband Jared, 39, and their three children Scenic: Although Ivanka did not specify the location of the getaway, she happily shared plenty of images from the fun-filled trip Yeehaw! The family spent time enjoying different outdoor activities, including horseback riding, fishing and picnicking President Trump's son-in-law and senior aide Jared, who is Jewish, has been leading talks with Israel and debating whether to support Israel's move to annex the disputed territory. The Trump administration remains undecided on Israeli annexation. Demonstrators with IfNotNow, a progressive American Jewish group that opposes Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, wore masks as they rallied outside the couple's lavish home Kalorama on Tuesday afternoon. 'This morning we are going to his house to wake him up. Were protesting the governments plan to annex the West Bank,' a protester said in video of the event. However, Ivanka, Jared, and their children Arabella, eight, Joseph, six, and Theodore, four, were not home. The family had not yet returned from their July 4th getaway - which took place in an unknown location inside the US, perhaps the same Wyoming ranch that they have previously visited in the past. During their trip, Ivanka, Jared and their children enjoyed all kinds of outdoor activities, including horseback riding, fishing, and hiking. She wished her 6.4 million Instagram followers a 'Happy 4th July!' in the caption of a sweet image of her family standing together on a porch with a backdrop of rolling hills behind them. Ever wondered how Taiwan, despite its geographical proximity to China, managed to keep the COVID-19 at bay? Well, Taiwans former vice president, Chen Chien-jen, has some answers. Then Vice President Chen Chien-jen speaks to the media at the Presidential Office Building on May 14, thanking the Taiwanese people for contributing to the success in the battle against the COVID-19, a few days before he left office. CNA photo May 14, 2020 I think there were three important factors that contributed to this: a prudent attitude in dealing with COVID-19, prompt actions in responding to different situations, and forward planning before a crisis, Chen said in a webcast program produced by the Talent Circulation Alliance and the American Institute in Taiwan June 24. One example of these was Taiwans learning of the situation in Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first detected in late 2019, from a bulletin board system in Taiwan and immediately screening passengers arriving from that city, Chen said. Chen, an epidemiologist, said Taiwan also began taking measures to prevent hospital infections, enhanced contact tracing, and quarantined people who had close contact with confirmed cases. In addition, the activation of the Central Epidemic Command Center to coordinate government response, the requisition of face masks, and the pre-positioning of medical supplies all contributed to Taiwans success against COVID-19, Chen said. Taiwan was able to increase its daily production capacity of surgical masks from 1.88 million to 20 million in just over a month. The governments detailed explanation of its coronavirus prevention measures gave the public confidence in its ability to handle the situation, resulting in people abiding by government instructions, including washing hands frequently, wearing face masks, and following home quarantine rules, he said. Chen, who served as Taiwan's health minister during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, also stressed the importance of talent circulation in epidemic prevention cooperation. No country can combat any emerging communicable disease alone, Chen said. During SARS, for example, Chen said Taiwan did not receive help from the WHO because of its ongoing exclusion from the U.N. special agency. Fortunately, with the assistance of 20 specialists sent by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Taiwan was able to weather the health crisis, he said. Meanwhile, the U.S. specialists brought back what they had learned from Taiwan and contributed to the setting of standard procedures in America in dealing with SARS, Chen said, The world can be a better place if people cooperate with each other, circulate talent, and share technologies. A large majority of American companies in Hong Kong said they were concerned about the new national security law passed by China last month, according to a poll but over 64% said their companies have no plans to leave the city. The survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong between July 6 and July 9 polled 183 respondents, which represent 15% of its membership, on China's new national security law and what it means for businesses. Beijing says new law is aimed at prohibiting secession, subversion of state power, terrorism activities and foreign interference. But critics say it undermines the autonomy promised to Hong Kong for 50 years after it was handed over to China from the U.K. in 1997. Survey results showed that of the 76% who expressed concern about the new security law, about 41% were "extremely concerned," while 36.6% was "somewhat concerned." Over half of the respondents said they felt "less safe" living and working in the city, while 26% said they felt safer, according to the Amcham survey. Despite that, 48% said they personally had no plans to leave. CNBC reached out to the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council for comment and did not immediately hear back. Thousands of beds for coronavirus patients lie empty, even as cases rise in the country. Thousands of beds for coronavirus patients in Bangladesh are lying empty despite the country struggling with a rising caseload as people are too scared to enter hospitals, officials and sufferers say. Some patients have bluntly told health workers they would rather die at home than die in a hospital, an official for a medical charity told AFP news agency. Bangladesh has registered about 183,795 COVID-19 infections, and some 3,000 new cases are being added each day, while the death toll stood at 2,352 on Monday. But medical experts say the real figures are likely much higher because so little testing has been carried out. In the capital Dhaka, about 4,750 of 6,305 beds set aside for coronavirus patients are not being used, the governments health department acknowledged. Bangladesh has registered about 183,795 COVID-19 infections, and some 3,000 new cases are being added each day, while the death toll stood at 2,352 on Monday [Munir uz Zaman/AFP] There are only about 100 patients in a new 2,000-bed field hospital especially built to fight the pandemic. Authorities in the second city of Chittagong, which has emerged as a virus hotspot, say only half of its dedicated hospital beds are currently filled. The two cities have a combined population of 25 million and account for approximately 80 percent of Bangladeshs 87,000 active cases. The health department said the beds were not being used because many infected people were being treated at home. Hospital phobia Most of the patients have mild symptoms. Adequate telemedicine services are available. That may be the reason for empty beds in hospitals, health department deputy head Nasima Sultana told AFP news agency. The number of beds had been boosted in anticipation of extra cases, she added. But health experts and those infected with the virus say people are worried about the level of care they would receive in a public hospital. A survey of more than 80,000 people carried out with UN backing found 44 percent of Bangladeshis were too scared to even call the government COVID-19 helpline [Munir uz Zaman/AFP] They told us they would rather die at home than die in a hospital, a senior official for the Al Manahil charity in Chittagong, which provides ambulance and burial services, told AFP. A survey of more than 80,000 people carried out with United Nations backing found 44 percent of Bangladeshis were too scared to even call the governments COVID-19 helpline. Many feared being taken to hospital if they tested positive. Bangladeshs public hospitals are not patient-friendly, according to Rashid e Mahbub, head of the Bangladesh Health Rights Movement. A negative perception has been created, and that is prompting many patients to stay at home. Few people can afford the expensive private hospitals. Only people with serious respiratory problems go to public facilities, said the activist. A significant number of COVID-19 patients are dying at home. A woman who was among eight members of her family to contract the virus said all of them had stayed home. Even when her mothers breathing fell to danger levels, the family did not send her to a hospital and instead rented oxygen cylinders, the woman told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the nature of her job. We heard the doctors and nurses dont come near patients for fear of being infected, she said. Bangladesh hospitals had a poor reputation even before the pandemic, with more than 500,000 people travelling to India last year for treatment, according to official figures. Thousands of wealthier Bangladeshis go to Thailand or Singapore for check-ups, but with the pandemic hitting international travel, they have been unable to leave the country. 'Election expenses run into several crores. And that is where people like Dubey come in handy to finance elections, indulge in booth capturing and to do the dirty job of politicians.' IMAGE: The overturned Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force vehicle. The UPSTF claims that gangster Vikas Dubey, who was being taken to Kanpur from Ujjain where he was arrested on July 9, escaped when the vehicle overturned early on July 10, but was shot by the police in a field nearby. Photograph: ANI/Twitter "It (the action undertaken against the Vikas Dubey gang) will send a strong message for sure, but if somebody feels that this will be the end of goonda raj in UP, I think he will be living in a fool's paradise." Former Uttar Pradesh director general of police, Dr Vikram Singh, speaks to Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore in the concluding part of a two-part interview. How did Vikas Dubey become such a dreaded criminal? Vikas Dubey became a political necessity for anybody in power, because of the role crime, caste politics and the money required play in winning an election. Election expenses run into several crores. And that is where people like Dubey come in handy to finance elections, indulge in booth capturing and to do the dirty job of politicians. Therefore, Dubey became indispensable to almost all the political parties in Uttar Pradesh. Do you have reason to believe that the UP police will now root out the criminal mafia in the state? The process has already started. After what has happened in the last seven days (after Dubey and his men killed eight policemen, the UP police gunned down some of his associates in encounters). I can sense a shifting of gears. They are going full steam against the mafia and the underworld. Image: Police personnel at the encounter site near Kanpur. Photograph: PTI Photo Will the state government also uproot the criminal-policemen-bureaucrat-politician nexus? When I say the mafia, I refer to all those elements from different sections of our society who are complicit. And that includes IPS officers, IAS officers, ministers, MLAs, MPs, MLCs, businessmen who fund and breathe life into the criminal underworld. All these elements deserve to be put behind bars post haste. If that is not done, then it (Vikas Dubey's death and those killed before him) will give the feeling of scraping a bottomless pit and have no real consequence. If you just scratch the surface, the end result will be very negative, if not even worse. We now need to uproot the invisible backbone, and the invisible backbone is the support system spawned by IAS officers, IPS officers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and and ministers. SEE: Why were media vehicles stopped by the UP police in the Sachendi area of Kanpur before the encounter? What would you tell people who say Dubey was killed in a fake encounter and the current UP government has been doing it since it came to power in March 2017? If there were any fake encounters, let there be inquiries into them. I do not believe in any dispensation -- whether it be this government or any earlier governments or the governments to come. I will call a fake encounter fake if I have strong reasons to believe that it was fake. A large number of encounters could give an idea that something is wrong, but if there's something wrong, we have a vibrant judicial system, we have a vibrant society, NGOs going for public interest litigation immediately, politicians calling for CBI inquiries and that is what they are there for. If somebody feels strongly that this is a fake encounter, then I would strongly recommend that they go for a PIL or demand a CBI inquiry; this has happened in the past in Punjab and UP also. Image: Gangster Vikas Dubey, right, with his aide Amar Dubey. Photograph: PTI Photo Is it incumbent upon the government to voluntarily order a judicial inquiry when actions of the law enforcers are under scrutiny? It is not necessary. What is incumbent is a magisterial inquiry, which is imperative after such encounters and the final report will be scrutinised by a judicial magistrate. And the investigation of the encounter will be supervised by no other than the additional DG of police and the IG of Kanpur. The senior-most officers in Kanpur will be supervising the investigation, and the final report will be scrutinised by a judicial magistrate. So if there is anything suspicious or if there is any hanky-panky, it will come to light. Will this sordid saga see the end of organised crime in Uttar Pradesh? It (the action undertaken against the Vikas Dubey gang) will send a strong message for sure, but if somebody feels that this will be the end of goonda raj and mafia in UP, I think he will be living in a fool's paradise. I would really like to see the law acting against the IAS officers, IPS officers, local politicians, MLAs, MPs and ministers and they being put behind the bars. That will be the death knell of goonda raj. But till that happens, encounters like this one will only act as a symptomatic treatment with a very short term impact. What needs now is the complete uprooting of the disease and that exists in some sections of the IAS, IPS, MLAs, MPs and ministers. Feature Production: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com A recent report by Redfin found that redlining, the racist housing policy that first began preventing Black families from securing home loans almost 90 years ago, is still impacting the fortunes of Black homeowners today. The typical homeowner in a neighborhood that was redlined for mortgage lending by the federal government has gained 52% lessor $212,023 lessin personal wealth generated by property value increases than one in a greenlined neighborhood over the last 40 years, writes the reports author, Dana Anderson. Black homeowners, Anderson explains, are almost five times more likely to own in a formerly redlined neighborhood than in a greenlined neighborhood. Much of the economic equality faced by Blacks in America can be traced back to the diminished home equity that results from this redlining hangover. As many white homeowners discovered decades ago, home equity is one of the most powerful tools for creating generational wealth. Black families living in formerly redlined neighborhoods are still waiting for their chance to find out what thats like. Ahmednagar: Attacking the Centre over the alleged suicide of an ex-serviceman, social activist Anna Hazare asked on Wednesday why the Centre had devised an "imperfect" OROP scheme. 70-year-old ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal, a resident of Haryana's Bhiwani district, ended his life on Tuesday by consuming poison on the lawns of a government building in Janpath in New Delhi. "The Centre and leaders are speaking about bravery of soldiers with much pride. But then why the lacunae were kept in OROP for the past soldiers. Grewal's death has raised many questions and the Centre has to answer them," Hazare told PTI. Hazare, an ex-serviceman himself, reminded that he had demonstrated for One-Rank-One-Pension (OROP) in the past. The veteran activist said that citizens of the country were "hurt due to the approach by the Centre". The alleged suicide of an army veteran over the OROP issue snowballed into a huge political showdown on Wednesday in the national capital with Rahul Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal being detained by police. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Over the past few weeks, more than 300 advertisers have hit pause on advertising on the worlds largest social media network, Facebook, in response to a call to protest the platforms refusal to moderate hate speech. Only a couple of weeks earlier, some Facebook executives publicly opposed CEO Mark Zuckerbergs stance that social media platforms should not play arbiters of truth, implying that what appears on the platform has nothing to do with Facebook. As the boycott intensifies, Facebook 98% of its revenues come from advertising seems to have retreated a little. It has since said that it will flag all newsworthy posts from politicians and political groups that break its rules. The issue highlights the fact that, for the first time, companies are beginning to actively use their business spends to push for change. The world over, businesses have traditionally shied away from politics and protests, recognising that it may alienate some stakeholders. The view has always been that its better to stay away from controversy, focus on growth, steer clear of sentiments, and avoid offending anyone. Staying neutral and hedging political bets was the norm. While the lines between business and politics have largely stayed clear, increasingly businesses are being forced to take a position as they define for themselves a larger purpose, beyond making a profit. Younger consumers, particularly millennials, born between 1980 and 1996, a significant demographic across the world, want to know where companies stand on causes that matter. These range from sustainability, racism, discrimination based on religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation and colourism, some of which are inextricably linked to politics. Many global companies are larger than countries in economic heft and scale of impact. Consequently, these corporations have become important elements in shaping culture. The brands they own play a big part in influencing consumer behaviour and moulding opinion. This puts the onus on them to proactively do the right thing, even though it may have short-term implications on their bottom line. Companies can put their weight behind key causes, and are increasingly being called upon to do so by a woke generation. Studies indicate that people want to work for a company that has a deeper reason for being, than only profit. A 2019 Deloitte study showed that millennials would prioritise the sense of purpose around people rather than growth or profit maximisation. Another survey by Gallup shows that people look for work that fuels their sense of purpose and makes them feel important. This, together with the pressure from consumers and activists, are making corporations rethink their views on staying neutral. Though mega corporations are not about to turn altruistic, they are recognising that purpose and profit are interlinked. Businesses that survive and thrive will be those that make a positive impact on the world and create greater prosperity through everything they do. Jim Stengel, a former Procter & Gamble executive, in his book, Grow: How Ideals Power Growth and Profit at the Worlds Greatest Companies, shared the results of a 10-year study of 50,000 brands which found that the ones that defined their purpose around improving peoples lives beat their category competitors by significant margins. In the new context, corporate social responsibility (CSR), once relegated to the fringes of business, is now front and centre and integrates deeply into the companys offerings. The killing of George Floyd in the United States (US) triggered off mass protests and culminated in the Black Lives Matter movement. Subsequent comments on social media by US President Donald Trump and Facebooks refusal to flag them led to the #StopHateSpeech movement. Together, they have forced companies to take positions on these divisive issues. Many US companies and CEOs had come out openly in support of the black lives matter movement well before the current Facebook ad boycott. Companies that have remained silent are being called out on social media for their indifference to issues that concern their users. Neutrality is no longer an excuse. The Facebook ad boycott raises the question as to whether brands will, from now on, use their marketing budgets to make choices beyond commercial ones comprising reach and the cost of a medium. Will it be appropriate for a brand to buy advertising on a publication, platform or channel that actively preaches hate or is aligned to a divisive agenda? Will a brands media choices reflect its intrinsic values and affect consumer choice? Will consumers look beyond just physical brand attributes to evaluate the moral choices a brand makes? These are some of the questions that will be asked of companies sooner rather than later. In an increasingly globalised world, protests quickly move beyond national boundaries, forcing change over larger geographies. The US-centric debate on racism soon spread to India where colourism is hugely prevalent, getting the countrys largest consumer goods maker, Hindustan Unilever, to announce a name change and revamp the proposition of its nearly five-decade-old fairness cream. A prominent matrimonial website shaadi.com was forced to take off its skin tone filter in response to objections from some users. While corporate-initiated change may not alter age-old prejudices immediately, these clearly are steps in the right direction. A February 2020 US study published by the Harvard Business Review threw up a surprising finding that the previously held view of not mixing commercialism with politics may well be gone. In India too, many business leaders are being asked tough questions on where they stand on key issues, and are finding it difficult to look away. In this post-Covid world, where the trust deficit has soared, businesses that put purpose before profit will benefit in the long-run. Consumers will seek out brands that resonate with their values and will reward them with their loyalty. Lloyd Mathias is a business strategist and an early stage investor The views expressed are personal China accuses US of inciting confrontation after Washington rejected expansive claims in disputed sea for first time. The United States has rejected Chinas territorial claims in the South China Sea, drawing an angry response from Beijing, which said Washington was trying to inflame tensions in the disputed waters. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday there was no legal basis for Chinas claims on the Sea and accused Beijing of using intimidatory tactics against other claimant states. We are making clear: Beijings claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them, Pompeo said in a statement. The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire. In response, the Chinese embassy in the US described the announcement as completely unjustified and accused Washington of stoking frictions. Under the pretext of preserving stability, (the US) is flexing muscles, stirring up tension and inciting confrontation in the region. The relationship between the US and China has become increasingly tense in recent months over the coronavirus pandemic the US is now the worlds worst-affected country and over Chinas actions in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. China claims almost all of the South China Sea under its self-proclaimed nine-dash line, which would give it about nine-tenths of the 3.5-million square kilometre sea. Five other governments claim all or part of the sea the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan through which approximately $5 trillion in goods are shipped every year. UN-backed arbitration Previously, US policy had been to urge a peaceful resolution to the dispute through UN-backed arbitration, but the statement suggests a hardening of Washingtons position. America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law. We stand with the international community in defence of freedom of the seas and respect for sovereignty and reject any push to impose might makes right in the South China Sea or the wider region, Pompeo said. Although the US will remain neutral in territorial disputes, the announcement suggests the Trump administration is in effect siding with the littoral states, all of which oppose Chinese assertions of sovereignty over maritime areas surrounding contested islands, reefs and shoals. There are clear cases where [China] is claiming sovereignty over areas that no country can lawfully claim, the US Department of State said in a fact sheet that accompanied Pompeos statement. The announcement came a day after the fourth anniversary of a ruling by the arbitration panel that under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea invalidated most of Chinas claims for maritime rights in the South China Sea. And yet, there they are. Two @USNavy aircraft carriers operating in the international waters of the South China Sea. #USSNimitz & #USSRonaldReagan are not intimidated #AtOurDiscretion https://t.co/QGTggRjOul Navy Chief of Information (@chinfo) July 5, 2020 China has refused to participate in the arbitration proceedings or to recognise the decision, dismissing it as a sham. Beijing has sought to shore up its claim to the Sea by building military bases on coral atolls, and has continued to defy the arbitration panels decision with aggressive actions that have brought it into regular disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia. While the US has no claims itself to the waters, it has deployed warships and aircraft for decades to patrol and promote freedom of navigation and overflight in the busy waterway. Words vs action In addition to reiterating support for the arbitration panels decision, Pompeo said China has no valid maritime claims to the fish- and potentially energy-rich Scarborough Reef, Mischief Reef or Second Thomas Shoal. The US has repeatedly said areas regarded as part of the Philippines are covered by a US-Philippines mutual defence treaty in the event of an attack on them. He also said China cannot legally claim the James Shoal near Malaysia, waters surrounding the Vanguard Bank off Vietnam, the Luconia Shoals near Brunei and Natuna Besar off Indonesia. As such, Pompeo said the US would regard any Chinese harassment of fishing vessels or oil exploration in those areas as unlawful. Philippines presidential spokesman Harry Roque said claims in the region should be resolved according to the Convention. Our position here is we will pursue our national interest and resolving the South China Sea will have to be in accordance with the law, he said. Taiwans Foreign Ministrys welcomed the US statement and called for Taiwans inclusion in a multilateral dispute mechanism. Our country opposes any attempt by a claimant state to use intimidation, coercion, or force to resolve disputes in the South China Sea, spokeswoman Joanne Ou told reporters. Malaysias Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had no immediate comment to make on the US statement. In Beijing, Zhao Lijian, spokesman for Chinas foreign ministry, called Pompeos statement irresponsible. It frequently dispatched large-scale advanced warships and military aircraft to the South China Sea that militarised the region and promoted power logic and hegemony. The US is the destructor and troublemaker to peace and stability in the region, he told reporters. Regional analysts say it is crucial to see whether other countries follow the US stance and what Washington will do to support its more assertive position. This is basically the first time we have called it illegitimate, Chris Johnson, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, told Reuters news agency. Its fine to put out a statement, but what are you going to do about it? Last week, China angrily complained about the US flexing its military muscle in the disputed sea by conducting exercises with two US aircraft carrier groups. The US Navy said the USS Nimitz and the USS Ronald Reagan, along with their accompanying vessels and aircraft, conducted exercises designed to maximize air defence capabilities, and extend the reach of long-range precision maritime strikes from carrier-based aircraft in a rapidly evolving area of operations. Jerri-Lynn here. For more detail on the carnage in the oil and gas sector, see also the NY Times front page story I linked to today, Fracking Firms Fail, Rewarding Executives and Raising Climate Fears. Weve been tracking this bust in crossposts, and have featured the excellent series at DesmogBlog on frackings follies. The day of reckoning has arrived, and Wolf Richters post highlights the record number of bankruptcy filings in this banner year. By Wolf Richter, editor of Wolf Street. Originally published at Wolf Street The Great American Oil Bust started in mid-2014, when the price of crude-oil benchmark WTI began its long decline from over $100 a barrel to, briefly, minus -$37 a barrel in April 2020. Bankruptcies of US companies in the oil and gas sector started piling up in 2015. In 2016, the total amount of debt listed in these filings hit $82 billion. Bankruptcy filings continued, with smaller dollar amounts of debt involved. In 2019, the shakeout got rougher. And this year promises to be a banner year, as larger oil-and-gas companies with billions of dollars in debt collapsed, after having wobbled through the prior years of the oil bust. The 44 bankruptcy filings in the first half of 2020 among US exploration and production companies (E&P), oilfield services companies (OFS), and midstream companies (gather, transport, process, and store oil and natural gas) involved $55 billion in debts, according to data compiled by law firm Haynes and Boone. This first-half total beat all prior full-year totals of the Great American Oil Bust except the full-year total of 2016: The cumulative amount of secured and unsecured debts that the 446 US oil and gas companies disclosed in their bankruptcy filings from January 2015 through June 2020 jumped to $262 billion: The three biggies: In the first half of 2020, nine of the 44 US oil and gas companies that filed for bankruptcy listed over $1 billion in debts, including the three biggies with debts ranging from $9 billion to nearly $12 billion, according to data by Haynes and Boone. These three companies oil-field services companies Diamond Offshore and McDermott and natural-gas fracking pioneer Chesapeake are the biggest in terms of debts that have toppled in the Great American Oil Bust so far. Those three companies combined listed $31 billion in debts, accounting for 56% of the $55 billion in total debts listed by all 44 companies to file so far this year: Bankruptcy Epicenter is in Texas. Since 2015, there have been 239 bankruptcy filings by oil-and-gas companies in Texas the largest oil producing state in the US of the 446 total US filings. So far this year, Texas accounts for 39 filings of the 44 total filings in the US. Of note, Chesapeake is headquartered in Oklahoma, but it filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas and counts as a Texas bankruptcy. Delawares major industry is not oil and gas, but coddling corporations, and many oil-and-gas companies are incorporated in Delaware and theyre filing for bankruptcy in Delaware hence the states second place among states with the most oil-and-gas bankruptcy filings since 2015: The Price-Collapse of Crude Oil and Natural Gas. The Great American Fracking Bust took on absurd proportions when the price of WTI in the futures market plunged to minus -$36.98 on April 20, 2020, in an epic WTF moment for the entire oil industry. Since then, the price has bounced off and currently trades just over $40 a barrel, where the US fracking industry is still burning large amounts of cash: Fracking has turned the US into the worlds largest producer of natural gas. The flow of cash into this sector has been epic. Chesapeake was on the forefront here, both in terms of boosting natural gas production and in terms of bamboozling investors into handing over billions of dollars that it then efficiently burned year after year. The ensuing natural-gas glut has crushed the price of natural gas despite enormous efforts and investments to export natural gas via pipelines to Mexico and via LNG export terminals to the rest of the world. But whenever there was new demand, it was out-powered by higher production as the cash kept pouring in, and the price continued to fall, currently at $1.83 per million Btu: There have been side effects too. The crushed price of natural gas plus the arrival in the 1990s of a technical innovation, the highly efficient combined-cycle gas turbine for power plants (GEs explanation) began a process whereby coal could no longer compete on price with natural gas for power generation. New natural-gas-fired power plants were built, coal-fired power plants were retired. Demand for thermal coal collapsed, as did the price. Eventually all major coal mining companies filed for bankruptcy, a bunch of them twice. That was collateral damage of these billions of dollars of investor cash that kept flowing into fracking. Surviving in this pricing environment for overleveraged permanently cash-flow negative companies in the fracking business has proven to be tough and for investors, who kept buying their hype over the years, it has turned into a massacre. Investors have not only poured billions of dollars into supplying these companies with debt capital including the $262 billion listed in bankruptcy filings since 2015 but also into supplying them with equity capital as these companies sold new shares to raise money, and these billions in equity capital have now disappeared without trace. Those billions from those share sales dont even get mentioned in bankruptcy filings. SAN FRANCISCO, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic did not impact everyone equally in Northern California, according to a report published on Sunday by the San Francisco Chronicle on analysis of public health data in Alameda County. The rates of infection are nearly five times higher in neighborhoods like Oakland's Fruitvale than in the wealthiest suburbs. The explosion of coronavirus cases in lower-income areas occurred across the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA), according to the report by the Chronicle. The Chronicle analyzed data showing the daily number of confirmed coronavirus cases in each ZIP code since March in Alameda County -- the SFBA county that publishes such time-stamped information on infections. The analysis found that the coronavirus has grown at a far quicker pace in low-income neighborhoods where more people couldn't work from home and where access to critical testing and other resources remained sparse early on. The most severe impacts were in neighborhoods already dealing with long-standing health and economic inequities, said public health experts who reviewed the analysis. Preventing the continued spread will require flooding those areas with financial and medical resources for people who need them most, but local, state and federal officials have been unable to fully patch an already tattered social safety net, according to the experts. "We knew who was going to be hardest hit as soon as we knew we had a contagious virus. We knew who was still going to have to go into work and live in crowded conditions and be without insurance. We knew where we should have been focusing our efforts from day one," Kiran Savage-Sangwan, executive director of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, was quoted as saying. By July 7, infection rates in low-income ZIP codes were 4.5 times higher than in high-income ones -- 78 cases per 10,000 residents compared with 17 cases per 10,000 -- and twice as high as in middle-income areas. Across the SFBA, many heavily impacted neighborhoods are predominantly low-income communities of color, the analysis showed. "We went into COVID with people marginally housed, homeless, in overcrowding living situations, with no living wage, no paid leave, no sick leave," Alameda County Health Director Kimi Watkins-Tartt was quoted as saying in the report. "It's not one thing, it's not two things, it's a lot of things all coming together to make this a very difficult thing to prevent in some communities." Des Moines Public Schools custodian Cynthia Adams cleans a desk in a classroom at Brubaker Elementary School, Wednesday, July 8, 2020, in Des Moines, Iowa. As the Trump administration pushes full steam ahead to force schools to resume in-person education, public health experts warn that a one-size-fits-all reopening could drive infection and death rates even higher. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) Read more To reopen or not to reopen? Thats the question on the minds of parents and educators all over the country as schools wonder what the coronavirus pandemic effects will be in the fall. Philadelphia School District officials released a plan this week that would have most children attending in-person classes two days a week. Like districts all over the country, theyre charting their own course in the absence of federal guidance. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said last week, Kids need to be back in school, and school leaders across the country need to be making plans to do just that. Meanwhile, issues of safety are being balanced with a need for parents to get back to work and for students to resume more normal education, socialization, and development. To tap into this debate, The Inquirer asked two Philadelphia nurses and activists as well as an educational policy analyst to weigh the pros and cons. NO: Theres too many variables for schools to be truly safe spaces. By Marion Leary and Jessica Fuller Philadelphia-area schools, like those across the country, are grappling with how to safely reopen in the midst of a pandemic. The U.S. is worse off now than when schools closed in March, with record-breaking case counts reported daily. Though Philadelphia cases are tentatively stable, cases in Pennsylvania and surrounding counties are increasing. Safety measures such as masks and social distancing have become a political powder keg; months into this pandemic there are still personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages, ICUs are full, and health-care providers are exhausted. Acknowledging there are important reasons that in-person learning is vital to childrens well-being, it is our belief that reopening schools in the fall would be a mistake for the following reasons: Masks: Enforcing mask-wearing will be extremely difficult. Lets be honest, we cant even get adults to do it. How will schools ensure that every student (and staff member) properly wears a mask all day? Who will supply these masks? PPE: Nurses and physicians are again sounding the alarm to the shortage of PPE nationwide. With over 200,000 students and staff in the Philadelphia School District alone, how will reopening schools compound this? Who prioritizes distribution when supplies start dwindling? Social distancing: Most schools have about 3040 kids per classroom, and with six-feet distancing, schools can only accommodate about 25% to 30%. Pods: By now youve probably heard about pods groups of students and staff who remain together as a way to minimize contact. But how will schools enforce safety guidelines with children and their families outside of school? Transportation: Most school buses can accommodate between 50 to 70 kids at capacity. With social distancing, this is reduced to about a dozen. How do the rest get to school? Sanitization: Cleaning and sanitization of high touch surfaces in buses and classrooms require additional time, resources, and personnel. Symptom screening: Entrance temperature and symptom screenings may have to be performed daily. Do schools have the personnel and financial resources to screen and track students and staff? Do they have appropriately equipped isolation rooms with HEPA filters? During pre-pandemic times there were not enough nurses in our schools. Will they have enough school nurses if students are symptomatic? And then there is flu season Contact tracing: Philadelphia has fewer than 200 contact tracers, with guidelines suggesting that it should be 4,000. How will the inevitable influx of exposures be tracked? Infection spread and transmission: While younger children may be less susceptible to the virus, we have to consider the teenagers and adults who are present, as well as the families and communities these children go home to every night. High-risk groups: According to data from U.S. News and World Report, one-third of teachers are at high risk for COVID-19. In some districts, of course, that percentage could be much higher. Who will teach when the teachers get sick? What about medically fragile and special education kids? Indoor environment: Finally, lets talk about the very real concern of spending extended time inside buildings: There is mounting evidence that COVID-19 is airborne. As parents, nurses, and public health providers, we would love nothing more than to have our children back in brick-and-mortar school buildings in the fall. Unfortunately, there are still too many unanswered questions and too much risk. Instead of hoping for the best, we should be demanding our local, state, and federal leaders adequately fund, plan, and prepare for a better online learning experience for all our children. Marion Leary is a nurse, public health practitioner, and activist. Jessica Fuller is a nurse leader and professor. YES: Distance learning isnt sufficient for students, teachers, or parents. By Jonathan Butcher Jason Corosanite learned an important lesson this spring: 25 students is too many for a Zoom call. When we first went to distance learning, Corosanite, cofounder of the String Theory Schools public charter school network in Philadelphia, says, we had all the kids logged on at once. It didnt work. As Corosanite explains, students would turn off, hide in the background. School officials have the final word on reopening. We think being in and in-person to the greatest extent that we can is super important, Corosanite says. Across the networks four campuses, he and his team are now preparing for the fall. Every day, every week we are getting different guidance from the state level, the local level, and the federal level, Corosanite says. Our goal is certainly to get back as soon as we can to classrooms of 25 kids. Despite media warnings about increasing numbers of positive COVID-19 tests, new survey results signal that parents want schools to move in that direction and quickly. A recent national poll found that 71% of the parents responding felt their children learned less while at home than they would have had schools remained open for in-person classes. Parents were more likely to be dissatisfied with their childs required assignments if they reported communicating with their childs school less than once per week this spring and with 40% of respondents saying they did not have weekly meetings with their childs teacher, this means many parents were left feeling their students were falling through the cracks. The Trump administration is urging schools to reopen, but these decisions should be left to parents and educators as they evaluate local needs. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Thursday that the CDC guidelines for reopening are guidance, its not requirements, which again and appropriately means families and local educators should make the decisions. What might these plans look like? In Philadelphia, String Theorys example is worth watching. In the 2012-13 school year, the Philadelphia School District tapped Corosanites team to turn around a failing district school, and the network has more than 5,000 students on its waiting list. Corosanite says String Theory will start the semester with half the students attending classes in person on Mondays and Tuesdays, while the other half attends online simultaneously. Officials will clean the schools on Wednesdays, and then the two halves will trade places for Thursdays and Fridays. The school already operates with a longer school day than traditional schools, which will help recoup lost time. If we have the capacity to do more, we will do that, Corosanite says. He explains that this plan was developed after talking with parents and learning that other proposals, such as having groups of students attend for seven or eight days straight and then be off for that amount, would be too difficult for families. HELP US REPORT: Are you a health-care worker, medical provider, government worker, patient, frontline worker, or other expert? We want to hear from you. Corosanite says, The most important thing for us is to be as flexible and nimble as possible, keeping in mind that a regular, weekly in-person experience for learning is beneficial. Public agencies will not have all the answers for local schools, nor can constantly evolving guidance eliminate all the risks from operating a school during a pandemic. State and national guidelines give educators a place to start, but parents, educators, and local officials will best serve students by charting a course based on student needs. Jonathan Butcher is a senior policy analyst in the Heritage Foundations Center for Education Policy. Chennai, July 13 : The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Monday urged the Election Commission to recommend to the Centre to scrap the amendments made to The Conduct of Elections (Amendment) Rules, 2019 and The Conduct of Elections (Amendment)Rules, 2020. In a letter to the poll panel, DMK President M.K.Stalin also urged it to hold a consultative process with all political parties and relevant stakeholders across the country to find the best solution that can ensure the safety of citizens without compromising their statutory right to cast their vote independently. Terming the amendments an attempt to bring an ocean of voters under the purview of a newly carved-out class of "absentee voters", he said: "This exercise is done by the ECI without studying the ramifications of the move. The move will certainly destroy free and fair elections in the world's largest democracy." Prior to the amendment of the rules, there were three classes of voters - service vote, special voters and voter on election duty and the old rules specified the persons who are entitled to vote by postal ballot. "These voters are a definite class of persons who are identifiable and are less in number. The classification is reasonable and there are strong, valid and underlying reasons for providing with postal ballot in favour of these classes of persons," Stalin said. However, he said that the new amendments introduces a bunch of divergent groups of persons all rolled in to one group called "absentee voters", all of whom would be entitled for postal ballot voting. "These persons by no stretch of imagination can be called as a 'class of persons' to satisfy the mandate of Section 60(c) of RP Act (Representation of Peoples Act)," Stalin told the EC. He also said the class of persons who are absentee voters could have been defined when the amendments was made instead of reserving it for a later date. "This shows that there is a hidden agenda, to add class of persons from time to time, depending on the election schedule, and there is a total lack of transparency as to who all can be part of this 'class of persons'. The Rule therefore gives enormous power to notify the class of persons entitled for postal ballot by the Election Commission at a later date. Such a sub-delegation is illegal as it suffers from the vice of excessive delegation of powers," the DMK leader said. Stalin said the amendment also includes senior citizens, persons with disability, and persons employed in essential services as absentee voters. "Here again the group of persons mentioned in the definition of absentee voters has no rational nexus with each other. The mischief which the amendment would cause is that any group of persons could be named as absentee voters without any rationale or without being a class by themselves which is contrary to the reasonable classification recognised by law," he said. According to Stalin, the amendment does not define a person with disability for postal vote. The reduction of the age to qualify as senior citizen from 80 to 65 to be eligible for postal voting is illegal, he added. A U.S. district judge issued a halt on all federal executions on Monday, hours before the scheduled lethal injection of an inmate in Indiana. The Trump administration has attempted to restart executions on the federal level after a 17-year pause. Judge Tanya Chutkan of the D.C. Circuit Court issued the latest delay, writing in her opinion that at least one of the plaintiffs claims in the case has a likelihood of success on the merits. Because the public is not served by short-circuiting legitimate judicial process, and is greatly served by attempting to ensure that the most serious punishment is imposed in a manner consistent with our Constitution, the court finds that it is in the public interest to issue a preliminary injunction, Chutkan wrote. The execution of Daniel Lewis Lee was scheduled for Monday afternoon. Lee was convicted in 1996 of killing a family of three, including an eight-year-old child. The federal government reinstated the death penalty in 1988, however only three inmates have been executed under federal authority since then, including Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. Attorney General William Barr announced in July 2019 that the U.S. would resume executions at the federal level. Under administrations of both parties, the Department of Justice has sought the death penalty against the worst criminals, Barr said at the time. The Justice Department upholds the rule of law and we owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system. In June of this year, Barr announced the scheduling of four executions of federal inmates who had been convicted of murdering children. More from National Review A sexy new show which sees a group of highly-trained nuns shoot, kill and chase demons and corrupt clergymen has attracted a legion of fans who have dubbed it a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Da Vinci Code. Warrior Nun, which debuted last week on Netflix, features an international cast of actors and has quickly racked up dedicated viewers, becoming the number one trending show in the UK this weekend with many already begging for a season two. Fans have praised the ten part show for it's suspense, shocking plot twists, stunning scenery and nail-biting cliff-hanger, as well as swooning over the very glamorous cast. 'All the actors in #warriornun are so sexy, I cannot get over it' one fan wrote. A sexy new show which sees a group of highly-trained nuns shoot, kill and chase demons and corrupt clergymen has attracted a legion of fans who have dubbed it a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Da Vinci Code. Pictured left to right: Olivia Delcan as Sister Camila, Toya Turner as Shotgun Mary, Alba Baptista as Ava, Lorena Andrea as Sister Lilith, Kristina Tonteri-Young as Sister Beatrice, in episode 10 of Warrior Nun, at the Vatican 'Binged Warrior Nun over the weekend. Now just have to wait for season 2' said another. It tells the tale of Ava Silva, played by 22-year-old Alba Baptista, her English language debut having previously only performed roles in her native Portugal. Ava is paralyzed and dies in the first episode, aged 19, after spending 12 years raised by nuns in a Catholic orphanage after a car crash killed her mother. While her body lies in a church's morgue, which is set amid the stunning mountains of Marbella, a divine artifact - which she later discovers is an angel's halo - is embedded in her back, which brings her back to life and gives her the power to walk again. It tells the tale of Ava Silva, played by 22-year-old Alba Baptista (pictured), her English language debut having previously only performed roles in her native Portugal Warrior Nun, which debuted last week on Netflix, features an international cast of actors and has quickly racked up dedicated viewers, becoming the number one trending show in the UK this weekend with many already begging for a season two. Ava (Alba Bapista) is pictured holding a sword Fans have praised the ten part show for it's suspense, shocking plot twists, stunning scenery and nail-biting cliff-hanger, as well as swooning over the very glamorous cast. Ava (Alba Bapista) is pictured in a scenery at the monastery training As well as the use of her arms and legs, the halo also gives Ava superpowers that include being able to pass through walls, super strength and heal. The newly-empowered woman soon learns she's part of a 1000-year-old line of 'Warrior Nuns' who have held the halo and fought demons on earth. As the chosen Warrior Nun., Ava is now the leader of the Order of the Cruciform Sword, a group who fight what they perceive as evil of earth, but end up brawling with powerful forces representing both heaven and hell who want to find and control her. Also in the Order is Sister Lillith (left, Lorena Andrea) who believes she should be the bearer of the halo and is jealous of Ava. Other members of the order include Kristina Tonteri-Young as Sister Beatrice (right) who was sent to a Catholic boarding school by her British conservative politician parents Reacting to the show on Twitter this weekend, many fans hope to see Beatrice (pictured) has a future romantic relationship with Ava, after many longing moments between the pair and built up tension throughout the series, with Beatrice strongly hinting she's a lesbian Also in the Order is Olivia Delcan as Sister Camilla, Shotgun Mary (Toya Turner) who is highly skilled with guns, Sister Lillith (Lorena Andrea) who believes she should be the bearer of the halo and is jealous of Ava. Other members of the order include Kristina Tonteri-Young as Sister Beatrice, who was sent to a Catholic boarding school by her British conservative politician parents. Reacting to the show on Twitter this weekend, many fans hope to see Beatrice has a future romantic relationship with Ava, after many longing moments between the pair and built up tension throughout the series, with Beatrice strongly hinting she's a lesbian. While the other nuns in the order took vows and pledged devotion to God, Ava's unexpected new powers, coupled with an ability to walk means she's initially more interested in thrill-seeking and meeting boys. She meets love interest JC (Emilio Sakraya, right) on the way - who is part of an international group of squatters who make the empty homes of the super rich their own for weeks at a time while travelling the world. Pictures: L To R May Simon Lifschitz as Chanel, Charlotte Vega as Zori, Dimitri Abold as Randall At one point, JC and Ava are fleeing the Order, as well as a group of scientists who want harness the power of the halo. Sneaking on a ferry from Marbella to Seville, the pair hide in a supply closet while the boat is in port, to avoid being caught by those chasing them. They are pictured on the boat JC and Ava then hide away and soon embrace in a very raunchy scene, before fleeing from nuns again when they arrive at their final destination (pictured leaving the boat) Hundreds of fans have taken to Twitter and are already begging for a second season, despite the first being released just a week ago While the other nuns in the order took vows and pledged devotion to God, Ava's unexpected new powers, coupled with an ability to walk means she's initially more interested in thrill-seeking and meeting boys. She meets love interest JC (Emilio Sakraya) on the way - who is part of an international group of squatters who make the empty homes of the super rich their own for weeks at a time while travelling the world. At one point, the couple are fleeing the Order, as well as a group of scientists who want harness the power of the halo. Ava's powers means she can walk through walls (pictured walking through a wall) as well as heal herself. She also has super strengh The Catholic imagery, trips to the Vatican and use of Christian imagery has seen many compare it to Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, which were a smash hit series of books and films in the early noughties. Pictured Sister Mary in a church Sneaking on a ferry from Marbella to Seville, the pair hide in a supply closet while the boat is in port, to avoid being caught by those chasing them. JC and Ava then hide away and soon embrace in a very raunchy scene, before fleeing from nuns again when they arrive at their final destination. The Catholic imagery, trips to the Vatican and use of Christian imagery has seen many compare it to Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, which were a smash hit series of books and films in the early noughties. Viewers praised the soundtrack, which features Billie Eilish and Frank Ocean, as well as the very good looking cast of the new show which is sure to be a hit Other has drawn similarities to the nineties teen drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which also sees a gang of powerful women fight off evil spirits. Viewers also praised the soundtrack, which features Billie Eilish and Frank Ocean. 'Warrior Nun managed to go from Buffy the vampire slayer as nun to Assassin's Creed, Dark Souls, and 28 days Later in the last 15 minutes of the series and I'm so here for this' said one, 'Watching Warrior Nun and this show is really inspired by Buffy! Its written all over' added another. 'Warrior Nun and The Sisters of the Order of the Cruciform Sword, baby! So you know, they're getting me back in kicka**and dare say very sexy fashion' a third wrote. The Boeing Company BA recently secured a modification contract for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense development and sustainment. The deal has been awarded by the Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, AL. Valued at $150 million, the contract is expected to be completed by Jul 30, 2023. Per the terms, the jet giant will offer development, fielding, test, systems engineering, integration and configuration management, equipment manufacturing and refurbishment, training and operations and sustainment for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) weapon system. Significance of GMD The system is the United States' only operationally deployed missile defense program capable of defending the entire homeland from long-range ballistic missile attacks. It is designed to detect, intercept and destroy long-range ballistic missiles during the midcourse phase of flight. GMD forms an integral element of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's layered ballistic missile defense architecture. Being its prime contractor, Boeing designs, produces, integrates, tests and sustains all GMD components deployed across 15 time zones. Missile Defense & Boeing Increasing geopolitical tensions along with a rapid rise in terrorism across the globe are prompting nations to strengthen their defense systems manifold. With rapid technological upgrades, missile defense is nowadays playing a pivotal role in a nations defense strategy. Particularly, rogue nations like North Korea and Iran seek dangerous capabilities, including long-range ballistic missiles that can threaten the U.S. homeland, support regional aggression, and deter potential U.S. responses. Thus to protect its homeland, the U.S. government has adopted layered missile defenses. Apart from being a leader in the commercial aerospace market, Boeing has contributed significantly to United States missile defense strategy and its GMD forms the first layer in the U.S. homeland missile defense architecture. Story continues Boeing is upgrading its GMD system. Initially fielded in 2004, the GMD system is currently undergoing life extension and will be improved with the addition of the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI), starting in 2028. Market Prospects Impressively, the rocket and missile market is projected to grow from $55.5 billion in 2017 to $70 billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 4.74%, per a forecast made by Markets and Markets. With the United States being one of the key players in the global defense space, such projections indicate a golden era for the nations premier defense contractors like Boeing, Lockheed Martin LMT, Raytheon Technologies RTX and Northrop Grumman NOC. Price Performance In a years time, shares of Boeing have plunged 50.6% compared with the industrys decline of 34%. Zacks Rank Boeing currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Today's Best Stocks from Zacks Would you like to see the updated picks from our best market-beating strategies? From 2017 through 2019, while the S&P 500 gained and impressive +53.6%, five of our strategies returned +65.8%, +97.1%, +118.0%, +175.7% and even +186.7%. This outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. From 2000 2019, while the S&P averaged +6.0% per year, our top strategies averaged up to +54.7% per year. See their latest picks free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Boeing Company (BA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Raytheon Technologies Corporation (RTX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research The owners of a shopping centre in Cork are suing for more than 30 million in damages after an allegedly defective Opel Zafira car went on fire in the centre's car park, allegedly resulting in a major fire and "immense damage" to the centre. The Douglas Village Shopping Centre has been closed since the fire of August 31st 2019 and is not expected to reopen until autumn 2020 at the earliest, the Commercial Court was told. The costs of demolition and rebuilding of the car park, associated business interruption and other aspects of repair are expected to exceed 30 million and the calculation of the amount for loss and damage suffered is continuing, the owners say. While no one was injured as a result of the fire, a determination of liability issues would assist in deciding other claims by property and car owners arising from the fire, they say. Mr Justice David Barniville agreed on Monday to fast-track the case in the Commercial Court brought by Avoncore Ltd and Canmont Ltd, trading as the Douglas Village Shopping Centre. It is against Irish-incorporated Leeson Motors Ltd, which allegedly distributed and sold an Opel Zafira B Model car, with a 06 C registration, manufactured and designed by another defendant - Adam Opel GmbH, based in Germany. The third defendant is Opel Automobile GmbH, also incorporated in Germany, which, since Groupe PSA acquired the Opel brand in 2017, has been involved in continuing any recall campaigns launched before Groupe PSA acquired the Opel brand, including various recalls in respect of Zafira B models. Vauxhall Motors Ltd, incorporated in the UK, is also sued. It is claimed that company was responsible for the conduct and management of recalls of the Zafira B vehicles in the UK and had provided direction to and/or liaised with Leeson Motors Ltd with regard to the recalls conducted in Ireland. In the proceedings, the plaintiffs, represented by Brian Kennedy SC, allege, at the time of the fire incident, the Opel Zafira car was owned by Mrs Mohsen Al Khafagy, of Lehenaghmore, Cork, having been purchased by her in Cork about June 2014. It is claimed Ms Al Khafagy, having parked in the car park of the centre, was about to get out of the car to go shopping when she noted smoke at the front exterior of the car. It is claimed the car went on fire, causing a "major conflagration", resulting in "immense damage" to the centre. The plaintiffs allege the fire originated in and/or was caused by the defective manufacture of the car, in particular the HVAC system used in the car. It is alleged the severe resulting damage from the fire was caused and/or occasioned by the negligence and/or breach of duty of the defendants in and about the design and manufacture of the car; in/or about the design and implementation of the recall of Opel Zafiras; and/or in and about failure to inform Mrs Al Khafagy of the danger, of which they were aware or ought to have been aware, which the car posed to her and her family and to third parties such as the plaintiffs. The case includes a claim for aggravated and/or exemplary damages on grounds they allegedly knew and/or recklessly exposed Mrs Al Khafagy and members of the public and property owners to a risk of fire and fire damage. The fire rendered the car park structurally unsafe and requiring demolition, it is claimed. It is claimed the car park will eventually be rebuilt but that the property suffered smoke and water damage and that tenants of the centre continue to incur losses as a result of the centre being closed. Coronavirus drug, Biocon's Itolizumab, has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). The medicine has been in the news for reducing the mortality rate in Cuba. The full course will cost Rs 35,000. It is a drug that is used in India for treating psoriasis and has been repurposed for Covid-19. Executive chairperson of Biocon, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, spoke exclusively to CNN-News18 on why the cost is not steep and how this drug can save lives. She also said that the health sector deserves the same sops and incentives as the IT sector now, and the pandemic has shown that. The DCGI has given approval to Itolizumab. Tell us what the clinical data trials showed. At a time of an emergency, the need of the hour was to look for any treatment that is saving lives. We are inching towards the million mark and we have over twenty-two thousand people dead. We need to save lives. Even if the infection goes up, can we reduce the mortality rate is the big question. In recent times we have come to know that the virus acts very strangely. It acts to hyperactivate the immune system to create a cytokine storm. Itolizumab is positioned as a biologic molecule to prevent the cytokine storm and get rid of this. The way this acts is by modulating the immune system upstream to prevent these cells from producing cytokine. Small clinical trials we did under the emergency criteria are allowed because the need of the hour is to get access to such life-saving drugs. We have seen a very statistically significant outcome between the control arm that did not receive Itolizumab and the arm that did. All 20 recovered with the drug and in the arm it did not cover, three patients died. This is statistically significant. The modelling used to conduct such trials is very robust. The DCGI has given us permission to use this for moderate to severely ill patients from Covid-19, for those suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome. What about phase 3 of the trial? When is that expected? We don't need to do a phase 3. This is a pivotal story. The drug is already approved and we went through phase 1, 2, 3, 4 for this drug because it is being used for treating psoriasis. This is a label extension. It is an emergency now and we were able to do it under the emergency category. We need to continue to capture data as always as is done in phase 4 trials and that will substantiate the data. While this trial was going on, many doctors around the country basically used this drug off-label like they are using Tocilizumab off-label, and have treated 150 patients who have all recovered. The fact is that this drug is saving lives and is working the way it should. The cost of the drug is on the steep side. It costs Rs 35,000 for a dosage. I think people who are commenting on the price don't understand that we have to save lives. Because, as you know, having patients in the ICU is very expensive. Having a patient on ventilator would cost you much more. Similarly, if you can save these people and discharge them, the cost-saving you will do will be far, far greater than the cost of this drug. Please look at this context and understand that saving lives is of utmost importance. The government is very pleased and believes that this is an affordable drug to save lives and to prevent additional costs that are involved in keeping these patients on ventilators. What about the dosage? This drug is a 25 mg formulation which is being used at about the rate of 4 vials per patient. And a patient requires one treatment. This is given in a hospital setting as an infusion. That is the way this drug is delivered. The infusion rate has to be controlled. This drug is made in India, it has been manufactured here. But this drug has reduced the mortality rate in Cuba. Is the expectation the same here? This is a drug molecule that I licensed from Cuba and we in India developed it and got it approved for that indication as well. While we were doing this trial, we got to know that the company from whom we got the licence was also doing it to treat Covid. The mechanism of action is very unique for this medicine. Cuba reported that its mortality rate is very low, thanks to Itolizumab. So we then started comparing our data to theirs and it is very reassuring to know that they used Itolizumab on very severe patients. We used it on moderate to severe patients. The data is very consistent. If Cuba can reduce its mortality rate, so can we. Karnataka is undergoing a lockdown yet again. Bengaluru city was being hailed as one of the metros that did very well in controlling Covid-19. What went wrong? We did a fantastic job when we were in lockdown. There was a good protocol that we were following. Every outbreak was pounced upon. Every positive patient was tracked in a holistic and systematic way, and for every patient infected they could actually track up to 28 contact persons. That was very impressive. That worked very well during the lockdown, but somewhere there was complacency. During unlocking they stopped contact tracing to that extent so they would only contact trace to a family of 3 and 4 and they started reducing testing and a lot of wrong decisions were taken that has led to a surge in cases which has triggered the need for a lockdown. Lastly, what opportunity do you see in this crisis? You have said in the past that health is the new IT sector. What are the kind of investments to be made and what are the opportunities waiting to be explored in this sector? At a general level, we need to invest in healthcare for the public by increasing the spending to at least 2%. Other than that, the industry requires a large number of incentives and sops, very similar to the ones that were given to the IT sector which grew in scale and size, to the dominant force it is in the world today. The healthcare sector should have the opportunity to do the same in India. Krispy Kreme is giving away 350,000 doughnuts to Australians who missed out on celebrating their birthday during the coronavirus isolation. Anyone born between March 13 and July 13 can head into any Krispy Kreme Australia store on Monday, July 13 to redeem your free Original Glazed dozen for one day only. 'From toilet paper presents to zoom parties to less-than-impressive cakes, there's no doubt birthday celebrations have been lacking these last few months,' Krispy Kreme Australia CEO, Andrew McGuigan said. 'So, we've decided to share some joy with all those who missed out, with our biggest doughnut giveaway to date.' Krispy Kreme is giving away 350,000 doughnuts to Australians who missed out on celebrating their birthday during the coronavirus isolation For one day only, customers can treat themselves to the free gift when they show their photo ID and birthday spirit at the counter Earlier this year, the chain gifted doughnuts to healthcare workers and now it's time to pay it forward to an estimated 4.5million Aussies who celebrated an 'iso birthday' to get a sweet taste of their rightful birthday glory. For one day only, customers can treat themselves to the free gift when they show their photo ID and birthday spirit at the counter. Social distancing will apply in-store as per state government regulations and store drive-thrus will be open for a contactless experience. And the party doesn't stop there. If you miss out on qualifying or redeeming this birthday treat, Krispy Kreme will be introducing 'buy one dozen, get a dozen free' offer on Original Glazed doughnuts. From July 15 until July 19, everyone can have the chance to enjoy and pay the celebrations forward, by sharing a box of smiles with a loved one. Anyone born between March 13 and July 13 can head into any Krispy Kreme Australia store on Monday, July 13 to redeem your free Original Glazed dozen for one day only The birthday offer is available for one day only and not available in South Australia, Northern Territory, online, via food delivery apps or in 7-Eleven, Jesters or BP. Stocks are limited, so you'll have to be quick. In Victoria, due to the current government restrictions, the offers are only available at selected stores via drive thru only: Fawkner, Fountain Gate and Bulleen. To find your nearest Krispy Kreme location visit the website. (Natural News) The Chinese government defended its handling of the coronavirus in a lengthy report, saying that the country provided information in a timely and transparent manner and that its approach to the outbreak should serve as a model for the world. According to the 84-page report, which the State Council Information Office published on Sunday, the country wasted no time in sharing the genome sequence for SARS-CoV-2 with the World Health Organization. The report also said that the global health agency, as well as relevant countries and organizations, have been receiving detailed updates since Jan. 3. An investigation from the Associated Press revealed that Beijing sat on releasing the genetic map of the virus for more than a week after Chinese scientists had finished mapping it. Despite the plaudits, WHO officials complained in internal meetings that the country was not sharing enough data, which led to significant delays in response. The AP report also said the scientists learned about the new coronavirus after the Wall Street Journal broke the news on Jan. 8 contrary to what Beijings new white paper claims. (Related: AP drops bombshell report: China suppressed critical coronavirus information FOR WEEKS.) In response to the AP report, Ma Xiaowei, chairman of the National Health Commission, only said that it seriously goes against the facts, and did not address the findings further. The Chinese government did not delay or cover up anything, he stated in a press briefing for the new report, which also had two ministers, two vice ministers and the president of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in attendance. Instead, we have immediately reported virus data and relevant information about the epidemic to the international community and made an important contribution to the prevention and control of the epidemic around the world. A sanitized version of events The report is the latest in Beijings efforts to land itself in pole position, especially in geopolitical affairs. The United States, the only country to beat Chinas economy, is still battling to bring outbreaks under control, as well as deal with brewing domestic unrest. Meanwhile, other countries have just made steps to reopen their economies. With much at stake on the global stage, officials in Beijing have trumpeted their efforts to return to normal life. Wuhan the city where the coronavirus was first identified last year exited lockdown in April, and the capital city of Beijing has allowed people to stop wearing masks when outdoors. The countrys last remaining high-risk area also lowered its epidemic response, which the government said was a success by the Chinese people. They have succeeded in containing the spread of the virus, the report said. In this battle, China will always stand together with other countries. Beijings efforts to characterize its handling in heroic terms are often dogged by controversy. The report provided a detailed narrative of how the country joined together under the pivotal leadership of President Xi Jinping to beat the coronavirus. However, it also left out the political and bureaucratic missteps that caused a full-blown crisis in Wuhan. The report made no mention of Dr. Li Wenliang, the doctor who was punished for warning his colleagues about the novel coronavirus in December. It also did not include an update to Chen Qiushi and Fang Bin, citizen journalists who vanished without a trace in Wuhan after being picked up by the police. The report instead praised officials for implementing an effective and well-functioning, whole-of-the-nation control mechanism and for dedicating themselves to defeating the coronavirus. It also heavily extolled Xi, with the report saying that he has taken personal command, planned the response, overseen the general situation and acted decisively, pointing the way forward in the fight against the epidemic. Premier Li Kequiang, who currently leads the countrys coronavirus response, was barely mentioned in the report. Pandemic.news has more about the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Sources include: ABCNews.go.com APNews.com WSJ.com NYTimes.com English.SCIO.gov.cn SAO PAULO - After 35 years of civilian-led democracy, President Jair Bolsonaro has created the most militarized Brazilian government since the fall of the countrys dictatorship. Packing his Cabinet with retired and active-duty generals and giving more than 3,000 government jobs to soldiers, Bolsonaro has prompted criticism from political opponents that he is co-opting the prestige of the Brazilian military in order to erode democratic institutions. In recent weeks, however, influential figures in military spheres have begun a pushback against his use of the armed forces. A series of high-ranking retired officers, who historically give voice to the views of active-duty leaders, have begun expressing concern about Bolsonaros governance and heavy reliance on the military. Experts see those statements as a way of undermining any presidential schemes to unconstitutionally assert his dominance over other branches of government. The statements have come as Brazil is swamped by the coronavirus, which Bolsonaro has consistently downplayed as a threat as he undermined shutdowns and other preventive measures. Bolsonaro, himself a former army captain, said last week that he had contracted the virus and was taking unproven malaria medication to fight it. Both Bolsonaros handling of the outbreak and his own illness have been seen as embarrassing by high-ranking military leaders. The actions have weakened his relationship with the armed forces, experts and former military officials said. It also prompted an attack from Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes, who has a history of dialogue with the high command. He said Saturday the army has associated itself with genocide during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, Bolsonaros defence minister, Gen. Fernando Azevedo, said in a statement Monday that the armed forces are fully engaged in trying to preserve lives, and he asked the countrys top prosecutor to investigate Mendes comments. Two retired generals who served as Bolsonaros ministers told The Associated Press this month that the administration lacks leadership and organization, and cant rely exclusively on the military to succeed. Brazil traditionally has allowed the armed forces to temporarily loan service members of all ranks to work in civilian jobs for limited periods. Officers and troops who want to serve longer terms come under pressure to retire from the military first, although they generally retain close ties to serving members. Retired Gen. Carlos Alberto Santos Cruz was Bolsonaros government secretary, but quit after six months over a rift in communications strategy. He spent 47 years in the army and commanded U.N. peacekeeping force in Haiti (2007-2009) and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2013-2015). He said high-ranking military officers were becoming uncomfortable with Bolsonaros blending of the military with his civilian administration. It is not good to have such a strong (military) representation. It is better society be represented in a diverse manner, he said. That may be intentional to transfer the armed forces prestige to the administration. But it is not for lack of technocrats elsewhere. Bolsonaro has frequently bristled at rulings from the independent judiciary, and his biggest objection came after the Supreme Court blocked his pick to head the federal police April 29. He joined supporters who protested the courts action in the capital of Brasilia and called on the military to assume a greater role. One activist group launched fireworks in the courts direction. Bolsonaro told supporters May 3 at the presidential palace that he had the militarys backing. The next day, the defence minister published a rare statement saying the armed forces believe the independence of government branches is essential for the countrys governability.? Retired Gen. Maynard Santa Rosa, who was Bolsonaros strategic affairs minister for nine months, said the military will avoid drawing closer to him, but officers wont leave the Cabinet unless there is a major scandal like the corruption cases that have marred previous administrations. Then there is the possibility of a step back, Santa Rosa said. An active-duty air force brigadier, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to talk to the press, said many military officials agree with Bolsonaros criticism of the Supreme Court, but the high command wont support any authoritarian moves such as openly disobeying its rulings. He added that top leaders of the armed forces are pressuring active-duty appointees to retire so the military isnt confused with the administration. It is clear that those (military ministers) in the Bolsonaro administration are in a difficult position, Aldo Rebelo, a civilian former defence minister, said in an interview. They have to accept a president who threatens other branches of government, who attends protests in front of the army headquarters. It is not a comfortable position. The presidents press office told the AP it would not respond to questions about the militarys role in government nor about critiques of former officers. Brazils military mostly kept out of politics since the end of the dictatorship in 1985, focusing on border control, security operations and logistics in remote areas. Now, almost half of the Cabinet is comprised of former military officers, many of whom left the armed forces to work for Bolsonaro. On Thursday, Azevedo tried to dispel fears of a de facto military government, saying none of the other ministers speak for the high command despite their long careers in the armed forces. There is no one else, Azevedo said in a live broadcast. Bolsonaro has doled out hundreds of other lower government jobs to military personnel, with many aimed at controlling Amazon deforestation in order to shield the country from environmental criticism Bolsonaro also looked to Gen. Eduardo Pazuello, an army logistics expert with no health experience before April, to lead Brazils fight against the coronavirus. The president ordered the army to mass produce the anti-malarial drug, chloroquine, which hasnt proven to be effective against the coronvavirus. Pazuello, who remains interim health minister almost two months on, distributed more than 4 million pills nationwide. The virus has killed more than 70,000 people in Brazil, most of them on the generals watch. Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo, said the military has increasingly shown its discomfort with the presidents actions and poor management of the health crisis. Even before Bolsonaro caught the coronavirus, the commander of the armys COVID-19 centre refused to shake the presidents hand during a meeting broadcast live, instead offering his elbow. Four others, including two generals, subsequently did the same. It is an embarrassment for them that the president caught the virus, Melo said. Bolsonaro doesnt follow rules, which are dear to military leaders who see this crisis as the challenge of their generation. From March into early June, 54 percent of black families lost employment income, compared with 43 percent of white households, according to Maxwells calculations using Census Bureau data. Nearly 3 in 10 black renters missed a rental payment, compared with 13 percent of white renters. Nearly one-quarter of African American homeowners and 45 percent of black renters, both at least twice the white rates, have slight or no confidence that they will be able to make next months payment, he wrote, and 27 percent of Black respondents reported that they are currently experiencing food insecurity. Thats three times the white rate. The Land & Development Office, which comes under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has sent a notice to news agency PTI, demanding it to pay more than Rs 84 crore as penalty. The notice dated July 7 says that the penalty has been imposed due to "breaches" at its office in Delhi. The notice that sought Rs 84,48,23,281 argues that "the less will be pleased to regularise the breaches in the premises temporarily up to 14.07.2020 and withdraw the right of re-entry of the premises subject to the following conditions being fulfilled by you within 30 days from the ... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Teuku Faizasyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 13, 2020 11:43 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665dfd8a 3 Opinion black-lives-matter,Papuan-Lives-Matter,Papua,separatism,solidarity,racism-in-indonesia Free Among my duties at the Foreign Ministry, spokesperson happens to be one of them. As a result, I am responsible for the many inquiries of the media inquiries that lately have touched on support for our nationals abroad and the many challenges faced by Indonesian diplomacy amidst this pandemic. In my endeavor to provide clarity, a recent question has compelled a more thorough response. I was perplexed when asked about efforts made to equate the movement for equality, Black Lives Matters (BLM), with cases of ill-treatment toward Indonesians of Papuan origin. This attempt to conflate the two has been driven under the hashtag #PapuanLivesMatter. My initial response to the query is that a fair comparison cannot be made where BLM stems from an expansive history of discrimination and structured racism, the main foundation of Indonesia is equality. As a multi-ethnic country, equality is a condition of survival for us as a nation. The unity of our nation will crumble if any ethnic group attempts to claim supremacy over another. The question then arises: Is a sense of structured racism prevalent across the seven clusters of cultural identities in Papua? While a thorough analysis is required, I believe it would be fitting to reflect on the issue at hand through a historical lens. Arguably, the root cause of BLM is subjugation and dehumanization under colonialization. By way of occupation, the colonial power imposed self-proclaimed supremacy against the natives. Beginning around the 1500s, nearly every corner of the world has been, at one point, under foreign occupation. For the colonial power, these territories were called terra incognita (unknown territory) and were therefore subjected to occupation, disregarding the existence of the first nations or the aborigine; the original people of the land. There are too many accounts of horrifying circumstances and actions that degrade the natives, as brought about by colonization. My late father once told me that during the colonial era in Aceh, there was a signboard in a swimming pool: Not allowed for dogs and natives. As a consequence, campaigns to eradicate the resulting discrimination and subjugation have been prevalent for centuries. In just our time alone, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela have become household names. The collapse of apartheid in South Africa in 1994 marked the capitulation of the premise that whites were superior to Africans, Coloreds and Indians; a premise that was once codified in the law of the land and brought to the mainstream through apartheid government policies. And yet, structural racism has not met its demise. We continue to bear witness to cases of violence confounded with elements of racism. Martin Luther Kings call for equality continues to resonate in the hearts of many in their campaign for BLM because the foundation of his message remains relevant. Given the historical context that drives this movement, a clear distinction presents itself with the case of interethnic relations and equality in Indonesia. It is important to highlight that in both Papua and West Papua provinces, the special autonomy law gives locals the privilege to administer their provinces. In other words, a structured effort is being made to promote development centered among Indonesians of Papuan origin. This contradicts the so-called structural racism behind the #PapuanLivesMatter campaign. The continuous provocation by individuals, including those overseas, to incite discord among our people is unacceptable, and hijacking the BLM movement with a clear endgame to separate West Papua and Papua provinces from Indonesia is indeed offensive. Talks of separatism itself have no basis within the confines of international law. Ironically, a legacy of colonialism introduced the principle uti possidetis juris, which stipulates that any newly formed country inherits the borders of their former colonizer. It is important to mention, the newborn African countries continue to rule over the territories carved out by their former colonial powers during the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885. This conference, known as the formalization of the Scramble for Africa, gave little cognizant to the sociocultural realities of these regions. Based on this uti possidetis juris principle, Indonesia as a former colony of the Netherlands is a successor state to a territory stretching from Aceh in the West to Papua in the East. In the context of Africa, Indonesia, and other former colonies, to challenge this international law would result in open conflict one more centered on the issues of state survival than on notions of racism. Although further studies are needed, I sense there are some similarities in the root cause between the once restive province of Aceh and that of Papua namely a sense of injustice. While as Acehnese I can empathize with their sense of economic and social injustices, a call for separation is not the answer. If there is a sense of injustice concerning the pending resolution of past cases of human rights violations, a call for separation is also not the answer. I am convinced that we as a nation can make amends to any harm caused to our Papuans brothers and sisters, and start afresh a strong bond for being Indonesian. Finally, if I had a chance to confer with colleagues from the media on the narrative of structured racism, I would ask them to come to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry to witness a miniature scale of Indonesia a mosaic of ethnicities. Here, they would meet the new cadre of young Indonesian diplomats of all ethnicities working together to win Indonesian national interests. *** Advisor to Indonesian foreign minister for political and security affairs and former Indonesian ambassador to Canada Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Australians have hit out at The Project's editorial mocking Mr Morrison's outing Australians have hit out at The Project after the panel show ridiculed Prime Minister Scott Morrison for taking a night off to watch an NRL game. Mr Morrison was pictured cheering on his beloved Cronulla Sharks at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium in Sydney's south on Saturday while drinking beer and waving a team scarf. His evening at the footy sparked debate among political commentators - with some arguing it was inappropriate for him to be letting his hair down as Victoria endures its first week in lockdown amid a second wave of COVID-19 cases. In an unnamed editorial published on The Project's website, the outlet labelled Mr Morrison's trip a 'public relations blunder'. Prime Minister Scott Morrison watches from the stands during the Round 9 NRL match between the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the Penrith Panthers on Saturday 'Its going to be hard but please, Mr Prime Minister, have a think before you kick your shoes off next time were in the middle of a crisis,' the article said. The story also made light of the prime minister telling a press conference last week he would be taking some time off work to go on holiday with his family - yet they were nowhere to be seen on Saturday night. 'The prime minister had flagged that he would be taking some time off to spend time with his family, and as all dads who have ever said that, he instead went to the footy without them,' the article said. 'Nothing quite like the sweet family bonding time of downing a beer while watching the footy, nowhere near your kids.' However the editorial was slammed by viewers on the show's social media page. 'Give the guy a break,' one person wrote. Pictured: The Project host Waleed Aly. In an article posted to the talk show's website, the show said Mr Morrison's trip a 'public relations blunder' The story made light of the prime minister telling a press conference last week he would be taking some time off work to go on holiday with his family - only to turn up at the footy without his wife and kids the next day However the editorial was slammed by viewers on the show's social media page 'Seriously??? ScoMo having some downtime at the footy and you guys want to criticise him,' another added. Some defended The Project's stance and one person said Mr Morrison has taken enough breaks from his job already. 'What about the people he gives no break to at all? Like traumatised asylum seekers, people who can't get a job and are about to have their safety net halved.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Network Ten for comment and the Prime Minister's office for comment. Scott Morrison in the crowd at the NRL match just a day after he announced he was taking a holiday with his daughters Some viewers said that The Project was right to criticise Mr Morrison, adding that many people don't get breaks The heated debate over the prime minister's trip to the Sharks game began over the weekend when political blogger Carrick Ryan compared his Saturday night activities to those of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Mr Ryan took to Twitter to share two images of the politicians side by side with the caption: 'A tale of how two 'leaders' spent their Saturday night.' The second photo showed the Victorian Premier at his desk on a conference call as Melbourne went into total lockdown to slow the spread of the virus. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt Hunt defended Mr Morrison's outing - saying he had spent much of the weekend drafting a plan to support Victoria and stop the state's outbreak spiralling out of control. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews during a conference call at his desk amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday night The Australian leader 'worked right through [Saturday] on a new level of support for Victoria, over and above every thing that we've done', Mr Hunt said. 'I know because I was working with him. I've been working with him throughout today, so this fellow never stops,' he said. 'He is one of the reasons, perhaps the fundamental reasons, that we are where we are. I have never seen anybody work harder in my life and more effectively in protecting a country.' Mr Hunt did not provide any details on the prime minister's plan. Panjab University (PU) has decided to request the University Grants Commission (UGC) to review the final semester examinations this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This was unanimously resolved at PUs syndicate meeting on Monday after members debated for hours before resolving that conducting examinations in the current situation would not be safe for students as well as staffers. We have decided to request the UGC to review their decision to conduct examinations. There will be no sanctity of conducting exams during this situation, said syndicate member Rabindernath Sharma. The Union ministry of human resource and development had said on July 6 that the final year examinations in the universities will be held in September. Though exams were not on the agenda, members discussed the issue at length given the students concerns. The syndicate also constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Professor Navdeep Goyal to figure out when the exams could be held in the next session. The committee, which has been directed to submit its report within a week or two, includes syndicate members HS Dua, DPS Randhawa and Anu Chatrath. They will draft a proposal on the feasibility of holding the exams and a likely time frame. Before the meeting, students affiliated with Students for Society (SFS), All India Students Association (AISA), Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), Punjab Students Union (PSU- Lalkaar) and Youth For Swaraj held a protest outside the Universitys administration hall against UGCs decision to hold the examinations. They also urged the University to resolve the issue of the final semester examination at the earliest. While taking a call on the admission guidelines for the affiliated colleges, the syndicate members decided to hold the Common Entrance Test for post graduate and BEd coursesentrance in affiliated colleges for the 2020-21 academic session. The syndicate also approved holding admissions in both online and offline mode in affiliated colleges this year. Professor SK Tomars tenure as dean students welfare (DSW) of Panjab University till May 2021 was approved on the occasion. Metaari's 2019 Learning Technology Investment Totals "An astonishing $4.44 billion was invested in 138 Collaboration-based Learning companies across the planet in the first half of 2020," says Adkins. "In the first half of 2020, an impressive $2.96 billion went to 112 AI-based Learning companies." "The investment activity in the first half of 2020 could be an anomaly considering that huge unprecedented funding that went to just a few edtechs," comments Sam S. Adkins, Chief Researcher at Metaari (formerly Ambient Insight). "A breathtaking $1 billion went to China's Yuanfudao in March 2020. This is the first time in the industry's history that a company has reached the $1 billion threshold. In June 2020, an equally impressive $750 million went to China's Zuoyebang who claims to be the largest online education provider in the world with over 800 million users and 50 million daily active users (DAU)." In the first half of 2020, 26 companies garnered over $100 million in funding and 438 obtained over a million dollars in investment. In the full year of 2019, 44 companies obtained $100 million or more in investment and 679 obtained one million dollars or more. "Investment patterns are inherently unpredictable," says Adkins. "The patterns produce a quantitative 'rear-view mirror' perspective, but they are not reliable leading indicators. Investments have spiked every year since 2015 reaching an unprecedented $18.6 billion in 2019. To put this in perspective, investments in 2018 and 2019 combined far outstripped the total investments made to all edtech companies combined for the entire twenty-year period between 1998 and 2017." In the last four years, investors have aggressively shifted their interest away from companies selling legacy products like eLearning to next-generation companies developing Cognitive Learning, AI-based Learning, Mixed Reality Learning (AR-based Learning and VR-based Learning), Mobile Learning, Location-based Learning (Location Intelligence), Collaboration-based Learning (live tutoring and live online classes), Game-based Learning, and even Educational Bots (both physical and virtual). "An astonishing $4.44 billion was invested in 138 Collaboration-based Learning companies across the planet in the first half of 2020," says Adkins. "But again this was skewed by the $1.75 billion that went to Yuanfudao and Zuoyebang, combined. Yet, in the first half of 2020, an impressive $2.96 billion went to 112 AI-based Learning companies. Just over $1.14 billion went to 38 Mixed Reality (AR and VR) Learning companies in the first half. In sharp contrast, a mere $92.5 million went to just five eLearning companies in the first half of 2020. Clearly, investors now prefer advanced learning technologies over legacy eLearning." "China could overtake the US again in terms of total investments," adds Adkins. "$3.90 billion was invested in 77 Chinese edtech companies in the first half of 2020, again being skewed by the massive investments made to Yuanfudao and Zuoyebang. In the US, $3.67 billion went to 113 learning technology companies in the first half. $1.41 billion went to 96 companies in India in the first half with 21% ($290 million in two rounds) of that going to the Indian online education juggernaut BYJU'S. $2.62 billion went to 229 other edtech companies across the globe. Investment in edtech was strong in the UK in the first half. Over $635.8 million was invested in 81 UK edtechs in the first half." Investment patterns can expose "customer-facing" trends if funding shifts to companies that serve specific buying segments. By the end of the first half of 2020, $6.03 billion had been invested in corporate-facing learning technology companies and $5.04 billion was invested in consumer-facing edtechs. In stark contrast, "only" $213.3 million was invested in companies serving the higher education and tertiary segments, although $815.8 million went to companies serving the PreK-12 segments across the globe. This is relatively impressive considering that PreK-12 companies garnered a total of $855.3 million for the entire year of 2019. "The AR headset developer Magic Leap pivoted way from the consumer segment in late 2019 after burning through billions in funding and experiencing dismal headset sales," reports Adkins. "Magic aggressively entered the global corporate training market by partnering with dozens of best-of-breed field force performance support providers and remote expert assistance developers operating mostly in the industrial sectors. Magic is also reselling many of these solutions becoming a bona fide training provider. Magic obtained $350 million in new funding in May 2020 indicating investor confidence in Magic's move to corporate training." About Metaari Metaari (formerly Ambient Insight) is an ethics-based quantitative market research firm that identifies revenue opportunities for advanced learning technology suppliers. We track the learning technology markets in 126 countries. We have the most complete view of the international learning technology market in the industry. Metaari focusses solely on advanced learning technology research on products that utilize psychometrics, neuroscience, location intelligence, game mechanics, robotics, cognitive computing, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality. A U.S. court ruled Sunday that the government could proceed with the execution of Daniel Lee on Monday. The ruling will make Monday's federal execution the first in nearly two decades. Daniel Lewis Lee, a 47-year-old self-proclaimed White Supremacist, was sentenced to death decades ago. He was convicted in Arkansas after taking part in the 1996 murder of the Mueller family. The victims included an 8-year-old girl named Sarah Powel. The family members of the victims previously sued the Justice Department, arguing the COVID-19 pandemic prevents them from traveling to witness the execution. Indiana Chief District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson suspended the execution late Friday, but the Court of Appeals' decision overruled it, the Associated Press reports. The Justice Department also argued that the family's concerns did not outweigh the public interest in carrying out the sentence. It also noted that the Bureau of Prisons had taken proper measures to accommodate the family. The family plans to file an appeal to the Supreme Court before the execution on Monday at four in the afternoon. Who is Daniel Lewis Lee? Daniel Lee was a devoted member of the Aryan People's Republic, a known white supremacist organization. Together with the Kehoe brothers, their father Kirby, and fellow member Faron Lovelace, the group engaged in criminal activities from 1995 to 1997. Their crimes helped fund and promote their organization. According to the ATF.gov, their crimes included multiple murders, kidnappings, robbery, and shoot-outs with law enforcement officers. The suspects also used a portion of the loot to purchase an Idaho property that served as their training base. In 1996, Chevie and Daniel robbed and killed a gun dealer named William Mueller and his wife and daughter, Nancy and Sarah. Capture and Sentence With Chevie and Cheyne Kehoe's mother's help, officers from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies successfully captured the five suspects. The Kehoe brothers' mother served as an important witness during the court trials. All five defendants were eventually convicted. Kirby Kehoe, the father, pled guilty to the crimes, receiving nearly four years in prison. Cheyne Kehoe received more than two decades imprisonment. Faron Lovelace, an accomplice, was convicted of murder and received a death sentence. Chevie Kehoe and Daniel Lewis Lee were both found guilty of murder. However, Kehoe received a life sentence while Lee was sentenced to death. Bringing Back Federal Executions In July 2019, the Trump administration announced its plans to bring back the death penalty. U.S. Attorney General William Barr ordered the Bureau of Prisons to resume capital punishment. In 1972, the Supreme Court ruled the death penalty, including state and federal executions, unconstitutional. However, Congress reinstated capital punishment after passing the Anti-Drug Abuse Act in 1988. The Federal Death Penalty Act of 1994 expanded the number of eligible offenses, but it wasn't until 2001 that the first federal execution occurred. The U.S. government has executed only three people between 1988 and 2003. Want to read more? WASHINGTON - Northern Virginia began the week with its average daily novel coronavirus caseload hovering at the lowest point in more than three months. Elsewhere in the state, that number has reached a record high. Virginia's Washington suburbs reported 161 new cases Monday as the region's seven-day average stood at 151 daily cases. Northern Virginia's daily average is similar to where it stood on April 10 before a case surge through the end of May. The rest of the state outside the Washington region reported 811 new cases Monday, sending its daily average to 640. Excluding Northern Virginia, the state's average daily caseload has increased seven consecutive days, with four days of record highs. As Virginia's trend lines diverge, state health officials are monitoring a continued spike in cases in the Hampton Roads region, where Virginia Beach and nearby localities reported their highest daily numbers Monday since the start of the pandemic. That region is emerging as a trouble spot while leaders in Virginia, Maryland the District try to keep a lid on caseloads, which have surged across the country. Virginia Beach, the state's most populous city, reported an additional 157 cases and the state's only two deaths on Monday, while its average daily caseload has more than doubled in the past week. Cases in the city for those 29 and younger are up about 250% since the last week of May. Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam has said that the "concerning increase" in the Hampton Roads area could prompt additional restrictions. Health experts are urging the public to follow guidelines such as wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and frequent hand-washing to help stem the spread of the virus. Virus cases had been decreasing until about mid-June in the greater Washington region, but "that has leveled off," said Luisa Franzini, a professor and chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at the University of Maryland School of Public Health in College Park. "Now we're starting to see an increase," Franzini said. "People are out and about, and the virus spreads more easily that way." The District, Maryland and Virginia reported 1,449 new cases and eight additional deaths on Monday, bringing the regional caseload to 156,075, with more than 5,800 deaths since the start of the pandemic. During the past four days, the three jurisdictions combined have recorded their biggest daily case numbers since early June. Maryland reported 418 new cases and six deaths Monday. The state's seven-day average has increased to its highest level since June 15. At the same time, Maryland's average number of deaths and other key metrics have held steady or ticked downward, with intensive care unit bed usage at the lowest level since March 29. Prince George's County Health Officer Ernest Carter announced Monday that the county will proactively test all of its public safety employees for the virus. He said the step is being taken to curb asymptomatic spread as the county gradually reopens. "It is important to know the status of our public safety employees so we can do all we can to ensure that they are not exposing the public to the virus and to ensure that we can continue to maintain continuity of operations of our government," he said in a statement. "At this time, we have sufficient testing capacity to undertake these efforts." Prince George's leads Maryland in coronavirus infections, reporting 19,773 cases as of Monday. The District's caseload also has started to rise in recent days, with its seven-day average the highest in nearly a month. The District reported 59 new cases and no new deaths Monday - the city's fourth consecutive day without a fatality. The four-day stretch is the longest the city has gone without a virus-related death since its first such fatality, but health director LaQuandra Nesbitt warned that an increase is likely in the coming weeks. "We are aware that we always see an increase in new cases followed by an increase in hospitalizations, followed by an increase in deaths," Nesbitt said, predicting a lag of about two weeks before new cases result in hospitalizations. Christopher Geldart, director of the city's Department of Public Works, said the District is paying $90 per test to have about 1,500 tests per day processed by private laboratories. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Emergency Management Agency reimburse the District for much of the cost.) The city processes the rest of the tests, about 500 daily, at its public health laboratory, where it pays about $50 for the necessary reagents as well as the cost of employees' time. Earlier in the pandemic, residents were getting results in three to five days. It is now taking longer as private labs are busier, with more tests conducted elsewhere in the country, Geldart said. He called the turnaround time of five days or more "longer than we'd like." As businesses reopen in the region, test positivity rates are a key measurement that experts are watching. That rate has generally held steady in recent days after significant declines started to plateau. Taison Bell, an assistant professor of medicine in the divisions of infectious diseases and international health and pulmonary and critical-care medicine at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, said regions of the country with the highest mask use are seeing some of the lowest positivity rates. "We can't stay locked in place until a vaccine is available," Bell said. "The key is making sure people are adhering to public health guidelines." Franzini urged local leaders to halt the lifting of additional restrictions. "It was fine to reopen some," she said. "Cases were down, and they're still overall fairly low compared to what they were. Community spread is limited. But we need a second look as cases are increasing slightly." Part of the reason cases are rising, Franzini said, is that more people are traveling. "They're increasing the risk of the place they're traveling to, plus the risk when they're coming home and bringing it to their own community," she said. She noted that despite the rise in cases, the region has enough hospital and ICU beds to handle the illness. - - - The Washington Post's Rachel Chason contributed to this report. Republicans in eight different Texas counties have now voted to censure Gov. Greg Abbott for his order requiring Texans to wear face coverings and take other protective measures as COVID-19 spreads throughout the state. Over the weekend, the Henderson County Republican Party Executive Committee, just west of Tyler, held an emergency meeting to censure Abbott, a Republican, for not calling the Texas Legislature into a special session to help manage the COVID-19 emergency. Since July 4, seven other county Republican Party Executive Committees around the state have approved censures of Abbott, including in Montgomery County, where they voted 40-0 on the censure. The Montgomery County Republican Executive Committees censure resolution says Abbott has acted with disregard to the Texas Constitution, pointing to the mandated mask requirement for people in counties with at least 20 positive cases, limiting gatherings and the closing of bars across the state. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Its similar to a censure resolution passed by Ector County Republicans in the Odessa-Midland area. The Ector County Republican Executive Board decided it would be a fitting day for us to send a clear message to Governor Abbott, the party wrote on its Facebook page. A message that we will no longer sit quietly while he over reaches his authority again, again, and again. Those censures now go to the state Republican Party where members could vote on censuring Abbott when they hold their state convention, which was scheduled for this week in Houston before Mayor Sylvester Turner blocked the in-person convention in the city out of fear it could spread the virus. Abbott in television interviews last week acknowledged his orders have upset some people. So I knew when I issued this executive order that there would be some people in various parts of the state of Texas who may not be pleased about it, he told Fox 26 in Houston. Candidly, it is inconsistent with what I would want to do. REPUBLICAN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES THAT VOTED TO CENSURE GOV. ABBOTT Montgomery County Ector County Llano County Harrison County Denton County Hood County Eastland County Henderson County See More Collapse He said his decisions are guided by the magnitude of the spread of the coronavirus and how it has strained ICU capacity in Texas hospitals. On Friday, in another television interview on KRGV in the Rio Grande Valley, Abbott said he felt he had to issue the mask requirement as a last best chance we have to avoid a lockdown. He said the last thing he wants to do is issue a stay-at-home order statewide and potentially damage the economy. Click here to read the full article. With the Black Lives Matter movement maintaining its intensity as communities across the U.S. simultaneously struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recession it has triggered, scholars, civil rights advocates and activists see current social unrest as a clear call for policy reform that not only addresses racial inequity but the economic inequality that underpins it as well. In framing a recent webinar on the topic, the Economic Policy Institute said the police murders of Black people, and the demonstrations against systemic racism that followed, [has] placed a spotlight on the nations long history of anti-Blackness. More from WWD The EPI said as protesters across the U.S. flood the streets to call for social, political and economic change, the similarities between Black Lives Matter and the Civil Rights Movement become clear. Both movements, despite being 60 years apart, demand policy reforms that advance justice, racial equity and accountability for those in power[and] why policy must be changed in order to reverse the nations culture of anti-Blackness and the economic inequality surrounding it. And while changing policy and implementing reform are monumental challenges, the private business sector could play a key role. Columbia Law Schools Michael Graetz, who is a noted expert on income inequality and wealth, unemployment and the social safety net and taxes as well as COVID-19s impact on inequality and insecurity, told WWD that the business sector needs to take on a leadership role and empower policy change. Graetz who has held senior positions in the Treasury Department, which include being an assistant to the secretary, special counsel and deputy assistant secretary for tax policy published a book on the topic earlier this year titled The Wolf at the Door: The Menace of Economic Insecurity and How to Fight It. Its a densely packed, but easy to read 340-page eye-opener for anyone interested in tracing the origins of economic insecurity in the U.S. In it, Graetz said corporate leaders need to convene business groups specifically to help implement legislative policies, which include addressing unemployment and reemployment as well as low wages, high taxes and a lack of child care issues that Blacks and minorities are particularly impacted by. Story continues Rukhsar Sharif, author and founder of counseling and collaboration firm Creatifecundity Inc., said economic and income inequality has an intersectional impact on social justice issues that dates back to the early history of the U.S. Sharif said people of color and minorities have been segregated and treated with inferiority by being allocated much less in terms of wages, salaries or material resources in comparison to their European American counterparts. They have historically been held back, which is the reason for the growing discontent and massive protests, Sharif told WWD. People in the United States are seeing with their own eyes through digitalized mediums just how people of color, especially Black people, are being discriminated against and cast off to survive on abysmal means. George Floyds [alleged] presenting of a counterfeit [$20] bill represents the financial desperation of African-Americans from struggling socioeconomic and financial backgrounds as they remain neglected by mainstream society. Sharif said this neglect and its resultant, buried frustration spark the human behavioral tendency to explode during stress and release pent up frustrations through resistance and protest movements to regain balance and justice in life. Black Lives Matter is a social justice movement that not only recognizes the lack of equality of African-Americans with people of other races in social standing, but also in economic status. Sharif and Graetz both say the government has failed in creating policies to address these issues. Sharif said U.S. policies have neglected to address socioeconomic inequalities in the long run by not actively taking a stance to help African-Americans and people of color earn higher wages to be able to afford humane and respectable lifestyles. Veronique Ehamo, a human rights activist in the Black community and a United Nations Association Emerging Leaders Fellow, also sees economic insecurity and income inequality as part of a systemic problem that policymakers have failed to address. Similarly to any market society, the structure of the American labor market is the central social welfare institution, Ehamo told WWD. Income is the fundamental mediator of living standards, housing, health care, access to education and quality of neighborhoods. Due to constant negligence of certain communities historically and presently one can only assume the next direct action will result in nonconventional means of expressing frustrations and resentment. Renee Carr, a political and corporate adviser, said income inequality has been a component of the persistent and pervasive social injustices in America for a long time, and has now intensified. Modern-day unemployment and low wages are a continuation of the prejudiced belief systems and thought patterns that African-Americans, and other persons of color, are less intelligent, less capable and less trustworthy, Carr told WWD. This produces the expanding financial gap between racial groups and social classes and is the basis for the systemic oppression that movements such as Black Lives Matter are fighting against. Carr noted that theres a significant psychological impact that also needs to be understood and be addressed as well. For the oppressed persons and supporting allies, the psychological motivation for social unrest is the extreme fatigue from seeing countless incidents of racism, cruelty and murder, Carr said. When people see or learn of the repeated unjust verdicts for blatant acts of brutality, or they witness the continued protection of persons who repeatedly abuse power, these persons experience a significant increase of frustration, anxiety and fear. Their emotions become merged with repeated thoughts of unsafety and uncertainty for their own survival regardless of their skin color. In regard to implementing change, Carr said more often than not, policies and programs fix only the surface of economic inequalities and do not address the root problems. The historical blind eye and deaf ear to the practices that make unemployment, underemployment and underpay of Black persons common are the very reasons why the voices and actions of social unrest are becoming amplified. Dr. Roger McIntyre, chief executive officer of AltMed and co-chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, agreed that current socioeconomic conditions are having a harmful effect on mental health. Whats especially concerning about this is the persistence of unemployment given the ongoing pandemic as well as the uncertainty as to when it will ever end, McIntyre told WWD. If we go to the Great Recession, the Great Depression or Asian financial shock, we see all of these psychological and stress reactions which is what were seeing playing out now. McIntyre said it was important to keep in mind that when you lose your job, you lose your health care so were seeing an additional tens of millions of people who lost their health care adding further to their insecurity. All of these factors together the unemployment, economic insecurity, the duration of it, the effect on the sense of self, the fragmentation of the family, as well as the lack of health benefits it creates a combustible mix of stress and misery and is likely contributing to the unrest and depths of despair, McIntyre said. Brenda D. Wilkerson, ceo and president of global nonprofit AnitaB.org, said we must create policies that address and prioritize the needs of low-income Americans and provide accessible support systems and resources to decrease social class disparity. The Paycheck Fairness Act and the Raise the Wage Act are important building blocks to help bridge the wage gap; however, they are incremental at best, Wilkerson told WWD. We also need to reallocate the secondary and tertiary money that have escaped important programs, like our education system, into places where the people that truly need the support can get it. Regarding the role of business leaders in taking a leadership role in helping to facilitate social change, Graetz encouraged the formation of coalitions who then can pressure and lobby policymakers. And he said while writing a big check to a cause is generous, philanthropy is not enough to move the needle. In Graetzs book, he closes by saying people need help in responding to well-founded worries of being discarded, and they need resources to cope with a future that has already arrived. The Golden State Killer wasnt always a killer. He first terrorized Californias Bay Area with burglaries and rapes, taking on the name of the East Area Rapist. It wasnt until 1979, after he migrated to Southern California, that murderer was added to his moniker. Episode 3 of HBOs Ill Be Gone in the Dark delves into the Golden State Killers murder victims, as well as Michelle McNamaras journey into publishing her book about her investigation into his criminal activities. McNamara was a true-crime fan, who spent a lot of time investigating the case and took it upon herself to solve it eventually, she would write a book titled Ill Be Gone in the Dark. Two years after McNamaras death in 2016, authorities charged 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo with eight counts of first-degree murder, based on new DNA evidence. While he cannot be charged with rapes or burglaries from the 70s because of the statute of limitations, he was charged with 13 related kidnapping and abduction attempts. He appeared in court last month to plead guilty to 13 charges of first-degree murder and 13 charges of kidnapping to commit robbery. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. Also Read: 'I'll Be Gone in the Dark': When Michelle McNamara Thought She Found the Golden State Killer Through Cufflinks As revealed in the episode, the Killers first murder occurred in December 1979 in Goleta, California, after a botched attack two months earlier. There, he killed Robert Offerman and Debra Manning when Offerman escaped his restraints and charged at the man now known as DeAngelo. Three months later, he murdered Charlene and Lyman Smith in Ventura, California. It was the first time he murdered for psychological relief rather than as self-defense, an investigator says in the documentary. The murder of Keith and Patrice Harrington in a gated community in Dana Point, California, came five months later authorities believed meant he was honing his craft. He killed again in 1981, and his fifth murder in 1981 of Cheri Domingo and Gregory Sanchez was called very violent by law enforcement. In fact, an officer in the documentary says one of her colleagues was still greatly disturbed by the amount of damage done to [Domingo]. Story continues Also Read: 'I'll Be Gone in the Dark': 4 Details From Episode 1 of Michelle McNamara's Golden State Killer Search Although Northern California authorities believed the attacks had stopped, he had just migrated south. In fact, the task force investigating the East Area Rapist was shut down. While his murders are explored, Ill Be Gone in the Dark also chronicles how McNamaras book came about. After her Los Angeles Magazine article was published, it exploded on the internet, and McNamara was thrust into the spotlight. Thats when she got a call for a book deal. But as she continued to write, she became more and more paranoid about leaving doors unlocked or her daughter, Alice, unattended for even a minute. To quelch her fears, she and her husband, Patton Oswalt, bought a gun. A quick update on our last post about Episode 2, titled When Michelle McNamara Thought She Found the Golden State Killer. In episode 3, McNamara reveals that the cufflinks she found on eBay werent the ones stolen from a home burglary. New episodes will air every Sunday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO GO, HBO NOW, and on HBO via HBO Max. Read original story Ill Be Gone in the Dark': When the Golden State Killer Went From Rapist to Murderer At TheWrap Monday, 13 July 2020 16:49:37 (GMT+3) | Istanbul The Algerian authorities have decided to finally develop some mineral resource fields, which are expected to benefit the country's raw material self-sufficiency in the future and to support local steel producers in the long run. According to a recent announcement, Algeria is going to give a green light to the development of the Ghar-Djebilet iron ore mine, located in the province of Tindouf, and the zinc deposit in the province of Bejaia. In particular, the Algerian president has instructed the members of the government to start the exploitation of the two mines, emphasizing their importance in the process of generating added value and supporting the state revenues in the long run. The development of the iron ore deposit may eventually help improve the efficiency of the local steelmaking units through the diversification of raw material sources, which are currently being mainly sourced abroad. It is an investment of $15 billion and it will take at least four years, a local steel producer told SteelOrbis. Many years ago the idea was to implement a beneficiation plant to produce good pellet feed and sinter feed. But the transportation and the port issues are the key challenges, he added. The reserve of the iron ore deposit is preliminary estimated as 2 billion mt with an iron content of 58.57 percent, according to the technical presentations. In a diplomatic rejig, the government is set to appoint seasoned diplomat Vikram Doraiswami as India's next envoy to Bangladesh while another experienced hand, Rudrendra Tandon, is likely to be the new ambassador to Afghanistan, sources said. Doraiswami, a 1992 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently serving as additional secretary in-charge of international organisations and summits at the headquarters of the external affairs ministry in Delhi. He will succeed Riva Ganguly Das in Dhaka. The government's decision to appoint Tandon as India's ambassador to Afghanistan comes at a time when the long-pending peace and reconciliation process in the war-ravaged country is gaining momentum. India has been keenly watching the evolving political situation after the US inked a peace deal with the Taliban in February. India has been a key stakeholder in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. Tandon, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1994, is currently serving as Indian envoy to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at Jakarta. He has served in Indian missions in Paris, Algiers, Kabul and Moscow. He had also served as India's Consul General in Jalalabad in Afghanistan. Tandon succeeds Vinay Kumar in Kabul. Sources said seasoned diplomat Gourangalal Das is expected to be sent to Taipei. He is likely to be the Director-General of India Taipei Association. Das is currently serving as joint secretary (Americas) in the ministry of external affairs. The government on Monday appointed Vidhu P Nair as the next ambassador of India to Turkmenistan. Nair, a 2002-batch IFS officer, is presently serving as director in the ministry. The government has also appointed Hemant Harishchandra Kotalwar, a 1996-batch IFS officer, as India's next envoy to the Czech Republic. Avoiding 40 months in federal prison thanks to a presidential commutation, Roger Stone says he plans to join the re-election fight for his longtime friend and political ally, President Donald Trump. The president last week granted Stone clemency after arguing for months that Stones conviction by a jury on seven counts, including obstruction, witness tampering and lying to Congress should be thrown out. Stones convictions stemmed from former special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian election interference and Russias alleged ties to Trumps 2016 campaign, an inquiry that the White House, in an official statement Friday, lambasted as part of a Hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump Presidency. Stone told Axios on Monday that he plans to write and speak for Trumps re-election effort. He said he would follow one of Stones Rules': I will do anything necessary to elect my candidate, short of breaking the law. While national and battleground state poll numbers have favored likely Democratic nominee Joe Biden, Stone was adamant that Trump will win come November. Itll be a very tough fight, he told Axios. Hes got three obstacles: voter fraud; internet censorship, which I have just recently experienced myself; and, of course, the constant falsehoods being pushed by the corporate-owned mainstream media. Those all make it a difficult race. But he is a great campaigner. Hes a great communicator. Before campaigning, Stone said he will write a book about this entire ordeal to, once and for all, put to bed the myth of Russian collusion, Axios reported. Mueller, in rare public comments on his investigation, wrote in The Washington Post on Saturday that Stone was no victim, but a convicted felon, and rightly so. Mueller defended the Russia investigation, which led to eight individuals pleading guilty or convicted at trial, as well as charges of federal crimes against more than two dozen Russian individuals and groups, including senior intelligence officers. Stone became a central figure in our investigation for two key reasons: He communicated in 2016 with individuals known to us to be Russian intelligence officers, and he claimed advance knowledge of WikiLeaks release of emails stolen by those Russian intelligence officers, Mueller wrote. A jury later determined he lied repeatedly to members of Congress. He lied about the identity of his intermediary to WikiLeaks. He lied about the existence of written communications with his intermediary. He lied by denying he had communicated with the Trump campaign about the timing of WikiLeaks releases. He in fact updated senior campaign officials repeatedly about WikiLeaks. And he tampered with a witness, imploring him to stonewall Congress. Stone said his commutation showed Trump has an enormous sense of fairness and justice and mercy, Axios reported. He said he had no assurances about clemency before learning of it by phone from the president himself. I had prayed fervently ... and I believe the whole matter was in Gods hands and that God would provide. And He did. Stone noted that he is asthmatic, and that a prison sentence in which he could not socially distance could be a death sentence amid the coronavirus pandemic. Related Content: Its certainly not something I want to watch, Veillette said. But I think for me, when something is being done in our familys name or my name . . . the least I can do is bear witness to it and be present and have a voice saying, This is not being done in my name. Community Reax Dad of suspect accused of killing 3-year-old Kansas City, Kan., girl calls for capital punishment charge KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A Wyandotte County father and his girlfriend are charged in the death of his 3-year-old daughter, Olivia Jansen. Howard Jansen III and Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick are charged with first-degree murder, endangering a child and desecration of a corpse. If found guilty, the pair could face life in prison with a chance or [...] Family Outcry Family of Olivia Jansen reacts to charges, wants harsh penalties Outside of the Wyandotte County courthouse, Olivia Jansen's family made their wishes clear, with signs and chants calling for justice. Olivia's father, Howard Jansen, III, and his girlfriend, Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, are charged with first-degree murder, endangering of a child and desecration of her corpse. Demands For Accountability Confront Kansas DCF Woman planning protests against Kansas DCF says it's time to speak up to protect kids KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A Kansas City, Kansas woman is calling for change at the Kansas Department for Children and Families. Many in Kansas City are grieving the loss of a 3-year-old girl found dead on Friday. Saturday night a vigil was held for Olivia Jansen. Whilst the death penalty is unlikely in Kansas . . . Here's look at family and community reaction following a tragedy . . .Developing . . . Armenias regulator has cleared Team LLCs proposed acquisition of Veons local unit Beeline. CommsUpdate reports that the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition (SCPEC) granted approval on 9th July despite an impending legal challenge from rival operator Ucom, which has called for the merger to be blocked. No value for the merger has been revealed. The SCPECs approval is conditional on Team LLC abiding by certain requirements in particular, it may not lay off more than 10% of its total employees for its first six months after the merger closes. After Team agreed to this, the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) green lit the acquisition. Team LLC is a new firm founded by Hayk and Aleksandr Yesayan in April 2020 the same month that the brothers departed Ucom. They had been part of the team that founded the operator but left after clashing with shareholders over a potential merger between Beeline and Ucom. Reportedly, Ucom shareholders wanted Beeline CEO Andrey Pyatakhin to lead the merged unit if the deal was cleared, prompting the walkout. Following the Yesayans exit, Veon walked away from merger talks and opened negotiations with Team LLC in May this year. Monday, July 13th, 2020 (4:03 pm) - Score 2,170 The North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA), which represents Newcastle, North Tyneside (Tyne and Wear) and Northumberland, has announced that BT have secured the contract to deploy a new gigabit-capable full fibre broadband and Ethernet network to help connect 271 public sector sites (council offices, libraries, NHS etc.). The original proposal for the Northumberland Gigabit Project actually envisaged a much larger project to connect as many as 900 public buildings (here), although it appears as if the final agreement has been scaled-back. Likewise, theres no mention this time around of the local authorities match-funding with the 12m that will be coming from the UK Governments Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) fund. However, the Council have agreed to put forward a further 932,111 of funding towards the programme, which will be delivered via BTs Enterprise division (Openreach). The first street works are said to have already begun and, if all goes to plan, then they should be completed by early 2022. Cllr Nick Oliver said: This is an exciting upgrade to our infrastructure in the county, providing rural Northumberland with better connectivity than many city centres. Work has already begun to bring high-speed, affordable and reliable connectivity to our businesses and residents, which is crucial in maintaining our economic competitiveness and achieving social inclusion, now more than ever. Sarah Walker, BT Director for Enterprise, said: Our world-class full fibre network will help transform Northumberlands digital connectivity potential. We will provide ultrafast broadband speeds that will enable faster and more reliable connections for people across the county. We are pleased to be supporting Northumberland County Councils digital ambitions and it is among the leading areas in the UK to take advantage of the opportunities full fibre networks will provide. Digital technology is transforming every element of the way we live. In a world where everyday life and work increasingly depend on technology, digital skills can be the difference between getting ahead, or being left behind. The primary focus of this project was previously said to be on improving connectivity to sites in rural areas, which further down the road might also provide a useful platform to help roll-out Gigabit speed broadband ISP connectivity to more homes and businesses. We normally see operators like Cityfibre scoop up these anchor tenancy style contracts, but BT have won a few of them too and now theyve added another one to their belt. The 360 shows you diverse perspectives on the days top stories and debates. Whats happening Its a commonly accepted truth that the only way the coronavirus pandemic will come to an end is through the development of an effective vaccine. The effort to accomplish that goal has been underway for months in countries around the world, at a scale and speed that have never been seen before. There are currently more than 100 potential vaccines in some stage of development, some of which have advanced to human trials. The Trump administration launched Operation Warp Speed in May with the goal of having millions of doses available by the end of the year. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, recently said he was cautiously optimistic a vaccine could be ready by early 2021. Experts say the virus will continue to spread until about 70 percent of the population has developed immunity. A vaccine is the quickest and safest way to establish whats known as herd immunity. The other path waiting until enough people have been infected could lead to millions of deaths, epidemiologists say. Why theres debate Despite promising progress on a number of vaccine candidates, there are still significant reasons to be skeptical of the idea that a game-changing vaccine is just a few months away, experts say. Developing a vaccine by the end of the year or even by next summer would shatter the record for the fastest vaccine ever developed, which currently stands at four years. Even if that extraordinary feat is accomplished, drug companies will still need to produce hundreds of millions of doses and distribute them to the people who need them. Its possible that will happen, but some experts worry about investing too much in what would be a best-case scenario. Weve never seen everything go perfectly, a former Trump administration health official told Congress. A better plan, some argue, would be to prepare as if it might take years before a vaccine is widely available by developing effective systems of testing, tracing and therapeutic medicines that can last as long as theyre needed. There is even concern that the idea of a vaccine being right around the corner may be holding back efforts to put the virus mitigation measures we need right now in place. Story continues Others have suggested that rushing development may backfire by increasing the risk that an unsafe vaccine might be the first to make it to market. Any setbacks could increase already pervasive anti-vaccine sentiment among the public, which may undermine herd immunity. There is also the possibility that any new vaccine may not be entirely effective or may provide immunity only for a short period of time. Perspectives Vaccine skepticism may make reaching herd immunity difficult An approved coronavirus vaccine wont do any good if people arent willing to roll up their sleeves for it. Editorial, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette A vaccine wont be a magic solution, but its still the best path out of the pandemic If youre imagining therell be one golden day when a vaccine is approved and the pandemic will be over Finally! We can all crowd into one anothers living rooms and resume choir practice again Im afraid it wont be quite like that. But it will be the beginning of the end. Theres much to be hopeful about, and enormous challenges lie ahead. Caroline Chen, ProPublica The supply chain for vaccine materials could break down It would be a shame if production and supply chain bottlenecks, such as the ones faced for medical supplies, slow down vaccine availability after discovery. Production must be done globally to prevent bottlenecks, hoarding and to facilitate efficient distribution of vaccines to local clinics. Krishna B. Kumar, Mahshid Abir and Christopher Nelson, The Hill Waiting on a miracle cure in the future is causing unnecessary deaths right now Like an overly optimistic doctor, some policymakers are banking on a future vaccine that, at best, may arrive in 2021 while people are sick and dying now and the economy continues to be hobbled with an unclear path forward to stability. The tragedy is that there is a playbook that can reduce the number of cases and deaths right now. Eric Schneider, Los Angeles Times We shouldnt neglect other mitigation measures while we wait for a vaccine Cheap and easy testing would dramatically reduce COVID-19 transmission and deaths, and better prepare us for future such pandemics. Vaccine development can continue in parallel. Our nation deserves to get back to normal as soon as feasible. We shouldnt be a gambler at a casino, betting everything on one number. Lives arent chips. We have options other than a vaccine. Let's use them. Dr. Sudhakar V. Nuti, Samuel R. Turner and Dr. Howard P. Forman, USA Today We should be putting the same resources toward treatments as we are a vaccine Dozens of approaches could serve as a valuable bridge, from repurposed drugs to bespoke antibody cocktails. None can replace the value of a vaccine in getting the world back to normal, but the availability of more treatment options for sick patients could help to increase the chances of a faster and fuller recovery, and reduce the lethality of the disease. Max Nisen, Bloomberg Its possible that a coronavirus vaccine may never come There is no guarantee that such a vaccine will ever be discovered, much less be effective or safe. Vaccine science is notoriously unpredictable. Despite decades of research, there is still no vaccine to prevent viral infections like HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, herpes simplex, Zika, West Nile or norovirus. Katherine Seley-Radtke and Josh Bloom, Baltimore Sun The vaccine may be too expensive for average Americans to get it Theres been little action in Congress on the one thing that actually could get things back to normal: ensuring an affordable COVID-19 vaccine that could curtail the spread of the disease. The first step is obviously the investment were already seeing to create the vaccine, but the second step is just as important: regulation and accountability to ensure that medicines were paying to develop are accessible to all. Margarida Jorge, Marketwatch Trump could rush out a flawed vaccine for political reasons Thousands of Americans have already died as Donald Trump has perpetually postponed effective public health interventions and made poor therapeutic recommendations. We must be on alert to prevent him from corrupting the rigorous assessment of safety and effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines in order to pull an October vaccine surprise to try to win re-election. Ezekiel J. Emanuel and Paul A. Offit, New York Times Its unlikely that a vaccine will eradicate the coronavirus completely If and when we have a vaccine, what you get is not rainbows and unicorns. If we are forced to choose a vaccine that gives only one year of protection, then we are doomed to have Covid become endemic, an infection that is always with us. Vaccine expert Larry Brilliant to Guardian A rushed vaccine may not be safe The excitement and enthusiasm for a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of 2020 is both palpable and understandable. But there are risks that come with a fast-tracked vaccine delivered end of this year, not the least of which are the risks related to the safety of the vaccine itself. Telescoping testing timelines and approvals may expose all of us to unnecessary dangers related to the vaccine. William A. Haseltine, Scientific American Is there a topic youd like to see covered in The 360? Send your suggestions to the360@yahoonews.com. Read more 360s Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Getty Images Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 23:11:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COLOMBO, July 13, (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Index of Industrial Production (IIP) rose to 79 in May, up from 49.7 in April and nearing the March figure of 83.8, indicating a recovery from COVID-19 induced shocks, according to data released by the Department of Census and Statistics on Monday. However, data showed that overall manufacturing in May still recorded a 25.5 percent year-on-year reduction compared to 2019, likely due to supply chain shocks induced by COVID-19 and a curfew imposed in Sri Lanka from March 20 to May 26 to contain the pandemic. Data showed that the greatest year-on-year contraction was seen in the manufacturing of leather and related products, rubber and plastic products, fabricated metal products, and electrical equipment, which declined by 79.3, 70, 62.7 and 63 percent respectively. Enditem City police have charged a man after an incident after last call Saturday morning. Police were called to a Hunter Street West bar at about 2:20 a.m. to deal with a report of a man who had been punched in the face by another man, who left the area. Officers soon located a suspect near George and Charlotte streets. Scott Thomas Gillespie, 30, of Algonquin Boulevard, was arrested and charged with assault. He was released and will appear in court Sept. 9. Norwegian English Orklas operating profit (EBIT adj.) increased by 8.7% to NOK 1,205 million in the second quarter of 2020. Operating revenues rose by 5.3% to NOK 11,099 million. Adjusted earnings per share increased in the quarter by 18% to NOK 1.10. Orklas Branded Consumer Goods operations, including Headquarters, had a 16% improvement in operating profit. The improvement is a result of factors including cost-cutting measures related to the coronavirus pandemic, productivity improvements and positive currency translation effects. Four out of five business areas had a marked improvement in operating profit in the second quarter, compared with the same period of 2019: Orkla Consumer Investments (+46%), Orkla Care (+27%), Orkla Confectionery & Snacks (+26%) and Orkla Foods (+22%). Due to lockdowns in several markets and government-imposed restrictions, Orkla Food Ingredients saw a 48% decline in operating profit. Orklas Branded Consumer Goods operations had turnover growth of 6.2%, primarily due to currency fluctuations and acquisitions of companies. Organic growth was -3.8% in the second quarter. Orkla had good sales growth in the grocery market, but a considerable decline in sales to the out-of-home sector. We can look back on a half-year marked by the biggest ever peacetime crisis. In March, there was extensive stockpiling in grocery stores. After a slow start to the second quarter, volumes have picked up again. It looks as though consumers turn to well-known, familiar brands in times of crisis like the one we are currently experiencing. Outside the grocery sector, however, our companies have seen a substantial reduction in demand due to various restrictions imposed by the government. Now that society is gradually opening up again, we have also seen an improvement in out-of-home demand, says Orkla President and CEO Jaan Ivar Semlitsch. As a supplier of food, household cleaning and personal hygiene products, we at Orkla have a responsibility to society to ensure that our products are available. Its therefore gratifying to see that we have succeeded in maintaining close to normal supply chain operations during the coronavirus pandemic, while also fulfilling our top priority of protecting the health and safety of our employees, he adds. Orkla has also taken a number of structural actions: Orkla Wound Care has signed and completed an agreement to buy the shares in Norgesplaster. The company holds good positions in the wound care and first aid equjpment markets. Orkla Foods Sverige has signed and completed an agreement with PepsiCo, Inc. to purchase the Havrefras brand, including Rug Fras and Mini Fras. The brands hold strong positions in Scandinavia in healthy breakfast cereals. Orkla Foods Norge has signed an agreement to sell SaritaS, Vestlandslefsa and Li-Klenning. The purpose of the disposals is to streamline the portfolio and concentrate the business on selected core areas. It has been decided to wind up the Swedish business in Pierre Robert Group, and activity has gradually been reduced in the first half-year. Hydro Powers operating profit amounted to NOK -19 million, compared with NOK 69 million in the second quarter of 2019. The decline in profit was due to substantially lower power prices. Profit from associates increased by 37% to NOK 248 million. The improvement is mainly due to good profit growth and margin performance, as well as positive currency translation effects, in Jotun. Orklas profit before tax rose by 2% to NOK 1,200 million in the second quarter. Orkla ASA Oslo, 13 July 2020 Ref.: Group Director Corporate Communications and Corporate Affairs Hakon Mageli Mobile: +47 928 45 828 SVP Investor Relations Thomas Ljungqvist Mobile: +47 482 59 618 An Excel spreadsheet with key figures may be found at www.orkla.com. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act Attachments MUSKEGON, MI As the mother of a child with severe autism, Amber Horton sees firsthand the challenges that kids with sensory issues face in their everyday lives. Everywhere the Muskegon mom goes from the mall, to the grocery store, to the hospital she sees ways that her son, Max, could potentially get overstimulated by the sights and sounds, leading to a sensory meltdown. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PNM Resources (NYSE: PNM) today affirms its 2020 ongoing earnings guidance range of $2.16 to $2.26, targeting the midpoint of this range. During the second quarter, reductions to load related to COVID-19 were offset by warmer than normal temperatures across New Mexico and Texas. PNM Resources will announce 2020 second quarter financial results prior to the market open on July 31, 2020. The earnings news release will be issued at 6:30 a.m. Eastern and also will be posted on the company's website at www.PNMResources.com. Management will host a live conference call at 11 a.m. Eastern to discuss financial results and other company updates. During the conference call, management will highlight the company's strategic focus on investing to strengthen infrastructure and meet the requirements of increasing system renewables and the use of grid technology for reliability. Additionally, the company plans to discuss enhancing its goals in support of a clean energy future as part of its commitment to an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy. Investors and analysts can participate in the live conference call by pre-registering using the following link to receive a special dial-in number and PIN: http://dpregister.com/10145798. Telephone participants who are unable to pre-register may participate in the live conference call by dialing (877) 276-8648 or (412) 317-5474 fifteen minutes prior to the event and referencing "the PNM Resources second quarter conference call." Listeners are encouraged to visit the website at least 30 minutes before the event to register, download and install any necessary audio software. A live webcast of the call will be available at http://www.pnmresources.com/investors/events.cfm. Background: PNM Resources (NYSE: PNM) is an energy holding company based in Albuquerque, N.M., with 2019 consolidated operating revenues of $1.5 billion. Through its regulated utilities, PNM and TNMP, PNM Resources has approximately 2,761 megawatts of generation capacity and provides electricity to more than 790,000 homes and businesses in New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit the company's website at www.PNMResources.com. Contacts: Analysts Media Lisa Goodman Ray Sandoval (505) 241-2160 (505) 241-2782 Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 Statements made in this news release for PNM Resources, Inc. ("PNMR"), Public Service Company of New Mexico ("PNM"), or Texas-New Mexico Power Company ("TNMP") (collectively, the "Company") that relate to future events or expectations, projections, estimates, intentions, goals, targets, and strategies are made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned that all forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and estimates. PNMR, PNM, and TNMP assume no obligation to update this information. Because actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, PNMR, PNM, and TNMP caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements. PNMR's, PNM's, and TNMP's business, financial condition, cash flow, and operating results are influenced by many factors, which are often beyond their control, that can cause actual results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of risk factors and other important factors affecting forward-looking statements, please see the Company's Form 10-K, Form 10-Q filings and the information included in the Company's Forms 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which factors are specifically incorporated by reference herein. Non-GAAP Financial Measures GAAP refers to generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. Ongoing earnings is a non-GAAP financial measure that excludes the impact of net unrealized mark-to-market gains and losses on economic hedges, the net change in unrealized gains and losses on investment securities, pension expense related to previously disposed of gas distribution business, and certain non-recurring, infrequent, and other items that are not indicative of fundamental changes in the earnings capacity of the Company's operations. The Company uses ongoing earnings and ongoing earnings per diluted share (or ongoing diluted earnings per share) to evaluate the operations of the Company and to establish goals, including those used for certain aspects of incentive compensation, for management and employees. While the Company believes these financial measures are appropriate and useful for investors, they are not measures presented in accordance with GAAP. The Company does not intend for these measures, or any piece of these measures, to represent any financial measure as defined by GAAP. Furthermore, the Company's calculations of these measures as presented may or may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. The Company uses ongoing earnings guidance to provide investors with management's expectations of ongoing financial performance over the period presented. While the Company believes ongoing earnings guidance is an appropriate measure, it is not a measure presented in accordance with GAAP. The Company does not intend for ongoing earnings guidance to represent an expectation of net earnings as defined by GAAP. Since the future differences between GAAP and ongoing earnings are frequently outside the control of the Company, management is generally not able to estimate the impact of the reconciling items between forecasted GAAP net earnings and ongoing earnings guidance, nor their probable impact on GAAP net earnings without unreasonable effort, therefore, management is generally not able to provide a corresponding GAAP equivalent for ongoing earnings guidance. SOURCE PNM Resources, Inc. Related Links http://www.pnmresources.com Farm Credit and the American Farm Bureau Federation are sponsoring the 2021 Ag Innovation Challenge, a national competition for food and agriculture entrepreneurs. The Challenge supports startup companies dedicated to creating innovative solutions that address the needs of Americas farmers, ranchers and rural communities. Park Won-soon's ashes are carried to a bus after cremation in Seoul, Monday. The ashes were scattered in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, where his parents are buried. /Yonhap By Kim Se-jeong Friends, family and supporters gathered Monday to say goodbye to former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, a human rights lawyer who was regarded as a potential candidate for the 2022 presidential election. Park was found dead early Friday morning on Mount Bugak in central Seoul, a few days after his secretary filed a sexual harassment complaint. In a handwritten note, he said sorry to everyone. A vehicle carrying his coffin arrived at the Seoul City Hall building in downtown Seoul at 8:30 a.m., Monday. About 200 of his supporters gathered outside, with another 100 attending the service which was livestreamed online. "I can't believe I am at his funeral service," Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Lee Hae-chan said. "My heart is wrenching. Park, as I know, was a very driven man. He pioneered the civic movement in Korea. I can't be sadder and sorrier that he ended life this way. My dear old friend, you did a great jobI hope you rest in peace." Acting Seoul Mayor Seo Jeong-hyup said City Hall is "where Park who cherished communication as the highest virtue had met with residents." Artist's rendering of entrance to apartment tower planned at 1608 Sansom St. by developer Southern Land Co. Read more Developer Southern Land Co. plans to replace an aged four-level parking garage near Rittenhouse Square with a 27-story apartment tower, betting that rental demand will recover from the coronavirus pandemic by the time the project is completed years from now. The proposed 299-unit building, outlined last week in a presentation to the Center City Residents Association, would rise on the 1600 block of Sansom Street, taking the place of the garage with ground-floor retail tenants that include a branch of the Federal Donuts fried chicken chain. Dustin Downey, Southern Lands senior vice president for residential development, said that the country will hopefully have COVID well into our rear-view mirror when the project is ready for residents in 2 years, at the earliest. The market for Philadelphia will always return, particularly in this location, he said of the upscale neighborhood in western Center City, which has some of Philadelphias highest rents and property values. The 1608 Sansom St. project was designed to meet the areas land-use regulations, so it needs no variances or other relief, Southern Land officials said. But the developer was able to build higher than otherwise allowed by those regulations because Southern Land is contributing nearly $2.5 million to the citys fund for affordable housing, qualifying it for a mixed-income density bonus, said Peter Kelsen, a lawyer for the project. Southern Land aims to present the proposal next month to Philadelphias Civic Design Review board, which offers non-binding suggestions on the citys biggest development proposals as part of the governments building-approval process. The tower, which is designed with a facade of glass, metal and burnt-red cement panels, will also have nearly 16,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space on its bottom two floors, as well as an underground garage with space for 67 cars. Southern Lands other projects in the city include the Laurel, a 48-story condo and apartment tower under construction beside Rittenhouse Square at 1911 Walnut St. JAKARTA, Indonesia - A French man accused of molesting more than 300 Indonesian children has died two days after a guard found him lying in his cell with a wire wrapped around his neck, police said Monday. Francois Camille Abello was taken to a hospital after the suicide attempt on Friday and was in stable condition on Saturday, Jakarta police spokesman Yusri Yunus said. His condition then worsened and he died late Sunday, Yunus said. His condition was stable a day afterward, but then deteriorated (because) of brain damage due to lack of oxygen after the suicide attempt, Yunus said. Abello had faced a maximum penalty of chemical castration or death by firing squad under Indonesias child protection laws, Yunus said. Abello, 65, was arrested late last month in a hotel room in western Jakarta where he was found with two naked girls after police received a tip from nearby residents who suspected a foreigner at the hotel was exploiting children. Abello was paraded in handcuffs at a news conference last Thursday where police said videos found on his computer showed him engaging in illegal sex acts with 305 children aged 10 to 17. Abello remained silent at the news conference. Jakarta Police Chief Nana Sudjana said Abello had not co-operated with investigators and refused to provide passwords for programs on his computer. He said most of the victims were street children whom Abello had approached and offered work as models. Abello paid them between 250,000 and 1 million rupiah ($17 and $70) for engaging in sex acts and beat those who refused, Sudjana said. Police are still investigating whether he also exploited his victims economically through social media or other internet platforms prior to his death. French embassy officials were not available for comment. Police ballistic markers stand beside a child's bicycle at a crime scene where a 1-year-old child was shot and killed in Brooklyn, New York City, N.Y., on July 13, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Violence Has to Stop After One-Year-Old Shot Dead, NYC Mayor Says New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the shooting of a 1-year-old at a playground over the weekend isnt acceptable. To wake up this morning and learn that a 1-year-old child was killed on the streets of our city by gunfire is just so painful. Its not acceptable. It is not something we can ever look away from. Its something we have to address and stop and its just horrifying, the mayor said at a press conference on Monday. Davell Gardner Jr., the toddler, was hit in the stomach by a gunshot fired near a playground in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, which sits in the borough of Brooklyn, just before midnight on Sunday. Davell was rushed to a hospital but was soon pronounced dead. A one year old child is dead. The baby was with his family enjoying a Sunday night in the Summer when someone started shooting, Jeffrey Maddrey, the New York Police Departments (NYPD) chief of community affairs, said in a statement. Three people were injured and the baby was killed. This. Must.STOP! We as a community, we as a police department denounce this disgusting violence. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at a public appearance in New York, N.Y., on March 31, 2020. (Stefan Jeremiah/Reuters) Police officials said a 36-year-old man who was hit in the leg was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition while a 35-year-old man hit in the groin was in unknown condition at a hospital. A 27-year-old male who was hit in the ankle and walked into a hospital was in unknown condition. Two men dressed in all black started shooting at a group having a cookout before fleeing in an SUV, according to the NYPD. Police said an argument did not precipitate the shooting. This is not anything we can allow in our city, and its heartbreaking, its heartbreaking for so many reasons, and it begins with the fact that there are just so many guns out therethat is a New York tragedy and a national tragedy, de Blasio, a Democrat, told reporters. But its also another indication of the work we have to do, we have to heal, we have to bring our police and our communities together. We have so much to do. And its just something to think about, you can never look away from something to this and be numb to it. Because it goes against everything that we believe as New Yorkers. We cant let this happen in our city. So Im just heartbroken today. City officials have struggled to stem the spike in shootings. The city is under prolonged restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Protests continue near City Hall as people push for a further defunding of the NYPD. Lawmakers slashed some $1 billion from the department this month. Relatives of the dead and wounded grieve near the scene in Brooklyn where a 1-year-old child was shot and killed in New York City on July 13, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Murders are up 50 percent from 2019, with 18 in the week of June 29 to July 5, according to police data. The number of shooting victims jumped from 33 during the same time period last year to 101 this year and the number of shootings increased from 26 to 74. Current and former police officials attribute the spike to a number of factors, including bail reform, a paralyzed justice system, and the elimination of anti-crime units. After a bloody July 4th weekend that saw 56 people shot, the mayor instructed the NYPD to surge the number of officers at certain places around the city. The mayor announced on Friday a plan to pair officers with members of community organizations in a bid to stem shootings before they happen. Praising the Cure Violence movement and faith leaders, de Blasio said the Parks Department would also be involved in putting on activities that gave young people positive alternatives. Were going to have a youth town hall next Friday in Harlem to make sure the voices of young people and their needs are heard. And then a larger efforta take-back-the-block effort over the coming weeksgrassroots, anti-violence effort based on very successful models from recent years of community members, making very clear that their blocks, their community belongs to them and it needs to be a safe place, he said, vowing to break the cycle of violence. BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Sales of new-energy vehicles (NEVs) in China posted robust month-on-month growth in June, as the world's largest auto market steadily expands its recovery, industry data shows. Some 104,000 NEVs were sold last month, up 26.8 percent from the previous month, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). The year-on-year sales drop during the January-June period was 1.3 percentage points smaller than that registered in the first five months. Some 393,000 NEVs were sold in the first half of the year, down 37.4 percent year on year. CAAM data also shows that China's auto market maintained recovery momentum last month, with both production and sales registering double-digit growth. Total output reached 2.33 million units in June, up 22.5 percent year on year, while sales hit 2.3 million units, up 11.6 percent. The association said the figures came in better than expected as measures to boost car consumption continued to prop up the market. However, the association noted that uncertainties brought by the global COVID-19 situation remain and overseas market demand has yet to recover. It advised companies to monitor the changes in the domestic market and make adjustments accordingly. Sirte and al-Jufra airbase must be turned over to the Government of National Accord before a truce, Turkeys FM says. Turkey has dismissed prospects of any ceasefire in Libya saying a deal incorporating the conflicts existing front lines would not benefit the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the coastal city of Sirte and al-Jufra airbase need to be turned over to the GNA before it agrees to a ceasefire. Khalifa Haftars eastern-based self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) has been on the back foot after Turkish support helped the GNA turn back his 14-month assault on the capital, Tripoli. Asked about a possible operation against LNA-held Sirte, Cavusoglu said there was a diplomatic effort to solve the issue. There are preparations for an operation but we are trying the [negotiation] table. If there is no withdrawal, there is already a military preparation. They [GNA] will show all determination here, he said in an interview with state broadcaster TRT Haber on Monday. Any further advance by the GNA would give it the chance to take control over Libyas oil crescent, the region where most of its energy is produced and exported. Oil exploration Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates which supports Haftars forces along with Egypt and Russia continues to work for an immediate ceasefire and a return to a political process in Libya, said Anwar Gargash, the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone on Monday with Russias President Vladimir Putin. The two men discussed the war in Libya and in Syria, where they back rival sides, the presidents office said, without giving details. Turkey and the GNA signed a maritime delimitation deal last year, which Ankara says creates an exclusive economic zone from its southern coast to Libyas northeast coast, and protects rights to resources in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said in May that Turkish Petroleum, which had applied for an exploration permit in the eastern Mediterranean, may begin oil exploration in the region in three or four months. Cavusoglu said on Monday that Turkey would start seismic research and drilling operations for natural resources in the part of the eastern Mediterranean covered by the agreement. He did not provide a timeframe. He added Turkey was open to sharing with companies from third countries such as Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued an orange alert for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar, and a red alert for Raigad and Ratnagiri for Wednesday. An orange alert directs authorities to be prepared for heavy to very heavy rain while red alert means extremely heavy rain at isolated places. A yellow alert for moderate rain with heavy showers at isolated areas has been predicted for Tuesday. Mumbai suburbs on Monday witnessed moderate showers with intermittent spells of intense rain while only light rain was recorded in south Mumbai. Santacruz weather observatory recorded 26.8mm rain between 8.30am and 5.30pm, while Colaba recorded 4mm. In Mumbai, maximum rain was recorded at Mulund at 46mm, while Kasarvadavali in Thane recorded 51.4mm and Airoli in Navi Mumbai recorded 47mm. Between 8.30am Sunday to 8.30am Monday, Santacruz recorded 69.6mm rain while Colaba recorded 22.4mm rainfall. IMD classifies 15.6mm-64.4mm as moderate rain and 64.5mm-115.5mm rain as heavy. Rain intensity is likely to increase due to weather systems in the Arabian Sea that are intensifying. Extremely heavy rain is expected for south Konkan while very heavy rain across isolated areas is expected for north Konkan, including Mumbai, in the coming days, said KS Hosalikar, deputy director general, western region, IMD. Independent meteorologists said intense rain on Wednesday could lead to water-logging at low-lying areas. Heavy rain is expected from Wednesday evening onwards due to an east-west shear zone coupled with an upper air circulation in the Arabian Sea. Some places could see intense rains of around 70mm-80mm while other areas may also witness three-digit rainfall figures over 24 hours, said professor Sridhar Balasubramanian, department of Mechanical Engineering and IDP Climate Studies, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Chinese man who brutally murdered his housemate in their flat Googled 'how would homicide be sentenced in Australia?' just two days before the killing. Qi 'Kathy' Yu, 28, was murdered by her housemate Shuo Dong, 21, at their sharehouse in Campsie, south-west Sydney, on June 8, 2018. Ms Yu's body was then found wrapped up and on the side of the M1 motorway near Mount Ku-Ring-Gai in Sydney's north-west 47 days after she disappeared. Dong pleaded guilty to murder in the NSW Supreme Court in December. On Monday his chilling Google searches were revealed in court. Two days before killing Ms Yu, Dong visited a number of web pages between 3.44pm and 3.52pm Shuo Dong (pictured), 21, killed his housemate Qi 'Kathy' Yu, 28, at their sharehouse in Campsie, south-west Sydney, on June 8, 2018 Pictured: The Campsie unit where Ms Yu lived with her killer and another female housemate 'A Google search was made for 'How would Homicide be sentenced in Australia',' agreed court facts state, news.com.au reports. He then searched 'legal knowledge, how many years would intentionally homicide be given in Australia' and 'the sentencing criteria for intentional homicide. What expenses must be compensated for after intentional homicide.' He also typed into Google: 'What are the characteristics of intentional homicide? And how to properly determine intentional homicide?' Dong pleaded guilty to murdering Ms Yu in the NSW Supreme Court on December 4, 2019. Agreed facts stated he also made 18 searches for bushland areas like the Royal National Park and Ku-Ring-Gai. Shuo Dong's chilling internet searches 'How would Homicide be sentenced in Australia?' 'Legal knowledge, how many years would intentionally homicide be given in Australia.' 'The sentencing criteria for intentional homicide. What expenses must be compensated for after intentional homicide.' 'What are the characteristics of intentional homicide? And how to properly determine intentional homicide?' 'Australian Chinese life knowledge, our steps, life and other staff, comparison of underage criminal offence sanction between China and Australia.' Advertisement The court heard Dong spent the evening of June 8 bickering with Ms Yu over cutting the lease short and bond money he owed her. Ms Yu's parents, who were speaking to her from China via WeChat, could hear the argument in the background when the power to the unit was shut off. Zhihe Yu and Qin He later contacted a neighbour to check on their daughter and Dong informed the neighbour that Ms Yu was out for dinner. Dong and Ms Yu's third housemate said she arrived home and noticed blood-like stains in the home. Dong's phone was used to search for directions back from Mount Colah to Campsie At about 10.30pm that night. Police found Ms Yu's body near that section of the motorway on July 25, 2018 using data from Dong's phone. Pictured: Police recovering Ms Yu's body which was found in bushland in north-west Sydney She was discovered in a gully at Mount Ku-Ring-gai and a shirt containing Dong's DNA was wrapped tightly around her neck. Ms Yu's parents spoke out at his sentencing hearing on Monday and said their daughter believed Australia was a safe country with no bad people. 'She did not know much about the evil phenomena in society,' they said in their victim impact statement presented to the NSW Supreme Court. 'Qi's weakness was that she had no sense of threat from other people. 'Her experience from years of Australian life was that Australia was good for everything, good people, good air, good food, good environment, and good others.' Chilling pictures have emerged of a woman happily posing around Sydney before she was murdered and dumped next to a highway. The pictures were submitted as evidence in the Supreme Court of NSW and showed Ms Yu smiling with a hat and ice cream in front of Bondi Beach. She also posed with a large cone of gelato inside an ice cream shop. Another image showed Ms Yu wearing a graduation cap and gown at the University of New South Wales. The 28-year-old arrived in Australia in 2009 and completed a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and and a Masters in Telecommunication at UNSW. A final image saw Ms Yu posing with two soft toys in front of a pen of cattle, resembling the Sydney Royal Easter Show. The sentencing hearing will continue before Acting Justice Peter Hidden in August. While the worsening COVID-19 pandemic doesnt appear to have affected turnout during early voting for the primary runoffs, it has resulted in fewer places to cast ballots in Bexar County today, as more than 40 election workers bowed out over fears of contracting the deadly disease. Still, County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen said, there could be a record-setting turnout. With more than 55,000 ballots cast in person during early voting and 26,000 mail-in ballots received so far, the total turnout could exceed 100,000 by tonight if 25,000 to 30,000 voters cast ballots today. Jerry Lara /Staff photographer Thats just going to be phenomenal for a primary runoff, Callanen said. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Bexar County Elections Department initially had planned for 226 polling sites on election day, down from 280 that were open March 3 for the primary. That number of sites, now called voting centers, was further reduced by 12, for a total of 214, because about 50 election judges and workers scheduled to work decided at the last minute, sometimes in consultation with their families, not to work on election day, Callanen said. Bob Owen /Bob Owen Some voters were not wearing face coverings at the poll sites, despite rapid increases in new COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations since early voting began June 29, raising concerns among the workers. They were disturbed by the number of people who were coming in without a mask, Callanen said. Their families told them they had pressed their luck by working 10 days. And they said they just werent comfortable. I completely understand. On ExpressNews.com: Early voting under way with COVID-19 precautions Eight sites eliminated for today were removed from the election departments online list of sites and its interactive poll site locator before Monday. They were located across the county and included suburban city offices or community centers in Olmos Park, Grey Forest, Hill Country Village and St. Leos Catholic Church. But another three were removed Monday night after more workers decided it wasnt safe to staff the locations. Those three sites that now will be closed are Cameron Elementary on the East Side, Corbett Middle School on the Northeast Side and Storm Elementary on the West Side. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News A list of open polling locations is at bexar.org/elections. The department headquarters also is open for voting; it functions as the main vote center downtown, at 1103 S. Frio St. The 10-day early voting period double the normal length for a runoff by order of Gov. Greg Abbott to prevent crowding and lines at the polls ended Friday night. The early vote total of 81,000-plus far exceeds the nearly 37,000 ballots, including 14,135 by mail, cast during early voting in the 2018 primary runoff. With just over 1.14 million voters now registered in Bexar County, the early voting turnout will be at least 7 percent, compared with 3.5 percent of the 1.06 million voters in 2018. Callanen said todays election is confronted by a perfect storm of factors a nearly two-month postponement, the novel coronavirus and 100-degree heat that could affect voters standing in line outside while social distancing. This is an unusual election. Its unusual for so many reasons: that it was postponed from May, when it should have happened; that its in a pandemic. But now its 104 outside. We have to not only be cognizant of the COVID procedures, but now we have to be super cautious of people being outside in this heat. Voters registered in Bexar County can cast a ballot at any site with the countys new ExpressVote system, just as theyre allowed to do during early voting. The system was first used locally in November in a statewide election on 10 constitutional amendments, along with some local ballot issues. On ExpressNews.com: Early voting in pandemic will be different Todays Democratic runoff ballot includes a race between military veteran Mary MJ Hegar and state Sen. Royce West of Dallas to challenge longtime Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in November, as well as runoffs for state Senate District 19, state House District 119 and Precinct 1 Bexar County commissioner. The Republican runoffs include contests for U.S. House Districts 20 and 23 and Precinct 3 county commissioner. Just over 58 percent of ballots cast during early in-person voting in Bexar County were in the Democratic runoffs. The two county commissioners races pit political newcomer Rebeca Becky Clay-Flores against four-term Democratic incumbent Sergio Chico Rodriguez in Precinct 1, and public relations expert Trish DeBerry against retired Judge Tom Rickhoff in a Republican contest for a seat being vacated by Kevin Wolff in Precinct 3. Callanen urged voters to wear cool, comfortable clothes because the temperatures are going to be brutal, as well as a mask to protect the election workers. She and County Judge Nelson Wolff have said theyre worried that the pandemic could cause a serious staffing problem at the more than 300 vote centers planned for the Nov. 3 election, when voter participation is likely to go well over 50 percent. Respect our election officials and thank them. Theyre putting themselves on the line for this, Callanen said. Scott Huddleston covers Bexar County government and the Alamo for the San Antonio Express-News. To read more from Scott, become a subscriber. shuddleston@express-news.net | Twitter: @shuddlestonSA All Shall Know Me: His Name is Jesus: an important read that reveals the truths about the Savior as it is embedded in the Scriptures. All Shall Know Me: His Name is Jesus is the creation of published author Jonathan W. Street, a theology teacher at International College of Bible Theology for ten years now. He is a father of two and a member of Mountain Movers Ministry, Chesterfield, Va. Street shares, The problem is, so many still dont know Him. We live in a highly advanced society, but we have allowed our focus to shift to the pursuit of knowledge that wont benefit us when our life on earth is done. Small children know how to use electronic gadgets better than their own parents; unfortunately, these devices allow access to evil games, movies, and pornographic sites. The good news is, the gospel of Jesus Christ is being transmitted over these same airwaves. When we know God, our outlook on life will change. It is the responsibility of every believer to go out into the world and teach others what we know. Just because the news media refuse to report the many miracles that are being performed every day doesnt mean we should stop praying, and believing God for them. What we do in private affects one life at a time. Many of the miracles that Jesus performed were one on one. As film crews move from one location to another, they turn their lights out. When Jesus turns on the light in our hearts, people we arent aware of will see our actions and glorify Him. As we learn more about him, we become more like Him. Food, clothing, and shelter are the basic necessities needed for a comfortable life here on earth. As we unfold the beautiful truths found in scripture, we discover the real reason Jesus came. Of all the evidence that has been presented concerning the deity of Jesus Christ, the words God spoke through the prophets is the strongest. The Old Testament is full of prophecies about the first and second coming of Christ. Many have already been fulfilled. The whole Bible reveals Him and is the greatest testimony to His authenticity. In order to witness about Him, with power, you have to know Him and know about Him. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Jonathan W. Streets new book is an insightful manuscript that will help readers get to know Christ more, His purpose on earth, and Gods intention for Him. Through this creation, one will be led to becoming a more faithful believer in the Savior Himself. View a synopsis of All Shall Know Me: His Name is Jesus on YouTube. Consumers can purchase All Shall Know Me: His Name is Jesus at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about All Shall Know Me: His Name is Jesus, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. By Agencies LONDON: Wendy Barclay, chairwoman in influenza virology at Imperial College London, has said that coronavirus particles can remain infectious in the air for more than an hour. Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Barclay said: It is the first time that the World Health Organization has acknowledged that the airborne route contributes to the spread of this disease. Of course, there are other routes as well... But what this new acknowledgment means is that the route through the air probably also contributes in some circumstances. Barclay said the virus could remain suspended in the air and travel some distance away from the person who had breathed them out, with laboratory studies showing it could remain infectious in the air for more than an hour. She added that replenishing the air in a room was important to avoiding spreading the virus, rather than recirculating the air like some air conditioning systems do. Professor Barclay sits on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), which counsels the British government on science and technical issues. Barclays remarks come after the World Health Organization (WHO) last week acknowledged that there emerging evidence that Covid-19 can be spread by tiny particles suspended in the air, the BBC reported. The airborne transmission could not be ruled out in crowded, closed or poorly ventilated settings, a WHO official had said. WHO officials have cautioned the evidence is preliminary and requires further assessment. If the evidence is confirmed, it may affect guidelines for indoor spaces. In an open letter published this week in a journal, two scientists from Australia and the US wrote that studies have shown beyond any reasonable doubt that viruses are released during exhalation, talking and coughing in microdroplets small enough to remain aloft in the air. The researchers, along with more than 200 others, appealed for national and international authorities, including WHO, to adopt more stringent protective measures. As of Sunday, the total number of global coronavirus cases stood at over 1.2 crore, with more than 5.6 lakh deaths, according to a virus tracker from Johns Hopkins University. An Alabama jail is temporarily closing on Monday. The St. Clair County Jail, built in 1939 in Pell City, will be undergoing a thorough assessment, because of its age, a news release said. The building was last remodeled in 1994 but Sheriff Bill Murray said there have been some minor upgrades since then. To ensure the safety of inmates and employees, officials said the facility will be temporarily evacuated as the assessment is conducted, WBRC-TV reported. Sheriffs in surrounding counties, as well as the Alabama Department of Corrections, have agreed to house inmates temporarily. Theres no immediate word on when the evacuation order will be lifted. By Michael Adeshina Pastor Emmanuel Omale has denied allegations that he conspired with the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, to launder funds abroad. Omale, who is also the General Overseer of Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministries International, Abuja, made the denial in a pre-litigation letter addressed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday. NAN had on Saturday published a story citing a report issued by a Presidential panel set up to investigate the EFCC between 2015 and 2020. The report accused Magu of being unable to account for the interest generated from cash recoveries of over N500bn. The report also accused Magu of buying a property in Dubai worth N573m through the Omale. However, in the letter which was signed by his lawyer, Chief Gordy Uche (SAN), Omale said he indeed met Magu in Dubai earlier in the year but not for illegal activity. Omale said he only prayed with the suspended EFCC boss who had traveled to Dubai for medical reasons. The letter read in part, We, however, wish to make the following clarifications to put the public records straight: That our client is the General Overseer of an Inter-denominational/Multi-religious Prayer Ministry. That our client, only visited Mr. Ibrahim Magu in a hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, sometime in March 2020. That our client never laundered any funds whatsoever for Mr. Ibrahim Magu or for anybody whatsoever. Our client does not own any foreign bank account anywhere in the world. That there are no funds whatsoever traceable from Mr. Ibrahim Magu to our clients bank accounts whatsoever neither has our client received any funds whatsoever from Mr. Ibrahim Magu. Our client has never received any funds whatsoever from anybody on behalf of Mr. Ibrahim Magu. That our client does not own any property in Dubai. His name was never used to purchase any property whatsoever in Dubai, United Arab Emirates or anywhere else in any part of the world, neither has he purchased any property nor properties for Mr. Ibrahim Magu in any part of the world whatsoever. Omale, however, asked the Federal Government-owned news agency to retract the publication or a libel suit of N1bn would be instituted against the agency. Related Xu Zhangrun was detained for a week for writing articles critical of President Xi Jinpings handling of the pandemic. A Chinese academic who published essays strongly criticising President Xi Jinping over the coronavirus pandemic has been released after nearly a week in detention, his friends have told the AFP news agency. Xu Zhangrun, a law professor at Beijings prestigious Tsinghua University, was taken from his home in the capital by a group of more than 20 people on July 6, according to his associates. He returned home on Sunday and was well, two of his friends confirmed to AFP on Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity. Xu published an essay, titled Viral Alarm When Fury Overcomes Fear, in February blaming the culture of deception and censorship fostered by Xi for the spread of the coronavirus in China, where the outbreak was first reported in December last year before spreading globally. The cause of all of these lies, ultimately, is the axle a reference to Xi and the cabal that surrounds him, Xu wrote in the essay that appeared on overseas websites, adding the chaos in the virus epicentre of Hubei province reflected systemic problems in the Chinese state. It began with the imposition of stern bans on the reporting of accurate information about the virus, which served to embolden deception at every level of government, he said. It was not immediately clear whether he would face further repercussions. Beijing police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. Suffocating grip A friend of Xu told AFP on July 6 that a man claiming to be police called the professors wife to say he had been arrested for allegedly soliciting prostitutes, which the friend dismissed as ridiculous and shameless. The professor a rare government critic in the heavily censored Chinese academia had been put under house arrest a week prior to being taken into custody, the friend said. In a previous essay circulated online, Xu spoke out against the 2018 abolition of presidential term limits, which left Xi free to rule for life. After Tsinghua reportedly barred Xu from teaching and research in 2019, hundreds of Tsinghua alumni and academics around the world signed an online petition calling for his reinstatement. Freedom of expression in China has always been tightly controlled by the Communist Party, but critics say the grip has become suffocating under Xi. The United States and the European Union last week called Xus detention a human rights violation, pressing for his release. Its good news that Professor Xu has been released, but he should have not been detained in the first place, said Yaqiu Wang, China researcher at Human Rights Watch. Wang called the prostitution accusation laughable, saying it was a common government tactic used to smear and silence critics. Xu is the latest in a wave of intellectuals swept up in what critics say is a crackdown by Xi on dissent in all spheres of public life. Legal scholar Zhang Xuezhong was briefly detained by Shanghai police in May after publishing an open letter criticising Beijings handling of the coronavirus and calling for a democratic government. Space for independent discussion has shrunk further this year as Xis government has sought to deflect blame for the coronavirus, which scientists believe emerged from a wild animal market in Wuhan. Flash China has decided to impose sanctions on four United States officials and an institution who have acted viciously on issues related to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as a reciprocal measure against relevant moves made earlier by the U.S., a foreign ministry spokesperson said Monday. According to spokesperson Hua Chunying at a daily press briefing, the sanctions will be applied on the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Ted Cruz, Congressman Chris Smith, and Sam Brownback, the U.S. State Department ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom. "We urge the United States to immediately withdraw its wrong decision, and cease any remarks or attempts of meddling in China's internal affairs and damaging China's interests," Hua said, adding China will make further responses in accordance with the development of the situation. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 23:53:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, July 13 (Xinhua) -- A two-week online training seminar on governance capacity for South Africa, which is hosted by the National School of Government (NSG) in collaboration with the China-Africa Institute and the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) started on Monday. South Africa Deputy Minister for Public Service and Administration Sindisiwe Chikunga said with rampant malfeasance at state-owned entities, the seminar would assist to fix the mess. "We place a huge premium on restoring the credibility of public institutions given their agency in the implementation of government programmes that are responsive to our people's needs," she said. Chikunga said South Africa and China would continue sharing skills in different sectors. "South Africa's relationship with China continues to make possible the sharing of knowledge, skills, expertise and resources, in addition to foreign direct investment. Recently, there have been increased movements towards regional integration and technology transfers," she said. With the globe grappling with COVID-19, Zhou Yunfan, CASS Deputy Director General of Bureau of International Cooperation said good governance was key during this period. "The capacities of governance are essential to the economic and social development of a country," Zhou said, adding that similar development issues in China and the continent could be tackled. Cai Fang, President of China-Africa Institute, told the seminar that sharing and exchanging ideas on cooperative governance and development during the pandemic was important. "Our thinking will grow ever more prudent and actions are ever more decisive. My dear South African friends, as we all ponder and explore ways forward for our homelands towards greater prosperity, we find new sources of inspiration in our collaborative efforts," Cai said. Senior public officials, advisers and researchers are among public officials attending the training which is aimed at exposing them to international models of governance and development. Enditem Facebook, Google, Microsoft along with several other tech companies have joined the US Chamber of Commerce in adding on to a lawsuit against the Trump administration, pushing back on a new rule that would force foreign students to leave the country if their colleges implemented online-only classes this fall. A lot of US colleges are moving to online-only classes due to the pandemic, but the latest ruling from ICE states that the only way for foreign students to stay is to take in-person classes. Otherwise, they risk having their student visas revoked. The lawsuit was first filed last week by Harvard and M.I.T. against the Department of Homeland Security. Harvard has stated it would have online-only classes over the next year, while M.I.T will employ a hybrid model, with most of its classes held online. Separately, attorneys-general from 17 states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit of their own to block the rule. Both tech companies and universities rely a lot on international talent. Colleges often depend on international student tuition for income and tech companies frequently seek to widen their talent pool with skilled workers from around the world. These students contribute substantially to the U.S. economy when they are resident in the United States, said the parties in the brief. Other tech companies that have joined the suit include Spotify, Salesforce, Adobe, Dropbox, Github, Linkedin, Paypal and Twitter. WARSAW, Poland - Polish President Andrzej Duda declared victory Monday in a runoff election in which he narrowly won a second five-year term, acknowledging the campaign he ran was often too harsh as he appealed for unity and forgiveness. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 12/7/2020 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Incumbent President Andrzej Duda shakes hands with supporters in Pultusk, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. An exit poll in Poland's presidential runoff election shows a tight race that is too close to call between the conservative incumbent, Andrzej Duda, and the liberal Warsaw mayor, Rafal Trzaskowski.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) WARSAW, Poland - Polish President Andrzej Duda declared victory Monday in a runoff election in which he narrowly won a second five-year term, acknowledging the campaign he ran was often too harsh as he appealed for unity and forgiveness. The close race followed a bitter campaign between Duda and Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski that was dominated by cultural issues. The government, state media and the influential Roman Catholic Church all mobilized in support of Duda and sought to stoke anti-Semitism, homophobia and xenophobia in order to shore up conservative support. Duda celebrated what was seen as a mandate for him and the right-wing ruling party that backs him, Law and Justice, to continue on a path that has reduced poverty but raised concerns that democracy is under threat. Incumbent President Andrzej Duda is hugged by his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda in Pultusk, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. An exit poll in Poland's presidential runoff election shows a tight race that is too close to call between the conservative incumbent, Andrzej Duda, and the liberal Warsaw mayor, Rafal Trzaskowski.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) It was a very sharp campaign, probably too sharp at times, Duda told supporters in Odrzywol, a town near Warsaw. If anyone is offended by my words, please forgive me. And give me the chance to improve in the next five years. Duda received 51.03% of Sundays vote, while Trzaskowski got 48.97%, according to final results Monday from the state electoral commission. Duda told supporters in Odrzywol that he was grateful and moved by winning the support of more than 10 million voters. He said that with the race now over, it was time to turn to the difficult job of returning the country to strong growth after the economic blow of the coronavirus. Trzaskowski conceded defeat and congratulated Duda. He thanked his supporters and said his strong showing would be the catalyst to fight to keep Poland from becoming a one-party state. Incumbent President Andrzej Duda addresses supporters in Pultusk, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. An exit poll in Poland's presidential runoff election shows a tight race that is too close to call between the conservative incumbent, Andrzej Duda, and the liberal Warsaw mayor, Rafal Trzaskowski.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) This is just the beginning of the road," Trzaskowski said. But Adam Michnik, a prominent anti-communist dissident and the founding editor of the liberal Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, said the result bodes badly for Polands young democracy. Andrzej Dudas victory will be understood by his voters, and first of all by those in power, as a permission for the kind of politics that Law and Justice has been pursuing for almost five years, and that is a policy of the destruction of the democratic system, of isolating Poland in Europe, of homophobia, of xenophobia, nationalism and of using the Catholic Church as a tool, Michnik said. I would not even rule out a situation in which, if this policy is continued and we see an attempt on the free media, culture and science, there could be another Maidan, he said, referring to the bloody 2014 pro-Europe protests in Ukraine. Incumbent President Andrzej Duda flashes a victory sign in Pultusk, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. An exit poll in Poland's presidential runoff election shows a tight race that is too close to call between the conservative incumbent, Andrzej Duda, and the liberal Warsaw mayor, Rafal Trzaskowski.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Critics and human rights groups worry Duda's victory will boost illiberal tendencies at home and in the European Union, which has also struggled to halt an erosion of rule of law in Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Among those who welcomed Dudas victory were Orban, as well as the Czech leaders. Orban congratulated him on Facebook, saying bravo! while Czech President Milos Zeman though a spokesman said: Long live Poland! The result was dispiriting for liberals in Europe who are keen to halt what they consider the threat of populism and nationalism. Supporters stretch their hands to touch fists with Presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski, right, at the end of the election day in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. Voting ended in Poland's razor-blade-close presidential election runoff between the conservative incumbent Andrzej Duda and liberal, pro-European Union Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski with exit polls showing the election is too close to call. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Remigijus Simasius, the liberal mayor of the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, offered his condolences to Poles and said the small difference in support of about 2% sometimes determines the path between progress and regress. Duda got help from U.S. President Donald Trump, who invited him to the White House in late June and said he was "doing a terrific job. His campaign focused on defending traditional family values in the predominantly Catholic nation of 38 million people, and on preserving social spending policies. The party's popular policies included lowering the retirement age and paying monthly cash bonuses of 500 zlotys ($125) per child to all families irrespective of income. Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski concedes defeat in Poland's tight presidential election runoff and congratulates President Andrzej Duda for winning a second term, in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, July 13, 2020.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Many credit Law and Justice for being the first party to reduce the economic inequality that came with Poland's transition from communism to a market economy three decades ago. There is a strong sense among Poles that the economic help is restoring a sense of dignity after decades of hardship from war, communism and the upheaval brought by capitalism. The party also stoked conflict with the EU by taking control of the top courts and judicial bodies. Officials in Brussels repeatedly expressed concern over the rule of law in both Poland and Hungary, which were for many years hailed as the most successful democracies to emerge from behind the Iron Curtain. Law and Justice officials have said they plan to continue reshaping the justice system and also want to nationalize foreign-owned private media outlets. Critics fear that lower courts will face increased political pressure and that press freedom will face new threats. Zselyke Csaky, an expert on central Europe with the human rights group Freedom House, said Dudas victory gives the party essentially free rein until parliamentary elections in 2023 to do away with limits on its power and work towards destroying Polands independent institutions. Sundays vote was originally planned for May but was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Turnout was 68.18%, close to a record set in 1995, in a sign of the huge stakes for Poles. As the race tightened, Duda turned further to the right in search of votes. He denounced the LGBT rights movement as an ideology worse than communism. His campaign also cast Trzaskowski as someone who would sell out Polish interests to Jewish interests, tapping old anti-Semitic tropes in a country that was home to Europes largest Jewish community before it was decimated by Germany in the Holocaust. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitored the election, said that while well organized, negative campaigning and mutual vilification abounded" and that the incumbents campaign and coverage by the public broadcaster were marked by homophobic, xenophobic and anti-Semitic rhetoric. But the World Jewish Congress focused on Duda's past condemnations of anti-Semitism in a congratulatory statement, not mentioning the harsh campaign. President Duda has spoken out against this hatred, and we remain hopeful that he will continue to do so, WJC President Ronald Lauder said. During the campaign, Duda also lashed out at a German correspondent and a partly German-owned tabloid for their campaign coverage, alleging a German attack in these elections. A German Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday that Berlin works outstandingly with the Polish government and would continue to do so. ___ Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin; Pablo Gorondi in Budapest, Hungary; and Karel Janicek in Prague and Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, contributed. Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) maintained that it was only watching the Rajasthan developments and had no role in the intra-Congress crisis, it used the opportunity to criticise the Congress leadership, particularly the Gandhi family. Talking to the media, party leader and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP), Om Mathur, distanced the BJP from the rumblings in the state and dubbed the fallout between chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy, Sachin Pilot, as an internal issue of the Congress. He added that the discomfort between the two was evident from the day of the government taking oath. Also read: Rajasthan turmoil continues as Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot dig in heels The BJP has refrained from making any statements to imply its keenness in staking claim to forming government in the state for two reasons, according to a person familiar with the development. For one, the party does not have the required numbers to do so. In the 200-member assembly, it only has 72 MLAs and needs 101 to reach the half-way mark, and is not sure if Sachin Pilot has the numbers and whether he will indeed make a switch or is negotiating for more space within the Congress. We are tracking the developments, but there are no plans underway to stake claim to form the government, unless there is a clean break in the Congress unit in the state and the CM falls short of majority, said a senior party functionary. Also read: Sachin Pilot hardens stand after setback in Jaipur, preps for Round 2 Second, it is treading cautiously to avoid a repeat of how things unfurled in Uttarakhand in 2016 and in Maharashtra late last year. In 2016, the BJPs attempts to form a government in Uttarakhand after dislodging the Congress government came undone, when the then Congress CM Harish Rawat not only won the floor test but the courts set aside Presidents Rule. In Maharashtra, the BJP failed to sustain its government, formed with the support of Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar, when the faction of NCP rebels pulled back at the last minute, and Pawar returned to his home party. This caution, however, did not preclude the party from criticising the Congress and placing the onus on the party to resolve the crisis. Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat took a dig at Rahul Gandhi, the former Congress president, and tweeted, Those who offered knowledge to the Prime Minister on the India-China stand-off have failed to resolve their dispute today! Amit Malviya, the IT cell head of the BJP, tweeted that Gehlot should call for a floor test to prove his majority, even though senior party leaders said it was his individual comment and not the partys position. ..Ashok Gehlot must immediately call for a floor test, prove his majority, save Rajasthan the drama and get on with the business of governance. But if he is herding his MLAs to a resort, then clearly he doesnt have the numbers and is merely delaying the inevitable, Malviya had tweeted. Party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain put out a short video blaming the Congress leadership. He said the fallout was an internal matter of the Congress, but also a direct result of keeping the interest of one family over the interests of the party. All grassroot youth leaders who are seen as a threat to Rahul Gandhi are being ignored and insulted regularly, he said in the video. Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said the BJP needed to introspect about its own behaviour rather than critique the Congress. The BJP leaders rather than passing remarks at Congress internal affairs should first understand the meaning of ignoring & insulting from LK Advani, MM Joshi, Vasundhara Raje, Keshubhai Patel and then, give lecture on grassroot leaders. The Congress is standing on the basis of strength of all its workers and BJP is standing on basis of strength of investigating agencies. Rather than working on congressisation of BJP, the top leadership of BJP should give importance to their own flock who feel neglected and ignored due to the BJPs obsession with poaching the Congress talent pool. Why are fish wars heating up all over the world? by James Massola July 13,2020 | Source: SMH The South China Sea is one of the world's most tense regions. But the entry of four Chinese coast guard vessels and 63 fishing boats into Indonesian waters in December, and again in January, still managed to shock and infuriate Indonesia. The Chinese vessels were fishing in the Natuna Sea in part of Indonesia's exclusive economic zone. In response, the Indonesian government sent its own coast guard, navy, private fishing boats and even four F-16 fighter jets to repel them. It was a reminder that fishing rights are a big part of what's at stake in the region not just territorial boundaries and access to oil and gas reserves. The same pattern is playing out around the world, in waters from Africa to Antarctica. In some places, illegal fishing is happening on an industrial scale. In others, desperate fishermen are chasing species into their neighbours' patches of sea. In many cases, fishing is a proxy for deeper power plays. An estimated 59 million people worked in fishing or aquaculture industries in 2016, and 85 per cent of those people were in Asia, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). There were an estimated 4.6 million fishing vessels globally, from huge trawlers to unpowered boats. Again, 75 per cent of those were from Asia. Global fish production peaked at about 170 million tonnes in 2016, with about 90 million tonnes from caught fish (including from oceans and inland fishing). The caught fish figure has been relatively static since the mid-1980s, even as distant water fishing fishing within the maritime zones of other countries has taken off. People all over the world are eating more fish. Between 1961 and 2015, in per capita terms, consumption grew from 9 kilograms a person to more than 20 kilograms. It now accounts for about 17 per cent of animal protein consumed globally. A study in the journal Nature, by the Sea Around Us initiative,suggested the FAO had underestimated the "peak" global fish catch from the world's oceans. The figure was actually 130 million tonnes, it contended, not 86 million tonnes (in 1996). But there has been a decline in ocean and inland fish catches, with a boom in aquaculture fish farming accounting for the growth in production. Even as the percentage of the world's oceans being fished has risen from 60 to 90 per cent, the actual catch has declined dramatically from 25 tonnes per 1000 kilometres travelled in the 1950s to 7 tonnes per 1000 kilometres, according to another study by the Sea Around Us. That's not because fishing fleets or nations have become more ecologically conscious it's because there are fewer fish to catch. The Sydney Morning Herald Theme(s): Others. It was all apologies Monday from two of the countrys highest-ranking politicians, whove been left reeling from widespread criticism that has zeroed in their on family ties to WE Charity. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau came out within hours of each other on Monday to apologize for not recusing themselves from the decision to give the organization a major government contract. The statements came after weeks of controversy following the Liberal governments decision to award the charity a contract to deliver a $900-million program for student volunteers, even though Trudeau and his family have a long history with WE. The mistake that we made was on me and I take responsibility for it, Trudeau told reporters Monday morning. Not only has it created unnecessary controversy and issues, it also means that young people who are facing a difficult time right now getting summer jobs, contributing to their communities, are going to have to wait a little longer. Trudeau has faced criticism for not recusing himself from the WE Charity decision since it was revealed earlier this month that WEs for-profit corporation paid his mother and brother a combined $282,000 in speaking fees between 2016 and 2020. For the Liberal government which is facing an ethics investigation, charges of cronyism from the Opposition, a committee probe and waves of public scrutiny during the COVID-19 pandemic the family ties dont end there. Morneau also took part in the decision-making process around the WE contract, even though his daughter was working for the organization. In the summer of 2019, Morneau also announced that the government had given a $3 million grant to WE. Morneau wasnt available for an interview on Monday, but in an emailed statement to the Star, he acknowledged that he should not have taken part in the decision-making process. I did not recuse myself from the discussions on this topic and, given the fact that my daughter works for the organization in an unrelated branch, I now realize I should have in order to avoid any perception of conflict, Morneau said. I apologize for not doing so, and moving forward, I will recuse myself from any future discussions related to WE. WE Charity was awarded the $19.5-million contract to administer the volunteer program in late June. The organization and the government later said they came to a mutual decision to cancel the deal amid accusations of ethics violations. Trudeau now faces his third ethics investigation as prime minister. During his Monday news conference, Trudeau said he was very aware that members of his family worked with WE but that he was unaware of the details of the remuneration. He added that he would look at any invitations that come in to testify before a parliamentary finance committee. Trudeau said other ministers and officials will be testifying this week. In this situation, I should have recused myself. Canadians will make their judgments about what we were trying to do and what I should have done. Lori Turnbull, director of the School of Public Administration at Dalhousie University, called the apology a low-risk strategy for the prime minister. Its kind of clever on his part, in the sense that hes now able to pivot if hes asked about it, Turnbull said. He will be asked about it a lot and hes able to say, Yes, I took responsibility for that. I apologized and now lets talk about something else. Calling the apology guarded, Turnbull noted that Trudeau didnt say sorry for the actual decision, just for the fact that he didnt walk away from the table. It could be that people are quite angry about this, but it doesnt end up showing up at the ballot box, she said. Or, it could be that this is the straw that breaks the camels back. Amidst the controversy, WE Charity took out full-page advertisements Monday in the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail to apologize and answer valid questions about its involvement with the grant program. The past two weeks have been extremely difficult, the ad read. The charitys integrity and purpose has been called into question. It has had direct impacts on our staff, supporters and beneficiaries. We have made mistakes that we sincerely regret. It has led us to more closely examine our own internal structures, governance and organization. The ad was signed by Craig and Marc Kielburger, the charitys co-founders. It suggested that the idea for WE to run the grant program originated with the public service, and that the charity did not profit from the original $19.5-million contract. The workers, men in their 40s, had gone to City Hall to tow the cars. Police said protesters surrounded them, climbed on top of the tow truck and laid down in the street in front of the truck. Punching one worker is the offense for which Fitzpatrick faces the misdemeanor charge. The felony is for allegedly hitting the other worker in the head with the gun. They surrounded us, one of the workers told the Post-Dispatch. I wasnt expecting that. They were yelling a whole bunch of stuff. The worker said paramedics treated him at the scene for a head injury but he didnt need stitches. He is back at work now, he said. The worker did not want to be publicly identified. Fitzpatrick is the only man police say has been charged. St. Louis police officer Michelle Woodling said a second suspect hasnt been arrested. On Friday, police stopped a Nissan Altima near Cole and 11th streets. Fitzpatrick was driving. Police said the weapon was on the floorboard of the car, according to authorities. Court records say Fitzpatrick works for a fast-food restaurant and a package delivery service. Charging documents spell his first name DAundre but a news release from police spells it Daundre. A long-awaited equal pay lawsuit at the U.K. Supreme Court could see thousands of mostly female workers obtain better wages from the largest supermarkets and end up costing the chains as much as 8 billion pounds ($10.1 billion). The Supreme Court on Monday will scrutinize a discrimination case brought by more than 15,000 employees who work at Walmart Inc.s Asda stores. The group contends that they should be paid the same as workers in the companys warehouses, who are predominantly men. The case could redefine how work is valued for women at supermarkets across the country with similar suits pending against J Sainsbury Plc, Tesco Plc, Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc and Co-Operative Group Ltd. The total value of the claims is around 8 billion pounds, according to lawyers at Leigh Day, who act for the workers. Asda has insisted that its hourly pay is the same for male and female workers and that disparities only arise because the work is different in warehouses than in the stores. The fallout from the coronavirus pandemic has put renewed pressure on equality in the labor market. But British firms have made mixed progress to narrow the pay gap since the government forced companies to disclose wage data in 2018. On average, men make about 14% more than women. Michael Newman, a lawyer at Leigh Day, said Covid-19 should be focusing everyone on the importance of key workers, who work in stores every day. Why are we valuing one set more than another? Newman said. The job hasnt changed; weve just woken up to their importance. The grocer appealed the case to the Supreme Court after losing in a lower tribunal, which ruled that it was fair to compare the different jobs. While we respect the rights of retail workers to bring this case, we fundamentally disagree with its premise and will continue to make our arguments clear, Asda said in a statement ahead of the hearing. Retail and distribution are two different industry sectors. The case has been winding its way through the courts since 2014, when about 1,000 workers first brought the claims to an employment tribunal. If the Supreme Court dismisses the appeal, the employees will then have to prove two more points: that the different roles are of equal value and that discrimination is the reason for the pay gap. The hearing comes as the virus-related downturn is disproportionately hurting womens employment. According to an early April analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, women were more likely than men to work in a sector that had been shut down due to coronavirus, such as retail and childcare. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. By PTI KATHMANDU: Nepal's Culture minister has asked the staff of the trust that operates the Pashupatinath Hindu Temple to start making preparations to reopen the iconic religious and heritage site where special worship was suspended following a spike in COVID-19 cases. Addressing a review meeting of the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) on Sunday, Yogesh Bhattarai told the staff of the organisation to launch a development initiative at the UNESCO World Heritage site. "I have received a complaint that the PADT was working in the interest of middlemen. Whoever is involved in it, it is not good and must be stopped immediately. Consider the interest of the religious site before acting on any plan," said Bhattarai, who is also Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation. The minister directed the staff to make preparations for the opening of the Pashupatinath Temple at a certain time during the day by adopting the health and safety measures, The Rising Nepal newspaper reported. "Various individuals and groups are eying the properties of the PADT, therefore, you must be vigilant to control such activities," the minister cautioned the staff of the trust. He drew the attention of the PADT to the encroachment of the land in Gothatar that belonged to Pashupati. "Immediately fix the boundary of the land and create a fence. If there are any structures created in the land, remove them," Bhattarai said. The minister said that it was important to keep an eye on the private investors who intend to make investments at the heritage site as the "crooked businessmen" could ruin the image of the religious site, the report said. Founded in 1996, PADT is a trust established to conserve and operate the Pashupatinath Temple and other charitable institutions in the Pashupatinath UNESCO World Heritage Sites area. Pashupatinath Temple is the largest temple complex in Nepal and stretches on both sides of the Bagmati River and sees thousands of worshippers from Nepal and India every day Last month, India pledged to construct a Rs 2. 33 crore sanitation facility at the temple complex to improve the infrastructure at the holy shrine for the pilgrims. A man in his 20s has been charged with attempted murder after an Amazon worker was run over and another was allegedly assaulted outside the company's Essex warehouse on Sunday. Police were called out to the Amazon warehouse in Tilbury just after 9.30am yesterday, where a woman had suffered serious injuries after she'd been hit by a car. She was rushed to hospital, along with another woman, who had been assaulted. Police and paramedics rushed to the Amazon warehouse in Tilbury, Essex, on Sunday morning after a woman was hit by a car and another woman was assaulted Both of the women were Amazon employees and were rushed to the hospital from the scene A man was arrested at the scene and Essex Police has moved to calm the public following the incident. Chief Inspector Richard Melton, District Commander for Thurrock, said: 'This charge is the result of some really hard work over the last 24 hours. 'I know this will be a concerning incident to people living and working in Tilbury but we do not believe there is a risk to the wider public.' Afrax Ahmed, 29, of Peartree Way, Greenwich, has now been charged with attempted murder. He has also been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, ABH, failing to provide a specimen, and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence. He is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court tomorrow. Amazon has said it is assisting police with their investigation following the attack outside its warehouse on Sunday An Amazon spokesman said: 'This is a terrible incident and our thoughts are with our two employees who were injured. 'We will do all that we can to assist the police investigation.' Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Essex Police directly on 101 quoting incident 441 of July 12. Hollywood is mourning the loss of actress Kelly Preston, who died at the age of 57 after a silent battle with breast cancer. Her husband of 28 years, John Travolta, confirmed the heartbreaking news early Monday. "It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer," Travolta wrote on Instagram. "She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many." "My family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center, all the medical centers that have helped, as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side," he continued. "Kellys love and life will always be remembered." PHOTO: FILE - In this May 15, 2018, file photo, actress Kelly Preston poses for photographers during a photo call for the film 'Gotti' at the 71st international film festival, Cannes, southern France. (Arthur Mola/Invision/AP) The Grease star announced that he will be stepping away from social media during this difficult time to "be there for my children who have lost their mother" and asked fans for their patience. "Forgive me in advance if you dont hear from us for a while," Travolta requested. "But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal." Preston appeared in over 60 productions, but is best known for her roles on Jerry Maguire, Twins and Mischief. She also starred in Maroon 5's music video "She Will Be Loved." She is survived by her husband, whom she married in 1991, and their children Ella and Benjamin Travolta, 20 and nine years old, respectively. Preston and Travolta were also the parents to Jett, who died in 2009 at the age of 16 after suffering a seizure. He would have turned 28 in April. A representative for the couple confirmed to People that Preston chose to keep her illness a secret, saying "she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time." Actress Kelly Preston dies of breast cancer at 57 originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) directed a city hospital to pay a compensation of 7.5 lakh to a 74-year-old diamond broker for medical negligence, which led to the loss of two fingers of his left hand. A detailed review of the entire record reveals that it is a case of gross medical negligence, involving loss of body parts, business and mental agony to the complainant who is a senior citizen aged 74, during the course of treatment given in the respondent hospital, said an NCDRC bench, comprising presiding member Prem Narain and member C Vishwanath, while holding Breach Candy Hospital liable to compensate Peddar Road resident Murlidhar Chhabria. On September 18, 2005, Chhabria was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital for coronary artery bypass graft, and two days later he underwent the surgery. A month later, he was required to get a re-suturing done after blood was found to be oozing from his chest. After the surgery, Chhabria was shifted to an intensive care unit (ICU), where his wife noticed that his left palm and fingers were burnt. The burn injuries were treated after he was discharged from the hospital, and on November 21, 2005, he was operated upon for the burns. To his shock, Chhabria found that his middle and little fingers had been amputated owing to development of gangrene. Following the incident, in 2006 he filed a complaint before the Maharashtra Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, alleging medical negligence on part of the hospital, which resulted in burning of his left hand and amputation of two fingers. He prayed for compensation worth 50 lakh on the grounds that being a diamond broker and an expert in the assortment of diamonds, the absence of fingers was not only a loss of body parts but also of earning capacity. The hospital denied the allegations and maintained that as no heaters were used in its operation theatres or ICUs, there was no question of the patient getting his hand burnt by accidentally touching one. The hospital claimed that the patient was also having a history of long-standing diabetes, which led to Tropical Diabetic Hand Syndrome (TDHS) and the symptoms of heater burn and TDHS are similar. It also filed an expert opinion to show that TDHS results in burning of hand and lead to gangrene. Accepting the stand of the hospital, on March 28, 2012, the state commission dismissed the complaint, observing that the treating doctors exercised due care and caution in operating and treating the diamond broker. Chhabria then moved NCDRC to appeal against the state commissions decision. The national commission, however, refused to accept the hospitals stand and said, When there were no chances of any burn caused due to heaters in the OT [operation theatre]/ICU or of any cautery burns as alleged by the complainant, one does not understand as to why blisters on the hand were not taken seriously but only treated normally as burns over a long period of time. It noted all along, the burn injury was mentioned in the hospital record as burn injuries in the OT during bypass surgery. All through it was being treated as a case of burns having sensation in the hand and not a case of TDHS. Never the case was treated as TDHS, said NCDRC, adding that the theory was introduced two years after treating the 74-year-old, and the wisdom about TDHS appeared for the first time in the affidavit in reply to the consumers complaint at the state commission. Theory of TDHS has been floated only as a cover up to their medical negligence, resulting in permanent injury to the patient, the bench observed, adding that the doctors who treated the diamond broker ought to have consulted a diabetologist and a dermatologist at the earliest and if proper diagnosis and treatment would have started earlier, the complainant could perhaps have been saved from permanent injury and damage. The bench further said that the amputation of finger ends involves loss of bone, a very serious consequence for the complainant, but no effort was made to properly diagnose the problem (the abnormal condition of the hand in time), ultimately leading to the amputation of finger ends. This is certainly a case of gross medical negligence on the part of the respondent hospital and the complainant is to be compensated for loss of body parts, trauma, agony and source of livelihood. President Assad's political advisor has hailed the recent agreement reached between Iran and Syria, and attacked the Caesar Act as criminal reports Al-Masdar. The media and political advisor to the Syrian Presidency, Bouthaina Shaaban, said that the Caesar Act is an illegal and criminal measure against Syria, and considers the Iranian-Syrian military agreement the first steps to breaking it. Shaaban indicated, in an interview with Yemens Al-Masirah TV, that, the so-called Caesar Act is an extension of the war on Syria and was issued by America, which led the war on the Syrian people. She pointed out that the, Caesar Act is an attack on every axis, including the Resistance, and this is confirmed by the facts. She said, We have several options for breaking the Caesar Act and signing the Iran-Syria military agreement is the first step. We have internal options and we have begun adopting them to confront Caesar Act, she continued, noting that, the continuation of the blockade and war on the countries of the resistance axis will increase solidarity between these countries. Just as the blockade has made the Islamic Republic of Iran stronger, we are also able to turn this blockade into an opportunity to become more powerful, she added. 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. Nepal and India have many things in common with regard to the traditional practices and value systems. Nepal is a country with majority of Hindu population. by N.S.Venkataraman This is an open letter to the sisters and brothers of Nepal from an Indian, who value and respect the people of Nepal and their sentiments. The relationship between any two countries are shaped at two levels. One level is the government to government relationship and the other level is people to people relationship. In the past, there have been number of occasions, when government between two countries have different view points and have even quarreled . At the same time, people of the same two countries , by and large, have maintained good will for each other. People to people relationship are generally formed on the basis of traditional value systems, cultural practices and beliefs. It is not uncommon to see marriages taking place between persons belonging to two countries , even as the particular governments have no cordial relationship. Nepal and India have many things in common with regard to the traditional practices and value systems. Nepal is a country with majority of Hindu population. More than 75% of Indian citizens belong to Hindu religion and Hindus in India have special feelings towards people of Nepal and Nepal as a country. Many Indians think that visits to temples in Nepal atleast once in life time is a must for them and citizens of Nepal also think that they should visit India and its temples atleast once. In these circumstances, it is extremely unfortunate that misunderstanding have erupted between the government of India and government of Nepal at present, for whatever reasons. Government of Nepal has taken certain avoidable action like unilaterally changing the border map with India, without solving the issue by discussions with spirit of accommodation on both the sides. The Multi-System Operator (MSO), a Nepalese agency that broadcasts foreign TV channels in Nepal, has decided to ban the Indian news channels for their what is termed as falsified and malign reports against Nepal and its Prime Minister Oli. Both India and Nepal have democratic form of governance with the political parties winning majority seats in election forming the government. However, it is known that politicians who form the government in democratic countries by getting popular vote , need not necessarily be the best of people in the respective countries. Often, it is seen that some of the politicians becoming ministers in the democratic countries are not well informed or intelligent persons and a few of them may have even prejudices and pre conceived notions. Such conditions exist in several democratic countries. The present friction between India and Nepal could be due to the political prejudices and ideological differences of the political leaders running the government. Government sources in India seem to think that the present government in Nepal is leaning towards China due to political prejudices. If this is true, then it is a counter productive move that would not benefit Nepal in any meaningful way. Government sources in Nepal say that India is trying to destabilse the present government of Nepal to ensure that Nepal would not go under the China trap. If this is true, then it is an undesirable practice. While the political leaders forming the government in democratic countries will come and go from time to time and running the government in whatever direction they want, large section of the people in India and Nepal certainly remain steadfast about their lofty views and good perspectives about India and Nepal. . In the case of India and Nepal, whatever the governments of both the countries do, it is absolutely necessary that people of India and Nepal should maintain their good relations and harmony between themselves and ensure that historical relationship between both the countries would not be disturbed by the political manipulations of the politicians remaining in power. It is high time that the people of India and Nepal should think beyond political rhetorics and should ensure that any move by motivated people to create feeling of animosity and hatred between people of India and Nepal would be defeated. Certainly, banning Indian news channels in Nepal is not a healthy trend and the news channels in India and Nepal should have free access to both the countries. Let progressive elements in both the countries air their views through the news channels to build cooperation and amity. Whatever the politicians in power may say or do, the people of India and Nepal have lot to gain by mutual appreciation, cooperation and good will ,both in the short and the long run. Hundreds of years of good will and cooperation should not be allowed to be marred by short sighted politicians. People of India and Nepal should assert themselves, if politicians in power attempt to spoil the basic relationship between both the countries. It is necessary that the discerning people in India and Nepal , who understand the importance of healthy relationship with mutual respect, should make their voice heard and force the government in their countries to ensure long standing peace between India and Nepal and to prevent any fundamental change in the dynamics of relationships between both these countries. The larger box contains the main living space; the smaller box contains the master bedroom and bath. "We designed the single house with a bath and sleeping area but then needed another sleeping area," Warner says. "So we added the second unit. Together they fit into the landscape much better. Just having one would really make it stand out. With two, they're at different levels and create their own relationships with the trees." The boxes cantilever over concrete plinths. After the concrete was poured and set, cranes brought in the boxes (fabricated by Fidelity Builders in Oregon) and set them on the plinths. After on-site detailing that took about a month, the family moved in. The exterior is corrugated steel, in a custom-designed pattern of folds to create a sense of randomness. (Geoffrey Warner, original photo on Houzz) Seattle's Police chief has spoken out against a plan proposed by advocates to cut the police department budget by 50 per cent and reallocate the money to other community needs. Speaking on Fox & Friends Monday, Police Chief Carmen Best blasted the proposal, which already has won majority support among members of Seattle's City Council. 'We will be much less safe,' Best warned if the proposal made by Decriminalize Seattle and King County Equity Now, two coalitions of local community groups and Black leaders, goes forward. So far, seven of nine members of the Seattle City Council have indicated they support the plan to cut the department's budget in half, although they haven't said which areas they would take the money from, the Seattle Times reported. A final decision will require at least six votes from the council. 'I'm hoping that the council will reconsider this very rash and reckless decision and allow us to do the work that we're supposed to do for the city of Seattle,' Best said on the broadcast. Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best spoke out against a plan proposed by advocates to defund cops by 50 per cent and reallocate the money to other community needs during an appearance on Fox & Friends Monday (pictured) Best blasted the proposal, which already has won majority support among members of Seattle's City Council. Seattle cops are seen clearing out the city's former CHOP protest zone after it was declared an unlawful assembly by Mayor Jenny Durkin on July 1 Best's comments came after she wrote in a letter to Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin that approving the plan would amount to 'political pandering', Fox News reported. She argued the same in a video message posted on YouTube to the department, where she suggested that cutting the police budget in half would ask residents 'to test out a theory that crime goes away if police go away'. Decriminalize Seattle and King County Equity represent coalitions formed by after recent Black Lives Matter protests and include groups led by Black activists and communization leaders. Both presented a plan to the council on Wednesday calling for a 50 per cent reduction in the police department's 2021 budget. This year's spending plan was $409 million. The two coalitions also want what remains of this year's budget cut by 50 per cent, the Seattle Times reported. The calls for defunding cops were also driven by protesters who took over Seattle's East Precinct building after police abandoned it amid violent protests. Demonstrators set up a cop-free 'autonomous zone' in six blocks and a park. The area, known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, or CHOP, was cleared out on July 1 on an order from Mayor Durkin who had declared the ongoing protest an 'unlawful assembly. At least 31 people were arrested in the zone, which became the scene of two deadly shootings and drove crime up by more than 500 per cent in just over three weeks. Decriminalize Seattle and King County Equity represent coalitions formed after recent Black Lives Matter protests and include groups led by Black activists and community leaders. Protest signs calling for the defunding are pictured after demonstrations in the city A 'Power and Equality' sign is pictured hanging from a police precinct in Seattle that was used as part of the city's CHOP protest zone until the city cleared out the area on July 1 Seattle isn't alone in considering the concept of defunding cops after the police-related slaying of George Floyd on Memorial Day. Protests erupted after the 46-year-old black father of five died during an arrest when white office Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against the man's neck for close to nine minutes. The slaying, which cost Chauvin his job and got the ex-cop charged with murder, set in motion nationwide protests, driven by the Black Lives Matter movement and a call for police reform and end to systematic racism. Protests have erupted across the country over the police-related slaying of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd is pictured as former cop Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against the 46-year-old man's neck, leading to his death Lawmakers in more than a dozen US cities responded with proposals to reform policing by defunding departments and reallocating financial resources to social needs and programs. Minneapolis made the controversial move of considering a proposal to disband its department entirely and approved the plan by a unanimous city council vote of 12 to 0 on June 26. New York City followed on July 1, after its council voted to slash $1billion from the NYPD budget. Protesters are pictured chanting slogans during a protest to defund the NYPD in New York where the City Council voted to slash the department's budget by $1billion on July 1 The decision came after weeks of protests that left stores looted amid continued protests and statues splattered with paint amid rising crime, including shootings. The New York 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 a midnight deadline and following hours of delay, still resulted in criticism from all sides. SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio Rabbi Joel Chazin was a strong advocate for social justice who developed an annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day program at Montefiore in Beachwood with a guest speaker each year. Chazin, who retired in 2018 after 22 years as chaplain and director of religious services at Montefiore, died Saturday (July 11) at Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Heights due to complications from COVID-19. He was 84. A longtime Shaker Heights resident, Chazin retired from a 53-year career in the rabbinate when he stepped down at Montefiore. Seth Vilensky, who worked with Chazin while he was president and CEO of Montefiore, said Chazin started the MLK Jr. Day event as a celebration of diversity at Montefiore, and it tied into his beliefs in racial equality and social justice. Rabbi Chazin was such a special man, and I think his best quality was he cared for all the residents and for their well-being and quality of life, said Vilensky, who was named vice president of business development and community health for Menorah Park in Beachwood on July 1. He made sure Montefiore was a special place for them. He developed a lot of great relationships with the residents and made sure they had a special connection and were supported in their time there. Linda Chazin, his wife of 52 years, said social justice and honoring King were important to Chazin because he wanted to give everybody the feeling that there was some hope (for racial equality). He was very appreciative of the Black community and their contributions, she said. He really believed in equality and equal rights for women (as well). Rabbi Akiva Feinstein, who was named director of spiritual care at Montefiore after Chazins retirement, said Chazin will be remembered for his influence on Jewish programming at the senior health care facility. He believed that Judaism should be diverse and incorporate many different kinds of people, said Feinstein, who worked with Chazin for 13 years at Montefiore. He kept up his own interests in studying and learning. Feinstein said he especially admired Chazins work on the series of Torah Institutes he initiated for Montefiore residents in which he and guest rabbis in the area led lectures and discussions on the Bible. Chazin also collaborated with staff at Montefiore to edit a trilingual Passover Haggadah still in use and oversaw the production of Sabbath and High Holy Days prayer books, all in large print. He raised the bar for peoples learning and helped residents feel more special, Feinstein said. Vilensky also talked about the amazing Passover seders Chazin led at Montefiore that often attracted a great following of people. He tried to make the holidays really special for everybody, Vilensky said. Chazin could easily relate to Montefiore residents, Feinstein said, because he was older and not far from the age of many of the residents in the facility. I just think everyone looked to him as a rabbi figure and appreciated his knowledge and could ask him questions, Feinstein said. He also had such energy and such vitality. He was very joyful and enthusiastic. Feinstein said Chazin was indefatigable. Ive never seen a person with so much drive, he said. If he wanted to do something, he would never give up. Whether it was a special program he was working on or a Montefiore prayer book, nothing could stop him. Even when he was ill, he would still find a way to get it done. Even after his retirement, there were many things he wanted to do, things he was still working on, projects he wanted to finish. He had real vim and vigor Rabbi Matthew Eisenberg, spiritual leader of Temple Israel Ner Tamid in Mayfield Heights, said even though Chazin struggled with health issues in recent years, he had a real vim and vigor. He wanted to live, so he would get up and go do, Eisenberg said. He was a good man and a good friend to me for many years. Eisenberg said when he was out of town on vacation, Chazin would often cover for him at his temple, and vice versa. It was good to know that you could rely on someone like him if needed, he said. He was empathetic, and he was caring. Chazins daughter, Shoshana Chazin of Shaker Heights, said her father was a staunch supporter of the Democratic party and of Israel. He was extremely well read, she said. He read The New York Times every day and so many magazines. Chazin was also a gifted orator, Feinstein said, and Linda and Shoshana Chazin agreed that he was known for his profound sermons. Many enjoyed his style of presentation, Feinstein said. It was a great strength he had. Many people wanted Rabbi Chazin to do their eulogy because he had this unique ability. Shoshana Chazin added, He truly lived for his congregants. He worked seven days a week. Chazin began his career as rabbi of the Rochdale Village Jewish Center, a small congregation in New York. He also served at congregations in Connecticut, Michigan and Florida. Chazin came to Northeast Ohio in 1992 to serve as rabbi of Agudath Bnai Israel Synagogue, a Conservative congregation in Lorain. He left there in 1996 to become chaplain and director of religious services at Montefiore. Montefiore has provided me with the best years of my adult working life, Chazin said when he was honored for 20 years of service at Montefiore in December 2015. After his retirement, Chazin taught a course in Jewish mysticism at the Siegal Lifelong Learning Program at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He had hoped to teach a course on the life of writer Franz Kafka at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea in the next school year, Linda Chazin said. A native of New York who grew up in the borough of Queens, Chazin received his rabbinic ordination in 1965 from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. He earned a bachelors degree in history from Amherst College in Amherst, Mass. In addition to his wife and daughter, Shoshana, Chazin is survived by a daughter, Shayna Bach, of Cleveland Heights; a son, Aryeh Chazin, of Boca Raton, Fla.; a sister, Judith Bennahum, of Albuquerque, N.M., and five grandchildren. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday (July 14) at Mount Olive Cemetery, 27855 Aurora Road, Solon, and will be live-streamed via Zoom. The family requests no visitation. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel in Cleveland Heights. Actress Kelly Preston, 57, has died of breast cancer, her husband John Travolta announced via Instagram. It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer, Travolta posted on Sunday. Preston received treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, according to Travolta. The actor paid tribute to loved ones as well as to the Houston comprehensive cancer center's staff in his post. My family and I will be forever grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center, all the medical centers that have helped, as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side, posted Travolta. Preston was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, choosing to keep her fight private, a family representative told People magazine. Prestons on-camera career includes such films as "Jerry Maguire," "Twins," and "SpaceCamp." In 2018, she appeared with Travolta in "Gotti," her last on-screen role. There has been an outpouring of support for the late actress on Twitter from several celebrities. Shocked by this sad news. Kelly was such a bright loving soul, a talented actress, and a loving mom and wife," Maria Shriver tweeted. "My heart breaks for her family who have already known such sadness and grief. Join me in sending them love and strength. "Kelly Preston. Cant remember where, but met first in late 92 I think. Such a lovely person," tweeted Russell Crowe. "In 1995 we auditioned together for Breaking Up, Salma Hayek got that gig. I haven't seen her much, but when I did, she was always the same sparkly eyed gem. Love to her family. R.I.P." Preston and Travolta had three children together: Jett, who died in 2009 at age 16, Ella, 20, and Benjamin, 9. "I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don't hear from us for a while," Travolta said in his Instagram post. "But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal." SACRAMENTO, Calif. Californias two largest public school districts said Monday that instruction will be remote-only in the fall, citing concerns that surging coronavirus infections in their areas pose too dire a risk for students and teachers. The Los Angeles and San Diego unified school districts, which together enroll some 825,000 students, are the largest so far in the country to abandon plans for even a partial physical return to classrooms when they reopen in August. More than a third of Californias coronavirus cases are in Los Angeles County, and San Diego County has had 18 community outbreaks over the past week, more than double the states acceptable threshold. Theres a public health imperative to keep schools from becoming a petri dish, said Austin Beutner, school superintendent in Los Angeles. The joint announcement came as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos continued to press the Trump administrations case to quickly reopen public schools, not only for students social and emotional development but also to allow parents to return to work fully. In television appearances over the weekend, she downplayed both the virus and the school reopening guidelines issued by the administrations own public health officials. I think the go-to needs to be kids in school, in person, in the classroom, because we know for most kids, thats the best environment for them, DeVos said on CNNs State of the Union. She also reiterated the administrations stance that guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deeming in-person classes the highest risk option were not mandatory. President Donald Trump threatened last week to cut off federal funding to schools that did not reopen their campuses. The recommendations from the president and DeVos have been disputed by many public health officials and teachers. On Friday, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and AASA, the School Superintendents Association issued a statement saying that reopening recommendations should be based on evidence, not politics. The groups added that we should leave it to health experts to tell us when the time is best to open up school buildings, and listen to educators and administrators to shape how we do it. In the Los Angeles and San Diego districts joint statement, they noted that research is incomplete and recommendations have been contradictory. But one fact is clear, the statement said. Those countries that have managed to safely reopen schools have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available. California has neither. The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control. Beutner, whose district is the nations second largest, said in an interview Sunday that schools cant just tap our heels together like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and pretend its appropriate to bring people back despite skyrocketing rates of new infections. Californias death toll from the coronavirus rose to more than 7,000 over the weekend, with 7.5% or more of test results coming back positive over the past two weeks, even as testing has ramped up to more than 100,000 tests a day. The state watch list of counties where the virus has surged, which has flagged Los Angeles and San Diego counties, includes nearly half of the 58 counties in the state. For the time being, Beutner said, the Los Angeles district will maintain the online instruction it has been providing since its 700,000 students and 75,000 employees were sent home in mid-March. He said the decision will be revisited when local infection rates have been sufficiently lowered and public health authorities have implemented adequate testing and contact tracing systems. Its disappointing, he said. But at the end of the day, weve got to make sure everyones safe. With COVID-19 case counts differing greatly across the country, there is no single approach to how major urban systems, like those in Los Angeles and San Diego, will operate this fall. New York City and Seattle hope to provide several days a week of in-person learning, with students working online from home the rest of the time. That hybrid model is emerging as popular nationwide, among both large and small districts. Chicago, the nations third-biggest system, has not yet announced its plan. Nashville, Tennessee, originally planned to open five days a week but rolled that back Thursday, citing the rising local number of coronavirus cases. Students in the district are now expected to continue learning from home at least until Labor Day. The Miami-Dade County Public Schools are currently asking parents to choose between full-time remote learning and a schoolhouse model, which would be in-person two to five days a week and online the rest of the time, depending on the number of students enrolled in a building and the amount of space available for social distancing. All the plans, district leaders say, are subject to change at a moments notice, as public health guidance shifts or as governors make statewide decisions about whether to allow schools to open. Indeed, with the pandemic still raging across much of the country, it has become clear that improving the quality of online learning will be at least as important in the coming months as dealing with the logistics of reopening physical schools. Initial research showed that during the first round of school closures, American children were set back, on average, by seven months in their reading and math learning, with children from low-income families, and students of color, experiencing even bigger losses. The announcement by the two districts was expected to have statewide effect in California. Several other large districts, including Santa Clara, Oakland and San Bernardino, have already announced that they will stick, at least for the foreseeable future, with full-time remote instruction. In March, after a similar announcement, the ensuing statewide cascade of school closures in other districts ended with more than 6 million public school students being sent home. The decision also comes as districts throughout the state are confronting resistance from Californias politically powerful teachers unions. Like many districts, both Los Angeles and San Diego have been engaged in tense negotiations over pandemic working conditions. The Los Angeles teachers union called last week for campuses to remain closed and for learning to be fully remote when the district resumes classes Aug. 18, saying Trumps reopening push was part of a dangerous, anti-science agenda. In an informal survey released Friday of 18,000 United Teachers Los Angeles members, 83% agreed that campuses should not physically reopen. And the states largest teachers union wrote a sharply worded letter last week to Gov. Gavin Newsom a Democrat elected with their support expressing concern that politics are being played with the lives of children and the educators who serve them. It is clear that communities and school districts have not come close to meeting the threshold for a safe return to in-person learning, even under a hybrid model, the 310,000-member California Teachers Association wrote. Some $13.5 billion went to K-12 education from the federal relief package passed in March by Congress. But education groups and school districts estimate that schools will need much more money to safely reopen, and with the economic effect of the pandemic having depleted many local and state budgets, it is unclear where it will come from. As recently as late last week, leaders in San Diego Unified were promoting their plan to reopen five days a week, in person, for all students whose families chose that option. But the district had also warned that the health, sanitation and educational costs of reopening physical classrooms safely were so steep a minimum of $90 million for the coming school year that they would not be able to do so without a significant infusion of federal dollars. At the same time, the districts teachers union was arguing that reopening during an alarming increase in coronavirus cases was unwise and would put teachers health at risk. The superintendent, Cindy Marten, had been working with education leaders across the country to lobby the Senate to pass a second stimulus package for schools. Marten said the district has not given up on the possibility of reopening physically if infection rates get down to a safe and manageable level and even moved forward over the weekend with plans to purchase $11 million worth of masks and other protective equipment. But the states current infection levels, she said, should make it clear to everyone that the virus is not under control. School districts need to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, Marten said. We must both plan for a physical reopening while taking measures to keep our communities safe. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Vietnam will commercialise 5G network in October using entirely domestically produced equipment, according to the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC). Researches on 5G chip production at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. Viet Nam has officially mastered 5G network technology. Photo courtesy of Viettel Group On January 17, the first video call using a 5G connection on a gNodeB transceiver, researched and produced by Viettel, was successfully implemented, meaning Viet Nam has officially mastered 5G network technology. Viet Nam is one of the few countries that can produce 5G equipment. The MIC will facilitate directing Vietnamese businesses to invest in research and production of 5G equipment towards commercialising 5G products this year. Viet Nam is building a roadmap to abolish the 2G mobile phone technology from 2022 and is implementing bidding and licensing of the 2.6 GHz mobile band to improve network quality and the speed of mobile services. The ministry said telecom infrastructure has seen an important change in frequency infrastructure. Implementing 5G in Viet Nam has advantages as Vietnamese electronics and telecommunications businesses have produced lots of equipment and infrastructure, whereas before foreign manufacturers were relied upon. This would be an important step for socio-economic development and ensuring national defence, it added. According to the ministrys Department of Information and Technology, the development of the 5G network has been one of the key orientations to upgrade digital infrastructure, serving national digital transformation. To implement this orientation, one of the important solutions is Viet Nam needs to research and master the design and manufacture of chips and 5G network equipment. Deputy Minister Phan Tam said the Government has launched the 'Make in Viet Nam' strategy to help the country escape the middle-income trap. The country aims to produce chipsets for 5G network and internet of things (IoT) equipment. The Government has offered preferential policies for the production as it is a high-tech area. Many Vietnamese firms such as Viettel, FPT and Vingroup have been studying to produce such equipment. A representative from Viettel said it used up to 300 out of more than 1,000 IT engineers for research programmes into 5G production. The group has approved an estimated VND500 billion (US$21.6 million) for the development of Microcell 5G and investing VND200 billion into a 5G lab. Viettel has worked with partners in the US, South Korea and India to produce chipset, software and hardware for 5G. Another representative from VinSmart said the company had focused on research and production of 5G and IoT equipment. In addition, VinSmart built a lab for research and development of 5G mobile phones and telecom equipment. Vinsmart will start 5G telecommunications equipment testing in August. A representative of FPT said chip production has been extremely difficult, requiring cautious steps and having strategies in the next 10 years. Viet Nam's microchip industry is not new and has been in place since the 1990s, but due to a lack of ecosystem, firms have few local buyers for their chips, he added. The number of Vietnamese companies making chips is modest and most foreign companies open factories in Viet Nam to produce chips. The State needs to provide supports to local firms such as corporate tax exemptions and personal income tax at high-tech parks, he added. Authorities in the US Virgin Islands have launched their own probe into Ghislaine Maxwell's alleged involvement in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring. The Caribbean island territory's Department of Justice announced its investigation into Epstein's alleged madam in a court filing on Friday which seeks to intervene in a lawsuit she filed against the financier's estate. Maxwell, who is already facing six charges in New York, sued Epstein's estate through a court in the Virgin Islands earlier this year to obtain reimbursement for legal fees she was incurring from suits brought by his alleged victims, claiming that Epstein had repeatedly promised to support her financially. Prosecutors in the Virgin Islands are now using the case to subpoena Maxwell as part of its investigation into her 'participation in Epstein's criminal sex trafficking and sexual abuse conduct'. The July 10 filing claims that Maxwell has managed to evade the government's subpoena process since March. Authorities in the US Virgin Islands revealed their own investigation into Ghislaine Maxwell's alleged involvement in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking operations and sexual abuse on Friday. Maxwell and Epstein are pictured together in 2005 Epstein - who died in jail last year while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges - was a resident of the Virgin Islands for more than 20 years. The Caribbean territory's government is seeking to claim the two islands he owned there - Little St James (pictured) and Great St James 'The government's need to intervene is further fueled by Maxwell's inappropriate use of the Virgin Islands courts to seek payment and reimbursement from the Epstein criminal enterprise, while she circumvents the service of process of government subpoenas related to her involvement in that criminal enterprise,' the filing obtained by Bloomberg News states. The territory's Department of Justice is also seeking to claim two islands - Little St James and Great St James - which Epstein owned during the 20 years he spent as a resident of the Virgin Islands. Attorneys representing Maxwell in the Virgin Islands and in her criminal case in New York did not immediately return DailyMail.com's request for comment. DailyMail.com has also reached out to the attorney general's office in the Virgin Islands for additional details on the scope of the Maxwell probe. Maxwell (pictured in 2013) was arrested on a slew of federal sex trafficking charges from the Southern District of New York on July 2. The British socialite has maintained her innocence and called the allegations against her 'absolute rubbish' Maxwell was arrested on a slew of federal sex trafficking charges from the Southern District of New York on July 2 in Bradford, New Hampshire, and is now being held at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. The 58-year-old British socialite is accused of enticing underage girls to travel for sex, actually having sex with them and Epstein and later lying about it under oath in depositions when she was being sued by Virginia Giuffre Roberts, one of Epstein's accusers who says she had sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17. Maxwell, who has maintained her innocence in Epstein's crimes and called the allegations against her 'absolute rubbish', is expected to enter a plea in court on Tuesday. Her lawyers have requested that she be released on $5million bail while awaiting trial. Prosecutors have argued that she should remain in jail as she poses a flight risk due to her international network of friends and access to unlimited resources. Several Epstein victims have described Maxwell as his chief enabler, recruiting and grooming young girls for abuse. In the weeks following her arrest, reports have surfaced that she could be in possession of a cache of videos showing other powerful people - including two top US politicians - having sex with minors. It remains unclear whether Maxwell intends to cooperate with prosecutors, potentially dragging more of Epstein's associates into the fray. His chiseled abs and perfect jawline have made him a popular contestant among female Big Brother viewers. But Chad Hurst had to work hard for his Adonis-like physique. The reality star told TV Week on Monday that he'd been bullied as a child for being overweight, before he completely transformed his body. Secret past: Big Brother's Chad Hurst (pictured) was bullied in school for being the 'fat kid' - before losing the weight and becoming an international model 'Growing up, I was the fat kid,' he confessed. 'I was pale and freckly, and had bleached hair that went a bit ranga. I got duct-taped to a tree once. They used to call me Choad, Little Blob and Fatty. I struggled.' At 15 years old, Chad started working out at the gym and went from 90kg to 75kg. Bullied: Chad told TV Week magazine that other children had picked on him at school. 'They used to call me Choad, Little Blob and Fatty,' he confessed. Pictured as an overweight child After becoming 'addicted' to lifting weights, he ended up putting the weight back on in muscle, eventually tipping the scales at 102kg with just seven per cent body fat. After being told to lose 20kg in order to pursue a career in modelling, Chad 'stopped lifting weights' and instead focused on doing 'cardio every day'. Once he dropped some of the muscle, his career hit new heights and he was eventually sent overseas for work. The transformation begins: At 15 years old, Chad started working out at the gym and went from 90kg to 75kg. Pictured: Chad as an overweight child vs recently Despite his successful modelling career, Chad still worries about his body image. 'It's a cut-throat industry. It's not good for the mental health,' he said. 'But now I'm established, it's more about being happy. I have a healthy life, but I can have some beers with the boys and not worry about having a six-pack all year round.' Body conscious: Despite his successful modelling career, Chad still worries about his body image. 'It's a cut-throat industry. It's not good for the mental health,' he said Chad is one of six housemates left vying for the $250,000 cash prize on Big Brother. Australia will ultimately decide who wins by voting for one of three remaining contestants during the live finale, which airs later this month. Big Brother continues Monday from 7:30pm on Channel Seven Upcoming political events in the Bay Area. Events take place online unless otherwise noted: WEDNESDAY Resurgent coronavirus: Where we are in the pandemic and what to expect the rest of the year. Speakers include Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, and Dr. Bob Kocher, a member of the California Coronavirus Testing Task Force. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. Noon. More information is here. Coronavirus and domestic violence: Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, and a panel of experts discuss how the pandemic has exacerbated domestic violence and what resources are available for people affected by it. Noon. More information is here. Coronavirus and structural racism: A discussion of systemic problems exposed by the coronavirus pandemic and what structural changes are needed. Led by Brenda Barros, chapter chair of SEIU 1021 at San Francisco General Hospital, and Cheryl Thornton, chapter vice president. 7 p.m. More information is here. THURSDAY Zerlina Maxwell: MSNBC analyst and author of The End of White Politics: How to Heal Our Liberal Divide, discusses how progressives can hold themselves accountable for racist and misogynist blind spots. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 3 p.m. More information is here. Dewey defeats Truman: A.J. Baime, author of Dewey Defeats Truman: The 1948 Election and the Battle for America's Soul, discusses that pivotal election. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 6 p.m. More information is here. Workplace safety: A panel discussion on the condition of federal and state occupational safety and health programs during the pandemic. Former Cal/OSHA medical director Larry Rose is scheduled to speak. Sponsored by LaborFest. 7 p.m. More information is here. FRIDAY Census trivia night: The history and politics of the U.S. census and how it became crucial to congressional representation and federal funding. Hosted by Mannys. 6 p.m. More information is here. Anti-Asian racism: A panel discussion on the history of anti-Asian racism in California and the U.S. and the rising threat of conflict with China. Hosted by LaborFest. 7 p.m. More information is here. SATURDAY WPA works in Berkeley: A virtual tour of Works Progress Administration landmarks in Berkeley, hosted by Harvey Smith, author of Berkeley and the New Deal. Sponsored by LaborFest. 10 a.m. More information is here. Angel Island: The military, political, economic and social legacy of Angel Island, one-time site of the West Coast immigration station. Hosted by park volunteer, maritime worker and activist James Dexter-Lee. Sponsored by LaborFest. 2 p.m. More information is here. TUESDAY Climate change: A discussion on reimagining peoples role in creating climate-change solutions, with Eric Holthaus, author of The Future Earth, and Project Drawdown Vice President Katharine Wilkinson. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. Noon. More information is here. David Gergen: CNN political commentator and former White House adviser in conversation with retired Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell at the Commonwealth Club. $15 for nonmembers. 3:30 p.m. Registration is here. JULY 22 Elder justice: A discussion of ageism, aging and elder abuse as public health issues, and older peoples rights. With Lisa Nerenberg, executive director of the California Elder Justice Coalition, and Bill Benson, co-founder and president of the International Association for Indigenous Aging. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 9 a.m. More information is here. Alcatraz and mass incarceration: Troy Williams, founder and director of Restorative Media, and a National Park Service ranger at Alcatraz discuss mass incarceration and the former island prisons part in it. Hosted by the San Francisco Public Library. 7 p.m. More information is here. Victor Arnautoff murals: A look at the history of Victor Arnautoff murals, including those at George Washington High School in San Francisco, and the modern-day community response to them. Hosted by LaborFest. 7 p.m. More information is here. JULY 23 Rep. Ro Khanna: Fremont Democrat holds a town hall meeting. Noon. Submit questions in advance here; join meeting here. Black voters and the election: A discussion of suppression of Black peoples voting power. With Tiffany Cross, co-founder and managing editor of the Beat DC and author of Say It Louder! Black Voters, White Narratives, and Saving Our Democracy, and She the People co-founder and president Aimee Allison. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 3 p.m. More information is here. Suffrage movement: Diversity and division in the suffrage movement a discussion with Ari Berman, author of Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America, and Ann Ravel, former chair of the Federal Election Commission. Sponsored by the Mechanics Institute and the League of Women Voters. 5 p.m. More information is here. Police reform: San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., on the future of police reform. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 6 p.m. More information is here. To list an event, please email Chronicle politics editor Trapper Byrne at tbyrne@sfchronicle.com OKLAHOMA CITY, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cytovance Biologics, a leading biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announces the promotion of Dr. John Mott to Vice President of Development. Dr. Mott will serve on the Senior Leadership Team and report to Dr. Jesse McCool, Chief Executive Officer for Cytovance Biologics. "I am very excited to welcome Dr. Mott to my Senior Leadership Team. With over three decades of experience expressing proteins at several large pharma companies like Pfizer and CROs like Aragen, John is well equipped to lead the scientific disciplines at Cytovance that are so foundational to our core services, stated Dr. Jesse McCool, CEO of Cytovance Biologics. During our recent leadership transition period with numerous exciting changes announced, John has already made great progress in supporting our customer projects and focusing resources on top initiatives leading to new services. John is well versed in Cytovances strategic planning having been a close advisor to the company for the past four years and so will align instantly with the rest of my team. In this role, Dr. Mott will provide scientific and operational oversight of R&D Services and the Open Innovation team. He will lead the strategic growth of Cytovance, including creating new business opportunities, acquiring cutting edge technologies, and promoting our technical expertise to new clients and partners. It is a privilege to join the talented Cytovance team. This is a very exciting time for biotechnology and Cytovance continues to support the diverse scientific and technical needs of todays biotech companies, Dr. Mott stated. In addition to Cytovances CHO and E. coli large scale protein manufacturing capabilities, Cytovance has recently launched pDNA manufacturing services and is adding Mass Spectrometry to its in-house analytical capabilities. My role will be to continue to expand our services and to ensure that we provide the highest quality technical support. Story continues Dr. Mott holds a Bachelor of Arts and Doctoral degrees in Genetics both from the University of Connecticut. He continued his training as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Yale University School of Medicine before joining the Upjohn Company. Dr. Mott brings over 35 years of industry experience with bacterial protein expression and over 25 years of experience with mammalian protein expression. Prior to Cytovance, he served as Vice President of Laboratory Services for Aragen Bioscience. During his 30 years at Pfizer, John established the Cell Line Development group with the responsibility of constructing robust mammalian and microbial cell lines with high productivity for clinical and commercial manufacturing of therapeutic proteins. As a Senior Research Fellow at Pfizer, he developed high protein expressing mammalian and bacterial platforms. About Cytovance Biologics Cytovance Biologics is a leading biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) that excels in the rapid and cost-effective development and manufacture of large molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from both mammalian cell culture and microbial fermentation such as monoclonal antibodies, fragment antibodies, bispecifics, enzymes, fusion proteins, vaccines and other biological products including plasmid DNA and cell-based therapeutics. In addition to its clinical and commercial CGMP API manufacturing services, Cytovance offers well-integrated development services supporting the entire product lifecycle including cell line development, cell banking, microbial strain development, process and analytical development, and process characterization. A centralized, responsive program management team coordinates all critical chemistry manufacturing and controls (CMC) activities for each client program around raw materials management, QC testing, ICH stability studies, and regulatory support. Our 140,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facilities in Oklahoma City are designed to meet U.S., EU, and other global regulatory standards. Cytovance offers deep industry expertise and unique customized services for the scale-up and CGMP manufacture of protein-based therapeutics; from early-stage pre-clinical development to commercial production, for both mammalian and microbial. Further information can be found at www.cytovance.com. Media Contact: Jodie Gutkowski Tel: 405-319-8309 E-mail: jgutkowski@cytovance.com A flooded stream in Daejeon has stopped passers-by as the city saw downpour on Monday that continued from a day before. Yonhap Some 200 millimeters of rain pounded South Korea's southern regions on Monday, leaving several people dead and causing traffic accidents, flooding and destruction of roads, houses and facilities, officials said. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), 277 mm of rain fell in Sancheong of South Gyeongsang Province for one day by 2 p.m., followed by 228 mm in Buan of North Jeolla Province, 210 mm in Geoje, west of Busan, 158.2 mm in Gwangju and 160.2 mm in Daejeon. In the southeastern province of South Gyeongsang, the per-hour precipitation reached 30 mm, while southwestern coasts, Incheon and five Yellow Sea islands close to the North Korean border were put under a strong wind advisory, the agency said. In Hamyang of South Gyeongsang, 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, two men a farmer and an excavator engineer were found dead Monday morning after being swept away by rapids while conducting irrigation-ditch repair work. Another two men, both in their 50s, were rescued after falling in a river while fishing in a boat in Hapcheon of South Gyeongsang. In Daegu, 300 km southeast of Seoul, a 64-year-old man died after falling off a 5-meter cliff while descending a mountain amid heavy downpours Sunday afternoon. A pileup of five cars, including a 25-ton cargo truck and an SUV, occurred on a section of the Seoul-Busan expressway in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, at around 7:33 a.m. amid heavy rain, killing the SUV driver and injuring two, including the truck driver. An SUV crashed into a guardrail on the Namhae Expressway at 9:30 a.m. after skidding on a slippery road. The crash resulted in no casualties but caused traffic congestion. Flooding and destruction of roads, houses and farming facilities were also reported across the southern areas. In South Jeolla Province, nine houses were flooded, while Gwangju reported flooding of five houses and a farm road. In Muan, near Gwangju, 357 hectares of rice fields were flooded. In Busan, battered by 120 mm of rain and strong winds, part of an ancient fortress collapsed, one house was destroyed, many street trees were broken, several riverbed roads were inundated and seven roads were closed to traffic due to flooding. The southeastern port city was soaked by over 70 mm of rain per hour last Friday, resulting in the flooding of dozens of houses and about 170 vehicles. In Gimje, North Jeolla Province, a motorist was rescued by emergency service workers after his car got stuck on a flooded road. In nearby Jeonju, a funeral parlor and KT buildings suffered flood damage. "The rainy season began on Jeju Island on June 10 and in the southern and central regions on June 24. Generally, the wet season ends in those areas in late July, though the exact period differs from region to region. The current pressure chart indicates the previous pattern is expected to repeat this year," said a KMA official. The agency said it lifted its heavy rain advisory for most southern areas, but more rain is expected in the southwestern and central parts of the country for most of Tuesday. Authorities earlier issued a landslide advisory for six southern areas Goseong, Namhae, Hamyang, Sancheong, Geoje and Geochang. It said downpours of 30-80 mm are forecast for eastern Gangwon Province, with some regions likely to get upward of 20 mm of rain per hour, which could cause flash flooding. The KMA also said Seoul, along with the central provinces of Gyeonggi, South Chungcheong and some regions of North Gyeongsang, will get around 10-50 mm of rain throughout Tuesday. The southern region and places along the western coast and the resort island of Jeju could expect 5-30 mm of precipitation, the weather service said. It added that temperatures across South Korea will remain relatively moderate, reaching only 20-24 C in the afternoon. (Yonhap) Humans and stegosaurus missed each other by more than 150 million years, but people have always wondered how difficult or terrifying life would have been if dinosaurs and humans co-existed. This premise is often explored humorously in cartoons and in movies. Cavemen and dinosaurs frequently featured in cartoonist Gary Larsons The Far Side a single-panel comic that ran for fifteen years during the 1980s and 90s. The Far Side was known for its surrealistic and dark humor based on uncomfortable social situations and improbable events, including aliens, talking cows, as well as human-dinosaur interaction. Watercolor of a stegosaurus by Katrine Glazkova/Shutterstock.com In 1982, Larson drew a comic depicting a prehistoric classroom. A caveman is giving a lecture to an audience of other cavemen. Before them is a large image of a stegosaurs tail. The professor points towards the spikes at the end of the tail and explains that they are called the thagomizer, after the late Thag Simmons. Presumably, caveman Thag Simmons had gone too close to the stegosaurus and was clubbed to death by its spiky tail. Having learned a valuable lesson that it was best to avoid the tail of this particular animal, the other cavemen who witnessed the unfortunate incident decided to immortalize Thags name on the prehistoric animals anatomy. Larson later joked that if there were confessionals for cartoonists, he would have gone to seek absolution: Father, I have sinnedI have drawn dinosaurs and hominids together in the same cartoon. Of course, The Far Side is fiction, and no one named Thag Simmons was fatally wounded by an extinct animal. But the thagomizer itself is real. It turns out that this arrangement of spikes at the tip of a stegosauruss tail had no formal name. A 2006 article in the New Scientist explains why that happened: Paleontologists don't get many chances to name new bones. Evolution uses the same bones over and over again, altering their shape and purpose but preserving their basic nature, so anatomists simply use the same old terms to describe them. A humerus is a humerus, whether it's in a chicken wing, a walrus flipper, the massive front leg of a brachiosaurus or our own upper arm. Only in a few animals do bones evolve into something different enough to earn their own distinct name, like the fearful-looking spikes at the end of a stegosaurus tail. Nevertheless, nobody had bothered to give an easy-to-remember name to the spikes, until Gary Larson came up with thagomizer. Larson, being a biologist, was aware of the deficiency. Mounted Thagomizer at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Photo: Kevmin/Wikimedia Commons In 1993, at the annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, paleontologist Ken Carpenter was making a presentation about a recently discovered stegosaurus skeleton. One of the spikes had apparently broken and healed, and there was a compelling evidence that the stegosaur had used its spiky tail as a weapon. Carpenter remembered Larsons cartoon that he read years ago, and he found the joke too good to pass. That was the first time anybody, outside Larson, had used the word thagomizer in a professional way. Shortly after, the Dinosaur National Monument in Utah got the thagomizer label on its spikes, and James Orville Farlow of Indiana University included the term in his book The Complete Dinosaur. Smithsonian Institution's stegosaur fossil display also has the label thagomizer. Since then, the word has become a semi-formal term for that part of the stegosaurs anatomy. Gary Larson also carries the honor of having two insect species named after hima louse called "Strigiphilus garylarsoni" and a beetle named "Garylarsonus. Dale H. Clayton, who named Strigiphilus garylarsoni, wrote in a letter to Larson praising the cartoonist for the enormous contribution that my colleagues and I feel you have made to biology through your cartoons. In his book The Prehistory of the Far Side, Larson quipped: I considered this an extreme honor. Besides, I knew no one was going to write and ask to name a new species of swan after me. You have to grab these opportunities when they come along. References # The word: Thagomizer, https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19125592-200-the-word-thagomizer/ # http://www.dinochecker.com/dinosaurfaqs/what-is-a-thagomizer # Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thagomizer By Aisha Jabbarova By staging a deliberate provocation on the border, Armenia seeks to involve third countries to the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict and to divert the attention from Yerevans domestic problems, Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has said. Mammadyarov made the remarks during the telephone conversation with OSCE Minsk Group co-chair from Russia Igor Popov and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-office Andrzej Kasprzyk on July 13, the ministrys press service reported. Mammadyarov expressed serious discontent with the Armenian provocation, describing it as an act of aggression. The minister said that the provocation has been thwarted. It should be noted that three Azerbaijani servicemen were killed and four other were injured while thwarting Armenian attck in Tovuz border region on July 12. Senior lieutenant Rashad Mahmudov was killed during the battles on the night leading to July 13. During the night battles, by using artillery, mortars and tanks, the Azerbaijani armed forces destroyed a stronghold, bombshells, vehicles and servicemen on the territory of the Armenias military unit. The Defence Ministry has reported that the Azerbaijani Army is in control over the situation on the border. ____ Follow us on Twitter @AzerNews Spielberg, July 13 : Six-time formula one champion and Mercedes racer Lewis Hamilton opened his account for the 2020 season as he romped home to a fine victory at the Styrian Grand Prix. Following his win, Hamilton stated that the Red Bull Ring circuit in Spielberg is one of his 'weak circuits' and that is why he is more happy with the podium in the second race of the year. This was only his second win at the circuit, having earlier won in 2016. "This is one of my weak circuits so to get a performance like this today, I'm over the moon," Hamilton was quoted as saying by told Sky Sports. "I'm so happy, but I also know there is a long way to go. "Last weekend was definitely psychologically challenging. To have the penalties, being called into the stewards before the race and get a penalty, and another later in the race... that was definitely not easy. "All you can do is channel the energy and focus on the future. So I stayed here, trained, ate and slept well. I worked hard with Bono (race engineer) and the guys to understand where last weekend went wrong and correcting it," he added. It was a good day for Mercedes as Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas finished one-two in the race. Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished third while Ferrari hostshot duo Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc couldn't finish the race after colliding with each other. This was the first time in the history of the sport that two back-to-back races were held at the same circuit. While the first race at the venue was called Austrian Grand Prix, the second one was named after the region, thus called as Styrian GP. Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson accepted an invitation from a Holocaust survivor to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp after a Zoom meeting. Earlier this month, the 33-year-old Jackson published a series of anti-Semitic posts to his Instagram, including a quotation attributed to Adolf Hitler. Jackson apologized multiple times, and the Eagles released a statement that called the posts appalling. Edward Mosberg, 94, extended the invitation to Jackson during their call. According to The Jerusalem Post, Mosberg dressed in the uniform he wore while he was held in the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. I grew up in Los Angeles, and never really spent time with anyone from the Jewish community and didnt know much about their history, this has been such a powerful experience for me to learn and educate myself, Jackson said during the call, according to The Jerusalem Post. I want to take the proper steps to let people know that I never intentionally had any hatred in my heart, I never wanted to put the Jewish community down, I want to educate myself more and help bridge the gaps between all different cultures. Read more: Eagles call DeSean Jacksons anti-Semitic posts appalling; receiver apologizes Read more: Eagles DeSean Jackson posts anti-Semitic message, says he doesnt hate Jewish community Jackson posted a photo of his call with Mosberg on his Instagram account, and he wrote he was taking this time to continue with educating myself and bridging the gap between different cultures, communities & religions. According to The Jerusalem Post, Jacksons trip to Auschwitz in Poland would be set up by From the Depths, which is an organization dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust. Mosberg is an honorary chairman. Dialogue is the key to making this crazy world we live in a better place, with everything so divided is so powerful to bring us all together, From The Depths founder Jonny Daniels said in a statement, according to The Jerusalem Post. The outlet also reported Daniels set up the call between Jackson and Mosberg. We are working with DeSean and his team to set dates for this trip to go ahead and are happy that DeSean agreed. Given travel restrictions in place because of the coronavirus pandemic, it remains to be seen when a trip could be scheduled. Previously, New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman invited Jackson to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Daniel Gallen covers the Philadelphia Eagles for PennLive. He can be reached at dgallen@pennlive.com. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Follow PennLives Philadelphia Eagles coverage on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. 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. Davell Gardner, one, was shot in the stomach and later died in hospital A one-year-old boy has died after a shooting in Brooklyn, New York, where three other men were injured - in just one of three gun-related incidents that broke out in the city this weekend. Davell Gardner was fatally shot in the stomach after a dark SUV drove up to the scene of a cookout outside the Raymond Bush Playground in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood and at least two suspects dressed in black emerged and opened fire. The shooting took place around 11.35pm on Sunday and the other victims were a 27-year-old man shot in the ankle, 35-year-old shot in the groin and a 36-year-old shot in the leg. Cops were pictured on the scene at the Marcus Garvey Boulevard and Madison Street cross-section following the shooting. Police said the child had been sitting in a stroller. A stroller was left at the scene as well as several chairs on the sidewalk. The toddler passed away around 2.30am on Monday after being transported to Maimonides Medical Center. The New York Post pictured the child's mother crying at the scene. The other victims have not been identified. Two men dressed in black parked outside Raymond Bush Playground in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of New York City Sunday at 11.35pm and opened fire. A stroller was left at the scene as well as several chairs on the sidewalk 'The baby was with his family enjoying a Sunday night in the Summer when someone started shooting,' Chief Jeffrey Maddrey of the NYPD Chief of Community Affairs Bureau tweeted. 'Three people were injured and the baby was killed. This. Must. STOP! We as a community, we as a police department denounce this disgusting violence.' 'These are the very real people affected by senseless gun violence,' NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea tweeted as he asked anyone with information to contact police. The police boss met with the child's mother on Monday and Mayor Bill de Blasio mentioned the senseless shooting in his press briefing the same day. No suspects had been arrested by Monday at noon afternoon. 'All I ask is they get the people who done this,' a relative at the scene of the shooting told The Post. Davell Gardner (not pictured), one, was shot in the stomach and died in hospital on Monday around 2.30am Sunday's incident came as part of a series of shootings since midday on Saturday where around 23 people were injured in New York City, according to police sources. ABC reported that on Sunday alone 16 people were injured in 11 gunfire incidents. Two other minors were victims and both are expected to survive, according to authorities. In Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood, a 12-year-old boy was shot in the leg on Prospect Place near Ralph Avenue around 9.10pm on Sunday. He was standing on a stoop when he felt pain and realized he'd been hit in the leg. He was in stable condition in hospital. At around 5.30pm on Sunday, a 15-year-old boy was shot in the wrist at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard near West 143rd Street in Harlem. Since the start of the year until July 4 there have been 530 shooting incidents, compared to 350 in the same period last year. There haven't been this many shootings reported since 1996. Police data shows that shootings in the city last month were up 130 per cent year on the year - from 89 shootings last year to 205 this year. BREAKING: A one-year-old is among four people shot on Madison Street in Bed-Stuy tonight. The family was enjoying a sidewalk cookout when shots rang out outside Raymond Bush Park. The infant suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach. All are expected to survive. pic.twitter.com/kj6nufCOHL myles miller (@MylesMill) July 13, 2020 The family had been enjoying a cookout at Marcus Garvey Boulevard and Madison Street The NYPD has blamed a recent surge in gun violence on the release of people from jails amid the coronavirus pandemic and on recent calls to defund the police in favour of injecting some of the money into deprived communities. However Mayor Bill de Blasio has blamed the court system and the struggle that the pandemic has placed on already deprived communities. 'Do we think this has to do with the fact that there's record unemployment in the United States right now?' Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asked in a virtual Town Hall last Thursday. 'The fact that people are at a level of economic desperation that we have not seen since the Great Recession? 'Maybe this has to do with the fact that people aren't paying their rent and are scared to pay their rent. 'And so they go out, and they need to feed their child and they don't have money so they feel like they either need to shoplift some bread or go hungry.' Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-8477, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com. YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenian prime ministers wife Anna Hakobyan urges the Azerbaijani women and mothers to call on their countrys military-political leadership to suspend the military operations, do not endanger the lives of soldiers of the Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples. Anna Hakobyan said on Facebook that the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border has become tense from July 12, battles started between the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces as a result of which the Azerbaijani side, according to the official information, has suffered 4 losses in manpower within several hours. As the author of the Women For Peace campaign, I urge the Azerbaijani women and mothers to call on their countrys military-political leadership to suspend the military operations, do not endanger the lives of sons of the Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples. Women, mothers and sisters should ask their military-political leadership what they have got at the expense of the loss of their beloved ones, their personal tragedy, and what is hindering to discuss the issues in the conditions of peace, through the negotiations with the leadership of the other side. Especially during these pandemic days the heads of state should direct their efforts for maintaining the health of their own peoples and against one common enemy the war against the pandemic, in order to return the humanity to their normal life. Following the UN Secretary-Generals call for global ceasefire is the best the heads of state can do for their countries and peoples. War must always be avoided. Alternative always exists, Anna Hakobyan said. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Four years ago, one of Ireland's most ancient cattle breeds, the Bo Riabhach, became functionally extinct. With little over a dozen animals alive on the island, and a gene pool too small for successful breeding, it looked like this most Irish of cattle breeds was entering its last generation. But through a combination of determination and scientific innovation, a handful of dedicated breeders have bought the Bo Riabhach back from the brink. The Bo Riabhach had been a popular breed in Ireland for at least 1,200 years and may even have been introduced here by the Vikings. The breed remained popular until around 100 years ago, when a mixture of superstition and the introduction of other breeds led to a steep and seemingly irreversible decline. "Superstition really went against the breed," says Darren McLoughlin, secretary of the Bo Riabhach Society. "Superstition has always been a powerful thing in Ireland - you just have to look at all the ringforts that we have still standing today to see that. Expand Close Breeding battle: there were just a dozen Bo Riabhach cattle remaing in 2016 when the latest campaign to save the breed got underway / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Breeding battle: there were just a dozen Bo Riabhach cattle remaing in 2016 when the latest campaign to save the breed got underway "But when it came to the Bo Riabhach, they became a symbol of bad luck and they started to become less popular. "In an edition of the Farmers Gazette in 1900 it is mentioned that the Bo Riabhach is starting to decline and to be heavily crossed with other breeds." Matty English Hayden (pictured), chairperson of the society, says the writing was on the wall for the Bo Riabhach as far back as the coming of the Industrial Revolution, when cattle began to be exported in large numbers from Ireland to Britain. The Carlow farmer, whose own dairy herd is now made up exclusively of native breeds including Kerry, Droimeann and nine Bo Riabhach, says that the Bo Riabhach has for too long been the "forgotten foundation stone" of the Irish cattle herd. The Bo Riabhach thrived in Ireland for hundreds and possibly thousands of years until the Industrial Revolution prompted a slow shift to the larger shorthorn breeds, which could be exported to England for slaughter. "The first big population of cows came into Ireland about 5,000 years ago and over time they acclimatised. Whether they were suitable or not, over time they became suitable," says Matty. Expand Close A breed apart: there were just a dozen Bo Riabhach cattle remaining in 2016 when the latest campaign to save the breed got underway / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A breed apart: there were just a dozen Bo Riabhach cattle remaining in 2016 when the latest campaign to save the breed got underway "There was really no major change to the farming system here until the opening up of beef markets in Britain, which led to the introduction of the shorthorn." The numbers of Bo Riabhach began to decline steeply around 1900, and by 1990 their distinctive brindle or striped patterned hide had almost vanished from the Irish countryside. "Lots of people remember seeing herds of them when they were children, especially in the west. They seem to have remained popular in Clare and Mayo for a long time, but all of the cows we have today came from Kerry and Cork," says Darren McLoughlin. "By the time the 1990s came around, the numbers were in sharp decline. Jill Smith (a Cork farmer) was the first to recognise that it was almost gone and she started to gather them up." Gene pool In the early '90s, she placed advertisements in newspapers looking for any traces of the Bo Riabhach. With the help of a few dedicated farmers such as Con Cremin, Robert Moore, William McCarthy, Liam Byrne and Noel Kiernan, the breed survived, but by 2016, it was once again on borrowed time. "There was a handful of breeders who really kept it alive over the last few decades. But back in 2016 we realised that the numbers had slipped as low as 15 - it was really, really on the brink of extinction. Now we have about 40 or 50 cattle and the numbers are increasing all the time," says Darren. "We have a big enough gene pool for now, but in the future we will have to out-cross. We want to keep the genetics as tight as possible so we might cross in a few Kerry or Droimeann, but there are also Shetland cattle which are supposed to be quite similar. "There are similar cattle in Normandy and in Iceland, so there is a theory out there that the Vikings had something to do with this (the origin of the breed)." The Department of Agriculture has recently recognised the work of the Bo Riabhach Society and has committed to funding more genetic tests, including a fresh comparative analysis to confirm unique Bo Riabhach DNA. "From tests done in 2016, we have a hypothetical breed signature, so now we need to have more tested samples so we can fully identify the DNA signature," says Darren. "This time around we hope to also compare it to the Normandy and Icelandic cattle and see are they any relations and tease it out more that way. "It might be 2021 before we get the results of these latest tests, but this process will be continuing on after that. We will be testing DNA every year from now on. "Right now we have a group of maybe 10 people who have Bo Riabhach and are breeding them. At the moment there are herds in Dingle, Waterford, Donegal, Longford, Carlow, Leitrim and North Tipp. "It's better than it was but really this is the start of the road. It's going to take a decade or more for us to get 100 pure-breeds. Then we will be in a much better condition." As a former chairperson of the Droimeann Society, Matty English Hayden helped bring that native breed back from the verge of extinction over the past 20 years. While the situation with the Bo Riabhach is more precarious than that of the Droimeann, he believes with some careful breeding they too can be saved. "It is going to take some careful management of the stock we have. My preference would be to use other native Irish breeds. We want to keep the gene pool as narrow as possible but we need to have viable animals," he says. Folklore "The Droimeann was a similar situation, except they were starting from a wider base. It's been a great success, we now have animals who are testing as 100pc Droimeann. The population is rising very fast and we now have a good distribution of genes throughout the herd. "It took about 20 years to get there with the Droimeann, it was slow going, but we got there. We can get there again." The Bo Riabhach has a long and proud tradition in Irish culture.Its exact origins are unclear, but the breed and its unique brindle patterned hide has been mentioned in Irish folklore for hundreds of years. One story goes that an old Bo Riabhach boasted that the wet and cold of the month of March couldn't kill it. Angered by this boast, March borrowed three days from the beginning of April that were so wet that the cow drowned. This legend helps explain why the beginning of April is referred to as 'Laethanta na Bo Riabhai' or 'the Borrowed Days' in Irish folklore. According to Mr English Hayden, the Bo Riabhach holds a central place in old Irish culture. "There is one interpretation of the story which says that the Brown Bull of Cooley might even have been a Bo Riabhach," he said. "I'm not an Irish scholar, so I can't say for sure, but that is the theory. It certainly was a important animal for the people of Ireland in the past." A limestone double bowl with spray from bronze turtles and ducks. Commissioned in 1926 by Eugenia Gage to honour her parents Hannah Jane and Robert Russell Gage, the family for whom Gage Park is named. The first Monday of August normally sees a local commemoration of two people George Hamilton, the founder of our city and a posthumous famous Hamiltonian named each year. Previous honourees on the civic holiday have included Lincoln Alexander, Dr. Elizabeth Bagshaw, Stan Rogers, Nora Frances Henderson, Rapid Ray Lewis and T.B. McQuesten. But this year, because of COVID-19, there will be no George Hamilton Day public gathering on Aug. 3 to acknowledge 2020 recipient, architect John Lyle (1872-1945). Its unfortunate because Lyle had an enormous positive influence in Hamilton, and is not nearly as well known in the city as he should be. He grew up in Hamilton and was a gifted student at the Hamilton Art School. As a young adult he went off to the Yale School of Fine Arts in New Haven, Connecticut, and the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. After he returned to Canada, he established himself as one of the most important Canadian architects of the early 20th century, practicing in the Beaux arts (fine arts) style that uses ancient architectural forms with modern flourishes. He is especially known for designing Union Station and the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, but he also left an important legacy in Hamilton that includes the Thomas B. McQuesten High Level Bridge entrance to the city, Gage Park fountain and Central Presbyterian Church. Lyle was a brilliant illustrator and his architectural drawings, such as the ones he drew of the high level bridge, are recognized as works of art. He was known for designing banks across Canada but Hamilton was a place where Lyle expanded his range of usual work with the bridge, fountain and church. He was part of what was known as the City Beautiful movement of the 1920s, an effort to create an aesthetic counterbalance to heavy industry. So, this past week I set out to learn as much as I could about Lyle, touring around to check out his work, doing some reading and reaching out to some local experts. Architectural historian and heritage consultant Megan Hobson says Hamilton was fortunate that Lyle kept a soft spot for his hometown after leaving the city and finding fame. We benefitted from his personal connection to Hamilton because he was somebody who probably wouldnt have worked here otherwise, she says. Lyle was the Ireland-born son of clergyman Samuel Lyle, who was the minister of Central Presbyterian in Hamilton. One of the young architects first commissions in 1908 was designing a new church for his dad, at Charlton and Caroline, after the original structure burned down. Through the 1920s, he worked in an era of re-imagining Hamilton, not as an industrial town, but as a town that was at the forefront of the best kind of architecture and landscape and urban planning. They were really trying to rebrand the city, says Hobson. Rob Hamilton, an archivist with a passion for local architecture, says there was a group of civic leaders in government and industry led by T.B. McQuesten who were interested in lifting the city up ... They wanted to raise the city to a higher standard. Lyle was key in helping them achieve their aspirations. And a century later, his legacy lives on as someone who helped find beauty in the beast of an industrial city that forever changed Hamilton. Lyles Legacy in Hamilton Gateside House Hendrie estate (1905-06) 135 Aberdeen Ave. Tudor-revival. Built for William Hendrie Jr. on land that was once part of the Ravenscliffe estate. The British considered the house suitable for visiting royalty. Central Presbyterian Church (1907) Caroline at Charlton Beaux Arts Classicism. The only church he designed in his career. The best way to look at the church is from the north-east corner looking back in the morning light with the sunrise ... The church really pops. With all the stained glass inside, it just wakes up in the first half of the day, says local architecture expert Rob Hamilton. Samuel Lyle Residence (1908) 45 Glenfern Ave. British Arts and Crafts. A retirement gift to Lyles father Samuel Lyle from his parishioners after decades as minister at Central Presbyterian. It has an ornamental round ball on one of the gables ...The home is utterly different from any other house on the street, says Hamilton. Wynnstay F.F. Dalley Residence (1925) 437 Wilson St. E., Ancaster Canadian Arts & Crafts. 100-acre estate on the Niagara Escarpment with grounds designed by Dunington-Grubb. It is now the Mount Mary Retreat Centre and one of 31 Ancaster properties going through a heritage review process by the City of Hamilton. Gage Park Memorial Fountain (1927) Part of City Beautiful 1000 Main St. E. A limestone double bowl, above the base, with spray from bronze turtles, built as an east-end homage to the Gore Park fountain. Commissioned by Eugenia Gage to honour her parents Hannah Jane and Robert Russell Gage, the family for whom Gage Park is named. Thomas B. McQuesten High Level Bridge (1932) Part of City Beautiful York Boulevard. A showpiece entrance to the city over the Desjardins Canal that was somewhat altered from Lyles original design because of financial constraints caused by the Great Depression. But the bridge is still regarded as a masterpiece of design. Burundian refugees in Tanzania say they fear being forced to return to their country now that a new president has taken power and invited them home. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians fled during the bloody political turmoil that followed former President Pierre Nkurunzizas decision to seek a third term in 2015. Nkurunziza decided not to run again in Mays election and died days later in what the government called a heart attack. New President Evariste Ndayishimiye is now being watched closely for any breaks with his predecessor, whose rule slid into repression in its final years. At his swearing-in, Ndayishimiye declared that Burundians should feel free to speak out. Burundians should be able to listen to each other, but outsiders should not dictate what to do. He invited all those in exile to return and build a new nation. Shortly afterward, Tanzanias director of the department of refugees visited camps for Burundians in western Tanzania where close to 200,000 remain, refugees told The Associated Press. He carried one message: Go back to your country, there is peace now, refugees said. They said the official, Sudi Mwakibasi, urged refugees to take up the new presidents offer and go home and participate in the countrys development. A coalition of refugees human rights defenders denounced the Tanzanian officials position. We are not assured by the new government team, said Leopold Sharangabo, the coalitions vice president. He noted the new appointment in Burundi of a prime minister, Alain Guillaume Bunyoni, who is under U.S. sanctions for his alleged role in rights abuses. He called the appointment an insult to refugees. These people harassed us, killed us, tortured us and forced us into exile. How can we be asked to go back under their regime? he asked. The danger we fled is still there, said another refugee, Apollinaire Makokwe. Sharangabo accused Tanzanian authorities of destroying markets in the camps in past efforts to make people leave. Some refugees noted that a request from Tanzanian authorities is normally an order. Even before Burundi's change in power, Tanzania's President John Magufuli told refugees to go home, claiming the country had calmed. Tanzania's government later denied it was expelling refugees. A spokesman with the United Nations refugee agency in Tanzania, Edward Ogolla, said in an email that we expect that there will be calls for refugees from Burundi to go back home from senior government officials in Tanzania and Burundi. UNHCR continues to stand by the position that all returns must be voluntary and the result of a free and informed choice by refugees. Ogolla said the UNHCR will continue to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of Burundian refugees and that 85,396 have returned since September 2017. Until recently, Im going to Trellis was one of the most envy-inducing phrases in Houston. To name-drop the spa implied access to the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa and with it, access to the Memorial-area propertys 27 acres of perks. It wasnt uncommon for spa guests to turn their appointments into a daylong, group activity. After a massage, why not invite girlfriends for a dip in Trellis plunge pool? Or extend a facial into dinner reservations on hotel grounds, perhaps at Tribute or the Manor House? In February, when management shuttered Trellis temporarily for a multimillion-dollar face-lift, the Houstonian opened Solaya Spa & Salon, a pop-up concept in Highland Village, during the interim. Loyalists wondered if Trellis remote tranquility would translate in the short-term space. Staffers promised an updated experience swathed in crystal accents and French blue they urged clients to think of Solaya not as something different but as something new. Then COVID-19 swept through town, and everything changed. The Houstonians decadent Solaya unveiling was put on ice. A number of locally owned spas and franchises had big plans for 2020. But unlike other businesses, the beauty and wellness industry relies on touch-based interaction to keep clients on the massage table and in treatment chairs. With social distancing considered the No. 1 rule in preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus, spas faced a number of hurdles before they could safely re-enter such a close-contact game. We were the first place that many people went to (after Harris Countys stay-home order was lifted), said Christine Whitnel, training manager at Trellis and now Solaya. In her adjusted role, she helps staff provide the Houstonians signature level of service. Trellis is an experience, its a full day. Guests typically would come early so they can change into their robes and slippers. Now, most arent wanting to lounge. Before the Highland Village pop-up debuted in mid-May, precautionary measures were implemented. Spa guests were asked to wait in their vehicles before appointments. Upon entering the second-floor space via elevator, a manager took each clients temperature. Gloves and a health-check questionnaire were mandatory in addition to masks. Its a departure from Trellis leisurely pace, when spagoers would arrive two hours early to take advantage of the amenities. Unnecessary extravagances have also been cut from the program. Neck cushions, lavender-scented eye pillows and terrycloth towels (previously used as hand warmers) were deemed potential bacteria carriers and discontinued. Even without the customary frills, the vibe inside Solaya leans more toward hospitable than clinical. Rosemary-flecked shortbread cookies are presented as welcome-back gifts. Baskets stationed between the salon and reception areas contain take-home lavender spray bottles. And, were still on target to reopen Trellis for fall, Whitnel said. New Friendswood retreat Evelyn Baldwin became a first-time spa owner earlier this year. She fell in love with Woodhouse Day Spa over a weekend retreat in Austin and decided to bring a piece of the franchise to the Clear Lake area. The way I was treated was something different than Id ever experienced before, Baldwin said. Their home office is in Victoria, and Im Texas proud. Im drawn to things like that. Friendswood lacked a place where residents could to relax, Baldwin thought. So she seized an opportunity to open a Woodhouse location in Baybrook Malls lifestyle center. The chains aesthetic is rustic-chic; think exposed beams, wrought-iron chandeliers and wooden fireplaces. Several of the other franchises are built out of historical homes, the kind with white crown molding and claw-foot bathtubs. Its a challenging decor scheme to nail in an outdoor shopping center Kendra Scott and Lululemon have neighboring storefronts and the coronavirus further complicated Baldwins vision. I want people to go to Woodhouse and feel like theyre on vacation: Escape reality for the day. Get away from the business of life, she said. But when you went on vacation before COVID, you werent wearing a mask or seeing other people wear masks. She was midway through construction when stay-home/work-safe orders went into effect. Baldwin estimates that the setback delayed the spas opening by six to eight weeks. Its been a challenge, but I had the benefit of watching the other Woodhouses open and seeing what worked for them, she said. All spa surfaces were treated with MicroShield 360, a nontoxic coating system that reduces cross-contamination. HydraFacial FaceLife masks were ordered for her staff; the copper-woven fibers reportedly kill germs before theyre inhaled, and adjustable features have proved ideal for extended wear and repeated washing. Last, splashy grand-opening plans were scrubbed. On June 17, Woodhouse hosted friends and family members for an intimate reveal instead. We invited people who were going to love us no matter what, and who would give us strong feedback, Baldwin said. We asked about our COVID policies: Do they make you feel safe? Is our cleanliness up to par? She credits the open-air location for introducing new customers organically. The majority of our guests are seeing us because were at the mall. Theyre curious whos open, and after they get a tour, I feel them sigh with relief to see were being so safe. Upper Kirby clean beauty Estela Cockrell was three days away from the grand reopening of Switch2Pure when local officials ordered a countywide shutdown. It could not have been more a devastating time, Cockrell said. For the first few weeks, I was very panicked. How was I supposed to launch a business? She founded Switch2Pure in 2017 as a one-stop shop for nontoxic, performance-based skin care formulated from all-natural, organic ingredients. The company, which began as a product-subscription service, formerly occupied a small retail space in River Oaks District. Later, Cockrell realized that shed need more square footage to make her dream of incorporating spa treatments a reality. The Wellery was born as an extension of the brand, How can we be more experiential? said Cockrell, who has an autoimmune disorder and Lyme disease. Her client base varies from post-surgical cancer patients to the health-conscious. Some come through our doors because they seek our wellness services, she said. Here, you can get your food tested or make customized supplements. Its called Health Off the Shelf because our approach is very concierge-oriented. You can conquer your own functional wellness. In light of the coronavirus, her customers are prioritizing health and detoxification with renewed intensity. And with the extra rooms inside her new Upper Kirby location, shes able to provide the Wellerys Ozone Sauna Treatment to rid the body of viruses, bacteria and fungus. Or a session in the Infared Sauna, which aims to detoxify the body by raising its internal temperature to 113 degrees. Cockrell encourages her staff to discuss each clients safety preferences as soon as they walk through the doors. It immediately puts people at ease. That, and sterilizing everything right in front of them. We disinfect the iPads we use for check-in and every surface down to the faucet handle and individual products right after theyre touched. Affordable facials in Rice Village The founders of Face Haus, a Los Angeles-based company that offers democratized facials at an affordable price point, searched high and low for the perfect neighborhood to open a Bayou City outpost. They were inspired by DryBars open, fresh and no-nonsense air, said Ann Marie Cilmi, vice president of education and innovation. Our customer doesnt always have two hours to get a facial. So weve created a service thats not meant to compete with the spa experience but still delivers expert results. The walkability and community feel of Rice Village checked all of Face Haus boxes. Offer letters had just been sent to prospective aestheticians when COVID-19 brought hiring to a halt. The first thing we did was furlough everyone for tenure and health-care purposes, Cilmi said. The next step was to review our guidebook with each and every aesthetician about increased deep-cleaning and booking protocols. Despite Gov. Greg Abbotts order that allows spas to operate at 50 percent capacity, Face Haus has opted to maintain 25 percent occupancy to maximize social distancing. Walk-ins are not accepted, and unlike similar treatment facilities, aestheticians are required to wear gloves when performing facial services. The benefit of our open concept is that you can see the sanitation stations and all of our safety protocols with your own eyes, Cilmi said. The beauty of that transparency is then you can relax and be in and out of the chair in an hour. Time is the commodity here. amber.elliott@chron.com OCEANAGOLD provides update on Philippines legal proceedings Posted by Publisher Internet OceanaGold Corporation (TSX: OGC) (ASX: OGC) (the ?Company?) wishes to provide an update on the status of legal proceedings in the Philippines. The Company applied for an injunction in the Philippines Court of Appeals in July 2019 as a temporary measure to allow interim operations of the Didipio Mine while it challenges the legality of the order issued by the Governor of Nueva Vizcaya to restrain the activities of the Company pending renewal of the Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (?FTAA?). The Company has recently been made aware from social media that the Court of Appeals has denied its application for an injunction. The Company has not received any formal order from the Court of Appeals and is seeking confirmation. If the denial of the injunction is in fact accurate, the Company will continue to defend its right to operate the Didipio Mine in the interim whilst it completes the FTAA renewal process. To this end, OceanaGold intends to follow the usual appeal process with the Court of Appeals, and if necessary, to the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Regional Trial Court in Nueva Vizcaya The Company?s main petition in the Regional Trial Court in Nueva Vizcaya challenging the legality of the Governor?s order is ongoing. Due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the parties are still undergoing pre-trial conference. The Company maintains authority over the Didipio Mine rests with the National Government. The Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160) does not grant the power or authority to the Provincial Governor or any local government officer to restrain any aspect of the Didipio Mine operations. Renewal of the FTAA The renewal of the FTAA is a separate and independent process which the Philippine National Government has authority over. In this regard, the status of the FTAA renewal has not changed, and it remains with the Office of the President of the Philippines. The Company will continue to work with the National Government to finalise the renewal of the FTAA and remain open to the opportunity to engage with the Provincial governments of both Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino that are hosting the FTAA and work together in the best interest of local stakeholders. About OceanaGold OceanaGold Corporation is a mid-tier, high-margin, multinational gold producer with assets located in the Philippines, New Zealand and the United States. The Company?s assets encompass the Didipio Gold-Copper Mine located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. On the North Island of New Zealand, the Company operates the high-grade Waihi Gold Mine while on the South Island of New Zealand, the Company operates the largest gold mine in the country at the Macraes Goldfield which is made up of a series of open pit mines and the Frasers underground mine. In the United States, the Company operates the Haile Gold Mine, a top-tier, long-life, high-margin asset located in South Carolina. OceanaGold also has a significant pipeline of organic growth and exploration opportunities in the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions. OceanaGold has operated sustainably since 1990 with a proven track-record for environmental management and community and social engagement. The Company has a strong social license to operate and works collaboratively with its valued stakeholders to identify and invest in social programs that are designed to build capacity and not dependency. For 2020, and subject to the cautionary statement below, the Company expects to produce between 360,000 and 380,000 ounces of gold from Haile, Waihi and Macraes combined at a consolidated All-In Sustaining Costs ranging from $1,075 to $1,125 per ounce sold. Cautionary Statement for Public Release Certain information contained in this public release may be deemed ?forward-looking? within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information relate to future performance and reflect the Company?s expectations regarding the generation of free cash flow, achievement of guidance, execution of business strategy, future growth, future production, estimated costs, results of operations, business prospects and opportunities of OceanaGold Corporation and its related subsidiaries. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as \expects\ or \does not expect\, \is expected\, \anticipates\ or \does not anticipate\, \plans\, \estimates\ or \intends\, or stating that certain actions, events or results \may\, \could\, \would\, \might\ or \will\ be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements and information. They include, among others, the outbreak of an infectious disease, the accuracy of mineral reserve and resource estimates and related assumptions, inherent operating risks and those risk factors identified in the Company?s most recent Annual Information Form prepared and filed with securities regulators which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company?s name. There are no assurances the Company can fulfil forward-looking statements and information. Such forward-looking statements and information are only predictions based on current information available to management as of the date that such predictions are made; actual events or results may differ materially as a result of risks facing the Company, some of which are beyond the Company\-\-s control. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release is based on reasonable assumptions, readers cannot be assured that actual outcomes or results will be consistent with such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements and information, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The information contained in this release is not investment or financial product advice. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO US NEWSWIRE SERVICES. ? ? Scotts Landing resident Kelly Grovehills vows she will frame her airline boarding passes after a harrowing seven-week ordeal attempting to return to New Zealand in a world plagued by Covid-19. Kelly set off on her adventure of a lifetime in January, planning to spend a year travelling around the United Kingdom, Europe, India and Nepal. But once she reached Scotland, the seriousness of the global pandemic became ever more apparent and relatives urged her to head home. Kelly prevaricated in the hope that things would blow over. However, one by one countries she hoped to visit shut their borders and she realised her touring plans were in tatters. Nevertheless, coming home proved easier said than done. It took me seven weeks. I had three flights cancelled and was refused permission to board a further flight at Heathrow airport, she says. It has led Kelly to issue a warning to anyone thinking of travelling overseas. Travellers must be prepared for their travel plans to be disrupted at short notice in a highly volatile situation. Kelly eventually found flights that had her transiting through Sydney. But to board the plane, she needed a letter from the New South Wales health authority clearing her to travel, a letter from New Zealand immigration saying she was a New Zealand permanent resident, permission from the Australian border authority to allow her to enter Australia, plus a three-day transit visa. Even this was not enough. When she checked in at Heathrow for the second time, Qatar Airways was obliged to phone each of the separate authorities and confirm that her documents were in fact genuine. It was about 50 minutes before any Kiwi got their boarding passes, Kelly says. She describes overnight quarantine in Sydney as chaotic, with a single harassed nurse obliged to conduct medical checks on an entire planeload of people. But she says her treatment on arrival in New Zealand was A1 and decries media reports, which have suggested our border controls are a mess. Instead, she says they ran like a smooth military operation. At Auckland airport, about half a dozen booths were set up where nurses examined passengers. Those who had symptoms consistent with Covid-19 were sent to a quarantine hotel. Those without symptoms were sent to a managed isolation hotel. At Kellys hotel, air force personnel registered passengers, escorted them to their rooms and handed over a folder describing what was allowed and not allowed over the next 14 days. The arrivals were confined to their rooms but could book an escorted walk during the day, as long as they maintained social distancing and travelled singly in the lift. A nurse checked on them every second day. Friends could drop off books and jigsaw puzzles in the lobby, but no contact was allowed. Kelly had to content herself with waving to them from her hotel room window. Kelly noticed police cars turning up occasionally. She was told if the isolated refused to obey the rules, police were immediately informed and the offenders were taken to a naughty hotel where restrictions were tighter and a police officer was on duty on every floor. Now out of isolation, Kelly says its a relief to be back home. In the UK, the Government response to this thing has been at least careless and at worst negligent. Here, by contrast, decisive action and care has clearly paid off, she says. SAN FRANCISCO, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger is proud to announce that Super Lawyers has recognized Senior Partner Michael A. Kelly as the number one vote-getter on its list of 2020's Top Ten Super Lawyers in Northern California. Kelly also ranked among the Top 100 Northern California Super Lawyers in the Products Liability category for the 15th year in a row. Kelly has earned recognition as a Top 10 Super Lawyers for six of the last eight years. Annually, Super Lawyers distinguishes the top attorneys in California using a selection process which includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. The prestigious honor comes on the heels of Kelly's work on two major pieces of litigation this year that will improve the lives of many Californians. Most recently, Kelly helped lead the litigation against the nation's largest investor-owned utility PG&E, for damages to residents of six North Bay counties and Butte County caused by the utility triggering Northern California wildfires. The PG&E bankruptcy case, concluded recently on behalf of wildfire victims, is the largest Tort Bankruptcy in U.S. history with overall payment to victims totaling $13.5 billion. Kelly played an instrumental role in negotiating the fund that has been established to cover the victims' losses. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali issued final approval to PG&E's Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection plan in May affirming its effort to cover liabilities stemming from its role in sparking the wildfires that killed 130 people and destroyed billions of dollars in property. This includes the most destructive wildfire in the state's history, the 2018 Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise. "Our firm has relentlessly pursued justice on behalf of wildfire survivors every day since the first fires in Sonoma and Napa in October 2017," said Kelly. "This landmark Fire Victim Trust is now being funded and we hope that the process can quickly begin processing and paying claims, finally bringing some financial relief to victims who have been waiting nearly three years to rebuild," added Kelly. In the litigation on behalf of Hastings College of Law, Kelly teamed with his colleagues at Walkup Melodia as well as principals at Greenberg Gross in Orange County to negotiate a tentative settlement aimed at resolving health and safety issues produced by a homeless encampment crisis in San Francisco's Tenderloin District. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of residents, local businesses, and UC Hastings Law School, sought to compel the City of San Francisco to remove almost 500 tents obstructing the sidewalks of the Tenderloin and safely relocate the unhoused residents living on the sidewalks. At the same time, Kelly's clients prayed for an order requesting the police and District Attorney to undertake an aggressive enforcement program to eradicate narcotic sales in the neighborhood. The stipulated settlement is currently before the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for approval. "The city has already safely relocated the occupants of more than 250 tents pursuant to the stipulated agreement," Kelly noted. "We are hopeful that the Board of Supervisors will quickly approve the agreement so that the work can be finished and the neighborhood made even safer for both the housed and unhoused Tenderloin residents who deserve an end to drug trafficking and clean, appropriate sleeping locations off the public sidewalk. The injunction that is intended to conclude this case will protect both the indigenous housed population numbering more than 20,000 residents and those who are living on the sidewalks, improving the health and safety of all," said Kelly. San Francisco based Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger is one of the premier personal injury firms in the country specializing in the areas of personal injury and wrongful death litigation. Its attorneys have helped shape personal injury law while securing billions of dollars in financial compensation for injured clients. Contact: Walkup Firm (415) 889-2919 SOURCE Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger Related Links https://www.walkuplawoffice.com Australian citizens stranded in India say they have been fighting an "impossible" battle to get back home, begging the federal government to organise mercy flights. The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced last week that international flights out of the country were restricted until July 31, a policy that has stretched since March due to coronavirus. For the Australian citizens and permanent residents who have had tickets repeatedly cancelled since March, they were further aggravated by the announcement they would have to pay $3000 for their two-week stint in hotel quarantine if they flew into NSW after July 18. India-based teacher Deborah Tellis has appealed to the Australian government to help her and other Australians who are struggling to find a way to come home. Credit:YouTube When Deb Tellis' long-term teaching contract in India finished, she couldn't go to her next assignment working in China due to the borders closing. SEOUL - A former secretary of Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who killed himself last week, has accused him of sexually harassing her over a four-year period. The longtime mayor of the South Korean capital was found dead Friday amid a criminal inquiry and media reports of sexual harassment allegations against him. The allegations threatened his reputation as a "feminist mayor" and a high-profile supporter of the country's #MeToo movement. The alleged victim went public with her accusations against the mayor on Monday, speaking through her lawyer. The lawyer, Kim Jae-ryon, told reporters that she filed a sexual harassment complaint against Park late Wednesday, a day before he canceled his official schedule and abruptly disappeared. "The day I mustered up my courage to submit the complaint and was questioned all night long, the person who destroyed my human dignity ruined his own," the former secretary said in a statement read by her lawyer. She did not give her name to protect her privacy. "I was foolish, and I am regretful. Yes, I should have screamed, cried and reported him when it first happened," the statement said. Police confirmed last week that a complaint against Park had been received, but they did not provide further details. Speaking to reporters at Monday's news conference, Kim said the alleged victim was harassed by the mayor "during the four years she worked as his secretary, and continuously after she had moved to a different department." Park habitually made unwanted sexual advances toward his secretary, the lawyer said, including by calling her into his bedroom to ask for a hug and pressing his body against her when taking a selfie together. Kim also said that Park sent her client sexually suggestive texts and photos of himself in underwear via the encrypted messaging app Telegram. Kim said the chat records stored on the victim's phone were submitted to the police as evidence. A spokeswoman for the Seoul metropolitan government said she could not confirm the allegations and had no immediate comment on the case. Park's death ends any police scrutiny of him, as there is no individual to prosecute. Kim nevertheless called for "a proper investigation to find the truth." Park did not explain why he took his own life. "I am sorry to everyone, and I thank everyone who has been with me in my life," he wrote in a "will" found at his residence that was released later on Friday at the request of his family. In the handwritten note, he expressed his apologies to his family and asked that his body be cremated but offered no explanation. He would have faced an investigation of the alleged sexual crime, which would have dealt a blow to a career built on governance and advocacy for the underprivileged, minorities and especially women. Before becoming mayor, he worked as a human rights lawyer and won landmark cases on progressive issues. In 1998, he and a team of lawyers won South Korea's first sexual harassment conviction on behalf of a university teaching assistant, which was recognized with a "Feminist Movement Award" from the country's top women's rights groups. At a public talk in 2016, he remembered it as "the most meaningful court case" in his career. "It was an opportunity of our times to rightly establish gender equality," he said. During his legal career, he was also a strong advocate on behalf of those known as "comfort women," who were forced to work into sexual servitude by the Japanese military during its World War II occupation of the Korean Peninsula and Southeast Asian countries. Park founded influential civic groups and worked to end corruption by the country's economic and political elites. As mayor, he rolled out progressive policies on urban renewal, the environment and affordable housing. Most recently, the mayor won praise for the city's aggressive approach to containing the novel coronavirus pandemic. He was serving his third term as mayor of the capital and was considered a potential presidential candidate for the liberal Democratic Party in the 2022 election. His funeral on Monday drew a mixture of condolences from citizens mourning the mayor's death and criticism over his alleged sexual crime. More than 570,000 people signed an online petition to the South Korean President's Office opposing a five-day mayoral funeral for Park. Ordinary South Korean funeral services usually take place for three days. "The sexual harassment allegations will be closed without an investigation due to Mr. Park Won-soon's death, but are we sure it was an honorable death?" the petition said. It called for a quiet family funeral in place of the extraordinary five-day service. New Delhi: India and Canada are closely cooperating on the issue of Khalistani terrorism and separatism even as fringe elements in the latter have been proactive. The cooperation includes giving classified information on Khalistanis, given the full support Pakistan's notorious spy agency ISI has been giving to them. India and Canada already have a Framework for Cooperation on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism agreed in February of 2018. This year Khalistanis have been active especially since they plan to do a so-called "referendum". Canada with 2nd largest number of Sikh Population after India has been a ground for ISI backed Khalistanis to get support from the diaspora. According to Canada's global news 2 Canadian Sikhs, Bhagat Singh Brar, and Parvkar Singh Dulai, have been on the country's no-fly list since 2017 over both being trying to engage in act of terrorism in India. In fact, documents which have been seen by Global news show Brar working with Pakistan's ISI for a specific attack in 2017 was distributed The document as quoted by Global News says, Brar was involved in promoting extremism, including the radicalization of youth, with the aim of achieving Khalistan independence; and attack planning and facilitation, including weapons procurement, to conduct attacks in India" This comes even as Indian mission in Canada lodged a strong protest with Canadian TV authority --the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission over Montreal based PTN24 channel broadcasting anti-India commentary and glorification of terrorism. The developments come even as India has acted on Khalistani social media handles and blocking 40 websites of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) which is an unlawful organization under the UAPA,1967. New Delhi also blacklisted 9 Khalistanis in 5 countries including Canada for being "involved in various acts of terrorism from across the border and from foreign soil" and "trying to revive militancy in Punjab through their anti-national activities and through their support to and involvement in the Khalistan Movement", the home ministry in a statement said a few weeks ago. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canada based Chief of Khalistan Tiger Force was among those who have been banned. If you have seen the content of Hindustani Bhau, Shubham Mishra can be called his rip-off because this 26-year-old YouTuber follows the same format for making videos on the platform. Mishra gained popularity on YouTube as he picked up all the trending topics and put out his opinions. After going through his YouTube account, we found that he uploaded his first video 2 years back and since then, he has been active on the platform. He has over 298K subscribers on YouTube and his talking points range from fake feminism to Vikas Dubey encounter to the issues of Kashmiri Pandits. Recently, the YouTuber invited social media rage for his utterly profane and abusive rant on Mumbai based comedian Agrima Joshua. He might have deleted the video from his account but Kunal Karma shared it on his Twitter page and Shubham can clearly be seen giving Agrima rape threats in a very crass language. Kunal tweeted, Dear @NCWIndia does this concern you, we see this scumbag give open threats to a female comedian who has already apologized & taken her objectionable video down... Dear @NCWIndia does this concern you, we see this scumbag give open threats to a female comedian who has already apologised & taken her objectionable video down... pic.twitter.com/c7OiHf0yUl Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) July 11, 2020 Joshuas old video, in which she had made a remark on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, surfaced online and started to go viral. In the video, she refers to what was said about the statue on the website Quora. This Shivaji statue is an amazing masterstroke by Prime Minister Modi Ji, Joshua said. It will have solar cells which will power all of Maharashtra...It will also have GPS tracker, she added. She clearly mentioned that it wasnt her point of view but someone wrote it on the knowledge-sharing website. She even apologized for hurting sentiments and took down the video. It might have offended a few but Shubham abusing her and sending rape threats shouldnt be advocated or appreciated. Vadodara police have detained him for his objectionable video. People are angry at him for using such profane language for a woman and are bashing him left, right and center. can we all cancel #shubhammishra and #hindustanibhau for all the horrible things they are doing like sending rape threats to a woman who made a joke which was directed at the government and not at religious community and not glorify them. shravya (@wallowwflower) July 13, 2020 Carry Minati, #ShubhamMishra and many others belong to same breed of problematic people in our society who have been creating content full of homophobia and hatred. But problem lies in us too because we listen to it and praise them. People need to stop idolizing them. Aayush Sharma (@JournalistWFH) July 13, 2020 Someone go and tell this aadhi buddhi to change his definition of "nationalism". Can't believe that this scumbag was so desperate for attention that he gave out graphic details about what he's gonna do to a woman. Isey acha padh leta toh shaayad desh ke kaam aata #shubhammishra pic.twitter.com/tODLD76p7p Shreya (@ThisIsShreyaaa) July 12, 2020 When we checked his YouTube account, we found that he has been using abusive language in almost all of his videos. If you want to put forth a point, there can be other ways of putting it out. In one of the videos, he is seen targeting Neha Dhupia on the basis of the Roadies Its Her Choice controversy but he went too low when he dragged his daughter and went on to say that Neha will teach her to have more than 15 boyfriends because her mother has a standard as she has done a movie called Julie. Now thats too low of him. In the other video, he is seen sharing about fake feminists and the very introduction of the video is filled with abuses that shouldnt be praised. It was in regards to the Bois Locker Room controversy and how he demarcated between achi and aisi ladkiyan. Theres no wrong in sharing your opinions but people have somewhere forgotten where to draw the line as your opinions might hurt the sentiments of people involved, directly or indirectly. While he was threatening Agrima for taking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the negative light, he is no innocent soul and Kunal Kamra shared how he spoke about Maratha King Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad. Kunal tweeted, Look what the Scumbag Shubham Mishra who made rape threats to a female comedian for her Objectionable joke, here's him using Maratha King Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad's name in a very objectionable manner. His respect for National heros & intentions is questionable. Look what the Scumbag Shubham Mishra who made rape threats to a female comedian for her Objectionable joke, here's him using Maratha King Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad's name in a very objectionable manner. His respect for National heros & intentions are questionable... pic.twitter.com/DB9twiUuS8 Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) July 12, 2020 Theres one more video on Shubhams channel where he is talking about the ban of TikTok but here too he crossed his line when he started to body shame a female TikTok. He went on to say how she looked so pretty in the videos but in reality, she speaks like Paanch Ka Sinka Atak Gaya Hai. He also said that how men see such women and masturbate. What was he thinking while he was making such remarks? It's not about gender, such content shouldnt be promoted. A few people have also shared screenshots wherein Agrima too has crossed the line in the name of sarcasm. @NCWIndia#shubhammishra is arrested. Great job! But what you have to say about this? Double standards?! We need answers. Enough is enough! We won't stop until justice is done. #AgrimaJoshua pic.twitter.com/PcqoCuZdlW ishwar (@proudindia22) July 12, 2020 #arrestshubhammishra #shubhammishra Is #AgrimaJoshua only a victim? What about her nasty jokes intentionally made ? What about feelings of crores of people who belonged to maratha section of society? pic.twitter.com/g01PR11JLs Amrita Pal (@AmritaP71033808) July 12, 2020 Hmm, justice has been done. #shubhammishra is in Police custody now. It was really necessary to do so. Was scrolling someone's account, I got this. Let me know what can be done.@NCWIndia pic.twitter.com/2ih02xboi6 Shivam (@The_JuniorG) July 12, 2020 If this is the so-called Nayi Generation, we really dont know where we are headed. The manner in which popular instagram grand master, Hushpuppi was arrested and transported to the United States of America (USA) has been heavily contended by his legal team. According to the lead Counsel Gal Pissetzky, the action of the FBI and the USA was highly illegal and a clear case of kidnapping. He contended that the US has no authority to take Hushpuppi, adding that he was kidnapped by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from Dubai. Hush, as he is also called, was arrested together with 11 others, including Olalekan Jacob Ponle (aka Mr. Woodberry) in Dubai, where they lived in June. They then appeared in a Chicago court on July 3. The United Arab Emirates has no extradition treaty with the United States, but Dubai police said they had been extradited to the US. A spokesman for the US Department of Justice told the BBC that Hushpuppi was expelled from Dubai and was not extradited. He did not answer how he ended up in US custody. Gal Pissetzky told the BBC that his client, who posts on Instagram about his extravagant lifestyle, is not a criminal and only made his money legitimately. He is a social media influencer with millions of followers, with millions of people that respect and loved him, and he loved them, and thats what he did. In todays society, thats a business, he said. Mr. Pissetzky admits that he is not 100% familiar with social media and his children consider him too old but he knows thats how people make money today. The Chicago defence lawyers argument that Hushpuppi was paid by designer brands for promotion has set the stage for what promises to be a long trial in American courts. FBI accuses Mr. Abbas, 37, of conspiring to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from frauds known as business email compromise (BEC) and other scams. It is the latest high-profile fraud case involving a Nigerian national in the United States, but his lawyer says the US had no authority to transport him from Dubai. In my opinion, the FBI and the government here acted illegally when they kidnapped him from Dubai without any legal process to do so, Mr. Pissetzky said. There was no extradition, there were no legal steps taken, there were no court documents filed, it was simply a call to the FBI. ...He is not a citizen of the United States, the US had absolutely no authority to take him, he added. But the Dubai police said in a Facebook post that the FBI director had thanked them for extraditing the two men. Youll have to ask them about why they called it an extradition, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) spokesman responded in an email. In a statement about Mr. Abbas initial court appearance, the DoJ said, FBI special agents earlier this week obtained custody of Abbas and brought him to the United States without giving any further details. Mr. Pissetzky is not convinced. If Dubai wanted to expel him, they should have expelled him back to Nigeria. Ive never heard of anything like that. That is the real story here. The commitment of banks in Bahrain to the package of regulatory measures issued by the Central Bank of Bahrain contributes to mitigating the effects of Covid-19s financial implications on customers of the banking sector, a top official said. Dr Adel Al Basha, Chairman of the Legal and Regulatory Framework Committee at the Bahrain Association of Banks (BAB), revealed in his statement that these controls and regulatory measures required retail banks, finance companies, and microfinance institutions to postpone the instalments of any borrower or credit card holder affected by the economic repercussions of the Coronavirus without any fines, interests or increase in the percentage of profit/Interest for six months unless the borrower agrees to pay within a shorter period. A maximum rate of 0.8% has also been added on the collection fees imposed by local banks and finance companies on debit card transactions, to reduce costs for traders and companies. "These measures did not significantly influence the performance and profitability of banks, especially since the Central Bank of Bahrain granted banks other facilities in return, including granting the banks operating in the retail services a facilitation of repurchase arrangements (repo) up to six months at zero percent on a case-by-case basis. The Central Bank also allowed the liquidity reserve ratio for banks operating in the retail services to be reduced to three percent from five percent," Dr Al Basha added. Dr Basha stressed that calculating the impact of these measures on banks' profitability remains a purely technical issue, as it differs from one bank to another. However, it can be emphasized that if the decline in bank profits in Bahrain occurs, this will be caused by weak economic performance and the closure imposed by Covid-19 pandemic. He noted that the banks' contribution to moving the wheel of the national economy by deferring borrowers' instalments will benefit both the banks and Bahrain. "The financial institutions' commitment to the package of supervisory and regulatory measures reflects the keenness of banks and financial institutions in the Kingdom of Bahrain to support economic and social stability, and pursuing the development in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The recovery of the economy and restoring markets' activity to normal are banks top priority, as it contributes to in revitalizes its business," Dr Al Basha explained. The measures that were implemented since last March would be reviewed by the Central Bank of Bahrain at the end of next September in consultation with the banking sector. This will be performed in a manner that accomplishes its purpose in providing more liquidity and flexibility that permits banks to sustain the process of funding their customers. We must also stress the importance of working with the Central Bank of Bahrain as one team based on constant partnership and coordination, Dr Al Basha concluded. TradeArabia News Service Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Kyodo News) Sapporo, Japan Mon, July 13, 2020 22:03 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665ff59d 2 Art & Culture Japan,Museum,hokkaido,National-Ainu-Museum Free Japan's first national museum dedicated to the indigenous Ainu people of northern Japan opened Sunday after repeated delays due to the coronavirus pandemic. The National Ainu Museum in the Hokkaido town of Shiraoi will only accept 2,000 visitors who made reservations in advance on weekdays and 2,500 on weekend days to keep crowding to a minimum and reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission. The 8,600-square-meter museum, a park and a memorial make up the complex named "Upopoy," which means "singing in a large group" in the Ainu language. The ethnic group has lived for centuries in areas that became northern Japan, notably on the country's northernmost main island of Hokkaido, as well as on neighboring Sakhalin in what is now Russia. Beginning with the government's assimilationist policy in the Meiji Era (1868-1912), the ethnic minority suffered discrimination and land dispossession, spilling over into ongoing income and educational disparities. The Ainu also struggled to maintain their culture due to Japan's assimilationist efforts and were prohibited from speaking their native language. Read also: Why this Hokkaido bear park is animal abuse disguised as a conservation attraction The Japanese government only recognized the group as "indigenous people that have their own language, religious and cultural identity" in 2008. The museum complex, originally scheduled to open on April 24, aims to attract one million visitors annually once the admission limits are lifted, according to the Japanese government. It is expected to contribute to the promotion of the local economy and tourism. The park has a hall to show traditional Ainu dance and musical performances, a workshop for cooking Ainu cuisine and playing Ainu instruments, and a studio for Ainu craft demonstrations. It also has an area showing a traditional Ainu village. The memorial site has buildings for performing memorial services and keeping displaced remains of deceased Ainu people, along with a monument and a cemetery. Red Bull initiates Positive Day, setting an Asian record to spread positive power across Vietnam Through this event, Red Bull encourages young Vietnamese to celebrate and awaken the positive power within them, overcome challenges, and continue to take strides along the journey of conquering their dreams. On the morning of July 11, 2020 to mark a significant milestone in Red Bull's journey to spread positive power and conquer challenges from the early May 2020, Red Bull organised Positive Day at Phu Tho Stadium with the highlight of a new Asian record set by the participation of more than 2,000 young people. In addition, Red Bull also calls for the community to spread positive power on social networks through multiple meaningful activities. The first three months of 2020 passed with unforeseen volatilities and Vietnam is certainly no exception. After fighting the toughest challenges, the whole society entered the equally challenging phase of economic recovery, where young workers are the core force. The campaign to spread positive power initiated by Red Bull is a timely boost to evoke the internal power and optimism of young Vietnamese people. Red Bull initiates Positive Day, setting an Asian record to spread positive power across Vietnam "Red Bull takes pride in creating a launching pad for the positive power to spread and we will strive to create even more significant milestones," said Nguyen Thanh Huan, general director of TCPVN, the owner of the Red Bull brand We will continue to amplify the messages of Positive Day, so that it will spread more strongly in the future. When we look back years later, it will be the Positive Day that helped maintain an optimistic spirit and a strong will in the populace to face the challenges standing between them and their dreams. In the following years, Red Bull hopes that the campaign will grow in both scale and quality to further spread the positive power to every Vietnamese, urging them to lean in, power through challenges, and redefine their limits, Huan said. Nguyen Thanh Huan, general director of TCPVN receives Asian record to spread positive power across Vietnam In addition to the new record, Positive Day also brought a lively and energetic atmosphere for thousands of young participants through one-of-a-kind physical activities such as tire pulling, hammer bumping, or warped walls. The participants also immersed themselves in explosive tunes through the performance of famous bands like Microwave and F-Band. Founded in 1981, Red Bull quickly became a famous and successful energy drink brand in Thailand. In 1987, it entered the international playground, opening a whole new market for energy drinks. From the first Red Bull cans sold, Red Bull prides itself on being the source of energy and inspiration for the community in more than 167 countries and being the world's leading energy drink brand. Constantly affirming its reputation and helping to boost body and spirit, Red Bull officially entered the Vietnamese market in 1994. Throughout more than 20 years of "supplying energy" for Vietnamese users with international quality, Red Bull constantly inspires young Vietnamese people to explore their potential and overcome all challenges to achieve their goals. President Trumps advisers undercut the nations top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, over the weekend, anonymously providing details to various news outlets about statements he had made early in the coronavirus outbreak that they said were inaccurate. The move to treat Dr. Fauci, who has led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for decades, as if he were a warring political rival came as he has grown increasingly vocal in his concerns about the national surge in coronavirus cases, as well as his lack of access to Mr. Trump over the past several weeks. It has been accompanied by more measured public criticism from administration officials, including the president. And it came just days after the White House called school reopening guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overly restrictive, part of a pattern of the administration trying to sideline recommendations that could slow the reopening of the economy, which Mr. Trump views as vital to his flailing re-election effort. Aides to Mr. Trump first released to The Washington Post what the paper called a lengthy list of remarks that Dr. Fauci had made about the virus when it was in its early stages. That list featured several comments from Dr. Fauci that White House aides had privately complained about for months, including one in February in which he minimized the chance of asymptomatic spread and said people did not need to make big changes to their lives. An Australian white supremacist who pleaded guilty to killing 51 worshipers at two mosques in New Zealand last year plans to represent himself at a sentencing hearing in August, a court heard on Monday, raising concerns that he might use the proceedings to push his views and traumatize the survivors once again. The white supremacist, Brenton Tarrant, initially denied involvement before pleading guilty in March to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism for the killing spree in Christchurch on March 15, 2019. The massacre, the deadliest shooting in New Zealands history, led the government to ban most semiautomatic weapons and spurred an effort to restrict racist and violent content on the internet. The gunman had posted a white-supremacist manifesto online and live-streamed part of the shootings on Facebook. On Monday, a judge at Christchurchs High Court confirmed that Mr. Tarrant, who appeared via video link from Auckland Prison, had waived his rights to legal representation before allowing his lawyers, Jonathan Hudson and Shane Tait, to withdraw from the case, according to the local news media. Ahead of Congress Legislature Party meeting, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, party leaders and MLAs flashed a victory sign, apparently expressing confidence that their government has the requisite majority in the assembly. IMAGE: Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot with senior Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala, Avinash Pandey, Ajay Maken and K C Venugopal flashes victory sign during a meeting with the party MLAs at his residence in Jaipur. Photograph: PTI Photo The Congress Legislature Party meeting began about three hours later than scheduled, with ministers and MLAs flashed victory signs for the cameras. The Congress said 109 MLAs have already expressed support for chief minister Ashok Gehlot, rejecting the claim by deputy chief minister and the party's state unit president Sachin Pilot that the senior leader does not have the majority. About 100 MLAs had walked into the chief minister's residence by 12.30 pm, an hour before the meeting actually started. But some MLAs considered close to Pilot had not arrived till then. These included G R Khatana, Harish Meena, Ramesh Meena, Vishvendra Singh, Ved Prakash, Mukesh Bhakar and Ramnivas Gawriya Senior Congress leader and spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the Gehlot-led state government is stable and will complete the full term. He asserted that Congress held a discussion with Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot several times in the last 48 hours. The party had issued a whip ahead of the meeting, indicating disciplinary action against any MLA who failed to turn up. In a statement, Pilot, however, had made clear that he would not attend the meeting. He also claimed that he had the support of over 30 Congress MLAs and some independents. Surjewala said the Congress government in the state is stable and in majority. Pope Francis said on Sunday that he is "deeply pained" over the decision by Turkey to change the status of Hagia Sophia - which was originally built in Istanbul as a Christian cathedral - from a museum to a mosque. In a very brief, improvised remark, Francis, speaking from his studio window overlooking St. Peters Square, noted that the Catholic Church marked Sunday as International Day of the Sea. "And the sea brings me a little far away with my thought: to Istanbul," the pontiff said. "I am thinking of St. Sophia and I am deeply pained." Francis said no more but was clearly referring to the move by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to formally convert the monumental building back into a mosque. The colossal Santa Sophia cathedral was turned into a mosque after the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453. The Turkish secular government in 1934 decided to make it a museum. Francis, speaking from his studio window overlooking St. Peters Square said : 'I am thinking of St. Sophia and I am deeply pained' The pope, who heads the Roman Catholic church, is adding his voice to strong objections a day earlier by the head of the Geneva-based World Council of Churches. That organization described its "grief and dismay" in noting that Hagia Sophia has been "a place of openness, encounter and inspiration for people from all nations." The council's membership comprises Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican churches. Erdogan declared the monument open for Muslim worship after a high court annulled the 1934 government decision. Erdogan, a devout Muslim, has frequently used the debate over Hagia Sophia to drum up support for his Islamic-rooted party. The decision has provoked deep dismay among Orthodox Christians and strong criticism from neighbor and rival Greece. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also said France "deplores" Turkeys decision on Hagia Sophia. Muslims offer their evening prayers outside the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia, following Turkey's Council of State's decision to convert it back into a Muslim house of worship "These decisions cast doubt on one of the most symbolic acts of modern and secular Turkey," the minister said in a statement. "The integrity of this religious, architectural and historic jewel, a symbol of religious freedom, tolerance and diversity, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, must be preserved," he said. "Hagia Sophia must continue to represent the plurality and diversity of religious heritage, dialogue and tolerance." The U.S. State Department has said it was "disappointed" by the decision and looks forward to seeing how Turkey plans to keep the landmark open to all. Advertisement Matt Hancock today urged shops to call the police if people refuse to wear face masks from July 24 - despite top officers warning the rules are 'impossible' to enforce. The Health Secretary sent out the tough message as the decision to make coverings mandatory, which came after weeks of dithering by ministers, descended into chaos and confusion. Businesses called the plan 'utterly ludicrous' and police said it was ridiculous to expect them to hand out 100 fines to everyone who broke the law in England. The arrangements have exposed deep splits within Boris Johnson's own Cabinet, with Michael Gove having taken to TV studios at the weekend to contradict the PM by insisting masks should not be compulsory. Mr Gove was pictured in a Pret in London this morning not wearing a mask, in contrast to Mr Johnson who has donned his for a series of photo opportunities. Finally confirming the move - which has already come into effect in Scotland - in the House of Commons this afternoon, Mr Hancock said he hoped shoppers would fall into line without punishments. But he told MPs: 'Should an individual without an exemption refuse to wear a face covering, a shop can refuse them entry and can call the police if people refuse to comply. 'The police have formal enforcement powers and can issue a fine.' Mr Johnson and other senior ministers have been wrestling to balance their instinctive dislike for 'nanny state' moves with rules to ensure public safety - and Mr Gove sparked fresh confusion by saying on Sunday that masks in shops should be a matter of 'courtesy' and 'common sense' rather than required. Michael Gove was in Westminster's Pret a Manger this morning without a mask as he said it should be left to people to decide whether to wear one Mr Gove added it was 'basic good manners' to wear masks in shops but was pictured picking up breakfast in a Westminster Pret a Manger without one this morning. Minutes later Trade Secretary Liz Truss arrived at the same branch wearing a blue face covering similar to the one worn by the Prime Minister yesterday. Confusion was fuelled by Environment Secretary George Eustice, who refused to rule out the mandatory use of face coverings being extended to offices and other workplaces during a BBC interview this morning. MailOnline has been inundated with emails from business owners left perplexed and angry at the face masks diktat who fear that this will kill off their businesses as it was revealed that UK faces the biggest peacetime deficit in history with the risk of four million people out of work by next year - and the economy might not recover until 2025. Matt Hancock (pictured in the Commons today) urged shops to call the police if people refuse to wear face masks from July 24 - despite top officers warning the rules are 'impossible' to enforce Shoppers who fail to comply risk fines of 100 under the plans to stop a second wave of coronavirus. Pictured: Prime Minister Boris Johnson wearing a face mask during the Coronavirus while campaigning in his Uxbridge constituency Susan Lindsay-Carlin, who runs a corner shop, said: 'I doubt many of our customers will be willing to wear one - very very few do - and the staff will not be comfortable asking customers to wear one. But if we let in larger numbers without masks it makes mockery of the requirement'. Moshe Schmahl, who works at Nat Jacobs Fishmongers in north London, said: 'There is essential communication going back and forth between the monger and the customer. With face masks on, it is extremely difficult to understand the other person. Let's hope the government will provide some clarifications and exemptions' How the government's line on face coverings has changed over the months March 12: Deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries: 'For the average member of the public walking down a street, it is not a good idea in fact, you can actually trap the virus in the mask and start breathing it in.' April 16: Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said: 'The evidence is weak, but the evidence of a small effect is there under certain circumstances.' April 21: Revealed in meeting minutes a month later, Sage advised: 'On balance, there is enough evidence to support recommendation of community use of cloth face masks, for short periods in enclosed spaces, where social distancing is not possible.' April 23: Dr Jenny Harries said there could be 'a very, very small potential beneficial effect in some enclosed environments'. April 24: Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'On masks, as more information comes through, the science is constantly evolving and we always bear in mind that science and then take the decision. As of today, the government position is unchanged.' April 30: Boris Johnson said: 'I do think that face coverings will be useful, both for epidemiological reasons, but also for giving people confidence that they can go back to work.' May 20: Researchers in Hong Kong found face masks reduced infection by up to 75 per cent. June 4: Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced that face coverings will be mandatory on public transport from June 15. He said: 'With more people using transport the evidence suggests wearing face coverings offers some - albeit limited - protection against the spread for the virus.' June 5: Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed plans to make face coverings compulsory in hospitals for all staff, visitors and outpatients from June 15, but a furious NHS boss said the decision was made 'without any notice or consultation'. Meanwhile, Grant Shapps said masks would not be required in other settings such as shops because people spend little time in close proximity. June 12: German study suggests making face masks compulsory could slow the spread of Covid-19 by as much as 40 per cent. July 10: The PM says the government 'needs to be stricter in insisting people wear face coverings in confined spaces'. A government source later briefs that it is a 'fair assumption' that masks will become mandatory in shops and other indoor settings within a few weeks. July 12: Michael Gove says masks will not be compulsory in shops in England, insisting it is best to 'trust' the public and wearing a face covering is a matter of 'good manners'. July 13: Justice Secretary Robert Buckland made it worse that 'perhaps' masks should be mandatory., Hours later Mr Johnson was forced to steps and says an announcement will be made 'in the coming days' on upgrading the advice on using face coverings. July 14: George Eustace says that shops will have to play their part to enforce the wearing of masks and refuses to rule out masks being mandatory in offices. Advertisement Jools Cardozo, who runs Farringdon and Forbes Home Interiors in Leamington Spa, said: 'Our high streets are near deserted, businesses are being forced to close and now the government want to tighten that last nail in the coffin by imposing that all shoppers wear face masks! How utterly ludicrous. I am all for the safety of my staff and customers but imposing this on a random future date screams of desperation'. The confusion over face masks came as: Grim new estimates from Office for Budget Responsibility watchdog suggests no 'V-shaped' recovery for the UK with the economy predicted to tank for at least five years; Ministers today announced Huawei will be banned from the UK's 5G network with all of the firm's technology to be ripped out by 2027; Doctors have demanded ministers set out a clear strategy to prevent a second Covid-19 wave amid fears it could kill triple the number of Brits as the first outbreak because the UK remains unprepared; Workers at a Covid-19 hit vegetable farm in Herefordshire went on a shopping trip to Primark and three supermarkets just days before 73 staff tested positive for the virus - and three people with the illness are still missing after leaving the site against police orders; Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said compulsory masks and the levying of 100 fines was 'impossible to enforce', adding: 'We can't have police outside every shop'. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan - a strong supporter of face masks - revealed that since lockdown began to be eased more than a month ago just 59 people have been fined for not wearing masks on the Tube and admitted that the delay in making them compulsory has only caused more confusion in the UK. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Khan admitted some 10 per cent of people travelling at rush hour in the Capital are still refusing to wear a mask on public transport. Susan Carlin, who runs a corner shop, told MailOnline: 'I doubt many of our customers will be willing to wear one - very very few do - and the staff will not be comfortable asking customers to wear one. But if we let in larger numbers without masks it makes mockery of the requirement'. She added: 'We had a good system in 2 metre social distancing which the customers adapted well and willingly to and we work behind a screen. I believe this is a totally unnecessary and an unenforceable rule which will cause huge discomfort for my staff'. Moshe Schmahl, who works at Nat Jacobs Fishmongers in north London, said: 'There is essential communication going back and forth between the monger and the customer. With face masks on, it is extremely difficult to understand the other person. Let's hope the government will provide some clarifications and exemptions'. Dean Roddie, a director of seven carpet shops around Warwickshire, told MailOnline he has been 'clawing some of his lost business back.' He added: 'We have been able to keep the 2 metre distance in our stores and have put in hand sanitiser and screens at desks and all seemed to have been going well until this madness with making masks compulsory. 'I'm really worried this will massively affect our business, I believe people will just not bother coming out to buy a non essential item while having to wear a mask, sometimes our customers can be in our store an hour so it can be a long time to have the mask on especially when they will be 2m from our staff so there is no need for them to wear them. 'I'm done with this government now, I'm a conservative member which will not be renewed. I personally will be doing my shopping online as I will not wear one.' Michael Gove snubs mask as he pops to Pret after saying it should be 'basic good manners' to wear one in stores Michael Gove in Pret without a mask today Michael Gove shunned his own advice about it being 'good manners' to wear a mask in a shop today. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster popped into Pret in Westminster to buy breakfast but did not have his face covered. Minutes later fellow cabinet minister Liz Truss arrived at the same branch - but she was wearing a mask like the one worn by the PM yesterday. On Sunday Mr Gove dismissed the idea of making face coverings compulsory in shops. The Cabinet minister said it was best to 'trust' the public and wearing a mask was a matter of 'good manners'. The intervention comes after the PM said on Friday that he believed the government 'needs to be stricter in insisting people wear face coverings in confined spaces'. Asked about the issue on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show this morning, Mr Gove said: 'I don't think mandatory, no, but I would encourage people to wear face masks when they are inside, in an environment where they are likely to be mixing with others and where the ventilation may not be as good as it might'. Advertisement Andy Luckman of AJL Electronics and Classic Microcars in Gloucester added: 'I have had a security rule in my shop which is that unless I can clearly see your face, you are not coming in. I have no intention of changing that rule for hysteria reasons.' But many shoppers have taken to social media to say that they will still refuse to wear a mask calling the new rule 'hysterical' and Tory members have been cutting up their membership cards calling the face mask rules are the 'final straw'. Mr Johnson's struggle over imposing rules on the public has been evident from early in the crisis, when the PM initially delayed enforcing a full lockdown after urging the public to obey social distancing rules. After weeks of dithering, Mr Johnson finally set the stage for face masks to be made compulsory in shops during a 'People's PMQs' session on Friday. Speaking as Nicola Sturgeon imposed the rule in Scotland, Mr Johnson conceded that 'scientific opinion has shifted' and said it was a good idea to wear them in confined spaces. Downing Street sources then briefed that making them compulsory could be expected within days. However, Michael Gove regarded as one of the most libertarian ministers in Cabinet - then sparked fresh confusion by saying on Sunday that masks in shops should be a matter of 'courtesy' rather than required. Aides immediately tried to quell signs of a rift by arguing that Mr Gove had been 'over-interpreted', while No10 also tried to signal that a ban was still on the cards. However, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland made the situation worse yesterday when he desperately dodged taking a position in interviews yesterday, saying he was in the camp that 'perhaps' masks should be mandatory. By last night, with a backlash at the shambles gathering pace, Downing Street decided that it needed to clarify the position and briefed that masks will be required in shops from July 24. Retailers and police forces have today slammed the government's 'impossible' new rules making face masks compulsory in all stores from next week. Retailers will be asked to advise customers to wear masks but their staff will not be expected to enforce the law. Instead, police will be given powers to dish out fines. Shoppers who fail to comply risk fines of 100 under the new regulations which come in on Friday, July 24, to stop a second wave of coronavirus. But the move has sparked confusion among retailers, who remain in the dark over whether they will be made to wear a mask behind a perspex screen, and how to deal with customers not following the rules. Chief executive of the British Retail Consortium Helen Dickinson said 'more clarity was needed' on how to protect shop workers from aggressive customers refusing to wear face masks. Speaking on BBC Radio 4 today, Sadiq Khan admitted some 10 per cent of people travelling at rush hour in the Capital are still refusing to wear a mask on public transport. Adam Marshall said the British Chambers of Commerce was supportive of the new rules around face coverings, and said they would help to 'restore consumer confidence' and encourage more people to head into their town centres to shop. NO PLANS FOR MANDATORY FACE COVERINGS IN SHOPS IN WALES Face coverings have not yet been made mandatory in shops in Wales because coronavirus is at its 'lowest ebb' in the country, Wales' finance minister has said. Rebecca Evans said it was important the country took a 'proportionate response' to the pandemic, following the UK Government's decision to enforce the use of face coverings for shoppers in England. In Wales, face coverings will only become mandatory for public transport when new rules come into force on July 27. Today, Ms Evans' Labour colleague in Westminster, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth, accused UK Government ministers of being 'slow and muddled' over introducing the rule for shops in England. Ms Evans said the Welsh Government had been consistent in making changes to measures only 'once we have a plan in terms of how we will deliver that'. On Monday, First Minister Mark Drakeford said he would not mandate the use of three-layered face coverings in public places like shops. But he said that could change depending on the state of the virus in Wales in future, while claiming businesses could request customers wear the coverings anyway. Advertisement 'Restoring consumer confidence to use towns and city centres safely is enormously important to the restart and recovery of the UK economy and taking measures, sensible measures like the use of face masks in enclosed businesses, is one step that can help rebuild that confidence,' he said. Mr Marshall told the PA news agency: 'The evidence that we see from other countries is that when the rules are clear people's confidence goes up and their ability to go and use shops, to use towns and city centres also improves. He added: 'We don't believe that the use of coverings will stop people going into these establishments - in fact we believe it will probably help many more to do so.' The law will require people to wear simple cloth face coverings, rather than the medical grade masks used by front-line NHS workers. Only young children or those with certain disabilities will be exempt from the new regulations. Ken Marsh, Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation - which represents rank-and-file officers - told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Shopkeepers need to step up to the plate and take some responsibility. 'They can quite easily put signs up on their doors 'No mask on, no entry, this is private property'. 'That's the first point we need to get across because this cannot all be laid on the shoulders of the police yet again. 'The second point is it will be nigh-on impossible for enforcement because you won't have a police officer on every shop door because there isn't enough of us. 'If a shopkeeper calls the police because someone hasn't got a mask on, they haven't got the power to detain them so that person can just walk away. 'We'll be driving around and around London looking for people who aren't wearing masks, it's absolutely absurd.' Tories cut up their party membership cards over face masks diktat Conservative Party members have been cutting up their membership cards in protest at Boris Johnson's move to make face masks mandatory in shops in England. The hashtag NoMasks and the word 'muzzles' were both trending on Twitter on Tuesday morning, while several people posted pictures of chopped-up cards or cancelled registrations. Many said the order - which will come into effect from July 24 and carries a maximum fine of 100 for non-compliance - is incompatible with the party's libertarian values. Others claimed there is insufficient evidence to suggest that the measure has meaningful health benefits. Dominey Jenner, 42, a stay-at-home mother and former teacher from Wimbledon, south-west London, told the PA news agency that she had been 'quite sceptical about the lockdown' but said the face mask rules are the 'final straw. If you look at the statistics regarding the cases and the death rate, which is plummeting ... why now you would bring in mandatory face masks?' Advertisement JD Sports chief executive Peter Cowgill criticised the delay in the Government ordering the mandatory use of face masks in shops in England, suggesting it could hit consumer confidence. Mr Eustice said the face coverings would not be compulsory for shop staff, or in pubs and restaurants, and he defended the delays to introducing the measure. He told the BBC that ministers want to 'give people time to plan and prepare' by delaying the enforcement of the measure until July 24. The Cabinet minister said the measure, which had been in place in Scotland since Friday, was now backed by the Westminster Government because the evidence 'has been evolving'. The move follows a weekend of confusion over whether ministers intended to make face coverings compulsory after Boris Johnson said they were looking at 'stricter' rules. He told Sky News today: 'The evidence, the understanding, has been evolving. 'So the World Health Organisation changed their guidance back in June and following that the Government changed its guidance and we recommended that people wear face coverings in enclosed spaces when they're out and about. 'We then sharpened that and made it compulsory for public transport in the middle of June and what we've really got here is, as we loosen the lockdown and allow more venues to open, we need to consider the mix of measures we have in place to limit the transmission and control the virus. 'And that's why we're making this next step, which is to say it's mandatory to wear masks in retail environments.' Mr Eustice said the mandatory use of face masks in England would apply to 'all shops', but not pubs and restaurants, as he appeared to contradict guidance for hairdressers. Only young children or those with certain disabilities will be exempt from the new regulations which come in on Friday, July 24. Pictured: Pedestrians pass a John Lewis store in central London Retailers will be asked to advise customers to wear masks but their staff will not be expected to enforce the law. Pictured: Members of the public wear face masks as they shop on Princess Street, Edinburgh Masks are already compulsory on public transport and the Prime Minister hinted on Friday that the Government is poised to extend the requirement to retail premises to help control the virus spread Sadiq Khan admits one in ten passengers refuse to wear a mask at rush hour London mayor Sadiq Khan, who has been pressing for face coverings to be made mandatory, said ministers should not wait until July 24. 'It's a disgrace that there's been days of mixed messages and confused communications from ministers,' he said. 'We can't afford to wait another day and the Government should bring this policy in immediately - further delay risks lives.' But speaking on Radio 4, he was asked why more people had not been fined for failing to wear masks on public transport. He said: 'The amount of fines that have had to be issued so far is only 59. During rush hour we have more than 90% compliance. 'The problem is not the enforcement the problem is the mixed messaged and the confused communication, that has been the issue. 'The government needs to ensure that the test, trace, isolate system is fully operational all these things will lead to consumer confidence and the public having confidence to return to the shops. 'If it's safe to do so of course I want people to return to return to the fantastic culture we have in London, to their place of work if it's safe to do so. 'Very few places of work will be able to have 100% of staff returning to the level they had pre-Covid. 'It's really important the government gets a grip, makes sure the public has confidence the virus is under control. 'Then you'll see people returning to the shops, return to work.' Advertisement 'Hairdressers, you've always required a mask to go to,' he told Sky News. But the Government guidance says: 'There is no requirement for the client to wear any additional protection such as a mask or face covering, when the practitioner is wearing a visor.' Mr Eustice added: 'We're not for instance mandating the wearing of masks in pubs and restaurants, because obviously people have got to eat. 'We've been evolving the measures we've had as we come out of lockdown and we've been strengthening the guidance progressively on masks making it mandatory first on public transport and now we're going to that next step to make it mandatory in retail environments.' The British Retail Consortium today said more 'clarity' was needed on the use of face coverings in shops in England after days of 'mixed messages'. Helen Dickinson told the Today programme: 'Our expectation is that [shop staff] would not need to wear a mask behind a screen. 'The whole point about face coverings is that it's another level of mitigation we have social distancing, the importance of hygiene measures. 'Within a retail environment there is a huge amount of time, resource and investment that has gone into putting the infrastructure like those Perspex screens in place and it's also quite different for a retail colleague to be required to wear a mask for eight hours a day. 'The job of the retailer is to encourage compliance but where the boundary gets more difficult for people who work in retail is that they are often on the frontline of that very small minority of people who don't want to comply with the rules or become verbally aggressive to the shop worker.' Sadiq Khan, meanwhile, said he welcomes the Government's 'U-turn' on making face coverings mandatory in shops in England. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said masks should be worn in shops, supermarkets and gyms. He said a suggestion that people refusing to wear a face covering on the Tube were not being fined or stopped was 'not true'. Nine out of ten Britons back mandatory face masks in shops Nine out of ten Britons back the latest Government moves to make the wearing of face masks mandatory in shops as well as on public transport, according to a new report today. Over half would go further and make coverings obligatory when leaving home and mingling with others in open spaces, the latest research shows. Donning masks has become more commonplace with the study, carried out for fashion supplier Elle, showing almost three in four adults claiming to have worn some sort of protection since the lockdown was first announced 17 weeks ago, compared with only a quarter in a survey carried out in late April. One in five claimed they regularly put on a mask when in an enclosed public space. However some members of the public still need convincing that they should be worn at all despite evidence they offer some protection from the Covid virus. Middle aged men are the most skeptical with almost six out of ten of 45-65 year olds branding face masks unnecessary. Some 26 per cent of the adult population, around 13 million people, admit they don't have a mask and 7%, one in 15 of the population, saying they would defy official instructions to wear one despite the threat of a 100 fine. 15% of Britons complained they had been unable to obtain face masks. The study was carried out by research company Manu for Elle which has turned to making masks for the public after its regular work of providing hosiery for leading designers suffered because of the pandemic. Advertisement He said TfL enforcement officers and the BTP have stopped in the region of 18,500 people from travelling on public transport and issued 59 fines, with 'more than 90% compliance,' from passengers traveling at rush hour. Mr Khan claimed the government's concern about police standing on the streets issuing fines was 'misfounded and misplaced.' He added: 'The problem is not the issue of enforcement, the problem is the mixed messaged and the confused communication, that has been the issue. 'The government needs to ensure that the test, trace, isolate system is fully operational all these things will lead to consumer confidence and the public having confidence to return to the shops. 'It's really important the government gets a grip, makes sure the public has confidence the virus is under control.' JD Sports chief executive Peter Cowgill criticised the delay to introducing the measure, saying 'it will have an impact on consumer confidence' as he blamed ministers for 'inconsistencies and the indecisiveness'. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It's come as a surprise at the lateness, a little bit like quarantine, and it seems to have come at the back end rather than the front end of the pandemic, and even more so it's been delayed until July 24, which is very difficult to work out and seems quite indecisive. 'I'm not sure about the rationale for the delay, but I do think it will have an impact on consumer confidence. 'Maybe it will be a positive for older customers but a deterrent for younger ones. 'I think it's the inconsistencies and the indecisiveness that causes the lack of confidence. 'I actually think the delay up to the 24th is quite confusing as well.' He suggested his store will offer face coverings to anyone not wearing them but said it will be for police to enforce. 'The guidance so far is that our store colleagues are not really to get involved and it's a police matter to enforce rather than for them to get involved in any potential public disturbances,' he said. A sales assistant at a food retailer has said she believes she and her colleagues will receive abuse from the public when face coverings become mandatory in shops in England from July 24. A further 21 people have died from coronavirus in 24 hours bringing the UK's total death toll to 44,819 THE TRUTH ABOUT FACE MASKS: WHAT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN Research on how well various types of masks and face coverings varies but, recently, and in light of the pandemic of COVID-19, experts are increasingly leaning toward the notion that something is better than nothing. A University of Oxford study published on March 30 concluded that surgical masks are just as effective at preventing respiratory infections as N95 masks for doctors, nurses and other health care workers. It's too early for their to be reliable data on how well they prevent infection with COVID-19, but the study found the thinner, cheaper masks do work in flu outbreaks. The difference between surgical or face masks and N95 masks lies in the size of particles that can - and more importantly, can't - get though the materials. N95 respirators are made of thick, tightly woven and molded material that fits tightly over the face and can stop 95 percent of all airborne particles, while surgical masks are thinner, fit more loosely, and more porous. This makes surgical masks much more comfortable to breathe and work in, but less effective at stopping small particles from entering your mouth and nose. Droplets of saliva and mucous from coughs and sneezes are very small, and viral particles themselves are particularly tiny - in fact, they're about 20-times smaller than bacteria. For this reason, a JAMA study published in June still contended that people without symptoms should not wear surgical masks, because there is not proof the gear will protect them from infection - although they may keep people who are coughing and sneezing from infecting others. But the Oxford analysis of past studies- which has not yet been peer reviewed - found that surgical masks were worth wearing and didn't provide statistically less protection than N95 for health care workers around flu patients. However, any face mask is only as good as other health and hygiene practices. Experts universally agree that there's simply no replacement for thorough, frequent hand-washing for preventing disease transmission. Some think the masks may also help to 'train' people not to touch their faces, while others argue that the unfamiliar garment will just make people do it more, actually raising infection risks. Advertisement 'We have had people become very irate when we have had to limit purchases, remind them about the one-way system etc,' Holly, 34 from Solihull said. 'So yes, I do think myself and the colleagues will get more abuse from members of the public. Especially our regulars who probably think we will let them off. 'I feel it's too little too late and how will this even be monitored? If we have repeat offenders do we go to the police? 'We have a persistent shoplifter currently and the police don't have the time to sort him. Let alone people wearing masks.' The Daily Mail revealed yesterday that the Government has procured ten factory production lines capable of making five million masks a week. Face coverings have been compulsory on public transport since June 15 and, last Friday, Scotland ordered shoppers to wear them. Government sources said guidance on masks in other settings would be 'kept under review'. The move may anger those who find them uncomfortable or dislike the idea of state compulsion. One libertarian Tory MP has already vowed to stop shopping rather than wear a mask. But Boris Johnson yesterday said they were important in confined spaces as 'a kind of extra insurance'. A Downing Street spokesman said: 'There is growing evidence that wearing a face covering in an enclosed space helps protect individuals and those around them from coronavirus. Do face coverings help reduce coronavirus transmission? Initially many authorities, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), suggested face coverings were not effective in preventing the spread of Covid-19 but are now recommending wearing them in indoor spaces. So, has the science evolved on face coverings? A report recently published by the Royal Society suggests that even basic homemade face coverings can reduce transmission if enough people wear them. Dr Julian Tang, who is an associate professor of respiratory sciences at the University of Leicester, said wearing face coverings in public places could keep the R value below 1 by creating an 'artificial herd immunity'. But Dr Simon Clarke, an associate professor of cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said that while face coverings may reduce the spread of cough droplets, robust epidemiological evidence on their benefits is still lacking. Are there any benefits to wearing them? Experts say the risk of coronavirus transmission appears to be higher in poorly ventilated indoor spaces and wearing face coverings in small shops or enclosed shopping centres could help reduce the spread. In addition, there is also increased evidence which suggests that many people with the virus who do not have symptoms can still be contagious. What does this mean for those looking to go back to the office? Experts say wearing face coverings could provide an added line of defence amid growing evidence of airborne transmission of coronavirus. Dr Tang said: 'If half the people in the office wear a mask, it would increase artificial herd immunity to around 25%, which can reduce transmission overall within the office, just by reducing the number of people who are susceptible.' Are there downsides to face coverings? There are many indoor spaces, such as pubs and restaurants, where the use of face coverings may not be possible. Some experts have also shared concerns that wearing face coverings may give the wearer a false sense of security, although Prof Neal said there is 'no evidence to suggest that is the case'. Are some face coverings better than others? The WHO advises a three-layer face covering in the community - the outer layer should be water resistant, the inner should be water absorbent and the mid-layer acts as a filter. The Government has said coverings can be made from scarves, bandanas or other fabric items, as long as they cover the mouth and nose. But scientists at the Leverhulme Centre say some coverings are not as effective as others, with loosely woven fabrics, such as scarves, shown to be the least effective. Advertisement Autistic children may experience 'trouble' with face coverings An autistic woman has said she expects she and her autistic children will experience 'trouble' after it was announced that face coverings will be mandatory in shops in England from July 24. Jen, 44, from Birmingham - who did not want her surname published - is exempt from wearing a mask, but said she has encountered judgment on public transport having already demonstrated her exemption to a bus driver. 'I go to sit down and there is a sea of faces looking at me like 'how dare you get on our bus without your face covered',' she said. 'There were these two ladies, probably 70-something, glaring at me, and their eyes followed me all the way to my seat. 'I thought, 'these people need to know why I'm not wearing (a mask)... which is an extremely uncomfortable thing to do.' Jen said she received an apology from one of the women but, asked whether she believed she would encounter similar judgment in shops, said: 'I would bet my left kidney that we're going to have trouble. Advertisement 'The Prime Minister has been clear that people should be wearing face coverings in shops and we will make this mandatory from July 24.' The move follows days of confusion about the Government's stance on the issue. On Sunday, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said that while it was 'basic good manners' to wear masks in shops it would not be made compulsory. He said it was 'always better to trust to people's common sense'. A Whitehall source played down the idea of a Cabinet split, but acknowledged that Mr Gove's intervention had been 'unhelpful'. Mr Johnson, who was initially sceptical about face masks, yesterday said there was growing evidence they could help slow the spread of coronavirus. Speaking on a visit to the London Ambulance Service yesterday, the Prime Minister, who was wearing a mask, said they had 'a great deal of value in confined spaces' where people are coming into contact with those they do not normally meet. He added: 'As the virus comes down in incidence and we have more and more success, I think face coverings are a kind of extra insurance we can all use to stop it coming back and stop it getting out of control again.' Face masks have been compulsory in shops in many European countries for months. The Czech Republic introduced the requirement on March 18, with Austria following suit on April 6, Germany on April 22, France on May 10 and Spain on May 20. But in the UK, both Government scientists and ministers have questioned their value. In March, deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries said wearing a mask could 'trap the virus' and cause the person wearing it to breathe it in. 'For the average member of the public walking down a street, it is not a good idea [to wear a face mask],' she added. But scientists have changed their view as evidence of the risk of asymptomatic and airborne transmission has grown. 'Officials now believe that face coverings can help stop people spreading the virus, particularly when they do not know they have it. Royal Society president Dr Venki Ramakrishnan yesterday said the evidence was 'now quite strongly in favour of using face coverings in enclosed spaces where we're likely to come into contact with strangers'. He added: 'The Government should be very clear. 'It's not consistent to make it mandatory on public transport and not make it mandatory in other enclosed and busy public spaces, because the behaviour of the virus is the same in all of these spaces.' The move is part of a wider push to open up the economy and give consumers confidence to go out and spend. Downing Street yesterday confirmed that official advice to work from home where possible is now under review. 'The PM said last week that people should 'start to go to work now if you can'. Mr Johnson is planning to set out a new 'road map' this week setting out a nine-month timetable for easing social distancing measures in the hope of giving people the confidence to return to near-normal life. But Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope said the mask policy would have the opposite effect. Speaking at the weekend, he said: 'I don't think I will be going in shops if they impose a condition that people wear masks.' James Daunt, managing director of bookseller Waterstones, yesterday said asking customers to wear a face covering was not a problem. He told Radio 4's Today programme: 'If it reassures people, then it is a perfectly reasonable measure to take.' But Mr Daunt said staff working across his chain of stores could not be asked to police the policy. 'There will be a tiny, tiny minority of people who will be confrontational over it and it is not the position of shop workers to enter into that situation,' he said. Labour health spokesman Jonathan Ashworth said the Government's policy was muddled. He added: 'Why yet again have ministers been slow in making a decision in this pandemic, and why will it take another 11 days before these new guidelines to come into force?' The regulations will be made under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, with a maximum fine of 100 - reduced to 50 if it is paid within 14 days. As is the case on public transport, children under 11 and those with certain disabilities will be exempt. Ryan Exley, safety and health content developer at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, said: 'In a public place such as a shop, controlling the risk is more challenging as any member of public infected or not infected, symptomatic or asymptomatic is able to enter without any recognition of their medical status. Therefore, the government has viewed shoppers wearing masks as a reasonable addition to a suite of controls to be implemented by the duty holder.' And Lee Lucas, principal and CEO of the Fashion Retail Academy, added: 'There are bound to be some people who are not keen on these new rules. 'In the early days, shops may need to consider providing some disposable masks to hand out to customers who do not have one of their own. 'Retailers may also need to continue reminding customers about social distancing, as the masks may give some people a false sense of security. 'It will be important for stores to continue to provide floor markings and posters to remind customers to keep their distance from fellow shoppers. 'Shops will not need to enforce the rule themselves. 'This will be the responsibility of the police. It's important that shopping remains a relaxing and happy experience for customers. 'Their return to the high street is going to be crucial to the country's economic recovery.' Eight out of 10 Covid-19 patients died in one English hospital as NHS data reveals 'stark' differences in death rates across the country with fewer than half surviving at 11 trusts By Sam Blanchard Senior Health Reporter for MailOnline Coronavirus death rates vary massively across NHS hospitals in England, according to shocking data. Eight out of 10 infected patients have died in one hospital in the South West but just 12.5 per cent succumbed to the illness in a London trust. The data, seen by The Guardian, showed more than half of Covid-19 patients have died in at least 11 hospital trusts across the country. Data from a study presented to government scientists last month showed the death rate for hospitalised patients is 28 per cent across the UK, on average. But information being sent to senior doctors, which the NHS denies is official, shows that this varies wildly between hospitals. Twenty-six NHS trusts had death rates lower than a quarter between 12.5 per cent and 25 per cent. But rates were higher at the remaining 109. Experts said the huge disparity in death rates did not necessarily mean patients were getting worse care, but that it could be a consequence of the population in the area or the number of patients they had treated. Older people are more likely to die from coronavirus and some regions have far more older people the average age in the South West, for example, is eight years higher than it is in London. NHS England said it did not produce the data which the newspaper said had been adjusted for age and say they appear to be 'experimental'. For comparison, the national death rate for everyone who tests positive not only hospital patients is 4.2 per cent in the US, 4.6 per cent in Germany, and 15.5 per cent in the UK. The infection itself is thought to kill around 1 per cent of all cases but not everyone who catches the virus gets spotted. Hospitals across the country have varying death rates from coronavirus, according to secret NHS data (stock image) The NHS data showed that two of the five hospital trusts with the highest death rates were in the South West one with 80 per cent and another with 62 per cent. Specific trusts were not named in the report, The Guardian said, and were referred to only by the region they were in. Other hospitals where more than half of patients were dying included one in the North West (68 per cent), the East of England (60 per cent) and one in London (54 per cent). Three of the hospitals with the lowest death rates were in London with 12.5, 14 and 15 per cent along with one in the Midlands (13 per cent) and one in the South East (15 per cent). Dr Alison Pittard, chief of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, told the newspaper: 'That is a huge variation, a huge range. HOW DO OFFICIAL DEATH RATES COMPARE BY REGION? Public Health England publishes weekly reports which show the total number of people who have been diagnosed, and the total number of deaths, in each region. These should include all hospital patients but also include people who have tested positive and died outside of hospital. This is how the regions break down: London (19.8%) West Midlands (19.6%) East of England (18.6%) South West (16%) South East (15.9%) North East (15.6%) North West (15.4%) East Midlands (14.8%) Yorkshire & The Humber (13%) Advertisement 'I'm surprised at the degree of variation. A spread between 12.5 per cent and 80 per cent is quite stark.' She added: 'We know that poorer communities and BAME communities have a higher risk of mortality, so if a trust is in an area of higher-risk individuals you would expect that trust's Covid-related mortality rate to be higher.' The exact factors that have played into some NHS trusts having significantly higher death rates are not clear. The ethnicity of patients in a NHS trust's area, how wealthy they are and their general health are all contributing factors. Data has shown non-white people, those in poorer areas and people with existing health conditions are all more likely to die if they catch Covid-19. Hospitals with small numbers of patients may also have an artificially high death rate because an increase of one could push the average up significantly. The NHS data gives a breakdown of 135 major hospital trusts around the country and calculated how many of the diagnosed patients died, to get a rate of death. It is not publicly available, however, so it is unknown whether some regions' hospitals were suffering significantly more fatalities than others. NHS England denied that it had produced the data. It said in a statement: 'We do not recognise these figures, which appear to be experimental analysis of unverified data, but there is now a wide range of published data on the role that health inequalities, including pre-existing conditions and other health factors, have played when it comes to the impact of Covid, including from the ONS and PHE. 'The NHS is accelerating work to tackle health inequalities, and will shortly be providing local services with a range of actions they should build in to their plans for the coming months.' Public Health England publishes weekly data showing how deaths break down by region, which shows that London has the highest overall death rate for all patients. In the capital 19.8 per cent of people not necessarily all admitted to hospital have died of the virus, compared to 19.6 per cent in the West Midlands and 18.6 per cent in the East of England. The lowest regional death rate has been in Yorkshire and The Humber, where 13 per cent of people officially diagnosed have died. The other regions had death rates of 16 per cent in the South West, 15.9 per cent in the South East, 15.6 per cent in the North East, 15.4 per cent in the North West and 14.8 per cent in the East Midlands. Separate regional data from Public Health England shows that London has the highest death rate among people who have officially tested positive for Covid-19. There, 19.8 per cent of patients have died Government papers published last week after being presented to officials in June showed that the average hospital death rate has been just over a quarter across the UK. A study of 64,066 hospital patients with Covid-19 in the UK found that 28 per cent of them - more than one in four - die with the disease. Deaths were higher for people admitted to intensive care, of whom 35 per cent succumbed to the disease, and even higher for those who had to be put onto ventilators - 42 per cent. The COVID-19 Clinical Information Network (CO-CIN), comprised of university experts from around the UK, presented the results to SAGE - the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies - on June 22. The study had found people spend an average of nine days in hospital if they are admitted with coronavirus, or catch it while on a ward. Some 16 per cent of patients require high-flow oxygen therapy to help them breathe. The most common symptoms for hospital patients are coughs (63 per cent), fever (62 per cent) and shortness of breath (61 per cent) - but a worrying one in 16 people (6 per cent) claimed to have had no symptoms at all, the study found. RBSE Rajasthan 12th Commerce Result 2020 DECLARED| Often students complain that websites get slow or do not open due to heavy page traffic. In this case, students can check their RBSE Class 12 commerce result via SMS. RBSE Rajasthan 12th Commerce Result 2020 DECLARED| The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education, or RBSE, declared the Class 12 Commerce result 2020 today (Monday, 13 July) at 11:15 am, according to News18 reports. Students can check the Rajasthan Board Class 12 Commerce 2020 results online at the board's official website rajresults.nic.in. Once the result is available online, students can also check their marks by submitting details in the widget below: Often students complain that websites get slow or do not open due to heavy page traffic. In this case, students can check their RBSE Class 12 commerce result via SMS. Follow all updates on Rajasthan board Class 12 commerce exam result LIVE here Steps to check scores via SMS To get Rajasthan Board Class 12 commerce results 2020 on SMS, you will have to go to message/SMS option of your phone and type RESULTRAJ12SROLL NUMBER. After this send the message to 56263. Students can also check their Commerce stream result by going to the message option and typing RJ12SROLL NUMBER and sending it to 5676750. Last year, 48113 students had appeared for the Class 12th Commerce exams. The RBSE board exams were interrupted due to the lockdown on account of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rajasthan Class 12th Commerce Result 2020 is awaited by students across Rajasthan for further admission into undergraduate courses. As per a report by Times Now, the RBSE Class 12 examinations began on 5 March. The exams were scheduled to end on 3 April but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. The examinations for the pending papers were held from 18 to 30 June. The Rajasthan Board for the last 3 to 4 years has been declaring the Class 12 science and commerce streams results together. However, this year the board will be announced the Class 12 science result 2020 first (8 July). Here are steps to check RBSE Class 12 Commerce result 2020: Step 1: Go to either of the websites rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in, rajresults.nic.in, bserexam.com, Step 2: On the homepage, look for a link that mentions RBSE 12th Result 2020 Step 3: A new page will open where you will have to enter your registration number, roll number, date of birth as mentioned in your RBSE Class 12 hall ticket/admit card Step 4: The RBSE 12 commerce result 2020 will be displayed on the screen along with subjects, individual scores in each paper, and total. Rather than being a celebrated landmark deal between Iran and China, the reported $400 billion, 25-year deal has brought a great deal of controversy to the Hassan Rouhani administration. When news of the deal first broke, one of the first critics was former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who asked, Are you guys the owner of the country that, without informing the nation, you hand its purse to other countries? He added, We had a revolution so that no issue, especially an important issue, would be hidden from the public and no one would see themselves as the owner of the nation. Shortly after draft copies of the 18-page agreement between Iran and China began to circulate on Persian language social media and as English language media picked up the story, more details of the deal became known. The deal would bring vast investments into various Iranian sectors, including energy, banking, telecommunications, ports and other sectors, reportedly in exchange for discounted Iranian oil. The deal would give Iran a lifeline as the economy falters under US sanctions the Donald Trump administration claims it wants a new nuclear deal after exiting the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Iranian officials began to look east as Europe was unable to maintain economic ties with Iran after the US exit due to fear of US sanctions. With broader details of the agreement now public, Iranian officials have gone on the offensive to defend it. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif defended the agreement at a meeting of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission. According to the spokesman of the commission, Abufazl Amouei, Zarif said Iran-China ties are strategic and based on mutual interests and reciprocal respect. According to Zarif, the work on the deal began when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Tehran in 2016. Zarif said the two sides are still negotiating the details of the deal. However, Zarif denied rumors that Iran would sell Kish Island to the Chinese or that Iran would offer discounted oil and claimed the countrys enemies were spreading these rumors. Irans Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi also spoke about the agreement to reporters today. Echoing statements by Zarif at the commission, Mousavi said during the Chinese presidents visit in 2016 the two countries decided to establish long-term ties. Responding to criticism of the deal, Mousavi said, This document and strategic relationship is unbelievable and unacceptable for various [countries]. They think that with this, Iran will make ineffective their propaganda, their oppressive sanctions and their economic pressure, and theyre not wrong. Irans former Ambassador to China Mehdi Safari spoke to Tasnim News Agency about the deal. Safari sees China, the United States and Russia as equal superpowers militarily, but he argued that China needs energy security to maintain its strength. He argued that expanding economic ties for China would be vital given that in comparison the United States could always print more money and China does not have this option. An unusual dispute is flaring between a Texas energy firm and the state-owned oil company of Georgia, a battle that combines elements of corporate intrigue, international law and U.S. national security. On one side is Georgia, a U.S. ally and NATO partner that signed an oil exploration contract with the Texas company in the mid-1990s, soon after gaining independence from the Soviet Union. The opposing party is Frontera Resources, an oil and gas firm founded by former Houston Mayor and U.S. deputy energy secretary Bill White. Frontera has faced financial problems and was last year delisted from the London Stock Exchange, while its activities in Georgia have been dogged by controversy. The relationship has blown up in acrimony, with Georgian officials accusing Frontera of failing to honor a recent international arbitrators ruling stemming from a contract dispute in which the Caucasus nation prevailed. The Georgian Oil & Gas Corp. has terminated the contract. Frontera has engaged in an unprecedented attack against the Georgian Government and the Georgian people, George Bakhtadze, the Georgian corporations director general, said in a recent interview. Frontera appears determined to damage U.S. Georgian relations. Frontera has said Georgia is distorting the arbitration results, but has not elaborated or commented further publicly. The company did gain support from two U.S. Senators who waded into the fray, accusing Georgia of fostering an anti-American business climate. The May 15 letter from Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (Texas) and two Texas congressmen to top Trump administration officials also claimed that Georgia has troubling ties to the Russian government. Some observers disagree, saying the allegations of Russian influence are generally dismissed by diplomats dealing with Tbilisi. (Georgias capital). And other U.S. government analysts say the opposite is true: Georgia is a key U.S. partner in countering Russian influence in the strategically vital Black Sea region. A recent article published by the U.S. Naval Institute, for example, called the Black Sea Russias gateway to the world and urged the United States to partner with Georgia to expand U.S. influence in the Black Sea region and reduce Russias sphere of influence. After it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia looked westward, and in 1997 signed a contract with Frontera Resources to explore and produce crude oil. Frontera had been formed a year earlier but by 2010 was known as a failing firm. With its incorporation in the Cayman Islands, the notorious tax shelter, and operational headquarters in Houston, the company pinned much of its hopes on Georgia. Fronteras future revenues depend on operating results from its operations in the Republic of Georgia. Frontera said in its 2015-16 financial statements. But the company ran into trouble in the young democracy, where it was often seen as exploiting Georgias oil and gas reserves. By 2018, Frontera was failing to pay many of its Georgian workers, who held two protests the following year in Tblisi. Some news organizations that cover Georgia have even called Frontera a scofflaw American oil company. Fronteras relationship with the Georgian government was also disintegrating, and in 2018, two Georgian state oil and gas entities filed an appeal at the International Arbitration Tribunal. They accused the company of violating its contract by refusing to return to the state land they were no longer using for extraction. After Frontera responded with a counterclaim, the tribunal ruled unanimously in Georgias favor in April, declaring that Frontera had materially breached the contract and ordering the firm to immediately relinquish the 5,000 square kilometers in dispute and to pay damages. International arbitration is an increasingly attractive option for solving legal disputes across borders, a recent study shows. And Fronteras apparent refusal to comply with the pro-Georgia ruling runs counter to the views of legal experts, who say these decisions must be respected because they are considered neutral and binding. This principal is very important, according to Aceris Law, a boutique international arbitration law firm, in cross-border transactions. Editors at RealClearEnergy. Police in its FIR has also stated that these government funds are being diverted to militants coffer with assistance of sympathisers. Representational Image Guwahati: In a major breakthrough in the NSCN (IM) extortion case, the Nagaland police on Monday arrested the wife of self-style colonel of NSCN (IM) Rayilung Nsarangbe who is accused to have withdrawn Rs four crore from Rayilungs bank account a day after his arrest by a joint team of security forces. The Assam Rifles (AR) along with the Nagaland Police had busted a major extortion racket operated by the NSCN-IM in Dimapur and arrested the treasurer in self-styled Prime Ministers Office of National Social Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) Rayilung Nsarngbe and his two associates on July 5. The security forces had also recovered a cash amount of about Rs. 1.59 crore and two kilogram of RDX with a large number of arms and ammunitions from the residence of top NSCN (IM) leader Rayilung who happens to be the close associate of NSCN (IM) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah. The investigation of the case has now been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as confession a pastor Rabi Pame, arrested with Rs. 11 lakh cash, revealed that an IAS officer of Manipur was also involved in financial transaction being diverted from government funds and projects (PMGSY, NREGA etc.) and other construction works going on in Manipur and Nagaland. Police in its FIR has also stated that these government funds are being diverted to militants coffer with assistance of sympathisers and overground workers of NSCN (IM). Pointing out that wife of Rayilung was arrested by Nagaland police on direction of NIA team, security sources said that the NIA sleuths have already arrived Dimapur and monitoring the investigation but in a day or two they would take over the custody of all the accused after completing the legal formalities of NIA court. Security sources told this newspaper that scale of corruption could be realized by the fact, Rayilung who is a self-style colonel level worker of NSCN (IM) had acquired 800-acre land and was in possession of Rs. 5.59 crore. Indicating that NIA was trying to trace the recipient of Rs. 4 crore that Rayilung managed to withdraw from the bank with the help of his wife, security sources said that the NIA investigation would open the Pandoras box of the ongoing extortion and loot of public money in Nagaland and Manipur. Admitting that some forces deliberately delayed the NIAs entry into the investigation security sources said that NIA team had arrived Dimapur on July 6 to be the part of investigation but in the name of COVID formalities they could not join investigation. Security sources said that a day after on July 7 Rayilung managed to withdraw Rs. 4 crore from his bank account in Dimapur with the help of his wife. Pakistan has restored bank accounts of JuD chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed having got it approved by the Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council, as per a TNN report. Other terrorists who have their accounts restored are Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, Haji M Ashraf, Yahya Mujahid and Zafar Iqbal, as reported by the media in Pakistan. AFP In June, an anti-terrorism court had indicted Saeed and his close aides in a terror-financing case. 23 FIRs have been registered against 70-year-old Saeed and his accomplices on the charges of terror financing in different cities of the province by Pakistans Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police. AFP Saeed is a United Nations designated terrorist and the US has placed a USD 10 million bounty on his head. All of them are UNSCs enlisted terrorists though and currently facing sentences ranging 1 to 5 years in Lahore jail for terror financing cases filed against them by the Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), The News said. AFP As per the Pakistani media, Saeed and other terrorists had appealed the United Nations for restoring their bank accounts so that they could run their family affairs. However, the request was most likely made by the Imran Khan government on behalf of the terrorists. Last year in October, Pakistan had requested to the UNSC's anti-terror committee to allow Saeed to get "pocket money" from his bank account for basic expenses. Reacting over this development, India called the situation weird saying said that Pakistans application had exposed its duplicity. The UNSC's sanctions committee had allowed Saeed to withdraw money from his bank account for covering basic expenses in September. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 17:51:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Children look at a warehouse after it was hit by airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, on July 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed) Yemen's Houthi rebels said Monday they launched missile and drone attacks toward a military airport and an oil facility in the southwest of Saudi Arabia in response to the airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. SANAA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi rebels said on Monday that they launched missile and drone attacks toward the southwest of Saudi Arabia, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported. The attacks targeted a military airport in Khamis Mushait city of Asir Region and an oil facility in the industrial area of Jizan Region, the television said, citing a statement by the Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea. The attacks came in response to the airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition, it added. Earlier in the day, the coalition said in a statement aired by Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles and six bomb-laden drones launched by Yemen's Houthi militia toward the kingdom. The coalition did not report any casualties. The Houthi militia frequently respond to the airstrikes by the coalition with missile attacks against Saudi Arabia, mainly its border cities. Saudi Arabia claims to have intercepted most of the missiles. 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 the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in early 2015 to support Hadi's government. To be impartial and humane is what defines police officers, but there have been multiple cases of officers crumbling under pressure from 'privileged few'. However, this woman constable from Gujarat refused to be one of them and stood by her moral values and duty as a cop. Twitter/@IPF_ORG In a video that went viral two days ago, Sunita Yadav, a constable posted in Surat, Gujarat, is seen getting into an argument with the minister of state for health Kishore Kananis son, Prakash, for breaking the lockdown night curfew rules and not wearing masks at her checkpoint. Also Read: Lesson Learnt: Tamil Nadu Cops Put Lockdown Violators In Ambulance With 'Fake' COVID-19 Patient Every police officer takes an oath of allegiance to the constitution of India, swearing to enforce the law strictly, without fear or favour. When a policewoman discharges her duty with dignity, it is the duty of her supervisors to stand with her. pic.twitter.com/coXmzn2R0h Indian Police Foundation (@IPF_ORG) July 12, 2020 According to The Indian Express report, Yadav snatched the keys of the car and one of the youths called up the ministers son who reached the spot. Twitter/@satishjha In the video, the man claiming to be Kananis son, when asked why he stepped out during curfew hours, is heard telling Yadav that he came to help his friend. The woman constable is also seen in the video making the man remove the MLA Gujarat banner from his car. Also Read: Chandigarh Cops Come Up With Brilliant Jugaad To Nab Lockdown Violators While Keeping Distance #Gujarat. This video has gone viral showing heated arguments between a woman constable Sunita Yadav & son of BJP minister of state for health in Surat over breaking of night curfew rules. Yadav has resigned today apparantly in frustration as her seniors did nothing @DeccanHerald pic.twitter.com/jrieEPgmOm satish jha. (@satishjha) July 11, 2020 The group of people in question were in violation of the 10:00 pm curfew rule. Upon being confronted by Yadav, the MLA's son allegedly said. "I'm son of an MLA, I can make you stand here for 365 days." She in turn shouted back saying she's not their slave or a servant of their fathers that they can make her stand there for 365 days. Yadav reportedly called an inspector at the Varachha police station to narrate the matter but was instead asked to leave the spot. Soon after the video of the confrontation went viral on social media, people lauded Yadav for being unfazed in the face of people abusing power, calling her 'Lady Singham'. Sick of the loopholes in the system, Yadav decided to step down from her post, #1 A corageous lady who showed courage while doing her duty. @rajnathsingh Respected Defence Minister of India. It is high time for you to act on this case. How can we trust our Law and Justice structure if one who implements law is not supported?#SunitaYadav pic.twitter.com/Rtb3l98dA9 Keh k lenge (@rimpa_94) July 13, 2020 #2 #3 This woman has been forced to resign for doing her job???!?????? Come on @GujaratPolice !!!!!!!!! @IPS_Association pls defend this brave and upright constable. She does the khaake she wears proud! #SunitaYadav https://t.co/tlIrqCAJJ8 Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) July 12, 2020 #4 #SunitaYadav This is how system treats honesty. Something which will get covered in 5 minutes 50 news segments of today's media because of you know what. Harsimran S. Dhami (@harsimran_dhami) July 13, 2020 #5 Another alarming case where the system has to stand true. Unfortunate and very disappointing. How will the force on the ground ensure implementation of orders? #SunitaYadav only did her duty and did it very well. Our country needs such brave officers.@dhruv_rathee @ReallySwara Shiraz Siddiqui (@shiraz42007) July 13, 2020 #6 #7 It takes courage and strength to stand against all this. Some asslickers will never stand against wrong for their personal benefits. #SunitaYadav #isupportsunitayadav #Sunita_Yadav pic.twitter.com/4rA1skH74n BEGUN GUPTA (@begun_gupta) July 13, 2020 However, according to a report by Ahmedabad Mirror, the MLA Kumar Kanani, has a different version of the story, he said that videos were edited and pushed out on social media in four parts. Kanani claims that videos, where Sunita Yadav hurled expletives at his son, had been intentionally deleted. He told Mirror that he asked Sunita Yadav to take legal actions but not use foul language and that his son spoke to her softly with folded hands and adhered to her orders of removing the MLA sign from the car. Soon after outrage on social media, son of the Gujarat minister and his two friends were arrested on Sunday for allegedly violating the lockdown rules. Prakash Kanani and two of his friends were arrested under IPC Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269, 270 (negligent and malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), and 144 (abettor present when offence committed), Assistant Commissioner of Police, A-Division, C K Patel said. Surat Commissioner of Police R B Brahmbhatt, on Saturday, ordered an inquiry into the incident, after the constable alleged that she was threatened by some men when she stopped them during the night curfew. All Inputs PTI MUSA, PowerBand's U.S. leasing division, reaches agreement with U.S. Financial Institution to Advance Strategy to Offer Multibillion-dollar Consumer Financing on PowerBand's Virtual Transaction Platform VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA / ACCESSWIRE / July 13, 2020 / PowerBand Solutions Inc. (PBX.V) (PWWBF) (1ZVA.F) ("PowerBand", "PBX" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its U.S. leasing division, MUSA Auto Finance, LLC ("MUSA"), has obtained lease financing from a federally chartered U.S. depository financial institution ("National Funder") to begin leasing vehicles to U.S. consumers. Lease originations will begin today. "This is the right solution at the right time, when the automotive industry and consumers are looking for innovations to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic," said PowerBand CEO Kelly Jennings. "Consumers and dealers will be able to buy, lease and finance their vehicles on PowerBand, as easily as they purchase a product on Amazon. Our strategy is to aggregate further funding facilities in the weeks and months ahead, to offer multi-billion-dollar financing opportunities to consumers and dealers using our platform in the United States and Canada." MUSA, which is 60-per-cent owned by PowerBand, will begin originating leases in Texas and Florida - the second and third largest states in the U.S. with a population exceeding 50 million people, under the Forward Flow Purchase and Security Agreement (the "Agreement") with the National Funder. PowerBand expects to enter the California market, with a population of 40 million, soon after. Added MUSA's CEO Jeff Morgan: "We are thrilled to continue MUSA's and PowerBand's growth through what we believe is a first-of-its-kind funding arrangement. I'd like to thank the MUSA team for their support in helping us reach this pivotal moment." Under the Agreement, an initial USD $300 million in financing will be available for vehicle leasing through MUSA. "The MUSA platform has been upgraded and is once again operational with the most innovative funding solution in the industry," said Jennings. "MUSA will be scaled up to operate across the United States, dramatically changing the funding landscape for dealers and consumers, which will ultimately result in a rapid increase in loan originations as we expand across the country." Story continues It is the Company's expectation that when fully operational, MUSA will far exceed its past peak performance as the Company adds finance and dealer partners. Before it was temporarily furloughed, MUSA leased approximately 900 to 1,200 vehicles a month, with each lease having an average value of USD $60,000 per vehicle. Under the unique Forward Flow Purchase and Security Agreement with the National Funder, the USD $300 million will be rolled out in three phases: Phase One, which begins immediately, is USD $5 million, Phase Two USD $50 million, Phase Three USD $250 million. The funding agreement includes conditions and guidelines that must be followed to move through the various phases. Once the credit facility has been utilized it will be securitized, resulting in the replenishing of the original USD $300 million. As the MUSA platform is gradually made available to our national network of auto-dealer partners, it is the Company's expectation that the securitization of the USD $300-million Agreement will occur a number of times a year. PowerBand is also in discussions with other financial institutions to further expand extensive funding facilities as the PowerBand virtual transaction platform is rolled out across the United States and Canada. Founded in 2016, MUSA is leading the modernization of the new- and pre-owned vehicle leasing experience, providing dealers and consumers with the most advanced on-line leasing options in the industry. The technology takes an application, calculates a lease, auto-decisions the application, provides an approval back to dealer partners and prefills a lease contract accurately. Approvals can occur in less than eight seconds. As a result of its proprietary technology, MUSA was awarded a contract by Tesla Motors to become a national leasing partner in 2018. "Jeff Morgan and the MUSA team have helped prepare PowerBand for success in the United States," said Jennings. "I'd like to thank Jeff and his team for their hard work, and also thank our investors and shareholders for their support to help make our innovative solutions a reality. We are looking forward to finally offering our products to our many partners in the automotive sector and millions of consumers in the coming months across North America." This innovative funding Agreement with the National Funder is seen by the Company as a financing model that provides PowerBand the ability to expand its future lending facilities, with more speed and efficiency than ever before. The Company anticipates similar agreements to be structured with other lenders, to expand funding facilities with our auto-dealer partners, who are expected to bring their financial institutions into what we believe is the most consumer-friendly and dealer-ready lending process in the retail automotive sector. Further details of the Agreement: The Agreement between MUSA and the National Funder is being executed by MAF Leasing, LLC, a newly created wholly owned subsidiary of MUSA. Under the Agreement, MUSA will use its nationwide network of dealer relationships to originate new and used consumer vehicle leases. As part of the transaction, MUSA will earn customer fees and expects to record a gain on the sale of the lease contracts. The National Funder has also executed a Servicing Agreement with MUSA, under which MUSA will provide customary collections and servicing activities on behalf of the National Funder. MUSA will earn a market rate for providing its servicing and remarketing services to the National Funder. MUSA will also provide end-of-term remarketing assistance to help with the resale and disposition of vehicles not purchased at lease maturity. As part of PowerBand's comprehensive strategy to transform the automotive industry, many of the end-of-term vehicles will also be remarketed on the D2D Auto Auctions LLC ("D2D") online platform. D2D is co-owned by PowerBand and Arkansas-based financier Bryan Hunt, Director of J.B Hunt Transport, and PowerBand, in a fifty-fifty partnership. About PowerBand Solutions Inc. PowerBand Solutions Inc., listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and the OTCQB markets, is a fintech provider disrupting the automotive industry. PowerBand's integrated, cloud-based transaction platform facilitates transactions amongst consumers, dealers, funders and manufacturers (OEMs). It enables them to buy, sell, trade, finance, and lease new and used, electric- and non-electric vehicles, on smart phones or any other online digital devices, from any location. PowerBand's transaction platform - being trademarked under DRIVRZ - is being made available across North American and global markets. For further information, please contact: Richard Goldman, VP Corporate Development P: 1-866-768-7653 rgoldman@powerbandsolutions.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the Company and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. 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. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. As a result, we cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize, and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by Canadian securities law. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, unless an exemption from such registration is available. SOURCE: PowerBand Solutions Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/597029/PowerBand-to-Begin-Leasing-Vehicles-to-US-Consumers-with-Initial-USD-300-Million-Financing-Agreement-from-US-Financial-Institution Rice University, in Houston, is building nine big new classrooms this summer, all of them outdoors. Five are open-sided circus tents that the university is buying, and another four are semi-permanent structures that workers are building in an open field near dorms, Kevin Kirby, Rices vice president for administration, told me. Students and professors will decorate the spaces with murals and video projections. In the fall, the structures will host classes and student activities, while reducing health risks since the coronavirus spreads less easily outdoors. Kirby describes the construction project as a statement to the community. The statement: Were creative. Were resilient. And what we do matters. Across the country, many indoor activities are going to be problematic for the foreseeable future: school, religious services, work meetings, cultural events, restaurant meals, haircuts and more. Mask-wearing reduces the risks, but being outdoors can reduce it even more. (Tara Parker-Pope explains the science and offers tips in this recent Well column.) As Megan McArdle, a Washington Post columnist, has written: Move everything outdoors as much as possible and much more than has been done already. Yes, the weather will sometimes be a problem. But were long past searching for ideal solutions, McArdle notes. Were now hunting for adequate. Authorities are still trying to solve the countrys most notorious case of disappearances. Forty-three students from the southern town of Ayotzinapa went missing in September 2014 after they were detained by police. The initial investigation by Mexican authorities was widely condemned. International legal experts and U.N. officials alleged that the investigators tortured suspects to compel them to say that a local drug gang had slain the students and burned their bodies while ignoring evidence that federal security forces might have been involved. By PTI KOLKATA: Hindutva leader Tapan Ghosh, who had tested positive for COVID-19, died at a hospital on Sunday, his associates said. Ghosh, 67, was the founder of far-right group Hindu Samhati. He was admitted to a private hospital last week after he tested positive for COVID-19. "Tapan-da passed away this evening. He is survived by two sisters," Hindu Samhati president Debtanu Bhattacharya told PTI. A former RSS leader, Ghosh is the second politician in the state to die due to COVID-19. Last month, Trinamool Congress MLA succumbed to the contagion. Condoling Ghosh's death, senior BJP leader Swapan Dasgupta said he was one of the most dedicated persons fighting for the unity of Hindus in West Bengal. "He gave his life to this cause, inspiring thousands through personal example. He will always be remembered and provide constant inspiration. Om Shanti," Dasgupta, a Rajya Sabha MP, tweeted. Ghosh, who has been a pracharak of the RSS since 1975, broke away from the organisation in 2007, following some ideological differences. Known for fiery speeches and often controversial remarks, he formed Hindu Samhati in 2008. Formed with just a few hundred people, the organisation under his leadership spread to all districts of West Bengal, and also opened units in Jharkhand and Assam. Ghosh left Hindu Samhati in 2018, following some differences within the outfit. The difficult waters of Ivory Coast politics became even more turbulent on Monday as Vice President Daniel Kablan Duncan quit, five days after the sudden death of Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, and with crucial elections less than four months away. Kablan Duncan, 77, handed in his resignation in February on personal grounds, which President Alassane Ouattara accepted last week, the presidents office said in a statement read by chief of staff Patrick Achi. Rumours that Kablan Duncan would be leaving office have circulated for several days. He has traditionally been seen as close to Ouattara, even though he is a member of the PDCI a party that was once part of the presidents political alliance before it joined the opposition. Kablan Duncan served as foreign minister from 2011-12 and then as prime minister in charge of economy and finance from 2012-17. In January 2017, he became the first vice president in Ivory Coasts history, taking up a post created under a new constitution adopted in 2016. Ouattara would like to pay tribute to a great servant of the state, a man of power and commitment, the statement added. Political commentators dismissed the idea that Kablan Duncan had stepped down for personal reasons and suggested he had been unhappy for some time. He was fed up, fed up with constantly being put down in the governments pecking order, said a senior member of the PDCI. Coulibaly shock His departure was announced just five days after the sudden death of Coulibaly, 61, a popular figure seen as Ouattaras anointed successor for elections due on October 31. Coulibaly had just returned to Ivory Coast after a two-month stay in France, where he received treatment for chronic heart problems. One of the worlds major coffee and cocoa producers, Ivory Coast still carries the scars of a brief civil war that erupted nearly a decade ago. In 2011, Ouattara, at the head of a rebel force based in the Muslim-majority north of the country, ousted the then-president, Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to leave office after losing long-delayed elections. The months-long standoff claimed some 3,000 lives and dug a division across the country. Coulibaly, the frontrunner in the elections, was expected to play a central part in Ouattaras strategy of stabilisation. An emerging option for Ouattara, 78, is that he may seek to run again a choice that could spark accusations of abuse of democracy under the countrys two-term presidential limits. In March, he decided against seeking a third term in office, but has previously argued that the constitutional change reset the clock, enabling him to do so. Another option is Defence Minister Hamed Bakayoko, who stood in for Coulibaly while he was abroad for medical treatment, said political analyst Jean Alobro. All options are on the table, including a new candidacy for President Ouattara, the executive director of Ouattaras RDHP party, Adama Bictogo, said last week. He added that he did not expect anything to be announced before Coulibalys funeral. After eight days of national mourning, which began last Friday, Coulibaly will be buried in his home town Korhogo, in the north of the country. Gbagbo question Another question mark lies over the future of Gbagbo, who was cleared last year at the International Criminal Court (ICC) of crimes against humanity, a ruling that prosecutors are appealing. His party, the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), wants Ouattara to come home and engage in a dialogue. The regime is clearly in a state of crisis its completely in shreds, former prime minister Pascal Affi NGuessan, an FPI heavyweight, said on Monday. Gbagbo technically faces being jailed on his return after being sentenced in absentia to a 20-year term last November for the looting of the local branch of the Central Bank of the West African States (BCEAO) during the post-election crisis. Hong Kong protesters wave British and US flags during a rally protesting against Beijing's new national security law earlier this year - Ng Han Guan/AP Photo Roughly 200,000 Hong Kong citizens are set to move to the UK after Boris Johnson offered them a route to citizenship, according to Foreign Office estimates. The Prime Minister unveiled the measures, for which three million residents Hong Kong are eligible, after China brought in a draconian security law in Hong Kong. The law makes it easier to punish protesters and reduces Hong Kong's autonomy. The Foreign Office has a working estimate that 200,000 people in Hong Kong are likely to take up the British Governments offer and move to the UK. One source told the Financial Times that the exact number was in a state of "flux", with an average of 180,000 expected. Another said the department predicted that more than 200,000 would move. The Conservative MP Alan Mak said Hong Kong citizens moving to the UK would bring a "very big boost" to the economy. Mr Johnson has called the security law a "clear and serious violation" of the joint declaration between the UK and China over Hong Kong's future. Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions on July 1, he said: "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." The move prompted Beijing to accuse the British Government of "gross interference in China's internal affairs". Meanwhile, it has emerged that Nathan Law, one of Hong Kongs most prominent pro-democracy activists, has fled Hong Kong for London. Nathan Law, one of Hong Kong's most prominent young democracy activists, has announced that he has fled to London - Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images Mr Law said on Twitter: "With my backpack and small luggage in hand, I boarded my night flight. I had no idea what future awaited me. Only one thing seemed certain. My destination: London. "Theres always one message I have: Hongkongers will never give up. We arent fractured. On the contrary, we're well-equipped to face the next difficult battle." Mr Law, 27, rose to prominence during mass protests in 2014 and co-founded the Demosisto Party. The party disbanded when China imposed the new security law. Electronics must be included among relief fund beneficiaries The government has named seven industries automobiles, shipbuilding, machinery, petrochemicals, oil refining, steel and aircraft manufacturing as key industries subject to a relief fund designed to help weather the coronavirus pandemic. The decision brings the number of industries benefiting from the 40 trillion won ($33.3 billion) key industry stabilization fund to nine along with aviation and shipping. The fund is a massive relief package created to help the country's core industries weather the fallout from the pandemic. The government has expanded the industries eligible for the fund as the economic fallout from COVID-19 spreads across the board beyond aviation and shipping. The decision is a step in the right direction necessary to stop the basic industries that affect our overall economy and national security from going from bad to worse. The problem is that electronics has been excluded despite cries for inclusion from industry officials, who claim that manufacturers of electronic components and equipment, which are usually small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), have been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. Industry watchers say the plight of the electronics industry has been masked by a few well-performing companies. Samsung Electronics, for example, issued an earnings surprise in the second quarter thanks to brisk semiconductor shipments. In contrast, many smaller electronics firms seem to be in dire straits owing to sluggish sales and reduced factory utilization. The exclusion of electronics is quite worrisome, given that the decision ignores the importance of this industry in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The ecosystem for the electronics industry is vast, from large companies to SMEs. This requires the government to look closely at how the industry is composed and the damage being done to different companies by the COVID-19 pandemic. The government should think twice before making a final decision on how to operate the key industry stabilization fund. The claim: No one under the age of 20 has died of the coronavirus. We still dont know whether children can get it and transmit it to others. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. In an interview with a television station in Dallas on July 9, Cornyn said he thinks the most important factor in opening schools should be safety. He prefaced his remarks by saying The good news is, when you look at the numbers, no one under the age of 20 has died of the coronavirus. PolitiFact ruling: False. Cornyns claim is wrong on multiple counts: First, numerous children across the country and in Texas have contracted the coronavirus and some have died as a result. Research indicates that children are able to transmit the coronavirus, but there has been little research into how the rate of transmission may vary compared to adults. Transmission involving children does not appear to make up the bulk of the spread. Discussion: Texas schools will be open this fall, but parents will be allowed to choose between sending their children to in-person classes or keeping them home for virtual instruction, per new guidance issued by the states education agency on Tuesday. The decision received mixed reviews from educators, parents and state officials, some of whom cited rising infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 in the state as a point of concern. About PolitiFact PolitiFact is a fact-checking project to help you sort out fact from fiction in politics. Truth-O-Meter ratings are determined by a panel of three editors. The burden of proof is on the speaker, and PolitiFact rates statements based on the information known at the time the statement is made. See More Collapse A spokesperson for the senator told the station that conducted the interview, NBC DFW, that Cornyn could have been more precise with his language, but his information came from a July 9 tweet shared by Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. In reply to a question about children and the coronavirus, Gottlieb wrote: Balance of data clearly shows theyre less likely to become infected and less likely to transmit infection. But IMHO we need to have humility on this question and recognize we dont fully understand all the risks; and while kids are less vulnerable, less risk doesnt mean no risk. Cornyn spokesman Drew Brandewie told Hearst Newspapers that Cornyn was not questioning whether children can catch the virus of course they can. He was questioning the likelihood that children can catch it and THEN transmit it. People of any age can contract the coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19. Everyone is at risk for getting COVID-19 if they are exposed to the virus, reads a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage on the virus. Some people are more likely than others to become severely ill, which means that they may require hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help them breathe, or they may even die. Some independent research and a preliminary report from the CDC show that children may be less likely to contract the virus than adults. Plus, the risk of severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age. But that does not mean children cannot contract the virus or experience illness as a result. In Texas, about 7 percent of the 24,459 coronavirus cases with a completed investigation have been people under 19 2.3 percent have been people under 9 and 4.8 percent between 10 and 19. National and state data also show that Cornyn is wrong to say no person under 20 has died from the coronavirus. Across the United States, 29 people under the age of 14 and 142 people between the ages of 15 and 24 have died after contracting the coronavirus. In Texas, state data does not show any coronavirus fatalities for people younger than 19 but the state has investigated just 703 of the states reported 2,918 fatalities. According to media reports, some children have died after contracting the virus in the state. In April, a 17-year-old girl in Lancaster died of complications related to the coronavirus, according to the Dallas Morning News. On Friday, health officials in Corpus Christi reported a COVID-19 related death of a six week old infant, according to Ben Molina, a city council member in the area. Dr. Jeffrey Kahn, chief of Pediatric Infectious Disease at UT Southwestern Medical Center, told NBC DFW in a July 3 interview that children are able to contract and transmit the virus. We know that children should be less prone to severe disease and viral infections, thats not to say children cant get sick, he said. Weve had many examples of children getting sick. We also know that children can spread the virus and not be symptomatic. But the extent to which children spread the virus remains under-studied, and it is likely that children play a small role in the bulk of virus transmission. Robert Redfield, director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, spoke about whether children returning to schools pose a risk of spreading the virus during a briefing of the White House Task Force last week. We really dont have evidence that children are driving the transmission cycle of (the coronavirus), he said. Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said that could be due to lack of testing among children. Two international studies conducted on children one focused on China and the other based in Germany offer compelling evidence that children can transmit the virus, according to the New York Times. A preliminary report from the CDC on the coronavirus in children said children are less likely to show typical symptoms of the coronavirus like fever or cough. Albert Kirk Dundonald motorcycle race fan has returned from an emotional one-man pilgrimage to Estonia where he paid tribute to his friend and hero Joey Dunlop on the 20th anniversary of the world champion's tragic death. A local motorcycle racing fan has returned from an emotional one-man pilgrimage to Estonia, where he paid tribute to his friend and hero Joey Dunlop on the 20th anniversary of his tragic death. Dundonald man Albert Kirk laid flowers on behalf of Joey's widow Linda at a memorial erected at the spot where the world champion was killed in an accident on July 2, 2000. He was also able to join in special anniversary commemorations attended by scores of Estonian bikers and Theresa Bubbear, the UK's ambassador to the country. "I thought the world of Joey," said TV cameraman Albert, who covered the first and tenth anniversaries of the sporting star's untimely passing. "I got to know Joey from my work, but I'm proud to say that we were friends. "I also had the greatest respect for him as a big-hearted man who went out of his way to help people who were in need at home and abroad. "I made up my mind ages ago that I wanted to be in Estonia on the 20th anniversary of his death. Expand Close Albert Kirk has returned from an emotional one-man pilgrimage to Estonia where he paid tribute to his friend and hero Joey Dunlop on the 20th anniversary of the world champions tragic death. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Albert Kirk has returned from an emotional one-man pilgrimage to Estonia where he paid tribute to his friend and hero Joey Dunlop on the 20th anniversary of the world champions tragic death. "I flew out to Estonia on my own from Dublin and on the day of the anniversary I went to the scene of the accident with flowers to lay on behalf of Linda Dunlop and Stephen Watson from the BBC, who was a huge admirer of Joey. "It was a very difficult day. The memories of Joey's fantastic exploits on his bike in happier times came flooding back. It was heart-breaking to think that this wonderful man died at the very place I was standing exactly 20 years earlier." Joey, who was 48, appeared to lose control in wet conditions during a 125cc race on the Pirita-Kose-Kloostrimetsa Circuit in Tallinn and was killed instantly on impact with trees. His death was met with a remarkable outpouring of grief among motorcycle fans around the world and an estimated 50,000 mourners attended Joey's funeral in Ballymoney. At the memorial in Estonia, Albert also left a wristband in memory of Joey's racing nephew William, who was killed during practice for the Skerries 100 in Co Dublin two years ago. Albert was unaware of the full commemoration plans until he arrived in Estonia. Expand Close Estonian bikers gather to mark Joey's anniversary / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Estonian bikers gather to mark Joey's anniversary "I was at the memorial in the morning and there was nobody else about, but I later heard that something was planned for the evening," he said. "However, I never imagined that it would be on such a large scale. "Scores of Estonian bikers gathered at the memorial and later did a ride-past in the rain. "The weather was very similar to what it had been at the time of Joey's accident. "Several dignitaries from the local area joined the British ambassador in laying flowers. "It was awesome to see the respect that so many people in Estonia have for Joey." Ambassador Bubbear, who lives close to the scene of the accident, said in a speech to the assembled crowd at the memorial: "Joey Dunlop was a member of a great sporting family. He did not want to be remembered as the superstar that he undoubtedly was but for being himself. "So, let's remember him as a very great man and be grateful for his life. It's an honour for me to be participating in this service." The ambassador added that she passed the memorial every day on her way to work and always made time to say hello to Joey. Albert, who went to Estonia in a private capacity, said the commemorations were so powerful that he recorded them and sent some of the footage back to Belfast for the BBC to use in its teatime news and sport bulletins. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: Six more persons died on Monday as the Assam flood situation turned grim. The deaths occurred in Lakhimpur, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Kamrup, Golaghat and Sivasagar districts. With these, the death toll rose to 50. Twenty-six others were killed in landslides earlier. According to Assam State Disaster Management Authority, over 21.63 lakh people in 2,763 villages and localities across 27 of the states 33 districts have been affected so far. Standing crop affected was in areas of 1,03,806 hectares. The floodwater breached river embankments and damaged bridges and roads in some districts. All major rivers such as Brahmaputra, Dhansiri, Burhi Dehing, Jia Bharali, Puthimari, Beki, Kopili, Sankosh, Subansiri, Pagladiya, Katakhal and Kushiyara were in a spate, flowing above the danger level at several places. The authorities set up 480 relief camps in 20 districts where 60,696 people were taking shelter. Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force besides the locals were engaged in rescuing people. Meanwhile, almost the entire Kaziranga National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its one-horned rhinos, was inundated. Till Monday, 47 animals died at the park due to various reasons including drowning and vehicle hits. The animals included one rhino, one wild buffalo, one swamp deer, three wild boars and 41 hog deer. The incidents of vehicle hits occurred on a national highway that passes beside the park. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited Rohmoria in Dibrugarh district on Monday and announced three schemes totaling Rs 25 crore towards finding a permanent solution to the problem of erosion caused by the Brahmaputra there. Stating that flood and erosion are a perennial problem of Assam, he said the state government was working hard to solve it. A joint river management mechanism has been mooted with other states of the Northeast and Bhutan. Dredging in the Brahmaputra will take place as soon as the dredgers arrive, he informed. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 23:41:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Uganda on Monday announced that some of the gains it had made in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have been eroded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mary Karooro Okurut, minister for general duties in the Office of the Prime Minister, told reporters that the pandemic hit at a time when the SDGs were gaining traction in the East African country. "This will not deflate Uganda's commitment to implement the Agenda 2030," she said. "We must not, even in these challenging times, shift resources away from crucial SDG actions. The response to the pandemic cannot be delinked from the SDGs," the minister added. Rosa Malango, the UN Resident Coordinator, said Uganda is working with the UN system in the country to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs. Malango said the UN is working with government and youths to get 1 million SDG solutions. The solutions will be created through an innovation competition where the best start-up will stand a chance to be funded by the UN and partners. The two leaders were speaking ahead of the country's presentation of its 2020 Voluntary National Review Report, which details progress made towards attainment of the SDGs. Enditem MIAMI - The resurgence of the coronavirus in the United States ignited fierce debate Monday about whether to reopen schools, as global health officials warned that the pandemic will intensify unless more countries adopt comprehensive plans to combat it. If the basics arent followed, there is only one way this pandemic is going to go,said the director of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Its going to get worse and worse and worse. Debate over the risks the virus poses, and how best to fight it, were spotlighted in Florida after it shattered the record among U.S. states for the largest single-day increase, with more than 15,000 newly confirmed cases. Officials and health experts in hard-hit Miami pushed back against pressure, both from Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump, to bring students back to classrooms next month. We just absolutely cannot risk the health of children, their well-being and safety, or any of our colleagues, said Karla Hernandez-Mats, president of the United Teachers of Dade union and a middle school teacher herself. Were probably going to have to go to a full shutdown mode. I cant see the schools reopening except with the 100% virtual model. Parents have until Wednesday to notify the Miami-Dade school district of their decision whether they will send their kids to school this fall or have them study online from home. Children can get the virus in their bodies and get contaminated just like anybody else, said Florida International University epidemiologist Dr. Aileen Marty, who has been advising the Miami school district on its reopening plans. DeSantis has argued that children have not proven to be vectors for the disease and that if retailers like Walmart can be reopened safely, then schools should be able to as well. But he made those arguments with a notable caveat, saying that each county should make its own decision on reopening in consultation with local health officials. WHO officials cautioned that decisions on reopening schools should be made without political considerations, as part of a comprehensive strategy for battling COVID-19. We cant turn schools into yet another political football in this game. Its not fair on our children, Dr. Michael Ryan, the organizations emergencies chief, said Monday. The debate is hardly limited to Florida. In Detroit, where summer school classes for hundreds of students opened Monday, protesters blocked a school bus yard with tree branches. When I visited schools this morning I knew we were doing the right thing for children, schools Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said, in a post on Twitter. COVID is not going away. Many of our children need face-to-face, direct engagement, he said. But lawyer Shanta Driver said she planned to file a lawsuit to stop the in-person instruction. Im not going back until this pandemic is defeated. There is not a safe way to return to school while this virus is spreading uncontained, said teacher Benjamin Royal. Officials in Californias two largest school districts, Los Angeles and San Diego, announced Monday that students will stick to online learning from home when school resumes next month, rather than return to classrooms. The districts cited research about school safety experiences from around the world, along with state and local health guidance. One fact is clear: Those countries that have managed to safely reopen schools have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available. California has neither, the districts said in a joint statement. Los Angeles, the second largest school district in the U.S., has about 730,000 students and San Diego serves about 135,000 students. Shortly after the districts made their announcement, California Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded closure of bars and indoor dining statewide and ordered gyms, churches and hair salons closed in most places. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said schools will be allowed to reopen in parts of the state where infection rates average 5% or less for two weeks. Students and teachers will be screened for illness, must wear face masks and keep 6 feet apart when possible. Common sense and intelligence can still determine what we do even in this crazy environment, Cuomo said. Were not going to use our children as guinea pigs. In North Carolina, which reported its highest one-day number of cases and hospitalizations, Gov. Roy Cooper has asked school districts to prepare three re-opening plans that include options for in-person and fully remote learning. His decision is expected later this week. But teacher Becky Maxam, whose husband is considered high-risk for the virus because of a genetic heart condition, said she doesnt plan to return if her Charlotte middle school reopens. Im not going back if were opening up. I cant risk my family, Maxam said. I think we should be virtual until we find a vaccine or cases go down much more than what they are. The debate over what to do about schools came as a pair of WHO experts were in China for a mission to trace the origin of the pandemic. The virus was first detected in central Chinas city of Wuhan late last year. Beijing had been reluctant to allow a probe but relented after scores of countries called on the WHO to conduct a thorough investigation. China has argued that the virus might have originated outside of China and has angrily denied allegations that it covered up the scale of the outbreak as infections first began to spread. Trump has harshly criticized the WHO over its response to the coronavirus pandemic and accused it of bowing to Chinese influence. The Trump administration formally notified the U.N. last week of its withdrawal from WHO, although the pullout wont take effect until July 6, 2021. Also Monday, the United Nations warned that the pandemic could cause 130 million more people worldwide to go hungry this year. U.N. officials estimate there were about 690 million people in 2019 who went hungry worldwide, with the majority in Asia and Africa. While it is too soon to assess the full impact of the lockdowns and other containment measures, the agency said that, at a minimum, another 83 million would go hungry as a result of the pandemic. The WHOs Tedros said noted Monday that the most recent surge in cases had come in the Americas. The United States and Brazil alone account for more than a third of all global deaths from the disease. In Japan, more than 30 Marines tested positive at the Futenma U.S. air station on Okinawa, where infections among American service members have rapidly risen to more than 90 since last week. Okinawa is home to more than half of about 50,000 American troops based in Japan. In other parts of the world, the number of infections has been rising dramatically in India, South Africa and Brazil, whose virus-denying president has tested positive. India, which has the most confirmed virus cases after the United States and Brazil, on Monday reported a record daily surge of 28,701 new cases reported in the past 24 hours. Authorities in several cities are reinstating strict lockdowns after attempting to loosen things up to revive an ailing economy. In South Africa, which accounts for over 40% of all the reported coronavirus cases in Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa reimposed a ban on alcohol sales and a nighttime curfew to reduce the number of people needing emergency treatment so hospitals have more beds to treat COVID-19 patients. There is no way that we can avoid the coronavirus storm. But we can limit the damage that it can cause to our lives, Ramaphosa said in a letter to the nation Monday. ___ Geller reported from New York. Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report. ___ Follow all of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak A few weeks ago, I went on a weekend trip to a small NZ town called Mangakino located on the North Island. Living in Auckland, with all its light pollution, means I often dont pay attention to the evening sky. The reason: it just isnt that spectacular. Most of the stars arent visible so it doesnt make for great viewing. But, Mangakino, well thats a different story. The town is hours away from any major developments and is quite remote meaning light pollution is minimal. This results in a spectacular night sky. I sat outside, braving the cold, for hours on end, overawed with its beauty and its magnificence. Its not hard to find pictures of the evening sky on Instagram or online, and these pictures look incredible. However, nothing compares to seeing it in person. A wonder is evoked which simply cannot be replicated by its digital version. Whats more is the longer I sat there, and as my eyes began to the adjust to the light, the more stars I started to see. It was as if the sky was unravelling before me. Crazy to think that same sky is above me right now, hidden beneath the veil of light pollution cast by the city. Funnily, it made me think: isnt this how it is with God and His Spirit? He is always present Just like those stars, Gods Spirit is always present, and He is continuously active in lives (1 John chapter 3, verse 24). Yet, often, He is drowned out by hustle and bustle, the busyness of life; the city lights. All it takes is for us to step back to get rid of those distractions and things which drown out God and, suddenly, we will see the world like weve never seen before. Taste and see My night of star gazing also got me thinking about a point raised by a popular NZ musician: Strahan Coleman. He argues that, in our contemporary Christian culture, a knowledge-based faith is promoted over a spiritual-based faith. Today, information is so rapidly disseminated and easily accessible that we have associated knowledge with the quantity of information an individual knows. We have made the assumption that the amount we know about God and about the Bible, is directly proportional to our closeness with Him. Reading the Bible, Christian books and listening to podcasts are promoted over silent meditation and prayer. Now, Im certainly not trying to denounce intellectualism. I, myself, love uncovering the Bibles nuances and symbolism, and find it brings me closer to God. Having an intimate knowledge of the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians chapter 6, verse 17b) guides me in times of uncertainty. Rather than undermining intellectualism, what I am trying to say is: there is more to knowing God than merely knowing about God. Lessons from Job Something that confounded me upon realisation was that Job is the first book of the Bible ever written. He was described as someone blameless and upright (Job chapter 1, verse 1) before God. Job knew God and was close to Him as evident in his faith through the trials and tribulations he faced. Astoundingly, he achieved all this without any literature about God, without a Bible. He had no choice but to find God spiritually. Yes, there would have been countless oral stories passed down through generations, and this would have helped. But all you need to do is play a game of broken telephone to realise that oral stories are largely prone to distortion and corruption. He wouldnt have been able to take each story he heard about God at face value, like we can with the Bible. He would have had to discern the truth of a story using what he already knew about God, through spiritual communion, as a reference. Unlike Job, we have a Bible that is just a few clicks away. Unfortunately, we can often settle for complacency. Its easy to just settle for the Bible and not seek genuine communion with God. Its easy to make the knowledge about God the end, instead of God Himself. Real communion Just like that Mangakino night sky, we could see countless pictures of the stars, and have numerous people describe these stars in detail to us. But until we truly see them and experience them for ourselves, there will always be so much beauty and wonder that we are missing out on. How can we know the peace that passeth all understanding (Philippians chapter 4, verse 7) if we merely restrict our faith to an intellectual experience of Him? I, like Strahan, would like to challenge us to seek real communion with God. Lets put the Bible down for a few nights and really seek His Spirit. Ridding ourselves of the distractions, lets fix our gaze towards the heavens, and strive to get to know God, not simply about God. When we allow Gods Spirit to shine, to illuminate our lives, the world will unravel before us in a beauty and wonder that we cannot yet comprehend, nor yet know. The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights has sought a report from the Kolkata Police on a short poll campaign film made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) showing theatrical enactment of an alleged rape. The information technology cell of the detective department has started a probe, said joint commissioner of police (crime) Murlidhar Sharma. The BJP has intensified its social media campaign against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on various issues. On July 9 and 10, the party posted three films on its official Twitter handle. The films are less than a minute long and show crime against women. One of these films portrays two minor children though their faces are not clearly shown. The film claims that the mother of the minors was raped and slashed with a broken bottle in Birbhum district. The messages say that people of the state will no longer tolerate crime against women. The videos in question have still not been taken down from the partys Twitter handle. The commission, which is under the state women and child development and social welfare department, has written to Kolkata police commissioner Anuj Sharma that using minor children in such scenes is punishable under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and it also violates Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. The commission has sought a report from the Kolkata Police. BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu said his party is not bothered by what the commission says. It (the commission) has no credibility. People who head these bodies owe their allegiance entirely to ruling party leaders. They will do anything that they are asked to. We are neither worried nor bothered, said Basu. MultiPlan will continue to operate its business with a relentless focus on delivering service excellence to its payer customers. The existing management team, led by long-standing CEO Mark Tabak, CFO David Redmond and Chief Revenue Officer Dale White, will continue to lead the business, and Hellman & Friedman affiliates ("H&F") will remain MultiPlan's largest shareholder. The capital from this transaction, combined with Churchill's expertise, will enable MultiPlan to continue to enhance its core offerings to payers through a significant increase in its data analytics platform, extend into new payer customer segments and expand its platform, increasing the value MultiPlan provides to more than 700 payers, their 60 million consumers and MultiPlan's 1.2 million providers that serve them. Further, the transaction will better position MultiPlan to capitalize on the entire $50 plus billion total addressable market, rather than its current subset of $8 billion, organically and through M&A. Mark Tabak, CEO of MultiPlan, stated, "I'm tremendously proud of the role MultiPlan plays in driving order, efficiency and fairness in healthcare payments. This transaction allows us to create payer value beyond the tech-enabled cost management and payment integrity services we offer today. As a public company, MultiPlan will have greater strategic and financial flexibility, making it better equipped to expand organically, through adjacent acquisitions and by investing in new technologies. We will deliver even more value for healthcare payers in particular, but also for their consumers and providers." Allen Thorpe, Partner at Hellman & Friedman, said, "MultiPlan's performance as a privately held company has been outstanding. This transaction strengthens the Company and will allow it to further penetrate the broad and fast-growing healthcare market, driving efficiencies and cost savings that benefit the sector and deliver great outcomes for payers, providers and consumers." He further added, "We are excited to join forces with the Churchill team and continue our partnership with MultiPlan to deliver value for its many customers." "We are pleased to partner with MultiPlan to drive its next phase of growth. MultiPlan is on the right side of healthcare, significantly reducing costs to insurers, employers and consumers," said Michael S. Klein, Chairman and CEO of Churchill. "MultiPlan has an unmatched, long-term track record of customer satisfaction and delivering high returns to investors. This transaction will enable the Company to enhance its capital structure and position it for substantial incremental growth. MultiPlan fits perfectly with Churchill's core mission to provide intellectual and financial capital to power the growth of great, market leading companies who operate in attractive industries, and can succeed more rapidly in the public markets with increased capital and the benefit of Churchill's Operating and Strategic Partners." MultiPlan pioneered innovative and mission-critical transaction processing services for healthcare payers, including the industry's largest independent preferred provider network, that reduce medical spend, improve payment accuracy and advance their competitive position. MultiPlan's data- and technology-driven services leverage the Company's 40 years of claim data, national reach, expansive provider network, strong relationships, innovative intellectual property and modern scale technology platform to create value for all stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem. Further, MultiPlan brings affordability and fairness, delivering approximately $19 billion in medical cost reduction on over 135 million claims bringing savings to payers and consumers alike. Churchill Capital Corp III is a NYSE listed, $1.1 billion, equity growth investment company and is the third vehicle in the Churchill Capital group of companies. Churchill's strategy is to identify and complete initial business combinations with unique, leading companies in growing industries that will be catalyzed by the growth capital and transparency of the public equity markets and will be enhanced by the experience and expertise of Churchill's Operating and Strategic Partners, a group of leading Fortune 500 CEOs with exceptional shareholder value creation track records who invest directly in Churchill and are committed to assist MultiPlan in its next phase of growth. Summary of Transaction Churchill will contribute up to $1.1 billion of cash raised during its initial public offering in February 2020. Further, additional investors have committed to participate in the transaction through PIPE commitments to a $2.6 billion new private capital raise consisting of a $1.3 billion common stock at $10 per share and $1.3 billion of 6 percent interest convertible debt, with a conversion price of $13 per share. The convertible debt provides flexible capital, including a non-cash pay option. The total investment of up to $3.7 billion raised in this transaction will be used to pay down existing debt, purchase a portion of the equity owned by existing MultiPlan shareholders and capitalize the MultiPlan balance sheet. As a result of this transaction, MultiPlan's leverage will be significantly reduced and its existing Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA ratio will be reduced from 6.8x to approximately 5.8x with its Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA at the operating company level decreasing to 4.1x1. The additional capital and public stock currency will allow the Company to advance its strategy of investing in organic and acquisition growth, and to increase its investment in data, machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies. In connection with the transaction, Churchill's sponsor has entered into an agreement to amend the terms of its founder equity to align with the long-term value creation and performance of MultiPlan. Churchill 's sponsor has agreed that a portion of its equity will vest only if the share price of the Company exceeds $12.50 per share over a period between the first and fifth anniversaries of the closing of the transaction, and have agreed not to transfer unvested equity. Churchill has received commitments from its investors and the new PIPE investors for funding that is sufficient to close the transaction. The Boards of Directors of both Churchill and MultiPlan have unanimously approved the proposed transaction. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of October 2020, subject to approval by Churchill stockholders representing a majority of the outstanding Churchill voting power, the expiration of the HSR Act waiting period and other customary closing conditions. Conference Call Information MultiPlan and Churchill's investor conference call and presentation discussing the transaction will take place at 8:00am EST on Monday July 13, 2020. You can pre-register for this conference call by visiting this link. You will then receive a link to the presentation. A transcript of the call will also be filed by Churchill Capital Corp III with the SEC. Investor Presentation A link to the company's investor presentation can be found at https://iii.churchillcapitalcorp.com/churchill-3-investor-presentation. Advisors Citigroup is serving as the private placement agent and capital markets advisor to Churchill. Citigroup and Goldman Sachs served as financial advisors and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as legal counsel to Churchill. Credit Suisse served as a capital markets advisor to Churchill. Citigroup and Goldman Sachs were joint book running managers for Churchill Capital Corp III. Centerview Partners, Barclays, BofA Securities and UBS Investment Bank served as financial advisors to MultiPlan. Kirkland & Ellis and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett served as legal counsel to MultiPlan and H&F. About MultiPlan MultiPlan is committed to helping healthcare payers manage the cost of care, improve their competitiveness and inspire positive change. Leveraging sophisticated technology, data analytics, and a team rich with industry experience, MultiPlan interprets clients' needs and customizes innovative solutions that combine its payment integrity, network-based and analytics-based services. MultiPlan is a trusted partner to over 700 healthcare payers in the commercial health, dental, government and property and casualty markets, and saves these companies approximately $19 billion annually. MultiPlan is owned by Hellman & Friedman and other investors. For more information, visit multiplan.com . About Churchill Capital Corp III Churchill Capital Corp III is a public investment vehicle formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, acquisition, or similar business combination. Churchill III was founded by a group of leading current and former business and financial leaders. Churchill III's securities are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbols CCXX, CCXX WS and CCXX.U. The Company raised $1.1 billion of cash proceeds in an initial public offering in February 2020. Churchill's first public equity investment company, Churchill Capital Corp, led by Jerre Stead, merged with Clarivate Analytics, a leading provider of comprehensive intellectual property and scientific information, analytical tools, and services in May 2019. Churchill Capital Corp II is actively pursuing an initial business combination target in any business or industry. For more information, visit iii.churchillcapitalcorp.com About Hellman & Friedman Hellman & Friedman (H&F) is a preeminent global private equity firm with a distinctive investment approach focused on large-scale equity investments in high-quality growth businesses. H&F seeks to partner with world-class management teams where its deep sector expertise, long-term orientation, and collaborative partnership approach enable companies to flourish. H&F targets outstanding businesses in select sectors including software & technology, financial services, healthcare, retail & consumer, and other business services. Founded in 1984, H&F has raised over $50 billion of committed capital, invested in over 90 companies, manages $49 billion of assets under management (as of 12/31/19) and is investing its ninth fund, with $16.5 billion of committed capital. Learn more about H&F's defining investment philosophy and approach to sustainable outcomes at www.hf.com . Forward Looking Statements This press release includes "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "will," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "should," "would," or similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean the statement is not forward-looking. Such forward looking statements include estimated financial information. Such forward looking statements with respect to revenues, earnings, performance, strategies, prospects and other aspects of the businesses of Churchill, MultiPlan or the combined company after completion of the business combination are based on current expectations that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from expectations expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Actual events or results may differ materially from those discussed in forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including: the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement; the inability to complete the transactions contemplated by the transaction agreement due to the failure to obtain approval of the stockholders of Churchill or other conditions to closing in the merger agreement; the ability to meet applicable listing standards following the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement; the risk that the proposed transaction disrupts current plans and operations of MultiPlan as a result of the announcement and consummation of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement; the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; costs related to the proposed business combination; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the possibility that Churchill, MultiPlan or the combined company may be adversely affected by other political, economic, business, and/or competitive factors; the impact of COVID-19 and its related effects on Churchill, MultiPlan or the combined company's projected results of operations, financial performance or other financial metrics; and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the final prospectus of Churchill for its initial public offering, including those under "Risk Factors" therein, and other documents filed or to be filed with the SEC by Churchill. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and, except as required by law, Churchill and MultiPlan undertake no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Anyone using the presentation does so at their own risk and no responsibility is accepted for any losses which may result from such use directly or indirectly. Investors should carry out their own due diligence in connection with the assumptions contained herein. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak as of the date of this press release. Although Churchill may from time to time voluntarily update its prior forward-looking statements, it disclaims any commitment to do so whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise except as required by securities laws. For additional information regarding these and other risks faced by us, refer to our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Non-GAAP Financial Measures EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and the ratio of net debt to Adjusted EBITDA are examples of supplemental non-U.S. GAAP measures of MultiPlan's performance. Adjusted EBITDA represents net income before interest expense, interest income, income tax provision, depreciation, amortization of intangible assets and non-income taxes ("EBITDA") adjusted to exclude miscellaneous non-operating expenses, gain or loss on disposal of assets, management fees, integration expenses, transaction related expenses, gain on repurchase and retirement of notes, and non-cash compensation that are included in net income for the period that MultiPlan does not consider indicative of its ongoing operating performance, and certain unusual items impacting results in a particular period to more accurately reflect management's view of the recurring profitability of the business. These measures are not measurements of MultiPlan's financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered in isolation or as alternatives to net income, net cash flows provided by operating activities, total net cash flows or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP. MultiPlan believes Adjusted EBITDA is an important supplemental measure of MultiPlan's operating performance and a basis upon which MultiPlan's management assesses performance rather than cash flow measures. MultiPlan's management also believes Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors because it and similar measures are frequently used by securities analysts, investors, and other interested parties to evaluate MultiPlan's competitors and provide additional information regarding growth rates on a more comparable basis than would be provided without such adjustments. The use of Adjusted EBITDA instead of a U.S. GAAP measure has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider Adjusted EBITDA in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of MultiPlan's results of operations and operating cash flows as reported under GAAP. For example, Adjusted EBITDA: does not reflect MultiPlan's cash expenditures or future requirements for capital expenditures; does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, MultiPlan's working capital needs; does not reflect interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on MultiPlan's debt; any cash income taxes that MultiPlan may be required to pay; assets are depreciated or amortized over estimated useful lives and often have to be replaced in the future, and Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements; and all non-cash income or expense items that are reflected in MultiPlan's statements of cash flows. MultiPlan's definition of and method of calculating Adjusted EBITDA may vary from the definitions and methods used by other companies, which may limit their usefulness as comparative measures. MultiPlan prepared the information included in this press release based upon available information and assumptions and estimates that it believes are reasonable. MultiPlan cannot assure you that its estimates and assumptions will prove to be accurate. Additional Information In connection with the proposed business combination, Churchill will file with the SEC and furnish to Churchill's stockholders a proxy statement and other relevant documents. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy any securities of Churchill or the solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities of the Company in any state or jurisdiction, domestic or foreign, 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. Stockholders are urged to read the proxy statement when it becomes available and any other documents to be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed business combination or incorporated by reference in the proxy statement because they will contain important information about the proposed business combination. Investors will be able to obtain free of charge the proxy statement and other documents filed with the SEC at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Churchill when and if available, can be obtained free of charge by directing a written request to Churchill Capital Corp III, 640 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10019. The directors, executive officers and certain other members of management and employees of Churchill may be deemed "participants" in the solicitation of proxies from stockholders of Churchill in favor of the proposed business combination. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in the solicitation of the stockholders of Churchill in connection with the proposed business combination will be set forth in the proxy statement and the other relevant documents to be filed with the SEC. You can find information about Churchill's executive officers and directors in Churchill's filings with the SEC, including Churchill's final prospectus for its initial public offering. 1 Assumes no redemptions. SOURCE MultiPlan, Inc.; Churchill Capital Corp III Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 00:26:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania on Monday urged the Southern African Development Community (SADC) members to join forces in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing which were likely to disturb economies of the region. Doto James, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, told a virtual meeting of SADC treasury officials, SADC central bank governors and economic experts hosted by Tanzania that money laundering and terrorism financing were likely to derail efforts aimed at attracting foreign investments in the SADC region. James said failure by some SADC members to control money laundering and terrorism financing could attract imposition of international economic sanctions for failing to meet standards set by the Financial Action Task Force, an inter-governmental organization that develop policies to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. The three-day meeting will discuss the impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, finance and investment, the SADC regional development and economic challenges facing the region including budget constraints. Tanzania is the current chair of the SADC, an inter-governmental organization established in 1992 to further socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among 16 members. Enditem Investors with losses of $100,000 or more are encouraged to contact the firm LOS ANGELES, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Portnoy Law Firm advises investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of United States Oil Fund, LP ("US Oil Fund" or the "Company") (NYSE: USO) investors that acquired securities after the Companys March 19, 2020 registration statement. Investors are encouraged to contact attorney Lesley F. Portnoy , to determine eligibility to participate in this action, by phone 310-692-8883 or email , or click here to join the case. USO is an exchange-traded fund ("ETF") purportedly designed to track the daily changes in percentage terms of the spot price of West Texas Intermediate ("WTI") light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma. The lawsuit filed on behalf of investors alleges that defendants stated that USO would achieve its investment objective by investing substantially all of its portfolio assets in the near month WTI futures contract. Due to extraordinary market conditions in early 2020, USO's purported investment objective and strategy became unfeasible. According to the complaint, rather than disclose the known impacts and risks to the fund, USO held an offering of billions of dollars of USO shares in March 2020. Ultimately, USO suffered billions of dollars in losses and abandoned its investment strategy. USO transformed from the passive ETF designed to track spot oil prices, which defendants had pitched to investors, into an actively managed fund. In April and May 2020, USO acknowledged the extreme threats and adverse impacts it had been experiencing at the time of its March 2020 securities offering, and which investors allege USO failed to disclose to them then. And, on May 29, 2020, Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission had both opened investigations into whether USO had properly disclosed the risks involved with the ETF. Story continues Please visit our website to review more information and submit your transaction information. The Portnoy Law Firm represents investors in pursuing claims against caused by corporate wrongdoing. The Firms founding partner has recovered over $5.5 billion for aggrieved investors. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Lesley F. Portnoy, Esq. Admitted CA and NY Bar lesley@portnoylaw.com 310-692-8883 www.portnoylaw.com Attorney Advertising Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 13, 2020 17:12 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665f5f02 1 Business Indonesia,manufacturing,factory-activity,bank-indonesia,PMI,COVID-19,coronavirus,pandemic Free Factory activity in Indonesia fell to its lowest level ever in the second quarter as the coronavirus pandemic caused a slump in demand and disrupted supply chains, a survey published by Bank Indonesia (BI) showed. BIs Prompt Manufacturing Index (PMI-BI) was recorded at 28.55 percent, its deepest ever contraction, compared with 45.64 percent in the first quarter this year. An index reading above 50 indicates expansion while below 50 reflects contraction. The central bank survey showed that all component indexes, including overall output and new orders, declined for the second consecutive quarter. The production volume index was the lowest at 25.36 percent, followed by the order volume index at 28.95 percent and goods stock volume at 32.28 percent. The contraction was due to lower demand and supply chain disruption amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the central bank said in a statement. We expect the performance of the manufacturing sector to pick up in the third quarter despite still being in the contraction phase. All manufacturing sectors tumbled in the second quarter, with deepest contraction recorded in textile and leather goods, as well as wood and forest products, according to the PMI-BI survey. The central bank expects all sectors of manufacturing to pick up in the third quarter from its lowest level in the April-June period. Manufacturers are now hoping activities will pick up following the reopening of the economy after three months of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), which forced factories to halt production and retail stores to close to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, the coronavirus outbreak remains a threat to manufacturers with employees at several factories testing positive for COVID-19, including of publicly listed consumer goods giant PT Unilever Indonesia and automaker PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing, prompting temporary closures of the plants. BIs survey was largely in line with IHS Markits Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), the gauge for manufacturing activities. Indonesias PMI rose to 39.1 in June from 28.6 in May. The PMI survey showed that business activity in the manufacturing sector weakened further in the second quarter, but the rate of deterioration has cooled markedly since May following the easing of virus containment measures throughout June. Factory output fell for a fourth straight month in June, albeit at a slower pace than was recorded in April and May, while inflows of new orders fell further in June, the survey showed. With expectations of further easing of PSBB and a return to normality, business sentiment rose sharply to the highest seen since January before the pandemic escalated, as firms generally expect output to rise in the year ahead, said IHS Markit principal economist Bernard Aw. However, recovery in the coming months will be challenging as survey data showed manufacturing output and sales still falling at substantial rates, he went on to say. Factories also continued to retrench workers in June amid further signs of spare capacity. Purchasing activity was reduced further as firms sought to control costs in response to weak demand. The manufacturing industry contributed around 19 percent of Indonesias gross domestic product (GDP), which grew 2.97 percent in the first quarter, the slowest rate since 2001. The government expects the economy to contract 0.4 percent or grow by up to 1 percent this year. Exports of manufactured goods fell 25.9 percent year-on-year (yoy) to US$8.3 billion in May. Meanwhile, imports of raw materials and capital goods fell more than 40 percent each to $6.1 billion and $1.3 billion, respectively. The data is the latest sign of weakening manufacturing activities nationwide due to the coronavirus pandemic. The significant contraction in manufacturing activity will take a toll on economic growth and household spending, Permata Bank economist Josua Pardede told The Jakarta Post. Lower manufacturing production will translate into job losses and lower income, dampening consumption growth as the main driver of the national economy. The manufacturing sector will pick up in the third quarter from its deepest level, although it will still remain in a contraction phase, as firms resume activities following the economic reopening, he said. The government should move swiftly in spending the stimulus for businesses to help the battered manufacturing sector, he went on to say. Risks, however, remain for manufacturers as recent COVID-19 cases in factories showed they need to do more or otherwise risk a further slump. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 22:02:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the deluge-hit prefecture of Kumamoto in southwestern Japan on Monday to assess the devastation and offer the central government's support to local municipalities. After arriving at Kagoshima Airport on an Air Self-Defense Force (SDF) transport plane, the Japanese leader visited a nursing home where 14 residents were killed after the Kuma River breached its banks. He offered prayers for the victims in front of the Senjuen nursing home. Abe also met with Kumamoto Gov. Ikuo Kabashima at Kuma village's temporary disaster task-force office. Kumamoto has seen 64 lives lost in the disaster, with 14 other prefectures also being inundated amid torrential rain which led to 105 rivers flooding, while 27 prefectures saw 316 landslides. The Japanese leader responded to Kabashima's request for financial support for the crisis-hit region, pledging the central government's all-out efforts. "Under the policy of doing all we can, we will make utmost efforts to achieve early recovery," Abe told Kabashima, according to local reports. He added that work world be carried out swiftly to repair highways and the flood damage caused by overflowing Kuma River. Abe also pledged the government's support for those displaced by the disaster, saying that temporary shelter for evacuees would be secured and more officials sent to the region to help its recovery. Abe said the central government will allocate 400 billion yen (3.74 billion U.S. dollars) to be used for reconstruction and support small businesses in their recovery efforts from the disaster. In Tokyo later in the day, Abe, at a task-force meeting convened to respond to the disaster, told relevant officials to put together a rescue package. He said the package should be compiled by the end of the month and the Cabinet would officially decide on drawing on reserve funds to help finance it. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is likely to declare the 10th and 12th results in a few days. Once declared, students will be able to check their results online on various official websites, IVRS telephone numbers and mobile apps. Students will be able to access their results through these websites - cbse.nic.in, www.results.nic.in and www.cbseresults.nic.in The schools will also get the results of their students on the registered Email IDs. CBSE is expected to provide results through IVRS (interactive voice response system) too. Telephone numbers will be provided by National Informatics Centre (NIC) on the day of result and the students will be able to use these numbers to know their marks. In 2019, a separate telephone number was provided by NIC for local subscribers in Delhi and another number for rest of the subscribers in the country. CBSE will also release the Class 10th and 12th results on various other apps, including Microsoft SMS organiser app, DigiLocker, Umang app and Digiresults app. The CBSE has decided to provide CBSE Class 10 digital academic documents (Marksheets, Migration Certificate and Pass Certificate) through its own academic repository Parinam Manjusha which is integrated with DigiLocker at digilocker.gov.in. The students will receive DigiLocker account credentials via SMS on their mobile number registered with CBSE. The results will also be available on UMANG Mobile Platform which is available for android, iOS and Windows based Smart Phones. The CBSE Class 10th and 12th results will also be available via Android mobile app DigiResults. CBSE will also sent Class 10th, 12th results to the students on their registered mobile number. BEIJING, CHINA / ACCESSWIRE / July 13, 2020 / In the eyes of most people, traditional Chinese medicine is a mysterious knowledge from the ancient East. For example magical acupuncture, which can produce a therapeutic effect on diseases at certain parts of human body by puncturing seemingly unrelated parts; and traditional cupping, which attracts human tissue through negative pressure to alleviate discomfort. Finally, never forget the profound Chinese herbal medicines, they seem like ordinary herbs, but have excellent effects on many diseases. Due to the complex and rich effects of traditional Chinese medicine in different combinations, as well as the diversity and strictness of processing methods, for most people however, traditional Chinese medicine is more like an ancient legend. It's a pity that the unknown pharmacology behind Chinese herbal medicine has deterred many people from trying it. Fortunately, many Chinese companies have begun to use modern scientific research technology to study and standardize Chinese medicine so that this ancient wisdom can benefit the world. Beijing Handian Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. from China is one of the pioneers in this endeavor. Beijing Handian Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a national high-tech enterprise located in Beijing. The company, with "Great Medicine Sincerity" as its core concept, possesses strong scientific research capability, and aim to explore the philosophy and science of traditional Chinese medicine. By adopting modern science and technology to inherit the essence of traditional Chinese medicine, the company has successfully developed a variety of classic Chinese patent medicines, such as Buzhong Yiqi granules for frailty diseases, Xiaochaihu granules for typhoid, exogenous diseases and influenza, and Shenling Baizhu granules for digestive system diseases, etc., which all originated from the classics of traditional Chinese medicine. The company combines the ancient wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine with modern medical technology and thus revives it in modern society, rendering it increasingly acceptable in more countries and cultures, so as to benefit social health. Story continues The company's star product Xiaochaihu Granules is a typical example of the company's research strength. Xiao Chaihu granules are derived from the classic "Xiao Chai Hu Tang" in Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases, which has been widely used in clinical treatment of typhoid, exogenous disease and influenza since ancient times, and has achieved good therapeutic effects. The research and development of Xiaochaihu granules strictly follows the functions, indications and usage in ancient classics, and adopts modern technology to turn products into granules. This product greatly saves the cumbersome process of taking medicinal materials and decocting medicine and thus makes traditional Chinese medicine convenient to use. This will help people in different countries to obtain and benefit from traditional Chinese medicine, which is also of great significance to the popularization of traditional Chinese medicine. The company's medical center also systematically optimized the conditions of water extraction and increased the transfer rate of the active ingredients of the drug. The granules produced in this way are more effective at the same dose of drug. Meanwhile, standardized preparations and production can also benefit pharmaceutical research. The company's medical center conducted rigorous in vivo and in vitro experiments to clarify and explore the treatment scope of Xiaochaihu and ensured its clinical application. The global pandemic has been raging since the beginning of this year. As a technology company with the creed of "Sincerity of Great Physician", experts from Handian Pharmaceutical Medical Center and Handian Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital have devoted to develop relevant drugs since then. In this COVID-19 pandemic, most patients can be diagnosed as "cold-dampness lung syndrome" according to traditional Chinese medicine theory. Traditional Chinese medicine believes this kind of disease is mainly caused by cold and dampness that invades the human body. The experts carefully analyzed the characteristics of the disease, consulted a large number of ancient classics of traditional Chinese medicine, and actively looked for ways to fight against such diseases. After months of hard work, they initially developed "Taishen Granules" (also known as Handian HD1) that could alleviate the symptoms of the pandemic. The prescription can invigorate spleen to eliminate dampness, remove toxic substance, adjust the constitution of cold and dampness, and cure the related symptoms by restoring the imbalance of yin-yang in the patient's body caused by the pathogen of cold and dampness. During the anti-epidemic period in Hubei, the company has donated the drug to local hospitals and achieved good results through the combined use of drugs. At present, the company has determined the preparation components of the drug, and has completed the pharmaceutical and toxicological experiments. The pharmacological experiments are still in progress to further improve its safety and effectiveness research. The company is also seeking international cooperation for further clinical research and drug registration, so that this product can contribute to international health care soon. In the future, the company hopes to give full play to its strong scientific research capability to develop more Chinese patent medicine products that are suitable for European and American physique and acceptable to European and American people. They welcome cooperation from pharmaceutical companies around the world to promote the modernization and standardization of traditional Chinese medical wisdom together, so as to utilize the power of Chinese medicine to serve the world. For more information or business cooperation, please contact: Xiaoteng Bai Branding and strategy Manager Beijing Handian Science& Technology (Group) Co., Ltd. Email: Baixiaoteng@handian.com Phone: +86 010 5690 3502 Website: http://www.hantien.com.cn/en/ SOURCE: Beijing Handian Science& Technology (Group) Co., Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/597217/The-Road-to-Modernization-Beijing-Handian-Pharmaceutical-Uses-the-Modern-Tech-Give-Traditional-Chinese-Medicine-A-New-Connotation Think of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab and one image might spring to mind a mother cradling an infant as a nurse injects the potentially life-saving vaccine into their arm. It could soon be the mother receiving the vaccine too to protect against Covid-19. Some evidence suggests the triple jab, given to millions of British children since its introduction in the UK in 1988, could be a powerful weapon in the battle against coronavirus, either by protecting adults against infection, or reducing symptoms. That was certainly the thinking behind the decision by Dr Martin Scurr, the Mail's GP columnist, to have the MMR jab to 'ginger up' his immunity, as he explained in Good Health last week. Some evidence suggests the triple MMR jab, given to millions of British children since its introduction in the UK in 1988, could be a powerful weapon in the battle against coronavirus The protective potential of MMR hit the headlines when the crew of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt was struck by a Covid-19 outbreak. More than 1,100 sailors on board tested positive, yet just one needed hospital treatment, (and later died) according to a report published last month in the journal mBio. Even allowing for the likelihood that many were young and fit, researchers calculated it would still be expected that about 14 per cent (over 150 in this case) would need to be hospitalised. But the sailors all had one thing in common; as new recruits mostly in their late teens or 20s, each had been given the MMR vaccine, in line with U.S. military policy. Some scientists think the jab may have protected many crew members against serious illness and could also explain why so few children develop symptoms from Covid-19. In the UK, children make up less than two per cent of confirmed cases. Between 80 and 90 per cent of all UK children, teenagers and young adults have had the MMR jab, their first dose aged one, and a booster, at three years. Now the idea that the readily available and relatively cheap vaccine (it costs about 50 privately) could be used to protect millions of adults against Covid-19 is attracting wider interest. Between 80 and 90 per cent of all UK children, teenagers and young adults have had the MMR jab, their first dose aged one, and a booster, at three years Last month, doctors at the Kasr El Aini Hospital in Cairo, Egypt, began recruiting up to 200 doctors, nurses and carers on the coronavirus frontline to see if giving them the MMR vaccine protects them against severe coronavirus symptoms. The trial which will run until October is the first of its kind. But how might a vaccine against common childhood illnesses tackle the virus? Most of the 100 or so Covid-19 vaccine trials under way worldwide focus on specific targets unique to the virus itself, and are made either with traces of the 'spike' protein found on the surface of the virus, or fragments of its genetic material. The idea is the immune system recognises the virus material in the vaccines as foreign and creates infection-fighting cells (antibodies and T cells) should it then encounter Covid-19. In other words, they are designed to work against Covid-19 and nothing else. The same applies to most infectious disease vaccines. But a small group of vaccines, including the MMR, the BCG jab given to protect against tuberculosis (TB) and the oral version of the polio vaccine, are different. These are made with 'live' but massively weakened versions of the viruses or bacteria (in the case of the BCG) themselves. As well as priming the immune system to produce disease-fighting cells that target the infectious organism, live vaccines pep up the whole immune system so it's more alert to any invading organisms. It's thought this is because the presence of any live virus or bacterium is enough to put the whole immune system on alert. 'It's a bit like an army putting all its snipers on duty, ready to take out anything that is a potential threat,' explains Eleanor Riley, a professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Edinburgh University. As we reported in March, there are several trials under way globally to see if the BCG jab can soften the blow of Covid-19. Last week a study found that the BCG vaccine, that was given to teenagers in this country from 1953 until 2005 to protect against TB, may protect against coronavirus. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy Of Sciences, compared the jab's popularity in a country with their rate of infection and death. The vaccine has previously been found to combat infectious diseases other than TB. A study, published in The BMJ in 2016, found that babies given the BCG jab were 30 per cent less likely to die of any infectious disease in their first year. News that the jab might also protect people against coronavirus has led to shortages in some parts of the world. Doctors in Japan said they were running out of BCG as so many adults were paying privately to be immunised as protection against Covid-19. But when it comes to MMR, there could be another reason why the vaccine buffers the effects of Covid-19, say University of Cambridge scientists. They studied blood samples of British patients treated in the early stages of the pandemic the antibodies made by their immune system were similar in structure to antibodies produced in response to rubella (German measles), one of three viruses targeted by the MMR vaccine. The Cambridge team believes the rubella antibodies triggered by the vaccine may be seeing off the coronavirus before it does too much damage. In a paper online (but not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal), the scientists wrote: 'If there is a link, we propose that vaccination of 'at risk' age groups with an MMR vaccination should be considered. 'To create a Covid-19 vaccine will be arduous and may require time which we cannot afford.' But some UK experts warn against giving the MMR jab without stronger evidence. There is 'a good chance' this effect on the immune system is short-lived in some people days, rather than weeks, months or years, says Professor Riley. 'It's also likely that if as an adult or even as a child your immune system has ever come into contact with measles, mumps or rubella in the past, it will not respond as vigorously to another vaccine. There is no good reason for anyone to pay for a private MMR or indeed BCG vaccine in the hope of avoiding Covid-19.' At just 21 years, Halima Hussein is the founder cum CEO of cosmetic company; HH Glam. She is also a Law student at Brunel University in London. How did you find your footing in cosmetics? My interest in cosmetics began when I was around 15-years-old. I loved to watch make-up artists on YouTube and try it out during my free time. I loved to apply make-up on my mum and sisters when we would be going out for dinner and also my friends whenever we went out. You are pursuing a degree in law. How does that complement your love for cosmetology? When running a business, law is seen in every aspect, be it the patent of our unique formulation, the brand collaborations or partnership and procurement contracts we sign. Describe your style Laid-back street wear mixed with athleisure and some girly pieces. I love matching jogger sets and a good pair of Nike sneakers. T-shirts, ripped jeans and leggings are some of my favourites. Do you have a make-up routine? I do. I wash my face, moisturise, then apply serum and primer. I start with my eyebrows and eye make-up then I do my foundation, concealer and contour and set it all with powder and setting spray. When did you start your company? I set up H.H Glam in June 2019. I started by formulating my first product, a process that took me about six months; saving up the capital and creating our branding and marketing strategy. Then we started reaching out to Kenyan beauty gurus and influencers, shooting a campaign and finally launching. What are some of the products you have already rolled out? Our latest lipgloss is a red tinted gloss named Sanguine Kisses, which is 100 per cent organic. Most tinted/coloured glosses contain a chemical preservative to help the pigment stick to the product. We are a chemical free company, so instead we use beeswax to help our pigment hold. Beeswax contains Vitamin A, which can also be found in our other ingredients; castor oil and shea butter. The high concentration of Vitamin A in our gloss helps soothe chapped lips and soften them. How different are your products compared to other brands? Our products are unique in that they are the only all natural/organic make-up products made in Kenya. Our products offer the same beautifying effects as any other brand without the chemical drawbacks and add the bonus of the health and skin benefits provided by our natural ingredients. What is the For the Love of Girls initiative all about? I have a personal tough journey with menstrual health, so I would like to do what I can to help the amazing founders of For the Love of Girls Foundation in their mission in fighting for menstrual equity for women and girls in Kenya. Personally, how has the Covid-19 pandemic affected you? During this period the majority of people are spending on essentials, so make-up might not be an essential for many right now. So, weve put our resources to use and have manufactured three-ply face masks, which are reusable, washable and approved by the Kenya Bureau of Standards. We are also directing a percentage of the profits from our new gloss towards For the Love of Girls Foundation to support their Periods in a Pandemic campaign. What do you splurge on the most? Nike sneakers and designer hoodies. A fashion/cosmetic advice you can share.. Be your most authentic self and express yourself without fear of judgment. Before you jump into a Great Lake, make sure you dip your toes in to feel the water. Changing wind directions can cause drastic water temperature changes from one day to the next. After Fridays cold front blew through Michigan, winds turned to blowing from the southwest to blowing from the north. The north wind takes warm surface water and slides it off the west Michigan shoreline. As a result a visit to some west Michigan beaches could leave you shocked at much colder water. The surface water graphic shows how colder water was pulled up from deeper water along the Lake Michigan Shoreline between Pentwater and South Haven. Mumbai: Actress Mouni Roy, who was stranded in UAE during the coronavirus lockdown, has finally been able to fly. On Monday, Mouni took to her Instagram account and shared a boomerang video in which we can see her sitting in a flight, wearing a face shield, mask and gloves. She travelled to London for work, said reports. Mouni flew to UAE on a four-day working trip in March, for a magazine photoshoot, and stayed with an old friend there. On the work front, Mouni will be seen in Ayan Mukerji's "Brahmastra", which stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. MOSCOW -- Russian prosecutors have confirmed murder charges against three sisters accused of killing their abusive father in 2018, the sisters' defense team says, reversing their earlier calls for charges to be dropped and dealing a blow to women's rights activists who see the case as a litmus test for Russia's approach to domestic violence. Attorney Aleksei Liptser, a member of the defense team, told RFE/RL on July 13 that the indictment had been finalized and the case would now go to trial. In July 2018, investigators say, Krestina, Angelina, and Maria Khachaturyan -- then 19, 18, and 17 years old, respectively -- killed their father, Mikhail Khachaturyan, at their home in Moscow's outskirts. Materials gathered by investigators included substantial evidence of protracted sexual and physical abuse by Khachaturyan against his daughters. The case has garnered widespread attention from Russian media and civil society and has pitted defenders of conservative values, backed by the Russian Orthodox Church, against women's rights activists who have been calling for the introduction of legislation on domestic violence as a way of bringing alleged perpetrators like Khachaturyan to justice and enabling their victims to plead self-defense. In early December, investigators finalized their indictment against the three sisters and sent it to the prosecutor's office to prepare for trial. Krestina, Angelina, and Maria had acted with premeditation, it concluded, governed by "a strong personal enmity toward their father" due to continued physical and sexual abuse. Later in December, Deputy Prosecutor-General Viktor Grin cited flaws in the investigation and asked officials to reclassify the sisters' actions as self-defense, which would pave the way for the women to be set free. But last week, according to the defense team, Grin confirmed the original murder charges in an apparent volte-face, meaning the case will almost certainly go to trial. "Clearly, something has changed in his position during this period," Liptser, who represents Krestina, told state news agency TASS. "We now await the start of the trial." 'The Government Has Chosen Its Path' Aleksei Parshin, who represents Angelina, denounced the latest development and the apparent conflict between prosecutors and investigators that had preceded it. "The Investigative Committee did not follow prosecutor's orders, but prosecutors shut their eyes to this and confirmed the indictment," he wrote on Facebook. "That is all one needs to know about the state of a [government] organ responsible for upholding the constitution and adherence to laws." Mari Davtyan, another member of the sisters' defense team, suggested that Grin's reversal was an indication that the political climate in Russia has shifted since the July 1 confirmation of controversial amendments to the constitution that were proposed and endorsed by Putin, and give him a path to extending his rule until 2036. Their official introduction on July 4 was followed by a series of arrests and prosecutions targeting Russian journalists and officials, prompting fears of a major crackdown on dissent by a government looking to shore up its power. "It's impossible not to notice what is happening," Davtyan wrote on Facebook, responding to the latest twist in the Khachaturyan case. "The government has chosen its path." Attorneys have requested a jury trial for Krestina and Angelina Khachaturyan, looking to increase their chance of acquittal. But Liptser said the trial would probably be closed to the public due to the nature of the alleged abuse of the sisters by their father. This is a typical practice in Russia for cases that involve sexual harassment and other intimate information relating to defendants. Maria Khachaturyan, who was 17 when the alleged crime took place, will be tried separately at a district-level court in the Russian capital, her lawyer Yaroslav Pakulin said. An assessment following the killing found her mentally unsound at the time of the crime, and she was recommended for psychological treatment. While hundreds of cars queued for coronavirus testing outside the Crossroads Hotel in south-west Sydney on Monday, the nearby Casula shopping mall was much quieter than usual. "It's like a ghost town now," said Chillie Nguyen, who is manager of Casula Eyeware. "On Saturday and Sunday, it got quiet all of a sudden." Hundreds in the area have been tested for COVID-19 and 21 people have been linked to a coronavirus cluster at the Crossroads Hotel since it was first confirmed by NSW Health on Friday. Chillie Nguyen, manager of Casula Eyewear in Casula Mall, says foot traffic and business have been affected by the new coronavirus cluster. Credit:James Brickwood "Once the news was out, we noticed the centre was slow. I think people are nervous in that sense: I had people who had booked an appointment on Saturday ring up and say they weren't coming," Mr Nguyen said. Johannesburg, July 13 : South Africa has introduced new restrictions, including another ban on alcohol sales, to help contain the spread of coronavirus. A night-time curfew has been imposed, and the wearing of masks outdoors is now compulsory. President Cyril Ramaphosa said the alcohol ban - South Africa's second this year - would take pressure off the national healthcare system, the BBC reported. It comes as total infections exceed a quarter of a million. Deaths resulting from coronavirus have also risen to more than 4,000, and government projections estimate this could rise to 50,000 by the end of the year. South Africa remains the hardest-hit country on the continent, and earlier this week recorded its highest-ever single-day increase in cases. Nearly half of them were in Gauteng, a province that's become the outbreak epicentre. In a public address, Ramaphosa acknowledged "most" people had taken action to help prevent the spread, but he said there were still some who acted "without any responsibility to respect and protect each other". "There are a number of people who have taken to organising parties, who have drinking sprees, and some who walk around crowded spaces without wearing masks," said the president. Ramaphosa said the new measures were being introduced to help the country to weather the storm of coronavirus, and a state of emergency would be extended until August 15. The night-time ban would be in place from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. The government has also made 28,000 hospital beds available for Covid-19 patients. But President Ramaphosa said the country still faced a "serious" shortage of more than 12,000 healthcare workers, including nurses, doctors and physiotherapists. The alcohol ban comes just weeks after another three-month ban was lifted in an effort to prevent drunken fighting, cut domestic violence and eliminate weekend binge-drinking prevalent across South Africa. Doctors and police say the previous ban contributed to a sharp drop in emergency admissions to hospital. But the country's brewers and wine makers complained they were being driven out of business. Jaipur, July 13 : The Rajasthan political crisis took a new turn on Monday when income tax investigators raided on premises belonging to people from Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's camp. Searches were underway in offices of veteran state Congress leaders, including Rajeev Arora and Dharmendra Chaudhary too. Unaccounted cash, jewellery, property papers and lockers were seized. The team also reached Bhilwara and Jhalawad and carried out searches, officials said. Congress has postponed its Legislature Party meeting by half an hour to 11 a.m. Around 74 MLAs have reached the Chief Minister's Residence. Party Whip Mahesh Joshi said that the BJP is "misusing agencies for its self fulfilling goals". Indias clinical protocol has focused on early detection through widespread testing, surveillance, prompt triaging and clinical management of cases. This has resulted in one of the lowest case fatality rate of 2.66%, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday after inspecting the 10,000-bed Covid Care Centre in Chhatarpur. Apart from inspecting the centre, the health minister also interacted with 12 patients admitted at the facility after donning a personal protective gear. He also reviewed the hygiene and sanitation conditions in the facility. The inspection was a part of a series of reviews that the health minister has been carrying out of various dedicated Covid-19 health facilities on Sundays for a few months now. Our success can be seen in the recovery rate which is almost 63% with more than 5.3 lakh patients recovered, said Harsh Vardhan. The facility that started on July 5 has 123 cases with mild symptoms. According to the staff members, only five patients were serious enough to be referred to a hospital for advance treatment. Out of 10,200 beds at the facility, 2,000 are currently in use. About 91 doctors are deployed at the centre, who work on a rotation basis in three shifts, and are available around the clock. The medical team is sent for quarantine after 8 days and new staff comes to replace them. Also, 10 per cent of medical personnel are kept as contingency reserve. In-house psychological counselling and psychiatry services are being provided by counsellors trained at the NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences). Daily meditation and yoga sessions are also conducted for the patients, and the facility also follows naturopathy and protocols of Ayurveda to boost immunity. Telemedicine support is being provided by referral hospital, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Smartlogic, The leader in Semantic AI solutions, has been named as one of KMWorlds AI50 Companies Empowering Intelligent Knowledge Management. This distinction is given to organizations with innovative knowledge management solutions that are incorporating AI and cognitive computing technologies into their offerings. 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WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Polish President Andrzej Duda declared victory Monday in a runoff election in which he narrowly won a second five-year term, acknowledging the campaign he ran was often too harsh as he appealed for unity and forgiveness. The close race followed a bitter campaign between Duda and Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski that was dominated by cultural issues. The government, state media and the influential Roman Catholic Church all mobilized in support of Duda and sought to stoke anti-Semitism, homophobia and xenophobia in order to shore up conservative support. Duda celebrated what was seen as a mandate for him and the right-wing ruling party that backs him, Law and Justice, to continue on a path that has reduced poverty but raised concerns that democracy is under threat. "It was a very sharp campaign, probably too sharp at times," Duda told supporters in Odrzywol, a town near Warsaw. "If anyone is offended by my words, please forgive me. And give me the chance to improve in the next five years." Duda received 51.03% of Sundays vote, while Trzaskowski got 48.97%, according to final results Monday from the state electoral commission. Duda told supporters in Odrzywol that he was grateful and moved by winning the support of more than 10 million voters. He said that with the race now over, it was time to turn to the difficult job of returning the country to strong growth after the economic blow of the coronavirus. Incumbent President Andrzej Duda flashes a victory sign in Pultusk, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. An exit poll in Poland's presidential runoff election shows a tight race that is too close to call between the conservative incumbent, Andrzej Duda, and the liberal Warsaw mayor, Rafal Trzaskowski.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Trzaskowski conceded defeat and congratulated Duda. He thanked his supporters and said his strong showing would be the catalyst to fight to keep Poland from becoming a one-party state. "This is just the beginning of the road," Trzaskowski said. But Adam Michnik, a prominent anti-communist dissident and the founding editor of the liberal Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, said the result bodes badly for Polands young democracy. "Andrzej Dudas victory will be understood by his voters, and first of all by those in power, as a permission for the kind of politics that Law and Justice has been pursuing for almost five years, and that is a policy of the destruction of the democratic system, of isolating Poland in Europe, of homophobia, of xenophobia, nationalism and of using the Catholic Church as a tool," Michnik said. "I would not even rule out a situation in which, if this policy is continued and we see an attempt on the free media, culture and science, there could be another `Maidan," he said, referring to the bloody 2014 pro-Europe protests in Ukraine. Critics and human rights groups worry Duda's victory will boost illiberal tendencies at home and in the European Union, which has also struggled to halt an erosion of rule of law in Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Among those who welcomed Dudas victory were Orban, as well as the Czech leaders. Orban congratulated him on Facebook, saying "bravo!" while Czech President Milos Zeman though a spokesman said: "Long live Poland!" The result was dispiriting for liberals in Europe who are keen to halt what they consider the threat of populism and nationalism. Remigijus Simasius, the liberal mayor of the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, offered his condolences to Poles and said the small difference in support of about 2% "sometimes determines the path between progress and regress." Duda got help from U.S. President Donald Trump, who invited him to the White House in late June and said he was "doing a terrific job." His campaign focused on defending traditional family values in the predominantly Catholic nation of 38 million people, and on preserving social spending policies. The party's popular policies included lowering the retirement age and paying monthly cash bonuses of 500 zlotys ($125) per child to all families irrespective of income. Many credit Law and Justice for being the first party to reduce the economic inequality that came with Poland's transition from communism to a market economy three decades ago. There is a strong sense among Poles that the economic help is restoring a sense of dignity after decades of hardship from war, communism and the upheaval brought by capitalism. The party also stoked conflict with the EU by taking control of the top courts and judicial bodies. Officials in Brussels repeatedly expressed concern over the rule of law in both Poland and Hungary, which were for many years hailed as the most successful democracies to emerge from behind the Iron Curtain. Law and Justice officials have said they plan to continue reshaping the justice system and also want to nationalize foreign-owned private media outlets. Critics fear that lower courts will face increased political pressure and that press freedom will face new threats. Zselyke Csaky, an expert on central Europe with the human rights group Freedom House, said Dudas victory gives the party "essentially free rein" until parliamentary elections in 2023 "to do away with limits on its power and work towards destroying Polands independent institutions." Sundays vote was originally planned for May but was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Turnout was 68.18%, close to a record set in 1995, in a sign of the huge stakes for Poles. As the race tightened, Duda turned further to the right in search of votes. He denounced the LGBT rights movement as an "ideology" worse than communism. His campaign also cast Trzaskowski as someone who would sell out Polish interests to Jewish interests, tapping old anti-Semitic tropes in a country that was home to Europes largest Jewish community before it was decimated by Germany in the Holocaust. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitored the election, said that while well organized, "negative campaigning and mutual vilification abounded" and that "the incumbents campaign and coverage by the public broadcaster were marked by homophobic, xenophobic and anti-Semitic rhetoric." But the World Jewish Congress focused on Duda's past condemnations of anti-Semitism in a congratulatory statement, not mentioning the harsh campaign. "President Duda has spoken out against this hatred, and we remain hopeful that he will continue to do so," WJC President Ronald Lauder said. During the campaign, Duda also lashed out at a German correspondent and a partly German-owned tabloid for their campaign coverage, alleging "a German attack in these elections." A German Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday that Berlin works "outstandingly" with the Polish government and would continue to do so. ___ Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin; Pablo Gorondi in Budapest, Hungary; and Karel Janicek in Prague and Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, contributed. Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski concedes defeat in Poland's tight presidential election runoff and congratulates President Andrzej Duda for winning a second term, in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, July 13, 2020.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) A small group of protesters with a banner reading "Andrzej Duda is a mocker and perjurer" hold a small rally against the narrow re-election of President Andrzej Duda to a second term, as shown by a near-complete count of presidential runoff votes, in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, July 13, 2020.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Incumbent President Andrzej Duda is hugged by his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda in Pultusk, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. An exit poll in Poland's presidential runoff election shows a tight race that is too close to call between the conservative incumbent, Andrzej Duda, and the liberal Warsaw mayor, Rafal Trzaskowski.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Incumbent President Andrzej Duda, right, his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda, left, and daughter Kinga, wave to supporters in Pultusk, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. An exit poll in Poland's presidential runoff election shows a tight race that is too close to call between the conservative incumbent, Andrzej Duda, and the liberal Warsaw mayor, Rafal Trzaskowski.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Incumbent President Andrzej Duda, kisses the hand of his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda, in Pultusk, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. An exit poll in Poland's presidential runoff election shows a tight race that is too close to call between the conservative incumbent, Andrzej Duda, and the liberal Warsaw mayor, Rafal Trzaskowski.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski flashes a victory sign at the end of the election day in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. Voting ended in Poland's razor-blade-close presidential election runoff between the conservative incumbent Andrzej Duda and liberal, pro-European Union Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski with exit polls showing the election is too close to call. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski gestures while addressing supporters at the end of the election day in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. Voting ended in Poland's razor-blade-close presidential election runoff between the conservative incumbent Andrzej Duda and liberal, pro-European Union Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski with exit polls showing the election is too close to call. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski gestures while addressing supporters at the end of the election day in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. Voting ended in Poland's razor-blade-close presidential election runoff between the conservative incumbent Andrzej Duda and liberal, pro-European Union Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski with exit polls showing the election is too close to call. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Supporters stretch their hands to touch fists with Presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski, right, at the end of the election day in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. Voting ended in Poland's razor-blade-close presidential election runoff between the conservative incumbent Andrzej Duda and liberal, pro-European Union Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski with exit polls showing the election is too close to call. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Incumbent President Andrzej Duda addresses supporters in Pultusk, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. An exit poll in Poland's presidential runoff election shows a tight race that is too close to call between the conservative incumbent, Andrzej Duda, and the liberal Warsaw mayor, Rafal Trzaskowski. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Incumbent President Andrzej Duda, center, applauds as his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda, gestures while speaking to supporters, in Pultusk, Poland, Sunday, July 12, 2020. An exit poll in Poland's presidential runoff election shows a tight race that is too close to call between the conservative incumbent, Andrzej Duda, and the liberal Warsaw mayor, Rafal Trzaskowski.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) La Comunidad Hispana was among the grant recipients for the PHL COVID-19 fund. Read more Even in the early days of the coronavirus, organizers of a charitable fund aimed at helping Philadelphia-area nonprofits knew they would have to work fast. The PHL COVID-19 Fund a joint effort among the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Foundation, and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey formed on March 19 and has already raised and given away $17.5 million. More than 500 local nonprofits, straining under the economic pressures of the pandemic, have received grants from the fund. There is about $200,000 remaining to be awarded, and the PHL COVID-19 Fund is still accepting donations, but organizers say they are thankful for the outpouring of support from the business community as well as from individual contributors. More than 8,500 donations have come in so far, surpassing even optimistic projections. We knew we could get more done together with this kind of focus, but if you would have told me over 8,500 people and organizations would have given to this effort, that is remarkable, said Pedro Ramos, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Foundation. Not only did pledges come in quickly, but so did the money that accompanied them. Many times, people commit to a charity, but actually collecting the money can be a challenge. That wasnt the case with the PHL COVID-19 Fund. When people say they will do it, like never before, you never had to chase the money, it was there, said Bill Golderer, executive director of the local United Way. In its own way that became a real morale booster. Organizers also noted that all of the donated money went directly to the nonprofits, with no expenses taken out for administrative costs. This was an effort where Pedros organization and my organization, you had folks who had jobs and they added this to their existing jobs to make this happen, Golderer said. We didnt hire additional staff because we wanted to make sure 100 cents of every dollar would go to the community. Philadelphias generous spirit was on display during a one-hour fund-raising variety show on May 21, with proceeds going to the fund. The show, which featured performances by Philadelphia musicians like Patti LaBelle, Questlove, and Daryl Hall, was broadcast live on several TV stations, radio stations, and on Inquirer.com. It raised $1.5 million for the PHL COVID-19 Fund. I think the community needed something at that moment, when we could feel better about coming together and being inspired and feeling connected with each other, Golderer said. For many of the nonprofits that received money from the fund, the support has provided a much-needed lifeline. The grants just made a difference, it lifted a burden in terms of how we would continue, said the Rev. Zuline Wilkinson, executive director of Chester Eastside, which received two grants totaling $65,000. Among the services Chester Eastside provides is offering a twice-weekly food distribution. Wilkinson estimates that 120,000 meals are served a year. Its really important to understand the magnitude of food insecurity in Chester, she said. We are not the only pantry in Chester, but we are one of the largest. Every one of us is serving a segment of the population that is food insecure. La Comunidad Hispana, which has three locations in Chester County, specializes in providing health care to those who cannot afford health insurance. It received a $50,000 grant. It helped us significantly, said Mariana Izraelson, executive director of La Comunidad Hispana. COVID has drastically impacted our services, and the funding has supported us in a difficult time because we werent prepared to absorb the extra costs. She said her organization has had $98,000 in COVID-related expenses, such as purchasing of PPE, cleaning the facilities twice a day, and hiring more staffing to fulfill needs. Another beneficiary was the Childrens Crisis Treatment Center, which received a $40,000 grant. Based in Philadelphia, CCTC provides mental and behavioral health services to the most vulnerable children and families living in the region. Executive director Tony Valdes said that in any given week during this pandemic, CCTC helps 2,400 families. The grant it received from the PHL COVID-19 Fund allowed CCTC to transition to virtual visits between its providers and clients. It helped us make sure we stayed connected with families, especially in a time when they needed even more help than usual due to COVID, Valdes said. Pulling off this project in a relatively short period of time was the true essence of teamwork throughout the Philadelphia region, said Ramos. The region didnt hesitate to come together, he said. There was a real public spirit, and it was remarkable to see so many factions that worked and do what was needed to get done. The Inquirer is owned by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, which operates under the auspices of the Philadelphia Foundation. For more information on the PHL COVID-19 Fund, visit phlcovid19fund.org. The Albuquerque-Based Company Handles Billing and Coding for Primary Care Physicians as Well as A Number of Medical Specialties ALBUQUERQUE, NM / ACCESSWIRE / July 13, 2020 / Scott Wood, CEO and President of Mednet Medical Billing and Coding in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is pleased to announce that his company is about to celebrate a very impressive milestone: 35 years in business. To learn more about Mednet and the medical coding and billing services that they offer, please visit https://www.mednetinc.com/about. As Wood noted, he launched Mednet back in 1985, literally from a bedroom in his house. Wood, who had a great deal of expertise in medical billing from his previous job, knew how to process claims and was eager to start processing claims electronically. Wood hired a programmer who he had worked with previously and they designed a program that focused on electronic claims. The idea took off, and over the last 35 years Mednet has continued to evolve and grow. Today, Mednet handles end to end medical billing and coding for a wide range of medical industries. "We work with primary care doctors, but then we also handle all specialists, such as dermatology, podiatry, rheumatology and anything that's a specialty," Wood said. "We've just adapted over the years about what we need to know do to the different specialties. It all has to do with coding and how to code those different services and then how to work with the different insurance companies about what they expect." Staying on top of the changes in medical insurance billing is one of the key reasons that Mednet has experienced substantial growth over the last three-plus decades. Wood's devotion to making sure that his company delivers great results has also definitely factored into Mednet's success. "We have to have great results. Not good results, great results," Wood said, adding that this means that Mednet has very few denials of claims. If a claim is ever denied, Wood said, he and his team will do whatever it takes to get them paid. Story continues "As a result, our clients' accounts receivable is always very low, because we don't let denials go and we keep getting the claim processed until he pays, and we know how to do that." About Mednet: Mednet is an industry leader in Revenue Cycle Management with over 35 years in business. They provide end to end medical billing and coding solutions for medical practices in the Southwest Region of the US. For more information, please visit https://www.mednetinc.com/. Mednet 7801 Academy Rd NE, Suite 2-102 Albuquerque, NM 87109 Contact: Scott Wood scott.wood@mednetinc.com (505) 341-0070 SOURCE: Mednet Medical Billing and Coding View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/596895/Mednet-Medical-Billing-and-Coding-Celebrates-35-Years-in-Business Hollywood is currently mourning the loss of one of its great talents, actor Kelly Preston. The Jerry Maguire star passed away on July 12, 2020, following a two-year battle with breast cancer. She was 57 years old. Preston is survived by her husband of almost 30 years, John Travolta, and their children, whom the Grease actor says she adored. John Travolta and Kelly Preston | Tony Barson/FilmMagic John Travolta and Kelly Preston have three children together For years, one of Hollywoods most prominent couples was John Travolta and Kelly Preston. The duo happily tied the knot in Septemeber 1991 in Paris, just nine months after Travolta proposed at the Palace Hotel restaurant in Gstaad, Switzerland, with a six-carat yellow-and-white diamond ring. When they exchanged nuptials, Preston was two months pregnant with their first child. In April 1992, they welcomed their son, Jett. Just eight years later, the actors welcomed their daughter, Ella. And in 2010, Travolta and Prestons youngest son, Benjamin, arrived. Their oldest son, Jett, sadly passed away in 2009 In January 2009, the Travolta family suffered an incredible loss when Jett passed away while vacationing in the Bahamas with his loved ones. According to reports, Jett suffered a seizure inside the familys vacation home and was declared dead at Rand Memorial Hospital, after a caretaker found him unconscious in the bathroom. A few years later, the Saturday Night Fever actor opened up about his sons death, calling it the worst thing thats ever happened in my life in a 2014 interview with the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London, via BBC. John Travolta, Kelly Preston, and their children Jett and Ella | Rogers and Cowan via Getty Images RELATED: How John Travolta Confused Taylor Swift With Drag Queen Jade Jolie at VMAs 2019 The truth is, I didnt know if I was going to make it, Travolta said. Life was no longer interesting to me, so it took a lot to get me better. Preston had also opened up about the overwhelming pain that comes with losing a child but offered a message of hope to other parents whove experienced the same thing. Nobody should have to lose a child. Its unfathomable, the actress said in a 2012 interview with Lifetime, via HuffPost. But Im here to say that you can get through it. You can live again. You can want to live again. Though Jetts passing was hard for the entire family to cope with, Travolta revealed in a 2016 interview with Good Morning America that his youngest son, Benjamin, helped everyone heal. We certainly have bonded together, the actor said. Certainly having little Ben has been a beautiful kind of glue for us to rebond after a tremendous loss. The Travolta family is mourning another tragic loss Eleven years after the Travolta family lost Jett, they are again suffering tremendous heartbreak following Prestons death. On July 12, 2020, the Grease actor confirmed on Instagram that his wife of 28 years had passed away following an ongoing battle with breast cancer. Travolta shared a sweet photo of Preston on his feed along with the caption, It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer. She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many. Shortly after the actor shared the news of Prestons passing, their daughter, Ella, took to Instagram to post a heartbreaking tribute to her mother. John Travolta, Kelly Preston, and their kids | Gisela Schober/Getty Images RELATED: Celebrities Who Are Scientologys Fiercest Defenders I have never met anyone as courageous, strong, beautiful and loving as you, the Old Dogs actress wrote. Anyone who is lucky enough to have known you or to have ever been in your presence will agree that you have a glow and a light that never ceases to shine and that makes anyone around you feel instantly happy. She concluded, Thank you for being there for me no matter what. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your help and thank you for making this world a better place. You have made life so beautiful and I know you will continue to do so always. I love you so much mama. Cigarette sales plunged by roughly 20 million a month after plain packaging rules and harsher taxes were brought in three years ago, a study has found. Sales were falling by around 12 million a month before the restrictions implemented in May 2017, according to the Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG), based at the University of Bath. But after Britain became the second country in the world to bring in plain packaging laws, following Australia's lead, the drop in sales accelerated, The Guardian reported. Professor Anna Gilmore, Director of the TCRG, said: 'The underlying rate of decline in tobacco sales almost doubled after these policies were implemented.' Monthly sales had been nearly 3.29 billion individual cigarettes in May 2015, but in April 2018 they had fallen to 3.16 billion. Cigarette sales plunged by roughly 20 million a month after plain packaging rules and harsher taxes were brought in three years ago, a study found (stock image) The study was funded by Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation, and published in the British Medical Journal publication Tobacco Control on Monday. It found that net revenue for the tobacco industry had dropped by 13 per cent from 231million to 198million a month after the stricter policies were implemented. There had been suggestions that bringing in the tougher measures would mean an increase in the sale of smuggled cigarettes, but HM Revenue & Customs reported no increase over the period, the TCRG study said. Professor Gilmore added: 'Governments around the world considering plain packaging can be reassured that this policy works and that the real reason the industry opposes this legislation so vehemently is because it threatens its profitability. 'With coronavirus already posing a threat to tobacco company sales and plain packaging of tobacco taking off in other jurisdictions, our findings are more bad news for tobacco companies.' The study also found that smokers were moving towards cheaper brands because the packaging was no longer being used to differentiate them. Study lead Dr Rosemary Hiscock said that the tobacco industry had been using packaging to signal the difference between premium and less expensive brands 'for many years'. The director of smokers' lobby group Forest, Simon Clark, said that Office for National Statistics figures show that the smoking rate fell 'significantly more' in the years before the measures were brought in than in the period since. The study found that net revenue for the tobacco industry had dropped by 13 per cent from 231million to 198million a month after the stricter policies were implemented Mr Clark said that 'grandstanding policies' like plain packaging have 'minimal impact' because the product is what matters, not the packaging. The study comes as menthol cigarettes were banned in the United Kingdom last month as part of a European Union drive to discourage young people from taking up smoking. The prohibition which also makes flavoured rolling tobacco and 'skinny' cigarettes outlawed came into effect on May 20, 2020. Experts think that flavoured cigarettes make smoking more appealing to non-smokers because they relax the airways and lower the severity of the smoke. The ban comes from the EU's new Tobacco Product Directive laws, which prohibit all menthol cigarettes. The rules will still apply to Britain during the Brexit transition period, as the instruction was implemented into UK law in 2016. Superintendent of Schools Jeff Solan will remain at the helm of the Cheshire School District for the next three years, according to the terms of a renegotiated contract Solan and the Board of Education at the end of June. The Board, coming out of a closed-door executive session during a special meeting June 29, voted to enter into the new contract, effective as of July 1. The agreement ends on June 30, 2023. Solan had previously been working under a three-year pact that was negotiated in 2019 and would have ended June 30, 2022. Under the terms of the new contract, Solan will receive a base salary of $195,520, an $11,200 increase over his previous base salary of $184,320. The total compensation package is similar to Solan's most recent contract. Under the terms of past agreements, Solan had been receiving a tuition reimbursement of $10,200 to cover most of the expenses related to his pursuit of a doctorate in education leadership from Southern Connecticut State University. Solan, who had completed the program's academic coursework and successfully defended his dissertation, earned that degree in May. Several board members described the newly negotiated salary as a rollover of the tuition reimbursement into his base salary. The contract does not include annual pay increases. However, it does include a provision stating any adjustment regarding salary can be made in the form of an amendment to the signed contract. It also includes a provision allowing for additional compensation related to performance, which shall be linked, in part, to specific goals and objectives of the District for the year in question which shall be agreed to by the Superintendent and the Board. Republican Board members Faith Ham and Adam Grippo voted against the motions to enter into a new contract and to adjust Solan's base compensation. Neither said their objections reflected their views of Solan's performance. Ham said she would like to see the Board adopt what she referred to as a clean contract, in which we have defined terms in that contract. Ham said neither of her votes were meant as slights against the superintendent. Ham said she thinks Solan is worthy of a raise. It's just a really bad time, Ham said, explaining increased unemployment and other economic uncertainty had factored into her vote. Grippo said he was also philosophically opposed to the contract. At the same time, he offered praise for the superintendent. It's been an incredibly challenging year and Jeff has risen to the occasion, Grippo said during the June 29 meeting. Board chairman Tony Perugini, a fellow Republican, voted against the pay increase, but supported the motion to enter into a new contract. He also cited the economic uncertainty stemming from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, Perugini spoke positively of Solans performance, particularly during the Districts transition from in-person to remote instruction, which he said was handled well. It was not 100% perfect but by and large feedback from the community was incredibly positive, Perugini wrote in an email to the Record-Journal. We also learned some do's and don'ts from the process that, I think, can help shape future options with how we deliver education. Perugini said the Districts communication with families during distance learning was both frequent and meaningful, an improvement over previous years. Anne Harrigan, a Democrat, voted in favor of the contract extension and salary. I want to send a clear message that I am in favor of Dr. Solan staying on and doing his good work, Harrigan said prior to the vote. Republican board members Tim White and Andrew Martelli, along with Democrat Kathryn Hallen also supported the new contract. White noted the District's overall strong academic performance, especially compared to similar school districts. Our academics are strong, White said, during the Board's discussions. I want the superintendent to be focused on reopening and I want the superintendent to feel appreciated. Money is part of it. According to a superintendent evaluation form Solan had provided to the Board, he listed goals to improve students' complex thinking, increase teaching practices that emphasize students' social emotional learning and further develop the District's math and science curricula. He also included statements and charts showing the District's progress in boosting student achievement over the previous three school years. During the Board meeting, Hallen cited the District's strong overall academic performance in supporting a new contract and compensation. We are a top performing District in the state of Connecticut. That's not a mistake. That's not luck that's from the top down, Hallen said, adding Solan has a laserlike focus she said permeates the School District.... we are getting great results from that to me. Earlier this month, when Mekong Deltas farmers were harvesting the 2020 summer-autumn crop, rains and storms affected rice quality and caused the market price to fluctuate. Meanwhile, the Philippines recently stated it has cancelled the plan to import 300,000 tons of rice under the G2G (government to government) mode that it opened for bidding on June 8, in which Vietnam won the bid of providing 60,000 tons. According to AgroMonitors July 1 updates, merchants are collecting rice but sales have been going slowly. There are few buyers and transactions in the market as the rice price is on the decrease. Filipino businessmen are reported as seeking to buy summer-autumn 5 percent broken rice OM 5451, but they are offer ing low prices. Therefore, Vietnams exporters still cannot close the deals. While merchants hesitate to collect rice for fear that the price will continue decreasing, farmers are resolved not to sell rice at low prices. Rice prices of different kinds are stable. Earlier this month, when Mekong Deltas farmers were harvesting the 2020 summer-autumn crop, rains and storms affected rice quality and caused the market price to fluctuate. AgroMonitor reported that Vietnamese exporters offered rice at $420 per ton, but Filipino businesses only accepted a price of $410-412 per ton. A rice exporter in HCM City affirmed that demand still exists, especially from Filipino businesses, but they still are trying to force the prices down. Five percent broken rice OM 5451 has cost price of $430 per ton, but importers want to buy at $405 per ton. Therefore, large exporters including Quoc Te Gia, Intimex, Kigimex, Thuan Minh and Hieu Nhan, have not signed new contracts, but are gathering strength to fulfill contracts they signed before. Analysts cited two reasons causing the rice prices to go down. The first relates to the Philippines decision to stop pursuing the plan to import 300,000 tons of rice under G2G mode. Second, buyers know that Vietnamese are harvesting the summer-autumn crop, so they are not making purchases and are listening to the news. Once the supply is plentiful, the prices will go down. The problem is that many farmers sell fresh rice at their fields, so they have to sell rice at any price and cannot wait for prices to increase. The structure of Vietnams rice exports has changed a lot recently. In the past, low-quality rice accounted for 40-50 percent of total exports, but the proportion of high-quality rice has increased in the last two years. Mai Lan VN develops new rice variety for flood and drought-prone areas New rice seed variety which is capable of adapting to climate change has been planted in flood and drought-prone regions in north and south central provinces. Turkey and the European Union clashed on Monday over Ankara's decision to change the status of Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque and its continued energy exploration in disputed Mediterranean waters. After their their first face-to-face meeting in months, the 27 EU foreign ministers said that they condemned the Turkish decision to convert such an emblematic monument as the Hagia Sophia," EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said. "This decision will inevitably fuel the mistrust, promote renewed division between religious communities and undermine our efforts at dialog and cooperation," he said after the meeting of EU foreign ministers. He said there was broad support to call on the Turkish authorities to urgently consider and reverse this decision." Hagia Sophia was originally built in Istanbul as a Christian cathedral, and the pope and others have expressed their sadness and criticism of the move by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said Monday that the EU was "faced with a challenge and insult" meted out by Erdogan. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu hit back and rejected international intervention concerning its decision to convert Hagia Sophia back into a mosque. "Hagia Sophia was left as a legacy as a mosque and must be used as a mosque," Cavusoglu told state broadcaster TRT. "We strongly reject comments that amount to an intervention in Turkey's sovereign rights." Borrell was in Turkey last week where he also discussed Ankara's disputes with Greece and Cyprus over energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean region. Turkey has dispatched warship-escorted vessels to drill for gas in an area where Cyprus insists it has exclusive rights. The Turkish government has said it's acting to protect its interests in the area's natural resources and those of Turkish Cypriots. Petsas said that Turkish drilling was blatantly contrary to international obligations and international law" and said that Greece would be looking to prepare a list for possible "political, diplomatic and financial" sanctions. Again, Cavusoglu stood firm. "If Greece were to turn away from its maximalist ways and agree to a fair sharing (of rights), and if it were to convince Cyprus to a fair sharing of revenues (from the exploration of natural resources), then 80% of our problems would solved," Cavusoglu said. Borrell said there were no immediate decisions at Monday's meeting but that the ministers would revisit the issue at their next meeting in Berlin in August. Even as the rift between both sides was deepening, the 27 EU ministers couldn't get that close among themselves either. It was their first in-person meeting since the coronavirus lockdown set in, but because of social distancing rules, there was only room for lots of elbow bumping for a greeting and little reading of lips, since ministers were wearing masks around the meeting table. Students make their way in business thanks to well-connected Coleg Cambria programme This article is old - Published: Monday, Jul 13th, 2020 Students are making their way in business thanks to a well-connected college programme. Learners on the Level 3 Business course at Coleg Cambria have been securing apprenticeships and jobs in key sectors. Among those to pursue her dream career is Robyn Durham, who is currently studying for a Higher Apprenticeship with Airbus. Based at Cambrias 3.5m Business School in Northop, Robyn said the range of modules gave her the skills needed to apply for jobs in industry. The Level 3 qualification boosted my confidence in applying for jobs, said Robyn. The Recruitment and Selection module helped me when writing an effective CV and allowed me to practice my interviewee skills, which I felt helped in my apprenticeship interview. In addition to this, the Finance module helped me to develop my money management skills, and I now understand the different types of investment, and the importance of managing credit. Ultimately, I feel studying Business at Northop has helped me gain knowledge I will use in everyday life. Those words were echoed by Stacey Adams, who had always enjoyed a keen interest in business and entrepreneurship. She is now taking a degree in Business, also at Northop, having completed a Level 3 in Business Administration and a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Business. The course gave me a strong overarching knowledge in business and made me familiar with various models and theories, said Stacey. After achieving a triple-distinction I felt ready to go on to the new BSc Applied Business Management Degree that Coleg Cambria were offering alongside Swansea University. The Diploma in business gave me a head start in the degree, and many of the topics I felt confident in completing as there are similar themes, so I could add to my existing knowledge. Even in the third year I was still using the skills and knowledge I learnt at Cambria. Earlier this year, the college revealed how its new-look Business Support Services qualification was meeting demand in the fields of administration and event management. Suzanne Barnes, Deputy Director for Business, Business Support Services, Sport and Uniformed Public Services, said: Our courses are tailored to the needs of business and industry, so students are job-ready with the relevant skills when they go on to pursue their chosen career. Most importantly, we listen to our learners and our partners out there in the commercial world, so these qualifications remain at the forefront of advances in their sectors, and can be adapted to serve todays modern ways of working, which will be vital as we move forward, particularly in the light of past months. For more information on studying Business at Coleg Cambria, visit www.cambria.ac.uk Investigators charge Krasnoyarsk businessman accused of murders with gang leading RAPSI, Eugeny Varlamov 11:36 13/07/2020 MOSCOW, July 13 (RAPSI) Investigators additionally charged Krasnoyarsk businessman Anatoly Bykov accused of murders with building and leading a criminal organization, the press service of Russias Investigative Committee reported Monday. According to the investigation, from 1993 to 1995, Bykov in order to become a leader in the regional criminal field, control activities of criminal groups and deriving financial profit lined up organized gangs behind him. Then he coordinated criminal activities of organized criminal organizations to commit grave crimes including murders of criminal lords, the statement reads. In May, Bykov was placed in detention on double homicide charges. According to the Russian Investigative Committee, in the first half of 1994, Alexander Naumov, the 23-year old member of a criminal group headed by Bykov, had a conflict with the gang leader because of unjust, according to him, dividing of the joint criminal income. Later, Bykovs car was exploded. The businessman suspected Naumov and his friend Kirill Voytenko of the blast organization and decided to kill them. He ordered his acquaintance Vladimir Tatarenkov to organize the murder; the latter in turn involved his gang members in the crime. On July 24, 1994, Naumov and Voytenko were shot dead, investigators claimed. One of the killers Sergey Bakurov was sentenced to life. Another one is on a wanted list. Tatarenkov was sentenced to 13 years in prison, the Investigative Committees statement read. Investigators claim that many witnesses confirmed that Bykov had business relations with Naumov and a conflict after which the latter was afraid of his life and began wearing body armour. Three witnesses said that Bykov was a mastermind of the murder. They added that failed to give testimony 26 years ago as they hoped that Bykov would provide assistance to them, according to the Investigative Committee. He debuted a series of new face tattoos last month. And Tommy Lee showed off his new body art while out shopping in Calabasas on Sunday. The former Motley Crue rocker pulled down his black face mask to enjoy a cigarette. Quick break: Tommy Lee showed off his new body art while out shopping in Calabasas on Sunday The 57-year-old looked casual on his day out as he donned a plain white tee and black sweats and white slippers with a grey bandana around his forehead. He added to his look with translucent brown sunglasses, bracelets and a few necklaces. While he has long had full arms sleeves of tattoos he recently debuted face tattoos on Instagram. His look: The 57-year-old looked casual on his day out as he donned a plain white tee and black sweats and white slippers with a grey bandana around his forehead Smoke break: The former Motley Crue rocker pulled down his black face mask to enjoy a cigarette On the right side of his face, down his cheek, he got inked with large Chinese characters. And on his left side, from above his eyebrow, down to his cheek bone, he got a line of stars that led to more stars, a heart and a music note. He shared the new ink on Instagram in June, and commented that the work was done by tattoo artist Maria Barth. The rocker has recently become TikTok's most unlikely new star. New ink: On the right side of his face, down his cheek, he got inked with large Chinese characters, he showed them off on Instagram in June Both sides: And on his left side, from above his eyebrow, down to his cheek bone, he got a line of stars that led to more stars, a heart and a music note And Tommy has admitted he's now 'actually having fun being silly' on the popular social media platform after initially being 'dragged onto it' by wife Brittany Furlan, 33. In an interview with Today Extra in June, the former Motley Crue rocker - who is promoting his new album 'Andro' - explained: 'It's all my wife's fault because she has millions of followers on there. She's always doing crazy stuff!' TikTok has become the latest social media craze thanks to its viral dance challenges and comedy skits. 'Fun and silly!'In an interview with Today Extra in June, the former Motley Crue rocker - who is promoting his new album 'Andro' - explained: 'It's all my wife's fault because she has millions of followers on there. She's always doing crazy stuff!' 'At first I thought "No, this is silly". But then it is all my wife's fault because she has millions and millions of followers on there. And she's a comedian and what have you. She is always doing crazy stuff!' Tommy elaborated further: 'For some reason she dragged me into it. At first I was kind of like "I don't know about all this. I am not that kind of guy." Now I am actually having fun with it!' Tommy and Brittany began dating in 2017, became engaged in February of 2018, and married in February of this year. He was married to Pamela Anderson from 1995-1998. They share sons Brandon, 23, and Dylan, 21. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 13) - The countrys anti-graft court closed its office today after two employees tested positive for COVID-19. In a memorandum signed by Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje Tang, the Sandiganbayan En Banc held an emergency meeting on July 12 and decided to close the court for the meantime. This step is necessary to enable the Sandiganbayan to conduct an immediate and thorough disinfection of its entire building and to conduct contact tracing/monitoring of the health of the Courts employees, read the memorandum. However, all Justices, officials, and employees will continue their duties under alternative work arrangements. The public may still contact Sandiganbayan through its hotline or email address. In this handout provided by the U.S. Navy, The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) (L) and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) conduct dual aircraft carrier strike group operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. (Photo by Specialist 3rd Class Jake Greenberg/U.S. Navy via Getty Images) By Jennifer Jacobs The Trump administration plans to make an announcement next week related to escalating tensions in the South China Sea, where Washington and Beijing are vying for military supremacy, according to two people familiar with the matter. The U.S. has raised concerns over Chinas decision to conduct military exercises in the contested waters around the Paracel Islands. The Defense Department last week called the actions unlawful, and the U.S. plans to lay out its official position next week, said one of the people who spoke on condition of anonymity. The unspecified move comes as President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of Beijing over issues from the coronavirus pandemic to trade. A spokesperson for the National Security Council didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Graphic on contested claims in the South China Sea. (Source: AFP News) Stretching from China in the north to Indonesia in the south, the South China Sea encompasses 1.4 million square miles (3.6 million square kilometers). China claims more than 80% of the South China Sea and backs up its claim with a 1947 map that shows vague dashes -- what became known as the nine-dash line. Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan claim parts of the same maritime area. Beijing has rejected claims that its doing anything out of the ordinary in the South China Sea and has indirectly accused the U.S. of trying to sow discord between China and Southeast Asian nations. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. When Trina Muhammad tested negative for coronavirus, she went home and hugged her grandbaby all day. The Beaumont Transit Co. bus driver had been attempting to take whatever precautions she could to keep from potentially infecting others in her household. Those included social distancing from her family and stripping down to an undershirt before going into the house after work. She and her transit co-workers live knowing they could catch coronavirus at any time while doing their job. Every day, our 14 days start over, Muhammad said, referring to the recommended quarantine period. She and local union vice president and fellow employee Amanda Haynes nearly two months ago stood before the Beaumont City Council, sharing their stories and imploring the elected body to give city bus drivers more resources to keep buses clean and drivers protected. Related: Beaumont Transit to get $6.3M from CARES Act At the time, the city had confirmed just a few more than 300 cases of COVID-19 and the average number of cases confirmed each day seemed to be holding steady if not going down. But now, nearly two weeks after the first transit employee tested positive, three more have been confirmed to have the virus. The citys overall caseload is rising ever higher. Last week, Haynes said, two employees who tested positive were in the hospital, one was at home with no symptoms and another was at home with symptoms of coronavirus and pneumonia. Haynes herself tested negative, but recently she became sick with symptoms that resemble coronavirus. She said shes feeling better, but she continues to pray for healing for everyone suffering with the virus and protection for those who have not contracted it. Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox The money to test every transit employee after the first positive case late last month came from part of the some $6 million given to the city of Beaumont through the CARES Act. The city also recently hired six additional employees to perform daily, deep cleaning of Beaumont buses, said city Planning and Community Development Director Chris Boone. Thats in addition to action taken closer to the beginning of the pandemic, including eliminating fares to separate passengers from drivers; providing face coverings, hand sanitizer and vehicle cleaning materials to drivers and staff; and sending Beaumont Transit additional safety guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Transit Administration and the citys own Public Health Department. Its unclear what else the city can do at this time, Boone said, as transit is operated by a private company. The city holds the contract with the company and subsidizes the program, but bus drivers and other staff arent city employees. The sometimes-challenging relationship is the result of a clash between state and federal laws regarding which government employees can unionize and what action the city can take as a result. Related: Beaumont sets another single-day coronavirus record Especially in situations like we find ourselves today, its particularly complicated, Boone said. Beaumont Transit owner and operator Bill Munson could not be reached for comment. Haynes said shes waiting to make any additional comments until she gets more information about transit employees test results. For the immediate future, it seems business will continue as normal as it can. Were scared, but we have a job to do, Muhammad said. Kaitlin Bain is the Government Reporter for the Beaumont Enterprise. Contact her at Kaitlin.Bain@BeaumontEnterprise.com or on Twitter by clicking here. Don't miss a thing: Sign up for our Daily Headlines newsletter. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ministry of Local Governance and Rural Development (MLGRD) have launched the pilot support to women Famer-Based Organizations (WFBOs) with support from the Global Affairs Canadas (GAC) Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana (MAG) that are engaged in post-production agricultural operations in Ghana. The MOU was signed at the Upper West Regional conference hall. The total grant received by the four WFBO is about GHS100,000. This is part of some GHS2.5 million support from the High Commission of Canada in Ghana to the government of Ghana towards the progress of Ghanaian women in agribusiness. The grant received by Caring Volunteers Network will enable the FBO to buy equipment that will add value to the groundnuts produced at the local level for foreign and local markets. Three other WFBOs present at the ceremony were Suntaa-Nuntaa women group from the Wa West District, Nginna Women Group from Kojo-Kperi in DBI District and Inye Women group from Lawra Zambo also received the grant from MAG. Adisa Abubakari, the chairperson of Nginna Women Group, spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries and thanked the Ministry of Agriculture and the Global Affairs Canada for the timely support as the grant will help them increase their production levels and adding value to their raw materials. We used to process our groundnuts manually with our hands and it was difficult and time-consuming which was making our yields very low and with the intervention of MAG, it will help us add value to the groundnuts which will increase our incomes and reduce the time spent on the processing, she said. This support from the Global Affairs Canadas (GAC) Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana (MAG) program aims to strengthen the capacities of the WFBOs to make their products more competitive and attractive for local and export markets. According to the Canada High Commission, the support is in line with its Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), which seeks to empower women to eradicate poverty and build a more peaceful, more inclusive, and more prosperous world. WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Donald Trump to think twice Monday before imposing new tariffs on Canadian aluminum, saying the sector is emerging from the pandemic-induced production stance that prompted the White House to consider such measures in the first place. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/7/2020 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Aluminum in a smelter is seen at the Alouette aluminum plant on May 21, 2019 in Sept-Iles, Que. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says as the North American economy gets back up to speed, Canada's aluminum production is returning to normal, negating the argument for American tariffs on imports from north of the border. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Donald Trump to think twice Monday before imposing new tariffs on Canadian aluminum, saying the sector is emerging from the pandemic-induced production stance that prompted the White House to consider such measures in the first place. Trudeau, who said in a news conference he had spoken to the U.S. president earlier in the day, told him that with the North American economy getting back up to speed, Canada's aluminum smelters would soon be back producing value-added specialty products for the American auto sector. The spectre of new tariffs emerged last month after Canadian producers, unable to shut down production and with their usual customers hamstrung by the impact of COVID-19, were forced to make a more generic form of aluminum and ship it to warehouses in the United States. That alarmed certain U.S. smelter owners and operators, who have been urging the U.S. trade representative's office to slap fresh levies on imports from Canada. The pandemic "caused certain disruption in the aluminum sector that is starting to realign itself, given the economies are starting up again and manufacturing is getting going," Trudeau said after his call with Trump. "I impressed upon him that it would be a shame to see tariffs come in between our two countries at a time where we're celebrating NAFTA and at a time where we want our businesses and our manufacturers to get going as quickly as possible." Canada has been on the outside looking in when it comes to the coming into force of NAFTA's successor, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which took shape in 2017 and 2018 before a backdrop of steadily worsening relations between Trump and Trudeau. While Trump welcomed Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to a celebratory event at the White House last week, Trudeau kept his distance, citing the tariff dispute and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic among his reasons. A readout from Monday's call said the prime minister "expressed regret" for being unable to attend. The U.S. trade representative reportedly gave Canada a deadline of July 1 to impose export restrictions the very day the USMCA took effect. That deadline has come and gone without a hint from either the White House or U.S. trade ambassador Robert Lighthizer about what happens next. Trudeau said he and Trump also discussed the Canada-U.S. border, where non-essential travel has been curtailed since March in an effort to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. The 30-day bilateral agreement to limit discretionary cross-border travel without restricting trade or essential workers has been extended three times and is now set to expire July 21. Since the last extension, however, the public health crisis in the U.S. has exploded. More than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases were identified over the weekend, particularly in southern states that reopened early, with Florida emerging as the new epicentre. Canada has had 108,000 confirmed cases in total, compared with more than 3.3 million cases and 135,000 deaths in the U.S. to date. Hospitals in major urban centres across the United States are again nearing capacity and health care workers face another critical shortage of personal protective equipment like masks and respirators. Recent polls suggest Canadians remain unequivocally opposed to reopening the border any time soon a predictable symptom of the accelerating crisis in the U.S., said Kathryn Friedman, a University at Buffalo law professor and Wilson Center global fellow. But there could be other lingering foreign-policy irritants at play, she added. "I wonder if the United States had treated our dear neighbour, friend and ally a little bit better over the last three-and-a-half or so years, if the reaction would be as harsh," Friedman said. "Maybe people are just like, 'Well, too bad, I don't care if you want to open the border.'" Friedman is among several Canada-U.S. experts, border community leaders, northern state lawmakers and others who want to see a plan for when the time comes to lift the restrictions. "I think we have to have this conversation," she said. "I think we have to engage the right people now, so that when the border restrictions are eased, whenever that's going to be, they are done so responsibly." It's less a question of when and more a question of how, Friedman said what sort of controls, testing and screening measures and other tools will need to be in place even after the emergency has passed. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "I'm more concerned that the climate will change, and some relevant government officials won't have given any thought to how this border opening is going to take place," she said. "We have to get our act together and really think more clearly about how we're going to handle these kinds of situations in the future, and really use science-based data an evidence-based, science-based approach to health screenings when it comes to border restrictions and border policies." Trudeau demurred Monday when asked whether this time, Canada and the U.S. might negotiate a closure that lasts longer than the standard 30-day window. "We will be discussing with our American partners what the next steps should be, and I think this is a situation that is evolving rapidly and we need to keep responding to the situation on the ground." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2020. Follow James McCarten on Twitter @CdnPressStyle Education technology start-up Unacademy is in talks to raise fresh round of funding from Japanese investment giant SoftBank. SoftBank, that owns stakes in many technology, energy, and financial companies, is planning to lead an investment of $150-200 million in Unacademy, valuing the company at $1.2 billion pre-money, according to a Moneycontrol report. The Facebook-backed start-up is eyeing to enter the coveted unicorn club with the investment from SoftBank. Unacademy's rival Byju's, owned by Think and Learn Pvt Ltd, is the only other education tech start-up among India's unicorns with a valuation of over $1 billion. "Investors are seeing Unacademy as the next big thing after Byju's, and it has the potential to build a large outcome. Test preparation for competitive exams is a large market and during this pandemic, ed-tech is one of the few sectors investors can bet on," the business news portal quoted a person close to the company as saying. Also Read: Byju's raises $200 million, becomes India's third most valued unicorn As per the report, Unacademy is expected to close the transaction in the next few weeks, and although other late-stage technology funds are interested and vying for a stake, SoftBank is the frontrunner to secure the deal. The existing investors may also participate in the round, it said. Also Read: Facebook-backed Unacademy eyes unicorn club; in talks to raise $100-150 million The fresh funding bid comes less than five months after Unacademy raised $110 million in a financing round spearheaded by Facebook and New York-headquartered private equity firm General Atlantic, which are the existing investors in the online platform. Unacademy boasts of the likes of Blume Ventures, Nexus Venture Partners, Steadview Capital, Sequoia Capital, Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy, and co-founder of B2B e-commerce platform Udaan Sujeet Kumar among its list of investors. Also Read: Unacademy invites educational institutions to conduct classes for free In June 2019, it had raised $50 million in a Series D round of funding led by hedge fund Steadview Capital, along with some existing investors. The five-year-old start-up, run by Sorting Hat Technologies Pvt. Ltd, was founded by Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini and Hemesh Singh. It reportedly posted a net loss of Rs 90 crore against total revenue of Rs 11.6 crore in FY19. By Chitranjan Kumar By Geoffrey Smith Investing.com -- Crude oil prices drifted lower on Monday despite a broadly positive tone to other risk assets such as equities and base metals, amid signs that the 'OPEC+' group of oil exporters is set to increase supply to the world market after a couple of months of extraordinary restraint. By 9:15 AM ET (1315 GMT), U.S. crude futures were down 0.5% at $40.33 a barrel. However, that was well off an earlier intraday low of $39.66. The international benchmark Brent was down 0.5% at $43.02 a barrel. Prices had weakened overnight after newswire reports citing officials close to the bloc as saying that the likely outcome of a technical monitoring meeting later this week will be for the group to keep to its pre-announced plan of restoring 2 million barrels a day of oil supply from the start of August. That's a little over 20% of what the group pulled from world markets in a desperate effort to support prices as demand collapsed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. From Aug. 1, it's intended that the amount of OPEC+ supply cuts should taper from 9.7 million barrels a day to 7.7 million b/d. The bounce in prices came after newswires reported unnamed Saudi officials as saying that the increase in production wouldn't translate 1-for-1 into an increase in world exports, noting that the Desert Kingdom first intended to restore domestic consumption - meaning that it won't be dumping all of its extra output into the seaborne market. OPEC and its allies are treading a fine line. The planned increase will come in the middle of what could be the most brutal earnings season in living memory, and what is certain to be a robust test of optimists' faith in a rapid recovery in both the economy and its demand for fuel. GasBuddy analyst Patrick de Haan tweeted earlier that the company's preliminary data suggested U.S. gasoline demand fell over 16% on the week through Friday - although a large part of that decline was due to Americans filling up ahead of the long holiday weekend a week earlier. Story continues However, the bloc can be reasonably confidence that the U.S. is hardly racing to produce more oil right now: The use of drilling rigs is at historic lows, the capital market has essentially closed to all but the strongest producers and a court order is effectively shutting in hundreds of thousands of barrels a day of output in the Bakken shale formation. Matt Gallagher, CEO of shale producer Parsley Energy (NYSE:PE), told the Financial Times in an interview on Monday that he didn't think U.S. output will ever return to its pre-pandemic highs. Related Articles Libya Halts Oil Exports Again and Blames the UAE for Blockade Brazil's offshore oil workers chilled by coronavirus outbreaks Exclusive: U.S. turns screws on maritime industry to cut off Venezuela's oil Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: This is our regular report on hedge funds and alternative asset managers who are successfully protecting assets and outperforming the markets during the first months of 2020. Biomedical companies continue to outperform Vista Point Capital's flagship biotech fund - Parallax Biomedical Fund was up 2% (est.) in June and is up 11.7% year to date through June 30th. The fund was also up in Q1 2020 and ended 2019 up 54.20% following strong activity in the sector. Biomedical companies have outperformed in recent months as the demand for covid-related solutions heats up alongside a growing demand for biomedical services overall. Biomedical companies like Moderna, for example, are working on a potential vaccine for Covid-19. The US government's Operation Warp Speed, which provides funding to fastrack the development of a coronavirus vaccine, provided a significant capital injection to a group of biomedical companies that could begin work on a coronavirus vaccine immediately. Most of that funding went to large-cap biomedical companies, but small-cap biomedical companies with products in the pipeline often become targets for acquisition by large-cap companies in this sector. Parallax makes investments in small-cap biotechnology and medical technology companies. The investment team is typically looking for companies that have later stage products in development or those that have low valuations with room to grow. The strategy takes advantage of the high barriers to entry for biomedical companies. The field is complex and inefficient which lead to dislocations in the stocks that can be beneficial for opportunistic traders. The fund runs a concentrated portfolio of 20-25 core positions and invests in both US and European companies. Vista Point is led by Marc Pentopolous. Pentopolous founded Katana Pharmaceuticals and has decades of experience in medical technology, drug development, and finance. He also led Emerging Growth Management's medical technology strategy. Marc Pentopolous will be a presenter in our fourth Corona Fighters webinar discussing the biomedical sector and other portfolio diversifiers. Registration is free. View prior reports: Report 54 Webinar: The Corona Fighters Episode 4 Meet five more asset managers who delivered during the meltdown. Time: Tuesday, July 21st, 10 am EST Details and registration: www.opalesque.com/webinar/ New eBook: The Corona Fighters COLLECTION - A Handbook for Investors 200+ funds that were up or protected assets in Q1 2020: A Compendium of Opalesque Corona Fighters Report #1 to Report #52 Download here: www.opalesque.com/ebook. *** Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. Opalesque has not verified this information and gives no warranty of accuracy or completeness. Past performance is not indicative of future results. See our Terms & Conditions for more information. *** WEBINARS: Meet 15 fund managers and learn how and why their strategies delivered positive returns and/or protected capital during the Corona led market meltdown! Each webinar lasts an hour and features five managers. "The whole Corona Fighters program has been extremely educational for me and a great opportunity to learn more about hedge funds and compare/contrast their approaches." (Single Family Office Principal) Video replays of Opalesque's past webinars can be found here: www.opalesque.com/webinar/#pastwebinar The National Democratic Congress COVID-19 technical team has called on the government to immediately shut down schools to prevent more students from contracting the coronavirus disease. In a statement, the COVID-19 technical team stated that cases were spreading among students in various schools across the country and called on the government to value the lives of the students by reversing the decision to reopen schools. According to media reports, thirteen final year students in senior high schools in the country have tested positive for the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Speaking at a press briefing in Accra last week, the Deputy Minister of Education, in charge of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, confirmed that six students at the Accra Girls Senior High School tested positive. In addition, a teacher at the school together with his wife had also tested positive for the COVID-19. Two other students from Odorgonor SHS equally tested positive for the disease in Accra. In the Ashanti Region, three students at the Konongo Wesley SHS had tested positive for the COVID-19. However, a statement signed by Chairman of the NDC COVID-19 technical team slammed the government for failing to heed to its earlier advice that reopening schools would have adverse effects for students and the country. The lives of Ghanaian students, teachers and non-teaching staff should be valued equally, and Government must take immediate steps to reverse its decision and to begin the process of returning students to their homes. This will necessarily include mass testing of students to ascertain their COVID-19 status before they are released to their parents, to minimize the risk of exporting cases from campuses to communities. NEW AND INCREASING INFECTION CASES FOLLOWING REOPENING OF SCHOOLS, ACCRA The NDC COVID-19 Technical Team offered recommendations to the government on the modalities for reopening schools in our last media statement dated 11/06/2020. The principal recommendation was for Government to reconsider the decision to return final year students of secondary and tertiary institutions to school to write their final year exams. This recommendation was made in light of the acceleration in new COVID-19 cases in the weeks preceding the reopening of schools, and on the basis of insights from the testing data that pointed to extensive community spread of the virus and self-evident challenges in managing the crisis. However, in anticipation of the governments obstinate insistence on this unwise course, our recommendations also included a number of clear proposals for minimizing the risk to students and teaching staff. This included mass testing of students returning to residential institutions; regular testing of teaching and non-teaching staff; communication of protocols for managing outbreaks on campus to parents and guardians; and ensuring that all schools have the necessary space and resources to isolate suspected cases. These practical steps were drawn from best practices in public health. Unfortunately, Government ignored these prudent risk-mitigation measures and proceeded to reopen schools. The inevitable consequences of this decision have manifested as infections among the student bodies at certain secondary institutions, and the isolation of suspected cases at others. The management of these situations has heightened anxiety among students, teachers and parents, and has given well-meaning Ghanaians serious cause for concern. The resulting mental stress on students is not conducive for preparing and sitting for exams, and parents are understandably agitated in their demand for the decision to reopen schools to be reconsidered. Kenya and Nigeria -acknowledging the public health risks -have already reversed similar decisions. Ghana should follow suit; extensive community spread, the failure to screen staff and students, and the mixing of students from various communities suggest the risk of infections in senior high schools is substantial. We also note with concern the decision of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) to enter secondary institutions to register final year students on campus. The ban on parental visits was meant to reduce the risk of importing cases onto these campuses. The presence of EC officials and political party representatives on campuses for such an exercise presents schools and their students with the same risk. This is an unacceptable additional risk in an already precarious situation, and given the current strain on the public health and medical systems. Government has deemed it prudent to close several of its own institutions following workplace infections, including the Supreme Court, BOST, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance and COCOBOD. The lives of Ghanaian students, teachers and non-teaching staff should be valued equally, and Government must take immediate steps to reverse its decision and to begin the process of returning students to their homes. This will necessarily include mass testing of students to ascertain their COVID-19 status before they are released to their parents, to minimize the risk of exporting cases from campuses to communities. It is also recommended - as has been done in Nigeria -that the final exams be postponed until such a time as our public health system is resourced and responsive enough to provide a safe environment for the students. Barring that, it will be necessary to explore digital solutions for the completion of the exams, bearing in mind and proactively accounting for the unequal access to internet services. We urge Government to act expeditiously in this matter, as it ultimately bears moral responsibility for any COVID-19 infections on campuses and for any adverse outcomes for Ghanaian students, their families and their teachers. Signed for and on behalf of the NDC COVID-19 Technical Team. Mahama shows support to govt officials who have contracted coronavirus Volume 100% Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 09:21:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Engineers from China and Tanzania talk about the construction scheme at the construction site of the project to upgrade the Dar es Salaam Port in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, July 8, 2020. Large vessels from across the world will soon be able to anchor in Tanzania's largest Dar es Salaam Port following upgrades undertaken by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). (Xinhua) DAR ES SALAAM, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Large vessels from across the world will soon be able to anchor in Tanzania's largest Dar es Salaam Port following upgrades undertaken by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). In July 2017, Tanzanian President John Magufuli officially launched the project to upgrade the east African nation's largest port, which mainly involves the upgrade of seven existing berths and the building of a new berth. The upgrade will enable large vessels with a load carrying capacity of up to 70,000 tonnes to dock at the port, while currently the port accommodates vessels with a capacity of under 30,000 tonnes, said Wallace Rugalema, a site engineer for CHEC, who has high expectations for the ongoing project. "The upgrade of the Dar es Salaam Port by the CHEC will definitely boost the port's handling capacity of cargo from across the world," said Rugalema, adding that the upgrade project also deepens the anchorage and strengthens the yard at the port. Feasibility report for the project shows that the port's cargo handling capacity will be increased to about 17.65 million tonnes per year upon completion of the upgrade, a 26-percent increase over the current capacity. Last year, Tanzanian Foreign Minister Palamagamba Kabudi said the expansion of the Dar es Salaam Port is a vivid example of Tanzania's participation in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, adding that the country is committed to unlocking the potential of interlinked production networks and value chains that are enshrined in the initiative. According to the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), the Dar es Salaam Port handles about 95 percent of the country's international trade and serves the neighboring landlocked countries like Malawi, Zambia, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda. The port is strategically placed to serve as a convenient freight linkage not only to and from East and Central African countries but also to the Middle and Far East, Europe, Australia and America, the TPA said. For Tanzanian workers on the project site, upgrading their country's largest part is an opportunity to update their own skills. Rugalema said that Tanzanian engineers and trainees working on the project benefit from the technical know-how provided by their Chinese colleagues. Edwine Christopher, the CHEC human resources officer, said that the project, 80 percent of which has been completed, provided jobs to 900 Tanzanians. Asked how the COVID-19 outbreak impacted the project, Christopher said that CHEC management observed all prevention and protection guidelines provided by health authorities to ensure employee safety. "The guidelines included hand washing, wearing of face masks and social distancing," said Christopher, adding that "luckily all employees are safe to date." New Delhi: Congress Vice-President Rahu Gandhi was detained at Mandir Marg Police Station for 'disruption of duty' after he wasn't allowed to enter RML hospital to meet ex-serviceman's family, said Delhi Police Special Commissioner MK Meena. 1.Grewals family members were beaten and dragged to police station, says Rahul Gandhi Several political parties, including Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), began their protests in Delhi hours after reports about the suicide of former serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal came to light on Wednesday. 2.Espionage row: 4 Pak high commission officials named by Mehmood Akhtar leave India Pakistan pulled out four of its high commission posted in New Delhi on Wednesday a week after one of its staffer was detained by the Delhi Police on espionage allegations. The two officials were identified and their photographs were being flashed by different TV news channels. 3. Jammu doctors save life of baby girl injured in Pak shelling along LoC Doctors at the Jammu Medical College managed to save the life of a 14-month-old girl injured in heavy shelling by Pakistani troops along the LoC. The girl named Pari had sustained life-threatening injuries on Wednesday when a mortar shell landed on her house in Rangur village in Samba sector while she was playing in the courtyard. 4. ISIS chief al-Baghdadi trapped by Iraqi forces inside Mosul Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been trapped by Iraqi Army, which entered the terrorist groups stronghold of Mosul for the first time in more than two years for a final assault, a report has claimed. 5. India vs England Test series 2016: Selectors retain Gambhir, Pandya gets maiden call up for first two Tests The Indian team for the first two Tests of the upcoming five match Test series against England has been picked up by the five national selectors on Wednesday. With the stupendous performance in the Test series against the Kiwis, the selectors have stuck to the winning combination against England with minor changes to the squad. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. This is the adorable moment a toddler snuggles up to his 'best friend' Brutus the boxer dog instead of staying in his own bed. Night camera footage captures 23-month-old Finn Knudston grabbing his sheets and teddy bear before clambering into Brutus' basket and curling up next to the dog. Mother-of-four Paige set up the camera at home in Richmond, Virginia, to discover how her son ends up sharing a bed with the four-year-old dog every night. She said the pair have been inseparable from the day her son came home from hospital. Finn was born with a heart defect and needed an emergency operation to save his life. Finn Knudston and Brutus the boxer are inseparable. Pictured at home in Richmond, Virginia Mother-of-four Paige set up the night camera to discover how they end up sharing a bed In the video, the toddler appears to have waited for all the lights to go out before making the secretive trip to his best friend's basket. After climbing in Finn lies across the dog's rump several times, trying to get comfortable, before also trying to sit on its back. Brutus barely moves while his bed-mate fidgets, and appears to remain fast asleep. Mother Paige said: 'Finn just started sleeping in his 'big boy bed' a little over a month ago which is when Brutus began crawling up and sleeping in bed every night; it was as if he laid next to him to prevent him from rolling out of bed. 'Finn then began climbing out of his bed and sleeping on his floor, so naturally Brutus began sleeping next to him there as well. 'The dog bed came into play recently so we now have one downstairs and one upstairs, which eventually made it into Finn's room and the rest was history.' Finn and Brutus pictured snoozing together in the family home Mother Paige said the dog and her son are 'best friends' and that there is now a basket for Brutus inside Finn's room Paige added that she felt the dog had started sleeping next to Finn because it felt he needed extra protection. 'When I was 20 weeks pregnant with Finn, the anatomy scan showed that he had a cyanotic heart defect called transposition of the great arteries. 'We were extremely lucky to have found this out prior to his birth, or he would not be here with us today. 'Finn underwent multiple procedures immediately after his birth in order to keep him alive until he could have his open heart surgery. 'Finn had his arterial switch at 11 days old and did great and after seven weeks, a few unexpected complications, and an additional surgery, Finn was finally discharged home. 'Once we got home it was as if Brutus just knew Finn needed some extra close monitoring, and he has been by his side ever since.' Finn and Brutus the boxer snoozing together. Paige said she thinks the dog decided her son needed extra protection when he came from hospital after lifesaving emergency surgery The pair snuggled up together in bed. Finn had a heart operation after he was born Paige had been taking pictures of the pair of them curled up in the new dog bed ever since they received it. Then she and her husband Nate, a 38-year-old car shop worker, were intrigued as to what was happening before and after. Paige said: 'I actually watched the footage in real time from my phone in the next room, there was no watching the footage back or rewinding it. I was right on the other side of the door listening the whole time. 'I synced the camera with my phone so I could control when it recorded and when it just monitored. 'Immediately prior to me hitting record from my phone, I tucked Finn back in bed again because I saw him on the camera climbing on the edge of his chair and I didn't want him to fall. 'I went back to my phone and hit 'record' because I saw him untuck himself and I didn't want to miss it if he was going to get out of bed again to go lay with Brutus, which is exactly what he did. 'I was not concerned Brutus would get annoyed because he has tolerated and behaved so incredibly well in other situations, so Finn rolling and climbing around him was something I knew he would not be fazed by. The pair are pictured above snuggled together on a bed inside the family home 'Brutus insists on being in Finn's room and he's not the kind of dog to do something he doesn't want to do, no one is forcing him to be in that situation. 'He has never shown any signs of aggression toward humans or else he wouldn't be trusted around Finn or any of our other children.' The adorable video was taken on July 3. Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in downtown Tel Aviv on Saturday, protesting over what is widely seen as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's failure to address economic woes brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, Euronews reports. Many people wore masks, but did not appear to be following social distancing rules. With economic stress deepening in recent weeks, many Israelis think the government has not done enough to compensate hundreds of thousands of workers who lost their jobs as a result of restrictions and shutdowns. Unemployment has surged over 20%, and the economic woes have sent once high approval ratings for Netanyahu's handling of the virus plummeting. The protest in central Tel Aviv's Rabin Square brought together the unemployed, self-employed, entrepreneurs and business owners. "We are not working already nearly five months and unfortunately most of us have not received any compensation from the Israeli government and this is really a tragedy", said Daniel Tieder, a protester. "How you can feed your family and pay your employees etc. after five months with zero income?", he added. Calvin Salyers, 33, told a colleague he'd shoot any protesters through the door if they came to his home An Arkansas police officer who allegedly told a colleague that he'd shoot through the door if any protesters came to his home has been charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a fellow officer who knocked on his door, authorities said Thursday. Calvin Salyers, a 33-year-old officer in the Little Rock suburb of Alexander, surrendered on Wednesday in the June 3 fatal shooting of Officer Scott Hutton, the state police said. Hutton, 36, went to Salyers' home to pick up a patrol car and was shot through the door after knocking on it, a state police investigator said in an arrest affidavit. When Hutton arrived at Salyers' home, he texted him, 'are you awake,' according to an affidavit. When he didn't get a response, Hutton walked to the front door and knocked. Salyers was watching a movie with his girlfriend, Ashlee Cummings, and was off duty at the time, according to BuzzFeed. Salyers has been charged with manslaughter after accidentally shooting a fellow officer, authorities said 36-year-old Scott Hutton was killed after his fellow officer Calvin 'Nick' Salyers, 33, allegedly shot him through the front door of his home Salyers told investigators he grabbed his handgun before he went to the door and saw a figure on his porch wearing a dark shirt and with a gun on his hip. Salyers told investigators his gun went off when he transferred it from his right to his left hand and reached for the doorknob. Hutton fell to the floor. On a 911 call, Salyers can be heard saying, 'All I seen was a gun, it was an accidental discharge,' the affidavit said. When police arrived on the scene, they found Hutton being given CPR by an Alexander Police Department officer. Hutton was taken to hospital where he later died. Hutton, pictured with wife Brittany, had gone to Salyers home in order to collect a patrol car This is the front door to Salyers' home where he allegedly shot officer Hutton A judge set a $15,000 bond for Salyers, who was released from jail later Wednesday. A man who answered the number listed for Salyers in his arrest affidavit said it wasn't the officer's. A training sergeant with Alexander Police, Sgt. Matt Wharton, said Salyers told him at the beginning of protests over the death of George Floyd that he would 'shoot through the door' if any protesters showed up at his home, according to the affidavit. Sergeant Wharton said he told Salyers that he couldn't do that because it would be reckless and negligent. Wharton said he admonished Salyers for the remark and reminded him that he could not shoot anyone without first identifying them and confirming they were a threat. Salyers had been an officer with the Alexander Police Department since 2017. For Black professionals who get job offers on Wall Street, theres pay and benefits to consider. But also isolation, bias and racism. As big U.S. banks and asset managers vow at long last to address the industrys dearth of Black executives, those who have been around a while warn progress will require more than the usual hiring spree. Offices remain alienating and even inhospitable. Most organizations lack mentors who can help guide the way up the org chart. Recruiters say top Black candidates have learned to be skeptical. Folks are looking for welcome signs, said Anthony Wright, founder of Diversity Recruiters, a Seattle-based executive search firm that helps clients including banks with inclusive hiring. And when youre a minority, the sign doesnt say Welcome, the sign says Is there anybody there that looks like me? " The national debate over racial injustice that erupted in May in the wake of George Floyds death in Minneapolis is casting a harsh light on financial firms, not only for their role in creating economic inequity but also their slow cultivation of diversity within their own massive workforces. Over the past 15 years, Black people have seen their presence in the industry stall at a mere 8% a figure that typically dwindles heading up the leadership ranks. Increasingly, bank executives are getting warned that bonuses will reflect their progress in fixing those issues. Last month, Wells Fargo & Co. became the latest to adopt such a policy. Firms are trying to overcome something of a Catch-22: The industry lacks the critical mass of senior Black executives that could pave the way for retaining and cultivating more Black executives. Past attempts to break the cycle fell short. In many ways, bringing people in is the easy part, Citigroup Inc. Chief Executive Officer Michael Corbat told a virtual conference last week. The real challenge to improving representation on staff is retention and managing careers, he said. If we really go out today and hire a bunch of Black talent and we dont nurture them, we dont guide them, they dont have role models theyre not going to stay. Seeking mentors Jay Freeman, an investment banker-turned-consultant whos worked on corporate turnarounds and restructurings, looks at diversity in senior management before attending job interviews. At some point, you gravitate toward someone who has some tie of shared experience, said Freeman, whos Black. You want to be able to find people who will be an ally, or an advocate or a mentor those are all things that are part of the calculation. One former executive at a global accounting firm said he doesnt bother to look for minority representation in the industry because its practically nonexistent. Instead, he taps whisper networks, or anonymous forums like Fishbowl and Glassdoor, to ensure hes being compensated adequately and to get a sense of the companys culture. As a Black person, you bury a part of yourself when you come to work every day there is a piece of you that you leave at the door, Freeman said. Thats something those who are not people of color need to understand. Others are even more pessimistic about Wall Streets pledge to change. Several current and former Black employees in finance likened it to a hostile environment, in which biases and racism are openly expressed. The people asked not to be named out of concern that speaking out would jeopardize career prospects. Those frustrations are often driven home by annual compensation packages, they said. Even if the employees performance was measured in quantitative terms and deemed exemplary, their later conversations with White peers revealed they were still paid less. Bonuses threatened In a twist, a growing number of banks are ratcheting up pressure on executives to improve diversity, or their pay will take a hit. In mid-June, Wells Fargo told staff it will grade members of its elite operating committee annually on their progress, with a direct impact on year-end compensation decisions. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. announced a similar policy last year, noting it will also affect the ability of managers to score promotions. Bank of America Corp. also considers executives support of diversity in annual evaluations. Executives can start with one of the first hurdles to improving diversity job listings, according to Cody Horton, managing director at Diverse Recruiting Experts near Austin. If youre Black or a woman and there are too many must haves, you may just opt out, Horton said. That winnows the pool of diverse candidates further. White applicants who dont meet the qualifications are often comfortable enough to apply anyway. The post and pray approach is often inadequate in recruiting diverse candidates, according to Wright. You have to go out and source and scour the earth to look for the right person for the job. And yes, that takes more energy, and conversations and relationships. Carrie Pickett, the co-founder of Black-owned asset management firm Blueprint Capital Advisors in Newark, New Jersey, is looking to model the inclusive culture shed like to see Wall Street adopt. Yet she said she is tired of all the talk about diversity in the broader asset management industry, which lacks concrete plans to measure and boost representation. You constantly hear firms in finance say I cant find minority candidates, Pickett said. Those firms arent really looking. Kelsey Butler and Lananh Nguyen of Bloomberg News wrote this story. 2020 Bloomberg News Visit Bloomberg News at www.bloomberg.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Married and widowed young, coupled with suffering from a terminal illness, pushed Zainab Hussein to the brink of taking her own life but a chance act saved her life. She shared her life story with Saturday Magazine. I was born in Kariobangi in Nairobis Eastlands. My father was a Muslim Somali and my mother, a Kikuyu from Thika. I am the sixth born in a family of ten children. My mother was later to convert into Islam and we were all raised as practicing Muslims. From a very young age, I loved praying and going for Madrasa. I was very prayerful and I would even lead prayers. I loved God. However, this did not sit well with my father and one day, he sat me down and told me that what I was doing was haram in Islam because in that culture, girls and women are not supposed to do so. I dont even know how to start the story of my life because it is one that is full of pain and perilous episodes. Growing up, I was a very reserved girl, I loved my space and was very careful with my own life. I just loved my space. I was also very naive. I finished my secondary school at 17 and immediately joined a college in the city. However, my college journey was never completed and I ended up getting married at a young age. There was this young man who was a friend of my brother-in-law. He was a Somali from Mandera. There was a day I went to visit my sister and he saw me and apparently he was love-struck. Before long, he approached my father and requested that he marries me. My father was a man who brooked no dissent and one day when I came back from college he informed me that I would be getting married soon. I did not understand why my father had come to this decision yet I was still in college. Forget about the fact that I did not even know who my husband to be was. This is the way of my dads people and I had to obey. I was naive and still a virgin. I came to meet the man later and he introduced himself. He was a police officer. We got married and soon we had our firstborn, a son. Unfortunately, our second-born, a daughter died soon after that. At the tender age of 23, my husband passed on after an illness and I became a brand new widow. Confused, jobless and with nowhere to turn to, I packed my meagre earthly possessions and went back to my parents house in Kariobangi estate, Nairobi. A year after moving back to Kariobangi, I fell very ill. The doctors diagnosed me with a terminal illness. The next five years of my life was all about battling illness. I thought I was going to die. I started asking questions, why me? At one time I was admitted to hospital after suffering another bout of sickness. I reflected on my life and realised that all the lofty dreams I had had come crashing. I, therefore, decided to end it all by committing suicide. In my thinking, this was going to end all my miseries because dead people feel no pain. Then a strange thing happened. Just as I was finishing my plans on how to end my life, a nurse by the name Jane came to my bed and gave me a cassette player and told me to listen to a certain tape. It was a story of a lady called Catherine Backstar. Jane also gave me a book written by Catherine titled Prepare to meet your God. The book was talking about eternal life. It was talking about hell. With the benefit of hindsight, I can now say that God knew I was also tired of living but once I had heard the tape and read the book, I started refocusing on life and fighting to live. God used Jane to make me realise the importance of staying alive. Then there was Sophie another nurse at a nursing home in Mathare slums. Sophie sacrificed so much. She decided to take care of me. She took care of my bills and told me never to worry, and that whenever I fell sick all I needed to do was to go to the nursing home, or call her to send somebody to pick me from home. She would discharge me after any admissions and drive with me to the supermarket where she would buy me food and other basic requirements. I would spend months on end in hospital, but she would never stop taking care of me. She was simply an angel from God. By this time, I had become a Christian and I depended on God, I told myself I was going to hold on to Jesus and believe in God. So I began praying. And all of a sudden, the thoughts of death disappeared and I resolved to not die. I started to believe in life. I said I want to live and declare the goodness of the Lord. I felt better. With the new lease of life, I knew I had to start all over again because I had been given a second chance. Although I was doing well health-wise, deep down I had a longing for someone to share my life with. I prayed for a good man in my life. I needed somebody I could rely on and a shoulder to cry and lie on. I needed a man I could come home to and share my experiences and get support from and pray together, a loving man who would not judge me but accept me for who I am. My prayers were answered and in April of this year I got married to my husband Bishop Hoseah Mbugua. Meanwhile, my baby who I have traveled this journey with, Idris Ibrahim, is now a lawyer practicing in Nairobi. Pa. Health Department Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said Monday that there are currently no plans to move any part of the state back to Gov. Tom Wolfs yellow or red reopening phases despite increased case counts in 43 counties. Levine revealed the news during a news conference to address the states COVID-19 response. The state in its entirety has been in Wolfs green phase since June, though some areas like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh still have some gathering restrictions in place. We are looking at all of our case counts very carefully throughout the state, Levine said. We do not plan at this time to use those dramatic statewide types of measures the, [like] the red, yellow and green schema, but were going to watch them very carefully. We strongly support the targeted mitigation effort that was implemented by Allegheny County, and well be considering the data every day. Allegheny County officials have closed indoor dining and also are not allow alcohol consumption at bars for the time being after seeing a spike in new cases after the county reached the green phase, which allows for gatherings of up to 250 people and indoor dining, among other things. Levine added that the state has no plans to impose further restrictions in Allegheny County at this point in time. It can be assumed that the same goes for Philadelphia. There, indoor dining is still not OK and places like gyms arent open. Pa. actually reported one of its lowest daily new case counts in weeks on Monday at 328. Previously, the figures had been approaching 1,000 for the first time since May for multiple days in a row. Levine said Mondays low number may have to do with a lag in reporting from the weekend. Whats most important for Pennsylvanias to know right now is that in order to go about their routines, we need to make important choices to lower our risk, Levine said. We have to adapt our activities to protect against COVID-19 and make the choice to not do some of those activities if theyre not safe. That means, please go for a walk, go hiking, enjoy state parks, but take your mask just like you take your sunscreen. Think about yourself. Think about your family. Think about your community and others, and make those smart choices. More coverage: NEWTON, Mass., July 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Vector, an innovative health information management company, announced the appointment of Joshua Heapes as the company's Chief Growth Officer. In this role, Mr. Heapes will lead the expansion of Health Vector's commercial organization including sales, account management, commercial operations, and marketing, to position the company for its next phase of accelerated growth. "Health Vector has a compelling solution to address real-world challenges facing us all, as consumers of our healthcare system," said Mr. Heapes. "I am impressed by the management team at Health Vector and am motivated by my own personal experience as I traversed the complex system in order to get an accurate diagnosis which required surgery last year. This experience, combined with the powerful solution already launched by Health Vector, drives me to build the growth of the organization as it works to support patient health, improve outcomes and streamline the system in which we consume our healthcare information." Prior to joining Health Vector, Mr. Heapes spent two decades in the financial sector, focusing on business growth at Bank of America, Citibank, Morgan Stanley, and Santander. Mr. Heapes managed the partnership channel for Citibank's joint-venture with Morgan Stanley for New England. He has lengthy experience establishing outside partnerships and driving strategic marketing with multiple industry organizations. He is a long-time contributor to the innovation ecosystems as a sponsor, judge, mentor, and friend. Mr. Heapes serves as an advisor to early stage companies, an investor, and board member to local nonprofits. He is determined to help empower patients and improve their health journey by leveraging mobile technology. "We are very excited that Josh is joining Health Vector. He has an impressive track record of driving growth at some of the major financial institutions and a personal motivation to make an impact on patients' lives," said Dan Mirica, Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to working together to build strong partnerships in the healthcare sector and beyond." About Health Vector Health Vector is an innovative health management solution that pioneers a new form of patient activation to significantly boost engagement and reduce wellness and medical costs using artificial intelligence insights, principles of cognitive behavioral therapy and action analytics. Health Vector was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Newton, MA. https://www.healthvector.world/ or download on Apple Store or Google Play. SOURCE Health Vector Related Links https://www.healthvector.world/ Two fighters from the regimes Third Armoured Division were killing in Raqqa as they guarded an oil field writes Sowt Al-Asima. Two members of a local militia operating in the Qalamoun area of the Damascus countryside, which belongs to the regimes Third Armoured Division, were killed in Raqqa Governorate, while they were carrying out their military missions. Sowt Al-Asimas correspondent in Qalamoun said that Ibrahim Hakki, from the city of Nabek in eastern Qalamoun, 28, was killed yesterday in the al-Rusafa area of Raqqa Governorate, as well as Abdul Rahman al-Ghazi from al-Burayj village. According to the correspondent, the aforementioned are affiliated with one of the local militias operating in Qalamoun, some members of which were sent to Raqqa, as a counterweight to the Third Division, at the beginning of the year. The correspondent pointed out that the two members, who protected an oil facility in Raqqa, were kidnapped from where they were stationed. Their bodies were found yesterday, noting that the regime did not hand over the bodies of the two members to their families until today, according to the correspondent. It is worth noting that the funerals of Alaa al-Khatib, from the ranks of the 11th Division, took place at the end of last June in the city of Jeroud in eastern Qalamoun. Khatib was killed in the southern Idleb countryside, a month after he was transferred there. Furthermore, Iyad Baladi, 23, from the town of Ayn Minin in western Qalamoun, was killed last week in Kabanah in the Lattakia countryside, and was taken to the military hospital in Lattakia before authorities handed over his body to his relatives. A while ago, the people of the town of Zakiya in the western countryside of Damascus organized the funeral of Ahmed al-Wagha, 24, who fought with the Second Armoured Division and who was killed by a sniper in Kabanah in the countryside of Lattakia. More than 18 volunteer settlement members, belonging to pro-regime militias from the eastern and western Damascus countryside, died during the battles that took place on the northern Syrian fronts last March. The Sowt Al-Asima team has documented the killing of more than 40 volunteer settlement members in pro-regime militias, from the eastern and western Damascus countryside, on the battlefronts in northern Syria in January and February 2020. 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. The United States is pressing shippers, insurers, certification organizations, and flag states registering vessels not to work with Venezuela as the Trump Administration is looking to cut off Nicolas Maduros regime from international oil trade, Elliott Abrams, the U.S. Administrations special representative for Venezuela, told Reuters in an interview. What you will see is most shipowners and insurance and captains are simply going to turn away from Venezuela, Abrams told Reuters as the United States continues to step up the sanctions pressure on Venezuela and anyone dealing with Maduro. Under the increased pressure from the United States, the companies classifying ships are asked to check if vessels have participated in shipments to Venezuela. If a certification or classification is withdrawn, the tanker and the oil it carries become uninsured. At the beginning of June, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated four companies for operating in the oil sector of the Venezuelan economy and identified four vessels as blocked property. The United States will continue to target those who support this corrupt regime and contribute to the suffering of the Venezuelan people, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said at the time. As a result of the U.S. sanctions, 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. 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 Maduros regime and its sources of revenues. Meanwhile, even the crude that Venezuela manages to pump out of the ground is not finding many willing customers. At the end of June, tankers carrying at least 18.1 million barrels of Venezuelan oil were said to be idling at sea 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 Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 19:37:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China's community-level medical institutions were asked to improve inpatient wards and provide more beds for the elderly, according to a circular released by the National Health Commission Monday. Hospital beds in community-level medical institutions should be mainly used for elderly patients, rehabilitation, nursing care and palliative care, the circular said. By the end of 2018, China had about 250 million citizens aged 60 and above, accounting for 17.9 percent of the total population. Nearly 180 million elderly people in the country have chronic diseases. Wang Jianjun, director of the China National Committee on Ageing, had earlier stressed that communities are a primary part of old-age care, noting that communities will enjoy more support in terms of policies and finance. The circular laid out other measures to promote the development of community-level medical institutions, including enhancing the diagnosis and treatment of common diseases. The medical institutions were encouraged to set up targeted departments, including psychological clinics, in accordance with local conditions. The circular also stressed the detection and reporting of infectious diseases. Enditem The United Nations Security Council have agreed on a plan to deliver aid to Syria, after a draft resolution by Russia was voted down writes SANA. The United Nations Security Council has adopted a draft resolution on the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria through one border crossing for a one year. In a voting session last night, the Security Council adopted a draft resolution submitted by Germany and Belgium on delivering humanitarian aid to Syria through the Bab al-Hawa crossing and extending the effectiveness of the Resolution No. 1265 for a one year, with 12 delegations voting in favor of the draft resolution while the delegations of Russia, China and the Dominican Republic abstained from voting. Earlier on Friday, the Security Council voted against a Russian draft resolution on delivering humanitarian aid to Syria through one border crossing for a one year during a session held a few hours after Russia and China vetoed a draft resolution submitted by Germany and Belgium, which exploits the humanitarian situation in Syria and violates its sovereignty as it provides for extending the mechanism of cross-border aid delivery in Syria for six months without coordinating with the Syrian Government. The Presidency of the Security Council announced that the Russian draft resolution will not be adopted after only four countries voted in its favor which were Russia, China, South Africa and Vietnam, while seven other countries voted against it which are the US, Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Estonia and the Dominican Republic and four countries abstained from voting. 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. Ashanti Floyd couldnt sleep. As a Black man, Mr. Floyd was accustomed to being agonized by cases like that of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old who died while being detained by the police in Aurora, Colo., last summer. But as he read in June about the case, one of many deadly encounters between Black people and the police that are receiving new scrutiny in recent months, a detail grabbed Mr. Floyd: Mr. McClain had been a violinist, just like him. All I remember is praying for peace, Mr. Floyd said on a recent Zoom call. I felt like that boy could have been me. He tossed and turned all night after he found this out. And when he learned through social media the following morning about an upcoming vigil in Aurora, where violinists and other string musicians planned to perform at a park to honor Mr. McClains memory, Mr. Floyd decided he had to be there. Dublin Chamber and property advisor, Savills Ireland, have today launched Why Dublin? a print and online publication showcasing Dublins economic credentials to multinational companies around the globe. The 28-page publication was produced in the midst of COVID-19 restrictions, to promote Dublin as a key location for FDI as the economy re-opens, and will be targeted at multinationals in various sectors including ICT, financial, legal and pharmaceutical. Why Dublin? will be promoted amongst members of Dublin Chamber, clients of Savills around the globe, and on various social media platforms. Commenting on the initiative, Dublin Chamber CEO, Mary Rose Burke said, "It is vital that we continue to showcase the many wonderful attributes that the Dublin region has to offer the world's best companies. Dublin is home to more than 1,400 FDI companies, employing more than 100,000 people, and there is huge potential to grow these numbers further over the coming years. These companies have not arrived in Dublin by accident, but have made the strategic decision to base themselves here due to the many attributes that Dublin offers, including a young, skilled workforce, great connectivity and an attractive business environment." Director of Tenant Representation at Savills Ireland, Michael Healy added, "A major part of our business is finding and securing suitable office space for FDI companies seeking to establish or expand their presence in Dublin. This process begins with promoting the attributes of the city, and clearly communicating why it is an ideal location for their business. Pre-COVID-19, much of this was done by travelling to the likes of the US, Asia Pacific and indeed Europe, to meet with key decision makers in these companies. However, with business travel on hiatus for the time-being, we need to look at other ways of promoting Dublin and this publication does just that." Source: www.businessworld.ie As people take to the internet to spread misinformation like cures for autism and encourage AIDS denialism, social media algorithms boost their messages. By Michael Schulson Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury is an Indian engineer with, he says, an honorary PhD in diabetes science from Alliance International University, a school in Zambia that bears many of the hallmarks of an online scam. He runs a small nutrition clinic near Delhi. Two months ago, Chowdhury posted a brief video on YouTube arguing that HIV is not real, and that anti-retroviral medication actually causes AIDS. He offered to inject himself with the blood of someone who had tested positive. Within weeks, the video had more than 380,000 views on YouTube. Tens of thousands more people watched on Facebook. Most of the viewers appear to be in India, where some 60,000 people die of HIV-related causes each year. After the March video, Chowdhury kept on posting. Follow-up videos on HIV racked up hundreds of thousands more hits. He also distributed copies of an ebook titled HIV-AIDS: The Greatest Lie of 21st Century. When I spoke with Chowdhury by phone last month, he claimed that 700 people had gotten in touch to say they had gone off their HIV medications. The actual number, he added, might be even higher. We dont know what people are doing on their own. I can only tell you about the people who report to us, he said. Chowdhurys figures are impossible to verify, but his skills with digital media are apparent as are the troubling questions they raise about the role of Silicon Valley platforms in spreading misinformation. Such concerns, of course, arent new: Over the past two years, consumers, lawmakers, and media integrity advocates in the United States and Europe have become increasingly alarmed at the speed with which incendiary, inaccurate, and often deliberately false content spreads on sites like Facebook and YouTube the latter a Google subsidiary. Much of that concern has focused on hate speech, conspiracy theories, and fake political news. But the same questions apply to public health threats, too. Dubious and potentially deadly cures for autism have found sanctuary on social media for years, for example. Desperate cancer patients have been lured online to baseless treatments peddled by shady "experts." And opponents of childhood vaccination thrive in an expanding and self-reinforcing internet bubble that researchers describe as "more real and more true" for its inhabitants than anything coming from the outside. The question is, when content on social media and similar platforms nudges people toward dangerous medical decisions, do those websites bear any responsibility? And if so, how should they regulate such reckless speech? These questions grow particularly stark with AIDS denialism. After all, convincing someone that the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and other US sites was an inside job can make them sound a little whacky at parties. Convincing someone that AIDS is a hoax can kill them. *** AIDS denialism, in the United States at least, emerged in at least the early 1990s, at a time of genuine uncertainty about human immunodeficiency virus and the causes of AIDS. But even as the scientific evidence became clearer and treatments more effective, the notion that the disease is an elaborate hoax has persisted in some corners. Believers in this theory have launched nonprofits, held conferences, and produced documentaries. In South Africa, where the countrys president in the late 1990s and 2000s came to believe many denialist theories, researchers have estimated that the resulting policies led to more than 330,000 deaths. "What denialists are doing is basically interfering with the application of some highly effective, science-based treatments that have been developed over the last 30 some-odd years," said David Gorski, a surgical oncologist and the managing editor of Science-Based Medicine, a site that often challenges quackery. "So obviously there's a problem." To some extent, the AIDS denialist movement had been on the wane in recent years not least because many of its most prominent figures have died. Advances in modern medicine, too, have helped to blunt the movement's impact. Seth Kalichman, a psychologist at the University of Connecticut and an expert on AIDS denialism, noted that treatment for HIV has made it possible to live an active life, for decades, with the disease a testament to efficacy of treatment. The facts of the common day person are becoming harder and harder to deny, Kalichman told me. Still, AIDS denialists have adapted readily to the internet age. With each expansion of their technological soapbox, they have more reach, Kalichman said over the phone. In an email to me, he was blunter. Their visibility is increasing even as they become less and less relevant, he wrote. I think they are fizzling out and if not for social media, theyd probably have become a thing of the past. On YouTube, an account called Question Everything has racked up nearly 1.8 million views by posting documentaries, interviews with AIDS denialists, and other content. A series of AIDS-skeptical videos produced in 2010 by RT, a Kremlin-funded, English-language news service, are also popular on YouTube. And then there are people like Chowdhury, whose low-budget content can quickly reach hundreds of thousands of viewers. Peter Meylakhs, a researcher at the National Research Universitys Higher School of Economics in St Petersburg, Russia, has studied how AIDS denialists organize on VK, Russias equivalent to Facebook. Whether in the US or Russia, he told me, social media offers a very low transactional cost of getting into the group of people with similar views. More worrying, though, is that the digital platforms that host such material and conversations arent always passive participants in the recruitment process. Their algorithms, after all, are trained to give visitors more of the kind of content that they like whatever that might be. While researching this column, for example, I started watching a lot of AIDS denialism videos on YouTube. Immediately, the site began suggesting other denialist videos that I might want to watch, essentially serving up content to keep me on the site longer. Had I been an HIV-positive YouTube user looking for answers about a troubling diagnosis, the effect, perhaps, would have been powerful. (Google did not respond to repeated requests for comment and chose not to answer a list of questions submitted by Undark). YouTube also uses AIDS denialist videos to sell advertising space. Heres a screenshot of a commercial for the new Toyota Corolla, appearing before a video that claims that HIV tests are extremely inaccurate and medical therapies dont work: And heres a screenshot of a Mercedes commercial that preceded an RT segment titled The AIDS myth unraveled": YouTubes questionable medical content isnt limited to AIDS denialism. YouTube videos are really a big deal, said Gorski, adding that it seems like every quack has his own series of YouTube videos. Denialist content spreads on Facebook, too. When Undark sent Facebook examples of AIDS denialist content on its site, including Chowdhurys most popular HIV video, the company said that the content was not in violation of its policies. In an email, Lauren Svensson, a Facebook spokesperson, told Undark that the company recognizes that contentious perspectives exist on its platform. Counter-speech in the form of accurate information and alternative viewpoints can help create a safer and more respectful environment, and we have long believed that simply removing provocative thinking does little to build awareness around facts and approaches to health, she wrote. Under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, internet platforms are immune from legal liability for most of the content they publish. At the same time, companies like YouTube are allowed to police content on their sites as they deem appropriate, and videos like these could be seen as violations of YouTubes own terms and conditions, which prohibit content that intends to incite violence or encourage dangerous or illegal activities that have an inherent risk of serious physical harm or death. In at least one high-profile case, the site has taken down a channel that peddled questionable medical advice. Do platforms, or even regulators, have a responsibility to police this sort of misleading or dangerous content more closely? Lyrissa Lidsky, dean of the University of Missouri Law School and a scholar of free speech online, cautioned against taking an approach that was overly paternalistic, or that gave too much decision-making power to a handful of companies. While AIDS denialism seems clear-cut, she pointed out, many other debates about public truth are murkier. Thats really the problem: Who gets to the be arbiter of what's true and what's false? Lidsky said. Some questions are easy, but most of them aren't easy, even in the realm of scientific fact. And how paternalistic do you want the government to be, and then how paternalistic do you want YouTube or Facebook or Google to be? How comfortable are you with ceding the power to them to determine whats good for us? Lidsky advocates for more education to help citizens become savvier consumers of media, while recognising the limits of oversight policies. Respect for individual autonomy says that individuals get to make choices," she said, "which includes them having a right to make bad choices that cause them harm." *** So far, European countries have been more willing than the United States to suppress certain kinds of misleading or even dangerous health information online. And in Russia, lawmakers have moved to outright ban AIDS denialist content. The country is currently dealing with an HIV epidemic, and there are documented cases of HIV-positive children dying after their parents, skeptical of medical science, refuse to give them medication. But Meylakhs, the Russian scholar, worries that this kind of censoring strategy could backfire. This will make them more martyr-like, and may, at least, increase their credibility, he said. Part of what makes this issue so complicated, perhaps, is the way that digital platforms bend some of our perceptions of both free speech and public space. Many Americans, steeped in First Amendment principles, for example, would defend a constitutional right for neo-Nazis to march down a public street, or for people to host a rally in a public park in order to promote a dangerous medical conspiracy theory. In one view, YouTube or Facebook simply offer a more high-tech version of that sidewalk or park. But Facebook isnt just offering a space for people to meet; its algorithms and search functions are helping them find each other. And YouTube isnt just a neutral platform for incendiary content: It actively organises it, and then algorithmically nudges people to view more of it. If a city government actually helped fringe groups put together mailing lists and distribute leaflets, citizens might, understandably, grow more suspicious. With these and other nuances in mind, some scholars and advocates have begun arguing for more aggressive accountability for online platforms. When there are clear examples of false information that endanger individuals lives, that is when the platforms' responsibilities are at their apex, where they really have to start thinking deeply about their role and their responsibility in highlighting this stuff, said Frank Pasquale, professor at the University of Maryland School of Law and a prominent critic of Silicon Valley policies. Pasquale is skeptical of concerns that Silicon Valley platforms will wield too much power if they start declaring certain kinds of content off-limits. They have the power already. The question is whether they're going to exercise that power responsibly, or are they going to hide behind algorithmic ordering, and just say, 'Well, its all algorithmic, its all done by some computer program in the sky, and we dont really have responsibility for that,' Pasquale said. But the amount of money they have they clearly have enough money to support this type of intervention, he added. For now, platforms like YouTube fall into a gray space, somewhere between a public utility and a media company. The consequences of that ambiguity can unfold in places far from the American public eye. Chowdhury, the nutritionist in India, began posting YouTube videos in 2014. At the time, he told me, he was speaking to auditoriums about his cures, but he wanted to reach a larger audience, so he began filming his talks. Today, his videos have been viewed close to 12 million times. One of them, about a purported cure for diabetes that does not require medicine, has more than three million views today on YouTube alone. He told me the site has never taken one of his videos down. I tried to go to the public through conventional media like television and newspapers, Chowdhury said. And I was shocked to know that they are really even if I pay money they are not ready to cover my views, because my method goes opposite of that of conventional medical science. Chowdhury found the rules online to be far more forgiving. I prefer to go to YouTube, he said. I am happy. Feature image: HIV/AIDS. Photo credit: Facebook @Preventandcure Michael Schulson is an American freelance writer covering science, religion, technology, and ethics. His work has been published by Pacific Standard magazine, Aeon, New York magazine, and The Washington Post, among other outlets, and he writes the Matters of Fact and Tracker columns for Undark. This article was originally published on Undark. Read the original article. Ghislaine Maxwell, longtime associate of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, speaks at a news conference at the United Nations in New York on June 25, 2013. (UNTV via Reuters) Maxwells Alleged Victims Expected to Speak at Bail Hearing Alleged victims of the longtime associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are expected to testify at the defendants arraignment and bail hearing, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe. One or more of the victims are expected to ask the court to keep Ghislaine Maxwell detained pending trial, Moe wrote in a memo (pdf) opposing Maxwells request to be released on bail. Maxwell was charged on July 2 in connection with her alleged role in enticing, grooming, and sexually exploiting girls as young as 14. She has denied the charges and plans to defend herself in court. Two of the alleged victims had not spoken to law enforcement until 2019. Their stories, according to the prosecutors, share remarkably similar details about Maxwell. The powerful testimony of these victims, who had strikingly similar experiences with Maxwell, together with documentary evidence and witness testimony, will conclusively establish that the defendant groomed the victims for sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein, the prosecutors memo states. A coroner ruled that Epstein committed suicide in 2019 while in federal custody awaiting trial for sexually trafficking minor girls. Jeffrey Epstein in a March 28, 2017, file photo. (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP) Maxwells attorneys had previously argued that their clients wealth and citizenship in multiple countries are insufficient rationale for denying their client bail. The defense also rejected a claim by the prosecutors that Maxwell has been effectively hiding out at a New Hampshire estate. The prosecutors from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York doubled down on the allegation that Maxwell was hiding out. A guard who had been hired to protect Maxwell told the FBI that she had never left the property during his time on the job. Instead of venturing out, Maxwell provided her security guard with a credit card under the name of the same limited liability company used to purchase the estate and sent him to make purchases for the property, according to the prosecutors. In arguing that Maxwell should not be granted bail, the prosecutors noted that during the FBIs raid of the New Hampshire property, Maxwell could be seen through a window retreating further inside the house. After she was captured in one of the interior rooms, agents sweeping the house found a cellphone wrapped in aluminum foil, an apparent attempt to avoid detection by authorities, according to the court papers. Maxwell, a former girlfriend of Epstein, came under the spotlight on the heels of Epsteins reported suicide. She claims to not have been in contact with him in more than a decade. Maxwell is charged with enticing and conspiring to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, transporting minors with the same purpose, and perjury. Given her age, she faces the prospect of spending most of the rest of her life in prison. Maxwells attorneys had argued that shes not a flight risk because she has significant emotional ties to the children of her siblings who reside in the United States. The prosecution countered in the July 13 memo that her extended stay at the New Hampshire property means she was capable of maintaining the relationships remotely. Another factor adding to Maxwells flight risk, the government noted, is that France, one of the countries where Maxwell has citizenship, doesnt extradite its citizens. Maxwells attorney had also listed a property outside the United States as a guarantee of her bail, which prosecutors say would be difficult to recover and sell if the defendant flees. The prosecutors also say Maxwells list of six unnamed guarantors with unknown financial means is insufficient. Instead of attempting to address the risks of releasing a defendant with apparent access to extraordinary financial resources, who has the ability to live beyond the reach of extradition in France, and who has already demonstrated a willingness and ability to live in hiding, the defendant instead proposes a bail package that amounts to little more than an unsecured bond, the government memo states. Hyderabad, July 13 : Telangana High Court on Monday extended till July 15 the stay on the demolition of existing secretariat building for construction of a new complex. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijayasen Reddy extended the stay as the state government had not submitted the copy of the resolution passed in the cabinet for demolition. As per the court order, Advocate General B.S. Prasad submitted documents relating to permissions taken from different agencies for demolition. The court enquired about the resolution passed in the cabinet meeting. It wondered how the hearing can be taken up without the documents and pointed out that even a press release was not issued about the cabinet decision. The Advocate General sought time till evening to submit the copy of the cabinet resolution. The court directed him to submit the same in a sealed cover and asked the petitioners to submit objections, if any, to the government's counter affidavit on Tuesday. The court on July 10 had temporarily stayed the demolition work till July 13. It passed the orders on the petition filed by Professor P.L. Vishweshwar Rao, Convener Telangana Democratic Forum and Vice President of Telangana Jana Samithi. The court had asked the government to place before it all the requisite permissions taken from the authorities concerned for demolition work. The petitioner complained that the demolition of 10 blocks of the Secretariat building occupying 10 lakh square feet was without following the procedure laid down under the Demolition and Construction Rules. He said in the existing COVID-19 situation the demolition impacts and aggravates the respiratory problems of the people living in the surroundings of the building. The government started demolition of existing buildings of old secretariat on July 7. It was on June 27 last year that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao had laid the foundation stone for the new secretariat. Subsequently, secretariat was temporarily shifted to BRK Bhavan. The opposition parties, some heritage activists and concerned citizens had opposed the construction of new complex, terming it a wasteful expenditure. The High Court on June 29 dismissed petitions challenging the government's decision to raze the old buildings and build a new complex in its place. The court ruled that building a new secretariat is a policy decision by the government and the court can't interfere with it. (Natural News) The State of California is now less than 90 days away from a financial collapse that can only be averted by acquiring new sources of loans or dramatically slashing government-funded services in health care, pensions, welfare and education. The cracks of financial insolvency are starting to show, and Newsom has no plan that doesnt lead California into anarchy and destitution. In a desperate effort to delay the financial collapse, Newsom has ordered the states EDD to delay unemployment checks for as many months as it takes to preserve the states rapidly-dwindling funds. The Mercury News reports that nearly 2 million Californians have yet to receive unemployment checks covering the first three months of the coronavirus lockdowns, which began in mid-March: The brutal backlog is further evidence of the troubles plaguing the embattled state Employment Development Department, prompting the newly jobless to complain of an overwhelmed phone system and antiquated technology. The first-time claims have gone unfilled even as Gov. Gavin Newsom has promised reforms and increased staffing for the EDD. I have done just about everything I know how to do as a public official to make things work, but my colleagues, my staff, my constituents and I are at our wits end, Assemblymember David Chiu, D-San Francisco, said in a tweet. Gov. Newsom has been skimming billions from California taxpayers to fund a massive network of bribery to stay in power Sources tell Natural News that Gov. Newsom has been skimming billions of dollars from California taxpayers, laundering it through communist China under the false pretense of purchasing coronavirus masks (NewsomWatch.com). Chinese companies launder the money and then wire funds back to shell companies controlled by Newsom, who is using the funds to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars in straight-up bribes to California officials in order to suppress any investigations into honest financial accounting. This is why the recent $1 billion mask deal with China has been shrouded in secrecy, as Fox News reports: California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing pushback as state lawmakers have begun demanding details of his nearly $1 billion deal to receive 200 million masks per month from a Chinese manufacturer. It would be great to get a heads-up directly from the governors office rather than watching it on national TV, Assembly Budget Committee Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) said in an interview Wednesday with the Chronicle. We dont have any information as to how many masks were buying, who were buying them from, at what price What are we obligated? For how long are we obligated? As a result of the skimming, bribery and fraud taking place right in the middle of a coronavirus lockdown collapse, California has now run out of money. And since the state cant print its own fiat currency (like the Federal Reserve can), it can only survive by either slashing expenses or acquiring new funds through loans, bonds or raising taxes. The delays in Californias unemployment checks, were told, have nothing to do with a lack of personnel to process the payments. Rather, the checks are being deliberately delayed because the state has no money left to fund the unemployment program. Similarly, recent cuts that have been announced for police departments are really about slashing cash outflows in order to try to keep the state afloat. Many police departments are funded by a combination of city and state funds, and the Los Angeles City Council recently voted to slash $150 from the LAPD budget, bringing the number of police officers down below 10,000, which will unleash a wave of violent crime across L.A. (Read Collapsifornia.com for more news about Californias demise.) A closer look at Californias state budget reveals a shocking picture of financial collapse Californias state budget is around $208 billion for 2019 2020. About $80 billion is spent on radical left-wing indoctrination centers known as public schools (although not all of this is state-level spending, some of it is local). Over $100 billion in revenues are generated by the California state income tax. Another $27 billion comes from from sales taxes, and $13 billion comes from corporate taxes. Californias general fund took in $143.8 billion last year and spent $147.8 billion in 2019 2020, showing that the state had been eating into its safety net of funds even before the coronavirus hit. In all, the state had about $19 $21 billion in reserves before the coronavirus hit. Now, thanks to Gov. Newsoms coronavirus lockdowns, Californias revenue sources are getting hammered: Lower property taxes at the local level due to businesses and retailers going bankrupt. Reduced state income taxes due to fewer people working. Lower sales taxes due to reduced consumer sales. Lower corporate income taxes due to corporations losing revenues. Severe losses in energy-related revenues (taxes) due to the collapse in energy markets. In addition, the vastly increased payments the state is making for unemployment benefits and other programs is adding to Californias financial woes. Its all summed up by this CNBC headline from May 7th, 2020: California faces a staggering $54 billion budget deficit due to economic devastation from coronavirus. As the story reports: California will have a budget shortfall of $54.3 billion because of the economic devastation wrought by the coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsoms administration announced Thursday, a stunning reversal for a state that had a $21 billion surplus a year ago. The Newsom administration estimates state general fund revenues will decline by $41.2 billion compared to the $222.2 billion spending proposal Newsom revealed in January. Plus, California must pay for an extra $7.1 billion for increased enrollment in some social safety net programs, including Medicaid, the joint state and federal health insurance program for the poor and disabled. Another $6 billion in anticipated emergency spending on the coronavirus for things like protective gear, hotel rooms for the homeless and cash payments for low-income adults living in the country illegally pushes the projected deficit past $50 billion. Meanwhile, lawmakers are already being asked to bail out the states essential industries. California hospitals say they have lost up to $14 billion by postponing elective surgeries and other procedures to make room for an anticipated surge of coronavirus cases that never happened. On Monday, the California Hospital Association asked lawmakers for more than $1 billion in aid. California is broke In other words, California is broke. The state blew through its rainy day fund in just a few weeks of the coronavirus lockdowns, and now California is reeling from the financial costs associated with the coronavirus lockdowns that Gov. Newsom seems determined to continue indefinitely. In other words, the Governor of California wont let California get back to work, which means the $54 billion in losses is just the beginning of the financial carnage yet to come. By the time 2020 is over, its no exaggeration to say that California may be $100 billion in the hole due to coronavirus lockdowns and bailout costs. On top of that, with the news now reporting that upwards of 28 million Americans may be homeless over the next few months because they can no longer make mortgage or rent payments, California is about to experience a homelessness problem that has never been witnessed before in the history of the nation. Imagine millions of new homeless flooding the streets of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, adding to the homelessness problems that already exist in those cities. Its becoming abundantly obvious that the only way California can remain economically viable is to start raising taxes on its productive citizens, more of whom are fleeing the state due to insane left-wing policies, outrageous authoritarian regulations and punitive taxes on those who produce. As Newsom hikes state income taxes, fees and sales taxes, those who earn money (rather than collecting free money) will increasingly leave the state, leaving behind the non-producers who never contribute any funds to state revenues. The vicious cycle repeats year after year, until California is reduced to a collection of crime-ridden tent cities inhabited by obedient left-wing homeless people whose only role in society is to fill out multiple mail-in ballots and keep the corrupt Democrats in power. Fiscal sanity is ancient history in California, and the criminality and corruption of Newsom, Pelosi, Feinstein and other power brokers throughout the state is so outrageous that theres hardly a California senator, mayor or governor who doesnt belong in prison, charged with treason. What will happen, exactly, when California runs out of funds in the months ahead? The state can continue to delay payments to entitlement recipients and pensioners, kicking the can farther and farther down the road in the hopes that an economic recovery might bring a new surge of tax revenues into state coffers. Or the state can try to borrow money by selling bonds or winning loans from foreign nations. Agenda21Radio.com reported in March that California had sought a $1 trillion loan from communist China, but sources tell Natural News that President Trump nixed that loan arrangement, as allowing an enemy nation like China to loan money to an entire state would obviously compromise national security. But the timing of the request from Newsom March of this year shows that Gov. Newsom was fully aware his state would run out of funds very quickly as the coronavirus devastated the California economy (and therefore government tax revenues as well). The people of California need to be prepared for the financial collapse of their state government The financial collapse of the California state government now seems imminent. By collapse, we mean a dramatic slashing of government programs, payrolls, entitlements, pensions and entire departments. The State of California, it now seems, is going to have to slash spending by 50 percent, or roughly $100 billion. Imagine 50% of the government-funded operations of the State of California ceasing to function. This state expenditures pie chart shows which programs are most likely to be impacted: According to this chart, the four largest areas of state expenditures are: Health care Pensions Education Welfare Unless dramatic cuts are made in these four areas, the State of California cannot meet its financial obligations. This means huge cuts are coming for all these areas. This also means, financially speaking, California will soon be able to afford only half the expenditures it once made. That spells huge, drastic cuts of state government offices, personnel and services, even as state income taxes and sales taxes are skyrocketing on a percentage basis. At some point, the remaining rational citizens of California will realize they are paying almost double the amount in taxes while receiving only half as much in government benefits. The equation exposes debt-based governments for exactly what they are: Money-confiscating frauds that are unsustainable and disastrous to free market economies. Californias cities will soon resemble collapsed third-world nations The only thing holding California together right now is a massive criminal conspiracy of bribery, money laundering, payment delays and accounting smoke and mirrors. Such tactics can only work for a short amount of time, after which California will be forced to slash government expenditures from top to bottom. And with the collapse of government services such as health care, schools, law enforcement, welfare and pensions, we are likely to see California cities collapse into desperation, lawlessness and homelessness. Los Angeles, in particular, will rapidly plunge into third-world status, with the Bay Area not far behind. If you are still living in California for some reason, you may have as little as 90 days remaining before the value of your property there begins to plunge toward zero as it becomes obvious that California is a failed state where no sane person can live long term (except, perhaps, in rural areas far from the cities). Obviously, the cities are going to get hit the hardest, while rural areas of California may be more insulated from the worst effects of all this. One final upshot thats worth remembering for the rest of the country is that an enormous amount of food production takes place in California, covering everything from nuts to fruits and vegetables. What will happen to the U.S. food supply if California suffers a total financial collapse and the government of California largely ceases to function? Its a question well worth considering, because it looks like that day draws near. Read Collapse.news for more daily coverage of the economic collapse were now facing. Two female police officers who delivered a baby inside a car went on to suffer injuries when they battled to shut down an illegal rave later on the same shift. Siobhan Singh and Isabella Taborro were on patrol in central London on July 3 when they spotted a vehicle being driven erratically. They eventually caught up with the car outside the University College Hospital in Bloomsbury, where they discovered the driver's wife was in labour. While other officers entered the hospital to alert staff to the situation, PC Singh and PC Taborro were called into action, delivering baby Clara in the front seat of the car. Clara's mother, Debra, said: 'Siobhan and Isabella came round to the passenger side and immediately helped me and assisted delivering the baby. 'They were both calm and collected and also very cheerful. I felt very reassured having them there. I cannot thank them enough for bringing our daughter Clara safely into the world.' Their shift was far from over, however, and they were soon called to an unlicensed music event in Hammersmith and Fulham. Siobhan Singh and Isabella Taborro were on patrol in central London on July 3 when they spotted a vehicle being driven erratically by a motorist whose wife was in labour (Pictured: PC Taborro with Debra and baby Clara) Both officers were hurt after being met with violence, with PC Singh suffering a shoulder injury after being struck by a projectile and PC Taborro sustaining injuries to her ankle. Police branded those attending the illegal block party in White City, west London 'disgusting inhuman thugs' after officers had bottles thrown at them and were threatened with a knife. At one stage almost 200 riot police and two helicopters were at the scene. Chief Superintendent Helen Harper, borough commander for Central West, said both PC Singh and PC Taborro are recuperating from their injuries. 'Their ability to provide comfort and reassurance to a woman giving birth in a car highlights their humanity, and the sometimes unseen side of policing,' she said. 'To then be called to an event that has got out of hand and is causing disruption to a local community, and be ready to face violence, is just as impressive.' Pictured: Riot police attend an unlicensed music event in White City, west London on July 3 Both officers were hurt after being met with violence, with PC Singh suffering a shoulder injury after being struck by a projectile and PC Taborro sustaining injuries to her ankle Officers were forced to retreat from the party in west London after they were showered with glass as they tried to break up 'an unlicensed music event'. London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the mass street party as 'disgraceful'. He said: 'Violence against the police will not be tolerated and perpetrators will be caught and prosecuted.' According to Scotland Yard: 'Officers attempted to engage the crowd in order to get them to leave the location but the group became hostile. A number of items were thrown at police, who retreated in order to regroup. 'Shortly after, specially trained public order officers entered the estate to disperse the group. They were met with further hostility and violence.' Seven officers were injured during the incident. They have been putting on daily social media concerts for fans during the coronavirus lockdown. But on Sunday, Katharine McPhee and David Foster headed out together to see a friend in West Hollywood. The 36-year-old actress donned a chic button-up black midi dress and slip on sandals for the outing. Chic: Katharine McPhee donned a chic button-up black midi dress and slip on sandals as she headed to a friends house in West Hollywood with husband David Foster on Sunday The American Idol alum shielded her eyes from the sun as she headed inside, carrying a black tote bag. She left her brunette locks down in an easy and slightly wavy style. Meanwhile, her music producer husband, 70, comfortable and casual in a plain white tee, grey sweatpants and black Nike sneakers. Casual: She left her brunette locks down in an easy and slightly wavy style David was sure to don a blue medical face mask, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to place regulations requiring face coverings, though Katharine opted not to wear a mask. He added to his look with high white socks and black metal frame sunglasses. The couple has been entertaining their fans with daily concerts through Instagram Live throughout the coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile: Meanwhile, her music producer husband, 70, comfortable and casual in a plain white tee, grey sweatpants and black Nike sneakers The pair first met when Katharine was a contestant on American Idol in 2006 but did not become romantically involved until more than a decade later. The couple's engagement, which was announced in June 2018, raised eyebrows since McPhee is around the same age as Foster's daughters. But, nonetheless, they were married in June 2019 during a ceremony in London, and recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary. Haircut: They have been entertaining their fans with daily concerts through Instagram Live during the coronavirus outbreak and one of their most recent live streams featured an impromptu haircut In one of their most recent lockdown live streams Katharine gave David an impromptu haircut. Katharine, who was clad in a black onesie, revealed that she has cut his hair before the concert before trying to snip off a few more hairs for the live audience. 'The update is I cut your hair,' Katharine began, as her husband, clad in a grey suit with a white dress shirt, said she, 'did an amazing job.' Amazing job: 'The update is I cut your hair,' Katharine began, as her husband, clad in a grey suit with a white dress shirt, said she, 'did an amazing job While he said that, she brought out a pair of scissors, snipping a few more hairs from his head, telling Foster, 'it's just a minor adjustment.' David continued, 'No, she did a great, great job. I'm really impressed. My hair was getting so long. I was starting to look like Einstein, and, not a good look.' Katharine added, 'No, it's not my favourite look of yours,' before the happy couple continued their Instagram Live concert. The couple had been planning on touring together later this year, but plans for that tour have since been scrapped due to the COVID-19 outbreak. MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE (2017) Stream on Hulu and Netflix; rent on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu and YouTube. The Church of Scientology is a notoriously difficult subject to capture. Its power and penchant for secrecy and aggression can stymie even the most dogged chronicler. Louis Theroux, a journalist and filmmaker, and his director, John Dower, turned their lack of access to the groups leadership and active members to their advantage for this documentary. In place of interviews, the creators used actors to recreate the churchs practices as theyve been described by defectors and whistle-blowers like Marty Rathbun. In her review for The Times, Jeannette Catsoulis described the film an offbeat attempt to illuminate the churchs psychological grip on its members that relies on a shaggy, meandering charm. Whats on TV CMA BEST OF FEST 8 p.m. on ABC. Like so much else, the Country Music Associations annual music festival in Nashville was canceled because of the coronavirus. Luckily the organizers had a wealth of recordings from previous years to stitch together for this three-hour special. More than 25 performances from the last 16 years will be included. Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton and other contemporary stars are well represented in the lineup, but veterans and newer voices will also be featured. Luke Bryan, whose forthcoming album was pushed back to August, will host and perform with Darius Rucker. The Kanpur ambush in which eight policemen were killed is evidence that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's encounter policy, dubbed "thoko niti", has failed, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Monday. Yadav also demanded that the call detail records (CDR) of slain gangster Vikas Dubey for the past years be made public. This is essential to expose the police-politician nexus and to find out who helped Dubey and who benefited from him, the SP president told PTI in a wide-ranging interview in which he also observed that the COVID-19 crisis in the state is getting out of control and discussed his party's future plans. Dubey was gunned down by police while allegedly fleeing police custody on July 10, a week after eight policemen were killed in his village Bikru in Kanpur when they walked into a trap as they were going to arrest him. "Yogi-ji's 'thoko niti' has failed miserably. Had it been successful and had criminals feared it, the Kanpur incident in which eight policemen were killed would not have happened. Giving a free hand to police is fine but there should also be effective checks and monitoring from the top," Yadav said. Referring to Dubey's killing, he said, "If we say it is fake, they say we are defending a criminal. If there is an unbiased probe, the truth will come out." He denied allegations that Dubey was in the SP and that his wife was given a ticket to contest panchayat polls. "BJP put pressure on his (Dubey's) mother to take SP's name. As far as an SP ticket to Dubey's wife is concerned, it's not true. Our party had supported Sudha Yadav in that panchyat polls." "Fearing the disclosure of many secrets, the government has got him (Dubey) eliminated," he alleged. The former chief minister also attacked the BJP-led government on its failure to check the spread of COVID-19. "If the government stops manipulating figures, UP will cross all records and because of UP, India will break the world record. The situation is getting out of control." The government, he suggested, should adopt a four-day week and allow home quarantine to patients with mild symptoms and treat only serious patients in hospitals. The state has 36,476 cases with 934 fatalities, according to Union Health Ministry figures on Monday. Discussing the future of his party, Yadav said it has decided to give tickets to only candidates "who have a good image in the public" and not to those with dubious pasts. The party chief said it will not tie up with any big party in 2022 and go for an adjustment with smaller parties with a base. "This will help countering the BJP propaganda also that all parties have allied against 'Hindutva'," he explained. About his experiences from past alliances, Yadav said, "Yes we lost in 2014, 2017 and 2019 too. We have learnt from experience and will strike back in 2022 by getting 351 of 403 (UP Assembly) seats." He welcomed Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra getting more active in the state and said all parties should raise their voice against this government. "It will send a message to people who already have made up their minds to vote against the BJP misrule." In the days to come, he said, party workers would go out on cycles to reach out to the people. The SP's work might not have been acknowledged by people earlier but this time "kaam bolega" (work will speak), Yadav said. "In the past 3.5 years, only the infrastructure developed in SP regime is being used by this government and they did nothing new for the people. Can anyone tell what new thing they have given to the state," he claimed. "When we ask what demonetisation and GST have given, the BJP did not reply and resorted to non-issues to divert attention of people," he said. He said the BJP only knew how to mislead people. "What the state achieved from investment summit, defence expo, no one is ready to tell. They (BJP) don't look back, but do another event. But it will not do them any good in the long run," he added. By PTI NEW DELHI: Vodafone Idea on Monday approached the telecom tribunal TDSAT against the sectoral regulator Trai's missive to put on hold its plan that promised faster speeds to certain priority users, according to sources. Sources privy to the development said that the telecom operator has filed a petition in the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), challenging Trai's move and has requested for an early hearing on the matter. On Saturday, Trai had asked Vodafone Idea as well as Bharti Airtel to put on hold specific plans that promised faster speeds to certain priority users, as the regulator questioned the telcos on whether network preference to specific customers came at the cost of deterioration of services for other subscribers. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) also asked the two operators to withhold the specific plan in the interim period while the issue is being examined. The regulator had written to the two operators -- Airtel and Vodafone Idea -- over the weekend questioning them about their individual plans that promised faster speeds to certain priority users. Trai questioned the priority being given to high-paying customers in those specific plans. The regulator asked the operators how they are protecting the interest of other general subscribers. An email query sent to Vodafone Idea on its appeal in the TDSAT did not elicit a response. Under Trai's scanner is Vodafone Idea (VIL) postpaid plan, REDX, promising up to 50 per cent faster data speed, besides other benefits and privileges. A VIL source, who did not wish to be named, had said on Sunday that the company was taken aback at Trai's letter over the weekend asking it to block the plan without any opportunity to respond on an important matter such as tariff. The company source had then said that the REDX plan was filed with Trai in November 2019 and further modifications to the plan were, once again, duly filed in the month of May 2020. The plan has been in the market for last eight months and customers are already on-boarded. The VIL source said that the company is of the view that there is no violation of tariff regulation on this plan. The source had gone to the extent of saying that the company was surprised with the haste in which this action has been taken which can lead to inconvenience to customers. On Sunday, a Vodafone Idea spokesperson had said that Vodafone REDX plan offers a range of benefits including unlimited data, calls, premium content, international roaming pack etc. for our valued postpaid customers who want more". "VIL is committed to serve its customers with the best in class offerings and high speed 4G data across all markets. VIL's fastest 4G speed in many markets including metros has been verified by global testing agencies such as Ookla and OpenSignal amongst others, the VIL spokesperson had said. It is learnt that Trai has given Airtel seven days to respond to its questions. On July 6, Bharti Airtel had announced it will give preference to platinum mobile customers, who pay Rs 499 and above per month for post-paid connection, on its 4G network. The platinum customers will get better 4G speed on Bharti Airtel network compared to other customers. Chloe x Halle shared behind-the-scenes photos Sunday from their album cover photoshoot. The singing Bailey sisters posted pictures on Instagram in shiny black latex to mark a milestone for their new album Ungodly Hour. They wrote in the caption for their roughly 3.2 million followers: 'happy one month anniversary to our sophomore album ungodly hour !!! this was the day we shot the album cover...wearing latex in 90+ degree weather is no walk in the park ...what song off ungodly hour do you wanna see a video to?' Album shoot: Chloe x Halle shared behind-the-scenes photos Sunday from their album cover photoshoot The sisters were seen standing next to each posing for the camera in tight latex outfits and thigh-high black boots. Chloe, 22, and Halle, 20, released their debut album The Kids Are Alright in 2018. They earned two Grammy Awards nominations for Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary Album. Ungodly Hour has received widespread critical acclaim with reviewers praising their vocal delivery, artistic growth, maturity and the work's cohesiveness. Singing sisters: The singing Bailey sisters posted pictures on Instagram in shiny black latex to mark a milestone for their new album Ungodly Hour. Black latex: Chloe and Halle wore black latex in 90-plus degree weather during the photoshoot for their new Ungodly Hour album Sophomore album: Chloe x Halle marked the one-month anniversary of their new album The album's lead single Do It has become their most successful song to date. Do It peaked at number 83 on the Billboard US Hot 100 chart and also reached number three on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart, making it their first top five hit on that chart. Disney announced in July 2019 that Halle had been cast as Ariel in an upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid set to be directed by Rob Marshall, 59. Critical acclaim: Ungodly Hour has received widespread critical acclaim with reviewers praising their vocal delivery, artistic growth, maturity and the work's cohesiveness He is best known for directing the film version of the Broadway musical Chicago. Rob also is a producer of The Little Mermaid, which was scheduled to begin filming in April at Pinewood Studios in London before production was temporarily halted in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Filming was expected to resume this month in London with cast and crew living in a 'bubble' close to the production area. A new points-based immigration system that treats EU and non-EU citizens alike and creates new routes for talent and healthcare professionals to come and work in the UK was confirmed in a ministerial statement by home secretary Priti Patel on Monday. The system will take effect from January 1, a day after the Brexit transition period ends on December 31. The statement confirms post-Brexit plans announced earlier by the Boris Johnson government, many of which are likely to be welcomed by Indian professionals. Chair of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) UK India Business Forum, Jim Bligh said: Indian businesses welcome the UKs new points-based immigration. Its positive that the UK is seeking to attract highly-skilled nationals from across the world, regardless of nationality. Across all sectors, Indian businesses bring in highly skilled nationals from around the world to help UK plc grow and compete. From high tech to haute cuisine, engineering to drug design, a smooth, skills-focused immigration system should help Indian companies across the economy to flourish in Britain in the years ahead, he added. The immigration routes described by officials as new, simplified, include a new Health and Care Visa for key health professionals will make it easier and cheaper for health professionals to work in the UK; a new graduate route opening in Summer 2021 will allow international students to stay in the UK once they have successfully completed their studies: students who have completed undergraduate and masters degrees will be able to stay for two years and those who have completed PhD can stay for three years; and the Global Talent Scheme will allow highly-skilled scientists and researchers to come to the UK without a job offer. Patel said: The British people voted to take back control of our borders and introduce a new points-based immigration system. Now we have left the EU, we are free to unleash this countrys full potential and implement the changes we need to restore trust in the immigration system and deliver a new fairer, firmer, skills-led system from January 1, 2021. Britain is open for business and ready to welcome the best and brightest global talent, she added. The details announced by the Home Office are expected to give British employers the time to prepare and the new immigration system will be implemented in phases to ensure smooth delivery. The new system will require those applying via the skilled worker route to accrue points by meeting a number of relevant criteria, such as have a job offer at the appropriate skill level, the ability to speak English and meeting the salary threshold. The system will also expand the skills threshold. An applicants job must be at the minimum skill level of A-level or equivalent, rather than degree level under the current system. This will provide greater flexibility and ensure UK business has access to a wide pool of skilled workers, officials added. Townes lawsuit claims Donnellys prosecution was politically motivated and not supported by probable cause. He succeeded in getting a special prosecutor to take over for Donnelly, saying she was biased against him, and last year, a judge dismissed the criminal case against Towne, saying his rights to a speedy trial had been violated. Photograph: David Madison/Getty Images Washington DC is set to allow imprisoned people to vote, a significant move because US states have long disenfranchised those with felony convictions, even after they have served their sentences behind bars. There were more than 6 million Americans who were unable to vote in the 2018 midterms because of a felony conviction. Washington DCs plan would put the US Capitol in line with just two other states in the country. Related: 'Unbelievably unfair': thousands of Americans face having votes rejected in election Washington DC has a very high incarceration rate and up to 4,500 people could be affected by the measure, included in emergency police reform legislation that passed the city council this week. Expanding voting rights to persons in prison is a historic step for American democracy, said Nicole Porter, director of advocacy at the Sentencing Project, a criminal justice reform group, in a statement. I am hopeful that the Districts action will inspire states to recognize the value of universal suffrage and the engagement of all its citizens. The US has some of the strictest policies in the world when it comes to disenfranchising people convicted of felonies of their right to vote, and states have widely divergent policies dictating whether someone can regain their voting rights once released from prison.. In recent years, however, there has been a push to ease these restrictions, recognizing that many of them have roots in the Jim Crow south and were part of an effort to disenfranchise African Americans after they gained the right to vote. All of those efforts, however, have focused on making it easier to restore voting rights after someone is released from prison; the DC measure is unique in that it focuses on restoring voting rights while people are still incarcerated. The movement to re-enfranchise people with felony convictions has largely stalled at the prison gates, Christopher Uggen, a professor at the University of Minnesota who studies felon disenfranchisement, wrote in an email. Story continues In recent years, many states have torn down post-sentence voting restrictions and restrictions on people serving probation and parole sentences in the community. Prisoners, however, have generally been excluded from these reforms. Maine and Vermont are the only other states where those convicted of felonies are permitted to vote in prison. Other states have taken starkly different approaches. Prisoners in Utah lost the right to vote in 1998, as did Massachusetts inmates in 2000. If approved by the Washington DC mayor, Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, the new law would be in effect for 90 days, according to the Washington Post, though the city, could approve a more permanent version this fall. 'The EU's Court of Justice are seeking to overturn an EU Commission decision in 2016 that Apple got preferential treatment from Ireland and owed 13bn in back taxes.' Stock photo: Philip Toscano/PA The Government is bracing itself for a potential "lose-lose" outcome to the 13bn Apple tax case ruling due on Wednesday. The EU's Court of Justice will give its verdict on an appeal launched by the tech giant and Ireland. They are seeking to overturn an EU Commission decision in 2016 that Apple got preferential treatment from Ireland and owed 13bn in back taxes. If the judges of the EU's general court rule in favour of the European Commission, Ireland could be in for a significant tax windfall. However, other EU countries may well line up for a share of the 13bn arguing that it relates to economic activity by Apple inside their jurisdiction. But Government ministers fear this could be a short-term gain and jeopardise the future of lucrative multinational investment and job-creation in Ireland. If the EU judges rule for Ireland and Apple, there will still be controversy with the issue again in the headlines at a crucial time in talks on Brexit, budget and coronavirus aid. All these issues are due for discussion at a special EU leaders' summit in Brussels on Friday. Raising Ireland's low company taxes in the media again at this time is not going to help these discussions. "The issue of corporate tax is a recurring one and poses big challenges for Ireland which will not go away," one well-placed source told the Irish Independent. Issues The case turns on two key issues: whether guarantees given by the Government to Apple on taxation amounted to preferential treatment for the tech giant and whether so-called "transfer pricing" and the extent to which various Apple entities were able to shift transactions from one entity to another. In its 2016 decision, the EU Commission conceded that not all of the 13bn in back taxes was necessarily revenue due in total to Ireland. The money has been put on ice in a special so-called escrow account pending a court ruling. The European Commission under its competition law has widespread direct powers to make costly decisions affecting business. But these decisions can be appealed to the EU courts. Whatever the verdict at the Luxembourg court, officials expect an appeal to the higher EU Court of Justice will follow. Nigerias ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said no alleged corrupt official can escape prosecution under the current administration led by an incorruptible personality, President Muhammadu Buhari. The party, which clinched power in 2015, denied the allegation of witch-hunting the embattled chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, because of his (Magu) attempt to expose the unbridled treasury looting and extortion by the alleged cabal within the Buhari led administration. This allegation was made in a statement earlier issued by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday as more allegations continue to surface against the suspended EFCC boss. In its argument, the main opposition party highlighted instances of unravelled corrupt cases by Mr Magu-led anti-graft agency but were dismissed due to the culprits affiliations to the cabal. Some Nigerians have always accused the president of being influenced by a close group of people (cabal) in government who ensure he does as they please. The PDP says that the grandstanding by the Buhari Presidency in response to revelations of abuses and sleazes emanating from the investigation of the suspended acting Chairman of the APC-controlled Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, exposes a desperate attempt by a cabal to delink certain of its officials from indictment in the saga, the opposition spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, had noted in the statement. Mr Magu, who has been leading the anti-graft agency in acting capacity since November 9, 2015, when Ibrahim Lamorde was sacked, was suspended on Tuesday amidst allegations of gross misconduct and insubordination levelled against him by Attorney-General Abubakar Malami. He had been having conflict with the justice minister. He is still under investigation as the panel investigating the allegations against him continues to meet. APC reacts Using the arrest of the embattled EFCC acting chairman as a reference, the APC in its reaction, insisted that nobody is above the law in the Buhari-led administration, though critics think otherwise. The former ruling party PDP does not have what it takes to lament about its alleged corruption practices in the present administration of APC. It is on record that the PDP is the founder of corruption in Nigeria, to the extent that the evil practices were made official way of life during its 16 wasteful years. In APCs government nobody is above the law. For the fact that the suspended acting chairman of the EFCC Ibrahim Magu is being investigated should send a signal to all those who think and have blackmailed the governments anti-corruption battle. The Presidency has assured that there is no hiding place for any corrupt government official in this administration being led by an incorruptible personality, in person of President Muhammadu Buhari, it said. So, Nigerians should ignore the fake lamentations of an unrepentant corrupt PDP. The main opposition party is only pained that its no longer in government. PDP does not have history of caring for the people even when the revenue generations were at the highest levels, an APC spokesperson, Yekini Nabena, said in a statement issued late Sunday night. A man whose car spun out of control when he suffered a cardiac arrest at the wheel has met the brave strangers who saved his life. Dave Barker, who works as a dispatcher for Wellington Fire Service, blacked out and veered into the centre barrier of State Highway 1 at Ngauranga Gorge, Wellington, on May 28. Mr Barker, who is aged in his 50s, hit the barrier nine times before his car came to a complete stop. In the two minutes following the accident, 55 vehicles passed his car without stopping, Ten One Magazine reported. It was sheer luck that dog handler Constable Regan Woodmass managed to arrive on scene in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Mr Barker (pictured, centre) has since met the strangers who stopped in bumper-to-bumper traffic to help save his life when he crashed on May 28 Constable Woodmass was travelling southbound on State Highway 1 when he saw the accident unfold near Johnsonville before turning around to help Mr Barker. 'Thinking back to that night, it was a lot of good fortune and luck that the right people with the right skills were close by to help,' Constable Woodmass said. 'Otherwise, this would not have ended the way that it did.' Constable Woodmass was soon joined by Irene Campbell, who leaped into action when she approached Mr Barker's car and realised he 'was unconscious but looked okay to move'. 'So I dragged him out of the passenger door to start CPR,' she said. 'Before he had hit the ground, Lizette Standish, a mechanic who had completed first aid training, jumped into action assisting with compressions.' Christopher Hoffman, an orthopaedic surgeon, was the fourth on the scene taking over CPR. 'In just over a minute of CPR, Dave breathed on his own for a bit and then went unresponsive again,' Constable Woodmass said. Once paramedics were on the scene, Mr Barker was moved into the ambulance, where CPR continued. He was shocked a number of times before being stable enough to move to hospital, where he was then placed on life support in a critical condition. Mr Barker knew he was at risk of heart issues and had undergone a cardio treadmill test due to his family's history with cardiac problems just days before. There was no sign of any problem at the time of this test, however. In a fateful twist Mr Barker's colleagues at the Fire Service watched the event unfold from the command centre. They recognised Mr Barker's car and saw him in distress in the moments prior to help arriving. Authorised Officer Jo Barry - Mr Baker's sister - has since reached out to all those involved on the night, thanking them for their heroic efforts. 'I'm so thankful for everyone who helped Dave that night,' she said. In the two minutes following Mr Barker's accident on May 28, 55 vehicles passed without stopping before the first of four strangers arrived to help 'Though Regan is incredibly humble, Dave wouldn't be with us now if it wasn't for Regan's actions and quick thinking and his strength to drag Dave out of the car. ' 'As a family, we are hugely grateful for Regan's response to what could have been a terrible outcome.' Mr Baker has since met the four strangers who stopped to save his life at a party arranged by Mr Barker's family. Constable Woodmass told Ten One Magazine it was not often those working in emergency services could see what happened after an accident, and how the family was affected. 'It's been great to hear updates about Dave's recovery. It was a privilege to meet him and his family under much happier circumstances,' he said. 'Dave is a really awesome guy with an amazing family and we had a great conversation at the reunion party. 'There were so many good people who helped that night and I'm just thankful that this story has a happy ending.' London, July 13 : A leaked UK government report has identified 20 council areas deemed to be most at risk from a new coronavirus outbreak. According to the report, Leicester, which has already been put into a local lockdown, was deemed to be top of the list and earmarked for "intervention", the Metro newspaper reported. Areas identified as needing "enhanced support" were Bradford, Sheffield and Kirklees, it said. Another six regions, Bedford, Barnsley, Rotherham, Oldham, Rochdale and Blackburn with Darwen, were said to be areas of "concern", the report added. The classified document compiled by Public Health England was leaked to the Observer newspaper and was published on Sunday. It is based on coronavirus testing between June 21 and July 4, with councils ranked by the percentage of people who tested positive. As of Monday, the UK reported a total of 291,154 coronavirus cases, with 44,904 deaths. 60 people have died while 41 have gone missing in floods and landslides in the last four days in various parts of Nepal. Search operations are being carried to find the missing people by the officials. At least 60 people have died while 41 have gone missing in floods and landslides in the last four days in various parts of Nepal. Myagdi District of Western Nepal is the worst affected with 27 deaths. Search and rescue operations are underway with officials and police personnel looking through the debris to find the missing people. Hundreds have been displaced in the district as landslides have swept away their homes. They have now taken refuge in local schools and community centres. Mansuwa BK, who is now taking shelter at a local school in Bim of Myagdi District told ANI that the child is just six months old. They are taking shelter in the school. In their family, the child and she are the only survivors. She held him in her hands and then ran from her house as the landslide came down. Landslides and floods are a common phenomenon in the Himalayan nation during the monsoon season. Thamsara Pun, Village Council Chair of Dhaulagiri Village Council of Myagdi, which is affected by the landslide said that in the first phase they rescued the injured which took them around 30-35 hours to complete. Now they were continuing their search operation for the missing ones who are believed to have been buried in the debris and identification of those who are dead and making arrangements for their cremation, two of their wards have been completely swept away due to the landslide. Also read: PM Modi congratulates Singapore PM on General Elections win Also read: Russia completes trials of worlds 1st Covid-19 vaccine As of July 12, about one thousand people have been displaced from their homes and have taken shelter in nearby schools and are relying on the support of donors. Chief District Officer of Myagdi District, Gyannath Dhakal told ANI that no one is helpless in his area for now all affected have been shifted to schools and community buildings. The search operation is underway involving 70-80 security personnel and it is towards the end and the work of providing relief has also started. Nepals Meteorological Forecasting Division earlier this week had predicted heavy downpour for the first three days of this week across the country. In the bulletin, the Division had warned of monsoon being near the low-pressure line in the Terai belt, which would consequently cause rainfall. Also read: Unknown pneumonia in Kazakhstan could be Covid-19: WHO For all the latest World News, download NewsX App A man in Poland wielded a knife and fled to the woods, refusing to give up his beloved but illegal pet puma when officials from a zoo tried to retrieve the animal on Friday, according to local reports. The man, Kamil Stanek, who bought the big cat and named her Nubia six years ago, has posted nearly 200 videos of her playfully nuzzling and nibbling him on social media. But despite his assertion that the cat was harmless and well cared for, he was ordered by a court to hand over the puma to a zoo in Poznan. The police said that zoo employees had attempted to take Nubia before informing the police, and the standoff on Friday ensued. Piotr Zytnicki, a local journalist, disputed that account, reporting that the police had been notified but did not arrive in time. Mr. Stanek had twice been fined for keeping Nubia, and ultimately the courts decided Nubia must be taken to the zoo, he wrote. Armenia and Azerbaijan blamed each other Monday for skirmishes on their volatile border that has left three Azerbaijani soldiers dead and several troops wounded on both sides. The two neighbors in the Southern Caucasus have been locked in conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan that has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. International efforts to settle the conflict have stalled. Armenian and Azerbaijani forces have frequently engaged in clashes. In 2016, scores were killed in four days of fighting. The latest incident began Sunday when Armenian and Azerbaijani troops exchanged fire in the northern section of their border. Officials in both countries blamed each other for starting the fighting and said that sporadic shelling continued Monday. Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said that two of its soldiers were killed in Armenian shelling Sunday and another one later died in a hospital. It said five Azerbaijani servicemen were wounded. Armenian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said Monday that two Armenian troops were wounded. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused Azerbaijan of provoking the clashes and warned that it would bear responsibility for the unpredictable consequences. Azerbaijani President Ilhan Aliyev denounced what he described as another provocation of Armenia and vowed to protect Azerbaijans national territory. Passengers wearing protective clothing wait, prior to boarding a China Southern Airlines for Guangzhou at Charles de Gaulle Airport on the outskirts of Paris on May 12, 2020. (Eric Piermont / AFP via Getty Images) France Reduces Chinese Flights to Paris in Tit-for-Tat Row PARISFrances government on Monday started restricting Chinese airlines to one passenger flight to France per week, saying it was acting in response to restrictions imposed by Beijing on French carriers flying to China. From July 13, Chinese companies will only be authorised to make one weekly trip, the French embassy in Beijing said on its website. Discussions are underway between the two governments with a view to reaching a satisfactory solution. Chinas state aviation regulator, CAAC, could not immediately be reached for comment. The French embassy said that three Chinese carriers, Air China, China Eastern Airlines Corp, and China Southern Airlines Co, were each authorised to make weekly flights from Chinese cities to Paris. It said that, under a June 12 reciprocal arrangement, Air France had been authorised by Beijing to carry out three flights a week to China. But the embassy said that, in practice, Chinese authorities had only allowed one Air France flight per week to go ahead. It said France was applying intense diplomatic pressure to get the go-ahead from Beijing for the extra flights. In the meantime, it advised travellers to be prepared for disruption to air links between the two countries. Passenger flights between France and China were suspended earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By Christian Lowe and Stella Qiu The gunman behind New Zealand's Christchurch mosque shootings has dismissed his lawyers and will represent himself when he is sentenced next month. Australian national Brenton Tarrant, who admitting to killing 51 worshippers in the worst mass shootings in New Zealand's modern history, will be sentenced on 24 August. The attacks have prompted worldwide changes to social media protocols after Tarrant live-streamed his attack on Facebook. The news that he has chosen to represent himself has spurred concerns Tarrant plans to use his sentencing hearing, which could last more than three days, to promote his white supremacist views. Tarrants defence team have acted as his legal counsel since April 2019. At a High Court session in Christchurch on Monday, which Tarrant joined via video link from his Auckland jail, Justice Cameron Mander said he was satisfied the 29-year-old understood his right to legal representation and his right to represent himself. Tarrant faces life in prison after pleading guilty in March to 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one charge of engaging in a terrorist act for the 2019 shootings. His sentencing hearing has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Manitoba Infrastructure crews finished their work on Rivers dam within a couple hours Saturday morning, with a full analysis of the structures integrity set to be released sometime this week. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/7/2020 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Manitoba Infrastructure crews finished their work on Rivers dam within a couple hours Saturday morning, with a full analysis of the structures integrity set to be released sometime this week. Riverdale Municipality Mayor Todd Gill told the Sun that the testing process went smoothly, where government workers spent a couple hours examining each side of the dam with a probing tool. While Gill hasnt seen the full results of these tests as of Sunday afternoon, he did get a good feeling about the dams condition after talking with some government representatives afterward. "They were pleased with the amount of scouring, there didnt seem to be a lot of concern with that," he said. "Theres been some technical issues with some water pressure in the monitoring wells that theyll continue to review." The province originally spearheaded these tests to determine how well the structure has held up under unprecedented stress, with southwestern Manitoba being battered with record rainfall earlier this month. While the Rivers dam never burst, government officials said the 60-year-old structure had to endure its highest-ever water levels because of the rain. Thankfully, Gill said all the bodies of water surrounding the dam have been steadily receding since then, with Lake Wahtopanah dropping to just 3.8 feet above the structures spillway as of Saturday morning. This represents a 2.2 foot drop in water levels from July 4. Meanwhile, the Little Saskatchewan River has also been stabilizing as of late, with the water level falling 0.6 feet last weekend alone. Because of the improving situation, Gill said Riverdale allowed most of the communitys 53 original flood evacuees back into their homes last week. "We presently have seven residences that are still out on the evacuation order," he said. "The rest are back into their homes and on bag-ready notice." Even though the regions weather remains unpredictable, Gill is still optimistic about his communitys capacity to fix their infrastructure now that they have been given a little breathing room. "The waters receding and were fixing infrastructure on a day-to-day basis, getting roads opened up and bridges repaired," he said. "So were moving forward." kdarbyson@brandonsun.com Twitter: @KyleDarbyson Despite the mea culpa by the paper, some Tucsonans still believed Mayor Corbett was guilty. One reader in a letter to the editor a few days later said, If Mayor James Corbett must seek to be quoted at all, he might well consider directing some attention toward the circumstances that have brought about such an uncomplimentary highlighting of Tucson in this issue of Life. Another critic shared his irritation with the guiltless mayor by writing: The Life magazine of July 24 states that the mayor regards Speedway as Americas ugliest street. If that is so, why doesnt he stay in Tucson a while and do something about it? The Life magazine article may have even inspired violence. Soon after it came out, two large, clean-cut men pulled up to a man sitting next to his chopper motorcycle on East Speedway and said to him, Its time they gave Speedway back to the establishment, and hit him in the face several times, breaking his jaw. It was also obvious to some Tucsonans that a telephoto lens was utilized in the capturing of the picture in order to make things look more crowded and uglier along Speedway. The DMPT held its 57th Meeting in virtual mode. The overall virtual session consisted of two phases. The first phase was a document-based discussion which took place from 5 to 19 June 2020 via the WCO CLiKC! platform. The second phase was a web-conference session which took place from 29 June to 3 July 2020. As a result of efficiencies made, the web-conference session concluded ahead of schedule on 1 July 2020. The web-conference session was organized using the WEBEX platform and took place in English only. The meeting was chaired by Ms. Louritha Green of United States Customs and Border Protection (U.S. CBP). Some 119 participants had registered for the meeting, of whom 65 representing WCO Members, international organizations and the private sector actually took part. Mr. Pranab Kumar Das, WCO Director of Compliance and Facilitation, and Mr. Brendan OHearn, WCO Deputy Director of Procedures and Facilitation, welcomed all the delegates. The DMPT continued its discussion of and approved the code-list for Crews Effects and Ships Stores to be included in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Compendium on Facilitation and Electronic Business. The Representative of the IMO thanked the WCO for its active contribution to the work on Customs and Maritime cooperation in general, and to data standardization in particular. The DMPT also discussed and approved the new annual Work Programme of the DMPT for 2020/2021. In addition, the DMPT took note of and supported the proposal made by the Representative of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) to include the alignment of the new update to postal data requirements with the WCO Data Model (DM) in the Work Programme. It also stressed the need to keep up to date with the process of reviewing the WCO DM publication policy. The DMPT also discussed and supported the scope of version 4 of the WCO DM as recommended by a Mini Group that had developed the list of that versions features during the intersession. The DMPT agreed to continue studying the feasibility of actual inclusion of the features, taking into account an analysis of the cost and benefit of each recommended enhancement to the WCO DM. As part of the process of maintaining the WCO DM, the DMPT received, discussed and reached a decision about a Data Maintenance Request (DMR) submitted by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Furthermore, taking into account the prevailing situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the DMPT agreed to maintain the existing plan to finalize the new annual version of the WCO DM, namely version 3.10.0, by the end of 2020 (i.e. business as usual). With regard to its ongoing work concerning the Framework of Conformity, the DMPT discussed the text of different WCO DM electronic message formats, agreed to continue developing the relevant text during the intersession and aimed to finalize the Introduction to Conformity document at its September 2020 meeting. Mr. OHearn closed the meeting and thanked all the participants for their productive contribution during the virtual session. Retailers in Melbourne's popular open-air markets have questioned the Victorian government's decision to bar them from trading during the city's lockdown, claiming it's unfair they should have to close while shopping centre retailers can remain open. Kate Vandermeer, who runs kids and homewares retailer TheSuperCool out of the South Melbourne Market's SO:ME design space, shut her store for three months during the initial lockdown in March, and will now close it again for the next six weeks as the city battles its second surge of COVID-19. TheSuperCool store owner Kate Vandermeer Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui Under the government's directive only market stalls selling food and drink are able to trade. "This isn't fair, it should be up to the individual retailer. If people want to pick up something while they're getting their fruit and veg, they should be allowed to," she said. Hewlett Packard Enterprise took a significant leap into the SD-WAN market with its offer to buy networking vendor Silver Peak for $925 million. Silver Peak's Unity WAN technology will slide into HPE subsidiary Aruba's portfolio and give it an immediate shot in the competitive arm when it comes to the hot SD-WAN arena where Cisco, VMware and others are attracting enterprise IT dollars. Founded in 2004 by David Hughes, who is still CEO, Silver Peak develops a variety of wide-area network technologies including WAN optimization and SD-WAN software. "Our Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN edge platform is highly complementary to HPE's industry-defining SD-Branch offerings and it will become the centerpiece of Aruba's WAN edge strategy," Hughes wrote in a blog about the sale to HPE. "Upon closing the deal, we will become part of HPE's Aruba division, bringing together the industry's most comprehensive end-to-end secure networking portfolio from the data center to the campus, to branch and remote worker locations." As applications continue to move to the cloud, remote working and mobile employees rise, and billions of IoT devices are added to the network, the SD-WAN market is growing quickly or at least it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, HPE Aruba cites 650 Group research that says the market for SD-WAN will grow from $2.3 billion in 2020 to $4.9 billion in 2024. More recently, researchers at IDC noted that SD-WAN's yearly growth rate, which was nearly 40% until around March, fell to less than 1% in June. But that drop is understandable under the circumstances, said Brad Casemore, research vice president, datacenter networks, at IDC. Member of Parliament for Sekondi, Andrew Agyapa Mercer has expressed dissenting views regarding suggestions to close schools as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19. President Nana Akufo-Addo, during his regular update address on COVID-19, allowed schools to reopen for only final year students and further directed the students, teachers and all the school authorities to abide by the health protocols to prevent the spread of the disease on the various campuses. However, about thirteen (13) final year students in Senior High Schools (SHS) in the country have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 a few days after returning to school. The cases were recorded in the Greater Accra, Ashanti and the Central Regions. The Odorgonor, Konongo Wesley, Mfantsipim and Accra Girls Senior High Schools have all recorded cases of COVID-19. A student at the KNUST SHS was left by the school authorities to die amidst speculations he had the disease. Some parents of the school children as well as members of opposition parties, particularly the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have raised serious concerns and called on the President to close the schools to safeguard the students against the disease but their calls haven't yielded any fruitful results yet. Addressing the issue on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Hon. Agyapa Mercer disagreed with those calling on the President to direct for the schools to close as a result of the disease outbreak on the campuses. ''The schools ought to run. Of course, it's unfortunate that a person has lost his life but if we enforce the protocols, are we not more likely to succeed than to make blanket call that close down the schools?'' he questioned. According to him, ''markets are still open. Shops are open. Offices, by and large, are open and rightfully so...If we don't continue to urge people or compel them if need be to wear it (nose mask), then we should close shops. Closing shops too won't be possible''. To him, the emphasis should be on enforcing the safety protocols in the schools. "Ultimately, you can give all the laws, directives and guidelines, if individually we're not prepared to abide it; we expose our own selves and our families to potential contracting COVID. But in a situation where you take appropriate steps, your chances of contraction reducing significantly." 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 Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. BOCA RATON, Fla., July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Q.E.P. CO., INC. (OTC: QEPC.PK) (the Company or QEP.) today reported its consolidated results of operations for its fiscal year ended February 29, 2020. QEP reported net sales of $393.9 million for the year ended February 29, 2020, an increase of $14.5 million or 3.8% from the $379.4 million reported in fiscal 2019. Net sales growth for fiscal 2020 as compared to the prior fiscal year reflects the positive contribution of businesses acquired during fiscal 2019, offset by divestment of certain non-core product lines and sales declines in certain North America core product categories, along with the unfavorable impact of foreign currency translation. As a percentage of net sales, gross margin was 26.4% in fiscal 2020, as compared to 26.5% in fiscal 2019. Lewis Gould, Chairman & CEO, commented on the Companys results, We are pleased with the Companys sales growth that has been achieved through our recent acquisitions. However, challenges associated with the integration of these acquisitions and investment made to update their product offerings had a negative impact on the current year earnings. Additionally, in fiscal 2020 the Company was adversely affected by higher tariffs imposed on certain flooring products imported from China. Mr. Gould continued, The Company continues to actively monitor and adjust our cost structure and use of working capital, modifying our plans to achieve the best return on these investments. Mr. Gould concluded, In these uncertain times, the Company is being very deliberate in making strategic decisions to secure our future. We believe that these decisions, along with the expansion of our product offerings and distribution channels, will create significant opportunities for sales growth and increased profitability in the year ahead. The Companys gross profit for fiscal 2020 was $103.9 million, representing an increase of $3.3 million, or 3.3% from $100.6 million in fiscal 2019, which resulted from fiscal 2019 acquisitions. Gross margin as a percentage of net sales was relatively flat as favorable product mix and reduced facility and production costs offset the increase in product cost resulting from higher tariffs placed on certain products the Company imports from China. Operating expenses, excluding the impairment loss on goodwill, for fiscal 2020 and 2019 were $112.6 million or 28.6% of net sales and $106.4 million or 28.0% of net sales, respectively. The increase in operating expenses was due to the incremental costs assumed with the businesses acquired during fiscal 2019, net of cost reduction in general and administrative expenses through the removal of duplicative acquisition overhead and one-time transaction costs related to acquisition activity in 2019. Operating expenses for 2020 include a non-cash impairment charge for goodwill of $4.0 million resulting from the decline in the Companys market valuation. Non-operating income in fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2019 represents the sale of assets related to non-core product lines. The increase in interest expense during fiscal 2020 as compared to fiscal 2019 was due to incremental borrowings under the Companys credit facilities to fund acquisitions and support sales growth. The benefit for income taxes as a percentage of income before taxes was 5.0% for fiscal 2020, as compared to 23.9% for fiscal 2019. The effective tax rate in fiscal 2020 reflects a valuation allowance of $2.7 million on deferred tax assets related to the Companys Canadian subsidiary. Net loss for fiscal 2020 was $12.1 million or $3.84 per diluted share, as compared to a net loss of $3.0 million or $0.95 per diluted share for fiscal 2019. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) as adjusted for impairment charges, non-operating income, corporate development and other one-time expenses for fiscal 2020 was minus $3.3 million as compared to $2.0 million for fiscal 2019. For the Year Ended February, 2020 2019 Net income (loss) $ (12,142 ) $ (3,020 ) Add: Interest expense, net 2,441 1,567 Benefit for income taxes (641 ) (950 ) Depreciation and amortization 4,754 4,728 Non-operating income (2,370 ) (3,414 ) Corporate development and other expenses 637 2,813 Impairment loss on goodwill 4,041 - Impairment of long-lived assets - 238 EBITDA as adjusted for impairment charges, non-operating income and corporate development and other expenses (1) $ (3,280 ) $ 1,962 (1) EBITDA as adjusted for impairment charges, non-operating income and corporate development and other one-time expenses represent non-GAAP measures and exclude charges or credits not indicative of our core operations, which may include but are not limited to corporate development expenses, acquisition integration and restructuring costs. Cash provided by operations during fiscal 2020 was $8.3 million as compared to cash used in operations of $13.0 million in fiscal 2019, reflecting a decrease in net investment in working capital, principally inventory and other assets that offset the decreased operating income. During fiscal 2020, the Company made acquisition payments of $1.3 million compared to $39.1 million during fiscal 2019. In fiscal 2020, cash provided by operations, along with proceeds from the sale of a non-core business line were used to repay borrowings under the Companys credit facility. In the prior fiscal year, investments in acquisitions, capital expenditures and inventory growth were funded through cash on-hand, proceeds from the sale of a business and borrowings under the Companys credit facilities. Working capital as of February 29, 2020 was $29.1 million compared to $43.9 million at the end of the 2019 fiscal year. Aggregate debt, net of available cash balances at the end of fiscal 2020, was $46.4 million or 73.9% of equity, a decrease of $9.4 million compared to $55.8 million or 73.8% of equity at the end of the 2019 fiscal year. Conference Call Information The Company will be hosting the following conference call to discuss its financial results and answer questions. Date: Thursday, July 16, 2020 Time: 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time Dial-in Numbers: 800-367-2403 (US or Canada) +1 334-777-6978 (International) Confirmation Code: 7860603 The Company is posting its consolidated fiscal 2020 audited financial statements on the Investor section of its website at www.qepcorporate.com today. About QEP Founded in 1979, Q.E.P. Co., Inc. is a leading global provider of high quality, innovative and value-driven flooring and flooring installation solutions. QEP manufactures, markets and sells a comprehensive line of flooring installation tools, adhesives, and underlayment for both consumers as well as professional installers. Under the Harris Flooring Group , QEP manufactures and offers a complete line of hardwood, luxury vinyl, and modular carpet tile. QEP sells its products throughout the world to home improvement retail centers, professional specialty distribution outlets, and flooring dealers under brand names including QEP, LASH, Roberts, Harris Flooring Group, Capitol, HarrisWood, Kraus, Naturally Aged Flooring, Vitrex, Homelux, Brutus, PRCI, Plasplugs, Tomecanic, Premix-Marbletite (PMM), Apple Creek and Elastiment. QEP is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida with offices in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release, other than statements of historical facts, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements can be identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "projects," "will," "may," "anticipates," "believes," "should," "intends," "estimates," and other words of similar meaning. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on current expectations and beliefs, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding economic conditions, sales growth, price increases, profit improvements, product development and marketing, operating expenses, cost savings, acquisition integration, operational synergy realization, cash flow, debt and currency exchange rates. Forward-looking statements may also be adversely affected by general market factors, competitive product development, product availability, federal and state regulations and legislation, manufacturing issues that may arise, patent positions and litigation, among other factors. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date the statements were made, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law. -Financial Information Follows- Q.E.P. CO., INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS (In thousands except per share data) For the Year Ended February 29, February 28, 2020 2019 Net sales $ 393,901 $ 379,402 Cost of goods sold 289,983 278,798 Gross profit 103,918 100,604 Operating expenses: Shipping 43,986 37,923 General and administrative 33,778 41,112 Selling and marketing 35,860 28,209 Impairment loss on goodwill 4,041 - Other income, net (1,035 ) (823 ) Total operating expenses 116,630 106,421 Operating income (loss) (12,712 ) (5,817 ) Non-operating income 2,370 3,414 Interest expense, net (2,441 ) (1,567 ) Income (loss) before provision for income taxes (12,783 ) (3,970 ) Benefit for income taxes (641 ) (950 ) Net income (loss) $ (12,142 ) $ (3,020 ) Earnings (loss) per share: Basic $ (3.84 ) $ (0.95 ) Diluted $ (3.84 ) $ (0.95 ) Weighted average number of common shares outstanding: Basic 3,160 3,179 Diluted 3,160 3,181 Q.E.P. CO., INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (In thousands) For the Year Ended February 29, February 28, 2020 2019 Net income (loss) $ (12,142 ) $ (3,020 ) Unrealized currency translation adjustments (594 ) (993 ) Comprehensive income (loss) $ (12,736 ) $ (4,013 ) Q.E.P. CO., INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands, except par values) February 29, 2020 February 28, 2019 ASSETS Cash $ 4,999 $ 6,467 Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $475 and $751 as of February 29, 2020 and February 28, 2019, respectively 49,264 53,295 Inventories 69,061 91,684 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 4,280 7,360 Prepaid income taxes 740 2,217 Current assets 128,344 161,023 Property and equipment, net 15,168 16,695 Right of use operating lease assets 18,320 - Deferred income taxes, net 4,135 3,271 Intangibles, net 13,871 16,815 Goodwill 2,288 6,140 Other assets 2,824 1,056 Total Assets $ 184,950 $ 205,000 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Trade accounts payable $ 31,114 $ 36,611 Accrued liabilities 19,366 29,358 Current operating lease liabilities 5,262 - Lines of credit 40,107 49,398 Current maturities of notes payable 3,399 1,733 Current liabilities 99,248 117,100 Notes payable 7,854 11,101 Non-current operating lease liabilities 14,121 - Deferred income taxes 114 193 Other long term liabilities 872 1,084 Total Liabilities 122,209 129,478 Preferred stock, 2,500 shares authorized, $1.00 par value; 0 shares issued and outstanding at February 29, 2020 and February 28, 2019, - - respectively Common stock, 20,000 shares authorized, $.001 par value; 3,827 and 3,821 shares issued, and 3,139 and 3,142 shares outstanding at February 29, 2020 and February 28, 2019, respectively 4 4 Additional paid-in capital 11,087 10,963 Retained earnings 64,887 77,029 Treasury stock, 688 and 679 shares held at cost at February 29, 2020 - and February 28, 2019, respectively (8,869 ) (8,700 ) Accumulated other comprehensive income (4,368 ) (3,774 ) Shareholders' Equity 62,741 75,522 Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity $ 184,950 $ 205,000 Q.E.P. CO., INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In thousands) For the Year Ended February 29, 2020 February 28, 2019 Operating activities: Net income (loss) $ (12,142 ) $ (3,020 ) Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Gain on sale of businesses (2,370 ) (3,415 ) Gain on sale of property (10 ) (96 ) Impairment loss on goodwill 4,041 - Impairment loss on long term assets - 238 Depreciation and amortization 4,754 4,728 Other non-cash adjustments 273 281 Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions: Accounts receivable 2,975 (2,457 ) Inventories 19,480 (15,141 ) Prepaid expenses and other assets 9,331 (2,253 ) Trade accounts payable and accrued liabilities (18,018 ) 8,161 Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 8,314 (12,974 ) Investing activities: Acquisitions (1,324 ) (39,075 ) Capital expenditures (1,339 ) (8,206 ) Proceeds from sale of businesses 4,663 9,350 Proceeds from sale of property 401 599 Purchase of equity securities (1,900 ) - Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities 501 (37,332 ) Financing activities: Net borrowings (repayment) under lines of credit (8,397 ) 31,805 Net borrowings (repayments) of notes payable (1,408 ) 10,036 Purchase of treasury stock (155 ) (1,121 ) Principal payments on finance leases (21 ) - Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (9,981 ) 40,720 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (302 ) (81 ) Net decrease in cash (1,468 ) (9,667 ) Cash at beginning of period 6,467 16,134 Cash at end of period $ 4,999 $ 6,467 CONTACT: Q.E.P. Co., Inc. Enos Brown Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 561-994-5550 Taliban: Calls for Halting War Before Afghan Peace Talks 'Illogical' By Ayaz Gul July 12, 2020 Afghanistan's Taliban has dismissed as "illogical" escalating domestic and foreign calls for the insurgent group to cease hostilities before the commencement of intra-Afghan peace negotiations. The long-delayed dialogue is stipulated in a landmark deal the United States and the Taliban sealed in February aimed at ending nearly two decades of war in Afghanistan, America's longest. The peace talks are tied, however, to a successful conclusion of an ongoing controversial prisoner swap between the Afghan government and the insurgents. A spokesman for the Islamist Taliban insisted Sunday that implementation of the agreement and start of intra-Afghan negotiations are necessary to de-escalate and end the war. "A demand for us to stop the fighting and then start the negotiations is illogical. War is raging precisely because we have yet to find an alternative," Zabihullah Mujahid said in a media release. "The prisoner exchange process must be completed and intra-Afghan talks must begin immediately. This is the real and logical path toward resolving the problem," Mujahid stressed. Direct peace negotiations between Afghan parties to the war were originally scheduled to commence in March but were pushed back due to disagreements over the prisoner swap. The Afghan government says it has so far released just over 4,000 Taliban prisoners out of the promised 5,000. In exchange, the insurgent group says it has freed about 770 out of the promised 1,000 Afghan security personnel, although Afghan officials dispute those figures and say about half of the freed men are civilians. The rise in Taliban attacks An escalation in Taliban battlefield attacks and bomb attacks has killed hundreds of government forces and civilians in recent weeks, prompting President Ashraf Ghani to link the release of remaining prisoners to a reduction in insurgent violence. Afghan officials also have refused to free hundreds of Taliban prisoners they say are involved in "serious crimes", including killing innocent Afghan civilians. Afghan presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi again urged the Taliban on Sunday to renounce violence and join the peace process. He tweeted that the rise in insurgent violence in Afghan cities and bomb attacks on security forces as well as government employees "have hurt the hopes of and expectations of the people and the international community for making peace through negotiation." The U.S.-Taliban agreement requires American and allied troops to withdraw from Afghanistan by July 2021 in return for counterterrorism guarantees from the Taliban and commitments to negotiate a permanent cease-fire as well as a power-sharing arrangement with all Afghan groups, including the government and civil society representatives. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In addition to pre-university exams, JEE Main and SAT scores will also be considered for admission to the B.Tech course The SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) has canceled the SRM Joint Engineering Entrance Examination (SRMJEEE ) for the 2020-21 academic session due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SRM issued a notice on its official website, stating that considering the "pandemic situation and to keep the student community safe, the SRMJEEE B.Tech 2020 stands canceled." According to a report in The Times of India, the examination was scheduled to be held in 127 cities in India and five overseas centres - Doha, Bahrain, Dubai, Muscat and Kuwait. The insititute on its website said that admissions for B.Tech for the year 2020 will be based on marks obtained by candidates in their Class 12/ pre-university/ equivalent marks in physics, chemistry, maths/biology. A report by NDTV mentions that the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main) and Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) marks will also be considered for admission to B.Tech admission in SRM. Forms for providing the scores are available on the university website www.srmist.edu.in. The report adds that candidates who have already registered for SRMJEEE 2020 can update and complete their application forms, while students whose Class XII board results are yet to be declared can upload as and when they are released. The revised admission process will be applicable across all campuses including Kattankulathur, Ramapuram, Vadapalani and NCR New Delhi. It will be also available in SRM University, AP Andhra Pradesh; SRM University Haryana, Sonepat; and SRM University Sikkim, the report states. "SRMIST will continue to award a wide range of scholarships for deserving candidates including the ones who scored high in JEE Main and SAT examinations, on joining. However, the SRMJEEE rank based scholarships will not be available," said the notice on the website As per a report by The News Minute, the exam was originally scheduled to be held from 30 July to 4 August. Classes are supposed to start from September, based on government norms and rules at that point in time. The report said that clarifications on doubts can be obtained by calling the helpdesk at +91 (044) 27455510, 47437500 from Monday to Saturday (except public holidays) from 8.30 am to 6 pm. Students can get their doubts addressed through email at admissions.india@srmist.edu.in as well. The daughter of South African anti-apartheid leaders Nelson and Winnie Mandela, Zindzi, has died at the age of 59. Mandela has been hailed as a heroine of the country's freedom struggle in her own right. Zindzi Mandela died in hospital in Johannesburg early on Monday morning, state television South African Broadcasting Corporation reported. The cause of her death has not yet been confirmed. Known for her political and social activism, she was appointed ambassador to Denmark in 2015. The youngest daughter of South Africa's first black president Nelson Mandela and his second wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Zindzi rose to international prominence in 1985 when she read out her father's rejection of the white minority government's offer for freedom. Tributes poured in Monday following news of her death. Household name "Zindzi Mandela was a household name nationally and internationally, who during our years of struggle brought home the inhumanity of the apartheid system and the unshakeable resolve of our fight for freedom," said President Cyril Ramaphosa. He mourned what he described as the "icon" of South Africa's transformation. After our liberation, she became an icon of the task we began of transforming our society and stepping into spaces and opportunities that had been denied to generations of South Africans," he wrote on Twitter. Ramaphosa said Zindzi's death was all the more dumbfounding as it came a week before Nelson Mandela International Day on July 18, commemorating the former president's birthday. Many have remembered her for being by her parents' sides while growing up during the anti-apartheid struggle and well after. A heroine "She still had a role to play in the transformation of our own society and a bigger role to play even in the African National Congress," said Pule Mabe, spokesman for the governing ANC party, who described Zindzi's passing as "untimely". Educated in South Africa and Swaziland, Zindzi spent many years involved in the liberation struggle, and embraced roles in the arts, philanthropy and business. "Zindzi will not only be remembered as a daughter of our struggle heroes, Tata Nelson and Mama Winnie Mandela, but as a struggle heroine in her own right," said South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor. She grew up at the height of the struggle against apartheid. With her father imprisoned at Robben Island, and her mother in and out of jail, she took on a bigger role in the fight to end the brutal system of racial discrimination enforced in South Africa at that time. "She served South Africa well, Pandor added in a statement, expressing her condolences to the Mandela family. Tobias Elling Rehfeld, Denmark's ambassador to South Africa, said he was "saddened" to learn about her death and praised a "tireless" colleague who always had a smile on her face. The mother of four was the author of Black As I Am, first published in 1978. Zindzi is survived by her husband and four children. Only two of Nelson Mandela's six children are still alive: Zindzi's sister Zenani Dlamini and Pumla Makaziwe Mandela, a daughter from his first marriage to Evelyn Mase. (Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @ByronCalloway) [UPDATE] 71 People Were Infected by Coronavirus After 1 Woman Used An Elevator: Here's How It Happened (Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @AndyVernaut) [UPDATE] 71 People Were Infected by Coronavirus After 1 Woman Used An Elevator: Here's How It Happened 71 people had been tested positive for coronavirus after a woman used an elevator. Researchers claimed that the woman unintentionally infected the unlucky individuals after using the lift in her tower block, the Independent reported. Also Read: Is the Race for Word's First COVID-19 Vaccine Over? Russia Announced Completion of Clinical Trials Also Read: COVID-19 Vaccine Update: Studies Back Up Claims That a TB Vaccine Could Lower Coronavirus Mortality Rate The traveler was reported to have a trip to the United States on Mar. 19, eight days after the area last reported any new coronavirus cases and then going back to her home in Heilongjiang province, China. The researchers wrote in the Chinese Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's journal Emerging Infectious Diseases that the woman did not show any symptoms of the viral disease and tested negative for the virus. However, she still isolated herself at her home alone. The traveler took the lift by herself without any other passenger. But, the elevator was also used by her downstairs neighbor after her. The mother of the downstairs neighbor, including her boyfriend, who had visited her room, went to a party with another group. One of the individuals suffered a stroke and was taken to hospital on Apr. 2. However, the connection between the neighbor's mother's boyfriend and the Chinese traveler was not clear since the boyfriend was not tested positive with COVID-19. The elevator must have been contaminated by the traveler, as concluded by the researchers. The traveler's neighbor was said to have contracted the viral virus before she contaminated her mother, as well as her mother's boyfriend, after they visited her house. The stroked patient, including his two sons, were infected by the couple after they attended the party. The sons of the stroked man infected more people The two sons were moved to a different hospital on Apr. 6, after taking turns to care for their stroked father. The researchers discovered 28 people in the first hospital, including one doctor and five nurses, who were infected by the stroke patient and his sons, who were later tested positive of the novel coronavirus. 20 more people were also infected in the second hospital. Details of the case have emerged in a new study released by the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) which analysed the impact a single traveller with no symptoms can have Woman infects 71 people with coronavirus after 60-second elevator tripDetails of the case have emerged in a new study released by the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) which analysed the impact a single traveller with no symptoms can have pic.twitter.com/tvN3JYTXOW Byron Calloway (@ByronCalloway1) July 13, 2020 The boyfriend of the neighbor's mother became the first case in the cluster to test positive for the disease after he displayed COVID-19 symptoms. The investigators discovered that someone in the block had recently traveled, tested the Chinese woman again, and this time, the antibodies were found in her; the result suggested that she was previously infected. "We believe [the traveler] was an asymptomatic carrier and that [the downstairs neighbor] was infected by contact with surfaces in the elevator in the building where they both lived," wrote the Chinese Centres for Disease Control and Prevention researchers. "Our results illustrate how a single asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection could result in widespread community transmission," they added. Also Read: COVID-19 UPDATE: Study Suggests Virus Immunity Disappears After 3 Months Leading to Reinfection Every Year, Like Common Colds 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Russia often used the hundreds of millions of dollars in fuel imports for NATO and Afghan forces as a way to inject cash into Afghanistan to ensure influence and keep intelligence assets on its side Kabul: During one of the most violent stretches of fighting in northern Afghanistan, as the Taliban scored victories that had eluded them since the beginning of the conflict, the top US commander went public with a suspicion that had nagged for years: Russia was aiding the insurgents. In diplomatic circles in Kabul around the time of that accusation, in 2017, there were murmurs that the Russian assistance had included night-vision goggles and armour-piercing ammunition. But General John W Nicholson, the commander, offered no definitive evidence, and that spoke to how confusing the battlefield had become as three longtime adversaries the Taliban, Russia and Iran agreed on their common interest in seeing the Americans leave Afghanistan. In the maze of corruption, cash and foreign hands in Afghanistan, it was no easy task to pin down who was doing what. Weve had weapons brought to this headquarters and given to us by Afghan leaders and said, This was given by the Russians to the Taliban, Nicholson said a year later. We know that the Russians are involved. The recent revelation of an American intelligence assessment that Russia had provided the Taliban with bounties to attack US and coalition troops stunned political leaders in Washington and added a potent dose of Cold War-style skulduggery to deliberations over Afghanistans future. Both Russia and the Taliban have rejected the assertion. But while that would be a notable escalation of Russian interference in Afghanistan, it was clear to many officials that Russia had been working to hedge its bets with the Taliban for years. The Russians saw the Afghan government as entirely controlled by the United States, and at worst so fragile that it would struggle to survive the US withdrawal. In interviews, Afghan and US officials and foreign diplomats with years of experience in Kabul say that what began as a diplomatic channel between Russia and the Taliban just under a decade ago has more recently blossomed into a mutually beneficial alliance that has allowed the Kremlin to reassert its influence in the region. The shift coincided with increasing hostility between the US and Russia over Syrias civil war and other conflicts, analysts say, as well as Russias frustration with rising instability in Afghanistan and the slow pace of the US pullout. Now, the US is conducting the troop withdrawal it agreed to with the Taliban even without a final peace deal between the insurgents and the Afghan government which the US has supported for years. But Russias covert efforts, officials and analysts say, are aimed at harassing and embarrassing the US as the troops leave rather than profoundly changing the course of the conflict. It was in modest quantities; it was not designed to be a game changer on the battlefield, Nicholson, who has since retired from the military, told the House Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday about Russian arms and aid to the Taliban. For example, the Taliban wanted surface-to-air missiles, the Russians didnt give it to them. So I always concluded that their support to the Taliban was calibrated in some sense. Some pointed out the considerably more extensive US efforts to support the mujahideen insurgency against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. We did the same, said Marc Polymeropoulos, a former CIA field officer in Afghanistan who retired last year as the agencys acting chief of operations in Europe and Eurasia. We turned the heat up as the Russians were leaving Afghanistan. [President Vladimir] Putin, he said, is a student of history. As things began turning on the battlefield in recent years, officials described increasing suspicions of a greater Russian role in helping the Taliban. But they often struggled to pin down specifics, other than occasional influxes of new weapons and munitions that could have had several sources. In addition to Pakistans well-established support to the Taliban, Iran was taking a greater hand in helping the insurgents, and often using similar channels as the Russians, Afghan intelligence officials say. The dots began connecting more clearly during a stretch of alarming violence in northern Afghanistan, when the Taliban twice overran Kunduz city, a provincial capital, in 2015 and 2016, sending the US military scrambling. As Afghan intelligence narrowed in on the ambitious regional Taliban commander behind those assaults, they tracked his travel back and forth across the nearby border with Tajikistan, a Russian intelligence stronghold, according to current and former senior Afghan security officials. Kunduz is also the base of operations for two Afghan businessmen who US intelligence officials say acted as middlemen in the bounty scheme between Russian intelligence officers and Taliban fighters. US officials say they confronted Russia about its aid to the Taliban on several occasions, but their public claims lacked detail, and it never amounted to a major issue. Russian officials said they received no documented evidence. Three decades after the Soviet military withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russias cultural, economic and personal ties in the country remain deep. When Russia has looked to exert influence, whether benign or otherwise, it has had a host of friends to call on: Soviet-trained generals who led the Afghan forces for years on American pay; businessmen who bragged of friendship with Putin; politicians who kept homes in Moscow even as they grew rich on US contracts. For much of the first decade of the war, the US did not really have to worry about the deep Russian reach into Afghan society, as Putins government was aligned with the US mission of defeating Al-Qaeda and Islamist groups that Moscow also saw as a threat including the Taliban. Diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks show genuine attempts by both sides to coordinate efforts in Afghanistan. Russian officials spoke of a collective fist in the fight against terrorism, and urged unity with one voice the American voice. But as the war in Afghanistan dragged on, and the two powers took opposing sides in the crises in Syria and Ukraine, the Russians increasingly saw the US mission as failed, and the American presence in the region as a threat. US intelligence officials now date Russias discreet outreach to the Taliban as beginning about eight years ago around the time that Putin, after a four-year hiatus as prime minister, reassumed the presidency with a more confrontational posture with the West. The mistrust soon became intense enough that Russian officials accused the US of playing a hand in the rise of an Islamic State group chapter in Afghanistan around 2015, with many of its earliest fighters being extremist militants from Central Asia who yearned to bring a holy war against Russia. At a meeting of the Russian Security Council in 2013, Putin said his country could no longer stand by in the face of failures by the US and its partners. We need a clear action strategy, which will take into account different possible developments, Putin said at the meeting. The task is to reliably protect the interests of Russia under any circumstances. Leading the portfolio on the diplomatic front was Zamir Kabulov, a veteran of the Soviet war in Afghanistan and reportedly a former Russian intelligence operative. Kabulov began publicly criticising the US for weaknesses in the Afghan government and for failing to rein in Islamist militancy there and increasingly describing the Afghan Taliban as a national entity that posed no threat beyond the countrys borders and could be worked with. Reports increased about Taliban figures making trips to Russia. And just as the US and Taliban were finalising details of the US withdrawal, Russia brought the same Taliban leaders into Moscow meetings with a large number of Afghan political figures for discussions over the political future of the country. As the US has drawn down its military presence, it has increasingly relied on Afghan partners for intelligence and counterintelligence. What Afghan security officials were seeing in recent years, particularly in the north, was a deeply messy reality. Around the time they began focusing more on Russian activities, the Afghans also unravelled an Iranian scheme of distributing arms to discontented warlords and militia commanders the weapons were Russian, and the route was through Tajikistan, officials said. The Iranian scheme was short-lived, one senior Afghan official said, after Iran realised the weapons it was providing were turning up in the saturated black market. The Russians often used the hundreds of millions of dollars in fuel imports for NATO and Afghan forces as a way to inject cash into Afghanistan to ensure influence and keep intelligence assets on their side. One former senior Afghan official said that instead of direct cash transfers, the Russians would mostly arrange for the convoys of oil tankers snaking into Afghanistan to be topped with extra fuel that would be cached for circulation inside the country. Though the countries of Central Asia gained their independence after the Soviet collapse, Russia has never let go of its foothold in the region. In one cable, a Russian diplomat described the borders of countries like Tajikistan, where the Russian air force still has about 7,000 troops, as an extension of its own border. When the Taliban were in power in Afghanistan in 1990s, Tajikistan was a hub for the resistance commanders who received aid from Russia and Iran. In the 20 years since the US invasion, the strapped country has become a centre of criminal traffic and of vice, a kind of adult playground for many of the Afghan elite who frequently travel back and forth to Tajikistan and often have family there. In that mix of spies, money and mafia, the Taliban, too, found a foothold. The insurgents made a point of taking and maintaining control of some of the border crossings from Kunduz province into Tajikistan. From the south of the country all the way to the north, they had border access to evade military pressure, maintain ties with friendly foreigners and keep a channel for the opium trade that partly finances the insurgency. Several Afghan officials, including Asadullah Omarkhel, who was the governor of Kunduz at the time, said they shared with the Americans intelligence that Mullah Abdul Salam, the Taliban commander who led the assaults on Kunduz, repeatedly crossed into Tajikistan for what they suspected were discussions with Russian agents. A Tajik news outlet reported meetings between Russian officials and Taliban commanders at a Russian air base in Tajikistan as early as 2015. And it was these border crossings that the Taliban used to bring weapons in, officials say. Omarkhel said Americans initially were not confident about claims of Taliban ties to Russia, but then they started striking the Taliban bases along the border, including a strike that killed Salam. At Thursdays congressional hearing, Nicholson repeated his accusation of Russia arming the Taliban, noting that even though the aid was not extensive, it still had an effect. In the northern part of Afghanistan, in particular in Kunduz, the Russian assistance did help the Taliban inflict higher casualties on the Afghan security forces and more hardship on the Afghan people, he said. Mujib Mashal and Michael Schwirtz c.2020 The New York Times Company If elected, Jones would be Virginias first Black attorney general. Jay represents a new generation of leadership in our Commonwealth that is committed to progressing our Commonwealth forward, said Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth. As the first African American woman to serve as president pro-tempore of the Virginia Senate, I could not be more honored to support Jays campaign to serve as Virginias first African American Attorney General. In 2017, he was elected to represent Virginias 89th House District, a seat his father, Jerrauld Jones, now a Norfolk circuit court judge, held from 1988-2002. His grandfather, Hilary H. Jones Jr., helped challenge Massive Resistance as a prominent civil rights lawyer. He spoke of his familys history in February 2019 when the states top three leaders found themselves embroiled in scandal. Jones floor speech in the House of Delegates received a standing ovation. His grandfather, he shared, wanted to be an attorney but couldnt attend law school in Virginia because Black people werent allowed at all-white schools. In 1960, Jones father and his two brothers integrated an elementary school in Norfolk, where they were greeted with racist chants. Rating Action: Moody's assigns provisional Aaa (sf) ratings to Lotte Card's credit card deal Global Credit Research - 13 Jul 2020 KRW[300] billion of asset-backed securities rated Hong Kong, July 13, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned provisional (P)Aaa (sf) ratings to the fixed rate bonds to be issued by Supreme Seventeenth Securitization Specialty Co., Ltd. The complete rating action is as follows: Issuer: Supreme Seventeenth Securitization Specialty Co., Ltd. .... KRW[100,000,000,000] Class A1 Fixed Rate Bonds due [2024], Assigned (P)Aaa (sf) .... KRW[100,000,000,000] Class A2 Fixed Rate Bonds due [2024], Assigned (P)Aaa (sf) .... KRW[100,000,000,000] Class A3 Fixed Rate Bonds due [2024], Assigned (P)Aaa (sf) RATINGS RATIONALE The provisional ratings of the bonds have been based on: (1) the credit quality of the portfolio; (2) the credit enhancement level of 22%; (3) the excess spread and liquidity reserve available to the transaction; (4) the minimum seller interest to account for certain risks, such as fraud and dilutions; (5) the credit quality and expertise of Lotte Card Co., Ltd. (Lotte Card) in its role as servicer; and (6) the structural and legal integrity of the transaction. There is a high degree of linkage between the ratings of the bonds to the credit quality of Lotte Card, which is acting as sponsor, seller, and servicer. The rapid spread of the coronavirus outbreak, the government measures put in place to contain it and the deteriorating global economic outlook, have created a severe and extensive credit shock across sectors, regions and markets. Moody's analysis has considered the effect on the performance of consumer assets from the collapse in Korea's economic activity in the second quarter and a gradual recovery in the second half of the year. However, that outcome depends on whether governments can reopen their economies while also safeguarding public health and avoiding a further surge in infections. As a result, the degree of uncertainty around Moody's forecasts is unusually high. Moody's regards the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under our ESG framework, given the substantial implications for public health and safety. Story continues DESCRIPTION OF TRANSACTION AND ISSUER This is a securitization transaction sponsored by the Korea-based Lotte Card. The assets backing the bonds consist of present and future receivables under designated credit card accounts originated by Lotte Card. The portfolio comprises credit card receivables owed by cardholders for their purchases on credit, as well as for drawing cash advances. Purchases on credit can be repaid, either: (1) in full by the next payment due date (lump sum purchases); or (2) on an installment basis, for which principal payment will be made over a fixed term (installment purchases). Cash advances drawn by cardholders need to be repaid in full and with interest by a designated payment due date. The transaction's revolving period ends in [April] 2023, and a six-month controlled amortization period will then follow. The bonds pay monthly interest at a fixed rate. The principal will be repaid during the controlled amortization period. With the occurrence and declaration of any of the early amortization triggers, the revolving or the controlled amortization periods will end immediately, and the principal collections will be used to accelerate principal repayments on the bonds. DESCRIPTION OF THE METHODOLOGY: The principal methodology used in these ratings was "Moody's Approach to Rating Credit Card Receivables-Backed Securities" published in June 2020 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBS_1230126. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology. Moody's credit card ABS rating methodology begins by developing a maximum loss that is consistent with a Aaa (sf) rating (Aaa level of credit enhancement given sponsor default (LGSD)), assuming that the sponsor has closed its cardholders' accounts. This scenario is associated with sponsors that are in or close to default. For Supreme Seventeenth Securitization Specialty Co., Ltd., the Aaa LGSD is 27%. The key parameters used to derive the Aaa LGSD are: charge off rates (current, long run and peak); payment rates (current and at the start of early amortization), receivable yield rates (current, at the start of early amortization and the compression level due to potential asset-liability mismatches); servicing fees (current and stressed) and the minimum seller's interest (as per the documents). For Supreme Seventeenth Securitization Specialty Co., Ltd., Moody's assumes a long run charge-off rate of 10%, principal payment rate at the start of early amortization of 10% and receivable yield rate at start of early amortization of 11%. In a second step, the level of credit enhancement that is consistent with a Aaa (sf) rating is determined by lowering the Aaa LGSD by the applicable "dependency ratio". This ratio varies according to the sponsor's credit rating or counterparty risk assessment (CR Assessment), if available. The higher the sponsor's credit rating or CR Assessment -- as the case may be -- the lower the dependency ratio. The ratio reflects the likelihood of the sponsor entering default, so higher-rated sponsors will require lower Aaa enhancement, all else being equal. The result is the minimum Aaa credit enhancement (CE), absent other counterparty or operational risks. For Supreme Seventeenth Securitization Specialty Co., Ltd., the 22.0% subordination in the subject transaction is sufficient to cover the minimum Aaa CE. FACTORS THAT WOULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS: Factors that may cause a downgrade of the ratings include a significant decline in the overall performance of the pool and a deterioration of the credit profile of the transaction counterparties, including the originator. REGULATORY DISCLOSURES For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004. Moody's either did not receive or take into account one or more third-party due diligence assessment(s) regarding the underlying assets or financial instruments (the "Due Diligence Assessment(s)") in this credit rating action. The Due Diligence Assessment(s) referenced herein were prepared and produced solely by parties other than Moody's. While Moody's uses Due Diligence Assessment(s) only to the extent that Moody's believes them to be reliable for purposes of the intended use, Moody's does not independently audit or verify the information or procedures used by third-party due-diligence providers in the preparation of the Due Diligence Assessment(s) and makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose of the Due Diligence Assessment(s). In rating this transaction, Moody's uses a cash flow model to determine the collateral loss in a maximum stress scenario. As a second step, Moody's haircuts this collateral loss based on the sponsor's credit quality. Finally, Moody's compares the available credit enhancement with the haircut collateral loss, taking into account loss allocation and other structural features, to determine the model-indicated rating for each instrument. Moody's quantitative analysis entails an evaluation of scenarios that stress factors contributing to sensitivity of ratings and take into account the likelihood of severe collateral losses or impaired cash flows. For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. 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The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure. These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its website www.moodys.com. Moody's considers a rated entity or its agent(s) to be participating when it maintains an overall relationship with Moody's. Unless noted in the Regulatory Disclosures as a Non-Participating Entity, the rated entity is participating and the rated entity or its agent(s) generally provides Moody's with information for the purposes of its ratings process. Please refer to www.moodys.com for the Regulatory Disclosures for each credit rating action under the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page and for details of Moody's Policy for Designating Non-Participating Rated Entities. Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review. Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569. At least one ESG consideration was material to the credit rating action(s) announced and described above. The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed by Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph 3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies. Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com. 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From a car rental agency to a Hong Kong company the ambit of Enforcement Directorates (ED) investigation is widening. A business associate of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlots son Vaibhav Gehlot has come under immense scrutiny of Central agencies with mounting evidence. On Monday, the Income Tax department carried out searches at premises of Ashok Gehlots close aide Rajeev Arora and Dharmender Rathores premises. Searches were carried out at 24 locations. ED, on the other hand, has been probing a Rs 96.7 crore foreign transaction from Mauritius that has been traced back to Ratan Kant Sharma, director of Triton Hotels. Read: Sanjay Jha 'fully Backs Sachin Pilot'; Points Out Ashok Gehlot's Abysmal Loss In 2013 Republic TV has learnt that a car rental agency Sun Light Car Rental Private Ltd connected to Vaibhav Gehlot has now come under the scanner. Interestingly, Ratan Kant Sharma has been director of this agency till 2012. The car rental agency deals with high-end premium cars for clients of a luxury hotel in Jaipur. What is very interesting is that while the car rental agency has high-end vehicles like BMW, the share capital is just Rs.2 lakh, said a source. According to agency sources, there is something amiss regarding this car rental agency and the links that have emerged. Read: Singhvi Reiterates Sachin Pilot's Worth In Congress, Slams Attempt To Oust Rajasthan Govt The Panama link Sunil Kothari of Om Metal whose premises were raided by the Income Tax department has been named in Panama papers. Sunil Kothari is considered to be a close aide of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and has been under the scanner previously for certain irrigation project in Rajasthan. Now top sources have confirmed to Republic TV, that a Hong Kong-based company connected to Sunil Kothari is being investigated. Read: Rajasthan Crisis: Setback For CM Gehlot As BTP Decides To Abstain In A Floor Test Scenario The Income Tax department has come across huge transactions linked to Sunil Kothari, Managing Director of Om Metals. IT in its possession has receipts of alleged dubious transactions. The department suspects that most of the dubious transactions took place in cash through Hawala transactions. IT is probing if these transactions were used for political purposes. Tax evasion by the firm and individuals is being probed by the department. This is linked to the transactions that took place since the Rajya Sabha elections took place. Read: Rajasthan Govt Crisis LIVE Updates: Congress Calls For Another CLP Meet; Pilot To Skip It LONDON, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- JDX, the global financial services consulting firm, announced today that it was excited to welcome Bob Clare, as head of U.S. Consulting Services Sales. Bob's appointment further strengthens the firm's regional senior leadership. It will accelerate JDX's growth strategy to expand and geographically diversify the client base for its innovative Consulting Services business through its hub in the U.S. Bob joins JDX from Cognizant where he was a Managing Partner and Strategic Business Unit head. Before that, Bob held several different COO roles at Bank of America Corporation. Bob brings valuable insight and operational acumen to JDX, with extensive experience that includes senior positions in technology, banking, and operations. Adept in digital payments, consumer banking, wealth & investment management, risk management, mergers & acquisitions, banking & markets, Bob has an excellent track record of success in increasing sales, growing revenue, building diverse teams and improving profitability. Bob will be based from JDX's New York office and will report functionally to Mike Berry, Chief Commercial Officer and regionally to Lucy Dorr, Head of Consulting Services. Commenting on the appointment, Mike Berry said: "We are delighted to welcome Bob to JDX and the global sales organisation. His experience will be pivotal in helping JDX to focus its client efforts in the U.S. region. Bob will work closely with Lucy Dorr in support of her strategy to geographically scale and accelerate the growth of our strategic solutions-based Consulting Services business." Lucy Dorr said: "I'm incredibly excited to have Bob on board. The geographical expansion of our U.S. solutions-based Consulting Services business is a key development priority for our growth plans. Bob will be key in helping us to continue to build strong relationships in the region and in demonstrating the power of our capabilities to shape innovative solutions for our clients." About JDX Formed in 2012, JDX had a vision to create a global consulting firm inspired by entrepreneurship and a unique culture. An intelligent, outcomes-focused, customer-first business partner committed to delivering exceptional client satisfaction, JDX provides valuable, strategic, technology and operational consulting services. With a history of proven solution delivery, JDX is a trusted advisor to its clients in financial services companies, market intermediaries and FinTech companies. A global firm, JDX, has offices in New York, Dublin, London, Birmingham, Singapore and Hong Kong. To learn more about JDX, visit www.jdxconsulting.com. SOURCE JDX Related Links https://www.jdxconsulting.com It has been three years since Susanna Liew last saw her husband -- she and their three children still have no idea if he's dead or alive. But she won't give up the fight to find him. Dragged from his car by masked men and kidnapped in broad daylight outside Malaysia's capital, there has been no trace of Christian pastor Raymond Koh since 2017. "I have this quest to find the truth and to at least have some closure for me and my family," says the 63-year-old. It is one of a series of disappearances of religious minorities in the mostly Muslim country, which have fuelled fears a traditionally tolerant form of Islam is being eroded as hardliners gain influence. Police insist the case has been thoroughly probed: one man has been charged, accused of extortion and kidnapping, though his trial, which began in 2018, is still ongoing and the alleged accomplices remain at large. However, a public inquiry concluded that "agents of the state" likely snatched Koh. Liew has risked her personal safety to speak out and keep the disappearance of her husband and others in the public eye. Her efforts were recently recognised with an award from the US government for courage, but that has brought her no closer to getting answers. Shedding tears, the devout Christian explains: "It's very difficult because we are frozen in grief." Koh, then 63, was abducted in February, 2017 as he drove through the middle-class neighbourhood outside Kuala Lumpur where he lived. Liew says CCTV footage of the incident is shocking. - 'Extreme views' - "It showed three big, black SUVs, they did this manoeuvre, they blocked him behind and at the side," she recalls. "Someone came and smashed the car window and pulled him out, and put him in the other vehicle and someone else went into his car, and they all drove off. It was only about 40 seconds." The brazen kidnap shocked multi-ethnic Malaysia, which is home to a large Christian minority, and triggered a series of candlelight vigils across the country. Calls mounted for action as suspicions grew the abduction was linked to his religious activities -- Koh previously had a run-in with Islamic authorities and an NGO he co-founded was accused of seeking to convert Muslims -- but official probes have moved slowly. The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, which is government-backed but independent, held inquiries into the disappearances of Koh and three other members of religious minorities. The others were Shiite Muslim activist Amri Che Mat and Christian pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth. All four vanished over a period of several months from late 2016 to early 2017. The country of 32 million is about 60 percent ethnic Malay Muslim, and most live harmoniously with other ethnic and religious groups, but critics say creeping conservatism has led to greater discrimination against minorities. Last year, the commission concluded that Koh and Amri -- a follower of Shiite Islam, considered deviant by many in Sunni-majority Malaysia -- were likely abducted by police's Special Branch. This is an intelligence unit which gathers information about security threats. Critics have in the past claimed police are working with religious authorities to target individuals accused of anti-Islamic activities. Witnesses said both were kidnapped in a similar fashion, and had been suspected of activities against Islam. The commission has not finished its inquiry into the Hilmys' disappearances. - 'I have hope' - "I think these happened because there is a growing trend of radicalism," said Liew, adding the body's findings fitted with her own suspicions. "Our concern is that the religious teachers and students are being sent to the Middle East to be trained, and they come back with these conservative views, extreme views". But Khalid Abu Bakar, who was the country's police chief when the disappearances took place, accused the rights body of making a "wild accusation", suggesting the testimony it relied on would likely be inadmissible in court, the New Straits Times newspaper reported. A ride-hailing driver was arrested and charged in 2018, suspected of kidnapping Koh and attempting to extort his son, but the trial is yet to conclude. The commission has only an advisory role to government but, following its findings, authorities set up a task force last year to investigate Koh and Amri's cases. This team has requested more time to complete a report. Police did not respond to AFP's request for comment. Liew has done everything she can to keep attention on the cases, frequently calling on authorities to do more, and in February her family filed a civil suit against the government. In March, she received a International Women of Courage Award from the US State Department for fighting on behalf of religious minorities. "It meant a lot to me, because it shows me that the US is serious about religious freedom," said Liew. Despite the passage of time, she has not given up on finding her husband alive "We do not know where he is, what condition he's in, and whether he is dead or alive," she said. "But I have hope, because I have faith." It has been three years since Susanna Liew last saw her husband -- she and their three children still have no idea if he's alive or dead, but she won't give up the fight to find him Susanna Liew, wife of abducted Malaysian Christian pastor Raymond Koh, received a International Women of Courage Award from the US State Department for fighting on behalf of religious minorities Authorities launched a desperate search for a woman who went missing in California's Sierra National Forest over Fourth of July weekend after finding her campsite 'disheveled' and her car crashed in a ravine. Sandra Johnsen Hughes, 54, was last seen in the national forest near Fresno over eight days ago on July 4, according to the Madera County Sheriff's office. Hughes' family said she had recently moved from Hawaii to California and was 'quarantining' on a solo camping trip. They said the last time she contacted relatives was on June 26. Officials asked for the public's help in locating Hughes after they found her campsite near the Johnsons Meadow section of the forest in disarray on July 5. 'Things thrown about all over - almost as if her car and belongings had been emptied carelessly,' Hughes' niece, Ashley Macus, wrote in a Facebook post shared by the sheriff's office. Macus said the state of the campsite was very unusual, telling KFSN: '[Hughes] would never leave her campsite a mess. Even a piece of litter on the ground would bother her.' Sandra Johnsen Hughes (pictured) was last seen in the Sierra National Forest on July 4. Authorities began searching for the 54-year-old after they found her campsite 'disheveled' and her car crashed in a ravine nearby A rescue team from the Madera County Sheriff's Office is pictured in the forest on Sunday as their search for Hughes entered its second week The following day officers located Hughes' silver Saab in Chiquito Creek to the north of the campsite. They said it appeared to have crashed into a tree at a speed of less than 20 miles per hour before rolling into the ravine. Hikers reported seeing Hughes on July 4 and said she was barefoot and had a bruise on her face. Deputy Sarah Jackson said the hikers offered to help Hughes but she declined medical assistance. Officers and volunteers from more than a half dozen other sheriff's departments, the California Highway Patrol and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services have spent the past week combing the forest for signs of Hughes. Helicopters from the California Air National Guard are conducting an aerial search while trained dogs were brought in to help on the ground. Sierra News Online reported that the search has focused around the Chiquito Lake area in recent days. In a Facebook update on Sunday, Macus said Hughes may be headed north toward Yosemite and asked anyone in the area to keep an eye out for her. Authorities published several photos of Hughes as they asked hikers to look out for her in the Sierra National Forest. She is described as 5'3" and 150 pounds with brown eyes and shoulder-length brown hair that's been dyed blue The map above shows where Hughes' car was found in comparison to her campsite Officers and volunteers from more than a half dozen other sheriff's departments, the California Highway Patrol and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services have spent the past week combing the forest for signs of Hughes Macus, who lives in Pennsylvania with Hughes' mother and brother, said her aunt had been living in Maui for the past few months before moving to California in June. She said Hughes went to Sierra National Forest to quarantine in case she'd come in contact with coronavirus during her trip from Hawaii. Macus described Hughes as someone who 'liked to move around a lot' as she doesn't have any children from her two previous marriages, and said she is very organized. 'That's how the sheriff's office there got my name,' Macus told Sierra News Online of Hughes' organization skills. 'Sandra had a binder [with her] with all of her important contacts and investigators found my name in it and called me this weekend.' Macus expressed disbelief at Hughes' sudden disappearance, noting that she had trained to be a park ranger in college. 'It's not like her to disappear like this. She will always call or text when she comes into (cell phone) range,' Macus said. In an interview with KSFN she added: 'There's so much that happened that's just as a family we can't really explain it.' Authorities said Hughes is 5'3", weighs about 150 pounds and has brown eyes and shoulder-length brown hair that's been dyed blue. They've asked anyone who sees her to immediately contact the Madera County Sheriff's Office at (559) 675-7770. Admild, a Haitian immigrant in the U.S. illegally, was feeling sick as he approached the deportation plane that was going to take him back to the country he had fled in fear. Two weeks before that day in May, while being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Louisiana, he had tested positive for the coronavirus and he was still showing symptoms. He disclosed his condition to an ICE official at the airport, who sent him to a nurse. She just gave me Tylenol, said Admild, who feared reprisals if his last name was published. Not long after, he was back on the plane before landing in Port-au-Prince, one of more than 40,000 immigrants deported from the United States since March, according to ICE records. Even as lockdowns and other measures have been taken around the world to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, ICE has continued to detain people, move them from state to state and deport them. An investigation by The New York Times in collaboration with The Marshall Project reveals how unsafe conditions and scattershot testing helped turn ICE into a domestic and global spreader of the virus and how pressure from the Trump administration led countries to take in sick deportees. We spoke to more than 30 immigrant detainees who described cramped and unsanitary detention centers where social distancing was near impossible and protective gear almost nonexistent. It was like a time bomb, said Yudanys, a Cuban immigrant held in Louisiana. At least four deportees interviewed by the Times, from India, Haiti, Guatemala and El Salvador, tested positive for the virus shortly after arriving from the United States. So far, ICE has confirmed at least 3,000 coronavirus-positive detainees in its detention centers, though testing has been limited. We tracked over 750 domestic ICE flights since March, carrying thousands of detainees to different centers, including some who said they were sick. Kanate, a refugee from Kyrgyzstan, was moved from the Pike County Correctional Facility in Pennsylvania to the Prairieland Detention Facility in Texas despite showing COVID-19 symptoms. He was confirmed to have the virus just a few days later. I was panicking, he said. I thought that I will die here in this prison. We also tracked over 200 deportation flights carrying migrants, some of them ill with coronavirus, to other countries from March through June. Under pressure from the Trump administration and with promises of humanitarian aid, some countries have fully cooperated with deportations. El Salvador and Honduras have accepted more than 6,000 deportees since March. In April, President Donald Trump praised the presidents of both countries for their cooperation and said he would send ventilators to help treat the sickest of their coronavirus patients. So far, the governments of 11 countries have confirmed that deportees returned home with COVID-19. When asked about the agencys role in spreading the virus by moving and deporting sick detainees, ICE said it took precautions and followed guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of last week, ICE said that it was still able to test only a sampling of immigrants before sending them home. Yet deportation flights continue. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. PHILIPSBURG:--- On the 3rd of July, President Grace of the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten - Mid Isle was present at Safe Haven (Women Shelter) to donate the last bed that was pending out of 6 beds from the Rotary Year 2017-2018 Project! We received assistance from the Rotary Club of Litchfield, Arizona (USA) who donated $6,500 to help us purchase items for Safe Haven after Hurricane Irma in 2017. Some beds were received without essential parts and the Club sought out the assistance of the Milton Peters College - Construction Department We would like to give a big thank you to the students and teachers of the MPC Construction Department for completing the last bed. We greatly appreciate your assistance! And, a special thank you to our Treasurer Tony for assisting with the transportation of the beds to and from MPC! The Rotary Club of Sint Maarten Mid Isle will be meeting at Pineapple Petes in Simpsonbay this Tuesday (14th July) at 7:00pm For more information, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Denis Brunetti, president of Ericsson Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos With more and more activities being carried out online, and greater numbers of hours spent connected to both fixed and mobile broadband, the internet has become a fundamental part of daily life as critical as access to food and electricity. The fastest-growing mobile app categories during this time have been those related to the crisis, and those on remote working, education/e-learning, and wellness. These trends are a sign of consumers adapting to the new normal, and are unlikely to slow with the easing of the pandemic six out of every 10 workers in the US are expecting to switch to video-based conferences after the crisis, and the same number believe online healthcare consultations will become more popular than physical visits to the doctor. These trends are based not only on consumer opinion on their changing usage, but also on concrete findings gathered using anonymous, crowd-sourced, and on-device data. Increased consumption Multitasking between devices and networks while staying at home, for everything from work to socialising, has caused the amount of data consumed on smartphones to increase. Globally, consumers claim a 25 per cent average increase in smartphone data usage. The average time spent connected to fixed broadband rose by 2.2 hours per day, while those connected to 4G networks saw an average increase of one hour a day. ICT resilience has helped consumers navigate the crisis. Of those aged over 60 and highly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, 74 per cent agreed that reliable video-calling helped them stay in touch with family and friends during the crisis. Three in four parents say that ICT is helping to continue childrens education from home. Also, consumers see telecoms operators as more trusted entities than internet tech giants in using mobility data for the common good. The role of 5G With 74 per cent saying that mobile networks were performing better or the same than pre-crisis, it is safe to say that despite all odds they have managed to meet consumer expectations. And additional capacity offered by 5G in the future will further help. Our study found 63 per cent to be positive towards the role 5G would play during such a crisis due to even higher speeds. Consumers recognise that 5G via either fixed wireless access or enhanced mobile broadband can enable them to benefit from improved speeds to meet their remote working needs. Study predictions So what will the future look like? Those surveyed in the study, which looked at 11,500 consumers across 11 countries, named a wide array of different activities as important, from quality of video calls with family and friends, to access to work documents in the cloud. Changes in behaviour will most likely transcend into the future, with our study highlighting five consumer predictions for a post-coronavirus world. The first is redefined networks. Three in four people surveyed value network resilience and say internet connectivity is not only most critical during this crisis but also future crises. The second involves autonomous commerce. Some 55 per cent believe automated delivery drones or fleets of driverless cars might replace delivery people as demand for contact-free interactions increases. The next prediction is borderless workplaces. Six in 10 working people believe working remotely will be the new normal and expect employers to encourage remote working as a fundamental business practice after the pandemic has passed. Fourth on the list is synchronous care. Six times more consumers in the US are expected to use real-time online health consultations versus during 2019. Virtual experience economy Finally, we have the virtual experience economy. Seven in 10 users of virtual reality (VR) think that, with more time spent online, virtual symbols will drive status rather than physical ownership of goods, while social VR will help ease isolation. Half of consumers might turn to AI-powered online virtual companions to entertain, educate and befriend them during isolation. Now more people feel that they can work from home in a successful way, and employers see that productivity is not largely affected by this remote working. Five years ago, remote working on this scale generally seemed unfeasible. Today, our working routines represent a huge shift that has taken place, both in terms of technology and consumer maturity. Today, 55 per cent of mobile subscriptions globally are running on 4G/LTE as per the Ericsson Mobility Report. For us, this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as leveraging the full value of mobile technologies is concerned. Just like 4G/LTE is the workhorse and innovation platform for countless consumer smartphone services, the 5G platform is capable of delivering user experiences and efficiency for both consumers and demanding enterprises. In extraordinary times like these, the value of mobile connectivity is more apparent than ever before: mobile connectivity does much more than help support our current living standards it also provides a stable and reliable platform for economic growth. Piotr Lapinski/NurPhoto via Getty Update: Monday, 7:30 a.m. CET, July 13, 2020: The BBC reports three exit polls show Poland's incumbent President Andrzej Duda holds a slim lead after Sunday's presidential elections, with 51 percent of the vote against socially liberal Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski. The final round of Polands presidential election held Sunday was dominated by incumbent President Andrzej Dudas efforts to mobilize voters against the countrys LGBTQ people. It was a very ugly campaign, with the groundwork carefully laid. Hubert Sobecki, who has been an activist for LGBTQ rights in Poland for more than a decade, says, I have never seen anything like the harassment of the past one and a half years. Naturally, most attention focused on the two rivals in the runoff election, Duda and the more liberal mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski, who said he would stand up for minorities. Trzaskowski has taken part in LGBTQ Equality marches, but he also has said he would oppose adoptions by same-sex couples. This is 93-percent Catholic Poland, after all. As the BBC noted, Duda constantly claims Trzaskowski is in cahoots with Jewish and LGBTQ interest groups. In Poland, as in many countries, there also is a pronounced and often bitter divide between urban and rural voters, and it is in the smaller cities and towns that Duda has found the strongest support for his anti-LGBTQ message. The pro-family way, as it is pitched, is helped as well by his partys popular program giving the equivalent of $125 a month to traditional families for each child under 18 years of age. Sobeckis group, Love Doesnt Exclude, recently uploaded a video onto YouTube that aimed to show the dehumanizing aspect of the propaganda that has spread far and wide in Catholic Poland. This Is Not About People shows town councils proudly declaring themselves free of LGBT ideology, with one literally predicting Armageddon if it spreads too far. Trump Buddies Like Viktor Orban Are Sucking the Life Blood Out of European Democracy Story continues Sobecki says he hoped to reach the people who are uninformed, but also what he calls the movable middlethey respond to stuff that makes them cringe, he said, So if they see these councillors saying these things, they wont want to be like them. That may be wishful thinking, but the video has been watched more than 100,000 times. LEGAL ORDER Many of the de facto anti-LGBTQ resolutions that were branded as pro family (defined solely as a union between man and wife plus biological children) were drafted by a group called the Ordo Iuris Legal Initiative, made up mostly of young lawyers who get cited regularly in the right-wing press as legal experts while they try to push a far-right agenda through legislation and campaigns. In recent years, under Dudas ruling right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) government, Ordo Iuris (Legal Order) has become one of Polands most influential pressure groups. The groups founder, Aleksander Stepkowski, is currently spokesman of the Supreme Court. The institute also provides legal support for the far right organizers of Polands annual Independence Day March, an event widely denounced as a magnet for far right and white supremacist groups from around the world. Meanwhile, Ordo Iuris current director has expressed his support repeatedly for the Polish far-right campaign against a U.S. law intended to assist Holocaust survivors in recovering stolen property. For us moral conservatism in itself is not a problem, its a problem when it becomes merged with this nasty right-wing agenda directed against minorities, says Rafal Pankowski, who is head of the Never Again association in Poland. One of Ordo Iuris abilities is to take the homophobic sentiments from the streets and translate them into law. There is a lot of fake information about us, saying we are a dark evil organisation, says Bartosz Lewandowski, who is head of litigation at Ordo Iuris. Because of this disinformation, we have opened legal proceedings in our Polish courts for defamation. As examples of fake information, Lewandowski cites reports that the Ordo Iuris Legal Institute has connections to Russia, or that it is an affiliate of a transnational Catholic fundamentalist network called Tradition, Family and Property (TFP), whose members campaign against LGBTQ rights and abortion while pledging allegiance to a feudal social hierarchy reminiscent of the Middle Agesor, as they call it, the natural order. TRADITION, FAMILY AND PROPERTY In 2016, the Tradition, Family and Property representative to the European Union, who is called Duke Paul von Oldenburg, bragged on his Facebook profile that TFP was leading the fight for a full abortion ban in Poland. Von Oldenburg, who is a grandson of the last German emperor, has had a reputation for handing out leaflets with homophobic and anti-feminist epithets in the streets of Brussels while clad in a red sash that he says means hes doing battle. A video he posted in 2011 shows von Oldenburg and his confreres doing their thing, campaigning against what they called "Christianophobia." According to Neil Datta from the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, it is common practice for TFP to split into several organizations in the countries where it is present and go by several different names. In Poland, Ordo Iuris was founded and initially funded by the Father Piotr Skarga Foundation, which was in turn founded by the Father Piotr Skarga Association for Christian Culture, whose founder, a man named Sawomir Olejniczak, came from the first Polish TFP organization, which was set up in Krakow in 1995. They were created by us, they are part of the spiritual family, confirms Julio Loredo, the president of the Italian TFP society, when we asked him about Ordo Iuris this Friday. Taking away peoples sexuality and reproductive rights wasnt always the number one priority of the TFP. When a wealthy landowner with ties to the Brazilian royal family called Plinio Correa de Oliveira first founded the movement in the 1960s, he and his recruits lobbied to stop much-needed agrarian reforms. De Oliveira preached that power must be restored to a nobility, via an apocalyptic battle. (Note that Luiz de Orleans e Braganca, a pretender to the Brazilian imperial throne, was an early fan. Also note that the Brazilian monarchy was overthrown by a military coup in 1889.) Under the guise of fighting communism, the TFP network then expanded across Latin America, the USA, and Europe. Affiliates wanted to restore monarchy, but they often settled for supporting military dictatorships. In Chile, TFP members accused Catholic priests who spoke out against General Augusto Pinochets gross human rights abuses of favoring Marxization. After the Soviet Union collapsed, TFP had to rebrand. Nowadays the movement is involved with activists and politicians who appear to subscribe to a conspiracy theory about the supposed threat of gender ideology: that Marxists are plotting to destroy the traditional family by erasing differences between men and women, and that this will lead to the extinction of white people. Hugo Bos, who is the chairman of the TFP spinoff in the Netherlands, told us his ideal society is the Holy Roman Empire. Last year, Ordo Iuris, which has drafted multiple legal proposals to make Polands nearly total abortion ban even stricter, invited Bos to speak at a press conference about banning abortion from an international perspective. (Lewandowski says for his part he has never even met someone from TFP.) As for Duke Paul von Oldenburg, his obsession is the concept of the ancient Roman paterfamiliaswhere the oldest man of the household rules over the lives of everyone else. His cousin is Beatrix von Storch, a politician in the radical right Alternative fur Deutschland Party and the granddaughter of Hitlers finance minister, who is also heavily involved in various campaigns to roll back reproductive and sexuality rights. To hate inequality is to hate God, is one of the mantras on the German TFP website. German journalist Andreas Kemper has noted that so many aristocrats are concerned with protecting the idea of the traditional family because they fear changes could target their inheritance not only of property but of pedigree. A DARK TUNNEL The 97 Polish municipal councils and local governments that have declared themselves as LGBT-free zones are now sending their free from LGBT ideology and pro family resolutions to schools to demand that they not work with certain progressive organizations. But even before, Ordo Iuris was already monitoring funding going to progressive groups from local governments. Last summer they sent out legal letters to NGOs, demanding information on all cases of public funding they got. In any cases where a gay rights group, or another organization they didnt like, was getting public funding, they would publish their findings make a scandal. In 2016, the LGBTQ-activist Bartosz Staszewski posed as a masters student to get into an event hosted by Ordo Iuris called Agenda Europe. Since 2013, this event has served as a sort of pan-European mixer for American hate groups, right-wing European politicians and anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice super-Catholics who want to share tactics for banning abortion, stopping same-sex marriage, and so on. What disturbed Staszewski the most, he says, was to observe the attendees. They had files and were talking about what words to use or not to use. One Family Watch International powerpoint included instructions to speak of unsavory policies (such as decriminalizing domestic violence) in terms of family rights. A Slovakian priest gave a presentation on a (failed) referendum to ban same-sex marriage. There was an atmosphere like they were at war, Staszewski says. They behaved like they were a small light in a dark tunnel. Currently, Ordo Iuris is suing Jakub Gawron, one of the LGBTQ activists who created the online Atlas of Hate, a map of Poland to delineate the countrys anti-gay zones, which in total cover an area larger than the size of Hungary. Ordo Iuris is accusing Gawron for defamation, on behalf of municipal councils that adopted their pro family charter which the group says is distinct from anti-LGBTQ activism. The Campaign against Homophobia will support Gawrons case. 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. ALBANY Albany County officials once again sounded the alarm Monday about out-of-state travel as Capital Region health officials continue to trace recent coronavirus clusters to travelers who failed to follow the states 14-day quarantine policy. Those local warnings came the same day Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced his administration would issue an emergency order designed to compel air travelers to comply with the policy. Anyone who flies in from one of the 19 hot-spot states on New York's travel advisory list must fill out a form with the location they are planning to return to in New York before they leave the airport, or else face a summons and $2,000 fine, Cuomo said. The Times Union has reported that many travelers are bypassing the forms, completion of which to this point has been voluntary. Unfortunately, were seeing a bit of an uptick in the Capital Region, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said in a Monday briefing. A report from the governor yesterday found we had the highest percentage of positives in the state at 2 percent so we spent our weekend looking at the numbers and going through the data, because this is stuff that we watch for. With 10 new cases recorded in the county Monday, the county's five-day average of new daily cases is now 10.4 up from 8.8 on Sunday and 6.8 on Saturday. Across the eight-county Capital Region, 54 new cases were recorded Monday the highest one-day total this month. A number of factors are fueling the cases, local officials say. Of the 25 new cases in Albany County over the weekend, for example, three were directly related to travel and several others were believed to be locally acquired from out-of-county contacts who had traveled to hotspot states, said Cameron Sagan, a spokesperson in McCoys office. Montgomery County also saw its largest spike in cases 21 which officials there say is potentially related to travel from hotspot states, and Warren County also reported a new case Monday in a person who traveled to one of those states. At least eight of Albany Countys recent cases were connected to three local nursing homes, including one in Rensselaer County. Eight were among residents between the ages of 20 and 29. And one was in a resident between the age of 10 and 19. McCoy and county Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen have expressed concern for months now about the 20-29 age group, who represent the most confirmed cases in the county. But on Monday, the officials said theyre also starting to notice a steady climb in cases among 10- to 19-year-olds, and urged parents to remember their children can be vectors of transmission to older, higher-risk individuals. Please, moms and dads: Make sure your kids wear masks, especially when theyre playing with other kids and with groups of kids, McCoy said. I know its hard, I really do. And I know your kids arent going to show any signs or symptoms. But its for your safety, and its for your parents safety, and its for the senior next doors safety. Its for anyone with underlying health issues. Out-of-state travel remains a top concern for local officials. Last week, officials reported the return of travelers to the area who had traveled to Atlanta for a Fourth of July party. Many of the partygoers were not wearing masks or socially distancing, McCoy said Monday. In addition, he said, the region is now starting to see the return of snowbirds who spend their winters in Florida and other sunny states, and return upstate when the weather turns. The travel concern is very real, Whalen said. While Cuomo has mandated that all travelers returning to New York from hotspot states quarantine for 14 days, not everyone is following that regulation, she said. We have seen cases that have come through our airport where people were fine and then tested positive within a couple days, Whalen said. So if you are coming back, please consider testing but definitely stay home for your quarantine period. Because we know that the prevalence of COVID in many of the states of concern is on an order that we havent seen here, and we dont want to see it here. And we could if were not mindful and if were not careful. McCoy noted that the county health department has some assistance in contact tracing when its able to track down the manifest from flights that carried infected travelers. But air travel is just one way people return to the area, he said. People can fly in and take the train in, he said. These are things we have to look at. Were asking for you to be a partner in this, and the only way were going to get through this is by doing the right thing. If you want to go and risk yourself in (going) to one of these 19 states for whatever the reason may be and come back, then just do the right thing and isolate for 14 days. Montgomery County spike Montgomery County, whose cases dont count toward the Capital Regions reopening metrics but which many consider part of the region anyway, also sounded the alarm Monday about its largest weekly increase in cases since the pandemic first hit the area. County Executive Matt Ossenfort reported Monday that the county saw a 21-case increase over the week for 132 overall. The countys Public Health department said the county is working with the state to help track and identify a number of potential travel-related exposures. It was brought to the attention of our department that as of June 25, 2020 approximately 25 passengers that traveled from identified states on the travel ban list entered Montgomery County and attended a number of events across the county, the department said. These events include, but are not limited to: funeral related services, family gatherings, graduation celebrations, vacations and work-related business, it said. Ossenfort called the spike alarming and said it should serve as a wake-up call to the community. He urged people to keep their distance from others and to wear masks while in groups. Now is not the time to become complacent, he said. Lucknow, July 13 : The National Students Union of India (NSUI) has written to the Uttar Pradesh Human Rights Commission seeking its intervention over private medical colleges that are reportedly forcing medical students to treat coronavirus patients without being adequately trained. The letter has been sent by Anushesh Sharma, general secretary of NSUI. Talking to IANS, he said that he had received representations from various medical students who were being forced to remain in COVID wards. "Many final year students of MBBS are put in place of regular doctors to treat COVID-19 patients. Critical cases in COVID hospitals require intensive care from specialists who are trained to handle such contagious situations. But young medical students should not be put at risk since they are not adequately trained for providing critical care," Sharma said. He further said that several medical professionals have said that operation of ventilators requires specialised skills which are not provided to medical students. "Without proper training, these hospitals are putting the lives of patients also at risk," he said. The NSUI leader further stated in his letter that the postponement of examinations in view of the pandemic and online classes was posing a major problem for medical students. "Since lectures form a small part of medical curriculum which primarily depends upon practical and clinical education, the students are finding themselves in a piquant situation," he added. He pointed out that many post-graduate students are involved in COVID duty along with their regular hospital duties. He said that submission deadline for such students should be shifted to another date. Medical students have claimed, according to the NSUI letter, that they are forced to undergo Blood Rapid Kit Test (instead of Antigen Swab test) which is often known to give false results. The students are demanding same testing parameters for them, as provided to patients, so that transmission among the medical staff could be restricted. Sharma said that he had written to the state human rights commission because the matter concerned "violation of human rights". BRIDGEPORT Samuel Moore assured a judge Monday he had a good understanding of what was going on around him but he certainly didnt understand when the judge decided to revoke Moores bond following his third arrest. But whats my bond, whats my bond? Moore yelled as he was handcuffed and escorted out of the courtroom by judicial marshals. His fiancee began screaming from the back of the courtroom that she didnt get a chance to read from her written statement as she clutched the couples young daughter. Her screaming continued as she was escorted out of the Fairfield County Courthouse to the sidewalk. During the hearing, Superior Court Judge Alex Hernandez mused that he didnt understand how the 36-year-old Moore managed to post bonds totaling $750,000 on his landscaper salary. Moore, who is on probation for an attempted murder conviction, is awaiting trial for allegedly trying to run down a Cromwell police officer in March after his probation officer allegedly found a cache of weapons in Moores apartment. Supervisory Assistant States Attorney C. Robert Satti Jr. urged the judge to revoke Moores bond, calling Moore a danger to society. Moore ignored warnings from Public Defender Thomas Paoletta and decided to defend himself. All my life I have been addicted, I take ecstasy, I have been shot at, I have a terrible record, Moore told the judge. But I take this very seriously. The judge ordered the bond revoked. Moore was convicted in 2007 on charges of attempted murder, first-degree robbery and carrying a pistol without a permit. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, suspended after 15 years served with five years probation, which began in August 2019. One of the conditions of his release was that he have no weapons. But on March 7, police said a probation office received an anonymous telephone call that Moore possessed three handguns. The probation officer called Moore at his home to advise him that the officer would be stopping by his residence for a home visit, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. The probation officer asked two Cromwell police officers to join him for the visit. When they arrived, the probation officer called Moore and asked him to step outside. Moore went out onto the front steps, according to police. But when he was asked to come down off the steps so he could be searched, the affidavit said, he instead ran back into the residence, slamming the door behind him. According to the affidavit, the officers withdrew to their respective vehicles, and Moore then ran out of the residence, climbed into a car and began fleeing in an erratic manner. As he did so, Moore traveled in the direction of Cromwell police Sgt. Ryan Parsons, the affidavit said. Multiple witnesses said they saw Moores vehicle almost strike Parson, according to the affidavit. Parsons fired once at the car with his department-issued weapon, police said. The officers shot struck Moores car, and Moore then drove over a curb as he fled, the affidavit said. He then collided with another vehicle at the intersection of Shunpike and Evergreen roads, it said. He fled from his damaged car on foot into a nearby wooded area. The two people in the other car were not seriously injured, according to police. As officers from multiple law enforcement agencies descended on the scene, Moore was located hiding off Route 9 and taken into custody without further incident, according to police. Police said they found guns with extended magazines in Moores apartment. Azerbaijan Reports Clashes at Border With Armenia, Says Both Sides Suffer Losses Sputnik News 13:54 GMT 12.07.2020(updated 14:13 GMT 12.07.2020) BAKU (Sputnik) - Armenian military opened fire at the border with Azerbaijan on Sunday, provoking clashes that resulted in losses on both sides, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said on Sunday. "Starting from the afternoon on 12 July, units of the Armenian armed forces, grossly violating the ceasefire on the direction of the Tovuz region of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, subjected to fire our positions using artillery mounts. There are losses on both sides", the ministry said in a press release, published on its official website. Separately, the press service said that two Azerbaijani servicemen have been killed, and five others have sustained injuries. "As a result of adequate measures, the enemy suffered losses and retreated", the press service added. The conflict between Baku and Yerevan over Nagorno-Karabakh began in February 1988, when the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its secession from Azerbaijan. During the 1992-1994 armed conflict, Azerbaijan lost control of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding areas. Since 1992, negotiations have been ongoing for a peaceful resolution to the conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, led by co-chairs Russia, the United States, and France. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A peaceful protester in Oregon, armed with only a music speaker, was shot in the head with 'rubber bullet' and severely injured by federal agents deployed by President Trump. The disturbing incident happened across the street from the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in Portland during a demonstration against police brutality and racism on Saturday. The shooting was widely condemned by local and state officials who've shifted blame onto President Trump after he sent federal agents to quell protests without their consent. Many said Trump was responsible for the bloodshed last weekend, after the president on Friday encouraged a more aggressive approach by federal Homeland Security personnel. **WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT** Footage shared on Instagram and YouTube by videographer Tomas Morales shows Donavan La Bella, 26, hoisting a music speaker into the air across from authorities. The authorities, reported to be federal agents, had closed off the area surrounding the courthouse while in riot gear. The authorities are seen throwing a smoking canister at the peaceful protesters, but La Bella softly kicks it out of the way and tosses it back. Seconds later, a shot rings out and La Bella's body crumples to the ground as nearby protesters scream in fear. Donovan La Bella (pictured) was holding a music speaker during a protest on Saturday night when he was shot in the head with 'less lethal' munition by federal agents An agent opened fire at La Bella after he softly tossed back a smoking canister they hurled at peaceful protesters and began playing music again The victim's mother said La Bella (pictured) suffered fractures to his head and skull, and has undergone facial reconstruction surgery The group rallies around La Bella, who is lying on the ground with a large gash in his head and blood seeping out onto the concrete sidewalk. A handful of protesters lift La Bella's limp body and rush him away from the scene. Another video shared by videographer Garrison Davis shows a chilling trail of blood from the street and across the sidewalk as La Bella is carried away. In the video, Davis can be heard saying La Bella was hit in the face with 'what appears to be an impact munition.' La Bella received some medical treatment at the scene and was transported to a local hospital by emergency crews. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. Fellow protesters lifted La Bella off the ground and carried him to safety as he bled out on the sidewalk (pictured) Bystanders who witnessed the incident said authorities fired a 'less lethal' munition at La Bella, while the Daily Beast identified it as a rubber bullet. Impact munitions, like rubber bullets and plastic projectiles, are typically intended to be fired at arms and legs to avoid serious injury. Caitlyn Sakelik, one of La Bella's friends who witnessed the incident, told Oregon Public Broadcast that he had been nonviolent the entire time. 'Hes been completely nonviolent the entire time hes been down there, He helps deescalate situations. Out of all people, hes one of the nicest kids you will ever meet The victim's mother, Desiree La Bella, told Oregon Live that her son's face and skull were fractured by the munition. He underwent facial reconstructive surgery on Sunday morning. 'He still has a tube in his skull to drain the blood,' said Desiree. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT.Pictured: Blood left behind at the scene after a federal agent struck La Bella in the head on Saturday night Although still hospitalized, La Bella has been responsive to doctors and has use of his limbs Protesters in Portland this weekend set fire to a dumpster on Sunday and rolled it into an intersection during a demonstration She added that La Bella needs neurological checks every hour, is showing signs of confusion and had an MRI for vision difficulties in his left eye. But at the moment La Bella is responsive to doctors, as well as able to move his arms and legs. A GoFundMe for La Bella was created to help cover medical and living costs. Desiree said she planned on contacting an attorney on her son's behalf on Monday, but local officials have already called for investigations into the concerning matter. Oregon officials have been at odds with Trump as his heavy-handed, military focused response to Black Lives Matter protests have clashed with local protocols. Tensions have continued to mount as different restrictions and orders have been given to the two agencies. Portland Police Bureau officers and local authorities have been barred from using crowd control munitions against non-violent protesters - but not federal agents. Federal agents also used tear gas over the weekend, which has been temporarily banned from the Portland Police Bureau by federal court order unless they declare a riot. Policing has become more complicated in Portland with the presence of federal agents because they're not held to the same protocols or restrictions as local authorities Portland Deputy Police Chief Chris Davis admitted that federal agents (pictured) don't coordinate with his department and 'it does complicate things for us' Portland Deputy Police Chief Chris Davis told Associated Press that federal agents don't coordinate with his agency and that 'it does complicate things for us.' In a statement on Sunday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said that he has already spoken with U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy J. Williams about the investigation. 'I am calling on the federal government to be thorough and transparent with their findings. I'm concerned that the actions of federal officers last night escalated, rather than de-escalated, already heightened tensions in our city,' he wrote. The U.S. Marshals Service is investigating the incident. Protests in Portland began in after the Memorial Day death of George Floyd, an unarmed father-of-five, who died after a white Minneapolis Police Department officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Footage of the incident sparked Black Lives Matter protests that brought a reckoning across the United States on issues surrounding police brutality and racism. Protests in Portland, which have seen arson incidents and intense clashes with law enforcement, have reportedly focused on federal property and the courthouse. Demonstrations last weekend saw several fires set ablaze, including an effigy of a police officer wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood, according to Oregon Live. People can be heard chanting: 'Whose streets? Our streets!' Protesters set fire to a cardboard drawn-out police officer with a KKK hoodie in downtown #Portland . Stay tuned for updates on the ground pic.twitter.com/sTdJi3yS4q Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) July 11, 2020 An effigy of a police officer wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood is set on fire as Portland, Oregon, on Friday Another fire was lit in a dumpster and rolled into the middle of a Portland intersection. Authorities said several people were taken into custody after pointing lasers into the eyes of federal agents and at least two people were seized for reportedly trying to damage the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building with a hammer. President Trump spoke at a military base near Miami, Florida, on Friday and explained his rationale for sending in federal agents without getting the OK from Oregon officials. 'It was out of control,' he told DHS Secretary Chad Wolf. 'The locals couldn't handle it and you people are handling it very nicely.' President Trump (pictured) deployed DHS federal officers to Portland because 'It was out of control' and 'The locals couldn't handle it' But that's not how local and state officials have seen it. Sen. Ron Wyden on Sunday directly called out the President and questioned why federal agents were acting as an 'occupying army. 'The consequences of Donald Trump unilaterally dispatching fedl law enforcement into U.S. cities played out in Portland w/a peaceful protester shot in the head,' he wrote. 'Trump & Homeland Security must now answer why fedl officers are acting like an occupying army.' Sen. Jeff Merkley said in a statement: 'Given President Trumps misuse of force against protesters outside the White House and elsewhere, the deployment of federal agents in Portland raises serious concerns. 'What was their mission? Did they abuse peaceful protesters? Were their uniforms accurately marked? Did they made the situation worse? What weapons did they use? Were they invited by Portland police or local officials?' Several Oregon politicians blamed President Trump for La Bella's injuries and bloodshed Sen. Jeff Merkley: 'Given President Trumps misuse of force against protesters outside the White House and elsewhere, the deployment of federal agents in Portland raises serious concerns' Oregon Gov. Kate Brown also pointed a finger at Trump for the events that led up to La Bella's injuries. 'The events of last night at the federal courthouse were the tragic and avoidable result of President Donald Trump, for weeks, continuing to push for force and violence in response to protests,' wrote Brown. 'The cycle of violence must end.' Portland Commissioner Chloe Eudaly blasted Trump for caring more about 'monuments and buildings' than civilians. La Bella (pictured) needs neurological checks every hour, is showing signs of confusion and had an MRI for vision difficulties in his left eye. 'Its unfortunate that Trump cares more about protecting monuments and buildings than he does peoples lives and constitutional rights,' told The Oregonian/Oregon Live. 'We didnt invite or ask for this overblown intervention by the federal government.' Eudaly was referencing to Trump's announcement that demonstrators who tear down Confederate and American monuments could face 10 years in jail. Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty warned that a 'life will be taken' as federal agents being in Portland has caused mounting tension. Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty also voiced her concerns about federal agents being deployed to Portland She blamed federal agents for 'reckless and aggressive behavior' that resulted in La Bella's injuries Hardesty: 'If this continues a life will be taken and it wont matter whether a federal officer or Portland Police officer did it it wont bring that person back' 'Last week it was disconcerting to see militarized federal officers with war weapons embedded with the Portland Police Bureau and stationed around Portland,' wrote Hardesty. 'Since then their presence brought on an escalation of violence towards protesters an extreme response to a movement challenging police violence. This reckless and aggressive behavior has now put someone in the hospital. This protester is still fighting for their life and I want to be clear: this should never have happened. 'If this continues a life will be taken and it wont matter whether a federal officer or Portland Police officer did it it wont bring that person back.' But Desiree says the fault lies less with Trump and more with the individual officers at the scene. 'In my opinion, the fault lies with the feds at the scene needlessly firing into a generally peaceful unarmed crowd and aiming for the head,' she told OPB. 'It is my understanding that nonlethal rounds are not to be aimed at vital organs and no rounds of any kind should be shot at any unarmed person.' (ANSA) - REGGIO CALABRIA, JUL 13 - An Italian man who tried to kill his ex-wife by setting her on fire last year on Monday got 18 years in jail for attempted murder. Ciro Russo was arrested on March 12 last year a few hours after the attack in Reggio Calabria. The victim, Antonietta Rositani, suffered severe burns after Russo set fire to her car with her inside outside an artistic high school in the Calabrian capital. Russo, from Ercolano near Naples, had escaped from house arrest for a string of petty crimes. The incident happened in front of many students. The criminal approached the car and the woman tried to flee but drove into a wall in her panic. The man then poured flammable liquid into the vehicle and lit it before running away. The woman was rushed to the Ospedali Riuniti Hospital in Reggio Calabria with serious burns while the man went on the lam before being arrested a few hours later. It was the latest in a series of such 'femicide' attacks in Italy. (ANSA). Intensely stormy weather was sweeping through Western and Northeastern Massachusetts on Monday. A cluster of strong thunderstorms was barreling through eastern parts of Hampden and Hampshire counties around 1:14 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The storm system was moving at roughly 15 MPH and was expected to produce pea-sized hail, torrential rainfall and roughly 40-mile-per-hour winds, forecasters said. Heads up in Springfield area! Approaching storms will bring minor street flooding, and winds may be strong enough to down branches, the National Weather Service tweeted. Get indoors when you hear thunder! [2:45 pm] Check out this hail core over Topsfield, MA. Those underneath this storm could see up to 0.75" and wind gusts to 60 miles per hour. A severe thunderstorm warning continues until 3:15 pm. Move inside if you're in the path of this storm. pic.twitter.com/F1RPmOrrcX NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) July 13, 2020 A 36-mile-per-hour wind gust was measured shortly before 1:10 p.m. at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport, according to forecasters. Get indoors when these storms approach, the National Weather Service said. Winds may be strong enough to produce minor damage, such as a few downed branches. About 15 minutes later, a strong thunderstorm was reported heading northeast at 15 MPH from Granby in Hampshire County. More hail, roughly 30-mile-per-hour winds and cloud-to-ground lighting were forecast, according to forecasters. The most impacted areas were Agawam, Avon, East Longmeadow, Granby, Longmeadow, Southwick, Springfield and the Hartford, Connecticut area, the National Weather Service said. [12PM] Here's a model simulation (timing is approximate) showing #thunderstorms developing early this afternoon. A few storms may become strong to locally severe especially between I-84 corridor & Cape Cod Canal. Main threats are damaging straight-line wind & torrential rainfall. pic.twitter.com/MOx7fco0jD NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) July 13, 2020 In Northeastern Massachusetts, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for more than 160,000 residents across Essex County, including in the communities of Amesbury, Danvers, and Newburyport, where penny-sized hail and up to 60-mile-per-hour wind gusts were forecast. A strong thunderstorm was reported over the Essex County town of Topsfield shortly after 2:20 p.m. It was moving north at around 30 MPH and was also expected to produce medium-sized hail and strong winds. According to National Weather Service, communities in Southeastern and Northeastern Massachusetts have the highest probability of seeing organized storms through the afternoon. Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Danvers MA, Newburyport MA, Amesbury MA until 3:45 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/A94HS9LXUd NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) July 13, 2020 [2:25 pm] Heads up for those folks on the North Shore! This storm could produce pea-sized hail, wind gusts to 40 miles per hour, torrential rain, and cloud to ground lightning. Get indoors when you hear thunder! pic.twitter.com/Xja4Ap1bRk NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) July 13, 2020 Related Content: Strong to severe thunderstorms forecast across Massachusetts on Monday; Warm weather to cool by mid-week Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 21:15:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, July 13 (Xinhua) -- As tributes continued pouring in following the death of South Africa's ambassador to Denmark Zindzi Mandela, President Cyril Ramaphosa said her passing was saddening. Zindzi died at age of 59 in a Johannesburg hospital after a short illness. She was Nelson Mandela and Winnie Mandela's youngest daughter. "Her spirit joins Tata Madiba and Mama Winnie in a reunion of leaders to whom we owe our freedom," Ramaphosa said on Monday. Ramaphosa offered his condolences to the Mandela family and the rest of the diplomatic family. At the time of her death, Zindzi was designated to become South Africa's Head of Mission in Monrovia, Liberia. She also served as Deputy President of the Soweto Youth Congress and was a member of the Release Mandela Campaign. "I offer my deep condolences to the Mandela family as we mourn the passing of a fearless political activist who was a leader in her own right," the president said. He said the fact that her death was a few days before Nelson's birthday which is on July 18 was sad. "Our sadness is compounded by this loss being visited upon us just days before the world marks the birthday of the great Nelson Mandela," Ramaphosa said. Ramaphosa praised Zindzi's involvement in the liberation struggle against apartheid. "Zindzi Mandela was a household name nationally and internationally, who during our years of struggle brought home the inhumanity of the apartheid system and the unshakeable resolve of our fight for freedom," Ramaphosa said. He also applauded for the role she played after the country gained democracy. "After our liberation she became an icon of the task we began of transforming our society and stepping into spaces and opportunities that had been denied to generations of South Africans," he said. Enditem Professor Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Laureate and literary icon, is 86 years old today. Tributes are pouring in for the man who has stood for decades as his countrys gadfly and conscience. Soyinkas life has been kaleidoscopic: he is a playwright, novelist, poet, conscientious objector, political activist, human rights campaigner and a change campaigner. In an early tribute, President Centre for Change, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, saluted Soyinka, whom she called Kongi, describing him as a Man of Many parts. According to Okei-Odumakin, Soyinka is many things to many people. She commended the Nobel laureate for being a Third Force to liberate the suffering Nigerians from the shackles of oppression. He is a man of Conscience who stood stoically against a senseless civil war. When we talk of the Masked Man who stormed a radio station, we talk of him. When we talk of The Man (who) Died for keeping quiet in the face of tyranny; Kongis Harvest, Brother Jero and his Metamorphosis, we talk of him. When we talk of Death and the Horseman, we talk of the same person. What of Ake, which happens to be his place of birth? We can go on and on, she said Okei-Odumakin congratulated Prof. Soyinka and wished him long life and good health. Related Dr. P Varavara Rao (81), a Telugu writer and poet, who is lodged at Navi Mumbais Taloja Jail in connection with the 2018 Elgar Parishad case, has moved the Bombay high court (HC) against the order of the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court, which had rejected his interim bail application on June 26. Rao had sought interim bail on the grounds of his failing health condition due to his advanced age and susceptibility to contracting SARS-CoV-2, which causes coronavirus disease (Covid-19), which is sweeping through Maharashtra, and especially in and around Mumbai. Though the court was slated to hear his case on July 17, his lawyers have sought an urgent hearing on Tuesday after his family members raised an alarm about his health condition after speaking with Rao over the phone on Saturday. They found him to be incoherent and suffering from hallucinations. On Sunday, his family members held a press conference via a video-link and quoted a fellow inmate about Raos poor health condition, who told them that he is unable to even walk up to a washroom on his own. The special NIA court did not consider the plea that Rao was admitted to JJ Hospital on May 28 after he had lost his consciousness. The hospital authorities had released him in haste because his interim bail plea was coming up for a hearing in the special NIA court. The NIA, which had taken over the Elgar Parishad case from Pune Police in February, had opposed the bail plea, as Rao was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, where there is no provision to grant him temporary bail. NIA had submitted that the jail authorities could be directed to ensure that Rao was provided proper medical attention, whenever required. Another petition has also been moved by Rao, through advocates R Sathyanarayanan and Susan Abraham, on Monday against the superintendent of Taloja Jail for not complying with the prescription of JJ Hospital to conduct regular medical check-ups, and, as a result, his health condition has further worsened. The petition has sought the directions to the jail authorities to produce all medical reports of Rao and also submit the course of action adopted by them after June 2 to take care of his frail health condition. Directions have also been sought to send Rao for advanced medical check-ups at the earliest to a private hospital at his own expense. The petition is expected to come up for hearing later in July. Earlier, on January 1, 2018, violence erupted between Dalits and Marathas near the village of Bhima Koregaon in Pune district, where thousands of Dalits had gathered to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon. In that battle, the British Armys Dalit Mahar soldiers had defeated the Brahmin Peshwa rulers of the Maratha empire. The commemoration took place a day after an event in Pune called the Elgar Parishad was held. The Pune Police conducted a preliminary probe and claimed that the violence in Bhima Koregaon was the result of speeches made at the Elgar Parishad event. They alleged that banned Maoist groups organised the event, and a first information report (FIR) was also filed. In June 2018, the Pune Police arrested five activists and lawyers from Pune, Nagpur, and Delhi -- SurendraGadling, Mahesh Raut, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, and Shoma Sen --- for their alleged links to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), and also for organising the Elgar Parishad event. In August 2018, the police arrested four more activists --- Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, and Varavara Rao. While Gautam Navlakha and Dr.Anand Teltumbde were arrested on April 14 this year, taking the total number of the accused in the case to 11. Amid the continuing feud between India and China regarding the Himalayan border, India has reportedly sought an alliance with Russia. According to Daily Express, New Delhi and Moscow have entered defense deal which amounts to 181.48 billion rupees or equivalent to US$2.4 billion just last week. Moreover, the news outlet stated that the defense deal led to a discussion of the policies which revolves around the dependency of New Delhi on Russia. The deal became controversial as it came at the peak of India's border dispute with China. With the formation of the said alliance, the reliability of Russia as an ally to India has become a key concern. This is because of Russia's deepening relationship with China as the latter is the top trading partner of Moscow. However, many critics have stated that India needs to further build its ties with Russia despite its improving relationship with the United States. As the dispute between China and India continues the United States has leaned more on India's side. Thus questions whether it would be better for New Delhi to rely on the US for support rather than Russia arise. Meanwhile, aside from forming alliances the issue of weapon trading has also entered the talks as both the US and Russia try to boost their sales on the arms supply for India as the military tensions with Beijing continue. A report by South China Morning Post stated that just last week, the proposal which aimed to acquire 33 Russian warplanes was rushed by New Delhi. It also included the upgrade of 59 other warplanes. The US$2.4 billion-deal was already an addition to the initial deal for s-400 defense missile systems which were worth US$5.43 billion. Read also: North Korea Threatens Britain After Sanctions Were Imposed on Two of Its Organizations China-India Border Dispute The battle for the disputed Himalayan border between China and India has escalated to military clashes with has already caused lives. However many people are still clueless about what fueled the deadly clashes. June 15, 2020 - An encounter between Chinese and Indian troops at Galwan Valley in Ladakh region killed at least 20 Indian soldiers. China stated that the altercation was provoked by Indian soldiers who crossed the border two times and started attacking Chinese personnel. According to BBC, the fight over the disputed territory has been going on for decades, however, it escalated after India built a new road in Ladakh which was along the area dividing the two sides of the border also known as the Line of Actual Control. The move by India caused an outrage from the Chinese government who immediately retaliated. Beijing started to deploy troops on the area and have also built several infrastructures in the territory. The move by both sides brought them within closer proximity increasing the risk of conflict and clashes. The clash over the territory has been very important for both sides since the area is is strategically important not only militarily but also economically. Thus, neither of the two countries are ready to back down and have sought their own allies. Related article: Neo-Nazis and Far-Right Groups are Urging Followers to Deliberately Infect Jews and Muslims with COVID-19 @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Jalan Alston, 18, died after he rushed to save two friends struggling in the water at the New Jersey shore on Friday. A New York high school graduate was praised as a hero after he died off a New Jersey beach saving two friends' lives while swimming. Jalan Alston, 18, went missing Friday after he went in the water at Ventnor Beach to help his two friends who were struggling, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement. Alston pushed the swimmers toward the land but could not make it out of the water himself, the Coast Guard said. One of his friends called 911, and soon Coast Guard personnel were searching for the teen. Alston's body was found Saturday after hours of searching, his family said. The Coast Guard said the search along with Ventnor City Police Department spanned 58 square-miles over 13 hours. "Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Jalan," said Capt. Jonathan Theel, commander of Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay. "It's always difficult to suspend a case, and it weighs especially heavy on our hearts knowing that he was helping others." Mark Alston, 23, told USA TODAY that his brother was always "really caring." Mark Alston said his younger brother Jalan wanted to become an engineer and planned to take the civil service exam in the fall. "He would do things for you, so it's not far out there that he did this," Mark Alston said. Alston said his brother and the two people he saved were all in the water amid rough conditions from Tropical Storm Fay. Jalan was close to the beach and could have run to the land and called for help but instead went deeper into the water to save his friends, Mark Alston said. "He's not here because he wanted to save people," Alston said. Alston said his brother, who just graduated from George Westinghouse High School in Brooklyn, wanted to become an engineer and planned to take the civil service exam in the fall. A GoFundMe was started to help the family cover funeral costs. "I will always remember him as my little brother who saved two people," Alston said. Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalan Alston, New York graduate, saved friends at New Jersey shore Mumbai: Hours after his family members tested positive for coronavirus, senior actor Anupam Kher, during early hours on Tuesday, said that his mother Dulari has been shifted to an isolation ward while his brother Raju`s family is in home-quarantine. Kher who had earlier revealed to his fans about the COVID diagnosis of his mother and brother`s family took to Twitter to share another video update where he is seen thanking his fans for the support. "Thank you, my dear friends, for your messages and blessings that you have sent in for the speedy recovery of my mother Dulari, (brother) Raju and his family. I can`t respond to each of the messages on social media personally but I want to thank you all with all my heart," he said. "It is natural to feel anxious when four people of the family have been diagnosed with coronavirus but in these times I got the support of you people and that gave me some comfort and positivity," he added. Giving an update about his family`s health condition, Kher said, "My mummy has been shifted to the isolation ward and Raju and his family is in-home quarantine. I am sure they are under the supervision of good doctors and they will recover soon." Before ending the video message, the 65-year-old actor urged people to take social distancing and their safety seriously. "Another thing that I wanted to add is that the terms `social distancing` and `stay safe` are not just expressions they are the reality. It is very important to take them very seriously," the `Saaransh` actor said. "With the relaxations in the country, people have started enjoying talking at a distance wearing masks. No, I don`t think it is going to work like that. This virus is serious. If you do not have a reason to venture out for a good reason, then please don`t," he added. Kher also urged his fans to not be under the "impression" that relaxations in lockdown mean that the threat of coronavirus in the country is any less. "If you feel that there are relaxations (in lockdown) and it has been four months so everything will be fine now, no! Everything will not be fine. You have to stay at home then only you will stay safe," he said. "So, please don`t be under the impression that this is the latest norm, just speak about it and it will be fine, no! it will not be. Please take it seriously and thank you once again for your love," he added. Kher had earlier on Monday through another video message revealed that his mother Dulari and his brother Raju along with his family have been diagnosed with COVID. The `Accidental Prime Minister` actor had also informed his fans that he tested negative for COVID-19. This is to inform all that my mother Dulari is found Covid + (Mildly). We have admitted her into Kokilaben Hospital. My brother, bhabhi & niece inspite of being careful have also tested mildly positive.I got myself tested as well & I have tested negative. @mybmc is informed.! pic.twitter.com/EpjDIALft2 Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) July 12, 2020 Earlier this week, megastar Amitabh Bachchan along with his son Abhishek Bachchan, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and granddaughter Aaradhya Bachchan also tested positive for coronavirus. Hyderabad, July 13 : The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a software tool for enforcement of quarantine, which will be implemented in partnership with the Telangana Information Technology Association (TITA), an industry body of software professionals. Both the organisations on Monday signed an agreement to implement the automated management of the software. The pilot for the implementation is likely to begin soon. The DRDO has devised Smart Automated Management of Patients and Risks for Covid-19 (SAMPARC), an intelligent software for enforcement of quarantine or isolation. The software tool will be a handy tool for law enforcement and health officials, as it would enable intelligent automated tracking of those in quarantine or isolation. It will also generate alerts if there are violations or wilful suppression of movement details. This is expected to reduce the tracking workload of law enforcement or health officials. The online pact was signed by Dr Rituraj Kumar, Scientist G, Centre for AI & Robotics (CAIR) of the DRDO and Sundeep Kumar Makthala, Global President, TITA. The SAMPARC solution can be deployed as a national service by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), or can be distributed as a state-wise or region-wise service. Relying on the information provided by the police and health officials, it allows geofencing, face recognition, display of data on map (with hotspot information, if available). The rollout of the solution involves no cost to the patient and local authority needs to position only a suitable computer and the software is based on a combination of open source software. Details of the patient including name, cell phone number, IMEI of the phone, coordinates of the quarantine location, duration of quarantine, email id and optionally photographs of the patient for AI-based face detection. The app has to be installed on the patient's smartphone which would automatically send a protected message to the Covid server every 10 minutes. The app would run as a background service that would automatically restart even if the phone reboots. Based on the requirements of the authorities, the patient will be able to send selfies taken through the SAMPARC app to the server for automated AI based face recognition. "The software would automatically generate an alarm if the patient violates the geofence of his quarantine location in four consecutive inputs received from the smartphone. It also sends out an alert if the selfie does not match the photo taken during registration. The software would display potential violations as a red symbol. Once the quarantine period is over, the patient would be removed from tracking and they can uninstall the SAMPARC app," explained Makthala "We chose TITA as an implementing partner as it has been working at the grass root level and has implemented many programmes like digital literacy, rural citizens connect with doctors through Tconsult, etc," said Dr Kumar. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Archdiocese of New York unveiled a framework on Monday of plans to return students to Catholic elementary schools in September amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on an alternating, staggered schedule -- blending in-person and remote learning. Michael J. Deegan, superintendent of schools in the Archdiocese of New York, shared an outline of some fundamental topics from the guidance, titled Catholic Schools Opening: Moving Forward Together, which will be released early next week. We are committed to opening schools for five days a week and ensuring that as many students using social distancing can safely be in our buildings under the direct supervision of a teacher, said Deegan in the letter. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** However, most school buildings cant accommodate all students while social distancing for a full five days every week. Students will attend school two or three days a week on an alternating week schedule, with plans created by principals, Deegan announced. While I know all of you want your child in five days a week, government guidelines for health and safety do not allow that to happen, he said in the letter. Parents can also choose full-time remote learning for their child. Remote learning will be with their childs teacher, learning in the classroom with students who are in the building, Deegan said in the letter. Students will be seamlessly connected. Early morning drop-off and after-school programs wont be available until a later date. Social-emotional learning and mental well-being will be a priority for students upon their return. Health and safety of students, faculty and staff, will also be prioritized with enhanced cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing protocols, temperature checks and symptom screening, according to Deegan. He added that there is an expectation that public school districts will provide a nurse or medical professional for all Catholic elementary schools and transportation for eligible students. We are not confident that they will fulfill those requirements. We will persist on engaging local school districts and lobbying for our students. We want you to know how aggressively we are fighting for our children, but fear the government will fail to help us, Deegan said in the letter. CITYWIDE PLANS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS The Archdioceses plans are similar to the proposal outlined by the city Department of Education (DOE) for a safe return in the fall. Mayor Bill de Blasio and city Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza announced last week that, come September, parents will have the option to allow their children to fully work remotely, but if they choose to send their kids back to the classroom, students will only be allowed to return for in-person learning two or three days of the week and work remotely the rest of the week. Under the plan, classes will be held in cafeterias, auditoriums, gymnasiums and in enclosed outdoor spaces and students, and teachers will be required to wear face coverings while following strict social distancing rules. The DOE will supply schools with cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment like face coverings, and schools will be deep cleaned every evening using an electrostatic disinfectant. The agency put together two scheduling models for schools that can allow for 50% of students return to classrooms and another model for schools that can 33% of students to return. The New York State Education Department presented its framework of statewide guidance on Monday for reopening schools in the fall amid the coronavirus. The guidance includes wearing face coverings, enforcing social distancing, providing transportation and electronic devices, as well as cleaning and disinfecting protocols. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. A man has been jailed after converting a doll he bought for his grandchildren from Kmart into a child sex toy. Robert Garcia from Warilla on the NSW south coast has become the first person in Australia to be jailed for possessing a child-like sex doll. The 52-year-old transformed the doll he bought from Kmart into a crude sex toy by cutting a hole in the doll's crotch and adding a synthetic tube for penetration. The doll is about 65 centimetres tall and dressed in a pink top with blonde pig tails and no underwear. Robert Garcia has been jailed for 12 months for possessing a child-like sex doll. He bought the doll from Kmart and altered it himself (stock image) Footage of Garcia having sex with the doll was found in his home by police during a welfare check, along with child pornography on three different mobile phones. Garcia was sentenced to 12-months in jail with a two-year recognisance bond in Wollongong Courthouse on Monday. Judge Andrew Haesler quashed arguments from Garcia's lawyers to spare their client from jail, according to the Illawarra Mercury. 'Given the seriousness of the offences I can only impose a custodial sentence,' he said. Judge Haesler noted the toy was home made and Garcia was not supporting a commercial market for sex dolls. 'It appears his interest in young children and his use of doll occurred at the time he was drinking heavily,' he said. Garcia was sentenced to 12-months in jail with a two-year recognisance bond in Wollongong Courthouse (pictured) on Monday 'If he undergoes treatment, I'm reasonably confident if he refrains from using alcohol he is unlikely to reoffend.' Garcia will be placed on the NSW child sex offenders registry on release from jail in July 2021. He was charged under new laws that passed through parliament less than two months before his arrest. TORONTO, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bayesian Group is a global digital asset fintech initiative consisting of a collection of strategically aligned businesses with the singular goal of moving the world into a frictionless, digital-first financial future. The Group currently operates with two distinctive pillars, namely: i. Bayesian Markets: headed by Steven Walt, previously Head of OTC at Paycase Financial and National Bank (Canada). Bayesian Markets' Market Making service uses proprietary trading bots to place multiple orders for particular digital assets across multiple exchanges, to boost overall liquidity. The Liquidity Provision service aims to provide wholesale liquidity to regulated digital asset on/off ramps to facilitate its use and broad adoption. Over The Counter (OTC) facilitates the purchase and sale of large amounts of digital assets, made possible by access to deep liquidity pools and proprietary trading algorithms without impacting market prices. ii. Bayesian Fund: Headed by Kamyar Hazaveh, before joining Bayesian Group he was the Vice President of Fixed Income at CI Investments, overseeing $15 billion of global fixed income and FOREX assets for retail and institutional clients. In the backend, the Toronto-based Group uses blockchain technology to make transactions and store data. After evaluating Ethereum, BTC Core, BCH and Litecoin, they decided to utilise the Bitcoin SV protocol. Many factors influenced this decision; however, at its core, the decision was based on the scalability of the network. The Bayesian Group believes in a world where everything is tokenized and transferrable to accomplish that fees need to be as low as possible to remove any barriers to entry. The CEO of the Group, ex-Harvard, Computer Science alumnus with both legal and hedge fund background on the CV, Roy Bernhard, commented: "We have been open for business for a very short period of time so, to be already working with some household names in the digital currency world, shows me that we must be doing something right. We will roll out more details on how our services are truly unique in the coming weeks, We believe we have some algorithms and features that are game-changers in trading digital assets." About Bayesian Group: The Bayesian Group is a collective of companies operating in the Fintech and Digital Asset Investment market. Bayesian Labs creates software, market research and trading algorithms. Built on top of that technology and research are financial services such as Market Making, Liquidity Provision and an OTC desk delivered by Bayesian Markets. The Bayesian Fund (a segregated portfolio) is an alpha-generating A.I-powered hedge fund that leverages proprietary algorithms to provide outsized returns to its institutional investors. The Bayesian Group is dedicated to showing the world the power of Digital Assets within a regulated, private, secure global economy. SOURCE The Bayesian Group Continue Reading Below Advertisement This song would also be huge among the San Juan Chamula Indians. This song was originally a Calypso number about US servicemen luring local women into prostitution. The Andrews Sisters version above puts a more sanitized and Americanized spin on that. Listen to it now, and you might struggle to identify what accent they're trying for or wonder why they think those words rhyme when they clearly don't, but it sounded just fine to a 1940s audience. Except, of course, to the folks at Pepsi, who panicked as soon as they learned the song was coming stateside. They didn't want a hit song to namedrop Coca-Cola, so they contacted Morey Amsterdam, who'd adapted/stolen the original and rewritten it into the Andrews Sisters cover. Pepsi offered to pay him to change the words to "Rum and Pepsi-Cola." Amsterdam did the responsible thing: He gave the matter some thought, then contacted Coke, asking for a counter offer. Coca-Cola paid him an undisclosed large sum, and in exchange, all had to do was absolutely nothing. Continue Reading Below Advertisement Because the song so blatantly mentioned a brand name, radio stations refused to play it, and trade publications refused to track it. They considered it an ad (and, considering the Coke payout, they were right). They later partially relented and agreed to play an instrumental version, and DJs would refer to it only as "Rum and C.C." Somehow, that did nothing to stop The Andrews Sisters' vocal version from becoming a hit. We already told you how it was totally inescapable on military bases worldwide, and it in fact ended up the second-bestselling song of the decade. That means in terms of sales, "Rum and Coca-Cola" was second only to "White Christmas" -- and "White Christmas," even today, happens to be the bestselling song of all time. ("White Christmas," of course, was also a stealth ad for coke, in that it was secretly sponsored by the Medellin Cartel.) The 7 worst ways Americans are using their tax refunds Because of COVID-19, this years tax deadline got delayed three months to July 15. But even with the extra time, it appears many people are still waiting until the last minute to file including many taxpayers who will be receiving refunds. The IRS says that as of July 3, it processed 95 million refunds, down from 105 million by the same time last year. The tax agency says Americans are getting back an average $2,762 this year, slightly more than during the 2019 tax season. With the economy struggling and unemployment still high, managing a refund wisely is more important than ever. But many Americans aren't making the best use of their windfalls. See the seven worst ways people are using their tax refunds. 1. Letting it rot in checking accounts Prapan manuchon / Shutterstock Setting a tax refund aside in an emergency fund is smart. Many financial advisers recommend keeping enough cash on hand to cover at least six months' worth of a household's regular expenses. But here's what's not so smart: dumping the money into a checking account. Traditional checking accounts pay interest that ranges from puny all the way down to 0%. When a person lets a refund stagnate in a checking account, that's squandering the earnings potential of that cash. The best place to build an emergency fund is in a high-yield savings account. That way, the money will have a chance to grow, so there'll be more of it available when it's needed most. 2. Going on spending sprees Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock As many stores and shopping malls have reopened, Americans have been tempted to stretch their legs and engage in a bit of tax-refund-sponsored retail therapy. But the job market is still shaky, especially as some states and cities now go back into lockdown. A gigantic new TV isn't much comfort when a family finds itself straining to make ends meet. Building up emergency savings should be a first priority for using tax refund money, to protect against a sudden financial downturn. But if your emergency fund is set and you feel you can afford to treat yourself, be sure to use a cash-back card so you'll get something in return for your splurging. Story continues Cash back doesn't come only from credit cards these days. There are now cash-back debit cards that will earn you up to 10% back every time you shop at your favorite stores. 3. Dropping it all on debt Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock Although using a tax refund to help pay off debt is normally a wise strategy, this year is a bit different. A tax refund can and should be put toward other uses instead, because many financial institutions are offering relief during the pandemic. They're allowing customers to defer debt payments and interest. For example, anyone with debt from a federal student loan can skip payments until Sept. 30. The government also is waiving interest until then. Borrowers with student loans from private lenders will probably still have to pay but might be able to save some money by refinancing. Its simple and free to compare student loan refinancing options online, to find a better rate that can bring down the monthly payment. 4. Not thinking about the familys future Evgeny Atamanenko / Shutterstock When you think of all the things a tax refund might be spent on, life insurance might be pretty low on the list. But as the events of this year have shown, some things are out of our control. A person should be as prepared as possible for whatever comes. Yet nearly half of Americans (46%) have no life insurance, according to a 2020 study from the industry group LIMRA. Buying a life insurance policy is the easiest way for a breadwinner to provide financial protection for his or her family, in case the worst happens. Contrary to popular belief, getting insurance isn't a long, complicated process. In less than two minutes, you can gather multiple offers online, all tailored to fit your familys needs. Depending on your health and age, you could get $1 million in coverage for as little as a dollar a day. In terms of bang for your buck, life insurance could very well be the very best use of a tax refund. 5. Using the money to buy a new car Mikbiz / Shutterstock With gas prices so low, now might seem like the perfect time to put a new vehicle in the driveway and cruise around in the reduced traffic of the coronavirus era. But even though the free money from a tax refund can allow Americans to make larger-than-usual down payments on their dream rides, those new vehicles plummet in value the second they're driven off the lot. An owner wont get nearly as much back if financial circumstances change and a car has to be re-sold within months. Its better to buy an affordable pre-owned car that won't suck up an entire tax retund, particularly since there are other expenses to consider like car insurance. If you decide to go the used-car route and need some coverage, use a free service online that will help you compare rates from multiple insurers. Shop around and see whos offering the best deal before you settle on a policy. 6. They neglect retirement planning Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock The economic turmoil caused by the pandemic has had a profound impact on Americans retirement funds. Many who are nearing their golden years have seen their investments shrink over the past few months. But some people nearing retirement with cracked nest eggs are using their tax refunds for immediate spending, not putting the money into their retirement funds. Saving the money for when you retire is a sound choice, no matter your age. If your retirement is a long way off, you'll thank yourself later if you put a portion of your tax refund into an account where it will earn returns. Balancing todays needs with the future can be difficult, so you might want to consider recruiting a certified financial planner to help you set and reach your long-term financial goals. Some financial planners operate entirely online, so youll be able to prepare for your retirement without ever having to put on a mask or leave the house. 7. They make bad bets Nata789 / Shutterstock Casinos across the country are finally up and running after months on ice, and some people will hope to double their tax refund at the tables. But the odds of that aren't good. A smarter way to experience that kind of thrill is to invest in the stock market. The current explosion of coronavirus cases has shaken the financial markets, meaning some high-profile stocks are available at discounted prices. But investors need to thoroughly research any company before buying in. If youre playing the long game, look at solid dividend-earning stocks or stable ETFs (exchange-traded funds) to build your portfolio. Even if you dont have much experience investing, you can use a robo-advisor to manage your investments for you and make the process stress-free. Your robo-advisor will automatically update your portfolio whenever theres a market shift. Once youve chosen the risk level youre comfortable with, you can just sit back and watch your money grow. Transparency in Iraq petroleum sector-More symbolic formality than impacting effectiveness Ahmad Mousa Jiyad Iraq/ Development Consultancy and Research, Norway INTRODUCTION In Iraq, transparency iscompletely new term that was externally imposed and became an internationalobligation, in post 2003 Iraqi petroleum sector; that was associated with theinvasion of the country in 2003, with the focus of the invading forces on oilsector and with then recent EITI as powerful transparency promoting entity. Through more than ten years ofexperience with transparency and association with EITI, Iraq went throughdifferent phases that worth assessment and evaluating what has the countrylearned or benefited, challenges faced and what has been done. There is some inaccurateperception and understanding, within Iraqi circles, on what EITI is all about,and thus it becomes necessary to provide brief review of EITI: clarifying whatare the fundamental "principles, how the "Standard formulated, what are the"institutional settings- both national and international and finally, what arethe "processes and how they work. All the above are addressed in part one.Part two focuses on analytically assess the phases of Iraq experience withtransparency in governing petroleum sector. While there was almost notransparency prior to 2003- under both periods pre and during UN imposedsanction on the country, distinct formalized transparency phases are evidentparticularly during the last ten years. The article attempts, in part three, touse quantitative and qualitative measures in addressing the efficiency andeffectiveness of the IEITI core organ, the tri-lateral Multi-Stakeholder Group(MSG). Part four discusses the prospects for IEITI, and practically,transparency in the entire country. In this juncture the article argues thatbecause of the significant importance of the oil sector in the national economyof Iraq, a successful and functional transparency in this sector could alsohave positive spill-overs on other real economy sectors as well as financialand government at federal and provincial levels. In this regards, IEITI isactually at a cross-roads; and all depends first on the "Validation, done inApril 2019 and was confirmed before year ended, and second, on thesignificant changes that Iraq has to undertake if it wants to have ameaningful, functional and effective transparency. Methodologically, this articleis of empirical field-work type; it is based on my direct and indirectinvolvement in IEITI work; review and assess all annual and other reports byIEITI; service provider, as independent consultant on energy, for capacitydevelopment through many workshops organized, by Revenue Watch Institute (RWI) then becomes NaturalResource Governance Institute (NRGI), since 2010 for parliamentarians, local government officials, media andjournalists, civil society organization among others; actual participation inIEITI activities; direct network contacts and communications; reviewing allavailable, 48, reports on MSG meetings and finally on my research works,presentations and publications on IEITI issues during the last ten years. Forpractical reasons, transparency in KRG is not covered in this article. Though Iraq EITI (IEITI)experience is characterized as bureaucratic formality and symbolic, the articlewould argue that good, comprehensive and regular reporting on transparencyenhances transparency and contributes to good governance in the petroleumsector. Hence, the article argues further, that what is needed is how totransform IEITI into real, effective and impacting change agency. To continue reading thearticle free-of-charge click on: https://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2020/07/13/mousa-jiyad-transparency-in-the-iraqi-petroleum-sector/ A refined peer-reviewedversion of this article was published on the international academic Journalof Contemporary Iraq & the Arab World-JCIAW, Volume 13 Numbers 2 &3, 2019, Intellect ltd (UK). A subscriptionor purchase the article is required to access the Journal. Ahmed Mousa Jiyad Development Consultancy & Research, Norway. A one-year-old girl who went missing for five days has been found safe and well. Freja Behari was last seen in Greenwich, south east London, on Friday. Bexley police announced this morning that she had been found. They wrote on Twitter at 7.54am: 'Pleased to confirm Freja has been located safe and well by officers.' It is unknown whether she was with a parent or guardian at the time of her disappearance and police haven't revealed details about how or where she was found. One-year-old Freja Behari, who went missing for five days in London, has been found safe and well On Twitter, the force said: 'Pleased to confirm Freja has been located safe and well by officers' Metropolitan Police yesterday released an image of the one-year-old as they shared an urgent appeal to locate the missing girl. In the image, Freja is pictured with a bright yellow bow in her hair and wearing a blue, patterned top. The circumstances of her disappearance are unknown, and officers say they are 'keeping an open mind' as to how she went missing, the Sun reported. UPDATE: Wisconsin womans body recovered from base of Upper Peninsula waterfall GOGEBIC COUNTY, MI Authorities are searching for a missing woman who was swept over a waterfall in the Upper Peninsula. The Gogebic County Sheriffs Office says 22-year-old Stephanie Narvaez of Watertown, Wisconsin was hiking near Rainbow Falls on Sunday, July 12 when she lost her footing and slipped into the Black River while trying to cross just above the waterfall. Despite the efforts of her hiking companion, 22-year-old Karl Nelson of Milwaukee, to save her, the current carried her downstream and over the waterfall, according to police. Search efforts continued late into Sunday evening and resumed Monday morning, however the search is being complicated by dangerous currents and treacherous underwater terrain in the area. The area of Rainbow Falls, located northeast of Ironwood near the Lake Superior shoreline, is closed to the public until further notice. The Gogebic County Sheriffs Office is being assisted in the search by the Michigan State Police, Michigan DNR, U.S. Forest Service and Beacon Ambulance. Malin Akerman put her long, toned legs on display on Sunday as she picked up some essential supplies. The 42-year-old actress was spotted out on a grocery run to a Gelson's Market in Los Angeles' hip Los Feliz neighborhood while wearing some playfully casual attire. She looked fierce in a black $99 Anine Bing T-shirt featuring a roaring tiger on its front, which matched her black mask, which slipped just below her nose. Stocking up: The 42-year-old actress was spotted out on a grocery run to a Gelson's Market in Los Angeles' hip Los Feliz neighborhood while wearing some playfully casual attire The 5ft8in SwedishAmerican beauty highlighted her tanned legs thanks to a pair of frayed jean shorts, and she rounded out her look with weathered charcoal and white sneakers. Malin also carried a small black quilted handbag with a gold pendant over the clasp, and she had a gold locket and other necklaces dangling from her throat. She blocked out the sun with square militarystyle aviator sunglasses that were framed by her shoulder-length blonde tresses. In addition to wearing a mask and practicing social distancing, the Watchmen actress used some complimentary sanitizer on her way out to do her part to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has been surging throughout Southern California and much of the US in recent days. Roar! Malin looked fierce in a black $99 Anine Bing T-shirt featuring a roaring tiger on its front, which matched her black mask, which slipped just below her nose Legs for days: The 5ft8in SwedishAmerican beauty highlighted her tanned legs thanks to a pair of frayed jean shorts, and she rounded out her look with weathered charcoal and white sneakers Sparkler: Malin also carried a small black quilted handbag with a gold pendant over the clasp, and she had a gold locket and other necklaces dangling from her throat She emerged from the store with a full cart, including some beverages to help mitigate LA's current heat wave. Malin was on a solo mission without her husband Jack Donnelly, whom she married in late 2018 in Mexico. She also left her son Sebastian, seven, whom she shares with her ex-husband Roberto Zincone, back at home. She and Zincone, who played drums in her alternative rock band The Petalstones, were married from 20072014. Safety first: In addition to wearing a mask, the Watchmen actress used complimentary sanitizer on her way out to do her part to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus Cooling down: She emerged from the store with a full cart, including some beverages to help mitigate LA's current heat wave Special day: She also had some lovely purple flowers for a celebration Staying home: Malin was on a solo mission without her husband Jack Donnelly, whom she married in late 2018 in Mexico, or her son Sebastian, seven Although her career has been temporarily on hold as Hollywood's coronavirus shutdown has continued, it was announced in mid-June that Malin would executive produce a new horror film starring her husband. Jack will be appearing with Lydia Hearst and Moonrise Kingdom's Kara Heywood in With Teeth, according to Deadline. The movie is set to begin filming in New Mexico as soon as coronavirus restrictions are lifted. 'Im thrilled to be producing this film. The script, written and to be directed by my friend Asher Levin, is a daring new take on the vampire genre, with themes relevant to the times were living in. Coupled with the amazing cast were putting together, Im excited to help bring Ashers vision to life!' said Malin in June. She's also eyeing a choice role in the movie for herself, though it hasn't been confirmed yet. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More TCS will selectively open lateral hiring and will go ahead with fresher hiring in geographies such as the US though the numbers are small at the back of the pandemic. This comes as a surprise as companies are freezing hiring to cut costs. This is a move TCS reversed in the first quarter. Announcing the results for the March quarter, the company said that, while the company would honour all the offers, there would be a freeze on lateral hiring at the back of COVID-19. Has the situation changed for the better? V Ramakrishnan, Chief Financial Officer, seems to think so. The worst is over, at least for TCS, he said during a recent interaction with Moneycontrol. As per CEO Rajesh Gopinathan, the company has better visibility now and expects recovery from the third quarter onwards. The confidence, Ramakrishnan says, comes from the strong order pipeline, heightened conversation with customers and also the kind of opportunities they are seeing. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show What has changed in the last three months? Ramakrishnan explained that even amid the pandemic, countries across the world have been opening up the economy in a calibrated manner. As economies open up and different sectors start opening up, it (business) should slowly start coming back to normal, he said. When it comes to industries, sectors such as banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), manufacturing and essential retail are adapting to the new normal and are embracing latest technologies to ensure business continuity. It could be contactless banking, touchless delivery for essential retail or managing a robust supply chain for a manufacturing firm. Of the $6.9 billion order TCS signed for the quarter ending June 2020 even amid the pandemic, $2.3 billion was from BFSI and another large deal from manufacturing. So that is one indicator, he added. In terms of technology, there is a huge demand for migration to cloud, data analytics and TCS' own products and platforms such as Ignio, a cognitive automation product of TCS. Customers are spending significantly on cybersecurity with applications going online. In addition, some of the clients are also fast tracking their transformational agendas. So this is where opportunities are. Pipeline, if you look at it, it is healthy and it has a mix of large as well as small deal and that also gives us confidence, he added. This confidence and positivity has what led to opening up lateral hiring. As far as laterals are concerned, they will be selective, depending on the requirement and markets where there is demand. Right now we dont have a specific plan on a number, Ramakrishnan said. TCS is also going ahead with its fresher hiring in geographies such as the US though the numbers will be smaller. Visa issues H-1B visa ban till December and the US government's recent move not to issue student visa to students in the US whose classes have moved online could present challenges in the long-term. According to Ramkrishnan, the US is the most innovative country in the world right now, and the largest innovation still comes out of the country. If we have constraints on that, it is going to affect the technological leadership, our customers and it will also affect people like us, Ramakrishnan added. That is primarily because they have invested in meritocracy and also because of opportunities that have been made available for entrepreneurs and for the students for their higher education STEM education, he added. Will it change the current model? Ramakrishnan pointed out that the company has always found a way and its distributed agile model (remote working) would help. But is it the most optimum way to do it? Perhaps not, he said Challenges There are challenges of course. The companys revenue declined 7.8 percent to $5059 million in constant currency for the quarter ending June 2020 on a year-on-year basis. While Europe registered 2.7 percent growth, its other geographies such as the US and UK reported decline in growth of 6 percent and 8.5 percent respectively. With the exception of life sciences and healthcare, other major verticals growth declined in the range of 4-13 percent. While the company expects the US market to see recovery in the coming quarters, there is not much certainty over the UK, which is struggling from COVID-19 and also Brexit. Ramakrishnan pointed out that while the company is positive, the growth does depend on whether there are too many frequent lockdowns in different cities. There could also be a possibility of recurrence and there could be a fall back because of that. But hopefully, it will not be, said Ramakrishnan. Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse and mayors around the nation launched Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, a cash payment program to provide a safety net for societys most vulnerable. Morse joins mayors from Compton, Oakland, Stockton and Los Angeles, California, Jackson, Mississippi, St. Paul, Minnesota, Newark, New Jersey, Shreveport, Louisiana, Tacoma, Washington, Columbia, South Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia. We are in the middle of the greatest economic and technological transformation in the history of our country, yet millions of families continue to be left behind by an antiquated and unjust economic system, Morse stated. Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, a partnership with the Economic Security Project, received $3 million in seed money from Jack Dorsey, the Founder and CEO of Twitter. The organization also announced a new collaboration with What Works Cities of Bloomberg Philanthropies, which seeks to expand the initiative nationwide. Morse said a guaranteed income provides a critical tool in fighting poverty and act as building blocks for communities. Im proud to be among a leading group of Mayors across the country advocating for, and implementing, guaranteed income pilots, and I look forward to working with the organization on piloting a Guaranteed Income in Holyoke, he said. Under a guaranteed income plan, individuals would receive direct monthly cash payments to address their most urgent needs and providing a cushion for unpredictable expenses, external shocks and volatility. The payments come with no strings attached and are meant to supplement and not replace income. Andrew Yang, a Democratic presidential contender, made a guaranteed income a cornerstone of his 2020 campaign. The Coronavirus pandemic has brought the issue to the forefront as low, and medium-income households struggle to stay afloat. Mayors for Guaranteed Income noted that close to 40% of American households could not survive a $400 emergency, such as an appliance going on the fritz, a medical bill or a car breaking down. The organization said the growing wealth gap is even more profound for minorities. The statement noted the median white worker earned 28% more than a black worker and 35% more than a Latino worker in the last quarter of 2019. White families hold $100,000 in median wealth, while black families carry $10,000 in wealth. When Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called for the immediate abolition of poverty, he had an economic dream of guaranteed income for all Americans. More than 50 years later and against a similar backdrop of civil unrest, Mayor Morse is joining this coalition of mayors to bring that dream to life, the statement read. The findings support many vaccine strategies being used to tackle the new coronavirus LA JOLLA, CA--A team led by scientists at Scripps Research has discovered a common molecular feature found in many of the human antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The scientists, whose study appears July 13 in Science, reviewed data on nearly 300 anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that their labs and others have found in convalescent COVID-19 patients over the past few months. They noted that a subset of these antibodies is particularly powerful at neutralizing the virus--and these potent antibodies are all encoded, in part, by the same antibody gene, IGHV3-53. The scientists used a powerful tool known as X-ray crystallography to image two of these antibodies attached to their target site on SARS-CoV-2. The resulting atomic-structure details of this interaction should be useful to vaccine designers, as well as to scientists hoping to develop antiviral drugs targeting the same site on SARS-CoV-2. Prior research suggests that antibodies encoded by IGHV3-53 are generally present, at least in small numbers, in healthy people's blood. The results therefore offer hope that using a vaccine to boost levels of these ever-present antibodies will protect adequately against the virus. "This type of antibody has been isolated frequently in studies of COVID-19 patients, and we can now understand the structural basis for its interaction with SARS-CoV-2," says the study's senior author Ian Wilson, DPhil, Hansen Professor of Structural Biology and Chair of the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology at Scripps Research. "This study provides important inspiration for effective COVID-19 vaccine design," says co-author Dennis Burton, PhD, professor and co-chair of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research. The research was a collaboration chiefly involving the Wilson and Burton labs, and the Scripps Research-based Neutralizing Antibody Center of IAVI, a prominent non-profit vaccine research organization. SARS-CoV-2 so far has infected more than 12 million people around the world and killed more than 500,000, in addition to causing widespread socioeconomic disruption and damage. Developing an effective vaccine to stop the pandemic is currently the world's top public health priority. Although several potential vaccines are already in clinical trials, scientists don't yet have a full understanding of the molecular features that would define a protective antibody response. In the new study, the scientists took a big step toward that goal. The team started by analyzing 294 different SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies isolated from COVID-19 patients' blood over the past few months. Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins made in immune cells called B-cells. Each B-cell makes a specific antibody type, or clone, which is encoded by a unique combination of antibody genes in the cell. The scientists found that an antibody gene called IGHV3-53 was the most common of the genes for the 294 antibodies, encoding about 10 percent of them. The scientists also noted that the IGHV3-53-encoded antibodies in their study contain an unusually short variant of the CDR H3 loop, normally a key target-binding element. These antibodies are nevertheless very potent against SARS-CoV-2 when compared to other antibodies not encoded by IGHV3-53. A powerful response right off the bat The IGHV3-53 antibodies had yet another property suggesting that boosting their numbers would be a good and achievable aim for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine: They appeared to have mutated only minimally from the original versions that would be circulating, initially in small numbers, in the blood of healthy people. Normally, when activated by an encounter with a virus to which they fit, B-cells will start proliferating and also mutating parts of their antibody genes, in order to generate new B-cells whose antibodies fit the viral target even better. The more mutations needed for this "affinity maturation" process to generate virus-neutralizing antibodies, the harder it can be to induce this same process with a vaccine. Fortunately, the IGHV3-53 antibodies found in the study seemed to have undergone little or no affinity maturation and yet were already very potent at neutralizing the virus--which hints that a vaccine may be able to induce a protective response from these potent neutralizers relatively easily. "Coronaviruses have been around for hundreds to thousands of years, and one can imagine that our immune system has evolved in such a way that we carry antibodies like these that can make a powerful response right off the bat, so to speak" Wilson says. Map for vaccine-makers, gauge for clinical trials Wilson's team used high-resolution X-ray crystallography to image two different IGHV3-53 antibodies bound to their target on SARS-CoV-2. This target, known as the receptor binding site, is a crucial structure on the viral "spike" protein that normally connects to a receptor on human cells to begin the process of cell infection. Many of the antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2 appear to do so by blocking this virus-receptor connection. "We were able to reveal unique structural features of these IGHV3-53-encoded antibodies--features that facilitate their high binding affinity and their specificity for the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding site," says co-first author Meng Yuan, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate in the Wilson lab. The detailed atomic-scale structural data should be of interest to vaccine designers and drug developers. Moreover, the researchers say, the identification of IGHV3-53-encoded antibodies as key elements of the immune response to COVID-19 suggests that levels of these antibodies might be useful as an indirect marker of success in ongoing and future vaccine trials. ### "Structural basis of a shared antibody response to SARS-CoV-2" was written by first authors Meng Yuan, Hejun Liu, and Nicholas Wu, all of the Wilson lab; and by Chang-Chun Lee, Xueyong Zhu, Fangzhu Zhao, Deli Huang, Wenli Yu, Yuanzi Hua, Henry Tien, Thomas Rogers, Dennis Burton, and Ian Wilson, all of Scripps Research; and Elise Landais, Devin Sok and Joseph Jardine of IAVI. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (K99 AI139445, UM1 AI44462), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1170236) and IAVI. A photo released by Atlanta Police Department shows a person of interest in the shooting death of 8-year-old Secoriea Turner. (Atlanta Police Department) Atlanta Police Announce Second Person of Interest in Shooting Death of 8-Year-Old Girl Police in Atlanta announced they are looking for a second person of interest in the killing of an 8-year-old girl near a Wendys restaurant earlier this month in the wake of protests over the police-involved shooting death of Rayshard Brooks. Officials on late Sunday released two photos of a second person wearing a red shirt while holding a rifle. Secoriea Turner, the child, was killed on July 4 while she was riding in an SUV with her mother and another person. The driver had attempted to pass a roadblock that was set up by demonstrators and rioters near where Brooks died. I am asking you to please honor this babys life. Please, if you know who did this, please turn them in, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said last week during a press conference about the girls death and a recent spike in crime across the city. Enough is enough. A reward of up to $20,000 was offered for information leading to the arrest and indictment of a suspect in the girls death. The crime wave prompted Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to declare a state of emergency, which will allow for the deployment of up to 1,000 National Guard troops. He argued in his order that the troops are needed to protect state buildings, including the state capitol, the Department of Public Safety headquarters, the governors mansion, and the Georgia World Congress Center. He said these troops will free up state troopers from those locations to patrol the streets of Atlanta. Secorieas father, Secoriya Williamson, pleaded for justice in a press conference last week. They say Black lives matter, he said. You killed your own. You killed your own this time. Akwasi Agyeman Badu, a 43-year-old taxi driver, has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court charged with defilement and incest. Badu is alleged to have had multiple sex with his 14-year-old daughter at Kotobabi, a suburb of Accra. The accused has pleaded not guilty to the two charges. The Court, presided over by Mrs Christina Cann, has admitted him to bail in the sum of GH60,000.00 with two sureties, one to be justified with a landed property worth GH60,000.00. This was after his counsel, Mr George Amoah, had prayed the court to admit him to bail. The court further ordered that the title deed of the landed property should be deposited at the courts registry pending the final determination of the matter. It further restrained Badu to stay 50 meters away from his daughter. The court also ordered the prosecution to file all documents he intends to rely on and serve copies on the accused person and his lawyer. The matter has been adjourned to July 24. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire, told the court that the complainant is a trader residing at Kotobabi in Accra and the mother of the victim. Prosecution said Badu also resided at Kotobabi but in a different house as the two have separated. Prosecution said the victim lived with her mother until she was 12 years when she started asking about where her father resided. The complainant then took the victim to her father and the victim stayed with him at Kotobabi. Prosecution said Badu accepted the victim as his daughter and assisted in furthering her education. Badu, however, started having multiple sexual intercourse with her since last year in his room and the last sex took place on June 6, this year, prosecution said. The victim informed the mother of the act and a report was made to the Police at Kotobabi and the matter was transferred to the Nima Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit for investigation. Police Medical Report form was issued to the complainant to send the victim to the hospital for examination and treatment, prosecutor said, adding that Badu was subsequently arrested for investigations. 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 Generally speaking, most politicians agree that the number of mandates should be limited, but Luxembourg is yet to adopt a corresponding legislative framework. LSAP president Georges Engel stepped down as the mayor of Sanem last Friday, explaining that holding multiple mandates is too time-consuming. Political parties in Luxembourg agree that politicians should not have multiple mandates - but some seem to be in more of a hurry than others. To cite an example, politicians planning to run as an MP for the Left cannot be an alderman or mayor at the same time. According to the party, one person holding multiple mandates would accumulate too much power, and be faced with an excessive workload. LSAP has a similar approach. Party president Ives Cruchten explained that it can be difficult to juggle multiple mandates but expressed his respect for those who seem to manage. The Chamber of Deputies could be more efficient if Luxembourg were to put a definite end to multiple mandates, he said, adding that municipalities also deserve to have a full-time mayor. A little more than one year ago, the prime minister asked the individual political parties to hand in suggestions regarding the reform of the right to vote. It was in that context that the Greens already demanded that the country put an end to dual mandates. They explained that two mandates are no longer compatible, not least as the municipal duties of mayors are increasing. CSV meanwhile argued that banning dual mandates would not necessarily be a solution. The party upheld that Luxembourg would first have to implement regulations determining salary, social security and pension schemes both for municipal politicians and MPs. This measure would allow the legislature to keep the various positions attractive. The Democratic Party (DP) argued that Luxembourg would first have to go through with the constitutional reform. Party president Corinne Cahen explained that her party has been in favour of a global reform rather than individual changes. LSAP's Ives Cruchten on the other hand argued that it would be a good idea to limit dual mandates even before the constitutional reform. He underlined the importance of keeping mandates separated all while making the positions of mayor and alderman more attractive again. In an interview with RTL, the president of the CSV explained that his party has proposed a meeting between all political parties that has as its goal to translate the suggestions into reality. In other words, it seems like the majority of MPs are in favour of putting an end to dual mandates. A concrete reform project is nevertheless yet to be presented. New Delhi, July 13 : Wearable brand Huami on Monday relaunched Amazfit Verge Lite smartwatch with AMOLED screen and GPS in India for Rs 4,999. The smartwatch was initially launched in the country at Rs 6,999 last year. The device comes with advanced functionalities like the lasting battery life of up to 20 days, 1.3-inch AMOLED display with the anti-fingerprint reinforced Corning Gorilla Glass. It includes more features like GPS enabled + GLONASS dual positioning, multi-sport tracking, 24 hours heart rate monitor, music control, app notifications, set up alarms, event reminders and more. The company last month launched Amazfit Stratos 3 smartwatch in India for Rs 13,999. The watch is powered with a dual chip and dual operating system and offers 14-day battery life. The US president previously said he could not see himself wearing a mask in public. US President Donald Trump has worn a mask in public for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The president was visiting the Walter Reed military hospital outside Washington, where he met wounded soldiers and health care workers. "I've never been against masks but I do believe they have a time and a place," he said as he left the White House. He has previously said that he would not wear a mask and mocked Democratic rival Joe Biden for doing so. But on Saturday he said: "I think when you're in a hospital, especially in that particular setting, where you're talking to a lot of soldiers and people that, in some cases, just got off the operating tables, I think it's a great thing to wear a mask." The change of tone came as the US recorded 66,528 coronavirus cases on Saturday, a new daily record. What has Trump said about face masks? Speaking to Fox Business Network last week, Mr Trump said: "I'm all for masks." He added that he "sort of liked" how he looked with one on, likening himself to the Lone Ranger, a fictional masked hero who with his Native American friend, Tonto, fought outlaws in the American Old West. But when the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in April began recommending people wear masks or cloth coverings in public to help stop the spread of the virus, Mr Trump told reporters he would not follow the practice. "I don't think I'm going to be doing it," he said back then. "Wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens - I just don't see it." Some media reports have suggested aides have repeatedly asked the president to wear one in public. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal last month, Mr Trump suggested some people might wear masks to signal disapproval of him. He also said he took issue with people touching their faces after taking their mask off. "They put their finger on the mask, and they take them off, and then they start touching their eyes and touching their nose and their mouth. And then they don't know how they caught it?" he said. What's the current situation in the US? The US has seen another 66,528 infections in the past 24 hours, a record for one day, and a total of almost 135,000 deaths since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Louisiana has become the latest state to order that masks be worn in public. Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards also ordered the closure of bars across Louisiana, and tightened restrictions on restaurants, which will no longer be able to serve customers inside. The measures come into effect on Monday. State Republican lawmakers are expected to oppose the move. "If you don't like the mask mandate, then don't like it while you wear your mask," Governor Edwards said. "If you want to be mad at me about it, then be mad at me about it." Neighbouring Texas has recorded another rise of coronavirus infections, with a record 10,500 new cases recorded on Saturday. The governor of South Carolina has issued an order banning sales of alcohol after 23:00 in bars and restaurants to try to stop the spread of the virus. A court in Indiana has halted the execution of a convicted killer as the victim's relatives said they were worried about travelling during the pandemic to watch him die. Daniel Lee was set to be executed on Monday in what would have been the first federal execution in 17 years. BBC The practical implementation of the agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Turkey on military financial cooperation is planned to be started in the near future. This was announced by Minister of Defense of Ukraine Andriy Taran during an online briefing entitled "Visit of the delegation of the Ministry of National Defense of Turkey led by Minister Hulusi Akar to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine." "The state and prospects of implementation of defense reforms were also discussed. In this context, I would like to emphasize that we plan to start practical implementation of the agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Turkey on military financial cooperation in the near future. This agreement has a real financial dimension and will facilitate the planned transformations," the Ukrainian minister said. According to Andriy Taran, the main focus of the talks with his Turkish counterpart was the topical issues of mutual interest: Assessment of the security situation in the Azov-Black Sea region, consideration of trends and prospects for its development, and consideration of ways to respond to emerging threats. "The priorities of our bilateral defense cooperation, in which military-technical cooperation plays a key role, were also considered. This is of great importance for the development of our economies, especially during the recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic," Taran said. In addition, the parties discussed issues relating to Euro-Atlantic integration. "The importance of fully utilising the new defense and military cooperation instruments that Ukraine received after becoming a NATO Enhanced Opportunities Partner was noted. Everything we have discussed and especially the agreements we have reached will certainly help strengthen our countries' defense capabilities, increase the operational and combat capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and in general will help guarantee peace in the Azov-Black Sea region," Taran said. Minister Taran also thanked Turkey for its unwavering and consistent support for all measures aimed at restoring Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for its comprehensive, political, economic, defense and diplomatic support. "In our opinion, the visit of Minister of National Defense of Turkey to Ukraine is an event that reflects the strategic nature of our relations, large-scale defense cooperation and mutual commitment to peace and security in the Azov-Black Sea region," Taran said. National Defense Minister of Turkey Hulusi Akar also thanked the Ukrainian side. He stressed that Turkey supported a peaceful solution to Ukraine's problems and would continue to support it. "I want to state once again that if we can provide any support for a peaceful solution to these problems, we are ready to provide such support. I want to emphasize once again that Turkey has not recognized and will not recognize the annexation of Crimea," Akar said. The minister also expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in Donbas and assured them of Turkeys readiness to provide any assistance. "Our relations are certainly developing well in all areas, and they are developing especially well in the field of defense and security. I want to say that our bilateral cooperation, our bilateral ties have a positive impact not only on each of the two countries, but also positively influence the entire region," the National Security Minister of Turkey said. He noted that it turned out that, during the talks that the Ukrainian and Turkish sides, both parties had the same or similar positions on most issues. Akar also stressed the importance of working together and having bilateral relations between Ukraine and Turkey in the field of defense to work towards economic development and prosperity in the countries. The Minister of National Defense of Turkey also congratulated his Ukrainian counterpart on gaining the NATO EOP status. ol DALLAS, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MYCON General Contractors, Inc. (MYCON) will host a community blood drive with the American Red Cross on July 27 from 8 am to 2:00 pm at MYCON Center, 17311 Dallas Parkway, Dallas, TX 75248. MYCONMMUNITY Blood Drive MYCON is committed to strengthening our community and helping meet hospital and patient needs through blood donations," said Charles R. Myers, president and chief executive officer. "This blood drive is our way of giving staff, colleagues, and neighbors an opportunity to help save lives. The short amount of time it takes to donate can mean a lifetime to a patient with a serious medical condition. We urge eligible donors to join us in the selfless act of giving blood." Blood is transfused to patients with cancer and other diseases, premature babies, organ transplant recipients, and trauma victims, according to the Red Cross. According to the Red Cross, with someone in the U.S. needing blood every two seconds, blood products must be constantly replenished. Blood is a perishable product that can only come from volunteer blood donors. Donors of all blood types are needed, especially those with types O negative, B negative and A negative. "Hosting a blood drive coincides with MYCON's core belief of giving back to the community," said Charles R. Myers, president and chief executive officer. "With a simple blood donation, we can help save someone who could be a coworker, loved one or neighbor." For more information and to reserve an appointment, follow: https://bit.ly/MYCON_blooddrive. About MYCON MYCON General Contractors, Inc. (MYCON) is an award-winning, industry-leading commercial contractor based in Dallas, Texas. Since 1987, MYCON's work portfolio has spanned construction categories ranging from healthcare, industrial and institutional to office, retail, religious, manufacturing, food processing, and more. With annual revenues of approximately $300MM, MYCON has completed hundreds of commercial construction projects. For more information, visit www.mycon.com. Contact: Jenifer Batchelder, CPSM MYCON General Contractor, Inc. (O) 469.678.3324 [email protected] SOURCE MYCON General Contractors, Inc. Related Links http://www.mycon.com The Shanghai Diamond Exchange Image credit: WSP (World Diamond Council) - Lin Qiang, President Shanghai Diamond Exchange: The economic crisis that struck in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted in unprecedented ways on Chinas jewelry retail markets and their supply chains. This was self-evident from the data collected at the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE), where we saw polished imports through SDE into China decline by 70 percent during the first four months of 2020. But, with much of the lockdown now lifted, we are seeing businesses springing back. Many have returned to full operation and Chinese consumers are coming back to the shopping malls. We expect to see trade and the market gradually ramp up in the coming months. Already in April we saw a 5.4 percent increase in jewelry market sales when compared with March. Even then, it is likely that the diamond industry will be changed permanently. We will share our thoughts about this in the following paragraphs. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Whoever wins the U.S. presidency in November, there is a good chance he will try to negotiate a stronger nuclear deal with Iran in 2021. But events of the last few weeks show that there are better ways to frustrate the regimes nuclear ambitions. Both President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, favor talking with Iran. I would rejoin the agreement and use our renewed commitment to diplomacy to work with our allies to strengthen and extend it, Biden told the New York Times last winter. Trump, meanwhile, was on Twitter last month urging Iran to make the Big deal. The logic of a deal goes like this: Except for war, the only sustainable way to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons is to reach an agreement with its leaders. That has been the basic assumption underlying U.S. nuclear policy on Iran for the last 20 years. With the right mix of carrots and sticks, the thinking goes, Iran will negotiate away a potential nuclear weapon. But a nuclear deal with Iran would have to rely on a partnership with a regime that oppresses its citizens, preys on its neighbors, supports terrorism on three continents and has shown contempt for international law. And the alternative to a deal is not necessarily a costly and dangerous war. The West can delay and foil Irans nuclear ambitions by other means. Since late June, explosions have rocked at least three Iranian military facilities. The latest appears to have targeted an underground research facility for chemical weapons. Earlier this month, a building at Irans Natanz centrifuge site burst into flames. Much remains unknown about this latest spate of explosions. A relatively new group calling itself Homeland Panthers has claimed credit for the attack on Natanz. Iranian officials have blamed it on Israel. David Albright, the former nuclear inspector and founder of the Institute for Science and International Security, told me his organization which has studied satellite imagery of the facility before and after the explosion cannot rule out that it was an accident. But it looks more like a deliberate act, he said. Story continues There are several good reasons to think all of this was an act of Israeli sabotage. To start, the Israelis have done this kind of thing before. In the early 2010s, Israels Mossad conducted a series of assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists. Before that, Israel and the U.S. cooperated on a cyberattack on Natanz that sped up its centrifuges, causing them to break down. More recently, Israeli spies broke into a Tehran warehouse and stole a technical archive of Irans nuclear program, demonstrating that they have human networks that have penetrated Irans security structure, said David Wurmser, a national security expert who most recently worked as an adviser to the National Security Council. Whoever is responsible for the attack and to be clear, the Iranians say they are prepared to retaliate against Israel, though they have yet to do so the damage at Natanz alone has significantly set back Irans nuclear program. The facility there was an assembly center for more advanced and efficient centrifuges, which Iran was allowed to produce under the flawed 2015 deal. This was a crown jewel of their program, Albright said. And the damage may be to more than just the centrifuges it could also destabilize the Iranian regime itself. The more Irans government looks impotent, and the impression is left the Israelis are everywhere, the more high-level Iranian officials will calibrate their survival by cooperating with Americans or Israelis, which itself creates an intelligence bonanza, Wurmser said. The attacks could also undermine the regimes legitimacy among the Iranian public more generally. Sabotage of this sort shows that Irans leaders are not nearly as powerful and all-knowing as they say. At the very least, the fact that someone was able to explode a crown jewel of Irans nuclear program should make clear that the civilized world can delay Irans nuclear ambitions without conferring legitimacy to the regime. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Eli Lake is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering national security and foreign policy. He was the senior national security correspondent for the Daily Beast and covered national security and intelligence for the Washington Times, the New York Sun and UPI. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Waste management giants, Zoomlion Ghana Limited as part of its contribution to the fight against the spread of coronavirus, has disinfected Koforidua based Capital View Hotel in the Eastern Region. The exercise which was concluded on Saturday, July 11, 2020, saw all conference halls, corridors, rooms, bars, restaurants, gymnasium, vehicles, poolside and everywhere people converge disinfected to ensure that management, staff and patrons to the facility are protected from the threats posed by the pandemic. General Manager of the Capital View Hotel, Wilfred Nii Korley Commodore in an interview reiterated the commitment of the management of the hotel to safeguard all persons who visit the facility through averting any possible outbreak of the virus. He said the hotel, as part of measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, contracted Zoomlion Ghana Limited to disinfect the place to create a fear-free atmosphere for staff and visitors to go about their duties without hindrance. He maintained that the Capital View Hotel, aside the disinfection exercise is implementing a number of covid-19 safety protocols. These include a no face mask no entry policy, placing of veronica bucket at vantage points, fixing of sanitizer dispensers at all conference halls, rooms, entrances to rooms, bars, conference halls, gym, pool and restaurants, checking of temperatures, etc. Though he admitted that the COVID-19 has taken a toll on the hospitality industry, Wilfred Nii Korley Commodore said the hotel, unlike other industry players remained open for business and still operating, adding that the facility has done its best to stay afloat. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video - The SUAPOLOR of the Se (Shai) Traditional Area, King of Kordiabe-Madaam, His Royal Majesty Drolor Bosso Adamtey I, is also a renowned Christian leader - His Royal Majesty (HRM) Adamtey I, formerly known as Dr Kingsley Fletcher, founded Life International and Kingsley Fletcher Global in the United States in 1985 - He is also the author of bestselling books, the first chancellor of UPSA and has three doctorate degrees Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The SUAPOLOR of the Se (Shai) Traditional Area, King of Kordiabe-Madaam, His Royal Majesty Drolor Bosso Adamtey I, is also a renowned minister of the Gospel. According to a short documentary on the life of HRM sighted by YEN.com.gh on the YouTube channel Damaris Fletcher, the world-renowned Christian leader has three doctorate degrees. Dr. Kingsley Fletcher, as he is formerly known, founded Life International and Kingsley Fletcher Global in the United States in 1985. READ ALSO: Massive joy as couple welcomes triplets after 21 years of barrenness Watch video below: His Royal Majesty Drolor Bosso Adamtey I is the bestselling author of powerful books When Kings Pray and Fast, Prayer and Fasting, I Have Seen the Kingdom, A Place Called There, The Power and Influence of a Woman, and Who Says You Can't. The respected global icon is the reigning SUAPOLOR and Kordiabe-Madaam Matse of the Se (Shai) Traditional Area in the Dangme West District of Ghana in West Africa, who doubles as visionary founder and senior leader in the U.S. The reputable and highly-accomplished doctor made history on 5 March 2014 when he was unanimously voted for and appointed as the first chancellor of the University of Professional Studies in Accra. READ ALSO: I'll buy a Lamborghini in 2021 but not the 'audio' one - Fella Makafui Source: UGC Source: UGC Speaking about the drive behind his jaw-dropping achievements, the doctor, global advisor, educator, pastor, humanitarian and traditional ruler says it's all for God and the motivation to serve society. Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh also reported that Maame Esi Forson, a popular Ghanaian Comedienne who is also an award-winning actress, has recounted how she was able to build a GHc600 000 worth mansion from her own hard work. The beautiful, young, and successful actress revealed this in a video interview sighted by YEN.com.gh with ZionFelix at his newly-built studio. According to Maame Esi, her breakthrough came from being able to cook very well which got her a partnership with a businessman who linked her to many companies that she has been serving. Enjoy reading our stories? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Vox pop: Which team Nana-Bawumia or Jane-John will win the 2020 election? Got a story you think we should know about? Get interactive via our Facebook page Source: YEN.com.gh Five novels to read about the environment and climate crisis. By Ti-han Chang Since the start of lockdown, more of us have taken to our bicycles, grown our own vegetables and baked our own bread. So its not surprising it has been suggested we should use this experience to rethink our approach to the climate crisis. Reading some environmental literature sometimes called eco-literature can also give us the opportunity to think about the world around us in different ways. Eco-literature has a long literary tradition that dates back to the writings of 19th-century English romantic poets and US authors. And the growing awareness of climate change has accelerated the development of environmental writings. Animals People by Indra Sinha Indra Sinhas Animals People looks at the Bhopal gas explosion in India one of the most horrific environmental disasters of the 20th-century. A poisonous gas leak from a US-owned pesticide plant killed several thousand people and injured more than half a million. The main character in the novel, Animal, is a 19-year-old orphaned boy who survives the explosion with a deformed body. This means he must crawl like a dog on all fours. Animal does not hate his body, but embraces his animistic identity offering an unconventional non-human perspective. With this wounded human-animal figure, Sinha puts forward his critique of Indias postcolonial conditions and demonstrates how Western capitalist domination continues to damage people and the environment in contemporary postcolonial society. My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki Ruth Ozekis novel intermingles themes such as motherhood, environmental justice and ecological practice to explore the appalling use of growth hormones in the US meat industry from a feminist ecocritical perspective. The novel employs a documentary narrative mode and begins with a television cooking show sponsored by a meat company. While filming the show, Jane Takagi-Little, the director, encounters a vegetarian lesbian couple who reveal the ugly truth about the use of growth hormones within the livestock industry. The encounter motivates Jane to undertake a documentary project to uncover how growth hormones poison womens bodies. Through a deliberate choice to make all her main characters female, Ozeki draws her readers attention to nonconforming, atypical female figures who rebel against social or cultural norms inherent in patriarchal capitalist society. Disgrace by JM Coetzee In Disgrace, JM Coetzee, a celebrated Noble Prize laureate, who is also known for his outspoken defence of animal rights, interweaves a brutal dog-killing scene with the gang-rape of a white South African woman by three black men. Praised as one of the South African postcolonial canons, the novel explores complex issues of white supremacy and anticolonial resistance as well as racial and gender violence. It ties these issues with humans domination and exploitation of the animals and further challenges our ethical position. The combination of these two acts the killing of dogs and the rape of a woman can be read as Coetzees ecocritique of the colonial violence against nonhuman beings and the natural environment. The Man with the Compound Eyes by Wu Ming-yi Climate fiction or the so-called cli-fi takes on genuine scientific discovery or phenomenon and combines this with a dystopian or over the top twist. This approach underlines the agency of non-human beings, environments or even phenomena such as trees, the ocean, or a tsunami. Wu Ming-yis novel is composed of four different narratives: a Taiwanese university professor, a boy from the mythical Wayo Wayo island and two other city-dwelling indigenous characters. Their stories are viewed in fragments from the multiple perspectives of the compound eyes. At the backdrop is a tsunami which causes the Great Pacific garbage patch to crash on to the eastern coast of Taiwan and the fictionalised Pacific island of Wayo Wayo that brings together all their stories. Wu blends this unrealistic event with the real-life trash vortex to draw our attention to the severe environmental problems of waste dumping and our unsustainable lifestyles. The Overstory by Richard Powers The Overstory is praised by critics for its ambition to bring awareness to the life of trees and its advocacy to an ecocentric way of life. Powers novel sets out with nine distinctive characters - which represent the roots of trees. Gradually their stories and lives intertwine to form the trunk, the crown and the seeds. One of the characters, Dr Patricia Westerford, publishes a paper showing trees are social beings because they can communicate and warn each other when a foreign intrusion occurs. Her idea, though presented as controversial in the novel, is actually well supported by todays scientific studies. Despite her groundbreaking work, Dr Westerford ends up taking her own life by drinking poisonous tree extracts at a conference to make it clear humans can only save trees and the planet by ceasing to exist. These are just a few books with a specific focus on environmental issues perfect for your current reading list. To everyones surprise, this global lockdown has given us some eco-benefits, such as a sudden dip in carbon emissions and the huge decline in our reliance on traditional fossil fuel energy. Maybe then if we can learn from this experience we can move towards a greener future. Ti-han Chang, Lecturer in Asia-Pacific Studies, University of Central Lancashire This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. South Africa: Fighting COVID-19 requires universal health coverage President Cyril Ramaphosa says the global COVID-19 pandemic crisis has starkly highlighted the value of universal health coverage in responding to health emergencies, and the need for robust health systems to save lives. Speaking at the virtual launch of the United Nations Secretary Generals Independent Accountability Panel 2020 Report on Monday, President Ramaphosa reiterated that the pandemic is placing an additional burden on already constrained health care systems. He said South Africa fully supports the efforts of the World Health Organisation (WHO), to ensure there is universal health coverage across the world. The reality that we must now confront is that the response to the COVID-19 crisis has required countries to reprioritise the allocation of their resources by diverting crucial technical and financial resources from other critical areas, President Ramaphosa said. Themed, From Page to Action: Accountability for the Furthest Left Behind during COVID-19 and Beyond, the report brings attention to data and accountability for the rights of women, children and adolescents health, through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The President noted that the health of women has been adversely impacted through the reallocation of resources, particularly in sexual and reproductive health services. There is a real danger that this will contribute to a rise in maternal and new-born mortality, increased unmet need for contraception and an increased number of unsafe abortions, and sexually transmitted infections, President Ramaphosa warned. Reproductive health services crucial for thriving society President Ramaphosa added that South Africa believes sexual and reproductive health services are crucial for a thriving society, including access to maternal health care and interventions related to gender-based violence. As countries of the world, we must ensure this pandemic does not worsen existing inequalities in society or impede the realisation of the rights of women and girls. We must ensure that our response enables young people in particular to shape the world that will emerge from this crisis. It is significant that 65 out of the 169 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets refer to young people explicitly or implicitly, with a focus on their empowerment, participation and well-being. It is our desire that developing countries should have equitable access to safe and effective medicines and new health technologies, the President said. Collaboration on knowledge development The President also called on the global community to undertake the actions that are urgently needed to ensure collaboration on the development of knowledge, intellectual property and data for existing and new therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics for COVID-19. He further commended governments around the world for their collaborative efforts towards advancing SDG 3, on ensuring health and well-being for all. This includes a bold commitment to end HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis, malaria and other communicable diseases by 2030. Fighting this global pandemic requires us all to work together in collaboration with the United Nations as a united force. Indeed we are stronger together, President Ramaphosa said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-07-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. In an effort to beat the deadly coronavirus, a couple has gone to extreme lengths in Brazil and had donned on full astronaut suits while they took a leisurely stroll down the beach. The Brazillian couple, Tercio Galdino and Aliceia Lima were spotted on the beach in Rio De Janeiro alongside Copacabana's famed stretch of sands. 'Spacewalkers' As per reports, 66-year old accountant Galdino bought the spacesuits and after that made the helmets for himself and his wife. 65-year-old real estate agent Aliceia Lima was reportedly hesitant about the idea of going out in public in a full-fledges spacesuit but came around to the idea after some time. The couple reportedly put smiles on peoples faces during their Spacewalk. Take a look at them below. This Brazilian couple are not the only ones who took extreme measures to protect themselves from the virus while going out, take a look at some of the other similar incidents. A man in Spain came out in streets in the month of March wearing a dinosaur costume when the coronavirus lockdown was in full effect in the country. The man was later stopped by the police for flouting quarantine rules. A clip of the man was later shared by the authorities in which the captioned the video and wrote, while pets were allowed on the streets for some time along with their owners, Tyrannosaurus rex was not covered under that exception. Read: Iraqi Doctor Sings For Coronavirus Patient To Make Her Feel Better; Watch Read: US: Coronavirus Deaths Take A Long-expected Turn For The Worse En estado de alarma se permite el paseo de mascotas acompanadas de una persona, siempre con paseos cortos para hacer sus necesidades. El que tengas complejo de Tyrannosaurus rex no esta contemplado.#quedateencasa pic.twitter.com/C8dWkrvAdm Policia Local Murcia (@MurciaPolicia) March 16, 2020 In another similar incident, a woman in the UK was filmed out in the streets in a zorb ball trying to maintain social distance as well as get some shopping done. According to reports, the incident took place in Herne Bay, England, and as can be seen from the video the woman spent the entire time inside the bubble. Woman self isolating in a zorb ball bemuses customers pic.twitter.com/EgGEJMhl2W DiscoBoy (@DiscoBoyUk) March 26, 2020 Read: Yanks Closer Chapman Has Coronavirus; Astros Cancel Workout Read: Have Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie's Legal Proceedings Come To A Halt Due To Coronavirus? New Delhi: The SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) decided to cancel the SRM Joint Engineering Entrance Examination (SRMJEEE ) for the 2020-21 academic session due to coronavirus pandemic. Issuing a notice on its official website, the SRM Institute said, "In the light of challenges posed by COV1D 19, and keeping the safety of students, SRMJEEE BTech 2020 stands cancelled. Now, the BTech Admission will be based on +2 / Pre-University / Equivalent marks in PCM / PCB." The exam was earlier scheduled to be held from July 30 to August 4. The examination was scheduled to be held in 127 cities in India and five overseas centres - Doha, Bahrain, Dubai, Muscat and Kuwait. Notably, students can seek clarifications on doubts by calling the helpdesk at +91 (044) 27455510, 47437500 from Monday to Saturday (except public holidays) from 8.30 am to 6 pm. Students have also been advised to get their doubts addressed through email at admissions.india@srmist.edu.in. The institute's website also said that admissions for BTech for the year 2020 will be based on marks obtained by candidates in their Class 12/ pre-university/ equivalent marks in physics, chemistry, maths/biology. The forms for providing the scores are currently available on the university website: www.srmist.edu.in. The SRM Institute's revised admission process will be applicable across all campuses including Kattankulathur, Ramapuram, Vadapalani and NCR New Delhi. The notice on the website said, "SRMIST will continue to award a wide range of scholarships for deserving candidates including the ones who scored high in JEE Main and SAT examinations, on joining. However, the SRMJEEE rank based scholarships will not be available." The SRM Institute of Science and Technology is one of the top ranking universities in India with over 52,000 full time students and more than 3200 faculty across all the campuses offering a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in six Faculties Engineering and Technology, Management, Medicine and Health sciences, Science and Humanities, Law and Agricultural Sciences. SRMIST has been ranked 35 nationally under Universities Category by NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) in 2020. A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, police said. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation early Monday morning in Srigufwara area, following information about the presence of militants there, a police official said. He said the search operation turned into an encounter around 6.40 am when the hiding militants opened fire at the security forces, who retaliated. One militant was killed in the operation, which was going on till last reports, the official said. Published on 2020/07/12 | Source The coronavirus epidemic has blighted many people's summer holiday plans and is virtually guaranteed to keep them in the country. Advertisement Employment portal Job Korea asked 1,023 salaried workers about their vacation plans, and only 9.1 percent said they intended to go anywhere this summer, while 59 percent said they are watching the situation and have not made plans yet. Some 22.9 percent said they do not plan to go anywhere, and 6.4 percent had postponed their plans. One 41-year-old parent of two children said he is staying home. "The summer vacation has been shortened for my children and the coronavirus situation prompted us to postpone our vacation plans until after October", he said. But he said he worries about other vacationing families. "Many parents are concerned when they hear about a classmate going to a water park or Jeju Island", he said. "Children grow jealous, and parents worry about possible infection". A 32-year-old worker is wondering where she should go on holiday with her husband. As of Thursday, people who travel within Korea are not required to place themselves in self-quarantine after returning home. A staffer at the Ministry of Health and Welfare said, "Only people who crossed paths with confirmed cases or display symptoms themselves are required to go into self-quarantine and get tested". But some private kindergartens and nursery schools are are imposing their own cautionary measures, asking children who have been out of town for trips to stay at least a week at home before returning to the schools. "If we go on holiday I won't be able to send my child to nursery school for a week afterwards, and this has made me seriously weigh the benefits of staying home", the 32-year-old said. Some people are keeping their plans very quiet to avoid alarming the neighbors and are not uploading any holiday photos on their social media. The Korea Tourism Organization asked epidemiologists to come up with a guide for safe vacationing available at korean.visitkorea.or.kr. It advises vacationers to wear face masks at all times and maintain safe distances from others. Operators of swimming pools are advised to take reservations or implement time limits on visitors to prevent overcrowding. Kim Jin-yong, a physician at Incheon Medical Center, said, "Swimming pool water is disinfected with chlorine so viruses are destroyed quickly. The problem with crowded swimming pools is infection through droplets from the breaths of carriers". Experts advise vacationers to stay away from popular restaurants and opt for less crowded venues instead. "The biggest threat comes from removing face masks", Kim said. "Distances between tables should be at least 1 m, and if that's not possible, choose another restaurant". Boris Johnson urged Britons to have a 'staycation' this summer - saying he personally plans on taking advantage of the 'fantastic' holiday options in the UK. The PM, who has a new baby with fiancee Carrie Symonds, said it is a 'great year' to take a break in this country, with the globe still struggling to get coronavirus under control. Although Mr Johnson insisted he 'totally understood' if people felt the need to go abroad, the intervention will heap pressure on MPs and ministers to follow suit. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is also expected to take his holiday in the UK. It comes despite the government opening up 'air bridges' to dozens of popular destinations so people can venture further afield. Speaking on a visit to London ambulance service HQ this morning, Mr Johnson said: 'I think this is a great, great year for people to have a staycation. 'This country is uniquely blessed with fantastic places to holiday, whether coastal or otherwise. 'And I am certainly going to be doing that, but I won't necessarily tell you where at this stage. 'Obviously if people feel the need for a foreign holiday then that's completely a matter for them, I totally understand it, but there are fantastic, fantastic places, peerless, wonderful, superlative places in the UK to go on holiday and that's certainly what I will be doing.' Speaking on a visit to London ambulance service HQ this morning, Boris Johnson said: 'I think this is a great, great year for people to have a staycation.' Britons are able to stay overnight in self-contained accommodation - including hotels and bed and breakfasts - as well as campsites since coronavirus lockdown measures were eased on July 4 Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are both set to shun foreign holidays this summer and instead favour 'staycations' in the UK, sources suggest. Pictured: Mr Johnson on holiday on the Greek island of Trikeri in 2016 - when he was Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson has opted for luxury overseas holidays in the past, including spending Christmas in the Caribbean island of Mustique. It is there that he is believed to have proposed to have proposed to his now-fiancee Carrie Symonds (pictured together) Mr Sunak (pictured) has a selection of four potential properties to spend the summer in, which he owns with his wife Akshata Murthy Britons are able to stay overnight in self-contained accommodation - including hotels and bed and breakfasts - as well as campsites since coronavirus lockdown measures were eased on July 4. But 67 countries were taken off the Foreign Office's 'non-essential travel' list earlier this month, and 14-day quarantine rules have been dropped for arrivals from more than 70 places. Mr Johnson has opted for luxury overseas holidays in the past, including spending Christmas in the Caribbean island of Mustique. It is there that he is believed to have proposed to have proposed to Mr Symonds before their son Wilfred arrived in May. Mr Sunak has a selection of four potential properties to spend the summer in, which he owns with his wife Akshata Murthy, including this magnificent Georgian manor in North Yorkshire Mr Sunak with his wife, Akshata, and their two daughters Krishna and Anoushka Mr Johnson and Miss Symonds are said to be deciding on where to go in the UK with their two-month-old son Wilfred (pictured) in the coming weeks He was also pictured on holiday on the Greek island of Trikeri in 2016 - when he was Foreign Secretary. Mr Johnson and Ms Symonds are still said to be deciding on where to go in the UK with their two-month-old son Wilfred in the coming weeks. He has a variety of options, including the PM's grace-and-favour homes Chevening and Chequers - where Miss Symonds isolated while pregnant during the pandemic - and his privately-owned farmhouse in Oxfordshire. Mr Sunak has a selection of four potential properties to spend the summer in, which he owns with his wife Akshata Murthy. These include a magnificent Georgian manor in North Yorkshire as well as a 7million property in London. Mr Johnson's father Stanley earlier faced fierce criticism for travelling abroad to Greece when the Foreign Office guidance said Britons should not go abroad unless they have to. He flew to Athens via Bulgaria due to a current ban on direct flights from the UK, before visiting his Villa Irene, on Mount Pelion, in central Greece. The Prime Minister's father was seen checking his phone at a tavern in Horto village on Thursday The Prime Minister's father (pictured) has faced fierce criticism this week for flying to Greece but protested his innocence when spotted by reporters yesterday on return from an afternoon swim in Pilion But the Prime Minister's father said he was visiting on 'essential business' because he needed to 'Covid-proof my property' ahead of the letting season. Referring to his residence in Greece, Mr Johnson told reporters: 'I came here to have a quiet time, to organise the house. 'I think I'm going to go back on July 10. So, I have just got one week to get everything organised. Got a whole lot of instructions about how to make the place Covid proof.' By some local accounts, he arrived to the region by private car after documenting his controversial journey from the UK on social media, sharing a video taken from a plane and a selfie where his face was covered with a white mask. Hounded by local and international media in Pelion, a visibly unnerved Mr Johnson said he was unaware of the outcry in Britain about his flight. Still, he conceded scrapping pictures that he posted on social media accounts, tracking his journey. 'It is true I took the pictures down,' he said. 'But I didn't put them up in spirit of defiance. I certainly had no intention of provoking anyone.' New Delhi, July 13 : Amid political crisis in Rajasthan, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted raids at Hotel Fairmont in Jaipur. Investor Ratan Kant Sharma, close aide of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son, is under the agency's scanner. Sharma had allegedly received around Rs 96.7 crore from Mauritius and has stakes in Hotel Fairmont. Sharma and Vaibhav Gehlot, son of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, are business partners. Sharma was summoned by the ED four days ago. The agency suspects that large scale overseas transactions have taken place. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Chayut Setboonsarng (Reuters) Bangkok, Thailand Mon, July 13, 2020 07:55 555 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665cdaaf 2 SE Asia Thailand,monkeys,coconut-climber,Coconut-industry,coconut,PETA,animal-activism,animal-rights Free A monkey trainer in southern Thailand said on Saturday that few monkeys are involved in harvesting coconuts for export, disputing an activist report which has caused several British supermarkets to ban coconut products from the country. Nirun Wongwanich, 52, who trains monkeys to fetch coconuts at a "monkey school" in the province of Surat Thani, said most coconuts used for export are harvested by humans with poles. Only a few farms in the south use monkeys for taller coconut trees, he said, denying accusations of cruelty. "There is no truth to that. I have been with monkeys for over 30 years ... I have a bond, a relationship with them," Nirun told Reuters, adding that he trains six to seven monkeys a year. Earlier this month several British retailers pulled Thai coconut products from their shelves after a report by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) alleged that coconuts in Thailand are picked by abused monkeys. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's fiancee Carrie Symonds called on other supermarkets to follow suit. "Glad Waitrose, Co-op, Boots & Ocado have vowed not to sell products that use monkey labor, while Morrisons has already removed these from its stores," she tweeted. PETA has said it believes virtually all coconuts from Thailand are picked by monkeys. However, Thailand's government has denied the PETA report, saying the use of monkey labor is "almost non-existent". Mananya Thaiset, Thai deputy minister of agriculture, said Thailands 200,000 coconut growers overwhelmingly use human labor and machines for harvesting. "Even all the monkeys in the entire forest won't be enough for the industry," Mananya said. A PETA official on Saturday rejected the Thai arguments. "The industry's efforts to side-track the issue with a count of the number of farms and monkeys ... only shows the world they are trying to do more of the same keep monkeys in chains," PETA Asia official Nirali Shah said. Thailand last year produced more than 806,000 tons of coconut from 1,243.7 square kilometers, government data shows. It exported coconut milk worth 12.3 billion baht British firms today said they are not ready to leave the European Union with just five months to go until Britain formally departs. Half of all bosses said they cannot make preparations until ministers provide certainty over the nature of the future relationship, according to a survey for the Institute of Directors (IoD). Stuck in the middle: Half of all bosses said they cannot make preparations until ministers provide certainty over the nature of the future relationship The UK is negotiating a new relationship with the EU when the transition period ends in December. Only a quarter of businesses are fully ready, IoD said, and manufacturing is particularly vulnerable to the changes. Coronavirus has been a distraction away from preparations for new rules governing trade, migrant labour and customs. Seven in ten businesses said reaching a deal was important for them, with 89 per cent believing it was important for the economy as a whole. Jonathan Geldart, IoD director general, said: 'Preparing for Brexit proper is like trying to hit a moving target. They want to start this exciting new chapter on the front foot, not distracted by disruption.' When the coronavirus pandemic forced Lowcountry Local First to move its Community Business Academy course from weekly in-person sessions to a virtual format, instructor Raquel Padgett thought she was going to lose most of the class. Knowing what the group of entrepreneurs was up against operating or trying to launch a new business in the midst of perhaps the most difficult economic period small business owners have faced, all while many juggled full-time jobs, homeschooling kids and other stressors finishing the demanding course seemed like a big ask. But her prediction was wrong. Of the 22 people enrolled in the class, 19 of them completed it. "Turning passion into profit can be a scary journey, but look how far you've come," Padgett told the graduates during a virtual graduation ceremony. She described the grads as "unrelenting," saying that their ability to stick with the course through this time was a signal that they "have what it takes" to be successful business owners. How to Participate Applications are open now for two Community Business Academies which begin online in August. Scholarships are available. All applicants have to attend an online info session and fill out a program inquiry form which they can find at goodenterprises.org. Applicants can also call 843-212-6298 or email instructor Raquel Padgett at Raquel@lowcountrylocalfirst.org for more information. The group of 19 entrepreneurs are the second graduating class of the Good Enterprises program, an initiative the nonprofit Lowcountry Local First launched in the fall to provide accessible and equitable opportunities for local entrepreneurs to get training, access resources and connect with local mentors. The program starts with the 12-week business course. Graduates of that program can then move into a phase of mentorship, networking and advanced seminars. The last phase helps them access financing. All experience levels are welcome to apply, so some members come to the first day of class with a fully functioning business while others start with an idea. Of the spring session's 19 graduates, more than half of them are currently in business making sales. Most of the businesses coming out of the program will be minority-owned, woman-owned or both. And, much like the very first class in the fall, the graduates represent a mix of life experiences. Their ages spanned from 27 to 67. One of the graduates, Emma Cromedy, took the class while operating her catering business, Carolimas, and navigating how to pivot because of the coronavirus pandemic. Being in the class did help with that strategy, she said. Taking deep dives into business planning allowed her to think creatively about what the business could do to adjust. Now, every Wednesday afternoon, they host a cooking demo on Instagram, which has attracted new followers and customers. They're also taking online orders and shipping some of their goods, like Charleston Chewies and red velvet cheesecake brownies, worldwide. The most interesting part of the course, Cromedy said, was when they had to evaluate their competition and pinpoint what makes them different. "For us, we're local to this area and truly know Gullah cuisine," Cromedy said. "A lot of the recipes we have are family recipes." Spring 2020 Graduates Lydia Bracken, Five Minutes Peace Janice Burch, Work Soul Flow Emma Cromedy, Carolimas Monique Deniro, Rich Made Easy Tim Falvey, Uncle Tims Bench Tomeaka Faldger, Proximity Cleveland Frasier, Frasier-Co. Charles Grant, Legacy Lauren Hammond, Better Get Packing Walton Jones, Good Guy Personal Services Bernard Kelly, United Brokers Global Skyelynn Landry, ByoSolutions Kristine Luke, Park Pets Erin Noble, E.V.E. Esthetics Lisa & Laci Robinson, Black Expressions, Inc. Diana Saillant, Saillant Language Consulting Denise Singleton, Lillies Sea & Soul Food Angaleita Thorne, At Your Service Concierge Family connections were also key to another business concept in the class, Black Expressions, a tour company formed by the mother-daughter duo of Lisa and Laci Robinson. A lot of their ancestors are from Charleston, Lisa explained, and family was what prompted their recent move from West Palm Beach to the Lowcountry. Their focus with Black Expressions will be telling the stories of the enslaved and their descendants in Charleston. "Some tours now, you go downtown and maybe they talk about slavery," Lisa said. "Slavery will be our focus." Lisa said they also want their tours to "embrace all of the descendants who are doing amazing things." They envision bringing tour groups to local Black-owned restaurants, stopping by a church for a worship service and facilitating conversations about race and social justice issues. While the coronavirus has made it much more difficult for them to figure out how to launch the business, the current surge of Black Lives Matter protests and calls for racial equality have been an affirmation that people want to hear the stories they're trying to tell. One of their classmates, Lydia Bracken, has also found that this point in time, while challenging, has made her more confident that her business concept fills a need. Bracken, who is the mother of three young children, developed a concept she calls Five Minutes Peace, a place where mothers can come and pursue the interests they never have the time or the quiet to do at home. Caring for restless kids during COVID-19 lockdown has "thrown into focus" the need for that kind of space, she said. "It's made it even more vividly real why this should exist," Bracken said. The business is still in its early stages, but Bracken said the class was that push she needed to start making moves with the idea, which she's had in her back pocket for years. Assignments had her calling places to estimate costs for renting space and planning the logistics of how to provide child care for mothers while they use the creative space. Even though the course had to go virtual several weeks in, Bracken said there was still a rapport that came through over video chats. After the last class session, she said, they all stayed on for an extra 45 minutes just to talk. Classmates' comments at the end of the virtual graduation were all some variation of, "Let's stay in touch." "Continue to hang in there," Padgett said in her closing comments to the graduates. "I know these are not easy times, but you guys already proved that you can to this." Like a Zelig, he turned up in every corner of the war in North Africa and Europe. The Signal Corps was responsible for the majority of Army picture-taking, but one day when all of their photographers were tied up, Shaffer was ordered to fly to Gibraltar. No one told him what his subject was, just that he should wait inside a bomber that was painted black, its bomb bay doors sealed. NEW YORK, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars, Incorporated (the "Company" or "Mars") announced today the commencement of a private offering of senior notes (the "Notes"). The Notes will be guaranteed on a joint and several basis by Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and New Uno Holdings Corporation. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include the repayment of the Company's outstanding borrowings under its multicurrency revolving credit facility and/or its outstanding term loans. The offering of the Notes will be made in a private transaction in reliance upon an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), in the United States only to investors who are reasonably believed to be "qualified institutional buyers," as that term is defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act, or to non-U.S. persons outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States without registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of any of the Notes in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. About Mars, Incorporated Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With more than $35 billion in sales, Mars is a global business that produces some of the world's best-loved brands: M&M's, SNICKERS, TWIX, MILKY WAY, DOVE, PEDIGREE, ROYAL CANIN, WHISKAS, EXTRA, ORBIT, 5, SKITTLES, and COCOAVIA. Mars Associates proudly take care of half of the world's pets through our nutrition, health and services businesses such as Banfield Pet Hospitals, BluePearl, Linnaeus, AniCura, VCA and Pet Partners. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 70 countries. The Mars Five Principles Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom inspire our more than 125,000 Associates to take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive. This communication contains "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "project," "continue" or other similar words. Such forward-looking statements are based on available current market and industry material, experts' reports and opinions and long-term trends, as well as management's expectations, beliefs and projections concerning future events impacting it. Mars, Incorporated's expectations, beliefs and projections are expressed in good faith, and its management believes that they have a reasonable basis to make these statements, but there can be no assurance that management's expectations, beliefs or projections will be achieved. All forward-looking statements in this presentation apply only as of the date made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as otherwise required by law, Mars, Incorporated undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. SOURCE Mars, Incorporated Related Links http://www.mars.com Saudi Arabia is set to keep its crude oil exports in August at the levels from July, although the OPEC+ group is expected to ease the record production cuts as of next month, sources in the industry told Reuters on Monday. The record 9.7-million-bpd OPEC+ cuts which were extended once for a month until the end of July are now set to ease to a total cut of 7.7 million bpd as of August 1. Currently, there are no indications that the coalition of oil producers would be willing to even discuss another extension of the record level of production cuts. At the beginning of this month, Russias Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that OPEC+ was not discussing or planning changes to its production cut agreement, which should see the oil producers ease the cuts in August. Despite the eased cuts, OPECs top producer and the worlds biggest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, does not intend to boost its crude oil exports, according to Reuters sources. The increased production will go to domestic power generation, for which Saudi Arabia burns more oil during the summer months, the sources told Reuters. In June, Saudi Arabias observed crude oil exports dropped to 5.7 million bpd, down from 6.2 million bpd in May, according to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. This was the lowest level of Saudi crude oil exports since Bloomberg began tracking the flows in 2017. The Kingdom is also reportedly trying to tighten the medium and heavy crude market in Asia. Saudi Aramco has focused on cutting supply for its Arab Medium and Arab Heavy grades, with at least six buyers in Asia notified they would receive lower volumes of heavier grades with the option to substitute the missing heavy barrels with lighter grades, sources with knowledge of the plans told Reuters on Monday. While the Saudi oil giant is said to be keeping exports flat in August, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is reportedly planning to boost its exports next month by 300,000 bpd, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters last week. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A mens rights activist was fatally shot at his front door in California over the weekend. Marc Angelucci, 52, an attorney and board member of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Coalition for Men (NCFM) was shot on his property in Crestline on Saturday. Authorities received a call around 4pm about the shooting on the 22400 block of Glenwood Drive, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department. He was pronounced dead in front of his home. A motive behind the deadly shooting is not known and the investigation is ongoing. The sheriffs office said the call for help came from inside the residence. Well-known men's rights activist Marc Angelucci, 52, was fatally shot on Saturday afternoon in front of his Crestline, California home Authorities received a call around 4pm about the shooting on the 22400 block of Glenwood Drive, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department Angelucci was the founder and former president of the NCFM chapter in Los Angeles. The group, founded in 1977, describes itself as a 'gender inclusive, nonpartisan, ethnically diverse organization committed to ending harmful discrimination and stereotypes against boys, men, their families and the women who love them.' He was a board member at the time of his death. The organization released a statement on their website upon his death saying: 'Mark was extremely well-spoken and a skilled publicist for mens issues.' 'While wildly successful on the legal front, he was a fabulously down-to-earth, loving man when not demolishing opponents in courtrooms to promote justice. 'Rest In peace, our dear fallen soldier. No finer man ever walked the planet.' Angelucci joined NCFM as a law student in 1997 afer seeing a friend physically abused for years by his wife and denied domestic violence services because he is male, according to the groups website. He went on to sue battered womans shelters to force them to accept men too. Tributes to the high-profile lawyer poured in on social media Marc Angelucci fought for men's rights through litigation. Pictured in front of a California courthouse. In court he helped fight against male-only military conscription, drafted and enacted legislation to fight paternity fraud, and fought to include men in domestic violence victim programs organized by the state The National Coalition for Men shared this image of Angelucci saying: 'While wildly successful on the legal front, he was a fabulously down-to-earth, loving man when not demolishing opponents in courtrooms to promote justice...Rest In peace, our dear fallen soldier. No finer man ever walked the planet' In 2001 he formed the Los Angeles chapter of NCFM and served as its president until 2008. The National Coalition for Men was behind a legal battle that led to a 2019 decision that deemed conscripting and drafting only male soldiers into military service as unfair to men and unconstitutional. Angelucci argued that case again in early March before the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals but no ruling had been issued yet. That decision is under review by an appeals court. Angelucci joined NCFM as a law student in 1997 afer seeing a friend physically abused for years by his wife and denied domestic violence services because he is male, according to the groups website. He went on to sue battered womans shelters to force them to accept men too In 2008 he won a ruling in a California appellate court case that concluded the Legislature had improperly excluded men from domestic-violence victim programs. What is the National Coalition for Men? The group, founded in 1977, describes itself as a 'gender inclusive, nonpartisan, ethnically diverse organization committed to ending harmful discrimination and stereotypes against boys, men, their families and the women who love them.' The group seeks reform through advocacy, education, outreach, services and litigation. The group fights against anti-male bias in media, paternity fraud, fights for the rights of male domestic violence victims and against male-only military conscription. The Southern Poverty Law Center says male rights groups like this 'distort or cherry-pick statistics to indicate female privilege, blame women, or create false equivalences between the oppression of men and women, rather than simply seek to advance the cause of men and fathers.' Advertisement He also helped draft and enact legislation to stop paternity fraud, an instance that occurs when a mother of a child misidentifies a man as the biological father of her child. Attorneys affiliated with NCFM have sued companies that host ladies nights and other women-exclusive events. He appeared in the controversial 2016 documentary The Red Pill, which critics accused of being overly sympathetic to the mens right movement. However, the National Coalition for Men has faced criticism from groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center, which wrote that mens groups like it 'distort or cherry-pick statistics to indicate female privilege, blame women, or create false equivalences between the oppression of men and women, rather than simply seek to advance the cause of men and fathers.' 'Groups like NCFM use litigation to challenge what they perceived as discrimination in favor of women and try to influence policy on domestic violence, sexual assault, divorce, and custody cases. 'In reality, they offered little help to men other than blaming women or advocating to deny women the structures that they did have to resort to discrimination or violence.' Anyone with more information about the incident was asked to call Det. Simon Demuri at (909) 387-3589. Callers can also remain anonymous by calling WeTip at 800-78CRIME or http://www.wetip.com. The e-commerce market has been expanding steadily in recent years and is expected to break the 10 trillion yen mark by 2021. *1 In particular, the penetration of social networking sites has increased the number of points of contact between companies and consumers, which has led to the growth of D2C brands that sell products directly to customers through their own e-commerce sites without the use of intermediaries. With a decrease in the number of stores due to the impact of the new coronavirus and the shift to online shopping, the company expects to attract more attention and see further growth in the future. On the other hand, these e-commerce businesses handle a lot of personal information, and there is a risk of information leakage due to cyber-attacks. If a business suffers a cyber-attack, it can lead to compensation costs due to the release of personal information, damage to brand image, and lost sales opportunities. Against this backdrop, in order to prepare for the growing threat of cyber-attacks, CSC's cloud-based WAF "Shadankun" was adopted by "ROOM", a D2C brand of accessories managed by one of Japan's largest apparel ODM manufacturers. ROOM is a D2C brand that sells "accessories that play a leading role in fashion coordination", and is managed by Third Office, an apparel OEM/ODM, brand development, and e-commerce business. Due to the combination of good design and consumer-friendly prices, the number of users in their 20s to 40s is growing rapidly. By introducing CSC's cloud-based WAF "Shadankun", Third Office will be able to protect its brand from cyber threats and provide its users with a safer and more secure service than ever before. CSC plans to continue to help more companies mitigate their cybersecurity risks in the future. About Shadankun Cloud-based WAF "Shadankun" is a web security service that detects and blocks cyber-attacks on websites and web servers. Utilizing Cyneural, an attack detection AI engine using deep learning, it detects general attacks as well as unknown attacks and false-positives at high speeds, while Cyhorus, one of the world's leading threat intelligence teams, quickly responds to the latest threats. Also, it has been ranked No. 1 in Japan in terms of adoption rate. *2 For more information, please visit https://www.shadan-kun.com/ About Cyber Security Cloud, Inc. With an aim to create a secure cyberspace that people around the world can use safely, Cyber Security Cloud provides web application security services worldwide using the worlds leading cyber threat intelligence and AI technology. CSC is also certified as the 7th AWS WAF Managed Rules Seller in the world by AWS (Amazon Web Service) which boasts a 47.8% global cloud market share. *3 As a leading cybersecurity company, CSC plans to continue to strive to improve and develop new technologies and aim to be a company that can deliver effective security solutions to contribute to the information revolution. For more information, please visit https://www.cscloud.co.jp/en/ About Third Office Name: Third Office Co., Ltd. Date of Establishment: April 2000 Head Office: 3-8-1 Higashiyama, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo, Japan President and CEO: Takashi Nishimura URL: https://www.3rdoffice.jp/ *1 Market research on "The Reality and Future of the Online Shopping and E-Commerce Business in 2019" by Fuji Keizai Research *2 Market research on "cloud-based WAF services" (as of June 16, 2019) [Research by ESP Research Institute (May 2019 to June 2019)] *3 Gartner(July 2019)Worldwide Iaas Public Cloud Services Market Share, 2017-2018 (Millions of U.S. Dollars) TDT Manama China National Electric Engineering Corporation (CNEEC) donated essential medical equipment used to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to Bahrains Electricity and Water Authority (EWA). This came during a recent meeting between CNEEC representative Zhao Hui and Bahrain Ambassador to China Dr Anwar Al Abdullah at the Embassy premises in Beijing. Also present during the meeting were Embassy third secretary Ali Abdulhameed and CNEEC Middle East, South and South Eastern Asia regional general manager Ge Jian. The companys delegation expressed their sincere condolences to the families of those who have died because of the virus, and, at the same time, wished those infected a quick recovery. The delegation also praised the measures taken by Bahrain to mitigate the virus spread and provide much-needed medical care to patients, as well as raise awareness among citizens and residents. Furthermore, the CNEEC delegation expressed their readiness to double their medical supplies to the Kingdom as well as support its tireless efforts against the pandemic and reduce the active cases as well as deaths. The Bahraini Ambassador underlined the deep relations knotting Bahrain with China, and highlighted the growing bilateral cooperation between the two countries. He valued the public and private sectors contributions in China towards backing countries, including Bahrain, to reinforce their abilities against the pandemic. He also praised the donation made by CNEEC. He conveyed the best wishes of Electricty and Water Affairs Minister Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, EWA CEO Shaikh Nawaf bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa and all EWA staff. (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Monday and not separately reported by Alliance News: Mineral & Financial Investments Ltd - the company, which invests in natural resources - Makes a seed-round investment in Ideon Technologies Inc, a private company applying cosmic-ray muon tomography to define underground 3D rock density images. Mineral & Financial invested CAD100,000, about CAD58,473, as part of CAD1.3 million private fundraising. Regency Mines PLC - the natural resource exploration & development company - Announces the sanction of the 2020 exploration season at its 50%-owned Dempster vanadium project in Canada. Programme is expected to commence in August and include soil and geochemistry programmes. Regency Mines anticipates project to be positioned for a drilling campaign in 2021. President Energy PLC - the oil & gas company - Makes further progress on its drilling and workover plans in Rio Negro Province, Argentina. Workovers of two wells are now expected to commence by end August, both at the Estancia Vieja field. The wells being EV-20 and EV-x1 are not currently producing and the workovers are targeting total initial production of 3.5 million standard cubic feet per day of gas and 50 barrels of oil per day. After this drilling programme, President Energy said it will then take time to review the results and re-commence drilling in the first quarter of 2021. Salt Lake Potash Ltd - the company which holds sulphate of potash assets in Australia - Has been granted "Green" label certification for debt issued to develop its Lake Way project. The "Green" loan label confirms the positive environmental aspects of the Lake Way project for the company's debt partners, as well as all other stakeholders including the local community, offtakers and suppliers. Pensana Rare Earths PLC - the company which is focused on rare earth projects - Reports results from a further 34 holes of the 8,000 metre drill programme completed at the Longonjo project in Angola. The programme is in support of the bankable feasibility study work programmes, based on the weathered zone mineralisation at Longonjo. New results confirm particularly high-grade intersections from surface in the area of proposed first mining. Lekoil Ltd - the Lagos-based oil exploration & production company - Says the Otakikpo joint venture has executed definitive agreements for the next phase of the Otakikpo marginal field development. The joint venture is made up of Green Energy International Ltd, the operator of the Otakikpo marginal field, and the technical partner, LEKOIL Oil & Gas Investments Ltd, in which Lekoil has a 90% economic interest. The Otakikpo joint venture has executed additional service agreements with Schlumberger, which cover the comprehensive infrastructure upgrades and field management services in relation to the planned upstream drilling programme. A further announcement on the financing and timelines for the upstream drilling project will be made in due course. Global Ports Holding PLC - cruise port operator - Ends pursuit of premium listing on London Stock Exchange to save cash, allowing it to provide flexibility to respond to challenges created by the ongoing Covid-19 disruption. Global Ports currently has a standard listing on London's Main Market. Also ends relationship deed with its controlling shareholders, Global Ports Holding BV and Global YatArAm Holding AS, as it is not seeking premium listing. Metal Tiger PLC - the company which invests in mining companies - Says phase 1 drilling operations at Kalahari Metals Ltd's Kitlanya East project have now resumed. Metal Tiger has a 62% equity interest in Kalahari Metals. Metal Tiger says the drill rig is now drilling hole KIT-E_03, which is designed to test a disruption in marker conductors delineated from detailed airborne electromagnetic data, along an interpreted, locally developed, anticlinal structure, which may provide a trapsite for mineralisation in a similar setting to Sandfire's A4 deposit to the north. Separately, Metal Tiger said its 7.3%-owned Pan Asia Metals Ltd lodged initial public offering with the Australian Securities & Investment Commission. Indicative IPO timetable established, with anticipated listing date set for late September. Metal Tiger currently intends to participate in the IPO offering. Finally, Metal Tiger said it has entered into a further equity derivative collar financing arrangement pursuant to the umbrella facility. Back in December, Metal Tiger received 6.3 million new shares in Sandfire Resources NL and has entered into an equity derivative collar financing arrangement with a global investment bank pursuant to an equity option and loan facility. Under new arrangements, the undisclosed investment bank can borrow up to, in aggregate 280,141 Sandfire shares from Metal Tiger. In addition, Metal Tiger obtained the right to sell 93,536 and/or 186,605 Sandfire shares to the investment bank in three years' time at 80% of the reference price, being AUD5.203 and AUD5.216, respectively. In turn, the company said the investment bank has a right to buy 93,536 and/or 186,605 Sandfire shares from Metal Tiger in three years' time at an agreed premium of 145% of the reference price. Metal Tiger also borrowed, in aggregate, AUD1.2 million from the investment bank, with a maturity date of July 10, 2023. Valeura Energy Inc - the natural gas producer - Reports strong financial position, with no debt and a cash balance of USD30.7 million. Second quarter 2020 production averaged 521 barrels of oil equivalent per day, comprised primarily of gas produced from Valeura's ongoing conventional shallow gas programme. This is a decrease of 27% over the prior quarter, reflecting lower natural gas demand from its customer base due to the combined impact of a reduction in local industrial activity in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and national holidays in Turkey. More positively, Valeura said toward the end of the quarter, economic activity and gas demand had begun to ramp up, as Turkey's lockdown restrictions reduced, resulting in production increasing by 40% in June, compared to the lower rates experienced in May. Alternative Income REIT PLC - the real estate investment trust - Says its annual passing rent roll from its 21 tenants is GBP6.6 million. The company said it expects that at least 84% of third-quarter rents due will be collected by September. Alternative Income REIT remains in discussion with a small number of tenants, representing 11% of the rent roll, in respect of potential deferral of their rent payments in support of their near term cash flow requirements. To date, no rent free periods or rent adjustments, except for the Travelodge, have been agreed across the portfolio, the company noted. The rent due from Travelodge in respect of the company's hotel in Swindon represented 5% of the its total annual rent roll. Nanoco Group PLC - the quantum dots developer - Signs a litigation funding agreement with an undisclsoed US litigation finance specialist. Back in February, Nanoco had filed a patent infringement lawsuit against various Samsung Electronics Co entities in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The lawsuit claims infringement of a number of Nanoco's US patents which relate to Nanoco's unique synthesis and resin capabilities for quantum dots. Under the agreement, the unnamed US firm will fund the costs of the litigation against Samsung. In return, the US litigation finance specialist can expect to receive a multiple of its invested capital in the event of a settlement or judgement in favour of Nanoco. Luceco PLC - the lighting products manufacturer - Reports revenue for the six months to the end of June 14% lower than a year ago, with demand steadily improving as lockdown conditions have eased. Sales stabilising at about 90% of prior year levels by period end. Luceco said adjusted operating profit of GBP9.0 million is GBP1.8 million better than the prior year, with gross margin improvement and stringent control of overheads sufficient to more than offset Covid-related disruption. Adjusted operating margin of 13%, in the middle of the company's targeted range of 10% to 15%. Luceco said it considers it is likely that dividends will be reinstated at interim stage. Intelligent Ultrasound Group PLC - the company which provides training software for medical practitioners - Says turnover for the six months to the end of June, which is currently generated entirely by its Simulation division, is expected to be GBP2.5 million compared to GBP3.1 million a year earlier. The shortfall is due to the effect of Covid-19 on Intelligent Ultrasound's reseller sales, especially in the Chinese and European markets, which declined to GBP600,00 from GBP1.4 million year-on-year. The company said its direct sales in the period grew to GBP1.9 million form GBP1.8 million the year before, despite Covid-19 impacting US revenue. The adjusted loss before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization for the period is seen between GBP1.3 million and GBP1.4 million versus Ebitda loss of GBP1.3 million in the first half of 2019. Corero Network Security PLC - the Buckinghamshire-based defence firm - Makes a "solid" start to the year, despite the "current unprecedented times", continuing to build on the momentum achieved in the second half of 2019. Order intake increased by 58% in the six months to the end of June to USD7.9 million compared to USD5.0 million a year ago. Revenue for the first half is anticipated to be USD6.2 million, representing an increase of 48% compared to the prior year. The company continues to invest in sales and marketing, with progress achieved against its strategy to both augment its direct sales efforts and increase momentum through its channel partners in more regions. Gfinity PLC - the esports and gaming provider - Says Gfinity Plus will go live on Wednesday, allowing gamers to register and be eligible for giveaways and incentives. Gfinity Plus is a reward-based product for Gfinity's online community, that will also offer exclusive content, forums and gamification from August. Gfinity is using its own technical IP for the first time on its websites to provide functions that deepen visitor engagement such as fan forums and capability to comment on articles. Frontier IP Group PLC - the IP commercialisation company - Says portfolio company Pulsiv Solar Ltd continues to make strong commercial and technical progress with its patented technology to improve the energy efficiency of the power converters used in a host of everyday products. The company, in which Frontier IP holds a 19% stake, also announces that it is presently in discussions with investors to raise further funding which, if completed, would be at a significant premium to the current book value at which it is held by Frontier IP. BP Marsh & Partners PLC - the private equity investor - Says its investee company EC3 Brokers has won the Dubai International Financial Centre Group Health Insurance Master Policy Scheme. The scheme will provide participating companies with access to health insurance for their employees and dependants and specifically aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises in gaining access to high-level health benefit plans while streamlining their costs to be more comprehensive and reasonable. Hemogenyx Pharma PLC - the pharmaceutical company - Has signed a biological investigation & material supply agreement with Eli Lilly & Co, a pharmaceutical company engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of human pharmaceutical and veterinary products. Under the agreement, Lilly will supply Hemogenyx with biological materials and related confidential information in order for company to perform research and development activities aimed at the discovery and validation of novel materials to be used for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus and possibly other autoimmune diseases. No financial details of the deal were disclosed. ITM Power PLC - the hydrogen energy equipment manufacturer - Says Robert Pendlebury has decided to retire from his role as a non-executive director with effect from the end of July. IP Group PLC - the intellectual property company - Has indicated its intention to sell 9.2 million shares in Ceres Power Holdings PLC, through a placing to institutional investors by means of an accelerated bookbuild, which will be launched on Monday. The placing shares represent 5.4% of the company's issued share capital. Joh Berenberg Gossler & Co KG is acting as sole bookrunner and placing agent in relation to the placing. Following completion of the placing, IP Group will continue to hold 288,784 shares in Ceres Power, representing 0.2% of the issued share capital. IP Group has agreed to lock-in arrangements in relation to the balance of its ordinary shares for 90 days following the completion of the placing. Gulf Marine Services PLC - the United Arab Emirates-based support vessels provider - Says large shareholder Seafox urged Gulf Marine Services shareholders to approve the appointment of the Seafox nominees to the board. The call comes after Seafox - a 30% shareholder in Gulf Marine Services - requisitioned general meeting in order to consider two resolutions to appoint Hassan Heikal and Hesham Halbouny to the board of directors. The board recommended to shareholders to vote against the two resolutions at the AGM on June 30. The resolutions were not passed. However, Seafox on Monday said Gulf Marine Services's board is in urgent need of further director appointments to provide the experience and know how required in order to address its recent poor performance and further deterioration of its financial position. 4d Pharma PLC - the drug developer - Has successfully raised gross proceeds of GBP7.7million, through a placing of 16.8 million shares and subscription of 5.1 million shares, with existing and new investors at an issue price of 35 pence per share. The placing has now closed. The issue price represents a 15% discount to the closing mid-market price of 41.0p on Friday last week, the business day before the announcement of the fundraising. The fundraising shares represent 17% of the company's issued share capital following completion of the fundraising. Overall, 4d Pharma now has 131.4 million shares. By Evelina Grecenko; evelinagrecenko@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Perhaps you think I misspelt Woke? Nah, thats not the case. You see, being born a white male with blue eyes (Im ashamed to say),I could hurt the feelings of the oppressed. Because it would be inconsiderate of me to correct the spelling, since it could be perceived as me wielding my privileged position of power, by the use of language itself against the oppressed. So, lets stick with Woke. Stay with me, Ill explain the term Woke in a moment. In case you havent noticed, our woke youth are upset and it seems very angry as well. Angry enough to defy bans on social distancing, to gather in their thousands at BML protests, denounce governments, attack police and cast down a couple of colonial monuments while theyre at it. This zealotry is global, we dont have some local grievance but a universal movement of discontent. That should wake us up, oops I mean Woke us up. Although being the most pampered generation in history, nonetheless they feel justified in defying the law, placing tens of thousands of lives at hazard from Covid 19 infection, and erasing our past (a chilling Orwellian portent) because theyre convinced that their activism is virtuous. The Oppressor &The Oppressed- Whats Going On? So why do we have the rise of the Virtuous Generation? And whats the Oppressor/ Oppressed thing? Well you see universities around the world, which were once bastions of liberal-thought, where you were taught to consider all sides of the debate,have been transformed into schools of Marxist indoctrination, where students are inculcated with a fixed world view, that divides societies into groups, on the basis of identity, and ultimately into two groups the oppressed and the oppressor. This is known as Critical Theory, and its coming to a school near you. The BLM movement is one manifestation of Critical Theory. Aka Critical Race Theory. This fantasy ideology goes something like this. Once upon a time, in our privileged colonial past white people oppressed black people, this oppression is now systemic within our society. Now because the oppression of black people is wrong (true), it is virtuous to denounce your white oppressor status and submit to the moral authority of the oppressed. Now youve been awakened. Oops I got it wrong, I meant to say Woke. It must be my inherent white privilege speaking, I must atone for this reoccurring transgression, by toppling a colonial-oppressor statue somewhere. Oh! the Bliss of Fatuous Simplicity Life is complicated, I think youd agree. Human behaviour is unpredictable and irrational. And yet Critical Theorists aver that we correctly define all arcane human behaviour and societal structures into two groups, the oppressed and the oppressor and their intersectional sub categories. However, to do this they must exclude the vast array of factors which influence our behaviour and our inherent psychological complexity. They cant be serious? Sadly, they are. Countless uni students are given this lens with which to view the world. People are either oppressed or oppressors (no shades of grey). In this imaginary world (where pixies abound) theres a scale of oppression. The non- oppressed (obviously white males with blue eyes) and the binary opposite black females are the oppressed and at the extreme end of the spectrum wed find the black female lesbian group. The corollaries which arise from this distorted world view are 1. the more oppressed your group is the more moral authority it has. 2. the more oppressed you are the less moral responsibility you have for your behaviour. Consequently, a white male police officer arresting a black male criminal is morally wrong, because the oppressed is the victim of systemic racial prejudice, and therefore excused of his violent conduct. While under the same lens a white male is by virtue of his birth is a racist, he is complicit with the system of oppression. Redemption is available if he is reprogramed, acknowledges his sin, and surrenders his privilege in order to be woke. I got it right this time. What Does the Bible Say about being Woke Now correct me if Im wrong, I contend that the Bible clearly states that every human is created in the image of God. Itsin Genesis chapter 1 I believe. It follows then no matter what skin colour we happen to wear, weve all descended from the first human couple bearing the image of the living God, that means we are created equal. God doesnt play identity politics. He rebuffs the arbitrary and ridiculous divisions of black vs white, male vs female, wealthy vs poor, capitalist vs socialist or LGBT vs straight. Everyone who is human is His image bearer and as such of equal value. Sin is effrontery against Gods authority to define how we should behave, with the life and in the world, hes granted to us. Oppression is wrong, but so is homosexuality and likewise adultery. Lying, envy, malice, hatred and greed (to name just a few) are also wrong. However, for the Critical Theorist the only sin on the table is oppression, there are no others. Biblical salvation is not only liberation of the oppressed, but extends well beyond this to deliverance from all our moral failures (as aforementioned). God desires to create a clean heart and a right spirit within us Ps 51. He demands that we love him with the totality of our being and others as ourselves, regardless of what group they belong to. God calls all humanity to repent, not just the quasi-oppressors. He has fixed a day when he will judge the world in righteousness. Get ready. HOUSTON President Donald Trump on Sunday criticized a privately built border wall in South Texas thats showing signs of erosion months after going up, saying it was only done to make me look bad, even though the wall was built after a months-long campaign by his supporters. The group that raised money online for the wall promoted itself as supporting Trump during a government shutdown that started in December 2018 because Congress wouldnt fund Trumps demands for a border wall. Called We Build the Wall, the group has raised more than $25 million promoting itself as supporting the president. Former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon joined the groups board and Trump ally Kris Kobach became its general counsel. Kobach is now seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Kansas. The company that built the private section in January, North Dakota-based Fisher Industries, has since won a $1.3 billion border wall contract from the federal government, the largest award to date. The section in question is a roughly 3-mile (5-kilometer) fence of steel posts just 35 feet (10 meters) from the Rio Grande, the river that forms the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. Thats much closer to the river than the government ordinarily builds border barriers in South Texas because of concerns about erosion and flooding that could violate U.S. treaty obligations with Mexico. Trump tweeted Sunday in response to a ProPublica-Texas Tribune report that the riverbank has started to erode. A federal judge on Wednesday ordered attorneys for Fisher Industries and opponents of the private wall to set a schedule for experts to visit the site and inspect any erosion. I disagreed with doing this very small (tiny) section of wall, in a tricky area, by a private group which raised money by ads, Trump wrote. It was only done to make me look bad, and perhsps it now doesnt even work. Should have been built like rest of Wall, 500 plus miles. Tommy Fisher, CEO of Fisher Industries, said Sunday that he thought the president just got some misinformation on this stuff and that he had complete respect for Trump. Fisher acknowledged that there had been some erosion on the land in front of the fencing caused by rain and the natural flow of the river. He said his crews planned to install more organic material to fill the gaps or insert rock if erosion continues, but that other parts of the wall remained untouched. The wall will stand for 150 years, you mark my words, Fisher said. Experts and people who live and work near the property have warned that building so close to the river would cause flooding or a break in the fence. And a binational commission earlier this year found that the project violates U.S. treaty obligations and called on Fisher to make changes. Marianna Trevino Wright, executive director of the nonprofit National Butterfly Center, has long opposed the project and warned it could damage the center, which is adjacent to where the private wall was being built. It is troubling that President Trump admits to prior knowledge of this project one he should have insisted comply with U.S. law, rather than proceed in violation of it, she said Sunday. Originally promoted by We Build the Wall, the private section instead became a showcase for Fisher, who has promoted his company heavily on Fox News and conservative media. We Build the Wall ultimately provided about $1.5 million for the project and Kobach said in a previous court hearing that his group was mostly providing social media cheerleading. We Build the Walls founder, Brian Kolfage, did not return a phone message Sunday. In May, Fisher Industries won a $1.3 billion contract to build 42 miles (68 kilometers) of wall in Arizona. The wall will be painted black because thats what the president wanted, plain and simple, said U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, in May. Cramer said then that he personally pitched the company to Trump. Another $400 million contract Fisher won last year was placed under review by the defense departments inspector general. (Natural News) An LGBT education pack was recently promoted by a British supermarket retailer, Asda Stores. The educational packs contained explicit sexual material advertised toward primary and secondary aged schoolchildren. Parents quickly realized that the material objectifies young children and normalizes pedophilia. The packs are distributed by pro-LGBT organization, Diversity Role Models. Safe School Alliance and other child-oriented organizations in the United Kingdom raised serious concerns about Asdas promotions because they conditioned children to accept pedophilia as a sexual orientation and promoted sexual activity for young children. British chain store promoted pedophilia, and schools pushed it as curriculum After parents spoke out, the grocery store chain apologized for promoting content that sexualized children. Asda Stores CEO, Roger Burnley, said he was completely aghast that we have allowed ourselves to be associated in this way. I would like to wholeheartedly apologize for this situation, he said. The pack aimed for secondary-aged schoolchildren suggests that they read Beyond Magenta. This book features a six-year-old boy engaging in sexual activities with other children. The U.K.s Christian Institute called out the disgusting pro-pedophilia propaganda and pointed out a specific passage in the packs reading material: From six up, I used to kiss other guys in my neighborhood, make out with them, and perform oral sex on them. I liked it. I used to love oral. The curriculum also links to the Pink News website, which contains adult sexual themes. Another primary pack asked the student to ponder the meaning of Love has no age limit. The student is asked to watch a video and consider its premise. The material is provided by an LGBT group called Educate and Celebrate. These education packs are currently being used in schools. The Warwickshire country Councils schools used the material in a program called All about Me. In the US, some states, like Illinois, are mandating that schools teach LGBT history and celebrate LGBT icons. What kind of perversions will be openly encouraged with this new mandate? School officials in the UK, afraid to offend the LGBT community, hesitated to remove the embellished educational material, even as rational parents made their voice heard on the issue. When the Christian Institute threatened legal action, school officials began to drop the pedophilia-conditioning propaganda. Parents were shocked at how inappropriate the material was, how it overly sexualized behavior to the reader and exposed their young children to disgusting and deviant sexual behaviors. The curriculum teaches love is love no matter who gives it, no matter how young or old they are. (Related: Pro-pedophilia messages now being embedded in Hollywood movies for children.) Some of our members are old enough to remember organizations such as PIE (Pedophile Information Exchange) and NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association) piggy-backing on civil liberties movements in the seventies and eighties and the damage it caused, the alliance told the chief officer for the grocery chain that promoted the curriculum. We are horrified that a supermarket has chosen to promote materials that have caused the public to conflate the LGBT community with pedophiles once again. Similar stories can be found at Evil.news. Sources include: WND.com TheHill.com NaturalNews.com When FBI agents showed up at Ghislaine Maxwell's secluded New Hampshire estate to arrest her, she ran to another room, forcing agents to break through the front door. The British socialite, who was living on the million-dollar property she bought via an anonymous limited liability company, had a cellphone wrapped in tin foil -- apparently to avoid it being tracked. She also had round-the-clock security made up of former U.K. military personnel who fetched things for her using a credit card issued by the LLC. Those are just some of the measures federal prosecutors say Maxwell, 58, took to hide from law enforcement when she was arrested July 2 on sex-trafficking charges linked to her association with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. In a court filing Monday, the government cited those details in its fight to keep Maxwell locked up before her trial, saying she's spent the last year "hiding" from law enforcement and has access to "extraordinary financial resources" that would allow her to flee the country if she's freed. A federal judge on Tuesday will consider whether to grant Maxwell's request to be released from a Brooklyn, N.Y., lockup on $5 million bond to live under house arrest until her trial. Her defense team argued for her release, citing her long ties to the U.S., where she has lived to decades. But prosecutors reiterated Monday that the daughter of British publishing magnate Robert Maxwell remains a high risk to flee the country to avoid prison. "She has demonstrated her ability to evade detection, and the victims of the defendant's crimes seek her detention," the U.S. said in its filing. "Because there is no set of conditions short of incarceration that can reasonably assure the defendant's appearance, the government urges the Court to detain her." If she flees to France, where she also has citizenship, Maxwell wouldn't be sent back to the U.S. for trial because the country doesn't extradite its citizens to the U.S. for prosecution. The government also argued Maxwell has been hiding from authorities, living in a secluded, 156-acre estate in Bradford, N.H., since late last year. Maxwell is accused of luring girls as young as 14 for sexual encounters with Epstein and engaging in some of the abuse. Prosecutors argued she could face as long as 35 years in prison if convicted. Epstein died in a Manhattan lockup last August of an apparent suicide while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. While Maxwell's lawyers said in a separate court filing that she has six people willing to co-sign her bond, prosecutors argued she hasn't identified these people, whether any are even in the U.S. or have the sufficient finances to pay if she does flee. Maxwell had also argued against the charges by saying she was covered by Epstein's earlier non-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors in Florida. But prosecutors called that argument "absurd," saying their Maxwell case includes evidence from two new alleged victims who weren't involved in the earlier prosecution. The government said its case could become "even stronger" because additional witnesses have come forward since Maxwell's arrest, wanting to provide information against her. Monday's court filing also provided more details about Maxwell's arrest in New Hampshire. FBI agents were first barred from entering the property by a locked gate they had to pry open and were then confronted by one Maxwell's private guards, according to the U.S. When the agents approached the front door, they caught a glimpse of Maxwell through the window, trying to "flee" rather than answer them. The FBI ultimately forced to "breach" Maxwell's door to enter and arrested Maxwell only after she was found "in an interior room in the house," according to the government. After a search of her home, agents found the cellphone on a desk, with the tinfoil wrapping prosecutors called a "misguided effort to evade detection, not by the press or public, which of course would have no ability to trace her phone or intercept her communications, but by law enforcement." A security guard for Maxwell later told agents her brother had hired former members of the British military to guard her around-the-clock. Maxwell provided one of the guards with a credit card issued in the name of the same limited liability company that bought the New Hampshire home in cash last year. The guard said Maxwell hadn't left the property during his time working for her saying she'd directed him to buy things for the estate. "As these facts make plain, there should be no question that the defendant is skilled at living in hiding," prosecutors said. Nursing homes are facing extreme challenges in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University -- including IUPUI -- faculty members lay out their case that meaningful partnerships between acute care hospitals and nursing facilities can support better quality of care for people who live in the facilities. Regenstrief research scientist and Indiana University School of Medicine Associate Professor of Medicine, Kathleen T. Unroe, M.D., MHA, and Regenstrief research scientist and Professor at IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI, Joshua Vest, PhD, MPH, wrote an editorial published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. In it, they stated the benefits of collaboration between health systems and nursing facilities. The authors highlighted how health systems can support nursing home staffing, which is critical to delivering quality care and a constant challenge, even in normal situations. COVID-19 has exacerbated the challenges of maintaining staffing and, in some instances, created an additional need. They also discussed how collaboration can facilitate the necessary virus testing within nursing homes and highlighted policy and economic drivers for better cooperation. "Closer relationships can help reduce hospital readmissions and improve safety of transitions of care, which can have a detrimental impact on people living in long-term care facilities," said Dr. Unroe. "Health systems who have invested resources in developing relationships with nursing facilities are better able to ramp up and provide critical support during a crisis." Dr. Unroe led a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid demonstration project that successfully lowered the rate of avoidable hospitalizations in Indiana nursing homes. "The pandemic is an opportunity to build on existing relationships between health systems and nursing facilities, as well as forge new ones," said Dr. Vest. "Access to testing, data sharing and leveraging of resources are all important to improve care during the COVID-19 crisis, and closer partnerships will provide facilitation and ultimately improve care for a population that is especially vulnerable during this time." Dr. Vest leads the Fairbanks School of Public Health's Center for Health policy, which conducts research and evaluates health system performance. His research focuses on technologies that enable the sharing of data between organizations. ### The editorial, "Time to Leverage Health System Collaborations: Supporting Nursing Facilities Through the COVID-19 Pandemic," was written in response to a paper published by a research team from the University of Washington. Drs. Unroe and Vest praise the work, which leveraged an existing university health system infrastructure to provide solutions and support to nursing homes during the outbreak. They believe the University of Washington's model demonstrates what is possible when investments are made in partnerships. About Kathleen T. Unroe, M.D., MHA In addition to being a research scientist at Regenstrief Institute, Kathleen Unroe, M.D., MHA, is an associate professor at Indiana University School of Medicine and a geriatrician practicing in the nursing home setting. About Joshua R. Vest, PhD, MPH In addition to being a research scientist with Regenstrief Institute, Joshua R. Vest, PhD, MPH, is the director of the Center for Health Policy and a professor of health policy and management at the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI. About Regenstrief Institute Founded in 1969 in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute is a local, national and global leader dedicated to a world where better information empowers people to end disease and realize true health. A key research partner to Indiana University, Regenstrief and its research scientists are responsible for a growing number of major healthcare innovations and studies. Examples range from the development of global health information technology standards that enable the use and interoperability of electronic health records to improving patient-physician communications, to creating models of care that inform practice and improve the lives of patients around the globe. Regenstrief Institute is celebrating 50 years of healthcare innovation. Sam Regenstrief, a successful entrepreneur from Connersville, Indiana, founded the institute with the goal of making healthcare more efficient and accessible for everyone. His vision continues to guide the institute's research mission. About IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI Located on Indiana's premier research and health sciences campus, the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI is committed to advancing the public's health and well-being through education, innovation and leadership. The Fairbanks School of Public Health is known for its expertise in biostatistics, epidemiology, cancer research, community health, environmental public health, health policy and health administration. About IU School of Medicine IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability. Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's son Cooper is stepping out of his mogul father's footsteps and setting his sights on a seat in the California Senate. Cooper Hefner, 28, announced on Monday that he's launching an exploratory campaign to run as a Democrat representing nearly one million people in Southern California's 30th District, which includes Los Angeles County. 'I am deeply concerned about my community and our government and believe that right now it's essential for new individuals to step forward and propose new ideas,' Hefner told CNN. 'I would not be on this road if I did not feel strongly that there was an opportunity to win and as a result, make a difference.' Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's son Cooper Hefner (above together in 2014) announced his bid for the California Senate on Monday Cooper Hefner set his sights on a Senate seat in Southern California's 30th District, which includes Los Angeles County. He is pictured above in a campaign advertisement Hefner's actress wife Scarlett Byrne, who is expecting their first child next month, expressed support for her husband's political aspirations on Instagram on Monday, writing: 'I'm so proud of my husband and I hope you join me in supporting his efforts' Hefner has spent the majority of his life in the public eye after his father founded the famed Playboy franchise in the 1950s. The youngest son of Hugh Hefner, who died aged 91 in 2017, and his second wife Kimberley Conrad, Cooper Hefner grew up in the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles and began his career with the company when he was in college. The younger Hefner left the company in 2016 but returned months later to serve as chief creative officer after his father exited that post. He took over as chief of global partnerships for Playboy Enterprises in 2019 but departed again three months later to focus on starting his own media company, HefPost. For the past 14 months Hefner has held an advisory role to Playboy's chief executive officer. He shifted gears to focus on public service last December when he joined the US Air Force and went through basic training until April. 'I really don't understand how you can wake up every day and see the challenges that we're facing in the world and not ask yourself what more you can do,' Hefner told CNN. 'I mean, this is certainly the time to figure out how to engage in solving the challenges our communities are facing.' The youngest son of Hugh Hefner, who died aged 91 in 2017, and his second wife Kimberley Conrad, Cooper Hefner grew up in the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. He is pictured at the mansion with his parents and older brother Marston in 1994 Cooper and Hugh Hefner are pictured with two Playboy Playmates in 2012. Cooper began his career with Playboy Enterprises and served as the company's chief of global partnerships until May 2019, when he stepped down to focus on starting his own media company, HefPost Cooper Hefner joined the Air Force in December 2019 and completed training in April. He is pictured above in uniform in a photo posted to Instagram in May The seat in California's 30th district could open up this fall if the incumbent, Democratic state Sen Holly Mitchell, wins her bid for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. If Mitchell wins that election, Governor Gavin Newsom will call for a special election in the first quarter of 2021 to fill her seat. If she loses, Mitchell will keep the seat she's held since 2013 until the 2022 election cycle, meaning that Hefner's plans to replace her would be delayed. The 30th district spans from Century City to South Los Angeles and includes downtown Los Angeles, Culver City, Cheviot Hills, the Crenshaw District, the University of Southern California and a portion of Inglewood. Hefner offered a brief glimpse into his platform on Monday, saying it will focus on confronting the climate crisis, police reform, homelessness and using technology to simplify government. He said he aims to be a politician who follows through with promises to constituents rather than just decrying the status quo. 'It's important to recognize that the people who are calling for change were the ones who were already in office and had the power to do something different than they did,' Hefner said. 'We should ask ourselves whether we want those individuals representing us.' Hefner's actress wife Scarlett Byrne, who is expecting their first child next month, expressed support for her husband's political aspirations on Instagram on Monday. 'I'm so proud of my husband and I hope you join me in supporting his efforts,' Byrne wrote. Closing the state's borders and nightclubs for a second time due to COVID-19 is "not completely out of the question", the Australian Medical Association Queensland warns. Addressing the inquiry into the state governments COVID-19 health response on Monday, AMAQ president Dr Chris Perry said another mass closure could happen "in the next week or next month". "We have to watch social distancing in nightclubs and restaurants [and] waiting outside the nightclubs, that might need to be policed a little bit more," Dr Perry told the inquiry. "We will watch what happens in Victoria and its not completely out of the question that our borders may need to close again in the next week or next month and the nightclubs may need to close down." WARSAW, Poland Polish President Andrzej Duda, a conservative who ran a campaign with homophobic and anti-Semitic overtones, narrowly won a second five-year term in a bitterly fought weekend election, defeating the liberal Warsaw mayor, according to a near-complete count of votes. Dudas supporters celebrated what they saw as a clear mandate from voters for him and the right-wing ruling party that backs him, Law and Justice, to continue on a path that has reduced poverty but raised concerns that democracy is under threat. Critics and human rights groups expressed concerns that Dudas victory would boost illiberal tendencies not only at home but also within the European Union, which has struggled to halt an erosion of rule of law in Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Orban on Monday posted a picture of himself on Facebook shaking hands with Duda in the Hungarian parliament with Bravo! and graphics of a hand showing a V for victory and a Polish flag. Zselyke Csaky, an expert on central Europe with the human rights group Freedom House, said Dudas victory gives the party essentially free rein until parliamentary elections in 2023 to do away with limits on its power and work towards destroying Polands independent institutions, such as the judiciary or the media. Image: Incumbent President Andrzej Duda and candidate in Poland's presidential election runoff, and first lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda cast their ballots at a polling station in their hometown of Krakow, Poland, (AP) The state electoral commission said Duda had 51.21 percent of the vote based on a count of votes from 99.97 percent of districts. His opponent, Rafal Trzaskowski, trailed with 48.79 percent of the vote. Final results, expected later Monday, could vary slightly, but Dudas lead appeared unassailable. The very close race reflected the deep cultural divisions in this European Union nation. It followed a bitter campaign dominated by issues of culture in which the government, state media and the influential Roman Catholic Church all mobilized in support of Duda, a social conservative, and sought to stoke fears of Jews, LGBT people and Germans. Duda also got an apparent endorsement from President Donald Trump with a last-minute White House invitation in late June. Trump praised Duda, saying: Hes doing a terrific job. The people of Poland think the world of him. Story continues Dudas campaign focused on defending traditional family values in the predominantly Catholic nation of 38 million people, and on preserving social spending policies. The partys policies include hugely popular monthly cash bonuses of 500 zlotys ($125) per child to all families irrespective of income. They have helped alleviate povertyin rural regions, and given all families more money to spend. Duda and the party, both in power since 2015, also solidified support among older Poles by lowering the retirement age and introducing a yearly cash bonus called a 13th pension. Many credit Law and Justice for making good on promises to reduce the economic inequality that came with the countrys transition from communism to a market economy three decades ago. There is a strong sense among them that the economic help is restoring a sense of dignity to their lives after many decades of hardship caused by war, communism and the economic dislocations of capitalism. The party has also stoked conflict with the E.U. with laws that have given it vast new powers over the top courts and judicial bodies. Officials in Brussels have repeatedly expressed concerns over the rule of law in both Poland and Hungary, which were for many years hailed as the most successful new democracies to emerge from behind the Iron Curtain. Sundays vote was originally planned for May, but was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Turnout was very high at 68.1 percent, close to a record set in 1995, in a sign of the huge stakes for Poles on both sides of the divide. A 67-year-old man died at the hospital after injuries sustained in a July 2 assault, police said Monday. The man suspected in the killing has since been arrested, police said. Just after midnight July 2, police responded to the 300 block of Northeast Dekum Street for an assault and found Jeffery Sloan injured. Sloan was taken to a hospital, but he died Friday, July 10, of homicidal violence, medicals examiners said. An investigation led to the arrest Sunday, July 12, of Damian Lucas, 36, police said. He was also arrested on an outstanding warrant for an assault charge police said is also related to the case. Police have provided no further details. The investigation is still active and anyone with information is asked to contact the detectives at 503-823-2056 or 503-823-0395. --Alex Hardgrave | ahardgrave@oregonian.com | @a_hardgrave Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories Britain's biggest steel maker Tata Steel has confirmed it will take advantage of the government's multi-million pound furlough retention bonus, after John Lewis and Primark turned down the taxpayer handout. The Indian-based company, which runs the Port Talbot steelworks in South Wales, furloughed around a third of its 8,000 UK employees at some stage during the pandemic - meaning it could receive around 2.7million from the government. A spokesman for the steel giant told the FT: 'Our use of the furlough scheme allowed us to retain vital skills and experience within the company to not just keep the business going in these difficult times, but to prepare to serve our customers as they ramp up their operations too.' John Lewis and Primark have turned down the bonus, which together would be worth around 44million. The Job Retention Bonus pays out 1,000 for each furloughed employee who returns to work and is paid the lower earnings limit of 520 per month between the end of the furlough scheme in October and the end of January 2021. Britain's largest steel manufacturer, Tata Steel, says it will accept a grant thought to be worth around 2.7million from the government The Prime Minister's official spokesperson said it is 'great' that some employers have waived the furlough bonuses. He added: 'We welcome the decision of Primark and others to do so. For those that need further support the 1,000 bonus will represent a significant benefit to them.' John Lewis, which furloughed 14,000 staff during lockdown, is set to reject the government's bonus scheme, potentially missing out on 14million. Rishi Sunak unveiled the Job Retention Bonus during a mini-budget to get Brits back to work last week It comes after the retailer confirmed that eight of its stores will not be reopening after closing for lockdown. The ailing department chain will permanently close major sites in Birmingham and Watford, as well as smaller outlets at Heathrow airport, St Pancras train station in London and four At Home shops in Croydon, Newbury, Swindon and Tamworth. Primark has also announced it had rejected around 30million in 'bonuses' from the government for bringing back furloughed staff, it was revealed today The firm had furloughed 30,000 staff and is said to have burned through 800million of cash during the coronavirus crisis - but made profits of more than 900million the previous year. How does the Job Retention Bonus work? The government has supported more than one million businesses to protect nine million jobs by furloughing them during the Covid-19 pandemic. With the scheme expected to end in March, Rishi Sunak last week announced the Job Retention Bonus, to encourage companies to keep their furloughed employees. The Treasury's website explains: 'The government will introduce a one-off payment of 1,000 to UK employers for every furloughed employee who remains continuously employed through to the end of January 2021. 'Employees must earn above the Lower Earnings Limit (520 per month) on average between the end of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the end of January 2021. Payments will be made from February 2021. 'Further detail about the scheme will be announced by the end of July.' Advertisement McDonald's and Wetherspoons are both currently assessing the chancellor's announcement, while other businesses have yet to indicate where they stand on the policy. McDonald's is thought to have furloughed 135,000 employees and, under the chancellor's scheme, could be in line for a 135 million grant. Wetherspoons furloughed 43,000 staff, meaning it it could be in line for a 43 million grant. A spokesman for Wetherspoons said: 'We will consider this issue in the next few months,' adding the pub chain had paid just under three quarters of a billion pounds in taxes last year and around 450million this year. Other firms could also be in line for a significant amount of money, including Greene King at 38 million, Greggs at 25 million and the Arcadia Group at 14.5 million. However, they have yet to confirm whether they'll take up the money. According to the Sunday Times, William Hill is also set to reject the bonus payments. Back in April it was reported that the steel giant was seeking a 500million funding package from the UK and Welsh governments after many of its customers, such as car manufacturers, halted production during the crisis. The Government had introduced a Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme, which offers loans of up to 50 million to UK-based businesses with a turnover of over 45 million. But the company, which was already beset with financial issues which forced the closure of it Newport plant last year, is in need of funding 10 times the sizes of what is currently allowed. Last week Chancellor Rishi Sunak, introduced the Job Retention Bonus, offering firms 1,000 for every worker they bring back into work, even if the company is already up and running following the coronavirus lockdown. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the centre's claim of India's good position in the COVID-19 battle. Rahul Gandhi posted a graph representing India's Coronavirus numbers against other countries. See the graph and other details. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday questioned the Centres claim of Indias good position in its battle against COVID-19. Rahul Gandhi cast criticism at centres claim of saying that Indias position globally is good in the COVID-19 fight. Recently Union Home Minister appreciated Indias performance against Coronavirus. He said that for a country like India where the population is so high, everybody was anticipating how will India fight against coronavirus. Amit Shah claimed that one of the most successful battles against COVID-19 has been fought in India. The Congress leader sarcastically tweeted asking the central government, India at a good position in #COVID19 battle? Along with his tweet, the Congress leader also tweeted a graph depicting the ideal curve for COVID-19 cases. The graph shows the seven-day count of average coronavirus cases in the US, India, South Korea and New Zealand. Coronavirus cases in India evidently have grown to concern numbers. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on Sunday said that the whole world was appreciating Indias successful fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Home Minister said that India is one of the most populous countries. Everyone thought how will a country like India battle COVID-19, there were apprehensions but today the whole world is witnessing how one of the most successful battles against COVID-19 has been fought here. Also read: Sachin Pilot in Delhi with 12 loyalist MLAs amid political crisis Also read: Kanpur Encounter: Station officer reveals chilling eye-witness account With the highest single-day spike of 28,637 new cases and 551 deaths being reported in the last 24 hours, Indias COVID-19 count reached 8,49,553 on Sunday. According to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, this includes 2,92,258 active cases, and 5,34,621 cured and discharged or migrated patients. The toll due to the disease has reached 22,674 in the country. Also read: 18 staff members at Maharashtra Raj Bhavan test positive, Governor in self isolation For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Three people have died and two others are in hospital in the northern province of Ha Giang after mistakenly eating a soup containing ngon poisonous leaves on Sunday. La ngon (Gelsemium elegans), rampant in the northern mountainous regions, is the most poisonous plant in Vietnam as only three leaves are enough to kill a healthy man in less than an hour. Photo vietnamplus.vn It was reported that the five women in Linh Ho Commune, Vi Xuyen District had the soup for breakfast made from forest plants without knowing that there was ngon leaves among them. After drinking the soup, they all became sick and lost feelings in their hands and mouths. They called their relatives to take them to the districts general hospital. Director of the hospital Bui Van Toan confirmed they all suffered poisoning due to the leaves. Bodies of three dead women, aged 53, 58 and 49, were handed to their families while the two surviving victims were transferred to the provinces hospital for further treatment. According to the Ha Giang Provinces General Hospital, the two patients are now conscious, can communicate well but still are still being monitored. La ngon (gelsemium elegans) is rampant in the northern mountainous regions. It is the most poisonous plant in Vietnam as only three leaves are enough to kill a healthy man in less than an hour. The alkaloids in the plant cause respiratory failure and circulatory collapse. Ngon plants look like many edible vegetables and usually grow next to the edible plants, so people easily pick it by mistake. VNS FAIRFIELD The COVID-19 data from the town and the state are good from a number of perspectives, according to First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick. In an update to the town, Kupchick said it was good news Connecticut currently has very low numbers of new cases and hospitalizations, as well as the lowest transmission rate in the country. This past week Fairfield saw only two additional new cases and in the past 30 days has experienced only one COVID-19 associated death, she said. According to data released by the Health Department Monday afternoon, 657 residents had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Of that number, 143 people had died after contracting the disease. The department said 455 residents have recovered. Across the state, health officials report that 47,510 residents have tested positive for COVID-19, and 4,371 have died after contracting it. Currently, officials say there are only 74 people hospitalized with the virus. Fairfield Country has been the most heavily impacted, with 16,309 confirmed cases and 1,075 confirmed deaths. In what she called not so good news, Kupchick pointed out Connecticut is one of only eight states where the transmission rate indicates transmission is slowing. She said transmission is increasing in all other areas of the country, with some states seeing dramatic increases in cases and hospitalizations. This means that we have to continue our work to prevent an increase in cases, she said. Not only do we need to continue wear face coverings, to stay 6 feet from each other and to wash or sanitize our hands frequently; but now we also have to consider our summer travel and if we choose to gather in larger numbers. Kupchick encouraged residents to check the Connecticut Travel Advisory to know which states are most impacted by the virus. She asked that people traveling to said states quarantine for 14 days upon return. Regarding large gatherings, which the state now allows, Kupchick said people should still consider the risk they pose, especially indoors. It was hard work to get us to the point we are now at in Fairfield, Kupchick said, lets continue to work together to prevent COVID-19 from returning to our area. AUSTIN, Texas, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SmallCapVoice.com, Inc. (SCV) today announces the availability of a new interview with MasterBeat Corporation (OTC: MSTO), a company specializing in hard, tangible asset acquisitions with an intense focus on real estate, precious metals, collectible classic automobiles, and other tangible assets through its subsidiary SBQ Holdings, LLC, CEO Josh Tannariello who discusses the recent news and developments for the Company. The full interview can be heard at: https://www.smallcapvoice.com/interview-masterbeat-corporation-msto/ . Speaking with SCVs Stuart Smith, Tannariello provides his personal insights into the recent news and moves for the company, the milestones achieved by the company, the goals for the remainder of 2020 and much more. The MasterBeat strategy is to be a unique acquisition company organized for the special purpose of effectively assessing and developing hard assets through acquisitions, partnerships and any other strategic business opportunities that align with our aggressive growth strategy in hard tangible asset acquisitions. Recently, MasterBeat announced the formation, through its subsidiary SBQ Holdings, LLC, of its automotive division JTEC Automotive Inc. JTEC Automotive Inc. will focus on the growing demand for professionally built Custom Collectible Classic Automobiles targeting segments like Muscle Cars, Restomods, and Japanese Imports. These segments are the trends that are happening now, which have long been predicted by auction house legends such as Barrett-Jackson (www.barrett-jackson.com) and Mecum Auctions (www.mecum.com). These are exciting times for our company, Tannariello told Smith. We have been aggressive in 2020 while many other companies have stayed on the sidelines due to the pandemic. We have acquired properties and created divisions like JTEC Automotive Inc. We have grown is several areas and extended our partnership agreement with Boosted Autos, LLC for the restoration and customization of four great projects already in the hands of Boosted Autos with some being 50% or more completed. Story continues About MasterBeat Corp. MasterBeat Corporation (OTC: MSTO), incorporated under the laws of Delaware, is a publicly traded company specializing in hard, tangible asset acquisitions with an intense focus on real estate, precious metals, and other tangible assets. The company believes its progressive approach to an old school model, especially in this market based on fragile earnings multiples and uncertainty, to acquire hard, tangible assets will not only offer long term capital appreciation but also deliver revenues, profits, and self-sustainability. About SmallCapVoice.com SmallCapVoice.com, Inc. is a recognized corporate investor relations firm, with clients nationwide, known for its ability to help emerging growth companies, small cap and micro-cap stocks build a following among retail and institutional investors. SmallCapVoice.com utilizes its stock newsletter to feature its daily stock picks, podcasts, as well as its clients' financial news releases. SmallCapVoice.com also offers individual investors all the tools they need to make informed decisions about the stocks in which they are interested. Tools like stock charts, stock alerts, and Company Information Sheets can assist with investing in stocks that are traded on the OTCMarkets. To learn more about SmallCapVoice.com and its services, please visit https://www.smallcapvoice.com/small-cap-stock-otc-investor-relations-financial-public-relations/ . Socialize with SmallCapVoice and their clients at; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmallCapVoice/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallcapvoice Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallcapvoice/ Contact: www.masterbeatcorp.com info@masterbeatcorp.com SmallCapVoice.com Contact: Stuart T. Smith 512-267-2430 SSmith@SmallCapVoice.com Source: SmallCapVoice.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 14:23:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, July 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export of information and communications technology (ICT) products rose last month thanks to demand for computers and back-up memory units, a government report showed Monday. The ICT product shipment added 1 percent from a year earlier to 14.96 billion U.S. dollars in June, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Import gained 4.8 percent to 8.96 billion dollars, sending the trade surplus in the ICT sector to 6 billion dollars. The ICT export managed to grow on the back of robust demand for computers and auxiliary storage units, of which shipment soared 84.5 percent and 152.2 percent each in June from a year earlier. Demand for computers surged in recent months as people preferred working at home and attending online classes on the fear of the COVID-19 outbreak across the world. The shipment of semiconductors and display panels fell 0.5 percent and 5.2 percent respectively, and mobile phone export slumped 10.6 percent on weak global demand for smartphones. The ICT export to China, South Korea's biggest trading partner, recorded 7.28 billion dollars in the month, followed by 2.13 billion dollars to Vietnam, 1.94 billion dollars to the United States and 890 million dollars to the European Union (EU) each. Meanwhile, the import of computers and display panels advanced in double figures last month, but those for chips and mobile phones reduced 2.4 and 5.8 percent each. Enditem The Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu, in collaboration with CWC (a brand of Global Future Energy) is launching a global dialogue on the future of the petrochemical sector and its recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic. The Global Petrochemical Digital Webinar: Looking at the Industry's Future is taking place on July 15, sponsored by Sadara. The petrochemical sector has been affected by the global pandemic. However, the future for petrochemicals is looking undoubtedly bright in the current time, flourishing with new deals and consolidations which show the potential for future growth, said a statement. The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that the sector will account for half the growth in oil demand from 2019 to 2025. The sector has also seen the successful acquisition from SABIC by Saudi Aramco as well as new deals in Europe and projects with countries such as India. These trends point towards a diversification of the petrochemical market, proving the resilience of the industry. Saudi Arabia has been and will continue to be at the forefront of the global petrochemical sector, leading the economic recovery and providing opportunities for job creation and diversification. The webinar event will facilitate the global virtual meeting between the petrochemical industry and the digital sector to find ways to discuss the impact and recovery from Covid-19, and identify global business opportunities in the sector. Speakers and moderators from key companies have confirmed their participation, including: Dr Ahmed Z Al-Hussain, General Manager of Investment Development Sector, Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu, Saudi Arabia; Hameed Sidiqqui, President, Prescient Energy Consulting, US; Kwaku Boateng, Director Local Content, Ghana Petroleum Commission, Ghana; Robin Balmer, Partner, Dubai & Riyadh Norton Rose Fullbright, UAE & Saudi Arabia; Basema Al- Mahroos, Director, Portfolio Management, Apicorp Saudi Arabia; Eng Abdullah Yassin Al-Eid, Director, Business Development Department, Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu, Saudi Arabia; Stephen Morris, Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu, Saudi Arabia; and Tiago Marques, Vice President Production, CWC GFE. The webinar will include two 60-minute sessions of panel discussions with the key speakers followed by 15-minute live questions and answers session where participants will be able to ask the most poignant questions to the expert panellists. Stakeholders interested in the Petrochemical industry and seeking future opportunities within this sector can register for the webinar at: https://www.thecwcgroup.com/petrochemical-digital-webinar/ - TradeArabia News Service ALTON First Mid Bank & Trust was recently awarded $20,000 in grant funding from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago COVID-19 Relief Grant Program to assist small businesses and nonprofits affected by the pandemic. Bank officials said the funds will be distributed across the banks footprint to local food pantries. The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family over the Padmanabhaswamy temple at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, putting an end to the 11-year-old litigation. A two-member SC bench, headed by Justices UU Lalit and Indu Malhotra, allowed the appeal filed by the king of the Travancore royal family challenging a 2011 Kerala high court (HC) judgment that had given the rights over the temple to the Kerala government. The court held that the Shebaitship -- the right to maintain and manage the temple and the deity -- of the royal family over the shrine would not come to an end with the death of the ruler in 1991, who had signed the instrument of accession with the Indian government by which the erstwhile princely state of Travancore had merged with the Indian Union. The court ordered that for now, an administrative committee with the district judge of Thiruvananthapuram, as its chairperson, would manage the shrines daily administration. The temple had come under media glare when the apex court in 2011 had ordered an inventory of the temple and its properties. This led to the opening of five of the six vaults of the temple, leading to the discovery of treasure trove valued at around 90,000 crore. One of the vaults, vault B, was not opened and it was later put on hold by the court. Now, the administrative committee will decide whether vault B should be opened. The temple was under the management of a trust headed by the king of the royal family, when a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in 2009 in Kerala HC by a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, TP Sundara Rajan, praying that its control should be handed over to the Kerala government. This petition was entertained by the Kerala HC, which had held in January 2011 that after Chithira Thirunal Balaverma, the ruler, who signed agreement of the accession with the Indian government, passed away in 1991, the temple would stand vested with the Kerala government. The royal family then moved the SC, which, in 2014, constituted an administrative committee to manage the temple in the interim. In August 2012, senior advocate Gopal Subramanium was appointed amicus curiae (friend of the court) by the SC. Subramanium submitted a voluminous report before the court in April 2014, alleging serious mismanagement of the temple by the trust and indicting the royal family on various counts. The court after accepting the report set up an administrative committee on April 24, 2014, to manage the temple in the interim and also ordered a special audit of the temple and its properties by Vinod Rai, the former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An unexpected promotion of a diplomat who testified against President Donald Trump surprised many. According to reports, a batch of senior officials was promoted but one of them was a star witness. The diplomat figured a lot in the impeachment trial that was against President Trump. George Kent, a diplomat who was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, took the stand during the impeachment that centered on US and Ukraine relations. It was assumed that the president was intent on purging those who testified against him in Foreign policy. To date, there are eight of his administration that has been fired, reassigned, or quit with no further adieu, reported Daily Caller. His retention and promotion was not anticipated since most of the witnesses were subject to the perceived purge. Ukraine Burisma Holdings connected to Joe Biden and Hunter Biden According to the records, one of the reasons for Kent's Testimony is Burisma Holdings. The Ukrainian firm that had links to presidentiable Joe Biden and Hunter Biden. He stressed that early on in 2016 there was something fishy. Another thing he said was something about Rudy Giuliani, who was Trump's lawyer that did not rub off right for him. There was mention of alleged corruption at the holding firm, which has yet to be substantiated by evidence. Also read: President Trump Touts a 17-Times More Powerful 'Super Duper Missile' Retirement of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman came the same week as the promotion of Kent. Vindman was one of the star witnesses in impeachment proceedings. Case in point for many opposed to the president was Vindman who drew his ire that led to the speculation of a purge in the administration. Sources state that Vindman was due a promotion as a Colonel coming this summer but got delayed. Later Vindman said that the Trump administration was leaning on him for testifying. Despite that common perception which is contrast to the promotion of Kent as a diplomat. Vindman has never been one of Trump's favorites after he gave a scathing and critical testimony as a source of the House Intelligence Committee. Last February, he said that Vindman should be punished by the military for certain actions. One of the reasons for Trump's obvious displeasure is that he was insubordinate in his actions, The lawyer of Vindman, David Pressman held a press brief with CNN, he said that the President of the United States gave the Colonel an unfair choice. It was to side with the law or going along with what the president deems fit. It came down to keeping his path to serve the public good or keep his career going. Another is keeping his promotion intact or promotion of soldiers. His lawyer added that it is unfair for those serving the US with their lives, cited NPR. The predicament of Vindman shows that he was painted into a corner he could not get out of, except by choosing to salvage his career. Instead, he bit the bullet and got purged according to some. During the testimony in which he said he was discomfited by the attempt of Trump to affect the US foreign policy. Among testimony given during the impeachment hurt Trump's administration most in January. Promotion of diplomat show that the purge is imagined by Trump's adversaries too. Related article: President Trump Says Russian Bounty on US Troops is Not True, Dares Newspaper to Reveal Its Source @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Theres no denying that, even in post-lockdown India, demand for smartphones is still strong but why can supply not keep up? According to recent reports from the Indian press, so far in July smartphones sales are down 30-40 percent. But the reason is not customer lack of interest (or lack of money). The shortage of new smartphones has been, in part at least, because of supply chain constraints hitting manufacturers and retailers thanks to slow-moving import processes and production delays. Various market research groups are indicating that both physical retail and online channels are short of stocks for almost all brands. Sales will continue to be hit, not least after the widely reported custom clearance delays of late June. These were a consequence of the China-India border conflict in mid-June, which led to 100 percent manual checking of Chinese cargo at ports and airports between 22-30 June. This in turn led to a ten-day backlog in supplies of phones and parts. While the import delays may have been meant to target China, the lack of components and devices is affecting Indian businesses too, though the situation is expected to ease soon. And of course regional lockdowns caused by the coronavirus may also have had an effect, with localised restrictions meaning some shops are, or have been, shut. Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - A Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CEP), charged with carrying out investigations into his governance for 11 years, including the awarding of dozens of contracts, has accused former Mauritanian President, Mohamed ould Abdel Aziz (2008/2019), of having proposed the transfer of an island in the national territory (located 100 km north of Nouakchott) to a prince of Qatar, PANA learned from parliamentary sources on Monday BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China's island province of Hainan has recorded spending on offshore duty-free shopping by visitors of 450 million yuan (about 64.34 million U.S. dollars) from July 1 to 7, according to the General Administration of Customs. During the period, the average daily tax exemption was 9.39 million yuan, up 58.2 percent from the average daily amount in the first half of the year, the administration said. Cosmetics, jewelry and watches were the most popular products, with their sales accounting for 77.3 percent of the total. Starting from July 1, Hainan has increased its annual tax-free shopping quota from 30,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan per person each year. The range of duty-free goods has also expanded, growing from 38 categories to 45, while the previous tax-free limit of 8,000 yuan for a single product has been lifted. China released a master plan in early June on building the southern island province into a globally influential free trade port. The customs administration said individuals who resell or smuggle duty-free goods will have the action included in their personal credit report, in accordance with laws and regulations, and will not be allowed to purchase off-shore duty-free goods for three years. Jamie Forster (pictured), 21, tripped Mark Liebert, 58, when he was on his morning run along Bridgewater Canal in Brooklands near Sale, Greater Manchester A sex offender who called himself a 'paedo hunter' as he stamped on the head of an innocent financial adviser has been jailed for 12 years. Jamie Forster, 21, tripped jogger Mark Liebert, 58, on Bridgewater Canal in Brooklands near Sale, Greater Manchester. The thug falsely called Mr Liebert a 'f***ing nonce' and stamped on his face up to ten times as the victim lay on the ground. Witnesses rushed to save the victim but Forster, who had been drinking and taking drugs after his girlfriend miscarried, boasted of being a 'paedophile hunter' before he re-enacted the beating. Mr Liebert, who gives mortgage advice to house hunters for a finance firm in Manchester, suffered a fractured eye socket plus a bleed on the front and back of his brain, as well as a broken elbow and severe swelling to his face. In a statement to police he said: 'I spent a considerable amount of time in hospital following the attack as a result of my severe injuries. 'I have difficulties with a fractured eye socket which has swollen and sank when I received treatment for it. 'Before I was released from hospital I had a number of cognitive tests. After the attack I have to return to hospital for numerous appointments and was concerned I would no longer be able to work as a financial adviser. The thug (left) falsely called Mr Liebert (right) a 'f***ing nonce' and stamped on his face up to ten times as the victim lay on the ground 'I have lost confidence, am in fear and look over my shoulder. There have been negative impacts on my family who have to look after me at home. 'I had to take three months off work and my driving licence has been suspended - my family now have to drive me around.' Forster had been on bail when he attacked Mr Liebert following an unrelated machete attack on a man outside a takeaway. He was also convicted of sexual assault in 2017 for hitting a female jogger over the head and making sexual advances towards her. Forster was today jailed for 12 years at Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, after a judge branded him a 'dangerous offender'. The court heard Mr Liebert had been jogging along the canal at 8.45am on September 14 when he was attacked. Michael Blakey prosecuting said: 'He remembers the defendant coming towards him aggressively asking him if he was a paedophile before tripping him up, which caused him significant injuries. 'The attack was seen by a witness who heard shouting and saw a man on the floor. She saw this defendant stamping on his victim while calling him a ''f***ing nonce''. At Minshull Street Crown Court (pictured), Manchester, Forster was jailed for 12 years after a judge branded him a 'dangerous offender' 'They said the victim was stamped on ''really hard'' around 10 times and was motionless at one point. 'They went to help the victim and saw he had swelling on his head and was concussed. 'The victim was called a paedophile but there is no allegation against this man. In fact he was innocent and was only out taking his regular exercise. 'The defendant's aggressive behaviour attracted the attention of more members of the public who saw the defendant and thought he had been drinking or taking drugs. 'The defendant said ''I'm a f***ing paedo hunter'' and carried out a re-enactment of the incident after it happened. 'The victim had extensive facial swelling on his right eye, a haemorrhage, a 1 cm laceration and his right eye was bleeding. 'He also had nasal swelling, a nose bleed, a laceration on his lower lip and his right elbow was swollen and bruised. 'He also had three bleeds to the brain, possible bleeding in between his brain and skull and a possible fracture to his eye socket. He was taken to Salford Royal Hospital for treatment.' Forster, from Sale, was arrested on September 16 but gave 'no comment' in interview. He admitted wounding with intent to causing grievous bodily harm, possession of an offensive weapon and causing GBH. Following his release from jail he will be on licence until 2034 under the terms of an extended sentence. In mitigation his lawyer Paul Hodgkinson said his client had been severely affected when he was placed into care by his stepfather when his mother was on holiday. He added: 'It is clear his mother chose the wishes and feelings of his stepfather over and above those of her own child and it is right to say his criminality started as a result of this. I accept this offers him no excuse but does put his behaviour into context. 'There are two sides to him. He is in a positive, stable relationship but is also negatively influenced by his friends and peer group. 'This offending took place in a two month period following his grandmother's death. 'She is the only person who showed him any love when he was a child.. Sadly his partner also suffered a miscarriage shortly before the offence and is affected the defendant badly. He turned to drinking alcohol and taking drugs and his anger issues poured out. 'He accepts he has anger issues when in drink. He has learning difficulties and difficulties with speech and memory. 'ADHD is suspected but there is no diagnosis. He is an immature person who has had a terrible upbringing.' Sentencing Judge John Potter told Forster he had engaged in 'mindless and sickening violence'. He said: 'Your willingness to resort to extreme violence without provocation is disturbing, particularly for an offender who is still young. I have no doubt whatsoever that you are currently a very dangerous young man.' 'This man posed no threat to anyone at all yet you called him a derogatory name and tripped him up. 'He fell to the floor and as he lay on the ground you launched a quite sickening attack on him. 'People nearby were disgusted with the ferocity of the attack they were seeing. 'But you stayed nearby as others came to assist and you explained to them you were a ''f***ing paedo hunter'' and acted out in a macabre manner what you had just done for effect. 'The fact is this man had nothing to do with sexual offending towards children and this was just a gratuitous and violent attack on him.' Indian Army set to get meaner with acquisition of Ravens and Spike Firefly India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 13: The unmanned aerial vehicle Raven and Spike Firefly are soon likely to be part of the Indian Army's inventory. The Army is looking to acquire the Raven from the United States and the Spike Firefly from Israel. This comes in the wake of the Indian Air Force set to get the Rafale jets from Paris later this month. The Indian Navy, on the other hand, is set to commission its second ballistic missile firing nuclear submarine INS Arighat later this year. The RQ-11 UAV can fly up to 10 kilometres at an altitude of 500 feet with a speed of 95 kilometres per hour. This would help the troops on the ground conduct reconnaissance of the battle theatre and also placement of the enemy troops. Indias new beast in the sky: Here is everything about the AH-64 Apache attack chopper The Firefly, on the other hand, can deliver a precision strike on enemy troops hiding within a range of 1 kilometre. It has the capability to locate a target and also be called back if the target has moved beyond ranger. Sources familiar with the development said that the Army would acquire 200 RQ-11 UAVs. Meanwhile, India is set to get the first batch of four Rafale fighters this month. India has asked France to speed up the delivery of the schedule of 36 Rafale jets under the Rs 59,000 crore deal that was inked in September 2016. The development comes in the midst of the ongoing standoff with China along the Line of Actual Control. The first batch comprising 4 to 6 jets are likely to touch down in India on July 27. Rajasthan political crisis: Congress ready to talk to Sachin Pilot| Oneindia News According to the original delivery schedule the first four Rafales were to reach Ambala y May this year. All the 36 fighter aircraft were scheduled to be delivered by April 2022. The delivery of the first batch got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. India has now sought for the delivery given the heightened tensions with China. Chicagoland, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Billinero, an app-based savings account, was recently launched to motivate Americans to develop good savings habits because it includes an added incentive of winning cash prizes. The app, which makes saving quick and convenient, has awarded $51,000 to its users since launching last summer. Weve presented checks to a healthcare worker, a frontline healthcare worker, a U.S. Marine Veteran, a newlywed couple who never got to take a honeymoon, and small business owners, to name a few, explained Chris Campbell, Executive Vice President of Billinero. Its been rewarding to see peoples lives change as a result of using their Billinero accounts to save for the chance to win cash prizes. In addition to its winners, Billinero has also helped many Americans build a nest egg they may not have had otherwise, by enticing them to save for the chance to win cash. Joe Rado, Billinero's most recent $10,000 winner, said he began using Billinero as a savings account for his 5-year-old son. Im saving around $100 a month for my sons future and Im not even missing it, Rado explained. By saving $25 a weekthe equivalent of one or two lunches or a to-go cup of coffeeIll be able to save about $1,300 a year. Im slowly building a savings account and earning chances to win cash. The app, powered by Centier Bank, an FDIC-insured financial institution in the Midwest, was designed with the idea that a little bit of savings can add up quickly. But, unlike traditional savings accounts, Billinero awards $1,000 and at least $10,000 in monthly and quarterly drawings, respectively. Billinero users earn a chance to win cash with each qualifying deposit into their Billinero account which creates an entry into the cash drawings. Users are seeing how quickly small deposits add upsaving upwards of hundreds of dollars in a given month by creating the habit of saving, Campbell said. Much like lifestyle apps that help you lose weight or stay active, Billinero is designed to help users hit their financial goals. Story continues Billineros next $1,000 monthly drawing is happening on Aug. 1, 2020, and its next quarterly drawing of at least $10,000 is happening on Oct. 1, 2020. Users can start making qualifying deposits into their accounts as soon as the account is open in order to gain entries into the drawings. For more information about Billinero, including Official Rules, go to billinero.com/. ### About Billinero Billinero is a mobile application that was launched in August 2019 by Centier Bank. The digital-only, prize-linked savings account has a game-like approach, offering savings account customers the opportunity to win cash prizes of $1,000 monthly and at least $10,000 quarterly at no fee while also increasing their financial savings. The application is currently available to users who reside in Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, or Virginia. For more information on Billinero, including Official Rules, go to billinero.com. Member FDIC. Attachment Jessica Cantarelli Billinero 219-755-6140 x 1840 pr@billinero.com This article will be regularly updated with new information on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 (this is a preview article) both official teasers and credible leaks, rumors, and insider claims as it becomes available in the run-up to the release of the upcoming Android smartphone. The last update was made on July 13. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has to be one of the most anticipated phones of 2020. This handset was expected to be called the Galaxy Fold 2, but Samsung opted for a different name. The phone will be called the Galaxy Z Fold 2, and theres a reason for it. Samsung wanted to further differentiate its foldable phones, so it included the Z branding in there. The company did that first with the Galaxy Z Flip earlier this year. So, at the moment, it seems like the Z Flip brand stands for its clamshell foldables, the ones that fold vertically. The Z Fold name is for the horizontally-folding devices. Also, the Galaxy Z Flip is considerably smaller than the Galaxy Fold, it is basically a phone that folds. The Galaxy Fold is larger, its more or less a tablet that folds. Were expecting the second-gen model to deliver a similar form factor, more on that soon. Advertisement The Galaxy Z Fold 2 has been leaking for a while now, bit by bit. This handset is expected to launch at the beginning of August, so were expecting more info in the coming days. Samsung did a good job of keeping the most important aspects of it secret, though, as the real-life images didnt leak just yet, nor did we see legit leaks of the most important specs of this phone. That being said, lets check out what we do know, or think we know thus far. It will look much more attractive than the Galaxy Fold The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will probably arrive with a similar size as the Galaxy Fold, but it will be quite different at the same time. How? Well, its outer display will be much larger. The Galaxy Folds outer display was quite small at 4.6 inches. It had extremely thick top and bottom bezels, as the Fold is quite narrow and tall when folded. Well, the unit on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is supposed to have really thin bezels, as it will take almost the entire front side of the phone, when folded reportedly. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 bezels will be only 3.8mm thick, allegedly, while the display camera hole diameter will be 4.8 inches. That display will have a centered display camera hole, by the way. Advertisement The outer display will be much larger than on the first-gen phone Speaking of which, the outer unit on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is reported to measure 6.23 inches, so its much closer to displays on regular phones these days. That panel will measure 2267 x 819, and it will be a 60Hz LTPS display. That information has been shared by Ross Young back in April, hes a well-known display analyst. He also said that the main display on the device will measure 7.59 inches, and were looking at a 2213 x 1689 panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. This will be an LTPO display. Both panels will be of the OLED variety, though. The inner display will also have a display camera hole, but it will be moved to the side a bit. It will still be at the top, but it wont be centered, but halfway towards the top-right corner. Both displays on the phone will be flat, while the inner one will come with UTG (Ultra Thin Glass) panel. The outer will include Gorilla Glass protection, probably 5 or 6. The phone will once again be quite tall and narrow when folded, which is something people really liked when it comes to the first-gen Fold. Its main camera module will probably sit in the top-left corner of its back. More on that in the camera section. The hinge will be similar to the one on the original Fold, quite probably. It will be hidden away when the device is unfolded, and shown when its folded. A well-known concept designer created a concept of the phone based on leaks, so you can check out whats expected in terms of the design. Powerful specs and larger displays Weve already touched on specs a bit, in the display section, but theres more to talk about here. So, the device will feature a 7.59-inch 2213 x 1689 120Hz panel on the inside. On the outside, were looking at a 6.23-inch 2267 x 819 panel. Well, all those pixels will be pushed by the Snapdragon 865+, allegedly. That processor hasnt been announced just yet, but Qualcomm will probably make it official soon. All of Samsungs upcoming flagship-level phones are expected to utilize that chip, and the company is planning to announce five of them at the beginning of August. Advertisement That being said, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 may adopt the Exynos 990 (or yet-unannounced Exynos 992) in some markets. It remains to be seen. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will include plenty of RAM. Its predecessor shipped with 12GB, so the Z Fold 2 will probably include at least as much. Samsung will probably also include 512GB of internal storage, and were not expecting a microSD card slot. The devices battery (capacity) leaked as well, quite recently. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will, allegedly, include a 4,365mAh unit. Truth be said, it will include a dual-battery setup, so were looking at a 2,275mAh + 2,090mAh setup here. 25W charging will be included Speaking of batteries, the device will support faster charging than its predecessor. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is expected to feature 25W wired charging. For comparisons sake, the first-gen model included 15W wired charging. The Galaxy Fold also came with 15W wireless charging, and 9W reverse wireless charging. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is also expected to offer wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging, but we dont know how fast will it be. It will probably be the same as on the first-gen model. Android 10 will come pre-installed on the device, along with Samsungs One UI 2.5 skin. The device is expected to offer 5G support, as is every other Samsung flagship that will launch in August. Were still not sure if the phone will feature a side-facing fingerprint scanner, or an under-display one. A side-facing one makes more sense, as on the original model, as there are two separate displays included here. Stereo speakers will be included, as will a Type-C port on the bottom. Advertisement The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will adopt a similar camera setup to the Galaxy S20+ The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 camera information surfaced back in April. Granted, things may have changed since then, but lets assume they did not. That information also came from Ross Young, by the way. He said that the phone will feature three cameras on the back, 12, 16, and 64-megapixel units. Dual optical image stabilization was also mentioned. Mr. Young did not give out the exact sensor info, nor lens info, though. If we had to guess, wed say that the phone will feature the same 12-megapixel main sensor that is included on the Galaxy S20+. The one with an f/1.8 aperture, and 1.8um pixel size. The same 64-megapixel telephoto camera may also be included. That 16-megapixel sensor is probably an upgrade over the Galaxy S20+s ultrawide camera. Those are our guesses, at least. Advertisement In terms of the front-facing camera, tis quite possible that the same 10-megapixel unit will be included. That 10-megapixel camera from the Galaxy S20+ includes a 26mm, f/2.2 aperture lens, and 1.22um pixel size. The S Pen stylus will not be a part of the package Those of you who have been looking forward to using an S Pen with the Galaxy Z Fold, well, that wont happen. The device will not include an S Pen, and technical limitations seem to be why. This phones display seems to be the main culprit, as the phone will feature a UTG display with a plastic layer on top. The regular display on the Galaxy Note 20 series will be far better, and be able to handle extra hardware for the S Pen. The S Pen may be included with a Fold-branded phone in the future, but not with the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The device is coming on August 5, and its tipped to cost less than $2,000 The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 entered mass production back in May. A report back then claimed that it will arrive in August, and that seems to be accurate. This handset will become official on August 5, along with the Galaxy Note 20 series. In addition to those four devices, the Galaxy Z Flip 5G will also launch. Samsung had already confirmed the launch date, but it did not mention any of these devices by name. Advertisement In any case, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will have limited stock on arrival. That is not surprising considering its a foldable smartphone, the same will happen with the Galaxy Z Flip, actually. Now, in terms of pricing, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is tipped to cost between $1,780 and $1,980, at least according to Ross Young. We dont know when exactly will the phone become available, but dont expect it to go on sale right after the launch event. Using a count kept by Johns Hopkins University, you can compare the number of recorded deaths with the number of reported cases. That count shows the U.S. experiencing more deaths as a percentage of cases than most other countries now being hit hard with the pandemic. The statistics look better for the U.S. when the list is expanded to include European countries that were slammed early on by the virus but now appear to have it under control. Even then, the U.S. is not shown to be among the best in avoiding death. Medical workers hug outside NYU Langone Health hospital as people applaud to show their gratitude to medical staff and essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic on May 7, 2020 in New York City. Noam Galai/Getty Images An emergency doctor from New York died of suicide after she struggled to cope at work during the peak of the coronavirus outbreak, her family told The New York Times. Dr. Lorna Breen was working as medical director of the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in Upper Manhattan, which was in an area especially hard hit by the coronavirus. The doctor had to self-quarantine after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and felt guilty that she couldn't help her colleagues and patients. After struggling to keep up with grueling 15-hour work shifts after she recovered, Breen was sent to a psychiatric ward and treated for exhaustion. She took her own life on April 26 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Medical workers who treated COVID-19 patients have experienced higher rates of anxiety, depression, and insomnia, according to multiple studies. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. An ER doctor from New York was driven to suicide after struggling to cope with the pressures of work during the height coronavirus outbreak, according to her family. Dr. Lorna Breen was the medical director of the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in Upper Manhattan, located in a low-income community that was particularly hard hit by COVID-19. In a New York Times article, Breen's family and friends speak out about how they believe the outbreak pushed the 49-year-old doctor to the brink as she worked 15-hour shifts, tried to make up for severe staff shortages, and had to find space to treat an influx of patients. At one point, Breen even found an unattended dead man in the emergency room. "Hardest time of my life," she texted a friend at the time. "Am trying to focus." Related: 6 months of coronavirus in the USA, reviewed in 6 minutes Her death came weeks after the doctor was diagnosed with COVID-19 herself. After quarantining at home, Breen returned to work immediately, but found that she couldn't keep up with the 12-hour shift and felt increasingly exhausted. Story continues In her last conversation with friend Anna Ochoa, the doctor told her that she also felt guilty about not helping. "I couldn't help anyone. I couldn't do anything. I just wanted to help people, and I couldn't do anything," Ochoa said Breen told her. Colleagues told The Times that they had never seen the doctor who was known to be calm and confident in such a state. "She always had this glimmer in the eye that was so welcoming and always had so much energy and enthusiasm," Dr. Angela Mills, her supervisor, said. "And that was missing." After speaking to increasingly worried friends and family, Breen decided to go home to Charlottesville, Virginia, and checked in to the University of Virginia Medical Center psychiatric ward. Her sister says she was "nearly catatonic" and "unable to answer simple questions." A few days after being released from the ward, Breen killed herself on April 26. "She went down in the trenches and was killed by the enemy on the front line," Philip Breen, her father, said, according to CNN. "She loved New York and wouldn't hear about living anywhere else. She loved her coworkers and did what she could for them." The doctor's family said Breens had no history of mental illness. According to multiple studies in China, Canada, and Italy, medical workers who treated COVID-19 patients have experienced higher rates of anxiety, depression, and insomnia, the Times reported. New York was the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak earlier this year. At the time of writing, it has more than 32,000 coronavirus-related deaths, according to Worldometer. Read the original article on Insider An iconic memorial commemorating the first Scottish explorer's landing in Sydney has been covered up by council workers after activists threatened to vandalise it. The plaque in Neutral Bay, in Sydney's north, is dedicated to explorer Ben Boyd who established industry in the area after landing in Australia in 1842. The famous explorer was also know for his ties to slavery which has recently provoked outrage in the community. A plaque dedicated to explorer Ben Boyd has been covered up by North Sydney Council workers after they received threats that it could be vandalised or torn down North Sydney Council Mayor Jilly Gibson said the council decided to take preventative action and board up the plaque before it was destroyed. 'There has been some fear of the plaque being vandalised or torn down,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'As a precaution we sought advice from police and our council historian and they through it was a good idea that it be covered up for now.' Ben Boyd is known for black birding islander natives during his exploration, a practice where people were kidnapped from their homeland and taken abroad to work for little or no money. Ms Gibson said the plaque, along with the infamously named Ben Boyd road, remained an important part of the city's history. She said there was no doubt Ben Boyd was a 'reprehensible man' due not only due to black birding but for bankrupting the Royal Bank of Australia to fund his whale hunting endeavours. Ms Gibson said the council held a public discussion 20 years ago on if the name of Ben Boyd road should be changed but the proposal found little support. North Sydney Council Mayor Jilly Gibson said the council decided to take preventative action and board up the plaque before it was destroyed Ben Boyd (pictured) was know for his ties to slavery which has recently prompted outrage from activists Ms Gibson said the council held a public discussion 20 years ago on if the name of Ben Boyd road should be changed but the proposal found little support 'There is very strong sentiment in the community that this plaque and the road are apart of our history and we can't just pick and chose the bits we like,' she said. Ms Gibson said historical monuments should be kept to remember past wrong doings and to provide discussion points for future generations. 'If these plaques had been torn down years ago we would not be talking about black birding now,' she said. Hong Kong, July 13 : Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and 12 opposition figures faced incitement charges on Monday over their roles in the banned June 4 vigil to mark the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. The 13 appeared in West Kowloon Court accused of inciting people to take part in an unauthorised assembly on June 4 in Victoria Park, the venue for the city's annual vigil, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper. Some of the accused stated in court they would plead not guilty to the allegations, despite prosecutors' request to adjourn the case without hearing the defendants' pleas. Police had banned the annual candlelight gathering for the first time in three decades, citing public health concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Lai and three executive members of the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, chairman Lee Cheuk-yan and standing committee members Albert Ho Chun-yan and Richard Tsoi, were notified by police a week after this year's event that they would be prosecuted on incitement charges. Nine other members of the alliance were also told the next day they would be prosecuted on the same grounds. The 13 will appear in the same court on September 15 pending further police inquiries. " " Limb lengthening patient Alfonso Flores (L) and Dr. Kevin Debiparshad (R) before Flores's surgery. The LimbplastX Institute Alfonso Flores is a 28-year-old freelance writer and pre-med student in Dallas. At 5 foot, 11 inches (1.8 meters) he already enjoyed a height that many people would envy. Still, he longed to top 6 feet and then some, so he underwent limb-lengthening surgery in May 2020. As of June, he's already gained more than an inch (2.5 centimeters), and still has a couple to go before he maxes out at the expected 3-inch (7.6-centimeter) improvement. "This is something that I've really wanted to do as far as I can remember since I was 12. All of my heroes were super-tall. I'm talking about great, accomplished, people like Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant and of course my father," he explains. "These people were remarkable team leaders, hard workers, absolutely selfless, and they embodied everything that I wanted for my future self." Advertisement For many of us, the concept of limb-lengthening is brand new information, despite the fact that it has been done for more than 80 years in a non-cosmetic fashion to even out limbs or even reconstruct them. Las Vegas-based, Harvard-trained orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kevin Debiparshad, who performed Flores's surgery, has done his fair share of both types of limb-lengthening surgeries. Although volume is low for the cosmetic variety compared to deformity cases, he has noted a marked increase in patient interest since 2018 when he opened LimbplastX, the cosmetic branch of his practice. "In 2019, I completed 22 cosmetic limb-lengthening cases, and with over 250+ patient inquiries to date, I'm on track to easily double that amount this year," he says, noting that patient testimonials and public awareness about the procedure are helping it become more socially acceptable. Currently, 85 percent of people who've consulted and/or had the surgery with Debiparshad have been males averaging 5 feet, 6 inches (1.6 meters) in height. "The desire to appear taller, particularly for men, has always been a hot topic in modern day society and social norms," he explains. "While that is a driver in the popularity to increase their height, reasons for cosmetic limb-lengthening vary, ranging from a boost in self-confidence to improved physical capabilities all of which change lives." Indeed, studies have shown that taller-than-average people (particularly taller-than-average men) are more educated, earn more income and are generally more satisfied with life than shorter people. How Limb Lengthening Is Done The technology used by Debiparshad involves placement of a full weight-bearing, FDA-approved implant, available only since 2018. The minimally invasive surgery is designed to lengthen either the thigh bones (femur) or the lower leg bones (tibia), by essentially breaking and healing them. During the X-ray-based surgery, Debiparshad makes between four and six small incisions in the legs, allowing access to the hollow part of the bone. He then inserts the implants, and screws are placed at the top and the bottom of the devices to lock into position. The implant device is managed (and the extra inches thus added) by way of an external remote control. "Post-surgery, the external remote control is used by the patient to simply increase their height by 1 mm per day at the touch of a button, slowly stretching the legs to increase their height," he says. "Patients can expect to gain up to 6 inches [15 centimeters] in height across two lengthening surgeries." Still, those extra inches come with some risk, not to mention a hefty price tag that most people can't afford. Cost is about $75,000 to $79,000 according to the institute's website. Financing is available since health insurance likely won't cover the procedure. "The initial surgery is painful, but pain can be well controlled with medications to allow same-day walking," Debiparshad says. "When I woke up, I wasn't in as much pain as I thought I would be after just having my legs broken," Flores recalls, noting that his pain level only rose at any point to about a three or four out of 10. "The most difficult part was sleeping on my back for two days at the hospital." Debiparshad says that the bone-lengthening process using the remote control is typically painless (though some patients report pain after surgery). Physical therapy, which begins the day after surgery, can be very uncomfortable. However, patients are expected to return to normal activities only a couple of weeks post-surgery. It takes a few months for the limb-lengthening process to be completed, during which time the patient continues with physical therapy and medical visits. "Limb lengthening definitely requires a village," says Delaware-based orthopedic surgeon Dr. L. Reid Boyce Nichols in an email interview. "Physical therapy and frequent doctor's appointments are needed to avoid complications. There will be time off from school and or work." Nichols says that while limb-lengthening done by an experienced surgeon is safe enough, there are considerations to be made. "Because the lengthening involves lengthening bones, muscles, nerves and vessels have to also lengthen. Any surgery, though, has risks, such as infection, difficulty healing and unexpected deformity." Aside from that, anyone considering such a cosmetic procedure should think long and hard before proceeding take it from Flores. "I highly encourage people to really look into themselves before they commit to having the surgery, and really think about why they are doing this to ensure that it's for the right reasons." Now That's Cool Limb-lengthening was originally done using an external device that lengthened the bones of people with polio, dwarfism or congenital defects. The idea is to improve range of motion, thus quality of life. Actor Johnny Depp will be in the witness box again (Yui Mok/PA) Johnny Depp is set to give evidence for a fifth day in his blockbuster libel case against The Sun over allegations of domestic violence by his ex-wife Amber Heard. The 57-year-old actor is suing the tabloids publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) and its executive editor Dan Wootton over an April 2018 article which labelled him a wife beater. Mr Depp is said to have attacked Ms Heard, 34, throughout their tempestuous relationship, which has been described as a crime scene waiting to happen, and put her in fear for her life claims he says are a choreographed hoax. He has been questioned since Tuesday morning about 14 alleged incidents of domestic violence, as well as his Hollywood lifestyle, past relationships with Vanessa Paradis, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss, and his well-documented use of drink and drugs. Expand Close Johnny Depp at the High Court (Yui Mok/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Johnny Depp at the High Court (Yui Mok/PA) The High Court has heard disputed accounts of a three-day trip to Australia, when Mr Depp lost the top of his middle finger, and the so-called defecation incident in which faeces were found in the couples bed after Ms Heards 30th birthday. Mr Depp is due to finish giving evidence on Monday after around 20 hours in the witness box at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. NGNs lawyers have said Mr Depp first hit his ex-wife in early 2013 during a heated argument over a painting which he allegedly tried to set alight by Ms Heards ex Tasya van Ree and attacked her on a number of other occasions before the couple split in May 2016. The publisher claims Mr Depp is a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde character who snapped when he was drunk and on drugs and turned into the Monster an alter ego he assumed when he would lose control and become a violent thug. Video of the Day Expand Close Amber Heard has been attending the libel case at the High Court in central London (Yui Mok/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Amber Heard has been attending the libel case at the High Court in central London (Yui Mok/PA) The Pirates Of The Caribbean star has admitted giving misleading evidence about his drink and drug use before a flight from Boston to LA in May 2014 and accidentally headbutting Ms Heard during a row at their home in December 2015, but says his ex-wifes allegations are complete lies and that she was the abuser in the relationship. He accuses Ms Heard of severing the top of his middle finger with a vodka bottle in Australia in March 2015 and of building a dossier very early on in their relationship to align herself with the #MeToo movement. The court also heard evidence on Friday afternoon from LAPD officer Melissa Saenz who attended the couples penthouse after the actor allegedly hit Ms Heard in the face with her own mobile phone in May 2016, who said she did not see any injuries or damage to the apartment. Ms Paradis, 47, and Ms Ryder, 48, were originally due to give evidence this week, as was alleged Harvey Weinstein victim Katherine Kendall, 50, who accuses Mr Wootton of deliberately misusing her quotes and using the #MeToo movement to damage Mr Depp. Expand Close Amber Heard and Johnny Depp married in Los Angeles in February 2015 (Jonathan Brady/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Amber Heard and Johnny Depp married in Los Angeles in February 2015 (Jonathan Brady/PA) Ms Heards evidence was expected to begin on Friday morning but it is not clear when the Aquaman actress will give evidence as Mr Depps cross-examination has taken almost two days longer than scheduled. The three-week trial, which is due to finish on July 27, will also hear evidence from current and former employees of Mr Depp and Ms Heard, as well as her sister and friends by video-link from LA. The actor is suing NGN and Mr Wootton over the publication of an article on April 27 2018 with the headline: Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be genuinely happy casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film? NGN is defending the article as true, and says Mr Depp was controlling and verbally and physically abusive towards Ms Heard, particularly when he was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. The Ukrainian leader has invited his Polish counterpart to visit Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated Andrzej Duda on his victory in the presidential election in Poland and invited him to Ukraine. "I sincerely congratulate Mr. President on the victory in the elections! I wish Poland, under your leadership, further success and prosperity," Zelensky tweeted in Ukrainian and Polish on July 13. Read alsoConservative incumbent Duda re-elected Polish president media "I invite you to visit Ukraine to continue our fruitful cooperation. Together we are stronger!" he added. As UNIAN reported earlier, incumbent President of Poland Andrzej Duda won the second round of presidential elections in that country, after results released on Monday morning gave him 51.2% of votes with almost all the ballots counted, the national electoral commission said. Footy WAG Rebecca Judd was rather offended on Monday when her radio co-host Katie 'Monty' Dimond suggested that she was 'too old' for social media app TikTok. The mother of four, 37, insisted there was nothing wrong with mums dancing with their kids on TikTok, and scolded Monty for suggesting otherwise. The awkward moment began when Rebecca, who is married to retired AFL star Chris Judd, declared on the 3pm Pick-Up: 'I think I'm going to join TikTok!' Scroll down for audio Say what?! Footy WAG Rebecca Judd (pictured) was rather offended on Monday when her radio co-host Katie 'Monty' Dimond suggested she was 'too old' for social media app TikTok Monty responded: 'I definitely actually don't think you should. I think you're too old, mate. You know sometimes when you see the mums on there with their kids...?' 'Yeah, and it's cool!' Rebecca snapped, to which Monty replied: 'It's not...' 'Who made you the TikTok boss?' asked Rebecca, getting fired up. Monty soon backed down and insisted she was 'just trying to protect' her colleague from ridicule. 'Who made you the TikTok boss?' The mother of four, 37, insisted there was nothing wrong with mums dancing with their kids on TikTok, and scolded Monty (right) for suggesting otherwise She added: 'It'll be another form of social media that you're going to have to really massage and be involved [in], and then you're going to do dances - and I can't watch you!' Rebecca offered: 'You don't have to just do dances on TikTok. It's any video, right?' If she were to join TikTok, the Postcards host would be among the app's older users, as the platform is mostly populated by teenagers. Full house! The Melbourne socialite has four children, son Oscar, eight, daughter Billie, six, and three-year-old twin boys Tom and Darcy (all pictured) WAG life! She is married to retired AFL star Chris Judd (left) The Chinese-owned social media app, which launched in 2016 and is now worth more than $75billion, allows users to live stream and create short videos. Most teens use the app to film themselves dancing and lip-syncing to popular songs. Despite its widespread popularity, there have been calls for TikTok to be banned in Australia amid fears that users' information is being leaked to Beijing. Rebecca shares four children with Chris, son Oscar, eight, daughter Billie, six, and three-year-old twin boys Tom and Darcy. Tech giant: Chinese-owned social media app TikTok, which launched in 2016 and is now worth more than $75billion, allows users to live stream and create short videos Kosovar President Hashim Thaci has faced questioning by international war-crimes prosecutors at The Hague. The Kosovo Specialist Chambers (SPO) announced on June 24 that Thaci and other prominent Kosovars were the subject of an indictment on suspicion of serious crimes including "nearly 100 murders," enforced disappearances, and torture. Thaci was a top commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK), which fought a guerrilla war for independence from Serbia in the 1990s. Thaci was quizzed for around six hours at the SPO on July 13. As he left the SPO building, he said he would also be questioned on July 14. Thaci said there were exchanges over various technicalities between his lawyer Pierre Richard Prosper and the war-crimes prosecutors about "explanatory, technical issues." He added that the questioning also covered the UCK. The prosecutors did not provide any details about the questioning. "Today I am here out of respect for what I dreamed and fought for. A free, independent Kosovo based on equal rights, a multiethnic society based on the rule of law," Thaci said upon arriving earlier in the day at the Specialist Prosecutor's Office (SPO) on July 13. "Nobody can rewrite history," Thaci added. "This is the price for freedom. I believe in peace, truth, reconciliation and justice. I believe in dialogue and good relations with all nations." Several dozen Thaci supporters congregated outside the court for his arrival, chanting his name, holding up Kosovo flags, and waving banners. On July 8, Thaci said on Facebook that he would go to The Hague at the invitation of the SPO to be interviewed. He said many former combatants have been interviewed by the SPO inside and outside of Kosovo in the past two years. While my compatriots as well as me will face international justice with dignity and integrity, I call upon you to stand united in dealing with the challenges that our country is facing, Thaci said on Facebook. A pretrial judge in the SPO has yet to decide whether to put Thaci and the others on trial or throw out the case. Thaci has told Kosovars that if he is tried, he will immediately resign and face the accusations. Thacis indictment forced the cancellation of U.S.-sponsored talks scheduled to take place last month at the White House between Kosovar and Serbian leaders. But the European Union appears to have breathed new life into long-stalled EU-sponsored talks, announcing on July 12 that they were back on track after a video meeting between Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic mediated by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak, who also took part in the meeting, said Vucic and Hoti are scheduled to meet again, this time face to face, in Brussels on July 16. Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, declared independence in 2008 in a move rejected by Belgrade. Five of the EUs 27 countries -- Romania, Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia, and Spain -- also dont recognize Kosovos independence, and statehood remains the biggest stumbling block. EU-mediated negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade broke down in 2018 over reports of a proposed land swap and after Kosovo imposed a 100 percent tax on Serbian imports. Both Kosovo and Serbia, which aspire to join the EU, have been facing mounting pressure from the West to reboot negotiations. With reporting by AP and AFP Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 20:21:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Russian Ambassador to Iran Levan Jagarian on Monday criticized the U.S. government for imposing sanctions on Iran as a means to foist its demands. Washington is not after negotiations with Iran but wants to impose its own conditions, Jagarian told Tasnim news agency. "They (Americans) only pursue their own agenda. They don't even want to hold talks and only say 'either accept our conditions or face sanctions,'" Jagarian said. Russia and Iran have been used to the U.S. sanctions, he noted, announcing Moscow's "readiness to deepen economic cooperation with Iran." The Russian ambassador also voiced Moscow's opposition to the U.S. bid to extend a UN arms embargo on Iran which will expire in October. "We will definitely oppose it, and the U.S. has no right to comment about this subject," he said. Enditem Amarnath Yatra 2021: Registration of pilgrims to start from April 1, How to do online? We will soon take decision on conducting Amarnath Yatra: Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha Amarnath Yatra cancelled for 2nd year in a row due to Covid-19 fear; Online 'Aarti' for devotees Amarnath Yatra: SC leaves it to administration to take call India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 13: The Supreme Court Monday refused to entertain a plea which sought directions for restriction on this year's Shri Amarnath Yatra due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud said that the decision on permitting pilgrims and imposing conditions for their safeguard falls within the domain of executive and the administration would take a call on it. Coronavirus: India reports 28,701 new cases, total tally nears 9 lakh mark The apex court was hearing a plea filed by 'Shri Amarnath Barfani Langars Organisation' which had sought a direction to the Centre, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board to restrict the access of pilgrims in the Yatra this year in wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Rajasthan political crisis: Congress ready to talk to Sachin Pilot| Oneindia News The plea had also sought a direction for 'live darshan' of Lord Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine on the internet and television. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 13, 2020, 17:20 [IST] "The Chinese Communist Party is terrified and lashing out," Cruz's statement reads. "They forced over one million Uighurs into concentration camps and engaged in ethnic cleansing, including horrific forced abortions and sterilizations. These are egregious human rights atrocities that cannot be tolerated." The U.S. officials being targeted are Sam Brownback, the Trump administrations ambassador for international religious freedom, and three members of the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China, including Cruz, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, and U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey. On Thursday, the Trump administration banned three Chinese Communist Party senior officials and their family members from entering the U.S. The Chinese officials being sanctioned allegedly targeted Uighur Muslims, a population indigenous to Xinjiang, and other ethnic and religious minorities in the region, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control. By Azernews By Aisha Jabbarova By staging a deliberate provocation on the border, Armenia seeks to involve third countries to the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict and to divert the attention from Yerevans domestic problems, Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has said. Mammadyarov made the remarks during the telephone conversation with OSCE Minsk Group co-chair from Russia Igor Popov and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-office Andrzej Kasprzyk on July 13, the ministrys press service reported. Mammadyarov expressed serious discontent with the Armenian provocation, describing it as an act of aggression. The minister said that the provocation has been thwarted. It should be noted that three Azerbaijani servicemen were killed and four other were injured while thwarting Armenian attck in Tovuz border region on July 12. Senior lieutenant Rashad Mahmudov was killed during the battles on the night leading to July 13. During the night battles, by using artillery, mortars and tanks, the Azerbaijani armed forces destroyed a stronghold, bombshells, vehicles and servicemen on the territory of the Armenias military unit. The Defence Ministry has reported that the Azerbaijani Army is in control over the situation on the border. Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot is not joining the BJP nor is there any meeting planned with the opposition party, a close aide of the leader told Hindustan Times on Monday. However, Pilot will not be attending the legislature party meeting called by chief minister Ashok Gehlot at 10:30 am. Pilot, who has been away from Jaipur since Saturday, will continue to camp in Delhi. Also read: Rajasthan Cong issues whip before legislature party meeting, claims support of 109 MLAs Pilots aide pointed out that it was against the rules for the CM to issue a whip when the assembly was not in session. he aslo asked how can whip be issued for a meeting at the CMs home. Late last night, Pilots office issued a statement saying the Gehlot government is in a minority and claimed the support of 30 MLAs. A few hours later, at a 2:30 am press conference, the Congress said a total of 109 MLAs have signed a letter expressing their trust and support to a government led by CM Ashok Gehlot. Partys Rajasthan in-charge Avinash Pande said a whip has been issued to all party MLAs to be mandatorily present at the Monday legislature party meeting, adding strict disciplinary action will be taken against any MLA who is absent without mentioning any reason. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala and Ajay Maken were sent to Jaipur to stem the fallout from the brewing political crisis in the state unit over differences between the CM and his deputy. Pilots supporters said he has raised issues against the functioning of Gehlot over the past fortnight with the partys state in-charge and Avinash Pande, Congress organisation secretary KC Venugopal and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel in Delhi.His concerns were not addressed, said a party leader considered close to Pilot. The ongoing crisis reahed a tipping point when Pilot received a notice from the special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan police to record his statement regarding the alleged attempt to topple the Congress government in the state. Gehlot had alleged on Saturday that the BJP is trying to topple his government, a charge vehemently denied by the opposition party. For the Congress, the developments in Rajasthan could be reminiscent of what happened in Madhya Pradesh in March, when 24 legislators owing allegiance to Scindia resigned from the party and the state assembly, reducing chief minister Kamal Naths government to a minority. In the 200-member Rajasthan assembly, the Congress has the support of 125 MLAs, including 107 of its own legislators. The majority mark is 101. The BJP has 72 legislators and has the support of three of Hanuman Beniwals Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RPL). The shattered parents of a Perth toddler accidentally run over and killed in the family's driveway have recalled the harrowing split second their lives changed forever. Nineteen-month old Aurora Ellis died after she was accidentally hit by her mother Lara as she reversed her Toyota LandCruiser into the driveway of their Bayswater home last month. Ms Ellis and her husband Preston shared their story in the hope no other parent will go through the same nightmare. Preston Ellis said Aurora (right) was a barrel of mischief before her life was cut short 'I was reversing and she was there ... and I didn't even see her,' Ms Ellis told Seven News. 'And then she's gone and our family will never be the same, ever.' Her husband was inside cooking dinner at the time. Little Aurora and her sister Indiana had been playing at their dad's feet moments before he heard his wife's harrowing screams from outside. 'It was a yell I've never heard before and it's a yell I hope to never hear again. It was horrible,' Mr Ellis said. The heartbroken parents say the tragedy has brought them closer together. They are have vowed Aurora's death won't be in vain and are using the tragedy to push for stricter safety laws. Aurora's mum Lara Ellis broke down as she spoke for the first time about the tragedy They have launched a campaign to introduce 'Aurora's Law' and are demanding remote sensors be installed in every car, including second hand vehicles. 'If we had reverse sensors our little lady would still be here,' Preston said. 'We've got pool gates, we've got so many other things, we've got airbags in our cars. We've got everything helping us, protecting us. 'Every day is a battle just to breathe so if we can stop just one child passing like ours did, then I'll be happy.' Ms Ellis fears many more young lives will be lost if Aurora's Law isn't introduced. One child every week is run over in their own driveway across Australia each week, according to KidsSafe WA. Lara Ellis is determined to not let her daughter Aurora's tragic death be in vain Ms Ellis had been had been reversing Toyota LandCruiser (pictured) when tragedy struck 'That's why we had to do this- not because we wanted to but because we needed to,' Ms Ellis said. Her husband added: 'Otherwise, we have blood on our hands.' Five days after Aurora's death, Mr Ellis posted a heartbreaking tribute as he urged everyone to 'not sweat the small stuff'. 'Today please breathe, please appreciate the air in your lungs,' he wrote on a Perth community Facebook page. 'Please slow down and notice everything the rain drops on leaves the warmth from a cup of coffee. Please hug who you love and hold them so very tight and kiss their heads for me.' 'My memories are haunted with images of my baby no parent should have ever seen.' The first black person to serve as district attorney for Los Angeles has criticized Black Lives Matter activists for showing up at her house in the middle of the night, leading her husband to pull a gun on them. Jackie Lacey, who was elected in December 2012, was asked in an interview on Saturday about the March 2 incident. She was also questioned about moves to defund the police, her record in policing the police, and how it feels to have Black Lives Matter now campaigning to get rid of her in the November election. 'It's surreal,' she told CNN, speaking about the weekly protests against her. 'It's almost like an out-of-body experience.' Jackie Lacey, in an interview with CNN which aired on Saturday, discussed the BLM protests She said many within BLM seemed unaware of her story, and her rise from humble beginnings to be the first black DA in the 170-year history of the office. 'I get in here and the most vocal group who wants to take me out is a group known as Black Lives Matter,' Lacey said. 'They're treating me like 'the man. But if they only knew that I'm the girl from the neighborhood.' For two and a half years BLM have been questioning her leadership, and taking issue with her failure to prosecute police officers accused of misconduct. She defended her record, saying protesters often did not have access to the full facts or grasp the legal nuances. 'While you may look at a shooting by an officer and say, 'Oh, they could have shot him in the leg, they didn't have to respond that way,' that's not the test under California law,' Lacey said. 'The test is when somebody's life is in danger.' Lacey, born in the Crenshaw district of the city, defended her record on police brutality Lacey's record is under intense scrutiny, as shown by this protester on July 8 Black Lives Matter has compiled a list of more than 600 people killed by police since Lacey took office in 2012. Lacey puts the number at about 340, and said only 14 or 15 of those shootings involved citizens who were unarmed. 'I can't tell you how many times I'll look at a case on television and say, okay, this is coming my way. Let's see what it's about,' Lacey said. Lacey is the first black Los Angeles DA since 1850 'And I open the book and I say, 'Oh, no one mentioned that the guy had a gun, or the woman had a knife.'' According to an official tally by her office, Lacey has reviewed 252 fatal shootings through May 2020. One of those cases resulted in charges against an L.A. County sheriff's deputy. The rest were declined. Lacey, 63, was born in South-Central Los Angeles, in the historically African American district of Crenshaw. She said that, while she supported reassessment of policing and a re-evaluation of whether money would be better spent on social work, she could not wholeheartedly endorse moves to defund the police. 'If you're talking about redistributing funds, I absolutely agree with that,' she said. 'I've advocated for mental health funds to go to communities of color since 2013. I've been advocating for treatment of drug addiction for a long time. 'But if you're talking about, let's just take all the police out of our community and if a crime happens, just let someone else respond, I just don't think that's realistic.' She said that her experience of growing up in Crenshaw and living in LA in the 1970s and 80s defined her perspective. Lacey as a child, pictured with her mother in the Crenshaw district in South-Central LA 'People don't realize in the seventies and eighties how dangerous it was in Los Angeles,' she said. 'I remember when (my parents) used to complain that police don't care about our neighborhood.' Lacey's main adversary in the BLM movement has been Melina Abdullah, co-founder of the LA chapter of the organization. It was Abdullah who, tired of waiting to meet with Lacey, decided to march on her home. During a contentious October meeting of the Stonewall Democratic Club, the group said that Lacey promised to arrange a meeting - but never delivered. Lacey insists she never declined to meet them, but just did not want a repeat of the large-scale rowdy forum. 'So we decided to have the meeting in front of her house,' Abdullah said. Melina Abdullah, co-founder of the LA chapter of BLM, pictured at a rally on June 23 BLM protesters calling for Lacey's ouster at a rally in LA on June 24 Lacey's adversaries protesting outside the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles on June 24 The group arranged chairs and prayed on the sidewalk but did not initially approach Lacey's property until Abdullah and two others went to the front door. Then, they said, they heard a gun cock. 'I thought I was being paranoid, and I said, 'That didn't sound good,' Abdullah told the Los Angeles Times. 'And then her husband opened the door and pointed a gun and said. 'Get off my porch.' Lacey apologized for the incident in the immediate aftermath. But in Saturday's CNN interview, she said that the activists had crossed a line. 'I definitely don't think you should be able to come onto someone's property,' she said. 'That crosses a line.' Lacey will have to compete in the November 3 runoff election against George Gascon, the former assistant chief of LAPD and chief of San Francisco police, who went on to become San Francisco district attorney. Lacey had hoped to avoid the runoff, but finally finished at 48.6 per cent, with Gascon on 28.2 per cent. Former National Security Adviser Colonel Sambo Dasuki has denied reports that he secretly campaigned for President Muhammadu Buhari to be elected president while working for former President Goodluck Jonathan. According to him, the rumor has gone on for too long and it will be inappropriate not to debunk such and put the records straight especially in view of politics of mischief and character assassination that are unfortunately the norms today. In a press statement he mentioned that he found the report too ridiculous to take serious as he never worked at cross purposes with his boss, President Jonathan as being recklessly insinuated by mischief makers on blogs and social media. He said, The truth is that I was involved in an attempt at forging an alliance between the Action Congress of Nigeria,ACN, All Nigeria Peoples Party,ANPP, Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, among others prior to 2011 elections which was not successful. My involvement in that political process ended after the elections of 2011. At the point of accepting the appointment to serve as National Security Adviser (NSA in 2012, I made clear to President Jonathan that I had relationships with General Muhammadu Buhari of CPC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu of ACN and Chief Ogbonnaya Onu of ANPP among others opposition elements and that my appointment would not cause me to sever the relationship. I, however, assured him that I would never betray him. As a man of honour, I kept to my words. Therefore, as NSA between 2012 and 2015, I never campaigned for APC nor its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, in whatever shape or form before, during or after the 2015 presidential election, Dasuki explained Dasuki served as NSA to former President Goodluck Jonathan until 2015 when Jonathan lost his re-election bid to President Muhammadu Buhari. He was afterwards arrested by the Department of State Services, DSS, on December 1, 2015 for alleged misappropriation of $2.1 billion set aside for arms contract. He was accused of awarding phantom contracts to buy 12 helicopters, four fighter jets and ammunition. The equipment they say was meant for the fight against Boko Haram Islamist militants, all of which he denied. Despite court orders for Dasuki to be released on bail, the federal government refused and continued to keep him in detention citing national security as the major reason for their refusal. However, in December 2019, Dasuki was finally released on bail having spent four years in DSS custody. British Telecom (BT) had already expressed its opinion regarding the United Kingdom government's plans to erase the Chinese company Huawei off the grid entirely. It turns out that it will not be easy as planned. The agency said that 10 years won't be enough for the government to remove the Chinese company. Here's why. Huawei ban may result to 'outages' Chinese company Huawei was already filled with negative complaints since the day that the United States President Donald Trump called it Chinese spyware. The United Kingdom follows this pattern. However, its British Telecom had a different stance regarding the issue. Philip Jansen, the chief executive of B.T., via The Guardian, warned that there will be several possible security risks and outages that may result in the Huawei ban. It was planned that 10 years would be enough for the government to totally erase its dependency on the company, especially now that it plans to go all-out in the 5G tech. However, Jansen thinks it would not be enough time. "Huawei has been in the telecoms infrastructure for about 20 years and a big supplier to B.T. and many others in the U.K. telecoms industry," said him in an interview. "It is all about timing and balance. So if you want to have no Huawei in the whole of the telecoms infrastructure across the whole of the U.K., I think that's impossible to do in under 10 years." Here's what he thinks, though. The British Telecom community can make this suggestion possible for as early as five years-- not possible for 10 years. What happens once Huawei is out of the U.K.? One of the main questions that most people ask is whether huge can be the effect, once Huawei is fully removed from the U.K. Jansen believes that the effects may be paramount for the British people. There will be outages or, worse, possible security risks for their British customers on the line. "But we need to make sure that any change of direction doesn't lead to more risk in the short term - I think that's where the detail really matters. If we get in a situation where things need to go very fast, then we go into a situation where service for 24 million B.T. Group mobile customers is put into question - outages would be possible," added him. "Secondly, the security and safety in the short-term could be put at risk - this is really critical here. If you are not able to buy or transact with Huawei that would mean you wouldn't be able to get software upgrades if you take it to its specificity." The U.K. government is widely expected to announce a policy shift tomorrow. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. CLEVELAND, Ohio Northeast Ohio is getting a break from the extreme heat ... for the moment. Sundays high was only 83 degrees in Cleveland and Akron, and its only expected to reach 80 in Cleveland 82 in Akron on Monday. With mostly sunny skies and no talk of showers and thunderstorms, it should be a very pleasant day. Overnight temps will be in the low 60s in Cleveland and high 50s in Akron ... a chance to turn off the air-conditioner and open the windows. Northeast Ohio residents should take that opportunity. It will remain sunny Tuesday and highs will reach the mid-80s. It wont be too bad overnight, with lows in the mid-60s in Cleveland and the low 60s in Akron. Wednesday is looking pretty warm, though, with both Akron and Cleveland areas reaching the upper 80s for highs under sunny skies. The pleasant sleeping weather comes to an end as well ... overnight lows will be in the upper 60s to low 70s, with a 30 percent chance of showers. Thursdays highs will flirt with 90 degrees with partly sunny conditions. There is a 40 percent chance of showers in Cleveland and a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the Akron area. Showers and thunderstorms remain possible overnight with lows in the upper 60s. Akron is in for a scorching weekend. Fridays high will be 91, Saturday around 93 and Sunday 94. Cleveland doesnt fare much better: Fridays high will be in the upper 80s, and its expected to be around 92 degrees on both Saturday and Sunday. Theres plenty of sunshine in the forecast but about a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms throughout the weekend. Mondays sunrise: 6:04 a.m. Sunset: 8:59 p.m. Pollen count: Moderate On Friday, March 13, campuses across the United States began issuing their COVID-19 shutdown statements. Many students were on Spring Break at the time, and were told the break would be extended. As they said their farewells, they assumed they would see each other soononly to find themselves, two to three months later, watching their own graduation from bed. Transitioning from Spring Break to full online learning (for the first time) did not have the disciplinary effect that going back to school in person does. College is meant to teach time-management, but it is a completely different conversation when structure is completely removed from a students schedule. Isolation created the perfect incubation environment for a myriad of mental illnesses to spike: ranging from depression and bipolar disorder to anxiety and schizophrenia. The fact that there was a nationwide shortage of items at grocery stores due to hoarding and overwhelming demand made cooking nutritious meals while studying more difficult. Going into the grocery store, nothing that we used to cook was available. Not having proper nutrition on top of being unable to really focus and understand what was happening in our Zoom classes was hard, says Jonel Ednalino, who recently graduated from University of the Pacific in an online ceremony. It is widely known that graduates face a lot of uncertainty even in the best of times. The graduates of 2020 matriculated into a massive hole in the U.S. social safety net during the biggest financial downturn since World War II. Students lost on-campus work-study jobs that supported them through school, hadnt been working long enough to quality for full unemployment insurance, and missed out on the stimulus check because they are still listed as dependents on their parents tax returns. They had no savings, and many job offers were rescinded as businesses cut costs. Going home to their parents houses felt like being 16 again. Ilana Goldberg, a recent graduate of Tufts University, told TIME Magazine, Were not in the system anymore, but were not far enough out of it to have our footing in the world. The senior class of 2020 was asked to say goodbye to these four formative years of their lives in just two days. They missed out on two months of traditional senior celebrations including Spring Concert, taking pictures for graduation, going to graduation fairs, studying for finals with friends, and most importantly, walking across a stage in a cap and gown. Many of these seniors are the first in their family to graduate from a four-year college, at least in America. According to Migration Policy Institute, 78% of immigrants in the U.S. are between 18 and 64 years old. Their families moved across the world in pursuit of the American Dream, sacrificing everything for a better future for their children. Many of these students come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, meaning their family is more dependent on them for financial support and care-taking. They grew up fearing deportation and watched the recent administration threaten their DACA status. UC BERKELEY CAMPUS Jonel Ednalinos parents worked hard to put him and his siblings through school, telling them to treasure your education because no one can take it away from you. He wonders, How is a little slide show with a picture going to be enough for my parents? To this day it still doesnt feel like Ive graduated. Shivani Patel, transitioning into graduate school, explains, My parents were definitely upset, because graduation not only shows my hard work but also theirs and the support they gave me to obtain my degree. Time and time again, this is the generation that has been asked to step up and inherit a world which sustains deep flaws inflicted by those who came before. The graduating class of 2020 comes from an incredibly resilient and diverse generation. They were in pre-school on the day of September 11th, 2001, were by their parents sides during the Great Recession of 2008, grew up around school shootings and participated in March For Our Lives to protest in the name of their own safety on campus, went on strike over climate change, and are currently participating in the largest civil rights movement in U.S. history. More importantly, as COVID-19 uproots daily life, it is disproportionately affecting low-income BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People-of-Color). These young, fresh-eyed seniors are clear about the hidden inequalities of their higher education, the insurmountable national student debt crisis, and are agitated for their friends and themselves, graduating into a global pandemic. COVID-19 is the catalyst for exposing pre-existing failures and inequalities in the system. The class of 2020 may have been secluded, but they are far from apart. What holds this generation together is far more significant than sharing a classroom. This is a generation that, upon told change is difficult, are responding with Change is the only option. Leading firms were urged yesterday to forgo millions of pounds in Government bonuses for putting furloughed staff back to work. Business leaders and MPs said that the public funds should be claimed only by companies in dire straits. Taylor Wimpey, Barratt Homes and Redrow said they will not be claiming payouts under the 9billion Job Retention Bonus Scheme announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak last week. They have already promised to hand back millions of pounds to the Treasury after furloughing thousands of staff, and bringing them back as construction sites were reopened. A Barratt spokesman said: All of our employees, other than those shielding, have returned from furlough, and Barratt will not be using the Job Retention Bonus Scheme. A spokesman for Redrow said: We will not be looking into, or utilising, the Governments Job Retention Bonus. Their latest promise follows similar commitments made by retailers Primark, John Lewis and gambling giant William Hill. In contrast Tata Steel, part of a business empire controlled by one of Indias richest families, has said it does intend to apply for the bonuses, which are worth 1,000 for every furloughed employee brought back to work. Britains biggest steel maker, which runs the Port Talbot steelworks in South Wales, is struggling for survival and has been pleading for a 500million taxpayer bailout. It furloughed roughly a third of its 8,000 staff in the UK, meaning it could be entitled to bonuses worth up to 2.7million. Despite Tata Steels financial difficulties, its biggest shareholder is Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate controlled by the super-rich Tata family. Brewing giant Youngs, which starts reopening its pubs later this month, has also indicated it will apply for the Job Retention Bonuses. It furloughed 4,500 staff, meaning it could be eligible for bonuses worth up to 4.5million. The chairman of the Commons business committee appealed to companies to do the right thing and take the bonuses only if they needed the money. Labour MP Darren Jones said: If businesses are trading, have cash coming in, and are intending to retain their workers, then they should do the right thing and not take this public money in the first place. Richard Branson's company Virgin Atlantic said it had not decided whether it would use the scheme yet Its welcome that some businesses are signalling they will do the right thing and act in good faith, and I hope that if other businesses are in similar circumstances they will follow this lead. Business groups also urged firms only to apply for the lifeline if they desperately need the cash. Edwin Morgan, director of policy at the Institute of Directors, said: Government support has been, and will continue to be, vital for many businesses. 'If a company gets to January and finds they dont need the bonus, they should definitely consider not taking it, sending a positive signal to consumers and the public. The Confederation of British Industry stressed the Covid-19 support schemes were intended as a lifeline for those struggling to stay afloat. It added: The vast majority of businesses know this and are committed to taking only what is required. If some companies do not need to apply for the bonus scheme then that is of course welcome. John OConnell, of the Taxpayers Alliance, said: Its good news to hear that some companies wont be using the bonus scheme. Most of the companies contacted by the Mail including Sir Philip Greens Arcadia empire, Virgin Atlantic, Nissan, Rolls-Royce and EasyJet said they had not decided whether to apply for the bonuses. Most companies contacted by the Mail, including Philip Green's Arcadia empire, said they had not decided if they were going to apply for bonuses Some have said they are waiting for the Government to publish more details of the scheme later this month. But they may find it difficult to turn down the windfalls because their takings in most cases have been hammered. McDonalds is thought to be in line for around 100million, while Wetherspoons, which furloughed 43,000 staff, could be eligible for up to 43million. The bonuses are designed to prevent mass unemployment when the Job Retention Scheme, which is supporting the wages of 9.4million workers, closes at the end of October. To qualify for each 1,000 bonus, furloughed staff have to be working for the company until next February three months after the Job Retention Scheme closes. Firms can also claim a bonus for any furloughed employee, even if they were brought back months ago. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that money will be wasted on workers who would be retained anyway and predicted staff may be laid off after the three-month period. The development of wind and solar power has not reached its great potential, especially in the central and southern region, experts have said. A solar power plant in Ninh Thuan Province. Speaking at a conference on renewable energy and roof-top solar power held last week in HCM City, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong cited many barriers that have prevented solar and wind power development. Infrastructure for the energy transmission grid, for instance, has not kept pace with renewable energy projects. As a result, several projects in provinces such as Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan cannot generate 100 per cent of capacity at certain times, Vuong said. Roof-top solar power also has high initial costs, and while products and services related to roof-top solar power are available, they have no specific technical standards. This has affected the interest of investors in such projects. Vuong noted that the Government has created preferential policies that offer favourable conditions for investors to exploit the potential of renewable energy for sustainable socio-economic development. The ministry has also set up action programmes, which have been submitted to the Prime Minister for approval, that would be the legal basis for implementation of such projects, Vuong added. Since the issuance of the governmental Decision on preferential policies for solar power development in April 2017, around 4,500 MW of power has been connected to the grid. Nearly 500 MW of roof-top solar power and more than 400 MW of wind power systems are operating. And about 3,000 MW of solar power and 2,000 MW of wind power systems are under construction and are expected to be operating by the end of this year. These solar and wind power systems will reduce pressure on the national electricity system and help set up a renewable energy market in the country, contributing to local socio-economic development, Vuong said. Vo Quang Lam, deputy general director of Vietnam Electricity (EVN), said that energy demand continues to grow. The demand in the 2016-2020 period increased by 0.3 per cent to 11.3 per cent per year. From 2021 to 2030, it is estimated to rise by 8 per cent to 8.5 per cent each year. According to the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority, the country will lack 12,690 MW of power by 2023. A shortage of power could occur in the southern region, with 3.7 billion kWh in 2021, increasing to nearly 10 billion kWh in 2022, and 12 billion kWh in 2023. According to the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority, the progress of coal-fired power projects, which have an important role in ensuring energy supply, has been slow. The projects include Long Phu 1 with capacity of 1,200 MW, Song Hau II with capacity of 2,000 MW, Long Phu III with capacity of 1,800 MW, and others. Several other projects such as Long An 1 with capacity of 1,200 MW, Long Phu II with 1,320 MW, and Vung Ang III with 1,200 MW have been approved but have not been carried out. Nguyen Van Ly, deputy general director of EVN Southern Power Corporation, said that energy for the southern region still depends partly on power transmitted from the north through a 500kW line because power plants in the south lack sufficient supply for growing demand. The Government should create more preferential policies to attract investment in roof-top solar power, he said. Lam noted that there are no regulations that address the loading and placement of solar power panels on roofs. This is another barrier for the implementation of roof-top solar power, he said. The total power capacity in Vietnam currently is 55,000 MW. Nearly 4,300 MW of renewable energy is expected to be put into use this year. According to the amended Power Development Master Plan VII, the capacity of the countrys energy system must reach 90,000 MW by 2025. From 2021 to 2025, the country needs to add 5,000 MW of power each year. VNS The rush for renewable energy Investment of billions of dollars into renewable energy has been a frequent topic of discussion at recent shareholders meetings of power companies. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two persons from Pune in connection with a case related to activities of the Islamic State-Khoradan Province (ISKP), sources said on Sunday. The accused were identified as Nabeel Siddique Khatri a resident of Punes Kondhwa and Sadiya Anwar Sheikh resident of Yerwada from Pune. They were arrested by the NIA team in an earlier case registered with them with the help of local ATS and Pune city Police. Sheikh (20) was earlier arrested by the ATS team in connection with ISIS links in 2015 and was later released after counselling. In 2015 she was arrested from Airport while allegedly attempting to fly Syria to join ISIS. Both accused are being sent to jail and further investigation is underway, according to sources. The Royal Australian Navy with the U.S. Navy on the South China Sea on April 18, 2020. (U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nicholas Huynh) Australia Needs to Decouple From China as Second Cold War Looms: Expert An international strategist has told a parliamentary inquiry that Australia will need to build stronger resilience and less dependence on China, as in the near future, the world will likely fracture into two major geopolitical blocs akin to the Cold Warone bloc centered around Washington and democratic nations, and the other around Beijing and Xi Jinpings ambition for a new world order. Speaking to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Trade on July 2, Alan Dupont, CEO of the Cognoscenti Group, said increased economic and political tensions between Washington and Beijing (particularly related to the trade war, Taiwan, and the South China Sea) would accelerate a decoupling of the worlds economies and see the formation of two geopolitical blocs. Dupont, who is an expert in international affairs, said Beijing would likely lead an authoritarian bloc, which would include countries such as Russia, Iran, North Korea, and countries from Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Russias President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with his Iran counterpart Hassan Rouhani during their bilateral meeting in Shanghai on May 21, 2014. (Alexey Druzhinin/AFP/Getty Images) The other bloc would include democracies from North America, Europe, and parts of Latin America and Africa. He noted that Australia would certainly side with the United States. Dupont acknowledged that trading relations would be fluid in what he called the second Cold War, the one were going into now. There will be a lot of movement across the divisions compared to the original Cold War (19471991), which saw trade limited to within each political bloc. However, in the event that a split does occur, Dupont noted that it was unlikely countries could straddle both factions; and aligning with one side was inevitable. The more entrenched and rigid these divisions become, the more difficult it will be for countries to have choices and to remain in both camps. You will get to a point at some stage where you do have to make a strategic decision about which one you are going with. I think most countries do not want to be in that position, and I think that would include Australia too. We dont want to go down that track, but the risk is that we will. The parliamentary committee is examining the implications of COVID-19 for Australias foreign affairs, defense, and trade, and is looking into issues related to supply chain vulnerabilities and international trade relations. Australia Needs to Rectify Vulnerabilities Amid Beijing Decoupling Dupont called on Australia to examine vulnerabilities in its supply chains, saying: In my view, our dependence on China for a range of critical technologies and goods has become a major security liability and must be reversed. Since April, Australia has been locked into a Beijing-instigated trade dispute, which has seen the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) impose 80 percent tariffs on Australian barley imports, ban beef imports from four abattoirs, and advise local Chinese power plants not to buy Australian coal. Australian politicians have also called for greater decoupling and less reliance on the China market. According to Duponts submission (pdf) to the inquiry, Beijing has already been implementing a form of decoupling. The submission noted: China has practised a form of decoupling for many years, by carefully avoiding dependencies, creating protective trade barriers, and positioning itself to control strategic areas of the economyfrom rare earths and pharmaceuticals to advanced manufacturing. Employees work on a micro motor production line at a factory in Huaibei on June 23, 2018. (AFP/Getty Images) Further, Dupont told the committee the CCP hasnt received enough pushback in response to its actions, effectively allowing it to continue unabated. He called for Australia, in the meantime, to look seriously at its own vulnerabilities and examine how they can be rectified quickly in the short and long term. Its going to require significant investment. It means that we will lose certain efficiencies, and were going to have to trade off loss of efficiency for the resilience that were going to get, Dupont said. Related Coverage Minister Envisions Australian-Made Future as Businesses Reassess China Risk According to the submission: Some degree of economic separation is unavoidable and, indeed, necessary to preserve the integrity of a robust, open trading system and democratic values, freedoms, and institutions. This is not a rejection of trade but a rethinking of its architecture and norms as well as interdependence. It must be done with a surgeons scalpel, not a blacksmiths hammer. Corie Adjmi didnt plan to become a writer. In fact, she didnt start her writing career until she was in her 30s. She also didnt plan towrite a collection of interconnected stories, but as she got to know her characters, it was clear they all belonged in the same world. The stories were standalone pieces, but it seemed to me that my characters would know one another, if not intimately, then by six degrees of separation, Adjmi says of the 12 stories in Life and Other Shortcomings. Discovering the connections between them felt natural, even essential. Whether theyre in a restaurant or an internet chatroom, in the present or the past, Adjmis characters are linked through the shared experience of being a woman in search of agency and her place in the world. And as each protagonist navigates love, friendship, and family obligations, she demonstrates vulnerability and resilience, self-doubt and acceptance. The protagonists struggles are often determined by circumstance and the social mores of the stories varied settings and eras. One of the aspects of the collection that interests me most is its time frame, Adjmi says. Much has changed over the last four decades, and the #MeToo movement has brought some light. What was accepted 40 years ago would never be tolerated today. The women Adjmi writes about challenge stereotypes, repress and express anger, and demand and enact change, even when it is seemingly incremental in nature. Growth may manifest in small ways, Adjmi says, but these women are evolving. Adjmis impetus for writing has also evolved, owing largely to her desire for social change. And while she follows the adage write what you know, she also finds motivation and empowerment through writing from a place of fear and anger. My own personal struggles, and those of women close to me, drove me to the page, she says. And since women are taught that their anger is bad and shameful, I had to find some way to express my dissatisfaction with the status quo and push back against gaslighting and male dominance. Writing was my way of saying I wont shut up or stay small. While the stories certainly reflect the wounds of patriarchy, Adjmi believes they are also hopeful. Each era brings its own problems, Adjmi says, but just as in life, there is also promise, and that is ultimately uplifting. Adjmi has also observed that while unease and longing permeate her stories, many readers find her work funny. Maybe its my roots, she says, my Jewish humormocking, dry, ironic absurdity. Or it could be her literary influences: two of her favorite short stories are Philip Roths The Conversion of the Jews and Nathan Englanders What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank. One theme that winds through Adjmis stories is the central conflict between projected appearance and internal reality. In Dinner Conversation, two characters look at each other in a bathroom mirror. Its a seemingly ordinary scene, but theres this moment, Adjmi says, when youre facing yourself in the mirror and simultaneously lying about who you are, and what you want, for the sake of appearances. Readers have undoubtedly experienced such moments of stark self-awareness, and sometimes laughter is the most organic response. Juxtaposing genuine rawness with banal dialogue feels heartbreaking, she says. What these women say is funny in an absurd kind of way, and humor makes what is painful more digestible. Ironically, it also increases the tension. Adjmi says there is much more work to be done to ensure womens global equality, but she is heartened by the progress thats been made since many of her characters railed against their own oppressive circumstances. There is sisterhood happening, a rising, she says. And I can feel the strength and love, the communal group hug from women. Its an amazing feeling when women come together and lift one another up. We are learning to live in abundance, not scarcity, and we are standing up for ourselvesand each other. Cairo, Addis Ababa, and Khartoum have been engaged in online talks mediated by the African Union since 3 July in a bid to reconcile views over the near decade-long disagreements caused by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam The 11th day of online talks between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan saw the persistence of differences on major issues regarding the rules of filling and operating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Egypt's irrigation ministry stated on Monday. The Egyptian announcement came following a meeting on Monday between the legal and technical committees of the three countries and another meeting between the countries' irrigation ministers to discuss the points of contention on both tracks. The three countries' irrigation ministers agreed to submit on Tuesday their final reports concerning the path of negotiations to South Africa, the current president of the AU in preparation for holding a mini-African summit. The statement didn't provide further details on the forthcoming summit. Leaders of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia attended a virtual African mini-summit on 26 June in response to a call from South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current chairperson of the AU. The summit was attended by member states of the Bureau of the AU Heads of State and Government. Following the summit, the AU called on the three nations to refrain from taking actions that may "jeopardise or complicate" its efforts to find an acceptable solution to outstanding issues over the $4.8 billion dam. Last Thursday, Cairo said it will not accept any incomplete deal that would not take into account the Egyptian concerns, stressing that Ethiopia's continued adherence to its intransigent stances on both the technical and legal aspects of the differences over the hydropower project shall reduce the chances of reaching an agreement. The Egyptian negotiators voiced their concerns about Ethiopia's failure to address rules regulating the filling and operation of the GERD during drought, prolonged drought, and dry years. The differences also include the rules of the re-filling following a prolonged drought, and the annual operation of the giant dam, construction of which near the Sudanese border started in 2011. Egypt is also concerned about future projects on the Blue Nile, a main tributary of the Nile, and demands binding dispute settlement mechanisms, things that Addis Ababa has refused to include in a deal. The previous round of negotiations between the three countries, held from 9 to 17 June, failed to produce an accord due to Ethiopia's refusal to enter into a legally binding agreement and its recurrent announcement that it will begin filling the dam in July with or without the approval of the two downstream countries. Search Keywords: Short link: MOMENTS when the global villain, COVID-19, is raging with speed across continents, North America becomes the epicentre of the novel coronavirus with the United States (US) alone recording confirmed cases of almost 3.5 million and while more than 137,000 have died, about 1.5 million have recovered https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ Brazil (South America), India (Asia), Russia (Europe) and Peru (South America), are the next four countries close to the US in terms of highest confirmed cases. However, the recognised global security body that comes to mind is the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). In this case, the UNSC comes to mind not only on the mettle of addressing security situations of countries that are into uranium enrichment, but development of atomic energy, manufacture of weapons of mass destruction, or countries also plunged into conflicts and wars. But pandemic COVID-19 which has swept through million pores (even though Kim Jong-uns free press crippled North Korea which seems not to have recorded a single positive case); could take the centre stage of UNSC deliberations with urgency. UNSC has five permanent member states: UK, US, France, China and Russia and ten temporary member states where the 10 are elected. Currently, for example, Norway won over Ireland in the contest for a temporary seat at the council for 2021-2022. Interestingly, all the 15 members of UNSC are heavily hit by the pandemic and that declaring it as a health security threat and also devising means for remedy globally is as significant as it may sound. Conspiracy on Population Control, Governments initiative While the UN or the UNSC has not come out with global initiatives to tackle the pandemic in the wake of economic pressure, population control has emerged as one of the conspiracy theories. Especially on social media platforms, some twitter and facebook users have resorted to conspiracies that COVID-19 was created in a science laboratory in China to reduce the number of human race, thereby controlling the global population. https://www.populationconnection.org/covid-19-pandemics-and-population-growth/ But whether this conspiracy is true or not, indexes of birth and death ring a bell in the global population. So far, the total global population hits over 7.7 billion. Meanwhile, total global births this year so far (since January 2020 to date) is over 74.7 million whereas total global death this year (since January 2020 to date) is over 31.3 million. https://www.populationconnection.org/covid-19-pandemics-and-population-growth/ This could mean that globally, we are producing more people to replace the dead ones in double fold and that it does not make sense, even if it is true pandemic COVID-19 was invented by China and associates to wipe people away to control population. That will defy rational argument. Amidst the conspiracies, some individual governments around the globe have put certain initiatives in place to hold economic impacts of the pandemic in check. Many have argued in social media that this is the time for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) to exempt African countries in the global south who have weak economies from their loans or debts. In Rwanda, President Paul Kagame who doubles as the Chairman of the African Union (AU) declared support for the vulnerable. Door-to-door free food distribution and also free electricity supply. Rwandans living in urban centres without salary income, are expected to benefit from this initiative the most, to at least ease their economic burden. https://zimbabwevoice.com/2020/03/28/kagame-gives-food-free-electricity-to-every-household-during-lockdown/?fbclid=IwAR3PFdDp5pYbLwrFs7ZhTNQXQ5mKf17IjABiB3ECHSlJTBg67ukVKroSR4U The Ghana governments initiative to mitigate economic conditions of the people is similar to that of Rwanda. President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who is also the Co-Chair of UNs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) announced that his government would absorb water and electricity tariffs for a period of three months to relieve financial pressure on the people. Apart from distribution of cooked and uncooked food to the vulnerable through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), President Akufo-Addo established the National Trust Fund where financially able individuals and groups donate to energise the government to support the less privilege in the COVID-19 lockdown situation. https://allafrica.com/stories/202004130124.html In India, the Narendra D. Modi-led administration established monetary assistance to families of the victims of the COVID-19 and other needy homes in the lockdown situation. The monetary assistance was under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/trends/coronavirus-live-updates-new-cases-deaths-india-china-italy-delhi-mumbai/story/398225.html In the United States (US), Donald Trump announced that his administration was exempting people in America from certain taxes, utility bills under the Disaster Financial Assistance for COVID-19 victims. Areas designated as natural disaster hit would get help with food, bills, unemployment, tax relief and more. Workers and Owners of Small Businesses would get unemployment benefits and paid leave. https://www.usa.gov/disaster-financial-help The initiative in the United Kingdom (UK) is not that different, even though Prime Minister, Boris Johnson caught the virus and was discharged from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). As part of initiatives to relieve economic burden on the people in the UK, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announces that workers who are unable to enjoy their statutory annual leave entitlement due to the COVID-19 will carry it for the next 2 leave years. This is to cushion people financially while they remain at home. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/rules-on-carrying-over-annual-leave-to-be-relaxed-to-support-key-industries-during-covid-19 Norway as oil-rich country in the Nordic region has strong economic fundamentals, after all, before the advent of the COVID-19, unemployment was under 4% with high employment percentage. To avoid unnecessary layoffs and bankruptcies from the economic shock of COVID-19, the national welfare security system (NAV) provides income security if people become unemployed or sick. The NAV also makes sure everyone has access to quality health care services. https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuelt/the-government-acts-to-mitigate-effects-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-on-the-economy/id2693471/ Eventhough, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared COVID-19, global health emergency, the UNSC could also declare it global security emergency for root-cause analysis and impact assessment of the COVID-19 economic shockwaves, as infected nations position themselves for the future. . The writer is a Journalist, Communication Consultant & Media Researcher based in Norway 1,935 people contract Covid-19 in last 24 hours in AP With 6,497 new cases, Maharashtras Covid-19 tally increased to 2,60,924 No return to the 'old normal' for foreseeable future with Covid-19 pandemic: WHO As Covid-19 cases rise, Disney to shut Hong Kong Disneyland again Florida records more than 12,600 new coronavirus cases A health worker wearing PPE overalls conducts a coronavirus test, at a COVID-19 testing centre. India in the past few days has been witnessing a daily highest-spike in coronavirus cases. As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India registered yet another single-day spike of 28,701 Covid-19 cases and 500 deaths. Recovery numbers have overtaken active cases, but India hasn't yet reached its peak, after which the cases would start depleting. The states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Karnataka are worst-hit by the pandemic. Fresh lockdowns ranging from a week to a fortnight have been imposed in several parts of the country to curb and check the spread of the infection. Click here for complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic Multiple nations, including India are speeding up their research and development to come up with a vaccine that can provide absolute immunity against Covid-19 without any side effects. Last evening, Russia's Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University successfully completed the clinical trials on volunteers of the world's first vaccine. In view of the rising cases in the United States, President Donald Trump was finally seen sporting a mask during his visit to a military hospital on Saturday. He said that he was never against facial coverings and that they have a time and place. After days of sharp pain shooting up her left abdomen, Rose Wong hobbled from her history class to the student health center at Duke University. A nurse pressed on the 20-year-old's belly and told her it felt like gas. Wong questioned the diagnosis but said the nurse dismissed her doubts and sent her to the campus pharmacy to pick up Gas-X that afternoon in February 2019. The next morning, Wong doubled over in pain, and a roommate drove her to an emergency room in nearby Durham, N.C. In the hospital, doctors discovered her condition was far more serious: Her left kidney had a massive hemorrhage. The bleeding, she later learned, was caused by a cancerous tumor that required surgery and chemotherapy and forced her to miss an entire school year. Wong said she worries that when she returns to the Duke campus next month, the university and its medical clinic will be incapable of keeping her and 15,500 other Duke students healthy and safe in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. "Everyone I know says that student health is awful," Wong said. "It's an open secret." Wong's misdiagnosis at Duke is among the scores of problems documented by The Washington Post at college health centers nationwide. As millions go back to school during the pandemic, the ability of campus health services to safeguard and care for students will be tested as never before - and many colleges appear unprepared for the challenge. To assess the landscape of student health services at roughly 1,700 four-year residential campuses, The Post interviewed more than 200 students, parents and health officials and examined thousands of pages of medical records and court documents and 5,500 reviews of student health centers posted on Google. College students reported they commonly waited days or weeks for appointments and were routinely provided lackluster care. Dozens of students ended up hospitalized - and some near death - for mistakes they said were made at on-campus clinics, including misdiagnosed cases of appendicitis at Kansas State University and meningitis at the University of Arkansas. Many students, including low-income individuals on Medicaid, said they avoided seeking treatment altogether because the care was too costly. On college campuses nationwide, the health-care facilities available to students vary widely, from multistory buildings with comprehensive services to a single exam room run by one nurse who is not licensed to prescribe medications. While some students praise the care they've received, others say there are major shortcomings. Student health centers are akin to the Wild West of medical care. There are no national regulations, and most are not licensed by states. Only about 220 campus medical clinics of the thousands nationwide are accredited by outside health organizations as meeting best practices, according to a Post analysis. In one case, Georgetown University stated on its website that its student health center was accredited but removed the claim after being asked about it by reporters. More than 80% of colleges expect to resume in-person classes this fall or offer a hybrid of online and in-person instruction, according to a Chronicle of Higher Education list of more than 1,000 colleges. Students are planning to descend on campuses in a matter of weeks as many states are experiencing a surge of coronavirus cases, including an increasing number of young people who have tested positive. Health experts have described colleges as cruise ships on land, ideal places for the novel coronavirus to spread quickly through shared dorm rooms, communal bathrooms and dining halls. Pennsylvania State University announced this month it was conducting contact tracing after a 21-year-old student who visited the campus died of complications related to covid-19, the disease the virus causes. University leaders are publicly lobbying for federal protections from coronavirus-related lawsuits when they reopen, arguing that costly litigation would take away from already scarce resources needed to support students. College health officials, meanwhile, are privately discussing insufficient stockpiles of personal protective equipment, inadequate access to coronavirus testing on campus and a short supply of rooms to quarantine students, according to interviews, emails and presentations reviewed by The Post. Health professionals at historically black colleges and universities have said they are concerned about the risks to their students and faculty because of the disproportionate number of covid-19 diagnoses and deaths among black people. "I don't get to make those decisions about whether students are coming back, but they are coming back," Mari Ross-Alexander, assistant vice chancellor for health and wellness at the historically black North Carolina Central University, said in a recently recorded panel discussion. "What I'm preaching is, we have to have the space to take care of sick students because that's what we are going to get - we are going to have sick students." Because of the pandemic, returning students at some institutions will have a harder time obtaining in-person medical care. Officials plan to lock the doors of campus clinics, refuse drop-in visits and shift many appointments to telemedicine. The goal is to prevent the virus from spreading inside health-care facilities. After Wong's experience at Duke, she began writing a column for the student newspaper that exposed chronic problems at the campus health clinic, including allegations that the medical staff misdiagnosed a concussion as anxiety and pneumonia as asthma. Wong said she will refuse to set foot in the health center when she returns to campus next month. Duke, which declined to detail the medical care of individual students, plans to pay for coronavirus tests for all those living on campus before they begin classes. In addition, students will be asked to complete daily health checks through a monitoring app and report symptoms to the university's health department. "Duke Student Health and Wellness will provide the highest level of care and is connected to one of the most advanced health-care systems in the world, with extensive experience in coronavirus prevention, detection and treatment," said Erin Kramer, a Duke spokeswoman. While private universities with large endowments such as Duke have the budget to fund widespread testing, many institutions are struggling financially and have not invested in student health care in years. Glenn Egelman, a health-care consultant, said campus health clinics "most definitely will not have the depth and breadth and resources to manage a significant outbreak." Egelman, the former head of George Washington University's health center, resigned from the college and wrote a letter in 2018 to the university president, saying that he could not reassure the community of "the quality, safety, or appropriateness of care provided." He said he had concerns about health-care employees working without proper credentials and "minimal patient safety efforts." Since then, the college has hired a new leader to oversee the health center, extended its hours and made other changes, according to a university spokeswoman. "The field of student health has so many issues," Egelman said in an interview. "It has been unrecognized and unappreciated - the importance of it and the dysfunction in it." - - - Many college students are living on their own for the first time, and they have little experience navigating the health-care system. And parents interviewed said they assumed that the high cost of attending college guaranteed reliable medical care on campus. When 19-year-old Makenzi Marek visited Iowa State University's Thielen Student Health Center as a sophomore in 2018, she had no clue that consultants three years earlier had issued a scathing public report about the clinic on the Ames campus. Keeling & Associates, an educational consulting firm, had warned Iowa State that poor leadership, inadequate training and understaffing had made the health center "a source of increasing concern and serious complaints." This included misdiagnosing a student with a potentially life-threatening case of appendicitis and failing to notice a stress fracture in another student, prolonging the recovery. In November 2018, Marek worried that she had the flu after battling a painful headache and cough. A doctor at the student health center tested her for flu, but before the results came back, she was given two vaccines in nearly the same spot in one arm: one for the flu and another for pneumonia, even though this vaccine is typically recommended for elderly patients. After Marek came down with a fever, she returned to the student health center, and another doctor prescribed antibiotics. The medication didn't help, she said, and her left arm became so swollen and difficult to move that her boyfriend had to cut her shirt off her body. With chills, a fever and a growing rash, Marek headed three miles off campus to Mary Greeley Medical Center, where she was hospitalized for five days with cellulitis, a potentially life-threatening bacterial skin infection, according to medical records. After racking up thousands of dollars in medical bills, Marek filed a claim against the university stating that the hospital staff all agreed that she should not have received the pneumonia vaccine, especially because she was sick at the time. Marek eventually received a $5,000 settlement. Angie Hunt, a university spokeswoman, said that Iowa State did not admit any wrongdoing in its agreement with Marek, and that the care provided at the center uses "evidence-based guidance." The college has also implemented all the recommendations from the 2015 Keeling & Associates report, Hunt said, including hiring new medical staff members. The university, which enrolled more than 33,000 last year, is offering coronavirus testing at the student health center and requiring students and staffers to wear masks on campus. Marek is eager to return to college in August and have her younger sister join her on campus as a freshman. But she and her sister made a pact to avoid the student health center and drive the 2 hours to their hometown or go to another clinic if either one gets sick. "I absolutely lost my trust," Marek said of the student clinic. "All college students need a safe place to go and make sure that they're getting the right help. . . . I wish that were the case for me." Stephen Beckley, a consultant with Hodgkins Beckley Consulting, which has evaluated health programs at more than 200 colleges and universities nationwide, said many schools treat on-campus clinics as if they are no different from the bookstore, dining hall or any other student service. "There are such significant problems among college health programs," Beckley said. "We've seen some amazing turnarounds, but there's a lot that colleges do in managing these programs that's not right." For prospective students considering colleges, health centers are rarely among the top priorities compared to expensive new dorms or fitness centers, according to Egelman. While some clinics provide extensive health services and partner with academic medical centers, others may have a single nurse available and refer students off campus for other medical needs. In 2017, colleges on average spent only about $185 per student for their health centers, according to a Post analysis of clinic expenses and enrollment at roughly 200 schools. Nearly 70% of colleges surveyed did not have a full-time psychiatrist, and one-third did not have a full-time physician. At Ohio University's rural campus in Athens, with roughly 19,000 students, consultants at Keeling & Associates in August 2007 flagged problems at the on-campus clinic, including a cockroach-infested building and medical equipment that hadn't been replaced since the center opened 60 years earlier. The consultants also warned university leaders that the health center was significantly understaffed and risked "missing the extraordinary problem hidden among many ordinary ones." Weeks later, in September 2007, freshman Molly Millsop walked into the student health center on the second day of classes complaining of a headache, a fever and a stabbing pain in the back of her right arm. Over the next several hours, a doctor at the center diagnosed the 19-year-old with a muscle strain and then anxiety as Millsop reported having trouble breathing and increasingly severe arm pain, according to medical records and court documents. Before leaving for lunch, the doctor dropped off Millsop in an observation room, where the teenager sat on the floor and vomited twice. Distraught and crying, Millsop called her father, who drove three hours across the state to intervene. He took her one mile down the road to O'Bleness Hospital, where doctors quickly recognized that she had a rare flesh-eating bacterial infection known as necrotizing fasciitis. The infection had spread while she writhed in pain at the student health center. By the end of that night on Sept. 7, 2007, Millsop, an aspiring journalism student, had her entire right arm and shoulder amputated - and almost lost her life. "I trusted the health center. At the very least, I expected them to recognize that this was beyond their capabilities and move me to someone who could handle it," Millsop said. "They just see us as young and healthy and that there can't be anything particularly wrong with us." In February 2010, 18-year-old freshman Andrea Robinson had a headache, stiff neck and fever of 103.8. She was too weak to walk up a hill to the student health center, so her boyfriend called the clinic for advice. The employee who answered the phone suggested Robinson take Tylenol, drink water and rest. She wasn't warned that a serious strain of meningitis had been circulating around the campus - one student had tested positive just a week earlier. Robinson's condition deteriorated the next day, and her friends called an ambulance to take her to O'Bleness Hospital, where she was diagnosed with meningitis, according to medical and court records and interviews with Robinson's father. The freshman died a couple of days later. That August, Ohio University turned over operation of the student health center to a physicians group that was affiliated with the university's medical school. The clinic was later contracted out to OhioHealth, the state's largest hospital system. Millsop's and Robinson's families filed lawsuits against the college that resulted in settlements. But student concerns about substandard medical care persisted. In June last year, after a student at Ohio University asked people to share their experiences with the school's health center on Twitter, more than 100 people recounted problems, including allegations that employees misdiagnosed broken bones and dismissed salmonella poisoning as a hangover. Last year, Jake Wendling said he went to the student health clinic with chest pains, feeling lightheaded and out of breath. After waiting a half-hour, Wendling said, the doctor suggested the 19-year-old was having an anxiety attack. The physician eventually agreed to perform a heart test, known as an electrocardiogram, but couldn't make sense of the results. In the meantime, Wendling became glassy-eyed and passed out, according to medical records. The doctor then sent the teenager to O'Bleness Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a nervous system disorder and prescribed medication to lower his heart rate. Wendling hasn't returned to the health center and is concerned that the school cannot manage an outbreak of the coronavirus this fall. "It would be absurd to even think that place is capable of treating someone with coronavirus," Wendling said. "I don't trust it." - - - Officials with Ohio University and OhioHealth said they could not comment on individual cases because of privacy restrictions. The school has partnered with OhioHealth to provide services on campus and receives high patient satisfaction scores each year, said Carly Leatherwood, an Ohio University spokeswoman. "The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff is Ohio University's highest priority," Leatherwood said. "We take every complaint very seriously." Dozens of college students from around the nation told The Post that campus health clinics dismissed their medical problems as anxiety or downplayed the severity of their symptoms. Chloe Shriber said she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen during her sophomore year at Kansas State University in 2018. She said she left class to visit the Lafene Health Center. At the clinic, Shriber told a nurse and a doctor that she worried she had appendicitis. After pressing down on Shriber's abdomen, a doctor claimed that she would have been "screaming in agony" if she had appendicitis, Shriber recalled. Shriber's mother, Joni Scobee, urged her daughter to go to Ascension Via Christi Hospital about 1.5 miles away. There, doctors discovered the 20-year-old had appendicitis. She had emergency surgery to remove her appendix that day. Scobee blasted off angry emails to school officials: "The fact that a LAZY doctor ignored the signs and sent her home is ridiculous. . . . Your clinic could have cost my child her life." Kansas State, located in Manhattan, declined to comment on Shriber's case, but a university spokesman said the center was ranked second in the nation for best health services by the Princeton Review, a student ratings publication. He said the university was making "thorough plans" for students to return in August. The college halted workouts for football players after 14 of 130 tested positive for the coronavirus. The school is testing all athletes for the virus but has not committed to free testing for all students when they come back to campus. Shriber, who has transferred to another university, said it's "dangerous and reckless" to have students return to campus, "especially when you don't have the health-care center that can provide even basic things." - - - In recent years, budget cuts and efforts to limit student fees have strained resources available for campus clinics, resulting in smaller staffs, fewer services and longer wait times, according to interviews with college health officials and a survey of about 200 schools. The Post conducted the survey using a random sample of public and private colleges to be representative of enrollment, location, religious affiliation, and historically black colleges and universities. Almost three-quarters of these colleges closed their health centers on weekends, and two-thirds provided no evening clinic hours during the week. Now, the pandemic has set off a new financial crisis. Some institutions have furloughed medical staffers. Oregon State University closed its pharmacy in June, and the University of North Dakota is planning to cut a physician assistant and shutter its pharmacy at the student health center. About 250 residential colleges have no campus medical clinics or provide services only to athletes, according to a Post analysis of about 1,500 four-year schools with at least 500 students enrolled. Some offer students telemedicine or partner with off-campus providers. Hardin-Simmons University, a private school in Texas with roughly 2,000 students, has three medical clinics for athletes but had only one nurse to treat other students. She retired in 2016 after 25 years of service. When asked why the nurse wasn't replaced, a university spokesman said Hardin-Simmons made "a variety of adjustments to our campus organizational structure" to build "long-term financial sustainability." The college added two mental health professionals for students and opened a $7 million fitness center. A student who worked at the fitness center said she had stocked up on disinfectant before the pandemic to avoid getting sick because there was no nurse on campus. The university recently contracted with a local medical provider to conduct free coronavirus testing for all sports teams as they return to school - and at least five students have already tested positive. But other students have to go off campus for testing and medical care. As the demand for mental health services has soared, some institutions have had to make hard choices. In 2019, Minnesota State University Moorhead converted its medical clinic into a counseling center because it couldn't afford to operate both. The University of Central Florida, which has a comprehensive health center offering dental care, physical therapy and other specialty services, has had to find ways to contain costs, such as reducing evening hours, according to Michael Deichen, the associate vice president of UCF Student Health Services in Orlando. The clinic also has hired more affordable nurse practitioners instead of physicians, a trend at many health-care institutions across the country. Deichen, who sits on the American College Health Association's covid-19 task force, said student health centers face many challenges - from external threats like the coronavirus to internal budget pressures. "There's always an opportunity for improvement," Deichen said. "There are limitations everywhere, too." Talisha Bowe, a 21-year-old junior at the University of Central Florida, said she appreciates the convenience of having a campus clinic and is mostly satisfied with the care she has received over the years. Bowe said it's extremely important for colleges to make sure campus health centers are accessible and ready to handle sick students during the pandemic. College health officials and public health experts worry about the consequences of reopening without adequate access to testing, contact tracing and general medical care, especially at historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs. Many of these institutions have less funding and smaller endowments to invest in critical health-care infrastructure compared with other schools, and their students and faculty are more at risk, as the coronavirus has disproportionately affected the black community. About 12% of HBCUs that offer bachelor's degrees have no campus clinics, according to a Post review of the roughly 80 institutions. Of those that provide health services, about 70% do not have a full-time physician on staff. "Your dollars are smaller, so you have to do the best, but with the small pool of money that you have," said Reginald Fennell, an emeritus professor of public health at Miami University in Ohio who now works as a nurse practitioner at a historically black college in North Carolina. "Here we are trying to bring students back on campuses across the United States when all schools are not on the same level of trying to get prepared." Several students at Howard University, a historically black college in the District of Columbia, said they routinely have trouble getting medical care at the campus clinic because staff members rarely answer the phone to schedule appointments and because the center shuts down for lunch and closes at 5 p.m. After calling several times with no answer, Elyssa Sanderson said, she walked to the health center to get treatment for severe vaginal pain in April 2019. The staff informed her no appointment was available for two days and recommended she visit the emergency room around the corner, at Howard University Hospital. Sanderson said she ended up with a $900 hospital bill for a condition that she said could have been treated at the campus clinic. "They are always so quick to send us to the ER," Sanderson said. "We're really not ready to go back to school without a functioning health center." Howard, which has roughly 9,000 students enrolled, declined to comment. A spokeswoman referred to the college's reopening plan, which requires students to get tested for the coronavirus before returning to campus. The university will test a limited number of students who arrive without testing documentation. "I am pleading with you to be understanding, patient and flexible," President Wayne A.I. Frederick wrote in a June 25 letter to students. Before the pandemic, many students across the country had trouble affording care on campus because they were uninsured or their plans weren't accepted at the health clinic. More than 2.5 million college students are on government insurance, such as Medicaid, and at least 95% of campus health services that bill insurance do not accept these plans, according to Beckley, the health consultant. Since Trisa Chakraborty began attending Indiana University in 2017, she has made the same calculation every time she gets sick: Is it worth going to the student health center? Chakraborty, who has asthma, is on Medicaid, and the on-campus clinic in Bloomington doesn't accept her insurance. That means she has to pay entirely out of pocket. A 2018 ankle fracture resulted in more than $400 in medical bills. Now, the 21-year-old said she avoids seeking medical care or travels 2.5 miles to IU Health Bloomington Hospital, where she has a small co-pay. She still is required to pay Indiana University the roughly $100 student health fee for a clinic she can't afford to visit. Chakraborty, an incoming senior, is dreading the choices she will have to make if she gets sick during the pandemic. "Sometimes we have to sacrifice our health because financially we may not be able to afford it," she said. Indiana University, with more than 43,000 students enrolled last fall, charges some of the highest prices for such medical services as Pap smears, contraceptive implants and HIV testing, according to a Post analysis of fees from about 150 universities. Just a year ago, Chakraborty and other students petitioned the university to make the health clinic more accessible. Students protested on campus, holding "Prove That IU Cares" signs, and met with college officials to discuss their proposal, which called for the university to accept all health insurance and offer more care for students with chronic illnesses. Zoe Layton, one of the students who met with the director of student health and other university leaders, said they dismissed the petition, claiming it cost too much money and wasn't necessary. Peter Grogg, executive director of IU Health Center, said no student is ever turned away and the college has emergency funds to help those who need financial assistance to cover the cost of services. He said medical health-care financing is complex, but the university is "actively pursuing how to accept Medicaid and other insurance." Layton, who said the health center could not provide treatment for her autoimmune disease, is working with students to renew their demands. "We need to guarantee that the people who are going to be putting their lives on the line going back in the fall are protected and feel safe and that we have the health care and the resources we need to be students right now," Layton said. - - - Students and parents have flagged problems at campus health clinics through letters, social media campaigns and court battles, but colleges have resisted scrutiny of their health operations. Earlier this year, Liberty University in Virginia sought criminal trespassing charges against two reporters who visited the campus to write a story about the college's response to the coronavirus pandemic. About 80 of the roughly 280 colleges contacted by The Post refused to answer questions about budgets and staffing at their campus clinics. In an email last year, the chief executive of the American College Health Association cautioned members about sharing information with The Post and referenced its reporting about a viral outbreak at the University of Maryland. The association later said the message was sent to inform colleges and took no position on whether universities should comply with the requests. Olivia Paregol, who had a compromised immune system, was among dozens of students sickened by an adenovirus in the fall of 2018 at the University of Maryland. When the 18-year-old freshman fell ill and went to the campus clinic in College Park, no one informed her about the virus. By the time officials disclosed it publicly, 18 days had passed, and Paregol had died. Paregol's father, Ian, fears that campus health centers across the country are woefully unprepared to handle the pandemic. "How are they even going to possibly protect those kids?" he questioned. "They could barely function when there is no crisis." Gracie Engelkes said she is still looking for her college to accept responsibility after she nearly died in 2016 because a nurse practitioner missed signs of meningitis during two separate visits to the University of Arkansas health center in Fayetteville. The 19-year-old freshman was hospitalized for several weeks and said she never received an apology from anyone at the health clinic - only a bill for several hundred dollars. Engelkes and her family explored filing a lawsuit but decided not to after learning that Arkansas state laws made it difficult to do so because of immunity given to government entities. Colleges in many states are covered by immunity laws and liability caps that limit the damages plaintiffs can receive. Engelkes was furious after she heard from friends that the University of Arkansas waited weeks to disclose multiple cases of mumps on campus that eventually sickened nearly 40 people last fall. Rebecca Morrison, a university spokeswoman, said the college "communicated fully" with Engelkes and her family in 2016, but Morrison declined to comment further on her care, citing privacy laws. She added that the college followed directives from the Arkansas Department of Health on communicating to the campus community about the mumps outbreak. "I understand that people make mistakes," Engelkes said. "But when you're dealing with people's lives, you have to be held responsible." Millsop, the Ohio University student who had her arm amputated, fought the college for five years in court before agreeing to a $250,000 settlement - the maximum allowed under state law at the time. Millsop never returned to Ohio University and dropped her dreams of becoming a journalist. "Had I gone to any other doctor that wasn't employed by the state, this would have been handled differently," she said. Plans to reopen university campuses have led many educational institutions to lobby for state and federal legal protections from potential coronavirus lawsuits. During a recent Senate hearing on liability during the pandemic, Lee Tyner, general counsel for Texas Christian University, questioned whether all campuses would be expected to conduct massive testing like the University of California at San Diego and the University of Arizona have planned for the fall. "What if an institution does not have access to or cannot afford that kind of testing?" Tyner asked. "This will certainly be the case for hundreds of institutions across the country - small, tuition-dependent private colleges, under-resourced, public two-year community colleges and four-year regional universities." At a different Senate hearing on reopening colleges amid the pandemic, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in June asked what message gets sent to families and students when colleges are trying to avoid being held responsible for possible illnesses. "Would it make you more comfortable or less comfortable as the parent of an incoming student?" Warren asked Christina Paxson, Brown University's president. "I am in favor of very carefully crafted liability protection that in no way, shape or form permits us to be careless with people's lives," Paxson responded. Michael Sorrell, president of Paul Quinn College, a historically black institution in Dallas, is taking a different approach to the risk: He announced on Thursday that students would not be returning to campus in the fall. "When I'm dealing with the health and safety of other people, I refuse to take chances," Sorrell said. "I worry about a scenario where we bring people back to school and people are sick and they continue to become sick, and then we struggle to care for them. And then we have betrayed the public trust." - - - The Washington Post's Steven Rich, Austin Riley Ramsey, Veronica Del Valle, Jacob Wallace, Lucas Smolcic Larson, Julie Tate, Alice Crites, Scott Clement and Circe Granholm contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 17:05:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, July 13 (Xinhua) -- A number of gunmen opened fire early Monday at an army patrol and military centers in several areas in Lebanon's Bekaa region, resulting in the death of a soldier, according to a statement released by the army. The army statement did not reveal the whereabouts of the gunmen after the shooting. A day earlier, Abbas al-Masry, a wanted Lebanese citizen, opened fire in the air when he was trying to cross a checkpoint in Baalbek city by force, prompting the soldiers at the checkpoint to shoot him and his companion. Both were injured and transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment. Enditem F ilm star Johnny Depp told the High Court he could not have punched Amber Heard repeatedly in the face as he had a cast on his wounded finger at the time. The 57-year-old actor suffered a severed fingertip while filming Pirates of the Caribbean in Australia in early March 2015, and needed surgery in Los Angeles for fractures to the end of the exposed bone. Heard, who claims she suffered repeated bouts of domestic violence during her marriage to Depp, has alleged the star attacked her on March 23, 2015. Depp told the court this morning he flew back from Australia for surgery to his wounded finger, revealing he contracted very painful MRSA from the wound. I flew back from Australia to LA to have surgery on the finger. At the time they put a pin in it, in the fractured bone but to no avail, he said. I ended up getting MRSA in it. David Sherborne, representing Depp, showed the court a picture of Depp wearing a cast on his hand following the surgery, pointing out the cast had a cartoon dinosaur on it. I think I figured since I was wearing this ridiculous cast with a giant finger, I figured I should have the childrens wrap around it to make it more fun, Depp told the court. Mr Sherborne pointed out the image was taken on March 18, 2015, five days before Heard accuses Depp of attacking her using both hands. Were you wearing the cast on March 23?, asked the lawyer, and Depp replied: Yes. Sherborne continued: With the cast on, would you be able to grab her hair with one hand and punch her repeatedly in the head with the other? Depp replied that he would not. The finger injury is one of the disputed incidents in the high-profile libel trial, with Depp claiming the tip was severed when Heard threw a vodka bottle at his during a row. However Heard claims the star did it himself, during a drink and drugs binge which she has described as a three-day hostage situation. Depp will shortly conclude his evidence, and his friends and aides are then take to the witness box in the libel trial. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard at High Court: July 2020 1 /105 Johnny Depp and Amber Heard at High Court: July 2020 Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on the first day .Jeremy Selwyn Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on the first day PA Johnny Depp on the first day of his libel trial against News Group Newspapers (NGN) AFP via Getty Images Amber Heard with her sister Whitney Heard on the first day Johnny Depp's libel case PA Johnny Depp wearing a face covering AFP via Getty Images) Johnny Depp (right) being cross-examined by Sasha Wass QC (left) before the judge, Mr Justice Nicol, at the High Court on 7 July PA Amber Heard waves as she arrives at the High Court on the second day PA Johnny Depp arrives on the second day of the hearing his libel case Reuters AFP via Getty Images PA Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA Getty Images Johnny Depp (L) arrives on the third day of his libel trial against News Group Newspapers (NGN), at the High Court on 9 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 9 July Reuters Photo showing Amber Heard injury alleged to have been caused by Johnny Depp An image Heard said was taken after this incident, showing a bruise on her arm. Lines of cocaine on a table that were allegedly taken by actor Johnny Depp PA An image of Johnny Depp apparently passed out on the floor Amber Heard and Bianca Butti leave the Royal Courts of Justice on 9 July Getty Images Amber Heard (R) arrives on the third day of the libel trial by her former husband US actor Johnny Depp against News Group Newspapers (NGN), at the High Court on 9 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 9 July AP Amber Heard arrives on the third day of the libel trial by her former husband US actor Johnny Depp against News Group Newspapers (NGN), at the High Court on 9 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp photo spilt ice cream photo referred to in court Amber Heard American actor Johnny Depp gestures to the media as he arrives at the High Court on 13 July AP Amber Heard's pet teacup Yorkshire Terriers Pistol and Boo which has been referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court in London PA One of the pictures shown in court Actor Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 14 July PA Johnny Depp with injuries allegedly sustained from Amber Heard during an incident in Los Angeles PA Amber Heard being questioned by Sasha Wass QC as she gives evidence at the High Court in London on 20 July Elizabeth Cook/PA Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 20 July AP Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on Monday where she is due to give evidence against former husband Johnny Depp on 20 July PA Amber Heard image which has been referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court on 20 July PA Johnny Depp arrives at Royal Courts of Justice on 21 July Getty Images Amber Heard with a bruising on her face, which was referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court in London PA Amber Heard being cross examined by Eleanor Laws QC as she gives evidence at the High Court in London during a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 21 July PA Amber Heard with a friend, which was referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court in London for a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 21 July PA Johnny Depp leaves the High Court in London following a hearing in his libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton PA Video deposition of Amber Heard in US proceedings, which was referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court PA Johnny Depp with a cast on his hand PA Amber Heard leaves the High Court in London following a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on Wednesday morning for a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 22 July PA Actress Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on 22 July AP Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on Wednesday morning for a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 22 July Getty Images PA PA PA PA PA PA PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on 23 July Reuters Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July REUTERS Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on 23 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July Getty Images Amber Heard with her girlfriend Bianca Butti arrive at the Royal Courts of Justice on 24 July Getty Images Amber Heard arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice on 24 July Getty Images Amber Heard arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice on 24 July Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images REUTERS PA AFP via Getty Images REUTERS Getty Images AFP via Getty Images SplashNews.com PA REUTERS AFP via Getty Images REUTERS SplashNews.com REUTERS Depps personal assistant Stephen Deuters is due to give evidence as well as an artist friend of the star who stayed in the same Los Angeles suite of penthouses where Depp lived with Heard during their volatile marriage. Mr Deuters was present on a private jet flight from Boston to California in 2014 where Depp is accused of kicking Heard in the back, slapping her across the face, and pelting her with ice cubes in a drug and drink haze. Heard claims Depp was in a blind rage and jealous that she had been shooting intimate scenes with actor James Franco, however Depp denies any violence on the flight and insists claims he was raging like a monster are untrue. The star told the court Heard was the one screaming at him during the flight, and he decided to go and sleep on the floor of the planes bathroom to avoid a confrontation. Also due to give evidence is Isaac Baruch, an artist friend of Depps who lived in the penthouse apartment complex where Heard claims she was subjected to violent attacks. The trial continues. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and China's tech giant Tencent co-hosted an online dialogue titled "Digital Youth: My Life, My Future" on Sunday, inviting young Chinese representatives to share proposals to safeguard their digital rights. The event aimed to provide a platform for young people to exchange ideas with industry representatives, experts, key influencers, and peers on the risks and opportunities in the digital world. The rate of internet access among Chinese children and teenagers reached 93.1% in 2019, and more children have started using the internet at an early age, according to a recent survey jointly released by the Department of the Protection of the Rights of Youth under the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, and the China Internet Network Information Center. Worryingly, the survey showed that 46% of minors were exposed to inappropriate content online; 42.3% experienced verbal abuse; 20.8% lacked awareness of online privacy protection. Douglas Noble, the officer in charge of UNICEF China, said, "The COVID-19 outbreak potentially exacerbates the risks faced by children and young people online, as they are spending longer periods of time on the internet than usual." "We need to listen to young people, who are a key partner in advancing the 2030 Agenda. It's important to expand their access to the best digital technology has to offer, protect them from harm online, and empower them to know how to protect themselves," Noble said. Lanky Zheng, who is in charge of Tencent's protection system for children and adolescents, said, "On adolescents' healthy use of the internet, we firmly believe that a combination of imposing restrictions to avoid excessive use and empowering them to access good digital content can provide young people with a better online experience. Over two weeks, UNICEF China and Tencent received 757 proposals from young people aged 15 to 24 on topics related to adolescents' digital rights. Five young people were selected to present their solutions. Ji Xiaonan, a 17-year-old student from Beijing, called for a shift from an adult-dominated approach that emphasizes "protection and control" to one that enables adolescents to foster better internet literacy. "For parent-child interactions around the internet, we should avoid confrontations and push for dialogue. Parents and children should see each other as equals, share ideas, learn together, and make rules about the use of the internet with each other," said Ji. She also proposed that internet literacy be incorporated into school curricula. Zhao Chen, 19, who is visually impaired, shared a story about the challenges he encountered while surfing online and proposed the use of artificial intelligence and big data to help remove the barriers in the digital world for people with disabilities. "With the help of a screen reader, a form of assistive technology, I can use a computer in the same way most people can. But the design of many applications presents impassable barriers for those using assistive technology. The best example is the identity verification mechanism that we all frequently encounter," Zhao said. "I hope that in the near future anyone who has impaired mobility, speech or hearing will have access to all the opportunities that digital technology offers. And no matter how different we are physically, the world will respect us and treat us well," he added. A panel of experts gave comments on the proposals raised by the youth representatives. The 90-minute dialogue is part of the "Youth Dialogues on the Future" campaign jointly initiated by the UN in China and Tencent to mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. Since yesterday, social media is inundated with prayers for the Bachchan parivaar as four of its members- Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Aaradhya Bachchan have tested positive for COVID-19. Many celebrities also wished for their speedy recovery and asked the Bachchans to stay strong in this tough time. Just like other celebrities, actor Vivek Oberoi, who had an unpleasant history with the Devdas actress, reacted to the news of her COVID-19 positive test and tweeted, "Our prayers for the well-being and quick recovery of the family." The actor also wished for the speedy recovery of Big B and his son and tweeted, "Wishing @SrBachchan sir & @juniorbachchan a speedy recovery We're all praying for you! Get well super soon! Take care ." Aishwarya Rai Vivek Oberoi ; Check Out | FilmiBeat Surprisingly, his tweet received flak and many netizens trolled the actor owing to his alleged past affair with Aishwarya Rai. While some posted mean comments on his tweet, some criticised his tweet with memes, which you can find below.. We're appalled to see the reaction of netizens on Vivek's tweet. Considering the seriousness of the situation, don't you think it's unfair to troll Vivek over his tweet for the Bachchan family? Share us your thoughts in the comments section below. On a related note, both Abhishek and Amitabh are admitted in Nanavati hospital, while Aishwarya and Aaradhya have self-quarantined themselves at home. Keep watching this space for more health updates on the Bachchans. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on Monday became the first Indian company to cross the Rs12 lakh crore in market capitalisation as the stock soared to a record high. Shares of the company, controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, have doubled in value since mid-March. The surge in market cap comes ahead of RILs annual general meeting slated for Wednesday. At closing on Monday, the RIL stock settled at 1,934.30 apiece, up 3% from its previous close on the BSE; achieving a market cap of 12.26 lakh crore. The stock had touched a low of 867.82 on BSE on March 23, and since then it has risen over 120%. On Sunday, Qualcomm Ventures, the investment arm of Qualcomm Inc., said it will invest 730 crore for a 0.15% stake in Jio Platforms; becoming the 12th investor in about three months. EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting that happened early Monday outside an East Cleveland bar. The shooting happened about 1 a.m. outside Positive Vibes on Superior Avenue at Lockwood Avenue in East Cleveland, a spokesman for the Ohio Attorney Generals Bureau of Criminal Investigation said. The BCI is investigating the shooting. No police officers were hurt in the shooting, the BCI spokesman said. He could not provide any other information. East Cleveland police Chief Scott Gardner did not immediately respond to messages seeking more information about the shooting. The UK pilot, or "Case 91" (sitting) was released from the hospital on July 11 (Photo: VNA) Ottawa Canadas CBC.ca has highlighted Vietnams success in fighting COVID-19 pandemic through the impressive case of a UK pilot who is also known as Case 91 in Vietnam. The article entitled Virus-free UK pilot, symbol of Vietnam's pandemic success, to return home that was run by CBC.com on July 11 reported that the pilot is Vietnam's most seriously ill COVID-19 patient, who at one point seemed close to death, left hospital on July 11 on his way home after a dramatic recovery that attracted national attention. It said that the case, a pilot for national carrier Vietnam Airlines, became a sensation in Vietnam, where a combination of targeted testing and an aggressive quarantine programme has kept its coronavirus tally to an impressively low 370 cases, and zero deaths. The 43-year-old Scot, who arrived in the Southeast Asian country from Britain in early March, was hospitalized three days after his first flight for Vietnam Airlines, following a visit to a bar in Ho Chi Minh City that became linked to a cluster of coronavirus cases. The article recalled that at one point, medical officials said that he had just 10 percent of his lung capacity and was in critical condition. By early April, Cameron was on a ventilator and life-support machine at Ho Chi Minh City's Hospital of Tropical Diseases. In May, medical officials were saying that he urgently needed a lung transplant. But under round-the clock care, Cameron improved. By June, he no longer required a lung transplant and was taken off life-support. Earlier in late May, Canadas Globe and Mail newspaper also ran a story spotlighting Vietnams effective measures of preventing SARS CoV-2 virus from spreading in the community. In a recent interview with Vietnam News Agency reporters, Thomas Alexander, a Canadian education expert working in Ho Chi Minh City said that he is impressed at the far vision of Vietnamese leaders in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. He held that Vietnamese officials understood the complicated nature of the virus right from the beginning and gave appropriate advice on preventive measures to the community. Living in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic time, he said that he find himself lucky to be in a right place at the right time. Gatherings of more than four people were banned, and dining in restaurants was prohibited after 6 p.m. That represents a disappointing setback for a city that until recently seemed to have a successful strategy to control the virus. The restrictions may also make it harder for pro-democracy opposition to organize protests against a sweeping national security law, which was imposed on June 30. Details: Health officials said that the territorys new spate of cases, including another 52 announced on Monday, was mainly connected to taxi drivers, restaurants and nursing homes. Here are the latest updates and maps of where the virus has spread. In other developments: Rudolph Johnson, the up-and-coming Atlanta rapper known as Marlo, who loomed large among his citys rap heavyweights even as he remained an underground figure and ambivalent local celebrity, was shot and killed there Saturday night, police said. He was 30. The Atlanta Police Department said that officers had initially responded to a single-vehicle accident on Interstate 285, west of downtown, around 11:30 p.m. and discovered the driver deceased, with gunshot wounds. At this time, investigators believe the victim was the intended target of the gunfire, and they are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, police said in a statement. The Fulton County Medical Examiners Office confirmed Sunday that Johnson had been killed. The shooting came amid a rash of gun violence in Atlanta in recent weeks, following a turbulent period of protests against the police killings of Rayshard Brooks there and George Floyd in Minneapolis. It has to stop, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said last week. Marlo, or Lil Marlo, who was also known locally as Young Rudy or Rude, turned to music relatively late in life, hoping to escape what he referred to as the streets a world of guns and drug-dealing that had surrounded him as he was raised in some of Atlantas most neglected neighborhoods. In 2017, he signed to Quality Control Music, the homegrown label that had minted stars like Migos and Lil Yachty, alongside his friend and collaborator Lil Baby, who went on to become one of hip-hops biggest new stars. Two words, Pierre Thomas, the Quality Control executive, said at the time of the pair: Real Atlanta. Marlo went on to release five mixtapes with the label, including his debut, 2 the Hard Way, with Lil Baby, followed by The Wire, 9th Ward God, The Real 1 and 1st and 3rd, from this year, which featured appearances by Future, Young Thug and Gucci Mane. Admittedly not a natural emcee, Marlo got by on the authority of his hard-boiled and hyperlocal street tales, delivering boasts, threats and regrets in a distinct, wheezing squeal that he was developing. Though not a presence on the Billboard charts, he represented a distinct strain of cult-favorite regional rapper and connector, especially in Atlanta, commanding respect from his more established peers as he inched toward a breakthrough. I aint tripping, Marlo said of his gradual rise toward the mainstream. I had to be new to the block before. So it just is what it is. As his partner Lil Baby racked up industry accolades, Marlo told his fellow rapper, No matter what Im doing, you keep going. Rudolph Simmons Johnson was born on May 1, 1990, and raised in Bowen Homes, one of Atlantas most notorious and crime-ridden housing projects, which was demolished in 2009 after a string of killings. I know how to survive in the jungle, said Marlo, who called his Bankhead neighborhood and the Bowen projects the home of the murderers and them drug dealers, and whose music told of witnessing violence and crack sales from a young age. Thomas, who has worked to convince his Quality Control artists that music is a safer path, said in a 2017 interview, All of us come from the same background I know the lifestyle, adding, I know what its like trying to get out the hood, trying not to make the same mistakes and putting yourself in the position to go back to prison. Marlo called Thomas a real battery pack in me, an inspiration to try to choose the studio over the street. So much potential that the world didnt get a chance to see, Thomas wrote Sunday on Instagram. Its really hard for me to say RIP. Marlo is survived by his mother, Santresa Maxey; his cousin, Denise Hill-Love, who helped raise him; and his two sons, R.J. and Marlo Jr. Lil Yachty said in an Instagram post announcing Marlos death that the two rappers had been recording Friday night. We just did a song [at] 4 this morning smh rip brother, he wrote. Jacoby Hudson, a longtime friend and Atlanta defense lawyer, said in an interview that Marlo had just left a Bankhead block party late Saturday when he was killed. Its heartbreaking, because I told Rudy it would end like this if he didnt change the people he was around, Hudson said in a phone interview. He didnt let the music save him. He still wanted to be in the neighborhood. He cared about people, and he took care of people. He loved too many people, and his loyalty is probably what got him killed. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. With the Pinarayi Vijayan led Kerala government being rocked by the gold smuggling case, in which the chief ministers now transferred principal secretarys name has also cropped up, BJP president JP Nadda on Sunday used the proverb chor ki daadi main tinka to suggest that the CMO is also involved in the case, which has been taken over by the NIA and FIRs under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act have been filed. Accusing the Left government in the state of being "inefficient, corrupt and believes in violence," Mr Nadda claimed that the CPI(M) led LDF and the Congress led UDF are two sides of the same coin and sought people's support to the BJP which is yet to gain electorally in this southern state where assembly polls are scheduled in May next year. Mr Nadda also accused the CM of "messing up" the COVID-19 situation in the state by "suppressing" figures. Addressing BJP leaders digitally from the party headquarters while inaugurating the partys district committee office in Kasargod, Mr Nadda also used the occasion to hit out at former Congress president and Wayanad MP, Rahul Gandhi saying the country is aware of his patriotism and who has been demoralising the armed forces by his controversial statements and added that the Congress leader had "secretly" met the Chinese envoy in India during the Doklam crisis and "misled" the nation before people got to know about it when the envoy put out the information. We can see the heat in CM's office also(over the gold smuggling case). He wrote to the Prime Minister saying no stone should remain unturned as far as the investigation is concerned. We have a saying 'chor ki daadi mein tinka', it means the office of CM is also involved somewhere, said Mr Nadda. Alleging that the LDF and the UDF have joined hands to fight the ideology of BJP in Kerala, Mr Nadda asserted that his partys karyakartas are determined to see that in times to come, there will be kamalam, kamalam and only kamalam (lotus, lotus and lotus) everywhere in Kerala. He said misappropriation of funds, atrocities against Dalits and women, nepotism in political appointments and political patronage are prevalent under the Pinarayi Vijayan government, which is not only inefficient but also corrupt and believes in violence." He said over 270 BJP workers have been killed in "CPI(M) sponsored" political violence in the last two decades. Mr Nadda said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has an "emotional bonding" with Kerala and highlighted the PM's interactions with its diaspora during his visits to the Gulf countries and also mentioned that during the Puttingal Temple tragedy, the Prime Minister had reached the spot in Kollam within 10 hours. Mr Nadda also cited NDA governments efforts in rescuing Father Tom Uzhunnalil and Father Alexis Prem Kumar from captivity in Afghanistan and those of 46 Indian nurses from war-ravaged Iraq. The income tax department is conducting searches in four cities, including Delhi and Jaipur, in connection with a tax evasion case against a Rajasthan-based hydropower infrastructure company and some other business groups, officials said on Monday. IMAGE: Income tax department officials conduct a raid at the office and jewellery showroom of Congress party member Rajiv Arora in Jaipur,. Photograph: PTI Photo The raids come at a time when Rajasthan is witnessing an intense power tussle between chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot. While official sources in the tax department did not confirm if those searched are linked to the Congress leadership in the state, party leaders in Delhi and Rajasthan questioned the timing of the raids and condemned the action. Congress sources in Rajasthan said the premises linked to party leaders Rajiv Arora and Dharmendra Rathore are being searched. I-T teams were seen visiting the Amrapali jewellers showroom in Jaipur, stated to be owned by Rajiv Arora. While Arora is the vice president of the Rajasthan Congress, Rathore is a former chairman of the state seed corporation. Income tax officials said the tax raids have been launched early morning in Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai and Kota and premises of the promoters and owners are being covered. At least 80 tax sleuths apart from police officials are part of the action, they said. They said the department initiated action on the basis of inputs of alleged huge cash transactions and under-reporting of profits by the hydropower group. The business house has interests in hydro mechanical equipments and was awarded a contract to build a dam in Rajasthan in 2018. The department also searched a luxury hotel whose shareholder is one R K Sharma. The ED is also probing Sharma on charges of alleged violation of forex laws related to remittance of over Rs 96 crore from Mauritius. The ED had also questioned some people in this case few days back, they said. Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala targeted Prime minister Narendra Modi, Union Home minister Amit Shah for the Income Tax raids on the premises of some people linked to the Congress in Rajasthan. He charged that the Income Tax department, Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation are the BJP's frontal departments, but asserted that such raids will not topple the government Amidst the crisis in Rajasthan, the Congress had on Sunday dispatched two of its senior leaders as central observers to Jaipur to talk to its MLAs. China said Monday that it will ban entry to Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) over their criticisms of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, AP reports. The big picture: The move seems to be retaliatory after the U.S. announced sanctions on four Chinese officials for human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in the region last week. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and the Trump administration's ambassador for international religious freedom Sam Brownback were also targeted. There was no indication any of the four planned to travel to China. What they're saying: "Xinjiang affairs are Chinas internal affairs and the U.S. has no right to interfere in them," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters, per the Washington Post. 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 22:19:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANOI, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam reported no new cases of COVID-19 infection on Monday, with its total confirmed cases remaining at 372 with zero deaths so far, according to its Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, as many as 350 patients in the country have recovered from the disease, said the ministry. Vietnam has recorded no local transmission for 88 straight days while there are nearly 11,300 people being quarantined and monitored in the country, Vietnam News Agency reported. Enditem Curis Digital - Digital Marketing For Healthcare Practices In a time where precise messaging, strategic content and more dialed-in marketing tactics is needed more than ever. Curis Digital will provide that hands-on and enhanced level of service. Philadelphia Digital Marketing Powerhouse Media Components Launches Curis Digital, a full-service Brand Strategy and Digital Marketing company focusing on HomeCare Agencies, Dental and Medical Spas and Aesthetic Practices. Having an already robust portfolio of clients within the Greater Philadelphia area in these categories made our decision to expand services for their growing needs much easier, said Denis Sinelnikov, President and Founder of Media Components. In a time where precise messaging, strategic content and more dialed-in marketing tactics is needed more than ever. Curis Digital will provide that hands-on and enhanced level of service, continued Sinelnikov. Being an entrepreneur requires expertise, business savvy and a keen insight to grow an enterprise, but the reality is that the most intrepid and well-intentioned owners and doctors are typically expert in one thing their own area of specialization. Curis Digital is just the partner that every healthcare practitioner needs to identify their key market segments, engage them, then convert new business in todays new marketplace, said Rocco Iacobellis, Chief Marketing Officer of Curis. With a history of digital marketing experience to a variety of industries, Curis Digital was created from the legacy and continued success of its parent company Media Components who has been delivering full-service brand strategy and digital marketing solutions for over 20 years. Curis means healthcare in Latin and as such, the perfect defining name of this organization. Today, healthcare practices can look to Curis Digital for brand strategy consulting, website development, social media, SEO|SEM, video production and expert content development. For more information about how Curis Digital can help your practice grow and profit, check us out at CurisDigital.com or contact us at (215) 396-3307. It's never too late to gain a winning edge! Well get back to your inquiry as well on info@curisdigital.com Company Social Media Links: https://www.linkedin.com/company/curisdigital/ https://www.instagram.com/curisdigital/ https://www.facebook.com/curisdigital/ https://www.twitter.com/curisdigital/ Address: Curis Digital 67 Buck Road Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006 After the 22nd China-EU Summit held late last month, the EU leaders told the press that they had expressed concerns to China about disinformation and said that they know the origin of cyberattacks against EU hospitals, alluding to China. Some journalists then asked for the evidence, but the EU failed to offer a definite reply, provoking a barrage of criticisms. As a researcher on China-EU relations, I was caught by big surprise. Normally, the annual China-EU Summit is an occasion where leaders of the two sides engage in strategic communication. Due to the time limit and broad agenda, the conversation is usually focused on major issues concerning the interests of China, the EU and the international community. It is rather abrupt to bring up the issue of disinformation. The European Union flags in front of EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. [Photo/Xinhua] It is worth noting what is happening behind the scenes. From the recent EU comments and reports, it is clear that the EU is trying to make disinformation a new source of tension between China and the EU, adding a new footnote to justify what it calls a systemic rival. There are at least three loopholes in the EUs accusations against China. First, the EU seems to define disinformation according to its own likes and dislikes rather than scientific, objective and impartial criteria. Some examples given by the EU are quite far-fetched. For instance, the EU perceives it as disinformation that Chinese media report that the strict containment measures adopted by the Chinese government helped prevent 7 million infections. The irony is that the conclusion is actually the result of a joint study by scientists from China, the U.S. and the UK published in Nature. What the Chinese media did was simply citing the study. It is far from being objective and fair to label information recognizing the Chinese governments response efforts as disinformation. Second, the EU is barking up the wrong tree. Anyone with a fair mind is clear-eyed who is the biggest producer and disseminator of disinformation about the pandemic. The top leader of a superpower, referring to COVID-19 as Kung Flu, said that the virus was from a Chinese laboratory, and even claimed that drinking bleach could kill the virus. The EU turned a deaf ear to such absurd comments and labeled Chinese diplomats rebuttal as disinformation. This is apparently applying double standards. Third, the EU is abusing the concept of disinformation. As WHO pointed out, we are fighting not only a pandemic but also an infodemic and solidarity is the only way out. The EU describes Chinas media coverage on the pandemic as a threat to democracy. Obviously, the EUs concept of disinformation has an ideological and political tinge. This would only undermine efforts to fight real disinformation and do harm to the global cooperation against the pandemic. In addressing the outbreak, there are differences arising within the EU. It is quite understandable. After all, this is an unprecedented global crisis that poses challenges to all countries in the world. The EUs efforts to strengthen solidarity deserve due credit. Yet as we will eventually prevail over the pandemic, for European integration to advance steadily in the long term, the EU must spend more time on self-reflection and reform, instead of complaining about and blaming others. Creating a false rival by hyping up disinformation may help divert attention and give a temporary vent to internal pressure in the EU, but it will come at the price of support and cooperation from the EUs global partners, making it even more difficult for Europe to cope with global challenges and the real rivals such as the pandemic, climate change, and protectionism. The opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to People's Daily Online. Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the Institute of Strategic Studies at the Chinese Academy of International Studies. PARIS - Amid pervasive backsliding on social distancing, Britain has made masks mandatory in shops and France is weighing whether to require people to wear them in public places. Scientists say the two countries governments should have done so ever since they started easing lockdowns like many other European nations did instead of exposing their populations to the risk of infections from mass dance parties and summer vacationers who think theres no longer anything to worry about. Whether to make masks mandatory isnt just a matter of debate in the United States, where infection rates are still climbing fast. After weeks of prevarication and days of confused messaging, British Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government said Monday that masks will be required in stores starting July 24. Johnsons office said growing evidence that wearing a face covering in an enclosed space helps protect individuals and those around them from coronavirus. Those who flout the law can be fined up to 100 pounds ($125) by the police. Critics had accused Johnsons government of failing to provide clarity on mask-wearing in the days since he began backtracking on its previous advice that suggested face covers were not necessary. After the prime minister then was photographed wearing one in a shop, government ministers appeared on TV urging personal choice in the mask issue. Meanwhile, Frances government said Monday its considering requiring masks in all indoor public places amid signs of a small rise in confirmed virus cases and a big drop in public vigilance. French scientists have pushed for such a requirement in recent days as families crisscross the country for summer vacations, but the government has remained cautious. Local mayors have already started requiring masks, notably in the Mediterranean city of Nice, where images of thousands of people dancing at an outdoor DJ performance this weekend provoked nationwide concern. Elsewhere in Europe, where the virus curve largely flattened out months ago, most governments made masks mandatory as soon as they started reopening their economies, requiring their use in shops and other indoor public spaces and on public transportation. Some nations have imposed mask requirements as new outbreaks emerged in recent days or weeks. Britain and France, which have reported some of the worlds highest numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths, had taken a more relaxed attitude, recommending masks but not requiring them. At least until now. As the virus comes down in incidence and we have more and more success, I think face coverings are a kind of extra insurance we can all use to stop it coming back and stop it getting out of control again, Johnson said. To be absolutely clear, I do think that face coverings do have a real value in confined spaces and I do think the public understands that. Mask requirements could help the government get the country back on track from the severe downturn in March and April alone, the U.K. economy shrank 25%. Many economists think unemployment could more than double to over 3 million this year, levels last seen in the 1980s. Speaking with reporters during a visit to the London Ambulance Service, Johnson said people should start to think about getting back to work if their employers have made their workplaces safe against the coronavirus. In France, restaurants, schools and many businesses reopened weeks ago. While mask use and social distancing were relatively widespread during the countrys strict home confinement period and initially after it ended, many French people have since returned to the old normal forgoing masks, resuming cheek-kissing and gathering in crowded cafes. While scientists were divided on mask use early in the pandemic, new knowledge about the virus has changed that. A number of new studies and systematic reviews have persuaded most researchers and public health officials that they should be worn, including those who were skeptical a few months ago. Growing evidence on potential airborne transmission of the virus adds to the case for face coverings, University of Edinburgh public health professor Linda Bauld said. Suggesting it is good manners to wear one is insufficient. In the streets of Paris, many but not all welcomed the idea of requiring masks. The French government shouldve made it mandatory indoors right away like in neighbouring Spain and Italy, said 50-year-old Paulo Lorenzo, who says he usually wears a mask when he leaves the house. Now its going to be a bit complicated. However, Tiago Rodriguez, 23, thinks wearing a mask should be a personal choice. We shouldnt be forced to wear something if we dont feel comfortable with it or if we have trouble breathing, he said. ___ Kirka reported from London. Arno Pedram in Paris and reporters around Europe contributed. HK 'needs more tests' to control third wave of pandemic Global Times By Yang Sheng and Zhang Hui Source: Global Times Published: 2020/7/12 21:17:55 Central govt could help due to experience in Wuhan, Beijing: observer Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported 38 new COVID-19 cases as of Sunday afternoon with 30 locally transmitted and eight imported cases, bringing the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to 1,470. The head of the Hong Kong CHP warned over the weekend that this is the most serious situation for the city since the pandemic started. Observers suggested that the central government can provide meaningful assistance as the Chinese mainland has successful experience in controlling and preventing outbreaks or new waves of the pandemic in major cities with large populations like Wuhan and Beijing, and conducting more tests to cover all residents or at least specific regions is the key. Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the CHP's Communicable Disease Branch, said at a daily briefing on Sunday that 38 infections had been confirmed, including 30 local cases, and more than 20 people are still waiting to find out if they had the coronavirus. Health authorities have so far been unable to trace the source of infection in 13 of Sunday's confirmed cases, local media reported. The third wave of the pandemic in Hong Kong started last week. On Saturday, the city reported 28 more confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 16 local infections, and on Friday, there were 38 newly confirmed cases, including 32 community transmissions, after the city reported 42 cases on Thursday, the highest number in a single day the week. Chuang said at a media briefing on Saturday afternoon that "Hong Kong is facing the most serious situation" since the COVID-19 pandemic started here. Jin Dongyan, a professor at the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Hong Kong, suggested that the strain of coronavirus detected in Hong Kong may be from Europe or the US. Hong Kong is now being hit by the third wave of the coronavirus, and it experienced a second wave in late February from a strain from Europe and the US. Jin said he believes this virus may be the same strain the city saw during the second wave. According to data from Friday to Sunday, most cases reported in the new wave in Hong Kong were not imported. On Sunday, there were 8 imported cases out of 38 newly confirmed cases, followed by 12 imported infections out of 28 on Saturday and 6 out of 38 Friday. "It's probably because there were some flaws in border procedures in Hong Kong, and some patients from overseas may have brought the virus to communities which resulted in the current local transmission," Jin noted. The strain of the coronavirus detected in Hong Kong has a higher viral load but it is not causing severe symptoms, Jin said. This situation to some extent is very similar to Beijing's situation in June, which caused 335 confirmed cases and zero deaths so far, and has been controlled within a month. This has made some analysts suggest that the city could consider seeking assistance from the central government and the mainland. Victor Chan Chi-ho, vice chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Young Commentators, said "we all saw that Beijing conducted a mass testing campaign to cover millions of residents and temporarily shut down schools, bars and some markets, and put in place strict quarantine measures." According to Beijing municipal authorities on July 6, more than 11 million people were tested in a month, and as of Saturday, Beijing has no new cases for six straight days. The HKSAR government has not undertaken widespread community testing due to the shortage of testing capability, and Chan suggested that the HKSAR government could consider asking for help from the central government to send experts and more medical materials, including testing kits, to Hong Kong. Hung Kam-in, convenor of the City Think Tank of Hong Kong, said this could be an opportunity for the central government to show its care for Hong Kong people's livelihoods and its significant role in protecting Hong Kong in every aspect, especially after the enactment of the national security law for Hong Kong. However, Jin said there is no need to roll out citywide nucleic acid testing or for the medical help from the Chinese mainland yet, as Hong Kong has sufficient medical resources to deal with the third wave of the coronavirus. The HKSAR government's Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan said on Saturday that the HKSAR government is trying to trace all confirmed cases and their contacts, and is working on testing certain groups such as staff at eldercare homes, taxi drivers and catering staff, Xinhua reported. "We have also tightened social distancing measures," Chan said. "After we have continuously assessed the situation, we do not preclude that there will be other measures." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address These parallels have led Dr. Timms to argue that koalas could serve as a missing link in the search for a human vaccine. The koala is more than just a fancy animal model, he said. It actually is really useful for human studies. An ancient curse No one knows how or when koalas first got chlamydia. But the curse is at least centuries old. In 1798, European explorers reached the mountains of New South Wales and spied a creature that defied description: ear-tufted and spoon-nosed, it peered down stoically from the crooks of towering eucalyptus trees. They compared it to the wombat, the sloth and the monkey. They settled on native bear and gave it the genus name Phascolarctos (from the Greek for leather pouch and bear), spawning the misconception that the koala bear is, in fact, a bear. The graveness of the visage, The Sydney Gazette wrote in 1803, would seem to indicate a more than ordinary portion of animal sagacity. In the late 19th century, the Australian naturalist Ellis Troughton noted that the quaint and lovable koala was also particularly susceptible to disease. The animals suffered from an eye ailment similar to pink eye, which he blamed for waves of koala die-offs in the 1890s and 1900s. At the same time, the anatomist J.P. Hill found that koalas from Queensland and New South Wales often had ovaries and uteruses riddled with cysts. Many modern scientists now believe those koalas were probably afflicted with the same scourge: chlamydia. Koalas today have even more to worry about. Dogs, careless drivers and, recently, rampant bushfires have driven their numbers down so far that conservation groups are calling for koalas to be listed as endangered. But chlamydia still reigns supreme: In parts of Queensland, the heart of the epidemic, the disease helped fuel an 80 percent decline over two decades. The disease is also the one that most often sends koalas to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, the countrys busiest wildlife hospital, located 30 miles north of Endeavour. The figures are 40 percent chlamydia, 30 percent cars, 10 percent dogs, said Dr. Rosemary Booth, the hospitals director. And then the rest is an interesting assortment of what trouble you can get into when you have a small brain and your habitats been fragmented. Through mayors' offices and Neighborhood Watch groups, we've heard homeowners and other property owners voice frustration that fruit trees an Read more DripAssist was designed to simplify the measurement and monitoring of gravity administered IV infusions by providing a lightweight, continuous digital readout of infusion rate, with 99% accurate drop detection. This compact device easily attaches to an IV set drip chamber and features an optional audio-visual alert to inform caregivers when required. DripAssist can run for 360 hours on a single AA battery, and functions with any tubing size and most IV drip sets for near-universal compatibility. "We are extremely pleased to add this technology platform to our initial portfolio for IV infusion administration, since DripAssist connects the inherently lower pressure mechanism of gravity infusion with the accuracy of infusion pump flow rate monitoring," said Hometa President & CEO, Jeff Hover. "Hometa is an ideal partner to accelerate commercialization of DripAssist. They have a rapidly growing portfolio of products to address home-based infusion care, which DripAssist complements," said Koji Intlekofer, CTO and co-founder of Shift Labs. DripAssist fills a unique role in the delivery of essential infusion therapies to manage acute and chronic illnesses. Until now, most potent medications have been provided by electronic pump, and while efficient, these pumps have drawbacks that constrain wider adoption in non-hospital settings. DripAssist has been deployed in over 200 healthcare settings, from military field settings to outpatient infusion-care settings throughout America. "We're delighted to launch this partnership. Our work with Hometa puts much of North and South America in the experienced hands of Hometa's team, which allows our engineers to focus on our core mission of accelerating healthcare equity while also building partnerships in Europe and the global health community," says Shift Labs CEO Beth Kolko, "Koji and I built Shift Labs because we believe there is a significant opportunity to develop new, innovation-driven, yet affordable and accessible medical devices that address healthcare inequalities and provide best-in-class care to patients worldwide, regardless of where they seek care. For infusions without pumps, the practice of counting and converting drops to total volume is tricky, time consuming and prone to error. DripAssist simplifies this step by providing continuous electronic monitoring for infusions." The partnership is effective immediately, with Hometa taking over DripAssist manufacturing and commercialization activities for most of the Americas. The two organizations will partner to develop future generations of the device which will add wireless communication and infusion rate control capabilities. Visit Hometa.com for more information about this partnership. Visit shiftlabs.com for more information about DripAssist globally. For more about Hometa: Cabrina McGinn [email protected] For more about Shift Labs: Beth Kolko [email protected] SOURCE Hometa Related Links hometa.com - The Bank of Ghana is ready to pre-finance unpaid salaries of former employees of defunct savings and loans companies - This was announced by the government-appointed reciever, Eric Nana Nipah - According to Nipah, payments would begin from 13 July Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in YEN.com.gh has learned that the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has agreed to pre-finance the unpaid salaries of former employees of 347 defunct microfinance and 23 savings & loans firms. The BoG has also agreed to exit packages for the same groups of people as well as finance houses. The details of the package were shared by the government-appointed receiver, Eric Nana Nipah. Eric Nana Nipah Source: The Independent Ghana Source: UGC READ ALSO: IES gives reasons for the call for Africa's transition to renewable energy Per a report by citibusinessnews.com, Nipah explained that the move is to help alleviate the economic impact of the coronavirus on individuals and businesses. Nipah further indicated that from Monday, 13 July, his office would begin consultations with approved representatives of the former employees. The decision, he noted, would make clear the process of payment, which is set to begin on Monday. He added that only former employees who have been validated would be given outstanding salaries and exit packages. In other news, the Coalition of Aggrieved Customers of Menzgold has called on their members to go out to register in the ongoing voters' registration exercise. According to them, the government has played a key role in enhancing their challenges and, as such, it is important to vote them out of power on 7 December. The coalition reminded its members that the power to change the government rests with them and it is therefore important that they exercise their rights to vote. READ ALSO: COVID-19: Government to support the manufacturing sector for economic revival 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: Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos, or videos Source: YEN.com.gh David McGoldrick has become the latest Premier League star to reveal the vile racist abuse he has received on social media. The Sheffield United star follows in the footsteps of Wilfried Zaha, who on Sunday posted the messages he was sent on Instagram, with a 12-year-old boy later being arrested by police. McGoldrick wrote '2020 and this is life' alongside the screenshot, which showed the message sent directly to him by a user called 'mma_notorious_mma'. David McGoldrick has revealed the sickening racist abuse he was sent on Instagram this week McGoldrick scored twice for Sheffield United in their win over Chelsea on Saturday afternoon McGoldrick (with Tammy Abraham on Saturday) wrote '2020 and this is life' alongside his post The disgusting abuse reads: 'You f****** dirty n*****. Your n***** life defo doesn't matter. F*** you ya bold c*** WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOU PLAYED MANURE [Manchester United] YOU F****** S*** APE.' In a statement to Sportsmail on Monday morning, Sheffield United said: 'As a club we will support David McGoldrick and will do all we can to find the perpetrator of the disgusting message posted on social media. 'We will work with the Premier League and all the relevant authorities to ensure the person behind this post is brought to justice.' The sickening racist message follows McGoldrick's stunning two-goal performance against Chelsea on Saturday, which helped Sheffield United to a dominant 3-0 win. McGoldrick's outing of the racist message on social media comes 24 hours after Crystal Palace star Zaha did the same. On Sunday morning, Zaha posted a message on social media with the caption 'woke up to this today'. Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha has also been subjected to racist abuse on his Instagram page Zaha was sent a series of disgusting images and two messages ahead of his game at Villa Park In two messages Zaha was told 'you better not score tomorrow you black c***' before the poster added 'or I'll come to your house dressed as a ghost'. The poster, who later sent an apology to Zaha in a caption of a photo of Aston Villa players taking a knee, also sent a picture of a Ku Klux Klan gathering, to underline the threat, and another displaying an edited version of a box of cornflakes, instead carrying the words 'c***flakes' and displaying a man with his face blacked up. West Midlands Police confirmed a 12-year-old from Solihull has been arrested as part of their investigation. The Premier League are looking into the incident as part of their discriminatory abuse system. The 12-year-old boy later appeared to apologise to Zaha under the guise of a new account In response to the arrest, the PFA said: 'The posts sent to @wilfriedzaha ahead of today's game were sickening and abhorrent. Players continue to be the target of relentless abuse online. 'While we're satisfied that the offender has been arrested, the fact a 12-year-old would send such material is deeply troubling. Incidents, such as this, only strengthen the case for tighter regulation of social media companies. We call on the authorities to accelerate the process of appointing Ofcom as the regulator to oversee the Online Harms legislation.' - Dr Allison Adwoa Okru has successfully graduated from the Georgetown University School of Medicine in the United States - The Ghanaian doctor chalked this feat in 2020 - Dr Okru is headed to Duke University Medical Center located in North Carolina for her internal medicine residency Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana! Theres no passing week or month that one doesnt hear about Ghanaian excellence across the world. Dr Allison Adwoa Okru typifies girl power and Ghanaian excellence. She has become the latest Ghanaian woman to graduate from the Georgetown University School of Medicine in the United States of America. After years of hard work, she finally completed her degree at the prestigious, internationally renowned research university. Dr Allison Adwoa Okru / Photo credit: Instagram.com Source: Instagram READ ALSO: UK born lady moves with her boyfriend to Ghana after he was deported (video) Dr Okru is flying the flag of Ghana high across Africa and the world. Commenting about her highly laudable academic milestone, Dr Okru told the Ghana Physicians and Surgeons Foundation (GPSF) of North America that her journey was eventful. She said: Im officially Allison O. Taylor MD, MS and what a journey its been, Just as many graduating students who have been affected by the current state of the world, Dr Okru had hoped for a much better graduation. READ ALSO: She was out on the streets hungry and smelled horrible - Man on how he found his bae She added: Like the rest of my 2020 colleagues, Id always envisioned match day and graduation playing out differently, but these past few months have been a constant reminder that we make plans, but God is in control. Dr Okru is headed to Duke University Medical Center located in North Carolina for her internal medicine residency. It is one of the best hospitals in the United States of America. Slide to view photos: In another story, technology giant, IBM Corporation, has named Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh as the new regional head for their North, East, and West Africa divisions. Kyerematen-Jimoh will be responsible for IBM operations in over 40 countries in Africa, including Morocco, Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, Uganda, Ghana, and Tunisia. Until her appointment, Kyerematen-Jimoh was the chief of staff to the senior vice president in charge of global markets and sales in IBMs corporate headquarters in New York. READ ALSO: Esi Forson: Ghanaian actress boldly flaunts her 6 bedroom house, 10 taxis, and 25 plots of land (video) Faces of Ghana: 21-year-old female boxer's dream of becoming a world champion: Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our page. Source: YEN.com.gh live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Pharmaceutial company Cipla has said that it has ramped up its capacity and that of its partner network to address the growing demand for antiviral drug Remdesivir used for patients hospitalised with COVID-19 disease on oxygen support. "Our first batch of Remdesivir vials was supplied to hospitals and distributors across India, especially in the regions with high burden of COVID-19 cases. However given the spike in cases, the demand has increased manifold," the company said in a statement. "We expect this demand-supply gap to normalised in the next few weeks," the statement added. Cipla has partnered with BDR Pharma for API supplies and Sovereign Pharma for finished dosages. Sovereign Pharma told Moneycontrol earlier that it has capacity to up to 95,000 vials per month. Cipla launched Remdesivir under brand name Cipremi at Rs 4000 per vial. A patient would need five vials of the drug. 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 Along with Remdesivir, another drug Tocilizumab that Cipla markets under licensing pact with Swiss pharma company Roche is also seeing huge demand, and shortages in the market. India has reported close 8.5 lakh cases, and 22,674 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins COVID-19 tracker. There are 3 lakh active cases, of which at least 20 percent need oxygen, or fit cases for receiving Remdesivir. The cases are rising by a little over 25,000 on a daily basis. Currently there are not enough stocks available in the market, and the black market is thriving for both the drugs. The government jumped into action, and asked local drug regulators to take stringent action against anyone who is selling the drug in the black market. Equitable distribution To ensure equitable distribution and quick treatment remediation for patients, Cipla said that it is working with the regulatory authorities to restrict the supply of the drugs only to hospital channels and especially for those regions with a high burden of severe COVID-19 cases. The company has made available a state-wise list of these hospitals on its website where the drug is available. Cipla has also launched a dedicated 24x7 helpline (8657311088) and email channel (info.availability@cipla.com) to support patient access to these critical drugs exclusively during this pandemic outbreak. In case the call is unanswered, the number will be call back. If patients face difficulty in connecting, they can email their requirement on info.availability@cipla.com and Cipla's team will revert soon. "Our support team will guide the patients, doctors, chemists etc, with the name and address of the authorised suppliers in their area," Cipla said. Since its launch, Cipla said the helpline has been inundated with calls, even as it is scaling up capacity and responding to all queries. "We understood this is a difficult time and it is our committment to all that each one of us at Cipla will do everything in our capacity to help alleviate this pain and suffering," Cipla said. Hetero Healthcare and Mylan are two other companies that have approvals for Remdesivir. Hetero was the first to launch the drug. The company is also running an enquiry webpage to facilitate patients in need of Remdesivir. July 13 : The news of Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan along with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and daughter Aaradhya Bachchan testing COVID-19 positive sent shock waves in the film industry. While Big B and Abhishek are receiving treatment for mild symptoms in a hospital, it is reported that all their shoot schedules have been postponed. My father and I remain in hospital till the doctors decide otherwise. Everyone please remain cautious and safe. Please follow all rules! Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) July 12, 2020 While Amitabh Bachchan was supposed to start shooting for Kaun Banega Crorepati, it is reportedly been postponed till September. Amitabh Bachchan also has a couple of films lined up for completion. Abhishek, on the other hand, was supposed to resume shooting for his upcoming film The Big Bull in July end or early August. However, its producer Anand Pandit told a daily that the makers will now push the shoot to a later date. Till now, the October release of The Big Bull stands unchanged, as Anand Pandit said that the post-production work will be expedited to meet the release date. Abhishek had also planned to resume shoot for Sujoy Ghoshs film Bob Biswas in Kolkata this August. However, now the shoot will have to postpone till the monsoon ends. Only a weeks shoot was left for the film. Meanwhile, while BMC workers sanitised Bachchans four bungalows and sealed them, 10,000 fans of the megastar Amitabh Bachchan chanted Maha Mrityunjay Mantra and performed havan at a temple in Mumbai for the speedy recovery of the Bachchan family. CBSE 12th Result 2020 has been declared by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal announced on twitter. The CBSE result 2020 class 12 pass percentage has increased by 5.38 percent to 88.78 percent this year. Last year, the overall passing percentage was 83.40 percent. CBSE will not announce any merit list for the class 12 examination. The Trivandrum region recorded the highest pass percentage at 97.67 whereas the lowest pass percentage was recorded at 74.57 in the Patna region. The board has announced the results on the basis of an alternate assessment scheme after the pending exams were cancelled in view of the spike in COVID-19 cases. As per the four-pointer scheme, marks have been awarded on basis of marks scored by a student in his or her best performing subjects, a senior board official told news agency PTI. Students can check their results at the official website cbseresults.nic.in. However, the website was temporarily down likely due to server load. Also, CBSE result 2020 Class 12 of 400 students could not be computed as per the decided assessment scheme. Their results to be announced later, the Board said. Also Read: Complete list of websites, apps where you can check CBSE Result 2020 Girls outshone boys in CBSE class 12 examination this year as well, as they recorded a 5.96 percent higher pass percentage than boys. The passing percentage of boys is 86.19, while that of girls is 92.15. Here are the websites and apps where CBSE 12th Result 2020 will be available to you: http://cbseresults.nic.in/: This is a CBSE website for exam results. To check the results here, students need to log in using their roll number. The website is designed and hosted by National Informatics Centre (NIC) eCounselling Division and the contents are provided by the CBSE. It archives result from 2004. http://results.gov.in/: This is an alternate website to check the results of all exams held in India, including CBSE Class 10 and 12 examinations. SMS organiser app In case a student is unable to access the results in time due to internet connectivity issues or the website crashing due to load on the servers once the results are out, he or she can download it from Microsoft SMS Organiser app. A student can register on this app and get scores on SMS. This feature is completely offline, which means he or she does not need an internet connection to get results or log in to any website. DigiLocker DigiResults is an initiative of CBSE, Government of India in partnership with DigiLocker, a Digital India Initiative. Students, who appeared in the exam, can access their CBSE results instantly on their mobile devices using this app. DigiResults is a free software application from the Teaching and Training Tools subcategory, part of the Education category. The app is currently available in English and can be installed on Android. The Board will provide digital academic documents of students, including mark sheets, migration certificate and passing certificate through its own academic repository Parinam Manjusha, which is integrated with DigiLocker at digilocker.gov.in. The DigiLocker account credentials are sent to students via SMS on their mobile number registered with CBSE. As students may not be able to go to schools to check their results this year, they can check their results online on the Boards official websites. Alternatively, CBSE will also provide the results through SMS and on various other apps. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Eisya A. Eloksari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 13, 2020 14:18 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665ea47a 1 Business executive-column,startup,Sequoia,Sequoia-Capital-India,Surge-03,Indonesia,COVID-19 Free Starting or managing a business during the COVID-9 pandemic is a challenging task as many companies, including Indonesian and global start-ups, have been pushed to permanent closure. Several unicorns and decacorns have had to lay off employees to streamline business and survive the pandemics impacts. The Jakarta Posts Eisya A. Eloksari interviewed Sequoia Capital India managing director Rajan Anandan via email on June 22 and discussed ways start-ups can survive the hard times, as well as the future potential in the start-up scene in Indonesia and Southeast Asia post-pandemic. Sequoia Capital India manages start-up acceleration program Surge, which trains several Indonesian early-stage startups. Question: How has the pandemic affected Sequoia Capital Indias investment and accelerator program? Even though our current accelerator program, Surge, is being conducted entirely online, the level of engagement we have seen from Surge start-ups has been incredible to witness. The pandemic has not affected the programs mission to rapidly scale-up participating companies. Even in the current situation, Surge is still actively seeking mission-driven founders from across the region who are going after a large opportunity in their markets. Surge is committed to investing between US$1 million and $2 million in all technology-enabled start-ups, such as in agriculture technology, direct-to-consumer brands, education technology (ed-tech), e-commerce and telemedicine, among other things. What are some of the key metrics Sequoia will be looking at while evaluating which start-up to invest in during this time? Metrics are important if a business has already launched but a lot of seed-stage companies focus is entirely on the founding team and the size of the market they are addressing as they may not have user or business metrics at the time Surge partners with them. Founder-market fit is important as we want to know which founding team has the unique ability to win in a particular market. On market size, we try to deeply understand whether the market is big enough to build a very large business. For companies that have already launched, Surge looks for early signs of customer love such as through early user feedback, product reviews and customer retention. Surge is currently looking at companies that are building for a post-COVID world such as in e-commerce and the remote work and collaboration sector. We believe they will be resilient in the near to medium term as they will be positively impacted in the long term due to faster digitization. What kind of start-ups do you project will have higher growth and which ones will be impacted negatively by COVID-19? Ed-tech has been one of the industries that has seen a significant change in growth trajectories across the world. Digital health, e-commerce - especially online grocery, online food delivery and cloud food brands, are all examples of this. Industries that are largely offline, dependent on physical proximity or focused on travel, are all adversely affected and we are already seeing that happening. International travel, hospitality, offline retail, offline events are not going to be the same again for a long time. Startups in these types of industries will all need to find ways to reimagine their businesses. What is your advice to existing start-ups, as well as to those that plan to commence operations, to survive in times of crisis? Throughout history, some of the best companies have been formed during the toughest times. Existing startups should first focus on ensuring they have enough runway to last into the next year. Then, they will need to reimagine all aspects of their business for a post- COVID world. If they get that right, they will come out of this stronger than ever. I believe innovative, lean, agile startups will be built during the next 12-18 months. If a start-up is in a sector that has been deeply impacted, they will need to consider changing many aspects of their business be it in the way they sell, marketing spending or where they can find new customers. If the start-up has enough runway, it should even consider completely changing its industry of focus. Founders need to deeply think through how the consumer and buying behavior is likely to change because of COVID-19 and evolve accordingly. For those who are planning to start from scratch, make sure that your product or service is a must-have something that is addressing a real problem and one that can be solved at scale for a large segment of the market. How does Sequoia see the start-up potential in Southeast Asia in the coming years? We are seeing a rising interest in entrepreneurship because of success stories of SEAs start-ups. The first generation of entrepreneurs from unicorns such as Gojek and Tokopedia have paved the way for a new wave of founders who are willing to take risks and are not afraid to chart their own journeys. A decade ago, Southeast Asia did not have any unicorns; today the ecosystem has evolved tremendously and the region now has more than 10 unicorns, including four from Indonesia. The region has also seen exponential growth over the past few years. Today, there is over $6.5 billion invested in SEA by venture capital firms, six-fold the amount in 2015. How has the start-up scene in Indonesia been the past few years and how is the current scene amid the pandemic? Over the last five years, Indonesia has been one of Southeast Asias key centers for start-up activity, in terms of the numbers of new start-ups. We see a lot of potential for start-ups that are technology-first, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly accelerating digital transformation. An example of this can be found in Indonesian start-ups in the Surge 03 cohort, such as cloud kitchen Hangry, the popularity of which has soared during the pandemic, as there has been a shift in customer behavior from dine-in to food delivery. This creates demand not only from young people but also the older segment. The fact that the start-up scene has scaled so tremendously in the last few years alone speaks volumes about the technical and entrepreneurial talent in the country. NEW DELHI - Several Indian states imposed weekend curfews and locked down high-risk areas as its coronavirus cases surge. The number of confirmed infections neared 900,000 on Monday with a record 28,701 cases reported in the past 24 hours. The total of 878,254 is behind only the United States and Brazil. The Health Ministry on Monday also reported another 500 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking Indias total reported fatalities from COVID-19 up to 23,174. The ministry said the recovery rate was continuing to improve at 63%. New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Pune are among the Indian cities witnessing a surge in infections. Several states introduced weekend curfews and announced stringent lockdowns in high-risk areas to slow infections. India imposed a national lockdown March 24 that lasted more than two months, but it has mostly reopened. In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region: Australias worst-hit Victoria state recorded fewer coronavirus cases, but a health official has warned the disease spread might yet worsen. The 177 new cases were substantially down from 273 cases on Sunday and a record 288 on Friday. Victorias Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said it was too early to say whether the lower count meant the spread was being contained. Its great its lower than our peak. But it may not be our peak yet, Sutton said. Melbourne and a part of its surrounds in Victoria returned to lockdown last week. Neighboring New South Wales state recorded a rare day in which the COVID-19 cases from community transmission outnumbered cases of infections overseas. Eight of its 14 new cases are linked to a Sydney pub while four were returning travellers diagnosed in quarantine. Thirty-two more U.S. Marines were found infected Monday with the coronavirus at a U.S. air station on the Japanese island of Okinawa, where an outbreak among American service members has grown rapidly since last week. Okinawa officials said the cases were confirmed at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, one of two bases where large clusters have been found, bringing the total to 95. Infections have been also found at three other bases 22 at Camp Hansen, one at Camp Kinser and another at Camp McTureous. Officials said movements at Futenma and Camp Hansen have been restricted and large-scale tests are being conducted. Gov. Denny Tamaki on Saturday held telephone talks with Lt. Gen. Stacy Clardy, commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force, and demanded the U.S military increase disease prevention measures, stop sending personnel from the mainland U.S. to Okinawa and seal the bases, as well as provide more transparency. Adding to concerns is the quarantining of American service members arriving from the mainland U.S. for staff rotations at an off-base hotel due to a shortage of space on the bases, officials said. Okinawa is home to more than half of about 50,000 American troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact. Many Okinawans have long complained about pollution, noise and crime related to the bases. Okinawans also oppose a planned relocation of Futenma Air Base from the current site in a densely populated area in the south to a less populated area on the east coast and want the base completely removed instead. Outside the U.S. military bases, Okinawa has reported about 150 cases of the coronavirus. Hong Kong on Monday introduced more stringent social distancing measures, banning public gatherings of more than four people and making masks compulsory on public transport as the city battles a renewed outbreak of locally transmitted coronavirus cases. Restaurants will not be allowed to offer dine-in service from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., and businesses such as fitness centres and beauty parlours will be closed for seven days. The measures take effect Wednesday. The city will also step up testing to identify asymptomatic patients. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, who announced the measures, also urged the private sector to put in place work-from-home arrangements for employees. On Monday, 41 out of 52 newly reported cases were locally transmitted, with authorities unable to trace the source for about half of them. Hong Kong has reported a total of 1,522 cases, including seven deaths. South Korea reported 62 new cases, most of them tied to international arrivals. At least 43 of the new cases were imported by travellers, although the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didnt immediately say where they were from. South Korea on Monday began requiring foreign nationals arriving from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan to provide health certificates proving they had tested negative for COVID-19 amid widening outbreaks in Southern and Central Asia. South Korea has been requiring two-week quarantines on all airline passengers arriving from abroad since April. China reported eight new cases, all of them brought from outside the country, as domestic community infections fall to near zero. No more deaths were reported and 320 patients remain in treatment, with another 117 people under isolation while being monitored for being suspected of having the virus or having tested positive for it without showing symptoms. China has reported 4,634 deaths from COVID-19 out of 83,602 cases since the virus was first detected in the city of Wuhan late last year. The CBI, which is probing the death of a father-son duo in alleged police torture in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, moved a local court here on Monday seeking custody of five accused policemen including an inspector. Principal District and Sessions Judge Hemant Kumar directed the police to produce them on Tuesday morning. The judge issued the order after CBI filed a petition seeking their custody including that of Inspector Sridhar and sub-inspectors Raghu Ganesh and Balakrishnan, for seven days. The plea would be taken up for hearing on July 14 when the police would produce the accused in the court. A CBI team led by an Additional SP is investigating the death of P Jeyaraj and his son Bennicks after they were allegedly thrashed in the Sathankulam police station in Tuticorin last month, an incident that led to a nationwide outrage. Bennicks and Jeyaraj died on June 22 and 23 respectively after their arrest on June 19 following alleged torture by some police personnel at the Sathankulam police station. They were held for alleged violation of lockdown norms. A total of 10 policemen have been arrested by the CB-CID, whom the Madras High Court had directed to probe the case till the time CBI took over, after the Tamil Nadu government transferred the investigation to the premier central agency. The Electoral Commission (EC) has registered 8,631 qualified voters during the first phase of the on-going national voters registration exercise in the Dormaa Central Constituency of the Bono Region. Out of the figure, 3,952 were males and 4,679 females, Mr Francis Owiredu, the Dormaa Central Municipal Election Officer, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Dormaa-Ahenkro. He said 4,822 applicants registered with the Ghana Card, 198 with their passports and the remaining 3,611 applicants registered by guarantors attestation. Additionally, the Municipal Election Officer said 51 people were recorded as physically challenged persons. He said every registration centre registered on the average more than 100 registrants daily and described the situation as quite impressive despite disruptions from rains and bad weather. Mr Owiredu said there were no major complaints and challenges affecting the smooth progress of the exercise. He said there is strict compliance with the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) preventive directives and safety protocols such as social and physical distancing, wearing of nose masks and hand washing with soap under running water at all the registration centres. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-12 23:28:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry on Sunday recorded 2,312 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 77,506. The new cases included 745 in the capital Baghdad, 200 in Babil, 188 in Najaf, 164 in Basra, 155 in Sulaimaniyah and 144 in Dhi Qar, the ministry said in a statement. In addition, 95 more deaths were reported during the day, raising the country's death toll from the infectious virus to 3,150, while 1,645 people recovered during the day, bringing the total recoveries to 44,724. A total of 682,632 tests have been carried out since the outbreak of the disease, with 11,154 testing kits used across the country during the past 24 hours, according to the ministry's statement. Siham al-Mosawi, a member of the parliamentary health committee, criticized the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety headed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi for its inappropriate decisions in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. "The Higher Committee for Health and National Safety lacks the scientific and professional vision to deal with the crisis of coronavirus pandemic," al-Mosawi said. "The government health institutions suffer from major problems, especially corruption and dilapidated infrastructure," she added. The Health Ministry frequently attributed the recent increase of COVID-19 infections to the lack of public compliance to the health instructions and the stronger testing capacity with the increase of labs in Baghdad and other provinces. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, Iraq has been taking measures to contain the pandemic. China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad. Since March 7, China has sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem The 1919 anti-colonial revolution was a key moment in modern Egyptian history and a defining reference point in Egyptian culture across the subsequent century Egypt 1919: The Revolution in Literature and Film by: Dina Heshmat, (Edinburgh University Press: London), 2020. 248pp The Edinburgh University Press has just released a new book on the 1919 Revolution in Egypt, which marked its centennial last year with the publication of many books studying different aspects of the events of 1919 and their impact on Egyptian history. The new book from Edinburgh University Press is entitled Egypt 1919: The Revolution in Literature and Film. Its author is an assistant professor of Arabic Literature at the American University in Cairo. The book traces portrayals of the 1919 Revolution in literary and cinematic narratives, re-examines the 1919 Revolution in light of the momentous events of 2011, and draws on theoretical approaches in memory studies to investigate the construction of 1919 as a moment of ecstatic nationalist unity. The author analyses and contextualises representations of the 1919 Revolution as narrated in a wide range of novels, films, plays, memoirs and television dramas, and provides a new analysis of canonical novels by Naguib Mahfouz and Tawfiq Al-Hakim. The 1919 anti-colonial revolution was a key moment in modern Egyptian history and a historical reference point in Egyptian culture across the century to follow. According to the description provided by the Edinburgh University Press, the author, Dina Heshmat, argues that literature and film have played a central role in the making of its memory. She highlights the processes of remembering and forgetting that have contributed to shaping a dominant imaginary about 1919 in Egypt, coined by successive political and cultural elites. As Heshmat seeks to understand how and why so many voices have been relegated to the margins, she reinserts elements into the dominant narrative. This opens up a new perspective on the legacy of 1919 in Egypt, inviting readers to meet marginalised voices of the revolution and to reconnect with its layered emotional fabric. *Dina Heshmat is the author of Cairo in Modern and Contemporary Egyptian Literature (Supreme Council of Culture in Egypt, 2007). Search Keywords: Short link: Mr Pawar said that Prime Minister Modi should consult economists and experts like Manmohan Singh to revive the economy MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said that former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and late P.V. Narasimha Rao were needed to tackle the current economic crisis. Mr Pawar said that Prime Minister Modi should consult economists and experts like Manmohan Singh to revive the economy. The NCP chief also said that China is a bigger threat to India than Pakistan referring to the growing tension at the border between India and China. To a question on Modi calling him a political guru (political teacher), Mr Pawar said there is no such thing as guru in politics. The Centre should try to put international pressure on China through negotiations and diplomatic channels, Mr Pawar said in an interview to Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana. The second of the three-part interview series was published in the Marathi daily on Sunday. When we think of an enemy, the first name that comes to our mind is that of Pakistan. But we need not worry about Pakistan. In the long term, it is China that has the power, vision and programme to act against Indian interests. China is a bigger threat to India, Mr Pawar said. By creating a picture of camaraderie, you cant resolve issues between two countries, he said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modis handshakes and hugs with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the latter's India visit. Speaking on the present state of the Indian economy, Mr Pawar said, When Manmohan Singh was the Union finance minister, he gave a new direction to the Indian economy. I was also part of that Union cabinet. I credit Mr Singh and late P.V. Narasimha Rao for the turnaround of the economy from crisis, he said. Modi should also take the help of experts. The country will support him in all the steps taken by him, he said, adding that the country needs another Manmohan Singh. The NCP chief said there is no dialogue between the Modi government and leaders of other parties. When Manmohan Singh, Pranab Mukherjee, P. Chidambaram were finance ministers, they would constantly be in touch with experts and political leaders cutting across party lines to ascertain their views on various issues facing the country. This is not happening now, he said. A view from Clwyd Souths Member of Parliament This article is old - Published: Monday, Jul 13th, 2020 Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here). Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes writes As we emerge from full lockdown in Wales, Ive continued to provide advice and support to self-isolating and shielding residents. However, Ive also started to support the many Clwyd South residents now making the return to work as well as the shops and other businesses who are re-opening, many of them for the first time in months. The safety of every Clwyd South resident remains paramount, and although it will be a while before we stop having to stock up on face masks and bottles of hand sanitiser, its right that we relax the strictest guidelines as the number of cases continues to drop across the UK. The 72nd Birthday of the NHS was a great opportunity to thank all the NHS staff and care workers who have kept us safe through the Coronavirus crisis. At the same time as I am supporting residents making the return to work, sadly, the announcement that Airbus is to reduce its workforce by 15,000 globally, and by 1,730 in the UK, has been immensely worrying for local employees. As a group of North Wales Conservative MPs, we are working closely with the UK government and Airbus representatives to do everything we can to reduce the number of jobs at risk locally. In recent days Ive started to make my first few socially distanced visits across the constituency since lockdown began. And Ive seen at first-hand the incredible effort of groups like the volunteers at the Oliver Jones Memorial Hall in Dolywern, who have served up and delivered more than 1,000 lunches to support vulnerable residents in the Ceiriog Valley, and the volunteers at the Cefn Mawr Community Social Club who are working all hours to get the Club ready for re-opening soon. Continuing the community campaign for step-free access at Ruabon station, I had a virtual meeting with Wales Office Minister, David TC Davies MP, to emphasise the importance of this vital improvement to the Ruabon community. I also hosted a virtual meeting with residents to discuss The Time Is Now a campaign for a healthy, green recovery from COVID-19 which led to a great discussion about getting more electric car charging points in Clwyd South, something I campaigned for in the general election. In the House of Commons, I was very proud to support the Domestic Abuse Bill which will strengthen protection for victims and ensure perpetrators face the full force of the law. I also voted in favour of the Immigration Bill which will end freedom of movement and enable us to introduce a fairer skills-based, points-style immigration system. I am also very pleased that the UK Government has announced the creation of a new Trade and Agriculture Commission to ensure that any future trade deals do not undermine our high food standards. I also highlighted in the House of Commons the amazing work being done by local community groups such as the Penley Rainbow Centre volunteers who are tackling loneliness amongst elderly residents by making home visits and welfare calls as well as delivering meals on wheels. And I spoke in the chamber of the Commons about how Ysgol Dinas Bran have designed and manufactured PPE for frontline health workers which was praised by the Health Secretary, Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP. Video clip of Simon and Johnny Mercer MP at Ministry of Defence Questions on 6 July 2020. Residents in Clwyd South have warmly welcomed the Chancellors recent announcement of our Plan for Jobs in Wales and across the UK, worth up to 30 billion. Having recently been elected as a Vice-Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tourism and Hospitality, I particularly welcomed the cut in VAT for the tourism and hospitality sectors and the launch of a new Eat Out to Help Out scheme. And I was very pleased to see the support for jobs for young people including the new 2 billion Kickstart Scheme. This Plan for Jobs will be a lifeline for countless people and businesses across Clwyd South. As your Member of Parliament, my team and I are always here to provide advice and support. If youre a Clwyd South constituent, you can contact me on simon.baynes.mp@parliament.uk. Please dont hesitate to get in touch if theres anything I can do to help you Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here). Michelle Williams, who was so captivating in Fosse / Verdon, has signed for a new HBO miniseries with Oscar Isaac (Show Me a Hero). The series is an adaptation of Ingmar Bergmans Scenes From a Marriage, which aired on Swedish television in 1973, consisting of six episodes. Bergman directed the original with Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson in the lead roles. Variety reports the new version is said to re-examine the shows depiction of love, hatred, desire, monogamy, marriage and divorce through the lens of a contemporary American couple. Hagai Levi (The Affair, Our Boys) will write, direct, and executive produce, with Williams and Isaac also as executive producers. Dates are yet to be announced. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 14) The lockdown in Navotas City will begin on Thursday, July 16, with the citywide re-imposition of rigorous stay-at-home restrictions. Mayor Toby Tiangco signed Executive Order TMT-038 on Monday, which will put all 250,000 Navotas City residents under strict lockdown from 5 am of July 16 to 11:59 pm of July 29. Workers residing in the city will be allowed to leave if they work outside Navotas. Similarly, nonresidents who work in the city will be allowed to enter during the lockdown period. Delivery of goods from outside the city, except for food deliveries, will be permitted. The city will start scheduling the use of quarantine pass to reduce the number of market goers with only one person per household allowed to go out. On Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays, residents of Barangays SRV, NBBS Kaunlaran, Bangkulasi, BBS, Navotas East, Sipac-Almacen, Daanghari, Tangos North, and Tanza 1 will be allowed to go out to buy food and medicine. Residents of NBBS Proper, NBBS Dagat-Dagatan, NBBN, BBN, Navotas West, San Jose, San Roque, Tangos South, and Tanza 2 will be allowed to go out for essential trips on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The city will be on total lockdown on Sundays, with all public markets shutdown for disinfection. Elderly and children under 21 are not allowed to go out except for medical emergencies. The city recorded 50 new cases on Monday, bringing the total to 576 active cases. Tiangco said the city's two isolation facilities are now full, which prompted local health officials to bring patients to government-managed quarantine centers. Navotas has recorded a total of 981 confirmed cases, with 341 recoveries and 64 deaths. Tiangco said random RT-PCR testing will be conducted during the 14-day lockdown. A genetic analysis of the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) has re-established our understanding of its population structure, aiding its conservation. The collaborative study spanning seven countries and led by the Wildlife Conservation Society and University of Bristol researchers is published in PLOS ONE. The American crocodile is widespread across the American continent (from South Florida to Venezuela, across the Greater Antilles, and from Mexico to Ecuador). Successful due to its ability to thrive within brackish and saltwater environments. Efforts to conserve the crocodile species have existed since 1975 when their status was set to vulnerable on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list. However, although conservation efforts have been put in place, the American crocodile faces further threats including habitat degradation due to coastal development. Replenishing these populations requires understanding of population structures through genetic analysis, which can elaborate on the evolution of the species distribution. Gaining more understanding on how a species has come to be distributed so widely and how populations can differentiate genetically, can inform regions how best to manage their populations. The study reflected a regional collaborative effort, where DNA sampling occurred across seven countries including Venezuela, Jamaica and Cuba. There has been ongoing discussion on how these regional populations of C.acutus are similar. However, the studys results found that populations in Northern, Central and Southern Americas and Great Antilles differed genetically. There were similarities found between Costa Rica and Jamaican populations. In Venezuela, they identified three new haplotypes, which are closely related genes that help scientists identify an origin of distribution. Researchers believe that the mating with different species could have contributed to this distribution, also known as hybridisation. Crocodiles hybridise easily, contributing to their ability to survive since the prehistoric era. Additionally, in Florida genetic analysis showed there had been a case of unintentional translocation, where the species had been moved from a different location over time. This had been flagged by previous research, where crocodiles with haplotypes from Central and South America had been transported to Florida, most likely for the pet trade, and later escaped or released into the wild by owners. By identifying these differences between regional populations of C. acutus, conservation efforts can establish population clusters which consider the populationsas independent management units that may have different needs and focuses. The study was ambitious and could not have been achieved without its global collaboration and efforts from its long list of authors. In particular, the late John Thorbjarnarson and Rafael Crespo, who dedicated their lives to this research. Lead authors, Dr Natalia Rossi and Dr Angelica Menchaca-Rodriguez from Bristol's School of Biological Sciences, stress the importance of collaborating across borders, particularly for such a widespread species. They said, We are proud of having achieved this regional effort of understanding species at a scale no single scientist could have done. Paper 'High levels of population genetic differentiation in the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)' by N Rossi et al in PLOS ONE [open access] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Arguably the dirtiest United States President in history has predictably freed the dirtiest of dirty tricksters in history. It was never a question of if President would spring his convicted campaign adviser Roger Stone. It was only a question of when and by what mechanism. Would it be by pardon, clemency or commutation? Trump chose to commute Stones 40 month sentence before he even began serving it Tuesday. Stone had been convicted by a jury on 7 counts. That conviction will stand on his record, but he will not have to serve one day of his sentence. Saturday, The Washington Post published an op-ed by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller defending the prosecution and convictions of Stone. The work of the special counsels office - its report, indictments,guilty pleas and convictions -should speak for itself. But I feel compelled to respond both to broad claims that our investigation was illegitimate and our motives were improper, and to specific claims that Roger Stone was a victim of our office... Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes. He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so. The Jury determined [Stone] lied repeatedly to members of Congress. He lied about the identity of his intermediary to WikiLeaks, He lied about the existence of written communications with his intermediary. He lied by denying he had communicated with the Trump campaign about the timing of WikiLeaks releases. He in fact updated senior campaign officials repeatedly about WikiLeaks. And he tampered with a witness, imploring him to stonewall Congress. Back in February when Stone was convicted, I reposted the cartoon below that I had first posted the year before when he was charged. I wrote about those charges and how he would be sentenced to waiting for Trumps pardon. This cartoon was first posted and published in Feb, 2019 on Cleveland.com and in The Plain Dealer. Only two Republican Senators criticized Stones commutation, Mitt Romney and Patrick Toomey. While I understand the frustration with the badly flawed Russia-collusion investigation, in my view, commuting Roger Stones sentence is a mistake. He was duly convicted of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstruction of a congressional investigation conducted by a Republican-led committee, Toomey said in a statement. Sen. Mitt Romney, who voted for Trumps impeachment, tweeted: Unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president. Stone has a tattoo of Richard Nixon on his back, now well wait to see if he gets Trump and U.S. Attorney General William Barrs faces tattooed on his back or under his thumbs. ________________________________________________________________ I will be off for the rest of this week. Thanks for reading Dear never-Trump Republicans: Would you adopt me? Im a centrist with left-leaning tendencies. I get along with cats, dogs and most libertarians. But Im best off in a political home without small children. Most of all, I dearly want President Donald Trump gone. You knowing how he got elected in the first place are best equipped to defeat him. Democrats seem to have had the good sense to make Joe Biden their candidate. Now you have to get him elected. One of Trumps bigger nightmares is the growing pack of organized anti-Trump Republican groups. The Lincoln Project is the alpha dog. Its operatives are former Republican strategists who perfected the cultural weaponry deployed against liberals for decades. They know that the hard left, though only a sliver of the Democratic Party, has thrown the most winnable of elections to the Republicans the left professes to oppose. In his book Running Against the Devil, Lincoln Project co-founder Rick Wilson brags about how campaigns for even highly flawed Republican candidates ran circles around the Democratic opposition. As for Democrats in 2016, Wilson wrote: You believed you could shame Trump and Trump voters into listening to the better angels of their nature by talking about diversity, inclusion, and liberal values. In reality, you were giving the Trump campaign fodder for the weaponized grievance machine that put him in office in the first place. Smartly, the Lincoln Project ignores liberals and goes straight for the underside of Trumps skin. Its video called Shrinking that mocks, among other things, the poor attendance at Trumps Tulsa rally, was a masterpiece in that regard. Another, #TrumpIsNotWell, taunts Trump as shaky, weak and babbling. Why isnt the press covering Trumps secretive midnight run to Walter Reed Medical Center? the ad asks, addressing the Trump base with a clever (though inaccurate) hit on the media. Mourning in America portrays a heartland of empty factories, dilapidated homes and broken people. Under the leadership of Donald Trump, our country is weaker and sicker and poorer, the voiceover says in sorrow. Americans are asking, If we have another four years like this, will there even be an America? The Lincoln Project managers were sure to have the ad aired on Tucker Carlsons Fox News program. In Betrayed, an angry ex-Navy Seal rails against Trumps nonresponse to reports of Russians paying the Taliban to kill American soldiers. Any commander in chief with a spine would be stomping the living s- out of some Russians right now, Dan Barkuff says. He calls Trump a coward and draft dodger, and in case you havent figured out the audience he is focused on, Barkuff adds in passing, Im a pro-life, gun-owning combat veteran. Fortunately, the brains behind these videos, Wilson and Lincoln Project colleagues George Conway, Steve Schmidt, John Weaver and others, are on my side this time. And they remind the people they used to campaign against that there are patriotic Republicans who still put their country above party. I dream that these never-Trump Republicans become not a third party but one of the two parties a replacement for the shabby Trump cult now called the Republican Party. They might even change their name to the Lincoln Party. The never-Trump Republicans are the true conservatives. If they were to ever gain power through a new party, I imagine there would still be a number of differences between them and me. But in the meantime, Ill fetch their slippers, sit at their feet and pray the activists leave the Washington Monument alone. You guys may not be my forever home. But if this doesnt lead to adoption, I hope youll at least foster me until Election Day. Froma Harrop is a syndicated columnist. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @FromaHarrop. Froma Harrop is a syndicated columnist. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @FromaHarrop. New Delhi: Centre has imposed anti-dumping duty on imports of steel wire rods from China to protect domestic manufacturers from cheap in-bound shipments. The Department of Revenue in a notification has recently said anti-dumping duty is being imposed for six months on import of wire road of alloy or non-alloy steel from China. The measure follows recommendation by the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) that steel wire road was being exported by China "below the normal value" and "the domestic industry has suffered material injury" because of such imports. In its September 27 finding, the DGAD also stated that "the injury has been caused by the dumped imports of the subject goods" from China. An anti-dumping duty equivalent to the difference between the landed value of steel products and USD 499 per tonne will be imposed on products exported by Minmetals Yingkou Medium Plate Co Ltd. In case of other producers, the anti-dumping duty would be the difference between the landed value and USD 538 per tonne, the notification said. State-owned Steel Authority of India, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam, Usha Martin and JSW Steel had jointly filed the application to probe the dumping of these products from China. In its findings, DGAD concluded that the product has been exported to India at "below the normal value" due to which "the domestic industry has suffered material injury". "The authority recommends imposition of provisional anti-dumping duty... so as to remove the injury to the domestic industry," DGAD had said. Imports of these steel products have drastically increased to 4,95,732 tonnes during the period of investigation (July-December 2015) from 1,60,582 tonnes in 2012-13. India has already slapped anti-dumping duty on certain cold-rolled flat steel products from four nations, including China and South Korea. While the DGAD recommends the duty to be levied, the finance ministry imposes it. For all the Latest Business News, Economy News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. SALEM, S.C. Two people have been rescued after the small float plane they were in crashed into a South Carolina lake. A man and woman were not hurt following Wednesdays accident on Lake Jocassee, Oconee County Emergency Services Deputy Chief David Owens said. They were helped from the wreckage by people who were boating nearby, he said. The crash happened just before 1 p.m. near the Jocassee Dam where the water is about 600 feet (183 meters) deep, said state Department of Natural Resources Capt. Robert McCullough, Crews worked through the night to move the plane toward shore before it would be pulled from the water, county Emergency Services Director Scott Krein said. We were able to get there quick enough, so it never sank, he said. Krein told multiple news outlets that the plane was practicing water landings and takeoffs on the lake, news outlets reported. He said the plane purposefully planned to land on the lake, but the landing and flotation devices malfunctioned and caused the plane to crash. McCullough said Wednesday it was too early to say if there was a fuel leak or damage to wildlife. Both people aboard the plane are seasoned pilots from Pickens, Krein said. Their names were not released. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash. Lake Jocassee is in South Carolina, near the borders of North Carolina and Georgia. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B has urged Ghanaians to disregard the fruitless propaganda against him by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) over his visit to some Senior High Schools in the Ashanti Region. Nana B and his team were spotted at some Senior High Schools over the weekend monitoring the voters registration exercise. But some NDC members have taken a jab at him for going to the schools amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and in view of the Presidents directive that no parent should visit their school children. The NPP National Organizer explained his reasons for being in the schools. In a statement copied to Peacefmonline.com, he said the Electoral Commission officials, Political Party representatives, and observer groups were permitted to enter the various Second Cycle institutions during the registration exercise which lasted for just two days. The NDC propagandists in a haste to unduly criticize me, ignored the vital information and directives that guided the special registration program. This further confirms the belief of many Ghanaians that the NDC doesnt like reading and of course, I cannot be responsible for their inability to read and understand, he said. "Indeed, just like all other political party representatives and officials of the Electoral Commission, I visited the Senior High Schools with accreditation from the EC as a party official. It is important to note that my actions did not in any way flout laid down rules and regulations governing the exercise. "The NDC, maybe, were reluctant to visit the registration centre obviously because of their misguided decision to obstruct SHS students from registering with their court suit, a decision that will politically haunt them," portions of the statement read. Read his full statement below: I have taken notice of the wicked propaganda engineered by the NDC over my visit to some Senior High Schools in the Ashanti Region to observe the special registration arrangement by the Electoral Commission in second cycle institutions across the Country. The NDC propagandists in a haste to unduly criticize me, ignored the vital information and directives that guided the special registration program. This further confirms the belief of many Ghanaians that the NDC doesnt like reading and of course, I cannot be responsible for their inability to read and understand. In an official statement issued by Ghana Education Service under the hand of Cassandra Twum Ampofo on the 9th of July 2020 ahead of the special registration, it was indicated that "...The schools have been directed to put in measures to ensure strict compliance with the COVID-19 health and safety protocols and it is the expectation of management of GES that officials of Electoral Commission and the political party representatives, as well as any observer groups present, will do the same during the period. From the above, it is clear that Electoral Commission officials, Political Party representatives and observer groups were permitted to enter the various Second Cycle institutions during the registration exercise which lasted for just two days. Indeed, just like all other political party representatives and officials of the electoral commission, I visited the Senior High Schools with accreditation from the EC as a party official. It is important to note that my actions did not in any way flout laid down rules and regulations governing the exercise. The NDC, maybe, were reluctant to visit the registration centre obviously because of their misguided decision to obstruct SHS students from registering with their court suit, a decision that will politically haunt them. That notwithstanding, their resort to needless propaganda is very shameful and I implore the people of Ghana to once again ignore this kind of outmoded antics. I firmly reassure the Ghanaian Youth, especially students in the various SHSs, of my unwavering commitment to pursue and defend their interests at all times. Thank You Henry Nana Boakye (Esq) (National Youth Organizer, NPP) Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video We have all heard of the smartphone and any day now, most of us will have one. Not far behind: the smart home. Writing in the latest issue ... Moscow (AFP) - Russian prosecutors on Friday demanded that a journalist be sentenced to six years in prison for allegedly justifying terrorism in a case that has drawn outrage from supporters and rights groups. Svetlana Prokopyeva is based in the northwestern city of Pskov and works for the Russian service of The US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) as a freelance contributor. She was charged with publicly justifying terrorism after she wrote a commentary about a bombing attack in 2018. Speaking from the court, a defiant Prokopyeva said the prosecution had demanded that she be sentenced to six years in prison and banned from working as a journalist for a further four years. "This is revenge for hard-hitting -- and apparently -- spot-on criticism," she told AFP. The court case has its origins in November 2018, when a 17-year-old anarchist blew himself up in the lobby of a Federal Security Service (FSB) building in Arkhangelsk in northern Russia, injuring three service members. In her opinion piece, published by the Pskov affiliate of the Echo of Moscow radio station, Prokopyeva, 40, linked the teenager's suicide bombing to the political climate under President Vladimir Putin. Nearly half a year after her commentary was published gun-toting police commandos broke into her apartment and seized her computers during a search, she said. Prokopyeva was also placed on Russia's official list of "terrorists and extremists". The journalist has denied the charges, calling them punishment for her work. - 'Cynical and cruel people' - Prokopyeva said in court she was not afraid of criticising the state. "State power that has ended up in the hands of cynical and cruel people becomes the most serious threat to people's security," she said. Without freedom of speech a crackdown on dissenting voices could get even worse, she added. "Repression is unfolding gradually," she said. "It's impossible to predict when limits on freedoms and persecution of dissent will turn into concentration camps and executions." Story continues On Monday, the court is expected to announce its verdict in the hugely controversial trial. Prokopyeva's employer said she had done the opposite of what prosecutors allege. "Svetlana's commentary was an effort to explain a tragedy," RFE/RL acting president Daisy Sindelar said in a statement. "The portrayal of her words as 'promoting terrorism' is a deliberate and politically motivated distortion aimed at silencing her critical voice, and recalls the worst show trials of one of Russia's darkest periods." - 'Dangerous precedent' - Reporters Without Borders urged Russia to throw out the case. "Svetlana Prokopyeva just did her job," said Jeanne Cavelier, head of the watchdog's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. "That would be a dangerous precedent for all the Russian journalists." In June, Human Rights Watch said that with Russian acquittal rates below 1 percent, "there is a real risk that the court could convict Prokopyeva". Journalist and activist Ilya Azar, who had urged supporters to protest against "this insane case," wrote Friday evening that he had been detained while staging a picket outside the Moscow FSB headquarters. He wrote on Telegram messenger that he was in a police van with 15 others detained at the protest, most of them journalists. Two groups that monitor detentions at protests gave a slightly higher figure of 17 detainees. Over the past few years authorities have unleashed a crackdown on critics including journalists who are increasingly squeezed by curbs on press freedoms. This week Putin, who has been in power for two decades, oversaw a controversial nationwide vote which allows him to extend his grip on power until 2036. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Haro Chakmakjian (Agence France-Presse) Nicosia, Cyprus Mon, July 13, 2020 09:48 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665d8cf9 2 Art & Culture Hagia-Sophia,Turkey,Muslim-Christian-relations,holy-sites,conversion Free Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia is to reopen for Muslim worship as a mosque after an almost nine-decade hiatus, in the latest historic tussle with Christianity over religious sites. The UNESCO World Heritage site was constructed as a cathedral during the Byzantine empire but converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. A Turkish court on Friday overturned a 1934 cabinet decision to turn Hagia Sophia into a museum, clearing the way for a July 24 reversion to its status as a mosque. The move adds to a long list of such conversions of holy sites over the centuries. The following are examples: ALGERIA Algiers' Ketchaoua Mosque was built in about 1612 and enlarged in 1794, making it one of the country's main mosques. The French, a year into their 1830-1962 colonial reign, turned it into the Catholic church of Saint Philippe. The first mass was celebrated there on December 24, 1832. In 1838, it was consecrated the Algiers Cathedral and enlarged, destroying most of the old mosque. But with Algeria's independence in 1962, Ketchaoua again became a mosque, hosting its first Friday prayer in 130 years. Since then, it has been renovated with Turkish funding. CYPRUS Selimiye mosque in northern Nicosia, originally the Roman Catholic cathedral of Saint Sophia, was the work of French masons who accompanied the Crusades. It was built in the 13th century during the reign of the Frankish Lusignan dynasty on the eastern Mediterranean island. The cathedral was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman seizure of Nicosia in 1570. Tradition has it that imams preparing to deliver the Friday sermon climbed into the minbar, or pulpit, leaning on a sword used during the conquest of the city. The finest example of Gothic architecture on the island, the Catholic cathedral of Saint Nicholas in the northeastern city of Famagusta was consecrated in the 14th century during the Lusignan period. It was transformed into Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque after the Ottoman empire captured the coastal city in 1571. EGYPT Attarine Mosque in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria was originally an octagonal church dating back to 370 and dedicated to St Athanasius, a pivotal figure in the Coptic Orthodox church. The place of worship was converted into a mosque during the Islamic invasion of the seventh century, and it is named after its location in the old spice market of Alexandria. During the Napoleonic invasion, explorers believed the tomb of Alexander The Great was buried inside the mosque in a green sarcophagus. It was renovated several times during Ottoman rule, and has been open to the public since its latest rebuilding in 1976. LEBANON The site of today's Al-Omari Grand Mosque in downtown Beirut was a Roman temple or bath site before the Byzantines built a church there. After the Islamic conquests it was converted into a mosque named after Islam's second caliph, Omar ibn al-Khattab. But when Frankish crusaders conquered Beirut in the early 12th century they turned it back into a church, before its capture in 1187 by Muslim conqueror Saladin -- who turned it back into a mosque. The crusaders then recaptured it and transformed it into a cathedral in 1197. Finally in 1291 the Mamluks captured Beirut and converted it back into a mosque, which it has remained ever since. PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES Mosques in the Palestinian West Bank town of Nablus also reflect its history throughout the Byzantine era, the Islamic conquests, the Crusades and the Mamluk period. A number are linked to Judaism and early Christianity, such as Al-Khadra, which has been a mosque since 1187 after having served as a church during the Crusades. The city's Great Mosque was originally a church built by Roman Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century. In 1186, it was converted into a mosque by the Ayyubids after Saladin's conquest. SPAIN Cordoba mosque, known as the Mezquita, in Spain's southern region of Andalusia was the holiest site of Muslim worship in the West during the Umayyad caliphate of the 10th and 11th centuries. It has been a Catholic site since the Christian reconquest of the city in 1236, after which a cathedral was built inside the building. Regarded as one of the finest monuments of Moorish architecture, the mosque-cathedral was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1984. SYRIA The Umayyad mosque in the Old City of Damascus is one of the holiest places of worship in Islam. It is located on the site of a temple of Jupiter which Roman Emperor Theodosius I transformed into a church in the fourth century. It became a mosque in the seventh century and contains the shrine of John the Baptist, who is revered by both Muslims and Christians. Two Azerbaijani soldiers killed in clashes with Armenian forces on border Iran Press TV Sunday, 12 July 2020 4:51 PM Two Azerbaijani soldiers have been killed in an armed conflict with Armenian forces in the border region. The incident occurred after Armenian army fired at Azerbaijan's positions from its northeastern Tavush region, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. "Two Azerbaijani servicemen were killed and five more wounded," the statement said, adding that Armenia's "offensive" was met with a "counterstrike." Shushan Stepanyan, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, accused the Azerbaijani army of launching an attack using artillery fire in an attempt to capture Armenian positions. "They were repulsed, suffering losses in manpower. There were no casualties among Armenian servicemen." Sunday's clashes erupted in the wake of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's raising the specter of a fresh war with Armenia and denouncing the long-stalled Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. Commenting on the incident, Aliyev said, "Armenia's military adventure is aimed at dragging into the conflict the military-political organization of which it is a member," referring to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). He further accused Yerevan of military buildup along the border and of "regularly" shelling civilian targets in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has been engaged in a dispute with Armenia over Karabakh an Azerbaijani territory seized by Armenian separatists in a bloody war in the 1990s. Some 30,000 people were killed in the conflict, which ended with a fragile truce in 1994. The two former Soviet republics are still technically at war and have yet to reach a permanent peace agreement on the issue. Since then, international mediators have been working to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in the Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan has announced the reopening of transit trade between its western neighbor, Afghanistan, and eastern neighbor, India, through its territory and land borders. The July 13 announcement, if followed by consistent steps to facilitate trade among the three countries, could prove a major step toward free trade. But many hurdles prevent the three South Asian neighbors from tapping into their collective economic potential. "Basically, the government of Afghanistan has requested that we try to facilitate their trade in terms of Afghanistan's exports to India through the [eastern] Wagah border [crossing point]," Pakistani Foreign Office spokeswoman Aisha Farooqi told Radio Mashaal from Islamabad on July 13. A foreign ministry statement said Pakistan has decided to resume Afghan exports through the Wagah border crossing from July 15, after implementing COVID-19 related protocols. We have already restored bilateral trade and Afghan transit trade at all border crossings, Mohammad Sadiq, the Pakistani prime ministers special representative for Afghanistan, tweeted on July 13. "With this step, Pakistan has fulfilled its commitments under Pakistan-Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA)," the foreign ministrys statement added. Concluded in 2010, the APTTA required Islamabad to provide Afghan traders access to India via the Wagah border crossing near the eastern city of Lahore. Islamabad, however, is still not willing to permit Indian goods to be sent back to Afghanistan on the trucks that deliver Afghan cargo. Disagreements between Islamabad and Kabul have left the latter to look for alternative trade and transit routes to break free from its landlocked status. In March, Pakistan closed its more than 2,500-kilometer border with Afghanistan because of the coronavirus pandemic. By late June, Islamabad reopened three major border crossings with Afghanistan. But problems along the border remain. Pakistani and Afghan drivers recently complained of bribes, long delays, and harassment by police and transport union officials at the main border crossing of Torkham, which connects the northwestern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Nangarhar Province in the east. Nearly 900 kilometers south of Torkham, the border crossing in Chaman connects Pakistans southwestern Balochistan Province with the southern Afghan province of Kandahar. In a monthlong sit-in in the dusty town, traders and activists are protesting border restrictions. They are demanding a complete reopening of the border to restore unrestricted trade and travel between the two regions. Trade through Chaman provides livelihoods to tens of thousands on both sides of the border. Chaman and Torkham are the main border crossings among 18 potential trade routes between the two Muslim neighbors. Their bilateral relations have been clouded by mutual accusations of supporting Islamist and nationalist militants fighting against their neighbor. Two Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists, including a Pakistani, were killed while a woman was injured during a gun battle between the ultras and security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, police said. IMAGE: An army soldier takes position near encounter site in Sirhama Anantnag district south Kashmir. Photograph: ANI Photo One of the slain terrorists has been identified as Nasir alias Shahbaz alias Baz Bai, a police spokesman said, adding he is a Pakistan resident and an 'A' category militant. The identity of the other terrorist is yet to be ascertained. Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation early Monday in Srigufwara area of Anantnag district, the spokesman said. After the presence of terrorists was ascertained, the terrorists were given an opportunity to surrender but they fired indiscriminately at the joint search party, which retaliated. A woman suffered gunshot injuries in the firing by militants and she was shifted to a hospital for treatment where her condition was stated to be stable, he said. In the ensuing encounter, the two terrorists affiliated with JeM were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter, the spokesman said. Arms and ammunition and other incriminating material were recovered from the site of the encounter. In view of the COVID-19 situation, the bodies of the terrorists would be sent to Baramulla for the last rites after conducting medico-legal formalities including the collection of their DNA, the spokesman said. Family members of the terrorists can come forward for their identification and participation in the last rites at Baramulla, the spokesman added. Reliance Industries (RIL) and Jio Platforms announced that Qualcomm Ventures, the investment arm of Qualcomm Incorporated, an industry leader in wireless technologies, has committed to invest upto Rs 730 crore in Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of Rs 5.16 lakh crore. Qualcomm Ventures' investment will translate into 0.15% equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis. The investment will deepen the ties between Qualcomm and Jio Platforms, to support Jio Platforms on its journey to rollout advanced 5G infrastructure and services for Indian customers. Separately, Reliance Industries' subsidiary Jio Platforms received subscription amounts from Interstellar Platform Holdings Pte (Rs 1,894.50 crore for 0.39% stake), The Public Investment Fund (Rs 11,367 crore for 2.32% stake), SLP Redwood Holdings and SLP Redwood Co-Invest (DE), L.P. (Silver Lake) (Rs 10,202.55 crore for 2.08% stake) and General Atlantic Singapore JP Pte (Rs 6,598.38 crore for 1.34% stake). Infosys and Old National Bancorp, the largest financial services bank holding company headquartered in Indiana, announced a strategic partnership that will enable faster adoption of digital solutions, modernize ONB's existing technology infrastructure, and enhance both the client and employee experience. Biocon announced that it has received the Drugs Controller General of India's (DCGI) approval to market Itolizumab (ALZUMAb) Injection 25mg/5mL solution for emergency use in India for the treatment of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in moderate to severe ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) patients due to COVID-19. Avenue Supermarts' consolidated net profit fell 87.59% to Rs 40.09 crore on a 32.47% decline in total income to Rs 3,933.78 crore in Q1 June 2020 over Q1 June 2019. Galaxy Surfactants informed that the company has restarted operations at its units in Tarapur Location in a phased manner after receiving necessary permissions from the statutory authorities. Clariant Chemicals (India) informed that the board of directors of the company has approved payment of special interim dividend on equity shares at Rs 140 per share for the financial year 2020-21. The company has fixed 18 July 2020 as the record date for the purpose of payment of special interim dividend. Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation's net profit surged 79.36% to Rs 150.61 crore on 5.14% rise in total income to Rs 607.24 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. Steel Authority of India's consolidated net profit surged 382.95% to Rs 2,647.52 crore on 11.92% decline in total income to Rs 16,574.71 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals' consolidated net profit surged 152.11% to Rs 240.01 crore on 7.85% decline in total income to Rs 1,384.76 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Back in October, at the beginning of the Supreme Court term, Slates Mark Joseph Stern predicted that the session could be a bloodbath for progressives. Things are a lot different now than they were in October, and when the term ended last week, a lot of the cases seemed to have progressive outcomes: The justices protected gay and trans workers from being fired, they decided not to weigh in on gun rights, and they held back restrictions on abortion in Louisiana. While it wasnt the bloodbath Stern predicted, his colleague Dahlia Lithwick warns progressives not to get too comfortable. Advertisement On Mondays episode of What Next, I spoke with Lithwick about what just happened at the Supreme Court and why these progressive wins arent necessarily what they seem. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mary Harris: I was reading your and Marks summary of this court term, and you seemed both impressed and annoyed by this court. Can you explain that a little bit? Dahlia Lithwick: In a world in which so many people in elected office are bad actors acting badly or good actors acting ineptly, theres one actor acting deftly, and that is John Roberts. He is playing three-dimensional chess compared with the Hungry Hungry Hippos thats happening in the other branches. At one level, there is real integrity here, and I cede that. Then there is another thing that is a little more pernicious and perilous, and that is a slow, creeping right-wing judicial remaking of the world. Its happening by tiny increments, and its brilliant because he has managed to get the effects he wants in many, many, many, many cases without anybody storming the courts with flaming torches. As a craftsman, there is no chief justice in my memory who is like him. Advertisement Advertisement Toward the end of the term, I felt like there was this palpable sense of relief from progressives who were thinking, OK, we squeaked out some surprising wins here. But I want to dig into them a little bit so we can reveal this glacial change youre talking about. Lets start off with June Medical, which is the case from Louisiana, where Louisiana decided it was going to write a law into place that violated precedent from the Supreme Court, which said you cant require physicians at abortion clinics to have admitting privileges at hospitals because its too much of a burden. John Roberts wrote the opinion that basically said, You cant do that. We have a precedent here. But you wrote about how there were things inside this decision that actually made it less progressive than you might think on the surface. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When that decision came down, there was one quadrant of progressive court watchers who said, Thank God. John Roberts, what a guy. Hes flipped and thrown in with the liberals because he is a man of great principle and integrity. And then there was a bunch of people like me who said, Oh, my God, the sky is falling. Hes essentially said, but for the fact that this case is quite literally identical to the Texas regulations that were struck down four years earlier, I would have voted to uphold those regulations. Kind of dont pee on my leg and tell me its raining. Four years ago in that other case, Whole Womans Health, Justice Stephen Breyer added teeth to the undue burden test, where he said youre going to weigh the burden on women against the purported benefits of these health regulations. Roberts just took a red pen to that. The state no longer has to show that there are health benefits to regulations. So he said, I believe in precedent. But then he gutted the precedent that was Whole Womans Health and went back to the Casey precedent, which is much weaker. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This looked like a win for the people and for transparency, but it was the court helping yet again cover for Trump. Dahlia Lithwick What will that functionally look like? I think what youre going to see is just different kinds of regulations that they are going to say are going to help women make better choicesthis is going to give them more information, give them more time to thinkbut will have the effect of making it harder and harder to get abortions. Lets talk about another one of these decisions thats narrow but maybe was interpreted, at least at first, as some kind of progressive win. This is the Trump tax case. I was listening to this live on the radio when the decision came out. It summed up how complicated and misunderstood the rulings in this court can be, because initially the host said, We have a decision. Trump cant block this. And the feeling was maybe were going to see these tax documents right away. And gradually, over the course of the radio show, it was realized that no ones going to see them anytime soon. Advertisement Advertisement I think this is another on paper absolute triumphal claim that the president is not immune from scrutiny. And in both cases, by 72 margins, we had an absolute repudiation of the completely farcical claim that the president couldnt be investigated. These are not close cases, so that looks like a huge win. But as you say, as people read the opinions, they realized were not seeing any of those documents, certainly not before the election. And I came away saying its like T-ball, where everyones a winner. Everyone gets a trophy, because Donald Trump looks like he lost. But he gets to obscure his financial records again. And meantime, it looks like a resounding win for separation of powers and a resounding win for checks and balances and oversight. Except thats not going to happen anytime soon. And the reason I say everyones a winner is because John Roberts comes out having authored both opinions looking like the chief justiceiest chief justice of all time, and yet nothing changes. This looked like a win for the people and for transparency, but it was the court helping yet again cover for Trump. This is the court doing exactly what Donald Trump wanted, which is running out the clock. Advertisement This will create an exception to Bostock that you could drive a truck through. Dahlia Lithwick Can we talk about the role of religion in the Supreme Court? How did you see religion reflected in the rulings this term? We ended the term with a bunch of very clear wins for religious exercise claims, including a pair of really important cases about allowing religious schools to fire employees as they please under what was once a very narrow doctrine called the ministerial exemption that said that religious schools could decide for themselves who was a minister for their purposes. If youre a janitor or the driving instructor or teaching algebra, you are now a minister, and it will carve out religious schools from all the civil rights laws. Advertisement Advertisement I found that ruling fascinating because it came just weeks after the Bostock case, which ruled that you cannot fire gay or trans employees because theyre gay or trans. And it seemed like two steps forward, one step back, where you have a massive civil rights victory, and then youre saying, OK, but except for these people over here. Advertisement Theres no question that this will create an exception to Bostock that you could drive a truck through. You can say its one step forward, two steps back, or you can say that the exceptions start to swallow the rule and that what we are seeing is a hollowing out of civil rights laws generally. Just as the country is moving toward a bigger, inclusive, more robust sense of who needs to be protected under the law, whether its women, LGBTQ workers, workers who are older, were seeing an equally effective campaign by religious groups to say they are going to be given by the court a sword to fight that off. Advertisement Advertisement Is this how it should work when youre compromisingno one is 100 percent happy? Is there an argument to be made for that? Advertisement I think thats the question. This is without a doubt the most conservative Supreme Court weve had since the New Deal. And yet somehow we came to this pretty middle-of-the-road term with huge landmark wins. We havent even talked about the DACA rescission, but that was a massive win. Its clear that this is not the conservative term we feared was coming. I think what you are seeing is partly hard trades, a little bit of horse trading. The John Roberts long game. But the courts job is to move slowly and deliberately and to not be buffeted around by the winds of whatever hurly-burly political moment theyre in. And what that means is good stuff, right? We had big wins because the court is slow and deliberate, and big losses, especially in the financial documents cases, because the court does things slowly. But the court isnt just thinking about November. The court is the institution that would very much like to be around and have its lights on and its toilets working in 10 years. And the only way to do that is to have the American public do exactly what the American public is doing this week, which is saying, Well, I have a lot to worry about, but what I dont have to worry about is the U.S. Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its so clear how much more conservative the court is than the people that theyre ostensibly representing. I think that the person who is more aware of that than anyone else is John Roberts. The justices are mindful of the fact that in a lot of ways they are not necessarily in lockstep with the public. The important thing to say is 99 percent of cases get decided in the appeals courts, and those courts have shifted radically under Donald Trump. I want to be really mindful of the fact that what were seeing play out in under a hundred cases in one term at the court is by no means representative of what were seeing on the federal courts across the country. That is something we should be watching, and Im afraid were not. Listen to the full episode using the player below, or subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry issued an official statement on the death of Senior Lieutenant Mahmudov Rashad Rashid oglu who was killed in the morning during the resumption of shooting in the direction of Tavush province. Earlier, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported three other deaths. ... At around 12:30 pm local time Sunday, the servicemen of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces attempted to violate Armenia's state border, in the direction of Tavush Province, and with an UAZ-model vehicle, Shushan Stepanyan, spokesperson for the defense minister, wrote on her Facebook. "After the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani servicemen returned to their position, leaving the UAZ-model vehicle behind. At 1:45 pm, the servicemen of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces repeatedusing artillery firethe attempt to seize the border position of the Armenian Armed Forces, but were suppressed by the Armenian side and driven back, suffering casualties. There are no casualties on the Armenian side," she added. In the evening, the Azerbaijani side resumed shooting at the positions. The shooting periodically continued throughout the night. All opponent's attempts are neutralized by units of the Armenian armed forces. On Monday morning, the opponent resumed provocative actions, continuing to shoot at Armenian positions. The Armenian Armed Forces gave an adequate response. There are no losses from the Armenian side. Armenian defense minister Davit Tonoyan is in constant contact with the personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk. The minister informed Ambassador Kasprzyk that the personnel and command of the Armenian army were ordered to maintain restraint, and react as necessary in case of opponent's provocations on the Armenian border up to taking new favorable positions. Armenian armed forces do not fire at Azerbaijani settlements. The target is only the engineering infrastructure and technical equipment of the Azerbaijani armed forces. The political and military leadership of Azerbaijan will bear all responsibility for the losses of the Azerbaijani side and the consequences of the aggravation of the situation, the MOD noted. "I wonder why the media give prominence to such comments. What sense is in what he (Wontumi) said? You will meet a nice person but once you hear him speak; he becomes ugly. As for Buabeng Asamoah I will not even consider handing him any case; not even one involving fowls..." Former NDC Ashanti Regional Chairman, Alhaji Sani takes a swipe at Chairman Wontumi and Yaw Buabeng Asamoah. He was reacting to comments Yaw Buabeng Asamoah and Chairman Wontumi made against John Mahama's Running Mate, Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang. Listen to him in the video below Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A few angry customers have been turned away, but local small business officials said they havent seen many issues with a public health order mandating face coverings in public. The requirement was announced last week after infection rates rose in four of New Mexicos five regions. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said enforcement was needed because encouragement hadnt been effective. The citation carries a fine of up to $100 and possible jail time of up to six months. Locally, law enforcement agencies have reported no incidents and noted the New Mexico State Police is the only agency tasked with enforcement under the public health order. During a quiet stretch at the Tankersleys mens clothing store Monday, owner Paul Tankersley said staff goes without masks if theyre alone in the store but cover up if a customer enters. If it makes customers feel safe thats what we want to do, Tankersley said. We want to do business. The store is dealing with the state policy as its still working to recover from the loss of dozens of area proms, but Tankersley said part of the rebound effort is that people who had planned a June wedding are now shopping for their July wedding. Since last Wednesday, the store hasnt had any customers who flat-out refuse to wear a mask, but some customers will check at the door to see if the store is requiring it. During business shutdowns, Tankersley said during a Clovis city commission meeting he and other small business owners would have no problem handing out masks to customers at the door. The store has the supplies to make good on his words, but, everybody has their own; nobody wants ours because theyre the cheap ones. The public health order continues to provide exceptions for those who are instructed otherwise by healthcare providers or if they are eating, drinking or exercising, and so far gyms vary in their application of the exercising clause. David Staugaard, who manages Go Fitness in Clovis, said there are no requirements to have masks inside the gym. We encourage the people to wear masks, Staugaard said, but I dont make people do it. Some other gyms are requiring masks for entry and asking customers to wear masks when they are not actively exercising, and Staugaard said most of those gyms are chains following company-wide requirements. Even though the average gym user isnt in a mask, Staugaard said habits have clearly changed. Except for people who arrive together, most customers are socially distancing themselves and everybodys cleaning the equipment before and after. The caution, he feels, has some root in a desire to prevent another state-mandated closure. It was like a family reunion, Staugaard said of the first days back. The gym was missed, lets put it that way. Since face coverings were mandated July 1, NMSP Lt. Mark Soriano initially reported Monday a citation was issued the prior day at Portales Ace Hardware. KOB-TV reported that was also the only statewide incident over the weekend, and it arose from complaints that some customers inside the store werent wearing masks. However, no such citation was filed in court records. Soriano sent out a clarification Thursday that said the Sunday verbal warning was closed out in dispatch records as a written citation, and the mistake has since been cleared up by NMSP leadership. Ace co-owner Megan Hamilton told The News an NMSP officer visited the store at 1300 S. Ave. D to clarify the governors order but issued no citation. The store, Hamilton said, offers complimentary masks at the entrance. They have been given an extraordinary task and we are incredibly grateful for their efforts, Hamilton said of law enforcement. We at Ace Hardware in Portales have been doing everything in our power to keep our employees and patrons safe and will continue to do so. Management at Ace Hardware at 227 Main also told The News the business received no such citation. The area had previously had just one citation for public health order violations. Barber Jennifer Estes was cited for having her shop open, but the citation was dismissed June 29 in Curry County Magistrate Court. 2020 Eastern New Mexico News, Clovis, N.M. Visit Eastern New Mexico News, Clovis, N.M. at www.easternnewmexiconews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. If, in early June, you marched or just moseyed by Washington's newly minted Black Lives Matter Plaza and its surrounding blocks, you probably saw that downtown office buildings, abandoned for months as cubicle-dwellers became teleworkers, were boarded up. Plywood covered the few windows that had been shattered amid protests or protected intact glass from meeting that same fate. It gave these streets an unsettling feeling in an increasingly uneasy time. Like the black metal fence that President Donald Trump erected around the White House, the plywood announced a presumption of hostility and violence. And like that fence, which was barely up a few days before protesters plastered it with signs and memorial messages for Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, the boards were swiftly repurposed into canvases for artistic supporters of Black Lives Matter. Over the course of June, murals appeared on the plywood: Of two hands signing the "d" and "c" in American Sign Language against a backdrop that reads, over and over, "Black Lives Matter"; of the stretch of Swann Street NW where police blocked, pepper-sprayed and arrested protesters, of rowhouses with their doors flung open, framing the words "We keep us safe"; of three human hearts, ventricles and all, labeled as "white," "brown" and "black," with "human ...and justice for all" spray-painted above and below. Many of the murals are the work of Radical Empathy, a start-up founded by Tarek Kouddous. Kouddous grew up in Cairo and came to the District seven years ago to attend George Washington University and now lives in Logan Circle. He decided in November that he wanted to do something community-oriented after leaving his job at a consulting firm focused on federal emergency management. He formed Radical Empathy as a for-profit company on April 1 to organize open-air events and collaborate with workplaces on creating a healthier office culture. Through Radical Empathy, he has been working on various "place-making" projects - finding creative uses for underutilized public spaces - and to, as he put it, "use beautification as a way to bring the community together" by, for instance, painting artwork on utility boxes. He aims to "take spaces that you walk by every day that are hiding in plain sight, and you make them into places of belonging." Radical Empathy essentially matches property owners who want to use their buildings to make a statement and muralists. As protests in Washington swelled, Ted Brownfield of SJG Properties reached out to Kouddous. Brownfield had boarded up windows on two SJG buildings near the White House (including one at 15th and H streets, which formerly housed the Woodward Table restaurant, soon to be a Cheesecake Factory) and wanted to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement. On Thursday, June 4, Kouddous recalled, Brownstein asked him: Do you know any artists? And can you get the murals up by Saturday, when some of the biggest demonstrations were expected to take place? Kouddous said sure, and the project took off from there. (Brownfield didn't respond to interview requests.) With the green light from SJG, the project, dubbed the "Radical Plywood Initiative," got off the ground. Artists submit sketches of what they'd like to paint; Kouddous, along with partner Suren Nannapaneni, connects those artists with available spots. Artists are not paid for their work, but Brownfield - with help from partners such as Transformer, a nonprofit visual arts organization; the District Bridges Logan Circle Main Street program, which provides technical support to businesses; and the Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District - offers the muralists ("Radical Artists") a $250 honorarium to cover supplies and their time. When the plywood comes down (which could be any minute and may have happened by the time you read this story), Radical Empathy plans to auction the artwork, splitting the proceeds between the artists and local charities. As of late June, Radical Empathy had facilitated the creation of 23 murals across D.C., including paintings along P Street NW and a portrait of George Floyd in Adams Morgan by graphic designer and illustrator Ragda Noah. When it comes to supervising the artists, Kouddous takes a relatively hands-off approach, though he weighs in on some aesthetic considerations - like having a trio of blue murals side-by-side at 15th and H streets NW and putting a lime green one around the corner. Richshaad Ryan, whose renderings of the D.C. flag are a 14th Street mainstay, was wrapping up his mural at 15th and H - the D.C. flag inside a heart, surrounded by the words "UNITED WE STAND" - when a little girl approached, and told her mom that she also wanted to paint, so Ryan handed her a brush. "So she got out of the stroller and got busy," Ryan told me later by phone. Wasn't he worried she would mess it up? Nope, he insisted. "It's part of the art. . . . It was just a moment. It was the vibe. The energy was so high." All the artists signed their work on the walls with their names and Instagram handles, and Ryan said he has been getting tagged by people all over the country who've seen his contribution on social media. "It's a phenomenal, great response," he said. He's grateful that his artwork can support Black Lives Matter and uplift people who believe in the cause but aren't able to go out and protest. "We are all in different situations," he said. "But everybody can help this movement." On Radical Empathy's Instagram account, there's a link to a live map that tracks the murals-in-progress, so curious residents can check out the art as it happens. Knowing new murals are going up all the time "will bring more attention to the movement," Ryan said. "Say you go down there tomorrow and there's five done, and your friend goes down on Thursday and there's 10 done. You'll go back to see the ones you didn't see." --- Goldstein is a contributing writer to The Washington Post. Protesters against the death penalty gather in Terre Haute, Indiana - AP The first federal execution due to take place in the US in 17 years was dramatically halted at the last minute on Monday, in a setback for the Trump administration's goal of reviving capital punishment. Daniel Lewis Lee, who is serving a sentence for serial killings committed in 1996, was set to die by lethal injection at a federal prison complex in Indiana on Monday afternoon. However, a judge in Washington DC ordered an 11th hour stay, ruling that it likely violates the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said that there was evidence showing that the drug the Department of Justice intends to use to carry out executions "produces sensations of drowning and asphyxiation" and causes "extreme pain, terror and panic." Daniel Lewis Lee was convicted of killing a family in Arkansas in 1996. - AP Judge Chutkan ordered a preliminary injunction against the government while the courts hear a legal challenge from two other death row inmates who were scheduled for execution this week. She chastised the Trump administration for quickly moving to set execution dates while the court challenge was playing out. The public is not served by short-circuiting legitimate judicial process, and is greatly served by attempting to ensure that the most serious punishment is imposed in a manner consistent with our Constitution, she said in the ruling. The Department of Justice immediately appealed to a higher court on Monday, asking that the executions move forward. The Supreme Court may eventually have the final say. The scheduled execution of Lee, the first of a federal death row inmate since 2003, was to be carried out after a federal appeals court lifted an earlier injunction put in place last week, when the victims family argued they would be put at high risk of catching the coronavirus if they had to travel to attend the execution and pushed for the date to be delayed. The decision to move forward with the executions during a global health pandemic that has killed more than 135,000 people in the US is controversial. Story continues Critics argue that the government is creating an unnecessary and manufactured urgency around a topic that is not high on the list of American concerns right now. William Barr, US Attorney General, said he believes the Bureau of Prisons could carry out these executions without being at risk. The agency has put a number of additional Covid-19 measures in place, he said, including temperature checks and requiring witnesses to wear masks. Most crimes in the US are tried under state laws, but federal courts handle some of the most serious crimes. Federal executions were ended in 1972 but then reinstated in 1988. National security law marks turning point for Hong Kong's education: HKSAR chief executive People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 14:14, July 12, 2020 HONG KONG, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said on Saturday that the promulgation and implementation of the law on safeguarding national security in the HKSAR marks a turning point for Hong Kong's education. The social unrest since last June has not only afflicted Hong Kong society and impacted the rule of law, but also exposed once again the problems in Hong Kong's education, Lam said at an education forum held here. Pointing out that Hong Kong's education has been "politicized", Lam said that the erroneous description of history and smearing of government and law enforcement agencies by some media are reflected in textbooks, classes, test questions and students' extracurricular activities. Lam said she hopes the promulgation and implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR will help education return to its essence and get the students' study back on track. "Let's join hands to cultivate a new generation with a sense of national identity, an affection for Hong Kong and an international perspective," she said. The chief executive said she has asked the HKSAR government's secretary for education to make a plan for school education on the Constitution, the Basic Law, National Anthem Ordinance and the national security law for Hong Kong. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 20:32:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Government has deployed more defence force personnel to Victoria to assist the state's response to the COVID-19 outbreaks. Greg Hunt, the minister for health, told reporters on Monday that an additional 1,000 Australian Defence Force (ADF) members would be sent to Victoria to "serve in a variety of roles," a significant increase from the 350 previously deployed to the state. "The Australian government is providing additional support, both on the containment front and on the capacity front, for Victoria's healthcare system," he said. As of Monday afternoon there had been 9,980 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia. Authorities in Victoria confirmed 177 new cases of the virus, the state's lowest tally in four days. There were 14 new cases in New South Wales, many of which were connected to a cluster at a hotel in Casula, 34 kilometers south-west of Sydney. Queensland has recorded one new case, a recently returned traveller who is in hotel quarantine. Hunt also announced on Monday that 5 million face masks from the national medical stockpile would be directed to healthcare providers in Victoria. "One million of those will go to primary health care workers, they are currently being prepared for distribution through the primary health networks, and 4 million will go to the aged care system and the home care system," he said. "These are very important distributions to allow for greater use of personal protective equipment to make sure that all of the needs are met. "We are getting ahead of the curve, and this will be fundamental." Enditem ST. JOSEPH, MI -- A woman remains in critical condition after first responders rescued her and her sister from Lake Michigan on Sunday. Officers from the St. Joseph Department of Public Safety were dispatched to Lions Park Beach at 4:39 p.m. for a water rescue in Lake Michigan. Two sisters from Illinois, aged 29 and 32, struggled to get out of deep water. Several bystanders witnessed and assisted with the incident, police said. The sisters were transported to Spectrum Health Lakeland where the 29-year-old was treated and released. The 32-year-old is still in critical condition. The St. Joseph Department of Public Safety said it plans to provide updates on the condition of the 32-year-old female. More on MLive: Search continues for man in Lake Michigan off South Haven beach 6-foot waves, strong currents forecast for some Lake Michigan beaches on Sunday West Michigan sheriff says he wont investigate violations of Gov. Whitmers mask order Maria Khachaturyan, the younger sister, will stand a separate trial - Sergei Karpukhin/Tass via Getty Images In a 'stunning' reversal in one of the country's most notorious cases, Russian prosecutors have brought charges of premeditated murder against three Moscow teenage sisters for killing their abusive father, their defence team said on Monday. The decision was greeted with shock after the same prosecutor Viktor Grin asked investigators in December to drop the murder charges, arguing that the sisters acted in self-defence. Krestina, Angelina and Maria stabbed their 57-year old father Mikhail Khachaturyan in July 2018 after enduring years of intimidation, beatings and sexual abuse. The sisters case became a cause celebre among campaigners against domestic violence, triggering public discussion about family and relationships in modern Russia. This is a stunning standpoint, Alexei Parshin, defence lawyer for Angelina Khachaturyan, told the Telegraph, referring to the prosecutors decision to back the same indictment they dismissed a few months earlier. It shows that the state is willing to protect a rapist more than his victims. The girls were prepared for this decision, according to Parshin, who said that as victims of long-lasting abuse they believe that the hell theyre going through right now is much better than what they were subjected to before. To Mari Davtyan, who often represents victims of domestic violence in court, the prosecutors surprise decision spells a worrying trend of cracking down on human rights that appears to have taken hold after Vladimir Putin won the vote earlier this month to extend his rule. Its impossible not to notice whats been happening on a daily basis since 1 July, 2020, she said on Facebook, referring to the preceding week of arrests and police raids. The state has chosen its trend. The Khachaturyan sisters case is not an exception. The Khachaturyan sisters' case has become a cause celebre among campaigners against domestic violence in Russia - Sergei Fadeichev/Tass via Getty Images Two older sisters will stand trial together while the younger one, who was under-age at the time of the killing, would have a separate trial, the defence lawyers said. Media Zona, a news website founded by members of the punk band Pussy Riot, has compiled research showing that nearly 2,000 out of 2,500 women convicted of manslaughter in Russia 2016-2018 had killed a family member in self-defence or a revenge attack for domestic violence. Russia decriminalised some forms of domestic violence in 2017, and activists are now fighting for a bill that would offer protection for victims of domestic abuse. Tata Motors Ltd is quoting at Rs 108.85, up 1.16% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 32.37% in last one year as compared to a 6.69% fall in NIFTY and a 7.83% fall in the Nifty Auto index. Tata Motors Ltd rose for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 108.85, up 1.16% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.42% on the day, quoting at 10812.85. The Sensex is at 36643.03, up 0.13%. Tata Motors Ltd has added around 8.31% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Auto index of which Tata Motors Ltd is a constituent, has added around 9.78% in last one month and is currently quoting at 7041.1, up 0.46% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 565.53 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 802.72 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark July futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 108.7, up 0.88% on the day. Tata Motors Ltd is down 32.37% in last one year as compared to a 6.69% fall in NIFTY and a 7.83% fall in the Nifty Auto index. The PE of the stock is 0 based on TTM earnings ending March 20. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ray S. Via Yelp More than $90,000 has been raised for Gennica Cochran, the server in the viral video at a Carmel Valley restaurant who stood up to a customers racist remarks made towards a patroning family over the Fourth of July weekend. "I'm not a mother, but I felt almost maternal," Cochran told ABC 7. "Right, like this is my family and I will take care of them and I will do whatever I can to protect these people. To have someone hate you just because of the way that you look, that's beyond me. I don't understand it." Exclusive: U.S. turns screws on maritime industry to cut off Venezuela's oil FILE PHOTO: Crude oil tankers are docked at Isla Oil Refinery PDVSA terminal in Willemstad on the island of Curacao By Jonathan Saul and Matt Spetalnick LONDON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Several companies that certify vessels are seaworthy and ship insurers have withdrawn services to tankers involved in the Venezuelan oil trade as the United States targets the maritime industry to tighten sanctions on the Latin American country. U.S. sanctions have driven Venezuela's oil exports to their lowest levels in nearly 80 years, starving President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government of its main source of revenue and leaving authorities short of cash for essential imports such as food and medicine. The sanctions are part of U.S. efforts to weaken Maduro's grip on power after Washington and other Western democracies accused him of rigging a 2018 re-election vote. Despite the country's economic collapse, Maduro has held on and frustrated the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Maduro's government says the United States is trying to seize Venezuela's oil and calls the U.S. measures illegal persecution that heap suffering on the Venezuelan people. Washington has honed in on the maritime industry in recent months in efforts to better enforce sanctions on the oil trade and isolate Caracas, Washington's special envoy on Venezuela Elliott Abrams told Reuters. "What you will see is most shipowners and insurance and captains are simply going to turn away from Venezuela," Abrams told Reuters in an interview. "It's just not worth the hassle or the risk for them." The United States is pressuring shipping companies, insurers, certifiers and flag states that register vessels, he said. Ship classification societies, which certify safety and environmental standards for vessels, are feeling the heat for the first time. The United States is pressuring classifiers to establish whether vessels have violated sanctions regulations and to withdraw certification if so as a way to tighten sanctions further, a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. Story continues Without certification, a vessel and its cargo become uninsured. Ship owners would also be in breach of commercial contracts which require certificates to be maintained. In addition, port authorities can refuse entry or detain a ship. London-headquartered Lloyd's Register (LR), one of the world's leading ship classifiers, said it had withdrawn services from eight tankers that were involved in trade with Venezuela. "In accordance with our programme for complying with sanctions' laws, where we become aware of vessels operating in breach of relevant sanctions laws, LR classification has been withdrawn," a Lloyd's Register spokeswoman said. Abrams said the pressure on the maritime industry was working. "We have had a number of shippers that come to us and say, 'We just had our insurance company withdraw the insurance, and the ship is on the high seas and we've got to get to port. Could you give us a license for one week?'," Abrams said. In June, the United States designated six shipping companies - two of them based in Greece - and six tankers they owned for participating in proscribed Venezuelan trade. Another leading ship classifier, Hamburg-headquartered DNV GL Maritime, said it had suspended services for three of those vessels in June. The company resumed services when the United States removed those vessels from the list of sanctioned entities after the shipping companies that own and operate the vessels agreed to cease trade with Venezuela. CHILLING EFFECT The United States has threatened sanctions on any company involved in the oil trade with Venezuela, and that has had a chilling effect even on trade permitted under sanctions. Some oil companies are refusing to charter vessels that have called at Venezuelan ports in the past year, even if the voyage was exempt from sanctions. "The shipping sector has been at the receiving end of U.S. action on Venezuela and it has caused much uncertainty as no one knows who will be next," one shipping industry source said. Insurers are also in a bind. They have been conservative in their interpretation of U.S. sanctions to avoid any potential violations, said Mike Salthouse, chairman of the sanctions sub-committee with the International Group association. The group represents companies that insure about 90% of the world's commercial shipping. "If there is ambiguity as to what is lawful and what is unlawful it makes it almost impossible for an insurer to say whether someone has cover or not," he said. Even after ships and companies are removed from the sanctions list, they may face difficulties, Salthouse said. "The stigma associated with a designation may last some time," he said. Oil majors, for example, may review relationships with companies that own or manage vessels that the United States had designated and then removed to avoid any possible problems with other vessels, he said. 'REAL THREAT' Venezuela is on the list of high risk areas set by officials from London's insurance market. "If a vessel sails to Venezuela they have to notify the underwriter and it may be that the underwriter will not be able to cover them," said Neil Roberts, head of marine underwriting at Lloyd's Market Association, which represents the interests of all underwriting businesses in London's Lloyd's market. The industry faces "the direct and real threat of having its trade stopped by a watchful U.S. administration because of an inadvertent infringement," he said. "This risk alone is enough to fuel the multiplication of compliance checks." Some of the biggest global flag registries including Panama and Liberia are also looking more closely at ships that were involved in Venezuela trading as they come under U.S. pressure to withdraw registration for ships violating sanctions. Maritime lawyers in Panama said its registry is fining vessels that do not comply with the U.S. maritime guidance issued in May. The registry is mostly de-flagging vessels targeted by multilateral sanctions rather than unilateral U.S. sanctions, the lawyers said. Officials at Liberia's registry did not respond to requests for comment. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, a former investor in shipping, helped craft the strategy targeting the maritime sector, sources said. A Commerce Department spokesperson acknowledged Ross had worked with other government agencies "to determine how to best hold accountable those who are evading U.S. sanctions" on Venezuela. Abrams vowed to keep up the pressure. "There are people who don't cooperate ... We'll go after the ship, the ship owner, the ship captain." (Additional reporting by Marianna Parraga in Mexico City and Elida Moreno in Panama City; Editing by Simon Webb and Daniel Wallis) Ministers are braced for a backlash from Beijing today when they confirm a ban on Huaweis involvement in the 5G network. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden will announce that telecoms firms will be banned from installing new equipment supplied by the Chinese giant by Christmas. He will also order firms to rip out all existing Huawei kit by the middle of this decade. Huawei executives held last-ditch talks yesterday with officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in the hope of watering down the plans. The Huawei ban follows intense pressure from Donald Trump to deny China a foothold in the Wests critical infrastructure. Tough American sanctions have prevented the firm from using any US-patented technology in its microchips But a Whitehall source said the ban would go ahead, adding: Its fair to say Huawei wont be very happy with the result. The U-turn could jeopardise Boris Johnsons target to roll out full fibre broadband to the entire country by 2025. BT chief executive Philip Jansen said yesterday it could take ten years to strip out Huaweis equipment from UK networks. He also warned of outages and possible security risks if the sector was told to curtail all business with the Chinese technology firm during the 5G network upgrade. Ministers are also watching for a backlash from Beijing, which has warned the UK will face consequences if it sides with the US to ban one of the jewels in Chinas industrial crown. Industry sources said yesterday the decision not to ban Huawei until Christmas left open the chance that US policy could change if President Trump fails to secure re-election in November Former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove warned at the weekend that Beijing could even order retaliatory cyber-attacks against the UK, adding: Its a threat and I think weve known quite significantly that the Chinese have developed this capability and are prepared to use it. The Huawei ban follows intense pressure from Donald Trump to deny China a foothold in the Wests critical infrastructure. Tough American sanctions have prevented the firm from using any US-patented technology in its microchips. Mr Johnsons National Security Council will consider a report from the NCSC on the impact of the US sanctions on Huaweis ability to supply the 5G network. A Whitehall source said the sanctions have had a severe effect on the firm, adding: There is no way that we can now say their equipment is safe. Industry sources said yesterday the decision not to ban Huawei until Christmas left open the chance that US policy could change if President Trump fails to secure re-election in November. But with a powerful group of Tory MPs also pushing for Huaweis expulsion, few in Whitehall believe the firm has any prospect of long-term involvement in 5G even if Mr Trump loses. Huawei executives held last-ditch talks yesterday with officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in the hope of watering down the plans. One of the company's offices is pictured above in Reading Bob Seely, a Tory MP who is co-ordinator of the Huawei Interest Group, which has pressed ministers to impose a ban, yesterday welcomed signs that the Government has had a change of heart. He said it is critical that Huawei is banned from installing new kit by the end of this year. Huawei has always denied that its equipment represents a security risk. The firm insists it is not controlled by the Chinese state. But critics claim Huawei is being used as a Trojan Horse by Beijing to undermine the Wests critical infrastructure. In January, ministers ruled that firms should be allowed to install Huawei kit up to a 35 per cent cap, despite the firm being designated a high risk vendor because of its links to the Chinese state. Real Housewives of Orange County alum Vicki Gunvalson shared some new images this weekend from her second home Mexico. The 58-year-old TV star, who is no longer starring on the Bravo show, looked deeply tanned as she posed with her fiance Steve Chavez Lodge. In her caption, the blonde said she became sunburned when she forgot to reapply sunscreen. The former insurance salesperson bought a condominium in Puerto Vallarta earlier this year and then showed it off in June on social media. New digs: Real Housewives of Orange County alum Vicki Gunvalson shared some new images this weekend from her second home Mexico. The 58-year-old TV star, who is no longer starring on the Bravo show, was with her fiance Steve Chavez Lodge Vicki had on a black-and-white halter top as she wore her hair stick straight and over her shoulders. The TV vet put her hand on her future husband's chest as they smiled for the camera while on the balcony one of the top floors of a mega condo high-rise. Behind them the sun was setting leaving a burnt orange and pink hue across the sky. 'We met some new friends today at the pool and they invited us to their condo and then to dinner one building over,' said the Chicago native told her 1.1M followers. Paradise found: Behind them the sun was setting leaving a burnt orange and pink hue across the sky. 'We met some new friends today at the pool and they invited us to their condo and then to dinner one building over,' said the Chicago native told her 1.1M followers 'It was so great to meet people who have the love for Puerto Vallarta the way we do.' In her hashtags she said she forgot to reapply sunscreen and was now burned. And Gunvalson added it was her last night at the condo in Mexico; she will likely return to her mansion in Orange County. In January she snapped up a three-bedroom, two-bathroom penthouse apartment located in the seaside resort town of Puerto Vallarta. There are panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and their balcony includes a from Jacuzzi. 'I own a home that makes me happy': The reality star shared footage she shot in January of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom penthouse apartment located in the seaside resort town of Puerto Vallarta Gunvalson (born Steinmetz) plans on 'donating all the bedding and most of the furniture to an orphanage' before 'putting to work some painters and a decorator to make this home "Vicki."' Vicki - who also owns a home in Coto de Caza, California - realized it wasn't the most woke post in the midst of nationwide racial unrest and the global coronavirus pandemic. 'I know some of you may think it's wrong, especially in the state of the world,' the Coto Insurance owner wrote. 'But for me it immediately gives me hope and peace that things will resume to a new sense of normal soon...Thank you to all who support my decision as it wasn't an easy one to go through with it. Those who don't, keep your mean comments to yourself.' 'I won't be visiting there until I'm able': The couple of four years will eventually visit the condo where they can see panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean from the comfort of her jacuzzi Fully furnished: Gunvalson (born Steinmetz) plans on 'donating all the bedding and most of the furniture to an orphanage' before 'putting to work some painters and a decorator to make this home "Vicki"' Bathroom view: Vicki - who also owns a home in Coto de Caza, California - realized it wasn't the most woke post in the midst of nationwide racial unrest and the global coronavirus pandemic Gunvalson previously came under fire over her since-deleted April 20 tweet asking California Governor Gavin Newsom to quickly reopen businesses despite the stay-at-home order still in place. 'Let's get America who is healthy back to work,' Vicki - who boasts 2.3M social media followers - wrote. 'We need hairdressers, nail techs, small business's and restaurants to start reopening May 1st. Please?' Gunvalson added: 'Thank you to all who support my decision as it wasn't an easy one to go through with it. Those who don't, keep your mean comments to yourself' The twice-divorced mother-of-two will soon become a grandmother for the third time when her daughter Briana and husband Ryan Culberson welcome a sibling for their sons Owen and Troy. Vicki's 32-year-old daughter Briana is from her second marriage to Donn Gunvalson, which ended in 2014 after 20 years of marriage. Gunvalson also has a 35-year-old son Michael from her first marriage to Michael J. Wolfsmith, which ended in 1991 after nine years of marriage. 'Couldn't be more excited!' The twice-divorced mother-of-two will soon become a grandmother for the third time when her daughter Briana and husband Ryan Culberson welcome a sibling for their sons Owen and Troy (pictured November 2) The Chicago-born blonde announced she quit her Bravo series on January 24 after being demoted from housewife to 'friend' status in the 14th season last year. 'Unfortunately, [for] my last two years, [one] producer didn't like me,' Vicki lamented on her Whoop it Up With Vicki podcast last Thursday. 'We got very expensive and I think they said that viewers were ready for younger blood. I thought, well, you can't really say that because the viewers and followers have followed my life for 15 years and all of a sudden...I just didn't die!' Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 20:21:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China has decided to impose corresponding sanctions on an institution and four individuals of the United States with immediate effect for "acting viciously" on issues related to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Monday. According to spokesperson Hua Chunying at a daily press briefing, the sanctions will be applied to the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Ted Cruz, Congressman Chris Smith, and Sam Brownback, the U.S. ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom. "The U.S. practice constitutes serious interference in China's internal affairs, a severe violation of basic norms governing international relations, and grave harm to China-U.S. relations," Hua said. "China firmly opposes and strongly condemns such moves." Hua pointed out Xinjiang affairs are entirely China's internal affairs, and the United States has no right, and is in no position, to intervene. "The Chinese government is determined to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, combat violent terrorism, separatism and religious extremism, and oppose foreign interference in Xinjiang affairs and China's other internal affairs," said the spokesperson. "We urge the United States to immediately withdraw its wrong decisions, and cease any remarks or attempts to meddle in China's internal affairs, and damage China's interests," Hua said, adding China will make further decisions following the development of the situation. Enditem President Donald Trump defended his clemency order for his longtime supporter and self-described dirty trickster Roger Stone on Monday with a rant against the 'deep state' and arguing he was getting 'rave reviews' for his action. 'I'm getting rave reviews, frankly, for what I did for Roger Stone,' he said during a law enforcement event at the White House. Attorney General Bill Barr was at the event and didn't address Stone's clemency despite reports he and other White House officials tried to prevent Trump from letting his pal off the hook when it came to serving jail time, worried about the political implications in an election year. Shortly after he spoke, his full clemency order was published showing that as well as avoiding jail, Stone was relieved from paying a $20,000 fine and from four years of probation and 250 hours of community service. President Trump, as he defended his action, brought up his longtime complaint that a 'deep state' was working against him, mentioning Peter Strzok and Lisa Page - the two former FBI officers who were part of the counterintelligence investigation into his campaign - and former FBI director Andrew McCabe, who authorized an investigation into the president. Trump has long complained about forces in the government working against him. He also argued his decision was well received but some White House officials - including chief of staff Mark Meadows - were outraged by the president's decision, NBC News reported. And Barr recommended clemency not be offered. But Trump went ahead with the clemency order on Friday, which absolves Stone from serving both time in prison and time in home confinement, according to the order posted to the Justice Department's web site. Stone said on Friday President Trump 'saved my life' by commuting his sentence just days before he was scheduled to enter a federal prison. Stone celebrated his newfound freedom with a crowd of supporters and well-wishers outside his Fort Lauderdale home. 'The president has saved my life, and he's given me the opportunity to fight for vindication,' Stone said. The 67-year-old Stone said that entering prison would have been a death sentence in light of the coronavirus pandemic. 'I'm 67 years old. I had very, very severe asthma as a child. If you look at the profile of those who are most at risk, I think I fit that,' he said. Stone added that he wasn't surprised by the president's decision to commute his sentence. President Donald Trump defended his clemency order for his longtime supporter and self-described dirty trickster Roger Stone Attorney General Bill Barr was at the White House event and didn't address Roger Stone's clemency despite reports he and other White House officials tried to prevent President Trump from letting his pal off the hook when it came to serving jail time President Trump's signed clemency order for Roger Stone Donald Trump and Roger Stone are longtime friends; they are seen together above in New Jersey in October 1999, for the swearing-in of Trump's sister as a federal appeals court judge Roger Stone flashes a victory sign after President Trump commuted his 40-month prison sentence. Stone is seen above in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,on Sunday 'Well I was, I was elated,' he said. 'Obviously I was somewhat relieved, but I was not surprised.' WHAT'S NEXT FOR ROGER STONE Having been spared prison time by President Trump's decision to commute his sentence, Roger Stone says he will appeal his conviction from the comfort of his South Florida home. Stone, 67, had been set to report to prison on Tuesday after a federal appeals court rejected his bid to postpone his surrender date. Although a commutation does not nullify Stone's felony convictions, it protects him from serving prison time as a result. In comments to reporters outside his Fort Lauderdale residence late on Friday, Stone said he will celebrate his freedom by writing a book about his experience. He also said he would devote efforts to helping 'exonerate' Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser. Flynn twice pleaded guilty to charges that he lied to the FBI in January 2017 about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the United States. Stone also said he may file a formal complaint against Aaron Zelinsky, the federal prosecutor who worked on the Stone case. In testimony to the House of Representatives last month, Zelinsky claimed that Stone received 'unprecedentedly favorable treatment' from the Justice Department. Zelinsky accused Stone of defrauding the courts and breaking the law on 'numerous occasions.' 'If you saw his testimony before the [House Judiciary Committee] it was an incredible blend of obfuscation, hearsay and perjury,' Stone said on Friday. 'I got special treatment, he says. Let's go through the special treatment: 29 FBI agents show up at your house to rouse you out of bed for a white-collar process crime. 'That's special treatment?' Stone said he was happy to receive a commutation rather than a pardon because it allows him a chance to be vindicated in court. 'I want to clear my name,' he said. 'I would like a new trial and vindication.' Advertisement Stone was glad that his legal troubles, which he described as a 'nightmare' and 'witch hunt,' were over. 'This is a horrific, horrific nightmare when you realize that ... this investigation never had any legitimate or lawful beginning,' he said. 'It was a witch hunt. There's no question about that.' Stone told the New York Post that the president spoke to him by telephone and informed him of his decision to commute his sentence. 'I told him I was grateful,' Stone said. 'He protected my health.' Stone added: 'He believes in justice. I felt pretty confident that if he heard the facts of my case, he would make the right decision.' He said Trump reminded him of their decades-long friendship. 'He said we've known each other for 40 years,' Stone said. 'In his opinion, he did not believe I committed a crime.' Stone said he will appeal his case while at home in South Florida. 'With the risk of catching COVID, I might not live long enough to see my opinion' in his appeal if he went to prison, he said. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump 'signed an Executive Grant of Clemency commuting the unjust sentence of Roger Stone, Jr. Roger Stone is now a free man!' McEnany called Stone a 'victim of the Russia Hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump Presidency.' 'Not only was Mr. Stone charged by overzealous prosecutors pursing a case that never should have existed, and arrested in an operation that never should have been approved, but there were also serious questions about the jury in the case,' she said in a statement. Democrats were angered by Trump's decision, with House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff calling it 'offensive to the rule of law and principles of justice,' and Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez asking, 'Is there any power Trump won't abuse?' 'President Trump has once again abused his power, releasing this commutation on a Friday night, hoping to yet again avoid scrutiny as he lays waste to the norms and the values that make our country a shining beacon to the rest of the world,' a spokesperson for Democratic nominee Joe Biden said. 'He will not be shamed. He will only be stopped when Americans make their voice heard at the ballot box this fall. 'Enough.' A commutation does not erase Stone's felony convictions in the same way a pardon would, but it would protect him from serving prison time as a result. The move comes less than 24 hours after Fox News, which hosted Trump for a call-in interview Thursday night when he said he was considering a pardon for Trump, reported that Trump was expected to provide executive clemency for Stone. It was expected that the White House would make the announcement sometime on Friday, when Trump was scheduled to fly back to Washington, DC, from Florida. The president was in the Sunshine State to host a fundraiser and hold other events even as the state battles a coronavirus outbreak. Stone's lawyers had been fighting the July 14 start of the sentence, urging Amy Berman Jackson to delay it by citing the coronavirus and potential risks to Stone's health. Clemency is provided before someone starts serving their sentence. It also may not include the full benefits of a full pardon, which can involve the restoration of voting rights and protection from deportation. As Washington buzzed about the legal and political implications and any potential blowback for the president for pardoning a convicted felon who was close to him Stone told NBC News analyst and Washington Post opinion writer Howard Fineman that he doesn't want a pardon, which he said implies guilt, but would prefer a commutation of his sentence. 'He knows I was under enormous pressure to turn on him. It would have eased my situation considerably. But I didn't,' Stone said. Word of a Friday night action came hours after Trump told reporters he would soon be reviewing Stone's case. Trump has repeatedly defended Stone, who was convicted of witness tampering and lying to Congress. Trump commented on Stone's case as he left the White House on a trip to Stone's home state of Florida as he suggested both his predecessor and his presumed Democratic challenger should be jailed over the Russia probe. 'I'll be looking at it. I think Roger Stone was very unfairly treated, as were many people,' Trump said. 'And in the meantime Comey and all these guys are walking around including Biden and Obama because we caught them spying on my campaign. Who would have believed that one?' Trump said. Trump may have been referring to information about Barack Obama officials who ordered 'unmasking' of intercepts that were revealed to involve former national security adviser Mike Flynn whose prosecution infuriated Trump. He has repeatedly raged at former FBI Director James Comey for his role in the Russia probe. Stone, 67, was prosecuted as an offshoot of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe which Trump repeatedly has cast as a 'witch hunt' designed to take him down. He tweeted last month that Stone was 'a victim of a corrupt and illegal Witch Hunt, one which will go down as the greatest political crime in history. He can sleep well at night!' Trump's comments added to other remarks in interviews Thursday indicating he was on the verge of pardoning or commuting the sentence of Stone, the longtime former Republican strategist who worked as an adviser on his presidential campaign. Stone's lawyers had been seeking to overturn Judge Jackson's order that he report to a federal correctional facility in Georgia by citing COVID-19 and health risks. When quizzed by Fox News' Sean Hannity Thursday night on whether he was considering pardoning his friend and ally, Trump responded, 'I am always thinking'. 'You'll be watching like everyone else in this case,' Trump coyly added. Stone said Trump cited their 40-year friendship during a phone conversation late on Friday in which the president informed him that he was commuting their sentence. Trump is seen left with Roger and Nydia Stone in this undated file photo Trump lamented that Joe Biden (pictured) and Barack Obama were still 'walking around' rather than in jail A jury convicted the former strategist of seven felony counts in November, which included five counts of making false statements to the FBI and congressional investigators, one count of witness tampering, and one obstruction of justice count. According to prosecutors, Stone lied during testimony and failed to turn over documents to Congress in 2017, showing he had attempted to make contact with the radical pro-transparency group WikiLeaks a year earlier. He lied about five facts, obscuring his attempt to use intermediaries to get information that could help then-candidate Trump in the election against Hillary Clinton. Prosecutors were initially seeking a prison term of seven to nine years, but Attorney General William Barr later retracted that recommendation shortly after Trump called it 'harsh' and 'unfair' on Twitter. The rise and fall of the 'trysexual' dirty trickster: How Roger Stone's swaggering love of Richard Nixon, conspiracy theories and swinging took him to the top then foundered when he lied for Donald Trump A guilty verdict last year brought an abrupt end to the decades-long career of Roger Stone, a smooth-talking agent provocateur and self-proclaimed dirty trickster who thrived in the shadier margins of U.S. politics. Growing up in Lewisboro, New York, to a blue-collar Catholic family, Roger Jason Stone Jr.'s zeal for the rough and tumble of political life was apparent from a young age. In elementary school he advocated for John F. Kennedy telling kids in the cafeteria line that Nixon would make them attend extra classes on a Saturday if he won the 1960 election. When he was a junior and vice president of student government in high school Stone manipulated the ouster of the president so he could take over. 'I built alliances and put all my serious challengers on my ticket,' he would brag to the New York Times decades later. 'I recruited the most unpopular guy in the school to run against me. You think that's mean? No, it's smart.' Roger Stone was found guilty of obstructing justice, witness tampering and lying to Congress bringing his decades-long career to an end He worked for Richard Nixon, becoming so enthralled with the president that Stone would later have Nixon's face tattooed on his back Stone was hired as an adviser when Trump finally launched a bid for the White House nearly two decades later after Stone first suggested he run. Stone was pushed out in a power struggle Stone entered the political arena for real in 1972 when he ditched his studies at George Washington University, this time to support Nixon in his re-election campaign not to be the only time he shifted allegiances without a qualm. In one of his first 'dirty tricks' he contributed $135 to one of Nixon's Republican rivals in the name of the Young Socialist Alliance - then slipped the receipt to a journalist. When Nixon triumphed the braggadocious young aide was rewarded with a job in the administration. Perhaps unintentionally, his association with student dirty tricks also gained him an association with the 'ratf***ers,' the dirty operative beloved of Nixon. Stone himself denied being one of them, saying they were from the University of Southern California, but the nickname was attached to him for life. The 37th President of the United States left a lasting impression on Stone: the longtime GOP operative would later have Nixon's face tattooed on his back. 'Women love it,' he told the New Yorker. 'The reason I'm a Nixonite is because of his indestructibility and resilience. Nixon left another legacy on Stone: Watergate. During congressional hearings into the scandal in 1973 it emerged Stone had recruited a spy to infiltrate the campaigns of several of Nixon's Democratic rivals. He was fired from his job with then-Senator Bob Dole but his reputation for the dark political arts was intact. Stone reunited with Dole for his 1996 presidential campaign but resigned when The National Enquirer revealed he placed ads on a swingers website seeking sex partners for himself and his second wife Nydia Bertran Stone. He later referred to himself in an interview with the New Yorker, partly conducted in a swingers club, as 'a libertarian and a libertine'and a 'trysexual I've tried everything'. The couple have more recently apparently found religion, bringing a pastor in robes to the trial with them and being seen at Sunday mass. The former advisor to President Donald Trump has a tattoo with Nixon's face on his upper back, which he showed off for a Netflix special In 1996 The National Enquirer revealed Stone placed ads on a swingers website seeking sex partners for himself and his second wife Nydia Bertran Stone Stone adopted President Nixon's iconic V for victory symbol, often posing with it Stone, pictured at his office in Florida, is a veteran Republican political operative after entering politics in 1972 Stone went on to work for several more presidential campaigns: those of Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush and, eventually, his longtime friend Donald Trump, who had hired Stone to lobby for his casino businesses in the 1990s. He likewise forged a longtime bond with the disgraced former Trump campaign chairman and now federal prison inmate Paul Manafort after the pair co-founded one of DC earliest 'mega-lobbying' firms, Black, Manafort & Stone, in 1980. Along the way he picked up a reputation for dark arts and darker acts, a penchant for expensive tailoring and a rolodex of clients from the top of the Republican party and further afield including Donald Trump's struggling casino business, a connection which was to prove key to his future. Stone first suggested Trump run for president in early 1998, and even worked out of Trump Tower for a while to help him. He was hired as an adviser when his old ally finally launched a bid for the White House nearly two decades later. But he was pushed out in a power struggle which left him on the outside looking in and phoning Trump with his advice and also apparently bragging of his connections to WikiLeaks. Outside the campaign he accused Ted Cruz of having had affairs with five women; Cruz shot back that he was a 'ratf***er' and claimed he was 'pulling the strings on Donald Trump.' But inside Trump Tower, there was a different, and for Stone sadder, picture emerging. Stone went on to work for several more presidential campaigns including Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush and his longtime friend Donald Trump Roger Jason Stone Jr grew up in Lewisboro, New York, to a blue-collar Catholic family and where his zeal for politics was apparent from a young age (pictured with Paul Manafort and Lee Atwater) Senior Campaign figures hinted that the silver-haired Svengali's influence was waning by the time WikiLeaks threw the 2016 Presidential race into turmoil. Rick Gates said Stone still had access to senior Trump figures despite having left his position but the relationship had become 'tense.' And Steve Bannon admitted in his testimony that he derived enjoyment from 'heckling' Stone when his big Julian Assange predictions fell flat. In the past, a Republican presidency had been a sure-fire payday for Stone but this time round his association with Trump was toxic and expensive. He found work with InfoWars, an apt home for a man who had pushed conspiracy theories for decades, and a regular place on the speaking circuit. But the Mueller inquiry brought massive legal bills and even then expensive legal counsel did not stop him committing a massive blunder in 2017: lying to Congress. Despite that Stone was predicting right up until January of this year that he would evade Robert Mueller's prosecutors, sneering in an exclusive DailyMail.com interview: 'They got nothing.' Three weeks later he found himself in handcuffs when rifle-wielding FBI agents surrounded his Fort Lauderdale, Florida home in the middle of the night to take him into custody. In the past, a Republican presidency had been a sure-fire payday for Stone but this time round his association with Trump was toxic and expensive Stone's home was raided in the early hours of the morning this year and he was taken into custody Then, on the steps of the federal courthouse in Broward County, Stone enjoyed perhaps his last hurrah, emerging defiant and unbowed to deliver a scathing diatribe about the Mueller 'witch-hunt' while flashing Nixon's trademark victory signs. When he followed that up by peddling 'Roger Stone did nothing wrong' t-shirts, launching a media tour and posting a mocked-up Instagram image of Judge Amy Berman Jackson in rifle crosshairs, enough was enough. Berman Jackson responded by slapping Stone with a gag order banning him from speaking about his case in the press or via social media. When it was their turn to address the trial, defense attorneys chose to play audio of Stone speaking before Congress in 2017 rather than have jurors hear from the man himself. It was perhaps tacit acceptance that the world had heard quite enough already from Watergate survivor Roger Stone and his vindictive brand of no-holds-barred politics. Advertisement Four prosecutors then withdrew from the case in response to Barr's decision. One of the prosecutors, Aaron Zelinsky, testified to Congress last month that DOJ leaders sought a weaker sentence for Stone at the direction of AG Barr because they were 'afraid of the president.' Stone was eventually sentenced by a judge to 40 months in prison for his crimes, in addition to a $20,000 fine, four years probation after his prison term, and 250 hours community service. The developments in the case raised concerns regarding the DOJ's independence from political pressure and prompted congressional Democrats to call for the Justice Department inspector general to investigate. Barr, meanwhile, told ABC News that, regardless of Trump's tweet, Stone had already decided to request a lighter sentence for Stone. He added that the president's constant public commentary made it 'impossible' for him to do his job. After US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson announced Stone's sentence, Trump hinted at the possibility of a pardon a few hours later. 'I'm following this very closely and I want to see it play out to its fullest because Roger has a very good chance of exoneration in my opinion,' the president said. 'I'd love to see it happen.' But Trump stopped short of committing himself to pardoning Stone, saying, 'I'm not going to do anything in terms of the great powers bestowed upon a president of the United States. I want the process to play out. I think that's the best thing to do.' The commutation was the latest example of Trump using his unlimited clemency power to pardon powerful men he believes have been mistreated by the justice system. Trump went on a clemency spree in February, commuting the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat, and pardoning former New York City police commissioner Bernie Kerik, financier Michael Milken and several others. Trump has also offered clemency to other political allies, including Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was awaiting sentencing at the time, conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza, who had been convicted on campaign finance violations, and Conrad Black, a newspaper publisher convicted of fraud who had written a flattering book about the president. Trump, however, has spent much more time trumpeting his decision to commute the sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, who was serving life in prison for nonviolent drug offenses and who came to Trump's attention after reality star Kim Kardashian West took up her cause. Her story was featured in a Trump campaign Super Bowl ad. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said about 26 per cent of emergency calls made to its centres last week were hoax calls. The Director- General of the agency, Chikwe Ihekweazu, made this known at the bi-weekly Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing on Monday. Mr Ihekweazu said some called to find out about the availability of the controversial COVID-19 drug from Madagascar, but some said they were only calling to see if the emergency lines were actually functional. He said such calls clog the phone lines and make it difficult for individuals with genuine cases to contact the agency. 26 per cent of all our calls last week were hoax calls. One in four of all the calls coming to the NCDC connect centre were hoax calls; people were just calling for one reason or the other to check whether you are there, to challenge you, to ask you about Madagascar cure or something like that, he said. The call lines were made available to ensure people who may have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus which has claimed millions of lives globally report immediately to the infectious disease centre. However, many Nigerians have complained that these lines are always unreachable. If you feel feverish, keep coughing, have a sore throat and difficulty breathing, call on the NCDC for immediate help in 0800 9700 0010; or send text messages to 08099555577; or WhatsApp message to 07087110839 or via Twitter and Facebook @NCDCgov or info@ncdc.gov.ng, the NCDC had said. Nigeria has thus far recorded 32,558 confirmed cases of the virus. Of these, 13,447 have been treated and discharged; 740 persons have also died. External Article 13 July 2020 In the heart of Australian outback lies Alice Springs. The town - colloquially known as Alice - is the site of indigenous human presence dating back nearly 30,000 years. More recently, however, a new (and admittedly very different) type of settler has descended upon Alice. Since April, four Airbus A380s have made their way to the small town. The 500-plus-tonne behemoths belong to Singapore Airlines which, like many other carriers, has grounded almost its entire fleet. The reason is COVID-19. The spread of the novel coronavirus has caused passenger demand to collapse, forcing airlines to park, rather than fly, their planes. Alice offers conditions ideal to do just that. The local airport has a runway long enough to land commercial airplanes and the climate is dry, which means aircraft parts corrode far slower than in the sweltering heat and humidity of South East Asia. Slumps in travel demand aren't new. Following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, passenger enthusiasm towards flying also waned amid security fears. This forced airlines - then, like now - to cancel flights and puts planes into storage. The industry did recover. Passenger numbers for 2002 were 1.63 billion, only slightly lower than the 1.66 billion who flew in 2001. But passenger numbers don't tell the whole story. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 07/13/2020 ADVERTISEMENT LARISSA ADVERTISEMENT TANIA AND SYNGIN ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT KALANI AND ASUELU ADVERTISEMENT COLT AND JESS ADVERTISEMENT ANGELA AND MICHAEL ADVERTISEMENT ANDREI AND ELIZABETH ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT PAUL AND KARINE ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. : Happily Ever After? featured Larissa Dos Santos Lima giving her romance with ex-boyfriend Eric Nichols another shot, Syngin Colchester questioning whether to continue his relationship with Tania Maduro , Jess Caroline and Colt Johnson 's mother Debbie having a disastrous first meeting, Karine Martins complaining about America, and Elizabeth Potthast getting annoyed with Andrei Castravet 's "alpha male" behavior in Moldova during Sunday night's Season 5 episode on TLC.: Happily Ever After?'s fifth season also features Karine's husband Paul Staehle , Angela's fiance Michael Ilesanmi , and couple Asuelu Pulaa and Kalani Faagata Happily Ever After? documents couples -- engaged, married or divorced -- navigating life, hardships, family, children and unexpected obstacles.The new season is sure to feature cultural differences, in-law arguments, scandals, confrontations and tears.Below is the latest on each couple or cast members, according to the fifth episode of : Happily Ever After?'s fifth season.Larissa was asked to go to the immigration building, and so she was afraid to be arrested or potentially deported since the application and process to obtain her Green Card was still ongoing.Larissa said she wanted to stay in America in order to build the life of her dreams.Two hours later, Larissa existed the building and gushed, "I am alive! I did not get arrested." Larissa said she felt relieved and free, and she thanked God she could return home with her friend Hannah.Larissa said she had taken a photo and had her fingerprints done. She just hoped her application wouldn't be denied because she wanted to work in the United States and make more money for her children back in Brazil.Later on, Larissa said she missed being in a relationship and wanted to find a man who could take care of her. She seemed upset Colt had found a new girlfriend. because she really wanted a boyfriend.Larissa then went on a date with her ex-boyfriend, Eric, and she told him that she was feeling lonely."My feeling for Eric is above all my relationships and bigger than I have felt with Colt. I always was in love with Eric when we are dating, but I decide to break up with him because of all the kind of relationship problems, and I thought that he [didn't] admire me anymore," Larissa said in a confessional."But I miss being in a relationship with him because Eric isn't perfect but he always tried to help me out when we were together and he doesn't judge me for anything that [I've done] in my life."Larissa said they had a lot to talk about, and Eric agreed because he claimed Larissa had broken up with him via text "out of nowhere." The pair hadn't communicated or talked in two months, so Eric was curious what Larissa was going to say.Eric confessed he "felt used" by Larissa, but she told her ex that she had blocked him because she still had feelings for him. Eric, however, said Larissa spread rumors about him and drove him crazy.Eric alleged Larissa had given his phone number out, and she even filed a police report against him one time."After I broke up with Eric, some girls called me, [sent] a message, calling my butt 'cheesy butt.' I thought that was Eric that sent to the girls my phone number. So I had to make a police report against him. So this was just protective for me," Larissa explained."Because if Eric [decided] to do something, I am safe."Larissa apologized for filing the police report but insisted she was just scared at the time. Eric didn't want to go back on the same path and have the same problems, but Larissa reminded her that their sex was "amazing."Larissa said their relationship got a little tired and they became friends living with each other towards the end. Eric agreed he and Larissa stopped having sex because they lost the spark and focused more on their issues than showing each other affection.Eric told Larissa that he missed a lot of things about her, including their conversations."When we were good, we were good. I am glad we met today," Eric said."I'd like to see you again. I just feel we should take things a lot more slowly... We need to communicate a lot better and not get so frustrated with each other. I just don't want to fight like we used to."Eric said he just wanted to make Larissa happy, and she felt the same exact way about him in return. Larissa was thrilled Eric was willing to give her another chance and she could have a partner."The heart wants what [it wants], so I am very hopeful that we can work. I hope we can leave all the problems in the past and everything will be happy," Larissa told the cameras.Tania knew Syngin was disappointed about not getting the bartending job at the Irish pub, but she said she wished Syngin addressed some of the problems he had, like drinking.Tania said Syngin's drinking was a problem early on in their relationship but they were young and liked to party and so she apparently made excuses for him. However, two years later, his habits were still an issue and Tania wasn't sure how to handle the situation.Tania told her friend Monique at the nail salon she and Syngin needed to learn how to communicate better, and Monique believed her pal had jumped into marriage too soon."Sometimes I feel like I am married to two different people, like this person who wants to be an adult and someone who wants to have this big life, but other times I feel like I'm married to someone who just wants to party and doesn't care," Tania complained to her friend."That's how he views his freedom, and then he'll be like, 'This is just who I am!'... I want to help you be a better person and be the man you want to be."Tania's patience was being trusted and she said they needed to get on the same page about their future. Tania felt her marriage had become stagnant, and she said she wanted to be a power couple with Syngin and chase after their dreams.Things were a little tense between Syngin and Tania ever since Syngin came home from his interview, but Syngin argued he didn't drink every day or crave alcohol. Syngin said he felt "pressure" and "a little suffocated" over the couple's finances and bills building up.Syngin was also apparently upset he and Tania hadn't traveled much or enjoyed adventures because of Tania's accident and breaking a bone in her foot.Tania planned to hold Syngin accountable for his behavior, and Syngin apologized to his wife over a nice dinner out, saying he needed to take more responsibility for things."But I didn't come here to make my life here," Syngin told his wife, before explaining to the cameras he had been willing to live in South Africa and have Tania move there instead.He added, "I just don't think America is where I want to raise kids... I don't know why. It's a great country and everything is awesome, but I just don't feel it's going to work here."Tania grew anxious and worried, asking in a confessional, "What are you doing here with me then? I am confused."Syngin also said it didn't make sense for Tania to ask him to move to the United States and build a family with her when she didn't even recognize Syngin as her soul mate.Tania argued that wasn't an issue, and she began crying because she thought Syngin was being a little aggressive. Syngin said it just didn't make sense to him that Tania wanted to make future plans with him when he supposedly wasn't her soul mate.Tania said she wanted to make a one to three-year plan with Syngin and start a new chapter, but Syngin admitted he wasn't totally ready to be committed and begin that next chapter of their lives together."I'm scared of having children and being tied down to certain things and not being able to express my true self," Syngin said, adding that he didn't want to be stuck somewhere or in something.Syngin called the situation "complicated" and admitted their futures didn't exactly align."I sometimes think, like, if we know this now, why are we still continuing with the relationship now?" Syngin asked his wife.Syngin said he was rushed into marriage because of the K-1 visa and he was feeling homesick. Syngin hoped he and Tania could find a compromise in which they'd both be happy or else "that'll be the end of us."It was Oliver's birthday weekend in California and Asuelu took off in a bus and was missing action. Kalani didn't want to tell her family what was going on with Asuelu because they already didn't really like him, but Asuelu did return the previous night.Asuelu apparently sent Kalani three false locations to drive to the previous day in order to find him, and once she was ready to give up, he gave his actual location.Kalani said Asuelu didn't want to talk to her once he got home, and Kalani's dad admitted he was pissed off and didn't appreciate how Asuelu disrespected his wife and daughter.Kalani's father said Asuelu owed Kalani an apology, and Kalani's sister Kolini worried future holidays were going to be the same way. Kolini thought Asuelu "sucked the life" out of her sister, and she acknowledged it was hard to see.Kalani agreed with her family that Asuelu was "in the wrong" and had behaved rudely, and so she hoped Asuelu would come around and apologize. But instead, it appeared Asuelu just wanted to play video games alone in their bedroom."Whatever, do what you want," Kalani said in frustration.Once Oliver's party commenced, Asuelu refused to leave their room, and so she didn't even know if her husband was going to attend. Kalani noted it was "typical Asuelu" to make their son's birthday party all about him.Kalani welcomed many friends to the party, including her pal Izzy, but Asuelu was nowhere to be found. Kalani told Izzy that she and Asuelu had fought in the car ride over and so she wasn't sure whether he'd show up at all.Kalani talked to Asuelu in the bedroom behind closed doors, and he said he didn't care if she was frustrated. Kalani essentially begged her husband to come outside and join the party, but he wouldn't listen and didn't want to budge."It's frustrating. It's like talking to a four year old," Kalani vented to her sister.Kalani's family felt Asuelu was "acting like a little child," and so her father Low decided to pull Asuelu aside for a chat. Low told Asuelu that he needed to put his problems aside because it was his son's birthday and he needed to spend time with his wife and child.Asuelu nodded his head and agreed to put on a good face, and so he went outside and told his wife that the decorations looked good. Kolini said Asuelu was just "putting on a show for everyone, which is what he does.""Asuelu is a fine actor. I know his bullsh-t -- but whatever makes him feel better," Kolini told the cameras.Asuelu felt good about making the babies happy but he didn't apologize to his wife. Kalani said they had a history of sweeping problems under the rug, and so she didn't really know what was happening between them.Colt and Debbie were preparing to travel to Brazil, and Debbie admitted she was nervous because she had never left the country before.Debbie told her son that he had made excuses for Larissa before and during his marriage and she didn't want to see that happen again, but Colt said Jess was different and things were going to be different this time.However, Debbie noted there was still a possibility Jess could be using her son for a Green Card, and so she asked Colt to take the relationship slow and listen to her opinion upon meeting Jess.Colt could tell Debbie was not traveling to Brazil with an open mind, and he feared Debbie was going to jeopardize his romance with Jess and try to stop them from being with each other.After 14 hours of traveling, Colt and Debbie arrived in Barra Velha, where Jess' family lives. Colt was going to meet Jess friends and relatives during this trip, and he was excited to see where Jess comes from.Jess loved Colt, but in the back of her mind, she was upset about what Larissa had told her over the phone about Colt having "many women" and essentially being an alleged liar and manipulator.When Debbie first met Jess at the airport, Debbie thought she was "a pretty little girl" and "very voluptuous." It didn't take long, however, for Jess to mention sex, and she and Colt were all over each other in the car on the way to Debbie's hotel, which apparently made Debbie sick.Also during the car ride, Colt and Jess discussed baby names, Dominick for a boy and Katrina for a girl, with Colt saying he'd probably like to have children down the road.Debbie didn't think Colt ever wanted to have kids, so she was surprised to hear that and began worrying Jess was going to persuade Colt to settle down, get married and have a child just so she could get a Green Card and stay in the United States.Colt then checked Debbie into a hotel and she was feeling exhausted, and Jess pointed out Debbie was "grumpy."Colt only got them one hotel room with multiple beds, which shocked both Debbie and Jess. Jess told Debbie that she sleeps in Las Vegas and doesn't work, but Debbie yelled at Jess to let her sleep and leave her alone.Jess said Debbie was being "rude" to her and it seemed like Debbie didn't like her. Jess said she wanted to have sex but it was awkward with Debbie in a bed right next door."Now I understand why Larissa called me and said, 'Jess, be careful,' because Deb is terrible. She's really bad with me. Scream with me. She's rude and she's not good. [I'm scared] about the rest of [our] vacation," Jess told the cameras.Colt was afraid Debbie was going to scare Jess off because she wasn't being "a team player." Colt called the trip "a disaster" and he had only been there a matter of hours.Angela was shown packing her suitcase for her trip to Nigeria, where she planned to marry Michael. Angela's friend Amy was going to help Skyla with Angela's mother and grandkids.Angela was feeling "overwhelmed" about her trip because she "never imagined" she would be getting married to Michael in Nigeria -- "ever."Angela said going to Nigeria was "bittersweet" because her mother wasn't feeling or doing well."I try not to think about it, but anything can happen. This could be the last time I see my mom... [but] I have to be a tough leader and act like nothing bothers me, and that's hard," Angela explained in a confessional.Angela was grateful her friend JoJo was going to witness her wedding, but she apparently wished Skyla was going to be there instead. Angela was unfortunately going to have no family at her wedding, and that was far from her dream.Angela was very nervous about leaving the country again, and she wondered if Michael was nervous as well."Oh my God, I'm going to lose my name!... Oh my God, am I really doing this?!" Angela expressed while at the airport.Angela noted this trip was going to be very different from the others because she was going to become Michael's wife. While she was "happy," she was also "a nervous wreck."Angela and Michael then reunited in Nigeria and seemed so happy to see each other. The pair intended to live with each other together during Angela's stay to see how they would work and get along as a married couple.Angela was looking forward to cooking with Michael and just doing normal everyday things with him at the apartment they'd be staying at. Angela called the apartment "cute" and said she was impressed since Michael had picked it out for them.Angela, however, didn't think the bed was comfortable; she said it was "as hard as an erection." She also found a rat that had been killed in a trap in the kitchen. Angela screamed at the sight of the rat and Michael just giggled and cleaned up the mess."We have bigger fish to fry. We only have three weeks to plan this damn wedding," Angela noted.During Elizabeth and Andrei's first real day in Moldova, Elizabeth was feeling exhausted while making her daughter breakfast with Andrei's mother in the kitchen. There was a huge language barrier but Elizabeth wanted to get to know her mother-in-law better.Elizabeth asked Andrei's mother if she was tired of putting out food every day, and she replied, "Of course." But when Andrei translated for Elizabeth, he claimed his mother had said there was no room to be tired because this is just how things are in Moldova."You work all the time and just move," Andrei said.Elizabeth said people were fancier in Moldova, but Andrei argued they're just more energized. Elizabeth then criticized her husband for being "the man of the household" without actually working or having a job, but Andrei countered, "I am [the man of the house.""But I thought you're a hard worked from Moldova, right?" Elizabeth asked with sarcasm."Don't insult me like this in front of my parents. It's good that they don't understand," Andrei said.Andrei told the cameras that he was just telling Elizabeth "how it is" -- that women cook, clean, work and raise babies in Moldova. Andrei claimed he meant no harm, but Elizabeth was clearly offended and upset."I don't know what is going on with Andrei since we arrived," Elizabeth said in a confessional."He's acting like this chauvinistic alpha male that talks about Moldovan housewives and traditional roles when he lives in America and he's a stay-at-home dad and I'm the breadwinner. I think it's too early in the trip to be insulting each other."Andrei took Elizabeth out with his friends, and Elizabeth asked her husband to include her in the conversation since she doesn't speak their language. Elizabeth didn't want to just sit there and listen without being able to offer some commentary.Elizabeth noticed Andrei was acting more like an alpha male in his home country, but Elizabeth joked to the cameras, "Sorry, you're American now. Times have changed."Andrei's friend's were shocked to hear Andrei wasn't working in America, and they joked about him being "a housewife" while his wife was the breadwinner. Andrei's friend Marcel complained about how America had made Andrei "too soft" and he didn't like it.Marcel believed the man should work and the woman should take care of the house, so he couldn't believe what he was hearing and thought America was changing Andrei.Elizabeth said Moldovan women aren't loud or speak their minds, so she worried her family members were going to offend Andrei's family and friends. Elizabeth seemed the most concerned about Jenn, who's very outspoken and opinionated."I already see them getting in trouble with their stupid loud mouths," Andrei said in a confessional. "I'm just hoping for the best but expecting the worst from them."Paul said the couple's first day in America did not turn out at all like he had expected because Karine didn't like his car and Paul's mother had locked them out of her house.Paul and Karine planned to go to dinner with his mother that night, and Paul hoped the meeting would convince his mother to help them out financially. Karine hoped Paul's mother would help them because she was very disappointed in Paul and what he was bringing to the table thus far.Paul and Karine argued while getting ready and Karine decided not to go to dinner, so he said he was very disappointed she didn't want to join them. Paul's mother Mary admitted Karine and the baby were the only reasons why she agreed to have dinner to begin with.Once they reunited at a restaurant, Mary told Paul that he jumped into things too quickly and should have waited, but Paul said he was just trying to give Pierre the best life possible.Paul then asked Mary for help, something that would help him out "temporarily" just until he got his feet on the ground, but Mary said this was a recurring conversation and they had been through this many times before.Paul knew how to push Mary's buttons by bringing up Pierre, but Mary declined to help Paul because she wanted him to figure things out on his own and support his family and be man.Paul was upset Mary had turned him down when she apparently convinced him to move to America to begin with."I spent almost all my savings in Brazil, so I don't have a lot of money here to make ends meet, and I don't know if I'm going to be able to convince Karine to stay," Paul said.Paul then took Karine to a grocery store, and he pointed out how beautiful it was to her. Paul hoped Karine would realize living in America was the best choice for them, but Karine wasn't impressed by the supermarket because she said Brazil has big supermarkets as well.Paul wanted to shop the discounted prices, like five for $5 deals, but Karine didn't understand and so the couple bickered while shopping. Karine reminded Paul they didn't have any money, and she didn't understand why he was putting so many items into their cart.Since Paul's mother wouldn't help them, Paul said he and Karine had to look at low-cost living options. Karine could tell Paul was trying hard to make her happy and care for them, so she decided to humor him a little bit.However, Paul took Karine to a trailer that needed a lot of work and was a mess. There was a toilet but no air conditioning, and Karine told Paul, "It's not happening."The house was falling to pieces and Karine said she would never let her son live there.The pair then looked at another mobile home and it had plumbing with a regular bathroom. Karine wasn't happy with either of the options and said she preferred her place in Brazil.The rent was "doable," according to Paul, but Karine wasn't happy. Karine told Paul that he wasn't being a good husband and her ideal home would have two bedrooms, some space, a kitchen and a yard where their baby could run and play."If Paul doesn't find a beautiful house, Pierre and I will come back to Brazil without him," Karine said in a confessional.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, both of which plan mostly online classes, were the first to challenge the new visa rules in court, saying they were hastily implemented in violation of federal procedures. Their lawsuit last week set up a high-stakes hearing scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, a day before the government is requiring schools to certify that students are taking in-person classes to meet the visa requirements. Dozens of universities have weighed in with Harvard and M.I.T., and Californias attorney general and several universities filed their own suits in federal court late last week seeking to block the directive. The president is using foreign students as pawns to keep all schools open, no matter the cost to the health and well-being of these students and their communities, said Mark Rosenbaum, a lawyer with Public Counsel, a legal aid organization in Los Angeles representing foreign graduate students at three California universities. Its temper-tantrum policymaking. The administration responded in court filings Monday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has the discretion to set student visa guidance, and that just because universities dont like the requirements doesnt make them against the law. The government also pointed out that the directive allows foreign students to take more online classes than they could have a year ago, when only one virtual course was allowed. The agency had waived that requirement in March, as the pandemic swept across the country and forced college campuses to abruptly close. (Photo : Photo by Zhengyu Qi on Unsplash ) Red Flags on How to Know if You're Being Hacked Does your phone always have weird ads? The device suddenly slows down without any reason at all? Maybe you're being hacked! If you're worried that someone or some organization is tracking your phone, here are the clear signs that you should lookout. Remember, there are tons of it, but here are the top six red flags. Top six red flags of device hacking Hacking is now all over the internet, especially in today's lockdown. Since all of us depend online-- with our transactions, reports, and sensitive personal info-- hackers are also out there to lure you every chance they get. Videos buffer all the time One of the clear signs that someone's hacking your phone seemed to be the normal time when videos are not loading in your device. That's a red flag in most devices. You think its a normal connection problem, but its not. DNS hijacking is one of the potential reasons behind the videos that buffer all the time. This will not only slow down your browsing experience, but it's also a serious security risk. For example, if your router's DNS settings have been hijacked, each time you visit your online bank's website, you'll be redirected to a phishing website instead. A lot of pop-up ads appear in your phone Like the videos buffering, another thing that could happen to your phone whenever being hacked is the presence of more pop-up ads. Illegal pop-up ads can result from potential DNS hijacking. All of the websites you visit may replace the regular ads with malicious ads that could steal information from your phone. Internet researches are redirected If you're being hacked, your internet browser may be hard for you to follow. There are many of today's redirected websites that have hidden malware. However, some of them are so well-hidden that most of the websites you seemed to be familiar with have these dangerous content. You're using too much data It is hard for people that are not tech-savvy to know whether they're being hacked or not. One thing hackers do is to use too much data on your gadget. Whenever a hack occurs, there are clear chances that something is working on the background. Whether its a malware or not, always assume that its a bad thing. Apps suddenly stop working One commonality of device hacking is whenever your regular apps wouldn't open as usual. You can try and fix the problem by booting your gadget in Safe Mode. With Safe Mode, your computer will be running with just the bare essentials. This way, you can safely delete and uninstall any programs and files that you can't during normal operation. Your phone always restart Gadgets like computers or laptops can be irritating when a pop-up says that you need to restart it. You can ignore it or restart your device. However, when its always happening all the time, that's a different case. Hackers tend to use too much energy in a device. Due to this, there will be cases that the security software downloaded to protect your software will detect something's wrong-- resulting in the restarting. ALSO READ: [TECH HACK] You Will Never Go to Jail in Downloading Windows 10, 8.1, And 7 ISO File Copy Because it is Legal and Free! Here's How 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Criticizing Turkeys famously thin skinned President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a risky business. More than 100,000 people have been investigated and at least 30,000 others have been prosecuted for insulting the president since Erdogan rose to the presidency in 2014. The crime carries a penalty of at least four years in prison under Article 299 of Turkeys penal code. Veteran Turkish comedians Mujdat Gezen and Metin Akpinar are among the most recent targets for airing disapproval over Erdogans autocratic behavior in a 2018 television appearance. Prosecutors sought up to four years and eight months in prison for the pair, who have entertained generations of Turks with their jibes at successive governments. Now an ethnic Armenian Lebanese show host is to appear in court on Oct. 8 on similar charges, albeit in Lebanon, following pressure by Ankara on Lebanese authorities, in a further sign of how Turkeys domestic fault lines are spilling beyond its borders and how Erdogans government is exploiting the divides to shore up support. Nishan Der-Haroutounian, the host of a popular live program on Lebanons Al Jadeed TV, will face charges of "insulting Turkey before the Court of Publications Chamber in Beirut. Der-Haroutounians travails with Turkey began on June 10 when a caller dialed into his show and made derogatory comments about the TV personalitys Armenian roots. The caller then went on to berate Der-Haroutounian for labeling Erdogan an obnoxious Ottoman. Der-Haroutounian retorted, I am at complete liberty to call Erdogan and his regime obnoxious. A million and a half Armenians were killed. He was referring to the mass slaughter of Ottoman Armenians in 1915, a massacre that for all of Turkeys ferocious rebuttals is widely acknowledged as one of the earliest genocides of the 20th century. Lebanons estimated 150,000 ethnic Armenians are mostly descended from survivors of the genocide. Soon after Der-Haroutounians outburst, a small but rowdy group that claims ancestry from Turkeys southeastern province of Mardin gathered outside the station and began chanting anti-Armenian slogans. Lebanese pro-Turkish activist Mounir Hassan simultaneously posted a video online calling Der-Haroutounian an idiotic dog and gay. Hassan said, We and our Turkish and Ottoman ancestors are proud of the massacre that our Ottoman ancestors carried out against the Armenians, because you deserve it. The video went viral. The Turkish Embassy sent a formal note of protest to the Lebanese Foreign Ministry saying Der-Haroutounian had exceeded the limits of free expression and demanded that the Lebanese media display the requisite respect for Turkeys president and people. The ministry lobbed the ball into the Information Ministrys court, saying that when professional ethics are overstepped and relations with foreign countries based on common interest are negatively impacted, steps in keeping with the relevant laws need to be taken. Prosecutors then accepted a criminal complaint filed by a local lawyer against Der-Haroutounian for insulting Turkey. That the Turkish government is attempting to export its policies of suppression and silencing to other countries is not new, said Khatchig Mouradian, a lecturer in Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies at Columbia University. What is new, Mouradian told Al-Monitor, is the zeal with which this is being pursued in Lebanon in recent months, at a time when the Lebanese people are facing a severe economic and political crisis and battling a pandemic. A century ago, the Ottoman Turkish state implemented a policy of exclusion and genocide against its own Armenian citizens. Today, Erdogans government is trying to label Armenians as the other in Lebanon, one of the bright loci of Armenian revival after the genocide, he added. Lebanon was ruled by the Ottomans from the 16th century until the empires collapse in 1918. Erdogans unabashed campaign to assume the mantle of sultan double turbaned as caliph is resonating among Sunni Arabs in Lebanon as well. When street protests broke out last year, some protesters were seen waving the Turkish flag and chanting Our soul, our blood, we will sacrifice it to you oh Erdogan. Sunnis worldwide were delighted by Friday's news that the Hagia Sophia, the iconic Byzantine cathedral-turned-mosque-then-museum, has become a mosque again. Erdogan is expected to oversee inaugural prayers to mark the event on July 24. Garo Paylan, an ethnic Armenian lawmaker for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, believes that the Der-Haroutounian saga mirrors Turkeys own internal tensions, which are reflected in its hinterland. The difference, he noted in a telephone interview with Al-Monitor, is that while in Turkey, those targeted cannot hit back at the government and its supporters because of the climate of fear, in places like Lebanon especially, where you have communities from Turkey who bear the scars and traumas of generations past, the fight gets ugly on both sides. Erdogan and his far-right nationalist allies thrive on stirring such divisions to consolidate their base. The cynical exercise in vote peddling was on full display in the run-up to the 2017 referendum on switching Turkeys long running parliamentary system for its current superpresidency, concentrating power in Erdogans hands. Violence erupted as Erdogans lieutenants toured EU countries delivering incendiary speeches before large Turkish communities to drum up support. Erdogans unremitting campaign against Kurdish groups at home and in neighboring Iraq and Syria has escalated tensions between diaspora Turks and Kurds. In late June, Kurdish and Turkish protesters clashed in Vienna for three days. Austrias Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg accused Turkey of pouring fuel on the fire. Further confrontations between the sides erupted again last week. Austria's conservative Prime Minister Sebastian Kurtz seized on the imported conflict to justify his clampdown on immigration. We see in France where it can lead if integration policy goes wrong, he said. NSW Police Minister David Elliott has issued a warning to the state's hospitality industry to abide by the public health orders or risk having tougher restrictions imposed. Mr Elliott said the industry could not afford to have any more "slips" following the outbreak at the Crossroads Hotel in Casula, and the breach of social distancing requirements at the Golden Sheaf in Double Bay, which was fined $5500 last week. "I'm appealing to all licensees, all pubs, to learn from this mistake and see what's going on in Victoria. If they are under any illusion under any illusion whatsoever that we are through this in NSW, they are sadly mistaken," Mr Elliott said. Police Minister David Elliott, pictured with Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Tony Cooke, renewed his warning for businesses and their patrons to comply with public health orders. Credit:Louise Kennerley "We don't want to see the hospitality industry close down again and go into lock down again, because it may not survive." A huge manhunt for a camouflage-wearing maniac who disarmed four officers at gunpoint has entered its second day in Germany. Around 100 officers are combing Germany's Black Forest with the help of special forces, helicopters and sniffer dogs in the search for Yves Etienne Rausch, 31. On Sunday morning, Rausch 'suddenly and completely unexpectedly' pulled a gun on police officers who carried out an ID check on him in a hut near Oppenau, Germany. He made the police hand over their weapons before running away. German media have dubbed Rausch - who officers fear is carrying a bow and arrow - 'Forest Rambo'. Special forces and helicopters are being used huge manhunt for a camouflage-wearing Yves Etienne Rausch, 31, (pictured) who disarmed four officers at gunpoint in Germany Police in Oppenau warned local residents to stay at home and not pick up any hitchhikers. Authorities said Rausch is carrying several firearms and known to be violent. Four officers were sent to a hut in the forest on Sunday morning following reports of a suspicious man. The suspect cooperated at first, but suddenly threatened them with a firearm, leaving the officers 'no time to react to the dangerous situation,' police said. The man made the officers hand over their weapons before running away, 'presumably' taking their firearms with him. Around 100 officers (pictured) are combing Germany's Black Forest with the help of special forces, helicopters and sniffer dogs in the search Police are combing through rough forested terrain with the support of sniffer dogs and helicopters (pictured) near the southwestern city of Offenburg On Sunday morning, Rausch 'suddenly and completely unexpectedly' pulled a gun on police officers who carried out an ID check on him in a hut near Oppenau, Germany. Pictured: One officer during the search for Rausch Nobody was injured in the incident close to Germany's border with France. The man is understood to have lived above a local guest house for three years before being evicted for not paying his rent about a year ago, Bild reported. He had odd jobs as a rail worker and a golf course caretaker, a former neighbour was cited as saying, describing him as 'not an easy person'. Various weapons and petrol canisters were found in his apartment after he was evicted, as well as a small shooting range in the attic, reports suggest. He is then understood to have lived in his car by the local swimming pool for a while before moving into the hut at the edge of the forest. Police in Oppenau warned local residents to stay at home and not pick up any hitchhikers. Pictured: Emergency vehicles at the scene Authorities said Rausch is carrying several firearms and known to be violent. Pictured: Emergency vehicles at the scene Nobody was injured in the incident close to Germany 's border with France. Pictured: A helicopter taking part in the man hunt A police spokesman was cited as saying the man was in a state of 'psychiatric emergency' and should not be approached. Pictured: Emergency vehicles at the scene He spent time in prison for shooting his girlfriend with a bow and arrow, local media reports. A police spokesman was cited as saying the man was in a state of 'psychiatric emergency' and should not be approached. The police weapons were P2000 semi-automatic pistols that can hold up to 16 bullets each, according to Bild, meaning the man could have an extra 64 shots at his disposal. Rausch is described as being around 5-foot, 7-inches tall, bald, with a goatee beard and wearing camouflage clothing and possibly glasses. Banjul, Gambia (PANA) Mai Amhed Fatty, Gambias former Interior Minister, on Monday took a jab at President Adama Barrow, saying the head of State, instead of being chief enforcer of Covid 19 laws, has become the chief breaker of the laws he made himself Coronavirus death rates vary massively across NHS hospitals in England, according to shocking data. Eight out of 10 infected patients in one hospital in the South West have died but just 12.5 per cent succumbed to the illness in a London trust. The data, seen by The Guardian, showed more than half of Covid-19 patients have died in at least 11 hospital trusts across the country. Data from a study presented to government scientists last month showed the death rate for hospitalised patients is 28 per cent across the UK, on average. But information being sent to senior doctors, which the NHS denies is official, shows that this varies wildly between hospitals. Twenty-six NHS trusts had death rates lower than a quarter between 12.5 per cent and 25 per cent. But rates were higher at the remaining 109. Experts said the huge disparity in death rates did not necessarily mean patients were getting worse care, but that it could be a consequence of the population in the area or the number of patients they had treated. Older people are more likely to die from coronavirus and some regions have far more older people the average age in the South West, for example, is eight years higher than it is in London. NHS England said it did not produce the data which the newspaper said had been adjusted for age and say they appear to be 'experimental'. For comparison, the national death rate for everyone who tests positive not only hospital patients is 4.2 per cent in the US, 4.6 per cent in Germany, and 15.5 per cent in the UK. The infection itself is thought to kill around 1 per cent of all cases but not everyone who catches the virus gets spotted. Hospitals across the country have varying death rates from coronavirus, according to secret NHS data (stock image) The NHS data showed that two of the five hospital trusts with the highest death rates were in the South West one with 80 per cent and another with 62 per cent. Specific trusts were not named in the report, The Guardian said, and were referred to only by the region they were in. Other hospitals where more than half of patients were dying included one in the North West (68 per cent), the East of England (60 per cent) and one in London (54 per cent). Three of the hospitals with the lowest death rates were in London with 12.5, 14 and 15 per cent along with one in the Midlands (13 per cent) and one in the South East (15 per cent). Tourism crisis as number of visitors to UK drops by 95% By Tom Payne Hundreds of thousands of UK tourism jobs are at risk after a 95 per cent drop in inbound passengers, industry leaders warned. More than half of the UKs foreign tourist firms say they expect to go bust within the next six months, according to a survey of hundreds of businesses. Inbound tourism contributes 28billion to the economy and supports up to 3.3million jobs. Heathrow saw a 95 per cent drop in passenger numbers last month compared to a year earlier. According to a poll of more than 400 companies by trade body UKinbound, 53 per cent said they expect their business to last more than six months and 88 per cent said they are planning to make between 25 per cent and 100 per cent of staff redundant. Stephen Broughton, owner of Mountain Goat Tours, a sightseeing tour agency based in the Lake District, said: My business has been operating for over 40 years and normally turns over 2million revenue annually. Last year over 50 per cent of our revenue came from overseas visitors. While the lifting of quarantine measures is very welcome, the reality remains that we are already over half way through the tourism season and many people will be reluctant to travel overseas for some time. Joss Croft, chief executive of UKinbound, said the sector faces considerable and exceptional challenges. He added: We are calling on the Government to do much more to protect the jobs and businesses who will be vital to our long term economic recovery and the Governments ambitions for a truly global Britain. Advertisement Dr Alison Pittard, chief of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, told the newspaper: 'That is a huge variation, a huge range. 'Im surprised at the degree of variation. A spread between 12.5 per cent and 80 per cent is quite stark.' She added: 'We know that poorer communities and BAME communities have a higher risk of mortality, so if a trust is in an area of higher-risk individuals you would expect that trusts Covid-related mortality rate to be higher.' The exact factors that have played into some NHS trusts having significantly higher death rates are not clear. The ethnicity of patients in a NHS trust's area, how wealthy they are and their general health are all contributing factors. Data has shown non-white people, those in poorer areas and people with existing health conditions are all more likely to die if they catch Covid-19. Hospitals with small numbers of patients may also have an artificially high death rate because an increase of one could push the average up significantly. The NHS data gives a breakdown of 135 major hospital trusts around the country and calculated how many of the diagnosed patients died, to get a rate of death. It is not publicly available, however, so it is unknown whether some regions' hospitals were suffering significantly more fatalities than others. NHS England denied that it had produced the data. It said in a statement: 'We do not recognise these figures, which appear to be experimental analysis of unverified data, but there is now a wide range of published data on the role that health inequalities, including pre-existing conditions and other health factors, have played when it comes to the impact of Covid, including from the ONS and PHE. 'The NHS is accelerating work to tackle health inequalities, and will shortly be providing local services with a range of actions they should build in to their plans for the coming months.' Public Health England publishes weekly data showing how deaths break down by region, which shows that London has the highest overall death rate for all patients. In the capital 19.8 per cent of people not necessarily all admitted to hospital have died of the virus, compared to 19.6 per cent in the West Midlands and 18.6 per cent in the East of England. Separate regional data from Public Health England shows that London has the highest death rate among people who have officially tested positive for Covid-19. There, 19.8 per cent of patients have died HOW DO OFFICIAL DEATH RATES COMPARE BY REGION? Public Health England publishes weekly reports which show the total number of people who have been diagnosed, and the total number of deaths, in each region. These should include all hospital patients but also include people who have tested positive and died outside of hospital. This is how the regions break down: London (19.8%) West Midlands (19.6%) East of England (18.6%) South West (16%) South East (15.9%) North East (15.6%) North West (15.4%) East Midlands (14.8%) Yorkshire & The Humber (13%) Advertisement Government papers published last week after being presented to officials in June showed that the average hospital death rate has been just over a quarter across the UK. A study of 64,066 hospital patients with Covid-19 in the UK found that 28 per cent of them - more than one in four - die with the disease. Deaths were higher for people admitted to intensive care, of whom 35 per cent succumbed to the disease, and even higher for those who had to be put onto ventilators - 42 per cent. The COVID-19 Clinical Information Network (CO-CIN), comprised of university experts from around the UK, presented the results to SAGE - the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies - on June 22. The study had found people spend an average of nine days in hospital if they are admitted with coronavirus, or catch it while on a ward. Some 16 per cent of patients require high-flow oxygen therapy to help them breathe. The most common symptoms for hospital patients are coughs (63 per cent), fever (62 per cent) and shortness of breath (61 per cent) - but a worrying one in 16 people (6 per cent) claimed to have had no symptoms at all, the study found. The other regions had death rates of 16 per cent in the South West, 15.9 per cent in the South East, 15.6 per cent in the North East, 15.4 per cent in the North West and 14.8 per cent in the East Midlands. The lowest regional death rate has been in Yorkshire and The Humber, where 13 per cent of people officially diagnosed have died. Rajesh Abraham By Express News Service KOCHI: A legal tussle has broken out between the management of SmartCity (Kochi) Infrastructure (SCKI), which runs an IT park in Kakkanad here, and some of its investors after the management refused to waive three months rent (April-June), thereby going against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans assurance. A group of IT companies moved the High Court against the stand adopted by SCKI, a joint venture between Dubai Holding (84%) and the Kerala government (16%).SCKI is not a government firm and the park is not a government IT park, the firm told TNIE.However, investors have objected to the companys claim.How can a company that has the CM as chairman and receives huge subsidies from the state government claim to be a private enterprise? asked one of the petitioners. The claim that SCKI is a private entity and not liable to follow any government directives is false and is being made with the ulterior motive to collect rent for the lockdown period, said an investor, who did not wish to be named.Another investor said besides paying an initial amount as land value to the government on a lease of 99 years, SCKI pays just `1 per acre annually as rent for the 246 acres of land. The joint venture was signed as per a Framework Agreement signed in 2007. It says the Special Purpose Vehicle and any IT company operating from SmartCity Kochi shall be entitled to privileges, subsidies and concessions as may be applicable or extended to such companies under the IT policies of the government from time to time, one of the investors told TNIE over the phone from Dubai. In a written response, SCKI said it had offered rent deferment options to all the occupants who requested support in these unprecedented times. A small fraction of tenants chose not to avail the deferment and instead approached the state government seeking extension of its order, it said. The state government had waived rent for all companies (upto 10,000 sqft) operating from its IT parks for three months. The investors said Dubai Holding, owned by the government of Dubai, had also announced rent waivers in Dubai for its tenants in projects there.Hence the stance taken by SCKI and CEO Manoj Nair are against the ethos and principles of shareholders, said an investor. The big question before the court is whether the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown amount to force majeure. Given the unprecedented nature of the pandemic and actions of governments around the world in response, it is likely it would constitute a force majeure event, said an investor. London: Ghislaine Maxwell denies introducing Prince Andrew to Jeffrey Epstein, a friend has said, contradicting claims the duke made in a BBC television interview. In November last year the duke told presenter Emily Maitlis that he first met the financier in 1999 through Maxwell. "I met [him] through his girlfriend back in 1999 ... and I'd known her since she was at university in the UK," he said. The duke insisted that because of his closeness to Maxwell it was inevitable he would become friends with the disgraced financier. The progressive monetary policy of the National Bank and government incentives have created the necessary preconditions to jump-start the Ukrainian economy. "The new progressive monetary policy of the National Bank in combination with government incentives will have a positive impact on economic development. We have all the prerequisites to jump start the economy," Minister of Economic Development, Trade, and Agriculture of Ukraine Ihor Petrashko said at a meeting with representatives of the European Business Association via Zoom conference, the Ministrys press service informs. According to him, the incentives for economic stabilization and growth include the government's program on partial unemployment, the Great Construction project, loan programs, and initiatives to support domestic production. In addition, the minister drew attention to the strengthening of investment policy in the country. "We are an interesting opportunity to the world and we see investment opportunities, for example, in the automotive industry, IT (creation of innovation clusters), pharmaceuticals, industrial logistics chains, etc.," the official said. During the conference, Petrashko answered questions from industries and companies that were addressed to the Ministry of Economy through the EBA. In particular, issues concerning international trade and negotiations on the Ukraine-Turkey Free Trade Agreement, investigations of the Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade, the activities of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, and intellectual property protection. ol Google has hosted its Google For India 2020 keynote earlier today via a virtual conference, where CEO Sundar Pichai announced an investment of Rs 75,000 crore as part of Google For India Digitisation Fund to help boost startups working on digital ventures in India. On the sidelines of the bigger announcements, Google India highlighted a new promise of bringing high quality, low cost smartphones to progress Indias digitisation saga. However, a closer look at this promise seems to suggest that achieving this goal may be more difficult than what it is on paper. A lofty ambition Speaking at the Google For India keynote, Caesar Sengupta, vice president of product management, payments and The Next Billion initiative at Google, said, We partnered with many Indian hardware manufacturers to create high quality smartphones running Android at various prices, to reach every Indian user. We will also focus on enabling more high quality, low cost smartphones, so more people can access the internet to learn, grow and succeed. The objective that Sengupta underlined is not particularly new. According to data from market research firm IDC, roughly 55 percent of Indian mobile phone users still use feature phones, which means that there is a great scope in the market for smartphone manufacturers to expand. Combine this with the fact that Apple, the only major smartphone maker in the world right now that does not use Googles Android OS as a platform, only sells premium devices, the Indian mobile industry is technically a lucrative playground for many smartphone manufacturers who use Android in low cost hardware to appeal to the non-smartphone user demographic. However, in a prior interview with News18, Navkendar Singh, research director for mobile devices, connected devices and IoT at IDC India, said, There are about 550 million feature phone users in the market in India, and somewhere between 450-500 million smartphone users, which is less than half the mobile phone market size in India. The growth in the number of smartphone users is not happening. Whoever needs and can afford a smartphone right now, already has one but, nobody is really doing anything for the so-called next billion demographic of India. The Next Billion: A curveball Singh further highlighted why this may be happening. As he said, Not enough feature phone users are switching to smartphones. Typically, a feature phone user in India does not see the need or use of data connectivity on their devices. They buy a phone for about Rs 1,000, and use it for three to four years. This phone also gives them 2-3 days worth of battery life. If they switch to a very basic smartphone, they would have to spend at least 4.000-5,000, that too for a substandard experience. There is the risk of dropping the phone and damaging the screen, which in turn would cost an additional Rs 1,000. The battery life is not even one full day, so for many demographics, such as migrant workers from fringes of India, owning a smartphone is still not an intuitive experience. It is for this reason that OEMs like Samsung, Xiaomi and others exited the sub-Rs 5,000 segment, since the margins are too low, and the number of units selling in this segment was far too low for business to remain profitable. Singh further called for government-support action to add practical utility for sectors such as agriculture, education and healthcare, in order to really show the appeal of a smartphone to individuals that still use feature phones. Google, as part of its keynote from earlier today, tried to highlight just that. Googles primary emphasis remained on education, wherein Sapna Chadha, senior marketing director at Google India, spoke about the Teach From Home hub that aims to bring forth blended learning in a post-pandemic world. While smartphones may be the ideal candidate to boost e-learning initiatives in fringe areas, the road seems long and difficult. Not-so-encouraging precedent Android Go was one notable move by Google to tap into this very demographic of users, wherein Google attempted to provide a stripped down Android experience on low cost hardware, so that such smartphones would not lag too much, and their performance remained more consistent than budget Android phones of today. Over two and a half years after its launch, Android Go has not been a runaway success. What, then, will Google do differently this time that will turn their efforts of roping in the next billion to be a success? That answer remains to be seen in the future. At last years Google For India conference, Google highlighted a number of digitisation efforts that included localisation of Maps, addition of more businesses to the Google Pay platform, and the refurbishment of Jobs on Google to attract existing smartphone users. This year, the company wants to bring more users online by promising actually useful utilities, and smartphones that will truly be a value addition to the lives of farmers, educators and healthcare workers based in various corners of India where connectivity is still limited. The question is, low cost Android smartphones have not really seen the sort of success that many envisioned they would, as a result of which India still has a massive user base of feature phones in the country. With the government of India also backing Googles digitisation efforts, it now remains to be seen how Googles second tryst with affordability and utility works out in real life. Mount Greylock Hopes to Hire Superintendent in Less Than a Month WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. The Mount Greylock Regional School Committee on Monday morning agreed on an "expedited" timeline for hiring a new permanent superintendent and inadvertently revealed a possible violation of the Open Meeting Law by the committee in the process. The committee decided to post a job opening for a two- to three-year appointment with a deadline of July 24 or 27 for applications and a hope of having a new superintendent in place in early August. On Saturday, J uly 11 , the district sent community members an email from Kimberley Grady that said she is "stepping down" from the post. But the committee has never, in open session, acknowledged the receipt of a letter of resignation nor discussed whether it intended to offer Grady an extension on her contract. School Committee Chair Christina Conry has not replied to a Saturday afternoon request by iBerkshires.com to know the date of any resignation letter received by the district. On July 6 , the committee appointed Robert Putnam interim superintendent, announcing that Grady was on "medical leave." But a comment from committee member Al Terranova during Monday morning's special meeting of the School Committee shows that the panel knew at least since July 1 that it would be permanently replacing Grady. "I thought at our last meeting, that the decision was we were going to hire an interim superintendent from now until June 30 [2021] and then, on July 1 [2021], get a full-time, three-year committed superintendent," Terranova said in the 13th minute of the 36-minute Zoom-based meeting. "Getting a full-time, committed, three-year contract with a superintendent in now is this the superintendent time? Most superintendents are settled for this year. "I don't think the pool will be as large in July of a calendar year. I think March and February is when the pool opens." The "last meeting" Terranova referred to appears to be the School Committee's July 1 special executive session. It was the fourth of four executive sessions in about a month's time called for the purpose of conducting "strategy sessions in preparation for contract negotiations with non-union personnel (Superintendent)." While it is conceivable that Grady's job status in the district could have been an acceptable topic for an executive session, it was not the stated topic for 2 1/2 hours of closed-door meetings over the course of a month. The last time the district abruptly parted ways with a superintendent, the move came after a protracted executive session convened for the purpose of discussing "the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health, rather than professional competence, of an individual, or to discuss the discipline or dismissal of, or complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual," an allowable exception to commonwealth's Open Meeting Law. None of the other five School Committee members on Monday's call disputed Terranova's assertion that the panel had "decided" on a spring 2021 search for a full-time superintendent. In fact, they did not acknowledge that part of his statement. As for his broader point that mid-July is not the time to engage in a search for a school superintendent Terranova was joined by Alison Carter in expressing trepidation about an "expedited" search for the district's chief executive officer, who is responsible for, among other things, supervising the principals of the preK-12 district's three schools. "This is a really quick timeline for hiring anyone, let alone a superintendent on a two- or three-year contract," Carter said. "I'm just wondering if those of you who have been around longer can elaborate on why you feel comfortable with this as our preferred way forward. "If we are [comfortable], that's great. I agree it would be best to have the best person we can in the position as fast as we can." Carolyn Greene said she understood the concerns raised by Carter and Terranova and pointed out that if the School Committee does not get a strong pool of candidates for the superintendent position at this time, it always can keep the position open and stay with interim superintendents until hiring a full-time applicant during the normal hiring season. "I think it's worth a shot," Greene said. "If it doesn't work out with a good candidate pool, we can always hire an interim superintendent. "It's out there that we're in transition. There is some awareness. And there isn't a vast number of superintendents in Massachusetts to begin with. To put it out there and see if there are any hits would be a good thing." Jamie Art asked whether, given the exigent circumstances of the district trying to replace a superintendent during the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee wanted to advertise the job as a one-year appointment. "It may depend on the candidate," Greene said. "I think it would be hard to get an experienced superintendent on a one-year contract." Steven Miller agreed. "Last time [when Grady was hired in 2018], we discussed a two- or three-year contract," Miller said. "I am worried about how attractive the position could be for someone to uproot themselves and come for a one-year position." The committee ultimately voted 6-0 to authorize Conry, in consultation with district counsel Adam Dupere, to revise the 2018 posting and advertise the position as soon as Monday with the two-week application window Conry had proposed. Dupere first assured the panel that it had the authority to conduct the hiring process within its seven-person body and did not need to convene a traditional search committee that includes parents, teachers and other community members to make recommendations to the School Committee. In a separate vote, the School Committee decided to solicit questions from the community to include in its screening process for superintendent candidates. Conry pointed out that there are laws governing what a school committee can and cannot ask during that process, but within those bounds, the panel agreed it is good to try to include the community in the truncated hiring process. A woman has won an army of online admirers thanks to her likeness to actress Jennifer Aniston. Caitlin, from California, who blogs under the name The Kindred Ginger, has many people convinced she is related to the Friends star. The uncanny likeness was spotted after mother-of-one Caitlin's hairstylist Stephanie Carrillo shared images of her wavy locks on Instagram. While Jen is known for her beachy blonde do, Caitlin's color has more of a strawberry tint with golden highlights. Caitlin, from California, who blogs under the name The Kindred Ginger, has many people convinced she is related to the Friends star While Jen is known for her beachy blonde locks, Caitlin's color has more of a strawberry tint with golden highlights However, the pair do share matching blue eyes, a distinctive chiseled chin and jawline and similarly shaped lips. Even their noses and eyebrows are very alike, prompting many to comment that Caitlin could easily be related to the Hollywood actress, despite their differing hair tones. One commented: 'I am convinced that this woman is related to Jennifer Aniston.' Another wrote: 'I didn't know you did Jenn Aniston's hair.' The uncanny likeness was spotted after mother-of-one Caitlin's hairstylist Stephanie Carrillo shared images of her on Instagram (pictured) The pair do share matching blue eyes, a distinctive chiseled chin and jawline and similarly shaped lips. Caitlin is pictured left; right: the real Jen Caitlin, who boasts 2,827 followers, blogs about fashion, make-up and skin care and shares home decor tips as well as hair tutorials And one joked: 'So the comments are saying this isn't Jennifer Aniston but it's clearly Jennifer Aniston.' Some even went so far as to tag the 51-year-old actress in the comments. Speaking to Allure, Orange County-based Stephanie said her followers 'go crazy' every time she shares a snap of Caitlin to her Instagram page @modestspotcarrillo. 'They even go as far as to tag Jennifer Aniston,' she added. Caitlin, who boasts 2,827 followers, blogs about fashion, make-up and skin care and shares home decor tips as well as hair tutorials. Boris Johnson today urged people to don face masks in shops and vowed clarity on making them compulsory within days - as the government's approach verged on shambles. The PM, who was once again wearing a covering out and about in London, insisted they had a 'great deal of value' in confined spaces such as shops. After weeks of dithering, he said ministers and officials were 'looking at' the guidance on whether they should be compulsory in such settings, and suggested an announcement is imminent. The comments came amid accusations that the government is 'all over the place' on face masks with the premier and Michael Gove seemingly at odds over requiring them in shops. Currently they are only required by law on public transport in England. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland added to the sense of drift by saying 'perhaps' masks should become mandatory inside. Scientists have warned that the public will be 'confused' after Mr Gove insisted yesterday that wearing coverings indoors should be a matter of 'courtesy'. By contrast Mr Johnson said on Friday that the government 'needs to be stricter in insisting people wear face coverings in confined spaces'. Nicola Sturgeon has already brought the rule in for Scotland, while London mayor Sadiq Khan has been demanding the change. Wales announced today that face coverings will be compulsory on public transport from July 27. It came as Mr Johnson also urged people to consider physically returning to their places of work amid fears a continuing trend of working from home will spell doom for high street shops and businesses. The PM said that 'people should start to think about getting back to work' but some of the country's biggest firms said fewer than 50 per cent of staff could come back because of social distancing rules. In other coronavirus developments today: The UK announced 11 more coronavirus deaths in the preliminary daily toll, taking the total number of victims to 44,840; More than 100 outbreaks of coronavirus in schools, businesses and pubs are 'swiftly and silently' being dealt with every week across the UK, Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed; The drive to bring workers back to the office from coronavirus lockdown hit a roadblock after some of country's biggest firms said only 40 per cent will return from home; Councils in England are preparing to make significant cuts in jobs and services after losing income on investments in airports, cinemas and offices amid the coronavirus pandemic; British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is preparing to launch human trials of an antibody treatment that could protect old and vulnerable people from coronavirus; Beauty salons, nail bars and tattoo shops in England opened the first time in four months as part of the latest relaxation of lockdown restrictions; Immunity to Covid-19 might be lost within months, according to research that suggests the virus could infect people on an annual basis, like the flu. Boris Johnson wore his facemask again today as he visited the headquarters of the London Ambulance Service Mr Johnson was shown the equipment as he toured the ambulance HQ in London today A further 21 people have died from coronavirus in 24 hours bringing the UK's total death toll to 44,819 Mr Johnson made a point of wearing his mask and said he thought people should be using them in confined spaces Michael Gove sparked confusion yesterday by insisting wearing face covering indoors should be a matter of 'courtesy' rather than required by law How the government's line on face coverings has changed over the months March 12: Deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries: 'For the average member of the public walking down a street, it is not a good idea in fact, you can actually trap the virus in the mask and start breathing it in.' April 16: Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said: 'The evidence is weak, but the evidence of a small effect is there under certain circumstances.' April 21: Revealed in meeting minutes a month later, Sage advised: 'On balance, there is enough evidence to support recommendation of community use of cloth face masks, for short periods in enclosed spaces, where social distancing is not possible.' April 23: Dr Jenny Harries said there could be 'a very, very small potential beneficial effect in some enclosed environments'. April 24: Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'On masks, as more information comes through, the science is constantly evolving and we always bear in mind that science and then take the decision. As of today, the government position is unchanged.' April 30: Boris Johnson said: 'I do think that face coverings will be useful, both for epidemiological reasons, but also for giving people confidence that they can go back to work.' May 20: Researchers in Hong Kong found face masks reduced infection by up to 75 per cent. June 4: Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced that face coverings will be mandatory on public transport from June 15. He said: 'With more people using transport the evidence suggests wearing face coverings offers some - albeit limited - protection against the spread for the virus.' June 5: Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed plans to make face coverings compulsory in hospitals for all staff, visitors and outpatients from June 15, but a furious NHS boss said the decision was made 'without any notice or consultation'. Meanwhile, Grant Shapps said masks would not be required in other settings such as shops because people spend little time in close proximity. June 12: German study suggests making face masks compulsory could slow the spread of Covid-19 by as much as 40 per cent. July 10: The PM says the government 'needs to be stricter in insisting people wear face coverings in confined spaces'. A government source later briefs that it is a 'fair assumption' that masks will become mandatory in shops and other indoor settings within a few weeks. July 12: Michael Gove says masks will not be compulsory in shops in England, insisting it is best to 'trust' the public and wearing a face covering is a matter of 'good manners'. July 13: Mr Johnson says an announcement will be made 'in the coming days' on upgrading the advice on using face coverings. Advertisement Mr Johnson told reporters during a visit to the London Ambulance Service today: 'They have a great deal of value in confined spaces where you're coming into contact with people you don't normally meet. 'The scientific evaluation of face coverings and their importance on stopping aerosol droplets, that's been growing, so I do think that in shops it is very important to wear a face covering if you're going to be in a confined space and you want to protect other people and receive protection in turn. 'Yes, face coverings, I think people should be wearing in shops, and in terms of how we do that - whether we will be making that mandatory or not - we will be looking at the guidance, we will be saying a little bit more in the next few days.' Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth accusing the government of damaging the effort against coronavirus with 'conflicting' advice. 'Conflicting advice and conflicting statements from the Government only hinder our fight against the virus. Clear communication is vital in combating the spread of Covid-19,' he said. 'For the public to know that they are doing the right thing in shops, restaurants and other crowded places, I am asking that you urgently set out the position on face coverings. 'As lockdown rules are further relaxed this week, it is vital that updated guidance on this issue is published by the Government without delay.' Royal Society president Dr Venki Ramakrishnan said the 'evidence has shifted' and it was now 'quite strongly in favour of using face coverings in enclosed spaces'. He told GMB it was 'not consistent' to require masks on public transport but not in shops. 'A virus doesn't know. The behaviour of the virus is the same in all of these spaces,' he said. At her daily briefing in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon said she believed compliance with new regulations making face coverings mandatory in shops was 'extremely high indeed'. She said: 'Everything I've seen or heard through social media, through other reports and through my own brief visit to a couple of shops yesterday, everything suggests that compliance with the new law has been extremely high indeed and I want to thank everybody for that. 'It is what I would have expected but nevertheless it is still welcome.' While face coverings are currently mandatory in shops and on public transport, Ms Sturgeon added that they can be used in other indoor spaces when social distancing cannot be adhered to. Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said the public 'had been confused as hell' by some official advice during the crisis. 'I think we're seeing this again with facemasks,' he told the Times. A former Cabinet minister said the approach was 'all over the place'. 'If the government wants to be clear about this, they should go one way or the other. Sitting on the fence doesn't really work. People are confused,' they said. Pressed in a round of interviews today whether he was in the 'mandatory masks' camp, Mr Buckland said: 'I think I'm 'mandatory perhaps'.' The Justice Secretary insisted he wears a face covering inside small shops and carries one with him. 'I carry one with me. I think outside is one thing, with social distancing, but a small shop I think is a very sensible place to wear a covering, and it protects people working in the shop, and also anybody else who you might come into contact with,' he told BBC Breakfast. He added: 'I think a mask is just an additional helpful mitigation that isn't just an act of courtesy. I think it's an act of increasing safety and public confidence.' Asked if he would wear one in a supermarket, he said: 'I think, carrying one with me and wearing one into a supermarket is a good idea and I think, frankly, the best thing to do is to carry on wearing it. 'I think if the supermarket is very busy then wearing it is absolutely sensible. I think people can be trusted to have the good sense to make the judgment call. 'And if you know one has gone into supermarket very early in the morning and there's nobody around, well, that's one thing but I think the point is, where you're coming into close contact with people you want to give them the confidence that you are doing everything you can to prevent inadvertent transmission of this disease. ' Government sources said ten factory production lines have been acquired to ensure there is enough supply if and when the wider use of coverings is made mandatory. Half of the businesses, in Wales and Burnley, are already in production with the rest to come on stream next week. Sources said the move was to make the UK 'resilient' and not reliant on foreign suppliers. Masks are already compulsory on public transport and the Prime Minister hinted on Friday that the Government is poised to extend the requirement to retail premises to help control the virus spread. Mr Gove sparked confusion over official policy on the issue yesterday when he said it should not be made mandatory in shops. Mr Johnson appeared in public wearing a face mask for the first time on Friday night, hours after suggesting the Government would become 'stricter in insisting that people wear face coverings in confined places'. Masks are already compulsory on public transport and the Prime Minister hinted on Friday that the Government is poised to extend the requirement to retail premises to help control the virus spread But asked if Downing Street was going to make their use mandatory in shops, Mr Gove told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show yesterday: 'I don't think mandatory, no. But I would encourage people to wear face masks when they're inside in an environment where they're likely to be mixing with others and where the ventilation may not be as good as it might. 'So I think that it is basic good manners, courtesy, consideration to wear a face mask if you are, for example, in a shop.' A Government source said: 'Michael was clear that the situation is under review and that is the position. The PM's comments still stand.' London mayor Sadiq Khan, who is campaigning for compulsory mask use, urged ministers to 'get their act together'. He said: 'Our response is once again behind the rest of the world.' Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope urged ministers not to make masks compulsory, saying he would stop shopping if required to wear one A Whitehall source said the Government had now acquired ten production lines, each capable of producing half a million masks per week. Five are already operating, with the rest expected to complete safety tests within days. But Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope urged ministers not to make masks compulsory, saying he would stop shopping if required to wear one. He said ministers should keep things in perspective and be 'trying to build confidence about the nature of the risk involved'. Video game giant Ubisoft is installing new leaders at its Canadian studios following an announcement over the weekend that its managing director for Canadian operations was stepping down. Yannis Mallats departure comes amid recent allegations of sexual harassment that have rocked the Paris-based companys Montreal and Toronto studios. Mallats exit was communicated to staff in a memo from CEO Yves Guillemot. The recent allegations that have come to light in Canada against multiple employees make it impossible for him to continue in this position, Guillemot said in the memo. Christophe Derennes, formerly executive vice-president of production at the Montreal studio, will now lead that studio, while Christine Burgess-Quemard, executive director, Ubisoft worldwide, will take over the other Canadian studios, including Toronto. This decision is difficult, but necessary given the magnitude of the problems raised in recent weeks at our studios in Montreal and Toronto, Burgess-Quemard said in a staff memo regarding Mallats departure. Last week, the company announced that Maxime Beland, its Toronto-based vice-president of editorial, resigned and another unidentified employee in Toronto was fired. And in Paris, vice-president of editorial and creative services Tommy Francois was placed on disciplinary leave. As well as Mallat, chief creative officer Serge Hascoet has resigned, as has Cecile Cornet, global head of human resources, as she believes it is in the best interest of the Companys unity, according to a statement from Ubisoft. In the staff memo, Guillemot said Hascoets resignation comes after in-depth discussions we have had together. Guillemot will be personally overseeing a complete overhaul of the way the editorial department works, according to the memo. The multiple public announcements of the departures mark a shift for an industry that has long grappled with sexism and harassment but dealt with allegations behind closed doors, said Concordia University communications studies professor Mia Consalvo, who holds the Canada research chair in game studies and design. Youre just seeing more and more public accusations, and I think that public opinion has changed enough since #MeToo and some other high-profile cases that the game industry finally has to publicly react to these things, she said. Its sad that its taken this long, but it is starting to happen. I dont think anythings going to be fixed overnight, but I think we are starting to see a larger consciousness, a larger acknowledgment that this is unacceptable. Ubisoft has not disclosed the nature of the allegations leading to these departures, but allegations on social media point to issues with the companys culture, including bullying, sexual harassment, a highly sexualized culture rife with drinking and partying, and an incident where a female employee was choked at a staff party. As one anonymous accuser put it: Women are pitted against each other and then your issues are minimized. Your work opinions are overlooked and I have experience(d) being laughed at when I went to my boss about issues and told not to tell him when I mentioned that during a monthly party, a colleague came to my desk as I was still working and told me he wanted me to give him a blow job. The Star has not been able to independently verify the allegations. Montreal HR firm Relais Expert Conseil is heading an independent investigation open to current and former Ubisoft employees. RELATED STORIES Europe Games maker Ubisoft shakes up staff amid misconduct probe Mallat did not respond to a request for comment; neither did Beland last week. Ubisoft previously announced that it is shaking up its HR processes in response to the allegations. In a July 2 letter to staff titled Change Starts Today, Guillemot announced a structural shift including the appointment of a head of workplace culture and a review of the companys procedures. No one should ever feel harassed or disrespected at work, and the types of inappropriate behaviour we have recently learned about cannot and will not be tolerated, wrote Guillemot. Externally moderated sessions with employees were set to begin Monday. Ubisoft, though founded in Paris, has become a staple in Canadas gaming industry, with its studio in Montreal and offices in Toronto, Halifax, Winnipeg and Quebec City. Its responsible for popular games including Assassins Creed and Splinter Cell; last Friday information about the upcoming game Far Cry 6 was leaked, flooding Twitter with tweets about the game. Former Vice President Joe Bidens campaign has issued a sharp rebuke of the Trump administrations efforts to discredit Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the countrys top infectious disease doctors, and member of the White House coronavirus pandemic task force. "The president's disgusting attempt to pass the buck by blaming the top infectious disease expert in the country -- whose advice he repeatedly ignored and Joe Biden consistently implored him to take -- is yet another horrible and revealing failure of leadership as the tragic death toll continues to needlessly grow, Andrew Bates, Biden campaign spokesman said in a statement provided first to ABC News. Bidens response comes as the White House has provided a document to several media outlets that contains a list of comments made by Fauci in an effort to damage his reputation. The document, obtained by ABC News from sources who confirmed the effort to discredit Fauci, says in part that "several White House officials are concerned about the number of times Dr. Fauci has been wrong on things." MORE: White House seeks to discredit Fauci in memo leaked to reporters Over 135,000 Americans have lost their lives and tens of millions have lost their jobs because Donald Trump spent the last six months disastrously mismanaging the worst public health crisis in a century, the whole time failing to heed the warnings and guidance of medical experts -- particularly Dr. Fauci. Infections in the United States have skyrocketed, surpassing every other country in the world by far, specifically because of Trump's refusal to listen to science, Bates said in the statement. Biden himself appeared to respond to the new reports in a tweet Monday afternoon. Donald Trump needs to spend less time playing golf and more time listening to experts like Dr. Fauci, the former vice president tweeted. PHOTO: Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 30, 2020. (Kevin Dietsch/Reuters, FILE) The news of the document comes as two senior level White House sources tell ABC News that Fauci has at times been referred to among aides to the president as "Dr. Gloom and Doom." Story continues MORE: Providing no evidence, Trump tweets message attacking CDC, doctors as 'lying' Despite the memo from his own administration, Trump argued Monday afternoon that he has a good relationship with Fauci, even if the two do not always see eye to eye. "I have a very good relationship with Dr. Fauci. I've had for a long time, right from the beginning. I find him to be a very nice person. I don't always agree with him," Trump said. "So we've made a lot of good decisions, but no, I get along with him very well. I like him personally, Trump told reporters. Fauci has yet to respond to the attacks from the White House, despite appearing publicly Monday to discuss the coronavirus pandemic, arguing that We haven't even begun to see the end of it yet, but expressed optimism about possible treatments and vaccines on the horizon. Along with the statement, the Biden campaign took aim at President Trump in a 14-page document highlighting statements from the president throughout the COVID-19 pandemic which have been contradicted by various health experts, including Fauci, on vaccines, testing availability, and other treatments for COVID. The campaigns statement is the latest example of criticism --going back months-- of the Trump administrations failure to get a hold of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Trump defended his administrations handling of COVID-19 during an interview with Telemundo Friday, suggesting that recent spikes in cases in states like Florida and Texas would soon be under control. MORE: Broad disapproval for Trump's handling of coronavirus, race relations: POLL We are winning the war, the president said in an interview Friday. Our testing is far superior to anybody's, so we've now tested almost 45 million people, and that's helping greatly, but it flared up in areas where they thought it was ending, and that would be Florida, Texas, a couple of other places. And they... they're going to have it under control very quickly. Biden had previously committed asking Fauci to remain in his role, praising his incredible service to the country, and vowing he would heed his advice as president. I'll be a president who respects scientists, who won't censor their ability to speak directly to the American people. I will immediately reach out to Dr. Anthony Fauci to ask him to continue his incredible service to the country. And I'll have, from Day One, ready to go, the best medical experts and scientists to advise on our response. Maybe most importantly, I will listen to them and let them speak freely. Biden said during a speech in Wilmington, Del. in late June. ABC News John Verhovek, John Santucci and Katherine Faulders contributed to this report Biden campaign slams Trump for disgusting attempt to discredit Fauci originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Drug dealer turned businessman and potentially the next lieutenant governor, James Ghost St. Patrick was the center of Power. However, his son, Tariq, murdered him in his nightclub to protect his family. While creator and showrunner Courtney A. Kemp did not kill her father, she revealed that much of the complicated relationship between Tariq and Ghost is derived from her and her father. Michael Rainey Jr., Rotimi Akinosho, Naturi Naughton, Lela Loren, Omari Hardwick, Joseph Sikora, and Power Creator and Executive Producer Courtney A. Kemp attend the Starz Power The Fifth Season NYC Red Carpet Premiere Event | Jamie McCarthy Courtney Kemp before Power Born in Norwalk, Connecticut, Courtney A. Kemp began reading college textbooks at the age of eight. She then started reading Shakespeare plays two years later and began to come with her own stories. After receiving a bachelors degree from Browns University and a Masters in English Literature from Columbia University, she landed a job at monthly mens magazine, GQ, where she worked for three years. RELATED: Power: Courtney Kemp Responds to Criticism of Tariqs Unbelievable Storyline Many opportunities came Kemps way due to her position, including offers from television producers to adapt her piece on interracial dating into a show. Although the series never materialized, she realized she wanted to become a television writer and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 26 to pursue her dream. She became a staff writer for hit comedy sitcom, The Bernie Mac Show, and then wrote for other shows, including Eli Stone, Justice, and The Good Wife. 10 years after moving to LA, Starz greenlit the first series she ever sold and pitched, crime drama series, Power. Courtney Kemp says Ghost is based on her father In an Instagram Live, the series creator revealed that part of Ghost is based on her father, Howard Kemp, Jr., who passed away in 2011, two years before Power materialized. Kemp described her father as a brilliant and beautiful yet troubled advertising executive, and admitted they had a complicated relationship. She also revealed a lot of Ghost and Tariqs complex relationship comes from her and her father. According to the writer, her dad believed image was everything and thought looking, smelling, and sounding good protects blacks from white people judging you. RELATED: Power Showrunner Addresses Theories That Ghost Faked His Death Kemp explained her father thought that appearance was so much of the battle, and she took that essence and put it into Ghost when crafting the series. She also noted her father spoke well and showed up professionally, much like her central character. Courtney Kemp addresses theories that Ghost is still alive Additionally, the showrunner spoke on Ghosts possible existence as many fans think hes still alive because they didnt see his body. She explained that everyone who knows him knows hes dead but cant say if it will remain that way. Even though she noted the script was written for him to have died in the club, Kemp also said anything could change in the world of Power. RELATED: Power: Creator Courtney Kemp Explains Why Ghost Didnt Go to Jail in the End Additionally, several fans have theorized that Ghost murdered his father. The writer confirmed that the lieutenant governor hopeful did not kill his dad but noted people who think so are paying attention. A viewer asked her if Breeze and Kanan murdered Ghosts father, and while she said, theres something there, Kemp stated she wont say much more. Power Book II: Ghost premieres on Starz in September 2020. 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. The association of Immigrant Workers (Asti) has brought to life a new online project that is designed to help pupils who struggle after schools remained shut during the lockdown. The association stressed that children who are struggling at school due to the lockdown measures must receive support. This holds particularly true if the young pupils cannot receive learning support from their parents or other relatives at home. Asti therefore launched a new online project for primary school pupils in Luxembourg City. The project is hoped to give pupils the opportunity to revise the material that was taught during the school year in a playful manner. Children can also hone their speaking and writing skills during the summer months. Pupils who attend a primary school ("cycle 1" included) in Luxembourg City can benefit from the initiative. Better-managed road verges can help boost pollinating insects, new research shows. Pollinators such as bees, butterflies and hoverflies benefit from the plants and flowers in road verges, which form a network of "corridors" that provide food and shelter. While there are downsides of living by the road, including exposure to pollution and the risk of being hit by vehicles, the researchers found that the benefits for insects far outweigh the costs. The team of scientists, led by the University of Exeter, reviewed more than 140 studies. They found that verges can be dramatically improved for pollinators by measures such as creating flower-rich verges, reducing mowing and limiting the impacts of street lighting. "There is huge untapped potential to improve road verges for pollinators through management," said lead author Ben Phillips, of the Environment and Sustainability Institute on Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall. "In many cases, this involves mowing less, and at the right times, to increase flowers and reduce the amount of pollinators, eggs and larvae killed. "We can help pollinators further by reducing impacts of road pollution. "This includes light pollution, which can be addressed by limiting how long streetlights are switched on for, as these confuse nocturnal insects." The study was a collaboration between the universities of Exeter, East Anglia and Cambridge, the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the conservation charity Buglife, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council. Andrew Whitehouse, from Buglife, said: "Buglife's B-Lines initiative has identified the lack of connected wildflower-rich habitats as a major contributor to the decline in our pollinating insects. "This new research shows the potential that road verges have to help to reverse insect declines. "By making small changes to the management of our road verge network, local authorities and others involved in road verge management can make a significant difference to support nature's recovery." Since writing the review, verges have undergone quite a transition due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Claire Wallace, from the University of East Anglia, said: "There were lots of reports of road verges not being mown because councils and contractors weren't operating as normal. "This gave us a brief glimpse of the benefits of wilder verges for nature, with plants such as orchids popping up all over the place where they hadn't been seen before." Ben Phillips said: "In Cornwall, however, it is really positive that the council has just changed its policy of mowing verges in urban areas eight times per year. "Now they will only do this twice or three times a year, so this will be a big local change." The results of the work support an ongoing campaign by conservation charity Plantlife to save wildlife on road verges. ### The paper, published in the journal Biological Conservation, is entitled: "Enhancing road verges to aid pollinator conservation: a review." Some commuters in Accra have commended drivers and driver unions for adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols, especially the social distancing rule. Drivers, since March 30, 2020, have had to reduce the number of passenger intake, per seat, in line with the COVID-19 social distancing rule, as prescribed by the Government and the World Health Organization (WHO) to contain the spread of the virus. Despite the disregard for the social distancing rule by many people in various workplaces, especially the markets and in the general community, both taxi and Trotro drivers continue to ensure the distancing rule on their vehicles, thus attracting praise from some commuters. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), on Monday, some passengers said they were impressed with how the drivers had made the sacrifice to forfeit some income for the common good of citizens, despite the economic hardship the COVID-19 crisis had brought to many citizens. Ms Asaabea Quaye, a passenger, said the adherence to the directive had brought comfort to many travellers because passengers didnt have to breathe into one anothers face anymore. I think they have really made a lot of sacrifices in this COVID-19 period considering the money they have to lose per trip to keep all of us safe, she said. Ms Sabina Inkoom, another passenger, applauded the various station masters and driver unions, particularly the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), for ensuring that their members adhered to the protocols. The only challenge is that, we the passengers, sometimes struggle at the bus terminals to get on board due to the inadequacy of vehicles to transport us, especially after the close of work, she said. As a result, a few of the drivers sometimes ignore the social distancing protocol in order to get the passengers to their destinations on time. However, generally, I have been impressed with the adherence to the directive. Some drivers at the Tema Station Bus Terminal in Accra told the GNA they remained committed to enforcing the protocols despite the financial impact. They, however, appealed to the Government to subsidise the prices of fuel at the pump to make up for the loss in reducing the number of passengers. They also appealed to organisations to donate facilities and logistics at the various terminals and picking points for both drivers and commuters to observe the hand washing and other hygiene etiquette. President Akufo-Addo on Friday, March 27, asked drivers, driver unions and station masters to reduce the number of passenger intake effective Monday, March 30, as part of measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19. In response to this, the GPRTU and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council, in a statement, copied to the Ghana News Agency, directed commercial vehicles to observe a one passenger distance rule in the seating of the passengers. In compliance, three-rowed seating passenger vehicles, including taxis, now carry not more than two passengers on a row, while those carrying four to five passengers on a row do not exceed three. 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 Last month, I posted this on Instagram because this is one of the best purchase I've done during the Lockdown season. I own 2 pairs of Mirth & Yift earrings and they are both dainty and gorgeous pieces. These are the types of earrings you can wear dressing up or down. So having a third or fourth or fifth pair won't be an issue for me as I love to collect such pieces. Mirth & Yift supports World Vision Philippines during the COVID-19 by donating a portion of their sale from their core Mother of Pearl collection. I had my eyes set on a couple but they were sold out in an instant! I mean, these pieces were handmade so you are definitely owning one-of-a-kind pair. As I checked back, I'm glad Kristina was available for me to purchase immediately! Kristina is a white with silver tone brass anthers with white pearl! This is so pretty I always put them box in the box after every use! Whether I have my hair up or down, Kristina is a statement on its' own. To shop and support World Vision Philippines, visit https://mirthandyift.com/ Amid rising tensions between China and the Middle East with frequent border encounters, the Chinese and Iranian leaders silently drafted a controversial partnership that would give Beijing greater freedom in the Middle East's energy and other sectors. China-Iran partnership The decision undermines the United States government's efforts to box the Iranian government from other countries due to its nuclear and military potentials, as reported by The New York Times. A copy obtained by the newspaper details the partnership in an 18-paged document that would allow China to broaden its presence in several sectors in the Middle East, including banking and telecommunications. The partnership would have Iran offer China a heavily discounted supply of oil from an Iranian oil trade for the next 25 years, states one Iran official. The agreement also details extreme military cooperation between the two nations, which would give China a potential foothold in the region that the United States has long-since utilized as a strategic location. The deal would call for joint training exercises between Chinese and Iranian military personnel, joint efforts in research and weapons development as well as sharing of intelligence information. The cooperation comes under the guise of fighting terrorism, drug and human trafficking and cross-border crimes. According to the Wall Street Journal, analysts believe the agreement was made so that both countries could show that they have alternatives to the West even if only in name. Also Read: China Retreats from Border Front to East Tensions Against India, But Claims Another Territory A fellow with the Century Foundation, Dina Esfandiary, co-author of a book that wrote about the relationship of India with China and Russia, said the agreement is a public expression of intent and is an efficient method for spreading useful PR messages. So far, China has opposed the US's efforts of cutting its connections to Iran's crude-oil supply which still accounts for the majority of Middle Eastern country's exports. An extended cooperation Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister publicly announced the 25-year deal in parliament. Extensive details of the agreement have been released by multiple leaks, however. They show the focus on security, military, and economic cooperation between the two countries, as reported by The National. Chinese President Xi Jinping was the first to propose the partnership when he visited Iran in 2016 and was approved by the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's cabinet last June, said Zarif last week. Several officials from Iran have openly announced there is a pending international agreement with Beijing. One Iranian official along with other people who have talked with the government about it have confirmed it was the partnership document labeled "final version" dated June 2020. However, the agreement has not been made public as of yet and has not been sent to Iran's parliament for approval. The delay raises suspicions that Iran is wary of how much it is prepared to give away to the Chinese government. Officials from Beijing, on the other hand, have also kept information from leaking out and it remains unclear whether President Xi's administration has officially signed the agreement or if it has when the announcement might be made. Related Article: Cyber Group Claims Burning Iran Nuclear Facility, But Government Denies Sabotage @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 10:01:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAPE TOWN, July 12 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Sunday the resumption of a series of strict restrictions to curb the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases and related deaths. South Africa will resume the ban on the sale, dispensing and distribution of alcohol with immediate effect, in order to conserve hospital capacity, Ramaphosa said in a televised address to the nation. There is now clear evidence that the resumption of alcohol sales has resulted in substantial pressure on hospitals, including trauma units and intensive care units, due to motor vehicle accidents, violence and related trauma, Ramaphosa said. South Africa lifted the ban on alcohol sales on June 1 when it relaxed lockdown restrictions, a move that has led to alcohol abuse across the country, complicating efforts to curb COVID-19. Most of the traumatic injuries related to alcohol abuse occur at night, the president said. "Therefore, as an additional measure to reduce the pressure on hospitals, a curfew will be put in place between the hours of 9 p.m. and 4 a.m.," he said. Under the curfew that will take effect on Monday, everyone will be required to stay at home, except those who need to travel to and from work or who need to seek urgent medical or other assistance during this time. Enditem AUSTIN Not even the worst pandemic to hit Texas in a century was enough to stem the surge in voter registrations that has remade the states electorate over the past four years. Just since March, Texas has added nearly 149,000 voters even as the political parties and voter registration groups face new obstacles in signing up people in a world of social distancing and stay-at-home orders. The state now has a record 16.4 million voters, 2.1 million more than it had just over four years ago a 15 percent increase in registrations that is nearly equivalent to the voter rolls of the entire state of Connecticut. It is a totally different electorate than it was in 2016, said Luke Warford, voter expansion director for the Texas Democratic Party. Harris County and Bexar County have led the way in the past three months with voter registration efforts. In Harris County, voter rolls have grown by 16,000, while in Bexar they are up almost 14,000. Combined, the two counties account for one-fifth of the increase in registrations statewide. More Information Texas voter registration numbers Electionvotes March 201413,601,324 March 201614,238,436 March 201815,249,541 March16,211,198 July16,359,786 Source: Texas secretary of state Get ready for November To vote in the November presidential election, new voters must register to vote by Oct. 5. Voters who are not sure if they are registered can check online at votetexas.gov. Oct. 5 also is the deadline to change the address on a voter registration. Address changes made within the same county are effective 30 days afterward. Voters who move to a new county must submit a new voter registration application. People also can register to vote with the local county voting registrar or online. See More Collapse Warford said that for both parties and all candidates, those new voters have thrown a wild card into the 2020 elections as the parties try to get them to break their way. Texas just isnt accustomed to this sort of surge. Texas voter registration rolls historically have grown very slowly. From 2002 to 2012, the rolls grew by 800,000. But now, registration is in hyperdrive. Just since November of 2018, Texas has added almost 600,000 voters. Some of the change is coming from transplants moving from other states, while many others are coming from minority communities that voter registration advocacy groups have targeted over the last four years. In short, Brandon Rottinghaus, a University of Houston political science professor, said 2020 is setting up as a real shootout in regions of the state that have become more competitive because of the diversification and growth of the electorate. Its another step toward Texas being a true battleground, Rottinghaus said. Thats a big change from the last 25 years. Since 1994, Republicans have dominated Texas politics, winning every statewide office. Theyve had complete control of the Texas Legislature since 2003. Republican Party of Texas Chairman James Dickey says his party knows the ground is changing and is making its own preparations to defend the state. We are on alert and not taking anything for granted, Dickey told a group of eight party activists in May in rural Callahan County near Abilene, when he implored them to join the partys voter registration efforts. Dickey said up to 2018, the GOP relied mostly on organic growth while Democrats and their affiliated groups hunted for new voters. Since then, the Republicans have become more intentional and targeted in their approach. A key part of that has been a program they call 10K 4 10R, where 10,000 volunteers each make phone calls to a list of 10 potential Republican voters to ask them if they want to register to vote and have forms sent to them. Dickey said that has already produced 100,000 new Republican voters over the past year. But for progressive and Democratic groups, optimism abounds over where the states big voter gains are happening. Digital hunt In Texas, unlike many other states, voters dont register by party affiliation, making it unclear exactly how many Republican or Democratic voters are in the state. But about one-third of the 1.3 million new voters since November 2018 come from three counties: Harris, Travis and Bexar all deeply blue since 2016. Harris and Bexar being at the top of the list doesnt surprise Antonio Arellano, who is the leader of Jolt, a voter advocacy group focused on registering young Latino voters and getting them involved in politics. He said his group has been on the ground in those two counties. While the coronavirus made registration drives impossible in traditional locations such as libraries, county fairs and large events, younger voters still can be found with direct messages on social media, text messages, and digital ads. The virus hasnt affected those efforts at all. We harness culture, art and technology to get it done, Arellano said. Each year in Texas, 200,000 Latinos turn 18 a population that is Jolts main focus. In recent months, political unrest around the nation, particularly in minority communities since the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, also has helped Democratic registration pushes. The social unrest over the last couple of months has really without a doubt mobilized people for the upcoming election, Arrellano said. There is a growing consciousness of young people who are saying this is not right and looking for ways to change it. Warford said at many of the Black Lives Matters rallies, people were registering voters as they marched. And as the pandemic keeps people home, they have more time to watch the states rising COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, creating even more political frustration with the states Republican leaders. We are clearly in a moment that is charged emotionally and politically, Warford said. Suburban growth In the past three months, the Texas voter rolls have been growing by almost 50,000 people per month. That is almost double what was happening between November 2018 and March, when Texas added about 26,000 people per month. Its voter registration groups like Jolt and Battleground Texas, which has been on the ground in places like Houston since 2014, that have caught the GOPs attention. Gov. Greg Abbott holds regular organizing sessions with Republicans he calls Abbott University, where theyre warned that Democratic registration efforts even before 2018 were changing the states electorate. The results in 2018 showed just how real that was. Democratic candidate Beto ORourke came within 219,000 votes of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican, who six years earlier had won his seat with a 1.2 million-vote margin. But it went beyond that. Democrats flipped two congressional seats that had been held by Republicans, two state senate seats, and 12 Texas House seats. In a conference call with college Democrats in Texas in May, ORourke said voter registration gains, particularly with young voters, were essential to all of that. It was driven by young people, ORourke said. Young voter turnout in 2018 was up 500 percent in early voting. While Democrats might feel good about Harris and Bexar being atop the growing voter registration roles, Dickey said GOP registrations are up in those places and other major metropolitan areas, too, thanks to the partys more aggressive approach. Since November 2019, Bell, Williamson, Denton, Collin and Montgomery counties suburban communities that President Donald Trump carried in 2016 each saw their voter rolls grow by at least 4 percent, beating the statewide growth, which was 2 percent. Rottinghaus said Republicans traditionally have had a built-in advantage in suburbs, but thats changing as more Democratic voters relocate to those places for jobs, adding a new degree of uncertainty to their political makeup. Rottinghaus said when the states population boomed in the 1980s and 1990s, the migration brought a major shift as Republicans knocked out Democrats all over the state. But now, the rush of new voters has the Democrats on the offensive. It is changing Texas politics. jeremy.wallace@chron.com The J&K police on Sunday claimed a Pakistani militant involved in the July 1 sneak attack on a CFPF foot patrol in Sopore was among three Lashkar-e-Tayyaba cadres killed in a gunbattle with the security forces in the towns neighbourhood. One CRPF jawan was killed and two others injured in the July 1 attack. However, it was the killing of 65-year-old civilian Bashir Ahmed Khan that sparked off a huge controversy. While the J&K police and CRPF said Khan, a Srinagar resident, was hit by bullets fired by militants hiding in the attic of a nearby mosque, the slain mans family, including his wife, a former police officer, said he was shot dead by the CRPF in reprisal. The police said Sunday one of the two militants behind the attack was among the three LeT cadres killed in a gunfight in Reban village outside Sopore town. The police identified him as a Lashkar cadre from Pakistan who was active for some time using his codename Usman. Meanwhile, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Sunday demanded enhanced and proper security for party workers in J&K in view of the constant threat to their lives during a visit to the home of slain party leader Sheikh Waseem Bari in Bandipore. By Trend On July 12, the units of the armed forces of Armenia attempted an attack using artillery to seize our positions on the Tovuz direction of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, Trend reports citing Azerbaijan, Defense Ministry. Servicemen of the Azerbaijan Army, non-commissioned officer, sergeant Sadigov Vugar Latif and senior soldier Mammadov Elshad Donmez died in holding off an enemy attack. Despite the efforts of our doctors, a badly wounded serviceman of the Azerbaijan Army, soldier Dashdemirov Khayyam Mahammad also died. The leadership of the Ministry of Defense expresses condolences to the families of the deceased servicemen and wishes them patience. May Allah rest the souls of Shehids in peace! reads the ministrys statement. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Rating Action: Moody's affirms ratings of Dalian Wanda Commercial Management and Wanda HK; outlook stable Global Credit Research - 13 Jul 2020 Hong Kong, July 13, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service has affirmed the following ratings: ** Dalian Wanda Commercial Management Group Co., Ltd.'s (DWCM) Ba1 corporate family rating (CFR); ** Wanda Commercial Properties (HK) Co. Limited's (Wanda HK) Ba3 CFR; and ** The Ba3 senior unsecured ratings on the bonds issued by Wanda Properties Overseas Limited and Wanda Properties International Co. Limited Both Wanda Properties Overseas and Wanda Properties International are wholly owned subsidiaries of Wanda HK. The rated bonds are guaranteed by Wanda HK and supported by deeds of equity interest purchase undertakings and keepwell deeds between DWCM, Wanda HK and the bond trustee. All the outlooks of the above companies remain stable. RATINGS RATIONALE "DWCM's Ba1 CFR reflects its strong brand and track record of developing and managing commercial properties in China, and improved business profile after the disposal of its residential development business," says Kaven Tsang, a Moody's Senior Vice President. "The rating also considers its sizable recurring rental income and strong cash position," adds Tsang, also Moody's Lead Analyst for DWCM. "These strengths temper the risk associated with its high gross debt leverage, exposure to low-tier cities, and the execution risks related to its expansion plan amid challenging retail conditions and a slowing economy." While the company's rental and management fee income will drop in 2020 from 2019 due to the coronavirus outbreak, the company's operating performance should gradually improve as retail sales and foot traffic to DWCM's retail malls have been recovering as the disruptions fade. Moody's expects the company's rental income will gradually recover in H2 2020 and 2021, supported by the company's strong retail mall management and track record. The company has registered a high occupancy rate of over 99% and stable average rent of around RMB100-110 per square meter per month for its retail malls over the past 3-4 years. Story continues As such, Moody's expects DWCM's net debt/EBITDA will recover to around 4.5x in 2021 after an expected increase to around 6.0x in 2020 from 4.0x in 2019. Similarly, its EBITDA/interest coverage will recover to 2.5x-3.0x in 2021 after an expected decline to 2.1x in 2020 from 3.0x in 2019. These projected ratios continue to support DWCM's CFR at the Ba1 level. The company's improved business profile, driven by reduced development and industry risks after the disposal of its residential development business, will mitigate the company's temporary weakness in financial metrics. The company's high exposure to low-tier cities and planned expansion, also primarily in low-tier cities, entail operating and execution risk amid China's slowing economic growth. However, Moody's expects DWCM has the expertise and experience to manage the business risks in low-tier cities. Its asset-light strategy will also reduce its funding needs and the financial risk associated with its expansion in low-tier cites. DWCM's Ba1 CFR is also constrained by its private company status. However, corporate governance risk is partly mitigated by the presence of independent directors and reputable shareholders, such as Tencent Holdings Limited (A1 stable) and other investors, who appoint their representatives to the board of directors to balance the interests of the shareholders, creditors and other stakeholders. DWCM's liquidity is adequate, underpinned by its sizable amount of RMB65.7 billion of cash on hand as of 31 December 2019 and stable rental income of around RMB35-40 billion per annum. Moody's expects the company's cash holdings and operating cash flow will be sufficient to cover its maturing debt and committed capex for its portfolio shopping malls over the next 12-18 months. The stable outlook reflects Moody's expectation that DWCM will maintain financial metrics supportive of its Ba1 CFR and have adequate cash resources to support its operating and refinancing needs over the next 12-18 months. The affirmation of Wanda HK's Ba3 CFR reflects the company's standalone credit profile plus a two-notch uplift based on Moody's expectation that the company will receive support from its parent DWCM in times of need. Moody's expectation of support considers DWCM's 100% ownership of Wanda HK, the parent's full control over the company, and Wanda HK's role as the primary platform for DWCM's offshore funding and investment. Moody's also expects DWCM will maintain its ability to provide support, if needed, as reflected by its Ba1 CFR and its track record of providing timely funding support to Wanda HK. Wanda HK's standalone credit profile reflects its small scale, exposure to the difficult operating conditions for its hotel business, weak credit metrics and thin equity base, given its role as the group's core platform for offshore funding and overseas investment. These weaknesses are mitigated by its good liquidity and the parent's close control over the company. Wanda HK's liquidity position is good, underpinned by its ample amount of cash holdings. As of year-end 2019, the company's cash balance of about RMB7.5 billion covered about 3.4x its short-term debt of about RMB2.2 billion as of the same date. Moody's expects Wanda HK will have sufficient liquidity resources to meet its operating and refinancing needs in the next 12-18 months. Wanda HK's stable outlook primarily reflects Moody's expectation that DWCM will provide financial support to the company in times of stress, given the close links between the two companies. FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS DWCM's Ba1 CFR could be upgraded if it successfully achieves its business growth plan and improves its financial metrics, with adjusted net debt/EBITDA falling below 4.0x-4.5x and EBITDA/interest rising above 3.0x-3.5x. DWCM's Ba1 CFR could be downgraded if the company shows (1) weak liquidity, (2) slower-than-expected growth in rental and management fee income, or (3) a deterioration in its credit metrics. Credit metrics that would indicate negative rating pressure include adjusted net debt/EBITDA rising above 6.0x-6.5x and EBITDA/interest falling below 2.0x on a sustained basis. Additionally, any evidence of a material leakage of funds from DWCM or a notable deterioration in the company's corporate governance and transparency could strain its rating. Wanda HK's rating could be upgraded if DWCM's CFR is upgraded, and the company maintains its strategic and economic importance to the parent. However, a downgrade of DWCM's CFR will result in a downgrade of Wanda HK's CFR and the ratings of its guaranteed bonds. Furthermore, Wanda HK's rating could face downward pressure if its standalone credit profile deteriorates, or there is a reduction in the level of ownership by DWCM or the strategic and economic importance of the company to DWCM is reduced. The principal methodology used in rating Dalian Wanda Commercial Management Group Co., Ltd. was REITs and Other Commercial Real Estate Firms published in September 2018 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1095505. The principal methodology used in rating Wanda Commercial Properties (HK) Co. Limited, Wanda Properties Overseas Limited and Wanda Properties International Co. Limited was Business and Consumer Service Industry published in October 2016 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1037985. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of these methodologies. Dalian Wanda Commercial Management Group Co., Ltd. (DWCM) develops and operates commercial properties in China. At the end of 2019, the company operated 323 rental malls across over 160 cities in China. As of December 2019, the company was 45.0% owned by Dalian Wanda Group Co., Ltd. The chairman of Dalian Wanda Group, Wang Jianlin, and his family also owned about 6.8% of the company. Additionally, an investment consortium led by Tencent Holdings Limited (Tencent, A1 stable) and comprising JD.com, Inc. (Baa2 positive), Sunac China Holdings Limited (Ba3 stable) and Suning Commerce Group Co., Ltd. owned 14.2% of the company. Wanda Commercial Properties (HK) Co. Limited (Ba3 stable) is the primary offshore funding and investment platform for DWCM. The company's main assets include a 65.04% equity interest in Hong Kong-listed Wanda Hotel Development Company Limited, as well as investment in one overseas properties and hotel project in the US. 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Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 13, 2020 13:40 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665e644a 1 News Kaleidoscope-Model-United-Nations,United-Nations,student,UNHCR,Education,refugee-crisis,COVID-19,UN Free Indonesian junior high school student Nadine Kei Inara recently simulated an international UN conference on refugee issues. The event, called Kaleidoscope Model United Nations (KSMUN), was held by video conference from July 11 to 12 and was attended by more than 70 students from seven countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Canada, Nigeria, South Africa and India. Nadine, a 14-year-old student of National High Jakarta School in West Jakarta, said the event was supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The conference was created because of drive and passion to keep students motivated to continue learning, stay productive and be creative, while staying safe during the global COVID-19 pandemic. We really hope that this event inspires delegates worldwide and enriches the global network between high school students and universities," said Nadine, who is also the founder and secretary general of KSMUN, in a statement. "With our theme this year, Shifting Global Paradigms, KSMUN seeks to bring together passionate individuals and piece together their diverse perspectives to spark change, shift paradigms and form the ultimate picture in the face of adversity adversities which have stemmed from unjust stigmas and prejudices, the very things that have become the root causes of the problems refugees and stateless people face, she added. Kasita Rochanakorn, communications officer for the UNHCRs Regional Bureau for Asia-Pacific, said that UNHCR supported and appreciated the event, especially as it helped students learn and understand international issues from an early age and trained them to provide solutions to problems. All proceeds from the event were donated to UNHCR for the rehabilitation of refugees, stateless people and asylum seekers worldwide. Supported by the UN, KSMUN is part of the Model United Nations refugee challenge by UNHCR, which encourages participants to propose their own solutions and ideas during conferences. (wir/kes) The moment 17-year-old Margy Wilkinson was washed by a police-operated fire hose down the grand marble staircase of San Francisco City Hall, she knew this was the life for her. It was May 1960 and Wilkinson, then known as Margy Lima, was an Oakland Tech high schooler whod crossed the bay to protest McCarthyism. Three years later, she drove cross country to witness Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream speech on the Mall in Washington, and a year after that, she was inside Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley, proudly being arrested while helping launch the Free Speech Movement. Wilkinson, who went on to serve as a savior at left-leaning KPFA-FM radio in Berkeley, died June 27 at her South Berkeley home of 40 years, across the street from Malcolm X Elementary School and just off Martin Luther King Jr. Way. She was 76 and participated in a Black Lives Matter car rally on the day of her death, of a presumed heart attack, said her husband, Tony Wilkinson. She was driven by a love for people in her community and in the greater world, said her son, Jason Wilkinson, a Seattle architect. For her, the struggle for equity and social justice was an expression of her love. She wanted the world to be a better place. Margaret Clara Lima had no choice in the matter. She was born into the struggle July 23, 1943, in Eureka. Her father, Albert J. Mickie Lima, was the son of Portuguese immigrants who became a commercial fisherman and union organizer. In 1945, Mickie Lima was hired as chair of the Northern California Communist Party, and the family moved to Richmond, then to North Oakland, where the Limas settled. Wilkinsons mother, Helen Lima, had been born in China, where her parents were missionaries. She got a job as a kitchen worker at Herrick Hospital and became a union activist in her own right. She was a captain in a three-week hospital strike in 1958. When Wilkinson was just 7, she saw her father sentenced to prison for seven years under the Smith Act, which was intended root out foreign agents, as part of the red scare. By the time Wilkinson was in high school, shed already been active in protesting discrimination at department stores in Berkeley, so her mother gave her a note to take to Oakland Tech, saying she would not be in attendance the following day because she would be attending a hearing of the House Un-American Activities Committee in San Francisco. Her father drove her there, and it probably would have been her first arrest if he hadnt pulled her out of the pile of bodies at the bottom of the stairs and led her out the door. That was a pivotal moment for her, said Lila Wilkinson, her daughter. It was just the way she was raised, to stand up for what you believe is right. In 1963, she participated in both the March on Washington and the sit-in at Mels Drive-In in Berkeley, to protest the failure to hire black workers. After earning her bachelors degree in history from UC Berkeley in 1966, Wilkinson landed a job there as a clerical worker in the Department of Economics and within two years, she was involved in a strike for pay equality for campus service workers. She later became assistant to the director of the University of California Marching Band. She was like the Cal Band mom, said Lila Wilkinson, who attended UC Berkeley when her mom was working there. She loved it. The band loved her, too. But her position was eliminated and Wilkinson took a job in the campus library system. When she retired from the university in 2007, after 40 years, the Cal Band crashed her retirement party in the Doe Library, marching right in to serenade her with Fight for California, as students who had their studying interrupted joined in. She mentored people. She comforted Cal students who were homesick, said Lila, who teaches special ed at Malcolm X Elementary, where her mother was a volunteer for 15 years. But she was also bold and fearless. This fearlessness came across as soon as she came to work at UC Berkeley. First, she led the drive to organize a local chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME Local 1695), in 1967. Then, she helped create a statewide union for clerical workers in the UC system, the Coalition of University Employees (CUE), with 19,000 in the rank and file. She served as chief negotiator. Margy was the driving force in the labor movement at the University of California for over 40 years, said Elinor Levine of Oakland, who was involved in the CUE movement. She was always a hero to workers on the Berkeley campus and around the state. In 1965, while still an undergraduate, she started dating Tony Wilkinson, then a student at San Francisco State. His brothers girlfriend was her roommate in Berkeley. Margy was so positive and at ease with the world, Wilkinson said. I was a nervous person and spent many years trying to get her to embrace the wonders of worrying. I finally had to give it up. Their combination somehow worked and they were married in 1970, a low-key affair at their apartment in Berkeley. They celebrated their wedding night by attending a Free Huey rally for Black Panthers leader Huey Newton in Oakland. The newlyweds supported the antiwar and Black Panther causes and at her parents dining room table in North Oakland, the defense strategy to free Angela Davis on charges of conspiracy and murder was organized. When Margy first took me to her home, it was a totally new experience in how a home could operate, Wilkinson said. There was plenty of food and people would show up and everyone was welcome. It was open and loving. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The Wilkinsons carried on this family tradition in 1980, when they bought a three-story Victorian with seven bedrooms. They afforded it by bringing in four paying roommates, plus three of their kids, to go with their own three kids, Jason, Lila and Matty. It was communal living, said Wilkinson, a retired forklift driver for Local 6 of the ILWU. We had dinner for 12, at a table we made from the flooring of barracks on Treasure Island. Margy did the cooking, and after dinner, the table was cleared off to make way for union and community meetings and progressive campaigns. These ranged from political campaigns in El Salvador to political campaigns in the city of Berkeley. Wilkinson was elected to the Berkeley Labor Commission and served as chair. After retiring from UC Berkeley, she was active at KPFA-FM, the historic listener-sponsored radio station in Berkeley. She started at the bottom, as a volunteer in the phone bank during pledge drive, and was elected to the local board in 2010 as chair. By 2013, shed been elevated to the national board of the Pacifica Foundation. She became executive director, a full-time job with the highest salary in the organization. But she never asked to be paid, doing it all as a volunteer. Margy was incredibly good at navigating a fractious organization by listening to everybody, even the people she was fighting with, said Brian Edwards-Tiekert, who co-hosts the morning-drive show on KPFA. Even the people she fought with probably came out of it liking her. She was also a co-founder of the Friends of Adeline, a South Berkeley neighborhood group dedicated to fighting for social justice and against gentrification. When artist Edy Boone created a mural on Ashby Avenue, Wilkinson was prominently featured, with her ever-present smile. The mural became an impromptu memorial after she died, and people are still bringing flowers and signing a poster board placed in her honor. July 23 would have been Wilkinsons 77th birthday, and a family memorial is being planned, possibly on July 25. Information can be found on her Facebook page. Survivors include her husband of 50 years, Tony Wilkinson of South Berkeley; sons Jason of Bainbridge Island, Wash., and Matty of Somerville, Mass.; daughter Lila, of North Oakland; and six grandchildren. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SamWhitingSF China announced on Monday "corresponding sanctions" against three senior Republican lawmakers and a US envoy in retaliation for visa bans and asset freezes on Chinese officials imposed by Washington over Uighur rights abuses. The sanctions will be applied on the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China, US State Department ambassador at large for religious freedom Sam Brownback, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Ted Cruz and congressman Chris Smith, according to the foreign ministry. Bihta: Recording yet another rise in coronavirus cases in Bihar, 20 people tested positive in Bihta area on Sunday (July 13, 2020) after attending a funeral. The entire Bihta area is sealed and the area is getting sanitized after the reports of 20 people came positive. The pople who tested positive went to attend the funeral of businessman Raj Kumar Gupta who died in hospital on July 10. Prior to this, the nephew of the deceased tested positive on the day of cremation after which one more family member tested positive. As soon as the local authority was informed about the same, the sample of 37 people who attended the funeral were collected in which 20 tested positive. Bihta is now declared as a containment zone. Meanwhile, the number of case in Bihar stands at 16642 which includes 5001 active cases and 143 deaths. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 17:05:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Manchester City's two-year ban on competing in UEFA competitions has been lifted, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Monday. In February, UEFA confirmed that Manchester City had been banned from European competitions for the next two seasons and fined 30 million euros (32.5 million U.S. dollars) after being found guilty of "serious breaches" of UEFA's financial fair play rules. CAS ruled that the Premier League club did not disguise equity funding as sponsorship contributions, but did fail to cooperate with UEFA authorities. CAS then decided that while City's exclusion from participation in UEFA club competitions would be lifted, their fine would be upheld but reduced to 10 million euros. Enditem A new study suggests that people who engaged in social distancing during the early stages of COVID-19 may have stronger working memories. Working memory is the mental process of holding information in the mind for a brief period of time; typically, just seconds. The amount of information working memory can hold briefly, its capacity, is predictive of many mental abilities such as intelligence, comprehension and learning. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offer potential strategies to help mitigate social distancing noncompliance in a public health crisis. Researchers from the University of California, Riverside found that individuals with higher working memory capacity have an increased awareness of benefits over costs of social distancing. As a result, they showed more compliance with recommended social distancing guidelines during the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak. The higher the working memory capacity, the more likely that social distancing behaviors will follow, said Dr. Weiwei Zhang, an associate professor of psychology at UC Riverside, and the papers senior author. Interestingly, this relationship holds even after we statistically control for relevant psychological and socioeconomic factors such as depressed and anxious moods, personality traits, education, intelligence, and income. In the U.S., where social distancing is voluntary in many places, widespread noncompliance persists. It was especially high during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Zhang, one reason for this is concerns about the inherent socioeconomic costs associated with social distancing. But what constitutes an individuals cognitive ability to come to a decision regarding compliance with social distancing guidelines had been largely unclear. Our findings reveal a novel cognitive root of social distancing compliance during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zhang said. We found social distancing compliance may rely on an effortful decision process of evaluating the costs versus benefits of these behaviors in working memory instead of, say, mere habit. This decisional process can be less effortful for people with larger working memory capacity, potentially leading to more social distancing behaviors. The study involved 850 U.S. residents from March 13 to March 25, 2020, the first two weeks following the U.S. presidential declaration of a national emergency about the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants completed a demographic survey and also a set of questionnaires that captured individual differences in social distancing compliance, depressed mood, and anxious feelings. Personality variables, intelligence, and participants understanding about the costs and benefits of social distancing practice were measured also. Individual differences in working memory capacity can predict social distancing compliance just as well as some social factors such as personality traits, Zhang said. This suggests policymakers will need to consider individuals general cognitive abilities when promoting compliance behaviors such as wearing a mask or engaging in physical distancing. The team recommends media materials for promoting norm compliance behaviors to avoid information overload. The message in such materials should be succinct, concise, and brief, Zhang said. Make the decision process easy for people. The findings also suggest learning social distancing as a new norm requires an effortful decision process that relies on working memory. The bottom line is we should not rely on habitual behaviors since social distancing is not yet adequately established in U.S. society, Zhang said. Before social distancing becomes a habit and a well-adopted social norm, the decision to follow social distancing and wearing masks would be mentally effortful. Consequently, we will have to deliberately make the effort to overcome our tendency to avoid effortful decisions, such as to not practice social distancing. Zhang believes the influence of working memory will decline as new social norms, such as wearing a mask or socially distancing, are acquired by society over time. Eventually social distancing and wearing face masks will become a habitual behavior and their relationship with working memory will diminish, he said. Next, the researchers will analyze data they collected across the U.S., China, and South Korea to identify protective social and mental factors that help people cope with the pandemic. The team has also been gathering data assessing how working memory is linked to racial discrimination during the pandemic. Source: University of California- Riverside UiPath Inc., a software maker that helps companies automate repetitive tasks like data entry, has closed a round of funding that values the company at $10.2 billion (U.S.). The financing round, which the company announced in a statement, confirmed a Bloomberg report last month and bumps up UiPaths valuation significantly from $7 billion last year. All the remote work done during the pandemic has increased the need for automation, chief executive officer Daniel Dines said in a statement. The company said it is now speeding up its plans for an initial public offering in light of COVID-19. We were thinking of IPOing at the end of 2021 or during 2022, but COVID-19 has accelerated our plans, Allison Webster, a spokesperson for UiPath, said. COVID-19 has heightened the critical need of automation to address challenges and create value in days and weeks, not months and years. The New York-based company raised $225 million in a round led by hedge fund Alkeon Capital, with participation from venture capital firm Accel, Sequoia Capital, Coatue Management, Tiger Global Management LLC, Tencent Holdings Ltd. and others. It has now raised than $1.2 billion to date, the company said. chief executive officer Daniel Dines said in a statement the company would use the proceeds to grow and meet consumer demand. The company said it has over $400 million in annual recurring revenue, a metric that measures its predictable revenue from subscriptions and returning customers. Investors are enthusiastic about UiPath because of its strong revenue growth, said Carl Eschenbach, a UiPath board member and partner at Sequoia Capital. Changes in the global business climate this year have been a boon for UiPath. We think the whole pandemic that were facing as a world has accelerated the use of automation as people look to automate more of their processes as theyve done in the past, Eschenbach said. UiPath works with a range of businesses to create efficiencies by reducing mundane tasks. It helps banks with loan processing and hospitals with data entry. Sometimes this results in the elimination of low-skilled jobs. You cant have everyone working in the office anymore to get these tasks done, said Rich Wong, a UiPath board member at Accel. UiPaths main competitors are privately- held Automation Anywhere Inc. and publicly-traded Blue Prism Group Plc. A smaller U.K.-based competitor, Softomotive Ltd., was acquired by Microsoft Corp. in May. A new batch of reality show stars are set to look for love one more time on an upcoming web series. According to The Daily Telegraph, Married At First Sight's Dan Webb, The Bachelorette's Paddy Colliar and the The Bachelor's Nikki Ferris will star on Going Live For Love. The series will air on YouTube this month, and is a partnership with food delivery service Deliveroo. Infamous: Married At First Sight's Dan Webb (pictured), The Bachelorette's Paddy Colliar and The Bachelor's Nikki Ferris will star on Going Live For Love. The series will air on YouTube this month. The premise of the show sees single celebrities paired with everyday Aussies The premise of the show sees five single celebrities being paired with everyday Aussies. It will document their quest to fall in love as they go on between six and eight dates. Nikki, 24, told the paper on Monday that it's a 'last resort' for her after failed attempts on reality shows and poor results on dating apps. Bring it on: Viewers will best remember Nikki (pictured) as an intruder on Matt Agnew's season of The Bachelor in 2019. She came into the reality show dressed as a cheerleader Desperate: Nikki, 24, said on Monday that it's a 'last resort' for her after failed attempts on reality shows and poor results on dating apps. 'I've tried Bumble and Tinder, the amount of nut jobs on there... I've had some horror dates,' she said 'I've tried Bumble and Tinder, the amount of nut jobs on there... I've had some horror dates,' she said. Viewers will best remember Nikki as an intruder on Matt Agnew's season of The Bachelor in 2019. She came into the reality show dressed as a cheerleader. Dan, 36, is also determined to give it another go, telling Daily Mail Australia in May that he was 'excited' at the prospect of finding love online. Excited! Dan, 36, is also determined to give it another go, telling Daily Mail Australia in May that he was 'excited' at the prospect of finding love online Oops: Dan emerged as something of a villain during last year's season of the hit Channel Nine reality show, after he left bride Tamara Joy (right) for Jessika Power 'I've sort of been in the deep end, having been on MAFS, so I don't think it can get any worse than what happened to me on TV... This will be a walk in the park,' he said. Dan emerged as something of a villain during last year's season of the hit Channel Nine reality show, after he left bride Tamara Joy for Jessika Power. He said his reputation took a hit in real life, and revealed he was often 'heckled' by MAFS fans on the street. Handsome lad! Paddy, 28, who has worked as a stripper, shot to fame on Ali Oetjen's season of The Bachelorette back in 2018 before returning for Bachelor In Paradise last year Struggle street: The gig comes after a tough few months for Paddy, who confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that he'd lost his job as a personal trainer after the government closed gyms as part of the coronavirus lockdown The gig comes after a tough few months for Paddy, who confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that he'd lost his job as a personal trainer after the government closed gyms as part of the coronavirus lockdown. Paddy, 28, who has worked as a stripper, added that he's also continuing to model and work with clothing brands, in addition to building his following on OnlyFans. The Irish hunk shot to fame on Ali Oetjen's season of The Bachelorette back in 2018 before returning for Bachelor In Paradise last year. By Moira Warburton TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's effort to fast-track careers of foreign-trained doctors to meet growing patient numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in only about two dozen licenses approved in Ontario and none in British Columbia, according to medical colleges in both provinces. As Canada faced the prospect of the pandemic swamping the country's healthcare system, British Columbia created a new class of license that would allow overseas-trained doctors to practice under the supervision of a fully licensed doctor, similar to licenses that exist in other provinces, such as Alberta. In Ontario, the medical college activated a short-term license program that would allow hospitals to hire internationally trained doctors on short notice. But the programs have had very little uptake since being launched in May in British Columbia and February in Ontario. Immigrant doctors and their advocates say this is because requirements for the new license categories did almost nothing to allow more physicians to apply, and the licenses were poorly communicated to both applicants and hospitals. The overburdened healthcare system is frequently an election issue in many Canadian provinces. A 2019 report from the Canadian Institute of Health Information found that Canada had 241 physicians per 100,000 people. Ontario had 234 physicians per 100,000, and British Columbia had 250. The OECD average is roughly 350 physicians per 100,000 people, according to a 2020 report by the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based health foundation. Amir Bajehkian, a co-founder of Trained to Save Lives, a Vancouver-based advocacy group for international medical graduates, said he was optimistic when British Columbia initially announced the new class of license. He hoped it would fulfill requests foreign-trained doctors had been making for years. But the requirements - at least two years' postgraduate training, strict English fluency and a specialty in acute care - barely moved the needle on who was able to apply, Bajehkian said. Story continues "A lot of physicians are like, what's the point? Why are you doing this?" he said. Ontario doctors face a similar situation, said Ahmad Al-Khatib, 33, an Iraqi who practiced in the United Arab Emirates before coming to Canada four years ago. "When the pandemic started I felt so helpless, even useless," Al-Khatib said. "I have all this experience and I'm seeing people dying around me and this is where I used to work - I used to work in the emergency." The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario said that if applicants met all the requirements, including confirming employment with the hospital, they would be granted a license. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia declined to comment. Even in Alberta, which has had a pathway similar to that in British Columbia for over 10 years, the challenges are steep. Claudia Avila, 39, an obstetrician and gynecologist with 11 years of experience in her home of Venezuela, emigrated to Canada with her husband and daughter four years ago. For Edmonton area-based Avila, it took years of saving to pay for the costly exams and its preparations. Then the regulations changed and she had to start over. Avila came to Canada on a skilled worker visa, she said. "Then we come here and we see that they don't even care... It is very sad. I would say I wouldn't be here if I knew it was going to be that hard." (Reporting by Moira Warburton in Toronto; Editing by Denny Thomas and Dan Grebler) When a man armed with a machete demanded money, the owner of a Delaware restaurant fought back with everything he had a pizza, state police say. The owner of Stargate Pizza in Greenwood was closing his restaurant at 10:30 p.m. Friday when a man carrying a machete approached, police wrote. After the man demanded money, the owner told him he had none and then threw a pizza at him, according to police. The would-be robber ran away. The owner was not hurt in the incident, police reported. The robber ran to a vehicle and drove away on Sussex Highway. State police asked that anyone with information on the crime call Troop 5, at 302-337-8253 or Delaware crime stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at http://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com. A view of Ha Long Bay Quang Ninh Tickets to enter sightseeing spots and stay overnight at Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in the northern province of Quang Ninh, have been cut by half as part of the localitys efforts to support travel companies. The policy, effective from July 10 to September 30, was introduced amidst a sharp decline in foreign tourists, the major customer source of cruise ships operating on the bay due to the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. The ships have operated by only 10 percent of their capacity. In the first six months of this year, Quang Ninh welcomed nearly 4.2 million visitors, but including only 491,000 foreigners, equivalent to 17 percent of that in the same period last year. Earlier in mid-May, Quang Ninh launched a package of 200 billion VND to support tourism sector. The locality opened for free all tourist sites on Ha Long for all tourists, excluding those who used overnight services in cruise ships at the bay. Bui Cong Hoan, Vice Chairman of the Ha Long Cruise Lines Association lauded the local governments support. He showed his hope that commercial banks will extend the interest payment time for their loans, helping them avoid going bankrupted. Rajasthan govt crisis: Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi in touch with Sachin Pilot, trying to placate him India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Jul 13: Top Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, are in touch with Sachin Pilot and are trying to placate him, a day after the Rajasthan Deputy CM declared open rebellion against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, sources said on Monday. Rajasthan Transport Minister says 'confident of winning number game in state' | Oneindia News Pilot has claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government is in minority and that he has the support of over 30 MLAs in the 200-member Assembly. According to sources, top Congress leaders have talked to Pilot and have asked him not to rebel against the chief minister. They also assured him that his grievances would be redressed at the party level. Rajasthan crisis: Sachin Pilot skips CLP meeting, Congress MLAs taken to Jaipurs Fairmount resort Besides Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, other Congress leaders who are learnt to have spoken with Pilot are Ahmed Patel, former Union finance minister P Chidambaram and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal. It was not immediately known what transpired during the discussions. Sources said the leaders asked Pilot to attend a Congress Legislature Party meeting in Jaipur, but he has not given any assurance. Pilot, who is in Delhi, has not been taking calls of many party leaders. AICC general secretary in-charge for Rajasthan Avinash Pande has said that Pilot has not been responding to calls and messages have been left with him. Pilot has raised a banner of revolt against Gehlot, after the special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police sent a notice to him for appearing before it in the case involving "horse-trading" of MLAs in the state. The SOG has registered an FIR in this regard and has also sent notices to the chief minister, chief whip of Congress and some ministers and MLAs. Meanwhile, the Congress has pulled out all the stops to save its government in Rajasthan and CM Gehlot has convened a meeting of the state legislature party. Pilot, who is also the state Congress president, is miffed with Gehlot and has alleged that he was not being kept in the loop on key decisions. The Congress Legislature Party meeting began about three hours later than scheduled, with ministers and MLAs flashed victory signs for the cameras. The Congress said 109 MLAs have already expressed support for Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, rejecting the claim by Deputy Chief Minister and the party's state unit president Sachin Pilot that the senior leader does not have the majority. About 100 MLAs had walked into the chief minister's residence by 12.30 pm, an hour before the meeting actually started. But some MLAs considered close to Pilot had not arrived till then. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 13, 2020, 15:59 [IST] Credit: University of Cambridge Cambridge Engineering alumnus Hal Evans has built a fully-functioning replica of a 1930s Polish cyclometeran electromechanical cryptologic device that was designed to assist in the decryption of German Enigma ciphertext. The replica currently resides in King's College, Cambridge. Work on the hardware-based replica began in 2018, as part of Hal's fourth year Master's project under the supervision of King's College Fellow and Senior Tutor Dr. Tim Flack. The aim was to investigate further into cryptologist Marian Rejewski's cyclometeran early forerunner to Cambridge University mathematician Alan Turing's machine, known as the Bombe, which was used to crack the German Enigma code during the Second World War. Hal said he chose to work on the cyclometer as it was the very first machine used to assist the decryption effort. To his knowledge, the replica is the first fully-functioning hardware-based electromechanical cyclometer to exist since the years preceding the Second World War. The original machines would have been destroyed in 1939 to prevent them from falling into the hands of German invaders. "Due to the cost and the mechanical complexity of reproducing the original machine, other efforts to create a replica have been software-based to date," said Hal. "This presented an opportunity to recreate an important fragment of history. It has been a privilege to work on such a unique project which is a fascinating combination of Engineering, History and Mathematics. The replica took just over a year to complete, with generous funding from King's College, which saw the obvious link with the work of one of its most famous alumni, Alan Turing. Credit: University of Cambridge "The successes at Bletchley Park are well known in the UK and, while the Polish contribution is certainly acknowledged, I think its exact extent and significance are not widely recognised. Researching into Rejewski and his colleagues, I wanted to discover more about their efforts, and the more I looked, the more interesting the story becamequite how advanced the Poles were in their understanding of Enigma compared to the British in 1939 is remarkable. The Poles were, in fact, the first to crack the Enigma code prior to the start of the War, using various systems, complicated high-level mathematical methods and purpose-built machines. Their work and knowledge proved invaluable, and laid the foundations for the Allies' later success at Bletchley Park." Understanding what the cyclometer did Rejewski's cyclometer exploited the German's procedure at the time of double encipherment of the Enigma message key, and semi-automated the process for calculating what were known as 'characteristics' for every possible Enigma rotor starting position. There were more than 100,000 of these rotor starting positions, and they each needed their characteristic to be calculated and catalogued in a card index system. The cyclometer therefore eliminated the arduous task of calculating these characteristics by hand. The machine consisted of, in effect, two interlinked Enigma systems side-by-sideone offset by three positions relative to the otherand 26 lamps and switches to cover the alphabet. On operation, a certain number of bulbs illuminated, indicating the lengths of the characteristics. These were recorded for every single possible rotor starting position to create an immense look-up catalogue. Once this was completed, obtaining the daily Enigma rotor starting settings to decode messages was a simple matter of intercepting enough messages and referencing the catalogue, taking only a matter of minutes. Attempting this feat using a replica Enigma, which historians know were available to the Polish cryptographers, would have taken around 60 times longer than the nine months that it took with the aid of the cyclometer. This is what motivated Rejewski to design and build the cyclometerthe exploitation of cataloguing cycle lengths would not have been feasible in the timescales required without it. This article will be updated throughout the week with coronavirus case counts and other need-to-know information about the pandemic in San Antonio. Deaths continue: The novel coronavirus resurgence continued on its deadly course Sunday, as Metro Health reported nine more deaths in Bexar County, following nine reported Saturday. Health authorities also reported 511 new cases of COVID-91 in the county, pushing the total to 19,648 since the deadly disease first appeared in the local population. Thats more than 5,000 cases in the last eight days alone. July 11 No end in sight: The number of COVID-19 cases in Bexar County increased by 535 on Saturday, and local officials reported nine new deaths but stress on local hospitals eased slightly. Two-thirds of people who have tested positive for the virus are still infected. July 10 Shrinking hospital capacity: Bexar County novel coronavirus cases increased by 923 Friday, while available hospital capacity shrunk to 10 percent. Wish we had better news, said County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez, sitting in for County Judge Nelson Wolff at the city-county briefing with Nirenberg. Almost 4,000 positive cases just this week. The death toll increased by one, pushing the total to 166. July 9 Backlog of deaths: The death toll from the coronavirus grew by 19 Thursday. The total, however, included 13 additional deaths that had occurred over the past three weeks but reported post-mortem by the county medical examiners office as due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. The number of newly reported coronavirus infections in Bexar County also grew by 954. Texas reports deadliest week: Nearly 400 people have died from COVID-19 in seven-days as Texas continues to have its deadliest week in the states fight against the coronavirus. In seven days, 393 people have died from the virus equivalent to 56 people a day over that stretch. During the first week of June a month ago, the state was averaging 23 deaths per day over a 7-day period Fiesta options on the table: If Fiesta still goes on in November 2020 it could look a lot different this year. Organizers discussed drive thru options for one of the most popular events Night in Old San Antonio. Other ideas under consideration if the drive-thru idea is rejected include limiting attendance in the event area, reducing the number of food and other booths and making all transactions cashless to reduce the hazard of handling paper money. July 8 Area sees highest single-day death count: Bexar County saw its highest single-day death total related to the novel coronavirus Wednesday, with nine reported, most of them Hispanics in a wide range of ages. 845 new cases were reported. Deaths continue to mount statewide: Texas reported a record 98 COVID-19 deaths as cases continued to increase across the Lone Star state. Hospitalizations also increased Wednesday, up to a new record of 9,610, an increase of more than 300 from Wednesday. Comal County deaths: Officials in Comal County confirmed six new deaths related to COVID-19 on Wednesday. All six were residents of nursing homes: five from The Heights of Bulverde and one from Kirkwood Manor in New Braunfels. "Our prayers and condolences go with the loved ones of these men and women," said County Judge Sherman Krause. "One death is too many, and we have now lost 15 members of our community to this virus. These tragedies remind us that it is critical to protect ourselves and our families." The county reported 103 new cases of the virus, bringing its total to 1,092. Fifteen residents have died while 32 remain hospitalized. Coronavirus cases continue to surge in many communities near San Antonio following the July Fourth weekend. H-E-B cases continue: Forty-one H-E-B employees in San Antonio have tested positive for COVID-19 during the first week of July, according to the grocery chain's website. Multiple stores had two infected employees announced during the same timeframe. July 7 S.A. sees highest single-day novel coronavirus death count: Local numbers aren't slowing: San Antonio hospitals are nearing capacity as more patients sickened by the coronavirus keep coming through their doors for help, leaving only 11 percent of staffed hospital beds available as of Tuesday night. On Tuesday, 778 new cases of the virus and five more deaths were reported just in San Antonio and Bexar County. Texas reports record 10,000 new coronavirus cases: Texas reported its deadliest day from the coronavirus on Tuesday, with 60 deaths and a record shattering 10,000 new positive cases statewide. Texas town orders COVID-19 patients to stay home: Laredo officials said in a news release Monday that positive COVID-19 residents who are not hospitalized will be issued a citation if they leave their homes. According to the release, anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 is required to isolate themselves from others until they receive a negative result. This self-isolation also applies to those waiting for test results and for asymptomatic members of a household where someone has tested positive. July 6 Cases continued to lurch upward: The total coronavirus cases in Bexar County exceeded 15,000 in Bexar County on Monday, as two more deaths reported. City limits COVID-19 testing: Starting Monday, the City of San Antonio will implement a rule change for testing COVID-19 at their no-cost, city-operated testing locations. These locations at the Freeman Coliseum, Kazen Middle School and Cuellar Community Center will now only test residents who report symptoms of coronavirus. July 5 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. Among the deaths was a male, 19 years or younger, making him the city's youngest victim since the start of the pandemic. He had an underlying genetic disorder, the city said in a release. TRACKING COVID-19: Maps and graphics show the spread of the virus through San Antonio and Texas. Chief, Media Relations Unit, Vienna, Austria Organization: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Country: Austria City: Vienna, Austria Office: OSCE Vienna Closing date: Monday, 10 August 2020 Issued by: OSCE Secretariat Vacancy number: VNSECP01549 Vacancy type: International Contracted Field of expertise: Media Affairs Grade: P4 Number of posts: 1 Duty station: Vienna Date of issue: 10 July 2020 Deadline for application: 10 August 2020 - 23: 59 Central European Time (CET/CEST) Background The OSCE has a comprehensive approach to security that encompasses politico-military, economic and environmental, and human aspects. It therefore addresses a wide range of security-related concerns, including arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, human rights, combating human trafficking, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counter-terrorism and economic and environmental activities. All 57 participating States enjoy equal status, and decisions are taken by consensus on a politically, but not legally binding basis. The OSCE Secretariat in Vienna assists the Chairmanship in its activities, and provides operational and administrative support to the field operations, and, as appropriate, to other institutions. The Office of the Secretary General (OSG) plays a key role in supporting the Secretary General in the effective implementation of his/her mandate and specific tasks given to him/her by the OSCE participating States. This includes primarily assisting the Secretary General in his activities, serving as a focal point for liaison and support to the Chairperson-in-Office, and co-ordinating tasks across the Secretariat. It groups horizontal services such as Executive Management, Communications and Media Relations, Legal Services, External Co-operation, Security Management, Gender Affairs, Conference and Language Services, Central Records Management, and oversees the OSCE Prague Office. The OSG ensures effective co-ordination of policy advice provided to the Secretary General and the Chairmanship, and management decisions taken by the Secretary General. The OSG is led by a Director who also functions as the Head of Executive Management. The Communications and Media Relations Section (COMMS) supports and advises the Secretary General and the OSCE Chairmanship on their media and public relations activities and informs the public about the work of the OSCE. COMMS also serves as the focal point for public statements from OSCE Institutions and Field Operations. COMMS produces and disseminates press releases, information materials and regular publications, maintains the public website and the Organizations social media presence and promotes the OSCEs values, principles and work. Tasks and Responsibilities Under the direct supervision of the Head, COMMS, or specifically deputising for the Head, COMMS, the Chief, Media Relations Unit will be tasked with the following duties: 1. Developing and implementing a media and social media strategy to promote a better understanding of the work of the OSCE by selecting target groups and initiating public information work or activities; 2. Co-ordinating the work of the media team including prioritising and dividing the workload, holding periodic meetings and conducting performance evaluation of the members of the team; 3. Carrying out media duties as required, including editing and issuing press releases, writing and editing media lines, organizing press conferences, assisting with major media events, responding to enquiries/requests from media, etc. 4. Planning and developing a programme to produce communications materials for dissemination; writing, editing or supervising the writing/editing of such information materials; 5. Supervising system of providing rapid and balanced responses to public information requests; 6. Providing advice and expertise to senior officers or communications staff in institutions and field activities on effective communications methods and approaches; 7. Performing other related duties as assigned. For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Secretariat, please see //www.osce.org/secretariat>https: //www.osce.org/secretariat Necessary Qualifications Second-level university degree in Communications, Journalism, Social or Political Science, Law, Economics, Public or Business Administration, International Relations, or another related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two years of additional qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the second-level university degree; A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible professional experience in public information work and/or public relations work, preferably in a large governmental, intergovernmental or international organization; Previous experience in supervising a team; Experience gained as a journalist, editor or researcher would be an asset; Proven experience exercising analytical and evaluating skills; ability to convincingly present communications proposals; The ability to communicate clearly both orally and in clear and concise written reports; Excellent presentation skills; Professional fluency in English including excellent oral and written communication skills; working knowledge of another language of the OSCE (preferably German or Russian) would be an asset; Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, and ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities; Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds, whilst remaining impartial and objective; Computer literate with practical experience with Microsoft applications. Remuneration Package Monthly remuneration is approximately EUR 7,883 depending on post adjustment and family status. OSCE salaries are exempt from taxation in Austria. Social benefits will include possibility of participation in the Cigna medical insurance scheme and the OSCE Provident Fund. Other allowances and benefits are similar to those offered under the United Nations Common System. Please note that appointments are normally made at step 1 of the applicable OSCE salary scale. How To Apply If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCEs online application link found under //jobs.osce.org/vacancies>https: //jobs.osce.org/vacancies. The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise/re-post the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, to offer an appointment at a lower grade or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration. Only those applicants who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted. Please note that vacancies in the OSCE are open for competition only amongst nationals of participating States, please see //www.osce.org/states>http: //www.osce.org/states. The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization. The OSCE is a non-career organization committed to the principle of staff rotation, therefore the maximum period of service in this post is 7 years. Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process. (Alliance News) - Eco Atlantic Oil & Gas Ltd on Monday reported a swing to an annual loss as the company's farm-out income was not repeated. In the financial year to March 31, the oil and gas exploration company with license interests in Guyana and Namibia recorded a net loss of CAD26.7 million, about USD19.7 million, compared to a CAD4.2 million profit the year before. In financial 2019, Eco recorded CAD16.7 million in income from a farm-out agreement, which was not repeated in financial 2020. The company's interest income rose to CAD507,913 from CAD289,110 the year before. However, Eco's total expenses more than doubled to CAD27.2 million from CAD12.8 million, after the firm's operating costs tripled to CAD16.9 million from CAD5.4 million. President & Chief Executive Gil Holzman said: "2019 was a milestone year in Eco's corporate history. We completed a highly successful drilling programme in Guyana, which resulted in two oil discoveries which encountered high quality reservoirs containing mobile heavy crude. The oil we found is similar to other commercial heavy crudes that are planned for production in the area and in production across the world. We remain upbeat about the considerable upside potential that the Orinduik licence possesses, particularly in the Cretaceous horizon which proved to bear light sweet oil in the neighbouring Stabroek and Kanuku Blocks." Holzman said Eco is now searching for its next drilling targets, expected to take place in 2021, and is "keen" to resume drilling at its Orinduik licence. "At a corporate level, maintaining Eco's balance sheet strength is a key priority. As such, we took decisive action earlier in the year, implementing a strict cost-cutting programme, which has yielded considerable savings that are expected to result in almost USD1 million in general & administrative and public company costs savings," Holzman added. The company ended March 31 with CAD26.5 million in cash & cash equivalents and no debt. Holzman noted Eco remains "highly upbeat" about the coming 12 months. He continued: "While Covid-19 has had a minor impact on our operations, given Eco's resilient business model and strong cash position, the company is well placed to navigate the downturn and create significant value for shareholders." Shares in Eco Atlantic Oil & Gas were down 1.5% in London on Monday afternoon at 20.44 pence each. By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these new grants for 2020, WWP is also continuing its support for National Military Family Association, Combined Arms, America's Warrior Partnership, Veterans Village of San Diego, The Mission Continues, and Five Star Veterans Center. "Through these partnerships, we will expand the resources available to America's injured veterans and help ensure they and their families are thriving long-term," said WWP CEO Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Linnington. "It takes a united effort; no single organization can meet all the needs of wounded, injured, and ill veterans. We're proud to support other veteran and military service organizations assisting wounded veterans both at the local and national level, connecting them with the resources they need to thrive in civilian life." Since 2012, WWP has granted more than $260 million to 184 veteran and military service organizations. Learn more about WWP's community partnerships. About Wounded Warrior Project Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more. SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project Related Links www.woundedwarriorproject.org A judge has dismissed murder charges against two men who spent three decades in a Connecticut prison due in part to the erroneous testimony of renown forensic expert Dr. Henry C. Lee. Ralph 'Ricky' Birch and Shawn Henning finally have their names cleared after they were convicted in the December 1, 1985 stabbing death of retired truck driver 65-year-old Everett Carr in New Milford. The men were convicted, in part, based on the testimony of world-famous criminologist Lee, who worked on the OJ Simpson and JonBenet Ramsey cases. Last year Lee's testimony was revealed to be flawed after tests showed that stains on a towel he claimed was consistent with blood, turned out to be something else, and the court decided on opening a new case, according to Fox61. On Friday Superior Court Judge Dan Shaban dismissed the charges against them as the state decided against retrying the men reasoning witnesses had died and retests of evidence failed to tie the pair to the murder. The men wore black and white shirts that said 'I didn't do it' and 'I'm innocent' on Friday as they finally walked free after spending years in jail following their arrests as teenagers. Ralph 'Ricky' Birch (left) and Shawn Henning (right) finally have their names cleared and have been released from prison after spending three decades in jail for a murder they didn't commit. On Friday a judge dismissed charges against them and voted against trying them again after testimony from a forensic expert in the case proved to be erroneous Free at last: Ricky Birch (second left) and Shawn Henning (second right) celebrate their release and dismissed charges with their attorneys on Friday at Torrington Superior Court in Torrington, Connecticut In the 1985 slaying Carr was severely beaten in his home around midnight. His head was hit with something heavy and he was viciously stabbed 27 times, severing his jugular vein. The crime scene was a bloodbath, with spatters from the baseboard to the ceiling. Lee had claimed he found a stained towel in an upstairs bathroom at Carrs house and his repeated tests on the stains proved they were blood in the 1985 murder case Birch and Henning, who were 18 and 17 respectively, were troubled and homeless teenagers at the time living in a stolen car and committing burglaries to raise money for drugs, according to the Hartford Courant. Carr was believed to have interrupted a burglary, which made Birch and Henning suspects. However, the grisly nature of the crime scene meant the suspects would have been soaked with blood but there wasn't a trace of it on the teens or in their car or among their possessions. Lee had claimed he found a stained towel in an upstairs bathroom at Carrs house and his repeated tests on the stains proved they were blood. Prosecutors suggested the teens committed the murder and used the towel to clean up. Lee is an esteemed criminologist who has worked on famous cases including the JonBenet Ramsey murder, the OJ Simpson murder case, Laci Petersons killing, a post 9/11 forensic probe and he reinvestigated the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Shawn Henning (left) and Ralph Birth (right) pictured in these undated Connecticut Department of Correction mugshots. They were convicted as teens and spent over 30 years in jail Henning hugs Lori Freedman, a social worker at Centurion, on the steps of the Connecticut Superior Court in Torrington Friday July 10 Ralph Birch, facing, hugs Shawn Henning, outside the courtroom in Connecticut Superior Court on Friday at the emotional hearing Andrew O'Shea, left, counsel for Ralph Birch, right, speaks at Connecticut Superior Court in Torrington, Connecticut on Friday Birch and Henning were convicted in separate trials of felony murder and sentenced to 50 and 55 years in jail respectively. In 2008 Birch and Henning got a last-ditch appeal to have the bathroom towel subjected to new genetic testing that was unavailable at the time of their trials. That testing found no records showing the towel had even been tested before not by Lee or anyone else. When it was tested results showed the red-colored stains wasnt blood, but an inorganic substance. It took another 11 years until the appeal reached the Supreme Court and their murder convictions were reversed in a unanimous decision that was harshly critical of Lee and his testimony. 'It is inarguable that Lee, as the representative of the state police forensic laboratory, should have known that the bathroom towel had not been tested for blood,' Justice Richard N. Palmer wrote for the court. 'He, like any such witness, had an affirmative obligation to review any relevant test reports before testifying so as to reasonably ensure that his testimony would accurately reflect the findings of those tests. Crime scene: In the 1985 slaying Carr was severely beaten in his home around midnight. His head was hit with something heavy and he was viciously stabbed 27 times, severing his jugular vein. The crime scene was a bloodbath, with spatters from the baseboard to the ceiling A view of the bathroom in the home of the murder scene above. Lee claimed a towel in the bathroom contained blood, but when it was tested, it did not 'To conclude otherwise would permit the state to gain a conviction on the basis of false or misleading testimony even though the error readily could have been avoided if the witness merely had exercised due diligence.' However, Lee is standing by his work, claiming he did all the tests he said he did and is staunchly defending the results. He says hes become a target of a criminal defense tactic that involves attacking expert witnesses. A lawyer issued a joint statement for Birch and Henning on Friday stating that Connecticuts forensic lab conducted DNA testing on approximately 100 items over the last decade, including items from the crime scene, Bitch and Hennings personal items, and the car they were living in. Lee is an esteemed criminologist who has worked on famous cases including the JonBenet Ramsey murder, the OJ Simpson murder case (above 1995), Laci Petersons killing, a post 9/11 forensic probe and he reinvestigated the assassination of John F. Kennedy Lee pictured with prosecutor Hank Goldberg pointing to a picture of the Bundy crime scene at OJ Simpson's murder trial 'None of that testing connected either man to the Carr homicide,' the attorney wrote. In July 2019 a state judge ordered for the release of Birch while prosecutors decaded whether to retry him and Henning. Henning was released on probation the year prior. 'Mr. Henning and Mr. Birch are now productively contributing to society as they also work to overcome the trauma of thirty years of wrongful incarceration. We hope that the state will take responsibility for the profound human consequences of obtaining murder convictions and long terms of imprisonment through indisputable "false or misleading" testimony and arguments,' a lawyer for the duo said. 'We also remain hopeful that the state will use the forensic evidence that has been gathered, and more sound law enforcement tactics, to identify Mr. Carrs actual killer or killers,' the lawyer's statement added. The Ghana National Union of Technical University Students (GNUTS) has presented 10,000 reusable nose masks to final year students of technical Universities and Polytechnics across the country. Addressing journalists in Accra, the Public Relations Officer of GNUTS, Forster Semabia, said the move forms part of the association's commitment to its mandate of seeking the welfare of Technical Universities especially as the world battles the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. He indicated that the gesture will also complement the government's efforts in curbing the spread of the virus in Ghana. Mr. Semabia said, aside from the wearing of nose masks on campus, students must also adhere to all other hygiene and safety protocols announced by the Ministry of Health to avoid contracting the virus. "Following President Akufo-Addo's directive for all final year students to return for the completion of the 2019/2020 academic year's work, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of GNUTS calls for strict enforcement of the COVID-19 protocols as students prepare for their final exit examination," he said. "The NEC also encourages stakeholders in the education sector to partner GNUTS to help protect the lives of students and campus workers as academic life resumes," he added. Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Daniel Hoffman (Agence France-Presse) New York, United States Mon, July 13, 2020 07:00 555 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665ca0f2 2 World Tenino,local-currency,US,coronavirus,coronavirus-effect,COVID-19,economic-impact Free Tenino had become a ghost town, and small businesses were struggling to survive amid the coronavirus pandemic, so local officials revived an unconventional idea from the last century: printing the town's own currency on thin planks of wood. "There was no trading, no selling and the city streets were dead. They looked the same at 3 pm as they did at 3 am," said Wayne Fournier, mayor of the town of 1,800 people in Washington state, in the northwestern United States. "We were getting a lot of calls from businesses saying they were not sure if they would be able to hang on," he told AFP. The town's museum had a printing press, so it was put to use to make $10,000 worth of bills on wooden rectangles, each nominally worth $25. They feature a portrait of President George Washington and bear a Latin inscription that translates as "We've got it under control." The money is being given as a grant to locals who demonstrate they have been economically harmed by the pandemic. Each resident is allowed up to $300 per month. Known as "Tenino dollars," "COVID dollars" or, sometimes, "Wayne dollars" after the mayor himself, the bills are traded at almost all shops in the town at a fixed rate equivalent to $1. The currency is good only inside the town limits. Desperate times The idea is not new: town officials last tried it during an even worse period of economic devastation, the Great Depression in the 1930s. A national scarcity of dollars at the time prompted officials in Tenino to print money on spruce bark. "The concept became 1930s viral," Fournier said, with other communities, businesses and chambers of commerce eager to emulate the town's example. Media attention piqued the curiosity of investors, and over the years the wooden currency became a collector's item sold on eBay and Amazon. The contemporary version of wooden currency, like the previous edition, aims to help the town through an economic crisis that forced businesses to close nationwide. "It's more of an advertisement for the town itself," said Chris Hamilton, the manager of the town's main grocery store. "It brings a lot of people into town that may not even know about Tenino and want to check this place out that makes its own money. "They might stop off here, buy an ice cream or go down the street and buy a hamburger." Similar complementary currencies exist elsewhere in the US and Europe, aimed not at replacing the national money but supporting the local economy -- a key distinction since American authorities take a dim view of anyone trying to create a bill to compete with the almighty dollar. The US Treasury declined to comment on its position regarding local currencies. Switzerland's WIR system, created in 1934, is considered the oldest local currency in the world, used by thousands of small businesses every day. Response to globalization Facing an unemployment rate of 11.1 percent in June -- one of the highest rates since the Great Depression -- American advocates of complementary currencies say now is the time to consider them as a means to help residents. "The crisis in municipal funding is pushing creativity. Administrators are exploring this concept of issuing their own currency instead of bonds to finance their COVID response," said Susan Witt, director of the Schumacher Center for a New Economics. The research center developed BerkShares, a currency in circulation since 2006 in the Berkshires region of western Massachusetts, which is distributed by local banks. Witt is advising several US municipalities interested in similar initiatives. Advocates of local currencies also see them as a bulwark against unbridled globalization. "People are starting to realize that we went too global, too fast and we lost our local skills," said Chris Hewitt, founder of Hudson Valley Current, a currency in upstate New York which operates as a mutual credit system. Supporters hope to create a nationwide movement. "If that happens across the country organically, that could be something that helps save us from a serious recession," Fournier said. Advertisement The former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), has said that as the NSA between 2012 and 2015, he never campaigned for the All Progressives Congress (APC) nor its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, in whatever shape or form before, during or after the 2015 presidential election. In a statement he personally signed on Sunday, and which PRNigeria obtained, Dasuki, said he was only involved in the unsuccessful attempt at forging an alliance between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), prior to the 2011 elections. His words: My involvement in that political process ended after the elections of 2011. The erstwhile NSA to former President Goodluck Jonathan, debunked media reports that he discreetly campaigned for Buhari and his party APC, while serving as Jonathans Security Adviser. He said: At first I found the report too ridiculous to take serious but on second thought, I felt it would be appropriate not only to debunk it but to put the records straight especially in view of politics of mischief and character assassination that are unfortunately the norms today. At the point of accepting the appointment to serve as NSA in 2012, Dasuki said he made it clear to President Jonathan that he had a relationship with (then) General Muhammadu Buhari of CPC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu of ACN and Chief Ogbonnaya Onu of ANPP, among other opposition elements, and that his appointment would not cause him to sever the relationship. I however assured President Jonathan that I would never betray him. As a man of honour, I kept to my words. I never worked at cross purposes with my boss, President Goodluck Jonathan as being recklessly insinuated by mischief makers on their blogs and social media, he said. The PRNigeria gathered that the slanted and mischievous reports by some bloggers emanated after an interview of a former chieftain of the defunct CPC, Dr. Bashir Kurfi, was published by a national newspaper, last month. Dr Kurfi, a university lecturer, in the interview which is being misrepresented on some social media, only said that Colonel Sambo Dasuki among others introduced General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) to the then Leader of ACN, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu on the planned political alliance prior to the 2011 presidential election. Kurfi explained that together with Dasuki, Adamu Adamu, current Minister of Education; Kabir Yusuf, the publisher of Daily Trust; and Wada Maida, former Chief Executive of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN); they visited the APC National Leader (presently) in Lagos, before the 2011 polls. (Read the report here: https://prnigeria.com/2020/06/28/dasuki-buhari-tinubu-kurfi/) By PRNigeria Read the full statement below: My attention has been drawn to a false report to the effect that I discreetly campaigned for Muhammadu Buhari and his party APC while I was serving as President Jonathans National Security Adviser. At first I found the report too ridiculous to take serious but on a second thought, I felt it would be appropriate not only to debunk it but to put the records straight especially in view of politics of mischief and character assassination that are unfortunately the norms today. The truth is that I was involved in an attempt at forging an alliance between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) among others prior to 2011 elections which was not successful. My involvement in that political process ended after the elections of 2011. At the point of accepting the appointment to serve as National Security Adviser (NSA in 2012, I made clear to President Jonathan that I had relationships with General Muhammadu Buhari of CPC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu of ACN and Chief Ogbonnaya Onu of ANPP among others opposition elements and that my appoint would not cause me to sever the relationship. I, however, assured him that I would never betray him. As a man of honour, I kept to my words. Therefore, as NSA between 2012 and 2015, I never campaigned for APC nor its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, in whatever shape or form before, during or after the 2015 presidential election. I never worked at cross purposes with my boss, President Goodluck Jonathan as being recklessly insinuated by mischief makers on their blogs and social media. Sambo Dasuki Former National Security Adviser July 12, 2020 Despite claims early on in the fight against the virus that they enjoyed each others company, Trump has long been dismissive of Fauci in private, according to White House officials, taking note of the amount of time he spent on television and of when the doctor contradicted him during press briefings. Trump began growing frustrated with Fauci when he expressed concerns about the efficacy of using hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug, to treat people who had the coronavirus. Trump has continued to evangelize in support of the drug, even after the Food and Drug Administration withdrew an emergency authorization allowing it to be used in coronavirus cases. By Ayya Lmahamad President Ilham Aliyev has slammed Armenias deadly provocation on the border yesterday, saying that Azerbaijans military post was hit by artillery fire from the Armenian side without any reason. Chairing the Security Council Session on July 13, the president said that Armenian forces were unable to make any advances on the Azerbaijani territories in yesterdays attack, adding that the situation still remains tense in the area. Armenia staged another military provocation on the direction of Tovuz region of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border yesterday afternoon. This is not the first military provocation staged by Armenia on the state border. Several of our servicemen were killed as a result of another provocation yesterday afternoon. Artillery fire was opened at our military post, and as a result of this insidious act, our servicemen were killed and wounded, the president said. Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan gave adequate response to the Armenian provocation and avenged the death of its soldiers. All the attempts of the Armenian side failed, Azerbaijan protected its state border and Armenian soldiers could not cross even an inch into Azerbaijani territory, Aliyev said. Such events occur because of the hypocritical and dishonest activities of the Armenian leadership. On the one hand, it [Yerevan] appeals to the international community and asks for help in strengthening the ceasefire on the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line. On the other hand, by committing military provocations it wants to invade the territory of Azerbaijan, seize our positions, fire on the civilian population and our villages. This ugly and insidious policy will lead Armenia to the abyss. All the responsibility falls on the leadership of Armenia. Azerbaijan will continue to protect its territorial integrity and borders. The crushing blows inflicted on the enemy yesterday afternoon and this night showed this once again. Our fallen servicemen have been avenged, their blood has not and will not remain on the ground, the president stated. He stressed that relevant appeals have been sent to international organizations, and as soon as the operational situation permits, Azerbaijan will invite foreign military representatives operating in Azerbaijan to the area so that they can see the situation with their own eyes Let them see who committed this military provocation, what happened as a result of this military provocation and who is responsible for the escalation of the situation. Ours is a cause of justice and Azerbaijan will not take a step back from its principled position, president said. Likewise, Aliyev stressed that Armenia is very concerned about Azerbaijans recent international successes. In particular, our successful activities within international organizations, recent statements by all leading international organizations on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the decisions made, the support for the territorial integrity of our country have, of course, dealt a serious blow to Armenia's position on the conflict. At the same time, the specific facts and convincing arguments we regularly communicate from high-profile podiums on the history of the conflict and the history of the region have undermined their propaganda, the president said. The whole world knows that Nagorno-Karabakh is historically the land of Azerbaijan. There are enough documents confirming this, and we are now sharing these documents with the wider international community. At the same time, the whole world recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as an integral part of Azerbaijan. There are many international documents and statements confirming this. In particular, the recent so-called elections in the self-styled Nagorno-Karabakh republic were not only not recognized by any country, but were also condemned by all leading international organizations, neighboring countries and countries involved in this issue. Thus, support for the territorial integrity of our country was once again expressed and it was once again made clear that Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan, Aliyev went on saying. The president highlighted that the current chaos in Armenia and the fact that events are reaching a critical point in the country have prompted Yerevan commit these heinous acts. It is no secret that Armenia has long been trying to form an opinion on the conflict, especially on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, that it is Azerbaijan that attacks the territory of Armenia. However, this is a lie. All the attacks are committed by Armenia, and this is well documented, there are video and photo documents. Azerbaijan simply responds adequately to all provocation, Aliyev said. Armenia is using all opportunities and, at the same time, fabricating information and doing its best to draw attention to the state border. Yesterday's military provocation is another manifestation of this ugly policy, the president went on saying. Armenia is losing almost all its support in the international arena. The internal situation is quite tense. Everyone understands now that the promised 'prosperity' was just a fantasy, a lie. Of course, the information released by the Armenian authorities about yesterday's incident is another sign of a lie. In their report, they want to shift the responsibility towards Azerbaijan. However, there are no grounds for that, and I want to say again all independent experts can confirm this our military post was hit by artillery fire without any reason. As a result, our servicemen died. They are only strong enough to fire on the civilian population or to suddenly open fire on our military post. They did so and once again revealed their ugly and insidious nature, Aliyev said. We will use every opportunity to defend ourselves and show the enemy its place again, he concluded. __ Follow us onTwitter @AzerNews --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Iranian investigators are blaming a misaligned missile battery and miscommunication between soldiers and their commanders for the Revolutionary Guard shooting down a Ukrainian jetliner in January, killing 176 people. A report released on Saturday by Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation comes months after the January 8 crash near Tehran, which authorities for days denied having hand in. The report detailed a series of moments where the shootdown of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 could have been avoided. The report said the surface-to-air missile battery that targeted the Boeing 737-800 had been relocated and was not properly reoriented. Those manning the missile battery could not communicate with their command centre, they misidentified the civilian flight as a threat and opened fire twice without getting approval from ranking officials, the report said. "If each had not arisen, the aircraft would not have been targeted," the report said. Western intelligence officials and analysts believe Iran shot down the aircraft with a Russian-made Tor system, known to NATO as the SA-15. The report notes that the Ukrainian flight had done nothing out of the ordinary up until the missile launch, with its transponder and other data being broadcast. "At the time of firing the first missile, the aircraft was flying at a normal altitude and trajectory," The AP cited the report as saying. Suriname elected a new president on Monday, ending the long rule of Desi Bouterse, who dominated the small South American nations politics since its independence through intimidation and charisma. The president, Chan Santokhi, a 61-year-old former police chief and leader of the opposition, was elected to the office by Surinames Congress following a landslide opposition victory in the May general elections. In handing Mr. Santokhi a victory, the Surinamese punished Mr. Bouterse, a former military dictator turned populist champion, for a disastrous economic crisis and the widespread corruption in his government. Mr. Santokhi takes charge of a deeply divided nation teetering on the verge of bankruptcy and struggling to contain the coronavirus, which has infected 741 people and killed 18. Dear Annie: I'm recently divorced and seeing someone. We talk openly about our divorces and ex-spouses. There are no hard feelings either way. She has children, and I don't. We are in our 50s. I had a prior marriage at a very young age. I was in the service and lonely. It was a long-distance relationship, and we were married within two years. We didn't even know each other. I was miserable, and the marriage ended. I don't like talking about it and am embarrassed by it, which is why I haven't mentioned it to "Jane." I haven't lied, because the issue hasn't come up. Am I digging a hole by not telling her? Would you be offended if this was not disclosed? -- Wondering in Michigan Dear Wondering in Michigan: If your prior marriage is on your mind and you feel you should tell your new love interest, then tell her. It might feel embarrassing at first, but part of being in an intimate relationship is being willing to feel vulnerable. You are putting yourself out there with all of your history, and I'm sure she has her own history. Once you both accept each other, real trust and bonding will take over. If she judges you and has an issue with your two-year marriage, then it is better to find that out sooner rather than later. No sense wasting time with someone who will not accept the whole you, warts and all. Dear Annie: With COVID-19, many people have had elective surgery postponed. Insurance companies are shortening the length of stays they will cover afterward, and I am hearing of people being discharged from the hospital the day after surgery, for what would normally have been a four- or five-day stay. I am waiting to have surgery. More than the hospitalization, my concern is about home care afterward. I live alone, and my daughter plans to stay with me. However, she works where there are a lot of people in and out, and I know that she is going out with friends and not wearing a mask now that businesses are reopening. The number of COVID cases is on the rise in my state. I am starting to feel that I do not want my daughter staying with me after surgery without guaranteeing that she will not be socializing for two weeks before. It's bad enough that she works with the public. A few weeks ago, I jokingly mentioned taking two weeks off from work to quarantine before surgery. Am I wrong to ask her not to go out socially for two weeks before? Should I plan to have visiting nurses instead? -- Trying to Be a Patient Patient Dear Patient Patient: You are not wrong to ask that of her. It is irresponsible of her to not wear a mask and socialize with a group of people. Your immune system won't be at its best while it is fighting to heal. While her intentions are sweet, the biggest way she can care for you is by protecting you from COVID. If her job does not allow for that, I recommend hiring professional nurses to care for you while your body gets strong. If your daughter is offended by that, have a serious talk with her about the protocols she would need to follow to care for you. "Ask Me Anything: A Year of Advice From Dear Annie" is out now! Annie Lane's debut book -- featuring favorite columns on love, friendship, family and etiquette -- is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM Read more advice: Ask Amy: Separated soulmates are eager to connect Dear Annie: Looking to hop off the hamster wheel Dear Abby: Children cut off stepmother with dads power of attorney MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th July, 2020) Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Algerian counterpart, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, have held a phone conversation on coordination in the global energy market in the context of the OPEC+ oil production cuts deal, the Kremlin said on Monday. "They have confirmed commitment to further strengthening of the Russian-Algerian strategic partnership in different areas, including global oil market coordination in the context of the implementation of the OPEC+ deal, and cooperation on the fight against the coronavirus pandemic," the Kremlin said in a statement. Tebboune has congratulated Putin and the Russian people with the successful vote on constitutional amendments, the Kremlin went on to say. The presidents have also touched upon Libya. "The leaders have expressed support for the ceasefire and the resumption of the intra-Libyan dialogue in compliance with the decisions made at the Berlin conference on Libya, held in January, and enshrined in the United Nations Security Council's Resolution 2510. They have stressed the need to consolidate international effort toward political and diplomatic settlement of the Libya crisis," the Kremlin added. File Photo Chandigarh: Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal today met Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers D. V. Sadananda Gowda and sought the establishment of a national Pharmaceutical Park in Bathinda. The Finance Minister informed the Union Minister that Bathinda is the best positioned destination to set up a Pharmaceutical Park, and a tranche of 1350 acre of land is readily available for the venture. Advertisement Manpreet Badal The land has been vacated by the erstwhile Bathinda Thermal Plant. Further, a functional railway siding and infrastructure is also available for the supply of raw materials and carriage for the Pharma industry. Manpreet Singh Badal also thanked D. V. Sadananda Gowda for his prompt and positive response in providing an opportunity to present the case of Punjab. The Union Government has already announced its intention to establish three pharmaceutical parks in the country. The Finance Minister also requested Union Minister to depute a team to visit the site. Advertisement The proposed park in Bathinda could cater to the entire area north of Delhi, reaching out to Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, neighbouring Rajasthan, and even Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Manpreet Singh Badal reasoned. Punjab finance minister Manpreet BadalHe added that the pharma ecosystem in Punjab is scalable as it is home to some of the biggest USFDA approved pharmaceutical companies like Sun Pharma, Centrient, and IOL Chemicals. The R&D ecosystem of Punjab is bolstered by the presence of ace institutes like NIPER, IISER, Institute of Microbial Research, Institute of Nano Technology, and AIIMS, and this will be hugely beneficial to those companies desirous of setting up business in Punjab. Advertisement The Punjab Finance Minister informed the Union Minister that the erstwhile Bathinda thermal plant was gifted to Punjab to mark the 500 years of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Since the entire nation is currently celebrating 550 years of the Guru Sahib, it would be befitting tribute if we could establish a Pharmaceutical Park. Punjab governmentThis would be a humble tribute to Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji on his 550th birth anniversary, the Finance Minister added. Advertisement Later on, Badal had a meeting with Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh L. Mandaviya and discussed the various Punjab related issues, besides conversing modalities and feasibility for the upcoming projects. President Trump listens during a meeting at the White House on July 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) To the editor: I take no comfort in the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that President Trump is not a king and is therefore subject to the law, and neither should anyone else ("Now we know Trump can be subpoenaed. But will he comply?" editorial, July 9). In U.S. vs. Nixon, the president's lawyer said before a U.S. District Court in 1974, "The president wants me to argue that he is as powerful a monarch as Louis XIV, only four years at a time, and is not subject to the processes of any court in the land except the court of impeachment." The Supreme Court eventually rejected this argument, and so it was a foregone conclusion that Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.'s court today would rule the same way with Trump. The Supreme Court could have ruled that Trump must immediately comply with the House subpoena for his tax returns and must turn over the records sought by New York prosecutors. Instead, the justices imposed a process that will take both matters past the upcoming election. In both cases, this is a "best case" outcome for Trump. There was no possibility that the Supreme Court would rule the president is a king, so putting Congress back to a point where the issue either becomes moot or can be relitigated later is a win for the president. With the New York case, the president's goal was to make sure that no charges against him will be filed prior to the election, and the Supreme Court decision ensures this outcome. So, I take no comfort. It was a double win for the president. Thomas McGrath, Los Angeles .. To the editor: We've lost sight of the most important reason for Trump to release his tax returns: He promised that he would do it. How can we trust a person who has no respect for his word? Where I come from, a person's word is his most important possession. Trump said before the 2016 election that he would release his tax returns before the vote, yet he still has not done so. Story continues As much as I fear a Joe Biden presidency, my distrust of Trump makes the former vice president the lesser of two evils. Bill Serantoni, Thousand Oaks .. To the editor: I am confused. Where in the Constitution does it say that the person running for president is legally required to disclose his tax returns? I cannot find it. Can you please point out the section? David L. McDaniel, Capistrano Beach The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry has said that Armenia is fully responsible for the ongoing tension at the front line. On July 12, the armed forces of Armenia attempted to attack, using artillery, in order to seize positions in the direction of Tovuz region along the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The attack of the enemy forces was prevented by retaliatory measures. As a result of the combat, three servicemen of the Azerbaijani army were killed and four were injured. This provocative act of the Armenian armed forces should be seen as a continuation of the recent actions and statements of the leadership of aggressor state Armenia, which serve to increase tensions in the region. Armenia, which has reflected its aggressive policy in the country's national security strategy, openly demonstrates that it aims to seize new positions and increase tensions in the region instead of eliminating the consequences of the conflict and withdrawing its occupying forces from the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan. This provocation by Armenia casts serious doubt on the essence of the negotiations mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Armenia is trying to involve third countries in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict with such provocative actions. Nevertheless, the position of the international community on Armenia's aggressive policy is quite well known. All provocations of the enemy forces will be adequately prevented from this time onward as well. Armenia bears full responsibility for such provocative actions that serve to aggravate the situation. God bless the souls of our Martyrs, reads the statement. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz DETROIT, MI The reopening of Detroit Public Schools for the start of summer classes was met with protestors at the districts bus lot on Monday, July 13. Around 100 protesters from multiple advocacy groups made an appearance at the districts bus lot, holding signs and blocking the exit out of the facility, FOX-2 Detroit reports. "We just know that it's barely safe to open up partially the economy, why is it safe for young kids to go to school and worse be transmitters for the families and the teachers," said Detroit Will Breathe Activist Tristan Taylor Another advocacy group, By Any Means Necessary, also made the call to block buses. The civil rights group says it plans to sue the district to keep it closed to in-person learning until a vaccine to COVID-19 is developed, FOX-2 Detroit reports. A spokesperson for the district said administrators would assess the impact of the protests on the in-person school day, saying it would only affect students who ride the bus and that the district was still fielding inquiries about enrolling in summer school through the morning. Phoenix Mills, one of the biggest mall developers in the country, does not see business returning to normal before the next financial year (2021-22, or FY22). While malls in many states were shut even before the lockdown was announced on March 24 this year, they have become operational in some states such as Uttar Pradesh, where Phoenix Mills has its properties. We hope FY22 will see normalcy, and bring us back to the levels of 2018-19, if not 2019-20 (FY20), said Shishir Shrivastava, managing director (MD) of the company in a conference call earlier this ... The Attorney General of New Jersey joined others from around the country Monday in an effort to block immigration rules that could lead to the deportation of international students if they offer take only online classes during the coronavirus outbreak. Gurbir Grewal said he has joined the Massachusetts-based lawsuit with 18 other attorneys general attempting to pause the rule from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It mandates students must take at least some of their classes in person to receive visas and enter the country. Those already in the U.S. must transfer to another school offering courses on campus or face deportation proceedings. The guidance has led to confusion and chaos for colleges and students, who now must weigh two losing options: leave the country, or transfer on a tight deadline and risk illness at reopened campuses. ICE announced last week it would revoke the special provision that allowed foreign students to take all courses online during the spring semester just as some schools began to unveil hybrid reopening plans. Rutgers University, which will stay mostly remote, and Princeton University, which will allow students to attend just one semester of the coming year, had announced their plans just hours earlier. Schools across the country switched to remote learning in March to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Many schools expected the visa exemption would continue throughout the outbreak. This ICE Directive puts the lives of all of our students at risk by using international students and the tuition they pay as leverage to force colleges and universities to start in-person classes before they are ready, Grewal said in a statement. It is reckless, irresponsible, immoral, and illegal. The complaint accuses ICE of failing to explain the rule in a reasonable time and disregarding public health. Rutgers, which has some 9,000 international students, said last week it would support legal action and evaluate its reopening plan for workarounds for international students, if needed. And Princeton joined another lawsuit on the matter last week filed by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. International students contribute over $823 million to New Jerseys economy, according to an estimate provided by the Attorney Generals Office. Rutgers officials have said the university, already struggling due to state cuts, could lose another $200 million this year if it loses international students, who often pay full tuition. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Amanda Hoover may be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Since the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Air Force and Army basic military training programs have seen hundreds of recruits test positive for COVID-19, with the majority of them showing no symptoms, top officials said Friday. Roughly 200 out of 8,700 Air Force recruits have tested positive for COVID-19 since March 15 at Basic Military Training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, according to Maj. Gen. Andrea Tullos, Air Education and Training Command's 2nd Air Force commander at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. Read Next: After 110 Years of Aviation, Navy Get Its First Black Female Fighter Pilot "That's a 2% positive rate over approximately four months of training, and 60% of those positive [cases] have been asymptomatic," Tullos told reporters during a Pentagon briefing. None of the trainees needed hospitalization, and those affected have since recovered and returned to training, she said. Similarly, the Army has seen about 2% of recruits test positive since cases began to spread in the spring, added Army Maj. Gen. Lonnie Hibbard, commander of the Army Center for Initial Military Training at Fort Eustis, Virginia. "[On] any given day, there are approximately 46,000 soldiers training to become a member of the U.S. Army," he said, adding that 2% of recruits have tested positive in recent months. Most were asymptomatic, he said. The services follow the same protocols when a member shows symptoms or tests positive. Those who do are quarantined for 14 days and communicate with medical professionals about their health over the course of their isolation, the officials said. They must be medically cleared before they can rejoin their units. "In the past, I can say our culture was kind of a 'suck it up' culture, where we wanted you to push through regardless of how you're feeling, and that is absolutely the opposite of what we're encouraging right now," Tullos said. To aid in social distancing restrictions, the Air Force began using Keesler for training. Using the base "has successfully reduced the stress on Lackland's infrastructure while maintaining quality training and enabling us to sustain our production goal," Tullos said Friday. The first 60 recruits sent to Keesler graduated from BMT on May 15. Last month, the service accepted its next incoming BMT class at the base and said it will continue to do so every week thereafter until the end of September. Tullos had said previously that the Air Force's goal since May has been to train up to 9,400 active-duty airmen before the end of the fiscal year, to reach its overall target. While Lackland has been working to raise its group intake size since making reductions due to social distancing requirements, Keesler will remain at 60 people per class, she said. During the onset of the virus, officials cut the eight-and-a-half week curriculum down to seven and a half weeks at Lackland, and six weeks at Keesler. Air Education and Training Command graduates nearly 40,000 new airmen per year, Tullos said. While this year's target of 38,000 has been reduced to roughly 35,000, fewer airmen are washing out, she said. "We are actually retaining above historic norm so we are going to actually hit our ceiling with our current production rate," Tullos said. Hibbard said the Army is also keeping steady with a 92% graduation rate from initial entry training. "Our retention is also through the roof, and [Army] headquarters keeps adjusting our targets to keep us within guidelines of our end-strength [goals]," he said. The Army set a previous goal of 68,000 recruits in order to meet its targeted 485,000 active-duty soldier end-strength by the end of September. But since the pandemic, there have been reductions as training was initially halted for two weeks to finalize what is known as a two-week controlled monitoring program, or the 2+8 training model. Per the Army's model, new recruits are isolated in groups for two weeks for classroom training to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the training environment, and then join the rest of the population for the remaining eight weeks of the program. Hibbard said the Army continues to look for ways to keep soldiers healthy. "Because of the stringent health and safety measures adopted across our training enterprise, we've been able to quickly detect and respond to COVID cases that occur in the training mission," he said. -- Matt Cox contributed to this report. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Related: Army Halts SERE Course after 90 Students Test Positive for Coronavirus On July 10th, the Final Round Judges of TOward TOmorrow, the 2020 international contest from Toward2030, What are you doing? picked up the winner of this years Instagram-based competition. With a grand prize of 10k Euro to engage global creatives in a discussion on Art and the Global Goals the contest is supported by American magazine Juxtapoz, Art and SDG ambassador Art Helps and the United Nations SDG global Action campaign. In the project, Creative Director Charlotte Pyatt also aligned 17 global NGOs all using art as a bridge to urgent action to generate support and awareness for their respective causes, while championing the power of culture. From over 400 entrants, we formally announce this years winner as PRICKLY SAUCE, a UK based artist whose work embodied SDG16, Peace Justice and Strong Institutions. The bound hands of justice grab tightly the fingers of the peace symbol binding both as strong institutions. explained Rob Thomas (Prickely Sauce) The chain pulling out sideways reinforces this strength. It feels like a strong image that visually represents the relationship and the fact that these are ultimately about people and their lives. We are filled with enthusiasm today for the official nomination of the winner of this innovative edition of Toward 2030 commented Company Board Director Francesca Lavazza Toward 2030 is an award-winning cultural project conceived by Lavazzas Sustainability Department and executed in 2018/9 with the City of Turin. Covid-19 forced us to rethink 2020 plans to consider how we continue our mission in this difficult time, Toward Tomorrow was born! The initiative offered economic support for artists and highlighted the efforts of NGOs across the world, more fundamentally it allowed us to maintain our core mission of using art to communicate awareness of the global goals in ways that were engaging and impactful- declared Francesca. The competition was a playful way to address the global issues that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Composed by two sections: over and under 18 and two financial awards (for the over 10.000 and 1000 for the under) every stage was constructed to incite positive and meaningful discussion to reect on how Art engages with the world. This aligns with another active Lavazza campaign The New Humanity. An International panel of Art and Sustainability ambassadors were appointed to select the winning artist, they include: Francesca Lavazza (Lavazza Group), Evan Pricco (Juxtapoz Magazine), Martha Cooper (photographer), Marina Ponti (UN SDG Action Campaign) and Wisam Salsaa (the Walled off Hotel) together with 17 Ngos selecting the final 17 artists (1 winner per SDG category) from all over the world using art and culture as a universal language to raise awareness on CSR and sustainability topics. The mission was to encourage artists to consider their work through the filter of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. We couldnt realise our efforts for 2020 in public space, and so we adapted with an online project to unite artistic and sustainability communities in a positive and meaningful way during Covid. - remarked Charlotte Pyatt, Creative Director of the Toward Tomorrow campaign Of the many aspects I am proud of for TOward TOmorrow, I am inspired and humbled by the trust, energy and awe-inspiring work of the incredible 17 organisations we were able to align with. This was one of the most challenging aspects of this project, but certainly one of the most rewarding in demonstrating creatively and practically how art can mobilise people toward action. The level of engagement and support we have received from artists has been overwhelming, a true celebration of the transformative power of culture and its ability to affect meaningful change in the world. THE JURY Francesca Lavazza is a member of the the board for the Lavazza Group. With a passion for promoting artistic and cultural initiatives, Francesca works to align her artistic sensibility with the companys communication strategies. Today Lavazza is partner to some of the worlds leading museums including the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg (Russia), the Guggenheim Museum in New York (USA), the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Venice) and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne (Australia). Evan Pricco is an Author, Curator and current Editor in Chief of Juxtapoz Magazine, and our communications support for the Toward 2030 project. Now in their 26th year, Juxtapoz is the worlds leading printed art magazines covering underground and prevailing art cultures. As well the maintaining the creative direction of the publication, Evan mediates conferences, produces off site projects and installations and coordinates curatorial projects globally. Martha Cooper is a documentary photographer who has specialized in shooting urban vernacular art and architecture for forty years. From a staff photographer with the New York Post, to her work with National Geographic, Martha has reached iconic status through her documenting of the unfolding grafti scene and various subcultures it has encouraged throughout the world. Marina Ponti is the Director of the UN SDG Action Campaign, a special initiative of the Secretary-General to inspire, mobilize and connect people to take action to achieve the SDGs. Marina has led global campaigns and movements on debt, trade, human rights and development assistance, she is at the vanguard of innovative campaign initiatives fostering partnerships with organizations, governments, creatives, the private sector and the United Nations. Wisam Salsaa is the manager of The Walled off Hotel, an independent leisure facility set up and nanced by artist Banksy, situated in Bethlehem. A central feature of the #towardtomorrow narrative, is a focus on the transformative power of culture. The Walled off Hotel offers an interesting perspective on this discussion through Wisam, as he actively diverts the overwhelming global support and interest of his premises towards cultivating an interest and industry for emerging artists in Palestine. Despite the large and unique collection of original Banksy works held by the hotel, the on-site gallery is reserved exclusively for local artists to showcase their work LIST OF THE 17 NGOs Goal SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere / ART FOR AMNESTY Selecting the winner for #SDG1 on behalf of Art for Amnesty is Bill Shipsey, a human rights activist, artist event promoter, producer and consultant, Barrister, and the founder of Art for Amnesty, Amnesty International's global artist engagement programme. He has consulted widely with other human rights organisations around the world, seeking to partner with artists in the promotion of human rights campaigns. Artists include Yoko Ono, Bono and Sting. SDG 2 ZERO HUNGER - End Hunger and Achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture / FOOD FOR SOUL Selecting the winner for #SDG2 on behalf of Food for Soul / @foodforsoul.it is their President Lara Gilmore / @laratgilmore. Together with Massimo Bottura / @massimobottura, Lara launched Food for Soul as a way to redene the role of traditional community kitchens. Her in-depth knowledge of contemporary art and of the importance of culture and art as tools for inspiring change has been instrumental in the denition of the organisations approach and mission. SDG 3 GOOD HEALTH AND WELLBEING - Ensure healthy lives and promote well being for all at all ages / C.A.L.M. Campaign Against Living Miserably Selecting the winner for #SDG3 on behalf of @calmzone is Ben Hawley - Marketing & Communications Director at The Campaign Against Living Miserably. CALM continue to utilise cultural touch points across art, music, sport and comedy to land their message. CALM have galvanised leading gures and organisations that represent a wide range of communities and viewpoints to help shift awareness of the issue and the culture that makes it so. SDG 4 - QUALITY EDUCATION - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning / CASA AMARELA Selecting the winner for #SDG4 on behalf of Casa Amarela is Co Director Tiphanie Da Silva Constantin. Tiphanie and her Co Director Nina Soutoul are currently working on @casaamarelaproidencia COVID-19 Response project, providing food and hygiene baskets to the most vulnerable areas of the Favela. SDG 5 - GENDER EQUALITY - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls / ARAVANI ART PROJECT Selecting the winner on behalf of The Aravani Art Project is Founder Poornima Sukumar. We have a passion for art as a social practice. Through our creative collaborations we want to raise awareness of the social possibilities of art making and the conversations that it enables. SDG 6 - CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION - Ensure available and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all / VIVA CON AGUA Selecting the winner on behalf of @vivaconagua is Co-Founder and Conceptual Activist Michael Fritz / @michafritz. VCAs international network consists of more than 15.000 volunteers working across Uganda, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland. SDG 7 AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY - Ensure access to affordable reliable sustainable and modern energy for all / LITTLE SUN Selecting the winner on behalf of Little Sun / @littlesun is Felix Hallwachs Foundation Director. Visit the website https://littlesun.com/covid-19-response/ to nd out more about *Powering Health* Little Sun's Covid-19 response project. Little Sun are working in many areas of the world where proper health care is not a given, the nearest hospital may be hundreds of kilometers away. More than 30% of clinics in sub-Saharan Africa are without electricity, making health care even more difcult especially now, with the world facing a global pandemic. SDG 8 DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH - Promote Sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive / TEMWA Selecting the winner on behalf of @temwa is Managing Director Jo Hook / @johook. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, Temwa train villagers to grow a variety of vegetables and fruit to improve their nutritional intake; plant trees to combat the devastating effects of deforestation and climate change; run HIV testing clinics and work to combat the associated stigma; and fund students through their secondary school education. SDG 9 - INDUSTRY INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation / LOVE WELCOMES Selecting the winner on behalf of @lovewelcomes is CEO and Co Founder Abi Hewitt / @abihewitt. The proceeds from each sale at Love Welcomes goes directly to the women who wove it, all prots are used to support refugees including language lessons, computer training, and transportation for things like lawyer meetings or going to the market to buy food. Our aim is to empower refugees to support themselves and their families through employable skills, providing them with dignity and the ability to positively contribute to society. SDG 10 - REDUCED INEQUALITIES - Reduce inequality within and among countries / SKATEISTAN Selecting the Judge on behalf of Skatistan / @Skateistan is Programs Director Talia Kaufmann. This is the Skateistan story so far You can support by joining the Citizens of Skateistan, a global community of supporters, skaters and students who share their vision of empowering children through skateboarding and creative, art-based education. SDG 11 - SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES - Make cities and human settlements inclusive safe, resilient and sustainable / HELIOTROPE FOUNDATION Selecting the winner on behalf of The Heliotrope Foundation / @theheliotropefoundation is their Board chair, Zahra Sherzad / @zahrasherzad Visit Heliotrope to nd out more about their latest covid response project Artists in Action, which focuses ways in which we can sustain the art community who have donated works to support them over the past 10 years. The project is a unique activities handbook with each page created by a different artist, the booklet will be distributed for free to the vulnerable communities they work with. SDG 12 - RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns / SUMATRAN ORANGUTAN SOCIETY Selecting the winner on behalf of #SDG12 SOS is the Director of Sumatran Orangutan Society, Helen Buckland. SOS has partnered with cultural initiative Splash and Burn / @splashandburn for the past 4 years, an ongoing campaign responding creatively to a major driver of forest loss in Sumatra: the palm oil industry. One of their key strategies is to reclaim and rewild oil palm plantations, turning the clock back on deforestation and restoring the land for wildlife, including orangutans, tigers and elephants. Sumatran orangutans and Tapanuli orangutans are critically endangered species - every life is precious SDG 13 - CLIMATE ACTION - Take Urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts / AFRICAN ARTISTS FOR DEVELOPMENT Selecting the winner on behalf of #SDG13 African Artists for Development / @aad-fund is Co-founder Gervanne Leridon. AAD are currently coordinating The African Space Art Project dressing a satellite with a reproduction of a unique art piece created by a contemporary African artist, the rst African artistic exploration of space. Partnering with the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), a satellite will be positioned above the African continent to monitor the climate and weather over Africa and Europe. As African meteorological, climatic and environmental data become widely available and more accessible, they will be critical for unlocking the continents future. This data is particularly important in two elds related to sustainable development. They will be critical to helping improve agricultural output and generating sufcient renewable energy, using accurate data to support planning and decision-making in Africa. SDG 14 LIFE BELOW WATER - Conserve and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development / PANGEASEED FOUNDATION Selecting the winner on behalf of @Pangeaseed is the foundation founder Tre Packard. Recognised worldwide for their groundbreaking art program Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans, PangeaSeed produce larger-than-life public art to foster a sense of community, belonging, and environmental stewardship. In response to Covid 19 and in celebration of 50th anniversary of Earth Day, PangeaSeed launched Home an open call for artists to paint murals in the safety of their homes, the worlds rst stay-at-home environmental mural festival. SDG 15 - LIFE ON LAND - Protect restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertication, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity / THIRD MILLENNIUM ALLIANCE Selecting the winner on behalf of Third Millennium Alliance / @thirdmilleniumalliance is their Executive Director Ryan Lynch. From colouring books sharing information about endangered species, to Phone Sreensavers of the incredible wildlife found in the JamaCoaque Reserve, their creative projects aim to increase an appreciation for nature and wildlife conservation. For details of their latest COVID-19 response campaign addressing vulnerable communities and species. SDG 16 - PEACE JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels / A BLADE OF GRASS Selecting the winner of.behalf of A Blade of Grass / @abladeofgrass their Director of Programs Prerana Reddy. This organisation believe art in service of communities has concrete, generative effects in the world. Artists who share the creative process can model alternatives, change perspectives, and collaboratively create symbolic and practical shifts in everyday life that inspire deeper commitment to social change. SDG 17 - PARTNERSHIP FOR THE GOALS - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development / MIGRATE ART Selecting the winner on behalf of Migrate Art / @Migrateart is co Director Simon Butler. In 2019, Migrate Art invited leading artists to create works from pencils salvaged from the Calais refugee camp after its demolition in 2017 among them Anish Kapoor, Sean Scully and Rachel Whiteread. The exhibition multicolour and its subsequent sale received widespread media coverage and raised a staggering 121,000 GBP. Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India) Bengaluru, July 13 : Karnataka has registered 2,738 new Covid-19 cases with majority of the cases emerging from Bengaluru, breaching the 40,000 mark for the state's tally to settle at 41,581 even as 73 people succumbed to the virus, said an official on Monday. "New cases reported from Sunday 5 p.m. to Monday 5 p.m., 2,738," said a health official. Like everyday, Bengaluru accounted for the highest number of infections with 1,315 or 48 per cent of the new cases. With the addition of new cases, the city tally rose to 19,702, out of which 15,052 are active. Alarmingly, the city alone accounts for 61 per cent of all the active cases in the southern state. Among the new cases, excluding Bengaluru, Yadgir accounted for 162 cases, followed by Mysuru (151), Dakshina Kannada (131), Ballari (106), Kalaburagi (89), Vijayapura (86) among others. Meanwhile, the state has witnessed 73 Covid deaths in the past 24 hours, 47 of them in Bengaluru Urban alone. With the new deaths, the toll rose to 757. Matching the Sunday trend, the most common symptoms in the deceased people were fever, cough and breathlessness. In the last one day, 839 patients have been discharged, 283 within Bengaluru Urban, raising the total discharges to 16,248. Meanwhile, critical cases in ICU rose to 545. Of the total 41,581 cases, active cases amount to 24,572 in Karnataka. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Lebanese TV reporter of Armenian descent Neshan Der Haroutiounian will stand trial in Lebanon for 'insulting' Turkey, The Arab Weekly reported. "Recent developments have shown that even Lebanon, where Turkey has no military presence or shared borders, is not immune to Ankaras interference," the publication noted. Lebanese political sources said that Turkish prosecutors claims against Der Haroutiounian for insulting the Turkish president are part of ongoing confrontations between Lebanese Armenians and Turkey, which is accused of committing the Armenian Genocide from 1914 to 1923. According to Lebanese news agency NNA, which refers to the public prosecutors office, Der Haroutiounian will appear in court in Beirut. The trial is scheduled for October 8. Der Haroutiounian has been charged in connection with his statement during the Anna Heek (This is how I am) program that aired on the Al Jadeed satellite channel. He has hosted former Environment Minister Wiam Wahhab. Wahhab said in the interview that the Turkish president was sly before the campaign against Der Haroutiounian began. In turn, a Lebanese national intervened in the program and attacked Der Haroutiounian, saying Neshan, the refugee, showed his racism, referring to the journalists' Armenian origins. Der Haroutiounian responded to the provocation: "A son of a million malicious people Erdogan, the regime, the Ottomans, and the Turks." "If you consider me a refugee, then I am more Lebanese than you, and I am proud of my country, Lebanon, more than you are," he added. Later, the Turkish embassy intervened in the situation by organizing protests outside the Al Jadeed TV channel building. Protesters with Turkish flags chanted slogans in support of the Ottoman Empire and Erdogan, demanding Der Haroutiounian apologize for insulting the Turkish president. Observers say that Turkey has been able to take advantage of Lebanons political vacuum caused by the growing social and economic crisis. According to them, Ankara managed to penetrate the country and form a lobby to silence critics of Ottoman history and Erdogans expansionist policies in the region, which affects Lebanon, Syria, and the rest of the Mediterranean. Observers warned of the risks posed by Der Haroutiounian's trial, not only for Lebanon but for the entire region. They noted that Turkey seeks to create a media, political, and legal lobby to prevent any criticism of its old or new colonial policies. Nepal's Culture minister has asked the staff of the trust that operates the Pashupatinath Hindu Temple to start making preparations to reopen the iconic religious and heritage site where special worship was suspended following a spike in cases. Addressing a review meeting of the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) on Sunday, Yogesh Bhattarai told the staff of the organisation to launch a development initiative at the World Heritage site. "I have received a complaint that the PADT was working in the interest of middlemen. Whoever is involved in it, it is not good and must be stopped immediately. Consider the interest of the religious site before acting on any plan," said Bhattarai, who is also Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation. The minister directed the staff to make preparations for the opening of the Pashupatinath Temple at a certain time during the day by adopting the health and safety measures, The Rising newspaper reported. "Various individuals and groups are eying the properties of the PADT, therefore, you must be vigilant to control such activities," the minister cautioned the staff of the trust. He drew the attention of the PADT to the encroachment of the land in Gothatar that belonged to Pashupati. "Immediately fix the boundary of the land and create a fence. If there are any structures created in the land, remove them," Bhattarai said. The minister said that it was important to keep an eye on the private investors who intend to make investments at the heritage site as the "crooked businessmen" could ruin the image of the religious site, the report said. Founded in 1996, PADT is a trust established to conserve and operate the Pashupatinath Temple and other charitable institutions in the Pashupatinath World Heritage Sites area. Pashupatinath Temple is the largest temple complex in and stretches on both sides of the Bagmati River and sees thousands of worshippers from and India every day Last month, India pledged to construct a Rs 2.33 crore sanitation facility at the temple complex to improve the infrastructure at the holy shrine for the pilgrims. (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.) CLEVELAND, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Crain's Cleveland Business recently named Checkpoint Surgical as one of the 2020 Best Employers in Ohio. The statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Ohio, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses. "We are honored to be recognized by Crain's as one of Ohio's best employers," said Checkpoint Surgical President and CEO Len Cosentino. "We work every day to create and maintain a mission-driven enterprise where every member of the team is valued and respected. It is very gratifying to know that our people enjoy their work and their colleagues and that they find fulfillment in our mission. I am very proud of our team, especially in these challenging times. It's a privilege to be working with such good people on such important work." Crain's annual list of the Best Employers in Ohio was created by Crain's Cleveland Business and Best Companies Group. The 2020 Best Employers in Ohio list is made up of 42 companies. Each participating company participated in a two-part survey process. The first part (25% of the total evaluation) was designed to evaluate the nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part (75% of the total evaluation) consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and final rankings. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process in Ohio and also analyzed the data and used their expertise to determine the final rankings. About Checkpoint Surgical, Inc. Checkpoint Surgical is a privately held medical device company based in Cleveland, Ohio. The company works alongside surgeons to advance the science and practice of nerve care through education and innovative product development. Checkpoint's charge-balanced nerve stimulation devices inform intraoperative decision making so that peripheral nerves can be safely and accurately protected and assessed during complex surgeries. The Checkpoint and Checkpoint Head & Neck devices are single-use, handheld, and operated entirely under the surgeon's direct control. They are used in a wide variety of procedures, including plastic, orthopedic, oncologic, trauma, hand, extremity and head and neck surgeries. For more information regarding Checkpoint Surgical please visit www.checkpointsurgical.com. Contact: Don Hubbard Checkpoint Surgical, Inc. Tel: 216-378-9107 x131 [email protected] SOURCE Checkpoint Surgical Related Links http://www.checkpointsurgical.com (CNN) - On Sunday, two countries accounted for half of all new cases added worldwide, World Health Director Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a media briefing in Geneva on Monday. Yesterday, 230,000 cases of Covid-19 were reported to WHO. Almost 80% of those cases were reported from just 10 countries, and 50% come from just two countries, he said. Tedros did not name the countries, but according to a Johns Hopkins university tally of cases, the United States, India and Brazil accounted for more than 112,000 cases on Sunday. Let me be blunt: Too many countries are headed in the wrong direction, Tedros said. The virus remains public enemy number one, Tedros said. But the actions of many governments and people do not reflect of this." Tedros added that mixed messages from leaders are undermining the most critical ingredients of any response: trust." If governments do not clearly communicate with their citizens and roll out a comprehensive strategy focused on suppressing transmission and saving lives. If populations do not follow the basic principles of physical distancing, hand washing, wearing masks, Tedros warned, there is only one way this is going to go. It's going to get worse and worse and worse. But, it does not have to be this way, he said. It's never too late to bring the virus under control, even if there has been explosive transmission, Tedros said. WHO is committed to working with all countries. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Two countries accounted for 50% of new cases worldwide yesterday, WHO says" The schools accused the government of 'throwing preparations into disarray and causing significant harm and turmoil' 'The emergency persists, yet the government's policy has suddenly and drastically changed,' one brief signed by 59 schools says They said they relied on previous guidance allowing foreign students to take all-online classes 'for the duration of the pandemic' when planning the fall semester Over 200 schools filed amicus briefs in support of the Harvard and MIT lawsuit Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology led the way by filing their own lawsuit last week The suit aims to block Trump's rule that would bar foreign students from remaining in the US if their universities are not holding in-person classes Seventeen states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration's plan strip international students of their visas if all of their classes move online due to coronavirus. The states filed their lawsuit on Monday, marking the latest legal effort to block the policy that would bar foreign students from remaining in the United States if their universities are not holding any in-person classes this fall. Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology led the way by filing their own lawsuit against the Trump administration last Wednesday. More than 200 other universities - including the entire Ivy League - threw their weight behind the lawsuit by filing amicus briefs over the weekend. One brief signed by 59 schools on Sunday argued that the rule throws their plans into disarray with less than a month before some schools start the fall term. They challenged the policy's legal grounds and say it forces schools across the nation to 'choose between opening their campuses regardless of the public health risks, or forcing their international students to leave the country'. Fifty-nine US universities have filed a brief supporting a lawsuit by Harvard and MIT over the Trump administration's plan to strip international students of their visas if all their classes move online. The schools argued that the policy has caused 'significant harm and turmoil' The Trump administration's July 6 announcement blindsided academic institutions grappling with the challenges of safely resuming classes amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. It came as the US government has been trying to get schools and universities to reopen by autumn - while many, including Harvard, are planning to hold all classes online to prevent spreading the virus among their students. About 1.1 million foreign students attended US higher education institutions in the 2018-19 school year, according to a report by the State Department and the Institute of International Education (IIE), and they made up 5.5 percent of the entire US higher education enrollment. What Trump's new policy means for international students The Trump administration declared on July 6 that it would not allow foreign students to remain in the country if all of their classes are moved online because of the COVID-19 crisis. Those attending schools that are staying online must 'depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction,' according to the guidance issued by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The guidelines provide additional pressure for universities to reopen even amid growing concerns about the recent spread of COVID-19 among young adults. Under the updated rules, international students must take at least some of their classes in person. New visas will not be issued to students at schools or programs that are entirely online. And even at colleges offering a mix of in-person and online courses this fall, international students will be barred from taking all their classes online. It creates an urgent dilemma for thousands of international students who became stranded in the US last spring after the coronavirus forced their schools to move away from in-person classes. Advertisement The group behind Sunday's brief includes all of Harvard's companions in the Ivy League and other prestigious schools including Stanford and Duke universities. They collectively enroll more than 213,000 international students, according to the brief. 'These students are core members of our institutions,' the schools wrote. 'They make valuable contributions to our classrooms, campuses and communities - contributions that have helped make American higher education the envy of the world.' The universities said they relied on federal guidance, which was to remain 'in effect for the duration of the emergency', allowing international students to attend all-online courses during the pandemic. 'The emergency persists, yet the government's policy has suddenly and drastically changed, throwing amici's preparations into disarray and causing significant harm and turmoil,' they added. In their lawsuit, Harvard and MIT argued that the Trump administration's order is 'illegal' and asked the court for a temporary restraining order and preliminary and permanent injunctions that would prevent immigration authorities from enforcing new guidelines. Judge Allison D Burroughs will preside over a Tuesday hearing on the request for the temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction. During the hearing Harvard and MIT will need to prove that they are likely to win the lawsuit on its merits and that the guidelines will cause irreparable harm if they are enforced while the litigation is in process. If Judge Burroughs does not suspend the rule, colleges across the US will have until Wednesday to notify ICE if they plan to be fully online this fall. The Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration (PAHEI) - a coalition of university chancellors and presidents that aims to increase public understanding of how immigration policies impact education - also filed a brief on behalf of 180 member schools on Friday. The PAHEI brief centers around how schools relied on guidance issued by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the start of the pandemic in March - which was supposed to be in effect 'for the duration of the emergency' - while planning for the fall semester. It argues that the new guidance issued by ICE will place 'significant burdens' on international students, many of whom were stranded in the US when spring classes were cancelled. Johns Hopkins University, which has been leading coronavirus research in the US while keeping a widely-used tally of cases, also filed a lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration's rule on Friday. The lawsuit filed in the US District Court for Washington DC states that the new ICE police 'completely upended' Johns Hopkins plans for the fall semester. Nearly 5,000 international students are enrolled at the school in Baltimore. California filed a lawsuit against the rule last week, and 17 other states followed its lead by suing the Trump administration on Monday. The states included in that suit, filed in Boston federal court, are: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. The states accused the administration of violating the Administrative Procedure Act with the new ICE policy. 'The Trump administration didnt even attempt to explain the basis for this senseless rule, which forces schools to choose between keeping their international students enrolled and protecting the health and safety of their campuses,' Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said in a statement announcing the suit. In a lawsuit filed last Wednesday in the US District Court for Massachusetts, Harvard (pictured) and MIT asked a judge to temporarily block the rule that would bar foreign students from remaining in the US if their universities are not holding any in-person classes this fall The lawsuit from Harvard and MIT (pictured) argues that Trump's new policy is 'illegal' The State Department responded to the uproar over the ICE policy last week, saying that international students are still welcome in the US. The agency said the policy 'provides greater flexibility for nonimmigrant students to continue their education in the United States, while also allowing for proper social distancing on open and operating campuses across America'. According to the new ICE guidelines, international students will have their visas revoked unless they take at least some of their classes in person. Those attending school that are staying entirely online must 'depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction'. Harvard had announced that it would move fall classes online hours before the new guidelines were issued. The school said that 40 percent of undergraduates would be allowed to return to the campus in Cambridge, but their instruction would be conducted remotely. President Donald Trump lashed out at the university's decision last Tuesday. 'I think it's ridiculous. I think it's an easy way out. And I think they ought to be ashamed of themselves,' Trump said at a White House roundtable discussion, during which he called for schools and universities to reopen for the next semester. Trump, who is campaigning for reelection in November, has taken a bullish approach to reopening the country even as virus infections continue to spike, particularly the south and west. 'Everybody wants it. The moms want it. The dads want it. The kids want it. It's time to do it,' he said. 'We want to get our schools open, we want to get them open quickly, beautifully, in the fall.' White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended the administration's visa actions at a news conference earlier last week. 'You don't get a visa for taking online classes from, let's say, University of Phoenix. So why would you if you were just taking online classes, generally?' McEnany told reporters. 'Perhaps the better lawsuit would be coming from students who have to pay full tuition with no access to in-person classes to attend.' President Trump held a roundtable discussion to promote the reopening of American schools last Tuesday (pictured). During the event he called Harvard's move to hold all fall classes online 'ridiculous' Harvard's President Lawrence Bacow shot back with a letter to the school community on Wednesday. Bacow claimed that with the order the Trump administration is threatening to force educational institutions to open despite the ongoing dangers of the coronavirus pandemic. He added that the 'cruelty' of the order was 'surpassed only by its recklessness'. Harvard President Lawrence Bacow (pictured) accused the Trump administration of trying to force universities to reopen despite ongoing dangers from the coronavirus pandemic 'Within the last hour, we filed pleadings together with MIT in the US District Court in Boston seeking a temporary restraining order prohibiting enforcement of the order,' Bacow wrote. 'We will pursue this case vigorously so that our international students - and international students at institutions across the country - can continue their studies without the threat of deportation.' Bacow added that the order 'was designed purposefully to place pressure on colleges and universities to open their on-campus classrooms for in-person instruction this fall' but came at a time of record new coronavirus cases across the county. 'We believe that the ICE order is bad public policy, and we believe that it is illegal,' he wrote. 'We will not stand by to see our international students dreams extinguished by a deeply misguided order. We owe it to them to stand up and to fightand we will.' Bacow railed against the new ICE policy on foreign student visas in a letter to the Harvard community on Wednesday MIT joined Harvard in filing the lawsuit to the US District Court in Boston, seeking a 14-day restraining order on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy. The universities said that they relied on the Department of Homeland Security policy from March which would allow foreign students to remain in the US and for new students to arrive for the academic year beginning in the Fall. 'If allowed to stand, ICE's policy would bar hundreds of thousands of international students at American universities from the United States in the midst of their undergraduate or graduate studies,' the schools wrote in the court papers. 'ICE's decision reflects a naked effort by the federal government to force universities to reopen all in-person classes notwithstanding their informed judgment that it is neither safe nor advisable to do so. The effect perhaps even the goalis to create chaos for schools and international students alike.' The Boston Globe reports that the lawsuit notes that some students would not be able to continue their online education with Harvard and MIT if they return to their home countries. It cited students from countries such as Somalia and Ethiopia where civil unrest makes internet access unlikely. The suit added that some students would face 'conditions of social unrest, economic instability, or other threats to their continued safety'. 'Others might be drafted in their home countries, might face threats or abuse based on their sexual orientation, or might not be able to access mental health treatments,' the universities argued. Nearly 400,000 foreigners received student visas in the 12-month period that ended September 30, down more than 40 percent from four years earlier. School administrations partly blame visa processing delay. Colleges across the US were already expecting sharp decreases in international enrollment this fall, but losing all international students could be disastrous for some. Many depend on tuition revenue from international students, who typically pay higher tuition rates. A new paper in the JNCI Cancer Spectrum, published by Oxford University Press, finds that the mortality rates for complex cancer procedures differ greatly between one-star hospitals (10.4%) and five-star hospitals (6.4%). The safety of complex cancer surgeries varies widely across hospitals in the United States, with as much as a four-fold difference in hospital mortality rates, volume of patients, hospital experience, and surgeon training. Researchers have previously suggested that a large-scale shift of patients away from high-risk hospitals could meaningfully reduce mortality rates for complex cancer surgeries. Yet there are numerous challenges to matching patients with hospitals that are best suited to perform a specific procedure. In particular, hospital volumes and surgery-specific performance data are not readily available to patients and providers. Researchers examined the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' "Star Rating" system, which serves as a guide for patients to compare the quality of each hospital's care (one-star = lowest to five-star= highest). This system is based on 62 measurements (e.g. mortality, readmissions, patient experience), but is not specific to any medical operation or patient population. Despite this fact, researchers found that the ratings correlate with quality and safety across many patient care scenarios, including the risk of mortality after complex cancer surgery. A total of 105,823 patients underwent complex cancer procedures at 3,146 hospitals between 2013 and 2016. Eligible patients were over 65 years old with a diagnosis of cancer of the lung, colon, stomach, esophagus, or pancreas. This group captures an estimated 80% of all high-risk cancer surgeries. The mortality rating over a 90-day period correlated with the star system, with the greatest difference observed between the 1-star (10.4%) and 5-star (6.4%) hospitals. However, these rates varied by surgery type. These findings are consistent with prior studies that have found that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' star rating system correlates with surgical mortality. And yet, the overall effectiveness of this system in choosing hospitals for complex cancer surgeries appears to be modest (84 lives per year), relative to other proposed strategies. "For complex cancer care, choosing the right hospital may be as important as choosing the right treatment.," said Daniel Boffa. "In order for patients to select the best hospital for their situation, they need access to understandable information regarding the safety and quality of hospital care. Unfortunately, the CMS star-rating system, while clear and easy to access, does not appear to distinguish the safest from the least safe hospitals with enough separation to reliably guide cancer patient choice for complex surgical care." ### The paper "Navigating by Stars: Using CMS Star Ratings to Choose Hospitals for Complex Cancer Surgery" is available at: https://academic.oup.com/jncics/article/doi/10.1093/jncics/pkaa059/5867917?searchresult=1. Direct correspondence to: Daniel J Boffa, MD Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, CT06510 Daniel.Boffa@yale.edu To request a copy of the study, please contact: Timothy Thomas - Timothy.Thomas@oup.com Please acknowledge the JNCI Cancer Spectrum as a source in any articles. Wish Happy New Year to rare comet on January 1 Rare comet could be visible from Earth in January: NASA Perseid meteor shower 2020 is peaking: Heres how to spot them in Indian sky Rare Comet Neowise headed to earth, will be visible in India from July 14 for next 20 days India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, July 13: A newly discovered comet is streaking past Earth, providing a stunning nighttime show after buzzing the sun and expanding its tail. The comet will be visible in India from July 14 onwards as it soars across the solar system. "From July 14, C/2020 F3, a comet discovered on March 27, will be clearly visible in the north-western sky. It will be visible after sunset for around 20 minutes for the next 20 days. People can observe it from naked eyes," said Subhendu Pattnaik, deputy director of Pathani Samanta Planetarium in Bhubaneswar. NASA Mars rover launch delayed again, 2 weeks left to fly The comet will appear low in the northwest sky (20 degrees from the horizon) on July 14, Pattnaik told ANI. "In the evenings to follow, the comet will rapidly climb higher in the sky and will be visible for a longer period." Comet Neowise - the brightest comet visible from the Northern Hemisphere in a quarter-century - swept within Mercury''s orbit a week ago. Its close proximity to the sun caused dust and gas to burn off its surface and create an even bigger debris tail. Now the comet is headed our way, with closest approach in two weeks. NASA''s Neowise infrared space telescope discovered the comet in March. Scientists involved in the mission said the comet is about 3 miles (5 kilometers) across. Its nucleus is covered with sooty material dating back to the origin of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago. The comet will be visible across the Northern Hemisphere until mid-August, when it heads back toward the outer solar system. NASA adds more safety fixes for Boeing's crew capsule While it''s visible with the naked eye in dark skies with little or no light pollution, binoculars are needed to see the long tail, according to NASA. It will be about 7,000 years before the comet returns, "so I wouldn''t suggest waiting for the next pass," said the telescope''s deputy principal investigator Joe Masiero of NASA''s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. He said it is the brightest comet since the mid-1990s for stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere. Rajasthan political crisis: Congress ready to talk to Sachin Pilot| Oneindia News Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have already caught a glimpse. NASA''s Bob Behnken shared a spectacular photo of the comet on social media late Thursday, showing central Asia in the background and the space station in the foreground. "Stars, cities, spaceships, and a comet!" he tweeted from orbit. Mexico City authorities plan to target neighbourhoods with a higher number of people infected with COVID-19 as part of efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak. It has already implemented a camera surveillance system aimed at monitoring the use of face masks in a number of neighbourhoods. Results so far have shown that upper class neighbourhoods, such as Condesa and Roma Norte, have the lowest rates of face mask usage compared to other neighbourhoods, like Iztapalapa, Xochimilco and Tlahuac. While the use of face masks is a strong recommendation of the city government, it is still not mandatory. The number of cases is expected to rise in the coming days as restrictions affecting small businesses and restaurants ease up and the capital enters a second week of relaxations. Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum stressed however that that although some restrictions had been eased, many virus measures would remain in place until at least July 19. She also said that if any member of a household had been diagnosed with COVID-19, all household members must stay home for at least 15 days. The mayor promised economic support for families entering self-isolation if a member of their household has fallen sick with the virus. Mexico City still carries the largest burden of all states with 53,423 confirmed cases and as many as 7,191 reported deaths. With a death toll expected to surpass the 35,000 mark this Sunday, Mexico as a country has almost reached 300,000 cases of COVID-19. At the start of March, Apple agreed to pay up to $500 million to US consumers as part of a settlement that came out of its iPhone batterygate saga. Thanks to a website spotted by MacRumors, eligible iPhone owners can now apply to take part in the settlement. To qualify for a payment, you must either currently or have previously owned an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus and or an iPhone SE that ran iOS 10.2.1 or later before December 21st, 2017. Also included are iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models that ran iOS 11.2 or later before December 21st, 2017. You must have also experienced "diminished performance" on your device. According to the websites FAQ, Apple will provide a cash payment of approximately $25 per eligible device. But before getting too excited about getting money from the company, keep in mind that Apple has agreed to pay a maximum of $500 million as part of the settlement. Depending on how many people file for a claim, you may get less than $25. It's also worth noting you can exclude yourself from the settlement. However, as The Verge points out, the only reason to do that is if you plan to sue Apple directly about the issue. Whatever decision you make, you have until October 6th to submit a claim. At that point, you can expect payment at some point after December 4th. That's when a judge will sign off on the settlement, provided there aren't any appeals. The iPhone throttling debacle dates back to 2017 when Apple admitted it intentionally down older devices with aging batteries to prevent unexpected shutdowns. As an apology for its lack of transparency around the issue, the company temporarily reduced the price of out-of-warranty battery replacements from $79 to $29. Approximately 11 million iPhone owners took advantage of the discount. The significant uptick in battery replacements ultimately led to Apple revising its first quarter 2019 earnings. In this file photo dated Thursday, June 12, 2008, of Syed Ali Shah Geelani waves at a crowd, in Srinagar. Geelani, the lifetime chairman of the pro-Pakistan Hurriyat Conference, made a surprise announcement of completely dissociating himself from the 16-party amalgam. PTI Photo On the Kashmir stage, the cast of characters has suddenly been hit by an absence -- that of the ailing, 91-year-old Syed Ali Shah Geelani. The hawk who abruptly removed himself from the proscenium last week, sending shockwaves across Kashmir and in the Pakistani security establishment, has been the dean, as it were, of pro-Pakistan tendencies in the Valley for decades. When Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence orchestrated the 1989-90 move to constitute and strengthen Hizbul Mujahideen as the armed, local wing of the integrate-with-Pakistan factions of Kashmiri separatism, that mainly owes allegiance to Jamaat-e-Islami ideology, by brutally suppressing and eliminating the pro-Kashmiri independence JKLF, until then the Valleys frontline armed group enjoying Pakistans active support, it is to Mr Geelani that Pakistans Deep State turned for benediction. Until his shock resignation last week from the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (Geelani) that he created in 2003 (and was its chairman for life) out of the broader Hurriyat umbrella, the stalwart, who possessed charisma, had enjoyed undoubted prestige, although not popularity. And yet his leaving the scene could have the portents of being a transformative phase in Kashmirs politics, much of course depending on how New Delhi negotiates the post-Geelani landscape. Popularity eluded Mr Geelani because Kashmiris, who are mainly Muslim, are on the whole against the idea of Kashmir being territorially or politically linked to Pakistan, strange as this may seem to the BJP-RSS. But they saw the pro-Pakistan patriarch as being steadfast in his beliefs, unlike most Valley politicians. Also, unusually for a top separatist leader, Mr Geelani was elected three times (the last in 1987) to the J&K Assembly. This partly explains his prestige and charisma, and the charge of having no base cannot be easily flung at him, unlike other leading separatists. The Mirwaiz and Geelani factions of the Hurriyat had no popular leaders in their ranks. But protest calls by them were generally obeyed at the public level. This is for two seemingly contradictory reasons. One of them is the fear of the gun. Pakistan-backed armed groups backed some Hurriyat constituents and there was the fear of incurring their wrath if the strike calls were disregarded. The second is that, for a variety of reasons to do with the perception of erosion of the promised constitutional autonomy enshrined in treaty terms (which was wholly ended by the BJP government on August 5 last year), the presence of the security forces in increasingly large numbers over time, raising human rights concerns, as well as mass unemployment, Kashmiris are up for protest and are relatively easy to mobilise in that direction. They have an aggravated sense of victimhood. Since the mainline parties have been in and out of government, the protest aspect of public life in Kashmir has been a virtual monopoly of the Hurriyat factions. Even so, there is an inbuilt dichotomy here. Top Hurriyat leaders of both factions are seen by the wider public as having done extremely well by themselves, amassed wealth, sent their children out for good education while expecting ordinary people to make inordinate sacrifices all the time --through general strikes and mass actions that invite intervention by the security forces, leading to all manner of problems and the disruption of life. Therefore, when a Hurriyat leader falls foul of the authorities, is taken for questioning or sent to jail, the ordinary Kashmiri is apt to rejoice (quietly, never publicly) for having received his just desserts. And yet, there is a complexity that cannot be overlooked, a serious conundrum: Is sustained peoples protest possible if the separatists did not exist? (Incidentally, all those who marched to the protest tunes of Mr Geelani or the Mirwaiz may not subscribe to their fundamental beliefs and ideologies.) This question appears to speak to the split public personality in the lives of the people of Kashmir, and yet points to a larger truth -- to the grand idea of politics in the Valley, and the channels of its articulation outside of the periodic voting exercise to elect MLAs, MPs or municipal councillors, for which the people of Kashmir turn up in respectable numbers (frequently in the face of shootings and bombings), which is yet another important face of the complex reality of Kashmir. It is due to the associational link between the politics of protest and the availability of the idea of the Hurriyat that the resignation from public life of an ailing 91-year-old man sets the wider stage for a contemplation of the possibilities of Kashmirs future politics in a way that was not there earlier. Had Mr Geelani pleaded ill-health as his reason for quitting, the boat would not have been rocked. But in a fairly explicit departure statement (and a video on social media) the nonagenarian cited corruption in the Hurriyats Occupied Kashmir unit and its endorsement by the Valley unit. This seems to signal intense faction-fighting not just in the political platforms shaped by Mr Geelani (with Pakistans shadowy backing) but possibly also at senior levels of the Jamaat-e-Islami, which is really the ideological parent of all such groups. The people of Kashmir are bewildered. They also have a question for the two Hurriyat factions -- Mr Geelanis and the Mirwaizs. Why did they not bestir themselves after the Union government ended J&Ks autonomy in August 2019, igniting the politics of protest, although many of them were not taken into preventive custody, unlike mainstream politicians, who were all put in prison or placed under house arrest? If faith in the principal articulators of protest politics has been shaken (at least for now), it is not inconceivable that the mainstream parties -- the National Conference, PDP and Congress -- will benefit as a result, bringing the prospect of some relief, provided the Centre does not continue to suppress these parties in various ways. If Mr Geelani and his brand of politics reflected Muslim communalism, the BJP-RSS brand of Hindu communalism has been a spectre in J&K in recent years. In the absence of the Geelani school of politics, this latter brand may be tempted to try and prevail through force and continue to suppress Kashmirs mainstream politicians and their parties through the misuse of state power. This will be a serious mistake from the perspective of nation-building. Travelers flying into Albany International Airport and every other airport in the state will now have to report their whereabouts so that local officials can enforce quarantines. Travelers from 19 states must quarantine for 14 day upon arrive in New York State. That means staying in their hotel room not using the hotel pool, not picking up groceries, and not visiting anyone. If they are staying in someones house, they must stay there. But local cases of coronavirus have been spread by people who traveled to Florida and Atlanta. Clearly, some people are not voluntarily quarantining. So Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that every airport will have officials enforcing new rules. All travelers must fill out a form stating where they will spend the next 14 days. We know there are instances of noncompliance, he said at Mondays press conference. We are not a hermetically sealed bubble. It came in through the airports, it will come in through the airports once again. The form will be handed out before travelers deplane, and officials will collect them as travelers leave the airport. If you leave the airport without providing your information, you will receive a summons with a $2,000 fine, Cuomo said. It will be enforced at every airport in the state of New York. He added that he wished people had quarantined voluntarily. None of this is pleasant, he said. The states from which travelers must quarantine are: Alabama Arkansas Arizona California Delaware Florida Georgia Iowa Idaho Kansas Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina Nevada Oklahoma South Carolina Tennessee Texas Utah You can reach Kathleen Moore at 742-3247 or kmoore@poststar.com. Follow her on Twitter @ByKathleenMoore or at her blog on www.poststar.com. Love 23 Funny 4 Wow 6 Sad 0 Angry 9 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The United States has for the first time directly provided funds to the Tibetan Government-in-Exile based in India, a move likely to rile up China. The US Agency for International Development or the USAID has committed to providing nearly $ 1 million to the Social and Resources Development Fund (SARD Fund)a non-profit organisation set up by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile (TGiE), formally known as Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and based at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. This is the first time any US government agency has provided funds directly to the TGiE, signalling a subtle move by President Donald Trumps administration towards acknowledging a political entity spearheading the campaign against Chinas occupation of and continued rule over Tibet. The US move came amid the military stand-off between India and China in eastern Ladakh This funding signifies the US governments support to the Central Tibetan Administration and the Tibetan community, Kaydor Aukatsang, the Director of the SARD Fund of the CTA, told the DH on Monday. The Dalai Lama set up the CTA on April 29, 1959, just a few weeks after he escaped from Tibet and arrived in India. The CTA calls itself the continuation of the government of independent Tibet. Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama and the CTA of running a separatist campaign against China. Though New Delhi publicly maintains that the Dalai Lama was an honoured guest of India, it never formally acknowledged the CTA as the exiled government of the erstwhile independent Tibet. China has always objected to Indias tacit support to the CTA and often demanded its closure. The CTA set up the SARD Fund in 1997 to help mobilise resources and support development efforts of Tibetans living in South Asia. The Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India allowed it to receive any amount of donations and foreign contribution for relief and development purposes. The direct funding by the USAID was an acknowledgement of the capacity of the SARD as an international development agency to receive and manage such assistance, said Aukatsang. The SARD earlier received financial support from the foreign governments through intermediary non-profit organizations. The USAID fund of $997,124 to the SARD fund of the CTA is intended to support strengthening the financial and cultural resilience of the Tibetan people and contribute towards a sustained resilience of the Tibetan peoples economic and cultural identity. The US has been slamming China over the past few weeks for its military aggression, not only along its disputed boundary with India in eastern Ladakh but also in the South China Sea, the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. The US Navy deployed its two aircraft carrier strike groups USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan in the South China Sea, in response to maritime muscle-flexing by the communist country. President Donald Trumps administration also imposed visa restrictions on some officials of the Chinese Government and the Communist Party of China (CPC) as they were allegedly involved in the formulation or execution of policies denying access for foreigners to Tibet. The move was in accordance with the US Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018. The law allowed the Trump Administration to bar Chinese Government and the CPC officials from entering America if it is found that they had a role in denying permission to the US citizens, journalists and diplomats to Tibet. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently accused the Chinese government of human rights abuses in Tibet and said that the US remained committed to meaningful autonomy for the Tibetans. The US also imposed visa-restrictions and economic sanctions on the Chinese government and the CPC officials for atrocities on the Uighurs and violation of human rights in Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. The Trump Administration also initiated similar measures for the Chinese governments officials responsible for, or complicit in, undermining Hong Kongs high degree of autonomy. The move came after China imposed a new National Security Law in Hong Kong, which critics say would undermine the one country, two systems notion that the communist country had promised for the territory for 50 years while taking it back from the United Kingdom in 1997. China too retaliated to the US move to impose visa restrictions on its officials. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) New York, United States Mon, July 13, 2020 11:10 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665dde79 2 Entertainment Elvis-Presley,Lisa-Marie-Presley,Benjamin-Keough,suicide Free Elvis Presley's only grandson died Sunday, his mother Lisa Marie Presley's manager confirmed to AFP, with local media reporting the death as an apparent suicide. Benjamin Keough, 27, was found in Calabasas near Los Angeles from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police sources told TMZ. Manager Roger Widynowski gave no details about the death, saying that Lisa Marie Presley -- Elvis's only child from his marriage to actor Priscilla Presley -- was "heartbroken, inconsolable and beyond devastated". "She adored that boy. He was the love of her life," Widynowski said, adding she was "trying to stay strong" for her daughters. Read also: Japan suicides at historic low in 2019 but more teens kill themselves Keough seldom appeared in public, but the few photos of him showed his strong resemblance to his grandfather. Lisa Marie Presley, who has three other children, had described Keough's resemblance to Elvis as "just uncanny." TMZ reported Keough was a musician who had done some acting and had attended the 40th anniversary of Elvis's death at the star's former home Graceland in Memphis in 2017. Rock'n'roll legend Elvis Presley died in 1977 aged 42. Dozens of millionaires and billionaires have called for higher taxes on wealth to help fund the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Wealthy individuals including British screenwriter Richard Curtis and Disney heiress Abigail Disney signed a letter urging governments to tax them more. Today, we, the undersigned millionaires and billionaires, ask our governments to raise taxes on people like us. Immediately. Substantially. Permanently, they wrote in the open letter. We are not restocking grocery store shelves or delivering food door to door. But we do have money, lots of it. Money that is desperately needed now. They added: Please, tax us. Tax us. Tax us. It is the right choice. It is the only choice. Humanity is more important than our money. The letter was coordinated by a group including Tax Justice UK, Oxfam and the Patriotic Millionaires, an organisation of wealthy individuals campaigning for greater equality and social justice. Government leaders must take the responsibility for raising the funds we need and spending them fairly, stated the letter. We owe a huge debt to the people working on the front lines of this global battle. Most essential workers are grossly underpaid for the burden they carry. Governments are borrowing hundreds of billions of pounds to help support jobs and economies through the unprecedented disruption caused by Covid-19. While the price tag is high and rising, the consensus among economists is that to not take bold action would lead to much greater damage in the long term. In the UK, the chancellor Rishi Sunak announced 30bn of additional support last week, including a VAT cut for hospitality businesses devastated by the pandemic. Despite what would have been considered, in normal times, a huge fiscal intervention, a number of critics suggested the measures would not be enough to prevent mass unemployment and a deep recession. The Institute for Fiscal Studies warned that a 9bn pledge to pay bonuses to employers who keep furloughed workers on their jobs was poorly targeted and would end up going to firms that did not need it. Calls for a fairer tax system have grown as the economic toll of Covid-19 has become clearer. Last week, analysis by the Tax Justice Network of a trove of new data from the OECD found that multinational corporations dodged at least $330bn (261.85bn) in tax each year by shifting profits into havens around the world. The organisation labelled the UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg as an axis of tax avoidance, facilitating 72 per cent of corporate tax-dodging. Alex Cobham, chief executive at the Tax Justice Network, labelled corporate tax avoidance as the greatest, longest-running robbery of our times. The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the grave costs of an international tax system programmed to prioritise the interest of corporate giants over the needs of people. This new data confirms that corporate tax havens like the UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg have been fuelling a race to the bottom for years, allowing the biggest corporations to syphon wealth and power away from the nurses, public services and local businesses were all relying on today. He added: Now, more than ever, governments must reprogramme their tax systems to prioritise peoples wellbeing over the interests of the biggest corporations. That starts with transparency. On Feb. 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin, 17, went to a convenience store near the home of his fathers fiancee in Sanford, Florida, wearing a hoodie. While walking back to the house, Martin was followed by neighborhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman, who called police from his truck and who was told by them not to follow the teenager. Soon after, a physical altercation between the two ensued, and Martin was shot and killed. Zimmerman claimed the shooting took place in self-defense under Floridas Stand Your Grand statute, but he was eventually arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He was found not guilty by a jury in July 2013. Martins mother, Sybrina Fulton, was one of seven mothers who sat down with ABC News' Deborah Roberts for "Good Morning America" to share the stories of the children they lost and their journeys as Black mothers in America. In her own words, Fulton recounts her emotional journey and shares her opinions that have been shaped by her heartbreaking loss. Being a Black mother in America feels disappointing. At times it can feel hopeless. You feel helpless because you never know when you're going to be watching a news story in the safety of your home and the next day, you become the story. Not one single day goes by that I don't think about Trayvon. I have another son, Jahvaris Fulton, and I have to keep moving because I have to fight for him. I can't do anything about Trayvon. The situation happened, the tragedy already occurred and I can't save him. But I can certainly work toward saving my older son. PHOTO: Sybrina Fulton with her sons, Trayvon Martin (left) and Jahvaris Fulton (right). (Courtesy Sybrina Fulton) I don't want any mother to listen to what people have to say about the way you should heal and the amount of time it should take for you to heal. Don't feel any pressure from anybody that you should forget, that you should heal, that you should be happy. I felt like I was never going to be happy again. I went from being happy 95% of the time to being sad 95% of the time. For me, the thought of not having his pictures up and then all of a sudden having someone put them my face was triggering and I knew that was going to make me sad. So I leave pictures of Trayvon around my house. When I first started out, the hoodie would make me sad. Now, when I see a hoodie, like the one Trayvon was wearing when he died, I smile about it because I've trained and re-programmed myself to say, That's in memory of my son. You just have to do things in memory of your son or your daughter, and you just have to think about the good times. Story continues PHOTO: Trayvon Martin and Sybrina Fulton. (Courtesy Sybrina Fulton) I still cry eight years later and I don't apologize for crying. Those are my tears. That was my son. You have to know that you have to allow yourself to be sad on that day. And then you have to allow yourself to know that a brighter day is coming. *** The children of other mothers dying, those are triggers. They trigger your emotions, the sadness, the tears. Your heart hurts, your chest hurts, I get headaches. To relive that all over again, I can't equate it to anything but PTSD. We are never ever going to recover from this. I have not met a mom yet who's lost a child who has recovered. We live it every day. We carry the pain every single day. We just have good days and bad days. PHOTO: Trayvon Martin (Illustration by QU Lan/Photo Courtesy Sybrina Fulton) Of course it makes you very angry. It makes you disappointed and makes you say, Why does it have to happen like this? Again and again and again it continues to happen, and every tragedy, we are hopeful, saying, I don't want this to happen to somebody else's child because we know the pain. And we don't want somebody else going through what we are already experiencing. I struggled with going to George Floyds funeral. I just didn't want to rehash the same feelings. I thought about myself. I didn't want to cry. I didn't want to be sad. I didn't want to think about those things. And I didnt want to be there. I didn't want to be depressed. I thought about myself. PHOTO: Sybrina Fulton with the Rev. Al Sharpton, right, in New York, July 20, 2013. Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old whose shooting death by a neighborhood watch volunteer set off a national conversation on racial profiling. (Chang W. Lee/The New York Times via Redux) Then I put my selfish ways aside and I said, I need to stand with this family to let them know that I support them. Let them know I'm with them. Let them know that they're not alone. And that was my final decision. I can't worry about my feelings. I can't think about me sitting in the church, being sad, when this family is going through such traumatic pain. It is just so amplified that people don't even understand and we can't explain it to them. We can't explain it to you unless youve lost a child. I just had to be there for them to let them know that I support them and I stand with them. I found the brothers, I found the family, I found everybody. When I went into the church initially, I was OK. I was OK with being at George Floyd's funeral. But then once I saw the body, my thoughts were, America did this to him. This is a result of the ugliness in America. And it hurts so bad. It took me a while to get it together because I just I kept asking God, Why? Why did this have to happen? Why am I looking at a man in this casket who should have just been arrested instead of killed? And I continue to ask myself that. I could not get myself together for a minute. I didn't want to sit up front at the funeral because I was emotional. And I couldn't stop crying. PHOTO: Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, speaks onstage at the 2017 ESSENCE Festival, June 30, 2017, in New Orleans. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images ) Finally, when they started to sing, I started to calm down. I thought maybe hes the martyr, maybe he was the vessel that God sent to Earth to save us all, because we have to be saved. Something has to happen. We can no longer go on like this. We can no longer continue our lives being scared of people, vigilantes, police, whoever is trying to shoot and kill us. We can no longer do this and that's why you see so many protests. I'm not the only one whos saying enough is enough. I'm not the only one saying stop killing us. I'm not the only one saying that Black lives matter. We are just so sick and tired of feeling this way as African Americans. *** You're never going to know the pain that we face. You are not experiencing that particular pain. What I want to encourage people to do is take a look at what happened with these tragedies. Think to yourself, What if that was my son? What if that was my daughter? What if that was my sister? What if that was my mom? Put your loved one in their place and that should open up your heart in order to get involved. When I say get involved, I'm not just talking about social media likes or reposting something. I'm talking about really getting involved. Whether thats registering to vote, voting, attending jury duty, signing petitions, protesting, sending letters to the president and the governor and your local officials, whatever it looks like to you, but you have to do something. I'm running for Miami-Dade County commissioner because I believe that I can make positive change. I'm passionate about my community, even though I travel the nation and speak professionally. I want to see changes here in my own backyard. PHOTO: Thousands of demonstrators march along W. 13th Street in Sanford, Florida, during a NAACP rally and march demanding for justice in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, March 31, 2012. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) I was never a person that spoke out. I was never a person that protested. I had my thoughts and things that I believed in. But we can no longer be silent. Don't wait until something happens to your child. Get involved now so something doesn't happen to your child. *** When it happened to Trayvon, I had tons of people around me. But when the lights went off and the cameras are gone and family and friends were gone, it's just you. You're going to have to learn how to deal with it. You're going to have to come back from your deep depression, your sadness, your disappointment of not having your child. You have to pull from the strength within. You're going to have that around you when all of those people are gone. PHOTO: Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, holding a portrait of her deceased son. Fort Lauderdale, Fla., April 2012. (Jeffery Salter/Redux) You have to lean on God. I'm no Superwoman, I'm no Wonder Woman. It was God that brought me through what I went through. Nobody else could have done that. The views and opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of ABC News. Trayvon Martin's mom: 'We are never going to recover from this' originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com Chilling pictures have emerged of a woman happily posing around Sydney before she was murdered and dumped next to a highway. Qi 'Kathy' Yu, 28, was killed by her housemate Shuo Dong, 20, at their sharehouse in Campsie, south-west Sydney, on June 8, 2018. Ms Yu's body was then found wrapped up and on the side of the M1 motorway near Mount Ku-Ring-Gai in Sydney's north-west 47 days after she disappeared. Pictured: Police recovering Ms Yu's body which was found in bushland in north-west Sydney The pictures were submitted as evidence in the Supreme Court of NSW and showed Ms Yu smiling with a hat and ice cream in front of Bondi Beach. She also posed with a large cone of gelato inside an ice cream shop. Another image showed Ms Yu wearing a graduation cap and gown at the University of New South Wales. The 28-year-old arrived in Australia in 2009 and completed a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and and a Masters in Telecommunication at UNSW. A final image saw Ms Yu posing with two soft toys in front of a pen of cattle, resembling the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Dong pleaded guilty to murdering Ms Yu in the NSW Supreme Court on December 4. Detectives said searches for 'penalty for murder' were made on Dong's phone two days before the murder. Pictured: The Campsie unit where Ms Yu lived with her killer and another female housemate Agreed facts stated he also made 18 searches for bushland areas like the Royal National Park and Ku-Ring-Gai. The court heard Dong spent the evening of June 8 bickering with Ms Yu over cutting the lease short and bond money he owed her. Ms Yu's parents, who were speaking to her from China via WeChat, could hear the argument in the background when the power to the unit was shut off. Zhihe Yu and Qin He later contacted a neighbour to check on their daughter and Dong informed the neighbour that Ms Yu was out for dinner. Dong and Ms Yu's third housemate said she arrived home and noticed blood-like stains in the home. Dong's phone was used to search for directions back from Mount Colah to Campsie At about 10.30pm that night. Dong (pictured) confessed to Ms Yu's murder at the NSW Supreme Court in December 2019 Police found Ms Yu's body near that section of the motorway on July 25, 2018 using data from Dong's phone. She was discovered in a gully at Mount Ku-Ring-gai and a shirt containing Dong's DNA was wrapped tightly around her neck. Ms Yu's parents spoke out at his sentencing hearing on Monday and said their daughter believed Australia was a safe country with no bad people. 'She did not know much about the evil phenomena in society,' they said in their victim impact statement presented to the NSW Supreme Court. 'Qi's weakness was that she had no sense of threat from other people. 'Her experience from years of Australian life was that Australia was good for everything, good people, good air, good food, good environment, and good others.' The sentencing hearing will continue before Acting Justice Peter Hidden in August. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 04:30:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Israel's parliamentary special committee on the novel coronavirus has decided to reverse the government's decision to close public swimming pools and gyms across the country, said a statement issued by the parliament on Monday. On July 6, Israeli cabinet reimposed several restrictions to combat a rapid surge of coronavirus cases, deciding to immediately close gyms and public pools, as well as bars, night clubs, and event halls. The decision concerning the pools was controversial, as it did not include hotel swimming pools, which have remained open and become more crowded. Israeli Deputy Health Minister Yoav Kisch, who opposed the reopening of pools and gyms, said at the committee's meeting that "the purpose of the restriction is to prevent actions that endanger public health, and to prevent a full closure. In pools, hundreds of people gather in one place." He added that the ministry planned to close hotel pools as well, but the finance ministry claimed that it would be the end of the hotel industry in the country. Coalition Chairman Miki Zohar said that after the coronavirus committee's decision to reopen public pools and gyms, Yifat Shasha-Biton, the committee's chairman, would be replaced. Enditem TORONTO, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Waseco Resources Inc. (Waseco or the Company) (WRI-TSX-V) is pleased to report that its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary, today, has entered into an Option Agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of SSR Mining Inc. (SSRM), relating to the Companys Battle Mountain Ridge (BMR) leased gold property in Nevada. The 29 claim BMR property is strategically located on the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend, immediately adjacent to the Trenton Canyon Mine, which SSRM recently acquired from Newmont. It is approximately 10 km south of SSRMs current Marigold Mine operations. BMR hosts oxide gold mineralization identified by drilling programs carried out by several previous operators over the past 30 years. To date, three gold zones have been identified on the property. The South and West zones are oxide hosted and drilling by Waseco has extended the West Zone laterally. Additionally and importantly, Waseco has made a sulphide hosted gold discovery near the Northern property boundary with SSRM. (see WRI News Releases Jan. 12th, 2012 and Jan 26th, 2017). This zone appears to be on trend with a recently announced discovery by SSRM, on its Marigold property, approximately 1.5km to the north-west from the BMR property boundary, where SSRM announced a gold intercept of 5.19g Au over 94.5 meters (see SRRM News Release- May 14th, 2020). Under the terms of the Agreement, SSRM has agreed to carry out exploration expenditures of US$1.5 million within the next 5 years and assume all of the carrying costs of the BMR property during the option period. At the end of the exploration phase, SSRM may acquire Wasecos interests by paying US$25 per ounce of gold in all resource categories discovered (measured, indicated and inferred). This acquisition will involve a minimum payment to the Company of US$1 Million and a maximum payment of US$6 Million as well as a 1% NSR royalty on production payable to the Company. Waseco will also receive a US$100,000 payment and re-imbursement of certain expenses on the effective date of the Option Agreement. The transaction is subject to TSX-V approval. Story continues Company President, Richard Williams, commented: The operations at the nearby Marigold Mine, which has consistently produced over 220,000 ounces of gold per year at an extremely low cut-off gold grade, is a testament to their teams understanding of the oxide gold ore environment in the area. The pending addition of the Alacer Gold Corp. team, which has extensive sulphide hosted gold production experience, provides us with added comfort that Marigold are best placed to effectively and successfully develop BMR and Wasecos new discovery there. We look forward to working with Marigolds exploration staff. Note: The mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the BMR property. Mr. A. Lee Barker, BASc., MSc. (App.), P. Eng., a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release. Waseco is an exploration company focused on exploring for gold in Nevada. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (WRI) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (WSE). There are currently 41,681,390 shares issued and outstanding. For further information on the Company, please visit the Waseco web site at www.wasecoresources.com or contact Richard Williams at (416) 364-3123- e-mail: rickw@wasecoresources.com . On Behalf of the Board of Directors Richard Williams President & C.E.O. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulatory service providers as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange accepts responsibility of the accuracy or adequacy of this release. We seek safe harbour. Farrukh Dhondy OF CABBAGES AND KINGS Being struck by an arrow of Cupid Often results in very stupid Behaviour, but nevertheless The poets say the arrows caress Is an awakening of the heart. Then jealousy hitches a ride Coupled with love like Jekyll and Hyde. From Much Urdu About Nothing by Bachchoo All through my short, happy and intellectually engaged life, gentle reader, I have expressed a committed partiality to social justice. I have belonged to and worked my coccyx off for organisations which some would label left wing. I have on occasion, by those whom I would, in imitation of Donald Trump, call losers, even been labelled a communist. I have been known to tread the streets of several continents shouting slogans such as Hamara naam, thoomara naam, Vietnam, Vietnam!, Margaret Thatcher, Milk Snatcher and get the tax-dodging billionaires to pay their fair share and die!. You may have guessed by now that I dont hold the craft and skill of entrepreneurship in high esteem, but but gentle reader I must admit a sort of creeping, even creepy, admiration for people whove thought of ways of using the relatively-new technologies of the internet and social media to make billions. There is, at the top of that list, Jeff Bezos who started out by thinking hed sell books by receiving orders for them through the internet and then went on to sell any and every consumer article known to humankind on his broad, and torrential, Amazon. And he pays his workers in, I suppose, branded peanuts. Then there is Zuckerberg who realised that the human ego craves publicity for its insignificant existence and consequently made zillions from getting people to photograph their breakfasts on Facebook. Then someone recruited idle people to be taxi drivers and pick up people who wanted to return from B to A, and invented Uber. And there are then those who had the idea of using the internet for lust and loneliness entrepreneurs all! I must now, possibly to my eternal shame, confess that in between thinking socialistic thoughts my mind wanders to searching for gaps in this market. I have come up with nothing. Even my patented culinary inventions such as Marmite lassi have been failures and have earned me nothing but the obloquy of eccentricity. And now, dear friends, my acute analysis of recent reports and speculations in the newspapers have led me to a winning formula. Yes, Bezos worked the human drive to consumerism. Zuckerberg exploited natural vanity. Tinder went for compelling baser instincts. The one that no one has as yet tapped is ah! Let me save it for when I tell you about how it came to me: Recent reports in the British press, the first one satirical, have claimed that Boris Johnson is just a figurehead and the real Prime Minister, taking all the decision is a weirdo called Dominic Cummings, an unelected advisor to the government. Then there have been articles characterising the home secretary Priti Patel as how shall I put it not very astride an intellect. One report said that the chancellor Rishi Sunak is a potential leader of his party and so a prime ministerial candidate. The article said BoJo should watch him carefully. These articles revived old memories; the time I had introduced the serial killer Charles Sobhraj who had a possibly sensational political story to sell to BoJo who was then the editor of The Spectator. Another memory was meeting BoJo, who was the MP for the constituency in which my youngest daughter went to school. I went to pick her up at the end of the school day and there was BoJo who said he was surprised to see me. I remember asking him why he wasnt challenging the pretty insignificant Michael Howard for the leadership of the Tory Party. He frantically told me to shut up. Oh! The stratagems of ambition! And the reports and memories put together suggested the paved path to my own entrepreneurship. Here was the gap in the market. Uber had exploited the human necessity to get from one place to another. I would start an enterprise which exploited what Nietzsche called The Will To Power. Not any old power, but the top. I would, under the title PMPOSS, provide an assessment for all comers about their chances to be Prime Minister. Just as Bezos started Amazon by limiting himself to books and then going wild, I am starting with the possibility of Prime Ministership of The UK (while it lasts). I genuinely intend to move on to India, Pakistan and maybe in the end Ecuador, once Ive mastered their political landscapes. There are undoubtedly millions of people wanting to be Prime Ministers of their countries and now they can turn to PMPOSS for an informed assessment of their chances. I suppose one starts with a sample or two to encourage the millions who will see the possibilities exploding in hope before their ambitious eyes. On first examination BoJo seems to have passed the test but then fails hopelessly. The first qualification, which Winston Churchill sailed through is have you written more than three books? BoJo has. So, tick. Do you write a regular column for newspapers which would demonstrate that you are in touch with the world? Tick. He passes that one. Have you ever worked as an executive in television? Well no, though he has appeared on several shows quite regularly. So, half marks. Have you been part of a government whose bungling caused the death of a lot of people in a national crisis? the answer for BoJo and Winston would have to be yes, which of course wipes out most of their positive points. And lastly Were you born in Pune and did you go to school and college there? Again both BoJo and Winston and for that matter Rishi Sunak, Priti clueless Patel and even the Opposition leader Kier Stamer fail that test. So, gentle reader, the search goes on. The crisis rocking the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, has taken another dimension as the institutions branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has threatened to bar the chairman of the governing council, Wale Babalakin, from gaining entrance into the campus. The universitys registrar, Oladejo Azeez, had on July 7, sent out a memo notifying the universitys governing council members of a meeting scheduled to hold between July 15 and 17, as called by the councils chairman. In response to the memo, ASUU issued a statement on Friday, reiterating its opposition to the council chairman, protesting his decision to visit the university to hold a meeting. According to the statement, which was signed by its chairman, Dele Ashiru, the union insisted that its vote of no confidence passed in the council chairman in March was still subsisting, indicating an intention to stampede the meeting. The unions statement which is entitled; Pendency of the Vote of No Confidence On (sic) Dr Bolanle Olawale Babalakin, reads in part; The attention of our Union has been drawn to a surreptitious Council meeting summoned by Dr Bolanle Olawale Babalakin. Our Union wishes to remind members of the university community and the general public that the vote of no confidence passed on (sic) Dr Wale Babalakin and his persona non grata status on account of the unfortunate cancellation of the universitys convocation ceremonies occasioned by him has not been vacated by the congress of our great union. Consequently, Dr Wale Babalakin should be advised to rethink his intention of entering the University of Lagos campus as his presence may rupture the long cherished peace and tranquility on our campus. The union calls on the education minister, Adamu Adamu, and the executive secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Abubakar Rasheed, to intervene. In furtherance of its threat, the union said it has fixed an emergency congress meeting for the same day scheduled for the first day of the three-day council meeting, and that the meeting is billed to be held in the basement of the governing council chamber of the university. Council chair reacts Meanwhile, in his reaction to the threat, Mr Babalakin faulted the unions position, saying freedom of movement is a fundamental human right that cannot be tampered with under the countrys Constitution. A statement issued on Sunday, on the instruction of Mr Babalakin, which was titled; Re: Threat by ASUU to disrupt the Governing Council Meeting, the registrar urged the public to note that the Council was the first to issue a notice of meeting. This indicated that the ASUUs notice of congress was an afterthought and a deliberate attempt to cause confusion. The statement reads further; This Council Meeting, apart from being statutory was also requisitioned by the vice chancellor of the universityThe time and topic by ASUU for their congress clearly indicate its plan to disrupt the council meeting, especially since it has issued several threats to prevent the Pro Chancellor from coming to the University. This action is violently against the provision of Section 41, subsection 1 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) ( Fourth Alteration), which guarantees freedom of movement of Nigerians within Nigeria. ASUU as a trade union under the laws of Nigeria is also expected to know that Section 4 of the Trade Union Act states that No person shall subject any other person to any form of constraint or restriction in the course of persuasion. Obviously, ASUU, University of Lagos Chapter has shown clearly that it is a group that does not adhere to the Constitution of Nigeria or the Trade Union law which it is a part of. The chairman said his Council will not engage the union on issues that are beyond its duties, powers and responsibilities under the laws of Nigeria. ASUU faulted A member of the union and former member of the National Electoral Commission, Lai Olurode, has criticised the position of the union on the development, saying the decision does not represent the interest of all lecturers. Mr Olurode, in a statement shared to the public on Sunday, and titled; Threats as Danger to Academic Freedom, described the threat as ultra vires, provocative, illogical, anti-academic and an assault on freedom of movements and thoughts. He said regardless of whatever the Council chair may have done to the union, Wale Babalakin is a free citizen of Nigeria whose freedom of movement can only be restricted or frozen with due process. He wrote; It is possible that in the cause of performing his job as Chairman of Council, he had stepped on toes or that the Council which he heads had taken unpalatable decisions which ASUU or Universitys Management are uncomfortable with, this cannot suffice to justify the issuance of threat by anybody. It is simply childish, an aberration and reckless. Universities are expected to triumph on logic and freedom of discussion. Of course, a typical university setting with its diversity must generate conflicts but, it simultaneously has inbuilt mechanisms for their resolution other than through brawls, spear and arrow. A Governing Council is an indispensable organ of a university system in Nigeria. It is a mechanism for maintaining checks and balances and abuse of power within the system. Academics and administrative organs have different roles to play. No organ should pose a threat to the proper functioning of the other. The set-up is meant to promote democratic governance of the university complex system and ensure equitable distribution of scarce resources available within the system. Conflicts are normal in simple and more so in complex settings. The professor of Sociology appealed to the union to toe the path of peace and seek ways to create consensus in resolving whatever differences among the administrative organs in the university. Issues over the Council meeting An aide of the vice-chancellor, who does not want to be named, has criticised the manner for the call for the governing councils meeting, saying it is illogical for the registrar to issue notice without the consent of the vice-chancellor. According to the source, the vice-chancellor was asked to submit whatever he thinks should be part of the agenda to the meeting within two days. Advertisements If you claim the vice-chancellor called for the meeting, how come you are giving him two days to submit an agenda to the meeting? How could you send a notice to the vice-chancellor, your accounting officer, without indicating the venue of the meeting? How do they plan to host a physical meeting amidst the coronavirus pandemic? No one ever discussed such matters with him. Till date, the 2020 budget of the university has not been approved, the source said. Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Police on Monday said that a teenager, who had allegedly run a fake bank branch from his home in Panruti, Cuddalore district, was dealing with a lot of personal issues and did not perform the forgery with a sinister motive. The police officers investigating the case also said that so far they havent received any complaint from people having been cheated of their money or valuables in this case. The investigating officer of the case added that the 19-year old accused in this case had a troubled past. His parents were SBI bank employees and he had been exposed to banking functions from a very young age as his parents used to take him along to the branch. The boys father who was the then bank manager passed away in 2007 when the boy was barely six years of age. From then on, he was brought up by his mother. It is said that the young boy had made an attempt to apply for his fathers bank manager job on compassionate grounds. His mother had retired from the bank in 2017 and has been suffering from a serious mobility issue. The boy had also failed his class 12 exams. How the case came to light: There are two SBI branches in Panruti and Venkatesh is the manager of one of them. He was asked by a customer about a third branch functioning in the North Bazaar area and told him that the receipt, withdrawal slip and seal (of the new branch) are available. Shocked on knowing this, the manger reached out to the cops and filed a complaint. The cops zeroed-in on the boy. The investigation officer said, He was very keen on getting the bank manager job after his father died while on duty (13 years ago). After turning 18 yrs of age the boy applied for the bank job and he was eagerly waiting. But, the boys application was not accepted. It was during the recent months that the boy also got started with the basic work to run a bank branch. With the help of local printers and suppliers, he got the challans, documents and seals ready. However, he did not use a name board to depict it was a bank branch. The local suppliers who arranged the seals and documents told cops that they helped the boy considering that his parents were bank staff and assuming his reasons were legitimate. The Panruti Station Police registered an FIR under Sections 471, 473, 468 and 109 IPC. The boy and his accomplices were arrested and remanded and later the magistrate granted them bail. The cops said that forgery of documents and seals have happened in this case. But the public have not come up and registered complaints of them losing money or being cheated by this individual/group in the guise of a bank. It is learnt that the boy is an adopted child and it was kept secret all this while. The family suspects that he has gotten to know about being an adopted child. His mother and aunt who live with him were totally unaware of his activities. Although the boy has extraordinary knowledge of banking transactions, he has a very innocent, childlike demeanour. He was obsessed with the bank job and thats what led him to forge the documents and seals and set-up a bank at home, said Ambethkar, the investigating officer. That release could not be found. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 13 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: President of Asian Development Bank (ADB) Masatsugu Asakawa and Uzbekistans Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade, Sardor Umurzakov discussed on July 13 ADBs ongoing support for Uzbekistans fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the banks portfolio of projects in the country, Trend reports with reference to ADB. COVID-19 has hit all countries including Uzbekistan with devastating effect, said Asakawa. The government quickly strengthened the health care system, boosted social protection measures, and supported small and medium-sized enterprises through fiscal and monetary incentives and job creation schemes, but the situation remains very challenging. We are fully committed to helping the government manage the crisis and will continue to support the reform agenda. Uzbekistans Deputy Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to ADB for its ongoing support. On 7 July 2020, ADB and the Government of Uzbekistan signed the agreement on a $500-million budget support loan to help Uzbekistan mitigate the adverse health and economic impacts of the disease, funded through ADBs COVID-19 pandemic response option. ADB is working on further emergency assistance to help increase efficiency, quality, and accessibility of health care in Uzbekistan; establish a monitoring and response system for COVID-19; and improve the health care systems overall resilience, the message said. Asakawa and Umurzakov discussed ADBs ongoing support for Uzbekistans investments and reforms, including projects in hydropower, power sector reforms, gas transmission modernization, skills development, railways electrification, road rehabilitation, and solid waste management. They also considered scaling up ADBs engagement private sector and publicprivate partnerships (PPP) in Uzbekistan. The bank has successfully brought two PPP projects to the tendering phase including Sherabad Solar Phase 1 and Tashkent District Heating, and it plans to support nonsovereign projects in energy and financial services in the near future. ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members with 49 from the region. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini TRENTON Call it a two-for-one. The city finally ponied up the remaining $975,000 it owed ex-Trenton Fire Capt. Michael Strycharz, who filed a hostile workplace and retaliation lawsuit against the city in June 2017. Council approved a more than $1.7 million settlement in February, and was on the hook for $800K. The remaining portion of the settlement was delayed while city officials litigated a dispute with insurance carrier Brit Global Speciality, a subsidiary of Lloyds of London. The insurance carried was the victim of wire transfer fraud that was reportedly being investigated by the Secret Service. The lawsuit accused Brit acted in bad faith and breaching its contract by refusing to reimburse Trenton of more than $982,000 in stolen funds wired to a hacker who controlled a Bank of America account belonging to the fictitious Trenton Viers Equity LLC. Trentons lawsuit was dismissed last month, court records show. The City received 100% of the money from Brit Global, city law director John Morelli confirmed. The case has been resolved. The battle over the funds meant the city missed a deadline to pay off Strycharz by a stipulated April 21 deadline in the agreement. The ex-fire officials lawyer in May asked a court to enforce the settlement. The city made good on the final payout the day the motion was scheduled to be decided, attorney Justin Burns said, adding he withdrew the action as it was moot. After almost three years in litigation, we are extremely pleased to have finally resolved this action on these terms, Burns said. Although Michael received a very substantial settlement in order to resolve his claims, I do not believe anything can replace what Michael really wanted, which was to continue to serve the citizens of Trenton in a dangerous job that he loved until he could retire on his own terms. It was a shame that Michael did not get to leave on his own terms, because he deserved that. He deserved better. Now that Michael finally has some closure, I am hoping that he can start to enjoy the retirement that he earned after three-plus decades fighting fires for Trenton. No word on whether the hackers were ever caught. President Trump called polls 'phony' that showed Democrat Joe Biden within spitting distance of him in Texas. 'I read where I was one point up in Texas. I'm not one point up in Texas, we're many points up. I saved the oil industry,' Trump told reporters at the White House Monday. The president had been asked how feasible it would be to have his convention in Jacksonville, Florida in six weeks with coronavirus cases in that state at record highs. President Trump said he was 'many points up in Texas' claiming that he 'saved the oil industry in the state. One new poll from Texas showed the president just one point ahead of his Democratic rival Joe Biden. Another had Biden five points ahead in the reliably red state Polls out of Texas and Georgia show Democrat Joe Biden (pictured) competitive in those states. President Trump said Monday that wasn't the case, arguing that 2016 polls in the two states were close too, but he beat Hillary Clinton easily He said that they were 'gonna see' and noted that the coronavirus cases 'built up a little bit.' 'We're going to do something that will be great,' the president added before changing the subject to his polls. 'We think we're doing very well. We had poll numbers a little while ago that are great,' the president said. A CBS News/YouGov poll of Texas conducted between July 7 and 10 found that Trump's support at 46 per cent and Biden's at 45 per cent. A Dallas Morning News poll conducted between June 29 and July 7, showed Biden five points ahead of Trump, receiving 48 per cent of the Texas vote to Trump's 43 per cent. The Real Clear Politics average of Texas surveys shows the two presidential candidate tied. 'It's the same story, it's suppression polls that we had in 2016, phony polls. Fake news, phony polls, same thing - and we're doing very well,' the president continued. Trump pointed to Texas and Georgia - two states that have traditionally been reliably Republican in presidential races - as places where he's doing well. 'Two months ago I saved the oil industry - I created it, we became No. 1, we had millions of jobs - and we saved it, so Texas is not going to have to let go of millions of millions of people,' Trump went on. It was unclear what policy he implemented that he was referring to. The president, rightly, recalled the 2016 chatter that suggested Texas might be in play for Democrat Hillary Clinton. A number of stories were written about Texas moving blue in the aftermath of the release of the 'Access Hollywood' tape that briefly looked to tank Trump's campaign a month before the election. But another game-changer happened before Americans cast their ballots, with then FBI Director James Comey alerting Congress that the Clinton email investigation was back on when State Department emails were found on a laptop that belonged to disgraced ex-congressman Anthony Weiner. Weiner's then wife Huma Abedin was a top Clinton aide. By the time election day rolled around, Trump's standing had improved. He won Texas by nearly nine points. 'They said it last time too, they said Texas was too close to call. This was like three months before the election. And then I won Texas in a blowout,' the president recalled Monday. 'They called it the minute the polls closed.' Trump said the same thing of Georgia. 'On election night, two seconds after the poll closed they called Georgia,' he said. In 2016, Trump won Georgia by about five points. Of the two polls that were recently conducted in Georgia, Trump was leading one and Biden the other. A Fox News poll from late June showed Biden with a three point advantage over the incumbent president. A OAN/Gravis poll from early July showed Trump two points ahead. Democrats have come close to unseating Republicans state-wide in the two states. In 2018, Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke lost to incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz by 2.6 points in the U.S. Senate contest. It was a Democrat's best showing since 1978. The same year in Georgia, Stacey Abrams, the top Democrat in the Georgia House of Representatives, nearly toppled Republican Brian Kemp to win the governor's mansion. Kemp beat Abrams by 1.4 per cent. He stayed on as Georgia's secretary of state throughout the campaign leading to conflict of interest accusations, as he was overseeing an election when he was a candidate. A portable testing lab that fits into a suitcase is being hailed as the key to tackling one of the world's biggest dangers to health. A portable testing lab that fits into a suitcase is being hailed as the key to tackling one of the world's biggest dangers to health. Experts from Newcastle University UK, have been working with the Addis Ababa Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA), Addis Ababa University (AAU) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to ensure waterborne hazards can be identified in a quicker, easier and ultimately cheaper way, anywhere in the world. Using smaller and less expensive versions of the same type of specialist equipment found in state-of-the-art microbiology laboratories in the UK, the new suitcase lab - believed to be a world first - enables screening of millions of bacteria in a single water sample, instead of running many tests in parallel to look for different pathogens. Genetic analysis can bring to light numerous hazards potentially present in water, but such analysis is currently carried out in a laboratory, using large and expensive machines. These facilities are often not available in developing countries, and the process of sending samples from the affected country to the UK for detailed analysis can take more than a month. The portable lab means scientists can go direct to the location where a waterborne disease is thought to be present and screen a water sample for genetic material - with results available within a day or two. The data can be used for measuring the effectiveness of wastewater treatment, faecal pollution source tracking and the identification of waterborne hazards in surface and groundwater. The rapid data generation gives public health officials more opportunity to quickly identify and deal with local hazards, potentially saving countless lives. After initial on-site testing on samples collected at Birtley sewage treatment plant in North East England, the suitcase lab was used to carry out water quality screening in the Akaki River catchment near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. These achievements have just been published in the journal Water Research. Dr David Werner, Professor in Environmental Systems Modelling, Newcastle University, explains: "By taking advantage of innovative technologies to make it easier and faster to carry out on-site water quality assessments, and with our Ethiopian colleagues, we have demonstrated a way to study genetic material with affordable resources almost anywhere in the world. "With our portable laboratory we successfully screened millions of bacteria in Akaki River water samples and discovered a high prevalence of Arcobacter butzleri, a still poorly understood waterborne hazard that can cause watery diarrhoea. Unfortunately, diarrhoea is still a leading cause of death among children under the age of five." Government advice to "wash your hands frequently" exemplifies the importance of safe water and sanitation for hygiene and public health. But according to the United Nations, six in 10 people lack access to safely managed sanitation facilities and three in 10 people in the world lack access to safely managed drinking water services. As well as reducing the time required to measure water quality, the project aims to enable the independent use of the tools by researchers and water systems engineers in Ethiopia. Dr Alemseged Tamiru Haile from the IWMI is confident that the scientific break-through will make a difference in Ethiopia. "Our collaboration with Newcastle University in terms of carrying out the field work and analysis provided an opportunity for the hands-on training of 13 junior experts in Ethiopia at AAWSA facilities," he says. "One AAWSA staff member then visited Newcastle to receive intensive training in water quality monitoring with the portable laboratory. Academics from AAU can now integrate the novel approach into their curriculum. The equipment items we have assembled in the portable laboratory are affordable for AAU and AAWSA." AAWSA is constructing more sewage treatment plants in Addis Ababa, and the team will continue their monitoring in the Akaki catchment to provide evidence for the benefits of these investments in public health. Dr Kishor Acharya is the early career scientist at Newcastle University who has led the development of the portable molecular toolbox. He has delivered training workshops in portable metagenomics to junior academics and laboratory technicians from research institutions, NGOs, and government agencies in Tanzania, Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, India and Ethiopia. Dr Acharya, who is originally from Nepal, says that the portable lab kit could easily be used in many different contexts to screen for dangerous pathogens. "I want to demonstrate the applicability of the mobile toolkit and the protocols we've developed for microbial hazard surveying to other disciplines," he explains. "In the future, this kit could potentially be used as a way to assure food and drink safety, efficient health services, productive agriculture and beyond." ### The project has been delivered through the 17 million Global Challenges Research Fund Water Security and Sustainable Development Hub. Representative Image The country's gem and jewellery exports contracted by 34.72 percent to $1.64 billion (around Rs 12,333 crore) due to dip in global demand on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC). The exports stood at $2.52 billion (around Rs 18,951 crore) in June last year. The labour-intensive sector contributes about 15 percent of the country's overall exports. "There has been a steady decline in exports as the demand has been going down following global economic slowdown and several restrictions in many countries to curb the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. However, we are seeing demand picking up in China, Europe and Australia," GJEPC chairman Colin Shah told PTI. During April-June this fiscal, the exports dipped by 54.79 percent to $2.75 billion as against $6.07 billion in the same period last year. The decline in shipments is mainly due to negative growth in the export of gold jewellery, and coloured gemstones. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show As per the data, gold jewellery exports during the first quarter of 2020-21 declined by 79 percent to $321.24 million. Similarly, outbound shipments of coloured gemstones contracted 80.56 percent in the last fiscal. But, exports of silver jewellery grew to $324.59 million during the period from $168 million in April-June 2019-20. India's main export destinations are the US, Europe, Japan and China. America accounts for about one-fourth of the country's total gems and jewellery exports During the quarter, imports of gems and jewellery declined by 74.81 percent $915.14 million. Import of rough diamonds during April-June 2020 too dipped by 82.7 percent to $481.65 million. The Newly-appointed GJEPC Chairman said he will focus on promoting ease of doing business for the sector as it would help in pushing manufacturing and exports both. Ahead of a meeting of Rajasthan lawmakers supporting his government, chief minister Ashok Gehlot invited the media into his official residence for a photo session to back up his claim that the rebellion by deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot hadnt succeeded in reducing his government to a minority. Gehlot camp leaders have claimed that the chief minister had the support of more than 101 lawmakers, the majority mark in the 200-member assembly. Not everyone of the 107-plus lawmakers claimed by Gehlots camp was present. Gehlots supporters said some more MLAs were on their way to the chief ministers official residence. The meeting, scheduled to begin at 10.30 am, was reportedly put off to enable more lawmakers to join in. Congress leaders Ajay Maken, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Rajasthan in-charge Avinash Pande were also present at the meeting. Ashok Gehlot will address a media briefing after the meeting of lawmakers is over. The Congress-led alliance in Rajasthan had the support of 125 lawmakers - 107 from the Congress - before Sachin Pilot, the partys state unit chief and Gehlots deputy in the government, threatened to walk out of the party. Sachin Pilot, who had led the Congresss campaign for the 2018, has been sore that he hadnt received his due. Gehlot had agreed to have him as his deputy in the government at the end of negotiations running into several days but has been accused by Pilots camp of undercutting the 42-year-old ever since. Lately, Gehlots camp had been nudging the leadership to drop Pilot from the Rajasthan Congress chiefs post. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was able to get more than 103 lawmakers to attend the meeting at his residence (HT Photo) Congress leaders have been on an overdrive to save the government after Sachin Pilots camp last evening claimed to have the support of 30 lawmakers, spending a sleepless night to reach out to each legislator and allies to get them to support Gehlot. At a 2.30 am press conference, Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande claimed to have letters of support from 109 lawmakers. Some more, he said, would sign by morning. Before the meeting of lawmakers started at the chief ministers official residence, Randeep Surjewala declared that the party hadnt shut its doors on Sachin Pilot. The Congress leadership has spoken to Pilot a number of times over the last 48 hours and if anyone is upset in a family, they should be sitting together with other members to work things out. On behalf of Congress leadership, including Sonia ji and Rahul ji, I convey that doors of Congress party are always open for Sachin ji or any member, Surjewala said. There has been no word from Sachin Pilots camp about his next step. But the Rajasthan Congress appeared to be prepping to its future minus Pilot in the leadership role. At the state party headquarters about 7 km away , party workers had taken down posters and banners that had a photograph of the state unit chief. (Newser) South Africa has seen more than 12,000 new COVID-19 cases daily over the past few days, trailing only the US, Brazil, and India on that figure, and health officials are now issuing warnings that shortages of hospital beds and oxygen are looming. That was the dire message delivered Sunday by President Cyril Ramaphosa in a nationwide TV address, and he had some other bad news: He's reinstating the country's ban on selling and distributing alcohol, Al Jazeera reports. The first ban had been lifted in June, but since then, hospitals started experiencing a bump in admissions to ERs and trauma wards. story continues below "As we head towards the peak of infections, it is vital that we do not burden our clinics and hospitals with alcohol-related injuries," he said, per the Guardian. Ramaphosa also mandated that face masks be worn in public, and he imposed a nighttime curfew that will keep people off the streets between 9pm and 4am local time. These are all necessary steps to fight a "coronavirus storm" that's become "far fiercer and more destructive than any we have known before," he said. South Africa ranks ninth in the world in terms of how many coronavirus cases it has, with more than 275,000. It's had just over 4,000 deaths, but the government estimates that number could increase to 50,000 by year's end, per the BBC. (Read more South Africa stories.) (CNN) - United States military personnel on the Japanese island of Okinawa are on virtual lockdown after almost 100 cases of coronavirus have emerged on several US Marine Corps bases there. The lockdown order, which was issued Saturday morning, bans almost all off-base movement by the tens of thousands of US military personnel on the bases unless approved by an officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel or above. The order includes the vital Kadena Air Base, which bills itself the hub of US air power in the Pacific, and comes after US admirals last week touted the "extraordinary measures" the Navy had taken to restore US military readiness in the region in the face of the worsening pandemic. The Okinawa prefectural governor's office said 94 cases of Covid-19 have been diagnosed among the personnel at the US Marines Corps' Air Station Futenma, Camp Hansen and Camp Kinza as of Monday afternoon. Maj. Kenneth Kunze, communications strategy and operations officer for the US Marines in Okinawa, confirmed the numbers provided to the Okinawa government were accurate and said contact tracing was underway on the island to see if there were any more cases. Hundreds of Marines and their family members were being tested, he said. A statement from US Air Force Brig. Gen. Joel Carey, the commander of Kadena Air Base, on Friday said "multiple new positive cases" had emerged on US military facilities on the island as well as three cases among the local population. "The US cases have primarily been Marines assigned to MCAS Futenma and Camp Hansen, and have been a mix of both travel related and those with origins we've yet to be able to identify indicating the potential of a reemergence of community spread," Carey's statement posted on the base's website said. Kunze said any travel-related cases would have come through Kadena on a flight from Seattle, which also stops at US military bases in Yokota and Iwakuni, Japan. But as of Monday afternoon Japan time, no Covid-19 cases had been reported on Kadena. The recent infections of Marine personnel are the first the service has seen on Okinawa since the outbreak of the virus earlier this year. US Marine Corps bases were put under Health Protection Condition Charlie, which, according to a Marine website, bans any off-base activity except traveling to and from the bases to residences. Any other travel requires the approval of a senior officer. US Marine personnel and their families, including US civilian contractors, are not permitted to visit any off-base establishments, use public transportation, or even exercise outdoors, under Condition Charlie. Personnel may also not take any leave or vacation time. The Kadena Air Base Facebook page said it also was under Health Protection Condition Charlie, but the Air Force restrictions were slightly less stringent than those issued by the Marines, allowing visits to off-base grocery stores, pharmacies and food drive-thrus. Despite the restrictions, Okinawa government officials expressed frustration with the US forces. In a statement, Prefectural Gov. Denny Tamaki said the US should not be allowing troops to come to Okinawa from bases in the US and elsewhere during the pandemic. The governor's office said US military personnel arriving on the island were being housed in hotels in the Chatan district of the island, near Kadena Air Base because on-base facilities were filled with US personnel in Covid-19 isolation. Kunze said Monday that all Covid-19 cases were in isolation in US Marine barracks on the island. Additionally, all Marines, their family members and US civilian workers arriving on the island face 16 days in quarantine, he said. Tamaki told public broadcaster NHK News that the surge in US cases comes after the island had done well preventing coronavirus cases. "I am shocked. It is extremely regrettable that a large number of cases are occurring in a short period of time at a time when all Okinawans are trying so hard to prevent the infection from spreading," he said. Okinawa had zero new cases between May 1 and July 7. Total number as of July 10 is 145 infections, which includes seven deaths. NHK reported Saturday that three visitors to Okinawa from the Tokyo area had tested positive for Covid-19 since last Thursday. The Japanese capital and the country as a whole have seen surging cases of Covid-19 for the past week. On Sunday, 411 new cases were reported across the country, 206 of those in Tokyo, the fourth day in a row it had seen more than 200 new cases. The new cases among US military members come as the virus is also spreading rapidly in the United States. More than half of the country's 50 states are dealing with increased rates of new cases compared to a week ago. One state, Florida, reported 15,299 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, the highest number of new cases in a single day by any state since the coronavirus pandemic began. But in the Pacific, the US military has said it has been successful in combating the virus, which left the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt crippled for weeks in the spring when the virus struck more than 1,000 members of its crew. Last week, however, two of its sister ships, the USS Ronald Reagan and USS Nimitz, completed rare dual-carrier exercises in the South China Sea. The admirals in charge of those exercises said the Navy had gone to "extraordinary measure" to achieve a high level of readiness. "The entire team underway, everyone on board, is required to wear a mask," Rear Adm. George Wikoff, commander of the Reagan carrier task force, said of the 12,000 personnel in the exercises.. The Navy has also spaced out mealtimes, instituted social distancing and brought aboard specialists including microbiologists and extra health personnel, said Wikoff. But a worsening Covid-19 situation on Okinawa could set back US efforts in the Pacific. Kadena bills itself Keystone of the Pacific. Almost 18,000 Americans work on the base, which hosts US Air Force fighter jets, US Navy reconnaissance planes and its a major hub for US aircraft movement throughout the region, including frequent operations over the South China Sea. Meanwhile Monday, US Forces Korea reported Monday that 11 US service members arriving in South Korea had tested positive for Covid-19. All personnel entering South Korea are tested and quarantined for 14 days, USFK said in a tweet. This story was first published on CNN.com, "US military bases in Okinawa hit by Covid-19 as outbreak worsens" Cibolo Police Department The smell of pickles and mayonnaise filled the air Monday morning in Cibolo after an 18-wheeler was hit by a train, causing it to spill its load of condiments across the road. Police said the truck got stuck on a high-center area of the tracks near Country Lane and FM 78 just before 7 a.m. and was unable to move out of the path of the train. GREENVILLE, S.C. A shooting at a nightclub early Sunday left two people dead and eight wounded in South Carolina, a sheriff's official said. Two Greenville County sheriff's deputies noticed a disturbance at Lavish Lounge just before 2 a.m., and saw a large crowd running out of the building, Sheriff Hobart Lewis said at a press conference. There was "active gunfire from inside the building," Lt. Jimmy Bolt said in an initial statement, and Lewis said all the shots were fired inside. Both Lewis and Bolt initially said 12 people had been wounded with at least four in critical condition, Lewis said but Bolt told The Associated Press that two victims were likely counted twice in the confusion at the hospital. No one was immediately taken into custody. Bolt told the AP that the sheriff's office was looking for two suspects, but couldn't provide names or descriptions. "We don't really have a person of interest that we can name," Lewis said at the press conference, later adding that authorities weren't sure what led to the gunfire. Ich bin ein Melburnian. Or something like that. In the wake of Victorias woes with coronavirus with their second wave starting to look like a screamer off Cape Otway on a windy July day of course, the Prime Minister was right to evoke John F. Kennedys famous line "Ich bin ein Berliner", saying "We are all Melburnians now". But how many of us in NSW have followed that lead and shown actual empathy for our fellow Australians south of the Murray? Rather than concern and sympathy, much of the response right after we bolted every door, slammed every gate, and burnt every bridge has been a rather sneering derision at their plight, led by caustic remarks over the (so far unsubstantiated) allegation of having employed private security guards on quarantined hotel guests only to find those guards were much better at loosening cordons than establishing a cordon sanitaire. Firefighters in protective clothing prepare to distribute food to residents in Melbourne's locked-down towers. Credit:Jason South Look have mistakes been made in Victoria in its attempts to quell The Plague? Of course there have been! But are we in NSW able to look down our long noses and say we didnt make mistakes? Please. Two words. Look up "Ruby" and "Princess", and tell me we have any right to lecture anyone in Australia on how to deal with a challenge never faced before in modern times. (Our right to lecture, of course, changes when it comes to anyone from the United States of America. "You elected who as president? And you are now dismayed at the lack of any coherent policy to counter it? Seriously?") EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar took to his Twitter to express concern over an 'exchange of fire on Armenia-Azerbaijan border' "Very concerned about exchange of fire on Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Important for both countries to show restraint and to use all channels of communication, both direct and the good offices of the #OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs," he tweeted. The Committee to Protect Journalists will honor four courageous journalists from Bangladesh, Iran, Nigeria, and Russia with the 2020 International Press Freedom Awards. All four have been arrested or faced criminal prosecution in reprisal for their reporting. CPJ will also honor lawyer Amal Clooney with the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award. Like brave and committed journalists everywhere, CPJs honorees set out to report the news without fear or favor for the benefit of their communities, their country, and the world, said Joel Simon, CPJ executive director. They understood that they would confront powerful forces, enemies of the truth, who would try to stop them from doing their work. What they did not foresee was COVID-19. The global pandemic has not only made their jobs more difficult and dangerous, it has fueled a ferocious press freedom crackdown as autocratic leaders around the world suppress unwelcome news under the guise of protecting public health. CPJs 2020 awardees are: Shahidul Alam (Bangladesh): Alam is a renowned photojournalist and commenter, and the founder of the Bangladeshi multimedia training organization the Pathshala Media Institute and the Drik photo library. In August 2018, Alam was detained after posting a video to social media about student protests in Dhaka. He spent 102 days behind bars, and said he was beaten in custody, before being freed in November 2018. Mohammad Mosaed (Iran): Mosaed is a freelance economic reporter who investigates corruption, embezzlement, labor issues, economic sanctions, and popular protests. Forced to resign from a reformist newspaper under government pressure, he publishes news on social media platforms. Mosaed was arrested in late 2019 in relation to a tweet, and released in early 2020. He was briefly arrested again in February after criticizing the governments handling of COVID-19. Dapo Olorunyomi (Nigeria): Olorunyomi is the co-founder, CEO, and publisher of the Nigerian newspaper Premium Times, and during his decades-long career as a journalist has been a fierce defender of press freedom in Nigeria despite repeated government harassment. He was arrested twice before having to go into hiding in 1995, and more recently he was arrested alongside a colleague in 2017 when police raided the Premium Times office on allegations of defamation. Svetlana Prokopyeva (Russia): Prokopyeva is a regional correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, known as Radio Svoboda. In early 2019, authorities raided her home, seized her equipment and personal belongings, and interrogated her. She was charged with justifying terrorism and her bank accounts were frozen in relation to comments she made on liberal radio station Ekho Moskvy in 2018, when she discussed a suicide bombing attack. This month she was convicted and ordered to pay a fine of 500,000 rubles (US$6,980). The prosecutor had sought a six-year prison term. READ ALSO: The Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award is given annually by CPJs board of directors to recognize extraordinary and sustained commitment to press freedom. This years awardee, lawyer Amal Clooney, has represented embattled reporters around the world, including Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo of Reuters, who were imprisoned in Myanmar for 17 months. She promotes freedom of speech and journalism through the Clooney Foundation for Justices TrialWatch initiative, which monitors the trials of journalists worldwide and provides free legal representation for those in need. Journalists in trouble have no better champion than Amal Clooney, which is why we are so delighted to honor her with the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award. A talented barrister, gifted negotiator, and powerful speaker, Clooney works tirelessly to free journalists unjustly targeted by despotic leaders using increasingly punitive laws to stifle reporting, said Kathleen Carroll, CPJ board chair. The winners will be honored on November 19, 2020, at CPJs annual benefit gala, to be chaired this year by Patrick Gaspard, President of Open Society Foundations, and hosted by veteran broadcast journalist Lester Holt. Due to health and safety restrictions related to COVID-19, this years gala will be virtual, with video profiles, compelling press freedom stories, award presentations, and acceptance speeches streamed online and shared around the world. For more information on the gala, call Buckley Hall Events at (914) 579-1000 or CPJs development office at (212) 300-9021, or email CPJdinner@buckleyhallevents.com. In first, Trump dons masks in visit to military medical facility Iran Press TV Sunday, 12 July 2020 12:11 AM President Trump wore a face mask during his visit to Walter Reed hospital on Saturday, marking the first time he has done so in front of cameras. Trump visited the medical center in Maryland to meet with wounded soldiers and health care staff who have been caring for COVID-19 patients. He wore a mask as he walked down a hallway with hospital officials, but the rest of his time at Walter Reed was closed to the press. The face mask seen on the president was navy blue with a gold presidential seal on the side of it. Trump has seldom worn a mask publicly. He was spotted wearing one behind the scenes during a tour of a Ford Factory in May, but then opted not to wear one in front of the media, saying he didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing it. The president has said he doesn't have an issue with those who wear masks and insisted he would use a face covering in a crowded setting or when visiting a hospital. But Republicans have urged him to wear one himself, arguing it would set a good example for his supporters amid the coronavirus pandemic. Before Trump departed for his visit, he told the press it was an important to wear a mask in a hospital. "I'll probably have a mask, if you must know," Trump told reporters before he departed to the hospital. "I think when you're in a hospital, especially in that particular setting where you're talking to a lot of soldiers and people that in some cases just got off the operating tables I think it's a great thing to wear a mask." On their website the hospital states that visitors "are expected to wear a cloth face covering over their nose and mouth upon entering and while moving about the facility... when not able to maintain 6 feet of social distancing." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance in April encouraging Americans to wear masks when social distancing was not possible because it cuts down the risk of spreading the virus. Trump has reasoned that he does not need to wear a mask because he and his staff are regularly tested for COVID-19. The White House staff has also been reluctant to embrace the use of masks. Officials are no longer required to wear them in the West Wing, and some of his top aides are rarely seen wearing them on camera. "I've never been against masks, but I do believe they have a time and a place," Trump said Saturday. The president indicated earlier in the week he would don a mask at Walter Reed. Trump's reluctance to take the public health safety measure has come under fire from other politicians, including prominent Republicans. Some have even used their platforms to promote mask-wearing to their constituents, but the president has avoided explicitly encouraging people to do so. Trump has instead held two indoor political events where attendees were not spaced out and few wore masks Since the start of the year the coronavirus has infected more than 3.2 million Americans and killed at least 134,000 in the U.S. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Three persons, accused of a bank robbery in Indore on Friday afternoon, have been arrested, police said. Earlier, two more persons, who were allegedly involved in the bank heist, have been arrested. The accused have been identified as Shubham Karde, Shubham Verma, Ankur Chauksey, Rohit Yadav and bank guard Rajesh. An encounter led to the arrest of three persons. Karde and Chauksey sustained bullet injuries, while Verma was hurt in his legs, as tried to jump off a bridge, said HN Mishra, deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, Indore. Four armed men robbed a private banks branch at Pardesipura in Indore on Friday afternoon and decamped with Rs 5.35 lakh. Preliminary investigation revealed suspicious behaviour of Rajesh, the banks security guard. Later, he confessed to his crime and told the police that he had helped the four armed robbers to loot the bank, Mishra said. We got a tip-off that the three accused, Karde (24), Verma (20), and Chauksey (30), were present near the super corridor bridge in Indore and a police team was sent there to nab them. The trio fired at the police team unprovoked. The police, too, opened retaliatory fire. Karde and Chauksey sustained bullet injuries. While Verma got hurt while trying to escape, Mishra said. On Saturday, the fourth accused Rohit Yadav (28) was arrested from Madhya Pradeshs Shivpuri district. Additional superintendent of police (ASP), Indore, Shashikant Kankane; Indore city superintendent of police (CSP) Nihit Upadhyaya; Pardesipura police station in-charge Rahul Sharma; Banganga police station in-charge Rajendra Soni; and constable Mukesh Singh also sustained injuries in the encounter, the DIG said. Police have recovered Rs 3.10 lakh of the stolen cash and two country-made pistols from the accused. Nine accused, who were involved in loot of ornaments and cash from a traders family at an apartment in Usha Nagar, Indore, last Wednesday afternoon have been also been arrested. The looters held the women and a three-old child of the family hostage while carrying out the loot. The arrested accused also include the guard of the apartment, the DIG added. (With additional inputs from Neha Jain in Indore) In Retrospect: News from the Jan. 20, 1922 and Jan. 19, 1972 Souderton Independent Oregon Governor Kate Brown held a press conference to discuss the state of coronavirus in Oregon. She announced a statewide ban on indoor gathering of more than 10 people. And she expanded statewide requirements that people wear masks to outdoor spaces. She was joined by Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen and Dr. Dean Sidelinger. Coronavirus infections have spiked since Oregon began reopening its economy on May 15, and new state modeling of infection rates and hospitalizations released Friday predicts the pandemic could spread dramatically by the end of July. If transmission remains at current levels, we expect continued exponential growth in infections, said the report from the Oregon Health Authority. Many of the new cases have come from community spread and from large gatherings such as graduation celebrations, fraternity parties, birthdays and the like, health officials said. They have urged Oregonians to limit gathering to no more than 10 people and to wear masks and practice social distancing. The modeling estimates that the state could see anywhere from 1,100 to 7,300 new cases per day by the end of July, depending on where infection rates head from here. It also suggests that at present, only 14% of new cases are being formally diagnosed through testing. Watch a replay of the press conference in the link above. -- The Oregonian/OregonLive Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. More on how to prepare for social distancing and protect yourself and others from the coronavirus: She has been forging out a modelling career. And Missy Keating proved she knows how to work her angles as she posed for an impromptu outdoor photoshoot. The influencer, 19, looked radiant in a slew of snaps that she shared with her 32,000 Instagram followers on Monday. Striking: She has been forging out a modelling career. And Missy Keating proved she knows how to work her angles as she posed for an impromptu outdoor photoshoot Clad in a teal PrettyLittleThing co-ord, the radiant redhead put her toned figure on display in the snaps. Missy flashed a glimpse of her taut stomach in a cropped cardigan, whilst matching shorts teased her tanned pins. She captioned the snaps: 'Cute girl vibes'. Blue-tiful! The influencer, 19, looked radiant in a slew of snaps that she shared with her 32,000 Instagram followers on Monday Missy is the daughter of former Boyzone musician Ronan Keating and his ex-wife Yvonne Connolly. Last month, Missy documented the moment she finally met her three-month-old baby sister Coco during a trip to her dad and his wife Storm Keating's house for Father's Day. The social media influencer was joined by brothers Jack, 21, Cooper, three, while her sister Ali, 14, was absent from the vlog shared to her Instagram account. Tanned and toned: Missy flashed a glimpse of her taut stomach in a cropped cardigan, whilst matching shorts teased her tanned pins Love You Anyway hitmaker Ronan, 43, previously revealed his three eldest children sadly hadn't been able to meet Coco after she was born during lockdown as they were isolating in Ireland. The boyband star, who lives in Barnes with the Australian fashion designer, 38, and their three-year-old son Cooper and Coco, have also been joined by the couple's mothers during lockdown. Speaking about his youngest child's arrival, Ronan said on Good Morning Britain: 'None of Coco's brothers or sisters could be there, but I was there, it was different because of the circumstances we were in, but it was very special. 'Luckily Storm's mum was here. Mine was with Coop in the house, she got here before lockdown, but it was amazing Coco she is flying.' 'The older kids are in Ireland, they've been over here when lockdown began, but please god if things settle soon, they'll be able to get over and see their new baby sister.' President Trump calls Supreme Court rulings on tax returns, financial records political witch hunt Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment President Donald Trump called a 7-2 ruling by the Supreme Court upholding the Manhattan district attorneys demand for his tax returns a political witch hunt Thursday as critics celebrated it as powerful statement about the limits of presidential power. Two hundred years ago, a great jurist of our Court established that no citizen, not even the President, is categorically above the common duty to produce evidence when called upon in a criminal proceeding. We reaffirm that principle today and hold that the President is neither absolutely immune from state criminal subpoenas seeking his private papers nor entitled to a heightened standard of need, Chief Justice John G. Roberts wrote in the courts majority opinion. Cy Vances office subpoenaed Trumps tax return as part of an investigation into alleged hush money payments made to silence two women who claim to have had affairs with the president. The justices cited landmark rulings in which President Richard M. Nixon was required to turn over tapes of Oval Office conversations and President Bill Clinton was forced to give evidence in a sexual harassment suit. The Supreme Court also sent back a case to a lower court Thursday to decide if Congress can get access to President Trumps financial records. The president wasted very little time in reacting to the rulings, in which only Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. We have a totally corrupt previous Administration, including a President and Vice President who spied on my campaign, AND GOT CAUGHT...and nothing happens to them. This crime was taking place even before my election, everyone knows it, and yet all are frozen stiff with fear. No Republican Senate Judiciary response, NO JUSTICE, NO FBI, NO NOTHING. Major horror show REPORTS on Comey & McCabe, guilty as hell, nothing happens. Catch Obama & Biden cold, nothing. A 3 year, $45,000,000 Mueller HOAX, failed - investigated everything, Trump argued in a series of tweets. Now the Supreme Court gives a delay ruling that they would never have given for another President. This is about PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT. We catch the other side SPYING on my campaign, the biggest political crime and scandal in U.S. history, and NOTHING HAPPENS. But despite this, I have done more than any President in history in first 3 1/2 years! POLITICAL WITCH HUNT! Jenna Ellis, senior legal adviser to the Trump campaign and an attorney for the president, said in a statement that the court decisions Thursday only reflect a delayed victory for the president. This is just a delayed victory for President Trump. The Court is sending both cases back to the lower courts for further proceedings and the President will continue to fight for his constitutionally protected right to be free from congressional and prosecutorial harassment and he will prevail, she said in a statement on Twitter. Congress must respect the separation of powers and cannot articulate any legitimate legislative purpose to satisfy the criteria set forth by the Supreme Court, and Cy Vance is on a fishing expedition that amounts to a malicious prosecution. Democrats have continued to harass President Trump through the Russia Witch Hunt, the Impeachment Hoax, and other lies and manipulations, and Democrats will continue to lose. All Americans including the President of the United States, have a right to be free from politically-motivated harassment. Vance disagreed in a statement Thursday, calling the courts decision to clear the way for his case to proceed against the president a tremendous victory for the justice system. This is a tremendous victory for our nations system of justice and its founding principle that no one not even a president is above the law. Our investigation, which was delayed for almost a year by this lawsuit, will resume, guided as always by the grand jurys solemn obligation to follow the law and the facts, wherever they may lead, he said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the Supreme Courts rulings is not good news for President Trump. A careful reading of the Supreme Court rulings related to the Presidents financial records is not good news for President Trump, Pelosi said in a statement. The Court has reaffirmed the Congresss authority to conduct oversight on behalf of the American people, as it asks for further information from the Congress. Congresss constitutional responsibility to uncover the truth continues, specifically related to the Presidents Russia connection that he is hiding. The Congress will continue to conduct oversight For The People, upholding the separation of powers that is the genius of our Constitution. We will continue to press our case in the lower courts. Thirty more people, including a man who returned from Kuwait, tested positive for COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh on Monday, taking the tally in the state to 1,244, officials said. Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said 21 fresh cases were reported from Solan, four from Hamirpur, three from Kangra and one each from Shimla and Mandi districts. In Hamirpur, a 37-year-old man from Galore, tested positive for the novel coronavirus, Deputy Commissioner Harikesh Meena said. He added that the man had returned from Kuwait on July 5 and was under institutional quarantine. The others in Hamirpur who tested positive are a 39-year-old man who returned from Arunachal Pradesh, a man who returned from Mumbai and a 53-year-old woman who returned from Delhi, Meena said. In Kangra, three men, including two members of a family, who returned from Delhi-NCR tested positive, Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Prajapati said. They are a 53-year-old man and his 21-year-old son who returned from Noida and a 32-year-old man who returned from Delhi. They are being shifted to the Baijnath dedicated COVID care centre, he said. In Mandi, a 50-year-old taxi driver of Harad Bhed village who returned from Delhi has tested positive, a district official said. The virus has claimed 10 lives in Himachal Pradesh, while 927 people have recovered and 13 have migrated out of the state, the officials said. Eleven more patients -- eight in Hamirpur, two in Una, one in Kangra -- have recovered from the infection, Dhiman said. The number of active COVID-19 cases in the state now stands at 292, he said. Solan has the highest number of active cases in the state at 105, followed by 44 in Kangra, 31 in Hamirpur, 28 in Kinnaur, 27 in Una, 16 in Shimla, 14 in Bilaspur, nine in Chamba, eight in Mandi, six in Sirmaur, three in Kullu and one in Lahaul-Spiti, Dhiman said. Amid the ongoing Rajasthan political crisis, Senior Congress leader and former party spokesperson has said that he will support Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot. Pilot on Sunday declared open rebellion, claiming that the Ashok Gehlot government is in minority now as over 30 Congress MLAs are supporting him. Track this blog for LIVE updates on Rajasthan political crisis "I fully back Sachin Pilot," tweeted Jha. Jha further said, "Those trying to downsize Sachin Pilot's achievement in a spectacular single-handed comeback in 2018, please answer 2 questions: 1) Sachin took on the might of the Modi Ji-Amit Shah formidable machine and defeated a 163 strong majority. 2) Mr Gehlot needed to become CM 3rd time?" Amid deepening political crisis in Rajasthan, a crucial meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) is underway at the chief minister's residence. Pilot has made it clear that he is not going to attend the meeting. In a statement issued on Sunday night, Pilot had claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government was in minority and more than 30 Congress and some independent legislators have pledged support to him. Hours after Pilot declared open rebellion, Congress leader Avinash Pande on Monday said 109 MLAs have signed a letter of support to the chief minister. Pande, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan, said some other MLAs are in touch with Gehlot and they will also sign the letter. "As many as 109 MLAs have signed the letter to express full confidence in the Congress government led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Some other MLAs have spoken to the chief minister over the phone and they will also sign the letter," he told reporters at the CM's residence here in the wee hours. (Natural News) Its official. Trump won the Presidency because the Russians. Even though Barrack Obama said right before he left Washington D.C. that rigging the election is impossible. Still, thats the mass media conspiracy theory and theyre sticking to it, for 3 years and running. Chem-trails are no longer a conspiracy theory; in fact, thats how were supposedly going to save the world from the ever-increasingly-hot sun, by spraying deadly sun-blocking chemicals into our atmosphere. Before Snowden and Trump, if you said the government was spying on everyone, you were a conspiracy-theory-wielding nut job. Now, everybody knows its true, and they like it, because it helps them shop on line and get tailored news to their feed. Used to be, if you were talking about fake news, you were on independent media recognizing all the lies, and everybody agreed. Now, if you point out fake news to their face, the Left goes immediately into freak-out mode, also known as Trump Derangement Syndrome. You cant even have a rational discussion with anyone on the Left anymore. Before Trump, if you blamed the Government for mass shootings, you were a conspiracy theorist (even though, per video footage, every single car at the Sandy Hook incident was a government issued car black, white, or silver, and they all blocked the roads so no emergency vehicles could even access the school). Now, every mass shooting is blamed on Trump for inciting the fires of racism with all his hate and white supremacist power speeches and for tweeting meany tidbits on Twitter. For eight long years, if you blamed Obama for anything, you were a racist Before Trump, if you blamed Obama for anything, YOU were a racist. Now, if you side with our President on anything, you are a racist. Before Trump, if you flipped over police cars, set their precinct on fire, beat down people who disagreed with you nearly to death, and destroyed national monuments, you were a terrorist. Now, you are considered a peaceful protester who cannot be told to stand down by any police because all police are now racists, even the Black ones. Before Trump, if you threatened to kill the President verbally or by posting it online, you were questioned by the FBI and threatened with jail time; now its a social media trend that fits right in with community guidelines. Before Trump, if you believed 9/11 was an inside job, you were a conspiracy theorist, even though there were videos of Building 7 caving in, demolition style, that the U.S. Government has yet to explain. That was pre-planned, but how? Now, the Democrats in Congress are all sociopathic socialists who literally want to dismantle and decimate America by having no borders, no police, no fuel for anything, no small businesses, and free everything for illegal aliens. Before Trump, spying on your rivals presidential campaign staff was treasonous Before Trump, if a political campaign spied on another right before the Presidential election, it was considered treason, but now, since it was all done to Trump, its just opposition research and a dossier (obtained with fraudulent FISA warrants). Under Obama, nobody ever accused him of keeping illegal immigrant children in cages at the border, but he did. If you said some crap like that on social media, you would be banned, blacklisted and censored for violating community guidelines with hate speech and fake news. Yet somehow that conspiracy theory became mainstream news that was Trumps fault, even though the pictures were from the Obama era. Before Trump, if you called mainstream media fake news, you were a conspiracy theorist, but now one of the smartest presidents in US history calls CNN, NYT and WAPO fake news every day, and hes right, and hes proven it time and time again, but hes accused of hate. Tune your internet dial to Trump.news for updates on real conspiracy theories proven by the Right and all the new fake ones being wielded by the Left. Its hilarious. Like you said yourself Obama, no serious person alive believes that a U.S. election can be rigged. So tell us again, who are the conspiracy theorists now? Sources for this article include: Trump.news NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com Nypost.com As a kid, Michael Tiggelman wanted to be an artist. He loved art class and wanted to study at Torontos Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) upon graduation. But life took him in a different direction. After a 30-year hiatus, Tiggelman, who works as a safety inspector for boilers and pressure vessels, picked up his paintbrush again. My kids were on me, saying Dad, you should starting drawing again, he said. His children, all adults now, gave him an iPad and introduced him to digital drawing apps what he used to create two outline drawings, one of a man riding a paint horse and one of a pair of deer under a sun, that could be used as colouring sheets. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Woodland Cultural Centre (WCC) in Brantford has released a free, downloadable colouring book featuring Indigenous artists from across the country, including Tiggelman. Tiggelman, who now lives in Cambridge, is from Alderville First Nation in eastern Ontario. The gentleman on the horse sort of takes me back to my childhood when I lived on the reservation and we had a horse much like that, he said. We never had a saddle, we never had bridle ... we'd just grab onto the mane and hold on. Tiggelman lived on the reserve until he was adopted at age seven. Since then, he has lived and worked all over Ontario. I spent a lot of time up north, he said. I call it hunting, but mostly it's just hanging around out in the bush. That was his inspiration for his drawing of a doe, depicted with two babies curled up inside her, standing beside her mate. The original version of artist Michael Tiggelman's digital drawing of two deer, which he turned into a black-and-white outline drawing for an Indigenous colouring book compiled by the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford. Michael Tiggelman A lot of times you're going to see lines interconnecting between different animals within pictures, or the ground, he said. Its really just the connection that we have to Earth. The colouring book, which was launched at the end of May in time for National Indigenous History Month, was inspired by Gitxsan artist Michelle Stoneys quarantine colouring challenge. The first post was Stoneys drawing of a unicorn, which is also the first page of the colouring book. The kids are at home, we're all looking for something to do, and we have all these incredibly talented Indigenous artists, said WCC marketing co-ordinator Layla Black. The book includes submissions from First Nations, Inuit and Metis artists from all over Canada. Some are black-and-white versions of existing paintings and drawings. Others were borrowed from language books the WCC plans to release later this year. Every artist contributed their work at no cost, she said. Beatrice Black, 6, colours a unicorn drawn by Gitxsan artists Michelle Stoney, one of the submissions for an Indigenous colouring book compiled by the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford. Layla Black Black said the colouring book is both a way to highlight Indigenous talent and inspire creativity in kids and, as she has discovered, adults. Everyone can kind of put their own creativity into it and put their own style and their own sense of self into their creations, she said. Anishinaabekwe artist Elizabeth Daniel drew a pair of moccasins with blank vamps the upper part often decorated with beadwork so that people could design their own. I thought that was a really awesome idea, Black said. You get these blank moccasins and you can colour them in and everyone's would be unique. To date, about 700 people have downloaded the colouring book. WCC has also received requests from teachers wanting to share it with their students. We want to see everyone's finished colouring, she said. The Woodland Cultural Centre will be opening a colouring contest in early August. To enter, submit a photo of your best work to marketing@woodlandculturalcentre.ca. In one of a wide-ranging series of legislative reforms, apostates from Islam no longer face the death penalty in Sudan. We [will] drop all the laws violating the human rights in Sudan, Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari said Sunday during an interview on state television. We are keen to demolish any kind of discrimination that was enacted by the old regime, and to move toward equality of citizenship and a democratic transformation. In April 2019, following weeks of massive revolutionary demonstrations, Christians joined in cheering the military overthrow of longtime President Omar al-Bashir. In his place was installed a joint military-civilian Sovereign Council slated to govern until 2022, with rotating leadership. Importantly, current head General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan endorsed the new revision. The move followed renewed protests demanding the government accelerate the pace of reforms. A few days prior, Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok, a civilian, replaced several cabinet ministers, fired the police chief, and criminalized female genital mutilation (FGM). A UN-backed survey in 2014 estimated 87 percent of Sudanese women between the ages of 15 and 49 have been subjected to the procedure. The Miscellaneous Amendments Actapproved in April but only now publicizedalso freed Sudanese women from the necessity of male approval before traveling with their children. Abdulbari also stated that further reforms to the Personal Status Law were pending. Last November, Hamdok repealed a public order law restricting womens behavior and dress. These measures were welcomed by the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), said advocacy officer Wissam al-Saliby. But he also hoped the courageous reforms in Sudan would include repealing its law against insulting religion, the punishment for which is one year in prison and up to 40 lashes. In addition, the WEA asks for the return of confiscated church property, compensation for destroyed churches, and the appointment of community-chosen minority faith members to the Ministry of Religious Endowments. In March, Sudan ordered the removal of state-appointed church oversight committees, in a move seen as a first step in property restoration. But follow-up legislation has been delayed. And the WEA has also called for the inclusion of Christianity as a school subject alongside Islam in the national curriculum. Anticipated by supporters, in June the Ministry of Education had it removed. Raja Nicola Abdel-Masih, a Sudanese Copt, is one of two women in the 11-member Sovereign Council, and the only Christian. She is following up on the issue. But overall, the post-revolutionary reforms have been an encouragement to Sudanese believers. I am very pleased, God has answered our prayers, said Noha Kassa, a deaconess at Khartoums Bahry Presbyterian Church involved in the discipleship program. But this is a lot to take for the Sudanese. Kassa is concerned that a conservative Muslim society may see these reforms as an affront to their faith. It may spark counterdemonstrations, with some talk that a transitional government should not make such major changes. The government is in a critical period, she said, planning to return to Sudan in two weeks following COVID-interrupted theological studies in Lebanon. But for our church, I am excited for our ministry amid such changes. Sharia law was introduced to Sudan in 1983, during the presidency of Jaafar Nimeiri. The new amendments also undo his ban on alcoholfor Christians. Estimated as 3 percent of the population by the government, they are now permitted to drink, import, and sell alcohol (a distinctive right of Christians across the Muslim world). The government is trying to safeguard the rights of its minority communities, Abdulbari said. But it is also trying to safeguard Muslims. Following his 1989 overthrow of the government, Bashir sought to apply sharia law more rigorously. The punishment instituted for abandoning Islam became death by stoning. In its place, the government has criminalized takfirthe accusation of apostasy. The practice divides Muslims against Muslims, and not just Christians, on the basis of perceived religiosity. Abdulbari said it was a threat to the security and safety of society. The most famous victim was Mahmoud Mohamed Taha, a Muslim executed in 1983 for his opposition to sharia law. The most recent was Mariam Ibrahim Yahia, raised as a Christian though born to a Muslim father, who was forced to give birth in prison while facing charges of apostasy. She was permitted to leave Sudan in 2014, and was given asylum in the US. Kamal Fahmi, a Sudanese Christian activist who has long campaigned against the apostasy law, also anticipates Islamist elements will spark some social pushback. Back in February, the police arrested both Sudanese and foreign members of a terrorist cell linked to the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Kamal is praying for God to protect the justice minister. But overall, he is hopeful. As founder of Set My People Free, he is dedicated to the right of 1.3 billion Muslims to be able to change their religion, if desired. The goals of the revolution will be fulfilled: freedom, dignity, justice, and peace, said Fahmi. Sudan will become an example for religious freedom that other countries can follow, permitting converts their full civil rights. I praise the Lord for this miracle. THE OPPOSITION National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been accused of peddling pure propaganda over the deployment of some military and police personnel to the border communities in the country. The NDC Members of Parliament (MPs) alleged last week that the troops have descended into the arena of partisan politics behaving like an appendage of the government, a remark the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major (rtd) Derrick Oduro, found distasteful. He said the allegations were lies that amounted to pure propaganda of the NDC, asserting that the military has never been part of any political party and will not be. Minority Leader The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, had said the NDC had received reports of intimidation and harassment in some instances, particularly in the Volta Region, of the military entering houses and asking people questions about their eligibility of citizenship. According to him, the security agents have no authority under any law to ask any person: are you a citizen? The registration process is governed by law and if you have a reason to question any person of his citizenship, do so rightfully in accordance with the law and not with the intimidation of a gun or weapon. The NDC MP for Tamale South indicated that the party would not sit aloof for the security agents to continue to intimidate and harass our party supporters and innocent Ghanaian citizens to aid the government in its quest of voter suppression, saying that is not acceptable under Ghanaian laws. Deputy Defence Minister But the Deputy Defence Minister rebutted, saying the deployed troops had not harassed or intimidated any Ghanaian citizen except that they want to make sure they perform their legitimate business of ensuring security for the nation. They serve the state and not any group or individuals who constitute themselves as a political party or otherwise. It is never ever true that they are harassing or intimidating any Ghanaian citizen. It has never been true and will never be true. So whatever they claim they can go ahead and do their propaganda. It will not help them in any way. What cant NDC do? In the past they brought up so many years of military exercises and created the impression as if it is a current exercise that the military is conducting. That is not true, Major Oduro noted. Deployment He stated that the soldiers were deployed to the border in 2019 and wondered why the NDC did not complain in the past. Have we forgotten that Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa, ranking member for Foreign Affairs Committee, requested the Interior Minister to come and brief the House on the steps he (minister) had taken to ensure that terrorists would not near this country and attack us. While they were attacking Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali and other nearby countries, the Interior Minister came here (Parliament) and said that troops had been deployed to the borders. Since 2019, they have been there at the borders eastern border, northern border and southern border. They have been there for all that long, he said. 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 09:35:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) of the UN-backed Libyan government on Sunday declared force majeure on oil exports again due to renewed oil blockade by the east-based army. The NOC said in a statement that it "condemns unreservedly the renewed blockade on Libyan oil exports and calls for the states responsible to be held to account by the United Nations Security Council. NOC has been forced to declare force majeure on all oil exports from Libya to limit its contractual liabilities." The NOC said it was informed that the instructions to shut down production were given to the east-based army by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). "This is gravely disappointing, especially following repeated statements by very senior representatives of the UAE last week in support of international efforts to restart oil production in Libya," the statement said. The NOC also said that foreign mercenaries allied with the east-based army are occupying major oilfields and ports, shutting down oil production. "We appreciate greatly the efforts of the United Nations, and the U.S. to restart Libyan oil production and avert an escalation in the conflict. If these efforts fail, as it appears they will, there must be consequences for the actions of the handful of states that are undermining the rules-based international order and destroying Libya. They pose a grave threat to Libyan and global security," said NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla. The NOC on Friday announced lifting the state of force majeure on oil exports following a blockade of nearly six months that caused losses of more than 6.5 billion U.S. dollars. However, the east-based army on Saturday announced shutting down oil production, demanding transparency in the distribution of oil revenues. Libya has been plagued by political division and conflicts ever since the fall of its leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Enditem Related China criticizes US joint carrier drills in South China Sea The Trump administration escalated its actions against China on Monday by stepping squarely into one of the most sensitive regional issues dividing them and rejecting outright nearly all of Beijing's significant maritime claims in the South China Sea. The administration presented the decision as an attempt to curb China's increasing assertiveness in the region with a commitment to recognizing international law. But it will almost certainly have the more immediate effect of further infuriating the Chinese, who are already retaliating against numerous US sanctions and other penalties on other matters. It also comes as President Donald Trump has come under growing fire for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, stepped up criticism of China ahead of the 2020 election and sought to paint his expected Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, as weak on China. Previously, US policy had been to insist that maritime disputes between China and its smaller neighbors be resolved peacefully through UN-backed arbitration. But in a statement released Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US now regards virtually all Chinese maritime claims outside its internationally recognized waters to be illegitimate. The shift does not involve disputes over land features that are above sea level, which are considered to be ``territorial`` in nature. ``The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire,'' Pompeo said. ``America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law. We stand with the international community in defense of freedom of the seas and respect for sovereignty and reject any push to impose 'might makes right' in the South China Sea or the wider region.'' Although the US will continue to remain neutral in territorial disputes, the announcement means the administration is in effect siding with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, all of which oppose Chinese assertions of sovereignty over maritime areas surrounding contested islands, reefs and shoals. ``There are clear cases where (China) is claiming sovereignty over areas that no country can lawfully claim,'' the State Department said in a fact sheet that accompanied the statement. The announcement was released a day after the fourth anniversary of a binding decision by an arbitration panel in favor of the Philippines that rejected China's maritime claims around the Spratly Islands and neighboring reefs and shoals. China has refused to recognize that decision, which it has dismissed as a ``sham,'' and refused to participate in the arbitration proceedings. It has continued to defy the decision with aggressive actions that have brought it into territorial spats with Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia in recent years. However, as a result, the administration says China has no valid maritime claims to the fish- and potentially energy-rich Scarborough Reef, Mischief Reef or Second Thomas Shoal. The US has repeatedly said that areas regarded to be part of the Philippines are covered by a US-Philippines mutual defense treaty in the event of an attack on them. In addition to reiterating support for that decision, Pompeo said China cannot legally claim the James Shoal near Malaysia, waters surrounding the Vanguard Bank off Vietnam, the Luconia Shoals near Brunei and Natuna Besar off Indonesia. As such, it says the US will regard any Chinese harassment of fishing vessels or oil exploration in those areas as unlawful. The announcement came amid heightened tensions between the US and China over numerous issues, including the coronavirus pandemic, human rights, Chinese policy in Hong Kong and Tibet and trade, that have sent relations plummeting in recent months. But the practical impact wasn't immediately clear. The US is not a party of the UN Law of the Sea treaty that sets out a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. Despite that, the State Department noted that China and its neighbors, including the Philippines, are parties to the treaty and should respect the decision. China has sought to shore up its claim to the sea by building military bases on coral atolls, leading the US to sail its warships through the region in what it calls freedom of operation missions. The United States has no claims itself to the waters but has deployed warships and aircraft for decades to patrol and promote freedom of navigation and overflight in the busy waterway. Last week, China angrily complained about the US flexing its military muscle in the South China Sea by conducting joint exercises with two US aircraft carrier groups in the strategic waterway. The Navy said the USS Nimitz and the USS Ronald Reagan, along with their accompanying vessels and aircraft, conducted exercises ``designed to maximize air defense capabilities, and extend the reach of long-range precision maritime strikes from carrier-based aircraft in a rapidly evolving area of operations.'' China claims almost all of the South China Sea and routinely objects to any action by the US military in the region. Five other governments claim all or part of the sea, through which approximately $5 trillion in goods are shipped every year. Search Keywords: Short link: Ontario, Canadas most populous province, is expected to enter its Stage Three reopening on Monday. With recent data indicating a gradual but steady decline in COVID-19 cases throughout the province of 14.5 million people, Premier Doug Ford is expected to unveil the next phase of the province's reopening strategy. In late April, the Government of Ontario said that Stage Three would include "opening all workplaces responsibly" and "further relaxing the restrictions on public gatherings." Restrictions on large gatherings such as concerts and sporting events are expected to remain in place. Meanwhile, health officials in Quebec, the epicentre of the pandemic in Canada, are concerned about a spike in COVID-19 cases in Montreal linked to the reopening of the city's bars. Quebec reported 114 new COVID-19 infections Sunday, boosting its total to 56,521 cases. Read: The Billion-Dollar Industry Thriving Amid Global Lockdowns The province is to introduce mandatory masks on public transit starting Monday, with a two-week grace period before users will be denied service as of July 27. Montreal has also indicated that it intends to bring in mandatory masks for enclosed public spaces as of that date. Canada's COVID-19 case total currently stands at 107,589, including 8,783 deaths and 71,467 cases resolved. Imperial Valley News Center Military Medicine Joining Forces to Fight COVID-19 All Around the World Silver Spring, Maryland - From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the efforts of Navy Medicines research and development enterprise (NMR&D) to support everything from outbreak response to laboratory detection and warships to floating hospitals highlights the speed and relevance of military medical and scientific capabilities that help make the U.S. armed forces so strong. From staffing aboard the Navys hospital ships and aircraft carriers to clinical studies at hospitals and in the field, many of Naval Medical Research Centers (NMRC) staff members were out helping to quash COVID-19 during quarantine. Capt. Charmagne Beckett, senior clinical research medical officer at NMRCs Infectious Diseases Directorate, deployed within three days of receiving the order to the U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) where she is now the Assistant Officer in Charge. The USFJ Surgeon, dual hatted as the U.S. Air Force 374th Medical Group (MDG) Commander, submitted several requests for forces to support the COVID-19 mission. The additional forces allowed the standing up of the Surgeon Cell with the mission "to monitor, prevent, contain, and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 disease through direct action and collaborative efforts to preserve Warfighter readiness by keeping our service members, civilian employees, family members, and our neighboring community healthy, resilient and safe." Multiple commands from the Navy and Air Force responded to the request with personnel from all over the country, including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Wright Patterson, Randolph Air Force Base (AFB), Randolph AFB, Davis-Monthan AFB, Scott AFB and Naval Medical Center San Diego. Beckett and the 14-member team are providing knowledge, skill sets and capabilities from a variety of disciplines: preventive medicine, infectious diseases, advanced care nursing, medical planning, public health analytics and medical surveillance. Beckett and the Surgeon Cell team are providing direct support and advisement of all COVID-19 related activities. We are hopeful that the USFJ Surgeon Cell provides strength to the overall COVID-19 response across Japans sub-unified commands. Specifically, at the 374th MDG, clinical research activities were limited prior to COVID-19 but the need to establish access to potential life-saving therapeutics was great thus paving the way for speedy processing of protocol approvals and training, Beckett said. The 374th MDG located at Yokota AB, Japan, ensures medical readiness of the 374th Airlift Wing, 5th Air Force, the U.S. Forces Japan Headquarters staff and provides health care, including occupational health, preventive medicine and environmental protection to more than 11,000 personnel. Working in a new environment even temporarily requires adjustments to professional routines as well as personal. The additional COVID-19 restrictions and requirements do not hinder the work efforts but they can sometimes add to the challenges and no deployment is without challenges. The major challenge is the requirement to gather and synthesize the rapidly evolving information regarding COVID-19. We are cautious to avoid missing important information that would threaten to impact operational missions, Beckett said. This mission demands learning and adapting to a joint environment, she added. After 26 years on active duty, staying flexible is a personal, life-long lesson that I've continued for this mission. Things change swiftly and constantly especially with COVID-19. Beckett and the Surgeon Cell team are expected to remain in Japan for roughly 170 days and they are already planning redeployments. A new rotation will replace the current team in order to maintain the critical functions. NMR&D has deployed over 30 people to the COVID-19 fight to date. (Natural News) Regardless of what George Floyd did in his past, he didnt deserve to have the life choked out of him on a dingy, dirty Minneapolis street earlier this year, and the fact is, the vast majority of Americans agree with that. And most Americans could understand the anger and outrage expressed in the form of protests legitimate, peaceful protests following his death. But now, months after the incident, its become clear that the continuing riots and violence, along with the desecration and destruction of monuments around the country, have nothing to do with honoring or seeking justice for Floyd. Reports noted last week that Black Lives Matter Marxists cut down a flagpole honoring firefighter heroes who lost their lives during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in a blatant anti-American display. Big League Politics reported on the latest act of cultural genocide: Black Lives Matter (BLM) rioters have targeted a 9/11 memorial in Washingtonville, N.Y. honoring fallen firefighters who lost their lives as first responders during the World Trade Center attacks. Washingtonville Police Chief Brian Zacarro said that the terrorists severed a flag pole near the base of the memorial using a large saw. They vandalized the bottom of the statue with a message that law enforcement is currently refusing to release to the public. Community members are outraged at the defacing of the monument, which occurred as part of a coordinated marxist movement to rape whats left of America. The destroy everything & hate everyone culture has struck again last night as the Washingtonville NY Orange County 9/11 Memorial park was vandalized & AMERICAN FLAG CUT DOWN. These individuals obviously dont know what sacrificing everything to save a fellow human being really is, said a tweet from NYCFireWire, a newswire service focusing on the FDNY, in response to the senseless destruction of a monument to heroes. The destroy everything & hate everyone culture has struck again last night as the Washingtonville NY Orange County 9/11 Memorial park was vandalized & AMERICAN FLAG CUT DOWN. These individuals obviously don't know what sacrificing everything to save a fellow human being really is pic.twitter.com/oUFdh3gWr2 NYCFireWire (@NYCFireWire) July 8, 2020 This is simply disgusting. These vandals obviously were not alive on 9/11/2001 didnt watch brave men and women rush towards a building that was on fire, about ready to collapse in order to save as many people as possible, another user wrote. This is simply disgusting. These vandals obviously were not alive on 9/11/2001 didnt watch brave men and women rush towards a building that was on fire, about ready to collapse in order to save as many people as possible. Robin Atkins (@RobinAtkinsLive) July 9, 2020 Meanwhile, Washingtonville Mayor Joseph Bucco says his police department is on the case and will find the perpetrators. Our police department is in the process of collecting evidence, and I promise you they will not leave any stone unturned to find the person or people responsible for theses damages. Please be assured that whoever is responsible will be prosecuted to the fullest extent allowed by law, he wrote on Facebook, noting further that the city is offering a $3,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest and conviction. We also learned the entrance sign to Saint Marys Parish Center was also destroyed and the eagle that stood on the Memorial Flagpole was seen at the Saint Marys Site, the mayor also noted. (Related: Seattle holds white re-education seminar where employees are forced to admit their complicity in the system of white supremacy.) Its become obvious the American Marxist Left has launched a full-fledged cultural revolution against our country. These are no longer random acts of stupidity by pranksters and goofball Millennials with too much time on their hands. These monuments have meaning. Like the 9/11 memorial, they are nearly sacred. And thats why they are being chosen. Its an effort to attack our culture, our founding, our history, and our traditions (which dont include systemic racism not for decades). At some point, the culture warriors will cross a line. We dont know where or when, but someone, somewhere, will go too far, and there will be massive pushback from a growing silent majority who will have been shoved to their limits. And likely, violence. Americans are a patient lot. But once that patience is tested beyond its limit, therell be hell to pay. Sources include: BigLeaguePolitics.com RecordOnline.com NaturalNews.com Recently, actor Kunal Kemmu expressed his disappointment when he didn't get invited to the online launch event of Disney+ Hotstar. A few days ago, Disney+ Hotstar announced the list of upcoming Bollywood releases on its digital platform and stars like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan were invited to the online launch event. However, two actors- Vidyut Jammwal and Kunal Kemmu, whose films (Khuda Hafiz and Lootcase respectively) are also lined up for digital release on Disney+ Hotstar, were not invited to the launch. Vidyut Jammwal Lashes Out At Disney+ Hotstar For Snubbing Him! Upset by the partial treatment, Kunal had tweeted, "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 doesn't give it to you, it doesn't make you small. Just give us an equal playing field, we'll show you how high we can leap.) In a recent interaction with ZoomTV, when Kunal's wife, Soha Ali Khan was asked what she thinks about her husband's take on 'favouritism' in the industry, she said, "I can say this much that when it comes to words like nepotism, equal opportunities, this is not something that has cropped up in the last month. It exists and it is not unique to the film industry or to India even." She further added, "We can talk about what nepotism, favouritism means, how much right one has if they are a producer to work with the people they like or vs those who people think are deserving. Whether as an actor you've ever feel that you've got the love and respect you deserve or whether you would always feel that someone has taken something that was owed to you. These are very broad questions and your question will only lead to more questions. Not to answers. And it is good that these questions are being raised and that is something that should be encouraged." The Rang De Basanti actress also stated that audiences should also watch the film of their favourite actors to support their work. She said that people have to look within themselves and they can't blame other people. "Whenever it comes to a systemic issue, you have to see how you can make a difference. If you want someone to be celebrated, loved, buy their tickets, see their films, follow them on social media and make them that." Huey Johnson, an often pugnacious environmentalist who challenged wealthy builders and the government during a grassroots campaign to protect the Marin Headlands from development and who helped create the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, died Sunday at his home in Corte Madera. The founder of the environmental group Resource Renewal Institute, who for a half-century championed sustainability on the local, state and national levels, died of complications from a fall. He was 87. Johnson, known as much for his bluntness as he was for his ethics, was himself a force of nature, said his friends and colleagues. He understood the survival and well-being of humanity hinges on the health of the planet, said Deborah Moskowitz, president of the institute. Yet in the face of all the challenges, his was a message of optimism and a rallying cry that we must persevere. He came of age when he lived in Mill Valley in the 1960s, fending off developers of Marin County open space from Bolinas to Sausalito. He helped found the Trust for Public Land, which established the model for using private resources to purchase land for the public good, and later led state efforts to preserve natural resources during Jerry Browns first stint as governor. Johnsons most obvious local impact was in the Marin Headlands, where he was one of the key figures who prevented the construction of Marincello a 2,100-acre development proposed in 1964 and envisioned as a self-contained new town for 30,000 residents just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. While opponents were plentiful, it was Johnson, in his post as the western regional director for the Nature Conservancy, who spent years in discreet negotiations with investors. The effort bore fruit in 1972, when the conservancy purchased the land for $6.5 million and then transferred it to the National Park Service. These bare hills are now a key part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. A similar effort preserved the Bolinas Lagoon, on the coast north of Stinson Beach. Johnson also helped the San Francisco Zen Center purchase what now is Green Gulch Farm, a widely cherished, 115-acre retreat near Muir Beach. It has been a wonderful, wonderful adventure all these years, Johnson commented in an oral history for the Mill Valley Historical Society in 2016. Ive been able to use Marin as a kind of a fort from which to struggle with all kinds of environmental issues off in the world, here and in other countries. Green Gulch Farm is where, in 1978, then-Gov. Brown met Johnson for a private dinner where he offered Johnson the cabinet post of secretary of resources. Johnson had mixed feelings You need an outside critic worse than you need an inside sycophant, he told Brown, according to the oral history but he accepted the offer and remained until the end of Browns second term. Protecting the landscape and the environment, and not letting would-be exploiters get away with it, is how Johnson in 2016 described his approach to the one government post he ever held. I would issue a press release and accuse them of being horse thieves or whatever. ... We had wonderful shootouts. In a 1980 profile of Johnson, Chronicle environmental columnist Harold Gilliam described a Sacramento office where Johnsons desk was a redwood-burl slab, and the wall decorations included a photograph of Aldo Leopold, the famous author, forester and conservationist. Johnson, in fact, referred to Leopold as his drum the inspiration for his lifes work. Huzzah, he inscribed inside his copy of Leopolds book A Sand County Almanac in 1962. I may have found my drum. Huey Dernier Johnson grew up in rural Michigan, close to a stream-laced park where he recalled his mother taking him on wildflower walks during the Depression. A few years later, his father would take him camping and hunting. After college, though, Johnson got a job at Union Carbide, where he was paid well and traveled frequently. This included a conference where Johnson, then in his late 20s, stayed on the company expense account at the Fairmont Hotel. One day I took the cable car to Fishermans Wharf and went salmon fishing the next day, he told the magazine Bay Nature in 2013. It wasnt long before I thought, why would anyone think to live anywhere else? After leaving Union Carbide, and working such jobs as a fish and game biologist in Alaska, he earned a masters degree at Utah State and a Ph.D. at the University of Michigan, both in resource management. He then was offered the job of western director for the Nature Conservancy, and he and his wife, Susan, headed west camping several nights on Muir Beach. They found a home in Mill Valley and stayed in that house for 50 years. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. In 1982, Johnson started the Resource Renewal Institute an environmental nonprofit based in Mill Valley that focuses on land preservation and sustainable agriculture. He also was a co-founder of the Grand Canyon Trust and author of the book Green Plans: Blueprint for a Sustainable Earth. His many achievements were recognized in 2001, when the United Nations presented him with one of its highest honors, the Sasakawa Environment Prize. He has understood that responsibility for conservation and environmental protection lies with every single member of the human community, Kofi Annan, the U.N.s secretary-general at the time, said in awarding Johnson the $200,000 award. His longtime friend, Ronaldo Lovitt, a retired trial attorney, said Johnson was an avid hunter and fisherman who ate everything he shot and always had a freezer full of meat. He described Johnson, whose idea of a swear word was dagnabbit, as extremely compassionate but impatient with those who did not live up to his ideals. He was a very sensitive, loving man and he didnt make any bones about it, but he showed no quarter to the people who he thought deserved it, said Lovitt, who cycled with Johnson from Mill Valley to the Sausalito ferry every morning for 10 years in their younger days. He was very blunt and outspoken. He didnt mince words about things. Johnson was, until the time of his death, fighting plans to thin the tule elk herd at Point Reyes National Seashore to make way for more ranching and farming. He also recently started a pilot project to raise fish in flooded rice fields in the Sacramento Valley during the winter and then use them for food. The feeding fish reduce methane caused by rice cultivation. Moskowitz said Johnson had completed his memoir of lifes lessons a week before his fall. When she told him on his death bed Sunday that the publisher was excited, he whispered huzzah. Mr. Johnson is survived by his wife of 58 years, Sue Johnson of Corte Madera; daughter Megan Johnson of San Francisco; son Tyler Johnson of Corte Madera; two grandsons and his beloved dog, Django. John King and Peter Fimrite are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jking@sfchronicle.com, pfimrite@sfchronicle.com A grandmother lapsed into unconsciousness and then died after having an intravenous vitamin infusion, it is reported. Rita Sauguniene, 63, was gifted the vitamin course by her husband, Algirdu, who said the course cost him 400, before his wife died in their home in Forest Gate, East London last month. The therapist who is thought to have carried out the IV drip, Daiva Skackovine, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter the day after Mrs Sauguniene died, The Sun reported. The 63-year-old grandmother lapsed into unconsciousness two hours after having an intravenous vitamin infusion and died in her home in Forest Gate, East London, it was reported Her husband, Algirdu, said he bought the course for her as a present for 400 Skackovine, 54, has said she has nursing experience but she is not qualified in the UK, the newspaper said. Although the treatment has been popularised by celebrities who use it to pump their veins with vitamins and minerals the British Nutrition Foundation has issued warnings about it. They have said that infusions are unregulated and can be harmful. Mrs Sauguniene is from Lithuania, where the cocktail is believed to have been produced On June 27 Mrs Sauguniene, from Lithuania, started to feel unwell after her treatment and went into unconsciousness before she was pronounced dead at her house. Police said this is the first investigation of this kind and they are treating it as 'unexplained' after a post-mortem exam proved inconclusive. Skackovine has been freed on bail and it is understood that the substance she used, believed to have been produced in Lithuania, was seized. Lowland European bison grazes in the Bialowieza Primeval Forest, Poland. July 2009. They are the closest relative to the now extinct steppe bison that once roamed the ancient Britain. REUTERS/Peter Andrews A herd of bison released in southern England will be the first bison to return to England 6,000 years after their ancestors became extinct. Environmentalists say bison are a "keystone species" that can naturally manage woodlands. European bison imported from Poland and the Netherlands will form the core of the new herd. Beavers have already been successfully reintroduced into the UK and there are discussions about releasing other extinct species, including wild lynx and even wolves. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A herd of wild bison will be released in southern England for the first time in 6,000 years to help restore an ancient habitat and its surrounding wildlife, according to conservationists. The move is part of a 1m project ($1.2 million) led by Kent Wildlife Trust and the Wildwood Trust, which aims to restore Blean Woods a former pine wood plantation near Canterbury. The animals will be welcomed to their new home in the spring of 2022, with conservationists planning to first set free one male and three females to form the core of the new herd, according to the Guardian. The animals will be imported from Poland and the Netherlands countries where previous releases have proven successful. Conservationists hope that the move will help secure the future of the endangered species and that Europe's largest land mammal will also help naturally regenerate the area. Wild bison fell trees by eating their bark or rubbing up against them. This will create wide and sunny clearings, which in turn will help native plants to thrive. "The Wilder Blean project will prove that a wilder, nature-based solution is the right one to tackle the climate and nature crisis we now face," Paul Hadaway, of Kent Wildlife Trust said, according to the BBC. "Using missing keystone species like bison to restore natural processes to habitats is the key to creating bio-abundance in our landscape." What the Trust calls "ecosystem engineering." Story continues The European bison is the closest living relative to the ancient steppe bison, which existed in the UK 6,000 years ago before it was killed off due to hunting. A team of conservationists will be working over the next 18 months to create a fenced enclosure within a wider 150 hectare (370 acres) area. The public will be able to visit the area with rangers once the wild animals are settled. "This will allow people to experience nature in a way they haven't before," Hadaway said. Over the centuries, Britain has lost many of its keystone species. But there is a growing re-wilding movement advocating for the reintroduction of large mammals and birds of prey driven to extinction by hunting and habitat loss. Beavers, last recorded in the 16th century, were successfully reintroduced in 2009 and several populations now thrive around the country. A Lynx UK Trust has been set up and wants to release the Eurasian lynx into forests in Scotland and the north of England to help keep down deer numbers. The return of the wolf is perhaps the most controversial suggestion. Plans to release two packs withing a fenced range in Britain's wildest region in northern Scotland have been greeted with horror by walkers and farmers alike. Read the original article on Insider A masked man pointed a weapon at a man in Ballykelly and pulled the trigger, police have said. The firearm, however, jammed. The victim was approached by three unknown men, one of whom was armed with a firearm, in the Kings Lane area at around 7.30pm on Sunday. The suspects made off towards Drummond Park. The victim was left badly shaken but not injured. All three males were wearing scarves covering their faces. One of the men is described as 62 in height and wearing a black, hooded top with the second male described as wearing the same and around 510 in height. The third male, who was armed with the gun, was described as being 56 in height and wearing a dark coloured hooded top and grey tracksuit bottoms. Sinn Fein Councillor Dermot Nicholl condemned the incident. He said: "Thankfully the man was not seriously hurt but it appears this was an attempt to kill or injure him. There is no place for guns in our society and those responsible for the attack must be taken off the streets and should face due process in the courts. I appeal to anyone with information to bring it forward to the police and assist the police investigation in any way possible. Detective Sergeant Wallace said: "I would appeal to anyone who may have been in the area and saw what happened, or anyone who has information which could assist our investigation, to get in touch with detectives at Musgrave on 101 and quote reference number 1956 of 11/07/20. "A report can also be made using the online reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org." Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The Report Contact Lenses Market [By Product Type (Soft Lens, Hybrid Lens, Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Lens); By Design Type (Toric, Spherical, Multifocal, Others); By Usage (Corrective, Therapeutic, Cosmetic/Lifestyle, Prosthetic) By Regions]: Market Size & Forecast, 2017 2026 According to a new study published by Polaris Market Research the global contact lenses market is anticipated to reach USD 18.9 billion by 2026. Once of the key factor driving the contact lenses market is to enhance aesthetic appearance by using them as fashion accessory particularly, by the youth population. Also, constant development in technology of product materials and given a boost to colored or decorative contact lenses, which is further anticipated to influence the demand. Moreover, the rising incidences of visual imparities such as myopia, presbyopia, hyperopia and astigmatism is propelling the market growth. The World Health Organization, in 2015, estimated that approximately 1.9 billion people across the globe have been affected by myopia and the number is anticipated to be more than 2 billion by 2020. Thus, the demand for contact lenses during the forecast period will experience a growth. Browse for full research summary: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/contact-lenses-market The contact lenses manufacturers and vendors are appealed by the high profit margins offered by the contact lenses thus, boosting its manufacturing as well as enhancing the network of distribution. Also, advancements in technology in form of material will provide new opportunities to the manufacturers with time. By type segment, the Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Lenses was valued over USD 800 million in 2017 owing to factors including, sharp vision, high oxygen permeability, cost-effectiveness in the long run, and durability. The contact lenses market by usage type is segmented into Corrective, Therapeutic, Cosmetic, Prosthetic, and Lifestyle-oriented. The corrective lenses usage segment is currently growing at a CAGR of more than 6.2%. The demand is attributed to its various applications. Whereas, cosmetic lenses segment is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. On the basis of design, the hybrid lens segment is anticipated to experience a noteworthy growth as it is a combination of both soft lenses and rigid gas permeable lenses. Thus, it provides comfort of soft lenses coupled with the visual clarity offered by rigid gas permeable lenses. The growth of hybrid lenses segment is expected to propel with the increased demand from people with keratoconus and astigmatism conditions. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/contact-lenses-market/request-for-sample The North America market holds the largest share owing to presence of better eye care treatment facilities as increasing elderly population. Although, the Asia Pacific market is expected to bolster with a high CAGR attributed to the increased awareness regarding contact lenses among the population as well as their increasing ability for healthcare spending. The key strategies adopted by the market players include long-term partnerships among the other players in supply chain particularly, distributors and suppliers with an aim to increase their geographical footprint. For instance, in 2016, Vision Direct Group Ltd. was acquired by Essilor International S.A. for the enhancement of its online retailing business presence. Major industry players include Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Abbott Medical Optics, Inc., Bausch + Lomb, Incorporated, Carl Zeiss AG, CooperVision, Inc., Contamac U.S., Inc., Hoya Corporation, Essilor International S.A., Medennium and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. among others. Check for discount: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/contact-lenses-market/request-for-discount-pricing Contact Lenses Market Size and Forecast by Product Type Rigid Gas Permeable Lens Hybrid Lens Soft Lens Contact Lenses Market Size and Forecast by Design Type Spherical Lenses Toric Lenses Multifocal Lenses Others Contact Lenses Market Size and Forecast by Usage Type Corrective Lens Therapeutic Lens Cosmetic Lens Prosthetic Lens Lifestyle-oriented Lens Contact Lenses Market Size and Forecast by Regions North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany UK France Italy Asia Pacific China South Korea Japan India Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East & Africa Make Inquiry about this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/contact-lenses-market/inquire-before-buying About Polaris Market Research Polaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. Contact us- Polaris Market Research Phone: 1-646-568-9980 Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.com Web: www.polarismarketresearch.com Illich Ferrara had visited Kristin, his fiance, at work in Hoboken last month. Afterwards, Ferrara rode his motorcycle with two other motorcycle club members on Paterson Plank Road. Shortly after 11 p.m., Ferrara died in a crash. Kristin and dozens of others returned to the scene of the accident on Saturday as they held a memorial for Ferrara, the fifth person since 2013 to die in an accident along the two-lane roadway. I got to the scene (the day of the accident) and I just went crazy, she said. I fell to the ground. I just blacked out. Ferrera was pronounced dead at the scene around 11:30 p.m. Kristin had been engaged with Ferrara for a year, she said. The two had been living together in Hackensack. Though Kristin and Arias Yedanavey, a friend and Latin Riderz New Jersey member, said the loss is still hard to cope with, they wanted Saturdays memorial to honor Ferraras last wish. Ferrara and Yedanavey previously went to a motorcycle club members memorial and Yedanavey said Ferrara was blown away by how many motorcyclists there were. Ferrara told his friends, I hope someone can do this for me when I pass away... (but) whos going to come out for me? Because no one knows me. On Saturday, there were about 75 people who gathered and revved their motors in Ferraras memory. I didnt break down until we all revved our engines, Yedanavey said. That was my breaking point right there because that boy loved to ride. Three weeks before the crash, Ferrara was named the president of the clubs New Jersey chapter, Yednavey said. Yednavey met Ferrara in September 2016 after joining Latin Riderz, a national motorcycle club with various state chapters. He described the late 43-year-old as a hardworking man, loving father and great friend. Ferrara is the father of two. If it wasnt for him, Id probably be a delinquent locked up and not knowing what responsibility is, Yednavey added. Investigators from the Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit and Jersey City Police Department believe Ferrara may have swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle, the prosecutor said in June. Ferrara veered across the southbound lane, off the roadway and into a stone wall, south of Congress Street. Yednavey is calling for speed bumps and cameras to improve the roadway, which runs through the Union City border, Jersey City Heights and Downtown neighborhoods. We just want this, if its not for our brother, for the next person who goes up that hill and doesnt see that wall, he said. For the next family in the car who might not see that wall. Subhashini Dinesh By You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind Mahatma Gandhi These words could not be ringing at a more appropriate time amid the outrage over one of the most brutal alleged custody deaths in Sathankulam, a quaint town in Tamil Nadus Thoothukudi district. To unravel what triggered the chain of events, here is a recap. June 18: A police patrol team passes by the shop of a 63-year-old timber merchant, P Jeyaraj. The merchant fleetingly comments about the police insisting that shopowners down shutters as per lockdown rules. An auto driver informs the police about this. June 19: A police team takes Jeyaraj for inquiry. His 31-year-old son, J Benicks, who has a mobile shop nearby, goes to the police station. Seeing his father being physically harassed, Benicks tries to protect him. This was the beginning of a tumultuous turn of events. A lockdown violation may probably have landed Jeyaraj, if found guilty, three months in prison. But what happened was a spine-chilling act of brutality. Jeyaraj and Benicks were allegedly beaten up after being stripped naked, and tortured for hours. Thirteen officers were at the station during the incident, including volunteers, also called Friends of Police. Benicks friends heard wails of the duo as they waited outside the police station. On June 20, Jeyarajs family saw the bleeding father and son being taken to a government hospital. The seat of the vehicle, in which they were taken, was soaked in blood. After being treated at the hospital, the magistrate inked their remand to Kovilpatti sub-jail by waving his hand from the first floor of the building. The family was in the dark till the evening of June 22, when they were both shifted to Koilpatti GH due to continuous bleeding and severe injuries. Benicks died late that night, and Jeyaraj, a few hours before daybreak. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court took suo motu cognisance and soon the case was transferred to CB-CID and later to CBI. This was almost a month after George Floyd was pleading that he couldnt breathe and later suffocated to death on May 25 in Minneapolis, leading to a phenomenal outrage in the US. The hashtagged phrase, blacklivesmatter became a global anthem, with millions reorienting the racial discourse. In Thoothukudi, the duos death did not initially gain much traction. But the fresh-from-Floyd social media plunged into yet another viral hashtagged phrase, justiceforjayarajandfenix (Benicks spelt as Fenix). Soon it was on prime time television and leaders sat up and took notice. The current pandemic did prolong the journey from hashtag to headlines. Though there is no indication of a caste angle, there is a faint stink of traditional enmity of two caste groups, Nadars and Konars (or Yadavs). For the record, the two traders were Nadars. Historically, the Tamil Nadu police have been known for highhandedness. Post-Sathankulam, the Tiruchy wing of the Tamil Nadu police was the first to send 80 officers to a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy course. One hopes it doesnt end up in tokenism. According to Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, The healthy man does not torture others. Generally, it is the tortured who, turn into torturers. One needs to understand the psychological factors that have made aggression a second nature of many a policeman. Unrealistic pressures and long work hours may have led to their frustration. The police-population ratio is 1:632 in Tamil Nadu, which is better than the nationwide average of 1:724. Yet, the state tops the list in the South with 76 custodial deaths, according to a report in 2018. The local political muscle and caste dynamics have added to this psychological load. The series of lockdowns and subsequent vesting of power to police curfew violators added weight to their muscle. It is time the powers of the police and the rights of the people are redrawn. June 26 was observed as the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. One hopes Sathankulam propels a movement to stop normalising any form of custody violence. Subhashini Dinesh Deputy Resident Editor, Tamil Nadu subhashini@newindianexpress.com After all, #alllivesmatter. A Michigan man, James Terrell Holmes-Hamilton, is in custody in connection with a murder in Chattanooga on Sept. 9. Three juveniles are also charged with felony murder and especially aggravated robbery in the case. Law enforcement responded to a shooting call and found Darrell Hill suffering from a gunshot wound, which later claimed his life. A few minutes later, police said they found a black Honda Accord located at the NGC Healthcare. The vehicle sustained damage from multiple bullets. Police said they found two juveniles inside the vehicle, and both were transported to the Police Services Center for an interview. Police said the pair admitted to helping with a robbery of Hill, along with a third juvenile, another suspect, and a man identified as Nunu. Police said they used interviews, digital evidence, and video surveillance to find out what happened. The three juveniles said they drove in a Honda Accord to a business driveway at the entrance of Cromwell Hills. From there, police said one of the juveniles exited the vehicle and got into a maroon Volkswagen, where Nunu and the fifth suspect resided. The Passat then stopped at Camellia Drive to allow one suspect to exit the vehicle. Police said that juvenile ran up a hill toward two other juveniles and Darrell Hill. The person called suspect #3 briefly spoke to Hill, and then began shooting at him. Darrell Hill shot back and exited the vehicle. One suspect said they believed Nunu set up Hill to be robbed and shot. Police said one of the juveniles cell phones showed a number for Nunu and a picture of himself. Nunu was later identified as James Terrell Holmes-Hamilton, 28. Police took Holmes-Hamilton into custody on Friday at the Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Jackson, Mich. He was soon transported to the Hamilton County Jail. Lauded for their service and hailed as everyday heroes, essential workers who get the coronavirus on the job have no guarantee in most states theyll qualify for workers compensation to cover lost wages and medical care. Fewer than one-third of the states have enacted policies that shift the burden of proof for coverage of job-related COVID-19 so workers like first responders and nurses dont have to show they got sick by reporting for a risky assignment. Debate over workers comp in the states is part of a much larger national discussion about liability for virus exposure, with Republicans in Congress seeking a broad shield for businesses in the next coronavirus relief bill. And for most employees going back to job sites as the economy reopens, theres even less protection than for essential workers. In nearly all states, they have to prove they got the virus on the job to qualify for workers comp. Nurse Dori Harrington of Manchester, Connecticut, said she got COVID-19 caring for infected patients at a nursing home, with limited protective gear. Harrington was severely ill and missed five weeks of work, yet her workers comp claim was initially denied on grounds that her disease was not distinctively associated with, nor peculiar to her job. What to Expect in Workers Compensation Costs From COVID-19: NCCI If only 10 percent of health care workers contract COVID-19 and all of their claims are deemed compensable, workers compensation loss costs for that sector could double or even triple in some states, according to an industry analysis, Workers Comp May Need Backstop as Presumptions Push Claim Costs into Billions Pressure is growing on workers compensation systems across the country to cover the cost of treating and supporting workers caught up in the pandemic. Its great to be appreciated, but we need to be taken care of, too, said Harrington, who eventually won her claim with union help. Nobody should have to fight to be taken care of when they were simply doing their job taking care of other people. Its obnoxious to me. Workers compensation is not health insurance, or an unemployment benefit. The $56 billion, state-level insurance system is one of the nations oldest forms of a social contract. In exchange for coverage, workers give up the right to sue their employers for job-related harms. Employers pay premiums to support the system. Complex rules differ from state to state. Dealing with job-related injuries is fairly straightforward, but diseases have always been trickier for workers comp, and COVID-19 seems to be in a class of its own. You dont know per se where you inhaled that breath whereby you became infected, said Bill Smith, president of the Workers Injury Law & Advocacy Group, or WILG, a professional association of lawyers representing workers. There is still a logical conclusion, says University of Wyoming labor law professor Michael Duff. When you are talking about certain kinds of frontline workers, out in the trenches, day in and day out, that person starts to look like the coal miner who is routinely exposed to a hazardous health condition because of their work, he explained. Think hospital and nursing home clinical staff, first responders, and meat packing workers, among others. Acknowledging such realities, more than a dozen states have enacted policies known as presumptions that relieve essential workers like Dori Harrington, the nurse from Connecticut, of having to prove how they actually got COVID-19 on the job. The list includes liberal states like California and conservative states like Kentucky, according to WILG, the lawyers group. Californias policy stands out because it protects all workers, not just those in frontline roles. At the federal level, theres a push to protect workers at the Transportation Security Administration and the Postal Service. Duff predicts most states will be reluctant to expand protections. P/C Insurance Survey: 55% Back Worker Presumption A majority (55%) in the P/C insurance industry support granting the workers compensation presumption in favor of the workers. The issue involves significant costs and hard lobbying. It pits workers, labor groups, lawyers, and social welfare advocates against employers, insurers, and even local and state governments that employ frontline workers. In Colorado, a drive to enact a COVID-19 presumption for essential workers stalled in the legislature over cost concerns. At a time of community spread of a disease like this, it is not appropriate for a workers comp system to act as a public safety net, said Edie Sonn, head of public affairs for Pinnacol Assurance, Colorados leading workers comp insurer, which opposed the effort. Certain businesses would have seen premiums rise up to 27%, she added. Industry expert Stefan Holzberger of the AM Best credit rating agency said theres a risk of significant losses for workers comp insurers, but there are also potential mitigating factors. The bottom line isnt clear yet. From what we see so far, the average claims cost associated with a COVID-19 claim is less than the loss associated with a typical workers comp claim, said Holzberger. Going to the hospital and getting a test is a lot less than getting neck or back surgery. Another mitigating factor: workplace injuries went down dramatically in the economic shutdown. For essential workers who got COVID-19 and suffered through fever, fatigue, shortness of breath, racking cough, and other symptoms, the denial or acceptance of a workers comp claim can have a profound impact. Fire alarm inspector Kenneth Larkin of Montevallo, Ala., said he was rebuffed by his former employer when he requested workers comp for a coronavirus test. He had gotten sick soon after inspecting systems in the COVID-19 wing of a hospital. I think a certain number of workers are being villainized because they want to take care of themselves, said Larkin, whos retained a lawyer. Its hard for me as a human being to swallow that, when you place the value of a persons health at less than the cost of a test. But nurse Debbie Koehler of Warren, Ohio, said she felt validated when her claim was accepted by the insurer for the rehab hospital where she works. Its just knowing that my employer is actively admitting that this wrong happened and they are paying for my therapy, she said. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics COVID-19 Workers' Compensation Talent On This Day The Day General Aung San Gave His Final Speech General Aung San. YANGONOn this day in 1947, Myanmar national hero General Aung San made a controversial speech from the balcony of Yangon City Hall. He and thousands of supporters in Fytche Square, now Maha Bandula Park, did not know that the speech would be his last. He addressed the crowds as the chairman of the Anti-Fascist Peoples Freedom League and a parliamentarian of Lanmadaw Township. His one-hour speech sparked a controversy due to his use of harsh language. Even if we implement various projects after gaining independence, we have to work for at least 20 years. To speak bluntly, because it is easier for people to remember blunt speakingto speak bluntly, we must work our asses off and buckle down, only then will we not be left behind over the next 20 years, he said. If you dont work, you wont be able to catch up with Thailand. Among independent countries, Thailand is not up to much. But then, compared with our Burma, Thailand is steps ahead of us. If other independent countries make one stride, we have to make several strides. Only then will we be able to catch up with them in the next 10 or 20 years. I want you to understand clearly that unless and until we catch up with them, even if this country is independent, it will be a country similar to a prostitute who has to charm everyone. Unless and until there is unity between ethnic people and the national people, even if this country is independent, no matter which party and which government is in office, our country will remain a prostitute country. Some critics called his speech too offensive for a leader. Six days after he made the controversial speech, while criticisms were still in the air, Gen. Aung San was assassinated, shot 13 times at Yangons Secretariat Building. However, his political views and quotes from his last speech on the reconstruction of Myanmar, national unity, discipline and the bad habits and public morality of Myanmar people are still popular catchphrases in Myanmar 73 years after his death. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. You may also like these stories: The Day a British Benefactor of Myanmar Youth and Education Passed Away The Day Myanmars First Prime Minister U Nu Met Eisenhower in Washington Kevin Magnussen insists he is not "nervous" that his Formula 1 career might be about to end. The former McLaren and Renault driver's career was rescued by Haas in 2017, but now team owner Gene Haas is openly considering quitting the sport. "No, I'm not going to say I'm nervous," Magnussen told the Danish newspaper BT. "But I also know that you can never be sure in Formula 1. I've just gotten older and reached a point where I'm better at taking things as they come." Haas, with arguably the smallest budget in the field, has halted car development amid the corona crisis while team owner Gene Haas is weighing up his next move. "Gene is coming to the race this weekend," Magnussen revealed. "We haven't seen him since the winter test, now we have to see if he says anything about the future." Haas has an option on Magnussen's services for 2021, and so the 27-year-old says he is not yet in talks with any other teams. "Right now I have no right to do anything. My future is in the hands of the team," he said. "I would prefer to stay with Haas, because it's been my home for four years now and it's where I feel comfortable. Honestly, I'd be surprised if a great deal was to change for 2021." (GMM) On the assault on CFMEU Officials Statement by CPA Melbourne Branch The Melbourne Branch of the Communist Party of Australia strongly condemns the brutal assault on the two young CFMEU officials last week on 30th June at a building site in Hawthorne East. These two officials never made it on site before they were attacked by seven thugs. One of the officials was knocked unconscious with a lump of timber and the was kicked while he was down. The second official was injured while trying to protect his comrade on the ground. The two officials were attending the site after a number of complaints about safety on and around the site particularly from members of the community. The developer on the site is notorious for unsafe and illegal practices. The company had previously been fined $2 million for the illegal demolition of the Corkman pub in Carlton in 2016 and then dumping asbestos from this site in a residential area in Caroline Springs. It is no surprise that the assault took place on one of their sites. Where is Australian Building and Construction Commission when it comes to workplace safety? The police that arrived were there to protect to the building site not to arrest the cowards who attacked the officials, who were onsite and were filmed during the attack. The ABCC claim to be responsible for ensuring that building work in Australia is carried out fairly, efficiently and productively, and yet they only act when it is time to restrict the so-called violence of the thugs of the CFMEU! Nobody deserves to be assaulted at work. Every worker deserves to come home safe at the end of the day. These two officials were simply doing their job to make sure a construction site was safe for workers and for residents nearby. Congratulations to CFMEU for supporting their members during this time and for standing up against injustices. We express solidarity with the two officials who were attacked, their families, and all the members of CFMEU. When she was a young child, Ashley Austrews father would hold her down and tickle her so hard she felt momentarily paralyzed. He thought they were having fun the tickling made her laugh, after all but she dreaded it. More than once, she rolled off the couch and hit her head on the coffee table. Tickling was common in Austrews family, along with other kinds of roughhousing, such as a game in which her dad would pretend to sleep as she and her two sisters tiptoed around him, and then hed pop up and playfully grab one of them. This game, she said, felt safe, fun and funny. But the tickling was different. I didnt like it, but also there was this pressure to like it, so it put me in a weird position, said Austrew, a freelance journalist who lives in Omaha, Neb. It felt like there was an unspoken social contract that adults were supposed to tickle kids to make them laugh, and kids were supposed to like being tickled. Its a familiar story. Many of us have memories of being tickled in a way that made us feel annoyed, uncomfortable or even violated. The idea of unwelcome tickling dates as far back as Socrates, who said it brought more pain than pleasure. Yet plenty of children, my 3-year-old daughter included, genuinely seem to enjoy it. Tickling sends her into fits of delighted giggles. The moment we stop, she demands more. Hollywood actor Zac Efron has been quietly living in Byron Bay for the past few months to escape the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. And rumours are swirling that he's in talks to appear in the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, which is being filmed locally next year for the first time after COVID-19 travel restrictions ruled out production in South Africa. Channel 10 executives are hoping to convince the High School Musical star, 32, to sign on the dotted line, according to New Idea on Monday. Heading to the jungle? Rumours are swirling that Zac Efron is in talks to appear in the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, which is being filmed locally next year for the first time after COVID-19 travel restrictions ruled out production in South Africa The network has reportedly offered the American actor $1.5million to participate in the upcoming season, which will likely begin filming early next year. 'Channel 10 are saving a fortune filming in Australia [instead of South Africa] and can now afford some bigger names,' a source explained. 'Zac is the No. 1 and most-wanted participant.' Major offer: The network has reportedly offered the American actor $1.5million to participate in the upcoming season, which will likely begin filming early next year. Pictured: I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Australia hosts Dr Chris Brown and Julia Morris I'm a Celebrity... Get me Out Of Here! is expected to begin production in January. Because it is being filmed locally, there is apparently a bigger talent budget and Channel 10 is hoping to attract major stars. This wouldn't be Zac's first foray into reality TV, as he recently filmed a series titled Killing Zac Efron, which saw him explore the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Given the fact that Zac is currently living in Byron Bay, a tourist hotspot on Australia's east coast, I'm a Celebrity could be the perfect opportunity for him. Ready for a new challenge? This wouldn't be Zac's first foray into reality TV, as he recently filmed a series titled Killing Zac Efron, which saw him explore the jungles of Papua New Guinea After weeks of speculation, it was finally confirmed earlier this month that Zac was living in Byron Bay. He is said to be hanging out with famous locals, including actor Chris Hemsworth and musician Tim Freedman. The 17 Again star is also spending time with his manager, Jason Barrett, according to The Daily Telegraph. YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) should definitely respond to Azerbaijans provocative actions on the border with Armenia, political scientist Garik Keryan told Armenpress. There are often opinions within the Armenian domestic political circles that the CSTO is not fulfilling its functions of a collective security. We see that the provocative actions take place on the Armenian border, here the CSTO leadership should make a statement, although I do not pay much importance to that. It can be a condemning statement or a statement offering peace to the sides, he said. Commenting on the Azerbaijani provocative actions on the Armenian border, the political scientist said during the entire conflict, no matter the negotiation process is active or not, the danger of border clashes has always existed. One of the assumptions from the Azerbaijani such actions is that there is a social tension inside the country, there are problems with the coronavirus, the decline in oil prices. The Karabakh front has been the direction for the Azerbaijani authorities which has always been convenient to deviate the public attention, to show that there are greater dangers, than the social problem, the salaries, pensions or other issue. This is a very convenient step to deviate from anti-leadership moods, he said. The next reason is that the Azerbaijani leadership - President Aliyev and his circle, are concerned that there is no real outcome in the negotiation process. Here a very active work is needed in the information field. Its not ruled out that Azerbaijan will try to present that Armenia is taking such actions during the pandemic. Our respective structures should actively work to present the real picture to the international community. Its clear to us for a long time that Azerbaijan ignores the international agreements, calls and statements. We should present the reality to the international community so that Armenia will not be an aggressor in the perceptions, he added. On July 12, at about 12:30, the armed forces of Azerbaijan attempted to violate the state border of Armenia in an UAZ vehicle in the direction of Tavush province. Following the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani armed forces left the vehicle and returned to their position. At about 13:45, the Azerbaijani forces made a second attempt to capture the Armenian border post, using artillery fire, but were pushed back, suffering losses. The Azerbaijani defense ministry reported that four soldiers have died in the incident. Later that day Armenian defense ministers spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side restarted shelling the same Armenian position, using 82 mm mortars and a tank. Today Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side has again resumed shelling the Armenian positions. No casualties were reported from the Armenian side. Only two police officers, who were on a combat duty in the border, were slightly injured from the Azerbaijani operations. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Husch Blackwell has opened The Link, the firms 21st office. The Link fuses location flexibility with an already robust technology infrastructure to build a new way of working for its attorneys and staff. Driven by a vision to create a contemporary work environment and virtual platform for providing the highest level of client service, The Link is an extension of Husch Blackwells innovative culture. The Link will break down traditional structures, especially in terms of team communication and collaboration, collapsing and overcoming geographic boundaries to promote purposeful interaction and enhanced quality of life for team members. As pioneers in the legal industry, Husch Blackwell has long demonstrated a commitment to continuously adapting both approach and process to deliver better outcomes for clients and better support for team members. We are committing to an infrastructure that best supports legal teams working from anywhere, commented Bret Chapman, Husch Blackwells Chief Administrative Officer. Like our other Husch Blackwell offices, The Link will have a dedicated office managing partner, an office administrator, administrative support, reports to measure performance, and the right technology infrastructure to support working virtually. Fifty Husch Blackwell professionals located in eight cities volunteered to join The Link. These initial team members are linked together and linked to clients through the firms significant investment in technology and recognize how working from the place that makes the most sensewhether on site with a client, from home, or in a hoteling arrangement inside one of the 20 Husch Blackwell brick and mortar officesenhances collaboration, innovation, and communication between peers and clients. The disruption to traditional work environments caused by COVID-19 reinforced our desire to establish The Link, reflected Husch Blackwell partner J.Y. Miller. We accelerated the development of a modified team infrastructure so that we could take our client service to the next level with The Link. We are confident that The Link provides a unique opportunity for us to provide an enhanced client experience, while also supporting a new way of working that will lead to a higher quality of life for team members. ### About Husch Blackwell Husch Blackwell is an industry-focused law firm with offices in 18 cities across the United States. The firm represents clients around the world in major industries including energy and natural resources; financial services and capital markets; food and agribusiness; healthcare, life sciences and education; real estate, development and construction; and technology, manufacturing and transportation. For more information, visit huschblackwell.com. Human challenge trials have been used to test other vaccines but there were rescue medicines to cure those who got sick. There is no cure for COVID-19. One way to quickly see if a coronavirus vaccine works would be to immunize healthy people and then deliberately expose them to the virus, some researchers are suggesting. Proponents say this strategy, called a human challenge trial, could save time because rather than conducting tests the usual way by waiting for vaccinated people to encounter the virus naturally researchers could just infect them. Challenge trials have been used to test vaccines for typhoid, cholera, malaria and other diseases. For malaria, volunteers have stuck their arms into chambers full of mosquitoes to be bitten and infected. But there were so-called rescue medicines to cure those who got sick. There is no cure for COVID-19. For both ethical and practical reasons, the idea of challenge trials for a coronavirus vaccine has provoked fierce debate. In a draft report published last month, the World Health Organization said that challenge trials could yield important information, but that they would be daunting to run because of the potential of the coronavirus to cause severe and fatal illness and its high transmissibility. The report, by a 19-member advisory panel, provided detailed guidelines about the safest way to conduct challenge trials, recommending that they be limited to healthy people ages 18-25 because they have the least risk of severe illness or death from the virus. The virus would be dripped into their noses. But the panel also said its members split nearly in half over several major issues. They were divided over whether trials should be carried out if no highly effective therapy had been identified to treat participants who got sick; over whether studies in healthy young adults could predict the efficacy of a vaccine in older people or other high-risk adults; and over whether challenge trials could really speed vaccine development. In the United States, government researchers say that although their primary focus is on traditional clinical trials, they have already begun preparing for human challenge trials, in case they are needed to test either vaccines or treatments. The National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases has begun investigations of the technical and ethical considerations of conducting human challenge studies, a spokeswoman, Jennifer Routh, said by email. The institute is also developing strains of the virus that could be used to infect participants. Routh said that toward the end of 2020 the institute would use data from standard clinical trials to assess future human challenge studies, should they be needed and should they be deemed safe and ethical to employ. Citing concerns about putting healthy people at risk, Dr Anthony Fauci, head of the institute, said in an interview, If something like that takes place, it has to be done with absolute intense examination by a group of independent ethicists and independent people who have nothing to do with the trial. But the National Institutes of Health, the umbrella organization for the institute, offered a more cautious assessment, saying the government is not planning to support human challenge studies for Covid-19, in an email from a spokeswoman, Renate Myles. There is an expectation of sufficient natural transmission for efficacy studies that will be launched as early as summer 2020. The development of a human challenge model would take longer than this timeline and human challenge studies have a number of serious ethical considerations. Among the staunchest advocates of challenge trials is Dr Arthur L. Caplan, a bioethicist at NYU Langone Medical Center. I havent really heard convincing ethical counter objections, he said in an interview. A challenge trial could take advantage of the lower death rate in people ages 18-29, Caplan and Dr Stanley Plotkin, a vaccine expert and professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania, suggested in an article published in April in the journal Vaccine. Despite the danger, we believe it is ethical to ask now for volunteers who would be informed about the known and unknown risks, they wrote. Other researchers have made similar arguments. Such an approach is not without risks, but every week that vaccine rollout is delayed will be accompanied by many thousands of deaths globally, a team led by Dr. Nir Eyal, a bioethicist at Rutgers, wrote in March, in an article in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Eyals group suggested choosing an age range of 20-45, and even proposed using a control group that would receive a placebo shot rather than the vaccine but would still be exposed to the virus, so at least some would almost certainly fall ill. I think thats a little bit cuckoo, Caplan said. Thats too risky. There is no highly effective treatment for COVID, and no sure way to predict who will recover quickly and who will become severely ill. Multiple measures would be put in place to ensure that, prior to consenting, potential participants fully comprehend the unusual risks involved in the study, Eyals group wrote. Dr Jeffrey Kahn, director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, sharply questioned any form of a challenge trial for COVID, saying that participants cannot be fully informed about the risks, because too little is known about the virus. There are too many uncertainties, he said. Although it is not common, healthy young people have inexplicably become critically ill from the virus, and some have died. All we need is one of those cases in the course of a vaccine trial where we intentionally infected somebody with this coronavirus, Kahn said. What would we say then? Was it worth it? Several vaccine makers had lukewarm reactions to the idea. Dr Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer at Johnson & Johnson, said the company would consider challenge trials only if a treatment became available. He also said larger, traditional Phase 3 trials would provide more safety information. Dr Tal Zaks, chief medical officer of Moderna, which expects to begin Phase 3 vaccine trials this month, said in an interview that the question of a challenge trial will likely be moot as it relates to our development. If such a model were available we would look at it, but Id hate to put people in harms way, Zaks said. We are right now leading this race and it might be relevant for other vaccines behind us. Other vaccine makers are considering the idea. Dr Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, which developed a coronavirus vaccine that is already in Phase 3 testing, said there was potential utility in challenge trials for vaccines and treatments. He said his institute, which has conducted such studies in the past for malaria, typhoid and other diseases, might perform one for COVID before the end of the year, to test vaccine efficacy. He said the studies were also a good way to compare vaccines. The trials would be acceptable even without a treatment, he said, because the participants would be young and fit, and exposed to only a low dose of the virus, so any illness that occurred would most likely be self-limiting. But Hill added: Having a treatment would be helpful. By the time we get to doing this, there may be one. Caplan argues that the first few vaccine candidates are likely to fail, and that it will be increasingly difficult to recruit the 20,000 or 30,000 people needed for each subsequent trial. Challenge trials in small numbers of participants could more quickly identify products that do not work, letting researchers scrap them and reserve larger studies for more promising candidates. Another cause for concern is that challenge trials would enrol far fewer patients than traditional studies of vaccine efficacy, which generally include tens of thousands of people. Smaller studies may miss rare side effects that could become a serious problem once a vaccine is given to millions of people. The number of people who will have received the vaccine at the time of licensure will be very small in comparison to the usual Phase 3 efficacy trials, said Dr William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University and a member of a group that will review vaccine data as advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because many vaccine candidates involve new technologies, thats all the more reason you need a large safety base, Schaffner said. Challenge trials might also be seen by the public as a means of cutting corners, and undermine confidence in coronavirus vaccines, he said, adding, I think its not a great idea. Advocates say volunteers for a coronavirus challenge trial would be young and healthy, without chronic health problems that would put them at high risk of complications or death from the virus. They would also be people who have a substantial risk of catching the disease anyway even without being deliberately exposed because they live in hot spots with high transmission rates, or because of their jobs or living conditions, proponents say. Eyals group suggested an age range of 20-45. During a trial, they would be quarantined and monitored closely, and if they became ill would receive the best-known treatment possibly the antiviral drug remdesivir, or convalescent plasma from people who had recovered from the illness. But so far, remdesivirs benefits have been described as modest, and studies of convalescent plasma are still underway. The steroid dexamethasone lowered the death rate in one study, but is recommended only for those who become severely ill. The article by Eyals group struck a chord with Josh Morrison, 34. Eight years ago, he donated a kidney to a stranger, and now runs an advocacy group for kidney donors. The opportunity to save someone elses life meant a great deal to him, and he sees challenge trials as a chance to do it again. If it could lead to a speedier creation of a vaccine for the disease Covid-19, we are willing without reservation to have doctors infect us with the novel coronavirus, he and Sophie Rose, 22, a graduate student in epidemiology, wrote in The Washington Post. Morrison, who had a brief career as a corporate lawyer, has begun organizing others who are interested in volunteering into a group called 1DaySooner. So far, about 30,000 people from 140 countries have signed up online saying they might participate in a challenge trial. Donations of $700,000 have enabled him to hire three full-time staff members. There are significant risks in childbirth and kidney donation, Morrison said in an interview. No one should take them lightly but they are things we allow people to consent to. I hope for an effective treatment by the time a trial would be conducted, but if not, I do think it would be reasonable to go forward with challenge trials. His hope is that an established research centre will conduct the trials. Much of his efforts have gone toward finding a company to produce batches of the virus for use in the studies. Our goal is not to manage the manufacturing process or trial process ourselves, he said. Our goal is to make the preconditions, so that if challenge trials would be useful, theyre available. So far, donors have offered a total of $1 million for virus production, if Morrison can find a vendor. He said he had a promising candidate, but declined to name the company. Several vaccine makers have expressed interest in challenge trials, but the discussions have been confidential, so he could not reveal which companies, he said. But he believes the trials will happen. I dont think of this as a pie-in-the-sky idea. Denise Grady c.2020 The New York Times Company An ice rink featuring a frozen waterfall in Beijings Changping district has become a popular destination among climbing enthusiasts and newcomers to ice sports. Located in the Huyu Natural Scenic Area, the rink consists of a 40-meter-high climbing area. With the approach to the Beijing Winter Olympics, ice and snow activities are attracting fans across the country. The China Tourism Academy estimated that 305 million people will visit such venues nationwide this season Jan 18, 2022 05:36 PM The cross-border provocation of the Armenian army against the positions and settlements of Azerbaijan in the Tovuz region can be explained by the need to distract Armenian citizens from internal tension, Vyacheslav Shurygin, editor-in-chief of the "Jurnalist Pravda" (Journalistic Truth) newspaper, said in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza. In my opinion, this is a way to distract people from internal problems. I believe there are certain forces interested in this provocation that are behind the escalation of the conflict, he said. At the same time, Armenia expects that there will be no further large-scale hostilities. Nobody is interested in resuming the war. Its just a way to solve its own internal problems by shifting attention to hostilities, he noted. Similarly, Russia is not interested in the war between its neighbors. Russia will now make every effort to prevent more clashes, will try to establish the dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia, return the parties to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation of the conflict, he concluded. YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijans operations in the direction of the Armenia border are not of such a nature that we can expect serious developments, political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan told Armenpress, commenting on the July 12 provocative operations launched by Azerbaijan in the direction of the Armenian positions. The success of such operations is usually seen within several hours. We saw that it wasnt possible to surprise the Armenian Armed Forces. This speaks about the preparedness of the Armenian Armed Forces, the political scientist said. He added that at this stage Azerbaijan with such actions is trying to solve a domestic, a local problem. According to Iskandaryan, its very difficult to analyze the domestic developments in Azerbaijan because there are absolutely other approaches towards media there, there are factual restrictions. In fact, its very difficult to understand what is taking place, but with the information we have we can state that serious developments are taking place in the Azerbaijani political elite connected with both the foreign affairs and the defense ministers. In addition, Azerbaijan is now in a very serious economic and epidemiological situation. There is also a social dissatisfaction, he said, adding: I dont think that Azerbaijans operations have a direct link with the militaristic statements made at various levels in the past one, two months. These statements have always been made, and we witnessed them also in the past months. What has happened on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, perhaps is an attempt [by Azerbaijani side] to solve a domestic problem. I repeat once again, I dont think these operations have a developing nature, he added. At about 12:30, July 12, the armed forces of Azerbaijan attempted to violate the state border of Armenia in an UAZ vehicle in the direction of Tavush province. Following the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani armed forces left the vehicle and returned to their position. At about 13:45, the Azerbaijani forces made a second attempt to capture the Armenian border post, using artillery fire, but were pushed back, suffering losses. No casualties were reported from the Armenian side. The Azerbaijani defense ministry reported that three soldiers have died, four others were wounded in the incident. Later that day Armenian defense ministers spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side restarted shelling the same Armenian position, using 82 mm mortars and a tank. Today Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side has again resumed shelling the Armenian positions. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan By Express News Service BENGALURU: The government is hoping to plateau the Covid case spike in Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural with a week-long lockdown, and is watching uneasily as numbers continue to rise in Mysuru and other small towns. The urban development department (UDD) is now considering drastic measures in the smaller cities. UDD minister Byrati Basavaraj told TNIE that the department is closely tracking the numbers in all the CMCs, and agreed that the spike in Mysuru is worrying. In cities like Kalaburagi, Belagavi and Hubballi-Dharwad, the rise in numbers is being monitored both by the UDD and district authorities. Hubballi-Dharwad City Corporation commissioner Suresh Itnal said the number of cases in Dharwad is smaller compared to Hubballi. The authorities got 77 positive cases on Saturday in Hubballi, and till 4 pm Sunday, they had 59 cases. Of the 67 wards of Hubballi, we are getting high numbers from only 10 wards, while in 30 wards, the numbers per ward are below 3 and are not worrying. These are the ones that need attention, he said. He said that in a city like Davanagere, they could keep the numbers under check through strict monitoring, and dealing with the cases proactively. The number was restricted to 30-40 cases per day for the whole district. Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is due to hold a video conference on Monday with the district authorities, to deal with these issues. There has been pressure on the UDD to clamp a lockdown in these cities too, because the caseload is shooting up. Basavaraj agreed that there is a worrying spike in numbers and a lockdown for a certain period of time, even a fortnight, could be considered in consultation with the state government. He said he would visit Mangaluru, Udupi and Karwar on Monday and Tuesday, and check out the position at ground zero in these cities, and take up the issue with Yediyurappa. Arrest made in the killing of two brothers for their motorcycle Costa Maya, Q.R. One male subject has been arrested, accused of killing two brothers for their motorcycle. In a statement, the State Attorney reported the detainment of Rolando T, who is alleged responsible for the deaths of two brothers, aged 16 and 19. The two were killed May 17 while traveling along the Xpichil-San Antonio Puk road. The Fiscalia General del Estado de Quintana Roo said Rolando T is believed to have killed the two about 12 kilometres from Xpichil after stealing their motorcycle. According to testimonies, the two brothers had traveled to Jose Maria Morelos to buy a motorcycle, but on the way back, they were intercepted and killed by gunfire. Their bodies were found on a dirt road about 12 kilometres from the town of Xpichil on the way to San Antonio Tuk. In their statement, the FGE said Rolando T has been arrested for the crime of homicide in compliance with a court order. The detainee has been placed at the disposal of the judge to face criminal proceedings for these events. John Solomon has posted an interesting report on the findings in the defamation lawsuit in London against Christopher Steeles intelligence outfit for its role in disseminating the Steele Dossier. Among other things, following trial, the London court has found elements of the Steele Dossier false and defamatory as to two plaintiff Russian oligarchs. We may have the makings of a Robert Ludlum novel here. Call it The Steele Defamation. The London case barely scratches the surface of the dossiers defamatory falsehoods. Moreover, the London courts findings do not exactly come as a shock to those of us who have been following the biggest scandal in American political history. The basic facts of the case have long since been established in other proceedings here. Solomons story nevertheless draws attention to their corroboration in the case brought against Steele in London. The courts lengthy Approved Judgment is posted on Scribd. It includes an award of 18,000 in damages to each of two plaintiffs. The Wall Street Journal is among the media that have noted the London courts judgment. This was Steeles defense, according to the Journal: Mr. Steele has argued that he compiled the dossier and circulated it to a limited audience, but never intended for its publication in full by the website BuzzFeed. Its almost funny. Among other media that took note of the courts judgment are FOX News, Bloomberg News, and the Washington Examiner. I cant find any notice taken by the New York Times or the Washington Post. At every step along the way, the Times and the Post acted as co-conspirators with the perpetrators of the collusion hoax inside the Clinton campaign, the FBI, and the Obama administration. You can understand why they might not be inclined to look back or confess and repent their wrongdoing. They look forward to the Biden Ministry of Truth depositing it down the memory hole. The Indians announced that they have placed outfielder Delino DeShields on the 10-day injured list. The team didnt give a reason for DeShields IL placement, but its worth noting he recently tested positive for COVID-19. DeShields positive test forced him to sit out the beginning of Summer Camp, though he did fly to Cleveland last week after a negative test and take batting practice at Progressive Field on Saturday. However, the 27-year-old had not been cleared to rejoin the Indians for instrasquad workouts at that point, as Joe Noga of cleveland.com notes. The hope is that DeShields will return to the field as soon as possible, but considering what he has gone through in recent weeks, it seems unlikely hell be ready to make his Indians debut when their regular season commences on July 24. The 27-year-old was a key offseason pickup by Cleveland, which acquired him from Texas in a trade for two-time American League Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. Even without DeShields, the Indians have no shortage of options in the outfield. Oscar Mercado, Jordan Luplow, Tyler Naquin, Greg Allen, Jake Bauers, Domingo Santana, Daniel Johnson and Bradley Zimmer are among the teams other choices in the grass, but as is the case with the light-hitting DeShields, most or all of those players come with question marks. A second wave of coronavirus this winter could result in 120,000 hospital deaths, scientists warn. Action must be taken now to mitigate the reasonable worst case scenario which would see the NHS overwhelmed, the Academy of Medical Sciences says. The grim forecast which does not include care home deaths was commissioned by the Governments chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, to help preparations. It warned that hospitals could see 120,000 Covid-19 deaths between September and June while also battling a surge in demand from usual winter pressures such as flu. Modelling by the Academy of Medical Sciences estimates more than 120,000 people could die from coronavirus this winter in a 'reasonable worst-case scenario' The modelling presumed the R - the average number of people each Covid-19 patient infects -would rise to 1.7 But daily death toll is down to 11 Britain's coronavirus death rate has risen by its lowest daily level since mid-March, figures have revealed. Only 11 deaths were reported in care homes and hospitals yesterday the lowest daily rise since March 12. The latest figures from the Department of Health show that the overall death toll is 44,830. But this is thought to be an underestimate as it includes only those who were confirmed to have the virus. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics last week, which includes those suspected of having Covid-19, suggests that over 55,400 have died. Although the death rate is typically lower at weekends and on Monday, the decline in numbers is a sign that the pandemic is easing. But yesterday the World Health Organisation warned that if the public does not adhere to advice, the pandemic will get worse and worse. Advertisement The estimate was based on the R rate, which measures the viruss ability to spread, rising to 1.7 roughly half the level of its peak infection rate from September. While measures have been successful in reducing it below 1, scientists fear it could climb again as lockdown eases and winter allows viruses to spread more easily. The study by 37 scientists and academics, Preparing For A Challenging Winter 2020/21, suggests the peak of any second wave would hit hospitals in January and February, when the Health Service is traditionally most stretched. Professor Stephen Holgate, a Medical Research Council clinical professor of immunopharmacology who led the study, said: This is not a prediction, but it is a possibility. The risk could be reduced if we take action immediately. One vital preparation will be to ensure as many health and care workers, children and vulnerable people as possible are vaccinated against flu. And the NHS test and trace programme must be scaled up to cope with the surge of various winter illnesses with similar symptoms to Covid-19 to disentangle patients who have coronavirus from those with flu and other respiratory viruses. A rapid system of monitoring must be established, the report said, and hospitals must clear the huge backlog of postponed treatments which could be added to in a second coronavirus wave. Professor Azra Ghani, an expert in infectious disease epidemiology at Imperial College London who worked on the study, said the figure of 120,000 deaths was based on more social contacts at work, school and gatherings, combined with winter conditions which tend to aid the spread of viruses. We tried to capture something that we think might happen if absolutely everybody almost forgot about Covid, she said. It doesnt mean we think its likely to happen, its really to get a sense of what it could look like and why we must remember Covid has not gone away... and why we must act now. The number of patients suffering from respiratory conditions from August until March surges, data from the British Lung Foundation shows The team also looked at less serious forecasts, with an R rate of 1.1 leading to 1,300 hospital deaths between September and June, and an R rate of 1.5 leading to 74,800 hospital deaths. Either scenario would leave the health service stretched, they said. The modelling does not include care homes, which have been linked to 30,000 excess deaths in England and Wales during the pandemic. The figures also do not do not take into consideration future lockdowns or the recent success of a trial of the steroid dexamethasone, which slashed death rates in Covid-19 patients. Both of these could substantially reduce the number of coronavirus deaths in the UK, the researchers conceded. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he plans the biggest flu vaccination programme in history as part of a drive to stop the NHS being overwhelmed this winter. A further 21 people have died from coronavirus in 24 hours bringing the UK's total death toll to 44,819 We have procured enough vaccine to be able to deliver on that, but then its a big task, he told a virtual conference of the National Pharmacy Association. We all know that, having had an incredibly hard six months, the next big moment is as winter approaches. The Government is also working on a coronavirus vaccination programme should a successful vaccine be found, he said. Health bosses fear 10million people in England alone could be waiting for treatment and tests due to Covid-19 disrupting services this year. People spend more time indoors during the colder months, where infectious illnesses like the coronavirus and the flu find it easier to spread. A lack of the immune system-boosting vitamin D, made by the body when it's exposed to sunlight, also makes illnesses more common. Professor Dame Anne Johnson, vice president of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: 'Every winter we see an increase in the number of people admitted to hospital and in the number of people dying in the UK. 'This is due to a combination of seasonal infections such as flu, and the effects of colder weather, for example, on heart and lung conditions. 'This winter we have to factor in the likelihood of another wave of coronavirus infections and the ongoing impacts of the first wave. We have to be prepared that we might also experience a flu epidemic this year. 'Faced with these potential challenges, and after an already tough year, it would be easy to feel hopeless and powerless. 'But this report shows that we can act now to change things for the better. We need to minimise coronavirus and flu transmission everywhere, and especially in hospitals and care homes. 'We need to get our health and social care, and the track, trace and isolate programme ready for winter. This can be done, but it must be done now.' The reopening of the Berkshire Museum comes as part of Phase 3 of the state's four-phase Reopening Massachusetts plan, which began Monday, July 6, as announced on July 2. Berkshire Museum Will Reopen Saturday, Aug. 1 PITTSFIELD, Mass. After being closed for more than four months, the Berkshire Museum will once again welcome visitors through its doors in downtown Pittsfield. The museum, which will open in phases, plans to open exclusively to its members for two weeks during its first phase beginning Saturday, Aug. 1, before inviting the whole community in phase 2 starting Monday, Aug. 17. The reopening of the Berkshire Museum comes as part of Phase 3 of the state's four-phase Reopening Massachusetts plan, which began Monday, July 6, as announced on July 2. The museum intends to meet or exceed all state-mandated health and safety guidelines through each reopening phase. Beginning Aug. 1, guests will be welcomed back to the museum with a series of new health and safety protocols in place, including new and improved cleaning procedures, time-based advance ticketing that reserves each exhibition for one "family unit" a group that has been quarantining together at a time, mandatory face coverings, social distancing between visitors and staff, and more. "Throughout the pandemic, the Berkshire Museum has prioritized the health and safety of our guests and staff," said Jeff Rodgers, executive director. "This remains our primary concern, especially as we watch states across the nation suffer rising rates of infection. To ensure that we are acting responsibly, we're taking a phased approach to reopening that will allow us to adjust to changing conditions." From Aug. 115, the Aquarium will open for Berkshire Museum members with timed reservations. Members can enjoy private, 45-minute, self-led explorations of the Aquarium on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The museum will close from 1 to 2 p.m. daily for cleaning. The same operating hours will continue during phase 2 from Aug. 17-31, with timed reservations available to the public. In this phase visits will expand to include both the Aquarium and a last chance to see the Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons for all visitors. Timed tickets must be reserved in advance at berkshiremuseum.org or by calling 413-443-7171, ext. 360. Berkshire Museum members, children under 18, and EBT cardholders always visit free. During phase 2, adult regular admission will be $5. Reservations can be made starting July 23 for dates between Aug. 1 and 31. The Berkshire Museum staff will continue to monitor conditions locally and around the country. Phased reopening plans are subject to change in keeping with any modifications to state or local guidelines. Washington, D.C., July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group, filed an amicus brief today in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit challenging the lower courts biased ruling in favor of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.) in Thomas H. Buffington v. Robert L. Wilkie, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Mr. Buffington, who suffered service-connected disability (tinnitus) while serving for the U.S. Air Force, is seeking disability benefits in a lawsuit against V.A. The law is clear that when one asks for resumption of disability payments to which one is entitled, the resumption should begin as of the date one leaves active service. But the V.A. disagrees. It claims that payments can be resumed for no more than 12 months before the veteran requests resumption. The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims ruled against Buffington holding that (1) the relevant statute in this case is ambiguous; and (2) V.A.s interpretation of the relevant statute was entitled to deference under the Chevron deference doctrine. NCLA argues that the Court did not exercise its independent judgment regarding the best reading of the statutes at issue in this case and instead deferred to the interpretation of the V.A.a party to this proceeding. The Court stated that deference doctrines are based on a presumption that, in many instances, Congress intends to delegate interpretive authority to administrative agencies. But there is a well-established, pro-veteran maxim by the courts which provides that interpretive doubt is to be resolved in the veterans favor. The reason for rejecting Chevron deference in veterans cases is similar to the reason for rejecting it in criminal cases, to which the rule of lenity applies. Congress cannot be presumed to have intended to delegate to the V.A. authority to adopt a rule withholding otherwise-available disability benefits depending on the date on which a veteran seeks reinstatement of benefits. Likewise, Congress cannot be presumed to have intended courts both to construe such statutes in favor of veterans and to defer to an agency interpretation that disfavors veterans. Rule-of-lenity case law provides additional support for the proposition that Chevron is inapplicable when, as here, competing court maxims undercut presuming congressional intent. NCLA also urges the Court, in the course of its opinion, to note the constitutionally problematic nature of the Chevron judicial deference doctrine. Chevron is inconsistent with separation-of-power and due-process principles embedded in the Constitution. Judges violate Article III of the Constitution and their judicial oaths when they give Chevron deference instead of providing their independent judgment. Furthermore, judges violate the Due Process Clause when they favor a government litigants interpretation of the law over the interpretation of the other party in the case. The Court recently issued an en banc decision indicating that the question of how to resolve the tension between the pro-veteran canon and Chevron deference is an open question within the circuit. NCLA submits that this case provides an excellent vehicle for addressing and finally resolving the question. NCLA released the following statement: A longstanding rule of statutory construction known as the pro-veteran canon requires that ambiguous statutes governing the award of veterans benefits be construed in favor of veterans. That canon precludes application of Chevron deference when the federal government adopts a conflicting interpretation of relevant statutes. Rich Samp, Senior Litigation Counsel, NCLA ABOUT NCLA NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLAs public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans fundamental rights. ### The White House is seeking to discredit Dr. Anthony Fauci as he clashes with President Donald Trump over the U.S. coronavirus response, according to multiple reports. The Washington Post, CNN and ABC News report a document provided to media outlets details comments made by Fauci allegedly showing contradictions made publicly by the nations leading infectious disease expert. Several White House officials are concerned about the number of times Dr. Fauci has been wrong on things, the document claims. An unnamed White house official provided a list of past Fauci comments from early in the Covid-19 pandemic, including a quote saying People should not be walking around with masks. Fauci later said in June that masks werent initially recommended to the public because of concerns about PPE shortages for healthcare workers. ABC reports another example cites Fauci telling NBCs Today show in February that at this moment, there is no need to change anything that youre doing on a day-by-day basis. However, Faucis full statement explained that Right now the risk is still low, but this could change ... When you start to see community spread, this could change and force you to become much more attentive to doing things that would protect you from spread. According to CNN, the bullet points resemble opposition research on a political opponent. President Trump has previously retweeted calls to fire Fauci on Twitter and didnt hesitate to criticize him on Fox News last week. Dr. Fauci is a nice man, but hes made a lot of mistakes, Trump told Sean Hannity on Thursday. Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci arrives testify before a House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday, June 23, 2020. (Sarah Silbiger/Pool via AP)AP Fauci has disagreed with the president, who has not spoken to Fauci in weeks, through public comments. As a country, when you compare us to other countries, I dont think you can say were doing great. I mean, were just not, Fauci said recently, according to CNN. In another interview, Fauci disputed Trumps claim that 99% of coronavirus cases were totally harmless. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leading member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, graduated at the top of his class from Cornell University Medical College, also known as Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, in 1966. Hes played a critical role in U.S. research and treatment for AIDS, HIV, SARS, H1N1, and Ebola, serving under six different presidents, but thrust into the spotlight as a trusted voice on Covid-19 during Trumps press briefings. Newsweek reports a poll from Yahoo! News and YouGov last month showed more than 53% of Americans trust Fauci more than Trump on the coronavirus. Less than half as many 21% said they trusted Trump more. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, told CNN Sunday that White House efforts to smear or sideline Fauci are just atrocious. (It) is so characteristic of Donald Trump. He cant stand the fact that the American people trust Dr. Fauci and they dont trust Donald Trump and so he has to tear him down, Schiff said. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Florida shatters NY record for most daily coronavirus cases in a state Whats the greatest health risk in coronavirus era: Kids at school or at home? Destiny USA reopens for first day since Covid-19 shutdown: It feels weird Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Researchers from Melbourne University said a vaccine for Covid-19 is 'urgently needed' because the body does not appear to become completely immune after illness (stock image) Covid-19 survivors do not develop strong immunity against the coronavirus, a study has claimed. Researchers looking at how the immune system reacts in people who have had the disease once already found it did not offer as much protection as expected. With some illnesses such as chickenpox, the body can remember exactly how to destroy it and becomes able to fend it off before symptoms start if it gets back into the body. But the coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 did not seem to trigger this response in everyone who caught it, according to the research that deals a blow to hopes for widespread immunity without a vaccine. A study of 41 people in Australia found that only three of them developed a strong enough antibody immune response that they could block half of the viruses if they got into the body again. On average, the immune system's antibodies were only able to block 14.1 per cent of the coronaviruses if someone was exposed to the illness a second time, making it likely that someone could get ill again. Antibodies are only one type of immunity but they are usually the fastest-acting and what is needed to prevent illness. Other types of immunity such as that produced by white blood cells called T cells may make disease less severe but not stop it completely. The Australian researchers said T cells appeared to be a better sign of immunity than antibodies. The study was promising in that it showed coronavirus infection did stimulate the production of multiple types of immunity, including T cells and another form of white blood cell called B cells. These could be 'boosted', one scientist suggested, if they weren't produced in large enough quantities naturally. The Australian researchers warned a vaccine is 'urgently needed' because having had Covid-19 once might not protect people from getting it again. The study comes as one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies today said it will launch a treatment trial on patients in the UK to see if they can artificially boost someone's immune system so they can fight off the disease as if they already had it. The study, done by the University of Melbourne, looked at how antibody immunity develops in people who have been infected with coronavirus. Dr Adam Wheatley and his colleagues looked specifically at antibodies that worked by blocking the connection between the 'spike' on the outside of the coronavirus and the receptor inside the body that it attaches to, known as an ACE-2 receptor. They examined 41 adults who had recovered from 'mild-to-moderate' Covid-19, and had tested positive around a month before the study began. They compared their immunity levels to 27 people who had never had the coronavirus and had provided samples before the pandemic. If antibodies can block SARS-Cov-2's spikes and ACE-2 receptors from binding together they should be able to prevent Covid-19. But recovered patients' bodies did not all appear to develop the ability to do this. Their immune systems had definitely remembered they had caught Covid-19 before - they tested positive for specific antibodies and B and T cells linked directly to the coronavirus - but they did not seem able to stop it immediately. ASTRAZENECA WILL TRIAL SPIKE-SPECIFIC ANTIBODY TREATMENT IN UK PATIENTS Cambridge-based drugmaker AstraZeneca is preparing to launch human trials of an antibody treatment that could protect old and vulnerable people from Covid-19. The firm plans to test its three-minute infusion of antibodies immune cells trained to fight infections on 30 Britons next month. If it is proven to be safe then the therapy will be fast-tracked into large-scale trials on thousands of people in the autumn and winter, when Covid-19 cases are expected to rise. The treatment, described by Government scientists as 'very exciting', works by recreating the body's natural disease-fighting substances in a lab and injecting them into vulnerable patients. It is designed for people with immune systems so weak that conventional vaccines do not fully protect them. It would be suitable for those on chemotherapy and immunosuppressant drugs, or elderly patients who naturally struggle to fight off infections. Conventional vaccines prompt the body to produce its own antibodies in preparation for the real infection. But elderly people do not respond as well and develop less potent antibodies than young people. Sir Mene Pangalos, who leads pharmaceutical discovery research at AstraZeneca, told The Times: 'There's a population who are elderly that [may not] get a particularly good immune response to the [conventional] vaccine. 'In those instances you might want to prophylactically treat those patients with an antibody to give them additional protection. 'We're going to do this as fast as we can. Obviously we've got to show that you're safe but antibodies are well known entities it should be safe.' Sir Mene warned the treatment will likely cost double the amount of a standard vaccine and should be reserved for the sickest of patients. The treatment uses so-called monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which have been engineered in a laboratory and mimic antibodies naturally produced by recovered Covid patients. Monoclonal antibodies are already being used to treat tetanus, Ebola and diphtheria. Researchers from Vanderbilt University in the US evaluated more than 1,500 mAbs to find the two most effective at stifling Covid-19's spread. The two antibodies are given in combination via an injection. They work by binding to the coronavirus's spike proteins, which is uses to latch onto human cells, and preventing it from entering the body. Advertisement 'The median capacity of the patients immune plasma to block the interaction between ACE2 and the viral binding site was modest (only about 14 per cent),' the researchers wrote. This suggests that if someone was infected with 100 SARS-Cov-2 viruses, which cause Covid-19, 86 of them would still be able to get into the body through ACE-2 receptors. Only three people had the capacity to block more than 50 per cent of the viruses. When someone is infected with the virus they are generally exposed to large numbers of particles at once - this is called the viral load. How many coronavirus particles it takes to make someone sick with Covid-19 is not known. It is also not clear what proportion would need to be blocked for effective immunity to develop, nor why some people developed stronger antibody responses than others, but the scientists were concerned. Dr Wheatley and colleagues wrote: 'A vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 is urgently needed, and approaches that elicit neutralizing antibodies that target the spike protein, blocking the binding of the virus to the human receptor protein ACE2, are appealing. 'However, although spike-based vaccine prototypes show promise in animal models, the spike-specific immune response in humans is not well understood.' Dr Wheatley's research was published in the journal Nature Medicine. Professor Danny Altmann, an immunity expert at the British Society of Immunology and Imperial College London, was not involved with the research but said it was important to know the role that T cell immunity plays, in light of antibodies appearing less powerful in this study. He said: 'This team have looked at responses to the virus spike antigen by a subset of white blood cells called T follicular helper cells. These are the kind of T cells that talk to and stimulate the cells that produce antibodies. 'The team find that detection of these T cell responses is a good predictor of immunity. 'A key priority now is to roll-out T cell [tests] more widely, to understand if these responses offer more durable immunity than antibody and most importantly, to be sure whether this is a true correlate of protection.' Professor Mala Maini, an immunologist at University College London, added: 'The novelty is showing that all these players [antibodies, T cells and B cells] could be detected in the blood one month after COVID-19 infection indicating that key protective immune responses can be generated in natural infection and have the potential to be boosted. 'Only a small group of adults who had mild infection were studied and there was no follow-up beyond one month. The blood is only a proxy measure of the cellular immune responses going on in lymph nodes and lungs.' And Professor Charles Bangham, from Imperial College London, added: 'The study is an important reminder that the T cell response is a critical component of an effective anti-viral immune response. 'T cells are necessary to enable antibody production, and T cells can also directly kill virus-infected cells... The most effective anti-COVID-19 vaccine is likely to elicit both neutralizing antibodies, and a high total antibody titre, and a strong T cell response.' The study comes as one of the world's leading pharmaceutical firms, AstraZeneca, today announced it will trial an antibody treatment on patients in the UK. The therapy will work in the same way as the immune system the Melbourne researchers studied - by injecting someone with antibodies that bind to the coronavirus's spikes. The treatment, described by Government scientists as 'very exciting', works by recreating antibodies in a lab and injecting them into vulnerable patients. It is designed for people with immune systems so weak that conventional vaccines do not fully protect them. It could be suitable for people on chemotherapy and immunosuppressant drugs, or elderly patients who naturally struggle to fight off infections. Conventional vaccines force the body to produce its own antibodies in preparation for the real infection. But elderly people do not respond as well and develop less potent antibodies than young people. The treatment uses monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which have been engineered in a laboratory and mimic antibodies naturally produced by recovered Covid patients. Monoclonal antibodies are already being used to treat tetanus, Ebola and diphtheria. Researchers from Vanderbilt University in the US evaluated more than 1,500 mAbs to find the two most effective at stifling Covid-19's spread. The two antibodies are given in combination via an injection. They work by binding to the coronavirus's spike proteins, which is uses to latch onto human cells, and preventing it from entering the body. Professor Peter Openshaw, an immunologist at Imperial College London, told The Telegraph: 'I think it's potentially a very exciting form of therapy and the field has advanced quite remarkably over recent years in terms of the ability to produce antibodies in factories or in labs in bulk, that would be necessary for such a treatment to work. We do have to wait for some really good studies to demonstrate this.' If it is proven to be safe then the therapy will be fast-tracked into large-scale trials on thousands of people in the autumn and winter, when Covid-19 cases are expected to rise in the UK. UPDATE: Following this article being published, WA Police have granted the Dunn family permission to return to WA. A Karratha family has been split in two after Western Australias border clampdown on travellers from Victoria left the parents stuck in Melbourne after attending a vigil. Ben Dunn, 39, travelled to Melbourne on Thursday with his partner and two of his children, aged three and 13, to farewell his mother who passed away in regional Victoria. His twins, Zane and Jylah, 11, stayed in Perth with relatives. Ben Dunn, 39, his partner Shannon Mitchell, 38, and their children Mailer, 13, and Ivy-Mae, 3, are stuck in Melbourne while their 11-year-old twins, Zane and Jylah, are in Perth staying with an aunt. Mr Dunn planned for the family to return to WA on Saturday and had been told by authorities they would be exempt from the hard border closure on compassionate grounds, but just hours into their short stay the rules changed, leaving them stranded. A collection of British charities have launched a new appeal to raise funds to fight coronavirus in refugee camps and poor communities in some of the worlds most vulnerable countries. The UK Government has pledged to match the first 5 million in donations made by the public to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). The DEC, which is made up of 14 of Britains largest aid charities, will spend donations on providing food, water and medical care to people in countries such as Syria, Yemen and South Sudan. Other target countries are Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. Much of the money will go to refugee camps, where overcrowding and poor sanitation gives the virus much greater opportunity to spread. The DEC estimates there are 24 million internally-displaced people in these countries, as well as a further 850,000 Rohingya people in Bangladesh. Donations will also be spent on providing soap to vulnerable families and on providing information about the dangers of the spread of the disease. DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed said: Coronavirus has turned all of our lives upside down in ways we could never have imagined. For those fleeing violence and conflict in the worlds most fragile places, the pandemic is a new battle that they are not equipped to fight. These families have already lived through trauma and upheaval. Many are now living in crowded refugee and displacement camps with little access to medical care, clean water or enough food the bare essentials they need to survive the crisis. Millions of lives are at stake. We are urging people to donate now. International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: We are matching generous donations from the British people to the emergency appeal pound for pound, meaning your money will go twice as far in helping to protect millions of the worlds most vulnerable people from the deadly effects of coronavirus. Story continues Clean water and healthcare in refugee camps are essential in containing coronavirus in the developing world helping stop the spread of the pandemic and protecting the UK from further waves of infection. So far, 769 million in UK aid has been pledged globally to fight the pandemic, according to the Department for International Development. Among the DECs 14 members are ActionAid UK, Age International, the British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Islamic Relief, Oxfam GB and Save the Children UK. Those wishing to donate can do so online at Dec.org.uk, by phone on 0370 60 60 900, or text SUPPORT to 70150 to donate 10. HAMDEN People have been protesting DiBellas Subs all weekend after a manager sent an employee home for wearing a Black Lives Matter facemask instead of the company-issued one. Members of Hamden Action Now, a social justice community group, arrived at the Dixwell Avenue sub shop Friday afternoon to stand in solidarity with the employee, Andre Alexander, after he was told to leave work. They held small demonstrations Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the sub shop to support Alexander and demand a statement from the sandwich company showing support for the Black community. The company has insisted the incident had nothing to do with the particular message on Alexanders mask, but simply that employees arent allowed to wear any masks other than ones issued by DiBellas. DiBellas Subs feels very strongly about equality and social justice, and we take this accusation very seriously, according to a statement to media outlets Saturday by DiBellas Subs Director of Marketing AJ Shear. This incident has nothing to do with the Black Lives Matter message on this individuals mask. Employees are not allowed to wear ANY masks other than the company-issued masks. Alexander told Hamden Action Now if DiBellas values and supports equality and social justice, then they should be supporting his mask, which stands for the same thing. If we support the same thing, then my support of what you support shouldnt be an issue, Alexander told Hamden Action Now. So it shows you dont actually support it. Alexanders mask had pictures of Black people who had been killed by police, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Shear said the company requires all employees to wear company-issued uniforms masks included according to their policy released in April. Initially that policy allowed for employees to wear their own masks if they didnt have symbols or words on them, but in June they sourced enough masks of their own to provide them to all employees as part of their uniforms, according to Shear. Our mask policy of company-issued masks is critical to ensure that every mask is clean, safe, and hygienic, Shear said This employee was asked to switch his personal mask for the company-issued mask. This same policy applies to other pieces of the uniform for all DiBellas employees, such as company-issued shirts. Unfortunately, this weekend weve been seeing misinformation spread. We pride ourselves on inclusive values, and we have already launched several diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives with employees across our entire footprint this year, Shear said. Shear said the company prides itself on its inclusive values and said DiBellas Chief Operating Officer Bill Kressner had talked with Alexander on the launch of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. However, Alexander told Hamden Action Now that the company needs to put out an explicit statement in support of racial justice, like many other companies have, if thats what they believe. Shear said Kresner approved a paid day off Saturday for Alexander to protest, but he said instead he would just take the day off, according to the New Haven Independent. Alexander told the Independent he would continue wearing his mask and the company so far has said he is not fired. mdignan@hearstmediact.com A cosmetic surgery company has sparked outrage after it announced it would be selling T-shirts marked with double mastectomy surgical scars. Plastic surgeon at Cosmetic Surgery Partners in London, Dr Miles Berry, took to social media to unveil the clinic's new range of T-shirts that would allow those looking to transition from female to male to 'test the waters'. However the doctor has since been met with criticism, with those opposed to the clothing range arguing it was 'grotesque' and insensitive to breast cancer survivors. The clinic has since confirmed they have not sold nor will it be selling the T-shirts. A surgeon at Cosmetic Surgery Partners in London previously said the clinic would be selling T-shirts that have double-mastectomy surgical scars on them Surgeon Miles Berry took to social media to unveil the clinic's new range of T-shirts in a post which has now been deleted Taking to Instagram the aesthetic surgeon, wrote: 'With lockdown easing and better access to the Post Office, thought it might be time to test the waters. 'There are a few each of sizes XS, S, M, L and XL (currently grey only). 20 each (including postage within the UK) with 25% to charity-open to suggestions for the latter. Basket soon to be live on www.cosmeticurgery-partners.co.uk.' However after being met with criticism by one social media user the doctor went on to explain: 'Thanks for you comment and I am sorry it has led to you to question our compassion. 'In fact, it started as a bit of fun that we thought we could provide some additional benefit. 'Whilst I did research some of the charities, being-cis- felt it might trample on sensitiveness of the trans community if we did not solicit some opinion.' When contacted by MailOnline a spokesperson for the clinic said: 'I can confirm the post has now been removed.' They added: 'Our clinic has not sold nor will it be selling the T-shirts.' Following the post, which has since been deleted, social media users criticised the clothing range and suggested it was far from 'a bit of fun'. Plastic surgeon Miles Berry said that with lockdown easing and better access to the Post Office it was 'time to test the waters' The doctor later explained that the project started as a 'bit of fun' and was aimed at providing 'additional benefit'. The clinic has since said it had not sold nor would it be selling the T-shirts One user wrote: 'I was thinking about how breast cancer survivors might feel seeing girls walking round with T-shirts like that.' While another added: 'Geezo that is without doubt one of the worst things I've saw under the guise of a 'bit of fun'. Another person commented: 'This is grotesque.' Meanwhile another person wrote: 'As a woman who has had a double-mastectomy I can say these T-shirts are the obvious missing item in the cancer welcome pack.' Elsewhere another social media user added: 'There is so much wrong with this I don't know where to begin.' A transgender mastectomy, which is also called a masculinising chest surgery, involves the removal of unwanted breast tissue and sees the surgeon reconstruct the chest. Social media users took to Twitter to share their outrage, with one asking how breast cancer patients would feel In some cases, the areola and nipples are removed and resized before being grafted back onto the body. According to the NHS, those who think they may have gender dysphoria are referred to a gender dysphoria clinic (GDC) where a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals offer ongoing assessments, treatments, support and advice. These treatments can include: psychological support, cross-sex hormone therapy and speech and language therapy to help the patient sound more typical of their gender identity. Some people may decide to have surgery to permanently change their body and will be referred to a surgeon. Those looking to transition will have to live as their preferred gender identity for at least a year before a referral is made for gender surgery. Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent. 1. Surgeon demonstrates social distancing during surgery, performs remote operation over 5G network Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-0418 URL goes live when the embargo lifts A surgeon demonstrated how telesurgery could be successfully performed using robotic technology and a 5G network by operating on a cadaver patient from 15 km away. The low latency and high bandwidth of 5G allowed the surgeon to operate as if he were in the operating room with the patient. This was the first public demonstration of remote surgery over 5G. A brief research report is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. The authors from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy presented a feasibility demonstration where robotic telemicrosurgery was performed on a cadaver patient's vocal chords with both sides of the system on wireless 5G networks. According to the authors, this demonstration showed the feasibility of remote surgery both in everyday and in emergency situations, such as those involving temporary field hospitals and the need for physical distancing between surgeons and patients (e.g. during COVID-19 pandemic, or after natural disasters). This type of surgery has the potential for large-scale adoption, revolutionizing healthcare and surgical treatments around the globe, the authors say. Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To speak with the lead author, Leonardo de Mattos, MD, please contact Giuliano Greco at Giuliano.Greco@iit.it 2. Predicted albumin-creatinine ratio may be useful for CKD screening, staging, and prognosis Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-0529 Editorial: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-4211 URL goes live when the embargo lifts Albuminuria (presence of a type of protein in the urine), a marker of kidney disease, is associated with future risk for death, kidney failure, and cardiovascular events. Measurement of urine albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) is the preferred method to assess albuminuria; however, many care providers check urine protein-creatinine ratio (PCR) or urine dipstick protein instead. Findings from an individual participant-based meta-analysis are published in Annals of Internal Medicine and enable conversion of PCR or urine dipstick protein to ACR for use in chronic kidney disease (CKD) screening, staging, and prognosis. Researchers from the Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium studied 919,383 adults with same-day measures of ACR and PCR or dipstick protein to develop equations for converting PCR and dipstick protein to urine ACR and to test their diagnostic accuracy in CKD screening and staging. They found that predicted ACR performed well in CKD screening and staging, as well as prognostically when used to predict the 2-year risk of kidney failure. These finding suggest that when ACR measurement is not available in health care or research settings, ACR estimating equations, such as those reported in this study, may enhance both research and clinical care. Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. The consortium leaders, Josef Coresh, MD, PhD or Morgan E. Grams, MD, PhD can be reached through Jonathan Eichberger at je@jhu.edu. 3. USPSTF position paper details methods for developing recommendations to address social determinants of health Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-0730 URL goes live when the embargo lifts The United States Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) has tackled how they will develop primary-care based recommendations that address the social determinants of health (SDoH) that affect access and quality of health care. The Task Force position paper is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Social conditions that adversely influence health and wellbeing in the U.S. population are called SDoH. Some SDoH are modifiable and some are not. Public health interventions exist for improving modifiable SDoHs, such as food insecurity, transportation difficulties, and interpersonal safety. There is also a growing body of evidence on instruments and practices to screen for and intervene on SDoHs in clinical care settings. As such, the USPSTF is assessing the role of SDoHs in primary care prevention recommendations. Task Force members describe the mission of the USPSTF, highlight how SDoHs are currently incorporated into USPSTF recommendations for screening and prevention, and discuss a potential approach to address SDoHs in future recommendations. Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF please contact Lauren Evans at laevans@acponline.org. To speak with the lead author, Karina Davidson, PhD, please contact newsroom@uspstf.net. ### Also in this issue: Addressing Patient Bias Toward Health Care Workers: Recommendations for Medical Centers Kimani Paul-Emile, JD, PhD; Jeffrey M. Critchfield, MD; Margaret Wheeler, MS, MD; Shalila de Bourmont, BS; Alicia Fernandez, MD Academia and the Profession Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-0176 Editorial: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-4542 Restoring the Story and Creating a Valuable Clinical Note Heather E. Gantzer, MD; Brian L. Block, MD; Lacy C. Hobgood, MD; and Janice Tufte Ideas & Opinions Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-0934 A Delhi court on Monday denied bail to former Aam Aadmi Party Councillor Tahir Hussain in connection with the murder of IB official Ankit Tiwari during the north-east Delhi riots, adding that Hussain was present at the crime spot and used rioters as human weapons, who on his instigation could have killed anybody. Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav refused to grant bail to Hussain, who had been charge sheeted by the Delhi police for playing a pivotal role in the incident, while stating that there is enough material on record by way of witness accounts. .There is enough material on record to presume that Hussain was very well present at the spot of crime and was exhorting the rioters of a particular community and as such, he did not use his hands and fists, but used rioters as human weapons, who on his instigation could have killed anybody. It is again a matter of record that the investigation in the matter is still under progress as some other persons have to be apprehended. Statement of two more persons have been recorded by crime branch on July 7 namely Rahul Kasana and Girish Pal, who both have stated about the conspiracy of communal riots hatched at the residence of applicant on February 24, the judge said in his 21-page order. The court said that the possibility of Hussain threatening the witnesses also cannot be ruled out if he is released at this stage. It said that the riots in the area of north-east Delhi were carried out in an organised manner and as part of deep-rooted conspiracy and Hussains involvement is being investigated with regard to his connection with members of PFI, Pinjra Tod, Jamia Coordination Committee, United Against Hate Group and anti-CAA protesters. Appearing for Hussain, his counsel Javed Ali had contended that there is no cogent evidence which is admissible in the eyes of law to connect his client in the alleged murder of Ankit Sharma. He said that there is a delay in recording the statements of the witnesses and Hussain was not present at the spot on the day of the incident. The court, however, said that the statements of witnesses can be said to be delayed when the witnesses are known to the police and yet police do not record their statements; whereas, in a case of rioting, police hardly have any idea as to who were the witnesses. Further, people normally do not come forward and it is an admitted position on record that on the date of incident nearly 10,000 PCR calls were recorded in the area of PS Dayalpur. Thereafter, on the basis of these calls, police called back and traced out some of the witnesses. Therefore, at this stage, it cannot be said that there is delay in recording of statements of witnesses by the investigating agency, said the court. Advocate Javed Ali for Hussain also submitted that there is no evidence by way of video footage or CCTV footage to prove that Hussain was present at the scene of crime at the time of incident. Further, there is no evidence of abetment or conspiracy to kill Ankit Sharma, Ali added. He also said that one of the co-accused Haseen had categorically admitted in his extra-judicial confession about murder of Ankit Sharma by him alone, which clearly exculpates Hussain. However, opposing the bail application, the public prosecutor told the court that several prosecution witnesses have clearly identified Hussain at the scene of crime, instigating the rioters of a particular community and exhorting them to kill the people of other communities. The PP said that the witnesses have deposed before the magistrate that Hussain had incited the religious feelings of rioters from a particular community, as a consequence the rioters killed Ankit Sharma. The city polices crime branch had earlier filed a charge sheet against 15 people, including Hussain and his younger brother Shah Alam. The police had contended here was recovery of crates containing glass bottles having some liquid filled in them and their necks stuffed with pieces of cloth. It said that these were as Molotov cocktails while adding that a large number of bricks, stone pieces and three catapults were also seized from Hussains house. It said that this point towards the conspiracy and the extent of preparation for causing riots in the area. Hanoi, Vietnam -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/13/2020 -- The professionalism and expertise offered by a company in planning and carrying out their tours makes all the difference. This is why some companies have spent countless hours in trying to excel and perfect this experience. Among them is Kavo Travel Company. This is a "cong ty du lich noi tieng tai Vietnam" a famous Vietnamese travel company. Ever since its establishment in 2011, the company has been steadily improving their services. They now excel at organizing and operating a multitude of tours for their customers, agents and trust partners. Their enthusiastic staff is able to provide an experience that their clients cannot easily forget. They make a consistent effort to meet the satisfaction of their customers. This dedication has led to them becoming the most widely used and famous tour operator in Vietnam. The company has always striven to impress their customers and clients. To do this, they try to make every tour feel as unique and exciting as possible. Thus, no matter the person, they can likely conjure up a tour that best meets their needs. Having set out with the goal of becoming the best travel service for tourists, Khat Vong Viet has been increasingly diversifying tourist packages among their schedule. Especially, "Du lich Ha Long" Tour is one of the most famous tours in Northern Vietnam. They plan on continuing this forward momentum, improving even further where needed. With a clear focus, they have managed to become a boon for many of their clients already. One can visit their website to see the various tours they have available for 2020. Each of these is designed with the finest experience of the clients in mind. Some of them are perfect for tourists who wish to see all that Vietnam has to offer. Especially the "Du lich Da Nang" tour is one of the most attractive destinations in central Vietnam and Tour Phu Quoc in the south of Vietnam. For this reason, the company has quickly raised the standards and is now among the leading tour bus operators in Vietnam. About Kavo Travel Company This is a high reputation Vietnam tour operator that was formed in 2011. Since then, the company has steadily risen in popularity. It is now among the leading options for tour buses in Vietnam and continues to serve a multitude of clients annually. Their goal is to conjure up experiences that meet the needs of all their customers. As a result, one is able to attain unbridled satisfaction through their services. With a highly professional staff and affordable rates, the company is becoming the very best tour operate Vietnam has to offer. For more information: https://dulichkhatvongviet.com/ With more than 20 years' experience as a marketing and brand leader across the Middle East, South Africa and UK, Aimee joins the Mashreq leadership team to strengthen brand and corporate reputation to drive business growth DUBAI, UAE, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mashreq, one of the leading financial institutions in the UAE, has appointed Aimee Peters as its new Group Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications. Aimee has over 20 years of experience in Marketing, Communications and PR, across the Middle East, South Africa and the UK. Prior to joining Mashreq, she served as Head of Marketing Global B2B Coverage & Capital Markets at HSBC, where she was responsible for the development and delivery of marketing strategies across various functions of the bank, including the wholesale, investment and commercial banking divisions. In her role at Mashreq, Aimee will oversee brand and marketing activities across the Group focusing on all markets where Mashreq has its presence, and will be responsible for developing and spearheading the bank's brand strategy, with a focus on digital and mobile channels. In 2019, Aimee was named as one of the Top 100 B2B Marketing Leaders in Europe. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English Language & Literature from the University of Manchester, and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Commenting on the appointment, Ahmed Abdelaal, Group CEO, Mashreq Bank, said: "Aimee will play an integral role in communicating Mashreq's strategic vision, as we continue our digital transformation journey with a focus on customer-centricity. While we adjust to new ways of living and banking, Mashreq is geared to offering its customers the best and most innovative in banking solutions, underpinned by our digital-first approach. Aimee's experience in the region and deep understanding of the banking sector makes her the ideal person to take on this leadership role and tell our story, and I am delighted to welcome her as we continue to strengthen our team to meet the ever-growing needs of our customers." Aimee Peters added: "Mashreq has created a name for itself as one of the most progressive and innovative banks in the Middle East. I am honoured to be joining at such a strategically critical time, as the company accelerates its digital offering to help people and businesses both recover and thrive in a new, post Covid-19 environment. Mashreq already has a dynamic legacy and a reputation for being a first-mover in the industry, and I look forward to working with the team to ensure marketing is a key driver of business priorities, delivering value for our stakeholders." About Mashreq One of the UAE's best performing banks for five decades, Mashreq is a leading financial institution with an expanding footprint across the Middle East. We have international offices in Europe, Asia, Africa and the US, and a strong presence in the financial capitals of the world. As the oldest bank in the UAE, our journey can be traced back to humble beginnings in 1967, followed by periods of rapid growth and strategic expansion. Throughout our history, Mashreq has differentiated itself by pioneering new-to-market concepts and launching unique products and services. Our innovative approach sets us truly apart. It also continues to win us numerous awards and accolades in all the fields of banking we operate in Digital, Corporate, Retail, International, Treasury and Islamic, and across the multiple banking channels we deploy mobile, digital, online, traditional and telephony. For media enquiries, please contact: Rana AlBorno Public Relations, Mashreq Tel: 04 6083629 Email: RanaAlb@mashreq.com Related Links https://www.mashreqbank.com/ SOURCE Mashreq When the pandemic hobbled Saudi Arabia's plans to become a global tourism hub just months after opening its borders for the first time, officials looked for the bright side. There won't be any foreign vacationers sunning on the kingdom's beaches this summer. But there's a new market to woo: Saudis trapped at home. Along with countries around the world that are trying to recoup some of their tourism losses through domestic travel, the government leaned into the disruption, stoking patriotic sentiment with calls for a "Saudi summer." "The amount of constraint that people are feeling, the suffocation - this is a chance," Fahd Hamidaddin, chief executive of the Saudi Tourism Authority, said during a video conference to announce the summer strategy. The novel coronavirus has decimated tourism, putting a giant dent into the tenth of global economic output that the industry accounts for. International tourist arrivals fell 97% in April, and the World Travel & Tourism Council foresees about 100 million job losses - in a best-case scenario - as border closures, health fears, bankrupt hotels and airlines, and income constraints keep travelers at home. But tourism hotspots won't be hit equally, and some larger economies - like Saudi Arabia, Russia, the U.K. and Germany - are hopeful they can reduce the pain by capturing domestic spending that normally goes abroad. "There is a clear opportunity for some countries to soften the blow of lost inbound demand by encouraging residents to holiday at home," said David Goodger, Europe and Middle East managing director at Tourism Economics, a unit of Oxford Economics. "Countries with large outbound travel markets and which typically run a tourism deficit are best placed to benefit from this trend," he said - though he cautioned that any advantage will be relative. Take Russia, whose citizens typically spend about $20 billion more abroad each year than Russia earns from incoming travel. In the Krasnodar region, on the Black Sea coast, hotel reservations are flooding in, according to Delfin, one of the biggest tour operators there. "June was almost a total disaster, but July will be even better than last year," said Delfin's head, Sergey Romashkin. Moscow office worker Anastasiya Kulagina planned to spend her summer holiday in Tuscany, dropping about $6,000 for a three-week stay. Instead the 36-year-old is considering Yalta in the Crimea, which Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Despite a fresh-water shortage there and the fact that the Black Sea's city's hospitality infrastructure dates largely to the Cold War era, Kulagina was disappointed to see prices were about the same as Tuscany. But she has few other options. In Australia, sealed borders are enabling some regional operators to tap a wealthy and previously unattainable market. "It's just been incredible," said Steve Hinks, who directs Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, a five-hour drive from Sydney. He reckoned that the zoo, which provides luxury camping among animals from around the globe, has never fielded so many inquires in such a short space of time. "If we seize this opportunity and 'wow' these visitors then we have the chance to keep them again into the future," he said. For much of the world though, tourists staying closer to home will create a loss of revenue that domestic travelers couldn't possibly make up - especially in places dependent on foreign-exchange income that have limited domestic spending power. Countries like the Maldives, where tourism accounts for over half of gross domestic product, or island nations in the Caribbean, where beaches have gone empty, will suffer. In Turkey, it could take as long as three years for the industry to recover, according to Emre Narin, chief executive of Marti Hotels & Marinas, which is listed on the Istanbul stock exchange and operates six hotels and a marina. Around 8 million Turks traveled within the country last year, compared with 50 million foreign visitors the country was expecting this year. "Domestic tourism cannot possibly replace that kind of a market," Narin said. Destinations that rely more on domestic and short-haul tourism - like Japan, China and Mexico - will be more resilient to the downturn, Goodger said. As to countries that have a new "domestic opportunity," the U.K. tops his list. But overall, covid-19 means that global tourism spending - both domestic and international - will be significantly lower in 2020, and he doesn't expect it to recover to 2019 levels until 2023. As government support and job retention schemes come to an end, the world may see further spikes in job losses, he said. Gloria Guevara Manzo, president of the World Travel & Tourism Council, said she sees no real winners. "The reality is you don't spend the same amount traveling in your country as you do abroad," she said. To Tony Lucas, who manages a kiosk in front of the Sacre Coeur basilica in Paris, "it's a disaster." Before the lockdown he might have revenue of 1,000 euros a day; now it's "barely" 50 euros, he said. Similarly in Saudi Arabia, domestic trips won't make up for the suspension of religious tourism to the Islamic holy sites of Mecca and Medina. Yet officials are full of optimism at the chance to convince Saudis that there's beauty in their own country - a relatively new concept to many. In one local joke, a foreigner arrives in Riyadh and asks his taxi driver for his favorite local spot. The driver responds: "the airport." But non-religious tourism is so under-developed that there's little to lose. Hamidaddin said he'd be happy to attract just 5% of the Saudi tourists who normally go abroad. Among them is Faisal Almshari, 34, who would usually spend the summer traveling Europe. This year he's looking at the foggy mountains of southern Saudi Arabia. And not just for fun - he hopes to make some money off of it. "I was really surprised," Almshari said, describing the experience of scoping out sites for summer hiking trips to expand his fledgling tour business. "We don't need to go abroad." Captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, this image shows NGC 7513, a barred spiral galaxy. Located approximately 60 million light-years away, NGC 7513 lies within the Sculptor constellation in the Southern Hemisphere. This galaxy is moving at the astounding speed of 972 miles per second, and it is heading away from us. For context, Earth orbits the Sun at about 19 miles per second. Though NGC 7513's apparent movement away from the Milky Way might seem strange, it is not that unusual. While some galaxies, like the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy, are caught in each other's gravitational pull and will eventually merge together, the vast majority of galaxies in our universe appear to be moving away from each other. This phenomenon is due to the expansion of the universe, and it is the space between galaxies that is stretching, rather than the galaxies themselves moving. Text credit: ESA (European Space Agency) Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Stiavelli Larger image Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Amit Sadh has refuted the rumors of getting himself tested for Covid-19 for dubbing with Abhishek Bachchan, who is admitted at the Nanavati hospital for testing positive for the virus. Amit has tested negative for the novel coronavirus and said that he and Abhishek didnt dub together for their web show, Breathe Into The Shadows. The Kai Po Che actor told The Times of India in an interview, My family and I are getting tested for Covid as we speak. We all are tense. Its perhaps not the right time for me to talk but let me clarify, Abhishek and I never dubbed together. No two actors can do it together, anyway. Yes, we were dubbing for our web series, but he did it in the morning and I did it later that day. I just dubbed for two days. I used to walk in at the time that he would walk out. We must have left together on one occasion but I dont want people to go by the paparazzi pictures and assume that we dubbed together. We obliged for pictures together, thats it. The dubbing studio where the two actors worked was closed after Abhishek tested positive on Saturday. Feeling assured that the studio did everything to maintain a safe zone, Amit said, Nobody was allowed inside while the actor was dubbing. The security was tight. I saw them sanitising the space at regular intervals and staff wearing gloves at all times. Social distancing was maintained. Amit announced his test results on Monday. He wrote on Twitter, Thank you for your prayers and concerns. This is the only time I say happily I am negative. To all people battling this, my prayers and thoughts continue. Love you. Togetherness is the only strength ! Thank you for your prayers and concerns. This is the only time I say happily I am negative. To all people battling this, my prayers and thoughts continue. Love you. Togetherness is the only strength ! Amit Sadh (@TheAmitSadh) July 13, 2020 Also read: Amitabh Bachchan keeps up with his routine in isolation ward during treatment for Covid-19 Amit had shared a note on Instagram on Sunday, HI All! Thanks all for your concern and wishes. I am feeling perfectly fine, However, will get a precautionary Covid 19 test done today. . My thoughts and prayers with Mr Bachchan, Abhishek and family. Hoping for their speedy recovery. Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan is also admitted at the Nanavati hospital and Aishwarya and Aaradhya are in quarantine at home after testing positive for the novel coronavirus. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Its been a little over a month since Michaela Coels latest series I May Destroy You premiered on HBO. Still, the show has already become somewhat of a sensation. Intelligent humor juxtaposes with gut-wrenching moments as the audience watches the main character Arabella (played by Coel herself) cope with the aftermath of sexual assault. Michaela Coel | David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Hearst Magazines Fans of Coel will know that I May Destroy You is deeply personal to the actor. Like her previous show, Chewing Gum, Coel took inspiration from her personal life for the premise of I May Destroy You. But, despite investing so much of her life into the HBO drama, Coel revealed that she doesnt put too much stock into how the show is being received. In fact, the 32-year-old has a mantra to keep herself from getting too invested in how others feel about the show. Michaela Coel has a mantra about I May Destroy You I say this to myself because it helps keep me calm, which is, Youve done the work, youve done your job and now that its aired, your job is done. And its done. So I put my whole life into those two and a half years, and then I have to leave it there. Because I do see this as my child and I cant force anybody to like my child. Ive done my best. Ive ironed her skirt. Ive braided her hair. Off she goes, and theres nothing I can do. But deep down youre in total anguish, but you cant do anything, Coel revealed in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. But, in the age of social media, its hard for Coel to completely avoid reactions to I May Destroy You. Though Coel limits her time on the Internet, the interviews shes done lately have allowed her to ascertain just how much people are responding to her show. The reaction has been swift and overwhelming for Coel, especially given the speed at which everything has happened. Coel is overwhelmed by the positive reaction to the HBO series Ive actually cried because its quite overwhelming, especially when youre working so hard that you dont often reflect and process. We finished postproduction only really two weeks ago, so Ive just finished working, so I havent really yet had time to really process anything, Coel shared about the overwhelmingly positive response that I May Destroy You has elicited. Now that its clear that Coel has another hit on her hands, many fans of I May Destroy You are wondering whats next for the talented writer. For now, Coel isnt focused on creating, but rather taking care of herself. For the foreseeable future, Coel is taking a well-deserved vacation to prioritize herself and her needs and to spend time with friends and family. Whats next for the I May Destroy You cast member and creator? My mental health needs a little pause so that I can see my family and my friends. Because I work so much that I really dont see people and Im always lucky enough that I when I finish the project, my friends and family are waiting for me going, Are you back? So now I have to experience my life as a friend and an auntie Ive got a little niece and just want to do that for a little while and gather myself back up, Coel shared. We commend Coel on taking time for herself. I May Destroy You has already helped so many people, its great that Coel is now focused on helping herself. Zindzi Mandela, daughter of Nelson Mandela, dies FILE PHOTO: Zindzi Mandela, daughter of former South African president Nelson Mandela, arrives for the Royal premiere of "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" in London JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Zindzi Mandela, daughter of former South African president and liberation hero Nelson Mandela, died on Monday, the Mandela family said. Zindzi Mandela, the youngest daughter of anti-apartheid activist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Nelson Mandela, rose to international prominence when she read out Nelson Mandela's rejection of then-president P.W. Botha's offer of a conditional release from prison in 1985. The Mandela Legacy Foundation, speaking on behalf of the family, said memorial and funeral arrangements for Zindzi would be announced in the course of the week. It did not say why she had died. 59-year-old Zindzi, who served as South Africa's ambassador to Denmark, died in the early hours on Monday in a Johannesburg hospital, President Cyril Ramaphosa's office said in a statement. She was posted to Denmark in 2015 and was designated to become head of mission in Monrovia, Liberia. Ramaphosa expressed sadness at her passing days before Nelson Mandela's birthday and said she brought home "the unshakeable resolve of our fight for freedom". "After our liberation she became an icon of the task we began of transforming our society and stepping into spaces and opportunities that had been denied to generations of South Africans," Ramaphosa's office quoted him as saying. During her political career, she served as deputy president of the Soweto Youth Congress and was an underground operative for the African National Congress (ANC) party's armed wing, uMkhonto we Sizwe. Pule Mabe, spokesman of the governing ANC party, said: "This is untimely. She still had a role to play in the transformation of our own society and a bigger role to play even in the African National Congress." (Reporting by Tanisha Heiberg, Editing by Timothy Heritage and Steve Orlofsky) Maxim Integrated Products, a Silicon Valley company with a large factory near Beaverton, said Monday it will sell its business to rival Analog Devices for $21 billion in stock. Maxim employs several hundred in Washington County, where it makes analog chips that provide a supporting role in a range of consumer and industrial products. For example, Maxims products assist with power management inside cars and improve efficiency inside data centers. While Maxims chips arent on the cutting edge technologically, they provide essential assistance as manufacturers work to make their factories more efficient, add functions to smartphones or add embedded computers into industrial equipment. Maxim reported $2.3 billion in revenue last year and profits of $827.5 million. Its stock jumped 14.6% in early trading Monday to $73.45; shares were already near their highest point since the dot-com era. The combination with Analog Devices will create a large competitor to Texas Instruments, the industry leader. Maxims 312,000-square-foot Oregon site is its second-biggest factory, after a facility in the Philippines. The company acquired the property from Tektronix in 1994 and expanded it in 2016 to accommodate administrative and engineering personnel who had been working in Hillsboro. In recent years Maxim has employed more than 800 altogether in Washington County. The company did not immediately say how its sale will affect its Oregon operations. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Friday deferred considering the anticipatory bail plea of Swapna Suresh, the key accused in the Thiruvananthapuram airport gold smuggling case. The High Court will now hear the plea on Tuesday. The Union government on Thursday handed over the gold smuggling case to the National Investigation Agency. Swapna Suresh, a former employee of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram, is allegedly to be a member of the gold smuggling racket. Since the case has been taken over by the NIA, the HC cannot consider the bail plea and the matter has to be taken up by NIA special court, said Ravi Prakash, Centres counsel, reported regional media. It was on Thursday that Swapna, who is still absconding, submitted the bail plea online. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has handed over the case to the NIA considering the chances for its serious ramifications on national security. The NIA informed the Kerala High Court that a case has been registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against Swapna Suresh, Sandeep Nair and Sarith, who are members of the gold smuggling racket. Sarith has already been taken into custody by the Customs. The investigation agencys counsel strongly opposed giving bail to Swapna. However, Swapnas counsel submitted before the court that NIA has not provided the copy of the FIR. Swapna Suresh released an audio message to the media on Thursday in which she said that she is not involved in the smuggling and she contacted the Customs officials as per the request of UAE Consulate officials. The scam, worth Rs 15 crore, came out when the Customs officials at Thiruvananthapuram international airport seized 30 kilograms of gold from an air cargo baggage addressed to UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. The gold was smuggled in a chartered flight. The officials inspected the baggage after getting prior permission from the Ministry of External Affairs as they are not authorised to check baggage addressed to consulates and consulate officials as it has diplomatic immunity. The inspection was based on a tipoff. It is for the first time that smuggled gold is being seized from diplomatic baggage. The case turned into a political controversy and the Kerala government has removed principal secretary to chief ministers office and IT secretary M Sivasankar, who is allegedly shared close links with Swapna Suresh. 4 Killed in Protests Calling for Mali's President to Resign By VOA News July 12, 2020 Mali's president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has dissolved the country's constitutional court, after four people were killed in street protests over the weekend. Additionally, Keita said Sunday he would follow ECOWAS recommendations to re-run some contested legislative elections held in March. Opposition leaders said that Keita's concessions, including dissolving the constitutional court, was not enough to appease them and that they would not stop until he stepped down, Reuters reported. Protesters have been calling for Keita, in power since 2013, to step down amid criticism for failing to end a long-running jihadist insurgency and improve the African country's economic woes. Video taken in the capital, Bamako, by VOA's Bambara service on Friday shows a crowd of demonstrators estimated at tens of thousands assembled outside the national assembly building, demanding that Keita step down. National guardsmen also reportedly fired tear gas at protesters throwing rocks at the parliament building. Protesters were seen building barricades with burning tires to block a main road. Groups of protesters were also seen trying to take over two main bridges in the city, leading to battles with the police. This was the third mass protest in Bamako in the past two months. In addition to contested elections, protesters are unhappy with Keita's handling of the country's economic crisis and long-running jihadist conflict. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hyderabad, July 13 : Amid the ongoing row over demolition of two mosques and a temple in Telangana Secretariat premises and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao's announcement to rebuild them, the Federation of Telugu Churches (FTC) has requested the state government to also construct a church in the new complex. Claiming that church services were always held in the old Secretariat, the Federation urged the Chief Minister to construct a church along with a mosque and a temple in the proposed complex. While demolishing the existing structures last week, the authorities also razed the mosques and temple, evoking strong protests from both the communities and the opposition parties. The Chief Minister expressed his regret over the incident and promised that the government will rebuild them as part of the new complex. The FTC wrote to the Chief Minister that from the beginning of the old Secretariat, Christian worship was held there. "Every Wednesday during the lunch break, prayers were offered at first in the Association Hall of the K Block. Later in 2007, (then) Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy inaugurated the church hall in the large shed opposite the L Block, where church services are being offered till recently," the FTC said. It claimed that there was a long-pending request with the government for allotment of land in the Secretariat for a church. "Now that all these blocks are being demolished, we appeal to you to get a church building constructed along with the construction of a temple and mosque which you have promised. This gesture will go a long way to prove the secular credentials of your government and your personal secular convictions which you have credibly vindicated in the last six years of your able leadership," it added. U S rapper Lil Marlo has died after being shot while driving in his car in Atlanta, Georgia. The artist's record label Quality Control Music announced the death of Rudolph "Marlo" Johnson in a social media post, saying he will be remembered as "a man of great talent who feared nothing". "With great sadness, we announce the loss of our beloved Marlo," the statement said. "In loving memory of a great son, father, and friend to many." It added: "To Marlo, we love you and will miss you, as you will not be forgotten and the world will remember your name. "A life so beautifully live deserves to be beautifully remembered." Atlanta Police Department said a man named Rudolph Johnson was killed late on Saturday in what investigators believe was a targeted shooting. Officers responded to a single-car wreck on Interstate 285 in Atlanta at about 11.30pm. Police found the driver, later identified as Johnson, dead inside his vehicle, a statement said. Officers believe Johnson was shot while driving and he was the intended target. Johnson emerged in 2017 collaborating with rapper and friend Lil Baby on "2 The Hard Way." Earlier this year, the up-and-coming rapper released his project "1st & 3rd" featuring Future, Gucci Mane and Lil Baby. "So Much Potential That The World Didn't Get A Chance To See. Love You Bro. It's Really Hard For Me To Say RIP," Quality Control Music CEO Pierre Thomas said on Instagram. In a post on Instagram, rapper Lil Yachty said he and Johnson had been working on four songs on the morning of his death. Feeling blue? Give a tree a hug Location: Apollonia National Park, Israel (SOUNDBITE) (English) TREE-HUGGER MOSHE HAZAN, SAYING:"I think we are not hugging too many people these days, not our children, not our grandchildren and hugging a tree is quite a nice thing to do. We have no other alternative to hug." Tree-huggers are turning to foliage while they can't get too close to their family and friends (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI TREE-HUGGER, BARBARA GRANT, SAYING:"The most basic human need is for connection, for touching, for hugging, so apart from my partner, I can't hug my children, my grandchildren so nature is beautiful, so you express your love for nature by hugging a tree, that's what we are doing." Israel's Nature and Parks Authority want to help people overcome the sense of detachment brought by social distancing measures (SOUNDBITE) (English) ORIT STEINFELD, ISRAEL'S NATURE AND PARK AUTHORITY MARKETING DIRECTOR, SAYING:"We recommend to people around the world to go out to the nature, take a deep breath, hug a tree, express your love and get love." Armenian FM Zohrab Mnatsakanyan held phone talks with CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas, Armenian MFA spokeswoman Anna Naghdalyan wrote on her Facebook. "Minister Mnatsakanyan provided the CSTO Secretary General with detailed information on the ceasefire violations committed by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the direction of the Tavush province since July 12, the resumption of these operations on the morning of July 13, as well as the consequences of further aggravation of the situation," she noted. The FM noted the inadmissibility of such actions towards a CSTO member state. "Permanent contact with the CSTO Secretary-General is maintained and work continues within the CSTO." A poster calling on China to return the remains of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche to his family is shown on the Chinese consulate in San Francisco in a July 14, 2015 photo. Authorities in western Chinas Sichuan province have imposed tight controls on the movements of Tibetans in Lithang, hometown of revered lama Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, five years after the well-loved religious teachers death under suspicious circumstances in a Chinese prison, Tibetan sources say. Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, 65, died on July 12, 2015 while serving a life sentence following what rights groups and supporters called a wrongful conviction on a charge of bombing a public square in the provincial capital Chengdu in April 2002. He was initially sentenced to death, but the sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. An assistant, Lobsang Dondrub, was meanwhile executed almost immediately, prompting an outcry from rights activists who questioned the fairness of the trial. Tibetans in Lithang have now been ordered by authorities not to gather in public, burn incense, share photos on social media, or otherwise observe the fifth anniversary of Tenzin Delek Rinpoches death, the Washington-based advocacy group International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said on July 13, citing anonymous sources in Lithang. There were warnings of unspecified consequences for anyone who violated the restrictions, ICT said in a statement, adding that Tenzin Delek Rinpoche before his arrest had become well known in Tibet for his social work, including building medical, educational and religious institutions. In a tape-recorded message smuggled out of prison in January 2003 and obtained by RFA, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche denied involvement in the series of bomb blasts in western China for which he had been sentenced, saying, I was wrongly accused because I have always been sincere and devoted to the interests of the Tibetan people. The Chinese did not like what I did or what I said, and that is the only reason why I was arrested, he said. A mysterious death In July 2015, Chinese police informed Tenzin Delek Rinpoches relatives that he was seriously ill. But when they rushed to visit him, they were told he was already dead, sources told RFA in earlier reports. Despite protests from his family, prison authorities cremated Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's remains four days later. In July 2016, Tenzin Delek Rinpoches niece Nyima Lhamo fled Tibet into exile in India to press for an investigation into the circumstances leading to his death. Tenzin Delek Rinpoches treatment by China has exposed Chinas mockery of justice and lack of due process for Tibetan political prisoners in Tibet, relative and disciple Geshe Jamyang Nyima, now living in exile, told RFAs Tibetan Service on Monday. His case has put an international spotlight on human rights issues in Tibet, Geshe Nyima said. Tenzin Delek Rinpoches main accomplishment is that he took the advice of [exiled spiritual leader] the Dalai Lama to heart, and he followed it up with his actions and his words. Reported by RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit most, if not all, countries hard. Businesses have shut down, and people's livelihoods have been affected negatively, and still, the future is uncertain. Australia is no exception, mainly due to the country's connection with the Chinese economy However, Australia is one of the countries that has recorded a significant step in suppressing the number of corona cases over the past months. For instance, the country has had slightly over 7,400 new infections and 102 deaths, which is quite low compared to other developed nations. Since May, Australia has had plans to ease the lockdown measures following prospects of 'flattening the curve.' However, in recent months, a rapid rise of infections has raised public concerns on the sustainability of the plans to ease the lockdown. For instance, Dr. Brendan Murphy, the Chief medical officer in Australia on 13 June, pointed out that Victoria was recording a high community transmission rate. Presently, Victoria has been reporting an average of 18 new infections every day for the last week. This can be attributed to the lack of adherence to the set restrictions measures. What is the State of the Numbers? Australia has recorded the highest number of infections in the past two months. However, it has not still surpassed the peak experienced in March. Victoria now has more than 100 active cases of coronavirus. While these are contracted in a fortnight, the situation in March was different - there were 100 new cases each day. During that period, a few hundred people were admitted to hospitals in different parts of the country, with a 25% increase in daily infections. Even though the infections are currently rising, Australia's numbers are still below those of most countries all over the world. According to the World Health Organization, there are over 180,000 daily cases of new infections globally. Impact of Coronavirus Outbreak on Businesses The coronavirus pandemic is considerably a transformative global event. As the majority of individuals barely grasp the status of this pandemic, it is no secret that the business world has been highly affected. Presently, the future of businesses remains uncertain. A large number of business leaders have to grapple with the reality of shutting down premises, staff relocation from their homes, and carrying out experiments on what ways are working out for them. Additionally, companies have to deal with the need to reduce their workforce as a means to lower operational costs. Today, more than 1 million people are feared to have lost their jobs since the pandemic broke out. The employment of numerous staff in most Australian companies has been disrupted. For example, Woolworths has stood down 3,800 workers temporarily. The majority of small businesses, such as hairdresser shops have been closed following the announcement of the social distancing measures. Generally, COVID-19 has had adverse impacts on the business and employment environments in Australia. How can businesses adapt? With all such issues, is it possible for businesses to remain afloat? Numerous business individuals are concerned about COVID-19's impact on the business landscape, even past the crisis. The main questions revolve around the use of emerging digital approaches in workplaces to help businesses remain sustainable post the crisis. Here are several tips that can help businesses adapt for the future. Create Business Continuity Plans The majority of businesses in Australia have no continuity plans. Well, none imagined that a pandemic like this one would affect them as it has. With there being no guidelines, business survival is becoming not certain. While continuity may seem unimportant at these hard times, this is the most appropriate time to adapt the right continuity plans for your business. Build a Strong Online Presence Consistent success has made most traditional businesses more complacent. The majority of them have not worked on building a strong online presence based on the perception that customers can still find them through the old-fashioned way. However, the current situation is demanding an immediate change. With most individuals doing business online, it is becoming the norm. Organizations that have remained with their traditional approaches to finding clients are being pushed to adapt to the online world of doing business. The journey to building a strong online presence needs a clear plan. Therefore, organizations should engage IT experts to get the right foundation from the onset. You can make a list of top software companies in Sydney or the whole of Australia and sample them one by one to find one that best addresses your needs. Adopt a Better Employee Dynamic Employees in most industries have been working from home since the outbreak of the coronavirus. Even though working remotely has been there for some time, it is only now that more organizations are seeing its advantage, especially with the social distance restrictions. Remote work is highly advantageous in the long run, but there is a need for businesses to get into it with a new employee dynamic. The remote work dynamic may be challenging for most organizations, especially where supervisors feel that employees are not working well, so they hold unnecessary meetings. A lot of significance needs to be placed on the output as opposed to the attendance. Having the right systems and processes in place will ease the operations of most companies. For instance, organizations should adopt better platforms of communication, collaboration, sharing of files in real-time to make remote working seamless for everyone and affordable in the long run. Post COVID-19 Recovery Process The following are the most important steps that businesses in Australia will follow through the recovery process: Reaction: whereas disruption of personal and professional lives has occurred, businesses are simultaneously affected. Uncertainty and volatility continue to permeate society. In such conditions, the focus should shift, ensuring limited damage to livelihoods and lives, as every business owner struggles through the unprecedented storm. Resilience: it is expected that towards the containment of the spread of the virus, or the availability of a cure or vaccine, businesses will lose control. The majority of consumers will start returning. Nevertheless, at this stage, a large number of people will be constrained by recession fears, investment losses, and lost wages. Recovery: the consumer and investment sentiment improve as anxiety passes. However, all organizations would follow the same recovery plan. The major factors determining the path that each business takes will depend on the capacity to minimize damage from the recession severity, length, and reaction stage, and the post-COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, the willingness to adapt will be a key factor in the success of the recovery plan. New reality: several enduring phases will still be there past the recovery stage. At this stage, a majority of the behaviors learned from the pandemic will be central to the businesses' operations. Conclusion There is no doubt that the outbreak and spread of the coronavirus have had significant impacts on businesses, and lives not only in Australia but also in the whole world. Whatever the outcome of the crisis is likely to be, there is a need for businesses to get the necessary lessons, be highly resilient, and well prepared for future disasters. For businesses to maintain resilience at this time, there is a need to adopt an organization-wide view, which focuses on commercial, operational, financial, and communities. Even with such an approach, business leaders should employ the right systems and processes in place to ensure the sustainability and continuity of their businesses. College and health officials worry about the consequences of reopening historically black colleges and universities without adequate access to testing, contact tracing and general medical care. While covid-19 disproportionately hits black communities, many of these institutions have less funding and smaller endowments compared with other schools to invest in critical health-care infrastructure: About 12 percent of HBCUs that offer bachelors degrees have no campus clinics, according to a Post review of the roughly 80 institutions. And of those that provide health services, about 70 percent do not have a full-time physician on staff. I would like to know why the library is not open. This is something that can be controlled. Only so many people will go in and every child has to have an adult. There are way too many poverty areas in Lake County, where parents cannot afford to buy books for their children. The library is so important to every family in Waukegan, North Chicago, Zion and so many other areas. Why arent the libraries open yet? They should be open now, or at least make books available. Some of the libraries have started making books available. You pick them up. You drop them off. I know that volunteers or workers go in, and they clean them. What is wrong with our library here? Experts are saying infected people are releasing aerosols when they cough and sneeze and also when they breathe, talk or sing, with some exertion. The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation and may help explain superspreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. Its unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization. What is clear, they said, is that people should consider minimizing time indoors with people outside their families. Schools, nursing homes and businesses should consider adding powerful new air filters and ultraviolet lights that can kill airborne viruses. Here are answers to a few questions raised by the latest research. What does it mean for a virus to be airborne? For a virus to be airborne means that it can be carried through the air in a viable form. For most pathogens, this is a yes-no scenario. HIV, too delicate to survive outside the body, is not airborne. Measles is airborne, and dangerously so: It can survive in the air for up to two hours. For the coronavirus, the definition has been more complicated. Experts agree that the virus does not travel long distances or remain viable outdoors. But evidence suggests it can traverse the length of a room and, in one set of experimental conditions, remain viable for perhaps three hours. How are aerosols different from droplets? Aerosols are droplets, droplets are aerosols they do not differ except in size. Scientists sometimes refer to droplets fewer than five microns in diameter as aerosols. (By comparison, a red blood cell is about five microns in diameter; a human hair is about 50 microns wide.) From the start of the pandemic, the WHO and other public health organizations have focused on the viruss ability to spread through large droplets that are expelled when a symptomatic person coughs or sneezes. These droplets are heavy, relatively speaking, and fall quickly to the floor or onto a surface that others might touch. This is why public health agencies have recommended maintaining a distance of at least two metres (six feet) from others, and frequent hand washing. But some experts have said for months that infected people also are releasing aerosols when they cough and sneeze. More important, they expel aerosols even when they breathe, talk or sing, especially with some exertion. Scientists know now that people can spread the virus even in the absence of symptoms without coughing or sneezing and aerosols might explain that phenomenon. Because aerosols are smaller, they contain much less virus than droplets do. But because they are lighter, they can linger in the air for hours, especially in the absence of fresh air. In a crowded indoor space, a single infected person can release enough aerosolized virus over time to infect many people, perhaps seeding a superspreader event. For droplets to be responsible for that kind of spread, a single person would have to be within a few feet of all the other people, or to have contaminated an object that everyone else touched. All that seems unlikely to many experts: I have to do too many mental gymnastics to explain those other routes of transmission compared to aerosol transmission, which is much simpler, Marr said. Can I stop worrying about physical distancing and washing my hands? Physical distancing is still very important. The closer you are to an infected person, the more aerosols and droplets you may be exposed to. Washing your hands often is still a good idea. Whats new is that those two things may not be enough. We should be placing as much emphasis on masks and ventilation as we do with hand washing, Marr said. As far as we can tell, this is equally important, if not more important. Should I begin wearing a hospital-grade mask indoors? And how long is too long to stay indoors? Health care workers may all need to wear N95 masks, which filter out most aerosols. At the moment, they are advised to do so only when engaged in certain medical procedures that are thought to produce aerosols. For the rest of us, cloth face masks will still greatly reduce risk, as long as most people wear them. At home, when youre with your own family or with roommates you know to be careful, masks are still not necessary. But it is a good idea to wear them in other indoor spaces, experts said. As for how long is safe, that is frustratingly tough to answer. A lot depends on whether the room is too crowded to allow for a safe distance from others and whether there is fresh air circulating through the room. What does airborne transmission mean for reopening schools and colleges? This is a matter of intense debate. Many schools are poorly ventilated and are too poorly funded to invest in new filtration systems. There is a huge vulnerability to infection transmission via aerosols in schools, said Don Milton, an aerosol expert at the University of Maryland. Most children younger than 12 seem to have only mild symptoms if any, so elementary schools may get by. So far, we dont have evidence that elementary schools will be a problem, but the upper grades, I think, would be more likely to be a problem, Milton said. College dorms and classrooms are also cause for concern. Milton said the government should think of long-term solutions for these problems. Having public schools closed clogs up the whole economy, and its a major vulnerability, he said. Until we understand how this is part of our national defense, and fund it appropriately, were going to remain extremely vulnerable to these kinds of biological threats. What are some things I can do to minimize the risks? Do as much as you can outdoors. Despite the many photos of people at beaches, even a somewhat crowded beach, especially on a breezy day, is likely to be safer than a pub or an indoor restaurant with recycled air. But even outdoors, wear a mask if you are likely to be close to others for an extended period. When indoors, one simple thing people can do is to open their windows and doors whenever possible, Marr said. You can also upgrade the filters in your home air-conditioning systems, or adjust the settings to use more outdoor air rather than recirculated air. Public buildings and businesses may want to invest in air purifiers and ultraviolet lights that can kill the virus. Despite their reputation, elevators may not be a big risk, Milton said, compared with public bathrooms or offices with stagnant air where you may spend a long time. If none of those things are possible, try to minimize the time you spend in an indoor space, especially without a mask. The longer you spend inside, the greater the dose of virus you might inhale. Apoorva Mandavilli c.2020 The New York Times Company Aircraft are seen at Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCMC, June 15, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has allowed the resumption of commercial flights to and from China after five months of shutdown to contain Covid-19. Aviation authorities in Vietnam and China still need consensus on the frequency and conditions of transporting passengers, the Government Office stated Sunday, citing a prime ministerial directive. The exact date of resumed flights has not been revealed. Since early February, Vietnam suspended all flights to China after the first Covid-19 infections were reported last December in Wuhan, before halting all international flights from March 25 in an unprecedented move to stem the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Chinese capital, Beijing, faced a second Covid-19 outbreak last month, linked to the Xinfadi wholesale market, a food distribution center. Chinese authorities said it has since brought the new Covid-19 threat under control. In the latest directive, the PM also assigned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Transport to increase repatriation flights and reopen commercial services to South Korea's Seoul, Japan's Tokyo, Taiwan, Vientiane in Laos and Phnom Penh in Cambodia to bring Vietnamese abroad home. Priority will be given to Vietnamese stranded overseas, foreign experts, specialists and students. Vietnam Airlines has been tasked to urgently organize a repatriation flight to bring Vietnamese in Equatorial Guinea home as soon as possible. Half of the over 200 stranded workers have tested positive for Covid-19, according to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. The PM also instructed authorities to bring home around 14,000 Vietnamese from overseas in the coming months. Since late March over 11,000 people have been brought home on 55 repatriation flights from various parts of the world. Vietnam has gone nearly three months without community transmission caused by the novel coronavirus. The country of 96 million people has reported only 372 infections and not a single Covid-19 death. ARLINGTON, Va., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to new research from BBB's Give.org, close to 50% believe sexual harassment is a problem in charity workplaces, and close to 40% of donors who learned about sexual harassment at a specific charity say they no longer contribute to that organization (22%) or reduce their support (17%). The standards-based, charity-evaluation group today released the Give.org Special Report: Sexual Harassment and the Charitable Sector. The report, a survey of more than 2,100 adults in the United States and more than 1,000 adults in Canada, explores how allegations of sexual harassment at a charity can strain the relationship between donors and charities. "As mission-driven organizations, charities have a special place in the hearts of the public and can be held to a high ethical standard," said H. Art Taylor, president and CEO of BBB's Give.org, "As an issue of good governance, charities must strengthen their cultures so that sexual harassment is clearly understood and never tolerated. They must be prepared to react in a timely and appropriate fashion, and openly communicate with their donors about the issues and any implemented solutions." Report highlights include: Close to 50% of U.S. and Canadian respondents say they believe sexual harassment is a common problem in charity workplaces (16% in U.S./13% in Canada ), or sometimes a problem (36% in U.S. and Canada ). ), or sometimes a problem (36% in U.S. and ). 22% of U.S. donors and 30% of Canadian donors who learned about sexual harassment at a specific charity say they no longer contribute to that organization, and another 17% (16% in Canada ) report reductions in their support. ) report reductions in their support. Of those who reduced or stopped supporting a specific charity, 39% in the U.S. and 37% in Canada report not replacing the donation. In addition, 13% in the U.S. and 21% in Canada say they replaced their donation outside the cause area. report not replacing the donation. In addition, 13% in the U.S. and 21% in say they replaced their donation outside the cause area. When comparing different workplaces, a relatively high portion of respondents say they do not know whether sexual harassment is a problem for charities (20.8% in U.S./28.8% in Canada ) as compared to other sectors (with 6.4% to 13.7% for other sectors in U.S. and Canada ). ) as compared to other sectors (with 6.4% to 13.7% for other sectors in U.S. and ). Relatively few respondents heard about sexual harassment involving a charity during 2019 (22.7% in U.S./18.8% in Canada ). Participants who report being employed by a charity themselves were much more likely to say that they heard about sexual harassment at a charity (52.0% in U.S./44.3% in Canada ). For a free copy of the report, go to Give.org/DonorTrust. BBB's Give.org urges donors to give thoughtfully by taking the time to investigate charities before making a donation and to visit Give.org to verify if a charity meets the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. ABOUT BBB WISE GIVING ALLIANCE: BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB's Give.org) is a standards-based charity evaluator that seeks to verify the trustworthiness of nationally soliciting charities by completing rigorous evaluations based on 20 holistic standards that address charity governance, results reporting, finances, fundraising, appeal accuracy and other issues. National charity reports are produced by BBB's Give.org and local charity reports are produced by local Better Business Bureaus all reports are available at Give.org. ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust. In 2019, people turned to BBB more than 183 million times for BBB Business Profiles on nearly 5.8 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at BBB.org. SOURCE BBB Wise Giving Alliance TDT | Manama His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, held a remote meeting yesterday with General Kenneth F McKenzie Jr, commander of US Central Command. HRH the Crown Prince reaffirmed that historical ties continue to go from strength to strength with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas strong support for expanded relations between Bahrain and the US, and concerted efforts aimed at upholding regional peace and security. HRH the Crown Prince and the General McKenzie also exchanged views on regional and international developments. Bahrain Defence Force Chiefof-Staff Lt-General Dhiyab bin Saqr Al Nuaimi also participated in the video conference. Crazy spending In a time when Auckland Council is basically insolvent, we have our Rodney Local Board, who are totally controlled by Rodney First members Phelan Pirrie (chairperson) and his deputy Beth Houlbrooke, on their usual spending sprees on their grandiose edifices. For example, their latest temporary Park and Ride to be built opposite the Z Station on SH1 at a cost of around $3 million to $4 million. And yes, its apparently only temporary to serve their local buses, which should be cancelled anyway due to the very low patronage using them. Why do they think us ratepayers should be forking out this sort of money when there are car parks at the showgrounds right next door to their proposed Park n Ride, which are very rarely used apart from some Saturdays? Surely, the part of the car park adjacent to the rodeo grounds could have a bus shelter built, plus some new lines painted for the three or four buses that might use it, and, hey presto, you have a temporary Park and Ride for maybe $80,000 giving us a saving of a mere $3 million to $4 million of our money. Rodney First also wants to build a new walkway from Kowhai Park, which includes a new bridge that will link Warkworth to their new Park and Ride at an apparent cost of about $1 million. What about the gravel roads and the blocked drains in north Rodney? Ah, sorry these dont buy you votes, do they? Unfortunately, our three local independent Local Board members have no say in these or most other matters, as Rodney First has a majority block vote with its five members from the Helenville/Kumeu area who have no interest in north Rodney. Yet the one member from north Rodney, Beth Houlbrooke, votes with that Rodney First block. Its disgraceful. Its time all north Rodney ratepayers woke up and stopped this sort of wasteful spending. Maury Purdy, Warkworth Dump the dump Regarding the proposed dump in the Dome Valley. Toxins from this dump will find their way into our water supply. Source-water contaminants of concern include arsenic, asbestos, radon and agricultural chemicals. Of these, the strongest evidence for a cancer risk involves arsenic, which is linked to cancers of the liver, lung, bladder and kidney. So, it is common sense what Greg Sayers is saying in his article about building a waste-to-energy plant instead (MM June 17). We should strive to bring public and legal pressure against those who are going to pollute the New Zealand environment, deplete and poison our water resources and threaten the health of future generations for the private profit of large overseas companies. Otherwise, only when the last tree has been cut down and the last stream and groundwater is poisoned, will we realise we cannot eat or drink money. Chas Benest, Snells Beach Too good to be true I agree with Kevin Smith (MM July 1) that waste-to-energy by burning has costly pollution issues. It could only be a partial alternative to landfilling. However, he is mistaken in claiming that his USGIS process is far better and could generate 750MW of electricity from Aucklands waste. Using efficiency data from the USGIS website, I estimate that his USGIS generator could make only 54MW of electricity. In comparison, the real landfill gas power plant proposed by Waste Management for the Dome Valley landfill would yield 12MW of electricity. The USGIS concept converts mixed waste into uniform storable or burnable pellets, including being heated several times to 1200C to destroy pathogens with an undisclosed source of energy. Heating Aucklands waste just once to 1200C would require about 40 MW of energy. Therefore, the complete USGIS scheme is likely to be a net consumer of energy. The website claims that USGIS has developed an emissions-free process to convert virtually all urban waste into electricity and clean water, but there is no reference to any proof-of-concept plant. Unfortunately, careful reading of that website reveals that the American USGIS process is more fantasy than reality. If an idea sounds too good to be true, then it usually is. Steve Goldthorpe, Energy Analyst, Warkworth Feline faux pas Sometimes the best of media like yours produce amusing if not ironic pages. Page 35 (MM July 1) has a good article on how TOSSI is attempting to restore habitat for native fish like the kokopu while protecting them from predators like cats. Kia kaha Tossi. Alongside is an advert from a veterinary service telling us how they saved a cat from diabetes. While recognising the social benefits of cats to some people living on their own, I suggest that all cats have the de-sexing operation. This means we can kill two birds with one stone (admittedly, not the best of metaphor given the context) people get to keep their pet while over time the cat population, especially the feral ones, will gradually be eliminated. By the way, our native birds are all behind this suggestion as well. Michal Norman, Warkworth Dozy parker Its enlightening to see how Mahurangi Matters reports about new cycle and walk ways in our region. Thank you. But on that topic it always irks me a bit when I see a situation like this (pictured) as it could have been avoided with just a little bit of common sense. It was no problem during our dry summer months to navigate around the parked cars but as the wet weather has now arrived, it is a bit annoying to go over the grass with bicycles and especially with mobility scooters. Maybe you would know how that could be corrected without having too many consultants involved? Thomas Mischler, Snells Beach FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Floridas rapidly increasing number of coronavirus cases is turning Miami into the epicenter of the pandemic, a top doctor warned Monday, while an epidemiologist called the regions situation extremely grave. Those assessments came as Florida recorded more than 12,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases Monday after a record-setting weekend, a spike that partly reflects the larger number of tests being performed but also a high percentage of those returning positive. The state set a national record with more than 15,000 cases reported Sunday. Gov. Ron DeSantis acknowledged Monday that the disease is spreading and urged people to take precautions such as wearing masks in public places, social distancing and avoiding crowds. We have to address the virus with steady resolve. We cant get swept away in fear, we have to understand what is going on, understand that we have a long road ahead but we also have to understand that within the context of the moment, he said during a Miami press conference. While the outbreak has been spreading through much of the state, it has hit South Florida particularly hard, both now and throughout the pandemic. Its three counties Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach make up about a quarter of the states population but have been responsible for about half the new cases. Florida International University epidemiologist Dr. Aileen Marty called the regions situation extremely grave, saying the public is not taking this virus seriously enough, ignoring the guidelines DeSantis and others have been pushing. They have not adhered to guidelines, Marty said at an online press conference with Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez. They have been in those closed spaces without taking the appropriate precautions, and thats the main reason we are where we are. The chief for infection prevention at Jackson Health System, Dr. Lilian Abbo, described nurses and doctors working around the clock and some getting sick. We really need to work on this together, she said. Miami is now the epicenter of the pandemic. What we were seeing in Wuhan (China) six months ago. Now, we are there. Theres at least one glimmer of hope for Florida overall: The positivity rate for tests has been just over 11% the last two days. That is still four times the 2.3% rate the state had in late May, but a drop from the near 20% of last week. Officials have said they want to get the rate below 5%, which is when they believe spread is less likely and measures are taking hold. DeSantis said it isnt clear whether the downward positivity rate of the weekend will continue. We will see if that is a trend or whether that would be something that is short lived, he said. The state added another 35 deaths Monday, with the one-week average remaining at 71 per day. The daily rate had been 30 deaths three weeks ago, and crept up to 44 last week before skyrocketing with a state record 120 deaths reported Thursday. Overall, 4,381 people have died in Florida from the coronavirus since March 1. The increase in coronavirus cases has filled some Florida hospitals, or brought them close to their capacity. At Cleveland Clinic in Broward County, less than 10% of its 230 beds are available, according to the state, and nine of its 48 intensive care beds were available Monday morning. Dr. Rodolfo Blandon, its president, said he expects the number of ICU patients will increase through the end of the month, a result of the recent spike in cases. We know that these patients will likely seek medical care two to four weeks after they test positive, he said. His biggest concern is having enough nurses as coronavirus patients require extensive care 20 are being brought in from other states to help. On the positive side, Blandon said the virus seems to becoming less aggressive as it mutates many patients arent getting as sick as others were in March and April, and he said the drug Remdesivir has been a promising treatment. He said if the numbers keep spiking, he suspects there would have to be a roll back of some of the current freedoms. After reopening its economy with restrictions throughout May, Florida recently re-closed bars because customers werent wearing masks or practicing social distancing. Miami-Dade County again recently prohibited restaurants from having indoor seating. Still, Walt Disney World reopened over the weekend with limited crowds, making it the last of the states four major theme parks to do so. ___ Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak. Dominic Xavier offers his take on the war within the Congress party in Rajasthan. In one corner of the ring: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, the elderly warhorse who appears to have Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son's backing (remember, how Gehlot accompanied Rahul Gandhi on his temple run in Gujarat back in 2017?) In the other corner, the dashing Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, inarguably the best young performer the doddering Congress party has in its ranks. Pilot, who also heads the Congress party in Rajasthan, is clearly tired of playing second fiddle to Gehlot. Sorry, godi media, Sachin may not join the BJP -- he has, after all, seen how the earlier Congress rebel, a certain maharaj, is a kind of non-entity in the Modi-Shah phalanx; moreover, the BJP sarkar locked up his father-in-law and brother-in-law for months on end in Kashmir*. Hopefully, Sachin's revolt will finally jolt the Congress's mother, son and daughter out of their political stupor and give Pilot the job he wants so badly. What to do with Gehlot? Why not make him a party panjandrum in Delhi? 24, Akbar Road is full of Congress geriatrics like him with not much to do. *Father-in-law: Dr Farooq Abdullah. Brother-in-Law: Omar Abdullah. Sachin's wife Sara is Dr Abdullah's daughter and Omar's sister. The day before Florida broke the nationwide record for most reported coronavirus cases in a day, Disney World decided it was time to welcome hordes of children back to the park. And to welcome everyone "home," Disney Parks put out this eerie promo, because nothing is more inviting than employees visually reminding us we're in the middle of a global pandemic with masks and face guards. OVERDUE: Washingtons NFL name change will save Houston Chronicle copy editors a headache Masked employees wave cheerily in the park, all saying "welcome home." It's meant to be charming and enticing but really just comes off decidedly dystopian. In a time when we're all supposed to be staying home, masked Walt Disney World employees invite you back "home" -- that is, a theme park that normally brings in millions of visitors every year. Disney World reopened Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11 with new safety measures. Guests over the age of 2 are required to wear masks, temperature checks are performed, social distancing is enforced, shows have been suspended and seats will be left open on rides. The park also added 4,000 hand-sanitizing stations. EPCOT and Hollywood Studios are set to open July 15. If you needed a reminder, this isn't really the time to be traveling across states to go to high-occupancy attractions (not to mention that New York, Connecticut and New Jersey are requesting Texan travelers to quarantine for 14 days after arrival, if you want another indicator). Stay home. But not at your Disney World home. Just stay at your regular home. Meanwhile, Japan has reopened its theme parks with a request: "Please scream inside your heart," and not with your germ-spreading mouth. Good advice for 2020. Jaipur/New Delhi: Even as a senior Congress leader claimed that Sachin Pilot was "now in the Bharatiya Janata Party", sources close to the Rajasthan deputy chief minister have said that he will float a new party, and is likely to name it Pragatisheel Congress. Clarifying that Pilot won't join BJP, sources told News18 that a formal announcement on party formation will be done after Monday's Congress Legislature Party. Sources said that Pilot has conveyed to the Congress High Command that "working under Ashok Gehlot is tough". Reacting to the issue, AICC general secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh, PL Punia, said, "Sachin Pilot is now in the Bharatiya Janata Party. Everyone knows BJP's attitude towards the Congress party. We don't need a certificate from BJP. In Congres, all leaders and workers are respected. The Congress leaders are also working overtime to ensure a show of strength at the meeting of the Congress Legislature Party. Gehlot and other leaders are said to be in touch with party allies as also with independents MLAs supporting the government. The events in Rajasthan come almost four months after the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh headed by Kamal Nath was toppled, with his bete noire Jyoritaditya Scindia switching sides to the BJP, along with his supporters. The latest tussle in the state was triggered after the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police issued notices to Gehlot and Pilot after registering an FIR on Friday against two people, who have been detained, for their alleged involvement in horse trading of Congress MLAs for toppling the state government. The supporters of Pilot said the notice was sent to the deputy chief minister was to humiliate him. On the Rajasthan police issuing notice to Gehlot also to record his statement, they said the notice to the chief minister, also holding the charge of state home affairs, was only an "eyewash". " Hype Freedom School Executive Director Brandi Brown was cautiously optimistic that she could raise $10,000 during a pandemic. She wanted to celebrate the organization's 20th anniversary in a major way. Turns out, Brown achieved far beyond her goal, garnering $20,000 in 20 days for the organization. "This pandemic has left so many big questions about what funding and resources would we have to do what we need to do," she said. "Although we were in a good position to serve this summer, we didn't know what position we would be in next summer." Hype Freedom School, which was founded by Brown and is a partnering organization of the national Children's Defense Fund, is a literacy-based program for K-12th graders. It operates a six-week literacy summer learning programs and a year-round enrichment curriculum. Brown said it was her board that decided to increase the fundraising goal to $20,000. She challenged families and friends to donate just $20 each. Donations poured in. "We've all been asking ourselves where do we go from here and how do we address the inequities. We already had race inequities before this pandemic, now we have the digital divide," Brown said. "Hype has done a good job to teach the children no matter what their background or race, they have the power to make a difference and make a change in the world." Hype Freedom School, which has locations in Sunnyside, Pearland and Beaumont, typically serves 200-300 students each summer and hires 40-50 college interns. This year, they only have 100 students and 11 college interns due to the pandemic. All children participating this summer received a "Hype in a Box," complete with supplies and books. Children without tablets or laptops were provided with them. "We know there are major educational gaps during this pandemic. Now, we have to find out how we can shift our work to support our kids, families and school districts that we serve." For more information or to donate, click here: Hype Freedom School. Here are some other small non-profit organizations led by and focused on people of color in Houston: Friends of Riverside Park Houston. Started in 2019 by a group of concerned residents in Third Ward, the organization's mission is to help improve amenities and programing for Riverside Park, one of the city's oldest parks. The group, which is headed by Sharon Brooks-Evans, formerly the head of Friends of MacGregor Park, recently received a grant to launch a free virtual art program in conjunction with Harambee Art Gallery. Click here for registration. Center for Healing Racism. Founded in 1989, the center is run by executive director Cherry Steinwender and helps facilitate healing of racism through education and dialogue. Asians Against Domestic Abuse Founded in 2001, the group works to prevent violence against women and strengthen healthy family relations within the Asian American Community and serves families from Asia, Middle East and Northern Africa. Its executive director is Maryam Kamal-Eldin. East Harris County Empowerment Council. Led by Terence Narcisse, the council supports thousands of families living in unincorporated Harris County, including Galena Park, Crosby, North Shore and Sheldon. C-Stem. Founded by Reagan Flowers, C-STEM's mission is to educated students in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Partnership for the Advancement & Immersion of Refugees (PAIR). Supports hundreds of refugee students each year through mentoring, tutoring and college access. Community Artists Collective. Led by artist Michelle Barnes, the group promotes artistic empowerment and accessibility to the arts by fostering racial and ideological inclusivity among Houstons local art community. As per the sources, 30 Congress MLA's have pledged their support to the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot. Ashok Gehlot is blaming BJP for trying to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs. As many as 30 Congress MLAs and some independent legislators who are in touch with Sachin Pilot have pledged their support to him and have vouched to stand by whatever decision he takes, sources said as the political crisis deepens in Rajasthan. The crisis in Rajasthan Congress intensified with state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot at loggerheads, while Gehlot is blaming BJP for trying to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs, Pilot is camping in Delhi to speak to the party leadership regarding the political turmoil in the state. A meeting of Congress Legislative Party will take place at Gehlots residence at 10:30 am on Monday. Gehlot has also called a meeting of party MLAs and ministers in Jaipur on Sunday night. Taking to Twitter, Gehlot said that special operations group (SOG) gave notices the Chief Minister, Deputy CM, Chief Whip, some other ministers and MLAs in connection with Congress Legislative Partys complaint regarding horse-trading by BJP. Rajasthan CM tweeted that CM, Dy CM, Chief Whip, some other ministers & MLAs have received notices from SOG to record their statements in connection with Congress Legislative Partys complaint regarding horse-trading by BJP. Its not appropriate to present it differently by some media outlets. Also read: Gehlot govt issues whip to MLAs for CLP meeting today Also read: Rahul slams centres claim of Indias good position in Covid-19 battle According to sources, Pilot has sought an appointment with the partys interim president Sonia Gandhi but time for the meeting has not yet been given by her. Although, Pilot met another party leader to apprise him about the situation in the state and spelt out his grievance. As of now, many MLAs, who are believed to be in the Pilot camp, are also in Delhi to meet the party leadership. According to sources, the deputy chief minister has the support of nearly 30 Congress MLAs along with many independent legislators. The clash between Gehlot and Pilot is also over the post of PCC Chief as Gehlot Camp wants that One Leader One Post formula to be implemented in Rajasthan. Currently, Sachin Pilot is heading the PCC besides holding the Deputy CM post. Sources close to Sachin Pilot have informed that the young leader is upset with the SOG notice issued to him. He believes it is aimed to record his phone calls and keep him under surveillance. Many of Pilots supporters feel indignation and told Pilot that they cannot work with Ashok Gehlot. Also, Pilot is unlikely to attend the meeting called by Gehlot today, according to sources. Avinash Pande, Rajasthan Congress In-charge alleged that BJP is behind the political crisis in the state. He said that Congress is strongly working together. All MLAs have trust and faith in the party and CM Ashok Gehlot. BJP is deliberately diverting the present situation. This conspiracy has been hatched by BJP & they have been trying this for one year. He said that all Rajasthan Congress MLAs will work together and Congress govt in Rajasthan will complete its five years of tenure. Meanwhile, BJP Rajasthan unit President Satish Poonia rejected claims by the Congress that the BJP was behind the present political uncertainty in the state. Poonia told ANI that BJP is not even thinking about forming a govt in the state. This govt will fall of its own karma (deeds). BJP is sitting in the spectators gallery and watching the drama unfold. It is not the responsibility of the BJP to save a govt that is falling due to internal bickering, he said. Pilots former colleague and BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the Rajasthan Deputy CM is being sidelined and persecuted by Gehlot. Scindia, who quit Congress and joined BJP tweeted that its sad to see his erstwhile colleague, Sachin Pilot too, being sidelined and persecuted by Rajasthan CM, Ashok Gehlot. He added that it shows that talent and capability find little credence in Congress. Also read: Sachin Pilot in Delhi with 12 loyalist MLAs amid political crisis Sad to see my erstwhile colleague, @SachinPilot too, being sidelined and persecuted by Rajasthan CM, @ashokgehlot51 . Shows that talent and capability find little credence in the @INCIndia . Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) July 12, 2020 For all the latest National News, download NewsX App A tripartite meeting revolving around Luxembourg's aviation sector is set to take place on Tuesday. Trade union OGBL hopes that layoffs can be avoided. Representatives of the trade union said on Monday morning that their priority is to avert a social crisis in the aviation sector. In other words, the main goal should be to maintain employment in the industry. The union welcomed the willingness of Minister for Mobility Francois Bausch to open up the social dialogue and invite OGBL to the tripartite meeting. As a reminder, the "tripartite" social model is based on an institutionalised trialogue between the government, employers, and trade unions. Its goal is to find agreements in important economic and social issues. According to OGBL's Michelle Cloos, who serves as the general secretary for the sector, Luxembourg's aviation industry has not yet announced layoffs. She explained that flag carrier Luxair is slowly resurrecting its activities from their pandemic-induced slumber. At the same time, she advised caution as many uncertainties prevail, saying the summer season was unpredictable and changes could take place from one day to the next, as destinations changed frequently depending on the spread of the virus. Cloos stressed that officials and representatives of the sector must continue to coordinate efforts and to display solidarity. She welcomed both the government's decision to serve as a reference shareholder in the sector and Bausch's willingness to bring to life a tripartite meeting. Cloos highlighted that OBGL is prepared to take action if no agreements can be found during this highly anticipated meeting. According to the general secretary, the discussions will for instance pivot around investments. OGBL did not present a list of demands ahead of the meeting but said the union would tackle the discussions with a set of clear visions for the sector. renton Harrison Tarrant appears in a screen via video link in Christchurch, New Zealand. - Pool TVNZ The gunman behind New Zealand's Christchurch mosque shootings sacked his lawyers on Monday and opted to represent himself, raising fears he would use a sentencing hearing next month to promote his white-supremacist views. Australian national Brenton Tarrant will be sentenced on August 24 on 51 murder convictions, 40 of attempted murder and one of terrorism arising from last year's massacre, the worst mass shooting in New Zealand's modern history. He has pleaded guilty to the charges. At a pre-sentencing hearing on Monday, High Court judge Cameron Mander allowed Tarrant's lawyers, Shane Tait and Jonathan Hudson, to withdraw from proceedings at the request of their client. However, the judge ordered "standby counsel" to be available next month in case Tarrant - who appeared in the Christchurch court via video link from an Auckland prison - changes his mind. New Zealand Muslim Association president Ikhlaq Kashkari questioned Tarrant's motives, saying victims could be re-traumatised if the gunman were allowed to spout far-right rhetoric from the dock. "My first concern when I read this was 'Oh my God, what's this guy up to, is he going to use this as a platform to promote his views and thoughts?'," he told AFP. "A lot of people are still going through trauma and this was seen as one of those events that would give them closure. I hope it's not going to be something that will trigger more pain instead." Jonathan Hudson, left, and Shane Tait, dismissed defence lawyers for Brenton Tarrant - Mark Barker/AP In March 2019, Tarrant gunned down Muslim worshippers during Friday prayers at two Christchurch mosques, live-streaming the killings as he went. His victims included children, women and the elderly. The former gym instructor unexpectedly reversed his not-guilty plea in March this year, removing the need for a lengthy trial. The terror and murder charges all carry life sentences, setting a minimum non-parole period of 17 years while also giving the judge power to imprison without the possibility of release. New Zealand does not have the death penalty. Story continues Survivors and the families of victims will be present during the three-day sentencing hearing and Islamic Women's Council of New Zealand spokeswoman Anjum Rahman said many would not want to hear from Tarrant. While she did not want to speculate on Tarrant's motive for representing himself, she said: "He has shown in the past that he likes to get attention and he wants attention. "I feel this is all part of that mindset." Joint borrowing by European Union countries to finance a fund to recover from the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is not charity, Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez said ahead of a crucial summit on the issue July 17-18. All the countries involved would contribute to reimbursing the debt, even northern countries dubbed "frugal", she said on Monday in an interview with Belgian radio station RTBF. "It is not like the Netherlands is providing charity to Spain or France," Gonzalez said. Each country would take a share of the debt proportional to its economic weight, she said. Germany would contribute 20%, Spain 9% and the Netherlands 6%, for instance, said Gonzalez. The 27 European Union leaders are due to meet later this week to negotiate the seven-year EU budget and the creation of a 750 billion euro ($849.45 billion) stimulus fund financed with common debt. Two-thirds of the amount would be transferred in form of free grants and a third in repayable loans. The creation of that fund has pitched the wealthy, thrifty north against the high-debt south, which has been hit harder by the pandemic. RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (July 13, 2020) - Providing clean water to Soldiers in the field and citizens around the world is essential, and yet one of the world's greatest challenges. Now a new super-wicking and super-light-absorbing aluminum material developed with Army funding could change that. With funding from the Army Research Office, an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory, researchers at the University of Rochester have developed a new aluminum panel that more efficiently concentrates solar energy to evaporate and purify contaminated water. "The Army and its warfighters run on water, so there is particular interest in basic materials research that could lead to advanced technologies for generating drinking water," said Dr. Evan Runnerstrom, program manager at ARO. "The combined super-wicking and light-absorbing properties of these aluminum surfaces may enable passive or low-power water purification to better sustain the warfighter in the field." The researchers developed a laser processing technology that turns regular aluminum pitch black, making it highly absorptive, as well as super-wicking (it wicks water uphill against gravity). They then applied this super absorptive and super-wicking aluminum for this solar water purification. The technology featured in Nature Sustainability, uses a burst of femtosecond (ultrashort) laser pulses to etch the surface of a normal sheet of aluminum. When the aluminum panel is dipped in water at an angle facing the sun, it draws a thin film of water upwards over the metal's surface. At the same time, the blackened surface retains nearly 100-percent of the energy it absorbs from the sun to quickly heat the water. Finally, the wicking surface structures change the inter-molecular bonds of the water, increasing the efficiency of the evaporation process even further. "These three things together enable the technology to operate better than an ideal device at 100 percent efficiency," said Professor Chunlei Guo, professor of optics at University of Rochester. "This is a simple, durable, inexpensive way to address the global water crisis, especially in developing nations." Experiments by the lab show that the method reduces the presence of all common contaminants, such as detergent, dyes, urine, heavy metals and glycerin, to safe levels for drinking. The technology could also be useful in developed countries for relieving water shortages in drought-stricken areas, and for water desalinization projects, Guo said. Using sunlight to boil has long been recognized as a way to eliminate microbial pathogens and reduce deaths from diarrheal infections, but boiling water does not eliminate heavy metals and other contaminants. Solar-based water purification; however, can greatly reduce these contaminants because nearly all the impurities are left behind when the evaporating water becomes gaseous and then condenses and gets collected. The most common method of solar-based water evaporation is volume heating, in which a large volume of water is heated but only the top layer can evaporate. This is obviously inefficient, Guo said, because only a small fraction of the heating energy gets used. A more efficient approach, called interfacial heating, places floating, multi-layered absorbing and wicking materials on top of the water, so that only water near the surface needs to be heated. But the available materials all have to float horizontally on top of the water and cannot face the sun directly. Furthermore, the available wicking materials become quickly clogged with contaminants left behind after evaporation, requiring frequent replacement of the materials. The aluminum panel the researchers developed avoids these difficulties by pulling a thin layer of water out of the reservoir and directly onto the solar absorber surface for heating and evaporation. "Moreover, because we use an open-grooved surface, it is very easy to clean by simply spraying it," Guo said. "The biggest advantage is that the angle of the panels can be continuously adjusted to directly face the sun as it rises and then moves across the sky before setting - maximizing energy absorption." The Army and Guo are exploring transition opportunities to further develop this technology within DOD laboratories and private industry. ### In addition to the Army, this research received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Science Foundation. CCDC Army Research Laboratory is an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. As the Army's corporate research laboratory, ARL discovers, innovates and transitions science and technology to ensure dominant strategic land power. Through collaboration across the command's core technical competencies, CCDC leads in the discovery, development and delivery of the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers more lethal to win the nation's wars and come home safely. CCDC is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command. Amitabh Bachchan, Indias reel-life Iron Man, has tested positive for the coronavirus. With this, the realisation has hit home that the rich and hyper-privileged are no longer invulnerable and the pandemic is in full flow. The number of fresh cases in the last 24 hours rose to 28,637, and the national tally, which took 109 days to breach the benchmark of one lakh cases, crossed eight lakhs on Saturday with a one-lakh jump over just four days. Resource-strapped state governments have responded to the renewed crisis by locking back down particular districts and containment zones for weeks and/or weekends Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra among them. Nonetheless, as amply demonstrated, a lockdown in itself is no solution unless it is accompanied by a clear strategy of combating the coronavirus that includes testing, contact tracing and ramping up of infrastructure. These, as well as ground-level enforcement of the new lockdowns, are sadly missing. However, even as the RBI governor made dire prognostications, the government cannot keep wavering between a lockdown and reopening and, in the face of this emergency, needs must privilege health over business. Encouragingly, the Kerala story and more recently Delhi has shown that if there is political will, there is indeed a way to flatten the case curve. In Delhi, the ITBP is operating a 10,000-bed hospital to care for Covid-19 patients. This is a welcome departure from the laughably empty gesture of showering flower petals on Covid-19 facilities that the Air Force had indulged in a few months back, and it is advised that the services of the Army Medical Corps and Military Nursing Service be deployed at vulnerable areas on a priority. One of Indias other strengths in the war against coronavirus is its expertise in generic drug manufacturing. The government must tap into its strengths and plug its weaknesses in terms of filling the gap in its testing infrastructure soon to be overwhelmed by the burgeoning cases. It is no point hiding these cases. Dissimulation, with the tacit support of the administration, and suppression of death count data as well as data on infections will prove detrimental sooner, not later. Reports of bodies of Covid-19 patients being thrown together into trenches and being carried to the graveyard in autorickshaws have caused outrage among readers. Policing should be stepped up at crematoriums and burial grounds and municipal and hospital records should be matched at regular intervals to put a curb on these practices. The Union government is on the right track in promoting home quarantine for asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients, so as not to burden the already-swamped health infrastructure, now crumbling under the pressure of the pandemic. This is something we missed during the early days of the lockdown. But since health is a state subject, the responsibility of implementing this policy correctly falls on state governments. Instead of fearing stigma on their parts, it is a good idea to involve gram panchayats and resident welfare associations in the process and put them in charge of monitoring the isolation, access to medicine and further testing of patients. Telemedicine and health apps can be promoted to minimise doctor-patient contact, save valuable time and contain the virus spread. In Delhi, the pulse oximeter has proved to be the patients best friend, but its price has quadrupled under heavy demand. Subsidising the device will go a long way in providing relief to patients. It is not a single big measure, but small, incremental steps, taken relentlessly with courage in our hearts, that will ultimately win the fight against the coronavirus. Priti Patel last night told France to start towing boatloads of illegal migrants back to its shores as numbers crossing the Channel to England surged to near-record levels. Up to 200 migrants were intercepted by Border Force patrols off the British coast yesterday in what is feared to be a new daily record. The crossings came as the Home Secretary met her new French counterpart Gerald Darmanin in Calais to push for fresh action to curb the unacceptable daily crossings and tackle the ruthless people-smuggling gangs behind them. The two ministers agreed to establish a small joint intelligence unit based in Coquelles, near Calais, where UK Border Force and National Crime Agency officers will work alongside their French counterparts. Priti Patel last night told France to start towing boatloads of illegal migrants back to its shores when the Home Secretary met her new French counterpart Gerald Darmanin in Calais Up to 200 migrants were intercepted by Border Force patrols off the British coast in Dover yesterday in what is feared to be a new daily record Mr Darmanin said the new unit will consist of six British and six French police officers. But Miss Patel also demanded fresh action from France to halt the crossings and take back those who make it to the UK illegally. A Home Office source said: She talked about the collective experience of officials in the room saying, It is not beyond us in this room to create a plan for returns at sea. 'She was also clear that going forward we will be returning these people back to France. The Home Secretary said illegal crossings 'simply cannot be allowed to go on,' hours after up to 100 people tried to make their way from France to England in small inflatable boats Ms Patel wore a protective face mask as she met the French Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, in Calais on Sunday Miss Patel is said to have demanded that the French navy intercept migrants and tow their boats back to shore. She also requested permission for Border Force cutters to return illegal migrants picked up in the Channel directly to France rather than having to take them to the UK. A Home Office source said Mr Darmanin, who has been in post for less than a week, had agreed to do things differently, but it was unclear what, if any, additional action he will take. The source added: Priti is incredibly unhappy with the number of small boats making this journey. Border Force officers were out assisting the coastguard and local lifeboat crews near Dover The most recent crossings follow reports that French authorities have dismantled a migrant camp near Calais, resulting in more than 500 people being moved on On one day in June, 166 asylum seekers managed to reach Britain's shores in eight boats Speaking after yesterdays talks, the Home Secretary acknowledged that France was conducting significant work to tackle the problem, but said numbers remained unacceptably high. This simply cannot be allowed to go on, she said. I have signed an agreement with the French to create a joint intelligence cell which will crack down on the gangs behind this vile people smuggling operation and impressed on my French counterpart the need to stop these illegal crossings for the benefit of both our countries. Mr Darmanin said: Together, we must strengthen our security cooperation, in particular in the fight against the illegal crossings of the English Channel by migrants risking their lives. Mr Darmanin says: 'Together, we must strengthen our security cooperation, in particular in the fight against the illegal crossings of the English Channel by migrants risking their lives' Sources say the Home Secretary is 'incredibly unhappy' with the number of illegal crossings More than 2,400 people have made the illegal Channel crossing so far in 2020, with 702 refugees reaching the UK on small boats last month alone Miss Patel is under intense pressure to get on top of a problem she had previously pledged to have all but eradicated by now. While she was in Calais for talks yesterday, a dozen small boats were detected in the Channel carrying scores of migrants in the opposite direction. The final tally was unconfirmed last night, but sources said it was likely to exceed the previous single-day record of 166, set on June 3. This weekend's crossings follow a spell of bad weather that deterred people smugglers from making the voyage So far this year a total of at least 2,438 people have made the illegal Channel crossing, compared with 1,850 during the whole of 2019. Sources said many had claimed asylum on arrival, complicating the process of removing them. Twenty-seven people attempted the crossing in four boats on Saturday. When yesterdays number is confirmed it is likely to take the total above 2,600. The suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, failed to submit the agencys audited acc... The suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, failed to submit the agencys audited accounts to the National Assembly as required by law, ThisDay reports. It is believed he took advantage of the non-confirmation of his appointment by the Senate to avoid accountability. By Section 37 of the establishment act, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment, ETC) Act 2004, the commission is required to submit its report, including its audited account to the National Assembly every year. It states: The Commission shall, not later than 30th September in each year, submit to the National Assembly, a report of its activities during the preceding year and shall include in such report the audited accounts of the Commission. Despite the Senates refusal to confirm his appointment in December 2016 and also in March 2017, the EFCC was still required by law to submit its annual accounts as done by Magus predecessors, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Mrs. Farida Waziri and Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde in compliance with the establishment Act. 13.07.2020 LISTEN The Western North Region's Deputy Regional Treasurer of the NDC, Mr. Thomas Ayisi Kumah, has asserted that the selection of professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang as the running mate by the flag bearer of the party is a spiritual revelation to John Mahama inspired by the Late professor John Evans Mills. Speaking on NDC HOUR a program on Trickie FM at Enchi. Mr. Ayisi Kumah is quoted to have said: "The selection was a revelation to the flag bearer by the late professor and therefore there is no wonder the announcement has sent shivers through the spine of the NPP". He continued to say that, " It is God sent, hence difficult for the NPP to comprehend because the woman is to change the battlefield and bring dignity to our body politic and the position which has been greatly dented by Dr. Bawumiah with propaganda and lies" He, therefore, called on all women, gender advocates, academia, civil societies and Ghanaians in general to support the candidature of the duo to solve the deteriorating education system, empower the Ghanaian woman, bring homemade solutions to the hardship ordinary Ghanaians are going through and relief Ghana from the insensitivities of the Nana Addo administration. New Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon said he will be using his new position to continue to push for local projects like new schools and a second bridge for Newbridge. The politician was rewarded for his hard work as a TD and as Fine Gael parliamentary party chairman with the junior ministry. He has three key areas of responsibility Research and Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development. Mr Heydon said he was honoured to be given the busy role by Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and he added that he will continue his focus on his constituents. Mr Heydon is the first Fine Gael Minister in Kildare in 23 years since Alan Dukes served as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications following the resignation of Michael Lowry in November 1996. Mr Heydon said: I will remain focused on my priorities for Kildare which include completing the ring road for Athy, getting a second bridge for Newbridge, pushing for new schools and planned extensions, developing more job and employment opportunities in Kildare, roll out of fibre broadband, upgrade of St Conleths Park in Newbridge and seeing the completion of the Barrow Blueway. I have been actively pushing many of these projects over the past nine years. Mr Heydon said he has helped secure Government investment in Co Kildare as a TD and he hopes that this will continue. He said: The tender for the main construction contract for the Southern Distributor Route in Athy has been issued so it is in progress as is the Barrow Blueway where works are due to start on July 15. Funding for that project was allocated last year from the Rural Regeneration fund under Minister Michael Ring. Works on the Sallins bypass are also in progress and well advanced and I hope we will see it completed and opened soon. The married father-of-three said the areas of responsibilities in his ministry were agreed between the parties as part of the discussions on the Programme for Government. He explained: I believe they are three key areas given the need for more innovative measures in agriculture and food production, the incidence of farm accidents and the importance of new markets for agricultural produce in the post Brexit environment. Mr Heydon said it would be an important time for his department with the livelihoods of farm families at stake. He explained: Agriculture and the agrifood sector played a key role in our recovery from 2011 and I have no doubt it can play a central role again in revitalising rural Ireland as the new Government gets down to work. The challenges of climate action are ones that farmers, as custodians of the land are very aware of. There are many exciting and innovative measures that farmers can take to help meet our climate change targets. I look forward to working with farmers and farm organisations to help to develop those further. Mr Heydon is also very mindful that political history is being made with the first ever coalition between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail and that this is against a background of extraordinary times. He explained: This is an extremely difficult time to be entering Government, but Fine Gael has never shirked responsibility when the country has needed leadership at times of adversity, and I am looking forward to meeting the challenges ahead. These are unpre cedented times and the challenges the new administration faces are great and many. I look forward to playing a part and making a real difference in these challenges ahead. Mr Heydon also paid tribute to his family and local party team. I would like to thank my family and many supporters who have stood by me throughout my political career and helped me reach the honour of this office, and my role in this Government today. James Lawless, TD Kildare North TD James Lawless has revealed that new Taoiseach Micheal Martin made a courtesy call to him telling him that unfortunately he wouldn't be among the junior ministers appointed. Mr Lawless told the Leader: The Taoiseach called me personally on Wednesday night [the day before the announcement] to explain the situation and to say I was on the short list but that he was constrained by a number of factors in the final selection. The TD was happy to see that the Department of Higher Education and Innovation, which he had originally proposed in opposition, became a full Ministry. He added: I am pleased to see that work come to fruition with the establishment of the new Ministry. I think it bodes very well for the sector. It is quite an achievement for me on a personal level to see my work produce results at that level. Senator Fiona O'Loughlin Meanwhile Fiona OLoughlin has become the second County Kildare politician to be promoted having been elected to the Oireachtas. Ms OLoughlin is now Fianna Fails Seanad spokesperson on education. The Rathangan native is a former primary school teacher. Ms OLoughlin lost her seat as a FF TD representing Kildare South at the last general election when she just lost out to newcomer Cathal Berry (Independent), who took the last seat with just over 300 votes more than her. This was after she had outpolled Mr Berry at the end of the first count. The eldest child of the late Cllr Jimmy OLoughlin, Sen OLoughlin won the seat in Kildare South 2016 as FF claimed two of the three seats. Three months ago she returned to national politics by winning the senate seat. Ever since a contentious meeting in Hawaii last month with Chinas foreign policy chief, Yang Jiechi, Pompeo has repeatedly said the United States will watch Beijings actions to determine whether the ruling Chinese Communist Party wants to reduce the temperature in the heated rhetoric emanating both capitals. China and Iran have been forging new ties as the two countries have become the biggest targets of the Trump administration. Hollywood stars ask for prayer after actress Naya Rivera goes missing, 4-y-o son found alone Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Celebrities are flooding the internet asking for prayer for actress Naya Rivera after news broke late Wednesday evening that the Glee star was missing during a boat ride. Pop star Demi Lovato, who had a recurring role on Glee, took to Instagram Stories with a message and photo of a lit candle, writing, "Please pray for @nayarivera to be found safe and sound." Heather Morris, who played Rivera's same-sex love interest on the hit teenage show, also beckoned for prayer on Instagram: "We need all the prayers we can get to bring our Naya back home to us. We need your love and light." Another Glee actor, Harry Shum Jr., tweeted on Wednesday, "Praying." Principal Figgins of the series, actor Iqbal Theba, retweeted a news story about Riveras disappearance and wrote, "Oh God... mercy... please..." Oh God... mercy... please... Actress Naya Rivera, known for 'Glee' missing and may have drowned after going boating on Lake Piru | https://t.co/QBOBaBJwPihttps://t.co/NlBldzyQVv iqbal theba (@iqbaltheba) July 9, 2020 Rivera and her son, Josey, went missing shortly after she posted a photo of them on Instagram with the caption, just the two of us. According to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, Rivera and her son took a boat ride at Lake Piru in the Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County, California, on Wednesday. The mother and son rented a boat at around 1 p.m. and approximately three hours later, someone on the lake discovered the young son in the boat asleep by himself. The child told authorities that his mother went for a swim but never returned to the boat, according to TMZ. As the search for Rivera continues, actress Jackee Harry, who co-starred with Rivera on The Royal Family, pleaded for divine intervention. "Prayers up for the lovely Naya Rivera. We starred alongside one another in her first very television series, The Royal Family, and Ive watched her career blossom ever since. Please God, dont cut this life short," she wrote on Twitter. Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice tweeted, "Praying for Naya," while actress and producer Tika Sumpter wrote, "Praying for Naya Rivera. I hope shes OK." Radio and television talk show host Andy Cohen also posted, "Praying for Naya Rivera and her family. Cant stop thinking of her poor son." We are heartbroken to hear the news Naya Rivera has been reported missing after a day on the lake with her son, Josey. We are keeping Naya, her beautiful son, and her entire family in our prayers. Our hearts are with you all, daytime television show The Real wrote on Instagram along with a photo of Rivera while a guest on the show. Officials told NBCLA that Rivera's son was discovered with a life vest on while Riveras vest was still on the boat. Helicopters, divers, and drones have been on the search for the actress. Just days before her disappearance the actress hauntingly reminded people to treasure every moment of their life. No matter the year, circumstance, or strifes everyday youre alive is a blessing, Rivera wrote on Instagram. Make the most of today and every day you are given. tomorrow is not promised. Health authorities have decided to bar visiting foreigners unless they can show negative test results for COVID-19 as cases are increasing among foreign arrivals. The number of infected foreign arrivals has jumped to 20 on average a day over the last two weeks, compared to just six in May. From Monday, visitors from high-risk countries must present negative test certificates no older than 48 hours and undergo another test here to be allowed to enter the country. They also have to be tested again at their own country's airport before they board the plane to Korea. The decision came as several visitors from Kazakhstan and Bangladesh on short-term visas to work on farms tested positive. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 23:10:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. - - - - BANGKOK -- Thailand's top virologist on Monday warned that the COVID-19 mutated G strain, found amongst Thai returnees from abroad, is highly contagious. The mutated G strain which is prevalent in the United States and Europe, is more contagious than the S strain, said Dr. Yong Poovorawan, medical professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University. "Thailand identified the S strain when COVID-19 pandemic first started in the country, however the doctors have now discovered a more dangerous strain amongst Thai returnees. They are the mutated G strain which still is prevalent in the United States and Europe." - - - - AKARTA -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Monday that the country would most likely commence producing COVID-19 vaccine at the beginning of next year in cooperation with Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech Ltd. President Jokowi, the popular name of the president, said about 170 million doses of vaccine will be produced next year, although it was short of the country's need of 347 million doses. - - - - TOKYO -- Japan will start a subsidy campaign to boost domestic tourism stricken by the COVID-19 pandemic, local media reported on Monday. The Go To Travel Campaign will begin on July 22 though concerns remain over a resurgence of infections. - - - - CANBERRA -- The Australian Government has deployed more defence force personnel to Victoria to assist the state's response to the COVID-19 outbreaks. Greg Hunt, the minister for health, told reporters on Monday that an additional 1,000 Australian Defence Force (ADF) members would be sent to Victoria to "serve in a variety of roles," a significant increase from the 350 previously deployed to the state. - - - - BEIJING -- Beijing on Monday lowered its COVID-19 risk level of more areas as the Chinese capital city was cleared of high-risk areas for the disease, according to local authorities. The Huaxiang township, the only high-risk area in the city, had been adjusted to a medium-risk area after less than 10 local confirmed cases had been reported for 14 consecutive days, said Liu Xiaofeng, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, at a press conference on Monday. - - - - ABIDJAN -- Two senior officials of Cote d'Ivoire have tested positive for COVID-19. President of Cote d'Ivoire's Senate Jeannot-Ahoussou Kouadio was diagnosed with COVID-19 after medical examinations in Germany where he continues his treatment, according to a press release from the Senate. Another press release from the Ministry of the City revealed that Minister Francois Amichia contracted the virus. - - - - BEIJING -- Two WHO experts have arrived in China for cooperation on researching the origin of the COVID-19 virus, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Monday. After consultation between the two sides, the Chinese government had agreed that the World Health Organization would send experts to Beijing to exchange ideas with Chinese counterparts on science-based cooperation in novel coronavirus origin-tracing, Hua told a press briefing. - - - - KUWAIT CITY -- Kuwait on Monday reported 614 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 55,508 and the death toll to 393, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Currently, 9,759 patients are receiving treatment, including 148 in ICU, the statement added. The ministry also announced the recovery of 746 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 45,356. - - - - DAMASCUS -- Three Syrians died on Monday from the COVID-19 infection, raising the death toll to 19, the state news agency SANA reported. Meanwhile, the health ministry reported 23 new coronavirus cases in the government-controlled areas, bringing the overall number of infections to 417, including 136 recoveries. - - - - KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia reported seven new COVID-19 infections, the Health Ministry said on Monday, bringing the national total to 8,725. Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement that six of the new infections are imported and the other one is a local transmission. Enditem If you have seen the hit Netflix true-crime series "Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich," the end of the documentary clearly suggested that the accused pedophile has obtained and kept some footages of the "actions" going around his properties that could incriminate the biggest names involved in his sex trafficking scheme. Some of the victims were convinced that aside from trafficking underaged girls, Epstein was also one step ahead in creating a "blackmail scheme" by recording his associates' involvement on his dirty secret. "When he told me, 'people owe me favors, and I will never get caught, I can get away with things,' he meant it," one of the victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, said in the documentary. After the arrest of the billionaire sex offender, authorities found what could have been a "CCTV footage" room, minus all the computers and all possible gadgets that include the data or recordings from the surveillance cameras around the house. Prince Andrew On Epstein Tapes Now that Epstein's long-time confidante Ghislaine Maxwell is under the custody of the authorities, it is feared that the British socialite could drop bombs of information against Prince Andrew and the rest of the hotshots involved in the scandal. Just recently, a lawyer representing Virginia Robers and other victims of Epstein claimed that the Duke of York may have been secretly caught on camera during his occasional visits to Epstein's mansions. "There is no doubt Prince Andrew would have been captured on footage filmed in rooms and private areas of Epstein's property," David Boies told the Daily Mail. The lawyer also said that there were tons of surveillance cameras on Epstein's New York mansion and the rest of his properties, so it is likely there are tons of tapes being hidden. "Prince Andrew would have been included. He would certainly have been included among the people who would have been captured on the tapes," Boies added. Many victims have claimed about seeing CCTV cameras in privates areas of Epstein properties, including the infamous massage rooms, the shower area, and the girls' assigned bedrooms. Maria Farmer, who claims to be Epstein victim in 1990, said that she stumbled upon a "media room" with televisions showing feeds from pinhole surveillance cameras around the Manhattan mansion. She even claimed that Epstein told him that he just kept all the tapes on his safe. Ghislaine Maxwell's Secret Footage It is not the first time someone has claimed that Queen Elizabeth II favorite son might have been caught on tape while visiting Epstein. In a bombshell interview with The Sun, author Christina Oxenberg said that she believes Maxwell could share the footage of the biggest names connected to Epstein to free herself from much longer jail time. According to Oxenberg, when she met Maxwell back in the 1990s, she boasted about secretly recording the billionaire and his clients' time with the underaged girls, including footage of Prince Andrew. "He is one of many johns, all of whom were videotaped by Ghislaine," Oxenberg revealed. "He is not a victim here, but Ghislaine was never his friend, she was taping him. Friends don't tape friends." Despite the suspicions, there is no evidence that any of those footage exists, as the FBI only found diamonds, fake passports and money after Epstein's arrest. READ MORE: Markle The Rebel: 5 Times Meghan Markle BROKE Royal Protocol DUBLIN, Ohio Collin Morikawa figured his tournament was over if he did not make a 5-foot par putt on the 15th hole at Muirfield Village. As it turned out, the fun was just starting. Still three shots behind Justin Thomas with three holes to play, Morikawa made only one birdie, but it was enough for a six-under-par 66 to force a playoff. The three times he played the 18th hole on Sunday, he twice could only watch as Thomas missed 10-foot putts for the win. The other time, Morikawa had to make a 25-foot putt to keep playing. The only dull moment at the Workday Charity Open was at the end, when Morikawa took two putts for par from just inside 10 feet to beat Thomas on the third playoff hole and win for the second time in his PGA Tour career. External Article 13 July 2020 (CNN) Before the pandemic put a stop to most international travel, each year millions of people flocked to Southeast Asia's white sandy beaches, ancient temples and diverse wildlife. Advertisements Last year, 133 million tourists visited the region, spurred by an increase in arrivals from China, which is now the world's largest market for outbound travel. In some places the crowds became so intense it caused locals, environmentalists and even governments to complain that overtourism was pushing the region's fragile ecosystems to breaking point. Coral die-offs, vanishing marine life, damaged cultural sites and idyllic islands overflowing with plastic and human waste were all blamed on too many tourists and the unchecked development set up to attract and accommodate them. Then the global coronavirus pandemic struck. Countries went into lockdown. International travel dramatically reduced. And the tourists were largely gone. For countries like Cambodia, where tourism contributesan estimated 30% of GDP, the effect has been devastating. Asia-Pacific is estimated to lose $34.6 billion due to the pandemic, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 23:35:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, chairs a symposium attended by economists and entrepreneurs to analyze economic situation in Beijing, capital of China, July 13, 2020. Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the meeting. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called Monday for efforts to enhance effective delivery of policies while stepping up reform and opening-up to keep the economic fundamentals stable. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks while chairing a symposium attended by economists and entrepreneurs to analyze the economic situation. Economists Ma Jun and Jiang Chao, as well as representatives from the China Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, household appliance manufacturer Haier Group and e-commerce firm Pinduoduo, made remarks during the meeting. Noting that the economy has encountered unusual headwinds this year, attendees at the meeting said that policies such as tax and fee cuts and inclusive financing introduced by the government have played an active role in keeping business operations and employment stable. Despite the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 epidemic and the global economic recession this year, China's economy has recently shown trends of rebounding, with a timely effort on the resumption of work and production, revealing the economy's strong resilience and huge room for maneuver, Li said. However, he urged efforts to prepare for the tough battle ahead, as international uncertainties continue to mount and employment pressure on the domestic front remains prominent. Efforts must be made to fully implement policies to support enterprises and stimulate market vitality, he noted, stressing efforts to accomplish economic and social development targets this year. Li underlined efforts to enhance the timeliness of macro-policy implementation, while focusing on securing employment, people's livelihoods and market entities. Proactive fiscal measures, prudent monetary policies and an employment-first policy must be fully implemented, and tax cuts and fee reductions will be promoted on a larger scale, Li said. Fiscal funds should go straight to grassroots levels to directly benefit businesses and people in need, according to Li. He also stressed efforts to keep liquidity at a reasonable and adequate level and further lower the financing costs of medium, small and micro-sized enterprises, while rolling out multi-pronged measures to help key groups, such as college graduates and migrant workers, to find jobs. The country should leverage reform and opening-up as an impetus to boosting market vitality and enhancing the resilience of development, Li said. The government should further delegate powers, streamline administration and improve services, so that it can perform its role better and the market can play the decisive role in resource allocation, he said. The ecosystem for entrepreneurship and innovation should be improved, Li said, calling for more efforts to develop the industrial Internet and foster new forms of business. The country's consumption potential shall be further unleashed via reforms, such as integrated sales of farm produce through both online and offline channels, Li said. The country will give better play to the role of government investments in driving social capital into new infrastructure, fresh urbanization initiatives and major projects, he said. Vice Premier Han Zheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also attended the meeting. Northern Ireland commuters heading to Dublin risk fines of thousands of pounds or six months in jail for not wearing a face mask on public transport when they cross the border. However, the new law in the Republic of Ireland is mired in confusion over how it will be enforced. It is an offence not to wear a face mask on a bus or train in the Republic a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19. Commuters risk a 2,500 fine or six months in jail for not wearing a face mask on public transport from Monday, July 13. The National Transport Authority (NTA) could not say who will be designated to enforce the rules at busy railway stations. And bus drivers have been told by their union they are not compelled to take on the role of demanding compliance. The lack of clarity over how it will be implemented is expected to lead to widespread flouting of the law. Read More In Northern Ireland face masks are mandatory on public transport and Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has warned police could be called for those not wearing coverings. However, Ms Mallon said there would be a light-touch enforcement of the policy. This is in no way about criminalising people, its about keeping them safe, she said. Its about bringing people with us, there are clear exemptions, so for people who cannot wear face coverings for mental health reasons, physical health or communication reasons, thats absolutely fine and that will be respected. We dont expect to be in a situation where the PSNI will have to become involved. That has been the case in England, Scotland and the south. The PSNI has indicated that it will rely on "other bodies" to help enforce the rules. On Friday, Northern Ireland public transport operator Translink said most complied with the new rules. Read More In Dublin early morning commuters on Monday by train, tram and bus were largely adhering to the mandatory face mask rule, with the vast majority of passengers traveling with face coverings. While passenger numbers are still very low compared to pre-Covid times, bus and tram drivers reported a big difference in the numbers wearing masks today compared to last week. One Luas worker who was recording passenger numbers and how many of them were wearing masks said that over 10 trams she had surveyed there were 286 passengers and 280 of them were wearing masks, which is almost 98% compliance. Society itself is dictating it. Bus driver On buses around the capital it could also be seen that most, if not all, early morning commuters were heeding the mandatory face mask notice. I have been talking to some passengers and advising them about wearing a mask, and some have them in their bags or pockets and had just forgotten to put them on, said the Luas worker. Some passengers cannot wear masks for health reasons, and children under 13 dont have to wear them, they added. I think the message is getting through. While last week the compliance might have been 75-80% this morning it is much higher, they explained. Bus drivers too noticed more people wearing masks. I think its society itself is dictating it. The health authorities and government can all talk about it, but the difficulty remains about implementing it. But its passengers themselves who, by their own actions, are swaying people towards wearing a mask, said one bus driver. If you get on a bus now and you dont have a mask, and nearly everyone else does, you might feel more inclined to have one the next time, he added. It comes amid ongoing concern as the number of new daily cases of the virus remains higher than in recent weeks with another 17 people diagnosed with the infection in the Republic on Sunday. It means that in the space of just four days 90 new cases of the virus have been detected as the impact of travel-related infection and among young people enjoying house parties and pre-Covid style socialising takes hold. It is distasteful that pressure is now put on workers who were at the centre of supporting the public during lockdown. NBRU In Northern Ireland there have been no reported deaths for a week. The last reported statistics were released on Friday. Dermot O'Leary of the National Bus and Railworkers Union (NBRU) warned: "Frontline workers should not be put in a position of potential confrontation with passengers. "We support the wearing of masks but it has been introduced without consulting with us. "It is distasteful that pressure is now put on workers who were at the centre of supporting the public during lockdown. "A bus driver was killed in France when he got into an altercation with a passenger over the wearing of a mask and we don't want that to happen here." The NTA said the regulations allow for "any officer, employee or agent" to enforce the law but could not say what will happen if somebody buys a rail ticket at Heuston station today and does not wear a mask. The Republic's Department of Transport, in response to questions, said last night that the Department of Health is the lead agency for Covid-19-related regulations and public health guidelines. "In circumstances where a non-compliant passenger, without reasonable excuse, fails to accept the refusal or comply with a 'relevant person's' request, members of An Garda Siochana may be called to assist. "An Garda Siochana will continue its graduated policing response based on its tradition of policing by consent. "This has seen gardai engage, educate, encourage and, as a last resort, enforce. That approach will continue in assisting the enforcement of these regulations. "Where potential breaches of the public health regulations are identified, and where a person does not come into compliance with the regulations, a file will be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a direction as to how to proceed." The Garda press office said it would respond to a series of questions about the role of gardai. Under the regulations, signed by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, people are exempt from wearing a mask if they have a reasonable excuse. This is where they cannot put one on, wear or remove a face covering because of any physical or mental illness, impairment or disability or without severe distress. They are also exempted where there is a need to communicate with another person who has difficulties communicating. People can remove the face covering to provide emergency assistance or to give care or assistance to a vulnerable person. It can also be taken off if they need to take medication. A transport employee can refuse to allow a person without a face covering on to a bus or train. They can also demand that a passenger must get off if they are found not to be complying. Before this happens they have to give the passengers an opportunity to "provide a reasonable excuse" for not wearing a mask. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 19:59:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China is playing a major role in the energy infrastructure development in Uganda as the country strives to fast-track economic development, a new report issued here on Monday showed. An annual report by Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), a state owned agency, showed that China is financing construction of hydropower plants and power evacuation lines in the East African country. During the year under review 2018/19, construction of Chinese financed 183 MW-Isimba Hydropower Plant was completed and commissioned. The commissioning of the 566-million-U.S. dollar power plant largely contributed to the increase of the total power generated in the country to 1,176.6MW from 953.8 MW, according to the report. "Perhaps the greatest milestone this financial year (2018/19) was the commissioning of the 183 MW Isimba Hydropower Plant at the border of Kayunga and Kamuli districts," Ziria Tibalwa Waako, chief executive of ERA said in the report. "The Isimba plant is truly testimony that public-private-partnerships are a crucial building block towards sustainable electricity supply," she added. The power plant was financed by the Export-Import Bank of China (85 percent) and Ugandan government (15 percent). According to the report, power generated by Isimba will be sold at U.S. cents 4.16/kWh (from year 1 to year 15) and cents 1.01/ kWh (after year 15), making it the cheapest in the country, with the exception of the power from the 380 megawatts Nalubaale-Kiira Generation Complex. China is also financing the construction of the 600MW Karuma Hydropower Plant. The project, which is in its final stages, will substantially increase the power generated in the country, according to the report. The report showed that the Export-Import Bank of China is also financing the 248km, 400kV power evacuation lines from the Karuma power plant to Kawanda, near the capital Kampala. Chinese construction company, Sino Hydro was contracted to construct the transmission line. China is also financing a feasibility study of the construction of the 10km, 400kV Ayago-Karuma Interconnection Project. The line is expected to evacuate power from the proposed 680MW Ayago Hydropower Project. Enditem The Australian share market climbed up on Monday, 13 July 2020, following the positive cues from Wall Street Friday as positive update from U. S. pharmaceutical company firm's Gilead's antiviral drug to treat COVID-19 helped offset worries about the surge in new coronavirus cases in infections in Victoria, the country's second most-populous state, and worldwide. Around late afternoon, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index inclined 36.89 points, or 0.62%, to 5,956.10. The broader All Ordinaries added 30.33 points, or 0.5%, to 6,066.60. Market sentiment improved after U. S. biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences Inc's said last week that its antiviral drug remdesivir significantly improved clinical recovery and reduced the risk of death in COVID-19 patients. The Therapeutic Goods Administration had said that Australia granted provisional approval to Gilead's remdesivir as the first treatment option for COVID-19 in the country. Also, scientists in Queensland said that a coronavirus vaccine developed by them could be ready for use as early as the start of next year, with clinical trials beginning today. Meanwhile, the state of Victoria marked a week of triple-digit increases in fresh infections on Sunday, while a community outbreak in neighbouring New South Wales put the state on high alert. Energy stocks gained on tracking Friday's jump in oil prices. Santos was up 3%, followed by Origin Energy gaining as much as 2.5%. Oil Search Ltd rose up despite announcing an impairment of around $380 million in its half-year results on some major exploration assets and a gas-to-power project in Papua New Guinea. Among individual stocks, Estia Health shares dropped after it emerged from a trading halt. The company also warned investors it would record a significant A$124-148 million write-down "primarily on goodwill arising from historical acquisitions". CURRENCY NEWS: The Australian dollar changed against greenback, with it changed hands at $0.6957 late afternoon today after turbulent trading last week that saw it swinging between levels below $0.694 to above $0.698. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Trend Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan decided on making the provocation mainly for strengthening his power and internal political positions in Armenia, Head of the Center for Strategic Analysis of the Russian Institute for Innovative Development, well-known Russian expert Andrey Ivanov told Trend. He was commenting on a recent attack of Armenian armed forces on Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the direction of Azerbaijans Tovuz region. According to the expert, it is the Armenian prime minister who needs such provocations on the Azerbaijani border. "Pashinyan could neither cope with the economic crisis in Armenia, nor demonstrate any achievements to his citizens; therefore, he resorts to open political provocations. Doing this, he tries to somehow distract the population from the internal problems that have accumulated to date in the country, including economic ones," said Ivanov. Starting from noon on July 12, units of the armed forces of Armenia, grossly violating the ceasefire in the direction of Tovuz region along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, opened artillery fire at Azerbaijani positions. Azerbaijan's armed response forced the Armenian armed to retreat, suffering losses. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Kyivstar and Vodafone Ukraine have formed an active and passive infrastructure sharing agreement to boost 4G coverage in rural Ukraine. As reported in TeleGeography, the Memorandum of Intent will see the operators sharing base stations, communication channels and other network equipment. Cutting down on duplicated infrastructure will allow both operators to reduce their deployment costs. The deal is subject to regulatory approval, but once this is received the operators expect to begin implementing the arrangement in November this year. Kyivstar president Oleksandr Komarov noted that other operators such as Intertelecom and Lifecell were welcome to join the agreement. Vodafone Ukraine CEO Olga Ustinova noted that by sharing infrastructure, operators would more efficiently be able to meet the conditions of their LTE-900 licences, which became valid at the start of July. Under the licence terms, operators must extend coverage to all settlements with a population of over 2000. University of Houston researchers have designed a "catch and kill" heated air filter that can trap the virus responsible for COVID-19, killing it instantly. The nickel foam air filter was designed by Dr. Zhifeng Ren, the director of the Texas Center of Superconductivity at UH. Ren collaborated with Monzer Hourani, the CEO of Medistar, a Houston-based medical real estate development firm, and other scientists to design the filter. The original concept behind the filter that could eliminate COVID-19 was created by Medistar founder Monzer Hourani. Their unique design was outlined in a paper published in Materials Today Physics. When researchers conducted tests at Galveston National Laboratory, they discovered that 99.8 percent of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 was killed rapidly in a single pass through a filter made from the commercially available nickel foam heated at 392 degrees Fahrenheit. 'WE'RE SEEING WORST OF THE WORST': Houston nurse describes dire situation in ICU surge This filter could be useful in airports and in airplanes, in office buildings, schools and cruise ships to stop the spread of COVID-19, said Ren. Its ability to help control the spread of the virus could be very useful for society. Medistar also hopes to introduce a desktop model, capable of purifying the air in an office workers immediate surroundings, he said. Ren added that the Texas Center for Superconductivity was approached by Medistar on March 31, as the pandemic was spreading throughout the United States, for help in developing the concept of a virus-trapping air filter. UH researchers had determined that the virus could remain in the air for about three hours. Medistar knew the virus cant survive temperatures, about 158 degrees Fahrenheit, so the researchers collaborated, using a heated filter. By making the filter temperature far hotter, about 200 Celsius, they were able to kill the virus almost instantly. COVID-19 STRAIN: What does a more contagious COVID-19 strain mean for Houston? A top doctor weighs in A prototype was then designed by a local workshop and first tested at Rens lab for the relationship between voltage/current and temperature. It then went to the Galveston lab to be tested for its ability to kill the virus. Ren said it satisfies the requirements for conventional heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Dr. Garrett Peel of Medistar, who collaborated in the filter's design, recommends a phased roll-out of the device, beginning with high-priority venues, where essential workers are at elevated risk of exposure (particularly schools, hospitals and health care facilities, as well as public transit environs such as airplanes). "It's basically a high-performance COVID-19 killer," Peel said. "This is safe and effective. We want to roll this out of Texas first and start deploying them in schools, nursing homes, " Peel said. "This unit could be deployed in 60 days." Peel hopes that this innovative filter will get the attention of state and national leaders. "It provides an extra sense of security, knowing that our children and elderly are protected," Peel said. We need our leaders to step up and create private and public partnerships to get this product into our schools and protect our children." alison.medley@chron.com Hagia Sophia was built as a Christian cathedral nearly 1,500 years ago and turned into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of 1453. Speaking at a service in the Vatican, the Roman Catholic leader added that his "thoughts go to Istanbul", the BBC reported. Vatican City, July 13 (IANS) Pope Francis has said he's "pained" by Turkey's decision to convert Istanbul's Hagia Sophia back into a mosque. The Unesco World Heritage Site became a museum in 1934 under Turkish Republic founding father Ataturk. But earlier this week a Turkish court annulled the site's museum status, saying its use as anything other than a mosque was "not possible legally". Pope Francis confined himself to a few words on the issue: "My thoughts go to Istanbul. I think of Santa Sophia and I am very pained." President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the first Muslim prayers would be held in Hagia Sophia on July 24. Shortly after the announcement, the first call to prayer was recited at the site and broadcast on all of Turkey's main news channels. Hagia Sophia's social media channels have also been taken down. Islamists in Turkey have long called for it to become a mosque again but secular opposition members opposed the move. Defending the decision, President Erdogan stressed that the country had exercised its sovereign right, and he added that the building would remain open to all Muslims, non-Muslims and foreign visitors. The Pope is one of several religious and political leaders worldwide who have criticised the move. The World Council of Churches has called on President Erdogan to reverse the decision. The Church in Russia, home to the world's largest Orthodox Christian community, immediately expressed regret that the Turkish court had not taken its concerns into account when ruling on Hagia Sophia. It has also drawn condemnation from Greece, and Unesco said its World Heritage Committee would now review the monument's status. One of Turkey's most famous authors, Orhan Pamuk, told the BBC that the decision would take away the "pride" some Turks had in being a secular Muslim nation. "There are millions of secular Turks like me who are crying against this but their voices are not heard," said Pamuk. --IANS rt/ BJP MLA from Hemtabad, North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, Debendra Nath Roy, was found hanging in Bindal village near his village home on Monday (July 13) morning. Family members of MLA claim that he has been killed and hanged later. People of the area also claimed that the BJP MLA was murdered and then hanged. However, police said the cause of death will be ascertained after post mortem. The body has been sent to Raigunj hospital for post mortem. Police has found a suicide note from the pocket of BJP MLA Roy. The note mentions names of two persons and reads, these two people are responsible for my death. The names are not being shared by police as their role need to be investigated. Local enquiry has revealed that he had financial dealings with these two persons named in the note. He had recently sold 6-7 bighas of land due to financial crisis. However, police yet to comment whether it is a suicide or a murder as PM report is awaited. "Body of Shri Debendra Nath Ray, BJP MLA from Hemtabad, a reserved seat, in Uttar Dinajpur, was found hanging like this in Bindal, near his village home. People are of the clear opinion that he was first killed and then hung. His crime? He joined the BJP in 2019," said West Bengal BJP in a tweet. BJP president JP Nadda expressed shock over the incident and said, "The suspected heinous killing of Debendra Nath Ray, BJP MLA from Hemtabad in West Bengal, is extremely shocking and deplorable. This speaks of the Gunda Raj and failure of law and order in the Mamta government." The suspected heinous killing of Debendra Nath Ray, BJP MLA from Hemtabad in West Bengal, is extremely shocking and deplorable. This speaks of the Gunda Raj & failure of law and order in the Mamta govt. People will not forgive such a govt in the future. We strongly condemn this. Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) July 13, 2020 BJP leader Rahul Sinha demanded CBI inquiry into the incident and accused Trinamool Congress of being involved in Roy's death. "I request West Bengal CM to order CBI inquiry to find the truth behind the killing," Sinha was quoted as saying by ANI. Roy was earlier a CPI(M) MLA but had changed camps and joined BJP in 2019. Roy had joined the saffron party in Delhi in presence of senior BJP leaders. Five out of 20 boats will be manufactured at Ukraine's production facilities. French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins has said the two counties will sign an agreement next week on the supply of 20 patrol boats to Ukraine. Read alsoU.S. Javelin anti-tank missiles delivered to Ukraine, defense ministry confirms In particular, de Poncins has told journalists about the projects that are at the stage of implementation now, an UNIAN correspondent reported on July 13. The first one is related to the supply of 55 modern Airbus helicopters to Ukraine for the needs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and various services under the ministry's supervision. The second project involves the supply of 20 patrol boats, which will be officially announced at the appropriate signing ceremony next week, de Poncins said at a press conference. The ambassador added that under the terms of the contract, five out of 20 boats would be manufactured at Ukraine's production facilities. The diplomat also noted that the philosophy of France's approach to Ukraine is based on providing as much assistance as possible to the country's east regions and constantly taking care to strengthen its security. As UNIAN reported earlier, the U.S. State Department cleared a potential sale to Ukraine of 16 Mark VI patrol boats and other gear worth US$600 million. University signs research agreement for COVID-19 vaccine candidate Monday, July 13, 2020 MANHATTAN Kansas State University has signed a new preclinical research and option agreement with Tonix Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, to develop a vaccine candidate for the prevention of COVID-19. The inventor of the technology, Waithaka Mwangi, professor of diagnostic pathobiology in the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine, will direct the research, which is based on a new vaccine platform that his research team developed for bovine parainfluenza 3 virus, known as BPI3V, which is closely related to human parainfluenza 3 virus. "A weakened BPI3V has previously been shown to be an effective vaccine vehicle in humans. More importantly, following extensive testing, BPI3V was shown to be safe and stable in infants and children," Mwangi said. "The vector is well suited for mucosal immunization using a nasal atomizer, but it can also be injected. Therefore, BPI3V is suitable for development of COVID-19 vaccine candidates." The researchers focused on the most critical protein of coronaviruses: the spike protein. When a person is exposed to the virus, this protein is involved in the infection of the host cell. The vaccine candidate developed at K-State has been engineered to display the spike protein in a manner that mimics the actual virus. While the majority of vaccines that are currently being developed will be injected into the body, according to Mwangi, the best vaccine will be one that will trigger immune protection, such as Immunoglobulin A, or IgA, at the mucosal surface, the portal of virus entry. IgA plays a crucial role in the immune function of mucous membranes. Instead of being injected, Mwangi's vaccine candidate would be sprayed in the nose to trigger the IgA response and block the virus's spike protein from infecting the host cells. The vaccine will also induce T cell responses capable of killing infected cells. The research agreement, coordinated through K-State Innovation Partners, is the fourth license agreement between K-State and corporate partners on technologies related to COVID-19. "The team at K-State Innovation Partners enjoyed working with Dr. Seth Lederman and his team from Tonix to efficiently negotiate an exclusive, field-of-use option and sponsored research agreement to fund additional research at the Biosecurity Research Institute on Dr. Mwangi's COVID-19 vaccine candidates," said Bret Ford, director of business development and licensing for K-State Innovation Partners. "The negotiations were approached with a high sense of urgency and we look forward to the company potentially commercializing our vaccine candidates to provide a solution for this global pandemic." Mwangi's research will be conducted at the university's Biosecurity Research Institute in Pat Roberts Hall, a biosafety level-3 facility. "As the world's foremost global food and biosecurity science university, K-State is committed to understanding and combatting zoonotic diseases and the viruses that cause them like SARS-CoV-2," said Peter Dorhout, vice president for research at K-State. "To deploy our innovations at scale, our faculty need to combine forces with collaborative corporate partners like Tonix Pharmaceuticals as part of our land-grant mission to serve." Sir Richard Dearlove cites that the entry of the Chinese telecom Huawei in the United Kingdowm is like a Trojan horse that allows the Chinese military to conduct espionage. This is pivotal especially now, with the impending introduction of 5G infrastructure that leaves the UK wide open to possible security threats, reported Telegraph. For the ex-M16 head, the only option to negate the threat is to cancel any contracts. He calls it a strategic security reason for the well-being of the country. China is expanding its sphere of influence from the China sea to west, which western governments should be wary off. Huawei: A possible security threat? Once the Chinese military are given access via Huawei, it will be game-over for the UK government. These remarks were made ahead of the critical meeting scheduled by the National Security Council on Tuesday. Part of the agenda amongst the ministers is the halting of planned purchases of brand new Huawei telecom equipment at the end of 2020. After cancelling the equipment orders, there will be a purging of the Chinese company from the UK's 5G network according to Digitpol. Sir Richard remarked that cancelling any agreements with Huawei will shield the UK from any attempts to hack its 5G network. He made it clear there should be no doubt how close the Chinese government is to Huawei. Wherever Huawei is, expect some sort of Chinese presence shadowing it. According to him, Huawei is getting all sort of the support from the Chinese communists. The company is closely linked to the People's Pepublic of China. Also read: Loss of Hong Kong's Autonomy Under China's Rule Might Mean Sanctions From US One of the hallmarks of Chinese military strategy is the combination of civil and military means as a combined effort. Thus, the thrust towards 5G can give the Chinese communists a chance to piggy-back on Huawei to gain more opportunities for spying or gathering data, Express UK. Huawei got the memo for its planned ejection from the UK network, which has prompted the Chinese telco to a request a meeting with Boris Johnson's senior adviser Sir Edward Lister. Part of the agenda in the meeting with the adviser will be new requests for a delay in the telecom's ejection. The Chinese telecom is asking permission to stay till 2025 during general elections, confirmed IT Wire. To spice up the deal, some sources connected to Huawei claimed that it offered add-ons, provided that it won't get booted out yet. One of the major suggestions given by the telecom is to spend for total maintenance for the system. This is a generous option that the UK government might find hard to pass up. But here are some realities that should be remembered about China's supposed pledges. A Chinese virologist has revealed that the Communist party knew about the coronavirus outbreak. Beijing took several weeks before informing the world. Dr Li-Meng Yan informed the world that the first viral cluster was examined by her. She revealed that it was instructed by Professor Leo Poon, who was her supervisor at the Hong Kong School of Public Health. Related article: Beijing Pointing Fingers: China Accuses US of Starting a New 'Cold War' @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo) FILE PHOTO: Professor Gottfried Kremsner injects a vaccination against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from German biotechnology company CureVac to a volunteer at the start of a clinical test series at his tropical institute of the university clinic in Tuebingen, Germany, June 22, 2020. Russia has become the first nation to complete a COVID-19 human vaccine clinical trial successfully. While initial human trial results suggest that the vaccine is safe and successful to some degree, it seems premature to announce the supposed 'first COVID-19 vaccine in the world. Progress made by Russian vaccine Russia has permitted clinical trials of two forms of a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Epidemiology and Microbiology Research Centre. The first vaccine was carried out at the Burdenko Military Hospital to form a solution for intramuscular administration. The vaccine was carried out at Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University through a powder to prepare a solution for intramuscular administration. Chief researcher Elena Smolyarchuk, who heads Sechenov University's Center for Clinical Research on Medications, told Russian news agency TASS that the human trials for the vaccine were completed at the university and released soon. "The research has been completed, and it proved that the vaccine is safe," Smolyarchuk said. She added the volunteers will be discharged on July 15 and July 20. However, there was no further information on what phase of the clinical trials has this vaccine completed. Earlier the results of the COVID-19 vaccine tests showed that volunteers developed coronavirus immunity. According to an earlier statement by the Russian Ministry of Defence, the data collected by the Gamalei National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology indicates that first and second group volunteers develop an immune response after injecting the coronavirus vaccine. Did the vaccine conclude clinical trial or just phase 1? A group of 18 volunteers was involved in the first stage of vaccine research at Sechenov University. The second group consisted of 20 volunteers. All volunteers were required to stay in solitary confinement in a hospital for 28 days after vaccination. While the Russian vaccine passed the first phase of clinical trials, it still has a long way to go before it can be accepted as a proven COVID-19 vaccine. Because the number of volunteers participating in Sechenov University's research was less than 40, progress only means the vaccine has cleared phase 1 of a total of three clinical trial stages. Even according to the WHO study, both of Gamaleya Research Institute's Russian vaccines are still under Phase 1. The first phase for these vaccines was expected to be complete by August 15, according to the ClinicalTrials.gov database. ALSO READ: [COVID-19 Update] WHO Warns World of 'New, Dangerous' Coronavirus Pandemic Search for COVID-19 vaccine continues Although more than 7 million people have recovered from COVID-19, scientists and other healthcare systems worldwide are working to increase the creation and delivery of a new coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible. According to the update of the World Health Organization (WHO)'s 'Draft environment of COVID-19 candidate vaccines,' only two vaccines - one from the Chinese firm Sinovac and one from the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca - have entered phase 3 of the clinical trials. The development of a vaccine requires multiple testing steps on both animals and humans. Therefore, it takes at least 10 to 12 months to make a vaccine available to the general public after it is produced in a laboratory. ALSO READ: COVID-19: the United Kingdom, South Africa to Start Coronavirus Vaccine Pilot 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. South Africa: Over 400 doctors to assist with Disability Grant applications The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has appointed 465 doctors around the country to assist with the assessment of grant applications by people with disabilities. Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu made the announcement during a media briefing at the Union Buildings on Monday on government's further plans to combat the spread of COVID-19 in South Africa. Zulu said priority is being given to disabled people, who were assessed prior to lockdown, but did not complete the administrative process, as well as those who were booked for assessments, which could not take place during Levels 4 and 5 of the lockdown. New applicants will be assisted at the SASSA offices on an appointment basis and subject to the availability of resources to complete medical assessments, which are a legislated prerequisite to an application for a disability or care dependency grant. In addition, I am considering a further extension to the period for which temporary disability grants will be paid in an effort to address the concerns of a very vulnerable sector of our society. Further announcements in this regard will be made shortly, Zulu said. National Drug Master Plan Zulu said the relevant departments of government have been instructed to mobilise and coordinate their resources and programmes towards invoking aspects of the National Drug Master Plan, as well as the Gender Based Violence and Femicide Master Plan. This follows the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the immediate reinstatement of the ban of the sale of alcohol. The Department of Social Development will urgently invoke its programmatic responses as part of a government-wide response that is planned and deployed through the Provjocs, Natjoints, inter-ministerial committees (IMCs) and National Coronavirus Coordinating Council (NCCC). Invoking these COVID-19 responsive measures will immediately ensure, among others, the deepening of efforts to protect women during this period, Zulu said. As it has been demonstrated, the Minister said, ban of the sale of alcohol will contribute towards freeing up the much needed medical capabilities and resources within medical facilities. Increased capacity of GBV Command Centre With regard to GBV and femicide (GBVF), the Minister announced that the department has increased the capacity of the GBV Command Centre through the recruitment of social work interns from the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) and National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac). She said the officials will be deployed to the provincial departments, the National Department of Social Development office and the GBV Command Centre. We have also recruited an additional 1 809 social workers on a six-month contract to assist with the provision of psychosocial care and support to vulnerable groups, families and communities, Zulu said. Meanwhile, Zulu announced that the department has developed the Victim Support Services Policy and Bill, which have been approved by Cabinet. This legislative framework will provide guidance on how support services may be provided to victims of violent crimes. The Bill has been sent for printing and will be published for public comment on 17 July 2020, Zulu said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-07-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. "Given the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, we took steps to remove near-term maturity risk and lock up long-term debt at near historic low interest rates," said John Isakson, Chief Financial Officer for PAC. Mr. Isakson added, "In addition, these transactions allowed PAC to generate over $72.0 million in additional loan proceeds at closing, inclusive of COVID-19 related escrow holdbacks, while lowering our total borrowing costs. The ability to refinance eight separate Class A multifamily communities' during a pandemic demonstrates PAC's ability to access capital markets in a variety of ways at accretive levels during all phases of the market cycle." Mr. Isakson continued, "To date, these properties have reported average rental collection rates for April, May and June of 99.0%. Although the future impact of COVID-19 on these assets is uncertain, we are encouraged that this favorable debt and collection efforts to date will provide PAC with enhanced cash flows and projected returns long-term." About Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc. Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc. (NYSE: APTS) is a real estate investment trust engaged primarily in the ownership and operation of Class A multifamily properties, with select investments in grocery anchored shopping centers, Class A office buildings, and student housing properties. Preferred Apartment Communities' investment objective is to generate attractive, stable returns for stockholders by investing in income-producing properties and acquiring or originating real estate loans. As of March 31, 2020, we owned or were invested in 123 properties in 15 states, predominantly in the Southeast region of the United States. Learn more at www.pacapts.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "trend", "will", "expects", "plans", "estimates", "anticipates", "projects", "intends", "believes", "goals", "objectives", "outlook" and similar expressions. Because such statements include risks, uncertainties and contingencies, actual results may differ materially from the expectations, intentions, beliefs, plans or predictions of the future expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and contingencies include, but are not limited to, (a) the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on PAC's business operations and the economic conditions in the markets in which PAC operates; (b) PAC's ability to mitigate the impacts arising from COVID-19 and (c) those disclosed in PAC's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. PAC undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required by law. Additional Information The SEC has declared effective the registration statement (including prospectus) filed by the Company for each of the offerings to which this communication may relate. Before you invest, you should read the final prospectus, and any prospectus supplements, forming a part of the registration statement and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and the offering to which this communication may relate. In particular, you should carefully read the risk factors described in the final prospectus and in any related prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference in the final prospectus and any related prospectus supplement to which this communication may relate. You may obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the Company or its dealer manager, Preferred Capital Securities, LLC, with respect to its Series A1/M1 Redeemable Preferred Stock Offering, will arrange to send you a prospectus if you request it by calling John A. Isakson at (770) 818-4109, 3284 Northside Parkway NW, Suite 150, Atlanta, Georgia 30327. The Series A1/M1 Redeemable Preferred Stock Offering prospectus, dated October 22, 2019, can be accessed through the following link: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1481832/000148183219000097/a424b5-2019seriesamshares.htm SOURCE Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc. Related Links http://www.pacapts.com A 37-year-old man, Iddrisu Ibrahim, died on the spot and two others are in critical condition when the vehicle in which they were travelling crashed into an articulated truck at Anyinam on the Accra-Kumasi highway. The two are on admission at the Enyilesi Government Hospital. Mr Francis Gomado, the Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Police Command, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the accident occurred when the Toyota Corolla with registration number AW 826-17 from Kwabeng heading towards Abeakoase tried to overtake a fleet of vehicles on the Accra Kumasi highway and in the process crashed into a DAF XF articulated truck with registration number GS 241-17. The truck was loaded with 1,952 cartons of origin beer from Kumasi heading towards Koforidua. The Toyota Corolla earlier hit the side of a Burkina Faso truck before crashing into the DAF truck. He said the body of the deceased had been transferred to the Nkawkaw Holy Family Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy. 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 With COVID-19 ravaging the aviation industry, airlines and airports worldwide are reining in costs and halting new spending, except in one area: reassuring pandemic-wary passengers about travel. "Whatever the new normal (...) it's going to be more and more around self-service," Sean Donohue, chief executive of Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport (DFW), told Reuters in an interview. The airport is working with American Airlines - whose home base is DFW - to roll out a self-check-in for luggage, and all of its restrooms will be entirely touchless by the end of July ... A special court in Kottayam in Kerala on Monday cancelled the bail of Franco Mulakkal, former Bishop of Jalandhar who is accused of raping a nun and issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him. When the court took up the case public prosecutor Jithesh Babu informed the additional district judge G Gopakumar that some of the reasons cited by the accused to avoid his appearance were factually incorrect. In the last hearing on July 1 his counsel had said since Jalandhar was a Covid-19 containment zone he was denied permission to travel to Kerala. To buttress his point the prosecutor produced documents obtained from Jalandhar which showed his contentions were wrong (HT has copies of the documents) and said he was avoiding appearance citing wrong reasons. He told the court that the Civil Lines area in Jalandhar where the former bishop is staying was not in the list of the containment zones. Mulakkal was not present on Monday either when his counsel said the former bishop had a detailed talk with his lawyer who had tested positive for Covid-19 and was asked to go into quarantine. But the court said since his first claim fell flat it cant accept the latest one. Later the court cancelled his bail and directed the Kottayam police superintendent to arrest him and produce him before it. The court posted the next date of hearing for August 13. Mulakkal had cited flimsy reasons to avoid his personal appearance many times. His men also tried to intimidate some of the witnesses. With his defiant attitude he was challenging the judicial system of the country, said Felix J Pulludan, convener of Save Our Sisters, an organisation floated during the stir against Mulakkal before he was arrested for the first time. The spokesman of Jalandhar diocese Father Peter expressed shock over cancellation of Mullakals bail and said there was a concerted move to influence the judiciary with wrong information. A section of the media said the bishop was absent 13 times, but there are only four occasions. We have submitted all documents to the court in this regard. It is sad his submission was overlooked, said the PRO. Last week the Kerala High Court had rejected the former bishops plea to quash the case against him and directed him to face the trial. In March the trial court in Kottayam had also dismissed his discharge plea. The case surfaced in 2018 after a 43-year-old nun had complained to the police in Kottayam that Mulakkal had raped her several times between 2014 and 2016. The nun is a member of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation based in Punjab. But Mulakkal denied it saying he was implicated after he took action against her for financial irregularities in the convent. Later a special investigation team (SIT) was formed and it arrested him in September 2018. He was granted bail after spending 40 days in jail. He was removed from the post of the bishop later. The SIT had filed the charge sheet against him last year but he failed to appear before the court several times. The petitioner had also complained that some of the witnesses were threatened by Mulakkals followers. While opposing his discharge plea the state government had said in the High Court that evidence against him was strong and he was deliberately delaying the trial filing different pleas. Actor Vivek Oberoi has shared his prayers for the Bachchan family after they tested positive for the novel coronavirus over the weekend. Amitabh Bachchan, his son Abhishek Bachchan, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai and granddaughter Aaradhya have been diagnosed with the virus. Our prayers for the well being and quick recovery of the family, Vivek wrote in a tweet on Sunday night while retweeting a news article on Aishwarya and Aaradhyas diagnosis. In a separate tweet, he tweeted about Amitabh and Abhishek too, who were diagnosed first on Saturday. Wishing @SrBachchan sir & @juniorbachchan a speedy recovery. Were all praying for you! Get well super soon! Take care, he wrote. Our prayers for the well being and quick recovery of the family https://t.co/23BEckqTLa Vivek Anand Oberoi (@vivekoberoi) July 12, 2020 Wishing @SrBachchan sir & @juniorbachchan a speedy recovery Were all praying for you! Get well super soon! Take care Vivek Anand Oberoi (@vivekoberoi) July 11, 2020 Vivek and Aishwarya have worked together in Kyun Hogaya Na, which also starred Amitabh. They also dated in real life around the same time. On Sunday, taking to his blog, Amitabh wrote that he was touched by the wishes coming the familys way. My dearest extended family, your concern, your prayers and your wishes for Abhishek, Aishwarya, Aaradhya and me for a speedy recovery has filled me with unending gratitude. I thank you all, Amitabh wrote. Also read: Parth Samthaan tests positive for Covid-19, Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2 shoot stopped The Bollywood veteran also said that though it wont be possible for him to acknowledge and respond to all the prayers towards the kin, he was grateful to the well wishers. I put my hands together and say thank you for your eternal love and affection, Amitabh wrote on Twitter. Hours before his fathers tweet, Abhishek confirmed Aishwarya and Aaradhyas diagnosis and said that they will be self quarantining at home. Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope told PTI that it was completely the familys decision to quarantine Aishwarya and Aaradhya at home or get them admitted to the hospital. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio among those targeted days after US sanctioned Chinese officials over alleged abuses in Xinjiang. China has announced retaliatory sanctions against a group of United States politicians, including Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, days after Washington blacklisted a number of Chinese politicians for alleged human rights abuses of the Uighur minority. Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman of Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the measures which also targeted Republican Congressman Chris Smith, the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China and Sam Brownback, the US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom would begin on Monday. Hua did not elaborate on what the corresponding sanctions would entail. Last week, the US imposed visa bans and asset freezes on several Chinese officials, including the Communist Party chief in Xinjiang, Chen Quanguo, over the alleged abuses in the western region. We urge the US to immediately withdraw its wrong decision, and stop any words and actions that interfere in Chinas internal affairs and harm Chinas interests, Hua said. China will make a further response depending on the development of the situation. Chinas move comes as relations between the worlds two biggest economic powerhouses have slumped in recent years. Washington and Beijing have traded barbs and sanctions on a slew of issues, from trade to more recent spats over the coronavirus pandemic, a security law in Hong Kong, and Chinese policies in Tibet and Xinjiang. Witnesses and human rights groups say that China has rounded up more than one million Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang in a vast brainwashing campaign aimed at forcibly homogenising minorities into the countrys Han majority. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last week the US was acting against horrific and systematic abuses in the region including forced labour, mass detention and involuntary population control. China rejects the accusations, but it has acknowledged sending Uighurs to vocational education centres to learn Mandarin and job skills in a bid to steer them away from terrorism and separatism. Members of the Uighur diaspora say their relatives have been arrested for seemingly innocuous acts such as sending Ramadan greetings to friends or downloading popular music. The US sanctions came after a new book by John Bolton, Trumps former national security adviser, alleged that the president spoke approvingly of his Chinese counterparts explanation of why he was basically building concentration camps to intern Uighurs during a G20 meeting in Osaka in 2019 that was attended only by interpreters. Bolton wrote that the US interpreter said that Trump spoke approvingly of the camps. San Antonio development firm GrayStreet Partners has purchased the Government Hill headquarters of a nonprofit medical equipment supplier, with plans to convert the property into a mixed-use development project. Project MEND CEO Cathy Valdez said the charity is building a 15,100-square-foot headquarters on the citys Northwest Side on a 3-acre property donated by GrayStreet. The developer bought Project MENDs 0.4-acre plot at 1201 Austin St. for $575,000 in a deal that closed in April 2019. The building is appraised at $669,050, according to Bexar County property records. It was great. We got a fair deal, Valdez said. We had no idea that we were going to be so fortunate. I think everything just fell into place. GrayStreet needed that space, and we needed the money to build a new facility. GrayStreet had acquired the property across the street from Project MENDs warehouse, adjacent to its headquarters, in 2017. The site used to be San Antonio ISDs Ben Milam Elementary School. GrayStreet officials couldnt be reached for comment Monday. The nonprofits new home, to be located at Harry Wurzbach and Crystal Run, will cost an estimataed $2.6 million, according to state filings, with enough room for both the warehouse and administrative office. On ExpressNews.com: Project MEND to build larger facility at the Medical Center Construction is scheduled to begin in September and expected to be complete by July 2021, Valdez said. This put us less than a mile from the (South Texas Medical Center), she said. Another perk: a bus stop in front of its headquarters, which she said will be convenient for employees and clients. Valdez said Project MEND had outgrown the property purchased in 1998, and has been renting additional office space at 5727 Interstate 10 West, owned by Gordon Hartman Enterprises. The 14-employee operation, which includes Valdez, refurbishes medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, crutches and hospital beds, for people with disabilities whose medical insurance denied coverage or who couldnt otherwise afford the supplies. The group was founded in 1992 by Murlin Johnson and formally incorporated as a 501(c)(3) the following year. On ExpressNews.com: Project Mend seeks medical equipment from SA community to help those in need Project MEND, which stands for Medical Equipment Network for those with Disabilities, is running a $3.5 million capital campaign and is asking the community for donations of old medical equipment. Were so close to our goal, she said. Weeks into the coronavirius pandemic, which started in March, Project MEND shifted to curbside service for both donors and clients. Donors can set an appointment and staff will pick up their used medical equipment on the curb. Clients can also schedule a time for a contactless delivery of the used equipment. Clients are required to get a prescriptions from their doctors for mechanical items such as hospital beds, scooters, lifts and wheelchairs. Right now, its busy and we have even more people asking for help, Valdez said. SA Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox GrayStreet is helping the nonprofit temporarily move its inventory into a nearby building so the developer can start construction on its new project, Valdez said. The firm is also renovating the San Antonio Light building on Broadway for office and retail space, and planning to build a 20-story luxury hotel and office tower near the Pearl. laura.garcia@express-news.net Kolkata, July 13 : A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Legislator in West Bengal was found hanging in his village in North Dinajpur district on Monday. The incident happened at Bindal in Hemtabad area. MLA Debendra Nath Ray, who had joined the BJP in 2019, was found mysteriously hanging a few meters away from his home near a local market. Earlier, he was elected on a CPI-M ticket in 2016. The family members of Ray, however, alleged that he was murdered for his political affiliation and have demanded a thorough probe into the matter. State BJP leaders said that people are of the clear opinion that he was first killed and then hung in his village. "His crime was that he joined the BJP in 2019," West Bengal BJP tweeted. Senior state BJP leader Sayantan Basu said: "If an elected MLA is not safe in Bengal, what will be the safety for common people here? We will demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter. There is no law and order in the state." North Dinajpur district Trinamool Congress leader Amal Acharya dubbed it as a 'sad incident'. "I came to know about it this morning. I am deeply saddened. He was a good man. I would urge the police administration to investigate the matter and punish the real perpetrators. This is absolutely uncalled for and whoever is guilty should be immediately punished, irrespective of any political colour," Acharya said. Condemning the incident, BJP national General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya twitted, saying: "Ray was killed". Vijayvargiya also raised the question of Ray's political affiliation behind the killing. YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Governor of Tavush Province of Armenia Hayk Chobanyan urges not to panic over the operations unleashed by Azerbaijan on the border with Armenia. Dear friends, please avoid additional reports and follow only the official news. As reported in the official statement, the Army fully controls the situation, there is no need to worry and panic, the Governor said on Facebook. At about 12:30, July 12, the armed forces of Azerbaijan attempted to violate the state border of Armenia in an UAZ vehicle in the direction of Tavush province. Following the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani armed forces left the vehicle and returned to their position. At about 13:45, the Azerbaijani forces made a second attempt to capture the Armenian border post, using artillery fire, but were pushed back, suffering losses. No casualties were reported from the Armenian side. The Azerbaijani defense ministry reported that three soldiers have died, four others were wounded in the incident. Later that day Armenian defense ministers spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side restarted shelling the same Armenian position, using 82 mm mortars and a tank. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan INDIANAPOLIS - An attorney for two people accused of being involved in a reported assault on a Black man at a southern Indiana lake said Monday his clients are victims of a smear campaign and a rush to judgment. Vauhxx Booker, a local civil rights activist and member of the Monroe County Human Rights Commission, said five white men pinned him against a tree, shouted racial slurs and one of them threatened to get a noose at Monroe Lake near Bloomington over Independence Day weekend. But David Hennessy, a criminal defence attorney for Sean Purdy and Caroline McCord two of the people accused of being involved said Booker has been putting forth a false narrative about what happened. Mr. Booker was the instigator and the agitator, Hennessy said at a press conference in downtown Indianapolis. Neither Booker nor his attorney, Katherine Liell, was present at the news conference. In a statement released Monday evening, they maintained that Booker is a victim of an attempted lynching and violent prejudice fueled attack. Mr. Booker did not instigate this encounter; he did not provoke anyone to hold him against his will. He did not yell or shout or lose his temper, the statement said. This is what repeatedly happens. The victim gets blamed and shamed. He gets re-victimized. Vauhxx Booker is the victim. Black people across the nation have been the victims. Purdy and McCord claim, according to their lawyers, that Booker was on private property. Hennessy said that after they informed Booker of the property line, his clients thought the situation was resolved. Hennessy contends that hours later, Booker again approached Purdy, McCord and a group of others. They say Booker threatened them, claiming to be a county commissioner. Thats when Booker jabbed a finger in McCords face and proceeded to punch Purdy three times, Hennessy said. If you go on a neighbours property and start punching people, you can be restrained. And (Booker) ended up against a tree, Hennessy said, arguing that Booker was not attacked. No talk of a noose, no talk of a rope, no talk of a lynching. No white power. Hennessy said neither Purdy nor McCord heard or said get a noose, but that some racially insensitive stuff was said by people known to them. When asked, Hennessy said his clients know the people and condemn the language used. There is a grand awakening regarding racial injustice happening in all of our communities. This is long overdue. It is deplorable that a person would be targeted because of his or her race, Hennessy said. It is equally deplorable for a person to use his race as a weapon and to arouse public passion over a false allegation. Booker has said he was pinned to a tree at the lake just south of Bookers hometown of Bloomington and that the group of five men accused him of trespassing on private property. After he tried to apologize, he said the situation got physical. Booker said the men threatened to break his arms and said, get a noose, while telling his friends to leave the area. Booker also said one of the men had a hat with a Confederate flag on it and that the men made statements about white power. Much of the assault that followed was captured on cellphone video by people Booker had met up with that day. Booker said he suffered a minor concussion, cuts, bruises and had patches of his hair pulled out. Hennessy said there is more video that the public has not seen that will provide proper context but that neither he nor his clients possess the footage. Purdy and McCord were at the news conference but did not speak. Their lawyers said they are co-operating with law enforcement. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, which responded to the reported assault, is still investigating what happened, officials said Monday. The FBI confirmed it also is still investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. ___ Casey Smith is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a non-profit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Iran Guards Deny Suing Journalists For Army Interview Critical Of IRGC Radio Farda July 12, 2020 Iran's Revolutionary Guard has denied Sunday suing five IRNA directors and journalists for publishing an interview with a senior Army general criticizing the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, IRGC. IRNA is the Islamic Republic's official news agency, run by President Hassan Rouhani's administration. A pro-reformist journalist claimed Saturday that security agents confiscated some of the personal effects of the five IRNA employees, in a series of tweets. The IRGC spokesman denied the news on Sunday, saying "This kind of fake news will not affect the unity of the army [Artesh] and the Revolutionary Guard." The pro-reformists journalist, Mehdi Mahmoudian also tweeted that IRNA's interview was conducted at the "Army's request," taped in the Army's studio, and supervised by the Army's public relations managers. All stages of the controversial interview were monitored and checked by the Army's officials, Mahmoudian insisted. In unprecedented remarks on May 31, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari had implicitly lambasted Iran's powerful Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) for meddling in the country's political and economic affairs. The Coordinating Deputy of the Islamic Republic's Army, Rear Admiral Sayyari, bitterly expressed his dissatisfaction with the Army being ignored by the country's state-controlled media. A few hours later, IRNA removed the interview and all sides tried to explain away the incident. The Army and IRGC spoke of unity and IRNA said the video of the interview was removed only temporarily to be reissued later. During the interview, Rear Admiral Sayyari in a remark apparently aimed at IRGC said that the Army respects rules and does not step into political and economic activities, adding, "Does this mean we do not understand politics? Not at all. We grasp politics well, we analyze it well, we understand it well, but we don't get into politics since politicization is harmful and damaging for the Armed Forces." Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-guards- deny-suing-journalists-for-army-interview -critical-of-irgc/30721771.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Oregon Supreme Court ruled a law limiting noneconomic damages in personal injury cases to $500,000 is unconstitutional because it violates the legal remedy clause of the Oregon constitution. Capping noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering, deprives individuals of their rights to court access, the states highest court decided late last week. The ruling stems from a case in which Scott Raymond Busch brought a personal injury claim for damages against defendant, McInnis Waste Systems Inc., a private waste management firm whose garbage truck hit the plaintiff in a crosswalk in downtown Portland. A jury determined that Busch had sustained, and will sustain, economic damages of $3,021,922 and awarded noneconomic damages of $10.5 million to the plaintiff, whose leg was lost in the accident. That was subsequently reduced to the $500,000 cap by a trial court. A court of appeals reversed that decision, ruling that the cap deprives individuals of their rights to court access, and the states high court last week upheld that ruling. The court in its ruling noted that its decision is limited to circumstances that this case presented and that it expressed no opinion on whether damages caps in other cased comply with the section of the Oregon constitution in question. Topics Legislation Oregon Northrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/13/2020 -- Post COVID-19, the size of the "COVID-19 Impact on Homeland Security Management Market by Technology (Thermal Imaging, AI-based Solution and Blockchain Solution), End-Use (Cyber Security, Aviation Security, Law Enforcement, and Risk & Emergency) and Region - Global Forecast to 2025", under realistic scenario is estimated to grow from USD 1,035 billion in 2020 and projected to reach USD 1,081 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 0.9%. As per HLB's global survey of business leaders, multinational companies are not just adopting new technologies but also successfully navigating the pandemic in order to survive. Post COVID-19, new business norms are expected for international structuring and operational strategies. The homeland security departments of several countries have also modified their operating strategies due to COVID-19. The agencies within homeland security departments, such as FEMA, law enforcement, and critical infrastructure, are adopting strategic shifts suggested by their respective governments, such as implementing Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce guidelines and national strategic plans for the effective management of COVID-19. Request for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=148348291 "Risk & Emergency to hold a significant share of the homeland security management market in 2020" The short-term demand for technologies in the HLS segment, such as thermal scanners and drones, is going to increase. However, the demand for long-term demand for technologies such as 5G implementation will see neutral to negative growth in the next 12 months. Extensive implementation of AI-based solutions, such as virtual healthcare assistants (chatbots) to answer questions related to COVID-19, is expected in the risk and emergency services segment. Law enforcement agencies are also using surveillance drones for monitoring public areas during lockdowns. "AI-based solutions to grow significantly during the forecast period" COVID-19 patients need frequent monitoring of their lung infections using chest X-rays, but quantifying the extent of the infection is a time-consuming step for already overloaded radiologists. qXR by Qure.ai can detect findings such as ground-glass opacities and consolidation abnormalities that are indicative of COVID-19. This AI-powered solution also helps to detect tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, lung malignancies, and medical emergencies such as lung collapses and cardiac disorders. It can also localize lesions and quantify the volume of an infection. Browse in-depth TOC on "COVID-19 Impact on Homeland Security Management Market" 19 Tables 19 Figures 89 Pages Request more details on: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=148348291 "Asia Pacific to hold the largest share of the global homeland security management market during the forecast period" The Asia Pacific region holds the largest market share in the homeland security industry. Countries such as India, China, and Japan are deploying AI-based security solutions. In India, a Gurgaon-based startup, Staqu, has launched a new thermal camera under its video analytics platform, JARVIS. This cutting-edge technology alerts users of anyone with a body temperature above 37C and examines heat signatures directly through its cameras, enabling authorities to identify and further inspect suspected carriers of the novel coronavirus. At the same time, companies that provide facial recognition solutions are using the outbreak as an opportunity to push the capabilities of their products. As Quartz reported, China's SenseTime now boasts of a software that can identify people without face masks on. Some of the major players operating in the homeland security and emergency management market are Lockheed Martin (US), Raytheon Company (US), Northrop Grumman (US), Leidos (US), IBM (US), FLIR Systems (US), Thales Group (France), Elbit Systems (Israel), General Dynamics (US), and Unisys (US). Related Reports: Smart Airports Market by Application (Landside, Airside, Terminal Side), End Market (Implementation, Upgrades & Services), Type (Airport 2.0, Airport 3.0, Airport 4.0), Operation, System, Airport Size, Technology, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 Aviation Blockchain Market by End Market (Airports, Airlines, MRO, Manufacturers, Lessors), Application (Smart Contracts, Supply Chain Management, Aircraft Maintenance, Cargo & Baggage Tracking), Deployment, Function, 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. Sanjay Gupta MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 WASHINGTON (AP) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke Monday to his Russian counterpart about convening the leaders of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the State Department said. The department said Pompeo spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the possibility of a commemorative event in the near future that would involve President Donald Trump and the leaders of Britain, China, France and Russia. The U.N. had planned a series of celebrations to mark the occasion centered around the annual General Assembly session in September but has been forced to cancel or postpone many of them due to the coronavirus pandemic. No details of the proposed summit were provided in the brief, four-sentence statement, but such a meeting, either in person or by teleconference due to COVID-19, would come as the U.S. pushes ahead with efforts to extend a U.N. arms embargo on Iran that is set to expire in October under the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal. The Trump administration, which withdrew from the accord in 2018, faces stiff opposition to extending the embargo from its fellow Security Council members. The administration has threatened to invoke the snapback of all U.N. sanctions on Iran that were eased under nuclear deal unless the embargo is prolonged. The others say the U.S. no longer has standing to do so. The department said in a statement that Pompeo and Lavrov also discussed Afghanistan, following reports that U.S. intelligence suspects Russia may be paying bounties to the Taliban to kill American and allied troops. Critics have accused the administration of ignoring the potential threat and demanded action. U.S. officials have countered that the intelligence was not conclusive. The two men also discussed election security amid concerns Russia may try to meddle in the 2020 U.S. presidential vote, the statement said, adding that Pompeo had raised the matter. The statement did not specifically mention the subject of arms control, which has been a particular point of contention between Washington and Moscow with the Trump administration warning it may not extend a key nuclear treaty that expires in 2021 unless China also becomes a party. GREENWICH Parking will be banned along Cognewaugh Road, which means some visitors heading to Mianus River Park may have to come up with alternate plans. The Board of Selectmen last Thursday approved a prohibition on parking along both sides of Cognewaugh Road between Shannon Lane and Stonebrook Lane. Deputy Police Chief Mark Marino, head of towns Parking Services Department, told the board there has been a steady increase in the use of Mianus River Park this spring as COVID-19 social distancing restrictions sent more residents onto hiking trails. And the overflow parking has spilled onto Cognewaugh Road, he said. This created a problem that has grown worse this summer, Marino said. Its a very narrow, winding road and it creates a number of safety of concerns when people park on various sections of it, he said. Temporary no parking signs had been put up, but they have been removed or ignored, he said. First Selectman Fred Camillo, who said he likes to hike at the park, said Cognewaugh is a dangerous road to begin with and said the parking problems only made it worse. The vote was 2-1, with Selectwoman Jill Oberlander voting against it. Oberlander said there had not been enough notice of the change and expressed concerns on whether the parking restriction would work. Marino said he sent a letter to area residents June 22 and had received only three responses, all of which supported the parking restriction. According to Marino, the parking lot at Mianus River Park can accommodate 25 to 30 cars. And the road is not wide enough for parking even on one side of it, he said. But Oberlander also said there should be flexibility and she said she was worried about limiting access to a town resource that is there for everyone in town to enjoy. This is an illustration of a brown dwarf. Despite their name, brown dwarfs would appear magenta or orange-red to the human eye if seen close up. Credits: Image courtesy of William Pendrill With the help of citizen scientists, astronomers have discovered two highly unusual brown dwarfs, balls of gas that are not massive enough to power themselves the way stars do. Participants in the NASA-funded Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project helped lead scientists to these bizarre objects, using data from NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) satellite along with all-sky observations collected between 2009 and 2011 under its previous moniker, WISE. Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 is an example of "citizen science," a collaboration between professional scientists and members of the public. Scientists call the newly discovered objects "the first extreme T-type subdwarfs." They weigh about 75 times the mass of Jupiter and clock in at roughly 10 billion years old. These two objects are the most planet-like brown dwarfs yet seen among the Milky Way's oldest population of stars. Astronomers hope to use these brown dwarfs to learn more about exoplanets, which are planets outside of our solar system. The same physical processes may form both planets and brown dwarfs. "These surprising, weird brown dwarfs resemble ancient exoplanets closely enough that they will help us understand the physics of the exoplanets," said astrophysicist Marc Kuchner, the principal investigator of Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 and the Citizen Science Officer for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Kuchner is also an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. These two special brown dwarfs have highly unusual compositions. When viewed in particular wavelengths of infrared light, they look like other brown dwarfs, but at others they do not resemble any other stars or planets that have been observed so far. Scientists were surprised to see they have very little iron, meaning that, like ancient stars, they have not incorporated iron from star births and deaths in their environments. A typical brown dwarf would have as much as 30 times more iron and other metals than these newly discovered objects. One of these brown dwarfs seems to have only about 3% as much iron as our Sun. Scientists expect very old exoplanets would have a low metal content, too. "A central question in the study of brown dwarfs and exoplanets is how much does planet formation depend on the presence of metals like iron and other elements formed by multiple earlier generations of stars," Kuchner said. "The fact that these brown dwarfs seem to have formed with such low metal abundances suggests that maybe we should be searching harder for ancient, metal-poor exoplanets, or exoplanets orbiting ancient metal-poor stars." A study in The Astrophysical Journal details these discoveries and the potential implications. Six citizen scientists are listed as co-authors of the study. How volunteers found these extreme brown dwarfs The study's lead author, Adam Schneider of Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration in Tempe, first noticed one of the unusual brown dwarfs, called WISE 1810, in 2016, but it was in a crowded area of the sky and was difficult to confirm. With the help of a tool called WiseView, created by Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 citizen scientist Dan Caselden, Schneider confirmed that the object he had seen years earlier was moving quickly, which is a good indication that an object is a nearby celestial body like a planet or brown dwarf. "WiseView scrolls through data like a short movie," Schneider said, "so you can see more easily see if something is moving or not." The second unusual brown dwarf, WISE 0414, was discovered by a group of citizen scientists including Backyard Worlds participants Paul Beaulieu, Sam Goodman, William Pendrill, Austin Rothermich, and Arttu Sainio. The citizen scientists who found WISE 0414 combed through hundreds of images taken by WISE looking for moving objects, which are best detected with the human eye. "The discovery of these two brown dwarfs shows that science enthusiasts can contribute to the scientific process," Schneider said. "Through Backyard Worlds, thousands of people can work together to find unusual objects in the solar neighborhood." Astronomers followed up to determine their physical properties and confirm that they are indeed brown dwarfs. The discovery of these two unusual brown dwarfs suggests astronomers may be able to find more of these objects in the future. About Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 The ongoing Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project lets anyone join the quest to find more mysterious objects in spacecraft data. Citizen scientists using this project have discovered a wealth of astronomical treasures, including more than 1,600 brown dwarfs and the oldest, coldest white dwarf surrounded by a disk of debris. About 150,000 people have participated so far. Check it out at backyardworlds.org. About WISE and NEOWISE The WISE spacecraft was placed in hibernation in February 2011 after completing its primary astrophysics mission, but in late 2013, the spacecraft was reactivated, renamed NEOWISE, and assigned a second mission dedicated to identifying and characterizing the population of near-Earth objects while also providing information about the size and composition of more distant asteroids and comets. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages and operates the NEOWISE mission for NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office within the Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The principal investigator, Amy Mainzer, is at the University of Arizona. The Space Dynamics Laboratory in Logan, Utah, built the science instrument. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colorado, built the spacecraft. Science data processing takes place at IPAC at Caltech in Pasadena. Caltech manages JPL for NASA. JPL managed and operated WISE for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Edward Wright at UCLA was the principal investigator. The mission was selected competitively under NASA's Explorers Program managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob has been given notice by leader of The First Wave Movement, Umar Abdullah, that there will be two more peaceful marches this month. It comes on the heels of Abdullah being charged on Monday for leading a march around the Queens Park Savannah without permission from the acting police commissioner. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) A U.S. district judge on Monday ordered a new delay in federal executions, hours before the first lethal injection was scheduled to be carried out at a federal prison in Indiana. The Trump administration immediately appealed to a higher court, asking that the executions move forward. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said there are still legal issues to resolve and that the public is not served by short-circuiting legitimate judicial process. The executions, pushed by the administration, would be the first carried out at the federal level since 2003. Chutkan said the inmates have presented evidence showing that the governments plan to use only pentobarbital to carry out the executions poses an unconstitutionally significant risk of serious pain. Chutkan said the inmates produced evidence that, in other executions, prisoners who were given pentobarbital suffered flash pulmonary edema, which she said interferes with breathing and produces sensations of drowning and strangulation. The inmates have identified alternatives, including the use of an opioid or anti-anxiety drug at the start of the procedure or a different method altogether, a firing squad, Chutkan said. The Justice Department immediately appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The new hold came a day after a federal appeals court lifted a hold on the execution of Daniel Lewis Lee, of Yukon, Oklahoma, which was scheduled for 4 p.m. EDT on Monday at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. He was convicted in Arkansas of the 1996 killings of gun dealer William Mueller, his wife, Nancy, and her 8-year-old daughter, Sarah Powell. The government has been trying to plow forward with these executions despite many unanswered questions about the legality of its new execution protocol, said Shawn Nolan, one of the attorneys for the men facing federal execution. The Lee execution was to be carried out after a federal appeals court lifted an injunction on Sunday that had been put in place last week after some members of the victims family argued they would be put at high risk for the coronavirus if they had to travel to attend. The family on Monday appealed to the Supreme Court. The decision to move forward with the execution -- and two others scheduled later in the week -- during a global health pandemic that has killed more than 135,000 people in the United States and is ravaging prisons nationwide, drew scrutiny from civil rights groups as well as family of Lees victims. Critics argue that the government is creating an unnecessary and manufactured urgency for political gain. The developments are also likely to add a new front to the national conversation about criminal justice reform in the lead-up to the 2020 elections. Anti-death penalty protesters began gathering in Terre Haute on Monday. Organizer Abraham Bonowitz drove a van through the city with a sign emblazoned on the side of a trailer that read, Stop executions now! Some who saw it gave him a thumbs up, while others gave him the middle finger, Bonowitz said in a phone interview. Because of coronavirus concerns, Bonowitz said his group, Death Penalty Action, wasnt encouraging others to show up. No more than a few dozen protesters were expected to join him, and they were all being told to wear masks, he said. Its symbolic, Bonowitz said about the protests. We are just here to say that this is wrong. In an interview with The Associated Press last week, Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department has a duty to carry out the sentences imposed by the courts, including the death penalty, and to bring a sense of closure to the victims and those in the communities where the killings happened. But relatives of those killed by Lee strongly oppose that idea. They wanted to be present to counter any contention that it was being done on their behalf. For us it is a matter of being there and saying, `This is not being done in our name; we do not want this, said relative Monica Veillette. The relatives would be traveling thousands of miles and witnessing the execution in a small room where the social distancing recommended to prevent the virus spread is virtually impossible. An attorney for the family members who have objected to the execution said they hadnt traveled to Indiana, as of Monday morning. The federal prison system has struggled in recent months to contain the exploding number of coronavirus cases behind bars. There are currently four confirmed coronavirus cases among inmates at the Terre Haute prison, according to federal statistics, and one inmate there has died. Barr said he believes the Bureau of Prisons could carry out these executions without being at risk. The agency has put a number of additional measures in place, including temperature checks and requiring witnesses to wear masks. But on Sunday, the Justice Department disclosed that a staff member involved in preparing for the execution had tested positive for the coronavirus, but said he had not been in the execution chamber and had not come into contact with anyone on the specialized team sent to handle the execution. The three men scheduled to be executed this week had been scheduled to be put to death when Barr announced the federal government would resume executions last year, ending an informal moratorium on federal capital punishment as the issue receded from the public domain. A fourth man is scheduled to be put to death in August. Executions on the federal level have been rare and the government has put to death only three defendants since restoring the federal death penalty in 1988 most recently in 2003, when Louis Jones was executed for the 1995 kidnapping, rape and murder of a young female soldier. In 2014, following a botched state execution in Oklahoma, President Barack Obama directed the Justice Departmen t to conduct a broad review of capital punishment and issues surrounding lethal injection drugs. The attorney general said last July that the Obama-era review had been completed, clearing the way for executions to resume. ___ Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Mark Sherman in Washington, Michael Tarm in Chicago and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Ark., contributed to this report. Our Divisions Copyright 2021-22 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. Unionized workers at Antofagasta's Zaldivar mine voted to strike - scheduled for Wednesday July 15 - with 99% of members rejecting a pay offer, Reuters reported . As per Chilean law, the government must mediate between the parties before a strike can be made legal.Zaldivar produced 54,000 tonnes of SX-EW copper cathodes in 2019, Antofagasta's website said, less than 2% of Chile's annual output, which is the world's leading producing country for copper.The London Metal Exchange 3-month copper contract traded over $6,600 per tonne on Monday, the highest its been since July 2018 and up by 3% on Friday's market close, before declining to $6,575 per tonne.In China, the Shanghai Futures Exchange active copper contract rose to 53,510 yuan ($7,643) per tonne on Monday, and also at a peak last reached in June 2018."A good arbitrage this morning caused premiums to trade over $100 per tonne, though they declined in the afternoon," a Shanghai copper trader told Fastmarkets."Copper looks a little stretched," Fastmarkets analyst Boris Mikanikrezai said. Former Special Counsel Defends Probe Into Russian Interference In 2016 Election By RFE/RL July 12, 2020 Former U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who conducted a probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, has defended his investigation and said the conviction of Roger Stone, an adviser to President Donald Trump, was handled properly. Mueller called the Russia investigation "of paramount importance" and said Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes. "He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so," Mueller said in an opinion piece published on July 11 by The Washington Post. Stone had been due to report to prison next week until his jail time was commuted by Trump on July 10. He faced a sentence of three years and four months for lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstructing the House of Representatives' investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. The presidential grant of clemency stopped short of a full pardon for Stone, 67, a Trump loyalist who has served as a political operative for several Republican presidential candidates. Mueller, a former FBI director, said he felt compelled to write the opinion piece to respond to claims that his investigation was illegitimate and that its motives were improper. Mueller also said he specifically wanted to address claims that Stone was a victim. In announcing Trump's decision to commute Stone's sentence, a White House statement on July 10 said Stone had been a victim of the "Russia hoax," had "suffered greatly," and was "treated very unfairly." But Mueller traced the basis for prosecuting Stone, recounting how he had not only tampered with a witness but also lied repeatedly about his efforts to gain inside information about e-mails that Russian intelligence operatives stole from top Democrats and provided to WikiLeaks, which published them at a crucial time in the run-up to the election. Mueller said Stone was critical to the investigation because he claimed inside knowledge about WikiLeaks' release of the stolen e-mails and because he communicated during the campaign with people known to be Russian intelligence officers. He also communicated with members of the Trump campaign about the timing of the WikiLeaks releases, Mueller said. Mueller's investigation, which concluded in April 2019, stopped short of reaching conclusions about Trump's conduct, including whether he obstructed justice. Though his report on the investigation detailed multiple interactions between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia, it did not find sufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and the Kremlin to tip the election. Mueller acknowledged that in his opinion piece, adding that the investigation did, however, establish that the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and "worked to secure that outcome." He said it also established that the Trump campaign expected it would benefit from information stolen and released through Russian efforts. Mueller's reaction comes after the White House statement called his investigation "absolutely baseless" and said the charges he sought "were the product of recklessness borne of frustration and malice." His opinion piece also appears to refute the White House assertion that the investigation was perpetuated by "the Left and its allies in the media" in an attempt to undermine the Trump presidency. Trump's decision to grant Stone clemency also drew a strong reaction from House speaker Nancy Pelosi, who called it "an act of staggering corruption." With reporting by AP and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/former-special- counsel-defends-probe-into-russian-interference -in-2016-election/30721702.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 05:19:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday said that there are more than 2,300 illegal immigrants detained in dire conditions in Libya. "Over 2,300 migrants are detained in dire conditions in Libya. IOM and humanitarian partners continue to provide emergency assistance while advocating for their orderly release," IOM tweeted. As thousands of illegal immigrants, who were either rescued at sea or arrested by the authorities, remain detained in shelters in Libya, IOM has maintained that Libya is not a safe port for rescued immigrants and that the detention system must be dismantled. IOM estimates that more than 5,800 illegal immigrants, including women and children, have been rescued at sea and returned to Libya so far in 2020, while 9,225 illegal immigrants were rescued and returned to Libya in 2019. The state of insecurity and chaos that plagued the country since the 2011 fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime encourage many illegal immigrants to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya towards Europe. The IOM had been running the Voluntary Humanitarian Return program that arranges the return of illegal immigrants stranded in Libya back to their countries of origin, before the Libyan authorities closed the country's borders as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. Enditem Iran's foreign ministry said on Monday that if any country was behind the fire at the Natanz nuclear site, it would receive a decisive response from Iran. At his regular briefing spokesman for the ministry, Abbas Mousavi, said that authorities were investigating the incident. He said: "If any governments or the regimes had played a role in this incident, it is natural for Iran to show decisive and important reactions." Iran said earlier that the cause of a fire at the Natanz nuclear site is known, but won't be immediately released due to "security reasons". An explosion took place at the underground Natanz nuclear site and damaged a building. The Natanz fire came less than a week after an explosion in an area east of Tehran that analysts believe hides an underground tunnel system and missile production sites. Soon after the incident a self-described group called the "Cheetahs of the Homeland" claimed responsibility for the explosion in a language used by several exiled Iranian opposition organizations. The group has been unheard of before by Iran experts. Iran has long claimed its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Mousavi also reacted to the fire on a US warship, sarcastically saying he was surprised how fast their navy warships catch fire. Twenty-one people suffered minor injuries in an explosion and fire on Sunday on board the USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego, military officials said. Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande landed in Jaipur last evening from Delhi. At the airport, the leader appeared surprised when he was asked about if he met deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot in Delhi. Is he in Delhi? I didnt know about it, Pande told a posse of reporters gathered around him at the city airport. #WATCH: Is he in Delhi? I didn't know about it: #Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande on being asked if he met Sachin Pilot in Delhi, after arriving at Jaipur Airport late last night (12.07.2020) pic.twitter.com/FrDX4gY2Pr ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2020 A miffed Sachin Pilot has been camping in Delhi with MLAs loyal to him amidst apprehensions over a possible split in the party. The Congress had also sent two central observers Randeep Singh Surjewala and Ajay Maken to Jaipur in a bid to iron out differences between Pilot and CM Ashok Gehlot, who have differed on a number of issues since the formation of the partys government in 2018. Pande, at a 2:30 am press conference last night, in a counter claim said the Congress had the support of 109 MLAs hours after Sachin Pilots media office released a statement claiming the Ashok Gehlot government was in a minority. A total of 109 MLAs have signed a letter expressing their trust and support to the government led by CM Ashok Gehlot and leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Few more MLAs had telephonic conversation with CM and theyll also sign a letter of support till morning, said Pande at a 2:30 am press briefing. There was no mention of deputy CM Sachin Pilot in that. He further added that a whip has been issued to all party MLAs to be mandatorily present at the Congress legislature party meeting to be held today, adding a strict action will be taken against any MLA who is absent without mentioning the reason. Pilot, who is also Rajasthan Congress president, has already made it clear that he wont be attending the meeting. The ongoing crisis erupted after Pilot received a notice from the special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan police to record his statement regarding the alleged attempt to topple the Congress government in the state. Pilots supporters said he has raised issues against the functioning of Gehlot over the past fortnight with the partys state in-charge Avinash Pande, Congress organisation secretary KC Venugopal and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel in Delhi. His concerns were not addressed, said a party leader considered close to Pilot. CM Gehlot alleged on Saturday that the BJP is trying to topple his government, a charge vehemently denied by the opposition party. With Pilot rushing to Delhi on the same day, some Congress legislators backing him and a few Rajasthan BJP MLAs are said to be staying in a five-star hotel in Manesar on the outskirts of Delhi. In the 200-member assembly, the Congress has the support of 125 MLAs, including 107 of its own legislators. The party has the backing of 13 independents and five from other parties. The majority mark is 101. The BJP has 72 legislators and has the support of three of Hanuman Beniwals Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RPL). A French man who allegedly abused more than 300 Indonesian children has died shortly after attempting to take his own life in prison, police said on Monday. Francois Camille Abello, 65, was detained in June when the police found him in a hotel room with two naked girls in the country's capital Jakarta. After he was rushed to hospital last week for emergency treatment, Abello was said to be in a stable condition. However, he later deteriorated due to "brain damage", according to Jakarta police spokesman Yusri Yunus. In a press conference on Thursday at which Abello appeared in handcuffs, police said that videos on his laptop showed him engaging in illegal sexual activity with 305 children aged between 10 and 17. Recommended How a group of female gymnasts exposed decades of sexual abuse Nana Sudjana, the head of the Jakarta police, said most of the French citizen's victims were street children whom he paid the equivalent of between 13.70 and 54.80. Mr Sudjana added that he beat those who did not follow his orders. The force is currently investigating whether he benefited financially by exploiting the children via online platforms. If convicted under Indonesia's child protection laws, Abello could have faced the death penalty. Additional reporting from Associated Press People take part in a rally in support of governor Sergei Furgal in Khabarovsk - Aleksandr Kolbin/Reuters Tens of thousand people have been rallying on the streets of the regional capital of Russias Far East since Saturday to protest the arrest of opposition governor Sergei Furgal and voice a general frustration with Moscows perceived heavy-handed tactics. Khabarovsk, a city of 600,000 people on the border with China and seven time zones away from Moscow, erupted in protest on Saturday when an estimated 30,000 people took to the streets chanting Free Furgal! and Putin, resign! Local media have described the rally as the largest in the citys history. Protests persisted on Sunday and Monday when hundreds of angry residents came out in defiance of an explicit ban on public gatherings. Khabarovsk's local government on Monday broke the silence on the weekend of peaceful protests, warning citizens against rioting We cannot allow mass unrest and clashes with law enforcement, the government said in a statement on Monday. If you stand against lawlessness, dont break the law! About a thousand people gathered on Monday evening in central Khabarovsk and marched through the streets, chanting Bring Furgal home! and Furgal is our choice! Ive never seen that many people in my living memory, Alexei Vorsin, a local activist aligned with opposition politician Alexei Navalny, told the Telegraph on Monday. With Mr Furgal beating the Kremlin candidate in 2018 people felt there was a chance for change, and its all been destroyed. Alexei Izotov, a Khabarovsk businessman who is moving to western Russia this autumn, says the protests are channeling long-harboured frustrations with Moscow. The region is in disarray, he told the Telegraph. Everything thats being said on TV about development and big projects is just fiction. People in the region feel both geographically and financially cut off from the rest of Russia. Khabarovsk Territory Governor Sergei Furgal - Valery Sharifulin/Tass via Getty Images Last weeks arrest of Mr Furgal who was filmed being strong-armed and handcuffed by FSB secret agents in broad daylight and flown to Moscow for questioning has rattled Khabarovsk which overwhelmingly voted for the opposition politician in 2018. Story continues Mr Furgals prosecution on charges of organising two contract killings 15 years ago has been widely seen as a payback for his landslide win over the pro-Kremlin candidate as well as his apparent unwillingness to rig the results of the 1 July vote that handed Vladimir Putin a mandate to rule Russia at least until 2036. Khabarovsk was one of the few regions that delivered an extremely low turnout and a shaky victory for the constitutional amendments that allow Mr Putin to run for office again Yuri Trutnev, the presidential envoy in the Far East, on Monday arrived in Khabarovsk where he publicly berated local officials for bad work and insisted that the intelligence agents would not have charged Mr Furgal unless they had 100 percent solid grounds for it. Vladimir Zhirinovsky, head of Mr Furgals LDPR party, told the Ekho Moskvy radio station on Monday that Kremlin officials including Mr Trutnev have been pressuring him for two years and standing in the way of his work. Theyve been trying to get him to step down on good terms, not to rough him up, he said. Mr Trutnev in televised remarks on Monday denied accusations of putting pressure on Mr Furgal for his anti-Kremlin stance. Russian secret services last week unleashed what has been described as a fresh wave of political repressions, raiding homes of several opposition activists and arresting prominent defence reporter Ivan Safronov who quit journalism just two months earlier. Mr Safronov was formally charged with treason on Monday. His defence lawyer says it is still unclear what exactly he is being accused of. Two dozen journalists rallying in Mr Safronov's support were detained on Monday for protesting in his support outside a Moscow prison. Charlotte Crosby, Jacqueline Jossa and Billie Faiers have all jetted out to Ibiza as they prepare for a luxury photoshoot at a sprawling seaside villa. The trio headed out to the Spanish Island on Sunday evening ahead of a shoot with clothing brand InTheStyle. And all three were quick to document the experience on their Instagram pages. Beaming: Charlotte Crosby, Jacqueline Jossa and Billie Faiers have all jetted out to Ibiza as they prepare for a luxury photoshoot at a sprawling seaside villa Charlotte, 30, was the first to post about her trip after arriving at the airport laden down with six suitcases. Just a short time later the former Geordie Shore star gave fans a guided tour of the expansive house that the stars would be staying in. The palatial space boasted shiny marble floors, an infinity pool with crystal clear water and a spacious decking overlooking the rolling scenic views. Girl gang: The trio headed out to the Spanish Island on Sunday evening ahead of a shoot with clothing brand InTheStyle She added an array of captions including 'home for the next month' as well as 'this place is next level'. Jacqueline, 27, joined her on Monday morning as she panned across the impressive scene before turning the camera on herself. She slipped into a skimpy black halter-neck bikini as she spoke to fans about the clothing brand and upcoming photoshoot. Prepared: Charlotte, 30, was the first to post about her trip after arriving at the airport laden down with six suitcases Sprawling: Just a short time later the former Geordie Shore star gave fans a guided tour of the expansive house that the stars would be staying in Impressive: She added an array of captions including 'home for the next month' as well as 'this place is next level' And a short time later Billie, also 30, arrived having spent Sunday celebrating her daughter's sixth birthday with a lavish Candyland-themed party. She shared a video alongside a caption that read: 'Just arrived in Ibiza with @inthestyle... Wowwww... What a view... Very exciting couple of days ahead...' The trip comes after the clothing brand came under fire over the sale of a 10 charity T-shirt benefiting the George Floyd Memorial Fund. Sizzling: Jacqueline, 27, joined her on Monday morning as she panned across the impressive scene before turning the camera on herself The I Stand With You piece, unveiled on Instagram last month, featured a design of two hands making a heart shape with the slogan: 'I hear you. I see you. I stand with you.' But furious shoppers took to social media to criticise the design and accused UK-based online retailer In The Style of using Mr Floyd's murder 'for profit' and to 'pick up new customers'. Others argued the brand should have donated directly to the George Floyd Memorial Fund rather than 'throwing out more unnecessary fast fashion'. Comments on the In The Style Instagram post were turned off but screenshots of a handful of negative posts have been circulated on Twitter. One read: Can I ask why you wouldn't donate directly? A bigger way to make a statement than a fast-fashion tee with a stolen design would be to hire black models, work with black influencers and pay them fairly and listen to your black audience instead of deleting comments. Profiting off a man's murder is "not a good look".' Controversy: The trip comes after the clothing brand came under fire over the sale of a 10 charity T-shirt benefiting the George Floyd Memorial Fund Negativity: Comments on the In The Style Instagram post were turned off but screenshots of a handful of negative posts have been circulated on Twitter Another argued: '[This t-shirt] was literally created by white people, for white people. "I love you, I see you, I stand with you"... again, I am the other. The irony is just baffling. You've missed the mark massively on this one.' The criticism continued on Twitter, where one user wrote: 'Have you seen this garbage from #Inthestyle? Looking to pick up customers off the #BLACK_LIVES_MATTER LivesMatter #GeorgeFloyd movement?' Another posted: 'FFS donate the funds directly #inthestyle and stop throwing out more unnecessary fast fashion into the world.' Speaking to FEMAIL, founder and CEO Adam Frisby said he had personally donated to the George Floyd Memorial Fund and that In The Style will be 'topping up' the money made from the t-shirts. He added the comments were turned off on the Instagram post to observe 'blackout Tuesday' and support 'social silence'. Comments on a post shared hours after the charity t-shirt post have remained on. Criticism: Furious shoppers took to Instagram and Twitter to criticise the t-shirt and accused In The Style of using Mr Floyd's murder 'for profit' and to 'pick up new customers' In a statement Mr Frisby continued: 'The world was outraged about the unlawful killing of George Floyd last week. This is something that has shocked and disgusted every civilised person on the planet and has pushed for a movement that extends beyond not just being non racist with a call for us to be anti racist. 'As a business we wanted to support the George Floyd Memorial fund. We commissioned and produced a t-shirt which at the time we make this statement has raised close to 20k already in the first few hours. 'Whilst thousands of people have embraced our intention and purchased the t-shirt to support this cause, we are aware that there were also people who questioned our place to speak and raise issue with these events. 'We hear what people have said and do not want to cause any offence or upset to anyone. The tshirts have nearly sold out and we won't be adding anymore once these have sold through. Any constructive criticism of the brand we take on board and will strive to do more as a business to stand up for what is right.' KT employees set up a 5G base station in Daegu. Courtesy of KT By Kim Hyun-bin Chiefs of the country's top three telecom companies plan to ask the government to provide them with wider tax cuts in terms of encouraging the telecom companies to invest more in the country's 5G next-generation wireless technology network infrastructure. The top executives are scheduled to hold a luncheon with Science Minister Choi Ki-young in downtown Seoul, Wednesday. No official comments have been made. However, telecom officials said the CEOs will request minister Choi to expand the size of the tax credit to represent the government's willingness to support key technologies that could affect national security and help the overall industry gain an upper hand over looming overseas rivals. The central point of the meeting is why the expanded size of the tax cuts (credits) will be needed and how it will impact on the industry from various aspects. One possible scenario is that the possible tax incentives will be continued for a "certain period" for telecom firms which build wireless communication networks related to 5G. Specifically, telecom companies are reportedly seeking to receive temporary investment tax credits of up to 10 percent for the 5G investments, according to people familiar with the issue. Upon the specifics of 5G network expansion plans, the amount of tax incentives will be different, according to each plan. On a related note, a senior presidential secretary Kim Sang-jo recently asked the top three telecom companies and two major portals for concerted support on the government's "Digital New Deal" initiatives, the details of which will be announced, July 14. Telecom companies have showed a mutual understanding of the need for the government project, but have been pressured over the easing of relevant tax rules under the country's Tax Reduction and Exemption Control Act. Currently, under the act the telecom companies could receive a maximum deduction of 3 percent for their 5G investments, which was given to reduce the burden on telecom companies that were the first to commercialize the 5G services in April 2019. The firms currently receive around 2 percent; the remaining 1 percent is given only when there is a 5 percent increase in employment. Also the tax deductions excludes 5G equipment investments, which takes up a great deal of the investment cost. "When first commercializing the 5G network the 5G equipment was costly. The costs have been reduced since then but still are a burden to telecom companies," a telecom company official said. "The implementation of the temporary investment tax credit will include all aspects of the 5G network investments, which drastically reduces the investment burden on telecom companies." The digital new deal serves as one of the main pillars of the Korean New Deal project, which aims for digital transformation utilizing 5G infrastructure and helping to create a 21st century industry structure through enhancements in the contactless technologies that have evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government has been pushing for digital new deal initiatives to help bring recovery to the sluggish economy that was impacted hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as efforts to digitize industries and create more jobs for young people. Through the measures the government plans to create a digital infrastructure, develop contactless industries and the digitization of social overhead capital. Niagara may or may not arrive at the third stage of Ontarios pandemic economic reopening in about two weeks, but the reasons why and how the provincial government is making decisions impacting the health and economic life of citizens remain murky. Ontarios health minister Christine Elliott said Monday the government wants to see at least four weeks of data before determining if a region moves forward through reopening stages. However, she did not disclose what data the government is looking at, nor how it is weighing that information. Since June, The Standard has asked the health ministry for the data it purports to use in determining if a region moves to the next phase. On Monday, the ministry again declined to release that information but provided links to its COVID-19 webpages that include overviews of province-wide pandemic statistics. Those pages do not show the data attached to four key public health measures the province says it uses to make key decisions hospital capacity, public health capacity, virus spread, and incident tracking. Nor do they answer questions put to the ministry about how that information is used when decisions are made. We are not informed about what data they are using, said Dr. Mustafa Hirji, Niagaras acting medical officer of health. That said, if they are using the kind of data we are, I would say Niagara is in a good position to move to stage three. The provincial government announced Monday several regions would move into stage three, which will allow more businesses to reopen including gyms, movie theatres and indoor dining at restaurants. In all those cases, infection control measures and limits on the number of people who can be indoors will apply. In the case of some businesses, like cinemas, a formal plan will have to be presented to public health authorities for approval. Hirji said it is not clear if those proposals have to be approved by his department or Ontarios medical officer of health. If it does fall to local public health authorities, he said, it would be a significant strain on staff. Niagara, Toronto, Hamilton and other regions were not included in the first round of the stage two reopenings last month, and the reasons why were not entirely explained by the provincial government then either. Hirji said Niagara was a week behind other regions for stage two. If the government follows the same approach, a stage three announcement could come Monday, July 20 and likely start July 24. But for some businesses, it is already too late. When the pandemic first hit Niagara in March, Dolores Fabiano, executive director of south Niagaras Chambers of Commerce, said many area business owners were confident theyd be able to weather the storm. They felt they had enough of a nest egg to get through a couple of months, she said. That was many months ago. Since then, she said, many have already made the difficult decision to close their doors permanently, realizing they could not continue to cover ongoing costs despite upper-tier government assistance. Although Mondays announcement was not unexpected, Fabiano she said it was still met with disappointment by many area business people. I think people were anticipating this, and hopefully next week we get the call and were able to move on to stage three, but its very tough. We have businesses that are so anxious to open, and thats really all they want, Fabiano said. They want to be able to reopen and carry on with the business. Its frustrating, but were almost there. Fingers crossed that next Monday our announcement comes. Until then, she is urging residents to do their best to protect themselves to ensure the number of new cases in the region remains low. We cant mess it up now. I am just as frustrated, but were almost there. Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce policy and government relations director Hugo Chesshire, too, expects Niagara will be permitted to enter stage three next week. Chesshire said many GNCC members businesses are really hurting. Despite government assistance programs, he said, its not enough to cover the losses. Theyre all partial replacements. You still do have operating costs and fixed costs. In the meantime, he said, chamber members would also like to know the criteria on which the decision was reached. A bit more transparency, I think, would be appreciated, especially by the business community that needs some restoration of predictability, he said. Thats the most important thing for businesses, to know whats going to happen. Right now, its a mystery. It could be very suddenly announced with just two days notice. It would be good to have a little forewarning and an idea of where Niagara is in relation to stage three. Are we almost there, or some distance away? Were not sure. That was a New York album through and through. Buzzing. Edgy. Eicher wanted to draw out another side of the pianist: the poet in him, evoking something, perhaps, of Oslo, where they were recording, or of Nock's homeland, New Zealand. Softer worlds than the Big Apple. The first day in the studio had gone well enough. Good takes, energy to burn but it was not quite what producer Manfred Eicher had in mind. As much as he loved Mike Nock's most recent record, In Out and Around, he didn't fancy more of the same. To that end, Eicher had taken Nock for a long walk to show him Oslo's parks and views. The producer has a long history of insinuating ideas that might infiltrate an artist's music while talking about anything other than notes and rhythms. In the studio on that second morning in 1981, however, he was more hands-on, massaging from Nock, bassist Eddie Gomez, and drummer Jon Christensen the otherworldly music that would become the album Ondas. In Out and Around had included a Nock composition called Shadows of Forgotten Love, and Eicher now suggested they try a pared-back, simplified version, rechristened just Forgotten Love. Against a minor-key vamp, this ravishing elegy has Nock improvising lines of operatic intensity, Gomez at his most lyrical, and Christensen, rather than accentuating the groove, playing freely and sparsely, while working up emotional surges against his colleagues. They brought the piece to a conclusion after nearly eight minutes, whereupon Eicher vehemently signalled from the control booth to keep going, so they repeated the form to even greater effect. Freed from the shackles of expectation, Nock's playing becomes more heart-rending (without losing his flair for a solo's architecture), Gomez's more muscular in support and more expressive in his solo, and Christensen's more abstract, while also giving the music more heft. Doctors should discuss CPR to clarify and inform patients before they consent to it, say researchers Patients and the general public appear to significantly overestimate the success of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and underestimate the negative impact it can have on a person's health, suggests research published online in Emergency Medicine Journal. US researchers have therefore recommended clinicians discuss CPR with patients and their loved ones to clarify the practice's success rate and the real benefits and risks involved before patients or their families are asked to consent to it. Emergency physicians often talk to patients or their families about end-of-life care and the outcomes of resuscitation efforts. Patient and family preconceptions of CPR can have a significant effect on the tone of discussions and the subsequent medical care provided. Previous studies have shown that most lay people overestimate the success of CPR and underestimate its morbidity but no studies on the subject have been carried out amongst patients and visitors in an emergency department. Patients in previous studies have cited television as a large source of their belief that rates of survival after CPR vary between 19% and 75%, whereas actual rates of survival of CPR range from an average of 12% for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests to 24-40% for in-hospital arrests. Therefore, a team of researchers from the University of California in the US carried out a survey of 500 emergency department patients and their companions to assess their expectations and examine whether or not variation in information sources, prior exposure to CPR, and healthcare experience would influence peoples' predicted CPR success rates. The survey was carried out amongst adults in the emergency department waiting area within a tertiary care hospital in Sacramento, California, between June and September 2016. An "optimism scale" was created to reflect expected likelihood of survival after CPR, or CPR success, under several sets of circumstances. Results showed that of the 500 respondents, more than half (53%) had performed or witnessed CPR, and/or participated in a CPR course (64%). Television was the main source of information about CPR for around 95% of respondents. At least half of the people interviewed estimated the success rate of CPR as being more than 75% in all situations. The estimated CPR success rates were unrelated to age, sex, race, spiritual beliefs or personal healthcare experience. The vast majority (90%) of people interviewed said they wanted to receive CPR if it was possibly needed. Comments also revealed that only 28% of respondents had discussed CPR with a physician, but most participants believed that a physician should talk to them about their CPR preference. The study had some limitations such as the fact that it took place at a single institution and for convenience, the sample only included English speakers which limits the generalisability of findings. Some participants might also have been distracted by illness or the emergency department waiting area environment. Nevertheless, the researchers conclude: "Patients and visitors to an emergency department, regardless of prior healthcare or CPR experience, overestimate the likelihood of success with CPR. "These findings should prompt emergency department physicians to initiate discussions about resuscitation with their patients while also providing them with key information to help facilitate informed decision-making. "When discussing CPR preferences, emergency department providers should focus on true rates of survival and outcomes in any shared decision-making conversation and should not assume that a patient or companion with healthcare experience will have realistic expectations." ### Peer reviewed? Yes Evidence type: Observational, survey Subjects: People Having Bob join us as Chair of the Japan IP Practice speaks to the reputation of the team, which is of course reflective of the trust clients place on us for complex matters that are often key to the survival of their enterprises, said Ian C. Ballon, Scott J. Bornstein, and Mark R. Galis. In keeping with its stated goal to strategically expand its award-winning Intellectual Property & Technology Practice, leading global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has added Robert J. Hollingshead as a Shareholder and Chair of its Japan IP Practice. Hollingsheads joining underscores Greenberg Traurigs commitment to the growth of its Tokyo office. Hollingshead will help grow the firms IP presence in Japan and assist clients from the firms Tokyo office as well as spending time in the firms Washington, D.C. office. Hollingshead joins from the Tokyo office of another global firm, where he was a partner and leader of its Japan patent practice since 2008. Bob Hollingshead has a long and successful history of working and living in Japan and helping some of that countrys most significant companies there as well as in the U.S. Like Greenberg Traurig, he is committed to Japans business community and culture, and knows first-hand the importance of truly understanding the practical aspects of the Japanese economy and Tokyos position as a gateway to international business opportunities, said Richard A. Rosenbaum, Greenberg Traurigs Executive Chairman. His addition continues our strategy of developing those practices that we consider to be key for clients as global markets change, as we further solidify our strong practice in Tokyo. Since June 2019, Greenberg Traurig has added 33 members to its IP Practice of more than 210 intellectual property attorneys and agents in the United States, Asia, and Europe. Having Bob join us as Chair of the Japan IP Practice speaks to the reputation of the team, which is of course reflective of the trust clients place on us for complex matters that are often key to the survival of their enterprises, said Ian C. Ballon, Scott J. Bornstein, and Mark R. Galis, Co-Chairs of the firms Global Intellectual Property & Technology Practice Group in a joint statement. We welcome Bob to our Tokyo practice where he joins an award-winning team committed to assisting clients here in Japan on a global level with a focus on innovation and strategic advice, said Koji Ishikawa, Managing Shareholder of the firms Tokyo office. Greenberg Traurigs track record of delivering world-class legal services to clients, its commitment to expanding its Japan IP practice, and its global presence are very attractive to me. With 41 offices and over 2200 attorneys worldwide, it is possible to spin the globe and identify a firm professional who is preeminent in his or her specialty and eager to assist a client, Hollingshead said. I am also impressed by Greenberg Traurigs diversity of practice, including complex litigation, internal investigations, general corporate, outbound M&A, life sciences, technology transactions, employment, real estate and antitrust, among others. A registered patent attorney and a former patent examiner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Hollingshead obtained degrees in Electrical Engineering before attending law school. Hollingsheads practice focuses on patent litigation, adversarial patent licensing, settlement negotiations, and related counseling. He represents clients in litigations and license negotiations relating to electronics, mechanical systems, automotive, semiconductor design and fabrication, display technologies, software, wireless telecommunications, medical devices, and metallurgical and magnetic technologies. Hollingsheads legal practice has been recognized by several publications and legal directories. For 2020, he is listed in The Best Lawyers in Japan. In 2019, he was listed in Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific, Dispute Resolution Star Intellectual Property; Managing Intellectual Property, IP Stars; IAM Magazine, IAM Patent 1000 Intellectual Property; The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Leading Individual Japan: Intellectual Property; and Chambers Global, Japan: Intellectual Property. He is active in several organizations, including the Tokyo Intellectual Property American Inn of Court for which he was a Founding Officer; and the Licensing Executives Society of Japan where he serves as an Editor. Hollingshead received his J.D. from Columbus School of Law at Catholic University of America, where he was a member of the editorial staff of the CommLaw Conspectus: Journal of Communications Law and Technology Policy. He received an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and B.S. degrees in both Electrical Engineering and Mathematics from the University of Maryland. He is admitted in Japan (Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi), the District of Columbia, Maryland, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. About Greenberg Traurig Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,200 attorneys in 41 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law. The kids keep saying, Back home, we didnt have any of these issues. Why cant we go back to Afghanistan to our family? said one Afghan man who came here on a Special Immigrant Visa after he was targeted for his work with the U.S. government. I have to tell them no. Every time they left for school back home, I was worried if they would return. YBO - The Department of Education and Training of Yen Bai province held a ceremony on July 6 to honour teachers and students who made outstanding performance during the 2015-2020 period. Duong Van Tien, Vice Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee, and First Vice Chairman of the provincial Council for Emulation and Rewards presents the Governments emulation flag 2019 to the Department of Education and Training. (photo: Thanh Ba) Over the past five years, the provincial education and training sectors patriotic emulation movements have developed extensively and intensively. Under a project to rearrange the network of schools, during 2016-2020, the province reduced 130 schools and 443 temporary education facilities, along with 106 classrooms. The number of students increased by 20,048, with the figure of day-boarders up 9,924. Standing Vice Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Ta Van Long and Vice Chairman of the provincial Peoples Council Hoang Thi Thanh Binh present certificates of merit of the provincial Peoples Committee to the winners of first, second and third prizes of national contests for talented high-school students. The local educational quality has been improved significantly. Notably, the province has two students winning international awards for the first time. During the 2019-2020 academic year, local schools have taken various solutions to maintain teaching and learning during the COVID-19 outbreak. Local teachers and students have also actively responded to the emulation movement that encourages innovation in teaching and learning. A total of 57 collectives and 117 individuals were honoured during the ceremony, including winners of national and provincial contests for talented students, and poor students with outstanding academic performance. SAN DIEGO, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DSD Business Systems, an award-winning provider of custom software solution suites for small- to medium-sized organizations throughout North America, today announced that Kayley Bell has been named as Chief Executive Officer. Doug Deane, Founder and Chief Executive Officer since 1984, will continue in a consultative role as Board Chairman on DSD's Board of Directors. Kayley Bell, Chief Executive Officer Bell has more than 20 years senior management experience, including 16 years at DSD where she has been responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of DSD's Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Finance and Global Operations as COO and President of DSD's Sales & Service Division since 2015. "Kayley will take DSD into the 2020's and beyond," said Doug Deane. "The Board was unanimous in electing Kayley because of her leadership skills and her exceptional dedication to making all of us successful. I know DSD's success has no limits with Kayley at the helm and I am thrilled to celebrate her well-deserved appointment." Said Bell, "I am thrilled to take the reins from Doug and am committed to helping lead the company toward a new level of growth. My focus will be to maintain operational excellence throughout the organization, without disturbing DSD's collaborative and customer- centric culture. As a technology company, we will renew our efforts to maintain our thought leadership in innovation and provide our customers and business partners with the highest level of service and value-added support." Bell joined DSD Business Systems in 2004 as Controller and is active in the San Diego community. She is the Executive Secretary and Treasurer for the National Mountain Rescue Association, a nationally decorated organization, and has donated her time to Search and Rescue efforts for over two decades. ABOUT DSD Founded in 1984, DSD Business Systems is an award-winning cloud accounting, ERP, CRM, HR & custom solutions provider serving the needs of small- and medium-sized organizations throughout North America. DSD specializes in a client-first, service-oriented approach to integrating accounting and business management systems. By automating business processes, DSD helps growth-oriented companies turn disconnected data into reliable information. Over the years, DSD has received numerous awards for excellence including Sage President's Circle, Acumatica Gold Partner, Best Cloud Transformation Partner as well as being nationally recognized by Accounting Technology Magazine as a Technology Pacesetter and a Top 100 VAR firm. For more information, visit www.DSDinc.com. Media contact: Kimberly Tucker [email protected] 800-627-9032 SOURCE DSD Business Systems Concern is growing at the number of children suffering from scoliosis, the painful and disabling spinal condition, who are enduring distress after vital surgeries were cancelled in recent months due to the Covid-19 crisis. Figures show that 107 children are now on the waiting list for an operation to straighten their spine, with some suffering deterioration due to the delay. The majority are patients at Crumlin Hospital while 21 are in treatment in Temple Street, both in Dublin. Claire Cahill, of the Scoliosis Advocacy Network, which represents affected families, said: "We have witnessed an increase in the amount of parents contacting us fearful and upset regarding their children's waiting times for scoliosis care. "Scoliosis is a time-sensitive condition. Long waits for surgery can result in reduced outcomes and higher risks to children." She said parents accepted that no surgeries or specialist clinics took place during the worst of the Covid-19 lockdown but "children still require care and treatment". The last government promised no child would wait longer than four months for surgery but this has been breached. One of the young patients caught up in delays is Viktoria Jurek (18), from Norwood, in Waterford city, who has been waiting more than four years for surgery. Viktoria, whose family are originally from Slovakia, has been attending Temple Street Hospital for years and was eventually due to have surgery at the end of 2019. "She had no capacity in her lungs any more. We have been waiting for the surgery for years. Since December we are no clearer on when the operation will go ahead," said her father Joseph. He said Viktoria, who is confined to a wheelchair, now has very severe scoliosis and the longer the surgery is delayed the more difficult the operation is. Her family are now pleading with doctors to set a date for the surgery and end the limbo of uncertainty which is leaving Viktoria struggling daily. A spokesman for Children's Health Ireland (CHI), overseeing Temple Street and the other children's hospitals, said he could not comment on individual cases. "CHI sincerely regret that children and their families are experiencing long waiting times for their appointments. "While the majority of children are seen within a 12-month period, we recognise that too many are waiting too long for their appointments and we are making every effort to reduce these waiting times." He said Covid-19 forced the hospitals to defer all non-emergency spinal operations but they are now planning to "phase up services on an incremental basis", adding this has "a number of dependent factors". Last year "following a substantial investment in CHI, 190 spinal fusions were carried out". "Approximately 20pc of patients on the inpatient waiting list are waiting for a scoliosis procedure with 80pc of children waiting for general orthopaedic procedures. "CHI is a cross-city team of paediatric consultants who will deliver services at Crumlin and Temple Street and encompass the evolving role of the paediatric outpatient and urgent care centre at Connolly Hospital," he said. BETHLEHEM National Grid is abandoning plans to build a new $15 million substation in Delmar, instead deciding to upgrade existing substations, including one on Adams Street next to the rail trail. The decision means the utility will no longer be seeking permission from the town's zoning board for the project, which faced opposition from many town residents and an uncertain decision from the zoning board. Parents of school-aged kids in town had feared the new substation would have health impacts on students at Eagle Elementary and the high school. The substation would have been built next to the two schools on Van Dyke Road. The other substation that would be upgraded under the new plan would be National Grid's substation on Krumkill Road in Albany, down the road from the Ohav Sholom senior housing complex. Because of the community opposition to building a new substation on Van Dyke Road, it was unclear if National Grid would be granted a zoning law variance by the zoning board. National Grid spokesman Patrick Stella said the substation upgrades would not require such approvals. National Grid had been seeking to build the new substation on land that it owned for decades in order to bring more electrical load into Bethlehem, which has a growing residential population with several new housing subdivisions and apartment buildings under construction or in the planning stages. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Stella added that hopefully in the future, new technologies such as large-scale batteries and other renewable energy projects would reduce the need for additional substations. Stella added that with the Vista Technology Campus in Slingerlands not attracting large-scale industrial tenants, there is less of a need to bring in more electrical power to the town at this time. "The fact that that project is not progressing (as expected), that will help us too," Stella said. A little over 10 years ago, I met then-Vice President Joe Biden. He asked about the relevance of my nonprofit supporting people with disabilities. While I explained it to him, I wasnt nervous. He made me feel comfortable and was affable, almost avuncular. If he becomes the oldest president in history, voters know that his choice for VP will make Dick Cheney look like Spiro Agnew relative to influence. Supporters are concerned that Biden might falter in the debates. He could be sidetracked or more than honest. The president will be quick with verbal punches, condescending nicknames and strategic obfuscations. Each party will claim their side won the debate based on moral turpitude or rhetorical domination. This will not matter. The debates between the evangelical Vice President Mike Pence and his adversary are more significant. This will be the nations most televised vice presidential debate in history. It will matter. If Bidens pick wins, he wins. Remember when Sen. Dan Quayle received the knockout punch from Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, who declared, I knew Jack Kennedy and youre no Jack Kennedy? All of us knew it was over. It did not matter, because Bush beat Dukakis and at that time, the most important job of the vice president was monitoring the health of the president. This year Pence needs to lose the debates for Biden to win. Controversies around the Electoral College and the role of the delegates have always been a bone of contention in every election. The super delegate matters now more than ever. There is only one super-duper delegate. It is Joe Biden. His VP choice will determine if he wins. Sen. Kamala Harris called him a racist on television. Stanford educated, security expert Susan Rice is great, with the exception of Benghazi. Most of the others are political neophytes with lousy management experience and less than an aesthetic presence. If he picks Sen. Elizabeth Warren, every investment banker and pharmaceutical CEO will fund the incumbent beyond his wildest dreams. Other unknown political leaders under consideration could cause the phobia of the Palin-effect. What about Sen. Amy Klobuchar? She is so immersed in controversy that she lacks the vision to play the long game. An untapped resource never considered is the Hispanic vote, (the second-largest ethnic group in the United States). They have not been galvanized as a voting bloc. The truth of the matter is they have never had the opportunity to back a role model. The right Hispanic could bring more untapped voters to the polls. If Biden picks Hispanic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham from New Mexico, a 12-year member of Congress previously appointed as the Secretary of Aging and Human Services thorough two administrations from both sides of the aisle, he might just win. She could be the perfect partner. She understands health and virus management. She is an advocate for people with disabilities. She is intellectually gifted. I have seen her behind a microphone. She will run rings around Pence with ease. The question remains, will he make the right choice in the coming weeks? Hill County COVID-19 Update by County Judge Justin Lewis Editor's Note: Judge Lewis provided detailed information about Hill County's case counts and the methods used to calculate the numbers in his Thursday, July 9, update to the county. These case counts were accurate as of the evening of July 9. Note that Hill County's numbers have been changing daily and growing rapidly, much like they have throughout the state. For current numbers, listen to daily newscasts on KHBR 1560 AM or follow Lewis on Facebook. According to the daily report Hill County receives from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), there are currently 102 active cases of COVID-19 in our area. Of the 130 total cases, 102 are deemed active, 17 are listed as recovered and two deaths have been attributed to the virus. The remaining cases are listed as lost to follow up, which means that the positive individual no longer wants to be contacted by DSHS, or simply listed as not active. While we are on that subject, if you find yourself testing positive, please talk to DSHS. One of the reasons we have so few reported recoveries is that people are not notifying the DSHS of their negative tests after recovering. There is a 24/7 hotline that you can call to report. That number is easy, dial 211 then chose option 6. If you have been positive for COVID-19 in the last three months but feel better now, please call DSHS and let them know. I have asked for hospitalization rates on our cases and additional information on how many residents have been tested and what our testing positivity rate is. The DSHS could not provide this info, but the Heart of Texas Regional Advisory Council (HOTRAC) will be getting that to me by Monday. I am aware that there are two COVID-19 patients in our local hospital. While its true that for many people who contract COVID-19 it is nothing more than a cold, for others it can truly be life-threatening. We dont know enough about the illness to predict exactly who will have the hardest time fighting it, so we must take actions to protect as many as possible. You can help by wearing a mask, staying six feet apart, washing your hands frequently and not gathering in large groups. As we mentioned yesterday, we are doing our best to utilize every resource available to help protect our county. One of those efforts is bringing a free testing clinic here. Hill County will have a free, walk-up COVID-19 testing center set up at 205 Stadium Drive (Hill County Fair Exhibits Building) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 13th-17th. No appointment or pre- screening needed; just walk up and receive the test. This is a free service, and you can contact Hill County Emergency Management at 254-582-2023 for more information. To answer a common question from our readers, I want to address the difference between he numbers I am reporting and the state DSHS website numbers. As of 4 p.m. today, the state website shows we have 130 confirmed cases, which matches the email DSHS Region 7 sent me this morning. However, thats where the similarities end. The report I get from Region 7 on recoveries and active cases are actual numbers. The state DSHS website numbers on active and recoveries are ESTIMATIONS. It says so on the website, and that was confirmed to me by a DSHS liaison today as well. Hill County has 17 recovered; the website lists 44. The website uses the following formula to estimate recoveries: 1. Include total confirmed cases 2. Remove any deaths 3. Estimate that approximately 20% of remaining/living cases required hospitalization and approximately 80% of remaining/living cases did not. 4. Estimate that recovery time for hospitalized patients is approximately 32 days and recovery time for non-hospitalized patients is approximately 14 days. There is a similar formula for estimated active cases they use. So that, ladies and gentlemen, is the math the state uses to estimate numbers for their website instead of using the actual numbers they have. This formula is found in the fine print on the website. We will continue to provide the best information we have available about this ever-evolving situation. In the meantime, thank you to everyone who is trying to find a way to help us get through this together. We will come out on the other side, but it will take time and patience on all our part. For complete information on Governor Abbotts executive orders, please visit https://gov.texas.gov. In addition to checking with local news outlets on the requirements in a specific region, please review information on the guidelines to follow for business operations and recreational activities at https://open.texas.gov/ Information on the spread of the coronavirus across Texas is available at the DSHS dashboard website, https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus. To monitor updates from Hill County, the most current information will be provided on the Hill County Emergency Management Facebook page, KHBR 1560 AM Radio and the Hillsboro Reporter. Breakdown of active cases by community (As of 7/9/20): Abbott - 7 Aquilla - 2 Blum - 5 Carls Corner - 1 Covington - 1 Hillsboro - 42 Hubbard - 6 Itasca - 9 Malone - 2 Mertens - 1 Mount Calm - 2 Penelope - 3 Rio Vista (in Hill Co.) - 1 Whitney - 19 DSHS also reported one Hico case in Hill County's numbers in error and said it would be removed. Iran: 'Human Error' Caused Ukraine Crash By VOA News July 12, 2020 Iran claims "human error" was responsible for the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane earlier this year that killed all 176 people on board. The Iranian Civil Aviation authority said late Saturday, "A failure occurred due to a human error in following the procedure" for aligning the radar. The misalignment caused a "107-degree error" in the system, Iran said. On the same night of the plane downing, Iran had launched a ballistic missile attack targeting U.S. soldiers in Iran. The attack was in response to the killing of one of Iran's top generals in a U.S. missile strike in Iraq. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Carol Plunkett has been living in abject fear for her health A shoplifter who stole Christmas decorations from a discount store has been spared jail. Carol Plunkett (50) was given a nine-month suspended sentence after a court heard she has been living in "abject fear" during the pandemic because she has respiratory problems. Plunkett, with an address at a Stoneybatter hostel, pleaded guilty to theft. She had initially opted for trial by judge and jury, but changed her plea to guilty at Dublin District Court. Plunkett went to Dealz on Moore Street last November 9 last and took Christmas items worth 35.50, which she hid. She was stopped and the goods were recovered, a garda sergeant said. Plunkett admitted two more shoplifting charges - of 109 worth of groceries from SuperValu, Heuston South Quarter, last August 23 and more goods from Spar, Portland Street, on June 25 last year. Normal Plunkett had handed herself in to gardai, her solicitor John Feaheny said. She had spent every day of the lockdown "in abject fear" because she had respiratory problems and other illnesses. The accused had problems going back 20 years, before which her life was as normal as anyone's could be, Mr Feaheny said. She had recently lost her sister and her mother, and Mr Feaheny asked the judge for leniency. The judge said Plunkett had a "lot of previous convictions". Mr Feaheny said his client had "a lot of baggage". "A lot of people do, and they don't go out committing offences," the judge said. "I have no charges this year," Plunkett said. "I'm trying to make something of my life." The judge suspended the sentence for a year. Hamilton police are seeking the publics help in an ongoing investigation after two bullet casings were found outside a home in the Queen Victoria Drive area. A homeowner reported Friday a broken kitchen window and evidence of a bullet hitting the inside drywall, police say. While on scene, police found a second bullet hole in the window frame. Two casings were seized by police. Neighbours believe shots may have been fired around 3 a.m. Police say they do not believe this is a targeted incident. Anyone who may have witnessed shots being fired or any suspicious circumstances in the area is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Andrew Montgomery at 905-546-8927 or Det. Sgt. Marco DelConte at 905-546-3851. COLUMBUS, Ohio An economic panel advising Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is urging the states residents to wear masks, saying it is crucial to overcoming the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and helping businesses return to normal operations. The Governors Economic Advisory Board says in an op-ed that its 18 members all support the wearing of masks while in public. The board includes several prominent Northeast Ohio business leaders, including Cleveland Indians owner Paul Dolan, Cleveland Clinic executive adviser Toby Cosgrove, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President and CEO Loretta Mester, J.M. Smucker Co. President and CEO Mark Smucker, and the boards chairman, RPM International Inc. CEO Frank Sullivan. Both research and experience show that face coverings limit the spread of the virus, the op-ed says. Wearing a face covering is easy to do, a common courtesy to your fellow Ohioans, and clearly demonstrates our determination to battle back against this silent enemy. Wearing masks in public has become a political issue in Ohio and across the country, with one state legislator, Nino Vitale, R-Urbana, discouraging their use. The panel says if residents wear masks, it would have a positive economic benefit on the state and allow businesses to more quickly return to normal operations. Yes, we understand that most people dont enjoy wearing a mask, but its a small inconvenience when you consider that stopping the spread of the virus could literally save lives, the panel says. The Governors Economic Advisory Board asks that you put on a mask whenever you are in public. Together, our collective efforts can save the lives and livelihoods of Ohioans. The panels members say that while consulting with businesses, medical experts and state health agencies, the No. 1 recommendation is that the wearing of masks should be mandated in all workplaces and public places. Gov. Mike DeWine has not issued a statewide mandate for masks, but he is requiring they be worn in several counties where there have been significant increases of cases of the coronavirus, including Cuyahoga, Lorain and Summit counties. All 18 members of the Economic Advisory Board believed months ago that face coverings can be an effective means of minimizing the spread of COVID-19. And we still believe that today, the panel says. We feel it is important to go on record unanimously in support of having all Ohioans wear face coverings in all workplace settings and all public spaces when exposed to other people. Face coverings can help save lives, and we believe they can protect Ohios economy, too. Gardai are urging young people not to allow their bank accounts to be used by others after a youth in West Cork was arrested for enabling money to be laundered through his account. The youth, aged in his early 20s, is suspected of allowing a large quantity of cash to be lodged into his account and transferred on. Detectives are now preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions and the youth faces a prosecution and possible conviction. Gardai said that people who transfer money illegally on behalf of other people are operating as money mules. A Garda statement said: The practice usually involves criminals recruiting young people to help launder stolen or illegal money using their bank account often unwittingly. The chance to earn a 'quick buck' is a tactic used by fraudsters to recruit money mules, who are promised a share of the proceeds in exchange for their bank account details. It said the person may not even be aware of the crime, but added: They are complicit if they recklessly allow their account to be used to launder the proceeds of these crimes. It said gangs can launder thousands of euro through the persons account in exchange for a few hundred euro. Read More Ireland star McGoldrick the latest footballer to receive 'disgusting' racist abuse on social media The statement said anti-money laundering legislation was designed to prevent organised crime gang members from opening up accounts and, as a result, they need money mules to launder their money. It said: Students are an easy target for these money herders. They are often approached online, on campus, or while out socialising. Garda advice is: *Do not allow anyone to use your bank account; *Do not share personal bank account data; *Do not send or receive money. The statement warned: If you agree to allow your account be used in this way you are committing the offence of money laundering. Money laundering is a serious offence which on convictions carries a penalty of up to 14 years imprisonment. "This will have a serious impact on your future travel plans, career opportunities, vetting and credit ratings. *www.garda.ie (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump uses Facebook like a Swiss Army knife -- to raise money, amplify his message, and mobilize voters. His rival, Joe Biden, uses the increasingly controversial social platform primarily to stick his hand out for donations. As he did in 2016, Trump is taking advantage of the social media giants granular knowledge of its users interests to target specific ads to specific people, and is doing so much more often than Biden. This micro-targeting allows Trump to tap into Facebooks unique ability to rally his base of voters, who he needs to motivate as he trails Biden in most election polls. Since entering the presidential contest in April 2019, Biden has spent $21 million on Facebook ads compared to $33 million for Trump over the same period, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. But the two campaigns are spending the money very differently. On Friday, people familiar with the companys thinking said Facebook was considering banning political ads ahead of the U.S. election, but for now it still allows candidates to narrowly target voters using its data. Micro-targeting is using all the data social networks have on a user, from location to political leaning to what brands they buy, to generate the perfect ad. Twitter Ad Ban Google has limited how political campaigns can target voters using its digital ad sales platform, and Twitter has banned campaign ads altogether. Twitter said it did so because of the potential for ads to spread misleading information, while Google said its policy means ads are more widely viewed and available for public discussion like ones airing on television and radio are. Facebook has also taken only limited steps to ban hate speech that infiltrates some users feeds, which has led some large companies like Unilever NV, Coca-Cola Co. and Starbucks Corp. to temporarily pull their ad dollars from the site. Users can be targeted based on all kinds of information, including search and travel history. And the ads can be tweaked over time to make them more effective. The Trump campaign does constant testing of its ads and makes small changes on a daily basis. Story continues Through the morning of July 8 Bidens campaign had bought about 23,000 distinct ads on the platform compared to more than 489,000 for Trump, according to a Bloomberg analysis of data made available by Facebook. About 68% of the presidents ads are seen fewer than 1,000 times compared to 34% for Biden, suggesting much more specific micro-targeting by Trumps campaign. Petition Drives Bidens campaign is focused on raising money and attacking Trump. So far he hasnt used Facebook to hone his message or mobilize supporters, but hes included appeals to sign petitions, which help him build up his list of email contacts, and to donate. Recent pitches asked for 2.5 million supporters to take a stand against Trumps hatred, division and calls for violence by signing an online petition. Offering less variation in his Facebook ads could hurt Bidens efforts to reach the voters he needs, said Damon McCoy, director of the Online Political Ads Transparency Project and a professor at New York Universitys Tandon School of Engineering. Its probably causing them to be less effective, he said, because the campaign isnt getting the same level of audience feedback. Trumps campaign used Facebook in February to motivate voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, even as he was virtually unopposed in those states Republican nominating contests. The campaign put out almost 1,200 ads, which included links to find caucus or polling locations, that were seen between 1.4 million and 2.8 million times. Voter Turnout Trump ran away with both contests, getting support of 97% of caucus-goers in Iowa and turning out 2.6 times more voters in New Hampshire than Barack Obama, another incumbent without a serious primary challenger, did in 2012. Trump used the outcome as evidence of the strength of his support. According to Facebook, which provides data on impressions, cost and other metrics in broad ranges, the total cost of the messaging was between $18,800 and $139,406. The focus on targeted ads likely helped Trump gain a big lead in early fund-raising, according to Will Bunnett, a principal at the progressive digital ad agency Clarify. But Trump may have another advantage over Biden in using the platform, he said, because of the way Facebooks algorithm puts ads in front of people wholl interact with them, often by getting riled up. The easiest way to get people to interact with your ads is to get them mad about something, Bunnett said. Facebook is a pretty natural fit for him in a way that it might not be for Joe Biden. Trumps Preoccupations A senior Trump campaign official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the campaign was constantly testing thousands upon thousands of ads so voters are hearing the facts about this president. The Biden campaign didnt respond to a request for comment. Some of Trumps Facebook ads reflect his rhetoric and preoccupations. There are more than 50,000 ads mentioning impeachment, preceded by the word bogus more than 1,000 times, followed by witch hunt more than 4,000 times. About 40,000 ads refer to fake news. Old campaign themes like build the wall and drain the swamp mingle with concerns about Antifa, a loosely-defined left-wing movement Trump said was involved in the June street protests, and which appears in more than 2,000 ads. Attacks on calls to defund the police have been in 715 ads so far, since the term made its debut in a June 19 fund-raising pitch. 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. Photo: (Photo : Maria Rivelli ) After seven years of battling against a rare disease, Jaiden Rogers is under worse conditions. This time, the 14-year-old boy would like to go to Europe to get the cure for his disease. When Jaiden was seven years old, he was diagnosed with stiff-skin syndrome. This syndrome causes Jaiden to stone. Since he was ten years old, his parents have been going to different organizations that could help in financing his treatment that is available in Europe. READ ALSO: Boy With Rare Illness Turning Into Stone; Parents Desperate For Cure What has the stiff-skin syndrome done to the 14-year-old colorado boy? When Jaiden was initially diagnosed with the stiff-skin syndrome, he only had a small patch; then, it spread all over his body. His father shared, "It's almost like if you took your finger and tapped on his arm, it's almost like tapping on a countertop, on a hard surface." When Jaiden was ten years old, he was already on oxygen support. Now that he is 14 years old, things have become a little tougher for the Colorado boy. Aside from having difficulty in breathing, Jaiden has also developed an infection. Every day, Jaiden takes ten types of medicines for his rare disease, which include chemo medication. A lot of doctors have seen Jaiden, but because there are very few recorded cases of this rare disease, there is very limited knowledge on how to treat this disease. There are only 40 other known cases of stiff-skin syndrome. The last hope of the family is the procedure that could be done in Europe. READ ALSO: Father and Son Devastated After Tornado Tore Their Home The expense of the treatment Since 2016, the Rogers family has been eyeing to bring Jaiden to Europe for the cure for his rare disease. However, the expense of going there and paying for the medical bills is something that the family cannot afford. The treatment itself will cost more than $1,000,000. Transporting Jaiden in his condition now will also cost the family a fortune, at $125,000. That is why they badly need help. READ ALSO: Is There a New Strain of Coronavirus We Should Worry About? The Colorado boy's plea for help Since 2018, a GoFundMe page has been put up by the Rogers family. It aims to collect 1.5 million dollars, and they are only at the $340,000 mark. According to the Rogers family's friend, Maria Rivelli, "The doctors in Europe told Tim and Natalie that Jaiden needs to get to Europe NOW! He is suffocating slowly." Jaiden, in the May 27, 2020 update of the GoFundMe page for his treatment, shared how he's going through the rare disease. He tried to put into words his struggles. In his letter, he said, "You can't move for an itch, to wipe your tears, blow your nose or even go to the bathroom by yourself. It is so painful!" Jaiden's only wish now is for him to live. That is why he has been joining his parents by asking for help from everyone. He understands that while his will to live is strong, he is fighting against time. For those interested in extending the life of this 14-year-old Colorado boy, you may go directly to his GoFundMe page to send your help. READ ALSO: Father shares the story of an act of kindness experienced from a stranger Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 13, 2020) - Nevada Zinc Corporation (TSXV: NZN) ("Nevada Zinc" or the "Company") is very pleased to announce that it has entered into a Collaboration Agreement (the "Agreement") with Cameron Chemicals, Inc. ("Cameron"). Cameron is a leading U.S. producer and distributor of granular micronutrients for the agricultural, turf, and horticultural industries with manufacturing facilities in the states of Virginia, Michigan and Washington. Zinc is an essential micronutrient in these sectors and has a growing demand profile in the U.S. as well as globally. The Company's Nevada based Lone Mountain zinc oxide deposit is strategically located adjacent to California's $50 billion agricultural industry. Under the terms of the Agreement, Nevada Zinc and Cameron will work together to establish a range of zinc based micronutrient products to be produced by the Company and marketed by Cameron. Distribution networks in the U.S., Canada, Southeast Asia, Korea and South America have been developed by Cameron over the past three decades. At this time, subject to completing production process evaluation studies, Nevada Zinc's annual production is projected to be up to 25,000 tonnes of zinc based micronutrient products. Based upon this annual production rate, Lone Mountain's life of mine will be in the range of fifteen to twenty years based upon the Company's current resource estimate. The Lone Mountain property has only been partially explored to-date and has good potential to increase in size subject to further exploration programs to be undertaken by the Company. During the remainder of 2020, Nevada Zinc will complete a project evaluation study which will include studies relating to the mining and production processes that will best suit the project. The Company will also commence environmental and permitting studies as well as the submission of permit applications. Affirmative results from this project evaluation work will allow Nevada Zinc to make a positive project construction decision at the end of the permitting process. There is no assurance currently that the existing mineral resource may be processed on a technical or economic basis. Concurrent with a positive construction decision the Company will enter into an off-take agreement with Cameron whereby Cameron will purchase 100% of Nevada Zinc's annual production during the initial term of the off-take agreement. The initial term of the off-take agreement will be equal to or greater than the project pay-back period as mutually agreed to by the Company and project capex debt and equity investors. The goals and objectives of the Agreement are to result in Nevada Zinc becoming a reliable, long-term, "Made-in-America" producer of consistent quality zinc chemical products by leveraging the strategic location and quality of the Company's Lone Mountain zinc oxide deposit as well as leveraging the 30 plus years of marketing and production expertise of the Cameron team. Bruce Durham, President and CEO of Nevada Zinc had the following comments upon the signing of the Agreement, "We are extremely pleased to be working with the team at Cameron to unlock the potential of our Lone Mountain zinc deposit. The deposit has some unique characteristics that make it an ideal feedstock for the production of zinc chemical products for the U.S. agricultural industry. This strategic partnership with a company of the quality of Cameron provides Nevada Zinc with the opportunity to pivot away from the more cyclical zinc metal markets while potentially increasing the economic value of our project. The location of the project proximal to both California and the U.S. Midwest corn belt gives it a significant logistical advantage. The project has the potential to provide zinc units in a reliable, environmentally responsible manner. As well, the zinc chemical products produced from Lone Mountain will have the advantage of being both organic and 'Made in America'." About Nevada Zinc The Company is focused on its 100% owned Lone Mountain zinc project in east central Nevada where it is has been working since 2014 on a significant zinc oxide/carbonate zone of mineralization. To-date the Company has completed 85 drill holes, an initial resource estimate and a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") of the potential economic viability of the project under a variety of assumptions. In 2019, the Company announced the favourable results of the PEA indicating the potential economic viability of mining the zinc mineralization at the Company's Lone Mountain Project. The PEA does not incorporate the potentially significant incremental economic benefits that could accrue to the Company from re-configuring the open pit mine and plant design to a simpler process that would focus on a lower cost production process for the concentrated zinc mineralization that could then be leached on-site and formulated into high value zinc sulphate chemical products for the agricultural sector. Additional information about the Company is available on the Company's website: www.nevadazinc.com. Bruce Durham P.Geo, President and CEO of Nevada Zinc, is a Qualified Person, as that term is defined by Canadian regulatory guidelines under National Instrument 43-101, and has read and approved the technical information contained in this news release. For further information please contact: Nevada Zinc Corporation Suite 1660, 141 Adelaide St. West Toronto, Ontario M5H 3L5 Tel: 416-504-8821 Bruce Durham, President and CEO bdurham@nevadazinc.com Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, potential economic outcomes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of the Company's mineral properties, and the Company's financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. 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/59579 New Delhi: New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared the results of class 12th board examinations on Monday (July 13). Students can check their results online on various official websites, IVRS telephone numbers and mobile apps. Students can also access their results by visiting these websites - cbse.nic.in, www.results.nic.in and www.cbseresults.nic.in. Pass percentage among girls is 92.15, 86.19 for boys This year, the pass percentage among girls is 92.15 per cent and among boys it is 86.19 per cent. Girls have performed better than boys by 5.96 per cent. The pass percentage of transgender students is 66.67 per cent. Total 88.78 per cent students have passed this year. The pass percentage has increased by 5.38 per cent from last year when 83.40 per cent students passed. Class 12 results for 400 candidates to be released later According to a report, Class 12 results of 400 students could not be computed as per the decided assessment scheme. The CBSE board will release their results later. 3.24% score over 95 per cent marks: 3.24 per cent of students or total 38,686 students have scored above 95% marks in CBSE 12th exam. No merit list this year The CBSE will not issue any merit list this year. Earlier, CISCE had also announced that it would not announce topper's list for ISC and ICSE exams. "Coming up with a merit list makes no sense as the results are being calculated on the basis of an evaluation method due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic," a senior board offical had stated earlier. 94.39% students pass CBSE class 12 exam in Delhi In Delhi, 94.39 per cent of the total students who took the CBSE Class 12 exam this year has passed. Delhi West region registered 94.61 pass percentage and Delhi East registered 94.24 pass percentage. Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' congratulates students who passed class 12 board exams. "Dear Students, Parents and Teachers!@cbseindia29 has announced the results of Class XII and can be accessed at https://t.co/kCxMPkzfEf. We congratulate you all for making this possible. I reiterate, Student's health & quality education are our priority," he tweeted. WILTON Despite a statewide shift downward, Wilton is continuing to see a spike in coronavirus cases. There were two new cases of the virus reported on July 9 in Wilton, according to a report from the Connecticut Dept. of Public Health. This brings the towns total to 226 cases, 19 additional since June 16 and 26 more since May 19. There have been 41 reported deaths in Wilton, no change since June 16, and 4 additional since May 19. Our growth rate for cases during Phase 2 is not where we want to be as we look towards school starting next month, said First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice in a message on the towns website. She noted that Wilton is trending the opposite of the state and Fairfield County. During Phase 2, Wilton averaged .82 new cases per day. During Phase 1, Wilton averaged only .25 cases per day. The Phase 2 rate is 228% greater than the Phase 1 rate. During Phase 2, Fairfield County and the state each experienced a decline in their average new cases per day of 61 percent and 65 percent, respectively, she said. Statewide, as of July 10, there have been 47,287 total reported cases of the coronavirus, there are77 currently hospitalized, and 4,348 total deaths attributed to the virus. Vanderslice reiterated that residents should heed safety precautions in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Maintaining social distance and wearing a face covering are the most effective means we all have of reducing the spread. Please be vigilant. Watch your distance. Wear a mask/face covering. Wash your hands, she said. Click here to sign up for The Bulletins free electronic newsletter, Online Today. pgay@wiltonbulletin.com President Donald Trump uses Facebook like a Swiss Army knife -- to raise money, amplify his message, and mobilize voters. His rival, Joe Biden, uses the increasingly controversial social platform primarily to stick his hand out for donations. As he did in 2016, Trump is taking advantage of the social media giant's granular knowledge of its users' interests to target specific ads to specific people, and is doing so much more often than Biden. This "micro-targeting" allows Trump to tap into Facebook's unique ability to rally his base of voters, who he needs to motivate as he trails Biden in most election polls. Since entering the presidential contest in April 2019, Biden has spent $21 million on Facebook ads compared to $33 million for Trump over the same period, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. But the two campaigns are spending the money very differently. On Friday, people familiar with the company's thinking said Facebook was considering banning political ads ahead of the U.S. election, but for now it still allows candidates to narrowly target voters using its data. Micro-targeting is using all the data social networks have on a user, from location to political leaning to what brands they buy, to generate the perfect ad. Google has limited how political campaigns can target voters using its digital ad sales platform, and Twitter has banned campaign ads altogether. Twitter said it did so because of the potential for ads to spread misleading information, while Google said its policy means ads are more widely viewed and available for public discussion like ones airing on television and radio are. Facebook has also taken only limited steps to ban hate speech that infiltrates some users feeds, which has led some large companies like Unilever, Coca-Cola and Starbucks to temporarily pull their ad dollars from the site. Users can be targeted based on all kinds of information, including search and travel history. And the ads can be tweaked over time to make them more effective. The Trump campaign does constant testing of its ads and makes small changes on a daily basis. Through the morning of July 8 Biden's campaign had bought about 23,000 distinct ads on the platform compared to more than 489,000 for Trump, according to a Bloomberg analysis of data made available by Facebook. About 68% of the president's ads are seen fewer than 1,000 times compared to 34% for Biden, suggesting much more specific micro-targeting by Trump's campaign. Biden's campaign is focused on raising money and attacking Trump. So far he hasn't used Facebook to hone his message or mobilize supporters, but he's included appeals to sign petitions, which help him build up his list of email contacts, and to donate. Recent pitches asked for 2.5 million supporters to take a stand against Trump's "hatred, division and calls for violence" by signing an online petition. Offering less variation in his Facebook ads could hurt Biden's efforts to reach the voters he needs, said Damon McCoy, director of the Online Political Ads Transparency Project and a professor at New York University's Tandon School of Engineering. "It's probably causing them to be less effective," he said, because the campaign isn't getting the same level of audience feedback. Trump's campaign used Facebook in February to motivate voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, even as he was virtually unopposed in those state's Republican nominating contests. The campaign put out almost 1,200 ads, which included links to find caucus or polling locations, that were seen between 1.4 million and 2.8 million times. Trump ran away with both contests, getting support of 97% of caucus-goers in Iowa and turning out 2.6 times more voters in New Hampshire than Barack Obama, another incumbent without a serious primary challenger, did in 2012. Trump used the outcome as evidence of the strength of his support. According to Facebook, which provides data on impressions, cost and other metrics in broad ranges, the total cost of the messaging was between $18,800 and $139,406. The focus on targeted ads likely helped Trump gain a big lead in early fund-raising, according to Will Bunnett, a principal at the progressive digital ad agency Clarify. But Trump may have another advantage over Biden in using the platform, he said, because of the way Facebook's algorithm puts ads in front of people who'll interact with them, often by getting riled up. "The easiest way to get people to interact with your ads is to get them mad about something," Bunnett said. "Facebook is a pretty natural fit for him in a way that it might not be for Joe Biden." A senior Trump campaign official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the campaign was constantly testing "thousands upon thousands" of ads so voters "are hearing the facts about this president." The Biden campaign didn't respond to a request for comment. Some of Trump's Facebook ads reflect his rhetoric and preoccupations. There are more than 50,000 ads mentioning "impeachment," preceded by the word "bogus" more than 1,000 times, followed by "witch hunt" more than 4,000 times. About 40,000 ads refer to "fake news." Old campaign themes like "build the wall" and "drain the swamp" mingle with concerns about Antifa, a loosely-defined left-wing movement Trump said was involved in the June street protests, and which appears in more than 2,000 ads. Attacks on calls to "defund the police" have been in 715 ads so far, since the term made its debut in a June 19 fund-raising pitch. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 00:05:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities on Sunday launched a national vaccination campaign against 13 major livestock diseases in a move aimed at protecting the animals, said a statement by the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. The vaccination campaign was launched in Mkalama district in Singida region and the 13 diseases include foot and mouth disease, rabies, rift valley fever, said the statement. "Vaccination is the best way of protecting livestock from these diseases. Vaccination also helps in prevention of infection of diseases from animals to human beings," said Hezron Nonga, the director of Veterinary Services in the ministry. He said Tanzania has about 33.4 million cattle, 21.29 million goats and 5.65 million sheep. Nonga said the livestock sector in 2019 grew by 5 percent and contributed 7.4 percent to the gross domestic product. Enditem The left's deadly blame-shifting charade: 'racist cops' By Mark Alexander Democrat Party leaders insist there is an epidemic of racist police violence against black people, the result of "systemic racism." They have spent the last six weeks blame-shifting decades of their disastrous leftist urban policy failures onto police officers based on the criminal actions of one bad cop in Minneapolis. That has, with their intervention, unleashed a flood of looting and violence across the nation. As I have noted previously, those in charge of Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota where an MPD officer killed George Floyed are ALL Democrats. But leftists never let facts get in the way of their political agenda, especially when they can use all the hate as fodder to defeat Donald Trump in four months. Blame-shifting to the men and women in blue, who are on the front lines protecting Americans from the effluent of generations of Democrat policies, is a deadly ruse, given the black-on-black slaughter taking place every day in our major cities. That is not a "police problem," and every person involved in the diversionary protests, ostensibly about the death of one Minneapolis resident, have the blood of THOUSANDS of mostly black men, women, and children on their hands. Blaming cops has resulted in a couple of immediate consequences. First would be the mass resignation of police nationwide. They risk their lives every day for ungrateful legions, and their leadership's failure to back them is, for many, the last straw. The second would be the fact that when big-city Demos pander to the racist "Burn Loot Murder" (BLM) radicals, bow to their hateful black supremacist leaders, and throw their police under the bus, they throw their black constituents under that same bus. We call this devastating results of this political malfeasance "The Ferguson Effect." They have unleashed an epidemic of violence, including the murder of children. This has been most evident in big cities like New York, where Mayor Bill de Blasio leads the "defund the police" parade. That prompted former NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly to declare, "We have de Blasio here for another 18 months and that's very, very discouraging." According to de Blasio, the dramatic increase in crime last month, the bloodiest June in 24 years, was the result of tension caused by COVID-19 social-distancing policies. In Chicago, the weekend after George Floyd's death, there were 25 murdered the deadliest weekend in 60 years. Chicago crime researcher Max Kapustin noted, "There's suddenly this vacuum that opens up" once cops stand down, and "you see an absurd amount of carnage." One recent weekend there were 15 more people murdered in Chicago, including two children. That prompted CPD's chief of operations, Fred Wallerblack, to protest: "Where is the outrage? Our babies are being shot. These are our babies." Where has the outrage been for all those black folks murdered every year for decades? In his recent letter to the Chicago mayor Illinois governor, Trump wrote: "Your lack of leadership on this important issue continues to fail the people you have sworn to protect. More Americans have been killed in Chicago than in combat zones of Afghanistan and Iraq combined since September 11, 2001, a deadly trend that has continued under your tenure." In Washington, DC, 11-year-old Davon McNeal was murdered. "[His parents] lost this great, beautiful boy," said Demo Mayor Muriel Bowser, "because someone senselessly shot up his neighborhood." Well, they've been senselessly shooting up your neighborhoods for decades and under your watch, mayor. Thanks for finally noticing. In Atlanta, where eight-year old Secoriea Turner was murdered by BLM activists, Demo Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms declared: "We are doing each other more harm than any police officer on this force. ... You shot and killed a baby. You can't blame this on a police officer. You can't say this is about criminal justice reform. ... Enough is enough. If you want people to take us seriously and you don't want us to lose this movement, we can't lose each other." But Bottoms and other Demo mayors can't be taken seriously because they have been ignoring black-on-black violence every day they have been in office until now and have turned their back on police with devastating consequences. Black citizens have been "doing each other more harm than any police officer" and "losing each other" in staggering numbers for decades, and only now are they concerned because this might overshadow "the movement"? So why the newfound concern for black lives that haven't mattered before? Well, it could be a genuine awakening a moment where some Democrat politicians are lifting up the rest of the lives being taken every day in their systemically impoverished urban centers. That awakening does not comport with the Democrat Party narrative. Make no mistake, the faux "concern" is a layup for Joe Biden's effort to frame all the "gun violence" as a "gun problem" in order to advance the Left's assault on the Second Amendment. According to Biden: "We're going to beat Donald Trump. And when we do, we won't just rebuild this nation we'll transform it." The presumptive Demo nominee is clearly trying to pick up where Obama's "fundamentally transforming the USA" left off. But Biden is no Barack Obama. In fact, he is a far more dangerous threat to Liberty because he is viewed as a docile non compos mentis dupe. However, unlike Obama, Biden will be a puppet for the most radical Marxist elements in our nation's history, a political trojan horse for the far Left. That notwithstanding, the Left's dangerous assault on law enforcement, and by extension Rule of Law, is based on myths, a web of BIG Lie fabrications. Let's first look at the claim that cops are racist and that there's an epidemic of racist police shootings of black people. The fact is, according to the nation's leading researcher in crime, Manhattan Institute fellow Heather Mac Donald, there is no such epidemic. According to Mac Donald's exhaustive research: "The Washington Post's database of fatal police shootings showed 14 unarmed Black victims and 25 unarmed white victims in 2019. The number of unarmed Black shooting victims is down 63% from 2015, when the database began. There are about 7,300 Black homicide victims a year. The 14 unarmed victims in fatal police shootings would comprise only 0.2% of that total. Ideally, officers would never take anyone's life in the course of their duties. But given the number of arrests they make each year (around 10 million) and the number of deadly-weapons attacks on officers (an average of 27 per day in just two-thirds of the nation's police departments)," there is no evidence of an epidemic of racist police shootings. That is confirmed by a National Academy of Sciences study that found no such racial link. As Mac Donald concludes: "It turns out that white officers are no more likely than black or Hispanic officers to shoot black civilians. It is a racial group's rate of violent crime that determines police shootings, not the race of the officer. In fact, if there is a bias in police shootings after crime rates are taken into account, it is against white civilians, the study found." Wall Street Journal editorial board member Jason Riley notes: "Police shootings have fallen precipitously since the 1970s. ... Empirical studies have found no racial bias in police use of deadly force, and that the racial disparities that do exist stem from racial differences in criminal behavior. The problem isn't a shortage of data but a race-based narrative that is immune to any data that challenge it." Indeed, as Mac Donald notes, "The anti-cop narrative deflects attention away from solving the real criminal-justice problem, which is high rates of black-on-black victimization." According to the latest data, "Nationally, African Americans between the ages of 10 and 34 die from homicide at 13 times the rate of white Americans." After a lifetime observing how leftists manipulate black constituents, Walter E. Williams notes, "The true plight of black people has little or nothing to do with the police or what has been called 'systemic racism.'" He adds, "We need to look at the responsibilities of those running our big cities." So, what happens when police are condemned by their political leaders and told to stand down? Mac Donald, author of the definitive book The War on Cops, notes in a report this month: "Today's violent-crime increase call it Ferguson Effect 2.0 or the Minneapolis Effect has come on with a speed and magnitude that make Ferguson 1.0 seem tranquil. George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police in late May was justly condemned but the event has now spurred an outpouring of contempt against the pillars of law and order that has no precedent in American history. Every day, another mainstream institution from McDonald's to Harvard denounces the police, claiming without evidence that law enforcement is a threat to black lives." (Read more in the Law and Liberty study on "Race, Crime, and Policing in America.") Further, Mac Donald has thoroughly documented the interracial crime disparity. According to the latest Bureau of Justice Statistics survey of criminal victimization (2018), Mac Donald notes: "There were 593,598 interracial violent victimizations ... between blacks and whites last year, including white-on-black and black-on-white attacks. Blacks committed 537,204 of those interracial felonies, or 90 percent, and whites committed 56,394 of them, or less than 10 percent." This disparity is perhaps better understood by considering that black Americans represent just 13% of our population but perpetrate 90% of violent interracial crimes. Mac Donald adds: "That ratio is becoming more skewed, despite the Democrat claim of Trump-inspired white violence. In 2012-13, blacks committed 85 percent of all interracial victimizations between blacks and whites; whites committed 15 percent. From 2015 to 2018, the total number of white victims and the incidence of white victimization have grown as well." Mac Donald concludes: "Blacks are also overrepresented among perpetrators of hate crimes by 50 percent according to the most recent Justice Department data from 2017; whites are underrepresented by 24 percent. This is particularly true for anti-gay and anti-Semitic hate crimes." Equally alarming is the fact that, in the latest year for available data, where victim race was known, there were 4,884 white people murdered and 6,318 black people murdered and black-on-black assault is much more prevalent than white-on-white. The overall murder trend dropped substantially since 1993, though it ticked up in 2010 and in 2015. But again, the fact that black citizens are 13% of the population but their murder victim rate is 22% higher than for white victims should be the starting place for every meaningful conversation about resolving the racial disparity associated with violence. This gross racial disparity in criminal assailants is not a new issue, as made clear by a 2015 Harvard study on black-on-black violence. In that study, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg noted: "Ninety percent of all people killed in our city and 90 percent of all those who commit the murders and other violent crimes are black and Hispanic. It is shameful that so many elected officials and editorial writers have been largely silent on these facts." Review again what the Democrat police chief in Milwaukee said about this disparity in 2014, which we covered here, after a racially charged death of a black man by a white officer. Further, this racial disparity is also true in other crime categories, which dispels the assertion that somehow prisons have more black inmates because of "systemic racism." And regarding those policies, the most alarming data on murder is that the suspect in 88% of black murders is also black. Don't expect to hear a single objection about either of those issues from Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, or Chuck Schumer. Democrat politicians studiously avoid any discussion of this disparity because it would require studious consideration of the Democrat policies that have created it. Unfortunately, the fact that violent black assailants are far more prevalent in inner cities is the data-driven reason why police officers of any race often approach black suspects with a greater sense of caution they simply want to survive their shift. Of course, as I noted at the top of this column, leftists never let facts get in the way of their political agenda. As for the epidemic of blame-shifting, Thomas Sowell, senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, observed last month, "Politically, there are few ideas more potent than the notion that all your problems are caused by other people and their unfairness to you." He also declared flatly, "Racism is not dead. But it is on life-support, kept alive mainly by the people who use it for an excuse or to keep minority communities fearful or resentful enough to turn out as a voting bloc on Election Day." Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced Monday that Connecticut will join other states in suing the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over a policy targeting international college students choosing to stay in the U.S. to take online classes. Connecticut joined a coalition of 17 other states that will sue the Trump administration in federal court in Massachusetts. Connecticuts lawsuit advocates on behalf of the state colleges and universities. It is nothing less than an attack on Connecticut and our institutions of higher education and on students, teachers and staff and administrators, Tong said. We are talking about thousands of students across Connecticut. This lawsuit will run parallel to the lawsuit filed by Harvard and MIT last week that represents private universities. The Trump administration announced on July 6 that international students may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States. As of 2019, 14,832 international students lived in Connecticut, over 4,000 of which attend the University of Connecticut. Gov. Ned Lamont, who spoke at a news conference Monday with Tong, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and international students from Connecticut universities, called the policy insane. As a governor and a former business guy, it is just insane what we are doing right now, Lamont said. In the middle of this COVID crisis, I see the nurses, I see the doctors, I see the scientists I see the role immigrants have played in pushing back on COVID. Lamont said that forcing international students to leave the state isnt smart business. He said the state should be considering ways to incentivize them to stay. When you graduate, Id like to give you a Connecticut visa attached to your diploma saying we are proud to have you here in Connecticut, stick around it is a place of great opportunity, Lamont said. Due to the pandemic, many international college students have remained in the U.S. on their college campuses due to travel bans and stay-at-home orders. Trumps announcement is now forcing them to return home as the school year is beginning and the pandemic shows no signs of slowing. The fact that the administration took this action during the middle of a pandemic, using a national health emergency to further alienate people they define as other is an abhorrent betrayal of the role of government, said Mark Ojakian, president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities System, which is represented in the lawsuit. Several leaders labeled the policy as racist. Tong said that the policy is not about trying to encourage universities to provide in-person classes. While that is a goal of the Trump administration, Tong said this policy is about anti-immigration sentiment. It is so disruptive, it goes beyond political pressure, Tong said. Like so many things this administration has done with respect to foreign-born individuals, immigrants, international students, I think this is part of a larger war on immigrants and international students and what I can tell an attempt to do as much damage to the immigration system as possible in the few months they have left in office. International students who spoke at the press conference said they felt frustrated and scared by the new policy. If they were forced to return home, they would be taking online classes in a different time zone, some with unstable internet connection. Even if the university intends to start classes in-person, if an outbreak occurs and the coursework is converted to 100% online, the international students would be forced to fly out of the country during a dangerous time for travel. Its not even known whether international flights would be available at that time, said Justin Fang, a graduate international student at UConn. If international students would be forced to leave, this would have a detrimental effect on their academic progress as students and the overall mission of the university. Tong said that the Trump administration round-ups of international students could start as soon as July 15 so the coalition of states is taking action now. We are running in to federal court tomorrow to protect them, Tong said. The state of Connecticut is there for them. At the injunction hearing Tuesday, Tong believes they will have a strong argument against the policy because of previous immigration cases. We feel very confident about our chances tomorrow, Tong said. If it doesnt go our way, we will quickly regroup and bring states together and pursue our appellate rights or whatever action is necessary to protect this state and our colleges and our universities and our students. The same night President Donald Trump announced Mark Meadows would serve as his fourth chief of staff, he told donors at a fundraiser that the North Carolina congressman could be my James Baker the legendary aide and Cabinet member to three Republican presidents. Baker, whose wife cried when he took the job, once likened it to a dartboard: You have a bulls-eye on your back and on your front. Meadows might find much to sympathize with in Bakers assessment. Three and a half months in, he has told people he is struggling with the chiefs job and that if Trump wins reelection, hell stay in the role only for an additional year, if that long. While he has brought in a handful of staffers loyal to him in the legislative affairs, communications and press offices, Meadows has yet to establish a strong power base in a White House known for backbiting and he has not been able to execute on many conservative priorities, according to interviews with a dozen current and former senior administration officials and Republicans close to the White House. And while Baker has boasted of masterminding the 1984 drubbing of Walter Mondale right out of the chief of staffs office, Meadows boss is down nearly 10 percentage points in national polls and looking increasingly doomed in November. It should not surprise anyone that Meadows is having an almost impossible time because it is mission impossible being Trumps chief of staff, said Chris Whipple, an author who has written extensively about White House chiefs of staff. Look at what has happened on Meadows watch: the walk to Lafayette Square, the complete mishandling of the Covid-19 crisis, the defense of the Confederate flag and the botched handling of the intelligence on the Russian bounties on U.S. soldiers. We could go on and on. It has been one of the worst stretches of the Trump presidency, Whipple added. He took the job, so he owns it. That was his first big mistake. Several administration officials, Republicans close to the White House and conservatives have been underwhelmed at Meadows' tenure so far. Story continues They all say they will become the chief of staff, but they all become the chief to the president, said one senior administration official assessing Meadows alongside Trumps former chiefs, Reince Priebus, Gen. John Kelly and Mick Mulvaney. Co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, Meadows was a genial presence on Capitol Hill known for maintaining friendships with Democrats and having astute political instincts even as he torpedoed their plans. That was part of the draw of joining the White House in an election year to put those talents to use and ensure his friend and ally stayed in power. Now, hes finding his people skills sorely tested on the opposite end of Pennsylvania Avenue, as he deals with the millions of small details of running the White House and making the move from principal to staffer. Is it harder than being a popular member of Congress? Absolutely, said a second senior administration official. Meadows and his allies hope this summer marks a turning point as he takes a larger role in negotiating the next stimulus package on Capitol Hill, alongside Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Meadows has spent the past few months courting and building a stronger relationship with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer with the hope he can act as a liaison to the Senate. Meanwhile, conservatives on the Hill hope Meadows can balance out Mnuchins negotiating style, which they feel has ceded too much ground to Democrats. As hes settled into his corner office in the West Wing, Meadows has also started to appear on Fox News more regularly and gaggle with reporters on Air Force One and in the White House driveway, warming to the more public-facing role the president has urged him to take, said the second senior administration official. Meadows did not respond to a request for comment. For the rest of the first term, Meadows intends to focus on efforts to revive the economy, lower prescription drugs and expand access to 5G broadband, according to two senior officials. Those priorities could be hard to achieve if the White House and country remain swamped by the coronavirus, which has killed more than 134,000 Americans, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Several White House aides Meadows among them seem to want to will away the virus, even as infections spike across Sun Belt states like Arizona, Florida, North Carolina and Texas that the president needs to win in November. Meadows relationship with Trump remains solid, according to four senior administration officials. The president appreciates Meadows relationships on the Hill with both Republicans and Democrats, especially during an election year and he likes Meadows promise to stamp out leaks. Mark Meadows (left) talks with Jared Kushner as they walk toward Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on June 23, 2020. In the White House, Meadows quickly learned to yield to the existing power structure rather than trying to commandeer it. That means essentially recognizing the West Wing is Jared Kushners domain, a third senior administration official joked. Early on in his tenure, Meadows clashed with the presidents son-in-law by trying to prevent him from bringing to the president not-yet-fully-formed plans related to Covid-19, such as the idea that Google was developing a screening website that would tell Americans whether they should be tested for the virus. Meadows also sought to exert his control early on by overseeing and approving all staff promotions, raises, presidential commissions and detailees to the White House to make sure the chiefs office had a handle on personnel. That worked fine until Kushner complained and told Meadows his staff was off-limits. Meadows eventually acquiesced to Kushners demands, according to four people familiar with the matter. Kushners right-hand aide and Middle East envoy, Avi Berkowitz, saw his salary jump from $158,000 in 2019 to $183,000 in 2020, according to White House data, making him one of the highest-paid staffers and on par with Meadows, adviser Hope Hicks and Pat Cipollone, the White Houses top attorney. Now, Meadows and Kushner huddle each morning along with a few other top senior staff. Worried about leaks, Meadows has reduced the number of large senior staff meetings to just once a week. Clamping down on leaks was part of Meadows sales pitch to the president when he talked to him about the job. Recently, the chief of staff has been trying to investigate how key details from small Oval Office meetings have ended up in headlines so quickly. Hes also been alarmed by the intelligence leaks that Russians tried to pay Taliban fighters bounty money to kill Americans, along with the story that the president went down to the White House bunker on a night of particularly volatile protests in Washington. While senior White House officials praise Meadows work ethic and point to his role in negotiating the CARES package or keeping immigration front and center as examples of success, morale inside the White House remains remarkably low. With ongoing leak investigations, Trump slumping in the polls and the terrible headlines about the coronavirus, West Wing staffers feel demoralized. Streams of staffers, from top aides to low-level ones, have departed the White House in the past few months. This has left Trump with an unusually young and inexperienced staff at a time when he is facing a pandemic and recession, both of which have upended his presidency and threaten his reelection. Officials and allies say Meadows does not regret taking the job because he enjoys the perks of working in the White House be it flying on Air Force One or appearing at events alongside his wife. A copy of a menu from Air Force One hangs in his West Wing office, along with other memorabilia signed by the president, said two officials. Still, the job is far more complex than Meadows realized. At the same time, conservatives are starting to grumble anonymously, for now that Meadows has not lived up to his reputation as the former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus or pressured the administration to follow those values. Conservatives want the action, said one Republican close to the White House. They want Attorney General Barrs program to reflect what Trumps tweets say: Why is the Justice Department not arresting thousands of people who are burning cities down? Daniel Lippman contributed to this report. Photo: The Canadian Press LOS ANGELES - The body of Glee star Naya Rivera was found Monday at a Southern California lake, authorities said. Ventura County Sheriffs officials confirmed at an afternoon news conference that the body that search crews found floating in the northeast corner of Lake Piru earlier in the day was the 33-year-old Rivera. The discovery came five days after the 33-year-old Rivera disappeared on Lake Piru, where her son was found July 8 asleep and alone on a rented pontoon boat, authorities said. Authorities said the following day that they believed Rivera had drowned, and they had shifted to working to find her body rather than find her alive. The body was flown 40 miles (64 kilometres) to the coroners office in Ventura, where an autopsy would be conducted, Sheriffs Capt. Eric Buschow said. Riveras family has been notified of the discovery. The lake an hours drive from Los Angeles was searched by dozens of divers working in waters with little visibility, with help from sonar and robotic devices combing the bottom and helicopters and drones searching above. I cant imagine what its like for her parents, her family, Buschow said. It takes an emotional toll on the search teams too. Rivera played singing cheerleader Santana Lopez for six seasons on the Fox musical-comedy Glee. She is the third major cast member from the show to die in their 30s. The confirmation of her death comes seven years to the day after co-star Cory Monteith died at 31 from a toxic mix of alcohol and heroin, with the series losing one of its leads while it was still on the air. Another co-star, Mark Salling, who Rivera dated at one point, killed himself in 2018 at age 35 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges. Rivera had experience boating on the lake in Los Padres National Forest, authorities said. Surveillance video shows Rivera and her son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, leaving on the rented boat. When the boat failed to return, its vendor found the vessel drifting in the northern end of the lake late Wednesday afternoon with the boy asleep on board, about three hours after it was first taken out. The boy told investigators that he and his mother had been swimming and he got back into the boat but she didnt, according to a sheriffs office statement. The boy was wearing a life vest, and another life jacket was found in the boat along with Riveras purse and identification. The boy, Riveras son from her marriage to actor Ryan Dorsey, was safe and healthy and quickly reunited with family members after he was found, authorities said. His parents divorced in 2018 after nearly four years of marriage. The most recent tweet on Riveras account, from the day before her death, read just the two of us along with a photo of her and her son. The fossilised foot of a three-toed dinosaur that lived in Brazil 115 million years ago has been identified as belonging to a new species of bird forerunners. The carnivore dubbed 'Aratasaurus museunacionali' was unearthed in 2008 from a layer of dark shale in the Pedra Branca mine in Ceara State by a local resident. Experts believe that the dinosaur died young, but likely already weighed some 5.4 stones (34 kilograms) in life and would have stood more than 10 feet (3 metres) tall. A. museunacionali was a medium-sized theropod the group of bird-like dinosaurs characterised by their three-toed limbs and hollow bones. The discovery of the new species may help scientists better understand the evolutionary history of this carnivorous dinosaur group. The fossilised foot of a three-toed dinosaur that lived in Brazil 115 million years ago (pictured in this artist's impression) has been identified as belonging to a new species of bird forerunners The discovery of the new species may help scientists better understand the evolutionary history of this carnivorous dinosaur group. Pictured, the fossilised foot bones of the newly-identified species of dinosaur, dubbed 'Aratasaurus museunacionali' The carnivorous reptile dubbed 'Aratasaurus museunacionali' was unearthed from a layer of dark shale in the Pedra Branca mine in Ceara State by a local resident. Pictured, the fossilised foot bones of the newly-identified species of dinosaur 'Within theropods, we discovered that Aratasaurus is part of a group called Coelurosauria,' paper author and palaeontologist Juliana Manso Sayao of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro told Deutsche Welle. These group, she added, 'includes both the Brazilian dinosaur found in the same region known as Santanaraptor, the famous Tyrannosaurus and velociraptors and even the birds that we know today.' However, Dr Sayao and colleagues' analysis has suggested that Aratasaurus' lineage of dinosaurs may date back even further in time than the one that gave rise to T. rex. 'Aratasaurus indicates that part of her rich history may lie in the northeast of Brazil and in South America,' Dr Sayao told Deutsche Welle. 'There are still many gaps to unveil in this evolutionary puzzle, but with this discovery, we have added another piece to understand it. According to the researchers, the process of extracting the fossil from the fragile surrounding rock matrix was a complex process and took 12 years in total. The team performed microscopic analyses of tissue taken from small samples of the fossil bone, which helped them to form a 'visual construct' of the animal. Experts believe that the dinosaur died young, but likely already weighed some 5.4 stones (34 kilograms) in life and would have stood more than 10 feet (3 metres) tall. Pictured, the fossilised second (left) and third (right) toe bones of Aratasaurus museunacionali A. museunacionali was a medium-sized theropod the group of bird-like dinosaurs characterised by their three-toed limbs and hollow bones. Pictured, the specimen's femur and tibia bones seen here prior to extraction from the surrounding rock and preparation 'Within theropods, we discovered that Aratasaurus is part of a group called Coelurosauria,' paper author and palaeontologist Juliana Manso Sayao of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro told Deutsche Welle. Pictured, the specimen's femur and tibia bones after extraction In 2018, the specimen luckily avoided disaster when another part of the museum in which it was stored at the time was destroyed by fire. Researchers presented the newly-identified fossil A. museunacionali specimen to the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro on July 10. The full findings of the study were published in the journal Scientific Reports. The carnivorous reptile dubbed 'Aratasaurus museunacionali' was unearthed from a layer of dark shale, pictured, in the Pedra Branca mine in Ceara State by a local resident Researchers presented the newly-identified fossil A. museunacionali specimen to the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro on July 10. Pictured, a model reconstruction of the dinosaur The carnivorous reptile dubbed 'Aratasaurus museunacionali' was unearthed from a layer of dark shale, in the Pedra Branca mine in Ceara State by a local resident Jaipur, July 13 : Why did Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot shunt his MLAs to a resort in a luxury bus after flashing a victory sign during the CLP meeting called on Monday? If he is claiming 'all is well' within his camp, he should immediately call for a floor test in the Assembly to show his strength, one of the Sachin Pilot loyalists told IANS here after Rajasthan Congress MLAs were sent to the Fairmont Hotel soon after the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting called at the CMs residence on Monday. In fact, questions were also raised on the number of MLAs who were supposedly present at the Chief Minister's residence for the CLP meeting as quoted by the Gehlot camp. While Gehlot claimed that there were over 100 MLAs, sources said that there were around 90 MLAs present in the meeting, while 18 MLAs from the Pilot camp boycotted the CLP meet. Surprisingly, among those present in the meeting, a few MLAs are being considered as strong supporters of Pilot, which shows that the 'game is not yet over', said one of the Congress members. Meanwhile, the Congress has called another MLAs' meeting on Tuesday at 10.30 a.m. Pradesh Congress Committee Vice President Archana Sharma on Monday night made an emotional appeal to all party MLAs who skipped the meet on Monday to remain present in Tuesday's meeting. "Those who could not come for the CLP meeting on Monday should attend the meeting scheduled at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday. We all need to stay together to stay strong. All the MLAs should attend the meeting for the well-being of the Congress family. We all are members of the family and hence should stay together to serve the people who have voted for us to serve their needs," she said. Meanwhile, BJP state President Satish Poonia said, "The Congress government has lost its credibility among the voters and hence collapse of this government shall spell better for the people who have been suffering since the time the government came to power in December 2018," he said. "We will evaluate the situation and shall take any step as per the directions given by the central leadership," he said, when asked about BJP's stand on the present developments. It needs to be mentioned here that Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader Sachin Pilot had announced on Sunday that the Gehlot government was in minority as 30 MLAs were supporting him. Meanwhile, Pilot loyalists who skipped the meeting on Monday included Rakesh Pareek, Murari Lal Meena, GR Khatana, Indraraj Gurjar, Gajendra Singh Shaktawat, Harish Meena, Deependra Singh, Bhanwarlal Sharma, Indira Meena, Vijendra Ola, Hemaram, PR Meena, Ramesh Meena, Vishwendra Singh, Ramniwas, Mukesh Bhakar, Bhanwarlal meghwal and Suresh Modi. Three of them are state ministers, namely Vishvendra Singh, Ramesh Meena and Bhanwarlal Meghwal, who is not well. Along with this, three Independent MLAs disassociated by Congress -- Omprakash Hudla, Suresh Tank and Khushveer Singh -- seem to be standing with Pilot after the ACB filed FIR against them for their involvement in 'alleged poaching of MLAs'. Two Bharatiya Tribal Party MLAs, meanwhile, have decided to stand aloof and not vote in favour of anyone -- be it Pilot or Gehlot camp. So the question remains, is the Gehlot government safe? WASHINGTON, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore announces today the donation receipt of $1,208,846 from Giant Food, the leading greater Washington D.C. regional grocery chain. For the fifth consecutive year, USO-Metro served as one of the main charity beneficiaries of the 2020 Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle which was a month-long virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. USO-Metro was also the beneficiary of funds raised through in-store event promotions across Giant's 163 stores from Memorial Day Weekend through June. "USO-Metro is truly honored to have a partner like Giant Food supporting our service members year after year," said Elaine Rogers, President and CEO of USO-Metro. "The Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle and Giant's month long in-store campaign are one of our largest and most successful fundraisers of the year. Now, more than ever, funding like this makes all the difference in the world. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began back in March, USO-Metro has been able to continue offering programs and services to our active duty military and their families across the region, and partners like Giant Food along with Giant's amazing customers make our mission possible during times like these." This year's Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle Virtual Experience was one of the first virtual food festivals in the world and saw over 100,000 viewers from across the country. The website featured several cooking competitions, contests, giveaways, and live music. "We are proud to be close partners with USO-Metro and to support military service members and their families," said Ira Kress, President of Giant Food. "I'd like to thank the Giant store associates and our amazing customers across the region who all stood together in support of our local military to make this year's in-store campaign such a tremendous success. I'm also delighted with the success of the Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle Virtual Experience as it brought the community together for a great cause while cheering on our barbecue legends and celebrating delicious food. We are already looking forward to next year." As part of its commitment to supporting the local community including military service members, Giant has donated over $3.5 million to USO-Metro to-date since 2016. About USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore The USO strengthens America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore (USO-Metro)'s Centers serve as a home-away-from-home for troops and their families. Throughout the year, hundreds of events take place at USO-Metro facilities and aid in boosting morale, building a sense of community and helping to ease the burdens of a transient military lifestyle. Staffed by trained volunteers, USO-Metro supports the specific needs of single service members, couples, spouses, families, children, teens, wounded, ill and injured service members and their caregivers. About Giant Food Giant Food is headquartered in Landover, Md. and operates 163 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia with approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 163 stores are 154 full-service pharmacies, 81 full-service PNC Banks and 23 Starbucks locations. With flexible options and convenient solutions, Giant fits all the ways today's busy consumers want to shop whether in store, via Giant Pickup or home delivery from Giant Delivers which combined serves 157 store locations. For more information on Giant, visit www.giantfood.com. Media Contacts: Daniel Wolk Communications & Community Relations Manager, Giant Food (301) 341-8326 [email protected] Michelle Shortencarrier Senior Manager, Public Affairs, USO-Metro (703) 864-6429 [email protected] SOURCE USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore English Lithuanian The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of AB Grigeo, legal entity code 110012450, registered office: Vilniaus g. 10, Grigiskes, Vilniaus m. sav., Lithuania (hereinafter the Company), is convened by initiative and the decision of the Board of the Company on 4 August, 2020, at 11.00 a.m. The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders will be held at the Companys Office at Vilniaus g. 10, Grigiskes, Vilniaus m. sav., Lithuania, the first floor of Companys administration building. Registration of shareholders starts at 10.15 a.m., ends at 10.55 a.m. The accounting day of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders is 28 July, 2020. Persons who were shareholders of the Company at the close of the accounting day of the Meeting shall have the right to attend and vote at the General Meeting of Shareholders in person or may authorise other persons to vote for them as proxies or may conclude an agreement on the disposal of the voting right with third parties. The shareholders' proprietary rights accounting day is 18 August, 2020. The proprietary rights (right to receive dividend) will be held by persons who, at the close of the tenth working day after the General Meeting of Shareholders which adopted the appropriate decision, i.e. on 18 August, 2020, will be the shareholders of the Company. The agenda of the Meeting: Consolidated annual report of the Company for the year 2019. Companys Auditors report. Approval of the set of consolidated and separate financial statements of the Company for the year 2019. The appropriation of the Companys profit for the year 2019. Approval of Remuneration Policy of the Company. A person attending the General Meeting of Shareholders and entitled to vote shall produce a document which is a proof of his identity. A person who is not a shareholder shall additionally produce a document attesting to his right to vote at the General Meeting of Shareholders. A shareholder entitled to participate in the General Meeting of Shareholders shall have the right to authorise, in writing, a natural or legal person to participate and vote on his behalf at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Such a written authorisation must be approved in accordance with the procedure laid down in legal acts. Shareholder entitled to participate in the General Meeting of Shareholders shall also have the right to authorise, by means of electronic communications, a natural or legal person to participate and vote on his behalf at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Such a proxy of the shareholder need not be certified by a notary. The power of attorney issued through electronic communication means must be confirmed by the shareholder with a safe electronic signature developed by safe signature equipment and approved by a qualified certificate effective in the Republic of Lithuania. The proxy given by means of electronic communications and the notice of the given proxy shall be submitted to the Company by e-mail info@grigeo.lt not later than on the last business day before the General Meeting of Shareholders. The authorised person shall have the same rights as would be held by the shareholder represented by him, unless the issued authorisation or laws provide for narrower rights of the authorised person. The Company has not set the proxy form. The Company is not providing the possibility to attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders by means of electronic communications. A shareholder or a person authorised by him shall have a right to vote in writing in advance by filling in the general ballot paper. The general ballot paper will be provided on the Company's website www.grigeo.lt under the heading "For Investors". If the person who had completed the general ballot paper is not a shareholder, the completed general ballot paper must be accompanied by a document confirming the right to vote. The duly completed, printed and signed general ballot paper must be sent by mail to the Company's Office at Vilniaus g. 10, Grigiskes, Vilniaus m. sav., Lithuania not later than on the last business day before the General Meeting of Shareholders or presented to the Company until the end of registration of shareholders on the day of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. The shareholder or his authorized person may also sign the duly completed general ballot paper with a qualified electronic signature developed by safe signature equipment and approved by a qualified certificate effective in the Republic of Lithuania and send it to the Company by e-mail info@grigeo.lt not later than on the last business day before the General Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholders who hold shares carrying at least 1/20 of all the votes, have a right of proposing to supplement the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders. Draft decisions on the proposed issues or, when it is not mandatory to adopt decisions, explanatory notes on each proposed issue of the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders must be presented alongside with the proposal. Proposals to the agenda of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to info@grigeo.lt or delivered or sent by mail to the Company's office at Vilniaus g. 10, Grigiskes, Vilniaus m. sav., Lithuania. The agenda will be supplemented if the proposal is received not later than 14 days before the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholders who hold shares carrying at least 1/20 of all votes, have a right of proposing draft decisions on the issues already included in the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders. The proposed draft decisions at any time before the General Meeting of Shareholders must be presented in writing by sending them by mail by e-mail info@grigeo.lt or delivering or sending by mail to the Company's office at Vilniaus g. 10, Grigiskes, Vilniaus m. sav., Lithuania. The shareholders shall also be entitled to propose draft decisions on the agenda issues of the General Meeting of Shareholders in writing during the General Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholders have the right to ask questions concerning the agenda of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in advance. Questions may be submitted by e-mail to info@grigeo.lt or delivered or sent by mail to the Company's office at Vilniaus g. 10, Grigiskes, Vilniaus m. sav., Lithuania not later than 29 July, 2020. Responses of a general character shall be posted on the Company's website www.grigeo.lt, under the heading "For Investors". The Company will not respond personally to the shareholder if the respective information is presented on the Company's website www.grigeo.lt. The shareholders can get acquainted with the documents held by the Company related to the agenda of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, draft resolutions of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, and other documents to be submitted to the General Meeting of Shareholders as well as to get information regarding execution of the shareholders rights on the Company's website www.grigeo.lt, under the heading "For Investors". The total number of the Company's shares and the number of shares granting voting rights during the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders is the same and amounts to 65,700,000. ISIN code of the Companys shares is LT0000102030. All the information regarding the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders is presented on the Company's website www.grigeo.lt, under the heading "For Investors" or provided by telephone +370 5 243 5801. Encl.: consolidated annual report of the Company for the year 2019, Auditors report for the year 2019 with the set of consolidated and separate annual financial statements for the year 2019, project of appropriation of the Companys profit for the year 2019, project of remuneration policy, Draft decisions on the agenda of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of AB Grigeo to be held on 4 August, 2020 proposed by the Board, the general ballot paper (see attachments). Gintautas Pangonis President of AB Grigeo +370 5 243 5801 Attachments DUSHANBE -- A court in Dushanbe has suspended the operations of one of the few remaining independent pollsters in Tajikistan, the Zerkalo (Mirror) Center For Social Studies. Deputy Justice Minister Asadullo Hakimzoda told reporters on July 13 that the Ismoili Somoni district court had suspended Zerkalo's operations for two months. Hakimzoda said that the court made the decision on the ministry's request after Zerkalo "failed to correct shortcomings," namely violations of its charter by the group's leadership, including hiring people without the necessary documentation and making decisions without taking into account the opinions of other members of the organization. Qahramon Baqozoda*, Zerkalo's director, told RFE/RL that the Justice Ministry's move to suspend his organization's operations "might have been based on a misunderstanding," adding that his organization hires people by signing work contracts with all of them and requesting labor booklets from them, as required by law. "If some of future employees do not have labor booklets, we issue such booklets for them. The Justice Ministry has checked us since 2010 and there have been no problems before," Baqozoda said. According to Baqozoda, the ministry's last inspection was in late 2019, after which it asked him "to correct all violations" and report back in one month. "Because we don't have a lawyer, we submitted our report to the ministry in March, which was too late as the ministry had filed its request to suspend our operations by that time," Baqozoda said. Hakimzoda told journalists that Zerkalo could be allowed to resume its operations if the ministry finds that the violations have been corrected. Zerkalo has been operating in Tajikistan for almost 20 years. Its numerous polls and surveys on various issues and developments in the Central Asian nation have always differed from surveys conducted by government or pro-government agencies. Many experts in Tajikistan have said that Zerkalo's surveys reflect the real situation in the country and some international organizations in their reports on Tajikistan use data collected by Zerkalo's polls. *Qahramon Baqozoda is the brother of Khiramon Baqozoda, who works in RFE/RL's Tajik Service. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 18:29:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KATHMANDU, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Over 100 people have succumbed to monsoon-led natural disasters like landslide, thunderbolt and flood in a month period in Nepal. According to the data compiled by the Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), after monsoon activated on June 12, there has been several landslide, flood and thunderbolt incidents across the country, claiming 102 lives, injuring 120 people and 44 unaccounted for as of Monday. There were 13 landslide incidents, 10 places witnessed heavy rainfall, flooding hampered three locations across the country in the last 24 hours only. "The incidents killed 13 people and injured 14 people," the NDRRMA reported, adding that about 19 people are still missing while the search operations are being carried out. The Nepali government has decided to prepare relief supplies and rehabilitate the affected people in the public buildings including schools. The country's Department of Meteorology and Hydrology has predicted rise in water level in rivers and probability of flashflood in various locations. It was warned people to remain alert and evacuate to safe places. Enditem The court cancelled Mulakkal's bail for failing to appear for trial in the case and posted the trial for further hearing on 13 August. Kottayam: A local court on Monday cancelled the bail granted to Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun in Kerala, for failing to appear for the trial in the case and issued a Non Bailable Warrant against him. The Bishop was not present in the Additional Sessions Court during the hearing. Mulakkal's counsel informed the court that his client could not appear as he had been in self-quarantine due to his primary contact with a COVID-19 infected person. During the previous hearing on 1 July also he had failed to appear before the Court. His counsel had then submitted that the priest could not appear as he was stuck in a COVID-19 containment zone at Jalandhar in Punjab. The prosecution on Monday countered the claim by the accused, saying the place where he lived in Jalandhar was not a COVID-19 containment zone on 1 July. The Court cancelled his bail, considering the prosecution argument that the accused was trying to delay the trial, and posted the case to 13 August. The Kerala High Court on 7 July had dismissed a petition seeking to discharge Mulakkal from the sexual assault case filed against him by the nun. It had directed the deposed Bishop of Jalandhar diocese to stand for trial in the rape case, which was registered on a complaint filed by the nun of same diocese in Kerala. The court dismissed the plea by the bishop, admitting the prosecution's argument that there was prima facie evidence against Mulakkal in the rape case. The senior priest of the Roman Catholic Church had filed the revision petition following the dismissal of his discharge plea by the trial court in Kottayam in March this year. The rape case against the Bishop was registered by police in Kottayam district. In her complaint to the police in June 2018, the nun had alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse by the Bishop between 2014 and 2016. The bishop, who was arrested by the Special Investigation Team which probed the case, has been charged with wrongful confinement, rape, unnatural sex and criminal intimidation. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has said that the approval he gave for the sale of forfeited oil vessels to operators in the oil industry was legal. Mr Malami spoke after it emerged that he directed a firm, Omoh-Jay Nigeria Ltd, to dispose of crude oil and diesel in four sea vessels through an open bid, despite the company standing trial for allegedly stealing about 12,000 metric tonnes of crude oil loaded in a vessel. The report was first published by the news site, Sahara Reporters. A statement signed by his spokesperson, Umar Gwandu, Mr Malami said the approval to dispose of the crude oil vessels followed the final forfeiture order obtained by his office and a presidential directive of October 25, 2018. He said the vessels were disposed of in accordance with due process, following a report submitted by the then Ministry of Works, Power and Housing on the value of the assets. He said though Jerome Itepu of Omoh-Jay Nigeria Ltd and his company are still standing trial, they have not been convicted by any court of law in the country and can thus not be denied the opportunity to participate in the auction bidding process by law. Citing Section 36 (5) of the 1999 Constitution the AGF said, Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until proved guilty. Assuming, without conceding that Omo-Jay is being tried for a criminal offence, if indeed any, does that take away the Constitutional presumption of innocence in their eligibility to apply and be considered for auction? To my mind, the point of interest to the public are: Whether:- Omo-Jay is in any way connected with Malami by way of fronting for him; whether Malami is sharing the proceeds of the sale or, in any way benefiting in the transaction. Read Mr Malamis statement Omoh Jay Nig Ltd was granted approval vide Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) letter DPR/DSM/ROM/OPS/COL 2/285 dated 11th August 2009 to evacuate the products on board of MT AKUADA and MT HOPE. That was four years before the coming of the President Muhammadu Buharis government and long before Malami was appointed as the Attorney General of the Federation. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed a motion dated 8th June, 2009 but filed on 11th June, 2009 in Suit No. FHC/B/130C/08 held at Court 1, Ikpoba Hill, Benin City before Hon. Justice Chukwura Nnamani praying for the following orders: An order vesting custody of the vessel with contents on the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN); an order forfeiting the vessel MT AKUADA used in conveying bunkered 12, 000 metric tonnes of crude oil seized to FRN; and order forfeiting the bunkered 12, 000 to the FRN. The Motion was struck out on 23rd October 2009. Also note that Omoh Jay Nig. Ltd filed Suit No FHC/L/CS/652/2018 against EFCC and four others on 11th September 2018 at Lagos Judicial division before Hon. Justice M.S Hassan praying for an ORDER directing the EFCC to unfreeze its account at Zenith Bank as it unlawfully and illegally connived to freeze the account without a valid court order. The EFCC did not file a Counter Affidavit or any written agreement. On 13th May, 2019, Hon. Justice M.S Hassan granted the prayer of Omoh Jay Nig Ltd. The OHAGF (Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation) confirms that, following the Presidents directive to clear territorial waters and highways of obsolete and unauthorized vessels, barges, ships, boats, trucks vehicles amongst others, it obtained final forfeiture orders dated 16th January, 2018 and 15th April, 2019 from the Federal High Court on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria in Suit N0 FHC/ABJ/CS/741/2017, FHC/ABJ/CS/742/2017 and FHC/ABJ/CS/237/2019. Based on the advice of the Office of the National Security Adviser, which is predicated upon the risk being posed by the drifting vessel MT ANUKET containing crude oil at Elegushi Beach and on the basis of the expertise and experience of Omoh Jay Nigeria Limited in the disposal of the content of AKUADA and MT HOPE when engaged by the Department of Petroleum Resources dated 11th August, 2009. The OHAGF engaged their vide letter dated 9th September, 2019 to conduct an Open Bid Sale for the following vessels: MT ASTERIS with Crude Oil; MV PSV DERBY with Automated Gas Oil (AGO); MV ZAHRA with Automated Gas Oil (AGO); MT PEACE; and MT ANUKET EMERALD. The only involvement of Omoh Jay Nigeria Limited as far as the documents before the OHAGF is the baseless freezing of Omoh Jay Nigeria Limited account as a fall out in the case lost by the EFCC on MT AKUADA and MT HOPE and even at that, the Federal High Court, Lagos Division has struck out motion brought against Omoh Jay Nigeria Limited as stated above. It is worthy to mention that the disposal of the vessels were done following the final forfeiture obtained by the OHAGF and the Presidential directive of 25th October, 2018 directing the OHAGF to put in the interim before the passage of the Proceeds of Crime Bill, appropriate transitional arrangements for the management and expeditious disposal of the realizable assets so as to preserve their economic value. READ ALSO: Therefore, as far as the question of criminality of Omoh Jay Nigeria Ltd is concerned, it is not before the OHAGF and for avoidance of doubt, it should be noted that the disposed of the vessels under reference were conducted with due process following a report submitted by the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing on the value of these assets. Advertisements It should be further noted that Omoh Jay Nigeria Limited is one amongst the 38 auctioneers appointed by the OHAGF after being selected during the opening of the pre-qualification bid. The disposal of the vessels was also done following Final Forfeiture Order obtained by the OHAGF and recovered monies are paid into the FGN Recovery Account. As at date, the recovered monies for the sale of MT Asteris with Crude Oil and content in MT Anuket Emerald has been paid into the FGN Asset Recovery Account domiciled at CBN. The process that lead to the purported auction in contention had its antecedence in a letter reference number (DPR/DSM/ROM/OPS/V.2/285) dated 11th August, 2009 from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources titled Re: Update on the status of vessels arrested for illegal bunkering MT Akauda and MT HOPE by which the Chief of Naval Staff was notified thus; Considering the deteriorating state of the vessels as evidenced by frequent ingress of water into the tanks, which threatens the environment as expressed in your letter referenced above, and in order to avoid possible spillage from the vessels and consequent environmental pollution, we wish to state clearly that we do not have any objection with the evacuation of the vessels. Evidenced by the above correspondence, it is only reasonable and logical to conclude that the process of the Auction as its relates to the vessel was at the multi-institutional instance out of environmental concerns and the process that ensued eventually entertained public expression of interest on account of which Omoh-Jay Nigeria Limited is one. In tune and in line with the presumption of innocence, eligibility of the company as a legal entity Omoh-Jay Nigeria Limited was profiled, considered and allocated vessels that were available for disposals. I make bold to state that Omoh-Jay Nigeria Limited was in no way known, associated or related to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, either in his official or personal capacities. The issue of interest to the public, of which a serious journalist need to support the general public to know is whether Omoh-Jay being a duly registered company can be denied opportunity to participate in the auction bidding process on a purported account that the company is standing trial (NOT CONVICTED) by a competent court of the land if indeed as claimed by Sahara reporters, the Company is being criminally tried. The position of the law is clear by virtue of Section 36 (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) that a person is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved. Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until proved guilty. Assuming, without conceding that Omo-Jay is being tried for criminal offence, if indeed any, does that take away the Constitutional presumption of innocence in their eligibility to apply and be considered for auction? To my mind, the point of interest to the public are: Whether:- Omo-Jay is in any way connected with Malami by way of fronting for him; whether Malami is sharing the proceeds of the sale or, in any way benefiting in the transaction. If the allegation is that of breach of process and procedures of disposal of assets, Sahara Reporters need to clearly state which processes and procedures were breached? Sahara Reporters is challenged to come out with answers. Malami is also alleged to have given the firm permission to sell five vessels despite the fact its Managing Director, Jerome Itepu, stood trial at the Delta State High Court in Asaba, for allegedly stealing about 12,000 metric tonnes of crude oil, which was valued at N384m in 2009. Tucson-area private and charter schools have collected millions in federal coronavirus relief loans not available to public district schools despite the fact that a number of them also qualified for emergency stimulus funding. The Paycheck Protection Program loans, meant to help small businesses avoid layoffs during the COVID-19 crisis, dont have to be paid back as long as the funds are used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. However, charter schools dont have the level of financial impact that many small businesses do because they continued to receive taxpayer funding throughout the crisis, said Dave Wells, research director with the Grand Canyon Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. Since the schools were already held financially harmless, they werent really in a position where they expected they were going to lay off people anyway, Wells said. He said for this reason its questionable that some of the charter schools applied for the loans, and the same goes for the private schools, many of which receive tuition scholarship dollars and other public subsidies. The publicly released data only provides broad ranges for the loans of $150,000 and above. The Star identified 32 private and charter schools or corporate headquarters in Tucson that received between $12 million and $30 million collectively. Comparatively, Pima Countys nine major school districts, which serve about 115,000 students, were awarded nearly $31 million in funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. SoftBank has hired Goldman Sachs to explore both an initial public offering and a sale of U.K. chip designer Arm Holdings, according to people familiar with the matter. SoftBank has been preparing to spin out Arm in an IPO but has recently begun exploring sale options after receiving interest from an outside party, said two people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. It's unclear if the outside company or entity is interested in buying all or just part of Arm, which was acquired by SoftBank for about $32 billion four years ago. The Wall Street Journal first reported SoftBank had hired Goldman to gauge sale interest. Spokespeople at SoftBank and Goldman Sachs declined to comment. SoftBank is looking for more cash to help support companies in its $100 billion Vision Fund, many of which have struggled since the pandemic and quarantines started. SoftBank agreed to sell about $21 billion of its stake in T-Mobile after merging Sprint with the third largest U.S. wireless company last year. The Japanese technology holding company has said it plans to sell up to $41 billion in assets. SoftBank is also buying back billions of shares, which has helped boost its stock in recent months. SoftBank bought Arm as an investment in the so-called Internet of Things -- the idea that wireless connectivity among everyday items such as refrigerators, cars and other devices would lead to useful new scenarios. Arm said last week it planned to transfer its IoT divisions to SoftBank. The announcement was made to focus the company on an initial public offering more than a year from now, one of the people said. Few companies could afford to buy all of Arm without intense regulatory scrutiny. Arm has found a niche as a neutral designer of the microprocessors that works with many of the largest equipment manufacturers, including the majority of the world's smartphones. Apple, Samsung and Qualcomm all use Arm technology in various ways. There have been few large semiconductor deals in recent years after a flurry of consolidation from 2014 to 2016. Part of the slowdown in recent years is related to CFIUS (The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) concerns about sharing technology with Chinese companies. Still, Analog Devices announced it planned to acquire Maxim Integrated Products for about $21 billion on Monday -- a deal that could bring activity back to the market. WATCH: Why SoftBank's purchase of ARM is a positive A Chinese bus driver upset that his home would be demolished had been drinking at the wheel before plunging his vehicle into a reservoir, killing 21 people including students heading to their college entrance exams, police said. The bus careered into a lake in the city of Anshun in the southwest province of Guizhou last Tuesday. The driver, surnamed Zhang, "was unhappy about his life and about the demolition of the public-owned house he rented," Anshun city police said in a statement on an official social media account Sunday. Anshun emergency authorities have said five students heading to their university entrance exams were among those killed, while fifteen other people were hurt. On the morning of the incident, Zhang saw that the house was about to be demolished and rang a government hotline to complain, the police statement said. But police said Zhang had signed an agreement in June authorising the demolition and had been promised more than 72,000 yuan ($10,000) in compensation which he left unclaimed. Zhang is suspected of deliberately "conducting 'an extreme crime'", the statement said. Police found that Zhang, 52, had been drinking alcohol while passengers got on and off the bus, the statement said. As he approached the reservoir, Zhang suddenly veered across five lanes of traffic, through a guardrail and into the waters, police said. Zhang drowned and an autopsy found alcohol in his system. A hashtag relating to the Anshun police statement had gained over 1 billion views on Weibo by Monday morning, with many comments condemning the driver. "Why impose your own pain on so many families?" wrote one user. burs-lcx/dma/rma The president of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education said Monday she expects "deep discussions" Tuesday on face masks when the board spells out minimum safety standards for the reopening of public schools. Sandy Holloway, president of the board, also said panel members are getting heavy input from the public in advance of the meeting, which is set for Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. "We have received hundreds of emails from our constituents across the state," Holloway said. The issue surfaced during a 3 1/2 hour meeting of the House Education Committee on a wide range of volatile topics surrounding schools, including how far the state should go in setting rules for face coverings. The state Department of Education, in recommendations released Friday evening, stopped just short of mandating the use of masks. The agency is recommending that BESE adopt a rule that says while in school "all adults and students in grades 3 through 12 must wear a face covering to the greatest extent possible and practical within the local community context." State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley said that language means masks should be worn while also leaving some flexibility for local school officials. The issue has turned into something of a political flashpoint, with backers arguing that masks are a key part of combating the spread of the virus and opponents questioning their value. +2 Face masks should be required in public schools, teacher union leader says The president of one of Louisiana's two teacher unions said Thursday morning his group wants someone to mandate, not recommend, that face mask Gov. John Bel Edwards on Saturday ordered the use of face masks for those 8 years and older while in public, which would take precedence over any BESE standard if it is still in effect when classes resume in early August. Minimum standards adopted by BESE then have to be followed by local school districts, which will submit their own plans to state education officials. Face masks are among a host of issues that have educators, parents and students on edge. "It will be quite a monumental task," Brumley said of the upcoming school year. "It will be a year unlike any other." An electronic survey of teachers and others showed that 58% are not comfortable with their children returning to schools, according to the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, one of the state's two teacher unions. Another key challenge is learning gaps, especially since classrooms closed in March during the early stages of the pandemic. Brumley said the gaps are why local school districts should do diagnostic tests when students return to school, especially in math and reading. The fact many school districts plan to rely on both remote and in-person instruction, and the knowledge that schools may be forced to rely solely on remote learning if virus conditions worsen, are also major concerns. 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 "I cannot confidently tell you that moving to a fully online model will produce the same results as having a child in front of a teacher every day," Brumley told lawmakers. Getting students to and from public schools is another hurdle. "Transportation is one of the most significant challenges of the entire plan," Brumley said. First look: Here's how Louisiana public schools can safely open amid coronavirus, officials say Public school students in the third grade and older along with adults should wear face masks "to the maximum extent possible" when schools reo Louisiana is in Phase 2 for reopening its economy, which means school buses have to be limited to 50% of capacity. Brumley told the committee that buses typically have limits of between 50 and 80 students, which he said raises questions on whether districts will have to use multiple runs or take other steps to adhere to the rules. If the state moves to Phase 3 when schools reopen the bus capacity would rise to 75%, including adults. "Hopefully if we are able to get to Phase 3 that is really a game changer in the occupancy of the bus," Brumley said. Senate leader asks Louisiana's top school board for ban on fall sports due to coronavirus Senate Education Committee Chairman Cleo Fields on Monday asked the president of Louisiana's top school board to have the panel suspend public An update on high school sports Meanwhile, the executive director of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association said his group will "follow religiously" Gov. John Bel Edwards' directives on the coronavirus pandemic in governing the resumption of athletics. Eddie Bonine, who leads the LHSAA, also appeared before the House Education Committee. "We have to get to Phase 4 to play football," Bonine told lawmakers, meaning the virus would have be under enough control to allow for football with helmet and shoulder pads, full contact scrimmages and games. +4 Louisiana high school football games can't begin until the LHSAA's 'Phase 4' definition LHSAA executive director Eddie Bonine was consistent in his presentation to the House Education Committee on Monday, telling the group that th School leaders are crafting plans for the school year, with many districts opting for having young students return to classrooms while older students rely on remote learning, at least at the start of the school year. Bonine said what the football season will look like "all depends on when we get students back to school." Medical staff at a pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic, perform tests on drivers in the Sydney suburb of Casula, Australia on July 11, 2020. (David Gray/Getty Images) Crossroads Hotel CCP Virus Cluster Impacts 100 Teachers and Defence Personnel The Crossroads Hotel, a popular bistro on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia is at the centre of a fresh outbreak of COVID-19 infecting twenty-one people, including an 18-year-old hotel staff member. NSW Health authorities warned all members of the public who visited the pub between July 3-10 to get tested as a precaution and to self-isolate for 14 days. PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT Anyone who attended the Crossroads Hotel Casula between Friday 3 10 July should immediately self-isolate until 14 days after they were last there, get tested even if they have no symptoms and stay in isolation for 14 days even if your test is negative. pic.twitter.com/vzLguInzy6 NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 12, 2020 News Corps The Australian reported on July 13 that NSW authorities are currently trying to trace over 1,000 people. The pub, which sits on a transport hub 35 kilometres from Sydneys CBD, is popular with travellers heading to and from Sydney. NSW government minister Stuart Ayres said on July 13: This particular hotel is located at the juncture of the M7 and the M5, its a big travellers hotel, which is why if anyones been in that location its so important that they go and get tested immediately. Gym Staff, 100 Teachers, Defence Personnel in Isolation A local Planet Fitness has closed and is undergoing a deep clean after a staff member visited the Crossroads Hotel and later tested positive for COVID-19. Planet Fitness confirmed the news and warned customers via Facebook on July 12. If you visited the club on either day and have any symptoms or concerns, we encourage you to get tested and seek medical advice, said the Planet Fitness notice. The gym also noted that its team members who worked over the two days were self-quarantining and getting tested. Likewise, a number of Australian Defence Force personnel have entered self-isolation at the RAAF Base in the regional city of Wagga Wagga after they visited the Crossroads Hotel on their way to the base, but none have tested positive as yet. At least 100 teachers who attended an end of term function at the Crossroads Hotel on July 3 are now in self-isolation, according to radio host Ray Hadley. Ive now confirmed with the NSW Department of Education a large group of staff from 16 different schools came together for an end of term drink, Hadley told his 2GB listeners on July 13. At least 100 people attended this function, including most principals from various schools in the region, he said. NSW Health has said all of the teachers are now isolating according to Hadley. Its essential that we all take the risk of transmission very seriously and take steps to protect ourselves and loved ones, NSW Health said in a media release on July 13. The U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 was backed by most countries in the region, who shared the goal of ousting the extremist Taliban regime and eliminating the allied Al-Qaeda terrorist network. The governments in Tehran, Moscow, and Islamabad readily helped the United States fight the extremist groups. Iran provided crucial intelligence to support U.S. special forces and CIA teams orchestrating the invasion. Russia supplied Soviet-era maps and intelligence and later allowed the U.S. military to send supplies to Afghanistan through its territory. The stage has already been set, with many key actors -- including Russia and Iran -- increasing their ties with both the Afghan state and the Taliban." Even Pakistan, the chief backer of the Taliban, offered its assistance in helping hunt down Al-Qaeda militants and became the main supply line for NATO forces. But in the intervening 19 years, the regional consensus favoring the U.S. troops in Afghanistan has eroded. Though the U.S. military swiftly overthrew the Taliban and eliminated Al-Qaeda safe havens in Afghanistan, many feel it got bogged down in mission creep. Meanwhile, Washingtons ties with many regional players -- including Pakistan, Iran, and Russia -- became toxic. With U.S. forces scheduled to exit Afghanistan next year as part of a framework peace deal with the Taliban, Washingtons rivals see an opportunity to step in and expand their footprint in the war-torn country. Those efforts have intensified since the United States and the Taliban signed a deal in February aimed at negotiating an end to the war, which began way back in 2001. Under that agreement, U.S. forces will withdraw from Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counterterrorism guarantees from the Taliban, which has pledged to negotiate a permanent cease-fire and power-sharing deal with the Kabul government. The delayed intra-Afghan peace talks are expected to be complex and protracted, and will likely take years. Impatient to end the costly and unpopular war, President Donald Trump is considering fast-tracking the exit of American troops ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November, according to U.S. media reports. Experts say that in the absence of a peace deal, a U.S. military withdrawal could ignite a free-for-all that involves regional powers pursuing often competing interests in Afghanistan. The stage has already been set, with many key actors -- including Russia and Iran -- increasing their ties with both the Afghan state and the Taliban, says Michael Kugelman, South Asia senior associate at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. The objective is to develop more influence and generate more leverage with key actors across the board, so that they will be in a better position to pursue and achieve their goals in a post-America Afghanistan -- a place we can expect to be increasingly unstable and complex. Iran, Pakistan, and Russia -- with long histories of meddling in the country -- are hedging their bets. The three countries have sought to improve their relations with the Western-backed government in Kabul, while also reaching out to the Taliban in case it gains a role in a future Afghan government. Islamabad has retained its long-standing ties with the Taliban and shelters the groups leadership, while Tehran and Moscow have been tacitly working to bolster their ties with the militants, with the goal of expanding their own strategic interests in Afghanistan. 'Make The Taliban Even Stronger' Pakistan has long been accused of playing a double game in Afghanistan, sheltering and aiding the Taliban while receiving billions in U.S. aid to clamp down on the militants. Pakistan's ties to the Taliban date back to the 1990s, when it provided arms, training, and intelligence to the militants. Islamabad was one of only three countries to recognize the Taliban government when it took power in Afghanistan in 1996. After the regime's fall in 2001, many Taliban leaders took shelter inside Pakistan. Observers say Pakistan sees the Taliban as an insurance policy for reaching its long-standing strategic goals in Afghanistan -- installing a pro-Pakistan government in Kabul and limiting the influence of its archrival India, which has close ties to Kabul. Experts say Pakistan stands to be the biggest beneficiary of a U.S. military pullout from Afghanistan. If a withdrawal leads to a peace process that results in a settlement, then Pakistan would benefit as this would likely entail the Taliban holding a fair share of power, says Kugelman. If the peace process collapses and the U.S. withdrawal ushers in a period of extended destabilization, Pakistan would still benefit because it would make the Taliban even stronger. 'Buffer Zone' Iran has supported its traditional allies in Afghanistan -- the Shiite Hazara minority and the Persian-speaking ethnic Tajiks -- while recently establishing contacts with the Taliban, a predominately Pashtun group. Iran and the Taliban were on the verge of war in 1998 -- when the group controlled most of Afghanistan -- after the deaths of eight Iranian diplomats in the Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif. Tehran backed the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance before the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. But in recent years the Islamic republic and the Taliban have forged closer ties, with militant leaders even visiting Tehran. The relationship between Shiite-majority Iran and the Taliban, a fundamentalist Sunni group, is complex. Iran officially opposes the Taliban, but experts say it provides some military support to the mainstream Taliban and even rival breakaway factions. Analysts say that while Iran does not want the Taliban to return to power, Tehran is looking to maintain influence with the group as a hedge in case the Taliban becomes a political player in Afghanistan or it forcibly seizes control of the country. These initiatives serve the purpose of securing Iran's sphere of influence in Afghanistan and perhaps even creating a buffer zone on Afghan soil to protect parts of Iran's eastern borders from infiltration by forces hostile to Iran, says Ali Alfoneh, a senior fellow at The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. 'A Great Power' For more than a decade after the U.S.-led invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Washington for taking on the burden of fighting terrorism in Afghanistan and urged it to carry it to the end. But since 2014, the Kremlin has attempted to undermine the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, fueled by Moscows desire to be an international power broker and its rivalry with the West in Ukraine and Syria, where Russia joined Iran in supporting President Bashar al-Assads regime. Moscow said it has established contacts with the Taliban in recent years because of the common threat posed by the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in Afghanistan. Washington has accused Russia of arming the Taliban, which it denies. In the past two years, Moscow has hosted two international conferences on the Afghan peace process, inviting Taliban leaders and Afghan opposition members. Earlier this month, U.S. media reported that a Russian military intelligence unit had offered secret bounties to the Taliban if they killed U.S. or NATO-member troops in Afghanistan. Moscow and the Taliban have denied the reports, which are based on U.S. intelligence assessments. But the revelations have served to highlight Moscows murky dealings in Afghanistan. Russia's interests in Afghanistan are twofold: to avoid an explosion of chaos on the borders of what it considers its sphere of influence, and to use it as an opportunity to demonstrate and assert its claim to be a great power, says Mark Galeotti, a Russia analyst and a senior associate fellow at the British-based Royal United Services Institute. (Reuters) - American actress Kelly Preston who has appeared in films including "Jerry Maguire" and "Twins", has died aged 57 after battling breast cancer for nearly two years, her husband, John Travolta, announced in an Instagram post late on Sunday. "It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer," the 66-year-old "Grease" actor said in his post. "Kelly's love and life will always be remembered. I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you dont hear from us for a while", Travolta wrote. Born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu on Oct. 13, 1962, she changed her name to Kelly Preston before securing her first film role in the 1985 romcom "Mischief," then appeared in another teen comedy, "Secret Admirer". In the next few years Preston starred in films such as "SpaceCamp" and then "Twins" with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito. In "Jerry Maguire", she played Tom Cruise's fiancee Avery Bishop, then co-starred opposite Kevin Costner in "For Love of the Game". Preston last starred in the 2018 film "Gotti" in which she played Victoria Gotti, the wife of Mafia boss John Gotti, who was portrayed on screen by Travolta. Travolta, star of the hit dance movies "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease", met Preston in 1988 when they appeared together in a film called "The Experts". They married on Sept. 5, 1991, in Paris. Preston is survived by her husband and their children - daughter Ella, 20, and 9-year-old son Benjamin. Their son Jett died at age 16 in January 2009 during a family vacation in the Bahamas. "I have never met anyone as courageous, strong, beautiful and loving as you," her daughter, Ella Bleu Travolta, wrote in a tribute posted on Instagram. (Reporting by Rebekah Mathew in Bengaluru; Editing by Robert Birsel) His Excellency President Akufo Addo has revealed finally to Ghanaians what he has been doing since he went into self-quarantine over COVID-19 fears. President Akufo-Addo made the revelations during a zoom meeting session yesterday with the NPP 2020 campaign communications team which included the Information Minister; Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Dr. Hamid Mustapha, Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development and five others. According to the President of the Republic, he now reads all memoranda and papers he has not read. He also revealed that he becomes busier as compared to his normal days in the office. During the meeting session, the President pointed out to the fact that it is the first time in the history of the country that a sitting president will compete with the immediate past president in an election. He, therefore, tasked the communication team to get more formidable in getting his governments message out to the people. At the latter part of the zoom meeting, the President described allegations levelled against his government that the EC and his government want to disfranchise eligible voters in the opposition NDC strongholds as artificial and deliberate. On July 4, President Akufo Addo was advised by doctors to go into a 14-day self-quarantine after someone within his circles tested positive for the COVID-19. He, however, has exactly five days more to conclude his quarantine period. ---GhanaVanguard.com TORONTO, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada Zinc Corporation (Nevada Zinc or the Company) (TSX-V: NZN) is very pleased to announce that it has entered into a Collaboration Agreement (the Agreement) with Cameron Chemicals, Inc. (Cameron). Cameron is a leading U.S. producer and distributor of granular micronutrients for the agricultural, turf, and horticultural industries with manufacturing facilities in the states of Virginia, Michigan and Washington. Zinc is an essential micronutrient in these sectors and has a growing demand profile in the U.S. as well as globally. The Companys Nevada based Lone Mountain zinc oxide deposit is strategically located adjacent to Californias $50 billion agricultural industry. Under the terms of the Agreement, Nevada Zinc and Cameron will work together to establish a range of zinc based micronutrient products to be produced by the Company and marketed by Cameron. Distribution networks in the U.S., Canada, Southeast Asia, Korea and South America have been developed by Cameron over the past three decades. At this time, subject to completing production process evaluation studies, Nevada Zincs annual production is projected to be up to 25,000 tonnes of zinc based micronutrient products. Based upon this annual production rate, Lone Mountains life of mine will be in the range of fifteen to twenty years based upon the Companys current resource estimate. The Lone Mountain property has only been partially explored to-date and has good potential to increase in size subject to further exploration programs to be undertaken by the Company. During the remainder of 2020, Nevada Zinc will complete a project evaluation study which will include studies relating to the mining and production processes that will best suit the project. The Company will also commence environmental and permitting studies as well as the submission of permit applications. Affirmative results from this project evaluation work will allow Nevada Zinc to make a positive project construction decision at the end of the permitting process. There is no assurance currently that the existing mineral resource may be processed on a technical or economic basis. Story continues Concurrent with a positive construction decision the Company will enter into an off-take agreement with Cameron whereby Cameron will purchase 100% of Nevada Zincs annual production during the initial term of the off-take agreement. The initial term of the off-take agreement will be equal to or greater than the project pay-back period as mutually agreed to by the Company and project capex debt and equity investors. The goals and objectives of the Agreement are to result in Nevada Zinc becoming a reliable, long-term, Made-in-America producer of consistent quality zinc chemical products by leveraging the strategic location and quality of the Companys Lone Mountain zinc oxide deposit as well as leveraging the 30 plus years of marketing and production expertise of the Cameron team. Bruce Durham, President and CEO of Nevada Zinc had the following comments upon the signing of the Agreement, We are extremely pleased to be working with the team at Cameron to unlock the potential of our Lone Mountain zinc deposit. The deposit has some unique characteristics that make it an ideal feedstock for the production of zinc chemical products for the U.S. agricultural industry. This strategic partnership with a company of the quality of Cameron provides Nevada Zinc with the opportunity to pivot away from the more cyclical zinc metal markets while potentially increasing the economic value of our project. The location of the project proximal to both California and the U.S. Midwest corn belt gives it a significant logistical advantage. The project has the potential to provide zinc units in a reliable, environmentally responsible manner. As well, the zinc chemical products produced from Lone Mountain will have the advantage of being both organic and 'Made in America'. About Nevada Zinc The Company is focused on its 100% owned Lone Mountain zinc project in east central Nevada where it is has been working since 2014 on a significant zinc oxide/carbonate zone of mineralization. To-date the Company has completed 85 drill holes, an initial resource estimate and a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) of the potential economic viability of the project under a variety of assumptions. In 2019, the Company announced the favourable results of the PEA indicating the potential economic viability of mining the zinc mineralization at the Companys Lone Mountain Project. The PEA does not incorporate the potentially significant incremental economic benefits that could accrue to the Company from re-configuring the open pit mine and plant design to a simpler process that would focus on a lower cost production process for the concentrated zinc mineralization that could then be leached on-site and formulated into high value zinc sulphate chemical products for the agricultural sector. Additional information about the Company is available on the Companys website: www.nevadazinc.com Bruce Durham P.Geo, President and CEO of Nevada Zinc, is a Qualified Person, as that term is defined by Canadian regulatory guidelines under National Instrument 43-101, and has read and approved the technical information contained in this news release. For further information please contact: Nevada Zinc Corporation Suite 1660, 141 Adelaide St. West Toronto, Ontario M5H 3L5 Tel: 416-504-8821 Bruce Durham, President and CEO bdurham@nevadazinc.com Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, potential economic outcomes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of the Company's mineral properties, and the Company's financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. 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. TOKYO, July 13 (Reuters) - Japanese steelmaker Kobe Steel said on Monday it has reached a non-binding agreement with Brazilian miner Vale SA and Japanese trading company Mitsui & Co to collaborate in offering low-CO2 iron making solutions to the steel industry. Cutting carbon emissions from steelmaking is an important part of efforts to tackle climate change. Kobe Steel will work with its U.S. unit, Midrex Technologies Inc, whose direct reduction ironmaking technology uses natural gas to reduce iron ore for use in steelmaking, offering lower CO2 emissions than those produced using blast furnaces, it said in a statement. Direct Reduction Iron (DRI) is a raw material for steelmaking made by reducing iron ore and is mainly used in electric arc furnaces as a supplement or substitute for high quality scrap and pig iron. (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; editing by Jason Neely) / Doing 'Donuts' May Be to Blame in Crash That Killed 3 Kids Boy, 11, and 2 teens died in Brooklyn; another teen is fighting for life Loading With all the bright lights, sun, sea and surf, it takes a little while to get your bearings on any trip to the Gold Coast. And Essendon took their time to eventually put North Melbourne away at a slippery Metricon Stadium on Saturday night, getting hub life underway with a 14-point victory over the dogged Kangas. With a heavy dew making the contest akin to a wet weather game, Essendon only sealed the four points with a curling Jacob Townsend goal from the boundary line with six minutes left on the clock. The hard-earned victory lifts the Bombers to a 4-1 win record and fourth place on the ladder with a game in hand while the Shinboners fell to their fourth-straight loss. The Bombers should have been home and hosed much earlier with their errant radar in front of goal making their task harder, but they were just a little cleaner and classier when it mattered. As used in website development contracts, indemnification typically concerns whether the vendor will defend you in court if you later get sued for your use of the technology, including Intellectual Property (IP), or services provided by the website development vendor. In some instances, a well-drafted indemnity clause can protect you in litigation ensuing from your violation of a website development contract which results in third-party claims against you and/or your vendor. Whether it is your vendor or a third party that initiates the lawsuit, you will want to know where the proverbial buck stops when the legal bills start to roll in and who will pay those legal bills. One way to address the risks of potential litigation for unknown risks is to agree in the website development contract before it is signed who will be responsible for paying those legal costs should they arise. In broad legal terms, this is what is commonly referred to as an indemnification clause. Indemnification simply refers to a contractual bargain where one party promises to defend the other party in the event of a lawsuit likely tied to certain unknown or perhaps even known risks. Prepare in Advance Not all indemnity provisions are created equally, though, as they can be quite narrow and issue-specific, or far-reaching. The practical implications of the range of indemnification coverage necessitates a well-informed understanding of the obligations and risks laid out in your specific website development contract. At a minimum, you should review the indemnification terms in your website development contract so that should you be served with a lawsuit, you know what degree, if any, of legal responsibility the website development vendor may have. Knowing where to turn when an unexpected lawsuit pops up is certainly comforting. Here is an example of an Indemnification/Non Infringement provision from a sample website development contract provided by Columbia University:In performing services under this Agreement, DEVELOPER agrees not to design, develop, or provide to COMPANY any items that infringe one or more patents, copyrights, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights (including trade secrets), privacy or other rights of any person or entity. If DEVELOPER becomes aware of any such possible infringement in the course of performing any work hereunder, DEVELOPER shall immediately so notify COMPANY in writing. DEVELOPER agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold COMPANY, its officers, directors, members, employees, representatives, agents, and the like harmless for any such alleged or actual infringement and for any liability, debt, or other obligation arising out of or as a result of or relating to (a) the Agreement, (b) the performance of the Agreement, or (c) the Deliverables. This indemnification shall include attorneys fees and expenses, unless DEVELOPER defends against the allegations using counsel reasonably acceptable to COMPANY. DEVELOPERs total liability under this Agreement shall not exceed twice the amount of revenue derived by DEVELOPER under this Agreement. It is safe to assume that every website development contract has an indemnity clause. What to Do if Sued for Improper Use of IP Assuming these indemnity provisions exist in your website development contract and you get sued by a third party for improper use of their IP, what then do you do? The first thing to do is immediately provide your website development vendor a written copy of the lawsuit along with a letter specifically requesting that the vendor defend you in the lawsuit. Your letter should include specific references to the contracts applicable indemnification language. Then, at least one of two things could happen: First, the website developer vendor as the indemnitor agrees to defend you as the indemnitee in the lawsuit, but you must assist if, and when the development vendor asks for any specific information about your use of the IP in dispute. In addition, you may need to assist in the litigation process by providing documents or providing witnesses for depositions. Ultimately, if the lawsuit does not settle then you may have to provide witnesses at trial. However, the development vendor will pay all the legal fees and expenses unless there is a dispute between you and the development vendor. Or Second, the website development vendor refuses to indemnify you and you must defend you company in the IP litigation. Of course this can be expensive to prepare for trial, and whether you ever get to trial or not you have the right to expand the lawsuit and bring the website development vendor into your lawsuit as whats referred to as a third party defendant. Therefore, if you lose the lawsuit you can assert a claim in the court action against the website development vendor. Alternatively, you could defend yourself in the lawsuit, all the way through trial, without any involvement by the website development vendor. In that instance, if you settled the case before trial or tried the case to a judgment, you could then bring a separate lawsuit against the website development vendor to recover your attorneys fees and expenses. What if the website development vendor is sued for your alleged IP violation? It is possible that a third-party vendor could sue your website development vendor for some IP infringement. It is also possible in that scenario that the website development vendor claims no responsibility for and asks you to defend their interests in that litigation, that is you indemnify the website development vendor in the litigation. Whether this is a possible scenario depends on the language and breadth of your website development contracts indemnification clause. Whether or not you would agree to that type of an indemnification would, of course, be dictated by the specifics of your unique set of facts and circumstances. Let us assume your website development contract has a broadly worded indemnity clause. What happens then if you refuse to indemnify the website development vendor on the basis that you did nothing wrong and you did not infringe the third-party IP? Well, the website development vendor could defend itself in litigation and then once the case is settled or ends in a final judgment bring a separate suit against you for breach of the contractual indemnification. Alternatively, the website development vendor could foist you into the first lawsuit by bringing you in as a necessary third-party defendant. Conclusions Every website development contract addresses the issue of indemnification, so hopefully you have a better idea about what indemnification means and how it could affect your legal rights and obligations in the future. If you have questions about the scope or interpretation of your contracts indemnification provision(s), its a good idea to engage a lawyer who has experience in drafting and negotiating website development contracts and statements of work, including indemnification provisions. A D V E R T I S E M E N T This website development series should help you learn more about legal issues to consider and what to negotiate. So please stay tuned for the future installments in our series, which will include topics such as, lawsuits and arbitrations, and related topics. Read Part 5: Mediating Disputes Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 22:42:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The central government has earmarked 600 million yuan (about 85.76 million U.S. dollars) to support flood control and relief in five provincial-level regions, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) said on Monday. Designated for Jiangxi, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan and Chongqing, the funds were allocated by the Ministry of Finance and the MEM after a Level II emergency response, the second-highest in the response system, was activated for the flood-hit regions on Sunday. China is stepping up disaster relief efforts as the country continues to see more floods and unusually heavy downpours this summer. Floods that triggered alerts have been observed in 433 rivers nationwide since June. Of these rivers, 33 beat previous water level records, Ye Jianchun, vice minister of Water Resources, told a press conference on Monday. China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters have sent another six special work teams to key regions, hit hard by floods, to guide disaster relief efforts. Enditem Its easy for Americans to feel that we are separate and distinct from the rest of the world. Much of what we read tells us so. Nowhere was that clearer than in coverage of the Democratic primary as, for months, the news was filled with horse race reporting on the front-runners sexuality, their eating habits, their spouses, and their fashion choices. Heres the story behind Tom Steyers plaid tie, CNN offered. Who is Tom Steyer without his red plaid tie? Vox countered. Marianne Williamson ran a long advertisement for herself in the guise of a political campaign; she was rewarded with interviews and profiles in major publications. I dont know how many articles I read about Pete Buttigiegs ability to speak Norwegian, but it was certainly more than I found about the seismic changes overtaking politics in Europe. Election coverage was premised on the view that whoever got the Democratic nomination would single-handedly alter the course of the universe. Meanwhile, the United States almost entered a war with Iran, a far-right populist movement was spreading across many of our nations allies, and the new coronavirus was beginning to infect people around the world. In its narrow focus on the primarythat is, on itselfthe American press largely failed to convey that a deadly threat was making its way over from Wuhan, China, a city whose population is more than fifteen times the size of Washington, DCs. If we had been paying attention, we would have had more time to learn from the examples of Italy and South Korea and elsewhere. But that would have required us to recognize that Americans might be in the same position as people beyond our borders, that our fates are shared. Journalists will likely point to the economic pressures that drive decisions about how and where to focus coverage. When there are cutbacks, foreign bureaus are often the first to go; increasingly, the work of foreign correspondents is left to freelancers. But its not just a money problem. The paradigm of the American media puts American politics at the center, out of a belief that American politics steer the world. In 2020, however, thats no longer true, if it ever was. The US does not set the agenda for world policy. Moreover, no matter who our president is, our future as Americans depends nearly as much on who wins elections in other countries. Thats the reality of a world that is truly interconnected. The past few months have shown us how small our world really is. The problems of one place affect everyone. In February, I launched a website called The Ballot to track every major 2020 election outside the United States. At the time, there were at least seventy elections scheduled to take place by years endin Iran, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, all over. (Many have since been postponed because of the covid-19 pandemic, meaning that Ballot correspondents are now watching democratic procedures slow to a halt around the world.) Our project has been guided by the idea that, in our siloed media ecosystem, voters rarely get a chance to compare notes about the forces altering our politics, yet it has never been more important to listen to one another. This feels especially valuable to Americans, as the Trump administration has sought a return to isolationism, symbolized by the erection of a border wall. Trump and his advisersand supporters at outlets like Fox News and Breitbarthave boosted deglobalization, which might make it seem like the United States can go it alone. But whats been striking, as Ive followed elections around the world, is how connected so many of our leaders still areand by extension, how much voters are linked, too. Many politicians have found that touting nationalism is an expedient platform for gaining support. In practice, though, they are pursuing mutually dependent networks and reshaping existing ones. A new form of populist diplomacy can be seen in alliances between the increasingly authoritarian Hungary and Poland, and in the ways far-right politicians are attempting to remake the European Union to preserve certain economic agreements while dispensing with those having to do with the free movement of people. As Americas global power declines these networks will alter the political future of our country and many others. Shortly after we published a piece by Snigdha Poonam on anti-Muslim bigotry in Indias elections, for instance, Donald Trump visited Narendra Modi and stood silent as deadly sectarian violence filled the streets of Delhi. Its hard not to feel that Modi was emboldened by Trumps presence, and that Trump, in turn, was buoyed by the knowledge that the leader of India would never publicly criticize him for racism or violence in his own country. The Ballot is scrappy. I funded it with money I won from a journalism prize in Europe, where I was reporting on the collapse of centrist politics and the transatlantic relationship. The initial budget for the entire site was about the same as what many magazines pay for a single article. Since starting up, my team has received donations from readers around the world; we pay our writers, but we have not taken salaries for our work editing and fact-checking pieces. The majority of our writers work for English-language newspapers wherever theyre based. There is a wealth of local talent who can write as well as, if not more authoritatively than, any parachuting American. In Iran, for example, our correspondent described how a generation of Iranians find little hope in a future marked by US sanctions. In Ireland, one of our stories covered how years of exorbitant housing costs and income inequality revived a left-wing party that had long been a pariah. We have also been tracing the rise of authoritarianism fueled by responses to the coronaviruseverywhere from Malaysia, where the pandemic meant that people couldnt protest an undemocratic reshuffling of their government, to Israel, where Benjamin Netanyahu has used the crisis to stay in power. International news doesnt boil down to elections alone, of course. But elections represent inflection points in social reckoning; they offer a rare chance for people to express themselves as a group. Voters around the world are struggling with big, existential questions about the future of democracy and republican systems, questions that cant be reduced to candidates workout routines. The past few months have shown us how small our world really is. The problems of one place affect everyone, everywhere. American media would best serve its citizens if, for once, we looked out rather than in. Its a skill the rest of the world has already learned. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Madeleine Schwartz is a writer and editor. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, the New York Times, Harpers, the New York Review of Books, and elsewhere. She is the creator and editor of The Ballot. Class 12th CBSE students with Arts, Commerce and Science as their streams may now rest easy, as the results have finally been released. The Board has uploaded the results on its website cbseresults.nic.in. See below the direct link and other websites where the results have been uploaded. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced Class 12th board results. Students, who were eagerly waiting for their results, can check their results on official website: cbse.nic.in along with other websites like results.nic.in and cbseresults.nic.in. Some other websites where students can check their results include apps like DigiLocker, Umang app, Digiresults and Microsoft SMS organizer app. CBSE will not be announcing merit list this year due to Covid-19 pandemic. The board has however revealed there is an increase of 5.38% in pass percentage. On the declaration of Class 12th results, HRD minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank tweeted that he congratulates everyone for making this possible. He reiterated that students health and quality education are their priority. Dear Students, Parents and Teachers!@cbseindia29 has announced the results of Class XII and can be accessed at https://t.co/kCxMPkzfEf. We congratulate you all for making this possible. I reiterate, Student's health & quality education are our priority. Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) July 13, 2020 Girls have outshined boys and recorded a higher pass percentage (5.96%) than them. The board has also revealed that the results of about 400 students could not be computed as per the decided assessment scheme and will be announced later. Also read: RBSE Class 12th Result 2020 Declared: Rajasthan board announces Class 12 commerce result @rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in & rajresults.nic.in Also read: Delhi, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu CM oppose UGC guidelines, write to PM Modi In its official statement, CBSE said that this year was unique and unprecedented in many ways and stressed that each student, parent and teacher deserves appreciation for withstanding these testing times. CBSE Board Exams were slated to be conducted in the month of March-April but had to be postponed indefinitely due to the outbreak of Covid-19. After SCs ruling in favour of students, it was decided that students will be evaluated on their past performance and internal assessment as a one time measure. Students will also get a chance to re-appear for exams to improve their marks. How to check CBSE result 2020 online: Step1. Visit the official website of CBSE, cbse.nic.in, or, cbseresults.nic.in. Step2. To check class 10 result click on the link that reads CBSE 10th result 2020. Similarly, to check class 12 result, click on the like that says CBSE 12th result 2020. Step3. Enter the required credentials to log in. Step 4. Click on submit button. Step 5. Your subjectwise scorecard will appear on the screen. Step 6. Download/Print your result. Also read: CBSE Board Exams 2020: All you need to know about migration certificate allotment process Congratulations to the batch of 2020 Class 12 CBSE students successful this year. Wish you further success in your lives. Applaud teachers and parents for bearing with the situation. Do well. May all your dreams come true Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) July 13, 2020 For all the latest Education and Jobs News, download NewsX App The World Health Organization (WHO) chief, Tedros Ghebreyesus, on Monday, criticised the attitude of some world leaders to the fight against the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Mr Ghebreyesus, during a virtual briefing in Geneva, said mixed messages from leaders are undermining the most critical ingredient of any response: trust. He said governments need to clearly communicate with their citizens and roll out a comprehensive strategy focused on suppressing transmission and saving lives. Let me be blunt, too many countries are headed in the wrong direction. COVID-19 remains public enemy number one, but the actions of many governments and people do not reflect this. The only aim of the virus is to find people to infect, he said. The WHO boss said if populations dont follow the basic public health principles of preventing the spread of the virus physical distancing, handwashing, wearing masks, coughing etiquette, staying at home when sick theres only one way, the pandemic is going to go. Its going to get worse and worse, but it does not have to be this way, he said. COVID-19 Since its outbreak in Wuhan, China in December, COVID-19 has infected over 13 million and killed over 575, 000 people. The outbreak is far from over as there is yet no cure for the disease or vaccine to prevent its spread. While many countries especially those in Europe have combated the worst of the outbreak, many countries, such as Nigeria and some other African countries, are going through the community transmission phase. Cases in the Americas, South Asia and some African countries have continued to increase. The epicentre of COVID-19 remains in the Americas where more than 50 percent of the worlds cases have been recorded. Despite this, some leaders like the US President and his Brazilian counterpart, in countries where cases of the virus are high, have insisted on not implementing some measures health experts recommended to mitigate the spread of the disease. According to WHO data, 230,000 cases of COVID-19 were reported to WHO on Sunday. The data showed that almost 80 per cent of those cases were reported from just 10 countries, and 50 per cent come from just two countries. Although the number of daily deaths remains relatively stable, Mr Ghebreyesus said there is a lot to be concerned about. While all countries are at risk of the virus, not all countries have been affected in the same way. Every single leader, every single government and every single person can do their bit to break the chains of COVID-19 transmission and end the collective suffering. I am not saying it is easy; its clearly not. I know that many leaders are working in difficult circumstances. I know that there are other health, economic, social and cultural challenges to weigh up, he said. COVID-19 situation Mr Ghebreyesus said four different scenarios are playing out as countries intensify efforts to contain the spread of the virus. He said the first situation is countries that were alert and aware they prepared and responded rapidly and effectively to the first cases. As a result, they have so far avoided large outbreaks. Advertisements Several countries in the Mekong region, the Pacific, the Caribbean and Africa fit into that category. Leaders of those countries took command of the emergency and communicated effectively with their populations about the measures that had to be taken. They pursued a comprehensive strategy to find, isolate, test and care for cases, and to trace and quarantine contacts, and were able to suppress the virus. READ ALSO: The second situation are countries in which there was a major outbreak that was brought under control through a combination of strong leadership and populations adhering to key public health measures. Mr Ghebreyesus said many countries in Europe and elsewhere have demonstrated that it is possible to bring large outbreaks under control. In both of these two situations, where countries have effectively suppressed COVID-119, leaders are opening up their societies on a data-driven, step-by-step basis, with a comprehensive public health approach, backed by a strong health workforce and community buy-in. The third situation were seeing is countries that overcame the first peak of the outbreak, but having eased restrictions, are now struggling with new peaks and accelerating cases In several countries across the world, we are now seeing dangerous increases in COVID-19 cases, and hospital wards filling up again. It would appear that many countries are losing gains made as proven measures to reduce risk are not implemented or followed. He said the fourth situation are countries in the intense transmission phase of their outbreak. In this category are some countries across the Americas, South Asia, and several countries in Africa. Mr Ghebreyesus said evidence from the first two situations has shown that it is never too late to bring the virus under control, even if theres been explosive transmission. WHO is committed to working with all countries and all people to suppress transmission, reduce mortality, support communities to protect themselves and others, and support strong government leadership and coordination. Incumbent Andrzej Duda has a marginal but widening lead in Polands presidential election, according to a late poll which points to a result which could have profound implications for Warsaws relations with the European Union. The re-election of Mr Duda, an ally of the ruling nationalists Law and Justice (PiS), is crucial if the government is to implement in full its conservative agenda, including judicial reforms that the European Union says are undemocratic. Mr Dudas challenger, liberal Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, has pledged to repair Polands relations with Europe and use the presidential veto power to hold back any legislation that would subvert the rule of law. The late poll on Sunday by Ipsos showed the incumbent winning 50.8 per cent of the vote, while Mr Trzaskowski, the candidate of the main opposition party, the centrist Civic Platform (PO), had 49.2 per cent. The poll, which combined exit-poll data with partial official results, showed Mr Dudas lead widening from the 50.4 per cent he had in an exit poll. All we need is to count the votes. The night will be tense but I am certain that when the votes are counted, we will win, Mr Trzaskowski told supporters in a park just outside Warsaws historic Old Town after the exit poll. Opinion polls before the election had shown the candidates, both 48, neck and neck, with Mr Trzaskowski having closed the gap on Mr Duda, who initially looked like a clear favourite. Backed by the government, Mr Duda ran an acrimonious campaign, laced with homophobic language, attacks on independent media and accusations levied against Mr Trzaskowski that he would serve foreign interests instead of Polands. Mr Duda, a devout believer, had painted himself as a defender of Catholic values and of the governments generous social benefit programmes that have transformed life for many, especially in the poorer rural regions of the country. He appeared conciliatory on Sunday. If anyone was offended by anything I did or said in the last five years, not just during the campaign, please accept my apology, he told supporters in Pultusk, a small town north of the capital. Vote-counting was expected to continue through the night, but the electoral commission said it would not announce partial results as it has done in the past, but only the final result, possibly on Monday. Borys Budka, the head of Mr Trzaskowskis PO party, said it was a scandal that some voters abroad did not receive their mail-in ballots on time. This a great failure of the state, regardless of who wins, Budka told private broadcaster TVN24. The election was the first time all voters had a choice to cast ballots by mail, a change in rules necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic. For many religious conservatives in Poland, Mr Trzaskowski came to represent the threats facing traditional values when he pledged to introduce education about LGBT rights in the citys schools. The archbishop of Krakow, Marek Jedraszewski, told worshippers in the southern city of Czestochowa on Saturday that Poland faced a lethal danger from ideologies that seek to undermine the traditional family structure and corrupt children. Mr Trzaskowski says he seeks a more tolerant Poland and has criticised PiS rhetoric, vowing to abolish state news channel TVP Info, which critics say gave overt support to Mr Duda in its programming. In politics, you should have opponents, not enemies, Mr Trzaskowski said on Sunday. They thought they had full power, but today they have fear in their eyes. Mr Dudas re-election to a second five-year term would open up the prospect of three years of uninterrupted rule by PiS, which has controlled the powerful lower house of parliament since 2015, with the next national election scheduled for 2023. Observers say his defeat could undermine the fragile parliamentary majority that supports the PiS government, raising the spectre of political instability as Poland is coping with the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Its the first time since 2015 when we are not discussing the scale of a PiS victory but whether it will win at all, said Rafal Chwedoruk, a political analyst. The election is being closely watched in Brussels. Before PiS and Duda came to power in 2015, Poland had one of the most pro-European administrations in the blocs ex-communist east. But it has grown increasingly isolated, with divisions focusing on climate change and migration, in addition to democratic norms. Additional reporting by Reuters ANN ARBOR, MI - Resident will move into a 254-unit apartment complex near University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor next month. Located at the intersection of Broadway Street and Maiden Lane in the citys Lower Town area, Beekman on Broadway apartment homes will welcome residents on Aug. 15, with 32 unique floor plans offered in a variety of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments. Russias alliance with the Taliban, while calibrated in the past, is designed to undermine the success of the U.S.-led peace process and to erode the will of the United States, NATO and the Afghan people. Our leaders have a moral responsibility to protect our service members who are fighting for an enduring peace in Afghanistan, to honor the sacrifices of the brave Americans, coalition partners and Afghans who came before them, and to reduce the potential for further miscalculations and mistakes that could lead to war. The erstwhile royal family of Travancore, whose rights on the administration of age-old Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram were upheld by the Supreme Court on Monday, welcomed the verdict thanking all devotees and others who stood with them during the long years of legal battle. The state government made it clear that it has no plan to go in for a review or appeal and it will go by the verdict of the apex court even as devotees took to streets in large numbers to celebrate it by distributing sweets. Since lockdown was in place in the state capital they took care to avoid a big gathering outside the temple. It is not the victory of the royal family. It is the victory of people and devotees. Finally, the will of the Lord Padmanabha Swamy prevailed. We dedicate this to the presiding deity, said Aswathi Tirunal Lakshmi Bhai, a member of the ex-royal family. She thanked all devotees and others who stood with them in trying times. It is a landmark judgment which upholds devotees rights. Under Article 25 &26, devotees enjoy every right to manage their places of worship. But in some communities the government holds this power. Let it be a pluralistic and uniform status, said Rahul Iswar, an activist belonging to the tantri (head priest) family of Sabarimala hill temple. He said the latest verdict will have its bearing on similar cases relating to faith, including Sabarimala. In 2018 a five-member bench of the Supreme Court had allowed women of all ages to worship at the hill temple which led to a series of violent protests as women of child-bearing age were barred here citing the eternal celibate status (nishtika brahmachari) of the presiding deity. In an unusual move, the Supreme Court decided to take a relook and referred the issue to a larger bench. The temple and its huge wealth existed because of the royal family. Had it been in the hands of politicians it would have been looted long back, said a devotee Saradha M Thampi. It is a welcome verdict. With this uncertainty over the custody of the shrine will be over, said historian M G Sasibushan. Like in Sabarimala, the Congress-led UDF favoured a status quo in Padmanabha Swamy temple also but the CPI(M)-led government wanted a government-controlled body to manage the temple affairs on the lines of Guruvayur and Travancore Devaswom boards where chairmen are appointed by the government, always politicians. Former chief minister VS Achuthanandan had once said scions of the royal family were in a race to loot Padmanabha Swamy temple inviting enough criticism from many quarters. The opposition Congress and BJP also lauded the verdict. It is another slap on the face of the government. It should apologise to devotees for trampling their rights, said BJP state president K Surendran. With his verdict we hope the government will respect age-old beliefs and customs of people, said former chief minister Oommen Chandy. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON P ub group bosses on Monday justified their decision to take Government handouts from a scheme designed to save jobs, as a growing number of High Street chains decided not to take the cash. Chancellor Rishi Sunak last week launched the Job Retention Bonus scheme, offering 1000 per employee brought back from furlough. Over the weekend it emerged that fashion retailer Primark, which saw huge queues on reopening English stores last month, and bookmaker William Hill had decided not to take the money. The scheme is expected to cost the Treasury around 8 billion and has drawn criticism that it could simply delay inevitable job losses or give healthy firms unneeded cash for staff who would have come back anyway. Today, more bosses were meeting to decide whether to take the Government support. It is understood mutual John Lewis, which furloughed 14,000 of its partners and announced 1300 job cuts last week, is unlikely to apply for the scheme. Meanwhile sources close to rival Next and High Street baker Greggs said the issue was under review. The latter had put focus on implementing Sunaks cut to VAT, which comes in on Wednesday, and will now turn its attention to the furlough issue, sources said. The bonus scheme gives companies 1000 per person continuously employed until January, with payment in February. It has been welcomed in consumer-facing industries such as hospitality, which have been hurt by people staying at home. Pubs were only allowed to reopen on July 4, and bosses are looking to accept the Government handout. Patrick Dardis, chief executive of London firm Youngs, told the Standard the intention currently is to accept it. Youngs furloughed around 4500 people and starts reopening sites from later this month. He said: The damage done by a four-month total closure of our business is huge. We had to significantly increase our debt, short term, which we will have to be paid down. Deferral of VAT payments will have to be paid, whilst the business was burning significant amounts of cash each month of closure. He added: No retail business is out of the woods, far from it. In order to keep lots of businesses going and to protect jobs, all help from the Government will be appreciated and very much needed. Clive Watson, the chairman of City Pub Group said: The hospitality industry has been the hardest hit and social distancing even at a metre reduced our capacity and trade. Any support from the Chancellor is vital to keep our sector alive and we will apply for the 1000 incentive to bring staff back from furlough. Center Parcs boss Martin Dalby told the BBC the furlough scheme had been a lifeline with 9000 employees on the programme. Asked whether he would use the bonus scheme, he said: We certainly do intend to take advantage of that, yes. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade association UKHospitality, which represents pub and restaurant owners, said: The road to recovery for the hospitality industry will be a long and challenging one with only a quarter of businesses believing that they will break even this year. So it was important the chancellor outlined steps in his summer statement to address the potential for job losses in the immediate, short and medium term and the prospect of a jobs bonus in January will certainly provide a valuable lifeline and help to avert redundancies at that time. Nicholls added: The challenge for many London businesses will be can the recovery in the capital come quickly enough to save them until then. Police have used tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters in the Democratic Republic of Congo capital Kinshasa, four days after five people were killed in banned demonstrations against the choice of a new election chief. Protesters gathered in Boulevard Lumumba, one of the citys main avenues, marching around a vehicle carrying former rebel leader and opposition chief Jean-Pierre Bemba on Monday. The police broke up the gathering using tear gas, while men in civilian clothes threw stones at the demonstrators. Some protesters were badly hurt falling from vehicles escorting Bemba. Police officers clash with demonstrators in Kinshasa on July 9, 2020 in demonstrations organized against the presidential party Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) for the appointment of the new president of the Electoral Commission. The Democratic Republic of Congo is going through a period of high political tension. Arsene Mpiana / AFP Security forces using tear gas also dispersed other protests in the eastern city of Bukavu and in the central city of Kananga. The marches were triggered by a decision by the National Assembly dominated by supporters of former president Joseph Kabila to appoint Ronsard Malonda as chairman of the independent national electoral commission, CENI. Pro-democracy campaigners said Malonda, currently CENIs secretary-general, has played a historic role in rigging elections in favour of Kabila, who was succeeded in January last year by Felix Tshisekedi, son of a historic opposition leader. Al Jazeeras Catherine Soi said the capital returned to calm after the demonstrators were dispersed. The protesters were heading to parliament and were dispersed by police using tear gas, Soi said, speaking from Nairobi. They say they are angry with the nomination of the president of the electoral commission, but also said, beyond that, they are unhappy with the leadership of the President Felix Tshisekedi and the coalition he has formed with former president Joseph Kabila. They say this coalition has plunged the country in an economic and political crisis and the president needs to act urgently to resolve the situation, she added. Anger over irregularities Mondays rally was called by the main alliance of opposition parties, Lamuka, which said that its candidate, Martin Fayulu, was denied victory in the December 2018 elections because of CENIs fraud. We do not want Ronsard Malonda at the head of the CENI, he is the driving force behind electoral cheating, said a Lamuka supporter named Edmond, who declined to give his full name. In a statement last week, Lamuka called Malonda an agent of Kabilas FCC political alliance, and demanded a financial and operational audit of CENI. Bemba, whose car was escorted to his home by the police, said he had been told by the security forces that there were no deaths, no wounded, no pillaging. Protests last Thursday, staged by Tshisekedis own party, the Union for Democracy and Progress (UDPS), sparked a crackdown that led to the death of two protesters in Kinshasa and three in Lubumbashi in the southeast of the country, according to interior ministry figures. Demonstrators took to the streets of Kinshasa last week against the choice of a new election chief [File: Arsene Mpiana/AFP] Twenty police were injured in Kinshasa, two of them seriously, the ministry said. The protests are unfolding while Tshisekedi has yet to announce whether he will approve Malonda as CENI chief. Tshisekedi told a cabinet meeting that he could understand anger about irregularities in the choice of the new CENI boss, but that he also condemned the violence. The authorities have banned rallies under emergency measures to combat coronavirus. A third round of marches has been scheduled for July 19 by Catholic and citizens groups. Meanwhile, a police officer was sentenced by a military court on Monday to life imprisonment for the killing of a pro-democracy activist during a May demonstration in the eastern city of Beni. The DRC government has been ordered to pay the equivalent of $100,000 (88,000 euros) in damages for its role in the shooting death of Marcus-Freddy Kambale, according to pro-democracy Lucha movement and a civil party lawyer in the case. The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of inflating cost of Scientific Mathematical Instruments (SMI) being procured by government for students aimed at eliminating examination malpractices in the country. According to the NDC MPs, the unit cost of GHC 75 cedis per a set is too expensive as compared to other maths sets on the market. The SMI is to be procured and supplied by Messrs Bluegrass Group Limited for use in West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) examination in Ghana. The agreement is between Education Ministry and Messrs Bluegrass Group Limited to supply 853,009 units of Kapek Scientific Mathematical Instruments at the Unit cost of Ghc75. Presenting the Finance Committee report for approval of 3.2 million dollars tax waiver on the importation of the mathematical sets, Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Mark Assibey Yeboh argued the mathematical sets will help curb examination malpractices. The New Juaben South MP further explained the instruments are different from whats available on the open market But contributing to the debate on the floor, a former deputy Minister of Education, Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa demanded value for money report on the yet to be procured gadgets. The North Tongu MP also expressed his disappointment over the sole-sourced contract to M/S Bluegrass Group Limited without the participation of other local companies. Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu on his part said concern raised by the Minority MPs relating to the unit cost per Mathematical Instrument is in order, adding that the cost of the set should concern Members of Parliament. He charged the Education Committee of Parliament to supply the house with details of the cost of the Mathematical sets. Source: kasapafmonline.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 Actress Soha Ali Khan opened up about the ongoing nepotism debate. The actress also addressed the recent tweet by husband and actor Kunal Kemmu as he wasn't invited to an event hosted by an OTT platform. Talking to Hindustan Times, Soha opened up about nepotism and favouritism in Bollywood. She said that it is not an issue that came up over the last month. She said that it is good that the questions about nepotism and equal opportunities have been raised and should be encouraged. She further said that audiences should support actors by watching their films. People have to look within themselves. You cant blame other people. Whenever it comes to a systemic issue, you have to see how you can make a difference. If you want someone to be celebrated, loved, buy their tickets, see their films, follow them on social media and make them that. Because were in a democracy and of course favouritism exists and there is no point saying that it doesnt. But I believe in the powers of movies. And dont forget about it next week, she said. Previously, Kunal Kemmu had tweeted about the lack of equal opportunities in the film industry after he and Vidyut Jammwal were not invited in an event hosted by Disney+ Hotstar even though their films Lootcase and Khuda Hafiz were announced to be releasing in the OTT platform. Other actors like Akshay Kumar, Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn and Abhishek Bachchan were invited. He had tweeted, "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." Lootcase, which was earlier scheduled to be released on theatres in April, had to be postponed due to the Coronavirus outbreak. It also stars Rasika Dugal, Gajraj Rao, Ranvir Shorey, and Vijay Raaz among others. Move over Thor because Zac Efron has gone from "High School Musical" heartthrob to a sizzling stud with a burly dad bod! The former Disney actor's massive transformation has surprised his fans, and the internet is losing it. Zac Efron Shifting Career From Hollywood Actor To Travel Show Host In Netflix's travel series called "Down to Earth with Zac Efron," the "Baywatch" hottie can be seen traveling from one continent to another as he "journeys around the world with wellness expert Darin Olien in search of healthy, sustainable ways to live." The 32-year-old actor is sporting a beefier and bulkier physique as he travels from Puerto Rico, Iceland and London to find and hunt down healthy dishes across the globe. Fans Can't Get Over With Zac Efron's Hot Dad Bod Transformation Efron's whole new look set fans into a frenzy, as he rocked his hot dad bod while donning a facial hair and a hippie vibe. "TBH I wouldn't have taken @ZacEfron at any era....but this new beefy daddy era. My my my..... now that's something to ride home about..," one fan gushed. Another fan can't get over how the "Charlie St. Cloud" actor changed from being a high school cutie to a pumped-up hunk: "Zac Efron has been at his peak at basically every age. Dreamy non-threatening teen dream, college-age swoony, muscley late 20 something, and now...this!" Meanwhile, another fan posted: "i watched 2 episodes of that new zac Efron show on Netflix and could i recall a single thing that happened in either? no because i could not stop thinking about this transformation." One user even mentioned his sexual awakening with the "17 Again" star when he was a teenager versus now. Meanwhile, another fan shared that she tried to convince his boyfriend to watch the new travel show just to see Zack's massive body transformation. Zac's New Show The web documentary, which was released last July 10, gained mixed reactions from the viewers. According to Cosmopolitan, the travel series was able to show the sustainable ways of life, but "it doesn't actually dive deep on any of the topics." "It hops from scene to scene so quickly that the two hosts don't get to ask real, meaningful questions of the people they're interviewing to give viewers any real takeaways," the outlet added. On the other hand, some find the Disney alum's hosting skills perfect for the show since he gives the documentary a funny vibe with his sense of humor. "The show's smartly built around Efron's sense of humor; it knows that Efron's not an Attenborough (the aforementioned opening VO gets that point across) and the editing and narration works in a few lighthearted gags. Yeah, this is a serious nature documentary that might also make you LOL," Decider.com pointed out. READ MORE: Royal Sorrow: Queen Elizabeth II Delivers Heartbreaking News Amid COVID-19 A Back the Blue protester was caught on camera punching a woman in the face as she formed a barrier around his mother during a pro-cop rally in Brooklyn on Sunday. Video footage shows a crowd of people surrounding an older woman who is against a fence in the Bay Ridge neighborhood but it is unclear who they are separating her from. Then the man reaches over several heads to hit one of those people with a closed fist before she collapses to the ground, although her fall is broken by two women who catch her. After the woman was attacked, the assailant seemingly waits around to see if there will be any retaliation. A woman (left) was punched in the face by a pro-police demonstrator (right in a white tank top and dark hood) in New York on Sunday The pro-police demonstrator is seen being taken away from an angry group after he punched the woman in the face. he is not in handcuffs. 'I got rocked in the face by a white supremacist ... trying to protect his mom,' she said Then several people are seen chasing the assailant and one rips off his white tank top as they try to detain him but he momentarily gets away. 'He hit a woman,' people are heard yelling as commotion breaks out near where the main protest started in South Brooklyn. Before she was assaulted, the victim was seen telling the older woman to remain in place amid the chaos, which started after a group of people from a Black Lives Matter counter-protest broke off to follow a group from the main Blue Lives Matter demonstration that afternoon. The pro-police movement was created in December 2014 to directly counter the July 2013 birth of the Black Lives Matter movement which was sparked by George Zimmerman killing unarmed black child Trayvon Martin in Florida the year before. 'I got rocked in the face by a white supremacist trying to protect his mom,' the victim is heard saying after the attack. The same woman was seen in a separate video walking around yelling: 'I want to know who has a weak-a** punch.' The violent man is seen connecting his fist to the woman's face which prompts witnesses to chase him The attacker's friend is then seen hitting people trying to defend the victim (left). The attacker is later seen after fleeing and having his white tank top ripped off (right) Members of the New York Police Department protect the 'Back the Blue' demonstrators from counter-protesters on Sunday after the woman was assaulted In another clip she is seemingly apologizing for hitting someone. 'It wasn't me,' the person off-camera is heard telling her as she apologizes repeatedly. Cops caught up with the violent man, who was later seen standing beside his mother. Police took him to a police van although he was not wearing handcuffs. Frustrated counter-protesters who had urged cops to arrest him reportedly blocked the police van prompting law enforcement to clear them out of the way. As part of the two days of protesting, flags had been burned by some counter-protesters and locals holding alcoholic beverages were on the scene questioning Black Lives Matter protesters. A Black Lives Matter protester was also tasered earlier in the counter-demonstration and appeared to be cuffed by NYPD. The New York Police Department, which has been harshly criticized after several officers were seen using excessive force against protesters in the days and weeks following George Floyds death, had its budget slashed by $1billion. The city councils decision has prompted warnings from pro-law enforcement circles that slimmer budgets for police will lead to less officers on the street and a rise in violent crime. Since then they have been reporting increased violent crime rates. Demonstrators hold signs praising the New York Police Department during a Blue Lives Matter rally in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, on Saturday Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Monday successfully evacuated a sick Pakistani Crew from merchant ship MV Haykal, from approximately 100 nautical miles into the Bay of Bengal, while the ship was en route to Gopalpur in Odisha. Coast Guard in it release said, ICGs Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (Chennai) received the request to evacuate the 60-year-old ailing Master Mr Hashain Badar, a Pakistani national having suffered a stroke and rendered being bedridden". ICG Ship Rani Rashmoni on the routine mission was diverted by Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (vizag), to reach for the assistance of vessel as soon as possible. Simultaneously communication was established and continuously maintained with the representative of the ship M/s Jyothi Maritime Agency. The vessel MV Haykal, with 29 (09 Pakistani, 18 Indian, 01 each from Myanmar and Russia) crew was diverted by MRCC at about 2230 hrs on 12 Jul to arrive Vizag for medical evacuation. ICGS Rani Rashmoni arrived at scene off Vizag at about 0430 hrs on 13 Jul 20 and carried out telemedicine briefing / enquiry about the patient, Coast Guard added. Subsequently, in a cordinated move, the patient was disembarked with assistance of Vizag Port team. The patient was shifted to the nearest hospital and is said to be stable and under observation, said the Coast Guard. Indian Coast Guard is the nodal agency for undertaking maritime search and rescue operations in Indian Exclusive Economic Zone. Militants Attack Supply Convoy On Its Way to US Base in Iraq - Security Source Sputnik News 00:17 GMT 12.07.2020 BAGHDAD (Sputnik) - A supply convoy headed to a US military base in Iraq came under attack, an Iraqi security source said. "Four trucks were attacked in the Najme region between Diwaniyah and As-Samawah", the source said. According to the security source, the trucks were carrying supplies from Basra to one of the US bases in Iraq. Militants on pickup trucks attacked the supply convoy, forcing it to stop, got the drivers out of the vehicles, and set the convoy trucks on fire. All the convoy drivers were Iraqi citizens, the source said The militants then left in an unknown direction, according to the security source. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - German stocks rose on Monday as investors looked ahead to the upcoming earnings season for signs of an economic recovery from the coronavirus-induced downturn. Investors also remain hopeful that the EU 27 will make progress in agreeing a 750 billion euro ($848.78 billion) Covid-19 recovery fund. The benchmark DAX climbed 91 points, or 0.72 percent, to 12,724 after rallying 1.2 percent on Friday. Banks Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank were moving lower while automakers BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen were modestly higher. Fraport AG rose about 1 percent after unveiling June passenger traffic figures. In economic releases, Germany's wholesale prices continued to fall in June, but the pace of decline slowed, data from Destatis revealed. Wholesale prices dropped 3.3 percent annually in June after easing 4.3 percent in May. This was the fifth consecutive decrease in prices. On a monthly basis, wholesale prices advanced 0.6 percent in June, offsetting a 0.6 percent fall in May. Prices climbed for the first time since February. 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. Southampton, July 13 : West Indies captain Jason Holder has heaped praise on Shannon Gabriel, saying what the pacer did in the first Test against England was "nothing surprising". Gabriel, who was originally only named as a travelling reserve as he recovered from ankle surgery, came out with a brilliant performance at the Ageas Bowl as he returned with combined figures of nine wickets for 137 runs and played an instrumental role in West Indies' thrilling win against the Ben Stokes' led-side. "What Shannon has done in this game is nothing surprising," Holder told reporters after the end of the match on Sunday. "Shannon is just one of those guys who keep doing it. He has a massive, massive heart and he's been through a lot. "He wants success so badly. His body hasn't held up the way he would like but to see him back out there fit and well and bowling fast for the West Indies is always a pleasing sight. "He deserves every bit of success he's had in this game. I'm really, really happy for Shannon, I know what he's been through," he added. Holder, who himself took a Test-best 6-42 in England's lowly first innings 204, said Gabriel is quite a handful when is fit and healthy and that's what he did in Southampton. "We all know when Shannon is fit and healthy, he is a handful and he proved it in this game." Meanwhile, the 33-year-old pacer said that he was never doubtful about his fitness. "I wasn't doubtful about my fitness. I knew I would play. I knew the work that I put in would take care of itself," Gabriel, who was adjudged the Man of the Match, said. "I am still a bit stiff, but there are a few days to recover for the next Test match. "The guys were confident coming here after the win in the Caribbean last year, and we knew if we prepared well, we would be able to perform," he added. England and West Indies will next take on each other in the second Test beginning Thursday at the Old Trafford in Manchester. SARS-CoV2 graphic. Credit: Bob Goldstein/Wiki Commons COVID-19 continues to infect millions of people as the death toll mounts. There is currently no cure which means that controlling this disease requires a multi-pronged approach. This includes personal protection such as masks, social distancing and the isolation of infected individuals and their contacts. Testing detects infected individuals, especially the 45% of people who do not show symptoms, but can spread the disease. Testing also helps us to know who has recovered from the disease to fully grasp its impact. It is a key part of a multi-pronged approach to control the COVID-19 pandemic. An ideal test for the diagnosis of COVID-19 would be cheap, accurate and easy to use. But most real tests are only onenot all three. The art is in choosing a test whose strengths and limitations are aligned with what a population needs and can afford. For developing countries, the ideal test must be sensitive and specific enough to be clinically meaningful, and cheap enough to be implemented at scale by every country. Africa and Asia are far behind in testing. Most countries in Africa and Asia have tested less than 1% of their populations. In contrast the US, Russia and every country in Europe had tested 10%-20% of their populations by June 2020. COVID-19 has taken root and is spreading fast in Africa. Its testing needs to keep pace with the pandemic. The nucleic acid tests that African countries have so far been relying on are too complex and expensive to achieve the required level of testing. Lower cost antigen tests are the answer. Governments and stakeholders should pursue the use of quality-verified antigen-based tests to fight COVID-19. The sooner such affordable and scalable testing strategy is adapted the better. The options There are two types of tests that can detect early COVID-19: nucleic acid and viral antigen-based tests. Nucleic acid tests detect the viral nucleic acids. Antigen-based tests detect the viral spike of coronal proteins from which the virus derives its name. Far more nucleic acid tests than antigen-based tests have been developed and approved. The global scale-up in testing for COVID-19 has almost solely relied on complex and expensive nucleic acid tests. In our opinion, this is a mistake. Generally speaking, the best nucleic acid tests are 10%-20% more sensitive than the best antigen tests, but are more complex, and cost 5-10 times as much. For example the average charge in the US for the hepatitis B surface antigen is $56 while that for hepatitis B viral load (nucleic acid) is $409. This higher cost and complexity makes it challenging to scale up nucleic acid testing, even in a wealthy country. The problem is global, but the impact is not the same everywhere. For wealthy countries, a lack of antigen-based testing means a more cautious reopening. But for low and middle-income countries, which account for 84% of the world's population, a lack of antigen-based tests in the marketplace means little to no testing, unrestricted disease spread, and death. Why antigen-based tests are scarce By June 2020, only 20 of the more than 700 tests listed by the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, a global non-profit organization, were antigen-based tests. And only one antigen-based test was authorized for use in the US, compared to over 100 nucleic acid-based tests. If antigen-based tests could help, why are they not being developed by diagnostics companies? The first and most often cited reason is their relatively lower sensitivity. The single antigen-based test that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the US has a sensitivity of 80% relative to nucleic acid tests. In Spain, attempts to adopt antigen tests for rapid screening were abandoned because the tests only detected 30% of positive samples. In keeping with this the World Health Organization (WHO) has released guidance urging caution in the adoption of these tests. A second and less often cited reason for the lack of antigen-based tests is that they represent a less attractive long term investment for companies that diagnose diseases from samples (in vitro diagnostics). Nucleic acid-based tests are often designed for specific machines which can be used for other tests once the disease is under control. Contrary to this, COVID-19 antigen tests are likely to lose relevance in the post-pandemic period once there is no longer a need for diagnosing early disease. The WHO's call for caution is appropriate but should not be construed as a reason to end the development of all antigen-based tests. Rather, any concerns about the test performance should be addressed in one of two ways. First, the type of test kit should be rigorously verified to make sure it performs as advertised. This process of verification is well known and already used by laboratories around the world, and could be done by a central body like the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics or Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Second, antigen-based tests can be used in combination with nucleic acid tests. A positive antigen-based test is reliable. But if there seems to be a high risk that a person is positive even though the antigen test shows a negative result, then the additional, more sensitive, more expensive nucleic acid test can be done. This approach has just been adopted by the Indian Council of Medical Research and is appropriate for other low and middle-income countries. One way to mitigate the financial risk of test development for diagnostic companies might be for health ministries, NGOs and other stakeholders to support the development costs of antigen-based tests. There are previous examples of this, such as the GeneXpert system, which diagnoses TB. Decision-making around testing is complicated, and neither nucleic acid nor antigen-based testing is an ideal option in every country. What we are arguing for is choice. Wealthy countries have made the choice to pay more for testing to avoid a higher rate of false negatives. For most of the world, the expense means there is no choice, and the consequence is little or no testing. That in turn means more deaths and other impacts of this pandemic. The global search for COVID-19 diagnostics must devote a larger share of attention and resources to developing and vetting antigen-based tests, because they are the best option for rapid scale-up for the majority of the world's population. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 21:06:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Monday called for efforts to enhance effective delivery of policies while stepping up reform and opening-up to keep the economic fundamentals stable. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while chairing a symposium attended by economists and entrepreneurs to analyze economic situation. Economists Ma Jun and Jiang Chao as well as representatives from the China Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, household appliance manufacturer Haier Group and e-commerce firm Pinduoduo made remarks during the meeting. Noting that the economy has encountered unusual headwinds this year, attendees at the meeting said that policies such as tax and fee cuts and inclusive financing introduced by the government have played an active role in keeping business operation and employment stable. Enditem The anti-inflammatory and other beneficial effects of meditation and yoga practices make them potential adjunctive treatments of COVID-19, according to the peer-reviewed journal JACM, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Deepak Chopra, University of California, San Diego and William Bushell of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-authors from Harvard University and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health describe the anti-inflammatory effects associated with meditation and yoga. The "brief overview of key subjects" found "there is evidence of stress and inflammation modulation, and also preliminary evidence for possible forms of immune system enhancement, accompanying the practice of certain forms of meditation, yoga, and pranayama, along with potential implications for counteracting some forms of infectious challenges." The authors also "readily acknowledge that in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the ideas put forth in this article must be put to further rigorous scientific investigation." JACM Editor-in-Chief John Weeks, johnweeks-integrator.com, Seattle, WA, states: "The paper is another in a series in JACM and in other integrative medicine journals suggesting that research agencies in the United States and Europe would serve their citizens by upping their exploration of the potential contributions of natural health practices, especially amidst the present dearth of conventional treatments." More information: William Bushell et al, Meditation and Yoga Practices as Potential Adjunctive Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19: A Brief Overview of Key Subjects, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2020). Journal information: Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine William Bushell et al, Meditation and Yoga Practices as Potential Adjunctive Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19: A Brief Overview of Key Subjects,(2020). DOI: 10.1089/acm.2020.0177 A powerful storm bringing five-metre waves, damaging winds and torrential downpours has smashed into Sydney as a ferocious low pressure system travels across Australia's east coast. Sydneysiders woke up to a wet, miserable morning on Tuesday as the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued a severe weather warning for the Harbour City, the mid-north coast, the Hunter region, the Illawarra and the south coast. BoM has warned of wind speeds of up to 65km/h and wind gusts of as much as 90km/h. The bureau has also told residents to secure outdoor items and move their cars away from trees. Scroll down for video Rough seas at Bronte Beach on Tuesday. Waves of up to five metres are forecast for Sydney as a ferocious east coast low pressure system lashes the Harbour City The low pressure system is forecast to start moving eastwards over the Tasman Sea by Wednesday evening. In Sydney alone, 20mm of rain is forecast on Tuesday, dropping to 5mm on Wednesday. Five-metre high waves were forecast to pummel beaches across Sydney, with Bondi likely to experience the worst of the weather. 'It certainly will not be a good day to go out boating,' the Bureau of Meteorology's Jane Golding warned. For New South Wales more broadly, Ms Golding urged residents to stay vigilant. 'The landscape is still quite vulnerable at the moment because of the bushfires so do keep an eye out for falling trees and things like that,' she said. Heavy seas at Mackenzies Bay in Sydney's eastern suburbs. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for Sydney and large parts of coastal NSW The east coast low has hit the New South Wales coastline this week, bringing massive waves, gale force winds and heavy rain - before slowly moving eastwards by Wednesday evening Two walkers brave the heavy rain and windy conditions at Bondi on Tuesday morning The bureau has told residents to keep their cars away from trees as the city prepares for wind gusts of up to 90km/h (hail pictured falling in Sydney on July 12) Pictured: Storm clouds gather over Sydney on Sunday as the city braced for wet and windy weather this week The conditions created a giant water spout to form off the coast of Bulli, south of Sydney, on Sunday. There were also warnings of gale-force winds and minor flash flooding across parts of the state. Meanwhile, a cold front developing off the coast between Perth and Bunbury swept gusty thunderstorms over Western Australia on Monday. After a slow start to the ski season, heavy snow fell on The Alps and the Brindabella mountain range overnight, with more heavy snow expected Monday. Pictured is the snow fall in Perisher on Sunday Pedestrians in the rain on Melbourne's Southbank. Australia's second most populous city is so far expected to escape the downpour, but the BoM said the east coast low is unpredictable The downpours are expected to move east through Mandurah and Perth through the day, bringing a deluge of rain and winds from the afternoon into the evening. The storm was forecast to continue through Tuesday, soaking the area beneath 8 to 15mm of rain before showers ease through out the night. But the wet weather will be far from over - with Perth expecting daily downpours until skies clear on Sunday. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a warning as a line of gusty thunderstorms sweep into Perth from Monday Bondi in Sydney's eastern suburbs is forecast to bear the brunt of the rough surf conditions. Pictured is former NRL player Andrew Johns surfing at Bronte Beach in May Queensland and Melbourne are so far expected to escape the downpour, but Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Adam Morgan said the east coast low could be unpredictable. 'As with all east coast lows pinpointing exactly which communities will see the worst of the weather depends on exactly where and how close to the coast, any low pressure centre forms,' he said. 'Winds may be strong enough to bring down trees and powerlines and beach conditions will be dangerous right along the coast. Brisbane and Melbourne are set to skip the downpour sweeping the country this week, while Perth and Sydney get battered with rain 'These are weather systems that can impact communities through flash flooding, damage to trees and property and through coastal erosion.' After clouds scatter on Monday, Brisbane is set to warm up with highs of 23 degrees through out the week. A graziers warning was in place further south, with cold and windy conditions expected to breeze across the southern Darling Downs and Granite Belt region into Tuesday morning. A giant water spout formed off the coast of Bulli, south of Sydney, on Sunday, as the state braced for more wild weather After a slow start to the ski season, heavy snow fell on The Alps and the Brindabellas overnight, with more heavy snow expected Monday. Some 35cm of snow fell at Charlotte Pass, Perisher and Thredbo. Cloud cover will chill Melbourne and Canberra this week, with icy morning temperatures in Australia's capital city basking around 1C. FIVE DAY FORECAST FOR YOUR CITY Sydney: Tuesday: Min 11. Max 16. Rain. Windy. Wednesday: Min 11. Max 16. A few showers. Thursday: Min 11. Max 17. A few showers. Friday: Min 11. Max 18. Shower or two. Saturday: Min 10. Max 18. Partly cloudy. Melbourne: Tuesday: Min 8. Max 15. Partly cloudy. Wednesday: Min 7. Max 15. Partly cloudy. Thursday: Min 5. Max 14. Partly cloudy. Friday: Min 4. Max 15. Partly cloudy. Saturday: Min 7. Max 16. Mostly sunny. Adelaide: Tuesday: Min 5. Max 15. Morning fog then sunny. Wednesday: Min 7. Max 17. Mostly sunny. Thursday: Min 7. Max 17. Mostly sunny. Friday: Min 8. Max 18. Sunny. Saturday: Min 9. Max 17. Partly cloudy. Canberra: Tuesday: Min 4. Max 13. Shower or two. Wednesday: Min 2. Max 13. Partly cloudy. Thursday: Min 1. Max 13. Partly cloudy. Friday: Min 1. Max 14. Partly cloudy. Saturday: Min 1. Max 14. Partly cloudy. Brisbane: Tuesday: Min 9. Max 19. Sunny. Wednesday: Min 10. Max 22. Sunny. Thursday: Min 10. Max 23. Sunny. Friday: Min 11. Max 23. Mostly Sunny. Saturday: Min 12. Max 23. Partly cloudy. Perth: Tuesday: Min 11. Max 18. Possible early storm. Wednesday: Min 11. Max 19. Shower or two. Thursday: Min 11. Max 21. Rain increasing. Friday: Min 12. Max 17. Showers. Saturday: Min 8. Max 17. Shower or two. Hobart: Tuesday: Min 4. Max 11. Cloudy. Wednesday: Min 6. Max 11. Light shower or two. Thursday: Min 5. Max 12. Partly cloudy. Friday: Min 3. Max 12. Mostly sunny. Saturday: Min 3. Max 13. Partly cloudy. Darwin: Tuesday: Min 19. Max 31. Sunny. Wednesday: Min 19. Max 32. Sunny. Thursday: Min 20. Max 33. Sunny. Friday: Min 20. Max 32. Sunny. Saturday: Min 19. Max 32. Sunny. Advertisement Adelaide will enjoy mostly sunny conditions this week, with the mercury reaching a moderate high of 18C. A high to the south of and a low over the northern Tasman Sea are combining to produce a light southeasterly stream over Tasmania, that will remain until Thursday. This stream will produce light showers, mainly about the east coast. Revitalising our high streets is one of the key issues to be tackled Boris Johnson has announced his desire to accelerate the transformation of high streets across the UK with an influx of residential developments to fill the gaps left behind by departing retailers. Towns and cities across Great Britain are already seeing revitalisation of their high streets with new co-living and build to rent schemes, alongside an increasing focus on leisure uses. But is Northern Ireland ready to take these steps, now that the decline in the traditional high street has been accelerated? I believe Northern Ireland can seize the opportunity provided by the current pandemic to address a number of key issues, allowing the country to make positive, sustainable progress. The Belfast Agenda and its proposed revitalisation of the city's heart, reflects a real desire to bring thousands of people back to live, work and play in the capital. Before the Covid-19 lockdown was imposed, Belfast was moving towards realising the long-anticipated potential in our city. While Covid-19 has obstructed this progress in the short term, the vital signs remain strong. Two key challenges, however, must be overcome if Belfast and Northern Ireland's main towns and cities are to embark on their transformation plans: planning and water. The planning process has not yet been aligned to the policies proposed by the Belfast Agenda. Delays to planning applications in Northern Ireland are discouraging investors. The stark differential between Great Britain and NI is likely to be highlighted further with the changes proposed to speed up the English planning system to be fast tracked through by September. If our towns and cities are to be revitalised, providing thousands of young people with affordable housing and vibrant, sustainable places to live, work and play, quicker planning decisions and more realistic and valid interpretations of what is historically significant are needed urgently. The second challenge is our water infrastructure. Everyone is becoming increasingly aware of the need for urgent action to be taken with regard to how NI Water is funded. This issue is now having an impact on the ground, preventing investors from bringing forward badly needed projects. If we are to realise the objectives of the Belfast Agenda, then the material intensification of use of space and resources requires additional investment in our water infrastructure, estimated at approximately 2bn. Build to rent and co-living schemes are a fast-growing trend in Great Britain. In Belfast alone, almost 25,000 people (mostly under the age of 35) are employed in IT firms, with this sector being a major driver of our economic rebalancing. However, for this growth to continue city centre office accommodation and appropriate residential developments are essential. If development height and use restrictions, heritage considerations, current planning timelines and water infrastructure investment can be properly addressed, Belfast and Northern Ireland's urban centres will be able to regenerate and repopulate much more effectively, sustainably and quickly, with an incredibly positive impact on both the economy and quality of life for everyone in NI. David Jones is head of real estate at Belfast-based law firm, Tughans Subscriber content preview SEATTLE A warehouse at 1137 N. 96th St. sold for a bit over $2.5 million, according to King County records. The seller was Aurora Avenue Development LLC, associated with Quiring family, of Quiring Monuments, which acquired the property in 1998 for $750,000. . . . New York, July 14 : It's official. The White House is headlining a vicious smear campaign against America's top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, spraying into public view a longlist of "mistakes" Fauci has made since the pandemic began and seeking to undercut the doctor's reputation as the last word on public health during a pandemic that has killed more than 135,000 Americans. The White House denied that it is slinging "opposition research" on Anthony Fauci's handling of the coronavirus, hours after multiple media outlets received a White House statement detailing a laundry list of Fauci errors. On Monday, the White House went on the back foot saying it merely "responded" to questions it received from the Washington Post. IANS reported last week about the Trump White House efforts to sideline Fauci even as it refuses to take a stand on universal masking during an ongoing killer pandemic. The White House West Wing has taken control of Fauci's media appearances from the government platform and instead banished him to the podcast and livestream circuit. As cases surge to record levels across the southern states, the White House in election year has turned on Fauci, questioning the "number of times Dr. Fauci has been wrong on things", using long-ago comments on the threat from the virus and the use of masks. US president Trump is reportedly annoyed with Fauci's soaring popularity even as his own polls are tanking to new lows in battleground states crucial to his re-election. Fauci said in a Financial Times interview last week he had not briefed Trump in two months. In multiple polls, Fauci trumps the US president in popularity and trust. Since January, Americans' overall confidence in medical scientists has only grown stronger, reflective of society's anxieties during an extraordinary time. "There's no body count high enough for Donald Trump to listen to the public health experts. If we lose another 10,000, another 20,000, he's not going to do anything differently," former US Education Secretary Arne Duncan told reporters Monday. "It's a man-made catastrophe. Don't listen to Trump. Listen to the local health experts", Duncan told audiences via network television. As positions harden all around, Trump's twitter thumb is unstoppable. On Monday morning, he retweeted supporters' messages lamenting the "most outrageous lies" being spread about the coronavirus pandemic and how the economy is tanking because everyone's staying indoors: "Everyone is lying. The CDC, Media, Democrats, our Doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust. I think it's all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I'm sick of it." Earlier on Monday, Luxembourg's Democratic Party (DP) presented its report on the parliamentary year. "We should not taboo suicide because it is a reality also in Luxembourg," DP bloc leader Gilles Baum told the press this Monday morning. Baum succeeded Eugene Berger after the latter passed away at the age of 59 in January. The DP demanded that MPs address the issue of suicide during the next parliamentary year. The party also discussed the role of remote working, which has started to play an unprecedented role for many employers and employees due to the pandemic. According to the DP, remote working schemes were a success and should be extended further. Baum reiterated that he remains in favour of introducing one day of remote working per day for cross-border workers. Minister for Finance Pierre Gramegna meanwhile explained that it remains unclear if and when this measure could be implemented. He cited the current conventions with neighbouring countries, which do not yet foresee the implementation of such a law. He also showed himself less enthusiastic about remote working than his colleague Gilles Baum. According to Gramegna, it is still too early to draw definite conclusions. He explained that remote working can, for instance, negatively impact social contact and make negotiations more difficult. A new radiotracer, 18F-SynVesT-2, can directly assess synaptic density changes in the brain, providing an objective and quantitative measure of disease progression after stroke. Research presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2020 Annual Meeting shows that the radiotracer may also offer a primary endpoint to evaluate treatment efficacy of novel therapeutics for stroke in clinical trials. Current positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of stroke focuses on the measurement of oxygen or glucose metabolism. 18F-FDG PET has been used to probe brain tissue viability after acute ischemic stroke, but transient hyperglycemia, a common phenomenon in acute stroke patients, affects FDG uptake and thereby confounds its interpretation. "Because synapse is a crucial microstructure for brain functions and synaptic deficit is a hallmark of stroke, we developed a new imaging method to assess synapses directly, providing an alternative to measuring metabolism to determine stroke progression," said Xueying Lyu, postgraduate research associate at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. Researchers utilized a rat model of stroke (established through a middle cerebral artery occlusion procedure followed by reperfusion) to test the 18F-SynVesT-2 radiotracer. A total of six stroke model rats underwent weekly 18F-SynVesT-2 PET scans for four weeks, starting at one day post-reperfusion. Image analysis was conducted and standardized uptake values (SUV) were generated for the hippocampus, cerebellum, neocortex and thalamus. The SUVs of affected and non-affected sides of the brain were compared by calculating ipsi- to contralateral ratios, and the volume of lesion was assessed using SUV ratio normalized by the cerebellum, after smoothing, masking, subtracting, thresholding and binarizing. 18F-SynVesT-2 PET imaging successfully detected synapse loss in the rat model of stroke and tracked disease progression via lesion quantification. Synapse loss occurred mainly in the hippocampus, thalamus and neocortex rather than the cerebellum. The most significant loss of synapses was observed to occur during the first week post-reperfusion. This is the first direct demonstration of synaptic changes following stroke and has shown that the synaptic protein SV2A is a potential biomarker for tissue viability. Information on tissue viability is valuable to detect stroke early and to evaluate therapeutic efficacy and recovery. We hope to help stroke patients by bringing this SV2A PET imaging method to clinical settings in the near future." Xueying Lyu, Postgraduate Research Associate, Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 175,000 strokes occur each year in the United States, killing 140,000 Americans. It is a leading cause of long-term disability and costs the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $34 billion annually in health care services, treatment and lost time at work. A woman joins Falun Gong practitioners hold a candlelight vigil at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on July 20, 2017, to honor those who have died during the persecution in China that the Chinese regime started on July 20, 1999. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times) The Legacy of a Failing Campaign of Evil How the persecution of Falun Gong is changing Chinaand the world Commentary People of the future will remember the date of July 20 with respect and admiration. Thats the date on which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began a violent, far-reaching persecution campaign against the practitioners of Falun Gong, and their response to this persecution is changing China and the world for the better. Why is the persecution of Falun Gong so memorable? First, the number of people targeted was 70 million to 100 million, by the Chinese regimes own reckoning. In 1999, thats how many people were practicing Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, a traditional Chinese practice of meditation, gentle exercises, and teachings that emphasize the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Of course, the persecution indirectly targeted far more people, including family members, coworkers, neighbors, and friends of practitioners. We might even find that all of Chinese society has been affected when its the case that everyone sees and feels widespread mistreatment and killing of innocent people among them. The early barrage of negative propaganda in Chinese media made sure that everyone knew about the persecution, albeit with alternate facts designed to turn people against Falun Gong. Second, the length of time of the persecution and its attendant peaceful resistance by practitioners is 21 years and counting. Jiang Zemin, the jealous leader of the CCP in 1999, proclaimed that the Party would wipe out Falun Gong in 90 days. It hasnt turned out quite as he planned. Falun Gong practitioners have endured and persisted. While many have been detained and silenced, many other Falun Gong practitioners both inside and outside China have tenaciously worked to tell the true facts about the practice and the CCPs persecution, wherever and whenever they can. Efforts range from handing out flyers in Chinese villages, to holding large colorful parades in many nations, to founding media companiesThe Epoch Times was founded by Chinese American Falun Gong practitioners wanting to give the world truthful news about China. Third, the extraordinary peacefulness of practitioners in the face of extremely violent treatment is remarkable in human history. Practitioners are taught, Dont hit back when hit; dont curse back when cursed at, and they have upheld this when encountering the beatings, torture, solitary confinement, sexual abuse, force-feedings with human waste, killing of family members, and more. In protests outside China that are directed at visiting CCP officials, when other groups may be shouting with anger, practitioners stand stock still and hold banners or meditate. Police officers on mounted horses have noted how their steeds calm down when they near the peaceful energy emanating from groups of Falun Gong practitioners on the streets. Fourth, the nature of the violence inflicted on Falun Gong practitioners in China has no precedent. The CCPs dark institutions wield torture methods from those of ancient times (water torture, fingernail tortures) to those of modern-day (electric shock batons) to damage the body. They use a range of psychological techniques to destroy the spirit. The number killed is unknown and unknowable. Forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners was first reported in early 2006 by The Epoch Times, has been confirmed by researchers, and has been denounced by governments of many nations. It has been described as a cold genocide. The CCP has honed a method for extracting vital organs from Falun Gong practitioners while they are still alive on the operating table so that waiting transplant recipients have the freshest organs possible. The recipients pay for the privilege, and everyone involved gets a cut, while the unwilling donors die a horrible death. Organ harvesting is the systematic killing of human beings for profit, using their bodies as commodities. The CCP has built entire hospital wings dedicated to this ghoulish commerce. And it has extended the pool of donors to other persecuted groups in China, such as Uyghurs and Christians. Fifth, the international reach of the persecution has taken global the CCPs gross violations of human rights. Falun Gong practitioners in any country outside China are monitored and surveilled, and if they have family in China, the family members are visited and threatened by security officials. Chinese embassies and consulates worldwide have been enlisted to viciously defame Falun Gong. They have threatened small-town mayors and congresspersons alike not to issue proclamations supporting celebrations of the May 13 World Falun Dafa Day. They have organized (and paid) vocal and sometimes violent protesters to disrupt Falun Gong public activities. By coercing major corporations and national governments to stay silent on Falun Gong if they want to do business with China, they have damaged public morality and induced many people to sell out their own and their organizations principles. The CCP has bought tacit consent to such a large-scale human rights abuse, but the higher price is paid by those who compromise their respect for human life. Hope for the Future In the 70 years that the CCP has ruled over China, no one has ever resisted its soul-killing rule in the way that Falun Gong has. Falun Gong practitioners have maintained their integrity and their beliefs, and have grown in collective strength even as many individuals have been slaughtered. Falun Gong practitioners have never sought political influence or changes (their activism against the CCP uses civil disobedience to end an evil persecution), but by their conduct, they have pointed a way to peaceful, positive change in China. Numerous human rights lawyers in China and elsewhere, inspired by the righteousness and dignity of Falun Gong practitioners, have taken up their cases despite long odds of winning in Chinese courts. The people of Hong Kong have watched Falun Gong practitioners upright resistance to tyranny, observing at close range the actions of local practitioners for two decades. And the people of Hong Kong now understand, as the CCP moves to snatch away their freedoms, what practitioners were talking about all those years, and are embracing the slogan Heaven Destroys the Communist Party. Falun Gong practitioners have modeled and lived out courage, independence of thought, and adherence to traditional moral principles, and they are inspiring others to follow suit. They have stood up, not only for their own rights, but also for the dignity of all human beings. Reckoning for the CCP The CCP has expended vast resources in 21 years of persecuting Falun Gong. In the beginning, they thought it would be a quick, decisive, and inexpensive process of elimination. But Falun Gong practitioners, with few tangible resources, have done things with their hearts. As they remain unwavering in their beliefs, people can see, and will eventually see even more clearly, what tips the scales. The CCP is the preeminent force for evil in the world today. By resisting this evil force, Falun Gong practitioners are showing that righteousness can overcome evil. Since 2004, Falun Gong practitioners have walked every city street and traveled to every village and every populated hill and vale in China, distributing the book Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, published by The Epoch Times. The book carries the inscriptions A book that has shocked all Chinese around the world and A book that is disintegrating the Communist Party. Thanks to the book, and the efforts of Falun Gong practitioners to explain to Chinese people the deceit, mass killings, and other destructive aspects of the CCP, more than 350 million people have quit the Party and/or the Communist Youth League and Young Pioneers. The CCP has been quietly hollowed out from the inside. Those who remain in the Party, as well as those who stand with it or offer it moral support, will suffer the consequences of being part of its fabric as it comes apart. With all the internal pressures (more and bigger natural disasters, the CCP virus pandemic, protests, Hong Kong) and external pressures (growing opposition from other national governments, diminishing trade income, public awareness), it doesnt take a great deal of foresight to see the picture: The CCP is not long for this earth. As the CCP collapses, the righteous, courageous, positive actions of Falun Gong practitioners since July 20, 1999, will inspire the worlds good people. So will Falun Gongs beliefs, including the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. She recently returned to New York after spending the majority of the coronavirus lockdown at her home in Los Angeles. But Emily Ratajkowski looked downcast as she posed for a series of sizzling mirror selfies uploaded to Instagram on Monday. The 29-year-old model flaunted her incredibly toned abs as she slipped into a skimpy grey crop top. Sombre: Emily Ratajkowski looked downcast as she posed for a series of mirror selfies uploaded to Instagram on Monday She finished the look with a pair of baggy blue jeans, an understated gold necklace and matching drop earrings. Emily wore her newly-styled blonde tresses poker straight before draping them over one shoulder. The star posed up a storm in her bathroom before uploading the sultry snaps to social media without a caption. Sultry: The 29-year-old model flaunted her incredibly toned abs as she slipped into a skimpy grey crop top The impromptu photoshoot comes after the Gone Girl actress and her husband Bear-McClard, 38, returned to the Big Apple after spending a majority of their quarantine in their Los Angeles home. They caught a flight out of JFK in April, shortly after the CDC issued an advisory, asking 'residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately.' She previously told British GQ: 'You know, [my husband and I] have been a little bit on the fence. 'My parents are in California, but as we know the responsible thing is to not travel right now. 'But eventually we would like to make it out there just because, well, New York is the epicenter, although my bodega is still open. 'I live in Tribeca and it is already very quiet.' The couple have been married for just over two years. Day in the life: Emily recently gave her 26.6million followers on Instagram a peek at her spacious NYC apartment after she returned having spent the majority of her quarantine in her Los Angeles home The United Kingdom is urging businesses and individuals to prepare for the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31 with an information campaign titled: The UKs new start: lets get going. The UK left the European Union on January 31 three-and-a-half years after a referendum but a transition period has delayed any major change in the relationship. The two sides have been working to agree on a trade deal ahead of that period expiring at the end of the year. Cabinet Minister and the UKs senior minister for Brexit Michael Gove said on Sunday that progress was being made in talks but there were still divisions. At the end of this year we are leaving the single market and Customs Union regardless of the type of agreement we reach with the EU, he said. This will bring changes and significant opportunities for which we all need to prepare. The information campaign will begin on Monday, the government said, with advertisements appearing on TV, radio, billboards and online. A survey from lobby group the Institute of Directors (IoD) said only a quarter of companies were fully ready for the end of the transition period. Nearly half of 978 company directors polled in late June said they were not able to prepare right now, with one in seven distracted by the coronavirus and almost a third saying they needed details of changes to be clear, the IoD said. With so much going on, many directors feel that preparing for Brexit proper is like trying to hit a moving target, said IoD Director General Jonathan Geldart. Jumping immediately into whatever comes next would be a nightmare for many businesses. The campaign targets British citizens intending to travel to the EU from January 1, importers and exporters, UK nationals abroad, and EU, European Economic Area and Swiss nationals living in the UK. The UK officially told the European Union in mid-June that it would not seek an extension to the post-Brexit transition period beyond December 31. London maintains it does not need more time to secure a free trade deal, despite deadlock in the talks over key areas, and a tight timeline made more acute by the coronavirus pandemic. RAWA News, July 11, 2020 On June 22, 2020, a Taliban attack on the Sartagab village in the Paatoyi district of Daikundi province was met with resistance. In the battle, a woman named Gul Aram also took up arms and defended her people against the mercenaries of Pakistan and was wounded in the shoulder. Gul Arams determination and courage will undoubtedly be another shining example for the women and men of Afghanistan whose lives, honor and freedom are under threat from the Taliban and other criminal groups. In recent years, several so-called commanders have fought under the guise of popular uprisings but these battles have been false, deceptive and these commanders were agents of arch criminals who did nothing in the face of the Jehadi and Taliban oppression. If the men and women of our homeland rise like Gul Aram they will break the backs of the Taliban and their Pakistani, American, Iranian and Afghan backers and drive them into the arms of the ISI which holds their leashes. Our national freedom-fighting movement against the Taliban will be inspired by the will and courage of people like Gul Aram and Asaluddin. This has been proven with the legendary courage of the revolutionary Kurdish women and men of Kobani in their fight against ISIS and the inspirational resistance of the women and men of Iran against their bloodthirsty regime. Our people know that dismantling the US and Pakistan plan of bringing the Taliban brutes to power again is only possible with the unity and struggle of the women and men of Afghanistan. Khalilzad, Trumps favorite "con man", is working with his Jehadi partners and the puppet government to impose the savage, drug-dealing, country-seller and mercenaries to Pakistan Taliban with treacherous deals. A darker, more disastrous and destructive cloud than COVID-19 is approaching our country. Only if hundreds and thousands of our people are inspired by Gul Aram and rise, can we free our homeland from the Taliban criminals and other murderous traitors. A S Green and Co at Rook Row Farm in Mathon (Jacob King/PA) Around 200 workers at a farm in Herefordshire have been quarantined following an outbreak of Covid-19. Some 73 positive cases of the virus have been confirmed among workers at vegetable producer AS Green and Co, which is based in the village of Mathon, near Worcester. A joint statement from Public Health England (PHE) Midlands and Herefordshire Council said employees were being asked to remain on the farm during the period of isolation. During the harvesting season, the workforce resides in mobile homes based on the farm, so as a precaution the whole group are being treated as one extended bubble, according to officials. The council said it is arranging food and essential supplies for residents on the site who carry out packing and picking work while they self-isolate. Katie Spence, PHE Midlands health protection director, said that to support the workforce of around 200 key workers, the company had put a range of infection control measures in place. Despite these measures, a small number of workers became symptomatic earlier this week and they and a few close contacts among the workforce were tested initially and found to be positive, she said in a statement. Expand Close Static caravans at Rook Row Farm (Jacob King/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Static caravans at Rook Row Farm (Jacob King/PA) In line with NHS guidance, affected individuals were asked to self-isolate for seven days, with their households and close contacts asked to isolate for 14 days. As we have seen a global trend of large food producers being subject to outbreaks, as a precautionary measure, the decision was made to test the entire workforce. The initial batch of results showed a significant percentage of positive cases, despite these individuals being asymptomatic. We are still awaiting a few final results, but currently we have 73 positive cases of Covid-19 among the workforce. A spokesman for AS Green and Co, which specialises in growing beans, said its hard-working staff were the firms priority as it was supported by PHE and Herefordshire Council. We contacted PHE and we are working closely with them and Public Health at Herefordshire Council to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the spokesman added. A statement from Herefordshire Council on how were working with a local business to closely monitor and manage the reported outbreak in Herefordshire: https://t.co/zx65oqsadd pic.twitter.com/kDBUGjJv5C HerefordshireCouncil (@HfdsCouncil) July 12, 2020 A statement on the farms website said the site has been closed to all visitors, while no workers are permitted to leave. Our workforce and local community are our priority at this difficult time and we continue to follow the guidance of the relevant bodies to ensure that the spread of the virus is controlled and our workforce is supported, it said. Public Health England advises that it is very unlikely Covid-19 can be transmitted through food or food packaging so shoppers can remain confident buying British fruit and veg. Following the Pick for Britain campaign an initiative to bring together UK workers and farmers together to prevent crops rotting in the ground during the pandemic the farm said it had received more than 300 applications. On the firms website, it says workers are expected to share accommodation at Rook Row Farm, while there is a recreational building with a pool table, dart board and TV for all employees. A spokeswoman for the National Farmers Union (NFU) said: The industry takes this issue incredibly seriously and everything is being done to keep workers safe; their health and safety remains the priority. Expand Close A police officer wearing a face mask at Rook Row Farm (Jacob King/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A police officer wearing a face mask at Rook Row Farm (Jacob King/PA) Across the sector there have been significant investments this season; from the use of additional safety equipment and PPE, regularly testing temperatures, and following government guidance created specifically for seasonal workers. Karen Wright, director of public health for Herefordshire, urged anyone experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19 to arrange a test. While Herefordshire is the first to experience an outbreak of this kind, this is not unexpected, she said in a statement. Our priority is to protect the health and well-being of all residents in our community. Prompt testing on the farm has allowed us to understand transmission and control the spread of infection. We continue to support the farm management, their workers who form an important part of our local economy, and the local community through this challenging time. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 13 By Samir Ali - Trend: Azerbaijan has not lost any territories, Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense Vagif Dargahli said, Trend reports on July 13. Having attacked the Azerbaijani positions in the direction of Azerbaijans Tovuz district on the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border, the Armenian armed forces used artillery weapons, the spokesman said. "The attack was prevented, Dargahli added. There are no territorial losses, Azerbaijans positions remain the same. The adequate measures have been taken on the front line to curb the provocation of the Armenian armed forces. To avenge for those killed as a result of the provocation, the Armenian armed forces again opened fire on Azerbaijani positions and Aghdam village in Tovuz district, the spokesman said. There are no casualties among the civilians. Presently, the Azerbaijani army is in its positions and is taking retaliatory measures. The Azerbaijani armed forces retaliated against the positions of the Armenian armed forces, strongholds, vehicles, artillery and servicemen this morning, Dargahli said. "As a result of the attacks, the Armenian armed forces suffered big losses. But, as always, Armenia hides its casualties." The spokesman added that the false information was disseminated in social networks in connection with the situation on the front line. "We ask citizens, in particular the media outlets, to refer only to the official information, Dargahli said. Moreover, a group of people made an appeal in the social networks to support the Azerbaijani army. We understand that this has been caused by patriotic feelings, but the Azerbaijani servicemen are fully capable of confronting the Armenian armed forces themselves, the spokesman said. Therefore, there is no need to disseminate these appeals. Presently, the ceasefire regime is still being violated in the region. The retaliatory artillery strikes are periodically made." Along with Tovuz, the situation is also aggravating in other districts - both on the state border and on the line of contact of the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the spokesman said. Starting from July 12 afternoon, while grossly violating the ceasefire regime in Azerbaijans Tovuz district on the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border, the Armenian armed forces opened fire at the Azerbaijani positions by using artillery. As a result of the appropriate measures, the Armenian forces were pushed back while suffering losses. Sergeant Vugar Sadigov and corporal Elshad Mammadov died while repelling the attack of the Armenian armed forces. Despite the efforts of the Azerbaijani doctors, severely wounded serviceman of the Azerbaijani army Khayyam Dashdemirov has also died. The tension remained in Tovuz district on the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on July 12 night. During the night battles, by using artillery, mortars and tanks, the Azerbaijani armed forces destroyed a stronghold, bombshells, vehicles and servicemen on the territory of the Armenias military unit. Azerbaijani serviceman, senior lieutenant Rashad Mahmudov was killed during the battles. 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. Maureen Waititu is undoubtedly one of the most famous people in the republic of Kenya. The sexy model featured in Nameless' hit song tagged Inspire. Her name made headlines a while ago when she divorced her husband of six years. Image: instagram.com, @maureenwaititu Source: UGC Even though she is widely famous and has attracted numerous fans on her social media platform, most do not know who she truly is. A look at Maureen Waititu bio and some essential details will help unearth more facts about the celebrated Vlogger and television host. Maureen Waititu profile summary Name : Maureen Angel Waititu : Maureen Angel Waititu Date of Birth : 8th May : 8th May Place of birth : Kenya : Kenya University : Kenyatta University School of Law : Kenyatta University School of Law Occupation: Lawyer, You Tuber, Television host, content creator, and actress. Maureen Waititu biography The media personality was born on 8th May in Kenya. She spent most of her childhood living with her mother and aunts. She has studied Law and has a fantastic career as a Television host, YouTuber, and actress. Who is Maureen Waititu father? The name of Maureen's father is not known to the public. Nonetheless, she has revealed that her father has not been a regular figure ever since she was young. However, the Kenyan social media celebrity seems to have forgiven her dad, and they are in good terms. Her father even surprised her when she was hosting her show at a vineyard on Kiambu road. She was thrilled and shared a video thanking the dad for showing support to her. Education background Upon completing her high school studies at Excel Girl's High school, the actress joined Kenyatta University to pursue a degree in Law. The Vlogger graduated in 2014, and later joined the Kenya School of Law the same year. She then joined LJA Associates as a legal trainee. Her illustrious profession Maureen Waititu is a lawyer, YouTuber, content creator, and actress. Despite being a Lawyer by profession, Maureen does not practice it. According to her statement, Maureen took a sabbatical that was supposed to take three to five years. The time was to allow her to grow a strong bond with her kid. Image: instagram.com, @maureenwaititu Source: Instagram Upon getting another baby, she extended her plan for a further two years. She ended up quitting the job after three months. In 2016, she hit the headlines when she was featured as a video vixen in the Nameless' song 'Inspire'. READ ALSO: Andy Milonakis net worth 2020 In 2019 she secured a new job as a host on a new show named Minji Minji. Through her social media pages, she said that the new show was to tell mothers' stories in society. The show aired on Startimes' Rembo TV every Tuesday. The show aims at sharing unique stories touching self-esteem, mental health, and among other things affecting women and girls. As an actress, she is known for Jambo Jet Commercial: The Peoples Airline of 2018. Is Maureen Waititu still married? Unfortunately, she is not married. Maureen Waititu and Frankie - her husband, broke up a few months ago. Several AlphaBeta fans were saddened by the abrupt split of this sensational couple. It is still unclear what led to their separation because they have kept the decision secret for the two children's sake. Who was Maureen Waititu husband? Mauree's ex is Frankie Kiarie. Most of their fans know him as Frankie Just GYM It. Mr. Kiarie is a mobile personal trainer, nutritionist, and business owner of the JustGYMit fitness brand. The couple had been married for over six years before their split. Their restrained relationship was publicly evident when they arrived at a function differently and sat on separate tables. The couple had been viral on social media through their YouTube channel - Alpha Beta, which painted a perfect couple to the public. READ ALSO: Amber Turner height, boyfriend, family, house, before and after surgery The split has attracted a set of mixed reactions from their social media followers, with some trolling Frankie. In his numerous Instagram posts, he appealed to netizens to consider being kinder with their word because the backlash is significantly affecting their healing process. The point of this is to let you know that people might say something to be funny or relevant on Twitter and Instagram, but someone's day to day life is being affected. We are not in a good place yet. I have known Maureen for six years and loved her every one of those years. That kind of love doesn't fade. Sometimes things just don't happen the way you expect them to. Our primary focus is on the kids and creating a healthy environment for them. Extend us the courtesy, he wrote. Was the absent father the reason of her broken marriage? The TV girl officially concluded that her broken marriage would have been caused by the absence of a father figure in her life. According to her, the absent father created a fear of keeping a man in her life. She claims that she had made efforts to meet her dad throughout her early years, but most of her attempts failed. She says that he always let her down every time she went to his office to ask for school fees. READ ALSO: Samidoh Biography: Age, family, education, songs, and life story She recollected when she was left to walk home from her dad's office in Nairobi to her mum's house in Kiambu. Being only sixteen years, she felt traumatized, and this has affected her greatly. Unfortunately, most of the men she dated ended up having the same characters like her father. Her marriage life was complicated because of her absentee father and siblings, as she completely lacked someone to turn to for intellectual and moral support. Social media accounts Maureen Waititu is a social media mogul with an incredible number of followers. You can follow her updates using the links below. Instagram page : @maureenwaititu : @maureenwaititu YouTube channel: @Maureen Waititu Maureen Waititu pictures Have you come across Maureens photos? If you have not, then you need to. People agree that the actress/vixen is talented and beautiful. The mother of two is well conversant with fashion and has a peculiar taste on what to wear. Some of her amazing photos are available through her social media platforms. Family time Most women take pride in their children and create as much time as possible to be around them to see them grow and develop a strong bond. Maureen is no exception. She takes time to celebrate their birthday with them, and they seem to be extremely happy around her. Beauty with brains Maureen is the best example of beauty with brains. The social media influencer holds an LL.B degree from Kenyatta University. Upon graduating, she joined the Kenya School of Law. She is indeed a voice to reckon with for many young ladies out there. Fitness goals Maureen Waititu treasures physical fitness, which explains why she has an elegant body that is the envy of most women around her. Despite all that has happened in her life, Maureen Waititu finds a reason to stay strong and move on positively. She is an inspiration to several young women in Kenya and beyond. READ ALSO: Lydia Bright boyfriend, net worth and weight loss secrets Otile Brown biography: real name, tribe, girlfriend, net worth, house, cars Christopher Masterson biography: net worth, siblings, partner, Scientology Source: TUKO.co.ke Google controls products that aid in every step of that process, including the different pieces of software for advertisers and publishers that run auctions for ad space. Because publishers sometimes post their open ad space to multiple digital ad companies including Googles the companies can compete with one another to see who can obtain the most money from an advertiser to use the slot. Googles critics say it has achieved a level of dominance in the ad tech market that makes fair competition impossible. They argue that Google has, in the past, been able to position itself as the final bidder against other ad tech providers, essentially giving its services an unfair advantage. And they say the company can now use its immense trove of data to get a leg up on other platforms, potentially allowing it to charge prices that are not competitive. In the paper filed in Australia, Daniel Bitton, a partner at the law firm Axinn, Veltrop and Harkrider, which has represented Google for years in antitrust cases, and Stephen Lewis, an economic consultant, take on many of those criticisms. The two argue that the company competes with a wide array of firms to run the market for ad space, including Amazon and lesser-known players like the Trade Desk. (Only one other company listed on a chart produced by the Google advisers also owns products servicing every part of the ad buying process: AT&T.) Mr. Bitton and Mr. Lewis note that Googles systems work with other companies products. And they argue that Googles products have made the process of buying ads more efficient or offered strong alternatives for buyers and sellers. They denied that the companys software gave it an inappropriate advantage over its competitors bids for ad space and say the company made changes in recent years that make it impossible for its products to have the guaranteed final bid in an auction. A Justice Department case could also focus on concerns about Googles ad tech business beyond what is tackled in the Australia paper, like whether it charges unfair fees to publishers for helping them sell ad space. The antitrust laws are about protecting competition, not individual competitors, Mr. Bitton and Mr. Lewis write. Trying to protect individual competitors or market participants, when a marketplace is as dynamic as ad tech, carries significant risk of stifling competition and innovation, rather than promoting or protecting it. Weather Alert ...Bitterly cold temperatures expected starting Wednesday Afternoon... ...Slick Roads possible late Wednesday Afternoon and Night... An Arctic blast of cold air will move into the Quad State region Wednesday afternoon, pushing the entire region below the freezing mark by 7 pm Wednesday. Once the cold air moves in, temperatures are not expected to rise above freezing until early Saturday afternoon. Gusty north winds will produce very low wind chills Thursday into Friday morning. Wind chills below zero will be likely over southern Illinois and southeast Missouri, with barely above zero wind chills over west Kentucky and southwest Indiana. Wind Chills will remain in the single digits for parts of the area all day on Thursday and into early Friday morning. Anyone traveling or working outdoors should bundle up in layers to protect yourself from developing hypothermia and frostbite. Consideration should also be given to protect pets and livestock left outdoors. For those with water systems vulnerable to an extended period of sub-freezing temperatures, be sure to keep a trickle of water running through those systems. A Winter Weather Advisory is currently posted for part of southwest Indiana and the Pennyrile region of west Kentucky late Wednesday afternoon and night, where the best accumulation of wintry precipitation is expected. However, with temperatures expected to plummet and remain below freezing, any wintry precipitation still left on roadways and sidewalks across the Quad State late Wednesday afternoon and night will freeze. Travelers should use caution while traveling and be watchful for any slick spots on roadways, especially elevated bridges and overpasses. Please stay tuned to the National Weather Service in Paducah for the latest forecasts and statements associated with this winter event. Jaipur, Jul 13 (UNI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday moved into a resort outside the pink city along with MLAs who back him. This move is aimed at preventing the Congress legislators from being poached or shifting poles. Immediately after a Congress Legislative Party (CPL) meeting called here to discuss the changing political situation of the royal state, the MLAs along with the CM boarded luxury buses. As many as 106 MLAs attended the high-level meeting in the presence of Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and senior leader Ajay Maken who were sent by partys high command in New Delhi Mr Gehlot, after the meeting, claimed that he has the support of 106 MLA, quite sufficient to rule the House. The CLP meeting passed a resolution affirming support to the Congress government led by Mr Gehlot. The resolution demanded disciplinary action against anyone involved in anti-party activities. It also accused the BJP of making attempts to destabilise the Congress government and bribe the MLAs. On the other hand, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot continues to be away from his home state and remains in Delhi-NCR region. The young leader has claimed that he has a support of over 30 Congress MLA, sufficient to topple the Gehlot-ruled government. As per sources, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and her sister and Uttar Pradesh general secretary have reached out to both-- Mr Pilot as well as Mr Gehlot. Sources said that to re-join Gehlot fold, Mr Pilot has demanded Home and Finance portfolios apart from remaining the party president for Rajasthan. Meanwhile, the opposition Bharaitya Janata Party is closely watching the fast-paced developments and there has been no official statement from higher ups either in centre or in state. Mr Gehlot had on Saturday alleged that the BJP was attempting to buy Congress MLAs by offering Rs 25 crore, a charge categorically denied by the saffron party. The political turmoil began in the state when Special Operation Group (SOG) constituted by the chief minister asked Mr Pilot to record his statement over alleged attempt by the BJP to poach Congress MLAs before Rajya Sabha polls last month. Later, the SOG also sent a letter to the chief minister for his statements, but Mr Pilot just called it a coverup to the harassment faced by him. On Friday, the SOG had arrested two persons over horse-trading charges. As per sources, Mr Pilot and Mr Gehlot have not been in talking terms much. He had also alleged that the chief minister was continuously interfering in his work, even in his constituency. In the 200-member State Assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs, while the BJP 72. The ruling paty has the support of one Rashtyia Lok Dal, two Communist Party of India (Marxist), two Bharatiya Tribal Party MLAs and 13 Independents. In March, Kamal Nath-ruled Congress government toppled in Madhya Pardesh after Jyotiraditya Scindia and 21 Congress MLAs resigned from the partys membership. UNI PS SB 1742 Nicola Sturgeon hints at more border restrictions Iran Press TV Sunday, 12 July 2020 4:12 PM Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has suggested that further coronavirus-related restrictions could be placed on the Scotland-England border, but that these would be guided on risk as opposed to politics. This comes on the heels of reports earlier this month that the Scottish Police is looking at "enforcing" lockdown restrictions around a "cross-border" cluster of coronavirus cases. Speaking on the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show, Sturgeon said quarantine for visitors from elsewhere in the UK "could not be ruled out". Sturgeon, who is also the leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), told Andrew Marr: "One of our biggest risks over the next few weeks, as we have driven levels of the virus to very low levels in Scotland, is the risk of importation into the country". "And - this is not a position I relish being in - it also means that we have to take a very close look at making sure that we are not seeing the virus come in from other parts of the UK", the SNP leader added. But the First Minister was careful to depoliticize the issue by framing her language in terms of risk to public health. "That's not political It's not constitutional It's just taking a similar view to countries across the world in terms of protecting the population from the risk of the virus", Stugeon said. Throughout the coronavirus crisis, Sturgeon has come under pressure from the SNP rank and file in addition to the Scottish independence movement more broadly to close the border with England on public health grounds. These calls have elicited a knee-jerk reaction from Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who only last week described them as "astonishing and shameful". Addressing Prime Minister's Questions session at the House of Commons last Wednesday Johnson went as far as to claim "there is no such thing as a border between England and Scotland". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sky News Boris Johnson's former chief adviser has said the prime minister knew in advance about a Downing Street drinks party during the first coronavirus lockdown and agreed that it could go ahead, claims that have been confirmed to Sky News by a second source. In an updated post on his Substack page, Dominic Cummings said he raised his concerns about the event in the Number 10 garden in May 2020 directly with the PM and would "swear under oath this is what happened". Mr Johnson's principal private secretary Martin Reynolds emailed officials with an invite to the event on 20 May, suggesting attendees "BYOB" (bring your own bottle, or booze). The number of students scoring over 95 per cent in class 12 exam this year is more than double the 2019 figure of 17,693, according to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). In 2020, a year when the examinations were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, this figure more than doubled, with 38,686 students scoring above 95 per cent. Similarly, the number of students who scored above 90 per cent also increased from about 94,000 students in 2019 to almost 160,000 in 2020. A total of 11,92,000 candidates appeared for the examination, the results of which were announced on ... About 250,000 people in Manila will go back into lockdown, an official said Monday, as the number of new coronavirus infections in the Philippines surges. Residents in Navotas, one of 16 cities that make up the sprawling capital of 12 million people, will have to stay home for a fortnight, just six weeks after emerging from one of the world's longest lockdowns. "I am not sure if this is a solution, but I am certain that if I do this the number of cases will not increase," Navotas city mayor Toby Tiangco told a radio station. Navotas, one of the poorest areas of Manila and home to its main fishing port, has 931 confirmed cases and 59 deaths, according to local government figures. But the number of new infections has spiked in the past two weeks. "We have no choice but to do it because people are so stubborn," said Tiangco, referring to people flouting social distancing rules. The order is expected to take effect on Wednesday or Thursday, Tiangco told AFP, adding the full set of guidelines was still being finalised. Residents will be allowed to go to work, but outdoor exercise will be banned. Shops and businesses can remain open but restaurants will only be allowed to do take-aways. Tiangco said he has asked the capital's police chief to deploy troops to enforce the orders and arrest violators. Quarantine measures to contain the virus vary across the Philippines, but the strictest and longest lockdown was in Manila, the centre of the country's outbreak. It shut down in mid-March and only began to reopen at the beginning of June with limited public transport and offices permitted to have skeleton staff. Since then lockdowns have been re-imposed on several neighbourhoods as cases jumped, but the stay-at-home order for Navotas will be the biggest. The tough measures have hurt millions of workers in Manila, which accounts for more than a third of the country's economic output. But the relaxation of rules and the return of thousands of overseas workers have seen a surge in the number of new cases across the country. - Tighter restrictions - The Philippines has the second highest number of infections in Southeast Asia, with more than 57,000 cases and 1,599 deaths. Indonesia tops the regional rankings with more than 75,000 cases. A record 2,539 new cases were reported on July 8 and the figure has been over 1,000 most days this month. On Monday, the health department reported more than 2,000 fresh infections for the previous day and a record 162 new fatalities, but it included deaths that had not been counted in recent months. Researchers from the University of the Philippines project the total number of cases could top 80,000 by the end of July. Private hospitals Makati Medical Center and St. Luke's Medical Center said Monday they had reached full capacity for treating COVID-19 patients. Secretary Carlito Galvez, who heads the inter-agency task force spearheading the government's response to COVID-19, said Monday restrictions would be tightened in some areas. President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to announce details Wednesday. Passengers travel on a jeepney with seat dividers to ensure social distancing in Manila. Residents of Navotas, one of the poorest areas of the capital, will go back into lockdown following a spike in new coronavirus cases Becton, Dickinson and Company BDX, also popularly known as BD, recently formed a strategic, public-private partnership with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which is part of the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. The primary objective of this collaboration is to create new manufacturing lines for injection devices that will offer priority access to the U.S. government for hundreds of millions of syringes and needles to address the current and future pandemic vaccination efforts. Notably, BD is the worlds largest manufacturer when it comes to injection devices and produces billions of syringes and needles with the help of its global manufacturing network. This collaboration is likely to provide a boost to the companys BD Medical segment. Significance of the Partnership BARDA will invest an estimated amount of $42 million into a $70 million capital project, as part of the partnership, to expand BDs operations and manufacturing capacity in Nebraska further. The new capacity, anticipated to go online within 12 months, will give BARDA priority access to injection devices to help in mass vaccination efforts for COVID-19 and future pandemics, once completed. Apart from this, the company has also finalized an initial pandemic order for 50 million needles and syringes (to be delivered by end of December 2020) to lend support to U.S. vaccination effort for COVID-19. The aforementioned commitment marks BDs latest effort in its all-round global response to the pandemic. Apart from strengthening its longstanding partnership with Nebraska, BD remains focused and optimistic about further bolstering its already solid presence and track record in the state. Given BDs manufacturing ability, it is important to note here that BD does not anticipate this initial order or future quantities to hamper its ability to fulfil existing customer requirements for needles and syringes, which include the annual flu vaccination and childhood immunization campaigns. Recent Developments Recently, BD received the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA for a rapid, point-of-care, SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test for use with its widely available BD Veritor Plus System. This marks the companys third diagnostic test to receive EUA for the detection of COVID-19. In April, BD, collaborated with BioMedomics to launch a new point-of-care test that can detect antibodies in blood to confirm current or past exposure to coronavirus within 15 minutes. This test is another addition to the long line of diagnostic tools for the coronavirus, which can be utilized in community health settings such as urgent care clinics, thereby limiting physical interaction between patients and healthcare workers. Market Prospects Per a report published in Grand View Research, the global needles market size was valued at $5.97 billion in 2017 and is anticipated to see a CAGR of 6.6% over the forecast period (2018-2025). Rising geriatric population and demand for vaccines are primarily driving this market. Hence, this partnership is a well-timed one for BD. Price Performance Over the past year, shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have gained 1.7% against the industrys decline of 13.6%. Stocks to Consider Some better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space include Quest Diagnostics Incorporated DGX, West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. WST and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings LH. While Quest Diagnostics and Laboratory Corporation sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), West Pharmaceutical carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Quest Diagnostics has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 7.6%. Laboratory Corporation has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 6.1%. West Pharmaceutical has a projected long-term earnings growth rate of 9.2%. Today's Best Stocks from Zacks Would you like to see the updated picks from our best market-beating strategies? From 2017 through 2019, while the S&P 500 gained and impressive +53.6%, five of our strategies returned +65.8%, +97.1%, +118.0%, +175.7% and even +186.7%. This outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. From 2000 2019, while the S&P averaged +6.0% per year, our top strategies averaged up to +54.7% per year. See their latest picks free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LH) : Free Stock Analysis Report West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (WST) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Six months after Thailands first COVID case, Phuket holding strong, says island health chief PHUKET: Six months since Thailand recorded its first confirmed case of a person infected with COVID-19, Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) Chief Thanit Sermkaew today (July 13) said that efforts across the island to prevent the spread of the disease have worked well, but urged people to keep practicing the new normal rules to help stave off a resurgence of the disease. COVID-19health By The Phuket News Monday 13 July 2020, 06:49PM PPHO Chief Dr Thanit arrives on Koh Maphrao on Friday (July 10) to ensure new normal protocols are practiced there. Photo: PPHO Thailand confirmed its first case on Jan 12. The landmark patient, a 61-year-old Chinese woman living in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, on holiday in the Kingdom. The woman first developed fever with chills, sore throat and headache while still at home in Wuhan on Jan 5. On Jan 8, she took a direct flight to Thailand from Wuhan City together with five family members in a tour group of 16 people. The woman was detected that same day by thermal scanners on landing at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, and was hospitalised the same day. After a temperature check and initial assessment, she was transferred to the hospital for further investigations and treatment, the World Health Organisation notes in its official report. As of 1pm today, Thailands tally for COVID-19 infections stood at 3,220 confirmed infections, with three new cases (all new arrivals from abroad) with 58 deaths. PHUKET SPREAD The first cases of people in Phuket being infected with COVID-19 did not become public until Mar 20, when Phuket Governor at the time Phakaphong Tavipatana finally admitted that a family of three Danish tourists had been confirmed as infected. The information was volunteered only after Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paochinda asked the Governor during a live teleconference in front of reporters on Mar 17 about a family of three Danish tourists who had been confirmed as infected with the virus. Gen Anupong had already been briefed on the Danish tourists. He explained that he had been told that the Danish tourists had started developing symptoms during their second night staying in Phuket and told a friend back home they were concerned they might have contracted the virus. A friend suggested that they report themselves, Gen Anupong said. Only on being asked by the General, Governor Phakaphong said that the family had notified staff at the hotel, who in turn arranged for the family to be taken into medical care and be tested. After several tests to confirm the results, the family tested positive for the virus, he admitted. Governor Phakaphong also finally admitted that there have been previous cases of people in Phuket confirmed as being infected with the virus. The other two were both Chinese tourists from Wuhan, one of them 32 years old, the other 35 years old. Governor Phakaphong declined to give any further details about the cases involving the Chinese tourists, such as when and where they were identified as infected with the virus, where they were taken for treatment, and when they left the island. The Danish family brought the total number of people confirmed as being infected in Phuket to five, he said. The next day, Mar 21, Governor Phakaphong announced two more infections, and the number of confirmed infections started rising daily, albeit with people confirmed as infected on the same day not being publicly reported until different days later. MOUNTING UP In the three months since those first cases were publicly recognised, Phuket has since tallied a total of 227 confirmed infections, said the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket) in its daily report posted today (July 13). The report today notes as follows: New cases: 0 Total infected: 227 Recovered: 223 Dead: 3 (as a direct result of being infected with COVID-19) + 1 (a Hungarian tourist who was confirmed as infected with COVID-19 but died as a result from injuries sustained in a motorbike accident) People deemed at risk checked:14091 Persons Under Investigation: 13,861 Waiting for test results: 3 Receiving hospital treatment: 3 With the report marked as accurate as of 24:00hrs July 12, it has now been 50 days since the last case was confirmed in Phuket, said the report. However, The Phuket News notes that the last reported case was announced on May 24. KEEPING CLEAN We are doing well. So far we have not experienced a second wave, and that will remain unlikely while people are following new normal and we do not have any foreigners, tourists or migrant workers arriving from abroad, Dr Thanit told The Phuket News today. Most important is people following the new normal, especially medical workers, those in hospitals and even rescue workers. Even though we have not had any new cases, we need people to continue following the new normal health rules to help prevent any unknown infections from spreading, he added. Regarding protecting Phuket from infections arriving via the so-called travel bubbles that have yet to materialise into actual tourist arrivals, Dr Thanit said, Everything we do is up to the CCSA [the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration in Bangkok]. Right now we cannot be sure exactly what measures they will instruct me to enforce. We have to observe the situation day by day. However, Dr Thanit was adamant about one factor: All international arrivals will be test by swab tested before being allowed onto the island. A court in Thane in Maharashtra on Monday granted transit remand of four days to Uttar Pradesh police of two Vikas Dubey aides held here earlier. The two, identified as Arvind alias Guddan Trivedi (45) and his driver Sushilkumar alias Sonu Tiwari (30), were held on Saturday by Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad from a chawl in Dhokali area of Thane. Uttar Pradesh police produced the two in the court of First Class Judicial Magistrate AB Kadian who granted transit remand till July 16, and ordered that the duo be subjected to a coronavirus test before being taken to the northern state. Eight policemen were ambushed and killed in Bikru village in Chaubeypur area of Kanpur when they were going to arrest Dubey shortly after midnight on July 3. Dubey was later held from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh and was killed in an encounter after a police vehicle carrying him to Kanpur met with an accident and he tried to escape. Advocates Anil Jadhav and Zia Shaikh, appearing for Trivedi and Tiwari, said the two had no role in the Kanpur incident and had been arrested on suspicion as they are associates of Dubey. The advocates told court Maharashtra police found their photographs on the internet after which they were picked up as associates of Dubey. They sought that Trivedi and Tiwari be taken to UP by air, which was opposed by advocate Jaishree Korde, appearing for the state, who said flight tickets would not be available at such short notice. Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 24 Hour Access BARRIE, ON, July 13, 2020 /CNW/ - The safety and well-being of Canadians are top priorities of the governments of Canada and Ontario. But the COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than Canadians' personal health, it is also having a profound impact on the economy. That is why governments have been taking decisive action to support families, businesses and communities, and continue to look ahead to see what more can be done. Strategic investments in public transportation infrastructure play a key role in supporting Ontarians getting to work, school and essential services on time, and safely back home at the end of the day. Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, and Member of Parliament for Markham, on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Doug Downey, Member of Provincial Parliament for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte and Ontario's Attorney General, on behalf of the Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure; and Jeff Lehman, Mayor of the City of Barrie, announced funding for five projects that will modernize and improve Barrie Transit. Residents who use public transit will benefit from the replacement of the City of Barrie's retiring bus fleet with 30 new, low-floor, accessible buses. In addition, transit users with accessibility needs will benefit from the purchase of 21 new fully accessible, paratransit city buses which will replace the existing fleet over the next seven years. A new transit hub at the Allandale GO Station and a new connection hub downtown will offer transit users a better connected and more integrated public transit system. More bus stops and platforms, as well as additional bicycle parking, will make it easier for residents to access the public transit system. The Government of Canada is investing more than $16.4 million in these projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. The Government of Ontario is providing more than $13.6 million, while the City of Barrie's contribution is more than $10.9 million. Quotes "Canadians rely on public transit to get to work, run errands, and access the services they need. Investing in modern and accessible public transit systems is essential to building healthy communities. Today's investments will improve the accessibility and reliability of bus services in Barrie. By working with our partners, we're building better public transit here and in communities across the country creating more liveable communities for generations to come." The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, and Member of Parliament for Markham, on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities "It is vital that Barrie's public transit system evolve to meet the needs of our rapidly growing city. This investment into the City of Barrie will allow our thriving municipality to bring to life multiple long-awaited projects, improving and expanding much of our major transit infrastructure. Reliable infrastructure is more than concrete and steel; it is an essential part of a happy and healthy society. It creates opportunities, inclusive growth, improves accessibility, and helps define how we live, work and play within our community. I look forward to seeing shovels in the ground on these five projects!" The Honourable Doug Downey, Member of Provincial Parliament for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte and Ontario's Attorney General, on behalf of the Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure "This combined federal, provincial and municipal investment in Barrie will offer our community updated and more accessible buses, and the new transit hub will ensure a better connected and integrated city. It will improve the ability of residents to travel and get to work, make connections and provide more active transportation options as our city grows." His Worship Jeff Lehman, Mayor of the City of Barrie Quick facts Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities. infrastructure plan, the Government of is investing more than over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and rural and northern communities. $28 .7 billion of this funding is supporting public transit projects, including $5 billion available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank. .7 billion of this funding is supporting public transit projects, including $5 billion available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank. Across Ontario , the Government of Canada has invested more than $2.5 billion in infrastructure under the Investing in Canada Plan. , the Government of has invested more than in infrastructure under the Investing in Plan. Across the province, Ontario is investing more than $7.3 billion in public transit infrastructure over 10 years through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. Related product Backgrounder Canada and Ontario invest in more accessible public transit infrastructure for Barrie residents Joint federal, provincial and municipal funding through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan will support five public transit projects in the City of Barrie, Ontario. These investments will support a more accessible and sustainable community. The Government of Canada is investing more than $16.4 million in these projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS). The Government of Ontario is providing over $13.6 million, while the City of Barrie's contribution is more than $10.9 million for these projects. Project Information: Project Name Project Details Federal Funding* Provincial Funding* Municipal Funding Conventional Fleet Replacement The purchase of 30 low-floor, 40-foot conventional city buses to replace the retiring fleet. $9,355,609 $7,795,561 $6,237,852 On-Street Infrastructure Improvements The installation of bus shelters with visual displays to better inform transit users of the timing of arrivals and departures; construction of concrete bus pads (replacing asphalt); installation of bike racks; and new bus stop signs. The project will improve existing infrastructure to meet accessibility standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians Disabilities Act. $1,094,585 $912,063 $729,814 Specialized Fleet Replacement The purchase of 21 specialized para-transit city buses, which will replace the retiring fleet over the next seven years. $1,869,840 $1,558,044 $1,246,716 Allandale Mobility Hub New Transit Relocating the current downtown hub to the Allandale GO Station (where a new terminal building will be constructed) and adding extra bus platforms, bus stops, bus shelters, and additional bicycle parking will improve the capacity, quality and safety of the Barrie public transit system. $3,960,180 $3,299,820 $2,640,450 Downtown Connection Hub The construction of a new downtown connection hub, which includes two new bus stops and one heated bus shelter, will improve residents' access to the public transit system. $130,680 $108,889 $87,131 *The federal and provincial governments are each contributing the maximum share of eligible costs for these projects, which are 40% and 33.33% respectively as per the requirements of the Canada-Ontario Integrated Bilateral Agreement. Contributions from recipients may include both eligible and ineligible costs. Ineligible costs are expenditures that municipalities have chosen not to request reimbursement for or that cannot be reimbursed (e.g., property purchases, overhead costs). Cost sharing may differ depending on recipient. Associated links Government of Canada Resources - Coronavirus disease (COVID 19): www.canada.ca/coronavirus Government of Ontario Resources COVID-19: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/ Investing in Canada Plan Project Map: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map Federal infrastructure investments in Ontario: https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/investments-2002-investissements/on-eng.html. Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/icp-publication-pic-eng.html Ontario Builds Project Map: https://www.ontario.ca/page/building-ontario Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Web: Infrastructure Canada SOURCE Infrastructure Canada For further information: Chantalle Aubertin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-949-1759, [email protected]; Christine Bujold, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure, 416-454-1782, [email protected]; Sofia Sousa-Dias, Communications Branch, Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure, 437-991-3391, [email protected]; Melanie Rumley, Senior Communications Advisor, The City of Barrie, 705-627-2702, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected] Related Links www.infrastructure.gc.ca Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has backed a target of zero healthcare worker deaths from COVID-19, as a new outbreak at a Melbourne psychiatric facility pushed a further 60 workers into isolation after four staff members tested positive. "Our goal has to be zero deaths amongst our nurses and our doctors," Mr Hunt said, granting the request of a group of concerned healthcare workers that a clear target be set of no further deaths among their ranks. Health Minister Greg Hunt donned a face mask on Monday. Monash Health confirmed on Monday that four healthcare workers at its Clayton psychiatric ward had contracted COVID-19 in an outbreak that sent 60 staff members into 14-day self isolation after the first worker tested positive on Thursday night. It follows outbreaks among staff in recent weeks at at least a dozen healthcare facilities including the Alfred, The Northern Hospital, The Royal Melbourne, The Royal Women's, The Melbourne Clinic, The Albert Road Clinic, Brunswick Private, Box Hill Hospital and St Vincent's, along with 35 separate aged care services. New Delhi, Jul 13 (UNI) Girls have once again surpassed boys in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 results announced here on Monday, racking up 5.96 per cent higher pass percentage than boys. A total of 10.59 lakh (10,59,080) students cleared the class 12 exam successfully, with a pass percentage of 88.78 per cent. The pass percentage improved from the last year which was 83.40 per cent. The girls have outperformed boys with 92.15 per cent, while the pass percentage of boys was 86.19 per cent. The pass percentage of transgender students stood at 66.67 per cent. In the results released by CBSE on Monday, Trivandrum region ranked first with 97.7 pass percentage while Patna region had the lowest with 74 .57 per cent. Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya ranked first among all schools in the country with 98.7 per cent while Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan stood second with 98.2 per cent. In the case of Central Tibetan School, it was 98.23 per cent. Government school results fared 94 per cent and government-funded schools had 91.56 per cent. About 7.35 per cent or 87,651 students have been placed in the compartment category in CBSE 12th exam. Class 12 results of 400 students could not be computed as per decided assessment scheme. Their CBSE 12th result will be announced later. Human Resource Development minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' congratulated the successful students. In his tweet, the minister said, "Dear Students, Parents and Teachers! CBSE has announced the results of Class XII and can be accessed at cbseresults.nic.in. We congratulate you all for making this possible. I reiterate, Students health & quality education are our priority." In the case of students who have appeared for more than three subjects, the average of marks obtained in the best three performing subjects will be awarded for subjects for which the exam was not held, as per the board. For students who have appeared in exams in only three subjects, the average of marks obtained in best two performing subjects will be awarded for papers for which exam was not held. In school wise results, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) topped with the best pass percentage of 98.70, followed by Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) at 98.62. Private schools have the lowest pass percentage of 88.22 this year. Regarding CBSE 12th Improvement Examination 2020, the Board will conduct an optional examination in the subjects whose examinations scheduled to be conducted from July 1 to 15, 2020 as soon as conditions are conducive as assessed by the Central Government. Further CBSE has decided to replace the term "Fail" by the term "Essential Repeat". Hence, in the result declared no "FAIL" term will be mentioned in the documents issued to the candidates and the result hosted on the website, the statement said. UNI SD ADG 1501 The National Communication Officer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Sammy Gyamfi, has said it is cruel on the part of President Nana Akufo-Addo to open Senior High Schools in the midst of a raging pandemic, prevent parents from visiting their wards yet open the same schools for his party, NPP, and the Electoral Commission, who prioritise political power than human lives, to go in there and engage in shameful political activities which have the tendency to endanger the lives of our innocent SHS students. Mr Gyamfi said this, among others, is a setback to Ghanas fight against the deadly coronavirus. NDC sues EC over ungazetted SHS Voter Registration Centres The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has sued the Electoral Commission (EC) over the latters decision to extend the registration of voters to campuses of Senior High Schools which have not been gazetted as registration centres. The NDC has filed the suit at the High Court (General Jurisdiction) Friday, listing four reliefs, along with orders the court shall deem fit, as well as punitive costs. EC ends nationwide registration of SHS students The Electoral Commission (EC) last Friday, July 10 began registering eligible voters in Senior High School (SHS) students across the country. The two day special exercise was targeted at final year students and those in form-two gold track who were 18 or more but could not join the mainstream exercise because they were in school. The exercise ended on Saturday, 11th July. COVID-19 fight failing Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Monday, 13th July 2020 on Ghanas COVID-19 fight, Mr Gyamfi accused the government of doing little to curb the spread of the virus. The premature reopening of Senior High Schools by President Akufo-Addo without mass testing of students, teachers and workers as well as the failure to put in place and enforce appropriate safety measures in the reopened schools, which is leading to the spread of the virus among SHS students, is yet another major setback for our COVID-19 fight," he told the press. Today, it is sad and annoying to note that apart from the disregard for our COVID-19 safety protocols in our schools, the reopened schools have become centres, in fact, hotbeds for political campaigns by the ruling New Patriotic Party as was seen over the weekend when their National Youth Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye, led a team to campaign in some senior high schools in the Ashanti Region, he added. Mr Gyamfi further wondered: Is it not cruel that at a time 10 of the reopened senior high schools have recorded infections on their campuses and parents have been prevented from visiting their wards, as a so-called COVID-19 prevention measure, President Akufo-Addo has opened the same schools for his party, NPP, and the Electoral Commission, who prioritise political power than human lives to go in there and engage in shameful political activities, which have the tendency to endanger the lives of our innocent SHS students. In Mr Gyamfis view, This show of total disregard for the lives of our innocent SHS children by President Akufo-Addo is unconscionable and reprehensible, to say the least, and must be condemned by all voices of conscience. Read full speech below; SPEECH DELIVERED BY COMRADE SAMMY GYAMFI, NATIONAL COMMUNICATION OFFICER OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (NDC), AT THE 7TH EDITION OF THE NDCS WEEKLY PRESS BRIEFING, HELD AT THE PARTYS HEADQUARTERS ON MONDAY, 13TH JULY, 2020. GHANAS COVID-19 FIGHT FAILING; URGENT REMEDIAL ACTIONS NEEDED NOW. Good morning distinguished friends from the media. Once again, I welcome you with gratitude to the Headquarters of the National Democratic Congress, as we continue to engage you on vital policy issues and other critical national conversations that border on the well-being of Ghanaians, as well as the development and forward-match of our dear Republic. Today, we have invited you here to discuss the precarious COVID-19 situation that our nation presently finds itself in; where this all started and how we have arrived at this present juncture. Indeed, our present COVID-19 situation, which clearly is getting worse by the day, calls for a deep and candid introspection and soul-searching by the nation. To do this, we must ask ourselves; What is Ghanas current COVID-19 situation? Where are we now in the COVID-19 fight? Are we winning the fight? or is the deadly virus triumphing over us? And we intend to be honest and objective about these basic questions this morning. Friends of the media, without mincing any words or making bones about this indisputable fact, Ghana is fast-losing the COVID-19 fight, due to the careless and directionless leadership of President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo. And, I shall outline ten (10) facts that accurately describe our current COVID-19 situation and bear out this assertion. Ladies and gentlemen of the media, as we speak: 1. Ghana has recorded over 24,000 positive cases with 139 deaths, whiles the insensitive and inept Akufo Addo-government looks on helplessly. Our astronomically high and ever-increasing positive case count is putting huge pressure on the already-constrained health system of the country. Indeed, many health facilities across the country, including the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital have been compelled to suspend other critical emergency health services due to the overwhelming cases of Coronavirus on their hands. 2. Another fact that lays credence to the assertion that our COVID-19 fight is failing is that, the long-standing problem of lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our patriotic and hardworking health workers, who are sacrificing their lives to keep us safe, has not been addressed by President Akufo Addo and his government contrary to the countless and persistent assurances we have been given. This has occasioned an alarming rate of COVID-19 infections among health workers, leading to the loss of several precious lives, including some renowned health experts. So far, over 779 health workers made up of 190 doctors, 410 nurses and midwives, 23 hospital pharmacists and 156 allied health workers, have caught the virus, with 10 deaths, while the insensitive Akufo Addo-government continues to pay lip service to this critical issue. This is sad and completely unacceptable. 3. Also, the alarming COVID-19 infections among top NPP/government officials, some of whom have died, doesnt inspire any confidence in the ordinary man on the street, that this fight is anywhere near being won. As you may be aware, our Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, the Forestry Commission CEO, Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie (may God bless his soul), the late Takoradi Mayor, another sad casuality, K.K Sam, the BOST MD, the NHIA Director-General and her Deputies, the Minister of Regional Re-organization, Dan Botwe, the Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, The Ghana Education Service (GES) Director-General, the former deputy minister of Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah and the Volta Regional Minister, Archibald Yao Letsa, are but a few of the bigwigs on the tall list of Government Officials who have either battled, are battling or succumbed to COVID-19 in the last few months. This phenomenon clearly bears out our worsening COVID-19 situation. 4. Again, the rising phenomenon of shutdown of key state institutions such as, COCOBOD, GNPC, BOST, NHIA, Ministry of Finance, the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Education, the National Health Insurance Authority among several others, further accentuate the alarming rate of community spread of the novel coronavirus in the country and terrifying situation we presently find ourselves in. Only God knows which other state institution is playing host to this deadly virus, and whether at this rate, the entire government machinery will not be brought down on its knees in the coming weeks. 5. Furthermore, the significant reduction of testing and contact tracing being spearheaded by the failed Akufo Addo-government, is a major setback to our COVID-19 fight. Governments refusal to pay contact tracers their meagre motivational allowances, despite Parliament making financial provision for same, has led to the complete abandonment of contact tracing, thereby letting loose the ravaging virus in our communities. Also, our severely constrained testing capacity and shortage of test reagents and other vital supplies, which accounts for the huge backlog of samples waiting to be tested at both the Noguchi Center for Medical Research and the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research (KCCR), is further exacerbating our failing fight against the virus. 7. Additionally, the lack of isolation facilities to contain our positive cases is very worrying. Currently, most of our hospitals and health facilities are full and overstretched, leading to the suspension of other critical emergency health services, while our ICUs are also getting full. This situation that has led to an increase in self-isolation of positive cases is undermining our COVID-19 fight, as the evidence on voluntary self-isolation, show relatively low compliance to safety protocols as compared to mandatory isolation. 8. Another serious problem confronting us, is the inadequacy of health personnel to manage COVID-19 cases, as was admitted by Dr. Nsiah Asare, Presidential Advisor on health in the media few weeks ago. 9. Also, the inconsistent and doubtful data on our COVID-19 situation, leading to loss of public confidence is a major problem. The several instances of manipulation of data by government to create a false sense of security, instead of reporting the true facts as they pertain to our situation has gradually chipped away public confidence in governments management of the pandemic. 10. Lastly, the non-adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols by majority of Ghanaians, particularly by the ruling New Patriotic Party reflects the our failing fight against the pandemic. Ladies and gentlemen, the ten (10) facts I have enumerated, accurately describe our current COVID-19 situation and show that our situation is increasingly worsening and getting dire as the days go by. Indeed, international reputable organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), has been alarmed by our current situation, leading to their recent assessment of Ghana as one of the countries driving the spread of the virus in West Africa, whilst the European Union also recently placed Ghana among countries whose nationals have been given restricted access to the EU zone due to our terrifying COVID-19 situation. As it is now, the center can no longer hold. Things appear to have fallen apart. Our health system and response plan have been completely overwhelmed by the pandemic. Our leaders, the President, his talkative Vice and our health minister, are no where to be found. No wonder the Minister of Health recently said that he and the President are tired of the COVID fight. How low we sunk! Whilst other countries have stepped up their fight against the pandemic, we have taken our foot off the pedal, with our authorities almost but conceding defeat. But the biggest question is, why Ghana? How did we get here? Distinguished friends from the media, since a problem well-stated is half-solved, permit me to enumerate ten (10) sins of President Akufo-Addo that have brought us here. 1. Firstly, President Akufo Addos refusal to close our borders and airport, as well as adopt containment measures on time, is the main reason why we find ourselves in this severe and alarming COVID-19 malaise. This is grounded by the high number of imported cases that precipitated the astronomical community spread of the virus across the country, due to the lack of implementation of any proper containment measures right from the outset. It would be recalled that President Akufo-Addo ignored all calls for him to close our borders and airport from health professionals, the NDC and other citizens, and rather went frolicking in Europe at a time the coronavirus was ravaging several European and western nations. In fact, you would recall that it was upon his return from that unproductive European tour, that one of our very first cases was recorded by a high-ranking diplomat, specifically the Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana, who was with the Presidents in Norway. 2. Secondly, governments poor management of the Coronavirus Alleviation program, including misappropriation of relief funds, particularly free food and water distribution to the vulnerable, which led to a premature easing of lockdown restrictions on the basis of political reasons other than medical, epidemiological or any scientific considerations, further worsened our wobbly COVID-19 fight. 3. Thirdly, governments failure to adopt mass/community testing and to resolve our inefficient testing regime is part of the reasons why we find ourselves in this quagmire. In fact, the problem of delayed release of test results, as a result of lack of PCR test kits, reagents among others, still remains a major challenge. 4. Also, the non-payment of contact tracers by the Akufo Addo-government, leading to strike actions by the poor workers who have placed their lives at risk and those of their families for our collective good. As I have already indicated, this is very unacceptable, as it betrays the lack of sensitivity, seriousness and candor in President Akufo-Addos promises, even in this time of coronavirus crises. 5. Again, the deliberate misreporting and suppression of data on positive, death and recovered cases, by the Akufo Addo-government, thereby giving a false sense of security to the people has partly accounted for our failing COVID-19 fight. 6. Furthermore, Akufo Addos failure to provide adequate PPEs to protect health workers, despite financial provision being made for same by Parliament has been one of the bane of our deplorable COVID-19 position. The President of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Frank Ankobea and other allied medical unions have had occasion to lament governments failure to provide basic PPE and how this has impacted negatively on our COVID fight, leading to loss of morale and medical personnel, as I have already indicated. It is worthy to add, that President Akufo-Addos deliberate exclusion of several other health workers from the list of frontline health workers is demotivating a lot of our health workers who have been excluded from the list of frontline health workers. And this must be addressed as a matter of urgency. 7. Additionally, Akufo Addos failure to establish adequate isolation centers for the management of positive cases has further exacerbated our worsening COVID-19 situation. This is a reflection of the general failure of President Akufo Addo to make any meaningful contribution to health infrastructure in Ghana, in the last three (3) and half years, despite being the most resourced President in Ghanas history. This has cemented his place as a President who talks much and does very little. 8. Again, Akufo Addos failure to ensure the observation of COVID-19 precautionary protocols during the NIA registration and card distribution exercises, the NPP Parliamentary primaries, as well as the ongoing new voter registration, despite several warnings from the Ghana Medical Association and other health professionals, is another major contributing factor to our failing COVID-19 fight. This is very worrying, particularly given the fact that some Pastors and other citizens have been arrested, prosecuted and jailed for breaching the same COVID-19 restrictions and protocols. President Akufo Addos refusal to hold his own appointees and party members, such as Carlos Ahenkora to the same standard of discipline, has further exposed him as a man who preaches virtue and supervises vice. The wanton disregard for COVID-19 protocols by government officials, which was again displayed at the recently-held confirmation of President Akufo-Addo as flag-bearer of the NPP, has set a bad tone for what has been a return to business as usual for members of the public and is undermining our already failing COVID-19 fight. 9. More importantly, the premature reopening of Senior High Schools by President Akufo Addo without mass testing of students, teachers and workers, as well as a failure to put in place and enforce appropriate safety measures in the reopened schools, which is leading to the spread of the virus among SHS students is yet another major setback for our COVID-19 fight. Today, it is sad and annoying to note, that apart from the disregard for COVID-19 safety protocols in our Senior High Schools, the schools have become centers for political campaigns by the NPP, as was seen over the weekend, when the National Youth Organizer of the NPP, Henry Nana Boakye led a team to campaign in some Senior High Schools in the Ashanti region. Ladies and gentlemen of the media, is it not cruel, that at a time over 10 of the reopened Senior High Schools have recorded infections on their campuses, and parents have been prevented from visiting their wards as a so-called COVID-19 precautionary measure, President Akufo Addo has opened the same schools, for his party NPP and the Electoral Commission, who prioritizes political power than human lives, to go in there and engage in political activities which have the tendency to endanger the lives of our innocent SHS students. This show of total disregard for the lives of our innocent SHS children by President Akufo Addo is unconscionable and reprehensible to say the least, and must he condemned by all voices of conscience. 10. Finally, governments review of our recovery and discharge policy from two (2) mandatory tests to zero (0) as a result of the lack of test kits, isolation facilities, among others, is partly responsible for our ever-worsening situation. We hold the view, that the new recovery and discharge policy under which persons who have tested positive for the virus are declared as recovered and discharged when they become asymptomatic without any confirmatory tests, is very dangerous, and has the potential to further jeopardize our already-failing COVID-19 fight. It must be noted that although the risk or degree of the spread of the virus by asymptomatic persons is relatively lower as compared to persons showing symptoms, it cannot be said that there is absolutely no risk or possibility that asymptomatic cases can spread the virus. In other words, fact that the WHO has said that asymptomatic cases are less likely to pass the virus on than symptomatic cases does not mean that asymptomatic individuals cannot spread the virus as has been suggested in Ghana. Indeed, the WHO has acknowledged that, there is a "minimal residual risk" that patients discharged under their new policy may still be infectious and this must inform our adoption and implementation of the new policy in Ghana. Even more bizarre, ladies and gentlemen, is the conflicting signals government is communicating to the public on this matter. Whereas, government has told the public that we have reviewed our recovery and discharge policy from two (2) mandatory and confirmatory tests to zero, the same government few days ago informed us that one of the appointees of President Akufo Addo who contracted the virus, Carlos Ahenkora, has recovered, after testing negative in two consecutive confirmatory tests. The question we would want to ask is that, if the new recovery and discharge policy under which asymptomatic persons are discharged without any confirmatory tests is good, then why was Carlos Ahenkora made to undertake two (2) confirmatory tests before he was declared as having recovered? What is government hiding from the nation? Dont they believe in their own recovery and discharge policy? On what basis are they determining who deserves confirmatory tests and who doesnt? Why does Carlos Ahenkora deserve two confirmatory tests, but the ordinary Ghanaian who has contracted the virus dont deserve same? Is it because the Akufo Addo government values the lives of their officials over the lives of ordinary Ghanaians? Friends from the media, this lack of consistency in the application of governments new recovery and discharge policy, casts serious doubts about its validity and viability and shows that same cannot be relied upon by the nation if we are serious about the COVID-19 fight. In addition to above-enumerated points, the crass intolerance and headstrong refusal of the Akufo-Addo government to heed good counsel is also a major cause of our worsening COVID-19 situation. Whereas foreign embassies saw what the NDC was seeing from the outset and moved to evacuate their nationals months ago, President Akufo-Addo and his men were busy pursuing political expediency, the reason why we are here. In short, ladies and gentlemen of the media, Ghana finds herself in this quagmire because of the sloppy and clueless leadership, as well as the politically-driven decisions of President Akufo-Addo. THE WAY FORWARD Distinguished friends from the media, the NDC reckons that our current situation calls for decisive and forthright leadership to stem the tide of the marauding virus which now threatens all of us. This is not the time for weak and tired loins, as the Health Minister and President Akufo-Addo have developed, neither is it time to place politically-driven decision ahead of public health. Clearly, our national response plan and strategy have failed, and we need to re-strategize and take some critical remedial actions to salvage our failing fight, as a matter of urgency. The NDC therefore demands that the Akufo-Addo government adopts and implement the following far-reaching measures to protect Ghanaian lives. First, we demand the immediate closure of all reopened schools which were hurriedly reopened under the guise of facilitating the writing of WASSCE, just to make room for the Electoral Commission to register SHS students on their school campuses. The Ghanaian Times newspaper reports today, that ten (10) more Senior High Schools have recorded cases of COVID-19. As we speak, Nigeria, a major participant in the WASSCE exam has rescinded its decision to reopen schools, while Kenya has also decided to close schools until 2021. We urge President Akufo-Addo to prioritize human lives over electoral fancies. Also, we call on all and sundry to condemn the action of the National Youth Organizer of the NPP, Henry Nana Boakye for leading the shameful agenda of making SHS their hotbed of political activity during these perilous times. We further demand that in consonance with GES regulations, the Headmaster of that Senior High School in Kumasi should be interdicted immediately in order to serve the ends of justice. Secondly, we demand that government deals urgently with high infection rate among health professionals by providing the required type and number of PPE for health workers. As a matter of fact, government must heed to calls to revise its narrow conceptualization of frontline health workers, and immediately provide the required PPEs to aid our gallant health workers in combating this virus. Let me add, that the need for the adequate provision of PPE for health workers must be situated within the work of a bipartisan committee, because we can no longer allow them to get infected and die when money has been voted for that purpose by our representatives in Parliament. Thirdly, government must review the new discharge and recovery policy that allows the discharge of people with positive cases after just one test. Much as government may be in a hurry to make our picture look good, a further worsening of this situation will completely overrun our health system, hence the need to tread cautiously. The new policy which appears to be shoring up or recovery cases is creating a false sense of security amongst the people. And, our implementation of same against the caution of the WHO that there is a "minimal residual risk" that patients discharged under their new policy may still be infectious, has the tendency to jeopardize further our failing fight. Also, we call for the immediate adoption of mass and efficient testing regime to be able to go after the virus. Our current reactionary approach to the virus is actually what is precipitating its further rapid spread. Apart from the absence of testing, the time lag between when tests are conducted and when the results are ready gives room for the virus to spread inadvertently to those who hitherto did not have it. We further demand the establishment of more isolation centers by the Akufo Addo government to effectively manage our rising number of positive cases. The current situation where people who have been confirmed positive are let loose due to lack of facilities to accommodate them is unacceptable. Government must also enhance its contact tracing by paying all outstanding allowances due contact tracers in order to motivate them to work hard. The virus has obviously overtaken us, and if we must get ahead of it, then we ought to run faster, and be proactive. Additionally, we demand that government intensifies public awareness - through mass, purposeful and deliberate public education. This will further awaken all of us to the reality of the virus which has become a clear and present danger with us. Last, but not least, government must ensure accountability in the expenditure of COVID-19 funds. There is the need for a special and forensic audit into all already expended COVID-19 funds, as a matter of urgency. Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot end by urging government to reduce fuel prices, instead of the recent consistent increments at a time crude prices have plummeted on the world market. The need to reduce fuel prices comes at a time government has directed all commercial drivers to reduce the number of passengers they take in line with social distancing protocols. This has drastically reduced the incomes of transport owners who are still being asked to pay more for fuel. This is unacceptable, and prices must go down immediately. We urge all Ghanaians to hold the Akufo-addo Government accountable for its handling of this pandemic. All over the world, countries are still battling and re-strategizing against what looks like a continuous wave of the virus. Ghana alone cannot let down our guard for the sake of Akufo Addos quest for political power. Ghana deserves better! Thank you for your attention. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify that there were many companies among the data that did not answer questions on race, gender or veteran status ownership. WATERLOO Tens of millions of dollars from the Paycheck Protection Program went to a few big businesses and employers in Black Hawk County, while thousands of other Iowa businesses received small loans averaging around $30,000, according to new data provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The SBA on Monday released incomplete data on each of the 4.9 million loans made to businesses nationwide as the economy reeled during this springs coronavirus-related business closures. Those loans, according to businesses receiving them, saved upward of 20,000 jobs in Black Hawk County alone. The PPP loan absolutely gave us a rope to grab onto, said Kris Hansen, CEO of Western Home Communities in Cedar Falls. He said more than of 200 jobs at his company may have been lost otherwise, about a fourth of his workforce. We still dont know where this is all heading, but at least it gave us time to catch our breath and make data-driven and cognitive decisions about how to react to this. Western Home was one of four companies in Black Hawk County and among 48 companies in Iowa that received at least $5 million in PPP loans designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll, according to the SBAs website. Bertch Cabinet Manufacturing and Cedar Valley Medical Specialists in Waterloo, Harrison Truck Centers in Elk Run Heights and Western Home Communities were each the recipient of between $5 million and $10 million in PPP loans apiece, according to the SBA, which only listed the range of the loans, not exact amounts. Bertch noted in SBA documentation its PPP loan retained 500 jobs, while Cedar Valley Medical Specialists said it retained 379 jobs, Harrison Truck Centers said it retained 477 jobs and Western Home said it retained 500 jobs. Three of the four loans were processed at Farmers State Bank, according to the SBA, while Western Home processed its loan through BankIowa. Western Home received $6.4 million, Hansen said. The company includes Western Home, four other long-term care facilities, Diamond Event Center and three restaurants, and manages several other facilities in the area. The PPP is providing much-needed relief to millions of American small businesses, supporting more than 51 million jobs, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a release. Todays release of loan data strikes the appropriate balance of providing the American people with transparency, while protecting sensitive payroll and personal income information of small businesses. The loans will be forgiven if at least 60% of funds were used for payroll. Otherwise, loans accrue 1% interest. Hansen said his organization has spent 94% of the money on payroll and doesnt anticipate having to pay any of it back. This overall was a very good thing, and very impactful thing, he said. Though the SBA said the PPP loans have reached diverse communities proportionally, across all income levels and demographics, the data provided by the SBA show that, of those answering the demographic questions of race, gender and veteran status, all indicated they were either white-owned or did not answer the question. After this initial publishing of this story, James White of Impact Marketing and a spokesperson for CVMS, said though CVMS did not answer the question of race ownership, according to the data, CVMS ownership includes "members from diverse backgrounds of at least seven different cultures." Only two of those answering the gender question indicated they were female-owned, and only one indicated they were owned by a military veteran: Schumacher Elevator in Denver. Thats despite 15.2% of Iowa businesses being female-owned, 12.9% being nonwhite owned and 15.2% being majority veteran-owned, according to the Iowa Economic Development Authority. $2-$5 million Six Black Hawk County companies received between $2 and $5 million each. Bossard of Cedar Falls said it retained 272 jobs with its loan, New Aldaya Lifescapes in Cedar Falls filing under Cedar Falls Lutheran Home said it retained 390 jobs, Exceptional Persons Inc. of Waterloo retained 293 jobs, Goodwill Industries of Northeast Iowa in Waterloo retained 500 jobs, Professional Office Services of Waterloo kept 256 jobs, and Young Plumbing and Heating of Waterloo kept 121 jobs, according to the SBA. Of the 278 Iowa companies receiving between $2 and $5 million, just five indicated they were nonwhite owned, six were owned by a woman and five were owned by a military veteran. None of those was among Black Hawk County companies. $1-$2 million Out of 526 Iowa companies receiving between $1 and $2 million in PPP loans each, 24 are in Black Hawk County. Those companies said the loans would help retain 2,956 jobs. They were: Advanced Heat Treat of Waterloo, 144 jobs. Pillar of Cedar Valley (filing under Black Hawk Nursing and Rehabilitation) of Waterloo, 166 jobs. Black Hawk Engineering of Cedar Falls, no jobs listed as retained. Cedar Valley Catholic Schools of Waterloo, 101 jobs. Cedar Valley Corp. of Waterloo, 83 jobs. Cedar Valley Hospice of Waterloo, 91 jobs. Dan Deery Motor Company of Waterloo, 95 jobs. Dan Deery Motor Company of Cedar Falls, 102 jobs. Distek Integration of Cedar Falls, 97 jobs. Families First Counseling Services of Iowa of Waterloo, 200 jobs. Friendship Village (filing under Friends of Faith Retirement Homes) of Waterloo, 274 jobs. Gray Transportation of Waterloo, 160 jobs. Hogan-Hansen of Waterloo, 81 jobs. K&W Electric of Cedar Falls, 108 jobs. KBFD Management of Waterloo, 123 jobs. Mudd of Cedar Falls, 130 jobs. Northeast Iowa Family Practice Center (filing under Northeast Iowa Medical Education Foundation) of Waterloo, 70 jobs. Peoples Community Health Clinic of Waterloo, 148 jobs. Rydell Motor Company of Waterloo, 138 jobs. Shorts Travel Management of Waterloo, 155 jobs. Spinutech of Cedar Falls, 75 jobs. Warren Transport of Waterloo, 143 jobs. Waterloo Warehousing and Service, 105 jobs. Witham Auto Centers of Waterloo, 167 jobs. Of the 526 Iowa companies, just six indicated they were nonwhite-owned, none in Black Hawk County. A total of 31 including Cedar Valley Hospice and Peoples Clinic indicated they were female-owned, and only five including Witham Auto Centers indicated they were veteran-owned. $350K-$1 million Another 93 companies in Black Hawk County received loans between $350,000 and $1 million, out of 1,820 Iowa companies receiving a PPP loan in that range. Of those in Black Hawk County: Waterloo: 51 Four female-owned (Awre Inc., Back Alley Printers, Beecher Field Walker Morris Hoffman and Johnson P.C., Crystal Distribution Services, Iowa Wall Systems, North Star Community Services), one veteran-owned (Schoitz Engineering) Cedar Falls: 34. Hudson: 3 (Bill Colwell Ford, 56 jobs; Foundation Service Corp., 42 jobs; and Municipal Pipe Tool Company, 46 jobs). Janesville: 2 (B&B Manufacturing, 57 jobs; and Modern Builders, 88 jobs). Dunkerton: 1 (Dunkerton Cooperative Elevator, 25 jobs). Gilbertville: 1 (Bosco Catholic School System, 43 jobs). Jesup: 1 (Corkery Transport, 36 jobs). $150K-$350K Out of 3,264 Iowa companies receiving PPP loans between $150,000 and $350,000, 135 companies were in Black Hawk County. In Black Hawk County, none of those companies indicated they had anything but white owners, eight indicated they were female-owned and one was veteran-owned: Waterloo: 75 (four female-owned Agstaff Inc., Annie M. Kontos P.C., Locke Funeral Services and Performance Carbide). Cedar Falls: 49 (four female-owned Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Cedar Brook Dental Group, Performance Bodies and Scratch Cupcakery). Hudson: 4 (Degener-Juhl Farm Partnership, no jobs listed; Holmes Welding and Fabrication, 12 jobs; Hudson Hardware, Plumbing and Heating, 22 jobs; and Nutri-Ject Systems, no jobs listed). Jesup: 4 (B&B Farm Store, 24 jobs; Farmers Mutual Telephone Company, 14 jobs; Hawkeye Metal Spinning (veteran-owned), 15 jobs; Kite Construction, 24 jobs). Janesville: 2 (CV Corporation, 22 jobs; and Richway Industries, 28 jobs). Dunkerton: 1 (Bart Brothers Construction, 19 jobs). Loans under $150,000 The SBA did not name business that received loans under $150,000. Among Black Hawk County cities, Waterloo had the most businesses apply and received the most money, Cedar Falls retained the most jobs from those small loans, and La Porte City received the most money by population. Dunkerton had the highest cost to retain one job, at more than $9,000, and Elk Run Heights had the highest average amount a business received, at more than $60,000, though only two businesses in that city received PPP loans under $150,000. Cedar Falls Number of businesses receiving loans less than $150,000: 562. Total amount of money received: $20,436,094. Average amount of money received: $36,363. Jobs retained: 3,934. Cost to retain one job: $5,195. Money received per capita: $498. Nonwhite owned businesses receiving loans: 8 (1.4%). Female-owned businesses receiving loans: 55 (9.8%). Businesses owned by military veterans receiving loans: 3 (0.5%). Dunkerton Number of businesses receiving loans less than $150,000: 24. Total amount of money received: $531,974. Average amount of money received: $22,166. Jobs retained: 58. Cost to retain one job: $9,172. Money received per capita: $635. Nonwhite owned businesses receiving loans: 0 Female-owned businesses receiving loans: 1 (4.2%). Businesses owned by military veterans receiving loans: 0. Elk Run Heights Number of businesses receiving loans less than $150,000: 2. Total amount of money received: $123,954. Average amount of money received: $61,977. Jobs retained: 20. Cost to retain one job: $6,198. Money received per capita: $107. Nonwhite owned businesses receiving loans: 0. Female-owned businesses receiving loans: 0. Businesses owned by military veterans receiving loans: 0. Evansdale Number of businesses receiving loans less than $150,000: 35. Total amount of money received: $1,070,994. Average amount of money received: $30,600. Jobs retained: 156. Cost to retain one job: $6,865. Money received per capita: $225. Nonwhite owned businesses receiving loans: 0. Female-owned businesses receiving loans: 5 (14.3%). Businesses owned by military veterans receiving loans: 0. Gilbertville Number of businesses receiving loans less than $150,000: 8. Total amount of money received: $207,386. Average amount of money received: $25,923. Jobs retained: 33. Cost to retain one job: $6,284. Money received per capita: $284. Non-white owned businesses receiving loans: 0. Female-owned businesses receiving loans: 0. Businesses owned by military veterans receiving loans: 0. Hudson Number of businesses receiving loans less than $150,000: 51. Total amount of money received: $1,343,281. Average amount of money received: $26,339. Jobs retained: 227. Cost to retain one job: $5,918. Money received per capita: $545. Nonwhite owned businesses receiving loans: 0. Female-owned businesses receiving loans: 4 (7.8%). Businesses owned by military veterans receiving loans: 0. Janesville Number of businesses receiving loans less than $150,000: 26. Total amount of money received: $479,642. Average amount of money received: $18,448. Jobs retained: 77. Cost to retain one job: $6,229. Money received per capita: $488. Nonwhite owned businesses receiving loans: 0. Female-owned businesses receiving loans: 4 (15.4%). Businesses owned by military veterans receiving loans: 0. Jesup Number of businesses receiving loans less than $150,000: 77. Total amount of money received: $1,761,484. Average amount of money received: $22,876. Jobs retained: 276. Cost to retain one job: $6,382. Money received per capita: $650. Non-white owned businesses receiving loans: 0. Female-owned businesses receiving loans: 3 (3.9%). Businesses owned by military veterans receiving loans: 0. La Porte City Number of businesses receiving loans less than $150,000: 54. Total amount of money received: $1,570,113. Average amount of money received: $29,076. Jobs retained: 202. Cost to retain one job: $7,773. Money received per capita: $695. Non-white owned businesses receiving loans: 0. Female-owned businesses receiving loans: 4 (7.4%). Businesses owned by military veterans receiving loans: 0. Raymond Number of businesses receiving loans less than $150,000: 4. Total amount of money received: $95,617. Average amount of money received: $23,904. Jobs retained: 12. Cost to retain one job: $7,968. Money received per capita: $119. Nonwhite owned businesses receiving loans: 0. Female-owned businesses receiving loans: 0. Businesses owned by military veterans receiving loans: 0. Washburn Number of businesses receiving loans less than $150,000: 10. Total amount of money received: $385,807. Average amount of money received: $38,581. Jobs retained: 89. Cost to retain one job: $4,335. Money received per capita: $440. Non-white owned businesses receiving loans: 0. Female-owned businesses receiving loans: 1 (10%). Businesses owned by military veterans receiving loans: 0. Waterloo Number of businesses receiving loans less than $150,000: 653. Total amount of money received: $23,266,548. Average amount of money received: $35,630. Jobs retained: 3,659. Cost to retain one job: $6,359. Money received per capita: $343. Nonwhite owned businesses receiving loans: 8. Female-owned businesses receiving loans: 32 (4.9%). Businesses owned by military veterans receiving loans: 8 (1.3%). Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 45 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. Nepal has sent a 'diplomatic note' to India, urging New Delhi to take steps against the broadcast of materials what it called "fake, baseless and insensitive as well as abusive" to the country and its leadership by a section of the Indian media, a source said on Sunday. The move came days after Nepal on Thursday stopped the transmission of all Indian private news channels except Doordarshan, accusing them of airing reports hurting the country's national sentiment. There was no immediate reaction from India on the issue. In the diplomatic note to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) via the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the materials disseminated by a section of the Indian media are fake, baseless and insensitive as well as abusive to Nepal and Nepali leadership, according to an aide of the Nepal Prime Minister. "Such materials are not only misleading and misinforming but also impair the sense of minimum public decency, the ministry said in the note. The ill-intentioned "smearing campaign unleashed by a section of Indian media has deeply hurt the feelings of Nepali people and persona of Nepali leadership," read the note. It requested the Indian authorities to take measures against these obscene materials on Nepal by a section of the Indian media and make sure that such materials do not find space in the media. Meanwhile, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists and Press Council Nepal also condemned some reports of a section of the Indian media. The India-Nepal bilateral ties came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8. Nepal reacted sharply to the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through Nepalese territory. India rejected the claim asserting that the road lies completely within its territory. Later, Nepal updated the country's political map through a Constitutional amendment, incorporating three strategically important Indian areas. India termed as "untenable" the "artificial enlargement" of the territorial claims by Nepal. India has handed over a diplomatic note to Nepal over the map issue, Nepalese media reports said. Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, under pressure to resign amidst a rift in the ruling Nepal Communist Party over his style of functioning, has alleged that some of the ruling party leaders are aligning with the southern neighbour to remove him from power after his government issued a new political map incorporating three Indian territories. His allegations have been criticised by senior NCP leaders, including former prime minister 'Prachanda', who demanded Prime Minister Oli's resignation, saying his recent anti-India remarks were "neither politically correct nor diplomatically appropriate." Lindsay Arnold is expecting her first child, a daughter, with husband Samuel Cusick with a due date of November 2020. And the 26-year-old Dancing With The Stars pro has now opened up about the first time she felt like her bump was really popping. In June she thought she should have been able to see a bump but it was not there. Weeks later, it took shape to her delight. Baby on board! Dancing With The Stars' Lindsay Arnold opened up about her growing baby bump on Monday 'This was a fun picture because I feel like it was the first time I was like, "Oh, theres my belly. Like, I have an awesome baby belly." It was very exciting,' she told Us Weekly while reminiscing on a photo she shared on June 24. 'I was kind of waiting for it and starting to be like, "Is this weird? Like, I feel like I should be popping a lot more."' Lindsay went on to share the excitement she felt when she was able to physically see her body changing. 'This was a fun picture because I feel like it was the first time I was like, "Oh, theres my belly. Like, I have an awesome baby belly." It was very exciting,' she told Us Weekly while reminiscing on a photo she shared on June 24 (pictured) 'My body was definitely changing, but when I looked in the mirror and was like, "Oh, my gosh. You can see that theres actually a baby in there," it was pretty cool.' Lindsay's confessions come after she shared her burgeoning bump on social media last week. 'Day dreaming about this place also!! 5 months 2 weeks and 3 days prego today officially past the halfway point and soooo ready to meet baby girl!' she captioned. The reality TV star sported a white bikini and posed with her bump on show. Lindsay and her husband recently shared a video of their gender reveal with fans. The pair set off their own individual confetti cannons that sent clouds of pink confetti into the air. Changing: 'My body was definitely changing, but when I looked in the mirror and was like, "Oh, my gosh. You can see that theres actually a baby in there," it was pretty cool' Gender reveal: In an emotional video uploaded to YouTube, Dancing With The Stars pro Lindsay Arnold revealed that the gender of her impending child is female Lindsay's mouth dropped as she watched the confetti fill her and Samuel's surroundings, while family members cheered in excitement. She ended up dropping her popper to ground and flew into Samuel's arms - knocking his hat off his head. He picked up Lindsay as she kept her hands clasped around his neck and smiled into his chest. Explosive: For the gender reveal, Lindsay and Samuel set off their own individual confetti cannons that sent clouds of pink confetti into the air It's a girl: Lindsay ended up dropping her popper to ground and flew into Samuel's arms - knocking his hat off his head Lindsay took a moment to speak to her surveying family members and - in between her fits of laughter - claimed that Samuel uttered a disappointed 'No!' when he saw the pink confetti fly out of the cannon. The couple shared a few more hugs and kisses with each other before Lindsay's mother approached them for a group hug. 'I am literally shaking right now,' said Lindsay as she stuck her hands out in front of her. 'Oh no, I gotta process this,' said Samuel as he flashed a smile at the cheering crowd of friends and family. Group hug: The couple shared a few more hugs and kisses with each other before Lindsay's mother approached them for a group hug Time to process: 'Oh no, I gotta process this,' said Samuel as he flashed a smile at the cheering crowd of friends and family Incoming: As the pair continued to embrace their family members, the phrase 'Baby girl coming November 2020' flashed across the screen in white cursive lettering Lindsay admitted that 'not for one second did [she] think it was gonna be a girl.' As the pair continued to embrace their family members, the phrase 'Baby girl coming November 2020' flashed across the screen in white cursive lettering. The nearly seven-minute video commenced with footage of Lindsay and Samuel taken during their wedding in 2015 and transitioned to video taken during the couple's honeymoon. The retrospective footage was intercepted by selfie video taken by Lindsay in her car, while she waited with Samuel to get her first ultrasound underway. Retrospective: The nearly seven-minute video commenced with footage of Lindsay and Samuel taken during their wedding in 2015 and transitioned to video taken during the couple's honeymoon Happily in love: In the wedding footage, Lindsay donned a modest mermaid style gown, while Samuel suited up in blue Record scratch: The retrospective footage was intercepted by selfie video taken by Lindsay in her car, while she waited with Samuel to get her first ultrasound underway 'We're getting the ultrasound done. We're gonna find out the gender. And then we are going straight to my house and we are doing the gender reveal party,' she explained. The professional ballroom dancer then asked Samuel to take a guess at the baby's gender, to which he replied: 'I don't know. 50/50 chance.' The video then cut to footage taken in the ultrasound room, where Lindsay laid with her belly bare as images of her unborn child showed up on a screen in front of her. Ultrasound: 'We're getting the ultrasound done. We're gonna find out the gender. And then we are going straight to my house and we are doing the gender reveal party,' she explained Take a guess: The professional ballroom dancer then asked Samuel to take a guess at the baby's gender, to which he replied: "I don't know. 50/50 chance' Neither Lindsay or Samuel looked at the screen and, once they finished the appointment, they headed off to a party store to get their confetti cannons filled. While on their way to the gender reveal party, Lindsay and Samuel each confidently stated that they believed they were having a boy. Once they arrived to Lindsay's home, they went around with a video camera and captured the guesses of family members before unveiling the answer in confetti cannon form. There she is: The video then cut to footage taken in the ultrasound room, where Lindsay laid with her belly bare as images of her unborn child showed up on a screen in front of her No peeking: Neither Lindsay or Samuel looked at the screen and, once they finished the appointment, they headed off to a party store to get their confetti cannons filled. Last Wednesday, Lindsay used Instagram to publish her baby announcement to thw world. 'Ohhhhhh baby! Mom and Dad love you already #November2020 #pregnant #pregnancyannouncement,' she captioned. For the big news, Lindsay posed for two photographs with Samuel that showed her holding a string of ultrasound images in her hand. Expecting: Lindsay Arnold took to Instagram last Wednesday to announce that she is expecting her first child with husband Samuel Lightner Cusick She resided in Samuel's lap, while donning a gorgeous knee length floral dress. Samuel suited up for the occasion in a grey polo and dark wash denim jeans. In the second snapshot, the married couple shared a tender kiss as Arnold flashed the ultrasound photos - and her sparkling wedding ring - at the camera. Scorpio: 'Ohhhhhh baby! Mom and Dad love you already #November2020 #pregnant #pregnancyannouncement,' she captioned Her pregnancy news came as quite a shock to her 800,000 followers being that the star had put her abs on full display on social media earlier in the month. Following her 2015 wedding the Samuel, Lindsay released a statement to People stating how 'excited' she was to 'dance through life with Sam.' 'I could never have imagined that when I was 16 years old I would have met the man I would marry and who would be my partner yesterday, today and tomorrow,' read Lindsay's statement. A year after their marriage, the high school sweethearts told ET that they 'definitely [wanted] kids' but that, at the time, they were not ready to begin a family. Abs: The pregnancy news came as quite a shock to her 800,000 followers being that the star had put her abs on full display earlier in the month; Lindsay pictured on May 3 'We would like to wait. We both want to do everything that we want to do, so that when we have children, we can really be there for them. We're still enjoying just being newlyweds right now,' explained the professional dancer. News of Arnold's pregnancy comes just six-months after the tragic loss of her mother-in-law Jennifer Cusick in 2019. Jennifer's unexpected passing forced Arnold to step away from her Dancing With The Stars duties where she was actively competing with former White House press secretary Sean Spicer. High School Sweethearts: Lindsay and Samuel got married in 2015, during a ceremony held into Salt Lake City, Utah; Lindsay and Samuel pictured in 2019 Tragedy: The unexpected passing of Arnold's mother-in-law Jennifer forced her to step away from her Dancing With The Stars duties where she was actively competing with former White House press secretary Sean Spicer; Lindsay and Sean pictured in 2019 'I am so saddened to say that my beautiful, loving, selfless mother in law has unexpectedly passed away,' wrote Arnold on her personal Instagram. 'Family is the most important thing to me and being with my husband and our family at this time is exactly where I need to be.' Lindsay began her career on Dancing With The Stars during season 16 of the competition show in 2013. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 13, 2020) - McLaren Resources Inc. (CSE: MCL) (FSE: 3ML) ("McLaren" / the "Company") announces that it has closed a non-brokered private placement financing consisting of flow-through share units (the "Flow-Through Units") and common share units (the "Common Share Units") for aggregate gross proceeds of $587,000. The Company has issued a total of 6,540,000 Common Share Units and 5,200,000 Flow-Through Units. Both, the Flow-Through Units and the Common Share Units were issued at a price of $0.05 per unit. Each Flow-Through Unit consists of one common share in the capital of McLaren issued on a flow-through basis pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) and one-half of one common share purchase warrant. Each Common Share Unit consists of one common share in the capital of McLaren and one common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant is exercisable at a price of $0.10 per common share for a period of 18 months from the date of issuance. In connection with the financing, McLaren paid finder's fees consisting of $21,875 in cash, including a finder's fee of $1,750 to Accilent Capital Management Inc. Gross proceeds from the Flow-Through Units will be used by McLaren for exploration expenditures on its gold properties located in the Timmins Gold District in Northern Ontario. Net proceeds from the Common Share Units will be used for general corporate purposes. The Company also announces that it has granted 1,550,000 stock options to consultants of McLaren. Each option entitles the holder to purchase one common share in the capital of McLaren at an exercise price of $0.10 per share for a period of two years from the date of issuance. In addition, the Company has issued $50,000 value in shares at $0.05 per share of McLaren to directors and consultants of McLaren in exchange for services rendered to McLaren. About McLaren McLaren is focused on exploring its gold properties located in the Timmins Gold District of Northeastern Ontario. The McCool Property located 2 km north of Highway 101 and neighbours several large gold deposits including the Golden Highway project property 1km to the south and the Fenn Gib gold project 5 km to the east. The Black Fox mine is 15 km to the west and the Hope Mine Complex is 20 km to the east. The McLaren Blue Quartz Property is 6 km north of Black Fox Mine, and the McLaren Kerrs Property is 10 km east of the Blue Quartz Property. Story continues For more information, please contact: Radovan Danilovsky, President, Phone: 416-203-6784, www.mclarenresources.com. MCLAREN RESOURCES INC. 44 Victoria Street, Suite 1616 Toronto, Ontario M5C 1Y2 The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of the press release. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward looking statements". When used in this document, the words "anticipated", "expect", "estimated", "forecast", "planned", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements or information. These statements are based on current expectations of management; however, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. McLaren Resources Inc. does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date hereof, except as required by securities laws. This news release which announces a completed financing is not for distribution in the United States. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/59666 WASHINGTON, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Promotora Agricola El Toro, a JV Smith Companies facility with more than 3,500 workers and nearly 10,000 acres, has recently achieved Equitable Food Initiative certification, becoming the largest operation to have done so. Green onion harvest at Agricola El Toro, a JV Smith Companies facility As part of the certification process, EFI trains a labor-management leadership team in communication and problem-solving skills and the team works to maintain compliance with labor, food safety and pest management standards. The worker-manager collaborative team at Agricola El Toro proved critical during the coronavirus pandemic, ensuring that proper safety protocols were communicated to all employees on the large team. "The EFI model brings a range of opportunities and advantages to fresh produce companies and leads to a fair partnership between employees and the company," said Vic Smith, CEO of JV Smith Companies. "As the pandemic began, it really showed us how much our communication networks had evolved with EFI, and the team played a critical part in protecting our workers and continuing to serve our customers." With EFI certification, farming operations like Agricola El Toro work to make sure that: Workers are treated justly and experience a safer and more secure work environment; Workers have direct communication to management and feel free to voice their concerns in identifying problems and creating solutions; and The facility commits to continuous improvement and sound management systems to improve both compliance and business performance. EFI certification affirms the commitment Agricola El Toro made to its workers many years ago. The operation has been Ciudad Morelos' chief employer for more than 25 years. In 2015, the company launched Sembrando Futuro, a foundation whose main objective is to further the integral development of the Mexicali Valley by promoting values of respect, dignity and solidarity. At the core of its vision, the foundation seeks to integrate the company with its community and workers through education, sport and culture. Moreover, the company offers a multitude of benefits to its workers, including adult education, scholarships for workers' children, additional support for families, and an on-site medical office. "EFI certification helps retail buyers and consumers identify growing operations like JV Smith Companies that are meeting socially responsible standards and truly care about their workers," said LeAnne Ruzzamenti, director of marketing communications for EFI. "In today's social justice movement, it is increasingly important to verify the good work and commitment growers make to their workers so that consumers can easily determine which brands to trust." EFI partners with growers and retailers to create a more transparent food chain, safer food and healthier places to work. The JV Smith Companies certification marks EFI's 25th certification in Mexico and 42nd overall. Agricola El Toro was started in 1992 as a company dedicated to planting, harvesting, packing and exporting produce. Today, the vertically integrated company is known for high-quality products, including green onions, leafy greens, broccoli, celery and leeks, that serve each and every one of its clients. Agricola El Toro is part of JV Smith Companies, based in Yuma, Arizona. About EFI Equitable Food Initiative is a nonprofit certification and skill-building organization that seeks to increase transparency in the food supply chain and improve the lives of farmworkers through a team-based approach to training and continuous improvement practices. EFI brings together growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumers to solve the most pressing issues facing the fresh produce industry. Its unparalleled approach sets standards for labor practices, food safety and pest management while engaging workers at all levels on the farm to produce Responsibly Grown, Farmworker Assured fruits and vegetables. For more information about Equitable Food Initiative, visit equitablefood.org. View a list of EFI-certified farms at equitablefood.org/farms. About JV Smith Companies JV Smith Companies, helmed by Vic Smith, is a diverse group with farming and cooling operations, as well as distribution facilities and shipping capacities in Arizona, California, Colorado and Baja, Mexico. JV Smith Companies includes JV Farms, Triangle Farms, Promotora Agricola El Toro, Southern Colorado Farms, Skyline Potato, JV Farms Organic, Skyview Cooling and Fresh Innovations. Skyview Cooling was the first operation formed in 1970 and began as a cooling company in Colorado and New Mexico. By 1977, it had expanded to growing operations in Center, Colorado; then Yuma, Arizona, in 1988; Mexico in 1992; and Salinas, California, in 2012. Today JV Smith Companies farms a number of commodities, including conventional romaine, iceberg lettuce, spinach, potatoes, mixed leaf and organic spring mix, carrots, celery, romaine and green onions. Following in the footsteps of their father Vic Smith, son Kyle Smith and daughter Kristen Eshaya have also joined the leadership team. The JV Smith Companies team is committed to staying one step ahead of the industry by using innovative techniques, being diligent in research and working cohesively as a team to ensure the safest, freshest and most nutritious quality product possible. Contact: LeAnne R. Ruzzamenti, (202) 524-0540, [email protected] SOURCE Equitable Food Initiative Related Links http://equitablefood.org YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. The provocative operations launched by Azerbaijan on the Armenia border, in fact, are a direct consequence of the developments taking place in that country, political scientist Narek Minasyan told Armenpress. The socio-economic problems that started in Azerbaijan months before and continued deepening at this period forced the Azerbaijani authorities to intensify the militaristic rhetoric in order for ensuring a public consolidation and deviating the public attention from the socio-economic issues. And it seems, this is not enough, he said. The political scientist said for many years the Azerbaijani authorities have convinced their own people that they can solve the problem through military means at any moment, as a result their people have exaggerated expectations, and this in fact has started working to the detriment of the Azerbaijani authorities. And now, with such provocations, the Azerbaijani side is trying to somehow satisfy the expectations of its own people, as well as deviate the public attention from the problems existing inside the country and at the same time ensure a public consolidation around it, Narek Minasyan said. Commenting on the operations of the Armenian Armed Forces, he said quite a professional work has been carried out. Citing some sources, Minasyan said the Armenian side has achievements, Azerbaijan suffered many losses both in human and military equipment terms. As for the work with the international community, the political scientist said actions are surely being taken on this direction both at the foreign ministrys and the defense ministrys level. On July 12, at about 12:30, the armed forces of Azerbaijan attempted to violate the state border of Armenia in an UAZ vehicle in the direction of Tavush province. Following the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani armed forces left the vehicle and returned to their position. At about 13:45, the Azerbaijani forces made a second attempt to capture the Armenian border post, using artillery fire, but were pushed back, suffering losses. The Azerbaijani defense ministry reported that four soldiers have died in the incident. Later that day Armenian defense ministers spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side restarted shelling the same Armenian position, using 82 mm mortars and a tank. Today Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side has again resumed shelling the Armenian positions. No casualties and injuries were reported from the Armenian side. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Demonstrators in Khabarovsk say the charges against Sergey Furgal of involvement in a string of murders are a sham. Thousands of protesters have gathered for a third consecutive day of protests in Russias far east against the jailing of a provincial governor accused of involvement in multiple murders. Mondays demonstrators in Khabarovsk on the border with China rejected the charges against Governor Sergey Furgal as a sham and denounced the federal authorities. The protests reflected widespread anger over the arrest of the popular governor and a simmering discontent with the Kremlins policies. The 50-year-old Furgal was arrested in Khabarovsk on Thursday and flown to Moscow, where a court ruled that he should be held for two months as the investigation continues. The charges date back to the period before Furgal launched his political career [Investigative Committee of Russia via Reuters] The Investigative Committee, Russias main criminal investigation agency, said Furgal is accused of involvement in the murders of several businessmen in the region and nearby territories in 2004 and 2005. Furgal has denied the charges, which date back to the period before he launched his political career. At the time he was a businessman with interests ranging from imports of consumer goods to timber and metals. Before defeating a Kremlin-backed rival to win the governors seat in 2018, Furgal served as a federal lawmaker for about 10 years on the Liberal-Democratic Party ticket. Like the rest of his party, Furgal has never challenged federal government policy, but his unexpected victory in the gubernatorial election dealt a humiliating blow to the main Kremlin party, United Russia. Indian cinema garnered a whole lot of attention, making the audience sit tight and enjoy a movie. Cut to the advancement in the digital world, OTT platforms became a rage and it's safe to say that it has taken the world by storm. In case of Bollywood actors as well, after being a part of Indian cinema for so long, these actors are now embracing the digital arena, by giving us memorable performances in unconventional shows. Take a look at all the actors who wowed us with their acting chops. 1. Sushmita Sen Twitter/Sushmita Sen Aarya became one of the most-watched shows of 2020 and with Sushmita Sen's comeback, we have to give her a considerable chunk of credit for her performance. In Aarya, the actress is shown as a doting wife and is also a mother, who tries to keep her family safe, after her husband's assassination. The story is spine-chilling and also a mind-gripping! 2. Jimmy Sheirgill Show Time Jimmy Sheirgill was also roped in for Your Honor and he joined the bandwagon of digital platforms. In the thriller, Shergill showed his acting prowess and left the audience lauding his performance. His debut is one of the truly 'honoured' ones. 3. Arshad Warsi Twitter/Arshad Warsi Besides having an impeccable wit on-screen in Bollywood movies, Arshad Warsi has proved that his acting skills are not just limited to having an on-point comic timing. His stellar performance in Asur: Welcome To Your Dark Side, received rave views. The actor plays the role of a forensic officer who finds himself in a brutal game that follows a series of suspense on the show. 4. Amit Sadh Twitter/Amit Sadh A thriller web series, that got another sequel recently, Breathe: Into The Shadows has stirred a lot of curiosity amongst the audience. Amit Sadh plays the role of Kabir Sawant, that gets more intense with the latest release. His un-imaginable avatar and the act of protecting the loved ones only gets better with this show. The latest release also stars Abhishek Bachchan in it, which marks his debut. 5. Jaideep Ahlawat Clean Slate Films Jaideep Ahlawat's nuanced performance in Paatal Lok might have taken a while to come along and yet, the actor was able to foray well into the web-series arena, without disappointing the audience. The actor essayed the role of a cop, Hathi Ram and successfully proved his mettle on this show. 6. Rajkummar Rao ALT Balaji Being called as one of the finest actors of Bollywood, Rajkummar Rao's digital debut in Bose: Dead/Alive also left no stone unturned in portraying his stellar acting chops. The actor essayed the role of Subhas Chandra Bose who is presumed to be dead. However, there comes a telegram from Mahatma Gandhi to perform his last rites and that's how the whole story takes a 180 and that changes everything. 7. R Madhavan Amazon Prime Video R Madhavan made his digital debut with a web-series called Breathe. The series in question is a blood-curdling show that talks about how far a person can go to protect their own. Madhavan's transformation in the series, who turns into a cold-blooded killer, made the plot of the show, even more intriguing. 8. Manoj Bajpayee Amazon Prime Video The main lead of the show The Family Man, Manoj Bajpayee's role as a savage spy, exuded dominance and power on-screen. The critically acclaimed star forayed into the web-series arena with this mini-series, in which the actor vowed to keep his nation free from terrorist activities. The edgy crime-drama received appreciation in abundance. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 13) The Department of Health on Monday recorded the highest single-day COVID-19 death tally for July 12. Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said 162 deaths were recorded, but she clarified most of the deaths occurred in May and June. Out of the 162 deaths recorded, 18 patients infected with coronavirus died last week. She said more deaths are expected to be reported in the coming days as a result of DOH's data reconciliation efforts in cooperation with local governments. The Philippines recorded 2,124 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of infections to 56,259. At least 459 new cases were seen in Metro Manila, which is under the relaxed general community quarantine. The country's case fatality rate is improving at 2.7 percent compared to the 4.5 percent global rate, according to the DOH. However, it noted that the percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 is worsening. The Philippines' positivity rate is at 7.8 percent as compared to the less than 5 percent benchmark set by the World Health Organization. There are currently 38,679 active cases in the country, with 92.2 percent of patients exhibiting mild flu-like symptoms. At least 2,009 COVID-19 patients have recovered the highest single-day recovery recorded. The total is now at 16,046. Vergeire added this number is also expected to continue to rise as DOH strengthens its data collecting efforts with LGUs. DOH released the tally of coronavirus cases for July 12 a day late due to what it said was the significant volume of data reported that had to be validated. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Madison Pacific Properties Inc. (the Company) (TSX: MPC and MPC.C), a Vancouver-based real estate company announces the results of operations for the nine months ended May 31, 2020. The results reported are pursuant to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for public companies. For the nine months ended May 31, 2020, the Company is reporting net income of $25.1 million (2019: $24.4 million); cash flows from operating activities before changes in non-cash operating balances of $10.2 million (2019: $9.5 million); and income per share of $0.43 (2019: $0.40). Included in net income is an after-tax net gain from the fair value adjustment on investment properties of $19.3 million (2019: $16.5 million). The Company currently owns approximately $585 million in investment and development properties, including the Companys proportionate share of properties held through jointly-controlled partnerships. The Companys investment portfolio comprises 51 properties with approximately 1.83 million rentable sq. ft. of industrial and commercial space. Approximately 98.5% of the available space of the investment properties is currently leased. The Companys development properties include a 50% interest in the Silverdale Hills Limited Partnership which owns approximately 1,380 acres of undeveloped residential designated lands in Mission, British Columbia. The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to cause economic disruption. At this stage, it is too early to predict the duration and extent of the pandemic and whether it will have any long-term impact on the Companys business. The Company is currently well positioned, with a diversified income portfolio of industrial, office, and retail assets. Approximately 81% of the Companys investment properties are located in British Columbia where the provincial government has taken a phased approach to reopening and the province is currently in phase 3 of a 4 phased reopening. The Company has agreed to some short-term rent deferrals and rent relief, including rent relief through government assistance programs, for certain tenants that have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As at May 31, 2020, the rent deferrals amounted to $433 and rent relief, if approved, is estimated at $159. In addition, employees and directors of the Company have taken a temporary reduction in compensation. These are uncertain and challenging times and management will be continuing to monitor business developments and market conditions and any effect they may have on the business. The Company is pleased to announce that a $.0525 per share dividend on each of the Class B voting common shares and Class C non-voting shares will be payable September 8, 2020 to shareholders of record on August 17, 2020. The dividend is considered an eligible dividend for tax purposes. 13.07.2020 LISTEN Teaching isn't the only hard job to do in Ghana, but it's also the profession nobody, especially the politicians respect though it's the teacher who made them who they are today in society. The disrespect towards teachers is seen across the political divide. However, much of it is being witnessed under the current government and how it sees the teacher to be a nobody. The disdain shown towards teachers by the current education minister leave much to be desired and must be condemned by all well meaning citizens. Anytime he opens his mouth to talk, the teacher is always at the receiving side of his insults. This makes me wonder if indeed this supposed honourable man has ever been taught by any teacher at all in his life time. His recent comment that "who will work to pay teachers if they refuse to go to school and teach" is one of such attacks on the teacher as well as the teaching profession. Though I'm not a professional teacher, once I hold a chalk and inculcate the little I know into the Ghanaian child to make his life better in the future, I empathise with the professional teachers in everything they do, which is not seen by many in the society. It's rather unfortunate the minister made such comments and openly too. I can only say the minister bungled when he attempted to compare the teacher to workers of ECG, doctors and other essential service workers in Ghana. What he deliberately refused to do was to mention the remuneration these very people he mentioned in his list of essential service workers benefit as against what the poor teacher takes home as salary. Let me make it abundantly clear that, no teacher would be complaining if he or she was better paid as compared to those the minister was so glad to list as essential service workers, who are working amidst the pandemic. The honourable poor teacher is denied a lot of allowances that are supposed to be paid to him. Do teachers take medical allowances as it's done in some work places in this country? No! The teacher depends solely on his monthly salary to carter for his health needs. The teacher is entitled to accommodation allowance but does he get it? The teacher is indeed entitled to many benefits but as to whether the teacher gets these benefits is the million-dollar question. Therefore, if the teacher who suffers already gets nothing in returns as compared to others, why must a minister who should know better goof as he did? It's highly pathetic to be a teacher in Ghana. Most young people after finishing the university and getting jobs are able to buy cars and build decent houses. The teacher pays rent till he goes on retirement to build a house. It isn't that the teacher doesn't know how to enjoy a ride in a car called his own or lives in a decent house that is his, but the financial encumbrance of the teacher makes all these things far from the destitute teacher, who lives in abject poverty with peanuts called salary. The irony of the situation however is that, a politician enters into politics today and the next day he's a multi millionaire with flashy cars and huge mansions everywhere in the cities. This makes the politician speaks with contempt towards the impoverished teacher who is living from hand to mouth. The teacher deserves better than this! If not corruption and injustice, how can the politician takes home every four years what the teacher takes home in his entire working life time and you still think the teacher must work like a donkey! The Ex Gratia the greedy and insensitive apish politicians take home can't be compared to the entire end of work benefits of a teacher. But today, a minister wants Ghanaians to know the teacher is paid well and so, he must stay at work to die for mother Ghana. Why are the "big men" going into self isolation? They're running away from the virus and you want teachers to go face it and die. After all, who are teacher? God save the poor teacher! It's a fact that, the teachers wouldn't have complained if the necessary proactive steps were taken to protect the teachers and the students against the virus. All teachers, non teaching staff and the students needed to have been tested before allowing them to enter the various campuses for teaching and learning to start. How can you only use a thermometer gun to determine who has the virus? And after that, you give nose masks and hand sanitizers. Is this enough to tell the teacher to stay at post and die? This is completely gobbledygook if you ask my opinion. Because, if some of the students already have the virus, spreading it among their colleagues and even some teachers wouldn't be difficult. Maybe you will say the cost of testing all these people is expensive but our lives aren't precious to the government I guess so. Our lives is valued by our families who care for us Mr. minister But I don't blame the minister. He's only displaying his ultracrepidarianism, since a common vet knows no much in how vital the teaching profession is to the educational system. I would rather choose to blame the dormant and ineffective various teachers' unions dotted across the country and who are only and always interested in collecting dues contributions of teachers, but when it comes to the teachers' welfare, these unions seem not to exist. If indeed, they're up to the task would such an apology of a minister makes such comments and get away with it? No. What worries me the most is that, this isn't the first time this same minister have openly looked down on teachers with his unprintable words too. How long must anybody just come to insult teachers and cast slur at the teacher and his profession with such impunity? Furthermore, how can any responsible government set your own rules and defy same with impunity? We were told no nobody even parents of students shouldn't be allowed to visit their wards. Then we suddenly wake up to see politicians on our campuses in the name of voters registration. How can we then be protected as the minister said we should follow the protocols and stay in school to teach? We had a full minister having the virus and roaming deliberately with it. How then sure are we that, those who visited our schools don't have it? Must our laws favour only those in government or what? Government itself isn't doing much to help in the fight against the virus, if it allows its members to continuously break the laws on social distancing and other protocols that are put in place to check the spread of the virus. finally, Mr. Minister the poor teachers are staying in school to teacher but mind you, grades have no importance to any dead student. You must therefore be sensitive to the plight of both the teachers and students. If you can't close down the schools, which I personally think shouldn't be done especially for the final year students. But you should find a way of testing all of them as a proactive measure to make sure they stay healthy and free from the virus before they student their exams. They will be if they start and the number of infections starts increasing in schools across the country. It won't end well with them. And that might have been a waste of everyone's time and energy. Ghanaians are watching Francis Angbabora Baaladong Kaleo Maharashtra government has informed a Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court (HC) that a policy is likely to be framed soon for extending the benefit of reservation in the promotion to persons with disabilities (PwD) in Group A and Group B posts. Additional government pleader AM Deshpande informed the two-member HC bench, comprising Justices Sunil Shukre and SM Modak, last Friday that at present, no policy is in place to provide for reservation in promotion to PwD in Group A and Group B posts, but soon an appropriate decision would be taken in consultation with the central government. He was responding to a petition filed by Ravindra Ukey, who is serving on a Group C post, as an extension officer in Nagpur Zilla Parishad. He had moved the HC seeking orders to the state government to promote him to a Group B post on the basis of a minimum of 3% reservation prescribed for PwD under Section 33 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. He claimed that in 2016, the Supreme Court (SC) had recognised the right of PwD to a reservation in promotion, and as a result, he was entitled to be elevated to a Group B post. The HC, however, observed that the apex court itself has held that before the reservation under Section 33 to an extent of a minimum 3% comes into operation, the government must complete the exercise for identification of the posts suitable for appointment of PwD. It is clear that unless the identification exercise as prescribed under Section 32 of the Act is over, the mandate of Section 33 providing for reservation of not less than 3% in various posts for persons with disabilities cannot come into operation, the HC added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Performing arts activities: Played clarinet in Marching Band for four years; played for a total of eight years. Awards/achievements: "My junior and senior marching season, I was the clarinet section leader and I participated in several Solo and Ensemble competitions over the years." What I enjoy most about Band: "My absolute favorite part of Band was becoming friends with people that I wouldn't have met if I weren't in band, and a lot of those people have been my best friends for years." Most memorable moment: "One of my favorite memories was traveling to Grand Rapids for the Michigan Music Conference and staying at the Amway Grand with all of my best friends before our performance. We had spent months rehearsing for the MMC, and performing at DeVos Hall made it all worth it. Future plans: "In the fall, I am attending Michigan State University to study zoology, and even though I won't be continuing music, Band will always have a special place in my heart." NOTE: The Daily News is honoring performing arts students from the high school graduating classes of 2020 in Midland County by publishing their photos and the highlights of their time spent in band, orchestra, choir and/or drama. If you are in the class of 2020 and participated in any of these activities, please email Dan Chalk at chalk@mdn.net The annual alewife run up the St. Croix River has already passed last year's total. The official count at the Milltown Dam reached 607,053 as of June 27, according to the St. Croix International Waterway Commission's eighth weekly anadromous fishery report for 2020, well above last year's total of 486,500 by the time the run ended in early July. "I was hoping for a million this year," says Ed Bassett of the Passamaquoddy Tribe's Environmental Department at Sipayik. "It's got a long way to go, but it's growing and that's a positive thing." However, Forest City fishing guide Dale Wheaton contends that river herring - sea run alewives also called gaspereau and closely related blue back herring - do not belong in the St. Croix and that they threaten freshwater species. "We're scared to death because the alewives have absolutely devastated many of the freshwater lakes," Wheaton says, blaming these fish for a drastic drop in smallmouth bass in Spednic Lake after NB Power opened an improved fishway at the Milltown Dam in 1981. "They cleaned out the smallmouth bass, the rainbow smelts, the white perch, the landlocked salmon, everything," he says. Wheaton contends that alewives could not get past Salmon Falls before investors blasted rock to build the Milltown Dam in 1881 to power the new cotton mill. "Alewives in prehistoric times could not get up the river," he argues. Bassett, however, points to archaeological and historical evidence including an 1851 report on New Brunswick fisheries by Moses Perley, who cites older people who remembered incredible runs of sea run salmon, shad and alewives coming up the river. "The two great branches of the St. Croix, with their numerous tributaries, and the large lakes at the head of each branch present every variety of river, lake and stream adapted to the breeding and feeding of fish. When this is considered, it is not at all surprising, that such great and almost incredible bodies of salmon, shad and gaspereau, as are described by every old resident, should have passed through the narrow gorges of the lower St. Croix in their annual migrations from the sea," Perley wrote. Perley's informants told him that these fisheries "instantly fell off" after construction of the Union Dam in tide water not far below Salmon Falls, with no fishway, in 1825. By 1851 Perley reported sawdust, bark and sawmill edgings plugged fishways at other dams. The Union Dam is gone but, a generation after Perley, investors built the Milltown Dam at Salmon Falls, and sport fishing interests upriver began stocking smallmouth bass, which were not, in fact, native to these waters. NB Power acquired the Milltown Dam after the cotton mill closed in 1957 and built a better fishway in 1981. The alewife count at Milltown grew from 169,000 in 1981 to 2,625,000 in 1987. Sport fishing interests blaming alewives for dropping numbers of smallmouth bass in Spednic Lake convinced the Maine government to block passage at the Vanceboro Dam in 1987, Grand Falls in 1991 and Woodland in 1995. The count at Milltown dropped to 900 in 2001. Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans began trucking alewives above the Woodland Dam the following year. NB Power applied last year to decommission the Milltown Dam. The International Joint Commission's St. Croix Watershed Board published a discussion paper in 2005 contending that alewives are, in fact, native to these waters and, further, that they do not threaten smallmouth bass. Maine opened the Woodland Dam to fish passage in 2008 and all other fishways on the main stem of the river forming the international border in 2013. Last year the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ordered Woodland Pulp LLC to open the West Grand Lake Dam, allowing alewives into West Grand Lake and the upper west branch of the St. Croix. Bassett says that the fishways in place now could handle 100,000 alewives a day if they worked optimally, three million fish over a 30 day run, but he believes the St. Croix could support far more alewives than that. He calls alewives a "keystone species" as feed for other salt and freshwater fish. Sea-run Atlantic salmon are gone from the St. Croix River, while shad are returning in small numbers. He sees a growing alewife run as a sign of hope, while Wheaton sees a threat. Smallmouth bass fishing is good this year in Spednic Lake, Wheaton reports. "Terrific, it's wonderful and frankly, despite the numbers, I have not seen an alewife this high in the system," he says, but he fears for the future. "It's tragic, and many of us thoroughly believe it is the end of many communities in our area who rely upon sport fishing to survive," Wheaton says. "We don't want to have adversarial relationships," Bassett says. "I think we can all work together and find good, healthy solutions to restore the environment that would help all fisheries." COVID-19 patients are being treated with oxygen at the Tshwane District Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa. (AP) Vienna: Austria, one of the frugal four seeking changes to the European Unions planned coronavirus recovery fund, wants a bigger share of that aid to go to the blocs poorest countries, its leader said in remarks published on Saturday. Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden are among the biggest net contributors to the blocs budget and also generally oppose big spending plans. Together they resisted the idea that the fund contain grants, suggesting only loans instead. The European Commission, the EUs executive body, has proposed a 750-billion-euro ($847 billion) fund, two thirds of which would be grants. EU leaders hope to hammer out the details at a summit on Friday, and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has conceded that he no longer opposes grants entirely but will discuss the mix. According to the Brussels plan, Italy, Spain or Poland would benefit the most, Kurz told German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. But in the EU we have significantly poorer countries. My sense of justice tells me: If we in the EU are going to spend that much money, it should primarily flow to the poorest of the poor, he said, without specifying which countries. Latvia, Romania, Greece, Croatia and Bulgaria are the poorest countries in the bloc on a per capita basis, according to EU statistics office Eurosthere Austria maintains close relations with Western Balkan countries like Croatia. Instead of using unemployment figures as of 2015 to decide how much countries should receive, the fund should be allocated according to a measure like how much economic output shrank because of the pandemic, Kurz said. Granting aid money must be coupled with conditions. Conditionality is important so that money is not used merely to plug holes in budgets, he said saying it should be used for green measures, digitisation and supporting reforms. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 18:47:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COLOMBO, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's health ministry assured on Monday that the country was not facing a second wave of the COVID-19 after a spike in cases from a drug rehabilitation center in the north central province which had now transformed into a cluster, and added the situation was well under control. Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasingha told journalists that this new cluster in Kandakadu had reported over 400 patients within the past three days and it could be well controlled. "It is a challenge but we can do it just like we did in the past. People and institutions took COVID-19 very lightly after the re-opening of the country," Jasingha said. Authorities said that more patients may be detected in the coming days as the counsellors who were employed at the Rehabilitation Center had also tested positive and had traveled to their homes. The army said contact tracing to identify the associates of the patients was ongoing in order to quarantine them for a mandatory 14 day period. Hundreds have been taken into quarantine within the past three days for having links to the inmates and employees of the Rehabilitation Center, the health ministry said. Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva, who is heading the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak, told journalists that with the Kandakadu cluster showing signs of developing into a bigger cluster, steps had been taken to convert the army-managed quarantine center into a field hospital. He however assured that the situation was under control. Sri Lanka shut schools this week following the detection of the new cluster as a preventive measure. Enditem The post-1988 framework of India-China ties rested on a simple principle. Both countries recognised they had a serious boundary dispute, but they agreed that the larger relationship should not be held hostage to the dispute. And therefore, while the border should be kept peaceful, and talks on the dispute could continue, pending a final settlement, India and China should continue to deepen ties in other spheres. This framework lasted three decades. Other elements of the relationship high-level visits, trade and investment, cooperation on global issues coexisted with the stalemate on the border dispute. But to keep the border peaceful, the two countries also signed a range of agreements. In 1996, a pact on confidence-building measures in the military field along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in border areas laid out a list of restrictions to reduce the possibility of a clash and build trust. It recognised that the implementation of the agreement would require both sides arriving at a common understanding of the alignment of LAC, and therefore, both India and China decided to speed up the process of clarification and confirmation of LAC by clarifying the alignment in areas where there were differing perceptions, and then exchanging maps indicating their respective perceptions. It has been 24 years since the pact. India is clear about where its perception of LAC lies. It has repeatedly asked Beijing to clarify its perception of LAC and exchange maps. This will not be a solution but it will at least prevent Beijing from shifting goalposts at will, and engaging in aggression to change facts on the ground. But perhaps precisely because it wants to keep that option open, China has been obstinate in not moving ahead with the process of clarifying LAC, especially in the western sector. So here is the fix. A longer term boundary solution is difficult because of the seemingly intractable nature of the dispute, especially Tawang (China will not get it back, but will keep alive its claim because of its past association with Tibet) and Aksai Chin (India will not get it back, but accepting that publicly will have costs). And China is not willing to do what is required for shorter term peace by clarifying LAC. This leaves room for doubt about Chinese intentions, and its claims of wanting peace. If Beijing is interested in sustaining the overall relationship, it should clarify the LAC, be reasonable about its claims and live up to past agreements. Otherwise, the old framework of the relationship cannot last. How Are You Called by Faith to Fight for Others? God always stands against injustice. Its well documented in the Old Testament and New Testament. What are the ways faith leads us to fight against the sin and oppression that hurts our brothers and sisters? Racial tensions are at the forefront of every headline. We are in the midst of whats becoming the largest Civil Rights Movement in our lifetime, more widespread than that of the 1960s. But Christians know this is not breaking news. One of the many marvels of Christianity is that its a major world religion that tackles racism, diversity and inclusion. God always stands against injustice. Its well documented in the Old Testament and New Testament. What are the ways faith leads us to fight against the sin and oppression that hurts our brothers and sisters? 1. The Importance of Diversity Genesis 1:26-27 states, Then God said, Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness Many people of color feel as if they are not seen. And if they are, most dont feel valued. To fight for someone is to see them, as they are, image-bearers of God. God created a diverse world. Many believers falsely equate valuing everyone while stating they do not see race or color. However, the Bible celebrates uniqueness. Revelation 7:9 states, After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. Diversity is ingrained in Scripture from beginning to end. It is that important to God and it should be that important to us. 2. The Value of Inclusivity The Gospel calls for inclusion. Paul writes in Galatians 2:11-13, When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. James tried to be inclusive but he stopped dining with Gentiles and separated his life from theirs when Cephas came. His actions were wrong and didnt just affect him, it led others astray. Believers need to fight this temptation to live apart from others. Christians are often tempted to live among their own tribes, completely separate from the rest of the world. But this doesnt mirror the life Christ lived, nor the one He died for. Jesus saw people and invited them to His table. We reflect Christ when we do the same. In John 13:35 Jesus stated, that By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another. We please God when we live out this verse. We must ask ourselves if we are living a life that is inclusive, seeking diverse friendships, inviting people from various backgrounds into our lives, churches, and small groups to better reflect Gods love. 3. The Role of Adequate Representation Lack of representation compounds the many troubles that contribute to the complexities of racism. We dont often find people of color proportionately represented in leadership positions or professions that serve communities of color. Influential media intensifies these problems. News, television, and movie screens repeatedly portray black and brown people as a threat, adding to many baseless biases. To disrupt racist practices, we need to promote people of color and center their voices against oppression. White Christians will be tempted to center their own voices in this fight. But this is harmful. Rather than dismantling whats problematic, it tends to perpetuate more of the same. Exodus Chapters 2 through 14 give a detailed account of how God raised Moses, a Hebrew, to free the enslaved Israelites from the hand of the Egyptians. God executed His plan to completion from Moses adoption all the way through his parting of the Red Sea. Esther, a prominent Jew during a period of Jewish oppression, was highly favored by the ruling king and crowned queen. God elevated her to a position of authority to save His people from execution (Esther 2-8). Racism is evil, plain and simple. But we need to maintain a Biblical perspective as we fight it. We need to remain focused on where our true battle lies. Ephesians 6:12 states, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. We have one common enemy and its not you or me. We also have one Savior and its neither you nor me. When it comes to fighting racism, remember that God raises the indigenous to free the oppressed. We must resist racism according to Gods blueprint for freedom. 4. The Need to Be Uncomfortable As Christians we must embrace discomfort as we promote racial unity and reconciliation. Humans crave and revel in comfort, but this desire can thwart Gods purposes. Scripture depicts a time when Jews were known for avoiding Samaria. It was too uncomfortable. It was a place filled with people who didnt look, think, talk or act like them. But John chapter 4 describes that, Jesus had to go there. He ministered to a Samaritan woman who, in return, witnessed to many others (John 4:39-42). In another example, the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus described a man who exemplifies love and mercy across racial divides. One that came at a cost and inconvenience. After this teaching, He instructs an expert in the law to go do the same (Luke 10:27-37). Fighting for one another calls us to examine our habits, to value people more than we value comfort, and to follow a kingdom model of love that doesnt placate racism. 5. The Purpose of Advocacy As we learn to love as God loves, we must open our eyes to how others are mistreated. God is just and believers are to take up the cause of others. Prophets and disciples instruct us to play this role. Isaiah 1:17 states, Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. Jeremiah 22:3 says, This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor, the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:2, Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. The fight for equality is not new to black and brown people. Racial trauma is real and runs deep. As we work together to seek justice, we must remember to lift one another up. Reject any temptation to add trauma by debating facts that can add to someones hurt. This doesnt not mean we usurp the cause either but rather, we find ways to support those leading the fight. And support will look different for everybody. Exodus 17:8-15 gives an account of when God selected Joshua, an ancient Israelite leader, to fight the Amalekites who had come against Gods people. Throughout the battle, Moses raised Gods staff from atop of a hill. As long as he did, Joshua and the Israelites prevailed. But as he grew tired and lowered the staff, the Amalekites advanced. Aaron and Hur, two other Israelites, accompanied Moses on the hill. While they couldnt take the staff from his hands, they were able to lay a stone under him for him to rest, and each raised one of the arms he exhausted. Together, their work led to Israels victory. I imagine Joshua was comforted knowing Moses was holding up his staff before God. And that Moses felt a sense of peace knowing that he had help raising his arms during the most tiresome times. People of color are tired. Tired of injustice. Tired of mistreatment. Tired of feeling ignored. Tired of fighting. This battle calls for all of us to take our respective places in this fight. To advocate for our brothers and sisters and to be a safe place where they can find respite without resigning. 6. The Expression of Our Faith Racism promotes hate, fear, silencing, discouragement, oppression, division and self-interest. So, if the Gospel is a message of love, hope, selflessness, grace, and peace, then who is better equipped to tackle this issue than believers? The path to racial unity requires action. Scripture stresses the importance of being fruitful. James, the brother of Jesus, explained how blessing someone in need without meeting their physical needs demonstrates a dead faith. He further described how action makes faith complete (James 2:14-26). There are so many important actions we can take in this fight against racism: - Praying against darkness, seeking Gods protection, mercy and guidance. - Asking God to weed out any biases we carry in our own hearts and repenting. - Learning the truth about our nations history and its collateral damage. - Becoming more knowledgeable about the intricacies and many forms of racism. - Digging into Scripture to ensure we take a Biblical approach to dismantling racist structures. - Speaking up against racist acts, even when its uncomfortable. - Changing habits that contribute to racist practices. - Helping our brothers and sisters of color that experience fatigue and racial trauma. - Not tolerating tokenism and empowering people of color to use their voices and influence. - Advocating for people of color, that they may be adequately represented in positions of power. - Celebrating diversity by establishing friendships with those that dont look, think, or act like us. - Leading inclusive lives, inviting people to our homes, small groups, churches and inner circles. - Teaching our children to see people, not as if theyre void of color, but as image bearers of God. - Investing in minority-owned businesses. - Promoting racial unity and reconciliation. - And so much more. But we cannot be complacent, allowing despicable acts to continue. Dr. Tony Evans states in his book Oneness Embraced, The goal of racial unity is not sameness, its oneness. What is unity and why is it important? Unity can be defined as oneness of purpose. It is not sameness of being. It means were working toward a common goal. Were moving toward a common agendautilizing, embracing, recognizing, and appreciating the differences everybody brings to the table. Galatians 3:28-29 states, There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Scripture doesnt say that Jews, Gentiles, men and women dont exist. Quite the opposite. One of the mysteries of Christianity is that we can live diverse lives together bonded by the blood through the love and sacrifice of Jesus. Let us love one another as God instructed. Diversify our lives. Embrace discomfort as we take our respective places in the fight against injustices. Stand against the mistreatment of our brothers and sisters. Be a safe haven for people of color. Promote kingdom culture and live like Jesus that God may be glorified. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Rawpixel Victoria Mejias is an international speaker and blogger. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Omaha and holds a Certificate in Urban Ministries from the Dallas Theological Seminarys Urban Ministry Institute. She is a contributing member of Wholly Loved Ministries and former Pastor who has spoken on leadership, diversity, spirituality and faith. Victoria is the recipient of two U.S. Congressional awards for her exemplary service to the community, has two children, loves the Lord and reaching the lost. To learn more, visit her online at www.victoriaelizabeth.com. Want more interaction with the women of iBelieve? Join our fans, writers, and editors at the iBelieve Facebook group, Together in Faith, for more videos, stories, testimonies, prayers and more. Visit here to join the community! WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Monday downplayed phony polls showing a tight presidential race in Texas, saying hes way ahead because he saved the oil industry, and later adding, I created it. Were doing well in Texas, Trump said during a roundtable discussion at the White House with Americans who say they were helped, and in some cases saved, by police officers. A BATTLEGROUND STATE? Why Trump vs. Biden will likely be closest Texas presidential race in decades I read where I was one point up in Texas, Trump said. Im not one point up in Texas, were many points up I saved the oil industry, two months ago I saved the oil industry. The president continued: I created it. We became No. 1. We have millions of jobs and we saved it so Texas is not going to have to let go of millions and millions of people. Trump did not specify what he did to save the industry, which has seen multibillion dollar losses and nearly 100,000 layoffs during a massive downturn sparked by the coronavirus. Were at $40 dollars a barrel and yet you can buy gasoline for under $2 nobodys ever seen it like that, the president said. While the price of oil has rebounded to $40, it remains too low for most producers in Texas shale oil fields to turn a profit. Were No. 1 in oil as you know, oil and gas by far. Were now No. 1 in the world, Trump said. And we wouldve had millions of people out of work. I saved it. And then they said Im leading by one point in Texas. To think that after saving the oil and gas business and millions and millions of jobs, Im leading Texas by one point? I dont think so. Though no Democratic presidential candidate has won Texas since Jimmy Carter in 1976, early polls have shown President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden tied in Texas. Trump has been a vocal booster for the oil industry, and has had some successes in aiding the industry through the downturn, including working with Saudi Arabia, Russia and other members the OPEC+ group to win a 10 million barrel per-day cut in crude production. THEYVE THROWN SOME CRUMBS: Trump struggles to bail out oil sector after unprecedented drop in demand, threatening Texas Still, the president has struggled to get aid to an industry suffering under an unprecedented drop in energy demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. Poll after poll shows the same result: Texas is the biggest battleground state and Trump is in a dogfight with Joe Biden in the state, said Abhi Rahman, a spokesman for the Texas Democratic Party. Texans are experiencing the cost of Donald Trumps failed leadership across the state. None more so than the oil industry, which has suffered record lows and continues to lay off Texans everyday. ben.wermund@chron.com STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Councilman Steven Matteo (R-Mid-Island) is calling on education officials to provide answers to families about the future of yellow school buses when New York City students return to school under a blended learning model in the fall -- especially as Staten Island has scarce options when it comes to public transportation. School busing came to halt in mid-March when school buildings were shut down to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Prior to the shutdown, the DOE shared guidance that all school bus contractors must adopt for cleaning and disinfecting school bus vehicles. At the time, contractors were instructed to disinfect all exposed surfaces in their school bus vehicles twice a week using an effective anti-viral disinfecting product. Matteo sent a letter to New York City Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza on Saturday following a New York Post report that students in general education may not have a school bus to take them to school come September -- which means 90,000 students may not be able to receive busing. The DOE would not confirm if the 90,000 number is accurate. Yellow school buses serve 150,000 general and special education students citywide. The article indicates that the Department of Education is not planning on providing bus transportation for general education students this upcoming school year, Matteo wrote in the letter. I am writing to ask for an update on the Departments transportation plans and to ascertain whether this story is accurate. He said that if the New York Post story is true, it will be more difficult for parents. In the letter, Matteo explained that Staten Island is geographically different than other boroughs as it is more spread-out with many areas that lack sidewalks. In addition, we have a dearth of public transportation options, which makes it difficult for many students to arrive to school via public transportation, Matteo wrote. Many of those families where a parent does not work will likely choose the exclusive at-home option for school, but many families do not have this luxury. It appears they may not only have to face a severe disruption to their work schedules on days when their children are home risking their jobs but parents will also be forced to figure out new ways of transporting their children to and from school on days when their children are in school, further risking their employment. When reached by the Advance/SILive.com on Sunday, Miranda Barbot, spokeswoman for the DOE, said: We are currently assessing ways to provide safe transportation options this fall and will have updates as soon as they are available, said Miranda Barbot, spokeswoman for the DOE. Transportation will have safety measures in place in accordance with current health guidance. Our priority will be to provide busing to students with IEP mandates for transportation and we are working to develop alternatives in partnerships with the MTA and TLC [Taxi and Limousine Commission]. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** Come September, parents will have the option to allow their children to fully work remotely, but if they choose to send their kids back to the classroom, students will only be allowed to return for in-person learning two or three days of the week and work remotely the rest of the week. In addition to getting child care during remote learning days, parents would also need to get further accommodations to transport their kids to and from school, Matteo added. This is an untenable situation for many working families and will lead to further unemployment in our city, he wrote. Matteo asked for the opportunity to speak to a member of the chancellors team about the DOEs transportation plan for the next school year. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Flash The Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Libya, Stephanie Williams, expressed readiness to support Libyan authorities in security sector reform, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said on Sunday. Williams made her remarks during a virtual meeting held on Saturday between a UNSMIL delegation and a delegation of the UN-backed government's Ministry of Interior, UNSMIL said in a statement. "The delegations agreed on resuming the activities of the support programs and projects that were impacted following the outbreak of hostilities in April 2019 and underlined the linkage between SSR (Security Sector Reform) and economic reforms," the statement said. Libya has been suffering escalating violence and political instability ever since the fall of the late leader Gaddafi's regime in 2011. Group CEO of Old Mutual Botswana, Gerald Randall handed over a donation of 13,000 surgical masks to the Botswana Nurses Union (BONU) during an official handover ceremony held at their head office in Gaborone on Monday. Dignitaries in attendance included the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Lemogang Kwape, and The President of BONU, Mr. Obonolo Rahube, and senior officials from their institutions. Before handing over the PPE to BONU Gerald Randall said, We recognise the wonderful work that the Botswana Nurses Association has done over the years for frontline workers. As we have seen across the world, healthcare workers are the true heroes of the fight against Covid-19. We know that during a pandemic nurses and other medical professionals are charged with carrying the biggest burden and many times at their own personal sacrifice. In his acceptance the President of BONU expressed his deep gratitude for the donation and his hopes for future collaborations with Old Mutual. By IANS LONDON: Beauty salons, nail bars and tattoo shops in England reopened on Monday after a four-month closure due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Spas, massage studios and physical therapy businesses will also be able to welcome customers again from Monday, reports the Metro newspaper. But businesses will be required to meet coronavirus guidelines, and restrictions on treatments which involve work directly in front of the face will not be available. Government guidance states that face waxing, eyelash treatments, make-up application and facials should not be provided because of the greater risk of COVID-19 transmission. The relaxation comes as around 200 workers at a farm in Herefordshire were quarantined following a fresh COVID-19 outbreas. ALSO READ: 20 UK areas potentially facing new lockdowns, says report Some 73 positive cases of the virus have been confirmed among workers at vegetable producer AS Green and Co, which is based in the village of Mathon, near Worcester. A joint statement from Public Health England (PHE) Midlands and Herefordshire Council said employees were being asked to remain on the farm during the period of isolation, the Metro newspaper reported. Meanwhile, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that there were more than 100 "local actions" taken across the country each week to stem fresh outbreaks. As of Monday, the UK reported a total of 291,154 coronavirus cases, with 44,904 deaths. If you watched in disbelief as Donald Trump commuted the sentence of convicted felon Roger Stone his unjust reward for thwarting the justice system to protect the president you werent alone. Its not just Americans or Canadians who were shaking their heads over the injustice of it all. In Beijings leadership compound, and in Huaweis halls of power, they likely had a similar reaction last week. And a pointed question: Why should Canadas earnest claims about the impartiality and integrity of the justice system not ours, but Americas be taken seriously by China, or us, if Trump now treats it as a joke? Which raises another question: If many Americans no longer have faith in their own system, and China clearly doesnt, why are we putting the Canadian justice system and the lives of our fellow citizens on the line? When the Mounties arrested Huaweis Meng Wenzhou in transit at Vancouver airport at Americas request, China responded by ransoming the two Michaels diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor on trumped-up charges. While Canada saw only injustice at the trading in human lives, Trump jumped at the opportunity for horse-trading musing publicly about a quid pro quo where he would drop the case against Meng if China acquiesced to a trade deal on favourable terms. Washington later walked back Trumps incriminating talk. But in the months since, the U.S. has never gone beyond mere finger-wagging over Chinas actions. Between offering to release Meng and announcing the release of Stone, the president has dropped any pretense of legality in the justice system over which he presides. In so doing, he has only deepened Chinas political conviction that a judicial conviction in Trumps America is a matter of political expediency, not impartiality with Canada acting as an accessory. Canada has limited leverage with China, but we are not without options in both Beijing and Washington. With extradition cases, Canadas justice minister has the legal right to intrude or upend it at anytime, though this has never been done for blatantly political reasons (notably foreign bullying), lest our justice system be held hostage again in future. But we must also admit that the administration of justice has already been brought into disrepute by this case, which is utterly unlike any other. It involves a powerful defendant and two superpowers jockeying for position in a bipolar world while Canada a mere middle power tries to triangulate on behalf of two powerless Canadians. Watching our citizens interrogated in harsh conditions while Meng lives in the lap of luxury bankrolling a private security force to satisfy her bail conditions regarding the risk of flight offends our sense of justice. Quite apart from the asymmetry between Meng and the two Michaels, she enjoys privileges not afforded to or affordable for ordinary Canadians lacking her money and means. In light of those inequities, Ottawa could convey to the Chinese that it will instruct Justice Department lawyers to challenge Mengs bail conditions on the grounds of security (never mind reciprocity). The crown could cite the case of former Renault boss Carlos Ghosn who overcame strict bail conditions in Japan to flee to his native Lebanon arguing that it has given Canada cause to reconsider (that it might give China pause to recalibrate can be left unspoken). Would a judge agree? If China remains convinced that our judiciary abides by political agendas, perhaps a quiet signal that we are considering such a move could serve as a perfectly justifiable and just thought experiment. We must admit, however, that a middle power like Canada has limited leverage with the Chinese. The same cannot be said of the Americans, who are both powerful and vulnerable. Ottawa would be well within its rights to give the Americans an ultimatum quietly at first, publicly if necessary, framed as a choice for them to make leaving the ball very much in their court (if not a court of law): Canada must now consider Mengs release, due not to Chinese actions but American inaction. That Trump mused last year about releasing Meng for a trade deal imperilling the two Michaels by signalling that Canada was in cahoots on a contrived case was itself indefensible. Whats truly unconscionable, however, is that the president has said almost nothing consequential since then about Chinas pressure tactics. Imagine for a moment that an American diplomat were arrested in China in retaliation over the Meng case: Trump and Congress would be taking dramatic measures, escalating until China chose to de-escalate. It would surely impose painful sanctions against China as it has on Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and others with whom it has grievances, rightly or wrongly. Beyond empty words few and far between what has Washington done to make China pay for its transgressions against Canada as we act as Americas jailer? If Chinas rulers can violate international norms with impunity, while an American president flouts his own judicial system with alacrity, what and whose rule of law is Canada upholding? Why take the heat for the Trump administration if it is unwilling to generate heat on our behalf? Time for Ottawa to send signals to both Beijing and Washington: The Chinese and Americans cannot fight their grudge match to the last Canadian. Read more about: Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 20:49:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on July 13, 2020 shows a damaged building at the site of a suicide attack in Aybak, capital of Samangan province, Afghanistan. At least 14 people, including three assailants, were killed and 63 others wounded when Taliban militants attacked a provincial branch of the country's national intelligence agency in Aybak, capital of Afghanistan's northern Samangan province, on Monday, a local official confirmed. (Photo by Kawa Basharat/Xinhua) AYBAK, Afghanistan, July 13 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people, including three assailants, were killed and 63 others wounded when Taliban militants attacked a provincial branch of the country's national intelligence agency in Aybak, capital of Afghanistan's northern Samangan province, on Monday, a local official confirmed. The attack started after a Taliban suicide bomber detonated a massive car bomb outside Samangan National Directorate of Security (NDS) in the morning, causing casualties and destruction, provincial government spokesman Seddiq Azizi told Xinhua. Following the blast, two armed militants entered to the compound, triggering a gunfight lasting for hours, he said. Those among the killed were 11 NDS staff, including a female employee, and three attackers, according to the official. Over 50 of the wounded were civilians, including several women and two children, he said. "The massive explosion also damaged the nearby provincial municipality office and many other buildings. Most of the wounded are municipality's workers and employees. Four of the affected people sustained life-threatening wounds," Azizi said. The attack came as peace efforts being made. Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attack hours after the incident. Since the signing of a Taliban and United States peace agreement in late February, Afghan leaders, including President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, have frequently demanded the Taliban to reduce violence. The militants, however, have intensified attacks. The government have released more than 4,000 Taliban inmates and the Taliban insurgents have freed over 600 national security force members since early March. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, has received the Spirit of Enterprise award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The award is given to members of Congress who support a pro-growth and pro-business agenda, according to a news release. Stefanik was presented with the award during a virtual event last Tuesday with the U.S. Chamber and NY-21 chambers of commerce. In these uncertain times, with daunting economic and social challenges facing our nation, it is imperative that leaders in Washington are focused on propelling American businesses forward to create jobs and economic growth, said Suzanne Clark, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in a news release. As we rebuild our economy, legislators must lead by pursuing bipartisan solutions that create jobs and promote a free enterprise system. Stefanik said she was honored to receive the award again. I grew up in a small business family and know firsthand how burdensome regulations and high taxes greatly impede growth for our local North Country small businesses, she said in a news release. Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Stefanik said apple and select specialty crop producers are now eligible for funding from the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Stefanik and other lawmakers had lobbied for inclusion of the crop in the federal coronavirus relief package. The North Country is home to many apple producers who help feed our communities and boost our local economies, Stefanik said in a news release. Given the market disruptions that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, our apple and specialty crop producers deserve to be included in this important USDA program as they get back on their feet. College Transparency Act Stefanik said the College Transparency Act has bipartisan support, with more than half of the House of Representatives signing on as co-sponsors. The bill would establish a data reporting system at the National Center for Education Statistics, which would collect information such as student enrollment, completion and post-college success. This would help inform prospective students about where to attend. The data must be separated by factors including race, ethnicity and whether the student is a veteran, according to a news release. COVID-19 testing Sen. Daphne Jordan, R-Halfmoon, is urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to provide expedited COVID-19 testing for military members returning to New York so they dont have to languish in quarantine. Cuomo last week issued an executive order, requiring that all travelers entering New York from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or higher than a 10 percent test positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average be quarantined for 14 days. The men and women of our military are true heroes who make incredible sacrifices to protect our liberty and defend our nation. Upon their return from training or deployment in another state, New York state must take every possible step to ensure that our military members can return to their families as expeditiously and safely as possible, Jordan said in a news release. Health care workers endorse Davis Democrat Kimberly Davis, who is running for the 45th Senate District seat, has been endorsed by a major health care union. Davis, who is Clinton County treasurer, picked up the endorsement of 1199 SEIU United Health Care Workers East. Kimberlys distinguished record of community and public service in the North Country demonstrates her commitment to the rights of all workers, quality health care, and many other issues of importance to the hospital, nursing home, and home care workers represented by 1199SEIU, said Sara Cooper, the central and northern New York political coordinator for the union. Davis said she is pleased to have obtained the backing of the union, which represents more than 1,900 members who work at Fort Hudson Nursing Home, Glens Falls Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, Elderwood at North Creek, University of Vermont Health Network at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, Alice Hyde Medical Center and several facilities just outside of the district. Davis and Assemblyman Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, are vying to replace the retiring Republican Sen. Betty Little. Reach Michael Goot at 518-742-3320 or mgoot@poststar.com and follow his blog poststar.com/blogs/michael_goot/. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. New Delhi: Hours after TV star Parth Samthaan, who headlines 'Kasautii Zindagii Kay', was tested positive for coronavirus, producer Ekta Kapoor released the teaser of his new web series. Wishing a speedy recovery for the actor, the TV czarina said, "Get well soon, Parth! 'Kasautii...' is waiting for its 'Hero'! Parth's new web series is expected to narrate the story of a man (played by the actor) who takes charge of the production and piracy of films in the movie business. He is powerful and fearless and prefers to be addressed as a 'hero' and not a 'don'. The never-seen-before avatar of Parth will keep you hooked. The web series is titled 'Mai Hero Boll Raha Hu'. It will stream on ALTBalaji. Take a look at the teaser here. (Viewers discretion advised) Parth was found COVID-19 positive on Sunday. He had already begun shooting for 'Kasautii Zindagii Kay'. He opened up about the diagnosis in an Instagram post. "Hi, everyone, I have been tested Positive for COVID 19, although I have mild symptoms.. I would urge and request everyone whose been with me in close proximity over the last few days please go and get yourself tested. The BMC has regularly been in touch and with the doctors guidance I am in self-quarantine and I am grateful to them for all their support. Please be safe and take care," he wrote. Meanwhile, Ekta took to social media to inform that all the necessary precautions on the sets of 'Kasautii Zindagii Kay' have been taken in the wake of Parth's diagnosis. 'Kasautii Zindagii Kay' stars Parth opposite Erica Fernandez. Actor Karan Patel has also joined the cast recently. Different superstitions have been passed through generations. May it be about black cats, a mirror breaking, or knocking on wood. For years, many have believed them. Some of these superstitions are from Latin-America. Here is the list of some beliefs that originated and or practiced in Latin-America: 1. Tuesday the 13th Most fear Friday the 13th, but in Spain and Spanish speaking countries landing the 13th day of the month on a Tuesday sounds like bad luck. This belief originated from the Tuesday word in Spanish, which is Martes. It is believed that it came from the Roman god of war, Mars. It was said that Mars was connecting the day to violence and death. Historical events that happened on Tuesday the 13th strengthened the belief. These events were the fall of Constantinople to the Fourth Crusade. 2. Wallet on the Ground Countries in Central and South American believe that leaving your purse or wallet on the ground will cause bad luck financially. This superstition can also be observed in China. Several cultures associate the ground to lowliness. It was said that putting your purse on the ground shows a lack of respect for your money. 3. Birds Flying Into Your House Strange animal behaviors have always been a sign of something. Birds flying into your home are seen to say that someone will die. 4. Seventh Sons Will Turn Into Werewolves An Argentinian superstition was believed to transform the seventh son to a werewolf. The belief says that the creature shows its real form on the first Friday after the boy's 13th birthday. The said superstition began in 1907 when the former president of Argentina Jose Figueroa Alcorta was asked to become godfather to the seventh son of Enrique Brost and Apolonia Holmann, Volga German. They were immigrants from south-eastern Russia. "The local myth of the lobizon is not in any way connected to the custom that began over 100 years ago by which every seventh son (or seventh daughter) born in Argentina becomes godchild to the president," local Argentine historian Daniel Balmaceda was quoted in a CBS News report. 5. Walking Backward In Portugal, walking backward can be seen as bad luck. It was said that walking backward allows the devil and evil spirits to see the path to yourself. It also let them walk towards you and get your soul. But in some countries, like China, walking backward is considered as a good exercise. It was because walking backward allows you to use muscles you rarely use. 6. Best Foot Forward Another sign of bad luck if you enter or leave the room with your left foot! In Spain, it is advised not to enter or leave the room with your right foot. 7. 12 Grapes on New Year Unlike some who greet the New Year with a midnight kiss, Spaniards welcome the New Year by eating 12 grapes. The 12 grapes represent 12 lucky months for the rest of the year. Check this out: Cultural Taboos You Must Be Aware of Before Visiting Latin America Nochebuena: Celebrations Start on Dec. 24 in Latin-American Households 5 Latino New Year Traditions and Superstitions Rajasthan party pulls support from Congress, but MLAs back Gehlot India oi-Deepika S Jaipur, July 13: The Bharatiya Tribal Party has withdrawn support from the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan as the ruling Congress stands on the brink of a split in the state with Sachin Pilot's open rebellion. Mahesh Bhai Vasava, the chief of the Bharatiya Tribal Party, has written to his MLAs saying his party will remain neutral in case of a floor test in the assembly. The MLAs have been asked to skip any floor test altogether. However, in a twist the two legislators of the party have backed Ashok Gehlot for now. Rajasthan Crisis Sachin Pilot denies meeting with Rahul, sources say in talks with BJP|Oneindia News "All I know is that Bharatiya Tribal Party's MLAs are with us. Both the MLAs are supporting the Congress party. They were present at the legislative party meeting earlier today and they are present here as well": Chetan Dudi, Secretary, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee. Rajasthan crisis: Congress MLAs to meet again at 10 am tomorrow, Sachin Pilot extended invite The Gehlot camp sounded confident about the stability of the government. A large number of Congress and other legislators supporting the government met with Gehlot at his residence. There is no danger to the government. All MLAs are with us, Ashok Chandana, a close aide of Gehlot said. In the 200 member assembly, the Congress has the support of 125 MLAs including 107 of its own legislators. The party has the backing of 13 independents and 5 from other parties. In the house where the majority mark is 101, the BJP has 72 legislators and also the support of three Hanuman Beniwal Rashtriya Loktantrik Party. The federal government is pushing state and local officials to reopen in-person classes this fall. However, experts and doctors revealed significant benefits and laid down some cautions. Experts and doctors said there is a need to provide a safe learning environment for students, teachers, and administrators. They said there is sufficient evidence that showed children are less susceptible to get coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared to adults. It was also found that even those, who have been infected in children, are very rare to develop complications that need or require serious hospitalization, according to a published article by the NBC News. However, this does not mean that schools and children are exempted from not following social distancing, wearing of face masks, proper handwashing, and other health and safety measures against COVID-19, especially if the in-person classes will be pushed through this fall. Dr. Jennifer Lighter, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at NYU Langone Health in New York, said getting back the children to schools should not be a debate. However, she stressed that getting back the students to school safely must be well-thought-out. Lighter added that having students physically present in schools in the fall would be an ideal situation. But she said the schools should have policies that would allow students to practice social distancing and other health and safety measures against COVID-19. These policies include decreasing class sizes and rearranging desks to ensure that children are not clustered together or facing one another, as well as measures in doing recreational activities and moving gym classes. According to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children comprise 22 percent of the country's total population. The good thing is kids are only two percent of COVID-19 cases in the country so far. Dr. C. Buddy Creech, an associate professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, noted that it is not yet known as what accounts for that disparity. Creech said this pandemic is very strange because children are the first and most substantially affected for respiratory viruses, but the new coronavirus has mostly affected adults. Dr. William Raszka, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Vermont's Larner College of Medicine, also said it is also unknown how and why the risks are not the same for all young people. There are also signs that adolescents with have pre-existing medical conditions are at similar risks of infections as with adults. "Once you get to high school age, you're going to be a little bit more concerned, [and] once you're in college-age, you're going to be a lot concerned," Creech said. This means that the younger you are, the less likely you are to catch the virus. Experts and doctors suggest that schools will have to keep these differences in mind as they craft their safety procedures for in-person school reopenings. Check these out! TEHRAN, Iran, July 13 Trend: The Iraqi Border Crossing Authority announced of the re-opening of the Mendeli terminal near the Somar border of the Islamic Republic of Iran in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazemi, Trend reports via IRNA. "The PM, accompanied by the Head of Iraq's Border Crossing Authority, Omar al-Waeli , reopened the Mendeli terminal to resume trade with the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Iraqi Border Crossing Authority announced in a statement. Al-Kazemi said at the opening ceremony that the opening of the border was an important message for smugglers and corruptors, who no longer will be able to do activity on Iraq's borders. The southern and eastern border of Iraq with Iran had been closed since March following the outbreak of the coronavirus. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. 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. The Islamic Republic of Iran only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease. Hadi Sirika, Nigeria Minister of Aviation, explained why social distancing is not observed in aircraft following the resumption of flights amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Hadi Sirika who spoke as he embarked on a simulation return flight to the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano to assess the preparation of the airport for resumption of flights, said the cabin is safer than any hospital theatre because of the purifying procedures air circulated within the cabin goes through. Sirika added that the non-adherence to physical distancing was responsible for the affordable ticket fare. He said; A Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Kochi on Monday sent Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair, key accused in the Kerala gold smuggling racket, to the agencys custody for eight days. The NIA submitted in the court that the accused forged the seal and emblem of UAE Embassy to commit the crime. The NIA maintained that the smuggled gold was to be used not for jewellery but terror activities, ANI reported. The two key accused were earlier remanded to custody by the NIA court on Sunday, a day after they were taken into custody in Bengaluru. The two had been on the run since the Customs busted a gold smuggling racket on July 5 with the seizure of 30 kg gold from a chartered flight from the UAE that was carrying an consignment for the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. The racket allegedly used diplomatic channels to smuggle the gold. Suresh, a former employee of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram, and Nair are among the four people booked by the NIA in the smuggling racket. The NIA which was ordered by the Union home ministry to probe the case, had on Friday registered an FIR under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. It said the case has international links with initial inquiries revealing the proceeds of the smuggled gold valued at Rs 15 crore could be used for terror financing in India. Suresh, Sarith PS and Nair of Thiruvananthapuram and Fazil Fareed of Ernakulam have been arraigned as accused. While Sarith was arrested by the Customs, Fareed is still at large. The gold smuggling racket has put the Kerala government under intense fire from the opposition with the Congress-led United Democratic Front on Monday deciding to bring in a no-confidence motion and seek Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans resignation alleging that his office was linked to the racket. New Zealand's new opposition leader has resigned just weeks after being elected to the role, and just months from a general election, citing health reasons. National Party leader Todd Muller issued a statement on Tuesday saying he had reflected on his experience of recent weeks and it was clear to him he was not the best person to be opposition leader and National Party leader. 'It is more important than ever that the New Zealand National Party has a leader who is comfortable in the role,' he said in the statement. New Zealand's new opposition leader Todd Muller has resigned just weeks after being elected to the role, and just months from a general election, citing health reasons 'The role has taken a heavy toll on me personally, and on my family, and this has become untenable from a health perspective. 'For that reason I will be stepping down as leader effective immediately. 'I intend to take some time out of the spotlight to spend with family and restore my energy before reconnecting with my community.' Mr Muller said he would not be making any further comment and asked for privacy for himself and for his family. New Zealanders vote on September 19 in an election, that if held today, polls suggest Labour under Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern would win comfortably. English French TORONTO, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new study released today by umlaut, a global leader in mobile network testing and benchmarking, ranked Rogers number one overall, confirming that Rogers customers enjoy the best wireless network experience in the country. These results also place Rogers among the top wireless carriers worldwide benchmarked by umlaut. With the Rogers mobile network, customers enjoy the best performance while they stay connected to the things that matter to them, whether chatting with friends and family, keeping up with emails and work documents, ordering dinner through an app or streaming the latest series. "Connectivity has never been more important, especially during the ongoing health crisis, so we are proud to offer our customers the reliability of Canadas best wireless network when they need it most, said Jorge Fernandes, Chief Technology Officer, Rogers Communications. umlauts extensive methodology is globally acknowledged as an industry standard and this award reinforces that our network investments and our commitment to providing customers with world-class service not only keeps Canadians connected today, but also provides a strong foundation as we continue to roll out the countrys first 5G network. This is the second consecutive year that Rogers has won umlauts Best in Test mobile benchmark award with a total score of 920 points out of a maximum of 1,000 points. umlaut also confirmed that Rogers provides the best network in five of the top cities in Canada, including Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. umlaut, which tests mobile networks in more than 120 countries around the world, measured the performance of voice and data services on smartphones based on extensive drive tests throughout Canada. The company assigns an overall score to each Canadian provider by ranking the performance of typical consumer use cases such as making and receiving calls, browsing popular websites, downloading/uploading content and streaming video content. For this test, umlaut did drive tests across 18,624 km over the course of 11 weeks covering major metropolitan areas, smaller cities and connection roads. The testing included network reliability, responsiveness, download/upload speed, voice quality, call setup time, and video streaming stability and quality. For more information visit here . In April, Rogers was ranked number one in the West and number one in Ontario for wireless network quality by J.D. Power. Rogers has invested over $30 billion in its wireless networks over the past 35 years. These investments have not only powered the evolution of innovation, including the first wireless call in 1985, but they have supported the move from 1G to 4G. Earlier this year, Rogers began rolling out Canada's first 5G network in four cities with its partner Ericsson, with plans to expand across the country throughout 2020 using premium 600 MHz spectrum . All of this would not have been possible without the right investment-oriented regulatory environment that is critical to Canadas digital economy and global competitiveness. About Rogers Rogers is a proud Canadian company dedicated to making more possible for Canadians each and every day. Our founder, Ted Rogers, purchased his first radio station, CHFI, in 1960. We have grown to become a leading technology and media company that strives to provide the very best in wireless, residential, sports, and media to Canadians and Canadian businesses. Our shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). If you want to find out more about us, visit about.rogers.com . Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 02:36:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, July 13 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Monday called for a quick and convincing European response to the coronavirus crisis ahead of the special summit of the European Union (EU) member states' leaders this weekend. "The task is enormous and therefore the answer must also be huge," said Merkel after her meeting with Conte at Meseberg Castle north of Berlin. She said the EU recovery fund must be massive and could not be cut back in size. She said that she did not know whether an agreement would be reached at the upcoming EU summit. "There is still a long way to go," she said, referring to the scheduled July 17-18 EU summit in Brussels, where the member states will seek a consensus on the European Commission's proposed 750-billion-euro (852 billion U.S. dollars) recovery plan to help the bloc emerge from the pandemic-triggered economic crisis. "We have to act quickly, because history tells us that the best reaction is not worth so much if it comes too slowly," said Conte, warning that "if we just let the crisis run like this, we would see the internal market destroyed within a very short time." Conte said that a coordinated and strong European response is important, because this crisis is "epochal." However, he said he saw "difficult negotiations" ahead for an agreement on the recovery fund. The programs should have "clear rules" and there must be constant monitoring and reviews, he said. Merkel said that the ideas on the recovery fund of the 27 EU heads of state and government differ widely, so bridges have to be built in all directions, "but not by abandoning certain principles." The European Commission's proposed recovery fund includes 500 billion euros in grants and 250 billion euros in loans to the countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Austria reject non-repayable grants and want to link the aid to binding economic reforms. Enditem The Covid-19 pandemic could 'get worse and worse', the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned after a record-high 230,000 cases were confirmed yesterday. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the UN agency, made it clear that if countries fail to implement basic measures to control the virus, the crisis will get worse. He has previously claimed that the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic was yet to come because the spread of the life-threatening disease is accelerating in some parts of the world. He said today: 'Let me be blunt, too many countries are headed in the wrong direction, the virus remains public enemy number one. 'If basics are not followed, the only way this pandemic is going to go, it is going to get worse and worse and worse. But it does not have to be this way. 'There will be no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future... There is a lot to be concerned about.' The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported the biggest daily spike in global Covid-19 cases during the entire pandemic and says the worst is yet to come Outbreaks are growing in the US, Brazil, India and South Africa, according to WHO figures. Meanwhile, European nations appear to have emerged from the worst of the crisis. The coronavirus which first emerged in China has killed more than half a million but the number of infected patients dying each day has barely changed, despite the number of cases soaring. The record-high number of new infections means at least 12.5million people have now been struck down worldwide since the pandemic began back in December in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Millions more would have been infected but not recorded in statistics due to a lack of testing. Dr Tedros's bleak comments, reported by The Independent, come as the WHO reveals the US is steaming ahead with new infections reporting 66,281 in one day. To date, the country has reported at least 2.6million cases and 134,000 deaths, the most of any nation in the world. Florida reported the largest single-day increase in positive coronavirus cases in any one US state since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis. The state's Department of Health and Statistics said 15,299 people tested positive in the 24 hours leading up to Sunday. Florida would rank fourth in the world for the most new confirmed cases in a single day, if it was a country behind only the US, Brazil and India. WHICH 10 COUNTRIES ARE RECORDING THE MOST CASES EACH DAY? COUNTRY US Brazil India South Africa Mexico Columbia Russia Argentina Peru Saudi Arabia NEW CASES 66,281 45,048 28,637 13,497 6,891 6,803 6,615 3,367 3,198 2,994 Advertisement The latest numbers come at the end of a record-breaking week in Florida, which saw 514 coronavirus fatalities. Meanwhile, Brazil is nearing two million cases, with an increase of 45,048 on July 12, the WHO situation report says. The country is widely feared to be the next coronavirus epicentre, having reported 631 deaths yesterday bringing its overall death toll to 72,100. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, 65, revealed that he had contracted Covid-19 on July 7, after spending months flouting social distancing recommendations and mostly shunning masks. The Americas are being ravaged by the virus, with Mexico (6,891), Columbia (6,803), Argentina (3,367), Peru (3,198) and Chile (2,755) all reporting some of the worst daily tolls. India reported a further 28,637 cases on Sunday, bringing its total to 849,553. Experts believe the tally will reach one million by the end of July. In just three weeks, India went from the world's sixth worst-affected country by the coronavirus to the third, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. India's fragile health system was bolstered during a stringent months-long lockdown but could still be overwhelmed by an exponential rise in infections. South Africa recorded 13,497 new cases on Sunday, having seen a sudden spike in cases from May. It follows Health Minister Zweli Mkhize last week saying South Africa could run out of available hospital beds within the month. Brazil recorded 45,048 new cases on Sunday, according to the WHO's situation report. Pictured: Two men wearing masks on the beach of Rio de Janeiro Some 13,497 new cases were reported in South Africa on July 12. Health workers from the Butantan Institute test Guarani Mimbya Indigenous for Covid-19, Brazil Covid-19 patients are being treated with oxygen at the Tshwane District Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa India reported 28,637 new cases on Sunday. Health workers get into their gear screen residents for Covid-19 symptoms at Deonar slum in Mumbai Health workers screen residents for COVID-19 symptoms at Devnar slum in Mumbai, India 'The storm that we have consistently warned South Africans about is now arriving,' he told lawmakers. Today South Africa will immediately ban on the sale of alcohol to reduce the volume of patients in hospitals and free up beds for Covid-19 patients. South Africa is also reinstating a night curfew to reduce traffic accidents and made it mandatory for all residents to wear face masks when in public. Cases in South Africa account for around half of those in the whole African continent with 523,000 confirmed infections. There are now concerns that Africa which was spared from the first six months of the crisis is seeing rocketing numbers of cases. Russia is the third worst hit country in the world after the US and Brazil, with 727,162 positive cases. But its daily increases are finally starting to decline, with 6,615 new Covid-19 cases reported on Sunday. It's not the first time Dr Tedros has warned virus is not under control 'in most of the world' and is 'getting worse'. Speaking at a WHO briefing on the Covid-19 pandemic evaluation last week, Dr Tedros said: 'The virus has upended health systems in some of the world's wealthiest nations, while some countries that have mounted a successful response have been of modest means. 'We know that when countries take a comprehensive approach based on fundamental public health measures such as find, isolate, test and treat cases, and trace and quarantine contacts the outbreak can be brought under control. 'But in most of the world the virus is not under control. It is getting worse. 'And the pandemic is still accelerating. The total number of cases has doubled in the last six weeks.' Sachin Pilot turns down second invite from Congress to attend meet India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, July 13: Sachin Pilot and his supporters are unlikely to attend the Congress Legislative Party meeting scheduled on Tuesday amid a turf war with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Rajasthan Transport Minister says 'confident of winning number game in state' | Oneindia News Reportedly, Pilot's close associates say he will not attend the CLP meet, signalling a hardening of stance. "To discuss the political situation another Congress Legislative Party (CLP) will meet at 10 am tomorrow. We request Sachin Pilot and all MLAs to come. We've requested them to come and discuss the situation," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, according to ANI. In the 200-member assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72. In the past, the ruling party has claimed the support of 13 independents, two MLAs each from the CPM and the Bharatiya Tribal Party, and one from the Rashtriya Lok Dal. Rajasthan crisis: Congress MLAs to meet again at 10 am tomorrow, Sachin Pilot extended invite The Congress had rushed Pande, Surjewala and Ajay Maken to Jaipur as observers at the meeting, amid a power tussle between its two Rajasthan leaders. The party had issued a whip ahead of the CLP meeting, indicating disciplinary action against any MLA who failed to turn up. Pilot, however, had made clear in a statement that he would not attend the meeting. He also claimed that he had the support of over 30 Congress MLAs and some independents. The current crisis began Friday night when the Rajasthan Police sent a notice to Pilot, asking him to record his statement over an alleged attempt to bring down the government. The same notice was sent to the Chief Minister and some other MLAs, but Pilot's supporters claimed that it was only meant to humiliate him. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Nice, France Mon, July 13, 2020 11:02 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665dd1d7 2 Entertainment France,Nice Free The mayor of the French Mediterranean city of Nice on Sunday said he regretted a lack of social distancing at a shoreside DJ set thronged by partying crowds, vowing that in future masks would be obligatory at such outdoor events. Prominent French electro house music producer The Avener hosted the set organised by the municipality late Saturday in his home city, with crowds massing on central Nice's famous Promenade des Anglais esplanade. The density of the crowd as people danced the night away provoked fury on social media at a time when France is wary of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. "We regret that these rules have not been sufficiently respected," mayor Christian Estrosi wrote on Twitter. He said the city would ask the government to review national rules to make it obligatory to wear a mask at such events, even outside. "In Nice, it will now be mandatory for all our events," he added. All those attending events indoors such as concerts already must wear masks. The municipality insisted that the maximum number of 5,000 people allowed at any gathering in France had not been exceeded, even in an area that in usual times can accommodate 36,000. Read also: France rules out 'total lockdown' in case of new COVID-19 spike An AFP photographer said the crowds were denser in some areas as people sought to get closer to the loudspeakers due to poorer sound quality elsewhere. The municipality insisted that clear written warnings on social distancing had been put up as well as audio and video messages urging people to be prudent. Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said the controversy over the event underlined the need for people to take care, even if current infection rates remained low. "The French have gone through difficult times with the lockdown, they want to go out but going out does not mean forgetting these rules," he told BFM-TV. Topics : France Nice Coronavirus response As Texas experiences an increase of COVID-19 cases, Gov. Greg Abbott has made clear that the Lone Star State continues to have available hospital capacity. The Trump Administrations early and decisive interventions deserve significant credit. A few months ago, my staff and I visited with members of the Texas congressional delegation. They asked me to explore ways in which the federal government could leverage an unusual feature of Texas health care landscape to support hospitals facing a surge: licensed Independent Free-standing Emergency Departments (IFEDs). These independently owned and operated facilities offering emergency services are licensed only by Texas, Colorado, Rhode Island and Delaware and cannot normally participate in Medicare. President Trump delivered. My agency, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is currently allowing state-licensed IFEDs to be reimbursed by the federal government for providing outpatient hospital services to Medicare patients for the duration of the emergency. This made more than 200 IFEDs throughout Texas temporarily eligible to be a certified or hospital-affiliated emergency department and be used as overflow space for hard-pressed hospitals in the eye of the storm. This state-specific intervention augments other major CMS policies to increase hospital capacity nationwide, including those allowing ambulatory surgery centers which normally provide outpatient surgery services to be paid for hospital care in the same way. These policies have dramatically increased hospital capacity in Texas. In the coming days and weeks, the federal government continues to stand ready to support Texas and its health care system as it grapples with the virus. Seema Verma, member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services I was so relieved to hear about Gov. Abbotts executive order to make wearing a mask mandatory in most places in Texas. That is until I started making necessary trips to get necessities and seeing that there is still a number of people not complying with the order. I confronted a Montgomery Count deputy today who witnessed a person going into a convenience store and not wearing a mask. He told me he couldnt enforce it. Calls to the Montgomery County judges office got me the response, its unconstitutional. So the judges office told me that people who do not wear masks, their constitutional rights are more important than mine. I fared no better with a call to the constabless office. I suppose their response shouldnt surprise me given that Montgomery is one of the reddest counties in the state, and these people who do not wear masks, they are their base voters. It is sad to see the lack of leadership from the Republicans who are supposed to be watching out for all citizens, not just their base. It starts with the president and goes down hill from there. If they do not put some authority into this mask order, their lack of leadership is going to get someone killed. Thats on them. Frank Young, Magnolia The Albany County Planning and Zoning Commission will not recommend sweeping changes to wind energy regulations in the near-term, voting instead last week to support minimal amendments proposed by the countys planning department. On Wednesday morning, the commission held a special session to consider existing wind energy development guidelines. The meeting came in response to some landowners opposition to a potential wind energy project proposed for the southeast part of the county. During its June 10 planning and zoning meeting, the board expressed interest in hearing from more parties affected by any potential wind regulation changes. But the commission ultimately decided not to adopt the sweeping wind regulatory changes, for now. The proposed regulatory overhaul would have effectively blocked all future wind development in the county by substantially increasing setback requirements. But the board did vote 4-1 to allow the countys planning department to draft minor revisions to align the countys regulations with the states. The countys controversy over wind regulations stretches back several months. Last year, Houston-based renewable energy company ConnectGen announced it planned to construct an ambitious wind farm in southeast Albany County. The proposed 504-megawatt wind farm would stretch across 26,000 acres of private and state land. The Rail Tie Wind Project would also build upwards of 151 wind turbines on both sides of Highway 287 just outside Tie Siding and generate enough energy to power over 180,000 homes. But some landowners and county residents have come out in opposition to the project, citing the projects disruptions to scenic views, property values and public safety, among other concerns. What we have got to do is look at these effects that these (wind) sites have on our citizens and on our community, and to have the information to make an informed decision, said Mitchell Edwards, an attorney representing the group of landowners against the wind energy project. He submitted a proposal to overhaul existing county wind regulations. Public comment offered to commissioners later in the afternoon also echoed many of the concerns outlined by Edwards. Albany County resident Sue Dow expressed alarm over the proposed wind farm project before the commission Wednesday. I implore you, please review Mr. Edwards suggestions and at a minimum incorporate some of the setback and changes and regulations to lessen impact on residents and visitors and grandchildren, she said. This is very important. This is a beautiful valley and I would hate to see us sell out our wonderful vistas and our reputation for Wyoming as a gateway to beautiful Wyoming with a wind farm. But multiple county officials also urged caution before advancing Edwards proposal, stating it would shut down all forthcoming wind development in Albany County. Representatives for ConnectGen, the company behind the proposed Rail Tie Wind Project, defended its proposed wind farm. It walked commissioners through the myriad economic benefits it could bring the county. Amanda MacDonald, Rail Ties project manager, called Edwards proposal to make the countys wind regulations more stringent arbitrary and extreme. They would effectively block any future wind development in Albany County, she remarked. ConnectGen has yet to apply for a permit with the county board, but plans to do so early next year. However, the countys current regulations play a significant role in the companys wind development plans from the very beginning. MacDonald, with ConnectGen, emphasized the need for businesses to have a stable and predictable environment to work in. If the country regulations were to change at this point, we would have to redo our siting corridors, and basically redo the work we have done the past year and a half, MacDonald said. Commissioners voted in favor of minor changes proposed by the county planning department to bring the rules into alignment with state wind regulations. However, Edwards big proposal isnt dead. The commission said they plan to return to Edwards proposed regulatory changes for consideration during the upcoming 4 p.m. Aug. 12 planning and zoning meeting. Next steps for wind farm ConnectGens wind proposal comes at a time when market demand for renewable energy across the Western grid continues to expand. Construction and operation of the states newest proposed renewable energy farm could create 136 direct jobs during its 35-year lifespan, ConnectGen estimates. In addition, ConnectGen anticipates the Rail Tie will generate $133.5 million in taxes for the county and $45 million for the state over its lifetime. The company hopes to connect to the Ault-Craig 345-kilovolt transmission line already in operation in Albany County. The federal government is also in the beginning stages of investigating the potential impacts of the entire project, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act. MacDonald anticipates a draft environmental impact statement coming out around early 2021. If federal regulators approve the wind farm, the project will still have a long road ahead. It still needs to obtain permits from both the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council and Albany County. Once the draft environmental impact statement is released, ConnectGen will start applying for state and local approval, MacDonald told the Star-Tribune. Follow the latest on Wyomings energy industry @camillereports Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to 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. A body has been found body at the California lake where Naya Rivera went missing, US authorities have said. The former Glee star disappeared last Wednesday after renting a boat with her four-year-old son Josey Hollis at Lake Piru, California. Josey was found asleep and wearing a life jacket on the boat, with his mother nowhere to be seen. He told police he had seen her disappear beneath the surface. A rescue mission was launched but less than 24 hours later police said she was presumed dead. In a tweet posted on Monday evening, Ventura County Sheriff department said: A body has been found at Lake Piru this morning. The recovery is in progress. There will be a news conference at 2pm at the lake. A body has been found at Lake Piru this morning. The recovery is in progress. There will be a news conference at 2 pm at the lake Ventura Co. Sheriff (@VENTURASHERIFF) July 13, 2020 According to local reports quoting the sheriffs department, Naya rented a boat at Lake Piru at about 1pm local time. She and her son were swimming, and he was wearing a life vest, but she was not. Naya Rivera pictured in 2017 On Thursday morning local time, the Ventura County Sheriffs office said Naya was presumed dead, stating that the effort to find her was being considered a search and recovery operation. The 33-year-old star is best known for her portrayal of the cheerleader Santana Lopez in all six series of the musical comedy, Glee. Naya Rivera played Santana on Glee More recently, she appeared in the TV series Devious Maids, and from 2018, she had a recurring role as Collette Jones in the Step Up: High Water YouTube series. Naya also appeared in films including At The Devils Door and Mad Families, and embarked on her music career in 2013, releasing the single Sorry, which featured her then-boyfriend Big Sean. In 2015, Naya welcomed son Josey with then-husband Ryan Dorsey. Naya tweeted a picture of her and the boy together the day before she went missi, which was captioned: Just the two of us. Investigators had stressed... Continue reading on HuffPost The Ghana Education Service (GES) on Monday said the Electoral Commission would announce additional days for eligible students who were unable to register during the two-day registration period. The exercise, which started on Friday, July 10, ended on Saturday, July 11, 2020. The GES encouraged schools, which were originally earmarked as registration centres to arrange with the EC officials to register the students when it reached their turn. A statement issued and signed by Mrs Cassandra Twum Ampofo, the Head of Public Relations, GES, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, expressed appreciation to Directors of Education, Heads of schools, staff and students, EC and political party officials and observer groups for the successful organisation of the exercises on the school campuses. It urged all schools participating in the exercise and observers to ensure strict compliance of the COVID-I9 protocols. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Hanipa: 'I expected a gentler solution from minister than arrests of transgenders' Former deputy minister Hanipa Maidin said he had expected a more gentle solution on the handling of the transgender community in Malaysia from new de facto Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Mohamad. Hanipa (above) said there was no need for the transgender community to be harassed, let alone arrested. (The law and enforcement agencies such as Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department) Jawi have to be merciful to them. Being a transgender per se should never be despised, let alone one be treated as a criminal. Truth be told, I was expecting the minister to come up with a more gentle solution. The issue of arresting the transgenders should have never even been mooted in the first place, Amanahs Sepang MP said in a statement. Hanipa, who was de facto deputy law minister under the previous government, said transgenders should instead be protected. Transgenders ought to be treated as the weakest segment of our society. They ought to be duly protected, he said. This comes as Zulkifli (above), who is Minister in the Prime Ministers Department, recently gave full licence to Jawi officers to carry out enforcement against the transgender community. Zulkifli said the move was not about just arresting them but rehabilitating members of the community to return to the right path. The move raised objections from the transgender community and rights groups, saying it would only fuel hatred towards the already marginalised community. Transgender activist Nisha Ayub said this would only put them at risk of harm. What happened to our rights based on the Federal Constitution of Malaysia? Rights to personal liberty, equality, expression, movement, religion and so on? Why target us, the minorities? Why? Nisha had asked. Now Open 13 July 2020 Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts is pleased to welcome guests for a luxurious and much-needed break at the newly opened penthouses at Jumeirah Al Naseem. Guests can escape the ordinary and enjoy complete serenity from the moment they step into Jumeirah's contemporary beachfront hotel, as they check-in to a world of bespoke sculptural and couture-inspired furnishings. Starting this weekend, guests can book their stay in the signature private penthouses, representing the epitome of modernity and luxury. Relax and unwind in the gallery-inspired interior of the Ocean Penthouse, while enjoying breathtaking sunsets and sublime views of Burj Al Arab over a refreshing cocktail. For those looking for a more private, spacious and luxury-living 'home away from home', the Royal Penthouse will suit their every need. The 690sqm of indoor and outdoor living space spans an entire floor, connecting five grand bedrooms with a private terrace. Ocean Penthouse and Royal Penthouse guests can stay on track with their fitness routine using the built-in outdoor or indoor fitness studio, followed by a dip in their very own private 11 metre infinity pool to cool off. Club Lounge access and a dedicated Guest Experience Manager top off an unforgettable stay. In addition, guests can enjoy access to Summersalt Beach Club, Jumeirah Al Naseem's unique beachfront experience serving original fusion cuisine and expert mixology. With the pristine private beach in close proximity, guests can also take a dip in the ocean or enjoy a walk on the beach while taking in magnificent views of Burj Al Arab. There is also an array of delicious dining options to choose from - for both hotel guests and those looking to eat out and enjoy relaxed beachfront vibes. Jumeirah Al Naseem's signature restaurants include KAYTO, the exotic blend of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine also known as "Nikkei" and Rockfish, the hotel's Mediterranean beachfront restaurant with fresh seafood dishes. Guests looking to complete their beachside dining experience and explore signature restaurants at neighbouring Jumeirah hotels can also enjoy authentic Greek cuisine at Shimmers, located in Mina A'Salam with photogenic views of Burj Al Arab. For those itching to travel this summer, they can be transported to the South of France for a taste of classic and modern French Mediterranean food at French Riviera, the all-new pop-up restaurant with beachfront views at Jumeirah Al Qasr. Guests staying at Jumeirah Al Naseem in Dubai can be assured of the highest hygiene standards, after the five-star resort was awarded Bureau Veritas' Safeguard label - the first hotel in the world to receive the prestigious certification. Health and safety are Jumeirah's top priority for everyone who visits, stays, dines or works with Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts, and all properties and their restaurants are strictly following the directives of the UAE Government and have extensive preventative measures in place for the safety of all. Guests will be temperature checked on arrival and will be required to wear masks when transiting public areas and must strictly adhere to all social distancing measures. Search engine giant Google will be hosting its sixth annual Google for India event on July 13. Unlike previous years, the Google for India event 2020 will be hosted virtually due to the pandemic. Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai and some other Google executives will be addressing the event. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communications, Electronics and IT, Law & Justice will also be attending the Google for India event. Google for India 2020 live-stream details Since Google for India 2020 is limited to a virtual-only event, the company will be hosting a live-stream for the online audience. The event is scheduled to begin at 2 pm and will be broadcasted on YouTube, link to which has been added below. Google for India 2020: What to expect Google has not revealed much about the sixth Google for India event. The company has announced that its product & business leaders will share their vision on building a helpful Internet for a billion Indians. Other than Pichai, Google India head and VP Sanjay Gupta, VP of Payments and Next Billion Users at Google Caesar Sengupta and Senior Country Marketing Director Sapna Chadha will be a part of the event. Join us as Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Honble Minister of Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice, Government of India, and many of our leaders share the vision and path ahead to solve for Indias needs, and bring the benefits of the digital economy to all, Google said in its invitation for the event. Google is expected to unveil some new products for its Indian consumers. The company has dropped a four-second teaser with a caption that reads, Take a deep breath and prepare. Something special is coming this Monday. Last year, Google shared details regarding its AI lab in Bengaluru, BSNL partnership and Google Pay for Business app for merchants. The US-based tech giant added that the AI lab in Bengaluru will focus on advancing fundamental computer science and research. Google will apply this research to tackle big problems in fields like healthcare, agriculture, and education in India. By Dong Sun-hwa Actor Hyun Bin headed to Jordan Monday morning to film the thriller "Negotiations" amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "Negotiations" is the first Korean flick to start overseas shooting following the virus outbreak that has deterred international travel. Hyun Bin and other actors, including Hwang Jung-min, took a charter flight from Incheon International Airport. After they arrive in Jordan, they will go through COVID-19 checks and then self-isolate for eight days before to start filming. The exact date of their return is unknown, but the Jordanian government reportedly allowed two months for the shooting. Crew members initially planned to visit the Middle East country in March, but had to put off the plan when Jordan banned entry to people coming from Korea, due to a spike in confirmed virus cases here. The film revolves around a National Intelligence Service agent (Hyun Bin) and a diplomat (Hwang) trying to arrange the release of Koreans kidnapped in the Middle East. Yim Soon-rye who was behind the success of popular movies including "Little Forest" (2018) directs the star-studded production. With "Negotiations" leading the way, more Korean films are expected to start or resume overseas shooting. Hyun Bin, whose real name is Kim Tae-pyung, debuted in 2003 in the drama "Bodyguard" and was catapulted to fame after starring in the TV series "My Name is Kim Sam-soon" in 2005. He recently appeared in another hit drama "Crash Landing on You" with actress Son Ye-jin. Eric Quallens heart thumped as he walked up the linoleum stairs that lead from the Albany County Sheriffs underground office. He reached the top of the staircase scared, tired and confused. Looking toward Grand Avenue in Laramie, adrenaline coursed through his body. Eric, who then presented to the world as a lesbian woman, had reported only days earlier to law enforcement that a fellow University of Wyoming student had sexually assaulted him. Deputies investigated the case. And, on Feb. 7, 2017, they invited him to their headquarters. There while making repeated reference to Erics sexual orientation they said they thought hed made a false report, threatened him with a criminal charge and then then closed the case, a transcript shows. Now, years later, the sheriffs office faces a federal lawsuit alleging that deputies violated Quallens civil rights in that final interview. A federal judge ruled earlier this year that it was plausible the sheriffs office inadequately trained the deputies. The judge permitted the case to proceed toward trial on claims that the sheriffs office prevented Quallen from receiving equal protection under the law. In making the decision, Judge Alan Johnson cited a transcript of Investigator Aaron Gallegos questions to Quallen that center on his sexual orientation. The judge notes that Sgt. Christian Handley Gallegos supervisor, who was also in the interview room asked similar questions. The case is still a long way from being determined. If the matter does go to trial it still may face further procedural challenges and could still be settled it wont happen for another year. But just getting to this point has taken years. And, back in February 2017, when Quallen reached the top of those stairs, he didnt know what to do. The path forward hadnt been spelled out for him. There was no road map. So he learned along the way how to navigate the different systems that purport to create accountability when people say theyve been wronged by law enforcement. His navigation of those systems that include the sheriffs criminal complaint process, the county attorneys office, the ballot box, and, ultimately, the civil legal process has been a matter of trial and error. He wants to show you that path. *** Quallen, 25, grew up on the East Coast. When he graduated high school, Quallen joined the Coast Guard. It was a natural fit: he swam in high school and responded well to organizations seeking to instill discipline. But he found he didnt want to spend his whole life on ships. So, when honorably discharged, he decided to travel and re-evaluate. He took an internship in Wyoming with a Christian program that teaches outdoor skills. And, while here, he fell in love with Wyomings backcountry. So he decided to settle in Laramie and enroll at the University of Wyoming. When he arrived here in 2015, Quallen was halfway to a Bachelors degree. He figured he could access the outdoors he loved and earn a diploma. He signed on with the campus Army ROTC program, which would assist with his tuition payments. And, with his military background and interest in the outdoors, he fit in. That changed, Quallen said, when he was assaulted by another ROTC member. At the time, Quallen presented to the world as a lesbian, and he was still using the name he went by as a woman when he reported the assault to sheriffs investigators. He told them he typically dated women. Quallen reported to law enforcement hed gone to the mans house. Theyd had sex at night. Then, in the morning, the man had raped him, Quallen said. Its the identity of a queer person that is central to Quallens civil rights case. He alleges that police violated his right to equal protection guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. The equal protection clause promises Americans that their government will treat them the same as other people who are in similar circumstances. And, in his final interview with the sheriffs office, Quallen alleges, the office failed in its duty. According to a transcript of the recorded interview, Gallegos and Handley dominated the conversation. In the interview, Gallegos said he thought Quallen had given bad information to police. The investigator said that he thought a friend of Quallen's had come up with a false story of rape. Quallen had gone along with the story because of his sexual orientation, Gallegos said. This blew up into something that wouldve possibly said, Hey, (he) said (he) was strictly into girls, said Gallegos. Which you had told everybody, so people wouldve been confused. You dont want to look like a liar to them. Gallegos and his sergeant told Quallen they wouldnt charge him with false reporting. But Gallegos characterized multiple times the alleged sexual contact as consensual and said he needed Quallen to confirm his understanding. Quallen repeatedly declined to do so: It blew up, but I didnt say I wanted it. The investigator returned the conversation to Quallens sexual identity. The interview ended, Quallen said, because he gave up arguing. So he walked up the stairs that lead from the Albany County Sheriffs underground office to the street. He reached the top of the stairs terrified. It never occurred to me when I initially went in there that they wouldnt believe me, Quallen said in an interview for this story. Let alone that they would believe that I was potentially deserving of criminal charges. When contacted by email requesting comment from Sheriff Dave OMalley, Gallegos and Handley the sheriffs office declined to comment for this story. At the direction of Counsel, we will not be involved, read the entirety of the email from OMalley. *** It wasnt right, Quallen thought. He went to law enforcement for help and left feeling like they had treated him like crap. They disregarded, he said, a real crime and a real danger. He was bewildered and disappointed. Quallen felt he needed deputies to take him seriously. But he didnt know how to make that happen. Back on the University of Wyomings campus, he met with the coordinator of a program that aims to prevent sexual and relationship violence. He told her his case had been poorly handled. She suggested he speak with a lawyer. He put that idea on the back burner. But, when he told a friend about the experience, she made the same suggestion. That lawyer, Quallen recalls, brought him to meet with Albany County Attorney Peggy Trent. Quallen hoped they would be able to convince the prosecutor to re-examine and ultimately pick up the case against Quallens alleged assailant. The lawyer Rennie Phillips said she wasnt retained to represent Quallen. Phillips, though, thought she would be able to help Quallen navigate an attempt to review a recording of the interview. So about a month after the final interview with sheriffs deputies, Quallen, Trent and Phillips sat down to talk about the case. Quallen said he provided Trent a copy of the police report, marked up where he says deputies mischaracterized his statements or attributed their statements to him. Quallen remembers being optimistic then Trent seemed to listen to what he had to say. She seemed sympathetic. Trent, Quallen recalls, said shed look into things. But, in March 2018, nearly a year after their first meeting, Trent said she wouldnt take the case. A criminal prosecution would never happen. Trent told Quallen shed talked to the deputies but that the details of that conversation were private, Quallen said. Trent said she didnt think the case was winnable, Quallen recollects. When asked this past week about Quallens recollection, Trent said that she was circumscribed by ongoing litigation in which she expects to be a witness. The county attorney, though, said that she did recall the case being closed by the sheriffs office. Trent re-opened the case, which she says her office does with every investigation pertaining to sexual assault, even if only to review evidence. In Quallens case, Trent said, she met again with the sheriffs office. She said she expressed to that agency concerns (with) techniques that were used. And she declined to prosecute. Could I win on the facts of the case, the strengths of the case? Trent asked rhetorically. I felt that our office would not be successful. *** So Quallen once again had to reasses his options. Sheriffs, in theory, should be highly accountable to the public. After all, they answer directly to voters at the ballot box. The investigators were the sheriffs employees. Elected sheriffs, who answer directly to voters, can frequently be highly responsive to their constituents. But things dont always work that way. Rebecca Neusteter, director of the University of Chicagos health lab and whose work focuses on equity in criminal justice and health care systems, told reporters that although the accountability and broad discretion granted sheriffs can create space for responsive policies, there are downsides too. Because sheriffs dont answer to county commissioners or the county attorney, the end of the road really is at the ballot box, every four years. Data analysis of sheriffs elections conducted for this story indicate that in Wyoming the ballot box itself rarely creates change. A statistical regression found that incumbent sheriffs are 34 times more likely to win a contest against their challenger. And thats assuming there is any race at all. Since 2006 in Wyoming, less than a third of general elections for sheriff were contested, according to reporters statistical analysis of county clerk records statewide. So, 68 percent of the time, the options come down to voting for the incumbent, writing in a name on the blank space or not marking that portion of the ballot at all. Quallen didnt know those numbers when he was in the midst of the process. But he perceived that the political realities of elections for hyper-local office where community and party ties weigh heavily would stand in his way. So he kept looking for a solution. *** When Quallen turned back to Phillips, his initial lawyer, she referred him to a Cheyenne firm, Overstreet, Homar and Kuker. The process seemed hopeless. Quallen had been pouring his effort into a black hole that returned nothing. Still, he didnt have any better options. He figured it wouldnt hurt to talk. So Quallen sat down with Megan Selheim, the same campus coordinator whod referred him to Phillips, the first lawyer. They called the Cheyenne office. And during the initial consultation, Quallen was heartened. After hitting wall after wall after wall it felt like there was finally a door or a window, said Selheim. Like an official acknowledgement of how bad things had gone. They not only told me that they would take the case if I wanted them to, but they believed truly that what had happened was wrong, Quallen said. It wasnt just: We could win. It was: We should win. Quallen found himself at an inflection point. Hed talked to police, thinking theyd help him. Since then at every turn hed found only pain and disappointment. He wanted to give up. And going forward with a civil case against the sheriffs office could mean years of litigation. Hed long ago given up hope on accountability for the person whod assaulted him. But the sheriffs office would keep acting the same way, Quallen reasoned, until somebody did something. It might as well be him. If we wanted to move forward with any other kind of litigation especially in terms of holding law enforcement accountable it wasnt going to be for me. It was something that I was going to have to go through, but for the sake of all of the other people that were gonna come after me, Quallen recollects. Hopefully at some point down the road we would help someone else who hadnt yet been wronged. So, Quallen said, lets at least try. The type of litigation on the table didnt promise to be easy. Lawsuits involving police tend to involve certain hurdles that dont show up elsewhere. A big portion of the challenge shows up in Qualified Immunity, a legal doctrine created by the U.S. Supreme Court starting in the 1960s, and that became a particular challenge following precedent drawn from cases decided in the 80s. The justices reasoned that lawsuits against the government even when they turned out to be invalid could be exorbitantly expensive for those entities and divert their attention from important issues. People who might otherwise decide to work in public office might not take the job for risk of lawsuit. And justices thought law enforcement would be afraid to act with the threat of litigation hanging over officers heads. So the courts doctrine, which is the law of the land, requires plaintiffs to show not only that a police officer violated civil rights law, but that the right was clearly established and the officer would therefore know about it. Part of the reason that doctrine is such a high hurdle today, say lawyers who handle lawsuits against law enforcement, is because over the past 10 or 15 years judges have expanded their application of the doctrine dramatically. A statistical analysis performed for this story reflects the attorneys anecdotal observations. Wyoming Public Media and the Casper Star-Tribune collected every case filed between 2000 and 2019 in Wyoming federal court related to the section of federal law pertaining to civil rights violations by local government and not directly pertaining to prison conditions. For the purposes of this analysis, reporters considered a case as favorable for the plaintiff when public dockets stated that parties had reached a settlement, when judges ruled that plaintiffs were entitled to compensation or when a jury ruled in favor of the plaintiff. Some settlements were likely not captured by this analysis: occasionally, lawyers will agree to dismiss a case without referencing a settlement. It is possible or even likely that some of those cases included monetary settlement agreements. Although such cases make up only 1% of the total seen before the court, reporters decided to exclude unclear circumstances from their analysis altogether. Reporters decided to do the same with cases that have not yet received a final determination from the trial court. The results indicate that cases brought by pro se litigants people who havent hired a lawyer are almost never successful. When people hire lawyers, they do far better. Nearly half the time 46 percent such claims were successful. But that number has been on the decline. For the five years beginning in 2000, such cases were successful 56 percent of the time. Between 2005 and 2009 that number dropped to 48 percent, where it stayed stable for another five years. But it dropped again. Between 2015 and 2019, only 27 percent of cases were resolved in favor of the plaintiff. The data doesnt clearly indicate the reason for the decline. But John Robinson partner in a Wyoming law firm that handles a large portion of civil rights cases in the state said that he does anticipate courts becoming more reticent to employ the doctrine going forward. The strength of the qualified immunity doctrine functions like a pendulum. Robinson, who isnt involved in Quallens case, said he expects that pendulum to slowly begin swinging in the other direction, strengthening peoples ability to enforce their civil rights. *** Quallens lawyers started by filing notices of claim with the Albany County Sheriffs Office. Thats typical. Those notices can serve as jumping off places for negotiations. They also keep a claimants legal remedies open under state law. As soon as a claim is filed, agencies loop in their insurers. In the case of the Albany County Sheriffs Office, that means the agency informed the Local Government Liability Pool. Thats also typical. Nineteen of the states 23 county governments are insured through the pool, which was created by the Wyoming Legislature and is governed by a joint powers board. Local governments pay fees in Albany Countys case about $67,000 a year and are also responsible for deductibles on their claims. That money is put in a big pot used to cover the costs of defending and paying out claims. The structure of the insurers, though, might undermine attempts at accountability. Although the insurance pool has an interest in reducing risk of claims, the pool cant mandate actions to municipalities and their agencies. Executive Director Mark Pring, speaking generally, said that law enforcement can be resistant to training and consultations offered by the pool. We can make recommendations, but we cant make law enforcement and elected officials do anything, Pring said. Some officials are more open than others, he said. For the most part: law enforcement are opinionated and dont like being told what to do, which is frustrating. Quallen, when he filed suit, named the individual officers involved as well as the sheriffs office. Thats also typical. And the officers like every sworn officer in Wyoming are covered by a second pot of money managed by the State Self-Insurance Program. The self-insurance program creates a deep challenge, said a law professor who studies the topic. John Rappaport, of the University of Chicago, said officers nationwide are indemnified against claims made against them. So agencies typically purchase insurance to cover the claims on their officers behalf. But Wyoming in an unusual fashion insures itself by keeping a $40 million reserve account on hand. That means small municipalities wont have to worry about struggling to pay for premiums or the claims associated with them. But, Rappaport said, when the agencies and officers know theyll be covered no matter what, their incentive to change is limited to the $20,000 deductible that agencies are responsible for paying in the self-insurance program. The strength of that incentive by Rappaports thinking likely depends on the size of the agencys budget. The State Self-Insurance Program has every year for the past decade reported in annual filings that it has historically worked with law enforcement agencies across the State and the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy to enable trainers to instruct other peace officers on a variety of liability related issues. When asked for records of the actions, though, the insurance program couldnt provide them. According to the State of Wyoming, the person responsible for handling the pool has never made a recommendation or paid for such trainings. In a written statement, a spokesperson said that the risk manager who oversees the pool did not know of any trainings recommended before her tenure. Erin Edwards, the risk manager, declined to be interviewed for this story. Quallens legal team looked to reforms as they sent a series of requests during settlement negotiations. They asked for money and they asked for changes such as new policies for training officers who will take reports of sexual assault, Quallen said. Both those types of settlement terms can inspire change, say lawyers in the field. Darold Killmer a partner in the Denver civil rights law firm that has recently attracted national attention for representing the family of Elijah McClain, a Black man killed by police said that lawsuits are among the few effective methods of holding police accountable. When he negotiates settlements, said Killmer, he aims for and wins concessions from agencies that include changes to training and policy. But, Killmer who is not involved in Quallens case said money talks. Even when insurance pools dilute the message, agencies take notice of legal settlements and judgements. At some point a responsible adult has to sit up, pay attention and say: Why do we keep paying out these settlements for police misconduct? Killmer said. I no longer care that much whether they agree its constitutional, so long as theyre persuaded that its not good business to keep doing it. Quallen, for his part, wonders if litigation could be better leveraged to hold agencies accountable. He thinks monetary awards could sometimes go toward policy reviews or improved training. But, when defense lawyers rejected his offers in negotiation, Quallen turned to the courthouse. *** In February, Quallens lawyers filed suit in federal court, alleging that Handley and Gallegos, the two deputies who conducted the final interview with Quallen, violated his constitutional rights by interrogating him about his sexual history and preferences when he reported to them. Lawyers for the deputies asked Judge Alan Johnson to dismiss the case against them, and Johnson in an April ruling did so. In the order to dismiss, Johnson wrote that Handley did not understand what qualifies as consensual sex. However, the federal judge ruled that Quallen wasnt able to provide case law that would have clearly established a right that the deputies violated. Because he failed to do so and because he failed to show that another person was treated differently in violation of the 14th Amendments equal protection clause the judge determined that the deputies were entitled to qualified immunity. The Court recognizes it may be all but impossible to show another individual alleging sexual assault was treated differently, given the sensitive nature of such a matter. However, the Court cannot rewrite the law. Defendants might deeply inquire into the sexual behavior of anyone reporting a sexual assault, which might be inappropriate but would not be an equal protection violation, the judge wrote in the ruling. The court does not condone defendants behavior . Defendant Handley appears to believe if sexual activity is consensual at night it is automatically consensual in the morning. He is wrong, Johnson wrote. This was not handled well. However, this is a Court of law, not a Court of public opinion. Plaintiff did not overcome the high burden of qualified immunity on (his) equal protection claim. The qualified immunity doctrine does not apply to parallel claims against agencies themselves. And the judge in May ruled that Quallens case against the sheriffs office could go forward. Although the judge dismissed a claim made pertaining to state law and a claim alleging that police had coerced a confession from Quallen, the judge ruled that Quallens complaint against the county under Section 1983 the portion of law used to sue local governments for civil rights violations could go forward. Johnson wrote that it is plausible the sheriffs office inadequately trained the deputies who then violated Quallens constitutional rights. To support that plausibility, Johnson wrote, was the fact that Handley a sergeant responsible for supervising Gallegos let the investigator question Quallen about his sexual orientation. Then Handley did the same himself. The judge in his determination also cited Quallens allegation that Sheriff Dave OMalley was aware of the interview and let it proceed. Johnson as well determined that Quallen had done enough to show that he then identifying as a lesbian woman was treated differently on that basis. It is unclear what discovery will reveal, but Plaintiff has shown it is plausible (he) was treated differently based on (his) sex or sexual orientation. It is inconceivable Defendants would tell a straight woman that it must be weird being with a man, Johnson wrote. Plaintiff may very well have not been treated similarly to straight women claiming sexual assault. At this stage, all (he) needs to plead is disparate treatment was plausibly based on the facts (he) submits. The Court finds (he) has. The case is now proceeding toward trial, which Johnson set for July of next year. Quallen, who still lives in Laramie, has seen years slip by as hes sought justice. He completed the bachelors degree. Now hes midway through a Ph.D. While fighting for accountability, Quallen lost a lot. The majority of the social circle he once had is gone. So is his dream of becoming an Army Chaplain. He thought about giving up the fight. But he hasnt. His reward thus far has been pain, a preliminary trial date and a lot of experience navigating unfamiliar systems. If I didnt advocate for myself nobody was going to. Nobody did, unless I asked and reached out and went from lawyer to lawyer to lawyer. Theres no road map. Theres no tour guide, Quallen said. It was scary. Its still scary. And were doing it still. Eda Uzunlar, for Wyoming Public Media, contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Hadi Sirika, the minister of aviation, says passengers no longer have to arrive at the airport three hours before the take-off time of... Hadi Sirika, the minister of aviation, says passengers no longer have to arrive at the airport three hours before the take-off time of domestic flights. In a tweet on Monday, Sirika said passengers can now arrive one and a half hour before departure time for domestic flights. My colleagues and I have reviewed passenger facilitation at our airports, consequently I am happy to announce that, henceforth travellers are to arrive one hour and a half before their departure time for domestic flights, the tweet read. The minister also advised passengers to check-in online so as to as time spent checking in at the airport. Before the resumption of domestic flights, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had advised passengers to get to the airport at least three hours before departure due to safety checks. This was among other guidelines announced by FAAN as part of the COVID-19 flight resumption protocols for passengers. Airport operations were suspended in March to contain the spread of COVID-19 across the country. Sirika, on July 1, announced that the Abuja and Lagos airports will resume on July 8, while Kano, Port Harcourt, Owerri and Maiduguri airports will reopen on July 11. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 02:04:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Two senior UN officials on Monday urged for increasing international donations to meet the humanitarian needs in Palestine. Jamie McGoldrick, UN humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, and Stephen Kearney, director of World Food Programme (WFP) office in Palestine, made the appeal in a meeting with Palestinian Minister of Social Affairs Ahmed Majdalani. "We discussed with McGoldrick and Kearney how to support the steadfastness of the Palestinians, develop social services, and increase the humanitarian aid," Majdalani office said in an emailed press statement on Monday. The statement said that Majdalani discussed with the two senior UN officials the plans of his ministry to combat coronavirus in the West Bank and how to face the Israeli plan of annexing parts of the West Bank. The statement said that McGoldrick expressed readiness for cooperation with the ministry of social affairs to implement its plans and also his full understanding of the hard-living situation in the Palestinian territories. It also said that Kearney stressed the necessity of exerting more efforts for fundraising and expressed his understanding to increase the international aid to meet the humanitarian needs in the Palestinian territories. Enditem An American politician has taken aim at Victoria's strict coronavirus lockdown measures. DeAnna Lorraine, a Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, took to Twitter on Sunday to blast Melbourne's six-week-long COVID-19 lockdown. The political commentator and author labelled the stay-at-home order as 'sick', prompting some Twitter users to defend the lockdown compared to measures in her home state of California, which has recorded around 321,000 coronavirus cases. Republican congressional candidate DeAnna Lorraine (pictured) took to Twitter on Sunday to blast the strict stage three coronavirus restrictions in Melbourne Ms Lorraine said the lockdown was 'total enslavement' and that police had put a 'ring of steel around the city'. Pictured: Police checking cars at the closed NSW-Victoria border The political commentator's home state of California has recorded 321,000 coronavirus cases Ms Lorraine, who lost to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the safe Democratic seat based around the Napa Valley, made her criticism as she shared a BBC article explaining Melbourne's lockdown measures. 'This is literally Prison. Total enslavement,' she wrote. 'Australians aren't allowed to even leave their own homes for 6 plus weeks.' The article described how five million residents in Melbourne can only leave their homes for one of four essential reasons for the next six weeks. 'Police put a 'ring of steel' around the city, with 'checkpoints anytime anywhere' to enforce the measures,' Ms Lorraine continued. The self proclaimed 'conservative warrior' urged Australians to 'fight' the lockdown. Some commenters disagreed with Ms Lorraine and voiced their support for Melbourne's restrictions. Pictured: Melbourne's CBD is empty as residents may only leave home for essential reasons Victorians were quick to answer Ms Lorraine's Tweet and defend the lockdown measures Melbourne residents pointed out they could still leave their homes for essential reasons 'I'm in the lockdown zone but I am able to move about for exercise, buying necessities, medical and care. We take this pandemic seriously, unlike your mad President,' Carl Stevens of Victoria wrote. 'I live in Melbourne,' Nick Galea wrote. 'People are able to work, exercise, attain medical care/supplies and shop for groceries. 'The 'ring of steel' you mention is to try and protect the regional areas that have not been affected to the extent Melbourne is.' Australian author Jane Caro labelled Ms Lorraine's Tweet as 'literally imbecilic'. 'Death is a much worse prison (lasts forever, my dear) and our death rate is so much lower than yours it'd be laughable if it wasn't so tragic,' she wrote. In response to her critics, Ms. Lorraine reiterated her stance against the Victorian lockdowns. 'Australian liberals seem to be very mad with me today,' she tweeted. 'Its a shame when these people who have absolutely no freedoms in their country openly defend the fact that their government views them as mere puppets.' Australian Author Jane Caro said Ms Lorraine's Tweet was 'literally imbecilic' Ms Lorraine urged Australians to 'fight' against the coronavirus lockdown measures Ms Lorraine had also been outspoken opponent of California's response to COVID-19, with the Democrat-run state recording 11,694 new coronavirus cases last Wednesday, almost reaching the highest daily increase for any American state. Florida recorded the nation's highest daily increase on Sunday with 15,299 cases. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced his state had recorded 177 new coronavirus cases on Monday. He said one of the new cases was a returned traveller in hotel quarantine, 25 were connected to known outbreaks and 151 remained under investigation. Victoria has a total of 1612 active cases, with 72 people in hospital and 17 of those in intensive care. The term 'covidiot' is a coronavirus-era slang term for someone who ignores recommendations to limit the spread of the deadly disease and a new study reveals what makes these people dismiss the warnings. Researchers found that whether or not an individual decides to follow social distancing depends on how much information their working memory can store, which determines mental abilities such as intelligence. Following a survey of 850 Americans, the team discovered that those with more working memory capacity were more likely to comply with recommendations during the early stage of the outbreak. The findings suggest that policy makers need promote compliance behaviors, such as wearing a mask, based on individuals' general cognitive abilities to avoid effortful decisions. Scroll down for video Researchers found that whether or not an individual decides to follow social distancing depends on how much information their working memory can store, which determines mental abilities such as intelligence The coronavirus began spread across the US earlier this year and when it gained more traction, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a list of recommendations aimed at limiting the spread of the virus. The list includes wearing a mask and social distancing, which is keep six feet away from other people while in public. Although recommendations sounds simple to follow, many Americans ignored the warnings and cases spiked across the nation. Recently a team from the University of California set out to understand why some individuals chose to dismiss wearing a mask or social distancing and some easily complied. The team found those with higher working capacity have an increased awareness of benefits and cost of social distancing and wearing a mask. This part of the memory is involved in decision-making, reasoning and how one behaves, and it holds information for just a few seconds. Some people in a New York City park choose to wear masks, while others do not The team found those with higher working capacity have an increased awareness of benefits and cost of social distancing and wearing a mask. This part of the memory is involved in decision-making, reasoning and how one behaves, and it holds information for just a few seconds. The amount of information working memory can hold briefly is predictive of many mental abilities such as intelligence, comprehension, and learning. Weiwei Zhang, an associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, said: 'The higher the working memory capacity, the more likely that social distancing behaviors will follow.' 'Interestingly, this relationship holds even after we statistically control for relevant psychological and socioeconomic factors such as depressed and anxious moods, personality traits, education, intelligence, and income.' Zhang and his team surveyed 850 Americans from March 13 through 15, which is the first two weeks the coronavirus was declared a national emergency in the US. Participants first filled out a demographic survey, which included a set of questionnaires that captured individual differences in social distancing compliance, depressed mood, and anxious feelings. The survey also examined personality variables, intelligence, and participants' understanding about the costs and benefits of social distancing practice were measured also. 'Individual differences in working memory capacity can predict social distancing compliance just as well as some social factors such as personality traits,' Zhang said. The study seems to fall in line with how some of the US states have recently seem dramatic increases in coronavirus cases. Florida currently has over 282,000 cases and state officials have fought to keep the region open when healthcare organizations urged for a shutdown 'This suggests policy makers will need to consider individuals' general cognitive abilities when promoting compliance behaviors such as wearing a mask or engaging in physical distancing.' Zhang and his colleagues recommend media materials for promoting norm compliance behaviors to avoid information overload. 'The message in such materials should be succinct, concise, and brief,' Zhang said. 'Make the decision process easy for people.' The study's findings also suggest learning social distancing as a new norm requires an effortful decision process that relies on working memory. 'The bottom line is we should not rely on habitual behaviors since social distancing is not yet adequately established in U.S. society,' Zhang said. 'Before social distancing becomes a habit and a well-adopted social norm, the decision to follow social distancing and wearing masks would be mentally effortful. Consequently, we will have to deliberately make the effort to overcome our tendency to avoid effortful decisions, such as to not practice social distancing.' In March, governor Ron DeSantis refused to close beaches amid the early outbreak, which resulted in massive crowds along the shoreline. Along with dismissing social distancing, many Floridians do not comply with the recommendation of wearing a mask Zhang expects the contribution of working memory will decline as new social norms, such as wearing a mask or socially distancing, are acquired by society over time. 'Eventually social distancing and wearing face masks will become a habitual behavior and their relationship with working memory will diminish,' he said. The study seems to fall in line with how some of the US states have recently seem dramatic increases in coronavirus cases. Florida currently has over 282,000 cases and state officials have fought to keep the region open when healthcare organizations urged for a shutdown. In March, governor Ron DeSantis refused to close beaches amid the early outbreak, which resulted in massive crowds along the shoreline. Along with dismissing social distancing, many Floridians do not comply with the recommendation of wearing a mask. Florida policy groups are calling for DeSantis to require Floridians to wear face coverings and slams the governor for 'intentionally manipulating the state's data and misleading Floridians' on the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak, Orlando Weekly reports. Another instance of not complying with CDC recommendations has been observed with US president Donald Trump, who refused to wear a mask since the beginning of the pandemic. However, over the weekend Trump strapped on a face cover for the first time 'Florida has become a global hotspot for COVID-19, with more than 200,000 cases and 3,400 dead, due to the failed leadership of Gov. Ron DeSantis,' said the groups said in a video. DeSantis recently said: 'If you can't social distance, it's recommended to wear a facial covering.' 'We've just got to trust people that give 'em the opportunity to do the good things, make good decisions. I think that that tends to work better than to mandate this, mandate that.' Another instance of not complying with CDC recommendations has been observed with US president Donald Trump, who refused to wear a mask since the beginning of the pandemic. However, over the weekend Trump strapped on a face cover for the first time while visiting the Walter Reed military hospital outside Washington. 'I don't think I'm going to be doing it,' he said in April when the CDC began recommending the face coverings. 'Wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens - I just don't see it.' Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 13) COVID-19 Response Deputy Chief Implementer Vince Dizon said total number of tests in the country is seen to breach one million by the end of July. Data from the Department of Health show that 978,884 tests were already conducted as of July 12. Our target is to hit 10 million tests by next year. But we are confident we can double the one million tests by early September or end of August, Dizon told CNN Philippines The Final Word. He added that testing now is not only limited to those who exhibit symptoms, but has expanded to those who had contact with COVID-19 patients. In a statement, the testing czar explained that from 500 tests in March, the country is now conducting 23,000 tests as of July 9, and is about to reach 32,000 tests daily by end-July. He said this is due to the faster accreditation process of testing laboratories across the country. Currently, there are 85 accredited facilities nationwide. This week, the Department of Health will also release guidelines on testing non-medical frontliners like those working in the private sector, which is seen to further increase the countrys testing capacity, Dizon said. Discussions are ongoing to have PhilHealth share the costs of the testing, he added. Meanwhile, National Task Force against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez said the National Action Plan Phase II, which covers June to September 2020, will center on saving lives and mitigating the impact as one, towards economic and social recovery. He said under this, the economy will gradually be reopened on the condition that companies will ensure health safety of their employees by following minimum health standards. Guided by the governments Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate strategy, localized lockdowns will also be implemented, Galvez said. Stricter quarantine rules will be in place based on data coming from local government units. The day the debt-ridden Texas oil producer MDC Energy filed for bankruptcy eight months ago, a tank at one of its wells was furiously leaking methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. As of last week, dangerous, invisible gases were still spewing into the air. By one estimate, the company would need more than $40 million to clean up its wells if they were permanently closed. But the debts of MDCs parent company now exceed the value of its assets by more than $180 million. In the months before its bankruptcy filing, though, the company managed to pay its chief executive $8.5 million in consulting fees, its top lender, the French investment bank Natixis, later alleged in bankruptcy court. Oil and gas companies in the United States are hurtling toward bankruptcy at a pace not seen in years, driven under by a global price war and a pandemic that has slashed demand. And in the wake of this economic carnage is a potential environmental disaster unprofitable wells that will be abandoned or left untended, even as they continue leaking planet-warming pollutants, and a costly bill for taxpayers to clean it all up. Imagine an issue so concerning that a small town held a public meeting inside a high school auditorium because the thousands of people expected to attend did not fit inside city hall. Thats what happened nearly a decade ago when horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing began to spread across the Barnett Shale of North Texas, putting industry next door to people. With much of the natural gas-rich geological formation below the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, the noise, dust, floodlights, traffic and air pollution at drilling rigs and hydraulic fracturing crews did not sit well with homeowners in newly built subdivisions. City hall meetings drew hundreds of angry people and often went past midnight with residents pressing local officials to pass ordinances to control industry. State lawmakers stepped in with House Bill 40, which said the state would control the technical aspects of a well while cities would control surface activities such as traffic, noise, light, and require wells to be a certain distance from homes and businesses. Passed into law in May 2015, supporters hoped the bill would settle those issues once and for all, but as I wrote in a new front page story about drilling within city limits, the debate has resurfaced five years later with a couple new twists in the Houston suburb of League City and in Arlington. Those fights will play out over the next few months but a look at the past suggests that state intervention may be needed again. Oil & Gas: Drilling inside city limits remains thorny issue for many Texans A string of earthquakes near the North Texas town of Azle, created near panic in 2013. Scientists blamed saltwater disposal wells, which are used to inject oil field wastewater deep underground. The Railroad Commission, the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, stepped in and held a January 2014 town hall meeting that filled the Azle High School auditorium. Ed Ireland, the former president of the Barnett Shale Energy Education Council, attended that meeting, which ultimately led to the Railroad Commission adopting stricter rules for disposal wells that ended the earthquakes. But an even bigger battle was brewing in Denton, where new homes had been allowed to be built next to decades-old oil wells. When hydraulic fracturing crews showed up to use modern techniques to give those wells a new lease on life, neighbors were outraged adding fuel to the fire in a highly polarized debate. It was so intense, Ireland said. People were either on one side or the other. There was no in between. Opponents succeeded in passing an ordinance to ban hydraulic fracturing ban within Denton city limits. Other cities in the region were considering oil well ordinances and thats when state lawmakers stepped in with House Bill 40, which was passed by a 4-to-1 margin. Fuel Fix: Get energy news sent directly to your inbox Recent permit denials handed down by the Arlington City Council mark the first time since Denton and House Bill 40 that a city has said no to the industry. Maria Robles, an organizer with the social justice committee for St. Matthew Catholic Church in predominantly Hispanic East Arlington neighborhood, said her family welcomed industry at first but later came to regret it. Landmen representing an oil company came knocking on her elderly mothers door off Queens East Street to lease the mineral rights under her house. Her now-late mother received a $5,000 bonus check and royalties for the natural gas production under her home. We thought it would be one or two wells and then, they started popping up everywhere, Robles said. Leasing mineral rights, she said, complicated taxes for her mothers heirs and was not worth the $35 royalty checks they now receive for a few months of production. We thought we had done a lot of research but it was not enough, Robles said. We were too busy dealing with police brutality and immigration and other issues. We never thought about environmental issues. sergio.chapa@chron.com http://twitter.com/SergioChapa RILs 43rd AGM will be held in the form of an online event that will begin at 2PM on July 15. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is set to host its 43rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) via a virtual event on July 15. Ahead of its annual event, the company has launched a WhatsApp chatbot that is aimed at helping the companys shareholders, prospective investors, media and people at large to get timely and quick information about the upcoming event. The newly launched WhatsApp chatbot is powered by Jio Haptik and it has been developed by Haptik Technologies, which is a subsidiary of RIL, can be accessed by sending a simple message on the messaging app. WhatsApp users need to send Hi to ChatBots WhatsApp number which is 79771 11111. The chatBot will be active 24x7 and it will answer all of users queries related to RIL AGM. Sources say that the chatBot has been designed to handle diverse sets of queries from the large number of shareholders, other interested stakeholders and general public from across the country. It will be able to assist thousands of shareholders, other stakeholders and the public at any given time with text & video content and useful links related to the AGM. Coming back to the AGM, RILs 43rd AGM will be held in the form of an online event that will begin at 2PM on July 15. At the event, the company is expected to talk about its series of deals over the past twelve week that has enabled the company to raise a total of 118,318.45 crore from global investors such as Facebook, Intel and Qualcomm among others and become a debt-free company, a goal that the company had set for March 2021. In addition to that, the company is also expected to announce updates to its Aramco deal that hoped to raise $75 billion by selling a 20% stake in its Oil-to-Chemical division. The Star casino in Sydney has been hit by coronavirus as it spreads around New South Wales. A gambler who was at the venue on Saturday 4 July from 7.30pm to 10.30pm has tested positive for the deadly disease. The casino is now working with health officials to trace any contacts including staff members and other gamblers. It has not been ordered to close. 'The Star is working closely with NSW Health to respond to this information, including the conduct of contact tracing which includes staff members,' the company said in a statement to the ASX. The casino re-opened on 1 June after lockdown but closes daily from 6am to 10am for a deep clean. The Star casino in Sydney has confirmed that gambler has tested positive for coronavirus New South Wales has recorded 14 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours amid fears of growing community transmission in the state. Four are returned travellers in hotel quarantine, two are NSW residents who acquired their infection in Victoria and eight are linked to The Crossroads Hotel in Casula, south-west Sydney. The pub, a popular rest stop for truckies, has been linked with 13 cases in total. Thousands who dined there between 3 and 10 July have been told to return for a test at a pop-up clinic in the car park as queues snaked for hundreds of metres outside the venue today. An aerial view of traffic streaming into the Crossroads Hotel as drivers lined up to get tested Four of the new cases are returned travellers in hotel quarantine, two are NSW residents who acquired their infection in Victoria and eight are linked to the Crossroads Hotel in Casula, south-west Sydney. Pictured: Drivers queue to get tested at the pub A man winces as a health worker performs a COVID-19 test at the Crossroads Hotel in Casula Testing is carried out at the Crossroads Hotel in Casula on July 13, 2020 in Sydney One of the infected patrons played pokies at Picton Hotel, south of Sydney, on 4, 9 and 10 July. The hotel has been closed for a deep clean and staff are in quarantine. Another patient went to the Planet Fitness Casula gym which has also been shut down for cleaning. About 100 staff and pupils from 16 south-west Sydney schools are self-isolating after attending an end-of-term function at the Crossroads hotel on July 3. This morning 2GB radio host Ben Fordham said he has heard 'patient zero' for the Casula pub outbreak was a truckie from Melbourne and asked Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant if that was the case. She replied: 'We have some linkages with Melbourne but our investigation is ongoing'. The five newly identified people who caught the virus at the pub include south-western Sydney teenager who worked at the hotel on several days including 3 July. A south-western Sydney woman in her 40s and a man in his 40s who had dinner at the hotel on 3 July have tested positive. A Victorian man in his 20s who had dinner at the hotel on 3 July and a Sydney man in his 20s who had dinner at the hotel on 3 July have also been diagnosed. Three of their close contacts have caught the virus. It comes as Victoria records 177 new cases, the first time in three days the new daily total has been under 200. A south-western Sydney woman in her 40s and a man in his 40s who had dinner at the hotel on 3 July have tested positive. Pictured: Testing on Monday Srinagar, July 13 : An encounter between terrorists and security forces broke out in South Kashmir's Anantnag district on Monday, the police said. The encounter started after security forces got a specific input about the presence of terrorists in the Srigufwara area of Anantnag. As the security forces zeroed in on the spot where the terrorists were hiding they came under a heavy volume of fire triggering the encounter. Two to three terrorists are believed to be holed up. It is a joint operation by the police and the army. "Encounter has started at Srigufwara area of Anantnag. Police and security forces are on the job," police said in a statement. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Chinese Regime Lashing Out at the World: China Analyst Gordon Chang What were seeing right now is a China which is lashing out at everybody, says China analyst Gordon Chang. In addition to its encroachments on Hong Kong and the first fatal border clash with India in 45 years, youve got the boat bumping and other incidents in the South China Sea, East China Sea; the increased tempo of dangerous intercepts of the U.S. Navy in the global commons; the repeated threats to invade Taiwan; all of these hostile words, these disinformation campaigns directed against the United States and others, he said. The Chinese communist regime has become increasingly belligerent globally, and it believes it can do what it wants, Chang told The Epoch Times in an interview for the American Thought Leaders program. We have to teach China for the first time that our warnings actually mean something. The current situation, Chang says, resembles the late 1930s, when Nazi Germany became increasingly brazen, remilitarizing its Rhineland border with France in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, annexing Austria, taking over Czechoslovakia, and demanding territory from Lithuania and Poland. We get to the summer of 1939. Hitler is threatening to invade Poland, while Britain and France warn that they would declare war on Germany. We know from the German archives that Hitler didnt believe London and Paris. And why should he? Chang said. They were issuing these series of warnings and not doing anything about it. Similarly, the risk of miscalculation on the part of China is extremely high, especially because they have an aggressive leader, Chang said. This is an exceedingly dangerous time. Draconian National Security Law On June 30, Beijings rubber-stamp parliament pushed through a national security law that bans secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces in Hong Kong. In effect, it gives Beijing the right to do anything it wants, Chang said. People sayand I think theyre rightthat this is not just a law. This is the end of law, Chang said. After the law was passed, Beijing swiftly converted a skyscraper hotel into the headquarters of a powerful new state security agency, which can operate free of any constraints from Hong Kong law or local authorities. Some critics have likened it to the Gestapo, the official secret police of Nazi Germany. The regime has issued new rules giving Hong Kong police broad new powers to implement the national security law, including warrantless searches, freezing of assets; they can demand that internet companies remove content; they can demand that organizations outside of Hong Kong actually turn over materialthough I dont know how theyre going to enforce that. But nonetheless, its powers are extremely broad, Chang said. And, as were going to find out, its powers are going to get broader and broader over time. Relentless Attacks While it tramples on freedoms in Hong Kong, the Chinese regime also is engaging in a sustained campaign of espionage and subversion of the United States, Chang noted. Every single day, were subject to an existential challenge from China, Chang said. In a July 7 speech, FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed that the agency opens a new China-related investigation about every 10 hours. Almost half of the FBIs nearly 5,000 counterintelligence investigations are connected to China, he added, countering the Chinese regimes efforts to steal U.S. technology and influence U.S. policymakers. Chinese intellectual property theft costs the U.S. economy more than $225 billion annually, and may amount to as much as $600 billion, according to a report by The Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property. Chinese-owned apps such as TikTok are drawing increased scrutiny globally, as experts say they can be used to collect data for the Chinese Communist Party. All Chinese companies are obligated by law to cooperate with Chinese intelligence operations, and hand over information if asked. Security researchers have found TikTok secretly accessing the clipboard on Apple phones. This means TikTok is able to see any text a user copied onto the clipboard, including potentially sensitive information. All of this data that TikTok and other Chinese apps accumulate is then fed into Chinas artificial intelligence systems, Chang said. The more data you put into an AI system, the better it will operate. Such information also is likely used by the regime to identify potential targets and vulnerabilities to exploit, Chang said. In 2015, Chinese state-sponsored hackers breached the U.S. Office of Personnel Management database, exposing personnel records of at least 21.5 million current and former federal employees. That year, Chinese hackers also accessed the systems of health insurance company Anthem, stealing the personal medical information of nearly 80 million Americans. China is relentlessly attacking American society, Chang said. The only way to protect ourselves is to decouple. A Two-Faced Regime On July 9, Chinas foreign minister, Wang Yi, called for peaceful coexistence with the United States, saying, China never intends to challenge or replace the U.S. and has no intention to engage in an all-out confrontation with the U.S. Chang wasnt convinced. This is always Chinas line: That they want to cooperate. They believe in a shared humanity, all the rest of it. But actions speak far louder than words, Chang says. We have seen unrelenting attacks on the American republic and, indeed, on the international community as a whole, Chang said. Along with its aggression globally, the Chinese Communist Party is committing crimes against humanity against its own populace, from the Tibetans to the Uyghurs, Chang said. In Xinjiang, the regime has forced Uyghurs into abortion or sterilization procedures and imprisoned at least a million Uyghursatrocities that, in Changs view, amount to genocide. Its important that the United States and other countries start to cut their relations with China, because we cannot afford to deal with a regime like that, Chang said. Chang says the regimes weeks-long coverup of the coronavirus outbreak, which facilitated the spread of a devastating pandemic, is further evidence that the Chinese authorities can never be trusted. I think the only way that China can regain the trust of the United States and the international community is to get rid of communism, and establish a multiparty democracy and a free economy, he said. We want to work with China. We want to see China succeed and prosper. But we dont want to see a militant regime take over the world. American Thought Leaders is an Epoch Times show available on Facebook, YouTube, and The Epoch Times website. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Jan Jekielek Senior Editor Follow Jan Jekielek is a senior editor with The Epoch Times and host of the show, "American Thought Leaders." Jans career has spanned academia, media, and international human rights work. In 2009 he joined The Epoch Times full time and has served in a variety of roles, including as website chief editor. He is the producer of the award-winning Holocaust documentary film "Finding Manny." (Bloomberg Opinion) -- China is building tens of thousands of 5G base stations every week. Whether it wins technological dominance or not, domestic supply chains may be revived and allow the country to maintain and advance its position as the factory floor of the world, even as Covid-19 forces a rethink in how globalization is done. By the end of this year, China will have more than half a million of these towers on its way to a goal of 5 million, a fast climb from around 200,000 already in use, enabling faster communication for hundreds of millions of smartphone users. By comparison, South Korea has a nearly 10% penetration rate for 5G usage, the highest globally. The much-smaller country had 115,000 such stations operating as of April. The towers are part of a raft of projects that the State Council announced last week to boost industrial innovation under the New Infrastructure campaign aimed at furthering the deep integration of the Internet of Things and the real economy. With an aim of spending $1.4 trillion by 2025, the aggressive buildup toward a more automated industrial landscape will give China a renewed advantage where it already dominates: manufacturing. The coronavirus shut down factories and industrial sectors, triggering a rethink of supply chains away from China. What analysts are calling peak globalization and the rise of factory automation could shift production to higher-cost countries in North America and Southeast Asia. It will take a while, but the global dependence on China will come down, the thinking goes. Still, with trade ravaged by Covid-19, other countries and telecom operators will struggle to match Chinas spending.For China, theres an opportunity to clear the way to forcefully implement its industrial policy agenda, without interference from criticism over subsidies and unfair competition. The so-called Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission, headed by President Xi Jinping, has approved a three-year plan to give state-owned enterprises yet more sway in the economy. Story continues Beijings ambitious programs are still in the construction phase. Macro base stations are the nuts and bolts of building out 5G networks, and will exceed their 4G predecessors by almost 1.5 times. Capital expenditure could peak at $30 billion this year, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analysts, up from $5 billion last year. Beijing wants more local governments and companies to get involved. Each station costs around 500,000 yuan ($71,361) and has a long value chain that includes electrical components, semiconductors, antenna units and circuit boards. The vast number of companies spawned by the project are all contributing to Chinas push to get ahead. For the industrial complex, the onset of 5G will enable greater connectivity between machines and much more data transfer and collection. Fifth-generation technology is expected to have a big impact through increasingly efficient and automated factory equipment, and tracking the movement of inventory and progress of production lines and assets. Manufacturing is expected to account for almost 40% of 5G-enabled industry output, according to Bernstein Research analysts. From sensors and data clouds, to chips and collaborative robots and computer-controlled machinery, a whole universe of little-known Chinese companies is coming to the fore. Memory chip maker Gigadevice Semiconductor (Beijing) Inc. has ridden the trend, as has Yonyou Network Technology Co., Chinas version of Salesforce.com Inc. For some of these companies, government subsidies are a significant part of earnings, as my colleague Shuli Ren has noted. Stock prices have surged in recent months for firms like Shennan Circuits Co., which makes printed circuit boards, and Maxscend Microelectronics Co., a manufacturer of radio frequency chips. Some are seeing their market capitalization values balloon by billions of dollars as Beijing has upped the ante on new infrastructure. To be sure, it isnt hard to imagine a hinterland speckled with ghost towers and base stations in coming years as China's propensity to overbuild beyond any reasonable capacity kicks in. The past shows that questions of quality will arise when too many sub-par manufacturers crop up, incentivized by the states largesse. Nonetheless, this is the technology of the not-so-distant future, and building up the basic infrastructure isnt misguided. As Covid-19 absorbs the worlds attention, Beijings steady focus on implementing this industrial policy may make China the manufacturer of parts that most countries will need soon. In other words, it will yet again become the factory floor, mastering the production of all things 5G. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Anjani Trivedi is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies in Asia. She previously worked for the Wall Street Journal. 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. A tradesman who killed a deadly brown snake as it attacked him in his ute while driving at 100km/h has relived the terrifying experience. Father-of-one James 'Jimmy' Canhan, 27, fended off the reptile while travelling along the Dawson Highway near Calliope, six hours north of Brisbane, on June 15. He was forced to kill the snake while driving by trapping it between his leg and the car seat and stabbing the reptile with his work knife. Thinking he was bitten, he began speeding to hospital but was pulled over by a police officer who clocked him at 123km/h. Mr Canhan's explanation was recorded by the officer's bodycam and uploaded to Queensland Police's Facebook page last week, where it has 1.3 million views. NBN technician James 'Jimmy' Canhan (pictured), 27, was attacked by an eastern brown snake in his car while driving down the Dawson Highway west of Calliope, six hours north of Brisbane, on June 15 The NBN installer had finished a service call on a rural property in Biloela when the owner allowed him to explore a cave system on the site. 'I was just keen to get out and explore and I just walked away from the car, I left both doors open,' Mr Canhan told A Current Affair. Mr Canhan suspects the snake slithered into his ute while he was away exploring and was awoken during the bumpy ride off the rural property. While driving down the highway, the snake began attacking Mr Canhan. 'I feel a banging on my leg, almost like the same impact as like a heavy water drop,' he said. 'I look down and it's something out of the Chamber of Secrets in the passenger seat beside me. It's up at me and it's just striking me, basically, from the front.' Mr Canhan explains he thinks he was bitten by a snake to a police officer after being pulled over for speeding on his way to hospital The snake was so long it had wrapped his calf and shin as well as the gear stick, which meant Mr Canhan was stuck driving at 100kmh. He grabbed his work knife and trapped the snake between his calf and the seat before driving the blade into the reptile, killing it. 'That day it was just, it was him or me,' he said. 'I just had to do what I had to do. It's not something I'd normally do but he wanted to drive and I was driving, so it wasn't going to happen.' After killing the snake, Mr Canhan dumped it in his ute tray and began racing to hospital, fearing he had been bitten by the snake. The reptile was an eastern brown snake, which is the second-most venomous land snake in the world. A picture of the eastern brown snake that snuck into Mr Canhan's car. He plans to get the head preserved and made into a gear stick head to remember the incident But Mr Canhan did not make it to hospital. In police bodycam footage of the incident, Mr Canhan explained to the officer who pulled him over how he killed the brown snake and feared he had been bitten. The officer called for an ambulance, which quickly arrived and found that Mr Canhan had not been bitten and was just in shock. 'It was pretty terrifying. I've never been so happy to see red and blue lights,' Mr Canhan said in the clip. Mr Canhan's explanation was recorded by the officer's bodycam and uploaded to Queensland Police's Facebook page last week, where it has 1.3 million views. But Mr Canhan said his employer sacked him shortly after the footage emerged, leaving him unemployed and without his company car. Mr Canhan and his six-year-old daughter Annabelle, who is deeply relieved that her father survived the ordeal, saying 'If he died, I died, cause were family' 'My boss called me and said I didn't have a job anymore, when I was just spending time with my daughter Annabelle, who lives with her mum in Townsville, and didn't have work on anyway,' Mr Canhan told The Courier Mail. 'I rang up to schedule some more work and they said no, we're coming to get the company car. I had a company car, so I sold my own car and now I'm left with nothing to drive. 'So now I've got no job and I have my daughter to help support. My dog needs to go to vet for his ear, and I just want to get my finances sorted out to pay for it.' Although Mr Canhan was caught speeding, he was not fined or charged over the incident given the exceptional circumstances. While Queensland Police has enjoyed a viral video from the incident, it has seemingly come at the cost of Mr Canhan's employment. A Queensland Police spokeswoman said they sought Mr Canhan's permission to post the footage online and that he had given his consent. Queensland Police said while this was a 'particularly unique situation' it issued a reminder that it was illegal to kill or capture snakes. While Mr Canhan is out of work, his six-year-old daughter Annabelle is just happy he is alive. 'If he died, I died, cause were family. We're the same people. And we're both the same strong, strong, strong,' Annabelle told A Current Affair. Mr Canhan is now seeking new employment and is prepared to do any job. He has a wide range of experience working for NRW Civil and Mining, doing machine work, bar tending and installing the NBN - as well as having a platinum customer service rating with the his previous company. Anyone who wants to employ Mr Canhan can contact him at jim291092@gmail.com. (TNS) The North Central Regional Library recently announced plans for technology upgrades funded with grant money.The regional library system plans to add equipment to make Wi-Fi connections available outside every library in its system in the coming weeks.In Grant County, the regional library network operates libraries in Grant County in Moses Lake, Ephrata, Quincy, Royal City, Warden, Mattawa, George, Coulee City, Soap Lake and Grand Coulee.All of the libraries NCRL serves have free Wi-Fi inside.But libraries statewide were ordered closed by state officials to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. The NCRL facilities will reopen once all counties that NCRL serves enter Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslees phased reopening plan.The stay home order has highlighted the crucial role that Internet connectivity plays in all of our daily lives, said Barbara Walters, executive director of NCRL, in a press release. Just as the pandemic closed library buildings that were the source of Internet service for many people in our communities, the need for Internet access grew exponentially. Among those relying on libraries for digital access are people experiencing homelessness and poverty, older adults, and students. They use the librarys broadband and Wi-Fi to apply for jobs, complete school work, connect with health care providers, communicate via email, find information, and conduct business.The project will extend the range of Wi-Fi signals 400 to 600 feet around each library. It is funded by a $20,000 grant from the Public Library Association and Microsoft.Michelle McNeil, NCRL communications manager, said a library card is not needed to access the NCRL Wi-Fi system.Anyone can drive or walk up within the range and access the Internet, McNeil said.The opportunity to expand Wi-Fi access directly addresses an objective in the library districts 2019-2021 Strategic Plan, to strive to ensure access to broadband and current technologies. When the plan was adopted, broadband use in its five-county service area was 47.7 percent, compared to 65.2 percent statewide, according to NCRL. In 2019, the wireless Internet at NCRLs libraries was used almost a half a million times.While recognizing that libraries cant be the only answer to this problem, we are a key part of the solution, Walters said. The lack of broadband access in rural communities is a long-term problem that affects everyone.An unrelated grant, for $12,000, will pay for Internet connectivity for 30 Wi-Fi hot spots throughout the NCRL system. McNeil said NCRL officials had not determined where the hot spots will be installed.The $12,000 was awarded through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and Washington State Library.The grant also includes 100 additional hot spots, but those do not come with funding to pay for Internet connectivity, McNeil said.A second CARES grant, for $3,000 and also through the state library, will pay for washable covers for keyboards. The covers will be installed in all NCRL libraries once they reopen to the public. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kelly Macnamara/Juliette Collen (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France Mon, July 13, 2020 10:04 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665daa9d 2 Science & Tech Mars,space,aerospace,Science,astronomy,united-states,NASA,United-Arab-Emirates,China Free Mars may now be considered a barren, icy desert but did Earth's nearest neighbor once harbor life? It is a question that has preoccupied scientists for centuries and fired up sci-fi imaginings. Now three space exploration projects are gearing up to launch some of the most ambitious bids yet to find an answer. Scientists believe that four billion years ago the two planets both had the potential to nurture life -- but much of Mars' intervening history is an enigma. The new Mars probes from the United States, United Arab Emirates and China will launch this summer. Their goal is not to find Martian life -- scientists believe nothing would survive there now -- but to search for possible traces of past lifeforms. These vast and costly programs could prove futile. But astrobiologists say the red planet is still our best hope for finding a record of life on other planets. Mars is "the only planet with concrete chances of finding traces of extraterrestrial life because we know that billions of years ago it was inhabitable," said Jean-Yves Le Gall, president of French space agency CNES in a conference call with journalists this week. Le Gall is one of the architects of NASA's Mars 2020 exploratory probe, which is scheduled for launch at the end of July when Earth and Mars will be the closest for more than two years. The more than $2.5 billion project is the latest -- and most technologically advanced -- attempt to uncover Mars' deep buried secrets. But it is not alone, as enthusiasm for space exploration has reignited. Read also: UAE to launch first Arab probe to Mars 'News from Mars' Scientific inquiry of the red planet began in earnest in the 17th Century. In 1609 Italian Galileo Galilei observed Mars with a primitive telescope and in doing so became the first person to use the new technology for astronomical purposes. Fifty years later Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens used a more advanced telescope of his own design to make the first ever topographical drawing of the planet. Mars -- compared to the "desolate, empty" moon -- has long seemed promising for potential inhabitability by microorganisms, wrote astrophysicist Francis Rocard in his recent essay "Latest News from Mars". But the 20th century presented setbacks. In the 1960s, as the race to put a man on the moon was accelerating towards its dazzling "Giant Leap", Dian Hitchcock and James Lovelock were putting a dampener on hopes of finding life on Mars. Their research analysed the planet's atmosphere looking for a chemical imbalance, gases reacting with each other, which would hint at life. "If there is no reaction, then there is probably no life there," Lovelock told AFP. "And that was the case -- Mars has an atmosphere that is completely inactive as far as chemistry is concerned." Their conclusion was confirmed a decade later, when the Viking landers took atmospheric and soil samples that showed the planet was no longer inhabitable. This discovery was a "real tanker" for Mars research, Rocard told AFP. Mars programs essentially paused for 20 years. Then in 2000 scientists made a game-changing discovery: they found that water had once flowed over its surface. Follow the water This tantalizing finding helped rekindle the latent interest in Mars exploration. Scientists pored over images of gullies, ravines, scouring the Martian surface for evidence of liquid water. More than 10 years later, in 2011, they definitively found it. The "follow the water, follow the carbon, follow the light" strategy has paid off, Rocard said. Every mission since the discovery of water has brought "more and more evidence to light that Mars is not quite as dead as we thought," Michel Viso, an astrobiologist at CNES, told AFP. The latest US rover to make the journey -- aptly named Perseverance -- is scheduled to touch down in February of next year after a six-month journey from launch time. The probe is perhaps the most highly-awaited yet. Its landing spot, the Jezero Crater, may have once been a wide, 45-kilometer river delta. Rich in sedimentary rocks, such as clay and carbonates -- the same types of rocks that hold fossil traces on Earth -- Jezero could be a treasure trove. Or perhaps not. "We know that water once flowed, but the question remains: for how long?" asked Rocard. "We don't even know how long it took for life to appear on Earth." If the mission can bring these rocks back to Earth they might yield answers to the questions that have long confounded scientists. But they will have to wait at least 10 years for the analysis to be available. Viso said the results will likely be "a bundle of clues" rather than a clear answer. Read also: NASA names next Mars rover 'Perseverance' In the beginning Scientists are also considering perhaps an even more profound question. If life never existed on Mars, then why not? The answer to this could enrich our understanding of how life developed on our own planet, Jorge Vago, the spokesperson of the European Space Agency said. Due to shifting plate tectonics below the Earth's core, it is exceedingly difficult to find any traces of life here before 3.5 billion years ago. Mars has no tectonic plates and so there is a chance that four-billion-year-old signs of life that "one could never find on Earth" may be preserved there, Vago said. And if the latest Mars programs fail to find signs of ancient Martian life, there are always further frontiers to explore. Encelade and Europe, two of Saturn's and Jupiter's moons, respectively are considered promising contenders. Although reaching them remains more science fiction than reality. SAN DIEGO - Flames tore through a warship for a second day Monday as a top Navy official revealed that a fire suppression system was inoperable when the blaze erupted while the ship was docked in San Diego. Hundreds of sailors were battling to keep flames away from a million gallons (3.7 million litres) of oil on board the USS Bonhomme Richard. The U.S. Coast Guard hired an oil clean-up crew to put in place a containment boom that could be ready if any oil is spilled. It also halted boat traffic within one-nautical mile of the ship and flights over the vessel. Meanwhile, acrid smoke from the blaze wafted across San Diego and health officials urged people to stay indoors if they smelled it. The fire that erupted Sunday morning is one of the Navys worst shipyard fires in recent years. At least 59 people, including 36 sailors and 23 civilians, have been treated for heat exhaustion, smoke inhalation and minor injuries. Five people who had been in a hospital under observation were released. Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck said fire temperatures had reached up to 1,000 degrees, causing the mast of the ship to collapse and threatening the central control island where the captain operates the vessel. He said there were about two decks between the fire and the fuel supplies on board. Water being dumped on the vessel to douse the flames was causing the 840-foot (255-meter) ship to list to one side, but crews were pumping off the water. Sobeck said it was too soon to give up on saving the 23-year-old amphibious assault ship, which has been docked in San Diego since 2018 undergoing maintenance. In the last 24 hours, 400 sailors have been on board that ship to make sure that, you know, we make every effort to save that ship, said Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3. Retired Navy Capt. Lawrence B. Brennan, a professor of international maritime law at Fordham University in New York, said there is a risk of the hull rupturing, which could cause the ship to spill its oil and leave the Navy looking at a major environmental mess. If this is a million gallons of oil that ends up settling on the bottom of the San Diego harbour and cant be removed safely, were talking about billions of dollars of environmental damage, said Brennan, who has investigated and litigated hundreds of maritime cases. The fire was first reported in a lower cargo area where seafaring tanks and landing craft are parked. It appears to have started in a spot where cardboard boxes, rags and other ship maintenance supplies were being stored, Sobeck said. Sobeck believes the cardboard and other supplies might have been what first ignited, though the exact cause is still unknown. The fire suppression system had been turned off because it was being worked on as part of the ongoing maintenance. The system uses Halon, a liquefied, compressed gas that disrupts a fire and stops its spread by cutting off its oxygen. Sailors on board and from the pier doused the blaze until it grew too large and they had to retreat. Local and federal firefighters were called in, and an explosion caused by pressure from the heat prompted the evacuation of all 160 people on board, Sobeck said. Brennan said its common that a ship would deactivate the Halon system while it is being worked on because the gas can be dangerous to humans. But the fire extensive and rapid spread indicates the Navy might not have done enough to compensate for the deactivation of the suppression system, and had poor or no fire boundaries in place, he said. This fire got to pretty much every space on the ship, and to exacerbate the problem, I keep getting signs that there were flammable substances in a lot of spaces like gear from the shipyard, rags and cloth, he said. Ship fires are often unfortunate but not catastrophic in most cases. They usually dont get out of control this badly. The flames were burning plastic, cabling and other material on board, sending the haze over downtown San Diego. The San Diego Air Pollution Control District warned that concentrations of fine particulate matter could reach unhealthful levels in some areas and that people should avoid exercising outdoors and stay indoors if possible to limit exposure. Sobeck said there was no ordnance on board the ship and he did not believe there was anything toxic. Firefighters attacked the flames inside the ship while firefighting vessels with water cannons directed streams of seawater into the ship and helicopters made water drops. The ship can be used to deploy thousands of Marines to shore and has the capacity to accommodate helicopters, certain types of short-takeoff airplanes, small boats and amphibious vehicles. - AP writers Christopher Weber and John Antczak contributed from Los Angeles. ____ This story has been updated to correct that cardboard boxes not dry wall supplies may have been in area where fire started. Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to push back completion of an ambitious $400 billion investment and development program, blaming the economic havoc wreaked by the coronavirus epidemic. I ask the government with the participation of the State Council to adjust the national projects within three months, Putin said at a televised meeting Monday with ministers and officials. We must proceed from their realities. The projects that were meant to be completed by 2024 require adjustment because we will have to work in conditions of stricter budget restrictions due to the coronavirus, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told Putin. It is possible to extend the time frame for achieving the national goals that you mentioned today to 2030. Putin made the national projects the centerpiece of his election program for his fourth term when he won a landslide in 2018. He overhauled the government at the start of this year, installing Mishustin in place of long-serving ally Dmitry Medvedev, partly out of disappointment at the pace of progress in implementing the spending program designed to boost Russias sluggish growth and raise living standards. The Covid-19 crisis and the slump in oil prices within weeks after the new governments appointment, however, has blown his plans off course as Russia battles to overcome the worst recession in a decade following a national lockdown to curb the spread of the virus. Russias budget has swung from a surplus in 2019 to a deep deficit this year, while the government envisages spending 8.7 trillion rubles ($123 billion) on an economic recovery plan over the next two years. While its unclear for now how much of the program may be delayed beyond the original deadline, Putin risks seeking re-election in 2024 without having fulfilled his promises to voters, after the July 1 referendum endorsing constitutional changes that may allow him to rule for two more terms until 2036. For the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, no official function was held to commemorate Martyrs' Day observed on July 13 every year in memory of those killed in firing by soldiers of Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh in 1931. All photographs: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com IMAGE: Security personnel at the martys' graveyard in Srinagar that remained closed on Martyrs' Day for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. In a break from past, there was no function at the martyrs' graveyard in Srinagar after the government dropped July 13 from the list of gazetted holidays last year, officials said. The holidays on July 13 as well as on December 5 -- the birth anniversary of National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah -- were dropped after the abrogation of Article 370 by the Centre on August 5 last year. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, the then prime minister of Jammu and Kashmir, had declared July 13 as a holiday in 1948. IMAGE: Security personnel outside the martyrs' graveyard. Apart from the official function at the martyrs' graveyard, mainstream political leaders also used to visit it to pay homage to the 22 Kashmiris who were killed in Dogra army's firing while protesting the autocratic rule of Maharaja Hari Singh. The officials said no mainstream political leader visited the graveyard on Monday in view of the strict restrictions imposed in most parts of Kashmir to contain the spread of coronavirus infection. Separatist Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had on Saturday called for a strike on Monday. A National Conference leader, however, said the party had applied for permission to visit the martyrs' graveyard, but there was no response from the district administration. IMAGE: In a break from past, there was no function at the martyrs' graveyard in Srinagar after the government dropped July 13 from the list of gazetted holidays last year. Meanwhile, both NC and People's Democratic Party -- the two regional forces in Jammu and Kashmir -- paid glowing tributes to the martyrs on this day. In a statement, the NC said the day marked 'the inauguration of struggle of Jammu and Kashmir against oppression and discrimination'. 'The day has an emblematic importance for the people of Jammu and Kashmir as it marked the launch of widespread people's agitation for the restoration of their due human rights... 'Every year we invocate, remember the supreme sacrifice of the martyrs of 13 July 1931, the idea behind remembering them is not merely an act of reminiscing past, memorializing, there is more to it, on this day we galvanize our lives with their mission as was done by (NC founder) Sher-e-Kashmir (Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah) all through his life,' NC president Farooq Abdullah said. IMAGE: Martyrs' Day is observed on July 13 every year in memory of those killed in firing by soldiers of Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh in 1931. Farooq Abdullah, the member of Parliament from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, said it is the day of assertion of Jammu and Kashmir's identity and rights of its people. 'The day marks the shift from stoicism to dynamism. It was a fight of the tyrannized against a tyrant, of the oppressed against oppressors... I on this day pay my earnest tributes to all the martyrs who laid their lives on that day to secure a new dawn of freedom for future generations. 'The martyrs of 1931 will continue to be a beacon of light for us and for the coming generations. Every single drop of their blood is sacred to us,' he said. NC vice-president Omar Abdullah while paying tributes to the martyrs said the day 'marks the collective defiance of the oppressed against oppressors'. IMAGE: Security personnel patrol the road outside martyrs' graveyard in Srinagar. 'The day is the watershed moment in the people's struggle for restoration of their universal human rights. It was their valour that inspired millions of others to rise against the then despotic and autocratic regime. We observe the day to reiterate our commitment to fight evil with kindness, violence with non-violence and peaceful struggle,' he said. The PDP, while paying tributes to the martyrs said, their role in Jammu and Kashmir's 'freedom struggle can neither be undone nor can be forgotten'. 'The memory of 13th July martyrs cannot be erased by changing the government calendar of holidays as they will live forever in the hearts and memories of every freedom loving democrat,' a PDP spokesman said in a statement. He said the PDP reiterates its commitment to the objectives of justice, empowerment and democratic rights that the martyrs have laid their lives down for. Google Monday revealed the total donation made to the PM Cares Fund via Google Pay app stands at a whopping Rs 124 crore via more than 2 million transactions. At the Google for India 2020 event, which was held online-only for the first time in the past six years, Google India country head and vice president, Sanjay Gupta said people from various strata have come forward to make their contributions to the relief fund that was set up by the PM Modi-led government to tackle the covid-19 pandemic. The Google Pay app is one of the platforms that allow digital transactions to the PM Cares Fund. The net donation amount made to the PM Cares Fund via the Google Pay app to date is Rs 1,24,84,92,307. The number of transactions that carried out the huge sum of money to the relief fund was 22,44,905. Google Pay uses the payments infrastructure of Unified Payments Interface, better known as UPI, to make money transfers to bank accounts. Formerly known as Google Tez, the Google Pay is one of the premier UPI-based apps that drove about 80-90 per cent of UPI transactions, clocking more between 221-225 million, in the country in the year 2019. The digital-only event saw the Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaking for the company's contributions to India's digital economy, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pichai had a word with Modi on cybersecurity and data security that is at the helm of Digital India project. Pichai was joined by Ravi Shankar Prasad, India's IT Minister, to outline the latest announcement. Google will invest $10 billion in India over the tenure of five years into various industries. Last year, Google piloted many features for the Indian consumers, such as Google Assistant on the phone line and more accurate alerts for changes in weather, including flood alerts. The Google ecosystem for India has inclusively provided products to masses, including Android. According to Google, India is the second-largest Android manufacturing country in the world and about 2 billion Android devices are active in India at a given time. Mumbai, July 13 : Actor Mridul Meena describes the series "Class Of 2020" as "a fun project", and now he is excited to be a part of the followup series. The web series had started with "Class Of 2017", followed by "Class Of 2020". The makers are soon going to start the shoot of season 3, titled "Class of 2020 Chapter 2". Mridul's showbiz journey had started with a few digital ad films and then he acted in "Class Of 2020". "Working for 'Class of 2020' was indeed a fun project as the two to three months I spent shooting, was the best time of my life. Vikas Gupta being the producer of the show always treated me like his younger brother, as he would always be there to guide and motivate me to perform better," he said. "During this series he kept advising me to watch more and more web series, as it surely would help me become a versatile actor. I am really excited to be a part of the followup series as I am sure that the fans of the show will relate to my character and my character's journey more and more," he added. They are this one-stop shop for all these types of calls that could be handled by so many types of people, Mowatt said. Instead of being given budgetary discretion ... to some other place, the funds are going towards things that just worsen the relationship. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 00:54:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ACCRA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The government of Ghana has rejected calls by a section of the public to close down Senior High Schools (SHSs) across the country due to surge in COVID-19 infections in the institutions. A total of 14 SHSs in six regions (provinces), out of the 16 in the West African country have so far recorded cases of the virus. In all, 35 students out of the over 300,000 students have contracted the disease. But Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu Ekuful told journalists here over the weekend the students would be better protected in a secured environment than being asked to go home and that it would be a bad decision to close down schools. "To close down schools is not the best because we all don't know when COIVD-19 is going away. I think our students are safer in our schools which is an enclosed area than closing down schools to allow them to go home," she said. Global Health and Infectious Disease expert Dohn Humphrey Amuasi observed it would not be right to close down schools in the country due to the fact that there have been few cases recorded in some secondary schools. "The fact that there is an infection of two or three or few cases does not mean there should be closure of schools and that this is the time to reflect on school re-opening and its attendant problems," he said. The Infectious Disease expert expressed worry about the delay in testing and the release of results in the country and urged the government to conduct testing in the affected schools as a matter of urgency. "There should be a movement of quick testing in schools to test people of close contact to have a clear understanding of the situation," Amuasi emphasized. Ghanaian president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced closure of schools across the country on March 16 due to the spread of the pandemic. The president further imposed a lockdown in four major areas amid other restrictions in the across the country. Subsequently, the government announced the easing of the restrictions and re-opened schools. However, some secondary schools recorded cases of COVID-19 two weeks after the re-opening. Following the spread of the virus in the schools, the government deployed a team of 200 personnel to monitor and contain the situation. The team was drawn from the Ghana Education Service (GES), Ghana Health Service (GHS), as well as regional and district directorates of education. In addition, health institutions were mapped with health facilities to ensure that suspected cases were promptly dealt with in accordance with the laid-down protocols. Ghana's COVID-19 case count, according to the GHS stood at 24,518 with 20,187 recoveries and 139 deaths on Monday. Enditem PHOENIX, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Citizens Clean Elections Commission (CCEC) and the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing (ACDHH) announce the inaugural American Sign Language (ASL) edition of the one-of-a-kind Voter Education Guide to coincide with the scheduled July distribution of the printed pamphlet to voter households for the upcoming Primary Election and a planned replication for the General Election. The Voter Education Guide is produced exclusively by the CCEC and contains critical information about the voting process and statements from the candidates running for statewide and legislative office. "Our Voter Education Guide is the only non-partisan, comprehensive 'handbook' that helps voters prepare for the upcoming elections and we are so proud to introduce an ASL edition in time for the 2020 elections," said Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Chairman, Galen Paton. "Its creation was no small feat because 173 candidates across the state submitted a 200-word statement for inclusion in the guide, but thanks to the commitment of the CCEC staff as well as the expertise of the ACDHH this new ASL guide debuts this month." The ASL Voter Education Guide is an assembly of videos that feature Deaf individuals who signed the entire guide. The introductory pages of the Voter Education Guide are signed by Arizona resident Linda Bove who garnered the longest-running series regular role by a Deaf actress on television, as Linda the Librarian on Sesame Street. Ms. Bove, a Certified Deaf Interpreter for more than 20 years was instrumental in the creation of the ASL Voter Education Guide helping direct the talent. "The ASL edition of the Clean Elections Voter Education Guide increases accessibility, presents critical information in the preferred language of the deaf and hard of hearing community and has the potential to set a new precedent for election information across the U.S.," said Linda Bove. "On a personal level, this project is especially meaningful because I am registered to vote in Arizona." The ASL edition of the guide can be viewed on the CCEC site and is interpreted by Brenda Lee, a graduate of the Phoenix College Interpreter Preparation Program and a board member of the Phoenix Deaf Women Organization; Beca Bailey, the Community Engagement Liaison for the ACDHH and a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work; and Latrina Lewis a veteran elementary school teacher for deaf and hard of hearing, and hearing students, on staff at the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind. Each video in the ASL series has closed captioning and audio. "Many people are surprised to learn that there are more than 1.1 million Arizonans who are deaf or hard of hearing and that American Sign Language is not 'signed' English," said Sherri Collins, Executive Director, Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing. "ASL is an original language and now people who prefer it can obtain voting information in their native language, which is monumental for Deaf and Hard of Hearing voters." Subsequently, the Voter Education Guide is printed in English and Spanish and produced in Navajo as well as in an Audio Version through Sun Sounds of Arizona. And starting this year the American Sign Language edition will be a permanent addition. "Adding the ASL edition this year in particular is timely because it is a presidential election year and because of the many statewide and legislative offices on the ballot," said Paton. The Citizens Clean Elections Commission was established by Arizona voters to restore citizen participation and confidence in Arizona's political system, to improve the integrity of State government and to promote freedom of speech under the U.S. and Arizona Constitutions. Visit www.azcleanelections.gov to learn more. SOURCE Citizens Clean Elections Commission Related Links http://www.azcleanelections.gov/ Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov held a phone talk on Monday with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair Igor Popov and personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk. The sides discussed the situation on the border with Armenia, Azerbaijani MFA reported. The minister accused Armenia of provocation and intention to draw third countries into the conflict and distract the attention of the Armenian public from internal problems. FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2020 file photo, rescue workers search the scene where a Ukrainian plane crashed in Shahedshahr, southwest of Tehran, Iran. Iranian investigators are blaming a misaligned missile battery and miscommunication between soldiers and their commanders for the Revolutionary Guard shooting down the Ukrainian jetliner in January, killing 176 people. The report released late Saturday, July 11, 2020 by Iran's Civil Aviation Organization comes months after the crash. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File) Double Standards on View in Outrage at Stone Commutation Commentary A few thoughts on the adage that if it werent for double standards, they would have no standards at all. Whos they? Well, there is Mitt Romney, for example. Confronted with the news that President Donald Trump had commuted the 40-month prison sentence of his friend Roger Stone, the anti-Trump senator from Utah tweeted that the presidents actions represented, Unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president. Oh, dear. That sounds bad, doesnt it? Then there is pastor David French. He sings in the same chorus as Mittens. Roger Stones commutation is corrupt. Full stop, the pastor sermonized. Why? There follows a long Twitter thread whose burden is announced in the first installment. Its worth remembering what he did, and why it was right and necessary to investigate the Trump campaigns attempts to cooperate and/or collude with Russians and Russian assets to gain an advantage in the 2016 election. Memo to the pastor: The Trump campaign did not cooperate and/or collude with Russians and Russian assets to gain an advantage in the 2016 election. Robert Mueller spent some $32 million and nearly two years turning over every rock, running down every lead, indicting every tumbler of Smirnoff they could find. Conclusion? No evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded or cooperated with any Russians in order to gain an advantage in the 2016 campaign. How about Hillary Clinton, though? Her campaign paid for the infamous pile of scabrous innuendo known as the Steele dossier. Where did Steele scrounge up those fantastic rumors? From shadowy Russian sources? Will wonders never cease? Its worth noting that Russians did intervene in the 2016 election, as they have intervened in every U.S. election since the 1920s, and just asdoes this need to be pointed out?we intervene quietly in the elections of other countries. The Russians bought some Facebook ads and did some internet trolling. Sometimes, they favored Hillarywho, like nearly everyone else, they thought was going to winsometimes, Trump. As far as I have been able to determine, they made campaign contributions to Trump of $0. Even The New York Times admitted that Russia funneled millions in cash to the Clinton Foundation and to Bill Clinton directly. (When was the last time you received $500,000 for a 20-minute talk in Moscow to a Russian bank with ties to the Kremlin in the midst of an infamous deal to sell U.S. uranium interests to Russia?) Imagine an alternate universe in which Trump had given such a talk in Moscow in order to facilitate the sale of 20 percent of U.S. uranium interests to a Russian front. Bill Clinton, Barack Obama Which brings me back to the issue of Stone and double standards. The anti-Trump fraternity claims to be shocked, shocked that the president should have commuted Stones prison sentence. I dont know enough about the legal niceties to opine about the prudence of Trumps clemency in this case. If you are interested in that aspect of the episode, I recommend, Trump Spares Stone from Imprisonment, Sparking Howls from Amnesiac Democrats, Andrew McCarthys clear-eyed account in National Review. Savor the opening antidote to amnesia: Bill Clinton pardoned his own brother for felony distribution of cocaine. And a key witness in the Whitewater scandal for which he and Hillary Clinton were under investigation. And three others convicted in independent counsel Ken Starrs probe. And Marc Rich, in what was a straight-up political payoff. And his CIA director. And his HUD secretary. And eight people convicted in an investigation of his Agriculture Department. And thats just for starters. McCarthy fills out the column with lots more where that came from, including from the pen of Barack Obama, who pardoned FALN terrorist Oscar Lopez Rivera and commuted the sentence of Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning, who had passed top-secret information to WikiLeaks. Obama also pardoned his former Joint Chiefs of Staff vice chairman, who had been convicted of lying to the FBI, and overturned or radically cut the sentences of hundreds of drug dealers via executive order. Weissmann Where were the Romneys and Frenchs of the world then? Where was Andrew Weissmann? If you dont know Andrew Weissmann, you should. He is one of the most despicable actors in the whole anti-Trump Kabuki theater. Mueller was really just Howdy Doody for the puppet master Weissmann. He was the brains and main strategist of the flood-the-zone special counsels Get Trump operation. Indeed, his disgusting partisan weaponization of the law goes back a long way. It was he who destroyed Enron and its leaders, and the accounting firm of Arthur Anderson, and therefore, thousands of jobs. The Supreme Court later said his case against Arthur Anderson was all wet, but too late for those thousands of people. Weissmann is now a vocal Biden surrogate, participating in fundraisers for him. He, too, piled on about Trumps commutation of Stones sentence, bizarrely suggesting that Stone should be called before the grand jury and compelled to dish some dirt on the president. Counsellor Weissmann might want to refresh his acquaintance with the Fifth Amendment, but perhaps he thinks its protections dont extend to supporters of Trump. Look, Stone is an extravagant, pro-Trump political activist. He is an odd and excitable chap. The question is, are those attributes sufficient to earn you a prison sentence? He was convicted of lying to investigators. That was his chief tort. But at the end of the day, I think that Andrew Klavan got it exactly right. So Roger Stone wont go to prison for covering up a crime that never happened, Klavan tweeted, during an investigation that never should have begun. My outrage knows no bounds. Roger Kimball is the editor and publisher of The New Criterion and publisher of Encounter Books. His most recent book is The Fortunes of Permanence: Culture and Anarchy in an Age of Amnesia. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 13) New community quarantine classifications may be announced on Wednesday, the same day the existing guidelines end, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said. Roque on Monday said President Rodrigo Duterte will decide on quarantine status on July 15, a day after a third meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases for their recommendations. Tuesday's meeting will discuss the appeals of local chief executives about the fate of their provinces, towns and cities for July 16-31. "Meron pong mga lugar na mage-escalate considering na nakita natin na tumataas ang ating severe at critical cases. At the same time, 'yung new cases, tumataas din po [There are areas which will see quarantine rules escalate considering the observation that severe and critical cases rose. At the same time, new cases also climbed]," national COVID-19 task force chief implementer Carlito Galvez, Jr. said. Officials refused to reveal specific recommendations, but said that Metro Manila is unlikely to see a relaxation to a modified general community quarantine or MGCQ. "At this point, the data does not indicate na pupwedeng magluwag at least sa [that restrictions may be eased in] Metro Manila," Roque said, referring to a spike in cases in recent days. He added this was to manage expectations, following calls to open up the country's main economic hub as soon as possible. RELATED: Finance chief wants Metro Manila and CALABARZON region to be placed under MGCQ soon There are now 56,259 positive cases in the country, with 2,124 new cases tallied on Sunday. Some 16,046 patients have recovered while 1,534 died. Galvez added that Metro Manila mayors have recommended to keep the region under GCQ, which has been its status for the past six weeks, due to rising hospital bed occupancy. Both St. Luke's Medical Center and the Makati Medical Center announced Monday that their dedicated beds for critically ill COVID-19 patients are at full capacity. For St. Luke's this applies to both its hospitals in Quezon City and Taguig. Several medical facilities said last week that beds dedicated to coronavirus patients are all occupied. Galvez added that the IATF will still issue one quarantine rule for the entire Metro Manila, heeding the request of mayors. He said that local officials are in talks on a "hybrid" lockdown, where more economic activities will be allowed despite strict stay-at-home rules. However, business owners will have to "take equal responsibility" in managing infections and looking after workers. RELATED: DTI suggests adjusting business operating capacity ahead of MGCQ declaration Meanwhile, other cities which saw a surge in infections could see quarantine rules "escalate," Galvez added. He did not specify which areas may be affected as the final decision will come from the President. Most of the country remains under the most relaxed MGCQ, but Cebu City is currently under the strictest form of quarantine due to a spike in cases. The superintendent did not say when the unit would begin its work, saying officers were still being recruited to reach the full deployment of more than 200 cops. An internal memo obtained by the Tribune indicates it will be called the Community Safety Team and will operate out of the Englewood police district on the South Side and the training academy on the West Side. Startling images of a nightclub and a hostel have emerged after police slapped the establishments with hefty fines for breaching coronavirus guidelines. Over the weekend, South Australia Police checked 111 venues in metropolitan Adelaide to ensure compliance with health directives and two establishments were fined $5060. On Monday, SA Police shared photos of an unnamed licensed venue, where little social distancing appeared to be observed in the enclosed space. An Adelaide nightclub was hit with a $5000 fine for failing to comply with coronavirus directives, according to police. Source: SA Police However other media outlets have reported the nightclub in the photos was Zhivago on Currie Street, with the venue supplying a statement to the ABC. The statement from Zhivago's management said they would be contesting the fine, according to the national broadcaster, adding the venue had made every endeavour" to ensure the health and well-being of patrons and staff. The photos show patrons packed onto what appears to be the dance floor. All defined public activities require businesses to have a density requirement of one person per two square metres. Nightclubs and licensed venues are deemed to be defined public activities. Nightclubs are allowed to operate in South Australia, where the last confirmed case of coronavirus was reported on June 28. There are no active cases in the state. Nightclubs are allowed to operate, provided venues have a COVIDSafe Plan in place. Source: SA Police Nightclubs in South Australia are required to complete a COVID Management Plan to have an operational dance floor and play loud, amplified music, according to SA Health. The other business which was hit with a $5060 fine over the weekend was a backpackers hostel on Waymouth Street. When police arrived at the venue about 8pm (local time) on Friday, it was determined the hostel did not have a COVIDSafe Plan and patrons were not physically distancing. Travellers from Victoria self-quarantining at hostel At the venue, police identified four people who had travelled from Victoria and had been self-quarantining at the hostel. Officers liaised with SA Health and had the three men and one woman moved to another hotel to quarantine. Story continues The four have been COVID tested of which the results are yet unknown, police said on Saturday and there had been no cases confirmed in SA on Sunday or Monday. SA Police also revealed of the 111 venues which were checked over the weekend, 10 did not have a COVIDSafe plan in place. In addition to the hostel and nightclub getting a fine, another bar in Topham Mall was issued EMA directions. Police were pleased with the majority of businesses who were complying with directions but warn; businesses involved in a defined public activity must have a COVIDSafe Plan in place in order to trade, SA Police said in a statement. If you have not completed a COVIDSafe Plan, do not have this available at your premises, or do not comply with current Directions, you can be fined up to $5000. 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. These days, mobile phones are extensions of our hands. So, it is just natural for us to want to protect our phones and it is nice to have cases that reflect us and our personal taste. We know how much you love taking care of your wire-powered babies. So, here are five phone cases to channel your inner Mexican self. Xaha's iPhone Cover with Mexican Design Talavera Photo from Amazon Xaha aims to pay tribute to Mexican design. So, it's no surprise that this product is Amazon's choice. It uses colors and shapes that are just classic Mexican. On top of that, it uses high quality materials so maximum resistance is surely there and your iPhone is well protected. It has a variety of designs that work for both men and women, regardless of age. The brand promotes the indigenous art of Mexico so it generates designs with Mexican prints to teach the world about the richness and potential of their different cultures. Mexistuff's iPhone Clear Case in Mexican Pink Colorway High Thread Photo from Amazon This case can protect your phone from scratches as it uses BPA free Hybrid Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and Polycarbonate (PC) material. It is light but can still offer overall protection from dust, dirt and oil. It is also flexible and see-through so it can enhance the color of the phone. The color pink makes it instantly pop with any outfit you wear. The print features many things from Mexican culture like food and TV. Not only is it beautiful, it is also functional and does not stop your iPhone from wireless charging. Blingy's iPhone 11 Case (Taco Style) Photo from Amazon If your favorite food is tacos, then this is the right phone case for you. It is made with high quality TPU Rubber and specifically designed for iPhone 11. It protects the phone from dings and scratches you might encounter every day. Printed with the famous Mexican treat, it provides a clean smooth look that stands out from the ordinary phone case. Teeduyen iPhone 11 Phone Case (Frida Khalo Self Portrait) Photo from Amazon This phone case features the self portrait of Mexican painter Frida Khalo. The flexible TPU material provides great protection against impact and bumps on your phone's back and side. It's soft, slim-fit and easy to install and take off. The case has a cutout design for speakers, screen, camera and ports. This provides easy access to all ports and connectors without removing. It's designed in the U.S. and created with the highest quality materials to make sure it lasts long but also maintains a light-weight and slim design. Teeduyen makes sure the product is to your liking, or you get your money back. 407Case Mexican American Flag Hyper Shock Phone Case Photo from Amazon If you're a Mexican living in the U.S., there's nothing that screams about your heritage more than putting the Mexican and American flags on your phone case. Just like the other phone cases, this one is also made using TPU. Its rubber bumpers protect the screen and help you grip on to your phone easier. It is also lightweight and gives you full access to all buttons and ports on your phone. Want to read more? Check these out! Chandigarh, July 13 : Punjab Police have busted a Pakistan-sponsored drugs and illegal arms smuggling racket with the arrest of four people, including their kingpin who is a BSF constable posted in Samba district of Jammu & Kashmir, officials said on Monday. Foreign-made weapons, including a 9 mm pistol along with 80 live cartridges, etched with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) markings, two magazines and two cartridges of 12 bore along with Rs 32.30 lakh in drug proceeds were recovered from BSF constable Sumit Kumar. Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said constable Sumit Kumar of Gurdaspur district was apprehended along with three other members -- Simarjit Singh, Manpreet Singh and Amanpreet Singh. He said Jalandhar (Rural) Police arrested Amanpreet Singh on July 11 for murdering Jagjit. During investigation, Amanpreet disclosed that he and his brothers were in touch with one Shah Musa of Pakistan for smuggling of narcotics and weapons across the Indo-Pak border. Amanpreet said they had come into contact with Shah Musa through Manpreet Singh and a constable of the Border Security Force posted on the Jammu & Kashmir border. He said constable Sumit Kumar had earlier been lodged in the Gurdaspur jail during the trial of a murder case, where he had come in contact with Manpreet Singh. Gupta said the conspiracy to smuggle drugs and weapons from across the border was hatched in the Gurdaspur jail. Manpreet further introduced Amanpreet, Simarjit and Sukhwant with Sumit Kumar. Armed with these disclosures, the Jalandhar Rural Police arrested Simarjit and Manpreet on July 12, while the BSF constable was arrested in coordination with the BSF after the DGP took up the matter personally with his BSF counterpart on July 11. The DGP said constable Sumit Kumar had disclosed his involvement in repeated smuggling of narcotics and weapons from across the border. The UKs National Security Council will meet as early as Tuesday to decide whether Huawei can participate in the regions 5G buildout. Thats according to new reports citing persons said to be familiar with the matter. The meeting will center around two specific topics. The first is whether to reverse a decision made back in January. At the time, it was decided that Huawei would help build the countrys 5G network. Albeit, with equipment far-removed from critical portions of the network. Secondary to that, the meeting will be to determine whether or not existing Huawei equipment should be removed. That includes removal from networks that have little to do with 5G. Advertisement Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden is expected to make an announcement on the matter, shortly after the meeting concludes. A decision about Huawei in the UKs 5G network wouldnt be entirely unexpected This news follows previous reports indicating that the UK was close to making a decision on this matter. That isnt entirely without reason. The issue at hand boils down to the impact of ongoing and increasing US sanctions leveled against Huawei. In this case, thats sanctions that prevent Huawei from conducting business with US companies. That ban has extended to include interactions with companies using US components. Thats effectively cut off Huaweis supply chain. As a result, the UK is being forced to reexamine its position on Huawei. Summarily, the worlds largest smartphone OEM and networking equipment provider will, reports indicate, be forced to use untrusted partners in equipment going forward. Advertisement The untrusted hardware adds weight to arguments that Huawei should not be allowed into the UKs 5G networks at all. But not everybody in favor of that is also in favor of removing current Huawei equipment. The argument is that the equipment will be phased out by the march of technological progress anyway over the next few years. So that will be the more contentious point of discussion. When will the equipment be removed, if it is at all Leading conservative Bob Seely indicates that the goal is to see a no new kit date set for late 2021. But the date for a rip-out of current Huawei equipment is being hotly debated. If its determined that the existing equipment should be removed, the date could fall anytime between 2023 and 2025. , We're sorry, this article is not currently available SKOPJE, Macedonia - Police in North Macedonia say 11 migrants have been seriously injured in a car accident near the central town of Shtip. A car with local plates, packed with migrants, crashed into an oncoming truck and another car late Sunday on a secondary road. Ten Pakistanis and one Afghan were hospitalized with serious injuries, police said Monday. The car driver, wanted on trafficking charges, fled the scene. It was the third serious road accident involving migrants reported by police in North Macedonia in the past week. The Western Balkans has become one of Europes most active migratory routes in recent months, according to the European Unions border protection agency, Frontex. A New York high school graduate has been hailed as a hero after he tragically died saving two friends who came into difficulties while swimming off the shore of a New Jersey beach. Jalan Alston, 18, went missing on Friday evening after going into the water at Ventour Beach to help Jayda Smith and Sierra Williams who had been swept up by a rip current, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Alston managed to push the two teens toward the shoreline but was unable to make it out of the water himself, the Coast Guard said. He disappeared beneath the surface swell moments after. The US Coast Guard were called at 7:00pm and conducted a 12 hours search for the 18-year-old, covering over 58-miles. His body was recovered 24 hours later at around 6:20pm on Saturday near Albany Avenue beach after being spotted by two swimmers in the area. 'He made the ultimate sacrifice,' Alston's brother Mark told NJ.com. 'He is truly selfless and has always been that way he's type of person that will try to do anything you ask of him of him and he would always come through.' Jalan Alston, 18, went missing on Friday after going into the water at Ventour Beach to help two friends who had come into difficulties in the water off the coast of the Jersey Shore Jayda Smith and Sierra Williams were swept up in a rip current on Saturday evening. They've both credited Alston's heroics for saving their lives The US Coast Guard conducted a 12 hours search for the 18-year-old for more, covering over 58-miles Alston recently graduated from George Westinghouse High School in Brooklyn, New York, where he was a star athlete in track and field. He had plans to become an engineer and planned to take the civil service exam in the fall. Mark Alston told USA Today his brother and his two friends were all in the water when the rough conditions caused from the recent Tropical Storm Fay occurred. The teen had been close to the beach when the two girls came into difficulty and could have run and called for help. But instead, true to his brother's 'selfless' nature, Alston went deeper into the swell to save the lives of his friends, Mark said. 'He's not here because he wanted to save people,' the grieving brother said. 'I will always remember him as my little brother who saved two people.' A GoFundMe page has been set up by Jayda Smith to help Alston's family cover the cost of his funeral. Smith she met Alston through online gaming last year and Friday was the first day she'd actually met him in person. 'Jalan Alston saved both me and Sierra's lives from the rip current off the Jersey shore,' Smith wrote. 'He selflessly and almost instinctively jumped into the current after me, pushed me out and got me to shore. He then tried to get back to the shore with Sierra's help, but to no prevail. Alston recently graduated from George Westinghouse High School in Brooklyn, New York, where he was a star athlete in track and field His body was eventually recovered at about 6:20pm on Saturday near Albany Avenue beach after being spotted by two swimmers in the area Alston recently graduated from George Westinghouse High School in Brooklyn, New York, where he was a star athlete in track and field. He had plans to become an engineer and planned to take the civil service exam in the fall. 'He understood what was happening, grabbed her wrist and shook his head, then with a push sent her to the shore with me using his last bit of strength he had. It's because of him that I am here, sharing his story to the world.' Alston's two friends made it safely back to shore. One of them then called 911, and the Coast Guard launched an intensive search for Alston that lasted for several hours. The agencies searched 58 square miles over air, sea and land for about 13 hours before suspending the search. His body was recovered almost 24 hours later on Saturday by Atlantic City Beach Patrol. 'Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Jalan,' said Capt. Jonathan Theel, commander of Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay. 'It's always difficult to suspend a case, and it weighs especially heavy on our hearts knowing that he was helping others.' Smith said Jalan had 'such a beautiful soul and spirit, heart and mind,' and noted that because he 'gave me a second chance' she would be using it 'to make his life, his legacy memorable, starting here.' Smith she met Alston through online gaming last year and Friday was the first day she'd actually met him in person In her own tribute to Alston, Williams wrote: 'Jalan, you were a hero that night. You saved your friends knowing you weren't making it out of the water that night. And I have no words to be able to thank you In a lengthy post about the ordeal posted to her mother's Facebook page, Smith revealed that months ago she had revealed to Alston that drowning is her biggest fear. 'He did everything he could to make sure that wouldn't happen to me,' she said. 'Everyone across the country needs to know who he is, and how dangerous these currents are. We didn't know how bad they were until it was too late.' In her own tribute to Alston, Williams wrote: 'Jalan, you were a hero that night. You saved your friends knowing you weren't making it out of the water that night. And I have no words to be able to thank you. 'Your bravery and selflessness was unbelievable. I still can't wrap my head around the whys and the what's and the how's because I can't even begin to believe your gone [sic]. That I won't hear your laugh or your voice again. My heart breaks for your parents and family. And for Jayda, who I know you loved with all your heart.' A body has been found at the California lake where former Glee actress Naya Rivera went missing, police have confirmed. The 33-year-old actress disappeared while on a boating trip with her four-year-old son at Lake Piru on July 8. A rescue mission was launched but less than 24 hours later detectives said Rivera was presumed dead. The Ventura County Sheriffs Office announced that a body was found on Monday. The recovery is in progress and a news conference will take place at 10pm UK time (2pm local time). Missing Glee star Naya Rivera now presumed dead, police say Rivera is feared to have drowned at the popular spot for swimmers about 56 miles north-west of central Los Angeles. Her son, Josey Hollis, was found asleep and wearing a life jacket on the boat, with his mother nowhere to be seen. He told police he had seen her disappear beneath the surface. Naya Rivera - In pictures 1 /24 Naya Rivera - In pictures Getty Images Naya Rivera Naya Rivera Getty Images Glee Glee Naya Rivera and Ryan Dorsey at The UNICEF Dia de los Muertos Black & White Masquerade Ball 2014 Getty Images Glee Glee Glee Naya Rivera attends the Women's Guild Cedars-Sinai Annual Gala 2019 Getty Images Naya Rivera of 'Step Up: High Water' speaks onstage during the YouTube portion of the 2018 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour Getty Images Naya Rivera arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards 2013 Scott Gries/Invision/AP Glee FOX Image Collection via Getty Images Naya Rivera and Ryan Dorsey attend the March Of Dimes Celebration Of Babies Luncheon Getty Images Glee Glee Glee Mystery surrounds how the 33-year-old disappeared, with authorities suggesting she may have been incapacitated before drowning. Senior deputy sheriff Miguel Gonzalez said authorities hadn't ruled out that she may have hit her head before falling into the water. He said: Unfortunately, until the body is recovered we definitely wont know what actually happened with her, whether it be something medically or if she did have any trauma prior to going down beneath the water. And until we recover the body we probably wont find the answers to those questions. As with any investigation, the coroner will examine those theories and examine toxicology and all the other exams they do to determine exactly the cause of death. CCTV from the dock shows her rented boat departing at about 1pm. It was found drifting in the northern area of the lake around three hours later. Investigators stressed the many difficulties posed by the search, including strong currents, dangerous underwater debris and visibility of 1ft-2ft. A Ventura County Sheriff's helicoptor returns to base as search efforts continue to find actress Naya Rivera on Sunday / AFP via Getty Images Rivera looks increasingly likely to become the third major cast member from Glee to die in their 30s. Co-star Mark Salling, who Rivera dated at one point, killed himself in 2018 at age 35 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges. Cory Monteith, one of the shows leads, died at 31 in 2013 from a toxic mix of alcohol and heroin. Rivera became engaged to rapper Big Sean in October 2013, but they ended their relationship in April 2014. She then began dating actor Ryan Dorsey and they married in Mexico in July that year. The couple had son Josey in September 2015. Rivera filed for divorce after two years of marriage, but they later called off the separation before finalising their divorce in June 2018. [ This book is one of our most anticipated titles of July. See the full list. ] They hire doctors to examine Pew. Everyone wants to know whats between those legs. Its the tabloid talk of the town, the way Brooke Shieldss virginity was in the 1980s. Pew rebuffs medical explorations. The family puts Pew in an attic room. Sometimes they lock the door. The town is looking forward to the Forgiveness Festival, around which there is excitement and dread. This novel owes a debt to Ursula K. Le Guins short story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas (the novels epigraph comes from it), which features a similar festival. The reader will also summon Shirley Jacksons short story The Lottery to mind, and the reader is not entirely wrong to do so. Pew has the ability to peer, if only slightly, into other peoples souls. I dont know how it is I can sometimes see all these things in people see these silent things in people and though it has been helpful, I think, at times, so often it feels like an affliction. Pew is a blank pawn inserted into the gender wars. Modern-day Phyllis Schlaflys say things to her like: Now, you might know that some people these days like to think a person gets to decide whether they are a boy or a girl, but we believe, our church believes and Jesus believed that God decides if youre a boy or a girl. This is a novel that takes itself very seriously. The reader who has kept pace with Laceys fiction will be willing, mostly, to take it seriously, too. Born in Mississippi, the author lives in Chicago. She is the author of two good previous novels, Nobody Is Ever Missing and (better) The Answers, and a book of plangent short stories, Certain American States. What works in this novel is its Kafkaesque sense, through Pew, of free-floating anxiety and mortification of a sort that is impossible to define and thus impossible to soothe. Pew will not be characterized, interpreted, diagnosed or annotated. Pew seems to drift, like the planchette on a Ouija board. Pews muteness draws out other peoples stories, in the manner of the fiction of Rachel Cusk, among others. Some of these are confessional and quite dark, yet few resonate. Mourners lined the street and wept at the funeral of Seouls mayor on the same day a lawyer revealed details about sexual harassment allegations against him. The accusations against Park Won-soon have divided many in South Korea over how to remember him after he was found dead in a wooded area in the north of the countrys capital on Friday. Mr Park, a liberal who built his career as a reform-minded politician and champion of womens rights, had been considered a potential candidate for president in 2022. Police said there was no sign of foul play but refused to disclose the exact cause of his death. Seoul officials said Mr Park left a note saying I feel sorry to everyone and asking that his body be cremated. On Monday, lawyer Kim Jae-ryun told reporters she gave legal counsel to one of Parks former secretaries before a complaint was lodged with police over alleged sexual harassment. Ms Kim, who represents the ex-secretary, said the complaint was filed on 8 July the day before Mr Parks daughter called police to report her father missing, prompting a massive police search. The lawyer said the ex-secretary claimed Mr Park sent her messages and photos that involved sexual harassment and that she showed those to some of her friends, colleagues and a local journalist. The woman alleged Mr Park subjected her to unwanted physical contact, the lawyer added. The alleged harassment is said to have lasted for at least four years and to have continued even after she was sent to a different department, according to Yonhap news agency. Police and Seouls city government did not immediately have official responses to the lawyers claims and refused multiple attempts by the Associated Press to confirm details in the complaint. Police previously confirmed a complaint against Mr Park was filed but have not given any further details. Ms Kims office also refused the Associated Press request to contact the lawyer. Kim Jae-ryun, a lawyer for a former secretary of the late Seoul mayor Park Won-soon, explains the alleged sexual harassment case during a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, 13 July 2020. (Yonhap/EPA) During the news conference, an activist read what she called a message by the former secretary. The message said: I was foolish. I have deep regrets. Yes, I should have screamed when it first happened, cried out and reported it. She was quoted as saying in the message that she found the mayors death deeply disappointing and hard to believe. The Seoul city government on Monday held a funeral for Mr Park with about 100 participants, a relatively small size given his prominence. Authorities cited coronavirus concerns for limiting participants, but some observers say opposition to a big, outdoor funeral was likely the reason. A mourner walks by a memorial altar for late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon at City Hall Plaza in Seoul, South Korea, 13 July 2020. (Lee Jin-man/AP) (AP) The mayors daughter, Park Da-in, wept at the funeral and said she felt both sorry and grateful to city officials who she said must have been more shocked than anyone by her fathers death. Thanks to them, our family is overcoming the difficult times little by little, she said. A live broadcast online drew a mixture of condolence messages and insults. Sympathy messages included ones that read Please, rest in peace, Im heartbroken and Youre the best mayor. But there were also messages such as Shame on you, Hypocrite and What are you doing with taxpayers money? If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. For services local to you, the national mental health database Hub of Hope allows you to enter your postcode to search for organisations and charities who offer mental health advice and support in your area. Additional reporting by the Associated Press The Rajasthan Congress Legislature Party on Monday passed a resolution recommending strict disciplinary action against any Congress MLA and office-bearer who weakens the party, a statement issued by the party after the meeting said . This meet urges that strict disciplinary action be taken against any office bearer or member of the Legislature Party who indulges in activities against the Congress govt, party or gets involved in any conspiracy, the resolution read Congress lawmakers at the CLP meeting supported the Ashok Gehlot-led government in Rajasthan amid a power tussle between him and deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot. The resolution also indicated confidence in the leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and senior leader Rahul Gandhi. As many as 107 MLAs attended the CLP meeting, which was held on Monday afternoon. The Congress Legislature Party expresses full faith and confidence in the leadership of party president Sonia Gandhi and leader Rahul Gandhi. This meeting unanimously supports the Congress government led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, the resolution said. The CLP members condemned all undemocratic wrongful acts for weakening the Congress Party and the state government. Gehlot had called the legislature party meeting on Monday to gather lawmakers supporting his government. Congress leader Sachin Pilot, had claimed last evening that the Gehlot-led government had been reduced to a minority in the state assembly. Pilots camp had last night also claimed the support of 30 MLAs. These indications from Pilot forced the Congress to call for a press briefing at 2:30 am saying it had the support of 109 MLAs. In the 200-member Rajasthan assembly, the majority mark is 101. The Congress before Pilot decided to openly rebel, had a strength of 107 MLAs and support from other independent MLAs. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Commander: Iran's Army Aviation Service missiles range to reach 100 km IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, July 12, IRNA -- Commander of Iran's Army Aviation Service (Havanirooz) Brigadier-General Yousef Ghorbani said on Sunday that the aviation service will be provided with 20 km and 100 km range missiles. Ghorbani said that Iranian Army Aviation has so far reached good achievements with regard to 'Fire and Forget', precision-guided and 8.5km missiles. He added that Army Aviation Service has made 435 parts with 600,000 series for self-sufficiency. He noted that the unit is supporting army, IRGC and border regiment. Elsewhere in his remarks, he referred to Army Aviation Service rescue operations during deadly earthquake of Kermanshah and fire in Zagros. He added that Iran's Army Aviation Service has conducted the biggest night military exercise which was unique in the Middle East. 9376**1416 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Khartoum, July 13 : After more than 30 years of Islamist rule, Sudan has outlined wide-reaching reforms including allowing non-Muslims to drink alcohol, and scrapping the apostasy law and public flogging. "We [will] drop all the laws violating the human rights in Sudan," Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari said, the BBC reported. A raft of new laws were passed last week but this is the first public explanation of their contents. Sudan has also banned female genital mutilation (FGM). Under the new laws, women no longer need permission from a male relative to travel with their children. The reforms come after long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir was ousted last year following massive street protests. The current government is an uneasy mixture of those groups which ousted Bashir and his former allies in the military, who ultimately staged a coup against him. Non-Muslims are now allowed to consume alcohol in private, however the ban on Muslim drinking remains, Abdulbari told state TV. Non-Muslims could still be punished if they are caught drinking with Muslims, the Sudan Tribune reports him as saying. He explained that the government was trying to safeguard the rights of the country's non-Muslims, who make up an estimated 3 per cent of the population. They are now allowed to drink, import and sell alcohol. "We are keen to demolish any kind of discrimination that was enacted by the old regime and to move toward equality of citizenship and a democratic transformation," he said. The laws were initially approved in April but the BBC's Mohamed Osman in Khartoum says they have only now taken effect. Until now, anyone convicted of renouncing Islam, or apostasy, could face the death penalty. The best known case was of Meriam Yehya Ibrahim Ishag, a pregnant woman who was sentenced to be hanged after she married a Christian man in 2014. She managed to flee the country but the apostasy law - targeting those deemed to have abandoned Islam - has remained on the statute books until now. The declaration that someone was an apostate was "a threat to the security and safety of society," Abdulbari said. Under Bashir, the morality police would often carry out public flogging for various misdemeanours but Mr Abdulbari said this punishment had now been abolished. The latest changes come after a restrictive public order law that controlled how women acted and dressed in public was repealed in November. The imposition of strict Islamist laws in the 1980s was a key factor in the long-running civil war which eventually led to independence for South Sudan, where the majority of people are Christian or follow traditional religions. The took out a rally in on Monday to protest over the death of its leader Debendra Nath Ray in North Dinajpur district and demanded a inquiry into the incident. Ray, the MLA from Hemtabad, was found hanging under mysterious circumstances near in home amid allegations by his family and the party that it was a "cold-blooded murder by TMC", a charge denied by the ruling party. The took out the rally from its headquarters in central Kolkata's Murlidhar Sen Lane in the afternoon. Carrying posters and placards, cadres shouted slogans against the TMC government and accused it of unleashing terror across the state. "We demand inquiry into the incident. The truth must come out," BJP's state vice president Raju Banerjee said. Ray had contested and won the Hemtabad assembly segment in 2016 -- a reserved seat for Scheduled Castes -- on a CPI(M) ticket but had switched over to the BJP last year after the Lok Sabha polls. He, however, did not resign as CPI(M) legislator from the state assembly. (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 Los Angeles and San Diego school districts announced Monday that they will not return to in-person classes next month but will begin the school year with online-only classes over coronavirus concerns. In Los Angeles, students will start virtual classes on August 18 but will not be called back to the physical classroom, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner said. San Diego will start online-only classes on August 31. Countries that have managed to safely reopen schools have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available. California has neither. The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control, the San Diego Unified and Los Angeles Unified school districts said in a joint statement. Schools in the Los Angeles and San Diego districts have been closed since March 13, when cases of the coronavirus began across the country. Since then, districts said they have been on a breakneck pace to transition to online learning. Both districts said they plan on starting in-person classes later in the school year as soon as public health conditions allow and called on the federal government to provide the resources schools need to reopen. The Trump administration has threatened to deny federal funding to school districts that refuse to restart in-person classes in the fall. This announcement represents a significant disappointment for the many thousands of teachers, administrators and support staff, who were looking forward to welcoming students back in August, the statement from the districts said. It is obviously an even greater disappointment to the many parents who are anxious for their students to resume their education. Most of all, this decision will impact our students in ways that researchers will take years to understand. Additionally, the districts said they will create their own source for reliable scientific information since the information from the medical and scientific communities has been vague and conflicting. More from National Review Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity among independent RIA firms continues its strong pace in what could be a record year for wealth management transactions. InCap Group Inc., a premier boutique investment banking firm focused exclusively on the financial services industry, is pleased to congratulate Willingdon Wealth Management on its recent acquisition by Exencial Wealth Management InCap Group represented Willingdon Wealth Management as its exclusive financial advisor in this transaction. This deal represents InCaps second closed wealth management transaction in 2Q 2020. Founded in 2003 and based in Huntersville, North Carolina, the Willingdon team has a long history of serving its clients through comprehensive wealth management services. Willingdon manages approximately $800 million for its clients. Exencial Wealth Advisors, based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with additional offices in Texas and Connecticut, has approximately $2.4 billion in assets under management. Jim Tennies, founder and president of InCap Group noted: Exencial Wealth Management and Willingdon Wealth Management are highly complementary to one another, making the fit a natural. Although the firms did not know each other prior to engaging in M&A discussions, John Burns at Exencial and Mike Kayes at Willingdon had nurtured similar cultures which are highly compatible with one another. With an outstanding cultural fit and highly similar business models, the joining of the firms was compelling to both parties. Mike Kayes, CFA, founder and president of Willingdon Wealth added: From the outset of discussions, I was excited about the cultural fit between our firms and the management team that John had built. I am confident that our clients and Exencials clients will be well served by our union. I am more excited than ever to go to work. About InCap Group, Inc. Founded in 2006, InCap Group, Inc. (InCap) is a leading boutique investment bank focused on M&A in the financial services industry. InCap has strong expertise in the asset management, wealth management, securities brokerage and related industries. From its offices in Baltimore and Philadelphia, InCap provides top-notch strategic advice to clients at the different inflection points of their life cycle, including M&A advice, divestitures, spinoffs, capital raises, succession plans, recapitalizations, valuations, and other strategic consulting services. For additional information, please visit http://www.incapgroup.com Atlanta cops have released images of a second armed person of interest who is wanted for questioning in connection to the fatal shooting of an eight-year-old girl. Police shared the photos that show the man near the scene where Secoriea Turner was shot dead on July 4 during protests outside the Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks was killed. Authorities said Secoriea was killed when gunmen opened fire on her mother's SUV while she was trying to drive through an illegal roadblock set up by protesters. The second person of interest is seen with a large rifle strapped to his body and a black crossbody bag over his shoulder. Scroll down for video The second person of interest (left) in connection to the murder of Secoriea Turner (right) is seen with a large rifle strapped to his body and a black crossbody bag over his shoulder Police shared the photos that show the armed man who was near the scene when Secoriea was shot dead on July 4 during protests outside the Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks was killed Officers from the Atlanta Police Department said they are searching for four suspects for questioning in connection with the slaying. Last week, police released video of a person of interest who was also seen carrying an AR-15. Authorities said that male was also in the area when Secoriea was killed. Secoriea's death came during a weekend of violence in the city that prompted the Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to tell Black Lives Matter protesters that 'enough is enough' following weeks of tension after Brooks was shot and killed by a white cop on June 12. 'You cant blame this on a police officer,' the mayor said during an emotional press conference on July 5. 'You cant say this about criminal justice reform. This is about some people carrying some weapons who shot up a car with an 8-year-old baby in the car for what?' The video shows a man in a white T-shirt, black pants and sneakers carrying an AR-15 assault rifle in the area of University Avenue and Pryor Road. The Atlanta Police Department on Tuesday released this short clip that shows a gunman carrying AR-15 near the scene where Secoriea was shot on July 4th Secoriea (left) was riding in the back of her mother's SUV when they encountered an illegal roadblock and tried to go through it. Police say gunmen immediately opened fire Atlanta police Lt Pete Malecki told reporters last week that investigators believe the shots were fired intentionally at Charmaine Turner's 2016 Jeep Cherokee when it crossed a barricade manned by a group of armed individuals. The Wendy's - which was burned down in protests after Brooks' killing - has since become a site for demonstrations against police brutality and has been patrolled by people carrying guns. Turner's vehicle was struck by at least eight rounds. Secoriea was rushed to Atlanta Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead. The Atlanta police lieutenant also revealed that there is no evidence to suggest that the gunmen opened fire on Turner's SUV in self-defense. 'She was only 8 years old. She would have been on TikTok dancing on her phone, just got done eating,' her heartbroken mother said. 'We understand the frustration of Rayshard Brooks. We didnt have anything to do with that. Were innocent. My baby didnt mean no harm.' 'The girl just wanted to get home to see her cousins,' said her father, Secoriya Williamson. 'They say Black lives matter,' he said. 'You killed your own.' At least intermittently, armed people had manned a barricade on the street in front of the Wendy's. Police had removed barricades at least once before, but one journalist was assaulted near the site and gunmen threatened or turned back other people. Atlanta police helped sanitation crews clear the area last Monday, despite some protesters who said they were not part of the violence. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms held an emotional press conference that was attended by Secoriea's grieving mother, Charmaine (seen seated) Charmaine Turner said of her daughter: 'She was only 8 years old. She would have been on TikTok dancing on her phone, just got done eating' Secoriea's family have described the eight-year-old as a star student who loved playing with her phone. She is survived by her parents and two brothers A $20,000 cash reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Secoriea's case. 'Im confident that somebody knows the name of this man,' Malecki said, pointing to the unnamed person of interest brandishing the AR-15 in the video who is wanted for questioning. 'It's an opportunity to do the right thing.' According to the description of a GoFundMe campaign launched by Charmaine, Secoriea, the youngest of her three children, was a star student at Kipp Academy who loved spending time with her family, including her two brothers, ages seven and 10, and playing with her phone. 'She loved the simple things in life and now her life has been taken,' her mother wrote. 'This tragedy has caused tremendous hurt and indescribable pain as we look to put the pieces to our lives back together and seek justice for our little girl.' Secoriea was one of two dozen people who were shot in Atlanta over the Fourth of July weekend, five of them fatally, including the eight-year-old. Surveillance video released by GBI shows Rayshard Brooks (circled, right) fleeing towards the right hand side of the image as he is pursued by two officers on June 12 Secoriea's shooting took place near the Wendy's restaurant parking lot where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by a white police officer on June 12. The eatery was burned the next day In the wake of the shootings, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency and authorized the activation of up to 1,000 National Guard troops. 'Peaceful protests were hijacked by criminals with a dangerous, destructive agenda. Now, innocent Georgians are being targeted, shot, and left for dead,' the Republican governor said. 'This lawlessness must be stopped and order restored in our capital city.' But Mayor Lance Bottoms said Kemp issued his order without asking if the city needed help. The city had already been coordinating with the Georgia State Patrol, and 'at no time was it mentioned that anyone felt there was a need for the National Guard to come in,' she said on ABC's Good Morning America on Tuesday. A private, invitation-only funeral for Secoriea was planned for Wednesday. A representative for Tyler Perry said the filmmaker and actor has offered to pay for the service. Perry also offered to pay for Brooks' funeral. A public viewing is to be held from 9am to 6pm on Tuesday at Murray Brothers Funeral Home in Atlanta. Theres a new public fishing tournament weigh-in pavilion at the Smith Lake public boat ramp. Volunteers with Union Sportsmens Alliance (USA) finished construction of the pavilion last month. The project was completed at no cost to the local community through a partnership between the USA, B.A.S.S., Alabama Power and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. There is an official opening and community fishing event scheduled for October at the pavilion. The structure has electrical access, lighting and the capacity to hold fish tanks. It can be used by recreational fishers as well as high school, college, amateur and professional tournaments, and is open to the public when not in use for events. This facility was designed to make setting up for weigh-ins easier and more efficient for tournament organizations of all sizes, B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Gene Gilliland said. Having the pavilion close to the water, boat ramp and courtesy docks will improve the survival of fish released following weigh-ins, which means more bass for everyone to catch in the future. Labor union volunteers representing 10 locals donated more than 1,200 hours of labor valued at over $68,000 to complete the pavilion. In all, the value of donated labor, materials and machinery topped $100,000. The project was also supported by the Alabama AFL-CIO, USAs Alabama State Conservation Dinner, A & S Electrical Contractors Inc. and Pipe and Landscape Supply. Communities across Alabama are using outdoor activities as economic development opportunities. Last month Lincoln, began building a $6 million fishing park that local leaders hope will inject more tourism dollars into the town. About 30 percent of respondents say they may consider moving assets or business out of Hong Kong in medium, long term. A majority of United States-based companies in Hong Kong surveyed by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) are concerned about the sweeping new national security law in the global financial hub, with a third looking to move assets or business longer-term. The legislation, which punishes secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, has further strained relations between the US and China. The AmCham survey, published on Monday and to which 183 or 15 percent of its members responded on July 6-9, showed 36.6 percent of respondents were somewhat concerned and 51 percent were extremely concerned about the legislation. More than two-thirds of the respondents were more concerned than a month ago, when the full details of the law, which came into force just before the anniversary of the former British colonys return to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997, were unveiled. The legislation, which allows a Chinese intelligence agency to openly operate in the city for the first time and gives police and mainland agents broad powers beyond the scrutiny of courts, raises a broad spectrum of worries for US companies. Some 65 percent were concerned about the ambiguity in its scope and enforcement and roughly 61 percent said they worry about the independence of Hong Kongs judicial system. About half were concerned about the citys status as a global finance centre and the erosion of the high degree of autonomy it was promised 23 years ago when the United Kingdom handed it back to China. Other major concerns cited were data security, a loss of talent and retaliatory measures by other governments. The prospect of extraditions to mainland China, where courts are controlled by the Communist Party, was considered a game changer by about 46 percent, with 17 percent not considering it so. About 49 percent said the law would have a negative impact on their business, while some 13 percent said it would have a positive impact. Some 30 percent considered moving capital, assets or business out of Hong Kong in the medium-to-long term, while five percent said they consider doing so in the short-term. More than half of the respondents said they felt less safe about living and working in Hong Kong. Also about half said they personally considered leaving the city. Narrow set of options The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that the US is weighing a restricted set of options to deal with China over its recent moves in Hong Kong, as tensions between Washington and Beijing heat up. Some advisors of US President Donald Trump reportedly want the US to undermine Hong Kongs currency peg to the US dollar, though others say such a move would hurt Hong Kong and US interests more than those of mainland China [File: Paul Yeung/Bloomberg] Steps against Hong Kongs financial system risk hurting US, Western and Hong Kong companies and consumers, according to the report, citing US officials and analysts. Measures such as targeted sanctions against Chinese officials and trade moves against products made in Hong Kong would have little impact on Beijings integration of the city into the mainlands political and security system, the Journal added. On Thursday, officials in the administration of US President Donald Trump discussed Hong Kong plans in a White House meeting, people familiar with the gathering told the Journal. Officials will regroup early this week and may announce sanctions or other measures, one person added. Washington last week imposed sanctions on the autonomous region of Xinjiangs Communist Party Secretary Chen Quanguo, a member of Chinas powerful Politburo, and three other officials. Beijing described the sanctions as deeply detrimental to mutual relations between the countries and warned that China would impose reciprocal measures on US officials and organisations. As bilateral tensions escalate over matters ranging from the coronavirus, trade, the new Hong Kong security law and allegations of human rights violations against Uighurs in the Xinjiang region, the US government alerted its citizens on Saturday to exercise increased caution in China. Earlier, a Bloomberg news agency report said Trumps top advisers weighed proposals to undermine the Hong Kong currencys peg to the US dollar, although the idea did not appear to have gained traction. Chinese state lenders were revamping contingency plans over the threat of US sanctions, according to a Reuters news agency report last week. Behind-the-scenes photos of actor Ji Chang-wook's drama were released. Ji Chang-wook's pleasant and adorable scene in the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Backstreet Rookie" written by Son Geun-Joo and directed by Lee Myung-woo that makes the small screen burst into laughter, was revealed. Ji Chang Wook made viewers' hearts flutter with his playful appearance with a camera over the convenience store window. He even pulled off a convenience store vest and drew attention. Also, the actor can be seen monitoring the screen as well, and is absorbed in rehearsals without letting go of the script. Ji's lovely and cute charm, which naturally exudes, is raising the charm of the character Choi Dae-Hyun in the cathode ray tube by 120%. On top of that, he is well-received for his outstanding acting skills, which depict various aspects of life, comedy, romance, and melodramatic acting. Meanwhile, in the seventh episode of "Backstreet Rookie," which aired on July 10, Daehyun (Ji Chang Wook) and Saet-byeol (Kim Yoo Jung) amplified expectations for the next broadcast with the ending of a surprise reunion at Daehyun's house in the middle of the night. On the 8th episode aired on July 11, another surprise was revealed. Daehyun faced a crisis when her girlfriend, Yoo Yeon-Joo (Han Sun Hwa), went to his house where Saetbyeol is currently living due to some circumstances. Trainers Aidan and Donnacha OBrien have been fined 2,500 each and prohibited from attending Irish race meetings for two weeks for failing to enter the Curragh through the health screening area at a meeting last month. The pair were found to have breached coronavirus health screening protocols at the County Kildare course on June 12, which was Irish 2,000 Guineas day during the week racing resumed in Ireland. The matter was heard by the referrals panel of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board on Monday. HOUSTON Roughly 1,000 Texas churches and religious institutions received loans through an historic federal assistance program passed in response to COVID-19, including most of the states Catholic dioceses and multiple megachurches. All told, hundreds of millions of dollars was doled out to retain a combined 59,000 jobs at churches and religious organizations in the Lone Star State, according to data released this week by the Small Business Administration. Data: These SE Texas companies received PPP loans over $150,000 The SBAs data only show ranges for received loans, meaning the total amount of money could be anywhere between $280 million and $700 million. Some of Houstons largest religious institutionsturned to the program, including the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, First Baptist Church of Houston and St. Mark Lutheran Church. But many smaller institutions also took advantage of the first program. The Union Baptist Association of Houston, for example, received a loan of less than $350,000 because it is dependent on donations from churches, many of which remain closed. We were facing a very uncertain economic forecast since the churches that support us were facing their own uncertainty, UBA head Josh Ellis said. Were a small nonprofit, and I want to continue to do ministry and care for those on my team by keeping them employed like any other small business operator. More Information 13 Southeast Texas religious entities receive PPP money At least 13 religious organizations and charities in the Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange area received between $7.8 million and $295 million in combined Paycheck Protection Program loans, including five churches and the Catholic Diocese of Beaumont. The five churches that received loans were all in the $150,000 to $350,000 category, but two were awarded loans without listing jobs that would be preserved through the program. Cathedral in the Pines and First Baptist Church of Silsbee, both of which didn't list jobs to be retained, secured loans from Celtic Bank Corporation and BBVA USA, respectively. Along with the diocese, Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas, Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School, St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica School and St. Anne Catholic School received loans between $1 million and $3.35 million. All Saints Episcopal School in Beaumont and Wesley Methodist Day School both received between $350,000 and $1 million in loans. JACOB DICK See More Collapse One expert called the SBAs reported numbers staggering. Youre talking about a significant number of churches that were assisted by the government, said William Vanderbloemen, the head of a Houston-based church consultancy group. Thats just unprecedented. Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox Prior to this year, some religious programs such as chaplaincies had received federal funding. The CARES Act changed that, establishing a direct financial line between the U.S. government and the religious world, broad swaths of which actively opposed such an idea for fears that it could allow for government meddling in religious affairs. That opposition continued even after the passage of the CARES Act, with many pastors and other religious leaders saying they wouldnt apply for funds. What makes this really historic is that (the act includes) loans that could directly pay for clergy people, and not for the secular services they provide, said Benjamin Marcus, religious literacy specialist at the Freedom Forums Religious Freedom Center in Washington, D.C. Nationwide, the first-of-its-kind program temporarily financed the paychecks of more than a half-million pastors and church employees, according to Ryan Burge, an Eastern Illinois University religion and political science professor. Burge also found that churches affiliated with Catholicism by far the nations largest faith group received a significant bulk of the loans given to religious groups. The Associated Press reported Friday that the Catholic Church took in anywhere from $1.4 billion to $3.5 billion or more in federal funds. Millions went to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of clergy sexual abuse cover-ups, the AP reported. Houses of worship and faith-based groups arent typically eligible for SBA funds, but Congress let them tap into a $659 billion fund created to keep businesses open and people employed as the economy entered a downturn. Though the religious worlds slice of the federal funding pie was relatively small churches had never received this kind of federal lifeline. Nor has that been without controversy: Since the SBA released its data earlier this week, numerous churches have faced criticism for using the program. For example: Willow Creek Community Church, a massive Chicago-area congregation that faces ongoing scandals, was one of a handful of organizations that received between $5 million and $10 million, the highest tier of funds offered through the program, according to Religion News Service. First Baptist Church of Dallas which is led by a friend of President Donald Trumps and which recently hosted Vice President Mike Pence also received between $2 million and $5 million. A Hebrew academy in New Jersey thats named after the presidents son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also received money. Some groups have also taken issue with what they say is lax oversight by the federal government of those who received money. In a Monday press release, American Atheists blasted the Trump administration for releasing only partial data on Payment Protection Program recipients. The group also took issue with the amount of money given to religious groups as compared to government entities such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Americans have a right to know exactly how much of their tax dollars are unconstitutionally propping up churches, and the Trump Administration cannot be allowed to leave Americans in the dark, the group said. In two months, the Trump Administration has given churches and religious schools more money than double the CDCs annual budget of $6.5 billion. If that doesnt make it crystal clear what this administrations priorities are, nothing will. Trump has tried to shore up his support among evangelicals and religious conservatives as part of his reelection bid, ordering protesters forcibly removed in Washington, D.C., so he could stage a photo opp in front of a well-known church holding up a Bible. Richard Foltin, a senior scholar at the Freedom Forum, worries that the CARES Act could set a precedent that could erode the separation of church and state further down the line. Like others, he noted that the loans allocated through the program are forgivable if recipients can prove they properly used the money. To many, that sounds a lot like a federal grant which religious institutions are mostly barred from receiving under Supreme Court rulings. Yet Foltin also said that giving money to churches during a pandemic makes sense. He compared the current debate to those over whether to extend federal disaster assistance to religious groups that were hit by natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey. With coronavirus, he said, Were all in the same boat federal funding, then, can be used as a sort of social insurance that can protect all segments of society from a disaster that affects all segments of society. Its not money thats being given to lift up one organization or institution, he said. The big question, he said, is whether or not the CARES Act is a misnomer, or if it could one day be the norm. What were dealing with here is a core concern (of the First Amendment). he said. The issue is, what do we think the right principles are if were not dealing with such an emergency situation like COVID? The Associated Press contributed to this report robert.downen@chron.com Police have launched murder probes after five women were found dead in Doncaster in the last seven weeks. Amanda Sedgwick, Michelle Morris, Amy-Leanne Stringfellow and two unnamed women have been found killed in the South Yorkshire town. While police aren't looking for a serial killer and don't think the deaths are connected, it is an unusually high number of murders for the town. There were 23 murders across the entire county, which has a population of 310,542. Police have launched murder probes after five women were found dead in Doncaster in the last seven weeks. Pictured is Amy Stringfellow, found dead in a house in Balby on June 5 These latest five alleged murders make up almost a quarter of that number, despite Doncaster town having a population of just 109,805. Amanda Sedgwick, 49, was found dead in a home in Askern on May 19. Police arrested a 48-year-old man on suspicion of her murder but later released him. Five days later Michelle Morris, 52, was found after suffering a fatal head injury in Stainforth. She died in hospital three days later. Amy-Leanne Stringfellow, 26, was found dead in a house in Balby on June 5. Her boyfriend, Terence Papworth, 45, was accused of murdering her when he went to see her during lockdown. Terence Papworth (pictured), 45, was accused of murdering Ms Stringfellow when he went to see her during lockdown Three days later, the body of an unnamed 28-year-old woman was found in a home in Mexborough. Two men have been arrested over her death. Another unnamed woman was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene on Saturday. Police have arrested a 38-year-old man on suspicion of her murder. South Yorkshire, which is made up of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield, saw 23 homicides in 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics. South Yorkshire Police said they could not comment on the deaths as proceedings in the cases are still active. MailOnline has approached Doncaster Council for comment. An 84-year-old man will face Perth Magistrates Court on Monday, charged over historical child sex abuse allegations dating back to the late 70s and early 80s. Police claim the man indecently assaulted a girl, who was between six and seven years old at the time of the first offence, while he was a Catholic priest providing pastoral care from 1979-1982. The man, who is from the Mandurah district, has been charged with six counts of indecent treatment of a child under 14 years old. The investigation is ongoing, with detectives urging anyone with information about the alleged offences to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au. If you are or have been a victim of sexual abuse, or if you have information about someone being abused, contact police on 131 444. Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty I have spent most of my life as an attorney traveling to scores of countries around the world, but only recently did I set about systematically asking people what they thought of my country, the United States. It was just after the midterm elections in 2018, when a great many voters showed that they desperately wanted to move America in directions different from the ones the Trump administration had charted for them. Opinions were so divergent and so bitterly divided. It struck me that by posing a series of questions to thoughtful people in dozens of countriespeople who had some experience of Americaone might gain perspectives useful to us here at home. Over time, 100 individuals from 32 countries volunteered to answer 15 questions. But, over time, cataclysmic events affected perceptions. I had to go back to my respondents after the onset of the COVID pandemic with a new set of questions. I may ask them still more about the impact of George Floyds killing and the outrage that followed. But even before the plague, even before the protests, some trends had become clear and it is doubtful basic perceptions will change dramatically. This was not a random survey. The people I talked to are known to me and I to them, and when I told them I wouldnt be publishing their names I think its pretty clear they were leveling with mewhich is to say, with us. I think we Americans would do well to listen. FIRST IMPRESSIONS One of the questions I asked was about first impressions of the United States, and one of the most thoughtful responses was from a British business consultant who grew up in Liverpool but now lives between Greece and Belgium. As a child he had traveled often to New York, but only as an adult did he have business that took him more deeply into the United States. A degree of disillusion set in, he wrote. American cities of the Midwest seemed unfinished, ugly and uniform in their 1980s downtown architecture and desolate once the working day ended. Each city center I visitedMinneapolis, Atlanta, Dallas, even LAseemed brutally anonymous and visually identical and paradoxically poor despite conspicuous consumption. Much middle-class suburban housing surprised me in its poor building quality and slightly temporary feel. Story continues I learned that there are many Americas, this Englishman continued, and that the promised land of my childhood also had its banal side. What endured? The everyday kindness of people I met. Americans are ritually polite to strangersfar more so than Europeansand that experience has endured. But my greatest shock was the slow realization that Americans are truly foreign and, culturally, very different from Europeans, including the British. Separated by a common language, as one wit wrote. I was often wrong-footed in everyday conversation: my kind, open, lovable, and thoroughly decent friends in Austin, Texas, were deeply supportive of the death penalty; to my bewilderment social/Scandinavia Minneapolis had middle-class neighborhoods that were entirely Black (not an integrated society), and educated people whose understanding and view of other countries and cultures were in many respects isolated and uninformed. The city on the hill was, I realized, more complex, more varied, and much harder to understand. How the Virus Is Pushing America Toward a Better Future Whatever their troubles, however, Americans were credited with extraordinary resilience. As a Peruvian managing partner wrote after the COVID pandemic hit, This is a war, but a strange one where the industries had not been bombed; they are there and will restart easily once the virus is gone or the vaccine discovered. In addition, I think that, at least for a while, there will be a buy American only feeling among consumers that will help get the economy back on track. Some of that same positive outlook carried over into responses about Americas futurethe last questionbut even before the pandemic and before the death of George Floyd, that optimism was cautious, and nuanced. After spending many, many hours reviewing interviews and responses, I believe America faces six critical challenges in the future, three external and three internal. They exist now and will remain after COVID-19 passes, whenever that might be. EXTERNAL THREATS Number 1: China The number one threat to Americas global position as a military and economic power was summarized by respondents in one word: China. This was the same in both the pre- and post-COVID-19 surveys. Here is a fact: With more than four times as many people living in China as the United States, Chinas economy should surpass the size of the U.S. economy sometime within the next decade. There is really no reason for Americans to panic about that. When (not if) that occurs, the average Chinese citizen will not be wealthier than the average American, even if Chinas the pie gets bigger than Americas there are so many more people who have to share it. But the United States must face the reality that at some point in the near future it will no longer be the worlds largest economy, and that raises questions. Will the U.S. dollar continue as the accepted global reserve currency for world trade, or will it eventually be replaced by the renminbi or yuan? How will Chinas leadership seek to deploy its expanding economic strength in order to advance its own foreign policy objectives? Will China exert its growing military power more aggressively outside the South China Sea? When commenting on the major external threats to American dominance, an engineer from Nigeria put it simply: While America is too busy fighting the rest of the world, China is quietly, sometimes overtly conquering the rest of the world through the deployment of its financial and human resources to assist poor and mid-economically strong countries through one-sided economic assistance that eventually allows China to take over not just the resources of these countries but the directions as well once they default, which is generally the case. Another respondent holds a similarly stark view of China, the country where he was born: The ideological difference will make the USA and China irreconcilable. China is taking the opposite position in every US policy from Iran to North Korea, from Cuba to Venezuela, from Palestine to Israel. A British citizen who has advised clients throughout Asia for decades offered a colorful metaphor: China and the United States are like two elephants dancing. All of the other countries in the world have to stay out of the way not to be stepped on. Dozens of respondents shared the same view: China is up-and-coming and America is its target. The question is not whether China is a threat to the United States over the long run, there is no doubt about its potential to become one. A better question is how it manages to achieve its political and economic goals so much more quickly than America. And the answer is simple: because China is a totally centrally controlled government, it is not encumbered by the inherently complex processes which every democratic country faces when trying to make fundamental changes. This means the Chinese government can, to the extent it possesses the financial resources and the will, challenge Americas current economic and military dominance in any number of ways. Anyone who lives in a democratic nation knows democracy is messy. There are so many conflicting economic and political interests, and consensus must be achieved before any significant action is possible. This is not the case in China. To take one example: about a decade ago the Chinese government decided it needed to build a high-speed rail network connecting major population centers throughout China. It succeeded, and today an efficient network of modern trains crisscross China. To accomplish the same thing in the United States would take years of proposals and never-ending debates and voter referendums, and even then, action is not guaranteed. This is the key advantage to any centrally run, nondemocratic system. America needs to become more focused on how to respond to China. Will America as a nation continue to possess the most innovative and dynamic economy during the 21st century? The jury is out at this point. Early in his administration, President Trump zeroed in on China as a target for American foreign policy. While some harshly criticized his stand, Trump did receive some support from overseas. A high-level Japanese executive put it this way: President Trump is very rough, but he says no to China. I like the U.S. pushing back against China. President Obama was a gentleman and did not push hard enough against China. Trump is no gentleman. As many respondents noted, Americas tendency to prefer isolationism is a concern in 2020 and beyond. A large number expressed their hope that America ultimately will reassert its traditional role as a world leader. Here are the insights of a South African executive, a woman whose parents were from Poland and Lithuania: Despite all its warts, [the United States] still remains a beacon of positivity and freedom in a world that is rapidly approaching its Armageddon. Yes, the Armageddon is closer than we think thanks to extremism, radicalism, authoritarianism, the backtracking to communism skillfully dressed up as socialism. Number 2: Losing the Edge of Technological Innovation The second major external threat facing America is much different than the first. Simply put, many fear that the United Staes will carelessly relinquish its dominant lead in innovating and commercially exploiting advanced technologies. Many of Americas biggest technology companies today (Apple, Cisco, SpaceX and Google) are global leaders in their fields. This has given the U.S. a great competitive advantage over the last three decades, but things are changing. In the race to identify and harness new technologies, Americans now face strong competition from many innovative companies around the world, not just from China. "Technology is international and no country has a monopoly over it," says a friend from Costa Rica. "It is no longer an industrial world where capital is the main source for richness. Intellectual power is far more important today and such power is spread throughout the globe even in the poorest and least powerful countries." The race to remain a world leader in robotics, aerospace, nanotechnologies, and genetic manipulation is where America finds its current leads being chipped away. The U.S. government and leading American technology companies must devote more public and private resources to fund both basic and applied technological research if the United States hopes to maintain its current favored position. This is a challenge America cannot afford to lose. Number 3: Immigration I was surprised to discover during my research that outsiders view the issue of immigration as the third major external challenge facing America, but not in the way its been portrayed by the U.S. administration. For years, a devoted and vocal pro-America faction within the U.S. Congress has attacked immigration as one of the greatest threats facing America. Then presidential candidate Donald Trump picked up the charge and made it into a core element of his campaign. Trump and his Congressional supporters have succeeded in making immigration a dirty word for many Americans. "I think this has changed significantly in the last five to 10 years," says an Argentine business executive now resident in the United States. "When I came to the U.S. six years ago the word immigrant was almost a badge of honor and everyone seemed to agree that most Americans were either immigrants or descendants of them. In New York and other big cities I did see a true melting pot and opportunities opened to all immigrants." But, she continued, "Things have changed drastically, to the point that being an immigrant today seems almost unlawful or questionable. Although this is clearly a reflection of this administration's political discourse, how much it is embraced varies around the country. In larger cities where cultural diversity is a reality, people embrace immigrants. In smaller cities where there are less immigrants, this new perception of foreign born people taking away something (jobs, wealth, culture, religion, whatever) that defines the U.S. and should be stopped is a real issue." If these anti-immigration zealots are ultimately successful, legal immigration to the United States will become infinitely more difficult, and this will have two unfortunate consequences. First, immigrants with their diverse backgrounds will be greatly reduced in numbers, thus robbing America of their unique talents. And because ethnic diversity has historically been one of Americas strengths, closing the door to all types of immigrants will damage the U.S. economy in the long run. A second consequence is that bright young minds and entrepreneurs from around the world who might still be able to immigrate legally to the United States will view America as a less welcoming place and are likely to explore options in other countries. These highly skilled individuals are exactly the type of immigrant the U.S. economy desperately needs, but why should they come to America for a technical education and remain here to work if they are not wanted? The answer is obvious. INTERNAL THREATS America needs to worry about more than external threats. Many interviewed believe the most critical challenges facing America today are internal. A friend from Montreal who visits the United States frequently for business and holidays summarized his thoughts on internal pressures in the United States: Isolationism and the illusion of a return to the era of manufacturing will not last and the economical unfairness that has increased over the years and the fact that social inequities seem to correlate with racial origin are bound to create the kind of tension that has erupted. Number 1: Economic Disparity In the view of many people that I contacted, Americas biggest internal threat is the rapidly growing economic disparity among its citizens. This gap has become much more pronounced over the last two decades. The fact is Americas traditional middle class continues to contract while the disparity in wealth between the top 1 percent and the rest of the country continues to widen. The statistics are sobering and so is the spectacle on the streets for those who allow themselves to see it. As one Japanese executive wrote after visits to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle in 2017 and 2018, I saw many homeless people on streets. High-rise buildings and luxurious houses were booming because of the strong economy, but there were people who could not afford a place to live because the booming demand in the area drove the cost of living up. If inequality grows and no measures are taken, it will lead to very serious social unrest. And that was written before the pandemic, before the George Floyd tragedy. An American who lived in Australia for years offered this perspective: America is a great place to get ahead, but its a really bad place to be left behind. For all the opportunities there are to make something of yourself in America, there are also many opportunities to be marginalized and forgotten about. Number 2: Gun Violence The second internal threat most often mentioned by respondents outside America is gun violence, and the reactions, while uniformly negative, range from befuddlement to horror to contempt. I do not get it. Why are there so many guns in America? asks a Singaporean woman who is a senior partner in her business. A highly successful entrepreneur originally from India talks of gun violence as a cancer that has spread throughout the country and it cannot be controlled anymore. A West Point graduate who travels to the Far East several times a year offered this surprisingly strong reaction: Europeans and others basically think of America as a two-year-old holding a gun. The toddler is easily distracted and is the most dangerous thing in the room. This attitude is heightened by the fact that America is quick to anger and to react when something happens. Without question, Americans will never voluntarily surrender their guns. Gun ownership is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Even more fundamentally, the right to own firearms is deeply entrenched in the history and culture of this nation. But, possessing automatic and semi-automatic rifles, which are designed as weapons of war, cannot be a right the original framers of the U.S. Constitution intended to protect. America is no longer a nation where militia are necessary, with each citizen toting his own gun to fight off foreign oppressors or a government with which he disagrees. The general consensus of those I contacted is that, as a first step, America should immediately re-institute a ban on assault weapons and revisit sensible gun laws. It is illegal for the average American to own a machine gun or a bazooka or a flamethrowerthose are weapons of war and only belong in the hands of the military. Fully automatic and semi-automatic assault weapons should fall into the same category. Enough is enough. Number 3: Racism Finally, the third internal threat most mentioned by respondents, which has been part of America since its inception, is racism. Most of their comments were gathered before George Floyd was killed by a policeman in Minneapolis, but they still apply. When the economy in America does well, the rich seem to get richer and the poor still suffer, says an engineer from Scotland. This seems to follow racial lines with the Hispanics and black people generally filling up the prisons and standing in the food lines. It is difficult to see any progress in this area with legislation or community projects to help redistribute the wealth to give the people lower down the wealth ladder any hope of a brighter future, which is the only way to alleviate some of the social problems. Despite the many lofty ideals of Americas founding fathers promoting life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all men who are created equal, slavery was an integral part of America for almost 90 years. Some early U.S. presidents owned slaves. Only after the end of Americas bloody Civil War was slavery abolished in law. But even then, quasi-slavery carried on in the form of Jim Crow, and even when that was ended by legislation in the middle of the 20th century, and even as many Blacks shared in the countrys prosperity, very many did not. Racism persisted, and the killing of Blacks in police custody when picked up for extremely small offenses (selling cigarettes, a counterfeit 20 dollar bill), or no offense at all, finally made that fact inescapable. THE TAKEAWAY China is and will remain Americas leading global economic challenger as it pursues its efforts to surpass the U.S. innovating and commercializing 21st century technologies. Just this week, FBI Director Christopher Wray felt compelled to tell the Hudson Institute, "The stakes could not be higher. China is engaged in a whole-of-state effort to become the world's only superpower by any means necessary." But Wray's focus was on espionage. The issue is so much bigger than that. China will flex its growing economic muscle in global trade through expansive projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative. That pressure combined with Americas tendency toward isolationism, which rejects a rational immigration policy, could further weaken the underpinnings of the American economy over the long run if unchecked. At the same time, the rapidly growing disparity in wealth is creating social divisions that undercut Americas sense of itself as a place where anything is possible. Racism and guns will remain enormous challenges. In short, America needs to wake up. It needs to address these critical issues. The United States in 2020 is still at the apex of its military power and economic influence. Is America in decline? Not yet. But if Americans fail to resolve the issues seen clearlyand described bluntlyby the rest of the world, then the decline and fall of what used to be the worlds idea of America is not far off. 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. O utsourcing giant G4S is to slash more than 1,000 jobs as the company restructures. It is understood 1,150 jobs are at risk, the majority of which will be cash handlers. The cuts come after people used less cash at banks and retailers during lockdown - a trend that is expected to continue. Paul van der Knaap, managing director of G4S Cash Solutions UK, said: "Following a review of our cash solutions operational footprint in the UK, we are proposing to reshape the business to better align it with the changing needs of our customers. Regrettably this will result in a reduction in headcount, and today we have entered into a period of consultation with affected staff." He added: We are working closely with unions and individuals to offer opportunities for redeployment within the group. Roger Jenkins, GMB National Officer, said: "These cuts are devastating for our members and their families. GMB will fight to the end for every single job. They are also another worrying step towards a cashless society - the cash industry really is on a knife edge." He added: "The collapse of cash industry could have a terrible impact on the elderly and most vulnerable and wreak havoc on small and medium enterprises which rely on cash transactions. GMB is calling on the Government to take action to protect the cash industry and all those who will be hit hard is it disappears. The jobs losses have been unveiled despite the company saying this morning that first half earnings will be "significantly above market consensus" due to a resilient trading performance in June. The company has been boosted during the pandemic by providing security services to Covid-19 testing sites and NHS Nightingale hospitals. Shares rose 9% or 10.6p at 130p. In addition to that screw-up, thousands of laid-off workers have spent months waiting for help, making countless phone calls, sitting on hold, getting cut off if they even get through to a live person, or have been ignored and added to lists once they do reach a human being. One Downers Grove resident told the Tribune she estimated she made 2,000 phone calls to try to get help. It has been more than two decades since Gwyneth Paltrow starred as Helen Quilley in the romcom Sliding Doors, but 2020 has all the hallmarks of a time where our lives could have taken a very different turn. Certainly, this upheaval in the world from the coronavirus pandemic isn't quite as simple as when Helen missed the train and her life spiralled onto two alternate paths. Diversity in the boardroom can bring better results, research has found. Credit:iStock But right now, in so many ways, it is easy to feel we have little control about what is going on around us and even less say over our future. This is particularly the case when the focus on the immediate effect of the pandemic is rightly dominating the minds of business leaders and policy makers tasked with steering the country through this health and economic crisis. This path we have ended up on, however, is not carved in stone. And 2020 has given us a chance to reflect and do better so when we look back on this moment, we don't have to spend it lamenting all the things that could have been different. Sentences Handed Down In 66th Judicial District Court The office of District Attorney Mark Pratt prosecuted felony criminal cases in the 66th Judicial District Court of Hill County, presided over by District Judge Lee Harris, in June. The following Texas Department of Criminal Justice sentences were handed down: Adrian Scott McClendon Jr., possession of methamphetamine between four and 200 grams, eight years prison Kelli Renee Bullard, possession of cocaine under one gram, three years prison Daniel Escobar, tamper/fabricate physical evidence with intent to impair, five years prison; tamper/fabricate physical evidence with intent to impair, five years prison Twyla Michelle Cato, driving while intoxicated with a child under 15 years of age, 15 months state jail Calvin Ramirez, theft of property under $2,500 with two or more previous convictions, 10 years prison Robert Bailey Davis, possession of cocaine under one gram, 12 months state jail Michael Brandon Nelson, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, three years prison Michael Eugene Demerson, theft of property under $2,500 with two or more previous convictions, 11 months state jail Juan Pedro Acevedo, assault family/household member with previous conviction, six years prison; assault family/household member with previous conviction, six years prison Izayah Elijah Flores, evading arrest detention with a vehicle, five years prison; evading arrest detention with a vehicle, five years prison Joshua Todd Turner, bail jump and failure to appear, six years prison; burglary of a habitation, eight years prison Jesse Alexander Manning, possession of methamphetamine under one gram, 18 months state jail Oner Uriostegui, assault causing bodily injury family violence, continuous violance against the family, three years prison Troy Vela Springer, possession of methamphetamine between one and four grams, eight years prison James Christopher Green, possession of methamphetamine between one and four grams, three years prison Bill Lloyd Owens Jr., possession of methamphetamine between four and 200 grams with intent to deliver, seven years prison Charles Ray Reed, failure to comply with duty to register as a sex offender, 15 years prison Randy Joe Moon II, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, 14 months state jail; possession of methlenedioxy methamphetamine between one and four grams, seven years prison; possession of THC oil under one gram, 14 months state jail; possession of heroin between one and four grams, seven years prison; possession of methamphetamine between one and four grams, seven years prison; possession of oxycodone under one gram, 14 months state jail; possession of cocaine under one gram, 14 months state jail. ATLANTA A federal judge on Monday permanently blocked Georgias 2019 heartbeat abortion law, finding that it violates the U.S. Constitution. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled against the state in a lawsuit filed by abortion providers and an advocacy group. Jones had temporarily blocked the law in October, and it never went into effect. The new ruling permanently enjoins the state from ever enforcing House Bill 481. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who has supported the restriction, immediately vowed an appeal. We will appeal the court's decision, Kemp said in a statement. Georgia values life and we will keep fighting for the rights of the unborn. The prospects of an appeal are uncertain, though, considering the U.S. Supreme Court last month struck down other abortion restrictions from Louisiana. Georgia's measure sought to ban abortions once a detectable human heartbeat was present, with some limited exceptions. Cardiac activity can be detected by ultrasound as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women realize theyre pregnant, according to a legal challenge. The bill narrowly passed the Georgia General Assembly amid intense lobbying for and against, with some saying film production companies could boycott the state. Women in Georgia can currently seek an abortion during the first 20 weeks of a pregnancy. Both the state and those challenging the law asked Jones to rule without a trial, saying there were no disputed facts. Jones granted the challengers' motions for summary judgment and denied the state's motions, finding the law violated the 14th Amendment. "The court rejects the state defendants argument that the statutory purpose solely concerns promoting fetal well-being,'" Jones wrote. Instead, HB 481s specific references to Roe v. Wade and established abortion related precedents ... lends support to plaintiffs argument that the purpose of H.B. 481 was to ban or de facto ban abortion. Jones refused to leave any parts of the law in effect, which would have also granted personhood to a fetus, giving it the same legal rights as people have after they're born. For example, a mother could have claimed a fetus as a dependent to reduce taxes. U.S. Supreme Court precedent has for nearly five decades held that states cannot ban abortion prior to the viability of a fetus, and since Georgias law does just that it is unconstitutional, the laws opponents argued. The state argued that the law promoted fetal well-being. It was widely considered as one of a number of attempts to create fresh legal challenges to abortion after two new conservative justices were confirmed to the Supreme Court. The high court, by a 5-4 ruling on June 29, struck down another of those challenges involving regulations from Louisiana. The legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, one of the groups that brought the lawsuit, said any appeal would be fruitless. The district court blocked Georgias abortion ban, because it violates over 50 years of Supreme Court precedent and fails to trust women to make their own personal decisions," Sean Young said in a statement. This case has always been about one thing: letting her decide. It is now up to the state to decide whether to appeal this decision and prolong this lawsuit. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr declined immediate comment, with spokesperson Katie Byrd saying the Republican's office was still reviewing the ruling. At least eight states passed so-called heartbeat bills in 2019, including Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee. South Carolina is still considering one. All of the new bans joined the fate of earlier heartbeat abortion bans from Arkansas, North Dakota and Iowa in being at least temporarily blocked by judges. Louisiana's ban wouldn't take effect unless a court upholds Mississippi's law. In a separate ruling Monday, a U.S. district judge in Tennessee blocked a Tennessee law that Republican Gov. Bill had signed hours earlier banning an abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy and prohibiting abortions based on race, sex or diagnosis of Down syndrome. Midnight Miracle ($8.20) chased down cover and vaulted to a 1:58.4 win to take top honours among 21 rookie trotting fillies in Sunday night's (July 12) Ontario Sires Stakes Gold event at Georgian Downs. After gapping slightly from fourth midway through the first of three $72,267 divisions (race three), the debuting Midnight Miracle caught the top trio on approach to the backstretch and followed 9-5 joint favourite Dashing Muscle (Paul MacDonell) into contention up the backstretch. While Dashing Muscle engaged pacesetter Tealicious (Rick Zeron) in a duel on the final turn, Bob McClure angled Midnight Miracle three-wide to strike, and the daughter of Muscle Mass and Oaklea Rae used a :29.1 closing sectional to reach the lead in the final sixteenth as the pace imploded. Great Dane (James MacDonald) saved second from the pocket, 1-1/4 lengths back, while Up And Ready (Doug McNair) closed belatedly to narrowly miss the runner-up spot. "I told Bobby to float her out of there and try to get away top three, I said, but he got four so thats okay," said trainer Mark Etsell, who owns and bred Midnight Miracle in partnership with Robert Newton and Chuan Tan. "I said, 'Once she sees daylight, she can kind of trot, but as soon as she doesnt see them, shell let up on you, so just be aware of that.' You time it kind of right, because shes green and she doesnt know any different. She knows enough to go by, and then thats it. And then shell let up. We were pretty happy with her, at least I was, anyways. I dont know about anybody else, but I was. Another daughter of Muscle Mass found victory in the second division (race five), as Fox Valley Liza ($3.60) lived up to odds-on billing with a 1:59.2 pillar-to-post victory. In line to Sylvain Filion, the daughter of Super Renee cleared Blackout Riley (James MacDonald) from post six and controlled soft splits of :30.1, 1:00.2 and 1:30.2 before opening up her final margin of victory to three lengths. Blackout Riley battled to reclaim second after being headed on the far turn, and Meadowview Lilly (Etsell) rallied mildly off cover for third. After just missing from the pocket in her career debut at Pocono, Fox Valley Liza converted in her second career start for Anthony Lombardi, the Henshaut Stable and George Golemes. Benoit Baillargeon has taken over her training duties north of the border after Erv Miller handled the rookie's early preparations. "Shes just come to me 10 days ago," Baillargeon said. "Shes exactly everything that Erv Miller told me shes very professional, a very nice filly to be around, and she won pretty handy." "She knows her business and Erv said shes been professional from day one. Shes like a four-year-old horse, like a very nice mare." The third division (race seven) resulted in a significant upset, when a pair of breaking fillies on the final turn gave Classy Carol ($36.50) the room she needed to rally out of severe traffic trouble. The daughter of Royalty For Life was mired in traffic up the backstretch, four lengths behind duelling favourites Warrawee Welcome (Mario Baillargeon) and Stonebridge Alegra (Jonathan Drury) past three-quarters in 1:30.2. When Stonebridge Alegra broke stride nearing the top of the stretch and subsequently forced a mistake from the second-over Honours Angel, All R Wishes (McClure) found room to vacate the pocket, enabling Classy Carol to slide up to that spot before wedging up the pegs en route to a 2:01.1 victory. Flanagan Destiny (Chris Christoforou) remained flat after losing cover and rallied for a narrow second, 1-1/4 lengths back, while All R Wishes protected third from her pocket trip. Classy Carol, a daughter of Royalty For Life and Very Classy, made her career debut a winning one for trainer John Bax and the Bax Stable, David Hudson, Gordon Wright and Robert Van Camp. Shes my daughter Robyns favourite horse. Shes spoiled and shes good natured, good to be around, and turns out she wants to win, so thats even better, said trainer John Bax. She wants to go ahead, and you cant teach that, theyve either got it or they dont, so its nice. To view Sunday's full results, click the following link: Sunday Results Georgian Downs. (with quotes from OSS) More than 300 Indians who landed in Mumbai from Dubai on an Emirates flight on Monday morning went through a harrowing experience after they were made to wait at the airport for around 10 hours . The flight landed at the city airport around 8am, but passengers were first made to wait inside the aircraft for around three hours and then made to sit in a room for around four hours without being given any reason. The fliers claimed they were later made to stand in a queue for immigration and other formalities for long and were able to leave for a Vashi hotel only by around 6pm. After they deboarded, they were not given any food at the airport, the passengers claimed. At night, the passengers were taken to a Thane hotel after many of them claimed that the hotel rooms were exorbitantly priced. Thane resident Anish Rane, who was stranded in Dubai for three months, said, The crew made us wait inside the aircraft till around 11.15am stating that health officials were not available to conduct the mandatory tests. However, even after we de-boarded none of us were screened and entered the airport without any test. An Airport Health Organisation (APHO) official said after passengers deboard, they go to the screening counter where the body temperature is automatically recorded and displayed on the monitors with the help of thermal cameras. We no longer follow the earlier system of screening passengers with handheld thermometers. Once a passenger arrives at the screening counter, they submit their self-reporting forms (a copy of which is stamped and given back to passengers) and proceed for immigration formalities, he said, adding that to prevent crowding at the counters, airlines make passengers wait inside the aircraft. Passengers said after the immigration, they were asked if any of them was feeling unwell or uneasy. They claimed that officials did not ensure that social distancing norms were followed in the queue for immigration and while the police completed their quarantine-related formalities. Passengers were brushing against each other while standing in the queue, thereby increasing the risk of getting infected by Covid-19. I was tested negative for the virus before leaving from Dubai but how can we be sure about our safety if we come in close proximity with others who may have been infected? said a passenger, who did not wish to be named. Khargar resident Aafaque Sheikh said the passengers received breakfast during the flight and were provided with water at the airport but . Sheikh said even after they left the airport, they were not given any clarity on where they would be quarantined. They took us to a hotel on a state transport bus and charged us 320 for it. We were not given the option of choosing a hotel of our choice. There was no official on my bus and passengers could have fled, he added. Additional municipal commissioner P Velarusu said that passengers are informed of bearing their own expenses when they book their travel. It is only in exceptional cases [in case the fliers are labour class passengers] that we take the passengers to government hospitals. If a passenger hails from Thane or any other district then the decision of allotting them a hotel for their institutional quarantine is taken by their respective district collector, he said. WASHINGTON Seventeen states and the District of Columbia sued President Donald Trump's administration Monday to block a new rule that would force international college students to leave United States if theyre only enrolled in online classes this fall. Some universities are planning to offer classes entirely online because of concerns about the pandemic. The new rule could be devastating for students and universities alike. The lawsuit, filed by 18 attorneys general against the Department of Homeland Security, calls the new rule a cruel, abrupt and unlawful action to expel international students amidst the pandemic that has wrought death and disruption across the United States. The Trump administration issued the new immigration policy last week, as it seeks to force universities and K-12 schools to reopen in the fall despite soaring COVID-19 infections across the country. The lawsuit highlights a July 6 tweet from President Trump declaring: "SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!" The new rule, issued by the immigration and customs agency, is a reversal of the federal government's policy in the spring, when international students were allowed to attend online-only classes as colleges abruptly closed campuses because of the pandemic. The shift has enraged many educators and lawmakers, who say the new rule threatens to upend careful planning by universities and wreak havoc for the approximately 1 million foreign students who attend American colleges each year. "It makes absolutely no sense and actually takes away from the vibrancy and the energy of our colleges and universities, because our international students bring a unique perspective to the classroom and really enrich the educational experience for everyone," said Gary Locke, the former governor of Washington State who is now interim president of Bellevue College. A view of the campus of Harvard University on July 08, 2020 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have sued the Trump administration for its decision to strip international college students of their visas if all of their courses are held online. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) Led by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, Monday's lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop the rule from taking effect while the matter is litigated. Healey filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, along with attorneys general from Colorado to Michigan to Wisconsin. Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology filed a similar challenge last week, which was supported by several other universities. Story continues Healey said the rule would force schools to choose "between keeping their international students enrolled and protecting the health and safety of their campuses. Under the new Trump administration policy, international students enrolled at institutions that offer classes entirely online in the fall would need to transfer to a school that offers a hybrid of online and in-person classes or leave the country and take online classes from their home countries, Carissa Cutrell, acting ICE deputy press secretary, said last week. She defended the policy, saying students could engage in remote learning "as any other student would at that school," but from their home countries. Critics say that argument ignores the reality that many international students would face significant barriers to online learning in their home countries. They would be in different time zones and may not have reliable internet access, among other problems. School reopening plans have become political, too: White House pushes to reopen schools, while teachers fear for their safety The Trump administration's reversal could be a major economic blow to colleges and universities, as well as the communities surrounding them, because of the loss of tuition and other revenue from international students who typically pay full price. The number of international students studying in the U.S. reached 1.1 million in the 2018/19 academic year, according to the Institute of International Education, and they make up 5.5% of the total U.S. higher education population. International students contributed nearly $45 billion to the U.S. economy in 2018, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. But it's not just a question of economics. International students bring new perspectives and diverse cultures to campus life, enriching academia in vital ways, colleges say. The new rule "will be severely detrimental to the education of thousands of international students and will cause long-term damage to the worlds view of our country and our openness to talented students from everywhere," Robert A. Brown, president of Boston University, said in a statement supporting Monday's lawsuit. The lawsuit argues the new policy imposes substantial harm on schools and students and alleges the Trump administration's actions are abuse of authority and a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act. That 1946 law governs how federal agencies make and enforce regulations. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College student visa: States sue over ICE, Trump admin's COVID ruling TDT | Manama A local private school which reportedly informed 10 of its Bahraini teachers that they will be laid off by the end of next month has withdrawn its decision after some timely intervention by authorities, TDT has learnt. This was recently confirmed by MP Fatema Al Qatari a few days after she demanded the Labour and Social Development Ministry to interfere and halt the schools decision to sack the female teachers. Al Qatari said in a statement issued last week that the teachers received notifications from the school, informing them about its decision to shut down the nursery in the facility and terminate their work contracts by the end of August of this year. These teachers have more than 14 years of experience in the field, said Al Qatari, who also heads the Woman and Child Committee in the Council of Representatives. She demanded that the Ministry launch an urgent probe into the matter and to verify the schools justification for resorting to terminating the contract with these teachers, which exposes them to the risk of unemployment and accumulated financial obligations. Al Qatari later confirmed in a press statement that the efforts to halt the schools decision to lay off the 10 female teachers were fruitful, and they will be retained in the nursery department. The lawmaker praised the Labour Ministry, the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), and the Education Ministry for their timely intervention and for finding solutions to solve the matter and assist the teachers, who were at risk of losing their source of income. Al Qatari added: Solving the problem of the teachers reflects a bright picture of positive and fruitful cooperation between members of the Legislative Authority and official institutions. This cooperation pushes for more coordination for the benefit of the country and all citizens. There was no mention in the MPs statements of the name of the school and no comments were available from the Labour Ministry, the Education Ministry or the SCW on the matter. The White House is seen in Washington D.C., the United States, April 19, 2020.(Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) BEIJING, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Some U.S. politicians are obsessed with fabricating lies and shifting the blame to China on the response to COVID-19, wreaking havoc on bilateral relations, which now face the most severe challenge since diplomatic ties were established in 1979. They continue to attack China's political system and epidemic response, ranting about the origins of the virus, while Chinese people have grown fed up with such words. Lies repeated a thousand times are still lies, and the truth of China's achievements in combating the novel coronavirus is undeniable. By introducing a series of stringent and multifaceted measures, China has made strategic achievements in containing the outbreak within the space of a few months. Recently, precise measures were adopted in Beijing to quash new cluster infections, and the capital city had reported no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases for five consecutive days by Friday. Out of deep-seated Cold War mindset, zero-sum game mentality and ideological prejudices, the U.S. side has ignored such facts and blamed China groundlessly, drawing mockery for its absurdity and ridiculousness. The words and actions of some U.S. politicians fit neatly into the narratives scripted for an election year in which scapegoating China is politically rewarding in the short-run. Especially so, since the United States became the country worst hit by COVID-19, with infections spreading rapidly across the country, a situation for which some politicians should have been held accountable. In such circumstances, buck-passing by U.S. politicians is a cunning attempt to cover up their incompetence at home. However, in truth, it reveals their tendency toward lying and cheating, their ignorance, arrogance and hypocrisy, their lack of honesty, credibility and accountability. Sadly, such egregious act by some U.S. politicians has dealt a heavy blow to bilateral relations that have been built up over several decades. While Washington goes its own way to contain China, with growing talk of an all-around decoupling of the two countries, Beijing still believes that there are no reasons to harm the China-U.S. relationship as it is too important to break up. China does not intend to challenge or replace the United States, nor does it expect a full confrontation with the country. The U.S. side should develop more objective and coolheaded perceptions of China and discard whims and bigotry, working with China to explore means of peaceful coexistence and create more positive energy. It is in the fundamental interests of the people of both countries and the world at large. Florida's overall coronavirus positivity rate reached at 19.6 percent on Sunday, according to a data obtained from the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. This was the same day that the Florida Department of Health announced that the state has recorded over 15,000 new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections in just a single day. In the last two weeks, the state's daily coronavirus positivity rate has ranged between 10.3 percent and 19.3 percent. Positivity rate is the percentage of people who test positive for the virus of those overall who have been tested. Health experts expressed concern about the rising positivity rates as this indicates how fast the virus spreads across the state. The state of Florida remains to have the highest number of COVID-19 infections in the country. At least 15,299 new coronavirus cases were recorded on Sunday. The record-setting number was based from the tests conducted on Saturday. Despite this report of new infections, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has yet to implement the statewide mandatory use of face masks. Last week, DeSantis even claimed that the state has stabilized the number of COVID-19 infections, according to CNN News. He also said they will hold the next phase of the state's reopening by getting the COVID-19 test positivity rate down. Meanwhile, Rep. Donna Shalala said places in the state like Miami are getting closer to shutting down for the second time due to the spike in infections. She said this is an American tragedy and it is getting out of control in Florida because DeSantis would not tell everyone to wear a mask. Meanwhile, the United States remained to have the highest number of infections across the globe. It has recorded more than 3.2 million cases with over 135,000 deaths, according to the data obtained from Johns Hopkins University. In the previous weeks, the Johns Hopkins University was seeing higher rates in 33 states and flat for 14 states. The good news was that the number of coronavirus infections in the states of Delaware, Maine, and New Jersey have been declining. The increase of COVID-19 infections in the 33 states was linked to the travel activities of people. It was found that more people traveled during the July 4 weekend compared to the Memorial Day weekend. Experts noted that mobility allows the virus to spread faster. The analysis of mobility was released by Cuebiq, one of the private companies used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to track general movement in the U.S., which could help officials determine where the next coronavirus cluster could occur. Health officials have already released travel warnings and guidance. They urged the public to skip traveling for the meantime, especially those who may be not feeling well as they may carry the virus. However, it seems that the travel warnings and guidance were not taken seriously, most especially by some partygoers in Michigan. Several people tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a lake party in Rapid City over the Fourth of July holiday. This was confirmed by the Health Department of Northwest Michigan last Friday. Check these out! Striking nurses at St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Illinois have overwhelming rejected the contract proposal from AMITA Healthcare and are continuing their walkout to demand adequate staffing and better working conditions and pay. The nurses voted 393 to 154 to defeat the contract brought back by the Illinois Nurses Association (INA), which did nothing to address the nurses central demand to reduce the dangerously high patient-to-nurse ratios, which have made fighting the pandemic even more life threatening. Were so disconnected from management and the higher-uppers that they have no idea whats going on on the floors and how were suffering, and the patients are suffering, staff nurse Cindy Cozzi told the NBC 5 Chicago news outlet. Though many nurses have said they would like to see the strike over so they can return to caring for their patients, there is a growing recognition that they are not just fighting for themselves but for all healthcare workers. At least 700 frontline healthcare workers have died in the US since the beginning of the pandemic. Once again, hospitals in Florida, Texas and other states are being overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients while doctors, nurses and other staff are working exhausting hours and risking their lives without adequate staffing levels, protective gear, ventilators and other equipment. Striking nurses in Joliet, Illinois Prior to the vote, INA negotiators acknowledged that AMITA had not budged from its position and that the union essentially dropped any demands about increased staffing. Immediately after the contract proposal was defeated, union negotiator Pat Meade told the Herald News that the union submitted a new proposal to management on Sunday. Its something that we can support. If AMITA is on board, we feel we can get this done. The INA has not released any information to rank-and-file nurses, according to strikers who spoke with the World Socialist Web Site. One thing is absolutely clear, however. The new proposal will only be a rehash of the contract that the nurses voted down by 70 percent. No serious gains can be won based on the way the union has conducted the strike, isolating the 720 striking nurses and appealing to Democratic Party politicians, who are no less committed to defending the profit interests of the giant health and hospital chains as Trump and the Republicans. That is why nurses should elect a rank-and-file strike committee to take the conduct of the negotiations and the strike into their own hands. The first action must be to call on healthcare workers across Illinois, the US and internationally to support the strike and prepare a common struggle. At the same time, St. Joseph nurses should reach out to teachers who oppose the insane efforts to reopen the schools, along with autoworkers, Amazon and other workers fighting unsafe conditions. At the same time, the union is using the prospect of management reprisals to intimidate nurses. The INA said it wanted guarantees from management that striking nurses will not be victimized. We know their history of reprisals. We dont want our nurses turned back at the door for picket line activity. There is no doubt such a danger exists. Healthcare workers in Michigan, New York and Washington state have been terminated for exposing unsafe conditions in their hospitals. However, managements promises not to carry out punitive reprisals would not be worth the paper they were written on. Only the mass mobilization of the working class in support of the striking nurses can defeat AMITAs efforts to break the strike and punish militant workers. The last strike by Joliet nurses ended in March 1993 after 62 days on the picket line. It was the most prolonged nurses strike in Illinois history and the second-longest in the United States. Both sides declared victory after the ratification of the contract that included some guidelines on the hospitals ability to assign nurses from one expertise to another temporarily, small pay increases and protections against retaliation. Two years earlier, in April 1991, the US Supreme Court unanimously upheld a National Labor Relations Board regulation that made unionizing healthcare workers across thousands of community hospitals much easier. According to a New York Times report, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion, which had the additional effect of strongly affirming the authority of the labor board to take an industrywide, rather than a case-by-case approach to issues within its jurisdiction. In 1992, the St. Joseph nurses became the first nurses at a private hospital to unionize. This was no doubt related to the history of militant struggles in the city, located 48 miles southwest of Chicago. Joliet was a major center of the Great Steel Strike in 1919, as well as several strikes at the Caterpillar plant, which closed in 2019, after being wound down for several years following the betrayal of the three-month strike by 780 workers by the International Association of Machinists in 2012. Colleen, who had participated in the 1993 strike, said, I was here for the last strike, but people crossed. We must stand united. If you do not stand united, corporations are going to win. To accomplish this, however, nurses must take the conduct of the struggle into their own hands and reach out to healthcare workers across the US and internationally. One Arizona nurse wrote on hearing of the Illinois strike, They deserve to have safe patient ratios. Administrators allow us to work with unsafe ratios so they can save money and fill their pockets with big fat bonuses. It is ridiculous what they do to nurses. A Cleveland, Ohio nurse posted, All they care about is charting, and its redundant and irrelevant so many times, but its all about reimbursement, and thats why it changes on a dime. ... Im so sick of leaving at the end of a shift and feeling like I didnt do enough ... we are caring and want to do the best for our patients and to advocate for them. ... Our values and morals are not in alignment with corporate, and even managements hands are tied. I would never want to be back in management because they force you to do their bidding, and you feel terrible if you stop and think about it. Im just tired of this merry-go-round and the moral injury we have to suffer and still have to scrape by week to week. Commenting on the Joliet strike, another Cleveland nurse added, This is so sickening, and its nothing new to nursing ... its just that nurses will not band together nationwide because of their financial responsibilities and fear that is initiated from the beginning of their career. We have a broken system, period!!!! How many nurses work without breaks, with inadequate staffing or ancillary support, lack of equipment or broken down equipment? ... the list is too long to continue ... you all know this and this pandemic has brought out the worst in the healthcare system ... greed is rampant, and nurses and all healthcare workers are just another cog in the wheel that is tossed aside! Ive seen this since the beginning, and its worse every year. Its sick how they entice agency nurses to fill the spots, and when they arent needed, they toss them aside. ... We are disposable to them, and they have shown us that time after time. A San Antonio, Texas nurse responded to the vote by Illinois nurses against the sellout deal, We all need to strike! We need change! Mukesh Ranjan By Express News Service 75 cops quarantined after thief tests positive At least 75 police personnel, including officers-in-charge of two police stations, have been quarantined in Hazaribagh after a thief, who was arrested and sent to police custody, tested positive for Covid-19. Korra and Sadar police stations in the district have been sealed and declared containment zones, barring the entry of public. According to police, a youth was trying to steal money from the cash counter of a shop under Korra police station. He was caught by locals and handed over to the police. The accused was later shifted to Sadar police station. He was found to have contracted SARS-CoV-2 two days later. Police launch portal for online complaints In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Jharkhand Police has developed a composite portal for citizens to submit their complaints and applications. This portal will help minimise contact between the police and the public. Many police personnel have tested positive for Covid-19 in the state. In the portal citizen.jhpolice.gov.in services are available under nine sections namely complaint lodging, character certificate request, tenant verification, permission for protests, employee verification, procession information, event performance information, domestic verification besides provision of download FIRs. The portal has an embedded hyperlink for central citizen services like missing person search, NOC for vehicles and reporting of cybercrime. Two trains starting from Bihar cancelled Indian Railways have cancelled two special trains originating from Bihar based on the request made by Jharkhand government. The Hemant Soren government requested a view of the rising cases in the neighbouring state. The decision has been taken as a precautionary measure as the safety of the people of Jharkhand could not be compromised by allowing these trains to operate in the state. According to an official release, the Ranchi-Patna-Ranchi Janshatabdi Special will remain partially cancelled, while Tata-Danapur Superfast Special will remain fully cancelled. 26 migrant workers trapped in UAE At least 26 workers from Jharkhand, who migrated to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for employment, are trapped there for the last four months and have not been paid any salary. The workers have sought help from the government through social media saying that they have no money and are struggling hard to return home alleging that they have been confined in a room. Workers from Bokaro, Giridihand and Hazaribagh went to Dubai last year to work; they were hired by a contractor to work at Abu Dhabi by NCC Company. Mukesh Ranjan Our correspondent in Jharkhand mukesh.r@newindianexpress.com U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Robert Abrams, second from right, inspects an artillery drill at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Paju, Gyeonggi Province in this Oct. 23, 2019 photo. / Korea Times file By Kang Seung-woo Amid growing speculation that joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States are likely to be called off in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and appease North Korea, diplomatic experts believe a cancellation as an olive branch to Pyongyang is not a good idea, saying there will be no "reciprocity" from the isolated country. Currently, the government is in a quandary over whether to cancel the annual drills as the COVID-19 pandemic shows no sign of abating. The exercises will bring hundreds of American troops here, raising concerns over possible new infections. In addition, further deepening Seoul's calculations is the possibility of military retaliation from the Kim Jong-un regime, as the totalitarian state describes the exercises as hostile action by the U.S. against the North. The government also wants the exercises to be focused on assessing the Korean military's relevant capabilities on its way to regaining wartime operational control (OPCON) from the U.S. by 2022. Either a delay or a cancellation of the drills could disrupt the timetable for that. "If the military exercises are canceled or postponed, it is possible North Korea will relent and agree to an eventual working level meeting, in response to recent U.S.-South Korea requests to resume negotiations. I doubt, however, that the cancellation or postponement of the exercises will motivate the North to resume working-level negotiations, given that it has refused to meet with the U.S. or ROK since late 2019," Joseph DeTrani, a former U.S. special envoy to the six-party talks, told The Korea Times, referring to South Korea by its formal name, the Republic of Korea. "I believe North Korea will want assurances that meet some of their demands before they return to a working-level meeting, even if military exercises do not resume." Leif-Eric Easley, an associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University, expressed a similar view. "Exercises can be rescaled, rescheduled or repackaged for diplomatic purposes or for safety and logistical reasons, as during a global pandemic. But canceling exercises to appease Pyongyang would be unwise because there is little evidence of North Korean reciprocity," he said. With no signs of a breakthrough in the deadlock in denuclearization talks between the North and the U.S., accompanied by stalled inter-Korean ties, there are growing calls from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and liberals here, including President Moon Jae-in's security adviser Moon Chung-in, for canceling or delaying the joint exercises to bring the North back to the negotiating table. "President Moon's proposal in December 2017 to postpone the 2018 joint military exercises until after the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, which was later accepted by U.S. President Donald Trump, paved the way for improving inter-Korean relations. In that respect, the ruling party plans to explore ways to rearrange the schedule for the drills," Rep. Cho Jeong-sik, the DPK's chief policymaker, said last week. In addition, Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader's sister, urged the U.S. to stop the joint drills. "I remind the U.S. that denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula can be realized only when there are major changes made on the other side, i.e. the irreversible simultaneous major steps to be taken in parallel with our actions," she told the Korean Central News Agency, Friday. However, Easley said those who undervalue the exercises undervalue the alliance or don't understand how militaries work. "U.S.-ROK combined defense exercises are essential for maintaining readiness, interoperability and deterrence," he said. In response to concerns over the possible delay of the OPCON transition, dented by the disruption of the military drills, DeTrani said it would not be a big hurdle in meeting the deadline. The South Korean military initially planned to test full operational capability (FOC), the second of the three-phase verification process for OPCON transfer. "I assume South Korea and the U.S. would want to conduct the second of three planned FOC drills to prepare for OPCON by 2022. If the second FOC next month is canceled or postponed, I'm confident the U.S. and ROK will make the necessary arrangements to ensure readiness for OPCON by 2022," the former ambassador said. The Moon administration is seeking to complete the transfer, which has been delayed on multiple occasions under the previous conservative governments, before its term ends in 2022 to establish self-reliance in national defense. But Easley questioned the South's rush to take back wartime OPCON. It regained peacetime OPCON in 1994. "It also doesn't make sense to rush OPCON transfer because the security risks of doing so would far outweigh the political and economic benefits," he said. "Some politicians focus on symbols of sovereignty, but the political importance of OPCON transfer pales in comparison to ensuring national security and successfully managing the pandemic-era economy." British MMA fighter Jahreau Shepherd has tragically died at the age of 30. It is currently unknown how the welterweight champion, nicknamed 'The Nightmare' who had a 6-2 record from professional Mixed Martial Arts fights, passed away, with no cause of death yet confirmed. But the news of Shepherd's sad passing was confirmed by his MMA promoters Contenders in an Instagram post on Sunday. British MMA fighter Jahreau Shepherd has tragically died at the age of 30 over the weekend The welterweight champ had a 6-2 pro record and fought under MMA promoters Contenders The organisation confirmed the news of Shepherd's passing with a heartfelt Instagram post 'Everyone at Contenders is absolutely devastated to hear of Jahreau Shepherds death,' the post read. 'Jay, our welterweight champion, was hugely talented and great fun to be around, a big personality with a huge smile and infectious laugh. 'Inside the cage, he was destined for the top - a champion in three different organisations with heavy hands and a warrior heart. 'Our thoughts are with all his family and friends at this terrible time. Rest in peace, champ.' MMA commentator Michael Morgan also paid his respects in a Twitter post on Sunday: 'Absolutely shocked to hear the news this morning. 'A true gentleman inside and outside the cage. Rest in peace #UKMMAs Jahreau Shepherd.' Morgan paid tribute to the 30-year-old MMA fighter, who was nicknamed 'The Nightmare' The 30-year-old, from London, beat Quinten de Vreught in February to be crowned welterweight champion at Contenders 29. Shepherd was known for his pace and aggression and was also a member of the London Fight Factory. He was on a win-streak of five fights dating back to 2018, and fought under companies such as Cage Warriors, Bellator, UCMMA and Fusion FC. After the news was confirmed, The MMA UK Late show was cancelled on Sunday evening. A tourist is stuck close to the crater of the highest active volcano in Eurasia with rescuers unable to reach him by foot or helicopter. The ailing man is stranded some 650ft below the rim of the giant 15,580 ft Klyuchevskaya Sopka in Russia's Kamchatka peninsula. Spewing volcanic activity and a melting high-altitude glacier is preventing rescuers getting close to the tourist, aged 35. Rescuers attempt to scale the giant 15,580ft volcano, Klyuchevskaya Sopka, in Russia's Kamchatka peninsula to rescue a stranded tourist Spewing volcanic activity and a melting high-altitude glacier is preventing rescuers getting close to the tourist, aged 35 (file image of Klyuchevskaya Sopka) A helicopter bid to lower rescuers onto the rim of the volcano so they could climb down to the man had to be aborted due to extreme toxic gas and vapour emissions and atrocious weather. The tourist was spotted from the air, say reports. A video shows how a separate attempt to climb up to the hiker - whose family name is Tsvetkov, from Vladivostok - failed due to severe rockfalls on the volcano's slopes. The rescuers radioed back to their base warning that boulders and stones were falling on them - and it would result in certain death if they went further. It is believed they were agonisingly close to Tsvetkov's position - perhaps as little as 200 ft from his sleeping bag. The rescue group leader radioed this dramatic message: 'There is an ice field with stones above us. The stranded tourist, whose family name is Tsvetkov, was spotted from the air after his travel companion, Filimonov, climbed back down the volcano to get help One group of rescuers were forced to turn back and leave the stranded tourist because boulders were falling on them and they feared for their own lives 'It is warming and we are just constantly dodging the falling rocks. 'Now we are hiding behind a little ridge and going down. 'Definitely we would be killed if we carry on. 'This is 100 percent true. 'The sun is not even fully raised yet. 'There are no options for us. 'We're not on a suicide mission here. 'It will be suicide to keep going.' It is believed one rescue group were agonisingly close to Tsvetkov's position - perhaps as little as 200 ft from his sleeping bag before being forced to turn back A helicopter bid to lower rescuers onto the rim of the volcano so they could climb down to the man had to be aborted due to extreme toxic gas and vapour emissions and atrocious weather The stranded man - who was suffering altitude sickness - has been on the active stratovolcano for one week, according to reports. His legs failed after reaching high altitude, according to reports. His fellow climber - named Filimonov - climbed down to the nearest village to raise the alarm but was unable to go back up to reach his friend due to a blizzard with wind gusts of up to 100 ft a second. Rescuers are working on the assumption that the tourist is still alive. The Kamchatka Ministry of Emergencies made clear they had been forced to abort rescue attempts today (MON). A rescuer attempts to climb up Klyuchevskaya Sopka to reach the stranded tourist who has so far been unreachable A rescue team begins their trek up the 15,580ft volcano in another bid to reach a stranded climber 'Search activities are not possible now due to an increase in temperature, as well as ongoing volcanic activity, mean the glacier located at the top is melting,' said a statement. 'Mudflows and powerful rockfalls are constantly observed on the slopes, along the ascent path, which is the only route to the victim's location.' Klyuchevskaya Sopka was formed some 6,000 years ago and its first recorded eruption was in 1697. Regarded as Russia's most dangerous volcano, in March this year it spewed ash clouds 20,000 ft into the air. The pair did not inform the authorities before climbing the volcano, said officials. The volcano is some 4,225 miles east of Moscow. As promised, a few more responses from our blog reader question today: Should Australia pursue an elimination strategy? Thanks so much for all of your responses today - we can't publish them all for space but they are all read. Keep the conversation going in the comments section of the blog with other readers. "The 'contrary' voices opposing an elimination strategy all make the same assumption - that the trade is economy vs deaths of a small number of people (~1% mortality, skewed towards older people). They completely ignore the emerging evidence that a large fraction of the infected (20%+) may suffer long term neurological, cardiac, pulmonary, or other health effects. Discounting this huge fraction of the infected ignores the massive economic disruption that comes from large numbers of disabled or incapacitated people leaving the workforce. Even those who survive may be impacted in a way that destroys the economy. Fighting for absolute control is the only strategy to preserve both life and the economy until we learn more about treatments and potentially vaccination." - Mike Loading "I'm an ICU doctor so would love it if we didnt have to care for COVID-19 patients any more. But this 'elimination' cant work. We can destroy society as we know it waiting months for 'zero' cases, but hidden transmission chains mean a single case can pop up a month after we reopen and we are back at square one. People in quarantine might need medical care which will, given enough time, inevitably lead to a case amongst healthcare workers. Anyway if it is this hard to even barely suppress the infection, it is pure wishful thinking to say we should just completely get rid of it instead." - Mark B "There is no good outcome here, just less damage. Elimination is the only way to avoid the cycle of loosening and tightening restrictions without widespread death. Other states have eliminated the virus, if it requires more work from VIC and even NSW we should do it. We should do it now while the public will comply. Harder lockdown for shorter period. People will not long-term accept that they can go to work but not see their family. It is too damaging to both health and the economy to continue this cycle of lockdowns for years until we have a vaccine. Elimination is the only way to any kind of 'covidnormal'." - Lauren "Anything less than elimination will involve repeated outbreaks, repeated lockdowns to control those outbreaks and constant, ongoing damage to the economy everytime a lockdown is required. This virus is so contagious that it is not possible to have some imaginary situation where we allow it to circulate at some low, controlled level in our society while we all going about our lives normally. Many of the people arguing against elimination seem to think that is possible - it isn't. It's really all or nothing. If we don't eliminate it, sooner or later we will not be able to control it. And a lot of people will die. We should pursue an elimination strategy to allow time to see if we can get a vaccine and also to allow time for research into what it is that makes this virus so deadly in some people, which may lead to development of improved treatments for COVID-19. If it proves impossible to get a vaccine and no effective treatment is found, then we can re-evaluate our strategy. In the meantime, we could all live relatively normally and the economy would be better off as well." - Unnamed Loading "Yes, looking at the way the pandemic is progressing around the world and the rates of infection, two scenarios could play out. One where the earths population reaches 'herd immunity', the second being that an effective vaccine is developed and deployed. In either scenarios the sensible approach is to hold the fort for as long as possible, otherwise we will be hurtling towards the inevitable." - Sam "In the short term and on paper I like the idea of an elimination strategy. No COVID-19 in the community, and life can return to some sort of normalcy. But that means shutting Australia off from the rest of the world, which means the economy will be shattered long-term. Yes, an elimination attempt and lockdown are designed to protect the elderly and vulnerable, but what about those who have lost their jobs, which in turn can result in higher poverty levels, mental health issues and suicides?" - Harriet Daylan McKee saved officer Jay Hanley from a burning police vehicle after a crash in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, on 21 June: CBS News A Good Samaritan, with a history of being wrongfully accused by police, has been reunited with an officer he saved from a burning car wreck. Daylan McLee, who is black, had previously spent a year in jail after being falsely accused of pointing a gun at a cop. Mr McLee had also been subject to numerous traffic stops despite not breaking any laws, he told CBS News. However on 21 June in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, Mr McLee rushed to the scene of a bad accident involving a police vehicle. One officer was trapped inside and another was trying to get the door open. The gas tank was leaking, and flames were spreading through the wreckage. Mr McLee stepped forward to help. I know this man is my brother through Christ, and I couldnt leave him behind, he told KDKA after the accident. I dont know how I got that door open, and I grabbed him out." The incident occurred at the height of nationwide demonstrations against police brutality and demands for racial justice led by the Black Lives Matter movement. Mr McLee was reunited with the officer he saved this month when he visited him at his home. Officer Jay Hanley said: It's amazing when there's true love in people and they can get you out of something like that no matter who you are or where you come from. There should be more people like that. The officer's wife also thanked Mr McLee for his bravery with a tearful hug. Mr McLee told CBS that despite his past experiences with the police he believes that there are lots of good officers worth keeping, and that painting groups with a broad brush doesnt allow for the subtleties that make up our humanity. I want people to start to look at everybody as Americans and not, 'He's White, he's Black, he's Asian.' We're people and when we start realising that, things should get better, he said. Read more NYPD cop suspended after video of 'disturbing' illegal chokehold There is no such thing as a good cop in the US Story continues New Jersey cop charged after using pepper spray on young black men George Floyd and alleged killer bumped heads while working together New York police union chief hits back over portrayal of cops The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has announced that a case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis was recently detected in a Standardbred yearling, who has since been euthanized. It was announced that the yearling, who was a filly, displayed rapid progression of neurological signs, and was confirmed EEE positive on Saturday, July, 11. The filly had displayed the onset of clinical signs on Saturday, July 4. The positive was Florida's ninth confirmed case of EEE for the 2020 calendar year. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of the yearling filly. (With files from the Equine Disease Communication Center) Naya Riveras four-year-old son told police his mother helped him onto their rented boat before she disappeared beneath the surface of Lake Piru. The 33-year-old former Glee actress went missing during a boating trip in Southern California on Wednesday and Ventura County Sheriffs Office announced on Monday it had found her body. There is no indication of foul play or that Rivera took her own life, Sheriff Bill Ayub said during a press conference. Naya Rivera (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) Officers also shared more details on how Rivera may have died, but added it was speculation at this point. Mr Ayub said currents that typically appear on the surface of the lake in the afternoon may have caused the unanchored boat to drift away from Rivera and her son Josey Hollis, who was wearing a life jacket, while they were swimming. Rivera, who was not wearing a life jacket, may have mustered enough energy to put the child back on board but not enough to save herself, he added. Police said undergrowth in the water complicated the search and officers had scoured the portion of the lake where Rivera was later found. Investigators said they believe she was concealed by the shrubbery before floating to the surface after becoming buoyant during decomposition. She was found at about 9.10am local time by Lake Piru park rangers. The body looked like it had been in the water for several days, police added. Members of the Ventura County Sheriffs Office used boats in the recovery operation (Ringo HW Chiu/AP) Her body was found seven years to the day that her former Glee co-star Cory Monteith died aged 31 from a toxic mix of alcohol and heroin. Mark Salling, another Glee cast member, also died in his 30s, killing himself in 2018 at 35 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges. Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were. Love and peace to your family. Jane Lynch (@janemarielynch) July 13, 2020 Rivera was best known for playing high school cheerleader Santana Lopez in TV musical comedy Glee. Story continues Her co-stars were among those paying tribute. Demi Lovato, who played Riveras on-screen girlfriend in Glee, said she will forever cherish starring alongside her. RIP Naya Rivera. Ill forever cherish the opportunity to play your girlfriend on Glee. The character you played was groundbreaking for tons of closeted (at the time) queer girls like me, and your ambition and accomplishments were inspiring to Latina women all over the world. pic.twitter.com/oCML03M9Kw Team Demi (@ddlovato) July 14, 2020 The singer posted pictures of the pair on set together and said: The character you played was groundbreaking for tons of closeted (at the time) queer girls like me, and your ambition and accomplishments were inspiring to Latina women all over the world. Lovato added: My heart goes out to your loved ones at this time. Jane Lynch tweeted: Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were. Love and peace to your family. Josh Sussman, who played Jacob Ben Israel in Glee, said: Naya, you will be missed so much. Lea Michele, who played Rachel Berry on Glee, shared a tribute to Rivera on her Instagram Story. She posted a black and white picture of the actress, alongside another image showing the backs of Glee cast members looking over a beach. Chris Colfer, who starred as Kurt Hummel on the show, penned a lengthy tribute to Rivera on Instagram. He said her brilliance and humour were unmatched and her beauty and talent were otherworldly. Colfer added: She spoke truth to power with poise and fearlessness. She could turn a bad day into a great day with a single remark. She inspired and uplifted people without even trying. Being close to her was both a badge of honour and a suit of armour. Naya was truly one of a kind, and she always will be. Golden Globe winner Darren Criss starred in Glee as Blaine Anderson and shared a glowing tribute to Rivera on Twitter. He described her as bold and outrageous and said she was a LOT of fun. He praised her playful, wicked sense of humour that never ceased to bring a smile to my face. She was bold. She was outrageous. She was a LOT of fun. Naya made me laugh like no one else on that set. I always said it while we were working together and Ive maintained it ever since. Her playful, wicked sense of humor never ceased to bring a smile to my face. Darren Criss (@DarrenCriss) July 14, 2020 Criss added: And even as I sit here, struggling to comprehend, gutted beyond description- the very thought of her cracks me up and still brings a smile to my face. That was Nayas gift. And its a gift that will never go away. Rest in peace you wild, hilarious, beautiful angel. Heather Morris, who played Riveras on-screen love interest in the programme, was pictured holding hands with members of the late actresss family at the side of the lake, shortly after police found the body. Rivera and her son rented a boat at Lake Piru, a popular spot for swimmers about 56 miles north-west of central Los Angeles, at about 1pm last Wednesday. The alarm was raised when the boat was overdue to return and the boy was found asleep and wearing a life jacket on the drifting vessel. An adult-sized life jacket was found on board along with some of Riveras belongings. A rescue mission was launched but the actress was nowhere to be found. The next day police said she was presumed dead. Lake Piru in Ventura County, Southern California, where Glee actress Naya Rivera drowned (Ringo HW Chiu/AP) Rivera became engaged to rapper Big Sean in October 2013, but they ended their relationship in April 2014. She then began dating actor Ryan Dorsey and they married in Mexico in July that year. The couple had son Josey in September 2015. Rivera filed for divorce after two years of marriage, but they later called off the separation before finalising their divorce in June 2018. Priti Patel Doctors and nurses from overseas will be eligible for fast-track entry to the UK and exempt from paying an NHS health surcharge under a new visa scheme set out by the Home Office on Monday. Under the new Health and Care visa, those eligible will also pay less in application fees and will be able to access dedicated support in filling out their forms. The exemptions will also apply to their families and dependents, according to the written ministerial statement. The list of professions eligible include doctors, nurses, midwives and social workers, although the document acknowledges that this will be expanded in the near future. However, in a move likely to provoke a backlash among some MPs, Downing Street confirmed that social care workers would not be able to take advantage of the new NHS visa. Speaking to reporters this morning, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "We want employers to invest more in training and development for care workers in this country. "On care workers specifically, our independent migration advisers have said that immigration is not the sole answer here, which is why we have provided councils with an additional 1.5 billion of funding for social care in 2021/22, as well as launching a new recruitment campaign." Existing European Union workers in the care sector could apply to stay in the UK through the settlement scheme "and a very large number have done so", he added. The visa will form part of the Skilled Worker route in the post-Brexit points-based immigration system, which will require EU and non-EU migrants to gain 70 points to be allowed to come to the UK. Fifty of those points have to be gained by having a job offer from an approved employer, speaking English and from the prospective job being at the skill level of A-level or above. The remaining 20 points can come from a variety of categories, where skills or qualifications can be "traded" for points to meet the required 70. Story continues Jobs in key sectors like the NHS and social care, designated by the Governments Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), will also entitle applicants to a further tradeable 20 points. Skilled jobs with salaries of 25,600 or above can earn 20 points, as will a doctorate in a science, technical, engineering or mathematical subject. Those with offers in shortage occupations, such as in health and education, will also be able to gain 20 points so long as they earn at least 20,480, which is considered a floor for entry. However, to prevent companies from exploiting foreign labour to keep wages down, the Government is also introducing a going rate requirement. This means that if someone earns less than their industrys average pay above the 25,600 mark, they will not secure the 20 points and will need to get these by fulfilling other criteria. Applicants earning at least 90 per cent of the going rate in their industry, providing their salary is at least 23,040, will be able to earn 10 points. New entrants to jobs - generally aged under 26 - will also be able to claim a discounted salary threshold up to 30 per cent below the 25,600. Highly-skilled workers - such as scientists and academics rated as global talent and musicians and artists - will be the only groups entitled to enter the UK without a job offer if they have the required points and are sponsored by a relevant professional body. Their numbers will be capped. Foreign students will be free to continue to take up places at universities and will be granted two years grace after graduation to stay in the UK and bring their skills to the British economy. EU citizens will be able to visit the UK on six-month visitor visas. In a statement included in the document, Ms Patel said: "At a time where an increased number of people across the UK are looking for work, the new points-based system will encourage employers to invest in the domestic UK workforce, rather than simply relying on labour from abroad. "We will be introducing a new-fast track health and care visa. This will make it easier and quicker for talented global health professionals to work in our brilliant NHS and in eligible occupations in the social care sector. The visa fee will be reduced and health professionals applying can expect a decision on whether they can work in the UK within just three weeks, following biometric enrolment. We will exempt frontline workers in the health and social care sector and wider health workers from the requirement to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge." The document also confirms that foreign criminals who have been jailed for more than a year could be banned from coming to Britain under the new immigration rules, as reported in Mondays Telegraph. Border Force and immigration officials will also be able to bar foreign migrants found guilty of serious harm even if they have been sentenced to less than a year in jail as well as persistent offenders such as prolific thieves, burglars and pickpockets. Anyone seeking to enter Britain who is judged not conducive to the public good could also be barred under the new criminality rules, a clause that will allow ministers to reject applications from hate preachers or others who might stir up social tensions. It goes on to state: "Where the 12-month criminality deportation threshold is not met, a foreign criminal will still be considered for deportation where it is conducive to the public good, including where they have serious or persistent criminality. "For EU citizens who are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement or the UK's domestic implementation of the withdrawal agreements, the tougher UK criminality thresholds will apply to conduct committed after the end of the transition period. "The EU public policy, public security or public health test will continue to apply to their conduct committed before the end of the transition period." In April, a friend relayed her experience of getting a test for COVID-19 at a drive-through site at a university in Rhode Island, describing dozens of camouflaged National Guard soldiers directing grim-faced drivers. After more than 12 days of persistent fever and two conversations with her doctor, she reported as instructed, alone in her car, and held her ID up to the car window at each checkpoint. I was stuck waiting in a holding lot, along with several other cars, for 45 minutes. Our windows fogged up from sitting there breathing in an enclosed space on a wet day. Eventually one woman cracked open her window to let in some air. She was parked away from any other cars or people, but the way two guards ran up shouting Maam, you need to close that window RIGHT NOW, maam! was akin to ordering her to put down a gun. It made me feel like all of uswere dangerous weapons. In a piece in this forum, Lorenzo Servitje has looked at the martial metaphor and what work it does. Here, I want to examine the work the National Guard does, for they are the enlisted women and men who are actually performing the labor of public health. After all, Americans are not just depending on the military as a metaphor for framing the pandemic; leaders have mobilized the military to respond to it. The moment my friend describes exposes the complex web of science, care, service, and warfare that arises when women and men in uniforms that announce themselves as the US ARMY do the work of administering tests to sick patients in a makeshift facility on a university campus. To many in the US, such a military environment for a site of public health might seem unremarkable. To onlookers in other parts of the world, however, where a states health department can respond to a pandemic by repurposing its facilities and shift its employees to take up the urgent work of testing and contact tracing, the heavy reliance on the military might seem strange. In the US, where long-term (peacetime?) public health personnel and infrastructure are so thin and infections of COVID-19 have spread so rapidly, state and federal authorities have turned to the National Guard as a labour-force safety net. By late May, more than 46,700 members of the National Guard were employed throughout the US to do the labour of public health. Working in all fifty states, this is the largest domestic employment of the force since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In early stages of the pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York had called up members of his states National Guard to build a containment area around New Rochelle. In Minnesota, trained medics in the National Guard have been performing nasopharyngeal swabbing to collect samples at long-term care facilities. Citizen-soldiers, or weekend warriors as they are sometimes called, these workers might have a wide variety of roles in their communities. They perform work in a wide variety of industries, but as members of the National Guard, they attend trainings one or two days a month and two weeks a year. During the pandemic, thousands have been employed to help by conducting testing at meatpacking plants in several states, transporting and distributing PPE to fire departments, hospitals and nursing homes, brining medical support to correctional institutions in Ohio, running temperature screenings at airports in Montana, sanitizing a childrens centre in West Virginia, and distributing food to local families alongside Food Banks and Departments of Education, among other things. They have also provided mortuary assistance, helped produce protective equipment like N95 masks, and helped transform facilities like the Javitz Centre in New York into temporary health care centres. [1] The overlap of military service and public health work has a long history in the US, and its importance bears noting in two particular ways. First, the enlisted laborers of empire performed work that simultaneously built public infrastructure, set patterns of military hygiene, and responded to concerns of disease crossing borders. [2] In the late nineteenth century on the lands west of the Mississippi, soldiers expanded and maintained American Empire as they built railroads, drove telegraph poles, felled trees, and built sawmills. Medical officers wrote weekly about duties soldiers performed to keep men and their environs free from disease. [3] In the early twentieth century, John Pershing, who commanded troops along the Mexican border in 1915, put his medical corps and enlisted men at the disposal of the city of El Paso where they were put to work cleaning up the Second Ward a Mexican district called Chihuahuita but known as a plague spot. There, Pershings soldiers hosed down streets, burned garbage, and destroyed houses they deemed unfit. [4] As President Wilson federalized state militias in 1916, soldiers took on roles in medicine at the border testing, quarantining, inspecting, and confining people all in response to public health concerns. Second, the historic overlap of public health and military medicine becomes clear with the view of officers who developed public health expertise in army-administered colonies. In the years between the Spanish-American War and the federalized militias serving along the border, much of the work of the US Army took place in the recently acquired insular possessions. These colonies became laboratories or crucibles where military hygiene and public health initiatives are tested. [5] Throughout the Philippines, the military-administrators attended to the personal hygiene of local inhabitants. [6] As the army fought yellow fever in Havana and segregated lepers at Culion in the Philippines, to name but two examples, they built public health muscles they would later flex in the state and federal departments of public health upon their return. The imperial work of the army gave them not only productive environments for studying epidemiology and bacteriology, but also gave them the space to work out doctrines of public health and sanitary reform. [7] Given these historic overlaps, it hardly seems out of step that women and men in army uniforms are performing so much of the work of pandemic response. Still, it is curious that the institution that was founded as a protection for the people against federal power is performing the work of government intervention. That is, these National Guard units, though they serve alongside regular army soldiers and wear the same uniforms, trace their roots to state militias and still operate under the authority of state governors. The militias came about through eighteenth century concerns that federal government overreach would restrict liberties. And yet, in the absence of adequate personnel in state public health departments or other areas, Americans welcome the use of these soldiers as a temporary or casual federal workforce, called upon to do the urgent medical care, testing, mortuary assistance, building, and distributing, through the organization of the federal executive. Meanwhile, cash-strapped states certainly welcome the federal government funding their employment. And yet, pandemic response is not the only reason for National Guard activation in recent weeks; they have also been called to work as police in response to protests. Indeed, the thousands doing public health work make up only a portion of the 74,000 National Guard members the highest number in the nations history on active duty last month. In late May and June, as hundreds of thousands of Americans took to the streets to protest racist policing after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, state leaders activated more than 30,000 enlisted National Guard soldiers to monitor protests, enforce curfews, and support police. The current crises have brought a layer of particular policing work over the long history of soldiering and public health. Performing the protest response work has had tricky consequences for members of the National Guard. On the one hand, it has meant members of the DC National Guard in Lafayette Square have found themselves protecting protestors from US Parks police. On the other hand, it has meant some members of the Guard have sought psychological assistance with the effects of being on the receiving end of anger from protestors who see them as inseparable from police. For many, however, ultimately, activating the Guard to respond to the protests in the midst of a pandemic has meant growing fears that their work in policing might undo the goodwill built over the long weeks they worked at testing sites, food banks, and contact tracing. One might well ask, in a country with long-held opposition to social safety nets, and, certainly in much of the nineteenth century, a deep distrust of the army and people who served in it, what does it mean that the demand for laborers in public health is met in large part by those who serve in the National Guard? It is no doubt more politically acceptable and expedient in the short term to depend on the National Guard to meet these demands than it is to build up robust public health infrastructure and personnel. Public support for the work of the National Guard in pandemic response has been strong, but how might this support dwindle, given its work in responding to protests? We no doubt also need to ask about the effects on public health of activating the National Guard in both pandemic and protest responses. Effective programs of isolation, quarantine, and contact tracing rely on substantial mutual trust. How might that trust be shaken when the personnel enforcing curfew wear the same uniforms and work for the same organization as those asking you to disclose your contacts so that tracing can slow the spread of the virus? Another sign of Americans comfort with this way of supplying the demand for public health labour is the way the National Guard has become a metaphor for the labour-in-waiting. For instance, Stefano Bertuzzi and Robin Patel of the American Society for Microbiology recently took to the pages of the New York Times to call for the formation of a microbiologist National Guard to meet the high demand for clinical microbiologists. They proposed a biomedical reserve of labour a rapid response force of highly trained microbiologists who could be called on to reinforce laboratories when necessary. [8] The slogan of the National Guard, Always ready; Always there encapsulates the idea that they provide a reserve of public labour. When underfunded and understaffed public health departments were far from ready and governments were slow to act, Americans turned to the military for help. More than a thousand members of the National Guard have tested positive for COVID-19, indicative of the high-risk nature of the work. As my friend in Rhode Island understood, the men in US Army uniforms, as they yelled at the woman to roll up her window in a tone that was both assertive and anxious, were trying to manage these risks that rainy day in the parking lot. [My friends test was negative, and the fevers have finally subsided.] As the pandemic continues apace, it is likely National Guard troops will continue to do the old-fashioned but effective work of disease control that involves testing, contact-tracing, and isolation. To be effective these strategies demand both the labor force who are there and ready and a substantial level of mutual trust between these workers and the publics they serve. Pamela Maddock is an affiliate of the History Department and a sessional lecturer at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Works Cited [1] On the homepage of the National Guard, there is an interactive map that summarises what the National Guard is doing in every state. See https://www.nationalguard.com [2] A. Hope McGrath, A Slave in Uncle Sams Service: Labor and Resistance in the US Army, 1865-1890, Labor: Studies in Working-Class History in the Americas, 13, 2016, 37-56. [3] See, for example, Sanitary Reports, 1886, Fort Assinniboine, Montana, 1884-1898, Vol. 805, Medical History of Posts, RG 94, National Archives. [4] Alexandra Minna Stern, Buildings, Boundaries, and Blood: Medicalization and Nation-Building on the US-Mexico Border, 1910-1930, The Hispanic American Historical Review, 79, 1999, 55. [5] Alfred W. McCoy and Francisco A. Scarano, Eds., Colonial Crucible: Empire in the Making of the Modern American State, University of Wisconsin Press, 2009, Part V Imperial Medicine and Public Health, 273-329. [6] Warwick Anderson, Colonial Pathologies: American Tropical Medicine, Race, and Hygiene in the Philippines, Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 2006, 44. [7] Bobby Wintermute, Public Health and the US Military: A History of the Army Medical Department, 1818-1917, New York: Routledge, 2010, 8. [8] Stefano Bertuzzi and Robin Patel, We Need a New Kind of National Guard, The New York Times, April 27, 2020. Share this: Share Email Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr LinkedIn [view academic citations] [hide academic citations] The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Michigan jumped by 384 on Monday, the seventh straight day with more than 300 new cases. Seven deaths were reported on Monday as well, pushing the total of confirmed COVID-related deaths to 6,075. Michigan has 69,722 confirmed cases of the disease caused by the coronavirus. With probable cases, Michigan stands at 77,198 cases and 6,321 deaths. Overall, according to Johns Hopkins University compilation of data, Michigan stands at 13th in the nation, as states throughout the south and southwest continue to see massive numbers of new confirmed cases, numbering in the thousands per day. The U.S. now has more than 3.35 million cases with nearly 136,000 dead. Worldwide, the total number of cases counted passed the 13-million mark with about 571,000 dead, Johns Hopkins reports. For Michigan, the seven-day daily average was at 507 on Monday afternoon. The average for the prior seven days was at 382 cases. In the state, the Washtenaw County Health Department said that 43 cases of COVID-19 were associated with a large house party held near Ann Arbor two about two weeks ago, and the infected peoples ages range from 15 to 25, The Associated Press reported. Washtenaw Countys cases were at 1,699 up 20 cases since Monday and 51 in two days with 108 deaths on Monday, plus an additional 239 probable case. New rules On Monday, the governors order to wear masks went into effect, with emergency alerts hitting many peoples mobile phones in the afternoon. Further than a person responsibility, the order also mandates that businesses require masks from patrons. Fight COVID by wearing a mask, an alert read at 4:45 p.m. Michiganders are required by executive order to wear face coverings in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. Businesses must refuse entry or service to this who do not wear a face covering (with limited exceptions). While in Michigan, which at one point ranked fourth in the nation in the number of cases, masks are required, other states are doing the same and going further. In Texas, masks are required in most counties, but their governor has said another lockdown may occur if the cases continue to rise, new cases ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 new infections reported a day in recent days. Also on Monday, California ordered new orders to close indoor dining at restaurants, bars, gyms, and other indoor facilities, while schools in Los Angeles and San Diego will start the school years with online classes, keeping classroom closed. Cases in Michigan Macomb County saw a large jump in new COVID-19 cases with 89 new infections reported Monday, pushing its total to 7,625. No new deaths were reported, staying at 891. Oakland County added 50 cases to reach 9,585, with one new death, putting its total at 1,067. Wayne County, excluding Detroit, added 51 cases, making its total 11,051. One new death was reported as well, leaving the total at 1,182. Detroit, the states hardest hit community, added just 29 cases, pushing it up to 11,961 cases. One more death was reported, leaving them with 1,459. In western Michigan, Kent County added 35 cases and Ottawa County is up 28 cases. In mid-Michigan, three new cases were reported in Isabella County, pushing their total to 137. Gratiot County added two cases to leave them with 97, and Clare County stayed at 31 cases. A MAN from Skirmett has launched a new mapping system to help charities and hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic. Rupert Douglas-Bate founded Global MapAid in 2003 after completing a humanitarian fellowship at Stanford University in America. His work normally involves helping disadvantaged communities in Ethiopia and Nepal by developing technology to improve agricultural settlements. Since the start of the global pandemic, Mr Douglas-Bate has turned his attention to helping charities, hospitals and schools. By registering on the Big UK Hope Map, these organisations can receive donations. It can also help charities to focus their support more accurately, saving them time and money. There are two maps, one of which shows the number of coronavirus cases across the UK and the other with the name of organisations which are attempting to help those in need during the pandemic. Mr Douglas-Bate, 56, said: Our mission is to put on maps where the need is and where the gaps are and it means that charities and good causes can target their responses. We have all the hospitals in the UK signed up and schools have also agreed to give us their data. We are also beginning to put up care homes and food banks. This is a free service and there are lots of benefits to using this map. You might not know about the good causes in other parts of the country and now you can find them, go through to their website and donate. You can also say you have a relative living there and request help. The response so far has been very promising. Mr Douglas-Bate, who was born and raised in Iran, has done refugee relief and development work in Africa, the Middle East and eastern Europe. He shares his time between Global MapAid and his organic food business, Rupert Douglas Fine Foods. Global MapAid has been focused in Ethiopia, where more than 40 million people are malnourished. Most of them live less than 3m from fresh water but it is underground and it is only through MapAids technology that they know where to dig. Mr Douglas-Bate said: Until the virus hit, we were working on a project involving boreholes in Ethiopia. The drought has been ongoing since 2011 and without water you cant grow food. These shallow boreholes are carefully sited and we are working on an artificial intelligence project to figure out where to put them so that they are sustainable. I have spent many years in Africa and what we are doing now is stuff we learned there. Mr Douglas-Bate, who has had to close his food business during the pandemic, said there was nothing else like the Big UK Hope Map. It shows all the hospitals across the UK and matches them up to local charities as well as allowing people to leave a donation. So far, it has linked up with 1,000 UK hospitals, 132 NHS trusts and 53 schools, which are offering to make PPE, provide transport or cook meals. Mr Douglas-Bate, who lives with his fiancee Nathalie Houdret, said: It is very easy to register. You just have to go to the website and complete a survey and that gets sent to one of our volunteers. They will take the data and moderate it before it goes up. If you are an organisation and you have a network of 30 care homes, you can tell us the location of each care home by postcode and can attach a little bit of information and the website address. I would hope that as many of the good causes out there as possible could use this resource to share their stories and get people to their website to donate. We love Africa and we havent forgotten about it but we are Brits and now is the time to help out. For more infomation, visit globalmapaid.org The usually crowded premises of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is deserted on Monday, July 13, 2020 due to COVID-19 lockdown ordered by the state government in Thiruvananthapuram. (PTI) Kochi: The royal family of Travancore on Monday won a nine-year legal battle in the Supreme Court for control of the richest temple in the world, the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram. Indias top court upheld the administrative rights of the erstwhile Travancore royal family over the temple, and asked the temporary administrative committee headed by a district judge to continue until a new governing panel with representatives of the state government and the royal family is constituted. According to the apex court, though the temple will remain a public place of worship, the right of the royal family in its governance cannot be denied. The Supreme Court bench, consisting of Justice U.U. Lalit and Justice Indu Malhotra, quashed a Kerala High Court order of January 31, 2011 which asked the Kerala government to take over and manage the temple. The Kerala High Court had ruled that since the last ruling Maharajah of the princely state of Travancore, Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, died in 1991, the royal familys rights over the temple ceased. However, the SC observed that death of the last ruler would not affect the royal familys rights over the temple. A member of the royal family, Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma challenged the High Court order in the Supreme Court and obtained an interim stay of the High Court verdict in May 2011. Mystery of Vault B The ancient Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple hit the headlines in 2011 when a Supreme Court appointed panel took an inventory of the enormous stock of valuables like diamonds, thrones, several sacks of gold coins, gemstones and gold ornaments kept in five secret vaults near the sanctum sanctorum.g The court appointed amicus curiae Gopal Subrahmaniam and former comptroller and auditor General Vinod Rai audited the temple assets and submitted a report to the apex court. Massive treasures, believed to have been offered to the deity over several hundred years during the rule of the Travancore royal family were unearthed from the five vaults. The valuables are worth several trillion rupees, considering its historical value, and the temple shot to fame as the wealthiest temple on earth. However, one of the secret chambers, Vault B was not opened as the royal family and devotees were against opening the mysterious chamber saying that it has a mystical energy and its opening would invite unexpected disasters. But Vinod Rai in his report informed the apex court that Vault B had been opened many times since 1990 and no disasters or untoward incidents happened. As per the audit report submitted by Vinod Rai, valuables worth several crores are missing from the temple. Later, in July 2011, the apex court kept the opening of Vault B in abeyance till further orders. Even in todays order, the apex court has not made any specific remarks on the opening of Vault B and the matter has been left for the administrative committees decision. Royal family welcomes verdict Members of the Travancore royal family expressed happiness over the verdict upholding their administrative rights over the temple. Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmibhai said the family wishes to express sincere gratitude to those who supported and prayed, reports regional media. Meanwhile, the state government has also made it clear that it will abide by the SC order and wont appeal against it. Bajaj Healthcare, engaged in the manufacturing of bulk drugs and pharmaceutical products, on Monday reported 37.95 per cent growth in its net profit at Rs 22.5 crore for the full financial year ended March 31, 2020, helped by stronger manufacturing efficiencies and lower finance costs. The drug maker had posted net profit of Rs 16.31 crore for the financial year 2018-19. For FY20, revenue from operations rose by 10.76 per cent to Rs 410 crore compared to Rs 370.17 crore reported in financial year 2018-19, Bajaj Healthcare said in a regulatory filing. The EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation) increased 17.03 per cent year-on-year to Rs 51.02 crore, while finance cost reduced by 19.56 per cent from Rs 8.01 crore in FY19 to 6.45 crore in FY20. For January-March quarter of FY20, Bajaj Healthcare reported net profit of Rs 9.6 crore against revenue from operations of Rs 118.49 crore. The EBITDA stood at Rs 18.78 crore, while financial cost was Rs 1.93 crore. The company did not provide comparative figures for quarter ended March 31, 2019, since it was listed in SME segment of BSE Limited until March 31, 2019 and was required to prepare and publish half yearly results instead of quarterly results. On impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on business, Bajaj Healthcare said it initially faced "some difficulties in the secondary operations and movement of the goods, which in the month of May, actually got quite good". The company, however, experienced an impact on its sales and marketing activities due to widespread restrictions on in-person meetings with its clients due to coronavirus lockdown. "Based on current inventory levels and a robust supply chain strategy, BHL does not anticipate interruptions, to supply its products, even if extended disruptions to manufacturing operations were to occur as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic," it said. During the year under review, Bajaj Healthcare executed agreement with Vetpharma to purchase its two manufacturing facilities of intermediates for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (APIs) comprising of immovable and movable properties for a purchase consideration of Rs 20.50 crore. Meanwhile, shares of Bajaj Healthcare ended Monday's trade at Rs 287.90, up 1.82 per cent, against previous close of Rs 282.75 on the Bombay Stock Exchange. By Chitranjan Kumar Also Read: Rossari Biotech IPO subscribed 60% on Day 1 Also Read: Coronavirus drug: Cipla ramps up production of antiviral remdesivir amid demand spurt The Vietnam-US cooperation in addressing war aftermaths is considered a bright spot in bilateral relations, which have reaped remarkable achievements in many aspects. Timothy Rieser, senior advisor at the US Senate Appropriations Committee (Photo: VNA) The Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Washington interviewed Timothy Rieser, senior advisor at the US Senate Appropriations Committee, on the USs support for Vietnam in resolving war consequences, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations. Riese recalled that discussions about how the US could help Vietnam in dealing with post-war consequences began as early as 1990, especially in supporting people affected by unexploded ordnance left by war, noting that it was the beginning of the 30-year bilateral cooperation in resolving war aftermaths. It is also the start of bilateral ties which later developed into a comprehensive partnership in all realms, he said. According to Riese, the bilateral cooperation in this field has expanded to eight provinces in Vietnam, also covering support for people with disabilities due to indirect or direct exposure to Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin. The US and Vietnamese governments have effectively cooperated in the decontamination of the most heavily contaminated areas of dioxin, first at Da Nang airport in the central city of Da Nang, and now at Bien Hoa airport in the southern province of Dong Nai, he added. In recent years, the US has also received great assistance from Vietnam in searching for US soldiers missing in action (MIA) during wartime, he said, adding that this cooperation is extremely important. He revealed that the US will for the first time provide through its Department of Defence about 2.5 million USD for the MIA project, helping Vietnam to seek its soldiers missing in action during the war. In addition, the two sides are also seeking cooperation opportunities for other issues such as security, climate change, energy, food, education, media and technology, he added./.VNA Virginia is among 17 states and the District of Columbia suing the Trump administration over a policy that requires international students to be deported if colleges move to online-only classes in the fall. The lawsuit was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by 18 attorneys general. Virginia Tech, which hosts roughly 4,000 international students, said in court documents that the policy, if it leads to visa restrictions, would cost the university $100 million annually. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, whose district encompasses Tech and Radford University, said Monday that international students should leave the country if in-person classes are abandoned. The policy published by ICE last week says if universities switch to only online instruction in the fall, international students must leave the country or take alternative steps to maintain their non-immigrant status such as transfer to a school with in-person instruction. Attorneys general challenging the rule called it a cruel, abrupt, and unlawful action to expel international students or force campuses to be less safe amidst the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic that has wrought death and disruption across the United States. While ICE has said the rule is consistent with pre-pandemic policies that limit international students abilities to take online courses, many universities view the change as a way to pressure them to reopen in the fall. In a written declaration to Virginias lawsuit, David Clubb, director of Techs Cranwell International Center, said that the policy will do irreparable harm to Virginia Tech in terms of the loss of over $100 million in annual revenue, the loss of teaching capacity, the loss of research capacity, and the loss of invaluable human intellectual capital. It is an arbitrary and capricious departure from the flexibility accorded institutions and international students in the spring when the COVID-19 outbreak began, Clubb said. In Virginia, many public colleges and universities, including Virginia Tech and Radford University, have said some classes in the fall will be held in person. Tech has said a typical experience would experience about one-third of classes in person. A Radford spokeswoman last month said only about 10% of in-person classes would move online. Still, many students, university officials and politicians fear a COVID-19 resurgence in the fall could force colleges to cancel in-person classes. Last week, Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and other Democratic members of Congress called for the rule to be rescinded. Griffith, who represents Virginia southwest of Roanoke, said the policy change is consistent with previous restrictions on online courses for international students. If an international students classes are going to be completely online, it is hard to justify why that student would need to be in the United States. Before the pandemic, student visas limited the amount of online coursework an international student could take to qualify for a visa. This rule returns to that principle, Griffith said in a statement. If a student is enrolled in a class physically taking place in a university and the university abandons physical classes during that semester, I do believe a student needs more time to plan to return to his or her home country than is provided under this rule. Tech hosts more international students than any other institute of higher education in Virginia, according to a 2019 report from the nonprofit Institute of International Education, which annually conducts such a survey. That report said Tech had 4,460 international students that year out of 20,452 international students statewide. In addition to 3,681 students currently enrolled on a certain visa, Clubb said the university has admitted 845 international students for the fall, 82% of whom are currently outside of the U.S. and need a visa to enter the country. The policys mandates come just weeks before the Virginia Tech campus is set to re-open, include extremely short deadlines for compliance, which interferes with operational planning for fall opening while creating confusion and complexity for the university and our international students, Clubb said. He added that the rule needlessly interferes with and hamstrings institutional decision-making at Virginia Tech regarding how to handle international students in the event that circumstances, such as a spike in COVID-19 cases, necessitate an unexpected change in operational status during the fall 2020 semester. Already, the ICE rule is causing disruption. At least one Tech student plans to return to his native China this month and take classes remotely rather than stay in Blacksburg. A recent graduate said many students from China are gauging whether they should try to make the difficult return trip or try to take a gap year. ICE has declined to comment, citing pending litigation. Staff writer Amy Friedenberger contributed information to this report. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly 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. In contrast to previous hypotheses, researchers from the University College London and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust found no evidence of unique viral sequences from patients with pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS). Their study is published on the medRxiv* preprint server. Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 Colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell heavily infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient sample. The black area in the image is extracellular space between the cells. Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID Since the emergence of first cases in December 2019, the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has quickly resulted in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Today we are well aware of a broad spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 presentations, which includes atypical manifestations and possible mimic conditions. Although a significant threat in the elderly population, severe disease, and death due to SARS-CoV-2 is rare in children. Nevertheless, a small number of children with multisystem inflammation and shock have been reported either after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 or just by confirming epidemiological links. This new syndrome was named the pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS), and shares features with other pediatric inflammatory conditions including Kawasaki disease, bacterial sepsis, toxic shock syndrome, and macrophage activation syndrome. In a recent case series published by the leading journal JAMA, hospitalized children who met criteria for PIMS-TS presented with a wide array of signs/symptoms and disease severity categories ranging from fever and inflammation to myocardial injury, coronary artery aneurysms and shock. But the question remains: what is causing it? The pathogenesis of PIMS-TS The exact pathogenesis of PIMS-TS is thus far elusive. Still, it has been proposed that a part of the SARS-CoV-2 viral spike protein, which is pivotal for binding onto cells, may resemble a super-antigen (i.e., a protein that uses an efficient mechanism of T lymphocyte stimulation) and subsequently drive the development of PIMS-TS. More specifically, polymorphic residues in spike protein (including A831V and D839Y/N/E2) that may enhance the binding affinity to the T cell receptor have been observed in lineages circulating in Europe and North America, which is where most of the PIMS-TS cases have been described. Moreover, the 614G spike protein polymorphism may be linked to the increased viral transmission and altered SARS-CoV-2 biology. At the same time, certain studies have shown that the cell entry of such viral types may proceed much smoother. In order to find potential evidence of unique sequences associated with the viruses from PIMS-TS patients, the researchers from the University College London and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust decided to analyze viral sequences from pediatric COVID-19 patients. Next-generation sequencing and comparison with reference genome To examine whether the SARS-CoV-2 sequence variation might be a significant contributor in the pathogenesis of PIMS-TS, this research group sequenced viral isolates from children hospitalized for COVID-19 in London between late March and mid-May 2020. From a total of 61 children hospitalized with COVID-19, 36 were diagnosed with PIMS-TS. In the latter group, 11 of children were positive for SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA. Full-length viral genome sequences were obtained from 5 children with PIMS-TS and 8 children without the syndrome by utilizing Illumina sequencing, which is widely embraced next-generation sequencing technology. The obtained reads were quality checked and subsequently mapped to the SARS-COV-2 reference genome from GenBank (i.e., an open-access collection of all publicly available nucleotide sequences). The researchers also constructed a maximum likelihood phylogeny of these sequences, but also 130 SARS-CoV-2 sequences generated from community cases across North London. Representative of a locally circulating SARS-CoV-2 "Using the reference genome (NC_045512), we observed no single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) unique to the PIMS-TS or the other childhood cases and no difference in the distribution of single nucleotide polymorphisms between PIMS-TS, non-PIMS-TS and community cases", say study authors. More specifically, all childhood cases were characterized by A831 and D839 mutations, as were all of the locally circulating samples. Furthermore, the majority of all sequenced viruses were 614G positive. "There was no clustering of viral sequences from PIMS-TS patients or non-PIMS-TS patients in relation to other local sequences," study authors further explain their findings in the medRxiv paper. In a nutshell, the overall data suggest that viruses causing PIMS-TS in this cohort of children are indeed representative of locally circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains. In other words, no evidence for an association of PIMS-TS with new or unusual sequence polymorphisms has been found. Hence, further studies are definitely warranted for any steadfast conclusions; in the meantime, long-term follow-up will be pivotal and cardiac vigilance needed in pediatric cohorts of patients, until this condition is understood better. *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 two leaders of the ongoing nightly protests in Chattanooga were arrested on two different sets of charges on Sunday. Marie Mott and Cameron Williams were charged by Chattanooga Police with obstructing an intersection and blocking an emergency vehicle. Later in the day, they were charged by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office in connection with taking the Sheriff's flag from the county jail and burning it at Miller Park. Chattanooga Police on Sunday morning said they had obtained warrants for multiple protesters, including Ms. Mott and Williams, "who engaged in illegal and dangerous activity" on Friday at or near the intersection of Market and East Main Streets. Mott and Williams, "who engaged in illegal and dangerous activity" on Friday at or near the intersection of Market and East Main Streets. Police said the protesters blocked an emergency vehicle attempting to get to an active call for a vehicle crash with injuries. The Chattanooga Police Department obtained warrants for Ms. Mott, 32, Williams, 35, Grason Harvey, 22, and Lindsey Baker, 33, for blocking an emergency vehicle en route to an active call for service. Each face charges of disorderly conduct and blocking a highway. As more involved persons are identified additional warrants and charges will be issued as the investigation continues, police said. CPD has had numerous discussions with the protesters and officers have blocked streets in order for marches to take place as safely as possible since May 30, said Chief David Roddy. I am not blind to the issues being challenged, but I will not allow the protesters to endanger themselves, invoke fear in other community members, and impede emergency services to anyone in this city. The CPD asked Ms. Mott, Williams and the other two defendants to turn themselves in to the Hamilton County Jail. They did so on Sunday morning and still were in jail at late afternoon. The Sheriff's Office on Sunday afternoon issued arrest warrants were issued for Ms. Mott, Williams and 19-year-old Gerald Crawley. The Sheriff's Office said, "These arrest warrants are a result of an investigation conducted by the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigations Division into the flag burning incident that took place at Miller Park on Thursday. Ms. Mott, Williams and Crawley were charged with theft under $1,000, vandalism under $1,000, reckless burning and inciting to riot. Mott and Williams were already in custody on unrelated charges at the time the warrants were issued. Crawley remains at large. This is an ongoing investigation as the Sheriff's Office attempts to identify others who were involved in the incident, it was stated. The protest group issued this statement: "In spite of a video release proving local protesters did not block emergency responders at Friday nights protest, local protest leaders and other innocent protesters remain jailed as of 2:30 p.m. Sunday. "Multiple sources from within Alleia restaurant confirmed Friday that while the owner, Chef Daniel Lindley, has avoided any conversation or involvement in the national movement for the betterment of Black and Brown lives and end to police brutality and overuse of force, one of his managers felt strongly about the issue. Multiple sources overheard that manager later bragging about the police call he made. "The Alleia manager made those calls during the Friday night protest in the intersection of Market and Main street. It is also unclear why the Chattanooga Police Department waited two days before issuing the warrants for the four protesters Sunday morning. "Currently, multiple protesters from Friday nights event remain in Hamilton County Jail after turning themselves in this morning. Local leaders Marie Mott and Cameron Williams are among those who turned themselves in on charges of disorderly conduct and blocking a highway. CPD and Hamilton County Sheriff Officers are racist, and they are trying to weaponize the jail system to bully protesters during a pandemic, Williams said in a Facebook Live video prior to turning himself in. So youre telling me blocking a road instills fear in the community? Mott asked in her own Facebook Live video this morning. ... I hope you guys see that this is just them making an example of us. I hope this just proves exactly what we have been saying all along: Within their department there is no accountability. "Video footage provided by other attending protesters showing the passing of two fire trucks safely was posted to local movement organization ICantBreatheCHA this morning via Instagram. "Multiple attempts to text and call Lindley, Alleias owner, for an explanation, have gone unanswered." Bollywood superstar, family hit by coronavirus: Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan's daughter-in-law and granddaughter have joined him and his son in testing positive for the coronavirus in Mumbai, India's financial and entertainment capital, a government minister said. The father and son were admitted to a hospital, while the daughter-in-law and granddaughter reportedly asymptomatic are self-quarantining at home. India has the world's third-highest coronavirus caseload, registering a record increase on Sunday that took the number of infections to nearly 850,000. Ever since Meghan Markle became a royal, she garnered a lot of embarrassing titles from the British public. Meghan has been the subject of criticisms, as British tabloids continuously penned articles that put her under negative light. It all started when she began dating Prince Harry, and it got worse after she married him in 2018. With that said, we take a look at some of the embarrassing nicknames that she probably didn't deserve but the British media still gave it to her. U.K's Top Social Climber Tatler magazine released a damaging poll after it crowned Meghan as Britain's Top Social Climber, The magazine's October 2019 issue said that although she did not go from "rags to riches," Meghan's life was a "Ralph & Russo-clad beacon of change." "Just cast an eye on today's Society and you'll soon see how high the underprivileged have soared. Not to mention those who pretend to be less grand than they really are," the article disclosed before adding that she is a "tungsten toughie to drag the Royal Family into the 21st century." After topping the said list, Piers Morgan added more fuel to the fire by calling her a "ruthless social climber" who has spent her life using people before ditching them. The "Good Morning Britain" presenter's dig came after Prince Harry and Meghan's bombshell Megxit. "Most Unfairly Treated Person" Title Before they decided to leave the monarchy, the Duchess got a saddening remembrance after going through a lot in 2019. PlayOJO conducted a survey on the most unfairly treated person of the year. Over 2,000 people participated in the poll, and surprisingly, half of them thought that Markle should be at the top of the list. A spokesperson from PlayOJO stated that they launched the survey to find the balance and not only to acknowledge that it was the worst year for Prince Harry's wife. "Whatever you think of her, the majority of us Brits agree on one thing - she's had a pretty tough year," the statement went on. The duchess topped the list over Ant McPartlin, The Queen, Greta Thunberg and Alex Hollywood. 2nd-Most Unpopular Royal Coming from Hollywood, Meghan surely expected that her popularity as an actress would boom even more as soon as she began dating a royal prince. However, she never got what she wanted. In a poll launched by New Public Polls For Metro in November 2019, the duchess fell second place in the most unpopular royal after Prince Andrew. Meghan's approval rating climbed to 66 percent among 18 to 24-year-old individuals, but it dropped to 28 percent among those aged 55 to 64. Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, still got more approvals than her -- as usual -- with her total approval rating peaked at 67 percent. "There's a lot of support for the Sussexes among younger people," said pollster Gabriel Milland. "Meghan has real appeal among groups that will make up the majority of the population in the decades to come." However, it is worth noting that these polls were created months before the Sussexes stepped down as senior royals. Because of that, a lot of royal watchers expect her approval rating to fall even more if Public Polls for Metro would launch the poll once again. READ MORE: Queen's Fury: 3 Times Prince Harry HURT Queen Elizabeth II Police were called to manage crowds at several locations across Sydney when a doughnut chain held a promotion which involved handing out the sweet treats by the dozen for free. Due to some missing out on a chance to really celebrate, Krispy Kreme offered 36,000 packs of doughnuts to anyone whose birthday fell between 13 March and 13 July, in a promotion to commemorate the companys 83rd birthday. People swarmed the stores across Sydney to claim their free dozen doughnuts and supplies sold out across the country, according to posts on Krispy Kreme Australias Facebook page. Krispy Kreme were offering 12 free doughnuts to anyone who celebrated their birthday in isolation. Source: Facebook/Krispy Kreme Australia However due to the crowds, police were forced to intervene, not only to ensure health directives were being followed but also to ease traffic. In a statement to Yahoo News Australia, NSW Police confirmed officers were called to a number of locations across Sydney on Monday. General duties officers, police Traffic and Highway patrol officers and the Public Order and Riot Squad worked with crews from the transport management centre to ensure compliance with public health order, a spokesperson for NSW Police said. Police are now examining which, if any, breaches occurred due to the promotion and will take action if necessary. Operation coronavirus Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke condemned the promotion. This is nonsensical and defies logic, he said in a media statement. We have people in NSW who have lost jobs, people who have missed the opportunity to farewell their loved ones at funerals, and of course, people who have lost their lives due to COVID-19. Promotions like this do nothing to assist in maintaining social distancing which is vital to stopping the spread of the virus. Story continues It wasnt just the Acting Commissioner who took aim at the crowds wanting their free glazed doughnuts. Photos of the commotion ended up on social media, garnering a strong reaction from many. Free doughnuts? Enjoy... Police in the Area wrote on Facebook, along with a photo of what is apparently the Auburn store. But what about social distance!!? Photos of people swarming outside Krispy Kreme stores in Sydney did the rounds on social media, causing outrage. Source: Facebook/Police in the Area What a joke for Krispy Kreme to be running such a promotion through these times, someone said in the comments. Apparently free doughnuts are more important than their health, another said. Many criticised the lack of social distancing in the photo, while one suggested a lockdown was inevitable. Another simply said: Were doomed. While one person did cast doubt on the legitimacy of the photo shared by the Facebook group, similar photos outside the Auburn store on Monday and the police statement appear the suggest it is in fact legitimate. When announcing the promotion on Facebook, Krispy Kreme Australia did say social distancing must be observed and that no one would be allowed out of their cars to get their free doughnuts in Victoria. All government guidelines must be followed and customers will be required to comply with social distancing rules at all times, Krispy Kreme Australia wrote on Sunday. In Victoria, you will only be able to visit us in your vehicle, through the drive-thrus at Bulleen, Fawkner and Fountain Gate. This is to help us provide a contactless service and follow social distancing practices. All stores reportedly sold out of doughnuts. March-July babies, give yourself a pat on the back - you sure love your doughnuts, Krispy Kreme Australia said on Facebook. We thank everyone who visited one of our stores today and waited patiently - another huge thanks for cooperating with our staff. Together, we made today special. 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. She's been keeping her Instagram followers entertained with regular racy uploads during lockdown. And now the restrictions are easing, model Demi Rose made sure to dress to impress for the HLD summer brunch event in London on Sunday. The Instagram sensation looked stunning in a cut-out, jungle print gown for the star-studded night out at Jin Bo Law in the capital. Out on the town! Demi Rose made sure to dress to impress for the HLD summer brunch event in London on Sunday Demi turned heads as she arrived at the glam party in her gorgeous gown. The flowing number featured a bold leaf print on the bodice, and a blue butterfly print on the skirt. All the attention though was on Demi's jaw-dropping curves, with the racy cut-out detail exposing the beauty's chest. She accessorised with snakeskin print heels and styled her brunette locks into a chic up do. Sitting pretty: The Instagram sensation looked stunning in a cut-out, jungle print gown for the star-studded night out at Jin Bo Law in the capital Posing up a storm: Demi turned heads as she arrived at the glam party in her gorgeous gown Demi held court inside the bash, hopping behind the bar to pour some delicious looking cocktails and posing for photos with her pals. Demi was joined by a long line of reality star beauties at the fun night out, marking many of the guest's first big event in months. Love Island twins Jess and Eve Gale matched in white strapless mini dresses, showing off their glowing tans as they strutted inside. Drink anyone? Demi held court inside the bash, hopping behind the bar to pour some delicious looking cocktails and posing for photos with her pals Stunning dress: The flowing number featured a bold leaf print on the bodice, and a blue butterfly print on the skirt Va va voom! All the attention though was on Demi's jaw-dropping curves, with the racy cut-out detail exposing the beauty's chest Turning heads: The radiant bombshell ensured she documented her outing on her widely-followed social media platform Fellow Love Island star Harley Brash looked super chic in a little black dress, with halter-neck detail. She accessorised with gold heels and super sleek locks as she posed up a storm for the cameras inside. Demi has been isolating in her London flat, after the coronavirus pandemic scrapped her travel plans for March - much to her chagrin. Party time: Demi was joined by a long line of reality star beauties at the fun night out, marking many of the guest's first big event in months, including Love Island twins Jess and Eve Gale Coordinated: The twins matched in white strapless mini dresses, showing off their glowing tans In the mood to party: The Love Island stars perfected their matching poses on the strut inside The star recently lamented: 'All I have with me is crochet stuff and bikinis. I'm sick of wearing all the other stuff that I bought that is loungey. What is your bet that this will be over in June, July, August... What do you think, like never? 'Corona really f**ed us up, really majorly f**ked us up. I hope you're all staying safe and me... I am meditating, I'm trying to read a lot of books. Me and Teddy are really bored. I really want corona to f**k off, honestly.' Despite hating being cooped up in her flat, Demi recently revealed she is enjoying having some time for self reflection. Gorgeous: Fellow Love Island star Harley Brash looked super chic in a little black dress, with halter-neck detail Strike a pose: She accessorised with gold heels and super sleek locks as she posed up a storm for the cameras inside With my girls: Love Island 2017 star Danielle Sellers looked gorgeous in a pink mini dress She explained: 'I find this time is really healing. I've never had the chance to sit here, not be able to move. I kind of sweep it under the carpet and get on with it. I've had time to think about things I haven't really got over, I've never really grieved. 'I'm trying to think about the positives with this time. If you're feeling a lot, you're trapped in your home, trapped with your thoughts, try and think about it like you need to feel this way, get over it to be better.' The Instagram star suffered heartache when dad Barrie when he passed away aged 80 in 2018, before her mother Christine sadly died just seven months later. Wow! Radio DJ & Presenter Sian Owen showed off her incredible figure in a black catsuit Stunning: YouTuber Tia Marie Nelson chose a chic white mini dress for the big night out At the bar: Demi looked in her element as she mixed up some cocktails at the glam bar Natural! The star giggled away as she poured the delicious loooking drinks for guests Good to be out! Demi has been isolating in her London flat, and recently lamented the cancellation of her summer travel plans A nurse from California, who is a dedicated Disney fan, has died after a 26-day battle with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives across the globe. At the age of 29, California nurse Joshua Obra, who is also known for running the popular Disneyland account @disneylandpanda, died on July 6. This report was confirmed by his younger sister, Jasmine Obra, through her Instagram post on Friday. She mourned for the death of her brother. On her Instagram post, Jasmine thanked everyone who prayed for Joshua during his battle against COVID-19. She also shared that her brother "fought hard" to beat the disease for 26 days, which started on the first day he experienced the symptoms. She also added that Joshua was very close to him. They have never been apart for a long period of time. She admitted that sometimes she was too hard on him and she hoped that he knew it was out of love. Jasmine described her brother as selfless, kind, and "wanting to make everyone happy." Aside from being a registered nurse and running a Disneyland account, Joshua loved to take and post photographs of him at the park. Most of the time he took photos in Disneyland and wherever he goes. Jasmine was also thankful and blessed that Joshua was able to teach her some knowledge on how to be a nurse, while they were able to work together "before they got sick." In a subsequent Instagram post, Jasmine said she was still waiting on "her test results." Jasmine also asserted that she was happy that Joshua was able to share his love for Disney, visit all the Disney parks, and had traveled in some parts of the world. She said she is so blessed to have Joshua as his brother. "I know I'll never be able to fully understand why he was taken away from us so early, but I know he lived a good life while he was here with us. He is now free from suffering and pain," Jasmine wrote. Jasmine believed that his brother is now "reunited with their grandparents." She also liked to think that her brother is "looking for Walt Disney" in order to talk about "all the magic." A local news station also gave a touching message to Joshua. On its Instagram, the ABC7 announced the passing of Joshua, who was "one of our favorite Eyewitnesses." The station continued by describing Joshua as a kind, sweet man, and a talented photographer. "You can tell from his Instagram handle that he was a huge Disney fan, and he participated in many Disney and ABC7 events and initiatives over the years. He was someone you could depend on, and was always very generous with his time and talent," the ABC7 wrote. The station continued that Joshua was born and raised in Southern California and shared his love for Disney with his family. Meanwhile, the number of nurses, who got infected and died due to COVID-19, has continued to rise due to lack of personal protective equipment. A wandering, daydreaming mind can spur creativity ... wait, where was I? Oh, yes, two researchers from Washington University in St. Louis and another from Pontificia Universidad Catolica in Chile found that daydreaming carries significant creative benefits, especially for those who identify with their profession and care for the work they do. When not compelled by the problems and challenges of one's profession, though, it can impair performance, the detriment historically linked to a mind meandering on the job. In other words, daydreaming can be both a liability and a significant asset, depending upon certain attributes of the wanderer. "Daydreaming can have significant upsides for one's tendency to crack difficult challenges in new ways. This, however, presumes that people deeply care about the work they do, what attracted them to the profession in the first place," said Markus Baer, Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Olin Business School. "Daydreaming without this focus has significant downsides, which show up most directly in one's overall performance ratings." In today's "knowledge economy," a mind is a terrible thing to waste, whatever direction it may venture. This research, published July 1 in the Academy of Management Journal, opens new windows into the power of the mind. Specifically, this project "depicts daydreaming as a critical mechanism accounting for the connection between the type of work people do and the level of creativity they exhibit on the job," wrote coauthors Baer, Erik Dane, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at Olin, and Hector P. Madrid of Pontificia Universidad. Don't mistake this activity for distraction or multitasking, staples of the modern workspace. Rather, the process at the heart of this study involves thoughts disconnecting from a task and/or "stimulus environment." The coauthors found such a wandering-thought process results in work that is highly creative and not universally counterproductive, as often assumed in the business world and suggested by science that has studied daydreaming for decades. Granted, not all daydreaming is created equally. The researchers studied two types in particular: problem-oriented daydreams, or imaginative thoughts loosely connected to one's challenges, and bizarre daydreams, or thoughts not linked to existing challenges or problems at all but rather improbable possibilities. As the coauthors explained, these bizarre thoughts usually involve scenarios that "might delight a writer of fantasy or science fiction." What they found, though, wasn't merely mental escapism. Critical for creativity-boosting daydreaming, they found in their multi-faceted study, was professional identification -- workers who are psychologically attached to their profession, who gain a sense of self from their job. When they perform cognitively demanding work, gathering both enjoyment and fulfillment from that work, their daydreams spark imaginative thoughts around the job's tasks and problems. The researchers tested their model via two distinct studies: (1) sampling experiences of 169 professionals in a spectrum of industries, and (2) conducting a field study of 117 professional employees and their 46 supervisors. Each study was conducted in South America, and the research participants averaged 33.9 and 35.9 years old, respectively. "Conducting two different studies enabled us to test our hypotheses across a wide range of workers and triangulate our findings," Dane said. "The methods and measures we adopted integrated cutting-edge techniques associated with studying creativity and daydreaming alike." In the first study, workers -- across a wide range of businesses, though mainly service (26%) and banking or commerce (22%) -- provided daily, diary-like ratings of the job challenges and their minds' tendency to engage in the two types of daydreaming. Workers also rated the extent to which they generated new ideas and solutions during the day. The second study involved employees across three technology consulting companies, where creativity and problem-solving are rife, and where employees tend to identify strongly with their profession and its attendant values and challenges. This time, the authors also asked supervisors at those companies to rate their employees' creativity. Workers were significantly more likely to daydream when they confronted tricky problems and new challenges in their work. And these daydreams, in turn, reliably boosted people's creativity, at least for professionally identified workers. Interestingly, so long as employees' identification with their profession was present, the researchers discovered that both problem-oriented and bizarre daydreaming had virtually no impact on performance, neither positive nor negative. However, when professional identification was lacking, daydreaming significantly compromised performance. "What this means is that daydreaming can boost creativity but does little to kill it; on the flip side, daydreaming does little to improve overall performance but can significantly reduce it," Madrid said. In the end, the researchers concluded that most businesses could benefit from taking steps to remove the stigma around daydreaming at work. The mind wanders close to half of the day, previous science found, so it is unreasonable to assume that it can stay on task continuously. At the very least, perhaps we shouldn't shun workers for getting lost in their thoughts and dreams. There might just be a new idea in there. ### Iran and China have quietly drafted a sweeping economic and security partnership that would clear the way for billions of dollars of Chinese investments in energy and other sectors, undercutting the Trump administrations efforts to isolate the Iranian government because of its nuclear and military ambitions. The partnership, detailed in an 18-page proposed agreement, would vastly expand Chinese presence in banking, telecommunications, ports, railways and dozens of other projects. In exchange, China would receive a regular and, according to an Iranian official and an oil trader, heavily discounted supply of Iranian oil over the next 25 years. The document, obtained by The New York Times also describes deepening military cooperation, potentially giving China a foothold in a region that has been a strategic preoccupation of the United States for decades. It calls for joint training and exercises, joint research and weapons development and intelligence sharing all to fight the lopsided battle with terrorism, drug and human trafficking and cross-border crimes. The partnership first proposed by Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, during a visit to Iran in 2016 was approved by president Hassan Rouhanis Cabinet in June, Irans foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said last week. If put into effect as detailed, the partnership would create new and potentially dangerous flashpoints in the deteriorating relationship between China and the US. It represents a major blow to the Trump administrations aggressive policy towards Iran since abandoning the nuclear deal reached in 2015 by Barack Obama and the leaders of six other nations after two years of gruelling negotiations. Renewed US sanctions, including the threat to cut off access to the international banking system for any company that does business in Iran, have succeeded in suffocating the Iranian economy by scaring away badly needed foreign trade and investment. But Tehrans desperation has pushed it into the arms of China, which has the technology and appetite for oil that Iran needs. Iran has been one of the worlds largest oil producers, but its exports, Tehrans largest source of revenue, have plunged since the Trump administration began imposing sanctions in 2018; China gets about 75 per cent of its oil from abroad and is the worlds largest importer, at more than 10 million barrels a day last year. The New York Times M ore than 100 local Covid-19 outbreaks are being "dealt with" in the UK each week, according to the Health Secretary. Matt Hancock revealed local authorities are reacting swiftly and silently to many outbreaks that "don't make the news". Mr Hancock added that increased testing means officials can take a more targeted approach rather than imposing national measures. His comments come after 73 cases of the virus were confirmed at a farm in Herefordshire, leading to around 200 workers being quarantined as a precautionary measure. Meanwhile, Monday marks two weeks since Mr Hancock announced Leicester would be the first city to be put under a local lockdown restrictions he is expected to review later this week. Mr Hancock praised local authorities for publishing outbreak plans / PA Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Hancock said: Each week there are more than 100 local actions taken across the country some of these will make the news, but many more are swiftly and silently dealt with. This is thanks in large part to the incredible efforts of local authorities all of whom have stepped up and published their local outbreak control plans in line with the end of June deadline. In an article for the newspaper, he said officials will hunt down the virus by targeting areas of concern. An increased testing capacity means the Government can take more targeted local action and less national lockdown to allow the easing of measures for the majority of the country, he said. Door-to-door testing will be used more widely in future outbreaks / PA The newspaper reports that door-to-door testing, which was utilised in the worst-hit areas of Leicester, is to be used more widely to curb outbreaks in the coming months. Portable walk-in centres will also be stationed in areas where there is a flare-up of the virus. On Sunday, Public Health England (PHE) Midlands and Herefordshire Council said around 200 employees at vegetable producer AS Green and Co were put into lockdown following a Covid-19 outbreak among the workforce. Some 73 workers tested positive for the virus, leading to the whole group of workers, who live in shared accommodation at Rook Row Farm, to be isolated together as one extended bubble. The council said it is arranging food and essential supplies for residents on the site while they self-isolate. Rumble Hawksbill sea turtles are critically endangered. They are gorgeous, with ornately patterned shells and a unique facial structure, resembling the beak of a predatory bird. This striking beauty has caused a dramatic population decline for the hawksbills. They were already facing a threat due to meat and egg harvests, and they were placed at greater risk when their shells became the much sought-after material used to make jewelry boxes and hair clips. In the last century, their numbers plummeted, and they were on the brink of extinction. Conservation efforts and increased protection laws have helped this beautiful animal begin a comeback. These two turtles are actually success stories due to the efforts of researchers and rehab workers in Papua New Guinea. They were given critical care in their early years and then released back into the wild in a remote part of Kimbe Bay. Scuba divers visit the island where they live to document and study the wildlife and the ecosystem in this area. The turtles still trust humans, and they approach them curiously, looking for food and interaction. The turtles are interested in what the divers are looking at, and they will often swim between the divers and their photography subjects, competing for the attention of the divers. It is believed that these turtles remember the trust that they were shown, and they respond with particular interest to the specific diver that played a direct role in their upbringing and release. Hawksbill sea turtles are among the most beautiful and beloved animals in the ocean. To interact with turtles like this on their own terms is a beautiful and memorable experience. A man walks past a coronavirus-related mural, in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico - FRANCISCO ROBLES/AFP Mexico on Sunday became the country with the fourth highest death toll from Covid-19, ahead of Italy, according Mexican health officials and AFP's global tallies. "There are 299,750 confirmed cases of infection and 35,006 deaths in Mexico," health officials said on the presidency's Twitter account. Italy currently has 34,954 fatalities from the coronavirus. Spanish court suspends lockdown of virus-hit Catalonia area A local court on Monday suspended a home confinement order imposed on over 200,000 people in the Spanish region of Catalonia after an upsurge in virus cases. "The Lerida district court has decided not to ratify the measures of the 12 July resolution," the Catalan supreme court said on its Twitter account. The decision, which suspends the stay-at-home order, can be appealed. A man with a protective face mask crosses the empty streets of Lleida, Catalonia - RAMON GABRIEL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/Shutterstock Concern over new Sydney cluster as Australia virus cases surge Sydney residents were warned Monday to put the brakes on partying as a new coronavirus cluster emerged at a city pub on the heels of a major outbreak in Melbourne. Three pubs in Sydney and its surrounds were closed after being linked to outbreaks or failing to comply with social distancing requirements, while other events were under investigation with Australia on edge over a resurgence of the virus. The new cluster emerged after Melbourne entered a six-week lockdown on Thursday, and surrounding Victoria state was sealed off from the rest of the country in an effort to contain the virus. Authorities reported 177 new infections in and around Melbourne Monday, marking a week of triple-digit increases. New South Wales police assistant commissioner Tony Cooke on Monday slammed the "moronic behaviour of people at dance parties", after local media published footage of large private get-togethers in Sydney's wealthy eastern suburbs. City residents are allowed a maximum of 20 visitors to their homes under restrictions which have been gradually eased in recent weeks as the number of infections dwindled. Story continues At least 21 infections have now been linked to a growing cluster at Sydney's Crossroads Hotel - a popular drinking spot on a major traffic route - raising concern the virus could be spreading in the state. Staff sanitize the premises outside the Star Casino in Sydney. According to local media reports, a man who visited the casino has tested positive to COVID-19 while 13 people are now linked to a cluster at a Sydney pub - JAMES GOURLEY/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/Shutterstock Argentina passes 100,000 Covid-19 cases Argentina has registered more than 100,000 Covid-19 cases, its Ministry of Health said Sunday, despite the Buenos Aires area - the country's coronavirus hot spot - being under extended shutdown. The country now has recorded 1,845 deaths from the pandemic with 100,153 positive cases and almost 43,000 people recovered. The shutdown in the Buenos Aires area, the most populated region of the country, is due to end on Friday. Authorities are still debating what restrictions will remain in place, though the reopening of some shops and permits to run in parks are expected. Crisis-wracked Argentina has been in recession since 2018 and has been further rocked by the coronavirus outbreak. The International Monetary Fund predicts its economy will shrink by almost 10 percent this year. Latin America is struggling to quell the virus, with Brazil the second hardest-hit country in the world recording over 70,000 deaths. An employee in a protective suit checks the temperature of a passenger entering Argentinian ferry service company Buquebus' terminal in the port of Montevideo - PABLO PORCIUNCULA/AFP Bolivian economy minister becomes fourth cabinet member with Covid-19 Bolivia's economy minister said Sunday that he tested positive for Covid-19, making him the fourth cabinet member with the virus, in addition to the country's interim president who is in quarantine. Economy Minister Oscar Ortiz joins the ranks of the ministers of health and mining, in addition to Anez's chief of staff, all of whom are COVID-positive. Ortiz, who was named the country's new economy minister on Tuesday, released a video clip in which he said doctors admitted him to the hospital so his symptoms could be monitored. Interim President Jeanine Anez has been at home in quarantine since she announced her positive test Thursday. Her doctor has said she is asymptomatic. "I send all my support to @OscarOrtizA," Anez tweeted, wishing him a quick recovery. Other high-ranking Bolivian authorities such as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the president of the country's central bank have also contracted the virus. Bolivian Economics Minister Oscar Ortiz is the fourth member of cabinet to contract Covid-19 - -/AFP Hong Kong postpones annual book fair Organisers of Hong Kong's annual book fair have postponed the event just two days before it was due to start, as the city grapples with a third wave of coronavirus infections. The book fair, which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, will be rescheduled. Hong Kong has seen a spike in the number of locally transmitted cases, prompting a suspension of all schools and tightened social-distancing measures. The city reported 30 new local infections on Sunday. So far, Hong Kong has reported 1,470 infections and seven deaths. Hong Kong has cancelled its anticipated annual book fair as it struggles to contain a third wave outbreak in the city - JEROME FAVRE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/Shutterstock Japan hospitals cut staff bonuses as coronavirus drives them into the red About a third of Japanese medical institutions are cutting summer bonuses to staff, a trade union said on Monday, as many hospitals and clinics face a cash crunch, having had to delay routine treatments to make room for coronavirus patients. The Japan Federation of Medical Worker's Unions said that out of 338 organisations surveyed 115 were planning to cut bonuses below last year's levels. Tough working conditions along with pay reductions could persuade more medical staff to retire early, said Kenichi Igarashi, an executive committee member of the union. Although serious Covid-19 cases have abated, the epidemic brought Japan's medical system to the brink of collapse in April and May, as patients filled intensive care units and hospitals dealt with internal outbreaks. "Hospitals that take in Covid-19 patients are especially hard hit financially, which is truly a sad thing," said Fumie Sakamoto, the infection control manager at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo. "The future doesn't look bright, especially in Tokyo since the number of new cases are on the rise again." Two thirds of all hospitals in Japan are now operating in financial deficit, according to a Japan Hospital Association paper last month. The figure is 90% among institutions taking in coronavirus patients in Tokyo, where new daily infections have shot up to more than 200 in recent days. Hospital staff in Japan have had their bonuses cut despite the coronavirus outbreak - KIM KYUNG-HOON/REUTERS South Africa reimposes nationwide curfew as cases surge South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said his country faced a "coronavirus storm" that was "far fiercer and more destructive than any we have known before" as he re-imposed a night-time curfew and also a ban on alcohol sales barely six weeks after buying booze had become legal again. "As we head towards the peak of infections, it is vital that we do not burden our clinics and hospitals with alcohol-related injuries," Ramaphosa said. New coronavirus infections have topped 12,000 per day - or 500 per hour - in South Africa in recent days, making it the fourth-biggest contributor to new worldwide cases after the United States, Brazil and India. A South African policeman points his pump rifle to disperse a crowd of shoppers in Yeoville, Johannesburg - MARCO LONGARI/AFP What you might have missed T he Secretary General of the UK Chinese Business Association, Lady Bates, has told The Londoner that she is planning to write to publishers over a book which she says insinuates that her work on relations with Beijing has been a malign force in the UK. Xuelin Li Bates married Tory peer Lord Bates in 2012. She told us she and her husband are going through book Hidden Hand by Clive Hamilton and Mareike Ohlberg line by line. She says the book, cited by UK media recently, suggests the links of Bates and a number of high-profile politicians with China have been part of a global program of subversion Lord and Lady Bates warned criticism of Chinas government was in danger of turning into Sinophobia. They claimed: There has been a sharp rise in anti-Chinese sentiment as a result of legitimate concerns over the Covid pandemic, Hong Kong and cyber-security. However, this is now developing into a hostile climate of stigmatisation and suspicion towards those who have worked in good faith to build friendship and trade during what was referred to as a Golden era in UK China relations. "More worryingly, we are witnessing an alarming increase in racially motivated attacks against the British Chinese community here in London. I know there is a real sense of fear and anxiety amongst many Chinese community members in London at this time. "We need to try and find a more balanced way in which we can rightly defend of national interests, express our concerns and yet do so in a constructive way which also recognises the immensely positive contributions made by the British Chinese community, Chinese businesses, students and tourists to this country and especially to this city." Hamilton told The Londoner today: Mareike Ohlberg and I stand by our research. -- Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Choreographer Arlene Phillips says she worries about younger people and plastic surgery. I see young people where literally every part of their body has had some procedure. For me that is a much greater problem. I wish I could say, Start at my feet and keep pulling until you reach my forehead, but Im not brave enough to take the pain. -- The National Gallery and the Tate are set to axe hundreds of jobs from their commercial operations this summer due to the financial hit from coronavirus. The Art Newspaper reports that staff who work in shops and cafes many of whom are low paid and black and minority ethnic will be at risk. Unions who represent staff are consulting about stike action. -- SW1A POOL/AFP via Getty Images Lord Fowler has hit back at rumours swirling this weekend of the House of Lords being moved to York. The Speaker of the Lords told The Londoner this morning: We keep on getting leaks on facts that this move is on the government agenda but I dont know whose agenda its on. Theres been absolutely no consultation with the Lords. This is a serious move. Assertion by leak is completely crazy. You cant smuggle out information. Lord Fowler also told us he didnt think it would be practical. Somehow the idea that its going to be more efficient 200 miles away is fanciful. None of the senates that Ive ever come across around the world are 200 miles away from the first senate. Fowler said Lords were not impressed by the talk of moving them North: I think theres a certain amount of bemusement about it. I think there is a certain amount of dissatisfaction. he said. He went on: Every time it comes up the Government says nothing. Its not a good way of treating any assembly. It can be put right if people can be open about their planning. Dont smuggle out information. Forget Brexit. Lexit may get nastier. -- Whitmores up on the roof for drive-in cinema LAURA WHITMORE turned up the glamour at the Sunday Sunset Cinema in Acton, while BBC newsreader Huw Edwards travelled to Wales to see his mother Aerona Protheroe for the first time in four months. Aww. TV presenter Rochelle Humes cradled her baby bump with husband Marvin. And happy 23rd birthday to Malala Yousafzai, who celebrated with her parents and some rather big balloons. Rajasthan crisis: Congress MLAs to meet again at 10 am tomorrow, Sachin Pilot extended invite India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, July 13: Congress MLAs will hold another Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting tomorrow at 10 am to discuss the political situation in Rajasthan. Rajasthan Crisis Sachin Pilot denies meeting with Rahul, sources say in talks with BJP|Oneindia News "We request Sachin Pilot and all the MLAs to come, we will also give them in writing. We have requested them to come and discuss the situation," said Randeep Surjewala. MLAs will hold another Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting tomorrow at 10 am to discuss the political situation in Rajasthan. "We request Sachin Pilot and all the MLAs to come, we will also give them in writing. We have requested them to come and discuss the situation," said Surjewala. Rajasthan Crisis: Sachin Pilot camp releases video of MLAs supporting him Meanwhile, Congress MLAs were holed up Monday in a resort near Jaipur after a legislature party meeting, where they expressed support for Ashok Gehlot and only indirectly referred to Sachin Pilot, whose rebellion threatens his government. Pilot has been upset since he was denied the Rajasthan chief minister's post after the December 2018 assembly elections. There was no official word on the number of MLAs who attended the meeting at Gehlot's home, but party leaders claimed 106 legislators were there. If correct, this staves off the immediate challenge posed by Pilot, who claimed on Sunday night that he has the support of over 30 of 107 Congress MLAs in the 200-member assembly. But at least seven MLAs considered close to Pilot were not spotted at the CM's house. In the 200-member assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72. In the past, the ruling party has claimed the support of 13 independents, two MLAs each from the CPM and the Bharatiya Tribal Party, and one from the Rashtriya Lok Dal. The Congress had rushed Pande, Surjewala and Ajay Maken to Jaipur as observers at the meeting, amid a power tussle between its two Rajasthan leaders. The party had issued a whip ahead of the CLP meeting, indicating disciplinary action against any MLA who failed to turn up. Pilot, however, had made clear in a statement that he would not attend the meeting. He also claimed that he had the support of over 30 Congress MLAs and some independents. The current crisis began Friday night when the Rajasthan Police sent a notice to Pilot, asking him to record his statement over an alleged attempt to bring down the government. The same notice was sent to the Chief Minister and some other MLAs, but Pilot's supporters claimed that it was only meant to humiliate him. NEW YORK - Ghislaine Maxwell, who is accused of grooming teenage girls for sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, sought to evade FBI detection by using former British military personnel as personal security and wrapping her cellphone in tin foil in an apparent anti-tracing attempt, federal prosecutors alleged Monday. When the FBI moved on Maxwell at her estate in New Hampshire about two weeks ago, agents had to break down the door and found Maxwell hiding in a room in the interior of the home, according to a new court filing from the government opposing her release on bail. The details of her arrest were disclosed as Maxwell, 58, is expected Tuesday to face a Manhattan judge for the first time for a ruling on the $5 million bail bond package - with home confinement and GPS monitoring - that her lawyers proposed last week. The U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of New York has maintained that Maxwell, who has citizenship in three countries including the United States, is a flight risk. She was tracked down at the secluded estate in Bradford, N.H., and arrested July 2. She was born in France, which does not extradite its own citizens, raising fears among prosecutors that she could leave the country if released and never return to face charges. Authorities have accused her of recruiting underage girls for Epstein to abuse and occasionally participating in criminal sex acts alongside him, saying she "normalized" the idea of having sex with Epstein, her longtime companion, causing lasting psychological and emotional damage to the victims. Maxwell has denied the allegations, and her attorneys recently said she was estranged from Epstein for a decade before his suicide in August while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. She faces up to 35 years in prison. Maxwell, the wealthy daughter of a deceased British media mogul, was so intent on not being located that she never left her house, sending the security staff out "to make purchases for the property" using a credit card they were provided, a guard there allegedly told the FBI, according to Monday's court filing. The guards were hired by Maxwell's brother and worked in "rotations," prosecutors wrote. "As these facts make plain, there should be no question that the defendant is skilled at living in hiding," Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe wrote. The U.S. attorney's office noted in its filing that since Maxwell's indictment, investigators "have been in touch with additional individuals who have expressed a willingness to provide information regarding the defendant." The evidence provided by those individuals, who were not identified in the filing, "has the potential to make the Government's case even stronger," it says. Maxwell's bail proposal involves posting "a multi-million dollar property" in the United Kingdom as collateral - which prosecutors have deemed essentially useless because the U.S. government could not seize it - and she has refused to reveal the true extent of her assets to investigators, the filing says. Maxwell's attorneys argued last week that she was hiding from the media, not the FBI, before her arrest and that she should not be subjected to the risk of contracting the novel coronavirus at the Brooklyn federal jail where she has been held since her transfer from New Hampshire. Description GIS 13 July 2020: The National Population Policy (NPP) 2019-2030, an evidence-based document bridging population dynamics, quality of life and sustainable development, is the focus of a one-day dissemination workshop which was inaugurated, this morning, at Le Voila Hotel, in Bagatelle. The workshop, organised to mark World Population Day 2020, was attended by the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Jagutpal, and the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mrs C. Umutoni. The theme chosen by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) for World Population Day 2020 is Putting the brakes on COVID-19: how to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls now. Emphasis is laid on the vulnerabilities of women and girls in the wake of the ongoing pandemic as well as on the ways to find means to safeguard their sexual and reproductive health. In his address, Minister Jagutpal recalled that in Mauritius, a lot has been done with regards to sexual and reproductive health. Thus, a constant and consistent drop in maternal mortality and infant mortality has been observed, he indicated. Our healthcare system has reinforced itself with better infrastructure, equipment and know-how. All five regional Hospitals in Mauritius are equipped with Neonatal Intensive Care Units. Such facilities give babies born with severe conditions, a better chance at life, he said. The Ministry of Health and Wellness, he also announced, is in the process of further enhancing this service with the setting up of a National Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Victoria Hospital which will cater for a greater number of babies born with little chance of survival. Speaking about the challenges facing Mauritius as regards demography, Dr Jagutpal highlighted that the country is facing a demographic shift with a declining fertility rate and increasing life expectancy. During the last 25 years, the total fertility rate has steadily decreased to below replacement fertility level of 2.1, that is, the rate required for a population to replace itself, he said. Furthermore, he stated that i n 2019, the population of Mauritius declined for the first time in more than 50 years. If this trend is maintained, our population will fall by more than 200 000 by 2050, he added. The phenomenon of an ageing population is also witnessed by Mauritius as well as lowering fertility trends. Lauding the NPP, Dr Jagutpal underlined that several challenges have been identified in the policy. These are: enabling better family welfare, promoting an active and healthy lifestyle, instilling a better lifestyle and better eating habits among citizens, and preserving the health of the elderly. For her part, the UN Resident Coordinator, Mrs C. Umutoni reflected on the Covid-19 crisis which has had a staggering effect on people, communities and economies. She emphasised that women, who account for the largest share of front-line health workers, are disproportionately exposed to the coronavirus. Supply chains around the world are being disrupted, impacting the availability of contraceptives and heightening the risk of unintended pregnancy. As countries are on lockdown and health systems struggle to cope, sexual and reproductive health services are being sidelined and gender-based violence is on the rise, she said. The Covid-19 pandemic, she further highlighted, is having a catastrophic impact on women and girls globally. Extended lockdowns will likely lead to millions more cases of violence in the home, of unintended pregnancies, of child marriages and of female genital mutilation, she cautioned. The National Population Policy The NPP has been elaborated to address the multifaceted and interconnected issues arising as a result of the changing demographic landscape. The purpose of the population policy is to promote sustainable development in alignment with the national document, the Vision 2030. A local multi-sectoral working group was set up by the Ministry of Health and Wellness to work on the NPP, and technical assistance was sought from the UNPF to draft the document. It comprises five chapters, namely population trends, key demographic dynamics and opportunities, population policy vision and purpose, proposed population policy strategies, and implementation strategy and framework. This policy document comes with a series of recommendations. They include the strengthening of our education system, the elaboration of a comprehensive sexuality education, the strengthening of our health care system, the mitigation of the impacts of climate change, and ensuring environmental sustainability. Polish President Andrzej Duda has declared victory in a runoff election in which he narrowly won a second five-year term, acknowledging the campaign he ran was often too harsh as he appealed for unity and forgiveness. The close race followed a bitter campaign between Mr Duda and Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski that was dominated by cultural issues. The government, state media and the influential Roman Catholic Church all mobilised in support of Mr Duda and sought to stoke anti-Semitism, homophobia and xenophobia to shore up conservative support. Expand Close Andrzej Duda in Pultusk (Czarek Sokolowski/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Andrzej Duda in Pultusk (Czarek Sokolowski/AP) Mr Duda celebrated what was seen as a mandate for him and the right-wing ruling party that backs him, Law and Justice, to continue on a path that has reduced poverty but raised concerns that democracy is under threat. It was a very sharp campaign, probably too sharp at times, he told supporters in Odrzywol, a town near Warsaw. If anyone is offended by my words, please forgive me. And give me the chance to improve in the next five years. He received 51.03% of Sundays vote, while Mr Trzaskowski got 48.97%, according to final results from the state electoral commission. Mr Duda told supporters in Odrzywol that he was grateful and moved to winning the support of more than 10 million voters. He said that with the race now over, it is time to turn to the difficult job of returning the country to strong growth after the economic blow of coronavirus. Expand Close Rafal Trzaskowski concedes defeat (Czarek Sokolowski/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rafal Trzaskowski concedes defeat (Czarek Sokolowski/AP) Mr Trzaskowski conceded defeat and congratulated Mr Duda. He thanked his supporters and said his strong showing would be the catalyst to fight to keep Poland from becoming a one-party state. This is just the beginning of the road, he said. But Adam Michnik, a prominent anti-communist dissident and the founding editor of the liberal newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, said the result bodes badly for Polands young democracy. Andrzej Dudas victory will be understood by his voters, and first of all by those in power, as a permission for the kind of politics that Law and Justice has been pursuing for almost five years, and that is a policy of the destruction of the democratic system, of isolating Poland in Europe, of homophobia, of xenophobia, nationalism and of using the Catholic Church as a tool, he said. I would not even rule out a situation in which, if this policy is continued and we see an attempt on the free media, culture and science, there could be another Maidan, he said, referring to the bloody 2014 pro-Europe protests in Ukraine. Steel Authority of India (Sail) gained 2.16% to Rs 37.75 after consolidated net profit surged 382.9% to Rs 2,647.52 crore on 12.5% decline in net sales to Rs 16,171.83 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. The result was announced after market hours on Friday, 10 July 2020. In FY20, Sail made a turnover of Rs 61,024.88 crore. EBITDA per tonne of saleable steel improved to Rs 7,869 from Rs 7,284 in FY19. The company's EBITDA/turnover figure stood at 18.35% compared to 15.52%. Sail also achieved its best ever 14.23 million tonnes (MT) annual sales during FY20. Anil Kumar Chaudhary, Chairman, Sail, said that the government's supportive policies have played a pivotal role in maintaining the profitability of the company. The company is continually striving to improve its performance by increasing sales, share of value-added & special steels and new products and aggressive cost optimization on a continual basis. Sail is engaged in the manufacturing of flat products, such as hot rolled (HR) coils, HR plates, cold rolled (CR) coils, pipes and electric sheets, and long products, such as thermo mechanically treated (TMT) bars and wire rods. The Government of India held 75% stake in the company as on 31 March 2020. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China detects coronavirus in shrimp; suspends imports from Ecuador July 11,2020 | Source: Reuters China's customs authority said on Friday it was suspending imports from three shrimp producers in Ecuador after detecting the novel coronavirus in recent shipments. It said samples taken from shipments from Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila SA, Empacreci SA and Empacadora Del Pacifico Sociedad Anonima Edpacif had produced six positive results. However, tests on the frozen shrimp and inner packaging were negative. The companies did not respond to requests for comment. The findings are the first positive results announced by Beijing since it began testing imported frozen foods for presence of the virus. "After nucleic acid sequence analysis and expert judgement, the test results suggested that the container environment and the outer packaging of the goods of the three companies were at risk of contamination by the new coronavirus, and the companies' food safety management system was not in order," the General Administration of Customs said in a statement on its website. China began testing imported fresh and frozen food after the coronavirus was found on a chopping board used to cut salmon at a large food market in Beijing during an outbreak of coronavirus among workers there. Though experts have said there is no evidence the virus can be spread through food, many Chinese buyers have halted imports of salmon and the fish has been removed from supermarket shelves. It has taken a total of 227,934 samples to date, Bi Kexin, in charge of food imports at the customs authority, told reporters at a briefing on Friday, including from the food products, their packaging and environmental samples. The positive results were picked up on July 3 from cargoes at Dalian and Xiamen ports. The product had likely spent at least a month frozen in the container to reach China, said Gorjan Nikolik, seafood analyst at Rabobank. "Experts believe that the results do not mean they are contagious but that the companies' food safety management systems are not well implemented," Bi told reporters. Ecuador's minister of production and foreign trade, Ivan Ontaneda, who also oversees the fishing industry, said the country's shrimp producers follow strict biosecurity protocols. "This is not a sanction against the product, it is not a sanction against Ecuadorean shrimp, nor is it a sanction against the country," Ontaneda said in a virtual press conference. The customs authority said it was suspending imports from the three shrimp producers to protect consumer health and "eliminate hidden dangers". It has also ordered shrimps produced by the three firms after March 12 and already imported into China to be recalled or destroyed. Ecuador is the world's second largest shrimp exporter after India and the top supplier to China, where it ships about 70% of its product, said Nikolik. Sales to the Asian nation have boomed in recent years, thanks to Ecuador's less intensive production model that produces shrimp with clean, appealing shells sought out by Chinese consumers who typically purchase the seafood with the head and shell on. 2020 Business Standard Private Ltd. All rights reserved. Theme(s): Others. The postal voting for over 700,000 Sri Lankan officers, who will be on duty on August 5 for the parliamentary polls, began on Monday amidst special security measures, following a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in the country. The voting will go on for 5 days with two days reserved next week for those who fail to cast their vote this week. Over 700,000 officers who will be on election duty on August 5 are eligible to cast their vote. The election authorities said the voting in the north central town of Rajanganaya was indefinitely postponed due to a COVID-19 threat. According to the health officials, a cluster has been forming in the area since last week with the infections from a drug rehabilitation center at Kandakadu in Polonnaruwa district. Nearly 500 new infection, including 70 students, were detected from Kandakadu cluster. Around 600 close contacts of those who tested positive have been sent for quarantine. "The cluster can be controlled," Dr Anil Jasinghe, the director general of health services, said, adding that the public had lowered guard against COVID-19 as the country was being re-opened after the lockdown. In mid-June, the countrywide curfew was completely lifted and the focus was soon shifted to the August 5 parliamentary election. With the growing threat from the new cluster, the government shut schools this week, the while main election rallies have been cancelled. The schools were only opened last week after the lockdown. All election rallies of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have been cancelled temporarily, the the Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP) announced on Sunday, following a surge in coronavirus cases. The country has so far reported 2,511 COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths. Although the Elections Commission has said that the election will not be postponed again, a meeting to be held this week will assess the new COVID-19 threat. The election originally scheduled for April 25 was postponed twice becayse of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic threat has brought in severe health guidelines on campaigning. The counting of votes, which usually happens on the same night of the polls date, has now been put off to the next day. There are over 16 million eligible voters in the country. The August 5 poll will elect a 225-member Parliament for a five-year term. On the 153rd anniversary of Canadian Confederation (Part Three) By Mark Wegierski This series is based on my paper, An Ineluctable Direction of Progressive Development?: The Ongoing Failure of the Right in Canada (read by Dr. Tomasz Soroka) 8th Congress of Polish Canadianists (Polish Association for Canadian Studies) Canadian (Re)Visions: Futures, Changes, Revolutions (Lodz, Poland: University of Lodz, Faculty of Philology) PACS, September 25-27, 2019. Joe Clark finally having retired from the leadership of the federal P.C.s, the stage was set for the merger between the Canadian Alliance (led by Stephen Harper), and the federal P.C.s (led by Peter MacKay), which was finalized by December 2003. In an electrifying move, the adjective progressive was dropped from the name of the new party, now simply being called the Conservative Party of Canada. The new party immediately became more competitive on the federal scene. Stephen Harper won the leadership of the new Conservative Party. In the 2004 federal election, the Liberals under Paul Martin, Jr. were reduced to a minority government. The Liberals were basically clinging to power for most of their tenure in government under Martin, for example, resorting to the defection of Belinda Stronach from the Conservatives, to avoid falling to a non-confidence motion. But in November 2005, the Liberals were finally defeated in Parliament, when the NDP joined in to vote against them. In the ensuing federal election of 2006, Stephen Harper won a minority government. He kept himself in power by pursuing mostly moderate, centrist policies. In 2008, Harper himself called an election, and won a stronger representation, although a majority still eluded him. Finally, in 2011, the Conservatives were defeated in Parliament. However, Harper finally won a majority in 2011. This was the first putatively conservative majority since that won in 1988. Harper continued with largely centrist policies, although he had won a majority, thus disappointing many small-c conservatives. Indeed, in the area of immigration policy, the high levels apparently set in stone since Mulroney, continued unabated. The arrival of a Conservative majority government in 2011 (after two minority governments), it is argued, failed to see any significant enactment of substantively conservative policies, despite the frequently overheated rhetoric of its liberal opponents. Indeed, dozens of books highly critical of Harper appeared shortly before the 2015 federal election, accusing him of trying to establish a dictatorship. Ironically, in the 2015 federal election, the NDP under Tom Mulcair, actually appeared to be more centrist than the Liberals. Justin Trudeau, the son of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, won by appealing to young people and minorities, many of whom had never voted before. Indeed, the Conservative vote in the 2015 federal election was only slightly numerically smaller than in the 2011 victory they were swamped by the new Liberal voters. When the campaign began, the NDP was in the lead, so one might have theoretically seen an NDP government that was more centrist than the Liberals, winning the election. However, the NDPs centrist phase did not last long in the wake of his defeat in 2015, Tom Mulcair was de-selected as leader, and the NDP opted for the very trendy Jagmeet Singh to take his place. Justin Trudeaus victory in 2015 was a signal for a new progressive surge in Canada, of the overturning of whatever fragmentary conservative measures Harper may have been able to introduce. Indeed, Justin Trudeau declared Canada the worlds first post-national state. And now, Trudeau is proposing a Digital Charter, to combat an ill-defined hate on the Internet, as well as establishing a program to give Canadian mainstream media outlets close to six hundred million dollars over six years. This is on top of the yearly 1.5 billion dollar subsidy to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). In the 2017 federal Conservative leadership contest, Maxime Bernier came within a fraction of a percentage point of winning. Had he won, there would have been a united, somewhat more small-c conservative Conservative Party contesting the 2019 federal election rather than Berniers quixotic Peoples Party of Canada initiative. In the October 2019 federal election, the PPC won a mere 1.64 percent of the vote, but the Liberals were able to hang on to a strong minority government which will probably be supported by the New Democratic Party (NDP) which is even further to the left. Andrew Scheers leadership of the Conservative Party proved uninspiring. It seems rather disappointing to conservatives, that after all the efforts of the Reform Party, and the years in the wilderness between 1993 and 2004, the current Conservative Party still does not appear to be substantively conservative. The whole point of the Reform Party was to create one, more substantively conservative, party, on the political scene in Canada. The Conservatives had been handed a gift with the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Two Liberal ministers had resigned over the scandal, and ran as independents one of whom (Jody Wilson-Raybould) won. An MP also left the Liberal Party, to sit as an independent, but she did not run in the October 2019 federal election. The scandal also forced the resignation of Justin Trudeaus closest adviser (although he was brought back after a few months), as well as of the Clerk of the Privy Council (Canadas most senior bureaucrat). Another gift to the Conservatives was Justin Trudeaus blackface/brownface scandal but in the end it had comparatively little impact on the election outcome. It could be argued that, whenever there was an opportunity for the Right to score a major victory in Canada, it almost always became a fateful fork in a road not taken. The result of this ongoing failure is that the Canadian polity has become seriously unbalanced. It should also be remembered that decades of progressive dominance have eroded much of any possible conservative social base in Canada, and greatly eroded the principles which people who call themselves conservative typically hold. The progressive governments have usually consciously and deliberately practiced activist, transformational politics, whereas most of the conservative governments have confined themselves to administrative tinkering. Indeed, given the progressive dominance in the mainstream media, the education system and the academy (from early childhood education to post-graduate studies), the government bureaucracies, the judiciary, the various cultural industries (especially in so-called Can Lit), and the large corporations and banks, it can be seen that any small-c conservative tendencies are continually being ground down. Indeed, the resources available to progressives outweigh those available to substantive conservatives, by astronomical factors. While social liberalism has become entrenched in Canada, this goes hand in hand with economic conservatism or a plutocracy. It is social conservatism that has virtually no register on the Canadian political scene. This combination social liberalism and economic conservatism -- has been called by certain critics as the managerial-therapeutic regime, or sometimes, woke capitalism. Multiculturalism, alternative lifestyles, as well as the consumption society and an economy of never-ending growth, have all become unquestionable. With the passing years, it becomes less and less likely that any kind of substantively conservative party will ever come to power in Canada. Also, the currently untempered, unceasing mass, dissimilar immigration, will almost inevitably, decisively transmogrify Canada. It is argued that to have such one-sided politics in Canada is a contradiction of Canadas longstanding traditions and history, as well as of democracy itself. Among the aims of this presentation is an attempt to bring attention to this current one-sidedness of Canadian politics, as well as to carry out a criticism of this one-sidedness, in hope of a more balanced politics in Canadas future. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home Three men convicted of murder were scheduled to die by lethal injection this week at an Indiana prison beginning Monday. A United States district judge on Monday ordered a new delay in federal executions, hours before the first lethal injection was scheduled to be carried out at a federal prison in Indiana. President Donald Trumps administration immediately appealed to a higher court, asking that the executions move forward. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan said there are still legal issues to resolve and that the public is not served by short-circuiting legitimate judicial process. The executions, pushed by the Trump administration, would be the first carried out at the federal level since 2003. The new hold on executions came a day after a federal appeals court lifted a hold on the execution of Daniel Lewis Lee, of Yukon, Oklahoma, who was scheduled to die by lethal injection at 4pm (20:00 GMT) on Monday at a federal prison in Indiana. He was convicted in Arkansas of the 1996 killings of gun dealer William Mueller, his wife, Nancy, and her 8-year-old daughter, Sarah Powell. The execution, the first of a federal death row inmate since 2003, comes after a federal appeals court lifted an injunction on Sunday that had been put in place last week after the victims family argued they would be put at high risk for the coronavirus if they had to travel to attend the execution. The family had vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court. #KareemJohnson has officially been exonerated in #Pennsylvania, bringing to 170 the number of documented U.S. death-row exonerations since 1973. Here is our map of where and when they happened. https://t.co/L7l4RCpocG #deathpenalty pic.twitter.com/ToPbh6m7wy DeathPenaltyInfoCtr (@DPInfoCtr) July 2, 2020 The decision to move forward with the execution and two others scheduled later in the week during a global health pandemic that has killed more than 135,000 people in the US and is ravaging prisons nationwide, drew scrutiny from civil rights groups and the family of Lees victims. The decision has been criticised as a dangerous and political move. Critics argue that the government is creating an unnecessary and manufactured urgency around a topic that is not high on the list of American concerns right now. It is also likely to add a new front to the national conversation about criminal justice reform in the lead-up to the 2020 elections. In an interview with The Associated Press last week, Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department had a duty to carry out the sentences imposed by the courts, including the death penalty, and to bring a sense of closure to the victims and those in the communities where the killings happened. But relatives of those killed by Lee strongly oppose that idea. They wanted to be present to counter any contention that it was being done on their behalf. For us it is a matter of being there and saying, This is not being done in our name; we do not want this,' said relative Monica Veillette. The relatives would be travelling thousands of miles and witnessing the execution in a small room where the social distancing recommended to prevent the viruss spread is virtually impossible. The federal prison system has struggled in recent months to contain the exploding number of coronavirus cases behind bars. There are currently four confirmed coronavirus cases among inmates at the Terre Haute prison, according to federal statistics, and one inmate there has died. The federal government has put this family in the untenable position of choosing between their right to witness Danny Lees execution and their own health and safety, the familys attorney, Baker Kurrus, said on Sunday. Barr said he believes the Bureau of Prisons could carry out these executions without being at risk. The agency has put a number of additional measures in place, including temperature checks and requiring witnesses to wear masks. On Sunday, the Justice Department disclosed that a staff member involved in preparing for the execution had tested positive for the coronavirus, but said he had not been in the execution chamber and had not come into contact with anyone on the specialised team sent to the prison to handle the execution. The victims family hopes there wont be an execution, ever. They have asked the Justice Department and President Donald Trump not to move forward with the execution and have long asked that Lee be given a life sentence instead. The last person executed by the federal government was Louis Jones Jr, a US Army soldier put to death in 2003 after he was convicted of the rape and murder of another soldier. He was one of three individuals executed during George W Bushs presidency; before Bush no federal inmates had been put to death since 1963. But before the pandemic, the economy and healthcare were Americans top priorities for the government to work on in 2020, with 59 percent and 50 percent naming the two, respectively, in an open-ended question in an Associated Press-NORC poll from December. Some 35 percent said immigration was one of the most important issues the government should work on in 2020, and about as many referenced politics or partisan gridlock. 1,000-Plus Religious Leaders Ask Attorney General Barr to Focus on Life, Not Federal Executions https://t.co/2Lio0a5FA3 pic.twitter.com/YjCHDY9zB7 Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) July 7, 2020 The percentage of Americans in favour of the death penalty stood at 60 percent in the 2018 General Social Survey, a long-running trends survey. That is about where it was in the 1970s. Support has steadily ticked back down after peaking at 75 percent in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Most Democrats oppose it. By contrast, President Donald Trump has spoken often about capital punishment and his belief that executions serve as an effective deterrent and an appropriate punishment for some crimes, including mass shootings and the killings of police officers. This appears to be a distraction, said Samuel Spital, the litigation director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. There are several things that should be at the top of the agenda for the Justice Department right now, he said, including the coronavirus. Another should be an effort to address the widespread problem of police violence against Black and brown communities in this country which has finally captured the publics attention, he said. A gurney at a jail in Huntsville, Texas where executions take place. [File: Pat Sullivan/AP Photo] The majority of people on death row are Black and Hispanic, and the number of cases authorised by the attorney general seeking death since the late 1980s are mostly non-white people. But the three men chosen to die this week are all white: Danny Lee, who was convicted in Arkansas of killing a family of three, including an 8-year-old. Family members of Lees victims have asked a federal judge to delay his execution, saying the coronavirus puts them at risk if they travel to attend the execution. They have asked that the execution be put off until a treatment or a vaccine is available for the virus. Wesley Ira Purkey, of Kansas, who raped and murdered a 16-year-old girl and killed an 80-year-old woman. Dustin Lee Honken, who killed five people in Iowa, including two children. The Justice Department had scheduled five executions set to begin in December, but some of the inmates challenged the new procedures in court, arguing that the government was circumventing proper methods in order to wrongly execute inmates quickly. Executions on the federal level have been rare and the government has put to death only three defendants since restoring the federal death penalty in 1988 most recently in 2003, when Jones was executed. Though there has not been a federal execution since then, the Justice Department has continued to approve death penalty prosecutions and federal courts have sentenced defendants to death. In 2014, following a botched state execution in Oklahoma, President Barack Obama directed the Justice Department to conduct a broad review of capital punishment and issues surrounding lethal injection drugs. The attorney general said last July that the Obama-era review had been completed, clearing the way for executions to resume. He approved a new procedure for lethal injections that replaces the three-drug combination previously used in federal executions with one drug, pentobarbital. This is similar to the procedure used in several states, including Georgia, Missouri and Texas, but not all. WASHINGTON, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, as National Disability Voter Registration Week begins, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) called for states to increase accessibility for voters with developmental disabilities. As part of this call to action, we have launched a new hub for voter information at onevotenow.org so that everyone can exercise their constitutional right to vote. As part of National Disability Voter Registration Week, NACDD will also be hosting a Facebook Live event on Thursday, July 16 at 2 p.m. ET on the importance of voting with Donna Meltzer, CEO of NACDD, and Emily Kranking, NACDD consultant, actress (Best Summer Ever), and disability rights advocate. "Our democracy is strongest when every voice can be heard," said Donna Meltzer, CEO of NACDD. "More work needs to be done to ensure that every voter can cast a ballot that is counted, and we are here to make sure that the needs of people with developmental disabilities are accounted for in the general election." OneVoteNow , which is made possible by a grant from Craigslist Founder Craig Newmark through the Craig Newmark Philanthropies, is a central hub to find information about how to vote in the 2020 election. Structural barriers have historically made it more difficult for the disability community to vote. To make voting more accessible, NACDD gathers and shares information about participating in the election. The website provides the tools to ensure that everyone can cast their ballot by helping users register to vote and to make a plan to vote in person or by mail. "It is extremely important that everyone has an equal right to vote," said Kranking. "And it's especially important right now to have voting accessible during this time of COVID-19. I'm so honored to be part of a movement that focuses on voters with disabilities, who might need some help to navigate the process." To join the Facebook Live event, visit: www.facebook.com/NACDD . One Vote Now is a project of the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD). As a nonpartisan organization, NACDD posts electoral content for informational purposes only, and does not offer endorsements in any way. Follow the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at #OneVoteNow. SOURCE National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities US rover Perserverance aims to bring rock samples from Mars back to Earth in about a decade. Mars is about to be invaded by planet Earth big time. Three countries the United States, China and the United Arab Emirates are sending uncrewed spacecraft to the red planet in quick succession beginning this week, in the most sweeping effort yet to seek signs of ancient microscopic life while scouting out the place for future astronauts. The US, for its part, is dispatching a six-wheeled rover the size of a car, named Perseverance, to collect rock samples that will be brought back to Earth for analysis in about a decade. Right now, more than ever, that name is so important, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said as preparations continued amid the coronavirus outbreak, which will keep the launch guest list to a minimum. Each spacecraft will travel more than 300 million miles (483 million kilometres) before reaching Mars next February. It takes six to seven months, at the minimum, for a spacecraft to loop out beyond Earths orbit and sync up with Mars more distant orbit around the sun. The head of the Mars rover Perseverances remote sensing mast, which contains the SuperCam instrument [File: NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP The Associated Press] Scientists want to know what Mars was like billions of years ago when it had rivers, lakes and oceans that may have allowed simple, tiny organisms to flourish before the planet morphed into the barren, wintry desert world it is today. Trying to confirm that life existed on another planet, its a tall order. It has a very high burden of proof, said Perseverances project scientist, Ken Farley of Caltech in Pasadena, California. The three nearly simultaneous launches are no coincidence. The timing is dictated by the opening of a one-month window in which Mars and Earth are in ideal alignment on the same side of the sun, which minimises travel time and fuel use. Such a window opens only once every 26 months. Mars has long exerted a powerful hold on the imagination but has proved to be the graveyard for numerous missions. Spacecraft have blown up, burned up or crash-landed, with the casualty rate over the decades exceeding 50 percent. Chinas last attempt, in collaboration with Russia in 2011, failed. Only the US has successfully put a spacecraft on Mars, doing it eight times, beginning with the twin Vikings in 1976. Two NASA landers are now operating there, InSight and Curiosity. Six other spacecraft are exploring the planet from orbit: three US, two European and one from India. The United Arab Emirates and China are looking to join the elite club. The UAE spacecraft, named Amal, which is Arabic for Hope, is an orbiter scheduled to rocket away from Japan on Wednesday, local time, on what will be the Arab worlds first interplanetary mission. The spacecraft, built in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder, will arrive at Mars in the year the UAE marks the 50th anniversary of its founding. The UAE wanted to send a very strong message to the Arab youth, project manager Omran Sharaf said. The message here is that if the UAE can reach Mars in less than 50 years, then you can do much more The nice thing about space, it sets the standards really high. Controlled from Dubai, the celestial weather station will strive for an exceptionally high Martian orbit of 13,670 miles by 27,340 miles (22,000 kilometres by 44,000 kilometres) to study the upper atmosphere and monitor climate change. China will be up next, with the flight of a rover and an orbiter sometime around July 23; Chinese officials are not divulging much. The mission is named Tianwen, or Questions for Heaven. NASA, meanwhile, is shooting for a launch on July 30 from Cape Canaveral. Images of Martian craters taken by European and US space probes show there likely once was a planet-wide system of underground lakes say scientists [NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS via The Associated Press] Perseverance is set to touch down in an ancient river delta and lake known as Jezero Crater, not quite as big as Floridas Lake Okeechobee. Chinas much smaller rover will aim for an easier, flatter target. To reach the surface, both spacecraft will have to plunge through Mars hazy red skies in what has been dubbed seven minutes of terror the most difficult and riskiest part of putting spacecraft on the planet. Jezero Crater is full of boulders, cliffs, sand dunes and depressions, any one of which could end Perseverances mission. Brand-new guidance and parachute-triggering technology will help steer the craft away from hazards. Ground controllers will be helpless, given the 10 minutes it takes radio transmissions to travel one-way between Earth and Mars. Jezero Crater is worth the risks, according to scientists who chose it over 60 other potential sites. Where there was water and Jezero was apparently flush with it 3.5 billion years ago there may have been life, though it was probably only simple microbial life, existing perhaps in a slimy film at the bottom of the crater. But those microbes may have left telltale marks in the sediment layers. Perseverance will hunt for rocks containing such biological signatures, if they exist. It will drill into the most promising rocks and store a half-kilogram (about 1 pound) of samples in dozens of titanium tubes that will eventually be fetched by another rover. To prevent Earth microbes from contaminating the samples, the tubes are super-sterilised, guaranteed germ-free by Adam Stelzner, chief engineer for the mission at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Yep, Im staking my reputation on it, he said. While prowling the surface, Perseverance, as well as Chinas rover, will peek below, using radar to locate any underground pools of water that might exist. Perseverance will also release a spindly, 4-pound (1.8-kilogram) helicopter that will be the first rotorcraft ever to fly on another planet. Perseverances cameras will shoot colour video of the rovers descent, providing humanitys first look at a parachute billowing open at Mars, while microphones capture the sounds. The rover will also attempt to produce oxygen from the carbon dioxide in the thin Martian atmosphere. Extracted oxygen could someday be used by astronauts on Mars for breathing as well as for making rocket propellant. NASA wants to return astronauts to the moon by 2024 and send them from there to Mars in the 2030s. To that end, the space agency is sending samples of spacesuit material with Perseverance to see how they stand up against the harsh Martian environment. The tab for Perseverances mission, including the flight and a minimum two years of Mars operations, is close to $3bn. The UAEs project costs $200m, including the launch but not mission operations. China has not disclosed its costs. Europe and Russia dropped plans to send a life-seeking rover to Mars this summer after falling behind in testing and then getting slammed by COVID-19. Perseverances mission is seen by NASA as a comparatively low-risk way of testing out some of the technology that will be needed to send humans to the red planet and bring them home safely. Sort of crazy for me to call it low risk because theres a lot of hard work in it and there are billions of dollars in it, Farley said. But compared to humans, if something goes wrong, you will be very glad you tested it out on a half-kilogram of rock instead of on the astronauts. NANJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China's space tracking ship Yuanwang-6 departed from a port in east China's Jiangsu Province Monday for multiple spacecraft monitoring missions. Yuanwang-6, the third-generation Yuanwang space tracking ship, will carry out missions in the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It will complete a one-way voyage of more than 10,000 nautical miles and operate at sea for 100 days. This is the first time for a Yuanwang ship to perform missions in the three oceans during a single voyage. Yang Bianjiao, captain of Yuanwang-6, said crew members had conducted drills, devised action plans and inspected facilities before the voyage. The ship has completed an overhaul, maritime calibration tests, equipment precision appraisals and two satellite maritime monitoring missions this year. Nearly 70 percent of the crew have been working on the ship for over 160 days. President Trump is considering giving additional federal funding to public school districts that fully reopen for the 2020-2021 school year during the coronavirus pandemic, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Monday. "The president has said that he's willing to consider additional aid in order to help reopen the schools," Kudlow told FOX Business. The CARES Act passed in March allocated $13.5 billion to K-12 education, just a fraction of the $2.2 trillion in government spending thrown at the virus-induced downturn. Education groups estimate that administrators need much more money than that in order to safely get students and teachers back in the fall. In a recent letter to Congress, the Council of Chief State School Officers, a nonprofit organization that represents public officials who lead state departments of elementary and secondary education, estimated the cost of safely reopening is between $158.1 billion and $244.6 billion. "If we don't reopen the schools," Kudlow said, "that would be a setback to a true economic recovery. So let's not go there. Let's use some American ingenuity and common sense to get the schools open." It's unclear how much additional aid schools could receive. Negotiations between Congress and the Trump administration on another round of virus-related stimulus are set to intensify next week once Senate lawmakers return to Washington from their two-week Fourth of July break. One proposal recently passed by House Democrats called for $58 billion in new funding; however, the legislation has stalled out in the Republican-controlled Senate. Last week, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding if schools choose to stay closed in the fall, noting that schools had reopened in Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The U.S. surpassed 3 million COVID-19 cases last week, the most in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University data. More than 135,000 in the country have died from the virus. Story continues This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Related Articles Indias sourcing from China may not necessarily be for cost-effectiveness alone but also for the lack of domestic qualified bidders, technology or other know-how. With the ongoing border tension pushing India to re-think its dependence on Chinese imports, the clamour to depend on domestic companies is getting louder. But a closer look at some of the tenders awarded by the public sector undertakings to Chinese companies in the past six months tell a different story. Indias public sector undertakings (PSUs), such as Steel Authority of India (SAIL) and Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL), also import from China. Besides, Indias sourcing from China may not necessarily be for cost-effectiveness alone but also for the lack of domestic qualified bidders, technology or other know-how. Based on the data available in public domain, Business Standard found at least 30 tenders combined for SAIL, BHEL, Power Grid Corporation (PGCIL), and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) were awarded to Chinese companies. These tenders were awarded since January this year when China was coming under the grip of Covid-19 pandemic. Of these, 23 tenders were by BHEL. At Rs 117 crore, the combined value of these 30 tenders is not huge. Though it may not be an exhaustive list and these companies have also awarded several other projects to domestic and foreign companies. The data has been sourced from tender award details shared on company websites. On June 17, Vedanta Resources chairman Anil Agarwal tweeted: Most of the power plants in India are imported from China. BHEL, a PSU, is very capable to produce the best power plants in the world. If given full autonomy and either corporatized or privatized, without laying off any personnel, it can do wonders for #atmanirbharIndia. However, BHELs tender documents suggest the PSU also sources some of its raw materials from China. Some of the tenders that BHEL awarded to Chinese companies either did not have any other qualified bidder or majority of the qualified bidders were Chinese companies. These 23 tenders were related to fuel gas desulphurisation (FGD) items or tubes and other fittings. The FGD items were marked as single acceptable offers or those without any other qualified bidder in the contract details shared on BHELs website. An email query sent to BHELs chairman and managing director (CMD) requesting details on its annual Chinese imports and whether it will consider a change in its policy, remained unanswered. The ministry of power on Friday announced import restrictions on equipment used for power supply systems and networks, citing security and cyber threats. In February, tender details available on the website showed Power Grid Corporation awarded a small tender of Rs 7.28 crore to a Chinese company for a composite insulator package. The award of contract details state, of the six parties that bid for the project, two did not qualify, BHEL is one of them. In addition to BHEL, Indias public sector steel maker SAIL also has Chinese companies on their supplier or vendor list. Between January and April, SAIL awarded five contracts to Chinese companies. These awards were a mix of limited tender, global tender, and propriety. A query sent to SAIL remained unanswered. Many PSU vendor lists include various countries and China. "However, most of the other countries are legacy ones, which the Chinese companies are recent additions and they dominate supplies in certain product segments, said an executive from a company that participates in these tenders. Chinese companies are often consortium partners with Indian companies for various public sector infrastructure projects. Tata Projects, for instance, has a joint venture with China Harbour Engineering (CHEC) for a package in the Mumbai Metro project. The company called it a historical pre-bid alliance that helped understand international execution. These are historically pre bid alliances - though ITD Cementation (leading JV partner) and Tata Projects have taken on most of the execution.these helped us in bidding and understanding international execution practices, a Tata Projects spokesperson had earlier said. L&T is another company that is building a package for Mumbai Metro in consortium with a Chinese firm. Another executive from an infrastructure company said, Some of the Indian companies partner with Chinese firms primarily for the pre-qualification and bidding stage. "This helps tap the Chinese expertise for costing and other similar parameters. With inputs from Aditi Divekar G oogle is finally bringing its wireless earbuds, the Google Pixel Buds, to the UK as of today. The tech giant announced the cute-looking buds during the Pixel 4 showcase last September and it's taken a while for the earphones to make it from Googles labs into the hands of consumers. Technically these are the second pair of Pixel Buds the company has come up with. The first set came out in 2017 and featured a wire connecting the two buds. This is the first time the company has gone fully wireless with a pair of headphones, and with the popularity of wireless earbuds on the up thanks to AirPods, its about time Google got in on the action. Pixel Buds design: small and sleek If you like your tech accessories to be cute and small then the Pixel Buds should come high on your list. The egg-shaped case the buds come in is smooth like a pebble with a satisfying click shut, and the case itself is small enough to fit in tiny pockets and it comes in smaller than the AirPods Pro case. The actual earbuds themselves are pretty small, featuring a tiny G logo, and a black stabiliser arc that tucks into your ear and helps to secure the earbud. This comes in handy during workouts and runs, the Buds are water and sweat-proof, and you dont feel like theyre going to fall out when pounding the pavements. I used them in place of the Powerbeats Pro for a few runs and they didnt feel any less secure compared to the Beats with their over-ear hook. That being said, I found the stabiliser arc took some getting used to at first and would take them in and out the first few times to make sure I had put it incorrectly. However, I do have quite small ears, so someone with more normal-sized ears might not find this weird to get used to. The Pixel Buds case is smooth like a pebble / Google In terms of the bud, it looks like the Pixel Buds sport a silicone ear tip which helps to seal the ear to isolate outside noise. Theres a clever spatial vent that reduces that underwater feeling some people get with silicone eartips. This also helps facilitate spatial awareness when youre out and about outside. Pixel Buds sound: no noise cancelling, no problem If youre looking for noise cancellation in your earbuds then you need to look elsewhere as you wont find this feature on the Pixel Buds. What you do get is adaptive sound tech Google says this means there is passive noise isolation to block the sound from the outside but not actual noise cancellation. The buds will even increase their sound if it senses there is something going on in the background too. In practice, you can hear hints of whats going around you with the buds in and can just about hold a conversation with someone if you want to and the sound turned to low. This is where the 12mm dynamic speaker drivers come in so you still hear high-quality audio and a good level of bass even without high volume. For those making a lot of calls, Zoom or otherwise, the dual beamforming mics come in handy by focusing on only your voice whilst the voice accelerometer can detect the vibrations of your jawbone when youre talking. Pixel Buds connectivity: issues at the start Since the Pixel Buds launched in the US a few months ago, there have been some reports of connectivity issues, with audio cut outs and the like. Google says it has been actively investigating the problem and will release an update in the future, but not in time for the UK launch. I had some funny connection problems when I first started using the Buds. I connected them firstly to my iPhone which was fast and seamless, but had to disconnect them in order to connect them to the Pixelbook Go laptop the first time. The Pixel Buds fit snugly in your ear whilst the stabilisation arc keeps them secure / Google The next day, the Buds kept cutting out when I was trying to do some transcribing, a rather frustrating experience. After trying this for a few times, I gave up and reset the buds and left them for a day. Once Id connected them again, we were back up and running with no blips in the audio. Since then, swapping between my iPhone and laptop has been fine, but its worth keeping in mind if youre wanting to splash out on a pair. Another thing to note is the battery life. The Buds offer five-hours playback time, whilst the case holds an extra 24-hours, just like other wireless earbuds like AirPods. Some early US users have reported issues with battery life in different earbuds depending on things like talk time. I havent found any issues when it comes to battery life on the buds and I havent had to charge them in the week Ive been using them. Pixel Buds features: Google Assistant and more It isnt a Google product without some Google Assistant integration and luckily the Pixel Buds feature hands-free access to the AI, as long as youre connected to an Android device and have a Google account so this wont work with an iPhone. Just say Hey Google, and deliver your request. Alternatively, you can use different bud controls. Touch and hold on an earbud while you speak for Google Assistant actions. You can do other things such as tap once to play or pause a song, twice to skip forward and swipe to change the volume. The controls are the same for each earbud, so you dont have to try and remember which earbud to press to stop the music. Very handy. Things get smart with the real-time translation feature. If you have a Pixel or Android phone, you can get Google to help you with a conversation by saying, Hey Google, help me speak Spanish, for instance. Then whip out your device, and whatever you say into the earbuds, the Assistant will translate for you on your phone and read it out loud to whoever is speaking. The person youre in a conversation with can then speak back to the phone and this will be translated via your Buds for you. You may not be travelling much at the moment but when you do this will come in very useful. Pixel Buds verdict I have enjoyed using the Pixel Buds. The overall design aesthetic is smooth and looks cool the case, in particular, is fun to spin around in your hands if youre trying to work something out. The stabilisation arc did take some getting used to but overall the fit is good I prefer the fit to other Android-focused buds such as the Samsung Galaxy Buds + which though feature an extremely good battery life at 11 hours, I dont find as comfortable as the earlier version. The connectivity issues were frustrating at first but were rectified with a reset, and there will be an update to sort this out at some point officially. You do get the most useful features when paired with a Pixel or Android phone, such as Google Assistant and real-time translation. There are so many wireless earbuds to choose from out there but for Pixel owners, you finally have your AirPods. Pixel Buds UK price and release date The Pixel Buds are available to buy now in the UK from the Google Store. They are only available in Clearly White in the UK so dont go lusting after that dreamy sea green colour. And for those worrying about losing their buds, Google says it will have single earbuds and eartips available to buy as replacements. Bahrain's His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa today issued a decree-Law merging the public sector retirement fund and the Social Insurance Fund into one fund. The merged Pension and Social Insurance Fund will be overseen by the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO), said a Bahrain News Agency report. The revenues of the fund include those previously allocated for the public sector retirement fund and the Social Insurance Fund, in addition to those incurred from the investment of its funds or any other activities. The decree-law stipulates that the annual rise in all pensions established under any law, pension or insurance scheme will be stopped. In case the Actuarial Report detects a surplus in the Pension and Social Insurance Fund or the Pension Fund for Bahraini and non-Bahraini Officers and Members of the Bahrain Defence and Public Security Force, established by Decree-Law 6/1991, the surplus will deposited in a fund that is independent from both funds. The surplus may be used, based on the approval of the Supreme Council for Military Retirement and the SIO Board of Directors, to increase pensions in a way that would not exceed the increase in the Consumer Price Index, and take the situation of retirees with low pensions. The decree-law stipulates that retirees are not allowed to receive more than one pension under different retirement and insurance systems, except for those entitled to pensions because of disability, work accidents or kinship. The pensioners who are entitled to any of the previous laws and get jobs that are not subject to the same law in which they are entitled to the pension may combine their previous service period with their new service period, according to the rules stipulated in the retirement and insurance laws and regulations, the law says. They may also choose to continue receiving their pensions for their previous work period, in addition to the salaries they earn from their new jobs provided that they are not subject to retirement laws and insurance against work accidents. Employers who fail to pay the insurance contributions stipulated by the Social Insurance Law promulgated by Decree-Law 24/ 1976 shall have to pay a fine not less than the total value of the unpaid contributions and not exceeding three times its value. The value of the fines shall be referred to the Pension and Social Insurance Fund. The Supreme Council for Military Retirement and the Minister of Finance and National Economy shall issue the necessary edicts to implement the provisions of the decree-law, based on the approval of the Board of Directors of the Social Insurance Organisation, it said. By Yueqi Yang | Bloomberg News White House adviser Peter Navarro said he expects President Donald Trump to take strong action against Chinese-owned social media apps TikTok and WeChat for engaging in information warfare against the United States. The Trump administration is just getting started with the two apps, and he wouldnt rule out the U.S. banning them, Navarro said on Fox News on Sunday. Even if TikTok is sold to an American buyer, it wouldnt solve the problem, he said. If TikTok separates as an American company, that doesnt help us, Navarro said. Because its going to be worse were going to have to give China billions of dollars for the privilege of having TikTok operate on U.S. soil. President Donald Trump said last week his administration is considering banning the short video app TikTok in the U.S. The examination of TikTok was part of a broader effort to protect American citizens private data, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo had said. Navarro didnt specify which action the administration might take. TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance Ltd., is popular among teens in the U.S. WeChat, owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings, is the top communication app in mainland China and used by Chinese users globally. TikTok has drawn concern among U.S. officials and corporate America is looking into its use among staff. Wells Fargo & Co. asked employees to remove TikTok from their work phones due to concerns about the security. Amazon told employees on Friday to delete TikTok from mobile devices they use to access company email, but later said the instruction was an error. Navarro alleged that Amazons decision to back away shows the power of the Chinese Communist Party on corporate America. American puppet TikTok has repeatedly denied allegations that it poses a threat to U.S. national security. The company is mulling changes to its corporate structure to distance itself from China. TikTok is considering a number of locations for a global base, the person familiar with the plans told Bloomberg earlier. Its five largest offices are in Los Angeles, New York, London, Dublin and Singapore. Navarro said TikTok is running the same playbook as Huawei Technologies Co. by hiring former Disney executive Kevin Mayer as new CEO. Putting an American puppet in charge is not going to work, he said. Nollywood actress, producer and filmmaker, Toyin Abraham has disclosed that her husband Kolawole Ajeyemi passed out in the delivery room when their son was delivered. The actress who disclosed this during an interview with Vanguard Allure, said that her delivery was recorded because she had to go through a Cesarean section. I actually recorded everything because I had a caesarean section. I was given an injection that numbed my back. I know I was having an operation but didnt feel it, I was just talking. I remembered the moment they brought my baby out, my husband saw him and fainted. It was a sweet experience. It wasnt easy but we thank God. Motherhood has really changed a lot about me. Even before I had my baby, my husband had already changed me. Motherhood is like icing on the cake. It has really changed my mentality, my thinking; in fact it has changed everything about me. Now I know I am living for someone. I am living for something, she said. In Other News: A 58-year-old woman identified as Dorcas Osiebo has been delivered of her first child after 35 years old marriage in Abuja. Advertisement Naya Rivera's dad George on Sunday appeared to help co-ordinate the hunt for his missing daughter after police confirmed 'nothing came' of their search of cabins along Lake Piru. As the search for Glee actress Rivera entered its fifth day her father was seen chatting with those on site. He appeared animated, raising his hands and hugging loved ones. Rivera, 33, disappeared while out boating on the lake with her four-year-old son Josey on Wednesday. Josey was found alone in a rental boat with no sign of his mother, who is now presumed dead. On Sunday, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office had announced that cabins on the banks of the lake would be searched after social media users theorized that Rivera could have ended up in one. But Sgt. Shannon King later told People: 'They're not occupied. Nothing came of it. There's no evidence to say she left the water. It appears to be 100 percent just a tragic drowning.' Police also warned fans against trying to join in the search, tweeting: 'Our teams are well equipped and highly trained. We don't want to have to rescue you.' Scroll down for video The search for Naya Rivera, right, entered its fifth day on Sunday with her father, left, at the site alongside rescue crews Naya Rivera's dad George on Sunday appeared to be helping to co-ordinate the hunt for his missing daughter As the search for Glee actress Rivera entered its fifth day her father was seen chatting with those on site Police confirmed 'nothing came' of their search of cabins along Lake Piru; Sgt. Shannon King said: 'Nothing came of it' The search for the Glee star, 33, (pictured) entered its fifth day on Sunday following her disappearance while out boating at Lake Piru in Ventura near Los Angeles with her four-year-old son Josey (together right) on Wednesday On Sunday the Ventura County Sheriff's Office had announced that cabins on the banks of the lake would be searched Ventura County Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue Team spokesman Robert Inglis told Us Weekly Rivera had sent a picture of her son to a relative 'that showed the boy on the boat by a cove' around two hours before he was found alone. Inglis added: 'We are confident that we will locate her body. 'What I suspect is that the winds kicked up. Those pontoon boats are very light, and when you push them, it can get away from you. She might've tried to swim after the boat. But that's all speculation. Once we do locate her, that'll answer a lot more questions.' Rivera's co star Heather Elizabeth Morris had pleaded with rescue crews to be allowed to help in the search, writing: 'I'm Nayas close friend and co-worker, and I'm trying to conduct an on foot search and rescue mission along with a small group of friends at Lake Piru. 'I understand your team is doing EVERYTHING in their power, but we are feeling helpless, powerless.' She later added: 'I have spoken to Sheriff Eric Buschow and rest assured they are using every single one of their resources to locate our Naya. I have full confidence that theyre doing everything they can, and probably more. 'We will hold off on the citizen search and rescue until we get the go ahead that theyll allow volunteers. 'Understand its 110 degrees here and if youre not highly trained in search and rescue, this could end up a much more dangerous situation for everybody involved. Please be kind, compassionate and caring for those who are looking for our Naya.' Police had earlier warned: 'For those intent on searching for Naya Rivera on your own, 1. The lake is closed. 2. Temps are already in the 90's. 3. The terrain around the lake is very steep and rugged.' Family and friends joined in the search for Rivera Sunday. Ventura County Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue Team spokesman Robert Inglis told Us Weekly Rivera had sent a picture of her son to a relative 'that showed the boy on the boat by a cove' Rivera disappeared while boating at Lake Piru on Wednesday and is presumed dead. Her dad is pictured left Sunday Rivera's heartbroken family and friends were seen on the banks of the California lake where she disappeared Sunday A diver emerges from the water with what appears to be a drone during the search for missing actress Naya Rivera Rivera's co star Heather Elizabeth Morris had earlier pleaded with rescue crews to be allowed to help in the search Officials say the search for the former Glee actress and mother of one will continue until at least Tuesday The search has been difficult due to extremely poor visibility due to debris in the water, prompting searchers primarily rely on sonar technology to search the waters Police had earlier warned people about trying to search for her themselves and tweeted: 'For those intent on searching for Naya Rivera on your own, 1. The lake is closed. 2. Temps are already in the 90's. 3. The terrain around the lake is very steep and rugged' 'They're obviously devastated, grieving,' Sgt. Marta Bugarin, a public information officer with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said Saturday. 'Our goal is to try and bring some closure to the family today.' Officials say the search will continue until at least Tuesday. Sgt King added: There's no talk of either one way or the other after Tuesday. 'Tuesday's sort of the projected date that we're discussing, and we're going to continue doing what we have been doing.' The search has been difficult due to extremely poor visibility due to debris in the water, prompting searchers primarily rely on sonar technology to search the waters. Sgt King said: 'It's not like typical waters, which are crystal clear, this is murky, cold lake water. 'The ground is covered in trees and shrubs, so it's hampering our efforts for sure.' Rivera's heartbroken family had already been seen on the banks of the California lake where she disappeared. Her father George was seen running into the lake on Saturday and splashing water over himself in an emotional moment as he tried to connect with his missing daughter. Rivera's distraught mother was also pictured crumpled on the banks of the lake where her daughter vanished. The distraught family was seen sharing a moving moment where they came together and hugged each other. The actress' devastated former Glee castmates were forced to defend themselves Sunday after fans accused them of not speaking out about the incident. Amber Riley, who played Mercedes Jones in the hit show, tweeted: 'Show some respect. All our energy is going toward helping find Naya and praying for her safe return and for her family. 'No one owes anyone online a performance of grief. This is very real and devastating. Focus on Naya and her family. Not us. We don't matter right now.' Naya Rivera's ex-husband Ryan Dorsey was seen at the banks of Lake Piru on Saturday At one point Naya Rivera's father George Rivera sat alongside his former son-in-law Ryan Dorsey Naya's father George entered the waters fully clothed as the search for his daughter's body went on for a fifth day Naya Rivera's brother, Mychal, and cousin are pictured together left at Lake Piru on Saturday. Rivera's brother Mychal and his father George can be seen together right walking with their arms around one another as they made their way over to the lake Naya Rivera's distraught mom is seen above with Rivera's brother on the banks of the lake as the search for the missing Glee star entered its fourth day Saturday and authorities released footage of the nightmarish underwater hunt Naya Rivera's mother Yolanda and brother Mychal are seen embracing on the edge of the lake as the search for Naya continues The entire family put their arms around one another as the horrible nature of what unfolded appeared to be slowly sinking in Naya's brother and dad George appeared to lead the way in some type of respect to connecting with Naya one more time by jumping in the water for what looked like a spiritual moment for the family Naya's mom Yolanda Rivera was pictured kneeling with her arms outstretched in a moment of desperation in front of Lake Piru in Ventura near Los Angeles on Saturday alongside Naya's brother Mychal as the duo joined in the recovery operation for the missing star's body. Yolanda and Mychal put on life jackets and joined the Ventura County Sheriff's search team as they scoured the lake. The pair were seen embracing along the banks of the lake. At other points during the day, younger members of the family were seen playing on a beach at the lake. 'They're obviously devastated, grieving,' Sgt. Marta Bugarin, a public information officer with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said Saturday. 'Our goal is to try and bring some closure to the family today.' Brother Mychal Rivera together with his father George, right, and a cousin, left, were all seen on the shores of Lake Piru Ryan Dorsey took a moment to collect his thoughts and could be seen standing on the jetty at the edge of the lake. Naya Rivera's mum, Yolanda, brother Mychal and father George take a few moments together at Lake Piru The lake itself is 1,200 acres and can reach depths of up to 130 feet. In it, authorities point to a barely visible tree limb highlighting the challenges divers are facing in trying to find the missing mother-of-one. 'Here's an example of the underwater visibility at a 30-foot depth in Lake Piru,' the Sheriff's Department tweeted. A second social media post shows footage of the a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) being lowered into Lake Piru and details that specialized equipment including sonar, divers and dogs have also been deployed in the hunt. 'Here's the ROV used by @TulareSheriff in the search for Naya Rivera at Lake Piru today,' the Sheriff's Department wrote. Naya's mom Yolanda and the Glee star's brother Mychal are seen getting off of the Ventura County Sheriff's boats after joining in the search for Naya With almost zero visibility, human divers are resorting to searching by feel, meaning it could take several days before crews can locate her body, Eric Buschow, Ventura County Sheriff's Office spokesman, said at a press conference Friday evening. 'We don't know if she's going to be found five minutes from now or five days from now, so we're still going to be continuing this effort,' he said. 'The visibility in the water is one to two feet,' Buschow added. Buschow said 'promising' images had shown up on the sonar Thursday night but when the ROV was dropped into the water the objects turned out not to be Rivera's body. 'What they do is they go out and they tow these devices in the water that scan the bottom of the lake for any objects that might look like a body. 'Last night, they had a couple of images that showed up on the sonar that they thought might be promising to investigate,' he said. 'This morning, they sent an ROV, or a small robotic device, down into the water to examine those objects. Unfortunately, they did not locate Naya Rivera. They are still searching.' Buschow admitted the conditions of the lake made the search 'difficult' but said he is confident Rivera's body will be recovered. It could take several days before crews can locate her body, Eric Buschow, Ventura County Sheriff's Office spokesman said at a press conference Friday evening (pictured) 'It's very effective,' he said of the sonar system. 'They get a really detailed image and they can go down and focus on specific things rather than putting divers in the water where they're literally feeling around because they can't see.' A specially-trained dog is also being used in the search to sniff above the water's surface and alert handlers to a body beneath. Authorities confirmed the mission had shifted to a recovery Thursday as hope of finding Rivera alive vanished. The actress's distraught family said they just 'wish' she could be found so they could get some 'closure' over what is believed to have been a tragic drowning accident. A man thought to be 65-year-old Arnold Dorsey, the father of Rivera's ex-husband Ryan Dorsey and the grandfather to Josey, told The Sun the whole family was 'sad' and were rallying around Rivera's son. This diagram shows where Naya Rivera and her son rented a boat on Lake Piru before the four-year-old was seen alone. The map in the top left shows the location of the lake in relation to Los Angeles where Rivera lives A man thought to be 65-year-old Arnold Dorsey (pictured above with Josey), the father of Rivera's ex-husband Ryan Dorsey and the grandfather to Josey, told The Sun the whole family was 'sad' and were rallying around Rivera's son 'We are sad, we just wish they could find her so we can have some closure,' he said outside Rivera's mother Yolanda's home in Valencia. He said Josey was having some 'good days' after the four-year-old's terrifying ordeal. 'We still have good days [with him], I can't make any other comment at this time.' Josey was found asleep and alone on the rental boat Wednesday evening. He told police his mother had 'jumped' into the water to go swimming and never came back, but police admitted it was 'challenging' to interview a four-year-old. The lake was said to be a 'sanctuary' for Rivera and somewhere she had been going to for years. However, the waters are also known for their rip currents and for being full of debris, and eight people have drowned there since 1994. Authorities have said there is no evidence of foul play or suicide and that everything points to the young star accidentally drowning. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office released CCTV footage showing Naya Rivera and her four-year-old son arriving at the dock on Lake Piru on Wednesday The boats capacity is 150, a figure that will not be reached until certain restrictions are lifted and commuters and tourists again begin flooding downtown. Most of the firms 10 other vessels (five tour boats and five water taxis) are elsewhere. No boats worked for three months and after reopening for business on June 12, the company has been using two tour boats during the week and four on weekends, each limited to 25 percent of the U.S. Coast Guard passenger capacity, which is 340. That means a maximum of 85 people can now get the pleasures of riding boats (those of Wendella and the many other water-friendly operations) on the river that runs through the city and on the lake beyond. Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 12 (ANI): Amid the ongoing dispute with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has said that China is a "bigger threat to India" than Pakistan. In an interview with Shiv Sena mouthpiece "Saamana", the former defence minister said that China's military might is "ten times greater" than India and asserted that the government should try to put international pressure on China through negotiations and diplomatic channels. "When we think about who is our friend and who is our enemy then in the mind of Indians, Pakistan comes first as an enemy. But I have been of the opinion for many years that we need not worry about Pakistan. It is true that Pakistan takes steps against our interests. In the long term, it is China that has the power, vision and programme to act against India's interests. China is a bigger threat to India," Pawar said. "There is a difference between the military power of Pakistan and China. Today, if we compare our military power with China, then their's military might is "ten times greater" than India," he said. Emphasising on why there should be no politics over the issue, he said: "I say do not bring politics into it because this is a serious problem. We can attack them but the entire country will have to pay a heavy price when there is retaliation to the attack." "Instead of attacking them, we should try to put international pressure on China through negotiations and diplomatic channels. If there is some solution out of it, then it would be wise to do it first," he said. Pawar said that China has also "weaned away" India's neighbours to its side. "When Narendra Modi became prime minister for the first time, he went to Nepal to offer prayers at the Pashupatinath temple. Now Nepal is not with us, but on the Chinese side," the former Union minister said. "Look at Bangladesh, India has suffered so much for its creation. Now the neighbouring country has signed a treaty with China. It means Bangladesh is also with China. China has weaned away all our neighbours -- Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to its side. This is the contribution of the recent period," he said. (ANI) Three coronavirus survivors in their twenties have revealed how they all still suffer from persistent fatigue, breathlessness and heart problems even though it has been months since they were first diagnosed with the vicious disease. In eye-opening accounts that prove Covid-19 is not just an illness that goes quietly and causes lasting damage, one 27-year-old woman who fought off the disease told how it constantly feels like there is a 'slab of concrete on my chest'. Another 21-year-old victim admitted she feels 'like a fraud' because her GP is baffled by her persistent shortness of breath, which occurs even when she sits still. And the third survivor who believes he was struck down in January is frustrated because there is not much he can do to tackle his heart rate, which has mysteriously sped up since his battle with suspected coronavirus. All of the victims now say the public must move away from the incorrect notion that 'if you are not dead you are fine', revealing their lives have been turned upside down by the virus, despite being fit and healthy. Most coronavirus patients will recover within a fortnight, suffering a fever, cough and losing their sense of smell or taste for several days. However, evidence is beginning to show that the tell-tale symptoms of the virus can persist for weeks on end in 'long haulers' the term for patients plagued by lasting complications. Affected patients have told how they struggle to complete everyday tasks, such as emptying the dishwasher, without feeling extremely tired and being left with a racing heart. British scientists have already launched an investigation into the long-term impacts of Covid-19 in search of answers to thousands of people's problems, which has been referred to as 'this generation's polio'. Talya, 27, said the shortness of breath she has experienced since having Covid-19 in April feels like a 'concrete slab on her chest' Jack Lawrence, 21, says he has had symptoms ever since January. He particularly complains of a racing heart, for which he is having testing, with no obvious cause Talya, 27 - 'It feels like there is a slab of concrete on my chest' ARE THERE LONG-TERM SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19? Covid-19 is described as a short-term illness caused by infection with the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Public health officials tend to say people will recover within two weeks or so. However it's become increasingly clear that this is not the case for everyone, and that the two-week period is only the 'acute illness' phase. Data from the COVID Symptom Study app, by King's College London and health company Zoe, suggests one in ten people may still have symptoms after three weeks, and some may suffer for months. For those with more severe disease, Italian researchers who tracked 143 people who had been hospitalised with the disease found almost 90 per cent still had symptoms including fatigue two months after first falling unwell. The most common complaints were fatigue, a shortness of breath and joint pain - all of which were reported during their battle with the illness. Another study in Italy showed one in ten people who lose their sense of taste and smell with the coronavirus - now recognised as a key sign of the infection - may not get it back within a month. The study, published in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, involved 187 Italians who had the virus but who were not ill enough to be admitted to hospital. The UK's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty has said the longer term impacts of Covid-19 on health 'may be significant'. Support groups such as Long Covid have popped up online for those who 'have suspected Covid-19 and your experience doesn't follow the textbook symptoms or recovery time'. Advertisement Talya was a fit and healthy dancer who exercised regularly and cycled to work before she was struck with the coronavirus on April 1. 'In March I went on a trip to Australia and New Zealand, and 13 days after (Wednesday April 1), my symptoms started,' she told MailOnline. 'I had a sore throat and fever and quickly progressed into becoming short of breath. Even when resting it felt like I'd just done a 10km run. It was really hard to fill my lungs.' The 27-year-old spent the next five weeks on bed rest and was sent an ambulance on two occasions because her breathing deteriorated so quickly. The second time Talya, from south west London, was rushed to hospital, doctors suspected she had pneumonia and a pulmonary embolism a potentially life-threatening blood clot in her lungs. She said: 'I was referred to a post-coronavirus clinic where a CT scan showed a lump in my right breast and a nodule near my heart. 'Fortunately these don't look to be anything sinister and could just be scar tissue from the virus.' Three months on and Talya is still suffering symptoms, such as difficulty breathing which feels like 'there is a slab of concrete' on her chest. She said: 'This morning I woke up with pain in my ribs, chest and back and I am still having issues with my breathing. It like there is a slab of concrete on my chest. 'I was in the low risk category and should have "bounced" back by now. The unknown is terrifying. 'The current treatment is painkillers, rest and vitamins. If you're really lucky you are given an inhaler. 'Some days I am in so much pain that I can feel every bone, muscle and organ in my body. 'Many patients who are suffering with longer term effects of Covid-19 have no validation that their experience is a recognised condition. We have to move away from the notion that if you are not dead you are fine.' Talya was never given a coronavirus swab test at the height of her illness, and an antibody test came back negative. However, there is a uncertainty around how long antibodies remain in the blood for. And not all people who have had Covid-19 develop antibodies, scientists say, using another line of the immune system's defense first. Talya said: 'I was in the low risk category and should have "bounced" back by now' During her illness, Talya spent the next five weeks on bed rest and was sent an ambulance on two occasions because her breathing deteriorated so quickly Jessica, 21 - 'I feel like a fraud because my GP doesn't recognise my symptoms' Jessica first came down with the coronavirus symptoms after spending time with her friend, who also later developed the tell-tale signs. MORE THAN HALF OF COVID-19 PATIENTS HAVE HEART ABNORMALITIES Coronavirus patients can suffer irreversible heart damage as a result of their battle with the disease, a study of hospital patients has found. More than half of infected patients who had heart scans while in hospital with Covid-19 showed abnormal changes to their organ. One in eight had signs of 'severe dysfunction' in their heart and doctors couldn't find any other explanation except the coronavirus. In the UK around one in four people admitted to hospital with Covid-19 die of it but even survivors may be left with long-term illness, this research suggests. The study, done by the British Heart Foundation, adds to concerns that coronavirus can cause widespread damage to the vital organs and leaves some 'long-haulers' with health problems that will last for months and even years after the infection. Advertisement The 21-year-old, who didn't want to reveal her full name, self-isolated at her parents' home in Bath for two weeks with a temperature which she says she still has. Jessica, who is set to graduate from university this summer, told MailOnline: 'My cough went away the same day it began, and didn't return. 'After about a week of feeling unwell I started to develop chest pain and periods of severe shortness of breath, and after about three weeks I was sent to the hospital briefly because of an unusually high heart rate. 'It was suggested at that point that I had had coronavirus, and that it had inflamed my heart and that I had pericarditis post-infection.' Pericarditis - inflammation of the outer layers of the heart - causes chest pain and a high temperature. Pericarditis can be attributed to several factors, including viral infections. Jessica, who studies in London, said: 'After multiple check-ins with my doctor, I got some more blood tests last week which revealed that I am negative for antibodies, and that I have had glandular fever in the past. 'It has been suggested I was already suffering with post viral fatigue from glandular fever, and that I then came down with coronavirus and that it has dragged on because of that, but that's the frustrating thing we have no idea.' 'It does feel like "another day another symptom". I have had a temperature throughout but also shortness of breath (even while sitting still, but always after any amount of exercise), chest pain, stomach pain, muscle aches, shivers, sweats, headaches, and slight trouble with taste and smell. 'Generally at the moment though the featured symptom is extreme fatigue all the time, with any amount of effort or energy. 'If I do anything empty the dishwasher, go on a dog walk, talk to a friend over Zoom, even watch a film my temperature goes up and I need to sit down quietly without doing anything.' Jessica admitted she feels 'like a fraud' because all of her symptoms are met with bewilderment by her GP. Jack Lawrence, 21 - 'I can just about do my university work' Jack Lawrence was first struck down by suspected coronavirus January 20 weeks before the virus was first detected with testing in the UK. Mr Lawrence said: 'The best way I'd describe coronavirus is it's like a normal virus but the symptoms and pain keeps doubling or tripling' UK LAUNCHES STUDY OF COVID-19'S LONG-TERM EFFECTS Scientists in the UK will investigate the long-term effects of Covid-19 in a scientific study which launches this month. The Department of Health has announced that up to 10,000 people will be involved in a study to look at how people who catch the coronavirus fare long-term. Growing evidence suggests that even people who only get mildly sick may suffer long-lasting health effects including lung damage. The UK's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has warned that Covid-19 patients could be left with 'extreme tiredness and shortness of breath for several months'. The study, led by researchers and doctors in Leicester, will look at how people's mental health is affected by illness and whether factors like sex or ethnicity affect how well someone recovers from Covid-19. Patients in the study, which will receive 8.4million in funding, will have medical scans, blood tests and lung samples so experts can look at how they are affected. It comes as the NHS has announced it's launched a long-term recovery service called 'Your Covid Recovery', which will offer online advice to the public and more specialised physio and mental health support to some patients from this summer. Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said: 'As well as the immediate health impacts of the virus it is also important to look at the longer-term impacts on health, which may be significant. 'We have rightly focused on mortality, and what the UK can do straight away to protect lives, but we should also look at how Covid-19 impacts on the health of people after they have recovered from the immediate disease.' Advertisement The 21-year-old said: 'I thought it was a normal virus at first but it soon became the worst. It started with the tiniest cough. But I developed aches, pains, was flat out, had a sore throat that was agony and temperatures as high as 39C (102.2F). 'It peaked after four days and then I thought I had recovered within a week.' But on February 9, while at his home of Watford, the film student at Northampton University was rushed to A&E by his mother after he became breathless. He hadn't experienced shortness of breath in the first week of his symptoms, which doctors believe only develops later. Mr Lawrence had previously suffered a collapsed lung in 2017 as a result of a sudden and rare separate condition. He had surgery to fix it and hasn't had problems since. But because of his medical history, he was quickly seen by doctors for tests on his lungs. He said: 'They were looking for signs it had returned but found nothing. They said I had the back end of the virus. 'I think at the time it was a fair assumption considering to their knowledge they didn't know anything. I was pleased with that and that the X-ray was clear.' Mr Lawrence was told he would recover but has not, despite it being four months since he was first struck down by the life-threatening disease. He is still being seen regularly at the Harefield Hospital in Hillingdon, which specialises in respiratory and heart conditions. And Mr Lawrence is set to have an echocardiogram a scan to look at the heart and nearby blood vessels for any abnormalities. According to research by the British Heart Foundation, coronavirus patients can suffer irreversible heart damage as a result of their battle with the disease. A a study of hospital patients found more than half of infected patients who had heart scans showed abnormal changes to their organ, and one in eight had signs of 'severe dysfunction'. Doctors say they couldn't find any other explanation except the coronavirus. Similarly, Mr Lawrence says tests so far have come back inconclusive for any other cause of his high heart rate and other symptoms. He said: 'Each day I'm consistently very breathless and my heart rate is very fast, however the level of symptoms changes daily.' Mr Lawrence added: 'The best way I'd describe coronavirus is it's like a normal virus but the symptoms and pain keeps doubling or tripling. 'I can just about do my university work. I remember an assessment day at uni on February 24. I was so ill, I can't describe. It was beyond the point of tiredness. 'I've been given a steroid inhaler. It doesn't really do anything. I take multi vitamins and cut out processed food to counteract any inflammation. But there is not much I can do.' The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reports 36,913 overall cases of COVID-19 in Colorado and 1,725 deaths among those who Hong Kong has reimposed social distancing measures on Monday as the financial centre battles a 'third wave' of COVID-19 infections. The government had gradually relaxed coronavirus restrictions after the city reported no new local cases for 16 consecutive days in May. But the Chinese-ruled region has recently been hit with a surge of infections after recording a total of 180 cases in the past two weeks. The government had gradually relaxed coronavirus restrictions in May but the city has been hit by a new wave. Pictured, people wearing face masks in an MTR train in Hong Kong today Masks, which are already widely worn, are now mandatory on public transport in Hong Kong The finance hub was one of the first places to be struck by the coronavirus when it emerged from central China. The city has had impressive success in tackling the disease with just over 1,400 infections and seven deaths. In June, the city only detected a total of 21 cases. However, in the last two weeks a cluster of 180 local infections has emerged and officials believe the disease is spreading undetected in the densely populated city of 7.5 million. The Chinese-ruled city recorded 52 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, including 41 that were locally transmitted, health authorities said. Since late January, Hong Kong has reported 1,522 cases and eight death caused by the disease. On Monday, city leader Carrie Lam announced fresh anti-virus measures. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, wearing a protective mask, speaks during a news conference today The city has had impressive success in tackling the disease with just over 1,400 infections and eight deaths. In June, the city only detected a total of 21 cases. A male citizen wearing a face mask has his body temperature checked outside a polling station in Hong Kong on July 12 On Monday, city leader Carrie Lam announced fresh anti-virus measures. Officials have banned more than four people from gathering in public and requiring passengers to wear face masks on public transport or risk a 510 fine. Alongside a ban on more than four people gathering in public, restaurants will only be able to serve takeaway food from 6:00pm to 5:00am, however they can still serve those eating in for breakfast and lunch. Twelve types of businesses including gyms, beauty salons, nightclubs and karaoke venues must close. Some businesses will also be closed and restaurants restricted over when they can serve diners. Hong Kongers have widely adopted face masks to deal with the pandemic but on Monday authorities made wearing face coverings on public transport mandatory for the first time. This file picture taken on April 21 shows mask-donning people waiting to cross the road in Central Hong Kongers have widely adopted face masks to deal with the pandemic but on Monday authorities made wearing face coverings on public transport mandatory for the first time. Those who refuse to wear masks face a HK$5,000 (511) fine. 'This is a time for tightening,' Lam told reporters, adding the measures would be reviewed every seven days. It comes after Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable diseases branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said in a press briefing last Tuesday that the Asian financial hub entered its third wave of the coronavirus outbreak, according to South China Morning Post. She told reporters: 'We are worried that there will be a massive community outbreak, with so many sources of infection.' Health minister Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee, also described the situation 'very alarming' in the same media conference. The Hong Kong government said that they will organise the return of its residents from countries deemed as high-risk, such as Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and South Africa. This file picture taken on February 4 shows people boarding a plane at Hong Kong airport The announcement is a new body blow to the city's economy, which was already mired in recession before the pandemic hit. The file picture taken on June 18 shows visitors wearing face masks taking a selfie at the Hong Kong Disneyland after the amusement park reopened The announcement is a new body blow to the city's economy, which was already mired in recession before the pandemic hit. Last year Hong Kong was battered by both the increasingly aggressive US-China trade war and seven straight months of huge and often violent pro-democracy protests. Health secretary Sophia Chan said officials were trying to 'strike a balance' between social distancing and keeping businesses open. Earlier in the day officials announced a 95-year-old woman had died of coronavirus, the city's eighth victim. Police also said a South Korean man who tested positive for the virus jumped out of a moving minibus as he was being taken to compulsory quarantine. Police later detained the man. When New Mexicos stay-at-home order was issued in March 2020, essential and nonessential industries were impacted arguably none more than small business. In times of crisis and uncertainty, we lean on the opinions of the people we trust and the industries we favor, both of which are tested in the Garrity Perception Survey. According to the data source USAFacts (January 2020), 54% of New Mexicos overall employment can be found in small business. New Mexico is in an elite group, among the top 10 states with a workforce made up of small businesses. While the Small Business Administration determines a small business to be those with fewer than 500 employees, firms with fewer than 100 employees have the largest share of New Mexicos small business employment. Catron, Colfax, Harding, Lincoln, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Torrance and Taos counties have some of the highest percentage of self-employed New Mexico residents. A lot of attention has been afforded to small businesses, specifically retail and restaurants, in the midst and wake of the COVID-19 crisis. In the spirit of one beggar showing another beggar where to get food, I want to share key GPS 2020 insights to empower small business owners to engage relevant advocates. After all, if we know more about our target audience, we have focused communications. Women are more favorable of small business than men; this is a substantial shift over the past nine years. The target age demographics of New Mexico residents who have a favorable opinion of small businesses (starting first with the most favorable) are the 18- to 34-year-old age group, 65 years and older, 50-64 years and 35-49 years of age. Household income is also a determining factor when identifying target audiences. Interestingly, favorability of small business consistently declines as income increases, with residents who have the most favorable opinion of small business earning less than $20,000 annually. College graduates as well as residents with some college or an associate degree have a favorable opinion of small business. One of the big swings in disparity seen in the 2020 survey results is favorability based on length of residency. Newer residents, those living in New Mexico less than eight years, have a higher favorability (85%) than those who have lived here eight to 20 years (76%) and people who have been here for more than 20 years (79%). The biggest statement of support for small business was made by those who are politically independent. Ninety percent of independents have a favorable opinion of small business, compared to 75% of Democrats and 73% of Republicans. Geography also plays a role in favorability. Residents living in the Northwest and Eastern parts of New Mexico have the highest opinion of small business, when compared to residents living in other parts of the state. If small business owners were to identify characteristics of their target audience, it would include these demographic groups: female, 18 to 34 years old, incomes up to $79,999, residents who have had some college (or an associate degree) and/or are a college graduate, relatively new residents and those who are politically moderate. Tom Garrity is president of The Garrity Group Public Relations, based in Albuquerque. The 2020 Garrity Perception Survey is a scientific survey of New Mexico residents conducted by Research & Polling Inc. The survey has a 95% level of confidence. The executives desk is a guest column providing advice or information about resources available to the business community in New Mexico. the executives desk The Sunyani Municipal Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Prevention Taskforce has arrested and placed in Police custody 29 people for failure to wear nose masks in public. The Taskforce made the arrest during its routine enforcement exercise in the Sunyani and Sunyani West Municipalities. Set up by the Sunyani Municipal Assembly, the Taskforce led by Superintendent Haruna Alhassan of the Ghana Immigration Service, Sunyani is tasked to ensure that the populace complied with the governments directives and protocols against spread of the COVID-19 disease. The suspects were arrested in supermarkets, lorry stations and other open places in the Sunyani and Odomase townships. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Supt. Alhassan explained the wearing of nose masks was vital and compulsory to stem the spread of the viral disease in the two municipalities. Supt. Alhassan said the suspects would soon be arraigned, and reminded the public that failure to wear a nose mask in public places is a serious offence liable to a fine of between Gh12,000.00 to Gh60,000.00 or four years imprisonment or both. He urged the public to adhere to the precautionary measures such as social distancing and washing of hands frequently with soap under running water and the use of hand sanitizers. 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 BancorpSouth Bank bought the former MidSouth Bank property on Moss Street, the final property remaining from the old Lafayette-based bank, for $1.305 million, records show. The Mississippi-based bank, which has branch offices in River Ranch and in Broussard and an insurance office in Lafayette, finalized the sale of the building at 2805 Moss St. last week from Hancock Whitney, according to documents filed with the Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court. Its the fourth former MidSouth property be sold since Hancock Whitney acquired it last year. As of June 2019 BancorpSouth had nearly 300 locations and over $15 million in deposits, according to FDIC data. Other old MidSouth properties previously sold include: Office at 3600 Johnston St. sold to JD Bank. Office at 2218 Ambassador Caffery sold to Cottonport Bank. Office at 800 Veterans Drive in Carencro sold to St. Landry Homestead Federal Savings Bank. CGI will move into the space in the space Mid-South leased in the Versailles Building in downtown Lafayette. BancorpSouth, which has five branch offices in the Baton Rouge area, bought two offices in Baton Rouge at the end of 2019. As new cases of COVID-19 remain manageable and hospitalizations decrease, Premier Doug Ford will announce Monday that Ontario is moving into the third stage of reopening the economy. Senior government officials confirmed to the Star on Sunday that the premier is set to announce that more businesses and attractions will be able to open by the end of this week. That means restaurants and bars, which are restricted to serving meals and drinks on patios, could be allowed to offer indoor dining as long as patrons maintain safe physical distancing. Sources close to Ford, speaking on background in order to discuss internal deliberations, said officials are poring over the data from regional public health units to determine which regions can open first. As it was with stage two, which took effect last month, Toronto and Peel Region will likely be among the last regions to reopen. Durham, Halton, York, Hamilton, London, and Ottawa should open sooner. On Sunday, Ontario reported 129 new cases of COVID-19, but there are only 116 people in hospital, 29 in intensive care units with just 19 on ventilators. Hospitalizations (and) ICU admissions have both decreased with the number of vented patients being relatively stable, Health Minister Christine Elliott said on Twitter. Locally, 27 of Ontarios 34 public health units reporting five or fewer cases, with 18 of them reporting no new cases at all. The government says 2,719 have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic took hold in March, but the Star has determined the actual death toll is slightly higher. Thats because early in the outbreak some deaths were not included since COVID-19 tests had not been done before the people mostly elderly long-term-care home resident died. On Friday, Ford signalled he would have some positive news soon. Ill have to get back to you on Monday, but were having some great announcements next week. But you just have to say tuned, he said. The premier was less bullish about when playgrounds would be allowed to open. While splash pads and some other outdoor recreations are available to children, slides, swings, and climbing structures remain closed. What Im being told from our medical officer of health and other people ... (is) kids are on there, theyre touching and feeling, you know, sneezing, everything else, said Ford. It will get open. But hopefully in stage three, we can open enough. Its hard to disinfect the playground every time kids go on there. Im not going to chance anything when it comes to our children, he said. Well find other ways to entertain the kids instead of going on the monkey bars. Ford sounded more confident about restaurants and bars serving customers. Were looking at all aspects of that. We just want to be cautious. But eventually, we have to open up the bars. We have to open up restaurants inside, he said. We have to get people back to work. And thats what our goal is. Ontario has been in a state of emergency since March 17. That is expected to continue until July 24. But after the temporary emergency declaration expires, the Progressive Conservatives expected to have given themselves more permanent powers to restrict businesses from opening if there is a second wave of COVID-19. Even in the third stage of reopening, the government has warned that large gatherings will continue to be prohibited, meaning concerts and sporting events will be unlikely to occur with crowds in attendance. Robert Benzie is the Star's Queen's Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie Read more about: Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 19:34:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Three Syrians died on Monday from the COVID-19 infection, raising the death toll to 19, the state news agency SANA reported. Meanwhile, the health ministry reported 23 new coronavirus cases in the government-controlled areas, bringing the overall number of infections to 417, including 136 recoveries. Last week, two people were reported to have contracted COVID-19 in rebel-held areas in Idlib Province in northwestern Syria. In addition, six new cases were reported in Kurdish-controlled areas in northeastern Syria. The first case was reported in government-controlled areas in March. The Syrian government has taken several measures to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, such as imposing a curfew and shutting down businesses. However, with the tough economic situation and the new sanctions imposed on the country, the government eased the restrictions, urging self-protection measures. China has offered help to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 15, China delivered to Syria the first batch of medical aid, including 2,016 COVID-19 testing kits. On April 23, a video conference was held between Chinese and Syrian medical experts to share the experience in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 4 and June 24, Syria received two more batches of medical supplies donated by China, including testing kits, protective suits, masks, goggles and infrared thermometers. Enditem Chiwetel Ejiofor has admitted he is envious of his The Old Guard co-star Charlize Theron. The pair star alongside each other in the new superhero film and Chiewetel, 43, told how he wishes he had Charlize's talent for telling a story through the body. Speaking to GQ Hype, he said: 'I envy Charlize, you know? I'll admit it. She is able to do something that I have never quite managed to do and that is tell narrative through physicality. Co-stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 43, has admitted he is envious of his The Old Guard co-star Charlize Theron 'That is really difficult and this isn't the first film she's shown she can do this take Mad Max: Fury Road, for example. There is an exquisite poetry in seeing Charlize wield a four-foot axe and with humour too, I might add. 'To put all the nuance of a character into a very complex fight sequence using only choreography is quite astonishing.' The Old Guard was released on July 10 on Netflix and follows a team of immortal mercenaries that go on a revenge mission. Chiwetel also discussed the current state of the film industry, saying it needs big franchises like James Bond and the Marvel movies. Star: The pair appear in the new film and Chiewetel told how he wishes he had Charlize's talent for telling a story through the body (Charlie pictured in February 2020) The actor said that while some people do not consider blockbuster films to be 'art', he insisted they keep many people employed at a time when the industry is in 'deep trouble' due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 12 Years A Slave star also spoke out about Britain's political system, saying he would like to see more politicians come from 'the grassroots', rather than people who 'went to one or two schools and one or two universities'. It comes after Charlize, 44, called for better representation in Hollywood because she wants her daughters to 'see themselves' represented in both cinema and 'in life'. The actress is mother to two adopted daughters - Jackson, eight, and August, four - and has said she wants them to grow up being accurately represented in film and television, so they can 'feel they belong'. He said: 'I envy Charlize, I'll admit it. She is able to do something that I have never quite managed to do and that is tell narrative through physicality' (pictured in December 2019) Charlize said on the podcast The Big Ticket: 'I want more representation, just selfishly, for my own girls. 'I want that for the world as well, but of course, it starts with the fact that Im a mom to two small Black girls, and I want them to grow up in a world where they see themselves, where there is an awareness that they can be whomever they want to be because they see it. 'And thats not just in cinema, thats in life, too. I want to surround them in a world where they feel they belong and they can shine and they can live to their full potential.' The actress adopted her daughter Jackson in March of 2012, later adopting another daughter August in July of 2015. Read the full feature online at GQ Hype. Tesla stock hit an all-time high of $321 billion on Monday, in further good news for the bank account of owner Elon Musk just days after it was revealed he is now richer than investor Warren Buffett. Shares in Tesla shot up by as much as 14 per cent, and briefly made the motor company the 10th largest US stock by market value, ahead of Procter & Gamble. But the gains were erased during a period of volatility and the company's share were down more than 3 per cent after market's closed. The latest record-setting increase came as speculation rose that with Tesla's continued increase in market value, the company will soon join the S&P 500. Musk, the highly eccentric Silicon Valley tycoon who brought the world PayPal and SpaceX, saw his net worth soar past Buffett on Friday to become the seventh richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Elon Musk is now richer than investor Warren Buffett, thanks to a record rise in the price of Tesla stock that briefly shot up as much as 14 per cent to raise the company's valuation up to $321 billion on Monday The gains were erased during a period of volatility. The gains were erased during a period of volatility, and shares were down more than 3 per cent after market's closed Musk's fortune rose by $6.07 billion on Friday, Bloomberg News said, following a 10.8 per cent jump in the electric carmaker's stock. Buffett's net worth dropped last week when he donated $2.9 billion in Berkshire Hathaway stock to charity. Meanwhile, Tesla's shares have surged 500 per cent over the past year as the company increased sales of its Model 3 sedan. The company is already the highest-valued automaker after its market capitalization overtook that of former front-runner Toyota Motors. Musk's fortune rose by $6.07 billion on Friday, Bloomberg reported, following a 10.8 per cent jump in the electric carmaker's stock. Buffett's net worth dropped earlier this week when he donated $2.9 billion in Berkshire Hathaway stock to charity The blistering rally also puts Musk in reach of a stock payday potentially worth $1.8 billion, his second jackpot from the electric car maker in about two months. Under his contract, Musk does not get a salary from Tesla, but gets bumper stock option payouts if the company reaches a series of targets - which the automaker has consistently hit. Stock in Tesla is up about 38% since the close on July 1, a day before the company reported its quarterly delivery numbers. Tesla's solid delivery numbers heightened expectations of a profitable second quarter, which would mark the first time in its history that it would report four consecutive quarters of profit. Tesla's solid delivery numbers heightened expectations of a profitable second quarter, which would mark the first time in its history that it would report four consecutive quarters of profit. Pictured is the EV maker's Mode 3 sedan Musk last week said the company is 'very close' to achieving complete autonomous driving technology, referring to the capability to navigate roads without any driver input. 'I'm extremely confident that level 5 or essentially complete autonomy will happen and I think will happen very quickly,' Musk said in remarks made via a video message at the opening of Shanghai's annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference Thursday. 'I remain confident that we will have the basic functionality for level 5 autonomy complete this year.' Tesla is also developing new heat-projection or cooling systems to enable more advanced computers in cars, Musk said. The EV company, along with other automakers and tech companies, including Alphabet-owned Waymo and app-based ride share company Uber, are investing billions in the autonomous driving industry. Tesla, along with other automakers and tech companies, including Alphabet-owned Waymo and app-based ride share company Uber, are investing billions in the autonomous driving industry. Pictured is Tesla's manufacturing plant in Fremont, California earlier this year However industry insiders have said it would take time for the technology to get ready and public to trust autonomous vehicles fully. The California-based Tesla currently builds cars with an Autopilot driver-assistance system, which still requires some human input. As investors keep close watch on Tesla's meteoric rise, Musk, 49, has been working to make the startup EV maker a success alongside his other pursuits. For example, he fought with local officials about reopening the company's manufacturing plants in California and China -- after they were closed down due to coronavirus safety precautions. He has also been focusing on at his SpaceX aerospace company. Musk, through SpaceX, became committed to restoring trips to space launched from the US after the retirement of its space shuttle fleet. After Musk invested $37 billion of his fortune, Space X eventually ferried two American astronauts to the International Space Station on May 30. Musk, through SpaceX, became committed to restoring trips to space launched from the US after the retirement of its space shuttle fleet. He is pictured celebrating after a SpaceX launch on May 30 ferried two Americans to the International Space Station May 30 Musk launched the firm in the early 2000s, announcing that he intends, within a few decades, not only to have put an astronaut on Mars, but also to be taking the first steps to establish a human colony there, thus ensuring mankinds future, should Earth one day become uninhabitable. He declared himself overcome with emotion, after he managed to silence those who doubted he could pull all of his plans off. So who is this eccentric carmaker and rocket man? A troubled childhood Nicknamed genius boy, Elon Musk purportedly read the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica in early childhood and learned to code at the age of ten, within days of acquiring a computer. By 12, hed created and sold his first tech product, a video game called Blastar, for less than $1,000. It was not, however, a happy childhood. Musk was born in apartheid-era South Africa, one of three children of engineer Errol Musk and his author wife, Maye. His parents divorced when he was eight. At school, he was badly bullied, while at home things were barely better. Errol, from whom hes been estranged for years, was a strict disciplinarian allegedly fond of corporal punishment. In 2018, it emerged that Errol had a fathered child with his stepdaughter Jana. Musk told Rolling Stone magazine that Errol is a terrible human being. Off to AMERICA... By the age of 17, Musk was desperate to escape South Africa and his overbearing dad, so he decided to head for Canada, where his mother Maye had grown up. He arrived without a penny to his name, relying on the generosity of relatives for accommodation and living for weeks at a time off economy-size bags of hot dogs. Eventually, he won a place at the University of Pennsylvania to study Economics and Physics. After graduating, Musk headed west, to Silicon Valley, where in 1995 he was accepted onto a PhD course at Stanford University. However, he dropped out during his first week to start a business called Zip2, which developed software for media companies. The timing could not have been better: Zip2 rode the internet boom and was sold in 1999 for an astonishing $341 million, netting Musk a $22 million cut. But that was just the start of his successes. Electric dreams Musk proceeded to join the ranks of the global super-rich via his next bet: an online bank called X.com, which developed PayPal. The company was eventually sold to eBay in 2002, earning him roughly $180 million after tax. The cash allowed him to dream big. That year he founded SpaceX, announcing that his end goal was to build a BFR or Big F*****g Rocket to help mankind colonise Mars before over-population renders Earth uninhabitable. In 2003 and 2004, Musk also made timely bets on the alternative energy sector, founding a company called SolarCity, which is now Americas largest installer of solar panels, and Tesla, the luxury electric car firm, which has revolutionised the motor industry. His logic was that helping to wean the world off oil would buy us extra time to address global warming, should the colonization of Mars take longer than expected. Tangled love life Wealth and success appear to have made the once geeky Musk very attractive to women as well. But the entrepreneur is a proud and unapologetic workaholic who famously boasted nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week. His first wife, Justine Wilson, a fantasy novelist whom hed met while attending Stanford, grew tired of spending all day at home with their five sons a set of twins and triplets. She announced around the time of their 2008 divorce: Elons central relationship is with his work. Within weeks, Musk had moved on to the British actress Talulah Riley, whom he married, then divorced in 2012, remarried in 2013, but then divorced for a second time in 2015. After a year-long dalliance with Johnny Depps ex, Hollywood actress Amber Heard, Musk began stepping out with Canadian indie musician Grimes. Their son, who was born in May, made headlines after the couple attempted, for reasons best known to themselves, to register his name as X A-12 (pronounced Ex ash A twelve). California authorities refused to play ball, on the grounds that its illegal to use numbers in a name, so the couple had to eventually make do with X A-Xii. In a recent interview, Grimes, whose real name is Claire Boucher, told Bloomberg that around the house, the baby is actually known as Little X. Digging a hole... Stuck in a traffic jam just before Christmas 2016, Musk took to Twitter to declare I am going to build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging, to create an alternative transport network deep underground in his home city of Los Angeles. He duly launched The Boring Company, a firm designed to pursue that very aim. Two years later, in June 2018, Musk decided that it could help save a dozen members of a youth football team trapped a vast cave complex in northern Thailand. Musk arrived at the scene with a child-sized submarine, which he claimed would be able to act as a sort of escape pod. However, experts were skeptical, with one rescue diver, a British national called Vernon Unsworth, telling CNN that the whole thing was a PR stunt and that the South African could stick his submarine where it hurts. Musk responded via Twitter, branding Unsworth, who has a younger Thai partner, pedo guy. The Briton responded by suing for defamation in California, seeking $190 million. In court, Musk apologized for the slur but alleged that he did not mean to suggest that Unsworth had actually molested a child. The jury agreed, leading Musk to declare: My faith in humanity is restored! Drink and drugs With all of his business interests and eccentric lifestyle, Musk also had had his moments with drinking and partaking in marijuana smoking. He drew attention in September 2018, when he appeared dishevelled-looking on a podcast and proceeded to drink whisky and smoke a large marijuana cigarette, while discussing his life and times. Film of the appearance, in which the puce-faced tech tycoon coughed and spluttered his way through a haze of cannabis smoke, rapidly went viral, prompting Nasa to launch an urgent investigation into SpaceXs adherence to a drug-free environment. The Pentagon also decided to review his Federal security clearance. Chastened, Musk shoehorned himself into a suit and tie for a more formal TV interview. I do not smoke pot, he said. As anyone who has watched that podcast could tell, I have no idea how to smoke pot. Erratic Tweets And much like President Donald Trump, Musk is a compulsive user of Twitter, posting endlessly on the site, often at odd hours of the day and night. This does not always dovetail well with his role as boss of Tesla. Around the same time as the pot-smoking controversy, he suddenly used the social network to announce that he had funding secured to take his car company Tesla private at $420 a share. The message may have been intended as a joke (420 is slang for marijuana), but regulators did not see the funny side since Tesla shares were then trading at 20 per cent less than the supposed price. An investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission ended with Musk charged with securities fraud. In a settlement reached in late 2018, he agreed to step down as Tesla chairman for three years, pay a $20 million fine, and grant a company lawyer oversight of future tweets. But the slap on the wrist didn't seem to stop him. On May 1 this year he sent stocks of his electric car company into a freefall after he went on a bizarre Twitter rant. Musk announced that he felt the company's stock price was 'too high', before revealing he was planning to sell off his physical possessions. He then tweeted the words to the national anthem. The market was quick to react to the 11.am tweet rant, and Tesla shares began a precipitous nosedive, falling more than 11 per cent by that afternoon. Tesla stock price is too high imo, Musk tweeted at around 11:11am Eastern Time on May 1 Musk also tweeted: 'I am selling almost all physical possessions. Will own no house' Musk appears to be following through on his plan to sell off his property. During the May 1 rant, he wrote: 'I am selling almost all physical possessions. Will own no house'. And just days later he put two of his Bel Air homes on the market for $39.5M. On May 4, Musk listed his lower Bel Air estate that overlooks the Bel Air Country Club. The residence, which was purchased by Musk in 2012 for $17million, was listed for $30million on Zillow. The second home was listed for $9.5million and used to be owned by late Willy Wonka actor, Gene Wilder, who died in 2016. But Musk insisted on Twitter: 'Just one stipulation on sale: I own Gene Wilder's old house. It cannot be torn down or lose any its soul.' Two weeks later, Musk listed another five homes for sale for a combined $97.5million. In one listing, four of his Los Angeles homes are being sold together for $62.5million, while his Hillsborough, California, mansion is up for a whopping $35million. NEW YORK, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Automotive Seat Market Research Report by Vehicle (Bus, Heavy Truck, Light Commercial Vehicle, and Passenger Car), by Trim Material (Fabric, Genuine Leather, and Synthetic Leather), by Electric & Hybrid Vehicle, by Type, by Technology, by Component - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19 Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913460/?utm_source=PRN The Global Automotive Seat Market is expected to grow from USD 48,331.15 Million in 2019 to USD 59,893.71 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.63%. Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Automotive Seat to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: On the basis of Vehicle, the Automotive Seat Market is studied across Bus, Heavy Truck, Light Commercial Vehicle, and Passenger Car. On the basis of Trim Material, the Automotive Seat Market is studied across Fabric, Genuine Leather, and Synthetic Leather. On the basis of Electric & Hybrid Vehicle, the Automotive Seat Market is studied across Battery Electric Vehicle, Hybrid Electric Vehicle, and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle. On the basis of Type, the Automotive Seat Market is studied across Bucket Seat and Split Bench. On the basis of Technology, the Automotive Seat Market is studied across Heated & Powered Seat, Heated Seat, Massage Seat, Memory Seat, Powered Seat, Standard Seat, and Ventilated Seat. On the basis of Component, the Automotive Seat Market is studied across Armrest, Pneumatic System, Seat Belt, Seat Frame and Structure, Seat Headrest, Seat Height Adjuster, Seat Recliner, and Seat Track. On the basis of Geography, the Automotive Seat Market is studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas region is studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The Asia-Pacific region is studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa region is studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. Company Usability Profiles: The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Automotive Seat Market including Adient, Aisin Seiki, Faurecia, Gentherm, Lear Corporation, Magna International, NHK Spring, Tachi-S, Toyota Boshoku, and TS Tech. FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Automotive Seat Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape. Competitive Strategic Window: The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth. Cumulative Impact of COVID-19: COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market. The report provides insights on the following pointers: 1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on sulfuric acid offered by the key players 2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets 3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments 4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players 5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments The report answers questions such as: 1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Automotive Seat Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Automotive Seat Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Automotive Seat Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Automotive Seat Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Automotive Seat Market? 6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Automotive Seat Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913460/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com A suicide car bomber struck Monday in northern Afghanistans province of Samangan, setting off a large explosion that was followed by a gun battle between other attackers and Afghan forces, officials said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. The officials said there were casualties but they could not provide the number of fatalities as the fighting was still underway. A provincial hospital chief, Abdul Khalil Musadiq, said at least 43 wounded mostly civilians, including children were taken to hospitals in the area. Mohammad Hashim Sarwari, deputy chief for the provincial council, said the bomber targeted the intelligence service department in the provincial capital of Aybak. He said the blast was so strong it was heard miles away and damaged buildings and homes within a wide radius. Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said the Taliban who are active in the province and have recently stepped up attacks there were behind the bombing. Samangan also has seen clashes between rival warlords in the area and some Islamic militants, mostly Uzbeks affiliated more with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. On Sunday, the Taliban attacked checkpoints in northern Kunduz province, killing at least 14 members of the Afghan security forces, according to Esmatullah Muradi, a spokesman for the provincial governor. In Imam Sahib district, the Taliban killed eight policemen, while in the Chardara district they gunned down three soldiers and three pro-government fighters, he said. Reinforcement were sent late on Sunday and fighting continued until Monday morning. The Taliban said they were behind the attacks but claimed that government forces fired mortars in response, hitting civilian homes a claimed that was dismissed by the Ministry of Defense. The Taliban and government forces have been trading blame over a recent surge in attacks across Afghanistan even as efforts continue to try and bring about the start of direct peace talks between Kabul and the insurgents. The Taliban accuses government forces of targeting them in their homes, with their families bearing the brunt of those operations. Kabul, meanwhile, has accuse the Taliban of stepping up attacks against both civilians and the security forces. ___ Associated Press writer Tameem Akhgar in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON WASHINGTON - The Trump administration escalated its actions against China on Monday by stepping squarely into one of the most sensitive regional issues dividing them and rejecting outright nearly all of Beijings significant maritime claims in the South China Sea. The administration presented the decision as an attempt to curb Chinas increasing assertiveness in the region with a commitment to recognizing international law. But it will almost certainly have the more immediate effect of further infuriating the Chinese, who are already retaliating against numerous U.S. sanctions and other penalties on other matters. It also comes as President Donald Trump has come under growing fire for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, stepped up criticism of China ahead of the 2020 election and sought to paint his expected Democratic challenger, former Vice-President Joe Biden, as weak on China. Previously, U.S. policy had been to insist that maritime disputes between China and its smaller neighbours be resolved peacefully through U.N.-backed arbitration. But in a statement released Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. now regards virtually all Chinese maritime claims outside its internationally recognized waters to be illegitimate. The shift does not involve disputes over land features that are above sea level, which are considered to be territorial in nature. The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire, Pompeo said. America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law. We stand with the international community in defence of freedom of the seas and respect for sovereignty and reject any push to impose might makes right in the South China Sea or the wider region. Although the U.S. will continue to remain neutral in territorial disputes, the announcement means the administration is in effect siding with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, all of which oppose Chinese assertions of sovereignty over maritime areas surrounding contested islands, reefs and shoals. There are clear cases where (China) is claiming sovereignty over areas that no country can lawfully claim, the State Department said in a fact sheet that accompanied the statement. In a statement Monday night from its embassy in Washington, China accused the State Department of deliberately distorting the facts and international law. It added that the U.S. exaggerates the situation in the region and attempts to sow discord between China and other littoral countries. The accusation is completely unjustified. The Chinese side is firmly opposed to it. China also accused the U.S. of interfering in disputes in which it was not directly involved and throwing its weight around in every sea of the world. We advise the US side to earnestly honour its commitment of not taking sides on the issue of territorial sovereignty, respect regional countries efforts for a peaceful and stable South China Sea and stop its attempts to disrupt and sabotage regional peace and stability, the embassy statement said. The U.S. announcement came a day after the fourth anniversary of a binding decision by an arbitration panel in favour of the Philippines that rejected Chinas maritime claims around the Spratly Islands and neighbouring reefs and shoals. China has refused to recognize that decision, which it has dismissed as a sham, and refused to participate in the arbitration proceedings. It has continued to defy the decision with aggressive actions that have brought it into territorial spats with Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia in recent years. However, as a result, the administration says China has no valid maritime claims to the fish- and potentially energy-rich Scarborough Reef, Mischief Reef or Second Thomas Shoal. The U.S. has repeatedly said that areas regarded to be part of the Philippines are covered by a U.S.-Philippines mutual defence treaty in the event of an attack on them. In addition to reiterating support for that decision, Pompeo said China cannot legally claim the James Shoal near Malaysia, waters surrounding the Vanguard Bank off Vietnam, the Luconia Shoals near Brunei and Natuna Besar off Indonesia. As such, it says the U.S. will regard any Chinese harassment of fishing vessels or oil exploration in those areas as unlawful. The announcement came amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and China over numerous issues, including the coronavirus pandemic, human rights, Chinese policy in Hong Kong and Tibet and trade, that have sent relations plummeting in recent months. But the practical impact wasnt immediately clear. The U.S. is not a party of the U.N. Law of the Sea treaty that sets out a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. Despite that, the State Department noted that China and its neighbours, including the Philippines, are parties to the treaty and should respect the decision. China has sought to shore up its claim to the sea by building military bases on coral atolls, leading the U.S. to sail its warships through the region in what it calls freedom of operation missions. The United States has no claims itself to the waters but has deployed warships and aircraft for decades to patrol and promote freedom of navigation and overflight in the busy waterway. Last week, China angrily complained about the U.S. flexing its military muscle in the South China Sea by conducting joint exercises with two U.S. aircraft carrier groups in the strategic waterway. The Navy said the USS Nimitz and the USS Ronald Reagan, along with their accompanying vessels and aircraft, conducted exercises designed to maximize air defence capabilities, and extend the reach of long-range precision maritime strikes from carrier-based aircraft in a rapidly evolving area of operations. China claims almost all of the South China Sea and routinely objects to any action by the U.S. military in the region. Five other governments claim all or part of the sea, through which approximately $5 trillion in goods are shipped every year. The political bureau, made up of reporters who would hang around Lutyens corridors, had a separate enclosure all to themselves In 2005, when being interviewed for my first job at a Delhi broadsheet, I was still wallowing in late adolescence. Clark Kent apart, I didnt have any journalistic heroes. Literature graduates have few worldly smarts and even fewer transferrable skills. I was just glad I was being given a chance to write. A pittance, yes, but the salary did help. I could move into a Lajpat Nagar house with my childhood sweetheart. My newsroom stories bored her. Youd just be an extra on All the Presidents Men, she told me when we were breaking up. She was right. I had nothing on anyone. Okay, I had nothing. Im usually not one for nostalgia, but watching Paatal Lok (2020) was a blow of sorts to the head. Memories of Delhi came flooding back. In the shows first scene, police officer Hathi Ram Chaudhary (Jaideep Ahlawat) offers one of his juniors some insight. Delhi, he tells him, is stratified, divided into three worlds heaven, earth and hell. Heaven gets equated with Lutyens Delhi. Vasant Vihar, Noida and Mehrauli all qualify as earth, while hell is made up of colonies like Outer Yamuna Paar, grimy, grungy areas that Chaudhary patrols. Much as I hate to admit it, my time in Delhi was spent on earth. The architecture of our office was a microcosm of the Delhi Chaudhary described. The political bureau, made up of reporters who would hang around Lutyens corridors, had a separate enclosure all to themselves. The rest of us sub-editors who would struggle with inscrutable copy, feature writers, the Carrie Bradshaws of the capital would start filling the office by two in the afternoon. Wed be curing hangovers with weak machine coffee, devising ways to procrastinate discreetly. There used to be one corner, however, that would always remain empty. I hardly ever saw crime reporters turn up. I must confess I was always felt envious of crime reporters. Theyd file stories from places as far as Ghitroni, Janakpuri and Dallupura. My stories only ever took me back to South Delhi. Id even find routine stories of chain snatchings a thing of wonder. I had arts and culture stories to edit when news of the Nithari murders left our office shocked in 2006. More than outrage, I felt I was missing out. I wanted to get my hands dirty. I wanted to be a real journalist. I wanted to access Delhis netherworld. Nearly 15 years later, Paatal Lok seems to want to offer some comfort. Crime reporters, it shows, are also forced to ask vapid questions. Their nosiness gets reasonable officers suspended. Their hunger for sensational news often impedes investigations. If its representation of journalism was even a touch more convincing, Paatal Lok might well have been an antidote to my FOMO. Sadly, however, the show portrays journalists with such an asinine artificiality, I feel like writing a furious letter to its editor. An adaptation of Tarun Tejpals Story of My Assassins, Paatal Lok is pegged to a particularly dangerous fantasy some journalists have one day theyll be so important that they will become the story themselves. Someone wants to assassinate Sanjeev Mehra (Neeraj Kabi), but that plot fails. For Mehra, editor of a news channel, self-importance is an aphrodisiac, potent enough to conquer fear. A few hours after four killers were to shoot him dead, Mehra is seen in a bar, drinking alone. A young anchor spots him and she is soon eating out of his hands. We used to be heroes, he tells her, ruefully. Mehra has the corner office. His affair with a much younger colleague does, of course, breach professional ethicality, but it is his Mehra himself that sets your teeth on edge first. His stagy English and assumed grandiosity both make you think Kabi is parodying a journalist, not performing one. A lesson I learnt in that Delhi office was that on most days, changing the world was only a fools errand. The world was too comfortable for all that. All I could maybe hope to do was disturb its sufficiency. Mehra would probably balk at such a suggestion, while demanding my resignation while he was at it. In my first year on the job, George Clooney decided to release Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), a film he had directed. Rather than make me want to be its protagonist, the legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow, the film made me want to find in my workplace the kind of camaraderie journalists sometimes feel when they look beyond their egos. The lure of bylines and envy of crime reporters can make you forget that journalism is first a collective enterprise. This is something Paatal Lok and my yesteryear girlfriend failed to see. Id have done anything to be an extra on All the Presidents Men. Days after the telecom regulator had asked Vodafone Idea to put on hold its RedX premium tariff plan, the telecom major on Monday filed an application in the telecom tribunal to challenge the order passed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on July 11. Vodafone Idea has moved the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) as it was reportedly not happy with the order, which was passed in a hasty manner without giving the company any chance to respond on an important matter such as tariff. The telecom JV between UK's Vodafone Group Plc and India's Aditya Birla Group was of the view that there was no violation of tariff regulation on this plan. In its July 11 order, the TRAI had asked Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea to "withhold, with immediate effect and until further orders" their Platinum and RedX plans, respectively. The regulator had questioned them about their individual plans that promised faster speeds to certain priority users. Also Read: TRAI asks Vodafone Idea, Airtel to suspend premium plans over service quality concerns The TRAI has asked if priority to high-paying customers in those specific plans came at the cost of service deterioration for other subscribers. It has asked also the operators how they are protecting the interest of other general subscribers. Slamming the TRAI's order, a Vodafone Idea source said on Sunday that the company was taken aback at the regulator's letter asking it to block the plan without any opportunity to respond on an important matter such as tariff. The company source said that the RedX plan was filed with TRAI in November and further modifications to the plan were, once again, duly filed in May. The plan has been in the market for the last eight months and customers are already on-boarded. Vodafone Idea had launched a postpaid plan, REDX, promising up to 50 per cent faster data speeds, besides other benefits and privileges. The plan was offering bundled international roaming services, unlimited data with superior data speeds (compared to its regular plans), premium customer service, access to airport lounges, exclusive deals on handsets, hotel bookings and other benefits. The company had said that It said that its customers would be able to avail international calls to the US and Canada at 50 paise per minute. By Chitranjan Kumar with PTI inputs Also Read: Smartphone sales fall 30-40% in July so far amid import delays Nuclear physicists affiliated with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) played a leading role in analyzing data for a demonstration experiment that has achieved record precision for a specialized detector material. The CUPID-Mo experiment is among a field of experiments that are using a variety of approaches to detect a theorized particle process, called neutrinoless double-beta decay, that could revise our understanding of ghostly particles called neutrinos, and of their role in the formation of the universe. The preliminary results from the CUPID-Mo experiment, based on the Berkeley Lab-led analysis of data collected from March 2019 to April 2020, set a new world-leading limit for the neutrinoless double-beta decay process in an isotope of molybdenum known as Mo-100. Isotopes are forms of an element that carry a different number of uncharged particles called neutrons in their atomic nuclei. The new result sets the limit on the neutrinoless double-beta decay half-life in Mo-100 at 1.4 times a trillion-trillion years (that's 14 followed by 23 zeros), which is a 30% improvement in sensitivity over the Neutrino Ettore Majorana Observatory 3 (NEMO 3), a previous experiment that operated at the same site from 2003-2011 and also used Mo-100. A half-life is the time it takes for a radioactive isotope to shed half of its radioactivity. The neutrinoless double-beta decay process is theorized to be very slow and rare, and not a single event was detected in CUPID-Mo after one year of data-taking. While both experiments used Mo-100 in their detector arrays, NEMO 3 used a foil form of the isotope while CUPID-Mo used a crystal form that produces flashes of light in certain particle interactions. Larger experiments that use different detector materials and that operate for longer periods of time have achieved greater sensitivity, though the reported early success of CUPID-Mo sets the stage for a planned successor experiment called CUPID with a detector array that will be 100 times larger. Berkeley Lab's contributions to CUPID-Mo No experiment has yet confirmed whether the neutrinoless process exists. Existence of this process would confirm that neutrinos serve as their own antiparticles, and such proof would also help explain why matter won out over antimatter in our universe. All of the data from the CUPID-Mo experiment - the CUPID acronym stands for CUORE Upgrade with Particle IDentification, and "Mo" is for the molybdenum contained in the detector crystal - is transmitted from Modane Underground Laboratory (Laboratoire souterrain de Modane) in France to the Cori supercomputer at Berkeley Lab's National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center. Benjamin Schmidt, a postdoctoral researcher in Berkeley Lab's Nuclear Science Division, led the overall data analysis effort for the CUPID-Mo result, and was supported by a team of Berkeley Lab-affiliated researchers and other members of the international collaboration. Berkeley Lab also contributed 40 sensors that enabled readout of signals picked up by CUPID-Mo's 20-crystal detector array. The array was supercooled to about 0.02 kelvin, or minus 460 degrees Fahrenheit, to maintain its sensitivity. Its cylindrical crystals contain lithium, oxygen, and the isotope Mo-100, and produce tiny flashes of light in particle interactions. The international effort to produce the CUPID-Mo result is remarkable, Schmidt said, given the context of the global pandemic that had cast uncertainty over the continuing operation of the experiment. "For a while it looked like we would have to shut down the CUPID-Mo experiment prematurely due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Europe at the beginning of March and the associated difficulties in supplying the experiment with required cryogenic liquids," he said. He added, "Despite this uncertainty and the changes associated with the closure of office spaces and schools, as well as restricted access to the underground laboratory, our collaborators made every effort to keep the experiment running through the pandemic." Schmidt credited the efforts of the data-analysis group that he led for finding a way to work from home and produce the results from the experiment in time to present them at Neutrino 2020, a virtual International Conference on Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics hosted by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Members of the CUPID-Mo collaboration are planning to submit the results for publication in a peer-reviewed science journal. Tuning up ultrasensitive detectors A particular challenge in the data analysis, Schmidt said, was in ensuring that the detectors were properly calibrated to record the "extremely elusive set of events" that are predicted to be associated with a signal of neutrinoless double-beta decay. The neutrinoless decay process is expected to generate a very-high-energy signal in the CUPID-Mo detector and a flash of light. The signal, because it is at such a high energy, is expected to be free from interference by natural sources of radioactivity. To test CUPID-Mo's response to high-energy signals, researchers had placed other sources of high-energy signals, including Tl-208, a radioactive isotope of thallium, near the detector array. The signals generated by the decay of this isotope are at a high energy, but not as high as the energy predicted to be associated with the neutrinoless decay process in Mo-100, if it exists. "Hence, a big challenge was to convince ourselves that we can calibrate our detectors with common sources, in particular Tl-208," Schmidt said, "and then extrapolate the detector response to our signal region and properly account for the uncertainties in this extrapolation." To further improve the calibration with high-energy signals, nuclear physicists used Berkeley Lab's 88-Inch Cyclotron to produce a wire containing Co-56, an isotope of cobalt that that has a low level of radioactivity, as soon as the cyclotron reopened last month following a temporary shutdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The wire has been shipped to France for testing with the CUPID-Mo detector array. Preparing for next-gen experiment in Italy While CUPID-Mo may now lag behind the sensitivity in measurements achieved by some other experiments - which use different detector techniques and materials - because it is smaller and hasn't yet gathered as much data, "With the full CUPID experiment, which will use about 100 times more Mo-100, and with 10 years of operation, we have excellent prospects for the search and potential discovery of neutrinoless double-beta decay," Schmidt said. CUPID-Mo was installed at the site of the Edelweiss III dark matter search experiment in a tunnel more than a mile deep in France, near the Italian border, and uses some Edelweiss III components. CUPID, meanwhile, is proposed to replace the CUORE neutrinoless double-beta decay search experiment at Gran Sasso National Laboratory (Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso) in Italy. While CUPID-Mo contains just 20 detector crystals, CUPID would contain more than 1,500. "After CUORE finishes data-taking in two or three years, the CUPID detector could take four or five years to build," said Yury Kolomensky, U.S. spokesperson for the CUORE collaboration and senior faculty scientist at Berkeley Lab, which is leading CUORE's U.S. collaboration. "CUPID would be a relatively modest upgrade in terms of cost and technical challenges, but it will be a significant improvement in terms of sensitivity." Physics data-taking for CUPID-Mo wrapped up June 22, and new data that weren't considered in the latest result represent about a 20% to 30% growth in overall data. CUPID-Mo is supported by a group of French laboratories, and by laboratories in the U.S., Ukraine, Russia, Italy, China, and Germany. NERSC is a DOE Office of Science user facility. The CUPID-Mo collaboration brings together researchers from 27 institutions, including the French laboratories Irfu/CEA and IJCLab in Orsay; IP2I in Lyon; and Institut Neel and SIMaP in Grenoble, as well as institutions in the U.S., Ukraine, Russia, Italy, China, and Germany. The experiment is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science's Office of Nuclear Physics, Berkeley Research Computing program, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, IDEATE International Associated Laboratory (LIA), Russian Science Foundation, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, National Science Foundation, the France-Berkeley Fund, the MISTI-France fund, and the Office for Science & Technology of the Embassy of France in the U.S. ### More: "A new world-leading limit for neutrinoless double-beta decay set by the CUPID-Mo experiment to determine the nature of the neutrino," France's CEA, June 28, 2020. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest scientific challenges are best addressed by teams, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and its scientists have been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes. Today, Berkeley Lab researchers develop sustainable energy and environmental solutions, create useful new materials, advance the frontiers of computing, and probe the mysteries of life, matter, and the universe. Scientists from around the world rely on the Lab's facilities for their own discovery science. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory, managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science. Since the Secretary of States office launched a new statewide poll official recruitment campaign in June, thousands of Tennesseans have stepped up to serve in the Aug. 6 State and Federal Primary and County General Election. I am encouraged by how many students and young adults have applied to serve as poll officials, said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. A successful election would not be possible without these Tennesseans choosing to serve in their community. Its not too late to apply. Many counties still need more Tennesseans to serve as poll officials. Poll officials perform many critical tasks at polling sites. This includes greeting and processing voters, answering questions and explaining how to cast a ballot. Poll officials are also responsible for counting absentee by-mail votes. For months, county election commissions have been working and planning for a safe and secure election, said Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins. But they cant put these plans into action without poll officials to be the eyes, ears, hands and feet on the ground at polling sites. Poll officials will be provided with personal protective equipment including masks, gloves, gowns and face shields. Poll officials will be required to wear a face covering and receive training on social distancing and other protective measures. Poll officials are compensated for working during early voting, on Election Day, and attending any required training sessions. Qualifications to be a poll official: Be a registered voter if 18 or older Be at least 16 years old Not be a candidate or close relative of a candidate Be able to read and write in the English language The following government employees can also serve as poll officials: City, county or metro employees, unless working directly under the supervision of an elected official on the ballot State of Tennessee employee Federal employees consult your Human Resources department to ensure eligibility Any Tennessee voter is eligible to apply, regardless of political affiliation. Early voting starts this Friday and runs Monday to Saturday until Saturday, Aug. 1. Election Day is Thursday, Aug. 6. For more information and to sign up to become a poll official, visit GoVoteTN.com New Delhi/Chandigarh: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for economic corridor projects worth Rs 20,000 crore in Haryana, the government said on Monday. The web-based function will be presided over by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. "Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs Shri Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of various Highway projects as part of a new economic corridor worth over Rs 20 thousand crore in Haryana on the coming 14th," Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement. Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said that these national and state highways and bypasses will change the picture of the infrastructure in the state. He said that with the strengthening of the road network in the state, the development of industries will get a new direction and entrepreneurs will come forward for more investment in the state. Chautala in a statement said that the state government had requested the Centre earlier to expeditiously complete road-related projects in the state. He said that the Ismailabad-Narnaul Greenfield Highway will connect five Lok Sabha constituencies of Kurukshetra, Karnal, Sonipat, Rohtak, and Bhiwani-Mahendragarh in the state, which will increase the connectivity as well as speed up industrial development in the State. The road development project is a part of the Delhi-Mumbai and Kolkata-Amritsar industrial corridor and with the start of this; more entrepreneurs will be attracted to Haryana for investment purposes. The projects for inauguration include 35.45 km 4-lane Rohna/ Hasangarh to Jhajjar section of NH 334B costing Rs 1,183 crore, 70 km 4-laning of Punjab-Haryana Border to Jind section of NH 71 (Rs 857 crore), and the 85.36 km 2-lane with paved shoulders Jind-Karnal Highway on NH 709 (Rs 200 crore). The projects for laying foundation stone include 227 km 6-lane access controlled Greenfield expressway from Ismailpur to Narnaul on NH 152D in 8 packages costing Rs 8,650 crore, 46 km 4-lane Gurugram Pataudi-Rewari section of NH 352W (Rs 1,524 crore) and 14.4 km 4-lane Rewari bypass for Rs 928 crore, the statement said. In addition, foundation stone will also be laid for 30.45 km 4-lane Rewari-Ateli Mandi section of NH 11 costing Rs 1,057 crore, 40.8 km 6-lane Narnaul bypass on NH 148B, NH 11 and Narnaul to Ateli Mandi section of NH 11 (Rs 1,380 crore), 40.6 km 4-lane Jind-Gohana (greenfield alignment) of NH 352A (Rs 1,207 crore), 38.23 km 4-lane Gohana-Sonipat section of NH 352A (Rs 1,502 crore), and 40.47 km 4-lane UP-Haryana border to Roha on NH 334B (Rs 1,509 crore). "These projects will benefit people of Haryana in a big way by providing smooth connectivity within the state, as well as to other states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh," the statement said. The projects will also save on time, fuel, and cost, as also boost development in backward areas of the state, it added. Chautala said the state government is also working in the direction of creating an integrated logistic hub in Narnaul which was reviewed recently by the state government. The Railways have also released their share for the integrated logistics hub. Kabul, July 13 : A prominent Afghan journalist died of COVID-19, an independent media safety group protecting reporters' rights,said on Monday. "Dad Mohammad Onaby, editor-in-chief of (state-run) Islah Daily, passed away of COVID-19 and buried on Sunday," Xinhua news agency quoted the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) as saying in a statement. His death has taken the number of media workers and reporters to die due to COVID-19 to seven. Since the pandemic hit Afghanistan in February, a total of 34,451 people have been infected with COVID-19, while the death toll stood at 1,010. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Police say they are investigating two deadly shootings Sunday evening: one at a park in Southwest Albuquerque and the other at a Target in the foothills. Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said the first shooting was reported around 6 p.m. near 86th and Tower SW. He said that 911 callers reported a drive-by shooting at Tower Park. The victim is deceased, and this has been made a homicide call-out, Gallegos wrote in an email. About an hour later, police were dispatched to a shooting at the Target on Lomas near Eubank NE. The shooting victim at 11120 Lomas NE succumbed to his injuries and was declared deceased at the hospital, Gallegos said in an email. Gallegos said the shootings do not appear to be related. Albuquerque, NM -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/13/2020 -- Coming to the beautiful desert highlands of Albuquerque, New Mexico is one of the greatest holiday light shows in the Southwest United States. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing restrictions, an annual drive-through, contactless holiday light show, Lights of Enchantment, is coming to Albuquerque later this year. From the comfort of one's car, Lights of Enchantment will be a community event for friends and families far and wide to enjoy. Featuring 90 to 100 light displays in dozens of themes, the one-mile track on the Westside of Albuquerque New Mexico will be accompanied by festive holiday music. Bright, colorful, and intricate animated light displays are designed to make the first annual drive-through light show a magical and magnificent must-see event this holiday season. With full approval from local Bernalillo County, Lights of Enchantment is moving full speed ahead with safety measures to meet existing social distancing requirements. A drive-through, contactless experience, attendees will purchase tickets online and display their ticket's QR or barcode through their car window, where it will be scanned, minimizing direct person-to-person contact and the risk of exposure. While popular fall and winter events , including River of Lights, the New Mexico State Fair, and the International Balloon Fiesta, have been canceled due to the pandemic, Lights of Enchantment organizers are excited to bring this fun, family-oriented experience to communities in Albuquerque and beyond with the necessary restrictions that ensure a fun, safe experience. For a limited time, support Lights of Enchantment on Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lightsofenchantment/drive-through-holiday-light-show-best-in-the-southwest Funds raised from this campaign will be used to support the Lights of Enchantment event, including funding for light displays. Backers can support the light show for as little as $1, or pledge $30 or more to get an exclusive t-shirt and VIP ticket for their vehicle with no occupancy limit. Additional reward options and ticket discounts are available. About Lights of Enchantment Lights of Enchantment, a holiday drive-through light show, is being organized by Garfield Carjill of Albuquerque, New Mexico. While community events have been postponed or canceled due to COVID-19, Lights of Enchantment is a new, magical, and socially distanced must-see event with 90 to 100 light displays, in dozens of themes, set against the backdrop of a one-mile New Mexico track. Contact: Contact Person: Garfield Carjill Company: Lights of Enchantment City: Albuquerque State: New Mexico Country: United States Phone: 505-357-0339 Email: info@lightsofenchantment.com Website: www.lightsofenchantment.com https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lightsofenchantment/drive-through-holiday-light-show-best-in-the-southwest SAN DIEGO, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Helix, the leading population genomics company, today announced a partnership with San Diego County to make COVID-19 testing accessible across the County to those who need it most. As part of this important public-private partnership, Helix will be providing San Diego County with up to 2,000 COVID-19 tests per day. "We're incredibly proud to partner with San Diego County to expand access to COVID-19 testing at a time of unprecedented need," said Marc Stapley, Helix President and CEO. "Given our years of experience in collecting and handling biological samples and reporting clinical results at significant scale, we're uniquely qualified to help our community during this public health crisis." "Communities across the country have been struggling to provide access to fast and reliable COVID-19 testing," said Greg Cox, Chairman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. "Through this strategic partnership with Helix, we've made a major step forward in meeting the need for COVID-19 testing here in San Diego." "It is critical to public health that San Diego have access to reliable and rapid COVID-19 testing," said Nick Macchione, Director of San Diego County's Health and Human Services Agency. "We view Helix as a true partner in our fight against COVID-19." San Diego County will be using the Helix COVID-19 Test, a real-time RT-PCR test intended for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid from the SARS-CoV-2 in upper respiratory nasopharyngeal (NP), anterior nares (AN) and oropharyngeal (OP) swab specimens from individuals suspected of COVID-19 by their healthcare provider. Emergency use authorization is pending and Helix is working interactively with the FDA. The Helix COVID-19 Test is part of Helix's broader end-to-end test system, which is available nationally to health systems, employers, governments, and other organizations in need of sensitive, scalable, and fully kitted COVID-19 testing solutions. It includes: Full collection kit (non-invasive lower nasal swab, ambient temperature and transport stable media, barcoded tube) which lessens the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare professionals RT-qPCR assay with a limit of detection of 1,000 viral copies / mL Processing in Helix's high-complexity CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited clinical laboratory in San Diego Integration with healthcare professional ordering systems for order processing Return of results to ordering healthcare professional with an option to return to the tested individual directly Next-day turnaround time following sample receipt at the Helix Laboratory in San Diego, CA Reporting to public health agencies To support further expansion of its testing capabilities and capacity, Helix has also filed an additional EUA for a higher throughput and more sensitive COVID-19 test based on next-generation sequencing technology, which is currently under review by the FDA. The Helix COVID-19 test has not been FDA cleared or approved. This test has been validated in accordance with the FDA's Guidance Document (Policy for Diagnostics Testing in Laboratories Certified to Perform High Complexity Testing under CLIA prior to Emergency Use Authorization for Coronavirus Disease-2019 during the Public Health Emergency). FDA independent review of this validation and issuance of Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) is pending. Additional information, including important test information and limitations, is available at helix.com/COVID. Organizations in need of a COVID-19 testing solution can contact Helix by emailing [email protected] . About Helix Helix is the leading population genomics company operating at the intersection of clinical care, research, and genomics. Its end-to-end platform enables health systems, life sciences companies, and payers to advance genomic research and accelerate the integration of genomic data into clinical care. Powered by one of the world's largest CLIA / CAP next-generation sequencing labs and its proprietary Exome+ assay, Helix supports all aspects of population genomics including recruitment and engagement, clinically actionable disease screening, return of results, and basic and translational research. In response to the COVID-19 public health crisis, Helix has launched a sensitive and scalable end-to-end COVID-19 test system to meet the needs of health systems, employers, governments, and other organizations across the country. Learn more at www.helix.com SOURCE Helix Related Links https://www.helix.com In 2018, for instance, Trumps disclosure forms showed he had repaid his former lawyer Michael Cohen more than $100,000 for expenses the previous year. That was an apparent reference to Cohens payment of $130,000 in hush money to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels who claimed she had an affair with Trump just before the 2016 election. Trump had previously said he was unaware of the payments. In a democracy, we citizens have a right to know how much has been donated and what it has been used for. There is need for people power in terms of whistleblowing because what happened which resulted in the arrest of Moyo was a clear result of pressure by citizens, he said. A Russian university on Monday claimed that the clinical trial of Russia's first coronavirus vaccine on volunteers has been completed successfully. The Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University said that clinical trial began on June 18. The university added that it conducted human trials on a group of 38 volunteers in two batches. Alexander Lukashev, the director of the Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector-Borne Diseases at Sechenov University informed the media about the completion of the trial. The COVID-19 vaccine is also being tested at Burdenko Military Hospital in Moscow in a liquid form. The university has said the first group of volunteers would be discharged on July 15 and the second on July 20. #Sechenov University has successfully completed tests on volunteers of the world's first vaccine against #COVID19. "The #vaccine is safe. The volunteers will be discharged on July 15 and July 20", chief researcher Elena Smolyarchuk told TASS https://t.co/jVrmWbLvwX pic.twitter.com/V8bon4lieR - Russia in India (@RusEmbIndia) July 12, 2020 How Russian university's clinical trials took place: According to Russian news agency TASS, the first stage of research on the vaccine at Sechenov University kicked off on June 18 when a group of 18 volunteers was vaccinated. The second group of 20 volunteers was vaccinated on June 23. According to Russian media, the volunteers received a lyophilised vaccine or a powder from which a solution was prepared for intramuscular injection. Initially, some participants reported headaches and high body temperature. However, the university said these symptoms resolved completely within 24 hours after vaccine administration. In the meantime, the volunteers have been kept in single or double wards on campus at Sechenov University. The participants will have to spend 28 days in isolation after the vaccine injection to protect them from exposure to other infections. And, after discharge, they will be monitored for six more months. While Russian university claims to be the first to develop a vaccine, it is still unclear as to how and when will the vaccine be available. Also, scale of volunteers was small, hence more comprehensive research might be needed before the vaccine is cleared for use. Meanwhile, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), China-based Sinovac Biotech Sinovac and UK-based AstraZeneca are the only firms that are in Phase 3 trials of coronavirus vaccine. Sinovac Biotech has reported positive preliminary data from the Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, CoronaVac. Sinovac's development of a vaccine against COVID-19 began in January 2020 in partnership with leading academic research institutes in China. Recently, Sinovac collaborated with Instituto Butantan in Brazil to prepare and conduct Phase 3 clinical study. On the other hand, British drugmaker AstraZeneca has already begun large-scale, mid-stage human trials of the vaccine, which was developed by researchers at the University of Oxford. The British drugmaker has started conducting pPase 3 human trials of its AZD1222 (formerly known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) vaccine candidate. Around 800 people will be administered the vaccine. Also read: Coronavirus vaccine update: Bharat Biotech starts human trials; Russia successfully completes human testing Also read: Coronavirus vaccine: China's CanSino in talks with Russia, Brazil, Chile for Phase III trials 13.07.2020 LISTEN The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has renewed its calls for the closure of schools across the country as the cases of COVID-19 being recorded within the school environment continue to rise. A statement from the partys COVID-19 Technical Team says a reversal of the reopening of schools is the only indicator to express the governments commitment of not endangering the lives of students and staff as promised. It added that the government must conduct mass testing of the students before they are allowed to return to their homes. The lives of Ghanaian students, teachers and non-teaching staff should be valued equally and the government must take immediate steps to reverse its decision and to begin the process of returning students to their homes. This will necessarily include mass testing of students to ascertain their COVID-19 status before they are released to their parents to minimize the risk of exporting cases from campuses to communities. Additionally, the NDC is demanding an immediate postponement of the exit exams for both Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS) students as has been done by other neighbouring countries. Kenya and Nigeria -acknowledge the public health risks-have already reversed similar decisions. Ghana should follow suit; extensive community spread, the failure to screen staff and students, and the mixing of students from various communities suggest the risk of infections in Senior High Schools is substantial. It is also recommended-as has been done in Nigeria -that the final exams be postponed until such a time as our public health system is resourced and responsive enough to provide a safe environment for the students. Barring that, it will be necessary to explore digital solutions for the completion of the exams, bearing in mind and proactively accounting for the unequal access to internet services, portions of the statement added. EC registration exercises in schools The NDC COVID-19 Technical Team also raised concerns with the Electoral Commissions (EC) move to extend the voter registration exercise to second cycle institutions at a time when there is even an embargo on parental visits as a measure to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infections. This decision the team describes as an unacceptable additional risk to the existing public health and medical systems. Moreso, the party cannot fathom why the government has as a matter of urgency, shut down a number of the state institutions over fears of COVID-19 infections but there is some level of adamance in closing down schools over similar issues. We urge the government to act expeditiously in this matter, as it ultimately bears moral responsibility for any COVID-19 infections on campuses and for any adverse outcomes for Ghanaian students, their families, and their teachers, they concluded. ---SaltfmOnline Eleanor Sokoloff, 106, the celebrated piano professor who taught at the Curtis Institute of Music for an astonishing eight-plus decades and whose own four-hand recitals with her husband were once a Philadelphia tradition, died Sunday, July 12, at Pennsylvania Hospital of natural causes. Mrs. Sokoloff taught at Curtis longer than any other professor in the conservatorys history, and more than anyone else, she was its gracious if sharp-witted personification. She was always here, said former Curtis director Gary Graffman, exaggerating, but only slightly. The school, venerable as it is and often seen as the countrys great manifestation of old-world conservatory training, was seven years old when Mrs. Sokoloff first arrived as a student. She was still teaching at Curtis during the last school year and had planned to resume this fall, pandemic or no. She was an institution within the institution, said Curtis president and CEO Roberto Diaz. She just experienced it all, she knew it all, she remembered it all. There was really nobody at Curtis, certainly not teaching at Curtis, that she had not had some contact with from very early on. She could talk about the school and its evolution with an authority that no one else could. Its a huge, huge loss for all of us our one contact to the very beginning of the school. During her long tenure, she amassed an impressive list of students, more than 75 of whom went on to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Among Mrs. Sokoloffs pupils were Craig Sheppard, Lambert Orkis, and wunderkind Susan Starr. Curtis resident pianist Meng-Chieh Liu studied with her, as did Leon McCawley, Charles Abramovic, and Randall Hodgkinson. In 2003, she took a shine to Kit Armstrong, a slight figure who came to her studio at age 12, already a serious pianist and budding composer with a David Letterman appearance under his belt. One of her students, Daniel Hsu, was the only pianist to win three awards in the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, including the bronze. She complained bitterly because, having followed his performances online, she said he deserved the gold. With a tightly spun bun fastened atop her head, dramatically highlighted eyebrows, and unfailingly smart outfits, Mrs. Sokoloff made a visible presence for herself around Rittenhouse Square, where she could be seen walking or dining seasonally accessorized with a legendary leopard skin hat or another trimmed with nautical rope. She was outspoken, sometimes bluntly so, though her opinions on a spectrum of subjects from progress on gay and lesbian rights (which she applauded) to contemporary music (which she often did not) were usually softened by a puckish chuckle. Her death leaves Curtis, a school that worships the past, without the most direct connection to its own history. Nearly every Wednesday afternoon at the traditional tea in Curtis luxuriously wood-paneled main building, she sat before a samovar, one of two hosts to pour tea for students, faculty and guests. Mrs. Sokoloff came to study at Curtis in 1931 in music-history terms, a few years before Berg wrote his landmark Violin Concerto or Bartok penned the Concerto for Orchestra. She met her husband, pianist Vladimir Billy Sokoloff, at the school, and they formed a popular two-piano team. She first taught supplementary piano (piano instruction for non-piano majors), from 1936-1949, and then became a full member of the piano faculty. She undeniably stood for tradition, but not necessarily the good old days. She was vocal on the ways in which female pianists have long been marginalized. When the wrecking ball came for the house she once occupied for 35 years to make way for the future Kimmel Center, she wasnt heartbroken. This is going to be a big improvement, she quipped. She often supported change and evolution at Curtis. At a 100th birthday celebration at the school, Sokoloff was praised by Graffman as being free of nostalgia for the good old days while still embodying the highest of golden-age standards. As the only full-time teacher on the Curtis piano faculty, Mrs. Sokoloff frequently took over lessons for bigger-name faculty-pianists when they were called out of town to perform or after one had lost patience with an uncooperative prodigy. She tended to work with younger students, those under 16 years old for whom two lessons a week might be required. She stresses the fundamentals of piano playing and builds on top of that, as good teachers should, the late Curtis cellist Orlando Cole told The Inquirer in 2011. Shes had innumerable fine players I mean really world-class pianists and they start with her and go on to other teachers who get credit for it. You know. Thats the way. Born Eleanor Blum in Cleveland, daughter of a barber, she was raised in Miami and Washington, and came to Philadelphia after studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Ruth Edwards. At Curtis, she studied piano with David Saperton and chamber music with Louis Bailly. The piano team of Brodsky and Triggs was brought in to teach two-piano repertoire to Mrs. Sokoloff and the fellow student who would become her husband. Vladimir Sokoloff was the Philadelphia Orchestras pianist from 1938 to 1950, and performed with violinist Efrem Zimbalist, soprano Marcella Sembrich, and violist William Primrose. He died in 1997. Soon after her husbands death, Mrs. Sokoloff went out and bought an exercise machine. It was a top-of-the-line model with all the bells and whistles, which made her elder daughter, Kathy Sokoloff, curious. I said, Mom, why did you have to buy such a fancy machine? Her mother said: Because it came with a 25-year warranty. She was 83 at the time. Kathy Sokoloff says her mother had so many students that she couldnt remember them all. Not even a famous jazz artist. One day the doorbell rang and mother said, May I help you? A man said, Hello, my name is Keith Jarrett, and I wanted to say hello. And she said, Who? Apparently my mother had taught him, but she didnt remember. In addition to daughter Katharine, a former violin prodigy and retired director of development at the Settlement Music School, Mrs. Sokoloff is survived by daughter Laurie Sokoloff, a retired piccolo player and flutist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A memorial will be planned for a later date. Donations in her name may be made to the Curtis Institute of Music, 1726 Locust St. Philadelphia, Pa. 19103. Concurrent failures of federal drinking water standards and Michigan's emergency manager law reinforced and magnified each other, leading to the Flint water crisis, according to a University of Michigan environmental policy expert. Flint's experience offers lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated local financial challenges while highlighting the importance of access to clean, safe drinking water, said U-M's Sara Hughes, an assistant professor at the School for Environment and Sustainability. "As we wrestle to combat the coronavirus, we should keep in mind that building healthy communities starts with a renewed commitment to investing in 21st-century drinking water systems and supporting cities as they navigate systemic financial challenges," Hughes said. "Learning from the Flint water crisis requires counteracting and confronting the marginalizing effects of infrastructure underinvestment and urban austerity measures." The Flint water crisis resulted from simultaneous failures of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and Michigan's Local Financial Stability and Choice Act, Hughes writes in an article published July 13 in the journal Perspectives on Politics. Also known as Public Act 436, the Michigan law places cities deemed by the state to be experiencing fiscal distress under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager. Both policies rationalize complex problems--safe drinking water and municipal financial distress--by providing purely technical solutions, and the weaknesses of each reinforced and magnified the harmful consequences of the other for the residents of Flint, according to Hughes. For nearly 18 months, from April 2014 to October 2015, the city of Flint delivered inadequately treated Flint River water to residents, exposing thousands to elevated lead levels and other contaminants. Poor children and families were particularly affected. At both the state and federal levels, the primary response to the Flint water crisis has been to strengthen drinking water safety standards and monitoring practices, Hughes said. But providing safe drinking water to city residents is only partly a technical problem. Much less attention has been paid to funding and supporting local governments in ways that ensure their capacity to build and maintain infrastructure, provide reliable services, and sustain meaningful dialogue and engagement with their residents, according to Hughes. Failure to address these longstanding problems will complicate efforts to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, especially in hard-hit places like Southeast Michigan, which has the state's highest concentration of COVID-19 cases. "If addressed, these policy failures would mitigate against the disproportionate and unequal patterns emerging in the coronavirus outbreak," Hughes said. "But absent change, poor and minority cities remain vulnerable to the marginalizing effects of these multiple and reinforcing rationalized policy domains." By a rationalized policy Hughes means one that is presented as purely technical in nature and politically neutral. Techno-rational approaches to policy hold out the promise of more effective, unbiased decision-making, but they often cloak decisions and priorities in the language of rationality and science while failing to consider the public's preferences, according to Hughes. Rationalized policy approaches were at the heart of the Flint water crisis, involving both the federal drinking water act and the state emergency manager law. Flint first came under emergency management in 2011 through the law that preceded Public Act 436, then in 2012 through the provisions of PA 436, which was developed and championed by former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. Flint's state-appointed emergency managers made or forced decisions about the city's water supplies and treatment protocols that were ostensibly made with the goal of cutting costs. The second policy failure implicated in the Flint water crisis involves the federal Safe Drinking Water Act's Lead and Copper Rule. The LCR provides two important sets of criteria: water quality standards and treatment/testing protocols for lead and copper in drinking water systems. The law requires that local water utilities monitor and test their water supplies and report their results to the state government, which in turn reports all data to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA is ultimately responsible for ensuring compliance. When Flint switched its drinking water source to the Flint River in April 2014, the state environmental quality department failed to require the city to treat the water for corrosion, as would be necessary to meet federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) standards. Federal standards for lead in drinking water are 15 parts per billion. Lead levels of up to 1,000 ppb were detected in Flint homes during the water crisis, yet enforcement actions were not triggered. "The fact that such systemic and prolonged noncompliance, and clear evidence of a threat to public health, failed to trigger regulatory action by EPA calls into question the adequacy of public protections embedded in the SDWA and LCR," Hughes said. In much the same way that Michigan's emergency manager law represents a rationalized approach to municipal financial distress, the federal Lead and Copper Rule is a rationalized approach to protecting human health, according to Hughes. "The provisions and standards in the LCR create a policy environment that facilitates decision-making that is reactionary, prioritizes cost-effectiveness, excludes the public and tolerates risk," she said. The LCR has no enforceable health-based standard "and does not protect any individual or household from exposure to elevated lead levels." In 2018, the state of Michigan passed its own set of stricter standards for lead, shifting to a lower 12 ppb standard and requiring that communities replace 5% of lead service lines annually. At the national level, the EPA has submitted proposed revisions to the LCR to the Office of Management and Budget, but they have yet to take effect. Critically, the policy changes resulting from the Flint water crisis have not extended to a reevaluation of how municipal financial distress is addressed and prevented, according to Hughes. Michigan's emergency manager law remains unchanged. Poor, minority U.S. communities consistently receive lower-quality drinking water, and lead contamination cases fit a pattern of low-income, unequal and largely black cities, according to Hughes. The study is based on interviews with local activists, decision-makers, scientists, journalists and scholars working in or with the city of Flint, as well as a review of reports, testimony, newspaper articles and secondary demographic and financial data. ### Study abstract: Flint, Michigan, and the Politics of Safe Drinking Water in the United States For some Texas schools, the opening bell may not ring in August after all. Days after state education leaders laid out plans for reopening campuses to begin the 2020-21 school year, some Texas school and local government leaders are crafting plans for delaying the restart of in-person instruction. Together, they argue the continuing spread of COVID-19 makes it too dangerous for their communities to open school doors next month, requiring actions that will allow them to keep providing online-only classes for now. The efforts to delay in-person instruction come as some state and education leaders push for reopening campuses as quickly as possible, arguing the benefits of in-person instruction outweigh the public health risks. At the same time, many health officials and educators are calling for a delay in resuming face-to-face classes amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and test positivity rates across Texas. Under Texas Education Agency guidelines released last week, public schools must offer options for in-person instruction to families that want it, though campuses can be closed following an executive order by the governor or a confirmed case of COVID-19. Districts that violate the guidelines risk losing state funding. At the same time, state laws and rules empower local officials to keep schools closed in certain cases an authority that several districts and local governments have signaled they will use. In El Paso County and the city of Laredo, the local health authorities issued an order last Thursday that keeps about 400 public and private schools in their jurisdictions closed through Labor Day. State law allows local health authorities to close properties to prevent the spread of communicable diseases in a public health disaster, though the governor can overrule those orders. In Dallas ISD, the states second-largest district, Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said he likely will recommend moving the districts school start date from Aug. 17 to after Labor Day. While state law dictates the earliest school start date in each district, it does not specify the latest date that schools must reopen. On HoustonChronicle.com: State officials order school reopenings, with few exceptions And in Alief ISD, home to nearly 45,500 students in southwest Houston, administrators plan to remain in online-only classes for the first three weeks of school by providing computers and wireless internet hot spots to all families in need. The TEA guidelines allow districts to block students from returning to in-person classes for up to three weeks if they have the technology at home. If I were to bring back thousands of students and staff and put them in a school, even under the best safety and health protocols, thats probably going to contribute to the spread of the virus, Alief Superintendent HD Chambers said. While were in the midst of what is a pretty alarming spike in cases in the Alief area, I want to do my part. Buying time All three approaches carry potential trade-offs or political ramifications. The orders in El Paso and Laredo set the stage for a potential showdown with Gov. Greg Abbott, who overruled local governments in the early weeks of the pandemic when they tried to close businesses and issue face-covering mandates in their areas. Abbott has not commented publicly on whether he will allow local school closure orders to stand or what conditions would prompt him to issue an executive order halting in-person instruction. His office did not respond to requests for comment. Hector Ocaranza, El Pasos city and county health authority, said he has not heard from Abbotts office on any objections to his school shutdown order. He argued the local mandate is whats best for us in our community. We want to sync the school districts in El Paso and give extra time to improve planning to bring children back to school, Ocaranza said. On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas teachers anxious about safety if schools reopen in August Ocaranza said he wants to see stable hospitalization rates, a decline in total confirmed cases and a reduction in the rate of positive tests before he allows schools to reopen. El Paso County has seen a significant increase in the number of confirmed cases, rising to an average of 365 per day last week from about 225 per day in the prior week, according to data compiled by the Houston Chronicle. The regions available ICU beds about 35 in recent days is lower than normal, but the area occasionally had a similar number available early in the pandemic. While El Paso officials wait for Abbott, Hinojosa said Dallas must move forward on its own terms. As a result, Hinojosa said he and school board members are considering a delay to the start of the year, which likely would require adding minutes to the school day and holding classes during the spring or summer breaks. I think it just buys us time, even though it would be more efficient and stable if we keep the calendar we have, Hinojosa said. Staff members generally have supported the proposal, while parent reaction has been mixed, Hinojosa said. He described the option as certainly not a done deal but said he hopes board members will vote on the calendar change no later than July 23. In Denton ISD, a 30,000-student district northwest of Dallas, school board members moved quickly to delay their school start date. Students there will begin classes on Aug. 26, two weeks later than previously scheduled. In Alief, the districts ability to obtain about 30,000 computers and 16,000 internet hot spots in recent months will allow its schools to remain online-only to start the year. Fort Bend ISD officials also said Monday that classes would stay virtual to start the year, with students phased in when safety conditions allow. Many districts, however, lack the needed technology to meet the state requirement that allows them to remain virtual-only for the first three weeks. For example, in Garland ISD, a 56,000-student district just east of Dallas, district officials announced children with at-home technology will remain online for three weeks, while those without have the option to attend in-person classes. Several districts have announced their plans for the reopening of school, though many are expected to release them in the coming days. Katy ISD posted guidelines Monday offering in-person and online class options to families, with no plans to limit on-campus access in August. Houston ISD is scheduled to unveil its plans Wednesday. In a statement Friday, a Harris County Public Health spokeswoman said the agency is closely monitoring the actions taken in El Paso and elsewhere. County officials did not elaborate on whether they plan to issue a school closure order for the 1,400-plus local campuses. On HoustonChronicle.com: Answering your questions about schools reopening in August Wait-and-see Meesha Gaskin, whose daughter and foster child will be juniors this year at Houston ISDs Yates and Furr high schools, respectively, said she hopes the regions COVID-19 outlook improves ahead of the districts Aug. 24 start date. If a widespread outbreak continues, though, she wants local health officials to step in and shut down campuses. Im kind of in a wait-and-see mode, because I want them to be safe, but every child cant do online because of the different levels of understanding, Gaskin said. Montgomery County Judge Mark Keoughs chief of staff, Jason Millsaps, said his boss does not plan to order the closure of roughly 150 schools in his jurisdiction. Millsaps noted that Montgomery Countys outbreak has been less severe than more urban areas, including Harris County. Hes going to encourage them to open, Millsaps said of Keough. The schools are going to be provided an allotment of (personal protective equipment) from the state, and if they follow the guidelines, people should be safe. jacob.carpenter@chron.com twitter.com/chronjacob Sydney residents were warned Monday to put the brakes on partying as a new coronavirus cluster emerged at a city pub on the heels of a major outbreak in Melbourne. Three pubs in Sydney and its surrounds were closed after being linked to outbreaks or failing to comply with social distancing requirements, while other events were under investigation with Australia on edge over a resurgence of the virus. The new cluster emerged after Melbourne entered a six-week lockdown on Thursday, and surrounding Victoria state was sealed off from the rest of the country in an effort to contain the virus. Authorities reported 177 new infections in and around Melbourne Monday, marking a week of triple-digit increases. New South Wales police assistant commissioner Tony Cooke on Monday slammed the "moronic behaviour of people at dance parties", after local media published footage of large private get-togethers in Sydney's wealthy eastern suburbs. City residents are allowed a maximum of 20 visitors to their homes under restrictions which have been gradually eased in recent weeks as the number of infections dwindled. At least 21 infections have now been linked to a growing cluster at Sydney's Crossroads Hotel -- a popular drinking spot on a major traffic route -- raising concern the virus could be spreading in the state. - Stepped-up penalties - A dozen military personnel who visited the pub while poised to deploy on an anti-virus mission were on Monday in isolation at an army base in rural New South Wales. The state's police minister David Elliott warned that if the situation was not brought under control, pubs could be closed again. "If we have to close hotels and clubs again, the patrons will have to take some of the ownership of that," he told a press conference Monday. "I will, however, work to my dying breath to make sure that that doesn't happen." Police have stepped up penalties for breaching coronavirus restrictions in recent days, with almost Aus$220,000 ($153,000) in fines handed out across Melbourne in the past 24 hours. On Friday, a group whose house party was exposed by their large KFC order was fined Aus$26,000 while six people from Victoria who tried to cross Queensland's border illegally were each fined Aus$4,000 the following night. Australia has recorded just under 10,000 coronavirus cases and 108 fatalities. Most states and regions have reported few or no new daily cases of the disease in recent weeks, allowing much of the country to ease restrictions on movement and gatherings. Police patrol near the Sydney Opera House, an area usually thronged with tourists, during Australia's coronavirus outbreak The UK's coronavirus-hit economy could suffer a 13 per cent fall in GDP this year, with the threat of a second spike cases leading to more 'economic uncertainty', an expert has warned today. Economic expert Richard Hughes says the country has suffered an 'exceptional economic shock' due to the pandemic and warned that its GDP, a measure of the size and health of a country's economy over time, is 'going to fall anywhere between 10 and 13 per cent in 2020'. Such a decline would be 'twice as big' as the initial impact of the 2008 financial crisis, warns Mr Hughes, who is the prospective new chair of government-funded watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR). Mr Hughes also today warned of potential damage to the economy by uncertainty caused by a second coronavirus wave. It comes as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, last week announced a raft of measures in an attempt to breathe life back into the UK economy after three months of coronavirus lockdown. Richard Hughes, who is the prospective new chair of government-funded watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR), says GDP is 'going to fall anywhere between 10 and 13 per cent in 2020'. Last week Rishi Sunak announced a raft of new measures to try and stimulate the UK economy in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown Speaking to the Treasury Select Committee on Monday, he said: 'The global financial crisis saw GDP fall by around 5 per cent at its trough. 'So (a fall of 10-13 per cent) is already twice as big as the initial impact of the 2008 financial crisis.' Back in May, the OBR predicted the GDP for the year would fall by 12.8% - assuming a recovery in the second half of the year. Last month the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned the UK economy is set to shrink by 10.2 per cent this year due to coronavirus. That forecast for Britain was significantly worse than the Fund suggested as recently as April - although not as bad as for some other European countries. But Mr Hughes, who is a research associate at the Resolution Foundation think tank and an adviser to the IMF, said the prospect of a second wave of coronavirus had 'increased the level of uncertainty' around the UK's economic recovery. He said: 'Usually you can assume in the course of a recession that once you've turned the corner things are going to gradually get better. And it's all about the pace of that recovery. 'In this context you have divergent possibilities.' A resurgence in the transmission of Covid-19 and future lockdowns would act as a 'drag on the (economic) output', while a vaccine could result in a 'very rapid recovery of economic activity', he said. Mr Hughes said the UK's GDP had declined 'sharply' earlier this year, with falls in output, including a 25 drop in April, as well as falls in employment. He appeared before the select committee as part of a pre-appointment hearing for the role of the OBR's chair. In June, Mr Sunak announced Mr Hughes as his preferred candidate for the position, replacing Robert Chote - whose term comes to an end later this year. In June, Mr Sunak announced Mr Hughes as his preferred candidate for the position of the OBR's chair, replacing Robert Chote (pictured in 2010) - whose term comes to an end later this year Last week Britons were put on notice that they face swingeing tax rises to balance the books after coronavirus as Mr Sunak vowed to take 'difficult decisions'. The respected IFS think-tank warned that getting the UK's 2trillion debt mountain under control will take 'decades, and is likely to require the Treasury to raise an extra 35billion a year once the immediate crisis subsides - broadly equivalent to an extra 7p on the basic tax rate. Meanwhile, the Chancellor tried to cool rising Tory anxiety about the government's eye-watering bailouts - with the latest package announced yesterday expected to drive annual borrowing to 350billion - more than the running costs of all public services combined. Mr Sunak admitted it was an 'extraordinary' amount of money, and gave a stark message that action will be needed later to return the finances to a 'sustainable footing'. But in a round of interviews last week, Mr Sunak insisted it was 'right' to pump cash into the economy now, dismissing claims the latest 30billion package unveiled yesterday is poorly targeted. Last week Britons were put on notice that they face swingeing tax rises to balance the books after coronavirus as Mr Sunak vowed to take 'difficult decisions' Fresh doubts have been raised about the 1,000 bonus for businesses who bring back staff from furlough. It has emerged the top civil servant at HM Revenue & Customs refused to sign off on the policy without a written direction from Mr Sunak, warning that there was 'uncertainty' over whether it represented value for money. The IFS also questioned why the 10 per head subsidy for people eating out was not being applied to takeaways, and said a VAT cut would potentially benefit thriving firms most. Temporarily axing stamp duty for most properties could merely have the effect of driving up prices, the think-tank suggested. Mr Sunak insisted the jobs bonus will make a 'big difference', and begged Britons to 'relearn' the habits of eating out and shopping as lockdown eases - saying their willingness to do so will decide how fast the UK recovers from a 'very significant recession'. But - as a series of firms announced plans to slash their workforces - he cautioned that jobs will be lost regardless of the interventions. 'Is unemployment going to rise, are people going to lose their jobs? Yes,' he said. Pressed on the prospect of tax rises, Mr Sunak said: 'Over the medium term the right thing for the economy will be to have sustainable and strong public finances. Of course I will make the decisions that are required, difficult though they may be, in order to return to that place.' By Aparajita Ghosh, TwoCircles.net Mumbai: We had a feeling of being invincible, but the magnitude of disease sank and the fear suddenly crept in, said Dr Sajid Qureshi of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. Support TwoCircles Suddenly the worst affected south of Mumbai is getting better and the virus is migrating to the north. It is difficult to say, the magic of complete disappearance will happen, he added. India became the third worst-hit country overtaking Russia with the largest spike in cases on Thursday. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the official medicine for COVID-19 will be launched on August 15 to curb the surging cases in India. With the state-run hospitals converting into COVID-19 wards to fight the novel coronavirus, the health authorities are on toes around the clock. Dr Shakeel Shamsi owns a private clinic in Belapur and offers 24 hours services to COVID-19 patients. Since the spread of the virus in Mumbai, he has been treating patients with all required precautions and sanitization. We doctors are just like soldiers, offering our services without fearing the consequences, he said. The health authorities are primarily using few antiviral medicines that are shown to have helped COVID-19 patients to recover. However, the lack of stock in the market is causing panic among civilians. The growing speed of transmission has escalated the risks for healthcare workers. While at home, I stay away from kids without making them realize, so they dont get upset, said Dr Qureshi. Due to unprecedented emergency, the hospitals are swamped with patients, some symptomatic and some asymptomatic. The health care turned COVID Centre in Govandi witnessed high rates of COVID-19 cases in the beginning and due to this, fewer health workers were willing to offer services out of fear. Dr Asif Khan, who currently works in the COVID-19 ward of the hospital, has rotational shifts of 6 hours and used to live in a hostel provided by the hospital as a precaution. My job is risky, but I have to work as a doctor and I cannot stay home, he said. Dr Imran Ali, an orthopaedic surgeon offers his 24 hours of service to Apollo hospital and also runs his own clinic in Andheri West of north Mumbai. I dont operate (fractures or dislocations) my patients until I get their COVID-19 reports, he said. Only after seeing an exponential rise in cases we started looking for all recognized publications regarding the disease to get more possible information, he added. The unplanned outbreak of the coronavirus has brought uncertainty and a crisis situation is witnessed worldwide. The health workers working for long hours in PPE kits and masks treating COVID-19 patients with experimental drugs against the airborne transmission of the disease have caused anxiety. It has taken a toll on my mental health because Im more concerned for my family but I still care for my patients. Im still undecided and constantly fighting battles between these two, said Dr Qureshi. Amid the rising cases, the doctors believe that the cases will go down in the coming days. We might see some decline in cases but eradication seems questionable, said Dr Imran Ali. Maybe the vaccines (to prevent) and potent specific antivirals (to treat) will cause a difference, but its a long shot, he added. Dr Qureshi said, My faith was never targeted, but many of my friends suffered. Apart from religion, they were asked to stay safe since they were treating patients including that of the Muslim community because they might spread the virus in the society. Post the Tablighi Jamaat event held in Delhis Nizamuddin Markaz, the discrimination against the Muslim community was on the rise, causing communal tensions. I did not face such discrimination though I see more non-Muslim patients. They didnt speak ill of me. Everyone said the same that this is politics, said Dr Shamsi. The Cambodian Interior Ministry said its handling of immigration issues, especially with ethnic Vietnamese minority groups in the country, was an attempt to stifle nationalistic politics used by the opposition to target the government. The Interior Ministry on Friday released a statement highlighting its achievements in addressing long-standing immigration issues from 2014 to June 2019, which had seen residency documentation presented to 89,786 people, 89,741 of whom were ethnic Vietnamese. During the same time, the government had revoked the documentation of 69,957 people, with 69,878 people from the ethnic minority group. The Ministry of Interior referred to both groups of people those with and without documentation as foreigners, despite rights groups saying that the ethnic Vietnamese communities had lived in Cambodia for generations and faced persecution on account of their precarious legal status. They were also persecuted by the Khmer Rouge and their persecution resulted in genocide charges and convictions against two senior regime leaders. Rights groups and the United Nations alleged that the revocation of documentation from ethnic minority communities in the last few years had rendered these groups stateless and vulnerable to exploitation and persecution. Khieu Sopheak, a secretary of state at the ministry, said the presence of ethnic Vietnamese people living in Cambodia had been used as a political ploy and excuse for decades, including against the current Cambodian Peoples Party government. We have to look precisely into the [immigration] issue in Cambodia, nationalistic sentiments have been used as a [political] weapon to overthrow [regimes] or as a point for the politicians and the political groups to exploit and extract political benefit, Khieu Sopheak said on Monday. The dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party had stoked long-standing anti-Vietnamese sentiments in Cambodia, which involved questioning the border resolution process with Vietnam and criticism of the governments policy towards the ethnic minority group. In the statement, the Interior Ministry said the immigration issue was given its potential threats and risks to the national security, social orders, and public safety. Khieu Sopheak admitted that local authorities, including some commune chiefs, police officers, and even a former Interior Ministry secretary of state, had issued irregular identification documents to the ethnic Vietnamese, but downplayed the possibility of prosecuting them. In case we take measures [against those officials] it means we need to build more prisons capable of accommodating tens of thousands of [prisoners], adding up to our already crowded prisons, Khieu Sopheak said, laughing. Despite rights groups consistently pointing to Cambodias notoriously overcrowded prisons, the government has continued its war against drugs by arresting thousands of Cambodians for alleged drug crimes. The Interior Ministry statement was released a day after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnams President, and the Communist Partys chief spoke on the telephone, where the latter renewed Hanois calls for Phnom Penh to create favorable conditions for the ethnic Vietnamese living in Cambodia. The Communist Partys official newspaper Nhan Dan also reported on Nguyen Phu Trongs request but the content did not appear in Cambodian Foreign Ministrys press statement about the conversation. But, Khieu Sopheak said the phone call between the two leaders was not related to the Interior Ministrys release of a statement. The United Nations Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination in December 2019 released findings that showed the ethnic Vietnamese in Cambodia were facing physical violence, anti-Vietnamese hate speech, enforced relocations, and confiscations of their identification documents. The Cambodia National Rescue Party in its repeated complaints about alleged irregularities during the 2013 General Election said that many ethnic Vietnamese people were issued with identification documents and could vote for the ruling party. The opposition, dissolved in November 2017 in a controversial Supreme Courts decision, often accused the ruling party of being weak on Vietnam-related issues citing the CPPs history of coming to power on the back of a Vietnamese offensive against the Khmer Rouge in 1979. At the same time, former members of the CNRP announced the formation of the Border and Immigration Affairs Commission, consisting of hardline government critics who have stoked anti-Vietnamese sentiments, to scrutinize governments practice from exiles. Senior former CNRP members are living in exile, fearing persecution from the government, following the partys dissolution. Phil Robertson, deputy director at Human Rights Watchs Asia Division, said the immigration reform process in Cambodia in the past several years had rendered multiple ethnic Vietnamese vulnerable to rights abuses, racism, and extortion. Cambodia should be addressing their statelessness by issuing documents that recognize their legal presence in the country and offering a fair and transparent path to citizenship that recognizes these people have been living in the country for generations, Phil Robertson said in an email. Phil Robertson was equally critical of the Vietnamese governments record on dealing with ethnic minorities, which includes Kampuchea Krom indigenous communities in the Mekong Delta and the Montagnards. BIDV will auction off the Nam Son debt with the starting price of VND241.8 billion ($10.5 million) BIDV has just announced plans of holding an auction for the debt which is backed up by six real estate assets. These include houses and land-use rights for a 84.7-square-metre area in Vinh Tuy ward, Hai Ba Trung district (Hanoi), a 69.2sq.m area on 480 Minh Khai in the same district. Moreover, the assets also consist of the entire capital Nam Son poured into Hung Yen Steel Investment and Trading JSC, development and trade rights for the urban residence area project developed by Nam Son in the northern province of Quang Ninh, apartments No.214 and 616 of No.5 Apartment Building in Hoang Mai district, Hanoi. The initial price of the debt is equal to the total principal, interest, and the penalty of Nam Son at the time it signed the agreement to put the debt on auction. According to BIDV, as of April 30, the debt was valued at VND241.8 billion ($10.5 million). As of the end of the first quarter of this year, BIDVs bad arrears stood at VND19.29 trillion ($838.7 million), 1.1 per cent lower than last year. In 2019, the bank saw nearly VND11.21 trillion ($487.4 million) in unrecoverable debt, occupying more than half of its total bad debts VND19.451 trillion ($845.7 million). Based on their financial reports, along with VietinBank, Vietcombank, and SHB, BIDV has been one of the banks with the largest bad debts. Last year, to recover the bad debt, BIDV put 27 apartments of The Era Town on sale to recover its non-performing loans provided to the project. The price at that round was about VND15 million ($650) per sq.m, fetching VND2.2-5.5 billion ($95,650-239,130) per unit. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 22:15:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Women wearing face masks walk in a shopping mall in Frankfurt, Germany, on July 7, 2020. (Xinhua/Lu Yang) Although COVID-19 infection numbers in Germany were comparatively low, German Health Minister Jens Spahn warned against underestimating the situation. "We should not lull ourselves into a false sense of security." BERLIN, July 13 (Xinhua) -- German Health Minister Jens Spahn on Monday urged citizens to maintain COVID-19 protective measures, in particular during the summer holiday season, and stressed that "the threat of a second wave is real." Although COVID-19 infection numbers in Germany were comparatively low, Spahn warned against underestimating the situation. "We should not lull ourselves into a false sense of security." New COVID-19 infections in Germany increased by 159 within one day to 198,963, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Monday, while the death toll rose by only one to a total of 9,064. Passengers wearing face masks get off a bus in Berlin, capital of Germany, July 7, 2020. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi) According to the RKI daily situation report for Sunday, scattered outbreaks of COVID-19 were still recorded in meat-processing plants, old people's and nursing homes, hospitals, as well as family celebrations, religious events or in facilities for asylum seekers and refugees. Spahn specifically warned of the danger from people's increased mobility during the holiday season when many Germans were traveling. Over the weekend, German media published pictures of German tourists celebrating on the Spanish holiday island of Mallorca without adhering to COVID-19 rules. Many were not wearing face masks and did not keep sufficient distance. Commenting on the pictures, Spahn said that he did not want to be a "spoilsport" but warned urgently that the COVID-19 crisis was not the right time for such behavior. Casa Cupula In this week's TravelSkills on SFGATE newsletter, we kick off with a look at what's happening south of the border in Puerto Vallarta, which just re-opened last month to tourists. Things were humming along just fine until COVID-19 cases started to spike, and local authorities threatened another lockdown. One of the hoteliers we talked to said that things are pretty quiet now in town and on the beaches with just a trickle of tourists, with more expected later this fall. Please note our new TravelSkills on SFGATE newsletter format! Take a read through the news and click on the links provided to read our recent posts. And let us know what you think about the new conversational style versus to old list of links to our recent posts. Send me an email at chris@travelskills.com with your feedback! Thanks! -- Chris WASHINGTON - The Justice Department can carry out its plans for the first federal execution in nearly two decades, an appeals court said Sunday, despite opposition from relatives of victims in the case who argued that the coronavirus pandemic made it dangerous for them to attend. The appeals court's decision lifts an injunction that was temporarily blocking the execution and appears to clear the way for it to take place Monday as scheduled, though the relatives in the case quickly said they planned to appeal to the Supreme Court. A federal judge had issued the injunction Friday halting the lethal injection of Daniel Lewis Lee, who was convicted along with another man of murdering a family of three - including Nancy Mueller and her 8-year-old daughter, Sarah Powell - in 1996. The judge had sided with three of Mueller and Powell's relatives - among them Mueller's mother and sister - who had asked that it be delayed. The three relatives have said that they do not support Lee's death sentence but that they still feel obligated to attend. The case was brought by Earlene Peterson, Mueller's mother, along with Kimma Gurel, Mueller's sister, and Monica Veillette, Mueller's niece. They have denounced the lethal injection taking place during the pandemic, saying they have to choose between not attending or going despite health issues all three have that place them at greater risk should they contract the virus. In their court filings, the women argued that there was no reason to carry out the execution with the pandemic still raging, noting the risks they faced both traveling to Indiana, where federal executions are carried out, and going inside a federal prison, given the repeated coronavirus outbreaks behind bars. On Sunday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit lifted the injunction. Chief Judge Diane S. Sykes described the relatives' legal arguments as "frivolous" in a 10-page order and said "they have no statutory or regulatory right to attend the execution." In the injunction issued Friday, a federal judge in Indiana said it appeared the Justice Department had not considered the relatives' rights in the case. The Justice Department has argued that it was taking on numerous precautions to protect witnesses, including providing protective equipment such as masks and gowns. Two other executions also planned for this week are facing legal challenges, including from spiritual advisers for the inmates involved, who similarly have argued that the danger posed by the pandemic leaves them forced to face infection if they try to carry out their duties. The case involving Mueller's relatives was unusual in that it saw the Justice Department, which has invoked victims and their relatives in arguing for resuming federal executions, fighting against some of those same people in court. In one filing, the Justice Department said that it takes the relatives' viewpoints "seriously, in accordance with their terrible loss and distinctive perspective" but that "neither law nor logic" requires the Bureau of Prisons to factor in "the availability and travel preferences of those attending the execution when scheduling it." The relatives, meanwhile, say they should never have been forced to decide whether or not to attend. "The families of victims should not be put in a position where they have to risk their lives or give up their right" to witness something like this, Monica Veillette, Mueller's niece, said in an interview over the weekend, before the appeals court's decision was released. Veillette had planned to witness the execution but said Sunday after the appeals court ruling that she, her mother and grandmother were no longer going to the lethal injection, given the health risks. All three have said they oppose the execution, arguing that it is unfair that Lee was given a death sentence while his accomplice in the case was sentenced to life in prison. An attorney for the three women denounced the appeals court's decision Sunday. "The federal government has put this family in the untenable position of choosing between their right to witness Danny Lee's execution and their own health and safety," Baker Kurrus, the attorney, said in a statement. Kurrus said the women "would have to put their lives at risk to travel cross-country at this time" and hope that the Supreme Court and other authorities "will respect their right to be present at the execution and delay it until travel is safe enough to make that possible." A spokeswoman for the Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment Sunday about the appeals court's decision. The department had also appealed to the Supreme Court earlier Sunday to lift the injunction, an appeal rendered moot by the decision a few hours later. The department withdrew its stay application later Sunday evening. A team of German healthcare workers arrived in Armenia on Monday to help their Armenian colleagues deal with the coronavirus pandemic. They were flown to Yerevan by a German Air Force plane that also delivered medical supplies to the country hit hard by the pandemic. The 16 medics were greeted at Zvartnots international airport by Armenias deputy ministers of health and foreign affairs as well as the German and European Union ambassadors in Yerevan. The German experts will be working alongside their Armenian colleagues for two weeks, tweeted the German Embassy. We stand at Armenias side! According to an Armenian government statement, Germanys government has organized the mission in collaboration with two European charities and the World Health Organization. The mission is part of a broader EU scheme designed to help partner countries contain the spread of the virus. Similar medical teams have also been sent to Armenia by France, Russia, Lithuania and Italy over the past month. They were deployed to local hospitals treating COVID-19 patients. The EU Delegation in Yerevan announced that the German government will also provide coronavirus-related financial aid to Armenia. Germany will be allocating 2.75 million euros ($3.1 million) for a project addressing COVID-19 in Armenia through research cooperation in order to establish medium to long-term systemic, integrated risk management, the delegation said in a statement. The Armenian government has recorded 32,151 coronavirus cases and 573 deaths caused by them so far. The continuing spread of the virus led the government on Monday to extend a state of emergency in the country by another month, until August 12. Health Minister Arsen Torosian spoke of a slight positive dynamic in the coronavirus crisis, saying that in recent days there have been fewer infected people awaiting hospitalization at home. But he cautioned that virtually intensive care hospital beds remain occupied by COVID-19 patients. New Delhi, July 13 : After the Galwan Valley skirmish followed by the economic boycott of Chinese products by India, toys, rakhis and other decorative goods from China may not be sold in the market this festive season. Indian businessmen have stopped placing orders for toys and decorative lights from China. Rakhi manufacturer and wholesaler in Delhi's Sadar Bazar Magan Jain said the decorative items used in rakhis were no longer being imported from China, so the Chinese accessories will not attract customers on Raksha Bandhan this year. He said that any businessman having Chinese goods in stock may use them to make rakhis, but this time around the customers are interested in indigenous rakhis. The rakhis from Delhi's Sadar Bazar are sold all over the country, but with less than a month left for this year's Raksha Bandhan, the market is not decorated with bright rakhis as it used to be in previous years. Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated on August 3 this year. Jain said the rakhi business is sluggish this time due to the ongoing corona pandemic. Toy Association of India president Ajay Aggarwal told IANS that the retail toy business in the country is worth around Rs 18,000- Rs 20,000 crore, of which around 75 per cent was met with imports from China. Traders say the toy quality control order issued by the Indian government in February this year, which will be effective from September 1, will deter businessmen from importing Chinese goods. According to a February 25, 2020 order by the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the display of the ISI mark on toys will be mandatory. This rule will be applicable to both imported and domestic products. Aggarwal said that the order would enable Indian traders to have a level-playing field. Manu Gupta, managing director of Playgrow Toys Group, said the growing toy business in the country will provide employment to artisans, especially women. Gupta said that stopping the import of toys from China would boost the domestic toy industry in the long run, contributing to the 'Make in India' and 'Self-Reliant India' campaign. In the short-term, it is possible that small retail traders may go out of business because 80 per cent of the toys come from China. Ajay Aggarwal said India imports toys from Thailand, Malaysia and other countries also, but they are imported in bulk from China. Glee actor Naya Rivera disappeared in Lake Peru about a week ago. According to reports, her family visited the lake where she went missing, on Saturday afternoon. Naya Riveras family was seen getting emotional as they visited the site where the actress was last seen. Along with Rivieras parents, her brother as well as her cousins, Naya Riveras ex-husband Ryan Dorsey was also seen visiting the lake. ASO READ: Actress Naya Rivera Missing In California Lake Nayas family visits the lake where she went missing In the pictures that have gone viral, Naya Riveras mother Yolanda is seen falling to her knees in front of the lake where her daughter went missing. In an emotional video, that has gone viral Naya Riveras father George is seen running towards the lake and swimming a short distance in order to get closure from his missing daughter. Riveras ex-husband Ryan Dorsey is seen getting emotional as he sheds a few tears while standing along the shore of the lake Piru. The Glee actors cousins were also seen at the spot as they console Ryan Dorsey as well as Naya Riveras parents. ALSO READ: Naya Riveras Ex Ryan Spotted With Their Son, Reports Claim He Was Clueless About The Trip In the pictures, Naya Riveras family is still getting emotional as they hug each other while standing at the shoreline. Ryan Dorsey was also seen pacing from one end to the other as he takes some time for himself. The Glee actor's family splashed around in the water and paid tribute to the actor who went missing last Wednesday. Ventura sheriffs office reportedly asked Naya Riveras fans to not come to the lake and assured them that they are doing everything in their power to find the missing actor. It has been reported that Naya Riveras mother Yolanda Rivera and her brother Mychal joined the Ventura county sheriffs search team as they wore life jackets and search for the actor in the lake. The family spent most of the day at the lake where they grieved the missing actor. Just a few days back the police shifted river as search from rescue to recovery. The police have also stated that they presume that the actor is dead. ALSO READ: Naya Rivera Missing: Fans Reject The 'glee Curse' Conspiracy Theory, Call It 'distasteful' On Wednesday, Naya Rivera reportedly took a pontoon boat to the Lake Riviera in Los Angeles with her four-year-old son. According to her son, they both went swimming, however, Naya Rivera never made it back on board. On Thursday, July 9, 2020, Ventura County Sheriffs Office Sgt. Kevin Donoghue reportedly stated in a press conference that they are switching from rescue operation to search and recovery operation. According to a news portal, Officer Chris Dyer of the Ventura County Sheriff's office said that they are presuming that the 33-year-old actor met with an accident while in the water and that she drowned. Thursday also stated that they dont know if they will find Naya Riveras body in the water. They believe that if the body is 'entangled with something that is underneath the water, it might never come up'. Officer Chris Dyer reportedly told a news portal that a team of 80 professionals have been carrying out the search and rescue operation actively. He said that they are looking for Naya Rivera using helicopters, drones, and boats while a ground team has also been assigned to do the task. ALSO READ: Naya Rivera Presumed Dead, Police Say They Arent Sure If They Will Find Her Body 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. And the information that we have got is that they are trying to get firing of tear gas and we are reliably informed that they also have some canisters containing COVID-19 active material they hope to spread to the Zimbabweans. We are reliably informed that they have got a mechanism of spreading coronavirus which has been brought in by those funding the protests. Organisers of one of Hong Kongs biggest annual trade fairs postponed the event for the first time in its 31-year history after a record spike in local Covid-19 cases. The Hong Kong Book Fair, which drew about a million visitors and a record 686 exhibitors last year, will be rescheduled after discussions with the government, the organizer said in a statement Monday, without specifying the new dates. Three other events will also be pushed back, it said. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council, which was planning to hold the event July 15 to 21, had been resisting pressure to postpone the event despite the recent surge in locally transmitted cases. The move shows how local businesses are bracing for another round of debilitating restrictions after the city was gradually returning to pre-Covid activity with the reopening of schools, gyms, restaurants and bars. About 80% of 200 exhibitors surveyed by the 2020 Book Fair Concern Group were considering pulling out of the event, Radio Television Hong Kong reported on Sunday. One of the exhibitors, Kowloon Motor Bus Co., announced Sunday it would skip the event because of safety concerns. Hong Kong had been one of the worlds most successful places in managing the viruss spread authorities had reported no new local cases for three weeks until early July. But the resurgence of the virus in the past week prompted authorities to tighten some social-distancing rules and close schools again. On Sunday, Hong Kong authorities reported 38 new coronavirus cases and said they didnt know how 13 of the infections occurred. (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 Montgomery County sounded the alarm Monday about its largest weekly increase in coronavirus cases since the pandemic first hit the area. County Executive Matt Ossenfort reported Monday that the county saw a 21-case increase over the week for 132 virus cases to date. The countys Public Health department said the county is working with the state to help track and identify a number of potential travel-related exposures. It was brought to the attention of our department that as of June 25, 2020 approximately 25 passengers that traveled from identified states on the travel ban list entered Montgomery County and attended a number of events across the county, the department said in a letter posted to its Facebook page Monday. These events include, but are not limited to: funeral related services, family gatherings, graduation celebrations, vacations and work-related business, it continued. Ossenfort called the spike alarming and said it should serve as a wake-up call to the community. He urged people to keep their distance from others and to wear masks while in groups. Now is not the time to become complacent, he said. New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed an executive order last month requiring anyone traveling into the state from states with surging cases of coronavirus to quarantine for 14 days upon their return. An exemption was made for essential workers. On Monday after weeks of reported failures to comply with the rule, including here in the Capital Region the governor announced travelers flying into New York would be required to complete a form identifying the location they plan to return to before they leave the airport, or else face a summons and $2,000 fine. As of Monday, the states included in New York's quarantine order were: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. While Montgomery County is considered part of the Mohawk Valley for purposes of reopening, many consider it part of the Capital Region, as it sits immediately west of Schenectady County and many of its residents commute to work in the Albany area. Free the 9 blocks Victorias second wave On Tuesday the 30th June, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews released a statement that announced that the next day, at 11:59pm, Stage Three restrictions for selected suburbs in Melbourne were to be introduced. Stage Three restrictions mean that you cannot leave your home unless it is for work, education, exercise, medical care, buying essentials, or care-giving. It is at the polices discretion whether you meet one of these categories when you leave the house, and if they decide you do not have a legitimate reason, you are fined up to $1652. Firefighters in PPE prepare to deliver supplies to one of the housing towers. The hot-spot suburbs targeted by this initial lock-down are predominantly working-class suburbs. In our article Insecure Work Leading Cause of Victorias Coronavirus Cases (#1917) we focused on Coronavirus outbreaks in Melbournes north and western suburbs, Craigieburn and Brooklyn both suburbs are now known as hot-spot suburbs. The Coronavirus clusters in these areas were the result of poor hygiene conditions at Cedar Meats, an abattoir in Brooklyn, and a McDonalds, located in Fawkner, a suburb in Melbournes north. On the 4th July, without notice to the residents, the state government introduced a hard lock-down by deploying 500 police to keep 3,000 residents from leaving their homes in nine public housing buildings in Flemington, North Melbourne, and Kensington. It was announced that residents will be under hard lock-down for minimum five days, with an extension of at least fourteen days if residents do not cooperate with testing. Daniel Andrews justified the hard lock-down by the presence of twenty-three cases across more than twelve households in public housing buildings. Richard Wynne, the Minister for Housing, further justified the response by the fact that the buildings rely on common entrances, common walkways and common lifts, which could be said of any apartment building, public or private. The racist actions of the state government target marginalised, working class communities who have a traumatic history with the police. Many migrants in the buildings also have a traumatic history with mandatory detention. Rather than responding with multilingual social workers, health care workers, PPE and medical supplies, the government decided to deploy one police officer for every six residents to ensure nobody leaves their homes for work, school, exercise, medical supplies, food essentials and so on. These restrictions are beyond the Stage Three restrictions. There are stark double standards in the governments response to cluster outbreaks. Where was this response when we saw the outbreak in McDonalds franchises in the northern suburbs? Where was this response when we saw over 100 people test positive in connection to Cedar Meats in the west? We must also ask why the state government has split hardship payments for affected residents into the two groups of deserving and undeserving by giving $1500 to employed people and $750 to unemployed people? Furthermore, a hardship payment does not cover the risk of workers losing their jobs because of this forced lock-down. One of the leading causes of spreading Coronavirus is insecure work conditions. When a worker has to choose between eating and paying rent and staying home without pay then there is no option to self-isolate. Workplaces that are not unionised are also less likely to provide the appropriate PPE for containing the spread of the virus. There has been disturbing footage of families separated, visitors to the towers having to sleep on the floor, mothers unable to see newborn babies, segregated healthcare facilities, residents unable to get their needed medication (even if it is in their car), inadequate food, food left on the floor, food eaten by pigeons outside, and in one case a volunteer delivering essentials was beaten by a group of police officers. Instead of communicating personally to residents, they are given instructions over an a announcement system likened to The Hunger Games. The state government has also implied that the work of activists and volunteers was their own, such as the translations of important information! Despite the racist lock-down and demonisation of public housing residents, it has been impressive to see activists and unionists mobilise to support residents. In particular, the Australian Muslim Social Services Agency (AMSSA) have stepped up to coordinate volunteers and donations from other organisations. AMSSA should be commended for their efforts and leadership. We stand in solidarity against the stigmatisation of public housing residents. The state government needs to work with the residents of the nine public housing buildings to properly ensure that their needs are met and to work cooperatively in containing the virus. The five demands of residents, Voices from the Blocks, are as of 7th July: The nine towers are placed under Stage Three restrictions like the rest of Melbourne. The state government must withdraw all 500 Police and Authorised officers from inside the public housing buildings. The government must implement infection protection measures such as regular disinfection and cleaning of communal spaces, and distribution of masks. The government must set up testing sites within walking distance of the nine public housing estates instead of inside of the public housing estates in order to prevent the risk of spreading COVID-19. The government must coordinate services in support of current community led activities that are responding to residents food, medical, financial, mental health and social service needs. Now, as of 11:59 pm on the 8th July, the rest of Metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire is also under Stage Three restrictions for the next six weeks. The Victorian governments punitive response to containing the virus will surely continue. Even before the new lock-downs, as of 24th June, Victorian Police had issued 6,200 fines worth $10.3 million! This is 4,101 more fines worth $7.5 million than the state with the next highest amount of fines, Queensland! Congrats Daniel Andrews on containing the virus. Except for chartered flights, no international passenger flights have departed from Wuhan since its lockdown on January 23, Peoples Daily learned exclusively from the Hubei Airport Group Company on Thursday. The fact refuses the scandalous accusations from White House trade advisor Peter Navarro, who said China was preventing domestic travel from Wuhan to Beijing or Shanghai, locking down their transportation network, but sent hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals around the world to seed the virus in a recent interview. This was not the first time that Navarro has spread such rumors. Wuhan suspended all domestic and international commercial flights to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after January 23. Not until April 8 did Wuhan resume domestic passenger flights when the virus situation was under control. International passenger flights continue to be suspended from Wuhan. Even for the 61 chartered flights to evacuate 8,631 expatriates from 35 countries after its lockdown, Wuhan allowed the flights only upon the application of relevant countries, and with the approval of the Chinese side. The expatriates were mainly staff of embassies and consulates in Hubei, their families, and foreign students. From January 28, the United States was the first country to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan via chartered flights arranged by the US State Department, including five carriers and 857 passengers. Before Wuhans lockdown, the last flight to the United States was CZ8419 on January 22. For all expatriates before boarding chartered flights, Wuhan Customs carried out body temperature tests in strict accordance with the relevant provisions of the Chinese government on epidemic prevention and control, and refused to board passengers with abnormal body temperatures. During Wuhans lockdown, Wuhan Tianhe Airport only allowed inbound cargo flights that carried medical supplies and equipment, and halted all international commercial cargo flights. On April 8, Flight Y87447 of the HNA Group flew from Wuhan to Sydney, carrying more than 70 tons of anti-pandemic materials. This was the first international commercial cargo flight on the first day after Wuhan Tianhe Airport resumed domestic passenger flight services. (Produced by Tian Doudou, Ni Tao, Qiao Wai and Wang Xiangyu; Interns Huo Ruixin and Jiang Yunan also contributed to the story.) Year after year, the luminaries of international development, from Bill Gates to Jim Kim, Nick Kristof to Steven Pinker, line up to tell us about the wonderful progress that has been made against global poverty. According to the most recent estimates, published by the World Bank, there were only 734 million people living on less than $1.90 per day in 2015, down from 1.9 billion people in 1990. It sounds like wonderful news. But there is a problem with this narrative. Oddly enough, there is no empirical basis for the $1.90 line. It is an arbitrary threshold that has no grounding in actual human needs. Empirical evidence shows that $1.90 per day is not even enough for people to secure decent nutrition, to say nothing of other basic requirements. In fact, at least 3.5 billion people live on more than this, and yet remain trapped in poverty. It is important to recognise that the international poverty line is adjusted for purchasing power. When we hear $1.90 per day, we commonly assume that this means the equivalent of what an American might be able to buy with that amount of money in, say, Sudan or India. But exactly the opposite is true. It is the equivalent of what $1.90 can buy in the United States. Just think for a moment about what this means. It is virtually nothing. To get a sense for how low this standard is, the economist David Woodward once calculated that to live on the international poverty line in Britain, in an earlier base year, would be like 35 people trying to survive on a single minimum wage, with no benefits of any kind, no gifts, borrowing, scavenging, begging or savings to draw on (since these are all included as income in poverty calculations). This goes beyond any definition of extreme. This brings us to an important question. Why is it that the barons of international development judge the lives of people in the global South by $1.90 per day, when everyone agrees including the World Bank itself that this standard is far too low for a human being in the global North? For comparison, the poverty line in the US is $15 per day. There is a clear double standard here, and it does not take much to recognise that it is racist. There is one standard for the (majority white) people of the North, and another standard for the (majority Black and brown) people of the South. It is a colonial logic that remains with us today, and goes unchallenged year after year. Some try to justify this disparity by saying these are totally separate economies, and so they require separate standards. But this premise the idea of separation is simply not true. The economies of the North and South have been integrated into a single global system for at least 500 years, ever since the onset of colonialism. We know that the rise of the North depended on cheap labour and raw materials extracted from the South during the colonial period. It depended on silver stolen from the Andes, rubber from the Congo, grain extracted from India, as well as sugar and cotton grown by enslaved Africans on land stolen from Indigenous Peoples. This might seem like ancient history, but the very same arrangement remains in place today. People in the global South sew the clothes that Steven Pinker wears each day. They assemble Bill Gates laptops, including the one that Nick Kristof uses to write his columns. They grow and pick the bananas and berries that Jim Kim has for breakfast. And then there is our coffee and tea, the coltan in our gadgets, the oil that fuels our industries, the lithium we need for electric cars everywhere we look, it is overwhelmingly clear that we live in a single global economy. In fact, trade data shows that high-income nations are totally reliant on resources and labour from the South. In 2015, high-income nations appropriated a net total of 10.1 billion tonnes of materials, and 379 billion hours of human labour from the rest of the world. There is an enormous net flow of resources and embodied labour from poor countries to rich countries. One cannot have it both ways. You cannot have a single global economy when it suits you to use the labour and resources of the poor, but then insist on separation in order to measure their lives by different standards. That is the logic of apartheid. Global capitalism depends on resources and labour extracted from the South, and yet the people who render it including those who work in the factories, mines and plantations of multinational companies receive but pennies in return. Pinker and Gates tell us to celebrate when workers in the South go from one to two dollars a day. But would we celebrate if we learned that workers in the North were earning two dollars a day, while employed by the biggest brands in the world? No. We would be outraged. Because for workers in the North we apply the standards of morality and justice, yet for workers in the South we apply the standards of bare existence. The analogy to apartheid is appropriate. South African law required one wage for white people and a much lower wage for Black people. Those who benefitted from this system insisted that it was natural: just how the market works. Economists devised elaborate arguments to explain why Black peoples labour was worth less ignoring, of course, that the economy depended on it. Similar arguments persist today. Economists say that workers in the South have lower wages because of lower productivity. But it is not true. Keep in mind that in many cases they are working for the same companies with the same technology (say, a GM factory in Mexico, or a Nike sweatshop in Bangladesh). In fact, Southern workers are often more productive than their Northern counterparts, as they work under much more extractive conditions. And yet they are paid as little as 1/30th the amount for the same work, in the same industries. For 500 years, capital has relied on the devaluation of lives in the global South, whether it be through colonisation, dispossession, genocide and slavery, or, more recently, through structural adjustment programmes, free trade agreements and corporate land grabs that depress the costs of Southern labour and resources. The $1.90 line is the legacy of this long history. It is part of a colonial ideology that sees people of colour as cheap. In the 21st century, in the era of Black Lives Matter, we can no longer accept the racist double standards of international development. We must reject the logic of apartheid. If we are going to live in a single global economy, then we must demand a single standard for all human lives: that all people receive fair wages for their labour and fair prices for their resources. This is the principle that international development must demand, if it is to have any moral standing. This is what real progress looks like. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. The Congress rushed two senior leaders to Jaipur late on Sunday to smooth differences between chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot that plunged the state government into crisis even as the party insisted that its administration in the state was safe. Two central observers Randeep Singh Surjewala and Ajay Maken attended a late-night meeting of Congress legislators held at the residence of Gehlot even as a message released by Pilots team claimed he had the backing of over 30 MLAs. All Congress MLAs are in touch with me and the government in Rajasthan is stable and will last its full term, said Avinash Pande, in-charge of Rajasthan affairs in the Congress. Late in the evening, three Congress lawmakers, who had left for Delhi earlier in the day, said they would follow the party line. Also read: Amid political turmoil in Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot to skip state legislature party meet Addressing a press conference at Gehlots residence, Rohit Bohra, Danish Abrar and Chetan Dudi called themselves soldiers of the party and said they will do whatever the top leadership tells them. We are with the Congress party which gave us ticketswe are soldiers of the party and will remain so for lifetime, Bohra said. A meeting of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) will be held at Gehlots residence at 10:30 am on Monday, the party added. Also read: Rajasthan govt in crisis as Sachin Pilot leads rebels out Pande blamed the BJP for the political crisis in the state. Congress is strongly working together. BJP is deliberately diverting the present situation. This conspiracy has been hatched by BJP, he said. But the BJP rejected these claims. Also read: Sidelining of Pilot in crucial decisions behind the turmoil? We are not even thinking about forming a government in the state. This government will fall of its own karma (deeds), said Rajasthan unit chief Satish Poonia. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Deaths from COVID-19 will have a ripple effect causing impacts on the mental health and health of surviving family members. But the extent of that impact has been hard to assess until now. Every death from COVID-19 will impact approximately nine surviving family members, according to a study. In a study of kinship networks in the United States, the researchers said that approximately nine surviving close family members will be affected by each death from the virus in the country. For example, if the virus kills 190,000 people, 1.7 million will experience the loss of a close relative, said Ashton Verdery, associate professor of sociology, demography and social data analytics, and an affiliate of the Population Research Institute and Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, Penn State. A kinship network includes grandparents, parents, siblings, spouses and children. According to Verdery, the multiplier could serve as an indicator to help raise awareness about the scale of the disease and the ripple effects that the disease may have on a community, as well as prepare officials and business leaders to manage those effects. "It's very helpful to have a sense of the potential impacts that the pandemic could have," said Verdery. "And, for employers, it calls attention to policies around family leave and paid leave. At the federal level, it might inform officials about possible extensions for FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act). There could also be some implications for caretaking. For example, a lot of children grow up in grandparent-led houses and they would be impacted." The researchers, who released their findings in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said some slight differences in the bereavement multiplier exist between white and black Americans. For white Americans, the median multiplier is estimated at 8.86, while it is 9.18 for black Americans, said Verdery. The researchers also suggest that people may be facing the loss of a close loved one at a younger age because of the virus, according to Verdery, who worked with Emily Smith-Greenaway, associate professor of sociology, USC; Rachel Margolis, associate professor of sociology, the University of Western Ontario and Jonathan K. Daw, associate professor of sociology and demography, Penn State. "There are a substantial number of people who may be losing parents that we would consider younger adults and a substantial number of people may be losing spouses who are in their 50s or 60s," he said. While there are some limitations, the indicator could help local officials understand the waves of grief that may affect specific areas and regions of the country. "Our statistics are based on national averages, so it might not translate perfectly, but you could imagine that this could serve as a baseline level to go forward to understand the differences between areas where the outbreaks are severe and places where the outbreaks may not be so severe," said Verdery. "There are regional differences in some of these kinship statistics that would make it less than perfect, but it would be a reasonable first approximation." For this study, the team built on previous investigations that happened soon after the virus began to spread worldwide. "The big challenge with the former work was that we used a certain percentage of infections and a certain percentage of deaths," said Verdery. "In that model, there is an inherent prediction that if so many people are infected, there would be a certain number of people who would die and, then, the model estimated how many people will be affected by those deaths. But, thinking through this, we wanted to create a statistic that is easy to understand and one that doesn't rely on specific predictions about death counts." The researchers undertook a computational analysis of COVID-19 mortality in kinship networks of white and black Americans. The demographic data was drawn from the historical record or recent Census Bureau national projections to create a complete kinship network, from which the researchers analyzed grandparents, parents, siblings, spouses and children. In the future, the researchers plan to investigate how the bereavement factor during other mortality spikes, such as the opioid epidemic, changes over time and how to better understand when that factor becomes broadly felt across the community. ### The work was supported by National Institute on Aging, the Penn State Population Research Institute, the University of Southern California Center for the Changing Family, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 00:58:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday strongly condemned the opposition camp for holding illegal "primaries" and damaging fairness of the upcoming Legislative Council (LegCo) election. The office also said foreign interference in Hong Kong's political affairs will never be allowed. A spokesperson of the office expressed firm support for the HKSAR government to investigate illegal acts in the so-called "primaries" and safeguard a fair LegCo election in a statement. The LegCo election due in September has strict legal procedures and a fair election concerns the well-being of the Hong Kong society and residents, the spokesperson said. The so-called "primaries" organized by some opposition figures, who were backed by external forces, seriously challenged the existing election system and jeopardized the fairness of the election, the spokesperson said, adding that personal information of many residents were collected, which is suspected of violating the law on privacy. The spokesperson said Benny Tai Yiu-ting, a major coordinator of the "primaries," is suspected of violating the law. Tai and his accomplices and the opposition camp attempted to seize the governance power of Hong Kong and wage a Hong Kong version of "color revolution," the spokesperson said. Some even claimed that their goal is to control the LegCo, veto the budget of the HKSAR government, paralyze the government, destroy Hong Kong and subvert the state, which is suspected of breaching the national security law and Hong Kong's election law, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson expressed strong condemnation and noted Tai is still on bail pending appeal after being sentenced to 16 months of imprisonment for his involvement in the 2014 illegal "Occupy Central" movement. The spokesperson hoped the upcoming LegCo election will be held in a fair and orderly manner and stressed that the so-called "primaries" go against the will of Hong Kong residents to have a fair election. Anyone who colluded with external forces to oppose the country, harm "one country, two systems," and separate Hong Kong from the motherland is doomed to fail, the spokesperson said. Enditem Bamburi Cement donates KES15.6m in the fight against COVID-19 13 July 2020 Bamburi Cement (LafargeHoldim group) has donated KES15.6m (US$145,600) in the fight against coronavirus to the Kenyan government's COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. KES5m of the donation is a direct cash contribution for immediate assistance, KES5.2m is directed at personal protective equipment (PPE) and KES2.4m will support communities in Mombasa, Kilifi, Machakos, Kwale and Kjiado which need water tanks for hand washing, face masks and hand sanitisers. A further KES3m is set aside for further support in the community. "As a key player in the building and construction industry, we acknowledge that we have an important role to play in supporting the community and the economy during this crisis and facilitating in any way possible the rapid and sustained economic recovery, said Bamburi Cement Group Managing Director, Seddiq Hassani." Published under Sydneysiders swung back to socialising faster than Melburnians, who were more cautious to travel post-lockdown, according to data from rideshare giant Uber, which suffered an 80 per cent decline at the height of restrictions. Despite the second coronavirus increase and subsequent lockdown in Melbourne, Uber Australia general manager Dom Taylor said the city had generally been more tentative to return to social outings before the outbreak. Sydney snapped back to social life faster than Melbourne, according to Uber data. Credit:Kate Geraghty "What we're seeing is Melburnites appear to be a lot more cautious than the experience in Sydney," Mr Taylor said. "Sydney and Melbourne was a tale of two cities ... Even before the action that has occurred in the last few weeks we can see a divergence in the Sydney-Melbourne recovery." The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared Class 12th result 2020 on Monday (July 13). Students can check their results online on various official websites, IVRS telephone numbers and mobile apps. This year, the pass percentage among girls is 92.15 per cent and among boys it is 86.19 per cent The Trivandrum region recorded a pass percentage of 97.67, followed by Bengaluru at 97.05 and Chennai at 96.17. The girls have fared better than boys and the all India pass percentage was 88.78%i, an increase of 5.38% compared to 2019. Students can also access their results through these websites - cbse.nic.in, www.results.nic.in and www.cbseresults.nic.in The schools will also get the results of their students on the registered Email IDs. KEY HIGHLIGHTS Karnataka has imposed a 7-day lockdown in Bengaluru rural, urban districts starting July 14 MSMEs say extension of lockdown will hurt the current business momentum Export orders and Line of Credit at stake as lockdown continues As Karnataka decided to shut Bengaluru urban and rural districts from July 14 till July 22 morning, owing to exponential increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the state fear that this extension could cause irreparable damage to the already fragile industries. As export-oriented industries have started getting orders, companies fear that extension would result in cancellation of orders and disrupt supply chain, which is crawling back to 20 per cent of revenues comparable to May-June period of last year. Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association, Peenya Industrial Association, and other trade and industry associations said that many industries in Bengaluru, especially in the manufacturing sector, have gradually started operating second shifts in the last few days to fulfil export orders. Another lockdown would destroy the morale of the managements and workers. ALSO READ: Rs 1.14 lakh crore sanctioned to MSMEs under credit guarantee scheme; SBI, HDFC Bank top lenders Babu, the proprietor of Sampath Engineering that has its export unit in Dobbaspet, supplies engineering goods to Bosch whose export orders are around 40 crores annually. "Production has picked up since last month and we are trying hard to fulfil the orders with 50 per cent capacity. If lockdown continues then again we will have to suffer due to machineries going idle," he said. C R Janardhana, President of FKCCI, said, "The industrial sector contributes 26 per cent of the GSDP. Closure of industries at this stage will not only impact production and hit the jobs, but will also impact state GST collections". Of the existing industries in the state, companies that export to aerospace, pharmaceuticals, readymade garments, and electronic components have seen an uptick in fresh export orders with demand to replace Chinese substitutes getting stronger. Janardhana says industry is seeing a bulk of such export orders coming from European and African nations along with Singapore, Malaysia and the US. ALSO READ: India signs $750 million deal with World Bank to support 1.5 million MSMEs The state government's latest order and guidelines for the week-long lockdown allows manufacturing and industrial establishments with access control in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and export-oriented units that adhere to national directives for COVID-19 management. However, industries say that restriction on movement of people would invariably hurt in spite of exemption. With many workers staying outside of Bengaluru district, who travel to factories, will not be able to attend work, combined with the existing labour crunch, industry members are concerned that it would be difficult to run factories. According to the FY19 annual report by the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Karnataka has nearly 38.34 lakh industries in the sector with nearly 38.25 lakh micro and 0.09 lakh small scale units. Emmanuel Omale, founder of Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministries International, Abuja, has threatened to file a suit against NAN ove... Emmanuel Omale, founder of Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministries International, Abuja, has threatened to file a suit against NAN over a report that he helped Ibrahim Magu, suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) acquire a property in Dubai. NAN had published a report of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets (PCARA), which probed assets recovered by the EFCC from May 2015 to May 2020. In the report, Omale was said to have been used by Magu to launder funds. He was reportedly uncovered during an investigation on EFCCs activities by the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU). According to the report, the cleric bought a landed property on behalf of Magu worth N573 million in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. But in a letter by Gordy Uche (SAN), his lawyer, Omale described the report as malicious, derogatory and libelous. He said it reeks of calumny, denigration, actuated by malice, and calculated to ridicule and disparage him, and clearly a hatchet job ingeniously crafted to cast a stain on his reputation. Our clients attention has been drawn to the extremely malicious, derogatory and libelous publication with the caption HOW MAGU USED PASTOR TO LAUNDER RE-LOOTED FUNDS ABROAD REPORT posted on your website www.nannews.ng on the 11th day of July 2020, the letter read. We, however, wish to make the following clarifications to put the public records straight: That our client, only visited Mr. Ibrahim Magu in a Hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirate, sometime in March 2020. That our client never laundered any funds whatsoever for Mr. Ibrahim Magu, nor for anybody whatsoever. That our client does not own any foreign bank account anywhere in the world. That there are no funds whatsoever traceable from Mr. Ibrahim Magu to our clients Bank accounts whatsoever neither has our client received any funds whatsoever from Mr. Ibrahim Magu. Our client has never received any funds whatsoever from anybody on behalf of Mr. Ibrahim Magu. That our client does not own any property in Dubai. His name was never used to purchase any property whatsoever in Dubai, United Arab Emirate or anywhere else in any part of the world, neither has he purchased any property or properties for Mr. Ibrahim Magu in any part of the world whatsoever. Omale said he had been subjected to ridicule as a result of the story, demanding an immediate apology and retraction from NAN. We wish to state that by reason of the said libelous publication which was read by millions of persons all over the world, our client has been severely injured in his reputation, character and calling. Our client has thereby been brought into ridicule, public scandal, hatred, denigration, odium and contempt, and lowered in the estimation of right-thinking members of the society, he said. We therefore, demand the immediate retraction of the libelous publication by way of an unequivocal APOLOGY to our client prominently published in at least three (3) National Newspapers not later than 7 (Seven) days from the date of your receipt of this letter and that you restrain from further defamation of our client forthwith otherwise, a libel suit against NAN will commence you, your Organization, claiming the sum of N1, 000,0000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) as exemplary, aggravated, general damages for defamation, and for injunction if you fail to comply. Further take notice that this letter constitutes our formal notice of intention to sue. Magu is currently being grilled by a panel President Muhammadu Buhari set up to probe the EFCC under his watch. Its no secret that Black Hoosiers are suffering at a higher rate during this pandemic and it is my sincere hope that the legislature and governor implement these recommendations swiftly, said state Rep. Robin Shackleford, an Indianapolis Democrat who chairs the state legislative Black caucus. The longer we wait the more people we will lose. Firefighting boats spray water onto the US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard as smoke rises from a fire - Bing Guan/Reuters Firefighters were battling a massive blaze on a US navy amphibious assault ship in San Diego, California, on Sunday night. The fire erupted after an explosion on the USS Bonhomme Richard shortly before 9am local time. Ariel photographs showed giant plumes of smoke billowing out from the ship, which was docked in its home port. The reasons for the blaze, which was caused by fuel catching fire, remained unclear. There was no suggestion of terrorism being involved. Emergency services cleared the area as firefighters moved in to try to bring the fire under control. According to the San Diego Fire Department, 17 sailors and four civilians required hospital treatment for minor injuries, including one for smoke inhalation. Krishna Jackson, the base's public information officer, said none of the injuries was life-threatening. Smoke rises from a fire on board the US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard - Bing Guan/Reuters Normally, as many as 1,000 crew would be on board the ship, but with the Bonhomme Richard undergoing maintenance, only around 160 people were on the ship at the time. All were accounted for as were all the firefighters involved in tackling the blaze. San Diego Fire Department chief Colin Stowell said the explosion appeared to have emanated from a 55-gallon drum of oil that is used to clean tools. Right now, there is still a lot of fuel on that ship. And if that starts becoming part of the combustibles, then this will go on, he told CNN. Earlier, Chief Stowell voiced fears that the fire could go on for days and that the ship could burn down to the water. On Twitter, the San Diego Fire Department said a neighbouring ship, the USS Fitzgerald, was also under threat because of the fire. Video of the USS Bonhomme Richard shot from SDFD copter 3. #shipfire pic.twitter.com/tYluuN5pii SDFD (@SDFD) July 12, 2020 It is understood there was no heavy ordnance such as mortars and machine guns on the ship at the time of the explosion. Story continues A Wasp Class Amphibious Assault vessel, the 840-foot long Bonhomme Richard was launched in March 1997 and commissioned by the US Navy in August the following year. Its prime task is to help land forces during an amphibious assault. It can also be used as a light-aircraft carrier. It was deployed during the first Iraq war and, in April 2014, it participated in the air-sea rescue following the South Korean ferry disaster in which 4304 people died after the MV Sewol capsized. The Bonhomme Richard is the third US Navy ship to bear that name. The original ships title was derived from the frigate commanded by John Paul Jones, an officer in the American revolutionary war. He gave the ship a French title which translates as Good Man Richard as a tribute to Benjamin Franklin, the US ambassador to France at the time and author of Poor Richards Almanac. The second Bonhomme Richard was launched in April 1944. It was sponsored by Roberta McCain, the mother of former US senator and Republican presidential candidate John McCain. TORONTO, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Angkor Resources Corp. (TSXV: ANK and OTC: ANKOF) (Angkor or the Company) CEO Stephen Burega is pleased to announce that Mr. Kaihui Yang, PhD Geology, has agreed to act as a Senior Advisor - Geology to Angkor effective immediately. Having obtained his PhD in Geology in 1990, early in his career, he was a research scientist in the Department of Geology at the University of Toronto, and also served as a senior consultant for Canadian mining companies (Barrick, Inco, Falconbridge, and others) and the World Bank Group. Mr. Yang has over 30 years of experience as an exploration geologist. He previously served as a Vice President for the Zijin Mining Group, a major mining company listed on the Hong Kong and Shanghai Stock Exchange that has expanded aggressively in various parts of the world including the recent acquisitions of three Canadian mining companies (Nevsun, Continental Gold and Guiana Goldfield). He also served as the Chairman for the Sprott-Zijin Joint-Venture Mining Fund. We are very pleased to add Kaihuis wealth of knowledge and experience to our team, said CEO Stephen Burega. Kaihui has been to Cambodia and has visited Angkors properties. He will provide our geological team with his advice based on his extensive regional understanding and background. Mr. Yang was a founder and President of a Canadian public company that conducted mineral exploration in China, which won the Prospection and Exploration Outstanding Achievement Award from the China Mining Conference in 2011. Recently, he has been an independent consultant and director for several major Chinese mining and investment companies. ABOUT ANGKOR RESOURCES CORP. Angkor Resources Corp. is a public company, listed on the TSX-Venture Exchange, and is a leading mineral explorer in Cambodia with a large land package. In 2019, it entered into negotiations with the Cambodian Government on Block VIII, a 7,300 square kilometre oil and gas exploration license in Cambodia. Story continues CONTACT: Stephen Burega, CEO Telephone: +1 (647) 515-3734 Email: sb@angkorgold.ca Website: http://www.angkorgold.ca or follow us on Twitter @AngkorGold. 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. Donald Trump has been accused of "trying to bury" expert guidelines that said fully reopening schools and universities posed the highest risk of spreading coronavirus compared to partial or virtual openings. American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten said the president suppressed the report while pressuring the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to weaken safety recommendations in an effort to reopen schools faster. "By trying to bury what the CDC recommends, Trump is betraying every student, teacher and parent in this country," Ms Weingarten, who leads the 1.7 million-member teachers union, said. Ms Weingarten's tweet came after The New York Times revealed a 69-page CDC document that said "full-sized, in-person classes, activities and events" present the highest risk compared to entirely virtual or small classes with distancing. "The more people a student or staff member interacts with, and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of Covid-19 spread," the document, dated 8 July, said. On the same day, Mr Trump said he disagreed with the CDC's "very tough & expensive guidelines" and threatened to cut off funding if schools did not reopen. "The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!" he said. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was confronted by Fox News host Chris Wallace on Sunday over the president's threats to defund schools that did not reopen. Asked "under what authority" the president could unilaterally cut off funding approved by Congress, Ms DeVos said if schools aren't going to fulfil the promise of an education, they shouldn't get the funds. The Fox News host cut her off mid-sentence, saying "well, you can't do that". "You can't do that unilaterally, you have to do that through Congress," Mr Wallace said. Ms DeVos, who hasn't said whether schools should follow the CDC's guidelines, said they were "looking at all the options". Last week, Vice President Mike Pence said during a press briefing on Wednesday that the CDC planned on releasing new guidelines this week that would not be as tough. "Well, the President said today we just don't want the guidance to be too tough. And that's the reason why, next week, CDC is going to be issuing a new set of tools: five different documents that will be giving even more clarity on the guidance going forward," Mr Pence said. Blood transfusion, if performed promptly, is a potentially life-saving intervention for someone losing a lot of blood. However, blood comes in several types, some of which are incompatible with others. Transfusing an incompatible blood type can severely harm a patient. It is, therefore, critical for medical staff to know a patient's blood type before they perform a transfusion. There are four major blood types--O, A, B, and AB. These types differ based on the presence or absence of structures called A antigens and B antigens on the surfaces of red blood cells. Blood can be further divided into positive and negative types based on the presence or absence of D antigens on red blood cells. Medical professionals usually tell a patient's blood type with tests involving antibodies against the A and B antigens. When antibodies recognize the corresponding antigens, they bind to them, causing the blood cells to clump together and the blood to coagulate. Thus, specific antigen-antibody combinations tell us what the blood type of a blood sample is. Yet, while the concept sounds straightforward, the equipment and techniques required are often very specialized. Tests, therefore, are non-portable, have high personnel cost, and can take over half an hour to yield results. This can prove problematic in several types of emergency situations. Aiming to solve these problems, a team of scientists at Japan's Tokyo University of Science, led by Dr Ken Yamamoto and Dr Masahiro Motosuke, has developed a fully automated chip that can quickly and reliably determine a patient's blood type. In the words of Dr Motosuke, he and his colleagues "have developed a compact and rapid blood-typing chip which also dilutes whole blood automatically." The chip contains a micro-sized "laboratory" with various compartments through which the blood sample travels in sequence and is processed until results are obtained. To start the process, a user simply inserts a small amount of blood, presses a button, and waits for the result. Inside the chip, the blood is first diluted with a saline solution and air bubbles are introduced to promote mixing. The diluted blood is transported to a homogenizer where further mixing, driven by more intensely moving bubbles, yields a uniform solution. Portions of the homogenized blood solution are introduced into four different detector chambers. Two chambers each contain reagents that can detect either A antigens or B antigens. A third chamber contains reagents that detect D antigens and a fourth chamber contains only saline solution, with no reagent, and serves as a negative control chamber in which the user should not observe any results. Antigen-antibody reaction will cause blood to coagulate, and by looking at which chambers have coagulated blood, the user can tell the blood type and whether the blood is positive or negative. Further, the user does not require specialized optical equipment to read the results. The design of the detector chambers allows the easy identification of coagulated blood with the naked eye. The device is also highly sensitive and can even detect weak coagulation. During testing, the research team screened blood samples from 10 donors and obtained accurate results for all 10 samples. The time needed to determine a single sample's blood type was only five minutes. Reflecting on the potential benefits of his team's invention, Dr Motosuke remarks, "The advancement of simple and quick blood test chip technologies will lead to the simplification of medical care in emergency situations and will greatly reduce costs and the necessary labor on parts of medical staff." Given the highly portable nature of the chip, Professor Motosuke also speculates that it could be used during aerial medical transport and in disaster response settings. This is a chip that has the potential to change the way emergency medical support is given. ### About the Tokyo University of Science Tokyo University of Science (TUS) is a well-known and respected university, and the largest science-specialized private research university in Japan, with four campuses in central Tokyo and its suburbs and in Hokkaido. Established in 1881, the university has continually contributed to Japan's development in science through inculcating the love for science in researchers, technicians, and educators. With a mission of "Creating science and technology for the harmonious development of nature, human beings, and society", TUS has undertaken a wide range of research from basic to applied science. TUS has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive study in some of today's most vital fields. TUS is a meritocracy where the best in science is recognized and nurtured. It is the only private university in Japan that has produced a Nobel Prize winner and the only private university in Asia to produce Nobel Prize winners within the natural sciences field. Website: https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/mediarelations/ About Dr Masahiro Motosuke from Tokyo University of Science Dr Masahiro Motosuke is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Tokyo University of Science. He earned a PhD in Engineering from Keio University, and he has held positions at the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Technical University of Denmark. His research into thermofluidics and thermofluidics-based sensors has resulted in 168 journal articles, conference papers and book chapters since 2003. He has received multiple awards for his research from professional organizations such as the Heat Transfer Society of Japan. Dr Motosuke lab website: https://www.rs.tus.ac.jp/motlab/en/index.html Funding information This research was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP16K18033. Media contact Tsutomu Shimizu Email: mediaoffice@admin.tus.ac.jp Police in Quebec have launched a manhunt to find the missing father of two young girls who were found dead in a wooded area days after they all vanished following a car crash. The search for Martin Carpentier, 44, continues into Monday after the dead bodies of his young daughters Romy, 6, and Norah, 11, were discovered on Saturday in a wooded area of Saint-Apollinaire. The girls were last seen shopping with their father on Wednesday, but one hour later Carpentier's car was found wrecked and abandoned. Authorities in Quebec, Canada, are searching for missing father Martin Carpentier (pictured), 44, who vanished with his two daughters after a car crash on Wednesday Investigators said Carpentier's vehicle was driving east on Highway 20 in St-Apollinaire when it skidded into a median, flipped over and landed on the shoulder of the opposite side of the highway. Authorities launched an Amber Alert on Thursday and continued the alert until Romy and Norah were found three days later. It was the longest Amber Alert in Quebec's history. It's unclear the specifics of the incident, but authorities said the they are not ruling any hypothesis out, including kidnapping. Authorities on Saturday discovered six-year-old Romy Carpentier (pictured) dead in a wooded area Saint-Apollinaire, Quebec, after three days missing Authorities also found the body of 11-year-old Norah Carpentier (pictured) in the wooded area after police discovered the family's car wrecked and abandoned on Wednesday Autopsies are scheduled to determine the specific cause of the girls' deaths, The Canadian Press reports. Finding Carpentier is a top priority for authorities and they believe he may still be in the Saint-Agapit, Saint-Apollinaire sector - but 'don't know exactly what state of mind' he's in. 'We ask people not to take any chances. So if they have any information or if they see him, just call 911 and we will take charge of the situation,' authorities said. Objects found on Saturday during the police search may belong to Carpentier and the two girls, authorities told CTV. 'We found some objects yesterday, but we can find a lot of different objects in the woods, so what we have to do right now is to be sure that those objects could be related to Martin Carpentier and his two daughters,' said Sgt. Ann Mathieu. Carpentier's girlfriend, Cathy Gingras, who is not the children's mother, desperately pleaded for his return in a recorded message shared to Twitter. 'Martin, we're worried. We haven't heard anything from you since the accident. We want to know if you're okay, and the girls, Romy, Norah,' said Gingras. 'We want to know if they're okay... if you're okay. Give us some news, let us know, call your parents, whatever it is. The important thing is that you're all alright. 'We just want to know you're alright.' The victim's mother, Amelie Lemieux, has reportedly spent the last few days surrounded by family. She shared photos of her daughters and made a plea on Facebook asking for help earlier this week. Authorities have deployed canine squads, drones, an equestrian squad and a helicopter in the hunt for the family. Around 100 residents from the Saint-Agapit, Saint-Apollinaire sector on Saturday joined police in the search for the family, but it appeared to do more harm than good. Around 100 people joined local authorities in the search for Carpentier on Saturday, but overwhelmed the search and stunted police efforts The large amount of people overwhelmed the scene and made the K-9 squad ineffective. 'So thats why we ask the people, we appreciate the work you want to do for us, we appreciate your goodwill, but doing so is not a good idea to help us. Its not helping us,' said Matthieu. Instead, she asked residents to stay home and call authorities if they notice anything amiss. 'Stay home. Just look on your property. Youre the best person to know exactly if theres something wrong on your property. If so, call us were going to do the verification about it,' shes said. Meanwhile, the international attention of the tragic deaths and manhunt has shocked residents who live in the small Quebec town of just over 6,000 people. 'Seeing police everywhere, helicopters, you wouldn't have believed it,' said native Cedric Lambert, 23. 'Then to know that they found the little girls here is stressful.' Pictured: Residents in the Saint-Agapit, Saint-Apollinaire sector joined together to help look for Carpentier and the two girls Quebec authorities have used several search methods, including anine squads, drones an equestrian squad and a helicopter (pictured) His partner, Marie-Myriam Dion, added that she doesn't feel safe with Carpentier on the loose. 'I can't wait for them to find him,' said Dion, a mother-of-two. 'I lock my doors at home as soon as I am alone.' Gerald Rousseau, a resident of 40 years, lives about two miles from where police have started searching. He said there are a plethora of places to hide. 'There are plenty of small chalets around there, cabins, sugar shacks, trailers,' Rousseau told CTV. 'It's a good place to hide ... people come down on the weekends, but there aren't a lot of people coming down given what's happening, so there's often food left behind inside.' News that authorities found the deceased children sparked an outpouring of grief from both residents and public figures. On Saturday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau she he was 'devastated' by the turn of events. Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was 'devastated' by news that the young girls' bodies had been found on Saturday Quebec Premier Francois Legault called Norah and Romy's deaths a 'national tragedy' on Twitter following the tragic news Legault: 'I have a special thought for Norah and Romy's mother. For all their loved ones too. Its the whole of Quebec crying with you today. '...An incomprehensible tragedy for any parent. My heart breaks for the family and friends of Norah and Romy - Im sending you my deepest condolences. Know that all Canadians are keeping you in their thoughts tonight,' he wrote on Twitter. Quebec Premier Francois Legault called Norah and Romy's deaths a 'national tragedy. 'I am overwhelmed, without words. Losing two children, the most expensive thing in life, is incomprehensible. Its a national tragedy,' he wrote on Twitter. He added: 'I have a special thought for Norah and Romy's mother. For all their loved ones too. Its the whole of Quebec crying with you today.' He even searched his own property, but didn't find any sign of Carpentier. Carpentier was last seen wearing a grey short sleeve sweater and jeans. He is listed as being 5'10" and weighing 130lbs. Anyone who sees Martin Carpentier is asked not to attempt to intervene and to communicate with 911. In addition, any information that may allow him to be traced can be communicated, confidentially, to the Central Criminal Intelligence Service of the Surete du Quebec at 1-800-659-4264. Even as urban and rural Bengaluru readied itself for a week-long lockdown starting Tuesday 8pm, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda demanded that the Karnataka government announce a statewide lockdown as the number of Covid-19 cases continues to spiral. The former PM also appealed to the people to cooperate with the government and follow the safety protocols. Grocery shops, meat shops, and other essential but non-emergency establishments would be open only between 5 am and 12 noon. However, all other commercial private establishments would be shut for a week. On Monday Karnataka registered 2,738 new cases, taking the tally to 41,581, including 757 deaths and 16,248 discharges. Click here for complete coronavirus coverage Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa made it clear that the lockdown would not be extended, after the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry criticised the decision. Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday unveiled a new website for residents to report businesses not complying with the states health and safety guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic. The website, mass.gov/covidcompliance, instructs anyone wishing to file a report of non-compliance to contact their local Board of Health. They can also contact the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards with any issues. If the Department of Labor Standards believes an investigation is warranted, the agency will call or email the complainant within 72 hours, the website says. At which point, the agency will open an investigation into the business in question in partnership with local health officials. People are working hard to be cooperative and creative, but if folks believe that a business or an employer is not observing the safety guidelines, weve set up a process for people of the public or employees to reach out and communicate that, Baker said during his daily press briefing on Monday. If officials determine there is a violation of COVID-19 health and safety standards, officials will escalate enforcement until the issue is rectified. We hope this tool can help promote accountability as we continue to reopen Massachusetts, Baker said. We all know everybodys working hard to be safe and create the best new normal that we can, and we are deeply grateful of the cooperation of our employer community and so many others. The announcement comes a week after Phase 3 of the states reopening plan began. Many large-scale, indoor establishments, including gyms and movies theaters, restarted last week. Related Content: Kim Jae-ryun, the lawyer for the former secretary of late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon who accused him of sexual harassment, shows an invitation to a Telegram secret chat allegedly sent by the mayor to the victim, during a press conference in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap By Jun Ji-hye A former secretary of late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who accused him of sexual harassment, said Monday that all she had wanted was for the mayor to be judged by the law and make a sincere apology to her. The woman said she had decided to file the sexual harassment complaint with police against the mayor because she wanted to be protected by the law from the immense power of an influential politician, in accordance with the principle of equality before the law. "I wanted to ask him to stop what he was doing in the safety of court. I wanted to shout that I have gone through a very hard time. And I wanted to forgive him," the woman said in a statement that was read during a news conference in her absence by Kim Hye-jeong, a senior official from the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center (KSVRC). "It took my courage to file the complaint against him. But he took his own life. I never thought of death even when I was having a hard time, because I would never want to hurt the people who love me. So, I was really disappointed. And it is still so hard to believe he's dead." Thandie Newton was pictured preparing to jet out of the UK with her husband Ol Parker and their children on Monday. The family were pictured heading into City Airport after travel restrictions eased, although it is not yet known where they were heading to. Thandie, 47, wore a face mask as she commandeered a trolley while film writer Ol carried the luggage out of their car. Thandie Newton prepared to jet out of the UK from City Airport on Monday with husband Ol Parker and their children after actress claimed she was groomed by an older director aged 16 Their other children, Ripley, 20, and Nico, 16, were also thought to be with them on the day. Thandie wheeled little Booker on a trolley into departured wearing a chic cropped jeans, flat sandals and a smart jacket. The outing comes after Thandie revealed that she was groomed by an older film director when she was 16 and starting her career. The actress opened up about her damaging experience with a filmmaker more than twice her age, and also revealed that she was asked to do sexually inappropriate things when she was 18. Team work: Thandie had little Booker, six, by her side as she commandeered a trolley while husband Ol carried the luggage Safety first: She and Booker wore face masks as they headed inside with the rest of the family following on behind 'When I set out in the adult world, I was pretty young 16 was when I started working in movies,' she told Vulture's E. Alex Jung. 'I had no sense of myself. One of the reasons why is because I was not considered anything.' The screen star continued: 'We didnt talk about it at the time but the damage was so done. It just made me super-vulnerable to predators. Theres so much about not having a sense of my value.' Thandie's ordeal led to her feeling as though she was being 'passed around', adding: 'If youre a young black girl and you get raped, in the film business, no ones going to f***ing care. You can tell whoever the f*** you want and theyll call it an affair. Until people start taking this seriously, I cant fully heal. There are so many problems to feeling disenfranchised. I keep finding myself alone.' Revelations: Meanwhile, Thandie has revealed that she was groomed by an older film director when she was 16 and starting her career, (pictured in March) Exploited: The 47-year-old actress opened up about her damaging experience with a filmmaker more than twice her age. Seen in an undated photo taken early on in her career In the same interview, the star also gave a candid insight into the dramatic nature of working with Tom Cruise on Mission: Impossible II in 2000. The British actress played Tom's character Ethan Hunt's love interest Nyah NordoffHall in the movie two decades ago, and she shed light on feeling 'terrified and insecure' on-set of the movie. Thandie revealed she then called late director Jonathan Demme, who she worked with on Beloved and The Truth About Charlie, to seek advice after which he scolded her for not 'backing herself' and made her realise Tom wanted a 'alpha b***h'. Vulnerable: The screen star said, 'We didnt talk about it at the time but the damage was so done. It just made me super-vulnerable to predators.' Pictured in 1991 However, while she admitted to feeling 'scared' of 'dominant' Tom Cruise, she also insisted that he wasn't a 'horrible' person, just 'really stressed' on the set. Thandie's interview comes after the star revealed she is finally enjoying the kind of career boost she expected to have in her twenties. The actress has become a household name thanks to the success of HBO's sci-fi drama Westworld, with her character Maeve taking on a pivotal role in season three. She divulged: 'Thanks to Westworld, I've become an action hero at my age!... 'I'm flabbergasted! I feel like I'm in my prime, and my 40s are great, man, but why didn't this happen in my 20s? It's the complete reverse of what it should be'. Tough times: Thandie also gave a candid insight into the dramatic nature of working with Tom Cruise on Mission: Impossible II in 2000 (pictured at the London premiere in July 2000) Way back when: The British actress played Tom's character Ethan Hunt's love interest Nyah NordoffHall in the movie two decades ago Thandie, who is also known for her role in 2004's Crash, went on to describe the physical requirements of playing her character in Westworld. Likening the experience to being in the military, the brunette explained that she has to remain as fit as possible throughout filming. Thandie's character Maeve began the series as a robotic 'host' brothel-owner within the Westworld theme park. Thanks to a glitch in her programming, the sassy saloon-owner begins to gain consciousness and eventually realises she's part of a scripted storyline. That is a big difference from my experience in the Watergate prosecution: Established by the Justice Department, our investigation was functionally independent from it and the executive branch. We did not answer to the attorney general. We were not restricted from investigating or prosecuting Nixon, nor were we governed by any internal Justice Department rule that prohibited prosecuting a sitting president. And as the efforts by the attorney general, Bill Barr, and Mr. Trumps commuting of the Stone sentence make clear, that lack of independence has made a big difference. From the start, Mr. Mueller was restrained by Justice Department regulations. He was barred, for example, from looking into the broader relationship between Mr. Trump and Russia through a review of Mr. Trumps financial records and tax returns. Furthermore, according to the Mueller report, Mr. Trump made multiple attempts to fire the special counsel, and it is difficult, if not almost impossible, to conduct an investigation under those circumstances. Ultimately, the Mueller investigation did complete its limited investigation into whether any member of the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government (it did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities); it also detailed the evidence, without reaching conclusions, relating to Mr. Trumps obstruction of justice. But as a result of those limitations, Mr. Trump, with the assistance of Mr. Barr, spun the narrative to affect the impact on the American public of the Mueller report and, as we have seen with Mr. Stone and Michael Flynn, undermined the criminal convictions obtained by Mr. Muellers team. In the Watergate investigation, the special prosecutor decided not to indict Nixon because Congress was actively considering impeachment. After convicting the major figures in the scandal, including two attorneys general, almost no one (except Nixon) was pardoned and no one had their sentences commuted. Upon completion of our investigation, we issued a report without anyone in the executive branch spinning its results. Ukraine's hryvnia weakens to UAH 27.09 to U.S. dollar on July 14 21:53, 13.07.20 7164 The official forex rate against the euro for Tuesday is fixed at UAH 30.69 per euro. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 23:41:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China has facilitated the transfer of fiscal budgetary funds for flood relief as continuous rainstorms have wreaked havoc across a wide swath of the country, threatening to inundate rivers and cause more casualties and property losses. Since the start of the flood season, China has allocated central budgetary funds for disaster relief totaling 1.155 billion yuan (about 165 million U.S. dollars) for regions hit by floods, Zheng Guoguang, vice head of the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM), told a press conference on Monday. To help flood-hit regions overcome difficulties, the country has established a mechanism to allocate natural disaster relief funds from the central budget more quickly and efficiently, according to a circular, jointly released by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the MEM on Tuesday. A new practice is that local authorities in flood-hit areas can apply for part of the budgetary disaster relief funds before the tallying of disaster losses is completed. Under the new mechanism, an earlier batch of relief funds totaling 615 million yuan was channeled to Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Guangxi, Chongqing, and Guizhou, with 430 million yuan going to local flood control, and 185 million yuan to residents' disaster relief. MEM official Yang Xiaodong commended the mechanism as it allowed the ministry to respond faster. "We can now activate the procedures of fund earmarking and supplies allocation before we receive disaster reports, and get involved earlier than before," Yang said in an interview with China National Radio. "This can effectively reduce the number of people who die or disappear in disasters, and save people's lives and properties to a much better extent," he said. China faces a particularly tough challenge in flood control this year, based on hydrological and meteorological data available. Floods that triggered alerts have been observed in 433 rivers nationwide since June. Of these rivers, 33 beat previous water level records, Ye Jianchun, vice minister of Water Resources, told a press conference. As of 7 a.m. on Monday, floods in 27 provincial regions had affected a population of 38.73 million, leaving 141 people dead or missing, and necessitating more than 2.24 million emergency relocations. Around 29,000 homes were destroyed, and direct economic losses reached 86.16 billion yuan. "Frequent floods are expected in China's rivers in July and August due to heavy rainfall," said Wang Zhangli, an official with the Ministry of Water Resources, requiring a high level of vigilance. Facing mounting pressure from heavy rainfall, the central government has required related departments to coordinate financial support for the reconstruction of destroyed houses and facilities. Premier Li Keqiang reiterated at Wednesday's State Council meeting that people's lives are the top priority, and efforts should be made to increase material and funding support to help local authorities relocate disaster-hit residents. MEM official Zhang Jiatuan urged local governments to take more effective flood control measures in monitoring and early warning and reservoir regulation, while making solid preparations in rescue teams, supplies, equipment, and communication support. The MOF earlier said it would spare no efforts to ensure the availability of funds for disaster relief, especially those for flood situation monitoring, hidden danger detection, emergency supplies preparation, assistance to and resettlement of affected people, as well as rescue and evacuation services after the disaster. Enditem A West Bengal MLA was found dead under mysterious circumstances near his home in North Dinajpur district on Monday, an incident his family and the Bharatiya Janata Party claimed was a "cold-blooded murder", and blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress for it. The body of Debendra Nath Ray, in his 60s, was found hanging from the ceiling of a verandah outside a shuttered shop near his home in Bindal village in Hemtabad area of the district, police said. Ray had won the Hemtabad (reserved) seat on a Communist Party of India-Marxist ticket in 2016 but later joined the BJP. He had, however, not quit his assembly seat. Both his family and the state BJP unit demanded Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the incident. West Bengal police said a suicide note was found from his shirt pocket where he blamed two people for his death. According to police sources, the investigation has been handed over to CID, although an official order is yet to be made public. The BJP leader's family has demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident, saying they suspected he was murdered. "We suspect he was murdered. There should be a CBI inquiry into the killing," a family member demanded. Ray's death whipped up a political storm, with the BJP branding it a murder by "TMC goons" and calling a 12-hour shutdown in entire North Bengal, including North Dinajpur district, from 6 am on Tuesday. BJP national president J P Nadda termed the incident a "suspected heinous killing", and alleged that it showed the "gunda raj and failure of law and order" machinery under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. "The suspected heinous killing of Debendra Nath Ray, BJP MLA from Hemtabad in West Bengal is extremely shocking and deplorable. This speaks of the Gunda Raj & failure of law and order in the Mamta govt. People will not forgive such a govt in the future. We strongly condemn this," he tweeted. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, often accused by the ruling TMC of being an "agent of the BJP in Raj Bhavan", said political violence and vendetta seem to continue unabated in the state. "Political violence and vendetta @MamataOfficial shows no signs of abating. Death of Debendra Nath Roy, Hemtabad MLA-Uttar Dinajpur District raises serious issues, including allegations of murder. Need for a thorough, impartial probe to unravel the truth and blunt political violence," Dhankhar said in a tweet. State BJP president Dilip Ghosh demanded that Banerjee, who holds the home portfolio, issue a statement on the "cold-blooded murder". "This is a cold-blooded murder by the goons of the TMC. The TMC was wary of Ray's popularity in the area. We want an independent inquiry to bring out the truth. You can very well understand the state's law and order situation when even an MLA is not safe," Ghosh said. "A BJP delegation led by Ghosh also met Dhankhar and sought his intervention for a CBI inquiry into the incident. "BJP Sr leaders MP Dilip Ghosh, Rahul Sinha and others called on me and sought CBI investigation of political murder of Hematabad MLA Debendra Nath Roy. Delegation expressed concern at Supari postings of police officials-tasked to harass and liquidate opposition leaders. "Incident has sent shock waves. Have impressed @MamataOfficial for fair investigation. Police Officials cannot be law unto themselves or politically motivated Inappropriate and demeaning treatment of opposition MPs and leaders by police officials will not be countenanced," Dhankhar tweeted after meeting the delegation. Police, however, insisted prima facie it was a case of death by suicide. "Today morning the dead body of MLA Hemtabad Debendra Nath Roy was detected hanging from the verandah ceiling of a mobile shop at Balia, Deben More, Raigunj, Uttar Dinajpur. A suicide note is recovered from the shirt pocket of the deceased. Two persons have been named in the note as responsible for his death," the state police said on its Twitter handle. It said a tracker dog had been pressed into service and forensic experts are on the job. Post-mortem is yet to be done. "People are requested not to jump on speculative, biased and judgmental conclusions and to wait for the investigation to complete," it said in another tweet. TMC leader and state minister Firhad Hakim rejected the demand for a CBI inquiry, and said the state police and CID were efficient enough to investigate the case. TMC district unit chief Kanailal Agarwal refused to be drawn into the controversy and said the probe would unravel the truth about whether Ray committed suicide or there was "something else". The statement of state police notwithstanding, BJP national general secretary in charge of West Bengal Kailash Vijayvargiya insisted he was "assassinated". "It is a condemnable and cowardly act. During the rule of Mamata Banerjee, the killings of BJP leaders have become the order of the day. Hemtabad MLA Debendra Nath Ray was assassinated. His body was found hanging. Was joining BJP his only crime?" Vijayvargiya tweeted. The BJP took out a rally in Kolkata on Monday to protest over the death of Ray and demanded a CBI inquiry. A Melbourne sex worker and fraudster masqueraded as a woman on a dating app to lure an unsuspecting victim to his home on Christmas Day before sexually assaulting him. Peter Valsamakis admitted luring the man to his Newport home on December 25 last year. The 44-year-old posed as a brunette on dating app Skout and discussed fantasies with the 21-year-old in the lead-up to the assault. Valsamakis, who worked in the sex industry, convinced the victim to come over and cover his face with a blindfold before going into the house as part of the 'fantasy'. A Melbourne sex worker, 44, had admitted to pretending to be a woman to lure a man into his home for sex (stock image) The victim had a sex act performed on him but became suspicious and took off his face covering. 'Are you f***ing serious,' he yelled once he realised what happened. The victim punched Valsamakis in the ribs but fled outside after his abuser grabbed a pot plant and chased him. 'What does he expect is going to happen when this man discovers it's not a woman he's seen photos of,' Victorian County Court Judge Patricia Riddell said. 'It beggars belief, what does (Valsamakis) expect the reaction is going to be.' The sexual fraudster initially claimed to police the victim knew he was a man but 'wanted to pretend' Valsamakis was a woman. When police raided his home they also found Viagra that he did not have a prescription for. The sex worker spoke with the 21-year-old man over dating app Skout before inviting the victim over and telling them to cover their face with a blind fold (stock image) The judge said Valsamakis was 'masquerading as a woman' and had taken deliberate steps to appear as such including sending nude photos of women. He had previously been sentenced for similar offending in February of that year. But his lawyer argued he had a complex and traumatic background, was 'profoundly ashamed' of his behaviour, had a 'severe' psychosexual traits and suffered from a depressive disorder. Valsamakis will be sentenced at the end of the month on charges of rape by compelling sexual penetration and also possessing a schedule 4 poison for the Viagra. Oslo, 13 July 2020 Reference is made to the stock exchange announcements published by Thin Film Electronics ASA ("Thinfilm" or the "Company") on 28 April 2020 and 30 June 2020 regarding a Private Placement and the result of a Subsequent Offering in the Company. In connection with the Private Placement and the Subsequent Offering, the Extraordinary General Meeting resolved on 20 May 2020 to issue two Warrants to each subscriber for each share issued. The first warrant ("Warrant A") has an exercise price of NOK 0.11 per share and is exercisable at any time from the date of grant until 31 December 2020. The second warrant ("Warrant B") has an exercise price of NOK 0.25 per share and is exercisable at any time from the date of grant until 20 August 2021. The following is the procedure connected to the exercise of Warrants A and/or Warrants B in Thinfilm: 1. Notice of exercise ("Notice") must be submitted by the Warrant holder (the "Holder") in writing (email) to warrants@thinfilmsystems.com 2. The Notice must specify (i) the number of Warrants exercised, (ii) whether the notice relates to Warrants A and/or Warrants B, (iii) the aggregate exercise price to be paid; (iv) the holder's VPS account to which the new shares shall be issued; and (v) the contact information for the Holder, including full name, organization number (if a legal entity) or personal ID number (if an individual), address, telephone number and e-mail address. A template of the Notice is attached to this stock exchange announcement. 3. An acknowledgement of receipt of the Notice will be submitted by Thinfilm to the Holder. 4. The Board of Directors of Thinfilm will approve the share capital increase associated with the Warrant exercise ("Board Approval"). 5. The aggregate Warrant exercise price shall be paid by the Holder to: Account number: 1644 33 79537; Name: Thin Film Electronics ASA; IBAN: NO04 1644 3379 537; BIC (SWIFT): DNBANOKKXXX; Bank: DNB Bank ASA. 6. Thinfilm will register the share capital increase with the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises ("Registration"); and deliver the new shares to the Holder in the VPS. 7. NOTE that Thinfilm reserves the right to undertake Board Approval and Registration in connection with Warrant exercises no more than once every 14 calendar days. NOTE also that the Registration will be handled in the ordinary course, without any request for expedited handling to the Register of Business Enterprises. 8. The Holder will be responsible for ensuring compliance with any applicable disclosure obligations for large shareholders (Nw.: Flaggeplikt) in accordance with Section 4-3 of the Securities Trading Act. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Attachment More than 100 outbreaks of coronavirus are being "swiftly and silently" dealt with by local authorities around the country every week, Matt Hancock has said. The Health Secretary on Sunday night pledged to "hunt down the virus" and said "more targeted local action" was being taken in lieu of national lockdown measures. His comments come amid fears of a substantial localised outbreak on a farm in Herefordshire, where up to 200 seasonal workers housed in mobile homes and employed by A S Green and Co have been told to self-isolate. Food and other essential supplies are being delivered to the farm by the local council, supported by Public Health England while police were seen guarding the exits. The government has also identified a list of 20 councils facing the worst local outbreaks, with Bradford, Sheffield and Kirklees identified as needing "enhanced support" according to an internal document reported by the Observer newspaper. Officials are said to be considering releasing a top-10 ranking of local authorities to encourage action. Last month 164 workers at a meat factory in Kirklees tested positive for the virus, while a bed factory in the area was also closed following eight positive tests. "Each week there are more than 100 local actions taken across the country - some of these will make the news, but many more are swiftly and silently dealt with," Mr Hancock wrote in an article for the Daily Telegraph newspaper. "This is thanks in large part to the incredible efforts of local authorities - all of whom have stepped up and published their local outbreak control plans in line with the end of June deadline." The government as been consistently criticised for exaggerating the number of tests it has the capacity to carry out, with the UK also lagging well behind other European and east-Asian countries. But Mr Hancock claimed an increase in testing capacity meant "more targeted local action and less national lockdown". 21 people died from Covid-19 yesterday according to government figures, a low figure which is likely to increase again after a lull in reporting at the weekend. Coronavirus: The global gap in education Show all 12 1 /12 Coronavirus: The global gap in education Coronavirus: The global gap in education Paddy Dowling/EAA Coronavirus: The global gap in education Paddy Dowling/EAA Coronavirus: The global gap in education Paddy Dowling/EAA Coronavirus: The global gap in education Paddy Dowling/EAA Coronavirus: The global gap in education Paddy Dowling/EAA Coronavirus: The global gap in education Paddy Dowling/EAA Coronavirus: The global gap in education Paddy Dowling/EAA Coronavirus: The global gap in education Paddy Dowling/EAA Coronavirus: The global gap in education Paddy Dowling/EAA Coronavirus: The global gap in education Paddy Dowling/EAA Coronavirus: The global gap in education Paddy Dowling/EAA Coronavirus: The global gap in education Photos Paddy Dowling/EAA The outbreaks at the farm in Herefordshire and the meat factory in Kirkless follow a similar pattern seen in many other developed countries of outbreaks building on the margins of society, such as among migrant workers and low income communities where people may be forced to live in conditions where social distancing is difficult. In the US, meat-packing factories became an epicentre for outbreaks. Many companies in the energy industry have been delivering poor returns to shareholders for years. But the CEOs of those companies are anything but poor. Each of the 10 highest-paid Houston-area CEOs received tens of millions of dollars in compensation last year, according to a ranking by S&P Global Market Intelligence for the Houston Chronicle. Companies and boards are very generous, said Steven Balsam, who studies executive compensation as a professor of accounting at Temple University in Philadelphia. The question is whether its justified by the marketplace. Topping the list this year was Greg C. Garland, chairman and CEO of the diversified energy company Phillips 66, who saw his 2019 compensation increase $12.6 million, to $31.9 million. A company spokesman said the increase was partly related to an actuarial increase in pension values, which are outside the companys control, and strong corporate performance. Phillips 66 generated a 34 percent total shareholder return last year, which is stock price appreciation plus dividends. On HoustonChronicle.com: New CenterPoint CEO gets $1.4 million salary, signing bonus Not far behind Garland was Ryan M. Lance, the chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips. He made $30.36 million in 2019, about a 30 percent increase from the year before. The companys shareholders, however, saw a 6.6 percent total return last year. Much of Lances pay increase came from an increase in pension values and restricted stock grants, which he will receive if the company meets performance targets. Joining them atop the list this year are both of Schlumberger Ltd.s CEOs, the outgoing Paal Kibsgaard, who left in August, and incoming CEO Olivier Le Peuch. Also making it to the list are Target Hospitality Corp.s James Bradley Archer, Cheniere Energys Jack A. Fusco, Huntsman Corp.s Peter R. Huntsman, Occidental Petroleum Corp.s Vicki A. Hollub, LyondellBasell Industries Bhavesh V. Bob Patel and Baker Hughes Co.s Lorenzo Simonelli. The CEOs at the top of the compensation list work for some of the largest companies in Houston by revenue, and they made quite a bit more than the median chief executive among Houstons publicly traded companies. CEOs who served a full year at 131 area public companies had median compensation of $3.65 million in 2019, a 5 percent increase from the year before. The S&P Global ranking is based on fiscal year 2019 data for each company, pulled from filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Stock awards make up the majority of the compensation for the highest-paid CEOs, with many companies making those grants early in the year. When stock prices fall, so do the value of those grants, which often dont vest until a period of time has passed or the executive meets certain performance goals. For example, the exploration and production company Occidental Petroleum Corp. reported that as of March 24, 2020, president and CEO Hollubs realizable total compensation for 2019 was $4.4 million as of late March, about 72 percent lower than the $16 million total compensation reported in the proxy statement issued in April. (Hollub is one of seven women on the list. The next closest female chief executive, Cynthia B. Taylor of Oil States International, received $4.4 million in total 2019 compensation, for the 58th spot.) Morning Report: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox Most of the pay is delivered through equity awards, explained Greg Arnold, a managing director at compensation consultant Semler Brossy who does not represent Occidental and was speaking in general about CEO pay. In my experience, the vast majority of compensation committees are focused on aligning pay with shareholders. They regularly evaluate this. They look at the values the executives take home. They do shareholder outreach. They are engaging independent experts for perspective. Next years numbers may look dramatically different. Semler Brossy found that many companies cut executive and director pay this year because of the pandemic and economic fallout. Through May 15, the firm found that 576 companies had done so, representing 19 percent of the Russell 3000 index and 25 percent of the S&P 500 index. One of them was Oxy, which cut Hollubs base salary by 81 percent this year. There was more than a pandemic behind that move, however. Hollub spearheaded Occidentals purchase of Anadarko Petroleum Corp. for $55 billion in August of last year, a deal investors generally disliked, punishing the company by driving its share price down 35 percent by the end of the year. Including dividends, Oxy shareholders experienced a one-year total shareholder return of -28 percent in 2019. The company slashed costs and laid off workers to pay down its acquisition-related $38.5 billion in debt. The subsequent crash in oil prices this year forced the company to restructure debt to avoid a possible default. Other struggling Houston companies include oil field services giant Schlumberger Limited. Shareholders watched the stock price cut in half over the last five years to about $40.20 at the end 2019, according to research firm Morningstar. Shareholders still managed to see a one-year total shareholder return of 17.7 percent last year, in part due to dividends. During the energy industry downturn this year, Schlumberger cut its dividend 75 percent, according to the stock research firm Stifel. Schlumberger laid off 2,000 people as of June of this year amid a restructuring to save $1.5 billion per year. Against that backdrop, Kibsgaard stepped down in August 2019 but nevertheless ranked third among the highest-compensated CEOs in Houston, pulling in $22.3 million. That was a 37 percent increase from his total compensation the year before, more than half of that in the form of restricted stock. Plus, he negotiated a deal to continue to get a $2 million annual salary through July 31, 2022, with medical and pension benefits, in exchange for providing certain services and orderly CEO transition, according to the proxy statement. He also agreed not to compete with the company for three years. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox A Schlumberger spokesman noted that shareholders voted in favor of the companys 2019 executive compensation package this spring with 87.6 percent of votes cast. Schlumbergers proxy statement said the compensation committee reviewed Kibsgaards pay against an industry peer group and core competitor group and decided realizable executive pay was aligned with performance, especially return on common equity over a five-year period and free cash flow, the money that remains after a company has paid its operating expenses and capital expenditures. Schlumbergers method of paying executives is not unique. The volatility of fuel prices always made compensation especially fraught in the oil and gas industry. If oil prices go down, should the CEOs pay suffer as well? Negative shareholder returns may be out of the control of the CEO, Balsam said. But benchmarking makes it possible for energy executives to get big payouts even as their companies underperform the broader stock market. And the energy industry overall has underperformed the broader stock market for years. The S&P 500 has generated a 57 percent return for shareholders for the five-year period ending Dec. 31. But the S&P 500 Energy Index is down about 22 percent during that same time frame. The compensation consulting firm Exequity found in a survey of 2019 proxy statements that no energy companies benchmark CEO performance-based pay against a broad index of firms. They almost always use custom peer groups. In contrast, close to a third of S&P 500 companies use a broad index for performance-based pay decisions. CEO pay can remain high as long as management teams destroy less value than peers, longtime energy analyst Doug Terreson of Evercore ISI wrote in a note to clients. That may be changing. ConocoPhillips board recently decided to add the S&P 500 index to peer groups for annual incentive and performance-based pay. That recognizes the fact that ConocoPhillips has to compete for capital against the broader market. The thinking goes: If investors arent winning, why should CEOs? This was a good game partly because Southampton were brave enough to make it one. They earned their point with almost the last touch of the night but had very much deserved it throughout. Too much of the football we have seen as part of Project Restart has been slow and lacking in competitiveness but this was the opposite. Michael Obafemi nets a last-minute equaliser for Southampton against Manchester United The Saints striker was an 87th minute substitute but made an immediate impact on Monday Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl celebrates his side's last-minute equaliser at Old Trafford The two dropped points is a blow to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's hopes of a top-four league finish Ralph Hassenhuttl's Southampton team came to Manchester to play and what we got as a result was a game as engaging as any we have seen over the last month. At times it was almost possible to forget there were no fans inside Old Trafford. Almost. Southampton were energetic and ambitious and worried Manchester United all night. United, meanwhile, are a team running hot on confidence thanks to their devastating and newly acquired ability to ravish teams on the counter attack. So we got a night of cut and thrust, a game that hung in the balance until the end. With the score at 2-1 at half-time, it was possible to see United scoring next and galloping in to the top four on the back of a glut of goals. Equally, Southampton looked capable of getting back in to things. Marcus Rashford equalised for Man United with an accurate left-footed finish into the corner Rashford's first-half goal was laid on a plate to him by strike partner Anthony Martial Anthony Martial finished off a brilliant mazy run with a powerful finish for United's second goal MATCH FACTS AND RATINGS MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea 6; Wan-Bissaka 6, Maguire 7, Lindelof 7, Shaw 6 (Williams 74min, 6); Matic 6, Pogba 5.5 (Fred 63, 6); Greenwood 6 (James 84), Fernandes 7 (McTominay 84), Rashford 6; Martial 8. Subs not used: Romero, Bailly, Mata, Pereira, Ighalo Scorers: Rashford 20, Martial 23. Booked: Wan-Bissaka Manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 7. SOUTHAMPTON (4-4-2): McCarthy 6; Walker-Peters 5.5, Stephens 6, Bednarek 6, Bertrand 6.5; Armstrong 7 (Smallbone 68, 6), Ward-Prowse 7, Romeu 6 (Obafemi 87), Redmond 6.5; Ings 7, Adams 6 (Long 63, 6) Subs not used: Gunn, Vestergaard, Hojberg, Vokins, Danso, Ferry Scorers: Armstrong 12, Obafemi 90+7 Booked: Ward-Prowse, Stephens, Walker-Peters Manager: Ralph Hasenhuttl 7 Referee: Chris Kavanagh 6 Advertisement In the end, the latter came to pass. We had to wait until the 95th minute for substitute Michael Obafemi to nudge the equaliser over the line from a corner headed on by Jan Bednarek but in a way that fitted the theme of the night. If only we could see more games like this. If only more mid-table teams could play with the same belief and purpose that Southampton did. On paper, they had little to play for but not once did it feel like that and they began by trying to play like the home team, on the front foot and prepared to push into the United half. When United's defenders or holding duo had the ball, Southampton players pressed hard. Twice in the opening 20 minutes Paul Pogba was mugged when in possession. On the first of those occasions Southampton went on to score. This was a poor night for Pogba and he was taken off after an hour. Credit to United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for having the courage to make the call. Southampton's plan came with risk attached. Hassenhuttl knew that but was prepared to roll his dice anyway. It worked for a while in the opening half hour but then United broke to score twice. This United team really can hurt you on the counter and Southampton came to know that soon enough. But first to the opening goal. Southampton had dominated the opening minutes and though their goalkeeper Alex McCarthy had to save them when James Ward-Prowse slipped to let Martial run clear, they deserved to score in the 12th minute. Stuart Armstrong gave Southampton a shock lead with a composed finish at the back post The Saints midfielder celebrates his early goal for the visitors with forward Danny Ings Paul Pogba was arguably at fault for the Southampton goal after giving the ball away cheaply Danny Ings caught Pogba dawdling in centre field and stole the ball to feed Nathan Redmond on the left side. Redmond's chipped cross to the far post found Stuart Armstrong unmarked and just a minute after seeing a shot saved by David de Gea the 28-year-old was able to pull the ball down and score on the half volley. It was a goal that typified the way the game had gone. Southampton full of running and United made to feel uncomfortable. Minutes later Armstrong played Redmond to the byline on the other flank and Victor Lindelof had to clear the cross. Then Pogba was hustled again this time by Che Adams only for the through pass to Ings to be over hit. United were treading water at this stage but they recovered to score twice in three minutes just before the first water break. Rashford's low finish evaded goalkeeper McCarthy in the 20th minute of the game for 1-1 Martial cut inside from the left before powering a shot beyond keeper McCarthy for 2-1 Martial celebrates his first-half strike which turned the match on its head in no time at all Martial did well to feed Rashford on the left in the 20th minute and the shot was struck powerfully enough to penetrate McCarthy's attempted parry. Southampton right back Kyle Walker-Peters had allowed himself to be sucked towards the ball on that occasion and paid quite a price. Minutes later he was undone again, this time by Martial who cut inside him to drive high in to the goal with his left foot. That really was a superb goal. Southampton's Oriol Romeu may have been sent off for a late challenge on Mason Greenwood and it was hard to understand why VAR didn't intervene. But thankfully that wasn't a talking point for long as the second half was just as engaging as the first. Southampton's Oriol Romeu escaped a red card after a late challenge on Mason Greenwood Bertrand's block from Rashford on the six-yard line was extraordinary as was De Gea's save from Redmond's rising shot with four minutes of normal time left. That seemed to have secured United a narrow win and their place in the Champions League positions. But Hassenhuttl had been brave enough to send Obafemi on in the 86th minute and that decision ultimately gave the Southampton manager the goal and the result they merited. Both teams held a minute's silence before kick-off in memory of the late Jack Charlton A 'monster' star 2.5 million times brighter than the sun disappeared without a trace in 2019, according to scientists. A new study published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society has revealed that a team of astrophysicists have tried to find the reason behind the disappearance of the star through several possible explanations. The researchers wrote that out of all explanation the one which stands out was: the giant star died and collapsed into a black hole without undergoing a supernova explosion first. "We may have detected one of the most massive stars of the local universe going gently into the night," Jose Groh, an astronomer at Trinity College Dublin and a co-author of a new paper on the star, said in a statement. "If true, this would be the first direct detection of such a monster star ending its life in this manner," study lead-author Andrew Allan, also of Trinity College, said in the statement. The star was located about 75 million light-years away in the constellation Aquarius and was studied extensively by astronomers between 2001 and 2011. Experts maintain that the stars like those were rare, with only a handful confirmed in the universe so far. In 2019, Allan and colleagues wanted to use the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope to learn about the evolution of this star but they were surprised to find that the star had disappeared from its host galaxy. Allan and his colleagues also found out that the missing LBV left no such radiation while disappearing. New Delhi, July 13 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday interacted with Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai on a wide range of subjects, especially on leveraging the power of technology to "transform the lives of India's farmers, youngsters and entrepreneurs" In the virtual meeting, the Prime Minister also discussed with Pichai the new work culture that is emerging during the Covid-19 crisis. Stressing that Indians are adjusting to and adopting technology at a rapid pace, Modi spoke about farmers benefiting from technology and the possible wide-ranging benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture. He also explored the idea of virtual labs that can be used by students as well as farmers. "This morning, (I) had an extremely fruitful interaction with Sundar Pichai. We spoke on a wide range of subjects, particularly leveraging the power of technology to transform the lives of India's farmers, youngsters and entrepreneurs," Modi said in a series of tweets. The Prime Minister said he was delighted to know more about the efforts of Google in several sectors, be it in education, learning, digital India, furthering digital payments and more. During the interaction, Modi said that he and Pichai also exchanged views about the new work culture that is emerging in the times of Covid-19 and also discussed the challenges the global pandemic has brought to areas such as sports. "We also talked about the importance of data security and cyber safety." The Prime Minister's interaction with Pichai is significant as it comes at a time when India is trying to make a big push to attract foreign investments. Pichai also apprised the Prime Minister about the efforts undertaken by Google to help spread awareness and provide reliable information about Covid-19. He said that the strong step of lockdown initiated by the Prime Minister set up a very strong foundation of India's battle against the pandemic. Modi appreciated the proactive role played by Google in battling misinformation and conveying information about necessary precautions. He also stressed on further leveraging technology in providing healthcare services. Pichai also briefed the PM about new products and initiatives by Google in the country and mentioned about the launch of AI Research Lab in Bengaluru, while also highlighting the benefits of Google's flood forecasting efforts. As he was informed about Google's plan to launch a large investment fund and develop strategic partnerships in India, Modi noted that India is amongst the most open economies in the world and cited the recent steps taken by the government towards reforming agriculture and about the campaign to create new jobs, while also highlighting the importance of re-skilling. On the issues of data security and privacy, the Prime Minister said that tech companies need to put in efforts to bridge the trust deficit and also talked about cyber crimes and threats in the form of cyber attacks. Other areas of discussion included technological solutions to expand the scope of online education, access to technology in native language, use of AR/VR (augmented reality and virtual reality) to give a stadium-like viewing experience in the field of sports, and progress in digital payments. YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenias foreign ministry is in constant contact with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries and the CSTO member states following the military operations unleashed by Azerbaijan on the border with Armenia on July 12, FM Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said during the extraordinary session of the Cabinet today. Starting from yesterday we are in constant contact with the OSCE MG Co-Chair countries, the personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. In terms of exchange and coordination of information that work is continuous and now as well continues. In line with this, we are also in touch with the CSTO Secretary General and the CSTO member states, this work also continues and of course our work with all our partners in this respect continues and is ongoing, the minister said, adding that the ministry is transparently informing about the course and all developments that are taking place in this direction. On July 12, at about 12:30, the armed forces of Azerbaijan attempted to violate the state border of Armenia in an UAZ vehicle in the direction of Tavush province. Following the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani armed forces left the vehicle and returned to their position. At about 13:45, the Azerbaijani forces made a second attempt to capture the Armenian border post, using artillery fire, but were pushed back, suffering losses. The Azerbaijani defense ministry reported that four soldiers have died in the incident. Later that day Armenian defense ministers spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side restarted shelling the same Armenian position, using 82 mm mortars and a tank. Today Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side has again resumed shelling the Armenian positions. No casualties were reported from the Armenian side. Only two police officers, who were on a combat duty in the border, were slightly injured from the Azerbaijani operations. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan I think people are, at this point, used to it enough to where they dont themselves want to be closer to strangers than what they feel safe with, Volpe said. I think people are kind of doing it on their own and obviously, some people, even though they would have been outside, would have worn masks, because that would have made them feel even safer yet. 3 1 of 3 Bexar County Sheriff's Office Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Google Maps Show More Show Less 3 of 3 San Antonio police needed the help of SWAT to arrest a 22-year-old man accused of shooting "indiscriminately" inside an apartment complex Sunday on the Southwest Side. When police arrived at the Rio Springs apartments in the 2800 block of Hutchins Place just after noon, the shooting suspect, later identified as Adrian Mann, ran into an apartment. Granada vs Real Madrid: A worrying visit to Los Carmenes Real Madrid - La Liga Won't be easy in Andalusia Real Madrid will have to overcome European hopefuls Granada if they are to step closer to the LaLiga Santander title this Monday evening at Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes. Zinedine Zidane's side know that they need just five more points to clinch the crown, and a win in Andalusia could allow them to be named champions against Villarreal on Thursday. But Granada will put it up to Madrid, as they have to everyone this season. They've been performing above all expectations so far in 2019/20, and what had seemed impossible for them - qualifying for Europe - is now very much their ambition. Despite having one of the smallest budgets in Spain's top flight, they've beaten Barcelona this term and have taken points from Atletico Madrid and Valencia as well. Zidane knows that Los Blancos will have to be at their very best to overcome a disciplined, well-drilled side, and they'll meet a team capable of denting their title hopes. (CNN) - Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said Monday There will be no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future." Speaking at a media briefing in Geneva, he added, But there is a roadmap to a situation where we can control the disease and get on with our lives. We need to reach a sustainable situation where we do have adequate control of this virus without shutting down our lives entirely or lurching from lockdown to lockdown, he said. In order to get to this place, Tedros said that three things would be required. These are a focus on reducing mortality and suppressing transmission; an empowered, engaged community that takes individual measures to protect the whole community; and strong government leadership and communication. It can be done. It must be done, Tedros said. Tedros said that there are no shortcuts out of this pandemic, and that while we hope for an effective vaccine, there must be a focus on using the tools that are available now to suppress transmission and save lives. This story was first published on CNN.com, ""There will be no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future," WHO director-general says" Interest in traveling has fallen as the U.S. experiences a surge in coronavirus cases, Trivago CEO Axel Hefer told CNBC on Monday. "The demand has not held up," Hefer said on "Squawk on the Street." "With a significant deterioration of the health situation, you see a significant drop in travel activity." Hefer stressed that the relationship between travel and health "goes both ways." "You can clearly see that when there is a significant improvement in the health situation, and also clear communication from the government that it is safe to travel, that there is an increase in demand," he said. The coronavirus pandemic has had wide-ranging economic impacts, but the travel sector has been one of the hardest hit. Using TSA checkpoint data to illustrate, more than 2.2 million people went through security on March 1. But by mid-April, as the pandemic worsened, the daily numbers were routinely under 100,000. But as government restrictions on businesses eased and stay-at-home orders were lifted, TSA checkpoint data steadily climbed back up. On Sunday, 754,545 people went through security. Trivago, a platform to search for and book hotels, saw that recovery, too. In April, people in the U.S. searching for domestic locations fell to just 11% of pre-pandemic January levels, according to a recent data release from the company. By mid-June, that number had reached 39% of January levels. It's fallen back to below 30% in July as new Covid-19 cases and related hospitalizations increase, particularly in Southern and Western states. "We think that it will be a bumpy ride for the months to come, in an up and down," Hefer said of travel demand. The top domestic travel destinations on Trivago's website have generally remained steady throughout the pandemic and include Florida, California and Texas three states that have seen in recent weeks a worsening of their Covid-19 outbreak. Nevada is No. 4, while South Carolina replaced New York state in the fifth spot, according to Trivago's data. "Since mid of June, the willingness to travel and the perceived safety of travel has come down, first in the affected states and very recently also very broadly," Hefer said. "But still, Florida is still No. 1 destination." People traveling within their home state has gained popularity as a result of the coronavirus crisis, Hefer said. In the U.S., as well as globally, Hefer said Trivago has seen "the return of the road trip." "People want to control their transportation and go to their location and come back fully independently," he said. Hefer said Trivago, which is based in Germany, has started to run advertisements for its platform, but more so in Europe where the Covid-19 outbreak is "more stable and overall there is more travel that has returned." Travel, predominantly road trips, has picked up across the European continent and more recently in the United Kingdom, he said. "In the U.S. we've also run some very few tests, but broadly speaking, we feel only comfortable to advertise significantly for traveling when we feel that it is safe and very stable," he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam Mon, July 13, 2020 18:44 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665fb56d 1 World abuse,fishing-boat,Riau-Islands,Riau-Islands-Police,death,Chinese-fishing-vessel,human-trafficking Free Riau Islands Police have arrested a supervisor of a Chinese fishing vessel in connection with the death of an Indonesian crew member. Riau Islands Police general crimes director Sr. Comr. Arie Darmanto said that the supervisor, a 50-year-old Chinese national named Song Chuan Yun, was suspected of physically abusing Indonesian crew member Hasan Apriadi, who was found dead aboard the Chinese fishing vessel Lu Huang Yuan Yu 117 last week. The suspect and the evidence have been secured at the Riau Islands Police general crimes division headquarters for further investigation, Arie told The Jakarta Post on Monday. A joint task force arrested the vessels Lu Huang Yuan Yu 117 and Lu Huang Yuan Yu 118 off the coast of Riau Islands last week, following a report of the death of an Indonesian crew member aboard one of the ships. Read also: Indonesia reiterates concern about alleged mistreatment of crewmen on Chinese vessels Hasans body was found in the freezer of the Lu Huang Yuan Yu 117. He is believed to have been a victim of human trafficking. Tanjung Pinang Naval Base commander Cdre. Indarto Budiaro said there were strong signs that both vessels were involved in human trafficking, money laundering and physical abuse. In May, a video on Facebook appeared to show a group of sailors on another Chinese vessel, the Lu Qing Yuan Yu 623, throwing the body of an Indonesian sailor into the sea. Prior to that, there was public outrage at the death of four Indonesian sailors registered to another Chinese fishing ship. The NGO Destructive Fishing Watch has alleged that 30 Indonesian crewmen have been subject of exploitation aboard Chinese fishing vessels between November 2019 and June this year, including seven who have died and three who are missing. (kmt) An author has shared his childhood memories of Ghislaine Maxwell, recalling how she was a 'beautiful' yet 'threatening figure' even as a young girl. Historian and newspaper columnist Ben Macintyre, 56, described Maxwell, 58, as 'an unlikely figure of glamour among the dons' daughters' who attended the prestigious Oxford High School, where she was an exact contemporary of his older sister. 'Ghislaine was envied, admired, teased for her money, and mocked for her slow reading,' he continued in an article for digital weekly publication Air Mail ahead of her court appearance in New York tomorrow. 'But she was more than capable of bullying, perhaps inspired by her father.' An author has shared his childhood memories of Ghislaine Maxwell, recalling how she was a 'beautiful' yet 'threatening figure' even as a young girl. Pictured, Robert Maxwell pictured with his wife Betty (sat with youngest daughter Ghislaine on her knee) and seven of their eight children at home in Headington Hill Hall, Oxford. Seated with their mother: Philip and Anne; pictured standing with their father (l-r): Ian, Isabel, Kevin and Christine Historian and newspaper columnist Ben Macintyre, 56, right, described Ghislaine Maxwell, 58, left, as 'an unlikely figure of glamour among the dons' daughters' who attended the prestigious Oxford High School, where she was an exact contemporary of his older sister Macintyre told how Robert Maxwell, the late newspaper tycoon, would invite school friends to the family's home of Headington Hill Hall, the 'Versailles on the hill above Oxford', where he would make them take part in reading competitions with his daughter. 'However good the other girls were, he declared Ghislaine the winner every time,' Macintyre wrote. School friends, including Macintyre's sister, would also attend birthday parties at the 53-room mansion, where they would leave 'laden' with expensive gifts. Maxwell will make global headlines on Tuesday when she appears in court via remote link from her New York jail cell. Macintyre told how Robert Maxwell, the late newspaper tycoon, would invite school friends to the family's home of Headington Hill Hall, pictured in stock image, the 'Versailles on the hill above Oxford', where he would make them take part in reading competitions with his daughter She will be formally charged with sex offences between 1994 and 1997 and will plead not guilty to them all. Her lawyers will argue for her release from the high-security Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on 4 million bail, arguing that her life is in danger from coronavirus and multiple and credible death threats. Maxwell is scheduled to appear before a judge in New York on Tuesday to be formally charged with procuring girls as young as 14 for Jeffrey Epstein the serial paedophile and her former boyfriend Maxwell, who is a long-time friend of Prince Andrew and who saw him most recently in 2019, was arrested at her 800,000 New Hampshire hideaway on July 2. Prosecutor Audrey Strauss condemned her as playing a critical role in finding and grooming victims, while scores of Epsteins victims claim that she acted as his madam, often driving from his 20 million mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, to nearby trailer parks to procure vulnerable young girls for the paedophile. Maxwell insists that her romance with Epstein ended in 2001 and that she did not see him in person after 2005 when she was photographed with him at a party. At the time, she was dating billionaire Gateway computer founder Ted Waitt. Maxwell also denies that she introduced her close friend Prince Andrew to Epstein, something her friends say has been written in stone but is plain wrong. Burke County reported 33 new cases of COVID-19 since Saturday, drawing the countys total since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,232 cases. But of those 1,232 cases, 966 people have recovered, according to the county health departments Monday media briefing. Thats 78 percent of the total COVID-19 cases in Burke County. Information posted on the North Carolina Department of Public Safety website said that 32 offenders at Foothills Correctional Institute have been tested for COVID-19. Thirteen people tested positive for the virus, while 19 tested negative. At the Burke Confinement in Response to Violation facility, all 75 of the offenders who were tested for COVID-19 tested negative, the NCDPS website said. Cases across the state also were on the rise Monday. The statewide total number of COVID-19 cases grew to 87,528 Monday, with 1,510 people dead and 1,040 people in the hospital, according to the states daily COVID-19 update. In the county, there have been 91 hospitalizations with eight people currently hospitalized, according to the countys COVID-19 dashboard. The county has reported 21 deaths associated with the novel coronavirus. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has called a meeting of Congress legislators on Monday morning after a few leaders supporting deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot trooped to the National Capital Region (NCR) amidst speculations of a split in the party. Sachin Pilot has said he will not attend the meeting of the Congress Legislature Party at the chief ministers residence on Monday at 10:30am. Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande said late on Sunday that the party has issued a whip to mandate the presence of all the partys MLAs during Monday morning meeting. Strict disciplinary action will be taken against any MLA who is absent without mentioning personal/special reason, Pande said. Pande once again blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the political crisis in the state. Congress is strongly working together. The BJP is deliberately diverting the present situation. This conspiracy has been hatched by the BJP, he said. Mondays meeting will be the latest in the series of talks the Congress party has been holding amid the political crisis in Rajasthan. On Sunday night, Ashok Gehlot discussed the situation with the partys legislators and those of other parties supporting the Congress. Around 75 MLAs, including ministers, were present in the meeting held at Gehlots residence. Senior leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Ajay Maken, sent by the central leadership to resolve the crisis, also attended the meeting late on Sunday after which the party decided to issue the whip. Avinash Pandey, who was also present in the meeting, said that 109 MLAs have signed their letters of support related to chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Hundred and nine MLAs have signed a letter expressing their trust and support to the chief minister Ashok Gehlot-led government and the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Few more MLAs had a telephonic conversation with the chief minister and they will also sign the letter of support till morning, he said during a press conference. Pilots camp said in a late-night statement released on WhatsApp that the deputy chief minister has the backing of about 30 legislators in the 200-member assembly. The Ashok Gehlot government is in minority after over 30 Congress and some independent MLAs have pledged their support to Sachin Pilot, said the statement released by Pilots media office. The Congress has 107 MLAs and has support the of another 18, taking its tally to 125 in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly. The BJP has 72 legislators and is supported by three MLAs of Hanuman Beniwals Rashtriya Loktantrik Party. The ongoing crisis erupted after Sachin Pilot received a notice from the special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan police to record his statement regarding the alleged attempt to topple the Congress government in the state. The Congress said a similar notice was sent to Gehlot as well but leaders close to Pilot called it a joke since the chief minister is also in charge of the home department that oversees the police force. Pilots camp said the July 10 notice is yet another move to humiliate the deputy chief minister and undermine his authority. Before that, Gehlot had alleged on Saturday that the BJP is trying to topple his government, a charge vehemently denied by the opposition party. ALBANY Albany County officials once again sounded the alarm Monday about out-of-state travel as Capital Region health officials continue to trace recent coronavirus clusters to travelers who failed to follow the states 14-day quarantine policy. Those local warnings came the same day Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced his administration would issue an emergency order designed to compel air travelers to comply with the policy. Anyone who flies in from one of the 19 hot-spot states on New York's travel advisory list must fill out a form with the location they are planning to return to in New York before they leave the airport, or else face a summons and $2,000 fine, Cuomo said. The Times Union has reported that many travelers are bypassing the forms, completion of which to this point has been voluntary. Unfortunately, were seeing a bit of an uptick in the Capital Region, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said in a Monday briefing. A report from the governor yesterday found we had the highest percentage of positives in the state at 2 percent so we spent our weekend looking at the numbers and going through the data, because this is stuff that we watch for. With 10 new cases recorded in the county Monday, the county's five-day average of new daily cases is now 10.4 up from 8.8 on Sunday and 6.8 on Saturday. Across the eight-county Capital Region, 54 new cases were recorded Monday the highest one-day total this month. A number of factors are fueling the cases, local officials say. Of the 25 new cases in Albany County over the weekend, for example, three were directly related to travel and several others were believed to be locally acquired from out-of-county contacts who had traveled to hotspot states, said Cameron Sagan, a spokesperson in McCoys office. Montgomery County also saw its largest spike in cases 21 which officials there say is potentially related to travel from hotspot states, and Warren County also reported a new case Monday in a person who traveled to one of those states. At least eight of Albany Countys recent cases were connected to three local nursing homes, including one in Rensselaer County. Eight were among residents between the ages of 20 and 29. And one was in a resident between the age of 10 and 19. McCoy and county Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen have expressed concern for months now about the 20-29 age group, who represent the most confirmed cases in the county. But on Monday, the officials said theyre also starting to notice a steady climb in cases among 10- to 19-year-olds, and urged parents to remember their children can be vectors of transmission to older, higher-risk individuals. Please, moms and dads: Make sure your kids wear masks, especially when theyre playing with other kids and with groups of kids, McCoy said. I know its hard, I really do. And I know your kids arent going to show any signs or symptoms. But its for your safety, and its for your parents safety, and its for the senior next doors safety. Its for anyone with underlying health issues. Out-of-state travel remains a top concern for local officials. Last week, officials reported the return of travelers to the area who had traveled to Atlanta for a Fourth of July party. Many of the partygoers were not wearing masks or socially distancing, McCoy said Monday. In addition, he said, the region is now starting to see the return of snowbirds who spend their winters in Florida and other sunny states, and return upstate when the weather turns. The travel concern is very real, Whalen said. While Cuomo has mandated that all travelers returning to New York from hotspot states quarantine for 14 days, not everyone is following that regulation, she said. We have seen cases that have come through our airport where people were fine and then tested positive within a couple days, Whalen said. So if you are coming back, please consider testing but definitely stay home for your quarantine period. Because we know that the prevalence of COVID in many of the states of concern is on an order that we havent seen here, and we dont want to see it here. And we could if were not mindful and if were not careful. McCoy noted that the county health department has some assistance in contact tracing when its able to track down the manifest from flights that carried infected travelers. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. But air travel is just one way people return to the area, he said. People can fly in and take the train in, he said. These are things we have to look at. Were asking for you to be a partner in this, and the only way were going to get through this is by doing the right thing. If you want to go and risk yourself in (going) to one of these 19 states for whatever the reason may be and come back, then just do the right thing and isolate for 14 days. Montgomery County spike Montgomery County, whose cases dont count toward the Capital Regions reopening metrics but which many consider part of the region anyway, also sounded the alarm Monday about its largest weekly increase in cases since the pandemic first hit the area. County Executive Matt Ossenfort reported Monday that the county saw a 21-case increase over the week for 132 overall. The countys Public Health department said the county is working with the state to help track and identify a number of potential travel-related exposures. It was brought to the attention of our department that as of June 25, 2020 approximately 25 passengers that traveled from identified states on the travel ban list entered Montgomery County and attended a number of events across the county, the department said. These events include, but are not limited to: funeral related services, family gatherings, graduation celebrations, vacations and work-related business, it said. Ossenfort called the spike alarming and said it should serve as a wake-up call to the community. He urged people to keep their distance from others and to wear masks while in groups. Now is not the time to become complacent, he said. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] Wizz Air to resume Ukraine-UAE flights after five-year break 13:15, 13.07.20 1356 A single ticket for October is priced starting from US$33-$55. YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenian foreign minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan had a telephone conversation today with foreign minister of Russia Sergei Lavrov, the Armenian MFA told Armenpress. The ministers discussed the current tense situation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the ways to overcome it. They also discussed issues relating to the regional stability and security. The Armenian FM considered the ceasefire violation by Azerbaijan absolutely unacceptable, which has been accompanied by an encroachment attempt towards the military position of the Armenian Armed Forces. On July 12, at about 12:30, the armed forces of Azerbaijan attempted to violate the state border of Armenia in an UAZ vehicle in the direction of Tavush province. Following the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani armed forces left the vehicle and returned to their position. At about 13:45, the Azerbaijani forces made a second attempt to capture the Armenian border post, using artillery fire, but were pushed back, suffering losses. The Azerbaijani defense ministry reported that four soldiers have died in the incident. Later that day Armenian defense ministers spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side restarted shelling the same Armenian position, using 82 mm mortars and a tank. On July 13 Shushan Stepanyan announced that the Azerbaijani side has again resumed shelling the Armenian positions. No casualties were reported from the Armenian side. Only two police officers, who were on a combat duty in the border, were slightly injured from the Azerbaijani operations. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan China expected to be only major economy that could see growth this year Chinas economy will return to its pre-epidemic level in the third quarter of 2020 following a consumption recovery and when economic stimulus measures start to produce effects, analysts predicted. Photo/Xinhua A previous World Economic Outlook (WEO) forecast by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected that China is expected to be the only major economy that could see growth this year. Statistics by the National Bureau of Statistics of China indicated that Chinas consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.5 percent year on year in June. In addition, the yuan had strengthened past 7 to the dollar on July 9. The Asian giant (China), felled by Covid just months ago, appears to have pulled off a remarkable turnaround and may be set to drive another economic cycle, according to a report by Bloomberg. China was basically the first major economy to reopen and bring the COVID-19 epidemic under control, when major world economies were struggling amid the outbreak, according to an official with Deutsche Bank Wealth Management. Looking forward, it is believed that with the recovery of consumption and domestic economic stimulus measures, China's economic growth may gradually recover in the third and fourth quarters, and return to pre-crisis levels by the end of the third quarter. Chinas moderate growth in 2020 and a strong recovery in 2021 are expected to be better than other economies, said the official. The Chinese government has recently rolled out a slew of measures to attract foreign investment and promote market growth. Because of the stimulus measures, some industries showed signs of recovery in April, said the Deutsche Bank Wealth Management official. L'Oreal China President and CEO Fabrice Megarbane said the Double Five Shopping Festival launched by the Shanghai government has effectively boosted consumption confidence and brought about tangible benefits to enterprises and consumers. Mauro De Felip, general manager of Ferrero China, said the COVID-19 outbreak has forced the relationship between products and consumers and the supply-demand relationship to enter a new phase of development. Ferrero maintains firm confidence in China's consumer market prospects. The company has seen the strong resilience and unlimited potential of the Chinese economy, Mauro De Felip said. Researchers from ITMO University have improved on the technique of local processing of composites based on nanoporous glass with addition of silver and copper; now, it is possible to predict with high accuracy the optical properties of a plasmonic compone Research laboratories are constantly developing new materials that are expected to exhibit novel properties bound to revolutionize this or that technology. But it's not enough to simply create these materials; scientists also need to find efficient methods of processing and fine-tuning them. Moreover, composites are often made via the addition of nanoparticles into a base matrix, which is why it is necessary to find a way of manipulating the location, size, and concentration rate of these particles that would exclude even the smallest deviations that are invisible to the human eye. Researchers from ITMO University have improved on the technique of local processing of composites based on nanoporous glass with addition of silver and copper. Now, it is possible to predict with high accuracy the optical properties of a plasmonic component during its treatment. This research was published in Nanomaterials. For millennia, humanity had to adapt to the materials it had at its disposal: metals, wood, stone, minerals, etc. Today, humans have learned to adapt the materials they have to their own needs, creating composite materials out of several components. These materials have new properties and open up new opportunities. They have great potential for use in optical devices such as lasers, lidars, sensors, lenses, wave guides, and other devices that process light signals. In particular, researchers have great hopes for glass enhanced with metal nanoparticles. "Such materials can be used as optical filters," explains Pavel Varlamov, a research engineer at the Faculty of Laser Photonics and Optoelectronics. "White light, as we know, consists of a large number of wavelengths and you might need to, for example, highlight or exclude a certain spectrum band, like blue or yellow. That's what optical filters are for, and they can be used in lasers, refractors, lenses, or wave guides." Depending on which metal's ions are added into glass, the resulting composite can be used to manipulate various parts of the spectrum. For instance, if you were to add nanoparticles of silver and copper into glass, it would absorb radiation in the blue-green band. But adding silver and copper nanoparticles into regular glass, such as the kind used to make windows or kitchenware, would be a complex and expensive process involving numerous chemical reactions. That's why scientists prefer to use special nanoporous glass for these purposes. Once nanoparticles have been "fitted" into the pores, the material is altered with laser radiation in order to enhance it with new optical properties that make it possible, for instance, to accurately control the light spectrum by transmitting or absorbing light beams of a specific band. But there is an issue: during the treatment intended to "glue together" the components of a new material, metal nanoparticles change their shape and even their chemical make-up. Throughout the process, material changes the way it interacts with laser radiation; essentially, it begins to better absorb radiation within a specific band of the spectrum. This presents several challenges for the treatment process. A laser cannot be simply tuned to specific values and then used to treat the material from start to end; it must be continuously adjusted to the changes that occur within the material. "The method we've suggested makes it possible to create voluminous micro-scale elements with a plasmonic resonance peak that can be controlled in real time," says Roman Zakoldaev, a researcher at the Faculty of Laser Photonics and Optoelectronics. "The method aims to optimize the parameters of laser altering via feedback." In order to adjust the laser's performance throughout the treatment, scientists need to instantly conduct complex calculations of changes that have already occurred and the changes that would need to be made to the laser's settings. For that, they need a flexible physico-mathematical model; such a model has become the basis of an algorithm designed to manage the processing of these materials. The researchers from ITMO University have suggested a mathematical model that would take into account the strength of the radiation and the changes it causes in the material. This allows the researchers to produce materials with the exact optical properties that were initially factored into calculations. "We were able to propose a calculation algorithm that presents the electronic structure, size, and concentration of nanoparticles with the optical properties of material as one effective environment (?)," says Maksim Sergeev. "Using the algorithm together with a model of diffusion-controlled growth of particles has made it possible for us to trace the optical changes in laser treatment in real time." The suggested method would make the creation of unique optical plasmonic components cheap and easy to handle, opening up new opportunities for their integration into industrial production. ### The research project was carried out as part of a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 19-79-10208). The Himachal Pradesh Congress on Monday staged a protest against the state governments decision to reopen borders during Unlock 2.0, outside the secretariat here. The party demanded a rollback of the state governments decision. Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Kuldeep Rathore said the borders should not be reopened until the government develops a basic framework of testing people for Covid-19 at the states borders. Rathore said the party is not against reviving tourism and other sectors but there is a need to remain vigilant at present. Even hoteliers and other businessmen are not in favour of this decision and the state government should reconsider it, he said. He said the Congress will not let the state government turn Himachal into a Covid-19 destination. There was a time when Himachal did not had a single coronavirus case but now the number of infections has reached around 1,150 and nine people have lost their lives. It is because people coming from other states were not tested properly, Rathore said. The Congress also submitted a memorandum to chief minister Jai Ram Thakur through Shimla deputy commissioner Amit Kashyap. In the memorandum, the Congress demanded that the state government should take back the proposal of hiking bus fare by 25%, abolish anti-employee and anti-pension decisions, reel back Dearness Allowance (DA) of all employees, reduce diesel and petrol prices, include Above Poverty Line (APL) families who were struck off from ration subsidy, increase provident fund of employees which was earlier reduced and provide financial relief to youth who have been unemployed for the last four months. Im half annoyed and side-eying rich famous people who have the freedom and money to fly to another country in a middle of a pandemic and half jealous because ugh I want to do that, like stay in another country at an airbnb for a few months as I cant take staying in my house and working from home any longer :/ I do have so much annual leave but its so depressing to take annual leave and just...stay at home. So fed up. Anyway Monday rant over. Edited at 2020-07-13 12:18 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link It's cheap to fly to Spain - all the resorts are going to be full of Brits now the requirement to quarantine after coming back has been lifted. Reply Parent Thread Link 1) Four remains their magnum opus 2) Does Syco have any acts left at this point? 3) OP you better stan Girls_Aloud_-_Whole_Lotta_History.mp3 (inc Nicola's iconic Hello, did you call me?)!! Reply Thread Link 1) Absolutely not, when MITAM is right there 2) I think Camilla is still on their label (possibly has an album left ?) and Susan Boyle and James Arthur, but that's pretty much it. 3) I was never a fan :( Reply Parent Thread Link It's never too late to stan Girls Aloud or Nicola Roberts (maybe a couple of Cheryl Cole songs) Reply Parent Thread Link The production on Four is amazing. The lyrics for Steal My Girl sucked but the production on that song is so great. There are loads of great songs on there but I think Clouds is a really underrated one. Reply Parent Thread Link Four is their best, it has the best ballads, for sure. Speaking of pop though, it's Take Me Home. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link is Prettymuch under Syco? they dont even seem to be very well supported Reply Parent Thread Expand Link four is most definitely their magnum opus Reply Parent Thread Link As someone who was never a 1d fan and listened to their music after becoming a Harry fan Four is the album I like the most songs off. Havent heard all songs though. Reply Parent Thread Link agreed about four. i listened to made in the am like 3 years after it was released and was amazed at how much it was not recorded even kind of in the same vacinity and therefore doesn't have the "features of a 1d track like gang vocal (also he fact there are songs quite a few songs where louis is just left off the mix and jamie, julian and john are super high on the mixa) Reply Parent Thread Link I wish I was Jared, 19. Reply Parent Thread Link I can't even with the people flying abroad right now, just because it's allowed doesn't make it okay! Reply Thread Link Niall sounds like the guy from normal people lmao Reply Thread Link but with a very pitchy nasal voice. Reply Parent Thread Link you think Liam is involved in his son's life? Reply Thread Link he celebrated his third birthday on instagram in march: "Happy birthday little man! 3 already I can't believe it. It's amazing watching you grow and you surprise me constantly, it really seems like yesterday I was holding you for the first time, thank you for bringing life and joy to my world I hope I can do the same." and i think that's the last he mentioned him. i can't believe he's three already omg. Reply Parent Thread Link not to be a bitch, but I don't get people who do this lmao. like, is the 3-year-old checking your insta to read your birthday message? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Nah, he basically seems like the fun parent absentee dad stereotype Reply Parent Thread Link bear has a geordie accent, i think that is all the evidence needed. but also, when liam and niall did an ig live, he did have toys scattered around his house suitable for a three year old. Edited at 2020-07-13 08:50 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Harry, enough with the Treat People with Kindness! I'm a bad person, I hate that saying and Niall proving that rich people don't care. Fans need to stop with the: oh it is allowed. he doesn't give a shit and he doesn't need you defending him. Liam: hahahahahahhahaahhaha I'm not into Louis music (and voice) but good luck. and isn't Zayn about to be a dad???? let him take care of that. Love to you too, Zayn. Reply Thread Link yeah! Zayn will be a father Reply Parent Thread Link Harry, enough with the Treat People with Kindness! I'm a bad person, I hate that saying just like 98% of his stans but that doesn't stop them Reply Parent Thread Link We all hate it. He gives zero fucks and will continue to use it lol Reply Parent Thread Link they are all flops every single one of them. Reply Thread Link if harry continues to flop like this until the end of his career, i'll be super happy as a stan tbh. Reply Parent Thread Link I wasn't even a big 1D fan but I really have grown to like Harry, he's been rly smart with how he's moved post 1D. I like his latest album too. Reply Parent Thread Link Harry's doing really well though. I'm honestly surprised he managed to make a comeback that strong after his dad rock debut album kinda flopped. I hear Watermelon Sugar everywhere. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Lets not talk about corona. I dont want my album to be associated with that haahahah Niall Horan (@NiallOfficial) March 12, 2020 Lime: Charging for LiveStreams? Just... Ratatouille: Horatio: No comment out of respect for OP. Zen: Happy belated Fathers Day! Retired and living his best life on the farm. Thanks for the 2 albums. Dont @ me. Niall:Lime:Charging for LiveStreams? Just...Ratatouille:Horatio:No comment out of respect for OP.Zen:Happy belated Fathers Day!Retired and living his best life on the farm.Thanks for the 2 albums.Dont @ me. Reply Thread Link you kill me lmao Reply Parent Thread Link LMFAO that OnlyFans thing hahah we need a gif like the one when Taylor Swift is typing and it's commenting in one of the posts of shailene woodley lmfao. Reply Parent Thread Link Liam's 'livestream concert' (surejan.gif) literally sounds like he's going to get r**** on the camera for the first time. What is that wording and WHAT is that banner ?! At least photoshop him looking less rough. I honestly think Zayn is living his best life too. I follow Bella and Gigi, and their wholesome farm content makes me sigh with jealousy lol. I hope he's doing good. OH and: i wish i could save comments lmaooo. ngl I was a bit inspired by your post, so I tried to format it somewhat nicer, but then I realized it was a lost cause.Liam's 'livestream concert' (surejan.gif) literally sounds like he's going to get r**** on the camera for the first time. What is that wording and WHAT is that banner ?! At least photoshop him looking less rough.I honestly think Zayn is living his best life too. I follow Bella and Gigi, and their wholesome farm content makes me sigh with jealousy lol. I hope he's doing good.OH and: Reply Parent Thread Link Without you and Hotties_chicken this site would be nothing tbh Reply Parent Thread Link Zayn lives my ideal life. On a farm surrounded by horses and goats and fresh vegetables/fruit while the others are desperate uglies. Reply Parent Thread Link CANNOT believe that corona tweet is STILL up Reply Parent Thread Link So happy for Zayn. He got to live his life on his own terms, release his own music and find his happiness. And no longer having to deal with all the constant hate towards him. You love to see it. Bless! Reply Parent Thread Link LMFAO Reply Parent Thread Link If Liam gets an OnlyFans account, I'm gonna die. LOL!!! I want to be rich, do nothing but what I want to, and play with horses like Zayn. I'm jealous af! Reply Parent Thread Link Harry is so uninteresting and basic imo. I dont get it Reply Thread Link I was listening to Girls Aloud the other day. Whew, they held on for a long ass time but in Satans year of 2020 I gotta say their music finally sounds aged. Reply Thread Link This is a blasphemous comment but the studio versions of Love Machine has not hung in there very well. I always preferred their later concert versions Reply Parent Thread Link You okay sis? Were you listening to the Sound of the Underground album? Reply Parent Thread Link I was listening to a lot of stuff okay lmao. Like The Promise came on. Its a bop still but oof. Even Something New sounds not great anymore. Reply Parent Thread Link I've actually been listening to "dated" pop from the 00s lately. I feel it was a simpler time and allows me a moment to escape. Girls Aloud is actually in my current playlist. lol Reply Parent Thread Link i want online performances from my faves so i can't hate on bear senior for that. lol at everything about lewis, he should just retire. wonder what new theory will larries will come up with. Reply Thread Link Bear senior lmao Reply Parent Thread Link that liam tiktok is painful to watch Reply Thread Link also not it being x3 more liked than his Concert sdkfjgh Hows it going? https://t.co/Q6OQb1O5cR pic.twitter.com/eavdbXJNZw Liam (@LiamPayne) July 1, 2020 it's genuinely embarrassingalso not it being x3 more liked than his Concert sdkfjgh Reply Parent Thread Link nnnn i just watched this. how EMBARRASSING for lime. he put time and effort into making this. Reply Parent Thread Link that was... cringe-y af. penita ajena. it's the only phrase i can think of. wow. wow. Reply Parent Thread Link omfg YIKES Reply Parent Thread Link what the hell did i just watch LMAO Reply Parent Thread Expand Link No wonder Niall is trending in Spain right now. Ngl, the tweets under the thread are pretty funny. I still can't believe 3/5 1D people will be parents by the end of this year. Reply Thread Link Exhausted medical workers in Peru, as Latin America's number of coronavirus deaths passed the US and Canada on Monday Too many nations are mismanaging their coronavirus response, placing a return to normality a long way off, the World Health Organization warned Monday as Latin America recorded the world's second-highest death toll. With new infections spreading like wildfire, many countries were reimposing restrictions on Monday, locking down towns and cities and reintroducing measures to halt the spread of the sickness. But WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that too many countries were "headed in the wrong direction" with governments giving out mixed messages that were undermining trust. "There will be no return to the 'old normal' for the foreseeable future," he said, warning that without governments adopting a comprehensive strategy, the situation would get "worse and worse and worse". Since the start of July, nearly 2.5 million new infections have been detected across the globe, with the number of cases doubling over the past six weeks, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. In Spain, regional officials were in a standoff with courts after a judge suspended a lockdown just hours after it was imposed on 160,000 people in the Catalonia city of Lerida following a sharp rise in cases. Despite calls to respect the closure, many people were on the streets by mid-afternoon, with shops and bars still open, an AFP correspondent said. It was the first such order given since Spain's lockdown ended on June 21 and the situation in the northeastern city was the most worrying among 120 outbreaks across a country where the virus has killed more than 28,400 people. Reimposing lockdowns South Africa has also reimposed a nationwide curfew to prevent a "coronavirus storm" from ravaging the continent's hardest-hit nation, where new infections have topped 12,000 per day. The man in the presidential mask: Donald Trump wore a face mask for the first time in public Morocco followed suit on Monday, locking down Tangiers, with public transport suspended, cafes and public spaces closed and movement restricted in the northern port city of a million inhabitants. In Asia, the Philippines imposed a two-week lockdown on 250,000 people in the capital Manila as new infections soared, and Hong Kong stepped up precautions to combat a sudden spike in infections. Restaurants there can only serve takeaway food after 6 pm, gyms, nightclubs, karaoke bars and beauty salons were shuttered and public gatherings were restricted to four people. And two US Marine bases on Japan's Okinawa island have been locked down after a spike in cases with dozens infected and local officials expressing "serious doubts" about the US military's containment efforts. Across the globe, the pandemic has infected nearly 13 million people, killed more than 566,000 and triggered massive economic damage in the seven months since it was detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan. With cases surging in Latin America, the region on Monday declared a total of 144,758 deaths, passing the 144,023 recorded in the United States and Canada. It now stands second only to Europe, where 202,505 people have died. At the weekend, US President Donald Trump wore a face mask in public for the first time, in the world's worst-hit country where 135,171 people have died. Mexico has become the country with the fourth-highest number of COVID-19 fatalities in the world, climbing to a total of 35,006 deaths and surpassing Italy. And Iran, the worst-hit country in the Middle East, counted more than 200 new deaths on Monday, pushing its toll over 13,000. The latest high-profile personality to test positive for COVID-19 was Bollywood superstar and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai. The countries with the largest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the past week Millionaires' initiative: 'Tax us more' With eyes keenly focused on the economic fallout, the IMF warned Monday that the Middle East and North Africa region was facing its worst downturn in 50 years, citing the "twin shock" of the virus and low oil prices. The region's economy will contract by 5.7 percent this year and by up to 13 percent in conflict-hit nations, it said, warning of soaring poverty and unemployment, social unrest and spiralling debt. Meanwhile more than 80 millionaires on Monday urged governments around the world to hike taxes on the super-wealthy to help fund the recovery. In an open letter, "Millionaires for Humanity" said they should be taxed higher, "immediately, substantially, permanently". "No, we are not the ones caring for the sick in intensive care wards, we are not driving the ambulances," wrote the signatories, among them Ben and Jerry's ice cream co-founder Jerry Greenfield and screenwriter Richard Curtis. "But we do have money, lots of it. Money that is desperately needed now and will continue to be needed in the years ahead, as our world recovers from this crisis." Scientists have urged people take social distancing more seriously, with a French expert warning that a fully effective vaccine was highly unlikely by 2021. And in what may prove a blow to those who have recovered, researchers at Kings College London said COVID-19 survivors could lose their immunity, leaving them vulnerable to reinfection within months. Explore further Spain region orders lockdown as global infections gather pace 2020 AFP The company has been accused of selling its surveillance software to repressive governments that use it against dissidents. It doesnt disclose clients, but they are believed to include Middle Eastern and Latin American states. The company says it sells its technology to Israeli-approved governments to help them combat criminals and terrorism. News LATEST Corporate This link is not available Feedback This link is not available This link is not available An emerging scam capitalizing on peoples fear during the COVID-19 pandemic is making its way into the region. Illinois State Police said fake texts are being reported in which the sender claims to be a contact tracer. New Delhi: The World Bank on Monday signed a 750 million dollar (about Rs 5,600 crore) agreement with the government for MSME Emergency Response Programme to support the increased flow of finance into the hands of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) severely impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. The programme will address immediate liquidity and credit needs of nearly 15 lakh viable MSMEs to help them withstand the impact of the current shock and protect millions of jobs. This is the first step among a broader set of reforms that are needed to propel the MSME sector over time. The agreement was signed by Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary at the Department of Economic Affairs, on behalf of the government and Junaid Ahmad, Country Director (India) on behalf of the World Bank. Khare said that the Covid-19 pandemic has severely impacted the MSME sector leading to loss of livelihoods and jobs. The government is focused on ensuring that abundant financial sector liquidity available flow to non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and that banks which have turned extremely risk-averse continue taking exposures in the economy. "The project will support the government in providing targeted guarantees to incentivise NBFCs and banks to continue lending to viable MSMEs to help sustain them through the crisis," he said in an official statement. One of Western Australia's biggest gold miners has suspended work at its Carosue Dam operations after a worker was injured in a "serious incident" on Monday morning. In a statement, Saracen said it appeared the worker had "fallen from a height" at its Dervish underground mine, which is part of the Carosue Dam operation 120 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie. The company did not reveal what condition the worker was in. It said an investigation into the incident had been launched. Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety acting director mines safety Graham James said inspectors were on-site and the departments investigation was ongoing. 2nd PUC Result 2020 Karnataka DECLARED Updates: The official websites of Karnataka board - karresults.nic.in and kseeb.kar.nic.in - are currently down due to heavy traffic. But students can log in to the alternative websites to check their scores. Auto refresh feeds The Department of Pre-University Examination, Karnataka, will declare the results of Class 12 board exam today (Tuesday, 14 July) at around 11.30 am. Students can check their results at Karnataka board's official website at karresults.nic.in. Step 1: Go to the official website - karresults.nic.in Step 2: On the home page, click the link that says '2nd PUC Result 2020 Karnataka' Step 3: The online KAR PUC result 2020 window will appear on the screen Step 4: Enter your registration number in the appropriate field Step 5: Hit on the 'Submit' button and your 2nd PUC result Karnataka 2020 will be displayed on the screen To pass the PUC exam, students need to secure 35 percent aggregate marks. Students will need to score a minimum of 70 marks in the language papers, while 30 marks each in individual subjects for a total of 210 out of 600 marks. Due to heavy traffic, students might be unable to check their scores on the official website. In such case, follow the given steps to access your PUC score using SMS service. Last year, the overall pass percentage was recorded at 61.73 percent. Among streams, Science students had recorded 66.58 pass percentage, Commerce had 66.39 and Arts had 50.53. The next session for these students is expected to begin by August while, fresh admissions and sessions will begin from September, 2020. Earlier, the sessions would usually be started by July. The press conference on 2nd PUC result will begin at 11.30 am. The result will be available at the official websites karresults.nic.in and kseeb.kar.nic.in after 12 pm. Students who have appeared in Karnataka 2nd PUC, will be able to check their Class 12 scores online at the official websites: karresults.nic.in, kseeb.kar.nic.in, and pue.kar.nic.in. Step 4: Download and take its print out for future reference. Step 1: On the homepage, click on the link for Karnataka 2020 PUC result The results of Karnataka Pre-University Education (PUE) or Class 12 exam has been declared on Tuesday (14 July). A total of 5.95 lakh students who had appeared in the Class 12 exams can check their results through the website- karresults.nic.in. Due to heavy traffic, students might be unable to check their scores on the official website. In such case, follow the given steps to access your PUC score using SMS service. The result will be available at the official websites karresults.nic.in and kseeb.kar.nic.in after 12 pm. A total of 6,75,277 students appeared for the Karnataka 2nd PUC exams, the results of which were announced by the education minister at the press conference on Tuesday at 11.30 pm According to media reports, Science students have recorded 76.2 pass percentage in the Karnataka 2nd PUC 2020 exam. While, in Commerce, 65.52 percent students cleared the board exam. This year, students have performed better in the Karnataka 2nd PUC exam than last year by recording an overall pass percentage of 69.2. Whereas, the Class 12 students recorded 61.73 percent in 2019. The official websites of Karnataka board - karresults.nic.in, kseeb.kar.nic.in, and pue.kar.nic.in - are currently unresponsive due to heavy traffic. But students can log in to the alternative websites to check their scores. This year, girls have performed than boys in the Karnataka 2nd PUC exam, according to NDTV . The pass percentage among girls is 68.73 percent compared to 54.73 percent scored by boys. Karnataka colleges will not display the results of 2nd PUC exam on the notice boards due to coronavirus crisis. When the 1st PUC result was released, colleges were asked not to display the result on their notice boards to avoid crowding during the outbreak. Students can check their Karnataka 2nd PUC results on the board's official website karresults.nic.in . The candidates can also check the result via Umang app. Of the 5.95 lakh students who appeared for the Class 12 exams, 69.2 percent passed this year in the board examination conducted by the Department of Pre-University Examination, Karnataka. Among districts, Udupi emerged the best-performing region, where the pass percentage among students was at 90.71 percent, according to News18. Of the total 5.95 lakh students who appeared for the Karnataka 2nd PUC exam, a total of 20,958 students have scored 100 percent marks in all subjects, according to careers 360. This implies that over 20,000 students have scored full marks in all subjects. Students are advised to download the scorecard for future reference after checking their Karnataka 2nd PUC exam result online at karresults.nic.in as all schools are closed due to coronavirus outbreak. The overall pass percentage recorded by Kannada medium schools was at 47.56 percent, while English medium schools recorded 72.45 percent. According to media reports, Science students have recorded 76.2 pass percentage in the Karnataka 2nd PUC 2020 exam. While, in Commerce, 65.52 percent students cleared the board exam. This year, students have performed better in the Karnataka 2nd PUC exam than last year by recording an overall pass percentage of 69.2. Whereas, the Class 12 students recorded 61.73 percent in 2019. The official websites of Karnataka board - karresults.nic.in, kseeb.kar.nic.in, and pue.kar.nic.in - are currently unresponsive due to heavy traffic. But students can log in to the alternative websites to check their scores. This year, girls have performed than boys in the Karnataka 2nd PUC exam, according to NDTV . The pass percentage among girls is 68.73 percent compared to 54.73 percent scored by boys. Karnataka colleges will not display the results of 2nd PUC exam on the notice boards due to coronavirus crisis. When the 1st PUC result was released, colleges were asked not to display the result on their notice boards to avoid crowding during the outbreak. Students can check their Karnataka 2nd PUC results on the board's official website karresults.nic.in . The candidates can also check the result via Umang app. Of the 5.95 lakh students who appeared for the Class 12 exams, 69.2 percent passed this year in the board examination conducted by the Department of Pre-University Examination, Karnataka. Among districts, Udupi emerged the best-performing region, where the pass percentage among students was at 90.71 percent, according to News18. Of the total 5.95 lakh students who appeared for the Karnataka 2nd PUC exam, a total of 20,958 students have scored 100 percent marks in all subjects, according to careers 360. This implies that over 20,000 students have scored full marks in all subjects. Students are advised to download the scorecard for future reference after checking their Karnataka 2nd PUC exam result online at karresults.nic.in as all schools are closed due to coronavirus outbreak. The overall pass percentage recorded by Kannada medium schools was at 47.56 percent, while English medium schools recorded 72.45 percent. 2nd PUC Result 2020 Karnataka DECLARED LATEST Updates| The official websites of Karnataka board - karresults.nic.in, kseeb.kar.nic.in, and pue.kar.nic.in - are currently unresponsive due to heavy traffic. But students can log in to the alternative websites to check their scores. Of the 5.95 lakh students who appeared for the Class 12 exams, 69.2 percent passed in the board examination conducted by the Department of Pre-University Examination, Karnataka. A total of 6.75 lakh students appeared for the Karnataka 2nd PUC exams, the results of which were announced by the education minister at the press conference on Tuesday at 11.30 pm To pass the PUC exam, students need to secure 35 percent aggregate marks. A minimum of 70 marks in the language papers and 30 marks each in individual subjects is required. Karnataka 2nd PUC Result 2020 will be announced today (Tuesday, 14 July). The results will be uploaded on karresults.nic.in at around 11.30 am. According to reports, students will also receive their results via SMS at 11.30 am. Over 5.95 lakh students had registered for the Karnataka PUC exams. Earlier, the state education minister S Suresh had said that the results of the Karnataka 2nd PUC 2020 is expected to be released around 20 July or the last week of July 2020. The minister clarified the change in date on his Twitter account. He wrote, "Many students are calling me to know whether Second PUC results will be announced today. I once again inform all that Second PUC results will come out around 20 July." Many students are calling me to know whether Second PUC results will be announced Today. I once again inform all that Second PUC results will come out around 20th July. S.Suresh Kumar, Minister - Govt of Karnataka (@nimmasuresh) July 9, 2020 According to a report in The Times of India, the Karnataka Board had earlier announced that results of the Secondary School Leaving Certificate Exam (SSLC) will be released by the first week of August and the results of the second pre-university (2ndn PUC) will be declared by July last week. As per a report in Times Now, the Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar had announced on 29 June, "We are trying to get the SSLC results out by the first week of August. The PUC results will be out in the last week of July." The report added that Karnataka was one of the states which conducted the Board exams despite the opposition and protests due to health risks the exams posed. The minister for education himself carried out the inspection of many centres, but news of students getting infected with coronavirus did emerge twice. This year, the 2nd PUC results were delayed as the English exam was postponed due to the nationwide lockdown in March. Exams were rescheduled for 18 June. Description "Civil rights activist and US Representative John Lewis (D-Ga.) may have over 40 arrests under his belt (including five since hes been in Congress), but the octogenarian is far from being done fighting for social justice. In the new documentary John Lewis: Good Trouble, filmmaker Dawn Porter explores Lewis resolute political beliefs in making necessary trouble against what is not right or fair. The film is a beautiful blend of interviews (with contemporary Dem leaders that Lewis has greatly influenced like Alexandria Oscasio-Cortez, the Clintons, Cory Booker, Nancy Pelosi, and Ilhan Omar) and superb archival footage from Lewis 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health-care reform and immigration. Porter visits Lewis early years on his family farm in Alabama where he, as a young man, hoped to be a minister and tested his sermons on the chickens. Instead, by 1965, he was marching with Dr. King in Selma - even suffering a skull fracture from a police attack on Bloody Sunday. I've been beaten bloody, tear-gassed, fighting for what's right for America. I've marched at Selma with Dr. King. Sometimes that's what it takes to move our country in the right direction, says Lewis, who today is again focused on battling voter suppression across America." Sag Harbor Cinema Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 18:14:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, July 13 (Xinhua) -- At least 75 suspects were detained for selling drugs in a massive anti-narcotics operation in Turkey's largest city Istanbul, the state-run Anadolu agency reported Monday. The Istanbul Police Department Anti-Narcotics Department launched a simultaneous operation to capture the suspects in 62 locations across the city, Anadolu said. Various guns and several types of drugs were seized in the raids backed by at least 400 police officers, it added. At the end of June, Turkish police launched one of the most comprehensive operations in the history of the country against drug dealers in 11 provinces, detaining at least 67 suspects. Enditem (Newser) The all-Republican Texas Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from the Texas Republican Party, which was seeking a ruling allowing it to hold its in-person convention in Houston this week. The move "effectively kills" the party's plans to hold the gathering as planned, reports the Houston Chronicle. Last week, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner canceled the party's contract to hold the gathering at a downtown convention center, saying that with the pandemic raging in Texas, "public health concerns outweighed anything else." The party argued that the convention was protected by the American and Texan constitutions. story continues below The convention had been due to start Thursday and run for three days, with meetings taking place at the center starting Monday. A 7-1 court majority ruled that while the party has a constitutional right to hold a convention, it does not have the right to force the George R. Brown Convention Center to host it, the New York Times reports. "The Party argues it has constitutional rights to hold a convention and engage in electoral activities, and that is unquestionably true," the courts majority wrote. "But those rights do not allow it to simply commandeer use of the Center." State GOP chairman James Dickey accused the Democratic mayor of canceling the convention to "disenfranchise Republicans." The state Democratic party held an online-only convention in early June. (Read more Texas stories.) Indias nascent EV industry needs to import components and tech from China as it works out cheaper, but some companies hope to become self reliant in the next five to six years. (Representative Image | Wikipedia - Ramesh NG) New Delhi: Electric bus maker PMI Electro Mobility Solutions Pvt Ltd (PEMSPL), which has a technology partnership with Chinas Beiqi Foton Motors, is working to develop its own technology and integrate that into its products within five-six years, according to a senior company official. The firms promoters are also investing around Rs 15 crore on a battery assembling plant at Dharuhera in Haryana in order to localise more components for its electric vehicles (EVs) in India and reduce dependency on Chinese imports. When we went for technology selection, we had two optionseither go for the European technology or the Chinese technology. Chinese, as we all know, is the cheaper technology but a stable one as well. We chose to go with Foton back in 2017 basis the fact we wanted to get products quicker, suitable for India, PEMSPL Director Aman Garg told PTI. He asserted that everyone is dependent on Chinese technology (for EV) because that is the only cheaper solution available till now. While admitting that the company enjoys the technological advantage riding with Foton, Garg said, The scaling up has to happen in India. That is what we are sure of. We dont consider ourselves dependent on Foton because we want to localise the manufacturing of the components. When asked if PEMSPL is working to develop its technology to reduce dependency on the Chinese partner for future upgrades, he said, It has to be because there is no sustainable business (if there is dependency)... In so far as technology is concerned, we are working on that front as well but yes that will take some time... I look at a horizon of five-six years and we would be able to integrate our own technology. Garg also said PEMSPL complies with the FAME-II scheme regulations in terms of local manufacturing of components, for up to 50 per cent localisation, although critical components like motor and batteries continue to be imported. On battery, he said the promoters of PEMSPL have set up a subsidiary that will invest into manufacturing of lithium batteries for EVs. We will be coming up with a battery manufacturing unit at Dharuhera. We are starting small with an investment of Rs 10-15 crore. We had already acquired land in 2017 so we dont count that as an investment now. The investment is not coming through PEMSPL but by its promoters, Garg added. Dispelling notions that PEMSPL is a Chinese company, he said, As an enterprise, it is promoter funded, with no direct or indirect investments from any Chinese company or in fact any overseas company. Although PEMSPL and Foton India had formed a joint venture (JV), he said PEMSPL as a majority shareholder ensured a completely Indian manufacturing unit to be established to manufacture new energy commercial vehicles, with technology support from Foton. Also, he said the buses that PEMSPL has supplied to state transport units have been manufactured by PMI Electro not by the JV and there is no foreign investment involved in the manufacture of electric buses so far. PMI Electro had a technology tie-up with Foton under which they gave us access to technology. Thus, no foreign investments are made so far in investment of electric buses. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. But in cities where the virus has continued to rage, efforts at compromise solutions have increasingly proven unworkable a shattering realization for families that have strained for months to cobble normalcy out of a situation that is pitting their childrens development and education against parental livelihoods and household health. Mahogany Taylor, a 39-year-old mother of two and the president of the San Diego Unified Council of PTAs, said the loss of in-person instruction was particularly destructive for elementary school students many of whom cannot type and for low-income students, who often lack internet access, and who make up nearly 60 percent of San Diego Unifieds students. At the same time, Ms. Taylor said, a districtwide survey showed that 40 percent of parents already were planning to insist on remote instruction. We obviously believe that school is the best place for kids, she said, but we also want them to be safe. All across the nation, school officials are trying to balance safety against learning losses. Initial research showed that during the first round of school closures, American children were set back, on average, by seven months in their reading and math learning, with children from low-income families, and students of color, experiencing even bigger losses. Still, district leaders in Los Angeles and San Diego said, California was not in a position to reopen schools. Those countries that have managed to safely reopen schools have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available, the statement said. California has neither. The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control. Mr. Beutner, whose district is the nations second largest, said in an interview that schools cant just tap our heels together like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and pretend its appropriate to bring people back despite skyrocketing rates of new infections. Former Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke shoved his hand down the bra of a Parliamentary worker in her 20s, she claimed today. The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, alleges the 49-year-old father-of-two groped her twice inside the Palace of Westminster in 2016. Married Elphicke, the former MP for Dover, is also accused of sexually assaulting another woman at his Belgravia townhouse in 2007. The unidentified Parliamentary worker became tearful during a cross examination by Ian Winter QC at Southwark Crown Court, prompting the judge to adjourn proceedings briefly. Elphicke denies three counts of sexual assault, two involving the Parliamentary worker, and one involving another woman in 2007. The woman was today asked about a written record of allegations involving the former Tory MP, which she claimed was written 'as it was all happening'. Former Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke (pictured with his wife Natalie outside court today) shoved his hand down the bra of a Parliamentary worker in her 20s, she claimed today 'This document could not have been finished before then,' Mr Winter said. 'Not as it was all happening, you wrote it after. 'You were trying to make the document more contemporaneous than described in it. How could you get the date of this so wrong?' She replied: 'What, when? A year and a half later? When I left the country I was very much done, OK? 'I tried, I tried to get rid of all this, alright? I literally tried my best to erase it from my brain and move on with my life. This happened a long time afterwards. 'I think I wrote about two-thirds of it and added to it. Whether I changed the format size after I can't remember. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it was all such a blur. 'I remember feeling trapped. I remember him on me and around me in some way or another. I just remember where his hand was and him being basically on me.' She went on to describe how Elphicke allegedly 'stuck his hand down my top', despite this action reportedly not being mentioned in her police interview. The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, alleges the 49-year-old father-of-two groped her twice inside the Palace of Westminster in 2016 The trial has already heard claims former MP Charlie Elphicke (pictured right with wife Natalalie) had chased a women around his London flat chanting 'I'm a naughty Tory' Mr Winter said: 'You didn't say he stuck his hand down your bra in your police interview. Why did you say that now when he didn't? 'I would like you to tell the truth.' 'I am telling the truth, thank you,' the woman replied. 'He stuck his hand down my top.' Mr Winter continued to ask if she had a memory of Elphicke 'grabbing your breast' as it 'wasn't in your note.' 'You told police you remembered his kiss as a disgusting, slobbery, open-mouthed kiss but that wasn't in your note,' he said. 'Do you have a memory of him grabbing your breast?' She replied: 'I do.' Mr Winter said: 'Why isn't that in your note? What you've done is to escalate this from 2016 from when you were interviewed by police, to make it worse for Mr Elphicke.' The woman responded: 'I didn't know I would be here giving evidence, OK? It was very hard for me to write this stuff, even then. 'I have been sitting here having to describe to you what a kiss was like, I'm sorry I didn't go into some novel detail. The trial, at which Elphicke has denied three counts of sexual assault, is being held at Southwark Crown Court in London 'You're asking why I didn't go into explicit detail?' Mr Winter said: 'He touched you in a tactile but non-assaulting fashion, didn't he?' The witness replied: 'No. I completely disagree with you. If I've learnt anything it's that old men like you keep telling me how to think and telling me how to feel. I'm telling you, alright? 'I need to stop being told things by old men with an air of self-importance who are just trying to get points across,' she added. He asked: 'Did you hate Mr Elphicke because he was an old man with an air of self-importance?' Mr Winter then suggested she hated the fact Elphicke 'fell head over heels for you'. Sobbing, the woman said: 'You're going through this as if I had some crystal ball to tell I would be going through this. 'The thing is, right, you've never been a young girl in this position so you can't tell me how to handle it.' Mrs Justice Whipple called for a brief adjournment and said: 'He [Mr Winter] is just doing his job, OK? So let's try not to personalise it. Let's take a break.' The trial has already heard claims Elphicke chased another woman around his house in central London chanting 'I'm a naughty Tory' trying to spank her bottom. She said that she was later told to 'dress like Dawn French' and 'wear garlic' to ward off the ex-Tory MP's 'Jekyll and Hyde Personality'. Elphicke, Dover MP from 2010 until 2019 when he stood down and was succeeded by his wife, denies three counts of sexual assault. The trial continues. Secret letters between Queen Elizabeth and Australia's governor-general in the weeks before left-wing Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was sacked are set to be released tomorrow after being kept secret for 40 years. Experts speculate the letters will show the Palace knew of governor-general John Kerr's intentions to sack reformist PM Whitlam in 1975 - and could reveal whether the Queen influenced his decision. One of Whitlam's key goals when he came to office was to loosen the colonial ties between Australia and Britain. He replaced God Save the Queen with the Australian national anthem and dubbed certain ties to Britain 'colonial relics'. Historian Jennifer Hocking said the Queen's correspondence with Kerr is 'inevitably a series of really dramatic revelations'. The letters between the Queen and former Governor-General Sir John Kerr (pictured together) during the dismissal of Gough Whitlam are set to be released tomorrow Palace allies have battled for decades to keep the documents - which also include correspondence from her then-private secretary, Martin Charteris - secret, with the National Archives of Australia refusing to release them to the public. But Australia's High Court has now said the hundreds of letters between the pair are public record - meaning their release could provide key insight into one of Australia's greatest political crises. Hocking, who had been fighting the million-dollar legal battle for four years, told The Guardian: 'We know that there are over 1,000 pages, we know that there are over 200 letters, they are going to be inevitably a series of really dramatic revelations, it's impossible to imagine otherwise. Gough Whitlam was dismissed as Australian Prime Minister on November 11, 1975. He is pictured above addressing reporters after his dismissal Professor Hocking (pictured speaking to reporters) has been in a legal battle for four years to have the letters released to the public, something she believes will provide insight into one of Australia's greatest political crises WHY IS IT CONTROVERSIAL IF THE QUEEN DID INTERVENE? Secret letters between Queen Elizabeth and Australia's Governor-General in the weeks before left-wing Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was sacked are set to be released to the public tomorrow - following a lengthy high court battle. Some speculate that the letters could reveal the Queen influenced governor-general John Kerr's decision to sack Whitlam in 1975. Should this prove true it would show modern Australia is not totally autonomous from British rule, experts say. Jennifer Hocking - who had been fighting the million-dollar legal battle for four years - told The Guardian: 'As an autonomous post-colonial nation, we assume that the Queen exercises no residual monarchical power over our system of governance, much less over records held by our National Archives. 'This case and these letters, however, show that this assumption is misplaced.' Historian John Warhurst said: 'The British crown was interfering in the 1975 dispute in ways that should offend anyone who wants Australia to be a fully independent nation.' He added: 'The Palace did not stand above the fray.' The Queen - as Australia's head of state - is represented by the Governor-General, who can make decisions on her behalf. She chooses who will fill the role on the advice of the prime minister. This is the Queen's only constitutional job. Under Australia's constitution, it is the Governor-General alone who can summon, dissolve and prorogue Parliament. Before Kerr sacked Whitlam and dissolved Parliament for a double dissolution election in 1975, upwards of 200 letters were sent between the Queen, her then-private secretary, Martin Charteris and Kerr himself. Their potential content is hinted in already-public documents, including a note with the words 'Charteris' advice to me on dismissal'. Hocking told The Conversation: 'This is a simply extraordinary situation: the governor-general is reporting to the Queen his private conversations, plans, matters of governance, and meetings with the Australian prime minister, and this is kept secret from the prime minister himself. 'This is the crucial context of secrecy and deception in which the Palace letters must be considered: that Whitlam knew nothing of these discussions because Kerr had decided on a constitutionally preposterous policy of "silence" towards the prime minister, who retained the confidence of the House of Representatives at all times.' The National Archives of Australia have held the correspondence since 1978. As they have been deemed 'personal' Australian's were previously denied access to them until 50 years after Kerr ceased to be governor-general - and only then with the royal representative's approval. Hocking said it was absurd that communications between such key officials in the Australian system of government could be regarded as personal and confidential. 'That they could be seen as personal is quite frankly an insult to all our intelligence collectively - they're not talking about the racing and the corgis.' She added: 'It was not only the fact that they were described quite bizarrely as personal, but also that they were under an embargo set at the whim of the queen.' The British royal family is renowned for being protective of its privacy and keeping conversations confidential. The family went to considerable lengths to conceal letters written by Prince Charles - in a comparable case in Britain that was fought through the courts for five years - but lost in 2015. Advertisement 'They are going to tell us how much detail Kerr gave to the Queen about what he was expecting to do.' She dubbed the documents - which will be released at 11am in Australia or 2am in Britain - the 'single most important set of documents about the dismissal of the Whitlam government to have been released in the last decade'. The letters could help show if the British government tried to interfere in events and what role the queen, Prince Charles and top royal advisers may have played. Kerr sacked Whitlam, the leader of the centre-left Labor party, three years after his election in 1972 - causing a deep constitutional crisis that still scars Australian politics. He ended the British honours system and implemented Australia's own version, and removed God Save the Queen from the official announcement dissolving parliament. Following a meeting with the-then British Prime Minister Edward Heath, Whitlam is believed to have said: 'All these colonial relics are incompatible with the position of Australia as a separate, sovereign country', as reported by The Conversation. Hocking argued the texts between the palace and Kerr were 'extraordinarily significant historical documents' and needed to be accessed'. 'They are contemporaneous real-time communications between the queen and her representative in Australia, written at a time of great political drama, and are a vital part of our national historical record,' she wrote at the start of the case. 'As an independent autonomous nation, Australia has a right to know its own history, including and in particular the records pointing to British involvement in that history.' The letters had been deemed personal communication by both the National Archives of Australia and the Federal Court which meant the earliest they could be released was 2027, and only then with the Queen's permission. On Friday a majority of the High Court bench ruled the letters were property of the Commonwealth and part of the public record. The court ordered the Archives to reconsider Professor Hocking's request to access the letters, and pay her legal costs. A statement issued by Director-General David Fricker of the National Archives of Australia said: 'We accept the High Court's judgement and will now get to work examining these historically significant records for release'. Hocking, who lives in Melbourne, would be unable to see the documents herself due to lockdown. But she said a research assistant would be going to the archives while she reviewed them online. She added: 'I'm so pleased with the outcome that whether or not I can be there in person is immaterial.' Hocking was represented by a legal team that included Whitlam's oldest son. She had previously lost a battle in 2016 to have the letters released by the Federal Court. Whitlam - who died in 2014 - is still hailed as a champion of Australia's left. He had opposed Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, and sought to assert Australia's sovereignty. He ended conscription, established the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, tried to normalise relations with China, set up a free public health service, and made university free. But his detractors accused him of destabilising the economy, and Kerr fired him without warning on 11 November 1975 after political fighting that weakened Whitlam's government. In October that year the country's Liberal Party refused to pass the government's bills in the senate until an election was called - meaning the government would soon run out of money to provide things like pensions and pay public servants. Whitlam refused to call an election and Kerr swiftly dismissed him as Prime Minister. Kerr then appointed opposition Liberal leader Malcolm Fraser as interim Prime Minister - without a confidence vote being held in parliament - and he went on to win a landslide election victory later that year. Australia became independent in 1901, but the Queen is still head of state with the Governor-General her representative. A referendum on becoming a republic failed in 1999. The Google for India 2020 event kicks off at 2:00 PM IST today. Here is how you can watch the live stream and follow real-time updates. Google will hold its sixth edition of Google for India event today. To be held online for the first time, Google for India 2020 will see participation from the company CEO Sundar Pichai and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Google VP, Payments and Next Billion Users, Caesar Sengupta will also be addressing the event. When, how to watch the Google for India event The Google for India 2020 event will begin at 2:00 PM IST today. The live stream of the event will be available through the companys official YouTube channel. You can also follow the companys official social media handles for the real-time updates. What to expect from Googles India event As the name of the event implies, Google will make new announcements including updates on its existing services and products, and new initiatives custom-made for India. Last year, it announced a new Bengaluru-based AI research centre. Google Pay and several other Google services received many new features and updates for Indian users. At the 6th edition of #GoogleForIndia, our product & business leaders will share their vision on building a helpful Internet for a billion Indians. Livestream starts on 13th July, at 2:00 PM. Set a reminder https://t.co/WMfUGpuo8k#G4IN pic.twitter.com/6s1upfnqrC Google India (@GoogleIndia) July 10, 2020 This year, were likely to see the continuation of the same. Google has confirmed Sundar Pichai will deliver a special keynote later today. Were expecting Google to also focus on the digital economy and efforts to empower local SMEs. Join us as Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Honble Minister of Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice, Government of India, and many of our leaders share the vision and path ahead to solve for Indias needs, and bring the benefits of the digital economy to all, said Google in its invitation for the event. IONIA COUNTY, MI -- A GoFundMe has been started for an on-duty Michigan State Police trooper who was critically injured late Friday when another car collided with his cruiser near Saranac. The trooper, identified as 33-year-old Tpr. Caleb Starr, was flown by Aero Med helicopter after being extricated from the wreckage. As of Monday morning, Starr is still listed in critical condition at Spectrum Health Butterworth hospital in Grand Rapids, according to health system officials. Starr is a trooper from the Lakeview State Police post. Patrick Arena started a GoFundMe for Starrs family. So far, over $11,000 has been raised towards the $15,000 goal. According to the GoFundMe page, the money raised will go towards medical expenses, lodging, food and bills for Starrs wife and two daughters. According to state police, the trooper was driving west on Grand River Avenue, west of Nash Highway, around 10 p.m. Friday, July 10 when the collision occurred. The on-scene investigation revealed the troopers cruiser was struck head-on by a Jeep SUV headed east on Grand River Avenue, state police said. The vehicle then crossed into the troopers lane of travel as he was heading to a low-priority call in the area. A diagnostic investigation of the troopers vehicle shows Starr was traveling steadily below the posted speed limit of 55 mph prior to the crash, police said in a news release. He then braked, significantly reducing his speed before the two vehicles collided. The other driver, a 28-year-old Utah woman whose name is not being released pending investigation, was critically injured and taken by ambulance to Spectrum Health Butterworth hospital. As of around 5 p.m. Sunday, the driver of the other vehicle remains in critical, but stable condition at the hospital. The incident remains under investigation. More on MLive: Sisters rescued from Lake Michigan, one in critical condition Michigan businesses must start enforcing mask rule Monday Astronomers have a glimpse of the most mind-numbing cosmic discoveries by science. Out in the cosmos is the spectacular South Pole Wall at 1.4 Billion Light-Years across. Inside this galactic expanse is a new frontier of countless galaxies that are inside the wall. These 3-D maps reveal the universe in all dimensions and a conceivable predictive model, reported Live Science. This galactic body has been concealed behind the Milky Way galaxy. It is larger compared to the previously discovered Sloan Great Wall which is only the sixth most expansive in the cosmos. When saying what the distance is, and it will be mind-numbing numbers with a light year at 6 trillion miles. One observation by astronomers is randomness does not apply to the scattering of galaxies. Instead, all clumps of matter that are spread out in a cosmic web. It's attached to slivers of hydrogen gas that are all around largely empty voids, cited The Latest News. Cosmology is the science of deciphering these cosmic threads or another term which is the cartography of the universe. This is according to Daniel Pomarede, a cosmographer at Paris-Saclay University in France, who told Live Science. Other researches in cosmographic charts are the estimated mass of galactic clumps like the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall which is a mind-numbing at 10 billion light-years across. An equivalent of a tenth of the mass and distance of the current universe. In 2014, the Laniakea supercluster that is close to our own milky was detected. The Laniakea supercluster measures 520 million light-years in width with 100 million billion suns. Also read: Large Ancient Galaxy Stopped Making Stars, Confusing Astronomers A sector of the cosmos is a reference to the Zone of Galactic Obscuration to make a new map with newly-created sky surveys. It is not easy to see this part of the southern sky as the brightly lit Milky Way blurs out details. All these details and what is behind it with what surrounds this sector of interstellar space. One way for cosmologists to measure distance is in the universe is redshift. By definition, it is how far any object will move away from the earth. As any object rushing away from the earth, then it looks like it moves away at top speed. Edwin Hubble observed this in 1929 and has been proven ever since. To measure the relative velocity of particular galaxies they used another method. It was done by measuring the redshift and the estimated motion of galaxies is that their gravity controls their velocity as they move, mentioned Forbes. Detecting masses that are concealed can be detected by this means, with galactic velocities and dark matter. Dark matter is the unseen force in the visible universe that exerts gravity on the cosmic filaments. Scientists were able to get a model of the Zone of Galactic Obscuration the result can be seen in the July 9 Astrophysical Journal. The result is a cluster of matter in the southern most sector of the cosmos from the north of constellation Cetus and the constellation Apus. Neta Bahcall, a astrophysicist at Princeton University in New Jersey says they help in examining the cosmos. There are more to these voids in the Southern Pole Wall, what connects these then? Knowing how the universe looks on such large scales helps confirm our current cosmological models. Related topic: Are Aliens Real? Radio Signals From Space With Intelligent Patterns Detected @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Photograph: Jason Szenes/EPA Ghislaine Maxwell should not get bail while awaiting trial for her alleged involvement in Jeffrey Epsteins child sex trafficking because she is an extreme risk of flight, prosecutors said on Monday, firing back at her legal teams arguments that she is not. Related: Ghislaine Maxwell requests bail release due to 'unprecedented' Covid-19 risks Authorities arrested Maxwell, 58, on 2 July at her luxurious 156-acre property in Bradford, New Hampshire. The socialite faces a maximum of 35 years in federal prison if convicted at trial. In the filing, prosecutors pointed to the circumstances surrounding Maxwells arrest, writing that when FBI agents arrived at her remote home, she had tried to flee. On searching the property, they found a cellphone wrapped in tin foil which they allege was a seemingly misguided effort to evade detection by law enforcement. The government respectfully submits that the defendant cannot meet her burden of overcoming the statutory presumption in favor of detention, read the court filing by Audrey Strauss, the acting US attorney for the southern district of New York. There are no conditions of bail that would assure the defendants presence in court proceedings in this case. Accordingly, any application for bail should be denied. Maxwell is a citizen of France, prosecutors pointed out, saying that the country does not extradite its citizens to the United States pursuant to French law. Maxwell also has US and UK passports. The filing added that the defendant has not only the motive to flee, but the means to do so swiftly and effectively. The defendant appears to have access to extensive sources of wealth. The Manhattan US attorneys offices arguments were in dramatic opposition to her lawyers claims on Friday. A court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday for Maxwells arraignment and bail arguments. When FBI agents arrived at Maxwells remote home and approached the front door, they announced themselves as FBI agents and directed the defendant to open the door. Story continues Through a window, the agents saw the defendant ignore the direction to open the door and, instead, try to flee to another room in the house, quickly shutting a door behind her, prosecutors wrote. Agents were ultimately forced to breach the door in order to enter the house to arrest the defendant, who was found in an interior room in the house. Moreover, as the agents conducted a security sweep of the house, they also noticed a cellphone wrapped in tin foil on top of a desk, a seemingly misguided effort to evade detection, not by the press or public, which of course would have no ability to trace her phone or intercept her communications, but by law enforcement, they claimed. After Maxwells arrest, FBI agents spoke with the security guard, who claimed that Maxwells brother had hired a security company staffed with former members of the British military to guard the defendant at the New Hampshire property, in rotations. Maxwells lawyers have contended that she did not go into hiding after Epsteins arrest last July. They claimed that she contacted federal prosecutors through her attorneys after he was apprehended, and maintained regular contact with authorities. Maxwell had simply wanted to maintain a low profile because of the carnival-like media scrutiny, they claimed. Maxwells lawyers cited the Covid-19 crisis in arguing for bail, saying: As this court has noted, the Covid-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented health risk to incarcerated individuals simply put, under these circumstances, if Ms Maxwell continues to be detained, her health will be at serious risk and she will not be able to receive a fair trial. Maxwells lawyers proposed bail conditions, including a $5m bond and travel restrictions. Authorities have said that Epstein, a convicted sex offender, and Maxwell had a personal and professional relationship, in addition to an intimate relationship between about 1994 and 1997. Epstein killed himself in jail last August. Maxwell played a critical role in helping Epstein to identify, befriend and groom minor victims for abuse, Strauss, the acting US attorney for the southern district of New York, alleged at a press conference several hours after Maxwells arrest. In some cases, Maxwell participated in the abuse. She set the trap. She pretended to be a woman they [alleged victims] could trust. Maxwell is charged in a 17-page Manhattan federal court indictment with crimes such as conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and perjury. Numerous women have accused Maxwell of bringing them into Epsteins circle, luring them into giving him massages, during which they were then pushed into sexual activity. . Maxwell has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. Ms Maxwell vigorously denies the charges, intends to fight them, and is entitled to the presumption of innocence, her lawyers wrote. Meanwhile, prosecutors said that they expect one or more victims will exercise their right to be heard at Tuesdays hearing and will urge the court not to grant bail. They also said that in just the past week, and in response to the charges against the defendant being made public, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US attorneys office have been in touch with additional individuals who have expressed a willingness to provide information regarding the defendant, which has the potential to make the governments case even stronger. Despite claiming majority, the Ashok Gehlot led Congress government in Rajasthan is walking on a tight rope with only 102 legislators, including 14 independents and legislators from smaller parties, attending the meeting at Gehlots official residence on Monday, party leaders said. Of the 107 Congress legislators in the 200 member Rajasthan assembly, only 105 could have attended the meeting as minister Bhanwarlal Meghwal is in the hospital and Speaker CP Joshi cannot attend such meetings to maintain neutrality of the position he holds. Also read: Sachin Pilot hardens stand after setback in Jaipur, preps for Round 2 Several Congress leaders said on condition of anonymity that of the 105, 17 Congress legislators including deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot skipped the meeting. Three independent legislators, who did not attend the meeting, later joined the other legislators at a hotel in Jaipur, taking the number of lawmakers supporting the government to 105. It is not over, till it is over, said Jaipur based political commentator, Prakash Bhandari. Many of the legislators present in the meeting today have the reputation of jumping ship. So one should not be sure of the numbers until the last word on the crisis is written. The Congress leaders said that of the 17 legislators who did not attend the meeting, seven are in Delhi and the other 10 are in Rajasthan. Many of them have pledged support to Pilot. When all the action was happening at the CMs residence in Civil Lines, some overenthusiastic supporters of the Congress pulled down posters of Sachin Pilot from the party office on Sansar Chand Road. However, the posters were later re-installed even as Congress leaders sought to pacify Pilot. Congress leaders who conducted a headcount at the legislators meeting, said there were 88 Congress MLAs, including CM Ashok Gehlot. Apart from them, there were 10 Independent MLAs, two Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) legislators, and one MLA each from the CPM and RLD. The total, 102, was seven short of the 109 MLAs whose support Congress general secretary in charge of Rajasthan, Avinash Pande, claimed in press conference in the early hours of Monday. The number was also reiterated by functionaries at Gehlots office during the legislators meeting. Also read: Focus back on young-old divide in Congress In a related development, the national leadership of BTP based in Gujarat asked its two MLAs to stay neutral in this ongoing political crisis. However, the two legislators later told reporters that they were with the Congress and would speak to party leadership about their stand. The thing going for Gehlot, political experts said, was the fact that tthere werent too many MLAs in Delhi with Pilot and all of them were first timers. But, the negative thing was that some of the heavyweights such as former Speaker Dipendra Singh Shekhawat, former minister Hemaram Choudhary and Ramnarain Meena were also conspicuous by their absence in the CLP. People close to them said they were not in touch with Pilot. Before the Rajya Sabha elections too, Gehlot housed his legislators in a hotel fearing they could be poached. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Almost a month ago, Steven Ray Baca was arrested and charged in the shooting of a demonstrator at a protest calling for the removal of the Juan De Onate statue from the Albuquerque Museum grounds. Then, a couple of days later, the charges were dropped pending further investigation. That investigation has happened and 31-year-old Baca is once again charged in the shooting of Scott Williams, who was critically injured. Bacas attorney, meanwhile, maintains the shooting was a completely lawful exercise of self-defense. Second Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrez announced his decision to resurrect the shooting charge at a news conference Monday afternoon. He also announced his office has filed a civil suit asking a judge to prohibit the New Mexico Civil Guard, a heavily armed civilian militia group, from organizing and operating in public as a military unit independent of New Mexicos civil authority and from assuming law enforcement functions by using or projecting the ability to use organized force in response to perceived threats at protests, demonstrations, or public gatherings. During the June 15 protest, members of the New Mexico Civil Guard were armed and standing in front of the statue to discourage protesters from attempting to remove it. Although Baca and the New Mexico Civil Guard deny association with one another, the guard has been condemned by state and local officials and politicians for introducing firearms to the initially peaceful protest and prayer vigil. I strongly believe that (the New Mexico Civil Guards) presence at the protest and their declared intention to be present at future protests, rather than safeguarding the community, rather than safeguarding property, actually makes the situation far worse, Torrez said at the news conference. So it is based on those conclusions that Ive authorized the filing of a complaint today to seek to prevent them from engaging in that conduct in the future. Torrez repeatedly stressed that the litigation is not an attack on the First Amendment right to protest or free speech or Second Amendment right to carry firearms. However, he said, it does seek to prevent groups from independently acting like law enforcement or military. One of the key principles in our democratic system is that only those recognized, trained and licensed by the government may engage in this kind of activity, Torrez said. There is a very clear and undeniable reason for that. We need to maintain legitimate forms of accountability and legitimate forms of oversight for those individuals who have the responsibility and the power to exercise this kind of force in society. When reached by phone Monday evening, Bryce Provance, founder of NMCG and a defendant in the lawsuit, said he believes the action will lead to an attack on Second Amendment rights. The group is being represented by attorney Paul Kennedy, who could not be reached for comment. Provance said he believes the city is covering their own butts after what happened at Onate. I think this is an attack on the Second Amendment, Provance said. The New Mexico Civil Guard has attorneys that are ready. They can get their attorneys, as well. A rush to judgment In the immediate aftermath of the shooting at the protest seeking the removal of the statue of Onate, a controversial conquistador known for his brutality against the Acoma Pueblo, Albuquerque Police Department officers showed up in riot gear to control and then disperse the crowd. Witnesses were not interviewed and evidence was not collected that night. Instead, the department based its account of the shooting on undercover officers and mobile camera units, which it said had not been close enough to see the events leading up to the confrontation between Baca and 39-year-old Scott Williams. For that reason, the initial complaint did not mention that Baca had been seen pushing protesters to the ground. It did not include that a bystanders video shows him grabbing one woman from behind and throwing her down on the concrete. A couple of days after the melee, DA Torrez announced he had to drop the charge related to the shooting due to flaws in the initial investigation by the Albuquerque Police Department. The case was turned over to the New Mexico State Police and Baca was instead charged with one count of aggravated battery, two counts of misdemeanor battery against other protesters and carrying a firearm without a concealed carry permit. On Monday, Torrez announced his office had amended the charging document once again, and Baca is again charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. One of the battery charges has been dropped. Torrez said the investigation, which included interviews with Williams, other protesters, and the review of multiple videos, determined that Baca had been engaged in violent confrontations with other protesters for 20-30 minutes, leading the demonstrators to repeatedly try to push him out of the crowd. Any individual who would otherwise be able to claim self-defense cannot claim self-defense if he or she initiates a violent confrontation, Torrez said. Its our belief that Mr. Baca was the first aggressor in this context and that the individual that he shot was acting in response to his violent provocation. Torrez said the investigators have determined Williams picked up a skateboard which was not his own as he saw Baca reaching for his gun and he used the skateboard to try to hit the gun out of Bacas hand. There had been several weeks ago some discussion about whether or not this individual, Mr. Williams, was armed with a knife or some other instrument in his hands, Torrez said. We can clearly rule out a knife. We can see in multiple images that it is actually a pair of eyeglasses that this person took off after Mr. Baca started deploying the chemical spray. He also had a vape pen in his other hand. Jason Bowles, Bacas attorney, criticized DA Torrez for charging his client with the same charges that were previously dismissed. That concerns me greatly because it is contrary to what the district attorney previously promised regarding a full, complete and fair investigation, Bowles wrote in a statement. During his press conference today, DA Torrez said the investigation was still not completed. The District Attorneys office got this charge wrong before because of a rush to judgment and it is still wrong. Civil Guard a public nuisance In a complaint for injunctive and declaratory relief filed in 2nd Judicial District Court on Monday, Torrez and other attorneys argued that the New Mexico Civil Guards actions of a coordinated, armed, and uniformed presence at public events results in the intimidation of the public and a chilling effect on the exercise of the First Amendment. NMCGs attempt to operate as a private police or military unit in Bernalillo County is a per se public nuisance that must be abated to protect public safety, allow the free and open use of public forums, and minimize violent armed confrontations, the complaint states. The complaint, which names 14 members of the militia, repeatedly references a recent article by the Albuquerque Journal on the group and its activities. It states that the group whose members include some individuals associated with white supremacist and neo-Confederate organizations is operating as a military unit in violation of the New Mexico constitution, is a public nuisance, and asks the court to declare that the group is in violation of the articles of the constitution when they are providing, without lawful authority, armed protection of persons, businesses, or property at protests, demonstrations, and public gatherings. It states that the NMCG held its first inaugural muster in Albuquerque in March in order to summon, organize, and train the Militia of NM, and has held training sessions throughout the state in which members practice military tactics and techniques with the intent to deploy those techniques at future public gatherings where NMCG anticipates civil disorder. Torrez said this is the first time such action has taken place in New Mexico, and the first time a District Attorney has taken such action in the United States. A similar case unfolded in Charlottesville after the Unite the Right protest in which a counter-protester was killed when she was struck by a car. In that case, the Georgetown Law Schools Institute for Constitutional Advocacy which is assisting Torrezs office scored a major victory and the defendant militia group was prohibited from participating in protests and rallies as unauthorized armed groups, according to the institutes website. Torrez said he has not asked for an emergency injunction to prohibit the NMCG from attending protests while the case is litigated. NM Civil Guard Filed Verified Complaint by Albuquerque Journal on Scribd BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 13 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: As many as 2,349 people have been infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours in Iran, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Trend reports citing the ministry. According to Sadat Lari, 203 more people have died from the coronavirus over the past day. Sadat Lari added that the condition of 3,375 people is critical. The official said that situation was dire in Khuzestan, Razavi Khorasan, West Azerbaijan and Mazandaran provinces. So far, more than 1.99 million tests have been conducted in Iran for the diagnosis of coronavirus. Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 259,600 people have been infected 13,032 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 222,500 have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease. The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. 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. RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazils government on Monday fired an official at the national space agency Inpe whose department is responsible for satellite monitoring of the Amazon rainforest, just three days after the release of June deforestation data reflected a continued increase in degradation. Lubia Vinhas was the general-co-ordinator of Brazilian space agency Inpes Earth Observation Institute, which is an umbrella for divisions that monitor the Amazon and panels to debate climate change with civil society organizations. Its unclear whether the removal of Vinhas from her position was connected to the data. Her subordinate who heads the division directly overseeing satellite monitoring of Amazon deforestation remains employed. Inpe said in a statement posted to its website Monday night that the change was part of a shake-up at the agency to improve synergies. Still, the timing of the dismissal -- coming on the heels of June data -- drew an outcry from environmentalists who claim it may be an echo of a high-profile firing at the same agency last year. President Jair Bolsonaro is a critic of environmentalists and defends fostering more economic development in the Amazon, which many adversaries see as a nod to illegal miners and loggers. Vinhas was picked in 2018 for a four-year but Science and Technology Minister Marcos Pontes decided to remove her after 2 years and 3 months on the job. Inpe said in its statement that Vinhas former department will be merged with others, and she will oversee implementation of a new georeferencing database. Inpe figures published on Friday showed 400 square miles (1,034 square kilometres) of deforestation in the Amazon in June, a new record the month since data started being gathered in 2015. Total deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon from January to June was 1,890 square miles (3,069 square kilometres), up 25% from the same six-month period last year. Outside observers are keeping close tabs on Brazils environmental stewardship just ahead of the so-called burning season, during which landholders use fire to clear brush and forest. That includes asset managers who say they are assessing whether to divest from Brazil and last week spoke with the environment minister and Vice-President Gen. Hamilton Mourao, . Bolsonaro also put the Army in charge of efforts to curb deforestation in May after last years fires pushed destruction to the highest level in 11 years. Yet data from Inpe show that it kept climbing. Marcio Astrini, the executive-secretary of the Brazilian Climate Observatory, a coalition of civil society groups, alleged that the government has previously made clear its desire to intervene in Inpe. The removal of Lubia Vinhas could be an indication that the plan was never abandoned. This is happening as deforestation accelerates, when the administration needs to stop threats of divestment, Astrini said in a statement. Suely Vaz, former head of environment regulator IBAMA, said before the release of the June data that the army isnt using the technical planning and intelligence required, nor are they trained in such methods to stop deforestation. She added that it costs more than $10 million per month for the army to operate in the Amazon -- more than half what IBAMA spends on oversight in a year. Control of deforestation isnt done by sending a lot of inexperienced people to the field, Vaz said. They can help, but the operations need to be conducted by environmental authorities. In the midst of the international outcry over the Amazon fires in August, Bolsonaro accused the then-head of Brazils space research institute, Ricardo Galvao, of manipulating satellite deforestation data in order to undermine his administration. Galvao publicly countered the claims, and was fired. _____ Savarese reported from Sao Paulo. A sessions court on Monday held that the February riots in Delhi appears to be a part of a "deep-rooted conspiracy". Trashing the bail plea of suspended Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain under charges of allegedly murdering IB officer Ankit Sharma, the sessions court was categorical that there were enough primary facie evidence on record to suggest that the riots in North-East area were result of a well thought-out conspiracy. "Riots in the area of North-East Delhi were carried out in an organized manner and as part of deep-rooted conspiracy," said additional sessions judge Vinod Yadav while denying bail to Hussain. The court also noted that Hussain's involvement is being investigated upon with regard to his connection with members of PFI, Pinjratod, Jamia Co-ordination Committee, United Against Hate Group and anti-CAA protesters. It maintained that there is enough material on record to prima-facie establish the presence of Hussain at the spot where the riots took place, and hence the gravity of the crime dis-entitle Hussain from any relief at this stage. The judge took note of a disclosure statement of a co-accused in the case who had stated that Hussain instigated him and others, namely Nazim, Kasim, Sabir and Sameer Khan, to kill Ankit Sharma and throw his dead body into a drain nearby. Further, "the possibility cannot be ruled out that if released on bail at this stage, the applicant will threaten the witnesses," said the court. Refusing the relief to Hussain, the sessions judge also underscored: "At this stage, I find that there is enough material on record to presume that the applicant was very well present at the spot of crime and was exhorting the rioters of a particular community and as such, he did not use his hands and fists, but rioters as human weapons, who on his instigation could have killed anybody." A stronomers have sighted a series of unidentified circles in space, visible only in radio light, using one of the world's most sensitive observatories. The mysterious rings have been dubbed Odd Radio Circles, or ORCs, as they "do not seem to correspond to any known type of object", according to a recent study published by a team led by Western Sydney University astrophysicist Ray Norris. All four ORCs are only visible in radio wavelengths. They are completely invisible in X-ray, optical, or infrared wavelengths. We have discovered, to the best of our knowledge, a new class of radio-astronomical object, consisting of a circular disc, which in some cases is limb-brightened, and sometimes contains a galaxy at its centre, the researchers' study said. The team's study has been posted on the preprint server arXiv. It has not yet been peer-reviewed. Commenting further on the sightings of the ORCs, the scientists added: "None of the known types of radio object seems able to explain it." Three of the four ORCs described by the team were detected by the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope a network of radio antennae located in western Australia. The telescope has been scanning the sky in the radio spectrum as part of efforts to create an Evolutionary Map of the Universe and help scientists better comprehend the development of stars and galaxies. Norris and his team noticed three ORCs in ASKAPs 2019 observations, with each of the circles measures about one arcminute in diameter, which is roughly equivalent to 3 per cent the size of the Moon in the night sky. It remains unclear how far away from Earth they are, which makes it challenging to estimate the actual size of the objects. The unusual appearance of the glowing circles prompted the researchers to consider whether they might be an instrumental glitch, especially since radio imagery often contains errors that look like rounded apparitions, according to the study. But later analysis of archival datasets revealed a fourth ORC was imaged in 2013 by Indias Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope. The fact that the circles show up across multiple telescope datasets makes instrumental error a very improbable explanation, the team said in their study. The team went on to identify several possible identities for the objects, saying they could be the fallout of exploded starts, or "Einstein rings, which are signatures of warped spacetime created by the gravity of massive objects. The researchers also mooted the possibility the ORCs could be the ghosts of highly energetic events that occurred millions of years ago - such as gamma ray bursts or plasma jets spewed out by active galactic cores. We also acknowledge the possibility that the ORCs may represent more than one phenomenon, the team noted, adding that they may have been discovered simultaneously because they match the spatial frequency characteristics of the ASKAP observations, which occupy a part of the observational parameter space which has hitherto been poorly studied. Now, the team plan to continue examining the ORCs to see if they can unveil their secrets and sharpen further our view of space. As a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the ban on gatherings, the Progressive People's Party (PPP) has considered an online virtual convention ahead of the 2020 elections. The decision was taken by the National Committee of the PPP which confirmed that the virtual meeting will be held from the party Head Office in Accra. The Communications Director of the PPP, Paa Kow Ackon, said the party will schedule another date for the election of a presidential candidate as well as parliamentary candidates. The convention will be done via Zoom. We have communicated to our members that the regional and constituency executives should gather at one point and get the event on their laptops and phones so that other members can participate. It is not possible for all party members to converge at one point and exercise their franchise. At the close of nomination, many of the officers who file are definitely going to go unopposed because some decided to throw in the towel, he said. The PPP which was considered the third force in Ghanas democratic space after an impressive electioneering campaign in 2012 and 2016 is hoping to feature prominently in the 2016 elections despite the challenges being faced by the partys founder and 2016 flagbearer, Papa Kwesi Nduom. The collapse of his financial institutions, Black Shield Capital (formerly Goldcoast Fund Management Limited and GN Savings and Loans, formerly GN Bank is believed to have severely impacted him and the party. Bono Region NPP sworn-in Last week, the PPP chairman in the Bono Regio, Lucious Sanfaa admonished new executives and members of the party to work hard to promote the party in the region. Lucious Sanfaa while speaking at Sunyani during the swearing-in of the new regional executives of the party said the PPP should not be an election year political party but should be seen at all times in the region. He said the party has good policies that would cater to the average Ghanaian and therefore admonished the party members to propagate the vision of the party wherever they find themselves. Mr Safaa said so far the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has disappointed Ghanaians though it campaigned on juicy promises in the run-up to the 2016 elections. The NPP in the run-up to the 2016 elections came up with attractive promises but has not been able to fulfill them. In the area of jobs for the unemployed, they brought on NABCO but under this policy, the SSNIT of the beneficiaries are not paid. ---CitinewsRoom This image shows one of the intercepting projectiles careening toward its target of a test Intercontinental Ballistic Missile on March 25, 2019. (Missile Defense Agency) The US Cant Afford to Defund Missile Defense Commentary Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in March, lawmakers have invested trillions of dollars in various efforts to rescue the economy. That has been money well spent. With just about everything shut down, the federal government needed to protect against economic ruin. But the federal government cant ignore its other responsibilities. Part of protecting the economy involves protecting the homeland. This also requires spending money, but its also worth it. In that respect, the summer of 2020 will be crucial. Even as the country deals with the pandemic, lawmakers are debating a massive defense spending bill. It includes some topical features, such as measures to rename certain military bases. But the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) also needs to focus on something important: fully funding missile defenses to keep the country safe. There are many missile defense technologies, but the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program is the only technology thats capable of protecting the homeland from intercontinental missile attack. GMD represents an insurance policy of sorts. Its a last line of defense against potential nuclear attack. As part of the NDAA, Congress needs to fund GMD this year. It simply cant afford to try to save money by not investing in effective missile defenses. GMD is especially effective because its the only defense thats focused on missiles when theyre moving at their slowest speeds, in space. Other systems try to stop missiles when theyre already on the way down and, thus, are moving much more quickly. That means GMD can provide blanket coverage for the entire country even though there are only a few dozen GMD sites in existence. The Pentagon had to scrap the Raytheon-steered Redesigned Kill Vehicle (RKV) that was to replace and update the existing Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV), because of technical problems and cost overruns; therefore, they need to jump-start the manufacturing and testing of a new weapon to stop incoming missiles. The missile defense program has been a success, and its important to continue to update technology to protect the homeland. And while nobody saw COVID-19 coming, everyone realizes that an attack with missiles remains all too possible. This has been obvious for years, in fact. In the late 1990s, North Korea demonstrated significant progress on its nuclear and ballistic missile program, particularly in its ability to strike the U.S. homeland, the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance wrote in 2019. In response to the emerging North Korean threat, the United States announced its intention to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM), which prohibited the deployment of new ballistic missile defense capabilities. It would be madness to reduce funding for GMD now, as the North Korean threat is actually growing worse. Not to mention the threat from Iran, another U.S. enemy thats eager to develop these weapons. We cant afford to be vulnerable. GMD has worked in its various testing phases and has successfully intercepted and destroyed an intercontinental ballistic missile during a live-fire test. Theres no way to know whether it would work against an actual missile attack, but by passing tests it has given us a realistic hope it would succeed. Furthermore, why would an enemy try to attack us knowing we have a defense system in place? The attack would be a suicide mission, because the United States could destroy the attacking weapon, and would be certain to retaliate with overwhelming force. GMD works simply by being in existence. Before COVID-19, the federal government was taking sensible steps to expand GMD. Boeing was awarded a $265.2 million contract modification for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense anti-ballistic missile system, UPI reported in December. The modification increases the total value of the contract to $11.2 billion from a previous value of $10.9 billion. Now, lawmakers need to stay on that trajectory and fully fund our defenses. The GMD system needs more interceptors, better hardware, and ever-more testing. This summer, even as they remain socially distant, lawmakers need to come together and agree to pass an NDAA that supports missile defense. Its an important step in protecting the homeland. Greg Young (USAF-Ret.) is host of the nationally syndicated Chosen Generation radio show. He served as a Russian Linguist in the USAF. For more information, visit ChosenGenerationRadio.com. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Guided by ex-Pak army officials, operating in buddy pairs: Why the Poonch encounter has dragged so much Seeking protection from cops, cop accused of being Vikas Dubeys mole moves SC India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 13: A policeman accused of being Vikas Dubey's mole has sought protection in the Supreme Court. He has apprehended danger from encounter specialists in the UP police, who had killed Vikas Dubey, accused of killing 8 cops. The cop is accused of being Dubey's mole. He is alleged to have tipped off Dubey about the police raid that led to heavy firing by the gangster and his associates, resulting in the death of the police personnel. Sub-inspector K K Sharma and his wife Vinita requested the SC for a CBI probe and also said that they feared for their lives after the killing of Dubey and five of his associates. Vikas Dubey encounter: ED all set to register money laundering case against family, associates After seeing the incidents of encounters of the alleged accused persons in the present FIR (July 3 incident), petitioner is of the confirmed opinion and has full apprehension that her husband may be eliminated by adopting illegal and unconstitutional means, the petition read. Rajasthan political crisis: Congress ready to talk to Sachin Pilot| Oneindia News The incidents of encounters of alleged accused persons named in the FIR fully prove the fact that UP Police have no faith in courts of law and the law of the land and are giving final verdict of punishment by adopting illegal and unconstitutional manners, the petition further stated. Actions of UP Police and its agencies have proven that no accused is safe even in their custody and such incidents of extra-judicial killings of accused persons have eroded the confidence of the accused as well as the general public from the rule of law and the principles enshrined in the Constitution, the petition also said. By Trend Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held phone talks, Trend reports on July 13 referring to Azerbaijans Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mammadyarov informed his Russian colleague about the suppression of an attempt to attack the Armenian Armed Forces on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border in the direction of Azerbaijans Tovuz region, as well as ongoing tension in the region. He pointed out that this provocation of Armenia serves to increasing tension in the region, involving third countries in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, as well as stressed the unacceptability of the attempted use of force by Armenia, and that such provocations will continue to receive worthy responses. Lavrov noted the unacceptability of increasing tension in the region and the importance of taking the situation under control. Starting from noon on July 12, units of the armed forces of Armenia, grossly violating the ceasefire in the direction of Tovuz region along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, opened artillery fire at Azerbaijani positions. Azerbaijan's armed response forced the Armenian army to retreat, suffering losses. Servicemen of the Azerbaijan Army, sergeant Vugar Sadigov and corporal Elshad Mammadov died holding off an Armenian attack. Despite the efforts of Azerbaijani doctors, a badly wounded serviceman of the Azerbaijan Army, soldier Khayyam Dashdamirov has also died. On the night of July 12-13, tensions continued on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border in the Tovuz regions direction. In the night battles involving artillery, mortars and tanks, Azerbaijani military divisions destroyed the stronghold, artillery installations, equipment and manpower of an Armenian military unit. During the battles, the senior lieutenant of the Azerbaijani army, Rashid Mahmudov was killed. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. Late on Friday, April 3, Trump fired Michael Atkinson, the intelligence communitys inspector general. Atkinson had handled the whistleblower complaint that led to Trumps impeachment. Late on Friday, May 1, Trump removed Christi Grimm as the acting inspector general at the Department of Health and Human Services. Grimm had criticized the administrations pandemic response. Late on Friday, May 15, Trump fired Steve Linick, the State Department inspector general. Linick was investigating Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state. Late on Friday, June 19, William Barr, the attorney general, said that Geoffrey Berman, the top prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, had resigned. Bermans office had investigated Trump associates Michael Cohen and Rudy Giuliani. That ouster spilled into a Saturday after Berman refused to go quietly. Barr said Trump had fired Berman. Trump blamed Barr. Either way, Berman was out. Late last Friday, July 10, Trump outdid all those previous Fridays when he commuted the prison sentence of Roger Stone, his disgraced consigliere. Stone, who passed information about WikiLeaks to Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, was indicted as a result of the Mueller probe and eventually convicted on counts including obstruction of Congress, lying under oath, and witness tampering. (At one point, he allegedly threatened a witnesss therapy dog.) Earlier this yearafter the Justice Department (shockingly) overruled the harsher recommendations of its prosecutorsStone was sentenced to forty months in prison. He was due to report tomorrow. In recent weeks, he asked a judge to delay his sentence, citing unspecified medical conditions and the heightened risk of contracting covid-19 in prison. The judge said no, but then Trump intervened, and now Stone will not serve any jail time at all. From our new magazine: YouTubes Psychic Wounds The commutation, reporters agreed, looked like another classic Friday-night news dump. If it is late on a Friday night in the late stages of the Donald Trump administration, MSNBCs Rachel Maddow said on air, then yes, you guessed it: weve just had a new adventure in the decline and fall of the rule of law. Using Friday night to bury bad news is a long-standing tactic of the transparency-averse. Researchers once calculated that Bill Clintons EPA was a particularly prolific offender; in 2014, National Journal ran down the eight biggest news dumps of the summer, with the resignation of Mitch McConnells campaign manager topping the list. (These were quieter times.) Trumps use of the tactic long predates the incidents I outlined above. As the Washington Posts Paul Farhi noted over the weekend, it was Friday when the president announced his first Muslim ban, published a catastrophic climate report, and sacked Mick Mulvaney as chief of staff. On a single Friday night in 2017, Trump formalized his ban on trans people in the military, pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and ousted Sebastian Gorkaall as Hurricane Harvey barreled toward Texas. Often, the Friday-night treatment has failed to diminish journalistic and public interest in Trumps misdeeds. Sometimes, it seems actively to have increased interest. As I wrote at the time, the 2018 climate reportwhich was doubly dumped given that the Friday in question fell over the Thanksgiving holidaywon a greater share of available media attention than it may have in a normal week. At least 140 papers nationally put the story on their front page the following Saturday morning. More recently, Barrs ousting of Berman drove a weekend-long news cycle and was ideal fodder for the widely watched, agenda-setting Sunday morning shows. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The same appears to have been true of this weekends Stone story. As soon as it broke, pundits chewed it over on air; asked for his reaction, Jeffrey Toobin, a legal analyst on CNN, replied with the three words that sum up the Trump presidency: shocking but not surprising. I guess thats four words. Toobin subsequently wrote a column for The New Yorker accusing Trump of worse misconduct than Richard Nixon ever managed. His was far from the only Nixon comparison that went around. Delving deeper into history, Max Boot, a conservative columnist at the Post, wrote that Trump is substantially worse than Americas previous worst president, James Buchanan; on Meet the Press, George Will threw Andrew Johnson into that equation, and suggested that Trump may be worse than him, too. Even Muellera man who may best be described as Extremely Offlineweighed in, via a rare op-ed in the Post. The Russia investigation was of paramount importance, Mueller wrote. Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes. He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so. In the age of the twenty-four-hour news cycle, the concept of the Friday-night news dump feels like a relic. Thats especially true in the age of Trump, which is so frenetic that it has made time an illusion, weekends doubly so. The news cycle is so relentless these days that a story can break in the middle of a weekday, or it can break on a Friday nightand the result is the same. These are huge stories for one or two days, but then theyre displaced by other huge stories, Bill Grueskin, a professor at Columbia Journalism School (and CJR contributor), told me in an email yesterday. Since the pandemic and the mass protests that followed the killing of George Floyd, it seems like the White House doesnt really control the news cycles as much anymore, Grueskin added. The Trump administration many days is being swept along with the rest of us. Grueskin is right to note that under Trump, the most reliable way to bury bad news isnt timing, but the generation of more bad news. Often, Trump does this overtly and shamelessly. So why does his administration persist with the secretive Friday-night tactic? It could be a legacy of Trumps close relations with New York media in the pre-digital age. Oras with so much of this administrations media strategyit could simply be trolling. As Serena Golden, an editor in the Posts (now Mueller-endorsed) opinion section, tweeted over the weekend, Friday night news dumps arent really that great for burying stories in the digital age, but they are still effective at causing journalists a lot of personal unhappiness, which some might see as a plus. Below, more on Stone and Trump: Other notable stories: Related: The mystery of Tucker Carlson Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. PULLMAN, Wash. - The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has a likely connection to bats, and the next viral outbreak probably will too, unless scientists can quickly learn more about the thousands of viruses carried by one of the most diverse mammals on the planet. Evidence already links different bat species to human outbreaks of SARS, MERS, some Ebola viruses as well as the Marbug, Hendra, Sosuga and Nipah viruses. Beyond these connections, there is very little known, and a recent article in Nature Reviews Microbiology calls for more research into bats' molecular biology and their ecology, to help predict, and hopefully prevent, the next pandemic. "The more researchers have looked, the more we've found that a lot of these emerging pathogens, at one point or another, originated in bats," said Michael Letko, the lead author and an assistant professor of molecular virology at Washington State University's Paul G. Allen School of Global Animal Health. "Over time, we have accumulated a lot of information about some of the species of bats and some of the viruses they carry, but there are still these huge glaring holes in our knowledge." With more than 1,400 species, bats represent an extremely diverse mammalian order, second only to rodents, which are also known viral hosts. However, unlike rats and mice, bats are not great lab animals. Simply keeping flying animals in labs is difficult. Also, most of the mammalian cell lines developed for research came from other animals and cannot be used to study viruses found in bats. This knowledge gap is dangerous as the current pandemic shows. Bats are found almost everywhere scientists have looked, and with expanding human encroachment on their habitat, viral infection is almost inevitable, Letko said. "We are coming into more contact with animal species around us in general, and then we find out these species are loaded with viruses," he said. "The COVID-19 pandemic is unfortunate, but it's not surprising. We roll the dice for 20 years not doing anything to reduce contact with these animals. It was more or less a matter of time before something like this was going to happen." In the paper, Letko, and his co-authors including WSU assistant professor Stephanie Seifert and Vincent Munster from Rocky Mountain Laboratories, outline ways to decrease the odds of the next pandemic by increasing research into bats on the smallest, molecular level and on the broader macro-level of the environment. While many pathogens have been identified, the authors point out the need to move beyond discovery and use the latest genetic technologies to better understand how viruses can be transmitted. This knowledge can increase the ability to develop medicines quickly after a pathogen has been found--or even better, create vaccines to protect against whole virus groups before they emerge. Letko has already taken a step in this direction. Before the current crisis, he built a platform using synthetic coronavirus particles to test which were most likely to infect human cells. When the current pandemic began, Letko tested the SARS-Cov-2 genome as soon as the sequence was available and quickly identified the likely receptor on human cells. That study, published in Nature Microbiology on Feb. 24, was one of the first to provide functional laboratory data on the new virus, providing researchers with necessary information and tools to help determine which existing drugs might work against SARS-Cov-2 and start development on new ones as well as test various aspects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy. Letko is setting up his lab at WSU to continue this work, providing initial screening of bat-borne viruses to help identify those that are most likely to be transmitted to humans. Beyond the lab, Letko and his colleagues point to the need for better understanding of bat ecology which can lead to solutions that are relatively simple to implement. The researchers cite examples such as the effort to vaccinate horses in Australia to stop the Hendra virus which was spreading from fruit bats to horses and then potentially on to humans. Another intervention in Bangladesh involved simply putting lids on palm sap containers to keep bats out and prevent human outbreaks of Nipah virus. "Sometimes, you don't need vaccines or drugs. It's just a behavioral change that helps mitigate and reduce the contact between people and the animals," Letko said. "These are some of the kinds of interventions that we can take once we begin to understand what these viruses actually do." ### A new executive order by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer requiring business to enforce the wearing of masks at indoor public places is not seen as a one-size-fits-all issue, say law enforcement and businesses across the state. Beginning Monday, July 13, Executive Order 2020-147 requires businesses to refuse entry to those not wearing masks, unless they fall under exemptions in the law. I, Sheriff Mosciski have had many calls and questions regarding the new Governors Order making not wearing a mask in... Posted by Arenac County Sheriff's Department on Monday, July 13, 2020 A staff member displays samples of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccine at Sinovac Biotech Ltd., in Beijing, capital of China, March 16, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) "This virus lived in animals and at some point passed to humans," Vujnovic said. MOSCOW, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The novel coronavirus could have existed in a dormant state long before its outbreak, Melita Vujnovic, the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) to Russia, has said. "WHO has established a large team that will work together with Chinese scientists to analyze the origin of the virus," Vujnovic said in a recent interview with RIA Novosti news agency. "This virus lived in animals and at some point passed to humans. It's hard to say when and where this happened. It's being investigated. Viruses can be found in waste water. But nothing can be said specifically," she said. The novel coronavirus has existed worldwide and broke out whenever and wherever favorable conditions occurred rather than starting in China, Tom Jefferson, senior associate tutor at the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxford and a visiting professor at Newcastle University, said earlier this month. Spanish virologists have discovered traces of the novel coronavirus in a sample of Barcelona waste water collected in March 2019, nine months prior to the virus outbreak in China. According to the Italian National Institute of Health, samples of sewage water from Milan and Turin showed traces of the novel coronavirus on Dec. 18, long before the country's first confirmed cases. Vujnovic said that scientists are studying these samples and if there is any "revolutionary result," the WHO will immediately announce it. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Giulia Paravicini (Reuters) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Mon, July 13, 2020 19:00 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665fb764 2 World coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-death-toll,burial,COVID-19-protocol,Africa,African-nations Free Long after the funding for his project was frozen, Bilal Endris has kept a lonely watch over cemeteries in Ethiopia's capital by slipping cash to gravediggers to alert his team to any sudden spikes in burials. In a nation where fewer than 2% of deaths are registered, an increase in burials may be one of the first signs that a killer disease is on the loose. The program was set up to monitor deaths related to HIV/AIDS a decade ago. Now doctor Bilal monitors for a spike in fatalities linked to COVID-19. He has yet to see one, but projects like his are being set up in other African countries where many deaths go unrecorded, making it hard to assess the scale of a disease. In some cases, nations are dusting off programs set up during Ebola outbreaks. Bilal himself has secured additional funding to restore the program to all 73 of Addis Ababa's cemeteries from just 10 now. Only eight countries in Africa - Algeria, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Egypt, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, and South Africa - record more than 75% of deaths, according to the United Nations. In other regions, where official data is readily available, researchers have used the number of deaths from all causes that exceed the average for the time of year to help gauge the number linked to the coronavirus pandemic. "In Ethiopia and everywhere across Africa ... we go blind." Bilal told Reuters. "I wanted to turn the health care system into one based on evidence." In the capital Addis Ababa, less than 20% of deaths occur in hospitals, Bilal said, so monitoring deaths requires talking to community leaders and burial grounds. In Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, media reports citing gravediggers alerted authorities to an undetected COVID-19 outbreak in the northern city of Kano in April, when deaths surged from a daily average of 11 to 43. Counting the dead Bilal's project began tracking burials at all graveyards in Addis Ababa a decade ago. But in 2018, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) froze its funding, as the country had started using other methods to track HIV mortality, according to a CDC spokeswoman. Bilal scaled back his surveillance to 10 cemeteries and began working for free, paying sources with a tiny grant from Addis Ababa University - until May. City officials called him for a meeting, desperate to know whether COVID-19 was cutting swathes through their city, he said. The Ministry of Health did not respond to requests for comment. Although official figures are still low - 7,650 confirmed cases and 127 deaths as of Sunday night - Ethiopia's outbreak is accelerating. The university has now given Bilal enough support to restart the program in all 73 graveyards. "It used to be funded by the CDC but now it is funded by Addis Ababa University as everyone, including the government, thinks the program is very important," said Dr Wondwossen Amogne, an associate professor in infectious diseases at Addis Ababa University and director of research at the university's Black Lion Hospital. Health minister Lia Tadesse confirmed the study was being used by the government to monitor any spikes in death. As a separate initiative, New York-based public health initiative Resolve to Save Lives is working with five other African nations to set up similar programs, including Rwanda and Senegal. The other three don't want to be named. They will establish the usual death rate by interviewing community leaders, then watch for spikes. Deciding whether any excess deaths are due to COVID-19 could be tricky, however. People with other diseases are avoiding hospitals for fear of catching the virus, health officials say. The UK could see internet "outages" if it moves too quickly ripping Huawei from its 5G network, BT's boss has warned. Philip Jansen, chief executive of the telecoms giant, said the industry would need at least five years - and ideally seven - to extract the Chinese firm from its infrastructure if ordered by the government to do so. If we get in a situation where things need to go very fast, then we go into a situation where service for 24 million BT Group mobile customers is put into question - outages would be possible," Mr Jansen told the BBC's Today programme. Boris Johnson is due to decide this week whether to impose tougher restrictions on Huawei, after intense pressure from the US to ban it from Western 5G networks. The prime minister in January defied US president Donald Trump when he granted Huawei a limited role in the 5G network, but the perception that China did not tell the whole truth over the coronavirus crisis and a row over Hong Kong has changed the political mood in London. We always, at BT and in our discussions with GCHQ, we always take the (view) that security is paramount; it is our number-one priority," Mr Jansen said. But we need to make sure that any change of direction doesn't lead to more risk in the short-term - I think that's where the detail really matters." He added: "The security and safety in the short-term could be put at risk - this is really critical here. If you are not able to buy or transact with Huawei that would mean you wouldn't be able to get software upgrades if you take it to its specificity. US moves to cut Huawei off from global chip suppliers In what some have compared to the Cold War antagonism with the Soviet Union, the US is worried that 5G dominance is a milestone towards Chinese technological supremacy that could define geopolitics for the 21st century. Washington says Huawei is an agent of the Chinese Communist Party and cannot be trusted. Huawei, the world's biggest producer of telecoms equipment, has said the US wants to frustrate its growth because no US company could offer the same range of technology at a competitive price. Additional reporting by Reuters Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci testifies before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the Trump Administration's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, June 23, 2020. Kevin Dietsch | Pool via Reuters White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said the United States is seeing a surge in new Covid-19 infections because the country never shut down entirely. Early in the outbreak, U.S. coronavirus cases peaked at around 30,000 new cases a day before falling and plateauing at roughly 20,000 new cases per day, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. As some states began to reopen in late April through June, new cases began to surge, Fauci told Stanford Medicine Dean Dr. Lloyd Minor during an interview. "We did not shut down entirely," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said. "We need to draw back a few yards and say, 'OK, we can't stay shut down forever.' ...You've got to shut down but then you've got to gradually open." The U.S. has reported more than 3.3 million Covid-19 cases and at least 135,205 deaths as of Monday, Johns Hopkins data shows. As of Sunday, cases are growing by 5% or more in 37 states and also Washington, D.C., according to CNBC's analysis of the data. The seven-day average of U.S. cases is more than 59,100. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump and some state leaders have downplayed the threat of the virus, tying the surge in new cases to an increase in testing. However, public health officials and infectious disease experts dispute those claims, saying the rate of cases that test positive in the U.S., hospitalizations and deaths remain high in some states. Fauci said Monday that the outbreak in the U.S. hasn't "even begun to see the end" of the coronavirus pandemic yet as scientists continue to work on potential drugs and vaccines for the virus. He said he's "cautiously optimistic" scientists will be able to create at least one safe and effective vaccine by the end of the year or early 2021. Biotech firm Moderna, which is working with the National Institutes of Health, and Johnson & Johnson are expected to begin late-stage human trials for potential vaccines by the end of this month. It's a record-breaking time frame to produce a vaccine even as scientists say there is no guarantee the vaccines will be effective. Fauci also said he expects the public to compare the Covid-19 pandemic to the 1918 pandemic flu, which killed around 50 million people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He mentioned the "extreme" range of symptoms people can experience after contracting the virus, including pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome. PMIS is a rare inflammatory condition found in children with Covid-19 that's similar to Kawasaki syndrome and has caused neurological damage in some kids. "We learn things every week," he said. The comments by Fauci come as the rift between Trump and the nation's top infectious disease expert widens. Just last week, the president, who has previously said the pandemic was nearing its end, criticized Fauci's response to it. During an interview Thursday with Fox News' Sean Hannity, Trump said, "Dr. Fauci's a nice man, but he's made a lot of mistakes. The children's rights organisation Save the Children warns of a global Education crisis through the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a Monday report published by the organization until the end of the year almost ten million children could be excluded forever from the class. Particularly, this concerns will, therefore, girls in poorer countries or regions of conflict, the due to the school closures, and economic problems, in child labour or early marriages are forced. Save the Children is calling for governments and donors to invest more in the education of children. The lender should give the poorest countries a postponement of the debt repayment. According to the report, "Save Our Education" ("Secures our education") in the absence of the poorest countries in the next 18 months due to the global recession, the equivalent of a minimum of 68 billion euros for educational expenditure. In the worst case, could increase the gap until the end of 2021 to 170 billion Euro, if, for example, money from the education budgets in the fight against Covid-19 will be diverted. A billion children do not go to school Before the pandemic 258 million children and adolescents were not, according to the report of school worldwide. Through the global school closures it were, in the meantime, 1.6 billion, currently the number is around a billion. in the face of around 9.7 million children who do not return according to the analysis for the school, appealed to the Chairman of the Board of Save the Children Germany, Susanna Kruger, governments around the world. This would need to urgently invest in education, instead of reducing education budgets and increasing the gap between rich and poor, between girls and boys. "The children who are already at a disadvantage the most, suffer the greatest setbacks, because you do not have access to distance learning or other types of education," says Kruger. Updated Date: 13 July 2020, 02:19 GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- The Flint and Genesee Chamber of Commerce announced 144 small businesses have been awarded grants totaling $570,000 through the Restart Flint and Genesee Grant Program. The grants, ranging from $1,000 to a maximum of $5,000, were awarded to small businesses from a variety of sectors, including barber shops, salons, retail, construction, landscaping, bars, restaurants and non-critical manufacturing, according to a news release. The funds must be used to cover expenses directly associated with activities and purchases to reopen a business under guidelines and requirements for social distancing and safety of clients and customers. Grant dollars will help businesses cover expenses to meet the reopening requirements set by Gov. Gretchen Whitmers executive order, Chamber CEO Tim Herman said. This includes purchasing things like personal protective equipment, cleaning and disinfecting products or new systems to support online and carryout purchases. Small businesses are critical to the health of our local economy and we need to do whats necessary to help as many as possible to stay open, he said. The program received 538 applications, with 170 from businesses located in Flint and 368 from various out-county communities, including Burton, Davison, Fenton, Flushing, Goodrich, Grand Blanc, Montrose and Swartz Creek. Review committees comprised of business and community leaders in Flint and Genesee County evaluated the applications and selected the recipients. The program is supported in partnership with Consumers Energy, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Ruth Mott Foundation and JP Morgan Chase. The grants are provided through the Restart Flint and Genesee program. Restart Flint and Genesee also focuses attention on the needs of Black-owned businesses, the release states. As African Americans have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic, the Black-owned business community has been hit hard, too. Recognizing that the Black community has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and Ruth Mott foundation designated $350,000 in total to assist Black-owned businesses in Flint Given the economic distress that small businesses in Flint & Genesee have suffered over the past three months, we knew that many would need help once it was time to reopen, particularly with expenses that would be incurred to safely bring back their employees and customers, Herman said. These grants should be helpful. Read more: Search database of black-owned businesses in Michigan Want your Black-owned business included in our database? Fill out this form Local Eats: Edible cookie dough cafe and bakery opens in Flint area Local Eats: Delicious dishes from all over Michigan New Flint bookstore will strive to be hub for Black authors Local Eats: Flint entrepreneur launches 810 Taco seasoning business Meanwhile, the Maryinka entry and exit checkpoint remains closed. Ukraine's State Border Guard Service says Russia's occupying forces in Donbas have reopened a checkpoint on the Donetsk-Mariupol road corridor. "As of 12:00 Kyiv time, border guards registered about 100 people and seven vehicles in the direction through the Novotroyitske entry and exit checkpoint toward the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. Some 38 people and eight cars arrived from the temporarily occupied territory to enter the Ukrainian-controlled territory," the border guards said. Read alsoAll travelers stuck in neutral zone at Donbas checkpoint to undergo observation in designated locations At the same time, 710 people crossed the contact line through the Stanytsia Luhanska entry and exit checkpoint on foot, including 229 people heading to the temporarily occupied territory and 481 to the Ukrainian-controlled territory. Border guards together with human rights organizations explain to civilians the risks of traveling across the contact line, and warn of possible refusing entry into the occupied area. "In case of a refusal to cross [the contact line], it is dangerous to remain in the gray zone over possible enemy shelling, therefore, it is necessary to immediately return to the Ukrainian-controlled territory," it said. Meanwhile, passage through the Maryinka entry and exit checkpoint is blocked by Russia-controlled de-facto authorities. ORLANDO, Fla., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Commercial Restoration Network, LLC, announced today that it has completed the acquisition rights to officially acquire the Florida-based consulting firm, Diamond Property Claims, LLC. About Commercial Restoration Network, LLC. Commercial Restoration Network (CRN) is a commercial consulting firm and an exclusive large loss vendor network for property claims. Commercial Restoration Network is headquartered in Orlando, FL and they currently operate in the Continental United States. Their mission is to create a new gold standard for handling large loss property claims by creating a strong working relationship between the Carrier, the Policyholder and the Contractor. This network has and will continue to provide the best client experience possible, for the claims process to move efficiently, for the Contractor to be profitable and for the Carrier to approve the loss in a timely manner. To learn more, please visit their website at www.crnpros.com . About Diamond Property Claims, LLC Diamond Property Claims (DPC) is an exclusive large loss consulting firm which operates in the Midwest, the Northeast and the Southeastern United States. Diamond Property Claims currently consults with many Fortune 500 corporations, business owners, property management firms and private investors. With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, Diamond Property Claims has set the bar extremely high for a positive client experience when handling large loss property claims. Media Contact Jason Burg (407) 674-8819 [email protected] SOURCE Commercial Restoration Network Related Links https://crnpros.com Imperial Valley News Center President Donald J. Trump Is Strengthening Efforts To Combat Drug Trafficking And Protect Our Communities Washington, DC - "As governments and nations focus on the coronavirus, theres a growing threat that cartels, criminals, terrorists, and other malign actors will try to exploit the situation for their own gain. And we must not let that happen." ~ President Donald J. Trump PROTECTING AMERICANS: President Donald J. Trump is working to protect Americans from the scourge of traffickers who bring deadly drugs to our shores and into our communities. Earlier this year, President Trump directed his Administration to begin conducting enhanced counternarcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere. This effort is combating the growing threat of narco-terrorists, traffickers, cartels, and criminals exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to funnel deadly drugs into America. To conduct these operations, President Trump directed the deployment of additional ships, aircraft, and security forces to assist in the mission. At the Presidents direction, the Secretary of Defense later ordered units of the Selected Reserve into active duty to support forces already engaged in this mission. These military deployments in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific will continue to counter the threat posed by illegal narcotics trafficking and criminal groups. STEMMING THE FLOW OF ILLICIT DRUGS: The Presidents enhanced counternarcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere are helping to cut off the flow of illicit drugs into America. The United States is working to disrupt the flow of deadly drugs into America from transnational criminal organizations and traffickers, including those tied to the illegitimate Maduro regime in Venezuela. For years, these traffickers have flooded the United States with drugs that threaten the safety and security of all Americans. The United States, along with the 22 partner nations that have joined the fight, have increased surveillance aircraft by 75% and ships by 65% over previous years. Since our enhanced counternarcotics efforts were launched, the United States and international partners have seized more than 120 metric tons of narcotics worth billions of dollars and made more than 1,000 arrests. COMBATING THE DRUG EPIDEMIC: Deadly drug supplies have decimated communities across the country, costing precious American lives. A day before her 35th birthday, state Sen. Jessica Ramos hosted a Zoom fundraiser to celebrate. Although she advertised it on her Twitter feed, the video call was populated mostly by friends and colleagues shooting (the) shit, as Ramos said at one point during the Zoom party, sharing stories about the woman of the hour. Ramos had expected to get roasted by her colleagues and there was a little roasting, notably from state Sen. John Liu, a fellow freshman from Queens. But by and large, her colleagues spoke sincerely and painted a picture of a person unafraid of a fight. She is a whirl of energy and just powerful messaging, state Sen. Brian Benjamin said near the start of the Zoom party. And every time she gets up to speak, Republicans start to moan and groan because they know shes gonna bring that heat. Liu shared a similar sentiment. When she doesnt like what somebody is saying, Republican or Democrat, I start seeing the twitches, Liu said. Jessica Ramos: Dont get on her bad side. That is ... freakin true, state Sen. Gustavo Rivera chimed in. Among friends and colleagues, Ramos is known for her candor and no-nonsense attitude. As Parkside Group partner and longtime Ramos ally Evan Stavisky put it to City & State, She doesnt just have a low tolerance for bullshit, she has a low tolerance for incompetence as well. If youre trying to convince her of something, youd better be prepared. Upon first meeting her, some may find that quality a little abrasive. Former New York City Council Member Rafael Espinal Jr. joked during her party that at first he thought she didnt like him. Did you say anything stupid to me? she quipped back. But to her allies, it has helped make her an effective legislator. I find it incredibly, incredibly refreshing, Working Families Party National Political Organizer Tiffany Caban told City & State. I think one of the reasons we vibe so well is that she is no bullshit and we can just straight-up talk about it. Caban said Ramos is her homie, a term she said she doesnt use for just anyone. During her first term as a state senator, Ramos has cemented herself as an outspoken progressive, and her reputation for blunt honesty is a key part of that image. Unlike some other freshmen who toppled incumbents, however, she has followed a more conventional political career trajectory. She served on her community board and as a district leader, joined a political club and worked in government before running for office. For most of her career prior to holding office, she was a communications professional crafting political messaging for others, preparing her to eventually craft her own political image. But Ramos history is also more complicated than just a young politico working her way up the ladder. She has defied the county party more than once not just when she ran for state Senate. She worked for over a decade in communications, mostly for labor unions, making her uniquely prepared to get information out smoothly to constituents. With a mix of progressive credentials, establishment roots and public relations skills, state Sen. Jessica Ramos embodies many of the crosscurrents in Queens politics, but she doesnt fit into any one mold of a New York politician. Every time she gets up to speak, Republicans start to moan and groan because they know shes gonna bring that heat. state Sen. Brian Benjamin Ramos has a long history of civic engagement in her community thanks in part to her parents, both undocumented Colombian immigrants who became activists in Western Queens. At age 15, she was quoted in a New York Times article as a participant in anti-police brutality protests following the 2000 acquittal of the officers involved in Amadou Diallos shooting death. But Ramos officially got her start in politics in 2006 working for then-City Council Member Hiram Monserrate. She dropped out of college at Hofstra University, abandoning plans to be a corporate lawyer, to work in his office after getting involved in union organizing on campus. Monserrate, now a polarizing figure due to domestic violence and public corruption convictions, was involved in Ramos campus labor activism, and Ramos was invited to work for him. She said that at the time, he was fairly progressive he was the first to introduce legislation for municipal IDs and that he made history as the first Latino elected official from Queens, despite his now tarnished reputation. It was a very big learning experience for me, Ramos, who now denounces Monserrate, said. It really opened my eyes into the legislative process, and also how to work with other offices to get things done. Soon after Ramos went to work for Monserrate, she joined the Queens County Young Democrats, which at the time was led by future City Council Member Costa Constantinides, then just a council staffer himself. It was a time when the group was trying to rebuild, expand and reestablish its influence in Queens politics. Sure, we worked within the confines (of the county party) to a degree, but we also pushed them to be better, Alexis Confer, who befriended Ramos through Queens County Young Democrats when the two were in their 20s, told City & State. That was like the whole point of what we were doing. Ramos left Monserrates office in mid-2008, months before he was charged with assault, in part due to low pay and because of concerns she was beginning to have about conduct in the office. (Monserrate was later convicted on corruption charges from his time in the City Council.) She took a communications and editing job with Social Service Employees Union Local 371, the first of several labor union jobs she would have before joining the state Senate, where she would become chair of the Labor Committee. Two years after leaving Monserrates office, Ramos told county Democratic leaders she wanted to run against longtime District Leader Helen Sears, a former City Council member who was considering a state Senate run on the Republican line in an upcoming special election. But Sears remained a Democratic district leader with the partys support. They kind of laughed in my face, Ramos recalled to City & State. Later in the year, Ramos had the opportunity to run for an open district leader seat in the 39th Assembly District when someone retired. (She had recently moved about nine blocks to the west, placing her within that district as opposed to Sears.) With the county partys blessing, she won the seat. Colombians had never had an elected official, Ramos said. It was really about making sure that representation was reflective of the actual demographics of our community. She joined New Visions Democratic Club, a progressive Queens political club. Things changed for Ramos in 2014 when she bucked the party. This wasnt necessarily new, nor would it be the last time. She tangled a bit with the local organization, because she always had a very clear agenda of what she thought was right, Stavisky said. In this case, Ramos decided she would support then-Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito for council speaker, the progressive choice in the race, rather than Council Member Daniel Garodnick, whom the county organization supported. Ramos said she supported Mark-Viverito because of her progressive values, but also because of the historic nature of her soon-to-be tenure Mark-Viverito was the first Latina to hold the powerful position of council speaker. Ramos joined fellow Queens progressives then-Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland and Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer. But while Ferreras-Copeland and Van Bramer received choice committee chairs from Mark-Viverito after she won, Ramos lost the backing of county leaders for her reelection, and then lost her district leader seat. It certainly cemented my political self, Ramos said. I felt proud of my decision because I knew I did the right thing. And thats the type of person I want to be. Running for reelection without party support also gave her the experience of petitioning on her own and putting together an operation even though she lost. That experience would come in handy four years later when Ramos decided to once again challenge the county organization by running against then-state Sen. Jose Peralta who had belonged to the Independent Democratic Conference, which shared power with state Senate Republicans. Shortly before that run for office, Ramos left the union world to work in the administration of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Initially, she worked as the communications adviser to then-Deputy Mayor Richard Buery in 2016. She was involved with all of Buerys initiatives, notably Pre-K for All, which rolled out a year earlier, and the start of ThriveNYC. I think Jessica, shes a good storyteller, Confer, who was Buerys chief of staff and recruited Ramos, said. Its not always about the sound bite; its about how you can make it accessible to people. After 10 months with Buery, Ramos was brought on to de Blasios immediate press team as his first director of Latino media, where she ran the administrations outreach to an array of other ethnic media in the city. Ramos left the mayors office at the end of 2017 in preparation for her run for state Senate. She said her work with ethnic media serves her well now as she represents one of the most diverse areas in the entire country. Dont get on her bad side. state Sen. John Liu Although Ramos held some traditional political and governmental roles leading up to her time as a lawmaker, the way she actually entered office was a bit atypical. President Donald Trump had been elected two years before her 2018 run, which energized Democratic voters to engage in politics. Loyal Democrats in New York became enraged that the Independent Democratic Conference shared power with the GOP instead of caucusing with their own party. Peralta who represented the largely working-class, immigrant communities of Jackson Heights, Corona and East Elmhurst was one of those IDC members, having joined in 2017. He faced staunch backlash from his community at the first town hall he held after joining the breakaway conference. Ramos was one of his constituents in attendance that day, and it would eventually lead to her challenge. Other Democrats in the past had tried and failed to gain enough traction to unseat IDC members. And after the conference disbanded in April 2018, months before the primaries, the prospect seemed even more difficult officially, the state Senate and Democratic Party leaders across the state were expected to back the incumbents. But in the end, six of the eight IDC challengers declared victory on primary day in September. State Sen. Michael Gianaris played a role in unseating those former IDC members behind the scenes, quietly recruiting strong candidates to take them on. He remembers exactly where he first met with Ramos to discuss the prospect of her candidacy: Bareburger on 31st Avenue in Astoria. She expressed a great enthusiasm for it and basically came in didnt require a lot of recruiting, Gianaris said. At the time, other people were talking to some established officials, council people, et cetera, but she took the bull by the horns and made it happen. Like the other insurgents who did not have the institutional support to aid their campaigns, Ramos was in part propelled by grassroots progressive organizations like True Blue NY and No IDC NY. But Gianaris considered her background in politics and government, combined with her work in union organizing, invaluable. In her role as a legislator, she has enough experience to know how government works, but was never a big enough part of the institution to be kind of reluctant to make aggressive moves, Gianaris said. Shes first and foremost an activist trying to bring change, but also has enough knowledge of how to use the levers of power to do that. Still, the experience sets her apart from many prominent progressive challengers recently, notably those backed by the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, who often have little experience in local politics or government before running for office. Tiffany Caban was one such DSA candidate when she ran for Queens district attorney in 2019. A young former public defender, she threw her hat into the ring to replace Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, running to completely reshape the office in a progressive, restorative justice model. How Caban ultimately entered the political arena is very different from Ramos, who was one of Cabans early supporters, but that hasnt prevented the pair from being homies. We think about movement work very similarly, in the sense that it doesn't really matter what the labels are or who the folks are, but if we are rooted in the same theories of change, Caban said. She added that there are a million ways for people to get civically engaged, and coming up in a more traditional sense is just one of them. Its somewhat reminiscent of what Confer said about rebuilding the Queens County Young Democrats years ago working within the party while pushing it to be better. Despite their ideological similarities, Caban isnt trying to get Ramos to join the DSA. And Ramos has no interest in becoming a member either. No, thank you, Ramos said bluntly when asked about it. I think that remaining independent has allowed me to stay limber, and be able to adapt to different working groups, depending on the issue at hand. While county Democratic organizations have long gotten a bad rap from progressives, Ramos is wary to a degree of any particular group that may wind up with outsized influence. There will always be a group of people that are in charge, Ramos said. Machines are so funny, because, often, people are just upset they are not the machine. When others might be more interested in being polite, shes more interested in telling people what she believes. state Sen. Michael Gianaris When her landmark Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act passed in the state Senate in 2019, after hours of debate from reticent Republicans, Ramos thanked a variety of people for their support. Notably, she thanked two Republican state senators Michael Ranzenhofer, who had questioned her for about 35 minutes on the bill, for being the only Republican to invite her into his district while she toured the state for input on the legislation, and Phil Boyle, for being the only GOP member to attend a hearing on the bill. That really did, I think, make a difference, Ramos said during her floor speech. Ramos prides herself on her independence, and she feels its one of the things that allows her to work with anyone and everyone necessary to help her constituency, whether thats the Queens Democratic Party, the DSA or even Republicans. She has ... very savvy ways of building coalitions to accomplish her goals, even if its with people she would not otherwise agree with, Stavisky said. If youre willing to work with her to address the challenges and the problems that she sees in her community, in her borough, in the city and in the state, then shes a great ally. If youre an impediment to that, then, you know, watch out. Back in 2019, Ramos was one of three state legislators (the others being her former roommates state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi and Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou) to denounce Gov. Andrew Cuomos high-dollar fundraising practices during budget season. The decision got the attention of Cuomos bulldog spokesman Rich Azzopardi, who made headlines for calling the trio fucking idiots. Later that year, Ramos admonished Cuomo for his spat with the Working Families Party. Azzopardi declined to comment, either about his own relationship with Ramos or how the executive branch works with her more broadly. More recently, Ramos publicly expressed her anger with Assembly Member Catalina Cruz for sharing what turned out to be a false tip about a loot out planned for early June in Corona, which brought increased police presence to the neighborhood. Cruz did not respond to a request for an interview. Typically what happens behind closed doors when were in conference with our colleagues, her blunt voice stands out in that context, Gianaris said. When others might be more interested in being polite, shes more interested in telling people what she believes and what she thinks is important. And Ramos hasnt always stayed in peoples good graces. Her comment about Cuomo and the WFP reportedly got under the governors skin and interfered with negotiations on Ramos e-bike and e-scooter legalization bill, which he ultimately vetoed over what he said was a lack of safety measures. Both parties denied allegations of political tension. About a month after the veto, though, Cuomo introduced language closely mirroring Ramos proposal, with some tweaks, as part of the 2020 budget, which did pass. My team and I are in regular contact with his team and Ive met with him twice. He even gave me his big ship octopus poster autographed! Ramos said in a text when asked about her working relationship with the governor. Were two Queens kids who disagree on policy and approach. Im a Working Families Democrat, not a billionaire-loving Democrat--from Queens. Earlier, Ramos was denied entry to Peraltas wake after he died unexpectedly a few months after their impassioned primary. You are not welcome, someone reportedly shouted at her. Just days before that, Ramos and other anti-IDC challengers drew the ire of state Sen. Diane Savino, Peraltas former IDC colleague and one of only two former members of the group who survived a primary challenge in 2018, who sent a series of tweets attacking unnamed opponents of Peraltas. He risked it all for his district, and paid the price on Primary Day. I am sure all those who stood by and let him be vilified for simply wanting to be more effective in this totally fucked up winner take all game of politics will be posting tributes today, Savino wrote. Save them, it is really too late. She declined a request for an interview, although publicly Savino did not seem to carry bad blood into the 2019 legislative session. Still, Ramos typically tries to make sure she has a good working relationship with anyone who might help to achieve her goals, her public callouts of the governor perhaps being the most notable exception. No one who agreed to an on-the-record interview had a bad word to say about her. Its one of the reasons she said she has largely remained silent in this years state legislative primaries, particularly in the contentious Assembly race in Astoria, which includes a small portion of her district. DSA-backed Zohran Mamdani challenged incumbent Assembly Member Aravella Simotas, and currently leads her in the polls. Ramos said she aligns closely with Mamdani ideologically, while she has known Simotas for a long time and works well with her hedging her bets so she can work with whoever emerges victorious. My job is to work with whoever prevails as the Assembly person, Ramos said. I dont want there to be political ramifications, you know, or consequences based on the decision that I made politically. That should not be a hindrance to working together. That initially seemed to be the case in the one Assembly race she chose to weigh in on. About a month before the June 23 primary, she endorsed incumbent Assembly Member Jeffrion Aubry, whose district is included in her own, when Monserrate mounted a challenge. But before that, she took a softer stance on the race, telling reporters months earlier, including this one, that voters knew his background and that it would be up to them to decide whether to elect him. I guess I was trying to see how the race was going to shape up, Ramos said, noting that there were many in the community who still supported Monserrate. What we saw was a real race was developing, so it became inevitable to get involved. If youre willing to work with her to address the challenges and the problems that she sees in her community, then shes a great ally. If youre an impediment to that, then watch out. Evan Stavisky, partner at The Parkside Group Unusually for a legislator, Ramos background was in media relations before becoming a lawmaker. She was a communications specialist for 32BJ SEIU, a communications director for the Build Up NYC labor union coalition, and she spent over two years helping to craft Buerys and de Blasios messaging in the mayors office. It certainly has created in me the sensibility of understanding the power of words and learning how to choose carefully how I communicate with everyone, Ramos said. One example is Ramos use of the hashtag she created, #SeenIn13. Basically, its meant to draw attention to things happening in her Senate district, the 13th. Nearly every time shes out in the district, posts about local businesses, holds an event or otherwise shares information, she tags it. Ramos said she wanted to use it to help build a sense of pride in the community and allow members to see whats going on in their neighborhood. Like any smart social media campaign created by a communications expert, it has become a signature on her social media. I want to make sure that people know whats happening and that its easy for them to find, Ramos said of her largely immigrant community, who may sometimes know more about the news from back home than from down the block. I cannot tell you how many people just know to look for the hashtag and itll bring up whatevers going on. Ramos still uses it the most frequently, but others often use it in relation to her and the things she does. A skilled communications professional is also able to craft messaging and to control her public image and public image is crucial to any politician. I think elected officials who know how to communicate tend to be more successful, regardless of ideology, but the other reason that they tend to be more successful is they understand that the best message is one thats based on truth, Stavisky said. And the way that Jessica Ramos has positioned herself is true to who she is. Gianaris shared a similar thought about Ramos communication strategy and public persona. Shes very, very authentic, and that is less of a communication strategy than a desire to just be true to oneself, Gianaris said. I suppose one can say that, you know, choosing to be authentic is a communication strategy but with her I believe its genuine. Whether its pure authenticity or a calculated strategy, Ramos appeals to young progressive activists. Shes very popular among a group of politically engaged, left-wing teenagers and college students who are becoming increasingly influential in progressive politics called the Zoomers. One of them even created the Twitter handle @ramos4gov which often takes shots at Cuomo with the half-kidding premise that Ramos should run for governor. But Ramos has no plans to become governor, at least right now. And as a believer in term limits, she isn't even sure how long she will stay in the state Senate and government more broadly. Im not here to be a career politician. Im here to make waves. Im here to make the status quo uncomfortable. I am here to push buttons, Ramos said. And for now, its working for her. Gov. Ned Lamont is stepping up enforcement, including potential fines, of a travel advisory that has required some travelers to Connecticut to voluntarily quarantine for two weeks upon arrival. Lamont, during his daily briefing Monday, said travelers will be asked to fill out a self-certification form when they land at Connecticut airports that will include questions about where they are coming from and what their plans are for quarantining, as well as a request for contact information. Its possible, he said, that a state police officer will be on site to remind people how important adherence to the quarantine is for Connecticut. Lamont said there have been several anecdotal reports of visitors not adhering to the quarantine requirement, which until now has been mandatory but unenforced. We havent had to do that to date, when it came to masks, when it came to safe store rules, when it came to preliminary quarantining, but we did want to send a strong message that we are taking this seriously, and you should take it seriously, so before you get on that plane in Miami Beach and come up to Bradley Airport know that we will be asking you where you plan to self quarantine, and make sure that you are taking this seriously, Lamont said. Lets see how that goes for a couple of weeks. If we find we still have a lot of leaks in the bucket, we can think about other disincentives to make sure people take it even more seriously. The details of the enhanced enforcement should be completed by the end of the week and go into effect beginning this weekend, Lamont said. He said the enhanced enforcement would not affect drivers entering the state. The enhanced enforcement comes as states across the country continue to see rising COVID infection rates. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday a sweeping rollback of the states reopening plan, as school districts in Los Angeles and San Diego announced they will be online-only in the fall. Connecticuts infection rates have remained low there were just 223 new positive tests out of 31,000 tests performed over the weekend, and the number of patients hospitalized with COVID declined by 3. There were 23 news deaths reported, but Lamont said 17 of those were backlogged and did not occur over the weekend. As for whether Connecticut could roll back its own reopening, Lamont said hes carefully tracking the data and any fast spike could set off a discussion. Lamont has already pushed back phase three of the states reopening, originally slate for July 20, and said he will revisit the issue in August. Lamont invited the states chief epidemiologist, Dr. Matthew Cartter, to participate in Mondays news briefing, introducing him with a jab at the Trump administrations attempt to distance itself from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, over the weekend. Science sometimes gets the back of the hand in Washington, D.C., but not in Hartford, Lamont said. Were trying to lead with our scientists. Cartter said he estimates that for every positive case of COVID-19 in Connecticut, there are another 10 infected, an estimate also currently used by the federal government. Epidemiologists never use the word safe, ever, Cartter said, addressing a question about whether it will be safe for college sports to resume in the fall. We can say that something is safer, and thats our goal, to try to make something, for example schools, as safe as possible. For most people safe means zero risk, but were in the middle of a pandemic so there is no way we can make the risk zero. Members of the administration have been discussing greater enforcement measures with regional partners in New York and New Jersey since the advisory was put into effect in June. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Lamont has successfully relied on Connecticut residents to voluntarily comply with most executive orders, and has not instituted enforcement measures such as financial penalties for non-compliance. Those enforcement discussions have ramped up following an announcement by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo that travelers flying into any airport in the state of New York will now be required to fill out forms about their travel plans, and refusal to do so will incur a $2,000 fine. Lamont has been forced to reconsider his reliance on the effectiveness of public shame as the list of states covered by the advisory has grown from a handful to nearly half of the continental U.S. The travel advisory currently covers 19 states with rising COVID infection rates, including: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. The list is revised weekly based on 7-day rolling average testing data. kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more A new e-commerce partnership could bring 1,200 Shopify small business sellers to the Walmart Marketplace this year, the companies announced Monday. Walmarts top e-commerce priority for years was to build a marketplace customers would trust. The company has joined forces with Shopify, an all-in-one commerce platform used by more than 1 million businesses, to open the Walmart Marketplace to its sellers, said Jeff Clementz, vice president of Walmart Marketplace. This integration will allow approved Shopify sellers to seamlessly list their items on Walmart.com, which gives Walmart customers access to a broader assortment, he said. Many Shopify sellers already were established on Walmart.com, but Marketplace has not penetrated to the extent possible, making this deal a tremendous opportunity, Clementz added. We have been in talks over the years, but discussions quickly came together over the past six months, said Satish Kanwar, vice president of product at Shopify. Shopify wants to give its merchants the power to choose where they want to sell and to make it as seamless as possible for them, he told the E-Commerce Times. With that in mind, we are partnering with Walmart to help our merchants drive sales and grow their businesses. Anything that reduces the barrier to entrepreneurship is good for merchants, good for consumers, and good for Shopify, Kanwar added. Qualified Merchants Wanted E-commerce in the United States grew 74 percent last quarter, in part due to a shift in shopping needs caused by the pandemic. Growth in Walmarts Marketplace outpaced the overall business growth, noted Clementz. The launch of this integration with Shopify is under way, with a focus on U.S.-based small and medium businesses that complement Walmart.coms offerings. Walmart.com is inviting Shopify sellers to install the Walmart Marketplace app from Shopifys App Store to determine their eligibility. If approved, the sellers can add an unlimited number of products to the Walmart Marketplace. Approved vendors can make changes to product images and inventory within Shopify. Those changes will be reflected on Walmarts site immediately and automatically. A D V E R T I S E M E N T For more information on qualifications, see Shopifys vendor site. Business Basics 101 The Walmart Marketplace, which launched in August 2009, experienced slow growth until 2014. That is when Walmart added a massive number of new third-party items from small vendors looking for an alternative to Amazon. The Walmart Marketplace mimicked Amazons tactic of offering shipping services for third-party vendors through Walmarts massive logistics network. Two years ago, it announced Walmart Marketplace items would be eligible to participate in its free, 2-day shipping program and in-store returns. Shopify, founded in 2006, has become a favorite choice for businesses seeking an e-commerce on-ramp that is fast and cost-friendly. Monthly fees start at US$29. That buys an online store with digital tools to manage payments, inventory and shipping. Both Amazon and eBay already have partnered with Shopify, While Amazon clearly dominates the e-commerce channel, the expansion of Walmarts presence with third-party sellers is a step in the right direction, said Frances Bigley, spokesperson for CommerceIQ. It does mean that one-party brands must be particularly diligent about managing this channel properly to avoid out-of-stock issues and price gouging for consumers, she told the E-Commerce Times. Hidden Benefits E-commerce platforms like BigCommerce and Shopify are employing affordable and easy-to-use integrations to make it as easy as possible for fast-growing merchants to sell across various channels, including Walmart Marketplace and social platforms like Facebook and Instagram, noted Sharon Gee, head of omnichannel partnerships at BigCommerce. This approach by Walmart will help retailers to expand their general catalog and expose their customers to new products from up-and-coming digitally native brands, and ultimately, help them be more competitive with Amazon, she told the E-Commerce Times. The e-commerce space seems to be consolidating pretty quickly, observed Daniel Elman, analyst at Nucleus Research. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Reach is incredibly valuable, he told the E-Commerce Times. Sellers will put their products on the platforms that give them the potential to reach the most customers and drive the highest sales. Rocking the Sales Boat The partnership between Walmart and Shopify should make smaller e-commerce players uneasy, as the copycat effect comes into play, Elman suggested. As more sellers go on a platform, others will see their success and attribute it to the platform, pushing them to move onto the platform as well. Smaller e-commerce players without a viable long-term strategy to grow seller numbers may find themselves easy targets for acquisition, he explained. That could mean trouble for smaller e-commerce companies, Elman warned. It could result in online marketplaces consolidating around key players. It seems like the space will likely consolidate around Amazon, Walmart and Alibaba in the long term, he said. The exception would be niche sellers like Reverb for musical equipment and other specialized platforms that can deal in specific industries or categories of products. These platforms can offer specialized insurance, shipping and customer networks, along with a more detailed product set, Elman continued. For example, a consumer who simply wants a guitar might go to Amazon or Walmart, but a shopper who wants a 1969 Fender Stratocaster in Sunburst finish likely would go to a more specialized retailer like Reverb. Smaller e-commerce players that are generalists now should look to curate a specific customer base or product set and cater exclusively to that niche, he suggested. Thats the only way to differentiate enough to compete with the scale, efficiency and resources of the large platforms like Walmart and Amazon. The Shopify partnership increases the Walmart Marketplaces appeal. As customers sympathetic to the quit Amazon movement leave Amazon Prime, Walmart may become a more viable alternative. This, in turn, could sway more customers to leave Amazon as their primary shopping platform in favor of Walmart, said Elman. Right now, much of Amazons dominance is the number of sellers and visitors it has on its platform, and the value offered by the Prime program. Potential Game-Changer The Walmart-Shopify partnership could be a big game-changer for small and medium-sized businesses, observed Bart Mroz, CEO of Sumo Heavy. The Walmart-Shopify partnership supports Shopifys strategy to give its sellers the tools they need to compete in todays competitive e-commerce marketplace, he told the E-Commerce Times. Last year, Shopify announced it had invested $1 billion in its fulfillment network, which would help its sellers ship items more efficiently and compete with the retail giants specifically Amazon, which popularized two-day shipping, Mroz noted. The partnership comes at an opportune right time, as many consumers want to support smaller e-commerce businesses in the wake of COVID-19, he added. The typical perks of buying from Amazon such as faster shipping and a wide product range were not as widely available, because of warehouse shortages and shipping restrictions in some areas. So consumers started looking elsewhere for the products they needed. The threat of Amazon and other large online retailers, like Wayfair, will still loom large, but with a new way channel to get in front of tens of millions of consumers, SMBs may actually have a chance to compete with some of the super sellers on Amazon, Mroz said. Measured Competitive Threats The new venture between Walmart and Shopify will help small and medium business owners reach millions of customers who shop on Walmart.com every day. It also broadens the assortment of items customers can shop on the Walmart site, said Robb Hecht, adjunct professor of marketing at Baruch College. This comes during a time period when online shopping is surging due to the coronavirus pandemic and related retail restrictions. The result will increase the value and traffic in the Walmart ecosystem. This venture likely is not a major threat to large online competitors like Amazon and Wayfair, which already have large audience reaches, he told the E-Commerce Times. However, it could pose a threat to smaller direct-to-consumer social commerce companies that are selling direct to their customers via Shopify services, Hecht pointed out. It could be an issue for those new to the Facebook Shop platform and others that hoped to grow their direct audience reach with customers. Now D2C Shopify sellers could become very interested in the audience reach and the buyers intent Walmart gives them and their goods, and bring less business to Facebook Shop, Hecht said. Vendor Input I think this is great for small businesses and Walmart. It will make their marketplace more competitive and open small businesses up to much more exposure than ever before, said Jeff Moriarty, marketing manager at Moriartys Gem Art which joined the Walmart Marketplace Monday. The integration will make it much simpler to sync with a Shopify store, he told the E-Commerce Times. The more competition, the better it will be for small businesses that find it difficult to compete with low-margin sellers on Amazon, Moriarty added. That makes him very optimistic about this new relationship. This partnership gives smaller e-commerce companies a leg up against Amazon by distributing directly to Walmart, said Michael Dash, CEO of ChannelReply, which sells to eBay, Amazon, Walmart and Shopify customers. They dont have to go through the traditional account setup and upload process, and they can reach a huge audience immediately, he told the E-Commerce Times. Vendors that are not selling on Walmart already can see upwards of a 20 percent increase in their bottom line, Dash added. I dont think it will necessarily take business away from Amazon. I think it gives the sellers access to a new buyer they wouldnt have access to, he said. Also, a number of brands refuse to sell on Amazon due to bad experiences, noted Dash. Those vendors may take a dip into Walmart waters. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 17:41:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HARARE, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Zimbabwe is now 985 after three new cases were reported Sunday. The number of people who have recovered has increased to 328 following eight new recoveries while active cases are 639 and deaths remain at 18, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said in a statement Monday morning. Of the three new COVID-19 cases, two are citizens who returned from South Africa and one local infection. The country has done a cumulative total of 88,984 COVID-19 tests to date. Enditem CBSE Class 12 board results 2020 | The CBSE announced that 88.78 percent of students have passed the Class 12 exams this year. The pass percentage has increased by 5.38% as compared to last year when 83.4% of students passed. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has declared Class 12 results on Monday (13 July). Students who appeared for the exams will be able to check their results online on various official websites - cbseresults.nic.in, results.gov.in. The CBSE announced that 88.78 percent of students have passed the Class 12 exams this year. The pass percentage has increased by 5.38 percent as compared to last year when 83.4 percent of students passed. This year, Kerala's Trivandrum district has recorded the highest percentage with 97.67 percent followed by Bengaluru with 97.05 percent and Chennai with 96.17 percent. Girls have fared better than boys this year and 1.57 lakh students have scored over 90 percent and 38,686 have scored over 95 percent. The pass percentage for girls is at 92.15 percent which is higher than boys with 86.19 percent. CBSE will not release a merit list this year, owing to amended evaluation criteria, ANI reported. Earlier, CISCE had also announced that it will not announce topper's list for ISC and ICSE exams. To check the results, students will have to enter their roll number and date of birth. How to check CBSE Class 12 result 2020 online Step 1: Visit the official results link cbseresults.nic.in or cbse.nic.in Step 2: Enter your Class 12 board exam credentials like roll number and date of birth Step 3: Submit the details and check your CBSE board exam result 2020. According to a report by NDTV, DigiLocker will inform the students of their marksheets and pass certificate once it is sent by the CBSE. Alerts will be sent on the registered mobile number of the students. Students can also check their results online on various official websites, IVRS telephone numbers, and mobile apps, according to Hindustan Times. For those who have appeared in more than three subjects, the average of the marks obtained in the best three performing subjects will be awarded in the subjects whose exams were not conducted. For students who have appeared in only three subjects, the average marks obtained in the best two performing subjects will be given in the subjects whose exams were not held. Bold colors and patterns, vintage pieces, and not a matching earring set to be seen? Thats our Claudia. Photo-Illustration: Vulture and Netflix Claudia Kishi is a style icon. You know it. I know it. Anyone whos read even just a handful of Ann M. Martins Baby-Sitters Club books knows it. In the delightful new Netflix TV adaptation of the middle-grade novels, Mary Anne Spier even says those exact words. And Mary Anne Spier wouldnt lie. BSC vice-president Claudia Kishi is the artist in our intrepid group of 12-year-old babysitters, and that artsy vibe is very much reflected in the clothes she chooses to wear. In the show, Claud mixes vintage pieces (yep, 90s clothes are vintage now, friends) with more trendy ones in bold, whimsical ways ways that seem a little wild but somehow end up looking like they were made to go together. Claudia has a ton of wardrobe changes throughout the ten episodes of The Baby-Sitters Club, and, not surprisingly, all of them are good. But some are truly great. Lets find out which outfits top the list. Say hello to your clothes, Claudia, ranked from least to most fabulous. Listen, Im all for Claudia experimenting and expressing herself with clothes, and mismatching is certainly her thing, but this combo just doesnt work for me, sitters. The fuzzy mustard-yellow coat is great on its own, but I cant get past the coral pants. Forgive me, Claudia. Forgive me! Obviously the sentiment of this go love yourself T-shirt is great, but this outfit feels a little tame for Claudia Kishi. It was only a matter of time before Claudia experimented with silk-based neckwear. That time comes in episode seven as shes dragging the state of Vermont, a place where she 100 percent does not want to spend spring break. Cropped denim overalls AND a tie-dyed shirt under another T-shirt is giving off a very 90s vibe, which feels fitting. But really its Claudias fuzzy red slippers that sell this look. Its all about comfort. Cute-pajamas-and-drawing-your-feelings alert! We only get a glimpse of this red sheer striped shirt as Claudia tries to find the perfect jacket from her well-stocked closet to go with it (every option is good where does she buy her clothes?), which is a shame because this has true potential. Red and yellow is a tough color combination to pull off without looking like a spokesperson for McDonalds, plus Claudias sporting an oversize cable-knit sweater on top of baggy (and shiny!) pants. Nothing about this outfit should work, but somehow it does. No wonder BSC president Kristy Thomas considers Claudia the coolest person she knows. A watermelon theme! Knowing Claudia, its really a watermelon-gummy theme because lets be real: The girl is all candy all the time. We see Claudia wearing this outfit both while babysitting and during art class, so the comfort level of baggy pants and a green sweater topped with a pink T-shirt makes a lot of sense. The clothes alone are low-key, but those glittery watermelon earrings are the highest of high-key. Claudia Kishi even makes a sandwich board look fashionable. Okay, well, tolerable. Marketing ploys aside, this is a great example of Claudia rewearing clothes in a new way, which is always appreciated since it is much more true to life. Here, she pairs her great printed satin jacket which youll see multiple times on this list with some red skinny jeans and her white combat boots. Even under Kristys ridiculous sign, you can tell Claudia has earned her fashion-icon status. The scrunchie is perfect, but the turtleneck paired with the long graphic print skirt feels a little old for Claud. Then again, in this moment, shes telling Dawn that she needs to get some sleep (Dawn has some difficult babysitting clients), which is a very mature thing to do. Again, its great to see Claudia using the same pieces from her wardrobe in new ways. The girl can build an outfit out of what shes got, including those baggy red pants. These arent my favorite, but they look even cuter with the knit rainbow sweater paired with matching gold lace-up boots and a scrunchie. TV characters should be rewearing clothes, and thats something I feel very strongly about. This outfit is so 90s it hurts (in a good way). Lets group all of Claudias Camp Moosehead attire into one, since its basically just the camp T-shirt and different pants. Even when everyone has to dress alike, counselor-in-training Claudia knows how to stand out: Tying the shirt at the waist, putting on some cute yet impractical boots (she learns her lesson), wearing great sunnies (even in the rain), and obviously bringing her entire collection of earrings help Claud be true to herself, no matter where shes spending her summer. The mustard cord jacket! The printed pants! THE CHUNKY BEADED NECKLACE. The perfect outfit for a drama-filled BSC meeting in which you learn your best friend has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and you have to reassure her there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed about. Has Claudia Kishi met a pair of overalls she doesnt like? These patchwork ones are among her best, but paired with a light-purple wool sweater and scrunchies for bracelets makes this one of Claudias most toned-down looks of the series. I love that Claudias wearing soft, feminine pastel colors to deliver that most devastating line in regard to the BSCs high-school-age rivals, the Baby-Sitters Agency: Why cant they just loiter at the mall like normal teenagers? This outfit also offers up one of the best headband-statement-earring combos of the series. Honestly, more people should be wearing iridescent maxi skirts on a regular basis. Thank you, Claudia Kishi, for reminding us. Thank you for so many things. We could honestly sit and do an entire post about Claudias outerwear alone, and this plush pink coat with a navy and red stripe would be toward the top. Claudia pairs it with red pants, which is a great call. Its wild but put together. This is the outfit Claudia wears to her big art show. Please note the artsy mismatched earrings, a Claudia Kishi staple from the books. She also wears a glitter turtleneck with matching eyeliner and a patchwork denim jacket to pull it all together. That pretentious art judge who makes Claud feel bad for not having a point of view can go eat acrylic paint or something. Does she not see what shes wearing? We dont get a great look at this outfit, but Im immediately won over by a sweater-collared-shirt combo and that neon-green color. Claudia loves these red pants, and although I think she has better ones, they do feel festive as the new year begins, paired here with yet another oversize knit (thats not a knock I want to live in oversize knits, too). The real standout, though, is the floral headband and the two gigantic sparkly hair clips holding it in. Stacey may be the chic one, but Claudia is the real trendsetter here. Okay, but seriously: This easy striped dress and oversize jacket might already be in my closet. Who is that more embarrassing for me or Claudia? Still, she makes it cooler than I ever could with her white lace-up boots. I dont even know what that shirt underneath the white overalls is, but I dont care. Claudias wardrobe is an artsy dream. I mean, the headwear alone. WAIT. YOU GUYS. Claudias wearing a yellow plaid blazer and yellow plaid pants. Its no yellow plaid skirt, but is this an homage to Clueless? [Editors note: It is!] Did someone tell Liz Thomas erm, Alicia Silverstone? Okay, sheer neon cropped hoodie seems like fashion Mad Libs, but also I want one. Plus, Claudia wears snap bracelets with this outfit, and that should make anyone who grew up in the 90s want to break out their Pog set and celebrate. The yellow utility jumpsuit paired with the pattern satin jacket is great, but I cant stop looking at Clauds oversize ring. Yes, please, and thank you. Of course Claudia Kishi wears a big animal-print coat, a truly gigantic T-shirt over a yellow satin skirt, and white combat boots when redesigning Mary Annes bedroom. If shes leading the interior-design makeover charge, she must look the part. You know Claudia is back to room renovations when she dons her animal-print winter coat and once again pairs it with pops of yellow. She and Stacey call themselves the Terrific Two instead of the Fab Five as they attempt to Queer Eye the Spiers, and, based on this outfit, she isnt wrong. Great, now I guess I have to go out and buy a white romper and pair it with some leopard print because this outfit is effortless. Is this the reason Mary Annes dad called the girls such great influences? It has to be at least part of the reason. Oh, also, for the 90s kids: Weve got a choker. I repeat: WEVE GOT A CHOKER. Bless this child and her ability to wear jumpsuits of any color. This outfit has a lot of Claudia Kishi staples: oversize knit, denim overalls (this time theyre shorts), fuzzy red slippers, and killer sunnies (cherries!). An instant Kishi classic. Is this the perfect lounging outfit or what? Ill take one of everything. So the rug that Claudia chooses for Mary Annes room makeover might be Staceys husband, but Claudias outfit here is mine. A sheer balloon-sleeve shirt (with daisies!) paired with candy-cane striped pants and, of all things, a yellow headband. Yes, I will marry this outfit, lemon earrings and all. Claudia has a lot of work to do in Mary Annes bedroom, and the only thing you wear in that situation is a denim jumpsuit, okay? Damn it, Im going to be buying so many jumpsuits after this, arent I? Its hard to imagine many 12-year-olds could pull off a homemade Tippi Hedren from The Birds costume, but Claudia is artistically skilled so well suspend our disbelief. Leave it to Claudia to find something a little bit spooky but still fashionable to wear for Halloween. A collared white shirt with sheer polka-dot balloon sleeves paired with yellow plaid pants, pearl earrings, and that giant ring Ive already made clear Im obsessed with? It all feels like a glimpse into future Claudias work attire: Its put together yet still has some whimsy to it. I mean, come on. This outfit is described as Ruth Bader Ginsburg chic. Claudia wears it to pump herself up for a daunting math test she needs to pass. Its fashionable and inspiring, just like Claudia. Hello, it is me, a woman well into her 30s, and I am buying this outfit. The periwinkle apron dress paired with the rainbow sweatshirt, topped off with a great yellow headband, is exactly what I want to be wearing all day every day. This outfit is so good that she wears it in episode three and again in episode eight. When you find a good one, dont ever let it go. That applies to a whole smattering of things: friends, clubs that are also businesses, and outfits. This dress complete with yellow tights and matching eyeliner is perfect, and so is Claudia Kishi. New Delhi, July 13 : Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal on Monday met Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers D. V. Sadananda Gowda here and sought the establishment of a national pharmaceutical park in Bathinda. Badal informed Gowda that Bathinda is the best positioned destination for the project as 1,350 acres is readily available for the venture. The land has been vacated by the erstwhile Bathinda Thermal Plant. Further, a functional railway siding and infrastructure is also available for the supply of raw materials and carriage for the pharma industry. "The proposed park in Bathinda could cater to the entire area north of Delhi, reaching out to Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, neighbouring Rajasthan, and even Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh," Badal said. He added the pharma ecosystem in Punjab is scalable as it is home to some of the biggest USFDA approved pharmaceutical companies like Sun Pharma, Centrient, and IOL Chemicals, and the state's R&D ecosystem is bolstered by ace institutes like NIPER, IISER, Institute of Microbial Research, Institute of Nano Technology, and AIIMS. The Union government has already announced its intention to establish three pharmaceutical parks in the country. Badal also met Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh L. Mandaviya and discussed the various Punjab related issues, besides modalities and feasibility for the upcoming projects. Newlyweds Carla and Mac Fernandez walk out of a church after their wedding in Dagupan City following the latest easing of coronavirus restrictions in the Philippines, July 12, 2020. A sudden spike in coronavirus fatalities this weekend included deaths that occurred months ago but were reported only recently, a Philippine official said Monday. Sundays toll of 162 deaths was the highest since the pandemic began, followed by Monday when 65 fatalities were recorded, bringing the national tally to 1,599, according to health department figures. Spokeswoman Maria Rosario Vergeire said that most of the newly recorded deaths were due to late reporting, and predicted that this data reconciliation would continue. Let me be clear, the 162 recorded yesterday does not mean that they died yesterday, Vergeire said. We expect more deaths to be reported in the coming days as a result of our data reconciliation efforts. She said that half of the 162 newly reported deaths occurred in July, while the rest happened as far back as April and May. "The department is the official repository of the data submitted by laboratories, local government units and hospitals. If they have no submission or update, we have nothing to report, Vergeire told reporters. Another 2,960 infections were recorded on Monday, bringing the national total to 57,006, the health department said. Before Sunday, the highest daily death tolls were 50, recorded on April 12, and 46, on July 10. 80,000 by end of July Dr. Guido David of the University of the Philippines Institute of Mathematics said he foresees the cases of COVID-19 across the country reaching 80,000 by the end of July. We can surpass more than 70,000 and more. Our lower estimate is around 80,000 by the end of July, David said, adding that the surge in infections will come from Metro Manila. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the latest available data do not suggest further relaxation of movement restrictions. At this point, the data does not indicate that we can ease the movements in Metro Manila, Roque said. The central government previously eased up on rules and has allowed certain public functions to resume in the Metro Manila region even as it remains under a general quarantine. Cebu, in the central Philippines, meanwhile, continues to be under an enhanced quarantine. Globally, the number of COVID-19 cases is fast approaching 13 million, and deaths surpassed 570,000, according to the latest data compiled by disease experts at U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. The Philippines is second among Southeast Asian countries in terms of coronavirus infections and deaths, trailing Indonesia, which on Monday recorded a cumulative case load close to 77,000, and 3,656 deaths. Over a quarter of Britons will spend just 100 to 300 on a UK staycation this year. This compares to the average staycation cost - travel, accommodation and spending money - of 534.70 per person, according to a new report. In contrast, British travellers spent an average of 855.45 per person on their last break abroad, meaning UK holidaymakers could save 320 when opting for a domestic break this year. Expedia revealed its top five most popular locations for a family staycation - London, Devon, Bournemouth (pictured), Cornwall and Inverness And with government announcements regarding food discounts and hospitality VAT cuts - the savings on a staycation could be even higher. The figures have been released in Expedia's Summer of Britain report, which also reveals that 74 per cent of Britons' holidays evoke childhood memories, with a quarter of holidaymakers revisiting the same place each year. A third (30 per cent) of these say they return to the same place because they visited the area as a child, while a quarter (24 per cent) say it's because it is easier for their extended family, such as grandparents, to join them. Meanwhile, using internal data, Expedia revealed its top five most popular locations for a family staycation. They are London, Devon, Bournemouth, Cornwall and Inverness. The report also found that the most popular reason for Britons not booking a UK trip yet to replace their holiday abroad was due to 'concerns about the health and safety of accommodation'. Expedia has come up with a handful of alternative UK tourist sights that don't get swamped with visitors. One is Norfolk's Heacham lavender fields, pictured Meanwhile, to help steer Britons away from busy UK tourist destinations, the Expedia report lists a handful of interesting but crowd-free destinations and landmarks. One is the Stones of Stenness, a Neolithic monument on the Scottish island of Orkney. It originally consisted of 12 stones, but four 19ft (six-metre) stones remain. The site is 'often regarded as an alternative to Stonehenge'. Another recommendation is Norfolks Heacham lavender fields, which cover 100 acres and 'rival those in Provence, France'. Expedia recommends visiting the Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire, a leaping 360ft-high Bronze Age chalk figure The Camel Trail - an 18-mile cycle route on a former railway line between Wenfordridge and Padstow in Cornwall - is another suggestion. Another alternative site on Expedia's list is Rhossili Bay beach on the Gower Peninsula in Wales, which has three miles of golden sand and coastline. Also recommended is the Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire, a leaping 360ft-high Bronze Age chalk figure that can be seen from miles around. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 23:44:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ANKARA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu Monday called on the forces of Khalifa Haftar in Libya to retreat from the cities of Sirte and Jufra. The Government of National Accord (GNA) of Libya will not benefit from the cease-fire now, he said in a televised interview with state-run TRT Haber broadcaster, adding that the GNA has concerns about the sincerity of its rival Haftar. The minister also criticized Haftar and his supporters for not preparing for a political roadmap for Libya. "The cities of Sirte and Jufra must be emptied and handed over to the GNA. We also conveyed this to the Russian side," Cavusoglu said. Turkey plans to launch a seismic research and drilling operations for natural resources in the eastern Mediterranean over a deal between Ankara and GNA in November last year, he said, noting that Turkey is open to cooperation with companies from third countries. Libya has been plagued by insecurity and chaos ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011. Turkey supports the GNA led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and has sent troops to Libya as part of a military cooperation agreement signed with the GNA to support its fight against Haftar. Enditem Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 13) Senator Grace Poe on Monday said the House panels denial of the franchise bid of ABS-CBN may be seen as a warning for other media agencies, as she called for a further strengthening of the institution in the future. Speaking to CNN Philippines, Poe hopes journalists will not be alarmed by ABS-CBNs case, saying that the medias role in truth-telling is important at this time. I would say its foreboding For many, this would be seen as a warning, Poe said in an interview with The Source. "Dapat bang matakot ang media? Sana huwag. Importante talaga ang trabaho ng media para mailahad ang nangyayari." [Translation: Should the media be scared? I hope not. The media's job is important to tell the truth about our situation.] If we have a strong media and strong accountability in this country, I think that lawmakers will be very cautious to do the right thing But now, if you cant even criticize your lawmakers or people in government without fear of probably having repercussions, then it will really weaken our institutions, she added. In an overwhelming 70-11 vote, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises on Friday rejected the fresh franchise application of ABS-CBN a move labeled by local and international critics as the latest blow to press freedom in the Philippines. The report of the technical working group which had recommended the junking of the application maintained that ABS-CBN does not deserve to resume broadcast operations due to various issues, including the dual citizenship of its chairman emeritus Eugenio Gabby Lopez III, alleged tax-avoidance schemes, failure to regularize its employees, and biased reporting, among others things. Poe, however, argued that the committee report failed to provide a comprehensive overview on the reasons or basis for some of the networks supposed violations. She likewise questioned why the decision came in contrast to the pronouncements of resource persons and experts during the chambers deliberations. The lawmaker added the Congressmen should have based their votes on facts and not personal stance. In the case of the Lower House, although they have the authority to cancel or grant a franchise, there should be parameters; it should not be based on their whim or maybe just their personal view, Poe said. It has to be based on facts; it has to be based also on what the resource persons, the experts that they themselves invited had said. Jerry Falwell supports petition to change name of Lynchburg; calls city name an embarrassment Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. expressed his support for changing the name of Lynchburg, the Virginia city where his prominent evangelical Christian school is based. Although noting that the city is named after John Lynch and not the racially charged practice of lynching, Falwell said in a statement released last Friday that it would end any confusion. I personally support changing the name of the city of Lynchburg. Its been an embarrassment to Liberty University ever since we started, stated Falwell. That was one of the reasons Libertys original name was changed from Lynchburg Baptist College to Liberty Baptist College in 1976. Falwell added that many people from Liberty have told me that when they travel and tell people where theyre from, theyre often asked, Why in the world would you want to live in a racist place like that? Its because people take lynch and they think it means there were lynchings here, when the truth is it was named after a Quaker, he continued. Falwells statement came in response to a petition aimed at changing the name of the Central Virginia city of around 82,000 people due to concerns over its similarity to the term lynching. The online petition, which has as of Monday morning more than 5,500 signatories, was started by an individual named Daisy Howard to bring to the Lynchburg City Council. I understand it was named after a man named John Lynch, but why do we insist on explaining that when people react to its name poorly (understandably so)? Why do we insist on defending it? We understand the power in the word, stated Howard. We can honor John and his family by removing the word that has grown to mean something he would not be proud of. Recently, longstanding debates over names and imagery considered racist have reignited following the highly publicized killings of African Americans, mainly George Floyd. Many of these debates have centered on more overtly controversial items, such as Confederate imagery on public property or the Mississippi state flag. In Richmond, the capital of Virginia, multiple statues honoring Confederate generals that were prominently displayed on Monument Avenue have been removed over the past several days. This will eventually include the statue dedicated to General Robert E. Lee, which in particular has been the subject of many large protests and much vandalism in recent times. The seeds of Cole Custers first Cup victory were sown before anyone could have imagined it would be him celebrating Sunday at Kentucky Speedway and not Kevin Harvick or Martin Truex Jr. Custers rise from 13th to first in the last 20 laps was a study in acuity by a driver who said hes had days where your eyes are sore trying to look at film, trying to figure everything out. He also had some good fortune. The key, though, was taking advantage of those situations, which he did. He was 13th on the restart on Lap 249 of the 267-lap race. He restarted on the inside lane in the seventh row back. Many drivers on the inside line lost positions on restarts throughout the race but Custer moved up to 12th when Jimmie Johnson, restarting third, spun after contact with Brad Keselowski. While the contact ruined Johnsons race, it set Custers dramatic finish in motion. By gaining one spot, he was in the outside lane in the sixth row for the next restart. When the races final caution waved on Lap 262 for Matt Kenseths spin, Custer was sixth, having gained six spots in six laps. A key move came when he went to the outside and was four-wide. Matt DiBenedetto pushed Custer past those cars. Heading into the final restart, Custer was in the outside lane in the third row behind Harvick, who was leading, and Keselowski. Truex started on the inside lane on the front row and had Ryan Blaney and Kurt Busch behind him. Keselowski explained the dilemma he (and Blaney) faced in the second row. All race long, not just that restart, the third- and fourth-place guys while theyre pushing if you dont push, your lane doesnt go then the car behind you gets a huge run on you, and that makes it tough, Keselowski said. Thats what happened to me on the last restart. I was fourth and I was pushing Kevin and Cole used his run to get to the outside. Keselowski said another key was what happened between he and Harvick. I was just out of sync with Kevin on the final restart, Keselowski said. I probably should have communicated a little better with him and thats my fault, and that put us in a spot vulnerable to the lane behind us and they ultimately won the race. Story continues Custer closed to Keselowskis rear bumper on the restart. Past the start/finish line, Custer pulled out to the right as Keselowski was no longer connected to Harvick. DiBenedetto followed Custer when Custer pulled to the right. Cole is always a smart racer, DiBenedetto said. Hes one of those guys, even though hes a rookie, he doesnt make silly moves. He puts himself usually in pretty good spots. When we restarted, we made a pretty big power move on the restart before that. I got a good restart. I was curious basically what he was going to do. When he pulled to the top, I was like, Yeah, that was a good move right there. I just decided to shove him since I couldnt go around him on the outside. The next key moment came in Turn 2. As Truex and Harvick ran side-by-side for the lead, Blaney was third and moving off the bottom lane as Custer charged on the outside. Blaney couldnt get in front of Custer in time and was stuck watching Custer roll by. Those decisions, you have to make them really quick, and its really hard to just hook a right right in the middle of the corner and try to get up there and things like that, Blaney said. So, yeah, I look back on that and will probably be kicking myself probably a little bit on that if there was time to get up. I probably wasnt really aggressive enough on that, but I have to look. But it is really hard. Sometimes your spotter will say, clear, but its really hard to just let go of the wheel and just turn right because youre going to lose speed going up the hill and if youre six inches clear, you might close up quick you learn from things like that and see what you do for next time. Harvick took the lead on the backstretch. Truex came up the track to tuck in behind Harvick but he hit Harvick in the left rear. Both cars lost momentum. Custer charged and was squeezed between the wall and Truexs car. They made slight contact. That slowed Custers momentum. Truex recovered and got beside Harvick in Turn 4, creating a draft for Custer, while Blaney raced on his inside. I tried to slide up behind (Harvick) off of (Turn) 2 there so I didnt get freight trained, Truex said. I clipped his rear enough to turn him sideways. Said Harvick: Martin just misjudged there on the backstretch and got me sideways. I got out of the gas and that just brought everybody into the picture and then we were four-wide on the front straightaway. Blaney tried to stay away from Truex, Harvick and Custer and ran low on the track before he cut through the apron on the frontstretch. I was just trying to get way from those three guys, Blaney said. I was just trying to get some room between us and not get side drafted or slowed down. I couldnt necessarily see them, but I was told I was bottom four (wide) and that was for the lead, so obviously Im just going to get away from (them) as much as possible because I felt like they were all going to slow each other down and maybe Id have an edge. People do that all the time, cut to the apron on every type of racetrack thats available, just none of the other ones have ramps on them. Or a drain. One Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran over in the 2016 race there. I dont understand how you can repave a place a handful of years ago and theres a jump bigger than any track we go to, but, yeah, I didnt even know it was there, Blaney said. We dont run on it. You never run down there, and I didnt really know it was gonna be that bad. I was lucky it didnt wipe out all of us. With the momentum from the draft, Custer darted outside of Truex. As they came to the start/finish line to begin the final lap, Blaney was on the apron with Harvick, Truex and Custer all together. The top four cars crossed the line four wide. Thats when Blaney hit the drain. His car launched off the track and darted to the right, hitting Harvicks car. The contact caused Harvicks car to move up the track and forced Truex higher. That came just after Custer cleared them. At that point, Custer was focused on his first Cup win. I just wanted to start yelling honestly, Custer later said of that moment. I was like, man, I got to wait till I get to the start/finish line because Ill jinx this thing. At that point I kind of knew I had it. He did. It was a wild last lap, Blaney said, a wild last couple of laps to be honest with you. Here is how Cole Custer scored his first NASCAR Cup victory originally appeared on NBCSports.com In its move to digitise agricultural sector, the National Information Technology Agency (NITDA), under the supervision of Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, has adopted 130 farmers into the National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) programme. The initiative, according the agency, will provide Nigerian farmers with means to showcase their farm produce in the digital world market. The project, piloted in Jigawa State, was initiated to systematically adopt farmers across the 774 Local Government Areas of the country in order to support and equip them with necessary skills that will make Nigeria one of the leading nations in digital farming. A total of 130 beneficiaries drawn from 27 Local Government Areas of Jigawa State were trained and also provided with smart devices, Internet connectivity, seed fund worth N100,000 and certified seed during the official closing ceremony of the event that was held both physically and virtually. The governor of Jigawa State, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar who attended the ceremony virtually, appreciated the vision of the Minister for bringing the project to the state and promised to ensure its sustainability. He also cautioned the beneficiaries against misuse of the materials and knowledge impacted on them. He maintained that the state, in the last few years has produced a lot of millionaires through rice farming precisely. Jigawa State will remain grateful for being chosen to pilot this project that will alleviate poverty as well as make the farmers independent in their lives. He thanked the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, NITDA, and other partners for finding his state worthy to kick-start this laudable project. The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, while delivering his special address, said that there is need to come up with innovative ideas that will promote smart agriculture in Nigeria as a means of diversifying the nations economy, adding that Nigeria is blessed with a large fertile landmass. The minister noted that the National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) is part of the main policy of the National Digital Economy policy and strategy for a Digital Nigeria launched and unveiled by President Muhammadu Buhari. He said the best way to improve the output in the agricultural sector in Nigeria is through the deployment of emerging technologies. While delivering his welcome address, Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Abdullahi, said that the goal of NAVSA is to build digital capabilities and innovations across agriculture value chains aimed at creating massive jobs and improve the income and wealth of every ecosystem player. According to him, currently in Nigeria, agriculture hires about 70% of the workforce. Director General, @KashifuInuwa as the Host, making (virtually) a welcome address at the Closing Ceremony of National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) programme taking place in Dutse, Jigawa State. [PHOTO CREDIT: @NITDANigeria] He said NITDA, together with Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, conceived the idea of introducing digital platform for farmers, in order to carry them along in Digital Economy journey spearheaded by the minister. Mr Abdullahi stated that, NAVSA is designed to take small scale farmers to commercial level using a performance-based approach. The project targets graduates (between the age of 20 to 35 years) with prerequisite knowledge to participate in AgricTech project. READ ALSO: There is need for farmers to join this journey towards realisation of Dr Pantamis dream to digitise Nigeria, and this is in line with President Muhammadu Buharis promise to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next few years. We believe this can only be achieved through innovations, which technology plays a vital role in terms of jobs and wealth creation, he said. He added that NAVSA will enhance digital agriculture strategy, and support Federal Government policy by taking advantage of the growing youth population which constitutes over 50 per cent of the estimated 200 million population; farmers owned an estimated 82 million hectares of arable land, of which according to a research, only 42 per cent is being productively utilised. There are about 126 Million active internet users, 72 Million broadband subscription and 37.8% broadband penetration with 70% target by 2025. Many dignitaries attended the event, virtually, in line with the guidelines on COVID-19 by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), to ensure agricultural activities are not badly affected, as directed by the President. Gunmen kill at least 5 at South African megachurch, create hostage situation Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment At least four people were shot and burnt to death while another was fatally shot at a Pentecostal megachurch that has more than a million members after gunmen stormed its headquarters near Johannesburg and allegedly held about 200 congregants, including women and children, at ransom for hours. An armed group, allegedly sent by a church faction, launched the attack at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church in the town of Zuurbekom in the Gauteng province on the outskirts of Johannesburg at 3 a.m. local time on Saturday, according to South Africas Eye Witness newspaper. Four people were found shot and burnt to death in a car while a fifth victim, a security guard, was also fatally shot in his car while he was apparently attending this complaint, National Commissioner of Police General Khehla John Sitole said, according to IOL. Police arrested at least 40 people, including officials from the South African police, the National Defense Force, the Johannesburg Metro Police and the Department of Correctional Services. Police also seized dozens of weapons, including five rifles, 16 shotguns and 13 pistols, according to i24 News. The crime scene is still being processed and the figures of arrests and firearms seized may fluctuate as the Special Task Force, Tactical Response Team and Visible Policing members continue to comb the compound," Sitole said. "These Units have also rescued men women and children who are said to be living in the compound and were being held hostage. A power struggle over the churchs leadership began after its founder, Comforter Glayton Modise, died in 2016. Church spokesperson Abiel Wessie said that a faction from the churchs Jerusalem branch was behind the attack. They came in and forcefully wanted to take over the church, Wessie told media. They came in and bulldozed the entrance. They used their bakkie to get through a gate that was locked. They managed to get access and others came through the back gate. They started to harass church members who were asleep at the time. In November 2018, at least three people were injured in a shootout between the churchs feuding factions outside the headquarters in Zuurbekom. In 2017, local newspapers reported that a church faction went to court saying about 110 million rands ($6.5 million) had gone missing. Weve arrested all those we reasonably believed are suspects. They have been [taken] in for questioning, police spokesperson Vish Naidoo told BBC. Sitole said, I have embarked on a Spiritual Crime Prevention Concept, which involves the participation of all religious denominations in the fight against crime. It is rather unfortunate that such an incident takes place during a time when South Africa is being plagued by a deadly virus and violent crimes. Roger Stone makes an appearance outside his house on July 12, 2020 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In addition to commuting his 40-month prison term, President Donald Trump's clemency order for his longtime ally Roger Stone commuted his two-year probation and the $20,000 fine that were also included in his sentence. The new details were revealed Monday when the Department of Justice made public Trump's executive order for Stone. The order was released hours after the judge in Stone's case asked whether Trump's clemency only dealt with Stone's prison term, or if it also applied to the 24 months of supervised release that was part of his sentence. Stone had been sentenced in February after being convicted last fall for lying to Congress, obstruction and witness tampering. Those charges were brought as part of then-special counsel Robert Mueller's probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The charges against Stone related to his efforts during that election to get information from WikiLeaks about emails stolen by Russian agents from the head of Hillary Clinton's campaign, as well as from the Democratic National Committee. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson earlier Monday had ordered the parties in Stone's case to clarify the "scope" of Trump's executive action. Jackson's request came in response to "questions raised by the U.S. Probation Office," especially the question of whether Trump's clemency applies to "the sentence of incarceration alone or also the period of supervised release," she said in an order added to Stone's case docket. Jackson also asked for a copy of Trump's executive order. A lawyer for Stone did not respond to CNBCs request for comment on Jackson's request. Iranian Air Force to 'Soon' Be Equipped With 100-Kilometre Range Missiles Sputnik News Oleg Burunov. Sputnik International 08:56 GMT 12.07.2020 Last month, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadran announced that Tehran would soon start manufacturing a new class of supersonic cruise missiles known as the Talaeey-e to complement the subsonic weapons currently in service. General Yousef Qorbani, Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Force's Airborne Division told a military conference on Sunday that his forces would be equipped with new missiles in the immediate future. "We will soon obtain missiles with a range of 20-km and 100-km", Qorbani said, referring to fire-and-forget type and pinpoint accuracy missiles that entered service with the Airborne Division earlier this year. He also praised the division's role in supporting the ground forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Border Police of Iran. Qorbani spoke after the country's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi pledged last month that Iran would soon start "the production of supersonic missiles, which use Turbofan engines to fly several times the speed of sound". This was preceded by the Airborne Division's Bell 214 helicopters being fitted with an advanced air-to-surface missile, known as the Iranian version of the US-made AGM-114 Hellfire. Iranian Defence Minister Amir Hatami, for his part, pointed out that the country's defence industry had reached an extremely high level of self-sufficiency, enabling it to produce everything from army, navy, and air force equipment to electronic systems and radar technology. "The enemy is too afraid of this defence power and Iran's military authority, especially in the area of missile capability", Hatami told last month's ceremony dedicated to the death of Mostafa Chamran, an Iranian commander killed in 1981 during the Iran-Iraq War. Over the past several years, Iran has defied US and European pressure to reduce its missile power, citing the need to defend itself against foreign aggression. The Islamic Republic is currently known to possess over 1,000 short- and medium-range missiles and will reportedly develop more amid its ongoing tensions with the US that have been in place since Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May 2018. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address T he White House has attempted to discredit Americas leading infectious disease expert as coronavirus continues to surge in the US. Amid further tensions between Dr Anthony Fauci and the US President, the Trump administration issued a statement expressing concern about the number of times Dr Fauci has been wrong on things. It provided a list of comments made by Dr Fauci, including him saying in January that the virus was not a major threat, and another from March when he said that people should not be walking around with masks. Donald Trump last week accused Dr Fauci of making mistakes and said he disagreed with his assertion that the US was still knee-deep in the first wave. Dr Fauci said he had not seen Mr Trump in person in at least two months. Health officials yesterday reported more than 60,000 new infections in the US for the third day in a row. Hard-hit Florida posted more than 15,000 cases the highest single-day figure of any state since the pandemic began. The crisis in southern and western states is again driving up the death toll, with the seven-day rolling average for daily reported fatalities rising from under 580 two weeks ago to more than 660. The World Health Organisation has reported a record 230,000 global increase in confirmed cases over a 24-hour period. Total recorded infections now stand at more than 13 million, including 571,000 deaths. A ban on alcohol sales was today back in force in South Africa in a bid to reduce trauma patients in hospitals facing a rising volume of Covid-19 cases. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the move last night, along with the reinstatement of a night curfew to reduce traffic accidents. He also made face masks mandatory in public. Loading.... Australias worst-hit state of Victoria recorded 177 new cases today down from 273 yesterday but a health official warned the diseases spread may yet worsen. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said it was too early to say whether the lower count meant the spread was being contained. Authorities in north-eastern Spain have tightened a lockdown, telling more 140,000 people to only leave home for work or other essential activities. Catalan authorities announced the curbs a week after they had already limited travel to and from the county of El Segria because of an outbreak of the virus. The resurgence of the coronavirus in the United States ignited fierce debate Monday about whether to reopen schools, as global health officials warned that the pandemic will intensify unless more countries adopt comprehensive plans to combat it. ``If the basics aren't followed, there is only one way this pandemic is going to go,'' said the director of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. ``It's going to get worse and worse and worse.'' Debate over the risks the virus poses, and how best to fight it, were spotlighted in Florida after it shattered the record among US states for the largest single-day increase, with more than 15,000 newly confirmed cases. Officials and health experts in hard-hit Miami pushed back against pressure, both from Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump, to bring students back to classrooms next month. ``We just absolutely cannot risk the health of children, their well-being and safety, or any of our colleagues,'' said Karla Hernandez-Mats, president of the United Teachers of Dade union and a middle school teacher herself. ``We're probably going to have to go to a full shutdown mode. I can't see the schools reopening except with the 100% virtual model.'' Parents have until Wednesday to notify the Miami-Dade school district of their decision whether they will send their kids to school this fall or have them study online from home. ``Children can get get the virus in their bodies and get contaminated just like anybody else,'' said Florida International University epidemiologist Dr. Aileen Marty, who has been advising the Miami school district on its reopening plans. DeSantis has argued that children have not proven to be vectors for the disease and that if retailers like Walmart can be reopened safely, then schools should be able to as well. But he made those arguments with a notable caveat, saying that each county should make it own decision on reopening in consultation with local health officials. The debate is hardly limited to Florida. In Detroit, where summer school classes for hundreds of students opened Monday, protesters blocked a school bus yard with tree branches. ``When I visited schools this morning I knew we were doing the right thing for children,'' schools Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said, in a post on Twitter. ``COVID is not going away. Many of our children need face-to-face, direct engagement,'' he said. But lawyer Shanta Driver said she planned to file a lawsuit to stop the in-person instruction. ``I'm not going back until this pandemic is defeated. There is not a safe way to return to school while this virus is spreading uncontained,'' said teacher Benjamin Royal. In North Carolina, which reported its highest one-day number of cases and hospitalizations, Gov. Roy Cooper has asked school districts to prepare three re-opening plans that include options for in-person and fully remote learning. His decision is expected later this week. But teacher Becky Maxam, whose husband is considered high-risk for the virus because of a genetic heart condition, said she doesn't plan to return if her Charlotte middle school reopens. ``I'm not going back if we're opening up. I can't risk my family,'' Maxam said. ``I think we should be virtual until we find a vaccine or cases go down much more than what they are.'' The debate over what to do about schools came as a pair of WHO experts were in China for a mission to trace the origin of the pandemic. The virus was first detected in central China's city of Wuhan late last year. Beijing had been reluctant to allow a probe but relented after scores of countries called on the WHO to conduct a thorough investigation. China has argued that the virus might have originated outside of China and has angrily denied allegations that it covered up the scale of the outbreak as infections first began to spread. Also Monday, the United Nations warned that the pandemic could cause 130 million more people worldwide to go hungry this year. UN officials estimate there were about 690 million people in 2019 who went hungry worldwide, with the majority in Asia and Africa. ``While it is too soon to assess the full impact of the lockdowns and other containment measures,`` the agency said that, at a minimum, another 83 million would go hungry as a result of the pandemic. The WHO's Tedros said the consequences would be worst for the world's most vulnerable populations. But he noted Monday that the most recent surge in cases had come in the Americas. The United States and Brazil alone account for more than a third of all global deaths from the disease. ``I really do think we could control this, and it's the human element that is so critical. It should be an effort of our country. We should be pulling together when we're in a crisis, and we're definitely not doing it,'' said University of Florida epidemiologist Cindy Prins. But with Trump pressuring school districts to reopen this fall, and with the academic year in some southern states just weeks away, the debate over how to respond to the resurgence is growing more heated. ``I do think that there are going to be many challenges to opening schools safely and just kind of asserting that just because they want to open safely doesn't make it so,'' Dr. Tom Inglesby, director for the Center of Health Security at Johns Hopkins University, told a Fox News interviewer on Sunday. Trump has harshly criticized the WHO over its response to the coronavirus pandemic and accused it of bowing to Chinese influence. The Trump administration formally notified the UN last week of its withdrawal from WHO, although the pullout won't take effect until July 6, 2021. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 19:35:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait on Monday reported 614 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 55,508 and the death toll to 393, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Currently, 9,759 patients are receiving treatment, including 148 in ICU, the statement added. The ministry also announced the recovery of 746 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 45,356. Kuwait started on June 30 the second phase of restoring normal life, which will last three weeks. Kuwait and China have been supporting each other and cooperating closely in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Kuwait donated medical supplies worth 3 million U.S. dollars to China at the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak. On April 27, a team of Chinese medical experts visited Kuwait to assist the Gulf country's anti-coronavirus fight, through sharing their experience and expertise in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. Enditem MCALLEN, Texas Two police officers were shot and killed Saturday by a suspect who later fatally shot himself in a South Texas border town after responding to a domestic disturbance call, authorities said. McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez identified the slain officers as Edelmiro Garza, 45, and Ismael Chavez, 39. Garza was an officer with the police department for more than eight years while Chavez had over two years of experience. We have lost two brave public servants who sought only to keep peace in our City, Rodriguez, visibly distraught, told The (McAllen) Monitor. The officers first met with two people who reported assaults that took place inside a nearby home on the south side of McAllen around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Rodriguez said. But the alleged shooter, whom police identified as 23-year-old Audon Ignacio Camarillo, opened fire when officers attempted to enter the home. They were doing their job. That is what they were supposed to do. The person was a suspect of the incident, met our officers at the door, and shot at both officers, Rodriguez said. Both officers suffered fatal wounds, they have both passed away as a result. The officers never had a chance to suspect deadly assault on them, much less death. Camarillo shot and killed himself shortly after opening fire on the officers, Rodriguez said, adding that the suspect hid behind a vehicle after other officers responded to the scene. Camarillo had a few run-ins with police beginning in 2016 to his most recent arrest last month on assault charges, according to public records. More details surrounding the domestic disturbance Garza and Chavez responded to were not immediately known. Rodriguez said the attack happened suddenly and fellow police officers didnt learn of the officers deaths until arriving to the area moments later. Rodriguez said he doesnt expect his department to get over the deaths of their fellow officers anytime soon. The next few days for us, moving forward as well, will be very, very difficult, for ourselves at the department and at the city of McAllen, but our strength will get us through, the chief said. We gather our strength from our police officers, and we gather our strengths from our colleagues, as you can see here. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who spoke with Rodriguez, offered the full backing of the state and expressed his support via social media. Two of our finest were killed in the line of duty while working to protect residents in their community, Abbott wrote on Twitter. We unite to #BackTheBlue. Lt. Christopher Olivarez, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said DPS was among the agencies assisting McAllen police on Saturday. Olivarez noted that DPS sent troopers to secure the scene after the McAllen Police Department requested their assistance. He said his agency received a call about the incident around 4:30 p.m. McAllen is located at the southern tip of Texas, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of the Gulf of Mexico. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton tweeted that his office will provide the McAllen Police Department with any help needed. Our prayers and full support are with the valiant men and women of the #CityofMcAllen PD this evening, the tweet read. We are grateful for police in McAllen and around this great state. U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen said in a statement that receiving news of the two officers deaths was devastating. This is devastating news to our community. My heart breaks for these fallen officers and their families, Gonzalez said. They served McAllen bravely and honorably and I will keep them in my prayers. Rodriguez said that while the police are weakened for the moment, he expects a resilient law enforcement community to stand tall and persevere through it. The strength and the resolve we have to serve our communities, all of us here, will allow us to do what we do every day, Rodriguez said. Law enforcement from several cities in Hidalgo County gathered Saturday evening at McAllen Medical to honor Garza and Chavez. More than 50 police cars were part of a procession that accompanied the bodies of the officers, who were taken to Hidalgo County pathology for an autopsy. Britain has at least 100,000 slave workers - 10 times the official figure - according to a new report. William Hague, the former UK foreign secretary, has called for a renewed drive to tackle the "terrible crime" of holding another human being enslaved after the report found a rise in reported incidents of domestic slavery. The report, entitled 'It Still Happens Here', from the Centre for Social Justice think-tank and anti-slavery charity Justice and Care, warns the problem is likely to intensify in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Modern slaves are frequently trafficked from abroad, although in the past three years the UK has been the top country of origin of suspected slavery victims, the report says. It cites harrowing examples of gangs using the identities of victims to commit benefit fraud, victims being plied with alcohol and drugs and forced to beg in the streets or engage in the sale of illicit tobacco or even be exploited in brothels or car washes. Evidence also emerged of how the government's furlough scheme was being abused. Government estimates in 2017 put the cost of slavery on the country at up to 4.3bn (4.8bn) - based on between 10,000 and 13,000 victims. The report gathered evidence of slavery in the UK across six towns and cities. Using artificial intelligence to analyse crime and intelligence reports from West Midlands Police, it found there were likely to be 4,197 victims in one 12-month period. Extrapolating the data to the whole UK population suggests there are at least 99,469 victims linked to cases reported to police. This does not include the hidden majority of victims who are yet to be identified. The report also clearly links modern slavery to organised crime. In Leeds, trading standards officials linked slavery to widespread tax evasion on cigarette sales while in the West Midlands, a police operation on one criminal network uncovered how victims from eastern Europe were being exploited for labour. Endorsing the report's call for a tightening of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, Mr Hague said: "Most people find it hard to believe that, nearly 200 years after Britain formally abolished slavery, the terrible crime of holding another human being enslaved is still widespread here. "That is because modern slavery is hidden from view, even though it is all around us." ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stressed that the current situation of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) disease in the country is hazardous to the entire population while indicating that this is not the time for weak and tired loins as being exhibited by the President, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Health Minister, Hon. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu. During a press conference in Accra today addressed by Sammy Gyamfi who is the National Communications Officer of the NDC, the main opposition party has accused the ruling party of failing in the fight against the deadly disease due to the careless and directionless leadership of President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo. While lamenting over the daily increase in the number of the Covid-19 cases, the NDC has also raised concerns over the lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health workers which has led to more than 700 persons being infected in the line of duty. The NDC reckons that Ghanas current Covid-19 situation calls for decisive and forthright leadership to stem the tide of the marauding virus which now threatens the entire citizenry. This is not the time for weak and tired loins, as the Health Minister and President Akufo-Addo have developed, neither is it time to place politically-driven decision ahead of public health, Sammy Gyamfi told journalists at the press conference today. The NDC insists that the governments national response plan and strategy have failed and there is the need to re-strategize and take some critical remedial actions to salvage the failing fight. The NDC, therefore, demands that the Akufo-Addo government adopts and implement what they describe as far-reaching measures that they are recommending to protect Ghanaian lives. As they demand the immediate closure of all reopened schools, the main opposition party has also charged the government to urgently deal with high infection rates among health professionals by providing the required type and number of PPE for health workers. They add that the government must review the new discharge and recovery policy that allows the discharge of people with positive cases after just one test. Read the press statement from the NDC below for more recommendations made to the government: SPEECH DELIVERED BY COMRADE SAMMY GYAMFI, NATIONAL COMMUNICATION OFFICER OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (NDC), AT THE 7TH EDITION OF THE NDCS WEEKLY PRESS BRIEFING, HELD AT THE PARTYS HEADQUARTERS ON MONDAY, 13TH JULY, 2020. GHANAS COVID-19 FIGHT FAILING; URGENT REMEDIAL ACTIONS NEEDED NOW. Good morning distinguished friends from the media. Once again, I welcome you with gratitude to the Headquarters of the National Democratic Congress, as we continue to engage you on vital policy issues and other critical national conversations that border on the well-being of Ghanaians, as well as the development and forward-match of our dear Republic. Today, we have invited you here to discuss the precarious COVID-19 situation that our nation presently finds itself in; where this all started and how we have arrived at this present juncture. Indeed, our present COVID-19 situation, which clearly is getting worse by the day, calls for a deep and candid introspection and soul-searching by the nation. To do this, we must ask ourselves; What is Ghanas current COVID-19 situation? Where are we now in the COVID-19 fight? Are we winning the fight? or is the deadly virus triumphing over us? And we intend to be honest and objective about these basic questions this morning. Friends of the media, without mincing any words or making bones about this indisputable fact, Ghana is fast-losing the COVID-19 fight, due to the careless and directionless leadership of President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo. And, I shall outline ten (10) facts that accurately describe our current COVID-19 situation and bear out this assertion. Ladies and gentlemen of the media, as we speak: 1. Ghana has recorded over 24,000 positive cases with 139 deaths, whiles the insensitive and inept Akufo Addo-government looks on helplessly. Our astronomically high and ever-increasing positive case count is putting huge pressure on the already-constrained health system of the country. Indeed, many health facilities across the country, including the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital have been compelled to suspend other critical emergency health services due to the overwhelming cases of Coronavirus on their hands. 2. Another fact that lays credence to the assertion that our COVID-19 fight is failing is that, the long-standing problem of lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our patriotic and hardworking health workers, who are sacrificing their lives to keep us safe, has not been addressed by President Akufo Addo and his government contrary to the countless and persistent assurances we have been given. This has occasioned an alarming rate of COVID-19 infections among health workers, leading to the loss of several precious lives, including some renowned health experts. So far, over 779 health workers made up of 190 doctors, 410 nurses and midwives, 23 hospital pharmacists and 156 allied health workers, have caught the virus, with 10 deaths, while the insensitive Akufo Addo-government continues to pay lip service to this critical issue. This is sad and completely unacceptable. 3. Also, the alarming COVID-19 infections among top NPP/government officials, some of whom have died, doesnt inspire any confidence in the ordinary man on the street, that this fight is anywhere near being won. As you may be aware, our Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, the Forestry Commission CEO, Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie (may God bless his soul), the late Takoradi Mayor, another sad casuality, K.K Sam, the BOST MD, the NHIA Director-General and her Deputies, the Minister of Regional Re-organization, Dan Botwe, the Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, The Ghana Education Service (GES) Director-General, the former deputy minister of Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah and the Volta Regional Minister, Archibald Yao Letsa, are but a few of the bigwigs on the tall list of Government Officials who have either battled, are battling or succumbed to COVID-19 in the last few months. This phenomenon clearly bears out our worsening COVID-19 situation. 4. Again, the rising phenomenon of shutdown of key state institutions such as, COCOBOD, GNPC, BOST, NHIA, Ministry of Finance, the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Education, the National Health Insurance Authority among several others, further accentuate the alarming rate of community spread of the novel coronavirus in the country and terrifying situation we presently find ourselves in. Only God knows which other state institution is playing host to this deadly virus, and whether at this rate, the entire government machinery will not be brought down on its knees in the coming weeks. 5. Furthermore, the significant reduction of testing and contact tracing being spearheaded by the failed Akufo Addo-government, is a major setback to our COVID-19 fight. Governments refusal to pay contact tracers their meagre motivational allowances, despite Parliament making financial provision for same, has led to the complete abandonment of contact tracing, thereby letting loose the ravaging virus in our communities. Also, our severely constrained testing capacity and shortage of test reagents and other vital supplies, which accounts for the huge backlog of samples waiting to be tested at both the Noguchi Center for Medical Research and the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research (KCCR), is further exacerbating our failing fight against the virus. 7. Additionally, the lack of isolation facilities to contain our positive cases is very worrying. Currently, most of our hospitals and health facilities are full and overstretched, leading to the suspension of other critical emergency health services, while our ICUs are also getting full. This situation that has led to an increase in self-isolation of positive cases is undermining our COVID-19 fight, as the evidence on voluntary self-isolation, show relatively low compliance to safety protocols as compared to mandatory isolation. 8. Another serious problem confronting us, is the inadequacy of health personnel to manage COVID-19 cases, as was admitted by Dr. Nsiah Asare, Presidential Advisor on health in the media few weeks ago. 9. Also, the inconsistent and doubtful data on our COVID-19 situation, leading to loss of public confidence is a major problem. The several instances of manipulation of data by government to create a false sense of security, instead of reporting the true facts as they pertain to our situation has gradually chipped away public confidence in governments management of the pandemic. 10. Lastly, the non-adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols by majority of Ghanaians, particularly by the ruling New Patriotic Party reflects the our failing fight against the pandemic. Ladies and gentlemen, the ten (10) facts I have enumerated, accurately describe our current COVID-19 situation and show that our situation is increasingly worsening and getting dire as the days go by. Indeed, international reputable organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), has been alarmed by our current situation, leading to their recent assessment of Ghana as one of the countries driving the spread of the virus in West Africa, whilst the European Union also recently placed Ghana among countries whose nationals have been given restricted access to the EU zone due to our terrifying COVID-19 situation. As it is now, the center can no longer hold. Things appear to have fallen apart. Our health system and response plan have been completely overwhelmed by the pandemic. Our leaders, the President, his talkative Vice and our health minister, are no where to be found. No wonder the Minister of Health recently said that he and the President are tired of the COVID fight. How low we sunk! Whilst other countries have stepped up their fight against the pandemic, we have taken our foot off the pedal, with our authorities almost but conceding defeat. But the biggest question is, why Ghana? How did we get here? Distinguished friends from the media, since a problem well-stated is half-solved, permit me to enumerate ten (10) sins of President Akufo-Addo that have brought us here. 1. Firstly, President Akufo Addos refusal to close our borders and airport, as well as adopt containment measures on time, is the main reason why we find ourselves in this severe and alarming COVID-19 malaise. This is grounded by the high number of imported cases that precipitated the astronomical community spread of the virus across the country, due to the lack of implementation of any proper containment measures right from the outset. It would be recalled that President Akufo-Addo ignored all calls for him to close our borders and airport from health professionals, the NDC and other citizens, and rather went frolicking in Europe at a time the coronavirus was ravaging several European and western nations. In fact, you would recall that it was upon his return from that unproductive European tour, that one of our very first cases was recorded by a high-ranking diplomat, specifically the Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana, who was with the Presidents in Norway. 2. Secondly, governments poor management of the Coronavirus Alleviation program, including misappropriation of relief funds, particularly free food and water distribution to the vulnerable, which led to a premature easing of lockdown restrictions on the basis of political reasons other than medical, epidemiological or any scientific considerations, further worsened our wobbly COVID-19 fight. 3. Thirdly, governments failure to adopt mass/community testing and to resolve our inefficient testing regime is part of the reasons why we find ourselves in this quagmire. In fact, the problem of delayed release of test results, as a result of lack of PCR test kits, reagents among others, still remains a major challenge. 4. Also, the non-payment of contact tracers by the Akufo Addo-government, leading to strike actions by the poor workers who have placed their lives at risk and those of their families for our collective good. As I have already indicated, this is very unacceptable, as it betrays the lack of sensitivity, seriousness and candor in President Akufo-Addos promises, even in this time of coronavirus crises. 5. Again, the deliberate misreporting and suppression of data on positive, death and recovered cases, by the Akufo Addo-government, thereby giving a false sense of security to the people has partly accounted for our failing COVID-19 fight. 6. Furthermore, Akufo Addos failure to provide adequate PPEs to protect health workers, despite financial provision being made for same by Parliament has been one of the bane of our deplorable COVID-19 position. The President of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Frank Ankobea and other allied medical unions have had occasion to lament governments failure to provide basic PPE and how this has impacted negatively on our COVID fight, leading to loss of morale and medical personnel, as I have already indicated. It is worthy to add, that President Akufo-Addos deliberate exclusion of several other health workers from the list of frontline health workers is demotivating a lot of our health workers who have been excluded from the list of frontline health workers. And this must be addressed as a matter of urgency. 7. Additionally, Akufo Addos failure to establish adequate isolation centers for the management of positive cases has further exacerbated our worsening COVID-19 situation. This is a reflection of the general failure of President Akufo Addo to make any meaningful contribution to health infrastructure in Ghana, in the last three (3) and half years, despite being the most resourced President in Ghanas history. This has cemented his place as a President who talks much and does very little. 8. Again, Akufo Addos failure to ensure the observation of COVID-19 precautionary protocols during the NIA registration and card distribution exercises, the NPP Parliamentary primaries, as well as the ongoing new voter registration, despite several warnings from the Ghana Medical Association and other health professionals, is another major contributing factor to our failing COVID-19 fight. This is very worrying, particularly given the fact that some Pastors and other citizens have been arrested, prosecuted and jailed for breaching the same COVID-19 restrictions and protocols. President Akufo Addos refusal to hold his own appointees and party members, such as Carlos Ahenkora to the same standard of discipline, has further exposed him as a man who preaches virtue and supervises vice. The wanton disregard for COVID-19 protocols by government officials, which was again displayed at the recently-held confirmation of President Akufo-Addo as flag-bearer of the NPP, has set a bad tone for what has been a return to business as usual for members of the public and is undermining our already failing COVID-19 fight. 9. More importantly, the premature reopening of Senior High Schools by President Akufo Addo without mass testing of students, teachers and workers, as well as a failure to put in place and enforce appropriate safety measures in the reopened schools, which is leading to the spread of the virus among SHS students is yet another major setback for our COVID-19 fight. Today, it is sad and annoying to note, that apart from the disregard for COVID-19 safety protocols in our Senior High Schools, the schools have become centers for political campaigns by the NPP, as was seen over the weekend, when the National Youth Organizer of the NPP, Henry Nana Boakye led a team to campaign in some Senior High Schools in the Ashanti region. Ladies and gentlemen of the media, is it not cruel, that at a time over 10 of the reopened Senior High Schools have recorded infections on their campuses, and parents have been prevented from visiting their wards as a so-called COVID-19 precautionary measure, President Akufo Addo has opened the same schools, for his party NPP and the Electoral Commission, who prioritizes political power than human lives, to go in there and engage in political activities which have the tendency to endanger the lives of our innocent SHS students. This show of total disregard for the lives of our innocent SHS children by President Akufo Addo is unconscionable and reprehensible to say the least, and must he condemned by all voices of conscience. 10. Finally, governments review of our recovery and discharge policy from two (2) mandatory tests to zero (0) as a result of the lack of test kits, isolation facilities, among others, is partly responsible for our ever-worsening situation. We hold the view, that the new recovery and discharge policy under which persons who have tested positive for the virus are declared as recovered and discharged when they become asymptomatic without any confirmatory tests, is very dangerous, and has the potential to further jeopardize our already-failing COVID-19 fight. It must be noted that although the risk or degree of the spread of the virus by asymptomatic persons is relatively lower as compared to persons showing symptoms, it cannot be said that there is absolutely no risk or possibility that asymptomatic cases can spread the virus. In other words, fact that the WHO has said that asymptomatic cases are less likely to pass the virus on than symptomatic cases does not mean that asymptomatic individuals cannot spread the virus as has been suggested in Ghana. Indeed, the WHO has acknowledged that, there is a "minimal residual risk" that patients discharged under their new policy may still be infectious and this must inform our adoption and implementation of the new policy in Ghana. Even more bizarre, ladies and gentlemen, is the conflicting signals government is communicating to the public on this matter. Whereas, government has told the public that we have reviewed our recovery and discharge policy from two (2) mandatory and confirmatory tests to zero, the same government few days ago informed us that one of the appointees of President Akufo Addo who contracted the virus, Carlos Ahenkora, has recovered, after testing negative in two consecutive confirmatory tests. The question we would want to ask is that, if the new recovery and discharge policy under which asymptomatic persons are discharged without any confirmatory tests is good, then why was Carlos Ahenkora made to undertake two (2) confirmatory tests before he was declared as having recovered? What is government hiding from the nation? Dont they believe in their own recovery and discharge policy? On what basis are they determining who deserves confirmatory tests and who doesnt? Why does Carlos Ahenkora deserve two confirmatory tests, but the ordinary Ghanaian who has contracted the virus dont deserve same? Is it because the Akufo Addo government values the lives of their officials over the lives of ordinary Ghanaians? Friends from the media, this lack of consistency in the application of governments new recovery and discharge policy, casts serious doubts about its validity and viability and shows that same cannot be relied upon by the nation if we are serious about the COVID-19 fight. In addition to above-enumerated points, the crass intolerance and headstrong refusal of the Akufo-Addo government to heed good counsel is also a major cause of our worsening COVID-19 situation. Whereas foreign embassies saw what the NDC was seeing from the outset and moved to evacuate their nationals months ago, President Akufo-Addo and his men were busy pursuing political expediency, the reason why we are here. In short, ladies and gentlemen of the media, Ghana finds herself in this quagmire because of the sloppy and clueless leadership, as well as the politically-driven decisions of President Akufo-Addo. THE WAY FORWARD Distinguished friends from the media, the NDC reckons that our current situation calls for decisive and forthright leadership to stem the tide of the marauding virus which now threatens all of us. This is not the time for weak and tired loins, as the Health Minister and President Akufo-Addo have developed, neither is it time to place politically-driven decision ahead of public health. Clearly, our national response plan and strategy have failed, and we need to re-strategize and take some critical remedial actions to salvage our failing fight, as a matter of urgency. The NDC therefore demands that the Akufo-Addo government adopts and implement the following far-reaching measures to protect Ghanaian lives. First, we demand the immediate closure of all reopened schools which were hurriedly reopened under the guise of facilitating the writing of WASSCE, just to make room for the Electoral Commission to register SHS students on their school campuses. The Ghanaian Times newspaper reports today, that ten (10) more Senior High Schools have recorded cases of COVID-19. As we speak, Nigeria, a major participant in the WASSCE exam has rescinded its decision to reopen schools, while Kenya has also decided to close schools until 2021. We urge President Akufo-Addo to prioritize human lives over electoral fancies. Also, we call on all and sundry to condemn the action of the National Youth Organizer of the NPP, Henry Nana Boakye for leading the shameful agenda of making SHS their hotbed of political activity during these perilous times. We further demand that in consonance with GES regulations, the Headmaster of that Senior High School in Kumasi should be interdicted immediately in order to serve the ends of justice. Secondly, we demand that government deals urgently with high infection rate among health professionals by providing the required type and number of PPE for health workers. As a matter of fact, government must heed to calls to revise its narrow conceptualization of frontline health workers, and immediately provide the required PPEs to aid our gallant health workers in combating this virus. Let me add, that the need for the adequate provision of PPE for health workers must be situated within the work of a bipartisan committee, because we can no longer allow them to get infected and die when money has been voted for that purpose by our representatives in Parliament. Thirdly, government must review the new discharge and recovery policy that allows the discharge of people with positive cases after just one test. Much as government may be in a hurry to make our picture look good, a further worsening of this situation will completely overrun our health system, hence the need to tread cautiously. The new policy which appears to be shoring up or recovery cases is creating a false sense of security amongst the people. And, our implementation of same against the caution of the WHO that there is a "minimal residual risk" that patients discharged under their new policy may still be infectious, has the tendency to jeopardize further our failing fight. Also, we call for the immediate adoption of mass and efficient testing regime to be able to go after the virus. Our current reactionary approach to the virus is actually what is precipitating its further rapid spread. Apart from the absence of testing, the time lag between when tests are conducted and when the results are ready gives room for the virus to spread inadvertently to those who hitherto did not have it. We further demand the establishment of more isolation centers by the Akufo Addo government to effectively manage our rising number of positive cases. The current situation where people who have been confirmed positive are let loose due to lack of facilities to accommodate them is unacceptable. Government must also enhance its contact tracing by paying all outstanding allowances due contact tracers in order to motivate them to work hard. The virus has obviously overtaken us, and if we must get ahead of it, then we ought to run faster, and be proactive. Additionally, we demand that government intensifies public awareness - through mass, purposeful and deliberate public education. This will further awaken all of us to the reality of the virus which has become a clear and present danger with us. Last, but not least, government must ensure accountability in the expenditure of COVID-19 funds. There is the need for a special and forensic audit into all already expended COVID-19 funds, as a matter of urgency. Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot end by urging government to reduce fuel prices, instead of the recent consistent increments at a time crude prices have plummeted on the world market. The need to reduce fuel prices comes at a time government has directed all commercial drivers to reduce the number of passengers they take in line with social distancing protocols. This has drastically reduced the incomes of transport owners who are still being asked to pay more for fuel. This is unacceptable, and prices must go down immediately. We urge all Ghanaians to hold the Akufo-addo Government accountable for its handling of this pandemic. All over the world, countries are still battling and re-strategizing against what looks like a continuous wave of the virus. Ghana alone cannot let down our guard for the sake of Akufo Addos quest for political power. Ghana deserves better! Thank you for your attention. External Article 13 July 2020 Where can you go this summer? That's a simple question with a complicated answer. The reason: There hasn't been a definitive guide to summer travel bans at least until now. Advertisements Consider what happened to Barbara Glavish, who wanted to visit her family in Australia and New Zealand. Between news reports, the State Department advisories and the information published online by the governments of Australia and New Zealand, it wasn't easy to tell if she could go. But then the countries took decisive action in March. "Australia and New Zealand closed their borders," says Glavish, a retired occupational therapist from Incline Village, Nev. "And they're still closed." That's when Glavish canceled. "I'm hoping to make the trip maybe next May," she says. "I have airline vouchers good through December 2021 and plan to use those for my rebooking." The operational situation at the border is under control, said Armenian defense minister Davit Tonoyan during a special government's meeting on Monday. At around 12:30 pm local time Sunday, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces attempted to violate Armenia's state border, in the direction of Tavush Province, and with an UAZ-model vehicle, Shushan Stepanyan, spokesperson for the defense minister, wrote on her Facebook. After the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani servicemen returned to their position, leaving the UAZ-model vehicle behind. At 1:45 pm, the servicemen of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces repeatedusing artillery firethe attempt to seize the border position of the Armenian Armed Forces, but were suppressed by the Armenian side and driven back, suffering casualties. There are no casualties on the Armenian side, she added. In the evening, the Azerbaijani side resumed shooting at the positions. The shooting periodically continued throughout the night. All opponent's attempts are neutralized by units of the Armenian armed forces. On Monday morning, the opponent resumed provocative actions, continuing to shoot at Armenian positions. The Armenian Armed Forces gave an adequate response. There are no losses from the Armenian side. Defense Minister of Armenia Davit Tonoyan is in constant contact with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk. During the last conversation, the Minister of Defense informed that the personnel and command of the Armenian Army are instructed to remain restrained for the time being, and in case of provocations of the enemy on the borders of the Republic of Armenia, react as necessary, up to the capture of new advantageous positions," the MOD spokeswoman wrote. Armenian Armed Forces do not fire in the direction of Azerbaijani settlements. Only engineering infrastructure and military equipment is being targeted, she also said. The political and military leadership of Azerbaijan will bear all responsibility for the losses of the Azerbaijani side and the consequences of the aggravation of the situation, the MOD added. By Online Desk The Rajasthan Congress Legislature Party on Monday afternoon passed a resolution supporting CM Ashok Gehlot after days of tussle between him and his deputy Sachin Pilot, the rebel leader who claimed that he has the support of over 30 party MLAs in the state's 200-member assembly. According to sources, Pilot and 16 other MLAs were missing from the meeting, a claim we are verifying. But every indication suggests that the crisis in Rajasthan has blown over for now. The resolution said strict action would be taken against those who will act against the government. It was also said that the BJP is trying to crush democracy which is an insult to the eight crore people of Rajasthan. Strong disciplinary action was recommended against any Congress MLA and office-bearer who "weakens" the party. The Congress Legislature Party went on to express its full confidence in Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Ashok Gehlot too. "Fearing exemplary works and public service of Congress government, the BJP-led conspiracy is trying to destabilise Congress' state government by indulging in horse-trading of MLAs and trying to murder democracy by using money and political power," read the resolution. "It is unfortunate that the BJP did not learn lessons from the defeat in the Rajya Sabha elections and are trying to destabilise Congress government using corrupt means. This ripping off of democracy by BJP is an insult to 8 crore people of Rajasthan, they will not accept it. CLP meet expresses its confidence in Congress President Sonia Gandhi and leader Rahul Gandhi, and unanimously supports the government led by Ashok Gehlot," it said. ALSO READ | Pilot vs Gehlot: Rajasthan Congress leaders question timing of I-T raids Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are among top Congress leaders who are in touch with Pilot and working to placate him, just a day after the deputy CM brought his rift with Chief Minister Gehlot out in the open. The Grand Old Party on Monday said its doors will remain open for Sachin Pilot. The Congress Legislature Party meeting began about three hours later than scheduled, with ministers and MLAs flashing victory signs for the camerapersons. The Congress said all MLAs have already expressed support for Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Other Congress leaders who are learnt to have spoken with Pilot are Ahmed Patel, former Union finance minister P Chidambaram and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal. Surjewala said that the party's top leadership had spoken to Pilot several times in the last 72 hours. He added that the differences in a family can be resolved within the family, suggesting that Pilot and other MLAs should come and discuss grievances at party forums. Roots of the tussle Differences between the two leaders were brewing for some time but they reached a tipping point on Sunday after Pilot, along with a group of MLAs supporting him, rushed to Delhi to meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. He reportedly could not meet her. Sources said Avinash Pandey, AICC general-secretary in-charge of Rajasthan, told Sonia there was no danger to the government. READ| Jyotiraditya Scindia says Sachin Pilot too 'persecuted'; Congress' deja vu moment Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi spoke to Pilot over phone and sent senior leaders Ajay Makan, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Avinash Pandey to Jaipur to meet Gehlot. There is no reason for the BJP to be happy. All Congress party is together..., Surjewala had told reporters after reaching Jaipur on Sunday night. The three leaders then went straight to the CMs residence. The political turmoil in Rajasthan, coming barely three months after the debacle of the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh following Jyotiraditya Scindias dramatic switch-over to the BJP due to similar differences with senior party leaders Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh, had left senior leaders worried. (With inputs from PTI) Authorities in Delhi have put on hold their plan to use stadiums as makeshift COVID care centres for now in view of the city witnessing a good recovery rate, officials said on Sunday. Seeing the current situation, there is no need to convert stadiums into COVID-19 care facilities, an official in the East Delhi district administration said. However, he said, the stadiums can be converted into COVID facilities in the coming days if the need arises. Last month, a Delhi government panel constituted by Lt Governor Anil Baijal had suggested to use Pragati Maidan, Talkatora Indoor Stadium, Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, JLN Stadium, Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium and Dhyanchand National Stadium for the purpose. A government study on Saturday said that there has been a "sharp decline" in daily fatality figures in the city in the past two weeks. The recovery rate of patients stood at a little over 79 per cent on Saturday. "We can use them (stadiums) for such facility, but it would be an unnecessary step because many people are under home isolation and recovering from the virus," the official of the East Delhi district administration stressed. Another official in the south district administration said, "We are closely monitoring the situation. As of now, there is no need to use any stadium for the COVID-19 care facility". According to a Northwest Delhi official, the number of coronavirus cases in the city is under control as the recovery rate is improving every day. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed pulse oximeter a 'suraksha kavach' (protective shield) that has helped minimise deaths of patients under home isolation here. The city government has provided pulse oximeters to asymptomatic and mild symptom coronavirus patients under home isolation. Delhi recorded 1,573 fresh coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking the tally in the city to over 1.12 lakh, while the death toll from the disease climbed to 3,371, authorities said. Thirty-seven fatalities have been recorded in the last 24 hours, they added. Also read: Delhi CM bats for pulse oximeter, says it helps reduce coronavirus deaths The Canadian home decor company looks to support in the effort to keep their community safe and help local charitable organizations, Marie-Vincent Foundation and Youth Without Shelter Bouclair releases collection of locally designed masks to give back to their Canadian community The Canadian home decor company looks to support in the effort to keep their community safe and help local charitable organisations, Marie-Vincent Foundation and Youth Without Shelter. The Canadian home decor company looks to support in the effort to keep their community safe and help local charitable organisations, Marie-Vincent Foundation and Youth Without Shelter. POINTE-CLAIRE, Quebec, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bouclair recently launched a collection of locally designed non-surgical masks available for purchase in 31 store locations across Canada and online. The collection consists of over 20 colourful original patterns and memorable Canadian expressions created by the companys in-house team of designers at their head office located in Montreal, Quebec. The decision to launch these adjustable and reusable non-surgical masks was made in an effort to support the Canadian community in keeping themselves and their family and friends safe. It comes at a perfect time, especially amidst strong recommendations in some provinces that masks should be worn in all indoor spaces outside the home, crowded areas and public transit. The company also announced that profits from the sale of the masks will go to support local Canadian charitable organizations in need, Marie-Vincent Foundation and Youth Without Shelter. These foundations support children and adolescents facing struggles in their lives by providing services and safe refuge in times of greatest need. All face mask styles are made of 100% polyester (front) and 100% cotton (back). They are adjustable, reusable, washable, non-surgical with the possibility to add a carbon filter to increase protection. The design was made with comfort, safety and fun in mind. Each style allows for an individual to crack a smile and show off their style while continuing the effort to stay safe. Story continues About Bouclair: Bouclair is a Montreal-based national home decor retail chain proud to help Canadians decorate their homes with the latest styles at affordable prices. Its team of in-house designers is constantly developing collections of stylish furnishings and home accents, offering them for sale exclusively in their stores or online. Details: https://www.bouclair.com/en/masks Contact us: Information, interviews and visual requests Cesar Morales Marketing Operations Manager Bouclair Alston Investments Inc. pr@bouclair.com (438) 227-5214 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/20f2ff0a-e789-4f9c-b8bb-3cff81fcf1f7 South Africa: Reinstating regulations to save lives: Mkhize Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has assured South Africans that the re-establishment of further urgent restrictions to curb the spread of the Coronavirus has undergone vigorous consultations at various levels. On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country would remain on lockdown level 3, while reintroducing some new lockdown rules with immediate effect, as the number of COVID-19 infections rise in South Africa. Among these is a re-ban on the sale, dispensing and distribution of alcohol as well as the reinstating of a curfew between 9pm and 4am. While inter-provincial taxi capacity will remain at 70%, local taxis will now be able to ferry 100% loads. Meanwhile, wearing of masks is now mandatory. Briefing the media on amended lockdown regulations on Monday, Mkhize said as it stands, 52 districts across the country are now hotspots and the disease continues to grow very rapidly. This, of course, is telling, and if anyone doubted the aggressiveness of the pandemic I think we should be aware that its time to wake up and take notice of that, Mkhize said, adding that hospitals are admitting patients every hour. He has stressed the importance of behavioural change for the sake of the nation and human life. We did indicate in the past that well be putting additional restrictions when necessary and this is the context around which the President has made these particular announcements. Taxi regulations Mkhize said he consulted with the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, about the taxi industry. He said while the original lockdown was useful in delaying the surge and bought government time to prepare the health services, however, it did have its shortcoming. We knew it would not be sustainable and it would be important for us to consider the issues of food security, income security and ensure that people would be able to get their regular income. Mkhize said the mainstay of transport was taxis that ferry 16 million people to and from work and school. Some studies done in China indicated that the virus spread very quickly between people sitting in a confined space for more than 20 minutes and thats the issue. There are also other concerns about the virus being airborne, but this were aware there are quite a lot of debates at the WHO level and that some work is done at some level. Also, studies show that ventilation such as the opening of windows reduces the spread of infection, he added. According to the studies, ideally for every taxi there must be no people who are less than a metre apart and those who in front should not have people behind them very close. But thats an ideal situation that doesnt exist in the taxi. Drivers and their conductors should also complete a daily symptom check before being allowed on the taxi, which means they should be free of symptoms. The drivers and conductors should all times wear a mask and keep them with them for the duration of that particular trip, he explained, adding that they must keep social distancing after every journey at taxi ranks. In addition, the windows must always be opened for the droplets to escape from the vehicle. This doesnt mean the window must be widely opened, but a slight opening is advised, he added. Also, door handles should be wiped once a day and people in the queue should stand further apart where possible. No person should be allowed in the taxi not wearing a mask. We can create our homemade masks. Alcohol ban to create space The Minister also acknowledged that people may have been taken by surprise by the announcement on Sunday. But it is also important to say, that there has been a lot of people who have welcomed and supported this issue of suspension of the sale and distribution of alcohol. However, he said the move was about limiting the damage alcohol-induced trauma intends to create. Were concerned that the consumption of alcohol is pretty high, he said. It is estimated that 31% of South Africans, 15 years and older are current drinkers or have consumed alcohol in the last 12 months. Despite the low proportion of adults who consume alcohol, Mkhize said the country is one of the countries that drink the most and binge drinking ranks high as well. Meanwhile, alcohol-related trauma patients are usually young, fit individuals. Studies show that during levels 4 and 5 lockdowns there was a 60% to 70% reduction in trauma admissions. Conversely, when lockdown restrictions were lifted under level 3, facilities reported up to 60% increase in trauma emergency admissions and up to 200% in ICU. Mkhize said these are some of the models used to re-ban alcohol and are predicting a 20% reduction on alcohol-related trauma patients in the coming weeks. There are several instances you have to stop theatre and rush in someone who is having a trauma because of the nature of the bleeding just to save a life, he said. Thats the nature of the disruption. During the peak of infections, government needs to focus on the increasing numbers of infections that need urgent medical attention, Mkhize told the media. We shouldnt find anyone coming in only to find that the beds are blocked by those people who could have been saved from the accidents that brought them to hospital. Mkhize has pleaded for understanding and patience as they navigate through this difficult time. Curfew to avoid the surge Mkhize has noted that most car accidents happen during the night as people go and paint the town red. The Chinese studies showed that about 75% of the infections spread through social and family gatherings. When we recommended that there should be a curfew, its also to assist and limit the numbers of the people who get infected in the process. The extent at which the surge is going to grow depends on how strictly social distancing is adhered to, he warned. Comorbidities People with underlying conditions such as Tuberculosis (TB), HIV, Diabetes and cancers are advised to continue to get their treatment. Weve noticed that during the lockdown, there was a reduction in the numbers of people who were coming for testing for HIV, TB and immunization and basic essential health services. Meanwhile, eight million live with HIV in South Africa, four million with diabetes, while one in every three in the country suffers from hypertension. We need to get this corrected because we need to live with this infection for a longer time. At the same time, the other diseases are still as important and will still cause death if not controlled, he stressed. Gauteng as the epicentre Mkhize said they have opened all the hospitals in the province to deal with infections while increasing the number of beds. We must always stay ahead of the curve, he said, adding that the models indicate that all the provinces except for the Northern Cape and North West may breach the numbers. Work is already being done in reticulating as many beds with oxygen and we are talking to service providers about the liquid oxygen. The reduction of oxygen levels in the blood becomes the first problem. Once you can counter that with administering oxygen and in the process, the use of dexamethasone is also one addition in terms of the ammunition to fight the disease. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-07-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A study of the impact of PM-KISAN, the Modi governments income transfer scheme for farmers, has found that poor cultivators dont squander the free money they receive, but invest it efficiently in modern farm technologies, apart from education and health. However, the extent to which farmers were likely to invest the free cash in agriculture was influenced by the availability of farm knowledge sessions imparted by the countrys network of institutions called Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK), technically called agricultural extension services, the study found. How farmers utilised the money also depended on the very timing of cash release, according to the study, which is part of a larger project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Also read: After vigorous monsoon rains, crop planting gathers pace in India The study found that beneficiaries were diverse and there was no statistical evidence of any bias in selection of farmers on the basis of caste, community or faith. Under PM-KISAN, the government provides income support of 6,000 a year to farmers with a valid enrolment, paid in three equal cash transfers of 2,000 one every four months. It was launched on February 24 last year, when the first instalment was paid. The cash is unconditional, i.e. nearly 80 million recipients are free to spend the money as they want, but it is expected that they utilise some part of the cash on farming. Farmers tend to invest substantially in agricultural technologies, such more productive seed varieties, when the cash release happens close to sowing seasons and KVK field officials are available to tutor farmers on latest methods of farming and use of better seeds, the study found. Also read: PM spotlights economys health at global event, says green shoots visible So, what are the lessons? The lessons are that it is important to synchronise the release of the cash with that of farmer-training activities of Krishi Vigyan Kendras, said Pramod Kumar Joshi, one of the authors of the study. The researchers studied two instalments for spending patterns. In one instalment, the results showed that 52% of those who received the first instalment spent it on agriculture and 26% on consumption, 7% on education and health and the remaining 15% on other incidental expenses such as festivals and marriages. The study showed that PM-KISAN has increased adoption of modern cultivars (crop varieties) for farmers with access to KVKs by 36 percentage points as compared to those who were not covered by KVKs field scientists. More than 60% of farmers who received the money in the off-season spent it on consumption, education and medical purposes, suggesting that farmers are most likely to invest larger sums in agriculture when the money is released just before the sowing season. Also read| Cleaners to farmers: Higher risk of knee osteoarthritis linked to certain jobs Joshi collaborated with colleagues Deepak Varshney, Devesh Roy, Anjani Kumar at the IFPRI to sample 1,406 farmer households who got money under PM-KISAN and segregated them as those having access to government training in farm technologies and those who did not. Their findings were published in the IFPRI journal as well as in the EPW journal. In the last instalment of PM KISAN, the government paid nearly 17,000 crore to about 80 million enrolled farmer households in April 2020. PM-KISAN shows a potential to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty and low income of farmers through investment in modern technology, the authors said in the study. KR Mani, an economist with the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Technology, said: This study essentially demonstrates that it is not enough to give farmers cash, but the government must ramp up the numbers of farmers covered by KVKs, which are present in every district of the country. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Supreme Leader: All Iranians should act in unison against enemy IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, July 12, IRNA -- The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei underlined that all Iranians should stand up against the enemy and act in unison in this regard. The Supreme Leader made the remarks via a videoconference with the representatives of Iran's new parliament and said that the parliament is a symbol of hope that could meet the people's demands. Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out that all the problems can be overcome, and the parliament should have an effective impact on the problem-solving process through prioritizing issues, avoiding marginalization, as well as working sincerely. The four-year term of lawmakers' mission in the parliament could be regarded as an appropriate opportunity to prepare the groundwork for taking practical steps in the country and to have an influence on the problem-solving process, the Supreme Leader reiterated. Due to its defense power, the country is able to overcome difficulties, as the enemies admit that despite the toughest sanctions imposed on Iran, they have been unable to achieve their anti-Iran objectives. Expressing concern over the current situation resulted from the COVID-19 in the country, the Leader called for observing medical advice and health protocols. Everyone should play their role in "the pandemic era so that we can cut off the chain of contagion immediately" and bring peace to the country, the Supreme Leader underlined. 7129**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Recovered COVID-19 patients may lose their immunity to the disease within months, suggested new research, indicating that the novel coronavirus could reinfect people who have had it in the past, much like the common cold. A team from Kings College in London found that the amount of antibodies in recovered COVID-19 patients blood was significantly down after three months, meaning they could be vulnerable to reinfection, reported The Guardian. The study examined 90 patients and healthcare workers at Guys and St Thomas NHS foundation trust and found that 60 percent of people retained the potent level of antibodies required to resist future COVID-19 infections in the two weeks around the first sign of symptoms. However, less than 17 percent retained the same potency three months later, according to the researchers. Antibody levels fell as much as 23-fold over the period. In some cases, they became undetectable, the research revealed. 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 Dr Katie Doores, lead author of the study at Kings College London told The Guardian. People are producing a reasonable antibody response to the virus, but its waning over a short period of time and depending on how high your peak is, that determines how long the antibodies are staying around, said Dr Doores. As per the report, experts said that the findings put another nail in the coffin in the dangerous concept of herd immunity, which was used to anticipate that the public could build resistance through widespread exposure to COVID-19. The study confirmed a growing body of evidence that immunity to COVID-19 is short-lived, said the report quoting Professor Jonathan Heeney, a virologist at the University of Cambridge. The immune system of the human body has multiple ways to fight the coronavirus but if antibodies are the main line of defence, the UK study suggested that people could become reinfected and that vaccines may not protect them for long, said the report. Follow our full coverage on COVID-19 here K ate Garraway has returned to present Good Morning Britain for the first time since husband Derek Draper was admitted to hospital more than three months ago Draper, 53, was hospitalised with coronavirus in March and was placed in an induced coma. Garraway, also 53, revealed earlier this month that he recently regained consciousness for the first time, but stressed that his recovery is not nearly in sight and very uncertain. Appearing on the show on Monday morning, Garraway jokingly asked her colleagues Ben Shephard and Laura Tobin not to be too nice to her as it would make her emotional. Just go back to being rude! she said. Rex Features Shephard told his co-presenter Its lovely having you back, back to work. First day back in quite a while. He added Nothing has gone wrong yet, prompting Garraway to reveal that her car to the studio didnt show up and that her computer started installing a two-hour update when she switched it on. PA Garraway's husband Derek Draper was put in an induced coma in March (PA) She went on to joke that she had put on fake tan, put very long fake eyelashes on and [gone] blonder ahead of her return to work. Appearing on the programme as a guest last week, Garraway revealed that she was told six times that her husband would not survive. Kate Garraway gives an update on her husband Derek It is a very desperate situation, it's very very difficult, she explained. Of course there's fantastic hope he's still alive, the doctors do keep saying it's a miracle he's still alive. I was speaking to a doctor yesterday who said he's sick as anyone I've ever seen in 35 years of medicine, and some of those people who were as sick of him aren't here. Six times they said he's not going to make it, and obviously you couldn't visit. She added that Draper is in a minimum state of consciousness and we have no real knowledge of what he can see and hear and feel. Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV. T he government will release guidance on travel insurance and taking pets abroad for British holidaymakers as part of a new public information campaign ahead of the end of the Brexit transition period. The UKs new start: lets get going adverts will be launched on Monday on television, radio and online, with information also sent to people via text message. It is hoped the campaign will help businesses and individuals prepare for the end of the transition period on December 31 when the UK leaves the single market and customs union. Adverts will carry a Check, Change, Go strapline and direct people and businesses to a checker tool on the governments website to show them what next steps they need to take. UK travellers can now visit Spain and more than 70 other destinations abroad without quarantining after / Getty Images Businesses will also be able to contact a field force team for one-to-one support over the phone. UK citizens intending to travel to Europe from January 1 2021 may be told to ensure their passport is valid for the required period, get comprehensive travel insurance and check their mobile phone roaming policy. People wishing to travel with their pet will be advised to contact a vet at least four months before travelling. And businesses planning to export or import to or from the EU will be told to ensure they have registered with the relevant customs authority. Some UK-wide guidance will not apply to trade between Northern Ireland and the EU until negotiations have concluded. Initial guidance for Northern Ireland is expected to be published in the coming weeks. UK travellers will be told to get comprehensive travel insurance / REUTERS Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said: At the end of this year we are leaving the single market and customs union regardless of the type of agreement we reach with the EU. This will bring changes and significant opportunities for which we all need to prepare. While we have already made great progress in getting ready for this moment, there are actions that businesses and citizens must take now to ensure we are ready to hit the ground running as a fully independent United Kingdom. This is a new start for everyone in the UK British and European citizens alike so lets get going. Liberal Democrat acting leader Sir Ed Davey said: Businesses right across the United Kingdom have struggled to survive financially over the past few months as a result of the coronavirus crisis. The fact that the government is now trying to force them to gear up and prepare for the end of the transition period will fill them with utter horror. He said it was time ministers sought as close as possible relationship with the European Union to not only minimise the damage to the UK, but allow both themselves and British business time to focus on getting the UK back on its feet again after the pandemic. By James McCracken Those who take care of people in long-term care facilities have been working for months to protect New Jerseys older adults from the risks of coronavirus. As a result of COVID-19, they have confronted shortages of life-saving tests and personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies, faced personal risk to their own health and safety and had to cope with heartbreak after seeing people they care for die. Older adults are now facing a new danger: complacency. Although the curve has begun to flatten in New Jersey, infections are spiking elsewhere in our country. Nationwide demonstrations and early reopenings are increasing the number of people exposed to this virulent virus. While many recently celebrated Gov. Phil Murphy lifting the states stay-at-home order and loosening of COVID-19 related restrictions, long-term care providers, the residents they serve, and their families are still waiting for guidance to resume normal dining and communal activities that are critical for our elders wellbeing. To further compound the problem, a second wave of COVID-19 could be on the horizon in the coming months. New Jerseys seniors can only be as safe as the communities around them. Thats why its so important that our state and communities across America include clear protections for older adults as we move forward. We need federal, state, county and local policies that prioritize older lives! Policies that are strategic and directed with caution, thoughtfulness and respect the right and dignity of older adults. By working in collaboration with care providers, like the mission-driven members we represent, older people and families in New Jersey can help safeguard healthy and safe progress. As we enter Stage Two of Governor Murphys reopening plan, in which the state will ease restrictions on certain businesses and activities -- it is imperative that all aging services providers in New Jersey have the PPE, testing supplies, and resources they need to curtail this swift, lethal virus so that we dont create new crises that threaten our frail and elderly. These frontline care providers should not have to compete on the open market with nail salons, restaurants and fitness centers for the life-saving supplies they need if we are truly committed to making a safe and thoughtful reopening possible. The need for resources and attention focused on older adults at the state level needs to be coupled with that of Congress. Both the New Jersey State Legislature, as well as the federal government, should step up and prove that theyre not walking away from millions of older Americans and their care providers as this pandemic rages on. Its concerning to hear about sustained national supply shortages of life-saving equipment like masks and surgical gowns. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guaranteed shipments to every nursing home in America by the end of last month. Now, those shipments could be delayed through September. Every day, new evidence is emerging that these PPE shipments are frequently stocked with useless and expired supplies, and that the amounts provided cant begin to protect older Americans and their care workers from the deadly coronavirus. FEMA has shipped thousands of cotton masks that are next to useless in dealing with a virus like COVID-19, instead of the CDC-approved masks that care providers actually need. Other PPE supplies included have been past their expiration date or damaged (i.e. have broken straps). Instead of surgical gowns, FEMA has been shipping thousands of tarps that offer no protection against infections. We can and must do better for our states older residents. The only way to prepare for a second wave and protect older residents and health care workers from infection spikes is to provide immediate access to ample and appropriate PPE supplies for care providers, along with access to accurate and rapid-results testing. In addition, LeadingAge NJ & DE is joining our national association of nonprofit aging services providers to urge Congress to allocate $100 billion in new funding to help nursing homes and other services providers to protect older residents and clients. Were also calling for hero pay, paid sick leave, and health care coverage for courageous frontline workers who are risking their own lives serving older people during this crisis. For older New Jerseyans, the coronavirus threat is not over. The good news is that we know what to do. Its time to begin. James McCracken is the president and CEO of LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware (LANJDE), a statewide association of not-for-profit senior care organizations dedicated to advancing quality aging services through advocacy, education and fellowship. 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. London, March 29 (IANS) UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has said that domestic abuse victims were still allowed to leave their homes to seek help despite restrictions on people's movements imposed by the British government due to the coronavirus pandem Image Source: IANS News London, July 13 : UK Home Secretary Priti Patel is set to announce on Monday a ban on foreign criminals sentenced to more than a year in jail from entering the country. Patel will unveil details of how the UK's points-based immigration system will operate after freedom of movement ends, the Metro newspaper reported. Ministers will be given powers to exclude or deport foreign criminals who have received prison sentences of more than a year, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph. Officials will also reportedly be able to bar persistent offenders such as pickpockets and burglars, even if they have been sentenced to less than a year. The change would mean criminals from the European Union (EU)would be treated the same as currently happens to those from non-EU countries. Under the present rules, convicted criminals from the bloc can only be excluded on a case-by-case basis. The new immigration system, will come into effect on January 1, 2021, is designed to cut the number of low-skilled migrants entering Britain from the beginning of next year, but aims to make it easier for higher-skilled workers to get UK visas. People who want to live and work in the UK will need to gain 70 points to be eligible to apply for a visa. "The British people voted to take back control of our borders and introduce a new points-based immigration system" the Metro newspaper quoted Patel as saying on Sunday in reference to the new system. "Now we have left the EU, we are free to unleash this country's full potential and implement the changes we need to restore trust in the immigration system and deliver a new fairer, firmer, skills-led system from January 1, 2021." By Deepak Chopra, MD, Tiffany Barsotti, MTh, Paul J. Mills, PhD When faced with traditional healing systems outside the Western tradition, science looks askance. That was true when traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, and Ayurveda from India began to be known a generation ago. Popular acceptance doesnt budge these prejudices, but if theres a crossover with accepted Western concepts, the chances improve. This is currently happening with energy healing, because it has a crossover with a proven phenomenon, the human bodys faint electrical field, known as the biofield. This field is composed of the emission of electricity and biophotons, which are the light naturally emitted by all living things, and yet no one has scientifically established the use of the biofield. Into this gap steps energy healing, which looks to the bodys subtle energy field as something both crucial and vital for balanced health and wellbeing. At its most basic, the notion behind energy healing is that the biofield of a sick person is out of balance, and balance can be restored by directly treating the biofield. Energy healing has ancient roots. Today it is most commonly recognized through modalities such as Healing Hands (from Native American traditions) and Therapeutic Touch. Their aim is something like removing the static from a radio signal; the practitioner is removing dissonance and restoring resonance in the biofield. Needless to say, energy healing and the biofield remain highly controversial when considering Western ideas of the body and the practice of medicine. But before decrying another outbreak of pseudoscience, there is serious, well-controlled research to consider. Despite not yet having scientific instruments to measure how the biofield might respond to a particular energy healing practice, studies have proceeded to examine their potential use under real-world conditions, such as in a clinic setting, and typically going head-to head with a standard therapy. One of the first methodologically sound placebo-controlled trials of an energy healing modality examined the effects of an energy chelation therapy (as taught by Rev. Rosalyn L. Bruyere) on chronic fatigue in breast cancer survivors. In the journal Cancer, the official journal of the American Cancer Society, findings showed that study participants who received energy healing over a four-week period had statistically significant and clinically relevant reductions in their chronic fatigue. (The study also found that the placebo control, which was called mock healing, also led to a reduction in fatigue, although not as significantly as the real energy healing technique.) Interestingly, there was an independent effect of belief, i.e., the type of treatment the study participants believed themselves to be having had an independent effect on their quality of life. A waiting list of breast cancer survivors showed no changes in their fatigue. In addition, the healing-energy group showed a significant restoration in their daily levels of the hormone cortisol, which is typically flattened in chronically fatigued breast-cancer survivors. To date and despite mainstream skepticism, there have been numerous scientific studies of healing energy using accepted scientific methods. They have demonstrated significant beneficial effects, the majority of which focusing on anxiety, depressed mood, and pain. More broadly, other disciplines are seeking to understand the biofield from the perspective of the physical sciences, and how the biofield relates to consciousness (given that the brain is the most prominent area of electrical activity in the body). Circling back to the quest to develop scientific instruments to reliably measure the biofield, Tiffany J. Barsotti and Paul J. Mills recently reviewed dozens of such devices, pointing out their merits and shortcomings and providing guidance on next steps in the field. One device, the Bio-Well, uses Gas Discharge Visualization (GDV) to assess the bodys energy system as related to physical, emotional, and mental conditions. The Bio-Well device captures photon emissions using the Su Jok hand meridian system from Korean medicine and maps these emissions to the organ systems of the body. Disclosures . Tiffany J. Barsotti is an educator and distributor of the Bio-Well device. The Bio-Well captures the biofield as energy and information penetrating throughout the body. Knowing that the biofield is both inside and outside our bodies, what is needed next are devices that can reliably visualize and map it for therapeutic purposes. When the day comes that scientific instruments can successfully map and quantify the totality of the human biofield, it could be a game changer for medical science and more broadly for Western scientific thought. We are already on the threshold of redefining what we mean by the body and how it miraculously functions. DEEPAK CHOPRA MD, FACP, founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spirituality, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. Chopra is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego and serves as a senior scientist with Gallup Organization. He is the author of over 89 books translated into over forty-three languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. His 90th book, Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential, unlocks the secrets to moving beyond our present limitations to access a field of infinite possibilities. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century. Rev. Tiffany Barsotti, M.Th., is an internationally renowned medical intuitive, spiritual healer, and a clinician and researcher of subtle energy, biofield therapies and energy psychology. With her spiritual and intuitive guidance, she serves as an integrative practitioner working alongside physicians and other allied health professionals. She received her Masters of Theology in Energy Medicine with special emphasis in Medical and Spiritual Counseling from Holos University Graduate Seminary and was personally mentored by the schools founders, Drs. C. Norman Shealy and Caroline Myss. Tiffany is a visiting scholar at the University California at San Diego. To advance her clinical and research activities, Tiffany utilizes Biofield devices to measure the human Biofield and Subtle Energy interactions related to mind-body mechanisms. Paul J. Mills is Professor and Chief at the University of California San Diegos (UCSD) Department of Family Medicine and Public Health and Director of the UCSD Center of Excellence for Research and Training in Integrative Health. He is Director of Research for the Deepak Chopra Foundation, with a focus on meditation and yoga within the context of Traditional Medical Systems. In the early 1980s, he published some of the initial scientific research on meditation. His work has been featured in Time Magazine, The New York Times, National Public Radio, US News and World Reports, Consumer Reports, The Huffington Post, Gaia TV, and WebMD, among others. A record number of Australians have filed their tax return in a bid to claim up to $1,080 in tax cuts. Almost one million people last week lodged their tax return with 991,000 submitted as of July 9 - an 11 per cent increase compared with 2019, Australian Taxation Office data showed. On July 1 alone, a record 108,000 individuals filled in their annual return for 2020, surpassing the previous 98,000 financial new year's day record set in 2019. Thursday last week saw 144,000 tax returns submitted - the highest for 2020 so far. More than 10million Australians earning between $37,000 and $126,000 are entitled to between $255 and $1,080 in low and middle-income tax offsets. A record number of Australians have filed their tax return in a bid to claim up to $1,080 in tax cuts. More 10million Australians earning between $37,000 and $126,000 are entitled between $255 and $1,080 in low and middle-income offsets. The graphic relates to tax returns being filed for the last financial year Almost half, or 4.5million of them earning between $48,000 and $90,000, will be eligible for the full $1,080 benefit. How much are YOU getting back? Those earning $37,000 or less get up to $255 Australians earning between $37,001 and $48,000 get back $255 plus 7.5 cents for every dollar above $37,000 Individuals earning between $48,001 and $90,000 get the full $1,080 relief Higher-income earners on $90,000 to $126,000 get $1,080 minus three cents for every dollar above $90,000 Source: Treasury Advertisement That includes those earning an average, full-time salary of $86,237 but not minimum wage earners now on $39,198 a year. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said tax cuts announced in the April 2019 budget would help Australians keep more of what they earned. 'A record number of Australians have already lodged their tax return with refunds to land in bank accounts over the course of the week,' he said. 'It means people can keep more of what they earn providing a much needed boost to the household budgets. 'Millions of Australians across the country are set to benefit again this tax time from the government's tax cuts.' H&R Block's director of tax communications Mark Chapman said the rush to file tax returns was a sign many people were in trouble. 'With COVID-19, a lot of people are in a position of financial distress,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'They're potentially looking at bigger refunds than in the past, partly because of the tax offset and partly because of the impact of COVID-19.' The low and middle-income tax offset was increased to $1,080 for singles and $2,160 for couples in Mr Frydenberg's first budget as treasurer, ahead of the May 2019 election. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said tax cuts announced in his April 2019 budget will help Australians keep more of what they earn. He is pictured with his wife Amie at Parliament House in Canberra for the annual Midwinter Ball Australians working from home can now claim a flat 80 cents an hour rate until September 30. TAX CUTS AT A GLANCE Tax cuts of $255 for those earning between $18,200 and $37,000 were legislated in July 2019. Those earning $48,000 to $90,000 saw their tax cuts double from $530 to $1,080. The government's tax cuts package, announced in the April 2019 pre-election Budget, had three stages. Stage one increased the threshold for the 32.5 per cent personal income tax bracket from $87,000 to $90,000, over four years until 2022. Stage two, from July 1, 2022, would increase the 19 per cent personal income tax bracket from $41,000 to $45,000. It also raises the 32.5 per cent personal income tax bracket from $90,000 to $120,000. Stage three would see the 37 per cent tax bracket abolished from July 1, 2024 and a new 30 per cent tax bracket created for all individuals earning between $45,001 and $200,000. The number of tax brackets would be slashed from five to four for the first time since 1984 Advertisement H&R Block calculated an individual claiming that rate over three months would typically get back $400 to $450, compared with $1,600 for someone who itemised receipts for home office purchases worth up to $300. Queenslanders are the most likely to benefit from the tax cuts, with four Sunshine State electorates among the top ten for tax relief. The electorate of Wright, taking in the Gold Coast hinterland and Logan south of Brisbane, had 101,150 beneficiaries. The tax offsets are available until the 2021-22 financial year before the next stage of the tax relief is due to kick in. Last week, Mr Frydenberg flagged bringing forward tax cuts, due in July 2022, to this year when he unveiled the October budget. 'We are looking at that issue and the timing of those tax cuts, because we do want to boost aggregate demand, boost consumption, put more money in people's pockets, and that is one way to do it,' he told ABC Radio's AM program on Wednesday. Tax cuts earmarked for July 2022 could be brought forward to July 2021, to coincide with the new financial year, but Mr Chapman said COVID-19 could see them fast tracked to late 2020. 'There would be nothing to stop the Treasurer changing tax rates part-way through the financial year - that would make life very complicated for the ATO but it could be done if that was perceived of being a way of boosting the economy,' he said. Those earning $120,000 or more were allocated $2,565 worth of annual tax cuts in the 2019-20 budget, which weren't due to be rolled out until July 2022. Those earning $90,000 would get $1,215. Low-to-middle income earners on $50,000 to $80,000 would get $1,080 early while those on $40,000, barely above the minimum wage, would get a $580 cut. Last week, Mr Frydenberg flagged bringing forward tax cuts, due in July 2022, to this year when he unveiled the October budget. The graphic, pictured, relates to the 2022-23 financial year compared with 2017-18 That was when the 32.5 per cent personal income tax bracket was to be moved from $90,000 to $120,000. How Australians working from home can submit tax returns Since March, Australians working from home have been allowed to claim a flat 80-cent an hour rate This has been extended until September 30 H&R Block calculated someone working from home stood to be refunded $400 to $450 if they had claimed a flat 80 cent rate since March A 52 cents an hour with phone, internet, electricity bills claimed would typically yield $850 to $900 Claiming new items worth up to $300 like a desks and office chairs was more likely to net a $1,600 refund Items worth more than $300 like laptop computers have to be claimed over two years to account for depreciation Source: H&R Block calculations for someone working from home between March 1 and June 30, 2020 Advertisement The top threshold for the 19 per cent tax bracket was also due to be increased from $41,000 to $45,000 as the low-income tax offset was raised from $645 to $700. In addition the tax relief, the government is from today handing out $750 payments to five million Australians as part of the first coronavirus stimulus package announced in March. Social security, veterans, other income support recipients and eligible concession card holders will be receiving the payments throughout July, costing taxpayers $3.8billion. Families and Social Services Minister Anne Ruston said pensioners and welfare recipients, who missed out on the $550 a fortnight coronavirus supplement, would benefit from this $750 handout - the second phase of payments from the first stimulus package. Since March, the government has spent $259billion or 13.3 per cent of gross domestic product on tackling the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This has included spending on three stimulus packages and $105billion to help small businesses and the banks, through the Reserve Bank and the Australian Office of Financial Management. Mr Frydenberg, who lives in Melbourne, will be in Canberra on July 23 to deliver an economic statement on COVID-19 stimulus measures. His update will cover the future of the $70billion JobKeeper program which, until September 27, is providing $1,500 a fortnight wage subsidies to 3.3million workers. The $550 coronavirus supplement boost to the usual $565.70 a fortnight JobSeeker unemployment benefit runs out on September 24. COVID-19 has delayed the budget by five months until October. Independence is a cardinal pillar for organisations that are set up to deliver a public good. Their success depends on it. Akinwumi Adesina leads a bank that has the USA as its second largest shareholder. CGIAR/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-NC-SA This is particularly true of development banks such as African Development Bank, AfDB and Inter-American Development Bank . Independence is even more important in these instances because these institutions are owned by and are meant to cater for numerous regional member states.In my view their ability to deliver on the objective of assisting member states attain economic growth and sustainable development is inexorably dependent on their independence. By this I mean their capacity to focus productively on their goals and missions without external sway.There are two aspects to this independence. The first is objective independence. This talks to how the institution is set up, who has shares in it and the like. Regional development banks typically get shareholder contributions of capital (which determines country shareholdings). They then go to capital markets to borrow multiples of their capital base (money from shareholders). Objective independence depends on shareholder contributions. The second aspect of independence is implicit independence. This talks to the ability of the bank to borrow from capital markets. The reputation of the bank is key to its ability to mobilise capital to pursue bold development plans. The AfDB is one of four main regional banks of the world. The other three are the Asia Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and European Bank for Construction and Development. Objective indepedence Implicit independence Vital role Objective independence is conventionally reflected in the distribution of capital contribution (ownership share subscription) of member states. This speaks to voting rights and associated board of governors and directors compositions.This aspect of the bank independence gives details of the governance architecture around decision making and the day-to-day running of the bank. The bank president and board of directors appointed by a board of governors are mandated to implement decisions and run the daily affairs of the bank.It is in this aspect of bank independence that non-regional member states are typically invited to foster transparency of governance, inject diversity, and enrich board decisions with global best practice. These are often governments or organisations invited from developed, well-performing or geographically representative countries.All four of the worlds biggest regional development banks have explored the benefit of non-regional member states.But the AfDB falls short on this score. This is because non-regional members dominate the top capital contributors of the banks capital base. This league table ranking typically reflects the voting rights accorded member states. And unlike the other regional banks, three of the top five capital contributors in AfDB are non-African states. And 50% or more of the top 10 contributors are also non-African states.One, therefore, has to ask where are Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, Ethiopia, Cote-dIvoire, Tunisia, Senegal, Angola and others in response to the vital imperative of ensuring their regional banks independence? This list is of countries that could be, but are not, among the top capital contributors to AfDBs ownership and capital base.These kinds of skewed voting rights put a dangerously destabilising power in the hands of a non-regional member who at any time may get the itch for autocracy. This was demonstrated recently when the US brashly attempted to veto a corporate governance guided decision of the banks board, mainly by virtue of its relative voting right.This kind of possibility clearly compromises the independence of the bank.Sensibly, this should have been anticipated. A carefully nuanced structuring of board powers should have been put in place, with checks against such a likelihood. Such a balancing act would also have endeavoured to imbue regional member states with some power of insistence on determining their collective goals and mission.That said, regional member states contribution heft, still remains the best path to ensuring robustness of this aspect of bank independence.Implicit independence is reflected in the capacity (reputation) of the bank to mobilise substantial capital, usually in multiples of its capital base, for prosecuting grand development agendas of the region that need huge capital outlay.Until recently, this had evidently not been explored by the African Development Bank.This capacity is usually flagged by two factors. Firstly, conceiving and articulating a well-thought out development agenda. Secondly, the extent of the bonding role provided by non-regional developed country member states, whose capital markets or partnering development organisations may be sources of this primary capital raising.The record on this source of bank independence has been significantly brightened under the current leadership of the bank headed by Dr Akinwunmi Adesina. Starting in 2018, the bank set itself the ambitious goal of mobilising substantial capital to support development projects of its regional member states.The bank embarked on a host of roadshows, securing for the first time, commitments of between $30bn - $60bn This kind of substantial capital mobilisation is vital for the effectiveness of any development bank. Particularly, in light of the fledgling nature of Africas organised capital markets with the exception of South Africa it is an enormously important capacity for AfDB to build.For instance, as Africas only premier development bank, AfDB was the first and only African development organisation to offer any meaningful support to regional member countries effort at managing the devastating consequences of Covid-19.Under Adesinas leadership, a coherent and clearly articulated (and encouragingly ambitious) continental development agenda has been set down. Under the rubric of High Fives it covers power, food, industrialisation, integration and improving the quality of life in and for Africa.The upside potentials of these projects are evidently great and promising.But, for this promise to become a reality, the AfDB needs to be effective at its mission, via robust bank independence.The banks leadership needs its hands strengthened by the cooperation and support of African countries. For a start, African countries must increase their ownership subscriptions in their only regional bank.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article C o-washing is a great way to retain moisture and strengthen natural hair texture, not to mention the amount of time it saves on wash day. But like most things, there are pros and cons to it. For instance, sticking to a co-wash only hair regimen can be detrimental to afro hair and scalps in the long run, say the experts at London-based black-owned hair care brand Afrocenchix. The #CurlyGirlMethod is sweeping the internet and convincing people with kinks and coils to avoid shampoo like the plague. But in truth, washing your afro hair is just as important as moisturising and protecting it, the experts at Afrocenchix explain, suggesting that hair should be washed with shampoo at least once every ten days to ensure both your strands and scalp are healthy. However, that is not to say co-washing isnt effective. In fact, it is a great alternative for days where youre short on time and need a good wash and go product to make styling easier and maintain moisture. Especially as there are plenty of co-wash products that cleanse the hair whilst hydrating. But with so many afro hair products on the market right now, it can be hard to find the right one for you. To help make the process easier, here are eight wash and go co-washes to try between shampoo days. AS I AM Naturally Coconut Cowash Not to any surprise, this sulfate-free cleanser and conditioner has over a thousand tried-and-tested five star reviews on Amazon. Designed to use on an intermittent basis with Cleansing Pudding+Sulfate-free Moisturizing Cleanser, the co wash does a great job of removing product buildup while restoring moisture and de-tangling hair. It is also very gentle on the hair and easy to rinse out. 9.02 | Amazon Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Cleansing Conditioner This deeply nourishing co wash quickly de-tangles curls, kinks, coils or waves thanks to the infused Agave Nectar that moisturises from root to tip. It also contains pro-vitamin B5 and Biotin to strengthen the hair and is both colour-safe and sulfate-free. It works wonders for both hydrating and fuss-free styling as it leaves the hair soft and shiny. It also gently cleans without stripping moisture out of your hair. 21.99 | Amazon Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Conditioning Co-Wash One of the best on the market, Cantus conditioning co wash is a gentle cleanser that removes impurities without leaving build up as it is free from sulfates, parabens, silicones, phthalates, and mineral oils. Instead, it leaves your hair soft and moisturised thanks to its formula which is made up of 15 natural butters and oils blended together, including shea butter, avocado oil, castor seed oil and coconut oil to name a few. 5.55 | Feel Unique KeraCare CurlEssence Moisturizing Co-Wash Made with Jamaican black castor oil and coconut oil, this co wash by KeraCare CurlEssence cleanses the hair whilst moisturising and has been praised for strengthening strands as well as promoting a healthy scalp and protecting against breakage, all whilst leaving your hair soft and silky. 8.35 | Look Fantastic Bb.Curl Custom Conditioner This award-winning cleansing conditioner can be washed out, left in or used for co washing. Designed for curly hair, it is packed with Brazilian oils that will make your locks look and feel soft and bouncy. The formula also consists of polymer which helps to de-frizz, smooth and de-tangle the hair. 26.50 | Bumble & Bumble Pantene Gold Series Hydrating Co-Wash Pantenes Gold Series was created especially for afro and curly hair in need of intense moisture and the collections deep hydrating co wash helps achieve just that. The product cleans the hair whilst protecting the scalps natural oils and moisturising each strand. It has been designed to strengthen natural hair and the formula is free from sulfates and parabens. Instead, it is rich in argan oil and leaves the hair soft and super easy to de-tangle. It is so popular that it is almost sold out everywhere, which is only ever a good sign. 8.19 | House of Beauty World Shea Moisture Mongongo & Hemp Seed Oils High Porosity Co-Wash Targeting moisture-resistant curls and coils prone to breakage, this co wash by Shea Moisture formulated with mongongo and hemp seed oils is a low lather gentle cleanser that leaves your hair nourished and frizz-free. Its natural ingredients seal moisture in the hair cuticles and is great for de-tangling even the most over-processed hair. Plus, the baobab protein in the formula means this co wash is packed with vitamin A, C, D, E and F to fortify hair. 17.33 | Amazon Holy Curls Curl Conditioner Black-owned beauty brand Holy Curls is known for its 100 percent vegan and sulphate free products. This specific one can be used either as a regular conditioner, a leave-in treatment or a co wash. For the latter, it works wonders as it cleanses the hair thanks to the yucca extracts in the formula and locks in moisture even after being rinsed out as it is full of Cupuacu butter, an Amazonian superfruit that acts as a powerful natural moisturiser. It also gives the hair a healthy shine and a soft tangle-free texture. 18 | Holy Curls Verdict: Theres a reason why the AS I AM Naturally Classic Collection Coconut co-wash has received so many rave reviews and five-star ratings on Amazon, it works wonders. The cleansing and conditioning hybrid leaves your hair feeling light, healthy and incredibly hydrated. If youve got curls, then expect them to be extra bouncy and defined. Another standout is Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Cleansing Conditioner - great for de-tangling and locking moisture in. 9 Jul Frankie Pangilinan continues on with her quest of protesting against rape culture by calling for everybody to denormalise it in the Philippines. As reported on Inquirer, the musician and social media influencer spoke recently in the online forum Women at Thomson Reuters, saying that people often forget that the bigger cultural solution is to educate people correctly about rape and rape culture. "People tend to ignore that in favour of the prevention angle. I think that we should all be working together towards the bigger, wider solution, which is, again, that denormalising it, call it out. Hold our friends and loved ones accountable when we hear those things," she said. Pangilinan added that people should stop holding on to the idea that prevention is better than solution. The musician also stated that she was much inspired by the bravery of many women who decided to speak up about their sexual assault and harassments following her post. "If we're going to disable a system in its entirety, we need to disable every part of it. I know that sounds kind of cliche, but your part is determined by you. But at the same time, it's very much determined by your circumstance, and no one can take your part away from you," she said. It was back in June when the daughter of actress Sharon Cuneta and Senator Kiko Pangilinan called out on TV personality Ben Tulfo for saying that women should look at what they wear to avoid being harassed, and slamming him for calling her "hija" (child), which had since started the hashtag "HijaAko" that became trending on Twitter. (Photo Source: Frankie Pangilinan Instagram) Advertisement Multiple Chinese provinces have entered 'wartime mode' to fight what state media called a 'flood catastrophe' as torrential downpours batter the country. By Sunday, an early rain season and 'extraordinarily' heavy rainfalls had already left 141 people dead or missing and 2.2million people evacuated, reported state-run newspaper The Global Times. Wuhan, which has just fought the COVID-19 outbreak, raised its flood emergency response to 'alert level two' last week. Thousands of disaster-relief workers are on standby after parts of the city were inundated by rising rivers - with officials predicting the flood peak to arrive this week. Inundated: This aerial view shows a bridge leading to the inundated Tianxingzhou island, which is set to be a flood flowing zone to relieve pressure from the high level of water in Yangtze River in Wuhan, China's central Hubei province, on July 13 Wuhan in crisis: The COVID-19 epicentre raised its flood emergency response to 'alert level two' last week. This aerial photo taken on July 12 shows a closed park due to the high water level of the Yangtze River in Wuhan, China's central Hubei province Submerged: Thousands of disaster-relief workers are on standby in Wuhan after rising rivers inundated parts of the city. This photo taken on July 11 shows a man paddling near a flooded pavilion on the bank of the Yangtze River in Wuhan Flood peak to arrive: Wuhan officials warned the Yangtze could hit its third-highest levels in history in Wuhan on Thursday. This photo taken on July 12 shows residents looking at the swollen Yangtze River in Wuhan, a city of 11million Authorities have activated emergency response to severe flooding in provinces including Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan and Guizhou. Floods across large swathes of central and eastern China are hitting record levels, with authorities warning the worst was yet to come. The coronavirus ground zero of Wuhan, through which the mighty Yangtze River winds, is on an expanding list of areas warily watching the rising waters. Local officials warned that the Yangtze could hit its third-highest levels in history in the city of 11million on Thursday. At a flood-fighting meeting on Sunday, Wuhan leaders described the situation as 'extremely severe'. 'Extremely severe' situation: At a flood-fighting meeting on Sunday, Wuhan leaders warned of the city's rising river levels. Officials predicted that the Yangtze River's level could reach 95.8 feet, its third-highest levels in history, on Thursday New way of crossing: Summer flooding has been an annual scourge in China since ancient times, often focused along the vast Yangtze basin. This photo taken on July 11 shows a man paddling near a flooded sculpture on the bank of the Yangtze River 'Alert level two' for Wuhan: Since last week, worsening downpours have caused water levels to spike higher and the government to ramp up alert levels. Wuhan raised its flooding alert level to two in a three-tier disaster warning system Thirty-three rivers in China have reached record highs, while alerts have been issued on a total of 433 rivers, officials from the Ministry of Water Resources said during a briefing on Monday. Pictured, Wuhan locals look at an inundated pavilion on July 12 Summer flooding has been an annual scourge in China since ancient times, often focused along the vast Yangtze basin that drains much of the central part of the country. Steady rains since late June have flooded huge areas, leaving 141 people dead or missing so far, affecting 37.89million others and destroying 28,000 homes, according to the latest central government tallies. The adverse weather has also caused 82.2billion yuan in economic losses, reported the Global Times. But worsening downpours since last week have caused water levels to spike higher and the government to ramp up alert levels. An aerial photo taken on July 11 shows people reinforcing temporary waterproof dyke to stop the flood at Jiangjialing Village in Poyang County, east China's Jiangxi Province. Jiangxi has been one of the provinces worst-hit by floods in China this month The worst-hit provinces were Jiangxi, Hubei and Hunan in central China, Anhui, Zhejiang and Jiangsu in the country's east, and the southwestern mega-city of Chongqing, authorities said. The above picture shows a submerged village in Jiangxi Part of an 800-year-old bridge, Caihong Bridge, is destroyed by flood caused by continuous rainfall in Shangrao city, Jiangxi Thirty-three rivers have reached record highs, while alerts have been issued on a total of 433 rivers, officials from the Ministry of Water Resources said during a briefing in Beijing on Monday. Video broadcast by Chinese state-run media at the weekend showed vast stretches of cities and towns inundated by water that rose in some places to the roofs of single-story homes, as rescue personnel evacuated men, women and children aboard inflatable boats. Elsewhere, homes were shown flattened by landslides that had tumbled from water-logged hillsides. Steady rains since late June have flooded huge areas, leaving 141 people dead or missing so far. Pictured, rescuers evacuate villagers from a village which is submerged by Changjiang River flood due to a dike burst in Poyang, Jiangxi, on July 11 The adverse weather has also caused 82.2billion yuan in economic losses, reported state-run newspaper Global Times Chinese paramilitary policemen form a line to move sandbags to reinforce a dyke along the banks of Poyang Lake on July 12 The worst-hit provinces were Jiangxi, Hubei and Hunan in central China, Anhui, Zhejiang and Jiangsu in the country's east, and the southwestern mega-city of Chongqing, authorities said. Illustrating the growing alarm, President Xi Jinping on Sunday called on authorities in affected areas to mobilise to help stricken residents, urging them to be 'courageous'. China's worst floods in recent decades came in 1998 during an El Nino weather effect, killing more than 4,000 people, mostly around the Yangtze. San Antonians are hurting. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, our already struggling economy has cratered, leaving tens of thousands in desperate situations. Food insecurity has strained local systems. Some economists are expecting prolonged high unemployment with predictable increases in family violence and suicides. Among workers, the hardest hit have been service industry workers, who lack basic job protections and paid sick time. Meanwhile, the virus is claiming a disproportionate number of elders, nursing home residents and African Americans who are also disproportionately injured and killed by racist policing practices and environmental contamination. These intersecting hazards raise questions around the purpose of CPS Energy. For its COVID-19 response pausing on service disconnections for nonpayment, temporarily eliminating employee bonuses and forgiving late fees the city-owned utility has enjoyed plaudits. Yet as our elected leaders pledge to rectify the long-standing inequities that made San Antonio so vulnerable to the pandemic, we havent addressed the inequities of CPS coal burning, clean-energy delays, long-standing practices of cutting power to the most vulnerable, and underfunding of initiatives that can expand housing and energy justice, such as the Save for Tomorrow Energy Program. In spite of unanimously voting to embrace the terms of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, CPS Energys leadership has yet to develop a plan to wean our city off dangerous fossil fuels. A promised 900-megawatt solar buy and proposed ratepayer committee able to lighten the load on our working families remain in limbo. In the midst of extreme crisis, board of trustees member Ed Kelley continues to insist the utility is here purely to sell power at a profit to feed the citys general fund. CPS can do a lot more for San Antonio than cancel bonuses and not cut off our power. Expanding and improving STEP, now referred to as FlexSTEP, would be a start. The proposed 10-year program moving toward a fall City Council vote can help families stay in their homes, keep their rates affordable and homes cool, and improve the overall public health by burning less coal. A new report by Optimal Energy makes energy-efficiency opportunities clear in advocating for more accountable governance, equitable rate restructuring, and direct investment in peoples homes and businesses. Commissioned by the Sierra Club, Optimals analysts compared efficiency programs of three city-owned utilities in Los Angeles, Austin and San Antonio and found a number of ways CPS could improve. Committing to 940 megawatts of energy savings over the next 10 years, well beyond the savings achieved over the last decade. Expanding home and commercial weatherization programs that save families money. Supporting the expansion of community solar programs that are available and accessible to those with limited-incomes. Calling for a creation of a new city committee with direct City Council oversight to help direct utility operations. Although the COVID-19 crisis continues to grow, staving off cutoffs for now, our bills will come due soon enough. Punishing debt gathers. Mass evictions appear likely. And forecasts hold that were moving into yet another hotter-than-normal summer. Yet CPS Energy has made no promises concerning the future of disconnections, bill forgiveness, future affordability, or closure of its coal plants and transition to renewable power. Energy efficiency isnt the end-all key to utility justice in San Antonio. But Optimal Energys proposals are about protecting the public health. They are about good economics. And they are about transparent, democratic governance. Just as San Antonians continue to demand and deserve paid sick time for all, the right to housing security and an end to racist policing, we deserve a utility striving for 100 percent clean energy to slow the pain of extreme weather; aggressive efficiency measures to take the weight off working families; and increasing accountability. As San Antonians look toward creating a new vision of just relationships that empower all residents, FlexSTEP is an opportunity deserving of immediate attention. City Council, which has limited opportunities to oversee CPS Energys work, must make the most of the moment. Greg Harman is a Sierra Club clean energy organizer, and founder and co-editor of the online journal Deceleration.news. EU countries agreed Monday to consider limiting exports of equipment that could be used for political repression to Hong Kong in response to a national security law imposed by Beijing. The 27 EU members will also re-examine extradition agreements with Hong Kong as well as visa arrangements after the imposition of the law, which has been criticised as placing severe curbs on the financial hub's relative freedoms. EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell said the final version of the law was "more draconian than expected" and the bloc's foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels for talks, agreed to work on a coordinated European response. "Our message in this context is twofold. First, to the people in Hong Kong, the support of European Union for their autonomy and fundamental freedom -- we will continue to stand by the people of Hong Kong," Borrell said after the meeting. "And to China the message is that the recent actions change the rules, they will require a revision of our approach and will clearly have an impact on our relations." EU countries will look at restricting the transfer of "dual use" goods, which can be used for political repression, as well as considering making it easier for Hong Kongers to get visas to the bloc. Former colonial ruler Britain has already announced plans to grant expanded immigration rights to some three million Hong Kongers -- much to Beijing's annoyance. Much of the action under consideration will be for national governments rather than the EU to decide upon, but Borrell insisted that it would be coordinated across the bloc. Beijing says the security law is needed to restore stability to Hong Kong after months of protests and the city's leader has vowed to enforce it "vigorously". Critics warn the law criminalises many peaceful dissenting opinions. Germany and France suggested the joint EU action, and Berlin's foreign minister Heiko Maas said the security law meant the status quo could not continue. "We are also determined to follow words with deeds," Maas said. "If the security law is applied in Hong Kong, it will have to have very concrete effects on questions of arms exports, dual use goods, and we will also have to ask ourselves how extradition agreements and mutual legal assistance agreements can be further dealt with under the circumstances." But, for now, the EU is not considering sanctions on China over the Hong Kong controversy, and the bloc is deeply divided over how tough a line to take with an important trading partner. Search Keywords: Short link: Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured an outstanding image of J025027.7+600849 (J0250 for short), a rare type of stellar nursery embedded within a nearby massive star-forming region. J0250 is located approximately 6,000 light-years away in the constellation of Cassiopeia. This object resides in the open star cluster IC 1848, which, in turn, is embedded within the emission nebula Westerhout 5. J0250 belongs to the recently-discovered class of star-forming nursery called free-floating evaporating gaseous globules (frEGGs). When a massive new star or stars starts to shine while still within the cool molecular cloud from which it formed, its energetic radiation can ionize the clouds hydrogen and create a large, hot bubble of ionized gas, Hubble astronomer said. Amazingly, located within this bubble of hot gas around a nearby massive star are the frEGGs dark compact globules of dust and gas, some of which are also giving birth to low-mass stars. The boundary between the cool, dusty frEGG and hot gas bubble is seen as the glowing purple/blue edges in this new Hubble image. Learning more about these odd objects can help astronomers understand how stars like our Sun form under external influences, they noted. In fact, our Sun may have even been born in a frEGG. Veteran Coalition MP Warren Entsch has blamed a lack of leadership and direction in Australia's most troubled Aboriginal community over revelations $120 million has been sitting unspent in a trust while the people of Aurukun live in abject poverty. The Herald and The Age revealed on Monday influential locals are questioning why the cash and assets have not been used to advance the lives of the 1000 or so Aurukun residents, whose community on western Cape York falls within Mr Entsch's electorate. An image from a New Year's Day riot at Aurukun, where six houses were destroyed by fire. Credit:Queensland Police Service The Western Cape Communities Trust collects royalties paid by energy giant Rio Tinto for the right to mine bauxite on the traditional owners' land. The money is earmarked to help pay for health, education and other essential infrastructure in Aurukun, which has been the location of rioting in recent months. A lawyer who worked on the trust labelled the residents "the richest poor people on Earth". Naya Riveras body has been found, authorities have said. Officials at the Ventura County Sheriffs Office announced on Monday they are confident that a body recovered earlier in the day at the lake was that of of the 33-year-old actor. Police have said there is no indication of foul play or that Rivera died by suicide. A post-mortem examination will follow. Rivera went missing on 8 July after renting a pontoon boat at Lake Piru, about 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles, with her four-year-old son. An extensive search and recovery effort ensued to locate the missing actor. Riveras four-year-old son previously told police that he and his mother went swimming but she didnt get back into the boat. The boy was found asleep on the boat while wearing a life jacket. An adult-sized life jacket was also found onboard along with some of Riveras belongings. Rivera began her acting career at a young age before rising to international fame thanks to her portrayal of cheerleader Santana Lopez on Glee, which aired on Fox between 2009 and 2015. She became a show regular in the second season as she struggled to reveal her characters sexual identity. Many on social media credited her character for making them feel better about their own sexuality. Honestly, I never thought Id actually be playing a teen lesbian, she told the Los Angeles Times in 2011. I didnt think it was going to go this far. But Im glad that it did, because there have been a lot of fans who have expressed that theyve been going through similar situations in their lives. Ive heard from girls that are in high school, theyre 16, 17, and theyre like, I came out to my mom, or I came out to my friends, and thank you for helping me do that. Some of her more memorable songs on the show include a cover of Fleetwood Macs Landslide with guest star Gwyneth Paltrow, Here Comes the Sun with Demi Lovato, and a tearful cover of The Band Perrys If I Die Young. It would be an understatement to say that Glee changed my life. It overhauled it. It got me out of debt. It helped to cement my career. And before the show, Id never had a group of people I was that close with, she wrote in her memoir, titled Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up But while Glee changed our lives, it didnt necessarily change who we were. We started the show as a ragtag group of misfits, and six seasons later, when we filmed the last episode, we were still the same bunch of misfits. Just now wearing more expensive jeans. After the show, Rivera sought success in film and music. She made her feature film debut in 2014s At the Devils Door, playing a woman caught in the middle of supernatural events, and released the single Sorry in 2013 featuring rapper Big Sean, a one-time fiance. She and actor Ryan Dorsey were married in 2014 and their son, Josey, was born in 2015. She called her young son my greatest success, and I will never do any better than him. Dorsey and Rivera divorced in 2018. Most recently, Rivera had a role on Lifetimes Devious Maids, released her memoir in 2016 and played school administrator Collette Jones in the YouTube Red online series Step Up: High Water starring Ne-Yo. The show is about a cutthroat performing arts school in Atlanta. Rivera is survived by her parents, Yolanda and George; a younger brother, Mychal; a sister, Nickayla; and her son. Additional reporting by agencies Jeremy Unruh, director of public and regulatory affairs for PharmaCann, said the companys plans for the dispensary address some of the residents concerns. The dispensary will use an online ordering system through which customers will reserve a time slot to pick up their order, reducing lines. The store will employ a security guard to address residents worries about increased crime surrounding the sale of a product that is often paid for in cash. According to Isaac Newton's third law of motion, "For every action, there is an equal (in size) and opposite (in direction) reaction." Once again this insight has been proven correct. Last week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) who is of Puerto Rican descent and failed Democratic presidential candidate from Texas Julian Castro, brother of Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), both of Mexican descent, were really, really upset or perhaps jealous that Bob Unanue, whose grandparents emigrated from Spain to Puerto Rico and then the United States, where they established what is now Goya Foods, met with and praised President Donald J. Trump (R). Therefore, these narrow-minded, anti-success, antiprivate company, anti-capitalist, antifree market, anti-Trump Democrats decided that the successful company that employs thousands of people from Spanish-speaking countries must be punished with a boycott because... They virtuously tweeted, they proudly Instagrammed their self-righteous closed-mindedness. Immediately, the usual lefties obediently did as ordered and automatically complied; perfectly happy to attempt to destroy a company, founded by a "minority" and run by a his grandson, who is therefore also a "minority," that provides honest employment for many other "minorities" but who left the dependent plantation and supports the democratically elected Trump. Ah, but a Newtonian reaction occurred diverse, pluralistic, and multicultural buyers of all backgrounds, demographics, ethnicities, religions, locations, and ages decided to buycott Goya, including a Twitter campaign for an opposing buycott to cancel the narrow-minded and bigoted cancelers. And, as Newton noted, the opposite reaction occurred because of the buycott: Goya Foods sales take off after liberal boycott. Democrats and Hollywood won't buy Goya. But Americans are buying it in droves. Liberal Hispanic-hating politicians and airhead Hollywood celebrities are boycotting Goya, the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the country, because of the CEO's praise of the president. But the American public is doing the opposite, and from coast to coast, New York to California, Goya products are flying off shelves as consumers who have not previously purchased Goya products are doing so now in support of the CEO and President Trump. Some of the Goya pro-buying, anti-boycott consumers participated thanks to the company's longstanding inclusiveness, which includes reaching out and marketing to a wide variety of potential consumers beyond its natural Hispanic-speaking market. For instance, the company notes on its website that many of its products are kosher, with a copyright symbol on their containers from the Orthodox Union, a large, trusted kosher-certifying agency, indicating the ingredients do not contain any food or additive that violates Jewish religious food consumption laws. Familiar with destructive boycotts against them, Jews also stocked up. Because of assurances from the Jewish certifying organization, vegetarians, and Muslims also know that Goya products are in accordance with their own food preferences or religious needs so some of them also increased their purchases. As (in)famous radical agitator Saul Alinsky understood in his book about laws, Rules for Radicals: 6) A good tactic is one that your people enjoy. Good reaction. As they don't say in Spanish, bon appetit. A British man who was Vietnams most critically ill novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patient has arrived in the UK safely following his 115-day treatment in the Southeast Asian country. The Briton, who was Vietnams COVID-19 patient No. 91, landed at Heathrow Airport in London on Sunday afternoon Vietnam time, after spending 14 hours aboard a flight operated by national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, the Vietnamese government confirmed on its verified Facebook page. He flew business class and was accompanied by three doctors. Following his treatment in Ho Chi Minh City, the patient was transported from the southern metropolis to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Saturday to board his flight home. On the same day, Dr. Drew Posey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent a letter to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City to congratulate its doctors on successfully treating the British patient. The 43-year-old Briton, who fell ill just days after piloting his first flight for Vietnam Airlines, was confirmed as the countrys COVID-19 patient No. 91 following his diagnosis in mid-March. He was initially admitted to the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases on March 18 with damaged lungs. His conditions deteriorated shortly after that, putting him in a coma and his life in jeopardy a few times. Doctors once thought only a lung transplant would help him recover. But medication and other medical care gradually improved his health in the following weeks. The Scotsman was transferred to the intensive care unit at Cho Ray Hospital on May 22, still comatose and with severely damaged lungs, after being cleared of the coronavirus following his treatment at the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases. On June 3, doctors gave the green light to disconnect the patient from the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) life support sytem he had been on for nearly 60 days. He was taken off his ventilator on June 13 and stopped taking antibiotics on June 15. A CT scan showed that nearly 90 percent of his lung capacity had recovered. The patient was transferred from the intensive care ward to the physical rehabilitation unit of Cho Ray Hospital on June 21. As of Monday morning, Vietnams COVID-19 tally was at 372, with 350 having made a recovery, according to Ministry of Health statistics. No deaths from the disease have been recorded in the country. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A theme in the construction sector is the importance of workforce planning to ensure the right people and skills are in place to deliver for current and future projects. Border closure has affected the sourcing of skilled candidates. HR and operations managers speak of halted hiring conversations with offshore candidates for specialised technical roles. Another consideration is the expiry of temporary resident visas of skilled immigrant workers. Therefore things need to be done differently, with less reliance on people from overseas. On a positive note, returning Kiwis could balance the shortage of skilled immigrants. Some may offer the expertise and offshore experience to immediately contribute, depending on their skills and aspirations. Another possibility is retaining experienced, older workers; many are keen to work beyond traditional retirement age. They can mentor new employees while also learning from them in such areas as the application of new technology. Also in the market are individuals who lost their jobs due to Covid-19s impact on projects and subsequent employee downsizing. For some, there is frustration that their visa status prevents them from working for another company. On the other hand, there are skilled Kiwis currently seeking work who are available for companies resourcing shovel ready or other active projects. But are the required skills readily available? And how competitive is the internal market? One company describes advertising for a commercial project manager and receiving very minimal applications from within New Zealand. Their short-term approach is to re-organise and look internally for people who can take on more responsibility. With increased pressure on the leadership team and being mindful of best practice, this is not sustainable long-term, so there is a need to think outside the box. In tandem with the focus on immediate resourcing, upskilling and training can future-proof the workforce and enhance a businesss competitive edge. The Ministry of Social Developments (MSD) Apprenticeship Support Programme is providing funding assistance. A recommendation from one construction company HR manager is to talk with MSD, as there may be flexibility in how you partner with them to help your business create meaningful opportunities for young Kiwis to complete their apprenticeships and be ready for jobs in the recovery phase. Cadet schemes provide valuable experience during the final university year. Return on investment comes from the growth and commitment of those cadets as they progress through the organisation. Looking after your people is equally important for non-professionals. When you need staff, you will benefit from being recognised as a good employer providing a place where people enjoy coming to work. When times are tough even when retrenching staff treating people with dignity and respect goes a long way to enhancing your reputation and leaving the door wide open for those people to return in better times. You cant deliver your projects without them. Robyn Webb, Pohlen Partners r.webb@pohlenpartners.co.nz U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts took to Twitter over the weekend to lambast Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos over the federal governments plan to reopen schools amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Democratic congresswoman retweeted a video Sunday of DeVos being interviewed by CNNs Dana Bash about the education secretary and Republican President Donald Trumps push to have students and teachers return to the classroom come fall. In the nearly 3-and-a-half-minute clip, DeVos claimed returning to school is a matter of maintaining good hygiene, washing hands, wearing masks when appropriate and keeping socially distant. She refused to answer, though, whether schools should follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that says children meeting in groups can put everyone at risk, including those who have a higher chance of becoming severely ill from COVID-19. The CDC has also been very clear to say they never recommended schools close down in the first place, DeVos said during the interview. They are very much of the posture that kids need to be back in school for a multitude of reasons. The education secretary, citing a statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics that urged schools to reopen, went on to say, We cannot be paralyzed and not allow that or not be intent on that happening. However, as Bash pointed out during the interview, the AAP also argued in another statement that schools in areas with high levels of coronavirus community spread should not be compelled to reopen against the judgment of local experts. A one-size-fits-all approach is not appropriate for return to school decisions, the statement said. Pressley rebuked DeVos in her tweet, telling the education secretary over social media, You have no plan. Teachers, kids and parents are fearing for their lives. You point to a private sector that has put profits over people and claimed the lives of thousands of essential workers, Pressley tweeted. I wouldnt trust you to care for a house plant let alone my child. .@BetsyDeVosED you have no plan. Teachers, kids and parents are fearing for their lives. You point to a private sector that has put profits over people and claimed the lives of thousands of essential workers. I wouldnt trust you to care for a house plant let alone my child. https://t.co/Qs0Z7gCnMo Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) July 12, 2020 The congresswomans criticism of the education secretary comes as debate over how students and instructors should return to the classroom in the 2020-2021 academic year intensifies. While DeVos and Trump have pressured K-12 and higher-education institutions alike to reopen in the fall - even saying the federal government is considering withholding funding to schools that remain closed - others remain more wary of the risks this poses. A new report has found that roughly one out of every four teachers in the United States, nearly 1.5 million instructors, have a condition that puts them at a higher risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, which published the study last week, teachers may still be fearful of returning to the classroom due to difficulties in maintaining social distancing in crowded school environments. They also may be less eager to go back to in-person teaching until infection rates fall to much lower levels, the foundation said. The challenge for school systems and for teachers in particular is the sheer volume of traffic and tight quarters in many school environments, which may make social distancing a significant challenge in many settings, Kaiser wrote in its report. For higher-risk teachers, failure to achieve safe working conditions could have very serious results. Related Content: Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 20:47:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Picture shows the rendering of the Red Sea International Airport by day, on Saudi Arabia's west coast. The Red Sea Project, Saudi Arabia's flagship international tourism project, has awarded the contract for construction of airport infrastructure to a joint venture between Saudi contractors Nesma & Partners Contracting Co. Ltd and Almabani General Contractors. The Red Sea Project is one of the three giga-projects announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in 2017, in a bid to open new areas of economic activity including tourism in line with the Saudi Vision 2030, the blueprint for diversifying the kingdom's economy. (The Red Sea Development Company/Handout via Xinhua) RIYADH, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Red Sea Project, Saudi Arabia's flagship international tourism project, has awarded the contract for construction of airport infrastructure to a joint venture between Saudi contractors Nesma & Partners Contracting Co. Ltd and Almabani General Contractors. This is the biggest contract in terms of value that has been awarded by the flagship project to date, said the Red Sea Development Company, the developer behind the high-profile tourism project, in a statement issued on Monday. The contract covers the design and building of a 3,700-meter meter Code F runway, a Code B seaplane runway, parallel & link taxiways and pavements, aeronautical navigational aids, aerodrome ground lighting, airside utilities, helipads, roads and associated buildings. In addition, the design of the eco-friendly airport, set to open in 2022, focuses on using shaded areas and natural ventilation to minimize the reliance on air conditioning, with 1 million tourists to be served per year. The Red Sea Project is one of the three giga-projects announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in 2017, in a bid to open new areas of economic activity including tourism in line with the Saudi Vision 2030, the blueprint for diversifying the kingdom's economy. Enditem Militants Kill 4, Injure 10 Members of Afghan Security Forces in Country's North, Media Reports Sputnik News 05:51 GMT 12.07.2020(updated 06:22 GMT 12.07.2020) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - At least four members of the Afghan security forces have been killed and 10 others injured in an armed clash with Taliban militants in the northern Afghan province of Baghlan, TOLOnews reported on Sunday, citing a security source. According to the media outlet, the incident took place in the Cheshmaye Shir and Bagh-e-Shamal areas on the highway between Baghlan and Samangan provinces when the militants attacked servicemen. "The highway was closed to traffic for several hours and four Afghan forces humvees [high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles] were also damaged in the fighting", sources said, as cited by the media outlet. According to a military commander, the Taliban also suffered casualties during the clashes. The movement has yet to comment on the incident. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Premier Doug Ford, flanked by his minister and associate minister of transportation, announced a plan last week for transit-oriented communities as though that was some new and bold concept. Building up around transit lines has been the urban planners mantra for decades already. Its the execution thats always been the challenge. At a time when cities are looking to get people out of their cars, theres rarely a better place to intensify than at transit stations. So Ford is spot on when he says the stations on the forthcoming Ontario Line, as well as other planned and proposed lines across Toronto, should not be sites for low-rise standalone buildings. But its troubling to hear Ford and his ministers suggest that affordable housing one of Torontos greatest needs will somehow spring forth from their latest legislative changes to fast-track development in Ontario. The sweeping legislation, among many other things, exempts hearing requirements under the Expropriations Act to speed up priority transit and highway construction projects. It gives the municipal affairs minister more power over development but does not require affordable housing in new developments. Yet Ford claims the legislation will help put affordable home ownership within reach of more Ontario families. Affordable housing is desperately needed but it wont just happen because the government decides to work with the private sector to build new transit stations and develop around them. Too often indeed about as often as they redraw planned transit lines politicians announce a scheme whereby affordable housing will be miraculously built simply by working with business or by reducing red tape or speeding things up. Its all a form of wishful thinking that never delivers substantial affordable rental housing. The development industry is very good at building housing that sells and rents far above whats affordable to those who need it the most. It takes governments willing to use major policy and regulatory levers, plus some government funding, to ensure real and lasting affordability. To date, that has not been the Ford government. What it has done is announce numerous developer-friendly changes and simply claimed those will make housing more available and more affordable. It revived the developer-friendly OMB rules; gutted endangered species habitat protections; lowered housing density targets; removed rent controls on new apartments; and stripped municipalities of their ability to decide how to levy development charges. The Ford government has always been keen to reduce the requirements and costs for developers. But it has not taken the necessary steps to ensure those savings are passed on to owners and renters. This time must be different. If the province is going to give itself more powers to expropriate land and skip hearing requirements to build transit and housing around stations more quickly, it should at least make sure it achieves the promised public benefit of affordable housing. The government is looking to jumpstart Ontarios COVID-19 recovery by accelerating increased infrastructure spending. This is how we can restart jobs and development. This is how were going to strengthen our communities. This is how were going to create opportunity for people, Ford says. Strengthening our communities and providing the opportunity to live in an affordable home takes a lot more than accelerating construction. We cant afford to continue the trend where new housing built along rapid transit corridors is largely unaffordable and those who need affordable housing and access to public transit the most are relegated to communities on the outer reaches serviced only by buses. Ontarios new plan will connect people to safe and affordable housing, says Kinga Surma, the associate minister of transportation. Well build faster and well build better. Faster, maybe. Better and affordable? The Ford government still has a lot more work to do to make that happen. Read more about: WHAT'S NOW & HOW TO DO IT: MASK MAKE-UP British beauty expert Elsa McAlonan, reveals a selection of the best eye make-up products (file image) This summer, with masks de rigueur, make-up is all about the eyes. So make a statement, whether its sparkling or with a metallic gleam. Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Magnetic Pink Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Magnetic Pink suits every eye colour and leaves lids glistening. johnlewis.com Shop Stila Double Dip Suede Shade & Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow The new Stila Double Dip Suede Shade & Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow is a double-ended pen with a matte shadow that can be used as an eyeliner, paired with a glitter version of the same colour at the other end. stila.co.uk Shop Dear Dahlia Paradise Shine Eye Sequins Also new is Dear Dahlia Paradise Shine Eye Sequins, which has a whipped texture that means its light, while the water-based formula makes it suitable for sensitive eyes. Available in six shades, Goddess is a universally flattering rose- gold. feelunique.com Shop CLICK THIS TODAY! Spectrum Bumper Brush and Bag Set Look out for some amazing beauty bargains this summer. One that hits the shops on Wednesday is an almost unbelievable 49p sale at Superdrug. Available in store and online, there is the chance to snap up last years Christmas gift sets from brands including Makeup Revolution, Spectrum and Baylis & Harding, each for just 49p. The best buys include the Spectrum Bumper Brush and Bag Set, with ten vegan and cruelty-free make-up brushes; and the Revolution Brow Maximiser Kit, which has everything you need for perfectly groomed brows. Shop EMILIA CLARKE'S BROW SECRET Actress Emilia Clarke (pictured), who is a global brand ambassador for Clinique, uses the brand's Just Browsing Brush-On Styling Mousse on her eyebrows To pluck or not to pluck? Actress Emilia Clarke, who is a global brand ambassador for Clinique, is all for keeping her brows naturally beautiful, crediting her mum with passing on this top tip when she was growing up: Appreciate natural eyebrows. Thankfully, I dodged the trend for overplucking. She tints, tames and fills in any bare spots with Cliniques Just Browsing Brush-On Styling Mousse (18.50, clinique.co.uk), in four shades. THIS WORKS PRAI Ageless Hand Creme Were washing our hands a lot more these days, so keeping the skin hydrated is vital to prevent them from becoming crepey. The new PRAI Ageless Hand Creme contains macadamia oil, mica, hyaluronic acid and shea butter to hydrate, brighten and plump skin. praibeauty.co.uk and marksandspencer.com from July 25 Shop DO I REALLY NEED TO PUT SPF ON MY LIPS? Yes, according to Bobbi Brown senior pro artist, Warren Dowdall. It is so important to ensure your lips get the same SPF treatment as the rest of your face, if not more! he says. The skin on your lips is much thinner and more delicate yet receives the same amount of UV rays as the rest of your face, but with less natural protection. Plus, over-exposure to the sun destroys the collagen in lips, which can eventually make them thinner. Bobbi Brown Lip Balm SPF15 Try Bobbi Brown Lip Balm SPF15 with wheat germ, avocado and olive oil. It is non-greasy and immediately goes to work comforting and protecting lips. bobbibrown.co.uk Shop 3 OF THE BEST: MICELLAR CLEANSERS SHAMELESS INDULGENCE Hours after Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot declared open rebellion and claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government in the state is in minority, Congress leader Avinash Pande on Monday said 109 MLAs have signed a letter of support to the chief minister. Pande, the All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan, said some other MLAs are in touch with Gehlot and they will also sign the letter. He said a whip has been issued to all the party MLAs, asking them to attend the Congress Legislature Party meeting at 10.30 am. "Action will be taken against those who skip the meeting," Pande said. "As many as 109 MLAs have signed the letter to express full confidence in the Congress government led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Some other MLAs have spoken to the chief minister over the phone and they will also sign the letter," he told reporters at the CM's residence in Jaipur in the wee hours. Pande said the BJP was behind the "conspiracy" to topple the Ashok Gehlot government but it will complete its term. The BJP is trying to destabilise the Congress government and wants to repeat what they did in Madhya Pradesh. But the MLAs are fully with the government and the party, he said. In the 200-member Rajasthan assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72. The Congress also has the support of 10 out of 13 independents, and other party MLAs like Rashtriya Lok Dal (1), which is its ally. The Congress also considers Bhartiya Tribal Party (2) and CPI(M) (2) MLAs as their supporters. Apart from its 72 MLAs, BJP's ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party has three MLAs. Pilot on Sunday claimed that the Gehlot government is in minority as over 30 Congress MLAs have "pledged support" to him. "Rajasthan deputy CM and Congress leader Sachin Pilot not to attend Congress legislative party meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow. Pilot says Ashok Gehlot government is in minority after over 30 Congress and some independent MLAs have pledged support to Sachin Pilot," said a statement circulated via a WhatsApp group operated by Pilot's office. Pilot's rebellion and deepening political crisis were discussed at a late night meeting at the chief minister's residence where Pande and Randeep Surjewala were present. The party MLAs and independent legislators too reached the chief minister's residence and expressed confidence in Gehlot's leadership, the Congress said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 03:41:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations is preparing a team to assess a neglected tanker off Yemen to avoid a possible catastrophic spill of 1.1 million barrels of crude oil, a UN spokesman said on Monday. "The local de facto authorities in Yemen have officially communicated to the UN their approval for an UN-led technical assessment and repair mission onboard the Safer oil tanker off the coast of Ras Issa," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The "local de facto authorities" refer to the Houthi rebels controlling much of the embattled country's northern area. "We are working to ensure the technical team can deploy as soon as possible to assess the condition of the tanker and undertake initial repairs," Dujarric told a virtual briefing. After the assessment, and feasible light repairs, members of the team are to advise on any remaining measures that would be needed to avoid an oil spill, which would be catastrophic for Yemeni communities, the Red Sea environment, bordering countries and their communities, as well as international maritime traffic, he said. At the end of May, water reportedly entered the engine room of the permanently anchored tanker, which could have led to disaster, but a temporary fix was applied at that time. The tanker had served as a floating oil storage and offloading vessel that is moored in the Red Sea before most of the crew deserted it after the Houthi rebels took over the area about five years ago. On Wednesday, the Security Council is scheduled to hold a meeting on the issue, the spokesman said on Friday. Enditem Washington, July 13 : US Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said that he will ask former special counsel Robert Mueller to testify before the panel over the latter's probe into the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Graham's announcement on Twitter on Sunday granted a request repeatedly pushed by Senate Democrats to let Mueller testify before the Republican-controlled upper chamber, reports Xinhua news agency. It also came in the wake of Mueller's op-ed published in Te Washington Post in which he defended the legitimacy and integrity of the Russia probe. "Apparently Mr. Mueller is willing -- and also capable -- of defending the Mueller investigation through an op-ed in the Washington Post," Graham said in his tweet. "Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have previously requested Mr. Mueller appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about his investigation. That request will be granted." In the op-ed on Saturday, Mueller said investigators looking into the interactions between President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign and the Russian government "acted with the highest integrity. Claims to the contrary are false". Mueller wrote that Roger Stone, Trump's long-time political confidant who was involved in the Mueller investigation, "remains a convicted felon, and rightly so", even though Trump on July 10 commuted his 40-month jail term, which would otherwise begin on Tuesday. Stone was convicted in November 2019 of all the seven felony counts he was charged with, including lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing an official proceeding. He has maintained his innocence and tried to appeal his conviction, most recently pursuing a pardon or a commutation, citing the risk of contracting the coronavirus while in jail. "We made every decision in Stone's case, as in all our cases, based solely on the facts and the law and in accordance with the rule of law," Mueller said. The Mueller investigation, concluded in the spring of 2019, found no evidence of the Trump campaign colluding with Russia, but "identified numerous links between the Russian government and Trump campaign personnel -- Stone among them", Mueller wrote in the op-ed. The Department of Justice released a redacted version of the Mueller Report on April 18, 2019. Graham told the media at the time that he didn't think testimony from Mueller would be necessary. Mumbai, July 13 : "Bandish Bandits", a romantic musical drama starring Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry, will launch on August 4. The 10-part series also features Naseeruddin Shah, Atul Kulkarni, Sheeba Chaddha, Kunal Roy Kapur and Rajesh Tailang. The series follows the love story of two young performers from very different musical backgrounds. Ritwik plays a Hindustani classical performer named Radhe, and Shreya is the pop star Tamanna. The series also features an original soundtrack composed by the musical trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy who make their digital debut with the show, created and produced by Amritpal Singh Bindra and directed by Anand Tiwari. "While elements of the show are rooted firmly in Indian tradition and values, this is without doubt a modern musical romance that will appeal to a global audience," said Bindra, who describes the show as "a journey of love, differences and discovery". Talking about the Amazon Prime Video series, Tiwari said: " 'Bandish Bandits' is a story about the meeting of two individuals and cultures that are in many ways different, and yet in other ways incredibly similar. While each character has a unique and compelling story in their own right, it's how these stories come together which makes this series so powerful, romantic and real. I am beyond excited to bring this incredible tale of romance, beautifully told through the musical genius of composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy." Kathy Willens/Associated Press Yelp, the San Francisco based crowdsourced business review listing site, announced on Monday that it is rehiring 1,100 employees that were furloughed due to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 coronavirus. According to a Marketwatch report, Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman said most employees will return in August, with the company's sales force returning over a four-month period. All employees rehired will receive the same pay rate as they were before being furloughed. When the first cases of COVID-19 hit Manitoba in March, Peg City Car Co-ops operations manager Philip Mikulec held his breath. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/7/2020 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. When the first cases of COVID-19 hit Manitoba in March, Peg City Car Co-ops operations manager Philip Mikulec held his breath. The nine-year-old vehicle-sharing organization was three months into its most ambitious year; its goal was to add 20 vehicles to its fleet by the end of 2020. But the novel coronavirus caused it to slam on the brakes after only eight cars were added to the rotation. Trips made by car-share members dropped by 40 per cent in March, and 55 per cent in April. The remaining cars yet to be added were put under layup insurance and placed in storage. Mikulec was unsure when theyd ever hit the road. "Then things started to pick up again," he said Sunday. "Its been a roller-coaster lately for every business, but for us, its been like whiplash." By June, as the number of COVID-19 infections in Manitoba began to decrease, Mikulec said expansion was back on the table. The co-op added eight cars between June 15 and July 9, and expanded its network to include the Luxton and St. Johns neighbourhoods. The fleet sits at 56, just shy of the end-of-year goal of 60. Against the odds of a few months ago, Mikulec expects to reach it. Membership, which can cost as little as $4.50 per month as well as an up-front deposit, has also ticked upward since the pandemic began. "We anticipated shrinkage due to economic hardship," Mikulec said. "We actually saw some growth." By July 12, the co-op had a net increase of 30 members, on pace to be the most successful month in its history in terms of net growth. (The highest net gain in a single month is 60). Year-to-date, the co-op has added 140 new members, and is now up to 1,750 individual users. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "One day, we were worried our business would be compromised for months, and now were doing better than we ever expected we would," said Mikulec, who said the lockdown gave the co-op a template for how to run should another shutdown be mandated if the virus makes a comeback. When rides dipped in March and April, the co-op changed its cleaning schedule from once every 14 days to once every two or three days, using hospital-grade sanitizers in its vehicles. Since then, the frequency has changed to at least once every seven days, and drivers are asked to do some things like wiping down the steering wheel, while being urged to not use a car if they feel sick, Mikulec said. He said users who have a compromised immune system can request their vehicle be pre-sanitized if they give 24 hours notice; bookings longer than 24 hours also guarantee a thorough pre-sanitization, he said. In addition to Luxton and St. Johns, vehicles are being added to St. Boniface, the West End and Corydon. The parking spots for the new North End cars are at Pollocks Hardware and Billy Mosienko Lanes. "If we see an uptake in membership (in St. Johns and Luxton), we wouldnt hesitate to add a third or fourth car," Mikulec said. "We need early-adopters." ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca TDT | Manama American Mission Hospital (AMH) announces its Telemedicine service for all who seek care. Resilience is the ability to absorb the shock and disruption to what is normal. We are on the brink of a new normal that will witness a dramatic restructuring of the economic and social order in which business and society have traditionally operated. As a healthcare organisation we are in the frontline of this storm and will continue to play an important role in shaping the post COVID recovery. We are all rethinking how we deliver healthcare, based on lessons learned in these last few months with COVID-19 pandemic. Like many healthcare organisations, AMH turned to Telemedicine to extend care and meet community needs during this time of physical distancing. We realise that Telemedicine is the need of the hour especially when the world is facing unprecedented challenges with the coronavirus pandemic. The main features of Telemedicine is allowing the patient to connect with AMH and book virtual consultations with our Doctors. To allow patients to keep a complete digital record of their health on the application and to allow patients to upload any medical records they think are relevant and want to discuss with the doctor. Patients are able to obtain valid medical E-Prescriptions after their appointment is over, which they can use at AMH pharmacy to obtain medicines. As the COVID-19 contributing higher fatalities among immunocompromised people like chronic diseases and comorbidities, it can be used to avoid virus exposure by the means of reducing hospital visits. In addition to, it can reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission among health care professionals those working tirelessly in the frontlines by keeping all the significant infected patients out of hospital. Telemedicine can be used to triage more patients, screen and diagnose remotely. According to Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), it also supports cost effective care by keeping patients to unlikely visit to emergency department and face to face consultations. Throughout our history AMH has overcome and adapted to the various challenges of pandemics and economic downturns. Favorable job attitudes have a strong relationship to organizational outcomes in bad economic times than they do in normal or good times. External threats also provide us with opportunities of being innovative in how we deliver care and we have come to appreciate what a valuable tool Telemedicine is for reaching communities. Please stay healthy and safe as we collectively fight this pandemic alongside our public health officials and health workers who are directly involved in caring for sick COVID patients. It might not surprise viewers of Netflixs Tiger King to hear that the owner of a big cat went to extreme lengths on behalf of an animal. Much like Joe Exotic, the breakout star of the Netflix series, Stanek has attracted tens of thousands of fans on his Facebook page and has charged visitors to pet Nubia and take photos with her. Jharkhands 87% students cleared the class 12 board examinations conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), results for which were declared on Monday. The state registered an improvement of around three percent in overall results compared to the previous year, CBSE coordinators in Jharkhand said. This year, as many as 35,974 students appeared for the class 12 examination from three streams-Science, Commerce and Arts- from Jharkhand. Of the total, 30,992 students passed the examinations. Jharkhand students again performed better than Bihar this year. Bihars 68.06% students cleared the class 12 examinations. However, collective pass percentage for both Bihar and Jharkhand remained at 74.57% this year. Girls outperformed boys in overall pass percentage. Girls achieved 80.58% results, while 71.29% boys cleared the examinations. Ranchis CBSE coordinator Manohar Lal said around 10,000 students had appeared from Ranchi district. Similarly, around 25,000 examinees had appeared from other parts of the states, mainly from Dhanbad, Bokaro and Jamshedpur. Students have performed better this year compared to previous year. I would like to congratulate all students, teachers and staff for their hard work, he said. The CBSE Class 12 board examinations were scheduled to be conducted from February 15 to March 30. Due to spread of Covid-19 pandemic, CBSE was forced to cancel examinations scheduled from March 19 to March 30. In the battle for grabbing the top ranks, Ansh Makkar from Delhi Public School (DPS), Ranchi, emerged as the state topper with 99.2% marks in aggregate in Science stream. He obtained 496 marks out of 500. Makkar said, I want to crack IIT and pursue computer science. After clearing the class 10 examination, I started preparations for IIT. I devoted one to two hours every day for preparations of IIT. Ritu Kumari of Holy Cross School, Bokaro emerged state topper in commerce stream scoring 98.2% marks in aggregate, while Ria Srivastava from JVM Shyamli bagged the crown of state topper in arts stream scoring 98.4% marks in aggregate. In Dhanbad, Md Mozzam Ali from DAV Model School, CFRI, emerged district topper with 97.6% marks in aggregate in science stream, while Anu Kumari from Rajkamal Saraswati Vidya Mandir, Dhanbad, became district topper in Commerce with 97.6% marks. Sambhavi Singh from Sri Sri Suryadeo Singh Gurukulam emerged as topper in Arts stream with 98% marks in aggregate. We very much look forward to this partnership and are pleased to welcome NuGenIT to the OEC family. NuGenIT brings high quality collision market solutions and repair expertise that will help expand our value to the collision industry, remarked Ike Herman, OECs Chief Marketing Officer. OEConnection (OEC), the leading automotive technology provider for original equipment manufacturers (OEM) distribution networks, announced today that it has acquired NuGenIT, Inc., a software company specializing in body shop and collision industry optimization tools. Headquartered in Kansas City, NuGenIT is an award-winning software firm that provides information management tools for the automotive repair industry. The company provides integrated workflow applications for collision repairs, and data mining and reporting capabilities for the collision and insurance industries. As the automotive industrys leading provider of SaaS-based solutions for original equipment parts, OEC is known for its exceptional data management, ecommerce, pricing, supply chain, cataloging, service and business intelligence solutions, across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. OEC is the only provider to offer solutions in each market segment, providing an unmatched suite of solutions that focus exclusively on OEMs, their dealer networks and repairers. NuGenIT will add collision repair industry expertise to augment OECs growing collision business. We very much look forward to this partnership and are pleased to welcome NuGenIT to the OEC family. NuGenIT brings high quality collision market solutions and repair expertise that will help expand our value to the collision industry, remarked Ike Herman, OECs Chief Marketing Officer. I am excited to work with Pete and the NuGenIT team to help better serve the collective needs of our OEM, dealer and collision industry customers. I am extremely proud of all that the NuGenIT team has accomplished and couldnt be more excited about this next step in our evolution, added Pete Tagliapietra, Founder & President of NuGenIT. OEC has a tremendous and successful track record of delivering solutions to body shops and automakers, and I look forward to what this partnership will mean for our collective customer base. # # # About OEC OEConnection (OEC) is the leading automotive technology provider for OEM distribution networks. We enable automakers and dealerships around the world to deliver parts and service information quickly and accurately into the hands of repairers. Our solutions cover the collision, fleet, mechanical and retail segments, as well as the dealers own service lanes, through a suite of parts cataloging, supply chain, pricing, ecommerce, service, data and business intelligence solutions. OEC serves 37 international auto brands, 30,000 dealers and more than 135,000 repair customers worldwide. OEC is headquartered in the greater Cleveland area at 4205 Highlander Parkway, Richfield, Ohio, USA, 44286. Additional information is available at http://www.oeconnection.com or by contacting Amy French at Amy.French@OEConnection.com. About NuGenIT NuGen IT, Inc. is an award-winning Nevada firm that develops and markets information management software tools to the property and casualty insurance industry and its partners. The company is privately held and funded with private investment capital. With offices in Nevada, Kansas and California, NuGen IT currently provides integrated auto and homeowners' claims processing, workflow and business process compliance solutions in North America. Media Contacts: OEC Amy French 330.523.1855 Amy.French@OEConnection.com NuGenIT Nancy Casey Business Compliance and Trading Partner Administration 702-256-9736 The third wave of anti-Semitism is on the way By Fiamma Nirenstein Imagine that a prestigious international research institute concludes that the new wave of anti-Semitism is fueled and perpetuated chiefly by the physical characteristics of the Jews their noses, for example or by their insularity in relation to the general society. You would surely be surprised if, in this case, the media and politicians would adopt the conclusion and persistently refer to the noses of their countrys Jews or blame Jewish family customs, which are notably very close-knit, for the spread of the Coronavirus. Would that be legitimate? Maybe, but I would claim it as remiss or malicious, especially if it emanates from the media sources and institutions that pretend to fight and condemn anti-Semitism. Because negligence and malice aimed at the State of Israel, or ignorance and obsession about its supposed mistakes, are precisely what induces the exponential growth of worldwide anti-Semitism today. In recent days, we heard excellent and serious discussions from well-meaning ambassadors, academics, and advisers on anti-Semitism in the European Union, the United States, and international organizations. The foremost academic centers that deal with anti-Semitism have held webinar conferences because they are rightly disturbed by its upsurge during the Coronavirus pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has rebooted the classic medieval anti-Semitism seen long ago during the Black Plague. Today, in the age of a sovereign Jewish State, anti-Semitism has been re-directed at demonizing Israel. It delegitimizes Israel as a racist, genocidal, apartheid state. Shocking Palestinian cartoons flooded social media with caricatures depicting Israeli soldiers shooting COVID-19 bullets at Palestinians, or poor and scared Palestinians locked up in cages surrounded by tanks and Corona monsters with the Star of David. Joining these images were the choruses of hate-filled mobs chanting in Paris, Brussels, New York, and Washington D.C. that Israel should be destroyed. Israelophobic anti-Semitism reverberated during the days of the mass protests in the United States when furious crowds marched to protest the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a criminal police officer. We heard that Israel and Jews were responsible for the murder because they train American police officers. Its the occupation, brother, were all in the same boat ranted the left-wing political activist and Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) supporter, Linda Sarsour, who went on to portray Israel as the common enemy. In Washington, D.C. protestors marched to the Capitol building chanting, Black Lives Matter, Palestinian Lives Matter, and From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free! The Third Wave Now we have entered into the third wave of the most recent anti-Semitism. Massacre the Jews [Israel] as Mohammed massacred the Yahud in Khaybar, was the slogan chanted on June 28, 2020, in the Belgian capital, and the threat has been repeated in city squares around the world. The international criticism of Israel is blind to the issue of the so-called annexation; the critics abstractly accuse Israel of being opposed to peace, while the opposite is true. And yet, sanctions are threatened by the UN, the European Union, and all its institutions. Letters from hundreds of European intellectuals and parliamentarians from all over the world promise to cut relations and sanction Israel if it dared to apply its sovereignty to 30 percent of the disputed territories. Disputed territories, not illegal, and not occupied. All the while, 70 percent of the territory is reserved for the Palestinians. The repetitive and continuous threats and condemnations by the United Nations, the European Union, and many European states have the tone and angry timbre of an anti-Semitic obsession; all the while, they pretend that they are earnestly fighting the obsessions of the oldest hatred, anti-Semitism. The basis for the threats against Israel is the Jewish states support for the American peace plan presented by President Donald Trump. Ignored is the critical component providing two states for two peoples. All of the peace-loving institutions should make an effort to invite the Palestinians, who refuse to negotiate with Israel, to come to the table to find a solution. The international rejection of a plan comes with a claim that the component of Israel controlling 30 percent of the territory was an attempt to impose apartheid, which is false. The implication of their accusation is malicious that Israel has malevolent colonial aspirations to occupy the Palestinian people. This is a demonizing and delegitimizing accusation, using the term occupation as a curse to advance anti-Israel hatred. The magnitude of the protests would make sense if the Palestinians were willing to come to the negotiating table while Israel moved ahead in an arrogant, unilateral gesture. But, anyone who knows anything about the history of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations knows that this is not the case, neither yesterday nor today. What is currently being promoted by the international community is not a discourse of criticism, which would be legitimate, but instead a storm of prejudices. Research and polls carried out in dozens of countries testify that virus-inspired anti-Semitism has gone viral on social media, and it is the continuation of the ancient conspiracy theories of blood libels that have always painted the Jews as the source of diseases and the spreaders. Public opinion will surf again on this deadly anti-Semitic wave. The Palestinian Authoritys Prime Minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, personally promoted the coronavirus blood libel by stating that Israeli soldiers and settlers knowingly spread the Coronavirus widely among Palestinians. His spokesperson went so far as to state that the occupation itself was the virus and that the Jews had inflicted the pandemic on the Palestinians. The phenomenon of the anti-Semitism plague converged with the Coronavirus, which then intertwined with subsequent waves. Responsible national and international leaders who have taken a stance to combat anti-Semitism in this period have mobilized to fight the idea that the Jews are responsible for COVID-19. In addition, some leaders seek to quash the conspiracy theories that imperialist Jews and their wealth are attempting to dominate the world. Some combat those who want to obliterate the Shoahs memory. Others confront Neo-Nazi hatred. And others focus on their societies bias against the Jews because of their hatred, prejudice, and ignorance about Judaism. The political, diplomatic, and academic spokespersons who care deeply about the adoption and the promotion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), upheld the connection between hatred for Israel and anti-Semitic hatred during a webinar conference in June 2020. Katharina Von Schnurbein, the European Commission Coordinator on combating Anti-Semitism, alluded to a 2019 survey in which 85 percent of Jews declared that they feel they are perceived through the Israeli lens. Jews are synonymous with Israel. The question that arises is the following: if, as the IHRA suggests, anti-Israel hatred is the engine of anti-Semitism, its twin, why are there no measures to deal with this dual-threat? Why not be more cautious when dealing with issues relating to Israel? Why not challenge both hatreds by delving deeper into Israels history, its democratic nature, humane inspiration, and the heroic story of the country itself? Institutions and states that have implemented measures against anti-Semitism and have adopted the IHRA should monitor how they and their institutions influence public opinion and the spread of prejudice against Israel. Political actors must be more cautious before putting labels on Israeli-Jewish consumer products, or bandying about apartheid, or legitimizing BDS. The examples are endless, and the many condemnations and institutional threats today push anti-Semitic crowds into the streets with a moral cloak. These political actors and institutions are committed to fighting against anti-Semitism, but they are also responsible for creating it. This has been the case since the 1975 UN Resolution 3379, which equated Zionism with racism. Journalist Fiamma Nirenstein was a member of the Italian Parliament (2008-2013) where she served as Vice President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Chamber of Deputies, served in the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, and established and chaired the Committee for the Inquiry into Anti-Semitism. A founding member of the international Friends of Israel Initiative, she is the author of 13 books, including Israel Is Us (2009). She is a Fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Home Even with todays grim need for social isolation, San Franciscos most eye-catching residential tower wants to pull you close. From the Bay Bridge or the Embarcadero, the 39-story Mira at the corner of Folsom and Spear streets is a flowing stack of tightly wound white metal bays, frozen in motion. Fragmentary glimpses from nearby blocks defy expectations, whipsawed slivers amid the stodgy norm. Finally, theres the view straight up from the sidewalk a crisp commotion of stacked angles, precisely arranged but seemingly ready to fly out in a dozen directions at once. Though Mira has been in the works since 2014, the architectural show still feels fresh as the first residents begin to unpack. But this 392-unit residential complex was also conceived as a celebration of triumphant urbanism a far cry from the mood of this troubled summer. Neither the lethal threat of the coronavirus nor the flare of tensions fueled by Americas systemic racism was anticipated when Mira was topped off last year. Now, as workers add pavers and street trees to the newly widened sidewalks, both are as obvious as the bottles of Purell on a table in the stylish lobby or the boarded-up windows at the entrance to chic Hotel Vitale, two short blocks to the north. The basics of Mira havent changed: The compact tower is flanked by four- and eight-story wings that extend west to Main Street. In the middle of the three sections theres a private courtyard for tenants. Retail spaces line Spear and Folsom streets. On the north side will be a reconstituted Clementina Street, mostly for pedestrians, with ground-floor condos and an ample, landscaped landscape. The architect is Jeanne Gang, who rose to prominence a decade ago for her 82-story Aqua, a statuesque slab in Chicago that was the tallest building in the world designed by a woman. Since her firm Studio Gang has made its mark both on skylines an even taller Chicago high-rise is nearing completion and in socially rooted projects such as libraries and community centers. In the Bay Area, the firms upcoming projects include an expansion at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco and a San Mateo County government office building in downtown Redwood City. Gang sees a wider role for Mira as well. While the market rate units start at $1.2 million and climb much higher, a heartening 40% of the condominiums are reserved for buyers who make between 80% and 120% of the median income in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties. This translates to $79,000 to $118,000 for a couple. The unusually high percentage came in exchange for the city allowing the tower to be increased in height from 300 to 400 feet. This upset some neighbors who already had homes in the clouds, but its good social policy. Mira reflects the goals of San Francisco to have this mix of dwellings, Gang said last week. Its good to be part of an area that was really conceived as a district. When the project was unveiled, Gang talked about her admiration for such 1920s landmarks as 450 Sutter St., with its florid terra-cotta bays marching to the sky. She also was candid about taking advantage of the freedoms allowed by computer design. What I like about tall buildings (aesthetically) is what you do with the height, the incremental moves along the way, she explained in 2014. Its not just the extrusion of a single form from bottom to top. In this case, Gang conceived of migratory bays. Each floor is chiseled in a way that allows for no less than 30 bays of varying depth. The pattern rotates slightly from floor to floor, making a full revolution every 10 floors. A flat-topped corkscrew, so to speak. As gimmicky as this sounds, what makes it work is Gangs focus on details. Though she spent her early years at Rem Koolhaas often-provocative Office for Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam, her father was a civil engineer and she has described her younger self as hard-core about math and science. That underlying interest in structural substance, materiality and craft, sets Studio Gang apart from firms where actual buildings seem less important than their hyper-charged renderings. Thats part of the reason for using metal panels rather than masonry for the skin, a system worked out in part with the facade fabricator, Permasteelisa. Theyre lightweight, which reduces overall stress on the jagged concrete frame, while folded in a way that minimizes the number of seams where rainwater would run down to stain the facade. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. This sharp but sleek approach also benefits the developer, Tishman Speyer. Those angled bays mean that every unit has at least one corner window all the better to nab bay views that might lure potential buyers. The benefit for the rest of us is the visual pop on the skyline a voyeuristic kick made more satisfying by the thought that went into it. The repeated sequence of migratory bays, for instance, adds a discipline beyond the random pop-outs or voids of other towers in the works here and elsewhere. You can look for the 10-story segments, unpack the pattern in your mind, or simply enjoy the odd shifts of glinting metal and folded shadows. This doesnt mean Mira is great architecture. Thats for the future to decide. A clever aluminum skin is no match for the tactile richness of those 1920s towers that Gang admires. As for the wings, one is clad in red metal while the other wears sandy porcelain tiles. City planners pushed Gang to mix things up visually, and they were right, but the choppy forms down low feel like afterthoughts. Cities like San Francisco are hardy blows that look fatal in one era are all but forgotten in the next. The Embarcadero Freeway that once crossed a portion of Miras site was torn down after being damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Gangs tower joins nearly a dozen nearby that have risen in the decade since the 2007-09 recession. A year from now, perhaps, those ground-floor retail spaces will hold cafes and boutiques. Young residents will rub shoulders at the communal table in the lobby. In the meantime? During my tour of the tower, heres what I liked best beyond the clear bay views most units come with a balcony, ensuring virus-free air. John King is The San Francisco Chronicles urban design critic. Email: jking@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @johnkingsfchron (Photo from the Weibo page of the Tibet Military Command of the PLA) CAMBRIDGE Free fabric masks are available at Cambridge Memorial Hospital. Anyone can come to get a free mask or masks at the hospital, thanks to the Cambridge Mask Makers. Adult and childrens sizes are available. Go to the main entrance of the new A wing Monday to Sunday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. or medical day care in the D wing (under the covered driveway) Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some times are busier than others as patients are screened for appointments. 21 SEEDS' distinct infusions have gained quick popularity based on its award-winning, premium taste cultivated from a proprietary blend of agaves from the lowland and highland regions of Jalisco and lack of high fructose corn syrup found in most flavored spirits. The tequila is crafted for a super-smooth Blanco base allowing the fruit to truly take center stage, ideal for low-calorie, delicious cocktails. Out of the gate, the company's infused tequilas have garnered attention and recognition with Valencia Orange awarded Best of Show, Double Gold at WSWA in 2019, Cucumber Jalapeno awarded 90 Points for Best in Category at the Beverage Tasting Institute in 2019, and with Grapefruit Hibiscus taking the Gold Award at WSWA in 2019. Founder Kat Hantas created 21 SEEDS because it is quite simply what she wanted to drink, something smooth, simple and casual with fresh, natural flavor that made drinking tequila as approachable as a glass of wine or beer. Nothing in the marketplace fit the bill. Before it was a brand, it was just a few bottles infused in her kitchen with ingredients readily at hand - cucumbers, jalapenos, oranges and grapefruits. Served to guests from her home and taken to dinner parties, the homemade infusions quickly became conversation starters and set the table for a new tequila experience that friends and family embraced. After demand from her inner circle for Kat's homemade brew continued to climb, one bottle turned into dozens of bottles. Joining with her sister, Nicole Emanuel and long-time friend Sarika Singh, all previous entrepreneurs, the three women traveled to Mexico seeking out a partner distillery and found one owned and staffed predominantly by women, a perfect fit. After experimenting for close to a year on different infusions, they eventually perfected the recipe and 21 SEEDS was born. It is the hope of the founders that 21 SEEDS is more than just a delicious tequila, but that it will inspire consumers to gather their own tribe of friends and family to share and connect. It's the seed of something bigger. About 21 SEEDS 21 SEEDS creates an all-natural, real fruit infused tequila for Her by Her that is as delicious and easy to drink as a glass of wine. Contact: Kat Hantas 21 SEEDS [email protected] SOURCE 21 SEEDS Related Links http://www.21seeds.com Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Monday announced that the company would be investing nearly $10 billion into developing infrastructure and funding digital innovation in India over the next five to seven years. Pichai was speaking at the sixth edition of Google for India conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology, where a host of measures to be undertaken by the tech giant such as expanding the scope of digital payments using Google Pay and developing low cost smartphones to transition feature phone users into smartphone users were also announced. Before Pichai made the announcements, he also had a video-conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss Googles ideas for Indias digital future. This morning, had an extremely fruitful interaction with @sundarpichai, PM Modi tweeted. We spoke on a wide range of subjects, particularly leveraging the power of technology to transform the lives of Indias farmers, youngsters and entrepreneurs. The Prime Minister added that the two had also discussed the new work culture that is emerging in the times of Covid-19. We discussed the challenges the global pandemic has brought to areas such as sports. We also talked about the importance of data security and cyber safety, PM Modi said on Twitter. I was delighted to know more about the efforts of @Google in several sectors, be it in education, learning, @_DigitalIndia, furthering digital payments and more, he added. Digital India has been one of the flagship schemes of the Central government. The Indian tech space further moved towards a Make in India approach last month after the PM announced the Atmanirbhar app challenge. The Google for India digitization fund will invest $10 billion over the next 5-7 years in terms of equity, partnerships, operations and infrastructure development, Pichai said on Monday. This is a reflection of our confidence in the future of India and its digital economy. We will work towards enabling affordable internet access to every Indian in their own language. Pichai added that special attention would be paid to developing products and services relevant to India, empowering small business, and leveraging technology and artificial intelligence for areas like health and agriculture. We look forward to working with PM Modi and hope India will lead the next wave innovation, Pichai said. Union minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad added that the digital transformation of India has especially focused on digital inclusion. Indias app economy growing very powerfully and it is important not just to download but to upload apps as well, said Prasad. We are working towards developing one lakh digital villages across India and I would appreciate it if Google could pick a cluster of these villages and make them model villages in terms of skilling and delivery of telemedicine, Prasad added. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 13, 2020 16:07 554 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665f1ee6 1 Business Lake-Toba,North-Sumatra,tourist-village,super-priority-destinations,Coordinating-Maritime-and-Investment-Ministry,Luhut-Binsar-Pandjaitan Free The government has officially started construction on 10 planned tourism villages around Lake Toba in North Sumatra. It hopes the villages, once completed, will attract domestic and foreign tourists and boost the areas economy. Lake Toba Tourism Authority Board (BOPDT) director Arie Prasetyo said the development of the villages was a pilot project for the development of other tourist destinations in the country. Part of the infrastructure costs are being covered by corporate donations. Read also: Govt spurs on development of super-priority destination Lake Toba We hope Lake Tobas development will not only depend on the state budget funding but will also maximize the involvement of other stakeholders, he said in a statement on Friday. According to Arie, state-owned oil giant Pertamina contributed to the construction of toilets in the area while state-owned pawnshop Pegadaian developed the areas waste management system. The government has been working to develop five super-priority tourist destinations as part of its efforts to make the tourism industry one of the new drivers of the countrys economic growth. The destinations are Lake Toba, Borobudur in Central Java, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara and Likupang in North Sulawesi. Coordinating Maritime and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan asked ministries in April to accelerate the Lake Toba villages development in July. Its already clear what should be done by each ministry and institution so that the coordination will be close, despite the physical distancing, he said. The 10 villages will be located in Humbang Hasundutan regency, Toba regency and North Tapanuli regency. Arie said the government had also provided Rp 26 billion (US$1.8 million) in compensation to local residents whose land was to be affected by the project, which covers a total of 279 hectares. We gave compensation for 255 land plots owned by 204 people. The Rp 26 billion budget is funded by the state budget and will be distributed to the people, he said. The ministrys tourism and creative economy deputy Odo Manuhutu expressed hope that the first phase of land acquisition would attract investment to the destination. Hopefully, the investment will boost economic growth in the region, create jobs and give added value to the local economy, he said, as quoted in the statement. The Toba caldera was recently named a UNESCO Global Geopark during the United Nations cultural body's 209th plenary session in Paris on Tuesday. Read also: Lake Toba reopens for residents, not yet for domestic and foreign tourists Toba Caldera Geopark is a home to 13 geosites with striking views, namely Tongging Sipiso-piso, Silalahi Sabungan, Haranggaol, Sibaganding Parapat, Eden Park, Balige Liong Spige Meat, Situmurun Blok Uluan, Hutaginjang, Muara Sibandang, Sipinsur Bakti Raja, Bakara Tipang, Tele Pangururan and Pusuk Buhit. Lake Toba, the world's largest volcanic lake, was formed about 74,000 years ago by a supervolcanic eruption. The bottom of the caldera later filled with water, and it is currently the largest lake in Indonesia. The North Sumatra provincial administration is hopeful that the UNESCO recognition will help boost foreign tourist arrivals in the province. Lucknow, July 13 : The Ghaghara river in Uttar Pradesh is in spate and people are being evacuated to safer places from the villages in Mahsi tehsil of Bahraich district. Rain water has been continuously flowing from the Nepal mountains into the ravine of the Ghaghara river and nearly 2.83 lakh cusecs of water has been discharged from the three barrages, flooding 12 villages. The condition of Dariya Burd, Chamrahi and Revatipurwa villages is worse. All three villages are situated between the Sarayu and Ghaghara rivers. Efforts are being made by the Tehsil administration to evacuate the people of these villages. With the increase in the water level, the river has overflowed at Tikuri gram panchayat, submerging six houses in the village. The river in spate has wreaked havoc in Majra Thakurainpurwa of Tikuri gram panchayat in Mahsi Tehsil area. The houses of six villagers and around 100 bighas of cultivable land of more than 25 farmers were submerged. Villager Rahul said, "Along with our house, the fields have also been inundated. Nothing is left now. It is an annual affair." Surendra Narayan Tripathi, SDM of Mahsi, said, "The rain water from Nepal is affecting the houses here. However, people have been rescued and moved to safer places. All have been provided tarpaulin and necessary materials. In Nanapara, too, some areas have been flooded. Everyone's security is being arranged." According to the water commission report, the water level of the Ghaghara has been rising at Adampur Revli embankment. On Sunday, the water level of the Ghaghara at Elgin bridge was at 106.636 cm, which is 56 cm above the danger mark. The water level of the river also rose in Balrampur. In Gonda, the Ghaghra is flowing menacingly. Water has reached many villages in Balrampur. The risk of flooding has increased in Ayodhya due to the rising Sarayu waters. People have started moving to safer places. One NDRF team each has been deployed in Bahraich, Maharajganj, Varanasi, Balia while there are two NDRF teams each in Gorakhpur and Lucknow. Relief efforts are in progress. Officials in the severely affected districts have been alerted. ALBANY, N.Y. During a Monday morning press conference, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy and Albany County Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Whalen expounded upon the reasoning for a spike in cases this past weekend. The Capital Region was tops in the state for percentage positive in cases at 2%, even higher than New York City at 1.3%. As McCoy and Whalen discussed, a large portion of those cases could be attributed to nursing homes, travelers from states with high infection rates, and groups of mostly youths congregating. Unfortunately, were seeing a bit of the uptick in the Capital Region. A report from the governor [Sunday] found we had the highest percentage of positives in the state at 2%. The next highest for any region in the state was New York City at 1.3, McCoy noted. So you can see we spent our weekend looking at our numbers and going through all the data because this is stuff that we watch for, McCoy added. The county executive also detailed some of the sources attributable to the increase in cases. The state is also looking at Rensselaer County for its part in the reason for the increase, McCoy said regarding the Riverside Nursing Home. They had 23 new positive cases yesterday linked to people traveling back from Georgia which Dr. Whalen brought up on Tuesday, talking about people traveling. The other issue were having is snowbirds, people that have summer homes down in Florida that now are coming back and not self-quarantining or coming back infected and spreading it without knowing it, McCoy remarked on infected travelers. Whalen also ferreted out the data concerning the spikes in cases. Again we are seeing [the] highest cases in the 20 to 29-year-old group. Its important to note that a lot of those cases, theyre not very ill, she said. They may have mild symptoms, they may have just been tested because they were being screened for their jobs and the risk though is that outside of their jobs and at home they can spread this to other individuals who are more susceptible and can suffer more serious illness and that is what we want to prevent. Whalen also echoed McCoys sentiments on the need for travelers to follow quarantine protocols outlined by the state. I think its really necessary for people when youre coming back from one of the affected states to comply with that regulation, to make sure that you are staying at home, Whalen said. We have seen people come back and feel completely fine, test negative and then two days later test positive and in that situation, there were other people that were infected because of that individual. We have seen cases that have come through our airport where people were fine and then tested positive within a couple of days, Whalen continued. So if you are coming back, please consider testing, but definitely stay home for your quarantine period, Whalen added, urging those travelers to also contact their local health department. In addition, Whalen emphasized the importance of making sure New York doesnt catch fire with the spread of the virus as much of the rest of the country is going through now. We know that the prevalence of COVID in many of the states of concern is on an order that we havent seen here and we dont want to see it here and we could if were not mindful and if were not careful, Whalen added. As of Monday morning, Albany County has seen 2,007 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, 413 are in mandatory quarantine. An additional 10 positive cases were confirmed Monday, bringing the active cases to 43. Thus far 6,068 have completed quarantine, 1,964 people have tested positive and recovered, with an increase of 10 recoveries from Sunday. Plus, two people are hospitalized, down one from Sunday. When Turkish police officers stopped him as he set out for the airport to return to the United States after a family vacation in Turkey, the country of his birth, Serkan Golge, a Nasa scientist and American citizen, was in disbelief. It was July 2016, eight anxious days after a failed coup tried to unseat president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and police told Mr Golge that they had received an anonymous tip that he worked for the CIA and was part of a terrorist group accused of masterminding the plot. The idea was so far-fetched that Mr Golge expected to sort it out quickly and changed his flight to the next day. I was quite shocked, but I was like: This will go away, he said. This is probably a mistake, and the police and prosecutors would figure this out. It would take four years. Mr Golge and his family returned to Houston just last week, ending a nightmare in which he was held for three years in solitary confinement as he became a bargaining chip in a series of high-level disputes between the Turkish and US governments. In his first interview since arriving home, Mr Golge described with exasperation but little rancour the ordeal of being charged and found guilty of terrorist activities on evidence so flimsy he called it garbage. His account provides a rare insight into the Turkish judicial machine from the side of a defendant. Some 70,000 people have been accused in the Turkish courts in connection with the failed coup. Many, still fearful of the whims of Turkish justice, prefer to keep silent even once they are freed. Mr Erdogans government has blamed the coup attempt on Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric who lives in Pennsylvania. Soon after the coup, pro-government Turkish media outlets began accusing the US government of being behind the plot, suggesting that it was in league with Mr Gulen. For Mr Golge, who has a doctorate in physics and worked as a senior research scientist at Nasas Johnson Space Centre, being an American citizen was enough to be presumed guilty. You fit the profile, he recalled his lawyer telling him at one point. It does not really matter if you are innocent or not. They wont release you. After 14 days, Mr Golge appeared before a judge who told him police had found an American dollar bill in his parents house, which Turkish authorities alleged was a badge of membership to the Gulen movement, by then designated a terrorist group. He was held in a general prison in southern Turkey, alongside high-ranking military officers, judges and prosecutors, some of whom told him that they were being held without any evidence at all. Senior military officers and civilian supporters of Mr Gulen have been charged over their part in leading the coup and ordering the bombing of the parliament and clashes that killed 250 people. But thousands of others who were accused had only tenuous links to Mr Gulens movement, or, like the military cadets who were ordered out on the night of the coup, had little idea what was going on. Journalists and political opponents of Mr Erdogan with no connection to the events were prosecuted as well. The failed coup in 2016 brought accusations against tens of thousands of alleged conspirators (Getty) Mr Golge was sent to a prison in the town of Iskenderun, where in the August heat 32 men were crammed in a cell made for eight. He slept on a blanket on the floor and soon fell ill with bronchitis. Within a month, he was moved to solitary confinement and faced charges of overthrowing the government and the constitution, which carried a life sentence, and a charge of belonging to a terrorist organisation, which carried a 15-year sentence. Thats it; Im never getting out of here, he recalled thinking. That was a collapse psychologically, and I cried a lot. It is a very small room it barely sees the sunlight, and the guards took me out only one hour a day, he said. And I stayed in that room, in that small single cell, for three years. For a long time, Mr Golge clung to the fact that the evidence Turkish prosecutors presented was hardly incriminating. The anonymous tip turned out to be from a relative who bore a grudge against Mr Golges sister and later admitted he did not know if his allegations were true. The prosecutors drew on other evidence, and even Mr Golge acknowledges that he fits the profile of a possible member of the Gulen movement. He went to Fatih University, which was one of the most prominent Gulen schools, on a scholarship to study physics; he banked with Bank Asya, which was part of the Gulen network of companies. But none of that, he points out, amounts to a crime. A $1 bill, an anonymous tip, a bank account? How is this terrorism? Mr Golge asked. Nobody could explain, but I think this is how laws and courts still work in Turkey. Recommended UK treatment of Kurdish YPG volunteers under fire after terror case Mr Golge has condemned the coup attempt and says he had nothing to do with the Gulen movement. I am not part of this organisation, he said. I am very sorry for the people who lost their lives. This is something unacceptable. Violence is never a solution. I have always believed in democracy, and I think currently it is the best solution we have. But he says Turkey missed an opportunity by not dealing justly with the coup attempt. Instead, zealous prosecutors have pursued people far beyond the actual perpetrators, sweeping up many who have been judged guilty by association. Gradually, with American officials including Donald Trump pressing Turkey for his release over the lack of evidence, the charges against Mr Golge were reduced. He was eventually convicted of aiding a terrorist organisation, and the sentence was reduced on appeal. He said he sensed the Turkish judges knew the case against him was garbage but were compelled to drag out the process. I felt they were scared of something, he added. He was released from prison in May 2019 and in April this year was cleared to leave the country. But then he was hospitalised with stomach ulcers, and the coronavirus pandemic grounded flights. Back in Houston, he is rebuilding his life, applying for his old job and looking for a house. Your life four years, three years in prison will not come back, he said. But thats life. Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win. The New York Times The combined effects of a challenging retail environment coupled with the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have caused significant financial distress on our business, and we expect it to continue to do so in the future. As a result, we believe that a restructuring of our liabilities and a potential sale of the business or portions of the business is the best path forward to unlock value, CEO and CFO Sheamus Toal said in a news release. Bharuch: Four labourers died and 13 others have been injured following leakage of poisonous phosgene gas at a chemical plant of state PSU Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd (GNFC) in a village in Gujarats Bharuch area. "Four persons have been killed due to poisonous gas leakage from reactor gasket at GNFC plant at Rahiad village in Dahej taluka," District Collector Sandip Sagale told . The mishap took place late last night when mechanical failure in a chemical reactor at the company's TDI (Toluene Di-Isocyanate) plant caused leakage of poisonous phosgene gas, he said. The deceased have been identified as - Khurshid Rai, Wasi Ahmed, Mohammad Jamimuddin and Mohammad Taiba. "We have launched an investigation into the matter with officials of industrial safety from the district and the state inspecting the site. The company has also formed a high-level technical committee to investigate the accident," Sagale said. A company official said the leakage took place when around 13-15 contract labourers working in nearby units were exposed to the poisonous gas due to leakage in the reactor gasket. "Contractual labourers who often work till late in different shifts were affected. We rushed some of them to our own hospital at the company, while those critically affected were rushed to private hospitals in Bharuch," the official said. The 13 injured were admitted to a hospital in Bharuch. Of them, two have been referred to government hospital in Vadodara. Three workers were discharged, Bharuch Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh said. A team of Forensic Science Laboratory will visit the site later in the day, he added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Everyone will have the opportunity to return to Motherland Medi lab at airport premises Possibility to conduct PCR tests in relevant countries explored President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed the officials to send returnees from foreign countries for quarantine only after results of PCR tests conducted at the airport itself are known. President also said to accommodate them at a separate location equipped with all the necessary facilities until the test results are released. President issued these directives during a discussion with the members of the Task Force entrusted with COVID 19 control and medical consultants at the Presidential Secretariat today (4). Issues emerged during the conduct of PCR tests and sending returnees from abroad, especially those who are from Middle East, for quarantine were discussed in depth at the meeting. It was decided to set up a laboratory at the airport premises in order to speed up obtaining results of PCR tests. Since the pandemic may last for a considerable time, President highlighted the importance of having such a facility at the airport. It was also decided to explore the possibility of conducting PCR tests in relevant countries themselves with the direct mediation of the Sri Lankan Government or with the support of those countries. The early detection of the infected in this manner will ease difficulties that could arise when sending them to hospitals and quarantine. President said that opportunities should avail as soon as possible for everyone who wishes to return to the Motherland. Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Governor of the Western Province Marshal of the Air Force Roshan Goonetileke, Principal Advisor to the President, Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary Defence Major General (Retired) Kamal Gunaratne, Secretary to the Ministry of Health Major General (Dr.) Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Commanders of Tri-Forces, Acting Inspector-General of Police, the members of the Task Force, Director General of Health Services and consultant doctors participated in this meeting. Mohan Karunaratne Deputy Director 04.06.2020 Media Release in Sinhala Media Release in Tamil Media Release in English Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. San Francisco, 13 July 2020: The Report Baby Carrier Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Buckle, Sling), By Distribution Channel (Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, Online), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025 The global baby carrier market size is expected to reach USD 23.0 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 4.5% over the forecast period. Growing demand for baby carriers on account of increasing popularity of functional carries that provide user-friendly experience to parents is expected to remain a key market trend. Factors such as durability, comfortability and price affordability are further driving the product demand. Moreover, use of this product is increasing in the urban areas, wherein the number of working class parents and their economic independency are growing. Usage of baby carrier products is increasing in the developing countries of Asia Pacific including India, China, and Bangladesh. This is on account of inclination towards western standard of living and growing disposable income. Moreover, many new products are launched in Asia Pacific. In 2019, Baby Bjorn launched Baby Carrier One Air 2019 in China. This product uses a soft mesh material that keeps the infants hips in the M-position. In November 2018, new companies such as KeaBabies have launched baby wrap carrier, which is a combination of wrap, sling, and buckle products. Moreover, usage of e-textile for manufacturing these types of baby care products provides the parents and the company with continuous analysis of the infants vitals. This helps the parents in understanding the growth of the toddler through their smartphone and helps the company in gaining more information on product development. New product launches from leading companies are propelling manufacturers to develop new products that will provide even better benefits to the infant as well as the parents. For instance, in January 2019, Moby launched Moby 2 in 1 Carrier + Hip Seat Baby Carrier to provide relief from back pain to the parents after carrying the toddler. Similarly, in November 2018, Bey Bee launched a variety of baby carrier products such as Bey Bee Ergonomic 3 Way 4 Seasons Hip Seat Baby Carrier, to allow the parents to carry the infants and toddlers in different and convenient position with better comfort. The company is focusing on developing new products in order to capture a larger share in the market. Access Research Report of Baby Carrier Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/baby-carrier-market Further key findings from the study suggest: The sling product segment is projected to ascend at a CAGR of 5.2% from 2019 to 2025. Buckle products dominated the global market with an overall share of 51.0 % in 2018 The supermarkets/hypermarkets distribution channel dominated the global market with a share of 44.6% in 2018 North America dominated the global baby carrier market in 2018 and accounted for 37.2% share of the total revenue The industry is highly competitive in nature with the key players including Artsana s.P.A.; BabyBjorn AB; Blue Box Company; Lalabu LLC; Goodbaby International Holding Limited; FirstCry; Moby Wrap, Inc.; Baby Tula LLC; and Balboa Baby. Browse more reports of this category by Grand View Research at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry/clothing-footwear-and-accessories Grand View Research has segmented the global baby carrier market on the basis of product, distribution channel, and region: Baby CarrierProduct Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) Buckle Backpack Sling Others Baby CarrierDistribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) Supermarkets/Hypermarkets Convenience store Online Baby CarrierRegional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) North America Europe Asia Pacific Central & South America Middle East & Africa Access Press Release of Baby Carrier Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-baby-carrier-market Algeria has reimposed domestic travel restrictions as it continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. Travel to and from 29 provinces is now banned for a week, Reuters reported. Algeria first started easing restrictions in April, and continued to do so in the months to follow. In June, the government ended or reduced the curfew in much of the country and allowed taxis and buses to resume operations in cities. The restrictions have not been fully related to the coronavirus outbreak in the North African country. In March, the government banned protests, citing the virus. The anti-government Hirak movement started focusing on online campaigns amid the lockdowns in the country. The reimposed restrictions Friday coincide with an increase in confirmed cases in the country. Algeria has registered several hundred coronavirus cases a day throughout July, according to Worldometer statistics. Although in many ways, the 1950s seemed like a quieter, gentler time in America, even a teen growing up in post-World War II America could sense a bit of tension under the carefully-crafted surface. Farmington resident Linda Walters, who spent part of her childhood during that period, indicated it was mostly an innocent, benevolent time. Revisiting her past is what Walters does in her small, fourth book, A Spin and Marty Summer, available on Amazon and published by KindleCreate. Shes based the story on her preteen experiences of visiting a lake cabin with her family during the 1950s, but the books prelude sets the scene with a vignette involving Spin and Marty, a popular Disney series associated with The Mouseketeers. Children and teens were often riveted to their black and white TV screens when it aired. This is a sort of 50s family memoir, Walters said. I was inspired to put it down in print because I wanted to share those times with others, the fact that we were really in some times that were similar, McCarthyism and all that. Mom and dad were very typical. Mostly, I learned you can have differences, but still love each other. At only 24 pages, the book is as short and as sweet as a week-long lake vacation in Indiana, where the action is set. This is a new book from the heart to share with people of all ages, she said. Growing up in the cornfields of Illinois, Linda and her family head to Lake James on vacation, a getaway recommended by her fathers mentor and boss at G.E.or Generous Electric, as they laughingly referred to his employer. The big and small, important and trivial experiences that ensue during her idyllic week on the lake in the woods belie a burgeoning awareness of who shes becoming as a person, as well as what the world is like in its confusion, beauty and occasional darkness. I think it was very important period in my life, Walters said. I learned parents have standards, but love you. I realized I was growing up, but I had parents and a sister who were always there for what I needed, and that was important. Walters said when shes in the writing groove, the words just flow. I write like I am making a movie I am a visual person. I just put down my thoughts, one thing leads to another, she said. And its funny, my parents have been gone for a while, but I still have the memories of them, I think of them all the time. Her sister, she said, lives in Texas and has read Walters book about their family trip. Walters makes no bones about envying her sisters maturity and independence as they were growing up - and her room. She said, I knew you went in my room when I left (for college), Walters chuckled, having written descriptively of her sisters room in the book. Well, what do you expect, it was a beautiful room. She also had the 45s (records), and I just loved rock n roll. Walters has written three other books for children. Her first, Lemonade for Lucy, dedicated a portion of its profits to the Farmington Pet Adoption Center. Its about a brother and sister who get bored during summer vacation, so they have a lemonade stand to raise money for an animal shelter. When the book was published, Walters had a book signing at the former Bauhaus Kaffee, and proceeds went to help the pets-to-be at the center. The Halloween Tree, which contains illustrations by her as well, is about a woman who lives by herself. When she and her pets check the mailbox one day, she sees a bus go by and notices the kids. The words in the story emphasize the sound of the bus. The woman gets to know the kids and eventually, they all celebrate Halloween together. Finally, The Valentine Pine looks at what happens to a Christmas tree after the holidays are over. In Walters book, the tree is planted in a yard, and birds begin to nest in it. Eventually, the tree sees renewed celebration with a Valentine party, including all the ornaments. Walters gives extra tips for winter activities for kids that include making ornaments. She even organized a craft activity for kids at Farmington Public Library, following her book signing. Sarah Haas is the assistant editor for the Daily Journal. She can be reached at 573-518-3617 or at shaas@dailyjournalonline.com. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 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. A Nigeria lady, Arowolo Olamide Temitope, who was barred from boarding an evacuation flight to Nigeria by the Lebanese airport management after receiving orders from her employer in Lebanon, has finally arrived Nigeria. Arowolo Olamide was evacuated from Lebanon by the Federal Government on Saturday July 11, she shared her ordeal while in Lebanon, warning young Nigerian girls against travelling abroad. Arowolo, 31, was among 19 other victims on who were received by officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport In Abuja, today. A video of Temitope circulated on the internet regarding the violation of her human rights in Lebanon. She said in the viral video she was beaten by Mahmoud Zahran, the husband of her employer, Feyzeh Diab, on April 25, at their home in Choueifat, South of Beirut, after accusing her of stealing a phone. She continued narrating instances of emotional, physical and se.xual assault she recieved from Zahran and Diab. After the video went viral, the Federal Governmen asked Lebanese authorities to bring her back to Nigeria. Temitope, speaking to journalists at the Abuja airport, said Lebanon was like hell for her and cautioned Nigerian girls against being lured abroad. She said, Im happy being home. Going to Lebanon is like (going to) a hell. Nobody knows that will happen there. I advise other girls to stay here in Nigeria and try to make it the way the Lord puts them through, because going outside there was like a hell, not only in Lebanon. What I experienced in Lebanon, I pray even not for Satan to experience it. The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, Rep. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe (APC-Oyo) described Temitopes return as a dream come true. Today, Temitope is back home, unfortunately, I will not allow her show her face, the whole issue has not come to an end we really want to understand what happened in court back in Lebanon. We are happy, she is happy to be back home. I hope this will be a sign to others young girls out there who want to go abroad for greener pastures to ensure that the circumstances they are going into are the expectations they have when they signed up for these agents, she said. Arowolos employer had accused her of stealing $5,000 and attempting to kill him. Her prosecution in court had been stalled as the accusers failed to show up, while she was granted bail. The committee had, however, said it was established that Arowolo suffered abuse and se.xual harassment from the husband of her employer, Mahmoud Zahran, during her sojourn in Lebanon. According to intelligence reports, three members of Russia-led forces were killed and at least eight were wounded on July 12. The number of attacks mounted by Russia's hybrid military forces on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, on July 12 grew to 16 and the number of Ukrainian soldiers wounded in shelling also increased. "The Russian Federation's armed formations violated the ceasefire 16 times on July 12," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation Headquarters said on Facebook in an update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on July 13. "As a result, five servicemen of the Joint Forces were wounded in enemy shelling and another one sustained combat-related injuries." Read alsoUkrainian volunteer killed in enemy shelling in Donbas Russian-led forces opened fire from proscribed 152mm and 122mm artillery systems, 120mm and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms. Under attack were Ukrainian positions near the towns of Avdiyivka and Maryinka, and the villages of Novotoshkivske, Krymske, Orikhove, Khutir Vilny, Luhanske, Opytne, Kamianka, Vodiane, and Novoselivka Druha. The Joint Forces returned fire to each enemy attack. According to intelligence reports, three members of Russia-led forces were killed and at least eight were wounded on July 12. "Since Monday midnight, Russia-led forces have attacked Ukrainian positions once, near Kamianka, using automatic grenade launchers and rifles," the update said. No Ukrainian army casualties have been reported since Monday midnight. ANCHORAGE, Alaska The fate of one of Alaskas most historic yet neglected structures could be decided Monday as city officials in Seward weigh whether to demolish a former Methodist boarding school where the Alaska territorial flag was first flown almost a century ago and where its Alaska Native designer lived. Benny Benson was among the orphans and displaced children who lived at the Jesse Lee Home, many of whom were sent there after the Spanish flu devastated Alaska Native villages. Benson, a 13-year-old Aleut boy sent to the home after his mother died of the flu, won a territory-wide contest in 1927 to design the flag, which became the state flag after statehood was granted in 1959. Benson is believed to be the only Indigenous person to design a state flag, said Dorene Lorenz, a former Seward City Council member who has been behind efforts to save the structure for years. I dont understand why you would rush to destroy a landmark when theres obvious interested parties wanting to present to you other options, she said. One such group, the Alaska Association for Historic Preservation, plans to make a last-ditch effort to save the structure by making a presentation during a public hearing before Mondays scheduled vote. If successful, they will bring together those with historic preservation expertise to formulate a plan. We got a lot of people who are anxious to get working on this, the groups president, Trish Neal, said. And so I have no qualms that we cant pull this off. Its just we have to get the city council to back off and let us do this. What to do with the site has been a source of contention since the home was heavily damaged in a magnitude 9.2 earthquake in 1964, the second most powerful ever recorded. One of the three main buildings was damaged and demolished after the quake. The boarding school was eventually moved to Anchorage, and the Seward site has sat unused since. City officials said the home has deteriorated more in the last decade between engineering studies, but Neal offered another engineers report from this spring that concluded while there has been deterioration in the last seven years, restoration is a viable option, but must be done quickly. Attempts by individuals and a group over the years to refurbish the home have sputtered and stalled. Seward Mayor Christy Terry said when the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home lost a multimillion-dollar state grant a few years ago, ownership reverted to the city. The Legislature allocated $1 million of that to the city. We do not have the capacity right now to have an homage to a building thats so degraded because of the inaction, frankly, of a group that was their very last chance to make that happen, that the state funded incredibly well, Terry said. Something like that is never going to happen again. She said there is no rush to demolish the site but the council has a June 30, 2021, deadline to use state funding. For them to blame us for where we are now, they are sorely mistaken, she said. So people want to come in at the 13th hour. No one has a check. No one has any ideas about how that property can be operated or what to do with it. If the council approves the demolition measure, the city would use the state money to remove hazardous materials like asbestos, demolish the remaining two buildings and haul the material away. The proposal also calls for building a memorial at the site. That design would involve community input, Terry said, adding she has her own ideas on what a memorial would include. She would like to salvage any usable beams and incorporate them into a pavilion that would include storyboards spelling out the homes place in Alaska history. The pavilion could be rented out, she said. Terry would also like to include a new playground at the site and close another nearby playground, turning that lot into single-family housing. If the council doesnt vote for demolition, they will then later consider other options, including one that would begin refurbishing the buildings. Retired Alaska State Historian Jo Antonson said the Jesse Lee Home was an important institution in state history, noting that the Army used the buildings during World War II and even camouflaged them using paint to protect them from the enemy. Its just sort of disappointing that the city and the residents have never embraced trying to fix up the buildings that remain and find a good use for them, she said. Supermarket chain Lidl Ireland has brought High Court proceedings over what it says was a flawed Aldi-commissioned price survey - High Court(Steve Parsons/PA) Supermarket chain Lidl Ireland has brought High Court proceedings over what it says was a flawed Aldi-commissioned price survey which put Lidl in second place. Aldi commissioned accountants Grant Thornton to carry out the survey in February 2018. The results, which were published through the mainstream media, said on average Aldi was the cheaper retailer. Lidl claims the methodology of the survey was flawed because it did not, in several instances, compare like products with like products. Lidl also claimed the Aldi prices were not "in-store" prices but came from a master list. The survey compared an average shopping basket containing 62 items in Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, SuperValue and Dunnes. Lidl said the survey results called into question the independence, objectivity and professional integrity of Grant Thornton and it made a formal complaint to Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI), the regulatory body for chartered accountants. The CAI got a conduct committee to examine the complaint. Grant Thornton denied the claims and opposed the complaint. The committee concluded that despite weaknesses in the methodology, the survey did not appear to be flawed to an extent that it would amount to poor professional performance on the part of Grant Thornton. An independent review of the committee's decision was conducted by Edinburgh-bar barrister Andrew G Webster QC and he found there was evidence the price survey had not compared like with like. He found the survey was not safe and sent it back to the CAI committee for further consideration. He also recommended further evidence be sought from Lidl. However, the committee and the CAI decided last March Grant Thornton had no case to answer. Ashling Holden, Lidl's head of legal and compliance, said in an affidavit the committee's March decision was irrational and fundamentally flawed. It was clear from additional evidence requested by it from Lidl that there was significant evidence that Grant Thornton had, for whatever reason, selected more expensive Lidl products for comparison with the Aldi master list, she said. On Monday, Mr Justice Charles Meenan granted Feichin McDonagh SC, for Lidl, leave to bring judicial review proceedings against the CAI and its independent review committee. Grant Thornton is a notice party. The application was ex-parte, meaning only the Lidl side represented. The judge said the matter could come back to court in September. SANTA FE A North Dakota man has been ordered to pay $74,000 in restitution for poaching a trophy mule deer buck in northwestern New Mexico. The state Department of Game and Fish reported Wednesday that Cody Davis also was ordered to make a $3,000 donation to the Operation Game Thief program. Authorities say Davis killed a mule deer out of season and didnt have a license. The investigation started in 2015 with a tip. Conservation officers found a large headless buck near Lindrith and set up surveillance in the area after finding the severed head stashed nearby. Authorities say Davis, who was originally from Lindrith, returned four months later to retrieve the head. Officers followed him for miles toward Bernalillo, where he is accused of dumping the trophy head off a bridge over the Rio Grande in an apparent attempt to avoid getting caught. It took nearly two weeks of searching the river before conservation officers and biologists found the head. New Mexico authorities worked with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to serve a search warrant at Davis home. Authorities said Davis, who has a history of game law violations in New Mexico, admitted to killing the deer. An attorney for Davis did not immediately return a message seeking comment. New Mexico wildlife managers said that at the conclusion of the investigation, nearly 2,000 hours had been logged, more than 25,000 miles were driven and numerous search warrants were executed in the two states. The case also was significant in terms of the amount of restitution that was ordered. For all of 2019, the agency said it collected just over $90,000 in restitution for violations. The U.S. Marshals Service will conduct a full investigation after a federal officer shot a Portland protester in the head with an impact weapon Saturday night, Mayor Ted Wheeler said Sunday night. Donavan La Bella, 26, was sent to the hospital after suffering a skull fracture that required surgery, his mother said Sunday. She said La Bella had come out of surgery and was responding to doctors. Wheeler said he spoke with Billy Williams, the U.S. attorney for Oregon, about the injury and learned about the investigation. Wheeler condemned the violence that has been seen at the nightly protests. My main concern is this: that the continuing violence will lead to further injuries or even deaths, he said. Wheeler called on the federal government to follow the same crowd-control rules and follow the same restrictions on using CS gas and sonic devices that have been placed on the Portland Police Bureau. Wheeler said he wants the entire community to join together for peace, so Portland can begin working to dismantle racism. We must end this nightly violence in Portland, he said. Lives are at stake. --Alex Hardgrave | ahardgrave@oregonian.com | @a_hardgrave Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories A woman who was pepper-sprayed while supporting right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos during a protest at UC Berkeley in 2017 can sue a protester who allegedly set her up for the attack by shining a flashlight in her face, a federal appeals court has ruled. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld most of a federal judges dismissal of Kiara Robles lawsuit, rejecting her damage claims against the city of Berkeley, former UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks and UC President Janet Napolitano. The court also rejected Robles argument that U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken was biased and should have been disqualified from the case, because she graduated from UC Berkeleys law school. But the court reinstated Robles claim that Raha Mirabdal, one of the protesters, aided assailants who attacked (Robles) with pepper spray, bear mace and flag poles. Robles allegations that Mirabdal helped other protesters surround her, shined the flashlight to distract her, and later attacked other supporters of Yiannopoulos were enough to support a lawsuit claiming that Mirabdal was a participant in a coordinated attack, the three-judge panel said Friday. Yiannopoulos, a former Breitbart News editor known for attacks on Islam and feminism, was scheduled to speak on the Berkeley campus in February 2017. A demonstration against him began peacefully, but masked anarchists then emerged and began hurling smoke bombs, smashing windows and ripping down metal barricades. Police said at least five people were injured. The university canceled Yiannopoulos speech. Robles, an Oakland resident, was doing an interview with a KGO-TV news reporter when an unseen assailant pepper-sprayed her. Her lawsuit blamed the city and the university for failing to protect her and sought $23 million in damages. In a September 2018 order dismissing the suit, Wilken said Robles had failed to present evidence that Berkeley selectively withheld police protection from events sponsored by conservatives. The judge also said the UC president and the Berkeley chancellor had no legal obligation to protect Robles from the actions of others. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The appeals court upheld those decisions Friday. The court also upheld Wilkens refusal to allow Robles to be represented by her chosen lawyer, Larry Klayman, a conservative activist who practices law outside California and has been found ethically unfit for practice by several courts elsewhere. The appeals court noted that plaintiffs in civil cases have no absolute right to legal representation and that Robles had access to another lawyer in Wilkens court. Klayman said he was pleased that the court had allowed the suit to proceed against Mirabdal, but the rest of the ruling was outrageous and Robles will ask the full appeals court for a new hearing. Rachel Lederman, a lawyer for Mirabdal, said she would also seek a rehearing. The suit is based essentially on my clients presence in the crowd near Robles demonstrating against racism and fascism, Lederman said. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Tushar Singh of Delhi Public School in Bulandshahr, West UP scored 500 marks out of 500 in CBSE class 12th exams, the results for which were declared on Monday. Singh scored 100 marks in five subjects he had selected for the examination. Divyanshi Jain of Lucknow has also scored a 100% mark. The 18-year-old did not lose a single mark in any of the subjects. Though, the board did not release merit list this year because some exams were cancelled due to Covid-19, not a single student in Uttar Pradesh has scored 100% marks in the past. CBSE Regional Officer (RO) Pryagraj Shweta Arora said, No CBSE student has scored 100% marks in all their subjects in the past. It is mandatory for CBSE class 12th students to study five subjects but they are allowed to choose an additional subject. Some students opt for the additional subject while others do not. Divyanshi had an additional subject and she scored 100 in all six of them, Tushar didnt choose any additional subject. Tushar first thought of a typing error when he first saw his marks. I refreshed the computer screen after seeing the result. I believed the marks only after somebody from the school called to inform me, said Tushar Tushar is from Humanities stream. Tushar scored full marks in English, History, Political Science, Physical Education and Geography. I dont think one should get full marks in English because no letter or essay can be perfect, said Tushar. He appeared for the exam of all subjects, except Geography, which was cancelled due to Covid-19. They were awarded a 100 in geography based on the average marks of internal exam and the average marks scored in the five subjects he gave in the board. Tushar was also among the toppers in Class 10 in his school and had scored 97% marks. Tushar is the eldest son in the family and both his mother and father are professors. I studied for around five to seven hours every day. There ws no fixed time table but I made it a point to study every day, said Tushar. Tushar plans to join a BA course and prepare for civil services exam. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. During a brunch shift last week, he said, he asked an older woman three times to make sure she had her mask on. She walked out. On Saturday, he and a manager pleaded with a young woman ordering a boozy milkshake to pull her mask over her nose. She stared them down as she put it on and stormed out of the building. Ceacatura said he refused to work the Sunday brunch shift recently, for the first time in 3 years, because whenever it is busy and stressful, that is when things tend to boil over. Curfew in Ahmedabad extended till 6am on May 21; Night curfew to continue in 36 cities for another 3 days Fine enhanced to Rs 500 for not wearing mask in Ahmedabad India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Ahmedabad, July 13: In a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus in Ahmedabad, the city authorities on Monday raised the penalty for not wearing face mask in a public place to Rs 500 from Rs 200 announced earlier. A fine of Rs 10,000 will also be imposed on paan shop owners if their customers are found spitting in the open near their shops, said Additional Chief Secretary Rajiv Gupta, who was appointed to oversee works related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city. Face masks, hand sanitisers no more essential commodities In a release issued on Monday, Gupta said it has been decided to increase the penalty for not wearing masks. Rajasthan political crisis: Congress ready to talk to Sachin Pilot| Oneindia News He said a decision to this effect was taken in a meeting with Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar and other senior officers on Monday where they took note of the fact that several people in the city were flouting the mandatory rule of wearing masks in public places. "People are still not following the mandatory rule of wearing masks, and a number of them still come out without wearing masks. It has been decided to increase the fine for not wearing masks from Rs 200 to Rs 500. Moreover, a paan- masala shop owner will be fined Rs 10,000 if his customers are found spitting in the public near his shop," Gupta said. Wearing face masks, not spitting and maintaining social distance in public places are important in the fight against coronavirus, he said. Gupta also informed that 1.72 lakh people were fined in the city so far for not wearing face masks, and 94 units sealed for not following social distancing and other rules. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, July 13, 2020, 16:42 [IST] Incumbent president Andrzej Duda is on course for a second term (Czarek Sokolowski/AP)) Polands conservative President Andrzej Duda has narrowly won a second five-year term in a bitterly fought weekend election, defeating the liberal mayor of Warsaw, according to a near-complete count of votes. The state electoral commission said Mr Duda had 51.21% of the ballot based on a count of votes from 99.97% districts, with his opponent, Rafal Trzaskowski, trailing on 48.79%. The head of the commission, Sylwester Marciniak, said final official results would be announced later. They could vary slightly, but with Mr Duda having nearly half a million votes more than Mr Trzaskowski in the votes included in the preliminary count, they are not expected to reverse Mr Dudas victory. Expand Close Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski appears to have been defeated by incumbent president Andrzej Duda (Petr David Josek/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski appears to have been defeated by incumbent president Andrzej Duda (Petr David Josek/AP) The very close race reflected the deep cultural divisions in the European Union nation. It followed a bitter campaign dominated by issues of culture in which the government, state media and the influential Catholic church all mobilised in support of Mr Duda, a social conservative, and sought to stoke fears of Jews, LGBT people and Germans. Mr Duda, who is backed by the ruling right-wing Law and Justice party, campaigned on traditional values and expanding popular social spending policies in the mostly Catholic nation. The partys policies, including hugely popular monthly cash bonuses of 500 zlotys (100) per child to all families irrespective of income, have helped alleviate poverty in rural regions, and given all families more money to spend. Mr Duda also had strong support among older Poles after he and the party lowered the retirement age and introduced a yearly cash bonus called a 13th pension. Expand Close Incumbent president Andrzej Duda addresses supporters in Pultusk, Poland, on polling day (Czarek Sokolowski/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Incumbent president Andrzej Duda addresses supporters in Pultusk, Poland, on polling day (Czarek Sokolowski/AP) His supporters gave him and the party credit for making good on promises to reduce the economic inequality that came with the countrys transition from communism to a market economy three decades ago. There is a strong sense that the economic help also restored a sense of dignity to their lives. But the party has also stoked conflict with the European Union with laws that have given it vast new powers over the top courts and judicial bodies. Its leaders have used rhetoric discriminating against LGBT people and other minorities, and the party has turned public television into a propaganda tool used during the campaign to praise Mr Duda and cast Mr Trzaskowski in a bad light. Sundays vote was originally planned for May but was delayed amid bitter political wrangling. Expand Close Supporters of presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski wait for his speech at the end of election day in Warsaw (Petr David Josek/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Supporters of presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski wait for his speech at the end of election day in Warsaw (Petr David Josek/AP) Mr Trzaskowski, a former European Parliament politician who jumped into the race late, had vowed to protect the countrys democratic values and unite the divided society, while preserving the popular welfare policies. He represented the centrist opposition Civic Platform party, which was in power in from 2007 to 2015. As the race became tighter in recent weeks, Mr Duda turned further to the right in search of votes. He seized on gay rights as a key theme, denouncing the LGBT rights movement as an ideology worse than communism. Mr Trzaskowski, as Warsaw mayor, had signed a tolerance declaration for LGBT people which triggered a nationwide backlash last year. The ruling party has often denounced LGBT rights as a foreign import that threatens Polish identity. The EU has denounced the anti-gay rhetoric and some EU officials have called for funding to be denied to communities that declared themselves to be LGBT free mostly a symbolic gesture with no legal meaning but which has triggered fear for gays and lesbians. Mr Dudas campaign also cast Mr Trzaskowski as someone who would sell out Polish families to Jewish interests, tapping into old anti-Semitic tropes in a country that was home to Europes largest Jewish community before it was decimated by Germany in the Holocaust. Expand Close Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of Polands right-wing ruling party, left, casts his ballot in the presidential election run-off in Warsaw (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of Polands right-wing ruling party, left, casts his ballot in the presidential election run-off in Warsaw (AP) Powerful ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski seized on Mr Trzaskowski having said in the past that Poland should still discuss Jewish demands to be compensated for pre-Second World War property that was seized from them. Mr Kaczynski said it made one question whether Mr Trzaskowski really had a Polish soul and a Polish heart. Mr Duda also lashed out at a German correspondent and a partly German-owned tabloid for their coverage, alleging that there had been a German attack in these elections. The Foreign Ministry last week also summoned Germanys top diplomat to complain about the coverage, while Angela Merkels government insisted it was not seeking to influence the elections or the work of a free press. Through a global patent portfolio consisting of 38 patents across the United States, Canada, Japan, Europe, Australia, and Hong Kong, Radianse has developed their platform and software suite to allow customizable tracking and management of assets and data. The Radianse Awareness Suite is accessible by any computer, smartphone, or other web-enabled device to allow endless possibilities for improving day-to-day and long-term business processes. The flexibility of Radianse opens the door for the tracking and managing of any combination of personnel and assets with extreme precision. Radianse identified a need in the market to support businesses trying to navigate the current environment. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of ensuring and monitoring the cleanliness of facilities to protect clients, staff, and vendors from contracting the potentially deadly disease. The company has built their technology with the understanding that when businesses have detailed control of the interactions and movements taking place within their walls, they can move forward effectively and respond to problems efficiently. This understanding has become increasingly important to Radianse given the new normal faced in the COVID-19 era. Radianse quickly pivoted their software efforts to showcase the flexibility of their solutions to meet these challenges for some of the most affected businesses including restaurants, bars, gyms, fitness centers and health clubs. Radianse's automated task scheduling allows employees to meet the cleaning requirements of a facility, while detailed reporting and history provides a clear view into the running of operations. In addition to scheduling, they have capabilities that provide easy security management with quick, reliable, real-time rounds monitoring. Radianse's innovative technology will help identify any issues taking place within an operation, so businesses can respond as quickly as possible. "As the global pandemic continues to evolve, we knew we had to pivot our efforts and develop a way to support businesses that are continuing to navigate so many unknowns. Our goal is to deliver innovative, technology-based applications that allow our customers to manage their resources, control costs, increase revenue opportunities and improve overall operational efficiency," says Chief Executive Officer Angela Blaisdell. "It was important for us to develop a solution that alleviates stress while helping to keep employees and customers safe. With our patented software, businesses can monitor, manage and optimize data for a complete view." Radianse provides a proactive approach to a business's needs by automating process flows with convenience and accuracy. For businesses in the fitness industry, Radianse is able to offer full real-time monitoring of facility cleaning using active RFID or non-RFID solutions. The system is deployed using a business's actual floor plan to ensure accuracy. Sections of the business are color-coded as their cleaning status changes, and the employee performing the cleaning is also monitored. The system also tracks cleaning tools such as TASKI, mops, and vacuums, as well as providing alerts for paper towel, toilet paper, and trash levels. Additionally, temperature and humidity can be displayed from multiple locations in the facility and texts can be generated when normal settings go out of range. By utilizing this software, managers and owners can maximize their efficiency and find bottlenecks with tailored observational checklists and automated real-time status updates. The software supports businesses through the following: Real-time monitoring of staff tasks and schedules Schedule or needs-based notifications Status history on tagged equipment Easy-to-use search engine to find any tagged asset Historical data analysis reports List or map view of tagged items in facility, color coded based on area Member counts of real-time facility occupancy Member amenities self-sign-up via in-club kiosk or website To learn more about the company or software, visit www.Radianse.com. About Radianse Task Scheduling Application: Radianse Task Scheduling Application simplifies task scheduling and allows employees to meet the cleaning requirements of a facility, while detailed reporting and history provides a clear view into the running of operations. The application allows companies to keep up with their to-do lists and meet cleaning compliance standards. The application was designed to break down work tasks into manageable schedules with convenient and streamlined features. About Radianse: Radianse is a privately held information technology and services firm founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Dover, New Hampshire. Radianse specializes in real-time location systems (RTLS), asset location and management, active RFID, passive RFID, IoT, and intelligent enterprises. Utilizing patented algorithms and advanced software applications, Radianse is able to help businesses optimize processes, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency by integrating data sources into real-time actionable intelligence. Radianse has achieved significant milestones in developing cutting-edge algorithms and methodologies to deliver reliable products with superior accuracy and performance. Originally an engineering organization focused on RFID technology-based solutions, their aim was to automatically and continuously monitor high-value hospital assets. Radianse now works with many clients from various industries by applying its leadership and extensive networking knowledge, along with inventive technology designs to launch new and advanced applications. Radianse is committed to innovation and delivering intelligent solutions for any industry. To learn more about Radianse's focus on improving intelligent solutions, visit www.Radianse.com. Media Contact: Natalie Barron, [email protected] www.Radianse.com https://www.facebook.com/Radianse-100493581390706 https://www.linkedin.com/company/radianse/ SOURCE Radianse Related Links https://www.radianse.com Disney World is re-opening! Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom reopened July 11, and EPCOT and Hollywood Studios will follow on July 15, according to a press release. Did you also know, according to Associated Press, the state of Florida broke the national record for the biggest single-day number of positive coronavirus cases in any state since the beginning of the pandemic? Now make that make sense. The United States is horribly handling a pandemic, and opening Disney World is not going to make things better. While I strongly miss being outdoors and enjoying spending time with my friends-- I struggle to wrap my mind around how paying money to go to Disney World could fix anything for anyone right now. If officials have to meet on Zoom to discuss re-opening facilities, should we really be re-opening anything? The criticisms began to pour in after the companys official Disney Parks Job account posted this short video promoting the big opening on Instagram. The idea that the park would re-open in the face of this outbreak is actually insane, and they received a large amount of well deserved backlash on social media. The feedback got so bad, that users on Twitter remade the Disney re-opening trailer, adding in a very mysterious and horror-like feel. CNN business editor Alexis Benveniste said it feels like the beginning of a horror movie, and honestly--she's not wrong. Could this be the beginning of a cataclysmic American tragedy? While not everyone opposed the re-opening, it seems as if America stayed closed for two weeks and now everything is business as usual. It's actually quite frightening. Just wearing a mask isn't sufficient for staying safe from COVID-19. Eventually we will have to come to the conclusion that this is a different world that we're living in. With the way COVID-19 is spreading, hitting the newest ride at Disney World could mean a future ride to the ER. The chain of board results declaration continues as several state and central boards have declared the result and few are still left to announce. The Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) declared the results for ICSE (Class 10), and ISC (Class 12), in the previous week and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will soon announce results of class 12. Besides, Maharashtra, Mizoram Board, Karnataka PUC will also announce their HSC results next week. Rajasthan Board will also declare the 10th, 12th Result 2020 this week. The Rajasthan Board class 12 commerce result 2020 was declared on July 13 at 11.15 am. CBSE The Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE in its notification earlier mentioned that the results of class 10 and 12 will be announced by July 15. The board has not mentioned any dates yet, meanwhile, the students can expect their results anytime next week. A total of 30.96 lakh (30,96,771) students can check their result through the website- cbse.nic.in. Maharashtra The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Education (MSBSHE) is also likely to announce the result of HSC, class 12 exams on Tuesday (July 14,2020). The result will be declared on its official website Karnataka The Department of Pre-University Education (PUE) will declare the result of PU-II or class 12 Karnataka board exams by July 20, the state education minister S Suresh Kumar informed via a tweet. Over 5.95 lakh students had registered for the Karnataka PUC exams. Mizoram The Mizoram Board of School Education, MBSE will announce the result of Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) class 12 exam on Tuesday, July 14. The result will be announced around 12 noon at mbse.edu.in. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, who is considered the architect of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, said that the Bharatiya Janata Party-sponsored Operation Lotus will not be successful in the state and that the Uddhav Thackeray-government will successfully complete its five-year term. Pawar termed Operation Lotus a gross misuse of power and said that it is a means to weaken and destabilise a democratically elected government with the use of central powers. For the first time, Pawar also clarified on the NCPs support to the BJP in 2014 and said it was a political ploy. He admitted that the step was taken to keep the Sena and BJP away. The clarification came in the third and the final part of his interview to Shiv Sena parliamentarian Sanjay Raut, for the latters mouthpiece Saamana. The interview was published on Monday. Pawar said that Operation Lotus will not have any impact in Maharashtra, when Raut, who is the executive editor of Saamana, asked him if the Maharashtra government, too, would collapse. Some people from their [BJP] party have been saying this. First they said itll collapse in three months, then in six, and now some are betting on September, while others on October. I am confident that the Uddhav Thackeray government will complete its full term. Operation Lotus or anything else will have no impact here, he said, adding that the parties can even contest the next Assembly elections together, if all goes well. The statement comes amid the political crisis in Rajasthan, where there are speculations that the Congress government under chief minister Ashok Gehlot may collapse. Speaking on his partys outside support to BJP in 2014 to form the state government, the Maratha strongman said it was done to keep BJP in check by not allowing Sena to form a government with the national party. I sincerely wished that Sena and BJP would not come together. But when I realised that Sena will go with the BJP, I made a statement that we will give them outside support. The reason behind it was that the BJP was in power in the Centre and with a CM in Maharashtra, they will not allow Sena or other parties to function in a democratic political setup. They would have sooner or later betrayed everyone and therefore this was a political ploy, Pawar clarified. Interestingly, Raut did not quiz Pawar on his nephew and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawars move to back former CM Devendra Fadnavis to form the 80-hour government, amid talks between the three parties in November last year. But Pawar dismissed claims of him and Fadnavis holding talks to form a government in the state. Some BJP leaders spoke to my colleagues and me about the government formation, saying they didnt want to go with the Shiv Sena. They said since I had good relations with the prime minister, I should intervene and give my approval. Hence, to avoid any confusion and perception about myself and my party, I met the PM at Parliament House and told him the NCP will not go with the BJP. If possible, we will form government with the Shiv Sena or sit in the Opposition, I told the PM, Pawar said. He revealed that he told Raut, his Rajya Sabha colleague, about his intention about the meeting. Pawar also targeted Fadnavis and said that he did not think the latter had any say in the decision-making process at the national level. He added that people came to know who Fadnavis was only after he became the CM. When asked about the Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi being made to vacate her bungalow, Pawar said it was low level politics. I dont think this is cultured behaviour. Power should be used with humility. Such things happen when the arrogance of power gets into the head. Priyanka is the daughter of a former PM, who was assassinated. You may have political differences. But there is no wisdom in using power to harass political opponents. This is not vendetta politics but low-level politics, he said. Pawar also expressed that the Opposition parties have the capability to provide an alternative to the nation. Earlier this year, there were some meetings and the Opposition parties discussed some policies. But then the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country. Once this crisis is over, it will again gain momentum and I will take the initiative. Providing an alternative [for BJP] is the need of the hour, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A soldier deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, died July 12 in a non-combat-related incident, according to a Pentagon release. First Lt. Joseph Trent Allbaugh, 24, from Folsom, California, was killed while deployed in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, according to the release. Read next: 57 Suffer Fire and Smoke Injuries as Navy Ship Bonhomme Richard Continues to Burn Allbaugh was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th ADA Brigade, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. His death follows that of Spc. Vincent Sebastian Ibarria, of San Antonio, who died in a vehicle rollover in Farah, Afghanistan, near the Iranian border, on July 3 in an apparent accident, officials said. Both deaths remain under investigation. So far this year, four U.S. service members have died in hostile circumstances while supporting operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and six more have died in non-combat incidents. Twelve troops have been wounded in action. -- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com. Related: Army Specialist Killed in Afghanistan Vehicle Rollover Accident Michael Heney's bestselling book, The Arms Crisis of 1970, has received rave reviews, but this will not be one of them. Some plugs for his book, like the ones from his doctorate supervisor Diarmaid Ferriter and his RTE colleague David Davin-Power, lacked due distance. But why did so many others, some of whom clearly had not read the book, take up such supportive positions? Above all, why so much interest in events that took place over 50 years ago when two government ministers, Charles Haughey and Neil Blaney, as well as Captain James Kelly, a serving Irish Army officer, were charged with conspiracy to import arms? The answer, then and now, is that the Arms Crisis is a metaphor for whether you're a hawk or a dove on Northern Ireland - an issue still alive in Fianna Fail. Let me start by saying Heney's book is not as fresh as some fulsome reviewers seem to think. Justin O'Brien's The Arms Trial, published in 2000, is still relevant and readable. O'Brien was no more starry-eyed about Jack Lynch than Heney. But he paints on a wide canvas, whereas Heney digs deep into archives to prove one major point - that Charles Haughey's attempted import of arms was authorised. Back in 2000, O'Brien correctly claimed his book "examines the role of Captain Kelly in infiltrating the IRA and the manner in which the IRA leadership in Dublin was sidelined and eventually cast aside in favour of the Provisional IRA". But Heney seems to have small interest in the wider politics of crucial episodes such as the October 4, 1969 meeting of the Northern Citizens' Defence Committees, in Bailieborough, Co Cavan, where Captain Kelly first mooted arming the northern IRA. Cathal Goulding, chief of staff of the IRA, who attended the Bailieborough meeting to suss out Kelly's plans, kept his own counsel, but was privately dismayed by Kelly's project. He knew many present opposed his own project of keeping the IRA to a peaceful civil rights path. Later, as he feared, some of them formed the Provisional IRA. Unlike Justin O'Brien, Heney seems to have no scepticism about the sinister political motives of the southern cabal (including many businessmen close to Haughey) who were directing Captain Kelly to split the IRA, and who even envisaged invading Northern Ireland. Instead, Heney conducts a detailed archival trawl to turn up a smoking gun that will allow him to arraign Jack Lynch, exonerate Haughey and heroise Captain Kelly. But Heney assembles facts from the archive, only to build a bigger beehive for the same bees that buzzed in his bonnet nearly 20 years ago. Because back in 2001, in a Prime Time film for RTE, Heney reached the same conclusions he repeats in his new book that Jack Lynch lied and Charles Haughey and Captain Kelly were wronged. This argues he set out to amplify rather than advance his 2001 film position for this new study. Reviewing the documentary for the Sunday Times in April 2001, I had the same criticism of Heney's film then as I do of his book now: "We were given no political context. Captain Kelly and Colonel Hefferon were presented to us as two men doing their duty, who were stitched up by sinister forces in the Department of Justice. But did they exceed their 'duty'?" Let me now consider the core argument of Heney's book on which his entire thesis rests, and which, if wrong, undermines his entire book. Basically, Heney believes Haughey, Blaney and Captain Kelly were wronged because Jack Lynch lied in denying his government had been involved with what Heney refers to as a "semi-official, well-intentioned but risky fore-planning, intended to avert a pending bloodbath across the border". (p187) First, let's set the scene. In October 1969 and again in March 1970, the government made money available for the relief of distress in Northern Ireland which was to be disbursed by Haughey, Minister for Finance. Instead Haughey and Blaney, via Captain Kelly, seemingly spent the money on arming what would become the Provisional IRA by illegally importing arms. Bizarrely, Heney implies that Haughey had actually been given the authority to do all the things he did, basically because he was never expressly forbidden from trying to import guns for the IRA. In a Jesuitical hair-split, Heney asks coyly: "Was it ever specified by either the government or the Oireachtas that the money was to be used only for humanitarian purposes?" (p84) The notion that the Dail might vote funds for weapons without specifying what they were for, and without a debate, is nonsensical. Everyone who knew Northern Ireland saw that sending weapons to the defence committees could backfire, and trigger a wider sectarian conflict. Let's do a forensic examination of Heney's main smoking gun - the Army directive of February 6, 1970. Heney claims the directive meant that Jack Lynch's government had made a formal decision to arm Northern nationalists and even invade Northern Ireland. So let's look at the actual directive by Jim Gibbons, minister for defence. "At a meeting of the government held this morning, I was instructed to direct you to prepare the Army for incursions into Northern Ireland. The Taoiseach and other ministers have met delegations from the North. At these meetings urgent demands were made for respirators, weapons and ammunition, the provision of which the government agreed. Accordingly truck loads of these items will be put at readiness so that they may be available in a matter of hours." (p102) Heney believes the above Army directive gave unlimited financial authority to Haughey, including the purchase and import of arms. He makes his position clear in the following sweeping reference to the conspiracy to import arms. "It was not unauthorised, and it was not rogue, nor was it a subversive plot engineered by scheming ministers contrary to the wishes of the Taoiseach." (p101) In rebuttal, I believe Heney is reading permissions into the directive that are simply not there. The directive merely shows Jack Lynch as Taoiseach, put the Army on standby, and directed them to prepare for a possible doomsday situation involving the attempted annihilation of the entire Catholic minority. At most, the directive shows that Lynch contemplated what we might call a police action to stop a genocide, rather like Blair did in Kosovo in 1999. In that dire case, he was prepared to give Catholic nationalists Irish Army weapons, but not illegally imported weapons. But it is bizarre of Heney to argue the directive allowed for Blaney's insane project to invade Northern Ireland as well as the import of arms for that purpose - as Haughey and Blaney's supporters claimed at the time - and as Heney does today. In effect, Heney is claiming the Army directive retrospectively authorised all the activities of Haughey, Blaney and Captain Kelly. But there was a big difference between the government's 1970 directive to the army and the hawks' previous deadly plans to arm a faction of the IRA and force the Irish Army to cross the border. Lynch made preparations with Irish guns to stop a possible genocide. But Blaney wanted to use foreign guns to precipitate a crisis that could lead to genocide - which he insanely hoped would lead to Irish unity. Far from being the smoking gun that Heney is seeking, the army directive is a damp squib. In proof of this, let me cite the bi-partisan Dail Committee on Public Accounts 1970 into what happened to the huge sums of money voted for Northern distress in 1969 - much of which Captain Kelly had funnelled into the defence committees and ultimately to what became the Provisional IRA. At the Dail inquiry, Garret FitzGerald forced Colonel Michael Hefferon, head of military intelligence, to admit the Army directive of February 6 was entirely hypothetical, and was subject to a further government decision to implement it before sending troops across the border. Contrary to another of Heney's claims, that the directive sanctioned the import of guns, when Colonel Hefferon was asked if the directive gave authority for the importation of arms, he said, correctly, "no, it didn't". (p363) How on earth can Heney believe that procuring arms for nationalists in Northern Ireland was what the Lynch cabinet actually intended in 1969 when it first give Haughey the power to disburse the distress money? Furthermore, if such adventurism was official government policy, why were so many of the financial records destroyed? And why did Haughey's brother Jock, who was heavily involved in the conspiracy, refuse to give evidence before the Public Accounts Committee in 1971? In sum: if, as Heney claims, Haughey's attempt to import arms was legal because it was on foot of a government decision - why did he handle the distress funds so furtively? Why could Captain Kelly not explain later to the Dail Committee of Public Accounts where some of the money went? Let us now take a closer look at Captain Kelly. Heney heroises him as an Irish Army officer who was wronged for doing his duty. But Kelly's actions in 1969-70, as well as his subsequent political allegiances, argue he was as much a hawk as his mentor Neil Blaney. Kelly's hawkish politics are confirmed by his political allegiances after the Arms Trial. First he joined Kevin Boland's Aontacht Eireann (Irish Unity). Then he joined Fianna Fail - saying he had to wait until Haughey took over. He then left Fianna Fail after arguing against the extradition of a republican. But Heney's book, like his 2001 film, takes Captain Kelly's defence of his actions at face value. "His account of how the gun-running project originated is the earliest on record and remained substantially unchallenged." (p36) Let me rebut that. If the Army directive meant Haughey's actions were official policy - as Heney claims - why did Captain Kelly report to Niall Blaney, minister for agriculture, rather than the relevant minister for defence, Jim Gibbons? Clearly Kelly did so because he knew Blaney was a hawk and Gibbons was a dove, a gentle man both politically and personally. Indeed, Kelly later admitted that his first contact with the defence minister, Jim Gibbons, was not until March 1970 - several months after he began disbursing money to Northern republicans. Heney also admits that Kelly actually intended to resign from the Army from March 1970 so he could go to work for the defence committees in Belfast to help them get weaponry. (p141) Back in 1970, Captain Kelly came across to most political journalists as a man with a mission, ready to break regulations. To take one example: he admitted banking IRA money into official Department of Finance bank accounts at the direction of unnamed Northerners. All the evidence suggests that Colonel Hefferon, the head of military intelligence, lost control of Captain Kelly, who was off the reservation and on a personal adventurist project. Why else were the Special Branch watching him secretly for months before the Arms Crisis blew up? Back in 1970, Cathal Goulding, who got some money from Captain Kelly - which he spent on propaganda, not guns - told me Kelly was a true believer, in thrall to what Goulding sardonically called "Blaney's Fusiliers". This brings me to Heney's benign view of Blaney, by far the most extreme of the ministerial duo. Blaney's attempts to split the IRA and favour the faction which became the Provisionals, was underlined by his inflammatory Letterkenny speech of December 1969, challenging Jack Lynch's peaceful policy. Heney tries to put a good gloss on Blaney's war-mongering speech. To do so, he has to dance on the head of a pin: "Blaney at Letterkenny did not actually advocate force to end partition. He stressed the right to use force, including for the ending of partition" (p70) Here Heney herniates himself on the fine distinction between saying 'we should end partition by force now', and 'we have the right to end partition by force at a time of our choosing'. Both claims are so clearly predicated on the idea that violence is acceptable in principle that his hair splitting comes across as special pleading. Heney should also have told us that when Blaney said "no one has the right to assert that force is irrevocably out", he was attacking the peace positions of the leaders of the three main parties in the Dail? In 1969, soon after the Troubles broke out, Jack Lynch said his government had no intention of invading Northern Ireland; Liam Cosgrave said unity could only be achieved peacefully; and Brendan Corish for Labour said simply "force is out". In conclusion, let me return to the fatal flaw at the core of Heney's book - his belief that Haughey had been given such wide discretion by the government and the Dail on spending the distress money, that this also covered the import of arms. But his tortuous argument that Haughey was acting legally when he tried to bring arms through Dublin Airport in April 1970, can't get around the following fundamental fact. Because if Haughey's attempt to import arms through Dublin Airport was government policy, why was a civil servant - Peter Berry, secretary of the Department of Justice - able to tell Charles Haughey to get stuffed by informing him that any arms arriving at Dublin Airport would be seized? Heney asks us to believe that Berry, a civil servant, could negate both a government decision to send weapons across the border, and a Dail decision to give Haughey the money to buy them! That's some ask. A final footnote. Michael Heney should have made better use of RTE's archive, which includes a recording of Later on 2 presented by Frank Dunlop and Fergus Finlay. I clearly recall one show featured Garret FitzGerald confronting Captain Kelly - who was visibly shaken when the former Taoiseach reminded him he had seen the intelligence reports of the Bailieborough meeting. FitzGerald defended Lynch on the same programme. This was significant for two reasons. First, FitzGerald had been on the all-party Dail committee on the arms issue. Second, FitzGerald had no love for Fianna Fail: if he had a case against Lynch he would have used it. There is no doubt that Jack Lynch dithered and delayed because he felt too weak to take on three powerful ministers. But when he finally acted, he did so decisively. In doing so, he saved us from ethnic conflict that could have engulfed the whole island. Michael Heney should have given him credit for that. The Multnomah County District Attorneys Office has charged a 25-year-old man with murder, after he allegedly shot and killed another man outside a Southwest Portland strip club last week. Jordan Christopher Clark allegedly shot and killed Dominique Dunn in the parking lot of Reveal Lounge, a strip club off Southwest Barbur Boulevard, shortly after 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 9. Clark is charged with one count of second-degree murder and one of unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm enhancement. Dunn was shot and killed in SW Portland Thursday. Jordan Clark, 25, has been arrested and charged with his murder.Portland Police Bureau Police have not released any more information about the circumstances of the shooting, but several of Dunns family members said on social media that the killing was racially motivated, and that Clark shot at Dunn, who was Black, after yelling a racist slur at him. Portland police said on Friday that they have not found any evidence to support the assertion that race was a factor in the shooting. Clark told jail deputies during the booking process that he identifies as Asian. In an interview with OPB, Reveal Lounge owner Javier Garcia said he had turned over security footage of the shooting to police. He said when he first reviewed the footage, he saw a group of three men talking with two other men on the patio of the lounge. The men went into the club together, then came back out a few minutes later. Garcia told the news organization it was clear the two groups of men knew each other and seemed to be friends, but he didnt know the names of anyone involved. He said after the two groups split off and headed to their respective cars, one of the men came back and started firing at the group of three men while they were already in their car. Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Reporter Alex Hardgrave contributed to this story. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Informatica, the enterprise cloud data management leader, today announced it has won the Data Analytics 2020 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award. The company was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology. "Recognition as Microsoft's Partner of the Year in Data Analytics underscores Informatica's critical role in helping organizations achieve Data 4.0 transformation. Through our aligned efforts with Microsoft our joint customers can rapidly scale analytics projects, while maintaining adaptability, resiliency, agility, flexibility, and responsiveness," said Tracey Newell, president of Informatica. "We are dedicated to supporting our customers as they face increased complexity of data management, by bringing a new level of customer satisfaction to the market that focuses on the need for trust in analytics and modernization leveraging intelligent, automated and cloud-native data management." The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognize Microsoft partners that have developed and delivered exceptional Microsoft-based solutions during the past year. Awards were classified in several categories, with honorees chosen from a set of more than 3,300 submitted nominations from more than 100 countries worldwide. Informatica was recognized for providing outstanding solutions and services in data analytics. The Data Analytics Partner of the Year Award recognizes the partner that has delivered Azure-based Data and Analytics solutions for their customers. Partners enhanced their customers' business by integrating one or more of Microsoft's Big Data Analytics services to design, develop, and deploy a production analytics solution that provided business value. "It is an honor to recognize the winners and finalists of the 2020 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards," said Gavriella Schuster, corporate vice president, One Commercial Partner, Microsoft. "These partners go above and beyond, delivering timely solutions that solve the complex challenges that businesses around the world face from communicating and collaborating virtually to helping customers realize their full potential with Azure cloud services, and beyond. I am proud to honor and congratulate each winner and finalist." Tweet this: News: @Informatica wins #DataAnalytics 2020 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award for its excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions on Microsoft technology http://infa.media/pr200713a 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. 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. Contact: Informatica Public Relations [email protected] SOURCE Informatica Related Links www.informatica.com HEFEIEven after growing tea for more than 40 years, Wang Yunpeng worried that his skills would one day be superseded by modern farming techniques. Wang, 58, hails from Lu'an in Anhui province, famed for producing one of the country's most-prized varieties of tea. In 2017, he was invited to join a local cooperative after encountering financial difficulties due to his son's ill health. Owing to their worsening financial situation, the Wang household was officially listed as impoverished. Wang said that due to the inconsistent quality of the tea he produced, he could not sell his product at a premium price. "Before joining the cooperative, I cultivated tea based on my experience," he said. He leased his 2,000-square-meter plot to the cooperative, and in return, the cooperative gave him technical guidance on cultivating tea using standardized methods and tools. The tea had to be grown to quality standards that excluded the use of fertilizers and pesticides, to gain certification as Lu'an Guapian green tea bearing the geographical indication logo. Lu'an Guapian was registered as a GI product in 2008, which indicates the tea's geographical origin and vouches for its quality. Provincial authorities issue criteria for the use of the GI logo, stipulating that it can only be placed on the packaging of products that meet quality standards. "Tea factories used to buy fresh leaves from farmers by weight," Wang said. "Now they strictly consider the size and color of the leaves before purchasing." At first, Wang worried that he might earn less, as meeting quality standards reduced his output. However, cleaner and greener farming practices resulted in Wang producing higher-quality tea that sold for 5 to 10 percent above the market price. Wang also only needs to concentrate on cultivating the tea, as the cooperative takes care of processing and marketing it, which has drastically reduced his workload. His annual income doubled to around 30,000 yuan ($4,239) last year, and the entire family has been able to shake off poverty. Wang's success story is not unique. According to local authorities, the annual per capita income of farmers in the Lu'an tea plantation area has increased by more than 1,500 yuan on average. Anhui has 78 registered GI products and annual sales totaled nearly 41.5 billion yuan last year. Of those, 15 were exported to overseas markets earning 2.8 billion yuan in revenue. In addition, 47 GI products related to poverty-alleviation projects have helped more than 260,000 poor people, whose per capita annual income grew by 3,000 yuan. Last year, China and the European Union signed an eight-year GI agreement that covers 275 products. Another China-European Union agreement on GI will be inked soon that will give Chinese products the right to use the official certification mark of the EU, making it easier to export products to Europe. "Someday the tea I plant may be in a foreigner's cup," Wang said. Xinhua A new health order requires travelers arriving at New York airports from states with high rates of coronavirus infections to provide contact information when they arrive or face a $2,000 fine. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the order Monday just amid warnings travelers could reignite the coronavirus pandemic in the state. The order requires people arriving from one of 19 states including Alabama to immediately fill out forms disclosing their travel plans upon arrival. Failure to do so comes with a summons that carries a $2,000 fine. NY is issuing an emergency health order: Out-of-state travelers from designated high-COVID states must provide their contact information upon arrival. If you fail to provide it, you will receive a summons with a $2K fine. Were serious about enforcing quarantine, Cuomo tweeted. NY is issuing an emergency health order: Out-of-state travelers from designated high-COVID states must provide their contact information upon arrival. If you fail to provide it, you will receive a summons with a $2K fine. Were serious about enforcing quarantine. Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 13, 2020 New York officials said government workers had collected 6,600 questionnaires from travelers who landed at NY airports since the implementation of a 14-day quarantine for travelers from COVID-19 hotspots. Thousands of travelers refused to complete the forms, however. The forms will require travelers to list their name, phone numbers, email, residential addresses and destination. It also asks travelers to list states they have visited and dates for those trips as well as information related to COVID symptoms. States are included in the NY advisory if 10 per 100,000 residents or 10% of the total population tests positive on a seven-day rolling average. The states included in the advisory are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $40 gift card! Andrew Denton became the CEO of Alfa Financial Software Holdings PLC (LON:ALFA) in 2016, and we think it's a good time to look at the executive's compensation against the backdrop of overall company performance. This analysis will also evaluate the appropriateness of CEO compensation when taking into account the earnings and shareholder returns of the company. View our latest analysis for Alfa Financial Software Holdings How Does Total Compensation For Andrew Denton Compare With Other Companies In The Industry? Our data indicates that Alfa Financial Software Holdings PLC has a market capitalization of UK189m, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as UK338k for the year to December 2019. That is, the compensation was roughly the same as last year. We note that the salary portion, which stands at UK322.0k constitutes the majority of total compensation received by the CEO. On examining similar-sized companies in the industry with market capitalizations between UK79m and UK316m, we discovered that the median CEO total compensation of that group was UK395k. From this we gather that Andrew Denton is paid around the median for CEOs in the industry. Component 2019 2018 Proportion (2019) Salary UK322k UK322k 95% Other UK16k UK16k 5% Total Compensation UK338k UK338k 100% Talking in terms of the industry, salary represented approximately 67% of total compensation out of all the companies we analyzed, while other remuneration made up 33% of the pie. Alfa Financial Software Holdings has gone down a largely traditional route, paying Andrew Denton a high salary, giving it preference over non-salary benefits. If salary dominates total compensation, it suggests that CEO compensation is leaning less towards the variable component, which is usually linked with performance. Alfa Financial Software Holdings PLC's Growth Story continues Alfa Financial Software Holdings PLC's earnings per share (EPS) grew 8.0% per year over the last three years. It saw its revenue drop 9.2% over the last year. We generally like to see a little revenue growth, but the modest EPS growth gives us some relief. It's hard to reach a conclusion about business performance right now. This may be one to watch. Looking ahead, you might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for the company's future earnings.. Has Alfa Financial Software Holdings PLC Been A Good Investment? Given the total shareholder loss of 87% over three years, many shareholders in Alfa Financial Software Holdings PLC are probably rather dissatisfied, to say the least. Therefore, it might be upsetting for shareholders if the CEO were paid generously. To Conclude... Andrew receives almost all of their compensation through a salary. As we touched on above, Alfa Financial Software Holdings PLC is currently paying a compensation that's close to the median pay for CEOs of companies belonging to the same industry and with similar market capitalizations. This doesn't look good when you place it against the backdrop of negative shareholder returns and flat earnings growth. CEO pay isn't exceptionally high, but considering poor performance, shareholders will likely hold off support for a raise until results improve. We can learn a lot about a company by studying its CEO compensation trends, along with looking at other aspects of the business. We identified 3 warning signs for Alfa Financial Software Holdings (1 is potentially serious!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a different set of stocks. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. 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. Two Malagasy lawmakers, one member of the senate and one deputy, have died after contracting coronavirus, President Andry Rajoelina is reported to have announced on Sunday. Mr Rajoelina also said 11 other deputies and 14 senators had also tested positive for the virus, the AFP news agency reports. The government had last week placed one of its main regions, which covers the capital, Antananarivo, back under a strict lockdown following a surge in coronavirus infections. The lockdown was meant to slow the spread of the virus, authorities explained. There are 4,578 confirmed cases, and 34 people have died since the virus was first detected on the island in March, according to the World Health Organization. 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 The Hill Institute in Florence announced its kindergarten would close but community members are hoping they can still save the 144-year-old program. Were so fortunate to have been in Florence. Its so under publicized, its the best kept secret, said Kate Bouthilette Cardoso. Theres so many things that they arent doing that they could be doing to make it so much more successful. Cardoso and Tara Tetreault Brewster have started a grassroots effort called Hands for Hill, which includes a Change.org petition with more than 1,500 signatures as of Monday morning, to get the organization to change its mind. Thousands of children from Florence and the surrounding communities have graduated from the program, the petition states. The Hill Institute kindergarten is a valuable part of the public education system of Florence and the surrounding communities. The kindergarten, originally named The Florence Kindergarten, started January 3, 1876 by Samuel L. Hill. Its the first free kindergarten in the United States, according to its website. One of the unique aspects of the school is that it has never been an expense to the town, instead its funded by an $8 million endowment. The purpose of the endowment is written about in Hills will, which specifically mentions the promotion of a healthy physical, moral and intellectual development of children from about three to seven years of age. Hills original goal was to have a school for children, not art classes for adults, Northampton District Court Judge W. Michael Ryan told the Gazette. Now a lawyer is looking at Hills will to determine whether the boards decision to close the kindergarten impacts how the rest of the institute is funded. Brewster and Cardoso simply want to know how this $8 million endowment is now being spent. The institute hosts art classes for adults. The two women have also heard it might host art or language classes for middle school students. But none of those get at the heart of Hills intentions, they said. The reason the kindergarten is closing is due to low enrollment, the institute cited. And Brewster and Cardoso are questioning the legitimacy of that reason. Having both been alums of the kindergarten themselves, Brewsters daughter also went to kindergarten there two years ago and Cardosos two children graduated from there. Yet, neither of them heard about issues involving enrollment until it was too late. Were calling the under enrollment excuse not legitimate, said Cardoso. We could fill this kindergarten for you for years to come. And thats exactly what they told some of the board members, offering their time, talents and resources to help the institute. But the board rejected the ideas, Cardoso said. MassLive also reached out to the board but they declined to comment. Cardoso points out that as communities are trying to figure out ways to educate students while keeping them social distanced, its not the time to be removing education options. Theyre talking about renting tents to put up at the schools to be able to safely educate all of the children in this community, she said. And the Hill Institute building is this space that that they could be using to educate students. Different from the typical public school kindergarten, its also the preferred type of environment for many parents to send their children, Cardoso said. Limited to a class size of 13 students, which allows them to focus on social emotional learning and growth, which is which is something that that our kids need more now than ever, she said. Still, if Hill Institute wants to revamp or change its program, Cardoso just wants to keep it in the spirit of Hills will, focusing on children ages three to seven. One of those options, she said, is a pre-k. Were hearing that that families in the Northampton and Florence community, they need a pre-k program, she said. With the current license, its Cardosos understanding that they could relatively easily pivot to being a free pre-k program, which would really be a much more impactful opportunity for the Northampton and Florence community. Without open communication from the board, Brewster and Cardoso admit they dont have a full understanding of whats going on. But with multiple options, the two women feel theyve covered their bases and can really help the school if only allowed. We dont know all of their conversations and we dont know all of their struggles, but were seeing some of them, Cardoso said. And were thinking that we can help with them, along with the community. Related Content: Debris from the wrecks routinely emerges from the bottom of the glacier, including metal, wire and even a piece of landing gear discovered in 1986, according to a Mont Blanc tourist site. One of the most eye-catching discoveries was made in 2013, when a climber found a box of emeralds, rubies and sapphires marked "Made in India" on the mountain. It is not clear which plane had carried the gems. Mottin has owned the Cabane du Cerro cafe-restaurant, about an hour outside the ski town of Chamonix, for the past five years. The business is right next to the glacier at an altitude of over 4,400 feet, and Mottin often finds objects in the ice. "As the glacier is advancing, it brings with it objects from the top of the Mont Blanc," he said. However, Mottin added, it's quite rare to find newspapers, especially this many at once. "For now, the newspapers will be displayed in the restaurant/cabin that is just by the glacier, and then, we will see, maybe I'll give it to a museum," he said. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Gardai have issued an appeal to the public to not let others use their bank accounts after a man in West Cork was arrested last week in relation to suspected money laundering. The man, aged in early 20s, is believed to have allowed a large quantity of cash to be lodged and transferred using his account. He was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and later released. A file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Gardai are now appealing to the public, particularly younger people, to be weary of situations like this that normally involve a "Money Mule", someone who transfers money illegally on behalf of other people The practice usually involves criminals recruiting young people to help launder stolen or illegal money using their bank account. The fraudsters recruit money mules who are promised a share of the proceeds in exchange for their bank account details. Gardai say young people are often targeted by organised crime gangs to act as money mules, laundering thousands of euro through their accounts in exchange for a few hundred euro. Officers are urging the public to not allow anyone to use your bank account, share personal bank account data, and to avoid sending or receiving money. Former Love Island star Shelby Mills only recently announced she had started an OnlyFans account. And it appears business is booming for the former reality star after she showed off her brand new Louis Vuitton handbag on Monday. Shelby took to Instagram to flaunt the very lucrative purchase, which retails for around $3350 on the store's website. In the bag! Love Island Australia star Shelby Mills (pictured) showed off her $3350 Louis Vuitton handbag on Monday - only two months after joining adult website OnlyFans 'How cute is it?' Shelby asked rhetorically, holding the designer booty. 'Got a little S.B. [her initials] and a little scarf. Yay!' she added, twirling the pricey black handbag for the camera. The former reality star is known for her racy photographs, making the leap to the OnlyFans subscription platform back in May. Glam: Shelby certainly appeared happy with her purchase: 'How cute is it?' she asked, proudly showing off the designer booty Letting her fans know of the venture, she wrote: 'Keep them talking,' before telling her followers to click the 'link in bio' to her OnlyFans account. Fans can now subscribe for $15.95 a month to gain access to her exclusive content. It is unclear what type of content she is making for OnlyFans. Making money: Fans can subscribe for $15.95 a month to gain access to her exclusive content Shelby is one of many reality TV stars, models and Instagram influencers that have joined OnlyFans in recent months to make extra cash as the economy dips. The UK-based website allows users to sell adult content to paying subscribers. Love Island's Vanessa Sierra and The Bachelorette's Paddy Colliar are among the platform's more high-profile Australian 'creators'. Income stream: Shelby is one of many reality TV stars, models and Instagram influencers that have joined OnlyFans in recent months to make extra cash during the COVID-19 recession Content can range from something as innocent as a suggestive selfie all the way to hardcore pornography, and can earn creators thousands of dollars. Rhyce Power, who first shot to fame as Jessika Power's 'hot brother' on Married At First Sight last year, is currently one of the top creators on OnlyFans. The former carpenter, 28, recently shared his earnings from the site on Instagram, revealing he had made more than $50,000 in just one month. Top earner: Rhyce Power (pictured), who first shot to fame as Jessika Power's 'hot brother' on Married At First Sight last year, is currently one of the top creators on OnlyFans Love Island star Vanessa Sierra also made the move to OnlyFans, telling Daily Mail Australia she was happy to be ahead of the curve. '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. The 15th India-European Union (EU) summit will take place via video conferencing on July 15 under the shadows of COVID-19 and India-China tensions. These two issues are likely to impact summit outcomes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with the European Council President Charles Michel, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. The summit is also the first major international meeting taking place under the German presidency of the Council of the EU. Economics has been at the core of the ties. With more than $140 billion combined trade in goods and services in 2018-19, the EU has been Indias largest trading partner. Compared to a huge trade deficit with China, India-EU trade is balanced. In the last 20 years, FDI from the EU (including the United Kingdom) has been more than the combined investment inflows from the United States, Japan and China put together. A large number of Indian companies have financial or technical collaborations with European firms. The desire for a multi-polar world and strong economic linkages led to the establishment of strategic partnership in 2004; joint action plan in 2005 and the start of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations in 2007. In between, the partnership lost momentum. The FTA negotiations were frozen in 2013. There was no summit for a few years. The last two summits in 2016 and 2017, however, brought new energy to the partnership. An ambitious Agenda for Action 2020 was agreed. Several visits by Modi to various European capitals and the Indo-French Rafael deal have deepened Indias strategic engagement with Europe. The ties have already become more strategic in the sense that many discussions are taking place beyond trade and investment. The bilateral institutional mechanism now spans over 30 dialogue mechanisms. These include foreign policy and security, climate change, energy, environment, water, counter-terrorism, maritime security, cyber security, science and technology, urban development, migration and mobility, among others. The EUs new India strategy acknowledges Indias impressive economic growth and modernisation. It asserts that commonalities between the two have grown and advocates India playing a bigger role in a multi-polar world which requires a multipolar Asia. EUs new foreign policy chief Josep Borrell Fontelles believes that with the US retreat the western-led order is in crisis; China is becoming assertive; and there is also a crisis of multilateralism. As EUs suspicions about China are growing, it is looking for further improving its ties with Asian partners, particularly with India and Japan. Partly in response to Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the EU has announced the Europe Asia connectivity strategy. As India has its own connectivity ambitions and reservations about the BRI, the summit may initiate a new dialogue on connectivity. As the EU has already started a new dialogue on China with the US, New Delhi should upgrade its conversations on Beijing with Brussels through a structural mechanism. The economic impact of COVID-19 is clearly visible in Europe and India. The latest European Commission estimates shows that the EU economy is will contract 8.3 percent in 2020. Similarly, the Indian economy will shrink about 4.5 percent this year. Obviously, economic conditions are not very conducive for bold economic initiatives; yet, a new momentum can be generated by re-starting FTA negotiations. Operationalisation of the EU-Vietnam FTA will start hurting Indian marine, apparel, footwear and furniture exports to the EU. As Vietnam is also part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), it may start attracting EU investments as well. Sensing troubles, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal says that India is open for discussions for an early harvest preferential trade agreement both with the UK and the EU. The rift with the US, Chinese assertiveness, tensions with Russia and Brexit are pushing the EU for other reliable partners. Despite limitations, New Delhi, with all its geopolitical and economic strengths, could develop a serious partnership. Europe could also be a useful partner to mitigate the health and economic implications of COVID-19. As both have a strong pharma sector, new policy initiatives could facilitate joint efforts in finding affordable diagnostics, new treatments and vaccines. India already sells sizable pharma ingredients to the EU, and imports significant medical devices. The new Roadmap 2025 is likely to focus on Indias sustainable modernisation, a rule-based global order and climate issues. Policy co-ordination and mutual understanding are also needed on issues dealing with Africa, Afghanistan, Central Asia, China, Iran and Russia. Also, upgrading the ad-hoc dialogue on human rights will be a good chance for New Delhi to allay some EU concerns about the Jammu & Kashmir and Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Azerbaijans aggressive actions on the Armenian border are directly linked to the Turkish demarche against the civilized world, Artsakh president's adviser David Babayan told Armenian News - NEWS.am. "Why is it happening now? Let's look at what is happening in the world and the region. Turkey has decided to re-convert the Hagia Sophia into a mosque," he noted. "This is a terrorist act against a civilized community, both Islamic and Christian." Thus, Babayan noted, Azerbaijan is trying to take some steps in unison with its 'older brother,' Turkey. ... At around 12:30 pm local time Sunday, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces attempted to violate Armenia's state border, in the direction of Tavush Province, and with an UAZ-model vehicle, Shushan Stepanyan, spokesperson for the defense minister, wrote on her Facebook. After the warning of the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani servicemen returned to their position, leaving the UAZ-model vehicle behind. At 1:45 pm, the servicemen of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces repeatedusing artillery firethe attempt to seize the border position of the Armenian Armed Forces, but were suppressed by the Armenian side and driven back, suffering casualties. There are no casualties on the Armenian side, she added. In the evening, the Azerbaijani side resumed shooting at the positions. The shooting periodically continued throughout the night. All opponent's attempts are neutralized by units of the Armenian armed forces. On Monday morning, the opponent resumed provocative actions, continuing to shoot at Armenian positions. The Armenian Armed Forces gave an adequate response. There are no losses from the Armenian side. Defense Minister of Armenia Davit Tonoyan is in constant contact with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk. During the last conversation, the Minister of Defense informed that the personnel and command of the Armenian Army are instructed to remain restrained for the time being, and in case of provocations of the enemy on the borders of the Republic of Armenia, react as necessary, up to the capture of new advantageous positions," the MOD spokeswoman wrote. Armenian Armed Forces do not fire in the direction of Azerbaijani settlements. Only engineering infrastructure and military equipment is being targeted, she also said. The political and military leadership of Azerbaijan will bear all responsibility for the losses of the Azerbaijani side and the consequences of the aggravation of the situation, the MOD added. Authorities identified a 64-year-old Massachusetts man Monday as the victim of a drowning off a Rhode Island beach. Matthew Smiths body was spotted by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter Monday morning after he was reported missing Sunday night about a half-mile off Scarborough State Beach in Narragansett, according to a statement from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Coast Guard crews and local authorities began searching for the Fitchburg man around 9 p.m., Petty Officer Briana Carter told MassLive. The Coast Guard continued to look for the man overnight, while local authorities suspended their search and then resumed it at 5 a.m. on Monday, authorities said. The beach was closed, and no lifeguards were on duty, officials noted. Only waist-deep swimming was allowed at state beaches Sunday due to the strong surf and riptides caused by Tropical Storm Fay, which swept through Rhode Island on Friday and Saturday. Lifeguards at Scarborough made several rescues near Black Point throughout the day. At one point, beach managers restricted swimming to knee-deep, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management said. A helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod spotted the swimmer around 7:15 a.m. He was then rescued by members of the Narragansett Bay Task Force, according to officials. The individual was recovered unresponsive by local authorities, the Coast Guard 1st District tweeted. The strong current may have been a factor in the Smiths drowning, authorities said. There was the recent Tropical Storm Fay that resulted in some rip currents, but its unclear whether that led him to be washed away from shore, Carter said. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Nepal has issued a demarche to India to lodge protests over a media channels report on Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Chinese ambassador to Nepal Hou Yang Qi. A note from the Nepal government said, Such reports sow anguish and aversion among the ordinary people for generations. We request India to immediately take steps against these obscene materials about Nepal disseminated by Indian media and make sure such materials do not find space in the media. The note urges India to draw serious attention to the blasphemous materials that have appeared in some of the media outlets. These materials are fake, baseless and insensitive as well as abusive towards Nepal and its leadership.. Such materials tend not only to mislead and misinform but also impair senses of minimum public decency and decorum expected in a civil society, the note added. According to the note, such motivated smearing campaign unleashed by a section of the Indian media has deeply hurt the feelings of Nepali people and persona of Nepali leadership. While we respect the press freedom, such freedom should not cross the threshold of minimum decency and ethical redline, the note stated and added that such reports are contrary to the agreements signed by the two leaders to boost bilateral relations. The ministry of external affairs is yet to comment on the issue. Five persons from Dera Bassi subdivision have been retested and found Covid-19 positive after recovering and being released from Gian Sagar Hospital in Banur 15 days back. The five persons were again tested positive in various hospitals in June, readmitted to Gian Sagar and then discharged later. According to the revised discharge policy , patients discharged from hospital were not retested and allowed to go home after 10 days if they were asymptomatic. That could be the reason why perhaps most of them might not have recovered completely or could still be carrying remnants of the virus, experts said. I was discharged on June 20 from Gian Sagar Hospital and they did not do a retest, but when I applied for a fitness report on July 6 from the Lalru Civil Hospital, my samples tested positive, said a patient from Dappar in Dera Bassi who did not wish to be named. Another person from Shivam Complex in Dera Bassi said he was discharged from Gian Sagar on June 21 and moved to Meritorious School in Sector 70 for institutional quarantine. Doctors took a sample as a routine precaution and I tested positive on June 23, he said. Reacting to the development, Mohali deputy commissioner Girish Dayalan said he would be asking the district civil surgeon for a report. However, Dayalan added: One case I remember is that a person was discharged and again came in contact with a positive person and tested positive. As per revised policy, there is no retesting as most of the patients are asymptomatic. Dera Bassi subdivision in Mohali district, meanwhile, is struggling to shed the tag of a coronavirus hotspot, as it accounts for more than half of the Covid-19 cases reported so far. The first case was reported on April 4 in Jawaharpur village and since then the flow of patients has not stopped. Of the 423 cases reported in the district, the highest, 31, was recorded on Monday. In the last three months, 170 cases have been recorded in Dera Bassi . Dera Bassi subdivision comprises of Dera Bassi town, Zirakpur and Lalru with a population of around four lakh. All the towns are located on Delhi-Chandigarh highway. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 05:08:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council will hold an in-person meeting on Tuesday, the first since mid-March when COVID-19 forced the council to convene virtually. Tuesday's meeting will be held in the larger Economic and Social Council Chamber instead of the Security Council Chamber, where the council usually meets, according to announcements by the UN Secretariat. The change of venue is obviously out of the need for social distancing. The Security Council Chamber, with a horseshoe-shaped table in the center, is less desirable for such purpose. The Security Council is expected to adopt two resolutions on Tuesday, plus discussions on Colombia and the Security Council's annual report to the General Assembly. The Security Council began to convene via video teleconference in mid-March after restrictive measures were implemented at UN Headquarters in New York in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Security Council had to shift to interim procedures for the conduct of its business, including how meetings are convened and how resolutions are adopted. No interpretation between languages was made available in the meetings via video teleconference. Enditem Johnny Depp contracted a superbug after his finger was severed in an incident in Australia, the High Court has heard. The Hollywood actor said he ended up getting MRSA after having surgery to put a pin in the broken bone. As he began giving his fifth day of evidence in his libel action against The Sun newspaper, Mr Depp denied an alleged incident of domestic violence against his ex-wife Amber Heard in March 2015, saying he would have been unable to attack her because he was wearing a cast with a little dinosaur on it at the time. The 57-year-old actor is suing the tabloids publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) and its executive editor Dan Wootton over an April 2018 article which labelled him a wife beater. Mr Depp is said to have attacked Ms Heard, 34, throughout their tempestuous relationship, which has been described as a crime scene waiting to happen and put her in fear for her life claims he says are a choreographed hoax. The actors barrister, David Sherborne, asked him about an alleged incident in Los Angeles on March 23 2015, when he is said to have grabbed Ms Heard by the hair with one hand and hit her repeatedly in the head with the other. It is claimed the incident took place shortly after the couple took a trip to Australia, during which Mr Depp injured his middle finger. Expand Close Johnny Depp is at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London for his libel action against The Sun newspaper (Aaron Chown/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Johnny Depp is at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London for his libel action against The Sun newspaper (Aaron Chown/PA) Mr Depp said: I flew back from Australia to LA to have surgery on the finger and, at that time, they had put a pin in it, in the broken bone, the fractured bone, but to no avail. He added that he ended up getting MRSA; its quite a painful disease. Mr Depp explained he was wearing a cast on his hand with a little dinosaur on it because he had decided if he was going to have to wear one he should have the childrens wraparound on it as it was more fun. The actor confirmed he was wearing the cast at the time of the alleged incident in LAs Eastern Columbia building. Mr Sherborne asked: And with that cast on, would you have been able to grab her hair with one hand and punch her repeatedly with the other? Mr Depp replied: No sir. Expand Close Amber Heard alleges Johnny Depp was violent towards her during their relationship, which he denies (Aaron Chown/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Amber Heard alleges Johnny Depp was violent towards her during their relationship, which he denies (Aaron Chown/PA) Last week, the court heard evidence about the trip to Australia, during which it is alleged Mr Depp assaulted Ms Heard and completely destroyed a house in a drink and drug-fuelled rage, which he denies. Mr Depp told the court that his finger was injured when Ms Heard threw a vodka bottle at him, which she denies. The court heard that Mr Depp used his severed finger, dipped in paint, to scrawl graffiti in the house. On Monday, Mr Sherborne also asked Mr Depp about an argument after Ms Heards 30th birthday party at the couples LA penthouse on April 21 2016, which the actor attended after a bad meeting with his new business manager. Mr Depp said: I was in the early stage of learning from my recently acquired new business manager that the former business managers had (taken) quite a lot of my money. They had stolen my money. Mr Sherborne asked: How much money had they taken from you? The actor replied: It was put to me this way, because I had no idea about money or amounts of money. Since Pirates (Of The Caribbean) 2 and 3, I had and this is ludicrous to have to state, its quite embarrassing apparently I had made 650 million US dollars (510 million) and when I sacked them, for the right reasons, I had not only lost 650 million dollars, but I was 100 million dollars in the hole because they (the previous business managers) had not paid the government my taxes for 17 years. Expand Close Amber Heard and Johnny Depp married in Los Angeles in February 2015 (Jonathan Brady/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Amber Heard and Johnny Depp married in Los Angeles in February 2015 (Jonathan Brady/PA) Since Tuesday last week, Mr Depp has been questioned about 14 alleged incidents of domestic violence, as well as his Hollywood lifestyle, past relationships with Vanessa Paradis, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss, and his well-documented use of drink and drugs. He is due to finish giving evidence on Monday after around 20 hours in the witness box at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. The actor is suing NGN and Mr Wootton over the publication of an article on April 27 2018 with the headline: Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be genuinely happy casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film? NGN is defending the article as true, and says Mr Depp was controlling and verbally and physically abusive towards Ms Heard, particularly when he was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Claire Byrne has been described as a "shoo-in" to take over Sean O'Rourke's old radio slot in September. An RTE source said the TV and radio presenter was top of the list to take the reins of the weekday 'Today' programme, which is currently being helmed by Sarah McInerney. While the former Newstalk anchor has been praised by critics for her no-nonsense approach with Government ministers, the source said it was "unlikely but not impossible" that she would keep the job. "The 'Today' programme is one of the biggest programmes in the radio schedule and, to be honest, Claire is a shoo-in," the source added. "Nothing is set in stone, but right now Claire is a bit like Liverpool in the Premier League. "Sarah has done a great job in the interim and has made all the right moves, but Claire is definitely the frontrunner. Expand Close Sarah McInerney / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sarah McInerney Read More "Miriam O'Callaghan is still in the conversation, but she's so heavily invested in 'Prime Time' that it would be a big ask for her to do both." BoyleSports has slashed Byrne's odds from 4/1 to 4/6 favourite. McInerney is 2/1, while O'Callaghan has drifted to 6/1. O'Rourke spent seven years as the 'Today' host, taking over from Pat Kenny in 2013. Since his departure in May, speculation has run wild as to who will succeed him. Ivan Yates's decision to leave Newstalk later this month has set tongues wagging, with some suggesting he might be in the running. However, another source said that while negotiations were at an advanced stage, a final decision would not be made for some weeks yet. "There are so many big changes coming up in RTE that everything is being done quietly and carefully," the source said. "So many talented people are in the mix for top positions that it's important Sean's successor is chosen the right way without offending anyone. "A final decision will be made in a couple of weeks, but an announcement won't be made until closer to September." The appointment is part of a major reshuffle and rebrand of various RTE current affairs shows. With David McCullagh joining Caitriona Perry on the 'Six One News', a slot has been left vacant alongside O'Callaghan on 'Prime Time'. It is understood executives are keen to pair O'Callaghan with another female lead on the programme. "With David moving to the 'Six One', there's a chance to give 'Prime Time' a bit of a shake-up," the source said. Among other efforts in the past to create a liveable world that both protect the rights and opportunities of coming generations and contributes to compatible approaches on environment, world leaders on Friday 5th June 2020, during the World Environment Day celebration co-hosted by Colombia and Germany and streamed live online from Bogota, agreed to create a liveable world through the promotion of actions that combat the accelerating species loss and degradation of the natural world. Essentially, they called on all governments around the world to retain our precious intact ecosystems and wilderness, to preserve and effectively manage at least 30% of our planets lands and oceans by 2030, and to restore and conserve biodiversity, as a crucial step to help prevent future pandemics and public health emergencies, and lay the foundations for a sustainable, global economy. Photo credit; CREMA/SEJA Admittedly, their resolve has a great message of hope for our environment. However, about the same time, it invites some maze of high voltage confusion. For such call to make meaning here in Nigeria, there are several leadership, environmental, technological and political obstacles that we collectively, as a nation, will have to determine how to overcome. Specifically, the shoddy management by Lagos state government of the Video clip case entitled: Snow-like Chemical Surge Causes Panic in Lagos, shared on July 8 by Sahara Reporters which went viral on social media showing snow-like foam that purportedly prevented Lagosians from accessing their homes is one event in recent days that probably did more than anything else to convince Nigerians with critical interest that formulating a sound strategy is more basic to a nation than designing control systems; that a nation based on a good strategy can survive confusion and poor leadership, but sophisticated control systems and organisational structures cannot compensate for an unsound strategy. Adding context to the discourse, the video footage going by fact check conducted by a media organization, revealed that there were two separate videos merged as one. The first part of the footage showed the snow-like foamy substance truly blocking the entrance to peoples homes with background female voices calling for help in panic. The second part of the video the report revealed was a typical snow-like foam covering the major highway. Expectedly, before the dust raised by the out of event ordered could settle, Gbenga Omotoso, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, clarified the viral footage, saying that the incident was an outcome of a chemical reaction resulting from actions that were deliberately undertaken to avert a fire incident. While adding that a truck approaching from the Lagos Sea Port fell due to an accident along the Anthony Village axis of Ikorodu Road, he explained that the truck was conveying an inflammable material, so the Lagos State Fire Service was deployed to intervene. The firefighters reportedly sprayed the AFFF on the spilled content to avoid fire incident. But before you analyze the above effort and get the impression that this was created and developed by proactive leadership and marvel at the quality of their decision, wait till you cast a glance at the next paragraph as the content not only has a distinction to make but says something else. From what safety and environmental experts are saying, the snow-like material is often used by firefighters to suppress fire incidents. It is mainly recognised as Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) solutions which could also cause health hazards if wrongly managed. The United States Fire Administration, an institution of government that works to prevent fire outbreaks says AFFF could be a combination of per and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) the Perfluorooctane Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) but warned against long term exposure to the chemicals. These were part of the issues raised by two environmental rights and justice advocate groups; the Centre for Research in Environmental Resource Management (CREMA), and the Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), during a fact finding mission to the site. They were unhappy about potential effects of long term exposure to the chemicals which were still visibly flowing along Ikorodu Road towards Harbour Works/Maryland Bus-stop well over 24 hours after the accident. The present fears expressed by the finders which cannot be described as unfounded is not only based on the health hazard of the chemical. It also grows from several serious problems such as the dramatic and fundamental gaps in the way/manner the state government communicated the situation. Infact, the greatest challenge is to understand the problems for what they are. Photo credit; CREMA/SEJA The underlying argument is this; if the truck was conveying inflammable material as claimed by Mr. Commissioner, what are the name and the grade of such inflammable? Were the inflammables in bags or were they liquids in barrels? What precisely are the chemical constituents of the inflammable material that was discharged? These are relevant questions because a large proportion of Lagos residents rely on water supplies from wells and boreholes that obtain water from shallow aquifers that are vulnerable and susceptible to pollution. That is to say some of this material could end up in peoples wells through infiltration. Also ringing apprehension is the inability of the state government agencies to remove the containers after well over 24 hours of the said accident and left in such a way that could lead to further accident. Could such action be characterized as an attribute of a responsive and responsible government? Furthermore, the official statement is devoid of follow up procedures for clean up and associated investigations. Finally, storage and the transportation of hazardous material is statute controlled at federal and state level. Indeed, because Ikorodu Road is a federal Highway, there are specific federal regulations and guidance for permitting the transportation of hazardous material on public roads. In this regard, the Harmful Waste Special Criminal Provisions Act of 1988 comes to mind. Perhaps, Lagos State also has such regulations and guidance? While this piece leave these questions for the state to ponder, it must be underlined also that even if answer(s) is/are provided to the above questions, it will however, not in any appreciable way erase the belief among vast majority of Lagosians that the Anthony Village accident remains an incident that its pain is deepened by the fact that it was avoidable. This situation becomes even more painful when one remembers that the list of actions not taken by this administration to confront environmental challenges in the state which has made Lagosians face actual and potential difficulties remains lengthy and worrisome. In facts, few days ago, there was a newspaper report that Lagos residents, motorists as well as commuters have continued to lament and groan under deplorable conditions of (the ?) environment particularly roads across the metropolis. The report submitted that there is hardly any stretch of road across the commercial nerve centre of the nation that is totally free of potholes, including sections of the ever busy Apapa-Oshodi Express-way. Ikorodu Road, Funsho Williams Avenue and those in parts of Ikoyi, Lekki and Victoria Island. And unfortunately, this accident that is threatening the environment with pollution occurred along one of these aforementioned roads. The major point here is that the significant stride in environmental, roads other infrastructural development made by previous administrations in the state appears to have lost momentum. Hue and cry of bad experiences by regular road users appear to be the order of the day. Photo credit; CREMA/SEJA Without going into specifics, concepts, provisions and definitions, I hold the opinion that for the state to move forward in the area of environmental protection, government must do something to help address pollution and other environmental challenges particularly because of its industrial nature. To achieve this goal of environmental protection, strengthening environmental laws to make them both efficient, effective and enforceable is a major area of interest to watch and this may require collaboration with communities, civil society and the Federal Government. Indeed, Lagos state and the Federal Government must find solution not merely for political consideration but because there is a call for all to adjust in psychological, social, or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects or impacts. While we wait, Lagosians will appreciate a more detailed explanation to what happened at Anthony axis of Lagos state recently. Utomi is a Lagos-Based media Consultant. 08032725374 Ukraine's SBU Security Service has halted the work of an international Internet network on money laundering through cryptocurrency instruments, the SBU's press center has reported. "According to the special service, a group of IDPs from the temporarily occupied territories created a number of online sites between 2017 and 2020. They allowed users from Ukraine, the former CIS countries to convert cryptocurrency with a dubious source of origin into cash and non-cash form. The transactions were carried out without mandatory payments to Ukraine's state budget, without relevant transactions reflected in tax reporting and without identification of clients," the report reads. According to SBU operatives, unaccounted currency in Ukraine was issued through exchange offices declared by licensees of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU). The cryptocurrency was exchanged and was ensured by the shadow representations of the organizers. To document the illegal activities, SBU and National Police officers conducted eight searches in Kyiv at the offices and homes of perpetrators. During the investigation, law enforcement officers seized a large amount of cash in various currencies, bank cards, computer equipment, special equipment and documentation proving illegal activities. SIM cards of Russian mobile network operators and routers were also found. The work is underway to check information on the use of some of the detected equipment in servicing customers in the WebMoney payment system. The access to the system's domains is prohibited by the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council decision of May 2, 2018 "On the application and cancellation of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)." An investigation is underway. Respective measures are being taken to seize property, block accounts, and check the involvement of organizers in financing the so-called "LPR/DPR," the SBU said. Photo: ssu.gov.ua Tragic Magic: Moscow City Contract Written With Disappearing Ink, Deputy Alleges By RFE/RL's Russian Service July 12, 2020 A deputy in a local Moscow council said a city contract to replace an elevator in an apartment building was written with disappearing ink, potentially allowing the company to inflate the price. Elena Selkova, a member of the Council of Deputies for Moscow's Cheryomushki district, posted a video on Facebook on July 9 of a contract for 2,659,995 rubles ($37,500) to replace the elevator in a 12-story apartment complex built in her neighborhood. When she placed the flame from a cigarette lighter near the contract, all the numbers except the first seemed to disappear. That, she said, would enable the company to increase the bill footed by taxpayers by nearly $5,000. The contract was to be approved at a meeting of a local commission that includes members of the Council of Deputies. Selkova said the contract was signed by all the other commission members except her before the meeting even began. The deputy said the incident underscores the importance of independent members in city government. The Moscow Election Commission last year banned several independent politicians from running for seats in the city parliament on claims that they submitted too many false signatures of support. Their exclusion, which the politicians considered politically motivated to protect the ruling United Russia party, sparked the largest series of street protests in Moscow in seven years. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/moscow-city -contract-written-with-disappearing- ink-deputy-alleges/30721711.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, wears a protective mask while arriving for a news conference in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. David Kawa | Bloomberg | Getty Images CNBC is looking at how countries around the world have tackled Covid-19. By talking to a wide range of experts, as well as everyday citizens, we're taking stock of what's gone well and what hasn't. So far, there have been more than 10 million cases worldwide of Covid-19 and more than 500,000 people have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The United States has reported more than 3 million cases and more than 130,000 deaths, the most of any country. Canada, the first country in our series, has confirmed more than 105,000 cases with more than 8,000 deaths. What has been going well Hospital preparedness Many of Canada's leading hospitals were generally prepared for an influx of Covid-19. There were initial concerns about a lack of personal protective equipment back in April, but the country quickly ramped up production. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted that Canadian companies are producing so much PPE to fight Covid-19 that the country is almost at the point of being self-sufficient. "We did really quickly retool our manufacturing supply chain," said Zayna Khayat, a health strategist at Toronto-based SE Health and an adjunct professor of health sector strategy at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. "We never had domestic capacity for things like masks, gowns and vents, so it's been good to see us get there." A man waves a Canadian flag as first responders parade down hospital row in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in a salute to healthcare workers on April 19, 2020, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Cole Burston | AFP | Getty Images "Covid-19 is ongoing, but so far the hospitals have never gotten that saturated," added Dr. Zain Chagla, an associate professor at McMaster University and an infectious disease physician. Even in cities with the most Covid-19 cases, like Toronto, doctors are reporting that the situation doesn't mirror Italy, where hospitals were overwhelmed and couldn't maintain the standard of care. The cult of Bonnie Henry Dr. Bonnie Henry, a physician and the provincial health officer of British Columbia, has become a kind of folk hero in Canada during the crisis. "She stands out for really clear messaging and her empathy. When she announced the first death in Canada, she was overcome with emotion," said Andre Picard, a health columnist for The Globe and Mail. British Columbia Minister of Health Adrian Dix and Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, speak to the media on the novel coronavirus in Vancouver, British Columbia, January 31, 2020. Don Mackinnon | AFP | Getty Images Henry has become such a figurehead that when a Vancouver-based shoe company learned that she was a fan, they put out a limited-edition release of shoes to honor her. Public health experts note that it's important to have a spokesperson who can regularly speak to people about the pandemic in a consistent way. Henry, at least so far, has all the qualities that public health departments typically look for in a public face. Many people find her soft voice to be comforting, and she's taken time to remind Canadians to be good to each other and to come together in the face of a unified threat. She typically ends her calls and presentations with a trademark line: "This is our time to be kind, to be calm and to be safe." SEE ALSO: Why Israel's "second wave" of Covid-19 is worse than its first How Taiwan beat the coronavirus Most important, her communication style seems to be working. British Columbia could have experienced a major outbreak, given that a large chunk of its population travels back and forth to China. But public health experts note that it's been manageable. Thus far, there have been a little more than 3,000 reported Covid-19 cases and less than 200 deaths in the province. "If you look at British Columbia, with its population of millions of people, the fact that they came out relatively unscathed from Covid-19 is a huge testament to her leadership," said Chagla. The bravery of Canada's providers Healthcare workers cheer as Toronto first responders parade down hospital row in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in a salute to healthcare workers on April 19, 2020, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Cole Burston | AFP | Getty Images Similarly to other countries, Canada has seen hundreds of its medical providers get sick with Covid-19. Ontario, in particular, is reporting rising cases among heath-care workers. Doctors and nurses have spoken out to the local press referring to the situation as scary and alarming, but many are continuing to treat patients despite the risks. Some workers in long-term care facilities have died from the virus. "It's the job, we go in," said Dr. David Fisman, an epidemiologist and professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, when asked about the contribution of the country's health-care workers. "There are so many stories of courage and kindness on the front lines," added Dr. Andrew Boozary, an assistant professor of public health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. What's been pretty good Economic relief People enjoy drinks and food at Amsterdam Brewhouse's patio, as the provincial phase 2 of reopening from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions begins in Toronto, Ontario, Canada June 24, 2020. Carlos Osorio | Reuters Experts say that Canada's economic relief package -- and its safety net in general -- is more robust than what the U.S. has offered. Canadian residents may apply for up to $2,000 in direct monthly payments for a four-month period. That program was open to those who had lost their job or couldn't work because of Covid-19, but has now been expanded to those who earn up to $1,000 per month. Similarly to the U.S., there were delays with the system, at least initially, but most of the experts agreed that the program has done a lot to support those impacted by the pandemic. "I am not an economist but the federal transfer program seems to have kept our economy going along OK," said Fisman, the Toronto epidemiologist . "As provinces have controlled their epidemics they have started making new jobs (and) I do think there is a renewed sense of needing to onshore some manufacturing." "We did a good job ensuring that people had enough financial means to live through lockdowns," added Tazim Virani, an assistant clinical professor at McMaster University. All in, the relief will provide $27 billion in direct support to Canada's citizens and its businesses. Clear-ish communication "I think we're a culture of followers," said Picard, "but we need clear rules to follow, at least in public spaces." The messaging has been "wishy-washy" added Picard. Some blame the fact that Canada's health system functions at a provincial level, rather than at a national level, so guidelines differ across the country. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau removes his face mask as he visits the Big Rig Brewery, which utilizes the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy given to businesses affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kanata, Ontario, Canada June 26, 2020. Patrick Doyle | Reuters Yoni Freedhoff, an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Ottawa, said that regions are setting their own guidelines on wearing masks. In certain areas, these are mandatory where social distancing can't be maintained, and in others mask wearing is advised but not enforced. Some public health experts feels this policy makes sense, because there aren't active Covid-19 outbreaks across the country, but others say there should be consistent rules everywhere. Travel restrictions Canada issued a travel ban on March 20 for visitors from the U.S. Since then, thousands have been turned away at the border, particularly those traveling for nonessential reasons. That ban is set to continue until July 21, but it isn't a total ban. Health-care workers are still able to move between the two countries, as well as foreign workers and people with immediate family in Canada visiting for nondiscretionary reasons. The government has been stricter in recent months about travel, and is now advising against any nonessential trips, but some Canadians feel that the restrictions should have come sooner than mid-March. "We didn't close borders quickly enough," noted Freedhoff, the family medicine physician. Trucks traverse the Ambassador Bridge, a main trade route linking Canada and the United States, as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions remain in place, in Windsor, Ontario, Canada July 5, 2020. Carlos Osorio | Reuters Fisman, the epidemiologist, agrees that the federal government could get tougher on enforcing the border. But he notes that it's very difficult to restrict movement from the U.S., as people usually find ways to get places when they want to. In addition, the economies of Canada and the U.S. are extremely intertwined. All in, he believes the travel restrictions came at about the right time, given what was known at that stage. What's been disappointing so far Nursing homes Canada's health-care system is publicly funded, so care is covered by tax dollars. But the long-term care system relies on a mix of public and private payments, and some people are paying out of pocket. The Commonwealth Fund, a global health research nonprofit, reports that out-of-pocket payments still represent about 15% of overall health spending, and much of that was spent on nonhospital institutions including long-term care homes. 50 crosses have appeared on the side lawn of the Camilla Care Community nursing home on Hurontario at the Queensway, Canada. 50 of their residents have died there due to a COVID outbreak. Richard Lautens | Toronto Star | Getty Images "It exposed a longstanding problem in that sector," said Picard, the columnist. "It's not a system and it's not properly funded, and there's both poor pay and chronic staffing problems." Many of the deaths in Canada have been residents of nursing homes. By mid-April, that population alone represented more than half of the overall fatalities, and horrifying reports circulated about abandoned, desperately ill patients. Most of the experts agreed that this is an opportunity for Canadians to reevaluate how they take care of their aging residents. "It's been damning," said Boozary. "We have come out of this as a country knowing that we have failed the residents of our long-term care homes." Boozary said that he hopes that Canada emerges from the epidemic with a much better strategy for how to fund care for elderly residents, as well as how to staff facilities. Migrant workers and inmates Similarly to the U.S., the pandemic has disproportionately affected Canada's most vulnerable residents. Some provinces reported outbreaks in prisons, and about 600 migrant workers tested positive on a farm in Canada after arriving in the country in the spring. The government has restricted travel, but it did allow foreign workers to come into the country before picking and growing season. Some workers told CNN earlier this month that the quarantine was poorly handled, and employers put them in risky situations. "The most recent blowup here has been around miserable treatment of migrant farm workers, who are housed in dormitories and have had big Covid outbreaks," said Fisman. According to Fisman, government health officials could be doing a lot more to protect these workers, including to separate them and stop them working if they start experiencing symptoms. Masks and testing in Ontario Women get their nails done, as the provincial phase 2 of reopening from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions begins in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on June 24, 2020. Carlos Osorio | Reuters Ontario, a province in Canada, reported a drop in daily tests throughout April, despite seeing an uptick in deaths. That proved to be a worrying trend. In May, news broke that more than 55 million N95 masks stockpiled by Ontario had expired, which raised yet more questions about the readiness to tackle the pandemic. "There were clearly organizational and political issues," said Fisman. Overall in Canada, just two provinces -- Ontario and Quebec -- have accounted for more than 90% of the country's Covid-19 cases. How Canada scores overall: 6.5/10 Evangelical leaders who are members of the Evangelical Immigration Table wrote to Trump urging to reconsider plans to resubmit filing to end DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. "We ask you to publicly and consistently urge congressional leaders to urgently pass legislation to create a pathway for those who arrived in the U.S. as children and who meet other necessary and appropriate qualifications to earn permanent legal status and, eventually, citizenship," the seven evangelical leaders wrote to President Trump. The letter pleaded to President Trump to reconsider his resubmission to rescind DACA was signed by seven members of the Evangelical Immigration Table. "Consistent with your past comments affirming your concern and 'great love' for this population, we plead with you to work toward good faith compromise that would both be compassionate to immigrants and respect the rule of law." The signatories urged President Trump that he at least wait until after Congress passes legislation that permanently protects Dreamers, the recipients of DACA. The Supreme Court didn't allow President Trump to rescind DACA at first, ruling that the administration failed to provide adequate justification for terminating the program. However, the court clarified that Trump nonetheless holds the authority to rescind the program nonetheless which propelled Trump to reattempt his rescission of DACA. The Trump administration formerly succeeded in rescinding DACA back in 2017 in which Congress immediately started working towards a statutory replacement for DACA. The seven religious leaders that signed the letter were Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief; Shirley Hoogstra, president of Council for Christian Colleges and Universities; Hyepin Im, president & CEO of Faith and Community Empowerment; Walter Kim, president of National Association of Evangelicals; Russel Moore, president of Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention; Chris Palusky, president & CEO of Bethany Christian Services; and Gabriel Salguero, president of National Latino Evangelical Coalition. No tour of Istanbul can fail to include Hagia Sophia. The same is true enough of the British Museum in London or the Louvre in Paris, but Hagia Sophia is more than a museum: its also spent different stretches of its near-millennium-and-a-half of existence as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral, a Roman Catholic cathedral, and a mosque. Stripped of its religious function in the mid-1930s by the administration of President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, remembered for his creation of a secular Turkish republic, the majestic building has spent the past 85 years as not just a museum but the countrys top tourist attraction. Now, according to a decree issued last week by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Hagia Sophia will become a mosque again. Erdogan, like his predecessor Ataturk, appears to be using the fate of the Hagia Sophia to make a political statement and score some points with his supporters, writes Ars Technicas Kiona N. Smith. But so did Emperor Justinian I of the Eastern Roman Empire, who ordered the cathedrals construction in the first place for similar reasons. Built on the site where two cathedrals had previously stood, both burned down in different revolts, the Hagia Sophia has always been as much a political landmark as a religious or cultural one so its not surprising that it has also changed hands, and functions, at least four times in its history. Ataturks secularization of Hagia Sophia entailed a restoration of its historic features: Christian mosaics that had been plastered over in the late 1400s were carefully uncovered, and they shared the domed space with Muslim prayer niches and pulpits. You can get a clearer sense of what the buildings architecture and decoration reveal in the animated TED-Ed lesson at the top of the post. Educator Kelly Wall points to, among other features, the ancient fortifications that hint at the strategic importance of the surrounding city, founded as Byzantium by Greek colonists in 657 BCE.; the foundation stones that murmur tales from their homelands of Egypt and Syria, while columns taken from the Temple of Artemis recall a more ancient past; and, beneath the golden dome that appears suspended from heaven, reinforcing Corinthian columns, brought from Lebanon after the original dome was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 558 CE, that offer a reminder of fragility and the engineering skills such a marvel requires. The BBC 360-degree virtual tour just above goes into greater detail on these elements and others. According to reports cited by Hyperallergics Hakim Bishara, tourists will still have access to the site, although it might be closed to visitors during prayer time. Still, art historians and conservationists worry that the Turkish authorities might decide to cover up or remove the centuries-old Byzantine mosaics and Christian iconography that adorn the celebrated structure, as was done in other converted churches in Turkey in the past. Good job, then, that irrepressible television traveler Rick Steves has already shot his episode on Istanbul, which (from 9:34) naturally features a visit to Hagia Sophia. But whether as a museum, cathedral, a mosque, or whatever it becomes next, the building will surely remain what Steves called the high point of Byzantine architecture and the pinnacle of that societys sixth-century glory days. And no leader of Turkey, no matter what their beliefs about church and state, will want the tourists to stop coming. via Hyperallergic Related Content: Hear the Hagia Sophias Awe-Inspiring Acoustics Get Recreated with Computer Simulations, and Let Yourself Get Transported Back to the Middle Ages Hear the Sound of the Hagia Sophia Recreated in Authentic Byzantine Chant French Illustrator Revives the Byzantine Empire with Magnificently Detailed Drawings of Its Monuments & Buildings: Hagia Sophia, Great Palace & More Mapping the Sounds of Greek Byzantine Churches: How Researchers Are Creating Museums of Lost Sound The Complex Geometry of Islamic Art & Design: A Short Introduction Based in Seoul, Colin Marshall writes and broadcasts on cities, language, and culture. His projects include the book The Stateless City: a Walk through 21st-Century Los Angeles and the video series The City in Cinema. Follow him on Twitter at @colinmarshall, on Facebook, or on Instagram. People in wealthier neighborhoods drink alcohol twice as frequently as people in poorer areas, suggests a new study from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and the Prevention Research Center of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Studying neighborhoods in the East Bay of California, researchers compared 72 clusters of 200 residents living in areas of high and low household income and stores selling alcohol for consumption elsewhere (such as liquor stores and other retailers). Residents of each cluster were asked how often and how much they drink and questions to assess alcohol dependence. Data were also gathered by the study team to measure levels of physical decay in each neighborhood. The study revealed that, in contrast with previous research, living in areas with more off-premise outlets was not linked to heavier drinking or more problem drinking. People in more affluent neighborhoods reported drinking twice as frequently as respondents in low-income areas. The influence of social context was notable. People with higher incomes reported more frequent drinking -- even when they lived in lower-income areas. But people with lower incomes who lived in affluent neighborhoods drank far more alcohol than people with similar incomes in poorer neighborhoods. Heavy drinking was also more commonly found in neighborhoods with more physical decay. Says lead author, Dr. Christina Mair: "This study reports on the independent effects of social context and individual resources on drinking patterns. The effects of individual income is moderated by the local economic environment." ### Source: Mair, Christina, Natalie Sumetsky, Paul J. Gruenewald, and Juliet P. Lee. "Microecological Relationships Between Area Income, Off?Premise Alcohol Outlet Density, Drinking Patterns, and Alcohol Use Disorders: The East Bay Neighborhoods Study." Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (2020). PIRE is an independent, nonprofit organization merging scientific knowledge and proven practice to create solutions that improve the health, safety and well-being of individuals, communities, and nations around the world. http://www.pire.org The Prevention Research Center (PRC) of PIRE is one of 16 centers sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), of the National Institutes of Health, and is the only one that specializes in prevention. PRC's focus is on conducting research to better understand the social and physical environments that influence individual behavior that lead to alcohol and drug misuse. http://www.prev.org The Resource Link for Community Action provides information and practical guidance to state and community agencies and organizations, policy makers, and members of the public who are interested in combating alcohol and other drug abuse and misuse. https://prev.org/community-action/ Facebook: facebook.com/PrevResources Twitter: twitter.com/PrevResources LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/PrevResources If you would like more information about this topic, please call Sue Thomas at 831.429.4084 or email her at thomas.pire.org WASHINGTON, July 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump considered selling Puerto Rico in the aftermath of the destructive Hurricane Maria in 2017, former acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke has told the New York Times. In an interview with the newspaper on Friday, Duke said that "the president's initial ideas were more of as a businessman." "Can we outsource the electricity? Can we sell the island? You know, or divest of that asset?" Trump reportedly said, according to the New York Times interview. Nonetheless, the idea of selling the U.S. territory was never seriously considered or discussed after it was raised, Duke said. Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in September 2017 and caused an estimated 2,982 fatalities and 90 billion U.S. dollars in damage, according to official data. Trump has criticized Puerto Rican officials for their management of the relief fund that his administration provided for the island's recovery. In November 2018, White House officials told Congress that Trump didn't want any additional relief funding to the island. New Delhi, July 13 : Indian mobile handset brand Lava on Monday extended the deadline of its 'Design in India' contest till July 18. The decision has been taken owing to a large number of requests from all over the country for the extension of registrations. The applicants who missed the opportunity to register earlier, can now participate in the contest by Lava which has challenged students and working professionals to design the next #ProudlyIndian smartphone. "Keeping the large number of requests in mind, we have now extended the deadline to give another chance to people who could not participate earlier. We will reach out to the participants with further updates once all the registrations are over," Tejinder Singh, Head- Product, Lava said in a statement. The Design in India contest was rolled out on July 2 with an initial registration deadline of July 9. The contest is open for students of B.Tech, B.E, B.Des and M.Des and engineering professionals from ECE, IT, CS, Mech, and Industrial Design departments. Students or professionals can choose to participate in the contest in groups of 1-3 and in the end, the top three teams will get a pre-placement interview opportunity at Lava. Additionally, they will receive a cash prize of Rs 50,000, Rs 25,000, and Rs 15,000 respectively. Lava in May announced to shift its entire mobile R&D, design and manufacturing for the export market from China to India within next six months, announcing to invest overall nearly Rs 800 crore in the due course of time. Lava exports over 33 per cent of its phones to markets such as Mexico, Africa, Southeast Asia and West Asia. As part of the transition, Lava will invest around Rs 80 crore this year and subsequently around Rs 800 crore over the next five years. Marked racial disparities exist in confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, investigators say, and highlight urgent needs to ensure adequate testing and treatment are available to African Americans and safer working and living conditions are in place so they can better protect themselves. Also, more complete surveillance data is needed that always includes race, ethnicity and gender to better identify those most at risk and enable better treatment and prevention strategies that target at-risk neighborhoods and engage trusted, faith-based community leaders to help, Medical College of Georgia investigators write in the American Journal of Public Health. "A colorblind approach to public health surveillance and response cannot bring about equity when both the health care system and the structural conditions that inform it are so weak," corresponding author Dr. Steven S. Coughlin, interim chief of the Division of Epidemiology in the MCG Department of Population Health Sciences, and his colleagues write. Poverty, lack of health insurance and decreased access to health care are factors that likely contribute, as are past transgressions that have left many African Americans distrustful of government and the health care system, they write. "To mitigate racial disparities in COVID-19 infection and mortality, safer working conditions and living environments (also) are needed that include provisions for personal protective equipment, social distancing, and hand/surface hygiene," they add. In reality, a higher percentage of African Americans work in jobs where it's difficult or impossible to work from home or maintain a safe social distance at work, Coughlin says. Additionally, many of these jobs don't offer paid leave or health insurance, which means individuals may delay being tested and even present at the hospital sicker, he says. In New York City, for example, which became a COVID-19 epicenter in the United States, reports based on U.S. Census Bureau statistics indicate that about 75% of the frontline workers in the city -- those who work in grocery, convenience and drug stores; public transit; trucking, warehouse and postal services; health care; childcare, homeless, food and family services; and building cleaning services -- are African American. A large percentage of these workers have to travel long distances to their work and a significant percentage live at or below twice the poverty line. When looking at statistics on who got COVID-19 and where, as recently as late April, the investigators found that a lot of states did not release confirmed cases and deaths broken down by race, and the data was often limited on the states that did, Coughlin says. But the information that was available from select cities and states painted a clear picture that African Americans throughout the nation are disproportionately impacted by both infection rates and death, Coughlin says of statistics primarily available from predominantly bigger cities in the Midwest and Northeast like Chicago, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and New York. In Wisconsin, for example, African Americans comprise 6% of the state's population but 25% of COVID-19 cases and 39% of deaths. In Georgia, as of April 23, African Americans accounted for 31% of COVID-19 cases and 52% of the deaths in a state that is nearly 31% black. In Washington D.C. about 46% of the population is African American but their rate of COVID-19 deaths is 62.5%. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was reporting that 1 in 3 people who become sick enough to require hospitalization were African American while they make up about 13% of the population. In fact, some studies indicate the infection rate in predominately black counties is three times higher than predominately white ones and death rates are six times higher. The first cases of COVID-19 in the United States were reported in January 2020, and rates began to take off late March and early April, Coughlin says. "Throughout this period, half the states had not released information about cases and deaths broken down by ethnicity," he says. By mid-April, 21 states had not released racial or ethnic breakdowns of those infected and 26 states had not released breakdowns of fatalities, the investigators write. Subsequently some testing and treatment forms have been modified to include race and ethnicity but there are a lot of gaps in existing data as well, he says. The official word was there was a bureaucratic lapse because things were moving so rapidly, says Dr. Joseph Hobbs, chair emeritus of the MCG Department of Family Medicine and a senior author on the paper, who was shocked both by race often not being noted and by the disproportionate number of African Americans that were noted among COVID-19 related deaths. "The lack of information is still there," Hobbs adds, and would help strategize how best to move forward. "You can't test the whole world but you can test segments where you know there are potential problems ... if you are able to document those problems, then you can divert resources to those communities to try to work on processes that make the community more aware of the things they could do to support each other with regard to stopping transmission of the disease," Hobbs says. "Black churches can serve as testing and triage centers, health action zones to bridge government resources with community resources, and serve as a platform to overcome trust issues related to health care," they write. "Our editorial calls for improved public health surveillance data to monitor the COVID-19 epidemic in different, diverse communities," Coughlin says, noting that other people of color, like the Navajo population, are also disproportionately impacted by the novel coronavirus. Improved surveillance includes more testing as well as more contact tracing once positive individuals have been identified, he says, noting targeted testing initiatives in disadvantaged neighborhoods in New York state and culturally appropriate PSAs in Las Vegas and South Carolina. Longer-term goals include addressing the structural problems at the heart of the issue, Coughlin says. The investigators say structural problems, including poverty, unemployment, household and neighborhood crowding and otherwise substandard housing, account for the pronounced disparities they see in available data. Coughlin notes that structural problems, that also include food deserts and lack of safe/affordable places to exercise, also likely play a major role in increased rates of chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes that also are risk factors for novel coronavirus infection and death. These structural conditions first expose a population disproportionately, says Hobbs, and the chronic conditions put African Americans at increased risk of dying from the infection. "These are the individuals who end up in the hospital disproportionately," says Hobbs. "These are the ones who are going to have the most complex clinical courses in the hospital and they comprise a disproportionate percentage of the people who will die," the family medicine physician says. "Some commentators have drawn an analogy between what happened after Katrina like in the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans and what is happening now with disparities and COVID-19," Coughlin says of a predominately black area of the city that was pummeled by the 2005 Category 3 hurricane and was the last to have power and water restored. "The poverty and substandard living conditions existed in New Orleans for hundreds of years, but the hurricane brought them to light," Coughlin says. "Here we have another national emergency and it is shedding light on long-existing structural problems like redlining and segregated neighborhoods," he says of the historical lending practice of limiting mortgages in communities of color. As of mid-June, racial and ethnic information was available for only about 35% of the total deaths in the US, although it was clear that blacks and other disadvantaged groups are experiencing infection and death rates that are disproportionately high for their share of the total population, according to Dr. Lisa A. Cooper, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Medicine, and director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity. The university's COVID-19 Testing Insights Initiative provides a national perspective on COVID-19 testing, results and other insight. ### See the full text here. The protester, armed only with a speaker, stood across the street from a line of officers clad in body armor in downtown Portland, Ore., on Saturday night. When they threw a canister his way, video shows, the protester calmly rolled it away. Seconds later, shots rang out, and he crumbled to the ground with blood gushing from his head. The man, 26-year-old Donavan La Bella, suffered a fractured skull and required facial reconstruction surgery after he was apparently hit in the head by a less-than-lethal munition, his mother told the Oregonian. The round was reportedly fired by federal agents, who have been dispatched to Portland as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on destructive protests, a fact that has become a flash point for local officials already bristling over the feds being sent without their consent. On Sunday, many blamed Trump's policies for the bloodshed. "The consequences of Donald Trump unilaterally dispatching fed'l law enforcement into U.S. cities played out in Portland w/a peaceful protester shot in the head," Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., tweeted. "Trump & Homeland Security must now answer why fed'l officers are acting like an occupying army." Portland Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler demanded that federal agents in Portland start following local rules, which forbid police from firing tear gas or less-than-lethal rounds unless lives are in danger. "I'm concerned that the actions of federal officers escalated, rather than de-escalated, already heightened tensions in our city," Wheeler said in a Sunday statement. The U.S. Marshals Service said on Sunday that it is investigating the incident, which happened while officers were "securing the perimeter of the federal courthouse," according to a statement to Oregon Public Broadcasting. The Department of Homeland Security, which also has agents at Portland's protests, did not respond to a request for comment late Sunday. As protests against police brutality and racial inequality have gripped the nation since George Floyd's death in Minneapolis, Portland has become a tense staging ground for nightly battles between protesters, police and right-wing groups. DHS recently dispatched officers from more than a half-dozen agencies and departments to Portland to tamp down the demonstrations, the Associated Press reported on Friday. As the AP reported, the role is unusual for an agency built in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with a focus on preventing foreign attacks. The federal surge to Portland comes as Trump has promised a strong response to protesters who deface monuments and other property. Trump boasted last week about the federal presence in Oregon's largest city. "It was out of control," Trump said of Portland to acting homeland security secretary Chad Wolf on Friday, the AP reported. "The locals couldn't handle it and you people are handling it very nicely." That's not how local officials viewed it. Portland Deputy Police Chief Chris Davis told the AP that the feds don't coordinate with his agency, and complained that "it does complicate things for us" to have them on the streets. On Saturday night, officers from the Marshals Service lined up outside the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse, which has become a nexus for protesters. La Bella was standing in a park across the street when the officers began firing, his friends told Oregon Public Broadcasting. "He's been completely nonviolent the entire time he's been down there," Elton Rosas said of La Bella. "He helps de-escalate situations. Out of all people, he's one of the nicest kids you will ever meet." Video shows La Bella's head jerking backward as he's hit. Other protesters rushed to his aid, and another graphic video shows blood pooling off his forehead as they carry his limp body away. Desiree La Bella, his mother, told the Oregonian on Sunday that he required surgery. "He still has a tube in his skull to drain the blood," she said, adding that he was awake and able to move his limbs, but showed signs of confusion and had vision problems. Local and state politicians reacted with fury to the role of federal agents in the incident. "The events of last night at the federal courthouse were the tragic and avoidable result of President Donald Trump, for weeks, continuing to push for force and violence in response to protests," Oregon Democratic Gov. Kate Brown said in a statement. "The cycle of violence must end." Portland Commissioner Chloe Eudaly blasted the officers' "reckless and inexcusable behavior." "It's unfortunate that Trump cares more about protecting monuments and buildings than he does people's lives and constitutional rights," Eudaly told the Oregonian. "We didn't invite or ask for this overblown intervention by the federal government." Another city commissioner, Jo Ann Hardesty, called for the feds to leave Portland. "We have had more than enough," she tweeted. "The federal troops need to withdraw immediately, and after that we have the hard task of picking up the pieces and responding to what the public and this movement asks of us." There has been a practice where political party candidates and operatives are bussing members of the public including their own party people to voter registration centres. This has equally received condemnation from the Electoral Commission (EC) who are warning parliamentary candidates to desist from such practice with immediate effect. This is because the political parties know that the people they are bussing are not residents of the electoral areas where they want to register Dr Bossman Eric Asare, EC Deputy Chairman in charge of Corporate Services, therefore asked operatives of political parties to stop fronting for people who were not Ghanaians. He said, the Commission needs the support of all our stakeholders to compile a clean register. He appealed to the political parties to educate their agents to avoid challenges that were needless, saying, challenges must be based on evidence of people violating the rules on voter registration. Dr Asare said some registered applicants were challenged by agents of political parties, adding, the District Registration Review Committees in the districts have started sitting to check whether those who have been challenged qualify to register and vote at the centres where they were challenged. It is important to point out that a number of these challenges are as a result of people who are alleged not to be citizens of Ghana and not resident in the electoral areas where they want to register and vote. ---GNA Longtime Criminal District Court Judge Keva Landrum plans to enter the race for Orleans Parish District Attorney, according to a source with knowledge of her plans, in a move that would upend a brewing battle between City Council President Jason Williams and current DA Leon Cannizzaro. Landrum could draw voters alienated by the aggressive tactics used under Cannizzaro, such as fake subpoenas, but who are also leery of the pending federal tax fraud charges against Williams. The councilman has insisted he will run for DA and claims the charges federal prosecutors lodged against him in a June 26 indictment are politically motivated. Cannizzaro hasnt said whether hell run again, and Landrums entry into the race could complicate any path to re-election. How the timing of Jason Williams' indictment casts a long shadow over the DA election When targeting a politician, the U.S. Department of Justice prides itself on avoiding any appearance that its prosecutors are trying to change Landrum would need to retire from her judgeship in the next few days in order to campaign. Qualifying for the contest is July 22-24. The primary will be Nov. 3, the same day as the presidential election. The District Attorney's Office would be a return to form for Landrum, a former prosecutor who served as interim DA between Eddie Jordan and Cannizzaro in 2007-2008. She was the first woman to hold the post. Landrum was tasked with righting the office after Hurricane Katrina and the tenure of Jordan, who resigned amid a $3.7 million discrimination lawsuit against him and an incident where an armed robbery suspect sheltered at his house. +5 New Orleans prosecutors are winning fewer convictions at trial; DA blames budget cuts There have been some surprising scenes recently in the courtrooms of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court: seasoned New Orleans prosecutors, Her time as the citys top prosecutor ended after Cannizzaro won a 2008 DA race that also included Williams. At the same time, Landrum won the courts Section E judgeship. She was re-elected in 2015, again without opposition. 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 Her resume is significantly different from Williams, a career criminal defense attorney. Before becoming a judge, she spent 10 years at the District Attorneys Office, including stints as a homicide and sex crimes screener and as the chief of the juvenile division. However, Landrum and Williams, who both attended Tulane Universitys law school, have a friendship going back more than two decades and even studied for the bar together. Williams has cast himself as the progressive in the race who would continue reducing the citys jail population and be more selective about charging defendants for minor crimes. New Orleans judge and district attorney butt heads over jail reduction push, pretrial services Sparks flew at a public forum Friday when Keva Landrum-Johnson, chief judge at Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, accused District Attorn While Landrum and Cannizzaro both worked under longtime DA Harry Connick Sr. at different times, she ventured into public criticism of Cannizzaros policies at a forum last year. Landrum accused Cannizzaro of resisting her courts efforts to offer pretrial services to defendants and reduce the jail population. She also said Louisianas habitual offender law which Cannizzaro once made more use of than any DA in the state to ratchet up sentences for defendants with prior convictions does little to reduce crime rates. Yet another criminal justice official could toss his hat into the mix before qualifying begins. Former Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Arthur Hunter has filed a campaign finance report in the DA's race, but hasn't formally announced. Like Williams, Hunter would run to the left of Cannizzaro. A former New Orleans police officer, Hunter was known as one of the most liberal voices on the Criminal Court bench and co-founded the states first re-entry court to help rehabilitate people returning home from prison. Britain is urging businesses and individuals to prepare for the December 31 end of the Brexit transition period with an information campaign titled: "The UK's new start: let's get going." Britain left the European Union on Jan. 31, three and a half years after a referendum, but a transition period has delayed any major change in the relationship. The two sides have been working to agree a trade deal ahead of that period expiring at the end of the year. Cabinet Minister Michael Gove said on Sunday progress was being made in talks but there were still ... The Fanwood police chief accused of making disparaging remarks about state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and another official has left his position, with the Union County Prosecutors Office to temporarily run the police department. While the Union County Prosecutors Office said in a statement Monday that Chief Richard Trigo resigned Friday, Trigos lawyer said his client had previously put in his retirement papers and is taking a leave of absence to because a family member is ill. On July 4 an audio recording surfaced in which a man allegedly Trigo called former acting Union County Prosecutor Grace Park pretty hot and says she got wide ones. Park was the first Asian-American and woman to lead the prosecutors office in Union County. Trigo also allegedly said of Grewal, the nations first Sikh state attorney general, That..guy with the turban? I wanna pull him like a top. Trigos attorney, Joshua McMahon, said in a statement Monday the chief did not resign or quit. Any assertion to the contrary is categorically and demonstrably false. Chief Trigo had previously begun the process to retire on September 1, 2020 and, until that time, elected to take leave to handle a family-related health issue. McMahon added Trigo planned to retire before the audio recording surfaced. On Friday, McMahon said the chief denied making the comments claiming the recordings were manipulated and spliced by someone and would not give up his job. Despite their transparent attempts to harm a good man, the chief remains committed to the community and bringing people together, as he has done for nearly three decades, McMahon said Friday. I am confident Ms. (Acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V.) Ruotolo will abide by the long-standing norms of her office, and not comment on or prejudge the merits of any ongoing investigation, which the chief welcomes. Trigo has been working as an officer in Fanwood since 1991 and became chief in 2010. State pension records show he makes $171,521 annually. The audio recording was posted on YouTube on July 4. Ruotolo said Monday her office was exercising its supersession authority in assuming responsibility for the department, which serves the borough of about 7,700. While a search is conducted for a new chief, Capt. Kevin Grimmer of the prosecutors office has been named Officer in Charge of the Fanwood police. A 30-year-veteran of law enforcement, Grimmer has worked for the prosecutors office for 16 years after previously being employed as a cop in Plainfield. Prosecutors office Detective Nicholas Falcicchio has also been temporarily assigned to the Fanwood police department and will assist Grimmer in its day-to-day operations. Prior to joining UCPO in 2015, Falcicchio was a cop in Blairstown, where he temporarily served as an Officer in Charge at times. Trigos resignation and the retirement of other senior members of the department would have left three sergeants as the highest-ranking officers. The user who created the YouTube account, Fanwood Exposed, and posted the video could not be reached. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. NJ Advance Media staff writer Rebecca Panico contributed to this report. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. IRVING, Texas, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With the official arrival of triple-digit temperatures, TXU Energy is proud to launch its 22nd annual Beat the Heat program and events. This year, the company is expanding its efforts as more Texans face financial hardships related to the effects of COVID-19. With social distancing in mind, the 2020 program includes drive-thru distributions of new air conditioning units and fans, education on heat safety, easy-to-use tips for saving on energy costs, and information on financial assistance for TXU Energy customers. "For more than 20 years, TXU Energy's Beat the Heat program has provided support to thousands of Texans. During a Texas summer, being comfortable in your home isn't a luxury; it's a necessity," said Scott Hudson, president of TXU Energy. "This year, as the pandemic keeps people home during our hottest months, we are keenly aware that assistance for the most vulnerable has never been more essential." TXU Energy's $100,000 contribution directly supports social service organizations assisting people across Texas. With additional donations to be distributed throughout the summer months, TXU Energy's initial Beat the Heat efforts include: Dallas The Senior Source: $37,500 will go toward the purchase of air conditioning units for elderly clients in need of assistance. This donation helps The Senior Source surpass its fundraising goal of $25,000 , bringing its total to $55,000 . The sizeable donation enables The Senior Source to give away at least 225 air conditioning units this year. The drive-thru distribution takes place on July 18 . Houston BakerRipley: $10,000 will fund the purchase of 500 fans for neighbors across the Houston area. BakerRipley will distribute the fans, along with fresh fruits and vegetables, and heat safety tips during drive-thru food fair events on July 21 and July 30 . Tarrant County Meals On Wheels: $7,500 will help purchase air conditioning units, which will be distributed along with heat safety messages to seniors and homebound Meals On Wheels clients across Tarrant County . Abilene United Way of Abilene : $4,000 allowed for the purchase of 200 fans, which were distributed at a June event. Additionally, TXU Energy continues to provide bill payment assistance to customers in need through its TXU Energy AidSM program. For over 35 years, these funds, donated by employees, customers, and the company, have been distributed by TXU Energy Aid partner agencies. For information on which social service agencies are providing assistance, Texans should call 211 or visit 211Texas.org and type "electricity bill assistance" in the search box. About TXU Energy More Texans trust TXU Energy to power their homes and businesses than any other electricity provider. We're passionate about creating experiences and solutions tailored to fit the needs of our customers, including electricity plans, online tools to help save, renewable energy options and more. TXU Energy is also committed to cultivating a dynamic and enjoyable workplace where all our people can succeed. Visit txu.com for more. TXU Energy is a subsidiary of Vistra (NYSE: VST). REP #10004 Media Jenny Lyon 214-875-8004 [email protected] www.twitter.com/txuenergy www.youtube.com/txuenergy www.facebook.com/txuenergy SOURCE TXU Energy Related Links http://txu.com Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service PATNA: If you thought the economy is all about demand and supply, think again against the backdrop of the post-lockdown scenario in this Bihar village. Sir, ham log yaha bhagwan ko pa sakte hai, par rojgar nahi, (Sir, we can get God but not employment). This is what Ajoy Kumar (25), a skilled iron-casting worker, had to say when asked if he had a job, at Mile-Pakri village, about 35 km from Patna, in Vaishali district. Ajoy is among 150 migrant labourers who returned to the village from as far as Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Delhi, Gujarat and Haryana following the Covid-19 lockdown. The village is part of the Raghopur Assembly segment in Vaishali district, represented by former deputy chief minister and RJDs chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav (Lalus son) for state polls due later this year. Most of the aged villagers are banana cultivators, while youngsters go outside the state for livelihood. Brick-kiln owner Rakesh Kumar says he hired some of the migrant labourers when they did not find work elsewhere. Mintu Kumar (35), an auto repair mechanic, was among scores of workers who returned from Gujarats Surat and other cities. He says he sells golgappa on a cart in the area. We are in a strange situation where work is hard to find for so many labourers like me. So, I thought it is better to work as a vegetable or golgapa vendor than wait for a job, he said. Ditto Dheeraj Kumar (40). He returned to the village from Delhi, and though a skilled construction worker, he has no job. He says there are more than 100 others, who are masons and carpenters, but none of them has got a matching employment. ALSO READ | Smooth landing in Chennai after rough home trip for this migrant worker from Odisha Arun and Vinay Kumar of neighbouring Bidupur village say they were hired by a private contractor who pays them Rs 200 per day. We were paid Rs 600-700 per day by a flour mill owner in Punjab. We have to survive, thats all, says Kumar. The reality of joblessness is stark in many villages: migrant workers simply kill their time playing cards or gossiping. We have become nikkamah (useless), says Vijay Kumar Choudhary of Mahnar village. He refused to be photographed while playing cards. Villagers say they have not been given any work under MGNREGA or other government schemes. According to official figures, around 25 lakh migrant labourers returned to Bihar following lockdown. The government claims to have completed skill mapping of over 20 lakh such workers so that they could be given employment as per their skills. An official statement last Thursday claimed that more than 10 crore man-day works have been created under various government schemes since lockdown. Mega job scheme On June 20, the Centre launched a Rs 50,000 crore job scheme for returnee migrants in 116 districts in six states. As many as 12 Union ministries pooled 25 works for the scheme. Yet, jobs appear to be scarcely available in Bihar. BAT Korea country manager Kim Eun-ji. / Courtesy of BAT Korea By Kim Jae-heun British American Tobacco (BAT) Korea appointed its first-ever Korean female country manager Kim Eun-ji, Monday, right after her predecessor Kim Eui-soung resigned. The company said she will be responsible for leading the domestic trade business of BAT aligned with the group strategy. "I am glad to be back to Korea to serve as the country manager and to work with people of passion and commitment. With a wide range of knowledge in marketing and trade, I will bring a positive change to our journey to business turnaround carefully serving the needs of Korean consumers," Kim said. She joined BAT Korea in 2004 and has been working at the tobacco firm for over 16 years. She worked as a brand director in Indonesia before returning to her home country to take office as CEO. She has also served in other various key positions including as head of trade, head of business development and Dunhill brand manager. She holds a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Kyungpook National University and has previously worked at Unilever Korea. James Yamanaka, BAT North Asia Area director, said, "I am pleased to work with Eun-ji again for Korea operation where we are building a positive momentum for a better tomorrow. As a member of NAA Leadership Team, she will play a key role in preparing for a step change in the future of Korea business." Prior to Kim Eun-ji, Kim Eui-soung led the tobacco company since July 22 last year, serving as the first Korean country manager. Before Kim Eui-soung, only foreign CEOs had led the company here. Erik Stoel held the position for less than half year from January to May in 2016. Tony Hayward worked for 11 months from September 2016 to August 2017. Matthieu Juery fulfilled two years of service at the Korean branch from August 2017 to June 2019. Founded in 1902, BAT Group is an international tobacco company that operates in approximately 200 countries and leads the market in more than of them. BAT Korea, founded in 1990, offers its key brands Dunhill, Rothmans and KENT in the local market. Since August 2017, BAT Korea also started to offer its innovative heating device glo, reshaping the future of the Korean tobacco market. The company currently employs approximately 1,000 workers in Korea and operates a manufacturing facility in Sacheon, which is recognized as BAT Group's most innovative facility, exporting to over 15 countries. Chron.com is following the latest headlines on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Houston area. As Houston COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to rise, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo have called for a new stay-at-home order. "Not only do we need a stay home order now, but we need to stick with it this time until the hospitalization curve comes down, not just flattens," Hidalgo tweeted on Sunday. "Many communities that persevered in that way are reopening for the long haul. Lets learn from that & not make the same mistake twice." Turner called for Houston to take a "step back" over the weekend, the Houston Chronicle reported. Dr. Peter Hotez, dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine, highlighted the need for stay-at-home orders in the United States when asked on Twitter what he thinks of colleges and universities reopening in the fall. "If we do the hard work now and bring our nation to some level of containment by fall, we can open schools, colleges, maybe even the NFL," Hotez tweeted. "We could have a good life starting say Sept 15 or October 1, but so far there is no political appetite to do hard work." Here are the latest numbers, reported by the Houston Chronicle's data team: Texas saw an increase of 6,990 cases on Sunday, and added 57 new deaths, for a total of 3,213 COVID-19 deaths statewide. Sunday was the first day with fewer than 7,000 new cases since July 5. Texas' total number of COVID-19 cases is now 262,753. There has been a 71.3% increase in the state's rolling average for cases in the last two weeks. That rolling average sits at 9,191.6 cases, as of Sunday. The Houston region count has reached 63,864, with 646 deaths, up 4 from the previous day. In Texas are 11,726 beds available, 977 in ICU as of Sunday. There are 5,236 ventilators available. Those are all slight increases from yesterday. The Proteus suite is so powerful project management, ETL, visualizations and more and now its available securely on-line. Orlando, Florida-based SNA Software LLC (https://www.sna-software.com) and Technology & Business Solutions (TBS) LLC of Laurel, Maryland (https://www.tbs-llc.com), announced that they had teamed and launched Proteus Cloud to provide wide access to Proteus, a powerful fourth generation open systems platform that delivers application configuration, data visualization, ETL, and COTS project control and management capabilities regardless of underlying data or source. Proteus Cloud will include a basic package that is economically priced to make the technology affordable to individual users as well as large organizations and companies. Options to the basic package will include powerful COTS data capture, transformation, and load (ETL) software known as EnvisionData, which captures data from the most widely used third-party software in project management and control, as well as extensive pre-configured COTS functionality that provides powerful analytical and management capabilities to support project, program, and portfolio management. We have a long association with TBS in providing an integrated project management solution to some of the largest programs in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said Nicholas Pisano, president and CEO of SNA Software. TBS has a well- established reputation in the industry for a secure and flexible Cloud solution. We felt that this was a good time to make Proteus more widely available in the Cloud, particularly as the public at large, companies, and organizations have had to seek and familiarize themselves with virtual solutions as a result of Covid-19 restrictions. This launch goes hand-in-hand with our leading edge capabilities in handling Big Data, data visualization that is informed by both contextualization and time-phasing, our compatibilities with CAD/CAM and real-time PM, and our extensive COTS ETL capabilities. Finally, as a veteran-owned small business, we were also looking for a small business partner that possesses the same commitment to excellence. TBS has long been a pioneer in delivering the most sophisticated and forward-leaning enterprise applications for the government contracting community, with the very best security and compliance regimes NIST800, FAR52, ITAR, now CMMC, and more, says Jay Ethridge, Founder, CEO and Owner of TBS. We are absolutely thrilled to continue to advance our partnership with Nick and SNA. The Proteus suite is so powerful project management, ETL, visualizations and more and now its available securely on-line. Aside from FAA, SNAs Proteus and Envision solutions are the leading project, program, and portfolio management solutions used in upstream oil and gas, in sensitive Navy program management, USAF Space Force, in assessing all GovCon supplier data submissions at the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), and in a number of other government agencies, including NASA, DoD, and aerospace and defense companies. Aside from its established customer verticals, Proteus Cloud is designed to capture and visualize data in any industry, but is particularly well suited to civil construction projects needing immediate access to project data regardless of stakeholder location. Unlike ad hoc data visualization applications, Proteus is an open application configuration platform combined with COTS functionality in organizing and contextualizing data. TBSs unrivalled security and compliance covers the full stack of its Cloud offering including all infrastructure and delivery architecture, all operating systems, hosted data, hosted applications, application development and integration services, all system maintenance and product updates and upgrades, and all TBS services and support. TBS compliance for DFARS 252, ITAR, NIST800 and more are all assured with an annual SOC2 Type II audit. Angelina Jolie is to warn that children around the world left without schooling during the coronavirus crisis may never set foot in a classroom again unless action is taken. The actress and humanitarian will call for practical assistance to ensure access to continuity of education for young people worldwide at a high-level virtual event on refugee education. 'For millions of children and youth, schools are a lifeline of opportunity as well as a shield. Classrooms offer protection or at least a reprieve from violence, exploitation and other difficult circumstances,' she will tell a Unesco and UNHCR round-table event on Monday. A warning: Angelina Jolie is to warn that children around the world left without schooling during the coronavirus crisis may never set foot in a classroom again unless action is taken Helping out: The actress and humanitarian will call for practical assistance to ensure access to continuity of education for young people worldwide at a high-level virtual event on refugee education. Seen here in 2009 in Syria 'Without urgent practical assistance, some of the children left without schooling worldwide due to the coronavirus may never set foot in a classroom again. 'We must find ways to try to ensure access to continuity of education for young people across the world. 'Ensuring education for refugee children is something we can make happen, if we all come together.' Caring: 'For millions of children and youth, schools are a lifeline of opportunity as well as a shield. Classrooms offer protection or at least a reprieve from violence, exploitation and other difficult circumstances,' she will tell a Unesco and UNHCR round-table event on Monday. They need school: 'Without urgent practical assistance, some of the children left without schooling worldwide due to the coronavirus may never set foot in a classroom again,' added the Salt actress. Seen in 2019 at the UN in NYC Jolie is a special envoy for UNHCR the United Nations refugee agency. The Prime Minister's special envoy for girls' education, Baroness Sugg, will announce 5.3 million of new UK aid to support the salaries of more than 5,500 teachers in 10 of the world's poorest refugee-hosting countries at the event. It is hoped the support will help at least 300,000 vulnerable refugee children continue their education. Around 1.5 billion children in more than 150 countries are out of school, compared to around 260 million worldwide before the coronavirus crisis. International Development Minister Baroness Sugg will say: 'Education must be prioritised in the global recovery from coronavirus. This epidemic is not just a health crisis, it is an education crisis, especially for refugee children. Her brood: Angelina and Brad share six children together - Maddox, 18, Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 14, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 11. Seen in 2019 'Without school and an education they will be unable to rebuild their lives and achieve their full potential. 'Supporting every child's right to 12 years of quality education is one of the best investments the UK can make to end the cycle of displacement, poverty and conflict, as we recover from coronavirus. We urge our partners to match our ambition.' Meanwhile, her divorce proceedings from Brad Pitt are allegedly being held up because of the coronavirus pandemic. Angelina, 45, filed for divorce nearly four years ago but the work of getting it finalized has reportedly been impeded by the impact of lockdowns. 'Brad is seeing the kids but everything involved in their process of resolving legal matters between Angelina and Brad, including the courts, is slowed down because of COVID,' dished an Us Weekly insider. Side by side: Brad and Jolie's divorce proceedings are allegedly being held up because of the coronavirus pandemic; pictured in 2015 'With the pandemic, it has been hard for everyone, including them. The legal process is slowed because of that. They are continuing regular visits but there has not been a lot of progress in terms of resolving anything.' Angelina and Brad share six children together - Maddox, 18, Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 14, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 11. Over the past two weeks Brad has been seen twice at Angelina's mansion in Los Feliz possibly signaling that their equation with each other was improving. A source told People this week that the couple are 'in a better place' in terms of co-parenting the children after their custody battle. The way they were: Brad and Angelina are pictured at the World War Z premiere in Berlin in 2013, one year before they got married 'Its taken them a long time, with a lot of family therapy, to get to this point. The younger kids go back and forth between their houses, and Brad loves spending as much time with them as possible. He seems much happier,' said the insider. Although they got together in 2005 they waited until 2014 to get married, only for Angelina to file for divorce in September 2016. Since then they have battled legally over custody and finances, with Angelina reportedly demanding more money than Brad wanted to give. Living arrangements also became a sticking point as Brad was allegedly preventing Angelina from moving out of the country with their children. 'I would love to live abroad and will do so as soon as my children are 18,' she told Harper's Bazaar late last year for their December/January issue. 'Right now Im having to base where their father chooses to live.' Brad has confessed to having been an alcoholic before Angelina left him but he has since gotten sober, and last year a judge granted him more time with the children. Technavio has been monitoring the automotive led lighting market and it is poised to grow by USD 4.73 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of about 10% 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/20200713005432/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Automotive LED Lighting Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is highly fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Hella GmbH Co. KGaA, Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd., KOITO Manufacturing Co. Ltd., LG Electronics Inc., Magna International Inc., Magneti Marelli SpA, OSRAM GmbH, Stanley Electric Co. Ltd., Valeo SA, and Varroc Group. 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 increasing use of LEDs has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Automotive LED Lighting Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Automotive LED Lighting Market is segmented as below: Application Exterior Lighting Interior Lighting Type Passenger Cars Commercial Vehicles Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR32155 Automotive LED Lighting Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our automotive LED lighting market report covers the following areas: Automotive LED Lighting Market size Automotive LED Lighting Market trends Automotive LED Lighting Market industry analysis This study identifies the growing popularity of adaptive lighting systems as one of the prime reasons driving the automotive LED lighting market growth during the next few years. Automotive LED Lighting Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the automotive LED lighting market, including some of the vendors such as Hella GmbH Co. KGaA, Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd., KOITO Manufacturing Co. Ltd., LG Electronics Inc., Magna International Inc., Magneti Marelli SpA, OSRAM GmbH, Stanley Electric Co. Ltd., Valeo SA, and Varroc Group. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the automotive LED lighting 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 LED Lighting Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist automotive led lighting market growth during the next five years Estimation of the automotive led lighting market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the automotive led lighting market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive led lighting market vendors Table Of Contents : PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION Market segmentation by application Comparison by application Exterior lighting Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Interior lighting Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by application PART 07: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY VEHICLE TYPE Market segmentation by vehicle type Comparison by vehicle type Passenger cars Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Commercial vehicles Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by vehicle type PART 08: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 09: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 10: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 11: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 12: MARKET TRENDS Development of hybrid LED headlights Growing popularity of adaptive lighting systems Growing popularity of OLED lighting technology PART 13: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 14: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Hella GmbH Co. KGaA Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd. KOITO Manufacturing Co. Ltd. LG Electronics Inc. Magna International Inc. Magneti Marelli SpA OSRAM GmbH Stanley Electric Co. Ltd. Valeo SA Varroc Group PART 15: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 16: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200713005432/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/ Warkworths Rama Marrow, 12, will star on the silver screen this year in Northspur, a Kiwi production about the downfall of modern society in the wake of an electromagnetic pulse. Rama has been with an acting agency for most of his life, but this will be his first feature film. He turned down his first job when he was just four years old, filming an advertisement for Air New Zealand, because it featured meat, and he was vegetarian. I think he was quite freaked out by the lobster, his father Dan Marrow says. Rama has performed in plays at Matakana School and Mahurangi College and says he has always known he wanted to be an actor. I used to dress up a lot as Indiana Jones and Spiderman. Ive never been shy, and when I found out about acting, I knew it was what I wanted to do. Rama says he felt right at home on set in Marlborough, shooting Northspur over four weeks in November last year, and enjoyed crawling through tunnels in bunkers, pretending to get shot. He especially liked working with actor Michael Hearst, who has starred in Hercules and Spartacus. Rama says his most difficult scene required him to break down and cry while explaining how his parents died. He hasnt had any formal training, but he nailed it and never forgot his lines or had to do retakes, his father says. The film is being promoted overseas and will be great exposure for Rama, who is named fourth on the credits. It is expected to be released in September, possibly in theatres or on online streaming services. When it comes out, Rama may not officially be allowed to watch it because the action-packed film could end up with an R13 rating. The film is set after an electromagnetic pulse strike brings down modern society. The protagonist must compete with gangsters to secure lifesaving medicine for his wife. Rama plays a young boy who has escaped the captivity of a gang and is trying to survive in a cabin. Rama intends to pursue acting after school and hopes to audition for more roles soon. Before Covid-19 disrupted the film industry, Rama had auditions for the Lord of the Rings television series and a Peter Pan movie. A San Antonio Methodist Hospital doctor is warning of an increase in the number of young people getting infected with the coronavirus and said some people are deliberately trying to infect themselves by attending COVID-19 parties. Dr. Jane Appleby, chief medical officer at Methodist, said a patient who died there told a nurse of contracting the virus at a party hosted by an infected person. The patient had viewed attending the party as a test, to see if the virus was real. Appleby said the patient told the nurse, I think I made a mistake. I thought this was a hoax, but its not. Over the weekend, the hospital released a recorded video statement from Appleby. TRACKING CORONAVIRUS: Interactive maps, charts show spread of COVID-19 across Houston, rest of Texas A hospital spokeswoman said Sunday that Appleby recorded the statement in hopes it would bring awareness to the need for young people to protect themselves from the virus. In the video, Appleby notes that currently in Bexar County, about 22 percent of people who are tested for the coronavirus test positive. Thats about 1 in 5 people, she says. This is a concerning increase from a positive rate of about 5 percent only several weeks ago. And as we see the virus spreading in our community were also seeing it affect a broader age range of people, including young people in their 20s and 30s. She add that the virus doesnt discriminate and none of us are invincible. I dont wanna be an alarmist, and were just trying to share some real world examples to help our community realize that this virus is very serious. Wearing a gray T-shirt underneath black scrubs, Appleby looked into the camera and relayed what she called a heartbreaking story from this week of a person within the age group to which she was referring who died from the virus. Now Playing: Dr. Appleby of Methodist Hospital talks about a COVID-19 party that led to the death of a 30-year old. Video: San Antonio Express-News We cared for a 30-year-old patient at Methodist Hospital who told their nurse that they had attended a COVID party, she said. Appleby said these parties are held by somebody diagnosed with COVID-19, and the thought is that people get together to see if the virus is real, and if anyone gets infected. Just before the patient died, they looked at their nurse and they said, I think I made a mistake. I thought this was a hoax but its not, she said. She did not identify the patient or add any further details, such as where or when the party happened. Appleby said the tragedy is just one example of a potentially avoidable death in a young member of our community and I cant imagine the loss of the family. There has been no clear evidence that COVID parties are happening locally or nationally. Some health experts and public officials have cast doubt on whether or to what extent these are taking place. TIMELINE: How coronavirus took over Houston, rest of Texas Reached late Sunday, representatives from the citys Metropolitan Health District said they had not heard of such parties taking place in the Alamo City. Emergency physician Dr. Robert Glatter, who works at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, said COVID parties are dangerous, irresponsible and potentially deadly, and could cause chronic and unrelenting fatigue, chest pain, difficulty breathing and daily fevers, if you do survive. In southeastern Washington state, county health officials reported in May that they had evidence at least two coronavirus cases were linked to one or more COVID-19 parties, then quickly reversed themselves, saying they may have been more innocent gatherings. Reports that students in Alabama were getting together and betting on who could get infected with the virus first with the sickened winner taking home a pot of money led to warnings from the University of Alabama to students about the risks associated with the parties. The events couldnt be confirmed by state health officials. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that people infected with the coronavirus should not attend gatherings, and that any event where people are mingling without face coverings or social distancing is inherently high risk. Appleby, the San Antonio physician, reiterated that the best way to stay safe is to follow protocols set forth by health professionals. Please wear a mask, stay at home when you can, avoid groups of people and sanitize your hands. Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 "As a leader in Italian meats, we are excited to expand our portfolio and bring more of the traditional taste of Carando to consumers," said Diane Purnell, brand manager for Carando at Smithfield Foods. "Our new fully-cooked calzones offer convenient, on-the-go options for consumers looking to enjoy an easy meal at any time." The calzones are ready to heat and eat in less than two minutes. Each calzone is 6 ounces and retails at $2.99. To find out more information, visit www.carando.com. About Carando Nearly a century ago, founder Pietro Carando brought the Italian tradition of sausage-making from Torino, Italy, to America. Since then, the authentic Italian deli meats, fresh meatballs and sausages, and grab-n-go options of Carando have tied the name to quality. One taste is all it takes to discover the authentic Italian difference of Carando. For more information, visit www.carando.com or follow us on Facebook (@carandomeats) and Instagram (@carandomeats). Carando is a brand of Smithfield Foods. About Smithfield Foods Headquartered in Smithfield, Va., since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Our 40,000 U.S. employees are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly." and have made us one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including many industry firsts, such as our ambitious commitment to cut our carbon impact by 25 percent by 2025. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our neighbors in need. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield, Eckrich, and Nathan's Famous, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com , and connect with us on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , and Instagram . SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc. Related Links https://www.smithfieldfoods.com France is implementing and plans to implement a number of projects, worth EUR 1.5 billion, in Ukraine on attractive financial terms, French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins has said. "If we count the projects that have already been signed, are being implemented and have been funded, in particular, the project to supply helicopters to the Interior Ministry, as well as a new project due to be signed next week to supply patrol boats to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, a water supply project and other projects for the future, their total budget will reach 1.5 billion euros, which is a very serious amount, " he said during an online press conference dedicated to the start of a project for the supply of drinking water in Mariupol. The diplomat said France was considering a number of projects for implementation in Ukraine. The main ones are cooperation in the field of railway transport, which may include both the supply of locomotives and the modernization of railways and railway signaling in Ukraine, he said. In addition, the French side, together with Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov, is working on a project to set up a network to prevent and detect early-stage breast cancer, and its budget may reach EUR 24 million, he added. De Poncins said the issue concerned the implementation of projects on attractive financial terms for Ukraine, which are possible thanks to the support of the French public treasury. "Today we are working with our colleagues so that this package of financial assistance, secured by the Ministry of Finance of France to Ukraine, could be used in full for the benefit of Ukraine," he said. op ATLANTA, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton announced today that Michael J. Cochran is joining the firm as a partner in Atlanta. Mr. Cochran will be a member of Kilpatrick Townsend's Corporate Department and Co-Chair the firm's expanding Private Equity team. He comes to the firm from Dentons, where he previously had served as Chair of the U.S. Corporate Practice. "I have known many of Kilpatrick Townsend's outstanding lawyers for nearly three decades and I am proud to say that I was a firm client when I founded my Atlanta-based private equity firm early in my career," said Mick Cochran. "In fact, my lead attorneys are still at the firm David Stockton, Ben Barkley, and Lynn Fowler. I know firsthand the firm's dedication to client service. Being able to leverage the firm's world-class Technology and Bankruptcy & Financial Restructuring practices will enhance my ability to better serve my growing investor client base." "We welcome Mick to Kilpatrick Townsend though it feels more like a homecoming," said Ben Barkley, Kilpatrick Townsend Corporate Department Chair. "Mick's addition presents us with a unique opportunity to grow our already robust private equity practice with a partner who is well known to many of our existing corporate partners. We all look forward to working with him again." Mr. Cochran's practice is primarily focused on private equity and venture capital with a concentration on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and distressed transactions. He represents buyers, sellers, and financiers in their investing activities and financing needs. Mr. Cochran's private equity and hedge fund practice focuses on fund formation, growth equity, management buyouts, recapitalizations, and spinouts. Mr. Cochran also acts as a strategic advisor to clients with respect to a variety of financial, business, and legal issues. His experience crosses a number of industries, including life sciences and biotechnology, financial services, health care, industrial services, telecommunications, home furnishings, home textiles, and media. Mr. Cochran's clients range in size from early-stage companies and private equity firms to large, multi-national corporations. Mr. Cochran also has experience in representing financial institutions, including commercial and investment banks, in connection with debt and equity financings. He has particular experience representing non-bank lenders in their lending activities, including through the provision of growth capital and mezzanine financings. Mr. Cochran actively represents troubled companies and their capital providers in complex, distressed financial transactions. He also provides corporate advice to boards of directors and financial advisors in non-judicial workouts. Mr. Cochran is ranked by Chambers USA as a leading Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions lawyer. He is recognized by Best Lawyers in America for Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Corporate Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights, and Insolvency and Reorganization Law. In addition, Mr. Cochran has been recognized by The Legal 500 for Mergers & Acquisitions. Also, The Daily Report recently recognized him as one of the "Most Effective Dealmakers of the Year" for 2019. Mr. Cochran is actively involved in the community. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of First Step Staffing a 501(c)(3) staffing company that provides employment for individuals who have recently experienced homelessness and for returning citizens. Mr. Cochran acts as outside general counsel for the Westside Future Fund a 501(c)(3) fund formed by Atlanta's public, private, and philanthropic partners who believe in the future of Atlanta's Westside. For more information about Kilpatrick Townsend, please visit kilpatricktownsend.com. SOURCE Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton Related Links http://www.kilpatrickstockton.com A British tourist who died at a luxury Costa del Sol hotel after plunging from a balcony onto a Spaniard enjoying a late-night drink on the terrace below has been pictured for the first time. Anthony Holmes, 49, fell from the seventh-floor onto Antonio Gonzalez, 43, shortly before 2am in the five-star Melia Don Pepe Hotel in Marbella. Father-of-two Mr Gonzalez - who ran a gym in the area - also lost his life in the double tragedy. Police are trying to establish if the holidaymaker - who was visiting Marbella with his family - jumped or fell by accident. Anthony Holmes, 49, (left) fell from the seventh-floor of a luxury Costa del Sol hotel onto Antonio Gonzalez, 43, (right) shortly before in Marbella The Spaniard was with his wife and a group of friends when he was killed. The couple were looking at the hotel (pictured) as a potential venue for their daughter's holy communion The British tourist was staying at the five-star Melia Don Pepe Hotel in Marbella and fell from its seventh-floor The Spaniard was with his wife and a group of friends when he was killed, The Mirror reports. The couple were looking at the hotel as a potential venue for their daughter's holy communion. The group were singing 'happy birthday' shortly before Mr Holmes fell, local media reports. The tragedy occurred at 1.45am Sunday morning and the two men died instantly. Police are investigating the incident to determine whether the man fell or jumped. Pictured: Marbella (stock image) Staff at the hotel said they would not be making any comment. National Police in Malaga, which is investigating, said: 'I can confirm two men have died at a hotel in Marbella after one plunged from the seventh-floor and landed on top of another. 'We are investigating.' A well-placed sourced confirmed: 'The man who jumped or fell is a British man aged around 50. 'The man who was enjoying a drink on the hotel terrace below him is a 43-year-old Spaniard.' Consumers Continue to Use a Variety of Payment Methods MONTREAL, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A Bank of Canada Staff Discussion Paper on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the demand for and use of cash found that Canadians are still using a variety of payment methods. The study found that cash in circulation in Canada grew sharply in March and April 2020, and the increase was large in both absolute dollars and percentages compared with historical experience. In addition, the study noted that Canadians continued to have good access to cash, were generally (but not universally) able to use cash at merchants and increased their cash holdings somewhat during the pandemic. Specifically, the study found that 36% of Canadians reported using cash for payment over the past week. About the same number of Canadians (38%) used e-transfers, but a majority continued to use their debit (52%) or credit card (62%). However, what is most significant is that 74% of respondents have no plans to go cashless in the next five years. Even those that responded they had already gone cashless, more than 50% continue to keep cash on hand, showing that behaviour and stated intentions are still not completely aligned. We have continued to maintain that consumers want a variety of means to pay for their goods and services, said Steven Meitin, President, Canadian Association of Secured Transportation (CAST). The paper from the Bank of Canada re-affirms this position. About the Canadian Association of Secured Transportation The purpose of the Canadian Association of Secured Transportation (CAST) is to promote and advocate for the interests of Canadian providers of secure transportation of valuables, to provide a venue for beneficial dialogue among members, and to encourage the advancement and excellence of industry standards across Canada and abroad. CAST is the Canadian member of the International Security Ligue. www.cast-acts.ca Media Contact: Steven Meitin President, Canadian Association of Secured Transportation (CAST) contact_cast@cast-acts.ca www.cast-acts.ca Amid growing social opposition of the working class against the Socialist Party-Podemos government and its affiliated trade unions, Workers Commissions (CCOO) and the General Union of Labour (UGT), Spains far-right Vox has announced it will create a new trade union in September. The call is a warning to the working class. Voxthe third largest political party in parliament with 50 seats, heavily promoted by the media, and with strong connections to the Spanish military, police and intelligence servicesis build a nationalist organization to strangle opposition among workers. According to Vox leader Santiago Abascal, this union will protect workers, their families, our neighborhoods, and industry, and it will not kneel before the powerful or the communist nomenclature, and will not be at the service of the left and its globalist interests, in reference to Podemos and the PSOE. The union will aim to represent all Spaniards and not to force a non-existent class struggle. Vox spokersperson Jorge Buxade, a former member of the FalangeSpains main party group during the 1930s, which became the sole legal party under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco from 1939 to 1977 accused the CCOO and UGT unions of not defending workers rights. He reiterated that the new organization will not be class-based. He stated that in a time of economic crisis and rising unemployment, the trade union have lost themselves in many rights that are useless, in reference to identity politics, and have forgotten the only right that really matters is the right to work. The Spanish unions have not defended the workers from Airbus, Nissan or Alcoa, companies implementing thousands of job cuts. To distance the new organisation from the current unions, funded to the tune of billions of euros by the state and the employers, Buxade claimed the new organisation will be funded by its members. The calculations of the fascists are very clear. The global economy faces its worst recession since the 1930s, whose effects are yet to be seen. The IMF predicts the Spanish economy will fall 12 to 18 percent this year, the worst fall since the Spanish Civil War. Its public deficit will grow from 2.8 percent in 2019, after social spending was decimated by a decade of savage austerity, to 13.9 percent. Unemployment is expected to grow to 20 to 25 percent of the working population by the end of the year. Intermon Oxfam estimates that 700,000 would fall into poverty, which could affect 26 percent of the population. In the interests of the financial aristocracy, the PSOE-Podemos government is preparing to implement draconian austerity, with billions of euros of cuts in health care, education and pensions. Spains central bank insists Spain must cut 6 billion a year, impose new structural reforms to pensionscuts and delaying further the age of retirementand increase VAT, which overwhelmingly affects the working class. The PSOE-Podemos government has already passed a 100 billion bank and corporate bailout, the largest in Spanish history. It is widely understood among workers and by Vox that the UGT and CCOO support the PSOE and Podemos government and will not oppose such measures, which will provoke explosive social anger. The unions have supported all of the PSOE-Podemos recent measures. They recently endorsed the labour reform first passed by the right-wing Popular Party, and CCOO General Secretary Unai Sordo recently ruled out taxing the wealthy: Raising taxes only for the upper classes is not enough, you have to tell the people. The unions have also been the main enforcers of back-to-work orders amid the pandemic, risking the lives of millions of workers for corporate profits. The unions also refused to oppose the PSOE-Podemos governments mounting repression of workers. They did not lift a finger when the PSOE and Podemos unleashed riot police against strikes by steelworkers and protests by Glovo delivery workers against unsafe working conditions. They also kept silent when the government banned protests and rallies, cynically arguing that health considerations had to prevail over the right to protestwhile sending millions of workers back to work amid the pandemic. Anticipating the further growth of social opposition to the government and the unions, Vox aims to build an organization to whip up nationalism, divide the workers, andwhen necessaryphysically attack strikers. This development should be taken as a warning. It confirms two key analyses the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) has made of the growth of the far-right. First, Vox, like other far-right parties internationally, does not reflect widespread fascistic sentiments in the population. It is driven from above, by forces in the media, the state, the military-police apparatus. It has benefitted from endless media promotion of Spanish nationalism and police repression in Catalonia. Vox is aware of its own vulnerability. Its constituency is still overwhelmingly the middle class, security forces and traditional right-wing Catholic groups. According to a latest poll, Voxs overall support is in fact decreasing. It has gone from 15 percent to 13 percent. Since the pandemic began, Vox has supported the big banks, private education and healthcare, cuts in public pensions, the pharmaceutical companies, the electricity companies and tax cuts on high incomes. In addition, it has defended unpopular company bailouts, while attacking those received by poor workers. In recent weeks, however, it has intensified its cynical attempts to tap into rising social anger at the PSOE-Podemos government and the unions. Vox has begun agitating for the defence of national products and companies against foreign capital and scapegoating migrant workers. Vox has also attempted to posture as opposing the plant closures announced by automaker Nissan and aluminium producer Alcoa. Moreover, the struggle against the far-right requires a Marxist internationalist perspective. Keeping the ruling class from promoting fascistic forces requires building, an international socialist movement opposing Podemos and similar left populist parties on the leftmobilizing opposition among workers internationally to inequality, authoritarianism and war on a socialist basis. Social-democratic and Stalinist unions cannot seriously struggle against, let alone defeat fascist unions. Rooted in a nationalist and pro-capitalist perspective, they responded to the globalization of production with a decades-long collaboration with management to drive down workers living standards. In every country, workers struggles have faced sabotage by the unions, who have done everything they can to divide workers along national lines. These conditions paved the way for Voxs advance. Podemos integration in a PSOE-led government has demonstrated that the left populist parties of the affluent class neither can nor will oppose the rise of far-right parties. Indeed, they are the fifth wheel of the bourgeoisies turn to fascistic forms of rule. Terrified at rising strikes and protests, Podemos is working with the PSOE to pass anti-democratic measures to strangle political opposition. Podemos leader and Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias praised Voxs nationalism, telling the Italian newspaper La Stampa in a recent interview that in times of crisis it is normal to re-evaluate national sovereignty, as Vox does. He added that the extreme right has understood this debate but complained that it gives answers that are not democratic. The struggle against Vox requires the building of a new political leadership in the working class: sections of the ICFI in Spain and across Europe. None of the problems of militarism, EU austerity, the COVID-19 pandemic and the national conflicts whipped up by the bourgeoisie can be solved in a national, capitalist framework. The way forward is a fight to unify struggles of the working class across Europe and beyond in opposition to capitalism and imperialism. On Friday, amid the accelerating deadly coronavirus pandemic, the French trade unions and the Macron administration announced a new healthcare agreement that will erode conditions for hospital and other healthcare workers, and do nothing to address the catastrophic conditions in hospitals exposed by the virus. The full contents of the agreements have not yet been published, but even those details published by the media make clear that it is a major assault on healthcare. They include: A further ending of restrictions on the 35-hour work week for nurses . According to the financial daily Les Echos, the agreement stipulates the possibility of individual contracts for completing an annual quota of supplementary hours on top of the 35-hour week. The federal secretary of the General Federation of Labour (CGT), Patrick Bourdillon, was forced to admit that these additional hours will be paid, but we do not have the details of how much. We are therefore being asked to sign a blank check to end the 35-hour week. While loopholes already existed on the 35-hour week, these are to be further expanded, enabling hospital management to use this more often, according to Les Echos. The newspaper hailed the agreement for permitting reorganizations at the hospital, giving management room to maneuver and thus increasing overall productivity. . According to the financial daily Les Echos, the agreement stipulates the possibility of individual contracts for completing an annual quota of supplementary hours on top of the 35-hour week. The federal secretary of the General Federation of Labour (CGT), Patrick Bourdillon, was forced to admit that these additional hours will be paid, but we do not have the details of how much. We are therefore being asked to sign a blank check to end the 35-hour week. While loopholes already existed on the 35-hour week, these are to be further expanded, enabling hospital management to use this more often, according to Les Echos. The newspaper hailed the agreement for permitting reorganizations at the hospital, giving management room to maneuver and thus increasing overall productivity. No pledge for reopening beds . In the last six years, 17,500 overstay hospital beds have been closed in France due to continuous cuts to hospital budgets. Of these, almost one quarter were closed in 2017-18. Over the past 20 years, more than 100,000 beds have been closed. The agreement includes no pledge for hospital funding to reverse the impact of this bipartisan decadeslong assault. . In the last six years, 17,500 overstay hospital beds have been closed in France due to continuous cuts to hospital budgets. Of these, almost one quarter were closed in 2017-18. Over the past 20 years, more than 100,000 beds have been closed. The agreement includes no pledge for hospital funding to reverse the impact of this bipartisan decadeslong assault. A negligible increase in hospital staff . The agreement includes a pledge to increase the number of nurse positions by 7,500. This amounts to a drop in the ocean, approximately one or two additional nurses per facility. Moreover, half of these positions had already been allocated within the existing budgets of hospitals but had not been filled because of the atrocious conditions for nurses. . The agreement includes a pledge to increase the number of nurse positions by 7,500. This amounts to a drop in the ocean, approximately one or two additional nurses per facility. Moreover, half of these positions had already been allocated within the existing budgets of hospitals but had not been filled because of the atrocious conditions for nurses. An inadequate pay rise for nurses of 180 euros per month. This is just over half the 300 euros that the trade unions had claimed was their central demand in advance of the negotiations. Nurses will not see any increase until September, and the full wage rise will not come into force until March next year. This follows decades of real wage cuts for nurses and other healthcare staff. The total funding budgeted toward nurses and retirement home staff comes to 7.5 billion, and an additional 450 million for doctors. This is roughly two percent of the almost 400 billion that the Macron administration pledged to guarantee the loans of French banks and corporations as it imposed a lockdown in March. Moreover, as further details of the agreement continue to emerge, there will no doubt be even more far-reaching attacks revealed. Nonetheless, three trade union federations, the French Democratic Labor Confederation (CFDT), National Union of Autonomous Unions (UNSA), and Workers Force (FO), declared that the deal for nurses represented a great victory and that they would sign it tomorrow. It would therefore pass, since the combined vote these federations received in the last union elections was just over 50 percent, and they therefore claim to represent half the workforce. This has enabled the CGT to play its assigned role of fraudulently criticizing elements of the agreement, while committing it to nothing. The CGT is itself seeking to demobilize widespread opposition among nurses and healthcare workers to the agreement. While the media has claimed that the CGT is opposed to the agreement, this is false. On Thursday evening, it published a video by Mireille Stivala, the general secretary of the Federation of Health and Social Work (FSAS). Stivala said the agreement crossed a number of the unions red lines, but concluded that the union may still vote for it anyway. The union would prepare a report for members on the deal so that the point of support for the signature or the nonsignature of the agreement comes from the base and the workers. Even if the agreement may be disappointing, we have to acknowledge all the same that its thanks to the mobilisation of staff over recent years, and thanks to the trade unions, that weve been able to [obtain] this wage increase. She concluded absurdly by calling on workers to join a national protest on the national holiday of Bastille Day on July 14 to call for improvements in workers conditions that the unions and the government are in the process of tearing up. The agreement underscores certain definite social realities. The systematic assault on the hospital system in France and internationally over decades has not been the result of mistaken policies or a lack of understanding of the importance of the healthcare system for society. In the midst of the greatest pandemic in a century, in which over 30,000 have been killed in France and 568,000 around the world, the response of the ruling class and its political and trade union representatives is to further trash the public healthcare system. As far as the capitalist class is concerned, if more workers die, and particularly the elderly who are no longer able to produce profits for employers, this is not only unimportant, but can be a positive good, as it will reduce spending on both healthcare and pensions. The slashing of social spending is necessary to fund the massive transfer of wealth from the working class to the rich that has been accelerated throughout the pandemic. And the rich will continue to enjoy the best quality healthcare that money can buy. That is why governments internationally are maintaining their return-to-work policy, ensuring that corporate profit-making activities can be resumed despite the threat to millions. It would be the greatest mistake for healthcare workers to believe that the latest sellout can be reversed through the placing of pressure on the trade union leaders, as is put forward by the recently-formed Inter-Urgences trade union. It is not merely a matter of corrupt individuals, though that is in great supply. Under conditions of globalized production, the corporatist and nationalist program of the trade unions in every country has transformed them into the open agents of corporate management and governments, tasked with suppressing opposition among workers and increasing profits. Healthcare workers must instead break free from the corporatist grip of the union apparatuses and form their own independent organisations of struggle, rank-and-file committees, organized by workers themselves. An appeal must be made for the development of a unified industrial and political offensive of the working class internationally. This must be tied to a socialist program, for the taking of political power by the working class internationally, and the reorganization of society on a socialist basis. The coronavirus pandemic has made clear that the capitalist class is in a war against society. The fight against the pandemic means a war against capitalism and the fight for socialism. GOTHENBURG, Sweden, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SKF welcomes institutional investors, financial analysts and financial media to the Group's first virtual Capital Markets Day which, as previously announced, will be held on 4 November. During this digital event, participants will get updates from Group Management members on the development of SKF's strategic ambition as well as the Group's financial and operational performance. It has previously been communicated that Sandvik, Volvo Group and SKF would co-ordinate their capital market days held in Austria and Sweden. Due to the circumstances of COVID-19, all three companies' have decided to instead arrange the capital markets days virtually. More information, including a complete agenda and information regarding how to register, will be sent out closer to SKF's Capital Markets Day on 4 November. For further information, please contact: PRESS: Theo Kjellberg Director, Press Relations Tel: 46-31-337-6576 Mobile: 46-725-776576 E-mail: [email protected] INVESTOR RELATIONS: Patrik Stenberg Head of Investor Relations Patrik Stenberg +46-31-337-2104 +46-705-472-104 [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/skf/r/skf-s-capital-markets-day-on-4-november-2020-will-be-digital,c3153199 The following files are available for download: SOURCE SKF A group of six young travellers who tried to sneak across the Queensland border in a large van after lying on their declaration forms have been fined $24,000. The group told officers they had been working in New South Wales for the past three weeks, however, evidence discovered on their phones proved they had been in the coronavirus hotspot of Victoria in the last fortnight. Footage of the incident shows officers asking the driver of the white minivan why some of his passengers had tried to bail out of the car as it approached the heavily policed checkpoint. They were travelling in a minivan on Saturday night when police intercepted them at the M1 check-point and again on Sunday officers intercepted the same van in Coolangatta around 2pm. Two 19-year-old women and four men aged 18, 19, 23 and 28, were fined $4,003 for failing to comply with the COVID-19 Border Direction when they tried to cross into Queensland Officers asked the driver of the white minivan why some of his passengers had tried to bail out of the car as it approached the heavily policed checkpoint Two 19-year-old women and four men aged 18, 19, 23 and 28, were fined $4,003 for failing to comply with the COVID-19 Border Direction. The driver of the minivan was from Queensland and while one of the passengers was from NSW. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Monday morning she was aware of the group and warned rule breakers they would be caught. 'Victorians cannot come to Queensland,' Ms Palaszczuk said. 'We saw some people trying to get in, in a van, it's not on. You'll be caught. You'll be fined.' 'So those young people now have hefty fines they now have to pay.' Ms Palaszczuk has said Queensland is well prepared for a potential second wave of COVID-19 even though the state has just four active cases. The latest case was identified as an overseas traveller who had been in hotel quarantine. 'The new case was acquired overseas and is currently in hotel quarantine. They are not considered a risk to the public,' Ms Palaszczuk tweeted. New South Wales has also closed it's borders to Victoria with a heavy police presence at checkpoints (pictured) Victoria is currently dealing with a second wave of coronavirus cases by locking down certain areas in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire The whole of Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire north of the city was placed back into lock down for six weeks on Wednesday. Pictured: A map showing the suburbs in lockdown She said government departments have, at her request, recently completed planning exercises in anticipation of community transmission outbreaks. Queensland reopened its border on July 10 to every state and territory in Australia with the exception of Victoria, which is dealing with a second wave of COVID-19 cases. There are more than 1,400 active cases in Victoria where Melbourne suburbs are in lockdown. 'We know that Victoria is going through a very tough time. I have acknowledged that could happen to anyone, anywhere at any times as well and that is why we need to be ready,' Ms Palaszczuk said 'During last week I tasked departments in my government to continually do exercise planning. 'Just like we do for cyclones and bushfires and floods... we will continue to be prepared for COVID outbreaks.' Even though there were zero new cases in Queensland overnight, Ms Palaszczuk says it's not because the state has become complacent, with 3,700 tests conducted on Saturday. A new, unpublished study of data collected during the COVID-19 outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in February suggests that the virus likely spread through the ships air-conditioning system. The analysis, which has not been peer-reviewed, was distributed by the health preprint server MedRxiv on Thursday. Researchers at Britains Bournemouth University and Kings College London looked at symptomatic infection rates during the quarantine period in cabins with previous confirmed cases and compared them to those in cabins without previous confirmed cases, including those in single-occupancy rooms. The expectation was that the rate of infection would be significantly higher in the cabins that had had confirmed cases (passengers who tested positive and were taken into isolation off the ship). But the results showed that was not the case. The scientists concluded that airborne transmission of COVID-19 through the ships ventilation system could explain how the virus spread into cabins. By Feb. 20, 619 COVID-19-positive cases of which 301 were symptomatic were confirmed on the ship. A total of 163 of those, 115 passengers and 48 crew, recorded symptom onset during the quarantine period Feb. 6-17. The analysis showed that 20% of those 115 passenger cases occurred in cabins that had previously had a passenger with a confirmed, symptomatic COVID-19 infection staying in it. Eighty percent were in cabins that didnt have a previous confirmed case. It is not possible to infer exactly when all cases on Diamond Princess were infected due to the variance in COVID-19 incubation periods among individuals and to the lack of symptom presentation in many cases, the studys authors Orouba Almilaji and Peter W. Thomas wrote. However, we assume that the infection risk is higher when there is a close contact with a sick person within a small space such as ships cabins. The study found that age distributions among the cabins did not appear to make a difference in the results. The role of ventilation systems in facilitating COVID-19 infections has come under increasing scrutiny as the pandemic spreads. At a restaurant in Guangzhou, China, an outbreak involving three family clusters in late January and early February was linked the airflow of the establishments air-conditioning system. Another study confirmed that speech droplets can linger in the air for tens of minutes. Droplets from infected individuals could transmit the disease in confined spaces and via ventilation systems. The Diamond Princess HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) system is similar to those in found in many restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, gyms, buses and trains, office buildings, prisons and schools. The ship does not have higher ventilation rate and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that effectively reduce airborne transmission of pathogens on airplanes. The design of the air conditioning system in the Diamond Princess shows that air from different passengers cabins gathered in one air duct, mixed with some fresh air (30% only) and then [was] re-supplied to the different cabins again, the studys authors wrote. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Multiple Alameda County cities will support outdoor dining in spite of new state guidance How often should I wash my cloth mask? What about surgical, N95 masks? San Francisco says the Zoo may reopen but salons, barbers must keep waiting COVID-19-positive Bay Area nurse sues Kaiser for racial discrimination How to protect yourself when caring for a child who is sick with COVID-19 Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate The UFC Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman retained his title after beating Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision at UFC 251 Fight Island in Abu Dhabi on Sunday (July 12). The match ended after five rounds during which Usman did well to control the pace of the bout to register a 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46 win against Masvidal. "Masvidal is the biggest, baddest dude out there right now. I had to switch gears and prepare for him on a week's notice. ... I had to make a mental shift. I trained for Gilbert. I had a completely different game plan," Usman told UFC play-by-play announcer Jon Anik after the fight. Notably, the main event in UFC 251 was supposed to be a bout between Usman and Gilbert Burns, but Burns withdrew from the event after testing positive for coronavirus. UFC president Dana White then started looking for a replacement for Burns and signed in Masvidal for the main event agaisnt Usman. With this win, Usman now has a professional record of 17 wins and just one defeat, whilst Masvidal has a record of 35 wins and 14 defeats. "I'm just at a level better. I have more tools in the toolbox. And when I need to pull them out, I can pull them out and use them," Usman said aftre the win. The 33-year-old Nigerian champion came to Abu Dhabi after a fifth-round TKO over Colby Covington at UFC 245 in December 2019. This was the latest UFC title fight finish ever and Usman's second title defense. Stating that humanity is more important than money, over 80 millionaires on Monday called on governments to impose taxes on them substantially to raise funds to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, since charity alone will not resolve the problem. The millionaires, mostly based in the United States and the United Kingdom, say in the open letter that raising the taxes will adequately fund health systems, schools, and security through a permanent tax increase on the wealthiest people on the planet, people like us. They say: No, we are not the ones caring for the sick in intensive care wards. We are not driving the ambulances that will bring the ill to hospitals. We are not restocking grocery store shelves or delivering food door to door. But we do have money, lots of it. Money that is desperately needed now and will continue to be needed in the years ahead, as our world recovers from this crisis. Today, we, the undersigned millionaires, ask our governments to raise taxes on people like us. Immediately. Substantially. Permanently. The signatories include Abigail Disney, Tim Disney and Mary Ford. Labour leader Keir Starmer has asked the Boris Johnson government to consider imposing wealth tax: We are saying to the government, look at the idea of a wealth tax, we certainly support the principle that those with the broadest shoulders should bear the greatest burden. The letter goes on to say: The impact of this crisis will last for decades. It could push half a billion more people into poverty. Hundreds of millions of people will lose their jobs as businesses close, some permanently. Already, there are nearly a billion children out of school, many with no access to the resources they need to continue their learning. And of course the absence of hospital beds, protective masks, and ventilators is a painful, daily reminder of the inadequate investment made in public health systems across the world. The millionaires say that a huge debt is owed to the people working on the frontlines of the global battle, adding that most essential workers are grossly underpaid for the burden they carry. Our interconnectedness has never been more clear. We must rebalance our world before it is too late. There will not be another chance to get this right. Unlike tens of millions of people around the world, we do not have to worry about losing our jobs, our homes, or our ability to support our families. We are not fighting on the frontlines of this emergency and we are much less likely to be its victims. So please. Tax us. Tax us. Tax us. It is the right choice. It is the only choice. Humanity is more important than our money, the letter adds. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Advice: Ex-minister Brendan Howlin has told the Taoiseach to base his case to the EU on the Brexit fallout. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins Ireland is at risk of seriously losing out in the division of a post-coronavirus EU aid package worth 750m, the Taoiseach has been warned. The issue is among a packed agenda for an EU leaders' summit in Brussels on Friday which will be Micheal Martin's first such meeting. Other issues down for decision are the final leg of Brexit negotiations, and a future EU seven-year 1tn budget plan, which must plug a 12bn yearly gap left by the UK's departure on December 31 next. EU summit chairman, the former Belgian prime minister Charles Michel, this weekend framed new compromise proposals aimed at resolving a deadlock over budget plans and the coronavirus aid package. Ireland and Belgium had objected to division plans for the 750bn aid package published on May 27 last. This suggested that Ireland's take would be as low as 3bn and Dublin has since argued that the ground rules for aid division base too much on economic conditions before the virus struck in early March. Mr Michel's revised plans now allow 30pc of aid to be assessed on economic conditions this year and in 2021. But former public expenditure minister Brendan Howlin has warned the Taoiseach that even these changes are unlikely to deliver significantly more money to Ireland. Mr Howlin, who chaired a large section of the EU's last budget planning discussions under Ireland's six-month presidency in 2013, has urged the Taoiseach to base this country's case mainly on the Brexit fallout. "No EU country, besides Ireland, will be more impacted by Brexit. Combined with the coronavirus disruption it amounts to a terrible double-blow. "The Taoiseach has to make this case - it's the best chance," Mr Howlin told the Irish Independent. Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness pointed out that the revised EU budget and coronavirus aid plans include a special 5bn Brexit aid package for countries most affected by the UK's departure on December 31. "This is an opportunity for Ireland and I believe the Taoiseach will be making the case for this at the summit," she said. Ms McGuinness, who is the senior vice-president of the European Parliament, said the Taoiseach's first summit posed a huge challenge. She predicted the summit itself, with the three key issues all interconnected, will prove a very difficult meeting, pointing to complications also with former East Bloc states, Hungary and Poland, over fundamental rights. "There may not be any agreement at all here. "They may have to come back again and work longer on the matter," Ms McGuinness said. The last time the EU leaders met in Brussels, on February 21, Ireland was represented by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Since then the leaders have had several meetings via video-conference, but Brussels diplomats say if a deal is to be done it will happen via face-to-face talks and various side meetings. Strict precautions will be in place for the summit on Friday and Saturday. Delegations are curtailed and, for the first time in the EU's history, media will not be allowed at the summit centre. With the threat of Covid-19 constantly hanging over our heads, we all hope that somehow we would develop strong antibodies against the virus, so that we would be protected from a Covid-19 attack. Exploiting this very consumer sentiment are fraudsters, trying to steal personal, financial information from consumers by laying a trap of providing antibody tests, for free. Besides those who suffered from the disease and recovered, those who may have been exposed to the virus and remained asymptomatic, would have developed antibodies. Such individuals may be protected from a second attack, even though scientists warn that there is no confirmed information as yet about the degree of immunity such antibodies give or the duration of such immunity. Experts also warn of possible inaccuracies in the test, giving consumers a false sense of security. Of course, several countries are conducting such serological surveillance to check the exposure to the virus in a community or to assess the immunity levels in the population. In India too, the Indian Council of Medical Research did a pilot serological survey across 21 states in April/May and several states too are conducting such surveys. The National Centre for Disease Control and the Delhi government only recently conducted such surveillance across eleven districts of the nations capital and the ICMR/union health ministry is planning another pan-India survey. Meanwhile private laboratories are also offering these tests at prices ranging from Rs 600-1200 per test and many consumers are opting for such tests. So tricksters are quick to cash in on this by offering the test for free and asking consumers to open a link or an attachment to the e-mail, so as to introduce a malware that would capture bank account or credit card details of the consumer. But this is just one of the many Covid-related frauds that consumers are exposed to. Since consumers are not just afraid of getting the virus, but of going to an isolation ward in a hospital, where no family or friend is allowed to be with them or visit them in their hour of crisis, many want to check for the virus without the health authorities getting to know of it. (There is also the fear of victimisation and how neighbours and friends would react) Again, fraudsters are using this fear psychosis to offer fake self testing kits of Covid-19. There are also phishing campaigns using malicious email, with the offer of free covid tests. These frauds are part of the many such hoaxes that have haunted consumers since the Covid outbreak -- scam calls promising to help pay utility bills, offering re-scheduling of loans and sale of fake insurance cover for Corona treatment. According to the Federal Trade Commission in the United States, between January and mid April, there were as many as 22,000 consumer complaints about Covid-19 related frauds, translating into a total loss of over US $ 22 million. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it had received over 3300 scam reports involving Coronavirus, since the outbreak of the virus While there is no estimate here in India of the total number of consumers who have fallen prey to various kinds of scams and frauds during the last three months and the total amount of money lost by them, local police dealing with cyber crime and frauds in different states have reported a sharp increase in these kind of criminal activity. In fact the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert-In), the national nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents, last month warned netizens of large scale phishing attacks, particularly from those imitating government sources. All said and done, these are difficult times and consumers need to exercise utmost caution -- not only to protect themselves from Covid, but also from Covid-related frauds. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Kolkata: A suicide note has been recovered from the shirt pocket of Hemtabad BJP MLA, Debendra Nath Roy, who was found hanging infront of a mobile shop at Baliyadighi in Uttar Dinajpur district. North Dinajpur SP Sumit Kumar confirmed the recovery of a suicide note in which the MLA has named two persons for pushing him to take the extreme step. Prima facie it seems like a suicide case. We have recovered a suicide note and further investigation is going on. A team of forensic experts also visited the place as a part of the probe. Soon, we will be able to solve the case," Kumar said. Later, the West Bengal Police tweeted: "Today morning the dead body of MLA Hemtabad, Debendra Nath Roy was detected hanging from the veranda ceiling of a mobile shop at Balia, Deben More, Raigunj, Uttar Dinajpur. All necessary steps of investigation such as use of tracker dog, visit of forensic experts are being taken. PM is yet to be done. People are requested not to jump on speculative, biased and judgmental conclusions and to wait for the investigation to complete." "A suicide note is recovered from the shirt pocket of the deceased. Two persons have been named in the note as responsible for his death," it further reads Meanwhile, BJP leaders took out a rally in Kolkata and alleged that TMC leaders are is trying to suppress the facts and make it seem like a suicide case after killing their MLA. Carrying posters and placards, BJP cadres shouted slogans against the TMC government and accused it of unleashing terror across the state. "We demand CBI inquiry into the incident. The truth must come out," BJP's state vice president Raju Banerjee said. Responding to BJP allegations, senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim said, He was upset with the BJP leadership and therefore, he named some persons in his suicide note. BJP is doing a dirty politics over dead bodies. This is unfortunate. Earlier on Monday, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar demanded highest transparency while investigating the incident. In a series of tweets to Mamata Banerjee, he said, Hematabad MLA hanging - Police stance at top that it is suicide is indicative of cover up - smacks with police prejudice, not without obvious intentions. Autopsy be video-graphed by expert team as per Supreme Court directives. Highest transparency be observed. Political violence and vendetta @MamataOfficial shows no signs of abating. Death of Debendra Nath Roy, Hemtabad MLA-Uttar Dinajpur District, raises serious issues including allegations of murder. Need for thorough impartial probe to unravel truth and blunt political violence, her tweet reads. Meanwhile, the state BJP leadership has informed the matter to the Central leadership and demanded a CBI inquiry in to it. BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda termed the incident as extremely shocking and deplorable. The suspected heinous killing of Debendra Nath Ray, BJP MLA from Hemtabad in West Bengal, is extremely shocking and deplorable. This speaks of the Gunda Raj & failure of law and order in the Mamta govt. People will not forgive such a govt in the future. We strongly condemn this, he added. BJP vice president Jay Prakash Majumdar claimed that with the cruel killing of MLA Debendra Nath Ray,so far 105 BJP workers became martyrs in the hands of TMC goons in Bengal. Senior party leaders Shiv Prakash and Arvind Menon questioned if a MLA is not safe in Bengal and one can imagine the safety and security of common people in the state. BJP MP Babul Supriyo said, I dont want to write much now. All I can say that people of Bengal will respond to it soon. It is just a matter of time. Once Mamata Banerjees close aid and now in BJP, Mukul Roy, claimed that it is a pre-planned murder and alleged that there is no democracy in West Bengal. BJP MLA Debendra Nath Ray from Hemtabad was found hanging in front a shop near his house on Monday morning. The local residents of Baliyadighi found Debendra hanging in front of a shop and they immediately alerted the local police. A team of policemen rushed to the spot and sent the body for Post Mortem examination for further investigation. In 2016, Debendra Nath Roy was elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from Hemtabad in as a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). In May 2019, he along with Subhranshu Roy, Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya and more than 50 Councillors joined the BJP in the presence of senior BJP leaders Mukul Roy and Kailash Vijayvargiya. The time might be ripe for outsiders to move into the Hamilton underworld, after the murder of long-time mobster Pasquale (Pat) Musitano, an internationally respected organized crime expert says. I think it might indeed be the case that someone from the outside could come in, said criminologist Anna Sergi of the University of Essex, who has extensively studied Mafia groups in Europe, Australia and North America. Musitanos murder means theres a vacuum on the streets once controlled by Hamiltons longtime Big Three Crime families the Musitanos, Papalias and Violis which could be filled in part by an alliance involving GTA mobsters, Sergi said in an email interview. Musitano was isolated when he was shot dead Friday in a Burlington parking lot, close to his armour-plated SUV. Another man who was with him was taken to hospital in serious condition. He has not been identified by police. Musitanos father Domenic died of natural causes in 1995 while his brother Angelo was murdered in 2017. His uncle Tony, who had apparently retired from the underworld, died of natural causes in 2019, leaving no one ready to carry on the family name in crime circles. Meanwhile, the Papalias are no longer a force after Johnny (Pops) Papalia was murdered by Pat Musitanos hitman, Ken Murdock, in 1997. Domenico and Giuseppe (Joey) Violi are the third generation of a Hamilton crime family, but theyre both in prison on drug trafficking charges that were part of a massive international case called Project Otremens. Sergi said there are plenty of possible theories for what happens next, but no safe bets. Everything we have now are conjectures!, she said, adding that the imprisonment of the Violis doesnt mean they are necessarily out of the picture. In Buffalo, Joseph Todaro Jr. did not reply to a request for an interview from the Star on Monday while lawyer Robert Boreanaz dismissed any connection between his client and Domenico Violi as a complete fairy tale. Todaro was mentioned as a mob boss with influence into Ontario in a wiretapped conversation that was filed in a Hamilton court in the 2018 drug trafficking case against Domenico Violi. Violi was convicted in the case, which was called Project Otremens and was part of a much broader investigation into the Mafia in New York State. Boreanaz dismissed Domenico Violis recorded comments to an undercover police agent, who was initiated into the Mafia in Canada during the police operation. Its irresponsible journalism for you to regurgitate this garbage again, Boreanaz said in an email. In the wiretap transcripts introduced in court, Domenico Violi told the police agent he had been elevated to underboss of the Todaro crime family in Buffalo and recounted a conversation with a New York mobster after his promotion: This one guy . . . he goes, Domenic, you know you made history. I said, I made history? He goes, Yeah, nobody ever in Canada got this position. Im happy for you Dom, thats good, the police agent replied. You know what? Thats gonna change a lot of things for us here. We could do a lot of good things here. Big time, Domenico Violi said. Sergi pointed to the Violi tapes as evidence of a resurgence in the Buffalo-area Mafia after it had been written off by many authorities as dead. Mafia groups have a chameleonic ability to adapt, she writes in an article in the June 5, 2018 issue of Janes Intelligence Review. Sergi argues that Canadians are playing a role in reinvigorating New York crime families. A new alliance between Bonanno associates and the Violi family . . . is significant, as it suggests a growing prominence for Calabrian mafia the Ndrangheta within the New York families and in Canada, Sergi writes. Sergi said the Mafia strain known as the Ndrangheta has become more active in North America, especially in drug trafficking. In common with its growing global reach, the Ndrangheta Calabrian mafia is increasing its activity and influence in the region, particularly in Canada but increasingly in New York as well, Sergi writes. Domenico and Giuseppe Violi were 11 and 8 years old, respectively, in 1978 when their father, Paolo Violi, was murdered in the Montreal ice cream shop that had once been his headquarters. Paolo Violis criminal organization in Montreal was severely damaged when undercover police officer Robert (Shotgun) Menard secretly recorded conversations between 1970 and 1976, after renting out an apartment above the ice cream shop in the Saint-Leonard district of Montreal. Those secret recordings included telephone calls to Calabria and Sicily in Italy, and to New York and Miami. Menard died of a heart attack in 2016 at age 82. Two uncles of Giuseppe and Domenico Violi were also slain in a protracted war with the Rizzuto crime family in the late 1970s and early 1980s that also killed their father. After the murders, the surviving Violis moved back to Hamilton, living under the protection of their grandfather Giacomo Luppino, police said. The agreed statement of fact filed in the trial against Domenico and Giuseppe Violi said they associated with a New York police agent who was also a trusted associate and then official made member of the New York City-based Bonanno family. The police agents underworld membership facilitated his criminal transactions with members and associates of other criminal organizations operating in Canada and in the United States, the court papers state. The New York police agent had numerous discussions about multiple organized crime groups operating in the Greater Toronto Area and elsewhere in Canada and the United States, the statement continued. Domenico Violi welcomed the police agent into his Hamilton home, and was once handed $240,000 wrapped in a plastic yellow grocery bag, placed inside a pink and grey shopping bag, according to the statement of facts. Sergi said in an email interview that theres plenty of significance to the interactions between the Violi brothers and New York State mobsters. Their arrest singled that the Buffalo crime scene is not defunct as previously thought, Sergi said. The Violis and Pat Musitano were bitter enemies. Musitanos former hitman, Ken Murdock, told the Star a decade ago that Musitano once ordered him to burst into a coffee house in Hamiltons east end, where leaders of the Luppino-Violi crime group met Thursday mornings, and machine-gunning them all. Murdock said he ignored the order and eventually the scheme lost steam. The relative success of remote work has proved that in many cases government staff are just as, if not more, productive when they work away from the office. More agile structures like holacracy might be ones to model. EN-Depth is a weekly interview podcast with journalists from the San Antonio Express-News. Produced by Luis Vazquez and Joy-Marie Scott. Listen and subscribe on: Apple Podcasts Google Play Stitcher TuneIn iHeart Radio All Episodes Texas Education Commissioner Mike Moraths latest guidance on how to reopen schools in the coronavirus era Tuesday brought the state in line with a Trump administration call for classrooms to stay open five days a week. Educators said they still dont know how many parents will embrace that option. Reporter Krista Torralva breaks down the evolving debate over reopening schools at the local, state and federal levels. Read more: Texas tells districts: Keep schools open all week, make older students wear masks Schiff, a longtime Trump critic, said Stone "lied to cover up and protect the president." Schiff said that Trump, with his Friday night action to keep Stone from heading to prison, "is basically saying through this commutation, '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.' Other Americans? Different standard. Friends of the president, accomplices of the president, they get off scot-free." House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, who oversaw impeachment proceedings against Trump last year, was a guest Sunday on ABC News's "This Week" show. "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," he said. "It shouldn't matter whether you're a Democrat or Republican, this should be offensive to you if you care about the rule of law and you care about justice." U.S. presidential power for overseeing pardons and commutations is virtually unlimited, but Pelosi said legislation will be introduced that would in the future limit a president from commuting, pardoning or offering clemency to anyone who is convicted of a crime that affects the president's behavior and culpability. "It's staggering corruption," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of Trump's commutation of Stone's sentence during an interview on CNN. "People should know this isn't just about lying to Congress, that means lying to the American people, and witness tampering and the rest," Pelosi said of the seven convictions a jury handed down against the 67-year-old Stone. "It's about our national security." Two leading U.S. Democrats on Sunday condemned President Donald Trump's clemency for his long-time friend Roger Stone, wiping out his 40-month prison sentence for political wrongdoing, saying it was a perversion of American legal standards. Some Republicans Join Frey Two Republican senators, Mitt Romney and Pat Toomey, on Saturday also attacked Trump's action. Romney, who lost the 2012 presidential election to former President Barack Obama, called Trump's commutation of Stone's sentence "unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president." Toomey, from the eastern state of Pennsylvania, said Trump "clearly has the legal and constitutional authority to grant clemency for federal crimes," but called his action a "mistake." Toomey said Stone "was duly convicted of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstruction of a congressional investigation conducted by a Republican-led committee." Trump, in a tweet Saturday night, called Romney and Toomey "RINOS," an acronym that stands for "Republicans in Name Only." "Stone was treated very unfairly," Trump said Saturday night about his commutation of Stone's prison sentence. The president blamed the jury forewoman and the judge and said Stone "should have had another trial." One Republican lawmaker, Senator Lindsey Graham, said in advance of Trump's action, "In my view it would be justified. Mr. Stone is in his 70s (Stone is 67 - ed.) and this was a nonviolent, first-time offense." A jury convicted Stone of seven offenses, including witness tampering and lying to federal authorities, and a judge sentenced him to 40 months in prison. He was to report to prison this week before Trump commuted the sentence, but did not pardon him, which left his convictions in place. The clemency for Stone was only the 36th Trump has granted, with 180 denied. Many of those granted by Trump have been to political supporters of his or suggested by people he knows, rather than being processed through normal pardon procedures overseen by the U.S. Justice Department. At the same points in their presidencies, 3 years after taking office, Trump's six predecessors had acted on hundreds or thousands of petitions for clemency. One juror in Stone's trial, Seth Cousins, told the Washington Post, that it was a "shocking act of corruption for the president to commute the sentence of a person convicted of lying to protect him. The fact remains that Roger Stone is a convicted felon, that he was found guilty of seven counts of lying to Congress and intimidating a witness and of impeding an investigation. Nothing that Trump or anyone has done or can do changes that fact." Special counsel Robert Mueller, who led the investigation into whether Russia colluded with the Trump campaign in 2016 to help him win, wrote in a Post opinion article that the probe was of "paramount importance" and asserted Stone "remains a convicted felon, and rightly so." After a lengthy probe, Muellers investigation did not find clear evidence that Trumps campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election and did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice. In any event, long-standing Justice Department policy says sitting U.S. presidents cannot be charged with criminal offenses. Late Friday, Trump spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said that Trump granted Stone clemency "in light of the egregious facts and circumstances surrounding his unfair prosecution, arrest and trial. Roger Stone is a victim of the Russia hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump presidency," she said. "There was never any collusion between the Trump campaign, or the Trump administration, with Russia. Such collusion was never anything other than a fantasy of partisans unable to accept the result of the 2016 election. "The collusion delusion spawned endless and farcical investigations, conducted at great taxpayer expense, looking for evidence that did not exist," McEnany concluded. The late Sen. John Pinto was known for his relentless support for the Native American film industry. In 2019, legislation provided $100,000 for the newly created grant called Senator John Pinto Memorial Fund. I am very grateful to [Senator] John Pinto for creating this grant for Native American filmmakers in New Mexico, said filmmaker Leahn Marie Cox (Homeopathy for Native America). It takes effort to appreciate traditional indigenous knowledge in the world today. I do not lament this, but see this serious challenge as unique and demanding. The grants are open to include members from several tribal affiliations, exploring topics including missing women, ancient healing, modern day culture clashes, and entrepreneurship. The New Mexico State Film Office announced the winners on Monday. Supporting diversity in the film industry is vital to expanding diversity on a larger scale, as film is a cornerstone of our culture and history. Each of these filmmakers has an essential story to tell, and the Senator John Pinto Memorial Fund awards will help bring these stories to the screen, said Amber Dodson, New Mexico Film Office director. We are immensely thankful to the late Senator John Pinto and his granddaughter Senator Shannon Pinto, and truly thrilled to support diverse storytelling and filmmaking in New Mexico. Twenty $5,000 grants were awarded to Native film students and filmmakers living and working in New Mexico. The funds can be used toward pre-production, production, and post-production. Grantees must be registered members of one of the tribes or pueblos of New Mexico. All of these filmmakers expressed an enduring need to be the bearers of their own stories, and no longer accept the inconsistency of having stories told about their culture from an outsiders viewpoint, said Alicia J. Keyes, Cabinet Secretary of Economic Development Department. Thats the legacy of Senator John Pinto and why we are honored to highlight this work. The SJP applications were reviewed by judges Chris Eyre, Nanobah Becker, Ramona Emerson, and Beverly Morris. Sen. Shannon Pinto thanked the applicants for helping making this a reality. Congratulations to the Native American filmmaker awardees, I hope your endeavors lead to extraordinary experiences and long-lasting relationships that change lives for you and the underrepresented communities, said Sen. Shannon Pinto. The following projects were approved for SJP funds: Chindi, submitted by Robert Mesa (Navajo and Soboba) Diyin ~ Holy Project, submitted by Carrie House (Dine) Dream Touch Believe, submitted by Jenna Winters (Santa Clara Pueblo) Feeding PoPay, submitted by Geoffrey Kie (Pueblo of Laguna) Heroes of the West, submitted by Lydell Mitchell (Dine) Homeopathy for Native America (working title), submitted by Leahn Marie Cox (Navajo) Just Kids, submitted by Forrest Goodluck (Dine) Lloyd Kiva New: An American Entrepreneur, submitted by Nathaniel Fuentes (Santa Clara Pueblo) Marlon, submitted by Kevin Brown (Navajo) Meow Loses a Button (working title), submitted by Melissa Henry (Navajo) Mothers Day, submitted by Natalie Benally (Navajo) No Love 4 Lamb, submitted by Jonathan Sims (Pueblo of Acoma) A Public Service Announcement Video for Missing Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIW), submitted by Cameron L. Martinez Jr. (Taos Pueblo and Laguna Pueblo) Re-Indigenizing Minds, submitted by Colleen Gorman (Dine) River Bank, submitted by Charine Gonzales (San Ildefonso Pueblo) Rez Dogs, submitted by Steven Tallas (Navajo) Rude Girl, submitted by Joshua Zunie (Zuni Pueblo) Three Generations: A Family of Artists, submitted by Dawning Pollen Shorty (Taos Pueblo/Sioux and Dine) Together, submitted by Stanley Bain Jr. (Navajo) Yazhi Boy, submitted by Daniel Edward Hyde (Navajo and Belizean) The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday accused the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi led by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of adopting the tactics of Trinamool Congress in West Bengal by engineering attacks on opponents with the support of police forces. The Telangana BJP gave a call to party leaders and workers to take up rallies and dharnas all over the state in protest against the attack on the vehicle of BJP MP from Nizamabad, Dharmapuri Arvind, allegedly by TRS activists in Warangal on Sunday. Though BJP took up the protests strictly following Covid-19 guidelines, the TRS government unleashed a reign of terror. In Warangal, the police arrested hundreds of our party leaders and workers and booked them in various cases, BJP state president Bandi Sanjay told Hindustan Times. He alleged that the TRS was adopting the strategies of the TMC in West Bengal and the CPI (M) in Kerala by terrorising political rivals. But KCR has forgotten the fact that the BJP is a national party with a strong cadre. We are going to counter the TRS in every aspect. If they use police force to suppress us, we too, will retort with strong cadre force, Sanjay said. The Telangana BJP, which has been going all out to emerge as an alternative political force in Telangana, ever since it had won four Lok Sabha seats in May 2019 Lok Sabha elections, has stepped up its attack on the TRS government for the last few days. On Sunday, TRS activists allegedly attacked the convoy of Arvind in Warangal in protest against his comments against KCR and his family members. Anti-Hindu forces in TRS attacked me in Warangal, which I visited to address a press conference on Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. They also chased my vehicle on the highway to Hyderabad, Arvind tweeted. The Nizamabad MP had earlier commented, while speaking to reporters in Warangal that the TRS government had miserably failed to control the Covid-19 situation in the state. He alleged that KCR and his family members were more interested in making money. He and his family members will be in Chanchalguda jail after 2023 and special rooms are being readied for them in the jail, he commented. Arvind also accused KCR of handing over the Telangana state to anti-Hindu forces. He is a fake Hindu and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Assaduddin Owaisi is his elder son, the MP commented. Within hours of his comments being telecast on television channels, the TRS youth wing activists tried to barge into the BJP Warangal Urban office in Hanamkonda and attack the convoy of the MP with eggs. The police quickly entered the scene and took them into custody. In retaliation, the BJP activists tried to stage a dharna at the camp office of government Chief Whip Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar but they were dispersed by the police. TRS chief whip Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar condemned the allegations of the BJP MP. Stating that Arvind had no stature to make comments against the chief minister and the TRS, he alleged that the BJP leader had won the elections by making false promises to the people of Nizamabad. He has no business to come to Warangal and make false allegations against the TRS and KCR, Bhaskar said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Factional feuds are nothing new in the Congress, the grand old party of India, but it now seems to be emerging as a major threat to the survival of its governments in states where it enjoys power. Close on the heels of fall of its government in Madhya Pradesh with one of its young leader Jyotiraditya Scindia switching over to the Bharatiya Janata Party with several of its supporting legislations came the crisis of similar proportions, in Rajasthan. The fracas between the state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot has every sign of reaching a crescendo with the state ... Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 01:02:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COPENHAGEN, July 13 (Xinhua) -- As part of a global quest for a COVID-19 vaccine, Danish scientists are developing CoVAXIX, a new DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) vaccine candidate, the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) said in a statement on Monday. Developed by SSI under the direction of chief virologist and chief physician Professor Anders Fomsgaard, CoVAXIX has already proved extremely successful in tests on mice, said the statement. "To gain time, we want to start a monkey trial now, which can show whether the monkeys are protected against subsequent infection with COVID-19," said Fomsgaard. According to the SSI, DNA vaccines like CoVAXIX "induce cell immunity" using a technique in which the human immune system is prepared to fight the coronavirus by exposing it to a small part of the virus' surface "so limiting both the COVID-19 disease and preventing the infection of others." Fomsgaard is optimistic about the effectiveness of this DNA vaccine and believes that "the initial phase one human trial could start in late autumn 2020 or early 2021" should the monkey trails prove as successful as the mice trials. "We have for many years researched and worked with the development and optimization of DNA contingency vaccines through national and international collaborations and projects. Now we have developed a DNA vaccine platform, which has shown really uplifting results in terms of being able to be used for rapid development of various relevant virus vaccines," said Fomsgaard. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Denmark stands at 13,037 with the death count having risen by only one to 610 since last Wednesday, according to the SSI's daily update on Monday. Enditem This year, on the evening of June 30, the condolences started coming in. Earlier that day, China had passed the new national security law, which took effect within hours. The sky had cracked with a coral sunset that seeped into the horizon like a warning. Friends living abroad sent me texts: Im so sorry, hope youre OK, thinking of you. Restaurants started peeling protest stickers off their glass windows. Some writers I know have been trying to scrub their work from the internet and deleting their chat records. The law is broad and gives China new ways to punish protesters and silence dissent. Former classmates are discussing immigration plans or getting married, so that if they need to, they can flee with their partners. Others are figuring out how to renew their British National Overseas passports, the documents issued to Hong Kongers born before 1997, which could allow them to stay in Britain for five years. Before the new law made the chant Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times possibly illegal, my favorite place to hear it was at tiny music clubs, livehouses that stink of beer and sweat at the end of the night. After the encores, the last guitar note still reverberating, someone would yell the first half of the slogan, and others would answer in unison. At the end of December, I celebrated New Years Eve at a small pro-protest cafe where a friend played the unofficial protest anthem, Glory to Hong Kong, and everyone sang along. After six months of street protests and police violence, we were all exhausted, but it still felt like we were on the cusp of change. I was 10 when the Hong Kong government tried to introduce a national security law in 2003, and it was quickly withdrawn after half a million people took to the streets in protest. That proposal was a sword that hung over us for nearly two decades, a threat to what Hong Kongers hold most dear a culture of protest, the rule of law, freedom. Weve been fighting for freedom, that abstract concept, for so long, with no idea of what losing it would look like. It was delivered with devastating speed the whole process took less than two months in the form of a 66-article piece of legislation that we had no say in. Hong Kongers, academics and overseas commentators say this is the endgame, that after this law, Hong Kong will be dead. Supplier News 13 July 2020 With all that's been happening, it's so encouraging and hopeful to see a gradual uplift in bookings. The best way to move forward is to be aware of recent booking patterns, so we can make informed decisions and predictions. We've done an indepth analysis of the latest booking trends from June 2020 - our stats are based on bookings made from 1st June 2020 until 30th June 2020, and compared with the same period in 2019. As the glorious summer months, June, July & August are usually vital to a hotel's profitability. COVID-19 had other plans, and most hotels were forced to close around March 19th this year. Thankfully, open day for hotels has come and gone, with some already up and running, while others are planning to wait a little longer - perhaps opening later this month. There are a few stark habitual changes we know will make an impact on bookings over the coming months. They include: There will be virtually no international visitors travelling into Ireland this summer There are no cultural or sporting events taking place in cities Most companies have travel bans in place, eliminating any corporate business This also means that there are no conferences taking place and are unlikely to take place for the rest of 2020 place for the rest of 2020 For bookings that have been made since June 5th, these are mostly for July & August. The lead time has decreased significantly, meaning that for hotels receiving bookings, they are short term, making it difficult to plan for the months further ahead The lead time has decreased significantly, meaning that for hotels receiving bookings, they are short term, making it difficult to plan for the months further ahead The properties that are seeing bookings being made currently are resort properties or coastal properties, where guests have the opportunity to practise social distancing and enjoy more spacious, outdoor activities Let's take a look at general bookings Photo: Net Affinity This graph highlights the impact on the volume of bookings made for all Net Affinity clients from 1st Mar to 30th June 2020. If we take a close look, it shows clearly the impact that announcements regarding COVID-19 and the reopening of the economy have had on booking levels for Republic of Ireland hotels. Once the announcement was made regarding the earlier open date of June 29th, we saw an almost immediate pickup in bookings. Then, as we edge closer to June 29th, bookings continue to increase. Evidently, there are small troughs in bookings made after June 5th, however it's important to note that these are on weekends - and traditionally we'd see a decrease in bookings at this time of the week anyway. What does website traffic look like? Photo: Net Affinity If we take a look at the level of website traffic to our clients for the same period, there are a few key findings that help to tell a similar story. We can see an increase in traffic since 5th March, with it only starting to surpass last year's numbers in the last days of the month. Note the fluctuations between midweek and weekend again - they're significant, as the last two days in June 2019 were a Saturday & Sunday whereas they were a Monday & Tuesday in 2020. Where are the bookings coming from - and when are they coming? Photo: Net Affinity The vast majority of bookings being made in June 2020 are from guests in Ireland, and the majority of these bookings are being made for July & August. We're not seeing many coming in yet for September or October, but this isn't too dissimilar a pattern to the bookings we saw in June 2019. What this also shows us is the drop in volume of US bookings coming into Ireland (ROI & NI) for 2020. Specifically, there's a drop of 90% in bookings now compared to the same time last year. This is to be entirely expected - what with the travel bans and the developing situation around Covid-19 in America, we're certainly not expecting an increase in visitors from the US this year - like we've been saying over the last few weeks, focusing on the domestic market and how you can appeal to this market is key. We've got more to share with you - for the full report, email us on [email protected]. Canadian retirees will have an annual lifetime pension of $15,436.80 from the Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP). The figure represents the latest monthly payment estimate for the OAS ($613.53) and the average CPP ($672.87). If you were to rely on both as your only retirement income, you might need to downsize at some point during retirement. Downsizing, moving into a smaller house, or relocating to a cheaper province or another country will have a big difference to your finances and lifestyle. Dilemma Downsizing is not easy, because it comes with financial, emotional, and health costs. But in most cases, its the most practical decision, even if it means leaving the place you call home. A trend, however, is developing among baby boomers wishing to live comfortably in the sunset years. Frugal living Happy retirement means frugal living that sacrifices comfort. Frugal retirees can live on $1,200 per month in a sun-and-surf destination like Belize in the Caribbean. But the best country to retire according to the 2020 Annual Global Retirement Index is Portugal. The country is tops because of the affordable cost of living, professional healthcare, temperate climate, and high safety ratings. For Canadian retirees who decide to stay put, Canada ranks high for retirees well-being. You can move to smaller towns like Collinwood or Belleville in Ontario, which offer convenience and a community feel for active and social seniors. More importantly, family doctors per 100,000 population are 105 and 137, respectively. If you have more retirement income sources apart from the OAS and CPP, the nations capital is the best place to retire. Ottawa in Ontario is a top spot, because of the weather and excellent healthcare facilities. Health and wellness are the priorities of residents in Canadas capital city. Lifetime income provider Bank of Montreal (TSX:BMO)(NYSE:BMO) is in the A-list of retirement stocks. This 203-year-old bank has been providing dividends to income investors for 191 years (since 1829). You can include the Great Depression in the 1930s, two world wars, and four global recessions over the past seven decades. Story continues BMO was the first Canadian company ever to pay dividends. The start of the tradition happened during the international financial crisis back in 1829. Since then, the bank stock became the superior choice when people go dividend investing. In the current health crisis, BMO maintains a dividend-payout ratio of 50-60% and offers a yield of 5.98%. A would-be retiree investing $75,000 in this bank stock can generate a quarterly income of $1,121.25. In a holding period of 12 years, your money will double to $150,573.40. This $45.33 billion banks goal in the pandemic era is to provide funding support to women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses across Canada. Its capital allocation is $3 billion over three years. Part of the plan Retirees cant exclude downsizing as an option in a retirement plan. The insufficient OAS and CPP are will force you to downsize for savings to live a comfortable retirement lifestyle. The post Want to Retire on ONLY Your OAS and CPP Pension? Move Somewhere Cheap! appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Christopher Liew has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020 text by Christian Vaccari images: Fernando Larcher & Maurizio Struffi As we mentioned in a previous article, Base Tuono is the only museum in Europe which is dedicated solely to the Nike-Hercules NATO missile defense system and the Cold War. Situated in the Alpine foothills in north-eastern Italy, the museum has been working hard to expand their exhibition space for some years now. They plan to add a new hangar to display relevant Italian Air Force aircraft. The museum refers to this new building as Alpha, and intends to house Lockheed F-104S Starfighter MM6781, which is already on site, along with a North American F-86K Sabre and possibly a Fiat G.91. However, due to the difficulties which Italy, and indeed the world, is experiencing with the Covid-19 pandemic, the expansion of Base Tuono has naturally suffered a slowdown with the construction of its new building, which was due to begin this spring. The start date slipped until July, but the museum now hopes to inaugurate the completed building sometime in mid-October. That any of this was possible at all is thanks largely to the convergence of intent and objectives between the Trentino Historical Museum Foundation, the Municipality of Folgaria (in which the museum sits), the Italian Air Force and the Autonomous Province of Trento. The first step in the museums evolution to include Cold War combat aircraft was marked by the appearance four years ago of an aircraft well known to Italian Air Force enthusiasts, the mighty F-104 Starfighter. Initially deposited outside the missile assembly building in July, 2016, F-104S-ASA (model 783-14 c/n 1081) MM6781 5-31 arrived from its previous home at Montegiorgio Airfield (FM). Re-assembly operations began the following May 2017, in preparation for the Starfighters restoration. Known to the world as GAVS, the Gruppo Amici Velivoli Storici is an association, with a long and prestigious track record, dedicated to preserving Italian aeronautical heritage. A section of GAVS in Trento began helping with the restoration in August 2017, moving the airframe inside a temporary enclosure to allow the work to continue more effectively. They began first by cleaning the aircraft, and preparing the exterior surface to accept a coat of primer paint, before applying the traditional, 70s-era Italian Air Force Starfighter camouflage scheme. In October 2018, the restoration managers began to apply the first coats of paint, with the traditional green/dark gray on the upper surfaces, and aluminum on the lower. This specific F-104 received the same livery it wore in 1972 when Aeritalia delivered the brand new airframe to the Italian Air Forces 155th Black Panthers Group of the 50th Wing in Piacenza; her fuselage code being 50-01. Interestingly, there is a double connection between this aircraft and the Nike-Hercules, as the 155th Group was also assigned the strike role, making this Starfighter a nuclear attack capable fighter bomber, (as were some Hercules missile warheads). Additionally, the 50th Wing is named in memory of Captain Giorgio Graffer who died in Greece in 1940. Graffer came from Italys Trentino region, the same province where the museum stands. During her operational life, MM6781, much like other Starfighters in service at A.M.I., underwent various squadron assignment changes and maintenance updates. The airframes military history is as follows: 05/22/1972 F-104S 50-01 50 St. 155 Gr. dd 20/03/1973 F-104S 51- ?? 51 St. 155 Gr. DTU 12/23/1976 F-104S Aeritalia IRAN 10/01/1977 F-104S 5-13 5 St. 102 Gr. DTU 04/01/1980 F-104S 5-06 5th St. 102 Gr. DTU 05/03/1982 F-104S Aeritalia IRAN 06/03/1984 F-104S 36-42 36 St. 156 Gr. DTU 08/06/1984 F-104S -42 NODA dtu 01/03/1985 F-104S 37-42 37 St. 18 Gr. DTU 10/03/1988 F-104S Aeritalia IRAN modified in ASA 01/07/1988 F-104S ASA 37-20 37 St. 18th Gr. Dtu 01/01/1989 F-104S ASA -37 18 Gr. cs Special Color 50 years 11/22/1990 F-104S ASA 5-06 5th St. 102 Gr. DTU 11/08/1994 F-104S ASA Aeritalia IRAN 08/12/1994 F-104S ASA 51-14 51 St. 22 Gr. DTU 11/01/1998 F-104S ASA 4-2 4th St. 9th Gr. DTU 02/23/2000 F-104S ASA 4-2 4th St. 9th Gr. wfu 07/18/2003 F-104S ASA 4-2 Bentivoglio 05/21/2006 F-104S ASA 5-31 Montegiorgio delle Piane 05/07/2017 F-104S ASA 50-01 Folgaria St. (Wing) Gr. (Group) dd (Delivery Date) dtu (Delivery To Unit) IRAN (Inspection and Repair As Necessary) cs (Color Scheme) wfu (Withdrawn For Use) Today little remains of the infrastructure surrounding the now long-retired Nike Hercules missile system anywhere in the world. However, Base Tuono has recreated much of the look and feel of how the place would have looked during its active years. We look forwards to reporting on further developments at this important historical museum in future updates. For more information about the museum, please visit www.basetuono.it Many thanks indeed to Christian Vaccari for the article and photos. Armenian health minister Arsen Torosyan briefed the government Monday on the current COVID-19 situation. According to him, the total number of patients in serious and critical condition is about 650, 43 of which are hooked up to ventilators. "There are almost no citizens waiting for hospitalization at home," Torosyan noted. Armenia has confirmed a total of 32,151 COVID-19 cases, the health ministry reported. In the meantime, 19,865 people have recovered and the death toll has reached 573. 11,530 COVID-19 patients are currently undergoing treatment. In total, 135,687 tests have been completed. Thus, we have 182 new cases and 232 recoveries. "Regarding the latest cases of death, the patients were 83 (male), 71 (male), 59 (female), 70 (female), 80 (female), 70 (female), 81 (male) and 74 (male) years old. All had pre-existing chronic diseases. 1 case of death was registered yesterday when the patient tested positive for COVID-19, but the cause of death was another disease. The total of such cases is 183," the ministry said in a statement. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan minister of Interior of the government of national accord (GNA), Fathi Bachagha, said here Monday the European Union had no clear vision to fight illegal migration Not all students will have the symptoms, Pruitt-Adams said. The concern is when you get them into the building, then you may have one kid who is a carrier and they may not know it. Then we become a congregate site like a nursing home is a congregate site. The reality is if we open in-person learning, we are almost definitely going to have to close again and revert back to remote learning. We all know multiple changes in the lives of kids can be traumatic. The success of NBCs The Blacklist leans heavily on the work of veteran actor, James Spader. Many know Spader from his work throughout the 1980s, or even as iconic characters in primetime TV before The Blacklist. However, his personal life which he holds close is far more interesting. Spaders childhood reflects some of his career choices in the most interesting way. Heres what we know about the elusive actors upbringing. James Spaders parents had normal jobs James Spader | Dominik Bindl/Getty Images for Tribeca TV Festival RELATED: The Blacklist: Inside the Deal That James Spader Made With Producers About His Role In The Blacklist, James Spader plays cunning conman, Raymond Red Reddington, whos made a living building an underground criminal empire. The premise of the show rests on Red turning himself into the FBI decades after becoming a wanted fugitive. Red offers information on blacklisters in exchange for immunity, therefore working with the FBI. Albeit, most episodes feel as though the FBI works for Red. Spader plays the role so seamlessly, it makes some fans wonder what influenced the actor growing up. The star (who grew up with two older sisters) comes from parents Stoddard Greenwood and Jean (Fraser) Spader who worked as school teachers in Massachusetts. There wasnt a great deal of extraneous income in our household. I grew up on a boarding-school campus, Brooks School in Andover, where my father taught English. My mother taught art at another school, Spader told Playboy. Spader admitted he, himself, wasnt a great student, pointing to the irony of his parents careers. I disrupted class a lot. I was a terrible student. Around the age of 10 I started to make money any way I could running errands, babysitting, anything, he said. Work, for me, was a necessity, so anything that wasnt nailed down, I sold. A can of anything in the freezer that you could mix with water Id put on a table in front of our house and sell. I even did one issue of a campus newspaper, with national headlines like the Kent State shooting, campus news, some sports, local stories, and drawings I did. Though the actors parents died years ago, Spader feels lucky to have had their love. They truly loved and cherished their children and did the absolute best they could. My father ran the dormitory where I lived, and he was so incredibly respectful, forthright, and eminently fair, he said. He assumed the best in others. Kids who had gotten into trouble in every other dormitory on campus would come to this dorm and be respectful of him in turn. Spaders upbringing alludes to some of his risky roles RELATED: The Blacklist Star James Spader Reveals the Worst Traits In His Father That He Sees In Himself While Spader now utilizes his unique characteristics and talent to play Red in a primetime spot on NBC, some of his earlier roles were on the sexual side. Our house was very progressive and very liberal. The bathroom doors were always left open, and half the time my mother would come out to the living room half-naked to make some announcement, Spader said in the same Playboy interview. My two sisters certainly were the same, as was I. I was always around dominant and influential women, and that left a great impression. I dont know a time when sexuality wasnt the prism through which I saw the world. The Blacklist star further explained that during the summers, he and his sisters attended summer camp. It was a converted chicken coop made of old, thin pine boards banged together, basically between my room and theirs. My sisters would have female and male friends over all the time. With lots of knotholes I could see all kinds of things unfolding in the other room, he said. Thus, noting some of Spaders projects such as Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, and White Palace all tap into Spaders sexual side as a sort-of ode to that childhood curiosity. Everybody seemed to be naked all the time, my parents and my sisters, he later told Rolling Stone. Our household was very comfortable with sexuality. There was just a lot of girls around. And guys. I played doctor with both. Why Spader takes on the darker roles RELATED: Why The Blacklist Star James Spader Has Been Deemed Difficult to Work With One glance at The Blacklist stars resume and you can clearly see a distinct attraction between Spader and dark roles. It must be something about me I guess, Spader told Independent UK. Nobody knows what happens behind closed doors, do they? I like the dark places, thats what Im curious about. The actor has previously mentioned his obsessive compulsiveness that spans from collecting hats and vinyl records all the way to avoiding the presence of someone eating. Much of his idiosyncrasies pour into his roles. Spader said hes always been old for his age, hanging around more adults than his peers. I hate to say it, but I think its the reason why I always liked playing bad guys or playing these certain odd characters through the years. They were fungible in terms of age; it could be anything, he told Boston Globe. The only sense of age that Ive ever had is the feeling that Im not the right one. Whatever contributed to Sapders success, one thing is clear: theres no one else like him in Hollywood, and thanks to The Blacklist, he gets to prove it. DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dover (NYSE: DOV) announced today that it will release second quarter 2020 earnings at 6:00 a.m. Central time (7:00 a.m. Eastern time) on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Later that morning, Dover will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Central time (9:00 a.m. Eastern time) to discuss these results. To participate on the conference call, please dial 1 (866) 882-5865 (domestic) or 1 (678) 894-3017 (international), reservation number 6777116. Due to the expected number of callers, please dial in at least 15 minutes before the conference is to begin and ask to be connected to the Dover teleconference. A link to the live audio webcast will also be available on the company website at dovercorporation.com. An audio replay of the conference call will be available from 12:00 p.m. Central time, July 22, until 10:59 p.m. Central time, August 12, by dialing 1 (800) 585-8367 (domestic) or 1 (404) 537-3406 (international). The access code is 6777116. Additionally, a replay link of the webcast will be archived on Dover's website for 90 days. About Dover: Dover is a diversified global manufacturer and solutions provider with annual revenue of approximately $7 billion. We deliver innovative equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services through five operating segments: Engineered Products, Fueling Solutions, Imaging & Identification, Pumps & Process Solutions and Refrigeration & Food Equipment. Dover combines global scale with operational agility to lead the markets we serve. Recognized for our entrepreneurial approach for over 60 years, our team of over 23,000 employees takes an ownership mindset, collaborating with customers to redefine what's possible. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Dover trades on the New York Stock Exchange under "DOV." Additional information is available at dovercorporation.com. Investor Contact: Media Contact: Andrey Galiuk Adrian Sakowicz Vice President Corporate Development Vice President Communications and Investor Relations (630) 743-5039 (630) 743-5131 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Dover Related Links http://www.dovercorporation.com The stills and scenes from A Suitable Boy has left the actors fans wanting more Other than A Suitable Boy, Ishaan also has in the pipeline a romantic action thriller Khaali Peeli with Ananya Pandey. Since Ishaan Khatters appearance in Majid Majidis Beyond The Cloud in 2017, which was followed by Karan Johars Dhadak in 2018, the talented actor has not only garnered much praise, but also won awards for his performances. Now, though Ishaan seems to have taken a decent amount of time in choosing his next project, when he did, he has left his fans excited. His next role is in BBCs upcoming drama called A Suitable Boy, which has been adapted from Vikram Seths novel by the same name and is directed by Mira Nair. Ever since the films first look was released, where a mesmerised Ishaan Khatter was seen passionately staring at the gorgeous actress Tabu, the industry as well as his fans, have been praising the actor. A dapper looking Ishaan seems to be creating the right impact with his character in the drama series teasers, leaving his fans asking for more. Teasingly enchanting Maintaining the heightened excitement, the actor has also been treating his audiences with throwback pictures and videos of him prepping for the series. Expressing his excitement, Ishaan said, A Suitable Boy has been an enriching experience and Im ever so excited for people to see it. Maan is one of the most interesting characters Ive read and portraying him on screen has been a delight. Being the heartthrob that he is, Ishaan has consistently kept his fans and audiences heartbeats racing with his performances earlier. This time too, it surely seems that the actor will charm us with a never-seen-before avatar of his. The drama is said to be a six-part series and has been shot majorly in Lucknow and Maheshwar, in India. Other than A Suitable Boy, Ishaan also has in the pipeline a romantic action thriller Khaali Peeli with Ananya Pandey. Actor Ha Jung-woo was summoned for questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. Courtesy of CJ ENM By Lee Gyu-lee, Park Si-soo Prosecutors have summoned actor Ha Jung-woo for questioning in an ongoing for alleged illegal use of propofol, an intravenous short-acting anesthetic. The prosecution recently questioned him, focusing on allegations he got around 10 shots of the milky sedative drug without proper prescriptions at a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam, southern Seoul, between January and September, 2019. Investigators say Ha got the shots with prescriptions issued to his younger brother and manager. The Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office, in charge of the case, will soon decide on his indictment. The actor reportedly denied the allegations, claiming getting the shots was part of legitimate medical treatment for skin trouble. His agency disclosed text messages between Ha and his primary doctor as evidence. The agency added that getting the shots with the fake prescriptions was the clinic's request. Propofol is a controlled substance that has been classified as illegal when used for any other purposes than surgical treatment. However, it has been abused by many celebrities and business bigwigs, due to comparably easier access and quicker recovery from anesthesia. Ha, who debuted in the 2002 romance film "Madeleine," is known for his macho, masculine roles in blockbusters like "Take Point" (2018) and "Along with the Gods" (2017). He began widening his involvement in the film industry, making his directorial debut with the comedy "Fasten Your Seatbelt" (2003). He has also produced numerous films including "A Single Rider" (2016) and "Ashfall" (2019). The latest data on New York States progress during the Covid-19 pandemic indicates Western New Yorks positive rate for the virus was 1% on Thursday. On Friday it was 1.9%, and on Saturday it was 1%. However, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz expressed concern Sunday night on Twitter about the county's rising number of hospitalizations. "The lowest it had been recently was on July 1 at 31 patients," he wrote. "For yesterday, July 11, there were 42 Covid-19 in Erie County hospitals. We are still low, but I hate to see it go up." Overall, the state tested 62,418 people Saturday, with 677 coming back positive for the novel coronavirus for a rate of 1.08%, according to the data. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo released the updated numbers Sunday. The figures showed the numbers related to Covid-19 remain low and stable, Cuomo said in the written update to the media. The 677 additional cases of the virus bring the statewide total to 401,706 confirmed cases. Hello and welcome to Five Weeknight Dishes. My goal here is always to keep cooking simple: You need to be able to pull off these recipes after a busy day, especially if youve got kids at home, clanging around. But this time of year is really about keeping it simple: Summer and simplicity go hand in glove. The fresher and better tasting your produce, the less you need to do to it, and even the plainest food tastes good when you eat it outdoors, if you can. (I find this is especially true at the beach. Not that I am eating weeknight meals at the beach. Though that would be nice.) The recipes below are, yes, simple and delicious. Tell me what you think at dearemily@nytimes.com. [Sign up here to receive the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter in your inbox every Friday.] U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced a 40 percent spike in arrests of undocumented immigrants in June - two months after Donald Trump postponed regular immigration proceedings and ordered the quick removal of migrants due to the coronavirus pandemic. CBP data released Friday showed that 32,512 migrants were arrested in June compared to 23,142 in May and 16,969 in April. The rise in arrests comes three months after Trump closed the southern border and suspended regular immigration procedures, including asylum claims, and ordered that migrants should deported within a matter of hours. The order took aim at immigrants who had entered the country illegally and bypassed health screening procedures. Instead of holding the migrants in a populated area for processing, CBP has been expelling them to 'their country of last transit,' in this case Mexico. Since then, the CBP expelled 19,909 migrants of the migrants it arrested in May and 14,870 undocumented immigrants who were apprehended in April. The border enforcement federal agency immediately removed 27,504 individuals who illegally entered the United States in June. Border patrol agents in Texas help three undocumented immigrants, including a pregnant woman, on June 21 after they were abandoned by human smugglers. A CBP report released Friday showed that June apprehension of migrants for unlawfully crossing the United States-Mexico border went up by 40 percent compared to April stats Border Patrol in Arizona arrested two teenage U.S. citizens for ferrying 23 undocumented immigrants across the United States-Mexico border last Wednesday. The migrants - 22 Mexican citizens and a Guatemalan national - were returned to Mexico A CBP agent extends a water safety line to two Mexican nationals who were swept by a fast current in a canal in El Paso, Texas, on June 12 The CBP report was released before Trump told Telemundo in an interview Friday that was already working on an executive order for a 'road to citizenship' for the children who were brought unlawfully to the United States and are protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals [DACA] program, which shields thousands of immigrants from deportation. 'We're working out the legal complexities right now, but I'm going to be signing a very major immigration bill as an executive order, which Supreme Court now, because of the DACA decision, has given me the power to do that,' Trump said. 'It's going to be a very big bill, a very good bill, and merit-based bill and it will include DACA, and I think people are going to be very happy,' the president added. Hours after Trump spoke, the White House put out a statement that seemed to walk back his remarks on creating a path to citizenship for DACA beneficiaries. 'As the President announced today, he is working on an executive order to establish a merit-based immigration system to further protect US workers,' White House spokesman Judd Deere said. 'Furthermore, the President has long said he is willing to work with Congress on a negotiated legislative solution to DACA, one that could include citizenship, along with strong border security and permanent merit-based reforms,' he added. 'Unfortunately, Democrats have continually refused these offers as they are opposed to anything other than totally open borders,' Deere added. VIRGINIA The Cass County board is scheduled to meet in regular session at 7 p.m. today at 100 E. Springfield St. Among the items on the agenda are: Alphabet-Google CEO Sundar Pichai, in its Google For India online event has announced that the search engine giant will be investing $10 billion (approximately Rs 75,000 crores) in India as a part of Google For India Digitisation Fund, in the coming five to seven years. Getty Images In a digital address, Sundar Pichai announced that Google will do this as a mix of equity investments, partnerships and operational, infrastructure and ecosystem investments. In case you didn't know, 10 billion dollars in rupees comes up to roughly Rs 75,000 crore. While announcing the Google investment in India, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said, It is a reflection of our confidence, in the future of India in this Digital Economy. Today at #GoogleForIndia we announced a new $10B digitization fund to help accelerate Indias digital economy. Were proud to support PM @narendramodis vision for Digital India - many thanks to Minister @rsprasad & Minister @DrRPNishank for joining us. https://t.co/H0EUFYSD1q Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) July 13, 2020 During the announcement of Google investment fund in India, Sundar Pichai further explained that the 10 billion dollars or Rs 75,000 crore Google fund will primarily look into four areas -- enable affordable access to information to every Indian regional language, build products and services that India needs right now, help businesses go digital and lastly leveraging technology and AI for social good in health, agriculture and education. Google Investment in India Sundar Pichai further added while announcing the Google fund, As we make these investments, we look forward to working alongside PM Modi and the Indian government, as well as Indian businesses of all sizes, to realise the shared vision for a digital India. Our goal is that India not only benefits from the next ray of innovation but leads it. Working together, we can ensure that the best days are still ahead. Sundar Pichai, before the event, also had an interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a variety of topics including the current pandemic, and the new work-from-home culture thats prevailing in our nation right now. Twitter PM Modi said about this interaction on Twitter, This morning, had an extremely fruitful interaction with @sundarpichai. We spoke on a wide range of subjects, particularly leveraging the power of technology to transform the lives of Indias farmers, youngsters and entrepreneurs. I was delighted to know more about the efforts of @Google in several sectors, be it in education, learning, @_DigitalIndia, furthering digital payments and more. @sundarpichai Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 13, 2020 To this, Sundar Pichai replied, Thank you for your time, PM @narendramodi - very optimistic about your vision for Digital India and excited to continue our work towards it. Later today well share our next steps on that journey at #GoogleForIndia. Let's see how this Google investment in India, which is $10 billion (and remember it's no small amount, as 10 billion dollars in rupees is roughly Rs 75,000 crore) helps accelerate Digital India initiative of the Indian government forward for the benefit of all Indians at large. If you missed the Google For India event and Sundar Pichai's announcements, you can watch it in the video below: Thousands marched through Athens and 40 other cities and towns last Thursday to protest a draconian Bill, severely restricting the right to protest and harking back to the repression imposed by the fascist junta that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974. Many held banners reading hands off demonstrations. The march was peaceful until it reached the parliament n Syntagma Square, where the Bill was being debated. There riot police attacked protesters using stun grenades and tear gas. There were many incidents of police violence against demonstrators. A video released by online news site pressproject.gr, shows a group of motorcycle policemen driving into a small crowd of protesters. The Bill was voted into law after a two-day debate by 187 MPs from the ruling conservative New Democracy party, the social-democratic Movement for Change (KINAL) and the far-right Greek Solution party. A protester holding a patrol bomb kicks a tear gas canister thrown by riot police during a demonstration against new protest law in Athens, on Thursday, July 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) Introducing the Bill, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that with the new law our aim is to have a framework that is operational, stressing that currently, 50 people shut down Athens every day whenever they feel like it. his chimed with the barrage of media propaganda in the run up to the vote denouncing protests for harming commercial activity, especially in the aftermath of the easing of the coronavirus lockdown in May. In a statement released a week before the Bill was passed, the Athens Trade Association complained that with 80 marches and gatherings in May when the market re-opened and 53 from the start of June till now, with the centre of Athens closed on average 3 times per working day, all this creates stifling conditions on a daily basis which make the operation of the city and the market impossible. Under the new law protest organisers are required to give advance notice of any planned public assembly to the relevant local police or port authority. The police or authorities are given the power to impose restrictions and even refuse permission for protests outright on public safety grounds, or if there is a serious threat to disturb the socio-economic life of a particular area. Spontaneous protests are effectively outlawed, as unauthorised protests and those which do not abide by prescribed restrictions can be put down. Organisers are required to actively collaborate with the authorities to police a demonstration by co-operating with the police or port authority liaison and abiding with their recommendations. They are also required to inform attendants not to bring along items that can be used in acts of violence, as well as request the intervention of the relevant police or port authority to remove individuals who are carrying such items. They must appoint an adequate number of individuals who can assist in safeguarding the assembly. Anyone arrested for attempting to subvert the peaceful character of the demonstration will be punished by two years in prison, while protest organisers will be liable for any injuries, fatalities or damage caused to property by participants. The law echoes a 1971 decree, Concerning Public Gatherings, brought into force by the military junta. This decree provided much of the pseudo-legal basis enabling the junta to bloodily crush the Athens Polytechnic student uprising in 1973. The decree was never formally abolished following the fall of the junta in 1974 and until now has officially constituted the only legislation on the statute books concerning the policing of protests. It has been argued that in practice it has laid dormant, on the grounds that the right to protest is protected by Article 11 of the 1975 Constitution. However, Article 11 explicitly allows the banning of protests by the police on the same grounds as those cited in the new law. It was this which allowed Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chryssochoidis to dismiss claims that the new law harks back to the junta era, stating that the law is attempting to consolidate the constitutional right for a citizen to protest so that the right to assembly is fulfilled. All those who believe that the government will be led into far-right paths are mistaken. This is belied by the text of the new law, which explicitly makes references to the 1971 decree and a 1972 decree stating that they are both now superseded by Article 14 of the new legislation allowing ministers to issue decrees which regulate more specific issues in the enforcement of the [law]. The government therefore has the power to impose additional repressive measures as dictated by circumstances! The mention of the 1972 decree, which established geographical zones in Greek cities where protests were expressly forbidden, is a clear indication of the repressive forms that such decrees could take. The aim of the legislation is to pre-empt a massive upsurge in the class struggle. In a recent report, the European Commission anticipates that Greeces economy is set to contract by 9.7 percent in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, while unemployment is set to rise to nearly 20 percent. Syriza (Coalition of the Radical Left) leader and former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said as much during the debate in parliament, when, after citing the approach of a deep recession, he asked the government whether the new law was being passed out of fear of the developments and possible social backlash, which are coming in the autumn. Syriza should know. This was the rotten party, hailed by the international pseudo-left, who in 2015 ditched its previous rhetoric about opposing austerity to carry out the most savage attacks yet imposed on workers in Greece. Over four years of his premiership, Tsipras had no qualms in employing the full force of the state against the social backlash prompted by his imposition of austerity measures at the behest of the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. he Stalinist Communist Party of Greece (KKE) postures as opponents of the Bill, with General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumpas responding to the government, Youre fooling yourselves if you think this monstrosity will be implemented. You will be forced to put it back in the draw even if it remains on the statute books. You will be forced by workers and the Greek people who will annul it in practice. Such bluster seeks to cover the KKEs long history in betraying struggles in Greece. Through its trade union federation, the All Workers Militant Front (PAME), it poses as the militant wing of the trade union bureaucracy which has ensured that the countless general strikes over the last decade against austerity, including mass protests in Athens and all the main cities, never got out of the bureaucracys control, allowing the punishing measures to pass. The legislation only formalises the role PAME plays in demonstrations. PAMEs bloc is always notoriously flanked with a security detail armed with bats who are there supposedly to safeguard the protest. Its real purpose was exposed when they supplemented the role of the police in October 2011 during a general strike, as they formed a wall in front of parliament and engaged in scuffles with protesters who tried to get near. Citizen Protection Minister Chryssochoidis alluded to a specific aim of the new law in preventing demonstrations outside the control of pseudo-left groups in and around the trade union bureaucracy. Referring to PAME, he stated to a parliamentary committee in the run up to the vote, Are there certain citizens who are something special? Who do not request permission [to protest]? Why does PAME request permission and they [unaligned groups] dont? Why do we allow this? I dont accept it. Chryssochoidis threw an olive branch to the KKE and PAME following the police attack on last weeks demonstrations, implying that he sees them as enforcers of the new legislation. Responding to complaints by KKE deputies in parliament, he admitted that its members and other demonstrators were tear gassed and described PAMEs conduct as exemplary. - IBM Corporation has appointed Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh as the Regional Head for North, East, and West Africa - The tech conglomerate named Kyerematen-Jimoh for the position in July - The Ghanaian business leader makes history as the first African and female regional head for IBM in Africa Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana! Technology giant, IBM Corporation, has named Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh as the new regional head for their North, East, and West Africa divisions. Kyerematen-Jimoh will be responsible for IBM operations in over 40 countries in Africa, including Morocco, Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, Uganda, Ghana, and Tunisia. Until her appointment, Kyerematen-Jimoh was the Chief of Staff to the senior vice president in charge of Global Markets and Sales in IBMs corporate headquarters in New York. READ ALSO: UK born lady moves with her boyfriend to Ghana after he was deported (video) Kyerematen-Jimoh, who was previously the country manager for Ghana, joined IBM in 2011 as the marketing manager for the West Africa market segment. She quickly rose through the ranks to become the strategy leader for Central East and West Africa. Prior to joining IBM, Kyerematen-Jimoh worked in banking for UBS Investment Bank & ABN AMRO in London and GT Bank Ghana. Speaking about Kyerematen-Jimoh's recent achievement, Chris Kirubi, an East Africa business mogul and founder of Centum Investment, said: I am exceptionally proud of Angela. Her dedication and commitment to her work is unwavering. She has all our support and I know she will make this a huge success story. We welcome her back to Africa.'' Halima Aliko Dangote, the executive director of Dangote Industries, commented: "This is indeed an inspiring story for our continent to have a woman lead this very important region and we look forward to her making great strides in this role." Kyerematen-Jimohs appointment marks another first in her career. She was IBMs first female country head before becoming the first woman and first African to be appointed regional head in Africa. Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh / Photo credit: UGC Source: UGC READ ALSO: Girl power: Pilot celebrates at her graduation as the first Black female tactical jet pilot in US Navy This is a true testament to IBM's unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion. She has been named one of Africas most influential women by Avance Media. Her awards include the US African Women Forums Global Impact Leadership Award and the prestigious African Achievers Awards for Excellence in Business. Kyerematen-Jimoh is a mother of two boys and an alumna of Harvard Business School. In another story, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States has named Erika James as the first-ever woman dean in the establishments 139-year history. For the first time in the history of the school, a woman has become the dean of the University of Pennsylvania. However, this also makes her the first-ever Black dean of the Wharton School. YEN.com.gh gathers that the leadership of the school unanimously supported the decision to appoint Erika James as the first Black woman dean of the university. READ ALSO: Esi Forson: Ghanaian actress boldly flaunts her 6 bedroom house, 10 taxis, and 25 plots of land (video) Faces of Ghana: 21-year-old female boxer's dream of becoming a world champion: Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our page. Source: YEN.com.gh 90% fewer Christians who are facing persecution being resettled to US since 2015 Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Theres been a nearly 90% reduction in the number of Christian refugees being resettled to the United States from countries where churches face the greatest persecution since 2015, according to two leading evangelical humanitarian organizations. Open Doors USA, a watchdog group that monitors the persecution of Christians in over 60 countries, teamed up with the refugee resettlement agency World Relief, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, to release a new report Friday. The 16-page report, titled Closed Doors, is critical of policies that have drastically reduced refugee resettlement to the U.S. in recent years and others that have made it increasingly difficult for persecuted individuals and families to seek asylum. There have been many recent changes regarding refugee resettlement and asylum law that has effectively shut the door on many of the refugees from being able to access protection in the United States of America, World Relief Vice President of Advocacy and Policy Jenny Yang told reporters on a press call Friday. As organizations that are working to help those that are fleeing religious persecution, particularly Christians, we feel like it is of the utmost importance that the ... U.S. keeps its doors open. The report includes testimonies from persecuted Christians as well as data comparing the numbers of refugees resettled during the final years of the Obama administration to the drastically decreased numbers resettled under President Donald Trump. The report finds that 18,462 Christians from countries listed on Open Doors USAs influential annual list of 50 worst countries where Christians face persecution were resettled to the U.S. in 2015 and 17,122 Christians from those countries were resettled in 2016, the final two years under Obama. By comparison, only 946 Christians from those countries on the Open Doors World Watch List were resettled in the first half of the fiscal year 2020. The report estimates that if projections remain steady, only 1,897 Christians from those 50 countries will be resettled by the end of the fiscal year 2020, which represents a reduction of 89.7% from 2015. The purpose of the report, organizers said, is to stress how policy changes enacted by the Trump administration since 2017 including the cutting of the U.S. refugee resettlement ceiling have impacted persecuted Christians abroad. The report was not published to suggest that Christians should be prioritized over refugees of other religious backgrounds. We do unabashedly believe, however, immigration and asylum policies must be addressed in order to protect those who, because of persecution on account of their faith in Christ, have been forced to flee their countries, the report stresses. Scripture teaches us that the global Church is a single body, and that when one part suffers, we all are to suffer with it (1 Corinthians 12:26). According to World Relief, the world is facing its worst refugee crisis since World War II and there are believed to be 80 million people throughout the world displaced from their homes. The United Nations estimates that about 1.4 million displaced people in 60 refugee-hosting countries are in need of resettlement. Open Doors USA CEO David Curry, a respected religious freedom advocate, told reporters that while the Trump administration has championed the presidents promise to promote religious freedom and protect persecuted Christians overseas, its changes to policies on refugee resettlement as asylum law have created a gaping hole in that promise. Curry said he would like to see the Trump administration prioritize the refugee resettlement program and noted that there are over 250 million Christians worldwide experiencing severe levels of persecution for their faith in Jesus. Open Doors has reached out to the State Department and the National Security Council about this issue. This is an opportunity for them to address something that hasnt been addressed, Curry said. We are hopeful and want to encourage them to step up and take significant steps to address this refugee issue. World Relief is planning to send the new report to the office of Sam Brownback, U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. Yang said she plans to raise the issue on Tuesday during the weekly international religious freedom roundtable meeting in Washington, D.C., and will discuss it with Brownback directly. The report will also be sent to staffers on the House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Last year, Christian groups voiced their displeasure after the Trump administration announced another cut to the U.S. refugee resettlement ceiling after resettling 22,874 refugees in 2018. The administration proposed a record-low ceiling of 18,000 refugees resettled to the U.S. in the fiscal year 2020. But to mitigate the COVID-19 crisis, the administration has further restricted refugee resettlement. The new report states that fewer than 7,600 refugees have been resettled to the U.S. in 2020 with just three months left to go in the fiscal year. The resettlement program is "still largely halted, the report reads. Both organizations believe that the refugee ceiling should be raised to an annual 95,000 refugees resettled to the U.S. per year, which is 2,000 refugees under the number resettled to the U.S. in 2016, the final year of Obamas presidency. The U.S. government needs to have a strategy to help those people who are specifically targeted for their faith expression, Curry said. These people may need to have some sort of refugee status in the U.S. The fact that we sort of blanket block it is not a sufficient answer. Christians need to speak out on this issue. The new report goes into detail and criticizes a series of policies enacted by the administration in recent years reinterpreting how U.S. asylum law is to be applied for those seeking to claim asylum at the border or upon entry into the U.S. World Relief CEO Tim Breene said that a new rule proposed last month by the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security effectively redefines what qualifies as persecution and reduces eligibility for asylum. The public comment period for the rule proposal ends July 15. Proposed regulations change the standard for the evidence necessary to request a hearing before an immigration judge, Breene warned. They significantly redefine key terms, including what we mean by persecution. They severely restrict the opportunity to be granted asylum for any individual who transited through other countries. There are many places where people are persecuted who can only get here by transiting through other countries. This is really a further dramatic reduction in accessibility for those fleeing persecution. Breene argued that it is possible to resettle refugees in the U.S. while also taking the precautions necessary to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Open Doors USA, an influential evangelical organization whose annual World Watch List report is utilized by members of Congress, federal officials as well as churches nationwide, has largely been supportive of the U.S. governments drive under the Trump administration to prioritize issues of religious freedom. The president even signed an executive order last month related to the topic of international religious freedom, which Curry praised in a later interview with The Christian Post. This administration has been really exceptional in how it communicates on [international religious freedom]. At the same time, it has fallen down on this issue and those two things (asylum and refugee policies), he commented. It is not contrary for us to call out where the administration needs to step up and where Christians need to speak out on this issue. Frankly, some people can not safely stay in their countries. Curry stressed that Open Doors is not a political group and is happy to work with both sides. I have no problem applauding the way this State Department has addressed religious liberty. [But] this is a shortcoming. The secretary of state and others within the State Department need to recognize now, three years into this administration, that they have fallen down on this issue. This is an opportunity for them and they need to step up. I think that is why this report is so important. The latest 13F reporting period has come and gone, and Insider Monkey have plowed through 821 13F filings that hedge funds and well-known value investors are required to file by the SEC. The 13F filings show the funds' and investors' portfolio positions as of March 31st, a week after the market trough. Now, we are almost done with the second quarter. Investors decided to bet on the economic recovery and a stock market rebound. S&P 500 Index returned almost 20% this quarter. In this article you are going to find out whether hedge funds thoughtVeeva Systems Inc (NYSE:VEEV) was a good investment heading into the second quarter and how the stock traded in comparison to the top hedge fund picks. Is Veeva Systems Inc (NYSE:VEEV) a buy here? The smart money was getting less optimistic. The number of bullish hedge fund positions shrunk by 11 in recent months. Our calculations also showed that VEEV isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds (click for Q1 rankings and see the video for a quick look at the top 5 stocks). Video: Watch our video about the top 5 most popular hedge fund stocks. So, why do we pay attention to hedge fund sentiment before making any investment decisions? Our research has shown that hedge funds' small-cap stock picks managed to beat the market by double digits annually between 1999 and 2016, but the margin of outperformance has been declining in recent years. Nevertheless, we were still able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 58 percentage points since March 2017 (see the details here). We were also able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that underperformed the market by 10 percentage points annually between 2006 and 2017. Interestingly the margin of underperformance of these stocks has been increasing in recent years. Investors who are long the market and short these stocks would have returned more than 27% annually between 2015 and 2017. We have been tracking and sharing the list of these stocks since February 2017 in our quarterly newsletter. Even if you aren't comfortable with shorting stocks, you should at least avoid initiating long positions in stocks that are in our short portfolio. Story continues [caption id="attachment_69704" align="aligncenter" width="389"] Andrew Sandler of Sandler Capital Management[/caption] At Insider Monkey we scour multiple sources to uncover the next great investment idea. We read hedge fund investor letters and listen to stock pitches at hedge fund conferences. Hedge fund sentiment towards Tesla reached its all time high at the end of 2019 and Tesla shares more than tripled this year. We are trying to identify other EV revolution winners, so we are checking out this tiny lithium stock. Keeping this in mind we're going to go over the key hedge fund action surrounding Veeva Systems Inc (NYSE:VEEV). How have hedgies been trading Veeva Systems Inc (NYSE:VEEV)? At Q1's end, a total of 33 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were bullish on this stock, a change of -25% from one quarter earlier. On the other hand, there were a total of 27 hedge funds with a bullish position in VEEV a year ago. With hedge funds' capital changing hands, there exists a select group of notable hedge fund managers who were boosting their stakes significantly (or already accumulated large positions). Among these funds, Arrowstreet Capital held the most valuable stake in Veeva Systems Inc (NYSE:VEEV), which was worth $62.8 million at the end of the third quarter. On the second spot was D E Shaw which amassed $59.1 million worth of shares. Citadel Investment Group, Skye Global Management, and Zevenbergen Capital Investments were also very fond of the stock, becoming one of the largest hedge fund holders of the company. In terms of the portfolio weights assigned to each position Diker Management allocated the biggest weight to Veeva Systems Inc (NYSE:VEEV), around 4.39% of its 13F portfolio. Navellier & Associates is also relatively very bullish on the stock, setting aside 3.45 percent of its 13F equity portfolio to VEEV. Seeing as Veeva Systems Inc (NYSE:VEEV) has witnessed declining sentiment from hedge fund managers, it's easy to see that there is a sect of money managers who were dropping their positions entirely in the first quarter. At the top of the heap, Ken Griffin's Citadel Investment Group cut the largest position of the "upper crust" of funds monitored by Insider Monkey, worth an estimated $17.6 million in stock. Mark Wolfson and Jamie Alexander's fund, Jasper Ridge Partners, also said goodbye to its stock, about $9.6 million worth. These moves are important to note, as total hedge fund interest dropped by 11 funds in the first quarter. Let's also examine hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to Veeva Systems Inc (NYSE:VEEV). We will take a look at SYSCO Corporation (NYSE:SYY), Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE:COF), Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), and Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR). All of these stocks' market caps are closest to VEEV's market cap. [table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position SYY,35,1783679,7 COF,50,1107098,0 CAJ,7,46934,-1 EQR,24,175386,-6 Average,29,778274,0 [/table] View table here if you experience formatting issues. As you can see these stocks had an average of 29 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $778 million. That figure was $353 million in VEEV's case. Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE:COF) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is the least popular one with only 7 bullish hedge fund positions. Veeva Systems Inc (NYSE:VEEV) is not the most popular stock in this group but hedge fund interest is still above average. Our calculations showed that top 10 most popular stocks among hedge funds returned 41.4% in 2019 and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by 10.1 percentage points. These stocks gained 12.3% in 2020 through June 30th but still beat the market by 15.5 percentage points. Hedge funds were also right about betting on VEEV as the stock returned 49.9% in Q2 and outperformed the market. Hedge funds were rewarded for their relative bullishness. Get real-time email alerts: Follow Veeva Systems Inc (NYSE:VEEV) Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey. Related Content Dublin City Council (DCC) has passed a motion to ban the sale of public land during the housing crisis. The motion, which was proposed by Cllr Joe Costello on June 5 of last year, will see a "moratorium placed on the sale of public lands in the ownership of DCC while the housing crisis remains'. The motion comes and is concluded with the 'Dublin Agreement' which is a series of commitments, agreed to by most councillors, around issues like housing, environmental protection, climate action, transports, arts and culture, accessibility and waste. Read More Under the agreement and pertinent to the motion is that it allows for the sale of land for legitimate public need, such as for schools or other amenities vital for community. Cllr Costello told DCC today that his motion is as valid now as it was a year ago when he tabled it. "The problem remains the same. We have housing, we have homelessness and we need to ensure that we have sufficient land on which to build," he said. Speaking to Independent.ie, he added: "They shouldn't start selling it. "Public land should be used for housing purposes. It's part of the Dublin Agreement. Public land should be kept for housing until the crisis is over. Any public land that is suitable for housing should be used as so rather than be sold off. "I just wanted to established the precedent that, while the crisis continues, we should use public land for public housing." While the motion passed with 32 councillors in favour, nine opposed and two abstentions, it was the cause of some debate in the meeting. Lord Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu had to tell councillors arguing to "please take it outside", after she had heard the last of the speakers on the issue. The main cause for contention was whether this motion would effect agreements made by previous councils. In 2017, nearly all elected members on the then Sinn Fein-led council voted to support a public-private partnership at a council-owned site on Oscar Traynor Road. At this Septembers council meeting, councillors will be asked to vote in favour of transferring part of the Dublin City Council owned land to the successful developer as part of this process. It was understood, however, that the motion applies to the future disposal of council land, and plans "already in the pipework" will not be affected. Current plans for the site on Oscar Traynor Road are for 640 houses, with a 30pc social, 20pc affordable, and 50pc private tenure mix, but councillors were told at the meeting that the development has the potential to facilitate 800 units. At least 17 United States Navy Sailors and four civilians have suffered injuries after a fire broke out aboard a navy vessel stationed at a naval base in the city of San Diego. IMAGE: Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department boats combat a fire on board the US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego, California. Photograph: US Navy/Lt John J Mike/Handout via Reuters "Seventeen Sailors and four civilians are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital," the US Navy said in a statement. IMAGE: Sailors and Federal Fire San Diego firefighters combat a fire aboard the US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Station San Diego. Photograph: US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jason Kofonow/Handout via Reuters The sailors on the USS Bonhomme Richard had 'minor injuries' from the fire and were taken to a hospital, Lt Cmdr Patricia Kreuzberger told CNN earlier Sunday. There were 160 people on board when the fire started, according to the Naval Surface Forces. SEE: Fire aboard US Navy ship leaves several injured All crew members have safely evacuated the vessel and all are accounted for, the naval fleet said in an earlier Tweet, Sputnik tweeted. The reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained. IMAGE: Sailors aboard the ship don fire fighting ensembles to fight the fire aboard the ship. Photograph: US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jason Kofonow/Handout via Reuters Initial reports from the ship indicate it started in the well deck, according to a defence official. Fighting broke out between two groups in Deir ez-Zor after a verbal argument escalated and resulted in a bolstering of military forces in the area reports Deir Ezzor 24. Last Wednesday evening, a scuffle broke out between members of the National Defense Forces (NDF) and members of Fatimiyeon militia south of Deir ez-Zor city, according to Deir Ezzor 24s network correspondent. The scuffle began with verbal altercations and then developed into threatening with weapons after a Fatimiyeon militia checkpoint prevented a patrol of the NDF from passing near Fatimiyeon headquarters, our correspondent said. The NDF patrol returned after reinforcements for Fatimiyeon arrived at the site of the brawl, the correspondent added. It is indicated that Fatimiyeon militia has tightened its security measures at its points of presence and headquarters, at the behest of Haj Dahkans deputy, after Dahkan recent trips to Iran. 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. On Monday's episode of MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, Gordon Ramsay made a very welcome return. The British chef presented a mystery box challenge for the final four contestants, who were tasked with making dishes based on the contents of his fridge. Gordon, 53, appeared via video link from his Cornwall home and swung open his fridge to reveal the contents. Getting fridge-y with it: On Monday's episode of MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, Gordon Ramsay (pictured) made a welcome return. The British chef presented a mystery box challenge. Contestants were tasked with making dishes based on the contents of his fridge As well as ingredients for the challenge, the famous chef also had quite a large number of Evian water bottles. The top shelf of the fridge was stacked with both small and large bottles of the beverage. And fans were immensely amused, with many taking to Twitter to poke fun at the well-hydrated cook. Look inside: Gordon, 53, appeared via video link from his Cornwall home and swung open his fridge to reveal the contents Drink up! As well as ingredients for the challenge, the famous chef also had quite a large number of Evian water bottles One person Tweeted: 'Why does Gordon Ramsay have so much bottled water? USE A TAP, MATE'. Someone else wrote: '@GordonRamsay I'm disappointed in your massive amount of bottled water Face with rolling eyes'. Yet another commented: 'Is Gordon sponsored by Evian water or is he just really into that brand?' Wet wet wet! Fans were immensely amused, with many taking to Twitter to poke fun at the well-hydrated cook Someone else wrote: 'If you're Gordon Ramsay-level rich, you can afford a tap that only spits out filtered bubbly water. Come on, guv.' Another added: 'Wouldn't call Gordon's fridge 'very British' when 75% of its contents were water from the French Alps'. One more said: 'HOW MANY BOTTLES OF WATER DOES GORDON RAMSAY HAVE?! talk about panic buying'. MasterChef continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Ten A Spanish judge barred Catalan authorities from confining about 160,000 people to their homes but the region's leader urged people to stay home anyway to stem a surge in coronavirus cases. Catalan leader Quim Torra said he would approve a new decree to make it compulsory. Spain, which has been one of the European countries worst affected by the coronavirus, lifted a nationwide confinement last month, when the pandemic seemed to have come under control. But with dozens of new clusters seen around the country, and in particular in the northeastern Catalan region, local authorities are taking new measures either to lock down small areas or make it mandatory to wear a mask everywhere in public. People in the Lleida area have been banned from leaving it since July 4, except for specific reasons such as going to or from work. But the judge ruled that the move by the regional authorities - who have mounted a sustained campaign for independence from Spain - to impose home confinement went too far and did not go through the right channels. "What is proposed today goes far beyond a simple limitation of movement and seriously affects constitutionally recognized rights," Judge Elena Garcia-Munoz Alarcos said in the ruling. Torra, who is president of the Catalan regional government, said he could simply not accept such a ruling. "We cannot understand that there is bureaucratic obstacles in decisions that are taken for the health and life of citizens," Torra told a news conference. "It's a luxury to lose time with legal resolutions. We cannot allow this." Asking people to stay home, he said his government would adopt a new decree on Monday to try and solve any legal issues regarding the confinement order. According to decree whch the judge struck down, people would only have been able to leave their home for work, to see a doctor, buy groceries or do sports. Gatherings of over 10 people would have been banned. People will still not be able to leave the Lleida area under the lockdown decided earlier this month, but they can move freely within the area, the judge said. La Rioja, Navarra, Aragon and Andalusia regions are set to make it compulsory from Monday to wear a face mask indoors and outdoors, authorities said, following a similar move in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Extremadura. In the rest of the country, masks are compulsory only if you cannot be at least 1.5 meter away from people When Dave and Deb LeRiche got married in 2018, they had an unusual vision for their future: become the co-owners of a business. And, only a month after their wedding, they had achieved the goal. For the past two years, the New Braintree couple has run Batch Ice Cream, a company originally created in 2009 by Boston residents Susie Parish and Veronica Janseens. The two founders sought to create an ice cream brand that used natural and locally-sourced ingredients and excluded artificial flavors or preservatives and when the LeRiches heard about the company, they were immediately captivated by its mission. We thought Oh my gosh, this is different. This is special, Dave LeRiche says. The two original owners did a really great job in distinguishing the brand, and the ingredients and flavors are very, very unique. The LeRiches had hoped to take on a business together utilizing his extensive experience in sales and distribution from his past work at companies such as Frito-Lay and Snyders of Hanover. They looked into other food-related companies, including an energy drink business and a pickle company, but neither met a requirement that was chiefly important in their decision: the approval of their blended family of five adult children. After the LeRiches met with the founders of Batch to discuss acquiring the company, they went to a local grocery store and purchased as much Batch Ice Cream as we could find to sample the flavors for themselves. Once they had tasted the product, the entire family agreed that Batch was the perfect company for them to buy. We were excited and shared it with the kids, and the kids loved it, Deb LeRiche says. They couldnt believe that wed found something they actually loved and that they could all get behind. Deb LeRiche, of Batch Ice Cream from New Braintree, digs deep into a freezer for a caramel-flavored ice cream at the Chris Thibault Car Wash Fundraiser at Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, last September. (Frederick Gore Photo) They have stayed true to the companys concept of using natural, local ingredients. They support Fair Trade and strive to source ingredients including chocolate, bourbon and coffee from regional vendors, Dave LeRiche explains. Were just paying more and more attention to what were eating, and I think a lot of other people are, too, Deb LeRiche says. Once you start reading labels and just being a little more conscious of what were taking into our bodies, its interesting to look at the number of ingredients in a product, and I was especially very drawn to Batch because of the real ingredients. Batch currently produces nine flavors including the regional favorite dark chocolate and vanilla which are sold at hundreds of grocery stores across New England. Each summer, the LeRiches also sell ice cream out of their Scoop Truck, which can be rented for regional events and private functions. In the two years since they became co-owners of Batch, the LeRiches have worked to expand the scope of the company. Last year, they opened their own distribution center in Belchertown after one of their distributors announced they were going out of business. The project was a huge undertaking, Dave LeRiche says, and required the couple to purchase a fleet of refrigerated trucks and hire new employees. The couple is also working to develop new ice cream flavors, which they hope to offer as samples to customers of their Scoop Truck before they make them available in stores. We have a long list of requests, Deb LeRiche says. Strawberry and mint chocolate chip are always at the top of the list. The LeRiches say finding a balance between their work and personal lives can be difficult, especially since she also works as a nurse two days each week. However, theyve brought four of their children into different areas of the business, including the management of Batchs social media accounts and assistance running the Scoop Truck, which enables their family to regularly spend time together. Theyre involved, and learning and curious about how the total business works and so forth, and its a lot of fun, Dave LeRiche says of their children. The COVID-19 pandemic has also presented new challenges to the LeRiches business for the past several months. With many public events canceled, they havent been able to serve ice cream out of their Scoop Truck as frequently as usual. But, the truck has regained some business and been booked for several private events in recent weeks. Elly Vaughan, the owner-operator of Phoenix Fruit Farm in Belchertown, has allowed the LeRiches to park their Scoop Truck outside of the farms store each Friday afternoon this month. Vaughan had previously partnered with the couple to sell pints of their ice cream in her store after she had seen their truck at one of Belchertowns Food Truck Friday events and she fell in love with their unique ice cream, she said. They dont have any fake stuff in it. Its an all-natural product, Vaughan says. It doesnt have those fake chemical binders or anything like that simple ingredients. And their warehouse is right down the street, so its a good fit for us. Despite the recent challenges theyve faced, the LeRiches are grateful for the continued support of the community and intend to continue their expansion of Batch. They have plans to enlarge their distribution network with additional trucks and delivery routes and purchase another Scoop Truck. The couple also aims to open an online store for their ice cream, but they are still working out the logistics of the endeavor. This has been a tough year for so many people, and were very, very blessed that were doing what were doing, and were able to do it together with our family, Deb LeRiche says. Were proud of our products, and were happy to bring a little smile to everyones face that deals with us, because its ice cream, and its a beautiful ice cream. PPP Director of Operations, Nana Ofori Owusu has fired salvos at the National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye. Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B and his team thronged some Senior High Schools over the weekend to monitor the voters registration exercise. Nana B's action has been met with outrage as some critics lambast him for going to the schools amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and in view of the Presidents directive that no parent should visit their school children. In defending himself, Nana B explained, in a statement copied to Peacefmonline.com, that Electoral Commission officials, Political Party representatives, and observer groups were permitted to enter the various Second Cycle institutions during the registration exercise which lasted for just two days. "Indeed, just like all other political party representatives and officials of the Electoral Commission, I visited the Senior High Schools with accreditation from the EC as a party official. It is important to note that my actions did not in any way flout laid down rules and regulations governing the exercise," he added. Contributing to Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' on Monday, Nana Ofori Owusu questioned why Nana B and the NPP supporters could go to the schools when parents cannot visit their school children. He expressed worry saying "we have party members campaigning at the SHSs speaking to these children . . . They go there with their supporters. Those supporters, have they been tested?" "I, as a parent, cannot go to the school and if I can't go to the school; what makes another person more superior than I that they can go there and go and talk, and they haven't been tested? We don't know what they're going there with," he fumed. He further appealed to the government to make bold decisions to safeguard the school children against the spread of the COVID-19. 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 While the NIA has registered an FIR against four key accused in connection with the bid to smuggle 30 kg gold via diplomatic cargo addressed to the Consul-General of the UAE in Thiruvananthapuram, the question remains on how the entire conspiracy hatched between the four. The NIA, which had taken over the case on Friday, registered the FIR under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against Sarith, Swapna Prabha Suresh, Fazil Fareed and Sandeep Nair. Now, CNN-News18 has learnt that the UAE Charge d Affairs, Rashid Khanis Ali Masaiqri Al Ashmia, wanted exemption on his imported goods and visited the Air Cargo Complex in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5 for the same. He submitted an invoice of personal food items such as dates, milk and Maggi with NOC from UAE in India. But much to the shock of Indian authorities, apart from nine identified food items, there were seven unidentified items, including two China-made pistols and a set of wire and portable compressor, which Rashid allegedly refused to accept and identify as his own. He accepted only the food items and the bill of entry was modified and the rest of the items were left with Indian Customs for identification with the help of mechanic and gold assayer as the customs felt gold is concealed in articles other than food items. After a detail examination, 30kg gold worth Rs14.83 crore was found in those items. Rashid pointed the finger at Sarith, former PRO in consulate who used to help in clearing goods but is no longer his employee, and shared contact details and mobile number of Sarith. Rashid categorically said that other than food items, the government of India can take action, including on gold. This gold item was packed and sealed in the box with a written warning of Fragile. Sarith was asked to join the investigation on July 6 for bringing the gold consignment to India. He told Indian authorities that the Consular Charge de Affair had no knowledge of the diplomatic cargo that was brought to India. Sarith said he used to place the order with Fazil, who runs a provisional shop in UAE and supplies and forwards all diplomatic cargos. In case of cargos meant for consulate having UAE registration, including contraband, were received by Sarith himself, he told the investigative officers. An examination of his phone revealed that he deleted the data of his phone and wanted to destroy evidence. On his arrest, his told authorities about the role of Swapana who was on the request employee of USE Consulate and was involved with him as she used to bring consulate cars. He further told Investigators that Swapana used to get NOC and official letter from Emirati Charge d Affair. During this Sarith used to receive gold and sell to one Sandeep Nair who is also under NIA custody. Investigation agencies are finding out if any major conspiracy was involved and if this was a case of terror financing and waging a war against India. The agencies maintain that this is not a simple case of personal gain. Officials said that the smuggled cargo was earlier being transported in regular flights, and it only came on the radar of the investigative agency when the smuggling was done through chartered flights because of the coronavirus lockdown. The FIR has been filed under the stringent UAPA act, and lists offences under conspiracy and commission of terrorist act by raising funds through gold smuggling to threaten the economic security and monetary stability of India. According to the agency, 30 kg of 24 karat gold worth Rs 14.82 crore was seized at the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram last Sunday. This consignment was camouflaged in diplomatic baggage from UAE that is exempted from inspection, but this consignment was confiscated based on specific inputs. Sarith, who had turned up to receive the consignment, was arrested. Swapna Suresh and another accused Sandeep Nair have been taken from Bengaluru to Kerala on Sunday. The customs has taken into custody another person from Malappuram related to this case, and sources in the customs department say they have some evidence of their involvement in this case and that he needs to be questioned. SAN ANTONIO, Texas Officials at a hospital in Texas say a 30-year-old man has died after becoming infected with the coronavirus at a COVID-19 party, according to reports. Dr. Jane Appleby, chief medical officer at Methodist Hospital, says in a video released by the hospital that the man attended a party hosted by a person who already was infected with the virus, the San Antonio Express-News reports. The identity of the man has not been released because of privacy laws, ABC News reports. I think I made a mistake, the man told a nurse, according to Appleby. I thought this was a hoax, but its not. Appleby did not share details on when and where the party took place, the New York Times reports. The Times says COVID parties are held as a test to see if the virus is real or as an attempt to gain immunity. But Appleby says the story demonstrates that the virus can be dangerous to everyone, even younger people. Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, tells the Times the parties are dangerous, irresponsible and potentially deadly. The Times also reports there are doubts on whether COVID parties really are happening and that the infections might be from ordinary gatherings. Texas is battling a significant increase in coronavirus infections, with the state reporting more than 8,000 new cases on Sunday and 80 deaths, CBS News reports. More than 10,000 people are hospitalized. San Diego Twenty-one people suffered minor injuries in an explosion and fire Sunday on board a ship at Naval Base San Diego, military officials said. The blaze was reported shortly before 9 a.m. on USS Bonhomme Richard, said Mike Raney, a spokesman for Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Seventeen sailors and four civilians were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, Raney said in a brief statement. He didnt provide additional details. Previously, officials said at least one person was treated for smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire was under investigation. It wasn't immediately known where on the 840-foot (255-meter) amphibious assault vessel the blast and the fire occurred. The flames sent up a huge plume of dark smoke visible around San Diego. Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, told the San Diego Union-Tribune that the Navy thinks the fire began somewhere in a lower cargo hold where marine equipment and vehicles are stored. The fire was not a fueled by fuel oil, hazardous materials or electrical causes, Sobeck told the newspaper. It was fueled by paper, cloth, rags or other materials in a standard fire. He said he is not concerned about the air quality or toxicity around the fire. There was no ordnance on board, Sobeck said. There are a million gallons of fuel on board, he said, but that is well below any heat source. The explosion was probably caused by a change in air pressure, he told the Union-Tribune. San Diego is the Bonhomme Richard's home port, and the ship was undergoing routine maintenance at the time of the fire. About 160 sailors and officers were on board, Raney said far fewer than the thousand typically on the ship when it's on active duty. All crew members were accounted for, said Admiral Mike Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations. We are grateful for the quick and immediate response of local, base, and shipboard firefighters aboard USS Bonhomme Richard, Gilday said in a statement. The 23-year-old ship has the capacity to deploy and land helicopters, smaller boats and amphibious vehicles. Because of its age, a fire could be particularly destructive, especially if it reached the engine room and other tight spaces with machinery, said Lawrence B. Brennan, a professor of admiralty and international maritime law at Fordham University in New York. The heat of a fire of this nature can warp the steel, and that can be a major problem for any ship, said Brennan. On an older ship, its even more of a problem. Two other docked ships, USS Fitzgerald and USS Russell, were moved to berths away from the fire, officials said. The HSE and local TDs have insisted that a long-awaited 17m extension to Naas General Hospital is still going ahead, despite concerns that major infrastructure projects could be delayed due to the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 lockdown. The project has been in the planning process for over six years. It was announced over eight months ago in October that the expansion was due to proceed to tender. The Dublin Midland Hospital Group (DMHG), which includes Naas Hospital, told the Leader this week that this status hasnt changed. A spokeswoman said: Naas General Hospital are awaiting approval to proceed to tender. The project which includes an Endoscopy Unit, Day Ward and Physical Medicine Unit will have an overall area of 2,934 square metres and sit on a site of nearly five hectares. Planning permission was also granted by Kildare County Council in August last year for a Physical Therapy Unit and an Oncology Unit. Read more County Kildare news The Naas Hospital extension is part of the HSEs Capital Plan which will invest over 2 billion in capital funding in the public health services between 2019 and 2021. Fine Gael TD Martin Heydon, who was appointed last week as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for Research and Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development, said he will be actively lobbying for the project to proceed. He said: The extension of Naas hospital is included in the HSE Capital Plan 2019-2021 and I am pushing for a date to start the tender process. Fianna Fail TD James Lawless, who campaigned strongly for the facilities, said he will keep pressure on the Government to deliver on all local projects. He said: The overall plan is that the recovery will be Keynsian, ie. that we will spend our way out this time rather than austerity. That has been the planned approach so far at any rate. As the local TD, rest assured I will keep the pressure on the government to deliver on this and all other local projects. Figures released last week showed the governments deficit had ballooned to 5.3bn due to the three-month shutdown of the economy spending on the public health response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said the Government was on course to run a deficit of 23 to 30 billion this year, as outlined in the Stability Programme Update in April. He said: A deficit of this scale is extraordinary, but we should continue on to the next phase of our response to this crisis. Renewed planning permission was granted to the HSE by Kildare Co Council last August. The upgrade was originally approved by the local authority five years ago but work never began on the development. The Councils planners have now agreed to extend the duration of that planning permission. President Donald Trump retweeted a post by game show host Chuck Woolery that baselessly claimed "everyone is lying" about the coronavirus pandemic in a possible effort to thwart Trump's reelection by harming the economy. The conservative Woolery, who hosted shows such as "Love Connection," wrote in his Twitter post on Sunday evening, "The most outrageous lies are the ones about Covid 19." "Everyone is lying. The CDC [federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], Media, Democrats, our Doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust," Woolery wrote. "I think it's all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I'm sick of it," he added. Woolery did not cite any evidence for his claim, or detail any purported "lies" by the targets of his tweet that the president reposted. Tweet1 Soon after Trump shared the post, the president retweeted another comment by Woolery about the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. "There is so much evidence, yes scientific evidence, that schools should open this fall. It's worldwide and it's overwhelming. BUT NO," wrote Woolery, whose game show resume also includes acting as the first host of "Wheel of Fortune," and hosting "Scrabble," "Greed" and "Lingo." Tweet2 Woolery's comments and Trump's rebroadcast of them were harshly criticized by a number of people, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who sought the Democratic presidential nomination this year. "The fact that our 'very stable genius' president prefers to be briefed about the pandemic by a game show host on Twitter instead of scientists and doctors tells you everything you need to know about how clueless and pathetic the Trump administration is," Sanders wrote. "Trump must be defeated." SandersTweet The journalist Kurt Eichenwald wrote: "Let's see. A game show host, a politician, someone on social media, a guy on Fox News, or a person trained in epidemiology and infectious disease. Huh. You're right. Hard to know which one of those to trust about issues involving epidemiology and infectious disease." White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany, when asked about Trump's retweet, told reporters, that while Trumo has confidence in the CDC, "the president expressed his displeasure with the CDC, some rogue individuals leaking guidelines prematurely." "He believes that misleads the American public when they're planning materials that are not in their fullest and best forms," McEnany said. "But the notion of the tweet was to point out the fact that when we use science, we have to use it in a way that's not political." Trump's retweets came as the United States hit new records for coronavirus cases as the virus spread in the South and West, with new cases of Covid-19 topping or approaching 60,000 additional diagnoses each day for the past week. On Sunday, Florida reported 15,299 new cases of Covid-19 in a single day, shattering New York state's individual state daily record by more than 3,000 cases. Trump's implicit endorsement of Woolery's comments also came as officials in the Trump administration sought to discredit Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top federal infectious disease official. He has continued to issue stark warnings about the risks of reopening the country amid the pandemic. On Monday, top executives at the Association of American Medical Colleges issued a statement saying the group "is extremely concerned and alarmed by efforts to discredit Anthony Fauci." "Dr. Fauci has been an independent and outspoken voice for truth as the nation has struggled to fight the coronavirus pandemic," wrote AAMC President Dr. David Skorton, and chief scientific officer Dr. Ross McKinney. "As we are seeing from the surge in COVID-19 cases in areas that have reopened, science and facts not wishful thinking or politics must guide America's response to this pandemic," Skorton and McKinney said. How to Do a Basic Website Audit to Improve SEO and UX (In 6 Steps) Does your website have issues that are hampering your SEO efforts or driving your visitors away? The following website audit process will help you find out. Advertisement If you've never audited your website, in all likelihood, you should. Websites are complex beasts, and problems develop regularly-and you won't recognize them unless you audit your site consistently. In this post, we're going to teach you how to perform a basic website audit to enhance your SEO , usability, and perhaps even your earnings. However, it's essential to understand precisely what a website audit involves. What is a website audit? A website audit entails analyzing your website for user experience, technical, and SEO problems. Some advantages of this process include discovering things that may be: Impeding your website's traffic potential in organic search; Hampering your sales or conversions; Confounding your visitors; Technically flawed Of course, locating such issues is only half the job. You then have to correct them. Fortunately, most of the corrections to the issues mentioned in this post are straightforward. However, we will do our best to clarify the more complicated ones as we proceed Initial Steps 1. Check your design Design is pivotal. Nobody is going to trust a website that was designed circa 1997. As a general rule, it's worth refreshing your website every 3-4 years-or at a minimum, making several essential design updates to keep things looking fresh. However, this isn't just about making things attractive or staying abreast of existing trends. There are a number of things that lead to a subpar website "design." Here are several of them: Invasive pop-ups and ads aren't actually always a bad thing. Things like cookie warnings or exit pop-ups provide a genuine purpose. But, there are few things more irritating than clicking on a web page in the Google search Results, only to be struck by countless pop-ups the moment you arrive on the page. Personally, I click the back button the very second I encounter pages like this, and I'm sure other individuals do as well. That has an adverse effect on a couple of things: Conversions. Individuals can't purchase anything without being on your site. SEO. Having visitors click the back button the moment they arrive on your page is known as "pogo-sticking." There's some indication that this tells Google there's something objectionable about your page and that it doesn't merit being ranked. With regard to SEO, Google penalizes "pages that show intrusive interstitials" on mobile. So for your own benefit: Bring up your site in an incognito window and watch what occurs. If there are numerous pop-ups, eliminate them. Illegible text If visitors can't read what's on your website, they'll once again click the back button the instant.Make a point of Using a large font size. It doesn't have to be ridiculously huge, but utilizing an 8pt font isn't going to be sufficient. Selecting a legible font. Many believe that sans-serif fonts are slightly more readable than serif fonts. With that said, this is probably over-analyzing things a bit. Just stay away from Comic Sans (or anything comparable). Using plenty of white space. Insufficient white space makes for an awful reading experience. Incorporate contrast. Yellow text on a white background? No thanks. Vague calls to action When determining the verb for your call to action copy, zero in on the desired action - call, buy, request, and so forth. The verbs you incorporate should offer guidance and direction to your visitors. Be as straightforward as possible to prevent confusion. Users should be able to understand and imagine what precisely will take place after they click your CTA. Steer clear of situations when users click "Sign up" and are confronted with an endless number of fields to fill in. In this instance, it's better to be direct and use the "Fill in the form" text in place of the "Sign up." Here are some examples of unmistakable call to action copy: "Download for Windows," "Try for 30 days for FREE," "Sign up in just one click," "Register for a meeting in London," "Fill in the Google form," "Purchase the eBook." 2. Check your navigation Picture a website without a navigation bar. Locating what you wanted would be next to impossible. That's why it's so important to ensure that your navigation menu is not only present but also is logical to visitors. Even if your navigation menu seems straightforward to you, your visitors may not find it so intuitive. So begin by taking a look at your homepage and analyzing your menu. Ask yourself: Is it straightforward? Does it link to all my most essential pages? Is it jumbled with pointless stuff? Have I made it simple for visitors to reach me if they have questions? If the answer to even just one of those questions is no, it may be time to reconsider how your menu works. To accomplish this, I find it advantageous to sketch out the flow of a website so I can plainly observe what's critical and what isn't. You can use an easy to use tool like Slickplan.com for this. EXPERT TIP Invite your family, friends, customers, or colleagues to use your website and note any issues. A fresh pair of eyes can be extremely beneficial! Do this with various individuals and see if there are any common themes. Bear in mind, however, that such people will frequently hesitate to mention legitimate issues with your website through fear of insulting you. If you feel there's a high probability of that, look into hiring a freelancer to do a manual video audit. These aren't generally very expensive, and the insights you get can glean are worth every penny. 3. Test for mobile-friendliness Fact: Nearly 50% of people browse the web with their mobile devices. In other words, the bulk of your visitors are most likely viewing your website on mobile. SIDENOTE. 3-4% of people use tablets to browse; this explains why 49% is the majority. Additionally, approximately 60% of Google searches are conducted on mobile-and that's 2016 data, it's possibly even a bigger number now. Simply put: A mobile-friendly website is mandatory, or you're pushing away over 50% of your visitors. EXPERT TIP If you're wondering how many of your visitors are arriving at your website via mobile, log in to Google Analytics and follow these steps: Audience > Mobile > Overview Here, you will see the percentage of your visitors that come from desktop vs. tablet, vs. tablet. Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool to check how mobile-friendly your website is. Try pasting your homepage in for the test. If your homepage is mobile-friendly, then chances are good that the balance of your website will be as well. Regardless, you may want to test several pages if you have dramatically distinct sections of your website. E.g., an eCommerce store operating on Shopify, and a blog running on WordPress. If it's not presently mobile-friendly and you realize that many of your visitors are on mobile, you should consider hiring a developer to address that dilemma. 4. Review your robots.txt file and sitemap Robots.txt is a basic text file that informs search engines which pages they are allowed to crawl, and those they don't have permission to. A sitemap is an XML file that helps search engines to recognize what pages you have and how your website is structured. Have a robots.txt file? It'll be available at yourdomain.com/robots.txt. Unable to locate your sitemap? The URL is probably in your robots.txt file. No? Look for it in the root folder of your hosting for XML files. In summary, it's good to have both these two files, but not necessary. If you have a small website (less than ten pages), then don't stress too much about either of these files. Although, if you're using WordPress, you can incorporate a plugin like Yoast SEO to create both a sitemap and robots.txt file simply 5. Verify that you're using HTTPs HTTPs implies that a website is safe-i.e., data transfer to and from the site is encrypted. You can identify when a website uses HTTPs as there's a lock in the URL bar, and the URL will start with https://: Why is HTTPs important? It boils down to security, primarily. Unencrypted (non-secure) data can be tapped into and stolen. Plus, HTTPs is a Google ranking element. So HTTPs is imperative if you're: taking payments on your website (an outright must) gathering user data (recommended) attempting to elevate your ranking on Google (who isn't!?) The great news is that this may not cost you a penny. Lets Encrypt is a non-profit organization that offers free SSL certificates, and it's supported by some of the heaviest hitters in the industry-Google included. In 2020, there is no reason to not use HTTPs. 6. Ensure that your site loads quickly Google reports that 53% of mobile visitors abandon websites that take in excess of 3 seconds to load. Additionally, Amazon discovered that a delay of 100 milliseconds cost them 1% in sales-and that was a decade ago. In all probability, those numbers are likely even more jaw-dropping now. In short, it's crucial that your site loads quickly. Fortunately, Google has a free tool for tracking page speed - PageSpeed Insights. Paste in a URL, and it'll give you a "speed score" for both mobile and desktop Scroll down, and Google offers suggestions on how to boost your page speed: Again, these are relatively technical, but any skilled developer will understand how to correct such things. Checking your homepage in PageSpeed Insights as a starting-point will provide you an image of your total site speed. You can then review additional pages to see if there are any speed issues at the page-level (e.g., lots of large image files, etc.) PageSpeed Insights does have it's shortcomings - you can only check pages one by one. That's more than frustrating if you have a website with tens, hundreds, or even thousands of pages In Summary Auditing your website is imperative to tracking the health of your website and marketing measures. This should be performed strategically and quarterly, if feasible. That will ensure you'll always have an optimized website to draw new visitors and provide them with the information they seek- and want - to persuade them you're the best option. Former INLA man Dessie O'Hare is to appeal his sentence for falsely imprisoning a family in South Dublin. OHare, who was known as The Border Fox, was jailed by the Special Criminal Court for seven years last year for the crime he committed while evicting the family from their home. His attack on another man on the same occasion was described as disturbingly violent, with Justice Tony Hunt remarking that the violent side of O'Hare's personality was not in remission and that his threat to society had not completely abated. O'Hare (63), of Slate Rock Road, Newtownhamilton, County Armagh had admitted to assaulting John Roche, causing him harm, at The Towers, Garter Lane, Saggart on June 9th, 2015. He had also pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne at Rathcoole and Saggart on the same date. The three-judge court was asked to take two counts of falsely imprisoning Mr Byrnes wife and son into consideration. He was jailed for three years for assaulting Mr Roche and ten years with three suspended for the rest of his life for falsely imprisoning Mr Byrne. The sentences are running concurrently. OHare has lodged an appeal against sentence to the Court of Appeal, and was today given the date of 14th of December for his hearing. His barrister, Mark Lynam BL, said that his client wanted to be present on that date. In 1988, O'Hare was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment for falsely imprisoning and assaulting Dublin dentist Dr John OGrady, causing him grievous bodily harm, but was released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement in 2006. The former terrorist also has convictions for firearm offences as well as assaulting a garda. - A patient was admitted at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, US, after he tested positive for COVID-19 - In his statement to the doctors, the patient said he had attended a COVID-19 party to test if virus was real - Before he died, the patient expressed his regrets to the medics saying he had made a mistake for thinking it was a hoax A man in San Antonio, United States of America, has succumbed to COVID-19 after attending a party that was held by a patient with the aim of testing if the virus was real. The COVID-19 parties have become a common trend in the US, especially among college students who hold parties with people who have tested positive for COVID-19 just to test if they too can contract the killer virus. READ ALSO: Coronavirus update: National tally crosses 10k mark as 379 people test positive The patient was admitted at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio. Photo: ABC News Source: UGC READ ALSO: Wakenya Amos Nondi na Johanna Omolo wang'aa wakati wa mechi ya vilabu vyao Uropa In a report by ABC News, Chief medical officer for Methodist Hospital and Methodist Childrens Hospital, Jane Appleby, said the unidentified patient had shared the information with them indicating he had attended the party. This is a party held by somebody diagnosed (with) the COVID virus and the thought is to see if the virus is real and to see if anyone gets infected, said Appleby. According to the medic, just before the patient died he expressed his regrets saying he had made a mistake for thinking COVID-19 was a hoax. READ ALSO: Nyandarua landlord who asked tenants not to pay rent for 3 months extends offer Just before the patient died, they looked at their nurse and said I think I made a mistake, I thought this was a hoax, but its not, Appleby said. Appleby said the patient, who lived in Bexar County in the Texan city of San Antonio, had become critically ill before his death. She said she had decided to share the information just to make people aware that the disease was serious and they needed to be extra careful to avoid contracting the disease. READ ALSO: Woman lights up internet with screenshots of messages showing how she was dumped I dont want to be an alarmist, and were just trying to share some real-world examples to help our community realise that this virus is very serious and can spread easily, she said. Appleby said her hospital has been seeing more cases in people in their 20s and 30s. The US is leading the world with the highest cases of COVID-19 at 3,413,995 cases, 137,782 deaths and 1,517,084 recovered patients. Across the globe there are 13,036,587 cases, 571,574 deaths and 7,582,425 recoveries. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Follow us on Telegram: Tuko news Source: TUKO.co.ke Amitabha Bhattacharya By The relentlessly soaring figures of infection and mortality on account of Covid-19 and the nations response to come to terms with them through medical intervention and non-pharmaceutical approaches have been attracting wide public attention. The effect of the pandemic on the economy and the adequacy of government actionthrough stimulus packages and reform measureshave also formed a major part of national discourse. But the subterranean fearbased partly on reality and partly on perceptionthat has engulfed the citizenry remains unarticulated. There are two main reasons behind such public apprehension. One is the uniqueness of the disease that caught even the developed nations unawares. The second is the inadequacy of the executive machinery to assuage the public, with the help of relevant statistics, not to panic but to remain careful. Drawing a line between the two has never been easy. An article in Nature Medicine by immunologist Thiago Carvalho on June 26 admirably sums up the findings of global biomedical research over the last six monthsin clinical testing, drug repurposing, vaccine development, understanding the pathogenesis, immunity and transmission modes. We learn of the important advances since the RT-PCR test and how serological testing has received a boost. And how remdesivir and dexamethasone have been effective under specific conditions. Amongst vaccine candidates, the article suggests Moderna and CanSino have shown promising results. Besides, passive immunisation through various means like convalescent plasma and hyper-immune serum preparations is also being attempted. As we know, Indias vaccine candidate is also being fast-tracked. No doubt, the world is better prepared now to combat the disease. Science never makes unsubstantiated claims. If one looks at what the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says about how Covid-19 spreads, cautious use of words mainly, The virus is thought to spread, It may be possible that a person can get Covid-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it This is not thought to be the main way the virus spreadsindicate that even in scientific circles, the learning process is continuing and therefore, many such advisories are rather probabilistic in nature. This is because of an imperfect understanding of the whole problem. The WHOs recent interventions about the infection potential of asymptomatic persons and on airborne transmission of the virus have also not cleared the air altogether. Under such circumstances, what can the executive do in a country with our population density, poverty, illiteracy, poor nutritional status and inadequate health infrastructure? Does instilling fear in the public psyche really help? Since fear begets fear, how can the transmission of pervasive fear be prevented? Admittedly, fear can cause paranoia in extreme cases, but much worse is when the reverse happens, with people tempted to throw caution to the wind. The greater the relaxation, the greater is the need for every individual to follow the instructions of social distancing, wearing of masks and hand hygiene. The prime ministers appeal before Unlock 2.0 from July 1 has to be read in this context. The current circumstances, therefore, demand a robust communication strategy to be put in place, the most important component of which would be to share relevant information based on available statistics. We would like to know what has been learnt from the experience so far, both local and global, and how the appropriate practices are sought to be introduced. Has any standard template/protocol for treatment been developed that even physicians in, say, areas like Siliguri, Meerut or Nellore are acquainted with and trained in? Are there channels of communication for experience sharing between apex institutions like the AIIMS and state and district hospitals? With advances in treatment, are the mortality rates showing a perceptible decline? Are there studies about the key modes of transmission in the Indian context? How are the frontline healthcare personnel being incentivised? What are the disaggregated data available that can provide insight into India-specific issues? Equally important, what are the problems being faced by non-Covid patients? Since senior citizens and others with comorbidities are advised to stay indoors, what kind of health problems are they facing? How effective and widespread have telemedicine services been? In the absence of collection and dissemination of the right kind of information, people tend to feel helpless, and, influenced by television and social media, be unduly panic-stricken. With graded unlocking, there are likely to be further spikes, especially when mass transport like Metro services are allowed. The government should not only be prepared in terms of infrastructure, it should also work with and take into confidence the stakeholders to ensure a people-led fight against the disease. For instance, many train services were suddenly cancelled, which must be for a justifiable reason. But shouldnt the railway authorities have explained what prompted this unilateral decision, with facts and figures? Democratic governments are not great communicators. But the present war-like situation demands that decisive action proceeds in tandem with meaningful communication. That will encourage the public to behave more rationally and proactively, freed from undue apprehensions. Amitabha Bhattacharya Former IAS officer who has also worked in the private sector and with the UNDP (amitabha2110@gmail.com) Former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Joy Nunieh, has claimed that she slapped the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, for sexually assaulting her. She disclosed this during an interview with Arise TV where she said she is the only Nigerian woman who has slapped the minister. The incident, she said, happened at his guest house in Abuja. Why did he not tell Nigerians that I slapped him in his guest house at Apo? I am the only Ogoni woman, the only Nigerian woman that has slapped him. I slapped him because of his plan B. Since he couldnt get me to take that money, he thought that he could come up on me. He didnt know that Im a Port Harcourt girl. Port Harcourt girls are not moved by moneyby somebody telling me that he will make me the substantive MD. Akpabios meetings with me were either at Apo or MeridienYes, I am accusing him of sexual harassment. There have been accusations and counter-accusations between the minister and the ex-NDDC boss. Her recent comment comes days after she accused the minister of fraud. She said during her brief tenure at the commission, Mr Akpabio repeatedly pressured her to take an oath of secrecy that was meant to keep her from exposing fraud at the commission. Mrs Nunieh did not provide any evidence to support her claims against the minister. She added that she would have been jailed if she had succumbed to Mr Akpabios oath of secrecy. Mr Akpabio, in turn, said Ms Nunieh has temperament issues. This is even as he suggested she sees a doctor. The minister said Ms Nunieh was not relieved of her appointment because of corruption but because of insubordination. No matter the allegation, I wish that she will go to the hospital, see a doctor, take some injections and relax. Im not saying there is something wrong with her, Im saying there is something wrong with her temperament. You dont need to ask me, you can ask about four other husbands that she married Mr Akpabio did not respond to phone calls and a text message on Monday seeking his response to the latest allegation. Ms Nunieh assumed office as the acting MD of NDDC after the removal of Akwagaga Enyia in October 2019, but she was sacked four months later as the crisis rocking the commission over abuse of funds kept mounting. President Muhammadu Buhari named Kemebradikumo Pondei, a professor of medicine, as her replacement in February. READ ALSO: PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported how Mr Akpabio played a major role in the removal of Ms Nunieh. Mr Akpabios relationship with the sacked NDDC chief was fraught with mutual suspicion and powerplay, according to people familiar with the matter. Godswill Akpabio [PHOTO CREDIT: @Senator_Akpabio] Besides Mr Akpabio and Ms Nunieh, officials and ex-officials of the NDDC have been trading accusations of fraud and abuse of office since President Buhari ordered the audit of the interventionist agencys accounts last year. The Senate had on May 5 set up a seven-member committee to investigate the financial recklessness of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the commission. The lawmakers said within the last three months, the commission spent over N40 billion without recourse to established processes of funds disbursement. In the course of the investigative hearing, there have been revelations ranging from how lawmakers hijacked NDDC projects annually to how the commission said it used N1.5 billion to take care of its staff as COVID-19 palliative. A Chinese activist working in Australia has been ordered report to police when she returns home after she created a Twitter account mocking President Xi Jinping. Wuyuan Dong Zoo was born in the city of Hefei in the Anhui Province in eastern China and is currently living in Melbourne on a temporary working holiday visa. The 30-year-old, who describes herself as a human rights activist, uses Twitter to criticise the Chinese Communist Party for hiding information from its citizens. In June she organised a protest in Melbourne which criticised China for censoring information about the Tiananmen Square massacre. Wuyuan Dong Zoo was born in the city of Hefei in the Anhui Province in eastern China and is currently living in Melbourne on a temporary working holiday visa The demonstration also served as a memorial for whistleblower Li Wenliang - the Wuhan doctor who was arrested after he tried to warn the world about coronavirus before dying of the disease. But Chinese officials have warned Ms Zoo that her presence in Australia does not make her exempt from Chinese laws, which are designed to protect the government from criticism. In a video call with Chinese police, an officer sits with Ms Zoo's father as he says: 'Let me tell you, you need to remember you are a citizen of the People's Republic of China.' 'Although you are [in Australia], you are still governed by the law of China, do you understand?' The policeman warns Ms Zoo against speaking out against President Xi Jinping and asks her multiple times to hand over her Twitter password. At one stage Ms Zoo even denies the account is hers but the officer demands that she 'come to the police station' when she returns to China. 'Let me make it clear to you, what you are putting out on Twitter is absolutely not permitted,' he says. In a video call with Chinese police, an officer (pictured) sits with Ms Zoo's father as he says: 'Let me tell you, you need to remember you are a citizen of the People's Republic of China.' Ms Zoo (pictured) hid her identity by wearing face masks and using a pseudonym until June 2 Twitter has been blocked in China, along with Facebook, Instagram, and anything the government believe could harm the nation's image. This also includes Winnie the Pooh after internet users compared President Xi Jinping to the lovable bear in memes. Ms Zoo told SBS that her parents are being questioned by police on a weekly basis. Although also said she doesn't know how police tracked her down because she hid her identity by wearing face masks and using a pseudonym until June 2. While she fears for their safety, Ms Zoo said she won't give in to the government's scare tactics. Born as an only child to a professor who teaches Community Party theory at university, her relationship with her parents - who have pleaded with her to stop speaking out against the government - has become fractured. Her father has requested she turn herself in to Chinese authorities for her criminal activity, but Ms Zoo said she believes they have been 'brainwashed by the regime'. 'In the end, I blame what the Chinese government has created, this control and dictatorship is really the reason our relationship has been ripped apart,' she said. Pictured: Ms Zoo at a protest she helped organise in Victoria against the death of Li Wenliang who first tried to warn the world about coronavirus China has strict laws designed to fiercely protect the government's image from negative commentary. Pictured: Chinese President Xi Jinping Ms Zoo first became disillusioned with the Chinese government after she used a location-blocking VPN in China to access otherwise illegal websites detailing the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. The seven-week pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing ended when military tanks and personnel entered the scene, setting vehicles on fire and killing thousands. The protests, first labeled a 'counterrevolutionary riot,' are now referred to as 'political turmoil,' when they are referred to at all, in an attempt to suppress all memory of them having occurred. Ms Zoo said what she found was 'completely different to what we were taught in school'. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Chinese embassy in Australia for comment. Tupac Shakur had quite the love life in his brief 25 years. The slain rapper was briefly married and dated some of Hollywoods leading ladies. But his final love story was with Kidada Jones. The two were engaged and living together at the time of his death. Understandably, Kidada was heartbroken when Shakur died. She also harbored feelings of resentment toward her father, Quincy Jones. Kidada Jones and Tupac Shakur via Twitter A recap of Kidada Jones and Tupac Shakurs relationship Kidada and Shakurs relationship got off to a rocky start. The rapper criticized Quincy Jones in an interview with The Source Magazine, where he spoke of Quincys interracial relationships and having mixed-race children. All he [Quincy] does is stick his d**k in white b***hes and make f**ked up kids, Shakur was quoted as saying. Quincy Jones, actress Peggy Lipton and Kidada Jones 1996 | Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage Kidadas sister, Rashida, slammed Shakur in an article, calling into question his moral compass and shaming the rapper for having a lack of respect for someone as legendary as Quincy. Kidada and Shakur met months later at a nightclub. He approached her, believing her to be Rashida, to apologize for his previous comments about their father. While talking, Kidada was enamored with Shakur. He [Shakur] was apologizing about the article he wrote about my parents, and inside Im just like, Oh my God, he is so cute, she exclaimed in an interview with VH1. The two became close friends, which Quincy was not receptive to. They soon began dating. Kidada Jones and Tupac Shakur via Twitter Related: Who Is Tupac Shakurs Former Fiancee Kidada Jones and How Long Were They Together? I remember one night he was just like, You know you can date whoever you want, but you will not bring Tupac to my house, thats one rapper you will not be dating, Quincy warned her. But Kidadas heart was already in it. Eventually, Quincy came around to the idea and grew to love Shakur as well. Kidada and Shakur lived together and spoke of marriage and having children. She was with him in Las Vegas when he was shot in a drive-by shooting. Kidada Jones was angry with Quincy Jones after Tupac Shakurs death Kidada was one of the last people to see Shakur before he died. After hearing of the shooting, she rushed to the hospital where he was being treated. Doctors and Shakurs mother allowed her in the room where Shakur was being monitored. Do you know I love you? she asked him, according to her 1997 interview with Vanity Fair. Do you know we all love you? Shakur nodded yes and as Kidada walked away, he began convulsing and slipped into a coma. He was then removed from life support. Tupac Shakur and Kidada Jones via Twitter Kidada was devastated. She told VH1 that she was depressed, unable to speak, or leave her home for nearly nine months after his death. Furthermore, she suffered from extreme guilt over his passing, as she had an eerie feeling that something terrible would happen before Shakur left their hotel. She asked him not to go out on the evening that he was shot, but he insisted. Kidada was furious with Quincy, telling VH1 that she felt abandoned by her father during Shakurs hospital stay after the shooting. Tupac Shakur and Kidada Jones via Twitter When I heard that he got shot, and I called my mom to tell her, she got on a plane from New York immediately, Kidada recalled. I called my dad, I told him what was going on, he didnt think he [Shakur] was gonna die. He was just like, Cant come, my love is with you, cant comeI harbored a lot of anger toward my dad because he wasnt there. Kidada later learned that Quincy took Shakurs death hard. The father and daughter duo reconnected and had a long and emotional talk about Shakur and his death, which led to their reconciliation. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday asked the construction firm building the near here to engage local youth who have returned to the state due to the lockdown triggered by the outbreak. The chief minister reviewed the progress of the construction of the All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Changsari in Kamrup district and also held a meeting with officials of the construction firm. "Once completed, this institution will transform Assam into a medical hub of not only the Northeast region but entire Southeast Asia," he said. The first phase of construction would be completed within its stipulated deadline of June 2021 and the second phase by June 2022, he said. The chief minister also directed state government departments to extend full cooperation in the construction of He reviewed the status of installation of power substations, drainage layout for releasing stormwater coming down from the nearby hills, provisions for drinking water, emergency response systems like fire outbreak management within the complex and other facilities. He directed the officials engaged in the construction to make it one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. The Centre has released Rs 757 crore out of the total estimated project cost of over Rs 1,200 crore. He appreciated Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma, who was also present there, for constantly monitoring and supervising the construction works. (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.) Two terrorists were killed in an encounter in Srigufwara area of inner Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Monday (July 13) morning. Security officials said that the operation is now over. Both the terrorists belonged to Laskhar-e-Taiba, out of which one was local and one was from Pakistan. Security forces have recovered huge amount of arms and ammunition from the slained terrorists. A top officer said that a joint team of Anantnag Police, 3 RR and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation on a specific information about the presence of terrorists in the area. As the joint searching team cordoned the suspected spot, hiding terrorists fired upon them which was retaliated by security forces, thus triggering an encounter. Sources said that two to three terrorists are believed to be trapped in the area. On Sunday (July 12), three terrorists were killed by security forces during an encounter in the Sopore town of Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.One of the slain terrorists was identified as Usman, affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba. Sources added that he was involved in the recent terror attack in Sopore in which a CRPF jawan was martyred and a civilian was killed. IGP Kashmir said that the elimination of three terrorists in Sopore encounter is a big success for the police and security forces. A joint team of Jammu and Kashmir police, 22 RR, and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search-operation at 4 am on Sunday after receiving a tip-off about the presence of terrorists in Reban area of Sopore. The source said that hiding terrorists opened fire on forces that triggered an encounter. Imperial Valley News Center Commemorating 25 Years of Diplomatic Relations between the United States and Vietnam Washington, DC - On July 11, 2020, the United States of America and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam will celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations. To mark the occasion, President Donald J. Trump and President Nguyen Phu Trong exchanged letters noting our shared vision of a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific and respect for each countrys sovereignty. Both leaders committed to continuing to expand our Comprehensive Partnership by increasing people-to-people ties; partnering to ensure that trade and investment is free, fair, and reciprocal; collaborating on humanitarian and legacy of war issues; and growing our strategic cooperation through expanded military ties. The United States also reaffirmed it will stand alongside Vietnam in support of the peaceful resolution of disputes, the rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, and unimpeded commerce. We congratulate Vietnam on an outstanding year as the Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and are excited to announce that the United States and Vietnam have reached an agreement that will bring Peace Corps volunteers to Vietnam. We celebrate the close ties forged over the last quarter century and look forward to marking the next 25 years of partnership, friendship, and a brighter future for our peoples. The United States has effectively banned Huawei and other Chinese companies from its nascent 5G platforms wireless telecommunications networks seen as the key to revolutionary advances in the way people live, work and play. For much of the past two years, the Trump administration has sought, often seemingly in vain, to persuade allies to follow suit. In May, the United States imposed an export control that cut Huawei off from a key source of semiconductors made with U.S. technology, leading British officials to doubt they could count on the security of Huaweis equipment. The sister of one of the wounded women said the event had been peaceful except for the constant sound of fireworks going off. In fact, when the gunman began firing, many in the group thought they were firecrackers, but the woman, who asked not to be identified for her own safety, said she knew otherwise when she saw the muzzle flash from the man standing in the darkness. Britain could suffer outages and potential security risks if forced to stop dealing with the Chinese firm, he warned. The BBC on Monday reported that the government could stop installing Huawei equipment after 2021, and could possibly try to remove all of the companys 5G kit by 2025. (Photo | Wikimedia Commons - Lao Men Faei) London: The head of British telecommunications giant BT said Monday that it would be impossible to remove controversial Chinese giant Huaweis equipment from Britains infrastructure in under 10 years. BT chief executive Philip Jansen, speaking to the BBC, also warned that Britain could suffer outages and potential security risks if the sector was forced to stop dealing with the Chinese firm. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will reportedly decide this week whether to phase out the Chinese technology giants equipment from the UKs 5G network because of persistent spying concerns. The BBC on Monday reported that the government could stop installing Huawei equipment after 2021, and could possibly try to remove all of the companys 5G kit by 2025. If you were to try and not have Huawei at all (in 5G activities) ideally wed want seven years and we could probably do it in five, BTs chief executive Philip Jansen told BBC Radio 4s Today programme when asked about the timeframe. If you wanted to have no Huawei in the whole of the telecoms infrastructure across the whole of the UK, I think thats impossible to do in under ten years. The Chinese companys equipment is already ubiquitous in Britains older-generation 3G and 4G networks. Huawei has been in the telecoms infrastructure for about 20 years and a big supplier to BT and many others in the UK telecoms industry, noted Jansen. Johnsons government has meanwhile received a damning security agency review about the long-term safety of Huawei. The British review was triggered by new US sanctions that blocked Huaweis access to US chips and semi-conductors, which are at the heart of 5G networks. The UK had allowed Huawei to roll out up to 35 percent of Britains 5G network under the condition that it stays out of core elements dealing with personal data. But the latest US restrictions raised the possibility of Huawei having to switch from trusted American suppliers to alternatives whose safety could not be guaranteed by UK security agencies. Johnson is coming under growing political pressure to dump Huawei and adopt a tougher line with China for its treatment of Hong Kong and repression of ethnic Uighurs in the western Xinjiang region. Police in Iran are investigating the cause of a fire that broke out at an industrial complex in northeast Iran, state news reported on Monday. Citing the semi-official Mehr news agency, Reuters quoted Javad Jahandoust, fire chief at the Kavian Fariman industrial complex, who said the fire was under control after a storage tank exploded. He said the incident at the industrial zone, which is located south of the city of Mashhad, is under investigation. A string of suspicious fires has rocked the country since late June. Irans Defense Ministry confirmed an industrial gas tank exploded near a military complex in Tehran on June 26. That was followed by another gas explosion on June 30 at a private medical clinic that left 19 people dead. Days later, Iranian officials confirmed there was an incident at the Natanz uranium enrichment plant. Two intelligence officials told The New York Times the complex was left in charred ruins and could take up to two years to return to its previous production capacity. On Sunday, a fire caused by an oil leak erupted at a petrochemical facility in southwest Iran, the official IRNA news agency reported. The governor of Mahshahr County said there were no casualties or significant damage. The blasts come as the Islamic Republic continues to deal with a worsening coronavirus outbreak. Despite more than 13,000 deaths from COVID-19, President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday the sanctions-battered economy could not afford to close down again. By Azernews By Aisha Jabbarova Turkish Foreign Ministry has condemned the Armenian provocation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border on July 12 that killed three Azerbaijani soldiers and injured four others. These attempts, which Armenia has made to distract the attention of the international community from its continued illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territory Nagorno-Karabakh and its surrounding regions for many years and to add new dimensions to the conflict for blocking the political settlement, are bound to fail, the ministry said in its press service. The ministry said that the fact that this attack which is yet another manifestation of Armenia's aggressive nationalism, has been repelled by Azerbaijan, is a concrete indication that aggression will not be left unanswered. The Armenian side should give up on such dangerous tactics and choose the path of reason and law. Embarking on adventurism for aspirations beyond its own capacity reveals Armenias failure of judgement and constitutes the biggest obstacle to peace and stability in our region. We hope that Armenias effort to cover up its own aggression will not be accepted by the international community in any way, the ministry said. The ministry reiterated Turkeys support for Azerbaijans struggle to protect its territorial integrity. Stephen L. Bacharach, PhD, a physicist known for his research in cardiac and PET oncology imaging, has been named as this year's recipient of the Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award. Bacharach was presented the award by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) at its 2020 Annual Meeting. Bacharach is recognized for his inception of and contributions in the areas of gated cardiac blood pool imaging, informatics, data processing and analysis. He and his colleagues were the first to apply the technique of evaluating cardiac function at rest and stress, a test that was the mainstay of nuclear medicine for many years. "Dr. Bacharach is considered to be one of the premier physicists in the area of nuclear medicine and cardiology and is nationally and internationally known for his research on gated cardiac blood pool imaging," said SNMMI president Vasken Dilsizian, MD. "Dr. Bacharach is a brilliant teacher, a thoughtful investigator and a prolific writer. He makes the most difficult concepts in physics, nuclear medicine and statistics easy to understand. An intellectual with marvelous human values, he is most deserving of the Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award." Bacharach received his undergraduate and master's degrees in engineering physics from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and went on to earn his doctorate from Cornell in applied physics. For nearly 40 years, Bacharach worked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. He was appointed senior tenured research scientist at NIH and was head of the Imaging Science Group until his retirement in 2005. Bacharach then moved to San Francisco, where he was appointed visiting professor of radiology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He retired from UCSF in 2017. During his career, Bacharach was invited to serve many short-term appointments around the world, including as a consultant with the World Health Organization at the Bhaba Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India; chief medical worker at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands; visiting professor in the joint MD/PhD Program at MIT and Harvard; and held the chair of excellence at the University Carlos III in Madrid, Spain. Bacharach served on the editorial board of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine for more than 20 years, and also served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. He has published more than 200 papers in cardiology, positron emission tomography oncology and image processing. Bacharach served on multiple SNMMI committees and councils and received SNMMI's Hermann Blumgart Award in 2005. "As a physicist, I am especially honored and humbled to receive the de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award. Although de Hevesy was primarily thought of as a chemist, his degree was in physics, and he worked with some of the greatest names in physics of all time, including Ernest Rutherford and Neils Bohr," remarked Bacharach. "I sincerely thank everyone at the SNMMI and all my collaborators for helping me get to this pinnacle at the end of my career." Each year, SNMMI presents the Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Medicine Pioneer Award to an individual for outstanding contributions to the field of nuclear medicine. De Hevesy received the 1943 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work in determining the absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination of radioactive compounds in the human body. His work led to the foundation of nuclear medicine as a tool for diagnosis and therapy, and he is considered the father of nuclear medicine. SNMMI has given the de Hevesy Award every year since 1960 to honor groundbreaking work in the field of nuclear medicine. The list of previous recipients of this award includes numerous Nobel laureates--including Ernest Lawrence, who built the world's first cyclotron for the production of radionuclides, and Glenn Seaborg, who discovered more than half a dozen new elements. ### About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, a vital element of today's medical practice that adds an additional dimension to diagnosis, changing the way common and devastating diseases are understood and treated and helping provide patients with the best health care possible. SNMMI's members set the standard for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine practice by creating guidelines, sharing information through journals and meetings and leading advocacy on key issues that affect molecular imaging and therapy research and practice. For more information, visit http://www.snmmi.org. Architectural Plastics assembles acrylic sheets that will be used for social-distancing guards for businesses on May 7, 2020 in Petaluma, California. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images While many businesses--and, yes, entire industries even--have suffered as a result of the Coronavirus crisis, some companies have managed to thrive in this moment. Based on an informal poll I conducted among HR people and other interested professionals, here's a small sampling of some of the industries that can't hire people fast enough: Cleaners--all types. Everything has to be cleaned to new, higher standards. Everything has to be cleaned to new, higher standards. Printing. From sign printers to ink manufacturers, this industry has been super busy. From sign printers to ink manufacturers, this industry has been super busy. Technical support. Suddenly, everyone is working from home and needs help. Suddenly, everyone is working from home and needs help. Therapists. This hasn't been easy for anyone. inlineimage This hasn't been easy for anyone. Glass/plexiglass makers. Suddenly, every cash register and every restaurant table needed a partition. Someone has to make them. Suddenly, every cash register and every restaurant table needed a partition. Someone has to make them. Laminated/extruded films. If you don't know what this is, that's OK. They make the packaging for frozen vegetables, for instance. With the increase in home cooking, they've been working around the clock. If you don't know what this is, that's OK. They make the packaging for frozen vegetables, for instance. With the increase in home cooking, they've been working around the clock. Medical professionals. While some medical people lost jobs, now that people are going back for regular care, the hiring signs are out. While some medical people lost jobs, now that people are going back for regular care, the hiring signs are out. Nutraceuticals. Alternative forms of medicine and herbal remedies have been flying off the shelves, and business is booming. Alternative forms of medicine and herbal remedies have been flying off the shelves, and business is booming. HR/finance/employment law. Every time you turn around, there's a new regulation, a new tax break, or a new lawsuit. These three groups have been buzzing and busy. So what does this mean for you? You don't need to be FedEx or Walmart, hiring tens of thousands of people, to be a successful business. There are expansion opportunities everywhere--who would have thought six months ago that plexiglass would be the hottest thing on the market? Take a look around and see what would make your life better or your life safer. If Etsy can explode with homemade masks (735,907 Etsy results on a search of "mask"), what could your business do? The United States has been raising its imports of fuel oil from Russia over the past year and a half after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Venezuelas exports, Reuters reported on Monday, quoting data from Refinitiv Eikon. Venezuelas heavy crude oil is suitable to process in complex refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast, but the sanctions have cut off Venezuelan oil flows to the United States. Last year, when the U.S. began slapping sanctions on Nicolas Maduros regime, refiners started to raise their imports of fuel oil from Russia, importing a record-high volume of 11 million tons for the full year 2019, double the fuel oil imports from Russia in the previous year. This year through June, American imports of fuel oil from Russia amounted to 5.3 million tons and are currently on track to match last years record imports, according to Refinitiv Eikons data. Total U.S. imports of crude oil and petroleum products from Russia markedly increased after March 2019, to 566,000 bpd in April 2019 from 361,000 bpd in March, according to EIA data. This happened just after the beginning of maximum U.S. pressure was placed on Venezuela and Maduro early last year when the Trump Administration essentially banned American imports of Venezuelan oil and oil products in an effort to stifle Venezuelas oil export income and choke off U.S. dollar revenues for Maduro and his circle. There is demand for fuel oil from Russia in the United States because it is cheaper than Russias flagship Urals crude grade, which saw its price recently spike because of the record OPEC+ production cuts. The margins are better for the cheaper fuel oil than from the pricier Urals, one trader told Reuters. The Russian fuel oil is predominantly shipped to the U.S. Gulf of Mexicoto Houston and Galveston in Texas and to Pascagoula in Mississippi, data from Refinitiv Eikon showed. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 18:04:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DHAKA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The number of Bangladeshi people who have so far recovered from COVID-19 reached nearly 100,000 on Monday. Nasima Sultana, a senior Health Ministry official, said in a briefing in Dhaka that the recovery rate rose to 52.61 percent Monday as more than half of positive cases had recovered from the disease so far in the country. She said during the last 24 hours, 4,703 COVID-19 patients were cured. "A total of 98,317 patients, so far, have been cured from COVID-19," she added. Sultana reported an additional 3,099 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday. In addition, she confirmed 39 new COVID-19-related deaths across the country, bringing the confirmed COVID-19 death toll to 2,391. The official said "3,099 new COVID-19 positive cases and 39 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh." She said the number of confirmed infections in the country totaled 186,894 as of Monday. Meanwhile, she mentioned that the COVID-19 fatality rate in Bangladesh is now 1.28 percent against the total number of detected cases so far in the country. According to the official, 12,423 samples had been tested in the last 24 hours in labs across the country. Bangladesh recorded the highest 4,019 cases in a 24-hour period on July 2. And the country reported the highest 64 deaths of COVID-19 patients in a day on June 30. Enditem When protests sparked by the death of George Floyd began last month, chef Nelson German was in the kitchen at alaMar. Outside the large windows lining the restaurant on Grand Avenue in Oakland, crowds gathered. Emotions ran high. "As a person of color, I was sad I couldn't be out there. What happened to George, [it's] heartbreaking. That could have been me or someone I've known," German says. He feared for his staff, many of whom are young and African-American and, as some among the protestors turned to smashing up and looting local businesses, he feared for his restaurant. "The amount just to pay for new windows and doors, it's going to be tremendous," he explains. That alone could have put alaMar out of business, especially at a time when pandemic restrictions are already having a major impact on its viability. Instead, Oakland stepped up. The community defended the restaurant, protecting it from harm. Even before it helped to shield alaMar, Nelson German had great love and respect for his adopted city. German was born and raised in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood, at the epicenter of the United States' Dominican diaspora. As a teenager, he began to fall in love with cooking, but for years his adventures in the kitchen were a closely protected secret. In "Dominican culture, it wasn't typical for a man to be in the kitchen. Because of that I didn't show my passion or my hobby for cooking. So, even experimenting, I'd wait until my parents left the house," he recalls. By his early 20s, German began to take on the role of master griller at backyard barbecues. Everyone agreed, the man had talent. Emboldened by their response to his cooking, German got his first job in a restaurant kitchen. For the next decade he honed his skills in New York, developing a style that drew as much from his Dominican roots as from the Mediterranean and Asian cuisines he helped prepare. Eventually, the time came for German to open his own restaurant. With his wife, May, at his side, he returned to her hometown of Oakland and, in 2014, they opened alaMar. It was a dream come true for German, the chance to tell his own story through his food. "That's the special thing about being a chef-owner," he says. Opening a place of your own "shows how far we have come." He filled the menu with childhood inspirations, memories from growing up, and original dishes. While alaMar is technically a seafood restaurant, its menu is more accurately described as a stroll through German's life. Chef's braised meatsbraised oxtail is on the current takeout menucome straight from his mom's home cooking repertoire. Braised chicken "is the one dish I always ask her to make for me when I go to visit. It's slow and low and you have to braise it for two hours. It's a dish you put a lot of love into," he says. One early alaMar dish, fried goat cheese stuffed with camembert with a spiced beef puree and honeycomb, was inspired by a dish at a Spanish tapas restaurant German and May frequented in New York. And elements from a decade of summers spent with friends in Puglia, Italy, where he played and worked in home and restaurant kitchens, show up in his crudos, ceviches, and other dishes. "They really focus on the seafood but you don't need too much cooking," the chef says. These dishes are "using ingredients I don't normally don't see in Italian restaurants in the U.S., like pistachio, turmeric, and saffron." German's range and talent is not unusual among Black chefs who, all around the country, are innovating in kitchens that specialize in a wide variety of cuisines. But the recognition he's received as a Black chefeven the fact that he owns and operates a restaurant that is not specifically dedicated to soul food or African foodis rare. "I'm in an industry where there were a lot of great chefs but they never got recognized," says German. Confronting those racial disparities drives him. "It's about more than just greens and cornbread. We can have sexy restaurants." For nine brief days before the Bay Area's shelter-in-place order was issued in March, German was once again poised to break out of the box with his second establishment, Sobre Mesa. Unfortunately the cocktail lounge, which specializes in refined drinks and Latino-Caribbean tapas inspired by the chef's Dominican roots, has spent its first months closed to the public, though some of the new eatery's best dishes and drinks are available through AlaMar's takeout and delivery menu. Meanwhile, open for takeout and delivery (outdoor dining in Alameda County was abruptly shut down last week, effectively closing the restaurant's patio), alaMar is thriving. It's one of the most unexpected things to come out of this moment where racial reckoning and confrontations of police brutality have slammed head first into a global pandemic, says German. In June, the restaurant even broke its former sales record. That community support has allowed alaMar to pay its good fortune forward. At the beginning of shelter in place, they partnered with The Lee Initiative to provide 300 meal kits a day as part of the Restaurant Workers Relief Program. Now they've joined up with World Central Kitchen to donate 100 to 150 meals daily to the homeless. "It's just who I am and how I grew up that you always give back and better things come towards you," says German. "It's a genuine team here [in Oakland]. It's really about building community and helping the city become the best city in the country." // alaMar is open for takeout and delivery via DoorDash; 100 Grand Ave. (Oakland), alamaroakland.com Rwanda's President Paul Kagame has complained about neighbouring nations Kenya and Uganda causing delays to imported goods because of the requirement to test truck drivers for Covid-19. The Rwandan leader's comments are prompted by long delays for road cargo, as drivers are tested at the border by the Kenyan and Ugandan authorities. Rwanda is a landlocked country and imports either travel through a northern corridor from Kenyan port city Mombasa, or a route further south from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. President Kagame said "coronavirus is killing people, business and even relationships" and he called the delays "unfair". However, he did not mention how Rwanda was the first country in the region to close its borders, at the onset of the pandemic, which disrupted the transport of cargo to Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mr Kagame's comments could raise tensions within the East African Community, at a time when the regional bloc needs political unity to cope with the economic impact of the pandemic. 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 Rajasthan crisis: 20 MLAs skip CLP meet India oi-Deepika S Jaipur, July 13: As many as 20 MLAs did not attend the Congress Legislative Party meeting held at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's residence on Monday. Rajasthan Transport Minister says 'confident of winning number game in state' | Oneindia News The CLP meet recommended strong disciplinary action against any Congress MLA and office-bearer who "weakens" the party. The party claimed that 106 MLAs, both from the Congress and those supporting it, were present in the meeting. Sachin Pilot and some of his loyalists did not attend it. The resolution expressed confidence in the leadership of national party president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. A police notice at first and then the big rift in Rajasthan The resolution also blamed the BJP for conspiring to destablise the Congress government and "murdering democracy" with the misuse of power and money to lure MLAs. This is an insult to eight crore people of Rajasthan, the resolution added. It mentioned that the Congress government led by Gehlot took revolutionary decisions in public interest in the past a year and a half and its efforts to deal with the coronavirus crisis were appreciated across the country. After the meeting was over, the MLAs were shifted to a hotel in Kukas on the Jaipur-Delhi highway. The Chief Minister and other leaders also went there with the MLAs. KABUL, Afghanistan During one of the most violent stretches of fighting in northern Afghanistan, as the Taliban scored victories that had eluded them since the beginning of the conflict, the top American commander went public with a suspicion that had nagged for years: Russia was aiding the insurgents. In diplomatic circles in Kabul around the time of that accusation, in 2017, there were murmurs that the Russian assistance had included night-vision goggles and armor-piercing ammunition. But Gen. John W. Nicholson, the commander, offered no definitive evidence, and that spoke to how confusing the battlefield had become as three longtime adversaries the Taliban, Russia and Iran agreed on their common interest in seeing the Americans leave Afghanistan. In the maze of corruption, cash and foreign hands in Afghanistan, it was no easy task to pin down who was doing what. Weve had weapons brought to this headquarters and given to us by Afghan leaders and said, This was given by the Russians to the Taliban, General Nicholson said a year later. We know that the Russians are involved. Its time for legacy churches to ... close Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Its no secret that many legacy churches have been struggling for several decades. You know all the reasons for that and the financial implications that has created. The pandemic has heightened anxiety and fears about viability. Its time for all of us to have some conversations about what is essential of our churchs ministries and even if our church is essential. Those honest and reality based conversations need to lead some of us to invoke our living wills and say no more treatment no more solutions we are ready to live out our days. So how do we do that: Say it out loud: As a pastor, one of the hardest things I have to do is to name reality. Sometimes that is with the health of an individual. Often the person knows they are at the end of their life but the family is understandably struggling. So I need to help them say what is happening out loud. Its only when it is out in the open that we can then talk about the gift of each day and how we want to live out our days. Grieve: I never thought this would happen to my church. What did we do wrong? If only we had done . . . These are all words of grief. Most people I know would like to have some final conversations, a chance to visit some memorable places and an opportunity to be grateful for life. All of our churches need to do those things as we celebrate the life of a church and its impact on our communities. Cry, celebrate and grieve together. Celebrate: Please do not let the last 5 years of your life define the rich history of your congregation. The great moment of the church I serve is that we were part of making religious liberty happen in the United States. We did that in the 1770s and 1780s a long time ago. I like to say, if we have done nothing else positive since then thats a pretty remarkable legacy our church leaves. So remember your religious liberty story dont discount that because you have come to the end of your churchs days. Celebrate the great moments remember the baptisms, weddings and funerals. Remember loading up the station wagons to take the kids to summer camp. Remember the hymn sings and the ice cream. Remember how faithful God has been to your church and give thanks! Seed new missions well beyond your current thinking. Take some risks with your assets. Many times the assets default to the denomination (and that might be a legal requirement for your church) but if you have the option, look broader then the default option. Help someone else create a story that is amplified by the risk a dying church took on us decades ago. You will need your best thinking and prayerful discernment to do this well. To the larger faith community that we have supported through the years would you honor us by coming to our funeral? To our denomination that we have funded would you stop talking about us as the problem, would you not just look at us as the owner of resources that need to be better deployed would you simply come for a visit? To our church planting friends that we have supported and helped (intentionally and unintentionally) would you recognize that we have been very successful at doing something you need to learn to do (passing church leadership from generation to generation) would you come listen to our stories and let us help you understand that not every season is harvest season. To both groups instead of diagnosing what we have done wrong, or thinking about divvying up the assets just come celebrate what God has done through our church for multiple generations. The Kingdom of God does not hang in the balance when legacy churches close. So lets stop holding on white knuckled, that requires too much emotional and spiritual energy. Lets pass the torch recognizing our sadness but celebrating the gift of God that we experienced through our church. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday supported a proposal to extend the deadline for a 25.7 trillion rouble ($363 billion) package of state spending, known as the national projects, by six years until 2030 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin suggested Russia give itself more time to complete the 13 projects, strategic spending goals ranging from infrastructure to education and healthcare, in light of the economic slowdown brought about by COVID-19 and the resultant strain on state coffers. The pandemic has dealt a serious setback to the projects, which formed the cornerstone of Putin's bid for re-election in 2018, including the key target of Russian GDP growth exceeding the global average by the time the spending reached its scheduled conclusion in 2024. Russian GDP was forecast to grow by 3.1-3.2% in 2021-22. "We have to work under tighter budget constraints," said Mishustin. "The spread of the coronavirus and its consequences for the global economy and our country, on the one hand have spurred development in certain segments of the market, but on the other hand have created new limits, slowing economic growth and constricting consolidated budget revenues." Mishustin said these changes must be taken into account when setting targets and suggested extending the deadline for Russia to achieve these national goals until 2030. Putin, boosted by constitutional changes voted for by the electorate this month that would allow him to stay in power until 2036, on Monday ordered his administration to prepare draft decrees that would make the proposal a reality. Search Keywords: Short link: Fraternity houses have never been known for their cleanliness, but they're now emerging as hotbeds for coronavirus outbreaks, the Washington Post reports. Why it matters: This is yet another problem for college and university officials to solve as they try to bring students back for the fall semester. Between the lines: Frat houses are used for both hosting parties and housing students, meaning the virus could spread the same way it would in a bar or as it would through any other type of communal housing. Driving the news: The University of California at Berkeley told students last week that the number of coronavirus cases on campus had more than doubled in just a week. The majority of cases trace back to fraternity or sorority social gatherings. Outbreaks at the University of Washington and the University of Mississippi have also been traced to fraternity housing or activities. The bottom line: "If they are crowded indoors, and they're in close quarters for a long period of time, it's just a recipe for getting infected," Thomas Russo, an infectious disease professor at the University at Buffalo, told WashPost. "And the setting almost guarantees if multiple individuals get infected, you suddenly have scenarios where they can spread it to 10, 20, 30 or 40 other individuals." Go deeper: Colleges gamble on reopening this fall Actor Sushant Singh Rajputs last film Dil Bechara will release on July 24 on an OTT platform. Before that, the films director Mukesh Chhabra left a touching note for the late actor. He wrote on Instagram: #dilbechra I know you are Watching me. He did not mention anybodys name but it would be safe to assume that he had Sushant in mind. Dil Bechara stars Sushant and Sanjana Sanghi in lead roles. For both Sanjana and Mukesh, the film is their respective debut project. One of the pictures shows Mukesh deep into work on his table, possibly in the scripting and writing process, while the second picture, shows him behind the camera, directing a scene. The post saw a number of cinema and television industry insiders express their sentiment in the comments section. While actor Amit Sadh, director Abhishek Kapoors wife Pragya, Dharma Productions head honcho Apoorva Mehta and writer-direcor Tahira Kashyap dropped red heart emojis, actor Hina Khan wrote Ohoooo. There is a lot of excitement around Dil Bechara, particularly among the fans of the late actor. The films trailer, which was unveiled last week, has become a hit online. It has received positive response from the viewers and many Bollywood celebrities. In particular, a dialogue was immediately picked up by his fans. Also read: Karan Patel takes a dig at Kangana Ranaut: Your sister is taking care of your business, why didnt you hire new people? Janm kab lena hai aur marna kab hai hum decide nahi kar sakte, par kaise jeena hai vo hum decide kar sakte hain, Sushant says right in the middle of the trailer. Terming the dialogue as their favourite, from the film, several social media users have posted screengrabs of the dialogue, lauding the late actors dialogue delivery. The film, adapted from John Greens book The Fault In Our Stars, sees Sushant and Sanjana living their love story while the latter battles cancer. Bankrolled by Fox Star Studios, the film is set to release on Disney+ Hotstar on July 24. (With ANI inputs) Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A genetic analysis of the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) has re-established our understanding of its population structure, aiding its conservation. The collaborative study spanning seven countries and led by the Wildlife Conservation Society and University of Bristol researchers is published in PLOS ONE. The American crocodile is widespread across the American continent (from South Florida to Venezuela, across the Greater Antilles, and from Mexico to Ecuador). Successful due to its ability to thrive within brackish and saltwater environments. Efforts to conserve the crocodile species have existed since 1975 when their status was set to vulnerable on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list. However, although conservation efforts have been put in place, the American crocodile faces further threats including habitat degradation due to coastal development. Replenishing these populations requires understanding of population structures through genetic analysis, which can elaborate on the evolution of the species' distribution. Gaining more understanding on how a species has come to be distributed so widely and how populations can differentiate genetically, can inform regions how best to manage their populations. The study reflected a regional collaborative effort, where DNA sampling occurred across seven countries including Venezuela, Jamaica and Cuba. There has been ongoing discussion on how these regional populations of C.acutus are similar. However, the study's results found that populations in Northern, Central and Southern America's and Great Antilles differed genetically. There were similarities found between Costa Rica and Jamaican populations. In Venezuela, they identified three new haplotypes, which are closely related genes that help scientists identify an origin of distribution. Researchers believe that the mating with different species could have contributed to this distribution, also known as hybridisation. Crocodiles hybridise easily, contributing to their ability to survive since the prehistoric era. Additionally, in Florida genetic analysis showed there had been a case of unintentional translocation, where the species had been moved from a different location over time. This had been flagged by previous research, where crocodiles with haplotypes from Central and South America had been transported to Florida, most likely for the pet trade, and later escaped or released into the wild by owners. By identifying these differences between regional populations of C. acutus, conservation efforts can establish population clusters which consider the populations as independent management units that may have different needs and focuses. Natalia Rossi, Country Manager of the Cuba Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society and the study's co-author explains some of the challenges around taking samples from large crocodiles: "Our study involved several research teams across multiple sites and countries and often in difficult field conditions. For four years between May to July the team would record, mark and sample crocodile hatchings, and juvenile and adult crocodiles in Cuba's Birama Swamp, one of the study sites. It was not unusual for us to have to spend hours in the mangrove lakes waiting for one to appear, and when a crocodile was spotted the whole team would have to enter the water to help net it. While both exciting and rewarding work, it is also dangerous as the crocodiles are powerful and it involves lots of team co-ordination and trust to secure the crocodile to enable us to take samples." The study was ambitious and could not have been achieved without its global collaboration and efforts from its long list of authors. In particular, the late John Thorbjarnarson and Rafael Crespo, who dedicated their lives to this research. ### Lead authors, Dr Natalia Rossi and Dr Angelica Menchaca-Rodriguez stress the importance of collaborating across borders, particularly for such a widespread species. They said, "We are proud of having achieved this regional effort of understanding species at a scale no single scientist could have done." Paper High levels of population genetic differentiation in the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) by N Rossi et al in PLOS ONE. JAKARTA, INDONESIA - A 65-year-old French retiree is now facing charges of molesting and physically abusing more than 300 children in Indonesia and may be penalized with death penalty according to authorities, July 9. Jakarta police apprehended child molester and pedophile Francois Camille Abello in a hotel in Jakarta last month and found two under-aged girls inside the perpetrator's room. The police stated that if convicted, Abello could face the death penalty by firing squad or life imprisonment in accordance with child protection laws in Indonesia. According to Chief Insp. Gen. Nana Sudjana of Jakarta Police, Abello's arrest was made after the authorities received a tip of his activities. The police then started an investigation until they were able to nab the suspect and catch him in the act last month. Nana also stated that during the arrest, Abello was caught with two minors inside his hotel room with one of them already rid of her clothes. He was then immediately taken to the police headquarters and was detained. Based on the report, more than 305 minors have been allegedly victimized by the French molester. The police were also able to identify 17 of these victims whose ages ranged from 10-17 years old. Authorities also revealed that most of the French pedophile's victims were street children, The Jakarta Post reported. Moreover, the police stated that they have found videos of the sexual encounters between Abello and the children on the perp's laptop. The videos showed the suspect doing sexual acts with hundreds of his victims who were all minors. Read also: Father, 11-Year-Old Daughter Shot Dead After 911 Call As Neighbor Went Into a Killing Spree Over His Pet Dog The suspect's modus operandi is to lure children to work for him as models which included a fat pay. When his bait is taken by the gullible children, he would then proposition them to have sex with him and will pay those who agree 250,000 to one million rupiahs. While those who would refuse to do so would be beaten by the suspect. According to The Straits Times, the French pensioner has been to and from Indonesia several times within the past five years. The authorities stated that their investigation suggests that Abello could have been molesting more Indonesian children throughout the years of his travel in the Southeast Asian nation. End Child Prostitution And Trafficking (ECPAT) International stated that at least 70,000 children in Indonesia are exposed and have become victims of sexual exploitation in the country every year. Meanwhile, ECPAT Indonesia has shown appreciation for the police's apprehension of the police molester but criticized their slow-paced actions which led to a large number of victims. Ahmad Sofian, National Coordinator of ECPAT Indonesia stated that street children in the country being victims of said molestation and abuse is not a new thing in the country. This is because these children are gullible since they are in need of money. These children are also off the radar since they usually roam and live on the streets. Sofian also stated that authorities often overlook the abuse of street children in their country. Related article: Three People Charged for Allegedly Posting Rape Footage a Minor on Snapchat @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A slight majority (54%) of property /casualty insurance industry professionals think insurers will succeed in defeating legal and political attempts to force them to pay business interruption claims from the coronavirus pandemic. A slight majority (55%) also believe that that the industry should accept the presumption that health care and other frontline workers with COVID-19 contracted the disease while on the job and thus make them eligible for workers compensation coverages. Business interruption and workers compensation have emerged as two insurance controversies amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to results of the Wells Media 2020 Property/Casualty Insurance Industry Coronavirus Survey, while 54% believe the court and legislative efforts seeking business interruption payments will fail, and only 15% believe they will succeed, almost one-third ( 31%) are not sure what will happen. Hundreds of commercial policyholders are suing insurers seeking payments for business lost due to the shutdowns during the coronavirus crisis. They are pressing various arguments including that their policies do not contain an exemption for viruses, that the shutdown is covered because it was ordered by a civil authority order, or that the virus amounted to property damage. The insurance industry has been pushing back, arguing that no coverage is owed under most commercial property insurance policies for business income losses caused by COVID-19 closure orders. Insurers argue that business interruption policies are only triggered when actual physical property damage prevents a business from operating. Earlier this month the first decision in a state court came down decidedly in favor of the industry. Judge Joyce Draganchuk of Michigans 30th Circuit Court ruled verbally on July 1 that some tangible alteration to a property is required to trigger coverage. Whats more, a virus exclusion in the property insurance policy would have barred coverage even if the claimants had alleged the virus did cause physical damage, the judge said. In workers compensation, the controversy centers around proving if the virus was contracted on the job. Unlike in a back strain where it is typically straightforward that the injury occurred while on the job, its more difficult to determine the origins of diseases like COVID-19. In most states, workers have to prove they got the virus on the job to qualify for workers compensation. However, some states have shifted the burden of proof for coverage of job-related COVID-19 so that workers including first responders and nurses dont have to prove how they got the virus on the job. The 2020 Property/Casualty Insurance Industry Coronavirus Survey found that a majority (55%) in the P/C insurance industry support granting the workers compensation presumption in favor of the workers. Meanwhile, 27% do not support it and 18% are not sure. Essential Workers With COVID-19 Face Workers Compensation Uncertainty Essential workers who get the coronavirus on the job have no guarantee in most states theyll qualify for workers compensation to cover lost wages and medical care. Wells Media Group conducted the Property/Casualty Insurance Industry Coronavirus Survey online from May 26 through June 12, 2020. For that period, the survey was available to readers on three of Wells Medias sites: InsuranceJournal.com, CarrierManagement.com and ClaimsJournal.com, all of which serve the property/casualty insurance industry. A total of 1,704 respondents participated. They work for agencies and brokerages, insurers and reinsurers, vendors to the industry, and other industry-related organizations in all areas and levels of responsibility. Topics Trends Workers' Compensation Property Property Casualty Market Casualty Students and pedestrians walk through the Yard at Harvard University, in Cambridge, Mass., on March 10, 2020. (Brian Snyder/Reuters) International Students Denied US Entry Under New Visa Rules: Court Documents WASHINGTONInternational students have already been denied entry to the United States under new Trump administration rules that bar them from the country if their schools hold all classes online amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a court document filed on Sunday. The friend of the court brief, written by dozens of universities and colleges, was filed in support of a lawsuit brought by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) seeking to block immigration rules issued on July 6 that blindsided academic institutions across the country. The brief said U.S. immigration authorities were already preventing returning students from re-entering the country and cited the case of a DePaul University student returning from South Korea who was denied at San Francisco International Airport. DePaul declined to make the student available for an interview. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman did not comment about students being denied entry under the new rules. The brief was just one of a flurry of filings in support of the lawsuit from major business associations, labor unions, and tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter. They were joined by more than two dozen cities, towns, and counties that decried the rule. There are more than a million foreign students at U.S. colleges and universities, and many schools depend on revenue from foreign students, who often pay full tuition. On Monday, the state of Massachusetts led a coalition of 16 other states and Washington in filing a lawsuit that called the new rules cruel, abrupt, and unlawful. The state of New York also filed a suit against the visa rules on Monday, following lawsuits by the state of California and others in recent days. A federal judge in Boston is scheduled to hear arguments on Tuesday over a motion seeking to temporarily block the rule. By Ted Hesson Nicola Sturgeon today warned Boris Johnson that withholding post-Brexit state aid powers would represent a 'full scale assault on devolution' and increase support for Scottish independence. The UK has had to adhere to European Union rules on state aid during its membership of the bloc. But once the Brexit transition period finishes at the end of this year Britain will be free to set its own policy on subsidising private companies. Regaining the ability to act unilaterally on state aid is viewed by many in the Government as one of the leading benefits of splitting from Brussels. Number 10 wants to keep the powers for the UK Government to exercise but the Scottish and Welsh administrations believe they must be devolved. The Government is expected to set out its proposed way forward in the coming months, with a major constitutional row now viewed as increasingly likely. Nicola Sturgeon has warned Boris Johnson withholding state aid powers after Brexit would represent a 'full scale assault on devolution' Ms Sturgeon said if Westminster keeps the powers it would be a 'blatant move to erode the powers of the Scottish Parliament Ms Sturgeon warned if decision-making powers over state aid were reserved to Westminster it would be a 'blatant move to erode the powers of the Scottish Parliament'. She shared a Financial Times report that suggested the UK Government does want to control state aid policy at the end of the Brexit transition period. She tweeted: 'Make no mistake, this would be a full-scale assault on devolution - a blatant move to erode the powers of the Scottish Parliament in key areas. 'If the Tories want to further boost support for independence, this is the way to do it.' Ms Sturgeon has called for a referendum on Scottish independence to take place before the end of this year. A Panelbase poll published last week put support for a 'Yes' vote in an independence referendum at 54 per cent and support for 'No' at 46 per cent. A Welsh Government spokesman said it would 'bitterly resist any attempt' by Westminster to impose a new system. The spokesman said: 'We support having rules across the UK to regulate the level of funding Governments and local authorities can give to business, but these rules must be agreed between the four Governments in the UK, each of which have their own responsibility for economic development and must be independently policed. 'We have had no recent discussions with the UK Government on these issues and will bitterly resist any attempt by Whitehall to unilaterally impose a system on us.' But Downing Street said: 'Weve always been clear we consider the regulation of state aid to be a reserved matter. 'Well continue to work with the devolved administrations to look to agree a modern system for supporting British business in a way that benefits all within the U.K.' Mr Johnson's Government is expected to bring forward legislation to the House of Commons in the autumn which will detail its approach to state aid. Current EU rules on state aid are designed to stop member states from subsidising private firms or sectors of the economy in such a way as could give them an unfair advantage over their competitors in other European nations. Ms Sturgeon wants a referendum on Scottish independence to be held this year but Mr Johnson has refused to give permission for a second ballot. Critics argue that the EU rules have restricted the UK's ability to intervene when important domestic industries have struggled. Scotland's Constitution Secretary Mike Russell has previously said plans to enshrine a UK 'internal market' after Brexit would seriously undermine devolution, describing them as a potential 'power grab'. In a letter to Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, Mr Russell said he is concerned about proposals for an external body that would 'test' whether a bill in Holyrood affected the UK's internal market and plans for a 'mutual recognition regime', which he said could lower regulatory standards beyond what the Scottish Parliament found acceptable. In response, Mr Gove accused him of trying to 'confect' a political row. The next Financial Peace University class starts Wednesday, Aug. 5, 7 p.m. at Chattanooga First Seventh-day Adventist Church, 7450 Standifer Gap Road, Chattanooga 37421. The nine-week course runs through Sept. 30. Thousands have taken control of their money with the skills learned in Financial Peace University, said officials. The class will be traditional format. COVID precautions are in place. For information on class schedule, visit www.chattfirstsda.com. Back when Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, Republican leaders claimed to believe that, as president, Mr. Trump would respect the rule of law. I still believe we have the institutions of government that would restrain someone who seeks to exceed their constitutional obligations, Senator John McCain said. We have a Congress. We have the Supreme Court. Were not Romania. Romania is looking pretty good these days. Freedom House, an organization that monitors political freedoms in countries around the world, has downgraded the United States to a score of 86 out of 100, just three points higher than Romania, and far below Americas erstwhile democratic peers like Britain and Germany. (The United States received a score of 94 in 2010.) Mr. Trump has both benefited from, and contributed to, this alarming decline. But to give Mr. McCain his due, the president has not yet in a clear sense violated the laws or Constitution of the United States. He has blustered and threatened to break the law but always pulled back at the last minute in the most important cases. The presidents damage to the country has come through his poisoning of the public discourse with lies and insults; his efforts, largely unsuccessful, to direct criminal investigations against his enemies; his politically motivated manipulation of his office to enhance his standing at the expense of American foreign policy and the broader public interest; his appointment of hacks to high positions in government; and his terrible policy choices, including his neglect of the coronavirus pandemic. All of this was legal, alas, with the ambiguous exception of his (mostly unsuccessful) obstruction of criminal investigations of his aides. All of which raises the question: What will happen if Mr. Trump is re-elected? John Bolton, hardly a member of the Resistance, has called his former boss a danger for the republic if re-elected. Will Mr. Trump in a second term finally burst the bounds of the Constitution as so many critics have predicted since he entered office in 2017? The National Police have got to the bottom of the murder of Milos Perunic, the 41-year-old Montenegrin shot dead with a sub-machine gun in Marbella town centre in the middle of the day on 2 June. The investigation, led by the special team set up specifically to deal with score-settling incidents at the provincial police station, has so far resulted in four arrests, two of whom are alleged to have been directly involved in the incident - the shooter and his accomplice on a motorcycle. The pair were tracked down to Catalonia. Alexis Herdez has been filing for unemployment every week since April, shortly after she was laid off on her first day of work at a bridal clothing store. But more than two months later, the 23-year-old in Lexington, Ky., has yet to receive any payment. She and her husband have been struggling to pay rent and make their monthly car payment. The automated phone system for the state's unemployment system takes her to a queue for a callback that has yet to come. Visits to state offices have been fruitless. While Herdez was finally able to get an appointment with someone at the unemployment agency to look at her case, it's not until August, she said. The pandemic's toll on workers who have been furloughed or laid off like Herdez is measured in numbers that splash across headlines: 1.4 million new weekly unemployment claims and 18 million people are already receiving continuous unemployment insurance. Tens of thousands of workers at Levi's, Wells Fargo and United Airlines learned this past week they could be furloughed or laid off in coming months, sending those workers to seek jobless benefits as well. Four months into the worst recession since the Great Depression, tens of thousands of workers like Herdez across the country have filed for jobless claims but have yet to receive payments. Many are now in dire financial straits. "We've been only able to make half payments on everything," Herdez said in an interview. "We bought a large amount of groceries and have been taking things out of the freezer, but as the weeks go by, it's hard to figure out whether to pay bills or whether we have enough food to last the week." The issue has spilled back into public view in recent weeks, as thousands of frustrated workers awaiting payments have camped out, sometimes overnight, in front of unemployment offices in states like Oklahoma, Alabama and Kentucky. The ongoing delays are the result of a confluence of crises, experts say. A flood of new jobless applications - about 50 million - has overwhelmed state unemployment offices over the past four months. The agencies themselves are hampered by years of neglect. They rely on reduced staffs and badly outdated technology after years of budget cuts, often at the behest of business groups and Republican legislatures. Issues with fraud and user confusion over the new rules and filing process have further bogged down the process. But cases like Herdez show what happens when workers simply run out of money and the social safety net malfunctions with defaulted payments and trips to food banks. In more desperate situations, workers become homeless. "We've kind of abdicated our responsibility to the unemployed," George Wentworth, a senior counsel at the National Employment Law Project and an expert on unemployment insurance. "There need to be more standards and those standards need to be rigorously enforced by the federal government." The Department of Labor does not track the percentage of unemployment benefits that have been processed, an agency spokeswoman said in an email. The agency did not offer a comment on the issue of delays in processing benefits. But previously unreleased data compiled by Andrew Stettner, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, illustrates the scope. By the end of May, about 18.8 million out of 33 million claims - 57% - had been paid nationwide. That number has steadily improved from 47% of paid claims at the end of April and 14% at the end of March. In Wisconsin, where about 13% of claims remained unprocessed as of July 7, residents told local reporters that they had waited 10 weeks or longer for their claims to be processed, leaving some on the brink of bankruptcy and eviction. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development said through a spokesman that the average time from application to payment is 21 days. In Pennsylvania, another 15% of claims were still in review as of mid-June. Oklahoma has approved 235,000 out of about 590,000 claims, with about 2,000 still under review as of June 21, but the state also has denied a whopping 350,000 claims, said Shelley Zumwalt, the interim director of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. Zumwalt said a small portion of the denied claims - about 47,000 - are people who have applied for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), a program for gig and self-employed workers who must get rejected from regular unemployment insurance before qualifying for the expanded benefit for gig workers. Nevada has also had issues processing these gig worker jobless claims, fulfilling only 74% of the 106,667 eligible PUA claims by June 19. Samuel Jarman, 25, filed for unemployment in Oklahoma in early April, after his start date at a new job to work on software for a payroll services company was pushed back indefinitely. Jarman said the issues he's had collecting unemployment insurance were part of the reason he moved back to his parents' house. It took nearly eight weeks to get his first payment, a lump sum of all the benefits he was owed at that point. But last month, his claim was flagged for fraud, and his payments stopped, he said. He doesn't know why his claim was flagged for fraud. But at one point, one of the people who helped him with his claim over the phone asked him for his full social security number - something he thought was suspicious, as workers are not supposed to do that, state officials say. Jarman has had problems getting through to the unemployment office in recent weeks, ending up trapped in an automated phone system unable to reach anyone with answers. He said he's frustrated by elected officials, like Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who he feels have not been transparent and fail to take threats raised by the pandemic seriously. "They keep saying 'unprecedented.' We're four months into this - how unprecedented is it still?" he said. "If you're up front about it, it's a lot better than just lying to our faces saying it's all going smoothly." Other unemployed workers described similarly time-consuming attempts to navigate unemployment systems. Kelly Johnson, 48, a restaurant manager and single mother of five in Dunedin, Fla., waited almost two months to receive her first payment after she was furloughed in March. She spent much of April calling the state's Department of Economic Opportunity, about 400 times, she estimates. She wasn't able to get through. When her payment did finally arrive, it was backdated just two weeks. She said she's given up on recovering any of her owed benefits, or filing another claim to recoup income from personal training work that also evaporated during the pandemic. So she makes do every week with the $71 she gets from the state as well as the $600 in federal supplemental benefits. "It's just messed up," she said. "It's an overloaded system." One problem is that some states have made it tougher to access benefits. Florida was one of many Republican-led states that restricted unemployment benefits in the aftermath of the Great Recession. After sustained lobbying from corporations hoping to reduce unemployment taxes, the state, under then Gov. Rick Scott, limited unemployment to 12 weeks and capped weekly benefits at $275, according to the Orlando Sentinel. By contrast, unemployed workers in Florida, and across the nation, are temporarily eligible for $600 in supplemental federal benefits every week, but that's slated to expire at the end of the month unless Congress extends them. A report written in 2017 by Wentworth, the unemployment expert, found those types of changes, which both limit the amount of benefits paid out and add restrictions, disqualifications or higher burdens for workers applying, had drastically reduced the number of unemployed workers collecting benefits in states around the country. "States that have been the most restrictive in moving people off unemployment insurance - those states have had the hardest time processing claims now," Stettner said in an interview. The pandemic has brought a multitude of new challenges, according to state unemployment offices. Zumwalt, the newly appointed director of Oklahoma's unemployment agency, said the state's system relies on a mainframe computer from 1978, which has hampered the speed with which it can process large batches of claims. "Remember the Oregon Trail? That's what my mainframe looks like," she said. "We have many full-time people whose job is just making sure that thing doesn't die." Zumwalt said staffing at the agency had dropped to 450 from 700 since 2017, although officials are making a push to hire workers. She also rented out space in a convention center outside of Oklahoma City for the unemployed to get help with outstanding claims, which has improved their ability to process them - from about 170 claims a day to around 500 to 600 now. Claimants are given masks and have their temperature taken before entering, she said. Still, there is a never-ending list of knots to untangle. Nearly 200 Vietnamese speakers showed up, unexpectedly, needing help and language assistance one day. A pregnant woman's water broke while she was waiting in line. Others have overheated while waiting on hot summer days. Many of the complaints are complicated to untangle, like those from people like Jarman, the software troubleshooter, who have had claims flagged as fraudulent, in some instances because they've been impersonated, Zumwalt said. "Every person that walks in my door is angry, and they have a right to be angry," she said. The state has forwarded 90,000 claims to be investigated for fraud. Other states systems are similarly bogged down by outdated or poorly designed technology, concerns about fraud and staffing issues. In Nevada, the interim director for the state unemployment system resigned in June after facing threats from angry workers. In Washington state, 100 National Guard members have been called in to help sort through issues around fraudulent cases. The delays in getting jobless benefits to the unemployed have led to some informal organizing - social media groups with thousands of members have cropped up on Facebook and other sites in states like Wisconsin, Nevada, Florida and Oklahoma. Extends exclusivity period for pending merger with Net Element until August 10, 2020 BREA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 13, 2020 / Mullen Technologies Inc. ("Mullen Technologies" or the "Company"), a Southern California based licensed electric vehicle manufacturer with international distribution that operates in various verticals of businesses focusing in the automotive industry; Mullen Automotive, Mullen Energy, Mullen Auto Sales, Mullen Funding Corp., and Carhub, today announces it has executed an LOI with Axiom Financial for $135 million in funding to acquire and build out an electric vehicle manufacturing plant. Mullen is also announcing it has extended the exclusivity period for the pending merger with Net Element (NETE). The Parties amended the originally announced Letter of Intent (LOI) to reflect an extended exclusivity period of 30 days, until August 10th, 2020. According to Mullen, the pending merger is on schedule and both parties are working diligently to move forward as planned. At this time, the Company is PRE-APPROVED for funding via non-recourse, asset-backed Line of Credit ("LOC") totaling $135 million with Axiom Financial to be used for the purchase of the plant to manufacture Mullen Electric vehicles. The Company expects to begin production by 2022 and enter the electric Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) market with the launch of the MX-05, a mid-size luxury SUV that will be featured as a battery electric vehicle. Mullen has created a different business model to enter the EV market with core tenants that include: fast-to-market, highly efficient, ready and proven initial platform leveraging an existing vehicle and designed for global market needs (development reduced from 4 years to 24 months), and complemented with a portfolio of competitively priced vehicles in the fast-growing Electric SUV segment. According to ResearchAndMarket.com, the global EV market in 2019 was $162.3 billion and is on pace to reach $716.8 billion by 2027, driven by favorable government policies and subsidies, calls to reduce vehicle emissions, consumer demand and other factors. Story continues "As we move forward with our acquisition of Net Element, the immediate need to develop a facility to manufacture and assemble our vehicles becomes a high priority", stated Mullen CEO, David Michery. "Modifying an existing, functional plant to create our vehicles will immediately catapult Mullen into very rare territory: an electric car manufacturer producing vehicles and distributing them throughout our internal network of dealers". Michery further stated, "Mullen has the ability to rise above the competition and be a true Tesla competitor, especially in the SUV market. Once the facilities are fully operational, Mullen will be able to integrate its' proprietary solid state battery technology into our vehicles and other consumer products." About Mullen Technologies: Based in Southern California, Mullen Technologies is a licensed vehicle manufacturer focused on providing exciting electric vehicles that fit perfectly into the American consumer's life by working independently as well as through strategic OEM partnerships. Mullen Technologies owns a number of synergistic businesses including: Mullen Auto Sales, a fast-growing series of pre-owned auto dealerships through California, CarHub, a new and unique digital platform that leverages AI to offer an interactive solution for buying, selling and owning a car, Mullen Energy, a division solely focused on advancing battery technology and emergency point-of-care solutions, and Mullen Finance Corp., a captive finance arm for consumer vehicle leases and loans. Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Words such as "may," "should," "could," "would," "predicts," "potential," "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions, as well as statements in future tense, often signify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and may not be accurate indications of when such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information that the Company has when those statements are made or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For more information, please visit: www.MullenUSA.com . For more information contact: marketing@mullenusa.com www.MullenUSA.com Mullen Technologies,Inc 714-613-1900 SOURCE: Mullen Technologies, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/597199/Mullen-Technologies-Executes-LOI-for-135-Million-in-Funding-to-Acquire-an-Existing-Electric-Vehicle-Manufacturing-Plant-in-the-US Two Syrians have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of helping to carry out an execution by an Islamist terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda, prosecutors said Monday. Named only as Khedr A.K. and Sami A.S., the men are accused of having jointly killed a person protected under international humanitarian law, prosecutors said. The men were arrested and their apartments searched in Naumburg, near Leipzig, and in the western city of Essen. Khedr A.K. joined the Ghurabaa Muhassan group in Syria, part of the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organisation, some time before July 2012, prosecutors said. At that time, Jabhat al-Nusra was Al-Qaedas sister organisation in Syria. On July 10, 2012, Khedr A.K. was involved in the execution of a lieutenant colonel with the Syrian army who had been captured by the group, they said. He is accused of guarding the prisoner, who was bound by his hands and subjected to severe mistreatment, as he was transferred to his place of execution in Syria. Sami A.S. filmed the subsequent shooting of the victim and commented on the video in a glorifying manner for propaganda purposes, prosecutors said. Khedr A.K. is suspected of membership in Jabhat al-Nusra and Sami A.S. of having been a supporter of the group. Both men appeared before the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) on Monday and are now in custody. The first court case worldwide over state-sponsored torture by Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime opened in April in Germany after the suspects were brought to the notice of the authorities by their victims. In June, a Syrian doctor living in Germany was arrested on suspicion of crimes against humanity in his country of origin. On top of the grueling pandemic with its negative impacts on the way we live life, we are now dealing with the explosive issue of race relations and what beliefs we hold dear to our hearts. Respecting each other is a path forward to living peacefully together and trading with each other. Although protests have been occurring in my home state of New Mexico by indigenous groups against statues of Spanish conquistadors and Spanish history in the U.S., I prefer to focus on the overwhelming positive relations that people of Hispanic descent and the various Native American peoples have shared. This relationship should be an ancient example of how communities that trade together thrive together, and the lessons apply in modern times. We have co-existed for more than 400 years. We have intermarried, broken bread and worked together during crises. Many Native Americans and Hispanics have each others blood flowing through their veins. If the statues are offensive or hurtful, they should be put in a museum or on a private residence where people can judge the historical figures for themselves. We have lived together for so long that we should be able to communicate and understand each others viewpoint. I can trace my Hispanic history in New Mexico to the 1540 Spanish expedition into New Mexico led by Francisco Coronado, in which my ancestor, Tristan Luna y Arellano, served as his captain. I believe that during the first stage of Spanish rule in New Mexico (1598 to 1680), Native Americans were treated harshly and unfairly by Spanish rulers. However, I believe that after the Spanish were kicked out of New Mexico by the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, and their return in 1692, the two peoples came to accept each other and develop commerce, trade and friendship that still exists today. On my home mantel sits a San Idelfonso pot by Helen Gutierrez, a potter and niece of the most famous of the Pueblo Indian potters, Maria Martinez. I didnt buy it rather it was a gift. Years ago on a break from college back in my home town of Espanola, one of my best friends, who was Helens son from Santa Clara Pueblo, asked me if I could do him a favor and help him get firewood for his mother. I agreed and we proceeded to go up into the mountains west of Santa Clara Pueblo. Being a logger at the time, I cut the pinon and juniper trees with my chainsaw, and my friend gathered and stacked the wood in the bed of his truck. We then took the load to his mothers house, after which she fed us and we relaxed in the living room, tired, but satisfied after a hard days work. As I was leaving, I called goodbye to his mother, who was still cooking in the kitchen. She shouted at me to wait and she went into her studio and came out with a perfect black pot, with meticulous highlights. She twirled it in front of me and said, Here. I said, Whats this for? She said, I want you to have it. I said, I didnt bring you wood to receive anything. And she said, I know. I just want you to have this. I looked at her eyes and my heart melted. I took the pot and I told her that I would always cherish it. Later, my friend told me that sometimes his mother would give away pottery that was cracked or had blemishes, but she had given me a pot that was a showroom piece. I never forgot that day or that beautiful ladys face as she handed the pot to me. That pot is now one of my most sentimental items, not only because of its history, but because every time I see it, I am reminded that where I come from, Native Americans and Hispanics co-exist peacefully, not only from a utilitarian point of view, but because we are so similar and we like each other. While I dont advocate forgetting history, we should focus on the future and the good history we have between us. Look at what each side has brought to the table to create such a unique culture. Navajo silversmiths learned their craft from the Spanish, to become the best in the world. Native Americans taught the Spanish how to grow crops like corn and squash, for which the Spanish supplied the acequias irrigation canals that are still used today to grow these crops. Spanish cattle, sheep, goats, and horses are mainstays of Native American culture in the Southwest, as are the hornos outdoor ovens that the Pueblo Indians use to make delectable dishes that are famous throughout the world. We wouldnt have enchiladas, tacos, and the chile for which New Mexico is world famous if not for Native American crops. The beautiful churches at Taos and Acoma that were once held as buildings of oppression during the initial Spanish occupation of New Mexico, and during which many colonial churches were destroyed by the Pueblo Revolt, are today revered as cultural treasures. Today, various Native Americans practice their traditional religion while incorporating elements of Catholicism. This is a living example that we share the best of both worlds to make our own culture stronger through trade and exchange This weekend, I am going to make my favorite New Mexican food, chicos, a corn and pork stew, with red chile the best fusion of Native American and Spanish food I know, and which is enjoyed by both Hispanics and Native Americans. Lets celebrate the intertwining of our cultures while understanding that our history is far from perfect. We have the here and now, and this is the biggest gift of opportunity we have to deepen our support and understanding of each other and to live side-by-side as good neighbors. Jerry Pacheco is the executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit trade counseling program of the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers Network. He can be reached at 575-589-2200 or at jerry@nmiba.com. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 13) World superpower China denied the appeal of the Philippines on Monday to recognize the 2016 arbitration ruling on the disputed South China Sea. In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines emphasized the Permanent Court of Arbitrations decision favoring the Philippines over Chinas sweeping claims of the South China Sea is illegal and invalid. China does not accept or participate in the arbitration, nor does it accept or recognize the so-called award. China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea will under no circumstances be affected by this award, the statement reads. Beijing highlighted that both countries already have a compromise in handling the issue, with the establishment of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea. China also noted their strong bilateral relations with the Philippines for the past few years. Since assuming the presidency in 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte promoted closer ties with the Asian superpower and even convinced by Chinese president Xi Jinping to have a joint and gas exploration in the South China Sea. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, China-Philippines relations have maintained healthy and steady momentum, with exchanges and cooperation in various fields making continuous progress. This serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and contributes to peace and stability in the South China Sea, the Chinese embassy said. On Sunday as the Philippines marked the fourth anniversary of the historic South China Sea ruling asserting the countrys claims on the sea, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin Jr. called on China to adhere to the ruling and that the arbitration award is non-negotiable. Compliance in good faith with the award would be consistent with the obligations of the Philippines and China under international law, including UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) to which both parties are signatories, Locsin said. The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled on July 12, 2016 that Beijings nine-dash line maritime claim, which covers 85 percent of the South China Sea and 80 percent of Manilas exclusive economic zone (EEZ), is excessive and encroached into the Philippines' 200-nautical mile EEZ. This decision is truly generations in the making, Jones said Monday in a statement announcing his bid. Five generations ago, my ancestors were freed from the shackles of slavery. Just two generations ago, my grandfather endured systematic racism and discrimination on his journey to becoming a pioneering black lawyer in Virginia. And in 1960 my father and my uncle were two of the first black students to attend an all-white elementary school in Norfolk, Virginia. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has been granted a second 45-day extension to file his personal financial disclosure forms, which give the American public its only detailed look at the president's private business interests, according to a letter released by the White House. The forms are supposed to detail Trump's income, debts, stock holdings and outstanding loans for the year 2019. They were originally due May 15, but Trump got an extension until the end of June. On June 29, then, Deputy Counsel to the President Scott Gast granted Trump a second extension, until August 13, according to the letter. Federal law allows only two such extensions. Gast's letter said that the extension was given for "good cause," but did not specify what that cause was. A White House spokesperson said Trump "has a complicated report, and he's been focused on addressing the coronavirus and other matters." Trump appears to be the only president since 2001 to need an extension for his financial disclosures filing. Presidents George W. Bush and Obama filed all of theirs on time, according to archived documents. "Past presidents moved heaven and Earth to release their reports on the May 15 deadline, partly because they wanted to send a message that government ethics matters," said Walter Shaub, the former head of the Office of Government Ethics, which reviews the financial disclosures. Shaub resigned his post in July 2017, after criticizing Trump's approach to ethics rules. A frequent Trump critic on social media, he is now a senior adviser at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog nonprofit. Because Trump still owns hundreds of private businesses, even while in office, his financial forms are unusually complicated. His 2019 filing was 88 pages long. Obama's last filing, in 2016, was eight pages. For the public, Trump's filings have provided a valuable - and rare - insight into the president's ongoing partnerships, loans and income streams. Trump still owns his business while in office, though he says he has given day-to-day control over to his eldest sons. In 2018, for instance, Trump's disclosure forms showed he had repaid his former lawyer Michael Cohen more than $100,000 for "expenses" the previous year. That was an apparent reference to Cohen's payment of $130,000 in hush money to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels - who claimed she had an affair with Trump - just before the 2016 election. Trump had previously said he was unaware of the payments. Last year, Trump's disclosure forms showed that Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida had lost 10% of its revenue. That seemed to signal how much Trump's divisive rhetoric had hurt his bottom line - after his remarks about white-supremacist marchers in Charlottesville, Va., caused big-spending clients to pull their galas from Trump's club. Trump's next disclosure forms, whenever they appear, will not contain any data for 2020. So they will not provide new details about how Trump's businesses have been affected by the covid-19 pandemic. But they should show whether Trump's businesses rose in 2019, despite the drag caused by Trump's political brand. On June 12, Trump's son Eric - now the day-to-day leader of his father's businesses - had promised the news would be good. The Trump Organization "had one of the BEST years in the HISTORY of the Organization in 2019 . . .(which they will soon see in our upcoming financial disclosures)," Eric Trump wrote on Twitter. Two weeks after that tweet, President Trump got his second extension to file the documents. Eric Trump declined to comment about the second extension. Welcome to the Star-Tribunes Energy Journal, a play-by-play of the past week in Wyomings wild world of energy. Im your energy and natural resources reporter, Camille Erickson. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each week here. Employees at EOG Resources pool funds to support food pantries stretched thin by pandemic When the COVID-19 pandemic started sweeping through the U.S., energy company EOG Resources and its employees decided to mobilize. In just a matter of months, the team pulled together $822,000 to distribute to food banks and pantries across the region, including some serving residents in Wyoming. Food of the Rockies received over $101,000 in the employee and company's donations. They also raised $6,750 for Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies. This generous donation will allow us to provide much-needed food for children, senior citizens and the most vulnerable as the COVID-19 situation continues to create uncertainty in our communities, said Tony Woodell, director of Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies. We thank EOG Resources for their ongoing partnership, especially during this difficult period. The firm also joined forces with Wyoming First Lady Jennie Gordon. She leads the Hunger Initiative, a program working to eliminate food insecurity among children in the state. Childhood hunger is a problem that can be solved, but we cant do it alone, Wyoming First Lady Jennie Gordon said in a statement. By gaining valuable partners like EOG Resources we can provide more meals for children throughout Wyoming, especially during this crucial period of need. Food banks providing resources to residents in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and beyond also received some of the funds. EOG Resources was the leading producer of oil in the state of Wyoming in 2019. It has continued to be the number one producer of oil in terms of volume statewide this year, according to data from the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. During uncertain times such as these, we rely on our employee culture to help our business stay resilient, consistently innovate, and find ways to give back to our communities in meaningful ways," Bill Thomas, the energy company's CEO, said in a statement. Last week's news roundup COAL The Department of Environmental Quality issued a coal mining permit to Brook Mining Company LLC following years of internal review and public debate. The permit will allow the firm to mine for coal just north of Sheridan. Wyoming once again threw its support behind a proposed joint venture involving two of the state's leading coal operators last week. In an amicus curiae brief filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, state attorneys opposed the Federal Trade Commission's recent move to block the merger of coal firms Peabody Energy Corp. and Arch Resources Inc. Coal production in Wyoming contracted yet again during this years second quarter, as the COVID-19 pandemic zapped demand and customers continued to transition to natural gas and renewable energy sources for electricity production. Between March 29 and June 27, Wyomings 16 coal mines produced 23.4 million tons less in coal when compared to the same period in 2019 a 34% drop, according to the Energy Information Administrations preliminary data. Data released by the Small Business Administration revealed the two newest coal operators to enter Wyomings Powder River Basin Eagle Specialty Materials and Navajo Transitional Energy Company each received between $5 million and $10 million in forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, this year. The dream of exporting Wyoming coal to one of the world's leading importers to the commodity was dashed last week when Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Hiroshi Kajiyama, said the country would consider phasing out 100 of its older coal-fired power plant units by 2030. The news comes as the country races to meet emission standards set by the Paris climate accord within the coming decade. The Powder River Basin Resource Council will host its fourth and final webinar in its series on funding Wyoming's economic transition. The free webinar will take place at 10 a.m. on July 21 and registration is required. The speakers will be Ben Alexander, senior program advisor with the Resources Legacy Fund, Chris Markuson, director of Colorado and State Economic Transition Policy for the BlueGreen Alliance, and Cindy Winland, senior fellow for the Just Transition Fund. Register here. OIL & GAS Economic conditions across Wyoming started declining even before the COVID-19 pandemic began sweeping through the state, according to a new report from Wyomings Economic Analysis Division. Taxable sales in the first quarter of the year significantly contracted as activity associated with oil and natural gas development diminished. A federal judge has ordered the shutdown of the Dakota Access Pipeline while a lengthy environmental review is conducted of the project opposed by environmentalists and American Indian tribes. Wyoming is expected to bid on 5 million combined acres of land soon after the State Loan and Investment Board authorized the treasurers office Monday to make a play on the Occidental Petroleum property. The U.S. Department of Energy announced it will allow firms to export liquefied natural gas to international markets from the proposed Jordan Cove terminal on the southern coast of Oregon. The move brings natural gas producers in landlocked states like Wyoming closer to tapping into demand for the commodity overseas, proponents said. The Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission plans to hold its monthly hearing at 9 a.m. Tuesday but will be taking precautions to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hearing, which typically takes place at 2211 King Blvd. in Casper, will be livestreamed on YouTube. Commissioners and individuals participating directly in the hearings will be allowed to attend in person. But all attendees must maintain social distancing and no more than 30 people will be permitted in the room at one time, according to Supervisor Mark Watson. Additional details, and any changes to these plans, will be posted soon on the commission's website. WIND & SOLAR The Wyoming Energy Authority, the state's newest agency, will oversee the distribution of competitive federal grant funds to improve energy efficiency in buildings across the Equality State. The State Energy Program provides several grant opportunities for local municipalities, schools and businesses hoping to conduct energy audits or retrofit their facilities to lessen utility costs and energy consumption. Applications are due Aug. 28. CONSERVATION A U.S. appeals court said that a federal judge was right to restore protections for about 700 grizzly bears in the Yellowstone region of the Rocky Mountains, after federal officials sought to turn over management of the animals to states that would have allowed them to be hunted (via Associated Press). Last week in numbers Friday oil prices: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) $40.90, Brent (ICE) $43.29 Friday natural gas: Henry Hub $1.79, Wyoming Pool $1.63, Opal $1.65 Baker Hughes rig count: U.S 258 (-5), Wyoming 1 (-0) Quote of the week (Navajo Transitional Energy Company) in particular is the third largest coal company in the nation. That doesnt seem like a small business. ... These (coal) companies were struggling prior to COVID-19. Certainly COVID-19 has exacerbated the coal industrys troubles, but those started long before the pandemic and it seems to be taking advantage of a program that was designed for somebody else. Shannon Anderson, staff attorney with the landowner organization, Powder River Basin Resource Council Follow the latest on Wyomings energy industry @camillereports Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. As the 2020 elections near, 74,000-plus Texas immigrants are finding they will be unlikely to vote in November, and they have a looming budget crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic to thank. Many Texas immigrants started the process to become citizens as far back as last year with the intent to vote in the fall. TRUMP CRITICIZES PRIVATE TEXAS BORDER WALL: Trump rips private Texas border wall built by his supporters Becoming a citizen in a town you choose to call home, and making it to the final stretch where you raise your hand to be sworn in as a naturalized U.S. citizen, is a rite of passage for many who have been waiting years for this opportunity. The reward is having your voice heard, as you cast that ballot for the candidates you feel will uphold the best interest of the community you just pledged to call your home. "The delays could have big implications in Texas, where both Republicans and Democrats are gearing up for what they expect to be the states closest election in a generation," reported Benjamin Wermund of the Houston Chronicle. According to Pew Research, "About one-in-ten people eligible to vote in this years U.S. presidential election are immigrants. Roughly half (52%) of all immigrant eligible voters in Texas are Hispanic." For these would-be voters, it's a big deal to be faced with this roadblock, especially during this election year where many don't agree with the direction the country has gone in and want their voices to be heard. Itll be painful to miss this, said one Houston-area pastor who applied for citizenship in February and says hes really motivated to vote this November. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stated it would furlough 13,400 employees beginning Aug. 3 if Congress doesn't provide the $1.2 billion needed to keep the agency operating. According to estimates by Boundless Immigration, they did the math, and each day the USCIS offices remained closed, some 2,100 ran out of time to vote as U.S. citizens in the coming election. Many have been sworn in since the USCIS began operations again, while others had their interviews rescheduled, but the agency is still up against the wall to get them done. STAY INFORMED: Sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. A new drama about the murder of Stephen Lawrence will be set 13 years after the black teenager was killed and will depict his parents fight for justice. Stephen, which has been commissioned by ITV, will be a three-part sequel to 1999s The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence and will portray events from 2006. It will tell the story of the ongoing struggle by his parents Doreen and Neville Lawrence to achieve justice and how a detective, DCI Clive Driscoll working closely with the Lawrences put together an investigation that finally secured the convictions of two of the gang who committed the murder, more than 18 years later. Their son was murdered in a racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus in Well Hall Road, Eltham, south-east London, on April 22 1993. Expand Close Stephen Lawrence (Family handout/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Stephen Lawrence (Family handout/PA) The original investigation had failed to convict those responsible, and the campaign for justice by the Lawrences led to a public inquiry which branded the Metropolitan Police institutionally racist and brought about sweeping changes in the law and police practices. However, six years on from the inquiry, no progress had been made in the case. The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence, which was written and directed by Paul Greengrass and produced by Mark Redhead, will be repeated on ITV on July 16. A live discussion programme entitled Stephen Lawrence: Has Britain Changed? will also air on ITV immediately before the re-broadcast. Baroness Lawrence said: I am pleased that The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence is being broadcast again. Video of the Day Though the events portrayed in the film took place many years ago, they are even more relevant today. I am aware that the experience of police racism that we suffered as a family has been the experience of many in the UK. I hope that the film and the drama which has been commissioned will provide some insight into what we went through and give some hope to others that justice can eventually prevail. Mr Lawrence said: I welcome the announcement of this new TV series by ITV, made with members of the same team who wrote and produced the 1999 original drama. It is important that the next part of the story is told, particularly at a time when, thanks to the Black Lives Matter campaign, concerns around institutional racism are so prominent Neville Lawrence, Stephen's father That first film was important in telling Stephens story. It is important that the next part of the story is told, particularly at a time when, thanks to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) campaign, concerns around institutional racism are so prominent. The recent BLM protests have served to remind people that black men and women continue to be subjected to racially motivated attacks. It was true when Stephen was killed and it still happens. It has always been my view that the most powerful response to racism is non-violent resistance and I am heartened to see people from all backgrounds who have come together peacefully across the country to show they will not tolerate racist attitudes. I hope this new film will further help raise awareness. The new drama will be produced by HTM (Hat Trick Mercurio) and executive produced by Redhead and Greengrass, alongside Jimmy Mulville and Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio. It will be directed by Alrick Riley and written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and Joe Cottrell Boyce. Polly Hill, head of drama at ITV, said: It feels appropriate for us to return to the Stephen Lawrence case on ITV. The brilliant film, The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence, could only take the story so far, Stephen continues that story. Its important to remember just how long it took Doreen and Neville to get a conviction for two of the men responsible for the death of their son Stephen. Frank and Joe have written beautiful scripts and I am delighted to have Alrick on board to direct this important drama. The LG Electronics factory in Trang Due Industrial Park in Hai Phong City, northern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of LG Vietnam. Several of the world's largest technology corporations plan to shift their production chains to Vietnam post-Covid-19, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. LG Electronics recently moved its entire smartphone production line from South Korea to the northern city of Hai Phong, the ministry said. At a recent conference between the government and localities, Hai Phong authorities proposed expanding the city's Dinh Vu-Cat Hai Economic Zone and Trang Due Industrial Park to create conditions for LG to expand its operations. The South Korean company had set up a $1.5 billion plant in Trang Due in 2015. South Korea was the leading investor in Vietnam last year with $7.92 billion. Japans Panasonic is planning to move a production line that makes refrigerators and large-capacity washing machines from Thailand to Vietnam in early September to improve cost efficiency. Through its key contractor Foxconn, U.S. tech giant Apple expanded production of its wireless earphones called AirPods in Vietnam to four million in the second quarter, equivalent to 30 percent of all AirPods production. Apple appears to have shifted part of its production from China to Vietnam, where it only used to assemble AirPods and Lightning cables. In the last few months Apple has listed many job vacancies in Vietnam on LinkedIn, lending credence to reports the company could expand its manufacturing in Vietnam. Taiwanese-owned Foxconn recently said for the first time that Vietnam is its largest manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia. It has three factories in Bac Giang Province in the north. Experts say Vietnam has become a promising manufacturing destination for multinationals thanks to its early and effective efforts to contain the novel coronavirus. The country of 96 million people has reported 372 infection cases and no deaths so far. The expansion of production chains and investment by multinational corporations contributed significantly to the growth of the electronics industry in the first half of the year, despite the industry being badly affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. The exports of computers, electronic products and components increased by 24 percent during the period to nearly $19.3 billion, while those mobile phones and accessories topped $21.5 billion. But the electronics industry is likely to be greatly affected in the second half since the pandemic is likely to hit demand in the American and European markets. Samsung's global sales and output are forecast to decline, and Samsung Vietnam plans to cut its export target for 2020 by 12.7 percent against 2019 to $45.5 billion. Vietnam is among the "brightest" spots in Asia despite the challenge of trying to contain the pandemic, and its economy is poised to rebound, a UBS economist recently said. "Retail sales, imports (and) industrial production were all actually up on the year in the month of June, which is better than you can say for most economies in the region," Edward Teather, ASEAN economist at UBS Research told CNBCs "Squawk Box Asia". "Vietnam is growing and is well-positioned to continue to take global market share in terms of exports going forward, so pretty bright prospects in a relative sense in the region," Teather said. The countrys free trade deal with the European Union, which was ratified last month, could boost inflows of foreign direct investment, he added. Oregon-based Redwood is a seed-to-smoke hemp company that offers a lineup of premium, high-quality smokable products made with its own organically-grown hemp. Redwoods product selection is carried in more than 1,600 U.S. retail stores, which the Company intends to leverage to make Beyond Tobacco available to a wider audience of retailers upon its much-anticipated launch planned to occur in Q4 2020. As a result of the proposed acquisition, TAAT plans to benefit from Redwoods broad production capacity and possibly reduce the cost of producing Beyond Tobacco by as much as 50%. Further information regarding this acquisition will be shared in a public conference call to be held at 3:00 pm PDT / 6:00 pm EDT today. LAS VEGAS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAAT LIFESTYLE & WELLNESS LTD. (CSE: TAAT) (FRANKFURT: 2TP2) (the Company or TAAT) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a letter of intent dated July 10, 2020 to acquire Redwood Reserves Ltd. (Redwood), one of the largest and best-established U.S. hemp cigarette brands, for an acquisition price consisting of $1,155,000 and 2,390,000 common shares in the capital of TAAT. This strategic acquisition is intended to provide more cost-effective manufacturing capacity to TAAT, in addition to gaining an established direct distribution network through which Beyond Tobacco cigarettes are planned to be supplied to Redwoods extensive network of retailers. As Redwoods product line is currently being sold in more than 1,600 U.S. smoke shops and convenience stores, carried by several distributors, and sold through Redwoods online store, the Company will realize cash flow from Redwoods continued business activities following the proposed acquisition. Additionally, the Company believes that Redwoods product offerings can complement TAATs Beyond Tobacco product upon the planned Q4 2020 product launch. Subject to a definitive agreement, which the parties have agreed to proceed with diligently and in good faith to negotiate and settle the terms for execution on or before July 31, 2020, TAAT will acquire 100% of Redwood, resulting in Redwood becoming a 100% subsidiary of the Company. The acquisition of Redwood is subject to customary conditions of closing, including without limitation, the satisfactory completion of due diligence by both parties and the receipt of applicable regulatory and governmental approvals. Story continues Founded in Portland, OR in 2019, Redwood produces hemp products that are characterized by an organic growing process, and the unique horticultural properties of Oregons Willamette Valley which are said to yield hemp of remarkable quality. Its seed-to-smoke production chain allows for complete visibility into every step of a Redwood hemp products journey to maintain the high standard that has earned Redwood a sterling reputation in the hemp industry. Aside from its flagship proprietary blend hemp cigarette products sold in a stick format and cigarette-style packaging (shown below), Redwood also offers pre-rolled hemp in a joint format, as well as kief, and various varieties of single-gram dabs and flowers in 3.5g and 7g units. Redwood has developed three proprietary hemp strains to include Carolina Dream, Golden Redwood, and Wild Bourbon. All proprietary strains, as well as the Redwood Reserve blend have undergone separate laboratory tests conducted by Confident Cannabis, to provide users a comprehensive overview of their respective qualities. Redwoods laboratory reports can be accessed at the following link: https://redwoodreserves.com/lab-reports/ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f48b8301-ce56-4d9b-9889-8ebc6cffc1bb To date, Redwood has established a presence in more than 1,600 U.S. retail stores to include stores in major markets such as New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco. In the past six months, Redwood has formed agreements with more than one dozen national and regional distribution firms to supply Redwood hemp products to retailers throughout the United States. Redwood presently has open dialogues with additional distribution firms in which new distributorship is being contemplated, to potentially further expand Redwoods retail market reach. Through strategic search engine optimization, Redwood has gained significant online visibility, even without the use of pay-per-click advertising. As of this writing, Redwoods website benefits from top-level visibility in the Featured Snippets section of Google search results for search terms to include benefits of CBD cigarettes (shown below). Moreover, sales volumes on Redwoods online store experienced notable recent growth, with June 2020 sales 421% higher than sales for the month of November 2019, following the online stores launch in October 2019. Top-level visibility of Redwoods website on Google search results Redwood is operated under the administration of its co-founders, Ana Redwood and Dennis Grayson. Ms. Redwood, whose family owns Redwood Family Farms (supplier of premium hemp plant material to Redwood) holds the Chief Operating Officer role at Redwood. Seeking to embrace the farm-to-shelf model as a method of ensuring product integrity, Ms. Redwood also founded medicinal hemp firm USA Hemp, which later expanded into South America through its USA Hemp Brazil division, supplying medicinal hemp that is currently being prescribed by Brazilian doctors. Mr. Grayson, who is Redwoods Chief Executive Officer, has an extensive entrepreneurial background in the hospitality, land development, and beverages industries. Grayson entered the hemp industry in 2015 and quickly ascended to the position of Business Development Manager at Xanthic Biopharma prior to co-founding Redwood. TAATs addition of Redwood to its brand portfolio by way of this acquisition is expected to provide several benefits to the Company: Production Capacity: TAAT estimates that the manufacturing costs of Beyond Tobacco can be reduced by as much as 50% with its access to Redwoods highly-efficient production system. Furthermore, new production capacity can increase TAATs overall supply bandwidth, giving it the capability to fill a greater volume of orders upon the planned launch of Beyond Tobacco cigarettes. Proprietary Smoking Cessation Insights: Similar to Beyond Tobacco, Redwood has positioned its hemp cigarettes as being potentially helpful to tobacco users who wish to quit smoking, on account of the unique properties of cannabidiol (CBD, a non-psychoactive derivative of hemp) which has been shown to be helpful in facilitating tobacco quitting attempts. In June 2019, Redwood published a study of the benefits of hemp cigarettes for smoking cessation, which included testimonials and numerous success stories from Redwood hemp cigarette users who used the product to reduce or eliminate their dependence upon traditional tobacco cigarettes. As the production of Beyond Tobacco hemp cigarettes is currently in its initial stages, proprietary insights relating to Redwood hemp cigarettes could be applied to late-stage revisions of Beyond Tobacco to potentially enhance the product. Redwoods June 2019 study can be accessed at the following link: https://redwoodreserves.com/quit-smoking-with-cbd-cigarettes/ Cash Flow: Because Redwood hemp products are currently sold in more than 1,600 stores throughout the U.S. in addition to sales through Redwoods online store, the Companys acquisition of Redwood will provide additional sales and cash flow to TAAT from Redwoods business being carried out as usual. Redwood Co-Founder and CEO Dennis Grayson commented, The emergence of the hemp industry in the United States took place very rapidly, and building the Redwood brand as an icon of Oregons one-of-a-kind hemp ecosystem was very exciting to do. We took a boutique-style approach to curating a lineup of artisanal and organic hemp products so that we could offer our customers a lifestyle-driven brand that provides an unforgettable experience. This acquisition deal with TAAT reflects both how far we have come as a business, and how bustling our industry has become with the many popular applications of hemp, whether recreational or medicinal. TAAT is on the verge of introducing its Beyond Tobacco line of hemp cigarettes, which we firmly believe is ideally positioned to compete effectively in the US $814 billion worldwide tobacco cigarette market. TAAT has already achieved very strong momentum even before the official launch of Beyond Tobacco, and we are delighted for the Redwood brand and products to be part of that. Were enthusiastic about acquiring Redwood for many reasons, said Joe Deighan, Founder of TAAT. Their organically-grown proprietary strains of hemp have earned Redwood a loyal base of followers, in addition to strong relationships with retailers and distributors. Aside from that, having access to their production capacity can improve our production timelines for Beyond Tobacco and reduce costs considerably. Thus, bringing Redwood under TAATs umbrella is both an operational play for the Company itself, in addition to a marketing play to capitalize on the brand recognition of a proven and successful seed-to-smoke hemp company under great leadership. I believe Beyond Tobacco can prosper in combined marketing and distribution efforts with Redwoods product line, which is already highly sought-after. We look forward to exploring these synergies as we get closer to the planned Q4 2020 launch of Beyond Tobacco. At 3:00 pm PDT / 6:00 pm EDT on Monday July 13, 2020, the Company will be holding a public conference call to provide more information regarding its acquisition agreement with Redwood as described in this press release. Dial-in information for this conference call is provided below. Date and Time: Monday July 13, 2020 at 3:00 pm PDT / 6:00 pm EDT Local Telephone: 416-775-3670 Toll-Free Telephone: 1-888-978-2635 Conference ID: 146574 This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company, TAAT LIFESTYLE & WELLNESS LTD. Joel Dumaresq Joel Dumaresq, CEO and Director For further information, please contact: Jamie Frawley investor@taatusa.com About TAAT Lifestyle & Wellness Ltd. Taat Herb Co., the flagship brand of Taat Lifestyle & Wellness, is an early-stage life sciences company based in Las Vegas, Nevada innovating nicotine-free and tobacco-free alternatives to traditional cigarettes. With a unique proprietary blend of all-natural ingredients and meticulous engineering of the user experience, Taat Beyond Tobacco cigarettes are designed to emulate every aspect of legacy tobacco products with no significant difference to the user. Taat Beyond Tobacco cigarettes provide benefits that include mitigation of tobacco withdrawals, and reduction of tobacco dependency. With an expert-led go-to-market strategy, the Company's objective is to position itself in the US $814 billion (2018)1 global tobacco industry to capitalize on the growing worldwide demand for better-for-you alternatives to traditional cigarettes. For more information, please visit http://taatusa.com . References 1 British American Tobacco - The Global Market Statement Regarding Effects of CBD on Smoking Cessation The Beckley/Exeter research program (University of Exeter) carried out a pilot study that found after several weeks following cannabidiol ("CBD") treatment, CBD helped tobacco smokers to reduce the amount of cigarettes smoked by as much as 40%. A follow-on study is planned, which will include a brain imaging component to examine the brain activity patterns underlying the probable therapeutic effects of CBD. Source: https://beckleyfoundation.org/cbd-for-smoking-cessation/ Link to Study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030646031300083X Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information and information can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, estimates, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur, or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding the potential launch of Taat hemp cigarettes, in addition to the following: Pending or anticipated events relating to the Companys acquisition of Redwood, sustained performance of Redwood following its acquisition, anticipated benefits to the Company from Redwoods production capacity and distribution network, and changes to local, state and federal legislation relating to the business of Redwood. The forward-looking information reflects managements current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) changes to the growth and size of the tobacco and CBD markets; and (iii) other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company operates in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Companys management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company expressly 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 law. The statements in this news release have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As each individual is different, the benefits, if any, of taking the Companys products will vary from person to person. No claims or guarantees can be made as to the effects of the Companys products on an individuals health and well-being. The Companys products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This news release may contain trademarked names of third-party entities (or their respective offerings with trademarked names) typically in reference to (i) relationships had by the Company with such third-party entities as referred to in this release and/or (ii) client/vendor/service provider parties whose relationship with the Company is/are referred to in this release. All rights to such trademarks are reserved by their respective owners or licensees. Teacher Monica Elizabeth Young, 23, (pictured) is alleged to have sexually assaulted a young student on school grounds A female teacher accused of sexually abusing a teenage student sent Snapchat messages asking the boy to send her explicit photos, a court has heard. Monica Elizabeth Young, 23, was denied bail on Monday by a Bankstown Local Court magistrate, who raised concerns she could interfere with witnesses if released. Ms Young was arrested and charged with 10 offences early on Friday morning including aggravated sexual assault with a child aged between 14 and 16. Court documents revealed many of those charges related to incidents alleged to have occurred during school hours on June 24 and July 3. Young was arrested at a Sydney home on July 10 and devices were seized. Police had only briefly reviewed the recorded evidence but had already allegedly uncovered Snapchat conversations of the teacher 'encouraging the complainant to send an explicit image', the police prosecutor said. 'As a result, this is an overwhelming prosecution case,' she said. Snapchat conversations and CCTV from the school showing the pair in contact formed part of the prosecution case, the court was told. The boy also gave a recorded interview on July 3, leading Mr Walsh to suggest the teen's 'memory would not be a significant matter at trial'. Ms Young's father and grandmother outside Bankstown Local Court on Monday morning The teacher was arrested and charged about 7am on Friday (pictured) and was refused bail by a magistrate today It is also alleged Young tried to interfere in the police investigation by contacting the pupil's mother to 'explain away' the claims. Magistrate Glenn Walsh said that, according to the facts before him, Young learned about the existence of the police investigation then 'tried to get around' it. The magistrate said Young allegedly did that 'firstly by representing herself as a different Snapchat user, and secondly attempting to contact the mother of the complainant to try and explain away the circumstances of conduct.' The court was told that created unacceptable risk that Young could try and interfere with the administration of justice. The teacher appeared in court via audio-visual link from Silverwater's remand centre dressed in a green prison jumper and her hair tied back in a ponytail. The teacher appeared to quiver when she first appeared but calmed herself and was expressionless through the rest of her appearance. Young's mother, grandmother and father all watched on as Young's barrister, Geoff Harrison, applied for bail on her behalf. Mr Harrison told the court she could stay with her grandmother in Sydney's south-west under 'house arrest' conditions. He said the teacher had spent 'some three days in custody' and said there was now 'strong incentive' for her to oblige and obey bail conditions. She had no criminal record, could offer $50,000 surety and stay with her grandmother, he said. But the magistrate said Young's alleged behaviour 'raises significantly bail concerns of interference of witnesses' and formally refused her liberty. The teacher was just weeks away from marrying her boyfriend of six years when she was arrested last Friday at her home about 7am. She was charged with ten offences - including multiple counts of aggravated sexual intercourse of a child aged between 14 and 16 over weeks. The young woman is also charged with two counts of intentionally sexually touching a child, intentionally inciting a child to sexually touch and related offences. A court on Saturday ordered that the names of any prosecution witnesses and the name of the school not be published. And lawyers for Young sought a non-publication order on her name for a second time on Monday but it was refused by the magistrate after media opposition. The case returns to court in August. Officers, above, are filmed escorting Monica Young out of the premises of her home last Friday The first states to endure the coronavirus this spring hoped the worst would be behind them. Instead, the virus is coming back. Many places that suffered most in the first wave of infections, including California, Louisiana, Michigan and Washington state, are seeing case counts climb again after months of declines. It's not just a matter of more testing. Hospitalizations and, in some places, deaths are rising, too. The disease is raging -- Florida reported 15,300 cases Sunday, the biggest single-day increase of the U.S. pandemic -- and experts say the resurgence in the original battlegrounds has common causes. They include a population no longer willing to stay inside, Republicans who refuse face masks as a political statement, street protests over police violence and young people convinced the virus won't seriously hurt them. And even though some of the states led by Democratic governors delayed restarting their economies until weeks after more eager peers like Georgia, they still jumped too soon, critics say. "I don't think there's any question about that anymore. Even in California, we opened up too fast," said John Swartzberg, a doctor who is a clinical professor emeritus at the University of California at Berkeley. So far, the rebound hasn't reached the states hardest hit by the first wave: New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. But New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday that it's on its way. "We're going to go through an increase, and I can feel it coming," he told WAMC radio. "The only question is how far up our rate goes. But you can't have it all across the country and then have it not come back." While public attention last week focused on an explosion of disease in Sun Belt states that largely missed the first wave -- Arizona, Florida and Texas -- California's hospitalizations and daily death toll hit new highs. The state, first to shut down its economy, reported a record 149 dead Wednesday and more than 300 since then. "We're seeing community spread and hospitalizations like we saw in late April -- and what we hoped would be the height of infection," said Barbara Ferrer, public health director for Los Angeles County, which on Sunday reported 3,322 new cases and 18 new deaths. Louisiana's daily case count is nearing its previous peak, reached back in April, according to Johns Hopkins University. And Washington, first to detect an outbreak, is seeing record numbers of infections, although deaths remain well below their March peak of 34 in a day. As traumatic as the initial wave may have been, the number of people infected didn't come close to providing so-called herd immunity, experts say. The vast majority still has no natural protection. "We're basically at the same place we were at the start of March, in terms of how much of the population is vulnerable," said Carl Bergstrom, a biology professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. And people's willingness to stay home most of the time -- and wear masks when they don't -- has frayed. For many Republicans, rejecting masks has even become an act of defiance, with President Donald Trump refusing to wear one in public until Saturday, when he visited a military hospital. "It's absolute exhaustion," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who threatened to reimpose a stay-home order if the outbreak now gripping his city worsens. "Quarantines are the most frustrating things to human beings. Nobody likes being told what to do." The states, and their people, may have let their guard down. Michigan's two-month shutdown brought infection rates low enough to lift stay-at-home orders by June. Within a few weeks, they started creeping up again. One of the biggest new outbreaks was at Harper's Restaurant & Brew Pub, an East Lansing bar near Michigan State University. More than 180 cases have been traced there, according to health officials. Smaller outbreaks have been documented at a bar in Romulus and in Royal Oak, a trendy city north of Detroit. "Bars and restaurants opened, and that caused a big shift, as well as whatever percentage of people who don't want to social distance or wear a mask because they think it's all a hoax,' said Linda Vail, health officer for Ingham County, which encompasses most of East Lansing. In response, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer banned indoor bar service July 1 and on July 10 made mask-wearing mandatory. Even though hospitals in Southeast Michigan are better equipped than in March, doctors and nurses are on edge, said Teena Chopra, a doctor who is a professor of infectious disease at Wayne State University in Detroit."Given what we've seen before, and the shock and trauma we've been through, even one or two cases if they go up, it makes us nervous, Chopra said. California officials are trying to assure residents that they're better prepared this time around. Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week that Covid victims occupied just 8% of available hospital beds. The state also has 46 million N95 masks, he said, compared with 1 million in March. "We've never been better positioned," Newsom said. But Los Angeles County could use up its beds in weeks, officials there warn. And rural Imperial County along the Mexican border has been so badly hit that some patients have been flown to San Francisco, more than 400 miles away. Newsom alternately scolds residents for not taking the virus seriously and reminds them of the shared resolve they showed this spring, when a San Francisco Bay Area outbreak threatened to rage out of control. "We did an incredible job, collectively, as a state, 40 million of you," he said last week. "We have the capacity to do that again." Officials in the Seattle area also have tried to reassure residents, and they pin some of the increase on the young. More than 130 recent cases have been linked to fraternity houses at the University of Washington. This week, the city's Space Needle was topped with a massive flag: "Mask Up." In Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards made masks mandatory on Saturday and limited the size of gatherings. Confirmed Covid-19 cases hit a one-day high of just over 2,700 in April, but more than 2,600 cases were reported Friday. Joseph Kanter, the assistant state health officer, said the deadly spring is still vivid for residents of Louisiana's larger cities. "People in New Orleans have a real visceral memory of the spike in March and April and have a real understanding of what this virus can do," he said. "Memory drives behavior here. People are more conscientious, because they know how bad this virus can get." Now, smaller towns and parishes in western Louisiana are also seeing an increase. Calcasieu, a parish of about 200,000 near the Texas border, has more than 3,000 cases and has seen a spike in recent days. "People didn't really have the opportunity to see the virus in the community," said Lacey Cavanaugh, a doctor who is director of public health for the area. "People didn't know their friends and family who had gotten sick and been hospitalized. I think to a lot of people, it felt like something that was happening in big cities, not small communities." The Baton Rouge area has also seen an increase, particularly among people aged 18-29, and 95% of the cases are community spread, said Dawn Marcelle, a physician who's the regional medical director. Swartzberg, the Berkeley professor, said ignorance and crisis fatigue aren't adequate reasons for America's failure to tame the virus. "That doesn't explain why Europeans aren't exhausted. That doesn't explain why Taiwanese aren't exhausted," he said. "Everybody's been through this." Instead, he blames a lack of national leadership, or worse, leadership that has been detrimental to fighting the virus. "I feel very frustrated about how poorly we've done," Swartzberg said. WASHINGTON, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. state of Florida reported 15,299 new coronavirus cases Sunday, shattering not only its own previous single-day records, but also those of any other state as the pandemic continued to rage in the country. The mind-boggling number brought the total infections to 269,811 in the Sunshine State, with the death toll reaching 4,346, according to the Florida Department of Health. The recent surge was the result of increased testing and widespread transmission as the state prematurely loosened lockdown measures, as a result of which people were seen gathering in crowds, no longer heeding anti-virus guidelines such as maintaining social distance or wearing face coverings. Out of the 2,574,007 tests conducted as of Sunday, 269,811 returned positive. Meanwhile, the number of hospitalizations is also rising at an eye-popping rate, registering 18,271 in total on Sunday. As for the positivity rate, another key parameter, the number ranged from 12.24 percent to 18.36 percent during the past two weeks, indicating that the virus is far from being brought under control. Commenting on the positivity rate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said during a Saturday press briefing that it is "something we're looking at very seriously," adding that if the rate "gets into the single digits, that's something that's a lot more manageable." In the meantime, however, the governor doubled down on his call for reopening schools, echoing a similar demand from President Donald Trump. "People say, 'kids may be the vectors then, in the community' ... but it's been found over and over again, as people have looked at this and studied this, particularly in Europe, that the school children aren't vectors for this, for whatever reason," DeSantis said. "They usually get infected by the parents. They're usually not infecting adults." Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, a Democrat, told CNN in an interview Saturday that schools should give parents the option of continuing online education for their kids "if they so desire," and that when to reopen schools should primarily be the parents' decision. Despite the surge, the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando opened its Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom sites Saturday, asking visitors to wear masks and adhere to other safety measures. Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, also part of the amusement park complex, will reopen on July 15. People who have recovered from Covid-19 may lose their immunity to the disease within months, according to research suggesting the virus could reinfect people year after year, like common colds. In the first longitudinal study of its kind, scientists analysed the immune response of more than 90 patients and healthcare workers at Guys and St Thomas NHS foundation trust and found levels of antibodies that can destroy the virus peaked about three weeks after the onset of symptoms then swiftly declined. Blood tests revealed that while 60% of people marshalled a potent antibody response at the height of their battle with the virus, only 17% retained the same potency three months later. Antibody levels fell as much as 23-fold over the period. In some cases, they became undetectable. People are producing a reasonable antibody response to the virus, but its waning over a short period of time and depending on how high your peak is, that determines how long the antibodies are staying around, said Dr Katie Doores, lead author on the study at Kings College London. The study has implications for the development of a vaccine, and for the pursuit of herd immunity in the community over time. The immune system has multiple ways to fight the coronavirus but if antibodies are the main line of defence, the findings suggested people could become reinfected in seasonal waves and that vaccines may not protect them for long. Infection tends to give you the best-case scenario for an antibody response, so if your infection is giving you antibody levels that wane in two to three months, the vaccine will potentially do the same thing, said Doores. People may need boosting and one shot might not be sufficient. Early results from the University of Oxford have shown that the coronavirus vaccine it is developing produces lower levels of antibodies in macaques than are seen in humans infected with the virus. While the vaccine appeared to protect the animals from serious infection, they still became infected and may have been able to pass on the virus. Story continues Speaking on Sky News, Prof Robin Shattock of Imperial College London said a competing vaccine developed by his group could be available in the first half of next year if clinical trials go well. But he cautioned there was no certainty any of the vaccines in development would work, and said it is still unclear what kind of immune response is needed to prevent infection. Related: Coronavirus vaccine tracker: How close are we to a vaccine? The Kings College study is the first to have monitored antibody levels in patients and hospital workers for three months after symptoms emerged. The scientists drew on test results from 65 patients and six healthcare workers who tested positive for the virus, and a further 31 staff who volunteered to have regular antibody tests between March and June. The study, which has been submitted to a journal but has yet to be peer-reviewed, found that antibody levels rose higher and lasted longer in patients who were severe cases. This may be because the patients have more virus and churn out more antibodies to fight the infection. There are four other types of coronavirus in widespread circulation, which cause the common cold. One thing we know about these coronaviruses is that people can get reinfected fairly often, said Prof Stuart Neil, a co-author on the study. What that must mean is that the protective immunity people generate doesnt last very long. It looks like Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, might be falling into that pattern as well. Prof Jonathan Heeney, a virologist at the University of Cambridge, said the study confirmed a growing body of evidence that immunity to Covid-19 is short-lived. Most importantly, it puts another nail in the coffin of the dangerous concept of herd immunity, he said. I cannot underscore how important it is that the public understands that getting infected by this virus is not a good thing. Some of the public, especially the youth, have become somewhat cavalier about getting infected, thinking that they would contribute to herd immunity. Not only will they place themselves at risk, and others, by getting infected, and losing immunity, they may even put themselves at greater risk of more severe lung disease if they get infected again in the years to come. But Prof Arne Akbar, an immunologist at UCL, said antibodies are only part of the story. There is growing evidence, he said, that T cells produced to fight common colds can protect people as well. Those patients who fight the virus with T cells may not need to churn out high levels of antibodies, he added. Shattock said the study was important and indicated that neutralising antibodies rapidly wane. This certainly suggests that we cannot be confident natural infection will be protective for a significant proportion of individuals, nor certain of the duration of any protection. He added: We would however expect that re-infection would be less severe for any individual as they will still retain immune memory allowing them to more rapidly respond. Nevertheless they could still be a source of onward transmission. It does indicate that vaccines need to do better than natural infection, providing consistent responses in the majority of individuals and sustained levels of protective antibodies. Ultimately this may require the use of annual boosting immunisations, particularly for the most vulnerable. This could be delivered alongside annual influenza immunisations. The death of Kelly Preston at the age of 57 is the third personal tragedy to devastate the life of John Travolta, after the couple's 16-year-old son Jett died from a seizure 11 years ago and the actor's first love Diana Hyland died of breast cancer in 1977. Travolta described his son's death in 2009 as the 'worst thing that ever happened in my life' and told how the Church of Scientology had helped him and his wife through their grief after Jett died suddenly at a holiday home in the Bahamas. The couple's agony did not end there, because Jett's death led to a lengthy court case after an ambulance driver and his attorney were accused of trying to extort $25million from the couple by threatening to release sensitive details about the death. Travolta gave evidence at a criminal trial but later decided to stop pursuing the case, citing the severe strain on his family. Both parents returned to acting but the couple had continued to voice their grief in recent years. Kelly died from breast cancer on Sunday after a two-year ordeal which had never been made public - 43 years after the same disease killed Travolta's first love Diana Hyland, who died in his arms in yet another personal tragedy for the actor in 1977. Kelly Preston posted this picture of her late son Jett in 2019, a decade after he died at a Bahamas holiday home after suffering a seizure John Travolta (second left), his wife Kelly Preston (right) and their children Jett (second right) and Ella (left) during the 2000s. Jett died in the Bahamas in January 2009 Jett Travolta was born in 1992, after the couple had married in Paris the previous year while expecting the child. His parents revealed he had suffered from Kawasaki syndrome when he was a toddler, a little-understood illness which can cause fevers and skin rashes. Speaking in 2012, his mother Kelly told the TV show The Doctors that she believed food poisoning she suffered during pregnancy might have contributed to this. The family said that Jett had a history of seizures, and friends said he had developmental disabilities which his mother later described as autism. In January 2009, while on vacation in the Bahamas, Jett was found unconscious in a bathroom and was pronounced dead in hospital, where medics gave 'seizure disorder' as the cause of his death. Reports said he had hit his head on a bathtub. Dozens of relatives flew to Grand Bahama to comfort John Travolta and Kelly Preston, who said that 'Jett was the most wonderful son that two parents could ever ask for'. 'We are heartbroken that our time with him was so brief. We will cherish the time that we had with him for the rest of our lives,' they said at the time. Kelly Preston would later say: 'Everybody grieves in their own way. I felt at times like I was drowning. It felt like a sea of wet blankets.' In 2010, Travolta said that he and Kelly had 'leaned on' their Scientologist religion to get through the traumatic time. He said: 'It's something that has been very difficult, but I am getting a lot of help in dealing with it. 'My wife and I and my daughter - we're all dealing with it as well as can be expected. We lean on our church heavily and they have helped us a lot.' Jett was cremated and his ashes flown to Florida with his parents, and a memorial service was held at the family home. Scientologists explained that according to their belief system, 'the person is not gone' but instead they 'go on' in another lifetime, an idea similar to reincarnation. 'Friends and family have the opportunity to say goodbye, to acknowledge and thank the person for what he or she has done in this lifetime, and to wish them well as they move on to their next lifetime,' a spokesman said at the time. While mourning the loss of their son, the couple faced further anguish when local ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne and his attorney Pleasant Bridgewater allegedly tried to extort them by threatening to release sensitive details about the death. Lightbourne, who was among the medics who treated Jett, allegedly used the threat to try to extort $25million from the actor. He and Bridgewater denied the claims. John Travolta and Diana Hyland, pictured together in December 1976, were in a relationship until Hyland's death from breast cancer in 1977 John Travolta and Kelly Preston with their surviving children Ella (right) and Benjamin (front) at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018 The two suspects faced criminal charges in the Bahamas, where Travolta gave testimony about how he had desperately tried to save the life of his son. The actor testified that he performed CPR on the teen after a nanny alerted him and his wife about Jett's seizure and lapse into unconsciousness. According to Travolta's evidence, Lightbourne had threatened to go public with a document signed by Travolta refusing his consent for Jett to be taken to a local hospital. Travolta said he signed the document because he had initially wanted Jett flown to Florida for treatment rather than being hospitalized in the Bahamas. However, the trial had to be aborted in October 2009 when a Bahamian lawmaker suggested the still-deliberating jury had acquitted one of the suspects. Travolta initially said he was willing to take the stand again for a retrial, but in September 2010 the family announced it was not proceeding with the charges. 'The Travolta family has said that this matter has caused them unbelievable stress and pain and they wish to put this whole thing behind them,' a prosecuting lawyer said at the time. John Travolta said in a statement that his co-operation in the legal case had come at 'great emotional cost to my family'. 'The long-pending status of this matter continued to take a heavy emotional toll on my family, causing us to conclude that it was finally time to put this matter behind us,' he said. 'Therefore, after much reflection I concluded that it was in my family's best interest for me not to voluntarily return to The Bahamas to testify a second time at trial.' Kelly Preston's final post to Instagram was one to celebrate Father's Day in June. The picture is thought to have been taken the previous year Kelly Preston and John Travolta in the 1989 movie The Experts - the film which led to their romance and eventual marriage Bridgewater maintained her innocence while saying that 'I am deeply saddened that the Travoltas had to endure the pain at the loss of their son'. 'It is my prayer that they will be able to bring closure to this sad chapter in their lives and open a brand new one, filled with joy and peace,' she said. But Lightbourne said he wanted a trial to prove his innocence. 'I'm not totally satisfied,' he said. 'I wanted to have my name cleared.' Last year, 10 years after Jett's death, Kelly Preston shared an emotional tribute to her 'sweet love' Jett on Instagram, saying he was 'in our hearts forever'. 'I send love to all of the beautiful autistic children and the wonderful people who love them. May we all shine and grant love and respect to children with special needs,' she said in April 2019. The same month, John Travolta marked what would have been Jett's 27th birthday by sharing a painting of his son and saying: 'Happy birthday my son I love you'. In an interview with Us Weekly last January to mark the 10-year anniversary of Jett's death, Travolta said the Church of Scientology had helped the couple through the dark times. 'The church never left our sides for two years. I don't know if I would have made it through without their support,' he said. 'It's the worst thing that's ever happened in my life,' he said. 'The truth is, I didn't know if I was going to make it.' In 2015, Travolta came to the defense of Scientology after the release of the documentary Going Clear, which was critical of Travolta for being a public face for the organization. The church mounted a considerable campaign against the film, including full-page ads in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times. Pictured left: Kelly Preston and John Travolta in The Experts - the 1988 production on which they first met. Pictured right, Preston as Avery Bishop in the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Travolta said he would not see the documentary and said he 'could not imagine' attacking the church. 'I've been so happy with my experience in the last 40 years that I really don't have anything to say that would shed light on [a film] so decidedly negative,' he said. 'I've been brought through storms that were insurmountable, and [Scientology has] been so beautiful for me, that I can't even imagine attacking it.' In 2000, Travolta and Preston both starred in the futuristic movie Battlefield Earth, based on a novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Travolta put up money of his own towards the production, but it flopped at the box office and is often ranked among the worst movies of the decade. Travolta and Preston had two other children, daughter Ella Bleu in 2000 and son Benjamin in 2010. Travolta had previously lost his girlfriend Diana Hyland to breast cancer in 1977 after the couple had met on the set The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, in which the 40-year-old Hyland played the 22-year-old Travolta's mother. In an interview with People magazine after Hyland died in his arms, Travolta said he had 'never been more in love with anyone in my life'. 'I thought I was in love before, but I wasnt. From the moment I met her I was attracted,' he recalled. 'I had more fun with Diana than I ever had in my life.' Director Randal Kleiser would later claim that Travolta frequently fluffed his lines during the filming of Grease because of his grief over Diana's death. Travolta met Kelly Preston while making the 1987 movie The Experts and while Preston was still married to actor Kevin Gage. They divorced later that year. Preston then got engaged to Travolta in 1991 in Gstaad, Switzerland. Preston and Travolta were married at a midnight ceremony in Paris later that year while the couple were expecting Jett. John confirmed Kelly's death in an Instagram post last night, writing: 'Kelly's love and life will always be remembered.' Preston died on Sunday morning having 'fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many', Travolta said as he revealed his wife's two-year cancer ordeal for the first time. 'I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don't hear from us for a while. But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal,' he said. Their daughter Ella, now 20, said she had 'never met anyone as courageous' as her mother. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's order to treat those jailed for protests in Iran in November 2019, may in fact have been a call for maximum pressure on inmates in security prisons. The Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) on July 11 featured a letter by Hossein Reyhani, an Iranian who has been in jail since the November 2019 protests to rising gas prices. Reyhani, 33, is a carpenter. Before being jailed, he was a married man, but his wife divorced him in absentia while he was in jail. In the letter on HRANA's website, Reyhani says: "It might sound funny but I am in jail simply because I sent a text message to a friend and told him that "a bank was set on fire." A court in Tehran charged Reyhani with "fighting Allah," an accusation that can entail the death penalty, simply because he sent a text message. Reyhani says he has been denied access to a defense lawyer during the seven months he has spent in jail so far. Ironically, four days before Reyhani's arrest last autumn, Khamenei ordered his security chief Ali Shamkhani to treat those arrested in the protests with "Islamic kindness and affection." Seven months after Khamenei's order the accusation of "fighting Allah" is hanging over Reyhani's neck, and three young men Amir Hossein Moradi, Saeed Tamjidi and Mohammad Rajabi are given death sentences in Tehran and eight other inmates in Isfahan are charged with "corruption on earth," another conviction that can entail death sentence. It appears that Khamenei's reference to "Islamic kindness and affection" meant exerting maximum pressure on inmates and the accused. Even if he did not mean that, still the way the cases of prisoners charged for participation in the protests shows that officials investigating the cases have perceived Khamenei's order as harsh treatment such as intimidation, torture and issuing death sentences. In the seven months since the protests Khamenei had ample time and opportunity to intervene and reduce pressure on prisoners, if he really meant what he said about "Islamic kindness and affection". Instead more people have been arrested and many face the threat of the coronavirus in unsanitary jails. Reyhani wrote in his letter that he has been constantly tortured during the months he has spent in jail. Amir Hossein Moradi, Saeed Tamjidi and Mohammad Rajabi have also been subjected to torture and denied access to defense lawyers. It is likely that the same is true also about the cases of other prisoners jailed for taking part in the November protests. Iran has still not still announced the number of those jailed after the November 2019 unrest. Various reports put the number as high as 12,000. One member of the Iranian parliament at the time said some 8,000 protesters were arrested. There is every likelihood that torture and intimidation are part of the routine procedure for dealing with the inmates. The same applies to hundreds of protesters who were shot to death by security forces. There has been no official report about how many were killed. Reuters estimated that up to 1,500 lost their lives. Putting inmates under pressure to make self-incriminating confessions, denying access to hygienic facilities and medical treatment as well as exerting pressure on the inmates' families to remain silent and not talk to the media are among punishments mentioned in various reports by human rights watchdogs monitoring the situation of inmates in Iran. One aspect of Khamenei's order to security officials last November was about how to treat the family members of those killed in the protests. Khamenei ordered officials to pay attention to families and try to console them and even pay compensation. But what happened to the family of Pouya Bakhtiary, a young man shot dead during the protest in November is an eye-opening example. Pouya's family members, including both parents were arrested and interrogated several times during the past seven months. The authorities prevented the holding of a commemoration service and barred the family from news dissemination about the case. They also launched an online campaign to tarnish the family's image. Mr. Bakhtiary, later explained the dreadful situation in a letter to the UN High Commissionaire for Human Rights in late May and called for an international investigation committee to probe the case. Bakhtiary said the authorities refused to hand over his son's body to the family and buried the young man under tight security measures. More than 50 security officers broke into Bakhtiary's house and searched all the rooms and handcuffed and blindfolded and took seven family members including young children and imprisoned them for a month. Mr. Bakhtiary's letter reveals cooperation between political, judiciary and security officials who exerted pressure on the family. Arrests, solitary confinement, intimidation and mudslinging are parts of the way Khamenei's orders have been carried out about prisoners although his supporters might claim that he is not aware of such treatments, which include threats, accusations, imprisonment, torture and execution. This seems to be the formula for "Islamic kindness and affection." One has no idea how this article would have looked like if prisoners were to be treated brutally. Russia's Sechenov University Successfully Completes Trials of World's 1st COVID-19 Vaccine Sputnik News 05:31 GMT 12.07.2020 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The clinical trials of the world's first coronavirus vaccine on volunteers at the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University have been successfully completed, Vadim Tarasov, the director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, told Sputnik. The university began clinical trials of a vaccine produced by Russia's Gamalei Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology on 18 June. "Sechenov University has successfully completed tests on volunteers of the world's first vaccine against coronavirus", Tarasov said. He added that the first group of volunteers would be discharged on Wednesday and the second on 20 July. According to Alexander Lukashev, the director of the Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical, and Vector-Borne Diseases at Sechenov University, the objective of this stage of the study was to show the vaccine's safety on humans, which was successfully done. Sputnik / The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation In this handout video grab released by the Russian Defence Ministry, Russian military experts visit hospital facilities for elderly people to fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus infection, in Bergamo, Italy "The safety of the vaccine has been confirmed. It corresponds to the safety of those vaccines that are currently on the market", Lukashev told Sputnik. A further vaccine development plan is already being determined by the developer, including the complexity of the epidemiological situation with the virus and the possibility of scaling up production, Lukashev added. "Sechenov University in a pandemic situation acted not only as an educational institution but also as a scientific and technological research centre that is able to participate in the creation of such important and complex products as drugs ... We worked with this vaccine, starting with preclinical studies and protocol development, and clinical trials are currently underway", Tarasov noted. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kabul, July 13 : At least 14 people, including three assailants, were killed and 63 others wounded when Taliban militants attacked a provincial branch of the country's national intelligence agency in Aybak, capital of Afghanistan's northern Samangan province, on Monday, an official said. The attack started after a Taliban suicide bomber detonated a massive car bomb outside Samangan National Directorate of Security (NDS) in the morning, causing casualties and destruction, provincial government spokesman Seddiq Azizi told Xinhua. Following the blast, two armed militants entered to the compound, triggering a gunfight lasting for hours, he said. Those among the killed were 11 NDS staff, including a female employee, and three attackers, according to the official. Over 50 of the wounded were civilians, including several women and two children, he said. "The massive explosion also damaged the nearby provincial municipality office and many other buildings. Most of the wounded are municipality's workers and employees. Four of the affected people sustained life-threatening wounds," Azizi said. The attack came as peace efforts being made. Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attack hours after the incident. Since the signing of a Taliban and US peace agreement in late February, Afghan leaders, including President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, have frequently demanded the Taliban to reduce violence. The militants, however, have intensified attacks. The government have released more than 4,000 Taliban inmates and the Taliban insurgents have freed over 600 national security force members since early March. Credit Market Investments Turned Into End-User Risk Again Continuing our research from Part I, into what to expect in Q2 and Q3 of 2020, well start by discussing our Adaptive Dynamic Learning predictive modeling system and our belief that the US stock market is rallied beyond proper expectation levels. The Adaptive Dynamic Learning (ADL) modeling systems attempts to identify price and technical indicator DNA markers and attempts to map our these unique price setups. Then, it attempts to learn from the past DNA markers and apply that learned price behavior to future price DNA markers. In this manner, it learns from the past and applies that knowledge to the future. ES ADL PREDICTIVE MODELING On June 15, 2020, we published this article referencing the ADL predictive modeling system and how the US stock markets were, at that time, 12% to 15% overvalued based on this analysis. Continuing this research, our researchers still believe the ES (S&P500) is very likely to fall to levels near $2500 before finding support just below that level. These predicted ADL price levels strongly suggest that the true valuation levels for the ES are near $2500 not near the overvalued levels closer to $3000. NQ ADL PREDICTIVE MODELING Additionally, an update NQ ADL Weekly chart suggests the NQ has rallied to levels that appear to be extremely overvalued. The current ADL prediction levels suggest the NQ ADL valuation levels should be near $6600 not near $10,325 as they are now. This suggests a massive -36% price disparity between the current overvalued rally level of the NQ and the expected ADL price level based on our advanced predictive modeling system. Now that weve attempted to explain one of the core elements of our research estimates, lets get further into the data that is likely to present a very real opportunity for skilled technical traders. ECONOMIC CYCLES As you are likely well aware of by now, a series of catastrophic economic events continue to unfold throughout the globe. Most importantly, the ability to earn revenues for consumers and corporations while dealing with hard fixed costs. In previous articles, weve suggested our belief that a unique event in localized economies is not much of a concern because global central banks can support the market well enough to allow economic activity to resume near fairly normal levels. Weve suggested that the bigger problem is when an extended economic contraction takes place that is a global or more wide-spread economic event. This type of economic crisis is much more dangerous because of two factors: _ A. The continued lack of revenue generation increases the pressure on the individual or corporation to cut costs, employees, or other assets. Without the ability to earn, these individuals or corporations begin to eat up cash reserves very quickly and will quickly begin to identify their longer-term sustainability objectives. Unless the economy starts to recover quickly, this crisis for the individual or corporation could be a moderately slow and dangerous bleed-out event leading to bankruptcy. _B. The efforts of localized governments and global banking institutions initially attempt to mitigate the risks of such an event. This is usually done by providing greater capital resources to certain industries, the general banking system, and in other ways/sources. Currently, within the US, a number of forbearance programs have been initiated to take away certain pressures for homeowners and others. Still, the economy must continue to operate within normal boundaries and bills must be paid. With an extended economic collapse, such as we may be experiencing with the COVID-19 virus event, the problems for consumers and corporations grow bigger and more dangerous the longer the economic contraction event continues. When you really start to understand the cycle of these events and then begin to understand the domino-effect process that may already be playing out in some form, skilled technical investors should already be preparing for extended price volatility and unknowns over the next 6+ months or longer. Allow us to explain, in simple terms, how this cycle plays out _ Local consumers/workers are laid-off or fired from jobs. This puts immediate earnings pressure on local families and individuals and it pushes them into a protective mode where they suddenly must decide between essential items (food, medicine, personal care, transportation, and other essentials) vs. non-essential items (movies, dining out, travel, discretionary purchases, and others). Currently, there are more than 35 million unemployed people in the US (roughly 10% of the total population. _ The COVID-19 shutdown within the US has disrupted the earning capabilities of many businesses over the past 3+ months. As consumers slow down their purchases and businesses close because of government shutdown orders, the problems amplify for many business owners and employees. If you have ever owned your own business, you understand the risks involved and the ongoing hard costs associated with owning a business. Just because the governor orders a shutdown doesnt mean that your hard monthly costs are going away too. This ongoing problem sets up another crisis event in the making the Business Owner risk factor. How long before these individual business owners simply cant sustain their operations any longer and are forced into bankruptcy? _ Local governments derive their operating budgets from taxes and revenues generated within their communities. With the COVID-19 shutdown crippling these revenues, we estimate that Q3 and Q4 2020 will become a point of bleed-out for many local governments. They may be able to manage their budgets for a few months within the economic contraction period, but we believe the longer this economic contraction event continues, more and more pressure will be put on local and regional (city/state) governments where revenues have likely collapsed 25% to 45%+ recently. _ The bigger cycle start to take place. (A) With consumers laid-off and/or fired from their jobs, their income levels drop dramatically and their spending decreases dramatically. (B) With business owners struggling to survive with hard costs and payroll in a depressed economic environment, these businesses will either find a way to survive or fail laying off more people and creating further disruption in earnings/revenues for workers and local governments. (C) With local governments slow to react to the economic contraction (and mostly hiring under contract), the decreases in revenue over time may present a very real issue for government agencies and become a real problem 4 to 6+ months into the economic contraction. _ When businesses and governments suddenly realize the scale and scope of the economic contraction, they will attempt to balance their books by adapting (developing new sources of revenue: products, services, taxes, fees) and/or begin to contract themselves. Either of these two options is fraught with risk and could potentially increase the risks of a more extended economic contraction event. Raising taxes or fees on consumers/businesses within a massive economic contraction event will likely push more individuals/businesses into bankruptcy further decreasing the government revenues. Developing new products/services and marketing them to consumers requires capital and resources. If the product is not a success, the business takes a huge risk making these aggressive transitional moves which may lead to increased economic concerns. As long as the consumer is struggling and not earning sufficiently, the foundation of the economic structure is at risk of collapsing even further. This cycle is sometimes called the death cycle in economic terms. It is a cycle where economic contraction leads to further economic contraction. The process of breaking this cycle is simple, the entire economic engine must unwind sufficiently to remove/reduce the overextended valuation and fluff within the system. Once this has happened, then a new economic foundation will begin to establish where growth and opportunity will resume within local and regional economies. IMPORTANT ECONOMIC DATA Now, lets look at some of the data that supports our research. The World Uncertainty Index has recently skyrocketed above 50, the highest level over the past 60+ years. Since the low point, in 1985, the World Uncertainty Index has continued to rise with higher peaks and higher troughs over the past 30+ years. Currently, this index suggests there is a massive amount of uncertainty throughout the globe related to economic function, central banks, geopolitical issues, and humanitarian issues. Bay very close attention to the peaks in this index and the dates of these peaks (2004, 2013, 2020). The 2004 and 2013 peaks occurred roughly 3 to 4 years after a major stock market bottom setup. The current index high would suggest a market bottom may have set up in 2016 and a peak in this Uncertainty index may still be 12 to 24 months away. This suggests we may still experience a moderately high degree of uncertainty and a number of unknown global and economic crisis events over the next 12 to 24 months. The US Federal Reserve has recently begun another massive quantitative easing phase and actively begun to purchase various forms of debt, bonds, and equity within the financial markets. Paying attention to the rallies in the Fed buying activity and the World Uncertainty Index, youll see the peaks in the Uncertainty index align with the midpoints of the Fed activities. Generally, the uncertainty levels rise as the US Fed intervenes and executes QE policies to support the global markets. This Global Commodity Price Index chart highlights the recent collapse in raw commodity prices and illustrates the incredibly depressed level of commodities related to global economic activities. Over the past 20 years, the only time when commodity prices were lower was in early 2000~2005 just after the 9/11 economic contraction. The current Commodity Price Index level suggests we have entered a new deflationary price cycle with the peak setup near August/September 2018 just before the big downside price contraction started in October 2018. Our researchers have continued to highlight that point on multiple charts as the true peak in the US and global markets At this point in time, developing a safe and protected strategy to ride out these uncertain times is essential. Weve been advising our clients to stay safely away from the global stock market trends and we issued a Black Swan warning on February 21, 2020, telling all of our clients to get into cash immediately. Since then, weve advised our clients to move their capital into selected sectors to take advantage of hedging opportunities and targeted trading opportunities over the past 3+ months. We continue to believe the best way to profit from these market trends is to develop a super conservative investment model where Cash is King and proper hedging is essential. There are plenty of great trades to select from assuming we want to take on the additional risks associated with these trades. We believe the next 3+ months will result in a massive volatility spike, likely seeing the VIX move above 50~60 again, as Q2and Q3 earnings and expectations continue to shock the investment community. We do not believe this potential V-Shaped recovery is sustainable and continues to advise our clients to be prepared downside price reversion. 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. Remaining flood evacuees are being allowed to return home after tests showed there was "no substantial amount of damage" at the dam at Lake Wahtopanah in Rivers. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/7/2020 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Remaining flood evacuees are being allowed to return home after tests showed there was "no substantial amount of damage" at the dam at Lake Wahtopanah in Rivers. As a result of these tests, the province said it had regained confidence in the structure in a Monday afternoon media release. Probing work on the dam was completed last Saturday. "We thank the people who evacuated for their understanding and we are pleased to report they can now return home," Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler said in the release. Schuler also praised municipalities for their "tremendous effort and coordination" during the floods. The release sent out by the province said that the Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization will be in touch with affected municipalities to discuss safe return procedures for evacuees. Manitoba Infrastructure staff will still keep an eye on the dam 24 hours a day until the water levels recede further. The most recent online hydrologic data from the federal government shows that the water level in the lake was at 469.189 metres above sea level as of 8:10 p.m. on Sunday. That's down from the peak of 471.022 metres above sea level the lake swelled to on Canada Day. The Brandon Sun. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 33F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 33F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. For Opeyemi Olayanju, coming to work one day in October to find his computer cables unplugged was the last straw. The way he saw it, the incident was yet another attempt at sabotaging his budding career at the London office of Tullett Prebon, the brokerage unit of energy and commodities trading firm TP ICAP. Coming after what the Black British trader says was bullying and harassment tinged with racism, he quit. "I was subjected to work in a toxic environment filled with racism, discrimination," Olayanju said in an open letter on his LinkedIn page that largely tracks his March legal filing in the U.K. Now in Dubai, blocked from starting a new job by an injunction from Tullett, Olayanju tells a tale of rampant discrimination faced by him and other brokers. His case is among at least four employment-tribunal lawsuits alleging racist behavior TP ICAP has dealt with in the last 16 months and comes as the killing of George Floyd by police officers in the U.S. shines a light globally on racial discrimination in all walks of life, including in the workplace. Olayanju's former manager, who was suspended and left the firm after he allegedly unplugged the computer, declined to comment. In a statement, Tullett denied allegations of racial discrimination, saying "TP ICAP is committed to promoting equality and diversity as part of our continuous efforts to build a positive, inclusive and meritocratic culture." It said Olayanju's claim is aimed at fighting the preliminary injunction it obtained in Dubai that blocks him from joining a rival. Olayanju's case comes as British regulators step up efforts to hold financial firms and managers accountable for office culture. Last week, tensions surrounding a Black trader's attempt to start a conversation about race at the London office of Citic Securities's CLSA unit, China's biggest brokerage, showed the challenges firms face with diversity and inclusion. In the Tullett case, Olayanju and other former employees paint a picture in legal filings and in interviews of a trading floor where racial slurs were hurled with impunity. The firm last year lost a racial harassment case, paying out almost 500,000 pounds ($626,000), one of the biggest in the U.K. In his legal filing in March, Olayanju points to Tullett's own conclusion that he'd suffered from misconduct on the desk, citing a formal response to his complaint in February from Graham Francis, a senior manager at the firm. "I uphold your allegation that you have been subject to inappropriate and offensive conduct," Francis says. Still, while Olayanju "may have been subject to derogatory comments on the desk," the manager said in his formal response that he'd found no evidence that it was related to his race. Olayanju, a 26-year-old graduate of Bath University, was hired by Tullett straight out of school in 2016. As part of the company's effort to lure promising young candidates, Olayanju says he was shown a presentation with the company saying it wanted to bring the broking world into the 21st century. The reality was very different, he said in an interview with Bloomberg that took place four months after he filed his case with the employment tribunal. "I'm not sure they want to change," he said. Six months after joining the firm, Olayanju moved to the desk's Africa unit, tasked with helping build up its currencies trading business from scratch. That's when things started turning sour. Olayanju said he was consistently isolated, never given any credit for pulling in clients and made to feel like he was a burden. He said that other colleagues were allocated areas that generated higher revenue at his expense. "I had to work at least twice as hard to achieve the revenues I did," he said in the interview. He said in the filing that he was aware that he and a Black British colleague were referred to as "the Africans," and that he was called "n-Ope" or "n-Opy." "I don't see why they would use the letter 'N'," Olayanju, who goes by Ope, said. In his LinkedIn open letter, he says, "My name is Ope, not Dope nor is it Nope." The desk head, who was suspended at the same time as Olayanju's manager, and later left the firm, said he was not involved and denied any accusations of racism and bullying against him. Tullett said in its statement that it didn't comment on current or past employees. Olayanju says in his March filing that while he complained both to his managers and human resources about the atmosphere on the desk, Tullett took little notice. Until the computer incident, that is. He came to work on that October day to find his monitor dark and the wires to his computer out of their socket. He reported the incident to the compliance team, suggesting they review the CCTV feed. Olayanju hasn't seen the video. But in his March filing, he cited the formal response by Francis, the Tullett senior manager, who says that the incident "was inappropriate conduct," which appears to have been caused by Olayanju's manager "being intoxicated." Three computers had been unplugged. One was Olayanju's. The others belonged to another Black British colleague and a Russian broker. Olayanju says in his filing that he believed the incident to be "racially targeted because the three targeted individuals were ethnic minorities, who did not even happen to sit near each other." Olayanju is convinced the firm wouldn't have acted had the evidence not been so clear and caught on film. "I strongly believe that they wouldn't have made any moves if it was not so obvious," he said in the interview. The incident occurred at around the same time that Tullett was settling a London lawsuit with two other former brokers on the emerging markets team. Anton Morozov and Yevgeni Rudman had been sued by the broker in a bid to stop them moving to a rival. Tullett refused to accept their resignations saying the two emailed confidential information to their personal accounts before quitting. But both alleged that they had been forced to resign on account of the bullying and discriminatory behavior of the desk head. The environment on the emerging markets desk was "intolerable," the two said in a public filing. The conduct amounted to "direct race discrimination." Morozov and Rudman declined to comment, citing the terms of their settlement. They were released from their injunctions in February, according to a separate filing. Tullett had initially insisted that Morozov wait until October 2020 and Rudman until April before competing with their former firm. In its initial response to Morozov's and Rudman's claims two months before the agreement, Tullett said as far as it was aware, there was no conduct that would have damaged "the relationship of trust and confidence" at the firm. Rudman and Morozov now work at GMG Brokers, a Dubai-based outfit that Olayanju is planning to join. After handing in his notice, Olayanju moved to the United Arab Emirates to start working at GMG only to be hit with a similar injunction filed by Tullett that bars him from starting work until the outcome of a trial, currently slated for September. He's now stuck in Dubai, unable to work and separated because of pandemic-related travel restrictions from his fiancee, who is in Tunisia. "He's in Dubai with no job; He faces court and we don't know what will happen," said Marco Saviozzi, the CEO of GMG. In granting the temporary injunction, the Dubai judge, Nour Hineidi, said that while Olayanju's discrimination allegations were grave, "they were as yet largely unsubstantiated." She said Tullett executives had suspicions Olayanju planned to join GMG while he was still with their firm. Olayanju says that while he was not in negotiations to change jobs, it was no secret within the firm that he was unhappy at Tullett. The firm has faced other charges of racist behavior at its London operations. Last year, Kishore Kansal, a former executive who helped lead the private equity group at the firm, won one of the largest U.K. employment tribunal payouts after complaining about racial harassment in the early part of the decade. Meanwhile in Dubai, Olayanju is in limbo. He's preparing for the upcoming legal suit over the injunction. It's a case, he says, he was forced to fight. "I didn't want to come across like I was rocking the boat, but there is a line," he said. British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, Founder of the TerraMar Project, attending a press conference on the issue of oceans in the Sustainable Development Goals, at the UN headquarters in New York: (EPA - UN photo) Former federal prosecutor Jaimie Nawaday has claimed that Ghislaine Maxwell could be granted bail because of an outbreak of Covid-19 in her New York prison. Maxwell is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn facing charges of trafficking, sexual exploitation and abuse of minors. She is due in court on Tuesday for her arraignment and has been accused of luring and grooming underage girls, so her former boyfriend and business associate, Jeffrey Epstein, could abuse them. Last week, the British socialites lawyers requested bail, and argued that she would face a significant risk of catching Covid-19 if forced to remain in prison during the upcoming legal proceedings. Ms Nawaday, who previously worked for the Southern District of New York (SNDY), the office that is prosecuting Maxwell, told the New York Post that the high number of coronavirus cases in US prisons might mean she is granted bail on Tuesday. I think this one is a close case. Epstein had no chance at all at bail. Shes in a very different position, she said. At least 55 inmates and staff members have tested positive for coronavirus at her facility since the start of the pandemic, and the former federal prosecutor thinks this might help Ms Maxwell. All bail arguments look a little bit different now given Covid-19. Thats definitely in her favour, Ms Nawaday said. At least 52,649 prisoners had tested positive for coronavirus in US prisons by the end of June and Ms Nawaday added that more and more there is a push toward home confinement, especially holding people pre-trial, when you still have the presumption of innocence. In the bail request Maxwells lawyers proposed a bond of $5m (4m) alongside home detention with electronic monitoring, and argued that she is not a flight risk, as she did not flee the country after Epstein was arrested. She did not flee, but rather left the public eye, for the entirely understandable purpose of protecting herself and those close to her from the crush of media and online attention and its very real harms, her lawyers wrote. Story continues Ms Nawaday believes this argument might also help her and added: She obviously could have left the country, she didnt. She was keeping a low profile here. I dont think that shows a risk of flight. However, Jennifer Rodgers, who also used to work as a prosecutor for the SNDY, argued that Maxwell is a flight risk and told the Post that she does not believe that she fits into the category for those being granted bail due to Covid-19. Maxwell has wealth, multiple passports, strong connections outside of the US, and a strong incentive to flee given the serious penalties she faces. The argument that she is a flight risk is strong, Ms Rodgers said. Unless there are underlying health issues that havent been reported, Maxwell is healthy and not old enough at 58 to fall in a high-risk group, so I dont think the Covid crisis will work in her favour. According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, there are now more than 3.3 million people who have tested positive for coronavirus in the US. The death toll has reached at least 135,205. Read more Ghislaine Maxwell requests bail due to risk of coronavirus Poker Vlogger Ryan joeyisamush Depaulo Wins 2020 WSOP Online Big 500 ($159,563) July 13, 2020 Chad Holloway On Sunday night, the 2020 World Series of Poker Online Event #12: $500 The Big 500 No-Limit Hold'em attracted 1,624 players who rebought 803 times. The 2,427-entry field resulted in a $1,092,150 prize pool and after 12.5 hours of play, it was Ryan joeyisamush Depaulo walking away with a $159,563 top prize and his first gold bracelet. Depaulo, who was literally playing from inside his car in a New Jersey Whole Foods parking lot, is a popular online poker personality, a self-described degenerate gambler who makes +EV Vlogs about my -EV poker play. It was a bit of redemption for him as last summer he finished third in the 2019 WSOP Event #61: $400 Colossus for $208,643, which comprises the vast majority of his $225,644 in live tournament earnings. Check out the video of that below. This time, Depaulo won in impressive fashion entering the final table with the chip lead and eliminating all but two competitors. It wasnt easy though as Depaulo had to overcome Jack EarlGrey Salter in heads-up play. The Brit, who has $8 million in lifetime earnings, was seeking his first bracelet as well, but despite claiming the chip lead at one point, Depaulo ultimately regained it and closed it out. 2020 WSOP Online Event #12 Final Table Results Place Player Prize 1 Ryan joeyisamush Depaulo $159,563 2 Jack EarlGrey Salter $98,621 3 Sean FilthyDiaper Ruane $72,410 4 Hayden Luckbox89 Fortini $53,625 5 Jessica Jessyboo Lanto $40,082 6 Terry mrterry007 Fleischer $30,143 7 Shannon Aulophobia Shorr $22,826 8 Dominic rgdoc Ricciardi $17,474 9 Erick Givmeaction But $13,543 Watch: Daniel Negreanu Blows Up after Connection Glitch! Everyone experiences tilt in this game we all love... even "KidPoker"! CHECK IT HERE After pill_ivey bubbled in 372nd place, the in-the-money eliminations mounted. Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were James meatsweats Carroll (221st - $982.93), Daniel DNegs Negreanu (205th - $1,092.15), Kevin ImaLuckSac MacPhee (144th - $1,310.58), Max MaxSparrow Pescatori (108th - $1,419.79), Katie kateline Lindsay (57th - $2,402.73), Nick duckflush Pupillo (19th - $5,242.32), James mig.com Mackey (15th - $8,300.34), and final table bubble boy Spencer PrideEgoBalz Christenson (10th - $10,593.85). Depaulo began the final table as chip leader while Erick Givmeaction But was the short stack. Not surprisingly, But was the first to go after his ace-queen suited failed to win a race against the pocket sixes of Sean FilthyDiaper Ruane. What WSOP Final Tables look like in 2020 https://t.co/my9kQ4GbK8 Ryan Depaulo: Degenerate Gambler (@depaulo_ryan) Not long after, Dominic rgdoc Ricciardi ran ace-seven into Depaulos ace-queen to fall in eighth place, and then Shannon Aulophobia Shorr bowed out in seventh when his ace-nine failed to overcome Depaulos pocket kings. Shorr, on many people's shortlist as one of the best players without a bracelet, scored his 96th career WSOP cash and is closing in on 2.5M in lifetime WSOP winnings. Depaulo then scored two quick eliminations Terry mrterry007 Fleischer and Jessica Jessyboo Lanto to take a commanding chip lead into four-handed play; in fact, he had nearly 5:1 over his next closest competitor and approximately two-thirds of the chips in play. Depaulo soon got lucky with ace-eight to dispatch Hayden Luckbox89 Fortini, who saw his ace-king go down in flames when an eight hit the flop. At that point, Salter won a flip with pocket fours against the ace-queen of Ruane, who exited in third place. That gave Salter ammunition, roughly 21 million in chips, to go into heads-up play against Depaulo, who had 28 million. The two battled hard, but before too long Salter claimed the lead and began to apply pressure. It looked as if the Brit was going to win the title, but then Depaulo got lucky to double back into the lead. Soon after, Salter got it in with ace-jack and failed to get there against Depaulos pocket queens. Relive Phil Hellmuth's Last Bracelet Win 2020 Online WSOP Bracelet Winners Download WSOP.com in Nevada and New Jersey The first step in getting set up to play on WSOP.com is to download the client. You can do so for both mobile (Android and iOS) and desktop (Windows 7 or higher and Mac OS X 10.6.8). To get the correct version of the client, use the links below: The next tournament on the schedule Event #13: $1,500 No-Limit Holdem High Roller Freezeout will take place at 3 p.m. PDT on Monday. The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will once again be reporting all the action, so be sure to tune in then to see who captures the next 2020 WSOP bracelet! Judge Emmet Sullivan's refusal to abide by the D.C. Circuit Court's decision to dismiss the Flynn case and subsequent appeal for an "en banc" decision is not without precedent. Flying under the radar is the role that Judge Sullivan has played in simultaneously overseeing both the Michael Flynn case and a major lawsuit against Trump. In Blumenthal v. Trump, Jerry Nadler, who oversaw the House impeachment of Trump, and some 200 congressional Democrats sought to sue the president according to the obscure "Emoluments Clause." The basic contention is that Trump is in a compromising position because his business holdings occasionally receive funding or contracts from foreign entities, much like any other elected official with business interests in foreign countries. As Matthew Walther noted in The Week, "The [Emoluments C]lause has never given rise to any legal cases of note, and it has never been defined or even meaningfully addressed by the Supreme Court." But Sullivan was willing to take the first shot at it by ultimately ruling the suit as constitutionally valid, while admitting that "there is only one other judicial opinion interpreting the Clause." Sullivan relied entirely upon the briefs and counsel provided him by Democrats, as he has also done in the Flynn case, especially by bringing in retired judge Gleeson and inviting briefs from activist lawyers and prosecutors. As in the Flynn case, the D.C. Circuit Court intervened to dismiss the case because Sullivan "did not adequately address ... the separation of powers issues present in a lawsuit brought by members of the Legislative Branch against the President of the United States." The Circuit Court also protested that Sullivan had "abused" his discretion in attempting to minimize and reject the validity of Trump's appeal. While Sullivan ultimately lost the battle on this case, the court documents demonstrate that he repeatedly attempted to push through what is otherwise a defunct and never-before-prosecuted Emoluments Clause. The story doesn't end there. There are two other lawsuits invoking the Emoluments Clause that have been brought against Trump: CREW v. Trump, initiated by the hyper-partisan David Brock, and D.C. and Maryland v. Trump, filed by two progressive attorneys general who have attempted to sue the president in no fewer than a dozen cases. Both cases were originally dismissed by appeals courts on the grounds that Congress has no need of the Judicial Branch to enforce its own law. However, they were then later reinstated, even though it was conceded that there was "no history" of opinions to aid their decision. In fact, the D.C. Circuit's decision to reverse the dismissal of D.C. and Maryland v. Trump was done by appealing to the rare "en banc" decision, the very same appeal Judge Sullivan has now sought in the Flynn trial.. An "en banc" appeal allows for a case to be reheard by the entire court's bench rather than only the three appointed judges. If the majority of the bench decides against the original ruling of the three-person panel, the decision is reversed. It is worth noting that while the D.C. Circuit has averaged fewer than three en banc cases per year over the last 20 years, it has exercised this rule four separate times in cases related to President Trump. To put it more simply, out of the eleven cases that this court has heard en banc since Trump took office, four of them are cases against Trump's or his administration. The Flynn case would make the fifth. For comparison, during the entire tenure of Obama, there were no en banc hearings by the D.C. Circuit that involved Obama or his administration. But even if Sullivan's appeal did not eventually succeed in overturning the dismissal of the Flynn case, it is likely that he would count it a victory if he were simply able to convince the court to have an "en banc" hearing. This would further delay the end of the Flynn case by weeks, if not months. And considering that Trump is seriously considering inviting Flynn back into the Trump administration, this could spell imminent danger for many intelligence officials who have not done things "by the book." In fact, before his arrest, Flynn had openly advocated for the replacement of the current intelligence software with the highly innovative program Palantir. This program is "capable of building comprehensive models of activity to detect suspicious anomalies" and is "the combination of every analytical tool you could ever dream of." Such a system could very likely uncover the myriad of anomalies committed under the Obama administration, including but not limited to the Russia collusion hoax, Spygate, unlawful/unauthorized unmasking requests, the IRS scandal, etc. If so, that's a serious "uh-oh" for the whole administration, which has regularly been accused of abusing intelligence data, among many other abuses. Thus, the goal for Judge Sullivan and his growing number of comrades is to delay the dismissal of the trial long enough to eventually see out a Biden presidency. If Flynn gets anywhere near the White House before the election, or if Trump gets re-elected and brings in Flynn, this most likely is a doom-and-gloom scenario for many big-time hitters in Washington. After all, Flynn is no rookie when it comes to collecting intelligence data. In fact, he is credited with being the primary architect for "revolutionizing the way that the clandestine arm of the military, the Joint Special Operations Command (jsoc), undertook the killing and capture of suspected terrorists and insurgents in war zones." So significant were his contributions that Flynn was appointed the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2012, which would have placed him in charge of all U.S. military and defense intelligence. Suffice it to say, if Flynn is at all interested in getting to the bottom of the Obama-era abuses, his experience and credentials are likely to set him up for success. But this will never happen if Sullivan can help it. The recent number of overrulings and en banc hearings by the D.C. Circuit has almost certainly motivated Sullivan to so brazenly assume the unconstitutional role of both judge and prosecutor in refusing to dismiss the Flynn case. With far more than one thousand "former federal prosecutors and former high-ranking Justice Department officials" supporting his cause, at the very least, Sullivan is ensured that, just like all the other corrupt bureaucrats, he'll never face any consequences for his actions. Often missed in all of this is that Sullivan was not originally assigned to the case. Rather, Sullivan was "randomly reassigned" to replace Judge Rudolph Contreras just eight days into the case. This random reassignment is even more suspicious in light of his appointment to and handling of the Trump lawsuit. The previous judge didn't fare any better, considering that the The Conservative Treehouse has revealed that Judge Contreras, the judge who originally accepted Flynn's guilty plea, is good friends with former FBI agent Peter Strzok, who interviewed Flynn and oversaw the investigation. One begins to wonder whether the appointments of any of the judges regarding the entire Mueller probe is at all random. As for Sullivan playing both judge and prosecutor in the Flynn case, he was careful in the Trump suit to note, "The Court is mindful that 'the separation-of-powers doctrine requires that a branch not impair another in the performance of its constitutional duties.'" Touche, Judge Sullivan! Developed to support roll-on/roll-off requirements of the most demanding Special Operations customers and to alleviate design concerns of large radomes, the low-profile KA-band MPHS provides much needed enroute planning C5I support to SOF on all C-130/L-100 variants of aircraft. 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About Get SAT A privately held company located in Rehovot, Israel, Get SAT Communications provides portable and extremely efficient antenna and terminals that offer high-data-rate communications for ground, air, and maritime applications. Get SAT provides services for government and military use, enterprises, first responders, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and humanitarian groups. For more information, visit www.getsat.com Contacts: Get SAT Ayala Pinhasi +972-77-5300-700 #122 +1-571-501-5150 [email protected] R4 Integration, Inc. Ed Arcemont +1-850-226-6913, #1217 [email protected] SOURCE Get SAT Communications Related Links https://www.getsat.com/ Kerala has claimed many firsts in different fields; from the first elected communist government in the world in the 1950s, to the more recent Kerala model for effectively fighting COVID-19. Recently, it probably added another one to the list, though dubious, by recording Indias first gold smuggling through the diplomatic bag. When the airport customs officials seized 30 kg of gold, hidden in sanitary pipes, in a packet addressed to one of the officials at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) consulate in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this month, they stumbled on a racket with international ramifications. The case is now with the National Investigations Agency (NIA) as the offence involves national security and subversion of the countrys economy. On July 12, two of the four prime accused, Sandeep Nair and Swapna Suresh, were arrested from Bengaluru. Swapna Suresh was employed with the IT department which comes under the direct charge of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. What further embroils the government is that the former IT secretary M Sivasankaran, a trusted Vijayan aide, is allegedly close to some of the accused in this case. There is increasing clamour for the resignation of the Chief Minister, owning up moral responsibility for the goings-on in his office. The NIA has hinted at probing whether terrorist group Islamic State has a link with the gold smuggling, the proceeds of which are used to finance terrorism and other subversive activities. Gold has traditionally been a very effective vehicle to transfer money, and its use by the terrorists makes gold smuggling a dangerous concoction, its primary ingredient being the insatiable appetite for the yellow metal. South India dominates Indias gold jewellery consumption, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the total volume, and also the highest per capita gold consumption. According to World Gold Council data, India imported over 830 tonnes of gold in 2019. An estimated third of it is consumed in Kerala, which has a penchant for 22-karat gold jewellery, compared to 18-karat and gold of less purity in the rest of India. On an average a Keralite woman is said to wear 30 gms of gold. The obsession with gold is deeply-rooted in the states culture. Jewellery purchases are driven by tradition, festivals and other important family and societal occasions. A large part of purchases are for weddings, where gold is an essential part of the dowry. Although outlawed by law, dowry in the form of gold is a popular means for transferring wealth. An average middle class Kerala bride is estimated to take 320 gm of gold to her new home, which is the highest in the country. Apart from the feel-good factor that gold assets provide, people also use their holdings to raise emergency cash. As outright sale is not an option in view of the emotional bonding, households often pledge gold to raise loans. It is estimated that in 2019, Muthoot Finance and Manappuram Finance, two major NBFCs of the state, between them held over 230 tonnes of gold as security, out of a total of 1,200 tonnes for the entire country. Indias diversity plays an important role in determining retail gold price as each region is characterised by different seasonal patterns of demand and consumer tastes. With the demand and consumption both being high, gold always yields better prices in Kerala, and this acts as an additional incentive for the growth of a grey market in the state. No wonder, Kerala accounts for the maximum haul of smuggled gold. In fact, a major part of the gold industry operates in the grey market, which is fostered by anonymity, lack of price transparency, purity issues, taxes and supply sources. Restrictions on the inflow of gold have created significant market distortions, which result in a surge in domestic gold premiums, making gold smuggling highly attractive. Gold attracts an import duty of 10 percent plus a three percent tax. One kilogram of smuggled gold is estimated to save at least Rs 5 lakh in duties. Carriers get a share, which is generally 10 percent, with another 10 percent going for ground handlers, which means that the rest of it is all profit. A variety of routes are used to smuggle gold into India. The majority, estimated between 65 and 75 percent, comes by air, around 2025 percent by sea, and 510 percent by land. Most of the gold flown into India comes from West Asia, notably Dubai. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 13, 2020 Business players in the hospitality sector in Bali, the countrys main tourism hub, have been prompted to sell property below market price, amid the massive hit to the islands visits due to the pandemic, realtors and experts have stated. While the asking price for property in the hospitality sector, such as resorts, villas and hotels, has not budged since the outbreak began at the beginning of March, the owners have been more open to selling their property with up to 25 percent off market price, according to Paradise Property Group, a Bali-based resort and villa realtors firm. Balis tourism slump has greatly affected both property leases and sales. Annual and monthly lease prices could drop up to 50 percent, while sales of property are also seeing more price concessions during negotiations, the realtor firm's sales manager, Fransiska Annie, told The Jakarta Post in a phone interview on July 8. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login By Express News Service CHENNAI: People need not go to banks for non-essential services and must make use of technology for the services possible, Corporation Commissioner G Prakash told reporters on Sunday. We have asked banks in the city to suspend non-essential services like updating passbooks. Small withdrawals can be made through ATMs. People shall go to banks only when it is absolutely necessary he said. Over 1,500 banks and their branches are to be operating in the city. He also said that all shops that violate operational guidelines like enforcement of physical distancing and wearing of masks will be placed under lock and sealed. The aim is not to close down the shops. This is for the greater good. We have set up 32 market management committees to monitor 81 markets in the city, he said. The usage of masks in the city is about 70-80%. However, youngsters should refrain from thinking that they are immune to the virus, he added. In the past one month, around 7.67 lakh people have been brought into the quarantine cycle, of which, around 2.87 lakh people have completed their 14-day quarantine, he noted New research reveals US trade policies act as another road block for international students pursuing higher education in the country Uncertainties around the trade war between the U.S. and China have hurt businesses and weighed on the global economy. However, new research from the University of California San Diego also shows lesser known consequence: up to $1.15 billion in reduced tuition to U.S. universities. According to the authors of the new working paper from the Center for Global Development, the recent guidelines from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) barring international students from having online classes could have the same chilling effect on universities. Their study is the first to demonstrate how increased trade with China joining the World Trade Organization in 2001when Normal Trade Relations tariff rates were made permanentwas a crucial determinant of student flow from China to the U.S. for acquiring higher education. We show that trade-driven growth raised wealth among upper-income families, shifting the composition of demand to U.S. services, and higher education in particular, said Gaurav Khanna, assistant professor of economics at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. However with the recent trade wars, for the first time, growth in students from China has stopped, hurting American universities. The revenue from international students also aids domestic students as their tuition has helped stabilize U.S. universities, especially public schools, suffering large, adverse shocks from state budget cuts. Trade wars disrupt a crucial aspect of U.S. services exports: higher ed U.S. President Donald Trump has long accused China of unfair trading practices and intellectual property theft. In China, there is a perception that America is trying to curb its rise as a global economic power. Amid these U.S-China business relations tensions, tariffs policies adopted by the White House have aimed to encourage consumers to buy American products by making imported goods more expensive. For example, in 2018, tariffs on Chinese goods increased by nearly 20 percentage points. Such accusations miss that money which flows out of the U.S. when they buy goods from China flows back, as Chinese students pay for higher education in the U.S., Khanna explained. Thus, the U.S. trade deficits cycle back to the U.S. in with exports surplus of higher education services. Direct evidence of this in the study shows that cities in China that grew faster because of trade are also the ones that sent more and more international students to the U.S. For instance, cities in China that were more dependent on textile production grew more quickly in the 2000s as textile tariffs fell. As residents of such cities grew richer, they sent more students to the U.S. Such cities, which include Nanjing and Tianshiu led to an increase in Chinese student enrollment in the U.S. of around 32 students per one million city residents. However, with the tariff increase of 20 percentage points in 2018, the researchers calculate it could cost U.S. universities around 30,000 Chinese students over the next 10 years, a loss of equivalent of $1.15 billion in tuition revenue. Signs of this alarming trend are already showing. The year-on-year growth rates for the number of Chinese students in the U.S. averaged about 22 percent between 2007 and 2013; since then it has fallen to less than five percent per yeara dramatic deceleration. Universities serve as an economic engine to all parts of the U.S. Khanna and co-authors underscore foreign tuition revenues are a crucial aspect of U.S. services exports. The U.S. Commerce Department estimates that in 2017, educational exports added about $34 billion to the countrys current account; about as large as the combined total exports of soybeans, coal and natural gas. Increasing education exports has the potential to lift all regions, as universities expand nationwide, the authors write. Hurting the market for higher education would imply a further negative shock to localities most exposed to the fall of manufacturing. Revenue and jobs from universities in smaller Midwestern towns, in places like Indiana and Michigan, can provide stability while other forms of employment have been falling, Khanna said. The trade restrictions will hurt them in a year that the Midwest is an important part of the election. Khannas co-authors include Kevin Shih, Ariel Weinberger, Mingzhi Xu, and Miaojie Yu. Wrexham mans murder prompts charity to offer 10,000 reward This article is old - Published: Monday, Jul 13th, 2020 Independent charity Crimestoppers is offering a reward for information on the murder of a man at his home in Caia Park. On Monday 1st June 2020, Terence Edwards who was 60-years-old, was discovered dead at his home in Pont Wen, just before 7pm. A post-mortem examination showed that Terence died from a head injury. Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to 10,000 for information the charity exclusively receives that leads to the conviction of the person or people responsible for this murder Gary Murray, North West Regional Manager at the charity Crimestoppers, said: We are appealing to those with any information to speak to our charity 100% anonymously. You can make all of the difference in getting justice for Terry. We understand that anybody who visited 39 Pont Wen between 9pm Friday 29th May and 7pm Monday 1st June and the Caia Park estate community could have vital knowledge. If you know who was responsible for this murder, or have any information, no matter how small, please speak up and tell Crimestoppers. This is your opportunity to do the right thing. Please remember that Crimestoppers, as an independent charity, keeps its promise of 100% anonymity each and every day to those who trust us with their crime information. Share what you know by calling our UK Contact Centre on 0800 555 111, 24 hours a day, seven days a week or use our websites simple and secure anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. No one will ever know your identity. We cannot trace your call or track your IP address and we never ask for or record any personal information. You can submit information anonymously via the website Crimestoppers-uk.org or by phoning 0800 555 111. Collins said Molson Coors will boost its hard seltzer production by more than 400% and increase packaging capacity at its Forth Worth, Texas, facility to make hard seltzer and other beverages. The project includes the installation of a new canning line and a new filtration system in order to bring production in-house. Several areas across Queensland's south-eastern corner have come within a whisker of freezing point on Tuesday morning as the expected peak of this week's cold snap reached the state. However, the central-southern Queensland town of Roma, 430 kilometres north-west of Brisbane, dropped to minus 1.3 degrees on Tuesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. FILE IMAGE: Keep the warm clothes and blankets handy, we are only halfway through winter. Credit:Bradley Kanaris Brisbane recorded a low of 10.1 degrees on Tuesday, the Scenic Rim town of Beaudesert had 1.4, and the Ipswich suburb of Amberley hit 7.1. Cape Moreton recorded 10.3, the Gold Coast's Coolangatta reached 4 degrees and Nambour on the Sunshine Coast registered 8.7 degrees. An author has given a powerful insight into what it was like growing up in the generation of children whose parents survived the Holocaust. Jerry Bagel, 67, from New Jersey, explains in the foreword of his new book The Numbers on My Parents Arms that as a child, his bedtime stories were horrific tales from his parents' time at Auschwitz-Birkenau. He also reveals how he learned to count by using his parents' concentration camp tattoos, and was told how his father lost a testicle during castration experiments by the Nazis. The author said that his parents' struggles meant they put even more pressure on him to be successful, and told how his parents said they'd 'kill themselves' if he did not marry a Jewish woman, which he did in the 1980s. The Numbers is a striking retelling of the Holocaust using the stories his parents told him as materials, as well testimony from other survivors who opened up to Bagel about their most painful memories. Speaking to Femail, Bagel, now a physician and professor, told of his upbringing in the shadow of his parents trauma, saying he had 'felt impelled for many years to share this story out of not only Holocaust significance but also human interest.' Jerry Bagel, 67, from New York, explains in the foreword of his book The Numbers on My Parents Arms that his parents would often tell him horrific stories from their time at Auschwitz-Birkenau during the Holocaust Jerry, aged 20, with his parents Helen and Sam Bagel at his brother's Bar Mitzvah in February 1973 His mother, Helen, who sadly passed away a week ago, lost her sisters, parents and cousins in the camps. His father, Sam, who was married before the war, lost his wife and young child as well as all his brothers and parents. Sam and Helen Bagel changed their name upon immigrating to the United States, and the book addresses them as their birth names. Sam is Szlama and Helen is Chaja. The Numbers... follows the couple from their lives before the war to their time in the camps and after Europe was liberated until their move to the US. Bagel admitted he grew up feeling 'ashamed' of his parents, due to their thick accents and the fact they barely spoke any English, preferring to speak Yiddish at home. He was as young as seven when his parents started telling him stories about Auschwitz before he fell asleep at night. The Numbers on My Parents' Arms, by Jerry Bagel, is published by iUniverse 'So, my bedtime goes like this,' he said, 'My mother would say "I had a beautiful sister named Peyru, and they put me to the right and they put her to the left with my mother, and she said 'I'll never see my sisters again".' This scene is recounted in the book, when Chaja and her family undergo 'selektion' upon their arrival at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the process by which SS soldiers would pick the men and women strong enough to work and destined the old and weak, mothers and young children to the gas chamber. While other kids fell asleep to stories about bunnies and trains, my parents were telling me almost everything about what their lives had been like in Poland,' he recalled. My bedtime stories contained all the fantastical elements of the most frightening fairy tales. Like in Hansel and Gretel, an evil entity was attempting to lure innocent children into a scorching red oven. Pictured: Helen and Sam's documentation when they reached the US and changed their names after the war But my parents tales werent mere words in a book, ending the way a childs last words before bed should endwith a happy ending and a good night kiss. The characters in my parents stories did end up in the oven. And even more terrifying, they were my family.' In another instance, Chaja told Jerry that she witnessed a baby being torn in half in front of his horrified mother. 'The nonplussed officer reached forward to grab the baby. Before he could touch it, the woman swatted his gloved hand away and clawed his face. Enraged, the officer clubbed her to the ground, simultaneously grabbing the baby by its clothing,' Jerry wrote in The Numbers... 'He carried the wailing baby at arms length, as if it was a piece of stinking garbage, turned it upside down with one tiny foot in each of his fists, and ripped the baby in two pieces. Jerry said he used to feel ashamed about his parents because they did not speak English and were 'different' from others 'Holding his gruesome trophy by its feet as blood dripped onto the snow, the guard sang a song about the blood of the Jews. The nearby dogs became excited by the smell of blood and began barking, their growls drowned out by the shrieks of the babys mother. 'The guard threw the flesh on the ground, marched back to the hysterical mother, and continued clubbing her. 'This is the moment Chaja lost her faith in God,' Jerry concluded. Who carried out castration experiments at Auschwitz? Horst Schumann was a medical doctor who conducted experiments at Auschwitz to sterilise Jewish people using X ray machines. In 1940, he became head of the Grafeneck euthanasia centre in Wurttemberg, where mentally ill people were gassed with carbon monoxide in the first gas chamber, and moved to Auschwitz in July 1941, where he set up an x-ray station in the women's hospital. He hand-picked young and healthy male and female subjects for his experiments, making them stand between two x-ray machines, aiming at their sexual organs. Horst Schumann was a medical doctor who conducted experiments at Auschwitz to sterilise Jewish people using X ray machines. He also practiced castration on Jewish men in the camps Many of those subjected to his experiments died, or were sent straight to the gas chambers because radiation burns left then unfit to work. He also removed men's testicles, which were sent off for further testing at the University of Breslau, in modern-day Wroclaw. To check if his experiments had worked, he would perform what was called a semen check. A stick covered with a rubber house was inserted in the victim's rectum and the glands stimulated to the point of ejaculation so that the sperm could be tested to see if they were still fertile. Part of Schumann's control tests, to check whether the radiation had worked, was the so-called semen check: a stick covered with a rubber hose was inserted into the rectum of the victim and the glands stimulated until ejaculation occurred so that the ejaculate could be tested for sperm, After the war he evaded justice until 1966 where he was arrested in Ghana and extradited to West Germany, where he went on trial in Frankfurt in 1970. Schumann admitted to killing as many as 80,000 Jews, saying: 'I have no numbers.' He was released from prison in 1972, due to poor health and died a year later. Advertisement Chaja faced unimaginable horrors in the camp, where she stayed a year. After the death of her mother and young sister Peyru, she had her other sister and her cousin by her side. However, when her sister took ill and was killed by the Germans, Chaja lost her will to live and grew suicidal. In the book, Bagel recounted how many women were driven to suicide and tried to taken their own lives by jumping on the camp's electrical fences. Sam singing during his 70th birthday party. Sam died in 1991. Unfortunately, Helen passed away last week Baila Friedman, centre, Helen's mother, grew up in a very religiously family. Her father (right) used to be a Rabbi. Photographed alongside her mother (left) in a centre in 1912 Jerry's mother before she passed. In Helen's eulogy, Jerry explained that in spite of the traumatic experiences she endured at the camps and later in life, Helen was able to live a life full of happy moments Meanwhile, his father Sam survived the camps by volunteering to do all the physical jobs the German would need Jewish prisoners to take on. Bagel reveals in the book that while Sam was among the men who were selected to be castrated and studied. As part of Nazi plans to keep Jews from procreating, thousands of men and women were castrated in the camps, often using radiation, or more barbaric techniques such as the ablation of their private parts. Infections were common place after such procedures were performed and many men did not survive. Helen before she passed, with her great-granddaughter Isabella, who is the daughter of Jerry's son Rick and his wife Ankita Helen with her granddaughter Bridget, Jerry's daughter. Family was everything for the Bagel matriarch WHAT WAS THE AUSCHWITZ CONCENTRATION CAMP? Auschwitz was a concentration and extermination camp used by the Nazis during World War Two. The camp, which was located in Nazi-occupied Poland, was made up of three main sites. Auschwitz I, the original concentration camp, Auschwitz II-Birkenau, a combined concentration and extermination camp and Auschwitz IIIMonowitz, a labour camp, with a further 45 satellite sites. Auschwitz was an extermination camp used by the Nazis in Poland to murder more than 1.1 million Jews Birkenau became a major part of the Nazis' 'Final Solution', where they sought to rid Europe of Jews. An estimated 1.3 million people were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, of whom at least 1.1 million died around 90 percent of which were Jews. Since 1947, it has operated as Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, which in 1979 was named a World Heritage Site by Unesco. Since 1947, it has operated as Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, which in 1979 was named a World Heritage Site by Unesco Advertisement While Bagel said his father never spoke of it, he confirmed in the book that Sam had lost one testicles during German experimentation. Growing up in the US to two parents who did not speak the language well and would only speak Yiddish at home, Bagel admitted he resented his parents for being 'different.' He recounted instances where, as a teenager, he would keep them from attending school functions because he was ashamed of them. He also opened up about his stern upbringing, revealing that his father would sometimes employ corporal punishments if Jerry disobeyed as a child. In spite of these harrowing experiences and having to share into his parents' trauma, Bagel said writing The Numbers... helped him to reconnect with his father, who passed away in 1991. He also said in his mother's eulogy that in spite of the traumatic experiences she endured at the camps and later in life, Helen was able to live a life full of happy moments. Before every protest, Camille Bennett performs a spiritual ritual consisting of prayers of protection, empowering affirmations and an hour-long rest for her mind and bones. Through her social justice organization called Project Say Something, Bennett has spent the past couple of years leading a campaign to contextualize a 117-year-old Confederate monument sitting on the lawn of the Lauderdale County Courthouse in Florence. Since June, the organization has pressed both city and county officials to relocate the statue to a city-owned burial ground for Civil War veterans called Soldiers Rest. Its tiring necessary work, Bennett said. But she isnt going to back down. Not from the Florence City Council which has shown support for the relocation but wont start the process without a resolution from the Lauderdale County Commission. Not from the County Commission which refuses to issue the resolution requested by the city. Not even from the threats on social media to shoot or hang protesters. This is not just about relocating a statue, Bennett said. Its about exposing white supremacy and dismantling it from its roots. Project Say Something, a social justice group in Florence, poses with protesters near a Confederate statue in front of the Lauderdale County Courthouse. The red tape of an immoral law Project Say Somethings demand to relocate Florences monument comes at a time when many Southern cities are relocating or removing remnants of the Confederacy. Statues honoring Confederate leaders were removed along a Richmond, Virginia, avenue known for the way it glamorizes the Civil War. After many years of bitter debate, Mississippi retired its state flag, which was the last in the nation to contain the most common Confederate emblem. Activists, community leaders and other citizens want to see the same results in Florence and Huntsville but are finding themselves wrestling with the red tape of state law. Last week, the Committee on Alabama Monument Protection denied the Madison County Commissions request to relocate a 115-year-old Confederate statue near the courthouse steps in Huntsville. The 11-member committee was formed by the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act in 2017, which prohibits the removal or renaming of historical structures that are 40 years or older. The committee is charged with the task of hearing appeals for structures that have been in place between 20 and 40 years. The news was disheartening for some in the Huntsville community to hear, but group of community leaders organizing the Move the Monument protests arent going to let the committees decision deter them from their goal. David Person, a member of the Rosa Parks Day Collective, said citizens - old and young, Black and white - will continue to march together near the courthouse once a week, just as they have been since June 24. The county commissions attorney told AL.com on Friday that commissioners are searching for a legal way to move the monument. But if the law only gives them two choices let the statue remain or be fined $25,000 Person believes the elected officials should break the law. A grassroots organization called the Tennessee Valley Progressive Alliance, has raised the money to cover the fine. Our position is the law is an immoral law, Person said. The monuments law was passed specifically to protect Confederate monuments. So that makes the law immoral because the Confederacy itself was immoral. The Confederacy was about the promotion and protection of white supremacy and about codifying the ability of slaveholders to have slaves. While Memorial Preservation Act concerns all historical structures in the state, it was signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey during a time when Confederate monuments were coming down in response to the 2015 massacre of nine African Americans by a white supremacist at a historically-Black church in Charleston, South Carolina. Now, the nation is witnessing the same storyline: Confederate monuments and symbols are being removed or relocated as the nation reckons with its history of racial oppression following the loss of another Black life. Protests erupted in the streets after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in May. According to a Southern Poverty Law Center report, 30 Confederate symbols have been removed or relocated since Floyds death as of July 7. While Confederate monuments were dismantled in Birmingham, Mobile and Montgomery, 28-year-old Dantraeon Calvert believes Huntsvilles elected officials are dragging their feet. Calvert, a Black Huntsvillian who has participated in a couple of protests, said the refusal to move the monument means elected officials are supporting what the Confederate monument symbolizes. What that monument represents is the old South, Calvert said. That is a place where only certain individuals have rights, can speak their minds and only certain individuals can hold certain positions. We shouldnt have to see, especially at a place of justice, to see such racists, outdated symbols of oppression. Dantraeon Calvert speaks at a protest in front of the Madison County Courthouse in Huntsville on June 3, 2020. A different breed of intimidation In Florence, Project Say Something and other social justice groups have been hosting protests at the courthouse every weekday for the past couple of weeks. The rallies give Black citizens a space to voice their displeasure about the monuments presence in their lives. A chorus of voices chanting Black Lives Matter and take it down fill the air. When counter protesters carrying Confederate flag congregated near the statue, protesters danced the Cupid Shuffle. The protests wont stop because of a stalemate between the county commission and the city council over the statues fate, Bennett said. The statue is city-owned property, but it sits on county-owned land. All Florence City Council members have voiced their support for the relocation and an anonymous donor has offered to pay the fine. But the council still wants county commissioners to issue a resolution giving the city permission to come onto county land to start the removal process. The commission has said it will not issue that resolution because it goes against state law. So, Project Say Something will continue protests every weekday until the statue is relocated. We dont expect anything from the county, Bennett said. We fully expect the city to take immediate action, address this moral issue, and put the safety of their constituents above their political processes. Project Say Something is familiar with the frustrations of the political process. Its been more than a year and a half since organization members presented to commissioners a proposal to install a statue of Dred Scott, and his wife Harriet, next to the Confederate monument. Bennett said the commission never approved the proposal due to a policy stating the commission couldnt erect any new monuments. When Project Say Something asked to see the policy, the county administrator told Bennett that the commission has had a non-written policy prohibiting new monuments for years, according to emails obtained by AL.com. After Gov. Kay Ivey apologized for wearing blackface while she was a student at Auburn University, Project Say Something sent Ivey a letter requesting she take her apology a step further by supporting the Dred Scott statue. While Bennett did meet with the director of the governors Office of Minority Affairs, she said nothing came from the conversation. They said they could not support it because they didnt want to interfere with our county and city business, Bennett said. Confederate monuments were made to intimidate Black citizens. The political hurdles Project Say Something had to jump through are intimidation of a different breed, Bennett said. The fact that you even have to navigate a process to either A, contextualize the monument at the very least, or now B, just relocate it to a more appropriate space, that in itself is demeaning, Bennett said. Its a form of intimidation that dehumanizes Black people by telling them that your pain, your struggle, what your ancestors experienced does not matter. Black lives literally dont matter here, and they will protect symbols that celebrate your pain. Times up! #communityvoices #projectsaysomethingal #shoals #lauderdalecountyalabama #florencealabama #florenceal #visitflorenceal #timesup #blm #blacklivesmatter #takeitdown #nojusticenopeace #juneteenth #july4th #independenceday Posted by Project Say Something on Friday, July 3, 2020 The ugliness we must confront The monuments not only pushed the Lost Cause Narrative, which glorified Confederate troops who fought for states right and not slavery. Historians say the majority of Confederate monuments were erected between the 1890s and 1950s, which is after Federal troops keeping racial violence at bay left the South. Not only did African Americans face discrimination and segregation in the Jim Crow South. According to the Equal Justice Initiative, at least 361 Black Alabamians were lynched between 1877 and 1950. Person said addressing that history may provoke discomfort in elected officials that makes them shy away from the Confederate monument debate. Thats a lot of ugliness to confront and I can understand that it might be painful to confront that their ancestors had this ugliness that they were routinely engaged in and sometimes to violent, murderous degrees, Person said. What they want to do is mildly dismiss (the statue) as a cultural misstep as opposed to something that was a reflection of a more insidious, violent evil that decimated generations of African American people. But the discomfort must be embraced to create a better future, Person said. While he believes Huntsvilles Confederate monument should be taken down, he sees its removal as low hanging fruit. There are other injustices the city needs to address. Huntsville City Schools has been under a desegregation order for 57 years. When he drives through the city, he rides pasts segregated neighborhoods. He repeated the mission of EJI that in order to achieve racial justice, injustices must be brought to light. The way to undo true evil is to confront the ugliness and to face those truths, Person said. That is how you create the foundation for accountability and reconciliation and healing. At the Huntsville protests, participants conduct a moment of silence lasting 8 minutes 46 seconds the amount of time a Minneapolis officer kneeled on Floyds neck. During that time, Calvert said he imagines the faces of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown and other men who look like him who died at the hands of police. Removing the monument means he lives in a city where he doesnt feel fear when he hears police sirens. Thats the way we are conditioned to be. I would like to live in a world where, as a Black man, I dont have to live like that, Calvert said. When I hear a police siren, I want to know, Oh, they are going to help somebody. That is a world where our children can grow to be whatever they want to be without having to worry about the repercussions of their society. Keeping the monument also continues the legacy of the Confederacy in Huntsvilles social settings as well, Calvert said. It serves as a marker telling Black people where they belong and where they dont. Its all about breaking community stigmas, Calvert said. We believe that there are certain places that arent for us, like city hall or downtown. If you were to poll the Black college-age kids here in Huntsville, they will probably tell you they have never gone downtown. Thats not by coincidence. Its because you dont feel welcomed there. Protesters hosts a rally in front of a Confederate statue located near the steps of the Madison County Courthouse in Huntsville. We cant say racism doesnt exist here As the campaign to move the Florence monument attracts more attention, the opposition has become more vocal. The Lauderdale County Republican Executive Committee unanimously passed a resolution on July 2 trying to convince the commission to keep the monument where it stands. The committee said historical monuments are a testament to the courage of our ancestors. That courage was shown during the Civil War as the Confederate Army fought against oppressive taxation and to preserve states rights. There is a movement of liberals and radical organizations, not representative of the majority of the citizens in Lauderdale County, which are attempting to destroy any record of that courage and sacrifice of our ancestors in the United States of America, the committees resolution states. But Bennett said Project Say Something doesnt want to destroy the monument, but to relocate it to a space that would be deemed more appropriate. In a rebuttal against the committees resolution, Project Say Something pointed out the inaccuracy as well as thanked the committee for helping the organization document the racism in their town. We ask the Lauderdale County Republican Party to clarify its use of the term courage to characterize the Confederacy, Project Say Somethings rebuttal said, the courage to own other people or to fight for those who owned other people, the courage to abuse enslaved people verbally, physically and sexually, the courage to erect monuments to intimidate Black citizens in the Jim Crow South, or the courage to silence and intimidate protesters in the present moment? Protesters have become the targets of threats on social media, Bennett said. AL.com has seen the threats which encourage counter protesters to arm themselves or shoot protesters. One post shared a meme saying, Is it wrong to follow protesters home and burn down their property? Asking for a friend. A Facebook commenter encourages people to vote to hang liberals. Project Say Something has been turning in these threats to law enforcement, which has increased its presence at protests. In its rebuttal, the organization also placed the blame for threats of violence at the feet of the Lauderdale County Republican Committee by saying stokes the flames of partisanship and endangers public safety that purposefully mischaracterizes the peaceful protests advocating for the relocation of the monument. As intimidating as the threats are, the movement has to keep going, she said. As draining as the political process can be, that process exposes the racism tucked in the corners of a town that Bennett said flaunts its inclusiveness. When most people think of the Shoals, Bennett said people talk about how Black and white musicians and vocalists revolutionized music together to create the Muscle Shoals Sound at FAME Studios. What youre seeing happen in Florence is a huge testament to how you see racism play out in rural Alabama. Florence has a nasty legacy of creating false narratives, Bennett said. If you look at the Shoals youre going to see this whole kumbaya of Black people and white people coming together to make music. But Bennett said the discrimination that existed in Montgomery, Selma and Birmingham existed in the Shoals because it is a predominantly white area. So not only did you have oppression, but you had Black people knowing their place and knowing they must stay in their place to survive, Bennett said. We cant say that racism doesnt exist here because look at what happens when you challenge these symbols of oppression and white supremacy here. Calvert said he feels the same struggles in Huntsville. The states fastest-growing city brands itself as a progressive municipality where creativity meets technology and where the nations dream to make it to the moon came true. By not wanting to move the monument, we are being shown that those old ways are still here in a city thats supposed to be a star of Alabama. I find it totally laughable for us to continue to say that when we are behind, Calvert said. There are other cities in Alabama who have already removed these monuments, but we are supposed to be the star of the state and yet we drag out feet. On the citys website, Huntsville is called a place where change is constant, but tradition is never forgotten. Some traditions have dire consequences, Calvert said. We are allowing tradition to be more important than human beings and that is the reason why racism has survived as long as it has, he said. As long as that monument is standing there, every single person who has been trusted with the protection of Huntsville and the governing of Huntsville is telling Huntsvillians tradition is more important than people to them. UPDATE: Huge crowds at Jersey Shore beaches like playing with fire for coronavirus spread, Murphy says The oceanfront beach in Long Branch got so crowded early Sunday afternoon that police temporarily blocked access to the sand. Around 2 p.m., local police officers at one entrance were turning visitors away and advising them to try again in an hour. Though a sign encouraged social distancing, via staying at least 6 feet apart amid the coronavirus pandemic, beachgoers were crammed together in many locations. Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday signed an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings outdoors where social distancing is difficult to achieve, but many were not wearing masks. The sand got so crowded that some were putting their chairs on the boardwalk. Rough waters prevented most from going out too deep, though some surfers enjoyed the waves. Long Branch officials did not immediately return requests for comment. Sunday was a perfect summer day all along the Jersey Shore, with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-80s in Long Branch. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Ed Murray can be reached at emurray@njadvancemedia.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ljubomir Milasin (Agence France-Presse) Vatican City Mon, July 13, 2020 08:52 555 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665d2a07 2 Art & Culture Pope,Pope-Francis,Hagia-Sophia,Turkey,landmark Free Pope Francis on Sunday joined an international chorus of condemnation of Turkey's decision to convert Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia landmark back into a mosque. "I think of Hagia Sophia, and I am very saddened," Pope Francis said towards the end of his midday sermon in Saint Peter's Square. It was the Vatican's first reaction to Turkey's decision to transform the Byzantine-era monument back into a mosque, a decision that has already drawn criticism from around the world. The Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano on Saturday carried reaction from different countries to Friday's decision to turn the monument from a museum back into a mosque, but without any comment. A magnet for tourists worldwide, the Hagia Sophia was first constructed 1,500 years ago as a cathedral in the Christian Byzantine Empire and it was there they crowned their emperors. It was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, then became a museum in 1935. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who critics say is chipping away at the Muslim-majority country's secular pillars, announced Friday that Muslim prayers would begin on July 24 at the UNESCO World Heritage site. Several other Christian leaders have already spoken out against Turkey's decision. Bishop Hilarion, who heads the Russian Orthodox Church's department for external church relations, described it as "a blow to global Christianity". The World Council of Churches, which represents 350 Christian churches, said it had written to Erdogan expressing their "grief and dismay". 'Provocation to the civilized world' The head of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop Ieronymos, on Sunday denounced what he described as the "instrumentalization of religion to partisan or geopolitical ends". "The outrage and the arrogance doesn't just concern the Orthodox Church and Christianity but all of civilized humanity... independently of religion," he added. Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni took a similar view, calling Turkey's decision "a provocation to the civilized world". Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also condemned the move, not just for the damage it would do to relations between Greece and Turkey, but Ankara's relations with "the European Union, UNESCO and the world community". The transformation of the Hagia Sophia dominated the headlines in Greek newspapers this weekend. The Kathimerini newspaper stressed the political dimension of Turkey's decision, which it said effectively underlined the secular roots of modern Turkey and demonstrated "Erdogan's megalomania". Erdogan on Saturday dismissed protests from Russia, the United States, France and UNESCO. "Those who do not take a step against Islamophobia in their own countries ... attack Turkey's will to use its sovereign rights," he said. In the past, he had repeatedly called for the stunning building to be turned back into a mosque and in 2018, he recited a verse from the Koran at the Hagia Sophia. Erdogan's announcement came after a top court cancelled a 1934 cabinet decision under modern Turkey's secularizing founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk to preserve the then church-turned-mosque as a museum. By PTI LUCKNOW: The Kanpur ambush in which eight policemen were killed is evidence that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's encounter policy, dubbed 'thoko niti', has failed, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Monday. Yadav also demanded that the call detail records (CDR) of slain gangster Vikas Dubey for the past years be made public. This is essential to expose the police-politician nexus and to find out who helped Dubey and who benefited from him, the SP president told PTI in a wide-ranging interview in which he also observed that the COVID-19 crisis in the state is getting out of control and discussed his party's future plans. Dubey was gunned down by police while allegedly fleeing police custody on July 10, a week after eight policemen were killed in his village Bikru in Kanpur when they walked into a trap as they were going to arrest him. "Yogi-ji's 'thoko niti' has failed miserably. Had it been successful and had criminals feared it, the Kanpur incident in which eight policemen were killed would not have happened. Giving a free hand to police is fine but there should also be effective checks and monitoring from the top," Yadav said. Referring to Dubey's killing, he said, "If we say it is fake, they say we are defending a criminal. If there is an unbiased probe, the truth will come out." He denied allegations that Dubey was in the SP and that his wife was given a ticket to contest panchayat polls. "BJP put pressure on his (Dubey's) mother to take SP's name. As far as an SP ticket to Dubey's wife is concerned, it's not true. Our party had supported Sudha Yadav in that panchyat polls." "Fearing the disclosure of many secrets, the government has got him (Dubey) eliminated," he alleged. The former chief minister also attacked the BJP-led government on its failure to check the spread of COVID-19. "If the government stops manipulating figures, UP will cross all records and because of UP, India will break the world record. The situation is getting out of control." The government, he suggested, should adopt a four-day week and allow home quarantine to patients with mild symptoms and treat only serious patients in hospitals. The state has 36,476 cases with 934 fatalities, according to Union Health Ministry figures on Monday. Discussing the future of his party, Yadav said it has decided to give tickets to only candidates "who have a good image in the public" and not to those with dubious pasts. The party chief said it will not tie up with any big party in 2022 and go for an adjustment with smaller parties with a base. "This will help countering the BJP propaganda also that all parties have allied against 'Hindutva'," he explained. About his experiences from past alliances, Yadav said, "Yes we lost in 2014, 2017 and 2019 too. We have learnt from experience and will strike back in 2022 by getting 351 of 403 (UP Assembly) seats." He welcomed Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra getting more active in the state and said all parties should raise their voice against this government. "It will send a message to people who already have made up their minds to vote against the BJP misrule." In the days to come, he said, party workers would go out on cycles to reach out to the people. The SP's work might not have been acknowledged by people earlier but this time "kaam bolega" (work will speak), Yadav said. "In the past 3.5 years, only the infrastructure developed in SP regime is being used by this government and they did nothing new for the people. Can anyone tell what new thing they have given to the state," he claimed. "When we ask what demonetisation and GST have given, the BJP did not reply and resorted to non-issues to divert attention of people," he said. He said the BJP only knew how to mislead people. "What the state achieved from investment summit, defence expo, no one is ready to tell. They (BJP) don't look ack, but do another event. But it will not do them any good in the long run," he added. Prominent far-east Russian city Vladivostok has been in the news recently for a couple of reasons. One is that it celebrated its 160-year-old anniversary since joining Russia in 1860. The other reason is due to China's hunger for power as the Red Dragon set off sparks on social media when a tweet posted by a reporter with China's mouthpiece CGTN stated that the territory in question once belonged to China. On July 2, Vladivostok, a Russian forte in the far east corner of its lands celebrated the 160th anniversary of its founding day, this resulted in a wave of online attacks and trolls on social media who abused and slammed China's closest ally and neighbour for claiming that the territory belonged to them. Furious netizens on popular media platforms explained that Vladivostok, the administrative capital of the Primorsky Krai region historically belonged to China. Read | Russian scientists successfully complete worlds first COVID-19 vaccine trial China's insatiable territorial greed reaches Russia Although these claims weren't officially endorsed or acknowledged by China and Russia's foreign ministries, it raised a few eyebrows when the Russian Embassy in China posted a video on Weibo as a tribute to the foundation day of Vladivostok, and several diplomats and journalists including Shen Shiwei a popular reporter with CGTN, one of China's mouthpieces, lambasted Russia for the insensitive act. Shiwei stated that an unequal treaty was signed with Beijing after Russia forcefully annexed the Haishwewai territory and built a harbour there. And topped it up with a loaded, "Russian embassy's tweet isn't welcome on Weibo". Zhang Heqing, a Chinese diplomat working in the embassy in Pakistan, also commented isnt this what in the past was our Haishenwai?, referring to the Chinese name for the area before its annexation. As the news quickly exploded after Shiwei's tweet, Indian media was quick to grab the opportunity and react to unfounded Chinese claims. Some lambasted Beijing for having an insatiable appetite for territory, inadvertently forcing the journalist to issue a clarification. Russia has so far neither acknowledged nor reacted to China's claims. Please be professional, no twist! Some Indian media! This tweet is reporting Russian embassys celebration on Vladivostok recalled bitter memories of those humiliated days in the 1860 for Chinese, nothing related to land claims since border treaty signed. Shen Shiwei (@shen_shiwei) July 2, 2020 Read | Russia launches flights to Crimea from Vladivostok While historically, Vladivostok once used to be part of China's Qing dynasty and was known as Haishenwai, it was annexed by the Russian empire in 1860 when China was defeated by the British and French forces in the Second Opium War. Since then, the area has been administered by Russia under the capital of Primorsky Krai. Chinese journalists and Diplomats continue pointing fingers and crying foul, however, this remains far from the truth as territorial disputes were settled between both countries over three different border agreements signed in 1991, 1994 and 2004. And as per these agreements, China received hundreds of islands in the area along with Argun, Amur and Ussuri rivers. Several of these areas have now been renamed and remain an integral part of China. Up to 50% of the territory still under the eastern corner of Khabarovsky's Russian territory has been rechristened and given Chinese names in recognition of its history. Read | Indian diaspora groups in London protest against China's expansionist policies In addition to this, Chinese and Russian foreign ministers met in 2008 to further sign an additional treaty known as the Sino-Russian Border Line Agreement, which marked the mutual recognition and acceptance of the demarcation signed between both countries. Read | China frees law professor detained for criticising Xi Jinping after six days: Reports Ben Emerson had never tried cannabis edibles before his birthday in April. He was raised in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, which he left five years ago, and marijuana was this thing that I had never really even thought that I was allowed to do, he said. And then Im like, Wait, I can actually make up my own mind about this. For his first foray, Mr. Emerson, 38, chose strawberry-flavored gummies, which he ordered online and picked up curbside at a dispensary near his home in Portland, Ore. Im not super-interested in smoking anything, he said. But as soon as I decided I wanted to try cannabis, I wanted to try something edible. Anxious times (say, a global pandemic) call for palliatives, like meditation, exercise or, in some cases, weed. More than a dozen states declared cannabis stores and medical marijuana dispensaries essential businesses, along with pharmacies and grocery stores, as the coronavirus sent millions of Americans home, with or without jobs. Since March, the cannabis industry has seen an influx of new customers: Eaze, an online cannabis retailer, told The Associated Press that first-time purchases of cannabis were up more than 50 percent in early March. And as fear of inhaled products has risen spurred partly by studies of vaping illness and exacerbated by respiratory risks associated with the coronavirus many consumers have opted to enjoy cannabis in edible form. A man was fatally shot Sunday night in the parking lot of a Walgreens near West Ashley. Deputies were called shortly after 9 p.m. to Hilton Drive for a report of a person who'd been shot, said Capt. Roger Antonio, a spokesman for the Charleston County Sheriff's Office. They found the victim unresponsive on the ground near a vehicle. Investigators found that the man was shot in the parking lot at 3621 Savannah Highway. He was transported to Hilton Drive, which is about a mile down Main Road from the drug store. The victim later died, the captain said. Deputies said they are looking for a vehicle they suspect was used in the homicide. According to video surveillance, the vehicle is either silver or tan and has mag wheels, a toolbox on the back and an extended cab. It was being driven by two young men, one of whom had a gun that was used in the shooting, deputies said. The vehicle was last seen turning onto Old Charleston Highway. Further information, including an identification, was not available on Monday. The shooting comes as Charleston police dealt with an outburst of deadly violence within city limits as officers responded to three shootings between 11:45 p.m. Saturday and 12:45 a.m. Sunday. Two people died in a shooting shortly before midnight on Hazelwood Drive, police said. Three other people were injured in two shootings, which happened on Locksley Drive in West Ashley and on Magazine Street in downtown Charleston. Anyone with information on the shooting in the Walgreens parking lot should call the Charleston County Sheriff's Office at 843-202-1700 or Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry at 843-554-1111. When Alix Sampson started a local walking group late last year, she was simply encouraging her neighbours to feel safe in numbers on dark streets. Now her group, Brunswick Sole Mates, has grown to nearly 1000 members and is providing much needed comfort for locals grappling with months of coronavirus restrictions. Anita van Rooyen (left) with Alix Sampson who started a group to feel safer walking at night which has boomed during the pandemic. Credit:Joe Armao "I just did it because I was petrified of walking by myself," she said. "I was always checking over my shoulder, and I reached out on a Facebook group saying 'does anyone else have the same experience, I feel like I have to be on watch the whole time?'. Holidaymakers have been warned to beware hidden mobile phone charges, higher insurance costs and tougher passport costs once the Brexit transition period ends. The government is launching a 93million ad blitz to brace Britons for the new reality of going to the EU from January 1. The campaign highlights a swathe of potential pitfalls for travellers, ranging from roaming charges to insurance cover, and difficulties of taking pets along. The 'let's get going' drive will feature on on TV, radio and online, and information will also sent to people via text message. Ministers hope it will avoid businesses and tourists being taken by surprise when the new systems come into force following the end of the 'standstill' post-Brexit arrangements. Although future trade terms are still hanging in the balance, the relationship is set to change dramatically regardless of whether a deal is struck. A 93million campaign will offer guidance on travel insurance, passports, and taking pets abroad ahead of the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31 British tourists seen relaxing by their hotels and beaches in in Benidorm on Saturday UK citizens with less than a year of validity left on their passports are urged to renew A new blue post-Brexit passport From January 1 next year, Britons travelling to European destinations will be required to have at least six months validity on their passports. As this is likely to see a surge in passport applications the British public have been advised to renew any passport with a year or less validity as soon as possible. Around five million people in the UK are believed to have 12 months or less remaining on their passports, which could cause a backlog at UK passport offices. As is the case when travelling to many countries outside of the EU, UK citizens will now also be required to show they have more than six months left on their passport when travelling to 'most European Union countries' plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, reports The Telegraph. Advertisement Adverts will carry a 'Check, Change, Go' strapline and direct people and businesses to a checker tool on the Government's website to show them what steps to take. Businesses will also be able to contact a 'field force team' for one-to-one support over the phone. UK citizens intending to travel to Europe from January 1 2021 may be told to ensure their passport is valid for the required period of six months. Around five million people in the UK have a year or less remaining on their passports. To avoid delays those with fewer than 12 months validity are urged to apply for a new passport now. And that's not the only passport pet lovers will need to worry about - with pet passports set to be defunct from December 31. Instead dogs, cats or ferrets will need to have a blood sample taken and be deemed EU approved before being allowed to cross borders - this process can take up to four months with owners advised to contact their vet well in advance. Travellers will also be advised to get comprehensive travel insurance, as the EHIC card will no longer be valid for healthcare in Europe from December 31. Health insurance premiums are expected to rise for Britons when free healthcare is no longer available to them. Much of the campaign flags potentially costly pitfalls of the new system. Holiday makers must also remember to check their mobile phone roaming policy as free EU roaming comes to an end. And businesses planning to export or import to or from the EU will be told to ensure they have registered with the relevant customs authority. Some UK-wide guidance will not apply to trade between Northern Ireland and the EU until negotiations have concluded. Initial guidance for Northern Ireland is expected to be published in the coming weeks. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said: 'At the end of this year we are leaving the single market and customs union regardless of the type of agreement we reach with the EU. 'This will bring changes and significant opportunities for which we all need to prepare. 'While we have already made great progress in getting ready for this moment, there are actions that businesses and citizens must take now to ensure we are ready to hit the ground running as a fully independent United Kingdom. 'This is a new start for everyone in the UK - British and European citizens alike - so let's get going.' British tourists wearing masks are seen at the front desk of their hotel in Benidorm on Saturday What are the key points being highlighted by the campaign? Individuals Ensure your passport is valid for six months and not more than ten years old If driving, you may require an international driving licence and will require a GB sticker Get comprehensive travel health insurance because your EHIC card will no longer be valid Check your mobile phone roaming policy once you go into the EU. People wishing to travel with their pet will be advised to contact a vet at least four months before travelling. Pet passports will be defunct, and animals must have a blood sample taken and be deemed EU approved before being allowed to cross borders Businesses Companies will be able to contact a 'field force team' for one-to-one support over the phone. Businesses planning to export or import to or from the EU must register with the relevant customs authority Advertisement Liberal Democrat acting leader Sir Ed Davey said: 'Businesses right across the United Kingdom have struggled to survive financially over the past few months as a result of the coronavirus crisis. 'The fact that the Government is now trying to force them to gear up and prepare for the end of the transition period will fill them with utter horror.' He said it was time ministers 'sought as close as possible relationship with the European Union to not only minimise the damage to the UK, but allow both themselves and British business time to focus on getting the UK back on its feet again after the pandemic'. It comes as the faced mounting pressure to back down in its troubled trade talks with Britain after the new Irish premier said a deal needs to be done. Micheal Martin said an 'injection of momentum' was needed in arrangements for the border with Northern Ireland after Brexit. Mr Martin told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show yesterday: 'There has been some progress in terms of a paper that the UK government published but we need more detail, we need more precision. 'I think we need an injection of momentum into the overall talks between the European Union and the United Kingdom. I had a very fruitful discussion with Boris Johnson after I took office. 'I think we agreed that it's in everybody's interest... that we get a good comprehensive trade deal between the UK and European Union. I think that's in all of our interest, that we get this done.' During the transition the UK has remained in the EU's customs union and single market. If no deal is agreed, Britain and the EU will default to trading on World Trade Organisation terms from 2021, meaning tariffs and quotas. The latest round of UK-EU trade deal talks in London concluded last week, and a new round will begin this week in Brussels. It was one of those things that kind of happened in a flash, Faingold said. It took about a week to finish at the end of March. I wanted to make something that would resonate with people, that had those anthemic, feel-good qualities a kind of musical call to arms at a time when arts organizations everywhere are in an existential crisis. Faingold said the piece was written with extremely practical considerations as well. It had to be a piece for which every instrumental part could be learned and recorded quickly and then be able to be edited into a whole, he said. For me, the most amazing thing is that everything you see and hear in this finished piece was recorded on individual phones and iPads. Faingold said he approached the Tulsa Symphony about presenting the work, and the orchestra agreed to collaborate on the project. Underwriting for the premiere was provided by the George Kaiser Family Foundation and several other Tulsa-based donors. Faingold oversaw the editing of the individual performances into the finished piece. Fresh allegations of corruption, fraudulent and extravagant spending by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NCDC) has emerged following some revelation made by Kolawole Johnson, the Head of Research, Acts of Positive Transformation Initiatives. In a damning report on Channel TV, Kolawole Johnson said he is ready to open the can of worms in the NDDC so that sanity can be restored to the commission. Johnson said since January 2020, the IMC has spent over N80 billion with nothing to show for it, much of the amount ending up in their private pockets. According to him, members of IMC are not just padding and paying contractors for shady jobs, they are brazenly collecting millions of naira in extra-budgetary allowances, and shamelessly diverting scholarship meant for Niger Delta students to their personal accounts. Johnson alleged that IMC members have compromised and recruited some senior staff of the NDDC, through whom they paid themselves generous monthly allowances running into hundreds of millions of naira outside the schedule of allowances provided for by law. The MD of the commission, Prof Pondei routes one of his illegal monthly allowances of N51.6m as imprest on Personal Security and Project Monitoring through the bank account of a staffer named Oweife Justina with employee ID no 94.. While, Dr Cairo Ojugboh, who collects N18m for the same purpose, uses Eno Ukpes bank account, a staffer with employee ID no 509, for his payments. They also receive N10m monthly for hosting visitors. These payments are not connected to the money already provided in the budget for project monitoring, which has been overdrawn by over N180m in the last few months, he said. Kolawole added that his office is, in recent times, inundated with cries from students abroad under the commissions scholarship who are currently stranded in different countries. While these students are facing untold hardship, the present Interim Management Committee members are busy paying themselves money meant for the hapless students, he said. Prof Pondei in particular paid himself and received foreign scholarship payments into his private UBA account no 1002290165 on the 17th of April at about 16:50GMT. Same for Dr Cairo Ojugboh who also received millions into his private account no 1002428409 around 16:24GMT being payment for a 2020 post-graduate scholarship for himself. Several staff, especially those who had allegedly conspired with the present management to squander the commissions fund, also received millions into their private accounts for the same 2020 post-graduate scholarship they never attended even during the lockdown. Johnson urge the Senate and House of Representatives to remain steadfast in their probe of the IMC in the discharge of their constitutional mandate of oversight (in line with Section 88 of the Constitution). He emphasize that Niger Deltans are fully behind all legitimate efforts to strengthen the NDDC, including the recovery of money illegally and unjustifiably spent by the IMC. Head of Research, Act for Positive Transformation Initiative Kolawole Johnson ready to open can of worms on NDDC , accuses the directors of diverting into their private accounts, the monies meant for Nigerian students abroad under NDDC scholarships . pic.twitter.com/GVxXx00T04 Viral Trendz (@TheViralTrendz) July 12, 2020 The other day, former MD Joy Nunieh exposed Akpabio. Today, Kolawole Johnson on #SundayPolitics came smoking with the (forensic audit report) on how Akpabio & Cairo Ojougboh IMC looted over N80bn, including monies meant for NDDC Scholars. NDDC Bank accounts must be FROZEN ASAP. pic.twitter.com/TU1DzUvEHY NEFERTITI (@firstladyship) July 13, 2020 KanyiDaily recalled last week, former Acting MD of NDDC, Joy Nunieh, accused the Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, of serial corrupt practices and fraud. Mrs Nunieh alleged that during her brief tenure at the commission, Mr Akpabio repeatedly pressured her to take an oath of secrecy that was meant to keep her from exposing fraud at the commission. Akpabio was accused of squandering the sum of N300 million given to him for fence construction contract by the NDDC. Meanwhile, the Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Kemebradikumo Pondei has confessed to the Senate how the commission spent the sum of N1.5 billion as COVID-19 relief fund for themselves. PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS / ACCESSWIRE / July 13, 2020 / ForexG Limited has quickly become recognised for its energy and drive by building strong relationships with some of the major leading financial services providers, specialising in online trading services for private, professional and institutional clients. Strategically located in the global financial centre, Port Louis Mauritius headquarters are a major meeting point for business. 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Story continues Media contact Company: ForexG Limited Contact: Mr. Chris Telephone: +230 11 2336 5325 E-mail: support@forexg.com Website: https://forexg.com SOURCE: ForexG Limited View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/597222/ForexG-Announced-Acquisition-of-Financial-Services-Commission-License-Expanding-Its-Global-Presence - World-first research, led by Monash University, has developed radical non-invasive X-ray technology aimed at helping diagnose, treat and manage people with cystic fibrosis. - The technology can pinpoint localised areas of deficiency in a lung, offering potential for faster and more accurate diagnoses. - Researchers can track the movement of air through the lungs, improving their capacity to assess lung function in both healthy and diseased lungs. World-first research led by Monash University could hold the key to better monitoring and treatment of lung disease associated with cystic fibrosis (CF) - a condition thousands of people are diagnosed with each year. Using X-ray velocimetry (XV), the multi-disciplinary collaboration of physicists, engineers, biomedical engineers and clinicians was able to measure the dynamics of airflow through the lungs during the course of a natural breathing cycle, and measures the presentations of CF lung disease. The research team, led by Dr Freda Werdiger from Monash University's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, was able to pinpoint the exact locations of abnormal airflow within lungs with CF-like disease, and better quantify the level of disease present. The successful trial opens up avenues for a range of respiratory diseases to be diagnosed, treated and managed earlier than current technology allows and at a lower radiation dose than current CT scanning. The study was published in the prestigious journal Scientific Reports. "In this study we present two developments in XV analysis. Firstly, we show the ability of laboratory-based XV to detect the patchy nature of CF-like disease in affected mice. Secondly, we present a technique for numerical quantification of that disease, which can delineate between two major modes of disease symptoms," Dr Werdiger said. "This analytical model provides a simple, easy-to-interpret approach, and one capable of being readily applied to large quantities of data generated in XV imaging. Together these advances show the power of XV for assessing local airflow changes. "We propose that XV should be considered as a novel lung function measurement tool for lung therapeutics development in small animal models, for CF and for other muco-obstructive diseases." Cystic fibrosis is a progressive, chronic and debilitating genetic disease caused by mutations in the CF Transmembrane-conductance Regulator gene. Unrelenting CF airway disease begins early in infancy and produces a steady deterioration in quality of life, ultimately leading to premature death. Effective lung health assessment tools must capture the patchy nature of muco-obstructive lung diseases such as CF, which is important during the early stages of the disease when local treatments could be applied to prevent disease progression. But, current lung function assessment methods have many limitations, including the inability to accurately localise the origin of globally-measured changes in lung health. Assessments of overall lung health in humans and animals are made using lung function tests that screen for abnormalities by measuring the flow of gas in the airways. Spirometry is the most common tool for assessing lung function, however it measures global airflow at the mouth. Despite the availability of techniques that assess either lung function or lung structure, none of these are able to simultaneously quantify function and identify the origin of those functional changes. Abnormal lung motion during breathing has been demonstrated to be an indicator of disease. X-ray velocimetry provides non-invasive, high-definition and sensitive real-time images of airflow through the lungs in live organisms. The technology was designed and commercialised by Australian-based med-tech company 4DMedical, led by CEO and former Monash University researcher Professor Andreas Fouras. The technology has since been upscaled for clinical use, and in the USA was recently given FDA approval for all respiratory indications in adults. "To effectively diagnose, monitor and treat respiratory disease clinicians should be able to accurately assess the spatial distribution of airflow across the fine structure of the lung. This capability would enable any decline or improvement in health to be located and measured, allowing improved treatment options to be designed," Dr Werdiger said. "The success of XV lies in its ability to draw reliable and meaningful quantitative measures, and this study shows how this can be accomplished. "In the future, these techniques can be expected to be applied to the numerical characterisation of CF lung disease in larger cohorts and other CF animal models. "These methods allow analyses to be applied in a straightforward fashion and with minimal manual processing, to enable ongoing study and development of the treatment of CF and other respiratory diseases." ### Collaboration on this project was undertaken with respiratory physicians at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide and the University of Adelaide. Gandel Philanthropy provided funding to assist in Dr Werdiger's investigation. For a full list of research contributors and to download a copy of the paper, please visit https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-67633-y MEDIA ENQUIRIES Monash University T: +61 3 9903 4840 E: media@monash.edu Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-14 01:30:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MADRID, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish government on Monday ruled out making the use of face masks mandatory in Spain in all indoor and outdoor settings if a safe social distance can be maintained, the Spanish TV network RTVE reported. However, while the central government is not changing its policy, the majority of the country's 17 autonomous communities either have or will tighten regulations regarding face mask use. Four autonomous communities -- Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Extremadura and Andalusia -- have already made masks mandatory in a bid to stem the increasing number of localized coronavirus outbreaks since Spain entered the so-called "new normality" phase on June 21. Catalonia was the first to make the wearing of face masks mandatory in all settings on July 9 following a series of virus outbreaks centered in and around the city of Lleida. The President of the Region of Andalusia, Juan Manuel Moreno, confirmed on July 11 that Spain's largest autonomous community will adopt the measure early this week. Other Spanish regions said on Monday they too plan to adopt the measure. The northern communities of Cantabria, Asturias, La Rioja and Navarra all confirmed plans to make face masks obligatory even if social distancing can be observed outdoors. The regional authority in Aragon will do likewise after confirming 228 new coronavirus cases over the weekend. This spike in new cases has also led to the cities of Zaragoza and Huesca being moved back to Phase 2 of the Spanish government's four-phase plan to scale down the confinement measures. This will reduce the capacity of bars and restaurants to 50 percent, and no more than 10 people will be allowed to attend gatherings. "The growth in the number of cases is moderate, but we think it is enough to adapt measures. ... With these measures we aim to limit activities where the accumulation of people could make community transmission of the disease easier," explained Francis Falo, general director of public health in the community of Aragon. According to figures published by the Spanish Health Ministry on Friday, the period between July 3 and July 10 saw 2,944 new cases of COVID-19. Enditem BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 13 Trend: Armenia must come to reason, Trend reports referring to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. Turkey, with all its capabilities, is close to Azerbaijan, the foreign minister said. Although Turkey supports the political settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the provocation of the Armenian armed forces in the direction of Azerbaijans Tovuz district shows that Armenia has entered the warpath. We will not leave Azerbaijan alone! Turkey has always been close to Azerbaijan and will continue to support it, Cavusoglu added. The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement a day earlier in which it was stressed that the repel of Armenias attack by Azerbaijan is concrete evidence that Armenias aggression will not remain unanswered. The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemns the attack of the Armenian armed forces on Azerbaijans Tovuz district. The Armenian side must abandon such dangerous tactics and enter a rational, legal way, the ministry said. "Turkey will always be close to Azerbaijan in protecting its territorial integrity by using all available means." Starting from July 12 afternoon, while grossly violating the ceasefire regime on the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border in Azerbaijans Tovuz district, the Armenian armed forces fired at the Azerbaijani positions by using artillery. As a result of the appropriate measures, the Armenian forces were struck back while suffering losses. Azerbaijani personnel sergeant of military service Vugar Sadigov and corporal Elshad Mammadov died while repelling the attack of the Armenian armed forces. Despite the efforts of the Azerbaijani doctors, severely wounded serviceman of the Azerbaijani army Khayyam Dashdemirov also died. The tension remained in Tovuz district on the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on July 12 night. During the night battles, by using artillery, mortars and tanks, the Azerbaijani armed forces destroyed a stronghold, bombshells, vehicles and servicemen on the territory of the Armenias military unit. Azerbaijani serviceman, senior lieutenant Rashad Mahmudov was killed during the battles. 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. The telecom regulator has asked Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea to put on hold specific plans that promised faster speeds to certain priority users, as it questioned whether the network preference came at the cost of deterioration of services for other subscribers. A source said the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked the two operators to withhold the specific plan for the interim period. The TRAI has written to the two operators - Airtel and Vodafone Idea - and questioned them about their individual plans that promised faster speeds to certain priority users. The regulator has asked if priority to high-paying customers in those specific plans came at the cost of service deterioration for other subscribers. It has asked the operators how they are protecting the interest of other general subscribers. When contacted, an Airtel spokesperson said: "We are passionate about delivering the best network and service experience to all our customers." "This is why we have a relentless obsession to eliminate faults and have been consistently recognised by international agencies as the best network in terms of speed, latency and video experience. "At the same time, we want to keep raising the bar for our post-paid customers in terms of service and responsiveness. This is an ongoing effort at our end," the Airtel spokesperson added. The Bharti Airtel had announced last Monday that it would give preference to platinum mobile customers, who pay Rs 499 and above per month for postpaid connection, on its 4G network. The platinum customers will get better 4G speed on the Airtel network compared to other customers. TRAI has given Airtel seven days to respond to its questions, a person privy to the development said. In the case of Vodafone Idea, the company had launched a postpaid plan, REDX, promising up to 50 per cent faster data speeds, besides other benefits and privileges. Asked about TRAI's latest move, a Vodafone Idea spokesperson said: "Vodafone RedX plan offers a range of benefits including unlimited data, calls, premium content, international roaming pack etc. for our valued postpaid customers who want more." "VIL is committed to serve its customers with the best in class offerings and high-speed 4G data across all markets. VIL's fastest 4G speed in many markets, including metros, has been verified by global testing agencies, such as Ookla and OpenSignal amongst others," the VIL spokesperson said. Meanwhile, a VIL source, who did not wish to be named, said the company was taken aback at the TRAI's letter over the weekend asking it to block the plan without any opportunity to respond on an important matter such as tariff. The company source said that the RedX plan was filed with TRAI in November and further modifications to the plan were, once again, duly filed in May. The plan has been in the market for last eight months and customers are already on-boarded. The VIL source said the company was of the view that there was no violation of tariff regulation on this plan. ALSO READ: Airtel on thin ice on net neutrality with faster 4G to postpaid users ALSO READ: Govt moves Supreme Court challenging Airtel's Rs 923 crore tax refund claim ALSO READ: Ericsson hopes to win contracts in Indian market on strength of technology leadership Maharashtra's COVID-19 cases spiked by 7,827 to 2,54,427 on Sunday while the number of fatalities mounted by 173, including 102 deaths in Mumbai metropolitan region, to 10,289, state Health department said. With the number of the recovered cases rising to 1,40,325, including 3,340 in the day, the state now has 1,03,813 active cases. Expressing concern over rising number of COVID-19 cases, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said the government was planning to set up sample testing laboratories in all districts. Thackeray has inaugurated a COVID RT-PCR laboratory in Jalna city in Marathwada via video conferencing from Mumbai. RT-PCR or the real-time polymerase chain reaction test is the most commonly used one for Covid-19. "When coronavirus transmission began, we had only two testing labs. That number has gone up to 110 now. The state is now planning to set up such testing facilities in every district," he said. The CM said the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic should be fought with a positive mindset adding, that the state government has augmented various health facilities for people, and also ramped up tracing and testing, he said. "....Some places have temporary facilities but the government is planning to make them permanent," the chief minister said. Health and Jalna district guardian minister Rajesh Tope said results of samples will now be available quickly through the BSL-3 type new laboratory. "The laboratory can also test HIV samples," he said, adding that plasma and antibody testing machines will also be made available soon. Union Minister and local MP Raosaheb Danve said the state and Central governments are taking steps to curb the pandemic. District collector Ravindra Binwade said the newly-inaugurated laboratory has been established with the expenditure of Rs 1.07 crore. "It has the capacity to test 500 swab samples," he added. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), including Mumbai city, reported the highest 4,475 cases in the day, taking the total count to 1,73,060. With 102 deaths in the day, the toll in the MMR has mounted to 7,281, the Health department said. Mumbai city alone reported 1,243 new cases and 44 deaths, taking its overall case count to 92,988 and the number of fatalities to 5,288, it said. Thane city and Kalyan-Dombivali belt have emerged as fresh hotspots with 14,757 and 14,611 cases, respectively. Kalyan-Dombivali reported 779 new cases in the day. From rest of the state, Pune city saw a rise of 990 cases, while the case tally in Pimpri Chinchwad mounted by 561. Aurangabad has reported 155 new cases and Nashik 138, the Health department said. Maharashtra's COVID-19 recovery rate now stands at 55.15 per cent while the fatality rate is 4.04 per cent. Currently, 6,86,150 people are home quarantined while 47,801 are placed under institutional quarantine, as per Health department. Google is going to invest up to $10 billion in India over the next five to seven years, CEO Sundar Pichai announced today. The news came as part of Googles annual Google for India event in which the search giant makes announcements specific to that market. This years headline is the launch of the Google for India Digitization Fund, which will distribute the $10 billion in investments of the next near-decade. Pichai said that the fund will make money available for equity investment in local tech businesses, partnerships and infrastructure spending. They will be focused around four broad categories, including language-services (India has 22 officially-recognized local languages as well as English), helping Indian businesses embrace digitization, and tailoring products to suit Indias specific needs. The fourth involves the use of AI for social good in areas like health, education and agriculture. Google for India has been a yearly event in the country since 2015, where the company often announces initiatives designed for the subcontinent. Last year, Google announced it would launch a new AI lab in Bengaluru as well as the launch of mobile payments there. The company has also rolled out free public WiFi at over 400 train stations (a program which has since been axed) and adding more Indian languages to its voice and search products. Weve seen a spate of big companies making big in-roads into the Indian market, which has been a long sought-after prize for western tech firms. Facebook invested close to $6 billion to buy a stake in Jio, the countrys biggest mobile network, Apple is opening its first store there in 2021 and even Samsung is offering digital tech support in the country. India certainly looks as if its going to be a big growth incubator in the future, with the World Economic Forum claiming that India could become the next Silicon Valley. The investment comes at a fortuitous time for Google since India recently cracked down on technology services from China. Indias government has said it will invoke stringent rules on how stores and platforms operate (potentially to Amazons chagrin) in the country and recently banned TikTok and WeChat. There may also be greater conflict between Google and the local government after it began work on warrantless searches for user data in the country. The Congress-led Rajasthan government is staring at a serious crisis as the ongoing tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot has intensified with the latter expected to quit the Congress with his loyalist MLAs. The current flashpoint between Gehlot and Pilot was a probe ordered by the state police into "poaching" of MLAs and a notice sent to Pilot, which has not gone well with Rajasthan Congress president. The Rajasthan police issued notices to Gehlot and his deputy Pilot to record their statement in connection with the alleged attempts to topple their Congress government, sources said on Saturday. Rajasthan polices Special Operations Group (SOG) on Saturday charged two persons with sedition and criminal conspiracy for trying to topple the state government by allegedly indulging in horse-trading of MLAs. A notice was also sent to Rajasthan government chief whip Mahesh Joshi by the SOG to record his statement. The SOG claimed that it had intercepted phone conversation of the two men charged with sedition, while probing an arms deal case in June and found that they were talking about BJPs alleged plans to topple the Gehlot government. On Saturday (July 11), Gehlot had accused the opposition BJP of trying to topple his government by offering Congress MLAs large sums of money and said his administration is not just stable but will complete its five-year term. The BJP had asked Gehlot to prove his allegation of horse-trading levelled against it or quit politics and claimed he was targeting the opposition party as he was unable the check the infighting in the state Congress. Sources close to Sachin Pilot on Sunday (July 12) said the letter asking the deputy chief minister to appear for questioning in a probe into alleged attempts to destabilize his own government has "crossed all limits" and made it "untenable" for those MLAs supporting him to work under Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. The MLAs supporting Pilot cannot stand the repeated undermining of Pilot, also the state PCC chief, by the Gehlot camp and the letter by the police's special operations group (SOG) sent to the deputy chief minister was to "humiliate him", sources told PTI. Pilot arrived in Delhi on Saturday(11 July) to meet senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel. During the meeting, Pilot listed a set of grievances against CM Gehlot. He has also met with former Congress colleague - Jyotiraditya Scindia, who claimed it was sad to see Pilot being sidelined and persecuted by Rajasthan CM, after the meeting. While both Rahul and Sonia Gandhi have been briefed about the current situation, Pilot wants to meet Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi to apprise her of the political situation in the state. Your browser does not support the audio element. Flight delay and cancelation have become more serious in Vietnam over the past days since two major airports in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City began their runway upgrade projects. It has been over ten days since two runways at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat International Airports were closed for an upgrade, and increasingly serious flight delays are already plaguing many passengers. According to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters, flight schedules at Tan Son Nhat have been changed regularly, with electronic boards displaying 'delayed' signs in droves. Nguyen Tien Quynh, a resident in Go Vap District who originally bought a ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi with a departure time at 5:00 pm on July 11, said she had to wait until 8:30 pm to be able to board the plane. After getting on the aircraft, we had to wait for another 30 minutes before the plane took off, Quynh added. Meanwhile, passengers of a recent Vietnam Airlines flight from Cam Ranh City in the south-central city of Nha Trang to Da Nang only knew that their flight had been canceled after already arriving at the airport. An employee explained that the airline had encountered a system error, which prevented it from sending text messages announcing the flight cancelation to passengers. Affected passengers were offered a refund or a reschedule. I ended having to buy a last-minute ticket of another carrier as I needed to attend an important business meeting, said H., a passenger. In another case, a group of ten people in Ho Chi Minh City had to catch a passenger bus to the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, located over 250 kilometers away, after their flight was canceled right before departure time. The runway upgrade projects have lowered the capacity of Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat International Airports by 30-35 percent, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. Tan Son Nhat can only serve 32 flights per hour instead of the usual 44 flights. Similarly, Noi Bai can only process 27 flights per hour compared to its usual capacity of 34 flights. However, many passengers believed that local airlines have been selling much more flights than the airports can actually process, which eventually resulted in delays and cancelations. But the carriers blamed bad weather, technical problems, and issues related to infrastructure to avoid making compensation. Dang Anh Tuan, spokesperson of Vietnam Airlines, refuted such allegations, asserting that all flights operated by the carrier had been permitted by relevant authorities. A representative of Pacific Airlines stated that the carrier had adjusted the number of flights to match the new capacity at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat. Nguyen Minh Tuan, deputy director of the Southern Airports Authority, said that the agency will closely supervise the operations of local airlines during this peak season to minimize the number of delayed and canceled flights. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! He was recently accused of messaging another girl behind her back. But Love Island's Rebecca Gormley and Biggs Chris looked more loved-up than ever as they headed out for a romantic dinner in Newcastle on Sunday night. The brunette beauty, 22, showed off her ample assets and killer curves in a sheer figure-hugging dress for the occasion. Date night! Love Island's Rebecca Gormley and Biggs Chris looked more loved-up than ever as they headed out for a romantic dinner in Newcastle on Sunday night Biggs, 28, cut a casual figure in an all-black ensemble and grey trainers as he glanced adoringly at the stunning model as they made their way home. Rebecca oozed glamour and teamed her low-cut red dress with nude heels and a delicate silver necklace. The model wore her dark tresses in loose curls around her shoulders and opted for a slick of red lipstick to complement her bronzed features. Gorgeous: The brunette beauty, 22, showed off her ample assets and killer curves in a sheer figure-hugging dress for the occasion The couple have enjoyed a series of sweet dates since restaurants and bars reopened across the country recently. The pair's relationship seemed to be on the rocks last month when Biggs was accused of messaging another woman just days after he and Rebecca reunited following 10 weeks apart in lockdown. The Glaswegian car repair specialist is said to have exchanged a series of messages with healthcare assistant Caitlin Fulton, who claims she learned of his blossoming romance with Rebecca when she saw pictures of them kissing. 'We'd been messaging back and forth after he followed me on Instagram and we'd talked about going away when lockdown ended, to a holiday cottage or a lodge somewhere in the UK,' she told The Sun. Quality time: The couple have enjoyed a series of sweet dates since restaurants and bars reopened across the country recently 'He even left me a voice note saying that coming down to see me "sounded good". We were making plans as recently as Saturday.' Caitlin told the publication that she learned of Biggs' relationship with Rebecca when she saw photographs of them kissing in Newcastle. 'I was a bit shocked that he had a girlfriend,' she said. 'And obviously I would be shocked if that was my boyfriend messaging someone.' The pair first sparked relationship rumours after they left the South African villa in February, following Rebecca's fling with administrator Jordan Waobikeze, 24. (Natural News) Yet another study published by Yale University makes the claim that the actual death toll of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is being substantially undercounted. Published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, the paper alleges that the number of deaths associated with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States is far higher than what the data shows, this supposedly being proven by the number of so-called excess deaths that have occurred this year compared to last. Because more people are said to be dying in 2020 compared to 2019, in other words, Yales top experts are attributing all of these deaths to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Even though there is no way to confirm that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) was directly responsible for all of these deaths, Yale is making that assumption based on the idea that: What else could it be? many of those fatalities were likely caused by the coronavirus but not confirmed, these Yale scientists admit, still claiming that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is probably to blame. Our analyses suggest that the official tally of deaths due to Covid-19 represent a substantial undercount of the true burden, alleges Dan Weinberger, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health, and one of the studys lead authors. Other factors could contribute to the increase in deaths, such as people avoiding emergency treatment for things like heart attacks, he is quoted as saying further, admitting that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions on essential services could also be to blame. Science has become a guessing game, so how can we form policies based on its conclusions? As you can probably tell, there are a lot of assumptions being made with this study that, unfortunately, are being used as concrete evidence by those in power to change the ways in which we all live. While nobody knows for sure why more people seem to be dying this year compared to last year, it is simply assumed that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is the cause, and that this somehow warrants stripping people of their freedoms and liberties. Keep in mind that the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are both relying on studies like this one from Yale to form policies concerning what is safe or unsafe when it comes to people moving about in the world. This includes going to restaurants, shopping at grocery stores, and dare we say being seen in public without a face covering. For all we know, more people are dying due to loneliness and the shaking up of their world, which is negatively impacting their bodies immune responses. Other factors like 5G exposure, unhealthy eating, and not getting enough vitamin D from natural sunlight are also potential factors. What the world needs most right now is some normalcy, not more panic and fear-mongering. Neither of the latter two are doing public health any favors, and are only further contributing to the breakdown of healthy living, which for an increasing many would seem to be resulting in early death. As an aside, Yale has reportedly invited its students back for the upcoming fall semester, despite continued fears about the pandemic. Students who choose to return will be required to get tested for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) before being allowed to enter classrooms. These decisions are possible because of the continued decline in community transmission of COVID-19 in Connecticut, the creation of a university-wide COVID-19 screening program, and the implementation of other health and safety actions, President Peter Salovey and Provost Scott Strobel wrote in a statement. More stories about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) are available at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com Yale.edu MELVILLE, N.Y., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AIP Publishing, a leading not-for-profit scholarly publisher in the physical sciences, is pleased to announce that they have signed a multi-year "Read and Publish" agreement with the Tokyo University of Science (TUS) in Japan. The agreement reflects the publisher's commitment to developing a transformative publishing model that adds value to existing journals subscriptions by offering open access publishing options for university-affiliated researchers. Since last year, AIP Publishing has partnered with academic institutions around the world to test and gather critical feedback in a Read and Publish pilot program. Tokyo University of Science is the first university in Asia to sign a multi-year transformative agreement with AIP Publishing. As a result of the agreement, members of the TUS community will have access to even more AIP Publishing content than they do today. In addition, articles by corresponding authors affiliated with Tokyo University of Science that are accepted for publication in any of AIP Publishing's hybrid journals will be made open access without an article processing charge (APC). The three-year agreement runs from 2020 through 2022 and allows TUS to publish more than three times as many articles in AIP Publishing titles as they historically have at no additional cost. TUS's vice president, Hiroki Fujishiro, said, "Our current mission statement is 'From Japan's TUS to the World's.' We would like to make it happen by contributing to the wide range of scientific disciplines, both in basic and applied research. This agreement ensures that the scientific advances published by researchers at TUS reach the widest possible readership by making their articles freely accessible to the global physical sciences community. Through this new partnership with AIP Publishing, I strongly believe that TUS will take strides towards becoming the world's foremost scientific research institution." "Tokyo University of Science is a leading global and regional institution in physics," said AIP Publishing's chief publishing officer, Jason Wilde. "We are pleased to build on our excellent partnership with TUS to add the publishing component to the content access we already deliver to them," he added. About Tokyo University of Science Tokyo University of Science (TUS) is a well-known and respected university, and the largest science-specialized private research university in Japan. Established in 1881, the university has continually contributed to Japan's development in science through inculcating the love for science in researchers, technicians, and educators. With a mission of "Creating science and technology for the harmonious development of nature, human beings, and society," TUS has undertaken a wide range of research from basic to applied science. TUS has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive study in some of today's most vital fields. TUS is the only private university in Japan that has produced a Nobel Prize winner and the only private university in Asia to produce Nobel Prize winners within the natural sciences field. For more information, please visit https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/ About AIP Publishing AIP Publishing is a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of the American Institute of Physics (AIP). AIP Publishing's mission is to support the charitable, scientific and educational purposes of AIP through scholarly publishing activities in the fields of the physical and related sciences on its own behalf and on behalf of our publishing partners to help them proactively advance their missions. SOURCE AIP Publishing Related Links http://www.publishing.aip.org Northrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/13/2020 -- According to the new market research report "Ballistic Protection Market by Material (Metals & Alloys, Ceramics, Composites, Bulletproof Glass, Fabric), Product, Technology, Threat Level (Level II & IIA, Level III & IIIA, Level IV & Above), Platform, Application, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global Ballistic Protection Market size is projected to grow from USD 12.6 billion in 2020 to USD 17.2 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 6.4%. Factors such as increasing geopolitical tensions in emerging economies, changing battlefield scenarios, the need for lightweight, comfortable, and high-strength materials, rising demand for personal protection are anticipated to drive the growth of the ballistic protection industry. Request for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=30112278 By platform, the airborne segment is projected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period. The airborne segment of the ballistic protection market includes fixed-wing aircraft & helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). There is an increasing demand for aircraft across various aviation platforms for military purposes. This demand is also attributed to the rising military expenditure of various countries, such as China, Japan, South Korea, and the US. The UAV segment is expected to witness the highest CAGR for the forecast period, 2020-2025. The growth of the airborne segment is attributed mainly because of the introduction of UAVs in battlefields due to changes in the dynamics of war. By application, homeland security segment is expected to grow at highest CAGR during the forecast period The homeland security segment is projected to grow at a higher CAGR as compared to the military segment during the forecast period Ballistic-resistant body armor is worn by homeland security officers while in the field to protect against specific ballistic threats. Homeland security officers use personal protective equipment, including body vests, ballistic helmets, and gloves, to ensure safety during any mission. Ballistic helmets protect the wearer against small arms fire and fragmentation threats. The combat systems used by homeland security officers are ballistic resistant as ceramics and thermoplastics reinforce them. Browse in-depth TOC on "Ballistic Protection Market" 178 Tables 43 Figures 218 Pages Request more details on: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=30112278 Asia Pacific is projected to lead the ballistic protection market during the forecast period The ballistic protection industry in Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR from 2020 to 2025. Asia Pacific is an emerging market for ballistic protection systems, owing to the economic growth of countries in this region and increased defense spending in countries such as India, China, Japan, South Korea, and Australia. The governments of these countries and local industries are also signing up with the contractors and supporting them through the procurement process by providing necessary financial and infrastructure aids. The increase in the number of insurgent groups entering territories and using deadly explosives such as IEDs and bombs has further raised the need for ballistic protection systems. Japan is the major contributor to the growth of the Asia Pacific ballistic protection market. The country aims at developing high-end indigenous military technologies to keep the armed forces upgraded and to be on par with other countries. The significant capability of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) is now likely to join other major military powers in various international operations. A few of the major players in the ballistic protection market include BAE Systems (UK), 3M (US), Rheinmetall AG (Germany), Koninklijke Ten Cate bv (Netherlands), Point Blank Enterprises, Inc (US), Craig International Ballistics Pty Ltd (Australia) and MKU Limited (India). Related Reports: Armored Vehicles Market by Platform (Combat Vehicles, Combat Support Vehicles, Unmanned Armored Ground Vehicles), Mobility (Wheeled, Tracked), System (Engine, Drive Systems, Ballistic Armor, Turret Drive, C2 Systems), Region - Global Forecast to 2023 Battlefield Management Systems Market by Platform (Headquarter, Vehicle, Soldier), System (Computing, Navigation & Imaging, Communication & Networking), Component (Hardware, Software, and Display Devices), and Region - Global Forecast to 2021 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 A 47-year-old head constable of Navi Mumbai police succumbed to Covid-19 on Monday. He was undergoing treatment at Fortis Hospital in Vashi since June 18. A Rabale resident, who was attacked with the coastal security branch at the police commissioners office in CBD Belapur, is survived by his mother, wife and two children. He had a dry cough, following which he got himself tested. His mother and wife also had symptoms and were admitted at DY Patil Hospital in Nerul, and have recovered since, said an officer from the commissioners office. City police commissioner Sanjay Kumar posted a condolence message on Twitter. He was fighting bravely with virus till date. Navi Mumbai police is pained by this irreparable loss. Heartfelt condolences to family and acquaintances, Kumar wrote. This is the first Covid death in the Navi Mumbai police force. Earlier, a police constables wife had succumbed to the disease. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi, July 13 : Upping the ante against the BJP-led Central government over the India-China border face-off in Ladakh, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi indirectly accusing him of lying asleep and the nation paying the price for the same. "He's 'lying' asleep. And India is paying for it," Rahul Gandhi said in the tweet attaching a news report. The news report claimed that the Chinese moves were likely planned for months. India and China were engaged in a bitter face-off in Ladakh's Galwan Valley after 20 Indian soldiers, including an officer, were killed by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) troopers on June 15. Rahul Gandhi's remarks came amid reports of the second round of talks with the Chinese authorities on the disengagement at the LAC in the Pangong Lake and Depsang areas in eastern Ladakh. The government had announced on Thursday about the second round of talks with China. The delegates of both countries will discuss the withdrawal of tanks, artillery and additional forces from the forward positions. "The next meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on the India-China border affairs is expected to take place soon," the External Affairs Ministry had announced. The Chinese PLA has called back troops from Galwan Valley, Patrolling Point 15 and Hot Springs, said reports. Kabul, July 13 : The Afghan government has asked the Taliban to provide a new list for the prisoners who have not been freed so far, but the militant group has insisted on the release of their inmates based on an existing list, sources said. As per the US-Taliban agreement, the Afghan government has so far released 4,080 Taliban prisoners but has refusing to free 597 inmates f the group, a move which has led to a delay in the much-awaited intra-Afghan negotiations, reports TOLO News. "Despite the government's repeated call for a change in the list of 5,000 Taliban prisoners, the Taliban is still insisting they were not open to change," Sami Yousufzai, an independent journalist familiar with the process, said on Sunday. "The Afghan government thinks that there are up to 100 prisoners on the Taliban list who are not political prisoners, who are not Taliban, but they are involved in crime cases, or are accused of smuggling and (the government) wants their names deleted (from the list)." The sources also said that of the 592 prisoners in question, at least 90 of them are those that even the Taliban is not in favour of releasing. "This list of (Taliban) prisoners will not change... The Taliban is insisting that the list that was sent should be implemented," said Sayed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban commander. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has also questioned hurdles in the way of the talks, saying: "If someone does not want war, why are they creating hurdles for talks? "Let Afghans reach a result through political understanding that is the will of the nation and the international community." Critics The Taliban has so far released over 700 prisoners out of a pledged 1,000 inmates. They released 17 prisoners in Ghor and 12 in Herat in the last two days. The government has so far released 4,019 Taliban prisoners -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Image credit: Grib Diamonds With all the changes occurring in the diamond supply pipeline, the big miners may consider the ways they sell their rough to the downstream market. By Yaakov Almor During the past weeks and months, it has become apparent that the diamond industry and trade will never be the same again. We have all entered a new era, in which the old business thinking, methods, and structures will recalibrate. In an earlier article, I referred to the past as BC (Before Corona) and to the future as AC-(After Corona). I was wrong. We now live in a new Common Era - the Corona Era. The Corona pandemic, as a disruptor, as a symbol of disruption, and as a game-changer, is here to stay, in one form or another. Going forward, everything we will think, develop, build and do, will be guided by the uncertainty and changes that this disrupting pandemic has instigated. There is no going back. The large diamond producers, however, as demonstrated by their conduct during their last sales cycles, seem to think that the old ways of doing business will continue to work well for them. They apparently assume that the buyers from the midstream market will continue to submit themselves to their rather feudal sales models. A few weeks ago, De Beers CEO, Bruce Cleaver, lambasted the Indian diamond industry for placing a moratorium on rough buying for at least a month. To say that Cleavers colonial glitch was not received well is an understatement. Joshua Freedman of Rapaports news service reported that during their sales cycles in June, De Beers and Alrosa had continued to maintain their prices at pre-coronavirus levels, while other miners holding tenders in Antwerp have sold at prices 15 percent to 25 percent lower than in February. Consequently, the large producers saw rock-bottom sales as buyers rejected the miners high rough prices in favor of cheaper goods from smaller suppliers. This makes sense because both manufacturers and traders were already sitting on large inventories of polished and rough, the latter they had paid for in cash. On the other hand, the Russia-based news service Rough & Polished (R&P) reported in mid-June that Grib Diamonds, the Antwerp-based selling arm of diamond miner AGD Diamonds had sold more than 350,000 carats, for more than $20 million. As such, Grib effectively sold more than 90 percent of the goods on offer. R&P reported that using its online appointments system and having introduced new measures to ensure the safety of all attendees and staff, over 150 companies were able to attend the viewing in Antwerp. And note this: In a display of trust in its well-known sales assortments, some Grib customers that were unable to attend due to travel restrictions were even prepared to bid blind. How come? Why does Grib succeed where the big boys do not? Its the system, stupid! When it established itself in Antwerp, Grib adopted a rough diamond sales system that had earlier been developed and implemented by BHP Diamonds. This system is a multi-round ascending clock auction. The clearing (winning) price is set by the highest losing bid. This means that the winners do not pay the price they have bid, but the price of the customer who narrowly missed. Gribs auction system was designed according to the latest auction and game theory. The methodology is based on the Nobel winning economist William Vickerys auction theory on second price auctions. This gives the bidder the incentive to bid their true value on the goods and not worry about the winners curse. The winners curse is when the winner, in a tender, tries not to pay too far over other bidders due to incomplete information. As a result of this, bidders shade their bids for fear of overpaying, thus not giving a true reflection of the market value. The most crucial feature of Gribs auction model is that it protects the manufacturers and traders from themselves. By extension, it protects the market vertically. The rough producers get prices that reflect the actual market value. On their part, the manufacturers, who are provided by Grib with all the data and information from earlier sales, will feel confident to bid, knowing that when you overbid, you will not get the goods. Grib Diamonds website offers a detailed explanation of its auction and sorting systems. Maybe this is the moment for the large producers, too, to rethink their sales strategies, methods, and structures and adopt a system that will be competitive, transparent, and accountable. The manufacturers, that market segment that is always between the proverbial rock and a hard place, would be best served by this system as the goods have the best chances of ending up in those hands that will handle them best. The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76, front) and USS Nimitz (CVN 68, rear) Carrier Strike Groups sail together in formation in the South China Sea on July 6, 2020. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jason Tarleton/U.S. Navy via AP) US Officially Rejects Beijings Claims in South China Sea, Condemns Bullying Tactics to Control Region The United States on July 13 formally rejected nearly all of Beijings major territorial claims in the South China Sea, as the Trump administration dials up its response to threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party. Beijings claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. While U.S. officials have previously described the regimes activities in the region as unlawful, Pompeos remarks represent the United States official rejection of specific claims made by Beijing, by aligning with a 2016 ruling by an international tribunal. The Philippines had challenged Chinas claims in the waterway and brought the dispute to international court. That binding decision rejected Chinas maritime claims related to the Spratly Islands and neighboring reefs and shoals. The Chinese regime has refused to recognize the ruling. The PRC [Peoples Republic of China] has no legal grounds to unilaterally impose its will on the region, Pompeo said. China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan have competing claims in the South China Sea. Beijings claims are the largest, covering almost all of the waterway. Home to rich fishing grounds and potentially valuable natural resources, the South China Sea is also one of the worlds major shipping routes. The regime in Beijing has in recent years sought to bolster its claims in the strategic waterway by building military outposts on artificial islands and reefs. In addition, it has also deployed coast guard ships and Chinese fishing boats to intimidate foreign vessels, block access to waterways, and seize shoals and reefs. Its aggressive actions have caused territorial spats with Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia in recent years. Beijing uses intimidation to undermine the sovereign rights of Southeast Asian coastal states in the South China Sea, bully them out of offshore resources, assert unilateral dominion, and replace international law with might makes right,' Pompeo said. The PRCs predatory world view has no place in the 21st century. Applying the 2016 ruling, the United States rejected Chinas maritime claims to various areas and features of the South China Sea, which are also claimed by the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. As a result, it will regard any Chinese harassment of fishing vessels or oil exploration in those areas as unlawful, the State Department said. The U.S. military has conducted freedom of navigation exercises and Naval drills in the disputed waters to counter Beijings claims and preserve access to the areas that it says constitutes international waters. This month, the Pentagon sent two aircraft carriers to participate in exercises in the South China Seawhile Beijing also was conducting drills in the region. The departments decision reflects a tougher response by the administration to Beijings aggression, including the regimes coverup of the CCP virus outbreak, tightening control over Hong Kong, and rights abuses against ethnic minorities. The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire, Pompeo said. We stand with the international community in defense of freedom of the seas and respect for sovereignty and reject any push to impose might makes right in the South China Sea or the wider region. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Editorial Keneally uses HK residents as political pawns On 30th June, the Peoples Republic of Chinas (PRC) legislature unanimously passed national security legislation, protecting the rights and interests of millions of Hong Kong (HK) residents, while also ensuring that the one country, two systems principle is upheld. Earlier last month, almost three million Hong Kong residents signed a petition in support of the new legislation with The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (the largest body of Trade Unions in HK) also backing the new laws. The support for the new laws wasnt just on paper, hundreds of thousands marched in support of the government. However, you wouldnt know it if you only followed the coverage of mainstream Western media, who presented the narrative of a popular uprising against the PRC, citing hundreds of thousands to millions of supporters partaking in the anti-communist campaign. And now, in part of a continued effort to undermine China, Australias ruling class are developing a new scheme to provide a refuge for HK residents. One of the loudest voices in the room is Senator and Shadow Home Affairs Minister Kristina Keneally who, in a joint statement with Senator Penny Wong, is pressuring the Morrison government to provide pathways to support the nearly 17,000 HK residents in Australia holding temporary visas, noting that no one should be involuntarily deported to Hong Kong if they dont want to go back. On Sky News, Keneally stated that Morrison needed to act with urgency and start working with like-minded countries, such as the UK, who have allegedly presented the Morrison government with a proposal for divvying up the responsibility of providing political asylum for HK residents. Its hard to believe that Keneally truly cares about the political rights of citizens from other nations. This is the very same Keneally, who only five months ago warned against migrants on temporary visas, stating we were becoming an economy dependent on temporary migrants. The very same Keneally, who only last year, stated that over ninety per cent of the 81,596 people who claimed asylum since July, 2014 were not genuine refugees. A statistic that doesnt actually reflect the genuineness of a refugee, just those who were denied. The very same Keneally who has been calling out Minister of Home Affairs Peter Dutton for not being tougher on our borders. While the ALP seem to be the most vocal, other political parties arent far behind. Morrison has stated he found these events very concerning and that the government was prepared to step up and provide support. The Greens, have also highlighted their support for the settlement of HK residents. In fact, it seems that over the last few years there is little to no difference when it comes to refugee policies by the two major parties. One only has to look at the last years federal election when then opposition leader Bill Shorten stated that on some parts of what the governments policy is we now agree, [] the only argument is happening in the margins. Emphasising that he believed boat turn-backs work and that the party as a whole was on the same page. Thus, it seems that when it comes to war-torn countries, ruled by corrupt politicians or fascist dictators, conditions sometimes created with the help of Australian armed forces, the ALP and Coalition dont believe we have the means, or that we should shoulder the responsibility, of providing asylum for those seeking refuge. This position however miraculously changes when the political refugees are those from socialist countries such as China or Venezuela. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that when it comes to discrediting socialism, our two major political parties, whose track records on refugees can at best be described as lacking, are in concert. This concern for the political rights and interests of the residents of HK is nothing but an opportunistic ploy by both the ALP and Coalition. The history of ALP and LNP in attempting to subvert socialism has long been documented and the residents of HK are only the latest pawns in this saga. LOS ANGELES (AP) A body was found Monday at a Southern California lake during the search for Glee star Naya Rivera, authorities said. The body was discovered five days after the 33-year-old Rivera disappeared on Lake Piru, where her son was found July 8 alone a few hours later on a boat the two had rented, the Ventura County Sheriffs Office said. Authorities would not immediately say if the person found was Rivera, but said the day after she disappeared that they believed she drowned in the lake northwest of Los Angeles. A 2 p.m. press conference was scheduled. ELECTION YEAR ISSUES: Why 74,000+ Texas immigrants could be excluded from voting in 2020 Search crews found the body floating in the northeast area of the lake and the county medical examiner was notified, authorities said. The lake an hours drive from Los Angeles was searched by dozens of divers working in waters with little visibility, with help above from helicopters, drones and all-terrain vehicles. Rivera played singing cheerleader Santana Lopez for six seasons on the Fox musical-comedy Glee. If she is declared dead, she will become the third major cast member from the show to die in their 30s. SHUTDOWN, PART 2? Hidalgo, Turner call for new stay-at-home order Cory Monteith, one of the shows leads, died at 31 in 2013 from a toxic mix of alcohol and heroin. And co-star Mark Salling, who Rivera dated at one point, killed himself in 2018 at age 35 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges. Rivera had experience boating on the lake in Los Padres National Forest, authorities said. Surveillance video shows Rivera and her son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, leaving on the rented boat. When the boat failed to return, its vendor found the vessel drifting in the northern end of the lake late Wednesday afternoon with the boy asleep on board. He told investigators that he and his mother had been swimming and he got back into the boat but she didnt, according to a sheriffs office statement. The boy was wearing a life vest, and another life jacket was found in the boat along with Riveras purse and identification. Rivera is believed to have drowned in what appears to be a tragic accident, the statement said. The boy, Riveras son from her marriage to actor Ryan Dorsey, was safe and healthy and with family members, authorities said. The couple finalized their divorce in June 2018 after nearly four years of marriage. The most recent tweet on Riveras account, from July 7, read just the two of us along with a photo of her and her son. By Dong-Joo Lee According to New Jersey government ethics law, public office and employment come with public trust. It further explains that the vitality and stability of representative democracy depend on the publics confidence in the integrity of its elected representatives. Lately, however, I am not sure if I can say that I have said confidence in my local elected representatives. Specifically, I believe that the leaders of where I currently reside, Edison, can do better to gain my trust and of the other constituents. In May, there were a few reports about Edison Council President Joyce Ship-Freeman and how she made xenophobic postings on her Facebook page. Specifically, she shared memes that were anti-Semitic and anti-Asian American, placing blame on these two communities for the coronavirus pandemic. This was all while bias incidents and hate crimes against Asians have already been rampant in Edison and the rest of our country. In April, just a few weeks before Ship-Freeman made her racist comments, a 55-year-old woman was targeted and attacked in Edison for being Asian American. A group of teenagers surrounded the woman and a girl punched her in the head while yelling racial slurs. The Middlesex County prosecutor brought criminal charges of bias intimidation, riot, assault, and harassment, against the girl. The leaders of Edison, on the other hand, did nothing. Edison. Do Better. Its also relevant to note that Edison is one of the most diverse cities in the country; 48.3% of its residents identify as Asian. Unfortunately, though, anti-Asian American sentiments (and hate incidents generally) have been widespread in this area, well before the surge in light of the COVID-19 crisis. In 2017, racist mailers were disseminated all over town during an election cycle, calling for the deportation of two Asian-American school board candidates. At that time, the leaders of Edison also did nothing. Edison. Do Better. In 2005, then-mayoral candidate Jun Choi, a Korean American, who eventually made history by becoming the first Asian American to be elected mayor in New Jersey, faced similar hate and racist rhetoric. This time, the targeting of the Asian American community was done on radio by ex-host Craig Carton of WFAN New Jersey 101.5 FM. Carton, who eventually served three and half years in federal prison for fraud, proclaimed that he does not care if the Chinese population in Edison has quadrupled . . . Chinese should never dictate the outcome of an election. In response, the leaders of Edison did nothing. Edison. Do Better. To be fair, for the recent incident, Ship-Freeman did initially offer an apology for her remarks on her Facebook page. But hours later, she retracted her statement and claimed that her Facebook account was hacked. To me, something does not seem right. Now, I want to give her the benefit of doubt. After all, she had previously run on a platform promoting diversity and inclusion. Plus, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Additionally, it appears that the township has finally agreed to denounce hate speech as a whole. With that said, Edison should have given the Ship-Freeman debacle more scrutiny. An official investigation should have been conducted. At the least, there should have been an immediate (not two-months later), formal denouncement of the racist remarks, whether it was made by Ship-Freeman or a hacker. (If the latter, maybe the township needs to focus on training its leaders on cybersecurity. But thats another story.) In any event, it is clear that there is much room for improvement here in this township. Something that all of us should consider during this election cycle. Edison. Do Better. Dong-Joo Lee lives in Edison and is a U.S. Navy veteran. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. 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. A vulnerability has been discovered in the Zoom client for Windows which leaves users exposed to remote attackers. This remote code execution vulnerability only affects users who are running Windows 7 or an older Windows operating system, said security company 0patch. While Microsofts official support for Windows 7 has ended this January, there are still millions of home and corporate users out there prolonging its life with Microsofts Extended Security Updates or with 0patch, noted the security company. 0patch said that the vulnerability allows a remote attacker to execute malicious code on the victims computer by getting the user to perform common actions such as opening a document file. No security warning is shown to the user in the course of attack, 0patch added. According to 0patch, the users who have signed up to Windows 7 Extended Security Updates are also affected. The security company said it has created a micropatch that deals with the vulnerability. However, installing this micropatch is no longer necessary, as Zoom has since patched the bug in version 5.1.3 of its Windows client. This means that users who have updated to the latest version of Zoom are protected from this security flaw. Windows 7 support is over Support for Windows 7 officially ended on 14 January, which means that Microsoft has stopped providing security support for this operating system. While you could continue to use your PC running Windows 7, without continued software and security updates, it will be at greater risk for viruses and malware, said Microsoft. Going forward, the best way for you to stay secure is on Windows 10. News of Windows 7 losing support saw the operating systems market share decrease rapidly from 35.38% in June 2019 to 25.56% in January 2020. Since January, however, the trend has flattened considerably, dropping from 25.56% in January 2020 to 23.35% as of June 2020. SAGINAW, MI Regina Simon couldnt quite believe what she saw. The Saginaw resident was awakened around 7:30 a.m. Sunday, July 12 after her husband Donald got into the familys vehicle at their North Carolina Road home. SAGINAW, MI - Gladwin, Midland, Saginaw, Arenac and Iosco County victims of Mays floods are eligible for federal assistance under a new federal disaster declaration, according to a news release. Low-cost loans for uninsured property losses and grants for home repairs and temporary housing are among the help now available to residents and business owners, as well as other programs, according to the release. The declaration also provides cost-sharing funding to governments and nonprofits for infrastructure repairs and emergency work. To receive assistance, residents and business owners must register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, by calling 1-800 621-FEMA or by visiting the disaster assistance website. Those with speech or hearing impairments can call 1-800 462-7585. The numbers will also function as help hotlines from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays, according to the website. The news release says the numbers are available until 9 p.m. Those wishing to register must provide a Social Security number, annual household income, insurance information and contact information, including a phone number, address of the damaged home, mailing address, and an email address to review the application online. Applicants must also provide bank information for deposits if they are eligible for assistance. In a tweet following the declaration Thursday, July 9, President Donald Trump said the declaration will provide more than $43 million in assistance to the state. Residents and business owners took more than $190 million in estimated private losses across the five impacted counties, with more than 3,700 properties damaged, including 2,300 homes. Only a fraction of the homes had some form of flood insurance. Up to about $28 million should be available for residents, according to the request Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sent to Trump requesting the declaration. Assistance is capped at $33,000 and averages $5,000 or less per incident, according to a news release from the Saginaw County Long-Term Disaster Recovery Group, a coalition of government and nonprofit organizations coordinating disaster response for the county. The group will have a full-time case manager available beginning Monday, July 20, to help residents apply for different sources of assistance, according to the release. The group recommends that impacted residents call 211 if they havent already, and document evidence of property damage including video, receipts and insurance denials. The group estimates Saginaw County took about $10 million in damages and more than 600 households were impacted. Even combining all our resources here locally and working to get maximum assistance from the state and federal government, we will not have the resources to fully restore homes and families, Saginaw County emergency manager Mark Przybylski said in the release. But together, we can stretch and maximize to try to get the best possible outcome for our residents. Read more: President Trump OKs major disaster declaration for mid-Michigan after severe flooding 2,300 homes damaged and 9 more reasons Michigan wants flooding declared a federal disaster Donald Trump Jr. expects Gov. Whitmer to block campaign rallies under guise of COVID pandemic FP Trending After the comets Swan and Atlas that were discovered in early 2020 fizzled out, the brightest comet to grace the sky in decades, the Comet Neowise, or C/20202 F3, is now here for a large part of the northern hemisphere to see. The comet will be visible in the northwest sky in India from 14 July onwards. "From July 14, C/2020 F3, a comet discovered on March 27, will be clearly visible in the north-western sky. It will be visible after sunset for around 20 minutes for the next 20 days. People can observe it from naked eyes," said Subhendu Pattnaik, deputy director of Pathani Samanta Planetarium in Bhubaneswar told ANI. In the evenings to follow, the comet will rapidly climb higher in the sky and will be visible for a longer period, he added. Comet Neowise swept within Mercurys orbit a week ago. Its close proximity to the sun caused dust and gas to burn off its surface and create an even bigger debris tail. According to a report by CNET, Neowise passed a critical point when it survived its closest brush with the sun without cracking up from the heat last week. NASAs Neowise infrared space telescope discovered the comet on 27 March. Scientists involved in the mission said the comet is about five kilometres across and its nucleus is covered with sooty material dating back to the origin of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago. Soon after, numerous amateur photographers began sharing stunning images of the comet just above the horizon during predawn hours. Twitter user Jeremy Perez shared the image shot from close to the Wupatki National Monument showcasing the bright celestial body. Last night I scoured Google Earth lining up roads that would matched the bearing of where the comet would rise this morning. Finally found a spot along my favorite road in Wupatki National Monument and narrowed to this creviced bend to work with. #neowise #cometneowise 1/ pic.twitter.com/zI3TkVlv1H Jeremy Perez (@jperez1690) July 9, 2020 Another Twitter user shared images of the comet as seen from Paris. NEOWISE this mornig from #Paris. Last time I saw a comet that bright it was 23 years ago. #NEOWISE is easy to see with the naked eye even from Paris, and with my 12x36 binoculars it is similar to these pictures. pic.twitter.com/csHIx30Ndl Skywalker (@JLucDauvergne) July 8, 2020 A number of other users and astronomy enthusiasts shared images of the comet as well. A castle, a church and a comet - #Neowise over #Rapperswil #Switzerland, Taken on 09.07.20 with Canon EOS 6D Mark II, Mike Beganyi 2020 pic.twitter.com/z5VZyf0vZm Mike Beganyi (@mikebeganyi) July 9, 2020 According to the CNET report, as the comet moves farther away from the sun and closer to Earth, it will be visible in the evening sky and not before dawn. As per NASA solar system ambassador Eddie Irizarry, Neowise should be visible just before and around the time of first light till 11 July. It will again start to be visible in the evening between 15 and 16 July. While its visible with the naked eye in dark skies with little or no light pollution, binoculars are needed to see the long tail, according to NASA. It will be about 7,000 years before the comet returns, so I wouldnt suggest waiting for the next pass, said the telescopes deputy principal investigator Joe Masiero of NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Recently, astronauts from the International Space Station managed to get a stunning glimpse of a natural light show from a comet this weekend. NASA astronaut Bob Behnken shared a tweet highlighting Neowise. He captioned the post, "Last night's fireworks, for real. Because Science." With inputs from wires Living Rare Living Stronger Virtual Forum - July 18-19 2020 During this time, we have learned that the success of virtual education events requires both the underlying technology that provides an engaging, interactive experience for attendees, as well as a team of seasoned program and production experts to support online event execution. PlatformQ Health is proud to be supporting the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) annual Living Rare, Living Stronger Patient and Family Forum. During this challenging time, when communities are coping with the repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis, including the impact on live, in-person conferences, PlatformQ Health is uniquely positioned to help NORD pivot to a live, virtual conference through use of their Conduit platform. PlatformQ has been a pioneer in the field of live, video-based education for more than 10 years. Robert Rosenbloom, CEO of PlatformQ Health shares, During this time, we have learned that the success of virtual education events requires both the underlying technology that provides an engaging, interactive experience for attendees, as well as a team of seasoned program and production experts to support online event execution. In 2019 PlatformQ Healthand NORD established a partnership to provide online Continuing Medical Education for clinicians as well as tailored education for patients and caregivers. Together, NORD and PlatformQ Health target resources to health care professionals, patients, and families to facilitate timely diagnosis and improved care for people with rare disorders. The virtual Living Rare, Living Stronger event provides an opportunity to expand the pairs collaboration to support the rare community. In addition to tracks for newly diagnosed patients, advanced patients, and caregivers, this years event includes engaging workshops for medical professionals and students. Topics include Gene Therapy for Rare Diseases, Caring for Rare Disease Patients in Your Practice, and Current Trends and Opportunities in Rare Disease Research: What Every Physician Should Know about Research. Speakers include medical and research professionals from The National Institutes of Health, PCORI and leading medical institutions from around the country. This years Living Rare Forum will include engaging digital sessions along with interactive Q&As and inspiring online panels presented by patients, caregivers, and top rare disease medical experts. Katie Kowalski, NORDs Associate Director for Education, shared, We are thrilled to have a partner that is just as excited as we are to provide the rare disease community with meaningful education, networking opportunities, inspiration, hope and fun! Together, PlatformQ Health and NORD will provide patients and families with up-to-date and meaningful education about living their best lives with rare diseases while simultaneously preparing physicians and medical students about how to treat and care for their patients. Be sure to explore the virtual conference on July 18th and 19th! Recent PQH and NORD Digital Education Collaborations for Patients and HCPS PlatformQ Health and NORD have partnered to design and distribute disease-specific and general rare disease education, leverage top medical specialists from NORDs foundation and patient organization members, and incorporate the patient voice in HCP education. Educational activities launched over the last year that are currently available to watch on-demand include: Most recently, PlatformQ Health and NORD launched the aligned educational program, Overview on Hemophilia A Management for Clinicians and Patients: A Joint CME & Patient Educational Initiative, which includes a dedicated patient education session and a CME activity for health care professionals. These two sessions share similar learning objectives related to treatment and overall care to help break down communication barriers between patient and clinicians, facilitating shared decision making. The patient education portion of this initiative,A Closer Look at Hemophilia Management: Improving Outcomes with Personalized Care, aired on RareDiseaseLive and OMedLive in early June and is now available to watch on-demand. This is an interactive, expert-led HCP-patient-family educational activity that was developed to offer clarity and guidance, as top experts answered questions that patients and families had regarding their treatment and overall care. The CME portion of this program titled, Optimizing Prophylaxis Strategies of Hemophilia, A with or without Inhibitors: For Whom, When, and How Long? aired Thursday June 15th on OMedLive. HCPs can watch top experts, Steven W. Pipe, MD, Stacy E. Croteau, MD, MMS and Kelly Tickle, MSN, APN, PPCNP-BC, PCNS-BC, CWON via streaming video, get the latest medical science and earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit. The program is now available to watch on-demand. Another new aligned educational program will be available this summer - Spinal Muscular Atrophy: A New Era for Both Patients and Clinicians. The CME activity, Post-Treatment SMA Phenotypes and Multidisciplinary Care will air on July 13th at 12pm EST on NeuroSeriesLive. The patient educational program, Obtaining Support and Ongoing Care for Children with SMA after Gene Replacement Therapy, will be available in August. Keep your eye out for more information and updates regarding this important and timely tethered educational activity. About the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is the leading independent advocacy organization representing all patients and families affected by rare diseases. NORD is committed to the identification, treatment and cure of more than 7,000 rare diseases, of which approximately 90% are still without an FDA-approved treatment or therapy. Rare diseases affect over 25 million Americans. More than half of those affected are children. NORD began as a small group of patient advocates that formed a coalition to unify and mobilize support to pass the Orphan Drug Act of 1983. For 37 years, NORD has led the way in voicing the needs of the rare disease community, driving supportive policies and education, advancing medical research and providing patient and family services for those who need them most. NORD is made strong together with over 300 disease-specific member organizations and their communities and collaborates with many other organizations on specific causes of importance to the rare disease patient community. Visit rarediseases.org About PlatformQ Health PlatformQ Health Education is the leading provider of interactive digital medical education for clinicians, patients and caregivers. To improve patient care, PlatformQ Health Education creates video-first educational modules with premier partners, so learners can better understand conditions, available treatment options, and the latest research. The companys proprietary platform allows participants to engage in real-time discussion with scientific, research and patient care experts and the integrated learning solution enables advocates, administrators, health systems and plans, foundations, societies, member organizations and associations to measure the impact of their education. Charges could be brought against three members of a loyalist band who wore Parachute Regiment insignia and Soldier F logos at a parade in Derry last year. The Derry News has learned that the PSNI has reported the band members to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in relation to suspected public order offences. The PPS is now considering whether there is enough evidence to bring the matter before the courts. The revelation comes almost a year after the Clyde Valley Flute Band from Larne wore a uniform in support of the British soldier at the annual Relief of Londonderry parade on August 10, 2019. Thirteen people were shot dead when members of the British Army's Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators on Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972. The death of another man four months later was attributed to his injuries. An ex-paratrooper, known as Soldier F, is charged with murdering Jim Wray (22) and William McKinney (27). He's also charged with attempting to murder Patrick O'Donnell, Joseph Friel, Joe Mahon and Michael Quinn, as well as attempting to murder a number of persons unknown. At the August 10 parade last year police officers flanked the Clyde Valley band to prevent a breach of the peace and later stopped their bus, taking the names of several members. In the days following the march, DUP MP Gregory Campbell described as incredulous the policing operation and said there was no suggestion of offences having been committed. DUP MLA Gary Middleton also welcomed an independent review of police practices on the day saying there was a significant level of anger in the unionist community. However, since last August the PSNI has maintained that an investigation has been ongoing. This week the police confirmed that a file has been handed over to the PPS in relation to the Clyde Valley Flute Bands actions on the day. In a statement to the Derry News, a Public Prosecution Service (PPS) spokesperson confirmed that three suspects are being considered for prosecution. She said: The PPS received a file on 15 January 2020 in relation to an alleged incident on 10 August 2019. Three suspects reported by police are being considered by prosecutors in relation to public order offences. Further information has been requested from PSNI and once this is received, decisions will issue in due course after a thorough consideration of all available evidence. BACKGROUND In the lead up to the march on August 10, DUP representatives including East Derry MP Gregory Campbell, Foyle MLA Gary Middleton and Derry City & Strabane District Councillor Graham Warke stood under a Parachute Regiment banner in the Fountain estate in support of our British soldiers. Then Sinn Fein MLA Raymond McCartney, amongst others, accused the DUP of provocation and pandering to loyalists. Before the march it had been agreed that no provocative symbols would be on display, according to parade negotiators, businessman Garvan O'Doherty and Donncha MacNiallais of the Bogside Residents Group. However, General Secretary of the Apprentice Boys of Derry, Billy Moore said it was nonsense to suggest that any agreement was in place before the march. During the march the PSNI intervened to escort the Clydevalley Flute Band from Larne around the main parade, however, it was prevented from taking part in the return leg. The bands bus was stopped by the PSNI on the way home. Afterwards, Bloody Sunday families said they were disgusted and felt it was a deliberate attempt to antagonise them. They said the band should never be allowed to march in the city again. Following the march the DUP described the policing operation as heavy handed and over the top. They said it angered the unionist community and along with members of the UUP met PSNI officials to question the police response. First Minister Arlene Foster also said people have the right to support Soldier F. Disorder followed in the Bogside during which petrol bombs were thrown at Apprentice Boys memorial hall and the City Walls. Several days later the Apprentice Boys of Derry offered an apology saying that it recognised the potential upset caused to nationalists. Families of the victims of Bloody Sunday then had a cordial and constructive meeting with the Apprentice Boys with a view to restoring positive relations in the city. Plasma therapy as a cure to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has kindled a ray of hope after a doctor from Bihars Muzaffarpur was weaned off ventilator support, besides two other patients, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna. All the three patients have recovered from Covid-19 and are now lined up for discharge in the next few days from the AIIMS-Patna, said its doctors. Click here for full Covid-19 coverage However, with clinical trials on plasma therapy still not over, doctors are reluctant to bet their money on its treatment. As per scientific logic, plasma therapy should work on Covid-19 patients. However, we do not know its efficacy as yet. The evidence is still anecdotal, said Dr Ravi Kirti, additional professor and head of medicine department at AIIMS-Patna. The clinical trials are being done on the principle that any patient who is infected with a virus develops antibodies against it. We expect the antibody to fight the virus. Plasma therapy is collecting antibody from a person who has already recovered from the disease and transfusing it in another infected person. This is also called passive immunity, he added. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting big multi-centric trials in India. We have to wait for its results. Recovery trial in the UK is simultaneously testing several modalities. The interim reports suggest that hydroxychloroquin is ineffective whereas low dose corticosteroid is helpful in saving lives in moderate and severe cases, he added. Unless it is contraindicated, we are administering low molecular weight heparin (a blood thinning agent, which prevents clotting in the artery), Dexamethasome (a corticosteroid group of drug, which works as immunity suppressant) and giving oxygen therapy to all moderate and severe Covid-19 patients, said Dr Kirti. He said Remdesivirm Toclizumab and plasma therapy were investigational drugs, which clinicians decided on a case-to-case basis after talking to a team of doctors and informing the relatives of patients. Dr Umesh Bhadani, professor and head of anaesthesiology who is handling the critical care unit at AIIMS, echoed Dr Kirtis views. We give two kinds of ventilator support invasive and non-invasive as part of the execution of treatment to very serious patients. As of now, we have 12 patients on invasive ventilator support and four on non-invasive ventilator support, through a mask, said Dr Bhadani. Plasma therapy has had good result, but it cannot be given to critical patients or those with multi-organ failure or in shock, said Dr Neha Singh, blood transfusion officer who is also the principal investigator in the ICMR trial on plasma therapy at the AIIMS-Patna. We have tried it on a few patients, who have recovered and will be discharged from our institute soon, she added. Dr Devender Bhushan and Dr Neeraj Kumar, assistant professors and co-investigators in the trial, are part of the supportive team of medicine and anesthesiology department, besides senior residents and postgraduate students of the two departments under the guidance of their faculty members who provide 24x7 support at AIIMS-Patna. Key Takeaways: Social media visuals are overtaking text in defining online brand conversations. User-generated visuals are reflective of consumer brand perceptions. Researchers developed a new model called BrandImageNet to map images to perceptual attributes of a brand. Firms can use the BrandImageNet model to automatically monitor consumers' brand perceptions and examine the effectiveness of their positioning strategies. CATONSVILLE, MD, July 13, 2020 - New research has found that there is a strong link between the visual portrayal of a brand in online imagery created by consumers and the larger brand perceptions. The research study, to be published in the July/August issue of the INFORMS journal Marketing Science, is titled "Visual Listening In: Extracting Brand Image Portrayed on Social Media" and is authored by Liu Liu of the University of Colorado, Daria Dzyabura of the New Economics School in Russia, and Natalie Mizik of the University of Washington. According to the authors, their research sought to measure how brands are portrayed on social media and how it relates to brand perceptions. Their goal was to better understand consumer brand perceptions and attitudes toward brands reflected in the imagery consumers post on digital platforms. "Consumer-created brand images on social media are different from product images on retailer websites," said Liu. "Consumer-created brand imagery posted on social media depicts consumers' interactions with brands and links brands with usage context, feelings, and consumption experiences." The researchers argued that these consumer-generated images send a powerful message as a form of testimonial for other consumers. They also offer the brand owners the opportunity to understand consumers' brand perceptions. "In much of the prior research in this area, the focus has been on text content," said Liu. "Given that images are on their way to surpassing text as the medium of choice for online conversations, monitoring visual content is important to get a more complete understanding of online conversations involving brands." In the process, the researchers introduced a "visual listening in" approach to monitor visual brand content that was created and shared by the actual consumers on social media. They developed and validated a model, BrandImageNet, to allow firms to monitor their brand portrayal on social media and evaluate it relative to competitors' and their own firm's desired brand positioning. "Our BrandImageNet model maps images to specific perceptual attributes," said Liu. "We focused on identifying perceptual brand attributes rooted in brand images. This is different from identifying functional attributes of the product itself. One example we use in our research is a comparison between the Prada and Eddie Bauer brands. Which one is portrayed by social media users, visually, as the more glamorous and which one is the more rugged one? Our model unequivocally points to Prada as glamorous and Eddie Bauer as rugged. Across all brands in our study, we find a strong link between model predictions and consumer brand perceptions collected with traditional survey-based methods." ### About INFORMS and Marketing Science Marketing Science is a premier peer-reviewed scholarly marketing journal focused on research using quantitative approaches to study all aspects of the interface between consumers and firms. It is published by INFORMS, the leading international association for operations research and analytics professionals. More information is available at http://www.informs.org or @informs. ARLINGTON, Va., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO) applauds the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for their inclusion of dental professionals in the HHS Provider Relief Fund announced today. This decision will provide the necessary funding for dental practices to continue to rebound across the country, allowing patients to receive the critical dental care they need and ensuring dental providers are not left behind during these complex times. ADSO is proud to have been an active part of the process in helping represent the dental industry and ensuring dentists, hygienists, and support staff were included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and other emergency funds. Moving forward, ADSO is committed to supporting dentists in reopening practices across the country and providing safe dental visits to patients. About the ADSO The Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO) is a non-profit organization committed to providing support to its members, allowing them to focus on patients, expand access to quality dental care and improve the oral health of their communities. Comprising more than 50 DSO member companies, several association partners, and more than 180 industry partners, the ADSO represents Dental Support Organizations (DSOs) before the public, policymakers and the media. Its members operate in 44 states and provide the highest level of non-clinical support to more than 10,000 dentists across the country as well as in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. SOURCE Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO) Related Links http://www.theadso.org Pakistan on Monday summoned a senior Indian diplomat from the Indian High Commission here 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 due to the indiscriminate and unprovoked firing in Rakhchikri and Khuiratta Sectors on Sunday, six civilians sustained injuries. The Indian forces along "the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons," the statement alleged. It claimed that 14 people have been killed and 129 others injured in 1,659 incidents of ceasefire violations this year. The Indian side was called upon to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate this and other such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB, it added. Taliban gunmen clashed with security forces following a car-bomb blast at a government compound in Afghanistan's northern province of Samangan on Monday, officials said, and more than 63 people were wounded. The attack took place at a government facility in Samangan's capital, Aybak, close to an office of the National Security Directorate, the main intelligence agency, officials said. The attack took place in the Samangan provincial capital of Aybak. Raz Mohamamd Khan, a provincial council member, said the nine dead included a woman. He said there were 63 wounded but warned those were only initial figures and that the casualty toll could rise further. At least two Taliban attackers were killed in the shootout, Khan added. Earlier, a provincial hospital chief, Abdul Khalil Musadiq, said at least 43 wounded "mostly civilians, including children" were taken to hospitals in the area. The province's health director, Khalil Musadeq, said 43 civilians and members of the security forces had been wounded in the attack, with that number expected to rise and deaths expected. The attack comes at a sensitive time as violence in Afghanistan ramps up even as the United States tries to usher the government and the Taliban towards peace talks to end more than 18 years of war. Pointing out that Telangana and Bihar, among some other states, were just not doing enough testing to detect coronavirus positive cases, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Monday said that these states needed to be named and shamed. Why are states like Telangana, Bihar just not doing enough testing and not putting out data. Consequences of this will be seen in two-three months. All these states, which are not doing testing, need to be shamed, Kant said during an event organised by National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). He said states and districts should ... Chennai, July 13 : The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M.K. Stalin on Monday urged the state government to take immediate and long term measures to save the state from coronavirus disaster. In a statement issued here Stalin said it is more than four months since normal life has been affected in the state due to the pandemic. Citing the views of experts, Stalin said the government should immediately take the short term measures like: distribution of Rs 5,000 to all the families so that they can purchase essential items to increase cash circulation; relax restrictions on movement of people instead of banning totally; distribute centre and state dues to micro and small units; increase the number of days under the MGNREGA scheme to 250 and the state governments should exit from goods and services tax (GST) till the end of coronavirus pandemic. As to the long term measures Stalin suggested the state government should take steps so that during difficult times a minimum income security is available for all and include everyone under the free medical insurance scheme. Troubled times: CityJet no longer operates flights under its own name. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG Dublin-based airline CityJet is formally making more than 250 staff redundant, it has confirmed to the Irish Independent. The carrier said that 46 pilots and 62 cabin crew had been notified last week that they have been axed. A small number more will be lost this week. The airline, headed by founder and executive chairman Pat Byrne, added that it had also previously identified 149 roles in Dublin and Luton that were at risk. The roles are at head office, and in support and engineering sections. "A number of these roles have also received their redundancy notifications and the remainder are expected to be issued in the coming days," CityJet said. The move comes as the carrier, controlled by leasing firm Falko, continues its examinership process. It employed 1,100 people before the Covid crisis. Some pilots have accused the airline of attempting to offshore jobs to Denmark - a claim that's been strenuously denied by the carrier. Pilots staged a protest outside CityJet's headquarters near Dublin Airport last month as job cuts loomed. "Unfortunately, it has not proved possible to find any solution to the current situation other than to make compulsory redundancies," a letter from CityJet on Friday to one pilot noted. The airline operated a mixed fleet of aircraft prior to the pandemic, including CRJ900s and Avros. CityJet does not operate flights under its own name any more, instead providing its services to other carriers. Its only remaining contract is with Scandinavian carrier SAS. "CityJet is not offshoring jobs for pilots as we employ CRJ900 type rated pilots in Scandinavia where the only flying operations we have managed to retain are actually based," it said. "This cannot be described as offshoring as the pilots involved live and work there, and have been employed for a number of years." The examinership extension was granted by the High Court on June 25. CityJet pilots wrote to Mr Byrne the next day. "Some of us, a small number, will have the option to move to Copenhagen, uprooting our families, and doing untold damage to our family life, as we currently know it," they said in the letter. Twenty of the Dublin-based pilots made redundant last week have been offered roles by CityJet in Copenhagen. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 22:28:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A Taliban militant hands over his weapon to a local official during a surrender ceremony in Pul-e-Khumri, Baghlan province of Afghanistan, July 13, 2020. Twelve Taliban militants surrendered in Afghanistan's northern province of Baghlan on Monday, as the government has been trying to reconcile the insurgents after 19 years of insurgency, a local source said. (Photo by Sahel/Xinhua) PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Twelve Taliban militants surrendered in Afghanistan's northern province of Baghlan on Monday, as the government has been trying to reconcile the insurgents after 19 years of insurgency, a local source said. "A 12-member group of Taliban under the command of Nematullah renounced the violence and joined the national peace and reconciliation process Monday afternoon. They also brought several guns and ammunition with them," Safdar Mohsini, chairman of provincial council, told Xinhua. They were active members of Taliban and stationed in mountains along Doshi-Khenjan main road in Baghlan before surrendering, he said. Former Taliban divisional commander, Nematullah, urged fellow Taliban members to join the process, the source noted. The Afghan government established a High Council for National Reconciliation headed by Abdullah Abdullah, former government chief executive, in May to encourage Taliban to disarm and give up militancy against the government. The militant group has yet to make comments on the report. Islamabad: Pakistan has restored the bank accounts of the outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his four top aides, a media report said on Sunday. Saeed, a UN designated terrorist whom the US has placed a USD 10 million bounty on, was arrested on July 17 last year in the terror financing cases. He was sentenced to 11 years in jail by an anti-terrorism court in February this year in two terror financing cases. He is lodged at the Lahore's high-security Kot Lakhpat jail. Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, Haji M Ashraf, Yahya Mujahid and Zafar Iqbal - all on the UN Security Council's terrorists list were the other members of the JuD and Lashkar-e-Taiba who got their bank accounts restored, The News reported. They are currently facing sentences ranging 1 to 5 years in Lahore jail for terror financing cases filed against them by the Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the paper said. "The restoration of bank accounts has taken place following formal approval of the Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council, the paper said. Citing sources, the paper said that the JuD leaders had appealed United Nations for restoring their bank accounts that they could run their family affairs. "Initially we did not want to file an appeal but we were advised to file it as it was difficult for our leaders to run their affairs," a senior JuD leader was quoted as saying by the paper. These leaders in their request to the government of Pakistan had also mentioned about their financial income and sources of earning. The same was forwarded to the UNSC along their bank account numbers and other related details, it added. Saeed-led JuD is the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. He was listed under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. His bank accounts were frozen by the Pakistani government complying with the UNSC resolution. For years, the cycling industry has used 3D printing to make metal bike frames and smaller road-worthy parts. A 3D-printed carbon fibre frame, though? Thats harder to come by, even for elite riders. Arevo wants to change that. The little-known manufacturer in California is launching a new bike brand today called Superstrata. Unlike most of its competition, which builds carbon fibre frames with multiple parts or pieces, the company has developed a true unibody construction that has no visible seams or welding marks. This piece comes out as a single piece from our machines, Sonny Vu, CEO of Arevo and the former CEO of wearables maker Misfit told Engadget. So theres no glue, no joins, no bolts, no laser welds, none of that stuff. If anything, things are shaved off in the post-processing [phase]. Superstrata frames wont be a single piece, though. The team is planning to print the main portion of the frame which doesnt have a traditional seat tube, creating an open diamond shape and front forks separately. Still, its an impressive design feat that is catch the attention of other cyclists and road users. Superstrata The company will use additive manufacturing to build two similarly-shaped bicycles: a standard $2,799 Terra model, and an electrified $3,999 Ion version. That might sound expensive, however a carbon road bike can cost anywhere between $1,250 and $12,500. (And even higher, if you want something truly rare.) A top-end Riese & Muller e-bike, meanwhile, can set you back almost $9,000. Superstrata isnt making a bike for the masses, but the company isnt operating in the upper echelons of bespoke bicycle building, either. Its less than your high-end carbon fiber bikes, but its not affordable in the common sense, Vu accepted. According to Superstrata, 3D printing offers a couple of crucial benefits. For starters, each bicycle can be printed to suit the exact dimensions of the rider. The company is promising over 500,000 possible setups that account for the customers height, weight, arm and leg length, as well as their preferred riding position and level of frame stiffness. Most bicycle manufacturers, for comparison, offer a handful of frame sizes that account for most rider heights. And many e-bike startups, such as Cowboy, have a single specification to simplify manufacturing and repairs. 3D printing doesnt require any expensive molds, either. That means the company isnt tied down or incentivised to stick with the same frame design for a long period of time. The process requires fewer humans, too, than a traditional carbon fiber frame. The materials for carbon composites are really expensive, but its really the labor that makes it expensive, Vu said. That was astounding to me. I always thought it was the material, but then I realized, Oh, its actually the labor. Finally, Superstata is promising seamless strength that trumps traditional monocoque carbon fiber frames. Vu told Engadget: We say, Well, your monocoque frame didnt start as one piece. it was 20 or 30 pieces that are glued together, laser-welded maybe even together, wrapped. But it started as many pieces. And if it hits a tree, its going to end up being many pieces. Superstratas bikes wont be indestructible, but they should fare better if you take a tumble or stand it up haphazardly outside a cafe. Superstrata The Ion will ship with a 252Wh battery tucked into its svelte down tube. By e-bike standards, thats small. VanMoof and Cowboys latest wares offer 504Wh and 360Wh batteries respectively, for instance. Superstrata is promising a 250-watt motor, which is effectively the industry standard for pedal-assisted e-bikes, that can rise to 350 watts in a pinch. It will deliver 40Nm of torque, which is well below the 75Nm that Bosch the supplier for countless bike brands including Trek, Moustache and Riese & Muller currently offers with its flagship generation four motors. (Bosh is also planning a software update that will increase the torque to 85Nm later this summer.) Superstratas Ion will be lighter than most of its e-bike competition, though. The entire contraption should weigh 11KG, which is 1KG less than Gogoros Eeyo 1, 8KG less than VanMoofs S3 and only 700 grams heavier than the folding Hummingbird. Like the Eeyo 1, the weight and open-frame design should make it easy to carry the bike on one shoulder. In theory, the the weight should counterbalance the smaller battery size, too. Superstrata is promising 96KM (60 miles) of range on a single charge and an assisted top speed of 32KMH (20MPH), which will be software restricted to meet Europes lower 25KMH (15.5MPH) speed limit. The company has sourced some of its basic components the tyres, saddle and groupset, for instance from third-party manufacturers. We dont know the exact model numbers, but Vu confirmed they would be fairly standard choices. Superstrata couldnt pick top of the line components, he explained, because the team is ordering them in smaller volumes than traditional bike manufacturers. The average person, I think theyll enjoy it, Vu said. Pro bikers, theyll probably scoff at it, the sets. But they can put in their own sets. Arevo has been working on its 3D-printed bike formula for some time. Back in 2018, the company unveiled a head-turning proof-of-concept with a blue frame that extended beyond the head tube fork and seat tube. Twelve months later, it unveiled the electric Emery One with Franco Bicycles, a premium road and gravel bike manufacturer based in California. Arevo has since announced that it will help Pilot Distribution Group, a company in the Netherlands, develop a new line off e-bikes that have 3D-printed carbon fiber frames. With Superstrata, the company is finally striking out on its own. I said, You know what? Why are we doing this for other people? Lets do it for ourselves and if other people want it, they can come to us, Vu said. So thats the idea. Lets make a nice bike, end to end. Lets build a whole brand around it and just have fun. To deliver its dream bicycles, though, the company is turning to Indiegogo. As with all crowdfunding campaigns, theres no guarantee that the Terra or Ion will ever materialize. Arevo has been around since 2013, though, which is longer than many electric bike startups. Vu also hinted that the company is using the platform more as a marketing launch pad than a finance-raising tool. Still, any reservation is a gamble. If everything goes to plan, Arevo will be delivering its first bikes in December. The company will make 500 two-wheelers in its initial run, according to Vu, through a combination of printing in the US and Vietnam. He hopes the Superstrata business will increase to thousands, eventually, but is keenly aware of how competitive the bike industry can be. If the brand doesnt catch on, Arevo might have to pivot. As a 3D printing company, we can do that, he explained. We can say, Nah, okay. Were done. If youve invested into a whole line with carbon fiber molds and a complete production setup, you better sell tens of thousands of bikes or else youre pretty screwed. But if 437 people are hating [Superstrata bikes] and we cant get anyones attention, its okay. Lets do baby strollers or whatever. Lets do something else. I just love this world of additive manufacturing because you can do that kind of thing. Its really upending the supply chain structure thats out there. I got a household down the street from me, said the mayor, whose own home remains under the lead advisory. Two kids left and usage is down so why should they have to be paying something from last year when there were more people in the house? Its just an unfair tactic. Published on 2020/07/12 | Source Susan Ahn Cuddy Susan Ahn Cuddy, Korean independence fighter Ahn Chang-ho's eldest daughter, has been hailed as an "American hero" and "trailblazer" by the ShareAmerica website run by the U.S. State Department. Advertisement The website, which describes itself as a platform for "sharing compelling stories and images that spark discussion and debate on important topics", carried an article and a video clip about Cuddy on July 2 as an Asian-American woman who left a mark in government and civil society. It hails her as he the "first Asian American woman to enlist in the U.S. Navy during World War II. She became the first female gunnery officer in the U.S. armed forces and the first Asian American to achieve the rank of lieutenant in the Navy". Born in Los Angeles in 1915, Ahn enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942 during World War II. In May 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump paid tribute to her, saying, "She was the daughter of the first Korean couple to immigrate to the United States, also uplifted the Nation through strong work ethic, an unwavering love of country, and a steadfast devotion to her life mission, even in the face of great adversity". In 2006, the Asian American Justice Center honored her with the American Courage Award. In 2015, the Los Angeles County government declared March 10 Susan Ahn Cuddy Day. She died, aged 100, in June that year. Read this article in Korean Polish President Andrzej Duda after addressing supporters as exit poll results were announced during the presidential election in Pultusk, Poland. (AFP) Warsaw: Polish President Andrzej Duda has squeezed past his europhile rival to win re-election, official results showed on Monday, but the narrow victory puts the populist right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party government on the backfoot. A close ally of US President Donald Trump, Duda has vowed to tighten already highly restrictive laws against abortion and has campaigned against "LGBT ideology". The incumbent won a new five-year term with 51 percent in Sunday's vote against 49 percent for Warsaw's liberal mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, who had promised to mend ties with the European Union. Experts said the result means the governing party, which has been criticised at home and abroad for controversial reforms of the judiciary seen as eroding democratic freedoms, will face a more confident opposition. "Despite Trzaskowski's defeat, his strong performance looks like a new beginning, a new dynamic for the opposition," Andrzej Rychard, a political scientist at Warsaw University, told local media. "We're on the cusp of some very significant changes on the Polish political scene," he said, adding that "Trzaskowski appears poised to lead the opposition". 'Poland split down the middle' The government faces the immediate challenge of dealing with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, which is pushing Poland into a recession -- the country's first since the fall of communism three decades ago. Duda has promised to defend highly popular social welfare payments introduced by the PiS government. "Poland is split down the middle," said Witold Orlowski, a professor at Warsaw University of Technology Business School, predicting "a very difficult period" ahead. "On the one hand, even this slim victory is a PiS success and will allow it to continue to govern, at least technically. "On the other hand the social and economic situation will deteriorate and a large part of the electorate will blame the PiS," Orlowski said. On the foreign policy front, experts said Duda's close ties with Trump could also spell trouble ahead if the US president fails to win re-election in November. Duda's support was particularly strong in rural areas and small towns and in the east of the country, while Trzaskowski has performed well in larger cities and western regions on the border with Germany. "The result of these elections is a Poland divided in two with a not-so-rosy future, as it will be difficult to ease the division and to restore the relationship between the two sides," analyst Kazimierz Kik told AFP. White-red vs rainbow The election had been due to be held in May but was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Its fallout is pushing Poland into its first recession since communism fell three decades ago. The incumbent won round one on June 28 with 43.5 percent against 10 challengers, including Trzaskowski who came in second with 30.4 percent and had campaigned hard to sway voters who backed other opposition candidates. Four days before the first round, Duda became the first foreign leader to visit the White House since the start of the pandemic and received praise from Trump for doing an "excellent job". Ahead of Sunday's vote, PiS Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro characterised it as "a clash of two visions of Poland, the white-red and rainbow-coloured," referring to the colours of Poland's national flag and the symbol most widely used by the LGBT community. Duda has railed against "LGBT ideology", likening it ot a new form of communist brainwashing, and has vowed to change the constitution during his second term to rule out adoptions by same-sex couples. Ministers are preparing to roll out the 'biggest flu vaccination programme in history', the Health Secretary promised today. Matt Hancock claimed Number 10 had procured enough jabs to vaccinate a record-breaking number of Britons on the NHS this winter. Experts have warned that a flu outbreak in the colder months could wreak havoc on the NHS, if it coincides with a rise in coronavirus cases. Ministers want to immunise as many Britons against the flu as possible to reduce the number of patients needing hospital beds in case of another wave. Downing Street is rumoured to have bought an extra 10million vaccine doses, and is contemplating dishing them out to all Brits over the age of 50. Free flu jabs are usually reserved for over-65s, pregnant women, children and people with serious illnesses like asthma or heart or kidney disease. Leading charities praised the move to scale-up the vaccination scheme but wanted reassurances about how the vaccines will be accessed in a 'Covid safe way'. Ministers are preparing to roll out the biggest flu vaccination programme in history (stock image) Matt Hancock said the Government had procured enough jabs to vaccinate a record-breaking number of Britons on the NHS this winter Speaking at the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) virtual conference today, Mr Hancock said: 'We all know that having had an incredibly hard six months the next big moment is as winter approaches. 'We are currently planning in detail for winter. We are expecting high demand. We want the flu vaccine programme to be the biggest flu vaccine programme in history. 'We have procured enough vaccine to be able to deliver on that, but then it's a big task.' However, Mr Hancock did not reveal how many extra jabs had been bought or who would be offered a vaccine. Last winter 25million people in England were offered the flu jab, with officials expanding the annual vaccination programme to include all Year Six children for the first time. All over-65s, pregnant women, NHS workers and people with serious long-term illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and Parkinson's are eligible for the free jab. WHO IS ALREADY ELIGIBLE FOR A FREE FLU VACCINE? In 2020/21 groups eligible for the NHS funded flu vaccination programme are currently the same as last year. This includes: Over-65s and people with diabetes and chronic respiratory conditions, such as asthma; People with serious heart or kidney disease, or people undergoing cancer treatment; Parents with children aged over six months with asthma or diabetes or weakened immunity due to disease or treatment; Other groups include residents in long-stay care homes and people who have lowered immunity due to HIV or are on steroid medication; NHS workers are also urged to get a free flu jab in order to protect patients. But according to a joint letter issued from the DHSC, Public Health England and, NHS England and Improvement, on May 14, the list may change if the programme is expanded this year. This could include: All children aged two to 10 years old (but not 11 years or older); Those aged six months to under 65 years in clinical risk groups; Close contacts of immunocompromised individuals; Health and social care staff employed by a registered residential care home; The letter added: 'We anticipate that concerns about COVID-19 may increase demand for flu vaccination in all groups this year.' Advertisement Figures show there are around 10million people aged between 50 and 65 in the UK, meaning the vaccination scheme would have to increase by 40 per cent in size to catch all of them. The flu jab designed to fight off four different strains of influenza expected to circulate offers no protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19. Experts say the point of rolling out more flu jabs is to ease the burden on the health service, which Number 10 feared could have been overwhelmed in the first wave. Most people who get the flu escape with only a mild illness but patients struck down with a severe bout can be hospitalised. Seasonal flu has a mortality rate of around 0.1 per cent. One government adviser Imperial College London's Professor Peter Openshaw has raised the idea of flu shots for the entire population in April, saying it was 'something to be considered'. Professor Openshaw, part of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG), said a bad flu season with coronavirus 'would be a huge burden on the NHS'. Sarah MacFadyen, head of policy and public affairs at Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, said: 'We welcome this ambitious plan from the government, but we urgently need more information on how this will be rolled out. Flu season is fast approaching and healthcare professionals must be given time to prepare. 'We know that uptake of the flu vaccine amongst people with lung conditions is much too low, with less than half of eligible people in this group getting the jab last year. Increasing uptake amongst at risk groups is vital to protect the most vulnerable in our society. 'To achieve this the government needs to ensure people can easily access the flu jab and that the message of how important it is to get vaccinated reaches as many people as possible. Everyone, especially people with lung conditions, must also be reassured the jab can be delivered in a Covid-safe way.' The tell-tale symptoms of Covid-19 a fever, cough and the loss of smell or taste could be mistaken for the flu, which has similar effects and is much worse than a common cold. This could cause confusion among the population. If they have the coronavirus, they may think they only have the flu if they have not been given a vaccine to protect them. And dishing out the flu vaccine which only 70 per cent of eligible NHS staff accepted last year could prevent thousands of people from needing NHS treatment. During the peak of Britain's coronavirus crisis, around 3,500 people were being admitted to hospital with Covid-19 each day. The disease is estimated to be up to eight times deadlier than flu. Studies have suggested any second wave will be deadlier than the first, adding to data showing the second bout of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic was much more lethal than its predecessor. Britain's first wave has fizzled out but the infection is still circulating. Nearly 43,000 people have died after testing positive for the disease but other grim figures show the real death toll is closer to 55,000. Imperial College London modelling warned the death toll could have been closer to 500,000, had ministers let the virus spread uncontrollably through the nation. Infectious disease experts say that because so few Britons have been struck down with Covid-19, which began to spiral out of control in the UK in March, the threat of a second wave is real. Britain is also currently nowhere near having herd immunity to the coronavirus, with government testing surveys suggesting 5.4 per cent of people in England have had the illness. This is equal to around 3.02million people. Sixty per cent coverage thought to be the amount of the population needed for herd immunity would be the equivalent of 33.6million people across the country. Cold and flu viruses are known to thrive in the winter and scientists fear the coronavirus may also prove to be more of a problem in the colder months. Experts are cautious about whether Covid-19 poses a bigger threat in the winter, however. The disease has only been known to science for six months, meaning little is yet known about the pathogen. Being able to test FOLIO extensively in a real-world environment has helped direct development and demonstrates the viability of this innovation-driven open source library services platform. Libraries around the world are beginning to implement FOLIO, the open source Library Services Platform (LSP), as it approaches a named release that signals a significant achievement in the development of initial apps, features and functionality. The open source project, which leverages expertise from libraries, developers and service providers, is building a fully functional open source LSP that is being implemented around the world. The Goldenrod Release, coming in mid-July, includes additional functionality that will allow more libraries to move to FOLIO from their current, traditional Integrated Library System (ILS) or LSPs. Institutions of all sizes have been implementing FOLIO since last year. These libraries represent a wide range of collection sizes and students, faculty and researchers and demonstrate that FOLIO makes open source a viable alternative for institutions of all sizes. Sites live or going live have collections that range between 61,000 to 5.5 million bibliographic records and serve between 2,300 and nearly 50,000 users. Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden went live in 2019 as the first library using FOLIO. Missouri State University was the first academic institution in the United States to go live with FOLIO and Simmons University, Warner University, St. Thomas University and Washington & Jefferson College have now fully implemented FOLIO. The University of Alabama is planning its implementation by the end of 2020. University of Alabama Dean of Libraries Don Gilstrap says, as an original EBSCO beta development partner, the University of Alabama has played a leading role in design and testing at the scale required to develop the features and functionalities for large, working research libraries. Being able to test FOLIO extensively in a real-world environment has helped direct development and demonstrates the viability of this innovation-driven open source library services platform. As the University of Alabama development team prepares to implement FOLIO, it is gratifying to know that we do it as an institution that has provided actionable information to both EBSCO and to the FOLIO Community, as well to the open source community at large. Several libraries have also chosen to implement the Electronic Resource Management (ERM) apps in FOLIO. GBV network library ZBW Leibniz Information Centre for Economics Kiel/Hamburg has been live with FOLIO ERM since May 2020. Leipzig University Library is also currently live with ERM. Leipzig University Library Deputy Head of IT Bjrn Muschall says the universitys staged implementation approach aligns with its mission and focus. By focusing on the portion of the system that is live, we are able to see the benefits of implementing a system that prizes open source technology and features and functionality designed to grow with our institution. Muschall says Leipzig University Library contributed its own developer resources to the FOLIO project and contributed to the overall functionality. By creating an app and developing for FOLIO, we increased the sustainability of our own investments. Lehigh University is preparing for a full FOLIO implementation in August 2020. Lehighs University Librarian Boaz Nadav-Manes says Lehighs move to FOLIO represents the next step in its deep commitment to open source and community-driven solutions. As long-term members of the FOLIO and OLE Communities, we are very excited to be one of the first libraries to fully implement FOLIO and to work with others to enable and lead additional innovation as FOLIO continues its natural development process. Lehigh is currently loading records directly into a single tenant environment in preparation for its implementation date. Additional sites will be moving to FOLIO in stages. The Five Colleges: Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College and The University of Massachusetts/Amherst are also EBSCO beta partners and will be implementing ERM this summer. Duke University will be implementing FOLIO ERM this summer and Cornell University, which is currently leveraging the FOLIO ERM, plans to move to the FOLIO LSP in 2021. Texas A&M University will implement FOLIO based on features expected by mid-2021. Libraries are also choosing how to implement and host FOLIO. Chalmers, Missouri State University, Cornell and University of Alabama are using EBSCO FOLIO Services for implementation, hosting and services. ZBW Leibniz Information Centre for Economics Kiel/Hamburg is being hosted by its library network headquarter VZG|GBV. Simmons University, Duke University and Lehigh University are among the libraries using hosting and services from Index Data. Warner University, St. Thomas University and Washington & Jefferson College are using services from ByWater Solutions. Leipzig University and Texas A&M University are self-hosting. FOLIO is an open community and details about the releases and future plans can be found at https://wiki.folio.org About FOLIO FOLIO is a collaborative effort among libraries, vendors, developers and consortia that leverages open source technology and a community-based effort to redefine library services and innovate based on library futures. By building on what libraries need and by leveraging library expertise as well as vendor capacity and velocity, FOLIO is designed to move libraries forward, build on the services they provide and redefine the role libraries play within their institution. FOLIO also levels the playing field and makes open source technology available to all institutions regardless of size or staffing. FOLIO brings vendors together to innovate and host services for customers and introduces open source as a service to libraries. To sign up to participate or receive more information go to http://www.folio.org. For more information, please contact: Kathleen McEvoy Media Relations, FOLIO 978-223-0438 kathleen@folio.org China announced sanctions against U.S. officials including Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, in a largely symbolic attempt to retaliate over Washington's moves to punish Beijing for its treatment of ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said sanctions against the four officials would begin Monday, without elaborating. Hua listed Rubio of Florida and Cruz of Texas -- both Republicans and high-profile critics of China -- as targets of the unspecified measures, in addition to Ambassador Sam Brownback, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. "Xinjiang is China's internal affairs and U.S has no right to interfere," Hua said at a regular news briefing Monday in Beijing. "We urge the U.S. to immediately withdraw its wrong decisions, stop interfering in China's internal affairs or undermining China's interests. We will make further reactions based on the development of the situation." The move comes after the U.S. sanctioned a top member of China's ruling Communist Party and three other officials over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang, in the country's far west. Beijing has repeatedly vowed retaliation over U.S. actions intended to support residents of Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan, accusing Washington of inappropriately interfering in China's internal affairs. The individuals sanctioned by the U.S. include Chen Quanguo, a member of the 25-member Politburo who has overseen a crackdown in Xinjiang that the United Nations said had led to the detention of some 1 million Uighurs and members of other Muslim minority groups. China disputes the claim, saying it's seeking to prevent extremism and that most people in what it calls education facilities had "graduated." The tit-for-tat exchanges appeared calibrated to keep the disputes from further escalating and disrupting other aspects of ties between the world's two largest economies, such as their "phase one" trade deal. The U.S. moves were largely symbolic, since both groups of U.S. and Chinese officials were unlikely to have much financial or legal exposure to each other's countries. "This is an equivalent action targeting the main people responsible for what happened with sanctioning Chinese officials over Xinjiang," said Bo Zhengyuan, partner at Beijing-based research firm Plenum. "The move gives the U.S. a sense of how China will react when potential sanctions related to the Hong Kong Autonomy Act is announced. Beijing has shown that it will hit back with proportional actions, which is worrisome as the HKAA includes sanctions on entities such as financial institutions." Both President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping have incentives to try to look tough after their trade war and the subsequent coronavirus outbreak hardened public opinions on both sides of the Pacific. Democrats including Trump's presumptive opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, have pledged support for tougher actions over Beijing's efforts to rein in dissent in Xinjiang and the former British colony of Hong Kong. Senior administration officials had been pushing sanctions over Xinjiang for months, but Trump worried that they would complicate his trade deal. The U.S. decision marked the first time Washington has sanctioned a sitting Chinese official under the 2016 Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which gives the U.S. broad authority to impose human-rights sanctions on foreign officials. The list of U.S. officials targeted by China on Monday notably included no U.S. officials as senior as Chen. Rubio introduced the Senate version of U.S. legislation calling for sanctions against Xinjiang officials, one of several measures critical of China that Cruz has also supported. Brownback, the U.S.'s ambassador at large for international religious freedom, has been outspoken about Beijing's clampdown in the region. Smith, a New Jersey Republican, is another prominent China critic in Congress. The Congressional-Executive Commission on China, a frequent target of criticism from Beijing, had earlier this year issued a report saying the country was using forced labor as part of an official policy to suppress and control its ethnic minorities. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill that would ban goods made in Xinjiang under the presumption they had been produced using forced labor. "While the two sides may fight on certain issues, they will also cooperate when they need to," said He Weiwen, a senior research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing. "The two can fight and cooperate at the same time, though it does seems there is more fighting and less cooperation recently." On Monday, Hua also dismissed a tweet reposted by the U.S. Embassy in Beijing including an image suggesting Chinese labor abuses in Xinjiang as "a badly made lie worth no refuting." "We oppose they use such inferior lies to smear and attack China," Hua said. "It shows some American people have no bottom line in attacking China." On Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at her residence, Geneva E. Rose, quietly transitioned to eternal life. A family gathering will be held from 1:00pm until memorial service 2:00pm on Friday, July 17, 2020 in the chapel of Thornton Funeral Home, P.A., 3439 Livingston Road, Indian Head, Maryland 20640. The service will be live streamed at the link below: Once on the Live-Stream page, go to the bottom right side of the screen to click on the word LIVE to increase the audio. https://www.thorntonfuneralhomepa.com/live-stream An Australian woman has shared her recipe for the $5 homemade grout cleaner that has completely 'transformed' her floors at home - and you can do it within 15 minutes. The mum, who goes by the name Mama Mila, said it is 'so satisfying' to deep clean your floors every so often - and it's not even that difficult. 'This is the $5 homemade grout cleaner that transformed my floors,' Mila captioned her video on TikTok. So how do you make it? Scroll down for video An Australian woman has shared her recipe for the $5 homemade grout cleaner that has completely 'transformed' her floors at home (pictured before and after) Mila explained that you need to mix half a cup of baking soda and a third of a cup of hydrogen peroxide in a bowl, before applying it to your floors with a scrubbing brush (pictured) First, Mila explained that you need to mix half a cup of baking soda and a third of a cup of hydrogen peroxide in a bowl, before applying it to your floors with a scrubbing brush. Mila said she used a three per cent hydrogen peroxide, which she found from Woolworths for $4. 'Leave it on for 10 minutes,' Mila said. Doing this will mean that it has the chance to absorb and soak into your floors. You should apply and leave it on for 10 minutes, before scrubbing and mopping it off with a scrubbing brush (pictured) Once the 10 minutes is up, Mila said you should 'gently scrub and mop off' the mixture with your scrubbing brush. You can then run over your floors with a mop to make sure there is nothing left on it and the floors are spotlessly clean. 'The grout is cleaned and brightened,' Mila added. Mila said the grout was 'cleaned and brightened' as a result of her $5 homemade grout cleaner (pictured cleaning) Thousands who saw the trick online said they would test it out for themselves. 'That looks so easy, I love this tip,' one woman posted. 'I can't wait to try this, I'm so excited,' another added. A third suggested you could also try it on shower tiles on the walls if they are in need of a spruce. Previously, Mila has shared how to clean a microwave in just four minutes with one cup of water and one teaspoon of washing detergent (pictured) This isn't the first household trick from Mama Mila, either. Previously, she has shared how to clean a microwave in just four minutes with one cup of water and one teaspoon of washing detergent. She said all you need to do is mix them together and put it in the microwave for four minutes. Once you take the jug out of your microwave, you should simply wipe down the inside and door with a clean cloth. DALLAS - Lawyers for a man charged with shooting scores of people in a racist attack at a Texas Walmart say their client has diagnosed mental disabilities that should be a red flag for federal prosecutors considering whether to seek the death penalty. Patrick Crusius has been diagnosed with severe, lifelong neurological and mental disabilities and was treated with antipsychotic medication following his arrest moments after the massacre in El Paso, his attorneys wrote in a court filing. The shooting left dozens wounded and ultimately killed 23 people. Soon after it, Crusius lawyers say, jail mental health staff found the 21-year-old to be in a psychotic state. Crusius mental health conditions, which have not been previously reported, were revealed in a request by his lawyers for more time to investigate these mitigating themes because of the coronavirus pandemic. The court record also states Crusius was in special education for much of his schooling, but does not elaborate on his mental health. A lawyer for his family, Christopher Ayres, declined to comment. Crusius was arrested soon after the Aug. 3 shooting. Police later said he confessed to driving to border city from his home near Dallas to target Mexicans. Soon before the attack, he posted a racist screed online that railed against Hispanics coming to the U.S., according to prosecutors. Crusius pleaded not guilty in a state case where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty but has not entered a plea to the scores of hate crime and gun charges he faces in federal court. A trial date has not been set in either case. Conviction on the federal charges could also come with a death sentence, and Crusius lawyers said in their Saturday court filing that prosecutors said theyll proceed with a decision about what sentence to seek by July 30. David Lane, a Colorado-based defence attorney, wrote that this schedule would violate Crusius constitutional rights because the virus has stalled their investigation of issues the government must consider. Lane, who is over 65, said safety concerns have blocked the defence team from doing in-person interviews since mid-March, including with Crusius, who is jailed without bond. He asked the judge to schedule a discussion of these issues for October. Federal prosecutors are opposing the request and have said the Attorney General will decide whether to seek the death penalty. They not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lane declined to comment, saying the motion speaks for itself. According to QBE Australia Pacific CEO Vivek Bhatia, the divestment marks both the beginning of an exciting chapter for what he described as a strong team at Raheja QBE and a continuation of the Sydney-headquartered insurance groups strategy to simplify its business. Commenting on Paytms swoop, president Amit Nayyar stated: It is an important milestone in Paytms financial services journey, and we are very excited to welcome Raheja QBE General Insurance into the Paytm family. Its strong management team will help us accelerate our journey of taking insurance to the large population of India with the aim to create a tech-driven, multi-channel general insurance company with innovative and affordable insurance products. Raheja QBEs offerings include private car, two-wheeler, health, property, and liability insurance. Chhattisgarh reported 184 fresh coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive cases on Sunday the highest single-day spike so far. State health department officials said that 40 personnel of paramilitary forces tested Covid-19 positive on Sunday, and two more fresh deaths were also reported from the state, as the viral outbreak-related toll rose to 19. On Sunday, 32 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), who was stationed at the 65th battalion camp at Baradera village in Raipur, tested Covid-19 positive. While the rest eight were found infected from other districts in Chhattisgarhs Bastar region, an official said. State health minister Tribhuvaneshwar Saran Singh Deo held a meeting with officials on Monday and assessed the overall pandemic situation in Chhattisgarh. State health secretary Niharika Barik Singh was also present in the meeting and issued necessary steps to officials posted in districts. Raipur district accounted for 96 of the 184 new Covid-19 positive cases, including mostly security personnel, who are at the frontline battling the viral outbreak. Raipur is reporting 13 new Covid-19 positive cases daily, which is the highest in Chhattisgarh. The state has reported 1,223 Covid-19 positive cases from July 1 until Sunday. Most of the people, who have been found to have contracted SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease, have had recent travel history, said a health official. We are scanning each and every personnel, who have returned from other states, and their swab samples are being sent daily for testing, said DM Awasthi, director-general of police (DGP), Chhattisgarh. The states Covid-19 active cases to date is 909 after 4,081 patients have recovered from the viral infection. Earlier, health secretary Singh wrote to CRPF, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Indian Army, and Service Selection Board (SSB) authorities to ensure strict compliance with the quarantine protocols. An order has been issued that whenever personnel returns to the state, they must be compulsorily quarantined for 14 days and Covid-19 tests conducted, and information about their health condition should be shared regularly with respective district collectors. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Syracuse, N.Y. Syracuse police officers accused of misconduct in at least 47 cases since 2017 cannot face discipline because the departments internal affairs investigations took too long. Among those cases are some of the most egregious allegations against police that the Citizen Review Board has reviewed, CRB administrator Ranette Releford said. The officers named in the 47 cases did not face discipline because the departments internal affairs unit failed to complete investigations within 18 months, as required by state law. That time limit set in state law aims to ensure that an accused cop gets a speedy decision, but it also potentially gives the police departments Office of Professional Standards a way to avoid discipline: just run out the clock. Nine of the cases alleged improper use of force, a police spokesman said. Others allege racial profiling, harassment and poor demeanor, Releford said. The CRB board intends to refer several of the past-deadline cases to prosecutors for potential criminal charges against the accused officer. Those referrals could happen once the OPS completes its review, Releford said. Asked if she thought the department was deliberately stalling on serious cases to save officers from discipline, she said: I would say that is an accurate assumption from some of the cases outstanding. Deputy Chief Joseph Cecile disagreed that the department is slow-walking cases. There was nothing intentional or nefarious about this, he said. It was simply a workload issue that the department is working to address. Cecile said the OPS tries to investigate cases based on when they are submitted, though sometimes complaints move to the front of the line if they are considered priorities or urgent. Citizen complaints against the police department that are filed with the Citizen Review Board immediately prompt a review by the departments professional standards unit, whose findings can result in discipline ranging from a verbal reprimand to termination. However, the unit is required to complete those investigations within 18 months, according to Section 75 of the state Civil Service Law, which applies to most public employees. If the department fails to hit the deadline, discipline is prohibited. The department is making an earnest effort to investigate all allegations of misconduct, said Sgt. Matthew Malinowski, the departments spokesman. All allegations are investigated until a resolution is reached, he said, even if 18 months elapse. All cases are investigated. To the extent that there remain cases where the investigations havent been completed within 18 months, that is most typically due to staffing limitations and the degree of thoroughness that the departments investigators must apply to each case, Malinowski said in an email. The department is unwilling to sacrifice thoroughness for rapid resolution, and wants to ensure that all complaints are properly and fully investigated, he said. The CRB has a slightly different total number of cases older than 18 months in the backlog: 48, not 47, because one case aged past the deadline on July 4, Releford said. Of those, 24 are from 2017 and 20 are from 2018, Releford has said. Michael Gennaco, a former chief of the civil rights section at a U.S. Attorneys Office in California and an expert in police reform, said the Syracuse departments inability or unwillingness to timely investigate allegations of misconduct shows a real collapse of the system. There are 45 more cases from 2019 and 2020 that have yet to be investigated by the department, though those cases have not yet reached the 18-month deadline. The OPS has historically had only two investigators one detective and one supervisor to investigate more than 100 allegations of misconduct a year. In addition, the backlogged cases older than 18 months are just the ones that originated with a complaint to the CRB, Releford said. There could be other allegations that internal affairs never sent to the board, Releford suggested. Sharing complaints between the department and the board is required by city law. It appears from police department data that the rate of cases slipping past the 18-month deadline has improved under Chief Kenton Buckner, who took over in December 2018. Just three or four cases fell past the deadline in 2019, a steep drop from the previous two years. The internal affairs units staff is handling more cases, which can originate from a citizen alleging misconduct or department officials investigating possible misconduct within their department. In 2017, there were 118 cases; in 2018, there were 109; and in 2019, there were 172 cases. Buckner has said he has tried to revamp internal affairs since taking over. When Buckner arrived, police had just one lieutenant overseeing the department and one investigator. That says were not serious about investigating ourselves, Buckner said at a forum in February 2019. Buckner added one sergeant since his tenure started, transferred a new lieutenant into the department and is working to select a third sergeant, according to Cecile and Malinowski. These measures were taken, in part, to address to shorten the backlog of cases still requiring investigation, Malinowski said. Buckner also had the division moved from police headquarters to City Hall Commons, across from the Citizen Review Board. Internal affairs departments are not supposed to be within police headquarters because it could deter someone from filing a complaint, according to best practices written by the Department of Justice. In Syracuse, the Peoples Agenda for Policing has demanded that the citizen board have the power to discipline officers. The current system allows the board only to review citizen complaints against police and recommend punishments to the police chief, who has the final say. On Thursday, the Citizen Review Board voted 7-1 to pressure the mayor and common council to adopt the demand. Buckner and Mayor Ben Walsh have said they do not support giving the CRB disciplinary power. Did you file a complaint against police that took longer than 18 months to complete? Contact Patrick Lohmann at (315)766-6670 or PLohmann@Syracuse.com. By Laman Ismayilova Vidadi Narimanbayov is regarded by many as one of the most distinctive art figures of the 20th century. The artist left a great mark in Azerbaijan's art history, mesmerizing viewers with fascinating paintings. And, as is often the case with genius artist, his personal history is just as interesting as his art. "In 1918, my grandfather, among those students, who were sent to the city of Toulouse to study engineering, while my grandmother studied there as a fashion designer. They finally met and it was love at first sight! They got married in 1926 in France in the city of Caen in Normandy, where the young people continued their studies. And then they had their first child - my father Vidadi Narimanbayov. After graduation, the newlyweds moved to live in Paris, where they worked and lived in the art district of Montparnasse. In 1930, my grandfather decided to return with his spouse, a French woman and the small son to his native Azerbaijan. In Baku, they had their second son, my uncle Togrul Narimanbayov...", the artist's daughter, Nigar Narimanbayova told Azernews. However, the Bolsheviks came to power and the Stalinist repressions began to gain momentum. In 1937, the wheel of repression gained momentum and Vidadi Narimanbayov's parents were arrested and exiled. Thus, he and his younger brother were left alone with their nanny, who remained devoted to the family until the end of her life. Since early age, Vidadi Narimanbayov decided to dedicate all his life to art. In 1943, he entered Painting School named after Azim Azimzade. The years of his formation as an artist coincided with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. In 1944, he was drafted into the army, where he served for six years. Further, Vidadi Narimanbayov studied at Saint Petersburg Art and Industry Academy. He continued his education at Tbilisi State Academy of Arts (1957-1960). His diploma work was the painting "Hard Years" inspired by the military theme. During his student years, the artist became famous his art work the "Joy of the enemy ...". The main heroes of Narimanbayov's works are soldiers, heroically fighting for their homeland, women who accompanied their husbands and sons to the frontline and children who experienced all the hardships of war. He made many sketches dedicated to the military theme while serving on the frontline. In 2009, the 90th anniversary exhibition of incredibly talented artist was held in National Art Museum. The exhibition featured landscapes and portraits painted by the prominent artist over the last years of his life. For many years, these canvases did not leave the walls of the painters workshop. The theme of patriotism runs through all his paintings. His stunning painting "Under the banner of the Motherland" was also presented for the first time in Baku. The art work was dedicated to Azerbaijani soldiers who lost their lives during the Nagorno-Karabakh War. The painting was finished just a few days before the death of the truly inspiring representative of national art. Narimanbayov's solo exhibitions were successfully held in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Finland, and other countries. This year marks the 94th anniversary of Vidadi Narimanbayov. After so many years, his stunning paintings continues to mesmerize people around the world... --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Police crime scene tape marks a perimeter outside the Luxor Las Vegas hotel and the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, following a mass shooting at the Route 91 Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., (Mike Blake/Reuters) Investigators Said Wisconsin Driver Who Killed Police Officer Was Targeting White People A former police officer from Fairfax, Wisconsin, was struck and killed by a driver on July 3, according to reports. Wisconsin authorities said that the driver had intended to hit the former police officer because he was targeting a white person. According to Fox 5 DC, Phillip Thiessen, a 55-year-old former police officer from Fairfax, was riding his motorcycle when the incident occurred. The suspect, 27-year-old Daniel Navarro, had intentionally crashed his car into Thiessens motorcycle without applying the brakes. Fox 6 Now reported that the location of the crash was in the area of Winnebago Drive and Taycheedah Way in the town of Taycheedah, Wisconsin. Witnesses at the scene of the crash were there attempting to give aid to Thiessen, but ultimately, the former police officer died from his wounds before the authorities arrived at the scene at 6:45 a.m. Navarro was also there are the scene of the crash when authorities arrived, and according to a criminal complaint, Navarro said that he intentionally swerved with intent to kill the driver, and that he had thoughts about targeting a white person and killing them with a vehicle earlier on July 3. Furthermore, Navarro said that he targeted Thiessen for being a white male who was riding on a motorcycle and that he wanted to kill Thiessen, according to the news outlet. Fox 6 Now reported that Navarro believed that he was intentionally contaminated with chemical sterilizer on a jacket by an employment supervisor in Ripon a year and a half prior, and that a friend poisoned him by giving him acid a year a and a half ago, and he believes that he is being poisoned, still, by a neighbor. Furthermore, he believes that he could hear one of his neighbors make racist comments through the walls, and that they are trying to upset him. Navarro also believes that those who are poisoning him, giving him acid, and making racist comments are all Caucasian and targeting him because he is Mexican. The City of Fairfax Police Department posted a statement on Facebook regarding Thiessens passing on July 4: It is with great heart that our department announces the passing of retired Sgt. Phil Thiessen. Sgt. Thiessen retired in 2016 and was killed [on July 3] in a motor vehicle accident in Wisconsin. He not only served the citizens of the City of Fairfax with honor from 1990-2016, but also served in the United States Marine Corps. As you can tell by this brief array of photos, he had a great sense of humor and was quite the character. You will be missed by many Phil. Fox 6 Now reported that Navarro is also charged with the use of a dangerous weapon. Despite this, according to the complaint, Navarro understands that he is wrong, and the reason why he wanted to target Thiessen is that then he would be able to go to jail and be free of his neighbors, who he believed were tormenting him. Navarro made his first court appearance on July 9, and will be returning to court on July 17. From NTD News Epstein fallout: Britains Prince Andrew giving an interview to Emily Maitlis in November last year, when he said he met the financier through Ghislaine Maxwell. Photo: Mark Harrison/BBC Ghislaine Maxwell denies introducing Britain's Prince Andrew to Jeffrey Epstein, a friend has said, contradicting claims that the prince made in a BBC television interview. In November last year, Prince Andrew told Emily Maitlis, the 'Newsnight' presenter, that he first met the financier in 1999 through Ms Maxwell. He said: "I met through his girlfriend back in 1999 who... and I'd known her since she was at university in the UK." He insisted that because of his closeness to Ms Maxwell it was inevitable he would become friends with the disgraced financier. But ahead of her court appearance in New York tomorrow on charges of procuring young girls for Epstein, friends have dismissed Prince Andrew's claims that she had introduced them. One unnamed associate of Ms Maxwell said the introduction was made by Lynn Forester in 1999 at a birthday party she was hosting for Evelyn de Rothschild, the British billionaire she would marry the next year. Expand Close British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell is due in court. Photo: Laura Cavanaugh/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell is due in court. Photo: Laura Cavanaugh/Getty Images The friend said the party took place at the Hamptons, the beach resort near New York, and insisted Ms Maxwell was not present. The friend told 'The Mail on Sunday': "Ghislaine wasn't at that party. Lynn introduced Andrew to Epstein. It was all about the money with Andrew and Epstein... there is a lot more to come out." Ms Maxwell (58) is expected to be formally charged with sex offences when she appears in court in New York via video link from a detention centre. She is expected to apply for bail offering a security of $5m (4.4m). But lawyers in the US insist she is unlikely to be granted bail due to the gravity of the charges and the fact she will be considered a flight risk. If convicted, she faces up to 35 years in prison. "In this case, the burden shifts to her to prove that she is not a flight risk," said Jodi Avergun, a former federal prosecutor of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. "She is also a citizen of at least three countries, which makes it easier for her to flee." The charges Ms Maxwell faces predate Prince Andrew's introduction to Epstein, but US prosecutors have said that they are still keen to speak to him about their association. One of Epstein's alleged victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, has claimed she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew at Ms Maxwell's London house. Prince Andrew has insisted he has no recollection of ever meeting Ms Giuffre and has denied her claims. ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] The family of a US serviceman whose remains were found during the search for another missing soldier says the Army is denying him a burial with full military honors by falsely claiming he was a deserter. The remains of Pvt. Gregory Scott Morales, 24, of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, was found last month in Killeen, Texas, the host town of the Fort Hood Army base. His skeletal remains were discovered during the search for Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, 20. But his family is ineligible to collect a $400,000 life insurance policy because the military says Morales went AWOL before he died. It's frustrating and sad, because like I said he gave his life, and was willing to give his life for his country and was deployed twice, Nick Wedel, Morales brother, told KXXV-TV. The body of Pvt. Gregory Scott Morales, 24, of Oklahoma, was found on June 19 in a field near the 3200 block of Florence Road near Killeen, Texas after officials at the nearby Fort Hood base received a tip. He had disappeared from the base last August The remains of Private First-Class Vanessa Guillen, 20, were found days after the skeletal remains of Morales were discovered. She was reported missing from Fort Hood on April 22 shortly after she told her family she was being sexually harassed and felt unsafe They are just treating him like trash, like he doesn't matter. He added: We can't do a military funeral, because he's considered a civilian and basically a criminal. So anything that we want to do, we have to pay for ourselves. The life insurance... we don't get the life insurance and we don't get to bury him with military honors like we wanted to next to his uncle and his grandfather who is a retired major and where he wants to be buried. A team of about 30 volunteers discovered the remains on June 19 while searching for Spc Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old servicemember who was also stationed at Fort Hood. Guillen was last seen alive on April 22. Morales remains were found in a field near the 3200 block of Florence Road after officials at the nearby base received a tip of a body there, according to Killeen police. Foul play is suspected while an autopsy is pending to determine the cause and manner of death, according to a release from Army CID public affairs chief Chris Grey. The family is demanding that the Army give Morales a burial with full military honors. But the Army declared Morales a deserter. He disappeared just days before he was scheduled to end his military service. 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. A $25,000 reward was being offered for information about his death Both Morales and Guillen were stationed at the Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen, Texas Kim Wedel, Morales mother, told the Army Times that she has fought from Day One with military officials who informed her that her son was AWOL. Military investigators told Wedel that Morales left his base on his own and there was no proof that anything bad happened to him. The proof is he disappeared, Wedel said. He had no money and hes not answering the phone. Theres something wrong. She added: I was kind of ignored. So far, police and military investigators have shared few details as to what happened to Morales. But Kim Wedel hopes that an autopsy, whose results are due sometime in the next few weeks, will reveal not only how her son died but when he died. Weve been told hes a deserter unless the autopsy results come back and prove that hes been dead since he disappeared, Wedel said. I dont know if an autopsy can be that specific, but it would be pretty strange to assume he just disappeared for a few months and then was killed right outside the base. Local law enforcement officials who are investigating Morales death confirmed that they suspect foul play. The Killeen Police Department can confirm that foul play is suspected, Ofelia Miramontez, a spokeswoman for the department, told the Army Times. Since the investigation is ongoing, we are not going to release any other information at this time. Morales was last seen in his personal vehicle in Killeen on August 19, 2019. He was driving his Black KIA Rio with temporary Texas license plates. After Morales went missing, the case went cold until May, when Wedels daughter-in-law, who is married to Morales brother, found his car on Carfax. The website said that it was sold at auction in Dallas this past December. Officials at the Fort Hood army base in Texas announced an investigation into missing woman Vanessa Guillen's claims she was sexually harassed last week Authorities said suspect Spc Aaron David Robinson (left) killed himself after Guillen's body was discovered. Cecily Aguilar (right), 22, the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood soldier, was arrested last week on suspicion she helped Robinson dismember and dispose of Guillen's body Wedel said that when she contacted the Army, they told her that they had recovered the vehicle in January and neglected to let her know. You dont think that would be something to tell us? Why keep that a secret? Wedel asked. That was the first time that they even came close to admitting they might have screwed up, and maybe something did happen to him since they recovered the car and he wasnt with it. Wedel asked the Army to put up a reward for her missing son in September, but none was posted. It took until April for things to change. That was when the Army offered $15,000 to anyone with information about another missing Fort Hood soldier, 20-year-old Spc Vanessa Guillen. Wedel emailed the Army on April 29 and then made a telephone call demanding to know why no similar reward was posted for her son. It sounds very selfish, but they immediately put out a reward for information for her, Wedel said. In September, they told me they were working on a reward for Greg, and so when hers popped up that fast, I said, Hey, come on, whats the deal? The next day, the Army offered a $15,000 reward in connection to her sons case. It was since raised to $25,000. Days after Morales remains were found, investigators also discovered the remains of Guillen. It has been alleged that Guillen was bludgeoned to death at the armory in Fort Hood by a fellow soldier with a hammer. Authorities have arrested one suspect in the case but a second suspect identified as Spc Aaron David Robinson killed himself just hours after Guillen's body was discovered. Robinson fled Fort Hood on Tuesday night before he could be arrested by Army investigators. He shot himself when officials caught up with him early Wednesday morning, officials said. Cecily Aguilar, 22, the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood soldier, was arrested last week on suspicion she helped Robinson dismember and dispose of Guillen's body. She is being held on a conspiracy to tamper charge at Bell County Jail and could face 20 years in jail and a $250,000 fine if convicted. Wedel thanked the Guillen family for raising awareness about her sons case. In a video message last month, Fort Hood Deputy Commander Major General Scott Efflandt pleaded for information on Guillens whereabouts saying: 'We want to bring Vanessa home as efficiently and as rapidly as possible' Soldiers from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment conduct ongoing searches of the training area at Fort Hood, Texas, for missing Trooper Pfc. Vanessa Guillen on June 18 Soldiers pictured searching for Guillen from June 17 to 18 east of the Fort Hood base Her family did a lot to help me out, Wedel said. That is one thing Im truly thankful for her family for doing, keeping his name out there. Because since the beginning, [the Army and local police] basically told me I was on my own to find him. Wedel said her son was having personal issues at the time of his disappearance. She said her son was saving money to hire a divorce lawyer. Morales took his wifes name after marrying her, according to Wedel. Legally, she has the say-so in everything that happens to him, but she has graciously said that anything we want to do, shell let us, Wedel said. So we want to bring him back to Oklahoma. 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. During his service, he was deployed to Korea and Kuwait. He also earned commendation medals. Wedel said her son was demoted at one time for falling asleep on duty but he was still on track to receive an honorable discharge. She said that on the night of her sons disappearance, he went to a club and later met up with some friends, but she does not know their names. Investigators have not divulged any information about the case so it is not known if these individuals were interviewed. So whoever he was with that night is the key to all this, Wedel said. If theyre not involved, they have to still know something. The Armys Criminal Investigation Department is cooperating with Killeen police on the Morales case. The military said that it will re-examine Morales status after the results of the autopsy are released. Whole body positron emission tomography (PET) has, for the first time, illustrated the existence of inter-organ communication between the heart and kidneys via the immune system following acute myocardial infarction, or heart attack. According to research presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging's 2020 Annual Meeting, the identification of a systemic inflammatory response to myocardial infarction has the potential to assist physicians in identifying patients most at risk of disease progression and most likely to respond to therapy. Patients with acute myocardial infarction often develop impaired kidney function, thought to be mediated by the activation and mobilization of immune cells, or inflammation. While inflammation is necessary for effective healing, uncontrolled inflammatory cell activity can be detrimental for both the heart and the kidneys. To further understand the mechanics of this bidirectional interaction, researchers conducted a preclinical analysis of a novel imaging agent that targets inflammatory cells after myocardial infarction. Using serial whole-body CXCR4-targeted 68Ga-pentixafor PET, researchers imaged 65 mice after surgically-induced myocardial infarction or sham surgery at one day, three days, seven days and six weeks. Tracer retention was determined in the kidneys and compared to infarct signal and cardiac function, as measured independently by magnetic resonance. Cardiac CXCR4 signal was significantly elevated on the first day of imaging and returned to sham level after seven days. Renal CXCR4 signal was unchanged on the first day of imaging, but was reduced after seven days as compared to sham levels. Cardiac and renal signal were directly correlated, suggesting an inflammatory link between the heart and the kidneys. Ex-vivo autoradiography confirmed a significant correlation between tracer retention in the myocardial infarction region and the kidneys. "This study provides a foundation for simultaneous examination of heart and kidneys after myocardial infarction by using molecular imaging," noted Rudolf Werner, MD, PhD, resident in the department of nuclear medicine at Hannover Medical School in Hannover, Germany. "It provides an impetus for the pursuit of systems-based multi-organ imaging to investigate systemic response to focal injury." He continued, "Assessment of inflammation after myocardial infarction is beginning to be evaluated in clinical populations. With the growth of long-bore cameras with larger fields of view, the concept of multi-organ imaging will expand substantially in the next years. In the future, nuclear medicine techniques may identify the optimal patient and time point for anti-inflammatory therapy, and identify the added risk to off-target organs after primary injury." ### Abstract 28. "Imaging inflammation crosstalk along the cardio-renal axis after acute myocardial infarction," Rudolf Werner, Annika Hess, Tobias Ross, James Thackeray and Frank Bengel, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Garching, Germany, Department of Kidney, Liver and Metabolic Diseases, Children's Hospital, Hannover Medical School, Hannover Germany, and Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Hans Wester, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Garching, Germany; and Anette Melk, Department of Kidney, Liver and Metabolic Diseases, Children's Hospital, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. SNMMI's 67th Annual Meeting, July 11-14, 2020. This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG), through the PRACTIS - Clinical Scientist Program of Hannover Medical School (ME 3696/3-1). All 2020 SNMMI Annual Meeting abstracts can be found online at http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/61/supplement_1.toc. About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, vital elements of precision medicine that allow diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. SNMMI's members set the standard for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine practice by creating guidelines, sharing information through journals and meetings and leading advocacy on key issues that affect molecular imaging and therapy research and practice. For more information, visit http://www.snmmi.org. The humanities fees hike, neoliberal ideology, and plagues The humanities should constitute the core of any university worth the name. In 1967, Noam Chomsky wrote American Power and the New Mandarins, a devastatingly accurate dissection of American imperial ruthlessness. It was, and still is, a devastating critique of American intellectuals: his new mandarins being those who, through their silence, remain subservient to those in power. He goes on to say It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and to expose lies. Chomsky, whilst directing his thoughts to both Nazi rationality and the myth of Americas perceived role as Gods representative on Earth, explored the rise of the new mandarins and what has, in fact, created them. His book, written during the rabid anti-communist ideology of the Cold War and the Vietnam War, questions the moral rectitude behind the use of Americas superior technology to lay waste both North Korea and Vietnam. He spoke of the militarisation of his country even worse in 2020 and hoped: that the struggle against racism and exploitation at home can be linked with the struggle to remove the heavy Yankee boot from the necks of oppressed people throughout the world. Chomsky implied that his new mandarins of the 1960s were unprepared for any intellectual interpretation and were incapable of focusing with any rational commitment to the end result. Their view of life is purely one of expediency, which he blamed on the swing in colleges from a training in classical studies to one that emphasised political and economic values. He implied that such emphasis produces a peculiar congeniality towards war. This critique is particularly apt in 2020 after the Australian Liberal governments announcement of a doubling in fees for degrees in the humanities, whilst reducing fees in science subjects in order to incentivise students to make more job-relevant decisions about their education. Morrisons marauders have seen this as an ideal opportunity, whilst were distracted by the pandemic, to re-shape our universities towards an American model under which the humanities have declined not seen as worthy as STEM fields; that is, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In order not to produce mandarins, we need the humanities in order to communicate in this increasingly complicated world. Foreign languages are crucial as are philosophy and ethics which ask the important questions keeping us from crossing moral lines in politics, science, and life generally. Law and politics change outdated laws. The humanities help sustain democracy and teach us to be informed citizens. All this enhances dealings with other countries and, combined with the skills in logic and critical reasoning offered by the humanities, were able to make more intelligent and thoughtful economic decisions. It has been proved that the humanities have benefits providing values that are equal to the STEM fields of knowledge: they are vital in understanding human cultures, ethics (currently in short supply in Canberra) and critical thinking. And what an amazing sense of timing, when COVID-19 has knocked the stuffing out of most of our universities, with their over-reliance on the income provided by international students! It is one of the most ill-considered, anti-intellectual government initiatives and goes a long way to producing more fact-driven, mandarins whose creative intelligence is formed solely toward the solution of political and industrial problems. It would appear that the culture of the Coalition cabinet is one that creates its own economic reality a reality that even dispenses with Adam Smiths laws of supply and demand. With this in mind, perhaps our politicians need to go back to school. Now, over fifty years after Chomskys ruminations, Australia is rapidly becoming another American State: our country having been formed by the same old colonial ethics and ideologies of superiority and exploitation. We follow blindly the anti-Chinese rhetoric, cutting off our nose to spite our face. Post-pandemic might be a good time for reflection about the kind of country in which we find ourselves and the kind of society we wish to create. This threat to humanity has disrupted the way we think, and caused many to question their priorities: maybe showing us the error of our ways? We work for a pittance, mortgaged up to the eyeballs whilst seeing a privileged few making millions and often destroying the earth doing so. The diabolic fires in the Eastern states concentrated our minds on the inevitability of even worse future catastrophes exacerbated by climate change. In the fires aftermath people were, quite rightly, enraged by government inaction and denial. Why werent the intellectuals, scientists, environmentalists, ecologists, etc., dominating the news, hammering at the doors of parliament demanding instant action and effective environmental legislation from our fossil fuel-loving politicians? Unfortunately, that rage has been quelled by COVID-19, which has seen the populace subjected (for the benefit of all) to what, in normal circumstances would be unconscionable limitations on civil liberties. The sudden spectre of a life-threatening virus immediately relegated the threat of climate change catastrophes in the next 20-30 years to the back of the bus. Although I dare say that for those now freezing in tents and/or caravans, and affected mentally by the hellish conflagrations of the summer of 2019, climate change is still very much on their minds. Its imperative now to put it back on the political agenda. Then came the murder of African-American, George Floyd. Overt racism has been constant over the centuries in America, but the filming of the contempt for a black mans life shown by a white policeman and watched by three other white policemen who should be upholding the law opened the floodgates of a rage which has long simmered below the surface. For Australians, the triumvirate of fire, virus and racism has united us to look in depth at our priorities and at what kind of society we want. So, in this post-pandemic society, what is really important to us? Suddenly, were questioning the direction in which capitalism has taken us. Morrisons largesse to protect the bedrock of our society has made us realise how that society has been structured politically, culturally, economically, and racially to subordinate the majority while privileging the elite few. This has been particularly successful in the way the race card has been used to divide the working class. Racism is a historically specific ideology that has evolved as a constituent element within capitalism: another facet of its divide and rule philosophy. In Capital Marx wrote (in relation to slavery), that Labour cannot emancipate itself in the white skin where in the black it is branded. Reverting once more to Chomskys book, theres a reference to Conor Cruise OBriens observation on American society equally relevant in contemporary Australia that we have moved perceptibly towards the state of a society maimed through the systematic corruption of its intelligence which warrants vigilance from the intellectual community about the growing threat to its integrity. There has been a gradual erosion of integrity and critique amongst intellectuals concerning the undemocratic policy-making of governments globally, and locally as shown by this latest assault on university education. Prior to COVID-19 came promises of a better future if only those dispossessed would have patience heard that before as the meek will inherit the earth? The inequality will disappear remember Hawkes promise that By 1990, no Australian child will be living in poverty which still rings in our ears? And our apathetic, obedient majority, with its mind and conscience still dulled by a surfeit of commodities and a new version of Matthew 5:5. So, what should we expect from our government? Australians have now realised that car pollution caused by travelling to work is unnecessary when they could work from home. The reduced air pollution caused by flying and millions of cars could not be ignored. The damage we all do to the environment became painfully apparent and many have begun to re-think lifestyles. What is needed now is to convince our political representatives our mandarins that drastic changes are necessary. Something about ideology? Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-13 23:23:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Deep budget cuts to education and rising poverty worldwide caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could force at least 9.7 million children out of school forever by the end of this year, a London-based children charity warned Monday. The world is facing a hidden education emergency as COVID-19 would leave an estimated 77 billion U.S. dollars gap in education spending for the world's poorest children over the next 18 months, said Save the Children in its Save Our Education report. A vulnerability index in the report showed that in 12 countries, mainly in West and Central Africa along with Yemen and Afghanistan, children are at extremely high risk of not returning to school after the lockdown lift -- especially girls. In another 28 countries children are at moderate or high risk of not going back to school and of the longer-term effects of widening inequalities. Ten countries and regions, including China, Russia and Argentina, are rated as low risk. Kevin Watkins, CEO of Save the Children UK, said: "Around 10 million children may never return to school -- this is an unprecedented education emergency and governments must urgently invest in learning." The reported said before the outbreak, 258 million children and adolescents were already out of school. Currently, more than 1 billion children are out of school due to the global pandemic. Despite the efforts of governments and organisations, some 500 million children had no access to distance learning, and many of the poorest children may not have literate parents who can help them. Having lost out on months of learning, many children will struggle to catch up, raising the likelihood of drop out, said the report. Save the Children was founded in 1919 in London. Its organisations have been established in 29 nations around the world. Enditem With the crucial Congress Legislature Party meeting scheduled to take place at 10.30 am in Jaipur, the party has made it clear that any indiscipline would not be tolerated. The CLP meeting will be attended by All India Congress Committee observers Ajay Maken and Randeep Surjewala and AICC in-charge for Rajasthan Avinash Pandey. The party has issued a whip to mandate the presence of all the party's MLAs during Monday morning meeting. Pandey said that "Whip has been issued to give a message to all MLAs to be present and if anybody fails to come strict disciplinary action will be taken against any legislator who doesn't attend the meeting." On the issue of deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot reportedly being in the national capital he said, "I have tried to speak to him and have sent messages to him also but he has not replied. Pilot is not above the rest. He is like other MLAs and will also have to face action. Party is ready to listen to Pilot but within the frame of discipline." "No indiscipline will be tolerated but I am hopeful that he will turn up for the meeting," he added. Pande said that 109 MLAs have signed a letter of support to the chief minister. "As many as 109 MLAs have signed the letter to express full confidence in the Congress government led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Some other MLAs have spoken to the chief minister over the phone and they will also sign the letter," he told reporters at the CM's residence in Jaipur in the wee hours. In the 200-member Rajasthan assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72. The Congress also has the support of 10 out of 13 independents, and other party MLAs like Rashtriya Lok Dal (1), which is its ally. The Congress also considers Bhartiya Tribal Party (2) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (2) MLAs as their supporters. Much has been written about China following the clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley. These discussions have often suggested that the Indian corporate sector should in some way exact retribution on China. The government has, perhaps, with some merit, banned a number of Chinese apps. Others have encouraged consumers to boycott Chinese goods. Neither address the basic issue that needs to be fixed, which was more accurately pinpointed by in jest by a senior Chinese media figure. This gentleman commented that an economic dispute with China was farcical because there were no Indian goods that the Chinese could boycott. There is a deep resonance in this satirical remark. No mechanism to strengthen Indias influence with respect to China can be created without a unidimensional determination to become an economic superpower. There are choices to be made. India must also, as China has done, build up financial reserves through the creation of industrial powerhouse companies. This requires a combination of cheap financing for domestic companies and possibly a devalued currency. India must substitute the mental hang-ups that have prevented it from systematically adopting these practices if it is to gain greater economic relevance. Since great economic institutions require capital, we need to relook at the ease of business processes which attract capital. In the case of China, local governments have been incentivised to run their provinces in the manner most likely to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). Those who have done business in China speak of the overwhelming support they get from local governments. These include the identification of land, provision of ready lists of architects and contractors, free legal services, often to the point of providing dosa makers to encourage engineers to work there. The nature of factory inspections tends to be infrequent in contrast to the Indian licence-permit raj. International capital has choices and will naturally flow where it is made most welcome. China is simply easier to do business in. India has followed a different growth path. That path influences how vigorously we can respond to Galwan. Building economic powerhouses can also mean supporting national champion companies, as Japan and South Korea have done. India has been beset by concerns that such choices are prone to nepotism and the misuse of scarce national resources. It needs to enquire why these negative externalities of national choice were not equally applicable in Japan and South Korea. Even the United States (US), portrayed as a champion of market freedom, selectively awarded contracts for European/Iraqi reconstruction to a handful of chosen American companies. These policies did not result in the preferred companies falling to the lowest common denominator of quality. Instead, they often became world leaders in their chosen industries. China has systematically sought to develop its soft power through investment, aid to countries, influence over multilateral institutions and the provision of research funding to universities around the world. It has chosen to be the driver behind the creation of banking institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank. While these banks or universities are all professionally-managed institutions, such largesse provides China with a degree of soft influence that others do not possess. Most meaningful infrastructure in Africa is today built by China with quid pro quos in play. These include preferential access to manganese, cobalt and other rare earth metals. China should not be blamed for this, as it is only copying the playbook used by European nations earlier. India is free to also make these choices. We need to introspect why, for instance, Indian apps could not become the world standard. An argument may be made that in a democratic country, other policy choices are also important. Social justice has its place and economic growth cannot be the sole criteria for decision-making. These choices are not mutually exclusive or unique to us. It is Indias resistance to common sense reforms in labour, land or judicial processes has also led to an attenuation of economic wealth and the concomitant inability to push back against China. India needs to want economic success as badly as China does. If this desire is too mitigated by its desire to address many other issues such as retribution for past injustices, regional or linguistic reaffirmation, or fears about elite domination, the country may fall short of its optimal economic potential. At a philosophical level, it is entirely possible for a country to be successful and satisfied, with the kind of balance India has apparently sought, between being a mid-level economic power while also a disorganised democracy. However, in a world where the metric of power is largely Gross Domestic Product per capita, such a nation will need to accept a position of lesser influence. These choices can cause the angst of seeing others whom we may consider the bad guys finishing first. This government, more than others in the past, believes in an aligned pan-national vision around a common goal. This dispute with China provides an opportunity for policymakers to introspect about the choices we have made, as a nation. The road to victory in Galwan runs through the choices made in bureaucracy, the judicial system and the legislature. Govind Sankaranarayanan, former COO and CFO at Tata Capital, is currently vice chairman at ESG Fund ECube Investment Advisors The views expressed are personal Former U.S. Ambassador Charles Ray to discuss diplomacy, military service by Pete Rosenbery CARBONDALE, Ill. Charles Ray, a former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia and Zimbabwe, will reflect about the challenges of military service and diplomacy in a discussion next week hosted by Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. Ray will also share his views on the nations efforts to become a more inclusive society during his conversation with John T. Shaw, Institute director. The free event is at 1 p.m. July 21 and is open to the public. Registration is required and closes when the virtual discussion starts. Rays half-century in public service includes 20 years with the U.S. Army where his posts included Europe, Asia, and two tours in Vietnam during the war. He entered the U.S. Department of State in 1982. In addition to his two stints as an ambassador, Ray was the first U.S. Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, opening the Consulate General in 1998. Extensive foreign service experience Ray retired as a major in the U.S. Army in 1982. His diplomatic experience includes serving as ambassador to Cambodia from November 2002 to July 2005 and later as ambassador to Zimbabwe from October 2009 to until September 2012 when he retired from public service. From 2006 to 2009, Ray served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs. Ambassador Ray enjoyed a truly remarkable career in both the military and diplomatic corps. He will offer insights about American foreign policy and America that few other people could provide, Shaw said. He will provide perspectives on leadership that are drawn from a half century of inspiring public service. Ray is an author of more than 30 fiction and non-fiction works, including his 2008 memoir, Things I Learned from My Grandmother About Leadership and Life. The discussion with Ray part of the Institutes series with historians, political analysts, and state and national leaders. This is the 11th in the series, which began in late April, and has featured speakers including author and historian David M. Kennedy, former United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, Rahm Emanuel, former Chicago mayor, U.S. Congressman and White House adviser, and Leon Panetta, former U.S. Secretary of Defense and CIA director. Registration open for Rays conversation Registration for the free ZOOM meeting is available in advance. After completing registration, participants will receive an email confirmation with information about joining the meeting, along with the meeting ID and password. Participants have an opportunity when they register to submit a question to Ray by email at paulsimoninstitute@siu.edu or by including it in the Questions and Comments section on the registration form. More information on the Institutes events is available at paulsimoninstitute.siu.edu/event-information/. (Newser) Zindzi Mandela, South Africa's current ambassador to Denmark and the youngest daughter of the late Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, is dead at age 59. She died early Monday at a hospital in Johannesburg, per a statement from the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa. The cause of death hasn't yet been revealed. "Zindzi will not only be remembered as a daughter of our struggle heroes, Tata Nelson and Mama Winnie Mandela, but as a struggle heroine in her own right," Naledi Pandor, the country's minister of international relations, said in a statement, per CNN. "She served South Africa well." story continues below It was Zindzi Mandela who, in 1985 at a crowded public meeting, read her father's statement aloud rebuffing then-South African leader PW Botha's offer for his conditional release from prison, per the BBC. She started her ambassadorship to Denmark in 2015, the AP notes. Last year, Mandela became embroiled in a controversy over land rights, demanding whites return property to dispossessed Black South Africans. "We mourn the passing of a fearless political activist who was a leader in her own right," Ramaphosa tweeted Monday morning, adding that the timing of Mandela's death was especially poignant, as Nelson Mandela's 102nd birthday would have been on Saturday. With Zindzi Mandela's death, only two of Nelson Mandela's six children are still living. Zindzi Mandela is survived by her husband and four children. (Read more Nelson Mandela stories.) About 250,000 people in Manila will go back into lockdown, an official said Monday, as the number of new coronavirus infections in the Philippines surges. Residents in Navotas, one of 16 cities that make up the sprawling capital of 12 million people, will have to stay home for a fortnight, just six weeks after emerging from one of the world's longest lockdowns. "I am not sure if this is a solution, but I am certain that if I do this the number of cases will not increase," Navotas city mayor Toby Tiangco told a radio station. Navotas, one of the poorest areas of Manila and home to its main fishing port, has 931 confirmed cases and 59 deaths, according to local government figures. But the number of new infections has spiked in the past two weeks. "We have no choice but to do it because people are so stubborn," said Tiangco, referring to people flouting social distancing rules. The order is expected to take effect on Wednesday or Thursday, Tiangco told AFP, adding the full set of guidelines was still being finalised. Residents will be allowed to go to work, but outdoor exercise will be banned. Shops and businesses can remain open but restaurants will only be allowed to do take-aways. Tiangco said he has asked the capital's police chief to deploy troops to enforce the orders and arrest violators. Quarantine measures to contain the virus vary across the Philippines, but the strictest and longest lockdown was in Manila, the centre of the country's outbreak. It shut down in mid-March and only began to reopen at the beginning of June with limited public transport and offices permitted to have skeleton staff. Since then lockdowns have been re-imposed on several neighbourhoods as cases jumped, but the stay-at-home order for Navotas will be the biggest. The tough measures have hurt millions of workers in Manila, which accounts for more than a third of the country's economic output. But the relaxation of rules and the return of thousands of overseas workers have seen a surge in the number of new cases across the country. - Tighter restrictions - The Philippines has the second highest number of infections in Southeast Asia, with more than 57,000 cases and 1,599 deaths. Indonesia tops the regional rankings with more than 75,000 cases. A record 2,539 new cases were reported on July 8 and the figure has been over 1,000 most days this month. On Monday, the health department reported more than 2,000 fresh infections for the previous day and a record 162 new fatalities, but it included deaths that had not been counted in recent months. Researchers from the University of the Philippines project the total number of cases could top 80,000 by the end of July. Private hospitals Makati Medical Center and St. Luke's Medical Center said Monday they had reached full capacity for treating COVID-19 patients. Secretary Carlito Galvez, who heads the inter-agency task force spearheading the government's response to COVID-19, said Monday restrictions would be tightened in some areas. President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to announce details Wednesday. Florida on Sunday reported a record 15,300 new coronavirus cases, the most by any state in a single day and a bleak sign of the United States's failure to control the pandemic about six months after the first infection surfaced in the country. The number was the result of increased testing and widespread community transmission that has affected the state's population centers as well as its rural areas. It shattered previous highs of 11,694 reported by California last week and 11,571 reported by New York on April 15. "With Florida largely open for business, I don't expect this surge to slow," wrote Natalie Dean, an assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida. The latest spike puts Florida at the center of the country's faltering pandemic response, highlighting the ongoing struggle of state governments to gain an edge on the virus as the White House maintains its largely hands-off approach. The seven-day average for daily new cases nationwide, considered a more reliable indicator of the virus's impact than single-day totals, has risen almost 165% over the past month, from 20,594 in the second week of June to 54,499 at the end of last week, according to tracking by The Washington Post. The country's daily death toll also increased last week after months of decline. In the last week alone, Florida reported nearly 70,000 new cases, the most of any state. An influx of coronavirus patients is straining the Sunshine State's hospitals, and coronavirus-related deaths in the state are trending upward after leveling off in the late spring. Amid the soaring numbers, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has stuck to an aggressive reopening plan. In addition to guests returning to Disney World, state officials recently ordered schools to reopen five days a week in the new academic year, drawing objections from local leaders. The state is set to hold the Republican National Convention next month in Jacksonville's VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, an indoor facility that seats about 15,000 people. The governor sought to project calm at a news conference Saturday, emphasizing that many new coronavirus patients were young and healthy. DeSantis added that he believed the risk to schoolchildren was low, though health experts say it remains unclear what role children and teenagers play in transmitting the virus. DeSantis also voiced concern about Florida's rate of positive test results climbing into the double digits. Shortly before Florida announced the new cases on Sunday, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made rounds on news talk shows, where she continued to pressure schools to reopen. In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," she said she would like to see closed schools be the "exception" rather than the norm. Asked about surging caseloads in much of the country, she replied that schools could respond to "little flare-ups" in the future but that they should generally be open for full-time learning. DeVos added on "Fox News Sunday" that the Trump administration was looking at "all the options" for pulling federal funding from schools that don't open in the fall. Her remarks drew criticism from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., while the government health official in charge of testing signaled that the virus was still spreading too quickly to allow children to return to classrooms. DeVos, Trump and other senior administration officials spent much of last week leaning on schools to reopen. They said children suffer academically, socially and emotionally when they are away from school and said remote learning this spring was a disaster for many families, points that outside experts also have made. And they said it was impossible for some parents to return to work if their children are at home. Trump allies also see a political imperative in persuading voters that the nation is recovering from the pandemic, which will be difficult if millions of families' lives are still upended by school closures. Last week, a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis estimated that there are nearly 1.5 million teachers, about 1 in 4, who are older than 65 or have health conditions that put them at higher risk of serious illness if they were to contract covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Asked about the finding, DeVos said there are ways for teachers to continue to work and that districts should collaborate with those teachers to "figure out the best scenario for those teachers." Pelosi called DeVos's message "malfeasance and dereliction of duty" in an interview with CNN on Sunday, and she accused the Trump administration of "messing with the health of our children." Pelosi urged Trump to invoke the Defense Production Act to make sure schools had access to personal protective equipment as the academic year approaches. She also said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should take the lead in mandating health guidelines, rather than just offering guidance. In Florida's Miami-Dade County, Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said students could return to classrooms six weeks from now if people adhered to restrictions such as wearing masks and practicing social distancing. But the decision would require buy-in from the community and must be dictated by science, he said. "We need the science to drive the practice rather than politics influencing what is legitimately a community concern," Carvalho told NBC News's "Meet the Press," adding that the positivity rate in the county had gone from 6% to 29.1% in recent months. Even in places that have not registered a sharp rise in new cases, officials are resisting instructions to bring students back. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, said Sunday during an appearance on "Meet the Press" that his state would not be "rushed into" fully reopening schools and that it would take a hybrid approach to education during the pandemic. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, has said she wants schools to be able to reopen, but rising case numbers make it "very much in question." In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said local officials will decide whether to open their schools based on the spread of the virus there. "What we need to address is safely reopening the schools, and we need to make that a foundational principle," he said Wednesday at a news conference. "That to me is not negotiable." Nationwide, new cases reached record levels in several states over the weekend. Seven-day averages for new cases hit new highs in 18 states, including California, Georgia, Kentucky and Texas. Deaths were trending upward in nearly every major region of the country, with seven-day averages for new deaths setting records in Arizona, Florida, Mississippi and Texas. Current coronavirus-related hospitalizations reached new highs in Arkansas, Montana, South Carolina and Utah. Intensive care units in other hot spots, including Florida's Miami-Dade County and California's Riverside County, were dangerously close to full capacity. "We've definitely had a sharp increase in the number of people going to the hospital, the number of people that are in ICU and the number of people that are on ventilators," Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union." "We still have capacity, but it does cause me a lot of concern." New testing, meanwhile, is slowing nationwide after increasing throughout the spring. About 4.6 million diagnostic tests were administered in the U.S. last week, compared with about 4.5 million the previous week, according to the Covid Tracking Project. Brett Giroir, an assistant health and human services secretary who is the government's coronavirus testing coordinator, pushed back against Trump's criticism of the CDC's guidance for schools. "When we get the virus more under control, then we can really think about how we put children back in the classroom," Giroir said during an appearance on ABC News. He painted a dim picture of what's to come in the months ahead, saying he expects the number of hospitalizations and deaths to rise. He said the country would need "tens of millions of more tests a month" as seasonal respiratory infections return in the fall. "We were hopeful that it would diminish in the summer, but we didn't count on it," Giroir said. "And, yes, there's a possibility it could be worse in the fall, and we are all continuing to increase everything we do." - - - The Washington Post's Robert Costa and Renae Merle contributed to this report. In a blow to Big Bankers, a small Washington town of Tenino has started minting its own wooden currency amidst the Coronavirus crisis. By having its own local currency Tenino wants to keep the money in the community. In a blow to Big Bankers, a small Washington town of Tenino has started minting its own wooden currency amidst the Coronavirus crisis The currency has the name of the town, Tenino superimposed on the image of a bat The wooden note contains the words COVID relief accompanied with the Latin phrase Habemus autem sub potestate in cursive, which suggests, We have it under control in cursive, which suggests, Residents of Tenino, who are below the poverty line receive money from the $10000 fund; when they apply for it If approved, they are given Teninos wooden local currency which are worth $25 each Every resident can acquire 12 wooden notes or $300 on a monthly basis By having its own local currency Tenino wants to keep the money in the community As the United States government suffers from losses incurred due to the coronavirus crisis; the local government of towns like Tenino in the state of Washington are coming up with innovate, revolutionary methods to combat and mitigate the impact of the pandemic. They have proposed a unique solution to enable its residents to fulfil their needs and to withstand and overcome their financial urgencies. $25 local currency made of Wood It was in a town meeting that Wayne Fournier, the mayor of Tenino, Washington was motivated to implement a big idea, that has so much prospect. Tenino started printing its own $25 local currency made of wood, reported Reuters. The currency has the name of the town, Tenino superimposed on the image of a bat with the words COVID relief accompanied with the Latin phrase Habemus autem sub potestate in cursive, which suggests, We have it under control. The situation Fournier said that he had plans for creating new jobs in Tenino. But the lockdown bought everything to a standstill. A lot of start-ups and businesses have already announced that they are not going to reopen, and the others are seeking financial help and support. The town of Tenino is also impoverished as compared to rest of the Washington State. There is a higher rate of poor people, says Fournier. Tenino needs to come up with a solution to combat the problems it is going through. Global productive capacity has shrunk significantly as a consequence of the lockdown. Even important things like personal protective equipment and ventilators are in short supply just because people are not able to work due of the current outbreak. Fourniers Currency Program Residents of Tenino, who are below the poverty line receive money from the $10000 fund; when they apply for it. If approved, they are given Teninos wooden local currency which are worth $25 each. Every resident can acquire 12 wooden notes or $300 on a monthly basis. There are certain restrictions on how the residents can spend the money. The money cannot be used to buy lottery tickets, cigarettes and alcohol because the currency is designed to serve essential needs of food, medicine, education and daycare. Practically all business in Tenino accept the wooden notes. And to turn these notes into cash they have to submit Redemption Requests. Why Wooden Currency? The reason for the implementation of this wooden currency is simply that; by having its own local currency Tenino wants to keep the money in the community. It went 1930s viral The wooden currency can revitalize the local economy as it did during December 1931, when Teninos only bank shop closed. Don Major, a local newspaper publisher put across the brilliant idea With no bank, Tenino could make its own local currency. Then Major with other officials who agreed to do so minted notes on Sitka spruce. Fourier puts it as, It went 1930s viral. Money now really grows on trees! Business started paying with these wooden local currencies and flourished. Susan Witt says, It is a very grim time for small businesses. Many wont survive. She has the opinion that a currency managed locally is an excellent choice to address local needs. The future plan Fournier is optimistic, he says We will run out this program. And then we will look into having our own city currency. Many benefits of this innovative idea are already being leveraged; this probably provides a hint of the unforeseen future. It is still too soon to know what this idea brings and serves for. Fournier views this as a step to overcome the unprecedented losses and overcome the anticipated losses happening due to crisis. Despite over 100 days since the town first went into lockdown on March 25, the plight of hundreds of guest workers, who still find no way to return to their home state, remains unchanged. Forced to stay in dilapidated buildings in various parts of the town, the workers are still waiting for news of a Shramik train to reach their home. Mainly from Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam, the workers, arrived here to find jobs, especially in the construction sector, have already run out of their resources. Thanks to the lifting of restrictions, the real estate sector started functioning partially with SOP that made few of them work and earn some income. But the majority remains jobless as the employers cut the labour demand massively due to the town continuing to grapple with spread of virus. These workers push their life with the daily meals available with Amma canteens. Abhimanyu, a worker from Odisha, staying at Narasingapuram near Guindy said that he wanted to go back home. But there was no cash in his hand to bear the travel expense. Many of the workers came from Odisha and are still living in many places including Thiru-Vi-Ka- Nagar and Guindy. Many of our colleagues at Thiruvika Nagar have shifted one government shelter to another, making life more miserable. So I decided to remain here instead of choosing government shelters, he said. He also added he was part of a 1500-member group and the rest of them trapped in the same way in various parts of Tamil Nadu. Muhammad Ali, a worker from Murshidabad district of West Bengal who is a construction worker at Lekshmi Nagar near Alandur , wants to go home at earliest but he has no clue about when the next train starts from Chennai Central. We are trying to know from our friends about trains so that we could leave. But nobody knows about it. We had also tried to shift to government shelter since we are unable to pay landlords now. But all the government-run shelters have overcrowded now, he laments. P. Vijayakumar, a trade union leader in the city, said that many of these workers had started doing small jobs in a quest to steady their collapsed life. Many of them continue to stay back here as they know it would not be possible to find a job in native place. Taking this as an advantage, the local employers have started exploiting their helplessness by cutting short or delaying their wages, he adds. It may be recalled the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in March had issued an order under section 10(2)(1) of the Disaster Management Act , asking State governments and Union Territory authorities to ensure adequate arrangements of temporary shelters and provision of food for poor and migrant labourers stranded due to lockdown measures in their respective areas. Following this, the State Government in May had launched a dedicated portal (tnepass.tnega.org) for migrant workers to enroll their name in going back home. Meanwhile, the Chennai Corporation official said that they had operated at least 100 trains from Chennai taking 1.35 lakh workers home so far. OTTAWA Urban Indigenous people are not accessing the COVID-19 emergency benefit as much as the general population, despite similar job losses, according to data obtained by the Free Press. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/7/2020 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Urban Indigenous people are not accessing the COVID-19 emergency benefit as much as the general population, despite similar job losses, according to data obtained by the Free Press. Statistics Canada data analyzed by Finance Canada shows 13.4 per cent of off-reserve Indigenous people reported receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, when surveyed in late May as part of the Labour Force Survey. Thats compared with 18.7 per cent of non-Indigenous people. 'If they are asking about advice (on applying), we persuade them not to... because they're going to have to pay it back' Jarred Baker, Eagle Urban Transition Centre Finance Canada provided the data, which it had accumulated as part of the fiscal snapshot it released July 8. "Employment losses among the urban and off-reserve Indigenous population have been comparable to those of non-Indigenous Canadians. Despite this, the application rate for the CERB from the urban and off-reserve Indigenous population is lower than that of non-Indigenous Canadians," reads the report. The analysis did not specify the rate of applications for First Nations living on reserves. Statistics Canada said it assessed too little of a group to desegregate the situation or urban-Indigenous people in different cities. The findings did not surprise the head of one of Winnipegs largest Indigenous service centres. "These people have needs and they need to be supported," said Jarred Baker, program manager for the Eagle Urban Transition Centre. Many clients are already on provincial Employment and Income Assistance and would have their CERB cash clawed back later, despite a move by the province to categorize less of the CERB money as earnings that reduce EIA entitlements, he said. Some people dont have enough employment hours to qualify for CERB, while others were initially told by officials they qualified, only to find out they didnt meet the criteria. "If they are asking about advice (on applying for CERB), we persuade them not to do it because theyre going to have to pay it back," Baker said. "Everyones expenses during this time has increased. You have to be isolated, which means you have to stock up and not everyone has the bank account where you can do that." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, which runs the Eagle Urban Transition Centre, has also used federal dollars to buy prepaid, AMC-branded credit cards to help First Nations people in Winnipeg with expenses, though the organization has faced scrutiny as fees eat up a substantial portion of the cards balance. Inadequate supports means people will get desperate, Baker said. "When youre in survival mode, youre going to do what you need to do," he said, adding it might also be hard for people without a computer to access CERB. That echoes testimony in May by the head of the National Association of Friendship Centres, who told the House finance committee charity staff across Canada were scrambling to provide the know-how and access to sanitized computers to help people apply for the benefit. "We have some friendship centre (heads) who are just exhausted from applying for small grants, and also helping community members apply, in a safe way, for CERB and other benefits they have access to," Jocelyn Formsma told MPs on May 19. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca TDT Manama The Ministry of Housing has called on all citizens benefitting from housing services, or those who have filed applications, to register their personal data in the National Notifications System. The NotifyMe service offers Bahrainis, residents, and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) citizens a central platform to automatically receive official notifications related to their government transactions via SMS and e-mail, instead of through post. It was launched in line with the objectives of the Executive Committee, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister. It is among several projects and national initiatives to develop and automate government services and offer them at the highest levels of quality to citizens and residents. To use the NotifyMe service on bahrain.bh, users can select Register Contact Details by the e-key or identity card. Once the login attempt is successful, the system will request users to enter their mobile numbers and the OneTime Password (OTP) that they receive via SMS for the same mobile number entered. They can then click on the link that will e-mail a confirmation link, which will complete the registration process. The Housing Ministry said that people should register their data on services.bahrain. bh/wps/portal/NationalNotifications_ar. As Bengaluru prepares for a seven-day lockdown from Tuesday following the spike in COVID- 19 cases, opposition parties in Karnataka have urged the government to enforce the measure in the entire state. JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda and Congress working president Eshwar Khandre have demanded that the entire state be placed under lockdown. CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH Welcoming the government's decision to implement the lockdown in Bengaluru Urban and Rural, Gowda said, "I urge the government through the media to enforce lockdown in the entire state." The former Prime Minister in a statement appealed to people of the state and the entire country to wear masks while venturing out, maintain social distancing, clean hands with sanitizer regularly, and to come out only if there is necessary work. Stating that allegations of misappropriation have been made by several leaders against the government in implementing measures and packages to control spread of the virus and its impact, Gowda said, "whatever it is let's discuss about it in the next legislature session, at present health of the people is important and let's focus on it." The government should work in this direction, we are all with the government, let's not play with the health of the people, he said, adding that "I appeal that at least from here on work actively." For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here With a spike in Covid-19 cases, the Karnataka government on Saturday announced complete lockdown in Bengaluru Urban and Rural from July 14 to 22. The lockdown is from 8 pm on July 14 to 5 am on July 22. Congress leader Khandre, meanwhile reminded Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa that COVID cases and related fatalities were not only increasing in Bengaluru but also in the border districts of the state. The situation was getting out of hand in Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari districts, he alleged. "So implement strict lockdown once again in the state at least for fifteen days." "Bring the situation under control. I appeal to the government that in this lockdown period at least to correct its past shortcomings and take all measures to face the pandemic efficiently in the future," he tweeted. Follow: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths on July 13 Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will be chairing video conference with Deputy Commissioners, Zilla Panchayat CEOs and Superintendents of Police of various districts regarding the COVID situation and the rains. As of July 12 evening, cumulatively 38,843 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 684 deaths and 15,409 discharges. Bengaluru Urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 18,387 infections. Of the 2,627 fresh cases reported in the state on Sunday, a whopping 1,525 cases were from Bengaluru Urban alone. The Ministry of Railways Development, Ghana and its South African counterparts, remain strongly committed to the Accra Sky Train Project. Contrary to media reports suggesting that the project is a fiasco, both the Ministry of Railways Development and the Government of Ghana on one hand, and the South African Investors, are eager to get the project started. But the coronavirus pandemic has posed a stumbling block on the commencement of the Sky Train Project. The agreement for the Accra Sky Train Project was signed in November 2019. Per the agreement, the investors, who are South Africans, were supposed to visit Ghana to conduct the final feasibility study based on which both parties will get the necessary approvals for the project to start. The required approvals are to be obtained from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Parliament of Ghana, Environmental Protection Agency, Ministry of Roads and Highways and any other Local Government areas the train will pass through. But due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and subsequent border closures in South Africa and Ghana, the investors have not been able to visit Ghana at the time they had planned to do so to undertake the final feasibility study. Also, contrary to media reports, neither the Minister of Railways, Joe Ghartey, nor the Ministry of Railways Development, has said that the project would be completed by August 2020. During the signing ceremony as part of the African Investment Forums Invest in Africas Space event in Johannesburg, South Africa, Mr Ghartey clearly admitted that there were lots of work to be done before the Sky Train Project can become a reality. What we have signed today is a concession agreement but we still have some work to do. We will work hard and work together. We think it is achievable, we must make it work, Mr Ghartey had said at the signing ceremony. http://www.mrd.gov.gh/4/16/105/accra-sky-train-investment-project-receives-big-boost-with-signing-of-concession-agreement The Minister in recent weeks, had expressed worry about the delay of the project caused by coronavirus. He has pointed out his strong desire to have the South Africans visit Ghana and have the final feasibility study conducted to get work started on the project. He continues to pray for the pandemic to be brought under control to allow borders to reopen so that the South African Investors can visit Ghana. The Ministry has therefore appealed to the general public to disregard reports suggesting that the project is a fiasco. It assured that the South Africans will visit Ghana once borders are reopened so that they can complete the final feasibility study before the necessary approvals from PPA, Parliament, AMA, Ministry of Roads and Highways, and the Environmental Protection Agency can be obtained. An MoU was signed in November 2018, which aided the South Africans to undertake a preliminary work on the project. Based on the preliminary work, the Concession agreement was signed in November 2019. The Concession agreement was to enable the investors to do more work to bring up the engineering design and the exact cost of the project, among others. Based on the report from the feasibility study, the Railways Minister would go to parliament to seek approval for the project. Also, an environmental impact assessment of the project is expected to be carried out to determine the issue of compensation payment. The investors and the Ministry are considering undertaking a post-Covid-19 assessment of the project. The signing of the concession agreement was between the Government of Ghana and AiSky Train Consortium of South Africa. Sky train systems are pre-fabricated using precision moulded, pre stressed reinforced concrete components that are capable of being installed at a very rapid rate, meaning that there is minimal disruption and congestion in the urban area that is undergoing installation and commissioning.The proposed sky train initiative in Accra provides for the development of five (5) routes, four (4) of which are comprised of radial routes that originate at the proposed sky train terminal, at the heart of Accra, at a newly developed Kwame Nkrumah circle, and one (1) route that provides and intra-city commuter loop distribution service, also emanating from Circle. The project envisages a total track length across all routes of 194 kilometres.The SkyTrain is to be financed by the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), an independent fund set up by the government, and the Africa Investment SkyTrain Consortium of private companies, African ExportImport Bank, also referred to as Afreximbank.It will also have the support of the African Development Bank, a regional multilateral development finance institution.President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, it would be recalled, while demonstrating the Banks strongest commitment to the project, observed at the signing ceremony that African Development Bank will continue to work with all other partners in the Consortium to make the Project a reality.He said What you are witnessing today is very significant in another sense, this is Africa to Africa investment. This is an investment of $2.3 billion made up of a consortium of South African investors that are investing in another African country.Government is hopeful that when the project is undertaken, it will help to decongest traffic in Accra. 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 Amazon Prime Video today announced its romantic musical drama, Bandish Bandits, which will be available to stream from 4 August, 2020. Produced and created by Amritpal Singh Bindra (Bang Baaja Baaraat) and directed by Anand Tiwari (Love Per Square Foot), the all-new Amazon Original Series follows the love story of two young performers from very different musical backgrounds. The ten-part series stars rising talent Ritwik Bhowmik (Dhuusar) as Hindustani classical performer, Radhe, and Shreya Chaudhry (Dear Maya) as popstar Tamanna, alongside veteran actors including Naseeruddin Shah, Atul Kulkarni, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Sheeba Chaddha and Rajesh Tailang . Bandish Bandits also features an exciting original soundtrack, composed by the legendary musical trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, who make their digital debut with the show. Bandish Bandits has been a true labour of love and were pleased to be bringing it to a dynamic, global service like Prime Video, which champions unique original content from around the world, said Amritpal Singh Bindra, Producer and Creator, Bandish Bandits. While elements of the show are rooted firmly in Indian tradition and values, this is without doubt a modern musical romance that will appeal to a global audience. We cant wait to take Prime members on a journey of love, differences and discovery, led by the supremely talented Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry, against a backdrop of soulful music. Bandish Bandits is a story about the meeting of two individuals and cultures that are in many ways different, and yet in other ways incredibly similar, said Anand Tiwari, director, Bandish Bandits. While each character has a unique and compelling story in their own right, its how these stories come together which makes this series so powerful, romantic and real. I am beyond excited to bring this incredible tale of romance, beautifully told through the musical genius of composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, to Prime Video. Bandish Bandits will release across 200 countries and territories. For all the latest Entertainment News, download NewsX App The long and winding road has brought outfielder Melky Cabrera back to the Big Apple. The outfielder made his MLB debut with the New York Yankees in 2005. He left after helping the Yankees win the 2009 World Series, with general manager Brian Cashman trading him to the Atlanta Braves. After 15 seasons with eight different clubs, Cabrera is trying to hang on for one more season by playing for the New York Mets. Per the New York Post: With the opportunity I have, Im able to bring veteran leadership and also with the versatility I have of being a switch hitter, any position you put me in I think I can help the team, he said on Sunday on a Zoom call at Citi Field. Im just here to give my all and help the team any way that I can, he said. BUY NEW YORK METS FAN GEAR HERE After heading to the Braves, Cabrera would spend time with the Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates. He played in 133 games last season with the Pirates, hitting .280 with seven home runs and 47 RBI. Cabrera was an All-Star for the Giants in 2012, earning MVP honors, thanks in part to a two-run home run in the National Leagues 8-0 win. His career hit rock-bottom less than a month later when he was suspended 50 games for using performance-enhancing drugs. Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted supply chains across the globe. This is especially true in the manufacturing industry, where supply chain managers must track and analyze the pandemics impact in every region that effects their business: Is it safe to bring staff into factories? Are suppliers still shipping or even still in business? Are customers still buying? Can distributors still serve them? Richardson, Texas-based Lennox International is one such organization that depends on a complex global supply chain. The heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment supplier has manufacturing facilities in Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi and South Carolina, and its network includes regional and local distribution centers and stores. But it also sells products through dealers and contractors, meaning there are plenty of ways the pandemic can upend Lennoxs ability to deliver its products to its customers. As the coronavirus swept the country, Lennox figured there had to be a better way than having staff scour news sites to find out how the disease was spreading in the communities around the companys factories and distribution centers, or how suppliers and key customers were faring. Like everyone, we had our fair share of challenges that was impacting our key KPIs, says Satish Seshayya, IT business applications leader at Lennox. So, in early April, as COVID-19 cases hit their first peak in the U.S., Lennox IT decided to map out the companys supply chain network and look for potential disruptions that could affect order fulfillment or customer service, presenting them to management on a dashboard. Lennox already relies on an array of reporting tools. It runs its business on SAP its a reference customer for SAPs global demand planning tool and uses other applications to manage supply chain operations too. But the team quickly realized none of Lennoxs software suppliers could come up with a solution that would highlight and predict the kinds of supply chain disruptions they were concerned about without a major project undertaking or access to internal data for other companies. Rapid development Negotiating that access might have been possible but with the pandemic unfolding, the dashboard was something that needed to be developed rapidly: Its value would be lost if it turned into a six-month project. Satish Seshayya We approached it as an internal development effort using our internal data scientists and resources. We had the tools and resources to develop a solution using our data, says Seshayya, who pitched the idea to the leaders of the affected business segments and the supply chain staff involved, to identify how best to present the data. As with any product development, you always poll the customer to get feedback, he says. We engaged all the supply chain folks that plan and handle deployment of materials both upstream and downstream. Developing a prototype to present to the business side, then iterating on it to make improvements based on their feedback, took about three weeks. We took a DevOps approach with a few sprints to receive continuous feedback from the business, Seshayya says. Four people were closely involved in the project: Seshayya and a colleague on the functional side, and a data scientist and a developer on the technical side. The biggest difficulty he and his colleagues had to overcome was getting hold of the data to accurately predict disruptions. There were plenty of external sources providing state-by-state or country-by-country structured data sets of COVID-19 case reports and projections, including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization. Internal data was challenging particularly supply source of materials, he says. We got creative in making some assumptions with our supplier data that helped solve the issue. Early warning system Combining all that in Microsoft Power BI with some machine learning tools, Seshayya and his team were able to offer their colleagues an early warning system for potential supply chain problems in areas where COVID-19 cases were increasing or expected to increase in the next couple of weeks. As you feed information into it, it starts learning from it, and it starts making predictions in terms of this particular location is going to be most impacted, or that location, he says. Lennox has already used machine learning to measure and forecast failure rates for some of the products it sells, or to help it better manage warranty costs, for example. The early warning system provides various views by region for the upstream (supplier) and downstream (customer) supply chains, grouping the factories or fulfillment centers into color-coded categories for low, moderate or high risk. Supply chain managers can drill down to see which materials or deliveries will be affected and can see at a glance whether they will need to seek alternative sources for materials or fulfill orders from a more distant facility. This model has generated a whole new set of thoughts and ideas on managing supply chain disruption before it enters the red zone, he says. It has also helped the business identify potential pitfalls through simulation. What-ifs have helped tremendously and assisted in diverting the fulfillment sources, including supplier bankruptcy risks, he says. If Seshayya has one regret, its that they didnt come up with the idea sooner before the problem became a pandemic. Lennox has had good usage out of its new supply chain dashboard all the same, and while we can hope that the threat of COVID-19 will soon recede, as it has in other countries, the dashboard wont become redundant. We plan to repurpose the same model and solution to other natural disasters to predict disruptions, Seshayya says. Imagine a scenario where a corporate board that was accused of enacting a policy that devastated the company announced that the same five board members who are under fire will be conducting an investigation of their own conduct. Imagine then that the board issued a report exonerating itself. Hopefully, after the shareholders stopped laughing, they would be aghast that the board would engage in such an obvious conflict of interest. Yet, this is exactly what transpired in New York when Gov. Andrew Cuomo and hishealth officials investigated their own actions on nursing homes during the COVID-19 outbreak. And - surprise, surprise - they cleared themselves of any wrongdoing. The state Health Departments March 25directive to nursing homes that they had to take COVID-19 patients returning from the hospital has been widely blamed for contributing to the 6TK deaths from COVID-19 in nursing homes. (The actual toll is believed to be much higher, since the statedoes not record a death as a nursing home-related if the person contracted the virus in the home, yet died in the hospital.) Cuomo's panel is trying to get the public to believe that these deaths were not the result of Covid patients being shipped into the facilities, but because the nursing home staff brought the virus in. The report concluded, Admission policies were not a significant factor in nursing home fatalities. Employee infections were related to the larger community spread and employee transmission has the strongest correlation to nursing home fatalities. There are two major flaws in this thinking. First, theres no way to determine if the worker became infected outside the facility and thereafter infected the patient, or if the worker first became infected from a patient in the facility and then spread it to other patients. The report states that deaths at the homes were happening prior to the order. Of course, there was community spread earlier in March and some nursing home infections and deaths were inevitable. But, the report also notes that one of four workers were infected. That was twice the believed rate of the population at large, which would suggest that more were getting infected inside the facility not just bring it in from outside. Secondly, even if the workers were source zero, wasnt there a responsibility of our governmental leaders to ensure that the workers were tested vigorously and removed if infected? The report states, On March 13, 2020 NYSDOH mandated staff temperature checks at the beginning of each shift, mandated use of face masks by all staff, and cancelled congregate activities within nursing homes. But they did not require testing until almost two months later, on May 10. Contrast that to Florida where mobile testing labsstarted conducting 3,500 tests per day at long-term care facilities in mid-April, when there were still only 840 cases in Florida nursing homes. As of mid- May, 50 teams of Florida National Guard medicstested 32,000 residents and staff of long-term care facilities.And, of course, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis prohibited Florida hospitals from discharging COVID-19 patients to the states long-term care facilities. New York was understandably obsessed about hospital capacity, so they saw nursing homes as an outlet to reduce hospital occupancy. And the Trump administrationsfailure to provide an adequate supply of accurate tests would have impeded any testing requirement in March. But, given that testing was unavailable and nursing homes are full of elderly and disabled residents in close quarters, perhaps they should have been discharged elsewhere, at least once facilities became available, such as the field hospital that was set up in Central Park by mid-April. And testing in nursing homes should have been dramatically expanded by mid-April, giving priority to residents and workers in those facilities because of the special risks they could pose to vulnerable populations. Cuomo probably wants to remove the stench that stuck to him as a result of these nursing home deaths. He was riding high in April and May, due to his commanding performances at his daily press conferences. He seemed confident and in control, as contrasted with the presidents childish behavior, and Cuomos poll numbers soared to unprecedented heights. But the bloom came off the rose rather quickly, when attention shifted to Cuomos nursing home policy and the large number of deaths emanating from New York nursing homes. So, the Cuomo administration sought to deflect blame from his administration onto the nursing homes. Theres plenty of blame to go around, but Cuomo shouldnt be able to avoid his fair share of it. For those who liked to believe that marital fidelity really could exist in Hollywood, the marriage of John Travolta and Kelly Preston was always brandished as irrefutable and cheering evidence in their favour. In interviews, Preston liked to recount how she first met one of the movie industrys biggest heart-throbs while filming a screen test for 1989 comedy The Experts. She saw him snaking sinuously towards her across a lobby, before fixing her with a moody stare. That was it, she said. She was smitten. So, insisted Travolta, was he. Travolta is pictured above with his wife and children Ella Bleu and Benjamin at Easter this year. Many of the tributes from friends yesterday acknowledged that this is a family that has already been touched by loss Three years later, they suddenly married, scrapping plans for a huge wedding in New York in favour of eloping to Paris on Concorde where a Scientologist minister wed them at the Hotel de Crillon. The wedding was declared legally not binding and had to be done again in Florida a week later, but that hardly seemed to spoil the romance. When an interviewer gushed two years ago that whenever she saw the couple together they were always dancing, Kelly happily concurred. Its the secret to a good marriage. Youve got to keep it fun, she said. The marriage was extraordinarily long by Hollywood standards but ended tragically early on Sunday when Preston died, aged 57, of breast cancer. Poignant: A favourite picture of Kelly. In interviews, Preston liked to recount how she first met one of the movie industrys biggest heart-throbs while filming a screen test for 1989 comedy The Experts Her husband revealed with a very heavy heart she had been battling the disease for two years, announcing on Instagram: She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many. Kellys love and life will always be remembered. A family spokesman said Preston, adored wife and mother, had chosen to keep her illness private, adding: She was a bright, beautiful and loving soul who cared deeply about others and who brought life to everything she touched. The couples daughter Ella said: I have never met anyone as courageous, strong, beautiful and loving as you. Many of the tributes from friends yesterday acknowledged that this is a family that has already been touched by loss. The death of his wife so young is indeed just the latest in a string of tragedies to befall the Grease and Saturday Night Fever star, whose private life has long been overshadowed by his strong attachment to the controversial Church of Scientology. He also lost the first love of his life the actress Diana Hyland to breast cancer and, 11 years ago, his marriage to Preston was devastated by the death of their 16-year-old son, Jett, from a seizure. He had suffered from severe autism and a rare but debilitating heart and blood condition. Although the Church of Scientology which is regarded as a cult in some countries insists it doesnt try to interfere in medical care, it doesnt consider autism to be a clinical condition. The Travoltas were accused of endangering their sons health by withholding conventional medical treatment from their son in favour of outlandish church-approved alternatives. The Travolta family credited doctors and nurses at a conventional U.S. hospital, the MD Anderson Cancer Center, for treating Preston but it has not revealed whether she died in hospital or at home. Breakthrough: Travolta dances with co-star Karen Lynn Gorney in Saturday Night Fever. John threw himself into work but retreated from public view after fulfilling his commitments on Saturday Night Fever Ex-Scientologists have challenged the churchs claims that it doesnt stop members choosing to use professional medical care to battle diseases. Actress Leah Remini says Scientology leaders try to prevent followers from seeking such help and instead urge them to focus on their own technology and prayer. An enigmatic and intensely private man despite his high profile, Travolta was 22 when he first met Diana Hyland on the set of a 1976 film The Boy In The Plastic Bubble, about a child born with a deficient immune system. He was already a teen idol, receiving 10,000 fan letters a week. She was a divorcee and mother of one, the star of the TV soap Peyton Place, was 18 years older and played his mother. Hyland would become a huge influence on Travoltas life. The actor, who said that at the time, Id been fooling around with a couple of little affairs, found her experience and relaxed attitude to life very sexy. He said later: I have never been more in love with anyone in my life. I thought I was in love before, but I wasntWe were like two maniacs talking all the time on the set of Bubble. After a month it became romantic. They started an intense affair, moving in together, but it was drastically cut short when, that Christmas, Hyland fell ill. She thought she just had severe flu but, by the time she saw her doctor in the New Year, the breast cancer had spread around her body. Travolta was filming Saturday Night Fever in March 1977 when he flew to Hylands home in Ohio. Within 24 hours, she was dead just seven months after their affair had begun. I was with her all through the night before she died, he said later. I held her, touched her, all through those hours. He added: I always feel she is with me I mean, her intentions are. Diana always wanted the world for me in every possible way. She was cremated, and at the subsequent memorial gathering at her home, Travolta wore the white suit he had bought for a trip they had planned to Rio. He never wore it again but sent it in a box to his childhood home in Englewood, New Jersey. It was an experience that affected John deeply and irrevocably, said his biographer Douglas Thompson. Travoltas sister, Ellen, said the star was devastated by his inability to save Hyland and by his realisation that he wasnt in control of his own fate, saying: He was never the same. Something like that changes you for ever. John threw himself into work but retreated from public view after fulfilling his commitments on Saturday Night Fever. One year after Hylands death, Travoltas mother Helen also died from cancer. He reportedly turned down the Richard Gere role in American Gigolo and became more and more absorbed by Scientology, to which the actress Joan Prather had introduced him while making his first film, the 1975 horror movie The Devils Rain. The bizarre belief system, created by the science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, is tailored towards self-improvement and building confidence, and has always been popular with Hollywood stars. It helped me so much back then. I dont know why people are afraid of it, said Travolta, who along with Tom Cruise has become one of the celebrity-obsessed organisations two biggest name members. Over the decades, hes reportedly given millions of dollars to Scientology. Grease director Randal Kleiser said Travolta was so upset over Hylands death that he had trouble remembering his lines during the making of the film in 1978. It took him three years to start seeing women again and when he did he had a brief fling with the French film star Catherine Deneuve, who was ten years his senior. He followed that up with a turbulent, on-off relationship with American actress Marilu Henner that ended in 1985. Kelly Preston was still married to actor Kevin Gage when she met Travolta his career by then in decline at that screen test for The Experts. She had previously had a fling with George Clooney and had once been engaged to Charlie Sheen. (She denied reports she broke up with the combustible actor after he shot her in the arm.) She was already a Scientologist when she met Travolta, prompting murmurs that they were brought together at least initially by the organisation. He said it had been love at first sight and he felt immediate chemistry, but the couple didnt start to see each other romantically until 1990, by which time she was single. He proposed to her on New Years Eve 1991, flamboyantly going down on one knee inside the Palace Hotel restaurant in Gstaad and giving her a six-carat yellow-and-white diamond ring. She was said to have screamed with delight. (As a teenager, she had reportedly started taking dance classes after watching Saturday Night Fever and told her instructor: Im going to marry the man in the movie.) The Travoltas first child, Jett, was born in April 1992. He was delivered in a birthing method advocated by L. Ron Hubbard which insisted on virtual silence because, as Travolta explained, verbal statements are recorded in the mind of the baby . . . later that could cause fears, neuroses or even psychosomatic illnesses. The birth cemented his feelings for Kelly, said the star. I never loved Kelly as much as I did watching her give birth to Jett. I have a feeling of stability with her. Anything could happen and we could work it out. Weeks after the birth, it was discovered Jett had been born with Kawasaki disease, also known as mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, a debilitating illness associated with damage to heart and blood vessels. He was seriously autistic, reputedly unable to speak and prone to epileptic fits up to four times a week. His parents blamed chemicals in household cleaners and fertilisers. John Travolta is pictured above with son Jett, who died aged 16 in 2009. Travolta later described Jetts death as the worst thing thats ever happened in my life. The truth is I didnt know if I was going to make it In 2000, they had a daughter, Ella Bleu, and a second son, Benjamin, in 2010. Travolta whose career rebounded thanks to his role in Quentin Tarantinos 1994 smash Pulp Fiction says hes been a devoted dad who says yes to everything. Jett died in 2009 while on a Christmas holiday at their home in the Bahamas, reportedly hitting his head on the side of a bathtub after having a seizure. Close friends said that, just as he had been by the death of Diana Hyland, Travolta was once again devastated. One minute hes OK, the next hes in tears. Hes such a sweet, sweet person, said friend and fellow star Denzel Washington. He put on a lot of weight and neighbours said that late at night they would would see him drive around his 14 million Florida home built to resemble an airport terminal so he could indulge his passion for flying. Travolta later described Jetts death as the worst thing thats ever happened in my life. The truth is I didnt know if I was going to make it. He added: Life was no longer interesting to me, so it took a lot to get me better. Rumours spread that he had fallen out badly with Scientology bosses. The church makes extravagant claims of its ability to cure various mental and physical disorders, and Travolta reportedly blamed it for failing to do more to help Jett. Scientologists who reject psychiatry believe that autism is simply psychosomatic, recommending vitamins and detoxification programmes rather than conventional therapies. Kelly Preston had campaigned against psychiatric drugs and lawyers for the family had revealed that Jett had been taken off Depakote, an anti-seizure drug, because they were convinced it didnt work. It was reported that she had instead signed him to a Scientology-led Purification Rundown course which involved saunas, food supplements, Vitamin B and vegetable oils. The church claims this can dislodge toxins trapped in the bodys fatty tissues. Travolta admitted that he and Preston had to resort to years of marriage counselling to keep their relationship on track. On what would have been Jetts 17th birthday the first after his death he flew himself to Tahiti to spend the bleak anniversary on his own. Last year, Kelly Preston shared an emotional tribute to her sweet love Jett on Instagram, saying he was in our hearts forever. Travolta remains within the Scientology church and, on the 10th anniversary of Jetts death in 2019, he paid tribute to it for its support. The church never left our sides for two years. I dont know if I would have made it through without their support, he said. Once more, Travolta a star who couldnt be further from the ice-cool dude of his most famous on-screen roles has been plunged into a terrible crisis. One Alabama school superintendent is recommending students in her district start school as they finished it: remotely. "I will recommend that all of our scholars begin school through remote and virtual learning," wrote Selma City Schools Superintendent Avis Williams in an article penned for the local Selma newspapers. This is the right decision for Selma, Williams told AL.com. She will make a further decision about when to reopen at the end of the first nine-week grading period. Williams said the decision was difficult and came after having many discussions with worried parents and concerned teachers. Teachers are threatening to walk out, and petitions are being signed, she wrote in the article. Our cases are continuing to climb, Williams said, referring to the spread of COVID-19 in her community. Dallas County saw 211 cases in the last 14 days, bringing the county of about 36,000 residents over 1,000 cases this year. A survey of teachers in the district found only 4% comfortable with returning to school buildings, Williams said, and only 24% of parents said they were planning to send their children back to face-to-face learning. Williams will make the recommendation to their school board at Tuesday's regular meeting. She is also recommending the school start date to be pushed back from August 10 to August 24. Selma is one of the first Alabama school districts to announce their intent to keep school buildings closed. Selma City Schools has almost 2,800 students in kindergarten through senior year, and about 98% of students are Black. Macon County school officials, with 1,800 students enrolled, 93% of whom are Black, announced they will start school virtually on Aug. 6, with a full plan to be released July 17. Elswhere in Alabama, about three dozen districts so far have released plans to reopen next month and all include the option for in-person, traditional schooling, along with another option for virtual school. Related: Reopening Alabamas K-12 schools: Here are the plans so far Some have pushed back start dates, while others plan to reopen the first week of August. While President Trump and U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos have threatened to withhold federal funding from schools that do not open their doors for students at the start of the new school year, Williams said she is more concerned about the health and safety of students and teachers. Williams said the district has ordered a hundred digital hotspots for families to learn remotely and the district continues to conduct training for both parents and teachers on how to use the digital learning platforms students will use. While she isn't minimizing the challenges of remote learning, including the challenges some working parents will face, Williams said her district is committed to educating students there the best and safest way possible. Dallas County schools have not yet released plans for reopening. Updated: 4:05 p.m. to include Macon County schools announcement. Victorias Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has warned that Victoria has not yet seen the peak of the second coronavirus surge. The state now has more cases of community transmission than the rest of the country put together. In New South Wales, 14 new cases have been linked to the Crossroads Hotel cluster. NSW Police Minister David Elliot has warned the hospitality industry to abide by the public health restrictions, or risk being shut down. In this episode, The Sydney Morning Heralds editor Lisa Davies is joined by health editor Kate Aubusson to discuss the surge in coronavirus cases in Australia and whether were heading towards tighter national restrictions. Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. transcosmos C4M Package Because the C4M package allows each function/team to integrate, visualize, and use every data, clients can address their business and marketing challenges from a shared perspective. Ultimately, they can elevate the adequacy of customer communications while optimizing their marketing spend. transcosmos inc. is pleased to announce that the company has released "transcosmos C4M package," a service package that combines a variety of SaaS products, primarily Google Cloud, Google Marketing Platform, KARTE and Salesforce Marketing Cloud, with the company's system implementation and operations services. C4M is an abbreviation for Cloud for Marketing. Through the combination of diverse SaaS products (Google Cloud, Google Marketing Platform, KARTE, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, etc.), "transcosmos C4M package" helps clients build and operate a one-to-one marketing platform designed to deliver an end-to-end customer experience that ranges from consolidating and organizing data (ad data, website behavioral log, CRM log, etc.), to analyzing and visualizing the data, to executing and improving marketing initiatives, at one-stop. By combining its KARTE and Salesforce Marketing Cloud operations service framework that claims the largest proven record in the industry with its proprietary tool "Discover" that accumulates and visualizes each ad data source/type, transcosmos has further enhanced its support service features for full-funnel marketing that spans from developing strategies, to attracting customers, to executing customer relationship management (CRM) activities. To assist clients in installing the system, transcosmos strategists and engineers develop strategies and define system requirements that are designed to maximize customer experience, taking their key goal indicators (KGI) and key performance indicators (KPI) as well as their existing systems into consideration. After the installation process, transcosmos also offers project management services that range from system implementation to release phases. As for operational support, transcosmos planners and agents will provide support services including post-release maintenance and the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle (develop and implement strategies, analyze performance, make improvement, etc.). transcosmos will provide each individual client with a tailored, best-fit service framework. What "transcosmos C4M package" can do Accumulate, integrate and visualize every available data (ad data, website behavioral log, CRM data, etc.) "transcosmos C4M package" accumulates and integrates all kinds of marketing data in BigQuery (TM), and visualizes such data with BI tools such as Data Portal, thereby allowing clients to prepare a common platform where all their functions can evaluate, analyze and develop marketing initiatives from a single perspective. The package lets each function and team in a company integrate, visualize and use every data, thereby enabling them to address their business and marketing challenges from a shared perspective. Ultimately, clients can elevate the adequacy of customer communications whilst optimizing their marketing spend. Cross-area initiatives With "transcosmos C4M package," clients can run initiatives and the PDCA cycle across various areas that tend to work in silos. E.g.) Initiative across website/app area and ad area A real-time integration feature between inflow source data that clients own and their website lets clients execute cohesive one-to-one marketing initiatives that range from delivering ads to offering customer services on their website/app after customers visit their website/app. E.g.) Initiative across website/app area and delivery area By sending a real-time e-mail/app push notification triggered by customer actions on a website/app, and offering customer services and recommendations on the website that match delivered e-mail content, clients can execute one-to-one initiatives that work across website/app area and delivery area. The new service package enables clients to offer a cohesive customer experience across various areas, and ultimately boosts the value of their brands. With "transcosmos C4M package," transcosmos will contribute to clients in optimizing customer experience whilst maximizing the life time value (LTV) of each customer. transcosmos is a trademark or registered trademark of transcosmos inc. In Japan and other countries. Google Cloud, BigQuery and Firebase are trademarks of Google LLC. Other company names and product or services names used here are trademarks or registered trademarks of respective companies. About transcosmos inc. transcosmos launched its operations in 1966. Since then, we have combined superior "people" with up-to-date "technology" to enhance the competitive strength of our clients by providing them with superior and valuable services. transcosmos currently offers services that support clients' business processes focusing on both sales expansion and cost optimization through our 169 bases across 30 countries/regions with a focus on Asia, while continuously pursuing Operational Excellence. Furthermore, following the expansion of e-commerce market on the global scale, transcosmos provides a comprehensive One-Stop Global E-Commerce services to deliver our clients' excellent products and services in 48 countries/regions around the globe. transcosmos aims to be the "Global Digital Transformation Partner" of our clients, supporting the clients' transformation by leveraging digital technology, responding to the ever-changing business environment. https://www.trans-cosmos.co.jp/english/ JERUSALEM - The family of an autistic Palestinian man who was killed by Israeli police was informed by investigators on Monday that a security camera at the site of the shooting was not working, their lawyer said. The revelation raised new fears by the family of Eyad Hallaq that no one will be punished in the death of their son. We were informed today that the security camera in the place of the killing was not working, so there is no evidence about what happened, said lawyer Jad Qadamani. This is totally unacceptable and not logical and we look at it with lots of suspicion, he said. Hallaq, who was 32, was fatally shot on May 30 just inside Jerusalems Old City as he was making his daily walk to the special-needs institution he attended. At the time, Israeli police said they believed he was carrying a suspicious object and said they opened fire when he failed to heed calls to stop. According to various accounts, two members of Israels paramilitary Border Police force chased Hallaq into a nook and shot him as he cowered next to a garbage bin. Hallaqs teacher, who was with him, told an Israeli TV station that she repeatedly cried out to police that he was disabled as she tried to stop them. At least five bullet holes were seen in a wall of a small structure at the site. At the time, the shooting drew comparisons to the death of George Floyd in the U.S. and prompted a series of small demonstrations against police violence. The uproar crossed Israeli-Palestinian lines and drew Jewish protesters as well, and Israeli leaders expressed regret over the shooting. But since then, the family has complained about the slow pace of the investigation. They said that investigators only two weeks ago confirmed there was security-camera footage. Qadamani said he would demand an investigation into Mondays claims that the camera did not work. Clearly they want to hide what happened, he said. Israels Justice Ministry, which is handling the investigation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Human rights groups say Israel has a poor record of prosecuting cases of violence against Palestinians. The big shareholder groups in PSC Insurance Group Limited (ASX:PSI) have power over the company. Large companies usually have institutions as shareholders, and we usually see insiders owning shares in smaller companies. Warren Buffett said that he likes "a business with enduring competitive advantages that is run by able and owner-oriented people." So it's nice to see some insider ownership, because it may suggest that management is owner-oriented. With a market capitalization of AU$743m, PSC Insurance Group is a small cap stock, so it might not be well known by many institutional investors. In the chart below, we can see that institutional investors have bought into the company. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner, to discover more about PSC Insurance Group. See our latest analysis for PSC Insurance Group ASX:PSI Ownership Breakdown July 12th 2020 What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About PSC Insurance Group? Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. PSC Insurance Group already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at PSC Insurance Group's earnings history, below. Of course, the future is what really matters. ASX:PSI Earnings and Revenue Growth July 12th 2020 PSC Insurance Group is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is the CEO Paul Dwyer with 23% of shares outstanding. The second and third largest shareholders are Brian Austin and John Dwyer, with an equal amount of shares to their name at 12%. Interestingly, the third-largest shareholder, John Dwyer is also a Member of the Board of Directors, again, indicating strong insider ownership amongst the company's top shareholders. Story continues To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 4 shareholders control more than half of the company which implies that this group has considerable sway over the company's decision-making. While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. While there is some analyst coverage, the company is probably not widely covered. So it could gain more attention, down the track. Insider Ownership Of PSC Insurance Group The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. The company management answer to the board; and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board, themselves. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. It seems that insiders own more than half the PSC Insurance Group Limited stock. This gives them a lot of power. So they have a AU$408m stake in this AU$743m business. Most would argue this is a positive, showing strong alignment with shareholders. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership With a 29% ownership, the general public have some degree of sway over PSI. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders. Private Company Ownership Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 6.3%, of the company's shares. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand PSC Insurance Group better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with PSC Insurance Group . If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. 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. As China pretends to negotiate, it has continued single-mindedly to capture, consolidate and arm the disputed islets. AFP Photo The Southeast Asian countries have finally realised the futility of expecting that the long-delayed code of conduct would check Chinas predatory designs in the region. As China pretends to negotiate, it has continued single-mindedly to capture, consolidate and arm the disputed islets, trampling on the sovereignty of Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. At Aseans recent Hanoi summit, held virtually, Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc warned that the international situation and international law have been seriously challenged during the global crisis. Pointing a finger at China, he said: While the entire world is stretched thin in the fight against the pandemic, irresponsible acts in violation of international law are still taking place, affecting security and stability in certain regions, including our region. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte added: As our region struggles to contain Covid-19, alarming incidents occurred in the South China Sea We call on parties to refrain from escalating tensions and abide by (their) responsibilities under international law. Both Vietnam and the Philippines had protested in April against Chinas unilateral creation of new administrative districts on islands on which both Vietnam and the Philippines have long-standing rights and claims. Vietnam was further aggrieved as one of its fishing boats was sunk by a Chinese maritime surveillance vessel in April. Aseans June 27 statement unambiguously declared the 1982 UNCLOS is the basis for determining maritime entitlements, sovereign rights, jurisdiction and legitimate interests over maritime zones. China and all 10 Asean members are signatories to the UN Convention on Law of the Seas. The leaders stressed the importance of freedom of overflights over SCS, making their position clear in case of any ill-advised Chinese attempt to declare any Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the area. In 2013, China declared an ADIZ over vast tracts of the East China Sea, which was contested by several nations, including the United States, Japan and South Korea. In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian arrogantly declared that every country has the right to establish an ADIZ, and said: In the light of air security threats China faces over SCS waters, China will carefully and prudently study the relevant issues, taking into account all factors. These statements signal a stiffening of Asean leaders spine in challenging Chinas exaggerated and untenable claims in the SCS. The Asean leaders also expressed concern over the land reclamations and serious incidents in SCS which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region. Indonesia is also upset over Chinas increasingly aggressive claims around its Natuna Islands and complained to the UN in May that its economic interests were jeopardised by Chinas claims and 9-dash line. When China responded by inviting Indonesia to negotiate what it called overlapping claims of maritime rights and interests , Indonesia replied to the UN on June 12, rightly stressing there was no reason to negotiate as Jakarta had no overlapping claims with China in the South China Sea. Importantly, Philippines President Dutertes policy towards the United States is undergoing a 180-degree turn under the unrelenting cartographic, administrative and physical onslaught of China on Philippines maritime territory and EEZ. President Duterte was very unhappy with US criticism of his governments human rights record, and last February he had decided to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US, central to US troop deployments in the Philippines. However, in early June, its foreign minister said this move was suspended due to political and other developments in the region. Thus, President Dutertes policy of downgrading US ties has for now been halted. It should be recalled that in July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration under UNCLOS at The Hague had clearly ruled in the Philippines favour that China had no historical rights based on 9-dash line map and upheld the Philippines claims on Scarborough Shoal. However, China rejected this award even as China is a signatory to UNCLOS. Strangely, after his election later in the year, President Duterte did not press for the implementation of this award and adopted a course of friendship towards China. President Duterte has now realised the folly of extending an olive branch to China. The Philippines reconsideration of the merits of its strong defence ties with the US was the result of continued Chinese provocations. A Chinese fishing fleet recently sailed near a Philippines-occupied islet and a Chinese survey vessel also came towards the area. In Chinas book of creeping aggression, its fishing boats and survey vessels form the vanguard. It is significant that at present three US Navy aircraft-carriers are patrolling the Indo-Pacific region -- USS Ronald Reagan and USS Nimitz conducted joint exercises in the South China Sea on July 4-5 and are deployed in the Western Pacific. Since March, the US Navy had four sailings in the SCS, asserting its right of navigation. At the virtual Brussels Forum 2020 on June 26, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said the US was reviewing its global deployment of forces to ensure that it is postured appropriately to counter the rising Chinese military threat to countries like India, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. On June 25, in a rare briefing for the foreign media, Japanese defence minister Tara Kono emphasised the need to watch Chinas military capabilities and intentions across Asia. Chinas pre-meditated aggression all around its neighbourhood is a matter of deep concern. Its exaggerated unilateral territorial claims based on Orwellian lies need to be robustly contested by its aggrieved neighbours from the Asean members to India, and must be supported by all regional and global powers. Youre allowed to vote in person only if you havent yet cast your ballot by mail. If you decide youd rather vote in person, youll need to bring your mail-in ballot to an early voting site or your election precinct polling place and surrender it to an election judge. The election judge should then give you a standard ballot, which you can fill out to vote in person. JCPOA: The Deal That Wasn't By Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich July 12, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - The 14th of July 2020, marks the fifth anniversary of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Agreement, often referred to as the Iran Nuclear Deal (or simply the Deal) the Deal that wasn't. It was yet another attempt at regime change. Of all the plans to control Iran, from Operation Ajax to Operation JCPOA and everything in between, the Iran Nuclear Deal was by far the most devious attempt at undermining the sovereignty of Iran one way or another. The Greek's Trojan Horse pales compared to this dastardly scheme. Years in the making, the crafty plan even prompted the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) to nominate John Kerry and Javad Zarif to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. As such, it is high time that the Deals planners, their motivations and their associations were discussed in order to grasp the depth of the deception. Iran, due to its geopolitical position, has always been considered a jewel in the crown of the colonial powers. Attempts to conquer Iran through a proxy which started with Operation Ajax in August 1953, at the behest of the British and carried out by the CIA, were not abandoned even with the ousting of America's man, the Shah. Although the Islamic Revolution reclaimed Iran's sovereignty, America was not ready to abandon its plans to dominate Iran, and by extension, the Persian Gulf. The Persian Gulf has been the lynchpin of US foreign policy. "To all intents and purposes", a former senior US Defense Department official observed, "'Gulf waters' now extend from the Straits of Malacca to the South Atlantic". Nevertheless, bases near the [Persian] Gulf had special importance, and Pentagon planners urged "as substantial a land presence in them as can be managed". (Anthony H. Cordesman, "The Gulf and the Search for Strategic Stability", Boulder: Westview, 1984). Having failed in numerous attempts, including the Nojeh coup at the nascent stages of the Islamic Republic of Iran's newly-formed government, war, sanctions, terrorism, and a failed colour revolution, the United States needed other alternatives to reach its goal. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter Unlike the illegal war against Iraq, war with Iran was not a feasible option. The United States was aware of its inability to wage a successful war against Iran without serious damage to itself and its allies. When George W. Bush took office, he commissioned a war exercise to gauge the feasibility of an attack against Iran. The 2002 Millennium Challenge was a major war game exercise conducted by the United States Armed Forces in mid-2002. The exercise, which ran from July 24 to 15 August and cost $250 million, proved that the US would not defeat Iran. The US even restarted the war games, changing the rules to ensure an American victory, in reality, cheating itself. This led to accusations that the war game had turned from an honest, open, playtest of US war-fighting capabilities into a controlled and scripted exercise intended to end in a U.S. victory to promote a false narrative of US invincibility. For this reason, the United States continued its attempts at undermining Iran's sovereignty by means of sanctions, terror, and creating divisions among the Iranians. The JCPOA would be its master plan. A simple observation of Iran clearly suggests simple ideological divisions among the Iranian people (pro-West, anti-West, minorities, religious, secular) which have all been amply exploited by the United States and its allies. None of the exploits delivered the prize the US was seeking. And so it was that it was decided to exploit the one factor which united Iranians of ALL persuasions. Iran's civilian nuclear programme. In an interview with National Public Radio (25 November 2004), Ray Takyeh of the US Council on Foreign Relations (and husband to Iran expert Suzanne Maloney of the Brookings Institute) stated that according to polls, 75-80% of the Iranians rallied behind the Islamic Republic of Iran in support of its nuclear programme, including the full fuel cycle. In other words, the overwhelming uniting factor among the Iranians for the Islamic Republic was the nuclear programme (a USIA poll conducted in 2007 found that 64% of those questioned said that US legislation repealing regime change in Iran would not be incentive enough to give up the nuclear programme and full fuel-cycle). The next phase was to cause disunity on an issue that united Iranians of all stripes: negotiate away the nuclear programme. The first round of nuclear negotiations in 2003-2005, dubbed the Paris Agreement, between Iran and the EU3 proved to be futile, and as one European diplomat put it: "We gave them a beautiful box of chocolate that was, however, empty". As the West's fortune would have it, the same Iranian officials who had participated in the 2003-2005 negotiations would negotiate the JCPOA. Around the time of the end of the first round of negotiations, another Brookings Fellow, Flynt Leverett, senior advisor for the National Security Center, published a book, "Inheriting Syria, Bashar's Trial by Fire" (Brookings book publication, April 2005). In his book, Leverett argued that instead of conflict, George W. Bush should seek to cooperate with Syria as Assad was popular, but instead seek to weaken Assad's position among his people by targeting the Golan (inducing him to give it up) so that he would lose popularity among the Syrians. The JCPOA was designed in part along the same line of thinking. And more. His wife Hillary Leverett had a prominent role in "selling" the Deal. Secret negotiations between the Americans and "reform-minded" Iranians never ceased, bypassing both Ayatollah Khamenei, Irans supreme leader, and the President at the time Mahmood Ahmadinejad. In a 2012 meeting at the University of Southern California, the present members of the Iran Project team that were present had no reservations about suggesting that it was more beneficial to engage Iran rather than attack. They went as far as stating in the Q&A session to this writer that "they had been engaged with the 'Green' (the opposition movement in the failed 2009 colour revolution) for years, but Ahmadinejad won" (referring to the 2009 elections). But Ahmadinejad would soon leave office and be replaced by Rohani a more amenable player. Why Negotiate? Fully appreciating the challenge of attacking Iran, in 2004, the pro-Israel Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), presented its policy paper "The Challenges of US Preventive Military Action", authored by Michael Eisenstadt. It was opined that the ideal situation was (and continues to be) to have a compliant "regime" in Tehran. Eisenstadt was of the opinion that unlike the Osiraq nuclear power plant which was bombed and destroyed, neither Israel nor the US would not be able to bomb Iran's Bushehr reactor with the same ease. In particular, Eisenstadt claimed that Israel may have benefited from French aid in destroying Osiraq. French intelligence reportedly placed a homing beacon at Osiraq to help Israeli pilots locate the facility or target a critical underground structure there. In this light, it was recommended that the principal goal of US action should be to delay Iran's nuclear programme long enough to allow for the possible emergence of new leadership in Tehran. Failing that, war would have been facilitated. It was thought the Paris Agreement talks would fail (as the JCPOA was designed to fail) and as such, the following were some of the suggestions made: harassment or murder of key Iranian scientists or technicians; introduction of fatal design flaws into a critical reactor, centrifuge, or weapons components during their production, to ensure catastrophic failure during use; disruption or interdiction of key technology or material transfers through sabotage or covert military actions on land, in the air, or at sea; the sabotage of critical facilities by US intelligence assets, including third-country nationals or Iranian agents with access to key facilities; introduction of destructive viruses into Iranian computer systems controlling the production of components or the operation of facilities; damage or destruction of critical facilities through sabotage or direct action by US special forces. As with the murder and terrorising of the nuclear scientists, and the infection of the reactor with the Stuxnet virus, the JCPOA enabled personnel on the ground in Iran to carry out extensive sabotage as has been recently observed in recent days and weeks. Rohani's visa-free travel opened the flood gates to spies and saboteurs dual citizens, who easily travelled with passports other than American, British, or Australian ones. Iran even managed to prevent an IAEA inspector who triggered an alarm at Iran's nuclear facility. But it would seem, Iran has not been able to stop other intruders and terrorists not yet. Other Motivational Factors for Negotiating According to studies, as of 2008, Iran's Bushehr nuclear reactor had 82 tonnes of enriched uranium (U235) loaded into it, according to Israeli and Chinese reports. This amount was significantly higher pre and during negotiations. History has not witnessed the bombing of a nuclear power plant with an operational nuclear enrichment facility. The deliberate bombing of such facilities would result in breach containment and radioactive elements released. The death toll horrifying. The Union of Concerned Scientists has estimated 3 million deaths would result in 3 weeks from bombing the nuclear enrichment facilities near Esfahan, and the contamination would cover Afghanistan, Pakistan, all the way to India. The JCPOA significantly reduced the amount of enriched uranium, reducing the potential casualty deaths in the event that a strike is carried out. The Deal bought time - Iran's strength has been its ability to retaliate to any attack by closing down the Strait of Hormuz. Given that 17 million barrels of oil a day, or 35% of the world's seaborne oil exports go through the Strait of Hormuz, incidents in the Strait would be fatal for the world economy. Enter Nigeria and Yemen. In 1998, Clinton's national security agenda made it clear that gaining unhampered access to Nigerian oil and other vital resources was a key US policy. In the early 2000s, Chatham House was one of the NGOs that determined African oil would be a good alternate to Persian Gulf oil in the event of an oil disruption. This followed a strategy paper for the US to move toward African oil. The push for African oil was on Dick Cheney's desk on 31 May 2000. In 2002, the Israeli-based IASPS suggested America push toward African oil. In the same year, Boko Haram was "founded". In 2007, AFRICOM helped consolidate this push into the region. In 2011, a publication titled: "Globalising West African Oil: US 'energy security' and the global economy" outlined the "US positioning itself to use military force to ensure that African oil continued to flow to the United States". This was but one strategy to supply oil in addition to or as an alternate to the passage of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. (See HERE for full article). The JCPOA as a Starting Point It has now been made abundantly clear that the Deal was simply JCPOA1. Other Deals were to follow to disarm Iran even further, to stop Iran's defensive missile programme, and to stop Iran from helping its allies in the region. This would have been relatively easy to achieve had Hillary Clinton been elected as had been the hope. The plan was to allow trade and neoliberal policies, which the Rohani administration readily embraced, a sharp increase in imports (harming domestic production and self-reliance) while building hope or as Maloney called it, a "crisis of expectation". It was thought that with a semblance of "normalcy" in international relations and freedom from sanctions, Iranians would want to continue abandoning their sovereignty, their defences, and rally around the pro-West/America politicians at the expense of the core ideology of the Islamic Revolution, the conservatives and the IRGC. In other words, regime change (several meetings speak to this; see for this example, and here). The Players The most prominent player, one could argue, was President Obama. Obama was not about peace. The biggest threat to an empire is peace. Obama had chosen feigned diplomacy as his weapon. But before picking up the mantle of diplomacy, he had proposed terrorism sanctioned terrorism. Obama, while a junior senator, had introduced S. 1430 in 2007 and had "crippling sanctions" in mind for the Iranian people. As president, his executive orders assured this. Addressing AIPAC while still a presidential candidate, he said: "Our willingness to pursue diplomacy will make it easier to mobilise others to join our cause. If Iran fails to change course when presented with this choice by the United States, it will be clear to the people of Iran and to the world that the Iranian regime is the author of its own isolation and that will strengthen our hand with Russia and China as we insist on stronger sanctions in the Security Council. "And we should work with Europe, Japan, and the Gulf States to find every avenue outside the United Nations to isolate the Iranian regime, from cutting off loan guarantees and expanding financial sanctions to banning the export of refined petroleum to Iran to boycotting firms associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, whose Quds forces have rightly been labelled a terrorist organisation". No wonder he was dubbed "the first Jewish president"! Not to be left unmentioned was the darling of the theatrics of this Deal Federica Mogherini. So enamoured were some of the Iranian parliamentarians with her that to the embarrassment of Iran, the internet was abuzz with these MPs taking pictures with her. Perhaps they looked at her and not her years as a German Marshall Fund Fellow. The German Marshall Fund (GMF) sounds harmless enough, but perhaps Russia may not view it that way. Iran shouldn't. The GMF pushed for bringing Ukraine into NATO's fold. Furthermore, the GMF gives funding to American Abroad Media. AMA boasts some of the most dangerous anti-Iran neoconservatives who have shaped America's policies, such as Dennis Ross, James Woolsey, Martin Indyk (responsible for the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act later to become the ISA and still in place after the JCPOA), Tom Pickering (one of the main proponents of the Iran Deal and a member of the Iran Project). Supporters are not limited to the GMF. Others include Rockefeller, the Ford Foundation, and NED. A a most active proponent of the JCPOA was none other than NED recipient Trita Parsi/NIAC. Trita Parsi was personally thanked for his role in pushing the JCPOA through. Job well done for a 3-time recipient of NED funds. It's no wonder the George Soros Koch foundation Quincy Institute selected him as their Executive Vice President. And last but not least, Hillary Mann Leverett (wife of the aforementioned Flynn Leverett) who persuaded her audiences that the JCPOA was akin to "Nixon going to China". While some in Iran naively believed this to be the case and even defended her, they failed to realise that when Nixon went to China it was to bring China on board against Russia. And Israel was not a player. It was not an opening to befriend Iran any more than Nixons trip was predicated on altruistic motivations. Russia and China's role The Russians and the Chinese were so eager to embrace a long-awaited peace after all the calamity caused by the United States that they fully eliminated this Deal, even though it was detrimental to their interests in so doing. America's animosity and never-ending schemes encouraged cooperation between Russia, China, and Iran. Although the lifting of sanctions post JCPOA would have facilitated trade and enhanced diplomacy between Iran and the West, at a cost to China and Russia, they stood steadfast by the Deal. Peace was more valuable. But far more importantly, the two powerful nations allowed the United States to be the arbitrator of an international treaty the NPT. During the Shah's reign, President Ford had signed onto a National Security Decision Memorandum (NSDM 292, 1975) allowing and encouraging Iran to not only enrich uranium but sell it to neighbouring countries to profit America. The United States then decided that since the Islamic Republic of Iran did not serve the interests of the United States, the United States would determine how the NPT should be applied to Iran. But their efforts at peace and the West's efforts at regime change all came to nought. What is important to bear in mind is that America's efforts at war, sabotage, and terrorism have not ended. Imposing unilateral sanctions terrorism against the Iranian people, has not ceased. Although the Iranian people and their elected representatives in the new Iranian parliament are far more aware of and have an aversion to America's ploys and the Deal, China and Russia must do their part not only as guarantors of peace, but also to maintain their integrity in a world where both aspire to live in multi-lateralism. The world already has a superpower without morals and integrity; it does not need other great powers that act similarly. Iran has fended off another assault on its sovereignty. However, saboteurs and terrorists are soliciting war with their recent string of terrorism in Iran. As the fifth anniversary of this trap approaches, the world needs to understand and step up in order to defend peace, international law and social justice. The future of all depends on it. And to American compatriots: Make sure Trump understands war will not get him re-elected. Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich has a Master's in Public Diplomacy from USC Annenberg for Communication. She is an independent researcher and writer with regular contributions to various online blogs. Soraya is a public speaker and political commentator. Post your comment below See also The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. A Connecticut drug trafficker was sentenced to 5 years in prison Monday following an investigation that included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical surveillance, according to federal authorities. Pedro Rivera, also known as Heavy, 42, of Hartford, also was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to five years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics, federal authorities said in a release. The Drug Enforcement Administrations Hartford Task Force launched an investigation in Aug. 2017 into a drug trafficking organization that was selling large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine in that city Hartford, the release said, attributing the information to court documents and statements made in court. Julio Oliveras, also known as Cuzzo Jay, was identified as the leader of the organization, the release said. The investigation, which included approximately six months of court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical surveillance, revealed that Oliveras and his associates supplied distribution quantities of narcotics to several Hartford-area drug dealers, including Rivera, and used multiple locations in Hartford to process, store and distribute narcotics, the release said. Rivera was regularly intercepted on wiretaps ordering fentanyl and heroin, typically in 50-gram or 100-gram quantities, and wholesale quantities of cocaine, from Oliveras. Rivera, Oliveras and other members of the organization were arrested on July 19, 2018 and investigators executed 10 search warrants, seizing about 2.7 kilograms of fentanyl, one kilogram of heroin, approximately 500 grams of crack cocaine, 100 grams of cocaine, eight firearms, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, cash, and other evidence of narcotics trafficking activity, federal authorities said in the release. The drugs and firearms were found at a stash house Oliveras maintained, a storage unit he rented, and the residences of his associates. A grand jury returned an indictment charging Rivera, Oliveras and 14 co-defendants with various offenses on Aug. 2, 2018, according to federal authorities. Rivera has been held since his arrest and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl and cocaine on Aug. 29, 2019, the release said. Oliveras pleaded guilty to narcotics and firearm offenses and, on January 15, 2020, was sentenced to 186 months of imprisonment. This is Riveras second federal conviction. In September 2004, he was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment for distributing large quantities of crack cocaine. His sentence was subsequently reduced to 48 months of imprisonment pursuant to changes in the federal sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine offenses. The Drug Enforcement Administrations Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. Agencies assisting the investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Connecticut Department of Correction, and the East Hartford, New Britain, Newington and West Hartford Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone. France will provide Mariupol with a EUR 64 million loan at 0.08% per annum for a project to provide the city with drinking water, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov has said. "We are talking about a soft loan of 64 million euros for 30 years with a ten-year grace period at a rate of 0.08%. With these funds, a filter station and water intake systems will be built in Mariupol, and the necessary research on where exactly and how exactly to draw and provide drinking water for the city, which is home to almost half a million residents, will be conducted," he said. According to the official, the project is aimed at providing Mariupol residents with drinking water of the highest standard and quality. French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins, in turn, recalled that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, at an investment forum in Mariupol last October, called on the international community to strengthen its presence in eastern Ukraine. He said that with this project and with another project, which is already being planned in the north of the Luhansk region, France was joining the development of Donbas. The diplomat said that the drinking water project in Mariupol was launched in January 2019, and financial and administrative procedures have been carried out since then. "All engineering work will begin in the coming weeks. Our political goal is to do all we can to make sure that a new drinking water station was commissioned in Mariupol in 2023 or at the latest in 2024," de Poncins said. At the same time, Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said the project required the signing of a sub-loan agreement between the Finance Ministry, the Ministry for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, the city of Mariupol and a utility company, which was signed during a briefing. "The positive experience of Mariupol will be a signpost for other cities that such projects can be implemented. The project is extremely attractive - both the terms and the loan rate are extremely attractive," Marchenko said. According to background information provided by the Ministry for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, the project envisages the construction of a drinking water plant using French technologies, as well as the modernization of the associated infrastructure in Mariupol. The project also foresees, taking into account the use of water resources of the reservoir, the development by 2040 of a master plan for improving the city's water supply and sewerage system. Leading French companies such as Stereau and Beten will help implement a large-scale project to modernize the city's drinking water supply system. Thus, French companies will provide support to Mariupol City Administration and the city's water supply company to improve the productivity and performance of the system. op By Trend The Egyptian Youm7 and Aldiplomasy online newspapers, and Asiyaelyoum news agency published a statement from the Azerbaijani Embassy in this country regarding provocation committed the day before by Armenian armed forces on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border (Azerbaijan's Tovuz district), Trend reports on July 13. According to the appeal, units of the armed forces of Armenia, grossly violating the ceasefire on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border (Azerbaijan's Tovuz district), opened artillery fire at Azerbaijani positions. The statement, stressing with reference to the report of Azerbaijans Defense Ministry, that Azerbaijan's armed response forced the Armenian armed forced to retreat, expressed condolences in connection with the killed Azerbaijani soldiers who became martyrs. The statement also provided information on the history and reasons of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. As Azerbaijans Defense Ministry stated earlier, starting from noon on July 12, units of the armed forces of Armenia, grossly violating the ceasefire on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border (Azerbaijan's Tovuz district), opened artillery fire at Azerbaijani positions. Azerbaijan's armed response forced the Armenian armed forced to retreat, suffering losses. Servicemen of the Azerbaijan Army, non-commissioned officer, sergeant Vugar Sadigov and senior soldier Elshad Mammadov died holding off an Armenian attack. Despite the efforts of Azerbaijani doctors, a badly wounded serviceman of the Azerbaijan Army, soldier Khayyam Dashdemirov has also died. On the night of July 12-13, tensions continued on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border in the Tovuz districts direction. In the night battles involving artillery, mortars and tanks, Azerbaijani military divisions destroyed the stronghold, artillery installations, equipment and manpower of an Armenian military unit. During the battles, the senior lieutenant of the Azerbaijani army, Rashid Mahmudov was killed. Currently, the situation is under the control of Azerbaijani troops. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Australias stock market closed higher on Monday despite reports about COVID-19 outbreaks from companies within the healthcare and gaming sectors. Star Entertainment reported a visitor with the virus was at its Sydney casino on Saturday, and Estia Health had 13 infected residents at a facility in western Melbourne. Its shares fell 3.3 per cent to $1.45. The benchmark index got over 6000 points in the first hour, but ended up closing at 5977 points, a one-day gain of 1 per cent. The information technology sector underperformed and Technology One closed 6.4 per cent lower at $8.18 following a report from a Hong Kong-based research house GMT, which prepares reports for institutional investors. GMTs Nigel Stevenson said his report raised concerns about Technology One directly linking revenue recognition with the capitalisation of its development costs. Technology Ones decline dragged on the whole sector, with Afterpay closing 0.8 per cent lower at $71.74, and EML Payments down 3 per cent. Mondays session was driven by gains in the financial sector with the big four banks and Macquarie Bank closing gaining around 2 per cent higher. Listed fund and wealth managers also did well, will Platinum Asset Management up 6.8 per cent and Netwealth gaining 4.9 per cent. The materials sector also out-performed. BHP gained 2.2 per cent to $36.97, Rio Tinto gained 2 per cent to close at $99.84, the highest price for a month, and Fortescue closed 3.4 per cent higher at $15.36 after reaching a new all-time high of $15.41 during the day. Healthcare stocks performed poorly, including in the biotech space. CSL ended the day lower at $281.43, Avita Therapeutics dropped 9.4 per cent, Mesoblast fell 5.2 per cent, and Ramsay Healthcare declined 1.7 per cent to $61.91. Meanwhile, traders will be waiting for the US reporting season which kicks off on Tuesday evening with CitiGroups second-quarter results. And chief investment officer of core investments at AXA, Chris Iggo, said while he is optimistic about long-term growth in stock markets, it might be rocky in the short-term. The stock market has not really suffered a secondary correction, he said in a note to clients on Monday. There might be an opportunity to buy stocks at cheaper levels and lock into a wider credit spread. However, I am bullish for the longer-term. The outlook for the third quarter is even less certain than it was at the start of the second quarter, he added. Companies will in coming weeks be deciding whether they let workers go as the federal governments support schemes are wound back. Shobana Radhakrishnan By Express News Service MADURAI: Madurai, which crossed 100 deaths on Friday, has seen a 92 per cent rise in deaths and 85 per cent rise in cases since June 22. Despite this, it is only towards the end of June that testing was increased from an average of 250 samples a day to 1,500 a day. Despite the surge, experts said that the city is yet to see a peak and the rise in cases is set to continue. Meanwhile, Madurai, being the hub for southern districts, has affected surrounding districts, with 289 cases being reported for the first time on July 9 in Virudhunagar. Loosening of lockdown At the end of May, Madurai only had 269 cases and in the beginning of June, new cases were only trickling in. However, with the extension of lockdown till June 30 coming with certain relaxations, salons and other shops were allowed to open. The Madurai Corporation announced that the decentralised markets action taken in the aftermath of the Koyambedu cluster could be centralised again at Mattuthavani. Accordingly, 750 shops were shifted back to the market and a rotational basis 250 shops were set to open each day. However, the markets were shut for disinfection as, between June 13 and 14, 13 persons connected to the Paravai market and three connected to the Mattuthavani fruit market tested positive. While officials claimed there were no Koyambedu-like clusters being formed, around 700 vendors from Paravai and 300 vendors from Mattuthavani were tested. Of them, 46 in Paravai and three in Mattuthavani were positive. Following this incident, the district administration collected a list of 1,500 vendors at the Mattuthavani vegetable market for monitoring. Flood from Chennai Many from Chennai had been coming to the district. Sources said at least 14,000 Chennai returnees, with authorised e-passes, reached Madurai via road, rail and airways by the end of the first week of June. Reports suggest there were not enough check posts installed to screen those entering the district via road allowing for more returnees to sneak in without e-pass. After several complaints of people entering the district through villages and with bogus e-passes, the administration stepped up checking by mid-June and constituted Village Vigilance Committees to monitor entries. Strategies evolved By mid-June the city started conducting medical camps adjacent to 31 Urban Primary Health Centres to assess symptomatic cases. Volunteers from various NGOs were also roped in for door to door surveillance. However, for weeks, testing lagged behind other districts. The State government released district-wise data of samples tested for the first time on June 7. According to the data, 14,102 samples were tested in Madurai, placing the district 30th in the State and 4th among southern districts. While the data reported that 6,420 tests were performed per million population in the State, Madurai had performed only half that figure 3,975 tests per million. Even as cases surged, testing was still averaging only 300 samples in the second week of June. It was only in the third week of June that samples tested each day increased to 1,500. Minister RB Udhayakumar on July 10 said that figure had since doubled to 3,000 samples each day. Intense lockdown On June 22, a day after Dr. B Chandra Mohan was appointed District Monitoring Officer, Madurai and its surroundings entered an intense lockdown. The situation was dire -- by the fourth week of June all 100 wards in the city had at least two active cases. As part of the containment plan, streets with more than three cases from different houses were demarcated as containment zones. From 57 streets so designated on June 26, more than 300 streets were under containment by the first week of July. Lockdown is not a cure. It only buys time to improve the health infrastructure and thereby handle the spiking cases, said the Monitor Officer. In a bid to catch symptoms early, fever clinics initially established in June were increased from 95 to 155 in July. Around 1,400 frontline workers were deployed for door to door assessment. A contact tracing team and a disinfectant team was also constituted, he said. Ten strategies were being formulated to handle the surging cases, the officer said, adding that a behavioural communication strategy and community involvement programme were being designed. Collector TG Vinay had warned the residents of stringent action against those who failed to wear masks and violate lockdown restrictions. . Treatment While the moderately affected patients are now accomodated at covid care centres(CCCs), the severely affected patients are treated admitted at the Government Rajaji Hospital. This will prioritise those in need of immediate medical attention, added Chandra Mohan. While the district has increased the number of CCCs and beds, conditions at CCCs have come under fire. On June 29, a patient at Thiagarajar College of Engineering CCC succumbed to the injuries after he jumped off the building. It is alleged that 600 patients were accommodated in the building which had facilities only for 200. Mental health services were also lacking. Subsequently, an online counselling centre was established at Arignar Anna Maligai on June 28 and yoga classes have been conducted for patients at CCCs since. Surging deaths The quick rise in deaths has given cause for concern, with Madurai MP Su Venkatesan asking why the virus was killing so many people in Madurai. The MP urged the district to announce test results within 24 hours of drawing samples so that care could be provided to patients quickly. He suggested that fever clinics should be established in rural blocks as well even if the case load in such places was low.The monitoring officer said that the epidemiological studies revealed that the cases would increase in a pattern similar to a hockey stick curve. Once the caseload peaked, the number of new cases would fall, he explained. Engel, a 16-term incumbent who is liberal on domestic issues and a hawk on foreign policy, voted for the Iraq War, was against President Barack Obamas nuclear deal with Iran and opposed numerous attempts to criticize Israel for its settlement expansion in the West Bank. Though his likely defeat has been attributed to lackluster campaigning, including a hot mic gaffe and his decision to spend much of the coronavirus pandemic in his Maryland home while his district was ravaged by the virus, his opponent harshly criticized his votes on the Iraq War and Iran nuclear deal. Police have fined an Adelaide nightclub $5,060 for breaching coronavirus restrictions after storming the venue and finding a packed dance floor. Damning photographs released by police showed huge crowds of people blatantly ignoring social distancing at Zhivago nightclub on Saturday night. The popular city nightclub said they would contest the fine and had already made a formal complaint to police, insisting. Police have fined an Adelaide nightclub $5,060 for breaching coronavirus restriction Photos released by police showed Zhivago nightclub's packed dance floor on Saturday night 'We made every endeavour to adhere to social distancing and density rulings,' they said in a statement. 'We filled our usual dance floor area with bar tables and chairs to make it obvious that we were doing our absolute best. 'We are extremely disappointed in the lack of consistency between police, especially during this confusing time.' The nightclub said the punishment was 'frustrating' given they 'did not create the virus nor aid in the spread of it in this state whatsoever'. South Australia police checked 111 venues across Adelaide over the weekend during a COVID-19 compliance blitz and found 10 had no COVIDSafe plans in place. Two police officers inside Tequila Sunrise hostel before the venue was fined for not having a Covid Safe Plan The Tequila Sunrise hostel on Waymouth Street was raided by police at 8pm on Friday night and also copped at $5,060 fine for breaching coronavirus guidelines. 'Upon arrival police identified that the business failed to have a COVID Safe Plan in place and had concerns people were failing to physically distance from each other,' police said. Investigators found the hostel was hosting four guests who had recently arrived from a COVID-19 hotspot in Victoria and were self-isolating in the accommodation. 'Officers had concerns over their ability to quarantine from other patrons and engaged SA Health who moved the three men and one woman to a Hotel on North Terrace to complete their self-quarantine.' A priest went against the advice of the church and accused the governor of the central Mexican state of Guanajuato for providing military rifles to one of the country's most deadliest criminal organizations. Father Alfredo Gallegos made the shocking allegations against Diego Sinhue Rodriguez while he celebrated an outdoors mass in Chucandiro, a town in the western state of Michoacan last Thursday. 'The bishops tell me, 'son they are going to kill you, don't get into problems with the governor of Guanajuato because there are no more than 20 daily deaths and you can see it on the internet,' Gallegos said. 'Diego Sinhue stop playing dumb. You give AK-47s and bulletproof vests and leave the road unprotected for the bad guys and the [Jalisco] New Generation [cartel].' Father Alfredo Gallegos accused the governor of the central Mexican state of Guanajuato, Diego Sinhue Rodriguez, of providing 'AK-47s and bulletproof vests' to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most dangerous cartels in Mexico Father Alfredo Gallegos (left) also said that governor Diego Sinhue Rodriguez is not doing enough for the police in the state of Guanajuato The 69-year-old clergyman, who is also known as 'Father Pistol' because he has always been known to hold service with a weapon by his side, said alleged that governor Sinhue 'does not give the cops anything.' Gallegos is a native of the Guanajuato municipality of Tarimoro but officiates masses at La Huananchita church in Chucandiro. Guanajuato has been turned into the epicenter for cartel violence with no answer for a turf war between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and its main rival, the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, dating back to December 2017. The Drug Enforcement Agency is offering a $10million reward for information leading to the arrest of Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The organization has a presence in 24 of 32 states in Mexico and has shipped cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl-laced heroin to the United States. Government data showed that in 2019, the state of Guanajuato was the deadliest in the nation with a record 3,540 homicides - Rodriguez's first full year in office after he took over the seat in September 2018. Through the end on May 2020, the ongoing cartel battle positioned Guanajuato at the top of Mexico's most dangerous state with 1,903 murders. Numbers for June have still not been reported. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel has a presence in 24 of 32 states in Mexico and reportedly has shipped cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl-laced heroin to the United States Crime stats show that at least 51 police officers were murdered in Guanajuato during the first six months of the year. Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador this week will visit a National Guard base in the Guanajuato city of Irapuato, where at least 27 people - including 26 patients - were massacred at a drug rehabilitation center July 1. He will also visit Jalisco, the home of the hyper-violent Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which was suspected of carrying out the brazen attack on Mexico City's police chief Omar Garcia Harfuch, which he survived with three bullet wounds in late June. Lopez Obrador also will travel to Colima, where in mid-June, gunmen believed to be from the Jalisco cartel, killed federal judge Uriel Villegas and his wife, Veronica Barajas and his wife in their home in front of their two daughters and nanny. The three were not harmed. Lopez Obrador said he is going to 'support, to back' all of the efforts to pacify those states. ALBANY Travelers flying into New York airports from states with high rates of coronavirus infections will now be mandated to fill out forms disclosing their travel plans or face being immediately given a summons that carries a $2,000 fine, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Monday. The new mandate, which will be issued by the state Department of Health, comes after tens of thousands of airline travelers have been refusing to sign the forms and brushing past tables in airports that are staffed by health officials tasked with collecting the information. "You must give officials at the airport your form as to where you came from and where you're going, before you leave the airport," Cuomo said. The new edict "will be enforced at every airport in the state of New York." The states currently on New York's mandatory travel quarantine list are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. The Port Authority will enforce the new regulation at downstate airports. Cuomo's office said that at upstate airports MacArthur, Westchester, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and Niagara Falls enforcement teams stationed at the regional airports will be comprised of state Department of Health peace officers and State Police. The governor's office said the law enforcement personnel will meet arriving aircraft at the gate and greet disembarking passengers to request proof that they have completed the traveler forms. But it's unclear whether the federal Transportation Safety Administration will waive regulations to allow the state workers, including troopers, past airport checkpoints and into so-called "sterile" areas, where police officers and other workers are credentialed to go after receiving special training and separate identification. Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple, whose department has a $2.2 million annual contract with Albany International Airport to oversee security, said he learned about the new regulation as a result of Cuomo's briefing Monday. "You need to take a class to be certified to go into sterile areas," Apple said. "Its a separate ID; it doesnt matter who you are. You need that separate ID in order to go back there. Thats through the TSA." Doug Myers, a spokesman for Albany International Airport, said there is "approved security protocol in place" that will allow "non-badged individuals to proceed through the TSA checkpoint." Myers said that the state workers will be provided with tables and chairs to greet disembarking passengers at the passenger gates. State officials do not have the legal authority to obtain flight passenger manifests. But Cuomo said the enforcement will be rigid. Anyone who flouts the new requirement "can then be brought to a hearing and ordered to complete mandatory quarantine," Cuomo said. "We can't have a situation where we have people coming from other states bringing the virus again." At the Elmira, Ogdensburg and Plattsburgh airports, the enforcement teams will be there only on the days when there flights arriving from impacted states, officials said. The state Department of Health two weeks ago said government workers had collected more than 6,600 questionnaires from travelers who had landed at New York airports in the first week after Cuomo first imposed a 14-day quarantine, which went into effect on June 25. The effort to monitor the travelers and mandate compliance was not seamless, with thousands of travelers declining to fill out the forms and at least one airline ,JetBlue, initially declining to distribute them to their passengers aboard inbound New York flights, according to state workers who have taken part in the work. JetBlue has since begun distributing the forms along with all other airlines, Cuomo said. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The state does not have authority to compel airlines which are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration to distribute the forms. New York had initially been paying overtime to investigators with the Health Department's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement to join other employees stationed at airport deplaning exits to gather the forms. People who did that work said most travelers would brush past the makeshift informational checkpoints without stopping. The BNE investigators have since been reassigned to other duties. The two-page forms carry the header "New York State Traveler Health Form" and ask participants to list their personal information, including name, phone numbers, email and residential addresses as well as their ultimate destination. It asks travelers to list states they have visited and the dates, as well as to disclose any information about COVID-19 symptoms. The form ends with a warning above the signature line stating the person submitting the form is providing truthful information "under penalty of law." "Upon entering New York, if you are a traveler and do not have a suitable dwelling for your 14-day quarantine period, you must find appropriate accommodations at your own cost," the form states. "If you are a NYS resident returning from travel and do not have appropriate accommodations for quarantine, please call your local health department." Many other governors have imposed similar mandatory quarantines for people visiting or returning to their states, but New York's order imposes hefty civil penalties up to $10,000 for anyone who violates the requirement. Other states have made the orders "advisory." In order for someone to face penalty in New York, Public Health Law had required that they first be notified by a local health department official that they are subject to quarantine and ordered to isolate themselves or their family. But under the mandate announced by Cuomo, someone can now receive a summons immediately for non-compliance. There is no timetable for how long New York's quarantine requirement will remain in effect; Cuomo imposed it at a time when tens of thousands of people are beginning to embark on summer vacations, including to locations that include the Carolinas and Florida, which are on the list of states flagged as high-risk. States are included in the advisory if 10 per 100,000 residents or 10 percent of the total population tests positive on a seven-day rolling average. Someone who merely passes through a high-risk state, and may visit a few rest areas along the way or have a layover at an airport, are not required to self-quarantine upon entering New York. By Esther Ngumbi URBANA, ILLINOIS Around the world, food insecurity is spiking. Experts predict that the number of hungry people will double during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout Africa, governments struggle to provide for the neediest. In Burkina Faso, which at one point had the highest number of deaths from COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 2.1 million people don't have enough to eat. In Nairobi, people are fighting over their next meal. In Cape Town, police recently clashed with residents who didn't receive parcels of rice, beans, oil, and other supplies. But it is not just Africa. The tragedy is unfolding on screens across the globe. In Phoenix, cars begin lining up two hours before boxes with non-perishables were distributed. In Ohio, more than 4,000 people recently waited for hours to pick up packages of cereal, oatmeal, and pasta. It is urgent that leaders find ways to ensure sufficient food supplies during the COVID-19 crisis. Because of lockdowns, sickness, and lost incomes, hunger will rise. And, because developed and developing countries are equally affected, we must find solutions together. Data analytics is a key way to track food insecurity. What is needed is a real-time mapping tool like the data dashboard developed at Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering to track confirmed coronavirus cases. And governments, NGOs, and others on the front lines of the fight against hunger should support the effort. After all, timely information is vital to diagnosing and eliminating the problem. Real-time data inform local and national leaders, food banks, and NGOs how to prepare for and respond to emerging needs. For example, farmers who have excess perishables can report them on the map, and pick-ups and shipments can then be arranged to redistribute the food to communities and households in need. Likewise, targeted policies are essential. Leaders must establish initiatives to ensure that people know where they can get their next meal. In the United States, the $2 trillion stimulus adopted in March will help, to the extent that it supports household incomes. And in April, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a $170 million initiative to curb hunger. Other U.S. states are launching similar efforts. Bulgarians stage anti-corruption rallies for third day Iran Press TV Sunday, 12 July 2020 10:19 AM Thousands of people have flocked to the streets in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia and several other major cities, calling for the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and the country's chief prosecutor over corruption charges. The demonstrators protested on Saturday for a third consecutive day and accused Borissov's government and Bulgarian chief prosecutor Ivan Geshev of deliberately delaying investigations into links between graft-prone officials and local oligarchs. Protests against what many described as "mafia-style" rule were simultaneously held in several cities in the Balkan country. Police arrested 18 people late Friday after scuffles broke out during anti-corruption protests, but the demonstration on Saturday was largely peaceful. Bulgarians are frustrated with economic corruption as the country the European Union (EU)'s poorest and most corrupt member state has long pledged to eradicate graft but has yet to prosecute any senior officials on corruption charges. Anti-corruption demonstrations were staged after prosecutors ordered a raid on the offices of Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, who has been a vocal critic of the government, in what seemed to have been a targeted attack on a critical voice. In a televised address on Saturday, Radev called for the resignation of the government and the chief prosecutor, and underlined that the nationwide protests showed that Bulgarians across the political spectrum had had enough. "The corruption, the prosecutors' racketeering and inaction against the plunderers and the lack of justice is what people stood against," he said. More anti-government protests have been planned in Sofia and other cities over the next days. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address As part of efforts to support operators of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) to keep their businesses afloat in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Bank of Africa (BoA) is providing restructuring of loans for businesses, cross-border business support in terms of assistance with suppliers, local and international trade finance and business advisory services to all of its customers especially the SMEs. The bank is also widening its payment platform channels to make it more convenient for its customers; both domestic and international to make payment for goods and services. This is to offer convenience, flexibility and ensure that there are limited customers who will ordinarily visit the banking halls for transactions. The banks secured and reliable internet banking platform, BOAweb which is even able to perform international transfers and the reliable mobile banking application, BMobile, are available with assured convenience. It is therefore no wonder that subscriptions for the various BOA digital banking applications have increased during the pandemic and its a good indication of the acceptability of its usage. The Executive Head of Corporate and Enterprise Banking at BANK OF AFRICA, Mr. William Boateng, speaking during a business webinar organized by the UKGCC in partnership with the BOA on the theme: Banking in a COVID-19 Environment: Dynamics for Corporates, SMEs and individuals on Thursday July 9, 2020 said the emergence of the pandemic is redefining the ways of doing businesses across the globe and in all sectors of the economy. Hence, BOA felt the need to empower the SMEs on the efficient and effective ways of doing business in this critical period. The bank offers advisory services to its SME clients on how to stay relevant in business by taking advantage of business opportunities the pandemic presents. He explained that businesses cannot continue to engage in the old ways of doing things during this period of the pandemic and expect to make profit and to also stay in business. A lot of cost cutting measures are offered to clients to ensure they cut down of their overhead expenses. To that end, he said BOA felt the need to support its numerous customers, especially the SMEs, to effectively carry out their operations in the new normal environment. He mentioned that, with its wide presence in 33 countries across 4 continents namely; Africa, Asia, Europe and North America the Bank is best positioned to facilitate trade business for all its customers. He emphasized that cross border trade has significantly increased during this COVID-19 period and he is urging other customers to take advantage of it. Without the right partner there is the tendency to make mistakes, he said, hence, the decision by the bank to support customers carry out their businesses in the comfort of their homes. He reiterated the Banks desire to see all its customers in business and has therefore aligned the businesses to support the restructuring of matured payments. The Bank has restructured matured facilities and this seeks to offer some comfort and flexibility for loan repayment. Both SME and Retail customers have enjoyed this opportunity, businesses who have suffered salary cuts have had extension in the payment of their facilities, he said. Mr. Boateng further noted that in spite of the negativity surrounding the COVID-19, there are some positives that come along with the pandemic. It is a crucial time to build trust and strengthen relationship with customers, which will offer the customer satisfaction expected from the Bank. In spite of the negativity we see around the pandemic, it is bringing new opportunities and business needs and it is for banks to identify these opportunities to make sure their customers do businesses in an efficient manner, he said. He said the COVID-19 has been an agent for restructuring a lot of our traditional ways of doing things. It is redefining our business activities. If you dont keep an open mind and think that there will be a time that everything will return as it was before, you will lose out. With the new normal and the platforms available, customers should now be able to instruct their bank at the comfort of their homes and offices and all the necessary payments will be done on its behalf. He added: the pandemic is redefining every activity., it is forcing humanity to see the other side and embracing new ways of performing tasks. It is teaching us as businesses new ways of doing things, opening our eyes to endless opportunities that come with using new technology. It is forcing us to reexamine our operations and to relook at our consumer behavior. He further advised businesses to embrace the new normal or risk losing out on opportunities to grow. Businesses that are slow in adopting to changes are not surviving this pandemic and wont survive, he said. He testified of a customer who has gone into the production of PPEs which is in high demand now and is making good returns. He underscored that through the banks advisory services the customer has a huge contract with the Ministry of Health. On his part, Mr. Philemon Kwame Ankomah, Chief Information Security Officer at BANK OF AFRICA, noted that activities of cyber fraudsters are increasing because more people are now trading online. He said the hackers are taking undue advantage of the new normal to dupe people. He further recommended constant changes to online or digital platform passwords and also taking time to assess the authenticity of email messages before opening them. Take your time and go through the mails critically to determine whether the email is genuine or not before you open, he said. Regarding the information security at BOA, he said the security of customers is paramount to the bank hence, the bank has taken measures to that effect. Bank of Africa is a certified ISO 27001 in Information Security Management System and ISO 22301 in Business Continuity Management System. Which means we adhere to all 114 controls required by the International Organization Standards. We have implemented a lot of controls at the bank; system design, hardening of connections, software configuration, encryption protocols, jamming and spoofing detection and monitoring, he noted. The Bank is looking at organizing more webinar sessions in the coming months to provide the platform to discuss pertinent business-related issues and contribute to the development of the economy by building the competency and knowledge base of businesses and entrepreneurs in Ghana. 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 ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Alaska is on track to repeat last years mark of the nations highest rate of tuberculosis infections, health officials said. There have been 38 reported cases of tuberculosis in the state so far this year, The Anchorage Daily News reported. A federal report released in March said Alaska had 58 documented cases of the disease in 2019. COVID-19 has complicated the mission of eradicating tuberculosis in Alaska by reducing the public health resources that can be dedicated to fighting the illness caused by bacteria that attack the lungs, health officials said. Our public health nurses are really the front line workers in the fight against TB, said Dr. Michelle Rothoff, an Alaska Division of Public Health medical epidemiologist. And theyre obviously being pulled in many different directions right now, which makes it more challenging for them to do all the work they need to do, Rothoff said. In Anchorage last week there were 15 cases of active tuberculosis and more than 300 cases of active COVID-19. The World Health Organization reported about 1.8 billion people are infected with tuberculosis, which kills more than a million people every year. The majority of people with tuberculosis have its latent form and can go decades without symptoms, which is among the reasons we continue to kind of have this smouldering epidemic in parts of our state, Rothoff said. Most of Alaskas tuberculosis infections are concentrated in the Southwest and the Northern regions of the state, Rothoff said. Rothoff hopes Alaska residents remain aware of tuberculosis threats, even during this time when everybody has COVID on the brain, she said. 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. New York: A proposed UN resolution would demand all parties in Yemen to immediately honor April cease-fire and resume peace negotiations. The draft Security Council resolution also calls for transparent and timely investigations of alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and accountability for those responsible for violations and abuses. Britain's UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft has recently said he expects to circulate the draft to the council "in the coming days." It was first published by Inner City Press. The UN special envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has drafted a roadmap covering political and security issues. It was immediately rejected by President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi of Yemen's internationally recognized government who would lose power under its provisions. "We hope he will now receive it, and engage on it in good faith," Rycroft told the council during a meeting on Yemen on Monday, adding that all parties should "return to negotiations on the basis of the roadmap and in a spirit of compromise." Yemen, on the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has been in the midst of a civil war since September 2014 when Shiite Houthi rebels swept into the capital of Sanaa and overthrew Hadi's government. In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition of Arab countries began a military campaign against Houthi forces, saying its mission served in part as a counterbalance to Iran's influence with the Houthis following its nuclear deal with world powers. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. MACKINAW CITY, MI Beer fans can now raise a toast to Mackinac State Historic Parks, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2020. Fleur de Mac is a new beer brewed by Biere de Mac Brew Works in Mackinaw City in celebration of the organization, which oversees Mackinac Island State Park, Michigans first state park, and Michilimackinac State Park in Mackinaw City. The beer is now available for purchase. Fleur de Mac is a classic northern French seasonal old-world style of beer that was generally brewed in the fall and cellared over the winter months due to colder temperatures. Modern technology no longer makes the entire process necessary, but the brewery planned to release the beer in early spring out of tradition. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed back the timeline for release of the 8.8% ABV brew until the summer. Using yeast from Bastogne, our rendition of a Blonde Biere de Garde explodes with floral notes on the nose coupled with hints of estery and phenolic spice, said Danny Ranville, Head Brewer/Daily Operations for Biere de Mac. With medium body and mouthfeel our Fleur de Mac has a complex grain bill that lends itself to crackers and biscuit malt characteristics. It features an extremely long and dry finish we find complementary and appropriate to represent the many years Fort Michilimackinac has stood on our shoreline overlooking the Straits of Mackinac. Cheers to 125 years. Taken in 1856, this is the oldest known photo of Mackinac Island Mackinac Island State Park was created when federal troops left Fort Mackinac in 1895. Michilimackinac State Park was put under the care of the Mackinac Island State Park Commission 14 years later. We were very excited to have Biere de Mac agree to help us celebrate our anniversary in this unique manner, said Steve Brisson, Mackinac State Historic Parks Deputy Director. Its a great way to toast the many staff and patrons who have worked to preserve our parks and historic sites over that last 125 years. Quantity of the new beer is limited and its only available at the tap room in Mackinaw City at 14277 Mackinaw Highway. Biere de Mac plans on making additional batches, and some limited merchandise, such as stickers and posters, according to a news release. Biere de Mac opened in 2017 and features a rotating tap list that includes its famous Blueberry Wheat, as well as an eclectic variety of upscale comfort food. Set photos from 1979 show filming of Somewhere in Time on Mackinac Island The climate crisis is viewed with more urgency than ever before by Democrats, according to a raft of recent polling, and is particularly palpable among young and first-time voters. Its a shift in sentiment that hasnt gone unnoticed by Joe Bidens presidential campaign who have coalesced around the issue in the hope of driving voters to the polls for the presumptive Democratic nominee come November. This is a question about who shows up at the polls, billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer told The Independent, after being chosen by Mr Biden to head up his Climate Engagement Advisory Council earlier this month. "After four years of Donald Trump, I think people understand how huge a choice this is, and how different the views of the future and the values are of the two candidates. Mr Steyer, 63, who ended his own presidential run in February, is co-chair of the six-person council tasked with mobilising voters, including the young, people of colour and union workers, who prioritise the climate and environmental justice. The former hedge-funder gained traction with Democrats in primary season by putting climate front and centre with his lengthy justice-centered plan and a promise to plow trillions into a climate-friendly infrastructure overhaul. In one primary debate, he criticised Mr Biden for not prioritising climate, while the VP shot back by pointing out Mr Steyers past investments in coal. (The billionaire says he divested from fossil fuels a decade ago). Those skirmishes are now water under the bridge. Along with his council role, Mr Steyer has tapped his fundraising network to so far raise $8.4m for the Biden campaign, according to Politico. Mr Biden has walked a fine line with his climate agenda in an effort to avoid alienating centrist Democrats, like the blue-collar workers of industry-heavy swing state Pennsylvania, while still appealing to the progressive, liberal wing. He has drawn criticism from young climate activists for refusing to fully endorse the Green New Deal, and commit to a ban on fracking. At times, he's shown a dismissive attitude to their concerns. Surveys in May, conducted by the Center for American Progress, found that Mr Biden was on shaky ground with younger voters in 11 states still in play. But while younger generations have traditionally sat out elections more often older groups, there has been a groundswell of political engagement since President Trumps election. A Tufts poll at the 2018 midterms found nearly a quarter of those aged 18-24 had attended a march, walkout, strike or engaged in civil disobedience. The sweeping 2020 Youth Electoral Significance Index also found that young people are likely to have a significant impact on who wins the White House in 2020, along with the direction of Congress. Mr Bidens campaign has taken swift steps to capitalise on the momentum. A climate unity taskforce was established, led by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Secretary of State John Kerry, to pull together progressive and establishment Democrats. Last week, that taskforce released recommendations for Mr Bidens platform, including eliminating carbon pollution from power plants by 2035; achieving net-zero emissions for all new buildings by 2030; and vast expansions of solar and wind energy in the form of 500 million solar panels and 60,000 wind turbines. The presidential hopeful now looks set to embrace many of those recommendations this week, according to a Washington Post report on Sunday. Bernie Sanders, the Democratic Socialist senator from Vermont who ended his presidential campaign in April and has also endorsed the former VP, told MSNBC that the evolved agenda will make Mr Biden the most progressive president since FDR. Mr Steyer said that he is pushing for the most progressive climate plan possible. I think that Joe Biden has been sharpening his pencil in terms of this policy overall. He's been filling it out and it's been getting more progressive across the board, he added. Mr Biden is doing better with young voters at this point in the race compared to Hillary Clinton in 2016, according to polling this month by Mr Steyers organization, NextGen America. Some 51% of 18-34 voters support Biden, compared to 29% backing Trump. In a poll earlier this year on Mr Trump's climate record, more than half (54%) gave him a D or F on his performance - perhaps inferred by his climate denial, the waves of environmental rollbacks by his administration and his continual cosiness with the fossil-fuel industry. But the NextGen poll also found weak spots: Around 9% of the potential Biden youth electorate plan to vote for third party candidates or sit out the election. And Democrats are acutely aware that razor-thin margins can have profound consequences. While the climate engagement council has a diverse make-up, it lacks a younger representative who could speak specifically to the concerns of the Millennials and Gen-Z voters that Democrats are keen to attract. Mr Steyer indicated he would push for younger person to join the council. I am a strong believer in having young people as part of any effort that reaches out to young people," he said. I will be advocating for that in this situation. I'm serving as an advisor to the Biden campaign but that's what I will be pushing for because that's what I believe in. The climate crisis disproportionately affects low income communities and people of colour, as Mr Biden has increasingly referenced. Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Show all 15 1 /15 Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden watch Barack Obama's farewell speech on 11 January. Obama called Biden his 'brother' Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years US President Barack Obama speaks alongside US Vice President Joe Biden about the Affordable Care Act AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Obama listens to Joe Biden speak of his work on defeating cancer on 18 October in the White House Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama is applauded by House Speaker Paul Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden while delivering his final State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in Washington Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. Vice President Joe Biden interjects as President Barack Obama delivers remarks at a reception for the 25th anniversary of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics at the White House in Washington REUTERS Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Obama and Vice President Joe Biden react after a heckler was removed for their extended interruption (Reuters) Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Speaker of the House John Boehner (R) as Vice President Joe Biden looks on Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack and Michelle Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden observing a moment of silence outside the White House to mark the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack Obama and Joe Biden putt on the White House putting green Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama and Joe Biden in April 2013 AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years January 1, 2013: U.S. President Barack Obama winks as he arrives with Vice President Joe Biden (L) in the briefing room Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and others receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House May 1, 2011 in Washington, DC Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice-President Joe Biden, right, confirmed that the US was looking at ways of taking legal action against Julian Assange - back in December 2010 GETTY IMAGES Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden, left, and retired military officers watch President Barack Obama sign orders to close down the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in January 2009 GETTY IMAGES A Yale study in April found that Hispanics and Latinos (69%) and African Americans (57%) were more likely to be alarmed or concerned about global warming that whites (49%). And the Black Lives Matters protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd has put injustices and inequality at the forefront of the national consciousness - and Democratic campaigns. The Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape project, which has surveyed more than 6,000 people each week for the past 12 months, suggests younger black Americans dont support Mr Biden as strongly as older black voters, the Washington Post reported. And while Biden is stretching out ahead of President Trump among Latinos - 59%-39%, according to a PBS/NPR/Marist College poll in June, he is still behind Secretary Clinton and President Obama, who won 66% and 71% of the Latino vote in 2016, and 2012, respectively, Pew Research Center Analysis found. Mr Steyer said that his role is to connect Mr Biden and his climate plans with the diverse communities he has worked with for a long time. I think its something that Joe Biden really does feel in his bones, that he really does get," he said. "He looks at most issues on a human basis and he knows what it feels like to talk with people from Flint, Michigan, and the other parts of US where drinking water will make you sick... People with asthma where there are chemical plants or big bus routes that overwhelmingly [affect] black and brown communities. Traditional voter outreach, on climate issues and beyond, has been stymied by the coronavirus pandemic which continues to roil the US and looks set to curtail traditional campaigning all the way to the election. Its put paid to the typical star-studded Democratic events of the past along with the folksy meet-and-greets where Mr Biden is known to shine. But theres always Zoom. Mr Steyer says that following video calls, he tries to gauge reactions and gather suggestions on what has become an integral part of campaigning in 2020. Mr Steyer said: Overwhelmingly people came back and said, not just that they were impressed, but they were surprised by how impressed they were. Generating enthusiasm is one thing but a big part of the fight, Mr Steyer says, is protecting the integrity of the system. In 2016, 4 percent of registered voters did not got to the ballot box because of "registration problems," according to a Pew analysis of census data. Across the country, 4 million more people were purged from voter rolls between 2014- 2016 than 2006-2008, according to a 2018 report. Cuts to voter rolls and the passage of voter ID laws disproportionately affect low-income and people of colour, who make up a broad swathe of the Democrat base. There has also been a concerted effort, including by President Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr, to undermine the mail-in ballot system, which has become even more crucial during the pandemic. Mr Trump has tweeted unsubstantiated attacks on mail ballots, claiming they will lead to widespread fraud and that foreign governments will try to dump millions of forged ballots into the system. It's particularly important at a time of COVID-19 because of the need for so many people to vote by mail, Mr Steyer said. The baseless argument that there is cheating and therefore they should restrict vote by mail is really just another attempt to suppress the votes of American citizens that they think won't vote for them. "So while we're fighting to energize and mobilize young voters, black voters, Latino voters, people across the spectrum, we are also fighting to protect the system itself and make it as fair, democratic and inclusive as possible. Mr Steyer says 2020 needs to be a transformational sweeping election. "There's no doubt in my mind that the vast majority of Americans want what [Joe Biden] stands for, want him over Donald Trump," he said. "So to me, the question is, do we give Democrats a good enough positive reason to show up for Joe Biden? That I believe is going to be a resounding statement about the transformational change that we need for climate, and for so many other things in America, so we turn the page on what has been a disastrous time in American leadership." You may also like these stories: The epidemic is at its worst, as compared with [the previous surge of cases in] March, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Center for Health Protection, told a press briefing. HONG KONGHong Kongs coronavirus epidemic has entered its worst phase so far as infections in recent days have spread across the community, a health official said Saturday, with 29 new cases being reported. 1.5-meter social distancing rule are posted at the Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong on July 8, 2020. / GETTY / KYODO 1.5-meter social distancing rule are posted at the Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong on July 8, 2020. / GETTY / KYODO Myanmars NLD Distances Itself From Senior Members Comment on Presidency for Military Chief Despite Myanmar Ethnic Parties Bold Election Strategy, NLD Insists on Going It Alone Another Myanmar Migrant Returnee Hangs Himself in the Irrawaddy Delta The Day a British Benefactor of Myanmar Youth and Education Passed Away UK Imposes Sanctions on Myanmar Military Chief, Deputy for Abuses Against Rohingya, Others US to Withdraw From WHO in July 2021 Over China-Centric Stance Beijing Reports No New COVID-19 Cases for First Time in About 4 Weeks WHO Looks Into Possibility of Airborne Coronavirus Transmission Japan to Discuss Easing of Travel Ban With Myanmar, China, Others Mired in Inequality and Laid Low by the Virus, the US Offers Little to Emulate We do not encourage viewing this site in this width. Please increase the size of your window. 404 This page could not be found . July 13, 2020 POCATELLO Idaho State University TRIO Access and Opportunity Programs has been awarded a five-year College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) grant in the amount of $2.125 million from the U.S. Department of Education. CAMP, a federally funded program, will provide assistance to students who are migratory or seasonal farmworkers, or whose parents are migratory or seasonal farmworkers, who are enrolling and completing their first year of undergraduate studies at ISU. To see the access, support and opportunities the CAMP program will provide for migrant/seasonal families in Idaho is truly amazing says Guillermo Raya, a CAMP alumnus and currently the associate director of TRIO Educational Talent Search. CAMP was my home away from home. It provided staff that believed in my educational goals. It truly made a difference for me, because without its support I wouldnt be in this position to empower others. I know it will do the same for our students. The CAMP program will provide extensive support services to meet the educational, social, and cultural challenges often encountered from students/family of migrant/seasonal farmworker backgrounds entering post-secondary education. The program will provide free academic advising, personalized tutoring, study skills and academic workshops along with financial literacy resources, such as scholarship searches and how to complete financial aid forms. Bringing the CAMP program to ISU has been a culminated dream of many individuals. Being a federally funded program, the CAMP grant is an ambitious process in which institutions of higher education or community organizations compete for federal monies. CAMP joins the High School Equivalency Program at ISU a similar program that aims to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and/or their children. ISU CAMP will begin the process necessary to recruit and enroll eligible students more information will be provided. The CAMP program, along with campus and community partners, will provide 30 eligible students a year the opportunity to be part of intensive support services. CAMP will also provide science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) access to students, informing them about STEM career opportunities, with an emphasis in computer science. There are many amazing opportunities that stem from the CAMP grant, from serving students throughout the community to adding employment opportunities in the community, said Sari Byerly, assistant vice president of ISU student affairs for TRIO Access and Outreach Programs. The dedicated grant-writing teams over the years that have worked tirelessly to bring this program to Idaho State University have been amazing. Mr. Raya has truly led the charge to help make this grant a reality for ISU. CAMP will join the TRIO Access and Opportunity Programs at ISU, which currently houses eight federal grant programs, which will allow for a support network to be built as students enter their second year of college. In addition, CAMP will add three full-time and two part-time summer teaching positions and several student employment positions to Eastern Idaho. The positions will include an associate director, advisor/instructor and recruiter/advisor. These employment opportunities play an important role in the support and success of CAMP students. Individuals interested in these positions are encouraged to review the posting on ISUs employment page in the coming months. ISU TRIO Access and Opportunity Programs will serve its first ISU CAMP cohort in 2021. For more information about the ISU CAMP program, contact Byerly at byersari@isu.edu or 208-282-3242. Footage of Greg Hunt struggling to put on a face mask has appeared after the Federal Health Minister urged Victorians to use them during the state's surge in coronavirus cases. Speaking at press conference on Monday afternoon, Mr Hunt highlighted the importance of wearing the hygiene masks for those in lockdown areas of Melbourne and Mitchell Shire. 'I would encourage Victorians where you cannot social distance and you are in proximity to other people to please wear a mask.' Mr Hunt said before struggling to don the item. Greg Hunt struggling to put on a face mask has appeared after the Federal Health Minister urged Victorians to use them during the state's surge in coronavirus cases A couple wearing face masks hold hands at a street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 July 2020. Residents in metropolitan Melbourne have been advised to wear masks in public amid a spike in coronavirus Mr Hunt also announced at Monday's press conference that a further contingent of Australian Defence Force personnel will be sent to Victoria in a bid to help Melbourne control its coronavirus outbreak. 'In partnership with the Victorian government we will be providing an additional 1,000 ADF members', Mr Hunt said. Victoria is struggling with a second surge in COVID-19 cases with state government confirming on Monday a further 177 people have tested positive for the virus. The reinforcements are on top of 350 troops already working across the state to help ring fence Melbourne during the city's second lockdown and boost testing efforts. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the reinforcements would work on isolation, testing and checkpoint control. 'This is to protect Victorians, to help contain the virus,' he told reporters on Monday. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the state had accepted the federal government's offer. 'In terms of the deployment, how quickly the 1000 staff will get here, that's still being worked through,' he said. A 19-year-old was found dead from a gunshot wound early Monday morning in Winston-Salem. Police found the body of Kalil Nathaniel Rice, of Capistrano Drive in Winston-Salem, in an abandoned vehicle shortly after 2 a.m. The car was found in the 1800 block of Gray Avenue, and Rice was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators suspect the shooting death was in connection to a call that came in around 1:30 a.m., telling police there was a possible shooting in an unknown location that left a person injured. Authorities ask that anyone with information about the shooting call the Winston-Salem Police Department at 336-727-7700 or Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800. Crime Stoppers can also be contacted via Facebook on the Crime Stoppers of Winston-Salem Forsyth County page. In our busy, modern lives, we can expect a lot of ourselves: to be more peaceful, less stressed, more attentive, better listeners, more organized, healthier eaters, and the list goes on. How can we possibly do it all as life roars in and takes us away from a peaceful place? We can even wind up feeling more guilty or being harder on ourselves for the areas where we do not live up to our own expectations. The good news is that being kinder to yourself is not difficult and does not have to be a distant land that you rarely visit. Instead, you can intentionally choose to return to your heart space in easy ways by implementing one or all of these simple kindness practices. Analyze your relationships. Who do you need to forgive in your life? Where are you holding onto anger, resentment, envy, or judgments towards another? Who has let you down - and you can't seem to let go? Hooponopono, an ancient Polynesian prayer, can assist with healing differences between you and another as it focuses on forgiveness, compassion, and inner peace. This simple ritual has been practiced across various South Pacific cultures for decades to reconcile family disputes and to move past anger and resentment. In more modern times, this prayer was used by Dr. Hew Len to heal mentally ill criminals in a Hawaiian state hospital. Simply repeat these four lines aloud, or quietly to yourself, for each person that you wish to forgive or release with love. Whenever that person comes to mind, simply say these four phrases: Im sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you. It may be hard to do at first, but stick with it. It gets easier with practice. With repetition, you will feel a shift in yourself and the perspective that you are holding on to about that person because you are intentionally clearing away what is over and allowing it to be complete. This is freeing! And when you are upset with yourself for any reason, or perhaps harboring a regret of some kind, say this prayer as a blessing to yourself, too. Sit with yourself in kindness and it will change your self-talk. As you practice this more regularly, you will also feel your inner talk changing to be more compassionate, too. Create a mediation practice. When you meditate, include humanity, the earth, nature, animals, and every person on the globe in your meditations. Simply hold the intention to willingly assist in any way possible to create more support, peace, and love now. Allow the energy of love to flow where it needs to with supreme trust. This visualization practice can elevate your personal feelings of connection to the globe and compassion for all living beings on the planet now. Meditation with kindness can soften and open what is ready to bloom. As you focus on this experience, it will shift your inner world and you will feel the energy more strongly within yourself, too. Slow down and be present. Be willing to slow down and recognize the people in your life. Attempt to really see them as individuals doing the best they can in their life. Acknowledge the garbage truck driver, UPS delivery person, and bank teller. Honk less in traffic. Thank your postal delivery person for their work. Smile at the cashier. Be present in your life with the people you come in contact with on a daily basis. Meaningful eye contact, acknowledgements, and a genuine smile can do wonders for the hearts of all involved. For as much as we look at our phones these days, really making a personal connection with another could be just what improves their day and yours. Send energy from your heart chakra. Put a reminder on your phone to stop moving at some point in your day and send out energy from your heart chakra. You can simply sit at your desk, stand in a store line or elevator, or sit in your car. Breathe deeply into your diaphragm and hold it for three seconds. Then slowly exhale. Envision beams of Light emitting from your heart space: effortlessly, peacefully, and joyfully. Feel a warmth in your chest and heart. Allow the Light to flow as it needs to without directing it. Feel it coming back to you with force. Then return to exactly where you are and continue to go about your day, knowing you have contributed more love to the world. Put your hand on your heart. Another easy way to practice simple kindness involves placing your hand on your heart, which is good for our physical selves, too. When you bring your attention to your heart, you are tuning in to your heart beat, your pulse, and your breathing. You are connecting with the natural rhythm of life that is running through you multiple times a minute. This amazing system we call our body is able to operate on its own in magnificent ways yet how often do we stop to recognize it, appreciate it, and honor it for all it does for us on a daily basis? Take a quick moment to simply bless your heart and the wondrous system that allows us to be here in our human body suits now. Affirm yourself. Affirmations are conscious thoughts that support what you want to create and experience in your life. Say aloud, right now, as you read these words: I choose love in every area of my life now. I am love now. I am love now and I share this Love with the world now. I send the highest possible expressions of Love to myself and the world now. Continue to do this on a regular basis and youll notice changes in your life. You will focus more on what brings you joy, peace, and love, and be willing to allow anything else to fade away. As you develop a deeper well of love and kindness within yourself, and to yourself, you will see ripple effects in other areas of your life as well. Becoming more mindful of your inner thoughts and how you speak to yourself is a powerful place that can often be lighter. Our self-talk should be uplifting, positive, and the voice of an inner best friend that validates who you are and your choices. While you continue to find more peace, eliminate stress, and know yourself on a deeper level, remember that your heart is fully supporting you every step of the way. If you can take a moment now to be kinder to yourself, you will have improved the world at the same time. The third episode of Ill Be Gone in the Dark is bookended by a recording of EAR/ONS from a tap placed on a rape victims phone in Sacramento from January 1978. At first theres a heavy silence, followed by some raspy breathing and then a message: Gonna kill you gonna kill you gonna kill you bitch. At the beginning of the episode, the phone message presages the next phase in EAR/ONS violent exploits, which had been reserved to sexual assault but were about to be amplified to murder. One close call with a victim whod escaped and summoned help had convinced him that he could leave no survivors though its clear, over time, that bludgeoning people to death was more than just an act of cold practicality. But then the recording comes back in the episodes final minutes, threaded into a heartbreaking sequence when Michelle McNamara, facing a shortened deadline on her book in late 2015, was having trouble summoning the will and the inspiration to finish. In a series of texts, her husband, Patton Oswalt, who had more experience with writing under deadline, does his best to reassure her as a partner (It will get done, all of it These next 54 hours? All you need to do is wake up in the morning, have your coffee and cereal, and write your pages.) and as a fellow scribe. (Every creative object wants the safety and warmth of staying inside your head, he writes. Youre trying to drag it out into the light.) He also, ominously, expresses concern over the drugs shes taking to sleep and to give herself a boost. Yet the reprise of that EAR/ONS recording suggests that McNamara was living with something else, too, beyond deadlines and writers block and even a dangerous cocktail of medications. She had his voice in her head. She had the details of 50-plus cases making endless cross references in her mental rolodex. And she had a sense of responsibility to do right by the victims, which meant telling their stories thoroughly and correctly, and advancing a case that she was utterly convinced was solvable. Thats not an ordinary writing assignment like, say, filing a recap of the third episode of a true-crime documentary series and the show implies that EAR/ONS voice was echoing through her headspace, too. The last line of McNamaras Los Angeles magazine piece, reproduced here, reads, He cant hurt me, I say, not realizing that in every minute spent hunting him and not cuddling my daughter, he already has. As Rat in a Maze approaches the last few months of McNamaras life, it also moves the timeline forward on EAR/ONS evolution from serial rapist to serial rapist and killer. The East Area Rapist stopped assaulting victims in the Sacramento area in 1979, much to the relief of the authorities he eluded and the middle-class neighborhoods he prowled. But he didnt actually stop he moved, 400 miles south to the Santa Barbara area. And the only change to his consistent methodology is that hed added murder to his routine, preferring to bludgeon victims to death with a blunt object. It was enough to change his profile: He was no longer the East Area Rapist. He was the Original Night Stalker. And, comprehensively, he was the Golden State Killer, so lets call him that from now on. The Golden State Killer was McNamaras invention, born out of a need to understand him as a monster who covered a broader swath of territory and who warranted a name commensurate with his crimes. Once DNA evidence and a pattern of behavior linked the Original Night Stalker of Santa Barbara with the East Area Rapist of Sacramento, it was clear to McNamara that the sheer breadth of his exploits needed to be acknowledged. He was, in her words, 10 times worse than the Zodiac killer, but got only a tiny fraction of the attention. The underlying purpose of the Los Angeles magazine article was to offer that name like the hook of a pop song and invite scrutiny from anyone who wanted to pick up a loose thread and do their part to catch him. McNamara was deputizing her readers. As the GSK moves to Santa Barbara and starts adding murder to the docket, hes aided by a complete breakdown in communication between agencies and an institutional instinct to keep his crimes under wraps. Larry Crompton talks about how his bosses danced with relief after GSK left Sacramento, and it took persistence and happenstance for Crompton to start talking to a detective from Santa Barbara and conclude that his man was still active somewhere else. But the bigger problem in Santa Barbara is that the powers that be did not want to alert the public of a serial rapist and murderer in their midst, because the panic might cause real estate prices to drop. The wealthiest celebrities and moguls in California had homes in Montecito, for one, and property values would sink if the area was ever deemed unsafe. Juking the stats is a common administrative tactic were seeing it right now, in fact, in the way some states spin reports on coronavirus infections and deaths and in this case, it allowed that much additional cover for a predator. The final connection Rat in a Maze makes is between McNamara and a survivor, David Witthuhn. Witthuhn was not home when GSK murdered his wife Manuela in 1981, and without good evidence linking the killing to another suspect, local investigators kept Witthuhn a person of interest in the case for two decades. Though he remarried, Witthuhn was traumatized by a combination of survivors remorse and the cloud of suspicion that lingered over him, and it ruined his life. He started drinking and self-medicating. He died in his sleep in 2008, just as McNamara would in 2016. Neither one would live to see the justice they sought. Forensic Files: Good advice to McNamara from a retired detective when she felt she was grasping at straws: Grasp a straw and work it to dust. McNamaras worries over her own safety started to increase in the wake of the magazine article and for good reason: The GSK clearly read his own press and often responded accordingly. He also terrorized survivors. McNamara did not want to catch his attention. The cufflinks McNamara found on eBay led to a dead end, but not in the larger sense that creative thinking is a valuable quality for an investigator to have, especially when dealing with cold cases. It opened doors for her. McNamaras fraught relationship with her mother gives a fuller picture of her, but its also an example of how the documentary series format allows perhaps too much storytelling latitude. If the story needed to be told in two hours rather than six, it simply wouldnt make the cut. Jefferson Parish's compliance hotline has received 2,599 calls from people reporting possible violations of coronavirus social-distancing guidelines and parish inspectors have visited more than 50 businesses due to complaints -- four of them twice. But the parish has yet to issue a single misdemeanor summons for mask violations, Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said at a press conference Monday. Lee Sheng put a "COVID Compliance Hotline" more than two weeks ago, and then on July 1, a parishwide mask proclamation was issued that required masks indoors in businesses and public spaces. Violators could face a $500 fine and a six month jail sentence, though Lee Sheng has said several times she does not expect anyone to be sent to jail. Lee Sheng said the parish would rather not be in the "enforcement game" but as a matter of public policy, mandates come with compliance checks. She said the businesses that have been visited twice can expect a misdemeanor summons if inspectors get called again. "Our goal is to get compliance," she said. "Our goal is to get businesses to believe in this." The number for the hotline, she said, is (504) 736-6929 and there are forms on the parish's website. Lee Sheng said the parish has up to 10 inspectors handling the calls and, despite the numbers, said she still thinks parish residents are "overwhelmingly" following guidelines, including wearing masks when they go inside public spaces. The parish instituted a mask mandate on July 1, and she said "I think the response has been incredible." Nevertheless, Lee Sheng and Dr. Joseph Kanter of the Louisiana Department of Health warned the parish is seeing troubling increases in the number of cases, increases they stressed do not stem from increased testing. Jefferson Parish leads the state in the number of coronavirus cases, with more than 11,100. Nearly 500 Jefferson Parish residents have died from the virus. Lee Sheng said Jefferson was able to get its caseloads under control from April 20 to June 20, but has been on the upswing ever since. "There's a lot of COVID out here, a lot of risk, here in Jefferson Parish," Kanter said. Lee Sheng said the parish has tested 100,860 people more than anywhere else in the state but also leads the state with the most positive cases. 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 "You have people believing (aggressive testing) and that's the reason why our numbers are high ..." she said. "But ... something additional is going on in Jefferson Parish. Through last month, parish officials would blast out texts that free testing was available but was getting no takers. But starting two weeks ago, testing sites have been hitting capacity, some even before they even opened. Secondly, the percentage of positive tests has gone from between 3-5% to closer to the 10.2% it was on Monday. "This is something different going on ... in the past week and a half," she said. "I want to make sure people understand that." Kanter said a popular misconception that troubles health officials is people thinking you can get tested for coronavirus two or three days after you think you were exposed. A quick test that comes back negative, he explained, is likely meaningless, as it takes up to 14 days after exposure for the body to create enough of the virus to test positive, and the average time is 5 or 6 days. People need to take the 14-day self-isolation period more seriously, Kanter said. Lee Sheng also said the parish now has an online coronavirus dashboard that includes information specific to the parish, though the numbers still come from the state. Lee-Sheng said it will also include cases by census tract to help identify "hot spots." The dashboard will show the number of tests, positive cases and deaths, as well as available beds in the intensive care unit and ventilators. Lee Sheng also said that this week is a good time to get tested at the Alario Center in Westwego because the site, through a partnership that will last through Saturday, should be able to get results back in 3-5 days, not the 10-day turnaround time that has been a source of frustration. The center will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and residents can get in a shorter line if they preregister at doineedacovid19test.com Social distancing and masks may become commonplace in offices when coronavirus lockdowns ease. Miodrag Ignjatovic | Getty Images What will it be like to go back to the office when countries start to loosen their lockdowns? Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Tuomas Peltoniemi was used to traveling to China, Japan and Australia for up to 100 days a year in his role as executive vice-president and managing director for the Asia-Pacific region at ad agency R/GA. But since lockdowns started during the Lunar New Year in January, he's been based in his family home in Singapore. And since March, when R/GA's Shanghai office re-opened (complete with temperature checks, hand sanitizer, masks and extra cleaning), Peltoniemi has been devising plans for how some of the company's other employees can go back to their regular workplaces for when shelter-in-place restrictions are lifted. "I'm looking at it more from a perspective of, you know, what is truly and genuinely the role of the office space? ... What are the expectations from people from working from an office space and working from wherever they choose to work from? This return to (a) new normal, if you want to call it that, is not a linear, absolute date," Peltoniemi told CNBC by phone. When reopening in Shanghai, R/GA was flexible with how staff chose to go back, given that some of them had returned to family homes elsewhere in China or overseas for the New Year celebrations and may have felt uneasy about traveling. "A lot of the issues don't so much come from the virus itself, it comes from the fear and uncertainty. Especially in Shanghai, there was no precedent for it," Peltoniemi stated. Research from jobs website Totaljobs suggests that, in the U.K. at least, people are keen to get back to their workplaces, with 54% wanting to do so by the end of June. The survey of nearly 7,000 people was conducted online between May 12 to May 15. Masked meetings Masks have been mandated by some governments for people on public transport, but don't expect to see people wearing them in the workplace long term, says Sean McEvoy, a director at interior fit-out contractor Portview. "It's not a natural thing for us to run around with masks and gloves the solution has to be in the space," he told CNBC by phone. Businesses may run in shifts, or only have people come to their workplace three days a week. Perspex screens might divide desks and boardroom tables might make way for socially-distanced podiums, McEvoy suggested. A computer-generated image from interiors contractor Portview shows how office space may be segregated as people go back to the workplace after the coronavirus lockdowns are eased. Portview For Leo Curtis, a product marketing manager at Lenovo in Beijing, returning to the office in March felt "refreshing." "When I first went back, I was hesitant, but it is a nice thing to have a collective place to see your colleagues and have a face to face mask to mask meeting on some things," he told CNBC by email. To manage childcare, Curtis is now working from home much more than before the pandemic. "That's a difficult adjustment managing distractions and spotty internet connections," but it's made easier by communicating on WeChat for any quick issues, Curtis stated. Office space The need for office space may reduce, but we're not going to see flagship buildings turn residential any time soon, according to Patrick Plant, real estate partner at law firm Linklaters. "I don't think we'll suddenly see (London skyscraper) The Shard suddenly becoming a block of apartments from top to bottom, or anything of that kind," he told CNBC by phone. But, how offices have adapted will be up for comparison, he suggested. "Peers and contemporaries I'm sure will be comparing notes about what their organization has done or maybe what it hasn't done ... I'm a great believer in the physical space being very much a physical manifestation of the culture of an organization," Plant said. Eliot Wilson, head of research at reputation management company Right Angles sees more meetings happening at members' clubs and says having premises in the U.K. capital is "hard to justify" given their cost. "Banter with colleagues that 'watercooler culture' is a nice-to-have, but once you put a cold, hard monetary value on it, I don't think it stacks up," he told CNBC by email. Technology may go some way to providing virtual watercooler moments. Panion is an internal social media platform for businesses, and CEO and founder Melanie Aronson said employees used it to form support groups and find others with similar interests during lockdowns. Since January, it has seen an 86.7% increase in unique users joining hangouts it calls "gatherings," for example. Employee social media app Panion saw a rise in usage during lockdowns caused by the coronavirus. Panion Only a quarter of staff will be allowed into the London office of ad agency M&C Saatchi at a time and on a voluntary basis. CEO Camilla Kemp hopes that flexible working will attract a more diverse range of people. "We will open up the doors of talent too making us a more inclusive environment for more talent who otherwise might not have considered a career with us, because they couldn't physically be 'in the office' at conventional working hours," she told CNBC. For Peltoniemi at R/GA, life is never likely to be the same again. "I think the nine to five it's kind of out of the question now, actually. We did a global work from home survey for our staff and 95% of our global staff feel like they've been able to connect and do work at or above the levels that they had been in the past, during the course of the pandemic." (Newser) The chief executive of a California technology company resigned after the release of a video showing him using vulgar and racist language toward an Asian family at a restaurant, the AP reports. Solid8 CEO Michael Lofthouse resigned from the San Francisco Bay Area tech startup Saturday, KPIX-TV reports. Lofthouse issued a statement announcing his departure from Solid8, but he did not say if he was leaving voluntarily or at the request of the company. My comments towards the families involved were racist, hurtful and deeply inappropriate, Lofthouse said. story continues below Jordan Chan said her family was celebrating her aunts birthday at the Lucia restaurant at the Bernardus Lodge and Spa in Carmel Valley on July 4. Chan said a man insulted and harassed her family with racist language before a waitress told him to leave. The video Chan posted to social media shows Lofthouse cursing and gesturing with his middle finger at the family. Ive dealt with racism before, but never on that scale, Chan said. Never on the level where somebody completely unprovoked felt obligated to voice their hatred for absolutely no reason. Lofthouse said in his statement that he plans to enroll in an anti-racist program and added, I wholeheartedly acknowledge that I am complicit in a system that enables this behavior and these broken beliefs to exist but I am dedicated to changing. (He had previously called his behavior "appalling.") WILMINGTON, Del., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chemours Company (Chemours) (NYSE: CC), a global chemistry company with leading market positions in fluoroproducts, titanium technologies, and chemical solutions, today awarded scholarships to five Delaware students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). In partnership with the City of Wilmington and HBCU Week, these scholarships are part of a 13-year commitmentthrough 2030to support increased numbers of Black students from the Wilmington area who are pursuing STEM fields of study. This year Chemours took that commitment even further by expanding the scholarship program to all its US sites. Consistent with the company's broader Corporate Responsibility Commitments which includes goals on increased diversity, the Future of Chemistry Scholarship program exists to increase access and opportunities for students from underrepresented populations to pursue STEM and technical careers. Over the next decade, Chemours has committed to awarding more than $2 million in scholarships to students attending HBCUs. "Now more than ever, it's critical that we not only financially support, but truly uplift and encourage talented students from historically underrepresented populations to flourish in STEM careers. These scholarships reflect that commitment and our bedrock belief that diversity is not only the right thing to pursue, it ensures access top talent, creates a competitive advantage and is integral to driving innovation in our company, industry and the world," said Mark Vergnano, president and chief executive officer of Chemours. "We're proud to invest in these passionate and driven students who are a critical part of STEM in the future. We invite all of them to intern with us during the summers, with the goal of hiring them once they're ready to begin their careers." For 2020, three students have been awarded scholarships valued at $40,000 with funds distributed in equal increments over four years: Chloe Barrow , who plans to attend North Carolina A&T State University to study mechanical engineering , who plans to attend to study mechanical engineering Braxton Hill , who plans to attend North Carolina A&T State University to study civil engineering , who plans to attend to study civil engineering Langston Hill , who plans to attend North Carolina A&T State University to study bioengineering Two students have been awarded one-time scholarships of $2,500: Elijah Atley , who plans to attend Delaware State University and study environmental science , who plans to attend and study environmental science Ashanti Bradley , who plans to attend Delaware State University and study forensic biology This year's recipients join over 10 previous awardees of the program pursuing STEM at HBCUs across the country, including five other $40,000 scholarship recipients. Learn more about our 2020 recipients here. About The Chemours Company The Chemours Company (NYSE: CC) is a global leader in titanium technologies, fluoroproducts, and chemical solutions, providing its customers with solutions in a wide range of industries with market-defining products, application expertise and chemistry-based innovations. Chemours ingredients are found in plastics and coatings, refrigeration and air conditioning, mining, and general industrial manufacturing. Our flagship products include prominent brands such as Teflon, Ti-Pure, Krytox, Viton, Opteon, Freon and Nafion. Chemours published its first corporate responsibility commitment report in 2018, which highlights goals aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The company has approximately 7,000 employees and 28 manufacturing sites serving approximately 3,700 customers in over 120 countries. Chemours is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware and is listed on the NYSE under the symbol CC. For more information, we invite you to visit chemours.com or follow us on Twitter @Chemours or LinkedIn. CONTACT: INVESTORS Jonathan Lock VP, Corporate Development and Investor Relations +1.302.773.2263 [email protected] NEWS MEDIA Alvenia Scarborough Sr. Director of Corporate Communications and Brand Marketing +1.302.773.4507 [email protected] SOURCE The Chemours Company Related Links www.chemours.com Forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar claim they want a fair distribution of the oil revenues managed by Tripoli. Libyas National Oil Corp (NOC) has accused the United Arab Emirates of instructing eastern forces in Libyas civil war to reimpose a blockade of oil exports after the departure of the first tanker in six months. The UAE, along with Russia and Egypt, supports the eastern-based self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) of renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, which on Saturday said the blockade would continue despite it having let a tanker loaded with oil from storage. Libya, which sits atop Africas largest proven crude oil reserves, is torn between the rival powers of the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and eastern-based Haftar. NOC has been informed that the instructions to shut down production were given to (the LNA) by the United Arab Emirates, it said in a statement on Sunday, resuming force majeure on all oil exports. There was no immediate comment on NOCs accusation from either the LNA or the UAE. Haftar has been on the back foot after Turkish support helped the GNA turn back his 14-month assault on the capital, Tripoli. After the GNA gained ground, NOC also tried to restart production at the Sharara oil field, but said this effort was quickly shut down and accused Russian mercenaries fighting alongside the LNA of deploying there. On Friday the Vitol tanker Kriti Bastion docked and loaded at Es Sider port before sailing on Saturday, the first legal export of Libyan oil since the blockade was imposed in January. The NOC said Russian and Syrian mercenaries fighting alongside the LNA now occupied Es Sider. Under international agreements, only NOC can produce and export oil and revenues must flow into the Central Bank of Libya. Both those institutions are based in Tripoli, the seat of the GNA. The LNA said on Saturday it would continue the blockade until a list of conditions were met, including channelling oil revenue into a new bank account based outside the country to then be distributed regionally. On Sunday the United Statess Libya embassy said the resumption of the blockade came after days of intense diplomatic activity to let NOC resume output, and said it regrets that foreign-backed efforts had impeded this. An American woman who was lured to Nigeria by a man she met on Facebook has been rescued after spending more than a year in captivity, authorities said. Chukwuebuka Kasi Obiaku, 34, persuaded the retired civil servant to go to Nigeria 'under the pretext of love' but when she arrived from Washington DC on February 13, 2019, she was held hostage. The suspect who sexually abused her, 'deceitfully married her on May 15, 2019, and extorted $48,000 from her while she was was held in a Lagos hotel. Chukwuebuka Obiaku, 34, persuaded the woman to come to Nigeria 'under the pretext of love' They 'deceitfully married' and she was sexually abused in Lagos while he extorted $48,000 'He also forcefully collected and took control of her credit and debit cards as well as the operation of her bank accounts including the receipt of her monthly retirement benefits and allowances over the period of 15 months,' national police spokesperson Frank Mba announced on Sunday. The victim, who has not been identified, was rescued by a Police Intelligence Response Team of the Ogun State Annex. The Nigerian Police Force said the operation was successful following information received from a 'civic minded' person. Obiaku is reported to be a native of Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State and a Business Administration and Management graduate. The American woman who was lured to Nigeria after they met on Facebook (file image). She has been rescued after spending more than a year in captivity He was described as 'an internet fraudster who has defrauded many people locally and internationally'. 'Chukwuebuka also used the victim as a front to defraud her associates and other foreign personalities and companies,' police said. Police said Obiaku will be charged at a later date under the Cybercrime Prevention/Prohibition Act, 2015. The rescue followed what police called a similar case where a Filipino lady was lured to Nigeria by her supposed lover who she too met on Facebook. She was abducted and held captive for six months before she was rescued. Kathmandu, July 13 : Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has claimed that India has created a 'fake' Ayodhya, and Lord Ram was originally from Nepal -- a shocking statement that has come at a time when India's diplomatic ties with the Himalayan nation is going through certain upheavals. Leading Nepali media outlet The Himalayan Times reported on Monday that Oli, while speaking at an event organised to commemorate poet Bhanubhakta's birth anniversary in his official residence, said that India is manipulating cultural and historical facts by creating a fake Ayodhya in India, which in fact is a village west of Birgunj. "We did not give Sita, who was born in Janakpur, to an Indian prince but Sita was married to Ram of Ayodhya, not of India," he said, adding that Ayodhya was later created in India encroaching upon facts. He 'reasoned' that a prince from a place that far away could not possibly come to Janakpur to marry Sita as there were no means of communication and easy transportation during those times. "There is a huge controversy in 'their' Ayodhya while our Ayodhya, that lies in the Thori village, has no issues as such." PM Oli, as usual, went on to claim that science and knowledge originated and developed in Nepal. The statement, however, did not seem to have gone down well at his own backyard. The Himalayan Times further reported that not many in Nepal were convinced by the Prime Minister's take on the 'facts' and warned that the issue could escalate, inflating the existing tensions further. Co-chairperson of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Kamal Thapa said it is not suitable for such baseless, unproven statements to come from a Prime Minister. "It looks like the PM wants to further spoil Nepal-India relations rather than working to resolve tensions," Thapa tweeted. Likewise, former vice-chair of National Planning Commission Swarnim Wagle warned that Indian media could pick up and make controversial headlines out of Oli's statement. The town of Ayodhya in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, is a politically sensitive matter. Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge got married in 2011. Then, in 2018, Prince Harry tied the knot with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Since William and Harry have different personalities, it isnt shocking that the women they married and their respective relationships are different from each other as well. However, some onlookers now believe William and Kate might have a better foundation to their marriage than Harry and Meghan. (L-R) Meghan, Duchess of Sussex; Prince Harry; Prince William; and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images How did Prince William and Kate Middleton meet? William and Kate first met in 2001 as students at University of St. Andrews. They lived in the same residence hall and quickly became friends. However, at the time, both William and Kate were seeing other people, so it took a while before their relationship picked up. When they were both single again, William took notice of Kate when he saw her walking in a charity fashion show. Afterwards, the pair began dating. By their second year, they had moved out of the schools on-campus housing and into an apartment shared with two other friends. William and Kate dated for many years before getting married in 2011. They even broke up twice during the course of their relationship, but the couple proved they were strong enough to endure any obstacles thrown their way. Today, they are parents to three young children. How did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet? RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Reportedly Stunned William and Kate With This Insensitive Move Harry had a different love story than his older brother. Unlike William, he did not have a serious girlfriend whom he dated at a young age and then married. He had several girlfriends in his 20s and early 30s, but those relationships soon fizzled out. Harry met Meghan in the summer of 2016 when a friend set them up on a blind date together. Harry would later their relationship in an interview with the BBC as a whirlwind and noted the two of them fell in love so incredibly quickly. In November 2017, Harry and Meghan announced their engagement to the world. Then, in May 2018, they got married. Today, they have one son together. Do William and Kate have a better foundation for their marriage? RELATED: Prince William and Kate Middleton Just Dropped a Major Hint That Theyre Missing Harry and Meghan In their engagement interview, William described the friendship they had prior to dating as a massive advantage which had helped their romantic relationship. Experts do agree that being friends first is good for a couple as it ensures their romance is built upon trust and compatibility instead of just attraction and chemistry. However, that does not mean Harry and Meghan are doomed. For one thing, plenty of people around the world started dating their spouses soon after meeting them without developing a friendship first. According to Psychology Today, as long as couples enjoy spending time with each other and have a lot of trust and respect, their relationship can withstand the test of time. Moreover, some onlookers believe Harry and Meghan moved too quickly with their relationship compared to William and Kate. Research has shown that couples who date for at least a few years before getting married tend to have the lowest divorce rates. Since Harry and Meghan only dated for a year and a half, things could be concerning for them statistically. However, again, there are numerous couples who tied the knot quickly and are still together. Likewise, there are also lots of couples who got married after years of dating only to quickly get divorced. Ultimately, it is important to remember that every couple is different and what works for one might not work for another. At the end of the day, both William and Kate as well as Harry and Meghan married for love. They all made individual choices on who they would like to spend their lives with, and both couples could very well have happy unions regardless of how their respective relationships began. RAIPUR : Chhattisgarh police have seized a huge cache of ammunition, detonators and wireless sets from Maoist storage dumps in the jungles of Rajnandgaon district which comes under the Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (MMC) zone of CPI (Maoist). Police also claimed, on Monday, to have found a diary of Dipak Teltumbade, a Central Committee Member (CCM), of CPI (Maoist ) , who is also in charge of MMC, which reveals important strategies and planning of the left wing ultras. The seizures were made on Sunday after the interrogation of Divisional Committee Member (DVCM) of MMC, David, who was arrested by police after he was injured in an encounter in Rajnandgaon on June 30. During the interrogation he told us about three dumps of Maoists. We made a team and recoveries were made between Dhobedalli, Mangikholi and Chhuipani villages under Gatapar police station, said Superintendent of police, Rajnandgaon, Jitendra Shukla. The SP further said that police also seized two steel boxes containing 975 live cartridges for various weapons such as AK-47 rifles, 9 mm pistols, self loading rifles (SLR), six detonators, 12 walkie-talkie sets, charger clips and a diary of Dipak Teltumbade, a Central Committee Member (CCM) were seized. The Maoists have built a new red corridor in the tri-junction of three states -- Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (MMC) zone in 2016-17. Many documents that have been seized suggest Maoist are continuously moving in that area to strengthen the new zone and recruitment for the area was also being carried out. Senior officers of Chhattisgarh believe that there are about 200 armed Maoists in the Vistaar Dalam of the MMC zone, who are trying to establish their grip. The new zone is said to be a refuge of hard core Maoists of Bastar and other regions. Most of the cadres in this region were recruited from South Bastar, police said. Securly announces new logo, logomark, and mascot that better reflect its core value of empathy & its core identity as pioneers in an underserved ecosystem. Securly, a privately held, Silicon Valley-based startup, today announced a logo refresh, a new logomark, and an accompanying mascot that are all designed to differentiate its identity from a fragmented ecosystem. Background Securly was founded in 2013 with a mission of keeping children safe online. The founders were enterprise security veterans, and picked the K-12 education space as it was underserved and ripe for innovation & impact. The company originally launched a single product that is a convergence of the best enterprise security technologies in cloud-based web-filtering - a DNS based service that can block adult content, and a selective full-functional cloud-based proxy that can granularly inspect communications to, for example, identify bullying & self-harm related sentiment in search & social-media. Securlys original logo mark securly:// was therefore a play on the protocol prefix of https:// that precedes website URLs, and was designed to appeal to school IT administrators as a service that kept web browsing secure. With a strong enterprise security & engineering DNA in its leadership & founding team, and a scaled out engineering operation with over one-third of its headcount at any point of time being engineers, over a few short years, Securly moved from being a single product company to one with over 10 products: Student safety: Filter, Auditor, Tipline, 24, Visitor*, Messenger* 1:1 Management: MDM & Classroom Parental integration: Home, Go, Hub, Parent email reports, Advisor* *to be launched soon Need for a fresh brand identity As Securly quickly evolved into a company that engineered and launched an array of products across the student safety & device management spectrum, it found itself operating in multiple product categories all at once. This created a need for a distinct brand identity that was relatable and identifiable in a fragmented ecosystem of product categories, with numerous vendors competing in each category. It became clear that Securly needed the following: A logo refresh that transcended an IT admin focus to now appeal to educators & other school administrators as well A new logomark that wasnt focused on just web filtering, but also the broader mission of student wellness & success, and finally A mascot that expressed the idea of Securly being the pioneers in this space, unifying the various product categories & the various stakeholders in this broader mission. The brand identity refresh project A brand-identity mark refresh project ensued. A team of top designers first interviewed various stakeholders inside and outside the company on how they perceived Securlys mission to see what themes and emotions stood out. They then sketched, reviewed, and collaborated over many months before the designs were finalized. New logo mark that represents safety & empathy First, the company finalized a logomark that stood out in the ecosystem. The new logo - a heart within a shield around it - is the brainchild of Chief Design Officer and Securly co-founder, Nikita Chikate. Once we finished our emotion mapping exercise, we found words and emotions like care and empathy were being used a lot by the stakeholders, but our brand identity did not reflect that in any way, she explained. The new logomark signifies both safety and empathy. If you stare at the logomark long enough, it seems to morph into a silhouette of a person snugly wrapping his/her hands around a heart as if to protect it, she added. A new mascot that represents the theme of: Pioneers. First. Leaders. Next, the company picked as their mascot the image of a small group of educators, administrators, and parents raising a flag in triumph. This flag represents the pioneering efforts of these stakeholders in working with Securlys innovative and category-unifying solutions toward student safety & success. We intend to use this flag-based mascot across our brand presence, and have our target audience subliminally associate the image with Securly as being the leader in student safety & device management, said Vinay Mahadik, co-founder & CEO of Securly. Refreshed logo that appeals to Educators & Administrators As a final step, the company shortened its logo to just securly dropping the hyper-text suffix present in its original logo securly:// to be more relatable to a broader audience than just the school district IT administrators - including parents, teachers, facility managers, and school leadership. This also created more room for the logomark the team wanted to draw attention to. We even added softer edges across the logo and logomark to align with the gentle caring side of our technology, explained Chikate. The new logo, logomark and mascot are being rolled out actively, and are expected to be live and consistently available across all media by the end of this year. About Securly Securly, the leader in K-12 student safety, has a mission to keep students safe and productive at school and at home. The company offers the most comprehensive end-to-end student safety and device management solution for K-12 districts. Wherever digital devices are used, Securlys cloud-based products work to filter content, manage apps, ensure compliance, alert schools to cyberbullying and self-harm, while engaging teachers, students, and parents. Securlys automation and AI sentiment analysis, combined with 24/7 human monitoring by trained safety experts, protect over 10 million students each day. Securly is headquartered in San Jose, California with offices across three continents. For more information, visit http://www.securly.com. The trailer for Sushant Singh Rajputs final film, Dil Bechara, has broken a significant YouTube record. The trailer, released on July 6, has become the first film trailer on the video-sharing platform to receive more than 10 million likes. The new was shared by both the films director, Mukesh Chhabra, and its star, Sanjana Sanghi. Previously, the trailer had broken the record for the most-liked video in 24 hours of release. It has been viewed over 70 million times in less than 10 days. The most-liked video on YouTube currently is Despacito, by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee. The video has accumulated over 38 million likes. Mukesh and Sanjana took to Instagram to share a post, by a page named BoxOfficeStats, which announced, Dil Bechara trailer becomes first trailer in the world to achieve 10 million/1 crore likes. Sushant died by suicide on June 14. Shortly after his death, it was announced that Dil Bechara would be released directly on Disney+Hotstar. Fans of the late actor began urging everyone to show their support for the film by liking the trailer. Also read: Sushant Singh Rajputs Dil Bechara trailer beats Avengers Endgame for most YouTube likes in 24 hours The film, an adaptation of The Fault in our Stars, will be made available, free of cost on July 24, to both subscribers and non-subscribers of the streaming service. On Sunday, Chhabra took to Instagram to share behind-the-scenes images from the film, and captioned his post, I know you are Watching me . Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The evidence so far is that the coronavirus causing Covid-19 spreads predominantly in respiratory droplets -- spatters of liquid expelled when an infected person coughs, sneezes or even speaks. Transmission can occur if the droplets reach the mouth, nose or eye of someone nearby, either directly or from an unwashed hand thats touched a contaminated surface. When an infected person wears a face cover, the droplets can be caught by the mask rather than being expelled. This could be especially useful against Covid-19 because evidence suggests that a third to half of transmissions occur from people who have not yet developed symptoms and so may remain out and about. In theory, wearing a face covering could also help protect people who are uninfected, if it stops them from touching their face. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. According to a new report published by Polaris Market Research the worldwide kitchen appliances market is anticipated to reach USD 340.9 billion by 2026. In 2017, the refrigerator segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue. North America is expected to be the leading contributor to the global market revenue during the forecast period. The changing lifestyles and hectic schedules of the working professionals lead to growing demand for kitchen appliances. Consumers prefer kitchen appliances, which are easyto-operate and facilitate faster cooking. Rising disposable income is one of the factors responsible for the growth of the market. Increasing propensity of consumers to spend on appliances to lead convenient lives has also resulted in an increased demand for kitchen appliances. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/kitchen-appliances-market/request-for-sample The other factors responsible for the growth of the market are convenience in fast cooking and healthy food consumption. Players in the market are launching cooking appliances which enable faster cooking while keeping the nutrients of food intact. Introduction of energy efficient cooking appliances equipped with multiple cooking functionalities are available in the market to cater to the consumers in the market. Moreover, the increasing trend of smart appliances would also encourage manufacturers to launch innovative kitchen appliances, which are compact and easy-to-use. There has been a considerable increase in middle class and young working population across the globe. Rising female working population and busy schedules of people have led to an increasing demand of kitchen appliances. Increase in the number of social gatherings coupled with growing need for quick and efficient kitchen activities has boosted the market. Growing purchasing power of individuals has led to increased spending on consumer goods. Rising disposable income enables consumers to purchase multipurpose and easy-to-operate kitchen appliances to simplify and ease their kitchen activities. Consumers generally opt for stylish and technologically advanced kitchen appliances, which complement their living standards. Market players are introducing new products equipped with advanced features at affordable prices to cater to the growing consumer demands. North America generated the highest revenue in the market in 2017, and is expected to lead the global market throughout the forecast period. The high living standards along with high disposable income in the region encourage consumers to purchase kitchen appliances to simplify kitchen activities. The growing adoption of smart technologies and home automation systems is further expected to augment market growth in the region. Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period owing to the increasing population and improving living standards. Browse for full research summary: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/kitchen-appliances-market The different types of kitchen appliances include cooking appliances, refrigerators, dishwaters, and others. In 2017, refrigerators accounted for the highest market share owing to increasing need to conserve edible items at a range of different temperatures. Consumers prefer to use energy efficient refrigerators owing to growing environmental concerns. Introduction of advanced refrigerators equipped with smart technologies is expected to drive the market in the future. The various end-users of kitchen appliances include residential and commercial users. In 2017, residential users accounted for the largest share in the global market, and are estimated to grow at a substantial rate during the forecast period. Residential consumers are increasingly spending on kitchen appliances to simplify kitchen chores and lead comfortable lives. Household consumers are opting for kitchen appliances, which are energy efficient and have minimal space requirements. In addition, improvement in living standards has encouraged consumers to buy technology-driven and luxury kitchen appliances. Integration of technologies such as Internet of Things and smart technologies into kitchen appliances is expected to provide growth opportunities in the coming years. The well-known companies profiled in the report include Whirlpool Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH, LG Electronics, AB Electrolux, Haier Group Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Samsung Electronics, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Sharp Corporation. These companies launch new products and collaborate with other market leaders to innovate and launch new products to meet the increasing needs and requirements of consumers. Avail discount on this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/kitchen-appliances-market/request-for-discount-pricing About Polaris Market Research Polaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. We strive to provide our customers with updated information on innovative technologies, high growth markets, emerging business environments and latest business-centric applications, thereby helping them always to make informed decisions and leverage new opportunities. Contact us- Polaris Market Research Phone: 1-646-568-9980 Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.com Web: www.polarismarketresearch.com U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo holds press briefing at the State Department in Washington By Humeyra Pamuk, Arshad Mohammed and Yew Lun Tian WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States on Monday rejected China's claims to offshore resources in most of the South China Sea, drawing criticism from China which said the U.S. position raised tension in the region, highlighting an increasingly testy relationship. China has offered no coherent legal basis for its ambitions in the South China Sea and for years has been using intimidation against other Southeast Asian coastal states, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. "We are making clear: Beijings claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them," said Pompeo, a prominent China hawk within the Trump administration. The United States has long opposed China's expansive territorial claims on the South China Sea, sending warships regularly through the strategic waterway to demonstrate freedom of navigation there. Monday's comments reflect a harsher tone. "The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire," Pompeo said. The U.S. statement supports a ruling four years ago under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that invalidated most of China's claims to maritime rights in the South China Sea. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian condemned the U.S. rejection of China's claim. "It intentionally stirs up controversy over maritime sovereignty claims, destroys regional peace and stability and is an irresponsible act," he said at a regular briefing. "The U.S. has repeatedly sent large fleets of sophisticated military planes and ships to the South China Sea ... The U.S. is the troublemaker and destroyer of regional peace and stability." Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, in a video call with his Filipino counterpart, condemned the United States for sowing discord between China and ASEAN countries, and urged the Philippines to "look forward, not backwards." Story continues The 2016 ruling that the U.S. statement referred to came about as a result of the Philippines challenging China's claims in an arbitration court. China claims 90% of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea, but Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also lay claim to parts of it. About $3 trillion worth of trade passes through the waterway each year. China has built bases atop atolls in the region but says its intentions are peaceful. MORE CONFIDENT? Analysts said it would be important to see if other nations adopted the U.S. stance and what, if anything, Washington might do to reinforce its position and prevent Beijing from creating "facts on the water" to buttress its claims. "The Southeast Asian claimants, especially Vietnam, will feel more confident in asserting their jurisdictional rights under UNCLOS," said Ian Storey, senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. The Philippines strongly supported a rules-based order in the South China Sea and urged China to comply with the four-year-old arbitration ruling, its defense minister, Delfin Lorenzana, said. Taiwan welcomed the U.S. statement. "Our country opposes any attempt by a claimant state to use intimidation, coercion, or force to resolve disputes," Taiwan foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou told reporters. North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency quoted a foreign ministry official describing Pompeo's comments as "reckless". The relationship between the United States and China has grown increasingly tense recently over various issues including China's handling of the novel coronavirus and its tightened grip on Hong Kong. China routinely outlines the scope of its claims in the South China Sea with reference to a so-called nine-dash line on its maps that encompasses about nine-tenths of the 3.5-million-square-kilometer waters. "This is basically the first time we have called it illegitimate," Chris Johnson, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said of Pompeo's statement. "It's fine to put out a statement, but what you going to do about it?" (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, Arshad Mohammed, Matt Spetalnick, Daphne Psaledakis. Additional reporting by Yew Lun Tian in Beijing, Ben Blanchard in Taipei, Sangmi Cha in Seoul and Karen Lema in Manila; Editing by Leslie Adler, Lincoln Feast, Robert Birsel, William Maclean) Two people have been arrested after what police called a racially-motivated attack on a Mystic hotel clerk last month. Philip Samer and Emily Orbay were found in Brooklyn, N.Y. and taken into custody by U.S. marshals, according to WFSB. Sarner was charged with second-degree assault, third-degree assault and imitation based on bigotry and bias. Orbay was charged with two counts of third-degree assault and imitation based on bigotry and bias. They are accused of attacking Crystal Caldwell, a 59-year-old Black desk clerk at a Quality Inn, on June 26 after complaining about a lack of hot water in their room. The couple, who are white, called Caldwell a monkey and punched her in the face, according to the warrants. After being separated by other hotel employees, Caldwell told police she went to put ice on her injured face and was attacked again, knocked to the ground and kicked in the ribs. The Day reports surveillance video shows the man attacking Caldwell in a hallway. Caldwell allegedly suffered a concussion and eye, face, rib and back injuries. All three people were taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries, where police said they were unable to monitor the couple. Sarner and Orbay later returned to the hotel, retrieved their car and left the state before they could be arrested, police said. The incident prompted a June 29 demonstration outside the Stonington Police Department, with about a dozen protesters demanding justice for Caldwell. Stonington First Selectman Danielle Chesebrough said there is an investigation into the appalling assault of the Mystic hotel employee. In the interest of transparency, we wanted to share that Chief Darren Stewart, with support from the Police Commission, requested an external review of the investigation. I have since retained through the law directors office an independent firm to conduct an external review specifically about this event and the Stonington Police Department Policies and Procedures. This investigator will soon be providing a confidential dedicated email address seeking input from the public. The decision to conduct an external review was made in partnership in order to ensure that our community retains the confidence in our officers that they need to carry out the important work they do every day. Findings from the review will be shared with the public. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Pune, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global wound care market size is projected to showcase significant progress and earn USD 24.55 billion by 2027. This is accountable to the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure, and the wounds that result from them, such as diabetic foot ulcers and pressure ulcers. Wound care is used for injuries that are unable to heal by themselves. If untreated, they may result in severe consequences, such as mobility issues, decreased elasticity of blood vessels, and others. A recent report by Fortune Business Insights offers an elaborative overview of the market. The report is titled, Wound Care Market Size, Share & Covid-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Advanced Wound Dressing, Traditional Wound Care Products, Negative Pressure Wound Therapy, Bioactives, and Others), By Application (Chronic Wounds, and Acute Wounds), By End User (Hospitals, Clinics, Homecare Settings, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027. According to this report, the market value stood at USD 15.68 billion in 2019 and is likely to exhibit a CAGR of 6.0% between 2020 to 2027. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/wound-care-market-103268 The report is based on the following questions: What is the nature of the market? Which is the leading segment? Who is the leading player of the wound care market? How is the prevalence of diabetes aiding in the expansion of the market? What are the key developments of the market? Drivers & Restraints- Increasing Popularity of Bioactive Therapy to Add Impetus to Market The rising prevalence of acute and chronic diseases such as diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, and others are some of the key factors promoting this market growth. This, coupled with the advent and adoption of technologically advanced wound care products, will also add impetus to the market. Additionally, continuous research and development, as well as increasing investments in the launch of advanced wound care products are likely to bolster growth in the coming years. On the contrary, high treatment costs and the presence of limited or no reimbursement policies, especially in the underdeveloped nations, may challenge the growth of the market. Nevertheless, the advent of bioactive therapy for treating chronic wounds is expected to create a lucrative growth opportunity for the market in the coming years. The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 has shaken the world economy. Most businesses are at a halt, import-export is not possible, and the entire world is hoping to come out of this situation. With government support and necessary measures, we soon hope to overcome this situation and step into a better tomorrow. We, at Fortune Business Insights, are offering special reports on various markets impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and its future objectives. These reports will help investors study the market thoroughly and accordingly chalk out business strategies for generating future revenues. Click here to get the short-term and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on this Market. Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/wound-care-market-103268 Segment: Advanced Wound Dressing Segment to earn Largest Share Owing to Better Product Offering Based on segmentation by type, the advanced wound dressing segment earned 42.6% wound care market share in 2019 and emerged dominant. This is owing to the presence of a diverse product portfolio. Regional Analysis- North America is Holding Dominance on Account of Well-established Healthcare Infrastructure North America earned a revenue of USD 6.09 billion in 2019 and emerged dominant, followed by Europe. This is on account of the increasing prevalence of acute and chronic wounds. This coupled with the presence of well-established healthcare infrastructure and facilities, as well as favorable reimbursement policies by the governments of developed nations are likely to aid in the expansion of the regional market. On the other side, the market in Asia Pacific is likely to exhibit rapid growth in the coming years on account of the increasing prevalence of acute and chronic diseases as a result of the rising patient population and improving healthcare and medical infrastructure. Competitive Landscape- Companies Investing in Launch of Technologically Advanced Products for Gaining Competitive Edge The nature of the market is fragmented due to the presence of key players of all sizes. The key players functioning in this global market are investing heavily in the research, development, and launch of technologically advanced products that will help them to gain a strategic position. Others are engaging in mergers and acquisitions, contracts and agreements, and joint ventures to hold a vital position in the market and gather high revenue. Quick Buy - Wound Care Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/103268 Major Industry Developments of the Market Include: November 2019 DermGEN was launched for regenerative medicine (RegenMed) by Lake Superior Centre. This is an acellular dermal matrix for the healing of wounds. February 2019 MaxioCel, a dressing for wound care made of chitosan, was launched by Axio Biosolutions, offering quick healing and comfort to patients with chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, and others. As per a report by Fortune Business Insights, some of the significant players in the Wound Care Market are as follows: Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. Smith & Nephew Coloplast Corp Cardinal Health ConvaTec Inc. Medtronic 3M BSN Medical (Essity) PAUL HARTMANN AG Other players Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/wound-care-market-103268 Detailed Table of Content: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on Wound Care Market Key Market Players Analyzing the Impact of COVID-19 Prevalence of Diabetes Foot Ulcer By Key Countries, 2019 New Product Launches, Key Market Players Key Industry Developments (Mergers, Acquisitions, etc.) Global Wound Care Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2016-2027 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Type Advanced Wound Dressing Traditional Wound Care Products Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Bioactives Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Application Chronic Wounds Acute Wounds Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By End User Hospitals Clinics Homecare Settings Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa TOC Continued!!! Request for Customization: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/wound-care-market-103268 Have a Look at Related Reports: Advanced Wound Care Market Size , Share and Global Trend By Product (Advanced Wound Dressings, Wound Care Devices & Active Wound Care), Indication (Diabetic Foot Ulcers, Pressure Ulcers, Surgical Wounds, Others), End User and Geography Forecast till 2025 Advanced Wound Dressings Market Size , Share and Global Trend By Product Type (Alginate Dressings, Hydrogel Dressings, Film Dressings, Hydrocolloid Dressings, Antimicrobial Dressings, Foam Dressings), Indication (Diabetic Foot Ulcers, Pressure Ulcers, Surgical Wounds), End Users (Hospitals, Clinics, Home Care Settings) and Geography Forecast till 2025 Active Wound Care Market Size , Share and Global Trend by Product Type (Biological Skin Equivalents, Growth Factors, Biological Dressings), Indication (Diabetic Foot Ulcers, Pressure Ulcers, Lower Limb Ulcers), End User (Hospitals, Clinics, Home Care Settings) and Geography Forecast till 2025 Wound Closure Market Size , Share & Industry Analysis, By Product Type (Sutures, Hemostatic Agents, Staplers, Staples, and Others), By Application (Gynaecology, Cardiology, Orthopedics, Ophthalmic, General Surgery, and Others), By End User (Hospitals and Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Specialty Clinics, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data. At Fortune Business Insights we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We, therefore, offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Fortune Business Insights LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs A small business owner has explained how he is able to live in public housing while complaining about losing thousands of dollars during Melbourne's lockdown. Steve Pat was unable to leave his one-bedroom flat in Flemington Towers with 3,000 others while the building was locked down most of last week. He started a GoFundMe to cover the up to $4,000 he stood to lose from being unable to operate his cleaning business for as long as two weeks. The hardworking Turkish-Australian said he had to cancel all jobs booked for the week and turn down numerous calls requesting his services. Steve Pat is unable to leave his one-bedroom flat in Flemington Towers in Melbourne due to coronavirus lockdown and has to cancel all his jobs for the next two weeks Mr Pat has since faced a huge backlash from Australians questioning how he qualified for public housing while earning thousands a fortnight. He claimed that, contrary to popular belief, working people living in Flemington Towers paid close to market rate for the area. 'I pay $340 a week for my unit, it's only subsidied by $40 or $50 compared to market rate for what is a really nice area,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'There's heaps of people on six figures (annual income) who live here. We have a really good community here so people want to stay.' Mr Pat said he had planned to buy a house in Melbourne's outer suburbs this year but the coronavirus pandemic ruined those plans. Residents of 10 towers in Flemington (pictured), North Melbourne, and Kensington were banned from even setting foot outside their door on Saturday Mr Pat said he had to cancel all jobs booked for this week and turn down numerous calls requesting his services 'My business has only taken off in the past year, I probably only earned $30,000 last (financial) year,' he said. 'It's really hard to get financing when you're self-employed too, the banks need a bigger deposit and don't want to lend to you.' Mr Pat said much of his earnings went to support his two sons, aged six and nine, who live with his ex-wife in Turkey and had to cancel a trip to visit him. He also has business expenses of up to $300 a week to cover from the cash he is paid for jobs. There are many documented cases around Australia of residents living in public housing while earning high wages. This is usually the result of long-term residents gaining better jobs but not moving out, and their rent is generally increased accordingly. Residents of 10 towers in Flemington, North Melbourne, and Kensington were banned from even setting foot outside their door last Saturday. Mr Pat and his neighbours had to walk to the lobby to collect a box of essential groceries despite being ordered not to leave their rooms. Pictured is supplies being delivered to the bottom of the public housing block Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the drastic measure would last at least five days as a renewed coronavirus outbreak ripped through those suburbs. Mr Pat feared the lockdown would last a full two weeks if any of his fellow residents refused tests, according to his detention directions. Mr Andrews promised free rent for the next two weeks and $1,500 for anyone unable to work due to being stuck in the locked down suburbs. 'I appreciate that, but I usually make a lot more than that,' Mr Pat, who is a sole trader, told Daily Mail Australia last week. 'People think we're whingers and that we shouldn't complain as we get a free rent, but I'd rather pay my rent and not get any money and be out there doing my job. 'Most people think everyone who lives here is a bum or a drug user, but it's nowhere near that.' Mr Pat admitted he may have 'overreacted' to the hard lockdown of his tower block in making the GoFundMe, which he's since taken down, but said the episode was not well handed by authorities. After being caught by surprise when the no-warning lockdown came in, many of those in the buildings are furious at a lack of food and information from authorities Food and drink packages (right) were delivered to residents by police (left) on Saturday night but some complained they did not receive essentials such as bread and milk Common complaints from the towers - Lack of essential supplies and food - Heavy handed attitudes of police in enforcing the stay-at-home orders - Inability to go shopping is at odds with others in the hotspot postcodes - Lack of protective equipment such as masks for residents - No information provided about length or reasons behind lockdown Advertisement He and his neighbours had to walk to the lobby to collect a box of essential groceries despite being ordered not to leave their rooms. 'I haven't been told anything by anyone, no authority has knocked on my door other than the police to give me the detention directions,' he said. 'We can test 20,000 people in Melbourne in 24 hours, why couldn't they test us yet?' 'This in my opinion is worse than prison as we don't even get a hour outside to go for a walk and get some fresh air. 'This is not just a loss of income but a loss of freedom, our everyday human rights.' Mr Pat said he called a hotline for residents asking for cat litter and was told someone would call him back, but no one did. Mr Pat's tower block was eventually let out of total lockdown at 11.59pm on Thursday after six days. Residents are still in lockdown with the rest of the Melbourne metro area but are now allowed to leave their flats for work and exercise. Nearly two-dozen Valley nonprofits will share approximately $257,000 in grants from the Valley United Way, designed to help them stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. Valley United Ways goal is to develop and organize direct financial and other support, to help meet the identified needs of the five communities in the Lower Naugatuck Valley in partnership with local agencies, Valley United Way board of directors Chairman Michael Gnibus said in a release. The three broad areas that this funding supports include preparing youth to succeed, strengthening families and helping people in crisis. VUWs grants come at an especially critical time, as many of the nonprofits are expecting additional financial challenges as the pandemic continues to have a ripple effect on the local economy, according to Gnibus. Despite its own financial challenges from coronavirus, Valley United Ways Board of Directors made a courageous decision to keep the FY 20-21 funding total level with FY 19-20s, given the pressing needs of partner agencies and those they serve, Gnibus said. Funding for these grants is possible through VUW workplace campaigns and community fundraising efforts, according to VUW Interim President David Kennedy, with its largest supporters including BIC Corp., Edgewell Personal Care, Griffin Hospital, Hubbell Inc., Iroquois Pipeline, Prudential Financial and Webster Bank. Valley United Way is proud to continue supporting a superb network of 17 Valley nonprofits with expertise in providing health, social service and youth services to families throughout our five-town area, Kennedy said. Of course, that network would not be possible without the exceptional financial support that United Way receives annually from corporations and businesses, their employees and hundreds of individual donors. Shaye Roscoe, CEO of the Lower Naugatuck Valley Boys & Girls Club, was grateful for the $66,250 award that entity received. There are no words that can truly express our sincere gratitude to David Kennedy, the board of directors and the Allocation Committee for their generous support of our organization and the members we serve, Roscoe said. We are so humbled to have been selected as a recipient for this allocation knowing that there were many qualified applications and it was a very difficult year. The Housatonic Council Boy Scouts of America received $22,100, which Scout Executive John A. Zseller II said will provide necessary resources for membership supplies, program supplies, camp maintenance and general support for Valley boys and girls ages 5 to 18. Sarah Beard, director of Childrens Services for BHcares Parent Child Resource Center, which provides services for children, teens and families struggling with emotional and behavioral issues, said the $26,900 grant it received will go a long way. We are very grateful to the Valley United Way for this allocation, Beard said. The past several months have been especially difficult for children and families, experiencing social isolation, stress and anxiety. And, the planned return to school in the fall will pose additional challenges for children. Over the next several months, our work will focus on helping children get back to their age appropriate development with confidence and a sense of security. Other recipients are: American Red Cross, $5,100. Domestic Violence Center (BHCare), $19,200. Rape Crisis Center, $14,200. Spooner House (Area Congregations Together), $22,100. St. Vincent DePaul Society, $4,800. Visiting Nurse Association of South Central Connecticut, $3,050. Catholic Charities, $9,600. Christian Counseling Center, $7,700. Family Resource Center (Team Inc.), $4,800. Meals on Wheels (Team Inc.), $9,600. Big Brothers, Big Sisters, $1,200. Girl Scouts of CT, $3,100. Seymour-Oxford Nursery Child Care Association (SONCCA), $1,950. Valley YMCA, $27,850. Info Line 211, $7,175. jean.sos@snet.net Recently, Kartik Aaryan conducted #AskKartik session on Twitter and interacted with his fans amid the novel Coronavirus outbreak in India. While some of his replies were too hilarious to be missed, some were every bit heartwarming. So, when a fan asked Kartik to describe the trailer of Dil Bechara- the last film of Sushant Singh Rajput who died on June 14, in one word, the Luka Chuppi actor said, "Heartwarming and Heartwrenching at the same time. Can there be one word for a flurry of emotions?" This reply of Kartik won hearts on Twitter. During the #AskKartik session, Kartik also replied to a fan, who asked the actor to confirm the rumours about his marriage. To which Kartik replied, "Jis hisaab se chal raha hai lagta hai Bachcha bhi lockdown mein ho jayega." (Looking at the present situation, I feel that I will become a father too in the lockdown.) When a user asked Kartik about his patriotic side, which has become the talk of the town and wrote, "Your Patriotic side has become the talk of the town recently... What do you have to say?", Kartik replied by saying, "Main Ek hi 'ism' mein jamke maanta hoon. Patriotism. Aur safar lamba hai. (I believe in only one 'ism', patriotism. And the journey is long) You will see many sides of me." Kartik Aaryan Shares Throwback Pic From When He Jumped A Fence To Meet Sagarika Ghatge Kartik also revealed his favourite film of Amitabh Bachchan and shared, "#Deewar is my all time fav film of @SrBachchan sir And guess what I even have an autographed poster #AskKartik." With respect to work, Kartik was last seen in Pati Patni Aur Woh. He will next be seen in Dostana 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. The makers of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 have recently confirmed that they will resume shoot by September. The film also stars Kiara Advani in the lead role. Resul Pookutty, the Indian film sound designer, sound editor and audio mixer most well-known since his Oscar win for the 2009-film Slumdog Millionaire, has decided to make his directorial debut, under the banner of his own production company. The script is based on Captain Baba Harbhajan Singh, an Indian army soldier who served between June 30, 1965 and December 1, 2006. Revered as the Hero of Nathula by soldiers of the Indian army, the soldier has a shrine built in his honour and accorded the title of the saintly father viz. Baba. Resul has tentatively titled the film Piharwa, meaning beloved. The film, which has just finished its third draft, is not a biopic, says Resul, but rather a woman-centric, romantic portrayal of the mans life as seen by a 22-year-old boy in the current times. Moreover, the whole story is woven around from the perspective of the love interest of the soldier, with scenes shot mainly in two locations Kapurthala, where the soldier was born, and the second location in Gangtok. Two years ago, when I was researching a couple of stories I wanted to put on an OTT, I chanced upon Baba Harbhajan Singhs story, Resul tells us. The story remained at the back of my mind until six months ago, when an erstwhile classmate made a short film Plus-Minus, which was on Captain Harbajan Singh and even won an award. It was when she showed me the film that I began wondering about turning it into a feature film. However, even before announcing his directorial debut, Resul has been mercilessly trolled on social media. The reason? His co-producer Avi Raj had recently mentioned about having approached Alia Bhatt for playing the love interest of Captain Baba Harbhajan Singh in the film. Where the trolls have landed While Resul thinks Alia will be a perfect fit for the role, which is that of a fierce Punjabi girl, he hopes to seek a fresh face for the male lead. And despite all the trolling aimed at him, Resul is very clear why Alia is his first choice for the role. I had worked in her second film, Highway. On the very first day, when the first shot was done, I knew she was going to be a phenomenal actor, Resul tells us. Acting comes naturally to her and she is a treat to watch. But the trolls have landed, we remind him. Especially with the raging online discussions after the unfortunate death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, trolls have trained their guns at Resul for encouraging nepotism because he is even considering Alia Bhatt. Alia, by the way, had come under fire with the likes of Karan Johar for mocking Sushant on Karans talk shows when the actor was alive. Yes, Ive been getting messages from people saying, Sir, please dont take her; we will not watch the film, he says adding, While I feel its sad that people get so taken in even without verifying their piece of information, I also condemn nepotism as the lowest and most unimaginative corruption. I dont think it is good for any industry or for our economy. Not budging in his convictions However, Resul is just clear that a crowd-mentality will not have him back off from his convictions. I am looking for what is good for my film and its characters. And I will surely cast Alia regardless of the social media trolls, puts in Resul. Additionally, Resul points out how the crowd mentality to get anyone and everyones head over Sushants unfortunate death is incorrect. Nepotism is everywhere, the worst of which is in politics, he says. Yet, despite nepotisms innate structure, we must also consider a positive side to it. For instance, if not for nepotism, family businesses wouldnt have flourished. But yes, when it comes to art and negates values of art and talent, I shall not stand for. As for Alia, she was born into Vishesh Films the only production house in Bollywood, which has introduced new talents more than anyone else, including technicians and artists. If Alias father, Mahesh Bhatt wants to stand for such values and instil those in his kids, is that nepotism? Then, I stand for it. As we take in his words, Resul also points out how if nepotism was such a deciding factor in Hindi cinema many actors such as Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty or even Shah Rukh Khan wouldnt have grown here. Why them, lets talk about meI won the Oscar for my work in India. So I think while there may be a certain percentage of people indulging in nepotism the muck exists in every facet of life. My appeal to people is not to pick up that muck and splash it on everyones face, says Resul. Encompass Health Corporation EHC recently unveiled plans to construct an inpatient rehabilitation hospital containing 40 beds in Florida. To this effect, the company has purchased land in St. Augustine, FL. However, it has not yet disclosed any outline for the hospitals construction in Florida. Once operational, the new inpatient rehabilitation hospital will facilitate physical, occupational and speech therapies that will aid patients in recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries. This, in turn, is likely to enable Encompass Health in resolving health issues of residents in St. Augustine area more efficiently. This is not the first time that Encompass Health is making an effort to expand its presence in Florida. Presently, it has 12 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and 19 home health locations in Florida. Apart from these hospitals, the healthcare provider had also announced plans regarding construction of another inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Pensacola, FL in February. The hospital, whose construction timeline has not yet been revealed, remains as the most recent endeavor of the company in the state before the St. Augustine one. Notably, it already has one hospital under construction in Tampa Bay, FL, which is anticipated to start operations in second-quarter 2021. Notably, shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) healthcare provider have lost 4.8% in a year against the industrys rise of 6.6%. Encompass Healths Efforts Bode Well It is to be noted that this healthcare provider seeks to address the hugely unmet demand for facility-based and home-based post acute-care services by constructing or acquiring new hospitals and purchasing or opening home health and hospice agencies in the extremely fragmented industries. With a nationwide presence and strong portfolio of 136 hospitals, 245 home health hubs, and 83 hospice centers in 39 states and Puerto Rico, Encompass Health has been striving to offer improved healthcare services across the United States. Story continues This month itself, Encompass Health formed a joint venture (JV) with Knoxville-based Covenant Health. The JV will result in development of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, which is likely to resolve health issues of Knoxville residents more efficiently. Prior to this, Encompass Health entered into a JV with an established healthcare system. Last month, the University of Iowa Health Network Rehabilitation Hospital a JV between Encompass Health and University of Iowa Health Systems announced in January this year started operating. Additionally, it opened Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Sioux Falls last month, which is intended to offer improved healthcare services in South Dakota. The healthcare provider has also unveiled plans in June to inaugurate Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Libertyville that is expected to start operations in spring 2022. These initiatives bode well and certainly provide a sigh of relief to several people across the United States, who are already grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, several initiatives have also bolstered revenues at Encompass Health, which have witnessed a CAGR of 14.2% in the past five years (2014-2019). The uptrend has been driven by the rising contribution from its inpatient rehabilitation plus home health and hospice segment. An aging population across the United States and the current pandemic situation definitely calls for greater access to healthcare services, which positions Encompass Health well for growth in the long term. Stocks to Consider Some better-ranked stocks in the medical space include Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. ACHC, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. BCRX and Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. AKBA, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Acadia Healthcare, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals and Akebia Therapeutics have a trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 4.77%, 20.08% and 7.11%, on average, respectively. Today's Best Stocks from Zacks Would you like to see the updated picks from our best market-beating strategies? From 2017 through 2019, while the S&P 500 gained and impressive +53.6%, five of our strategies returned +65.8%, +97.1%, +118.0%, +175.7% and even +186.7%. This outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. From 2000 2019, while the S&P averaged +6.0% per year, our top strategies averaged up to +54.7% per year. See their latest picks free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BCRX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (AKBA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Encompass Health Corporation (EHC) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research 3 1 of 3 Jeff Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Image/via Getty Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Michael Paulsen / Houston Chronicle Show More Show Less 3 of 3 New York & Co. became the latest retailer to succumb to bankruptcy, signaling plans Monday to close all locations, which include stores at the Danbury Fair, Connecticut Post and Westfield Trumbull malls. Parent company RTW Retailwinds filed Monday for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after warning investors last month of the possibility. RTW plans to continue reopening New York & Co. stores when and where appropriate for clearance sales, while evaluating any bids for its brand and online business. Amid rising speculations that Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot would quit the Congress to join BJP, sources claimed on Monday (July 13) that Pilot is unlikely to join BJP. Sources added that BJP's central leadership has hinted that though Pilot is miffed with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot he would not join the saffron party. BJP is closely monitoring the changing political situation in Rajasthan and is waiting for Pilot's next move before taking finalising its strategy for Rajasthan. It is to be noted that CM Gehlot-led government has a conmfortable majority in the state Assembly and there is a significant difference between the number of MLAs of Congress and BJP. The saffron party will first analyse the strength of Pilot camp as at least 30 Congress MLAs will have to resign to put Gehlot government in minority in 200-member Rajasthan Assembly. Meanwhile, senior Congress leaders have reached an agreement over the removal of Pilot as Rajasthan Congress president and appoint Raghuveer Meena, former MP and member of CWC, as the new chief of Congress in Rajasthan. Sources said that a formal announcement in this regard will be made on Monday. Senior Congress leaders, including Avinash Pande, Ajay Maken and Randeep Surjewala were sent to Jaipur on Sunday to finalise the name of new chief of Rajasthan. On Sunday (July 12) night, Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande said that a whip has been issued to all party MLAs to be mandatorily present at Congress Legislature Party meeting to be held on Monday (July 13) in Jaipur. Pande asserted that strict disciplinary action will be taken against any MLA who will fail to attend the meeting without mentioning personal/special reason. Pande expressed confidence that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led government will survive as 109 MLAs have signed a letter expressing their trust and support to his government. Pande added that some more MLAs had telephonic conversation with CM Gehlot and they will also sign letter of support on Monday. Pande made the statements hours after Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot revolted against CM Gehlot and claimed that he has the support of over 30 MLAs. Pilot also said that he will not attend the Legislature Party meeting on Monday at CM Gehlot's residence. The current flashpoint between Gehlot and Pilot was a probe ordered by the state police into "poaching" of MLAs and a notice sent to Pilot, which has not gone well with Rajasthan Congress president. The Rajasthan police issued notices to Gehlot and his deputy Pilot to record their statement in connection with the alleged attempts to topple their Congress government. By Trend The Armed Forces of Armenia have shelled the village of Agdam in Azerbaijans Tovuz region using 120 mm mortars, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. At present, the operational situation along the front line is under the control of Azerbaijani troops. Azerbaijani troops are taking more stringent retaliatory measures against this provocation of Armenia. Indias land is under full possession of our security forces: ITBP, BSF India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, July 13: As Chinese and Indian troops move to disengage in eastern Ladakh after a tense standoff, the chief of ITBP and BSF on Sunday said all the country's land is under "full possession" of our security and defence forces. S S Deswal, Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Border Security Force (BSF), was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a plantation drive held at a BSF camp in Bhondsi. "All the country's land is with us. Our land is in full possession of our security forces," Deswal told reporters here. Arms laden drone from Pakistan shot down by BSF He made the remarks when asked to comment on the current military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. "All our borders are safe, be it the eastern, western or northern. The security forces of the country are very active, capable and dedicated. They are capable to protect the borders against any kind of enemy with all their might and efficiency," the 1984-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer said. According to people familiar with the development, Chinese military has further thinned down its presence in the ridgeline of Finger Four and removed some boats from the Pangong Tso lake in eastern Ladakh ahead of another round of Lt General-level talks between India and China aimed at finalising modalities for complete disengagement along the LAC. Rajasthan political crisis: Congress ready to talk to Sachin Pilot| Oneindia News When asked if the ITBP had moved more troops to its posts along the LAC, Deswal said the forces are moved across the country as per requirement. "The morale of the troops of the army and border guarding forces is very high. Since independence, the security forces have made numerous sacrifices to protect the country's borders and for security of the country whether is is external threat or internal security," he said. "You can see our forces are quick and alert to ensure protection even at the cost of their lives," Deswal said. All the security arrangements are in place at the borders and we can say that the country's security is ensured, he said. Deswal is the head of the ITBP and has been holding an additional charge of the BSF for over four months now. The about 90,000 personnel strong the ITBP is a mountain-warfare trained force tasked to guard the 3,488-km-long LAC with China. It was raised in 1962 in the aftermath of the Chinese aggression and has decided to move at least 60 fresh companies to various locations along the LAC in the wake of the current situation in Ladakh. An ITBP company has an operational strength of about 100 troops. The BSF with about 2.5 lakh personnel is primarily tasked to guard Indian fronts with Pakistan and Bangladesh. IPOs and Secondaries up compared to Q1; Ratio of Positive Opens to Negative Has More than Doubled New York, July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Triad Securities Corp., a full-service, agency-only brokerage firm, today announced the issuance of its Q2 2020 Quarterly Snapshot on US IPOs and secondary offerings (See report here). Published in conjunction with Argus Research, the report provides ECM (equity capital market) trends along with tables showing the performance of the largest Q2 2020 IPOs, the most promising upcoming IPO candidates, the top 20 Unicorns and top 20 underwriter performance. In the second quarter, the IPO and Secondary market roared back to life, with the total number of IPOs (46) exceeding those from Q1. High-quality companies came public in Q2 and the ratio of positive issue-opens to negative-issue opens jumped to 5:1, up from 2:1 previously. The IPO pipeline remains healthy and 115 companies have filed with the SEC, up from previous quarters. Secondaries experienced a tremendous gain, rising 74% quarter over quarter and 47% year-over-year. Activity was led by Technology and Healthcare IPOs and by Fortune 500 companies raising capital while operationsand balance sheetswere being devastated by the pandemic. Only four Unicorns came public in the quarter as the unicorn trend continues to wind down. Investors favored industries that appear well-positioned to thrive on the other side of the pandemic, such as Biotech, Medical Devices and Genetics in Healthcare, and Cloud-Based Connecting Platforms from the intersection of the Tech and Communication sectors. John Eade, President, Argus Research, said: We were not surprised by the comeback in IPOs and Secondaries, especially given that the stock market volatility has settled down, and the impacts of the stimulus and support from the Federal Reserve. In our Q120 report we predicted that companies impacted by the shut-down would be looking to raise capital through secondaries, and that has proven to be correct. Story continues Kevin Schultz, Triad Securities Chairman, said: Our belief is that professional traders benefit from the 360-degree service we offer, including the best information and tools to be successful. The Argus Quarterly IPO reports provide important insight to traders on the ability of companies to raise capital, key upcoming market trends, and IPO performance. Clients have let us know that the Quarterly reports, coupled with our New Issue Service (a streamlined data service on upcoming IPOs and Secondaries), give them the best possible support for trading new issues. About Triad Securities Corp. Triad Securities, member FINRA and SIPC, is a full-service, agency-only brokerage firm. We provide superior and personalized Prime Brokerage Services to Hedge Funds, Family Offices, Managed Account Platforms, RIAs, Proprietary Trading Desks and Professional Traders. For more information, visit us at www.triadsecurities.com or contact us directly at sales@triadsecurities.com. About Argus Research Argus Research Company was founded in 1934 by economist Harold Dorsey and was one of the first firms to provide systematic, independent research and analysis on U.S. equities to the professional market. Using a top-down methodology, the Argus staff of analysts and its economist has continued to offer forecasts and ratings on the U.S. economy, and objective investment research analyzing hundreds of leading blue-chip companies. For more information, visit us at www.argusresearch.com. Attachment Loretta Mock Forefront Communications for Triad Securities 646-726-7886 lmock@forefrontcomms.com Tunisia's prime minister Elyes Fakfakh said on Monday he will conduct a cabinet reshuffle in the coming days amid a row with the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, in what appears to be a step to remove Ennahda ministers in the government. Earlier on Monday, Tunisia's Islamist-inspired Ennahda party, the largest in parliament, called for consultations to appoint a new prime minister, a move opposed by President Kais Saied. Elyes Fakhfakh was sworn as PM in in February after winning a confidence vote in parliament following four months of post-election deadlock amid tensions with Ennahda. Fakhfakh is under investigation over alleged failure to hand over control of shares he owns in private companies that have won public contracts. Ennahda consultative council asked party leader Rached Ghannouchi "to carry out consultations... on a change of government", council president Abdelkarim Harouni said. "The economic and social situation is very serious and can only be overcome by a government whose head is not suspected of any conflict of interest," he told a news conference. "Ennahda does not allow any suspicion of corruption to prevail in the government," Harouni said. Relations between Ennahda and Fakhfakh have been strained ever since the October legislative elections. President Saied rejected Ennahda's call for consultations to go ahead. "There will be no consultations so long as the prime minister remains in power," his office said in a statement after a meeting with the premier. Search Keywords: Short link: Glee star Lea Michele has deactivated her Twitter account, following a reported rise in harassment after the disappearance of her co-star Naya Rivera. While Michele gave no explanation for the sudden deactivation on Saturday, users speculated it was because Michele was being subjected to abusive messages including tweets that it shouldve been you instead. Micheles Instagram account remains active, where some users have also expressed disappointment that Michele has not made a public statement about Riveras tragic disappearance. News of Riveras disappearance emerged last Wednesday when her four year old son was discovered by himself in a boat on Lake Piru and officers have since said Rivera was presumed dead. Lea Michele (Getty Images ) / Getty Images Some users have since come to Micheles defense, with one writing, Lea Michele deactivated because people were commenting on her posts 'it should've been you instead of naya' y'all are f**king sick. Another user wrote, Lea Michele has deactivated her twitter due to be being trolled about Naya Rivera. Has she behaved badly in the past? Yes. She's owned it and is trying to be better. She's also pregnant. Is it her fault that Naya's missing? No. I'm sure she's as upset as the rest of the Glee cast. The pregnant star has been the subject of controversy recently, after former co-stars alleged Michele had engaged in abusive behaviour on set: beginning with former co-star Samantha Ware saying Michele had reportedly subjected her to traumatic microaggressions after Michele posted in support of Black Lives Matter. Michele has not posted anything to Instagram since June 3, when she posted a statement saying she has never judged others by their background or colour of their skin and apologised for my behaviour and for any pain which I have caused. Micheles co-star Amber Riley tweeted seemingly in support of Michele on Sunday, a day after her account was deactivated. Although she did not mention Michele by name, she wrote, Show some respect. All our energy is going toward helping find Naya and praying for her safe return and for her family. No one owes anyone online a performance of grief. This is very real and devastating. Focus on Naya and her family. Not us. We dont matter right now, Riley continued. The search for Rivera continues on Lake Piru, with the Ventura County Police Department revealing they were using sophisticated sonar equipment to search underwater. Speaking at a press conference, Ventura County Sheriffs Office Sergeant Kevin Donoghue said, Theres a lot of trees and plants and such that are under the water that can cause entanglement. Makes it unsafe for divers and a complicated search. We have experts who have dove this lake who know it inside and out, where debris pockets might be, were relying on their expertise to help us in that endeavour. Were going to do everything we can to find her, he continued. Naya Rivera and son Josey Hollis Dorsey at a movie premiere in California / AFP via Getty Images Riveras co-star and close friend Heather Morris tweeted yesterday at the Ventura County Sheriffs official account that she was trying to conduct an on foot search and rescue mission along with a small group of friends at Lake Piru. I understand your team is doing EVERYTHING in their power, but we are feeling helpless, powerless and want to help in any way, Morris tweeted. Morris later revealed that she had since decided to hold off on the citizen search and rescue until we get the go, as she had spoken with Sheriff Eric Buschow. She explained, If youre not highly trained in search and rescue, this could end up a much more dangerous situation for everybody involved. The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the Travancore royal family has rights to maintain and manage the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala, allowing the appeal filed by the Maharajah of the royal family challenging a 2011 Kerala high court judgment that had given these rights to the Kerala government. A two-judge bench of justices UU Lalit and Indu Malhotra held that the royal familys Shebaitship the right to maintain and manage the temple and the deity does not come to an end with the death of the ruler, who signed the instrument of accession with the Indian government in 1949 by which the erstwhile princely state of Travancore merged with the Indian union. We hold that the death of Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, who had signed the covenant, would not in any way affect the Shebaitship of the temple held by the royal family of Travancore, the court ruled. Also read: Little impact on other religion cases, say experts after Kerala temple verdict The court also accepted the suggestion made by the royal family on the constitution of a five-member administrative committee which shall administer the temple from now on. The administrative committee will consist of the district judge of Thiruvananthapuram, one nominee of the Maharajah of the royal family, one nominee of the Kerala government, one member nominated by the ministry of culture (Government of India), and the chief thantri (priest) of the temple. All the members of the committee will be Hindus. The Kerala high court held in January 2011 that after Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the ruler who signed agreement of the accession with the Indian government, died in 1991, the temple stood vested with the Kerala government. The agreement of accession provided that the administration of the Padmanabhaswamy temple shall be conducted, subject to the control and supervision of the ruler of Travancore, by an executive officer appointed by the ruler. The high court, in its order, held that ruler is not a status that can be achieved through succession. But the Supreme Courts ruling on Monday means that the 1949 agreement between the ruler of the princely state and the Government of India on the Shebait rights of the temple would be enforceable, though payments and other privileges accorded by the Government of India to royal families of erstwhile princely states for joining the Indian union at the time of Independence were abolished in 1971. The court arrived at this conclusion based on the existence of another law, the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act (TC Act), which was enacted in 1950 by the state government to make a provision for the administration, supervision and control of Hindu Religious Endowments. Section 18 of the TC Act provides that the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple stands vested in the ruler of Travancore. As long as the TC Act exists, the Shebait rights of the royal family will continue and abolition of the rights and privileges of the royal family by the 26th amendment of the Constitution will not impact the same, the court held. Broadly the court has said that as long as the TC Act is valid, under Section 18(2), the rights of a ruler in Kerala are preserved despite the 26th constitutional amendment, which had abolished privy purse in India, said Supreme Court advocate Vipin Nair. It is the victory of devotees and people, not the victory of royals, said Aditya Varma, scion of Travancore royal family. The Kerala government welcomes the verdict...We [have] always followed apex court verdict in letter and spirit, said state Devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran. In the new arrangement, as prescribed by the court, on all policy matters related to the temple, the trustee (the Maharajah) will be guided by a three-member advisory committee headed by a retired judge of the Kerala high court. This committee will have an eminent person nominated by the Maharaja and a reputed chartered accountant as its members. The two committees should ensure that all treasures and properties endowed to Padmanabhaswamy and those belonging to the temple are preserved, the court said. They should also ensure that all rituals and religious practices are performed in accordance with the instructions and guidance of the chief thantri of the temple and according to custom and traditions. The court said that the income accruing to the temple, as well as the offerings made by the worshippers, should be expended to improve the facilities for the worshippers and or such religious and charitable purposes as the advisory committee may consider appropriate. It also asked for an audit of the temple for the last 25 years. The temple, located in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram, came under media glare in 2011 when a vast treasure was discovered in its vaults, known as Kallara in Malayalam. The vaults were opened pursuant to a May 2011 order of the apex court. It was estimated that the intrinsic value of the treasure in five of the six vaults which were opened amounted to more than ~90,000 crore. One of the vaults, Kallara B, was not opened on various grounds, including a superstition that there was a curse on it. During the hearing of the case before the Supreme Court, the Travancore royal family opposed the opening of Kallara B stating that it is a secret and sacred place and its sanctity needs to be preserved. The opening was later kept in abeyance by the apex court. The court on Monday directed that the administrative and advisory committees shall decide whether Kallara B should be opened to make an inventory. The original construction date of the temple is disputed but most historians agree that it was reconstructed and a new idol installed by Anizham Thirunal Marthandavarma, who established the modern Travancore state. Workers wearing masks walk by the New York Stock Exchange in New York City on July 9, 2020. (Mark Lennihan/AP Photo) New York City Records Zero COVID-19 Deaths: Preliminary Data New York City recorded zero deaths linked to COVID-19 on July 11 for the first time since March 14, when the city began reporting deaths from the new disease. Health officials recorded zero confirmed deathspeople who die with confirmed cases of COVID-19and zero probable deaths, or deaths health officials believe were caused by COVID-19, on July 11. No confirmed deaths were recorded July 10, and two probable deaths were recorded. New York City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot warned that the numbers are preliminary. The numbers are preliminary and they might change within a day or two, but the point is that since the height of this pandemic, the number of deaths have been going down steadily, she said during an appearance on Fox 5 on July 13. Were now in the single digits, and hopefully this zero will hold, though, again, preliminary. Rev. Al Sharpton, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, and the mayors wife Chirlane McCray, paint a new Black Lives Matter mural outside of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York City on July 9, 2020. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) The citys Department of Health and Mental Hygiene notes on its website that recent COVID-19 data is incomplete because of delays in reporting. But New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, extolled the numbers during a press conference at City Hall. This city fought back from being the epicenter of the coronavirus to having a 24-hour period with no deaths at all, he told reporters. New York state has the most deaths linked to COVID-19 in the nation. As of July 13, the state reported 32,390 deaths among patients with the disease. Most of the deaths took place in New York City, which has confirmed 18,708 deaths as of July 13. Hasidic men speak with an elderly patient being brought into Mount Sinai Hospital amid the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City on April 1, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) At the peak of the crisis, the city saw more than 500 patients die per day with the disease. The worst day was April 7, when 597 patients died, according to data from the city. De Blasio announced last week that he was ordering the cancellation of all large events through September to try to keep the virus in check. Religious events and protests are exempted from the order. While it pains me to call off some of the citys beloved events, our focus now must be the prioritization of city space for public use and the continuation of social distancing, the mayor said. Officials also unveiled a plan for students to return to schools two or three days a week in the fall, though New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said the same day that he hasnt decided which districts can hold in-person classes. A federal judge halted the roll out of a controversial abortion law in Tennessee less than an hour after Gov. Bill Lee signed it into law. Lee on Monday signed into law the state's wide-ranging abortion ban, legislation that will enact some of the nation's most restrictive abortion regulations. He signed the bill around 11 a.m. By 11:45 a.m., the court ruled against the law. Reproductive providers including Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union and other abortion rights groups filed a lawsuit against the bill in federal court in Nashville in June after the bill passed the Senate 23-5 in an early morning vote. Abortion providers asked for the restraining order in an attempt to delay implementation of the ban while the case is before the courts. Protesters gather against anti-abortion legislation at Legislative Plaza Tuesday, May 21, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. They argue the bans are unconstitutional and contradict U.S. Supreme Court rulings in Roe V. Wade and other landmark cases. District Judge William L. Campbell agreed Monday with the plaintiffs that if immediately implemented, the bill could cause a significant impact to Tennesseans seeking abortions, and the roll out should be halted while the case remains before the court. "Plaintiffs have demonstrated they will suffer immediate and irreparable injury, harm, loss, or damage if injunctive relief is not granted pending a preliminary injunction hearing. The Act will immediately impact patients seeking abortions and imposes criminal sanctions on abortion providers. The time-sensitive nature of the procedure also weighs in favor of injunctive relief pending a preliminary injunction hearing," Campbell wrote in the order granting the restraining order. Campbell also found the reverse to be true, that the public interest of the state will not be meaningfully harmed by preserving the status quo pending a hearing on the case. Restrictive bans In addition to banning abortions after the point a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is as early as six weeks, the legislation, which takes effect immediately, also prohibits the procedure: Story continues If the doctor knows that the woman is seeking an abortion because of the child's sex or race; If the doctor knows the woman is seeking an abortion due to to a diagnosis of Down syndrome; and For juveniles in custody of the Department of Children's Services, including removing the current option to petition a judge for permission. While there is an exception to the restrictions if a woman's life is in danger, there are no exceptions for rape or incest. The law makes it a Class C felony for a doctor to perform an abortion in any of those situations, and the physician must also: Determine and inform the mother of the gestational age of the fetus; Allow the woman to hear the fetal heartbeat and explain the location of the unborn child within the uterus; Conduct an ultrasound and display the images to the mother; and Provide an explanation of the fetus's dimensions and which external body parts and internal organs are present and visible. Under the law, abortion clinics will also be required to post a sign in the waiting area and in patient rooms informing people that it may be possible to reverse a chemical abortion. Failing to do so can result in a $10,000 fine for the clinic, though that portion of the new law would take effect Oct. 1. There remains no medical consensus on whether that reversal is possible. Lee broadcast his signature of the measure on Facebook on Monday, saying the law is "arguably the most conservative, pro-life piece of legislation in the country." "It's our responsibility to protect the most vulnerable in our community," the governor said as he signed the measure from inside his office. "With the signature of this bill, Tennessee is one of the most pro-life states in America." Similar six-week bans have been struck down in Mississippi, Ohio and other states. In 2019, 25 abortion bans filed in 12 states remain blocked by litigation from rights groups including the ACLU and Planned Parenthood, as well as the Center for Reproductive Rights. Ongoing lawsuits Abortion providers from across the state, including Memphis, Knoxville, Nashville and Mt. Juliet, and two physicians, filed the suit against Lee's new bill on behalf of themselves, their staff and patients. The plaintiffs say the state already limits abortion to the fullest extent possible under the state Constitution, but that the new bans' reach would be unconstitutional. Monday's order does not reflect a judge's ruling on the constitutionality of the law itself, just whether it can be implemented before a court rules. This is a victory for patients in Tennessee, but the fight is far from over. This sweeping abortion ban is part of a multi-layered effort to target people who already face systemic barriers to care because of racist and discriminatory policies, said Ashley Coffield, president & CEO, Planned Parenthood Tennessee and North Mississippi, in an emailed statement. "As we continue to fight for all of our patients, were glad that todays ruling will allow Tennesseans to continue to seek the health care they choose in their home state. The temporary restraining order went into effect at noon Monday and will expire at noon on July 27 pending a further court order. A hearing on a preliminary injunction, which may stop the roll out for a longer period or reverse the restraining order, has been scheduled for July 24. Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III was named as a defendant in the suit, alongside the district attorneys general of Davidson, Knox, Shelby and Wilson counties, the state health department director and the president of the board of medical examiners in their official capacities. The new bans are not the only Tennessee limit on abortion before the federal courts. This latest battle push against the state's efforts this year was supplemental to a long-running suit against Tennessee's required 48-hour waiting period before an abortion, which remains pending, as it has for five years, before a federal judge. And SCOTUS last month struck down state restrictions on abortion clinics for the second time in four years, signaling that its conservative shift under President Donald Trump has not eliminated a deep split over abortion rights. More: Supreme Court strikes down abortion clinic restrictions in Louisiana, a defeat for conservatives The court ruled 5-4 in late June that a Louisiana law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals would unduly burden women. Chief Justice John Roberts cast the deciding vote, though he did not sign on to the lead opinion endorsed by the court's four liberal justices. The court reached the same conclusion in 2016 regarding a Texas law, but since then, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh succeeded retired Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, giving abortion opponents hope for more substantial restrictions. Kavanaugh joined the dissenters in Monday's ruling. Discrimination at heart of suit Plaintiffs say that the new law would disproportionately affect the health care access of minority Tennesseans. The restrictive ban limits access to medical care, including abortion, particularly for those struggling financially and those who already face significant barriers to health care including people of color and people who live in rural areas, according to a statement from the ACLU of Tennessee. Its past time for the politicians in our state get the message that they cannot insert themselves in someone elses personal, private decision to end their pregnancy. We will continue to stand with our partners and fight back against politicians attacks on constitutionally-protected abortion care," said Hedy Weinberg, executive director, ACLU of Tennessee, in an emailed statement. A request for comment has been sent to Lee's office. Natalie Allison and Joel Ebert contributed. Reach reporter Mariah Timms at mtimms@tennessean.com or 615-259-8344 and on Twitter @MariahTimms. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee abortion ban: Judge halts new law signed by Gov. Bill Lee Jacksonville City Council is scheduled to meet in regular session no later than 7 p.m. today in the Municipal Building, 200 W. Douglas Ave. The meeting will follow a 5:30 p.m. workshop. Among the items on the agenda are: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, July 13, 2020 08:50 555 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40665d2196 1 Editorial Singapore,Singapore-elections,election,Lee-Hsien-Loong Free Not only have the results of the July 10 general election disappointed Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, they could also spell trouble for Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat. The 58-year old Peoples Action Party (PAP) politician won his parliamentary seat at the East Coast district, albeit with a relatively close margin. The PAP still retains the majority at the Parliament, but Fridays election marked the worst performance of the ruling party since 2011 when it won 60.1 percent of the vote. This time around, the PAP secured support from 61.2 percent of 2.65 million voters. For Indonesia, the region and the world, the most pressing question is not only how this could happen but also how it will impact Singapores succession. Many perceived the election on Friday as a referendum for Lees leadership, especially in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Lee has indicated his plan to retire after leading the wealthy city-state since 2004 and prepared a transfer of power, like his father the late Lee Kuan Yew and his successor Goh Chok Tong did, by declaring Heng the most potential candidate for the PM seat. There is also speculation that Lee will leave office next year. The prime minister is clearly unhappy with the election results, which he said reflect the pain and anxiety that Singaporeans feel in this crisis, the loss of income, the anxiety about jobs. He also pointed out that this was not a feel-good election but one where people are facing problems and expect more rough weather to come. The new mandate is not as strong as Lee had expected and could change the course of his succession scenario, which he says follows meritocratic considerations. There is no clear answer why Lees heir-apparent could only lead to the PAP retaining the East Coast district with a small margin of 53.41 percent of the votes. Some wonder if the lackluster feat has something to do with his controversial remarks in July last year that Singaporeans were not ready to have a non-Chinese prime minister. It is very likely, however, that the election results manifested voters strong demand for the ruling party to involve them, particularly the young generation, in a crucial matter like succession, which will define their future. Young, millennial Singaporeans want a stronger and more effective mechanism for checks and balances and refuse to give a blank check to the government. What we are trying to deny them is a blank check and that is what I think this election is about, said Jamus Lim of the Workers Party in an online election campaign debate. He won the Sengkang district on the day when the opposition party secured 10 Parliament seats. Lee will likely announce his new Cabinet lineup within a few days or weeks. People are eager to know what portfolio Lee will entrust to Heng, whom many deem a world-class finance minister. Lee and the ruling party may have no choice but to make him pay for his less convincing win on Friday. Well-heeled holidaymakers have jetted off to high society hotspots after their summer plans were restored following an easing of lockdown restrictions. Princess Diana's niece Lady Kitty Spencer, 29, has shared photos from the ever-popular French Riviera, where Princess Beatrice's BFF and society nutritionist Gabriela Peacock was also seen holidaying with her family. In Italy, Princess Grace of Monaco's 21-year-old granddaughter Camille Gottlieb, daughter of Princess Stephanie and her former bodyguard Jean Raymond Gottlieb, relaxed on a private boat off the coast of Latte, near her Monte Carlo home. Further north Italian fashion editor Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert travelled from Stockholm to Milan before hopping across to one of the nearby lakes, where she soaked up the sun on a stand-up paddle board. Blessed with a number of holiday homes to choose from, Italian fashion magnate Giancarlo Giammetti, co-founder of Valentino, has been spending time in Gstaad, Switzerland, taking in the stunning views of the Alps from his large terrace. LADY KITTY SPENCER Cote d'Azur, France Jewel of the French coast: Princess Diana's niece Lady Kitty Spencer, 29, has shared photos from the ever-popular French Riviera, where she is on a summer holiday. The society beauty, who is engaged to retail tycoon Michael Lewis, 61, is seen in stunning Bvlgari jewellery Eye spy... The Dolce & Gabbana model posed in a flirty floral creation by the Italian fashion house as she stopped at a lookout point in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin last week. Lady Kitty, whose father is Princess Diana's brother Charles Spence, often shares snaps of her travels GABRIELA PEACOCK Avignon, France Special occasion: Society nutritionist Gabriela Peacock, left, a close friend of Princess Beatrice, celebrated her 10 year wedding anniversary with a trip to Avignon, France, with husband David. The couple spent lockdown at a stunning home in the Cotswolds Holiday home: In mid June the family jetted off to Ramatuelle, near St Tropez, where they have a holiday home. Gabriela shared this Instagram photo with the caption 'and breathe'. Gabriela and hedge fund manager David have three children, Maia, Casper and Iris CAMILLE GOTTLIEB Latte, Italy Short jaunt: In Italy, Princess Grace of Monaco's 21-year-old granddaughter Camille Gottlieb, daughter of Princess Stephanie and her former bodyguard Jean Raymond Gottlieb, relaxed on a private boat off the coast of Latte, just over the border from her home in Monte Carlo GIOVANNA BATTAGLIA ENGELBERT Milan, Italy Printed perfection: Italian fashion editor Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert (right) travelled from Stockholm to her hometown of Milan, where she spent time with her sister Sara (left) Keeping active: Giovanna then hopped across to one of the nearby lakes, where she soaked up the sun on a paddle board. Pictured, at the halfway point between Italy and Switzerland GIANCARLO GIAMMETTI Gstaad, Switzerland Mountain escape: Blessed with a number of holiday homes to choose from, Italian fashion magnate Giancarlo Giammetti, co-founder of Valentino, has been spending time in Gstaad, Switzerland, taking in the stunning views of the Alps from his large terrace ELLIE DELPHINE Burgundy, France Stylish staycation: Paris-based fashionista Ellie Delphine, of Instagram account Slip Into Style, left the city for a weekend getaway in Burgundy, where she posed for this stunning photo OLYMPIA OF GREECE UK Queen of the countryside: Royal and society beauty Olympia of Greece swapped New York for the great British countryside. Pictured, posing in a field in a photograph shared on Instagram First class travel? Olympia, second from right, and two of her brothers travelled by train. The European royals posed for a photo on the platform of a station somewhere in England Manila (CNN Philippines Life) A quiet newsroom welcomed us. Everyone was busy working and glued to their computers, after all, there were stories that needed to be chased and programs that needed to air. But the tension was palpable. We joined the teams of BBCs Howard Johnson and TV5s Ryan Ang. I settled down and prepared for my 3 p.m. report. We then saw ABS-CBN Integrated News chief Regina Ging Reyes going around the newsroom. All cameras were on her. Just four days ago, Reyes faced congressmen accusing her department of bias and irresponsible journalism. She defended her people, pointing out they do strive to keep their biases in check. Reyes could have easily ignored us and minded her own business. But she still approached us. This is really not about us. We dont want to be the story. We tell the story, she said. ABS-CBN Integrated News chief Regina Ging Reyes faces reporters. Photo by ANJO ALIMARIO We were taught that as journalists we are not the story. But when the biggest network in the country is under siege, with more than 11,000 jobs on the line, its a story that Filipinos need to know. Salamat at dinadamayan nyo kami habang pinapakinggan at pinapanood namin kung ano ang magiging kapalaran ng aming kumpanya, she added. After facing us, she went back to her office. We then met Mnemosynne Dalawis, a segment producer, who in the first few seconds of the interview began weeping. Shes afraid, she said. Magiging isa ka na sa jobless. Malungkot kasi minahal mo itong kumpanya na ito ng 24 years, tapos mawawala na lang ng ganun. A few days ago, Senator Bato dela Rosa advised ABS-CBN employees, in case the franchise was rejected, to just look for other jobs. Ang kapal ng mukha niya. Wala siyang awa, wala siyang empathy, wala siyang compassion para sa amin, Dalawis said, trying to control her anger. Paano na yung mga taong umaasa sa amin? My chest weighed a ton and my knees turned into jelly as I watched tears flowing from her eyes, knowing she may soon have no job. I wanted to hug her. The vote By 2 p.m., the House Committee on Legislative Franchises opened the proceedings. Everything still looked normal in the newsroom. Scripts were being edited, rundowns were being prepared. But when Deputy Speaker Pablo John Garcia, who was part of the three-member Technical Working Group, announced that they (except for Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo) recommended to disapprove the franchise application some of the producers and writers stopped working and stood up. Their attention shifted to the ongoing hearing. Then the committee chair moved for the voting whether to approve the resolution rejecting the franchise. While the votes were being counted, Peter Musngi and Henry Omaga-Diaz, who were anchoring the DZMMs special coverage, wanted to know the names of congressmen who voted for or against ABS-CBN. Pangatawanan nila ang boto nila, Omaga-Diaz said on air, while Musngi demanded an explanation for each vote cast. As for those who would abstain: Musngi said, Utang na loob, bakit kayo mag-aabstain sa simpleng pagpili It took almost half an hour before Rep. Franz Alvarez announced the results: 70 voted yes, 11 voted no, 2 inhibited, and 1 abstained. It was over. ABS-CBNs application for a fresh franchise was denied. The newsroom was stunned. The only sound we could hear was the voice coming from the T.V. monitor. Many stood still, absorbing what just happened. The news sucked the energy out of the room. Pinatay na ang prangkisa, ang serbisyo ng ABS sa mamamayang Pilipino saan man sa mundo, Henry Omaga-Diaz said on the decision. Photo by ANJO ALIMARIO Laid on the table The resolution to deny ABS-CBN application is hereby adopted, Rep. Alvarez said. Pursuant to Section 49 of the rules of the House of Representatives, all House bills and House resolutions relative to the grant or renewal of the franchise application of ABS-CBN Corporation are hereby laid on the table. Rep. Jonathan Sy-Alvarado inquired about the meaning of laid on the table. The committee secretary replied, Parang, sir, ano sya, kill. Alvarez banged the gavel. The hearing adjourned. Back in the newsroom, some were too shocked to even move and just continued watching Teleradyo as Musngi and Omaga-Diaz resumed anchoring. Others were checking their phones. Pinatay na ang prangkisa, ang serbisyo ng ABS sa mamamayang Pilipino saan man sa mundo, Omaga-Diaz summarizing the vote and the effect of that vote. Listening to those words, Doris Bigornia, known as Mutya ng Masa, broke down. Zen Hernandez consoled her as she shouted, Love you, guys! No one replied. But everyone in that room needed to hear that. It was an assurance that theyre all in this together. Candles outside the ABS-CBN building in support of the network's plight to get a new franchise. Photo by ANJO ALIMARIO Omaga-Diaz repeated on air, Pinatay. Pinatay na ang prangkisa. Thats when Chiara Zambrano lost it. Zambrano, who braved disasters and wars, was in tears. The room was engulfed in sadness and pain. My hands trembled as I continued recording what was going on. I felt embarrassed that I had to document one of the lowest points in their lives. I struggled to stay objective but as a journalist, I just had to remind myself that this was my way of telling the Filipino audience, how hard it was to lose the one thing you love. And for the employees, ABS-CBN was their everything. The coverage went on. Everyone went back to work, uncertain of what lies ahead. (Natural News) One of the most high-profile founders of the Black Lives Matter organization now one of the most influential and powerful political movements on the planet has a long history of supporting Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro. (Article by Rafael Valera republished from Breitbart.com) Maduro has presided over one of the worlds most repressive regimes since 2013 when his predecessor Hugo Chavez died. Under Maduro, Venezuelan police forces have committed a long list of human rights atrocities including the torture, kidnapping, rape, and killing of unarmed protesters. Under Maduro, Venezuela has become an especially dangerous place for minors. In light of the prominence of Black Lives Matter a global non-profit currently receiving millions in donations photos have begun to circulate of Opal Tometi, a founder of the organization, hugging Maduro at the 2015 People of African Descent Leadership Summit in Harlem, New York, where several high-rank officials of the Venezuelan regime also participated. Maduro, currently banned from the United States, was in town for the annual United Nations General Assembly. Tometi appears alongside Maduro on a Venezuelan government propaganda sites news report from the event, raising a fist and embracing him. The photo appears to be taken in front of a giant photo of Maduros face. Tometi spoke at the summit, standing in front of a Venezuelan flag for the speech and thanking Maduros government for the opportunity. Among her targets during the speech were the government of the Dominican Republic for deporting Haitians and Western economic policies, land grabs, and neocolonial financial instruments like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for, she argued, creating the Mediterranean migrant crisis. I am aware that justice also has to do with racial aspects, assured Tometi, according to Venezuelan state media. What we are experiencing is the manifestation of anti-black racism and this is state violence. It must be called by its name. Police brutality, the murders of blacks, violence against the Afro-descendant community, all is proof of the violence of the State, said the Black Lives Matter founder. Tometi also quoted Joanne Chesimard, a radical Marxist convicted of murdering a New Jersey state trooper in 1973 who has lived for decades as a fugitive in Cuba, as urging, you must fight until all black lives matter. Tometi referred to Chesimard, who renamed herself Assata Shakur, as the summits dear exiled sister. The Black Lives Matter non-profit identifies Tometi, no stranger to red carpets as a result of her activism, as one of its founders, a student of liberation theology and her practice is in the tradition of Ella Baker, informed by Stuart Hall, bell hooks and Black Feminist thinkers. On her own website, Tometi claims to be a human rights advocate and pro-immigrant activist. In addition to meeting with and applauding Maduro at the New York summit, Tometi also served as an election observer in socialist Venezuela during the 2015 legislative elections. She praised the socialist dictatorship as a place where there is intelligent political discourse on Twitter during one of the bloodiest years of police brutality in the country. Doing my duty as a global citizen and serving as an election observer for the national Venezuelan elections. pic.twitter.com/VbryU74jUM Opal Tometi #BlackLivesMatter (@opalayo) December 3, 2015 Her praise remains online at press time. Since the election, widespread evidence of fraud on the part of Maduros regime during that election has surfaced. Tometi also applauded Venezuela in an article that year stating, in these last 17 years, we have witnessed the Bolivarian Revolution champion participatory democracy and construct a fair, transparent election system recognized as among the best in the world. Tometis ideology does not appear to be an outlier within the Black Lives Matter movement. In a eulogy, the organization mourned the passing of brutal Cuban dictator Fidel Castro in 2016. There is an overwhelming sense of loss, complicated by fear and anxiety. Although no leader is without their flaws, we must push back against the rhetoric of the right and come to the defense of El Comandante, a eulogy by the official Black Lives Matter organization read. After some thoughts on revolution, the piece ends: As Fidel ascends to the realm of the ancestors, we summon his guidance, strength, and power as we recommit ourselves to the struggle for universal freedom. Fidel Vive! Cuba is socialist Venezuelas closest ally. Few governments in the Western Hemisphere have engaged in police brutality to the extent that Maduros regime has, especially against underprivileged Venezuelans of indigenous and African descent. One year prior to Tometis celebratory tweet, Maduros regime corps killed 43 protestors and incarcerated over 3,400 during the wave of protests that took over the country demanding Maduros ousting. That same year, the Venezuelan Penal Forum, an NGO, documented 138 cases of torture. One of the most shocking cases was Juan Manuel Carrascos, who was raped with a rifle by several Bolivarian National Guard officers. Between Maduros rise to power and 2019, he has detained at least 388 political prisoners, including Americans since freed through pressure by President Donald Trump. For comparison, Chavez, who founded the deadly regime, reportedly only held 161 known political prisoners. Maduros totalitarian state particularly harms underaged Venezuelans. Nearly 1,500 minors died in violent circumstances in 2018, most of them at the hands of police or collectives, Maduros paramilitaty gangs. Nearly 10,000 died two years prior; in 1997, that number was 440. Tometi has largely kept silent on Maduros police brutality. She did not speak out when Maduros colectivos shot 17-year-old Carlos Moreno in the head, or when police shot 14-year-old Kluiverth Roa dead for being near the vicinity of a protest while walking home from school. The links between Black Lives Matter, the organization, and the Maduro regime are particularly concerning given that White House said last Friday it has information that individuals linked to Maduro have incited violence at protests in the United States spurred by George Floyds death, according to an article in the Miami Herald. Rafael Valera is the Communications Director of the Venezuelan conservative movement Rumbo Libertad. Read more at: Breitbart.com The man accused of the murder of Adrian Donohoe has told the Central Criminal Court that he lied to gardai in the days after the murder to hide the fact he was laundering diesel. Aaron Brady (29), who denies capital murder, was this morning called by the defence to give evidence in his own trial. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC said he was going to ask Mr Brady about his background, his movements on the day of the murder and speaking to gardai in the following days, as well as later travelling to the US and his alleged interactions with Molly Staunton and Daniel Cahill in New York. Both have given evidence that they heard Aaron Brady admit to shooting a guard. Asked by Mr O'Higgins if he killed Det Gda Adrian Donohoe, Mr Brady said: "No I did not." He said that he "never" admitted to killing Det Gda Donohoe and also denied involvement in the armed robbery at Lordship credit union, Dundalk, on January 25, 2013. Expand Close Aaron Brady denies killing Det-Gda Adrian Donohoe / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Aaron Brady denies killing Det-Gda Adrian Donohoe Asked where he was at the time of the murder, Aaron Brady said: "I was at 155 Concession Road, also known as the firework house, loading a trailer full of cubes, of diesel". Mr Brady said he accepted he had told lies when stopped by gardai the day after the murder and also in a voluntarily statement 10 days later. The accused said he "didn't want the guards to be alerted to the fact that I was involved in diesel laundering." Aaron Brady told the court he "had absolutely nothing to do with the murder of Adrian Donohoe" and that in hindsight he should not have told lies. "But ultimately I was hiding the fact I was involved in diesel laundering, nothing else," he added. Asked if he was here to tell the truth, the accused responded: "I am." He has also given evidence about his background, saying he was born in Dundalk and lived in Monaghan, before his family moved to Nottingham, England, when he was aged one. Aaron Brady said the family returned to live in Crossmaglen, south Armagh, when he was 11 years old. The accused will continue giving evidence this morning. He 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. Mr Brady, 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. LIVE UPDATES Google is expected to announce some India-specific updates for its apps and services at the Google for India conference. Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai is also supposed to give a special keynote this time. Google today made India-specific announcements for its different services and platforms. The search giant announced 75,000 investment in the country in the coming years. In addition, the firm even invested $1 million in the education section. This is the 6th edition of Google for India and since years the event has always been the launchpad for the company's new localised services and features. Here's a recap. That's was the end of Google for India 2020 conference That's all for today. For more updates stay tuned to HT Tech. Sanjay Gupta takes the screen again, thanks govt for letting Google partner with them and expand its services He says Google's efforts in India has helped them grow globally in several ways. It has created economic opportunity in the country as well. He thanks all the users and Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad to make Google empower different areas. Nishank talks about ePathshala platform Nishank adds that how ePathshala platform is helping educate more Indians and how Google's investment will boost this in the coming years. Minister of Human Resources Development, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank thanks Google Nishank talks about Digital India revolution and how Google contributes to it. He also talks about funding new startups. Google announces $1 million to boost digital education in India Google partners with CBSE Partnership with CBSE will enable 1 million teachers in 22,000 schools across India to use Google services like G Suite for Education, Google classroom and more. Chadha talks about teachers using different tools to make information engaging and immersive She also talks on how a school in Vishakhapatanam became a part of Google Classroom initiative and how it changed the way of learning. Sapna Chadha, senior country marketing manger takes the screen to talk about Google's contribution in the education sction Teachers from GD Goenka, Kendriya Vidyalaya and others moved to Google Meet and Google classroom platforms to educate students. Sengupta talks about Spot platform on Google Play last year More than 2 million users used this feature within 2 months of launch. He also talks about Job Spot and how Covid-19 has led the company to work more. Caeser Sengupta, vice president, Payments and Next Billion Users talks about Google's contribution to India He talks about Android's adoption in India, affordable mobile devices, Google's partnership with Indian manufactures, payments and more. Here's some more details on Google for India Digitization fund Read more: Google for India 2020: Sundar Pichai announces Google for India Digitization fund worth $10 billion Prasad talks about India's app economy and 'digital village' He hopes that Google will help in digitizing more villages in India and empower people to make the digital India revolution bigger than before. The funds will help accelerate Indias digital economy Today at #GoogleForIndia we announced a new $10B digitization fund to help accelerate Indias digital economy. Were proud to support PM @narendramodis vision for Digital India - many thanks to Minister @rsprasad & Minister @DrRPNishank for joining us. https://t.co/H0EUFYSD1q Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) July 13, 2020 Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad talks about Google's investment in India He thanks Google India and talks about the rural areas getting more digitized. | Darmstadt, Germany Prof. Sieber is developing approaches against multi-resistant pathogens at the Technical University of Munich Inaugural Johann Anton Merck Award presented to Prof. Caroline Dive, Cancer Research UK, for her liquid biopsy research Sibel Health awarded the Nature Spinoff Prize Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, today announced the winner of the Future Insight Prize 2020, worth 1 million. This years topic Multi-Drug Resistance Breaker relates to the health category. Prof. Stephan Sieber (44) is being awarded the Future Insight Prize 2020 for his scientific research into fighting multidrug-resistant bacteria. Sieber and his research group at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, are working on ways to overcome antibiotic resistance. Only thanks to research and innovative solutions will we be able to win the fight against antimicrobial resistance globally. I cordially congratulate Prof. Stephan Sieber on his work. And it is my wish to see many scientists and companies engage in this vital field of health research, said Jens Spahn, German Federal Minister of Health, in his speech to honor Sieber. Antimicrobial resistance poses a major risk for all of humanity. It threatens every medical advance that researchers and developers are pursuing around the globe. Thats why we are proud to be able to support Stephan Sieber: a brilliant researcher who has dedicated himself to this highly complex topic. Our company has been engaged in the fight against antimicrobial resistance for years, and we launched a new development fund together with other companies just last week, said Stefan Oschmann, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. One of Siebers research projects focuses on PK150, an antibiotic able to stop multi-resistant bacteria in their tracks. His research group has identified two modes of action for PK150: firstly, it interferes with the bacterias energy metabolism; secondly, it increases the activity of a signal peptidase, which causes the bacteria to burst, thereby destroying them. Sieber, who lectures in Organic Chemistry at the Technical University of Munich, studied and earned his doctorate at Philipps-Universitat in Marburg with periods of study abroad including in Boston, USA. He has received numerous awards, including the Klung Wilhelmy Science Award and the Klaus Grohe Prize. I would like to accept the Future Insight Prize on behalf of my entire research group, said Sieber. The award will open up many new opportunities for us. One such aim is to optimize PK150, and the next phase of the research will turn to the clinical development of PK150. According to current estimates by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), 700,000 deaths per year are attributable to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In its worst-case scenario, the IFPMA anticipates up to 10 million deaths per year by 2050. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has joined forces with other pharmaceutical companies in support of the AMR Action Fund. With nearly US$ 1 billion in venture capital at its disposal and under the leadership of the IFPMA, this initiative aims to help biotech companies develop two to four new antibiotics and make them available to patients by the end of the decade. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, supports scientists and young researchers With the Johann Anton Merck Award, presented for the very first time this year, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, aims to honor outstanding pre-clinical research in the fields of oncology and autoimmunity. Prof. Caroline Dive (58) of the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, Manchester, United Kingdom, accepted the 30,000 award. Caroline Dive is a globally renowned scientist whose work on circulating tumor cells and liquid biopsies revolutionized the way we diagnose cancer, said Belen Garijo, member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and CEO Healthcare. We are very pleased to recognize her as the first Johann Anton Merck Award recipient and look forward to collaborating together to help advance science in oncology. Prof. Dive and her team of around 100 at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom, are conducting pre-clinical oncological research into biomarkers to inform cancer patient treatment. One focus of her work is lung cancer and its management using liquid biopsies. Specifically, she studies tumour cells circulating in a patients blood a method that could dispense with the need for tissue samples to diagnose cancers and in 2017 she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to cancer research. Originally graduating in pharmacy from the University of London, Dives current research areas include discovery of new drug targets, the selection of drug dose in early clinical trials, investigating mechanisms of drug action and predictive biomarkers to pick the right drug for the right patient. The Nature Spinoff Prize has been established by Nature Research publishers in partnership with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, to showcase and celebrate global excellence in the commercialization of academic research through the creation of spinoff companies. Magdalena Skipper, editor-in-chief of Nature, and Stefan Oschmann today presented the award worth 30,000 to Sibel Health, a spinoff of Northwestern University, Illinois, USA. More information about the winning team, todays other 11 finalists and 32 other promising companies selected by the jury as ones to watch can be found here. The three awards Future Insight Prize, Johann Anton Merck Award and the Nature Spinoff Prize were presented today at the Future Insight Virtual Event. All three prizes will be presented again next year at the Curious 2021 Future Insight Conference. Counsel Financial is honored to continue to support AAJ and its membership, as they persist in their efforts to strengthen the civil justice system in the face of an unprecedented situation in our country. Counsel Financial announced this week its continued sponsorship of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) as a Diamond Sponsor of its upcoming Annual Convention Amped-Up. The event is set to take place July 13-15 on a virtual platform, hosting numerous events that would traditionally take place in-person. The Convention draws some of the countrys most esteemed plaintiffs lawyers who come together to discuss emerging developments in litigation across a variety of practice areas, take part in specialized continuing education programs and network with other attorneys in similar practice. Counsel Financial hosted a panel discussionUpdate from the Experts: Domestic & International Mass Torts, Class Actions and COVID-19 Litigationthat will be available on-demand to all convention attendees. In addition, the Company will hold a live Q&A session on Monday, July 13 at 11am EST focused on the current status of the litigations covered in the panel program, along with considerations for incorporating those cases into a firms portfolio and the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the proceedings. Attorneys seeking to expand their practice or build upon their existing caseload will the opportunity to hear from top litigators on topics such as European litigation, Essure, TDF drug litigation and Fisher-Price Rock n Play cases. The program will include interactive Q&A to further discuss specific areas of interest with those who attend the live session via Zoom. Paul Cody, President and CEO of Counsel Financial, states, We are pleased to be able to offer this exciting program featuring a preeminent panel of attorneys. The Company is honored to continue to support AAJ and its membership, as they persist in their efforts to strengthen the civil justice system in the face of an unprecedented situation in our country. Counsel Financial has been exclusively endorsed by AAJ for law firm financing since 2006. In addition to financial solutions, the company offers a multitude of consultative benefits to its clients, such as assistance with budgeting and financial analysis, portfolio valuation, industry insight and co-counsel introductions. To learn more about all of the financial products available to plaintiffs firms, visit Counsel Financials booth in the virtual exhibit hall during the AAJ Amped-Up Convention to chat with a member of the business development team or call (800) 820-4430. About Counsel Financial Counsel Financial is the largest provider of working capital credit lines to plaintiffs attorneys in the industry, having loaned over $1.5 billion exclusively to plaintiffs attorneys in its 20-year history. Counsel Financial sets the standard for innovation and flexibility in its loan offerings, structuring terms that are conducive to the unique demands of contingency-fee practices. Leveraging 200+ years of internal legal experience, Counsel Financial has financed the growth of firms in every area of plaintiffs litigation, including personal injury, mass torts, class action and labor and employment. The company is exclusively endorsed by multiple national and state trial organizations, including the American Association for Justice and The National Trial Lawyers. The Woodlands Psychiatry and Counseling Company, a hospital in Conroe, Texas, has been sued by federal officials for allegedly retaliation for firing an employee who had filed a discrimination charge against the healthcare provider. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions (EEOC) suit, the hospital fired a chemical dependency counselor after it learned she had filed a discrimination charge with the EEOC. The counselor filed the charge and the EEOC sent a formal notice to the hospitals owner, Dr. Emaid Mikhail Bishai, that same day. That evening, Bishai texted the employee and barred her from returning to work, stating, I received your case of discrimination email now, and told her she would be charged with criminal trespass if she returned to the premises. The company later admitted to the EEOC that it had to fire her because it could not afford to have a current employee that is in active discrimination charges against the company for liability reasons. Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from retaliating against employees for complaining about discrimination. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division (Civil Action No. 4:20-cv-02275) on June 29 after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The federal agency is seeking a permanent injunction prohibiting The Woodlands Psychiatry and Counseling Company from engaging in any future retaliation. The EEOC also seeks back pay with pre-judgment interest, compensatory and punitive damages for the discharged employee, and other relief. Source: EEOC Topics Lawsuits Texas Abuse Molestation Britains event organizers, venues, and suppliers warned that about 30,000 jobs are at risk due to increased uncertainty about when trade fairs and exhibitions could resume in the UK, an industry body said on Monday. The Events Industry Alliance (EIA), an industry body that represents the UK events sector, said companies would need at least 8 to 12 weeks to restart exhibitions, calling on the government to set a date for reopening. The coronavirus outbreak and the ensuing lockdown led to widespread cancellations and postponement of events to later this year or until 2021. The threat of a second wave of COVID-19 cases triggered further uncertainty about reopening plans worldwide. The exhibitions sector is a vital enabler of economic activity in almost every sector of the UK economy and failure to provide a go-live date impacts the ability of almost 180,000 businesses to recover, said Chris Skeith, chief executive officer of the Association of Event Organisers. An estimated 60 percent of the sectors supply chain will not reopen in October, when the governments job-supporting furlough scheme ends, the EIA added. Britains finance ministry had said it spent more than 25 billion pounds ($30.72 billion) on a furlough programme that is supporting 9.3 million jobs. Earlier this month, the ministry also promised an additional 30 billion pounds to head off an unemployment crisis, funneling money to employers, homebuyers, and beleaguered hospitality firms to drive a recovery. Amid North and South Korea's relationship, South Korea successfully delivered digital bibles into North Korea. Knowing there will be consequences, a South Korean based Christian group risked their jobs by conducting a small launch as a Christian ministry, using helium, biodegradable latex balloons, and GPS tracking. As many people are informed, North Korea is ranked as the most dangerous country in the world for Christians. According to World Help, the truth of the Gospel has taken all fear out of prison and torture for persecuted believers. The underground church is expanding, and North Korean Christians are begging for the Word of God. Pastor Eric Foley, leader of the Christian persecution watchdog, who personally launched the balloons told NK News. "When we expect a high level of enforcement, we do a small launch," "We as a Christian ministry... hope people can see that the tactical act of balloon launching is not dangerous," We launch using non-flammable helium using biodegradable latex balloons and GPS tracking." According to NK News, Voice of Martyrs (VOMK) has launched up to 80 balloons at a time in the past. Pastor Foley stated that he is also ready to face any possible consequences for his launches. "Releasing four white balloons filled with helium gas and an unspecified number of bibles at around 19:50 from the border island of Ganghwa-do." Although Pastor Foley knew his action could be blocked by the police, authorities made no effort to stop his van from reaching the launch point, with no checkpoints set up along the way or any pursuit of unmarked cars. Sending out vitamins, bibles, rice, GPS trackers, and flash drives, they were allowed to attach it to the balloons that allowed South Korea to know it landed. Christians in South Korea took the high risk of getting killed instead, Pastor Foley and his people successfully launched of glory to God. "We have had 36 people killed - men and women who laid down their lives - whose only crime was Christian activity. So we cannot exempt ourselves from those punishments." She has denied any wrongdoing. She had been in living in hiding, most recently in Bradford, N.H., in the mansion where she was arrested, prosecutors said. They said it was located on a 156-acre property that was acquired in an all-cash purchase in December by a limited liability company that concealed the buyers identity. After her arrest, a private security guard who worked on the property told the F.B.I. that Ms. Maxwells brother had hired former British military members to protect her in New Hampshire, the prosecutors said in their filing Monday. The guard told the agents that he was given a credit card in the same name as the L.L.C. to make purchases on Ms. Maxwells behalf, and said that Ms. Maxwell did not leave the property at all during his time there, according to prosecutors. The government has asked the judge, Alison J. Nathan of Federal District Court, to deny Ms. Maxwell bail. She had changed her email address, they said, and registered a new phone number under the name G Max. The prosecutors have argued that she posed an extreme risk of flight because of her financial resources and other factors. She had passports from three countries, and investigators said they had identified more than 15 bank accounts linked to her, the total balance of which at times exceeded $20 million. Between 2007 and 2011, the prosecutors had said, more than $20 million was moved from accounts associated with Mr. Epstein to accounts associated with Ms. Maxwell, who once was a fixture on New Yorks social scene. The government called her total financial picture opaque and indeterminate. In Ms. Maxwells bail motion last week, her lawyers tried to distance her from Mr. Epstein. They denied that she posed a flight risk and asked Judge Nathan to release her into home confinement on a $5 million bond. Visakhapatnam, July 14 : Massive fire broke out at a company's plant in Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City in Parwada on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam late on Monday night. Loud explosions and fire at a solvent firm sent panic in the area. One company worker sustained injury. Officials said four persons were present at the site when the fire broke and three of them came out safely while one sustained burn injuries. The fire tenders could not reach closer to the scene of the disaster due to a series of explosions. Officials fear that the fire may spread to other units. Visakhapatnam district collector Vinay Chand and other senior officials rushed to the scene and were supervising the firefighting operations. "We have mobilized nine fire tenders and are trying to control the fire," the district collector said. Huge flames could be seen from a long distance. Residents of some residential areas near the cluster were moving to safe places The incident occurred two weeks after a gas leak from a pharmaceutical unit in Pharma City, which claimed the lives of two people and affected four others. The incident occurred at Sainor Life Sciences Private Limited on June 29. This was the second industrial disaster to strike the port city in less than two months. The gas leak incident came close on the heels of the May 7 disaster at LG Polymers plant at Venkatapuram. Styrene gas leak from the plan had claimed the lives of 15 people and affected around 500 in the surrounding villages. Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted and destroyed four missiles and six explosive drones fired towards kingdom. Yemens Houthi rebels say they have attacked a large oil facility in an industrial complex south of the Saudi Arabian city of Jizan as part of an overnight operation. The Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis said on Monday it intercepted and destroyed four missiles and six bomb-laden drones launched by Houthi rebels towards the kingdom. The missiles and drones were launched from Yemens capital Sanaa and directed at civilian targets, coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. The Houthi rebels claim they also killed and injured dozens of ranking military officers in Saudi Arabia. The Houthis military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, confirmed in a statement that the rebel group had launched attacks on Saudi military sites. He said the groups ballistic missiles and drones had destroyed a number of military bases and installations of the Saudi coalition in Jizan, Najran and Assir near the border with Yemen, in a wide-scale military operation. Additionally, the giant oil facility in the Jizan industrial zone. The strike was accurate, he said, adding that they also hit Saudi warplanes and other military targets in the airports of Abha, Jizan and Najran in southwest Saudi Arabia near the Yemen border. Oil company Saudi Aramco operates a 400,000-barrel-a-day refinery in the Red Sea city of Jizan, which lies around 60 km (40 miles) from the Yemen border. Aramco did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Cross-border attacks by the Houthi rebels have escalated since late May when a truce prompted by the novel coronavirus expired. In late June, missiles reached the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Sarea said details of a broad military operation inside Saudi Arabia carried out by Houthi forces would be announced later. Saudi Arabia has been leading an alliance to fight the Houthis in Yemen since March 2015. The Saudi-UAE coalition intervened after the Houthis removed Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi from the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014. The United Nations recently launched virtual talks among the warring parties on a permanent ceasefire and confidence-building steps to restart peace negotiations. But discussions have been complicated by the surge in violence since the ceasefire expired. The war has killed more than 100,000 people and caused what the UN describes as the worlds largest humanitarian crisis. The conflict has pushed Yemen, already one of the Arab worlds poorest countries, to the verge of famine and devastated the countrys health facilities. Vehicle travels through a flooded section of a road following heavy rainfall in Wuhan (Reuters Connect). On Sunday, Chinese authorities raised the flood response alert from level three to level two, the second highest level as heavy rains continue to batter regions along Yangtze River. China has four levels of emergency response system, the level one is considered severe. (Photo : Reuters Connect ) On Sunday, Chinese authorities raised the flood response alert from level three to level two, the second-highest level as heavy rains continue to batter regions along the Yangtze River. China has four levels to its emergency response system, and level one is, of course, the most severe. Approximately 34 million people are affected by the flooding, and rains are expected to continue in the coming days. To support the flood response initiative of the provinces, China's Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters allocated 190 rescue boats, 3,000 tents, 10,000 fold-out beds, and 30,000 blankets to Jiangxi Province. Since early July, 212 rivers have exceeded their warning levels, 10 of which have never recorded such high levels before. Other provinces were allocated in terms of equipment and materials to support their flood response work. This year, floods have cost 141 lives, devastated 3.53 million hectares (8.72 million acres) of farmland, and reduced 28,000 homes to rubble. According to the state news agency Xinhua, economic losses amount to 82.23 billion yuan. The flooding has also caused the displacement of nearly 2.2 million people. Jiangxi on High-Level Alert According to the state media's report, the provinces of Jiangsu and Jiangxi are among the worst hit. In Poyang, a county in Jiangxi, flooding has caused the water levels of Lake Poyang to more than 22.52 meters (74 feet), way above the 19.50 meter (64 feet) alert levels. Lake Poyang the biggest freshwater lake in China, and the recently recorded water levels are unprecedented. This prompted Jiangxi to raise its emergency response for flood control and disaster relief to the highest level, a notch higher than that of the rest of the country. Thousands of soldiers were deployed by the provincial military authorities on Saturday evening to reinforce the banks of the lakes. According to Wang Zhonghua, a Poyang County official, the village chief, and party members are on guard at the banks of the lake and enclosures. Sandbags were added to increase the height of the dykes to prepare for increased flood levels. Residents located near the lake have been evacuated, and supplies are being prepared. Drones have been deployed to monitor floods and geological occurrences in most affected areas. Images from the drones are then broadcasted live to improve the conduct of rescue and relief operations. Another Calamity in Hubei Hubei, the province where Wuhan is located, is facing another major calamity this year. The city of Wuhan made headlines this year as health experts at the site where the COVID-19 infection first emerged. The accumulated rainfall from June 1 to July 7 in Hubei, along with its neighboring regions Anhui, Zhejiang, and Chongqing, reached a record high, with China Meteorological Administration saying it was the highest rainfall accumulation level since 1961. In the early hours of Wednesday, a landslide buried nine people in Huangmei County, Hubei province, but rescue operations were prompt. Chinese authorities blame recent extreme weather events to unusual weather conditions such as humidity from the South China Sea and the Indian Oceans. NEW YORK, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Automotive Semiconductor Market Research Report by Component (Analog IC's, Application Processors, Discreet Power Devices, and Sensors), by Vehicle (Compact, Hybrid, Luxury, and Mid-range), by Application - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19 Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913462/?utm_source=PRN The Global Automotive Semiconductor Market is expected to grow from USD 38,863.62 Million in 2019 to USD 51,286.70 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.73%. Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Automotive Semiconductor to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: On the basis of Component, the Automotive Semiconductor Market is studied across Analog IC's, Application Processors, Discreet Power Devices, and Sensors. On the basis of Vehicle , the Automotive Semiconductor Market is studied across Compact, Hybrid, Luxury, and Mid-range. On the basis of Application, the Automotive Semiconductor Market is studied across Chassis, Comfort & Control, Electronic System, Infotainment, Networking, Power Train, and Safety & Control. On the basis of Geography, the Automotive Semiconductor Market is studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas region is studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The Asia-Pacific region is studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa region is studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. Company Usability Profiles: The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Automotive Semiconductor Market including Analog Devices Inc., Delphi Technologies, Infineon Technologies AG, NXP Semiconductors N.V., ON Semiconductor Corp., Panasonic Industrial Devices & Solutions, Renesas Electronics Corp., Robert Bosch GmbH, ROHM Co. Ltd, STMicroelectronics N.V., and Texas Instruments, Inc.. FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Automotive Semiconductor Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape. Competitive Strategic Window: The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth. Cumulative Impact of COVID-19: COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market. The report provides insights on the following pointers: 1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on sulfuric acid offered by the key players 2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets 3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments 4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players 5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments The report answers questions such as: 1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Automotive Semiconductor Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Automotive Semiconductor Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Automotive Semiconductor Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Automotive Semiconductor Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Automotive Semiconductor Market? 6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Automotive Semiconductor Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913462/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com Danbury, NH -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/13/2020 -- To fulfill a passion and dream, a small-town couple, Ryan and Elisha Campbell, are preparing to bring fresh, flavorful beef jerky to people across the United States. Founding Drunk 'N' Jerky earlier this year, the veteran-owned brand began as a way for the Campbells to save money by making tasty beef jerky at home. But after wowing the taste buds of friends and family in the process, Ryan and Elisha decided to turn to Kickstarter and set out to bring their signature cocktail jerky flavors, inspired by favorite bar drinks, to mouths across the nation. Perfecting an original marinade base and tantalizing marinade flavors, Drunk 'N' Jerky delivers the rich tastes of fan-favorite bar drinks, with traditional jerky flavor options as well. Having tweaked their 20 flavorful recipes over past weeks and months, Drunk 'N' Jerky is positioned to become an instant hit known across the United States for its bar drink-style flavors. Early signature flavors, including Hippie Hill, Caribbean Jerk, Sangria, Apple Whiskey, Honey Whiskey, and Coffee, have already received rave reviews from early friends, family, and customers. No longer a homemade operation, Drunk 'N' Jerky has secured access to a commercial kitchen, complete with an industrial refrigerator, and has been fully approved by local and state regulatory authorities. With a logo and branded merchandise behind them, Drunk' N' Jerky is finally ready to deliver a one-of-a-kind customer experience with tasty beef jerky pending final state approval. For a limited time, support Drunk 'N' Jerky on Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/drunknjerky/drunk-n-jerky Funds raised from this campaign will be used to support Drunk 'N' Jerky, including costs for final licensing from New Hampshire's Department of Health. Backers can support Drunk 'N' Jerky for as little as $1 to be mentioned on the company's contributors page, or $35 or more to receive a jerky sampler box with six bags of Drunk' N' Jerky's top flavors. Additional reward options, including some with t-shirts and other merchandise, are available and expected to ship in February 2021. About Drunk 'N' Jerky Drunk 'N' Jerky is a new, flavorful cocktail jerky brand inspired by favorite bar drinks. Founded by Ryan, a jerky loving war veteran, and his wife, Elisha, who loves to cook, Drunk 'N' Jerky is preparing to launch over 20 flavorful beef jerky options, complete with rich marinade flavors, across the United States at the end of this year. Contact: Contact Person: Ryan & Elisha Campbell Company: Drunk 'N' Jerky LLC City: Danbury State: New Hampshire Country: United States Phone: 6039985759 Email: drunknjerkynh@gmail.com Website: http://kck.st/2Cd07oT War on democratic rights Part 1 As the present global capitalist offensive on the people bites deeper, millions of workers, peasants, environmentalists, peace activists, and others affected are taking action and the numbers will only increase with time. Imperialism has been preparing for such a time in Australia and globally by accumulating an armoury of weapons to be used such actions. They can be expected to hit the working class hard as corporations seek to restore their profitability as they come out of the COVID-19 induced recession. Over the past four decades there has been an insidious erosion of bourgeois democratic rights. Many fundamental common law and statutory principles and rights have been replaced by draconian and increasingly fascistic legislation. The process commenced with the Howard Coalition government in the late 1990s and has continued ever since, reaching previously unimaginable extremes. Due to the gradual build-up, rather than a big hit at once, many of these new laws have slipped through rousing relatively little public outcry or receiving much if any attention in the mass media. The legislation has had the bipartisan support of the two major parties with only the Australian Greens and the occasional cross-bencher opposing it. Much of the legislation was couched in terms of a war on terrorism, some of it as enforcing the rule of law, such as the laws attacking the rights of trade unions, workers, and political activists. Another claim was that the laws were necessary to protect our values and our way of life, when in fact it was doing exactly the opposite. The aims include suppression of dissent, militarisation of society, all pervasive surveillance of society, and control of the actions of individuals across society. It is a work in progress, and we have not seen the end point by any means as far as the capitalist state is concerned. The ultimate aim is to defend the capitalist system and monopoly capital. Many of the laws breach United Nations Conventions to which Australia is a signatory, and hence bound to adhere to under international law. These include the Conventions on the Rights of the Child; Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; Civil and Political Rights, Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; Status of Refugees; Civil and Political Rights. Likewise, changes to the industrial relations system breach a number of International Labour Organisation Conventions, including the Freedom of Association and Protection of Association; the Protection of the Right to Organise; and the Right to Strike. Terrorism Since the collapse of the Twin Towers on 11th September 2001, there have been more than eighty pieces of anti-terror legislation restricting democratic rights, some of them extremely draconian and dangerous. On a number occasions, even more repressive provisions have been added to this legislation. In addition, the trade union movement and workers have been hit by wave after wave of laws attacking their rights. Some of these laws, such as the ones governing the building and construction industry mirror provisions found in the terror legislation, in effect criminalising legitimate trade union activity. The terror and a number of other laws contain many serious breaches of key democratic and long-established legal principles. These trends are of extreme concern as they take Australia towards becoming a police state. War on terror Amendments to the Criminal Code include a definition of terrorism for the first time in Australian law. The Code states that a terrorist act occurs when: a person commits an act with the intention to advance a political, ideological or religious cause; and by doing an act they intend to coerce the government or intimidate the public; and the act causes death or serious physical harm to a person, endangers life (other than * the life of the person carrying out the action), creates a serious health or safety risk to the public (or section of the public), causes serious damage to property, or interferes with, disrupts or destroys an electronic system. It is not hard to imagine how it could be applied to trade union, peace or environmental activists. Such actions are usually political and often seek to persuade (coerce) a government to take certain action. Self-defence when attacked by a provocateur or opposing force could cause serious physical harm or serious damage to property. The act says that advocacy, protest, dissent or industrial action is not a terrorist act providing that it is not intended to cause serious physical harm, death, danger to anothers life or a serious health or safety risk. But who judges intent? The maximum penalty is life imprisonment. Even if the sentence is shorter, a worker would be banned from holding an official trade union position for five years. Sedition Under the Crimes Act, the definition of the criminal offence seditious intention, is now so broadly defined as to cover almost any dissent or challenge to status quo. It includes intent: to bring the Sovereign into hatred or contempt to urge dissatisfaction against the following: the Constitution the Government of the Commonwealth either House of the Parliament. It is also an offence to to urge another person to attempt, otherwise than by lawful means, to procure a change to any matter established by law in the Commonwealth. It is likewise an offence to to urge another person to attempt, otherwise than by lawful means, to procure a change to any matter established by law in the Commonwealth. This is another broad definition which goes well beyond any concept of sedition. The scope of this definition has little to do with terrorism. Mere criticism of the Queen, the Constitution, Government, Parliament or law could carry a jail sentence of up to seven years. Does that make a banned protest against the Australian Building and Construction Commission an act of sedition? Suspicion replaces proof Certain federal courts (the Federal, Family or Federal Magistrates Courts) may issue Control Orders under the Criminal Code at the request of a senior member of the Australian Federal Police, with the Attorney Generals written consent. The process of requesting and making control orders is secret. The individual who is the subject of the request and their lawyer are not informed of the request, and that person has no right to appear in court or opportunity to challenge the reasons given for the request for an order. Orders could be based on hearsay, suspicion or rumour. Proof is not required. It is sufficient that the police member suspects on reasonable grounds that the person has provided training to, or received training from, a listed terrorist organisation, or believes that the Control Order would probably substantially assist in preventing a terrorist act. The whole process is closed and there is no public accountability whatsoever. Once a Control Order has been issued, restrictions can be applied. These include the possibility of: House arrest for up to twelve months at a time (limit is three months for 16-18-year-olds) with unlimited renewals possible Unlimited detention no charges, no evidence, no trial, conviction required Prohibition on being in certain places Wearing a tracking device Not communicating with specified persons (this could include the persons lawyer, family member or journalists) prohibition on using specified telecommunications technology including internet and telephone. Five years jail is the penalty for a contravention. It is possible after the Order has been imposed to apply to a court to have it revoked, but the Order remains in place during that process. This might mean not being able to communicate with your lawyer who could assist in your application or acquire proof by such means as the internet to gain evidence for your case. Hence the subject of the Order could be denied access to basic rights for self-defence and even worse than that, there is no requirement in the Act to inform them of the reasons for the orders being issued! Bypassing judicial process Preventative Detention Orders (PDOs) enable a person to be held in a jail without charge for up to fourteen days if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a person will commit, or is preparing a terrorist act in the next 14 days, or if it is deemed necessary to preserve evidence of a terrorist attack that occurred in the last 28 days. A judge or retired judge, operating outside of the court system in a personal capacity (!), can issue a PDO at the request of a police officer. The officer can choose the judge! The requirement to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt on the basis of fully tested evidence by a court is replaced by a highly subjective, personal decision without the rigours of a court. Political interference The usual separation of powers government and justice system are ignored in a number of these provisions. The Home Affairs Minister, for example, has considerable powers in regard to illegal and arbitrary detention and abuse of asylum seekers. The Attorney General, a member of the government, plays a role in vetting applications for Control Orders, sidelining independent bodies such as the Director of Public Prosecutions or a court. The Attorney Generals written consent is also required to commence sedition proceedings. ASIO powers increased ASIO is officially an intelligence organisation but it has been given police powers to arrest and issue warrants. It is illegal for the media to report any information on warrants issued for questioning and detention by ASIO. The media is not permitted to talk to detainees about their detention, nor disclose the existence of any warrant, or event, for two years following the expiry of the warrant. ASIO has been given police powers to question and detain anyone if they merely believe it would help them gather intelligence on a terrorism offence. The definition of a terrorist offence so broad, that no act of terrorism need have occurred and the person being detained may have no connection with those believed to be planning an offence. Those detained may just be believed to have heard something that might be of use to ASIO. Next week in Part 2: freedom of speech, torture, solitary confinement of children, surveillance, right to protest, and land rights. In the midst of the nationwide pandemic, Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer and his wife, Erica, have settled down in style in the Sunshine State. The couple recently purchased a luxury mansion in Jupiter, FL, for $9.75 million. The waterfront home, on just under an acre in Palm Beach County, features five bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, and 7,778 square feet. The estate is within the exclusive enclave of Admirals Cove, a guard-gated "private estate community." It arrived on the market in February with a price tag of $10.5 million, which means that Scherzer has scored a minor discount. While the interior spaces are deluxe, with fine finishes, some of the home's true highlights are outside. Out back are a lovely outdoor living room and kitchen, as well as a resort-style pool surrounded by generous patio space. The entire backyard offers spectacular views of the waterway. The mansion comes with 120 feet of water frontage, as well as a protected dock for a 70-foot boat. The dock is another perfect perch from which to soak in the sunshine and the views. If the All-Star hurler really wants to experience the life aquatic, the Intracoastal waterway is only minutes away by boat. Inside, the chef's kitchen has a large center island, dual wall ovens, and a La Cornue gas range, and overlooks the family and breakfast areas. The spacious master suite includes his-and-hers baths, boutique-style closets, a soaking tub, and large shower. Mansion in Jupiter, FL realtor.com Living area realtor.com Chef's kitchen realtor.com Dining room realtor.com Office/study realtor.com Outdoor living area realtor.com Backyard view realtor.com Pool realtor.com In the last couple of years, Scherzer had leased a Florida home in nearby West Palm Beach. Now, he's decided to enter a more permanent relationship with the Florida lifestyle. The seven-time All Star also maintains a luxurious home in McLean, VA, which he purchased in 2015 for $5.2 million. The renovated home close to his home ballpark is secluded, on 3 acres that overlook the Potomac. Scherzer, 35, made his major league debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008. He moved to the Detroit Tigers in 2010, and his career really began to blossom in 2013, when he won his first Cy Young Award while pitching in the Motor City. After the 2014 season, he signed a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Washington Nationals. With the Nats, he's earned two additional Cy Young Awards and helped lead the team to a World Series win in 2019. Scherzer was represented by Holly Meyer Lucas, and the seller was represented by Rob Thomson. The post Washington Nationals Star Max Scherzer Buys $9.75M Florida Mansion appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says Ghanas fight against the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is currently in a state of quagmire as a result of the sloppy and clueless leadership exhibited by H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. As of the morning of Monday, July 13, 2020, the West African country has recorded a total of 24,518 confirmed cases of the deadly disease. Out of that number, there have been 20,187 recoveries with a death toll of 139. With the ordinary Ghanaian living with fear due to the increasing number of infections, some big wigs such as the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, the Forestry Commission CEO, Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie (may God bless his soul), the late Takoradi Mayor, another sad casuality, K.K Sam, the BOST MD, the NHIA Director-General and her Deputies, the Minister of Regional Re-organization, Dan Botwe, the Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh have not been spared by the virus. At a press conference in Accra today, the main opposition party has bemoaned the situation of the Covid-19 crisis as they stress that it calls for deep and candid introspection and soul-searching. The crass intolerance and headstrong refusal of the Akufo-Addo government to heed good counsel is also a major cause of our worsening COVID-19 situation. Whereas foreign embassies saw what the NDC was seeing from the outset and moved to evacuate their nationals months ago, President Akufo-Addo and his men were busy pursuing political expediency, the reason why we are here, Sammy Gyamfi, a National Communications Officer of the NDC told Journalists at the partys headquarters today. He added, In short, ladies and gentlemen of the media, Ghana finds herself in this quagmire because of the sloppy and clueless leadership, as well as the politically-driven decisions of President Akufo-Addo. The NDC believes that Ghanas current Covid-19 situation calls for decisive and forthright leadership to stem the tide of the marauding virus which now threatens the entire populace. Read the full speech ready by Sammy Gyamfi at the NDCs press conference below: SPEECH DELIVERED BY COMRADE SAMMY GYAMFI, NATIONAL COMMUNICATION OFFICER OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (NDC), AT THE 7TH EDITION OF THE NDCS WEEKLY PRESS BRIEFING, HELD AT THE PARTYS HEADQUARTERS ON MONDAY, 13TH JULY, 2020. GHANAS COVID-19 FIGHT FAILING; URGENT REMEDIAL ACTIONS NEEDED NOW. Good morning distinguished friends from the media. Once again, I welcome you with gratitude to the Headquarters of the National Democratic Congress, as we continue to engage you on vital policy issues and other critical national conversations that border on the well-being of Ghanaians, as well as the development and forward-match of our dear Republic. Today, we have invited you here to discuss the precarious COVID-19 situation that our nation presently finds itself in; where this all started and how we have arrived at this present juncture. Indeed, our present COVID-19 situation, which clearly is getting worse by the day, calls for a deep and candid introspection and soul-searching by the nation. To do this, we must ask ourselves; What is Ghanas current COVID-19 situation? Where are we now in the COVID-19 fight? Are we winning the fight? or is the deadly virus triumphing over us? And we intend to be honest and objective about these basic questions this morning. Friends of the media, without mincing any words or making bones about this indisputable fact, Ghana is fast-losing the COVID-19 fight, due to the careless and directionless leadership of President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo. And, I shall outline ten (10) facts that accurately describe our current COVID-19 situation and bear out this assertion. Ladies and gentlemen of the media, as we speak: 1. Ghana has recorded over 24,000 positive cases with 139 deaths, whiles the insensitive and inept Akufo Addo-government looks on helplessly. Our astronomically high and ever-increasing positive case count is putting huge pressure on the already-constrained health system of the country. Indeed, many health facilities across the country, including the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital have been compelled to suspend other critical emergency health services due to the overwhelming cases of Coronavirus on their hands. 2. Another fact that lays credence to the assertion that our COVID-19 fight is failing is that, the long-standing problem of lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our patriotic and hardworking health workers, who are sacrificing their lives to keep us safe, has not been addressed by President Akufo Addo and his government contrary to the countless and persistent assurances we have been given. This has occasioned an alarming rate of COVID-19 infections among health workers, leading to the loss of several precious lives, including some renowned health experts. So far, over 779 health workers made up of 190 doctors, 410 nurses and midwives, 23 hospital pharmacists and 156 allied health workers, have caught the virus, with 10 deaths, while the insensitive Akufo Addo-government continues to pay lip service to this critical issue. This is sad and completely unacceptable. 3. Also, the alarming COVID-19 infections among top NPP/government officials, some of whom have died, doesnt inspire any confidence in the ordinary man on the street, that this fight is anywhere near being won. As you may be aware, our Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, the Forestry Commission CEO, Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie (may God bless his soul), the late Takoradi Mayor, another sad casuality, K.K Sam, the BOST MD, the NHIA Director-General and her Deputies, the Minister of Regional Re-organization, Dan Botwe, the Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, The Ghana Education Service (GES) Director-General, the former deputy minister of Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah and the Volta Regional Minister, Archibald Yao Letsa, are but a few of the bigwigs on the tall list of Government Officials who have either battled, are battling or succumbed to COVID-19 in the last few months. This phenomenon clearly bears out our worsening COVID-19 situation. 4. Again, the rising phenomenon of shutdown of key state institutions such as, COCOBOD, GNPC, BOST, NHIA, Ministry of Finance, the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Education, the National Health Insurance Authority among several others, further accentuate the alarming rate of community spread of the novel coronavirus in the country and terrifying situation we presently find ourselves in. Only God knows which other state institution is playing host to this deadly virus, and whether at this rate, the entire government machinery will not be brought down on its knees in the coming weeks. 5. Furthermore, the significant reduction of testing and contact tracing being spearheaded by the failed Akufo Addo-government, is a major setback to our COVID-19 fight. Governments refusal to pay contact tracers their meagre motivational allowances, despite Parliament making financial provision for same, has led to the complete abandonment of contact tracing, thereby letting loose the ravaging virus in our communities. Also, our severely constrained testing capacity and shortage of test reagents and other vital supplies, which accounts for the huge backlog of samples waiting to be tested at both the Noguchi Center for Medical Research and the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research (KCCR), is further exacerbating our failing fight against the virus. 7. Additionally, the lack of isolation facilities to contain our positive cases is very worrying. Currently, most of our hospitals and health facilities are full and overstretched, leading to the suspension of other critical emergency health services, while our ICUs are also getting full. This situation that has led to an increase in self-isolation of positive cases is undermining our COVID-19 fight, as the evidence on voluntary self-isolation, show relatively low compliance to safety protocols as compared to mandatory isolation. 8. Another serious problem confronting us, is the inadequacy of health personnel to manage COVID-19 cases, as was admitted by Dr. Nsiah Asare, Presidential Advisor on health in the media few weeks ago. 9. Also, the inconsistent and doubtful data on our COVID-19 situation, leading to loss of public confidence is a major problem. The several instances of manipulation of data by government to create a false sense of security, instead of reporting the true facts as they pertain to our situation has gradually chipped away public confidence in governments management of the pandemic. 10. Lastly, the non-adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols by majority of Ghanaians, particularly by the ruling New Patriotic Party reflects the our failing fight against the pandemic. Ladies and gentlemen, the ten (10) facts I have enumerated, accurately describe our current COVID-19 situation and show that our situation is increasingly worsening and getting dire as the days go by. Indeed, international reputable organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), has been alarmed by our current situation, leading to their recent assessment of Ghana as one of the countries driving the spread of the virus in West Africa, whilst the European Union also recently placed Ghana among countries whose nationals have been given restricted access to the EU zone due to our terrifying COVID-19 situation. As it is now, the center can no longer hold. Things appear to have fallen apart. Our health system and response plan have been completely overwhelmed by the pandemic. Our leaders, the President, his talkative Vice and our health minister, are no where to be found. No wonder the Minister of Health recently said that he and the President are tired of the COVID fight. How low we sunk! Whilst other countries have stepped up their fight against the pandemic, we have taken our foot off the pedal, with our authorities almost but conceding defeat. But the biggest question is, why Ghana? How did we get here? Distinguished friends from the media, since a problem well-stated is half-solved, permit me to enumerate ten (10) sins of President Akufo-Addo that have brought us here. 1. Firstly, President Akufo Addos refusal to close our borders and airport, as well as adopt containment measures on time, is the main reason why we find ourselves in this severe and alarming COVID-19 malaise. This is grounded by the high number of imported cases that precipitated the astronomical community spread of the virus across the country, due to the lack of implementation of any proper containment measures right from the outset. It would be recalled that President Akufo-Addo ignored all calls for him to close our borders and airport from health professionals, the NDC and other citizens, and rather went frolicking in Europe at a time the coronavirus was ravaging several European and western nations. In fact, you would recall that it was upon his return from that unproductive European tour, that one of our very first cases was recorded by a high-ranking diplomat, specifically the Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana, who was with the Presidents in Norway. 2. Secondly, governments poor management of the Coronavirus Alleviation program, including misappropriation of relief funds, particularly free food and water distribution to the vulnerable, which led to a premature easing of lockdown restrictions on the basis of political reasons other than medical, epidemiological or any scientific considerations, further worsened our wobbly COVID-19 fight. 3. Thirdly, governments failure to adopt mass/community testing and to resolve our inefficient testing regime is part of the reasons why we find ourselves in this quagmire. In fact, the problem of delayed release of test results, as a result of lack of PCR test kits, reagents among others, still remains a major challenge. 4. Also, the non-payment of contact tracers by the Akufo Addo-government, leading to strike actions by the poor workers who have placed their lives at risk and those of their families for our collective good. As I have already indicated, this is very unacceptable, as it betrays the lack of sensitivity, seriousness and candor in President Akufo-Addos promises, even in this time of coronavirus crises. 5. Again, the deliberate misreporting and suppression of data on positive, death and recovered cases, by the Akufo Addo-government, thereby giving a false sense of security to the people has partly accounted for our failing COVID-19 fight. 6. Furthermore, Akufo Addos failure to provide adequate PPEs to protect health workers, despite financial provision being made for same by Parliament has been one of the bane of our deplorable COVID-19 position. The President of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Frank Ankobea and other allied medical unions have had occasion to lament governments failure to provide basic PPE and how this has impacted negatively on our COVID fight, leading to loss of morale and medical personnel, as I have already indicated. It is worthy to add, that President Akufo-Addos deliberate exclusion of several other health workers from the list of frontline health workers is demotivating a lot of our health workers who have been excluded from the list of frontline health workers. And this must be addressed as a matter of urgency. 7. Additionally, Akufo Addos failure to establish adequate isolation centers for the management of positive cases has further exacerbated our worsening COVID-19 situation. This is a reflection of the general failure of President Akufo Addo to make any meaningful contribution to health infrastructure in Ghana, in the last three (3) and half years, despite being the most resourced President in Ghanas history. This has cemented his place as a President who talks much and does very little. 8. Again, Akufo Addos failure to ensure the observation of COVID-19 precautionary protocols during the NIA registration and card distribution exercises, the NPP Parliamentary primaries, as well as the ongoing new voter registration, despite several warnings from the Ghana Medical Association and other health professionals, is another major contributing factor to our failing COVID-19 fight. This is very worrying, particularly given the fact that some Pastors and other citizens have been arrested, prosecuted and jailed for breaching the same COVID-19 restrictions and protocols. President Akufo Addos refusal to hold his own appointees and party members, such as Carlos Ahenkora to the same standard of discipline, has further exposed him as a man who preaches virtue and supervises vice. The wanton disregard for COVID-19 protocols by government officials, which was again displayed at the recently-held confirmation of President Akufo-Addo as flag-bearer of the NPP, has set a bad tone for what has been a return to business as usual for members of the public and is undermining our already failing COVID-19 fight. 9. More importantly, the premature reopening of Senior High Schools by President Akufo Addo without mass testing of students, teachers and workers, as well as a failure to put in place and enforce appropriate safety measures in the reopened schools, which is leading to the spread of the virus among SHS students is yet another major setback for our COVID-19 fight. Today, it is sad and annoying to note, that apart from the disregard for COVID-19 safety protocols in our Senior High Schools, the schools have become centers for political campaigns by the NPP, as was seen over the weekend, when the National Youth Organizer of the NPP, Henry Nana Boakye led a team to campaign in some Senior High Schools in the Ashanti region. Ladies and gentlemen of the media, is it not cruel, that at a time over 10 of the reopened Senior High Schools have recorded infections on their campuses, and parents have been prevented from visiting their wards as a so-called COVID-19 precautionary measure, President Akufo Addo has opened the same schools, for his party NPP and the Electoral Commission, who prioritizes political power than human lives, to go in there and engage in political activities which have the tendency to endanger the lives of our innocent SHS students. This show of total disregard for the lives of our innocent SHS children by President Akufo Addo is unconscionable and reprehensible to say the least, and must he condemned by all voices of conscience. 10. Finally, governments review of our recovery and discharge policy from two (2) mandatory tests to zero (0) as a result of the lack of test kits, isolation facilities, among others, is partly responsible for our ever-worsening situation. We hold the view, that the new recovery and discharge policy under which persons who have tested positive for the virus are declared as recovered and discharged when they become asymptomatic without any confirmatory tests, is very dangerous, and has the potential to further jeopardize our already-failing COVID-19 fight. It must be noted that although the risk or degree of the spread of the virus by asymptomatic persons is relatively lower as compared to persons showing symptoms, it cannot be said that there is absolutely no risk or possibility that asymptomatic cases can spread the virus. In other words, fact that the WHO has said that asymptomatic cases are less likely to pass the virus on than symptomatic cases does not mean that asymptomatic individuals cannot spread the virus as has been suggested in Ghana. Indeed, the WHO has acknowledged that, there is a "minimal residual risk" that patients discharged under their new policy may still be infectious and this must inform our adoption and implementation of the new policy in Ghana. Even more bizarre, ladies and gentlemen, is the conflicting signals government is communicating to the public on this matter. Whereas, government has told the public that we have reviewed our recovery and discharge policy from two (2) mandatory and confirmatory tests to zero, the same government few days ago informed us that one of the appointees of President Akufo Addo who contracted the virus, Carlos Ahenkora, has recovered, after testing negative in two consecutive confirmatory tests. The question we would want to ask is that, if the new recovery and discharge policy under which asymptomatic persons are discharged without any confirmatory tests is good, then why was Carlos Ahenkora made to undertake two (2) confirmatory tests before he was declared as having recovered? What is government hiding from the nation? Dont they believe in their own recovery and discharge policy? On what basis are they determining who deserves confirmatory tests and who doesnt? Why does Carlos Ahenkora deserve two confirmatory tests, but the ordinary Ghanaian who has contracted the virus dont deserve same? Is it because the Akufo Addo government values the lives of their officials over the lives of ordinary Ghanaians? Friends from the media, this lack of consistency in the application of governments new recovery and discharge policy, casts serious doubts about its validity and viability and shows that same cannot be relied upon by the nation if we are serious about the COVID-19 fight. In addition to above-enumerated points, the crass intolerance and headstrong refusal of the Akufo-Addo government to heed good counsel is also a major cause of our worsening COVID-19 situation. Whereas foreign embassies saw what the NDC was seeing from the outset and moved to evacuate their nationals months ago, President Akufo-Addo and his men were busy pursuing political expediency, the reason why we are here. In short, ladies and gentlemen of the media, Ghana finds herself in this quagmire because of the sloppy and clueless leadership, as well as the politically-driven decisions of President Akufo-Addo. THE WAY FORWARD Distinguished friends from the media, the NDC reckons that our current situation calls for decisive and forthright leadership to stem the tide of the marauding virus which now threatens all of us. This is not the time for weak and tired loins, as the Health Minister and President Akufo-Addo have developed, neither is it time to place politically-driven decision ahead of public health. Clearly, our national response plan and strategy have failed, and we need to re-strategize and take some critical remedial actions to salvage our failing fight, as a matter of urgency. The NDC therefore demands that the Akufo-Addo government adopts and implement the following far-reaching measures to protect Ghanaian lives. First, we demand the immediate closure of all reopened schools which were hurriedly reopened under the guise of facilitating the writing of WASSCE, just to make room for the Electoral Commission to register SHS students on their school campuses. The Ghanaian Times newspaper reports today, that ten (10) more Senior High Schools have recorded cases of COVID-19. As we speak, Nigeria, a major participant in the WASSCE exam has rescinded its decision to reopen schools, while Kenya has also decided to close schools until 2021. We urge President Akufo-Addo to prioritize human lives over electoral fancies. Also, we call on all and sundry to condemn the action of the National Youth Organizer of the NPP, Henry Nana Boakye for leading the shameful agenda of making SHS their hotbed of political activity during these perilous times. We further demand that in consonance with GES regulations, the Headmaster of that Senior High School in Kumasi should be interdicted immediately in order to serve the ends of justice. Secondly, we demand that government deals urgently with high infection rate among health professionals by providing the required type and number of PPE for health workers. As a matter of fact, government must heed to calls to revise its narrow conceptualization of frontline health workers, and immediately provide the required PPEs to aid our gallant health workers in combating this virus. Let me add, that the need for the adequate provision of PPE for health workers must be situated within the work of a bipartisan committee, because we can no longer allow them to get infected and die when money has been voted for that purpose by our representatives in Parliament. Thirdly, government must review the new discharge and recovery policy that allows the discharge of people with positive cases after just one test. Much as government may be in a hurry to make our picture look good, a further worsening of this situation will completely overrun our health system, hence the need to tread cautiously. The new policy which appears to be shoring up or recovery cases is creating a false sense of security amongst the people. And, our implementation of same against the caution of the WHO that there is a "minimal residual risk" that patients discharged under their new policy may still be infectious, has the tendency to jeopardize further our failing fight. Also, we call for the immediate adoption of mass and efficient testing regime to be able to go after the virus. Our current reactionary approach to the virus is actually what is precipitating its further rapid spread. Apart from the absence of testing, the time lag between when tests are conducted and when the results are ready gives room for the virus to spread inadvertently to those who hitherto did not have it. We further demand the establishment of more isolation centers by the Akufo Addo government to effectively manage our rising number of positive cases. The current situation where people who have been confirmed positive are let loose due to lack of facilities to accommodate them is unacceptable. Government must also enhance its contact tracing by paying all outstanding allowances due contact tracers in order to motivate them to work hard. The virus has obviously overtaken us, and if we must get ahead of it, then we ought to run faster, and be proactive. Additionally, we demand that government intensifies public awareness - through mass, purposeful and deliberate public education. This will further awaken all of us to the reality of the virus which has become a clear and present danger with us. Last, but not least, government must ensure accountability in the expenditure of COVID-19 funds. There is the need for a special and forensic audit into all already expended COVID-19 funds, as a matter of urgency. Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot end by urging government to reduce fuel prices, instead of the recent consistent increments at a time crude prices have plummeted on the world market. The need to reduce fuel prices comes at a time government has directed all commercial drivers to reduce the number of passengers they take in line with social distancing protocols. This has drastically reduced the incomes of transport owners who are still being asked to pay more for fuel. This is unacceptable, and prices must go down immediately. We urge all Ghanaians to hold the Akufo-addo Government accountable for its handling of this pandemic. All over the world, countries are still battling and re-strategizing against what looks like a continuous wave of the virus. Ghana alone cannot let down our guard for the sake of Akufo Addos quest for political power. Ghana deserves better! Thank you for your attention. Toomey, who is typically an ally of the president, was more measured. While I understand the frustration with the badly flawed Russia-collusion investigation, in my view, commuting Roger Stones sentence is a mistake, Toomey said in a statement . At least two Republican senators, Mitt Romney and Pat Toomey, criticized Trumps decision to free Stone. Unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president, Romney wrote on Twitter on Saturday. Senator Lindsey Graham, a fierce defender of Trump, said yesterday that he would call Mueller to testify before the Judiciary Committee, signaling he would keep trying to discredit the Russia investigation. This invites one question Why try to do this in the pages of The Washington Post, hardly a trusted publication among Trump fans? while declining to address another: As special counsel, a lengthy feature in the current issue of The New Yorker asks, why didnt Mueller push harder to equip Congress with the tools to remove Trump from office? Characteristically, Mueller does not question the president directly in the op-ed. Instead, he seems to mostly be addressing Trumps supporters and anyone else who disputes the legitimacy of the Russia investigation. The Russia investigation was of paramount importance, Mueller writes. Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes. He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so. Later, Mueller insists: The women and men who conducted these investigations and prosecutions acted with the highest integrity. Claims to the contrary are false. Trump commuted Stones sentence just days before he was to report to prison, in spite of warnings from White House advisers that doing so would be politically self-destructive if not ethically inappropriate, as Peter Baker writes in an analysis . Some high-profile Republicans as well as just about every Democrat with a microphone are crying foul after President Trump announced on Friday that he was commuting the sentence of Roger Stone , his old friend and former adviser . Stone, who was convicted of seven felonies including perjury and obstruction of justice had been sentenced to 40 months in prison. The number of new daily coronavirus cases in the United States topped 60,000 for the first time on Friday. Recorded cases are now on the rise in 37 states, prompting many state governments to re-evaluate plans to reopen their economies. Florida announced 15,000 new cases of the virus yesterday, the highest single-day total of known infections for any state thus far. The number of cases among members of the U.S. military has more than doubled in the past month. The country is now averaging roughly 700 deaths from the virus each day, from less than 500 earlier this month but still far lower than the mid-April average of more than 2,200. Trump, yielding to months of pressure from advisers and the advice of his own public health team, wore a face mask in public for the first time during a visit on Saturday to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. When youre in a hospital, especially, he told reporters, I think its a great thing to wear a mask. In an interview yesterday with ABC Newss George Stephanopoulos, Adm. Brett Giroir, a member of the White Houses coronavirus task force, said the widespread use of masks would be essential to stemming the viruss spread. In order for us to reverse this problem, we need about 90 percent of people in those really hot areas to wear masks when theyre in public, Giroir said. He declined to say whether he thought the federal government should make mask-wearing mandatory nationwide. A number of major corporations announced heavy layoffs last week, in the early rumblings of what economists say may be the start of a new phase in the pandemics economic fallout. After unemployment skyrocketed at the start of the outbreak, things briefly seemed as though they might stabilize. But now, with economic activity looking uncertain for the duration of the year and consumer confidence remaining low, companies are making longer-term adjustments and cutting more workers loose. Congress is stuck in a holding pattern on further virus relief legislation, as Republicans in the Senate have refused to take up the $3 trillion relief bill that House Democrats passed in May. But another round of stimulus legislation appears inevitable, and on CNNs State of the Union yesterday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi sought to draw a red line: She said it was essential that Congress extend the $600-a-week expansion to unemployment benefits that is set to expire at the end of this month. We must extend the unemployment insurance, Pelosi told Dana Bash. People are desperately in need. In an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, Betsy DeVos, the education secretary, echoed Trumps declaration from last week that schools must reopen in the fall, even as virus infections surge. She repeated the presidents threat that districts could lose federal funding if they refused to comply. Theres nothing in the data that suggests that kids being in school is in any way dangerous, she said. But in a confidential government report circulated around the White House this month and obtained by The New York Times last week, the Community Interventions and Critical Populations Task Force argues the opposite. The 69-page document states that fully reopening schools and universities constitutes the highest risk for continuing to spread the virus in the fall. 'By causing military humiliation of India it intends to send a signal to other Asian countries to toe the Chinese line,' argues Colonel Anil A Athale (retd). IMAGE: A Border Security Force soldier stands guard at a checkpoint along A highway leading to Ladakh, June 17 2020. Photograph: Imran Nissar/ANI Photo As the co-author of the official history of the 1962 War I briefly took part in track II discussions with China. The best way to deal with an adversary is to get into his shoes and think like him. It is only then that one can understand the policy, strategy and tactics one is likely to face in case of shooting war. Most Indians are perplexed at the Chinese actions and also the timing, just when the whole world was preoccupied with fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. One thing is clear, while the Galwan clash may well have been a 'local' event and even and accident, the massive mobilisation of the People's Liberation Army at the border was a deliberate move, sanctioned at the highest level. It is difficult to believe that the PLA could have acted on its own. The stand-off on the Indian border must also be seen in the context of what China is doing in Hong Kong (tightening its grip and violating international agreement), flexing its muscle in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. China's aggressive actions may well stem from the fear that once the world comes to grip with the pandemic -- by the year-end or early 2021 -- there will be a severe backlash against China for its handling of the episode including delayed warning, hiding data and secrecy. Almost every country in the world has paid a price in terms of lives lost to the virus. This backlash will have terrible economic consequences on the export dependent Chinese economy. There is a possibility of an isolation of China and call for a 'regime change'. All this produces a possible threat to the Communist party of China's monopoly of power. The current aggressive moves are in a way a measure to pre-empt those moves. IMAGE: A container is loaded on to the Cosco Wellington, a container ship at China Pakistan Economic Corridor port in Gwadar, Pakistan. Photograph: Caren Firouz/Reuters Amongst all of China's neighbours, it finds India as the most difficult to browbeat. By causing military humiliation of India it intends to send a signal to other Asian countries to toe the Chinese line. China also sees India's actions in Jammu and Kashmir as posing a threat to its China Pakistan Economic Corridor that passes through Gilgit-Hunza areas currently under Pakistani occupation. India's change of strategy from defensive to offensive against Pakistan in recent years has created this threat that did not manifest till the time that India was on only defensive vis a vis Pakistan. The unrest in Baluchistan, where Gwadar port is located, is the end point of the CPEC. This Chinese investment is threatened by the unrest amongst ethnic Baluchis. China suspects that India is clandestinely supporting the Baluch rebellion via Afghanistan. Ever since the abolition of Article 370 of the Constitution that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has been seething with anger. Its inability to do anything and lukewarm Chinese support may be straining Sino-Pak relations to a breaking point. By massing troops on the Ladakh border, China has drawn Indian reserves to that area. This can help Pakistan launch offensive action in conjunction with an uprising in the Kashmir valley. This is helped by lack of any political initiative by India in Kashmir to give a healing touch. The issue of citizenship rights has agitated the Muslim minority in India and there seems to be lack of internal cohesion in India. India has been improving economic relations with China and taking advantage of the 'peace and tranquility' agreement to reduce emphasis on land forces and diverting resources to building sea power. On the issue of the South China Sea, India is co-operating with Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Australia and the US to checkmate China. With posing a threat on the land border, China can force India to reverse this trend. Once the Line of Actual Control becomes a live border like the Line of Control between India and Pakistan, the Indian naval build up will be slowed down, as India has to divert resources to land forces. IMAGE: Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy soldiers stand guard on the guided missile destroyer Xining at a port in Qingdao, Shandong province, China, as it departs for an escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast. Photograph: Stringer/China Out/Reuters China, like Russia, has a lousy maritime geography. Its coastline does not give access to open seas. China's maritime access to the Pacific is blocked by Japan and the Philippines. Access to the Indian Ocean has to pass through the Malacca Straits, itself dominated by the Andaman and Nicobar islands-based Indian Navy. China's One Belt One Road project is of long term strategic importance. This ensures land access to the West for Chinese goods. The CPEC ending at Gwadar port gives access to the hydrocarbon resources of the Middle East. It is the only open sea access possible for China. China's future depends upon these projects and their security. Pakistan is thus not merely a tactical but a strategic partner for China. The present time is ideal for China to achieve some of these objectives, like diminution of India's status and intimidation of other small Asian neighbours as the world is busy fighting the pandemic. American power is paralysed under an erratic president facing an election in November. The US is also distracted due to race-related internal disturbances and the raging pandemic. It has no time to devote attention to Chinese actions in Asia. It is now or never for China. Feature Production: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com Private hospitals empanelled under the Central Government Health Scheme will charge from beneficiaries the rates prescribed by the Delhi government for COVID-19 treatment till their states fix its own charges. An office memorandum issued by the CGHS director said the rates for treatment of COVID-19 in private-empanelled hospitals for CGHS beneficiaries shall be as per the package rate prescribed by the state government concerned. "In case, no such rate has been prescribed by the state government in any CGHS city, the rates prescribed by the government of NCT Delhi, shall be applicable till rates are notified by the concerned state government," the memorandum dated July 10 read. The Delhi government last month issued an order fixing the cost of a COVID-19 isolation bed in any private hospital in the range of Rs 8,000-10,000 and an ICU bed with ventilator at Rs 15,000-18,000 per day. According to the memorandum, the Health Ministry received representations regarding clarifications and guidelines on rates applicable for treatment at private healthcare organisations empanelled under the CGHS, following which the matter was reviewed. For non-COVID-related treatment in private hospitals empanelled under the scheme, the normal CGHS package rate shall be admissible, the memorandum stated. The COVID-19 test shall be permitted as per the ICMR guidelines and the CGHS rate shall be as per the rates fixed by state governments or actual, whichever may be less. "If the state government has not notified such rates, the rates prescribed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) are applicable till rates are notified by state government," it said. Also read: Jio Platforms gets Rs 730 crore investment from Qualcomm: 5 things to know Also read: TRAI asks Vodafone Idea, Airtel to suspend premium plans over service quality concerns Ghana's deputy trade and industry minister Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah has resigned for violating coronavirus self-isolation measures after testing positive for the virus, President Nana Akufo-Addo said in a statement on Friday. "This follows the admission by the deputy minister of his breach of the Covid-19 protocols, when, as a person certified to be positive of the virus, he visited a registration centre in his constituency before the period of self-isolation was complete," the statement said. The West African nation has recorded one of the highest numbers of coronavirus cases in the continent since the outbreak at 18,134, with 117 deaths. Last month, Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman Manu tested positive for the virus. A University of Queensland student has lost his internal appeal against the university's decision to suspend him for two years, but he has vowed to take his fight to the Supreme Court. Drew Pavlou, an elected UQ Senate student representative, organised a series of protests supporting the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement, and he criticised UQ's Confucius Institute in the past year. Activist Drew Pavlou speaks at a protest at UQ. Credit:Facebook In its decision sent to Mr Pavlou on Monday, the university Senate's disciplinary appeals committee suspended the student for the rest of 2020 and ordered him to complete 25 hours of campus service. The committee found Mr Pavlou guilty of two of the 11 misconduct allegations brought against him in April, which saw the arts and philosophy student handed a two-year-suspension one month later. Ulta Beauty store. Scott Mlyn | CNBC The beauty industry was in the midst of big changes before the coronavirus pandemic, with small brands using social media to challenge the bigger players and specialists like LVMH-owned Sephora taking market share from department stores. Now the sector is also dealing with restrictions imposed after lockdowns, with customers unable to try out testers and limited numbers of people allowed in the stores that have been able to reopen. "Buying skincare products is a very interactive process our tiny shop is normally bustling with people trying, testing and smelling," said Bella Middleton, founder and creative director of U.K.-based Norfolk Natural Living, in an email to CNBC. But when lockdowns were introduced in the U.K. in March, Middleton switched up the online experience, sending out free samples, re-writing product descriptions and improving images to encourage people to buy online. That got existing customers back to her website, and the brand saw an uptick in people buying her products as "missing you" gifts with people unable to see each other. Middleton's store may be bijou, but it's part of an industry that made $500 billion in sales globally in 2019, according to McKinsey. Even during the last recession of 2008-9, sales went up 3.2%, but this downturn might be different: Although some beauty product sales are going online, it's unlikely the industry will be able to replace those lost in store due to the pandemic. Beauty entrepreneur Rebecca Saunders sells products from more than 50 brands via her website Seekology and had to close her London store in March. "Seekology has gone from a 99% physical retail business to one that is 100% online," she told CNBC in an email, and this has meant a "significant" challenge to sales. The store was the brand's main marketing channel, where Saunders held events, and she doesn't expect to be able to reopen for a few months at least. London beauty store Seekology had to switch to digital-only sales during the coronavirus pandemic. Seekology It's a trend that has also shown up in data from retail consultancy Stellar, which surveyed 300 U.K. consumers online in March and discovered that 85% would be "encouraged to buy a product" after an in-person demonstration. "Digital disruption has brought huge changes to the beauty industry, and with Covid-19 changing the retail landscape even further, nothing prepared beauty brands and retailers for an unprecedented metamorphosis of consumer habits," during the pandemic, according to Stellar founder Anna Brettle in an email to CNBC. Without the in-store experience, she has seen beauty brands experiment with content such as Instagram Live videos and online masterclasses during the pandemic methods that beauty writer and influencer Laura Pearson-Smith also advocates. Home beauty "I've been trying to create content that makes people's lives easier during lockdown and gives them something to watch," she told CNBC by phone. She has used IGTV, Instagram's video platform, to do skincare and makeup tutorials for do-it-yourself beauty treatments such as eyebrow "lamination," a process that can cost around 50 ($63.49) in a salon. DIY beauty was also a trend during the last recession. Between 2001 and 2010, 18% of U.S. launches in the personal care category focused on professional-style beauty products people could use at home, according to data from IRI. For example, Olay's Professional Pro-X skincare product was one of the top launches of 2010 in the non-food category, selling nearly $50 million in its first year across U.S. retailers (IRI's data excluded Walmart sales). One way that brands promote new products is to gift samples to influencers in the hope that they will feature them in their photos or videos, but that's slowed down significantly, Pearson-Smith said. That's partly due to supply chain issues, and a lack of goods to sell in the immediate term might mean a focus on closer relationships with consumers. "The only way they are going to recover from (the pandemic) is to continue to be really customer-focused and allow customers to connect with the brands through things like (online) panel discussions and tutorials," Pearson-Smith stated. Large businesses have also had to contend with a digital pivot, such as Ulta Beauty, which had to temporarily close its more than 1,200 stores to mitigate against the coronavirus outbreak in March. It launched curbside pickup for orders at more than 800 stores and when some of its outlets opened last month, masks were required, product testers were made unavailable and fewer people were allowed in, per a blog post by its CEO Mary Dillon. During the first quarter, however, net sales decreased 32.7%, due to the virus. Londoner Ian Clement learned the hard way not to trust the Chinese regime. He was in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics, on an official visit as Deputy Mayor of London, Boris Johnsons number two, when he was approached by a gorgeous girl at a party. It was a honey trap, the oldest trick in the book, as he later recalled, but he threw caution to the wind and followed her lead. After a couple of glasses of wine, he asked her back to his hotel room. He later awoke from what he believes was a drugged sleep to find she was on her way out of the door and his room had been ransacked. My wallet was open. She had plainly gone through it but I knew she wasnt a simple thief because nothing was missing. The contents of his BlackBerry had also been downloaded. Clement was heavily involved in Londons Olympic bid and was in the Chinese capital to build contacts with potential investors for the London Games. It was a honey trap, the oldest trick in the book, as he later recalled, but he threw caution to the wind and followed her lead (stock photo) He said the woman, an agent of the Chinese secret service, must have been hunting for plans and details of who he was meeting. He told newspapers when the story emerged a year later, I wasnt thinking straight an attitude that neatly sums up the way that, a decade on, too many politicians and businessmen in the West are still laying themselves open to seductive overtures from China. In the early 1990s Britains MI5 wrote a protection manual for business people visiting China. Be especially alert for flattery and over-generous hospitality, it advised. Westerners are more likely to be the subject of long-term, low-key cultivation, aimed at making friends. The aim of these tactics is to create a debt of obligation on the part of the target, who will eventually find it difficult to refuse inevitable requests for favours in return. That advice is even more relevant now than it was 30 years ago. But many still ignore it. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that between 2011 and 2018 China was involved in 90 per cent of economic espionage cases. Beijing devotes enormous resources to both industrial espionage, aimed at commercial secrets, and state espionage, aimed at government and military secrets. China has a huge appetite for other countries technology whether obtained legally or otherwise, it doesnt care. Sucking up information like a vacuum cleaner, it not only deploys its diplomatic and intelligence services to facilitate the theft of intellectual property, but also reaches deeply into overseas Chinese communities to recruit both agents of influence as well as informants and spies. In the United States, a senior counter-intelligence figure at the FBI observed in late 2018 that the bureau had handled thousands of complaints about, and investigations into, non-traditional espionage activity, mostly concerning China. Every rock we turn over, every time we look for it, it is not only there it is worse than anticipated, he said. While traditional forms of espionage rely on specialised training, China has adopted what is known as the thousand grains of sand strategy. Pictured: Ian Clement, Deputy Mayor of London at the time, talking to media and guests at the opening of London House ahead of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games It uses thousands of amateur information collectors. Professionals, business people, students and even tourists are encouraged to provide information to handlers in embassies and consulates. This is no haphazard operation but is directed by professionals in the intelligence services who target particular pieces of intellectual property, often working with factories and research labs in China, and then finding people who can acquire what they seek. Beijing is not averse to straightforward theft, of course. In 2018, equipment provided by the Huawei telecoms giant now controversially embedded in Britain was implicated in the theft of confidential information from the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa. Every night for five years, masses of data was downloaded and sent to servers in Shanghai. Huawei maintains that these data leaks did not originate from its technology because although it supplied data centre facilities, those facilities did not have any storage or data transfer functions. Huawei has been accused many times by its suppliers and competitors of stealing their intellectual property. According to criminal charges brought by the U.S., there is said to be an official company policy of paying bonuses to employees who steal confidential information from competitors and even a schedule of payments, calibrated to the value of the stolen information. A U.S. Department of Justice indictment alleges that every six months, the three Huawei regional operations supplying the most valuable stolen information are said to receive company awards. Huawei has denied the allegations and the Chinese government has also rejected the charges. CHINAS civilian and military intelligence agents are trained in the art of cultivating friends. Sinophiles, and newcomers with a fascination for the culture, are especially vulnerable. After grooming, they may naively supply intelligence information, believing they are contributing to mutual understanding and harmony. Ego, sex, ideology, patriotism, and especially money are all exploited to recruit spies. The rewards need not be great. In the case of commercial secrets, an engineer at a high-tech U.S. company might be offered a trip with expenses paid, plus a stipend to give a lecture at a university in China. The requests for more valuable information escalate until the target is hopelessly compromised. An FBI employee, Joey Chun, was convicted of supplying information about the bureaus operations to Chinese agents in exchange for free international travel and visits to prostitutes. U.S. citizen Glenn Duffie Shriver earned big bucks, however. He fell in love with China on a summer study-programme visit and moved to Shanghai, where he responded to a newspaper advertisement seeking someone to write a paper on trade relations. He was paid $120 for a short report. U.S. citizen Glenn Duffie Shriver (pictured) earned big bucks, however. He fell in love with China on a summer study-programme visit and moved to Shanghai, where he responded to a newspaper advertisement seeking someone to write a paper on trade relations. He was paid $120 for a short report Over time, friendships were built and Shriver was offered more money. Then he was encouraged to seek employment in the U.S. State Department or the CIA and was paid large sums when he applied for positions. He underwent a week of interviews for a CIA position with the National Clandestine Service but the agency was aware of his connections to Chinese intelligence. At his sentencing hearing after being caught, he said things had spiralled out of control. He admitted being motivated by greed: I mean, you know, large stacks of money in front of me. If the target for recruitment is of Chinese heritage, they may be leant on to help the motherland. Some 5060 million people of Chinese descent live elsewhere, a population the size of Britains. They are very diverse socially, politically, culturally, linguistically, and in their feelings about China. Many emigrated before the Chinese Communist Party came to power. But over the past two or three decades, Beijing has been propagating a version of Chineseness aimed at binding overseas Chinese to the ancestral homeland. Trusted individuals sympathetic to the CCP, assisted by Chinese embassies and consulates, have taken over many of the established Chinese community and professional associations in North America and Western Europe. Among this diaspora, carrots and sticks are deployed to recruit agents. The carrots are promises of good jobs and houses if and when they return to China. The sticks include refusing visas and threats to harm families. Chinese students studying abroad are a particular focus. Graduate students may become sleeper agents, activated only if they find themselves in jobs with access to desirable information, particularly if it is of scientific, technological or military value. A programme called the Thousand Talents Plan aims to recruit highly qualified ethnic Chinese people to return to China with the expertise and knowledge theyve acquired abroad. Alternatively, those loyal to China can remain in place to serve. The U.S. Department of Energy, whose work includes nuclear weapons and advanced R&D on energy, has been heavily targeted to this end. Around 35,000 foreign researchers are employed in the departments labs, 10,000 of them from China. In Silicon Valley, around one in ten high-tech workers is from mainland China. According to one report, so many scientists from the science and technology labs of Los Alamos have returned to Chinese universities and research institutes that people have dubbed them the Los Alamos club. Sex, as we have seen already, is a means of entrapment and exploitation. There is seduction that leads to the direct theft of secrets, as in the case of Ian Clement. Then there is seduction that leads to blackmail, using compromising photographs. In 2017 the former deputy head of MI6, Nigel Inkster, said that Chinas agencies were using honey traps meiren ji, literally beautiful person plan more often. In 2016 reports suggested that the Dutch ambassador to Beijing had been entrapped. Chinas intelligence agencies also exploit social media to approach potentially useful Westerners. In 2018, French authorities uncovered a Chinese programme to lure thousands of experts using fake accounts on LinkedIn. Posing as think-tank staff, entrepreneurs and consultants, the account operators told individuals that their expertise was of interest to a Chinese company, and offered them free trips to China. Those who accepted spent a few days being befriended through social activities and were then asked to provide information. Its believed that some were photographed in compromising situations, such as accepting payments, making them prone to blackmail. The French expose followed a similar one in Germany, where more than 10,000 experts and professionals were approached. Several hundred apparently expressed interest in the offers made to them. In 2016 a Chinese secret service agent posing as a businessman used LinkedIn to contact a member of the German Bundestag, offering to pay him 30,000 for confidential information on his parliamentary work. The MP, who has not been named, accepted. Chinese intelligence agencies have spent years cultivating relationships in Western universities and think-tanks, partly with the aim of winning friends over to the CCPs point of view. One of the most important organisations for this work is the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, whose 400 members include Chinese intelligence officers. Its stock-in-trade is academic exchanges and conferences, which are used as a way of gaining entry to the most closed circles of a host country. It holds an annual dialogue with the EUs Institute for Security Studies in Paris, and has met regularly with influential Washington think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, to discuss cyber security. These dialogues provide opportunities not only to create networks for intelligence gathering, but also shape the thinking of American and European experts, by, for example, presenting China as the victim of cyber intrusions and casting doubt on the U.S.s ability to attribute hacking to China. Not surprisingly, universities in the West are the target of intensive influence efforts by the CCP. Since 2007, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army has sent more than 2,500 military scientists and engineers to study abroad, in the process developing research relationships with hundreds of top scientists across the globe. They claim to be from the Zhengzhou Information Science and Technology Institute, which, judging by the number of publications in which its cited, is one of the worlds leading centres of computer science and communications engineering. Yet the Zhengzhou Information Science and Technology Institute does not actually exist. It has no website, no phone number and no buildings. It does have a Post Office Box in Henan provinces capital city, Zhengzhou, but thats about it. The name is, in fact, a cover for the university that trains Chinas military hackers and signals intelligence officers, the Peoples Liberation Army Information Engineering University. What they are anxious to acquire from researchers in the West are things like the stream-processing technology, vital to the new-generation supercomputers that are used by the military for advanced aircraft design, combat simulation and testing nuclear missiles. Western universities have displayed extraordinary naivety in their dealings with Chinese companies and universities, and are often unwilling to admit the risks, even when confronted with the evidence. The universities often have a strong financial incentive to keep themselves in the dark while defending the traditional scientific culture of openness and transparency, even though this is being systematically exploited by Beijing. In Australia, in a massive and highly sophisticated hacking operation in 2018, large amounts of information on staff and students at the prestigious Australian National University were stolen, including names, addresses, phone numbers, passport numbers, tax file numbers and student academic records. Many of this universitys students go on to senior positions in the civil service, security agencies and politics. Security agencies around the world have noticed an alarming spike in cyber attacks on medical records. In August 2018 it was reported that 1.5 million medical records had been stolen from the Singapore governments health database, in an attack experts believe came from state-based hackers in China. Former UK consulate worker warns China will send spies to quash protests overseas Simon Cheng, a former employee at the British consulate in Hong Kong, has expressed his concerns over Beijing's next crackdown move on pro-democracy activities overseas. Mr Cheng, who has received asylum from the UK, worries that Beijing 'will take my family members as hostage and send more agents to crush down the pro-democracy cause and activities outside of Hong Kong.' The pro-democracy supporter, who alleges that he was detained and tortured in China last year, has been granted political asylum in what he believes is the first successful case from the former British colony. Simon Cheng, a former employee at the British consulate in Hong Kong, has expressed his concerns over Beijing's next crackdown move on pro-democracy activities overseas Mr Cheng, 29, told The Associated Press that he hopes his successful application encourages other democracy activists from the semi-autonomous Chinese territory to seek protection in the UK as Beijing clamps down on the citys protest movement. 'My case is about political persecution intrinsically,' Mr Cheng said Thursday in London. 'I hope my case could be a precedent for other Hong Kongers who are not protected by the British National Overseas lifeboat scheme. They can quote my case to apply for asylum and seek protection.' Several other asylum cases involving people from Hong Kong are pending, he said. Advertisement The Singapore theft followed a massive hack in the U.S. in 2014 that sucked up the records of 4.5 million patients across 206 hospitals, and another in which a state-sponsored Chinese agency known as Deep Panda stole the records of some 80 million patients from a U.S. health care provider data that could then be used to blackmail persons of interest. The medical records of current and future political, military and public service leaders are likely now in the hands of Chinas intelligence services and could be used to identify their weaknesses to be exploited for influence or for blackmail. Some may have medical conditions they dont want to become public. Publication of such sensitive information could wreck careers and make those who have been compromised open to coercion. The harsh and undeniable reality we in the West have to face up to is that Beijing wields its economic power like a great weapon. Its economic blackmail has proved highly effective, distorting decisions made by elected governments, frightening bureaucrats, silencing critics, and making countless companies beholden to it. That power is only amplified when Chinese companies, answerable to Beijing, own critical infrastructure in other countries. The West needs to inoculate itself against these pressures where it can, but where it cant, it needs to make some hard choices and walk away. All industries, including the education and tourism sectors, must understand the political risks of becoming heavily reliant on revenue flows from China. Short-term profit-making exposes them to long-term damage. When considering partnerships with Chinese organisations, much better due diligence is required, by people who understand how the CCP system works. Companies should not expect their governments to compromise human rights and civil freedoms to appease Beijing. As long as the current CCP regime rules China, prudent corporate management requires diversification of markets. Above all, the West needs to wake up to the fact that a CCP-led China is not, and never will be, its friend. Adapted from Hidden Hand: Exposing How The Chinese Communist Party Is Reshaping The World by Clive Hamilton and Mareike Ohlberg, to be published by Oneworld on July 16 at 20. 2020 Clive Hamilton and Mareike Ohlberg. Leicester is still an 'outlier' because of its high coronavirus infection rate and lifting lockdown 'can't be rushed', England's deputy chief medical officer has warned. Professor Jonathan Van-Tam claimed several targets must be met before the city can be re-opened, including that its rate of new cases are comparable with other areas. Leicester currently has an infection rate of 116 new cases per 100,000 people, which is three times higher than Roche the next worst-hit place in England. Two other nearby East Midland cities, Derby and Nottingham, have drastically lower rates of 9.3 and 5.4 cases, respectively. Professor Van-Tam said the exit from lockdown will depend on judgments by public health professionals ahead of a re-evaluation on July 18. But it has not been made clear exactly how low the infection rate must fall before the city can return to normality. It comes as Leicester's mayor argued the city-wide lockdown was 'not justified' with data showing only pockets of the city have seen a rise in Covid-19 cases. Sir Peter Soulsby added that local health officials were still none the wiser about how the outbreaks started, despite being linked to clothing factories that failed to stick to social distancing guidelines. Language barriers, high levels of diabetes and poverty among Leicester's BAME residents have also been speculated as underlying reasons for the the surge. Leicester is still a coronavirus 'outlier' with infection rates and lifting lockdown 'can't be rushed', the deputy chief medical officer Professor Johnathan Van-Tam has said Pictured: The lockdown zone in Leicester, which became the first place in the UK to be hit by local coronavirus measures The city became the first place in the UK to have tight lockdown rules reimposed on June 30, while the rest of England were allowed to enjoy new freedoms. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in the House of Commons last week that the city must remain in its local lockdown until at least July 18, when health chiefs first promised it would be re-evaluated. Pressed on whether Leicester's lockdown is likely to be lifted after a review expected next Saturday, Professor Van-Tam said: 'With any of these things, usually the way that one approaches them from a public health perspective is to take a phased approach. REVEALED: THE TWENTY AREAS IN ENGLAND WITH THE WORST COVID-19 INFECTION RATES? LOCAL AUTHORITY Leicester Rochdale Bradford Kirklees Blackburn with Darwen INFECTION RATE PER 100K 116.0 (141.3) 32.7 (35.0) 31.8 (45.8) 29.9 (26.2) 24.2 (20.8) Rotherham Bedford Oldham Barnsley Peterborough Bolton Sheffield Leicestershire Tameside Manchester Doncaster Cheshire West and Chester Knowsley Stoke-on-Trent Luton 21.5 (26.1) 19.8 (18.1) 19.1 (30.1) 17.1 (35.1) 16.9 (18.9) 15.1 (23.5) 14.8 (24.4) 14.8 (17.3) 13.8 (16.9) 12.4 (17.5) 11.9 (21.3) 11.5 (9.7) 11.4 (20.1) 11.3 (14.1) 11.2 (15.0) Data in the week until July 9. Advertisement 'Normally you don't just go from having the brakes on heavily to just taking the brakes off completely. I think that's a reasonable expectation to set.' Professor Van-Tam, who stressed he himself would not play a role in deciding Leicester's fate, said any 'exit plan' would depend on several factors. Speaking on BBC Radio Leicester, Professor Van-Tam said: 'The clear exit plan is when a number of things come together - that the disease rate is consistently and obviously falling... that it is comparable and sensibly comparable with other areas of the country, when the swab positivity rate is dropping and holding its drop, and when there is a clear understanding that everything is in place to be able to keep it that way. 'All of these things are value judgments by professional public health specialists - this can't be rushed.' Professor Van-Tam said the situation 'has improved but it needs to go further' and that data published on Saturday showed the city is 'really quite an outlier' compared with anywhere else in the country. The most recent data from Public Health England, published on July 9, show Leicester had 116 cases per 100,000 people in the week ending July 5 compared to the national average of 6.4 cases per 100,000. Leicester's seven-day rate when it first went into lockdown, in the week ending June 28, was 141.3 cases per 100,000. Mr Hancock said on Thursday it was 'good news' the outbreak was shrinking. But he has never put a number on how far the infection rate had to fall before the lockdown would be lifted, and shops, pubs and restaurants can be opened. His counterpart, Labour's Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth, said in Germany officials use a benchmark of 50 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 - which is more than half that of Leicester. Leicester Mayor Sir Peter has claimed the Department of Health don't have a benchmark for when it's safe to lift the lockdown bubble. Asked if he hoped the local restrictions would be lifted soon, he said: 'I very much hope so, yes.' But he added: 'It was clear from discussions we were having last week with them (the Department of Health) that they haven't yet got a clue of how on earth they're going to measure what constitutes success in this.' Sir Peter has lambasted the Government's handling of the cities outbreak since it first came to light that cases were higher there than anywhere else in the country. He told the BBC local health officials had been trying to get 'information about the level of testing in the city and the results of that testing in the city' for weeks, and he had been 'taken by surprise' at the news of a local lockdown. While published data suggested Leicester only had 80 new cases between June 13-26, it had in fact suffered 944 more. It is now known that cases spiked from late May onwards, and that new cases were being detected throughout June. But this data was made available to the local authority only days before lockdown was re-imposed on 30 June and were not made public for several days after that. Sir Peter said having 'finally' been provided with 'useful data', it was known around 10 per cent of the city has recorded a higher transmission of the virus. For that reason, extending the lockdown extending to Birstall in the north of the city and Wigston to the south is 'not justified', Sir Peter said. 'If we had known that weeks ago, we could've actually dealt with it at that time and prevented this lockdown,' he told BBC Breakfast today. 'It's very clear, when you look at the data, that it's a couple of areas of the city that have got a higher than the average transmission of the virus, and certainly the way in which the city has been locked down in its entirety, and indeed beyond our boundary, is not justified.' Even now, Sir Peter claims that the data being provided to local health officials is not detailed enough and too delayed. He said: 'The data we're getting now is the best part of two weeks' out of date, and we need to be knowing, on a day-by-day basis street-by-street basis, what that data is telling us and then we can tell whether or not, in those particular neighbourhoods, we're actually combating the virus effectively. 'We need to know the ethnicity of the people who are being tested, we need to know where they are working. There's been all this talk about perhaps it's passed on in factories, but we have no way of knowing that.' In response to Sir Peter's claims that the data was two weeks old, Professor Van-Tam said: 'The local authority is getting absolutely granular postcode-level data. 'The director of public health has been having access to a digital dashboard showing the rates of disease in Leicester city since June 11. 'There have been bumps in the road ... in terms of data, but I think the idea that it's two weeks out of date is just not true.' 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. 'Factories and manufacturing work are opportunities [for people] to mix and mixing is what it's all about. You wouldn't put a food processing factory in London because it's too expensive.' The ethnicity of Leicester's residents may also play into the risk of the coronavirus spreading fast - 37 per cent of people in the city were Asian or British Asian in the 2011 Census, with 28 per cent of them of Indian heritage. One local researcher told MailOnline multi-generational households were 'part and parcel' of Asian culture and that grandparents often live with their younger relatives. This leads to larger households which increases the risk of more people catching the virus from one infected member of the family. If older people live in the home they are more likely to get seriously ill and to get tested and recorded as a patient, contributing to statistics. Research has shown younger people are more likely to have mild symptoms or not to notice they are ill at all, making them less likely to get tested and to show up in data collection. Professor Brendan Wren, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, added: 'Why this outbreak occurred in the east part of Leicester is unclear and we may never know as the number of cases may be too high to drill down to the fine detail of the original source(s) of the infection.' Advertisement Will Smith urges Americans to elect people who have God, love in their hearts; don't succumb to evil Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Actor Will Smith said that he thinks Americans should elect people who have God in their lives and love in their hearts following the uprise against racism in the nation. Smith has been in the news lately after a former family friend, R&B artist August Alsina, claimed the Men In Black actor and his wife have an open marriage. Rather than address the latest headlines about his marriage, the Hollywood icon joined CNN political commentator, pop culture critic, and CEO of IMPACT Strategies, Angela Rye, on her social media show On 1 to discuss how he believes God and love can impact the conversation on race in America. Rye, who was happy to have the Fresh Prince star on her program, revealed that Smith serves as a counselor to her. The interview marked the first time Smith has spoken out publicly following the death of George Floyd while in police custody. Smith revealed that he went into a state of study to further understand what he, as a black man with black children, should do and say concerning the topic of racial injustice in America. The actor shared some of his own experiences with racism in his hometown of Philadelphia as well as discriminations hes witnessed in Hollywood. As the interview progressed, Smith revealed that current global uprise against discrimination on black people is something hes never seen so he believes America will be revolutionized because of it. Rage is justified under oppression. It also can be really dangerous and what I loved about the peaceful protests, it's like peaceful protests, put up a mirror to the demonic imagery of your oppressor, Smith said with conviction. So I was really encouraged by how powerfully this generation was able to hold that mirror. The world-renown entertainer maintained that throughout his travels he sees that there is one constant flaw in all of humanity, the tread of wickedness. "When we move through the world, you are confronting defiled and degraded minds and it's never going to be any different than that, Smith declared. So in trying to build systems, because that's what's going to happen now we're going to build new systems, you're still going to be confronting those same defiled and degraded minds in these circumstances. The problem is in the hearts and minds of people. So it demands that our attention begin on our hearts and minds as a country. I would hope that a part of what we're learning right now is the destructive aspects of loveless, godless leadership, he added. The singular message he wanted the next generation to hold on to is not to succumb to lovelessness, no matter how much evil you face. The father of three said people poison themselves and their own communities when they succumb to lovelessness. As a country, I would hope that a part of what we're learning right now is the destructive aspects of loveless, godless leadership," he reiterated. "Do not elect people that don't have God and love, in their hearts." Smith shared a clip of the aforementioned statement on his Instagram and assured his millions of followers that his comments were not talking about church or religion. He concluded the interview by saying that America is in a painful, transformative time and he will be seeking to do his part to help to bring healing. - Building and construction, and automotive industry will contribute positively to market's growth trajectory over the forecast period - Technological advancement, portfolio diversification to be a prominent growth factor in the market - Asia Pacific to grow at a lucrative pace in the global emulsion polymers market over the forecast period ALBANY, New York, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Growth in the global emulsion polymers market over the period of 2019 to 2027 would be an outcome of interplay between several positive trends and drivers. It will lead to a notable increase in market worth - USD 66 billion by the end of the forecast period. Compound annual growth rate would be 6.2%. As per Transparency Market Research, "Massive demand would arise from construction and building industry, automotive industry, and electronics industry because these polymers are extensively used in paints, coatings, and adhesives. Besides, it is pertinent to note here that an increase in disposable income is also playing a notable role." Download PDF Brochure - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1705 Key Findings of Global Emulsion Polymers Market Study: Technological advancements, along with production of bio-based emulsion polymers will drive market forward Asia Pacific will lay claim to a sizeable share of the global emulsion polymers market over the forecast period will lay claim to a sizeable share of the global emulsion polymers market over the forecast period Construction volumes would play a notable role in this growth For a detailed analysis of global emulsion market by product, end-use, and region, visit https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/emulsion-polymer-market.htm Key Drivers of Growth in Global Emulsion Polymers Market: Over the next few years, the global emulsion polymers market will chart a steady growth curve owing to numerous factors trends and drivers - which are currently marking the vendor landscape. Transparency Market Research has identified these and delineated them in great detail. A synopsis of top contributing factors is provided below: Use of acrylic emulsion in paints is set to drive the market forward, creating new opportunities of growth Increase in construction and building activity is set to push the demand for emulsion polymers as it would create demand for paints and coatings Innovation and increase in research and development activities to pave way for further growth Growing demand for adhesives removable and permanent is set to drive the global emulsion polymers market forward Demand from the automotive industry also contributes to growth in the market Favorable government regulations are supporting growth, keeping market buoyant View Detailed Table of Contents at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/1705 Regional Analysis of Global Emulsion Polymers Market: Owing to massive contributions to growth from countries such as India and China , the Asia Pacific region will dominate the market over the forecast period and , the region will dominate the market over the forecast period Increase in construction volumes would be a major growth propeller; India and China will account for a sizeable share of these volumes and will account for a sizeable share of these volumes Over the forecast period, the region will chart a CAGR of about 6.5% Analyze global emulsion polymers market growth in 30+ countries including US, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, Poland, Benelux, Nordic, China, Japan, India, and South Korea. Request a sample of the study Competitive Landscape of Global Emulsion Polymers Market: The global emulsion polymers market is fragmented. Notable companies profiled by Transparency Market Research include proactive names such as Synthomer plc, BASF SE, Celanese Corporation, The Dow Chemical Company, Arkema S.A., and Trinseo S.A., among others. Key focus of players in the market is currently on expansion of product portfolio and technological advancement. Bio-based emulsion polymers' production will gain prominence over the forecast period. It is quite pertinent to note here that various other growth strategies are also deployed by players in the global emulsion polymers market. These include entering into key alliances such as synergistic partnerships and collaborations, and strategic mergers and collaborations. Expansion of production facilities also figures on the list of strategic measures for growth. 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